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A new species Rosa funingensis and its variant R. funingensis f. rosea, both collected from Yunnan Province, China, are, for the first time, documented and illustrated in this study. Morphological analysis in comparison with two related species in the wild, R. gigantea and R. rubus, presents distinguishable features through leaf surfaces, inflorescences and the shape of styles. R. funingensis leaf surfaces are abaxially villous, purple-red, pale green when mature, adaxially glabrous, dark green; inflorescences solitary or 2–5(7) in corymbose cyme; and styles connate into a column or not, exserted.

The name Rosa davurica var. alpestris (Nakai) Kitag. was published in 1979 as a new combination based on R. rubro-stipullata var. alpestris Nakai. It is generally accepted as a deciduous shrub occurring in Russia, Manchuria, Japan, and the northern part of the Korean Peninsula and is distinguished by the presence of eglandular leaves. Rosa rubro-stipullata var. alpestris was originally described as a new variety with a leaf size relatively smaller than that of R. rubro-stipullata var. rubro-stipullata . However, the observation of various specimens showed the leaf size of var. alpestris to be of minor importance, and it was included in var. rubro-stipullata as a synonym. Due to the priority of autonyms, a new combination is required to replace R. davurica var. alpestris. Additionally, it should be noted that the epithet "rubro-stipullata" is derived from the Latin word "stipula" rather than "stipulla." Therefore, for this variety, we propose a new combination, R. davurica var. rubro-stipulata (Nakai) D. C. Son & Y. S. Kim, comb. nov. & stat. nov.

A critical examination of specimens, with literature and a field survey have shown that Rubus pekinensis is conspecific with R. crataegifolius. Their morphological variations range can be defined as: leaves at the base may be ovate, suborbicular, narrowly ovate, entire, at the middle, ovate, narrowly ovate, oblong-lanceolate, palmately 3-lobed or 5-lobed and at the top, ovate, lanceolate, entire or 3-lobed; flowers solitary in the axillae or several flowers clustered at the terminal of branchlets or formed into short racemes. Therefore, we treat the former species as a synonym for the latter one.

Rosa rugosa Thunb. (Japanese Rose) is one of the most invasive species in Europe. It spreads spontaneously in coastal areas of western, central and northern Europe, posing a threat to dune habitats, including those indicated in the EU Habitats Directive as particularly valuable. R. rugosa has already been reported to displace native plants and alter soil properties. However, little is known about how these effects are mediated by the habitat context or the invader condition (health, ontogenetic stage). This study addressed that gap by examining vegetation and soil in 22 R. rugosa-invaded sites, half of which were in yellow dunes and the other half in grey dunes, i.e. two habitats representing the earlier and later stages of dune succession. The study was conducted on the Hel Peninsula (Poland’s Baltic coast). R. rugosa had a significant impact on dune vegetation, but the impact was strongly dependent on the habitat type. In the yellow dune sites, R. rugosa outcompeted most resident plant species, which translated into a strong decline in their total cover and richness. The invasion was almost not accompanied by changes in soil properties, suggesting that it affected the resident vegetation directly (through space takeover and shading). In the grey dunes, R. rugosa caused a shift in species composition, from that characteristic of open communities to that typical of forests. In this habitat, a significant increase in the soil organic layer thickness under R. rugosa was also observed, which means that both direct and indirect effects of the invasion on the vegetation should be assumed. Finally, a negative relationship was found between the total chlorophyll content in R. rugosa leaves and the parameters of resident plant communities, showing that the invasion effects can vary not only across habitats, but also with the condition of the invader. The results may have practical implications for managing R. rugosa invasions in coastal sand dune systems. Since R. rugosa accelerates grey dune succession, protecting this habitat may be more urgent and, at the same time, more complicated than protecting dunes at the earlier stages of development.

Rosa roxburghii Tratt., a deciduous shrub of the family Rosaceae, is usually used as food and medicinal materials and also cultivated as an ornamental. Plant endophytic fungi are a large class of microbial resources not fully researched, with great potential applications. Two strains of Ascodesmis and Talaromyces were isolated during a survey of biodiversity on endophytic fungi of R. roxburghii in China. Multigene phylogenetic analyses showed that each of the two fungi formed a distinct lineage and separated from known congeneric species and they are proposed as two novel taxa. Ascodesmis rosicola sp. nov. usually has one or two conspicuous simple or branched ridges extending to the majority of the ascospore surface and remarkably small asci, distinguishing it from the previously-described species in the genus Ascodesmis. Talaromyces rosarhiza sp. nov., of the section Talaromyces, is closely related to T. francoae. It differs from the latter by having both monoverticillate and biverticillate conidiophores, while those of T. francoae are biverticillate. Both novel endophytes are illustrated and described.

Plant communities of two peat-shrub species – Spiraea salicifolia and Potentilla fruticosa were studied in the Rhodope Mts., with emphasis on their use as a resource for the mammals associated with them. These shrubs are boreal relicts among the dominant coniferous forests. The field surveys were conducted in the spring-autumn period of 2021–2022. In both study areas, the species composition of the mammals was studied by camera traps for medium and large mammals, and by Sherman live traps for small mammals. The species registered were roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), red fox (Vulpes vulpes), wild boar (Sus scrofa), pine marten (Martes martes), European hare (Lepus europaeus), red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris), bank vole (Myodes glareolus) and yellow-necked mouse (Apodemus flavicollis). Having in mind that small mammals are vital prey base for avian and mammalian predators, it is not surprising that M. glareolus and A. flavicollis individuals were captured in the habitats that they probably use as shelters. The pine marten inhabits the forests by which the community of P. fruticosa is surrounded, but probably feeds on the rodents in the shrub. In this way, it probably provides it with an alternative to the forest food base and hunting ground. From the presented results, it seems that the L. europaeus uses P. fruticosa shrubs as food. Therefore, the plant communities of the two relict peat-shrub species studied probably provide shelter and food for the mammals. Their importance is established for at least one species of mammal with conservation significance at national and European level – M. martes. Therefore, it is necessary to continue and expand the future monitoring on mammal diversity of these relict communities.

Margyricarpus pinnatus is a poorly understood entity from natural grasslands of South America that it better considered as a species complex. In this work we contribute to the advancement of the taxonomic knowledge of this challenging species complex by describing two new species of Margyricarpus from southern Brazil. We present field photographs, illustrations, a distribution map and ecologic and conservation notes on the new species.

Background Meligethes are pollen-beetles associated with flowers of Rosaceae as larvae. This genus currently consists of 63 known species in two subgenera, Meligethes and Odonthogethes, predominantly occurring in the eastern Palaearctic. We analyzed 74 morphological and ecological characters (169 states) of all species, as well as of 11 outgroup species from 7 Meligethinae genera (including Brassicogethes), to investigate their phylogeny. We also conducted a parallel molecular analysis on 9 Meligethes, 9 Odonthogethes, 3 Brassicogethes and 2 Meligethinus species based on DNA sequence data from mitochondrial (COI, 16S) and nuclear (CAD) genes. Results Morphological phylogenetic reconstructions supported the monophyly of the whole genus and clades corresponding to purported subgenera Meligethes s.str. and Odonthogethes. Main species-groups were mostly confirmed, however some unresolved polytomies remained. Molecular data placed members of Brassicogethes (including 42 mostly W Palearctic species associated with Brassicaceae) as sister to Odonthogethes, with this clade being sister to Meligethes s.str. This phylogenetic scenario suggests that monophyletic Meligethes s.str., Odonthogethes and Brassicogethes should be regarded alternatively as three subgenera of a monophyletic Meligethes, or three genera in a monophyletic genus-complex, with mutually monophyletic Brassicogethes and Odonthogethes. Molecular analyses estimated the origin of this lineage at ca. 14–15 Mya from a common stem including Meligethinus. Conclusions We hypothesize that the ancestor of Meligethes specialized on Rosaceae in the Middle Miocene (likely in Langhian Age) and subsequently radiated during Late Miocene and Plio-Pleistocene maintaining a trophic niche on this plant family. This radiation was primarily due to geographic isolation in E Asiatic mountain systems. Combined evidence from morphology, ancestral state parsimony reconstruction of host-plant associations and molecular evidence suggested that Rosoideae (Rosa spp.) represented the ancestral hosts of Meligethes s.str., followed by an independent shift of ancestral Odonthogethes (ca. 9–15 Mya) on Rubus (Rosoideae) and members of Rosaceae Spiraeoideae. Other ancestral Odonthogethes probably shifted again on the unrelated plant family Brassicaceae (maybe 8–14 Mya in S China), allowing a rapid westward radiation of the Brassicogethes clade.

BackgroundBlackberries (Rubus spp.) are the fourth most economically important berry crop worldwide. Genome assemblies and annotations have been developed for Rubus species in subgenus Idaeobatus, including black raspberry (R. occidentalis), red raspberry (R. idaeus), and R. chingii, but very few genomic resources exist for blackberries and their relatives in subgenus Rubus.FindingsHere we present a chromosome-length assembly and annotation of the diploid blackberry germplasm accession ‘Hillquist’ (R. argutus). ‘Hillquist’ is the only known source of primocane-fruiting (annual-fruiting) in tetraploid fresh-market blackberry breeding programs and is represented in the pedigree of many important cultivars worldwide. The ‘Hillquist’ assembly, generated using PacBio long reads scaffolded with Hi-C sequencing, consisted of 298 Mb, of which 270 Mb (90%) was placed on seven chromosome-length scaffolds with an average length of 38.6 Mb. Approximately 52.8% of the genome was composed of repetitive elements. The genome sequence was highly collinear with a novel maternal haplotype-resolved linkage map of the tetraploid blackberry selection A-2551TN and genome assemblies of R. chingii and red raspberry. A total of 38,503 protein-coding genes were predicted using the assembly and Iso-Seq and RNA-seq data, of which 72% were functionally annotated.ConclusionsThe utility of the ‘Hillquist’ genome has been demonstrated here by the development of the first genotyping-by-sequencing based linkage map of tetraploid blackberry and the identification of several possible candidate genes for primocane-fruiting within the previously mapped locus. This chromosome-length assembly will facilitate future studies in Rubus biology, genetics, and genomics and strengthen applied breeding programs.

Critical examinations of specimens, with literature reviews, have shown that Rubus davidianus is conspecific with R. lambertianus. Therefore, we treat R. davidianus as a new synonym within Rubus. We propose a new name, Rubus loirensis Ti R. Huang nom. nov. to replace the later homonym of R. pycnanthus Genev. Additionally, lectotypification of three names, R. davidianus Kuntze, R. malifolius Focke and R. viburnifolius Franch., are designated here after examination of previous works.

Rubus dianchuanensis, a new name for the species previously named as R. vicarius by W. O. Focke in 1911, is proposed. A detailed description, illustrations, and remarks on its phenology, ecology, and geographic distribution are provided. This raspberry (subg. Idaeobatus) is endemic to China and was only found in Sichuan and Yunnan, southwest China. Morphologically, it is most similar to R. ovatisepalus but clearly differs from the latter by having leaf densely white or grey tomentose abaxially, usually leaf-like bracts at the base of inflorescence, 1–6 cm long pedicels, and triangular-ovate sepals with acute to caudate apex.

Two new species of Rubus (Rosaceae) from the western Andes of northern Ecuador are described. Rubus longistipularis D.A. Espinel-Ortiz & Romol. is a scandent or climbing shrub found in the mountain forests of Chocó Andino from northern Ecuador. Rubus maquipucunensis D.A. Espinel-Ortiz & Romol. is a vine or climbing shrub found in the rainforests of Chocó Andino from Pichincha and Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas. The species mentioned here are morphologically differentiated from all the Rubus species from Ecuador with a detailed botanical description, illustrations and photographs. We also report, for the first time, possible hybridisation between R. longistipularis and R. boliviensis Focke, as the samples reviewed showed mixed characteristics from both species.

Rosa × archipelagica is a spontaneous hybrid between Rosa rugosa and R. maximowicziana distributed, together with its parental taxa, on the coast of a small Stenina Island in the Peter the Great Gulf, the Sea of Japan (Russian Far East). Its hybrid origin is confirmed by direct electropherogram comparisons of PCR products and maximum likelihood analyses of nuclear ITS 1–2 and plastid intergenic spacers trnH–psbA and ndhC–trnV. The plastome markers indicate R. maximowicziana as the maternal genome donor of Rosa × archipelagica, however, one specimen shows also signs of heteroplasmy. This is the first evidence of possible biparental inheritance of plastids in rose hybrids. The results do not show whether the hybrid plants all belong to F1 or further generations of hybrids.

Rosa arabica is endemic to the high mountain area of the St. Catherine Protectorate, Southern Sinai, Egypt. It has been listed as Critically Endangered in the IUCN Red Plant List. The present study aimed to provide detailed morphological and anatomical characters of the endemic Rosa arabica by using light and scanning electron microscopy in order to expand knowledge of its taxonomy. The present study revealed the presence of three types of trichomes: simple unicellular, glandular unicellular stalked and glandular multicellular multiseriate. Anomocytic stomata, occasionally hemiparacytic and actinocytic were observed mostly on abaxial surface. Epidermal cells were smooth, with dispersed wax granules and stomata slightly raised with outer stomatal rim. Druses were also reported in pith and cortex of stem and petiole. Achene micromorphology showed scalariform pattern with anastomosed raised anticlinal walls and depressed periclinal walls. These data are presented here for the first time and their taxonomic values are discussed.

Rosaceae is an important family containing some of the highly evolved fruit and ornamental plants. Abiotic stress responses play key roles in the seasonal growth and development of plants. However, the molecular basis of stress responses remains largely unknown in Rosaceae. Abscisic acid (ABA) is a stress hormone involving abiotic stress response pathways. The ABRE-binding factor/ABA-responsive element-binding protein (ABF/AREB) is a subfamily of the basic domain/leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factor family. It plays an important role in the ABA-mediated signaling pathway. Here, we analyzed the ABF/AREB subfamily genes in nine Rosaceae species. A total of 64 ABF/AREB genes were identified, including 18, 28, and 18 genes in the Rosoideae, Amygdaloideae, and Maloideae traditional subfamilies, respectively. The evolutionary relationship of the ABF/AREB subfamily genes was studied through the phylogenetic analysis, the gene structure and conserved motif composition, Ka/Ks values, and interspecies colinearity. These gene sets were clustered into four groups. In the Prunus ABF/AREB (PmABF) promoters, several cis-elements related to light, hormone, and abiotic stress response were predicted. PmABFs expressed in five different tissues, except PmABF5, which expressed only in buds. In the dormancy stages, PmABF1, 2, 5 and 7 showed differential expression. The expression of PmABF3, 4 and 6 was positively correlated with the ABA concentration. Except for PmABF5, all the PmABFs were sensitive to ABA. Several ABRE elements were contained in the promoters of PmABF1, 3, 6, 7. Based on the findings of our study, we speculate that PmABFs may play a role in flower bud dormancy in P. mume.

Strawberry (Fragaria spp.) is a member of the Rosoideae subfamily in the family Rosaceae. The self-incompatibility (SI) of some diploid species is a key agronomic trait that acts as a basic pollination barrier; however, the genetic mechanism underlying SI control in strawberry remains unclear. Two candidate S-RNases (Sa- and Sb-RNase) identified in the transcriptome of the styles of the self-incompatible Fragaria viridis 42 were confirmed to be SI determinants at the S locus following genotype identification and intraspecific hybridization using selfing progenies. Whole-genome collinearity and RNase T2 family analysis revealed that only an S locus exists in Fragaria; however, none of the compatible species contained S-RNase. Although the results of interspecific hybridization experiments showed that F. viridis (SI) styles could accept pollen from F. mandshurica (self-compatible), the reciprocal cross was incompatible. Sa and Sb-RNase contain large introns, and their noncoding sequences (promotors and introns) can be transcribed into long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs). Overall, the genus Fragaria exhibits S-RNase-based gametophytic SI, and S-RNase loss occurs at the S locus of compatible germplasms. In addition, a type of SI-independent unilateral incompatibility exists between compatible and incompatible Fragaria species. Furthermore, the large introns and neighboring lncRNAs in S-RNase in Fragaria could offer clues about S-RNase expression strategies.

Based on field research in south-central Poland, supplemented with a review of herbarium materials, we identified a stable bramble biotype with a range large enough (190 km distance between the outermost stands) to be described as a new regional agamic species, Rubus kaznowskiisp.nov. It belongs to the series Subthyrsoidei(sect. Corylifolii). Although R. kaznowskii has a unique combination of features, it can be potentially mistaken for R. gothicus. It differs from the latter species in many aspects, including: pruinose primocanes, denser indumentum of the abaxial leaf surface, and more curved prickles on the petiole. R. kaznowskii has mainly been observed on rusty soils, in habitats of mixed coniferous and mixed broadleaf forests, usually in sunny places, along forest margins and roads, in clearings and roadside thickets.

The genus Alchemilla L., known for its medicinal and ornamental value, is widely distributed in the Holarctic regions with a few species found in Asia and Africa. Delimitation of species within Alchemilla is difficult due to hybridization, autonomous apomixes, and polyploidy, necessitating efficient molecular-based characterization. Herein, we report the initial complete chloroplast (cp) genomes of Alchemilla. The cp genomes of two African (Afromilla) species Alchemilla pedata and Alchemilla argyrophylla were sequenced, and phylogenetic and comparative analyses were conducted in the family Rosaceae. The cp genomes mapped a typical circular quadripartite structure of lengths 152,438 and 152,427 base pairs (bp) in A. pedata and A. argyrophylla, respectively. Alchemilla cp genomes were composed of a pair of inverted repeat regions (IRa/IRb) of length 25,923 and 25,915 bp, separating the small single copy (SSC) region of 17,980 and 17,981 bp and a large single copy (LSC) region of 82,612 and 82,616 bp in A. pedata and A. argyrophylla, respectively. The cp genomes encoded 114 unique genes including 88 protein-coding genes, 37 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, and 4 ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes. Additionally, 88 and 95 simple sequence repeats (SSRs) and 37 and 40 tandem repeats were identified in A. pedata and A. argyrophylla, respectively. Significantly, the loss of group II intron in atpF gene in Alchemilla species was detected. Phylogenetic analysis based on 26 whole cp genome sequences and 78 protein-coding gene sequences of 27 Rosaceae species revealed a monophyletic clustering of Alchemilla nested within subfamily Rosoideae. Based on a protein-coding region, negative selective pressure (Ka/Ks < 1) was detected with an average Ka/Ks value of 0.1322 in A. argyrophylla and 0.1418 in A. pedata. The availability of complete cp genome in the genus Alchemilla will contribute to species delineation and further phylogenetic and evolutionary studies in the family Rosaceae.

The complete chloroplast genome of the shrubby cinquefoil Dasiphora fruticosa (Rosales: Rosaceae) has been assembled from the whole-genome Illumina sequencing data. The circular genome is 152,931 bp in size, and comprises a pair of inverted repeat (IR) regions of 25,311 bp each, a large single-copy (LSC) region of 84,182 bp and a small single-copy (SSC) region of 18,127 bp. It harbors 130 genes, including 85 protein-coding genes (78 PCG species), 37 tRNA genes (30 tRNA species) and eight rRNA genes (four rRNA species). The nucleotide composition is asymmetric (31.0% A, 19.0% C, 18.3% G and 31.7% T) with an overall A+T content of 62.7%. Phylogenetic analysis agrees well with the current taxonomic framework of the order Rosales, and suggests that D. fruticosa is closely related to taxa of the genus Fragaria within the subfamily Rosoideae.

Duchesnea indica (Andrews) Th.Wolf is a species of genus Duchesnea which is nested in Potentilla clade. Its fruit is developed enough to be compared with strawberry, which is a significant key to b...

The four-subfamily subdivision of Rosaceae has been recently replaced by a three-subfamily scheme. The re-circumscribed Rosoideae lacks a solid and well-resolved phylogeny on which a classification can be based. In this study, we sampled 56 genera presumably belonging to Rosoideae and 10 genera belonging to other subfamilies or families and used 12 chloroplast regions (matK, rbcL, trnL, trnL–F, ndhF, ycf1, trnC–ycf6, trnS–G, trnS, psbA–trnH, rpoC1 and trnS–ycf9) to reconstruct their phylogeny. Our results confirmed (1) the exclusion of Rhodotypos and Kerria from Rosoideae and their inclusion in the subfamily Amygdaloideae and (2) the exclusion of Chamaebatia, Cercocarpus, Dryas and Purshia (including Cowania) from Rosoideae and their inclusion in Dryadoideae, the sister subfamily of Rosoideae. Within Rosoideae, there are six strongly supported lineages that correspond to six tribes: Ulmarieae, Colurieae, Rubeae, Roseae, Agrimonieae and Potentilleae. We dated the divergence of Rosoideae back to approximately 69.77 million years ago (Mya; 95% HPD = 61.28–78.33 Mya) and that of the tribes within Rosoideae to from 10.42 to 40.02 million years ago (Mya; 95% HPD = 4.73–59.08 Mya). The subfamily is probably of North American and Asian origin and thrives in the northern hemisphere, especially in Asia. After re-circumscriptions of several genera, there are 36 genera recognized in Rosoideae.

International audience; The Rdr1 gene confers resistance to black spot in roses and belongs to a large TNL gene family, which is organized in two major clusters at the distal end of chromosome 1. We used the recently available chromosome scale assemblies for the R. chinensis ‘Old Blush’ genome, re-sequencing data for nine rose species and genome data for Fragaria, Rubus, Malus and Prunus to identify Rdr1 homologs from different taxa within Rosaceae. Members of the Rdr1 gene family are organized into two major clusters in R. chinensis and at a syntenic location in the Fragaria genome. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that the two clusters existed prior to the split of Rosa and Fragaria and that one cluster has a more recent origin than the other. Genes belonging to cluster 2, such as the functional Rdr1 gene muRdr1A, were subject to a faster evolution than genes from cluster 1. As no Rdr1 homologs were found in syntenic positions for Prunus persica, Malus x domestica and Rubus occidentalis, a translocation of the Rdr1 clusters to the current positions probably happened after the Rubeae split from other groups within the Rosoideae approximately 70–80 million years ago during the Cretaceous period.

Somatic embryogenesis is a plant regeneration method commonly used in tissue culture. Its molecular mechanisms are well-known in model plants such as Arabidopsis thaliana L. LEAFY COTYLEDON1 (LEC1), LEAFY COTYLEDON2 (LEC2), FUSCA3 (FUS3), ABSCISIC ACID INSENSITIVE3 (ABI3), and BABYBOOM (BBM) genes are considered master regulators in the induction, growth, and maturation of somatic embryos. However, the study of these transcription factors in fruit crops with high agronomic and economic value such as cultivated strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) and other Rosaceae species is scarce. The purpose of this study was the in silico characterization of LEC1, ABI3, FUS3, LEC2, and BBM(LAFL-B) genes from F. × ananassa genome and the study of the evolutionary relationships within the Rosaceae family. Synteny analyses and molecular evolutionary rates were performed to analyze the evolution of each transcription factor within the Rosaceae family. Synteny was conserved between F. × ananassa and other Rosaceae genomes, and paralogous genes were selected through negative selection. Additionally, the exon–intron organization and multiple alignments showed that gene structure and DNA-binding domains were conserved in F. ×ananassa transcription factors. Finally, phylogenetic trees showed close evolutionary relationships between F. × ananassa and its orthologous proteins in the Rosoideae subfamily. Overall, this research revealed novel insights in the LAFL-B network in F. × ananassa and other species of the Rosaceae family. These results provide useful in silico information and new resources for the establishment of more efficient propagation systems or the study of ploidy effects on somatic embryogenesis.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) of genomic DNA was used to determine genetic relationships and species identification of nine plants from three subfamilies of Rosaceae. Genomic DNA was extracted, and the SERS spectra were obtained by using a nanosilver collosol at an excitation wavelength of 785 nm. Adenine and ribodesose were the active sites of genomic DNAs in the silver surface-enhanced Raman spectra. The strong peak at 714 cm−1 was assigned to the stretching vibration of adenine, the strong peak at 1011cm−1 contributed to the stretching vibration of the deoxyribose and the scissoring vibrations of cytosine, and the strong peak at 625 cm−1 is the stretching vibration of glycosidic bond and the scissoring vibrations of guanine. The three-dimensional plot of the first, second, and third principal components showed that the nine species could be classified into three categories (three subfamilies), consistent with the traditional classification. The model of the hierarchical cluster combined with the principal component of the second derivative was more reasonable. The results of the cluster analysis showed that apricot ( Prunus armeniaca L.) and cherry ( Prunus seudocerasus Lindl.) were clustered into one category (Prunoideae); firethorn ( Firethorn fortuneana Li.), loquat ( Eriobotrya japonica Lindl.), apple ( Malus pumila Mill.), and crabapple ( Malus hallianna Koehne.) were clustered into a second category (Pomoideae); and potentilla ( Potentilla fulgens Wall.), rose ( Rosa chinensis Jacd.), and strawberry ( Fragaria chiloensis Duchesne.) were clustered into a third category (Rosoideae). These classifications were in accordance with the traditional classification with a correction rate of clustering of 100%. The correct rate of species identification was 100%. These five main results indicate that the genetic relationship and species identification of nine Rosaceae species could be determined by using SERS spectra of their genomic DNAs.

Strawberry is a member of the rose family (Rosaceae, subfamily Rosoideae, tribe Potentilleae) in the genus Fragaria. The cultivated varieties of commercial strawberries usually were designated as Fragaria ananassa. Root, leaf, flower and fruit have the healing properties. The strawberry leaves extract is used for blood cleaning, for treatment of oral inflammation, diarrhea, various gastro-intestinal inflammation, and hemorrhoids, as well as a diuretic. So far, many positive biological effects of strawberries (anticancer, antioxidant and anticoagulant effect) have been proven. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant potential of ethanolic extract from cultivated strawberries (Fragariae folium, varieties Senga Sengana) by using different antioxidant assays (DPPH, FRAP, FIC, H2O2 and TBA-MDA). Ethanolic extract from strawberry leaves was obtained by reflux extraction at the boiling temperature. Total phenols and total flavonoids content was determined spectrophotometrically by the method of Folin-Ciocalteu and by method with AlCl3, respectively. In the extract was determined high content of total phenols, while the total flavonoid content is much lower. The concentrations of extract required to neutralize 50% of the initial concentration of DPPH radicals (EC50) after 20 minutes incubation and immediately after adding DPPH radical solution were 7,91 and 19,46 μgcm-3, respectively. Extract was achieved the maximum iron ions chelating ability (67.89%) at a concentration of 2 mgcm-3. Inhibition of lipid peroxidation of 70% was achieved by extract concentration of 0.03125 mgcm-3, while the maximum neutralization of H2O2 (30.47%) was achieved by extract concentration of 0.5 mgcm-3. FRAP value of the investigated extract is 284.51 mgFe/g of dry extract. Presented results of the antioxidant activity show that the obtained extract from the cultivated strawberry leaves is a potential source of natural antioxidants. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. TR 34012: Biljni i sintetski bioaktivni proizvodi novije generacije]

Duchesnea chrysantha (Zoll. & Moritzi) Miq. is a traditional medicinal species of genus Duchesnea nested in Potentilla genus but having a significant key to be independent genus. In this study, we ...

Duchesnea chrysantha (Zoll. & Moritzi) Miq. is a traditional medicinal species of genus Duchesnea nested in Potentilla genus but having a significant key to be independent genus. In this study, we ...

Hageniais an endangered monotypic genus endemic to the topical mountains of Africa. The only species,Hagenia abyssinica(Bruce) J.F. Gmel, is an important medicinal plant producing bioactive compounds that have been traditionally used by African communities as a remedy for gastrointestinal ailments in both humans and animals. Complete chloroplast genomes have been applied in resolving phylogenetic relationships within plant families. We employed high-throughput sequencing technologies to determine the complete chloroplast genome sequence ofH. abyssinica.The genome is a circular molecule of 154,961 base pairs (bp), with a pair of Inverted Repeats (IR) 25,971 bp each, separated by two single copies; a large (LSC, 84,320 bp) and a small single copy (SSC, 18,696).H. abyssinica’s chloroplast genome has a 37.1% GC content and encodes 112 unique genes, 78 of which code for proteins, 30 are tRNA genes and four are rRNA genes. A comparative analysis with twenty other species, sequenced to-date from the family Rosaceae, revealed similarities in structural organization, gene content and arrangement. The observed size differences are attributed to the contraction/expansion of the inverted repeats. The translational initiation factor gene (infA) which had been previously reported in other chloroplast genomes was conspicuously missing inH. abyssinica. A total of 172 microsatellites and 49 large repeat sequences were detected in the chloroplast genome. A Maximum Likelihood analyses of 71 protein-coding genes placedHageniain Rosoideae. The availability of a complete chloroplast genome, the first in the Sanguisorbeae tribe, is beneficial for further molecular studies on taxonomic and phylogenomic resolution within the Rosaceae family.

Tetraglochin is distributed along the Andes from Peru to southern Argentina and central Chile. In order to test its monophyly and analyze relationships among species of this genus and allied genera, we conducted morphological studies and phylogenetic analyses using both nuclear (ITS) and cpDNA (trnL-F) sequences. As a result, Tetraglochin is supported as monophyletic, with the genus Margyricarpus as its sister group. Tetraglochin acanthocarpa and T. caespitosa are sister to the rest of the genus, which is grouped in two clades. One clade grows primarily distributed along the Central Andes, includes T. cristata, T. inermis plus some specimens of T. ameghinoi, and has a coriaceous or papery and non translucent hypanthium. The other clade is mainly in the Southern Andes, contains T. alata and some specimens of T. ameghinoi, and has a membranous translucent hypanthium.. Based on results obtained from morphological studies, molecular phylogenies, and species delimitation analyses, a new species T. andina, is proposed, segregated from T. ameghinoi. A key to identify all species herein recognized, and a map containing geographical distribution of them are provided, together with a description and illustration of the new species. Fil: Acosta, Juan Manuel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Botánica Darwinion. Academia Nacional de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Instituto de Botánica Darwinion; Argentina Fil: Salariato, Diego Leonel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Botánica Darwinion. Academia Nacional de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Instituto de Botánica Darwinion; Argentina Fil: Cialdella, Ana Maria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Botánica Darwinion. Academia Nacional de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Instituto de Botánica Darwinion; Argentina

Porodica Rosaceae obuhvaća oko 100 rodova s 3000 vrsta. Mnoge vrste su lijepe i korisne biljke, a mnoge imaju veliko gospodarsko značenje. Većina rodova su drvenaste biljke. Zbog važnosti ove porodice u prehrani ljudi, značaj u agronomskoj struci joj je velik. Porodica Rosaceae se dijeli na četiri potporodice: Spiroideae, Rosoideae, Maloideae, Prunoideae. Potporodica Spiroideae uključuje grmove i zeljaste trajnice, a najznačajniji predstavnici su rodovi: Spirea (suručica), Sibirea (sibireja), Aruncus (suručka). Potporodica Rosoideae uključuje grmove, polugrmove i višegodišnje zeljanice, a najznačajniji predstavnici su rodovi: Rosa ( ruža), Rubus (kupina,malina), Frageria (jagoda). Predstavnici potporodice Maloideae su listopadne i grmolike biljke, a najznačajniji predstavnici su rodovi: Malus (jabuka), Pyrus (kruška), Cydonia (obična dunja), Mespilus (mušmula), Crategus (glogovi). U potporodicu Prunoideae pripadaju pretežno listopadna stabla i grmovi, uključuje jedan važan rod Prunus u koji pripadaju šljiva, breskva, marelica, badem, višnja i trešnja., The Rosaceae family includes about 100 genera with 3000 species. Many species are beautiful and useful plants, and many have great economic significance. Most genera are woody plants. Due to a very important role in the human diet its importance is very significant in agricultural profession. The family Rosaceae is divided into four subfamilies: Spiroideae, Rosoideae, Maloideae and Prunoideae. The subfamily Spiroideae encompasses shrubs and herbaceous perennials whose most important representatives are genera as follows: Spirea (meadowsweet), Sibirea (sibbirhaea) and Aruncus. The subfamily Rosoideae includes shrubs, semishrubs and perennial plants, whose notable representatives are genera as follows: Rosa (rose), Rubus (blackberry, raspberry) and Frageria (strawberry). The representatives of the subfamily Maloideae are deciduous and shrubby plants, and the most important representatives are the genera Malus(apple), Pyrus(pear), Cydonia(ordinary quince), Mespilus(medlar) and Crategus(hawthorn). The subfamily Prunoideae is mostly known for deciduous trees and shrubs including one important genus Prunus encompassing plum, peach, apricot, almond, sour and sweet cherry.

Rosaceae is a large family, however, our understanding of its phylogeny is based largely on morphological observations. To understand the relationship between subfamilies Rosoideae, Amygdaloideae, Maloideae and Spiraeoideae at a molecular level, we isolated and compared the plant phosphatidyl ethanolamine-binding protein-like genes TERMINAL FLOWER1 (TFL1)-like and CENTRORADIALIS (CEN)-like, which are involved in the control of shoot meristem identity and flowering time. A comparison of gene structures and phylogenetic tree analyses by the Neighbor-Joining method showed that each of the two TFL1-like (MdTFL1-1 and MdTFL1-2) and CEN-like genes (MdCENa and MdCENb) in Maloideae were classified into two distinct clades. The TFL1-like and CEN-like genes of Gillenia in Spiraeoideae belonged to monophyletic Maloideae groups, suggesting that Gillenia and Maloideae have a common near ancestor. However, the Gillenia TFL1-like gene does not contain the insertion sequence of the third intron that is found in MdTFL1-2-like genes of the members of Maloideae such as apple, Korean whitebeam, quince, and Siberian mountain ash. Therefore, after the Maloideae ancestor genome became polyploid through hybridization between Gillenia-like species or genome doubling, an insertion sequence of the third intron of MdTFL1-2-like genes was generated.

The aim of this study was to characterize genetically Bulgarian Erwinia amylovora strains using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) analysis. Fifty E. amylovora strains isolated from different hosts, locations, as well as in different years were analysed by PFGE after XbaI, SpeI, and XhoI digestion of the genomic DNA. The strains were distributed into four groups according to their XbaI-generated profile. About 82% of the strains displayed a PFGE profile identical to that of type Pt2. Three strains belonged to the Central Europe Pt1 type. Two new PFGE profi les, not reported so far, were established - one for a strain isolated from Malus domestica and another for all Fragaria spp. strains. The same grouping of the strains was obtained after analysis of the SpeI digestion patterns. On the basis of PFGE profiles, after XbaI and SpeI digestion, a genetic differentiation between the strains associated with subfamily Maloideae and subfamily Rosoideae was revealed. The presence of more than one PFGE profi le in the population of E. amylovora in Bulgaria suggests a multiple source of inoculum

To get a more comprehensive knowledge of oil contents and fatty acid pattern, seed oils from various Rosaceous plants belonging to the subfamilies Maloideae and Rosoideae, respectively, were investigated. For this purpose, isolated seeds of 18 dessert and cider apple (Malus domestica BORKH.) cultivars of different provenances, pear (Pyrus communis L.), rose hip (Rosa canina L.), quince (Cydonia oblonga Mill.), and red chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia L.) were analyzed for their oil content and fatty acid composition. Oil contents varied significantly, not only among the different genera, but also among cultivars of one species, ranging from 0.8 to 29.4 g/100 g dry matter. Qualitatively, the fatty acid profiles of the investigated seed oils showed good agreement in all representatives of the Rosaceae. Their triacylglycerols were uniformly composed of linoleic, oleic, palmitic, stearic, palmitoleic, α-linolenic, arachidic, gondoic, and behenic acids. Quantitation of individual fatty acids revealed the oils to be rich in mono- and diunsaturated oleic acid and linoleic acid, ranging from 15.1 to 33.3 g/100 g and from 32.5 to 49.7 g/100 g, respectively. As expected, contents of saturated fatty acids were 6–10 times lower. Moreover, apple cultivars showed pronounced differences in yields, numbers, and weights of their seeds. As demonstrated by the data obtained from this study, seeds resulting from the processing of apple, pear, quince, chokeberry (Maloideae), and rose hip (Rosoideae) into juices, jellies, and jams may serve as a promising source for the recovery of nutritionally valuable edible oils.

The tea-scented China roses largely correspond to the three recognized double-petaled Rosa odorata (Andrews) Sweet (Rosoideae, Rosaceae) varieties, which are the ancestors of modern hybrid tea roses and had a definite and permanent influence on the evolution of modern garden roses. Here the hypothesis of a hybrid origin of the tea-scented China roses between R. odorata var. gigantea and R. chinensis was tested. Two single-copy nuclear genes of the cytosolic glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) and the chloroplast-expressed glutamine synthetase (ncpGS) together with two plastid loci (trnL-F and psbA-trnH) were sequenced for representative accessions of four R. odorata varieties, R. chinensis, and 28 other Rosa species. Phylogenetic relationships were estimated from two nuclear loci using maximum parsimony and Bayesian analyses, and a haplotype network was constructed on the combined plastid data using NETWORK. For GAPDH and ncpGS loci, the clonal sequences of the three double-petaled varieties were clustered into two clades, one clade with R. odorata var. gigantea, and the other with partial sequences of R. chinensis, which suggested that the tea-scented China roses were hybrids between R. odorata var. gigantea and R. chinensis. Two plastid loci suggested that R. odorata var. gigantea could be the maternal parent and R. chinensis the paternal parent.

Rubus is a large genus of flowering plants in the rose family, Rosaceae, subfamily Rosoideae. The blackberries, as well as various other Rubus species with mounding or rambling growth habits, are often called brambles. Little information is available on the genetic diversity of wild-grown blackberries. The objective of this study was to determine the genetic relationships among nine promising (high-yield capacity, free of pest and diseases, better fruit traits) wild blackberry (Rubus caucasicus L.) selections and the well-known cultivar, “Chester” by using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers. Genotypes were evaluated with three selective primer-enzyme combinations, producing a total of 223 AFLP fragments with 53% polymorphism ratio. Clustering of genotypes using unweighted pair-group method of arithmetic average cluster analysis clearly separated groups of wild blackberry genotypes while the variety “Chester” was clustered independently. Wild selections represented a distinct ge...

The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/Cas system confers acquired heritable immunity against mobile nucleic acid elements in prokaryotes, limiting phage infection and horizontal gene transfer of plasmids. In CRISPR arrays, characteristic repeats are interspersed with similarly sized nonrepetitive spacers derived from transmissible genetic elements and acquired when the cell is challenged with foreign DNA. New spacers are added sequentially and the number and type of CRISPR units can differ among strains, providing a record of phage/plasmid exposure within a species and giving a valuable typing tool. The aim of this work was to investigate CRISPR diversity in the highly homogeneous species Erwinia amylovora , the causal agent of fire blight. A total of 18 CRISPR genotypes were defined within a collection of 37 cosmopolitan strains. Strains from Spiraeoideae plants clustered in three major groups: groups II and III were composed exclusively of bacteria originating from the United States, whereas group I generally contained strains of more recent dissemination obtained in Europe, New Zealand, and the Middle East. Strains from Rosoideae and Indian hawthorn ( Rhaphiolepis indica ) clustered separately and displayed a higher intrinsic diversity than that of isolates from Spiraeoideae plants. Reciprocal exclusion was generally observed between plasmid content and cognate spacer sequences, supporting the role of the CRISPR/Cas system in protecting against foreign DNA elements. However, in several group III strains, retention of plasmid pEU30 is inconsistent with a functional CRISPR/Cas system.

Pollen grains of tribe Sanguisorbeae (Rosaceae, Rosoideae) were examined using scanning electron microscopy to identify useful characters, test taxonomic and phylogenetic hypotheses among genera, and elucidate pollen character evolution based on a molecular phylogeny. Aperture number, aperture structure, pollen shape, and exine sculpturing were variable within Sanguisorbeae and were used to delineate six pollen types. Four types (I–IV) were observed only in subtribe Sanguisorbinae whereas two types (V–VI) were found only in subtribe Agrimoniinae. Pollen grains of tribe Sanguisorbeae were generally subprolate to spheroidal in shape, had operculate or pontoperculate apertures, and had three apertures, except for Margyricarpus (tetraperturate). Exine sculpturing within Sanguisorbinae represented variations of striate, verrucate, rugulate, and perforate patterns often with microechinate sculpturing. Striate exine patterns and prolate shapes characterized the pollen of the Agrimoniinae, except for the microechinate-verrucate pattern and subprolate to spheroidal shapes observed in Hagenia. Pollen characters are most useful at the generic level and, when mapped on to a molecular phylogenetic tree of the tribe, are concordant with a monophyletic Agrimoniinae and a clade comprising Margyricarpus + Acaena + Polylepis + Cliffortia + Sanguisorba in the Sanguisorbinae. Outgroup comparison indicated that operculate colpi, three apertures, and polymorphism for striate or microverrucate exines represented primitive states for tribe Sanguisorbeae.

The self-incompatibility mechanism that reduces inbreeding in many plants of the Rosaceae is attributed to a multi-allelic S locus which, in the Prunoideae and Maloideae subfamilies, comprises two complementary genes, a stylar-expressed S-RNase and a pollen-expressed SFB. To elucidate incompatibility in the subfamily Rosoideae, stylar-specific RNases and self-(in)compatibility status were analysed in various diploid strawberries, especially Fragaria nubicola and F. viridis, both self-incompatible, and F. vesca, self-compatible, and in various progenies derived from them. Unexpectedly, two unlinked RNase loci, S and T, were found, encoding peptides distinct from Prunoideae and Maloideae S-RNases; the presence of a single active allele at either is sufficient to confer self-incompatibility. By contrast, in diploid Maloideae and Prunoideae a single locus encodes S-RNases that share several conserved regions and two active alleles are required for self-incompatibility. Our evidence implicates the S locus in unilateral inter-specific incompatibility and shows that S and T RNases can, remarkably, confer not only allele-specific rejection of cognate pollen but also unspecific rejection of Sn Tn pollen, where n indicates a null allele, consistent with the the presence of the pollen component, SFB, activating the cognitive function of these RNases. Comparison of relevant linkage groups between Fragaria and Prunus suggests that Prunus S-RNases, unique in having two introns, may have resulted from gene conversion in an ancestor of Prunus. In addition, it is shown that there is a non-S locus that is essential for self-incompatibility in diploid Fragaria.

Strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa Duch.) belongs to the rose family (Rosaceae, subfam. Rosoideae) and is mainly cultivated in the northern hemisphere. Drought stress is one of the most important environmental factors that limit plant growth and development, thus reducing yield. The objective of present research was to draw a correlation between the genetic structure of different strawberry species and cultivars as assessed by AFLP markers and plant responses to drought stress. Experiments were performed in a growth chamber under constant temperature (17 degrees C), RH (60%), and light intensity (around 100-105 mu mol m(-2) s(-1)). Leaf water losing rate (WLR, calculated as the leaf weight loss over time), and relative water content (RWC) were compared for 21 cultivars/species, one diploid species F. vesca and one octaploid species F. chiloensis. WLR could discriminate genotypes showing a contrasting response to water stress. This response allowed clustering strawberry genotypes in susceptible and drought-tolerant groups. Secondly, the genetic diversity within and among these groups was determined using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) to evaluate the genetic basis for the observed variation in WLR and RWC. Clustering results based on AFLP markers linked to the RWC and WLR traits indicated an eco-physiological relevant grouping was obtained. In particular, common correlated AFLP alleles indicate the involvement of common loci of genetic control of these two characters at DNA level.

Phylogenetic relationships among 88 genera of Rosaceae were investigated using nucleotide sequence data from six nuclear (18S, gbssi1, gbssi2, ITS, pgip, and ppo) and four chloroplast (matK, ndhF, rbcL, and trnL-trnF) regions, separately and in various combinations, with parsimony and likelihood-based Bayesian approaches. The results were used to examine evolution of non-molecular characters and to develop a new phylogenetically based infrafamilial classification. As in previous molecular phylogenetic analyses of the family, we found strong support for monophyly of groups corresponding closely to many previously recognized tribes and subfamilies, but no previous classification was entirely supported, and relationships among the strongly supported clades were weakly resolved and/or conflicted between some data sets. We recognize three subfamilies in Rosaceae: Rosoideae, including Filipendula, Rubus, Rosa, and three tribes; Dryadoideae, comprising the four actinorhizal genera; and Spiraeoideae, comprising Lyonothamnus and seven tribes. All genera previously assigned to Amygdaloideae and Maloideae are included in Spiraeoideae. Three supertribes, one in Rosoideae and two in Spiraeoideae, are recognized.

Generic relationships in the Pyrinae (equivalent to subfamily Maloideae) were assessed with six chloroplast regions and five nuclear regions. We also plotted 12 non-molecular characters onto molecular phylogenies. Chloroplast DNA trees are incongruent with those from nuclear regions, as are most nuclear regions with one another. Some of this conflict may be the result of hybridization, which occurs between many genera of Pyrinae in the present and may have occurred in the past, and duplication of nuclear loci. Sequence divergence between genera of Pyrinae, which is significantly less than that between genera of another large clade in Rosaceae, the Rosoideae, is concentrated in terminal branches, with short internal branches. This pattern is consistent with an ancient, rapid radiation, which has also been hypothesized from the fossil record. Even with about 500,000 bp of sequence, our results resolve only several small groups of genera and leave much uncertainty about phylogenetic relationships within Pyrinae.

Sequences of the nrDNA internal transcribed spacer 1 (nrITS-1) and atpB-rbcL intergenic spacer (IGS) of the cpDNA were analysed for all sections of the genus Rosa L. (Rosoideae, Rosaceae) to study molecular infrageneric taxonomy and relationships of Rosa with respect to conventional taxonomy based upon morphological and anatomical data as well as phytochemical characters. The results suggest that Rosa in its traditional infrageneric circumscription is not reflected by molecular data. Cinnamomeae, Carolinae and Pimpinellifoliae are not monophyletic based on the molecular data and this is mirrored in conventional taxonomy that separates these sections by weak morphological characters such as sepal performance, existence of bracts, and number of flowers per inflorescence. Section Pimpinellifoliae is split by the monotypic sections Laevigatae, Platyrhodon, Bracteatae and Hesperhodos. Section Caninae is a natural allopolyploid group characterized by its autapomorphic ITS C-type and Canina-meiosis. CpDNA subdivides sect. Caninae into two natural clusters of eglandular and glandular species. NrITS shows sect. Synstylae/Indicae to be the direct sister group to sect. Caninae, not Rosa (Gallicanae) although both groups are morphologically characterized by pinnate sepals. From our molecular data sect. Indicae and sect. Synstylae are consectional. The highest taxonomic rank below the generic level should be the sectional status. © 2005 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2005, 147, 275–290.

Although simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers have been developed for species in the closely related genera Fragaria L. (strawberry) and Rubus L. (raspberry and blackberry), the number of SSRs available is insufficient for genetic mapping. Our objective was to use and compare multiple approaches for developing additional SSRs for Fragaria and Rubus. The approaches included: the development of SSRs from GenBank sequences from species of varied relatedness to Fragaria and Rubus and identified with two different data-mining methods (BLAST and SSRIT); the evaluation of some previously published SSRs designed from related species; and the development of SSRs from a genomic library made from F. ×ananassa Duschene ex Rozier `Earliglow'. When an SSR was developed from a known gene sequence, the location of the repeat in the gene was determined to evaluate the effect on amplification and polymorphism detection. Cross-generic amplification between closely related Fragaria and Rubus as well as transference from species of varied relatedness to Fragaria and Rubus also was evaluated and indicated limited transference within the subfamily Rosoideae. However, development of SSRs for Fragaria and Rubus from Rosa L. (rose) and Rosaceae genera outside Rosoideae was not efficient enough to be practical for new map development. SSRIT was superior to BLAST for identifying GenBank sequences containing repeats. SSRs developed from repeats found in either the 5′UTR (80% polymorphic) or 3′UTR (85% polymorphic) were most likely to detect polymorphisms, compared with those developed from coding regions (30%). SSRs developed from the genomic library were only slightly superior to GenBank-derived SSRs in their ability to detect polymorphisms.

The phylogeny of Rosoideae was investigated using 44 species. Here we report new sequence data from the chloroplast trnL/F region as well as an increased sample of species. The analysis of these new data, along with previously used data from the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacers (ITS), significantly increased resolution as well as confidence for Rosoideae phylogeny. Using both Bayesian inference and parsimony methods, we conducted analyses on the data sets separately and in combination. The resulting phylogenies are congruent with all well‐supported clades of Rosoideae found in previous analyses of ITS or rbcL data. The support for these and other clades is improved, and we consider several clades to be supported well enough to be named. The following clades are given phylogenetic definitions: Sanguisorbeae and its subclades Agrimoniinae and Sanguisorbinae, Potentilleae and its subclades Fragariinae and Potentilla, Roperculina (Rosa + Sanguisorbeae + Potentilleae), and Sanpotina (Sanguisorbea...

Phylogenetic relationships in Rosaceae were studied using parsimony analysis of nucleotide sequence data from two regions of the chloroplast genome, the matK gene and the trnL-trnF region. As in a previously published phylogeny of Rosaceae based upon rbcL sequences, monophyletic groups were resolved that correspond, with some modifications, to subfamilies Maloideae and Rosoideae, but Spiraeoideae were polyphyletic. Three main lineages appear to have diverged early in the evolution of the family: 1) Rosoideae sensu stricto, including taxa with a base chromosome number of 7 (occasionally 8); 2) actinorhizal Rosaceae, a group of taxa that engage in symbiotic nitrogen fixation; and 3) the rest of the family. The spiraeoid genus Gillenia, not included in the rbcL study, was strongly supported as the sister taxon to Maloideae sensu lato. A New World origin of Maloideae is suggested. The position of the economically important genus Prunus and the status of subfamily Amygdaloideae remain unresolved.

The morpho-anatomical characters of 18 species belonging to six genera of sub-family Rosoideae wereinvestigated. The anatomical characters of both the pericarp and testa were found to be impracticable for speciesdelimitation since they are consistent at the generic level. The same reason rendered the character evaluationinvaluable within the species of the same genus. Of the morphological characters the mode of the achenevasculature as well as its ramification varied in the different taxa. The basic number of the achene supply is onemedian and two lateral strands. The behaviour of the latter, whether distinct or fused, as well as the ramification ,or not, of a part or the whole of the vascular skeleton led to the suggestion of a key-like layout which shows thepathway of these character states as being primitive vs advanced.

2-Pyrone-4,6-dicarboxylic acid was isolated from Potentilla anserina. Until now this substance was only found in bacteria and not in higher plants. By sterile cultivation it was verified that this compound is genuine also in plants. In addition the systematic relevance of 2-pyrone-4,6-dicarboxylic acid within the Rosaceae was tested. The compound seems to be a chemotaxonomic marker for the Rosoideae sensu stricto proposed by Morgan et al. (Morgan, D.R., Soltis, D.E., Robertson, K.R., 1994. Systematic and evolutionary implications of rbcL sequence variation in Rosaceae. American Journal of Botany 81, 890–903).