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This study describes the in vitro regeneration of 'Haruka' plants, a new cultivar of Japanese flowering cherry registered in 2021 by the Japanese statutory authority. As this is a double-flowered cultivar produced by inter-specific hybridization, in vitro regeneration is an effective method for large-scale propagation. To promote proliferation, apical shoots were cultured on half-strength Murashige and Skoog medium supplemented with 5 μM 6-benzylaminopurine. The highest average of 7.8 shoots per explant was obtained at 15°C in the dark. Cultures were maintained in continuous darkness for 12 wk and then transferred to lighting conditions under a 16-h photoperiod at 25°C. Subsequently, a 100% rooting rate was obtained with the application of 1 μM indole-3-butyric acid in combination with 0.1 μM naphthaleneacetic acid. Additionally, the number of roots per shoot and the maximum length of roots were significantly higher under exposure to pink light illumination provided by cold cathode fluorescent lamps emitting red- and blue-colored light at a ratio of 80% and 20%, respectively. More than 95% of the regenerated plantlets survived after ex vitro acclimatization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is affecting plant phenology worldwide. Phenological responses vary among species, but it is not clear how responses differ among closely related species. We examined a 25-yr record (1981-2005) of flowering times for 97 trees, representing 17 species and hybrids of cherry (Cerasus sp. or Prunus sp.) grown at Mt. Takao, in Tokyo, Japan. The cherry trees flowered earlier over time, by an average of 5.5 d over the 25-yr study. Earlier flowering was explained largely by a 1.8°C increase in February-March mean monthly temperatures. Most species and hybrids flowered 3-5 d earlier for each 1°C increase in temperature, but early-flowering taxa flowered as much as 9 d earlier for each 1°C increase in temperature. Flowering durations and differences in flowering times among species were greater in warm years than in cold years. Species and individual trees also flowered longer in warm years. These results show that the flowering times of closely related species may change similarly in response to climate change, but that early-flowering species may diverge from the overall trend in a predictable way. Such changes in flowering may affect gene flow and pollination as the length of the flowering season increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prunus jamasakura is a species of Prunus native to eastern Asia. We determined the first complete chloroplast genome of Prunus jamasakura using genome skimming approach. The cp genome was 157,905 bp long, with a large single-copy region (LSC) of 85,910 bp and a small single-copy region (SSC) of 19,123 bp separated by a pair of inverted repeats (IRs) of 26,436 bp. It encodes 129 genes, including 84 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, and 8 ribosomal RNA genes. We also reconstructed the phylogeny of Prunus sensu lato using maximum likelihood (ML) method, including our data and previously reported cp genomes of related taxa. The phylogenetic analysis indicated that P. jamasakura is closely related with Prunus speciosa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cerasus kumanoensis is a recently described wild cherry species from the Kii Peninsula, Japan. Here we determined the first complete chloroplast genome of C. kumanoensis using genome skimming approach. The cp genome was 157,898 bp long, with a large single-copy region (LSC) of 85,926 bp and a small single-copy region (SSC) of 19,070 bp separated by a pair of inverted repeats (IRs) of 26,451 bp. It encodes 129 genes, including 84 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, and 8 ribosomal RNA genes. Besides, we reconstructed the phylogeny of Prunus using maximum likelihood (ML) method, including our data and previously reported cp genomes of related taxa. The phylogenetic analysis indicated that C. kumanoensis is close related with a group including Prunus takesimensis and P. speciosa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prunus speciosa (Oshima cherry) is a flowering tree species with high ornamental and economic values and is also an indigenous species with a very limited natural distribution in Japan. Here we determined the first complete chloroplast genome of P. speciosa using genome skimming approach. The cp genome was 157,916 bp long, with a large single-copy region (LSC) of 85,927 bp and a small single-copy region (SSC) of 19,123 bp separated by a pair of inverted repeats (IRs) of 26,433 bp. It encodes 129 genes, including 84 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, and eight ribosomal RNA genes. The phylogenetic analysis indicated that P. speciosa is close related with 'P. serrulata var. spontanea' auct. non. (P. leveilleana). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]