#phylogeny

• Apocarpy — The state or characteristic of a flower being apocarpous; the total structural independence of carpels within the gynoecium, which do not fuse to form a common ovary. It represents an essential anatomical condition studied in higher plant phylogeny to establish the degree of primitiveness of taxa.
• Apomorphic — Possessing a derived trait or character, recently arisen during the phylogenetic evolution of a group of organisms and distinct from the primitive ancestral state; characteristic of modified anatomical structures or genetic sequences defining a new evolutionary branch. It constitutes the core element for establishing relatedness in modern cladistics, serving to differentiate taxa.