Despite recent advances in molecular phylogenetic studies, deep evolutionary relationships in Cyperaceae are still not entirely resolved. Reduction of floral morphology and complex inflorescences pose difficulties to unravel relationships based on morphology alone. One of the most phylogenetically informative structures in Cyperaceae are the embryos. The utility of embryo characters and types in Cyperaceae systematics is reviewed in a molecular phylogenetic context using a DNA supermatrix incorporating sequences from five plastid (matK, ndhF, rbcL, rps16, trnL-F) and two nuclear ribosomal (ETS, ITS) regions. The phylogenetic hypothesis presented includes the most extensive sampling of the family to date. Fourteen qualitative morphological embryo characters were coded, ancestral state reconstructions were performed, and the embryo of each sampled genus was classified in a typological system based on key morphological features. Embryo morphology provides a valuable source of independent data for Cyperaceae systematics that can be used to place species with unknown affinities, when molecular data is not available, or when results of analyses are inconclusive or conflicting. Integrating embryo data will remain critical for future higher level studies of Cyperaceae evolution and classification.

中文翻译：

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莎草科的系统发育和系统学，胚胎形态学的进化和重要性

尽管最近分子系统发育研究取得了进展，但莎草科的深层进化关系仍未完全解决。减少花的形态和复杂的花序给仅基于形态来解开关系带来了困难。莎草科中最具系统发育信息的结构之一是胚胎。胚胎特征和类型在莎草科系统学中的效用在分子系统发育背景下进行审查，使用 DNA 超矩阵结合来自五个质体（matK、ndhF、rbcL、rps16、trnL-F）和两个核核糖体（ETS、ITS）区域的序列。提出的系统发育假设包括迄今为止最广泛的家庭样本。对十四个定性形态胚胎特征进行编码，进行祖先状态重建，并且根据关键形态特征将每个采样属的胚胎分类为类型系统。胚胎形态学为莎草科系统学提供了宝贵的独立数据来源，可用于放置具有未知亲和力的物种，当分子数据不可用时，或分析结果不确定或相互矛盾时。整合胚胎数据对于未来莎草科进化和分类的更高水平研究仍然至关重要。