Flavonoids at the Tribal Level

Abstract

It is the purpose of the present chapter to look at flavonoid occurrence patterns at the tribal level to see if any characteristic flavonoid feature or collection of features emerges. Since several major reassessments of tribal boundaries have appeared recently, we are presented with opportunities to examine the usefulness of flavonoids in arguing for or against the new alignments. This situation is particularly well represented by the recent work of Bremer and his associates (in Bremer, 1994) who discuss historical views of tribal boundaries and offer some newer views, particularly with regard to Inuleae s.l. and Heliantheae s.l. In addition to the tribes currently recognized by Bremer and colleagues (Bremer, 1994), some smaller tribes will be commented upon toward the end of this chapter, including Coreopsideae, Eremothamneae, Flaverieae, Madieae, Nassauvieae, and Tarchonantheae.