Muñoz-Schüler, Martín-Bravo & Jim.Mejías (Carex section Kük., Cyperaceae), a new sedge species from the Andes of central Chile.

CarexsectionJunciformes is one of the most diverse groups of the genus in South America, consisting of approximately 30 species. Here we describe a new species, , belonging to this section. We studied its placement within a molecular phylogeny of the group and found it to constitute an independent lineage.

New relevant chorological and conservation data on (Cyperaceae) and (Hypericaceae) from Ecuador.

Background: Knowledge of L. (true sedges) and L. (St.

Geometric Morphometrics sheds light on the systematics affinities of two enigmatic dwarf Neotropical sedges (, Cyperaceae).

Geometric morphometrics (GM) is a powerful analytical tool that enables complete quantification of shapes. Its use in Botany has a great potential for complementing plant evolutionary and ecological studies. Taxonomic delimitation in has been complicated due to reduction of characters and frequent homoplasy.

Dramatic impact of future climate change on the genetic diversity and distribution of ecologically relevant Western Mediterranean (Cyperaceae).

Anticipating the evolutionary responses of species to ongoing climate change is essential to propose effective management and conservation measures. The Western Mediterranean Basin constitutes one of the hotspots of biodiversity where the effects of climate change are expected to be more dramatic. Plant species with ecological relevance constitute ideal models to evaluate and predict the impact of climate change on ecosystems.

A snapshot of progenitor-derivative speciation in Iberodes (Boraginaceae).

Traditional classification of speciation modes has focused on physical barriers to gene flow. Allopatric speciation with complete reproductive isolation is viewed as the most common mechanism of speciation. Parapatry and sympatry, by contrast, entail speciation in the face of ongoing gene flow, making them more difficult to detect.

Are Cenozoic relict species also climatic relicts? Insights from the macroecological evolution of the giant sedges of Carex sect. Rhynchocystis (Cyperaceae).

Premise: Most of the Paleotropical flora widely distributed in the Western Palearctic became extinct during the Mio-Pliocene as a result of global geoclimatic changes. A few elements from this Cenozoic flora are believed to remain as relicts in Macaronesia, forming part of the laurel forests. Although the origins of the present species assembly are known to be heterogeneous, it is unclear whether some species should be considered climatic relicts with conserved niches.

An integrative monograph of section (Cyperaceae).

section (Cariceae, Cyperaceae) is endemic to the Afrotropical biogeographic region and is mainly distributed in southern and eastern Africa, with its center of diversity in eastern South Africa. The taxon was formerly recognized as a distinct genus and has a long history of taxonomic controversy. It has also an important morphological and molecular background in particular dealing with the complexity of its inflorescence and the phylogenetic relationships of its species.

Timing and ecological priority shaped the diversification of sedges in the Himalayas.

Background: Diversification patterns in the Himalayas have been important to our understanding of global biodiversity. Despite recent broad-scale studies, the most diverse angiosperm genus of the temperate zone- L. (Cyperaceae), with ca.

Being in the right place at the right time? Parallel diversification bursts favored by the persistence of ancient epizoochorous traits and hidden factors in Cynoglossoideae.

Premise Of The Study: Long-distance dispersal (LDD) syndromes, especially endozoochory, facilitate plant colonization of new territories that trigger diversification. However, few studies have analyzed how epizoochorous fruits influence both range distribution and diversification rates. We examined the evolutionary history of a hyperdiverse clade of Boraginaceae (subfamily Cynoglossoideae, eight tribes, ~60 genera, ~1100 species) and the evolution of fruit traits.

Pliocene-Pleistocene ecological niche evolution shapes the phylogeography of a Mediterranean plant group.

Estimating species ability to adapt to environmental changes is crucial to understand their past and future response to climate change. The Mediterranean Basin has experienced remarkable climatic changes since the Miocene, which have greatly influenced the evolution of the Mediterranean flora. Here, we examine the evolutionary history and biogeographic patterns of two sedge sister species (Carex, Cyperaceae) restricted to the western Mediterranean Basin, but with Pliocene fossil record in central Europe.

Cut from the same cloth: The convergent evolution of dwarf morphotypes of the Carex flava group (Cyperaceae) in Circum-Mediterranean mountains.

Plants growing in high-mountain environments may share common morphological features through convergent evolution resulting from an adaptative response to similar ecological conditions. The Carex flava species complex (sect. Ceratocystis, Cyperaceae) includes four dwarf morphotypes from Circum-Mediterranean mountains whose taxonomic status has remained obscure due to their apparent morphological resemblance.

Bipolar distributions in vascular plants: A review.

Bipolar disjunct distributions are a fascinating biogeographic pattern exhibited by about 30 vascular plants, whose populations reach very high latitudes in the northern and southern hemispheres. In this review, we first propose a new framework for the definition of bipolar disjunctions and then reformulate a list of guiding principles to consider how to study bipolar species. Vicariance and convergent evolution hypotheses have been argued to explain the origin of this fragmented distribution pattern, but we show here that they can be rejected for all bipolar species, except for Carex microglochin.

Narrow endemics on coastal plains: Miocene divergence of the critically endangered genus Avellara (Compositae).

Critically endangered species representing ancient, evolutionarily isolated lineages must be given priority when allocating resources for conservation projects. Sound phylogenetic analyses and divergence time estimations are required to detect them, and studies on their population genetics, ecological requirements and breeding system are needed to understand their evolutionary history and to design efficient conservation strategies. Here we present the paradigmatic case of Avellara, a critically endangered monotypic genus of Compositae inhabiting a few swamps in the west-southwest Iberian coastal plains.

Karyotypic changes through dysploidy persist longer over evolutionary time than polyploid changes.

Chromosome evolution has been demonstrated to have profound effects on diversification rates and speciation in angiosperms. While polyploidy has predated some major radiations in plants, it has also been related to decreased diversification rates. There has been comparatively little attention to the evolutionary role of gains and losses of single chromosomes, which may or not entail changes in the DNA content (then called aneuploidy or dysploidy, respectively).

Toward an accurate taxonomic interpretation of Carex fossil fruits (Cyperaceae): a case study in section Phacocystis in the Western Palearctic.

Premise Of The Study: Despite growing interest in the systematics and evolution of the hyperdiverse genus Carex, few studies have focused on its evolution using an absolute time framework. This is partly due to the limited knowledge of the fossil record. However, Carex fruits are not rare in certain sediments.

Taxonomic delimitation and drivers of speciation in the Ibero-North African Carex sect. Phacocystis river-shore group (Cyperaceae).

Premise Of The Study: The Ibero-North African Carex sect. Phacocystis river-shore group is a set of perennial helophytic species with poorly defined taxonomic boundaries. In the present study, we delimited the different taxonomic units, addressed the phylogeographic history, and evaluated the drivers of differentiation that have promoted diversification of these plants.