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Plastome (plastid genome) sequences provide valuable information for understanding the phylogenetic relationships and evolutionary history of plants. Although the rapid development of high-throughput sequencing technology has led to an explosion of plastome sequences, annotation remains a significant bottleneck for plastomes. User-friendly batch annotation of multiple plastomes is an urgent need. We introduce Plastid Genome Annotator (PGA), a standalone command line tool that can perform rapid, accurate, and flexible batch annotation of newly generated target plastomes based on well-annotated reference plastomes. In contrast to current existing tools, PGA uses reference plastomes as the query and unannotated target plastomes as the subject to locate genes, which we refer to as the reverse query-subject BLAST search approach. PGA accurately identifies gene and intron boundaries as well as intron loss. The program outputs GenBank-formatted files as well as a log file to assist users in verifying annotations. Comparisons against other available plastome annotation tools demonstrated the high annotation accuracy of PGA, with little or no post-annotation verification necessary. Likewise, we demonstrated the flexibility of reference plastomes within PGA by annotating the plastome of Rosa roxburghii using that of Amborella trichopoda as a reference. The program, user manual and example data sets are freely available at https://github.com/quxiaojian/PGA . PGA facilitates rapid, accurate, and flexible batch annotation of plastomes across plants. For projects in which multiple plastomes are generated, the time savings for high-quality plastome annotation are especially significant.

International audience; Amborella trichopoda (Amborellaceae) is a shrub endemic to New Caledonia in the Southwest Pacific region. This plant suddenly became famous when molecular phylogenetic studies revealed that this sole species is likely the sister taxon to all other angiosperms. It has thus been a prime research model for reconstructing plant evolution and gaining insight into what the earliest angiosperms looked like. A wealth of studies on Amborella have now shed considerable light on its genome, morphology, anatomy, physiology, development, and architecture – this research is reviewed in this article. While Amborella likely retained some ancestral traits, critical character reconstructions have also highlighted some derived and sometimes unique characters in this species. The history of Amborella is also tied to the South Pacific archipelago of New Caledonia, its homeland. It was part of the New Caledonian biogeography puzzle and its genetic history shed light on the dynamics of its ecosystem, the rainforest understorey. Amborella is now cultivated in botanical gardens and has been the focus of some conservation measures that will also benefit other species in this biodiversity hotspot.

International audience; Desiccation tolerance allows plant seeds to remain viable in a dry state for years and even centuries. To reveal potential evolutionary processes of this trait, we have conducted a shotgun proteomic analysis of isolated embryo and endosperm from mature seeds of Amborella trichopoda, an understory shrub endemic to New Caledonia that is considered to be the basal extant angiosperm. The present analysis led to the characterization of 415 and 69 proteins from the isolated embryo and endosperm tissues, respectively. The role of these proteins is discussed in terms of protein evolution and physiological properties of the rudimentary, underdeveloped, Amborella embryos, notably considering that the acquisition of desiccation tolerance corresponds to the final developmental stage of mature seeds possessing large embryos.

Background and aims Recent parsimony-based reconstructions suggest that seeds of early angiosperms had either morphophysiological or physiological dormancy, with the former considered as more probable. The aim of this study was to determine the class of seed dormancy present in Amborella trichopoda , the sole living representative of the most basal angiosperm lineage Amborellales, with a view to resolving fully the class of dormancy present at the base of the angiosperm clade. Methods Drupes of A. trichopoda without fleshy parts were germinated and dissected to observe their structure and embryo growth. Pre-treatments including acid scarification, gibberellin treatment and seed excision were tested to determine their influence on dormancy breakage and germination. Character-state mapping by maximum parsimony, incorporating data from the present work and published sources, was then used to determine the likely class of dormancy present in early angiosperms. Key results Germination in A. trichopoda requires a warm stratification period of at least approx. 90 d, which is followed by endosperm swelling, causing the water-permeable pericarp-mesocarp envelope to split open. The embryo then grows rapidly within the seed, to radicle emergence some 17 d later and cotyledon emergence after an additional 24 d. Gibberellin treatment, acid scarification and excision of seeds from the surrounding drupe tissues all promoted germination by shortening the initial phase of dormancy, prior to embryo growth. Conclusions Seeds of A. trichopoda have non-deep simple morphophysiological dormancy, in which mechanical resistance of the pericarp-mesocarp envelope plays a key role in the initial physiological phase. Maximum parsimony analyses, including data obtained in the present work, indicate that morphophysiological dormancy is likely to be a pleisiomorphic trait in flowering plants. The significance of this conclusion for studies of early angiosperm evolution is discussed.

Background and Aims This work aimed to gain insight into the breeding system at the base of living angiosperms through both character state reconstructions and the study of sex ratios and phenotypes in the likely sister to all other living angiosperms, Amborella trichopoda . Methods Sex phenotypes were mapped onto a phylogeny of basally diverging angiosperms using maximum parsimony. In parallel, sex ratios and phenotypes were studied over two consecutive flowering seasons in an ex situ population of A. trichopoda , while the sex ratio of an in situ population was also assessed. Key Results Parsimony analyses failed to resolve the breeding system present at the base of living angiosperms, but indicated the importance of A. trichopoda for the future elucidation of this question. The ex situ A. trichopoda population studied showed a primary sex ratio close to 1:1, though sex ratio bias was found in the in situ population studied. Instances of sexual instability were quantified in both populations. Conclusions Sex ratio data support the presence of genetic sex determination in A. trichopoda , whose further elucidation may guide inferences on the breeding system at the base of living angiosperms. Sexual instability in A. trichopoda suggests the operation of epigenetic mechanisms, and the evolution of dioecy via a gynodioecious intermediate.

A protocol for the isolation of egg apparatus cells from the basal angiosperm Amborella trichopoda to generate RNA-seq data for evolutionary studies of fertilization-associated genes. Sexual reproduction is particularly complex in flowering plants (angiosperms). Studies in eudicot and monocot model species have significantly contributed to our knowledge on cell fate specification of gametophytic cells and on the numerous cellular communication events necessary to deliver the two sperm cells into the embryo sac and to accomplish double fertilization. However, for a deeper understanding of the evolution of these processes, morphological, genomic and gene expression studies in extant basal angiosperms are inevitable. The basal angiosperm Amborella trichopoda is of special importance for evolutionary studies, as it is likely sister to all other living angiosperms. Here, we report about a method to isolate Amborella egg apparatus cells and on genome-wide gene expression profiles in these cells. Our transcriptomics data revealed Amborella-specific genes and genes conserved in eudicots and monocots. Gene products include secreted proteins, such as small cysteine-rich proteins previously reported to act as extracellular signaling molecules with important roles during double fertilization. The detection of transcripts encoding EGG CELL 1 (EC1) and related prolamin-like family proteins in Amborella egg cells demonstrates the potential of the generated data set to study conserved molecular mechanisms and the evolution of fertilization-related genes and their encoded proteins.

International audience; Amborella trichopoda is the sole living angiosperm species belonging to the sister lineage of all other extant flowering plants. In the last decade, the species has been the focus of many phylogenetic, genomic and reproductive biology studies, bringing new highlights regarding the evolution of flowering plants. However, little attention has been paid to in situ A. trichopoda populations, particularly to their fruiting cycle. In this study, an A. trichopoda population was observed during three annual flowering cycles. Individuals and branches were labeled in order to monitor the fruiting cycle precisely, from the flowering stage until the abscission of the fruit. Fruit exocarp was green during the first 9 months following flowering, turned red when the next flowering started a year later then remained on the branch during another year, between fruit ripping and abscission. Presence of fruits with two stages of maturity on shrubs was always noticed. Germination tests showed that seeds acquired their germination capacity 1 year after flowering, when fruits changed color. A. trichopoda’s fruiting cycle is a long process overlapping two annual flowering periods. These results introduce a new model for flowering and fruiting cycles. The availability of mature seeds on shrubs for more than 1 year is likely to maximize opportunities to be dispersed, thus promoting the survival of this basal angiosperm

Recent advances in angiosperm phylogeny reconstruction, palaeobotany and comparative organismic biology have provided the impetus for a major re-evaluation of the earliest phases of the diversification of flowering plants. We now know that within the first fifteen million years of angiosperm history, three major lineages of flowering plants-monocotyledons, eumagnoliids and eudicotyledons-were established, and that within this window of time, tremendous variation in vegetative and floral characteristics evolved. Here I report on a novel type of embryo sac (angiosperm female gametophyte or haploid egg-producing structure) in Amborella trichopoda, the sole member of the most ancient extant angiosperm lineage. This is the first new pattern of embryo sac structure to be discovered among angiosperms in well over half a century. This discovery also supports the emerging view that the earliest phases of angiosperm evolution were characterized by an extensive degree of developmental experimentation and structural lability, and may provide evidence of a critical link to the gymnospermous ancestors of flowering plants.

YABBY genes (CRABS CLAW, LAMENTOUS FLOWER, YABBY2, and YABBY3) are expressed on the abaxial side of lateral organs, such as leaves, and are involved in the establishment of abaxial tissue identity in the eudicot Arabidopsis thaliana. Here we report the expression patterns of a YABBY2 homologue in the lateral organs of Amborella trichopoda, an early‐diverging angiosperm. We found that the homologue is expressed in the adaxial tissues of the carpel and leaf, in contrast to abaxial expression in A. thaliana, which indicates that different patterns of YABBY2 expression evolved within the angiosperms.

The developmental morphology of the outer integument in the pendent orthotropous ovules of Amborella trichopoda (Amborellaceae) and Chloranthus serratus (Chloranthaceae) was studied. In both species the outer integument is semiannular at an early stage and becomes cup-shaped but dorsiventrally somewhat asymmetric at later stages. The outer integument, which is initiated first on the concave and lateral sides of the ovule, differs from that of the anatropous ovules of other basal families with the outer integument semiannular at an early stage or throughout development. The bilateral symmetry of the outer integument is shared by these orthotropous and anatropous ovules. The developmental pattern of the outer integument and ovule incurving characterize the ovule of the Amborellaceae and Chloranthaceae, which is not equivalent to typical orthotropous ovules of eudicots. A phylogenetic analysis of ovule characters in basal angiosperms suggests that anatropous ovules with cup-shaped outer integuments and orthotropous ovules were derived independently in several clades and that the ovules ofAmborella and Chloranthus might also be derivative.

We report the complete mitochondrial genome sequence of the flowering plant Amborella trichopoda. This enormous, 3.9 Mb genome contains six genome equivalents of foreign mitochondrial DNA, acquired from green algae, mosses, and other angiosperms. Many of these horizontal transfers were large, including acquisition of entire mitochondrial genomes from three green algae and one moss. We propose a fusion-compatibility model to explain these findings, with Amborella capturing whole mitochondria from diverse eukaryotes, followed by mitochondrial fusion (limited mechanistically to green plant mitochondria), and then genome recombination. Amborella?s epiphyte load, propensity to produce suckers from wounds, and low rate of mitochondrial DNA loss probably all contribute to the high level of foreign DNA in its mitochondrial genome. Fil: Rice, Danny W.. Indiana University. Department of Biology; Estados Unidos; Fil: Alverson, Andrew J.. Indiana University. Department of Biology; Estados Unidos; Fil: Richardson, Aaron O.. Indiana University. Department of Biology; Estados Unidos; Fil: Young, Gregory J.. Indiana University. Department of Biology; Estados Unidos; Fil: Sanchez Puerta, Maria Virginia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Centro Cientifico Tecnologico Mendoza. Instituto de Biologia Agricola de Mendoza; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Biologia; Argentina Fil: Munzinger, Jérôme. Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD). UMR Botanique et Bioinformatique de l’Architecture des Plantes (AMAP). Laboratoire de Botanique et d’Ecologie Végétale Appliquées; Nueva Caledonia; Fil: Barry, Kerrie. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute; Estados Unidos; Fil: Boore, Jeffrey L.. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute; Estados Unidos; Fil: Zhang, Yan. Penn State University. Department of Biology; Estados Unidos; Fil: dePamphilis, Claude W.. Penn State University. Department of Biology; Estados Unidos; Fil: Knox, Eric B.. Indiana University. Department of Biology; Estados Unidos; Fil: Palmer, Jeffrey D.. Indiana University. Department of Biology; Estados Unidos

La Nouvelle-Calédonie possède une flore riche, diverse et unique au monde. Sa forte endémicité (74,7%) résulte en partie de l’origine gondwanienne de la flore et de la forte pression de sélection exercée par les sols ultramafiques, riches en éléments traces métalliques, dont le nickel. Si cet élément fait la richesse du pays par son exploitation minière, cette dernière, ainsi que l’anthropisation du territoire engendrent une détérioration des écosystèmes. Dans le cadre de la dynamique mondiale de conservation, de protection et de restauration de la biodiversité, il convient de caractériser au mieux la flore néo-calédonienne foisonnante de plantes uniques. Les graines, innovation des végétaux supérieurs assurant leur dissémination, sont un des points clés du succès de la domination mondiale des plantes supérieures et un outil indispensable à la restauration écologique. Notre étude s’est attachée à caractériser par une approche biochimique la biologie des graines de deux plantes endémiques exceptionnelles, Amborella trichopoda, soeur de toutes les plantes à fleurs et Psychotria gabriellae, une des plantes contenant le plus de nickel dans ses feuilles au monde.La caractérisation protéomique de la graine d’Amborella trichopoda a permis d’obtenir le premier protéome d’un embryon rudimentaire. L’étude de ce cortège protéique a apporté des éléments de réponse aux nombreuses questions que soulèvent les graines à dormance morphologique comme celles d’A. trichopoda. Notamment, nous avons montré que l’embryon rudimentaire a acquis un stade de maturité moléculaire (présence de protéines chaperons, de réserves lipidiques). L’étude phylogénique de ces protéines a permis de conforter la place basale d’A. trichopoda. La caractérisation de l’évolution du protéome au cours de la germination a quant à elle mise en évidence une utilisation massive des protéines de réserve avant la fin de la germination ce qui questionne la définition de la germination sensu stricto pour les espèces à embryon rudimentaire.Une précèdente étude du cortège protéique de P. gabriellae avait révélé la présence de protéines DING notamment impliquées dans l’homéostasie d’éléments minéraux via leur interaction avec des transporteurs de type ABC ou encore en séquestrant elles-mêmes le phosphore. Leur identification fut corrélée avec l’observation d’un gradient de nickel dans la graine visant à protéger l’embryon du caractère toxique de ce dernier. Les données recueillies au cours du présent travail ont permis de confirmer la présence de ces protéines dont l’origine eucaryotique fait cependant débat. Face à cette controverse, nous avons cherché à identifier la présence de bactéries chez la graine mature sèche. Quatre bactéries endophytes de graine ont été identifiées mais aucune ne semble produire de protéines DING. Le rôle de ces protéines dans la physiologie de la graine de P. gabriellae et dans l’adaptation au nickel restent à explorer.Par ailleurs, cette approche protéomique a été complétée par l’obtention des transcrits exprimés au cours de la formation de la graine de Psychotria gabriellae. Cette base de données représente une source de données génomique utile pour approfondir les mécanismes impliqués dans la mise en place de l’hyperaccumulation de nickel chez les plantes, mécanismes qui pourront un jour s’avérer utiles pour répondre à des questions de phytoremédiation., New Caledonia possesses one of the world most rich, diverse and unique flora. Its high endemism (74,7%) is partly due to the gondwanian origin of its flora and to the high speciation induced by the ultramafic soils rich in heavy metals, including nickel. If this element is the source of the country richness, its mining exploitation and human colonization of the land induce ecosystems degradation. The study and comprehension of the new Caledonian flora is essential to be able to preserve, protect and restore its rich biodiversity. Preservation and restoration both depend on seeds. They are the unit of dispersal of higher plants, and responsible of their world domination on flora. We focused our study on the biochemical characterisation of seed biology of two extraordinary species, Amborella trichopoda, the sister to all extant flowering plants and Psychotria gabriellae, one of the world most nickel hyperaccumulating plant.Proteomic characterisation of A. trichopoda seeds was the first study that documented a rudimentary embryo proteome. This approach provides a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in the control of dormancy and germination of seeds with morphological dormancy such as A. trichopoda. The results obtained allow us to highlight the molecular maturity of the rudimentary embryo, as well as confirming the basal position of Amborella trichopoda trough phylogenetic analyses of selected protein families. The characterisation of the protein evolution during germination highlights massive mobilisation of storage proteins before the end of germination sensu stricto, and suggests a new definition of germination for seeds with rudimentary embryo.Previous proteomics characterisation of P. gabriellae seeds revealed a high representation of DING proteins that are known to be involved with ABC type transporters or to bind phosphorus. This observation was associated with an observed gradient of nickel inside the seed presumably to protect the embryo from its toxicity. During this work, we confirmed the presence of this protein family in the seeds, from which the belonging to the eukaryotic kingdom remains a subject of debate. To answer about the origin of these proteins in seed, we tried to determine the presence or not of bacteria in the dry mature seed. Four endophytic bacteria were identified but none of them seems to produce such proteins. However, the physiological signification of these bacteria to account for physiological features of the Psychotria gabriellae seeds and their exceptional tolerance toward nickel toxicity remains to be established.Beside this proteomics approach, we sequenced a large number of transcripts expressed during Psychotria gabriellae seed formation. This database will enrich the very limited genomic data available for this specie. It will allow a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in nickel hyperaccumulation, and may highlight novel tools for phytoremediation.

New Caledonia possesses one of the world most rich, diverse and unique flora. Its high endemism (74,7%) is partly due to the gondwanian origin of its flora and to the high speciation induced by the ultramafic soils rich in heavy metals, including nickel. If this element is the source of the country richness, its mining exploitation and human colonization of the land induce ecosystems degradation. The study and comprehension of the new Caledonian flora is essential to be able to preserve, protect and restore its rich biodiversity. Preservation and restoration both depend on seeds. They are the unit of dispersal of higher plants, and responsible of their world domination on flora. We focused our study on the biochemical characterisation of seed biology of two extraordinary species, Amborella trichopoda, the sister to all extant flowering plants and Psychotria gabriellae, one of the world most nickel hyperaccumulating plant.Proteomic characterisation of A. trichopoda seeds was the first study that documented a rudimentary embryo proteome. This approach provides a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in the control of dormancy and germination of seeds with morphological dormancy such as A. trichopoda. The results obtained allow us to highlight the molecular maturity of the rudimentary embryo, as well as confirming the basal position of Amborella trichopoda trough phylogenetic analyses of selected protein families. The characterisation of the protein evolution during germination highlights massive mobilisation of storage proteins before the end of germination sensu stricto, and suggests a new definition of germination for seeds with rudimentary embryo.Previous proteomics characterisation of P. gabriellae seeds revealed a high representation of DING proteins that are known to be involved with ABC type transporters or to bind phosphorus. This observation was associated with an observed gradient of nickel inside the seed presumably to protect the embryo from its toxicity. During this work, we confirmed the presence of this protein family in the seeds, from which the belonging to the eukaryotic kingdom remains a subject of debate. To answer about the origin of these proteins in seed, we tried to determine the presence or not of bacteria in the dry mature seed. Four endophytic bacteria were identified but none of them seems to produce such proteins. However, the physiological signification of these bacteria to account for physiological features of the Psychotria gabriellae seeds and their exceptional tolerance toward nickel toxicity remains to be established.Beside this proteomics approach, we sequenced a large number of transcripts expressed during Psychotria gabriellae seed formation. This database will enrich the very limited genomic data available for this specie. It will allow a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in nickel hyperaccumulation, and may highlight novel tools for phytoremediation., La Nouvelle-Calédonie possède une flore riche, diverse et unique au monde. Sa forte endémicité (74,7%) résulte en partie de l’origine gondwanienne de la flore et de la forte pression de sélection exercée par les sols ultramafiques, riches en éléments traces métalliques, dont le nickel. Si cet élément fait la richesse du pays par son exploitation minière, cette dernière, ainsi que l’anthropisation du territoire engendrent une détérioration des écosystèmes. Dans le cadre de la dynamique mondiale de conservation, de protection et de restauration de la biodiversité, il convient de caractériser au mieux la flore néo-calédonienne foisonnante de plantes uniques. Les graines, innovation des végétaux supérieurs assurant leur dissémination, sont un des points clés du succès de la domination mondiale des plantes supérieures et un outil indispensable à la restauration écologique. Notre étude s’est attachée à caractériser par une approche biochimique la biologie des graines de deux plantes endémiques exceptionnelles, Amborella trichopoda, soeur de toutes les plantes à fleurs et Psychotria gabriellae, une des plantes contenant le plus de nickel dans ses feuilles au monde.La caractérisation protéomique de la graine d’Amborella trichopoda a permis d’obtenir le premier protéome d’un embryon rudimentaire. L’étude de ce cortège protéique a apporté des éléments de réponse aux nombreuses questions que soulèvent les graines à dormance morphologique comme celles d’A. trichopoda. Notamment, nous avons montré que l’embryon rudimentaire a acquis un stade de maturité moléculaire (présence de protéines chaperons, de réserves lipidiques). L’étude phylogénique de ces protéines a permis de conforter la place basale d’A. trichopoda. La caractérisation de l’évolution du protéome au cours de la germination a quant à elle mise en évidence une utilisation massive des protéines de réserve avant la fin de la germination ce qui questionne la définition de la germination sensu stricto pour les espèces à embryon rudimentaire.Une précèdente étude du cortège protéique de P. gabriellae avait révélé la présence de protéines DING notamment impliquées dans l’homéostasie d’éléments minéraux via leur interaction avec des transporteurs de type ABC ou encore en séquestrant elles-mêmes le phosphore. Leur identification fut corrélée avec l’observation d’un gradient de nickel dans la graine visant à protéger l’embryon du caractère toxique de ce dernier. Les données recueillies au cours du présent travail ont permis de confirmer la présence de ces protéines dont l’origine eucaryotique fait cependant débat. Face à cette controverse, nous avons cherché à identifier la présence de bactéries chez la graine mature sèche. Quatre bactéries endophytes de graine ont été identifiées mais aucune ne semble produire de protéines DING. Le rôle de ces protéines dans la physiologie de la graine de P. gabriellae et dans l’adaptation au nickel restent à explorer.Par ailleurs, cette approche protéomique a été complétée par l’obtention des transcrits exprimés au cours de la formation de la graine de Psychotria gabriellae. Cette base de données représente une source de données génomique utile pour approfondir les mécanismes impliqués dans la mise en place de l’hyperaccumulation de nickel chez les plantes, mécanismes qui pourront un jour s’avérer utiles pour répondre à des questions de phytoremédiation.

Shaping Plant Evolution Amborella trichopoda is understood to be the most basal extant flowering plant and its genome is anticipated to provide insights into the evolution of plant life on Earth (see the Perspective by Adams ). To validate and assemble the sequence, Chamala et al. (p. 1516 ) combined fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH), genomic mapping, and next-generation sequencing. The Amborella Genome Project (p. 10.1126/science.1241089 ) was able to infer that a whole-genome duplication event preceded the evolution of this ancestral angiosperm, and Rice et al. (p. 1468 ) found that numerous genes in the mitochondrion were acquired by horizontal gene transfer from other plants, including almost four entire mitochondrial genomes from mosses and algae.

The recent outburst over the rooting of the evolutionary tree of flowering plants [1–3] is more than a storm in a teacup. At its root lie important questions about the analysis and interpretation of genome sequences. To sum up, Vadim Goremykin et al. recently reported complete chloroplast genome sequences for Amborella trichopoda [4] and Nymphaea alba [5]. These were analysed alongside other available genomes to test hypotheses about flowering plant phylogeny. Based on their findings, Goremykin et al.

The phylogenetic position of the New Caledonian endemic Amborella trichopoda, the putative basal-most extant angiosperm, has fuelled a lively debate in articles published recently in Trends in Plant Science [1–3]. However, the exploitation of this species by an international research community has so far been of little benefit to New Caledonia and has not helped to preserve its biodiversity. This seems contrary to what is recommended in the Convention on Biological Diversity (1992).

Charles Darwin called the origin of the flowering plants (or angiosperms) an ‘abominable mystery’. The enigma is still far from complete resolution, but some headway is made with the discovery of a new type of embryo sac (a female reproductive structure) in Amborella trichopoda, a small evergreen shrub now found only on the island of New Caledonia. Amborella is the sole living representative of the most ancient angiosperm lineage, and a true ‘living fossil’. Its embryo sac sheds light on a period of experimentation in the early evolution of the flowering plants, and may represent a key intermediate condition between gymnosperms and angiosperms.

The leaf flavonoids of Amborella trichopoda were examined and two kaempterol glycosides were detected. Procyanidin was also present. These results are similar to the flavonoid pattern in other families of the Laurales and it is suggested that simple flavonol glycosides are a primitive feature in the order.