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Africa boasts high biodiversity while also being home to some of the largest and fastest-growing human populations. Although the current environmental footprint of Africa is low compared to other continents, the population of Africa is estimated at around 1.5 billion inhabitants, representing nearly 18% of the world's total population. Consequently, Africa's rich biodiversity is under threat, yet only 19% of the landscape and 17% of the seascape are under any form of protection. To effectively address this issue and align with the Convention on Biological Diversity's ambitious '30 by 30' goal, which seeks to protect 30% of the world's land and oceans by 2030, substantial funding and conservation measures are urgently required. In response to this critical challenge, as scientists and conservationists working in Africa, we propose five recommendations for future directions aimed at enhancing biodiversity conservation for the betterment of African society: (i) accelerate data collection, data sharing and analytics for informed policy and decision-making; (ii) innovate education and capacity building for future generations; (iii) enhance and expand protected areas, ecological networks and foundational legal frameworks; (iv) unlock creative funding channels for cutting-edge conservation initiatives; and (v) integrate indigenous and local knowledge into forward-thinking conservation strategies. By implementing these recommendations, we believe Africa can make significant strides towards preserving its unique biodiversity, while fostering a healthier society, and contributing to global conservation efforts.This article is part of the discussion meeting issue 'Bending the curve towards nature recovery: building on Georgina Mace's legacy for a biodiverse future'.

The Plectranthinae clade, which includes genera such as Plectranthus, Ocimum, and Aeollanthus, is well known for its diverse array of diterpenoids. While numerous studies have deepened the understanding of diterpene diversity across the clade, Aeollanthus species remain underexplored, with only two studies focusing on their diterpene profiles. The NMR-based chemical profiling of the EtOAc leaf extract of the rocky and succulent species Aeollanthus buchnerianus Briq. reveals a range of diterpenes with isopimarane and abietane skeletons including several previously unreported analogues. Interestingly, the isolated compounds provided insights into the breakdown patterns of both diterpene classes by examining the product ions in their MS2 spectra. These data offer valuable information for evaluating the taxonomic position of this species in relation to other species within the clade., Competing Interests: Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2025. The Author(s).)

Perennial herbs of seasonal climates invest carbon into belowground storage organs (e.g. rhizomes) to support growth when photosynthetic acquisition cannot cover demands. An alternative explanation interprets storage allocation as surplus carbon that is undeployable for growth when plants are limited by nutrients/water. We analysed relative investments to rhizomes to see to which of these explanations they align, and asked whether they scale with biomass of aboveground organs in individual species and whether clonal growth traits, phenology or environmental conditions explain investment among populations or species. We measured biomass of rhizomes, aboveground stems and leaves in 20 temperate herbaceous perennial species, each at two localities, establishing allometric relationships for pairs of organs. We correlated relative rhizome investment with clonal traits, environmental gradients and phenology, across species. For pairs of organs, biomass typically scales isometrically. Interspecific allocation differences are largely explained by phenology. Neither interspecific nor intraspecific differences were explained by clonal traits or environment. Storage organs of perennial herbs do not comprise deposition of carbon surplus, but receive greater allocation in capital breeders (early-flowering), than among income breeders (late-flowering) relying on acquisition during growing season. Capital and income breeders in plants deserve further examination of benefits/costs., (© 2024 The Author(s). New Phytologist © 2024 New Phytologist Foundation.)

Global biodiversity is under accelerating threats, and species are succumbing to extinction before being described. Madagascar's biota represents an extreme example of this scenario, with the added complication that much of its endemic biodiversity is cryptic. Here we illustrate best practices for clarifying cryptic diversification processes by presenting an integrative framework that leverages multiple lines of evidence and taxon-informed cut-offs for species delimitation, while placing special emphasis on identifying patterns of isolation by distance. We systematically apply this framework to an entire taxonomically controversial primate clade, the mouse lemurs (genus Microcebus, family Cheirogaleidae). We demonstrate that species diversity has been overestimated primarily due to the interpretation of geographic variation as speciation, potentially biasing inference of the underlying processes of evolutionary diversification. Following a revised classification, we find that crypsis within the genus is best explained by a model of morphological stasis imposed by stabilizing selection and a neutral process of niche diversification. Finally, by clarifying species limits and defining evolutionarily significant units, we provide new conservation priorities, bridging fundamental and applied objectives in a generalizable framework., Competing Interests: Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The chemical investigation of the methanol extract of the roots of Caloncoba lophocarpa (Oliv.) Gilg. exhibited a new 30-norfriedelane triterpenoid, laphocarpanol ( 1 ), together with seven known compounds, caloncobalactone ( 2 ), friedelin ( 3 ), friedelanol (4 ), asperphernamate ( 5 ), stigmasterol ( 6 ), sitosterol ( 7 ) and sitosterol-3- O - β -D-glucopyranoside ( 8 ). The structures of the compounds were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic and spectrometric analyses (1D and 2D NMR, ESI-MS) and by comparison with previously reported data. All the compounds were tested for their antifungal and antibacterial activities. Compound 1 displayed weak antibacterial effect with MIC value of 62.5 μg/mL against Shigella flexineri . All the isolates were found to be inactive against the tested fungal strains.

The effects of single chromosome number change-dysploidy - mediating diversification remain poorly understood. Dysploidy modifies recombination rates, linkage, or reproductive isolation, especially for one-fifth of all eukaryote lineages with holocentric chromosomes. Dysploidy effects on diversification have not been estimated because modeling chromosome numbers linked to diversification with heterogeneity along phylogenies is quantitatively challenging. We propose a new state-dependent diversification model of chromosome evolution that links diversification rates to dysploidy rates considering heterogeneity and differentiates between anagenetic and cladogenetic changes. We apply this model to Carex (Cyperaceae), a cosmopolitan flowering plant clade with holocentric chromosomes. We recover two distinct modes of chromosomal evolution and speciation in Carex. In one diversification mode, dysploidy occurs frequently and drives faster diversification rates. In the other mode, dysploidy is rare, and diversification is driven by hidden, unmeasured factors. When we use a model that excludes hidden states, we mistakenly infer a strong, uniformly positive effect of dysploidy on diversification, showing that standard models may lead to confident but incorrect conclusions about diversification. This study demonstrates that dysploidy can have a significant role in speciation in a large plant clade despite the presence of other unmeasured factors that simultaneously affect diversification., (© 2024 The Author(s). New Phytologist © 2024 New Phytologist Foundation.)

Pathogens significantly influence natural and agricultural ecosystems, playing a crucial role in the regulation of species populations and maintaining biodiversity. Entomopathogenic fungi (EF), particularly within the Hypocreales order, exemplify understudied pathogens that infect insects and other arthropods globally. Despite their ecological importance, comprehensive data on EF host specificity and geographical distribution are lacking. To address this, we present EntomoFun 1.0, an open-access database centralizing global records of EF-insect associations in Hypocreales. This database includes 1,791 records detailing EF species, insect host taxa, countries of occurrence, life stages of hosts, and information sources. EntomoFun 1.0 is constructed based on 600 literature sources, as well as herbarium specimens of the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew. This database is intended to test hypotheses, identify knowledge gaps, and stimulate future research. Contents of the EntomoFun 1.0 database are visualized with a global map, taxonomic chart, bipartite community network, and graphs., Competing Interests: Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The symbiosis between legumes and nitrogen-fixing bacteria (rhizobia) is instrumental in sustaining the nitrogen cycle and providing fixed nitrogen to the food chain. Both partners must maintain an efficient nutrient exchange to ensure a successful symbiosis. This mini-review highlights the intricate phosphate and iron uptake and homeostasis processes taking place in legumes during their interactions with rhizobia. The coordination of transport and homeostasis of these nutrients in host plants and rhizobia ensures an efficient nitrogen fixation process and nutrient use. We discuss the genetic machinery controlling the uptake and homeostasis of these nutrients in the absence of rhizobia and under symbiotic conditions with this soil bacterium. We also highlight the genetic impact of the availability of phosphate and iron to coordinate the activation of the genetic programs that allow legumes to engage in symbiosis with rhizobia. Finally, we discuss how the transcription factor phosphate starvation response might be a crucial genetic element to integrate the plant's needs of nitrogen, iron and phosphate while interacting with rhizobia. Understanding the coordination of the iron and phosphate uptake and homeostasis can lead us to better harness the ecological benefits of the legume-rhizobia symbiosis, even under adverse environmental conditions., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Japanese Society of Plant Physiologists.)

Understanding the genomic basis of natural variation in plant pest resistance is an important goal in plant science, but it usually requires large and labor-intensive phenotyping experiments. Here, we explored the possibility that non-target reads from plant DNA sequencing can serve as phenotyping proxies for addressing such questions. We used data from a whole-genome and -epigenome sequencing study of 207 natural lines of field pennycress ( Thlaspi arvense ) that were grown in a common environment and spontaneously colonized by aphids, mildew, and other microbes. We found that the numbers of non-target reads assigned to the pest species differed between populations, had significant SNP-based heritability, and were associated with climate of origin and baseline glucosinolate contents. Specifically, pennycress lines from cold and thermally fluctuating habitats, presumably less favorable to aphids, showed higher aphid DNA load, i.e., decreased aphid resistance. Genome-wide association analyses identified genetic variants at known defense genes but also novel genomic regions associated with variation in aphid and mildew DNA load. Moreover, we found several differentially methylated regions associated with pathogen loads, in particular differential methylation at transposons and hypomethylation in the promoter of a gene involved in stomatal closure, likely induced by pathogens. Our study provides first insights into the defense mechanisms of Thlaspi arvense , a rising crop and model species, and demonstrates that non-target whole-genome sequencing reads, usually discarded, can be leveraged to estimate intensities of plant biotic interactions. With rapidly increasing numbers of large sequencing datasets worldwide, this approach should have broad application in fundamental and applied research., Competing Interests: DG, JJ, CM, OB No competing interests declared, (© 2024, Galanti et al.)

Alopecurus aequalis is a winter annual or short-lived perennial bunchgrass which has in recent years emerged as the dominant agricultural weed of barley and wheat in certain regions of China and Japan, causing significant yield losses. Its robust tillering capacity and high fecundity, combined with the development of both target and non-target-site resistance to herbicides means it is a formidable challenge to food security. Here we report on a chromosome-scale assembly of A. aequalis with a genome size of 2.83 Gb. The genome contained 33,758 high-confidence protein-coding genes with functional annotation. Comparative genomics revealed that the genome structure of A. aequalis is more similar to Hordeum vulgare rather than the more closely related Alopecurus myosuroides., Competing Interests: Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Experiments comparing diploids with polyploids and in single grassland sites show that nitrogen and/or phosphorus availability influences plant growth and community composition dependent on genome size; specifically, plants with larger genomes grow faster under nutrient enrichments relative to those with smaller genomes. However, it is unknown if these effects are specific to particular site localities with speciifc plant assemblages, climates, and historical contingencies. To determine the generality of genome size-dependent growth responses to nitrogen and phosphorus fertilization, we combined genome size and species abundance data from 27 coordinated grassland nutrient addition experiments in the Nutrient Network that occur in the Northern Hemisphere across a range of climates and grassland communities. We found that after nitrogen treatment, species with larger genomes generally increased more in cover compared to those with smaller genomes, potentially due to a release from nutrient limitation. Responses were strongest for C3 grasses and in less seasonal, low precipitation environments, indicating that genome size effects on water-use-efficiency modulates genome size-nutrient interactions. Cumulatively, the data suggest that genome size is informative and improves predictions of species' success in grassland communities., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Morton et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Medically important pathogenic fungi invade vertebrate tissue and are considered primary when part of their nature life cycle is associated with an animal host and are usually able to infect immunocompetent hosts. Opportunistic fungal pathogens complete their life cycle in environmental habitats or occur as commensals within or on the vertebrate body, but under certain conditions can thrive upon infecting humans. The extent of host damage in opportunistic infections largely depends on the portal and modality of entry as well as on the host's immune and metabolic status. Diseases caused by primary pathogens and common opportunists, causing the top approximately 80% of fungal diseases [D. W. Denning, Lancet Infect Dis, 24:e428-e438, 2024, https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(23)00692-8], tend to follow a predictive pattern, while those by occasional opportunists are more variable. For this reason, it is recommended that diseases caused by primary pathogens and the common opportunists are named after the etiologic agent, for example, histoplasmosis and aspergillosis, while this should not be done for occasional opportunists that should be named as [causative fungus] [clinical syndrome], for example, Alternaria alternata cutaneous infection. The addition of a descriptor that identifies the location or clinical type of infection is required, as the general name alone may cover widely different clinical syndromes, for example, "rhinocerebral mucormycosis." A list of major recommended human and animal disease entities (nomenclature) is provided in alignment with their causative agents. Fungal disease names may encompass several genera of etiologic agents, consequently being less susceptible to taxonomic changes of the causative species, for example, mucormycosis covers numerous mucormycetous molds., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Extinctions occur when enough individual plants die without replacement to extirpate a population, and all populations are extirpated. While the ultimate drivers of plant extinctions are known, the proximate mechanisms at individual and population level are not. The fossil record supports climate change as the major driver until recently, with land-use change dominating in recent millennia. Climate change may regain its leading role later this century. Documented recent extinctions have been few and concentrated among narrow-range species, but population extirpations are frequent. Predictions for future extinctions often use flawed methods, but more than half of all plants could be threatened by the end of this century. We need targeted interventions tailored to the needs of each threatened species., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests No interests are declared., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Outbreaks of fungal diseases have devastated plants and animals throughout history. Over the past century, the repeated emergence of coffee wilt disease caused by the fungal pathogen Fusarium xylarioides severely impacted coffee production across sub-Saharan Africa. To improve the disease management of such pathogens, it is crucial to understand their genetic structure and evolutionary potential. We compared the genomes of 13 historic strains spanning 6 decades and multiple disease outbreaks to investigate population structure and host specialisation. We found that F. xylarioides comprised at least 4 distinct lineages: 1 host-specific to Coffea arabica, 1 to C. canephora var. robusta, and 2 historic lineages isolated from various Coffea species. The presence/absence of large genomic regions across populations, the higher genetic similarities of these regions between species than expected based on genome-wide divergence and their locations in different loci in genomes across populations showed that horizontal transfers of effector genes from members of the F. oxysporum species complex contributed to host specificity. Multiple transfers into F. xylarioides populations matched different parts of the F. oxysporum mobile pathogenicity chromosome and were enriched in effector genes and transposons. Effector genes in this region and other carbohydrate-active enzymes important in the breakdown of plant cell walls were shown by transcriptomics to be highly expressed during infection of C. arabica by the fungal arabica strains. Widespread sharing of specific transposons between F. xylarioides and F. oxysporum, and the correspondence of a putative horizontally transferred regions to a Starship (large mobile element involved in horizontal gene transfers in fungi), reinforce the inference of horizontal transfers and suggest that mobile elements were involved. Our results support the hypothesis that horizontal gene transfers contributed to the repeated emergence of coffee wilt disease., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Peck et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Two hypotheses have been used to explain the loss of plant diversity with nutrient addition. The nutrient identity hypothesis posits that biodiversity loss is due to a specific limiting nutrient, such as nitrogen (N) or phosphorus (P), while the niche dimension hypothesis posits that adding a larger number of limiting nutrients, regardless of their identity, results in biodiversity loss. These two hypotheses have not previously been tested together simultaneously. Here, we conduct that analysis to enable their relative effect sizes to be compared. We manipulated the supply of eight nutrients in the same experimental meadow grassland site to isolate the effects of the identity of added nutrients versus the number of added nutrients on biodiversity loss. We found support for both hypotheses, with the largest negative effects on biodiversity measures being due to N, or N and P treatment, with additional more minor effects of the number of added nutrients. Structural equation models (SEMs) suggested both identity and number of added nutrients had direct negative effects on biodiversity, likely caused by species' innate ability to competitively respond to nutrients, especially in response to disease, herbivory, and stress. SEMs also suggested indirect effects arising from nutrient-driven increases in aboveground biomass, which resulted in intensified competition for light and the competitive exclusion of short-statured species. These effects were exacerbated by the nutrients N and P which caused a shift in biomass accumulation from belowground to aboveground. The results highlight that a multi-nutrient perspective will improve our ability to effectively manage, monitor, and restore ecosystems., (© 2024 The Ecological Society of America.)

The impact of land use changes on ecosystem services (ES) or Nature's Contributions to People (NCP) is relatively well-known, but the influence of socioeconomic changes on ES remains less clear, especially at larger spatial scales. Multiple socioeconomic factors influence the demand for a service (i.e. higher economic income and human development can increase demand for ES) and the provision of such service (i.e. environmental policies and cultural relationships with nature may enhance access to ES). Such complex relationships require a multidimensional approach to understand the socioeconomic drivers of change of ES. We investigated how socioeconomic drivers affect demand, diversity and provision of crop pollination service. Our Brazil-wide assessment spans a decade (2006-17) and encompasses a period of rapid land use intensification and concentration of land ownership. Our results revealed that the replacement of small and diverse pollinator-dependent farming systems by large pollinator-dependent monocultures has led to deficits in crop pollination services, with demand increasing by 3.3% while diversity and provision have decreased by 16.1 and 22.5%, respectively. These changes are linked to increased wealth concentration and social inequality, as regions that presented concentrated land ownership and limited access to credit were associated with reduced pollination provision. Our study provided a country-wide quantitative assessment of socioeconomic drivers of change in ES to reveal an association between social inequality and reduced ES provision., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The Mucorales is a group of ancient fungi with global distribution. In the current study we accessed mucoralean fungi isolated from two countries on opposite sides of the Earth and in different hemispheres: South Korea and Brazil. Mucorales isolates were obtained from freshwater, soil, invertebrates, and fruit seeds and identified using phenotypic techniques combined with the DNA sequence data. These analyses revealed 15 new species including one that we affiliated to a newly proposed genus, Neofennellomyces . Names proposed for these 15 new species are Absidia cheongyangensis, A. fluvii, A. kunryangriensis, A. paracylindrospora, A. tarda, A. variiprojecta, A. variispora, Backusella varians, Mucor albicolonia, M. aurantiacus, M. cryophilus, M. glutinatus, M. paraorantomantidis, M. timomeni, and Neofennellomyces jeongsukae . Of these new species, 12 were isolated from South Korea: A. cheongyangensis, A. fluvii, A. kunryangriensis, A. paracylindrospora, B. varians, M. albicolonia, M. aurantiacus, M. cryophilus, M. glutinatus, M. paraorantomantidis, M. timomeni, and N. jeongsukae , and three from Brazil: A. tarda , A. variiprojecta , and A. variispora . Niche specificity of these fungi is discussed including newly recorded invertebrate hosts and a new geographic distribution for species of Backusella , Circinella , Cunninghamella , and Mucor . Given these findings, we provide an inventory of Mucorales . Taxonomic novelties: New genus: Neofennellomyces Hyang B. Lee & T.T.T. Nguyen. New species: Absidia cheongyangensis Hyang B. Lee & T.T.T. Nguyen, Absidia fluvii Hyang B. Lee, A.L. Santiago, P.M. Kirk, K. Voigt & T.T.T. Nguyen, Absidia kunryangriensis Hyang B. Lee & T.T.T. Nguyen, Absidia paracylindrospora Hyang B. Lee & T.T.T. Nguyen, Absidia tarda T.R.L. Cordeiro, Hyang B. Lee & A.L. Santiago, Absidia variiprojecta T.R.L. Cordeiro & A.L. Santiago, Absidia variispora T.R.L. Cordeiro & A.L. Santiago, Backusella varians Hyang B. Lee & T.T.T. Nguyen, Mucor aurantiacus Hyang B. Lee & T.T.T. Nguyen, Mucor cryophilus Hyang B. Lee & T.T.T. Nguyen, Mucor albicolonia Hyang B. Lee & T.T.T. Nguyen, Mucor glutinatus Hyang B. Lee & T.T.T. Nguyen, Mucor paraorantomantidis Hyang B. Lee & T.T.T. Nguyen, Mucor timomeni Hyang B. Lee & T.T.T. Nguyen, Neofennellomyces jeongsukae Hyang B. Lee & T.T.T. Nguyen. Citation: Nguyen TTT, de A. Santiago ALCM, Hallsworth JE, Cordeiro TRL, Voigt K, Kirk PM, Crous PW, Júnior MAM, Elsztein C, Lee HB (2024). New Mucorales from opposite ends of the world. Studies in Mycology 109 : 273-321. doi: 10.3114/sim.2024.109.04., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest., (© 2024 Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute.)

Eurotiales fungi are thought to be distributed worldwide but there is a paucity of information about their occurrence on diverse substrates or hosts and at specific localities. Some of the Eurotiales, including Aspergillus and Penicillium species, produce an array of secondary metabolites of use for agricultural, medicinal, and pharmaceutical applications. Here, we carried out a survey of the Eurotiales in South Korea, focusing on soil, freshwater, and plants (dried persimmon fruits and seeds of Perilla frutescens, known commonly as shiso). We obtained 11 species that-based on morphology, physiology, and multi-locus (ITS, BenA, CaM, and RPB2) phylogenetic analyses-include two new species, Aspergillus ullungdoensis sp. nov. and Penicillium jeongsukae sp. nov., and nine species that were known, but previously not described in South Korea, Aspergillus aculeatinus, Aspergillus aurantiacoflavus, Aspergillus croceiaffinis, Aspergillus pseudoviridinutans, Aspergillus uvarum, Penicillium ferraniaense, Penicillium glaucoroseum, Penicillium sajarovii, and one, Penicillium charlesii, that was isolated from previously unknown host, woodlouse (Porcellio scaber). We believe that biodiversity survey and identifying new species can contribute to set a baseline for future changes in the context of humanitarian crises such as climate change., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could affect the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 British Mycological Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Phytochemical analysis of the twigs and leaves of Croton kinondoensis , endemic to Kenya, yielded known compounds 3-(3',4'-dimethoxyphenyl)-prop-1-ene ( 1) , 3-(3',4'-dimethoxyphenyl)-propenal ( 2 ), lupeol ( 3 ) and ent -trachyloban-19-oic acid ( 4 ), and a tentatively new ent -clerodane diterpenoid, crotokinondoenolide ( 5 ). ent -Trachy-loban-19-oic acid ( 4 ) showed good activity against a panel of drug-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus spp with MIC -values of 25  µ g/mL.

Increasing genome size (GS) has been associated with slower rates of DNA replication and greater cellular nitrogen (N) and phosphorus demands. Despite most plant species having small genomes, the existence of larger GS species suggests that such costs may be negligible or represent benefits under certain conditions. Focussing on the widespread and diverse grass family (Poaceae), we used data on species' climatic niches and growth rates under different environmental conditions to test for growth costs or benefits associated with GS. The influence of photosynthetic pathway, life history and evolutionary history on grass GS was also explored. We found that evolutionary history, photosynthetic pathway and life history all influence the distribution of grass species' GS. Genomes were smaller in annual and C 4 species, the latter allowing for small cells necessary for C 4 leaf anatomy. We found larger GS were associated with high N availability and, for perennial species, low growth-season temperature. Our findings reveal that GS is a globally important predictor of grass performance dependent on environmental conditions. The benefits for species with larger GS are likely due to associated larger cell sizes, allowing rapid biomass production where soil fertility meets N demands and/or when growth occurs via temperature-independent cell expansion., (© 2024 The Author(s). New Phytologist © 2024 New Phytologist Foundation.)

Geographic isolation and chromosome evolution are two of the major drivers of diversification in eukaryotes in general, and specifically, in plants. On one hand, range shifts induced by Pleistocene glacial oscillations deeply shaped the evolutionary trajectories of species in the Northern Hemisphere. On the other hand, karyotype variability within species or species complexes may have adaptive potential as different karyotypes may represent different recombination rates and linkage groups that may be associated with locally adapted genes or supergenes. Organisms with holocentric chromosomes are ideal to study the link between local adaptation and chromosome evolution, due to their high cytogenetic variability, especially when it seems to be related to environmental variation. Here, we integrate the study of the phylogeography, chromosomal evolution and ecological requirements of a plant species complex distributed in the Western Euro-Mediterranean region (Carex gr. laevigata, Cyperaceae). We aim to clarify the relative influence of these factors on population differentiation and ultimately on speciation. We obtained a well-resolved RADseq phylogeny that sheds light on the phylogeographic patterns of molecular and chromosome number variation, which are compatible with south-to-north postglacial migration. In addition, landscape genomics analyses identified candidate loci for local adaptation, and also strong significant associations between the karyotype and the environment. We conclude that karyotype distribution in C. gr. laevigata has been constrained by both range shift dynamics and local adaptation. Our study demonstrates that chromosome evolution may be responsible, at least partially, for microevolutionary patterns of population differentiation and adaptation in Carex., (© 2023 The Authors. Molecular Ecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background and Aims: Plant regeneration by seeds is driven by a set of physiological traits, many of which show functional intraspecific variation along biogeographic gradients. In many species, germination phenology depends on a germination delay imposed by the need for post-dispersal embryo growth (a.k.a. morphological dormancy). Such growth occurs as a function of environmental temperatures and shows base, optimum and ceiling temperatures (i.e. cardinal temperatures or thermal thresholds). However, the biogeographical variation in such thresholds has not been tested., Methods: We used a thermal time approach and field experiments to assess intraspecific variation at the continental scale in the embryo growth thermal thresholds of the geophyte Conopodium majus (Apiaceae) across its distribution from the Iberian Peninsula to Scandinavia., Key Results: Thermal thresholds for embryo growth varied across the latitudinal gradient, with the estimated optimum temperatures between 2.5 and 5.2 ºC, ceiling temperatures between 12 and 20.5 ºC and base temperatures between -6.6 and -2.7 ºC. Germination in the field peaked in the months of January and February. The limiting factor for embryo growth was the ceiling temperature, which was negatively correlated with latitude and the bioclimatic environment of each population. In contrast, the optimal and base temperature were independent of local climate., Conclusions: These results indicate that thermal thresholds for embryo growth are functional ecophysiological traits that drive seed germination phenology and seed responses to soil climatic environment. Therefore, post-dispersal embryo growth can be a key trait impacting climate change effects on phenology and species distributions., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.)

The delay between disturbance events and genetic responses within populations is a common but surprisingly overlooked phenomenon in ecology and evolutionary and conservation genetics. If not accounted for when interpreting genetic data, this time lag problem can lead to erroneous conservation assessments. We (i) identify life-history traits related to longevity and reproductive strategies as the main determinants of time lags, (ii) evaluate potential confounding factors affecting genetic parameters during time lags, and (iii) propose approaches that allow controlling for time lags. Considering the current unprecedented rate of loss of genetic diversity and adaptive potential, we expect our novel interpretive and methodological framework for time lags to stimulate further research and discussion on the most appropriate approaches to analyse genetic diversity for conservation., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

We present a genome assembly from an individual Bromus sterilis (the barren brome; Streptophyta; Magnoliopsida; Poales; Poaceae). The genome sequence has a total length of 2,677.90 megabases. Most of the assembly is scaffolded into 7 chromosomal pseudomolecules. The mitochondrial and plastid genome assemblies have lengths of 523.28 kilobases and 136.96 kilobases, respectively. Gene annotation of this assembly on Ensembl identified 29,147 protein-coding genes., Competing Interests: No competing interests were disclosed., (Copyright: © 2024 Christenhusz MJM et al.)

Background: The evolutionary success of flowering plants is associated with the vast diversity of their reproductive structures. Despite recent progress in understanding angiosperm-wide trends in floral structure and evolution, a synthetic view of the diversity in seed form and function across angiosperms is lacking., Scope: Here we present a roadmap to synthesize the diversity of seed forms in extant angiosperms, relying on the morphospace concept, i.e. a mathematical representation which relates multiple traits and describes the realized morphologies. We provide recommendations on how to broaden the range of measurable traits beyond mass, by using key morphological traits representative of the embryo, endosperm and seed coat but also fruit attributes (e.g. dehiscence, fleshiness). These key traits were used to construct and analyse a morphospace to detect evolutionary trends and gain insight into how morphological traits relate to seed functions. Finally, we outline challenges and future research directions, combining the morphospace with macroevolutionary comparative methods to underline the drivers that gave rise to the diversity of observed seed forms., Conclusions: We conclude that this multidimensional approach has the potential, although still untapped, to improve our understanding of covariation among reproductive traits, and further elucidate angiosperm reproductive biology as a whole., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.)

We present a genome assembly from a specimen of Coprinellus micaceus (the glistening inkcap; Basidiomycota; Agaricomycetes; Agaricales; Psathyrellaceae). The genome sequence is 52.0 megabases in span. Most of the assembly is scaffolded into 13 chromosomal pseudomolecules. The mitochondrial genome has also been assembled and is 54.99 kilobases in length., Competing Interests: No competing interests were disclosed., (Copyright: © 2024 Wright R et al.)

Ecological theory predicts that plant reproductive phenology in the Mediterranean regions is shaped by evolutionary processes driven by strong seasonality in precipitation-evaporation patterns. Thus, it can be expected that seed germination phenology has adapted to maximise recruitment during the season of highest water availability. Cold-cued and slow germination (i.e., the 'Mediterranean seed germination syndrome') has been hypothesised to be an adaptation to ensure that seedling emergence occurs in autumn/early winter, extending the growing season before the subsequent unfavourable summer drought. However, this hypothesis has been tested on individual species or local studies, without a proper synthesis for the whole Mediterranean region. Here we tested, for the first time, the Mediterranean seed germination syndrome using experimental data for 459 species (11,363 records, 59 families) occurring in the Mediterranean Basin. We performed a phylogenetically informed Bayesian meta-analysis to model the effect on germination proportions of seven key experimental cues: mean incubation temperature, alternating temperature regime, light and dormancy-breaking treatments (scarification, warm stratification and cold stratification) and the modulating role of seed mass on seed germination. We show that species from lowland zonal habitats of the Mediterranean align with the Mediterranean germination syndrome hypothesis, with their seeds responding positively to cool, constant temperatures and negatively to light. Yet, habitat specialists (i.e., species restricted to mountains, coasts and wetlands) deviate from the syndrome, showing nearly opposite germination requirements. Seed mass further influences the germination niche and phylogenetically related species exhibit similar germination responses. Cumulatively, these results suggest that evolutionary pressures from local habitat-related conditions override the macroclimatically imposed Mediterranean seed germination syndrome., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (© 2024 The Author(s). Ecology and Evolution published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Environmental exposure to cold is increasingly being associated with changes in metabolism. We developed and tested the hypothesis that exposure to cold drives systemic effects in lipid metabolism. Specifically, (i) that energy storage and provision adapts to the cold by altering triglyceride distribution and (ii) that membranes adapt to cold conditions by becoming more unsaturated. These hypotheses were designed to identify the underlying mechanisms that govern the response of mammalian systems to cold. To test these hypotheses, we used a metabolic network analysis. An established model of cold exposure was used, from which lipidomics data that represents the system was collected. The network analysis showed that triglyceride metabolism is altered on exposure to cold, with several smaller effects that are not straightforward, such as changes to the abundance and distribution of odd chain fatty acids. The range and profile of phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylinositol were modified, but there was little change in phosphatidylethanolamine or sphingomyelin. These results support the hypothesis, and show that exposure to cold is a system-wide phenomenon that requires or drives changes across a range of metabolic pathways., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 James et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Orchidaceae is one of the most prominent flowering plant families, with many species exhibiting highly specialized reproductive and ecological adaptations. An estimated 10% of orchid species in the American tropics are pollinated by scent-collecting male euglossine bees; however, to date, there are no published genomes of species within this pollination syndrome. In this study, we present the first draft genome of an epiphytic orchid from the genus Gongora, a representative of the male euglossine bee-pollinated subtribe Stanhopeinae. The 1.83-Gb de novo genome with a scaffold N50 of 1.7 Mb was assembled using short- and long-read sequencing and chromosome capture (Hi-C) information. Over 17,000 genes were annotated, and 82.95% of the genome was identified as repetitive content. Furthermore, we identified and manually annotated 26 terpene synthase genes linked to floral scent biosynthesis and performed a phylogenetic analysis with other published orchid terpene synthase genes. The Gongora gibba genome assembly will serve as the foundation for future research to understand the genetic basis of floral scent biosynthesis and diversification in orchids., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Genetics Society of America.)

We present a genome assembly from an individual Medicago arabica (the spotted medick; Tracheophyta; Magnoliopsida; Fabales; Fabaceae). The genome sequence is 515.5 megabases in span. Most of the assembly is scaffolded into 8 chromosomal pseudomolecules. The mitochondrial and plastid genome assemblies have lengths of 324.47 kilobases and 125.07 kilobases in length, respectively. Gene annotation of this assembly on Ensembl identified 24,619 protein-coding genes., Competing Interests: No competing interests were disclosed., (Copyright: © 2024 Christenhusz MJM et al.)

We present a genome assembly from a specimen of small nettle, Urtica urens (Streptophyta; Magnoliopsida; Rosales; Urticaceae). The genome sequence has a total length of 339.60 megabases. Most of the assembly is scaffolded into 12 chromosomal pseudomolecules. The mitochondrial and plastid genome assemblies have lengths of 335.02 kilobases and 147.51 kilobases, respectively. Gene annotation of this assembly on Ensembl identified 18,378 protein-coding genes., Competing Interests: No competing interests were disclosed., (Copyright: © 2024 Christenhusz MJM et al.)

Banisteriopsis (Malpighiaceae) is an important genus of neotropical savannas with related biological and medicinal activities but under-explored metabolomic profiles. We present a chemometric analysis for discriminating secondary metabolites of three species of Banisteriopsis (B. laevifolia, B. malifolia, and B. stellaris) leaves. Initially, each species was separately extracted with ethanol:water (4 : 1, v/v) and analysed by Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled with Mass Spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). The chromatographic profiles were subjected to Global Natural Product Social (GNPS) and Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA). Eighty-nine compounds (cosine≥0.90) were annotated, including flavonoids, phenolics, and acids. The chemometric analysis (VIP Score) showed each species' relative concentration of the more relevant compounds. In addition, four compounds that discriminate the metabolomic profiles of B. laevifolia, B. malifolia, and B. stellaris were identified by PLS-DA., (© 2024 Crown copyright and The Author(s). Chemistry & Biodiversity published by Wiley-VHCA AG. This article is published with the permission of the Controller of HMSO and the King's Printer for Scotland.)

Fungal necromass carbon (FNC) contributes significantly to the build-up of soil organic carbon (SOC) by supplying abundant recalcitrant polymeric melanin present in the fungal cell wall. However, the influence of a wide range of conservation practices and associated factors on FNC accumulation and contribution to SOC in global croplands remains unexplored. Here, a meta-analysis was performed using 873 observations across three continents, together with structural equation modeling, to evaluate conservation practices and factors responsible for the enhancement of FNC and SOC. FNC content (8.39 g kg -1 ) of North American soils was highest compared to FNC content of Asian and European soils. The structural equation models showed a significant (p < 0.05) positive influence of microbial biomass carbon (MBC), soil pH, and clay contents on the accumulation of FNC. Soil C/N ratio and climate factors, however, had only minor influences on FNC accumulation. Notably, the main driver of FNC was MBC, which is mainly influenced by the soil total N and geographic factors in the study areas. Typical 5 cropland practices had significant effect size (p < 0.05) on FNC, leading to an increase of 12 % to 26 %, and the FNC content was greatest under straw amendment (26 %). Fungal necromass accumulation efficiency ranged from 23 % to 45 % depending on cropland practices: non- and reduced tillage was the most efficient (45 %), followed by crop coverage (32 %), straw amendment (30 %), and manure application (27 %), while N fertilization had the lowest efficiency (23 %). We conclude that FNC contributes to over a quarter of SOC, highlighting its major role in enhancing C sequestration worldwide. Conservation practices, particularly non-tillage or reduced tillage, are important to enhance C sequestration from FNC in croplands., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no competing financial interests or personal relationships that could influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Repetitive DNA contributes significantly to plant genome size, adaptation, and evolution. However, little is understood about the transcription of repeats. This is addressed here in the plant green foxtail millet (Setaria viridis). First, we used RepeatExplorer2 to calculate the genome proportion (GP) of all repeat types and compared the GP of long terminal repeat (LTR) retroelements against annotated complete and incomplete LTR retroelements (Ty1/copia and Ty3/gypsy) identified by DANTE in a whole genome assembly. We show that DANTE-identified LTR retroelements can comprise ∼0.75% of the inflorescence poly-A transcriptome and ∼0.24% of the stem ribo-depleted transcriptome. In the RNA libraries from inflorescence tissue, both LTR retroelements and DNA transposons identified by RepeatExplorer2 were highly abundant, where they may be taking advantage of the reduced epigenetic silencing in the germ line to amplify. Typically, there was a higher representation of DANTE-identified LTR retroelements in the transcriptome than RepeatExplorer2-identified LTR retroelements, potentially reflecting the transcription of elements that have insufficient genomic copy numbers to be detected by RepeatExplorer2. In contrast, for ribo-depleted libraries of stem tissues, the reverse was observed, with a higher transcriptome representation of RepeatExplorer2-identified LTR retroelements. For RepeatExplorer2-identified repeats, we show that the GP of most Ty1/copia and Ty3/gypsy families were positively correlated with their transcript proportion. In addition, guanine- and cytosine-rich repeats with high sequence similarity were also the most abundant in the transcriptome, and these likely represent young elements that are most capable of amplification due to their ability to evade epigenetic silencing., (© 2025 The Author(s). The Plant Genome published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Crop Science Society of America.)

Lipid metabolism is recognised as being central to growth, disease and health. Lipids, therefore, have an important place in current research on globally significant topics such as food security and biodiversity loss. However, answering questions in these important fields of research requires not only identification and measurement of lipids in a wider variety of sample types than ever before, but also hypothesis-driven analysis of the resulting 'big data'. We present a novel pipeline that can collect data from a wide range of biological sample types, taking 1 000 000 lipid measurements per 384 well plate, and analyse the data systemically. We provide evidence of the power of the tool through proof-of-principle studies using edible fish (mackerel, bream, seabass) and colonies of Bombus terrestris . Bee colonies were found to be more like mini-ecosystems and there was evidence for considerable changes in lipid metabolism in bees through key developmental stages. This is the first report of either high throughput LCMS lipidomics or systemic analysis in individuals, colonies and ecosystems. This novel approach provides new opportunities to analyse metabolic systems at different scales at a level of detail not previously feasible, to answer research questions about societally important topics.

Accurately reconstructing the reticulate histories of polyploids remains a central challenge for understanding plant evolution. Although phylogenetic networks can provide insights into relationships among polyploid lineages, inferring networks may be hindered by the complexities of homology determination in polyploid taxa. We use simulations to show that phasing alleles from allopolyploid individuals can improve phylogenetic network inference under the multispecies coalescent by obtaining the true network with fewer loci compared with haplotype consensus sequences or sequences with heterozygous bases represented as ambiguity codes. Phased allelic data can also improve divergence time estimates for networks, which is helpful for evaluating allopolyploid speciation hypotheses and proposing mechanisms of speciation. To achieve these outcomes in empirical data, we present a novel pipeline that leverages a recently developed phasing algorithm to reliably phase alleles from polyploids. This pipeline is especially appropriate for target enrichment data, where the depth of coverage is typically high enough to phase entire loci. We provide an empirical example in the North American Dryopteris fern complex that demonstrates insights from phased data as well as the challenges of network inference. We establish that our pipeline (PATÉ: Phased Alleles from Target Enrichment data) is capable of recovering a high proportion of phased loci from both diploids and polyploids. These data may improve network estimates compared with using haplotype consensus assemblies by accurately inferring the direction of gene flow, but statistical nonidentifiability of phylogenetic networks poses a barrier to inferring the evolutionary history of reticulate complexes., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press, on behalf of the Society of Systematic Biologists. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background and Aims: The host specificity of a parasite underpins its ecology, distribution, invasive potential and adaptability, yet for most parasitic plants host ranges are poorly understood. We examine host-parasite relationships across lineages to infer how host specificity may have influenced the evolution of parasitism in plants., Methods: Host preference data for all plant holoparasite species were manually collected from literature and herbarium specimens, then analysed to investigate and visualise host diversity and specificity., Key Results: We reveal a disproportionality in host preference across host lineages: the Asteraceae contains 10% of angiosperm diversity but is infected by 31% of parasite species; meanwhile Monocots comprise 23% but are infected by just 3.2%. Furthermore, we observe striking convergence in host preference: Asteraceae, Euphorbiaceae and Fabaceae are infected by six, five and four independent parasite lineages, respectively. We also demonstrate considerable variation in the degree of host specificity among closely related parasite species; a result that does not reflect the expectation of holoparasites - especially endoparasites - as host specialists., Conclusions: The marked pattern of convergence in preference across disparate lineages points to a common pathway in the evolution of parasitism of eudicots in preference to monocots, which may have in turn have been driven by a divergence in host root and vascular architecture. The unexpected variation in host specificity among closely related species suggests that even apparent generalists may comprise cryptic host-specific taxa. This highlights the value of host preference as an additional consideration in parasitic plant taxonomy. Together, our data point to a complex interplay between ecological and physiological factors driving the evolution of host-parasite interactions. Moreover, they emphasize how little is known about the ecology of most holoparasitic plants, a group of organisms that are especially vulnerable at a time of unprecedented biodiversity loss and extinction., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company.)

Background and Aims: Herbaria are the most important source of information for plant taxonomic work. Resources and technologies available today, such as digitised collections and herbarium DNA sequencing, can help accelerate taxonomic decisions in challenging plant groups. Here we employ an integrative methodology relying exclusively on herbarium specimens to investigate species boundaries in the Neotropical Myrcia neoobscura complex (Myrtaceae)., Methods: We collected morphometric data from high-resolution images of herbarium sheets and analysed it using hierarchical clustering. We posteriorly tested the obtained morpho-groups with phylogenomics using the Angiosperms353 probe kit. We also gathered phenological and geographic information from specimen labels and built phenological histograms and ecological niche models to investigate ecological differences amongst taxa., Key Results: Current circumscriptions of Myrcia arenaria, Myrcia neoglabra and Myrcia neoregeliana are confirmed in this study. Conversely, the four pieces of evidence together support Calyptranthes langsdorffii var. grandiflora, Marlierea regeliana var. parviflora and Marlierea warmingiana as separate from Myrcia marliereana, Myrcia neoriedeliana and Myrcia neoobscura, respectively, contrary to arrangements proposed by previous authors. Integrated analyses also support separation between Myrcia excoriata and two similar, undescribed taxa., Conclusions: Our data reveal the need for major changes in the systematics of the group, with recognition of 12 species. The successful delivery of our study aims was possible due to obtaining robust, high-quality data from museum specimens. We emphasise the importance of maintaining botanical collections physically and digitally available for taxonomic work and advocate their use to accelerate holistic taxonomic solutions of tropical species complexes. This is urgent, given the paucity of funds for fieldwork and unprecedented rates of habitat loss in the tropics., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Climate change models predict temperature increases, which may affect germination, an important stage in the recruitment of individuals in agroecosystems. Therefore, it is crucial to conduct research on how temperature will impact the germination of multipurpose native species. Leucaena diversifolia (Schltdl.) Benth. is native to America and is commonly cultivated around the world due to having a high protein content in seeds, and their trees are used in agrosilvopastoral systems because they fix nitrogen and provide shade and cattle feed. However, climate change affects the critical phases of its life cycle and influences its growth, reproduction, phenology, and distribution. To assess the germination performance of Leucaena diversifolia under different temperatures throughout thermal times, we estimated germination variables and determined cardinal temperatures and thermal time; we also analysed germination and potential distribution under two climate change scenarios. We found significant variations in seed germination (78-98%) and differences in cardinal temperatures ( Tb = 5.17 and 7.6 °C, To = 29.42 and 29.54 °C, and Tc = 39.45 and 39.76 °C). On the other hand, the sub-optimal and supra-optimal temperature values showed little differences: 51.34 and 55.57 °Cd. The models used showed variations in germination time for the analysed scenarios and the potential distribution. We confirm that the populations and distribution of L. diversifolia will be altered due to climate changes, but the species retains the ability to germinate under warmer conditions.

We present a genome assembly from an individual Sambucus nigra (the European elder; Streptophyta; Magnoliopsida; Dipsacales; Adoxaceae). The genome sequence has a total length of 11,813.70 megabases. Most of the assembly is scaffolded into 18 chromosomal pseudomolecules. The mitochondrial and plastid genome assemblies have lengths of 724.11 kilobases and 158.06 kilobases, respectively., Competing Interests: No competing interests were disclosed., (Copyright: © 2024 Christenhusz MJM et al.)

Despite extensive research into the phylogenetic relationships of the genus Magnolia , Neotropical taxa have been neglected. This is partly because their numbers have recently doubled and now account for almost half of the global richness. Therefore, by sampling one-third of all Neotropical taxa their relationships were studied using morphological, nuclear, and plastome data. Two major clades were identified: Clade I, comprising Magnolia sect. Talauma, Magnolia sect. Splendentes from the Neotropics, and the Asian Magnolia sect. Gwillimia ; while Clade II included the Neotropical clades Magnolia sect. Macrophylla and Magnolia sect. Magnolia , along with the remaining non-Neotropical sections. Within Clade I, Magnolia sect. Talauma was geographically divided into a northern subclade grouping Mexican and Central American taxa, and a southern subclade comprising South American and Caribbean taxa. Magnolia sect. Splendentes was also dichotomously divided, corresponding to the former Magnolia sect. Talauma subsect. Cubenses and Magnolia sect. Talauma subsect. Dugandiodendron . In Clade II, the relationships within Magnolia sect. Macrophylla and Magnolia sect. Magnolia were unclear, suggesting a species complex in all Magnolia sect. Macrophylla taxa. In total, 25 morphological traits were assessed, and ancestral state reconstructions were carried out. Only the joined clustering of mature follicles was a synapomorphy for the southern subclade of Magnolia sect. Talauma . In conclusion, this highlights the need to re-assess the taxonomic delimitation of certain groups, to update the infrageneric classification of Neotropical clades and to explore morphological traits to support them., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

We introduce the database of European vascular plant red lists, a compilation of red list categories designated to taxa during in-country conservation assessments. Version 1.0 of the database is a standalone static dataset with open access in an end-user friendly format. Its aim is to fulfil the objectives of European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) Action 18201, ConservePlants. The database synthesizes data across 42 red lists from 41 countries, with participation of 39 out of a total of 44 European countries and two additional Mediterranean countries. The database contains 51,109 records representing 21,481 original taxonomic names with 37 different red list categories. During data harmonisation, 20,312 of the original taxonomic names were assigned to 17,873 unique accepted taxonomic names with scientific authorships across 184 families, 1650 genera and 15,593 species; and red list categories were standardised to 13 unique categories. We see this database as a source of information in diverse plant conservation activities and suitable for various stakeholders., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

We present a genome assembly from an individual Chenopodium album (fat-hen; Streptophyta; Magnoliopsida; Caryophyllales; Chenopodiaceae). The genome sequence has a total length of 1,593.80 megabases. Most of the assembly (99.61%) is scaffolded into 27 chromosomal pseudomolecules suggesting the individual is an allohexaploid (2 n = 6 x = 54). The mitochondrial and plastid genome assemblies have lengths of 312.95 kilobases and 152.06 kilobases, respectively. Gene annotation of this assembly on Ensembl identified 50,077 protein-coding genes., Competing Interests: No competing interests were disclosed., (Copyright: © 2024 Mian S et al.)

We present a genome assembly from an individual Phragmites australis (the common reed; Streptophyta; Magnoliopsida; Poales; Poaceae). The genome sequence has a total length of 848.70 megabases. Most of the assembly is scaffolded into 24 chromosomal pseudomolecules, supporting the specimen being an allotetraploid (2 n = 4 x = 48). The three mitochondrial assemblies had lengths of 304.58, 92.24, and 76.54 kilobases and the plastid genome assembly had a length of 137.67 kilobases. Gene annotation of this assembly on Ensembl identified 47,513 protein-coding genes., Competing Interests: No competing interests were disclosed., (Copyright: © 2024 Christenhusz MJM et al.)

Seed storage life in tropical areas is shortened by high humidity and temperature and the general inaccessibility to dehumidifying and refrigeration systems, resulting in rapid decreases in seed viability in storage as well as a high incidence of fungal and insect infestations. The dry chain, based on rapid and deep drying of seeds after harvest followed by packaging in moisture-proof containers, has been proposed as an effective method to maintain seed quality during medium-term storage in humid climates, even without refrigeration. In addition, seed drying with zeolite drying beads can be more effective and economical than sun or heated-air drying under these warm, humid conditions. In this paper, we review recent published literature regarding the dry chain, considering different crop species, storage environments and seed traits. In addition, we provide new original data on the application of dry chain methods and their implementation at larger scales in South Asia, Latin America and Pacific Island Countries. The clear conclusion is that the combination of reusable drying beads and waterproof storage containers enables the implementation of the dry chain in tropical climates, enhancing seed viability and quality in storage of many crop species. The dry chain approach can therefore significantly enhance seed security for farmers in many tropical countries. Finally, we propose actions and strategies that could guide further scaling-up implementation of this technology., Competing Interests: Johan Van Asbrouck is the president of Rung Rueng Consulting (Rhino Research, Thailand), a technology provider that sells items that are employed for dry chain seed conservation activities. All the other authors have no competing interests., (©2024 Guzzon et al.)

We present a molecular phylogeny for the subtribe Ecliptinae (Asteraceae, Heliantheae) based on three plastid ( matK , psbA-trnH , and trnQ-rps16 ) and two nuclear (nrITS and nrETS) markers. The results of the phylogenetic reconstruction were utilised as a topological constraint for a subsequent divergence dating analysis and ancestral range reconstructions. We sampled 41 species and 40 genera (72%) of Ecliptinae and two species of Montanoa (as outgroups) to elucidate the generic relationships between the genera of this subtribe. The Bayesian inference (BI) and Maximum Likelihood (ML) analyses were performed for the combined molecular dataset. The divergence dating analysis was performed using a relaxed, uncorrelated molecular clock with BEAST v1.8.4 and calibrated using a single secondary calibration point from a recently published chronogram for the family. The ancestral range reconstructions focusing on continents (i.e., South America, North America, Africa, Asia, and Oceania) and biomes (Dry forests, Altitudinal grasslands, Savannas, and Rainforests) were performed on BioGeoBEARS. Our phylogenetic results indicate that the genera of Ecliptinae are grouped into five clades, informally named the Monactis , Oblivia , Blainvillea , Wedelia , and Melanthera clades. The most recent, common ancestor of Ecliptinae was widespread in the North and South American dry forests at 8.16 Ma and mainly radiated in these regions up to the Pleistocene. At least eight dispersal events to South America and four dispersal events from North America to Africa, Asia, and Oceania took place during this period in all five informal clades of Ecliptinae. At least 13 biome shifts from dry forests to rainforests were evidenced, in addition to ten biome shifts from dry forests to altitudinal grasslands and savannas. These results corroborate the mid-late Miocene to early Pleistocene radiation of Ecliptinae in tropical dry forests. Future studies should aim to sample the remaining 14 unsampled genera of Ecliptinae to position them in one of the five informal clades proposed in this study.

We present a genome assembly of a diploid specimen of Alnus glutinosa (the common alder; Streptophyta; Magnoliopsida; Fagales; Betulaceae). The genome sequence has a total length of 456.80 megabases. Most of the assembly is scaffolded into 14 chromosomal pseudomolecules. The mitochondrial genome assemblies have lengths of 505.23 and 155.85 kilobases and the plastid genome is 160.82 kilobases long. Gene annotation of this assembly on Ensembl identified 23,728 protein-coding genes., Competing Interests: No competing interests were disclosed., (Copyright: © 2024 Christenhusz MJM et al.)

Fungus-farming ants cultivate multiple lineages of fungi for food, but, because fungal cultivar relationships are largely unresolved, the history of fungus-ant coevolution remains poorly known. We designed probes targeting >2000 gene regions to generate a dated evolutionary tree for 475 fungi and combined it with a similarly generated tree for 276 ants. We found that fungus-ant agriculture originated ~66 million years ago when the end-of-Cretaceous asteroid impact temporarily interrupted photosynthesis, causing global mass extinctions but favoring the proliferation of fungi. Subsequently, ~27 million years ago, one ancestral fungal cultivar population became domesticated, i.e., obligately mutualistic, when seasonally dry habitats expanded in South America, likely isolating the cultivar population from its free-living, wet forest-dwelling conspecifics. By revealing these and other major transitions in fungus-ant coevolution, our results clarify the historical processes that shaped a model system for nonhuman agriculture.

We describe the geographical variation in tree species composition across Amazonian forests and show how environmental conditions are associated with species turnover. Our analyses are based on 2023 forest inventory plots (1 ha) that provide abundance data for a total of 5188 tree species. Within-plot species composition reflected both local environmental conditions (especially soil nutrients and hydrology) and geographical regions. A broader-scale view of species turnover was obtained by interpolating the relative tree species abundances over Amazonia into 47,441 0.1-degree grid cells. Two main dimensions of spatial change in tree species composition were identified. The first was a gradient between western Amazonia at the Andean forelands (with young geology and relatively nutrient-rich soils) and central-eastern Amazonia associated with the Guiana and Brazilian Shields (with more ancient geology and poor soils). The second gradient was between the wet forests of the northwest and the drier forests in southern Amazonia. Isolines linking cells of similar composition crossed major Amazonian rivers, suggesting that tree species distributions are not limited by rivers. Even though some areas of relatively sharp species turnover were identified, mostly the tree species composition changed gradually over large extents, which does not support delimiting clear discrete biogeographic regions within Amazonia., (© 2024. The Author(s).)