Botanical Studies最新文献

{"title":"Comparative metabolomic analysis in roots of natural and cultivated Astragalus membranaceus in Mongolia.","authors":"Munkhtsetseg Tsednee, Chao-Yu Hsu, Shingo Sakamoto, Nobutaka Mitsuda, Bolor Tsolmon, Ming-Tsair Chan, Chuan-Ming Yeh","doi":"10.1186/s40529-026-00490-6","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40529-026-00490-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Astragalus membranaceus, a valuable medicinal plant, is widely used in the pharmaceutical, food, and nutritional industries due to its rich bioactive compounds. Its increasing demand has led to extensive cultivation of A. membranaceus to supplement natural resources and ensure a stable supply. However, comparing the metabolic characteristics of natural and cultivated plants is essential for understanding their quality, authenticity, and potential pharmacological differences.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We conducted a comparative analysis of polysaccharide and monosaccharide composition and untargeted metabolite profiling in the roots of natural and cultivated A. membranaceus plants in Mongolia. The levels of alcohol soluble total polysaccharides and the major abundant monosaccharides were similar between natural and cultivated A. membranaceus roots. Whereas several less abundant monosaccharides showed reduced levels in the cultivated roots. Untargeted metabolomic profiling identified a total of 157 metabolites, among which 42 and 35 were differentially accumulated in natural and cultivated roots, respectively. Most metabolites showed increased levels in the cultivated roots; however, 32 metabolites were enriched in natural roots. Functional pathway enrichment revealed distinct metabolic features between the two root types. In natural roots, pathways related to stress response, biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, and energy production were enriched. In cultivated roots, the enriched metabolic pathways were linked to primary metabolism, growth, and energy production.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our findings reveal distinct metabolic characteristics between natural and cultivated A. membranaceus roots, likely shaped by differences in growth environments, soil conditions, and adaptive metabolic reprogramming. These results provide a valuable reference for evaluating, authenticating, and distinguishing natural and cultivated A. membranaceus roots, and offer insights into their pharmacological potential and quality control.</p>","PeriodicalId":9185,"journal":{"name":"Botanical Studies","volume":"67 1","pages":"3"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12835483/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146050411","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integrative taxonomic revision of three Camellia species from section Tuberculata (Camellia, Theaceae) by morphological, anatomical, palynological, and molecular evidence.","authors":"Weihao Gu, Mingtai An, Chao Yan, Xu Xiao, Zhaohui Ran, Zhi Li","doi":"10.1186/s40529-025-00489-5","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40529-025-00489-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>BACKGROUND: The section Tuberculata (Camellia L.) comprises 18 species, forming a monophyletic group with unique “tuberculate-wrinkled fruit pericarp” morphological characteristics. However, the interspecific relationships within this section remain poorly resolved. A notable taxonomic controversy involves Camellia lipingensis, C. zengii, and C. rhytidocarpa, which were previously considered conspecific. On the basis of extensive population surveys conducted in their type localities, we identified significant morphological disparities among these three taxa. To comprehensively clarify their taxonomic status and relationships, we conducted an integrated study incorporating morphology, micromorphology (leaf epidermis and pollen), and molecular systematics (cpDNA and nrDNA ITS). RESULTS: Evidence from morphology, anatomy, palynology, and molecular systematics consistently supports the treatment of Camellia zengii as a heterotypic synonym of C. lipingensis, while confirming the distinct species status of C. rhytidocarpa. Morphological analysis revealed continuous variation in key traits: Leaves lanceolate (6.42–12.50 × 2.16–4.45 cm); floral parts with 6–9 rounded sepals, 3–5 hairy styles, and 2.2–4.1 cm long filaments; fruit subglobose (diameter 2.24–3.18 cm), ovary 3-4-loculed (1 seed per locule). Anatomical and pollen characteristics are conservative: The leaf epidermal stomata are elliptical (39.9–41.2 × 31.4–36.7 μm), with a density of 62–86 per mm², and the pollen is nearly spherical (polar axis 36.7–37.8 μm/equatorial axis 40.3–41.3 μm, P/E ratio 0.87–0.91). Molecular phylogenetic analyses confirmed that Camellia lipingensis and Camellia zengii form a strongly supported monophyletic group (ML/PP = 100/1.00; clade Ⅰ), with Camellia rhytidocarpa forming a separate clade sister to it. The chloroplast genomes of the three taxa are conserved in structure, with consistent chloroplast genome structures (157,029, 157,029, 157,048 bp; GC 37.3%; containing 87 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, and 8 rRNA genes). CONCLUSIONS: This study conclusively resolved the taxonomic delimitation among these closely related species within sect. Tuberculata. We propose the synonymization of Camellia zengii with C. lipingensis and confirm that C. rhytidocarpa is a distinct species, a conclusion robustly supported by congruent evidence from multiple disciplines. Our research provides a practical framework for reconstructing phylogenies in morphologically complex plant groups, informs conservation prioritization, and contributes to the development of standardized species delimitation protocols. </p>","PeriodicalId":9185,"journal":{"name":"Botanical Studies","volume":"67 1","pages":"2"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-01-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12816479/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145997348","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Colourful agrobiodiversity: morphology and phenology of bean landraces to face commodification of the commons in the southern Andes.","authors":"María J Romero-Silva, Rayén Liechti-Araneda, J Tomás Ibarra-Eliessetch, Constanza Monterrubio-Solís, Antonia Barreau-Daly","doi":"10.1186/s40529-025-00488-6","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40529-025-00488-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In recent decades, agrobiodiversity has significantly declined due to genetic erosion. Conservation strategies in response include both ‘in situ’ and ‘ex situ’ methods, with a third approach called ‘in vivo’ conservation, standing out as a promising approach for conserving agrobiodiversity within active agricultural systems by maintaining live cultivars rather than storing frozen genetic material. Bean landraces (Phaseolus spp.) from southern South America have been cultivated for more than a thousand years, and thus hold deep cultural and ecological significance; however, little information exists about their morphological and phenological characteristics. We propagated bean landraces in homegardens over two agricultural seasons (2022–2024) in the La Araucanía region, southern Chile. We implemented a transdisciplinary and participatory approach involving local women gardeners, with whom we conducted in vivo conservation trials in homegardens, under real cultivation conditions, integrating botanical characterization with traditional knowledge and local management practices. This approach allowed the documentation, for the first time, of phenological and morphological diversity of 30 bean landraces while strengthening community-based conservation. Detailed phenological and agrobotanical traits were recorded, including growth habits, morphological characteristics, and seed metrics. The collected data were analyzed using Principal Component Analysis to identify patterns and correlations among traits. We found significant morphological variability, especially in leaf, flower, pod, and seed traits, highlighting the potential to identify subgroups within the landraces. This work not only supports the conservation of these valuable landraces but also strengthens the local food systems, offering a pathway for communities to face commodification of this agrobiodiversity in order to safeguard their agricultural heritage and enhance local social-ecological resilience.</p>","PeriodicalId":9185,"journal":{"name":"Botanical Studies","volume":"67 1","pages":"1"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-01-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12808010/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145984430","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Balancing nature and technology: enhancing flowering in ornamental plants.","authors":"Zhen-Rong Cai, Dewi Sukma, Ming-Tsair Chan","doi":"10.1186/s40529-025-00487-7","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40529-025-00487-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Commercial ornamental plant growers require consistent flowering to adequately fulfill the needs of the industry in the global markets. Combining traditional plant breeding practices with contemporary technology-based solutions, such as eco-friendly methods and AI-focused models, is the way forward for plant flowering and production optimization to attain quality and sustainability. This review discusses the various factors that can be harnessed to modulate plant flowering. These include the major genetic flowering control mechanisms in ornamental plants, such as the key flowering time genes like Flowering Locus T (FT) and CO (CONSTANS) that make up genetic circuits responding to various factors such as hormones (e.g. ABA, gibberellins), as well as key environmental signals like light/dark and temperature. In tandem, the application of plant hormones, like auxins and gibberellins, provides a hormonal approach to enhance flower formation and yield physiologically. Furthermore, innovative improvements such as genetic editing through tools like overexpression or CRISPR/Cas9 and smart systems with sensors that measure parameters and automate controls are now crucial to improving outcomes. However, challenges still exist, including genetic variability and resource limitations, highlighting the necessity for adaptive approaches to sustainable horticulture. Combining these traditional and modern approaches will improve flowering traits and realize the cultural value of ornamental crops in the changing world economy.</p>","PeriodicalId":9185,"journal":{"name":"Botanical Studies","volume":"66 1","pages":"41"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-12-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12708503/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145762122","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Two new synonyms and a name at new rank of Oreocharis Benth. (Gesneriaceae) in China.","authors":"Xiaokai Xiong, Meijun Li, Zhi Li, Fang Wen, Xinxiang Bai","doi":"10.1186/s40529-025-00485-9","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40529-025-00485-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>BACKGROUND: The enlarged concept ofOreocharis Benth., as the second largest genus of Gesneriaceae plants in China, has been a focus of attention for Gesneriaceae researchers in recent years. However, after the frequent taxonomic revisions of Oreocharis, errors in species publication have become common, leading to confusion in taxonomy. Two taxonomic issues requiring attention were identified during the investigation of the resources of Gesneriaceae in the karst plateau of Guizhou. First, the morphological characteristics of Oreocharis brachypoda J.M.Li & Zhi M.Li and Oreocharis wanshanensis (S.Z.He) Mich.Möller & A.Weber are difficult to distinguish, and their type localities overlap. Therefore, it is suspected that the same species has been repeatedly published, albeit with different specific epithets. Moreover, the above two species are closely related to the Oreocharis villosa (K.Y.Pan) Mich.Möller & A.Weber. Second, there is no essential difference in morphological characteristics between Oreocharis notochlaena H.Lév. and Oreocharis mileensis (W.T.Wang) Mich.Möller & A.Weber, and the latter should be treated as a synonym of Oreocharis notochlaena. In this study, through morphological, molecular phylogenetic, and haplotype network studies, the taxonomic status of the above involved species was explored. RESULTS: Based on original literature research, field investigation, and morphological comparison, it was determined that the morphological characteristics of Oreocharis brachypoda and O. wanshanensis are highly consistent, and there are no qualitative characteristics that can effectively distinguish the two, while quantitative characteristics overlap with each other. O. villosa differs from the above two by cymes 2-3 branches, 2-3 per plant, each 8-10-flowered, anther thecae divergent, style shorter than ovary. Similarly, it is difficult to distinguish between O. notochlaena and O. mileensis in morphology. Both the reconstructed phylogenetic relationships and the results of the haplotype network analysis also corroborate the results of the morphological studies. CONCLUSION: Based on morphology, geographic distribution patterns, molecular phylogeny, and haplotype networks, the findings on two taxonomic issues are as follows: First, O. brachypoda is a duplicate publication of O. wanshanensis, and morphologically, it is distinguished from O. villosa by cymes unbranched, 1-4-flowered, anther thecae confluent, style and ovary nearly equal in length. Second, O. mileensis is a duplicate publication of O. notochlaena. According to the regulations and suggestions of the 2018 International Code of Nomenclature for Algae, Fungi, and Plants (Shenzhen Code), it is proposed to treat O. wanshanensis as a variant of O. villosa and to treat O. brachypoda as a synonym of O. wanshanensis. At the same time, O. mileensis should be treated as a synonym of O. notochlaena. </p>","PeriodicalId":9185,"journal":{"name":"Botanical Studies","volume":"66 1","pages":"40"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-12-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12708486/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145762036","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Phylogenetic analysis of Dianthus using ITS and RAPD markers reveals insights for carnation breeding.","authors":"Carlo Mascariola Cabillo, Yuan-Hua Tuan, Yen-Ming Chen, Yu-Ting Huang, Chia-Wen Li, I-Chun Pan","doi":"10.1186/s40529-025-00475-x","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40529-025-00475-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Carnation and Dianthus (Dianthus spp) are globally cultivated as a cut flower, yet high summer temperatures in Taiwan significantly reduce the yield and quality of commercial cultivars. To enhance stress tolerance traits such as heat resistance and disease resistance, interspecific and intergeneric hybridization with native species is a viable approach. Since the success of hybridization is influenced by genetic distance, this study aimed to clarify the phylogenetic relationships among native species, commercial cultivars, and interspecific hybrids using internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Phylogenetic analysis based on RAPD markers effectively differentiated among native Taiwanese species, commercial varieties, interspecific hybrids, and outgroup taxa. ITS markers, on the other hand, were more informative for identifying parent-offspring relationships. Notably, Dianthus superbus var. longicalycinus from Taiwan and Japan, despite sharing the same scientific name, exhibited clear distinctions in both morphological traits and molecular profiles.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The combined use of RAPD and ITS markers provides complementary insights into the genetic relationships within the Dianthus genus. These findings not only support the strategic use of molecular markers in breeding programs but also highlight the need to reassess taxonomic classifications among morphologically similar varieties. This study provides genetics, breeding tools, and germplasm information for future Dianthus breeding.</p>","PeriodicalId":9185,"journal":{"name":"Botanical Studies","volume":"66 1","pages":"39"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12675897/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145667066","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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 Biella paradox: the resilience of plant foraging in a post-industrial pre-alpine area of Northern Italy.","authors":"Mousaab Alrhmoun, Naji Sulaiman, Sofia Villa, Michele Filippo Fontefrancesco, Andrea Pieroni","doi":"10.1186/s40529-025-00486-8","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40529-025-00486-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>This study explores the continuity and transformation of wild plant foraging practices in Biella, Piedmont (northwestern Italy), over the past 55 years. The aim was to assess how cultural, economic, and environmental shifts have shaped local ethnobotanical knowledge and practices, using a 1970 survey as a baseline for comparison. Ethnobotanical fieldwork was conducted with 15 local informants to document current wild plant uses for food and herbal teas.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The resulting dataset of 82 species was compared with a historical record of 93 species to identify patterns of continuity, loss, and innovation. Three main patterns emerged: (1) the disappearance of certain traditionally foraged plants, not due to ecological absence but largely because of socio-economic changes like the decline of pastoralism and the loss of daily interaction with mountain environments (2) the emergence of new foraging practices involving species that grow near settlements, linked to evolving lifestyles and land use; and (3) a relatively robust preservation of traditional ecological knowledge when compared to other Alpine areas. This resilience is attributed to the area's geographic marginality, the socio-economic aftermath of the textile industry's collapse, and the strength of local traditions such as home gardening and communal land use.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Wild plant foraging remains a living tradition in Biella, marked by both persistence and adaptation. The findings underscore the dynamic nature of ethnobotanical knowledge and its potential role in sustainability, food security, and cultural heritage preservation amid rural and peri-urban change.</p>","PeriodicalId":9185,"journal":{"name":"Botanical Studies","volume":"66 1","pages":"38"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-11-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12638624/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145562765","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Fluridone stimulates in vitro seed germination of a rare hardy terrestrial orchid (Platanthera leucophaea).","authors":"Rachel E Helmich, Lawrence W Zettler, Caleb J Dvorak, Susanne DiSalvo","doi":"10.1186/s40529-025-00484-w","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40529-025-00484-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Seeds of temperate terrestrial (hardy) orchids are considered more difficult to germinate compared to their tropical epiphytic counterparts, presumably because they have higher levels of abscisic acid (ABA) in their seed coats which prevents seeds from germinating prematurely during winter dormancy. In nature, ABA is gradually broken down (stripped) by natural weathering, triggering germination. This process can be shortened artificially, however, by using chemical bleaching agents and cold-moist stratification with mixed results. In this study, we explored the use of fluridoneto break seed dormancy in a hardy orchid native to North America, Platanthera leucophaea (Nutt.) Lindl. This organic compound (IUPAC name: 1-methyl-3-phenyl-5-[3-(trifluoromethyl) phenyl] pyridin-4(1H)-one) is a commercial herbicide that inhibits ABA biosynthesis. We added fluridone directly to agar media prior to seed sowing in vitro. Both symbiotic and asymbiotic germination techniques were applied that involved two different agar media, with and without added fluridone. Symbiotic germination was carried out using standard oatmeal agar inoculated with a mycorrhizal fungus (Ceratobasidium), whereas asymbiotic treatments utilized P723 agar medium.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Seedling development within some of the replicate plates progressed to Stage 3 in all treatments, but development was marked in all asymbiotic plates containing fluridone leading to leaf elongation, 385 days after sowing.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>As an herbicide, fluridone's use as a media additive to propagate a rare photosynthetic orchid seems counterintuitive, but its use in vitro to stimulate seedling development has the potential to benefit conservation efforts for this and possibly other hardy orchid species.</p>","PeriodicalId":9185,"journal":{"name":"Botanical Studies","volume":"66 1","pages":"37"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-10-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12575895/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145408293","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Novel biostimulants-mediate tolerance to drought stress in Phaseolus vulgaris plants by optimizing osmoprotectants and antioxidant defense systems.","authors":"Hussein E E Belal, Amr Elkelish, Mohamed M Zaid, Abdulrahman Alhudhaibi, Mohamed S A El-Roby, Yasmine H Abd Elmohsen, Amany H A Abeed, Celestin Ukozehasi, Mostafa M Rady, Ali A S Sayed","doi":"10.1186/s40529-025-00483-x","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40529-025-00483-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Drought stress is a major constraint to the growth and productivity of Phaseolus vulgaris, particularly in dry regions. Utilizing natural biostimulants offers an eco-friendly approach to enhancing drought tolerance by modulating plant physio-biochemical responses. This study investigates the effectiveness of diluted lemon fruit juice (DLFJ) and diluted bee honey (DBH) as foliar biostimulants to mitigate drought-induced stress in P. vulgaris under two irrigation regimes: full (100% ETc) and deficit irrigation (60% ETc).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Both DLFJ and DBH treatments significantly enhanced photosynthetic efficiency, relative water content (RWC), membrane stability index (MSI), osmoprotectant levels, antioxidant activity, and nutrient accumulation under drought conditions. Among all treatments (4% and 8% DBH, and 3% and 6% DLFJ), DBH-4% was the most effective. It significantly increased chlorophyll and carotenoid contents, photosynthetic efficiency, leaf integrity (RWC and MSI), osmoprotectant levels, antioxidant activities, and green pod yield under 60% ETc compared to untreated controls. It also markedly reduced oxidative stress markers (e.g., malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide) and further boosted enzyme activities, including superoxide dismutase, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, and glutathione reductase.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>These findings demonstrate that DBH-4% is a promising and sustainable biostimulant for improving drought resilience in P. vulgaris. Its rich content of antioxidants and osmoprotectants confers significant physiological and agronomic gains under water-limited conditions.</p>","PeriodicalId":9185,"journal":{"name":"Botanical Studies","volume":"66 1","pages":"36"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-10-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12537643/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145328350","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impact of incomplete lineage sorting and natural selection on the phylogenetic and taxonomic uncertainties of Aspidistra in Taiwan.","authors":"Min-Xin Luo, Ming-Jen Yang, Chang-Tse Lu, Pei-Chun Liao","doi":"10.1186/s40529-025-00482-y","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40529-025-00482-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The inconsistency between morphological and genetic evidence has consistently presented a challenge in taxonomy. The genus Aspidistra (Asparagaceae) comprises perennial herbs found primarily in eastern and southeastern Asia. This group has received limited systematic study despite the continuous publications of new species in recent years. Most species of Aspidistra have narrow distributions, and a large number of them are endemic. This study examined five Aspidistra species in Taiwan, which are part of a total of around 200 Aspidistra species found throughout Asia. In this study, we sampled all Aspidistra taxa in Taiwan to explore their phylogenetic relationships. We utilized transcriptome data for phylogenetic reconstruction and employed gene genealogy interrogation (GGI) to identify conflicts between gene trees and the species tree. Additionally, we tested nine evolutionary scenarios for these taxa by incorporating population-level genetic data. We obtained a well-supported species tree but also detected a high proportion of incomplete lineage sorting (ILS) phenomena.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The results revealed that the two varieties of A. daibuensis failed to form monophyly despite morphological similarities. However, about 20.8% of the genes did not reject the topology that grouped them together. Among these genes, we identified positive signals in photosynthesis-related genes, suggesting their similarities arose from convergent evolution. Furthermore, we used a phylogenetic signal test to identify the evolutionary meaningful traits and found that the stigma width can reflect the phylogenetic relationships among these species.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our study provides new insights into the evolutionary dynamics and taxonomy of Aspidistra in Taiwan, revealing key genetic and morphological patterns shaping species divergence. Phylogenetic analysis revealed substantial ILS, with numerous genes supporting alternative tree topologies. Despite morphological similarities, A. daibuensis var. daibuensis and var. longkiauensis exhibit non-monophyletic relationships, challenging their previous classification. Genes associated with chloroplastic function and photomorphogenic adaptation suggest convergent evolution. Moreover, stigma shape emerges as a robust diagnostic trait for species delimitation. These findings underscore the complex interplay of genetics, morphology, and adaptation, emphasizing the need for further integrative research.</p>","PeriodicalId":9185,"journal":{"name":"Botanical Studies","volume":"66 1","pages":"35"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12528535/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145291144","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}