Fruits of Heterocoma (Vernonieae‐Lychnophorinae): taxonomic significance and a new pattern of phytomelanin deposition in Asteraceae

Heterocoma is a Brazilian endemic genus resulting from the dismemberment of Sipolisiinae, in which only representatives with fruit containing phytomelanin were included in the genus. As the fruits of Asteraceae are known to be systematically important at various taxonomic levels and Heterocoma fruit has not been described previously, we studied the morphology and anatomy of the cypselas of all species of the genus, comparing them with other fruits in the family containing phytomelanin and evaluating the systematic potential at the specific and tribal levels. The fruits were analysed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and light microscopy. The morphological features of the fruit, including the carpopodium, ribs and pappi, varied in the genus and demonstrated potential for species discrimination. The anatomy showed a pattern for the genus with a uniseriate exocarp, the outer mesocarp composed of fibres arranged in several layers, the inner mesocarp composed of several layers of parenchyma, the endocarp, and phytomelanin deposited between the inner and outer mesocarp. This anatomical pattern of phytomelanin deposition differs from that of other Asteraceae with phytomelanin in their fruit. Heterocoma is also the only genus in Vernonieae that has phytomelanin deposition in the cypselas. © 2015 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2015, 179, 255–265.