无量山大寨子黑长臂猿(Nomascus concolor jingdongensis)种群生存力

据2003年9月至2005年9月,对云南中部无量山大寨子黑长臂猿种群(5个群体)进行了观察,获得了群体大小、配偶体制、繁殖间隔、环境容纳量、死亡率、灾害的发生频率等种群参数,并结合近缘种的一些相关数据,利用旋涡模型(Vortex 914),对无量山大寨子地区黑长臂猿亚种群的动态进行了模拟分析.结果显示:大寨子亚种群是一个具有很强的潜在繁殖力的种群,如果没有偷猎,亚种群在100a之内不会灭绝,并且能迅速达到环境容纳量.但是每年如果有1只成年雄性和1只成年雌性被猎杀,该种群将会在第78年灭绝,且灭绝概率为100%.不同程度的死亡率对种群影响不大,但高死亡率显著延缓了种群到达环境容纳量的时间.环境容纳量对种群遗传多样性损失具有重要的影响,在没有猎杀的情况下,种群的长期存活需要一个较大的环境容纳量.因此,在黑长臂猿受到严格保护、且栖息地主要在保护区内的今天,严密监控火灾的发生,限制牲畜进入林区等人为干扰的影响,保护好黑长臂猿栖息地是首要工作之一.但如果能使其栖息地周围的森林植被得到恢复,增加其栖息范围,将有利于该地区黑长臂猿的发展.

云南哀牢山平河黑长臂猿栖息地乔木结构分析

采用样方方法对栖息于云南省哀牢山平河(E 101°17′16.1″,N 24°20′09.5″,海拔2 600 m)的黑长臂猿(Nomascus concolor)栖息地乔木层结构进行了调查.调查中共记录到乔木57种隶属于23科37属;木质藤本植物9种隶属于6科8属.优势科主要为杜鹃花科(Ericaceae)、木兰科(Magnoliaceae)、山茶科(Theaceae)和壳斗科(Fagaceae)植物.主要树种重要值排序表明,露珠杜鹃(Rhododendron irroratum)为该地区最主要的优势种,在各坡位中均有广泛分布.乔木的多样性指数、均匀度指数在沟底明显降低,而乔木1层和2层所占的比例以及木质藤本的平均多度均随着坡位的下降而升高.与其他地区的长臂猿相比,哀牢山黑长臂猿的活动程度较低(10-22 m),果实性食物种类较少.

云南中部无量山黑长臂猿(Nomascus concolor jingdongensis)栖息地乔木层物种多样性和结构特征

无量山是黑长臂猿景东亚种的唯一分布区,现栖息着98群500余只黑长臂猿。长臂猿是典型的树栖性灵长类动物,通过对无量山西坡大寨子地区250个样方的调查,分析了随海拔梯度升高,黑长臂猿栖息地植被乔木层物种多样性和结构的变化情况。共记录乔木111种,隶属于33科;木质藤本23种,隶属于18科。其中优势科主要有樟科(Lauraceae)、木兰科(Magnoliaceae)、壳斗科(Fagaceae)、山茶科(Theaceae)和杜鹃花科(Ericaceae)。根据不同海拔乔木层物种组成的差异,该区可划分为半湿润常绿阔叶林(2100~2300m)和中山湿性常绿阔叶林(2400~2600m)两种植被类型。多样性指数(Shannon-Wiener指数)随海拔升高在两种植被类型中均呈下降趋势;均匀度指数(Pielou指数)在半湿润常绿阔叶林中呈下降趋势,在中山湿性常绿阔叶林中无明显变化。半湿润常绿阔叶林中,阳坡的乔木物种多样性低于阴坡;而阳坡物种多样性在两种植被类型间差异显著。随着海拔的升高,乔木层的平均高度和上层乔木(Ⅰ层)的比例均逐渐降低,但下层乔木却呈上升趋势。6种优势乔木树种的种群年龄结构分析表明,该区植被的乔木层呈...

黑长臂猿的分布、现状与保护

黑长臂猿(H y lobates concolor) 是现生11 种长臂猿中其系统地位最低的灵长类。历史时期 长臂猿曾广泛分布在我国南部的大部省区。自公元4 世纪以来, 它们的分布发生了很大变化。分 布区从北到南, 从东到西急剧缩小, 现黑长臂猿缩小到只在海南岛、云南南部和越南北部, 已 分化为6 个亚种。分布于我国的5 亚种中, 海南亚种(H. c. hainanus) 现今仅20 余只, 是最 濒危的一个亚种; . 北部湾亚种(H. c. nasu tus) 50 年代曾在广西西南部发现, 60- 70 年代已绝 迹; 指名亚种(H. c. concolor) 主要分布于越南北部、滇南和滇中哀牢山。滇南约有100 余只, 滇中哀牢山可能有40- 60 群, 180- 240 只; 景东亚种(H. c. j ing d ong ensis) 为滇中无量山的 特有亚种, 现有100- 116 群, 430- 500 只; 滇西亚种(H. c. f u rvog aster) , 只分布在滇西南的 沧源、镇康、云县和耿马等地, 约有26- 42 群, 100- 150 只。现今, 黑长臂猿的分布区已不足 1 000Km 2, 总数量约1 000 只, 为高度濒危的灵长类动物。造成黑长臂猿濒危的主要原因是: 热 带和南亚热带原始森林的被破坏和缩小、人类活动的干扰使生境破碎和恶化、过度猎捕和长臂 猿自身的生物学弱点。目前, 中国的黑长臂猿已在9 个自然保护区中得到保护。

Seasonal variations in the activity budget of Nomascus concolor jingdongensis at Mt. Wuliang, Central Yunnan, China: Effects of diet and temperature

We studied seasonal variation in the activity budget of a habituated group of Nomascus concolor jingdongensis at Mt. Wuliang, Central Yunnan, China from March 2005 to April 2006 via scan sampling at 5-min intervals. The study site is near the northern extreme of the distribution of hylobatids, at high altitude with extreme seasonality of temperature and rainfall. During the day, feeding manifested a bimodal pattern of high activity levels in mid-morning and mid-afternoon, whereas resting reached a peak at midday, with proportionally less time used for traveling. Annually, the group spent an average of 40.0% of the time resting, 35.1% feeding, 19.9% traveling, 2.6% singing, 1.2% playing, and 1.3% in other activities. The proportion of time allocated to activities showed significant monthly variations and was influenced by the diet and temperature. Gibbons increased traveling and playing time and decreased feeding time when they ate more fruit, and they decreased traveling, singing, and playing time and increased feeding time when they ate more leaves. Moreover, when the temperature was low, the gibbons decreased time traveling and increased time resting. In summary, black-crested gibbons employed high-effort activities when they ate more fruit and energy-conservation patterns when they ate more leaves and in low temperature. Behavioral data from the site are particularly useful in understanding gibbon behavioral adaptations to different sets of ecological conditions.

Maintenance of Multifemale Social Organization in a Group of Nomascus concolor at Wuliang Mountain, Yunnan, China

Many short-term studies have reported groups of black crested gibbons containing >= 2 adult females (Nomascus concolor). We report the stability of multifemale groups in this species over a period of 6 yr. Our focal group and 2 neighboring groups included 2 breeding females between March 2003 and June 2009. We also habituated 1 multifemale group to observers and present detailed information concerning their social relationships over a 9-mo observation period. We investigated interindividual distances and agonistic behavior among the 5 group members. The spatial relationship between the 3 adult members (1 male, 2 females) formed an equilateral triangle. A subadult male was peripheral to the focal group, while a juvenile male maintained a closer spatial relationship with the adult members. We observed little agonistic behavior among the adult members. The close spatial relationship and lack of high rates of agonistic behavior among females suggest that the benefits of living in a multifemale group were equal to or greater than the costs for both females, given their ecological and social circumstances. The focal group occupied a large home range that was likely to provide sufficient food sources for the 2 females and their offspring. Between March 2003 and June 2009, 1 adult female gave 2 births and the other one gave 1 birth. All individuals in the focal group survived to June 2009. A long-term comparative study focused on females living in multifemale groups and females living in pair-living groups would provide insight into understanding the evolutionary mechanisms of the social system in gibbons.

滇南、滇东南黑冠长臂猿分布与数量

滇南、滇东南曾是黑冠长臂猿广泛分布的地区之一.为掌握该地区近年黑冠长臂猿分布及种群数量现状,从2003年7月～2004年12月,采用访问调查及利用鸣声定位法进行了实地调查.调查结果显示,在近40 000 km2的范围内,东黑冠长臂猿(Nomascus sp.cf.nasutus)在云南境内可能已消失;西黑冠长臂猿(N.concolor)亦仅发现4～7个种群,且孤立分布于3个地区(金平芭蕉河2群6只,金平西隆山1-2群,绿春黄连山1～3群,总计不超过25只),而在江城牛倮河自然保护区、马关古林箐自然保护区、麻栗坡老君山自然保护区及屏边大围山自然保护区可能已绝迹.滇南、滇东南黑冠长臂猿分布区缩小及种群数量剧减,主要与栖息地丧失及过度捕猎有关.

云南中部无量山大寨子黑长臂猿（Nomascus concolorjingdongensis）生态与行为研究

从2003年3月到2006年5月期间，在云南中部无量山大寨子（24°21′N, 100°42′E）对一个黑长臂猿种群进行了研究。2003年3月至2004年3月主要研究了 3个群体的鸣叫行为。2005年3月一个群体被习惯化，随后对其进行了14个月的连 续观察。在此期间，主要对食性、时间分配、栖息地选择和利用、过夜地及过夜 树的选择等方面进行了研究。这些资料将有助于了解黑长臂猿对其高海拔、高纬 度、季节性变化明显栖息地的适应性，并且对了解长臂猿独特的社会结构具有重 要意义。另外，本研究结合获得的行为生态方面的数据，通过漩涡模型（VORTEX） 对该种群未来动态进行了模拟，对大寨子种群的保护和发展提出了保护建议。 黑长臂猿叫声在所有长臂猿中频率最高。成年雄性能发出boom、简单重复 音节和调节音节；成年雌性只能发出成功的激动鸣叫和失败的激动鸣叫。两者互 相配合组成结构复杂的二重唱，配对个体很少单独鸣叫，青年个体经常会加入二 重唱。同一群内两个成年雌性多数时候一起鸣叫。配对个体平均两天鸣叫一次 （53%），每次鸣叫平均持续时间12.9 分钟，雌性激动鸣叫4.6 次，激动鸣叫的 平均时间间隔为115 秒，91.5%的鸣叫发生在日出前半小时和日出后3 小时之间。 通过对相邻群体间鸣叫行为的分析，结果发现相邻群体倾向于不在同一天鸣叫， 如果同一天鸣叫，鸣叫的时间间隔显著长于不在同一天鸣叫的时间间隔，这些结 果不支持鸣叫具有调节群体空间距离的功能（inter-group spacing）的假说。雄性 倾向选择一个区域内最高的树进行鸣叫，这可能是为了声音的远距离传播。另外 雄性对鸣叫树的选择也兼顾了安全因素。通过比较鸣叫前后个体间的距离，黑长 臂猿的鸣叫具有群内通讯的功能，鸣叫后个体间的距离显著短于鸣叫前的距离。 虽然鸣叫树的分布与食物斑块的分布在不同海拔段和不同网格内都呈现出了高 度的相关性，但不能确定黑长臂猿在食物斑块附近进行鸣叫就是为了对食物资源 进行防御。 利用扫描法对研究群体的食性和时间分配进行了研究。结果显示研究群体共 取食77 种植物和至少6 种动物，其中10 种重要食物占到取食比例的76.7%。在 10396 次确定食物类别的记录中，除无花果外的其它果实占25.5%，藤子叶和芽占21.0%，树叶和芽占19.2%，无花果占18.6%，花占9.1%，寄生植物的叶占6.3%， 另外其它食物占0.3%。黑长臂猿的食性具有明显的日变化和季节性变化。与其 它长臂猿相比，黑长臂猿的食性更加广泛。虽然黑长臂猿进食叶（藤子的叶和芽、 树叶和芽、寄生植物的叶）的比例稍多于进食果实（无花果和其它果实）的比例， 但当果实丰富时，它们仍然优先选择果实。 黑长臂猿平均在日出后33 分钟离开过夜树，在日落前128 分钟进入过夜树， 平均每天活动518 分钟。活动期间，黑长臂猿用于休息的时间最多，达到40.0%， 其次是取食28.7%，排在第三的是移动19.8%，排在第四的是觅食占到6.1%，鸣 叫占2.6%，玩耍和其它活动一共占活动时间的2.8%。时间分配具有明显的日变 化和季节性变化。食物和温度因素是影响黑长臂猿时间分配季节性变化的最主要 的原因。 群体一共利用129 个1 公顷的网格，如果包含在活动路线内的空隙，活动范 围达到151 公顷，主要由3 个大的山沟组成。黑长臂猿平均每天移动1391 米， 进入9 个网格，连续两天倾向于利用家域中的同一条山沟。群体平均每月仅利用 家域的19%~50%，集中利用家域中的小部分区域，除2 月份外群体总是选择利 用原始常绿阔叶林。形成这种现象的原因主要与食物的分布及其季节性变化有 关、并且与该群生活地区的地形有关。 黑长臂猿喜欢选择高大的，生长在陡坡上的树过夜，群体一般形成4 个不同 的小单元过夜（青年个体与成年雄性睡在一起，两个成年雌性与未独立的婴猿分 别睡在一起，亚成年雄性单独过夜），过夜时总是快速进入过夜树，然后立即安 静下来，利用很多棵不同的过夜树，并且间隔很长时间后才重复利用，这些行为 都是为了避免被捕食者发现和攻击。群体喜欢在山坡上过夜，并且在冬天喜欢选 择在长有寄生植物的大树枝上过夜，这些行为可能与研究地点冬天的低气温有 关。此外，过夜树的选择可能兼顾舒适和方便寻找食物的功能。 通过获得的生态学资料，结合近缘种生态学参数，利用漩涡模型（VORTEX） 对该种群未来动态进行了模拟。结果显示：大寨子亚种群是一个具有很强的潜在 繁殖力的种群，如果没有偷猎，亚种群在100a 之内不会灭绝，并且能迅速达到 环境容纳量。但是每年如果有1 只成年雄性和1 只成年雌性被猎杀，该种群将会在第78a 灭绝，且灭绝概率为100%。不同程度的死亡率对种群影响不大，但高 死亡率显著延缓了种群到达环境容纳量的时间。环境容纳量对种群遗传多样性损 失具有重要的影响，在没有猎杀的情况下，种群的长期存活需要一个较大的环境 容纳量。因此，在黑长臂猿受到严格保护、且栖息地主要在保护区内的今天，严 密监控火灾的发生，限制牲畜进入林区等人为干扰的影响，保护好黑长臂猿栖息 地是首要工作之一。但如果能使其栖息地周围的森林植被得到恢复，增加其栖息 范围，将有利于该地区黑长臂猿的发展。

滇南、滇东南黑长臂猿分布与数量及金平芭蕉河黑长臂猿栖息地选择与利用

长臂猿是现存最小的类人猿（俗称小猿），主要分布于东南亚的的热带雨林、季雨林及亚热带常绿阔叶林中，是典型的树栖灵长类动物。我国现有长臂猿3属5种，包括黑长臂猿(Nomascus concolor)、白颊长臂猿(N. leucogenys)、海南长臂猿(N. hainanus)、白掌长臂猿(Hylobates lar)和白眉长臂猿(Hoolock hoolock)。其中黑长臂猿是主要分布于我国云南省境内的一种长臂猿，在国外仅在越南北部和老挝西北部局部地区分布，越南北部的数量不足100只，老挝目前仅发现9群。 滇南、滇东南曾是黑长臂猿广泛分布的地区之一。为掌握该地区近年黑长臂猿分布及种群数量现状，从2003年7月～2004年12月，利用访问调查及利用鸣声定位法对该地区进行了调查。调查结果显示，在云南境内，近40 000 km2的范围内，黑长臂猿在红河以东可能已消失，而红河以西亦仅发现4～7个种群，且孤立分布于3个地区（金平芭蕉河2群6只，金平西隆山1－2群，绿春黄连山1～3群，总计不超过25只），而在江城牛倮河自然保护区、马关古林箐自然保护区、麻栗坡老君山自然保护区及屏边大围山自然保护区可能已绝迹。滇南、滇东南黑长臂猿分布区缩小及种群数量剧减，主要与栖息地丧失及过度捕猎有关。 在长臂猿数量与分布调查的基础上，我们于2004年底确定了以金平芭蕉河黑长臂猿的一个群体为研究对象进行行为生态观察。通过扫描与瞬时取样法记录，结合生境调查及物候监测，对其游走行为及生境利用格局进行了比较和分析，主要结论如下：⑴家域大小（活动范围）不是限制长臂猿日活动距离及活动时间的主要原因；⑵日活动距离及移动时间均与温度呈正相关；⑶食物资源分布及斑块丰富度一定程度上决定了长臂猿对栖息地选择与利用方式；⑷长臂猿对陡坡与沟谷利用强度较高，与其主要行为表现（如;过夜点、休息点、取食点选择）有关；⑸长臂猿过夜点选择与食物资源分布、群体间关系及鸣叫点选择无关，而可能与天气和安全性因素有关；⑹果实树分布对取食点、休息点选择作用明显，而物候变化及食物可得性可能是影响长臂猿对栖息地利用季节性变化的主要原因；⑺在一定程度上，人为干扰只是在短时间内改变了长臂猿的活动路线或时间，而对其总体的生境利用策略并没有太大影响。食物资源的分布及季节性变化在长臂猿的游走行为及生境利用中均起到了重要作用。

Effect of N fertilizer on the productivity and nutritive values of perennial grass mixtures in the alpine region of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, China

A study was conducted on grass mixtures that included smooth bromegrass (SB) + drooping wild ryegrass (DW), smooth bromegrass + Siberian wild ryegrass (SW) + crested wheatgrass (CW) and smooth bromegrass + Siberian wild ryegrass + drooping wild ryegrass + crested wheatgrass in the alpine region of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. The study was conducted from 1998 to 2000 to investigate the effects of N application rates and growing year on herbage dry matter (DM) yield and nutritive values. Herbage DM production increased linearly with N application rates. The effect of N application on DM yields was greater (P < 0.05) in the 2nd and 3rd production years than in the establishment year. Dry matter yields of SB + SW + CW and SB + SW + DW + CW can reach as high as 15 000 kg ha(-1) at 345 kg ha(-1) N rate in the 3rd growing year. With increased N application rates, crude protein (CP) contents and 48 h in sacco DM degradability of grasses increased (P < 0.05). No effect (P > 0.05) of N application was detected on organic matter (OM) and acid detergent fibre (ADF) concentration. It can be concluded that for increased biomass production in the alpine region of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, a minimum of 345 kg N ha(-1) should be applied to grass stands in three split application of 115 kg N ha(-1), in early June, early July and late July

Diet of auklet chicks in the Aleutian Islands, Alaska: similarity among islands, interspecies overlap, and relationships to ocean climate

Seabirds are effective samplers of the marine environment, and can be used to measure resource partitioning among species and sites via food loads destined for chicks. We examined the composition, overlap, and relationships to changing climate and oceanography of 3,216 food loads from Least, Crested, and Whiskered Auklets (Aethia pusilla, A. cristatella, A. pygmaea) breeding in Alaska during 1994–2006. Meals comprised calanoid copepods (Neocalanus spp.) and euphausiids (Thysanoessa spp.) that reflect secondary marine productivity, with no difference among Buldir, Kiska, and Kasatochi islands across 585 km of the Aleutian Islands. Meals were very similar among species (mean Least–Crested Auklet overlap C = 0.68; Least–Whiskered Auklet overlap C = 0.96) and among sites, indicating limited partitioning of prey resources for auklets feeding chicks. The biomass of copepods and euphausiids in Least and Crested Auklet food loads was related negatively to the summer (June–July–August) North Pacific Gyre Oscillation, while in Whiskered Auklet food loads, this was negatively related to the winter (December–January–February) Pacific Decadal Oscillation, both of which track basin-wide sea-surface temperature (SST) anomalies. We found a significant quadratic relationship between the biomass of calanoid copepods in Least Auklet food loads at all three study sites and summer (June–July) SST, with maximal copepod biomass between 3–6°C (r 2 = 0.71). Outside this temperature range, zooplankton becomes less available to auklets through delayed development. Overall, our results suggest that auklets are able to buffer climate-mediated bottom-up forcing of demographic parameters like productivity, as the composition of chick meals has remained constant over the course of our study.

Some additions and other records new to the ornithology of South Carolina

This document contains notes on several species of birds observed by Arthur T. Wayne in South Carolina including the Sooty Shearwater, the Harlequin Duck, the Snow Goose, the Blue Goose, the Egret, the Yellow-crowned Night Heron, the Hudsonian Curlew, the Turnstone, the Pigeon Hawk, the Crested Flycatcher, the Bronzed Grackle, the Carolina Grackle, the Ipswich Sparrow, Leconte’s Sparrow, the Mountain Solitary Vireo, Bachman’s Warbler, the Magnolia Warbler, the Black-throated Green Warbler, and the Connecticut Warbler.

Breeding parameters of great cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo carbo) at mixed species colonies on Prince Edward Island, Canada

Breeding parameters of Great Cormorants (PkaZac/iOCOfiCLX CCUibo dCUtbo) and Double-crested Cormorants (P. CLU/uXuA CMJhLtllb) were examined at two mixed species colonies at Cape Tryon and Durell Point, Prince Edward Island from 1976 to 1978. Differential access to nests at the two colony sites resulted in more complete demographic data for P. CCUibo than for P. CLUJiituA. In 1911j P. CCtfibo was present at both colonies by 21 March, whereas P. auAAJtuA did not return until 1 April and 16 April at Cape Tryon and Durell Point, respectively. Differences in the arrival chronology by individuals of each species and differences in the time of nest site occupation according to age, are suggested as factors influencing the nest site distribution of P. CXUtbo and P. aiVtituA at Cape Tryon. Forty-eight P. dOJtbo chicks banded at the Durell Point colony between 19 74 and 19 76 returned there to nest as two- to four-year olds in 19 77 and 19 78. Unmarked individuals with clutch-starts in April were likely greater than four years old as all marked two to four-year olds (with one possible exception) in 19 77 and 1978 had clutch-starts in May and June. Seasonal variation in the breeding success of P. dOJibo individuals was examined at Durell Point in 1977. Mean clutch-size, hatching success and fledging success exhibited a seasonal decline. Four- and 5-egg clutches represented the majority (75%) of all P. CCUibo clutches at Durell Point in 1977 and had the highest reproductive success (0.48 and 0.43 chicks fledged per egg laid respectively). Smaller clutches produced small broods with significantly higher chick mortality while larger clutches suffered high egg loss prior to clutch completion.

Changes in heron and egret populations on the Laurentian Great Lakes and connecting channels, 1977-2009

Canadian and U.S. federal wildlife agencies completed four decadal surveys, spanning the years 1977 to 2009, to census colonial waterbirds breeding on the Great Lakes and adjoining bodies of water. In this paper, we reports abundance, distribution, and general population trends of three species: Black-crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax), Great Egret (Ardea alba), and Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias). Estimates of nest numbers ranged from approximately 4000-6100 for the Black-crowned Night-Heron, 250-1900 for the Great Egret, and 3800-6400 for the Great Blue Heron. Average annual rates of change in nest numbers between the first (1977) and fourth (2008) census were −1% for the Black-crowned Night-Heron, +23% for the Great Egret, and −0.27% for the Great Blue Heron. Across the 30-year census, Black-crowned Night-Heron estimates decreased in U.S. (−57%) but increased (+18%) in Canadian waters, Great Egret nests increased 1381% in Canadian waters with a smaller, but still substantial increase in the number of nests at U.S. colonies (+613%), and Great Blue Heron numbers increased 148% in Canadian waters and 713% in U.S. waters. Although a single factor cannot be clearly linked to changes observed in each species’ distribution, hydrological variation, habitat succession, nest competition with Double-crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus), and land use changes likely all contributed. Management activities should support both breeding and foraging conditions including restoration of early successional habitats and anticipate continued northward expansions in the distributions of these waterbirds.

Floral ontogeny in Polygalaceae and its bearing on the homologies of keeled flowers in Fabales

Keeled flowers are characteristic of many species of Polygalaceae (tribe Polygaleae), in which there is often a distinctive crest located at the abaxial petal. This study of floral ontogeny across the entire family highlights potential suites of characters that relate to the evolution of keeled and crested flowers. One character suite encompasses interconnected transformations of the lateral perianth organs acting as an evolutionary module: bracteoles, lateral sepals (with delayed initiation and petaloid appearance), and lateral petals (suppressed or lost). The plastochron between initiation of the lateral sepals and that of the other sepals is relatively long in the tribe Polygaleae, in which the calyx is usually heteromorphic. By contrast, in the petal whorl, the difference between a zygomorphic and an actinomorphic corolla involves organ suppression rather than heterochrony. Four primary androecial patterns are identified in the family, and the gynoecium ranges between syncarpous‐bicarpellate and multicarpellate. Stigma diversity is based on two primary morphological types: one in which the papillate stigmatic surfaces lie close together, the other in which they are physically separated. The floral ontogeny of Polygalaceae is considered alongside comparative data available for other members of the order Fabales, and hypotheses to account for the similarities and differences between keeled flowers are discussed.