Plant Vascular Variants Database
Framework
The term vascular variants and its associated conceptual framework were introduced by Cunha-Neto (2023) to unify previously disparate terminology describing atypical patterns of vascular development in seed plants.
Definition (from Cunha-Neto 2023)
Vascular variants are alternative vascular ontogenies deviating from an ancestral development, achieved through modifications in the organization, activity, position, timing and/or number of vascular meristems. Specifically in stems of seed plants, vascular variants are alternative trajectories that deviate from the typical growth (i.e., eustele + bifacial single cambium), thereby generating circular or non-cylindrical conformations and altered arrangements of vascular tissues.
Modified from Cunha Neto 2023 (AoB PLANTS).
The Plant Vascular Variants Database adopts the abovementioned definition and framework to organize historical terminology, structural categories and patterns, a global phylogenetic distribution of vascular variants across seed plants, and taxa-specific datasets. The main components are defined below.
Table 1 | Categories and patterns of vascular variants.
Table 2 | Distribution of vascular variants across seed plants.
Table 3 | Terminology historically used for vascular variants.
Table 4 | Glossary of terms associated with vascular variants.
How to cite
-
When using the concept, terminology, or definition of vascular variants, please cite:
Cunha Neto I.L. 2023. Vascular variants in seed plants – a developmental approach. AoB PLANTS, 15(4): 1-15.​
-
When using the database or any of its contents, please cite:
Cunha-Neto, I. L. 2026. Plant Vascular Variants Database (v 1.0.0) [Data set]. Zenodo. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.18704993
-
​Users employing both the conceptual framework and the database are encouraged to cite both references.​