Phylogenomic conflict in Moraceae: Evidence for pervasive introgression and incomplete lineage sorting
July 2026
Although the phylogenetic backbone of Moraceae, an ecologically important angiosperm family in tropical rainforests, has been significantly improved, phylogenetic discordance among nuclear genes and...
Disturbances Amplify Species Turnover and Thermophilization in Eastern U.S. Forest Communities
Available online 31 July 2026
Climate change is reshaping forests worldwide, with warmer-affinity species potentially increasing in abundance in communities, a process known as thermophilization. Disturbances can strongly mediate...
Phylogenomics resolves the backbone phylogeny of Crucihimalayeae (Brassicaceae), resurrection of Eurycarpus and Transberingia, and recognition of the new genus Rutogia
Available online 30 July 2026
Crucihimalayeae is a tribe of Brassicaceae characteristic of Central Asian mountains, with Crucihimalaya himalaica serving as a model for high-altitude adaption. However, the boundaries and phylogenetic...
Network characteristics and driving factors of leaf trait networks along a gradient of rocky desertification
Available online 29 July 2026
Rocky desertification severely constrains ecosystem functioning and vegetation in karst landscapes. Understanding how soil environmental changes influence plant functional coordination is therefore...
Spatial phylogenetics reveals endemism centers and conservation priorities for the vascular flora of Pakistan
Available online 24 July 2026
Pakistan represents a key region connecting multiple biogeographic realms, yet its plant diversity and underlying drivers remain poorly understood, limiting our ability to inform conservation efforts....
A new genus of Cucurbitaceae with independently evolved operculate pepos
Available online 23 July 2026
•Plastid and nuclear phylogenies resolve three major lineages within Schizopeponeae.•Herpetospermum s.l. is non-monophyletic, supporting the new genus Operculicarpium.•Operculate pepos represent a novel...
Linda: An R package for line transect-based nearest neighbor distance analysis of species distributional patterns
Available online 23 July 2026
Due to limited sampling, the overall distribution and diversity pattern of a species in a specific geographic region usually have to be inferred from small-sized spatial biodiversity data collected...
Endozoochory and ballistic dispersal: A new diplochory form promotes seed scattering
Available online 23 July 2026
•We identify a novel biphasic seed dispersal mechanism (Ruminant-Enhanced Ballistic Dispersal, RED) in Phyllanthus emblica.•RED combines rumination-driven long-distance endozoochory with rumination-boosted...
Drought recovery not drought tolerance facilitates alien plant performance in a lifespan-dependent manner
Available online 23 July 2026
Drought and subsequent drought recovery affect alien plant invasion under global climate change. Plant lifespans (e.g., annuals and perennials) are a key feature associated with growth and reproductive...
Plant communities interact with the environment to reveal adaptation mechanisms in sandy coastal shelterbelts
Available online 22 July 2026
Coastal shelterbelts perform significant ecological functions but are harsh and fragile habitats where plant diversity is seriously constrained by environmental stressors. However, the complex interactions...
Phylogenomics reveals heterogeneous spatio-temporal diversification of Saxifraga (Saxifragaceae)
Available online 16 July 2026
Saxifraga L., the largest genus in Saxifragaceae with ca. 420 species, represents a characteristic example of rapid radiations in mountain systems. Understanding the processes underlying this exceptional...
Divergent responses and regulatory mechanisms of native and alien plant richness on inhabited islands: Biogeography, climate, and anthropogenic disturbance
Available online 14 July 2026
Alien plant invasions have intensified worldwide throughout the Anthropocene. Nonetheless, how island biogeographic attributes and anthropogenic disturbance differentially regulate native and alien...
Multidimensional floral disparity in Rhododendron: Evolutionary constraints and environmental filtering in a generalized pollination system
Available online 13 July 2026
Floral traits are critical for plant diversification, yet the multidimensional structure of their variation in generalized pollination systems, where selection may arise through interactions with multiple...
Genome assembly, comparative and population genomics of endangered Sinojackia microcarpa with conservation implications
Available online 11 July 2026
•The first chromosome-level genome assembly of Sinojackia microcarpa.•The S. microcarpa genome shows contracted immune genes and expanded seed dormancy genes.•Population genomics reveals limited genetic...
Dynamic impact of alien plant invasion on plant diversity: A global meta-analysis
Available online 7 July 2026
Invasive alien plants not only alter the structure and function of ecosystems but can also pose serious threats to native biodiversity. Understanding vegetation dynamics and succession across temporal...
Historical landscapes and climate dynamics shape phylogeography of Rumex hastatus in the Himalaya-Hengduan Mountains
Available online 30 June 2026
Dry valleys in the Himalaya-Hengduan Mountains (HHM) are shaped by tectonic uplift, drainage reorganization, and Quaternary climatic fluctuations. However, how these factors influence the phylogeographic...
Topographic fragmentation shapes maternal lineage divergence and plastome variation in the seed dispersal limited alpine herb Rhodiola bupleuroides
Available online 27 June 2026
The fragmented landscape of the Qinghai–Xizang Plateau (QXP) is widely recognized as a driver of speciation. However, the relative contributions of physical topographic barriers versus environmental...
The impact of future climate and land use changes on the distribution and diversity of China’s endemic medicinal plants
Available online 27 June 2026
Climate and land use change are major drivers of biodiversity loss, yet their combined impacts on endemic medicinal plants remain unclear. Using 1.98 million grid-based distribution records at a resolution...
Neighbor-referenced mycorrhizal diagnostics for endangered tree conservation
Available online 26 June 2026
Mycorrhizal fungi are increasingly recognized as crucial for conserving endangered tree species, yet practical guidance to determine whether mycorrhizal interventions (e.g., fungal inoculation) are...
Genomic evidence for speciation with gene flow and adaptive divergence between two closely related gold-thread Nanmu species
Available online 26 June 2026
Speciation is central to evolutionary biology, yet how genomic divergence arises and persists between closely related species with overlapping distributions and ongoing gene flow remains poorly understood....
Shifts in nitrogen source reliance along an aridity gradient coordinate with leaf traits and biomass in a Tibetan leguminous shrub
Available online 26 June 2026
Nitrogen (N) limitation is widespread in water and nutrient-limited ecosystems, yet leguminous shrubs often dominate under increasing aridity. This dominance is commonly attributed to symbiotic N2 fixation;...
Phylogenetic relatedness confers competitive advantage of alien plants over natives under biotic stress
Available online 25 June 2026
Plant invasions are increasingly being influenced by the complex interplay of global change factors (GCFs), notably biotic and abiotic stresses. However, how abiotic and biotic stresses affect the competitive...
Invasion-induced trait plasticity differences explain plant competitive responses under altered rainfall amounts in arid regions
Available online 13 June 2026
Traditional functional trait studies explain plant competition using trait means measured under a single environmental or competitive state. However, under altered rainfall amounts and increasing invasion...
Canopy structural complexity promotes ecosystem multifunctionality in a temperate forest
Available online 13 June 2026
Canopy structural complexity can affect light interception and light-use efficiency, thereby driving key ecosystem functions in forests. However, its role in regulating ecosystem multifunctionality...
Chromosome-scale genome assembly of Atractylodes lancea reveals AlTPS37, a sesquiterpene synthase associated with chemotype-specific eudesmol biosynthesis
Available online 12 June 2026
Atractylodes lancea (Asteraceae) is an important medicinal plant widely used in traditional Chinese medicine, with sesquiterpenoids as its major bioactive components. However, the molecular basis of...