<figure><img src="image_183.png" /></figure>

C4 species in the Brassicaceae family, but it contains some C3-C4 species, predominantly in the African clade of the genus *Moricandia*. Most C3-C4 *Moricandia* congeners inhabit the arid and semiarid areas of the Western Mediterranean, where they are able to grow and bloom not only in spring but also during the hot, bright and dry summer, displaying phenotypic plasticity in different functional traits. Phenotypic plasticity, the ability of a genotype to produce alternative phenotypes when exposed to different environments, is pivotal to understand the ecology and evolution of most organism and has important implications for understanding how organisms can rapidly cope with changing environments. Here we show the occurrence of phenotypic plasticity in key traits of the photosynthetic machinery of different *Moricandia* C3-C4 species and compare it to other C3 congeners. C3-C4 congeners exhibit differences in the magnitude of the plastic responses for key leaf traits. Changes across environments in the abundance and size of stomata, vein density, disposition of chloroplasts across leaf cells, and in their CO2 compensation points, all point to different abilities to capture, concentrate and re-assimilate the CO2 released by photorespiration. Compared to C3 species, C3-C4 congeners show improved net carbon assimilation in high photorespiration environments, allowing them to extend their productivity, flowering and production of viable seeds during the harsh season, when most other co-occurring C3 plants are inactive and dormant.

## S.74.5 Comparative analysis of ancient genome triplication and diversification of photosynthesis in Brassicaceae and Cleomaceae

M. Eric Schranz¹, Nam V Hoang¹

1. Biosystematics Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands,

Within both the Brassicaceae and its sister family the Cleomaceae, ancient whole genome triplications (WGT) are thought to have contributed to trait evolution. For example, the role of a WGT to morphological innovation of the Brassica vegetables. We have examined the contribution of independent WGT in Gynandropsis gynandra (Cleomaceae) and to high rates of photosynthetic assemilation in Hirshfeldia incana (a close relative of Brassica crops). Namely, we have made chromosome-level assemblies of both species

and then used a broad comparative genomics framework to analyze patterns of genome fractionation and particular gene retention patterns. By doing so, we establish how these independent WGT events, of approximately the same age, have contributed to the evolution of the photosynthetic capacity of these two semi-desert/Mediterranean climate species.

## S.74.6 Multispecies single-cell transcriptome integration in the model clade Brassicaceae

Lachezar Nikolov¹

1. Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington IN, USA

Brassicaceae are a model plant clade which epitomizes the value of rigorous taxonomic foundation, firm phylogenetic framework, extensive genomic resources, and a cohesive and collaborative research community in creating a rich medium to explore novel biology. As one of the most densely sampled angiosperm groups at the genomic scale, Brassicaceae are the textbook example about how genomes are shaped by evolutionary forces, and complementary efforts aim to uncover how gene expression evolves in this model clade. Recent advances in single-cell transcriptomics, which allows the detection of thousands of expressed genes in thousands of individual cells, has revealed extensive transcriptional heterogeneity reflecting different cell types and cell states. Building upon *Tabula Floris*, our single-cell floral atlas of Arabidopsis thaliana, we have generated comparable developmental floral atlases for eight mustard species, which belong to diverse mustard lineages and span 25 million years of evolution. We have characterized the expression profiles of diverse floral cell populations across these species. Using multispecies embedding based on orthologous genes, we have identified homologous floral cell types and inferred gene co-expression networks underlying their specialized physiology and developmental programs. We have compared these networks to uncover shared nodes and modules, as well as to identify unique network motifs, which may underlie phenotypic divergences. We further focus on the nectary secretory cell to study the contributions of phylogenetic distance and drift to homologous cell types with conserved function among species. These results highlight the enduring utility of model clades in general and of Brassicaceae in particular to address a wide range of comparative questions.
# S.75 IAWA SYMPOSIUM – THE CONTRIBUTION OF WOOD IN FOREST: FROM WOOD DYNAMICS TO TRAIT DIVERSITY AND CARBON GAINS

## S.75.1 Inter- and intra-growth ring variations of wood carbon fractions in Pinus tabuliformis

Yupei Wei¹,², Juan Guo¹,², Yafang Yin¹,²

¹ Wood Anatomy and Utilization Department, Research Institute of Wood Industry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China. ² Wood Collections (WOODPEDIA), Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China

Increasing role of forestry has been recognized in carbon (C) neutrality. Carbon fraction (CF) of trees is essential for quantifying forest C stocks and recognizing the global C dynamics. Considerable attention has been paid to CF variations at various levels, with the exception of inter- and intra-growth rings. This hinders comprehension of C uptake dynamics and impedes innovation and development of C sequestration in forest cultivation. Herein, the inter- and intra-growth ring variation of CF in *Pinus tabuliformis*, one of the most important plantation species in the northern part of China, was investigated in this study. Elemental analysis was performed to obtain CF values of the earlywood and latewood in each growth ring of the xylem. Patterns of CF variation at the growth ring level were then evaluated using mixed effect models. The results showed that latewood CF, 50.6%, was significantly higher than earlywood CF, 49.9% (p<0.01). In particular, inter-growth ring variations of CF differed between heartwood and sapwood, as well as between juvenile wood and mature wood. CF values decreased nonlinearly with cambium age toward the heartwood or juvenile wood, with estimated least-squares means of 50.4% and 51.8%, respectively. While CF values were almost unaltered in sapwood, but slightly decreased in mature wood, with estimated least-squares means of 50.0% and 50.2%, respectively. It indicates that patterns of CF variation between juvenile wood and mature wood are important to estimate the C stock of *P. tabuliformis*. Our research provides insights into C gains for forest management and wood utilization. To better understand the impact of forests on

global C dynamics, it is necessary to conduct further research on CF values and accurately measure the C stocks they contain. Additionally, it is important to gain a deeper understanding of the patterns, causes, and potential adaptive significance of chemical traits in forests.

## S.75.2 Spatial organization and connectivity of wood rays in Pinus massoniana xylem based on high-resolution µCT-assisted network analysis

Lingyu Ma¹,², Qiulu Meng¹,², Xiaomei Jiang¹,², Zhedong Ge³, Zixiong Cao⁴, Yupei Wei¹,², Lichao Jiao¹,², Yafang Yin¹,², Juan Guo¹,²

¹ Research Institute of Wood Industry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Dongxiaofu No.1, Beijing, China. ² Wood Collections (WOODPEDIA), Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China. ³ School of Information and Electrical Engineering, Shandong Jinanzhu University, Jinan, Shandong, China. ⁴ Object Research Systems (ORS) Inc., Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Xylem developed from cambium, consisting of diversified wood cells. Spatial organization and connectivity of wood rays are essential for understanding the wood hierarchical architecture, but the spatial information is ambiguous due to small cell size. Herein, 3D visualization of rays in *Pinus massoniana* was performed using high-resolution µCT. We found brick-shaped rays were 6.5% in volume fractions, nearly twice the area fractions estimated by 2D levels. Uniseriate rays became taller and wider during the transition from earlywood to latewood, which was mainly contributed from the height increment of ray tracheids and widened ray parenchyma cells. Furthermore, both volume and surface area of ray parenchyma cells were larger than ray tracheids, so ray parenchyma took a higher proportion in
rays. Moreover, three different types of pits for con-
nectivity were segmented and revealed Pits in both
axial tracheids and ray tracheids were bordered,
but the pit volume and pit aperture of earlywood
axial tracheids were almost 10-fold and over 4-fold
larger than ray tracheids. Contrarily, cross-field pits
between ray parenchyma and axial tracheids were
window-like with the principle axis of 31.0 µm, but
its pit volume was approximately one third of axial
tracheids. Additionally, spatial organization of rays
and axial resin canal was analyzed by a curved sur-
face reformation tool, providing the first evidence
of rays close to epithelial cells inwards through the
resin canal. Epithelial cells had various morpholo-
gies and large variations in cell size. Our results give
new insights into the organization of radial system
of xylem, especially the connectivity of rays with ad-
jacent cells. Furthermore, the diversified structure in
the forestry will be better understood and target the
goal of carbon neutrality for human society.

S.75.3 Climate change and forest vulnerability: environmental signals in tree-rings of Mediterranean woods

Veronica De Micco¹

1 University of Naples Federico II, Dept. Agricultura
Sciences, Portici, Naples, Italy

Ongoing climate change is a major challenge for forest productivity. Indeed, climate change impacts ecosystems directly, through a direct modification of plant growth and physiological behaviour, and indirectly due to the alteration in species composition, thus diversity. Tree vulnerability and forest die-back are rapidly increasing, serious, phenomena, which are attracting more and more attention due to impacts on ecological, social, and economic aspects. The aim of this communication is to highlight how, in the last years, the key role of quantitative wood anatomy in understanding tree acclimation has been more and more recognised, considering that the largest part of global vegetation biomass depends on a thin layer of cells, namely the vascular cambium, whose functioning determines the variability of wood traits. The latter have impact on tree eco-physiological behaviour, given that the limits of metabolic and physiological acclimation

mation are ultimately regulated by the physics of
the plant's structure. A focus is dedicated to study
cases conducted on tree and shrub species in
Mediterranean ecosystems which are particularly
vulnerable to climate change. The increase in the
frequency of extreme events, such as severe and
prolonged drought periods, will likely induce plas-
tic adaptive responses in Mediterranean species,
thus affecting plant growth, health, and produc-
tivity of forestry systems, with consequences on
biogeochemical cycles and ecosystem services.
Main findings are discussed regarding xylogen-
esis and anatomical traits of Mediterranean
woods, both under natural and semi-controlled
conditions, to unravel signals hidden in tree-
rings, as intra-annual-density-fluctuations. In-
deed, a correct functional interpretation of such
signals must be guided by the study of xylogene-
sis, which helps relate intra-ring variation of traits
with intra-seasonal environmental variations. Un-
derstanding how the plants have reacted to past
environmental changes can help understanding
their plasticity and forecasting their responses
to future changes, to evaluate possible conse-
quences on ecosystems.

S.75.4 A theoretical approach to study the relative importance of source and sink controls on annual wood growth and anatomical traits

Fabrizio Carteni¹, Aleksandr Bobrovskikh¹,²,
Francesco Giannino¹, Stefano Mazzoleni¹

1 Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy .2 Laboratory of Plant Growth Biomechanics, Institute of Cytology and Genetics Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences (SB RAS), Novosibirsk, Russia

Understanding the physiological mechanisms be-
hind plant responses to environmental cues is cru-
cial to assess the effect of global climate changes
on forests. In this context, it is important to com-
prehend the extent to which wood growth is limited
by either the availability of carbon sources or by
the activity of the sink itself, i.e.,the vascular cam-
bium. Carbohydrates are produced by photosyn-
thesis and allocated to vascular cambium through
source-sink dynamics between competing sinks
<figure><img src="image_184.png" /></figure>

such as primary and secondary meristems in both
shoots and roots. The vascular cambium is also
directly affected by two main environmental fac-
tors, temperature and water availability. Here we
present an original process-based modular mod-
elling framework focusing on annual wood growth
incorporating the main source and sink dynamics.
A first module computes soil water availability and
carbohydrates produced by photosynthesis, using
temperature and rainfall inputs. A second mod-
ule estimates the vegetative phenology of primary
sinks, both above- and below-ground, and allo-
cates the remaining available carbon resources to
secondary growth. Finally, a wood growth module
computes the dynamics of cambial cells' divisions
and xylem differentiation as a function of three ex-
ternal controlling factors: available carbohydrates,
temperature, and water stress. The model outputs
are the number of xylem cells produced through
the season, the main anatomical traits of these
cells (i.e., lumen area and wall thickness), overall
wood radial growth and earlywood to latewood ra-
tio. Model simulations are performed under differ-
ent environmental conditions, representing a wide
range of world climates, and the results are anal-
ysed and compared with general observed trends
of tree ring characteristics. The emergence of In-
tra-Annual Density Fluctuations (IADFs) is also ob-
served. The model approach seems promising, al-
lowing for a better understanding of the dynamics
of wood growth and carbon sequestration in forest
ecosystems by an in-depth understanding of the
balance between primary and secondary growth.

S.75.5 Is the history of
Dipterocarpaceae written in
the wood?

Nicolas Gentis¹, Alycia Riboulet-Posset¹,
Alexis Licht², Anaïs Boura³

1 UMR 7207 CR2P, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris, France. 2 CEREGE, Aix-en-Provence, France. 3 UMR 7207 CR2P, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France

The Dipterocarpaceae family, iconic in Southeast
Asian forests, encompasses over 500 tree species.
It plays a key role in regional ecosystems and holds
substantial economic importance due to timber
exploitation. Despite this, the evolutionary history
of Dipterocarpaceae remains incompletely under-
stood. While recent refinements have enhanced our
understanding of phylogenetic relationships and

family nomenclature, uncertainties persist, particu-
larly regarding the placement of certain taxa, such
as the largest genera Shorea or Dipterocarpus. Si-
multaneously, emerging data supports the hypoth-
esis of an African origin for the family, underscoring
the need for insights from the fossil record to address
persistent questions. In the case of Dipterocarpace-
ae, wood constitutes the predominant fossil remains.
A question consequently raises: how accurate rec-
ognition and identification of Dipterocarpaceae
taxa can be? The question is especially relevant as a
certain degree of link between wood anatomy and
phylogeny was previously acknowledged. However,
comprehensive studies about the wood anatomy of
Dipterocarpaceae have been scarce, if not absent
since the 1960s, posing limitations on contemporary
interpretations. We explore the potentials and lim-
itations of the integrated study of wood through ex-
amples from both extant and fossil specimens. Em-
phasizing the necessity of accounting for inter- and
intrataxa variability, strengthening the correlation
between wood anatomy, phylogeny, and bioge-
ographical history, and reevaluating the fossil record
in light of current, more nuanced knowledge, are
pivotal considerations.

S.75.6 Vascular cambium and wood characteristics of stem and root from Ulmus pumila and Populus sibirica grown in the semi-arid regions

Anastazija Dimitrova¹,², Angela Balzano³,
Enkhchimeg T.Chimgee⁴, Ser-Oddamba
Byambadorj⁴,⁵, Batkhuu Nyam-Osor⁴,
Gabriella S. Scippa¹, Maks Merela³, Donato
Chiatante⁶, Antonio Montagnoli⁶

1 Department of Bioscience and Territory, Univer-
sity of Molise, Pesche, Italy. 2 Hans Em Faculty of
Forest Sciences, Landscape Architecture and En-
vironmental Engineering, Ss. Cyril and Methodi-
us University in Skopje, Skopje, North Macedonia.
3 Department of Wood Science and Technology,
Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljublja-
na, Slovenia. 4 School of Engineering and Applied
Sciences, National University of Mongolia, Ulaan-
baatar, Mongolia. 5 College of Agriculture and Life
Science, Chungnam National University, Daejeon,
South Korea. 6 Department of Biotechnology and
Life Science, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
The Joint Korea-Mongolia *Green Belt Project* relies on the afforestation of Mongolia's arid and semi-arid areas, as a tool for ecosystem rehabilitation. Since wood formation depends on two main factors, i.e., temperature and water availability, it is reasonable to assume that the extreme climatic conditions in the Mongolian steppe would affect wood formation and the vascular cambium activity of the trees. However, until now, most studies on wood formation have considered the temporal and Mediterranean regions. The present study focuses on vascular cambium and wood characteristics of two species used in the afforestation in the Mongolian steppe, *Ulmus pumila*, and *Populus sibirica*. In detail, we analyzed the vascular cambium characteristics (number of cambial cells and length of cambial cells stack) and wood characteristics (length of last wood increment, earlywood, and latewood xylem area) as a response to 12 combinations of irrigation and fertilization treatments, both in the stem and the

root. The vascular cambium characteristics and the length of the last wood increment in *P. sibirica* tend to increase with the increase of the water availability in all three fertilization treatments. However, there is not much difference between the two higher levels of irrigation, which indicates the possibility of reducing irrigation efforts. In *U. pumila* our results indicate that the vascular cambium characteristics and the length of the last wood increment are often not too different between the rainfall conditions and the highest irrigation regime. In both species, the treatments did not impact the early- and latewood xylem area, indicating that they might not be suitable wood characteristics for analyzing the trees' response in semi-arid regions. Thus, using a familiar approach of microcore acquisition and analysis, in both stem and root, could be of value for species and management selection, which are linked with afforestation success in semi-arid areas.

**S.76 THE NEW VALUE OF SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS IN THE DIGITAL AGE**

**S.76.1 Data liberated through the Plazi workflow can enhance the taxonomic backbone and e-Flora of South Africa**

Ronell R. Klopper¹,², M. Marianne le Roux¹,³ and Ian Engelbrecht⁴

1 South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, South Africa. 2 University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa. 3 University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa. 4 Natural Science Collections Facility, Pretoria, South Africa

South Africa has had the benefit of an electronic database housing taxonomic and floristic data since the early 1970s. Initially the database only contained the taxonomic backbone with nomenclatural and specimen level data. Leading up to 2003, elementary floristic data (life cycle, growth form, plant height, altitude, distribution) were added. Since 2013, as a result of Target 1 of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation—to produce an online World Flora by 2020—the floristic data content of the Botanical Database of Southern Africa (BODATSA) was greatly expanded to

contribute to the World Flora Online (WFO) through the e-Flora of South Africa project. Since South Africa harbours 5.3% of the global flora with an exceptional species-level endemism (±60%), the country could provide a fair proportion of unique content to the WFO. Information contained in publications were crucial for compiling the e-Flora. However, liberating published treatments were a stumbling block in the initial stages of the project, until a custom plug-in was created to extract information from publications and format it for import into BODATSA, from where it was published to the WFO. The Plazi workflow offers a similar, although more sophisticated, method for extracting taxonomic and floristic data from publications. It has the added benefit that, once a publication has been processed, treatments and related information are available on TreatmentBank for everybody to access and use. Taxonomic and floristic data for South African plants on TreatmentBank can be compiled and extracted via customisable filters. Such freely accessible liberated data can greatly benefit the process of updating and enhancing the taxonomic backbone and e-Flora of South Africa. We present our experiences, tools, and workflows used to integrate data from Plazi databases into our taxonomic backbone and floristic database, as well provide recommendations to taxonomists to facilitate easier data liberation.
<figure><img src="image_185.png" /></figure>

**S.76.2 Using linked publications as the evidence base for the World Flora Online Plant List**

Roger Hyam¹

1 Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Scotland, UK

The World Flora Online (WFO) Plant List is a collaboratively built, consensus classification of the vascular plants and bryophytes of the world. Its primary purpose is as the taxonomic backbone for the WFO portal, but versions of the list are also published twice a year as an API, downloadable files and deposits in GBIF and ChecklistBank. Data for the list is provided by Taxonomic Expert Networks (TENs). There are currently 47 TENs including over 280 active researchers. The TENs submit data in bulk or use an online editing tool called Rhakhis. The WFO Plant List is not a primary data source. Ideally each assertion made in the list should be supported by a scientific publication. The publications provide two types of evidence; nomenclatural and taxonomic. Nomenclatural publications include the original place of publication but also publications associated with other nomenclatural acts such as lectotypification. Taxonomic publications are used to justify the placement of the name within the consensus taxonomy. There are currently approximately 1.6 million names and four hundred thousand accepted taxa in the list. The number of literature citations required are therefore in the millions. Maintaining bibliographic information on all the associated publications would be a major curatorial burden. Furthermore, presenting the user with only bibliographic information would be of little use if the publication referenced was not widely available. This is particularly the case outside major botanical institutions. It would be preferable for the user to simply click a link and be taken to the actual publication. Using persistent identifiers such as DOIs and those from Plazi and the Biodiversity Heritage Library we have now achieved direct links to the literature for over 50% of the names. Our approach and the challenges we face are described.

**S.76.3 Beyond the PDF: semantic publishing as gateway to the resources about biodiversity**

Laurence Bénichou¹,²

1 Science Press, Museum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris, France. 2 CETAF E-Publishing WG, Brussels, Belgium

The core mission of Natural History Institutions is to contribute to the understanding of the natural world and to disseminate this knowledge. They do so by establishing and maintaining biological collections; conducting scientific research associated with their collections and disseminating scientific knowledge. NHIs have thus been scientific publishers since their creation, publishing journals and floras, in compliance with the regulations of their field, in particular new versions of nomenclatural codes regarding online publications. Over the past decade, the publishing industry has had to face drastic changes and adapt their workflows economically (with a mandate for open access) and technically (with a need to comply with FAIR principles). As scientific and public institutions, NHIs have to ensure research to be easily accessible, interoperable and reusable to facilitate new research. The traditional way of publishing taxonomy and floras is still predominant and does not allow to easily reach the information needed to perform revisions and increase the biodiversity knowledge. Taxonomic papers are not only legal documents that determine the legitimacy of a name of a (new) species; they also cover every creation, description, modification, and use of a taxon. It is crucial to link the information describing a taxon and its history. We present the latest development in publishing, how to semantically structure floras and taxonomic papers to extract (and thus link) all essential parts of the information. Based on a single-source publishing model, the XML file enables to automatically enrich text, and structure domain-specific sections of articles (e.g., Material and methods; Taxon names; Material examined). We demonstrate how the publication can be processed to obtain high quality-controlled biodiversity data extraction and ensure it to be directly usable within WFO as soon as published, and how it enhances the editing of the paper and controls the data before its publication.

**S.76.4 Access to the data imprisoned in 500 Million pages of biodiversity publications**

Jonas Castro¹, Donat Agosti²

1 Plazi, Porto Alegre, Brazil. 2 Plazi, Bern, Switzerland

Scientific knowledge about biodiversity is included in billions of statements in an estimated daily growing corpus of 500 million published pages including all
<figure><img src="image_186.png" /></figure>

the known taxa. All statements are linked by taxonomic names, thus playing a key role in organizing this knowledge, and to access it. Traditionally access has been through the citation of a publication. In the digital age, direct access to the cited statement, such as to taxonomic treatment, material citation, figure, or trait as FAIR (Findable Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) data is possible and desirable, especially to leverage the power of machines, and to enable artificial intelligence applications to support research and other usages. A way to make this happen is to annotate the texts with terms that describe the content, such as taxonomic name, collector, material citation, taxonomic treatment for which reference vocabularies exist such as Darwin Core or Taxpub/JATS. In a more advanced step, terms can be linked to references such as the extended catalogue of life, World Flora Online, International Plant

Name Index for taxonomic names, or digital copies of cited specimens in the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, DiSSCo or individual collections, or treatments to the Biodiversity Literature Repository, using persistent identifiers. Detailed annotations allow automatic extraction of statements to populate databases such as WFO, GBIF, or ChecklistBank. They can be used as training corpus to teach algorithms to annotate the overwhelming corpus of literature that is currently not accessible digitally. In this presentation an introduction to annotations is provided, and the workflow and access developed by Plazi to annotate and FAIR-izise publications is described, resulting in over 800,000 taxonomic treatments, 450,000 figures in the Biodiversity Literature Repository of which 45,000 datasets are reused by GBIF and ChecklistBank, and over 500,000 treatments in the biodiversity PMC.

# S.77 PATTERNS AND PROCESSES DRIVING CLIFF PLANT COMMUNITIES: APPROACHES FOR THE CONSERVATION OF ENDEMIC CLIFF FLORA. SESSION 1

## S.77.1 Unravelling evolutionary events that shaped plant life in cliff habitats: the Iberian endemic genus Petrooptis (Caryophyllaceae)

Jorge Calvo-Yuste¹,², M. Montserrat Martínez-Ortega¹,², Teresa Malvar-Ferreras², Juan Viruel³, Pablo Tejero⁴,⁵

1 Área de Botánica, Universidad de Salamanca, Spain. 2 Herbario y Biobanco de ADN vegetal, Universidad de Salamanca, Spain. 3 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, UK. 4 Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología (CSIC), Jaca, Spain. 5 Aranzadi Society of Sciences, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain.

Cliffs are fragmented environments that host a great diversity of specialist plant taxa, often with narrow distribution areas. Despite being harsh environments for plant life, they played a key role as refugia during the climatic and topographic chang-

es of the Cenozoic, representing nowadays reservoirs of relict biodiversity. Besides, the challenging conditions that plants have to face in these habitats seem to have promoted radiative diversification of some rock specialist lineages. Here, we focus on the paradigmatic case of Petrooptis A. Braun ex Endl. (Caryophyllaceae), a genus of chasmophytic plants endemic to the limestone cliffs and overhangs of the northern Iberian Peninsula. In order to try to shed light on the evolutionary processes that may have contributed to shape vascular plant life on vertical rocks, we reconstructed the phylogenetic relationships within the genus following both a target enrichment sequencing and genome skimming approach (i.e., Hyb-Seq). In addition, we measured a set of morphological traits, particularly those referred to seed morphology. The data obtained allowed reconstruction of the whole plastid genome and revealed an evolutionary history that shows strong geographic signal across the genus, which evidences very limited seed dispersal, strong isolation and vicariance, even at population level. The nuclear phylogeny does not generally show such a strong geographic pattern, probably due to higher pollen flow, and supported most of the previous-
<figure><img src="image_187.png" /></figure>

ly accepted taxa. The integration of morphological data further contributes to support the idea that high phenotypic plasticity may be a key strategy for long term survival of lineages. Finally, we discuss the potential role of this "each valley apart" evolutionary strategy as responsible for the great richness of (narrow) endemics that mid-altitude rocky habitats harbour in the Iberian Peninsula and Mediterranean region, and its implications for plant conservation.

### S.77.2 The importance of population size in mating system and genetic differentiation of a narrow endemic chasmophyte

Živa Fišer¹*, Boštjan Surina², Manica Balant³, Peter Glasnović¹, Ivan Radosavljević⁴,⁵, Nataša Fujs¹, & Sílvia Castro⁶

1 Glagoljaška 8, 6000, Koper, Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies, University of Primorska, Slovenia. 2 Lorenzov prolaz 1, Rijeka, Natural History Museum Rijeka, Croatia. 3 Institut Botànic de Barcelona (CSIC-Ajuntament de Barcelona), Barcelona, Spain. 4 Division of Botany, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia. 5 Centre of Excellence for Biodiversity and Molecular Plant Breeding, Zagreb, Croatia. 6 Centre for Functional Ecology-Science for People & the Planet, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal

The mating system plays a crucial role in shaping the genetic structures within and between plant populations. In this study we present Moehringia tommasinii (Caryophyllaceae), a chasmophytic plant species with a limited range in the north-western Adriatic region. Our research focused on examining the population biology of the species by studying all five extant populations. Additionally, we included populations of the co-occurring and much more widely distributed M. muscosa, a closely related species with distinct ecological characteristics. To investigate mating patterns, we conducted reciprocal crosses within and between these two taxa. Molecular markers were also utilized to estimate gene flow within populations and between taxa. Our investigation considered various factors, such as the coefficient of inbreeding, population size, seed weight, pollen-to-ovule ratio, flower display size, and the presence of a selfing syndrome. Contrary to our expectations, a high variation in mating systems was observed among populations of M. tommasinii.

These populations demonstrated genetic structuring, with population size positively correlated with both seed weight and pollen production. Although a selfing syndrome could not be confirmed due to the majority of selfing resulting from allogamous treatments, the occurrence of selfing was notable. In the presence of M. muscosa, particularly in a closely co-existing site, a distinct pattern of fruit production was observed in M. tommasinii following various pollination treatments. Molecular and morphometric data provided evidence of hybridization followed by local extinction at this site. Population size emerged as the key factor influencing the mating system in genetically structured populations of M. tommasinii. While populations with higher selfing rates exhibited lighter seeds and reduced pollen production, these traits did not conclusively indicate the presence of a selfing syndrome. The detection of gene flow between M. tommasinii and sympatric M. muscosa suggested weak reproductive barriers between these taxa, potentially posing conservation challenges

### S.77.3 Patterns of evolutionary diversification in cliff-associated plants

Stela Vlajos-Gómez¹,², Pablo Tejero², Sara Palacio², Juan Lorite³, Martí March-Salas⁴,⁵

1 Faculty of Science, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain. 2 Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología (CSIC), Jaca, Huesca, Spain. 3 Department of Botany, Faculty of Sciences, University of Granada, Granada, Spain. 4 Plant Evolutionary Ecology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany. 5 Area of Biodiversity and Conservation, Department of Biology and Geology, Physics and Inorganic Chemistry. University Rey Juan Carlos-ESCET, Móstoles, Madrid, Spain

Mediterranean cliffs host unique plant communities composed of taxa with a great adaptive capacity to the severe environmental conditions of these ecosystems. For millions of years, cliffs have been acting as climatic and ecological refugia for an outstanding diversity of species, promoting their specialization. This led to species of high evolutionary interest, which may show high differentiation from their sister generalist relatives. Yet, little is known about these diversification processes promoted by the specialization of plants in cliff ecosystems. In this study, we focus on plants appearing on cliffs of the Iberian Peninsula and Balearic Islands, within the plant diversity hotspot of the Mediterranean region. The aim is to investigate their cliff-af-
<figure><img src="image_188.png" /></figure>

finity and relevant functional traits from a phylo-
genetic perspective. We extracted a list of 1,398
Iberian taxa of vascular plants potentially inhabit-
ing cliffs from the reference work for the flora of the
study area, Flora iberica. To evaluate their degree
of cliff-affinity, we contacted 94 experts. A total of
32% of the taxa had cliffs as their preferred habi-
tat and we confirmed that 127 species (9%) grow
exclusively on cliffs. As cliff-specialist plants may
present a series of efficient strategies and traits to
survive in cliffs, we also gathered different ecolog-
ically relevant traits for all species, including plant-
size, seed-size, flowering period, and altitude range
of distribution. After reconstructing a PHYLOMAKER
based phylogeny with the majority of the listed
taxa, the phylogenetic signal regarding cliff-affinity
and selected traits was tested. We also investigat-
ed the effect that the degree of affinity has on the
different relevant traits under a phylogenetic per-
spective. Our contribution present and discuss the
resulting phylogenetic patterns, helping to improve
the understanding of the processes leading to cliff
specialization in Iberian flora, and unravelling evo-
lutionary divergences in cliff ecosystems.

S.77.4 Ecology on the rocks:
stories from cliff faces in the
southeastern USA

Laura M. Boggess¹, Georgia R. Harrison²

1 Department of Biology, Mars Hill University and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, Plant Science Program, USA 2 USDA Agricultural Research Service, Jornada Experimental Range, Las Cruces, NM, USA

Cliffs harbor unique ecological communities yet
face increasing pressure from human disturbance.
The Southern Appalachian Mountains (USA) are
a biodiversity hotspot for North America, but little
is known about regional cliff biota. Many factors
shape cliff vegetative communities, including nat-
ural variation in slope and surface heterogeneity,
and anthropogenic disturbances like rock climbing.
However, the interaction between abiotic variability
and anthropogenic pressures is largely unexplored.
The Southern Appalachian Cliff Coalition (SACC),
based in western North Carolina, has been inves-
tigating cliff ecosystems of the Blue Ridge since
1997. Much of this work remains unpublished. This
talk outlines results from three important SACC cliff
studies of cliff vegetation and the impact of rock
climbing. We share best-practices for cliff sam-

pling and monitoring, offer recommendations for
mitigating the impacts of hiking and rock climbing,
and outline future directions for cliff research.

S.77.5 Present and future distribution of insular cliff vegetation in the Balearic Islands

Joshua Borràs¹, Iván Cortés-Fernández²,
Miquel Capó³

1 Research Group on Plant Biology under Mediterranean Conditions, Department of Biology, University of Balearic Islands, Palma, Spain. 2 Interdisciplinary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of the Balearic Islands, Palma de Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain. 3 Plant & Animal Ecology Lab. Centro para la Conservación de la Biodiversidad y el Desarrollo Sostenible, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.

The study of cliff ecology has long revealed the rich
biodiversity of these habitats and their susceptibil-
ity to climate change. Similarly, island ecosystems
are recognized for their unique biodiversity and
high rates of endemism but are also significantly
impacted by human activities. This research focus-
es on the intersection of these two areas: the unique
and highly vulnerable insular cliff communities. We
conducted an in-depth examination of the spatial
distribution of cliff vegetation in the Balearic Islands,
identifying key environmental and climatic factors
that shape these habitats. Using the WorldClim da-
tabase, we projected future changes in spatial dis-
tribution. Our findings highlight the mountains and
coasts as the most suitable habitats, particularly
Mallorca's Serra de Tramuntana mountain range.
Looking ahead, our models predict that the spatial
distribution of cliff vegetation will remain stable in
the mountain ranges where habitat suitability is
high but will decrease or disappear in other less
favourable areas between 2021 and 2040. By 2081-
2100, the only areas predicted to be well-suited for
cliff vegetation are the high-elevation mountains
north of Mallorca. These findings underscore the
vulnerability of these habitats to climate change,
particularly their susceptibility to aridity and the
strict habitat suitability requirements, such as
steep slopes. As such, future research should focus
on analysing individual species to assess if any cliff
specialist species are at risk of extinction due to cli-
mate change. This research contributes to our un-
derstanding of the spatial distribution and vulner-
<figure><img src="image_189.png" /></figure>

ability of insular cliff vegetation, providing valuable insights for conservation efforts.

## S.77.6 Climate change and the future of cliff specialist plants

Tejero P.¹,², Calvo J.³, Otamendi M.²,
Hermosilla B.⁴, Urquiola L.², Ruiz A.³, Martinez
N.², Asiain M.⁴, Aguinako I.⁴, Zabala J.⁴,
Ferrández J.V., Ezquerra V., Villagrasa
E.⁵, Jon Zulaika⁶, Arrieta M.², Garmendia
J.², Etxeberria M.², Agut A.⁴, Navarro L.⁷,
Martínez-Ortega, M.³, Palacio S.¹

1 Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología-CSIC. Jaca. Spain.
2 Botanika Saila, Sociedad de Ciencias Aranzadi Zientzia Elkartea, Donostia, Spain.
3 Departamento de Botánica y Fisiología Vegetal, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Salamanca, Spain.
4 Jardín botánico de Olárizu. Ayuntamiento de Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain.
5 Parque Nacional de Ordesa y Monte Perdido. Huesca, Spain.
6 Diputación de Gipuzkoa-Gipuzkoako Foru Aldundia.
7 Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ciencias del Suelo, Universidad de Vigo, Vigo, Spain

Existing plant lineages may have experienced several climate changes during their evolution, and they may have acquired strategies to cope with them. According to many indicators, our planet currently undergoes a very intense warming, which might accelerate extinction rates if

plant species cannot adjust fast enough by either migration or adaptation. Cliff environments and their specialist plants are particularly relevant in this context, because they often have limited migration capacity, so their adaptive response might be intense. In this contribution, we present data derived from several experiments conducted with 11 taxa of the chasmophitic Iberian endemic genus *Petrocoptis* (Caryophyllaceae) investigating seed morphology, germination and their interaction with climate. All the species included in the genus showed high viability and *in vitro* germination rate, a couple of traits that might be adaptive in limiting substrates for plant stablishment such as cliffs. In general, warm temperatures decreased *in vitro* germination rate, except for species and populations from warmer climates. We detected a significant mother plant effect on the response of seed germination to temperature, and seeds from mothers behaving contrary to the main population trend were recently found. Interestingly, *Petrocoptis* seeds have a hygroscopic strophiole whose size in natural populations is associated with climate. We also conducted common garden and reciprocal ex situ cultures of *P. crassifolia* in a 1000-meter altitudinal gradient with contrasting climate. We confirmed the germination dependence on humidity but detected a high tolerance of the species to dry climates once plants were established in the pots. Overall, these results point at population level plasticity as one of the key drivers of cliff plant survival to changes in climatic conditions.

## S.78 SYSTEMATICS AND EVOLUTION OF LAMIALES. SESSION 1

### S.78.1 Revisiting the classification of Plantaginaceae based on a nuclear phylogenomics

Dirk C. Albach, Niels Kappert

Institute of Biology and Environmental Sciences,
Carl-von-Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Germany

Plantaginaceae have given rise to discussions about their phylogeny for decades. Established by de Jussieu over 200 years ago, including three

genera, the family grew massively to around 107 genera, mainly by including parts of the Scrophulariaceae but also several small families. This circumscription has not changed in the past 20 years, when the first molecular studies targeting those families were published. Nevertheless, despite ongoing research, relationships among genera and tribes are still unresolved, letting the discussion smoulder on until today. Resolving the family-wide phylogeny is the next step to get a more complete picture of the relationships between the included genera and forming tribes as well as helping to place genera within the order
<figure><img src="image_190.png" /></figure>

of Lamiales. Since the last family-wide analysis was lacking some genera, this study includes some genera for the first time (e.g. *Gadoria*, *Antirhineae* or *Umbraria*, *Gratioleae*). To achieve a more complete picture, herbarium samples were used from nearly all genera possibly belonging to the family; large genera were covered by multiple samples. Target sequences were captured via the angiosperms353 toolkit and sequenced by HybSeq. The presentation provides the most complete and reliable analysis up-to-date. The major changes within the family of Plantaginaceae are highlighted together with a discussion about the evolution of the family.

## S.78.2 The pangenome of the genus Antirrhinum

Emily Haley¹, Alex Twyford¹, Andrew Hudson¹

1 School of Biological Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.

Pangenome analysis can capture structural variants present in genomes from across a group and can be used to understand the evolution of species. Species in the genus *Antirrhinum* (Snapdragons) have been split into three morphological sections, relating to their ecology: *Antirrhinum*, *Streptosepalum* and *Kickxiella*. Section *Antirrhinum* and *Streptosepalum* species are tall, upright grassland plants, whereas section *Kickxiella* are small, prostrate alpines. Phylogenetic analyses indicate there was a basal split of section *Antirrhinum* from sections *Kickxiella* and *Streptosepalum*, but there has been a second independent evolution of *Kickxiella* morphology from within the section *Antirrhinum*. We examined how sharing of genomic structural variants between species provides insights into the evolutionary history of the genus. Long read genome sequencing and assembly was carried out for a species from section *Streptosepalum*, and two species from section *Kickxiella*. Using these genomes, as well as two *Antirrhinum* genomes previously published, a multispecies pangenome was generated and used to identify structural variants. Whole genome short read sequences from samples across the genus were mapped to the pangenome to determine if the identified structural variants are shared by species within an *Antirrhinum* section. This allowed us to gain insights into the evolution of the *Kickxiella* species.

## S.78.3 When light is optional: How Orobanchaceae challenges conventional wisdom in plant evolution

Liming Cai¹,²

1 Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, USA. 2 Department of Biology, The University of Florida, USA

A plant's life is a constant battle for light and water. This autotrophic lifestyle has not only defined Viridiplantae but also profoundly shaped their body plan, physiology, reproduction, and genome. Yet in more than 4000 parasitic species, shifts to heterotrophy have fundamentally altered the selective regime for plants and left major evolutionary footprints. Features that are otherwise rare at the molecular level and beyond have evolved repetitively, including reduced vegetative bodies, shrunk gene repertoire, and an abundance of alien genes. Drawing from my previous work in parasitic plants, I recently proposed a conceptual model to attribute these convergent and predictable evolutionary trajectories to the cascading effects brought about by the loss of photosynthesis. Using Orobanchaceae as a model system, I demonstrate at both molecular and phenotypic levels how repeated losses of photosynthesis in this family have led to convergent evolution in the genome and vegetative architecture. This family contains c.a. 2,300 species spanning the entire spectrum of parasitism from free-living species to non-photosynthetic holoparasites. In particular, I focus on the understudied mitochondrial genome and present the first comparative study of leaf architecture in this family. I also talk about future plans to use this family as a model to study species interaction from analytical chemistry, community ecology, macroevolution, and historical biogeography perspectives.

## S.78.4 Phylogenomics sheds new light on the systematics and biogeographic history of the figwort family Scrophulariaceae

Tamara Villaverde¹, Isabel Larridon², Toral Shay³, Rachael M. Fowler⁴, John H. Chau⁵, Richard G. Olmstead⁶, Isabel Sanmartín⁷
<figure><img src="image_191.png" /></figure>

1 Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Spain. 2 Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium. 3 Imperial College, London, UK. 4 University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia. 5 Filoli Botanic Garden, San Francisco, USA. 6 University of Washington, Seattle, USA. 7 Real Jardín Botánico, Madrid, Spain.

Scrophulariaceae once was the largest family of Lamiales as the order is currently circumscribed, but was based on traits that are ancestral for much of Lamiales. Previous molecular studies identified several unrelated clades within a polyphyletic Scrophulariaceae that are now included in other families, or recognized as separate families, and identified clades previously unassigned to Scrophulariaceae that belong within it. However, uncertainties remain about relationships within Scrophulariaceae, as well as the timing and pattern of diversification of this cosmopolitan clade. To address these questions, we developed a probe set based on five Scrophulariaceae transcriptomes to conduct a target-sequencing approach for phylogenetic analysis of 66 species representing all recognized tribes of Scrophulariaceae plus three genera unassigned to tribe, Androya, Camptoloma, and Phygelius. Ten tribes are recognized based on the resulting phylogeny. Diversification of crown Scrophulariaceae was inferred to have started in the southern hemisphere approximately 60 Mya. A southern African origin is estimated for most tribes with two exceptions, Leucophylleae and Myoporeae. Multiple dispersal events out of Africa gave rise to the contemporary distribution of Scrophulariaceae.

### S.78.5 A global phylogeny of the genus Phlomoides (Lamiaceae, Lamioideae)

Yue Zhao¹,², Ya-Ping Chen¹, Bryan Drew³, Orzimat T. Turginov⁴, Yasaman Salmaki⁵, Chun-Lei Xiang¹*

1 CAS Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China.
2 Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Ecology and Resource Use of the Mongolian Plateau & Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecology, School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China.
3 Department of Biology, University of Nebraska at Kearney, Kearney, Nebraska, U.S.A.
4 Institute of Botany, Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
5 Center of Excellence in Phylogeny of Living Organisms, Department of

Plant Science, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
*Correspondence: Chun-Lei Xiang, xiangchunlei@mail.kib.ac.cn

As currently circumscribed, *Phlomoides* included seven traditionally defined genera, making the genus the second largest and perhaps most taxonomically challenging genus within subfamily Lamioideae (Lamiaceae). The genus has undergone major species radiation in Central Asia, the Iranian highland, and China. To date, a robust and broad phylogeny of *Phlomoides* remains absent. Moreover, given the myriad new additions to the genus, the existing infrageneric classification needs to be evaluated and revised. In this study, we attempted to elucidate the phylogenetic relationships within *Phlomoides* using complete plastome sequences and nrDNA regions with a broad taxon sampling of ca. 80% species of the genus. We employed Maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian inference (BI) methods to reconstruct the backbone phylogeny of *Phlomoides*. Our results revealed largely congruent topologies of plastid and nuclear DNA data sets, and six major clades were recognized. Several morphological characters (i.e., the root type, appearance of basal leaves, shape of basal and floral leaves, the shape and size of floral bracts, the shape of calyx teeth and spines, the appendages of filaments, the lobes of style, etc.) support the phylogenetic conclusions, indicating the genus can be subdivided into six sections. Hybridization and incomplete lineage sorting may represent potential sources of the incongruence between the plastome and nrDNA data. A purposely integrative design to explore the taxonomy within the genus is required in future.

### S.78.6 Toward a synthetic classification of Lamiales

Alexandre R. Zuntini¹*, the PAFTOL community

1 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, UK.
*a.zuntini@kew.org

Nearly ten percent of angiosperm diversity is included in Lamiales, making it one of the largest of all orders. Representatives of this order can be found in nearly all ecosystems around the world and many are well-known for their economic value. This group presents wide morphological and ecological diversity, from aquatic herbs to large trees, and even specialised strategies like
<figure><img src="image_192.png" /></figure>

parasitism and carnivory. This variation along-
side convergent evolution has led to a turbulent
taxonomic history, with familial circumscriptions
being constantly redrawn even until the present
day. Understanding the affinities among lineages
of Lamiales has also been challenging, with many
inter- and intrafamilial relationships still unknown.
In light of these issues, there is a need to under-
take deeper research on the phylogenetics of La-
miales not only to understand plant evolution but
also to answer questions in related fields such as
biogeography and ecology. Understanding of re-
lationships in the order has been impaired by (1)
incomplete sampling (at least at generic level);
and (2) the abundance of evolutionary process-

es that affect phylogenetic reconstructions, like
rapid radiation, incomplete lineage sorting, re-
ticulation and whole genome duplication. These
barriers are now being overcome with the help of
modern high-throughput sequencing strategies,
large-scale nuclear data and more robust phylo-
genetic methods. Using the most up to date phy-
logenomic tree of Lamiales, underpinned by the
data produced by the Plant & Fungal Trees of Life
(PAFTOL) project at the Royal Botanic Gardens,
Kew, we establish a new phylogenomic base-
line for Lamiales and reassess the boundaries of
families and infra-familial taxa, with the aim of
produce a synthetic and stable classification of
the order.

**S.79 SPATIAL MODELLING OF PLANT NICHES**
**AND DISTRIBUTIONS IN THE ANTHROPOCENE.**
**SESSION 1**

S.79.1 Predicting future
distribution of an
ecoregional invasive
species pool with habitat
suitability and dispersal
modeling techniques

Adrián Lázaro-Lobo¹, Borja Jiménez-Alfaro¹

1 Biodiversity Research Institute IMIB (Univ. Oviedo-CSIC-Princ. Asturias), Mieres, Spain

Biological invasions are causing massive eco-
logical, social, and economic impacts worldwide.
Understanding the ecological factors that affect
the regeneration of invasive plants is critical to
improving action plans that limit the establish-
ment and dispersal of such species. In this study
we combine Species Distribution Models (SDMs)
with greenhouse experiments to evaluate the re-
generation niche of the plant invasive species
pool at the regional scale. The central hypothe-
sis is that plant niche, both realized (i.e., current
distribution) and potential (i.e., based on dispersal
and regeneration), is highly influenced by ecosystem
characteristics and plant traits. As the study
system, we use the Atlantic region of NW Iberian

Peninsula, an ecoregion with high biodiversity val-
ue and optimal conditions for the spread of inva-
sive plants in Europe. With a combination of local
literature, expert knowledge, and evidence from
scientists and managers, we created a complete
list of invasive plant species in the ecoregion (~170
species). We used a hierarchical SDM approach
to analyze how environmental predictors affected
habitat suitability for each species. Using occur-
rence and environmental data from European and
global databases, we found that climatic and soil
variables were good predictors of habitat suitabil-
ity. To evaluate the potential regeneration niche,
we combined the habitat suitability estimates
for each species with extensions of SDMs imple-
menting dispersal constraints into species pro-
jections. Dispersal limitation was approached by
estimating geographical barriers, dispersal kernel,
and frequency of long-distance dispersal events.
We found that dispersal rates across the study
ecoregion were species-specific and dependent
on species ecological requirements and dispersal
potential. Lastly, we conducted greenhouse exper-
iments with the most successful invasive species
to evaluate the effect of temperature, water avail-
ability, and plant traits on plant regeneration. We
found the ecological thresholds for germination
and early growth, as well as positive maternal ef-
fects on offspring performance.
<figure><img src="image_193.png" /></figure>

## S.79.2 Unveiling niche-based responses and patterns of local occupancy of dryland species

Alejandra Zarzo-Arias¹,²,³, Cristina Ronquillo¹, Mario Mingarro¹,⁴, Victoria Ochoa⁵, Rubén G. Mateo³,⁶, Fernando T. Maestre⁷,⁸, Joaquín Hortal¹

¹Departamento de Biogeografía y Cambio Global, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), Madrid, Spain. ²Departamento de Biología de Organismos y Sistemas, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Oviedo. ³Departamento de Biología (Botánica), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain. ⁴Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (CSIC), Almería, Spain. ⁵Instituto de Ciencias Agrarias (CSIC), Madrid, Spain. ⁶Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global (CIBC-UAM), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain. ⁷Instituto Multidisciplinar del Estudio del Medio Ramón Margalef, Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Spain. ⁸Departamento de Ecología, Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Spain

Alterations in climate and land use are key drivers of global environmental change in drylands. Understanding the responses of dryland biodiversity to these novel stressors is imperative due to their extensive coverage and their importance in providing key ecosystems services and supporting many human populations. Such importance is further exacerbated due to the high number of endemic species that are unique to these environments. In this study, we explore the Grinnellian niches of the more than 1,500 plant species that inhabit the most important dryland ecosystems worldwide, extracted from BIO-DESERT dataset. We downloaded and filtered species' occurrence locations from GBIF and BIEN data portals. Then, we used ensembles of Environmental Niche Models (ENMs) to represent the Grinnellian niches of each species, built on an individual species-specific selection of uncorrelated predictors from a set of 74 variables accounting for climate, soil, and topography, at a 10km resolution for the entire world. To ensure a comprehensive representation of the environmental space, we generated pseudo-absences distributed proportionally across 10 strata derived from a Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of the original pool of variables. Finally, for each species, we projected the models onto each of the seven biogeographical realms where the species is currently found, with a presence threshold of at least 1%. This allowed us to validate model projections

against the empirical data on dryland communities from the BIODESERT dataset and assess the extent to which potentially suitable locations align with the actual habitats of species adapted to dry environments. This analysis contributes to and may enhance a deeper understanding of the relationship between species' potential distributions and the establishment and sustainability of local populations in drylands, which can ultimately help informing ecosystem-level adaptation strategies to global change in extreme environments.

## S.79.3 Species Distribution Modeling Beyond Boundaries: A Comparative Exploration of Hierarchical Strategies

Teresa Goicolea¹, Antoine Adde²,³, Olivier Broennimann²,³, Juan Ignacio García-Viñas⁴, Aitor Gastón⁴, María José Aroca-Fernández⁴, Antoine Guisan²,³, Rubén G. Mateo¹

¹Department of Biology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain. ²Institute of Earth Surface Dynamics, Faculty of Geosciences and Environment, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland. ³Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland. ⁴ETSI Montes, Forestal y del Medio Natural, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain

The heightened vulnerability of Spain's biodiversity, exacerbated by climate change, necessitates innovative ecological restoration initiatives. To guide these actions, we propose a spatially explicit, multidisciplinary tool accessible through an interactive website. The tool utilizes potential species distribution, ecological connectivity, and climate change vulnerability data for various woody and endangered plant species. Ensemble models, combining statistical algorithms, are developed within hierarchical multiscale frameworks covering Spain and Europe under different climate change scenarios. This tool identifies areas for restoration and prioritizes species, optimizing accuracy and applicability. Dynamic connectivity models pinpoint areas crucial for genetic exchange and dispersion towards anticipated distribution areas. By integrating these models with land-use data, priority restoration areas and recommended species are identified at a spatial resolution of 250m. Initial results for 108 species ex-
<figure><img src="image_194.png" /></figure>

hibit robust species distribution models (AUC > 0.8). The study anticipates tangible benefits in improved forest management and biodiversity promotion. In addressing challenges associated with species distribution models, our research investigates hierarchical strategies ('covariate' and 'multiply') to overcome spatial truncation issues. We compare their effectiveness against a non-hierarchical model exclusively trained with regional data, considering model performance, predicted range shifts, species richness trends, and extrapolation extent. Findings reveal that hierarchical strategies, particularly the 'covariate' one, outperform non-hierarchical methods in predictive performance and mitigate niche truncation and environmental extrapolation issues. Despite the 'covariate' strategy's superior performance, the study advocates adopting multiple hierarchical approaches to enhance reliability. This research emphasizes the importance of hierarchical strategies in overcoming niche truncation and extrapolation issues, challenging the reliability of non-hierarchical predictions. The results, consistent across diverse species and environmental scenarios, underscore the robustness of hierarchical approaches in improving species distribution modeling for effective conservation and restoration efforts.

## S.79.4 GeoPI@ntBERT: modelling plant species assemblages and producing high-resolution maps of habitat types with large language models

César Leblanc¹,², Pierre Bonnet², Maximilien Servajean³, Alexis Joly¹

1 Inria, Zenith, Montpellier, France 2 CIRAD, AMAP, Montpellier, France. 2 LIRMM, ADVANSE, Montpellier, France

Biodiversity is under severe pressure, as many different disturbance events threaten organisms with extinction and ecosystems with collapse. Therefore, species and habitat distribution modelling are increasingly relevant. They aim to quantify the statistical links between environmental covariates and respectively species or habitat occurrences. Herein, we introduce GeoPI@ntBERT, a novel framework to model species assemblages and produce distribution maps for individual habitats. It leverages a sophisticated deep learning pipeline based on computer vision (convolutional neural networks) and natural language processing (transformers). In particular, it focuses on (i) image classification (plants assemblages are created based on satellite images and rasterized environmental data), (ii) fill-mask (predicted plant species are then translated in context into a modelled ecological process) and (iii) text classification (habitat types are finally assigned to sentences describing species compositions). To train and evaluate the models, millions of heterogeneous presence-only records recently collected by citizens coupled with hundreds of thousands standardized presence-absence surveys from a large database of vegetation plots were used. The resulting dataset covers over ten thousand different European vascular plant species. All steps are validated using a spatial block hold-out procedure (to account for spatial autocorrelation) and reach a high accuracy, as assessed by expert judgement. GeoPI@ntBERT represents a cutting-edge approach, offering a powerful tool for advancing our understanding of biodiversity dynamics and supporting conservation efforts.

## S.79.5 Niche-based mechanistic models for spatiotemporal distribution of plant species

Juliano Sarmento Cabral¹,², Gunnar Petter³, Anne Lewerentz¹,⁴, Zachary Chu², Jana Blechschmidt¹, Stefan Fallert¹

1Ecological Modelling, CCTB, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany. 2 School of Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK. 3 Soil Competence Centre, Bern, Switzerland 4 Institute of Geography and Geoecology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe, Germany

There has been an increasing effort towards developing mechanistic models to understand biodiversity spatiotemporal dynamics and species response to environmental change. This has led to a variety of mechanistic models that vary in their properties, processes implemented and in the ecological level of the agents. This includes models that are niche-based, thus integrating environmental preferences of species, and that simulate agents at lower ecological levels (individuals or populations) across biogeographical scales. Here, I provide an overview on cross-level mechanistic niche modelling, focusing on recently developed ecological
<figure><img src="image_195.png" /></figure>

and eco-evolutionary models for plant biodiversity applied to understand and predict species range dynamics across environmental gradients. Featured models are able to depict the distribution of plant species and metacommunities across vertical, depth and elevation gradients, including under natural or human-induced environmental change. These emergent patterns stress how the interplay of ecological traits, spatial processes and local interactions can cascade up to biogeographical levels. This is important, as ecological and evolutionary dynamics at large scales are difficult to experiment in real-world systems, but that can be tackled with dynamic mechanistic models and should be popularized for assessments under non-equilibrium conditions which will dominate the Anthropocene. For this purpose, R and julia packages for niche-based range models are showcased.

**S.79.6 Toward hierarchical species distribution models to avoid niche truncation in future projections**

A. Guisan¹, M. Chevalier², A. Adde¹,

A. Zarzo-Arias³, T. Goicolea³, O.

Broennimann¹, B. Petitpierre⁴, D. Scherrer⁵,

P.-L. Rey¹, R.G. Mateo³

¹Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland. ²Centre de

Bretagne, DYNECO, Laboratoire d'Ecologie Ben-
thique Côtière (LEBCO), IFREMER, Plouzané, France.
3 Department of Biology, Universidad Autónoma
de Madrid, Madrid, Spain. 4 InfoFlora, c/o Conser-
vatoire et Jardin botaniques de Genève, Cham-
bésy-Genève, Switzerland. 5 Swiss Federal Institute
for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Bir-
mensdorf, Switzerland

Species distribution models (SDMs) have become a major tool in biogeography, especially in the context of global change assessments. A key application of SDMs is to derive projections in time, e.g. under climate change. SDMs are also based on several assumptions, one being that to make such temporal projection, the full realized environmental niche must be captured. Yet, the niche has a high risk to be truncated if the geographic - and associated environmental - range used to fit the model is smaller than the range occupied by the species, leading to potential mistakes when making temporal projections. A solution to avoid such niche truncation is to build SDMs in a hierarchical nested way, from global to local. Such approaches have already been applied to SDMs, to model invasive species, to downscale large scale models, to support species conservation, or to improve climate change projections. They were recently implemented in the new N-SDM pipeline in R to derive predictions for large numbers of species. However, the importance of using such hierarchically-nested approach has remained rather hidden and confidential so far in the SDM literature. The aim of this talk is to present a review and synthesis of the developments up to now, and to identify solutions and remaining challenges.

**S.80 EVOLUTION OF KEY INNOVATIONS IN LAND PLANTS REVEALED THROUGH THE LENS OF EVODEVO. SESSION 2**

**S.80.1 The investigation of the reproduction in Ginkgo biloba**

Silvia Moschin¹,², Elisabetta Offer¹,²,
Sebastiano Nigris¹,², Barbara Baldan¹,²

¹University of Padua, Padua, Italy. ²Botanical Garden of Padua, Padua, Italy

Ginkgo biloba is a dioecious gymnosperm belonging to one of the oldest seed plant lineages. A detailed morphological characterization of both ovules and

male cones across all their development allowed us to identify the key stages of the reproductive process and the time and space of occurrence of pollination and fertilization. In gymnosperms, pollination and fertilization events are temporally separated (about four months in *Ginkgo biloba*), and during this time pollinated ovules undergo a process of development really intriguing and poorly investigated. *Ginkgo* ovules are windy pollinated: when pollen is ready to be dispersed from the pollen cones, ovules emit a pollination drop from the micropyle in which pollen is captured. The pollen can then enter into the
<figure><img src="image_196.png" /></figure>

ovule, at the level of the pollen chamber, and can germinate. The pollen tube elongates and penetrates into the available gaps among the nucellar cells, and shortly after, it develops a highly branched haustorial system that anchors the male gametophyte to the nucellar tissue to absorb nutrients and survive during the long time between pollination and fertilization. In the meantime, the ovule goes through a process of growth and development, and the single integument differentiates into the three layers of the seed coat: *sarcotesta*, *sclerotesta* and *endotesta*. Differently from angiosperms, indeed, the seed coat differentiation precedes the fertilization and thanks to our analyses, we pointed out that this process is triggered by pollination, highlighting the critical role of pollen perception and recognition for the further *Ginkgo* ovule development. We therefore believe it is really interesting to understand how the regulation of reproductive development occurs in *Ginkgo*, which are the main gene networks involved and how they interact with hormonal regulation. At this aim, we combine omics-analyses with *in situ* hybridization and immunohistochemical analyses.

## S.80.2 Heterochrony and repurposing in the evolution of gymnosperm seed dispersal units

Raúl Pozner¹, Juca A. B. San Martin¹, Christine Nolan², Todd Michael³, Verónica S. Di Stilio²

1 Instituto de Botánica Darwinion, Buenos Aires, Argentina. 2 University of Washington, Seattle, USA. 3 Salk Institute for Biological Sciences, La Jolla, USA

Seed dispersal units allow the colonization of new environments, the expansion of geographic ranges and gene flow. Two broad categories of seed plant seed dispersal units are dry and fleshy. Knowledge of the anatomy and developmental genetics of fleshy diaspores is much advanced in angiosperms compared to gymnosperms. To improve understanding of the development of the accessory structures of gymnosperm seed dispersal units, we studied the anatomy and histochemistry of seed cone bracts of four species of South American *Ephedra* (Gnetales), three with fleshy bracts and one with dry, papery-winged bracts. We combined ontogenetic comparison of the anatomy and histology of both seed cone bract types to pollen cones and leaves with differential gene expression analysis by RNAseq.

On the one hand, our results suggest that seed cone bract fleshiness derives from the accumulation of mucilage within chlorenchyma tissue, also present in juvenile leaves before reaching their mature dry state. Dry bract development, on the other hand, resembles that of leaves, with mucilage chlorenchyma cells turning into tanniferous cells early in development, and hyaline margins growing into "wings". Differentially expressed candidate genes in the bracts of *E. triandra* during their transformation to the fleshy state included the downregulation of a glucose-hydrolase (polysaccharide degradation), and the upregulation of a pectate-lyase (pectin degradation) and DUF642 domain proteins. We propose an evolutionary model based on the repurposing of leaf structure and heterochronic changes in development, where fleshy and papery-winged seed cone bracts develop from a juvenile stage shared with leaves that diverges towards the pollination developmental stage of ovules. Thus, the ancestral fleshy state of *Ephedra's* seed cone bracts investigated here represents a novel differentiation program co-opted from juvenile leaf anatomy, while the dry papery-winged derived state would arise from peramorphosis of a pre-existing mature leaf differentiation program.

## S.80.3 Genetic changes underlying male gametogenesis evolution in land plants

Xiaolong Ren¹,², Xiaoxia Zhang¹,³, Tian Zhang¹,², Xiaotong Qi¹,², Bo Xu¹,³

1 State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China. 2 China National Botanical Garden, Beijing, China. 3 University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

Formation of gametes is a prerequisite step for sexual production. Unlike seed plants with highly reduced haploid generation, in which male gametogenesis is confined to few-celled gametophytes (pollens) and sperm cells are delivered by pollen tube, non-seed plants, including bryophytes, lycophytes, and ferns, undergo serial well-defined changes between cell fate determinations and differentiations to produce flagellated sperm cells in elaborate gametophytes. The flagellate sperm cell is regarded as the ancestral trait of land plants and has been lost when seed plants arise with evolution of pollen. Taking advan-
<figure><img src="image_197.png" /></figure>

tage of *Marchantia polymorpha*, the model bryophyte species, we drive forward our understanding of genetic networks underlying male gametogenesis, by identifying key transcription factors regulating developmental switches of gametogenic progression. In this talk, we present our recent progress of male gametogenic regulation in *M. polymorpha* and will deliver an insightful understanding of male gametogenesis evolution in land plants, with a particular focus on evolutionary shift of gametophyte-dominant to sporophyte-dominant generation.

**S.80.4 Exploring floral reversion in Cleome viscosa: a comprehensive case study on the unique transformation from flower to leafy structures**

Kheta Ram¹, Sumitra K. Choudhary¹, Ashok K. Patel¹

1 Biotechnology and Plant Systematics Laboratory, Department of Botany, Jai Narain Vyas University, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India

Cleome viscosa, the Asian spiderflower, is a fast-growing annual herb with hermaphroditic features, part of the Cleomaceae family. Thriving in warm, humid environments, it prefers full sunlight and is often found in wet soils along roadsides and open areas. In traditional medicine like Ayurveda, it is used for liver ailments, joint pain, and mental disorders. Flowering occurs from August to November, depending on rainfall. An intriguing aspect is the rare floral reversion phenomenon, where floral organs transform into leafy structures. This implies that the flower is a modified shoot, activating shoot meristem into floral meristem, akin to mechanisms in Arabidopsis thaliana using the ABCDE model. Photographic and microscopic documentation reveals this unique transformation, with gynoecium and androecium turning into leaf-like structures. Post-reversion, the plant displays continuous growth, developing single leaves with alternate arrangements. Androecium modification shows leaf/filament or anther development with trichomes, and abnormal pollen grain development. Gynoecium transformation includes improper ovule development. These findings suggest floral reversion results from imbalanced expression of ABCDE genes or plant growth regulators. In conclusion, C. viscosa's exceptional

floral reversion highlights its adaptability and genetic plasticity. This evidence contributes to our understanding of floral development, with broader implications for plant morphogenesis. Continued molecular investigations promise to advance comprehension not only in C. viscosa but in other plant species, fostering progress in plant biology research.

**S.80.5 Zinc finger transcription factors in land plants - tracing half a billion years of evolution**

Clemens Roessner¹, Annette Becker¹

1 Department of Botany, Justus-Liebig-University, Giessen, German

Zinc finger transcription factors are conserved in eukaryotes. The C1-Ii ZnF-clade is known to act as transcriptional repressors during different developmental processes. Here we elucidate the evolution of C1-Ii ZnFs by phylogenetic, transcriptomic and sequence analysis. Further, we seek to optimize phylogenetic studies on weakly conserved gene-families covering huge evolutionary distances while minimizing the loss of information by using different bio-informatic approaches.

**S.80.6 Evolution and expression of the flowering integrator genes AGL24, SVP, and SOC1 in the endoholoparasitic Apodanthaceae**

Jessica A. Ramírez-Ramírez¹, Angie D. González², Juan F. Alzate³,⁴, Favio González⁵, Natalia Pabón-Mora¹*

1 Instituto de Biología, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia. 2 Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia 3. Centro Nacional de Secuenciación Genómica, Sede de Investigación Universitaria, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia. 4 Grupo de Parasitología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia. 5 Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Sede Bogotá, Facultad de Ciencias, Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Colombia
<figure><img src="image_198.png" /></figure>

Floral transition is crucial for successful plant repro-
duction. This is regulated by multiple genetic path-
ways activated by environmental and endogenous
signals and unified by a limited number of integra-
tors. While floral transitions have been extensively
studied in autotrophic plants, less attention has been
given to endoholoparasitic angiosperms, which lack
stems and leaves; thus they cannot sense environ-
mental signals to initiate the floral transition, yet they
still manage to bloom. In this study, we explore how
the Apodanthaceae (a family with 12 endoholopar-
asitic species) achieve this. To this end, we studied
three key integrators (AGL24, SVP, and SOC1) involved
in floral transition, in two members of the family,
namely, the legume parasite *Pilostyles boyacensis*
and the Salicaceae parasite *Apodanthes caseariae*.
We identified AGL24, SVP, and SOC1 homologs and
assessed their copy numbers in the reference tran-
scriptomes of endoholoparasites and their hosts.
Subsequently, we determined their phylogenetic

affinities. In *A. caseariae* we found one *AGL24A*, one *AGL24B*, and two *SVP* copies. Whereas *AGL24A* likely belongs to the host (*Salicaceae*), *AGL24B* and *SVP* genes appear to be endogenously transcribed by the parasite. No *SOC1* homologs were identified. In *Pilostyles boyacensis* we found at least one copy of *AGL24A* and *AGL24B*, along with five *SVP* variants, all of them likely belonging to the host (*Dalea cuatrecasasi*). We also found three *SOC1* copies in *P. boyacensis* transcriptomes; however, two belonging to its host, and one likely endogenous. Preliminary data from *in-situ* hybridization in *D. cuatrecasasi* and *P. boyacensis* point to extensive usage of host genes, especially *DacuAGL24A*, by the parasite. Conversely, expression of *D. cuatrecasasi* *SVP* homologs, the only flowering repressors found in the system, is low in both plants. Our results suggest that endoholoparasites achieve reproductive transition by utilizing specific transcription factors from the host.

S.81 ETHNOBOTANY AND CONSERVATION OF MEDICINAL PLANTS. SESSION 1

S.81.1 Sustainability
of medicinal plants
gathering in Spain: cultural
importance, availability, and
conservation status

Jimena Mateo-Martín¹*, Guillermo Benítez², Airy Gras³, María Molina⁴, Victoria Reyes-García⁵,⁶, Javier Tardío⁴, Alonso Verde⁷, Manuel Pardo-de-Santayana¹

1 Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
2 Universidad de Granada, Granada, España.
3 Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
4 Instituto Madrileño de Investigación y Desarrollo Rural, Agrario y Alimentario, Madrid, Spain.
5 Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, Barcelona, Spain.
6 Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
7 Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Albacete, Spain.
\*jimena.mateo@uam.es

Around 7% of the 350,000 vascular plants species of the
world are used, mainly as medicines (25,791) (RBG Kew,
2020). The consumption and harvesting of wild medic-
inal plants are increasing globally, both for self-treat-
ment and for trading. This growing demand is leading

to unmonitored commercial gathering and could result
in the over-harvest of some species. However, the con-
sequences of harvesting on the conservation status of
medicinal wild plants are still barely explored. We have
examined the relationship between a species' cultural
importance (CI), availability, conservation status, and
legal protection, to understand how gathering affects
their sustainability. Spain is an ideal case study for this
approach because of its rich biological and cultural di-
versity, which have led to a wealth of traditional knowl-
edge about these plants. We found 1,376 species of me-
dicinal plants with known applications in Spain, which
accounts for over a quarter (22%) of the nation's total
native vascular flora (16% of which is endemic). There
was a positive correlation between species' CI and
their abundance (r = 0.466) and area of occupancy
(r = 0.495). Only 6% of the traditionally utilized wild me-
dicinal plants in Spain are considered as endangered,
and again, just 6% are totally or substantially subject
to protection measures. In Spain, the majority of the
species used for self-treatment are widespread, easily
available, and not threatened. Our results indicate that
domestic medicinal plant use does not lead to over-
exploitation and that traditional knowledge systems of
management might safeguard the sustainability of the
species. However, this may not be the case for wild spe-
cies that are gathered for their commercialization.
<figure><img src="image_199.png" /></figure>

S.81.2 From traditional
mesoamerican use
to global medicinal
applications (Cempasúchil)

Daniel Lopez Estrada¹, Adolfo Andrade-Cetto², Michael Heinrich¹,³, Hen-Hong Chang⁴, Wen-Te Chang¹

1 Department of Chinese Pharmaceutical Sciences and Chinese Medicine Resources, College of Chinese Medicine, China Med Univ, Taichung, Taiwan.

2 Dept Biol Celular, Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Fac Ciencias, México City, México. 3 Pharmacognosy & Phytotherapy, School of Pharmacy UCL London, England. 4 Grad Inst Integrated Med, China Med Univ, Taichung, Taiwan

The traditional use of *Tagetes erecta* L. (Asteraceae), commonly known as Cempasúchil, has been a cornerstone of Mesoamerican ethnobotany, revealed in ceremonial and medicinal contexts. This study delves into the historical and ethnobotanical trajectory of T. erecta, tracing its journey from pre-conquest Mesoamerican uses to its current global recognition in pharmacological realms. Originally endemic to Mexico, T. erecta was extensively used in rituals and healing practices associated with Tlaloc, the rain god. The Spanish conquest catalyzed a pivotal shift, recontextualizing this species as an ornamental entity in Europe, known variably as African marigold or African tany. Linnaeus' classification integrated this species into Western botanical nomenclature, broadening its recognition. The discovery of lutein in T. erecta in the early 19th century marked a significant transition, illustrating the plant's potential in phytotherapy, especially for macular health. Its inclusion in pharmacopeias and designation as Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) in the USA signify its dual role in traditional medicine and modern applications, including its economic impact in sectors like poultry feed due to its carotenoid richness. This paper emphasizes the importance of ethnohistorical, pharmacological, and cultural perspectives in understanding the multifaceted roles of T. erecta. It underscores the need for sustainable conservation strategies to preserve traditional uses while fostering modern applications. The global dissemination of T. erecta, intertwined with cultural, historical, and scientific narratives, offers a unique case study in the broader field of ethnopharmacology, highlighting the dynamic interplay between traditional knowledge and modern scientific inquiry.

S.81.3 Current status and
future perspectives of
ethnobotany in Pakistan

Arshad Mehmood Abbasi¹, Arfaa Sabbah¹

1 Department of Environmental Science, COMSATS University Islamabad, Abbottabad Campus 22060, Pakistan

Ethnobotany is the study of the dynamic relationship between humans and plants that has developed over thousands of years. This particular form of botanical research plays a key role in identifying and preserving traditional knowledge systems, which can lead to the loss of invaluable original knowledge if ignored. Ethnobotanical research focuses primarily on documenting and preserving traditional wisdom, but it also acts as a bridge between traditional knowledge and advanced scientific methodologies. Pakistan is a country with diverse ecosystems and rich bio-cultural diversity. A number of ethnobotanical studies have been conducted on various ethnolinguistic communities throughout the country, mainly in the northern and northern mountainous regions. These studies reported various uses of plants for medicinal, food, cultural, ritual, economic and other purposes. This knowledge has proven invaluable in the identification of potential medicinal compounds, the sustainable management of natural resources and the conservation of local biodiversity. Although ethnobotany is an emerging field in Pakistan, socio-economic changes, climate change and habitat destruction are major challenges that threaten both traditional knowledge and plant biodiversity. Therefore, the future of ethnobotany in Pakistan requires a holistic approach that combines traditional ecological knowledge with modern scientific methods to develop sustainable resource management, biodiversity conservation and economically viable solutions for local communities. Looking ahead, the prospects for Ethnobotany in Pakistan are as follows: a) Active collaboration between ethnobotanists, indigenous peoples and policy makers to develop effective strategies for sustainable conservation and use of biore sources. This strategy aims to achieve a more harmonious balance between human activities and the environment by incorporating local perspectives into conservation strategies and policy frameworks. b) Integrating modern technologies such as GIS mapping and molecular analysis to advance ethnobotanical research. Advanced technologies and data analysis provide opportunities for the systematic documentation and dissemination of ethnobotanical information, which improves its accessibility and usefulness.
<figure><img src="image_200.png" /></figure>

## S.81.4 The traditional knowledge's dynamism: the first ethnobotanical border study in Valmalenco (Italy) and Valposchiavo (Switzerland)

Martina Bottoni¹,², Fabrizia Milani¹,², Lorenzo Colombo¹,², Paola S. Colombo¹,², Claudia Giuliani¹,², Piero Bruschi³, Gelsomina Fico¹,²

1 Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy. 2 Ghirardi Botanic Garden, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Milan, Brescia, Italy. 3 Department of Agricultural, Environmental, Food and Forestry Science and Technology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy

Alpine regions are characterized by a rich and complex biodiversity, strictly connected to a distinctive legacy of centuries-old Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK), which led local people to the preservation of autochthonous plant species and their traditional uses. Peripheral Alpine border areas represent a typical hotspot to immortalize the dynamic evolution of LEK, which adapted over time to the threat of climate and socio-economic changes. Within the framework of the European Interreg Italy-Switzerland B-ICE & Heritage and GEMME projects, an ethnobotanical border study was conducted in Valmalenco (Northern Italy, Sondrio) and in Valposchiavo (Switzerland, Canton of Grisons). From 2019 to 2023, semi-structured interviews and participant observation were performed to evaluate the dynamism of LEK circulation across this border. Quali-quantitative analyses of the primary data were performed through pivot tables and ethnobotanical indexes, after database archiving. 470 inhabitants were interviewed, highlighting the use of more than 200 plants (70 families), employed in 10 sectors of use. LEK differences surfaced among the most cited species: in Valposchiavo, *largù* (resin of *Larix decidua* Mill.) was used to prepare an ointment for thorns and splinters, in Valmalenco its wood represented a natural resource in home-building; since ancient times, in Valmalenco, the decoction of *dane-da's* inflorescences (*Achillea moschata* Wulfen) has been a daily remedy for dyspepsia disorders, and the Swiss remember *malenca* people crossing the frontier during World War II to harvest its flowers as a source of income; elderberry was used in Valmalenco as ink; St. John's worth oleolite for otitis as a peculiarity of Swiss border tradition. Despite the same natural environment, socio-economic and historical contexts may have influenced the bio-cultural popularity of traditional uses

in Valmalenco and Valposchiavo. At the same time, homogenization may have occurred between the two LEKs over time, leading to the sharing of plants and popular uses.

## S.81.5 Is ethnobotanical knowledge conserved in space and time? A case study in rural Kurdish communities in Iran

Tahereh Maleki¹, Alexander Rudov²,³, Maja Dal Cero¹, Marco Leonti⁴, Reto Nyffeler¹, Ali Sonboli⁵, Caroline Weckerle¹

1 Department of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. 2 Institute of Botany after A.L. Takhtajyan of National Academy of Sciences of Armenia, Yerevan, Armenia. 3 Halophytes and C4 Plants Research Laboratory, Department of Plant Sciences, School of Biology, College of Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran. 4 Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Monserrato, Italy. 5 Department of Biology, Medicinal Plants and Drugs Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University, Evin, Tehran, Iran.

Iran is an important hotspot of biological and cultural diversity with over 8000 species of vascular plants and seven major and many minor ethnic groups. Kurds are a major ethnic group in Iran, that inhabit mainly the country's West. Due to the turbulent second half of the last millennium, many Kurds have been resettled in East and Southeast Iran. Kurds are known for their rich record of traditional ethnobotanical knowledge. It is however unknown if the resettled rural Kurdish communities, especially in remote areas under conditions of cultural assimilation could preserve their original herbalism. We have collected data in 32 Kurdish rural communities in NW Iran and in 22 resettled assimilated rural Kurdish communities in Baluchestan (SE Iran) using ethnobotanical field techniques with a total of 124 informants, collected plant material and compiled databases. The results were used to conduct: a) descriptive analysis to compare qualitative data, b) statistical analysis to compare the numbers of use-reports and species in each group and understand consensus among indigenous people. We have documented in detail the use of 282 medicinal plants for 19 different disease categories. We analyzed potential ethnobotanical links between the two community groups and explored, if 2-3 centuries of resettlement and the drastic change of habitat and surrounding
<figure><img src="image_201.png" /></figure>

flora have affected their ethnobotanical knowledge. The complexity of the social structure and the history of the resettlement of the Kurds in Baluchestan, as well as the abrupt change of environment, the linguistic assimilation and the different socio-economic development of both regions has differently affected the ethnobotanical knowledge of both groups. While Kurds in Baluchestan have experienced ethnocultural and ethnobiological assimilation, Kurds in NW Iran have primarily been affected by the continuing loss of ethnobotanical knowledge due to increasing urbanization and the development of the healthcare system.

### S.81.6 Early Modern Jesuit Materia Medica, current Philippine remedies: Medicinal plants from Klein's Remedios Faciles (1712)

Marianne Jennifer Datiles¹, Vivienne Lo², Michael Heinrich¹

1 School of Pharmacy, University College London, UK. 2 History Department, University College London, UK

Recent literature on Philippine botany has illuminated previously neglected histories of missionary scientific activity during the Spanish colonial period. Between c.1562 and 1815 the archipelago served as the Spanish 'East Indies' from which the Manila-Acapulco galleon trade operated as the critical link between Asia and Nueva España. This paper investigates the medicinal plants prescribed in *Remedios Fáciles* (1712), the most comprehensive surviving representation of missionary medicine during the Spanish period of the Philippines. Written by Bohemian Jesuit Paul Klein (Hispanicised name Pablo Clain), this manual of 'easy remedies' was intended to arm future Jesuit missionaries with the medical knowledge necessary for evangelisation, even without access to the materia medica in the Jesuit apothecary in Manila. Drawing from historical botanical collections, unpublished manuscripts, missionary notes, and archival records, we present case studies from Klein's manual of Philippine medicinal plant uses from the 17th century to the present day and discuss the challenges of linking historically used medicinal plants to modern-day collections and botanical research.

## S.82 PLANT DIVERSITY, BIOGEOGRAPHY AND EVOLUTION IN THE TROPICS FOR CONSERVATION, RESTORATION AND SUSTAINABLE USE. SESSION 2

### S.82.1 Perspective of change in abundance of floral species utilized by communities and their spatial configuration

Leajim A. Villanueva¹, M. Victoria O. Espaldon², Inocencio E. Buot, Jr.³, Mark Dondi M. Arboleda², Agnes C. Rola⁴

1 Foundation for the Philippine Environment, Quezon City, Philippines. 2 School of Environmental Science and Management, University of the Philippines Los Banos, Laguna, Philippines. 3 Institute of Biological Sciences, University of the Philippines Los Banos, Laguna, Philippines. 4 College of Public Affairs, University of the Philippines Los Banos, Laguna, Philippines

The Polillo Islands in the Philippines is one of the 228 Key Biodiversity Areas in an archipelago of more than 7,107 islands and islets. An island which is an important socio-ecological system (SES), the various provisioning services of the seascape ecosystem is provided by associated diverse floral species, 52 of which are directly or indirectly utilized for various purposes including for their medicinal (i.e.,Antidesma bunius, Barringtonia asiatica, Bruguiera conjugate, Diospyros multiflora, Hanguana malayana, Hernandia ovigera, Intsia bijuga, Jatropha curcas), domestic (Avicennia officinalis, Casearia fuliginosa, Diospyros discolor) and nutrition (Caulerpa lentillifera, Ceanothus asiaticus, Diospyros discolor). The change in abundance through community per-
spective shows that most (65.38%) are perceived to have been in decline including Agave americana, Avicennia officinalis, Barringtonia asiatica, Basella alba, Bruguiera conjugate, Calophyllum inophyllum, Calophyllum obliquinervium, Casearia fuliginosa followed by 23.07% perceived to be stable (i.e. Agiceras corniculatum, Antidesma bunius, Bruguiera cylindrical, Ceanothus asiaticus, Dentella repens) and 11.58% were believed to have been increasing (i.e. Alstonia macrophylla, Caulerpa lentillifera, Cymbidium finlaysonianum). Overlaid with spatial distribution and fragmentation analysis, there is a declining seascape and increasing fragmentation which could have contributed to the change in abundance of the species utilized by communities within the study site. The seascape elements changed with a loss of natural seascape and gain for human habitation and agriculture as well as the reduction of complexity with the changing of beach forest and mangrove areas towards lesser diverse ecosystems as part of the ecosystem response to perturbation where grasses and shrubland replaced beach forest and mangroves. The reduction of natural seascape translates to changing configurations measured by fragmentation indices including Percentage of Landscape (PLAND), Largest Patch Index (LPI), Landscape Shape Index (LSI), Proportion of Like Adjacencies (PLADJ), Patch Cohesion Index (COHESION), Effective Mesh Size (MESH).

## S.82.2 Disentangling causes of species dominance in western Amazonian forests from a functional trait perspective

Laura Matas-Granados¹,², Claire Fortunel³, Luis Cayuela⁴, Julia G. de Aledo¹,²,⁴, Celina Ben Saadi¹, Nathan J. B. Kraft⁵, Christopher Baraloto⁶, S. Joseph Wright⁷, Jason Vleminckx⁸, Nancy C. Garwood⁹, Peter Hietz¹⁰, Margaret R. Metz¹¹, Frederick C. Draper¹², Timothy R. Baker¹³, Oliver L. Phillips¹³, Eurídice N. Honorio Coronado¹⁴, Kalle Ruokolainen¹⁵, Roosevelt García-Villacorta¹⁶,¹⁷, Katherine H. Roucoux¹⁴, Maximilien Guèze¹⁸, Elvis Valderrama Sandoval¹⁹, Paul V.A. Fine²⁰,

Carlos A. Amasifuen Guerra²¹, Ricardo Zárate Gómez²², Pablo R. Stevenson²³, Abel Monteagudo-Mendoza²⁴, Rodolfo Vasquez Martínez²⁵, John Terborgh²⁶, Mathias Disney²⁷, Roel Brienen¹³, Percy Núñez Vargas²⁴, Jhon del Águila Pasquel²²,²⁸, Yadvinder Malhi²⁹, Jacob B. Socolar³⁰, Fernando Cornejo-Valverde³¹, Gerardo Flores Llampazo²², Jim Vega Arenas¹⁹, Darcy Galiano Cabrera²⁴, Javier Silva Espejo²⁴, Joey Talbot¹³, Barbara Vinceti³², José Reyna Huaymacari²², Nallaret Davila Cardozo²², Cecilia Ballón Falcón³³, Ted R. Feldpausch³⁴, Varun Swamy³⁵, Julio M. Grandez Ríos²², Manuel J. Macía¹,²

1. Departamento de Biología, Área de Botánica, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain. 2. Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global (CIBC-UAM), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain. 3. AMAP, University of Montpellier, CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, Montpellier, France. 4. Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, Madrid, Spain. 5. Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA. 6. International Center for Tropical Botany at the Kampong, Institute of Environment, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA. 7. Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama. 8. Yale Institute for Biospheric Studies, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA. 9. School of Biological Sciences, LifeScience II, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois, USA. 10. Institute of Botany, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria. 11. Department of Biology, Lewis & Clark College, Portland, Oregon, USA. 12. School of Geography and Planning, University of Liverpool, UK. 13. School of Geography, University of Leeds, UK. 14. School of Geography & Sustainable Development, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK. 15. Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland. 16. Programa Restauración de Ecosistemas (PRE), Centro de Innovación Científica Amazónica (CINCIA), Tambopata, Madre de Dios, Perú. 17. Peruvian Center for Biodiversity and Conservation (PCBC), Iquitos, Loreto, Perú. 18. Man and Biosphere Programme, UNESCO, Paris, Île-de-France, France. 19. Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional de la Amazonía Peruana, Iquitos, Perú. 20. Department of Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA. 21. Escuela de Ingeniería Forestal, Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad Nacional Toribio Rodríguez de Mendoza de Amazonas (UNTRM), Chachapoyas, Perú. 22. Instituto de Investigaciones de la Amazonía Peruana,
<figure><img src="image_202.png" /></figure>

Iquitos, Perú. 23 Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de los Andes (Colombia), Bogotá, Colombia. 24 Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco, Cusco, Perú. 25 Estación Biológica del Jardín Botánico de Missouri, Oxapampa, Perú. 26 Department of Biology and Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA. 27 Department of Geography, University College London, London, UK. 28 Universidad Nacional de la Amazonía Peruana, Iquitos, Perú. 29 Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK. 30 NCX, San Francisco, CA USA. 31 Andes to Amazon Biodiversity Program, Madre de Dios, Madre de Dios, Perú. 32 Bioversity International, Rome, Italy. 33 Universiad Nacional Agraria La Molina, La Molina, Perú. 34 Geography, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK. 35 San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research, Escondido, California, USA.

Many studies have documented dominance by few species in Amazonian forests, but the underlying mechanisms of tree species dominance remain unclear. Given the key role that these dominant species play in crucial ecosystem processes, clarifying the causes of dominance is essential to understand how Amazonian forests will respond to global change drivers. Here, we used an extent plot network encompassing contrasting habitats in Amazonia to study the ecological processes underpinning dominance through the study of their functional traits. We asked whether: 1) dominant species have a different functional profile than non-dominant species and 2) functional traits capture species differences in dominance patterns. We considered six plant functional traits through the compilation of trait information from different projects: specific leaf area (SLA), leaf area (LA), N content per unit leaf mass (LN), maximum diameter at breast height (DBHmax), wood density (WD), and seed mass (SM). We found that dominant species can reach greater maximum size than non-dominant species and that trait combinations of dominant species varied between habitat type. Additionally, we found that larger dominant species had higher regional frequency, associated with higher dispersal ability, and lower local abundance, likely due to negative density dependence. Greater SM allowed higher regional frequency of dominant species via greater dispersion and seedling survival. Finally, traits related to resource conservative strategies favored higher local densities, whereas the opposite pattern was linked to higher regional frequency. Our study reveals the potential of trait-based approaches in the study of the ecological mechanisms underlying dominance in tropical forests. Our findings highlight the importance of forest habitat conditions in shaping species dom-

inance. Accounting for both local abundance and regional frequency when studying dominance can improve our understanding and forecasting of species responses to global change drivers and help us to effectively direct new conservation policies in Amazonia.

### S.82.3 Scalesia (Asteraceae): ecology and evolution of the most iconic plant genus in the Galapagos Islands

Gonzalo Rivas-Torres¹,²,³, Pablo Vargas⁴, Mario Fernández-Mazuecos⁵, Jose Cerca⁶

1 Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Quito, Ecuador. 2 University of Florida, Gainesville, US. 3 University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, NC, US. 4 Royal Botanical Garden of Madrid, CSIC, Spain. 5 Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain. 6 Center for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway

Darwin's daisies (Scalesia, Asteraceae) form an iconic radiation of 15 species endemic to the Galapagos Islands, which are distributed throughout this tropical archipelago. Among them, eight species are endemic to a single island, with small populations distributed across only tens to hundreds of hectares. Our oral presentation will describe an overview of unique findings related to the phylogeny, ecology, distribution and conservation of this emblematic group, summarizing more than 13 years of research. Diversification of extant Scalesia species and active phenotypic and genomic evolution appear to have occurred in recent times, specifically in the late Quaternary. However, the present survival and conservation of Scalesia species are at high risk, as shown by establishment rates reduced to 5% when competing with invasive plant species. Also, for the first time, we present the most updated distribution maps and ecological niche information for this taxonomic group. We finish by presenting ongoing research and future avenues for the study of this unique plant group. With this presentation, we hope to fill an important gap of information regarding Galapagos plants, particularly for one of the least studied groups of these iconic islands, which serves to create new international collaborations and attract more botanical research on one of the most interesting daisy groups.
<figure><img src="image_203.png" /></figure>

## S.82.4 Forest typologies in Central Africa based on commercial logging inventory data unveil heavily biased compositional patterns

Jan Lukas Klein¹,², Thomas Drouet², Gilles Dauby³, Nicolas Texier¹,⁴,⁵, Olivier Hardy⁵, Eric Akouangou⁶, Ehoarn Bidault⁴,⁷, Archange Boupoya⁶, Davy Ulrich Ikabanga⁴,⁸, Olivier Lachenaud¹,⁹, Diosdado Nguema¹⁰, Tariq Stévart¹,⁴,⁹

1 Herbarium et Bibliothèque de Botanique africaine, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium. 2 Laboratoire d'Écologie Végétale et Biogéochimie, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, 1050 Belgium. 3 AMAP, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, Montpellier, France. 4 Missouri Botanical Garden, Africa & Madagascar Department, St. Louis, MO, USA. 5 Laboratoire de Génétique et Ecologie végétales, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Bruxelles, Belgium. 6 Herbier National du Gabon, Libreville, Gabon. 7 Institut de Systématique, Évolution, et Biodiversité, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sorbonne Université, École Pratique des Hautes Études, Université des Antilles, Paris, France. 8 Laboratoire d'Ecologie Végétale et de Biosystématique, Département de Biologie, Faculté des Sciences, Université des Sciences et Techniques de Masuku, Franceville, Gabon. 9 Jardin botanique de Meise, Meise, Belgium 10 Tropic-Forest, Libreville, Gabon

In Gabon, that hosts the best-preserved forests in western Central Africa, we lack a consistent and data-driven floristic regionalization needed to design conservation and management strategies. Existing forest typologies rely on logging inventory data which only include a small subset of the canopy tree diversity. Studies demonstrated that the canopy in large parts of Central Africa is dominated by long-living pioneer species that echo widespread historical human disturbance, paleo-climatic disturbances during the Last Glacial Maximum or a combination of both. Additionally, the canopy composition has been altered by industrial logging that selectively extracts large individuals of a few but widespread species. We thus hypothesize that (a) existing typologies draw a heavily biased picture of present-day tree compositional patterns and (b) that the canopy floristic composition is less dependent on environmental factors than the understory. Using a unique dataset comprising 466 vegetation transects inventoried across Gabon including 129,876 trees with

a diameter at breast height ≥ 5 cm, we produced two continuous categorical maps, one by excluding and a second by including the understory composition. We identified forest types through hierarchical clustering of the floristic composition of transects and predicted forest types based on environmental and anthropogenic variables obtained through free available raster data through spatially explicit randomforest models. We tested for the importance of each predictor in the model. The V-measure was used to compare both maps and each respective map to those from the literature. The both-strata typology and the canopy typology are incongruent while the latter resembles existing forest typologies more strongly than the former. Human activity variables were of greater importance in predicting canopy-based compared to both-strata-based forest types. Our results emphasize the importance of integrating the understory composition when aiming at unveiling floristic patterns in Central Africa for it is less altered by historical successional dynamics.

## S.82.6 Floristic and structural distinctness of monodominant Gilbertiodendron dewevrei forest in the western Congo Basin

Ellen Heimpel¹,², Antie Ahrends¹, Kyle G. Dexter², Jefferson S. Hall³, Josérald Mamboueni⁴, Vincent P. Medjibe⁵, David Morgan⁶, Crickette Sanz⁷,⁸, David J. Harris¹

1 Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK. 2 School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK. 3 Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Ancon, Panama. 4 Institut National de Recherche Forestière, Brazzaville, Congo. 5 Gabon National Parks Agency, Libreville, Gabon. 6 Lester E. Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, USA. 7 Department of Anthropology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, USA. 8 Congo Program, Wildlife Conservation Society, Brazzaville, Congo

Within the tropical lowland rainforests of central Africa, there is a tree species, *Gilbertiodendron dewevrei*, that forms stands in which up to 90% of the trees belong to just this one species, overturning every stereo-type of plant diversity in the tropics. Monodominant *Gilbertiodendron dewevrei* forest covers large areas of the Congo Basin, but it is currently unclear whether it is sufficiently distinct from adjacent mixed *terre firme*
<figure><img src="image_204.png" /></figure>

forest to warrant separate treatment for conservation planning and carbon calculations. This study aimed to compare the structure and diversity of monodominant and mixed forest, and ask whether there is a unique vascular plant community associated with *G. dewevrei* forest. We utilised a combination of plot data and herbarium specimens collected in the Sangha Trinational (a network of protected areas in Cameroon, Central African Republic, and the Republic of Congo). Plot inventories were used to compare *G. dewevrei* forest and mixed forest for stem density, basal area, above ground biomass, stem size distribution, species diversity, and species composition. In addition, a database of 3,557 herbarium specimens was used to identify species of

vascular plants that are associated with *G. dewevrei* forest. We found that *Gilbertiodendron dewevrei* forest is distinct in both structure and species composition from mixed forest. *G. dewevrei* forest has a lower stem number (of trees ≥ 10 cm), but a greater proportion of larger trees (> 70 cm), suggesting higher carbon stocks. The species composition is distinct from mixed forest, with 56 species of vascular plant significantly associated with *G. dewevrei* forest. Monodominant *G. dewevrei* forest in the Sangha Trinational is both compositionally and structurally distinct from mixed forest. We therefore recommend this forest type be considered separately from mixed forest for conservation planning and carbon stock calculations.

# S.83 ALPINE PLANT ECOLOGY AND DIVERSITY: FROM SPECIES TO ECOSYSTEMS. SESSION 1

## S.83.1 Assembly of regional species pools in the European alpine flora

Borja Jiménez-Alfaro¹, George P Malanson², Josep Padullés Cubino³

1 Biodiversity Research Institute (CSIC-Univ.Oviedo-Princ.Asturias), Mieres, Spain. 2 Department of Geographical and Sustainability Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, United States. 3 Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

Alpine floras contain unique biodiversity above the climatic treeline globally. Understanding such biodiversity needs to consider multiple facets from evolutionary history to the assembly of cold-adapted plant lineages in regional floras and local communities. Here, we summarize recent research on the patterns and drivers of species pools in 23 regional alpine floras of Central and Southern Europe. At the phylogenetic level, we found that climatic changes during the glacial-postglacial periods had an important role in determining current species pools, with closely related lineages in cold and unstable climates. At the taxonomic level, the diversity of European alpine pools is mainly influenced by regional isolation and dispersal limitation. Environmental and topographic heterogeneity complement area effects to explain regional richness, but the area becomes especially critical to maintain species richness in the smallest regions. The taxonomic dissimilarity among regions reflects past glacial connections, but present European alpine floras are strongly isolated, and they

are expected to respond differently to regional climatic variation. All these results suggest regional idiosyncrasies in the response of alpine diversity to climate change, concerning spatial, bedrock, and topographic configurations. Since the assembly of European alpine floras may not be in equilibrium with climate, the effects of current warming must be evaluated at meso- and micro-scales within a given species pool, with expected discrepancies among regions. Accounting for multiple regional studies with similar approaches in different regions, especially those supporting relict alpine communities, will be necessary to anticipate future changes in alpine plant diversity.

## S.83.2 The diversity and structure of Australian alpine plant-pollinator communities and how global change is impacting these communities

Francisco Encinas-Viso¹, Jaime Florez², Bryan Lessard², James Lumbers², Juanita Rodriguez-Arrieta², Alexander Schmidt-Lebuhn¹, Andreas Zwick², Liz Milla¹

1 Centre of Australian National Biodiversity Research, CSIRO, Canberra, Australia 2 Australian National Insect Collection, CSIRO, Canberra, Australia
<figure><img src="image_205.png" /></figure>

Alpine ecosystems are highly threatened by climate change. We are observing a fast shrinking of these ecosystems around the world with unprecedented changes of their macroclimate and vegetation. Plant-pollinator interactions play an important role in alpine ecosystems; however, we still know very little about alpine plant-pollinator communities in Australia and how they are affected by global change. Here we analyse the structure and diversity of a plant-pollinator metacommunity networks from the Australian alpine region using two approaches: pollen DNA metabarcoding and flower-visitor observations. Additionally, we analysed historical changes of plant-pollinator communities using insect museum specimens and molecular data. We found that alpine plant-pollinator networks show high spatial turnover of plant species and interaction rewiring as well as showing high phylogenetic diversity driven by micro-climate variability. Our analysis of museum specimens and historical data also revealed that Australian alpine ecosystems have gone through multiple changes of community diversity in the last century as result of grazing, introduced species and climate change. Overall, our findings suggest that the heterogeneity of Australian alpine habitats make these communities partially resilient to climate change, however rapid vegetation changes observed could generate the extinction of some alpine herbaceous plants and key pollinator taxa.

### S.83.3 Plant responses to climatic change: insights from tropical alpine plant lineages in the Andes

Pinilla Vargas, María¹, Vásquez, Diana²,
Diazgranados, Mauricio³, Kolář, Filip¹,²,
Schmickl, Roswitha¹,², Kandziora, Martha¹

1 Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic. 2 Institute of Botany, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Průhonice, Czech Republic. 3 The New York Botanical Garden, NY, USA

Climate change-induced range shifts have been documented extensively in temperate mountains, but the response of tropical alpine species remains understudied. This study aims to address this knowledge gap by focusing on the tropical alpine ecosystem of the Andes while exploring

and comparing the responses of four Asteraceae plant lineages to past and future climatic changes. Using curated herbarium-backed occurrence data, we constructed species distribution models (SDMs) based on paleoenvironmental reconstructions and future climate predictions for 113 species from four monophyletic lineages and evaluated their predicted elevation changes, suitable habitat sizes and temperature ranges. We expected that habitat ranges were larger during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and that they would shrink in the future, followed by species elevation shifts. Contrary to expectations, we did not observe a generalized downward shift in elevation during the LGM, and while some lineages had larger ranges in the past, this was not a general trend. Furthermore, we observed differential species' responses to climate change, with species occupying broader temperature ranges having higher habitat stability over time. We speculate that the Andes' complex topography, with high altitude plateaus, might be responsible for the observed patterns, distinguishing it from other tropical alpine ecosystems and highlighting the importance of considering regional and lineage-specific dynamics in understanding the impacts of climate change on habitat suitability.

### S.83.5 The seed regeneration niche in Mediterranean high mountains

Clara Espinosa del Alba¹, Eduardo Fernández Pascual¹, Borja Jiménez-Alfaro¹

1 IMIB Biodiversity Research Institute, (Principado de Asturias - Universidad de Oviedo - CSIC), Mieres, Spain

The seed regeneration niche encloses 4 main stages (dispersal, persistence, germination and seedling establishment) which are regulated by a complex array of physiological and environmental cues. Understanding the regeneration niche in high-mountain ecosystems is important to track species responses and community dynamics under current and future climate conditions. However, we know very little about the regeneration processes that occur in Mediterranean high mountain vegetation, which faces increasing summer drought periods. Here, we review the topic combining published literature and results
<figure><img src="image_206.png" /></figure>

from our own research in Iberian mountains. We found inconsistent results in dispersal studies, some of them reporting short-distance dispersal limitation among populations, while others suggesting dispersal-based metacommunities. Our results support that dispersal may not be limiting at the regional level and that community composition is mainly explained by soil properties related to water holding capacity. Seed persistence has rarely been studied, but our data suggest that it is highly species-specific and modulated by microhabitat conditions. Germination is the more studied, showing a general pattern of immediate germination if water is available, even at low temperatures, with complementary effects of cold stratification in some species. Our results support this general trend and provide new insights about drivers such as light, alternating temperatures and soil water potential. Finally, in concordance with existing literature, seedling establishment appears to be the most vulnerable stage, with low chance of survival in the field and in controlled laboratory conditions. Literature suggests that timing of emergence is strongly influenced by temperature cycles, and we found a pattern of increasing radicle length in species linked to warmer microhabitats. In summary, the success of seed regeneration in Mediterranean high mountains seems to be primarily limited by water stress, especially during germination and seedling establishment.

## S.83.6 Ecological evolution characteristics of rhizosphere soil microorganism of Oxytropis glacialis on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Peng-xi CAO<sup>1,2</sup>, Yi-xuan LIU<sup>1,2</sup>, Xing Liu<sup>1,2,3</sup>, Qiong LA<sup>1,2</sup>

1 Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Environment on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, Ministry of Education, School of Ecology and Environment, Tibet University, Lhasa, China. 2 Yani Wetland and Maidika Wetland Ecosystem Positioning Observation and Research Station, Tibet University, Lhasa, China. 3 College of Life Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China

Oxytropis glacialis is an endemic species of alpine grasslands on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and has a strong invasive capacity in degraded grasslands.

In this study, a model for the ecological evolution of rhizosphere soil microorganism of *O. glacialis* was constructed using high-throughput sequencing combined with climatic and environmental factor analysis. The results show that the ecological evolution of bacteria is a deterministic process and that of fungi is a stochastic process. The synergy between the fungal and bacterial communities was dominant, and the bacterial communities were more closely interconnected than the fungal communities. The core bacterial groups are Pseudomonas, Gaiellales, Gemmatimonadaceae, etc. and the core fungal groups are Mortierella, Gibberella, Didymella, etc. This study provides data to reveal the role of *O. glacialis* in alpine degraded grasslands.
# S.84 NEXT GENERATION ZINGIBERALES: FROM TAXONOMY TO EVOLUTION

## S.84.1 Genome size in Zingiberaceae correlates with the life strategies, plant traits and habitat preferences

Eliška Záveská¹*, Otakar Šída O.², Jana Leong-Škorničková³, Zuzana Chumová¹, Pavel Trávníček¹, Mark F. Newman⁴, Axel D. Poulsen⁴, Alžběta Böhmová², Hana Chudáčková⁵, Tomáš Fér⁵

¹Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Průhonice, Czech Republic. ²National Museum in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic. ³Singapore Botanic Gardens, Singapore. ⁴Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK. ⁵Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic *zavезka@email.cz

Plant species with large genomes tend to be excluded from climatically more extreme environments with a shorter growing season. Species that occupy such environments are assumed to be under natural selection for more rapid growth and smaller genome size (GS). However, evidence for this was so far available only for temperate organisms. We studied the evolution of GS in two subfamilies of the tropical family Zingiberaceae to find out whether species with larger genomes are confined to environments where the vegetative season is longer. We tested our hypothesis on 337 ginger species from regions with contrasting climates by correlating their GS with an array of plant traits and environmental variables. We revealed sixteen-fold variation in GS which was tightly related to shoot seasonality. Negative correlations of GS with latitude, temperature and precipitation emerged in the subfamily Zingiberoidae, demonstrating that species with larger GS are excluded from areas with a shorter growing season. In the subfamily Alpinioideae, GS turned out to be correlated with the type of stem and light requirements and its members cope with seasonality mainly by adaptation to shady and moist habitats. The Ornstein-Uhlenbeck models suggested that evolution in regions with

humid climates favoured larger GS than in drier regions. Our results indicate that climate seasonality exerts an upper constraint on GS not only in temperate regions, but also in the tropics, unless species with large genomes find alternative ways to escape from that constraint.

## S.84.2 Networked relationships in the family Zingiberaceae – The role of ancient hybridizations in lineage diversification

Tomáš Fér¹, Eliška Záveská², Otakar Šída³, Axel D. Poulsen⁴, Jana Leong-Škorničková⁵

¹Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic. ²Botanical Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Průhonice, Czech Republic. ³National Museum, Prague, Czech Republic. ⁴Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, UK. ⁵Singapore Botanic Gardens, Singapore

Hybridization plays an important role in the evolution of plants and has been observed to occur throughout the evolutionary history. Undoubtedly, determining its role is critical for understanding diversification processes at various taxonomic levels. Recent advances in genomic resources and analytical techniques have allowed for the recognition of ancient hybridization, which has been linked to evolutionary radiations while sometimes preventing further diversification. The causes of ancient hybridizations remain to be explored. The frequency and consequences of ancient hybridization events in Zingiberaceae, a tropical family of over 2000 species that includes economically important crops such as ginger, turmeric, and cardamom, are presented here. We analyzed 1094 nuclear low-copy genes from 250 species, covering most known genera and their geographical distributions. We discovered numerous instances of ancient hybridization using phylogenetic network analysis, which often predated the diversification of entire genera or larger lineages within Zingiberaceae. Such
<figure><img src="image_207.png" /></figure>

a commonness of ancient hybridization explains the inability to resolve relationships among and within certain genera, as well as the importance of including historical hybridization analysis when building phylogenies, resolving taxonomic issues, or reconstructing biogeographical history.

## S.84.3 Love thy neighbours and create complexes: lessons from the phylogeny of the fragrant ginger lilies, Hedychium J.Koenig

Vinita Gowda¹, Preeti Saryan¹, Aleena Xavier¹, and Ajith Ashokan¹,²

1 Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal (IISER Bhopal), Bhopal, India. 2 Department of Biology, University of Missouri, St. Louis, USA

The genus Hedychium (Zingiberaceae), distributed in the Asian tropics, is riddled with species complexes. 'Species complex' refers to a set of taxa that lack morphological distinctness from each other, rendering species boundaries among them to be very hazy. To understand speciation in the genus Hedychium, we tackled species complexes as well as phylogenetic reconstructions simultaneously using morphological, ecological, molecular, and genomic approaches. We first noted that the number of species complexes was highest in the Indo-Burmese region, the centre of diversity for Hedychium. Using a machine learning approach we analyzed morphological characters of taxa within a complex and we noted that individuals from different species were found to cluster together based on sympatry. This suggested that sympatry may have played a role in maintaining hazy species boundaries. We next looked at intra- and inter-specific reproductive barriers by carrying out directional crossing experiments in the wild, where male and female parents were tracked in each treatment. Although past horticultural studies had indicated the potential for Hedychiums to hybridize, our results emphasize the need to look at sympatric associations and directionality in reproductive barriers, especially in taxonomic groups known for the presence of species complexes. Finally, we mapped the flowering phenology and we concluded that the 4-5 months of overlapping flowering phenology of closely related and reproductively compatible taxa may have also facilitated the inter-species cross-

es in this genus. Our phylogenetic reconstruction of the genus Hedychium, therefore shows signatures of hybridization, facilitated by the lack of reproductive-isolation mechanisms. This is further enabled by factors such as sympatric associations and the timing of flowering. What is interesting is that, despite this, the clades were stable and showed biogeographic. Diversifications in Hedychium were mostly shaped by geological events such as the uplift of the Himalayas and environmental factors like monsoon intensification.

## S.84.4 Extensive introgressions failed to erode species boundaries among multiple sympatric related species

Hong-Fan Chen¹,²,³, Ryan Andrew Folk⁴, Ya-Li Wang¹,²,³, Wen-Jing Wang¹,³, Guo-Jun Shao¹, Mei-Yuan Huang¹, Xiang-Qin Yu⁵, Qing-Jun Li¹,³, Li Li¹,³, Jian-Li Zhao¹,³

1 Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Transboundary Ecosecurity of Southwest China, Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plant Reproductive Adaptation and Evolutionary Ecology and Centre for Invasion Biology, Institute of Biodiversity, School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan, China. 2 Institute of International Rivers and Eco-security, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan, China. 3 Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Transboundary Ecosecurity of Southwest China, Kunming, Yunnan, China. 4 Department of Biological Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi, USA. 5 CAS Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography in East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China.

How species boundaries are maintained among sympatric closely related species experiencing gene flow is a puzzling question in evolutionary biology. Introgression is commonly reported, but the dynamics of, and gene function in introgression have rarely been explored to probe why frequent introgression does not necessarily destroy species boundaries in sympatry. Here we use seventeen morphological traits and whole-genome resequencing data to investigate introgression in five closely related species in Roscoea that co-occur in a "sky island" distributional pattern with limited seed and pollen dispersal. Introgression is the cause of phylogenomic discordance between the
<figure><img src="image_208.png" /></figure>

nuclear and chloroplast genomes. Introgression is largely asymmetrical in intensity and gene function. Introgressive intensity changed over time with a peak at approximately 2-3 Mya Inferred functions of introgressed genes were related to reproductive processes in only one species pair. Our results suggested that closely related species with incomplete assortment of alleles could coexist despite theoretical predictions, reflecting the semipermeable nature of species boundaries as reproductive isolation is accrued, a key conceptual framework for understanding the conflict between introgression and species fate. Our finding offers novel insights into how related sympatric species boundaries can be upheld in the face of frequent gene flow.

## S.84.5 The evolution of floral morphology of Kaempferia (Zingiberaceae) in Thailand

Napasorn Chuaychoowong¹, Saroj Ruchisansakun¹, Thaya Jenjittikul¹, Nicha Thawara¹, Nattapon Nopporncharoenkul²

1 Mahidol University, Rama VI Road, Ratchathewi, Bangkok, Thailand 2 National Science Museum Thailand, Tambon Khlong Ha, Amphoe Khlong Luang, Chang Wat Pathum Thani, Thailand

The genus Kaempferia is a member in the ginger family (Zingiberaceae). Its distribution stretches from India to various regions in Southeast Asia. Amongst these, Thailand notably stands out with a rich species diversity of this genus. In accordance with the Flora of Thailand, Thailand hosts approximately 32 accepted species. This perennial herb, renowned for its fascinating medicinal properties, extends beyond its species variety, its significance also permeates into the intricate world of its floral morphology, therefore being the core motivation of this study. Our focus will explore the subgenus Kaempferia, with a specific aim to the evolutionary reconstruction of five intriguing morphological characters: the labellum colour, floral markings of the labellum, the floral plane, the shapes of the anther crest, and the size of the lateral staminodes. Furthermore, our study also aims to reconstruct a phylogenetic tree including 18 Kaempferia species within the subgenus Kaempferia using ITS regions. The DNA was extracted and underwent sequencing from frozen leaf specimens and further underwent Bayesian inference and Maximum Likelihood analysis. Character evolution was then analysed via Mesquite to discover the ancestral states of the genus.

## S.84.6 Sequence diversity and chromosome evolution in Musaceae inferred from t2t genome assemblies and molecular cytogenetics

Trude Schwarzacher¹,², Ziwei Wang³, Dongli Cui³, Mathieu Rouard⁴, Pat (J.S.) Heslop-Harrison¹,³, Qing Liu³

1 Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, Institute for Environmental Futures, University of Leicester, U.K. 2 Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Sustainable Utilization / Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China. 3 Henry Fok School of Biology and Agriculture, Shaoguan University, Shaoguan, China. 4 Bioversity International, Parc Scientifique Agropolis II, Montpellier, France

The family Musaceae, with three genera Musa, Musella and Ensete, belongs to the Zingiberales order, is native to the tropics and subtropics of East-Asia and Africa, and includes important crops and ornamental species. To understand the evolution of Musaceae genomes and species, we combined data from chromosome scale assemblies with fluorescent in situ hybridization to describe the chromosomal rearrangements and repetitive DNA composition. Some 50-60% of the genomes are composed of repetitive sequences with LTR-retroelements and DNA transposons predominant and their families distributed among different groups of species. A tandemly repeated 134bp satellite sequence is present at the centromeres of Ensete glaucum, E. ventricosum and Musella lasiocarpa, but no tandem repeat was found at Musa centromeres. 45S rDNA and 5S rDNA have variable numbers and chromosomal locations and occupy often otherwise non-syntenic arms. The individual haplotype assemblies of M. lasiocarpa showed high degree of alignment at the distal parts of the chromosome arms, but inversions and duplication of repetitive elements near the centromeres, cause haplotype differences in all chromosomes. Within Musaceae, the telomere-to-telomere assemblies, including centromeric positions, enabled us to characterize the syntenic relationships and chromosomal rearrangements. Musella and Ensete, both x=9, show only few whole arm translocations and large regions of synteny supporting the close relationship but separation of genera, while the x=11 Musa species are phylogenetically separate with many more postulated chromosomal rearrangements and genetic differences. This insights into the chromosomal and repetitive sequence evolu-
tion of Musaceae genomes along with gene and regulatory sequences in the assemblies, add to a comprehensive and robust pangenome of *Musa* and *Ensete*,

valuable to understanding evolutionary mechanisms and genome diversity, adaptation to climate changes and for crop improvement.

**S.85 PLANT CONSERVATION IN MEDITERRANEAN AND MACARONESIAN ISLANDS. SESSION 2**

**S.85.1 Remote sensing identification and mapping of vegetation cover on some listed Algerian islands (Habibas & Rachgoun).**

Mohamed Hamimeche¹,², Simona Niculescu³, Antoine Billey³, Riadh Moulai¹

1 University of Bejaia, Bejaia, Algeria. 2 Jijel University, Jijel, Algeria. 3 University of Bretagne Occidentale, Brest, France

Despite their proximity to the coast, few studies have focused on identifying and mapping Algerian island vegetation. To fill this gap, we used satellite images and machine learning methods to identify and map the main vegetation groups on two classified islands: the Habibas archipelago and Rachgoun Island, while evaluating the effectiveness of the Random Forest classifier, which is successfully used to study the vegetation of large areas. However, despite the great heterogeneity of their vegetation cover, the use of very high resolution images (Pléaides), through fusion bands and derived bands (NDVI), has enabled us to produce a fairly accurate vegetation map that can be used to establish management and protection plans for these habitats. Our methodological approach produced very satisfactory results, enabling the identification of the plant communities inventoried on the field, while showing high accuracy values, ranging from 0.642 for the halophilic Asteriscus grouping to 1 for the endemic Chasmophyte grouping of the Habibas archipelago. Our methodological approach, and despite the great heterogeneity and very small surface area of our islands and islets, led to very satisfactory results, reflected by good overall accuracy and Kappa index values (overall accuracy > 92% and Kappa index > 0.90).

**S.85.2 Diversification and conservation of species and spaces in Macaronesia: an example from the endemic flora of Gran Canaria**

Juli Caujapé-Castells¹, Isabel Saro¹, Ruth Jaén-Molina¹, Antonio Díaz Pérez², Avigdor Suárez-Pérez¹, Inmaculada Guillermes-Vázquez¹, Miguel A. González-Pérez¹, Carlos García-Verdugo³, Isabel Sanmartín⁴, Javier Fuertes⁴, María Romeiras⁵, Rafael Nebot R⁶, Daniel Reyes⁶, Alejandro Curbelo⁶, Carlos Caraballo⁶

1 Jardín Botánico Canario 'Viera y Clavijo'-Universidad Asociada de I+D+i al CSIC, Cabildo de Gran Canaria, Spain. 2 Gestión y Planeamiento Ambiental S.A., Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain. 3 Depto. de Botánica, Universidad de Granada, Facultad de Ciencias, Spain. 4 Real Jardín Botánico, CSIC, Spain. 5 Instituto Superior de Agronomía, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal. 6 Instituto Tecnológico de Canarias, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain.

The diversification of the Canarian endemic flora is a dynamic process influenced by multiple biotic and ecological variables, but also greatly related to the geological ontogeny and complex geography of the archipelago. Many current radiations may have evolved from widely distributed ancestors or from ubiquitous endemics (UE, those which occur on all islands), but the selective and stochastic landscapes of the islands trigger fast diversification, so that a widespread occurrence should be an extremely transient distributional feature in most taxa. The SIE are also subject to frequent diversification, and there are numerous examples where molecular tools have discovered sharp genetic discontinuities within this distribu-
<figure><img src="image_209.png" /></figure>

tional category. We compile data on the existing phylogenetic evidence for the 256 Canarian endemics currently known in one of the most complex and species-diverse islands of the archipelago (Gran Canaria), alongside biotic and abiotic variables associated with their distributions, to gain insight into the factors that influence florescent diversification and conservation status. We show that the closest extant mainland congeners of the UE often occur in distant mainland regions, thereby supporting the hypothesis of extinction of their closest relatives from Western Africa or close Mediterranean regions during the glacial cycles in the late Pleistocene. Our spatial analyses compellingly show that most UE occur in lower regions with less complex relief, tentatively indicating that ecological processes are still an inconspicuous influence on their diversification. By contrast, most of the SIE tend to occur in geographically complex regions, likely reflecting a major role of ecology, relief and stochasticity on their diversification. We analyse multiple data layers related to ecological, geographic, climatic and phylogenetic parameters to suggest restoration strategies to recover areas subjected to high anthropogenic pressure related to renewable energy sources. All calculations were made using the supercomputing platform created by the NEXTGENDEM project (MAC2/4.6d/236).

**S.85.3 Biodiversity crisis: two examples of Mediterranean endemic plants struggling with germination issues, climate changes...**

Giuseppe Bonanno¹, Vincenzo Veneziano¹

1 Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy

The Mediterranean region is a global hotspot of endemic plant biodiversity. To better understand what destiny awaits some of the most vulnerable plants of Mediterranean flora, we focused on *Petagnaea gussonei* and *Muscari gussonei*, two range-restricted endemic species from Sicily. We specifically investigated the germination capacity of *P. gussonei* and *M. gussonei*, and the temporal trends of climate, desertification and soil-use across the natural range of both species. *P. gussonei* showed high dormancy, whereas *M. gussonei* reported a narrow germination optimum (10–15 °C). The average

temperature increased by 0.5–1.5 °C in the period 1931–2020; the land affected by desertification expanded in an alarming way, by reaching values between 50 and 90%. Soil-use changes created also a complex impacting mosaic where 40–85% are agricultural areas. The effective conservation of *P. gussonei* and *M. gussonei* should be multilateral by relying on germplasm banks, improving landscape connectivity and vegetation cover, and promoting climate policies.

**S.85.4 Conservation genetics of threatened endemic plants in the Canary Islands: applications and perspectives.**

Priscila Rodríguez Rodríguez¹, Sonia Sarmiento Cabello¹, Leticia Curbelo Muñoz¹, Pedro A. Sosa Henríquez¹

1 Instituto Universitario de Estudios Ambientales y Recursos Naturales (iUNAT), Las Palmas de Gran Canaria University, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain

The study of population genetics has become a fundamental pillar in the management of endangered species. Knowing the distribution and levels of genetic variability within and between populations can help to resolve taxonomic uncertainties, detect bottlenecks and drift in natural populations, identify individuals genetically or detect hybrids, among other things. Nowadays, it is essential to know both the biology and ecology of species and their genetic conservation status in order to support species recovery plans and to optimise resources when carrying out conservation actions, either in situ or ex situ. Due to the biogeographical particularities of island ecosystems, they are an important source of biodiversity, with a high rate of plant endemism. However, due to isolation and small population sizes, island endemics are more vulnerable to anthropogenic disturbances, resulting in an increasing number of threatened species. In this presentation, we highlight some practical cases studied by our research group in the Canary Islands in the last 15 years, showing different scenarios and results, and the diverse practical applications to which they have given rise. To sum up, our population genetic studies have resulted in the description of two new species, assistance in the performance of restoration actions or predictions
<figure><img src="image_210.png" /></figure>

of distribution changes under climate change. Likewise, the close contact with the managers of the different natural areas is essential for the transferability of the results.

**S.85.5 A review of the reproductive biology of endemic Azorean taxa**

Alejandra G. Herrezuelo¹, Guilherme Roxo¹, Rúben M.C. Rego¹, Rosa Febles ², Olga Fernández-Palacios², Magui Olangua-Corral², Luís Silva¹, Violeta Oliván Barriendo³, Cátia F. Freitas⁴, Roberto Resendes¹, Mónica Moura¹

1 CIBIO, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Universi-
dade dos Açores, Ponta Delgada, Portugal. 2 Jar-
dim Botánico Canario "Viera y Clavijo", Las Palmas
de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain. 3 Jardim
Botánico do Faial, Horta, Faial, Portugal. 4 Banco de
Sementes dos Açores, Horta, Faial, Portugal.

The Azorean archipelago is located in the North Atlan-
tic Ocean between 36°55′-39°43′N and 25°00′-31°15′W
and is composed of a total of nine volcanic islands
divided by three groups. Positioned as the northern-
most segment of the Macaronesian biogeographic
region, it is considered a hotspot of biodiversity due
to the elevated number of endemic species and a
significant number of endangered species present.
The flora of Azores faces significant threats, primar-
ily stemming from human settlement. The clearing
of native vegetation for cereal crops and pasture,
along with the introduction of numerous crops, for-
age, forest, ornamental, and hedgerow plant species,
poses a substantial risk. Therefore, it is imperative
to prioritize conservation efforts and to implement
protective measures to preserve the unique flora of
Azores. One approach for in and ex situ conservation
is the combined study of reproductive biology and
the genetic characterization of natural populations.
There is a considerable lack of information regard-
ing the reproductive biology of the Azorean endem-
ic flora, therefore recent Interreg projects MacFlor
(MAC/4.6d/190) and MacFlor 2 (MAC2/4.6d/386)
have aimed to improve the knowledge of this par-
ticular subject. During the above-mentioned projects,
seven endemic Azorean taxa were reviewed: Hyper-
icum foliosum Aiton; Picconia azorica (Tutin) Knobl.;
Veronica dabneyi Hochst. ex Seub.; Frangula azori-
ca Grubov; Myosotis azorica H.C.Watson; Viburnum
treleasei Gand. and Laurus azorica (Seub.) Franco.

New data was collected about micro-morphological
elements of the flower, phylogenetic relationships,
seasonal and floral phenology, palynology, fruit and
seed characterization and reproductive success. It
was estimated (by ratio Pollen/Ovule) that the target
species have xenogamy as their preferable breeding
system, which implies that they favour outcrossing as
their main reproductive strategy.

S.85.6 Reconstructing the
historical biogeography of
an (almost) lost ecosystem:
Evolutionary genomics
of the Canarian cedar,
Juniperus cedrus

Jairo Patiño¹, Javier Morente-López¹,
Agustín Naranjo-Cigala², Abraham
Araña-Padilla¹, Guillermo Sicilia-Pasos¹,³,
Javier Martín-Carbajal¹, David P. Padilla¹,
Yurena Arjona¹,³, Manuel Nogales¹

1 Island Ecology and Evolution Research Group,
Instituto de Productos Naturales y Agrobiología
(CSIC), La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain. 2 Department of
Geography, University of Las Palmas de Gran Ca-
naria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Gran Canaria,
Spain. 3 Department of Botany, Ecology and Plant
Physiology, University of La Laguna, La Laguna,
Tenerife, Spain

The extinction of unique species and the disappearance of various types of vegetation have been recurring phenomena on oceanic islands since human colonization. However, the extent of both prehistoric and colonial anthropic impact, as well as their consequences, remains a subject of debate in many island systems. In this context, the study of historical demography through genetic information preserved by current populations offers a unique opportunity to understand how humans have transformed island ecosystems. Our study leverages recent advances in massive high-throughput DNA sequencing (ddRADseq) and population genomic analyses to address the case of *Juniperus cedrus* Webb & Berthel. in the oceanic archipelago of the Canary Islands. It has been suggested that the Canarian cedar was the primary structuring species of a vegetation type that has now practically vanished due to anthropogenic pressure. Consequently, the Canarian cedar, endemic to the islands of Tenerife, La Palma, La Gomera, and Gran Canaria, is classified as nationally and internationally threatened. Herein,
we present the first results of the JUNIPERADAPT project, which aims to: (i) reconstruct the historical biogeography and evolution of the Canarian cedar across its current distribution range through population genomics; and (ii) predict range shifts of the Canarian cedar under past and future climate change scenarios through the

implementation of species distribution models. By integrating these complementary approaches, we seek to unveil its demographic trajectory, infer the possible impact of societies that colonized the Canary Islands (i.e., both Canarian aborigines and European colonizers), and identify current refuges of genetic diversity.

# S.86 RECENT ADVANCES IN THE MEGADIVERSE LEGUME SUBFAMILY PAPILIONOIDEAE – PART II

## S.86.1 Combining legacy Sanger with new phylogenomic DNA sequence data to produce a densely sampled papilionoid metachronogram for comparative biology

Flávia Fonseca Pezzini¹, Moabe Ferreira Fernandes²,³, Rafaela Jorge Trad¹, Gregory J. Kenicer¹, Erik J. M. Koenen⁴, Jens J. Ringelberg⁴, Kyle G. Dexter⁴, Colin E. Hughes⁵, R. Toby Pennington¹,²

1 Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK. 2 University of Exeter, Exeter, UK. 3 Royal Botanic Garden Kew, Surrey, UK. 4 School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK. 5 Department of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, University of Zurich, Switzerland

Phylogenetic trees are fundamental for understanding the evolution of life on Earth, providing insights into the assembly of biotas, morphological trait shifts, and diversification dynamics. Recent advances in High-throughput sequencing (HTS) technologies are generating an explosion of DNA sequence data and prompting new approaches to enhance phylogenetic resolution. However, sparse sampling of species and intraspecific diversity remains an important limitation for global-scale comparative studies of large clades. Combining numerous species-level phylogenies which benefit from thoroughly curated taxonomy, dense taxon sampling and Sanger sequencing data, with more sparsely sampled higher-level backbone phylogenies presents a useful avenue for generating robust, densely sampled, well curated, time-calibrated phylogenetic metatrees or metachronograms. In

this study we present a workflow to integrate large-scale sparsely sampled higher-level backbone trees with fine-scale, clade-specific densely sampled phylogenies. We demonstrate this approach for the species-rich legume subfamily Papilionoideae. We first produced a dated backbone using 20 fossil calibrations and a phylogeny containing 3696 tips representing 20% of known legume species (LPWG 2017). We then searched the literature for well sampled, thoroughly curated phylogenies built for specific Papilionoideae clades using both HTS or Sanger sequencing. When phylogenies were not available, we used the alignments or downloaded the accessions from GenBank to generate phylogenies using MrBayes. We checked ESS values, average standard deviation of split frequencies and whether the topology matched the one in the original study. Those fine-scale phylogenies were then grafted onto the backbone to produce a meta-chronogram. This approach means that diverse data types can be combined to build a single phylogeny, thereby tapping into the full wealth of available DNA sequence data and maximising the number of taxa that can be sampled with molecular data and provides a computationally tractable way to build a large phylogeny with many taxa.

## S.86.2 Developments in the phylogenetic and taxonomic studies of Southern African genera of the tribe Phaseoleae

Abdulwakeel A. Ajao, Tlou S. Manyelo, Annah N. Moteetee

Department of Botany and Plant Biotechnology, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
<figure><img src="image_211.png" /></figure>

In southern Africa, the tribe Phaseoleae consists of ca. 185 indigenous, naturalized, and cultivated species distributed among 25 genera, namely, *Alistus*, *Cajanus*, *Clitoria*, *Decorsea*, *Dipogon*, *Dolichos*, *Dumasia*, *Eriosema*, *Erythrina*, *Flemingia*, *Galactia*, *Lablab*, *Macroptilium*, *Macrotyloma*, *Mucuna*, *Neonotonia*, *Neorautanenia*, *Nesphostylis*, *Ophrestia*, *Otoptera*, *Pueraria*, *Rhynchosia* (including *Bolusafra*), *Sphenostylis*, *Teramnus*, and *Vigna*. A notable challenge in the current understanding of these genera lies in the absence of recent taxonomic revisions for some, resulting in a limited knowledge of their respective species. Furthermore, there is a dearth of information concerning intra- and intergeneric relationships within and between the tribes and genera of the Phaseoleae. This study presents advancements in taxonomic studies of the aforementioned genera and conducting phylogenetic analyses of the subtribes within Phaseoleae over the past decade. While several taxonomic revisionary studies have led to the discovery of new species and many combinations of names, some genera, such as *Galactia*, *Eriosema*, *Teramnus*, still require comprehensive taxonomic revision. Morphological studies revealed a number of characters that can be used to distinguish closely related species within genera, as well as within the subtribes and tribes. These include growth habit, stipule type, leaf indumentum, inflorescence type and length, calyx, and standard petals indumentum. In the realm of phylogenetic studies, our research on southern African *Rhynchosia* has confirmed the polyphyly of the genus within the Cajaninae subtribe. Additionally, the monophyly of Phaseolinae in southern Africa has been substantiated. This study delves into sectional changes within the genera of southern African Phaseoleae, addresses research gaps, and establishes a framework for future investigations into the phylogeny and taxonomy of prominent genera, with a particular emphasis on *Eriosema* in the region.

### S.86.3 Phylogenetic resolution of Mirbelieae (Fabaceae) using the Angiosperms353 target-capture probe set.

James A. R. Clugston¹,²,³, Russell L. Barrett³,⁴, Matthew A. M. Renner³, Peter H. Weston³, Lyn G. Cook⁵, Peter C. Jobson⁴, Brendan J. Lepschi⁶, Michael D. Crisp⁷

1 Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, Australia. 2 Montgomery Botanical Center, Coral Gables, FL, USA. 3 National Herbarium of New South Wales, Botanic Gardens of Sydney, Australian Botanic Garden, New South Wales, Australia. 4 Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth, and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales Sydney, Kensington, NSW Australia. 5 School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia. 6 Australian National Herbarium, Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research, Canberra, Australia. 7 School of Sociology, Research School of Social Sciences, College of Arts and Social Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia

An Australian endemic clade, Fabaceae tribe Mirbelieae (bush peas and their relatives), currently consist of 27 genera and c. 756 species, and Core Mirbelieae, the focus of our study, contains 21 genera and c. 540 species, or 32% of Australia's pea flora. Species within the tribe have a wide distribution across Australia, occupying habitats from coastal to alpine zones, and wet forests to arid deserts. However, the phylogeny of Mirbelieae, required to reach consensus on the taxonomic relationships of species and genera within the tribe, has never been adequately resolved using traditional sequencing. To resolve the phylogeny of Mirbelieae, samples were collected from 354 taxa within the core genera, from a combination of wild collected silica dried leaf tissue or herbarium specimens from NSW, BRI, CANB and MEL. Next generation sequencing was then performed using target capture with the Angiosperms353 universal probe set, with the aim of creating a resolved phylogenetic tree for the group to aid future taxonomy. Data assembly resulted in a total of 278 genes being recovered after filtering, with alignments that ranged from 97 bp to 3,575 bp in length. The resulting phylogenetic tree resolved the backbone of the phylogeny and provided statistical support for all major clades within Mirbelieae. We found that 11 genera were monophyletic and six were polyphyletic, including the largest genus *Pultenaea*, which was separated into five distinct clades. Ultimately, we published over 30 new species and recognised four new genera. Our findings shed new light on evolution of Mirbelieae and their phylogenetic relationships, providing a new foundation for the future taxonomic research and classification.
<figure><img src="image_212.png" /></figure>

## S.86.4 Systematics of genistoid legumes: taxonomy and phylogeny of Argyrolobium (Genistae, Fabaceae)

J. Stephen Boatwright¹, Brian du Preez²,
Xichavo Mathebula¹, Marianne M. le Roux ³,⁴

1 Department of Biodiversity and Conservation Bi-
ology, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town,
South Africa. 2 Department of Biological Sciences,
University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa. 3
Foundational Biodiversity Sciences Division, Pretoria
National Herbarium, South African National Biodi-
versity Institute, Pretoria, South Africa. 4 Depart-
ment of Botany and Plant Biotechnology, University
of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa

The genus *Argyrolobium* Eckl. & Zeyh. (Genistae) comprises of ca. 97 species distributed throughout tropical and northern Africa, Madagascar, the Mediterranean, southern Europe and west into the highlands of India. It has its centre of diversity in southern Africa where about 51 species occur. Phylogenetic studies based on a limited sampling of the genus have indicated that the genus may not be monophyletic, and that the generic circumscription needs revision. In addition, the South African species (47) have only been treated synoptically in recent years, based on an unpublished Ph.D. thesis, and the last published comprehensive taxonomic revision of the southern African species dates back to 1862. Several new species remain to be described, and difficult species complexes renders identification of some species problematic. The present study is aimed at producing morphological and molecular data for *Argyrolobium*, based on a globally representative sampling, that will contribute towards resolving the generic circumscription and relationships of the genus. In addition, the taxonomy of the southern African species will be revised. Data from the analysis of nuclear and plastid DNA sequences confirm that the genus is not monophyletic. While a large clade of predominantly southern African species was recovered, the remaining tropical African, Middle Eastern, Asian and Malagasy species form at least two separate clades distributed among other genera of the Genistae. Options for generic circumscriptions are explored. An overview of the taxonomy of the genus is also presented, along with progress on revisions of several groups within the genus.

## S.86.5 Species delimitation and phylogenomics of African Pterocarpus with an implication for species identification tools development

Laura Albreht¹, Nils Bourland², Bente Klitgård³, Rowan Schley⁴, Steven B. Janssens⁵, Olivier J. Hardy¹

1 Université Libre de Bruxelles, Unit of Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, Brussels, Belgium. 2 Royal Museum for Central Africa, Service of Wood Biology, Tervuren, Belgium. 3 Royal Botanic Gardens, Accelerated Taxonomy Department, Kew, Richmond, UK. 4 University of Exeter, Department of Geography, Exeter, UK. 5 Meise Botanic Garden, Meise, Belgium. Contact: Laura.Albreht@ulb.be/ laura.albreht@gmail.com

Reliable delimitation of species is fundamental for establishing sustainable and equitable harvesting guidelines of economically important organisms. *Pterocarpus* (Fabaceae) is a pantropical genus of trees including several highly valuable timber-producing species that face significant threats from intensive logging. However, a lack of taxonomic clarity has hindered the advance of logging regulations and has led to the inclusion of all African *Pterocarpus* populations under CITES (CoP19). In our study, we addressed this issue by reassessing species delimitation of all twelve accepted African *Pterocarpus* species, including neotropical samples of the two pantropical species. Based on DNA sequences obtained by Angiosperms353 probe set, we reconstructed a comprehensive phylogeny combining maximum likelihood and multispecies coalescence approaches. Additionally, we explored the potential of high-copy DNA for identifying African *Pterocarpus* species. This involved reconstructing chloroplast and ribosomal DNA phylogenies, using genome skimming and maximum likelihood approaches. Our results confirmed the monophyly of eleven *Pterocarpus* species and a paraphyletic *P. rotundifolius*, presenting one Angolan subclade with the remaining subclades further subdivided in three geographically coherent groups, suggesting the possibility of cryptic diversity within the complex. A similar situation arose in *P. lucens*, which exhibited two sister clades with disjunct distributions. Species delimitation based on high-copy DNA was congruent with the Angiosperms353 data for most species, indicating the reliability of chloroplast
and ribosomal DNA markers for *Pterocarpus* species identification. Our findings give valuable insights into African *Pterocarpus* species delimitation, highlighting the need for further investigation of potential cryptic diversity within *P. rotundifolius* and *P. lucens*. Finally, our study lays the groundwork for developing DNA-based tools aimed at improving logging regulations for African *Pterocarpus* species.

## S.86.6 Floral evolution of morphologically unusual papilionoid legumes (Leguminosae, Papilionoideae)

Gustavo Ramos¹,², Catherine Kidner¹,², Domingos Cardoso⁴, R. Toby Pennington¹,³

1 Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. 2 The University of Edinburgh. 3 University of Exeter. 4 Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro

A key innovation which has evolved in many plant lineages is the elaboration of floral symmetry from actinomorphy (radial symmetry) to zygomorphy (bilateral symmetry), allowing more specialized interactions with pollinators. Genes regulating flower symmetry have been identified in model species including: CY-

CLOIDEA (CYC), DICHOTOMA (DICH), DIVARICATA (DIV), and RADIALIS (RAD). Changes in these genes underlie symmetry shifts in several lineages. In typical papilionoid flowers, CYC and DICH like genes are expressed on the dorsal (upper) side of the flower bud and specific to development of the standard petal via RAD. Several papilionoid lineages have lost the typical floral morphology of 5-petaled, zygomorphic papilionoid flower with 10 stamens and have highly morphologically unusual flowers, including those with a single petal, higher number of stamens and even radial symmetry. Here, we explore the key symmetry-regulating genes in the papilionoid legume genera *Andira* (typical zygomorphic papilionoid flower), *Cyathostegia* (single petal and multiple stamens), and *Cadia* (radially symmetrical flower). We used draft genome to identify putative ortholog sequences of CYC, DICH, DIV, and RAD, and quantified the expression of these genes in different developmental stages and between the species. Although the three genera bear quite distinct flower architectures, our results show that they vary in expression patterns of genes involved in the establishment of zygomorphic symmetry. Rather than loss or gain of key regulators, differential gene expression may play a major role in the determination of organ identity in florally unusual genera of Papilionoideae. We also provide floral ontogenetic data, allowing insights into the expression of symmetry genes relative to the underlying changes observed in development.

## S.87 PLANT CONSERVATION GENETICS: FROM IN-SITU AND EX-SITU CONSERVATION TO REINTRODUCTIONS AND RESTORATIONS. SESSION 3

### S.87.1 Improving Seed Germination and Bulb Induction of Allium tuncelianum L. under Aseptic Conditions

Suleyman Kizil¹, Khalid Mahmood Khawar²

1 Department of Field Crops, Agriculture Faculty, Diwan University, Diyarbakir, Turkey. 2 Department of Field Crops, Agriculture Faculty, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey

Allium tuncelianum (Kollman) N. Ozhatay, B. Mathew & Siraneci or Tunceli garlic is endemic to Eastern Turkish Provinces of Tunceli, Sivas Erzincan and Munzur mountains. They are edible and bear attractive deep lilac colored flowers with fertile black deep dormant seeds. Tunceli garlic seeds were collected from field grown plants and aimed to break seed dormancy to optimize conditions for induction of bulblets, along with their growth, development and increased bulb diameter. Therefore, these were cultured on MS medium amended with different strengths of KNO₃. They were germinated on MS medium with or without 20 g/l sucrose followed by their culture on 1 ×, 2, 4 and 6 ×
<figure><img src="image_213.png" /></figure>

1900 mg/l mg/l KNO₃ to increase bulb diameter. Improved seeds germination was noted on MS medium with and without sucrose but with variation compared to previous reports. The bulb formation rate on each of the germinated seeds was not parallel. The results showed 34% and 28.5% bulb induction noted on germinated seeds after 150 and 158 days on MS medium containing 20 g l⁻¹ sucrose and no sucrose in the same sequence. The results emphatically noted role of cold stratification on agar solidified MS medium supplemented with sucrose to improve seed germination. The best increase in bulb diameter was noted on MS medium containing 1 × 1900 mg/l KNO₃ after 178 days with bulblet diameter and weight of 0.54 cm and 0.048 g, respectively. Consequently, the bulbs induced on sucrose-containing MS medium could be transferred to pots earlier. Increased (>1 × 1900 mg/l KNO₃) strengths of KNO₃ induced a negative effect on the growth and development of Tunceli garlic bulbs. The strategy of seed germination and bulblet induction reported in this study could be positively used for conservation and protection of this endemic.

## S.87.2 Can inbreeding coefficients predict plant progeny fitness? A case study from wild and translocated populations.

Chantelle A.T. Doyle¹,², Manuela Cascini², Ryan Tangney¹,⁴, Sam Yap², Maurizio Rosetto², Jason Bragg², Charlotte Mills³, Mark K.J. Ooi¹

1 Centre for Ecosystem Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. 2 Research Centre for Ecosystem Resilience, Australian Institute of Botanical Science, The Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, Australia. 3 Airseed Technologies Australia Pty Ltd, Sydney, Australia. 4 Kings Park Science, Biodiversity and Conservation Science, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Kings Park WA, Australia

Many threatened species are at risk of extinction or functional extinction due to genetic and reproductive isolation, arising from historic contractions of ranges, and anthropic fragmentation. One method of managing fragmented populations is through genetics rescue, using translocations, particularly supplementations/ augmentations and reintroductions. In our study we used a long lived clonal but preferentially outcrossing case study species to assess the impact of inbreeding on fitness of wild and translocated populations.

We paired inbreeding coefficients (FIS) with targeted outcrossing to determine if varied fitness of wild plants could be attributed to inbreeding. We also identified if strategic outcrossing resulted in increased growth, seed viability and reproduction of germinants intended for an augmentation translocation and if these strategies could be used to plan more effective and robust plant translocations where genetic rescue is required.

## S.87.3 Assessing the restoration potential for the rare sexual populations of Chara canescens, a singular cryptogam, from their oospores

Adriana Arnal¹, Karl-Georg Bernhardt ², Pablo García-Murillo³, Riccardo Guarino⁴, AngeloTroia⁴, Barbara Turner², Johanna Weitzel⁵, Hendrik Schubert⁵ and Maria A. Rodrigo¹

1 Cavanilles Institute for Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain, maria.a.rodrigo@uv.es. 2 Dep. Integrative Biology and Biodiversity Research, BOKU-University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Austria. 3 Dep. Plant Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Sevilla, Spain. 4 Dep. Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, Univ. Palermo, Italy. 5 Institute for Biosciences, Chair Aquatic Ecology, University of Rostock, Germany

Chara canescens is a charophyte algae, which plays an important role in the ecosystems that it inhabits. This species is unique within its genus because it presents two different reproductive strategies: parthenogenesis, which is unusual in this genus, and sexual reproduction. Parthenogenetically reproducing populations are known for coastal brackish lagoons worldwide, so they are not considered as rare; however, sexually reproducing populations are restricted to Mediterranean and Pannonian inland brackish water sites, with only a few populations recorded in the last decades. The genetic flow of both populations types through stepping-stone habitats is key to the genetic diversity of the species; and its conservation. The parthenogenetically reproducing populations lack at least some of the genetic recombination mechanisms and consequently are more vulnerable to loss of genetic diversity compared to sexually reproducing species. This fact means that protection measures
<figure><img src="image_214.png" /></figure>

limited to the coastal stands will not be effective, because the fitness of these stands depends to a high degree on connectivity with inland brackish water sites. With the aim of developing effective transnational conservation strategies, the project "ProPartS" (Biodiversa+) assesses the restoration potential of the species' diaspore bank. The oospores are the charophytes sexual propagules, which can remain viable in the sediment during years and develop new individuals when the conditions are suitable again. Analyzing these oospores (in terms of vitality, germination rate, interfertility assessment...) and assessing the possible differences between the sexually or parthenogenetically produced ones may help to develop effective conservation actions and restoration initiatives for the species. These "hidden biodiversity elements" act as reservoirs and can ensure mid-term resilience of temporary and/or degraded habitats and be potentially useful for the restoration of lost habitats. This is especially important in the context of a changing environment dealing with increased droughts and other threats for the aquatic ecosystems.

## S.87.4 Extinct or not?

### Establishing the status of the urban endemic Hieracium tolstoii (Asteraceae) with taxonomic investigations

Orsenigo Simone¹, Giacomo Baldesi¹, Carla Lambertini², Fainelli Federico¹

1 Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy. 2 Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy

Hieracium is one of the largest plant genera in the Angiosperms and experienced a rapid and recent evolutionary radiation. Due to the massive morphological variation among species, past hybridization events and frequent polyploidization, combined with apomictic reproduction in polyploids, the species concept in *Hieracium* is widely debated and species identification is very challenging. According to recent studies (Davis et al. 2011) most vulnerable species are found within young and fast-evolving plant lineages and several *Hieracium* species are considered extinct or threatened². Taxonomy represents the first fundamental step for every conservation project. Taxonomic investigation can lead to changes in conservation status or to de-extinctions of species³. Taxa with doubtful classification are particularly sensitive to this kind of problems. *Hieracium tolstoii*

Fen. & Zahn was a narrow endemic species described for the ancient walls of Milan Castle (Italy). Morphologically, this species was considered as intermediate between two other species (*H. pospichalii* and *H. australe*). However, no further investigations were conducted on *H. tolstoii* origin after the first description in early XX century and nowadays the species is considered extinct³. To verify the nomenclatural identity of *H. tolstoii*, disentangle its origin and ensure the validity of its current conservation status, we conducted a taxonomic investigation on herbaria specimens of the early XX century. Specimens were studied by morphometric analysis comparing *H. tolstoii* with *H. australe*, *H. pospichalii*, and other closely related species. Finally, we performed phylogenetic investigations using three plastid intergenic spacers (trnH-psbA, trnT-trnL, and trnV-ndhC) and ten nuclear microsatellites to evaluate the genetic relationship between species and assess the possibility of hybrid origin of *H. tolstoii*.

References: Davies et al. (2011), *PLOS Biology*, 9(5):e1000620. 2 Abeli et al. (2021), *Nature Plants*, 7(3):282-286. 3 Orsenigo et al. (2021), *Plant Biosystems*, 155(2):310-335

## S.87.5 Using pedigree approach to make management decisions of valuable ex-situ collections

Jeremie Fant¹,², Zoe Diaz Martin¹,³, Nora Gavin-Smyth¹,², Kay Havens¹,²

1 Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe, Illinois, USA. 2 Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA. 3 Spelman College, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Historically, ex situ plant conservation has focused on seed banking, however, up to one-third of threatened flowering plant do not produce seeds or produce seeds that cannot be dried and frozen for storage. As a result, these exceptional species must be conserved in living plant collections. This practice of maintaining small, isolated populations often leads to inbreeding, loss of genetic diversity, hybridization between species, and in general, poor conservation outcomes, creating challenges for ensuring their long-term genetic diversity and viability. An important method used in the zoo community is a pedigree-based management approach, where founding individuals are genotyped and recorded in a "studbook." This allows genetic lineages to be tracked and prevents the breeding of closely related individuals. Optimal breeding pairs are identified
<figure><img src="image_215.png" /></figure>

and crossed (typically via sperm transfer) to maximize the genetic health of the captive population across institutions. This approach greatly improves conservation outcomes by safeguarding genetic diversity ex situ, creating robust captive populations, and improving reintroduction efforts. By emulating the pedigree approach and creating greater collaboration between institutions, the botanic garden community would be better equipped to safeguard the viability of threatened species in their collections and together manage all ex situ individuals as a "meta collection".

**S.87.6 Conserving genetic diversity in the climate change era: strategy used for a rare and threatened conifer in France, Salzmann's pine**

Bruno Fady, Caroline Scotti-Saintagne

INRAE ecologie des Forêts Méditerranéennes (URFM), Avignon, France

Genetic diversity is essential to evolution and a recognized target of conservation by the Convention on Biological Diversity. Yet, its implementation lags behind other forms of conservation and it is often overlooked

in restoration practice. When threats are high and populations are small, in-situ gene conservation needs to be reinforced with an ex-situ approach, where a genetically representative sample of the target taxon is safeguarded in a favorable environment. The fragmented habitat of Pinus nigra subsp. salzmannii (Dunal) Franco 1943 (Salzmann's pine), recognized in Annex 1 of the European Union's Habitats Directive, is threatened by wildfires and land use change. In France, gene flow from massive plantations of other subspecies of black pines since the mid-19th century, also threatens its genetic diversity. Here, using individual tree genotypic data at thirteen microsatellite loci, we identified differentiated lineages for in-situ gene conservation. Discriminating between autochthonous, exotic and hybrid trees, we proposed a method for the creation of an ex-situ core collection. We confirmed that Salzmann's pine is an original genetic lineage within the western European and Mediterranean black pine subspecies. We identified five genetic groups in France that can serve as the basis for in-situ gene conservation as well as for delineating seed zones and guiding forest plantation and restoration practice in a context of increasing interest for this taxon for assisted migration. Maximizing overall genetic diversity while maintaining among population diversity, we identified 80 native and non-hybridized trees that can form the basis of a representative ex-situ core collection. Our cost-effective methods combining in-situ and ex-situ conservation can be easily applied to many forest tree species.

**S.88 GENOMIC APPROACHES TO UNDERSTANDING THE ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION OF SYMBIOTIC AND NON-SYMBIOTIC MICROALGAE. SESSION 2**

**S.88.1 Genomic divergence and photo-physiological differences within the common lichen photobiont genus, Trebouxia**

R.C. Poquita-Du¹,², J. Otte¹, A. Calchera¹,², Nicolas Herrmann³, Claudia Büchel³ & Schmitt, I.¹,²,³

1 Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Center, Frankfurt am Main, Germany. 2 LOEWE Center for Translational Biodiversity Genomics, Frankfurt am Main, Germany. 3 Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

The genus *Trebouxia* is a keystone lichen-forming green alga and is known to display a wide range of environmental tolerances. However, knowledge about the genome composition of different strains and what influences the varying levels of tolerance to stress within this genus remains scarce. Here, we report results from two connected studies including (1) a genome-wide comparative study concern-
ing six *Trebouxia* strains, isolated from *Umbilicaria phaea* (*Trebouxia* clade A) and *U. pustulata* (*Trebouxia* clade S) and, (2) an experimental study to examine the photo-physiological performance of the six strains under high light conditions. We have assembled highly complete genomes of the six *Trebouxia* strains, with an average of 96% BUSCO completeness based on the Chlorophyta database. We found extensive genomic variation among, and even within *Trebouxia* clades with genome sizes and numbers of protein-coding genes ranging from 63.08-74.14 Mb and 14,109-18,870, respectively. Interestingly, we found differences in protein-coding genes associated with photosynthesis, suggesting differences in physiological capacities related to photosynthetic performance. To test this hypothesis, we performed an experiment to examine responses of the six *Trebouxia* strains to high light stress, after 1 hour and 3 days of exposure. We measured photo-physiological parameters (photosynthetic efficiency, non-photochemical quenching, chlorophyll a concentration) in combination with differential gene expression analysis via RNAseq. Preliminary results show among-strain differences in capacity to withstand high light stress, which likely stem from variation in their genomic composition, particularly regions associated to photosynthesis. Overall, our work demonstrates that unifying physiological and molecular mechanisms can provide important insights into the ecology and evolution of this important and most widespread lichen-forming green algal genus, *Trebouxia*.

## S.88.2 Comparative study of asco- and basidiolichen thalli sharing the photobiont Rhizonema

Eva Troner¹, Robert Lücking², Julien Bachelier¹

1Institute of Biology/Dahlem Centre of Plant Sciences, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany. 2 Botanical Garden BO, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany

Relationships between the symbionts within the lichen thallus have been studied extensively, but it is still unclear whether their associations, which are usually specific, are driven by the myco- or photobiont and/or aspects of the thallus structure. Here, we examine the nature of mycobiont-photobiont associations in two lichen fungi clades, one in the

Ascomycota (*Coccocarpia*) and one in the Basidiomycota (Dictyonemateae), the latter encompassing the genera *Cyphellostereum*, *Dictyonema*, and *Cora*, which form diverse thalli but are all associating with cyanobacterial photobionts of the same genus, *Rhizonema*. Using microtome sections, light, fluorescence, and scanning electron microscopy, we confirmed the absence of haustorial association in the ascolichen (*Coccocarpia*) and the presence of tubular haustoria in *Cora*, *Dictyonema*, and *Cyphellostereum*. Based on our results, we conclude that formation of penetrative haustoria in *Rhizonema* associations is mycobiont- rather than photobiont-driven and does not correlate with the evolution of a more complex thallus structure in, e.g., *Coccocarpia* or *Cora*. We hypothesize that the absence of haustoria in *Coccocarpia* may be explained by the much older evolutionary age of *Coccocarpia* (Early Cretaceous vs. Oligocene/Miocene in Dictyonemateae), potentially allowing more time to evolve less intrusive non-haustorial photobiont associations in that lineage over time. We also show that the associations within Dictyonemateae lichens appear histologically quite diverse when compared to one another, especially the presence of carbohydrate secretions around the intrahabitoral hyphae but conclude that they likely evolved in their most recent common ancestor and may be a new apomorphy for the clade.

## S.88.3 The diversity of lichen phycobiota (microalgae) among thalli and substrates uncovered by an amplicon sequencing approach

Salvador Chiva¹,², Tamara Pazos¹, Patricia Moya¹, Eva Barreno¹, Lucia Muggia²

1Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat i Biologia Evolutiva, Universitat de València, Spain. 2 Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Italy

Lichens are considered as microecosystems due to the great diversity of microorganisms that cohabit their thalli. To encompass the microalgal diversity (including primary and non-primary phycobionts) associated with the lichen symbioses, the term phycobiota is currently used. Here we investigated how the diversity of lichen phycobiota correlates with lichen species and their growth form and ecology. Thalli of five lichen species were collected in a Medi-
terranean climate zone of the Iberian and Italic pen-
insulas. The selected species, i.e., *Cladonia foliacea*,
*Parmelia sulcata*, *Ramalina farinacea*, *Squamarina
cartilaginea* and *Xanthoria parietina* are widely dis-
tributed in these regions, have different thallus ar-
chitectures and grow on different substrates. DNA
from five thalli of the same species collected at
each locality was extracted, amplified, pooled and
DNA metabarcoded for the algal ITS2 marker using
an Illumina sequencing approach. This allowed the
estimation of the microalgae community present at
a certain locality for each lichen species collected
there. Furthermore, to corroborate the correct iden-
tifications of the lichen mycobionts, barcode iden-
tification (of the fungal ITS) by Sanger sequencing
was performed. In addition, at each locality three
samples of each substrate type present, adjacent
to the collected lichens, i.e., soil, bark and rocks were
sampled. The substrate samples were used to as-
sess the microalgal background diversity in each lo-
cality, i.e., the whole set of algae potentially available
for the establishment of lichen symbioses.

Acknowledgments: Prometeo Excellence in Re-
search Program (Generalitat Valenciana, Spain,
PROMETEO/2021/005) and a postdoctoral contract
(Next Generation EU, to SC) Ministry of Universities –
Universitat de València (MS21-058).

S.88.4 Unraveling the phylogeography and phycobiont diversity of Ramalina farinacea (lichenized fungi, Ascomycota)

Tamara Pazos¹, Patricia Moya¹, Isaac Garrido-Benavent², Salvador Chiva¹,³, Sergio Pérez-Ortega⁴, Miguel Blázquez⁴, Pedro Carrasco⁵, Eva Barreno¹

1 Instituto Cavanilles de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Universitat de València, Burjassot, Spain. 2 Universitat de València, Burjassot, Spain. 3 University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy. 4 Real Jardín Botánico (CSIC), Madrid, Spain. 5 Instituto de Biotecnología y Biomedicina, Universitat de València, Burjassot, Spain

Ramalina farinacea is an epiphytic lichen-form-
ing fungus with a broad geographic distribution,
especially in the Northern Hemisphere. To explore
the phylogeography of this model lichen and its
associated phycobionts (microalgae) diversity, we

analyzed over 400 thalli of *R. farinacea* collected
in the Atlantic archipelagos of Macaronesia, the
Mediterranean Basin, and Temperate/central and
Boreal/northern Europe. Data from two nuclear
markers (nrITS and uid70) of the mycobiont were
obtained to calculate genetic diversity indices, infer
phylogenies, haplotype networks, and explore pop-
ulations structure. Additionally, dating analysis was
conducted to provide a valuable hypothesis of the
timing of the origin and diversification of *R. farina-
cea* and its closest allies. Regarding the phycobiont
diversity, we studied the climatic niche and biocli-
matic distribution of *Trebouxia jamesii* and *T. lyn-
nae*, the predominant symbiotic microalgae in the
analyzed populations of *R. farinacea*. Our results
highlight that phylogenetic species circumscription
in the “*Ramalina farinacea* group” is complex and
suggests that incomplete lineage sorting is at the
base of conflicting phylogenetic signals. Moreover,
*T. jamesii* and *T. lynnae* climatic niches overlapped
in a particular zone, but also exhibited restricted
zones for each taxon. *T. jamesii* emerged as the
most abundant and widespread microalga, which
is present in all the bioclimatic belts and bioge-
graphical areas, but *T. lynnae* was identified as the
main symbiotic microalga in the thallifrom Western
Mediterranean Basin and Canary Islands.

S.88.5 New approaches to understand the effect of anthropic perturbations on lichen communities.

Sergio Pérez-Ortega¹, Alejandro
Berlinches de Gea¹,², Yolanda Turégano¹,
Miguel Blázquez¹, Mar Villar de Pablo¹,³,
Francisco Gasulla⁴, Miguel Verdú⁵

1 Department of Mycology, Real Jardín Botánico (CSIC), Madrid, Spain. 2 Laboratory of Nematology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands. 3 Biogeochemistry and Microbial Ecology Department, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Madrid, Spain. 4 Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad de Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Spain. 5 Department of Ecology, Centro de Investigaciones sobre Desertificación (CSIC), Moncada, Valencia, Spain

Lichens, symbiotic organisms consisting of a fun-
gus specialized in obtaining nutrients from a pop-
ulation of unicellular algae or cyanobacteria, have
been acknowledged since the 19th century to be
highly sensitive to environmental changes, partic-
<figure><img src="image_216.png" /></figure>

ularly those of anthropogenic origin. This is largely
owing to their poikilohydric nature, which lacks ac-
tive mechanisms for regulating the uptake and loss
of gas and water, as well as the symbiosis's fairly
delicate equilibrium. Since the mid-20th century,
lichens have been utilised as bioindicators for de-
tecting changes that are caused by atmospheric
pollution, habitat fragmentation and loss, global
warming, etc. However, changes in lichen com-
munities have exclusively been studied from the
perspective of fluctuations in mycobiont diversity.
There has been little attention to the fate of pho-
tobionts and fungal-algal interactions within the

community context. Here, we present our recent
research results on the impact of anthropogenic
disruptions on lichen communities. We utilized me-
tabarcoding tools to characterize species-asso-
ciated photobiont communities in epiphyte com-
munities along disturbance gradients. Our use of
bipartite ecological interaction network analysis
tools allowed us to detect much subtler changes
than simple analysis of mycobiont diversity and
abundance. This enables us to utilise them as an
advance indicator of shifts in lichen communities
resulting from global change agents.

# S.89 NEOTROPICAL BOTANICAL INVENTORIES: DOCUMENTING WHAT IS LEFT? PERSPECTIVES FROM ACROSS TROPICAL AMERICAS. SESSION 2

## S.89.1 Flora of the forgotten forests: inventorying the Marañón dry forest in Perú

Zoë A. Goodwin¹, Paúl Gonzáles², Tiina Särkinen¹

1 Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. 2 Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Perú

Understanding what biodiversity is and where it occurs is crucial if we are to successfully tackle the biodiversity crisis and the climate emergency. Seasonally dry tropical forests contain a high proportion of endemic species yet are particularly vulnerable to conversion to agriculture because they occur on nutrient rich soils. The dry forests of the inter-Andean valleys have been isolated from other dry forests for millions of years and have a level of endemism comparable of that of oceanic islands. We recently surveyed the under-collected Marañón dry forest with the aim of producing the first comprehensive botanical inventory for the area. The process of working with our specimens has highlighted three issues: 1/ The Marañón dry forest contains many species still undescribed by science; 2/ Many tropical families and genera lack taxonomic experts; 3/ Previous floristic analyses of dry forests based on plot data maybe wildly underestimating alpha species diversity in this biome.

## S.89.2 Where are we now: state of our knowledge on the evolutionary relationships of Chrysobalanaceae

Cynthia Sothers¹, Ghillean T. Prance²

1 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, UK; c.so-
thers@kew.org. 2 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Rich-
mond, UK

Over the last years molecular phylogenetics has
played a major role in the changing taxonomic land-
scape of the Chrysobalanaceae. The well-established
morphological classification based on four tribes was
upturned and genera previously thought to be close-
ly related were found to be distantly related. Analyses
using plastomes and more recently nuclear genomes
show congruent results as well as incongruences
across analyses. We aim to investigate these results
and propose hypotheses on the evolutionary relation-
ships of the well-supported clades and discuss pu-
tative reasons for the incongruence of some genera.
Chrysobalanaceae has a pantropical distribution and
comprises 540 species in 27 genera. The Neotropics
harbours the greatest number of taxa, represented by
over 400 species in 16 genera. Africa is represented by
ca. 50 species in seven genera and Australasia ca. 60
species in ten genera. The megadiversity of the family
in the lowland neotropics is discussed. It is among the
<figure><img src="image_217.png" /></figure>

top ten most abundant families in terra firme forests of the Amazon region. The flowers of all genera share one distinct and stable character, the gynobasic style, and diversity in floral morphology among genera centres on the position of the ovary on the receptacle (basal, apical, midway on wall of receptacle), number of ovary locules (1- or 2-locular), and presence/absence of petals. *Parinari* and *Maranthes* are the only two pantropical genera in the family and display distinct morphological adaptations for germination, a character lacking in the neotropical genera. The Neotropical-Australasian clade is the most enigmatic of the family, from a morphological and biogeographical viewpoint, and relationships among genera are still unclear. The clade is comprised of four species-poor genera, two Australasian and two neotropical genera.

## S.89.3 Risk assessment and categorization proposals for Elaphoglossum species (Dryopteridaceae) in Mexico

Ana Gabriela Martínez-Becerril¹, Alejandra Vasco²

1 Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México. Mexico. 2 Botanical Research Institute of Texas. Fort Worth, Texas. USA

Ferns are indicators of ecological deterioration, as environmental alterations can directly impact their distribution and population density. Studies on the status and conservation priorities of ferns in the Global South are few despite its great diversity in this region. The accelerated loss of biodiversity, particularly in highly diverse countries like those in the American tropics, emphasizes the need to update local fern information and conduct thorough studies to better understand the conservation status of these plants. With 600 species, *Elaphoglossum* is a hyperdiverse fern genus distributed worldwide. In the American tropics, it represents a significant component of the flora with 450 species reported. *Elaphoglossum* is one of the most diverse fern genera in Mexico with 71 species reported, 16 of which are endemic. To contribute to the conservation of the Mexican *Elaphoglossum*, we conducted evaluations for all species based on the categories of the IUCN Red List. We downloaded over 7000 records of *Elaphoglossum* from Mexico through different open-access specimen databases, including GBIF, Pteridoportal, and IBdata. Detailed curation of the datasets involved retaining only accepted names (without synonyms) and removing duplicated records and records from

taxa not reported for Mexico or lacking geographic coordinates. The final database included around 4400 unique records. Our preliminary Red List assessment for the 71 reported species in Mexico shows that 90% of them, including all endemics, are threatened -41 critically endangered (CR), 14 endangered (EN), and 16 lacking sufficient data for evaluation-. The main factor contributing to the threat in Mexico is the loss or degradation of habitat due to human activities and overpopulation. Enhanced curatorial efforts of the herbarium collections and updated field collections, will contribute to the accuracy of future assessments.

## S.89.4 Understanding the diversity of spikemosses in the American Tropics: An update of the taxonomy of Selaginella in Colombia

Susana Vega-Betancur¹

1 University of Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia

With approximately 700 accepted species, *Selaginella* (spikemosses) is the most species-rich clade of lycophytes and the sole genus in the family Selaginellaceae. Along with the Isoetaceae and Lycopodiaceae, this family holds a critical phylogenetic position as sister to the remainder of the vascular plant lineages and is important for understanding early land plant evolution. The genus *Selaginella* has a cosmopolitan distribution, but the greatest diversity occurs in the American tropics. The taxonomy of *Selaginella* is problematic because of the large number of species, limited morphological differentiation amongst taxa, and a lack of modern taxonomic resources for the group. *Selaginella* diversity in the Americas peaks in Colombia, an understudied global center of plant diversity. This taxonomic impediment limits our ability both to understand global patterns of *Selaginella* diversity and evolution, as well as to advance knowledge of the Colombian flora as a whole. An update to the Flora of Colombia that aims to improve the understanding of the diversity, taxonomy, and distribution of Colombian *Selaginella* is here presented. In total 110 species are recognized, 17 of which are new records for the country, including eight recently described species and four yet-undescribed species. Two species previously included in the Catalog of the Vascular Flora of Colombia are excluded. This update includes a dichotomous key and distribution notes for the 110 recognized species.