Adaptation insights from comparative transcriptome analysis of two Opisthopappus species in the Taihang mountains.

Opisthopappus is a major wild source of Asteraceae with resistance to cold and drought. Two species of this genus (Opisthopappus taihangensis and O. longilobus) have been employed as model systems to address the evolutionary history of perennial herb biomes in the Taihang Mountains of China.

Genetic Divergence and Relationship Among Species Identified by Development of EST-SSR Markers.

Shih is an endemic and endangered genus restricted to the Taihang Mountains that has important ornamental and economic value. According to the Flora Reipublicae Popularis Sinicae (FRPS, Chinese version), this genus contains two species ( and ), whereas in the (English version) only one species is present. The interspecific phylogenetic relationship remains unclear and undefined, which might primarily be due to the lack of specific molecular markers for phylogenetic analysis.