Wood anatomy, classification and phylogeny of the Melastomataceae

A classification of the Melastomataceae, modified on the basis of wood anatomical evidence, is discussed. Three subfamilies (Crypteronioideae, Memecyloideae and Melastomatoideae) are recognized . Astronioideae, recognized in other classifications, are abolished and their constituent genera are classified in Memecyloideae (Pternandra) and Melastomatoideae (four genera of the tribe Astronieae). Wood anatomically Melastomataceae show affinities with a number of Myrtalean families, notably with Lythraceae, Onagraceae and Myrtaceae. The wood anatomy of ancestral ‘Protomelastomataceae’ is hypothesized and a tentative phylogeny is suggested for the extant subfamilies and tribes.