particular sequence suggesting trends of evolution are even fewer. Originally, it was planned to 
polarize the traits found in the species using the results from the analysis at the genus level. But 
given the difficulties found in that search and the diminished power of the outcome, it was 
decided not to do the polarization in that way. 
The attempts of polarizing the characters taking either section of Cinnamomum from the 
Old World as outgroups were not successful since the variation of characters in these sections 
matched almost completely the variation found in the neotropical species. In addition, the 
collection of Cinnamomum species from Asia at MO is not adequate to survey the variation of all 
features; because of that the analysis coding all characters unordered was utilized for this 
purpose. The characters used in this analysis and their states are listed next (the corresponding 
data matrix for the species is shown in figure 25): 
1.) Twig surface. 0, smooth; 1, ridged; 2, winged. 
2.) Branch interior. 0, solid; 1, hollow. 
3.) Leaf venation pattern. 0, pinninerved; 1, triplinerved. 
4.) Indument of lower leaf surface. 0, straight and appressed; 1, straight and erect; 2, 
wavy to curly; 3, absent. 
5.) Wax particles on twigs and/or leaf lower surface. 0, absent; 1, present. 
6.) Primary domatia. 0, flat; 1, ampullose; 2, absent. 
7.) Secondary domatia. 0, present; 1, absent. 
8.) Inflorescence architecture. 0, one or two dichasia; 1, thyrso-paniculate. 
9.) Foliose bracts of the inflorescence. 0, present; 1, absent. 
10.) Hairs on tepal abaxial surface. 0, present; 1, absent. 
242 
