Annals of botany最新文献

{"title":"Soil warming duration and magnitude affect the dynamics of fine roots and rhizomes and associated C and N pools in subarctic grasslands.","authors":"Biplabi Bhattarai, Bjarni D Sigurdsson, Páll Sigurdsson, Niki Leblans, Ivan Janssens, Wendelien Meynzer, Arun Kumar Devarajan, Jaak Truu, Marika Truu, Ivika Ostonen","doi":"10.1093/aob/mcad102","DOIUrl":"10.1093/aob/mcad102","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background and aims: </strong>The response of subarctic grassland's below-ground to soil warming is key to understanding this ecosystem's adaptation to future climate. Functionally different below-ground plant organs can respond differently to changes in soil temperature (Ts). We aimed to understand the below-ground adaptation mechanisms by analysing the dynamics and chemistry of fine roots and rhizomes in relation to plant community composition and soil chemistry, along with the duration and magnitude of soil warming.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We investigated the effects of the duration [medium-term warming (MTW; 11 years) and long-term warming (LTW; > 60 years)] and magnitude (0-8.4 °C) of soil warming on below-ground plant biomass (BPB), fine root biomass (FRB) and rhizome biomass (RHB) in geothermally warmed subarctic grasslands. We evaluated the changes in BPB, FRB and RHB and the corresponding carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) pools in the context of ambient, Ts < +2 °C and Ts > +2 °C scenarios.</p><p><strong>Key results: </strong>BPB decreased exponentially in response to an increase in Ts under MTW, whereas FRB declined under both MTW and LTW. The proportion of rhizomes increased and the C-N ratio in rhizomes decreased under LTW. The C and N pools in BPB in highly warmed plots under MTW were 50 % less than in the ambient plots, whereas under LTW, C and N pools in warmed plots were similar to those in non-warmed plots. Approximately 78 % of the variation in FRB, RHB, and C and N concentration and pools in fine roots and rhizomes was explained by the duration and magnitude of soil warming, soil chemistry, plant community functional composition, and above-ground biomass. Plant's below-ground biomass, chemistry and pools were related to a shift in the grassland's plant community composition - the abundance of ferns increased and BPB decreased towards higher Ts under MTW, while the recovery of below-ground C and N pools under LTW was related to a higher plant diversity.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Our results indicate that plant community-level adaptation of below ground to soil warming occurs over long periods. We provide insight into the potential adaptation phases of subarctic grasslands.</p>","PeriodicalId":8023,"journal":{"name":"Annals of botany","volume":" ","pages":"269-279"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2023-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10583211/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10221941","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Strategies of diaspore dispersal investment in Compositae: the case of the Andean highlands.","authors":"Carolina Tovar, Lucia Hudson, Francisco Cuesta, Rosa Isela Meneses, Priscilla Muriel, Oriane Hidalgo, Luis Palazzesi, Carlos Suarez Ballesteros, Eleanor Hammond Hunt, Mauricio Diazgranados, D J Nicholas Hind, Félix Forest, Stephan Halloy, Nikolay Aguirre, William J Baker, Stephan Beck, Julieta Carilla, Paúl Eguiguren, Elaine Françoso, Luis E Gámez, Ricardo Jaramillo, Luis Daniel Llambí, Olivier Maurin, Inga Melcher, Gemma Muller, Shyamali Roy, Paul Viñas, Karina Yager, Juan Viruel","doi":"10.1093/aob/mcad099","DOIUrl":"10.1093/aob/mcad099","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background and aims: </strong>Understanding diaspore morphology and how much a species invests on dispersal appendages is key for improving our knowledge of dispersal in fragmented habitats. We investigate diaspore morphological traits in high-Andean Compositae and their main abiotic and biotic drivers and test whether they play a role in species distribution patterns across the naturally fragmented high-Andean grasslands.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We collected diaspore trait data for 125 Compositae species across 47 tropical high-Andean summits, focusing on achene length and pappus-to-achene length ratio, with the latter as a proxy of dispersal investment. We analysed the role of abiotic (temperature, elevation and latitude) and biotic factors (phylogenetic signal and differences between tribes) on diaspore traits and whether they are related to distribution patterns across the Andes, using phylogenomics, distribution modelling and community ecology analyses.</p><p><strong>Key results: </strong>Seventy-five percent of the studied species show small achenes (length <3.3 mm) and 67% have high dispersal investment (pappus length at least two times the achene length). Dispersal investment increases with elevation, possibly to compensate for lower air density, and achene length increases towards the equator, where non-seasonal climate prevails. Diaspore traits show significant phylogenetic signal, and higher dispersal investment is observed in Gnaphalieae, Astereae and Senecioneae, which together represent 72% of our species. High-Andean-restricted species found across the tropical Andes have, on average, the pappus four times longer than the achene, a significantly higher dispersal investment than species present only in the northern Andes or only in the central Andes.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Small achenes and high diaspore dispersal investment dominate among high-Andean Compositae, traits typical of mostly three tribes of African origin; but traits are also correlated with the environmental gradients within the high-Andean grasslands. Our results also suggest that diaspore dispersal investment is likely to shape species distribution patterns in naturally fragmented habitats.</p>","PeriodicalId":8023,"journal":{"name":"Annals of botany","volume":" ","pages":"255-267"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2023-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10583198/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9874219","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Clinal variations in seedling traits and responses to water availability correspond to seed-source environmental gradients in a foundational dryland tree species.","authors":"Georgia L Vasey, Alexandra K Urza, Jeanne C Chambers, Elizabeth G Pringle, Peter J Weisberg","doi":"10.1093/aob/mcad041","DOIUrl":"10.1093/aob/mcad041","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background and aims: </strong>In dryland ecosystems, conifer species are threatened by more frequent and severe droughts, which can push species beyond their physiological limits. Adequate seedling establishment will be critical for future resilience to global change. We used a common garden glasshouse experiment to determine how seedling functional trait expression and plasticity varied among seed sources in response to a gradient of water availability, focusing on a foundational dryland tree species of the western USA, Pinus monophylla. We hypothesized that the expression of growth-related seedling traits would show patterns consistent with local adaptation, given clinal variation among seed source environments.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We collected P. monophylla seeds from 23 sites distributed across rangewide gradients of aridity and seasonal moisture availability. A total of 3320 seedlings were propagated with four watering treatments representing progressively decreasing water availability. Above- and below-ground growth-related traits of first-year seedlings were measured. Trait values and trait plasticity, here representing the degree of variation among watering treatments, were modelled as a function of watering treatment and environmental conditions at the seed source locations (i.e. water availability, precipitation seasonality).</p><p><strong>Key results: </strong>We found that, under all treatments, seedlings from more arid climates had larger above- and below-ground biomass compared to seedlings from sites experiencing lower growing-season water limitation, even after accounting for differences in seed size. Additionally, trait plasticity in response to watering treatments was greatest for seedlings from summer-wet sites that experience periodic monsoonal rain events.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our results show that P. monophylla seedlings respond to drought through plasticity in multiple traits, but variation in trait responses suggests that different populations are likely to respond uniquely to changes in local climate. Such trait diversity will probably influence the potential for future seedling recruitment in woodlands that are projected to experience extensive drought-related tree mortality.</p>","PeriodicalId":8023,"journal":{"name":"Annals of botany","volume":" ","pages":"203-216"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2023-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10583205/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9088072","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Common garden experiments reveal acquisitive strategies for responding to drought in seedlings of forest tree species: a commentary on 'Clinal variations in seedling traits and responses to water availability correspond to seed-source environmental gradients in a foundational dryland tree species'.","authors":"Aida Solé-Medina, José Alberto Ramírez-Valiente","doi":"10.1093/aob/mcad115","DOIUrl":"10.1093/aob/mcad115","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":8023,"journal":{"name":"Annals of botany","volume":" ","pages":"i-ii"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2023-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10583190/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10285170","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Adaptive divergence and genetic vulnerability of relict species under climate change: a case study of Pterocarya macroptera.","authors":"Tian-Rui Wang,&nbsp;Hong-Hu Meng,&nbsp;Nian Wang,&nbsp;Si-Si Zheng,&nbsp;Yun Jiang,&nbsp;Duo-Qing Lin,&nbsp;Yi-Gang Song,&nbsp;Gregor Kozlowski","doi":"10.1093/aob/mcad083","DOIUrl":"10.1093/aob/mcad083","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background and aims: </strong>Understanding adaptive genetic variation and whether it can keep pace with predicted future climate change is critical in assessing the genetic vulnerability of species and developing conservation management strategies. The lack of information on adaptive genetic variation in relict species carrying abundant genetic resources hinders the assessment of genetic vulnerability. Using a landscape genomics approach, this study aimed to determine how adaptive genetic variation shapes population divergence and to predict the adaptive potential of Pterocarya macroptera (a vulnerable relict species in China) under future climate scenarios.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We applied restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (RAD-seq) to obtain 8244 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from 160 individuals across 28 populations. We examined the pattern of genetic diversity and divergence, and then identified outliers by genetic differentiation (FST) and genotype-environment association (GEA) methods. We further dissected the effect of geographical/environmental gradients on genetic variation. Finally, we predicted genetic vulnerability and adaptive risk under future climate scenarios.</p><p><strong>Key results: </strong>We identified three genetic lineages within P. macroptera: the Qinling-Daba-Tianmu Mountains (QDT), Western Sichuan (WS) and Northwest Yunnan (NWY) lineages, which showed significant signals of isolation by distance (IBD) and isolation by environment (IBE). IBD and IBE explained 3.7-5.7 and 8.6-12.8 % of the genetic structure, respectively. The identified GEA SNP-related genes were involved in chemical defence and gene regulation and may exhibit higher genetic variation to adapt to the environment. Gradient forest analysis revealed that the genetic variation was mainly shaped by temperature-related variables, indicating its adaptation to local thermal environments. A limited adaptive potential was suggested by the high levels of genetic vulnerability in marginal populations.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Environmental gradient mainly shaped the population differentiation of P. macroptera. Marginal populations may be at high risk of extinction, and thus proactive management measures, such as assisted gene flow, are required to ensure the survival of these populations.</p>","PeriodicalId":8023,"journal":{"name":"Annals of botany","volume":" ","pages":"241-254"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2023-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10583204/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10114908","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Adaptation to pollination by fungus gnats underlies the evolution of pollination syndrome in the genus Euonymus.","authors":"Ko Mochizuki, Tomoko Okamoto, Kai-Hsiu Chen, Chun-Neng Wang, Matthew Evans, Andrea T Kramer, Atsushi Kawakita","doi":"10.1093/aob/mcad081","DOIUrl":"10.1093/aob/mcad081","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background and aims: </strong>Dipteran insects are known pollinators of many angiosperms, but knowledge on how flies affect floral evolution is relatively scarce. Some plants pollinated by fungus gnats share a unique set of floral characters (dark red display, flat shape and short stamens), which differs from any known pollination syndromes. We tested whether this set of floral characters is a pollination syndrome associated with pollination by fungus gnats, using the genus Euonymus as a model.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The pollinator and floral colour, morphology and scent profile were investigated for ten Euonymus species and Tripterygium regelii as an outgroup. The flower colour was evaluated using bee and fly colour vision models. The evolutionary association between fungus gnat pollination and each plant character was tested using a phylogenetically independent contrast. The ancestral state reconstruction was performed on flower colour, which is associated with fungus gnat pollination, to infer the evolution of pollination in the genus Euonymus.</p><p><strong>Key results: </strong>The red-flowered Euonymus species were pollinated predominantly by fungus gnats, whereas the white-flowered species were pollinated by bees, beetles and brachyceran flies. The colour vision analysis suggested that red and white flowers are perceived as different colours by both bees and flies. The floral scents of the fungus gnat-pollinated species were characterized by acetoin, which made up >90 % of the total scent in three species. Phylogenetically independent contrast showed that the evolution of fungus gnat pollination is associated with acquisition of red flowers, short stamens and acetoin emission.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our results suggest that the observed combination of floral characters is a pollination syndrome associated with the parallel evolution of pollination by fungus gnats. Although the role of the red floral display and acetoin in pollinator attraction remains to be elucidated, our finding underscores the importance of fungus gnats as potential contributors to floral diversification.</p>","PeriodicalId":8023,"journal":{"name":"Annals of botany","volume":" ","pages":"319-333"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2023-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10583214/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10433924","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Extent of intraspecific trait variability in ecologically central and marginal populations of a dominant alpine plant across European mountains.","authors":"Pavel Dan Turtureanu, Mihai Pușcaș, Dorina Podar, Zoltán Robert Balázs, Bogdan-Iuliu Hurdu, Andriy Novikov, Julien Renaud, Amélie Saillard, Stéphane Bec, Dana Șuteu, Ioan Băcilă, Philippe Choler","doi":"10.1093/aob/mcad105","DOIUrl":"10.1093/aob/mcad105","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background and aims: </strong>Studying trait variability and restricted gene flow between populations of species can reveal species dynamics. Peripheral populations commonly exhibit lower genetic diversity and trait variability due to isolation and ecological marginality, unlike central populations experiencing gene flow and optimal conditions. This study focused on Carex curvula, the dominant species in alpine acidic meadows of European mountain regions. The species is sparser in dry areas such as the Pyrenees and Balkans, compared to the Central-Eastern Alps and Carpathians. We hypothesized that distinct population groups could be identified based on their mean functional trait values and their correlation with the environment; we predicted that ecologically marginal populations would have stronger trait correlations, lower within-population trait variability (intraspecific trait variability, ITV) and lower genetic diversity than populations of optimal habitats.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Sampling was conducted in 34 populations that spanned the entire distribution range of C. curvula. We used hierarchical clustering to identify emergent functional groups of populations, defined by combinations of multiple traits associated with nutrient economy and drought tolerance (e.g. specific leaf area, anatomy). We contrasted the geographical distribution of these groups in relation to environment and genetic structure. We compared pairwise trait relationships, within-population trait variation (ITV) and neutral genetic diversity between groups.</p><p><strong>Key results: </strong>Our study identified emergent functional groups of populations. Those in the southernmost ranges, specifically the Pyrenees and Balkan region, showed drought-tolerant trait syndromes and correlated with indicators of limited water availability. While we noted a decline in population genetic diversity, we did not observe any significant changes in ITV in ecologically marginal (peripheral) populations.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our research exemplifies the relationship between ecological marginality and geographical peripherality, which in this case study is linked to genetic depauperation but not to reduced ITV. Understanding these relationships is crucial for understanding the biogeographical factors shaping trait variation.</p>","PeriodicalId":8023,"journal":{"name":"Annals of botany","volume":" ","pages":"335-347"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2023-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10583199/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9850839","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The roles of stomatal morphologies in transpiration and nutrient transportation between grasses and forbs in a temperate steppe.","authors":"Zhuo Chen,&nbsp;Hongbo Li,&nbsp;Wen-Hao Zhang,&nbsp;Baolan Wang","doi":"10.1093/aob/mcad096","DOIUrl":"10.1093/aob/mcad096","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background and aims: </strong>Grasses and forbs are dominant functional groups in temperate grasslands and display substantial differences in many biological traits, especially in root and stomatal morphologies, which are closely related to the use of water and nutrients. However, few studies have investigated the differences in nutrient accumulation and stomatal morphology-mediated transportation of water and nutrients from roots to shoots comparatively between the two functional groups.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Here, we explored the patterns of accumulation of multiple nutrients (N, P, K, Ca, Mg and S) in leaves and roots, transpiration-related processes and interactions between nutrients and transpiration at functional group levels by experiments in a temperate steppe and collection of data from the literature.</p><p><strong>Key results: </strong>The concentrations of all the examined nutrients were obviously higher in both leaves and roots of forbs than those in grasses, especially for leaf Ca and Mg concentrations. Grasses with dumbbell-shaped stomata displayed significantly lower transpiration and stomatal conductance than forbs with kidney-shaped stomata. In contrast, grasses showed much higher water-use efficiency (WUE) than forbs. The contrasting patterns of nutrient accumulation, transpiration and WUE between grasses and forbs were less sensitive to varied environments. Leaf N, P and S concentrations were not affected by transpiration. In contrast, leaf Mg concentrations were positively correlated with transpiration in forb species. Furthermore, linear regression and principal component analysis showed that leaf Ca and Mg concentrations were positively correlated with transpiration between the two functional groups.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our results revealed contrasting differences in acquisition of multiple nutrients and transpiration between grasses and forbs, and that stomatal morphologies are an important driver for the distinct WUE and translocation of Ca and Mg from roots to leaves between the two functional groups in temperate steppes. These findings will contribute to our understanding of the important roles of functional traits in driving water and nutrient cycling.</p>","PeriodicalId":8023,"journal":{"name":"Annals of botany","volume":" ","pages":"229-239"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2023-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10583208/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10195845","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Correction to: Machine learning methods reveal processes affecting abundance at multiple scales. A commentary on 'Global and regional drivers of abundance patterns in the hart's tongue fern complex (Aspleniaceae)'.","authors":"","doi":"10.1093/aob/mcad090","DOIUrl":"10.1093/aob/mcad090","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":8023,"journal":{"name":"Annals of botany","volume":" ","pages":"363"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2023-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10583203/pdf/mcad090.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9820675","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Pseudanthia in angiosperms: a review.","authors":"Jakub Baczyński,&nbsp;Regine Claßen-Bockhoff","doi":"10.1093/aob/mcad103","DOIUrl":"10.1093/aob/mcad103","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Pseudanthia or 'false flowers' are multiflowered units that resemble solitary flowers in form and function. Over the last century the term 'pseudanthium' has been applied to a wide array of morphologically divergent blossoms, ranging from those with easily noticeable florets to derived, reduced units in which individual flowers become almost indistinguishable. Although initially admired mostly by botanists, the diversity and widespread distribution of pseudanthia across angiosperms has already made them a fascinating topic for evolutionary and developmental comparative studies.</p><p><strong>Scope: </strong>This review synthesizes historical and current concepts on the biology of pseudanthia. Our first aim is to establish a clear, operational definition of pseudanthium and disentangle common terminological misconceptions surrounding that term. Our second aim is to summarize knowledge of the morphological and developmental diversity of pseudanthia and embed it within a modern phylogenetic framework. Lastly, we want to provide a comprehensive overview on the evolution and ecological importance of pseudanthia and outline perspectives for future studies.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The understanding of pseudanthia has changed multiple times and reflects three different interpretations of their 'flower-like' qualities: developmental (similarity in structure), figural (similarity in form and function) and phylogenetic (homology between angiosperm flowers and monoecious reproductive shoots in gymnosperms). Here, we propose to narrow the term pseudanthium to multiflowered blossoms resembling zoophilous flowers in form, i.e. in being structurally subdivided in a showy periphery and a reproductive centre. According to this definition, pseudanthia sensu stricto evolved independently in at least 41 angiosperm families. The recurrent acquisition of pseudanthia sensu stricto in all major lineages of flowering plants indicates repeated interactions between developmental constraints (smallness of flowers, meristematic conditions) and selective pressures, such as demands of pollinators and/or environmental conditions.</p>","PeriodicalId":8023,"journal":{"name":"Annals of botany","volume":" ","pages":"179-202"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2023-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10583202/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9841266","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}