Evidence from nucleic acid and protein chemistry, in particular serology, in angiosperm classification

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Abstract
Semantides, or information carrying molecules, are divided into primary semantides (DNA), secondary semantides (RNA), and tertiary semantides (proteins), with pro–teinaceous material proving to be the most useful in taxonomic and systematic research to date. The contributions to angiosperm classification from amino acid sequencing, DNA hybridization, and fraction I protein are still limited; however, serological data (600 taxa in 200 taxonomic publications) substantially (but unequally) influenced the most recent revisions of systems of classification presented by Cronquist, Dahlgren, Takhtajan, and Thorne. The analyses of semantides and amino acids have thus proven to be unequally useful in helping to understand evolution and phytogeny, and in contributing to classifications. The continuing incorporation of data from diverse disciplines into the development of systems of angiosperm classification makes multidisciplinary and multiauthor research (team research) more essential as we move into future research planning.