Dataset of pollination traits in Fabales

Area of Science:

• Botany
• Evolutionary Biology
• Biodiversity Science

Background:

• Pollination syndromes are crucial for understanding plant evolution and species interactions.
• The Fabales order, including legumes, exhibits diverse floral morphologies and ecological roles.
• A comprehensive morphological dataset is needed to reconstruct historical pollination syndromes and evolutionary patterns within Fabales.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present the largest morphological dataset to date for 758 Fabales genera.
• To support the research article "Reconstructing an historical pollination syndrome: keel flowers" (Aygören Uluer et al., 2022).
• To provide a resource for future morphology, biogeography, and ancestral state analyses within Fabales.

Main Methods:

• Compilation of morphological data from hundreds of published sources.
• Inclusion of traits such as floral type, symmetry, petal number, reproductive organ enclosure, flower and corolla size, color, UV reflectance, habit, height, and inflorescence characteristics.
• Dataset covers 758 genera within the order Fabales.

Main Results:

• Creation of a comprehensive morphological dataset for 758 Fabales genera.
• The dataset includes detailed information on floral and vegetative characteristics.
• This represents the largest morphological dataset constructed for Fabales to date.

Conclusions:

• The presented dataset is a valuable resource for evolutionary and biodiversity research in Fabales.
• It enables detailed analyses of floral morphology, biogeography, and ancestral states.
• The data will facilitate a deeper understanding of pollination syndrome evolution within the Fabales order.