A chromosome-scale genome assembly of the aquatic plant Scheuchzeria palustris in the Boreal-Arctic region: Insights into genome evolution and cold adaptation
Available online 5 September 2026
•Chromosome-level genome of Scheuchzeria palustris assembled with high completeness and accuracy.•Detected ancient whole-genome triplication in core Alismatales with exceptionally high synteny retention...
From light to pharmacy: HY5 coordinately regulates the accumulation of eupatilin, a characteristic O-methylated flavonoid, in Artemisia argyi
Available online 31 August 2026
Artemisia argyi is a medicinal plant enriched with the rare bioactive O-methylated flavonoid eupatilin (5,7-dihydroxy-3’, 4’, 6-trimethoxyflavone) and its pathway intermediates at levels far exceeding...
Petiole plasticity of water hyacinth across contrasting shoreline habitats is associated with candidate light-responsive transcriptional and hormonal pathways
Available online 31 August 2026
Phenotypic plasticity can facilitate plant invasion by allowing species to maintain performance across heterogeneous habitats, yet the ecological drivers and molecular correlates of invasion-relevant...
Geographic isolation and ecological adaptation synergistically drive lineage divergence within Juniperus coxii across the Eastern Himalaya–Hengduan Mountains
Available online 29 August 2026
Elucidating how geographic isolation and ecological adaptation interact to drive lineage divergence remains a central challenge in evolutionary biology. Mountain systems are particularly informative...
Small and spherical seeds are linked to high base temperatures and great drought tolerance during germination
Available online 29 August 2026
Seed germination responses to temperature and moisture fundamentally govern germination timing and plant regeneration, yet the intrinsic traits driving these environmental requirements remain poorly...
Phylogenomics of Strobilanthes (Acanthaceae): Updates infrageneric relationships and highlights widespread gene flow and climatic change in diversification
Available online 28 August 2026
Phylogenomics provides a powerful framework for exploring the impact of biological processes and environmental oscillations on the evolutionary dynamics of biomes. The genus Strobilanthes, which has...
Mitogenome structural diversification accompanied by rapid repeat-family turnover: A comparative organellar perspective from Salvia
Available online 25 August 2026
Plant mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) are structurally diverse, yet their evolutionary dynamics remain insufficiently understood in recently diversified angiosperm lineages. Salvia, the largest...
Bamboo: A key lineage to our understanding of phylogenetics and evolution of the grass family
Available online 21 August 2026
Bamboo is a unique group of plants in the grass family (Poaceae). Forty years ago, Genera Graminum recognized an estimated 980 bamboo species across 67 genera, grouped into one woody and two herbaceous...
Contrasting patterns of phylogenetic structure in liverworts and mosses along elevational gradients in subtropical eastern China
Available online 19 August 2026
Under the framework of phylogenetic niche conservatism, patterns of phylogenetic diversity and phylogenetic dispersion can provide insights into the environmental conditions under which major lineages...
Linking leaf traits to sex-specific assembly of phyllosphere and endosphere bacteria in heterophyllous Populus euphratica
Available online 19 August 2026
Leaf heteromorphy represents an important adaptive trait in drought-tolerant trees such as Populus euphratica, yet how sex-specific functional traits associated with leaf heteromorphy shape microbial...
Observer-expertise bias in multiscale forest vegetation surveys: effects on species detection, richness and composition across spatial grains and forest contexts
Available online 14 August 2026
Observer-related uncertainty can affect vegetation surveys, but its magnitude and ecological consequences remain poorly quantified in forest understories. We assessed observer-expertise-related variation...
A global synthesis of diversity, taxonomy, and phylogeny in Allium (Amaryllidaceae)
Available online 7 August 2026
The genus Allium (Amaryllidaceae) is one of the most taxonomically complex and mega-diverse genera in the Northern Hemisphere. Despite its ecological and economic importance, its global diversity, checklist,...
Integrating morphometrics, k-mer–based genomic, and phylogenomics reveals a complex reticulate history of Cypripedium × ventricosum
Available online 4 August 2026
Disentangling the relative contributions of hybridization and incomplete lineage sorting (ILS) in recently diverged plant groups remains challenging, particularly in those with large and complex genomes....
Class I TCP transcription factor OsTCP4 suppresses plant height via negatively regulating the green revolution gene SD1 (OsGA20ox2) in rice (Oryza sativa)
July 2026
Plant height is critical for crops in agricultural research and practice. Optimizing plant height helps to increase yield and lodging resistance. The green revolution gene semi-dwarf 1 (SD1) encoding...
The Tianshan Mountains as a biogeographic barrier driving North-South divergence and local adaptation in Typha laxmannii
July 2026
The Tianshan Mountains constitute a major biogeographic barrier in Arid Central Asia, yet their impact on plant genomic divergence and adaptation remains poorly understood. Using Typha laxmannii, a...
Climate modulation of phylogenetic and functional constraints on fruit volume: A case study of Chinese angiosperms
July 2026
Fruit volume is a pivotal reproductive trait that influences dispersal, seed predation, and offspring establishment, yet its large-scale drivers remain poorly understood. Here, we compiled phylogenetic,...
Regeneration from seeds with physical defects: Contrasts in survival strategies in recalcitrant and orthodox seeds
July 2026
Seeds with different desiccation tolerance and their foraging animals present unique strategies for ensuring population growth and ecological fitness in the natural environment. While some seeds minimize...
Stone-like fruit is associated with reduced herbivory and enhanced reproductive success in an alpine legume (Phyllolobium heydei)
July 2026
•Fruits of Phyllolobium heydei evolved remarkably similar to stones.•Stone-like fruits may protect the fruits from herbivores and thereby increase ensure reproductive success.•Concealment of fruits...
Chromosome-level genome assembly of Tadehagi triquetrum provides new insights into genome evolution and biosynthesis of tadehaginoside
July 2026
•First chromosome-level genome of Tadehagi triquetrum (627.33 Mb, contig N50 = 34.04 Mb, 99.2% BUSCO).•Phylogenomics places T. triquetrum sister to soybean, diverged ～34.16 Mya.•Identification and characterization...
Climate drives patterns of response of recalcitrant embryonic axes of Quercus species to cryopreservation
July 2026
Cryopreservation of partially dried embryonic axes represents the primary approach for long-term preservation of recalcitrant seeds. However, while many seed traits and responses relate to either pre-...
Local adaptation sustains genetic differentiation between two varieties of Chinese walnut (Juglans cathayensis) despite extensive hybridization in subtropical China
July 2026
Understanding how natural selection sustains genetic differentiation despite ongoing hybridization remains a central question in evolutionary biology. Here, we integrated range-wide whole-genome resequencing...
Phylogenomic conflict in Lycium (Solanaceae): Revealing the roles of hybridization, incomplete lineage sorting, and biogeographic history using nuclear and mitochondrial genomes
July 2026
The genus Lycium is of considerable medicinal and economic importance and has a discontinuous intercontinental distribution. However, its evolutionary history remains obscured by morphological convergence,...
Niche evolution and asymmetric diversification in elm species (Ulmaceae)
July 2026
Global patterns of species diversity are highly heterogeneous, and even within the same evolutionary lineage, species richness can differ markedly. Understanding the mechanisms underlying such disparities...
Role of plant litter in maintaining ecological stability of grassland following extreme rainfall
July 2026
Extreme climate scenarios threaten the ecological stability of grassland ecosystems. Plant litter plays a critical role in regulating ecosystem structure and function, therefore its accumulation must...
Divergent responses of microbial networks to global change scenarios during alpine cushion plant degradation
July 2026
The degradation of alpine cushion plants is known to disrupt soil microbial networks. To explore the mechanisms behind this, we collected soils across a degradation sequence on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau...