Genus-level diversity

Chenopodium species are used either as whole plants or parts of the plant. There is great diversity in plants and inflorescences (Mujica and Jacobsen, 2006). The genus Chenopodium includes about 250 species (Bhargava et al, 2005). Quinoa is an annual plant found in the Andean region of South America, between sea level and the heights of the Bolivian Altiplano at around 4000 m above sea level. It produces flat, oval-shaped seeds that are usually pale yellow but can range in color from pink... 

Kiwifruit is the most well-known crop in the genus Actinidia. Although Actinidia fruit sales in the international market are dominated by a single kiwifruit cultivar Actinidia deliciosa Hayward, there are a considerable number of cultivars and selections in the genus that have widely diverse shape, size, and hairiness. They also offer a wide variation in sensory attributes such as flesh color, flavor, and taste, and in nutritional attributes such as the vitamin C level and carotenoid content. The level of actinidin, which is a cysteine protease in kiwifruit, also varies greatly among cultivars. This chapter reviews available information related to several important components, allergenic properties, and health benefits of Actinidia fruits. 

Chemical diversity is of special interest if on genus or species level both terpenes and phenylpropenes can be found in the essential oil. Most Lamiaceae preferentially accumulate mono- and sesquiterpenes in their volatile oils, but some genera produce oils also rich in phenylpropenes, among these Ocimum sp. and Perilla sp. 

Patterns of Species-, Genus-, and Family-Level Diversity.356... 

The most recent classification of mosses (Goffinet and Buck, 2004) and data from the Checklist of Mosses (http //www.mobot.org/mobot/tropicos/most/checklist.shtml [Crosby et al., 1999, update February 2000]), were used to estimate species-, genus- and family-level diversity in different lineages. To evaluate temporal variation in rates of diversification, an LTT plot was calculated based on the 100 calibrated phytogenies resulting from our age estimation analyses. 

Estimates of species-, genus- and family-level diversity in different lineages are summarized in Table 17.3, with classification based in part on that of Gofflnet and Buck (2004), and in part on Crosby et al. (1999). Temporal variation in rates of diversification was evaluated in a LTT plot and reported in Figure 17.2. The plot is calculated across all age estimates obtained for the 100 trees randomly drawn from the posterior distribution. For comparison, corresponding curves calculated for angiosperms and polypod ferns by Schneider et al. (2004) are included in Figure 17.2. 

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