JOURNAL OF THE ARNOLD ARBORETUM COMPARATIVE ANATOMY AND RELATIONSHIPS OF COLUMELLIACEAE WILLIAM L. STERN, GEORGE K. BRIZICKY,1 AND RICHARD H. EYDE Genero dedicado a Junio Moderato Columela, antiguo espaiiol. colocado por Linneo entre los padres de la Botanica, y que escrib6 elegantemente en prosa y verso de Labranza y cultivo de Jardines -Ruiz and Pav6n 1794. IN 1961, Brizicky summarized information on the Andean genus Col-umellia and presented a taxonomic synopsis of this puzzling group of plants.The genus was described in 1794 by Ruiz and Pav6n and David Don estab-lished Columelliaceae in 1828. Eleven species have at one time or anotherbeen ascribed to the genus and through his critical examination of allavailable herbarium specimens, Brizicky reduced this number to fourmore or less well-defined species. Evaluations of the taxonomic positionof Columellia and Columelliaceae have been set forth from the time ofA. L. de Jussieu and Ruiz and Pav6n, but even the latest authors havebeen unable to fix the relationships of these plants conclusively. "Withits peculiar combination of opposite, exstipulate leaves; bisexual, epigy-nous flowers; somewhat irregular, sympetalous corollas; two stamenswith plicate and contorted anthers resembling those of some Cucurbitaceae;two-carpellate, imperfectly two-locular ovaries; and imperfectly four-locular capsular fruits, Columellia is indeed a unique genus" (Brizicky1961). Although several positions have been proposed for Columellia and forColumelliaceae, taxonomists agree that a plausible understanding of therelationships of these plants requires comprehensive studies to clarify dis-puted points and to complete our knowledge of their anatomy. It waswith this in mind that the present authors have examined the anatomyof the flower and fruit, node, leaf, and secondary xylem. Taxonomic position of Columellia A. L. de Jussieu (1801) considered Columellia as a genus of Oleaceae "hoc Genus ad Jasminearum ordinem pertinere." Kunth (1818) placed the genus in Scrophularinae, but noted, "An Gesnereis affinior?" At first Reichenbach (1828) included the genus in Gesneriaceae ("Gesnereae" as a tribe of Bignoniaceae) but later (1837) he transferred it to Oleaceae 1 George K. Brizicky died June 15, 1968 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, during the final stages of the preparation of this manuscript. It is to his memory that the sur-viving authors respectfully dedicate this paper.[VOL. 50
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