Uncover the latest and most impactful research in Plant Evolution. Explore pioneering discoveries, insightful ideas and new methods from leading researchers in the field.
Background The Mediterranean region is a global biodiversity hotspot where the Lamiaceae family substantially contributes to the floristic diversity. As a representative example of the food-medicine continuum, these species are valued for their...
Barleriais a species-rich genus of Acanthaceae (Acanthoideae: Barlerieae: Barleriinae) with a predominantly palaeotropical distribution centred on eastern and southern Africa, the Indian subcontinent and Madagascar; only one species extends to the...
Tetrapods (limbed vertebrates) include lissamphibians and amniotes, and now comprise half of all vertebrate species, with particular importance on land. Limbs first appeared in stem tetrapods by the Late Devonian, 365 million years ago 1–5 . However,...
Throughout their evolutionary trajectory, plants have orchestrated a sophisticated repertoire of defense mechanisms to counteract pathogenic threats. Central to this chemical arsenal in monocotyledonous lineages is the benzoxazinoid (BX) metabolic...
Background The taxonomic understanding of Vincetoxicum remains unresolved due to the lack of genetic information for Vincetoxicum inamoenum. Vincetoxicum sp. was recently identified as a morphologically distinct putative new species related to V....
The plant order Saxifragales, comprising 15 families and approximately 3,160 species, occupies a pivotal phylogenetic position within the superrosids. It is generally resolved as sister to the core rosids, with Vitales sister to the combined...
The genus Gymnocalyciumrepresents a distinct lineage within the tribe Cereeae (Cactaceae), recently assigned to the monogeneric subtribe Gymnocalyciinae. Although molecular phylogenetic studies consistently supports the monophyly of the genus,...
Mistletoes of the tribe Phoradendreae (Viscaceae) comprise over 350 species, currently classified in the genera Dendrophthora and Phoradendron. A key morphological character distinguishing these genera is the number of locules in mature anthers. Dendrophthora...
Background Plant organelle genomes are important for evolutionary biology research, yet remain poorly characterized in genus Terminalia(Combretaceae). Here, we systematically analyzed the mitochondrial genomes (mtDNA) and chloroplast genomes...
Many herbivorous beetles depend on plant cell wall-degrading enzymes (PCWDEs) to access the nutritious plant cell content. However, the evolution of PCWDEs in weevils, the most diverse lineage of herbivores, remains poorly understood. Using...
Background The genus Sorbussensu lato (Maleae, Rosaceae) represents one of the most taxonomically complex groups in Rosaceae due to extensive hybridization, polyploidization, and morphological convergence. Although East Asia represents a major...
Background Treeshrews (Scandentia) are a phylogenetically distinctive order of small mammals distributed in South and Southeast Asia and southwestern China. Their position within Euarchonta, heterogeneous histories of island and mainland...
Integrative analyses combining nrITS and trnK/matK phylogenetic analyses, palynology, ecological niche modelling, and morphology were conducted to reassess species limits within the Neotropical genus Sigmoidotropis(Leguminosae). Our phylogenetic...
Cyclic polyploidization/diploidization is a driving force in the evolution of eukaryotes. It remains unclear how post-polyploidy reshuffling of ancestral genomes is correlated with evolutionary and ecological diversification. The Araliaceae consists...
The tribe Sorbarieae (Rosaceae) exhibits a disjunct distribution between Eastern Asia and North America, yet its infrageneric relationships and the evolutionary history of its morphological traits remain poorly understood. To address these...
Cellulose is an important polysaccharide that constitutes all plant cell walls, giving them strength and stability. The plant cellulose synthase (CESA) gene family, which encodes the catalytic subunits of cellulose synthesis complexes (CSCs), has...
We present two taxonomic novelties in the Heliotropiaceae: Heliotropium burchellii (I.M.Johnst.) J.I.M.Melo, a new status for Heliotropium elongatum (Lehm.) Gürke var. burchelliiI.M.Johnst., restricted to the central-western and northern regions of...
Paleoclimatic changes during the late Cenozoic led to substantial losses of tree diversity in Western and Central Europe. A modern synthesis linking which taxa were lost, the timing of these losses, and their implications for the adaptation of the...
Pseudoedtheriotia radiosaP. Yu, Q. M. You, J. P. Kociolek & Q. X. Wang, gen. et sp. nov., a new freshwater diatom is proposed from Qingjing River, Hubei Province, China, based on light and scanning electron microscopy observations, as well as...
Background Amorphophallusis an important genus within Araceae, possessing economic value and considerable ornamental diversity. However, accurate taxonomic identification using traditional methods remains challenging due to pronounced morphological...
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Kew Bulletin is an international peer-reviewed journal for the taxonomy, systematics and conservation of vascular plants and fungi. Papers on...
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Since 1931, Brittonia, assuming the broadest possible definition of the field of systematic botany, has been an important outlet for the publication...
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Congratulations to Plant Systematics and Evolution on its 175th Anniversary in 2026! Plant Systematics and Evolutionis an international journal...
