OCCURRENCE AND TAXONOMIC SIGNIFICANCE OF RUMINATE ENDOSPERM

Ruminate endosperm is characterized by its uneven and enlarged surface . A list of 58 angiosperm families in which this trait is known to occ ur is presented. The simultaneous presence of different rumination typ es in angiosperms and even within single families leads to the conclus ion that ruminate endosperm has originated several times in parallel. Therefore, the mere occurrence of rumination does not provide evidence for phylogenetic hypotheses. Nevertheless, rumination features can pr ovide valuable characters for taxonomic purposes, if structural and on togenetic evidence is considered.