Populus adenopoda (Salicaceae), the Chinese aspen, occurs in the subtropical China region. Fen et al. report a genetic survey to reveal that it survived in multiple glacial refugia during the Last Glacial Maximum (ca. 21 to 18 thousand years ago). Populations in its southern range contain high chloroplast DNA diversity but had little contribution to […]

The wide distribution of the most common chloroplast haplotype agrees with an early dispersal of manioc across Brazilian Amazonia.

A mismatch between the thresholds of temperature and moisture for the onset of xylogenesis may increase forest vulnerability in semi-arid areas under forecasted warmer and drier conditions.

Exploiting wild relatives of wheat for improvement of its cultivated form dates back to 1869; since then it has impacted most areas of wheat pre-breeding research and practical breeding. Rasheed et al. provide a comprehensive overview of recent research efforts and key challenges around wheat genetic resources. They argue that targeted efforts should be directed […]

Tree form assessments using the Terrestrial Laser Scanner (TLS) have increased during recent years, but many existing methods are limited to small-sized trees. Based on the assumption that architectural trait variations influence the way a tree explores space, Lecigne et al. present an R package dedicated to derive qualitative (geometrical) and quantitative (volumetric) metrics from […]

Lime is the only Citrus horticultural group including natural polyploid cultivars (C. latifolia and C. aurantiifolia) in addition to diploid species. Rouiss et al. uses cytogenetic analysis and molecular marker inheritance studies to reveal preferential chromosome pairing and disomic inheritance in doubled-diploid ‘Mexican’ limes (C. aurantiifolia) associated with their interspecific origin (C. micrantha x C. […]

The effects of the competition between invasive and native plants have rarely been linked with root foraging behaviour. Chen et al. performed a competition experiment with two invasive-native species pairs (Bidens pilosa vs. Vernonia cinerea and Mikania micrantha vs. Paederia scandens) under homogeneous and heterogeneous conditions. The results indicate that soil nutrient heterogeneity has the […]

Co-evolutionary matches between lengths of floral nectar tubes and pollinator proboscises is associated with speciation in several lineages, including Pelargonium (Geraniaceae), a genus renowned for morphological variation. Tsai et al. investigate how differences in nectar tube lengths develop in two closely-related species. The Pelargonium nectar tube is unique among plants and arises from a localized […]

The Mexican transition zone originated from the overlap of the Nearctic and the Neotropical biotas. By analysing the genetic variation within the cycad genus Dioon, a relict Neotropical group, Gutiérrez-Ortega et al. test the association betweenthe diversification of Dioon with the biogeographic provinciality of the Mexican transition zone. The variation of two chloroplast DNA fragments […]

Conifers form a single whorl of multiple cotyledons (embryonic leaves), unlike monocots and dicots. Polar transport of the hormone auxin affects outgrowth of distinct cotyledons, but not the radial positioning of the whorl or the within-whorl spacing between cotyledons. Holloway et al. present a mathematical model of growth regulator patterning accounting for the response to […]

Humans have transformed landscapes, leaving remnant habitats embedded within a complex matrix. For many plants, the associated factors of decreased population size and increased land-use intensity surrounding them are expected to disrupt plant-pollinator interactions, limiting seed production unless plants can compensate through self-pollination. Spigler shows that increased reliance on self-pollination is predicted in small populations […]

The Solidago virgaurea complex shows remarkable morphological and ecological diversity in Japan. Phylogeographic analysis suggested the multiple expansions from the Eurasian continent into the archipelago via land bridges, followed by lineage diversification within the island chain. Its genetic structure corresponds to the geography, but interestingly there is no concordance between genetic and ecotypic boundaries. Sakaguchi […]