Seed size evolution and biogeography of Plukenetia (Euphorbiaceae), a pantropical genus with traditionally cultivated oilseed species

Table 4 Diagnostic characters of the high elevation species complex (Plukenetia carolis-vegae, P. cf. carolis-vegae, P. huayllabambana) and P. volubilis. Most characters were updated from species descriptions; † = unverified and potentially inaccurate

Character	P. carolis-vegae Bussmann, Paniagua & C.Téllez	P. cf. carolis-vegae	P. huayllabambana Bussmann, C.Téllez & A.Glenn [putative cf. carolis-vegae × volubilis]	P. volubilis L.
Sampled in phylogeny	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Geographic range in Peru	Amazonas	Cusco, Junin, Pasco	Amazonas, Cajamarca	Amazonas, Cusco, Junin, Loreto, Madre de Dios, Pasco, San Martin
Elevation	1850 m	1450–2250 m	1200–2150 m	130–900(− 1800) m
Leaf stipels	1–2 thick stipels	1–2 thick stipels	1–2 thick stipels	1 knob (thick stipel)
Staminate sepals	4 (rarely 5) †	5 (sometimes 4 + 1 very thin, rarely 4)	4	4
Staminate nectaries	Absent †	Large irregularly shaped segments intermixed between stamens	Large irregularly shaped segments intermixed between stamens	Absent
Filament length	0.5–1 mm †	1–1.5 (2) mm	0.1–0.5 (1) mm	~ 0.5 mm
Style length	4–7 mm †	5–12 mm	6–7.5 mm	(9–)15–35 mm
Seed size measurements (length x width x thickness)	27 × 25 × 20 mm	19–20 × 17–18.6 × 13–15.8 mm	25–28 × 22–27 × 17–20 mm	13–22 × 11.8–18 × 5–9 mm
Seed size category	XL	L	XL	(M) L

ISSN: 2730-7182