Annals of botany最新文献

{"title":"Beyond Seeds and Fruits: Water-Impermeability in Sporocarps of Marsilea minuta (Marsileaceae) Expands the Taxonomic Limits of Physical Dormancy.","authors":"N S Gama-Arachchige, K A I Lakshani, J B Senevirathne, A D S N P Athukorala, K M G G Jayasuriya, R L Geneve, J M Baskin, C C Baskin","doi":"10.1093/aob/mcag295","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcag295","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background and aims: </strong>Occurrence of physical dormancy (PY) is thought to be limited to members of 18 angiosperm families belonging to 10 orders and is caused by a water-impermeable palisade cell layer(s) in seed or fruit coats. PY has not been reported in seeds of gymnosperms or in reproductive structures of non-seed plants. Sporocarps of the heterosporous fern family Marsileaceae are functionally analogous to seeds of angiosperms, and anatomy of the sporocarp wall and requirement of scarification to release spores suggest possible occurrence of PY. The primary aims of this study were to confirm (or not) the presence of PY in sporocarps of Marsileaceae and to morpho-anatomically characterize the water-gap complex with special reference to Marsilea minuta.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Water impermeability of M. minuta sporocarps was tested with an imbibition test. PY was broken by exposing sporocarps to wet and dry heat under laboratory conditions and storage under different moisture regimes. Water-gap region of the sporocarp was identified and characterized by a water-gap blocking test, microtome sectioning and light and scanning electron microscopy.</p><p><strong>Key results: </strong>Water impermeability was confirmed in sporocarps of M. minuta. Both wet and dry heat treatments were effective in breaking PY (opening the water gap). Dry storage increased sensitivity for PY breaking treatments. Long term storage under various moisture regimes made the sporocarps permeable. Morphology and anatomy in the water-gap region differ from those in the rest of the sporocarp wall.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Presence of a new kind of PY (sporocarp physical dormancy [ScPY]) was confirmed for the first time in Division Polypodiophyta. This is the first report of PY other than for seeds and fruits of Spermatophyta. The Type-II compound water-gap complex (Superior tooth gap or Russow's gap) is anatomically more complex and differs in both morphology and anatomy from water gaps previously described for Spermatophyta.</p>","PeriodicalId":8023,"journal":{"name":"Annals of botany","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148928822","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Phylogenomics reveals persistent gene-tree discordance in the Chenopodium album aggregate.","authors":"Kate Escobar, Josefin Stiller, Pablo D Cárdenas","doi":"10.1093/aob/mcag290","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcag290","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background and aims: </strong>Complex genomic histories shaped by hybridisation and polyploidy can influence traits related to plant defence, stress tolerance and toxicity, particularly in Amaranthaceae, which includes crops such as quinoa and spinach. Within this family, white goosefoot (Chenopodium album), a widespread agricultural weed and traditional food resource, belongs to a diploid-polyploid aggregate with extensive phylogenetic discordance. Clarifying its evolutionary history provides context for interpreting ecologically and agronomically relevant trait variation across the aggregate. Building on the established genome-lineage framework, we tested whether discordance persists when constituent genome-lineage components are represented separately and whether the remaining signal is compatible with reticulate evolution.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We analysed 2,298 conserved nuclear BUSCO families across 27 assembly-level terminals using tree- and network-based approaches. Genome-lineage-aware analyses used 2,156 families after separating polyploid Chenopodium into A-H components, with Dysphania ambrosioides as outgroup. HyDe tested site-pattern asymmetry under global false-discovery-rate correction.</p><p><strong>Key results: </strong>Assembly-level analyses grouped the Danish C. album aggregate accession Ca6-1 with hexaploid C. album sensu stricto dcCheAlbu1.1, whereas relationships among surrounding Chenopodium taxa were less stable. Genome-lineage-aware analyses recovered the expected B-, C- and D-affinity relationships, but substantial gene-family heterogeneity persisted. Reticulate network models fitted the assembly-level data better than bifurcating models, although inferred patterns differed between methods. HyDe detected significant site-pattern asymmetry in a small subset of loci, with most retained signal shared between the focal assemblies.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Gene-tree discordance persists in the C. album aggregate after genome-lineage separation. The established genome-lineage framework captures the dominant phylogenomic structure, while residual heterogeneity is compatible with both tree-like and reticulate processes without identifying direct progenitors or a unique hybridisation history. This framework supports future analyses of lineage-specific and trait-associated loci related to plant defence, food quality and toxicity in C. album and related Amaranthaceae.</p>","PeriodicalId":8023,"journal":{"name":"Annals of botany","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148910879","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Climate Gradients and Habitat Discontinuity Structure Genetic Variation in a Spring-Specialist Plant.","authors":"Matthew Weiss, Trevor M Faske, Liza M Holeski","doi":"10.1093/aob/mcag291","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcag291","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background and aims: </strong>Groundwater-dependent ecosystems support disproportionate biodiversity in arid regions, yet the population genetics of spring-specialist plants remains poorly understood. Here, we present the first species-wide genetic dataset for crimson monkeyflower (Mimulus verbenaceus, Phrymaceae), a spring-specialist plant distributed in seeps, springs, and associated riparian areas across desert regions of North America. We aim to relate landscape features and climate gradients to the spatial genetic structuring within this system.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Using genome-wide reduced representation sequencing data consisting of 10,760 SNPs from 175 individuals across 17 populations, we characterized the patterns of genetic differentiation and diversity. Population structure was assessed using ADMIXTURE and Principal Component Analysis. We examined the contributions of climate to range-wide genetic variation in crimson monkeyflower using redundancy analysis.</p><p><strong>Key results: </strong>Patterns of genetic differentiation were more consistent with those of spring-specialist animal taxa than those of upland plants or generalist riparian plants. We found strong population structure at both broad regional scales and at fine local scales. While geographic and spatial structuring was a primary driver of genetic structure across all scales, riparian connectivity influenced local patterns of diversity, and adaptation to local climatic variation was more influential at regional scales, with temperature, relative humidity, and a monsoon-driven climate gradient contributing to genetic differentiation.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our findings highlight the distinctive association with isolated perennial groundwater sources, as well as climate gradients, with genetic variation in this spring-specialist plant. These findings suggest that spring-specialist plants deserve special consideration in ecological theory, management, and conservation.</p>","PeriodicalId":8023,"journal":{"name":"Annals of botany","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148910842","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Identification of anthecotuloide reveals a chemical mechanism underlying Anthemis cotula L. invasiveness.","authors":"Showkat Nissar, Sagar Pandit, Zafar A Reshi, Manish Kumar, Shraddha Kankal","doi":"10.1093/aob/mcag289","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcag289","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background and aims: </strong>Allelopathy underpins the competitive success of many invasive plants, yet direct chemical ecological links remain scarce. Here, we combined untargeted metabolomics with bioassays to analyse the allelopathic role of the invasive Anthemis cotula, and examine how its signature allelochemical drives invasion dynamics through differential phytotoxic effects on co-occurring plant species.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>LC-QTOF metabolite profiling of leaf litter, roots, root exudates, and soils from invaded and uninvaded sites was performed to identify signature metabolites. The sesquiterpene lactone anthecotuloide, characteristic of A. cotula, was structurally confirmed via 1H-NMR and isolated in pure form by targeted HPLC. Bioassays were conducted using four co-occurring plant species- Plantago lanceolata, Plantago major, Sisymbrium orientale, and Trifolium pratense- together with A. cotula itself. Seeds of these plants were exposed to anthecotuloide at the field-relevant concentration (1.06 µg mL-1) and at progressively higher concentrations to establish a dose-response relationship. Seed germination, seedling growth, biomass accumulation, and photosynthetic pigment content were subsequently measured.</p><p><strong>Key results: </strong>Anthecotuloide was exclusive to invaded soils and A. cotula tissues and exudates. Purified anthecotuloide exerted species-specific, concentration-dependent effects on germination, root development, biomass accumulation, and photosynthetic pigment content. P. lanceolata and P. major were the most sensitive species, S. orientale showed intermediate sensitivity, and T. pratense showed trait-dependent responses with weak germination sensitivity. In contrast, A. cotula showed comparatively high self-tolerance, maintaining germination, growth and pigment stability across most treatments.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The detection of anthecotuloide in A. cotula-derived tissues, root exudates and invaded soils, together with its inhibitory effects on co-occurring species, provides mechanistic evidence for soil-mediated chemical interference by A. cotula. These findings support an allelopathic mechanism consistent with the Novel Weapons Hypothesis, but reciprocal and field-based studies are required to validate its role under natural conditions.</p>","PeriodicalId":8023,"journal":{"name":"Annals of botany","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148910861","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A trait-based approach to understanding and predicting ecosystem services of seaweed in marine forests.","authors":"John N Griffin, Marina Dolbeth, Francisco Arenas, Matthew E S Bracken","doi":"10.1093/aob/mcag285","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcag285","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Ecosystem services provided by seaweeds are increasingly recognised, yet we lack frameworks to explain and predict how these services vary across species, space, and time. Here, using large brown canopy-forming macroalgae as a focal group, we propose a novel framework and set of hypotheses linking functional traits to ecosystem services. We first argue that seaweed trait variation can be understood through their ecological strategies, with key axes of variation expected to include the 'pace of life' (slow - fast), 'space use' (expand - extend), and 'resistance investment' (low - high). Different coordinated sets of traits are predicted to relate to these axes, with, for example, traits associated with resource acquisition (e.g., specific thallus area) increasing with the pace of life. In turn, species' positions in the strategy space and attendant traits should determine their impact on ecosystem services, with different services maximised in distinct parts of trait space. Existing evidence on species replacements in seaweed forests suggests that global change and other disturbances commonly shift assemblages in several dimensions of trait space, towards faster and less three-dimensionally complex forms, indicating that species' responses to environmental change and associated consequences for ecosystem services may be explained by strategies and associated traits. Finally, we provide a vision for testing our framework, through standardised trait-screening protocols and data compilation efforts.</p>","PeriodicalId":8023,"journal":{"name":"Annals of botany","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148904794","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impacts of climate-driven loss of giant kelp forests on local dive tourism.","authors":"Scott Bennett, Nicole E Currie, Cayne Layton, Steven Rust, Elisabeth Strain, Mick Baron, Karen Gowlett-Holmes, Scott Ling, Claire Butler","doi":"10.1093/aob/mcag284","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcag284","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background and aims: </strong>Kelp forests provide myriad ecosystem services to human society, many of which are being eroded by climate-driven extreme events, before they have been measured. Here, we assess how dive tourism in giant kelp forests (Macrocystis pyrifera) has been impacted by marine heatwaves over three decades in southeast Tasmania.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Dive trip logs and business records were compiled from 1991-2021 from the Tasman Peninsula, Tasmania. Dives sites were georeferenced and matched to the dominant habitat (e.g. cave, wreck, sponge garden, kelp forest) for each dive site. The distribution and frequency of all dives conducted in giant kelp forests were analysed to determine changes in the gross margin of kelp forest dives over time. Dive patterns were compared to marine heatwave metrics and patterns in kelp forest cover from remote sensing data.</p><p><strong>Key results: </strong>Giant kelp forest diving steadily increased in Tasmania between 1991-2010, before repeated marine heatwaves in 2010 and 2016 caused abrupt loss of kelp and eventual collapse of kelp forests diving by 2017. The sharp decline in dives in 2011 resulted in a 255% decrease to the gross margin for the local operator. Poleward retreat of giant kelp forests between 2001-2017 resulted in a ∼44 km increase in travel and 15% reduction in gross margin per trip, before their eventual loss from the region.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Our results provide one of the first quantitative assessments of kelp forest dive tourism and highlights the fragility of these ecosystems to climate disruption. This study adds to the growing body of literature demonstrating social and economic impacts of climate extremes on kelp forest ecosystems and highlights the fundamental importance of healthy, functional kelp forests to support ecosystem services.</p>","PeriodicalId":8023,"journal":{"name":"Annals of botany","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148896539","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Moving-or-staying dilemma: reproductive traits reveal a latitudinal trade-off in black spruce.","authors":"Dipesh Karki, Roberto Silvestro, Annie Deslauriers, Matthias Ahmad Mslati, Catherine Périé, Yan Boucher, Sergio Rossi","doi":"10.1093/aob/mcag288","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcag288","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background and aims: </strong>Successful regeneration depends on the reproductive traits and adaptations of species to the local environment. Rapid climate change is altering the fire regime in boreal regions, affecting the reproductive potential and potentially reshaping forest composition. We use the wide latitudinal gradient of the boreal forest to assess how reproductive traits respond to climate. We test whether and why populations from contrasting latitudes differ in reproductive traits due to seed resource allocation strategies.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study assessed variability in reproductive traits among five populations of black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.) ranging from 48 to 53° parallels in Quebec, Canada. We tested differences in cone and seed traits, germination performance, and seed biochemical composition.</p><p><strong>Key results: </strong>Compared to northern sites, southern sites had bigger seeds (14% longer and 16% wider) and 50% more seeds per cone (45 vs 30). Seed mass and wing loading decreased with latitude. A higher nutrient content, especially sucrose (5.8 vs. 2.6 mg·g-1) and phytic acid (8.74 vs. 0.93 mg·g-1), was detected in the southern sites, which also showed a higher germination rate (13%). Northern sites had lower germination rates (9%) and seeds dominated by starch (0.94 mg·g-1). Northern sites required higher temperatures to open their cones than southern sites (≥ 55.1 vs. 48.9 °C). Reproductive traits indicate a shift in resource allocation, with southern sites producing larger, nutrient-rich seeds that promote rapid establishment, while smaller, starch-dominated seeds in northern sites are associated with dispersal capacity.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our results reflect trade-off between seed dispersal and persistence in regeneration, supporting a moving-or-staying dilemma in black spruce. Latitudinal variation in seed traits represents ecological adaptations to the local environment. Understanding the reproductive ability of species is critical for predicting the responses of black spruce to future climate for planning adaptive forest management of boreal stands.</p>","PeriodicalId":8023,"journal":{"name":"Annals of botany","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148900023","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A monograph of the neotropical Gnetaceae.","authors":"Dennis Wm Stevenson","doi":"10.1093/aob/mcag286","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcag286","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background and aims: </strong>After having contributed treatments of Gnetum for various regional floras in the neotropics, it was decided to produce a monograph of the genus for the new world.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Specimen data from herbarium species were collected and recorded. Type specimens and synonymy were determined for each species.</p><p><strong>Key results: </strong>A new species endemic to Vaupés, Colombia is described and illustrated. It is compared to the other neotropical species of Gnetum. A key to the nine neotropical Gnetum species is given as well as descriptions of those species with relevant specimen citations, distributions, and images.</p>","PeriodicalId":8023,"journal":{"name":"Annals of botany","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148890781","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The ecological dynamics and consequences of phytoplasma infection in white trillium.","authors":"Julia A Boyle, Yanggaolan Yang, Amalia Caballero, Eleanor N Hector, Alex Ellett, Emily Glasgow, John R Stinchcombe, Megan Bontrager","doi":"10.1093/aob/mcag283","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcag283","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background and aims: </strong>Ecologists have long sought to link within-population dynamics to patterns of species occurrence and persistence across the range. Theoretical models suggest pathogens have important implications for plant populations and perhaps even limit plant distributions, though more empirical evidence is needed, especially in wild plant populations.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In the field, we characterized the infection dynamics of phytoplasma, a vectored and sterilizing bacterial pathogen, in wild populations of white trillium. We identified the highest molecular matches for the local bacterial strain and putative vectors. We then leveraged iNaturalist data to reveal patterns and potential drivers of phytoplasma occurrence across the range of white trillium.</p><p><strong>Key results: </strong>Within populations, we found that phytoplasma symptoms were more likely in low host density plots, where insects occupied a higher proportion of trillium, indicative of an encounter-dilution effect. Leafhoppers in the genus Empoasca were positive for phytoplasma, suggesting they are a candidate vector of disease between trilliums at our field site. The closest match to our local phytoplasma was related to 'Candidatus Phytoplasma pruni', ribosomal group 16SrIII-F. Phytoplasma symptoms were widely distributed across trillium's range, even at range edges, and probability of symptoms was significantly increased by proximity to cropland.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>We studied the impacts of a sterilizing, vector-transmitted pathogen on host plant populations and patterns of infection across host range. Our results suggest sap-feeding insects do not occupy all hosts at high host densities, thereby reducing transmission and leading to higher likelihood of finding infection at low host densities, and a higher proportion of host plants infected at low host densities. At a range-wide scale, we found evidence that the pathogen was able to persist across both the core and edge of host ranges. Thus, negative-density dependent sterilizing pathogens may challenge host populations across the range.</p>","PeriodicalId":8023,"journal":{"name":"Annals of botany","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148886223","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"What sorghum's wild relatives could do for abiotic stress tolerance and ecosystem services. A commentary on \"Trait - climate relationships of Sorghum crop wild relatives grown in a common environment\".","authors":"Quinn Campbell, Michael Kantar","doi":"10.1093/aob/mcag281","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcag281","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":8023,"journal":{"name":"Annals of botany","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148878965","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}