CUTICULAR MORPHOLOGY AND ASPECTS OF THE ECOLOGY AND FOSSIL HISTORY OFNORTH QUEENSLAND RAIN-FOREST PROTEACEAE

Cuticles of North Queensland rainforest Proteaceae were examined using light and scanning electron microscopy. The genera of North Queenslan d rainforest Proteaceae are mostly endemic and composed of one or few species, with greatest diversity in the granitic uplands of the region . Knowledge of cuticular morphology may be an important tool in determ ining the true affinities of several undescribed taxa in the region an d can be used to explore hypotheses relating to the history of the Pro teaceae. Some species exhibit purported xeromorphic features of thick cuticles, sunken stomates and dense trichome cover on the abaxial surf ace. Grevillea, Banksieae and Stenocarpus are believed to have radiate d into open, much less mesic environments. In the former two taxa this can be interpreted in terms of xeromorphic features expressed in thei r cuticular morphologies, whereas in Stenocarpus amphistomaty in speci es of open habitats suggests an alternative mode of evolution more rel ated to physiological factors. Several Cainozoic proteaceous macrofoss ils temporally and spatially far removed from North Queensland possess cuticular morphologies very similar to identical to extant rainforest taxa in the region.