Figure 2.

Overall approach for selecting a basal angiosperm model system. General criteria are indicated; for full description refer to methods. Taxa eliminated after initial application of each criterion are indicated. Some taxa may have been eliminated for more than one reason. For example, Illicium, in family Illiciaceae, is increasingly available in cultivation, unlike most Austrobaileyales, but was eliminated due to its woody growth habit. Many taxa in Piperales were generally accessible and of amenable growth habit, yet family Lactoridaceae was eliminated due to inaccessibility and woodiness. In genus Aristolochia, subgenus Pararistolochia was eliminated due to large genome size. Basal angiosperm family characteristics and those of Aristolochiaceae species cultivated are described in Tables 1 and 2.