Population structure and phylogeography of three closely related tree peonies.

, , and are three closely related species of Sect. is distributed in the montane area of the Eastern Hengduan Mountain region. Understanding the population history of these three tree peony species could contribute to unraveling the evolutionary patterns of undergrowth species in this hotspot area.

The rapid appearance of homostyly in a cultivated distylous population of .

Evolutionary breakdown from rigorous outbreeding to self-fertilization frequently occurs in angiosperms. Since the pollinators are not necessary, self-compatible populations often reduce investment in floral display characteristics and pollination reward. is a biennial herb with distribution restricted to southwest China; it was initially a self-incompatible distylous species, but after 20 years of artificial domestication, homostyly appeared.

Adventitious root primordia formation and development in the stem of var. slip.

There are about 4-6 slips on a fruit, and they are good materials for effective regeneration of var. . Adventitious root (AR) induction is essential for the propagation of slips.