Biogeography of Australian Camphorosmeae and Diversification in Climatic Space and Across Arid Habitat Types.

This study investigates the biogeography of the Australian Camphorosmeae (Amaranthaceae ) lineage and how it relates to shifts in climatic niche and habitat types. Building on previous research and data resources, we integrate molecular phylogenetics, bioclimatic data and biogeographical models to deepen our understanding of the diversification and adaptation of this group across Australia's diverse landscapes in relation to palaeoclimatic changes. For 159 species representing 12 genera, georeferenced distribution points were used to define the most informative bioclimatic variables using principal component analysis.

Phylogenomic analysis of target enrichment and transcriptome data uncovers rapid radiation and extensive hybridization in the slipper orchid genus Cypripedium.

Background And Aims: Cypripedium is the most widespread and morphologically diverse genus of slipper orchids. Despite several published phylogenies, the topology and monophyly of its infrageneric taxa remained uncertain. Here, we aimed to reconstruct a robust section-level phylogeny of Cypripedium and explore its evolutionary history using target capture data for the first time.

C-like Sesuvium sesuvioides (Aizoaceae) exhibits CAM in cotyledons and putative C-like + CAM metabolism in adult leaves as revealed by transcriptome analysis.

Background: The co-occurrence of C and CAM photosynthesis in a single species seems to be unusual and rare. This is likely due to the difficulty in effectively co-regulating both pathways. Here, we conducted a comparative transcriptomic analysis of leaves and cotyledons of the C-like species Sesuvium sesuvioides (Aizoaceae) using RNA-seq.

Global distribution, climatic preferences and photosynthesis-related traits of C eudicots and how they differ from those of C grasses.

C₄ is one of three known photosynthetic processes of carbon fixation in flowering plants. It evolved independently more than 61 times in multiple angiosperm lineages and consists of a series of anatomical and biochemical modifications to the ancestral C pathway increasing plant productivity under warm and light-rich conditions. The C lineages of eudicots belong to seven orders and 15 families, are phylogenetically less constrained than those of monocots and entail an enormous structural and ecological diversity.

Inter- and intra-island speciation and their morphological and ecological correlates in Aeonium (Crassulaceae), a species-rich Macaronesian radiation.

Background And Aims: The most species-rich and ecologically diverse plant radiation on the Canary Islands is the Aeonium alliance (Crassulaceae). In island radiations like this, speciation can take place either within islands or following dispersal between islands. Aiming at quantifying intra- and inter-island speciation events in the evolution of Aeonium, and exploring their consequences, we hypothesized that (1) intra-island diversification resulted in stronger ecological divergence of sister lineages, and that (2) taxa on islands with a longer history of habitation by Aeonium show stronger ecological differentiation and produce fewer natural hybrids.

Plant growth forms dictate adaptations to the local climate.

Adaptive radiation is a significant driver of biodiversity. Primarily studied in animal systems, mechanisms that trigger adaptive radiations remain poorly understood in plants. A frequently claimed indicator of adaptive radiation in plants is growth form diversity when tied to the occupation of different habitats.

On the hybrid origin of the C Salsola divaricata agg. (Amaranthaceae) from C and C parental lineages.

C photosynthesis is characterised using recapturing photorespiratory CO by RuBisCo in Kranz-like cells and is therefore physiologically intermediate between C and C photosynthesis. C can be interpreted as an evolutionary precursor of C and/or as the result of hybridisation between a C and C lineage. We compared the expression of photosynthetic traits among populations of the Salsola divaricata agg.

Insights into Regulation of C and C Photosynthesis in / Using RNA-Seq.

(incl. ) shows an immense diversity of C syndromes. More than 15 independent origins of C photosynthesis, and the largest number of C species in eudicots signify the importance of this angiosperm lineage in C evolution.

How challenging RADseq data turned out to favor coalescent-based species tree inference. A case study in Aichryson (Crassulaceae).

Analysing multiple genomic regions while incorporating detection and qualification of discordance among regions has become standard for understanding phylogenetic relationships. In plants, which usually have comparatively large genomes, this is feasible by the combination of reduced-representation library (RRL) methods and high-throughput sequencing enabling the cost effective acquisition of genomic data for thousands of loci from hundreds of samples. One popular RRL method is RADseq.

Evolution and ecology of seed internal morphology in relation to germination characteristics in Amaranthaceae.

Background And Aims: Internal seed morphological traits such as embryo characteristics and nutritive tissue can vary considerably within a plant lineage. These traits play a prominent role in germination processes and the success of seedling establishment, and are therefore under high selective pressure, especially in environments hostile to seedlings, such as arid, saline or highly dynamic habitats. We investigated the relationships of seed internal morphology and germination characteristics of 84 species of Amaranthaceae s.

Disentangling Sources of Gene Tree Discordance in Phylogenomic Data Sets: Testing Ancient Hybridizations in Amaranthaceae s.l.

Gene tree discordance in large genomic data sets can be caused by evolutionary processes such as incomplete lineage sorting and hybridization, as well as model violation, and errors in data processing, orthology inference, and gene tree estimation. Species tree methods that identify and accommodate all sources of conflict are not available, but a combination of multiple approaches can help tease apart alternative sources of conflict. Here, using a phylotranscriptomic analysis in combination with reference genomes, we test a hypothesis of ancient hybridization events within the plant family Amaranthaceae s.

Tradeoffs in the evolution of plant farming by ants.

Diverse forms of cultivation have evolved across the tree of life. Efficient farming requires that the farmer deciphers and actively promotes conditions that increase crop yield. For plant cultivation, this can include evaluating tradeoffs among light, nutrients, and protection against herbivores.

Biogeography of the xerophytic genus L. (Chenopodiaceae).

Aim: Using the extremophile genus , which includes c. 28 succulent, xerophytic C species, and is widely distributed in arid regions of Northern Africa, Arabia, and Asia, we investigate biogeographical relationships between the Irano-Turanian floristic region (ITfr) and its neighboring regions. We test whether the spread of arid and semi-arid biomes in Eurasia coincides with the biogeography of this drought-adapted genus, and whether the ITfr acted as source area of floristic elements for adjacent regions.

(Melastomataceae), a new genus from Atlantic Central Africa, including the new species from Equatorial Guinea.

Based on morphological and phylogenetic evidence, a new genus of Melastomataceae (Melastomateae), Veranso-Libalah & G.Kadereit, , is described from Atlantic Central Africa. is distinguished from other African Melastomateae genera by its calyx-lobes that are notched at apex and asymmetrical (vs.

C4-like photosynthesis and the effects of leaf senescence on C4-like physiology in Sesuvium sesuvioides (Aizoaceae).

Sesuvium sesuvioides (Sesuvioideae, Aizoaceae) is a perennial, salt-tolerant herb distributed in flats, depressions, or disturbed habitats of southern Africa and the Cape Verdes. Based on carbon isotope values, it is considered a C4 species, despite a relatively high ratio of mesophyll to bundle sheath cells (2.7:1) in the portulacelloid leaf anatomy.

From cacti to carnivores: Improved phylotranscriptomic sampling and hierarchical homology inference provide further insight into the evolution of Caryophyllales.

Premise Of The Study: The Caryophyllales contain ~12,500 species and are known for their cosmopolitan distribution, convergence of trait evolution, and extreme adaptations. Some relationships within the Caryophyllales, like those of many large plant clades, remain unclear, and phylogenetic studies often recover alternative hypotheses. We explore the utility of broad and dense transcriptome sampling across the order for resolving evolutionary relationships in Caryophyllales.

Transcriptome Assembly and Comparison of C, C-C, and C Species of Tribe Salsoleae (Chenopodiaceae).

C photosynthesis is a carbon-concentrating mechanism that evolved independently more than 60 times in a wide range of angiosperm lineages. Among other alterations, the evolution of C from ancestral C photosynthesis requires changes in the expression of a vast number of genes. Differential gene expression analyses between closely related C and C species have significantly increased our understanding of C functioning and evolution.

Opposite trends in the genus Monsonia (Geraniaceae): specialization in the African deserts and range expansions throughout eastern Africa.

The African Austro-temperate Flora stands out by its important species richness. A distinctive element of this flora is Monsonia (Geraniaceae), mostly found in the Namib-Karoo but also in the Natal-Drakensberg, the Somalian Zambezian and the Saharo-Arabian regions. Here, we reconstruct the evolution and biogeographic history of Monsonia based on nuclear and plastid markers, and examine the role of morphological and niche evolution in its diversification using species distribution modeling and macroevolutionary models.

, a new species of Melastomataceae from the wet miombo woodlands of south-central Africa.

A new species from the wet miombo woodlands of Tanzania and Angola, Veranso-Libalah & G.Kadereit, . (Melastomataceae, Melastomateae), is described and illustrated.

C -C intermediates may be of hybrid origin - a reminder.

The currently favoured model of the evolution of C photosynthesis relies heavily on the interpretation of the broad phenotypic range of naturally growing C -C intermediates as proxies for evolutionary intermediate steps. On the other hand, C -C intermediates had earlier been interpreted as hybrids or hybrid derivates. By first comparing experimentally generated with naturally growing C -C intermediates, and second summarising either direct or circumstantial evidence for hybridisation in lineages comprising C , C and C -C intermediates, we conclude that a possible hybrid origin of C -C intermediates deserves careful examination.

Molecular phylogeny and forms of photosynthesis in tribe Salsoleae (Chenopodiaceae).

While many C lineages have Kranz anatomy around individual veins, Salsoleae have evolved the Salsoloid Kranz anatomy where a continuous dual layer of chlorenchyma cells encloses the vascular and water-storage tissue. With the aim of elucidating the evolution of C photosynthesis in Salsoleae, a broadly sampled molecular phylogeny and anatomical survey was conducted, together with biochemical, microscopic, and physiological analyses of selected photosynthetic types. From analyses of photosynthetic phenotypes, a model for evolution of this form of C was compared with models for evolution of Kranz anatomy around individual veins.

C3 cotyledons are followed by C4 leaves: intra-individual transcriptome analysis of Salsola soda (Chenopodiaceae).

Some species of Salsoleae (Chenopodiaceae) convert from C photosynthesis during the seedling stage to the C pathway in adult leaves. This unique developmental transition of photosynthetic pathways offers the exceptional opportunity to follow the development of the derived C syndrome from the C condition within individual plants, avoiding phylogenetic noise. Here we investigate Salsola soda, a little-studied species from tribe Salsoleae, using an ontogenetic approach.

Evolution of leaf anatomy in arid environments - A case study in southern African Tetraena and Roepera (Zygophyllaceae).

The dry biomes of southern Africa (Desert, Nama Karoo and Succulent Karoo) are home to a rich and diverse xerophytic flora. This flora includes two morphologically diverse clades of Zygophyllaceae, Tetraena and Roepera (Zygophylloideae), which inhabit some of the most arid habitats in the region. Using a plastid phylogeny of Zygophylloideae we assess whether the evolution of putatively adaptive traits (leaf shape, vasculature, mode of water storage and photosynthetic type: C3 versus C4) coincides with the successful colonisation of environments with different drought regimes within southern Africa.

Phylogeny, biogeography and ecological diversification of Sarcocornia (Salicornioideae, Amaranthaceae).

Background And Aims: Sarcocornia comprises about 28 species of perennial succulent halophytes distributed worldwide, mainly in saline environments of warm-temperate and subtropical regions. The genus is characterized by strongly reduced leaves and flowers, which cause taxonomic difficulties; however, species in the genus show high diversity in growth form, with a mat-forming habit found in coastal salt marshes of all continents. Sarcocornia forms a monophyletic lineage with Salicornia whose species are all annual, yet the relationship between the two genera is poorly understood.