Book of Abstracts.
Oral presentations

Title of the Work: Title of the Work: : XX International Botanical Congress IBC 2024, Spain.
Book of Abstracts. Oral presentations .
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INDEX BY SYMPOSIA
Invited Speakers .............................................................................................................................4
Symposia Session 1 Monday ....................................................................... 20
Symposia Session 2...............................................................................................................73
Symposia Session 3............................................................................................................127
Symposia Session 4 Tuesday ................................................................180
Symposia Session 5.........................................................................................................236
Symposia Session 6.........................................................................................................290
Symposia Session 7 Wednesday ..................................................341
Symposia Session 8 Thursday ...........................................................394
Symposia Session 9........................................................................................................448
Symposia Session 10......................................................................................................502
Symposia Session 11 Friday .......................................................................556
Symposia Session 12.........................................................................................................612
Symposia Session 13..................................................................................................... 665
Symposia Session 14 Saturday ............................................................717
Symposia Session 15........................................................................................................773
AUTHOR INDEX BY FIRST NAME....................................................................822
SPONSORS.................................................................................................................................................882

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Invited Speakers
Why botany? Why now?
Sandra Knapp.
Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, United Kingdom

Abstract

Botany – broadly speaking, the study of algae, fungi, and plants – is a global enterprise. We depend upon
the organisms for the very air we breathe, yet their survival, along with our own, is ever more in question.
How should we come together to tackle this planetary emergency – the mutually reinforcing threats of climate change and biodiversity loss? Individual botanists, or individual botanical institutions, cannot tackle thisalone. At this critical time in Earth’s history, it is more important than ever to work together – across boundaries, institutions, and career stages – to effect change and affect our planetary future. The time for concentrating the power and influence in a few institutions is gone, and our strength lies in our diverse skills andcomplementary understandings of the natural world. Our goal must be to create a level playing field where
all those studying algae, fungi, and plants can come together to share ideas and exchange knowledge, so we
can together develop solutions both from nature but most importantly for nature. I will share some learnings
from projects I have been fortunate enough to have been involved in and will bring new ideas for discussion.
Today, at almost the quarter-point of this century, it is time for us to join efforts in better, more diverse, andmore distributed ways to find solutions for Earth’s problems so the algae, fungi, and plants upon which we alldepend and that we all so love, have a secure future.

Unraveling diversity and evolution oflichens in the genomic era
H. Thorsten Lumbsch, Todd J. Widhelm, Felix Grewe
Collections, Conservation, and Research and Grainger Bioinformatics Center, The Field Museum, Chicago,
USA

Abstract

Our understanding of the biology, evolution, and diversity of lichens has dramatically changed over the last
decade. This symbiotic system has been shown to be complex. Several fungi can be involved in the symbiosis and recent studies suggest a diversity of photosynthetic partners shaped by phylogeny and ecology. In
addition, bacteria and various groups of other fungi have been found to form part of the lichen holobiome.
Whereas lichens were thought to be ancient organisms, molecular data suggest that the evolution of theseorganisms happened in parallel to land plants and there is no indication from molecular or well-preserved
fossils that would support an ancient origin of the lichen symbiosis. The knowledge of the phylogeny of lichenized fungi has been revolutionized with genetic and genomic data that resulted in a classification thatis dramatically different from the classifications inferred from phenotypical data. Potential reasons for the
bewildering complexity of phenotypical data in lichens are discussed in the presentation.
Genomic data have also fundamentally changed our understanding of species delimitation and biogeography of lichens. In the pre-molecular era, it was assumed that ecology was the main driver shaping distri-4

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butional ranges with only very limited attempts to interpret observed patterns in a historical biogeographicalframework. Molecular data showed that numerous species that were interpreted as having wide, inter-continental distributions belong to distinct clades, often not closely related to each other. As a consequence, historical biogeography has seen a revival in lichenology over the last decade. The genomic era is in its infancy
in lichenology and some open questions will be highlighted that will be addressed with the growing numberof genomic data becoming available

Tropical tree adaptation to fire regimes
and infertile soils: key for ecosystemconservation
Kaoru Kitajima 1, Hiroki Sato2, Joseph Percival1, Tomohiro Nishigaki 3, Kaoru Oshima1,
Ando Rakotomamonjy1, Zo Lalaina Razafiarison4
1 Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
2 Graduate School of Asian and African Area Studies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
3 Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences, Tsukuba, Japan
4 Faculty of Sciences, University of Antananarivo, Antananarivo, Madagascar

Abstract

Fire is a key threat to the conservation of natural forests worldwide. In many tropical countries, especially in
Africa, population increase and expansion of agricultural lands encroach the remaining frontier of pristine
forests, many of which are on marginal lands that do not support sustainable agricultural production. This talkhighlights the case in NW Madagascar, where we have established a 15-ha forest monitoring plot in a seasonally dry forest on infertile white sand within Ankarafantsika National Park. This forest supports a high diversityof plants and animals, including eight species of lemurs in mutualistic relationships with many tree species
via frugivory-seed dispersal. The woody plant community of this forest has a high level of endemism, withdominance of evergreen species despite the prolonged dry season (April November). Fire has been a main
driver of forest loss in the region, resulting in the highest rate of forest loss in Madagascar during the last three
decades. During the last five years, the number and area burned increased rapidly within the national parkborder. We have conducted intensive analyses of ca. 3000 ha near the southern border of the park, where
there were no fires until 2014. Large areas of primary forest burned in 2017, 2019, and 2021, partly due to a lackof fire adaptation in the tree community. The first burn makes a site susceptible to repeated burns, as deadwoody materials above and below ground serve as fuel to support intense burns. After a few fire episodes,
the dense closed-canopy forest turns into a barren desert.&nbsp; The fire vulnerability of the primary forest in
Ankarafantsika is a testimony to the importance of paying attention to variations in fire adaptation within thetropical dry forest biome to design effective conservation strategies at the landscape level.

The science of plant conservation in achanging Mediterranean worldThompson, John D
CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France5

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Abstract

The Mediterranean region and its climate are changing, perhaps faster than we realize. As scientists, a modern challenge is to identify how species, communities, and ecosystems respond to global change and tointegrate information on the underlying processes into conservation management and recommendations
for political decision. This knowledge is necessary to fulfill conservation objectives. This talk will focus on different elements of contemporary ecological and evolutionary dynamics of West Mediterranean endemic
plant species whose distribution patterns cover all, or a small part of, a narrow belt from northern Morocco,
though eastern Spain, to mediterranean France. This distribution is a recurrent pattern in the flora of the West
Mediterranean. The often narrow latitudinal range of species with this distribution pattern contrasts with awide longitudinal range. As a result, many species occur in areas subject to different representations of theMediterranean climate, and very often in peripherally isolated populations at the limits of their distribution. Using examples of several species with this distribution pattern I will illustrate ongoing processes of adaptation
in a changing Mediterranean climate and the issues associated with conserving species that show marked
variability in the their ecological niche on different spatial scales, their spatial genetic structure, and variationin their floral biology at their distribution limits. I conclude with a message concerning how our knowledge ofthe history of the Mediterranean region improves not only our understanding of this variability but also thereasons and values for local efforts to conserve such species, often in areas where they are rare.

Cryptic disruptions of plant-animal
mutualisms in the Anthropocene
Jordano, Pedro
Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC, and Dept. Plant Biology and Ecology, Univ. Sevilla, Spain

Abstract

Pairwise plant-animal mutualistic interactions build up into mega-diverse networks involving dozens of interacting species. These mutualisms among free-living species fundamentally consist of food provisioning byplants and, their counterpart, plant propagule (pollen, seeds) movement by the animals. They are based oninteraction outcomes serviced by multiple species, so that studies focusing on pairwise interactions in isolation underestimate the levels of biodiversity required to maintain multifunctional networks. Loss of biodiversity
in these assemblages entails losses of key functional services that may remain cryptic, i.e., their consequences undetected well after the loss. I explore study cases documenting the extinction of mutualistic interactions,and the loss of associated services that may occur well before the partner species become extinct. In addition, also how addition of interactions (e.g., by invading species) may deconstruct native interaction networks.
The combination of direct and passive interaction sampling (e.g., direct census, camera traps) and last-generation sequencing (DNA barcoding) allow to identify species-specific contributions to these mutualisms andestimate both demographic and genetic outcomes of interactions. The functionality of most generalized mutualisms among free-living species relies on complementarity of effects across a high diversity of partners.
Disruptions of these mutualisms by anthropogenic drivers may remain subtle and undetected despite being
pervasive in many real world ecosystems. The loss of these interactions, frequently occurring well before theirplant and animal partners go extinct, generates a type of extinction debt not adequately addressed whenbiodiversity loss is considered.

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Evolution of floral disparity throughintegration of fossil and extant
morphological diversity
Susana Magallón, Andrea M. López-Martínez, Maria von Balthazar, Jürg Schönenberger,
Hervé Sauquet, Marion Chartier.

Abstract

Integration of molecular data, to provide a general phylogenetic framework, and morphological data, to allow incorporation of fossils, represents a cardinal approach to investigate evolution in deep time. We assembled a morphological matrix for 1201 extant species representing all angiosperm families, and 121 well-preserved fossil flowers, and in combination with a molecular database for extant species based on exemplar
representation, used it to investigate methodological issues relating to integration of extant and fossil taxa in
phylogenetic estimation; divergence time estimation in a full Total Evidence approach; and estimation of thetheoretical floral morphospace. Phylogenetic analyses used different optimization criteria and kinds of data
to estimate relationships, as well as uncertainty in fossil placements. We found that the joint use of molecularand morphological data in a parametric context allows to recover a phylogenetic framework in agreementwith molecular estimates, and fossils associated to branches in agreement with assessments based on detailed morphological comparisons. Nevertheless, uncertainty associated to fossil placements is usually high.
An attempt to estimate divergence times using morphological, molecular and temporal information indicates that, while available models to integrate extant and fossil species in the same diversification processrepresent significant advances, there are practical difficulties with fossils for which few characters can bescored, and in the free estimation of model parameters. The theoretical morphospace of floral structure wasestimated through the construction of a pairwise distance matrix among extant and fossil species, estimationof disparity, and ordination techniques to reduce dimensionality. The area of the theoretical morphospace
occupied by extant and fossil species was identified, as well as how morphospace occupation has changed
through time and among groups. A decrease in morphospace occupation towards the present and canalization in the of morphospace occupation among derived clades are documented, in agreement with previous independent observations.

Integrating Plant Hydraulics and Ecological
Processes Across Scales
Rafael Oliveira
Ph.D in Integrative Biology at the University of California, Berkeley. Professor at Plant Biology Department atUniversity of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil

Abstract

Plant hydraulics is increasingly recognized as a central link between plant biology and fields such as community and ecosystem ecology, climatology, and earth-system science. Understanding the intricate interactions
between plant hydraulics and ecological processes is essential for predicting plant responses to environmental changes and managing ecosystems effectively. In this talk, I will present an overview of recent findings that demonstrate how hydraulic traits can explain species distributions across various spatial scales andinfluence ecological processes such as growth, demography, community assembly, and carbon dynamics,

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particularly in tropical ecosystems, which are crucial for global water and carbon cycles. Furthermore, I will
discuss how plant hydraulics can offer a mechanistic explanation for vegetation resistance or vulnerability to
predicted climate changes, and how this knowledge can be used to forecast future dynamics of species andcommunities in changing climatic conditions.

Evolution of woody plants on the tropicalcoasts inferred from a full set of mangrove
genomesShi, Suhua
School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.

Abstract

Genomic studies are now poised to explore whole communities of species. The ~70 species of woody plants thatanchor the coastal ecosystems of the tropics, collectively referred to as mangroves, are particularly suited tothis exploration. In this study, we de novo sequenced the whole genomes of 32 mangroves, which we combinedwith other sequences of 30 additional species, comprising almost all mangroves globally. These community-wide genomic data will be valuable for ecology, evolution and biodiversity research. While the data revealed
27 independent origins of mangroves, the total phylogeny shows only modest increases in species number,even in coastal areas of active speciation, suggesting that mangrove extinction is common. A possible explanation for common extinction is the frequent sea-level rises and falls documented in the geological record.
Indeed, near-extinctions of species with extremely small population size (N) often happened during periods ofrapid SLR, as revealed by the genome-wide heterozygosity of almost all mangroves. Reduction in N has possibly been further compounded by population fragmentation and the subsequent accumulation of deleterious
mutations, thus pushing mangroves even closer to extinction. The impact of the next SLR will be exacerbated byhuman encroachment into these mangrove habitats. Finally, in addition to possible extinctions, this talk will also
cover the opposite phenomenon, namely, the patterns speciation along the tropical coasts.

The phylogenetics of plant geography:
past, present, and future
Donoghue, Michael J.
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA

Abstract

In decades past, vicariance/cladistic biogeographers emphasized the importance of discovering general biogeographic patterns and their underlying causes. Since then, however, most of the focus has been on inferring
geographic movements using phylogenetic trees of individual clades. Another development has been the application of phylogenetic approaches to major biogeographic patterns of interest especially to ecologists. With
the hope of revealing general patterns I have revisited and updated two papers that I published with colleagues
in 2004 one on the latitudinal gradient in species richness and one on major disjunctions around the Northern
Hemisphere. In both cases, I have carried out a systematic review of progress based on plant studies published8

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over the past twenty years. Although a number of hypotheses have been well supported over this time period,and others can now safely be set aside, there are still substantial gaps in our understanding, and a need forfurther coordination of efforts and methodological improvements. I will present the results of these studies while
highlighting the value of syntheses that draw upon multiple primary analyses. These observations also highlight improvements that can be made in studying individual clades. To illustrate many of the central points I will
make special reference to our ongoing studies of Viburnum biogeography

Delving into South African medicinal plant
treasures
Nokwanda Makunga
Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Stellenbosch University, 7600

Abstract

South Africa has an incredible floral heritage that has a strong history of being important to local people fordiverse range of ethno-cultural uses and those plants that are exploited for medicinal purposes have also
encouraged entry of new natural products into global markets. There are thus unique opportunities that arepresented by interfacing various biotechnologies to study medicinal plants of South Africa, more especiallywith the intention of generating socioeconomic benefits. This talk will touch on historical aspects linked to the
exploitation of medicinal plant resources and define the importance of indigenous knowledge and medicinal plants when interfaced with biotechnology in relation to the bioeconomy strategy of South Africa. Using
specific examples from medicinal plants that occur in the greater Cape Floristic Region, various studies arethus presented and summarized. The application of LC-MS-based metabolomics technologies has been
useful as a qualitative tool, enabling fast detection and a reliable method of studying mesembrine alkaloids
produced by Sceletium tortuosum (Aizoaceae). Microplant and callus cultures also accumulate a wide arrayof these alkaloids. By applying both non-targeted and targeted metabolomics, influence of varied microenvironments on the phytochemistry and cytotoxicity of Sutherlandia frutescens (Fabaceae) plants is evident.
Proteomic analyses under stressed conditions provided new insights into the impacts of salinity and drought
stress with respect to both central and specialized metabolism of S. frutescens. Combining microsatellite
and chemometric analyses confirmed biogeographical-based genetic structure amongst populations ofDodonaea viscosa (Sapindaceae) and Aspalathus linearis (Fabaceae), pinpointing chemotype(s) that may
fit domestication and industrialization for the production of phytopharmaceutics. These studies illustrate theexciting potential of medical plants of South Africa that still remain chemically under explored.

Distyly as a model for studying convergent
evolution - insights from genomic studies
Tanja Slotte
Professor in Ecological Genomics, Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden

Abstract

Recent advances in sequencing technologies, in combination with powerful new simulation and analysis
tools, have opened up a wealth of new possibilities to address classic evolutionary questions in non-model9

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systems. In this talk, I will highlight how we are harnessing this development to study the evolution of plant
mating systems, with a focus on the evolution of a balanced floral polymorphism termed distyly.
Distyly is a floral polymorphism governed by a supergene, that has evolved convergently in multiple angiosperm lineages. Distyly promotes outcrossing and efficient pollen transfer via the presence of two floral
morphs that differ reciprocally in the positions of their male and female sexual organs. These morph differences are usually coupled with a heteromorphic self-incompatibility system that reduces self- and intra-morph fertilization. Loss of distyly has also occurred very frequently, often in association with convergent
evolution of floral selfing syndromes. Studying the evolution and loss of distyly therefore offers an opportunity
to address classic questions on the genetic basis of convergent phenotypic evolution, supergene breakdown
and the genomic consequences of selfing.
Here, I will present our work on these topics in Linum, a non-model plant system that is exceptionally well suited for this purpose. Harnessing new high-quality genome assemblies, we have identified and characterized
the distyly supergene in Linum at the molecular level, tested theory on genetic causes of loss of distyly, anddocumented pervasive population genomic consequences of this shift. Genomic studies of distyly in Linumand other systems have revealed striking similarities in hemizygous genetic architectures and molecular evolution of independently evolved distyly supergenes and provided a foundation for further characterization of
the genetic underpinnings and genomic consequences of convergent evolution and loss of distyly. This bodyof work demonstrates the power of genomic analyses in non-model systems to shed new light on classic
evolutionary questions.

Biodiversity and ecosystem function in
subtropical forest
Ma, Keping
Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Abstract

In order to explore the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning such as primary productivity in forest ecosystem, a large manipulation experiment was established in subtropical China in 2009
and 2010. Based on the experiment platform, German, Swiss and Chinese scientists worked together andpublished more than 200 papers. The key findings are as follows. 1, After 8 years, 16-species mixtures had accumulated over twice the amount of carbon found in average monocultures and similar amounts as thoseof two commercial monocultures. Species richness effects were strongly associated with functional and phylogenetic diversity. 2, Effects of functional diversity (FD) values on productivity became larger than effects ofcommunity-weighted mean (CWM) values after 7 years of forest development and that the FD values also
became more reliable predictors of productivity than the CWM values. In contrast to CWM, FD values consistently increased productivity across ten different species-pool subsets. 3, Tree species richness improved
community stability by increasing asynchrony. That is, at higher species richness, interannual variation in productivity among tree species buffered the community against stress-related productivity declines. This effectwas mediated by the diversity of species hydraulic traits regarding drought tolerance and stomatal control.
4, Effects of experimentally increased tree species richness were consistently positive for species richness andabundance of herbivores, predators and parasitoids. Richness effects decreased as trophic levels increased
for species richness and abundance of all trophic groups. Multitrophic species richness and abundance ofarthropods were important mediators of plant diversity effects on tree productivity. These long-term studies
emphasize the importance of planting functionally diverse, mixed-species for the restoration and reforestation projects to improve ecosystem functioning, maintain multitrophic diversity and mitigate climate change.

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Pollination ecotypes: niche-driven floral
evolution below the species level
Steven D. Johnson
DST-NRF SARChI chair in Evolutionary Biology. Associate editor of Proceedings of the Royal Society B and Biological Journal of the Linnean Society.

Abstract:

Ecological niche shifts are a key driver of phenotypic divergence among populations and can also contributeto reproductive isolation. While patterns of historical ecological shifts and the associated trait-environment correlations are well-documented at the macroevolutionary level, the process is initiated below the species level,
as shown originally by Turesson, Clausen and others in their seminal studies of edaphic and climate ecotypes inplants. Pollinators are critical for the establishment and persistence of populations of the majority of plant species,
thereby forming part of their fundamental niche. Novel floral trait combinations allow plants to exploit particularpollinator niches in local habitats and evolve primarily through sexual selection due to their effect on plant mating
success. Shifts in pollinator niches among plant populations lead to the formation of “pollination ecotypes”. Workon pollination ecotypes has revealed that their origin is best explained by contemporaneous ecological gradients
arising from the mosaic-like spatio-temporal distribution of pollinators. I discuss case studies on the evolution ofpollination ecotypes and use these to identify a number of challenging practical and conceptual issues. These
include the paucity of reliable natural history data, difficulty of knowing when ecotypes should be considered species, reconstructing the number and direction of intraspecific shifts, and distinguishing between extinctions andisolating barriers as explanations for phenotypic and genetic discontinuities among population clusters.

The Changing Face of Herbarium
Collections
Pamela S. Soltis

Abstract

Herbaria have long provided the foundation for our understanding of plant diversity and distributions. Beyond theirfundamental role in taxonomy, herbarium specimens, like other natural history collections, reflect a history of unanticipated uses. Although collected to document plant occurrences, the world’s 400,000,000 herbarium specimens, spanning space and time, provide unparalleled resources for plant science and are indeed undergoing a renaissance intheir use. Preserved plant tissues are reservoirs of genetic information that can be used to reconstruct the evolutionary
history of plants. The resulting family tree provides a foundation for basic biology and for solving many societal problems, such as food security and the search for new medicines. Digitized herbarium specimens also offer new research
opportunities, particularly in relation to climate change and conservation. These herbarium resources provide novel
opportunities for mobilizing and integrating massive amounts of information from organismal biology, ecology, genetics, climatology, and other disciplines. As the number of online records continues to grow, these data provide excellent
information on species distributions, changes in distributions over time, phenology, and a host of traits. Integration of
information from specimen records with phylogenies, climate data, and other resources enables new questions tobe addressed while also providing new perspectives on longstanding questions in ecology and evolutionary biology.
Through a series of case studies, I will illustrate some of the many uses to which herbarium specimens and their digital
data are currently being applied. These case studies link specimen data and related heterogeneous data sources
and show how high-throughput molecular analysis and artificial intelligence can be applied to centuries-old herbarium specimens to address a range of evolutionary, ecological, and societal problems.

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Exploring the underground: unravelingthe complex interplay of biodiversity anddisease in plant communities
Liesje Mommer
Wageningen University, Wageningen, the Netherlands

Abstract

Biodiversity loss is a significant driver of disease risk in ecosystems, yet the intricate relationships between diversityand disease remain poorly understood. This keynote lecture will delve into the knowledge frontiers of this field.
Traditionally, plant ecologists have explained diversity-disease relationships by distinguishing between hostand non-host species. When biodiversity loss increases the density of hosts compared to non-hosts, diseaserisk increases, and vice versa. However, focusing on this host-non-host dichotomy overlooks the substantial
variation in ‘host quality’—a measure of a host’s contribution to parasite fitness.
To illustrate this concept, I will present findings from a temperate grassland biodiversity experiment involving 16 plant
species (forbs and grasses). Using Illumina MiSeq amplicon sequencing, we assessed the abundance of root-associated fungal pathogens in plant monocultures and four-species mixtures. Our study identified three major fungal
pathogens with differing host ranges: Paraphoma chrysanthemicola, associated with forb species of the Asteraceae family; Slopeiomyces cylindrosporus, associated with grass species; and Rhizoctonia solani, affecting both forb
and grass species. We discovered that plant community composition rather than plant species richness per se significantly influences pathogen relative abundance. The presence of specific high quality host species appeared key.
Another concept that may modify diversity-disease relationships belowground in the presence of arbuscular
mycorrhizal fungi. These organisms are form symbiotic relationships with 80% of plant species and are known
to enhance nutrient uptake in plants. I will present preliminary evidence that these mycorrhizal fungi modify
plant-pathogen interactions in grassland systems.
Our findings highlight the intricate interplay between plant community properties, host-pathogen andhost-symbiont interactions and their vital role for understanding the impacts on overall grassland productivity and ecosystem health. Be invited to journey underground to uncover the hidden dynamics of biodiversityand disease in plant communities.

Into the wild: addressing plant extinction
through population reintroductions
Gallagher, Rachael V.
1 Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, NSW, Australia

Abstract

Over the last three decades, vast international resources have been committed to conservation seed banking, togreat success. Seed bank collections have grown rapidly since the millennium and seeds and plant germplasm
are now routinely stored to safeguard species against extinction. Yet seed banks were never intended to be a final
stop along the road to recovery for plant species. Currently, when we do reintroduce or translocate plant populations, failure rates associated with their establishment can be unacceptably high. We also often do not know

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where to situate new plant populations relative to their historical distributions, given immense changes in climate
and land use. New science is therefore needed to improve and intensify the strategic reintroduction of plant populations to the landscape. In this talk, I will outline gaps in ecological and conservation knowledge that hamper
current reintroduction success, explore solutions, and demonstrate how we might use emerging financial market
mechanisms to fund initiatives that reduce plant extinction risk. I hope to inspire new thinking about how we canthoughtfully design initiatives that get more plant species out of the fridge and into the wild across the world.

Bringing ecophysiology closer to plantsfrom extreme environments and diverse
phylogenetic groups
Flexas Sans, Jaume
INAGEA - Universitat de les Illes Balears, Palma, Spain

Abstract

Plant (eco) physiology deals with the physiological responses of plants to environmental conditions. Within thisdefinition, it should deal with any kind of plant and environment. However, perhaps because this discipline often
requires the use of electronic devices and heavy equipment, most studies deal with a limited number of Angiosperms, especially crops. Studies are most often conducted under tropical, temperate and Mediterranean conditions, with scarce studies in more extreme environments such as high elevation mountains, hot and cold deserts.
Here I will show examples on how my research group has recently expanded along the land plant phylogeny
and towards climatically extreme ecosystems. First, I will show how photosynthetic capacity changes along
the land plant phylogeny, and its underlying physiological, anatomical and biochemical causes. Second, I will
present some home-made, relatively portable techniques, for assessing the short-term tolerance of plant
photosynthetic organs to dehydration, low and high temperature, and excess visible and UV-B radiation, andhow the use of these devices is allowing us to test for the trade-off between photosynthetic capacity and abiotic stress tolerance across the entire land plant phylogeny and along the entire spectrum of Earth biomes.
Finally, I will focus on two specific studies in some extreme environments. In the first, I will show how well standardized,
portable and commercially available ecophysiological tools allowed for a diagnose of different species physiologicalstatus without the need for a previous knowledge of each species optimal status along a Chinese transect, from the
Xinjiang steppes through the Taklamakan desert to the Tibet Plateau. In the second, I will deal with the particular case of
giant cushion Azorella species along the Chilean Andes Range, and discuss how its particular anatomy generates a very
contrasted microclimate that may allow these species to establish and, perhaps, help them to facilitate other species.

The evolution of extant South American tropical Biomes
Jaramillo, Carlos
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama

Abstract

When and why South American tropical biomes developed? Tropical vegetation had a complete turnoverfrom non-angiosperm dominance at the onset of the Cretaceous to angiosperm dominance nowadays.
Cretaceous tropical biomes do not have extant equivalents; lowland forests were dominated mainly by gym-

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nosperms and ferns lacking a closed canopy. This structure was transformed following the Cretaceous Paleogene meteorite event. The extant lowland tropical rainforests first developed at the onset of the Cenozoic
with a multistratified forest, an angiosperm-dominated closed canopy, and abundant legumes. Cenozoic rainforest diversity has increased during warmings and decreased during coolings. Tropical dry forests
emerged at least by the late Eocene, whereas other drier Neotropical biomes are much younger.

Reimagining arid zone ecology in achanging world: is rainfall all that matters?
Austin, A.
IFEVA-CONICET, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Abstract

While forests have received intense attention regarding their role in the global carbon cycle, the drier parts of theworld, constituting over 40% of the terrestrial land surface, are often overlooked as unproductive and unresponsive
to human-induced global change. In contrast to forest ecosystems, these arid regions present unique conditions,encompassing a matrix of climate, land use, and plant-soil interactions that suggest complex responses to changing environmental conditions, which we are only beginning to comprehend. Our research specifically focuses onunderstanding how alternative climatic controls, such as exposure to solar radiation, temperature, and the seasonality of rainfall, exert substantial impacts on carbon turnover and storage in arid land ecosystems. In contrast to a
singular focus on rainfall as the primary determinant of ecosystem functioning in arid lands, our findings highlightthe significant, positive effect of solar radiation exposure on carbon emissions and subsequent microbial turnover.
By shedding light on these often-neglected arid land ecosystems and their specific controls, we may provide morepredictive power for effective management and conservation amidst ongoing climate and land use changes.

Machine learning and new inference
algorithms: expanding what is possiblein evolutionary biology and phylogenetic
analysis
Sanmartín, Isabel
Real Jardín Botánico, CSIC, Madrid, Spain

Abstract

Investigators across different fields of evolutionary biology are increasingly turning their attention to more integrativeand complex inference models. This trend is fueled partly by the emergence of next generation sequencing technologies, scaling up the number of genes, individuals, and species sampled, and partly by the rapid expansion of biodiversity, climatic and biogeographic databases at the local, regional and community scales. This massive increasein the quantity of data available has opened up a range of new questions but also unexpected challenges that
require the development of more sophisticated approaches to data modeling. For example, a standing challenge is
how to hybridize lineage-based, individual-based, and gene-based models to adress all aspects of biodiversity loss
(richness, abundance, genetic diversity) in order to explain the biotic impacts of climate change. The COVID-19 pan-

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demic introduced the need for models that are computationally efficient and can analyze in a short time thousandsof sequences differing only in a few nucleotides. Statistical models in evolutionary biology are typically built aroundstochastic parameters interconnected by rigid dependencies, but there is a growing demand for models that allow
hidden, unobserved components. Moreover, some commonly employed models for evolutionary inference facechallenges related to non-identifiability, where distinct model parameters induce the same probability distributions
and are structurally or practically indistinguishable. Phylogenetic inference itself is classified as a non-polynomial
time problem, meaning that the number of steps needed to solve a problem grows exponentially with the size ofthe problem. Here, I review some possible solutions and paths forward in relation to these challenges, including theadvent of online Bayesian phylogenetics, the popularization of (deep) machine learning approaches, and the introduction of probabilistic programming languages that promise to speed up analyses and tackle more complex
biological questions in fields as diverse as phylogenetics, epidemiology, community ecology and phylogeography.

What do we know about mutualism? A
thirty-year retrospective on a very young
field
Judith L. Bronstein
University of Arizona, Tucson, USA

Abstract

The study of mutualism (interspecific, mutually beneficial interactions) is a surprisingly young subfield of ecology
and evolutionary biology. Building on centuries of natural history knowledge, it began to coalesce in the 1970s; key
patterns and processes only started to attract intensive attention in the 1990s. I will start by briefly summarizing thebest-understood mutualisms in which plants are involved, interactions that have fundamentally shaped plant biology: nutritional mutualisms (including symbioses with mycorrhizal fungi and Rhizobium bacteria), transportation
mutualisms (biotic pollination and seed dispersal) and protection mutualisms (involving ants that attack herbivores). I will then offer a capsule history of the study of mutualism as a whole, focusing on its origins and subsequentdevelopment. I will highlight key research questions that have emerged in recent years, as well as some main findings to date from each of them. Finally, I will lay out questions likely to drive mutualism research in the coming years.
My approach throughout is to highlight features uniting mutualisms that differ radically in natural history, as well asfeatures that make mutualisms similar to and different from other types of interspecific interaction. We are only now
beginning to recognize what we need to know about these critically important interactions to help secure the futureof plants and the larger systems in which they occur. As a whole, it is a exciting time for this very young field.

Diploidization, Polyploidy, and the Evolutionof Plant Diversity
Barker, Michael S.
Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology University of Arizona

Abstract

Polyploidy, or whole-genome duplication, is widely recognized as an important force in the evolution of plants.
Ancient genome duplications have driven the re-organization of plant genomes and nearly ⅓ of contemporary flowering plants are of recent polyploid origin. Despite the recognition that polyploidy has been important15

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across plant evolution, there are still many unresolved issues surrounding polyploidy and its role in evolution.
Among these issues is reconciling the apparent success of ancient polyploid species with observations that
contemporary polyploids have much lower net diversification rates than their diploid relatives. Here, I present
new analyses of polyploidy across the plant phylogeny and explore the impact of species tree topology on
WGD inferences. Using these new inferences, I will present phylogenetic simulations that explore the legacyof ancient WGDs with different diversification dynamics of polyploid and diploid species. We find that multiple
rounds of polyploidy occur in the ancestry of lineages when diploid species have higher net diversification
rates than polyploid species. This occurs in simulations using arbitrary rates as well as those using parameters
derived from empirical analyses. Using empirical estimates of diploid and polyploid diversification rates fromplants and estimates of the rate of polyploid speciation from diploids, our simulations indicate an average of
3.5 rounds of WGD in flowering plant species.This is consistent with observations from phylogenomic studies
and suggests that the results of many independent lines of research, from empirical estimates of diversification
rates to inferences of WGDs, broadly agree with each other and are likely generally accurate. Our simulations
also indicate that the rate of diploidization is an important driver of the evolutionary dynamics of polyploidy
and may explain variation in the numbers of ancient WGDs inferred in different lineages of eukaryotes. Overall,our simulations reconcile the seemingly contradictory observations of low polyploid diversification rates withthe repeated rounds of WGDs that have been inferred throughout the evolutionary history of flowering plants.

One third backwards! The varied ways
plants have already changed in response
to climate change and the implications forplant communities and conservation.
Moles, Angela
Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, NSW 2052, AUSTRALIA

Abstract

Plant species are already responding to climate change by undergoing rapid evolution, altering their phenology, and undergoing remarkably rapid shifts in distribution. I will review current understanding of thesechanges, highlighting the fact that different species are changing in different ways and at different rates,
and that not all of the responses are as we would expect. Most strikingly, a third of species seem to be shifting
their distributions downhill or toward the equator rather than shifting to cooler areas. This variation in species
responses to climate change means that broad change in plant communities seems inevitable. I will finish bydiscussing implications of all this change for conservation.

State of the World’s Plants and Fungi
Alexandre Antonelli
Director of Science at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK. Professor of Biodiversity and Systematic at the
University of Gothenburg, Sweden, and Visiting Professor at the University of Oxford.

Abstract

The race is on to scientifically describe the world’s plants and fungi, so we can better understand, protect, andsustainably use biodiversity. But how do we accelerate scientific research and conservation, while strength-16

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ening local capacity and equity? These are questions at the heart of Kew’s State of the World’s Plants andFungi reports, which bring together global scientific expertise, large data sets and practical experiences tosynthesise current knowledge on plants and fungi. In this talk I will provide a short overview of the themes
published so far and then take a deep dive into the latest report focused on how our communities could
collectively work to fill in the most critical knowledge gaps – through innovative and sometimes unexpected
approaches.

Save the male! Reflections on sex andgender in flowers and flowering plants
Pannell, John R.¹
Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland

Abstract

Plant sexual reproduction involves strategic decisions in the context of variation in sex and gender. These
decisions include who to mate with and how often (the mating system), whether and when to mate as amale or a female partner, and how much resource to allocate to each sexual function (the sex allocation).
All these decisions may be subject to tradeoffs and will often reflect only a partial resolution to genetic andsexual conflicts. The wonderful diversity of flowers illustrates the numerous ways in which conflict resolution
has been achieved. In this presentation, I will address the complexity of mating systems and sex allocation,
especially with a view to the benefits and costs of being male. How does selection on the mating system interact with selection on sex allocation? How well do we understand the costs and benefits of being both maleand female? Can we satisfactorily address Charles Darwin;s difficulty in understanding why hermaphrodite
plants should ever have been rendered dioecious? To what extent can current theory explain the distributionof combined versus separate sexes among individuals in a population? Can the same theory also help to explain why female flowers are so rarer than male flowers on plants with bisexual flowers, whereas females are
so much more likely than males to co-occur with hermaphrodites in a population? To address these questions, I will reflect on variation in sex and gender in plants, drawing upon: insights gained from observationsof plant and floral sex ratios; evidence of sexual selection in wild and experimental populations; observationsof rapid transitions between combined and separate sexes under experimental evolution; the association
between mating pair identity and sex allocation strategies; and the phylogenetic distributions of reproductive
and other traits.

Morphological and genomic consistency
for 20 million years
Elizabeth A. Kellogg
Robert E. King Distinguished Investigator at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis, Missouri.
Member of the National Academy of Sciences of the U.S. and is an Académica (Fellow) of the Academia
Nacional de Ciencias, Argentina.

Abstract

Nearly one fifth of the world’s land area is inhabited by wild grasses of a single clade, the tribe Andropogoneae, which originated about 20 million years ago in the early Miocene. A cultivated member of this same tribe,maize, now replaces wild grasses in many areas, dominating the landscape and the world’s economy. The

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tribe is characterized by spikelets borne in pairs, with the spikelet pair as the dispersal unit. Thanks to this typeof dispersal unit, the tribe spread throughout the Old World, diversifying into more than 1000 species. Muchlater and coincident with the well-documented global grassland expansion, members of the tribe arrived in
the Americas as the result of several independent dispersal events. Aerodynamic properties of the spikelet
pairs are consistent with long-distance dispersal by wind for most, but not all, species. We have generated
de novo genome sequences for about 40% of the 1200 species in the tribe using a combination of long-readand short-read sequencing. The 33 new long-read genomes are high qaulity as shown by several measuresof completeness and continguity. Genome alignments indicate collinearity of genomes, with the ancestral
haploid number and architecture of 10 chromosomes being preserved even through polyploidization events.
We have developed data and tools to improve annotation of the maize genome, inferred the chromosomal
evolution of maize, investigated amplification of transposable elements, and begun to identify conserved
regulatory sequences. Together these resources can enhance breeding for environmental change in thecrops and illuminate the history of wild species.

Beyond regional flora’s: what do we know
about the ecology and evolution of the African flora?
Muasya, Muthama
University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa

Abstract

Studies on the diversity of African plants have lagged. Efforts to document the floral wealth have spanned
nearly two centuries, with oldest treatments in Flora Capensis dating back to 1860s, but the tropical regionsof the continent have only been more recently studied, and knowledge gaps remain. Overwhelmingly, thereis good coverage in documenting species occurrence and taxonomy, and indepth studies have focused on
crops and other economically important taxa. Ecological and evolutionary studies have sought to explain
the origin and processes maintaining the distinctive assemblages, in part driven by questions on the originof hominins and other iconic fauna. The continent has a rich diversity of vascular plants, with over 65,000
species, distributed in five major vegetation types (lowland forests, savannas, temperate, montane and alpine, and desert). Africa was covered in lowland forests at about 60 million years ago, gradually opening into
savannas since the Eocene, and fragmented further by the uplifting and volcanism during the mid Miocene.
Africa position, straddling the equator and its earlier emergence of open habitats, drove origin of earliest
savanna lineages, in particular C4 graminoids and associated fauna, which dispersed into other continents
as open habitats evolved. The temperate (Cape) flora, together with the montane and alpine flora, haveassembled more recently, seeded from the savanna and other temperate floras, though the directionalityof dispersal between oceanic and sky islands is contentious. Most intriguing is the assembly of the arid flora,
where there is evidence for both antiquity and recent origin, and hypotheses on an African arid corridor persists. Heterogeneity in topography, soils and climate, together with fire and biotic interactions, drives the wide
species riches and functional diversity. With a focus on the Cenozoic, the current knowledge and gaps on theecology and evolution of African flora will be interrogated.

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Evolution and development of iridescentpetalsGlover, Beverly J.
University of Cambridge, UK

Abstract

The enormous diversity of flower colour is largely the result of modifications to and combinations of chemical pigments. But some plants also use physics to modify the colour of their flowers. In this talk I will describe
the way that diffractions gratings, formed from folds of the epidermal cuticle, can produce structural colourin flowers. I will summarise our recent work analysing the distribution and diversity of this trait in the angiosperms, its function in pollinator attraction and the developmental programmes underlying the formation offloral iridescence.

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Symposia Session 1 Monday
S.1 MERGING EVOLUTIONARY APPROACHESWITH ETHNOBOTANICAL KNOWLEDGE.
SESSION 1
S.1.1 The potential of
phylogenies to safeguard
human well-being

S.1.2 The hot node analysis
incompletely explains the
position of phylogenetic
structure in taxon samples

Rafael Molina-Venegas1,2

Darío Atienza-Barthelemy1, Manuel J.
Macía1,2, Rafael Molina-Venegas2,3

1 Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain. 2 Biodiversity
and Global Change Research Center, Universidad
Autónoma de Madrid, Spain.

1 Department of Biology (Botany), Faculty of Science, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain. 2
Biodiversity and Global Change Research Center,
Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain. 3 Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Universidad
Autónoma de Madrid, Spain.

The idea that conserving evolutionary history ismore efficient than species-based approaches for
capturing biodiversity benefits to people has remained largely theoretical since the early 1990s.
These benefits may not necessarily be currently
known or realized benefits but ‘option values’, that is,benefits that are yet to be discovered or demanded
by future generations, which hampers assessing thelong-standing hypothesis that preserving the mainbranches of the Tree of Life (i.e., high levels of phylogenetic diversity) would help to safeguard humanwell-being. However, it is reasonable to assert thatknown benefits today were at one point in humanhistory unknown future options. Hence, proving thatcurrent benefits of biodiversity (i.e., the ‘option values’of past generations) are to a great extent provided
by subsets of taxa that encapsulate high levels ofphylogenetic diversity could serve as a proof of concept on the relationship between evolutionary history and future options. Adhering to this reasoning,some recent studies have begun to yield empiricalevidence supporting the theoretical background,thus opening an exciting avenue of research to further investigate the complex relationship between
biodiversity and human well-being.

Advances in phylogenetics have provided a revolutionary way to address ethnobotanical data, generally based on calculating the phylogenetic structure of a set of medicinal plants, and identifying theclades showing significant overabundance of suchplants (i.e., hot nodes). However, this emerging discipline is in need for more quantitative evidence, andthe common assumption that hot nodes represent
the main clades responsible for phylogenetic structure remains to be tested. Here, we use the most extended metrics on the field and a comprehensive
database (1,803 medicinal species) to calculate thephylogenetic structure of the medicinal plants ofEcuador. Specifically, we (1) conduct the analyses
on both species- and genus-level phylogenies toassess the influence of the phylogenetic grain, and(2) evaluate whether hot nodes can tackle the position of phylogenetic structure using a jack-knifing
procedure to identify clades significantly influencing
phylogenetic distance-based metrics. Phylogenetic structure was found to be strongly dependent on
taxonomic level and the identified hot nodes incompletely matched those with a significant contribution to phylogenetic structure metrics. Significant
information may be missed whenever the influenceof the taxonomic level is not evaluated, and the position of phylogenetic structure cannot be fully tack-20

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led by the hot nodes. We suggest combining different phylogenetic grains and methods to identify
highly influencing clades before drawing any conclusion that may misguide the search for plants withbioactive potential.

to combine different information. To test our pipeline
data related to 10 diseases and 10 biological effects
were obtained from two different public databases
and were analysed together with a published phylogeny including ~ 30,000 species. Our results show
the effectiveness of the approach suggesting that it
will be useful in the bioprospecting of new potential
medicinal plants.

S.1.3 A new phylogenetic
analysis pipeline to support
the identification and theprioritisation of plants withmedicinal potential

S.1.4 Exploring
ethnobotanical knowledge
dynamics across timescales: the contribution ofphylogenetic comparative
methods

Giovanni Zecca1,2, Elisa Toini1,2, Massimo
Labra1,2, Fabrizio Grassi1,2
1 Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences,
University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy. 2 NBFC,
National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy.

Irene Teixidor-Toneu1,2*, Anneleen Kool2,
Simon J. Greenhill3,4, Karoline Kjesrud5,
Jade J. Sandstedt2, Fiona M. Jordan6

Recent studies have proposed that phylogenetic
methods can be effective tools for exploiting the untapped potential of medicinal plants. Under the assumption that medicinal properties tend to be phylogenetically clustered, phylogenies can be used tonarrow down the relevant species for bioprospecting, increase the discovery rate and reduce the timeand costs involved. Nonetheless, some restrictions
exist. By integrating ethnobotanical knowledge withphylogenetic methods, it has often been necessary
to group plants into macro-categories of therapeutic effects, limiting the potential of the approach. In
many studies “hot nodes” corresponding to lineages
overrepresented in medicinal taxa were identified.
However, as larger phylogenies and databases become available, the possibility of huge lineages being identified by “hot nodes” is also likely to increase,once again posing a prioritization problem. To tackle these issues, we propose a new analysis pipeline, mixing existing and new developed methods.
Briefly, our workflow is as follows: 1) using selected
databases that integrate traditional medicine datawith growing molecular information, species linked
to specific diseases or specific biological effects are
obtained; 2) different methods to estimate the phylogenetic clustering of taxa are applied using a reference phylogeny; 3); where a phylogenetic signal
has emerged, “hot nodes” are repeatedly estimatedto assess their robustness; 4) in case of large lineages subtended by stable “hot nodes”, a (relative)
probability of being linked to the disease or biological effect of interest is calculated for each taxa; 5)
results are summarised and graphically displayed

1 Mediterranean Institute for Biodiversity and Ecology, French National Research Institute for Sustainable
Development, Marseille, France. 2 Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway. 3 Australian
National University College of Arts and Social Sciences, ARC Centre of Excellence for the Dynamics ofLanguage, Canberra, Australia. 4 Department of Linguistic and Cultural Evolution, Max-Planck-Institut fur
Menschheitsgeschichte, Jena, Germany. 5 Museumof Cultural History, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway. 6
Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
Knowledge of plants is dynamic and can change
at rapid time scales. Grasping past human-plant
relations is largely concomitant to having historical and archaeological evidence. Yet, apartfrom major crops, this is uncommon for most social-ecological systems and time periods. This
presentation outlines a multi-disciplinary triangulation method that combines inferences ofancestral plant uses by a cultural evolutionary
approach with historical, linguistic, and archaeobotanical evidence (Teixidor-Toneu et al 2021).
Phylogenetic comparative methods that use linguistic phylogenies representing people’s historical relations are applied to ethnobotanical data.
Results fill gaps of evidence and link data sources
for the study of past human-plant relations. The
triangulation method is illustrated by taking theNordic countries as a case study, as extensive
historical collections of various plant use records
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limited direct evidence of plant use from archaeological contexts. A language tree models the
population history of the Nordic region and allows
to computationally infer ancestral plant usesfrom recent ethnographic data. We evidence a
wealth of Viking-age plant uses, especially for
medicine and food. All plants for which ancestral
uses were inferred by phylogenetic comparative methods had vernacular names with shared
North Germanic word roots, confirming the pastknowledge and importance of these species. We
inferred the ancestral use of a diversity of species (such as Angelica archangelica or Juniperus communis) and uses (wild foods, beer, andmead brewing) whose cultural history had been
overlooked in botanical or archaeological studies. This multi-disciplinary triangulation method
evidences that while most plant use knowledge
may quickly arise and fade through time, somehuman-plant relations persist through centuries
shaping both culture and the environment.

Indigenous elders and their apprentices, INDIGENOMICS boosts indigenous-led research to preserve
the endangered knowledge of the Matapí— thus
strengthening Indigenous contributions to science
while creating opportunities that reinforce cultural
heritage.

S.1.6 Botanicultural
macroevolution? Theory
and tools for investigating
cross-cultural uses of plants
Fiona M. Jordan1, Julie Hawkins2, Jamie
Thompson3
1. Anthropology & Archaeology, University of Bristol,
UK. 2 Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University ofReading, UK. 3 Life Sciences, University of Bath, UK.
Evolutionary approaches to human culture andlanguage are now commonplace in anthropology, including the use of comparative phylogenetic
methods to understand cultural macroevolution.
Using linguistic phylogenies to model human population history, it is possible to infer the dynamics
of change in ethnographic, archaeological, material, linguistic and cognitive phenomena. Ancestralfeatures of cultural groups can be estimated, andboth transformational sequences of change as wellas coevolutionary hypotheses about culture andenvironment can be robustly tested while accounting for historical autocorrelation between populations. Language families spanning the globe andhuman lifeways are now represented by computationally inferred language phylogenies, and the maturity of the field has accelerated with large-scalecross-cultural databases and data collection surveys. To further promote ethnobotanical research inthis arena, we present a selection of key studies thatinvestigate botanical resource use. Our recent studyof Polynesian medicinal plant traditions explores theroles for adaptation and ancestral knowledge inplant-based healthcare at pre-historic timescales.
We test the extent to which (a) the new floristic environments encountered, (b) cultural ancestry or (c)geographic proximity predict the composition of
ethnopharmacopoeias in seven Oceanic ethnolinguistic groups. This small study highlights the needfor large-scale ethnobotanic databases in order toprogress future work, while highlighting the challenges of collating and synthesising traditional ecological knowledge in ways that are sensitive to the
CARE principles of indigenous data management.

S.1.5 INDIGENOMICS: Linking
indigenous knowledge withmetabolomics to assess thechemical traits underpinning
human-plant interactions
Rodrigo Cámara-Leret1, Luiz L. Saldanha1,
Kim Castro1, Juan C. Copete1, Lauren Raz2,
Uldarico Matapí3
1 Department of Systematic & Evolutionary Botany, University of Zurich. 2 Universidad Nacional de
Colombia, Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Bogotá,
Colombia. 3 Independent researcher, Bogotá, Colombia.
INDIGENOMICS is a Swiss National Science Foundation Starting Grant (2023-2028) that aims to integrate Indigenous ways of knowing with science toaddress a long-standing question about the chemical traits that underpin human-plant interactions.
Co-developed with the Indigenous Matapí of theColombian Amazon, we are testing hypotheses thatlink Matapí and western ecological knowledge tobetter understand how plant chemistry influences
the use, management, and conservation of Amazonian forests. Coupling metabolomics and Indigenous knowledge, we unravel the phytochemical
space used by Indigenous communities to predict
how much chemodiversity may vanish as globalchange accelerates across Amazonia. Supporting22

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S.2 THE ANGIOSPERM REPRODUCTIVE
SPECTRUM FROM FLOWERS TO SEEDS.
SESSION 1
S.2.1 The eFLOWER project:what have we done, whereare we, and where are weheading now?

phylogenetic position of fossil flowers using thesedatasets of floral traits. While these methods appear
to provide a powerful new tool to systematically assess fossil flowers, they have also revealed high uncertainty in the placement of many taxa, reflecting
the limits of the number of preserved, standardisedcharacters that may be recorded from fossil flowers.
Lastly, we present briefly some recent new avenues
linked with this project, including new ideas on theorigin of pollination and evidence on early angiosperm diversification from morphospace analysesof floral disparity.

Hervé Sauquet1,2,3, Andrea M. LópezMartínez4, Maria von Balthazar5, Marion
Chartier5, Julian Herting1, Santiago
Ramírez-Barahona4, Susana Magallón4,
Jürg Schönenberger5
1 Botanic Gardens of Sydney, Mount Annan, Australia.
2 University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. 3
University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia. 4 Universidad
Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México,
Mexico. 5 University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.

S.2.2 Evolution of fruits andseeds of Solanaceae, fromextinct to extant diversity

The eFLOWER project started thirteen years ago asa long-term initiative to address key questions on
the early evolution and diversification of angiosperm flowers. A central part of eFLOWER has been
the development and continuous curation and expansion of a collaborative database named PROTEUS allowing to record floral traits at the species level
while documenting the explicit source of each data
point. Here we review the diverse contributions that
eFLOWER has brought so far to our understanding offloral evolution, reflect upon the questions and challenges encountered along the way, and outline future directions. An important milestone was reachedseven years ago with the publication of a new model for the ancestral flower of all angiosperms, basedon ancestral state reconstructions using a datasetof 792 species sampled from most families. Despite
uncertainty remaining for some traits, this new model proved effective in questioning long-term assumptions and opening new research opportunities
on floral evolution. Interestingly, this model appears
to be robust to new analyses of a recently published,
expanded dataset of 1201 species sampled from allfamilies, but some results continue to be highly sensitive to methodological approaches and models of
character evolution. Another significant milestone
has been the development and evaluation of angiosperm-wide ‘phyloscan’ approaches to assess the

Rocio Deanna1,2
1 Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal(CONICET-UNC), Córdoba, Argentina. 2 Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, USA. rociodeanna@gmail.com
The placement of extinct taxa on phylogenies relieson scoring informative morphological characters,
which can be difficult given the fragmentary natureof the fossil record. Although detailed studies of Solanaceae fossils remain few, the family exhibits wide
variation in seed and fruit traits to use in estimating
fossil placement from morphological data. Therefore, we reviewed a total of 106 seed and seven fruit
fossils of Solanaceae, including two recently published South American species that are the oldest
records in the family. We scored 28 traits, including
11 continuous and 17 discrete, for all the fossils gathered and almost 400 extant taxa, sampling at least
one species per genus. We then performed a cluster analysis to morphologically compare these fossil
seeds to extant Solanaceae, along with a phylogenetic analysis including all the morphological traits
and 10 DNA regions in order to infer the phylogenetic
placement of the fossils. We also reconstructed theancestral states of the most conspicuous morphological traits over a molecular phylogenetic tree

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Lycianthoides calycina placed in the chili pepper
clade. Converged traits (e.g., inflated fruiting calyx)
were less informative but the combination of fruiting
calyx traits was sufficient to place the Physalis fruit
fossils. Continuous traits were highly informative, especially in the placement of the fossil seeds. These
results lay the foundation for new total evidence
dating analysis for the entire family.

to finally compare the morphological evolution inferred with the placement of the fossils. The clusters
found in the statistical analysis were congruent withthe phylogenetic placement of the fossils in all the
species, except by some fossil seeds. According to
the morphological reconstructions, traits that havebeen acquired only once in the family were the mostinformative to place the fossils, like the finger-likeappendages in the fruiting calyx of the fruit fossil

S.2.3 The evolution of embryo size inangiosperms seeds
ical observation that rates of phenotypic evolution
are higher at high latitudes. This study provides crucial new insights in seed trait evolution, which contribute to understanding the diversification of reproductive strategies in angiosperms.

Filip Vandelook1,2, Angelino Carta3
1 Meise Botanic Garden, Meise, Belgium. 2 Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. 3 University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
Seeds are the main dispersal and propagation unitsof angiosperms, and they are very diverse in their external and internal features. When dispersed, seeds
consist of an embryo, the next generation of a plant,
surrounded by the seed and/or fruit coat and by analternative storage tissue (endosperm or perisperm) in case the nutritive reserves are not stored
in the cotyledons. Examining the relative allocationof seed reserves by quantifying the relative embryo
size at dispersal (i.e., size of the embryo relative tothe seed, ES) across angiosperms, sets the basis to
track the evolutionary history of this key reproductive trait related to germination timing and offspringsurvival. We used macroevolutionary approaches
to estimate adaptive shifts of ES in the entire angiosperm radiation. We also evaluated how tempo(i.e., evolutionary rates) and mode (i.e., evolutionary
process) of ES evolution changed through time andthe role of paleo-temperatures on ES evolutionary rates. Early angiosperms typically had a low ES,
which is still reflected in contemporary magnoliids
and ANA-grade species. The analysis of major shifts
in ES throughout angiosperm evolution revealed
that these shifts occurred after 145 Myr and werepredominantly associated with the formation of themain angiosperm lineages. Comparison of a seriesof paleo-inspired models showed that tempo andmode of ES evolution altered from a very dynamic
ES evolution early in angiosperm history towards amore static evolution driven by stronger stabilizing
selection. Finally, a consistent trend for a slowdown
in rates of ES evolution during periods of climate
warming was found. Fast evolutionary rates undercold climates are consistent with the macroecolog-

S.2.4 Are flower and fruit
colors associated withenvironment? Exploring
global ecogeogeographic
patterns in flower and fruit
colorsAgnes S. Dellinger1, Leah Meier2, Stacey D.
Smith2, Miranda Sinnott-Armstrong2,3
1 Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research,
University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria. 2 Department of
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA. 3 Department ofChemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
Flowers and fruits are central to plant reproduction
because they facilitate gene dispersal through pollen or seeds, respectively. In species engaging in biotic interactions during reproduction (i.e., with pollinators and dispersers), flower and fruit coloration
are important as visually attractive cues. Different
groups of pollinators (i.e., bees, birds, bats) and dispersers (i.e., birds, monkeys, lizards) differ in their
sensory abilities, which might drive color evolution
in flowers and fruits. The abiotic environment may
also be an important selective factor on coloration.
For instance, the synthesis of anthocyanin pigments(most reds, pinks, and blacks) is triggered by cold
temperatures and UV-B radiation. Although flowers
and fruits originate from the same organ and con-24

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stitute a continuous developmental sequence, wecurrently lack understanding of whether flower andfruit traits are correlated in space. If flower and fruit
colors show similar spatial patterns, those patterns
may be influenced strongly by similar abiotic factors. If, however, flower and fruit color are decoupled,
then they likely result from different selective agents(either abiotic or biotic). To address this gap, we collated a dataset of 2800+ species from 51 clades withanimal-pollinated flowers and animal-dispersed
fruits and scored flower and fruit colors into eightcategories. We combined the color data with GBIF
occurrence records for these species and foundstriking differences in the geographic distributionof flower and fruit colors. Overall, fruit color diversity
is higher in the tropics, but flower color diversity isnot. Red and pink in both flowers and fruits are moreprevalent at high northern latitudes, which suggeststhat a common selective agent may drive the evolution of red/pink under those environmental conditions. Aside from red/pink, flower and fruit colors
and color diversity are decoupled across the globe,
indicating different importance of abiotic and biotic
selective agents.

between specific floral area (SFA) and floral dry
matter content (FDMC). Across organs, the analogous traits are positively associated, i.e., FDMC
correlates positively with LDMC, and SLA with SFA.
In addition, with data from a greenhouse experiment of 8 species, we show that these relationships
also hold within species, and are influenced by water availability. Our findings show that flowers andleaves, though serving very different functions, areconstrained at least to some degree with respect
to their morphology and structure. The often-assumed independent evolution of floral charactersdepends much on what traits are considered, andthe same can be said about the previously reported independent dimension of floral traits in thespace of plant form and function.

S.2.6 The seed germination
spectrum of Mediterranean
plantsDiana María Cruz Tejada1, Eduardo
Fernández Pascual2, Efisio Mattana3,Angelino Carta1

S.2.5 The emergence of afloral economic spectrum
and its association with theleaf economic spectrum

1 University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy. 2 IMIB Biodiversity Research Institute (University of Oviedo – CSIC - Principality of Asturias), University of Oviedo, Mieres,
Spain. 3 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Wakehurst, UK.
The understanding of seed biology of wild plant
species is fundamental to address ecological, evolutionary, and biogeographical questions, as wellas to the success of seed-based conservation andrestoration actions. Despite recent attempts to synthesise seed germination knowledge across major
temperate biomes, most assumptions about thegermination ecology of Mediterranean plants are
based on individual species or local studies, missing an integrated view of germination patterns forthe whole Mediterranean Basin biodiversity hotspot.
Here, we performed a binomial phylogenetically informed Bayesian meta-analysis, considering ca.
7,000 germination tests of ca. 400 species characteristic of EUNIS Mediterranean habitats (European habitat classification system) from laboratory
experiments conducted across the Mediterranean
Basin. We estimated the effect on germination proportions of five environmental cues, including mean
incubation temperature, temperature regime, light,
and dormancy-breaking treatments for typical
Mediterranean plants (i.e., species that only occur
in lowland habitats of the Mediterranean Basin) andLars Götzenberger1,2, Marketa Applova1,2,
Anna E-Vojtko1
1 Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Trebon, Czech Republic. 2 Department of
Botany, University of South Bohemia, Budweis,
Czech Republic.
Understanding resource allocation strategies inplants is crucial for unraveling ecological and evolutionary dynamics. The traditional fast-slow continuum is a well-established framework that has
primarily been explored through vegetative aboveand below-ground traits of leaves and roots. Recent propositions suggest the existence of a floral
economic spectrum (FES) that parallels leaf traits,
in particular with regard to area and mass-related
traits, as well as longevity of individual organs. In a
survey of herbs across a wide range of plant families, we confirm the expected negative correlation
between specific leaf area (SLA) and leaf dry matter content (LDMC) but also demonstrate a similar
relationship in flowers, i.e., a negative correlation

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found consistent patterns across different habitats(forests, scrublands, and grasslands) with few exceptions, including anthropogenic habitats, in which
opportunistic germination strategies were found. Finally, whilst phylogenetically related species exhibit
similar germination responses, our results also suggest a functional convergence of the seed germination patterns across Mediterranean species. Our
integrative methodological approach emphasised
the significance of utilising extensive datasets toformally test eco-evolutionary and biogeographicalresearch questions.

generalist plants (i.e., distribution wider than the
Mediterranean Basin). Overall, typical Mediterranean
species exhibit a cold-cued germination response, apositive effect of scarification, and are insensitive tolight and alternating temperatures, in accordancewith previously described germination syndromes
for the area. Generalist species are also stimulated
by cool temperatures but show positive effects ofalternating temperatures, light, and cold stratification. Our results suggest that specific germination
responses could vary according to species macroclimatic constraints (typical vs. generalist species)
and secondarily local habitat conditions. Indeed, we

S.3 APOCYNACEAE - ON THE WAY TO A
MODEL FAMILY
S.3.1 Phylogenomic analysis
of Apocynaceae basedon the Apoc836 probe
set: toward resolution ofrecalcitrant nodes

and concatenation methods and conducted sensitivity analyses to evaluate the robustness of our
topologies to sampling and analytical decisions. An
intriguing outcome of these analyses is the frequent
placement of Periplocoideae as sister to the well-established clade of Baisseeae, Secamonoideae, andAsclepiadoideae, harkening back to the abandoned
Asclepiadaceae (comprised of Periplocoideae, Secamonoideae, and Asclepiadoideae) and re-opening questions about homology of pollen aggregation, translators, and coronas in these taxa. This
topology is sensitive to both sampling and analytical choices, and we conclude that the weighted ASTRAL analysis most accurately represents remaining
uncertainty. This new Apocynaceae species treesuggests a revised classification for the family at the
subfamily and tribal levels.

Chelsea R. Smith1,2, Shannon C. K. Straub3,
Tatyana Livshultz1,2
1 Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia, USA. 2 Drexel University, Philadelphia, USA. 3 Hobart and William Smith Colleges,
Geneva, USA
The broad outline of Apocynaceae phylogeny, divided into three subfamilies (Periplocoideae, Secamonoideae, Asclepiadoideae) and two informal
grades: rauvolfioids (11 tribes) and apocynoids (9tribes) has been stable since the earliest single geneplastid analyses: a paraphyletic rauvolfioid grade
subtending a monophyletic APSA clade (apocynoids, Periplocoideae, Secamonoideae, Ascelpiadoideae). Accumulation of data, culminating in thefirst phylogenomic analysis of the family (Antonelli,
et al. 2021) has highlighted areas of continued topological uncertainty including relationships within
the APSA clade, specifically the positions of Periplocoideae and Rhabdadenieae, and an earlier radiation that includes the rauvolfioid tribes Melodineae,
Hunterieae, Amsonieae, and Alyxieae. We revisited
Apocynaceae phylogenomics with expanded sampling of taxa and loci (Apoc836; Straub, et al. 2020).
We constructed trees using summary coalescent

References: Antonelli, A., et al. (2021). Settling afamily feud: a high-level phylogenomic framework
for the Gentianales based on 353 nuclear genes
and partial plastomes. https://doi.org/10.1002/
ajb2.1697. Straub, S. C. K., Boutte, J., Fishbein, M., &Livshultz, T. (2020). Enabling evolutionary studies atmultiple scales in Apocynaceae through Hyb-Seq.
Applications in Plant Sciences, e11400. https://doi.
org/10.1002/aps3.11400.

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S.3.2 Biome lability andsubstrate conservatism
fuelled plant evolution in
xeric ecosystems

presence of pollinia and climbing habit; and [H3]High speciation rates favoured the diversification of Apocynaceae lineages adapted to xeric
environments. Our study suggests that lineages
in more xeric environments exhibit higher speciation rates as they adapt to new, harsher conditions. These findings suggest that substrate,
rather than biome, might be the primary factor
regulating evolutionary rates in plants adapted
to dry ecosystems.

Cássia Bitencourt1; Conal Aitken1; Matilda
Brown1; Leonel Herrera-Alsina2; Olivier
Maurin1; Natalia Przelomska1; Moabe F.
Fernandes13; Mohammad Vatanparast1;
Alessandro Rapini4; Mary Endress5; Sigrid
Liede-Schumann6, David Goyder1; Brian
Schrire1; Kyle Dexter7; Nicolai Nürk8; Jan
Hackel19; Mike Gilbert1; Raquel Negrão1;
Alexandre Zuntini1; Paul Kersey1; Ilia
Leitch1; Eve Lucas1; Oscar A. PérezEscobar1; Melanie J. Howes1; William J.
Baker1; Eimear Nic Lughadha1; Alexandre
Antonelli1,10,11; Félix Forest1

S.3.3 Marsdenieae(Apocynaceae –Asclepiadoideae) –phylogenetic analysis
clarifies generic concept
and unveils abundantparallelisms
Michele Rodda1, Sigrid Liede-Schumann2

1 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London, UK. 2 University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK. 3 University of
Exeter, Exeter, UK. 4 Universidade Estadual de Feirade Santana, Feira de Santana, Brazil. 5 Institute of
Systematic Botany, Zürich, Switzerland. 6 University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany. 7 University of
Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK. 8 University of Bayreuth,
Germany. 9 Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg,
Germany. 10 University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg,
Sweden. 11 University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.

1 Singapore Botanic Gardens, National Parks Board,
1 Cluny Road, Singapore 25969, Singapore. 2 University of Bayreuth, Department of Plant Systematics, Bayreuth, Germany

S.3.4 Biogeography andmultiple origins of Indian
open-flowered Ceropegia

The expansion of arid environments following the
Eocene-Oligocene climate transition is thought
to have promoted increased species diversification rates across several plant lineages. In
this study, we use the Apocynaceae as a model
to assess whether a combination of biotic (e.g.,
lifespan and dispersal traits) and abiotic (e.g., climate and soil) predictors favoured diversification
during the expansion of dry biomes. To accomplish this, we reconstructed a comprehensive
time-calibrated phylogenetic tree for Apocynaceae using the Angiosperms353 bait set to establish a backbone. Subsequently, we merged all
Apocynaceae species with sequence data (for
ITS, trnL-F, and rps16) available on GenBank. Finally, distribution and trait data were compiled totest three hypotheses: [H1] Biome shifts between
Apocynaceae species primarily occur from rainforest to savanna, whereas transitions between
tropical and temperate environments are rare;[H2] Diversification in Apocynaceae was driven by “key synnovation” involving anemochory,

Siddharthan Surveswaran1
1 Department of Plant Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India.
The open-flowered type of Ceropegia, formerly
Brachystelma is a rare and elusive group of plants
in India. They occupy the relatively dry habitats ofpeninsular India which is influenced by the highly seasonal monsoonal climate. The diversity ofBrachystelma is about 35 species in peninsular
India. Molecular phylogeny reveals that within theradiation of Ceropegia (tubular-flowered species).
Brachystelma has evolved at least three times fromclosed tubular-flowered. In this study, I examine the
distribution of the Indian open-flowered lineages
based on the most up-to-date and comprehensive sampling of the genus. The diversity of thegenus is linked to open grassland in the Eastern
Ghat region of India. Using climatic niche modelling, I discuss the climatic requirements which

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S.3.5 Tackling toughtaxonomy: genomic,
morphological, andecological approaches toAsclepias (Apocynaceae) in
North America

might have led to the diversity of the open-flowered genotypes. Furthermore, using transcriptomic
approaches, I examine the genes responsible forthe shift from tubular flowers to open type flowers. I
also discuss preliminary data on pollinators of Indian open-flowered genera of Ceropegia.
A densely sampled molecular phylogeny of thepantropical, predominantly forest-dwelling tribe
Marsdenieae, including almost a quarter of theca. 740 species shows that the tribe is divided in
two large clades, with two genera Rhyssolobium(southern Africa) and Sicyocarpus (Madagascar)placed outside of both clades. The first of the twolarge clades has a native distribution exclusively
in Asia and the Pacific area. The type genus of
the tribe, Marsdenia R.Br., is sister to all remaining
genera of this clade, and comprises ca. 10 species.
This clade harbours two species-rich radiations,Leichhardtia (ca. 80 species) in the Pacific realm
and the Hoya-alliance (>300 species). The second large clade shows a cosmopolitan distribution with several small Asian lineages as sisters tosome larger genera of African-Asian distribution,
as well as the New World genus Ruehssia (ca. 130
species). As far as known, all larger clades comprise species adapted to various types of pollinators (small and larger flies, bees, butterflies,
moths), forcing highly similar floral structures. For
the Hoya-alliance, we present a densely sampled
phylogeny obtained using target enrichment andincluding ca. 80 % of the known diversity of Hoya
and Dischidia, all taxa of Oreosparte (3 species)
and Papuahoya (3 species). Dischidia, Oreosparte and Papuahoya are confirmed as monophyletic, but Hoya is paraphyletic, with a smaller cladesister to Papuahoya and a larger clade (Hoya s.s.)sister to Dischidia + Oreosparte. Within Hoya s.s.,some clades are characterised by uniform flower
morphologies while others, including the main radiation of species in New Guinea, independently
developed a large range of flower morphologies.
The largest molecular and morphological diversity of Hoya s.s. is found in Borneo. Our results willcontribute towards a modern, stable classification of the Hoya-alliance, and studies on its origin
and and diversification.

Mark Fishbein1, Shannon C. K. Straub2,
Victor Andreev1,3, Julien Boutte4, Carl
Wagner2, David Kunkel1, Therese
Mandracchia2, Alessandra Bryan2,
James Riser5
1 Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, USA. 2 Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Geneva, USA. 3
University of Arizona, Tucson, USA. 4 A2Bio2, Molleges, France. 5 University of Wisconsin-Platteville,
Platteville, USA
Rapid diversification may present taxonomic challenges resulting from the gradual nature of speciation. Processes including incomplete fixation ofancestral polymorphisms and partial establishmentof reproductive barriers permitting gene flow after
speciation result in conflicting information about
species boundaries and phylogeny. The rapid diversification of >130 species of American Asclepias provides a good system to demonstrate that integrationof genomic data, population genetics, ecologicalmodeling, and traditional approaches can resolve
longstanding taxonomic challenges. We present twocase studies. The “dwarf milkweed” clade has beenvariously treated as 1-4 species (A. eastwoodiana,
A. ruthiae, A. sanjuanensis, A. uncialis) distributed
across semiarid western North America. Populations
exhibit limited morphological variation, largely inthe shape and vestiture of leaves. Previous researchsupported recognition of four species based on
population genetics and ecological niche modeling. We support this taxonomy with a plastome phylogeny and newly discovered floral differences andresolve the phylogeny of the four species using sequence data from >2000 nuclear genes. In the second example we address circumscription of A. hirtella and A. longifolia. Populations of these taxa arefound in the eastern United States, with coastal populations assigned to A. longifolia and interior populations to A. hirtella (or A. longifolia subsp. hirtella). In
the western Gulf Coast (Texas and Louisiana) populations are morphologically intermediate and havebeen commonly assigned to A. longifolia, which they
most resemble. Using population genomic data28

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more than 3000 photos daily, many of them exotic or cultivated organisms, but others of great importance for the information they contain. This has
contributed to aspects such as systematics, biogeography, plant-animal interactions, biological invasions and, of course, the relationship between people and scientists. One of the plant families that has
benefited from these platforms is the Apocynaceae.
This is one of the most diverse families in the world,with more than 5000 species, and in Mexico there
are about 500 species, making it the 12th most diverse family in the country. Since 2018, the INaturalist
database has been managed as the “Apocynaceae of Mexico” project. The project includes about
60,000 photos, the presence of 4 specialists in thegroup and a curation of more than 80 %. As a result,the distribution of many taxa has been adjusted.
Over 400 species have been documented, including some with flowers and fruits. The documentation
includes the presence of five species that have notbeen collected in over 30 years, the discovery of five
new species, and the identification of invasive species within natural areas. Likewise, floral visitors andpotential pollinators have been documented, manyof them unknown to the country. Proper utilizationand management of this information will enhance
the comprehension of the biology and systematicsof the organisms under investigation.

from >1400 SNP loci and a plastome phylogeny, we
found evidence for two largely discrete gene pools.
However, the western Gulf Coast populations belong
to the interior A. hirtella, not the coastal A. longifolia,
and we present supporting morphological evidence
for this circumscription. These case studies pave theway for achieving deeper understanding of evolutionary and biogeographic history of Asclepias.

S.3.6 Citizen science andits impact on systematics
and natural history of
Apocynaceae of Mexico
Leonardo O. Alvarado-Cárdenas1
1 Departamento de Biología Comparada, Facultadde Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma deMéxico, Ciudad de México, México.
By 2003, humanity had created the equivalent of 5
exabytes of information. Today, this information is
generated in 2 days. Although most of it is entertainment, some of it has allowed us to benefit andconnect the daily life of citizens and scientists. Social networks have enabled a proximity between
science and society, but citizen science platforms
have created a very productive link, an example ofwhich is INaturalist. In Mexico, INaturalist integrates

S.4 BIOGEOGRAPHY AND DIVERSIFICATIONOF INTERCONTINENTAL TROPICAL PLANT
DIVERSITY. SESSION 1
USA. 5 Instituto Mediterráneo de Estudios Avanzados (CSIC-UIB), Mallorca, Spain. 6 São Paulo State
University, Sao Paulo, Brazil

S.4.1 The biogeographyof tropical plants withmegafaunal fruits

Plants with megafaunal fruits (>4 cm) have relied
on dispersal by megafauna and other large-bodied
vertebrates (> 40 kg) throughout their million-year
evolutionary history. How megafruit plants have persisted in contemporary ecosystems after the Pleistocene extinction of most megafauna - especially in
the Neotropics, Madagascar, and Australasia - remains an evolutionary enigma. By integrating global data on traits, seed dispersal interactions, phylogenies, and geographical occurrences for >1500
megafruit plants, we show that many megafruit
species (613 species, 40%) interact with contempo-

Renske E. Onstein1,2, Seheno
Andriantsaralaza3, Onja Razafindratsima4,
Andressa Cabral2, Anna Traveset5, Mauro
Galetti6
1 Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, the Netherlands. 2 German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity
Research, Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany. 3
University of Antananarivo, Antananarivo, Madagascar. 4 University of California Berkeley, Berkeley,29

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rary dispersers, including humans, megafauna (e.g.,elephants), secondary dispersers (e.g., rodents),
or water, providing an explanation for their persistence. These megafruit species often have large
geographical range sizes, strongly contrasting the
128 (up to 300) megafruit species that are currently
threatened with extinction, suffer from small range
sizes, and lack suitable co-occurring dispersers, primarily on (isolated) tropical islands in the Australasia, IndoMalay and Madagascar regions. Our results illustrate how the Pleistocene extinctions andongoing defaunation limit seed dispersal of many
tropical plant populations with megafaunal fruit, but
humans may have replaced megafaunal dispersal
functions for s subset of taxa.

fruit and/or seed sizes and body sizes/gape widths/
diet. We integrated these data in a phylogenetic
framework and used comparative methods to identify the origin and biogeography of major frugivore
lineages and their food plants. Using diversificationand trait evolution models, we showed that several plant and frugivore lineages co-diversified in the
Cenozoic (i.e., last 66 million years), with increased
rates of diversification coinciding with increases infruit and body size evolution. These findings suggestthat reciprocal adaptations in frugivory-related
morphological traits between plants and frugivores
have influenced their mutualistic-dependent co-diversification across the tropical realms, explaining
high contemporary diversity and ‘trait matching’ intropical rainforests.

S.4.2 The spatio-temporal
co-diversification of
frugivores and threevertebrate-dispersed
tropical plant families

S.4.3 Climatic niche andfunctional shifts after
Neotropics colonization
drive diversification in
the amphi-pacific genus
Dendropanax

Andressa Cabral1, Yaowu Xing2, Renske E.
Onstein1,3

Angélica Gallego-Narbón1, Jun Wen2, Luis
Valente3,4, Gabriel Johnson2, Marina Cocade-la-Iglesia1, Nagore G. Medina1,5, Mario
Fernández-Mazuecos1,5, Virginia Valcárcel1

1 German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle – Jena – Leipzig, Germany. 2
Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, CAS
Menglun, Mengla, Yunnan, China. 3 Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Fleshy-fruited plants and their fruit-eating andseed-dispersing animals (frugivores) have originated millions of years ago, but it remains unclear when
and where their mutualistic interactions evolved, andwhether this led to co-diversification and co-adaptation of frugivory-related traits. Here, we hypothesize that shifts in diversification and trait evolution
rates of tropical, fleshy-fruited plant lineages coincided with the evolution of frugivorous vertebrate
lineages and their traits, as a result of co-evolutionary selective pressures from interacting partners. To
test this hypothesis, we focus on three pantropical
keystone plant families comprising >6,200 species
with vertebrate-dispersed fruits: custard apples (Annonaceae), palms (Arecaceae) and mulberries andfigs (Moraceae). We align their evolution with that of
their primary seed dispersers based on data fromextant and Late Quaternary mammals and birds (~5,200 species). Because fruit and seed size are constrained by frugivore gape widths and body sizes,
with the largest fruits depending on dispersal by thelargest animals, we also collected information on

1 Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
2 Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History,
Washington DC, USA. 3 Naturalis Biodiversity Center,
Leiden, The Netherlands. 4 University of Groningen,
Groningen, The Netherlands. 5 Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global (UAM),
Madrid, Spain.
Dendropanax is a species-rich genera of Araliaceae and a classic example of the Asian-Neotropicaldisjunction or amphi-pacific tropical disjunction.
Previous biogeographic reconstructions of the genus point to an East Asian origin and posterior colonization of the Neotropics, with higher diversity in
the Neotropical clade. Here we investigated the roleof climatic niche evolution and colonization eventsin the diversification of the functionally and climatically heterogeneous genus Dendropanax. We used
Hyb-Seq phylogenomics on 237 Araliaceae species
to obtain time-calibrated nuclear and plastid phylogenies used to perform biogeographic analyses,
diversification models, and climatic niche and functional trait reconstructions (habit, leaf type, dimor-

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phism, and area, stipule and trichome presence) for
Dendropanax and phylogenetically close genera.
Curated databases were used to estimate current
and ancestral climatic niches (6,496 occurrences)and leaf areas (910 measurements) using a novel
probabilistic approach that considers niche heterogeneity. Diversification in Dendropanax followed atemperature-based model with a decrease of diversification towards the present. After an Asian origin, successive colonizations of Central and SouthAmerica preceded climatic niche expansions andshifts towards warmer and drier climates coupledwith an increase in leaf area and variability and associated with the persistence of high diversification
rates in the Neotropical Dendropanax clade in comparison with the Asian Dendropanax clade. Given
that the evolution of leaf area followed the colonization of the Neotropics, we believe that this trait could
be associated with the adaptation to the climaticconditions in the colonized area. Our results support
the relevance of colonization events, climatic niche
evolution and functional trait shifts to explain phylogenetic diversification in the intercontinental tropical Dendropanax.

es investigating major groups as a whole (e.g. seedplants) consistently suffer from limited, patchy andbiased phylogenetic data. Similar trade-offs exist
for the geographic and ecological data needed toassign species to biomes, a prerequisite for investigating biome assembly over time. Here, we discuss
recent efforts to understand the evolutionary assembly of rainforest hyperdiversity using both “Big
Data” and “model group” approaches, comparing
their findings and highlighting the specific challenges, pros and cons of each approach. Specifically,
we report our recent findings based on phylogenetic, geographic and biome association datasets forall seed plants (Spermatophyta), contrasting themwith focused studies mostly from the palm family(Arecaceae), a well-established model group for
tropical plant ecology and evolution.

S.4.5 Reconciling deep
and recent time to unravel
global tropical rain forest
diversification dynamics atunrivaled levels of precision

S.4.4 Phylogenetic insights
into the origins of tropicalrainforest hyperdiversity: Big
Data versus model groups

Laura Holzmeyer1, Francis J. Nge1, 2,
Vincent Soulé1, Thomas L.P. Couvreur1,
Annonaceae Phylogenetics Consortium3
1 IRD, UMR DIADE, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France. 2 National Herbarium of New South Wales,
Australian Institute of Botanical Science, Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust, Mount Annan, Australia. 3 Annonaceae Global Phylogenetic Consortium,
http://www.couvreurlab.org/agpc.

Wolf L. Eiserhardt1,2, William J. Baker1,2, Paolade Lima Ferreira1, Lars Emil S. F. Hansen1,
Oscar B. Wrisberg1, Melanie Tietje1
1 Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus,
Denmark. 2 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond,
Surrey, UK.

The evolution and processes leading to the remarkable biodiversity contained within tropical rain forests (TRF) have been subject to research for decades. Traditionally, at a macroevolutionary scale,
two predominant contrasting hypotheses are generally debated, the museum hypothesis, where low
extinction rates lead to a constant diversification
and a steady increase of diversity through time, andthe cradle hypothesis, where increased speciation
rates lead to rapid bursts of diversity. To date, moststudies were based on regional or limited global
taxonomic sampling spanning either recent or deeptime scales. These studies suggested a more nuanced view with a mixed or neutral model of highspecies turnover, implying both elevated speciation and extinction rates in TRF. Here, we reconcile
deep and recent time scales to test these hypotheses by generating for the first time a global near

Rainforests occur across the tropics and are consistently the most biodiverse biome on Earth. Despite
centuries of scientific interest, the eco-evolutionary
drivers of rainforest hyperdiversity remain elusive.
That said, it seems clear that explanations have to
be sought in deep time, involving dynamics of diversification, migration and adaptation over tens
to hundreds of millions of years. Phylogenetic trees
can provide a unique window on those deep-time
dynamics, but are notoriously hard to obtain at thescale needed to unpick rainforest hyperdiversity. Robust and well-sampled phylogenetic trees tend to
be only available for small “model groups” that may
or may not be representative for the assembly of
rainforest biotas. Meanwhile, “Big Data” approach-31

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The repeated evolution of woodiness in herbaceous
lineages has long been perceived as defining feature of island floras, in particular in the Tropics andsub-Tropics (“insular woodiness”). However, scattered evidence indicated comparable transitionsof herbaceous lineages towards woody growth
on continents, for instance on tropical mountains(“derived woodiness”). Here, we contrast recent
results on the evolution of insular woodiness witha novel dataset on derived woodiness on continents. We identified numerous independent transitions towards woodiness in 57 eudicot angiosperm families, resulting in more than 6,500 recent
derived woody species. We found more transitions
and derived woody species on continents thanon islands but derived woodiness on islands wasmore common when accounting for total angiosperm richness (on average 0.77% of the total floraon continents vs 1.85% on islands). Furthermore, we
identified four global continental centers of derived
woodiness, mostly in the Tropics and sub-Tropics:
The Andes, South Africa, parts of Australia and New
Zealand (“Australasia “), and the Old-World dry belt.
Our results reveal the re-evolution of woodiness inherbaceous lineages as widespread phenomenon
on island and on continents driven globally by environmental conditions, albeit with important regional and systematic idiosyncrasies.

complete species level dated phylogenetic tree ofthe major TRF family Annonaceae Juss. (ca. 2000
out of 2450 species). Using this framework, we tested
both hypotheses using different macroevolutionary
methods and statistics. We shall present the major
results obtained from these analyses and implications for our understanding of TRF evolution throughtime at global scales. Our study marks a significant
advancement in understanding TRF evolution, bypresenting the first comprehensive species-level
phylogenetic tree of one of the oldest rain forest angiosperm families on a global scale.

S.4.6 The biogeography
and evolution of derived
woodiness in tropical andsub-tropical angiosperms
Alexander Zizka1,2*, Renske Onstein2,3,Frederic Lens2,4
1 Department of Biology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany. 2 Naturalis Biodiversity
Center, Leiden, The Netherlands. 3 German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany. 4 Institute of Biology
Leiden, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
*alexander.zizka@biologie.uni-marburg.de.

S.5 ADVANCES IN SEED CONSERVATION OF
WILD SPECIES. SESSION 1
S.5.1 Status of European
seed Conservation of Wild
Plants in Seed banks

ulations and species, supporting conservation interventions such as plant translocations, but also
in conserving genetic resources for plant breeding
and food security. Despite over 90% of the European flora is likely to possess bankable seeds, there
is no general assessment of how many taxa are
secured in seed banks, where the gaps are andwhether the countries met the objectives of global
conservation initiatives such as the GSPC (i.e., target 8: 75% of threatened plants conserved ex situ).
Within the framework of the COST Action ConservePlants (CA18201), a European-wide survey on seedbank collections was launched to gain an overview over the current state of ex situ conservationof wild plant taxa in seed banks across Europe. Aftera challenging process of taxonomic harmonization,
we identified over 13,000 taxa conserved in 109 institutions from 29 countries across Europe and theAndreas Ensslin1, Adelaide Clemente2, Elke
Zippel3, Udayangani Liu4, Peter Glasnović5,
Sandrine Godefroid6
1 Conservatory and Botanic Garden of the City ofGeneva, Switzerland. 2 University of Lisbon, Portugal. 3 Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum Berlin-Dahlem, Germany. 4 Royal Botanic Gardens
Kew, UK. 5 University of Primorska, Slovenia. 6 Meise
Botanic Garden, Belgium.
Conserving orthodox seeds of wild plants throughseed banking (at 15% RH and -20°C) has become
a valuable tool in safeguarding threatened pop-

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Middle East. We mapped the taxonomic names andthe original provenance of seed lots against the respective national red lists to identify the coverage
met by each country concerning the GSPC target 8.
We reveal gaps in species conservation and pointout future directions on how to meet global conservation targets. Our study demonstrates the importance of collaborative approach for seed banking
to support safeguarding threatened plants acrossEurope but also highlights that its potential has not
at all been fully exploited yet.

of 2023, the plant tissue culture bank has preservedin vitro culture materials of more than 1,100 species
and 27,100 samples, with orchid species accounting
for over 60%. It has preserved one-third of the species and 55% of the genera of wild orchids in China,
as well as other rare and endangered plants.

S.5.3 Spectrometry
and machine learningtechnologies to aid
conservation of native dry
forest seeds

S.5.2 Research Progress onin vitro preservation of Wild
Plants in China

Maria A. R. Ferreira1, Raquel A. Gomes1,
Jamille C. Silva1, Jailton J. Silva1, Williane A.
S. Oliveira1, Marcos V. C. Freitas1, Sérgio T.
Freitas1, Bárbara F. Dantas1

Jun He Junbo1, Yang Dezhu Li1
1 Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan,People’s Republic of China.

1 Embrapa Semiárido, Petrolina, Brazil.
Seed-based conservation plays a critical role inthe conservation, enrichment, and restoration of
degraded environments. Climate change and agricultural pressure has enhanced the vulnerability
to desertification of tropical dry forests. Plant biodiversity conservation is urgent, mainly in populations
located in climate change threatening hotspots.
Traditional stored seed quality assessment relies on
destructive tests to evaluate viability, germination,and moisture content. These usually take more timeand seeds than is convenient for restoration actions.
Quick and accurate non-destructive methods allow
efficient decision making in all native seed conservation activities, from harvest to storage, and also inseed-based restoration actions. Spectrometry allied
to machine learning can be an effective method forevaluating the quality of native forest seeds, while
maintaining the usually small bulk of stored seeds.
Thus, we aimed to develop an easy and non-destructive method for evaluating stored seeds physiological quality and moisture content using a portable Vis-NIR spectrometer and a machine learningalgorithm model. Stored and fresh seeds of different
populations of two dry forest Fabaceae were individually evaluated for germination, moisture content and spectral data using a portable spectrometer. External and internal validation of the model
were carried out by dividing the data into training(70%) and testing (30%) stages, using 10x cross-validation. The spectral data were processed using
Weka 3.8.6 software. The discriminative algorithms
applied were Support Vector Machine, Multilayer

Both in situ and ex situ conservation are complementary and synergistic approaches that are essential for the protection of wild plants and theirbiodiversity. As a major national scientific infrastructure, the Southwest China Germplasm Bank of Wild
Species has established a wild plant germplasm
resource bank that includes a seed bank, plant tissue culture bank, DNA bank, animal germplasm
bank, and microbial germplasm bank. The planttissue culture bank is mainly based on the theory
and methods of tissue culture to carry out species
conservation, in order to achieve long-term conservation of “exceptional” species with low yield, poor
quality, recalcitrance, and cannot be directly sown.
Explants are obtained through field collection or exchange, and then cultured through various methods
such as protocorn type, short branch cutting type,clustered shoots proliferation type, or organ type. Finally, strategies such as normal temperature or low
temperature restriction are used to achieve in vitro
preservation of germplasm resources. The use of invitro conservation methods allows wild plant germplasm resources to obtain regenerability, repeatability, and sustainability in research and utilization,
which is a major characteristic that distinguishes invitro preservation from other ex situ conservation
methods and provides new strategies to make up
for the shortcomings of in situ and other ex situ conservation methods. The staff of the Southwest China
Germplasm Bank of Wild Species has made certain
progress in large-scale in vitro preservation of wild
plants through years of accumulation. As of the end

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ingly more important particularly for species whereanthropogenic activities are contributing towards
local extinction and population decline, leading to aloss of genetic diversity and adaptive capacity. Seed
collecting aimed at capturing genetic diversity acrossthe range of wide-spread species can be daunting
specially in parts of the world where resources arelimited, and such germplasm collections are only
now being initiated. Here we use a range of genomic
datasets to provide guidelines for building representative conservation germplasm collections. Progeny
datasets for multiple species that we obtained fromseed collected across multiple sites and multiple
maternal lines allowed us to explore how different
collecting strategies (numbers of seed, families, andsites) capture genetic diversity. The results from thisempirical data were encouraging indicating that a.)small quality collections can capture a large proportion of allelic variation and b.) we can use population
genomic data to strategize seed collections to maximise genetic diversity. We apply the outcomes fromthe progeny analysis to multiple extensive population
genomic datasets available through the Restore andRenew program and discuss guidelines for capturing various representative levels of allelic variation.
Finally, based on these progeny data sets and otherresults from our teams’ extensive work in taxonomy,conservation and restoration genomics, we prompt
seed collectors and seed bank managers to maintain maternal lines during the life of the collection as
this maximises the value and utility of these precious
germplasm collections.

Perceptron, Random Forest and J48. For germination, the seeds were classified as YES (germinated)
and NO (not germinated). Multilayer Perceptron algorithm obtained the best results for water content
evaluation, with calibration and prediction correlation coefficients above 0.70. Random Forest andJ48 algorithms showed best performances for seedgermination classification. Although the algorithms
were efficient in seed quality classification, increasing the number of sampled seeds may improvetheir prediction accuracy and aid seed-based conservation activities.

S.5.4 Capturing
representative genetic
diversity in quality
conservation germplasm
collections
Marlien van der Merwe1, Saphira BloomQuinn1, Patricia Lu-Irving1, Jason Bragg1,
Eilish McMaster1, Maurizio Rossetto1
1 Research Centre for Ecosystem Resilience, Botanic
Gardens of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
Seed banking of wild plants is a cost-effective conservation tool that allows for genetically representative
germplasm collections to be stored for extensive periods of time. Such collections are becoming increas-

S.6 NEW FRONTIERS IN PLANTPHYLOGENOMICS. SESSION 1
S.6.1 New Views on Fern
Phylogenetics. Updates
from the GoFlag Targeted
Enrichment Probe Set

Ferns are the second largest group of vascular land
plants, with ca. 10,000, species, and they are criticalcomponents of Earth’s biodiversity – ferns can befound in nearly every type of ecosystem and habitat,from desert to rainforest. Ferns also occupy a pivotal
evolutionary position as sister to the megadiverse seedplants, and they are thus the critical outgroup needed
to understand the evolution of key seed plant features.
Fern phylogenetics as a field has evolved considerably
since the 1990s, when the first rbcL-based phylogenetic analyses of ferns were completed. Fern phylogenetics has presented researchers with a number of challenges, including the deep evolutionary history of thegroup and their propensity to undergo hybridization
and whole genome duplication. We present a phy-

Emily B. Sessa1, Jessie A. Pelosi2, Susan
Fawcett3, J. Gordon Burleigh2
1 William & Lynda Steere Herbarium, New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY, USA. 2 Department of
Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA. 3
University & Jepson Herbaria, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.

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S.6.3 Angiosperms353
Version 2: improving generecovery and locus lengthfor universal single copy
genes in flowering plants

logenomic approach to fern evolution, using the mosthighly resolved nuclear dataset to date (targeting 408loci), and with highly targeted taxonomic sampling(including nearly all fern families and genera). Thisdataset allows us to explore a range of outstanding
questions in fern phylogenetics, including resolving recalcitrant nodes, and comparing results between our
nuclear based trees and other recent large-scale fern
phylogenies based on chloroplast loci.

Matthew G. Johnson1, Chris Jackson2,
Alexandre R. Zuntini3, Nan Hu1, Paul
Bailey3, Felix Forest3, Norman J. Wickett4,
William J. Baker3

S.6.2 Completing the
Angiosperm Tree of Life1 Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech
University, Lubbock, USA. 2 Royal Botanical Gardens
Victoria, Melbourne, Australia. 3 Royal Botanical
Gardens Kew, London, UK. 4 Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, USA.

William J. Baker1, the PAFTOL Community
1 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, UK.
The tree of life is the fundamental biological roadmap
for navigating the evolution and properties of life on
Earth, and yet remains largely unknown. Even angiosperms are fraught with data gaps, despite their critical role in sustaining terrestrial life. Since 2016, the Plant& Fungal Trees of Life (PAFTOL) project at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew has targeted this knowledge gap inangiosperms by leveraging biological collections withnovel genomic tools at unprecedented scale. Here, we
describe our efforts to complete the angiosperm treeof life for all genera. Key achievements include: (1) the
creation of Angiosperms353, an innovative, open-access, target sequence capture toolkit for tree of life
research on any flowering plant; (2) the assembly of
Angiosperms353 sequence data for 8,336 (61%) of the
13,600 genera of flowering plants, amounting to over
1.5 billion base pairs in total; (3) a tree of life containing
all 7,514 genera of flowering plants sequenced to date,
integrating novel data for over 8,000 samples, withdata sourced from collaborators and public resources; (4) the Kew Tree of Life Explorer (https://treeoflife.
kew.org/) launched in February 2021, an open data
portal through which our tree of life and all data aremade publicly available, with release 3.0 (April 2023)
containing data for 10,377 samples; (5) a collaborative network of >300 individuals worldwide driving
numerous projects using Angiosperms353 data; (6)outreach activities communicating the science of
PAFTOL to the public. A wealth of primary research has
also arisen from our data ranging from species-levelstudies, through to big picture analyses exploring therise of the angiosperms. As the project approaches its
goal of sampling all angiosperm genera, we welcome
collaboration from all corners of the community andencourage anyone with interests in working with us ondata generation, sharing or utilisation to get in touch.

Angiosperms353 has gained popularity bothas informative single copy genes and universal probes for cost-effective target capture inhigh-throughput sequencing. With data fromover 10,000 species and 60% of extant genera
now represented in the Kew Tree of Life Explorer (treeoflife.kew.org), Angiosperms353 has become an important tool for phylogenetics andpopulation genetics studies. However, several
shortcomings of the original gene targets andassociated probe sequences have led to poorer than average recovery of sequences in certain angiosperm groups. We seek to improve
Angiosperms353 probes by using expanded resources of high-quality genome references inangiosperms and data generated by the Plant
and Fungal Tree of Life (PAFTOL) project at RBGKew and the Genomes of Australian Plants (GAP)
project at RBG-Victoria. For Angiosperms353v2,
we expanded the targeted sequence of eachgene to include coding regions not captured in
the first version. We also improved the regions
covered in Angiosperms353v1 by using kmediods
clustering to select represented sequences at aper-exon level. We describe the in-silico testingof Angiosperms353v2 and associated resources,
including curated clade-specific target files foruse in gene recovery workflows. Our new probe
design is intended to continue the success ofAngiosperms353 with improved recovery and increased gene sequence length, thus enhancing
future phylogenetic inference.

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S.6.4 Integrative
phylogenomics of the model
tropical rain forest family
Annonaceae: from herbaria
to global scale diversity
dynamics

S.6.5 A phylogenomic
analysis of Salsoloideae(Amaranthaceae). An
example of extreme
paralogy and discordance
Diego F. Morales-Briones1, Gudrun
Kadereit1

Thomas L.P. Couvreur1; Carlos RodriguesVaz1,2; Vincent R.C. Soulé1; Laura
Holzmeyer1; Francis J. Nge1; Serafin J. R.
Streiff1, Annonaceae Global Phylogenetics
Consortium3

1 Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich,Germany.
Caroxyloneae and Salsoleae constitute a species-rich lineage of Amaranthaceae containing
around 40 genera and 300–400 species, including the largely polyphyletic Salsola. Membersof this lineage are primarily distributed in the
steppes and deserts of Eurasia, northern andsouthern Africa. It includes leaf- and stem-succulent halophytic, xerohalophytic, xerophytic,
and ruderal plants, where C4 photosynthesis is
prominent. Generic boundaries in Caroxyloneae
and Salsoleae have been historically a matter oflong-standing debates, with numerous transfers,
reinstatements, or newly established genera inrecent years. To date, phylogenetic analyses of
the tribe have been based on a limited number
of DNA regions, leaving most phylogenetic relationships unclear in an already highly taxonomic challenging group. To build a comprehensive
backbone phylogeny of the group to clarify generic boundaries and investigate patterns of C4
photosynthesis, we used 483 putative single-copy loci from a custom target enrichment bait set
and sampled 175 spp. from 36 genera from Caroxyloneae and Salsoleae. We recovered many
paralogs for all species, including many pseudo-gene copies. These paralogs were spread
across all Chenopods II, with several species
even having gene copies as far as nested within
Polycnemoideae (one of the other subfamilies inAmaranthaceae). This extreme paralog patternlargely halted the ability to infer orthologs using
tree-based methods because the many duplications found in the gene trees resulted in mainly small orthologs, which ultimately resulted in aphylogeny with massive discordance and low to
no support for most nodes. Here, we explore thechallenges and strategies for overcoming the issue of rampant paralogy to attempt to build abackbone of Caroxyloneae and Salsoleae.

1 DIADE, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, IRD, Montpellier,France. 2 Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité, Muséum National d’Histoire NaturelleCNRS-SU-EPHE-UA, Paris, Cedex 05, France. 3 http://
www.couvreurlab.org/agpc.html.
Annonaceae is a major pantropical family with
2450 known species mainly occurring in rain forests worldwide. Based on decades of taxonomic
research and resource generation, Annonaceae
provide an excellent model-clade to understandthe evolution of hyperdiverse tropical rain forests.
We present ongoing integrative research combining phylogenomics, evolution and ecology of Annonaceae. Using a custom Annonaceae baiting kit,
we sequenced hundreds of nuclear genes for over
85% of its diversity worldwide (> 2000 species). Over
75% of species were sequenced from herbarium
specimens, the oldest dating from 1785. In parallel, we produced a massive morphological dataset
documenting functional diversity, generated precise species-level distribution based on herbarium
specimens documenting spatial diversity, and finally, used innovative near infrared scanning (NIRs)
to estimate species specific spectra documenting
chemical diversity. Most relationships were well resolved producing one of the first ever near-complete robust species level phylogenetic hypotheses of a major tropical rain forest plant family. The
results mainly confirmed past systematic studies
in Annonaceae, but also produced some surprises. By integrating these large-scale datasets witha robust dated phylogenetic tree at the species
level, we present preliminary results about global
rain forest diversification. Finally, we discuss the advantages and challenges of leading a large-scale
project on a model clade, and how herbaria are(and will be) central to tackling numerous questions about rain forest evolution.

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S.6.6 Applying thephylogenomics package
Captus to polyploid,
contaminated, anddegraded samples

possible to extract phylogenetically informative locifrom any group of organisms. Besides recovering
accurately and rapidly a greater number of more
complete loci across more samples, Captus is also
capable of dealing with several common issues thatarise in current phylogenomics practice. We showthat the accuracy of recovery helps minimizing themethodological sources of conflict between genetrees and the species tree revealing clear patternsof reticulation or hybridization. Captus facilitates
the combination of sequence data from samplesof varying quality (i.e., silica-preserved, herbarium),
different data types (i.e., target capture, high andlow depth whole genome sequencing, and RNASeq), and pre-assembled genomes and transcriptomes to build a single phylogenomic dataset foranalysis. Captus can also be used to identify outlier samples containing an excess of paralogs due
to polyploidy or potentially contamination. Captus
can be used to remove phylogenetically distantcontaminants from a sample. Finally, we show anadditional feature of Captus, an easy-to-use workflow to find putative homologs and design baits fortarget enrichment and how we used it to create a
set of baits to capture 989 protein coding genes(854 single-copy and 135 associated with morphological traits of interest) as well as 177 non-coding
regions for the family Cucurbitaceae.

Edgardo M. Ortiz1, Gentaro Shigita1,2,
Alina Höwener3, Mustafa Raza1, Hanno
Schaefer1
1 Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany.
2 University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan. 3 Ludwig
Maximilian University of Munich, Munich, Germany
Our recently developed software package, Captus(available at https://github.com/edgardomortiz/
Captus), greatly simplifies processing high-throughput sequencing data into alignments ready for phylogenetic analyses. Captus can remove paralogs
from these alignments for use in traditional species
tree estimation methods or include the complete
set of recovered paralogs for use in more recent
methods such as ASTRAL-Pro. Even though Captus
normally searches for previously known sets of orthologs (e.g., Angiosperms353, BUSCO lineage databases) it can also be used to discover new putativehomologs across the samples analyzed, making it

S.7 MECHANISMS AND CONSEQUENCES OFDISPERSAL IN LAND PLANTS: TOWARDS A
MORE UNIVERSAL UNDERSTANDING. SESSION 1
S.7.1 Seed dispersal
mismatches underglobal change: what can
we apply to the rest of
terrestrial plants?

a nutritious award for the disperser. The unprecedented environmental change produced by human activities (including climate and land-use
changes) is not only reducing biodiversity in termsof the number of species, but it is also changing
the probabilities of interactions among plants andtheir dispersers. Seed dispersal by avian species
necessarily implies that the phenology of birds andfruit production matches in time. Whereas we haveevidence that species are already changing theirgeographic distribution ranges and their life cycles’
timing (e.g., bird migration, fruiting time) as a consequence of climate change, we still have a knowledge gap in understanding whether these changes
will result in mismatches among interacting species.
Network analytical advances and new technologies

Irene Mendoza1
1 Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC), Sevilla, Spain
Seed dispersal implies the movement of a seed ata certain distance from the maternal plant, whichfavours propagation towards new environments.
Many Spermatophyta rely on animals for seed dispersal, especially those with fleshy fruits which offer

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applied to biodiversity monitoring have paved theroad to undertake this challenging objective. In thispresentation, I focus on these specific questions 1)
What phenological changes are currently taking
place in Southern Spain as a consequence of globalchange? 2) Are these phenological shifts resulting
in a mismatch between the phenology of birds andfleshy-fruited plants? 3) How can we forecast phenological mismatches? For answering these questions, I use methods from classical field monitoringand new technologies such as digital images fromphenocams or unmanned aerial vehicles that havebarely been applied to research on ecological interactions, combined with cutting-edge analytical
tools including network analyses and forecastingmodeling. These methods and conceptual advances can be easily extended to other terrestrial plants
and will help understanding the ultimate consequences for ecosystem functioning and biodiversity
conservation of seed dispersal mismatches induced
by global change.

depend on random events to colonize new habitats.
A specific case involves dry-fruited plants in wetlands, traditionally assumed to have hydrochorous
dispersal due to their distribution in or near waterbodies. Recent studies have shown that aquaticbirds can disperse dry-fruited plants through endozoochory, after feeding on the plants or in the seedbank, egesting viable seeds in their faeces. But how
does this type of dispersal affect the genetic structure of plants? Does it promote long-distance dispersal along migratory flyways, and/or connectivity
between nearby wetlands?
We will test the dispersal processes shaping the
population structure and gene flow in Eleocharis
palustris (Cyperaceae). This species inhabits wetland borders and temporarily flooded areas, being
native to the Northern Hemisphere. Endozoochoryof this species has been recorded for many different waterbird species. Morphological and ploidy
level studies have been conducted to characterize
its variability. To delve into this topic, population genomics was investigated applying GBS (genotyping
by sequencing) in 188 plants from 20 populations inseven European countries. Finally, the relationshipbetween the migratory flyways and the population networks will be discussed, as well as the roleof their ecological niche. The understanding of how
endozoochory can shape the distribution of a species could be key to management and conservation
policies for native taxa.

S.7.2 How can dispersal byendozoochory by waterbirds
influence the genetic
structure of a dry-fruitedwetland plant?
M. Angeles Ortiz 1, Raul Sanchez2, Iciar
Jim2, Karin Tremetsberger3, Casper van
Leeuwen4, Adam Lovas-Kiss5, Andrew J.
Green2.

S.7.3 Autorotating diasporesof flowering plants: aninspiring strategy in winddispersal

1 Dpto. Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Universidad de
Sevilla, Spain 2 Dept of Wetland Ecology, Doñana
Biological Station EBD-CSIC, Sevilla, Spain. 3 Institut
für Botanik, Universität für Bodenkultur Wien, Wien,
Austria 4 Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOOKNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands 5 Wetland
Ecology Research Group, Centre for Ecological Research, Danube Research Inst., Debrecen, Hungary

Drisya V.V.1, C. Pramod1,2, A.K. Pradeep2,
T.P. Suresh3
1 Department of Botany, Government Brennen College, Dharmadam P.O., Thalassery, Kerala, India. 2
Department of Botany, University of Calicut, Calicut
University P.O., Kerala, India. 3 Department of Physics, Government Brennen College, Dharmadam
P.O., Thalassery, Kerala, India

One of the main challenges when reconstructing
the evolutionary history of a plant species is thelack of information about its dispersal mechanisms.
These mechanisms shape the distribution of plants,
favoring long-distance dispersal events or confining
them to much more restricted areas. Some species
exhibit obvious dispersal syndromes, like plants withfleshy fruits. However, plants without clear modifications in their fruits or seeds promote controversy
regarding whether they have a specialized dispersal system, fall passively near the mother plant, or

Plants are excellent source of inspiration for design innovation as they are already figured out
what works to spread over the planet and provide numerous examples of stable design andspecialized functionality that are worth to study(Pandolfi & Izzo, 2013). One amazing demonstration of ‘intelligent’ behavior of plants for wind38

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dispersal is the production of autorotating diaspores. Dispersal units, such as fruits, seeds, andother structures which constantly rotate in the air
during dispersal basically due to aerodynamic
forces for moving away from the parent plant toestablish the progeny as an independent sapling are known as autorotating diaspores. Basedon the morphology and type of rotation during
the fall, three types of autorotating diaspores are
identified: autogyros, rolling autogyros, and helicopters (Augspurger, 1986). In a study conductedon the winged diaspores of the flowering plantsof South India, a total of about 120 species (55autogyros, 24 helicopters, 41 rolling autogyros)
were recorded, which produce autorotating diaspores with well-defined morphological adaptations. Macromorphological, micromorphological,
developmental, anatomical, flight behavioural,and aerodynamic studies of a subset of diaspores from each category show that each ofthem varies in its origin, pattern of development,
and configuration of the wings, which accountfor the variation in the overall morphology andeventually the dispersal potential. The autorotating diaspores of the flowering plants of South India display a variety of morphology and designfor the efficient mechanism of dispersal, also effective as natural inspiration for design innovation. The present paper aims to provide a better
understanding of the morphology, geometry, underlying mechanisms of flight, specificity of thedirection of rotation, and biomimetic applicationof the autorotating diaspores of flowering plantsof south India.

conceptual framework exploring how pollen limitation can impact the effectiveness of seed dispersal for endozoochorous and myrmecochorous
plant species. We summarize the quantitative andqualitative effects of pollen limitation on plant reproduction and use Optimal Foraging Theory to
predict its impact on the foraging behavior of seeddispersers. In doing so, we offer a new frameworkthat poses numerous hypotheses and empiricaltests to investigate links between pollen limitationand seed dispersal effectiveness and, consequently, post-dispersal ecological processes occurring
at different levels of biological organization. Finally, considering the importance of pollination andseed dispersal outcomes to plant eco-evolutionary dynamics, our framework opens new avenues
for future studies exploring the current and futurefunctioning of these key interactions, both deeply
threaten by human landscape modification andongoing climatic changes.

S.33.3 How can dispersal byendozoochory by waterbirds
influence the genetic
structure of a dry-fruitedwetland plant?
M. Ángeles Ortiz1, Raul Sanchez2, Iciar
Jiménez2, Karin Tremetsberger3, Casper
van Leeuwen4, Adam Lovas-Kiss5, Andrew
J. Green2
1 Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología,
Universidad de Sevilla, Spain. 2 Dept. of Wetland
Ecology, Doñana Biological Station -CSIC, Sevilla,
Spain. 3 Institut für Botanik, Universität für Bodenkultur Wien, Wien, Austria. 4 Netherlands Institute of
Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands. 5 Wetland Ecology Research Group, Centre
for Ecological Research, Danube Research Inst., Debrecen, Hungary

S.7.4 Linking pollen
limitation and seeddispersal effectiveness
Laura C. Leal1,2, Matthew H. Koski2
1 Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Diadema, SãoPaulo, Brazil. E-mail: laura.leal@unifesp.br. 2 Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, USA

One of the main challenges when reconstructing the evolutionary history of a plant species isthe lack of information about its dispersal mechanisms. These mechanisms shape the distribution of plants, favoring long-distance dispersal
events or confining them to much more restricted areas. Some species exhibit obvious dispersal
syndromes, like plants with fleshy fruits. However,plants without clear modifications in their fruits
or seeds promote controversy regarding whether they have a specialized dispersal system, fall

Seed production and dispersal are crucial ecological processes impacting plant demography,
species distributions, and community assembly.
Plant-animal interactions commonly mediate bothseed production and seed dispersal, but current
research often examines pollination and seed dispersal separately, which hinders our understanding of how pollination services affect downstream
dispersal services. To fill this gap, we propose a39

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S.7.5 Pollen dispersal
in flowering plants.
Importance of pollinatorsfrom single visits to regional
patterns

passively near the mother plant, or depend on
random events to colonize new habitats. A specific case involves dry-fruited plants in wetlands,
traditionally assumed to have hydrochorous dispersal due to their distribution in or near waterbodies. Recent studies have shown that aquatic birds can disperse dry-fruited plants throughendozoochory, after feeding on the plants or in
the seed bank, egesting viable seeds in their faeces. But how does this type of dispersal affect
the genetic structure of plants? Does it promote
long-distance dispersal along migratory flyways,
and/or connectivity between nearby wetlands?
We test the dispersal processes shaping the
population structure and gene flow in Eleocharis
palustris (Cyperaceae). This species inhabitswetland borders and temporarily flooded areas,
being native to the Northern Hemisphere. Endozoochory of this species has been recorded formany different waterbird species. Morphologicaland ploidy level studies have been conducted tocharacterize its variability. To delve into this topic,
population genomics was investigated applying
GBS (genotyping by sequencing) in 188 plantsfrom 20 populations in seven European countries. Finally, the relationship between the migratory flyways and the population networks will be
discussed, as well as the role of their ecologicalniche. The understanding of how endozoochory
can shape the distribution of a species could be
key to management and conservation policies
for native taxa.

Javier Valverde1
1 Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
Pollen dispersal in flowering plant species resultsfrom the joint action of the pollinators at each plant
population. These dispersal agents determine themating patterns between plants and ultimately thegenetic composition of the populations as well as
their degree of genetic isolation. Here, results froma series of studies will be introduced to highlight theimportance of pollinators for the genetic dispersalof flowering plants at different scales. At the level ofindividual plants, a study demonstrates how pollinators can widely differ in their capacity of transporting pollen of different genetic diversity and origin.
At the population level, a study is used to evidence
the role of these animals in generating contemporary patterns of pollen flow between plants. At theregional level, a study performed on several plant
species demonstrates how pollinator diversity correlates with the genetic diversity and connectivityof plant populations. Taken together, these studies
demonstrate that addressing the mechanisms ofpollen flow is essential to explain the genetic patterns found within and between plant populations
that ultimately provide insights into plant evolution.

S.8 SAPINDALES: UNDERSTANDING
ANGIOSPERM EVOLUTION BY INTEGRATIONACROSS DATA, SPACE AND TIME
1. Department of Systematics, Biodiversity and
Evolution of Plants, Albrecht-von-Haller Instituteof Plant Sciences, University of Goettingen, Untere
Karspuele 2, Goettingen, Germany. 2. Departmentof Botany, National Museum of Natural History,
Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA.

S.8.1 Hybrid Capture resolves
the phylogeny of thepantropically distributed
Zanthoxylum (Rutaceae) andreveals an Old World origin

With about 225 species, Zanthoxylum L. is the second
most species rich genus in Rutaceae. It is the only
genus with a pantropical distribution. Economically, it is used in several Asian countries as traditional
medicine and spice. In the past Zanthoxylum was

Lee Ping Ang1, Salvatore Tomasello1, Jun
Wen2, Marc S. Appelhans1,240

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divided into two genera, the temperate Zanthoxylum sensu strictu (s.s.) and the (sub)tropical Fagara,
due to the large differences in flower morphology:
heterochlamydeous in Fagara and homochlamydeous in Zanthoxylum s.s. This genus is much understudied and previous phylogenetic studies using
Sanger sequencing did not resolve the relationships
sufficiently. In this study, we use Hybrid Capture witha specially designed bait set for Zanthoxylum to sequence 347 putative single-copy genes. The taxon
sampling has been largely improved as compared
to previous studies and I present preliminary results
based on 371 specimens representing 133 species
from all continents and major island groups. Our
preliminary results reveal similar tree topology as
the previous studies while providing more details tothe backbone of the phylogeny. The phylogenetic
tree consists of four main clades: a) African/Malagasy clade, b) Z. asiaticum clade - a clade consisting widespread species occurring in (sub)tropical
Asia and Africa as well as Madagascar, c) Asian/Pacific clade and d) American clade, which also includes the temperate Asian species. The merging ofFagara and Zanthoxylum is supported by our results
and the homochlamydeous flowers of Zanthoxylum
s.s. are likely derived from heterochlamydeous flowers. Several of the morphologically defined sections
within Zanthoxylum are not monophyletic. In thispresentation, we (1) introduce the framework of thisproject; (2) present preliminary results and (3) the
ongoing progress of the study.

fruit morphology, and pollination and dispersal syndromes. Fruit diversity is the primary reason 30 of thegenera are monotypic and that so many genera arerecognized in the family. Recently published Sapindales phylogenies and newly discovered Anacardiaceae fossils have shed new light on the evolutionof structural diversity in the family. This presentation
provides an overview of the noteworthy morphological diversity of Anacardiaceae in the context ofsystematics and paleobotany. Several newly recognized taxa, including newly published and yet-to-be
published genera, are discussed.

S.8.3 Meliaceae (mahogany
family): model group fora better understandingof tropical angiosperm
evolution?
Alexandra N. Muellner-Riehl1,2, Meliaceae
Taxonomic Expert Network
1 Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany. 2 German
Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research, Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
Meliaceae comprises woody plants widely distributed throughout the tropics and subtropics,
extending into temperate zones. With over 740
species in 58 genera, they constitute a medium-sized family in Sapindales. The Indo-Malesian region is the geographic centre of diversity. Africa-Madagascar is almost as diverse as
Indo-Malesia, followed by Australasia. Only eight
genera are present in the Neotropics, but they
are as diverse as the Africa-Malagasy region as
for the number of species. Comparing geologicalevidence with the fossil record as well as biogeographic studies, there is indication that the nowadays pantropically distributed family has madeuse of three routes to acquire its current distribution: land connections (i) between Eurasia andNorth America, (ii) between North America andSouth America, and (iii) dispersal paths between
Africa and South America that have existed since
the proposed evolutionary origin of modern Meliaceae (Cretaceous). Although important new insights into Meliaceae evolution have been gained
during the past two decades, there are also still
open questions. A careful revision of the entire
fossil record of Meliaceae will be an important
step into a more comprehensive understanding

S.8.2 Systematics andmorphological diversityof the cashew family(Anacardiaceae)
Susan K. Pell1, John D. Mitchell2
1 United States Botanic Garden, Washington, USA. 2
The New York Botanical Garden, New York, USA
Anacardiaceae is an ecologically and economically important plant family of about 800 species
in more than 80 genera worldwide. Most well-known
for its commercial crops, cashew (Anacardium
occidentale), mango (Mangifera indica), and pistachio (Pistacia vera), and its many contact dermatitis-causing species (e.g., poison ivy and oak;Toxicodendron spp.), the family includes manyother regionally important taxa and exhibits substantial morphological diversity. Anacardiaceae isparticularly diverse in leaf architecture, flower and41

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S.8.5 Phylogeny of Galipeeae (Rutaceae, Sapindales),a group of the Citrus family.
with insights of critical morphological traits.

of the biogeographic history of this family, which
may serve as a prime example for understanding
the evolution of rainforest (and related) taxa on
a global scale. A more or less completely sampled species-level phylogeny, accompanied bymolecular clock dating making use of the richfossil record, complemented by biogeographic
reconstructions (incl. the investigation of niche
evolution), will only be achievable by a scientificcommunity effort, bringing together researchers
from different disciplines, who have a keen interest in Meliaceae evolution. The vision of this longer-term research agenda will be to establish
this—also economically very important—family
as a model group for a better understanding ofangiosperm evolution.

.

Milton Groppo1, Jacquelyn Ann Kallunki2,
Carla P. Bruniera3, José Rubens Pirani1,
Carolina Ferreira1, Paola de Lima Ferreira4
1 University of São Paulo, Brazil. 2 New York Botanical
Garden, USA. 3 Federal University of São Paulo, Brazil. 4 Aarhus University, Denmark
Tribe Galipeeae (Rutaceae, Subfamily Zanthoxyloideae) is the largest group of Rutaceae in the
Neotropical Region, with 33 genera and c. 181 species. The tribe is composed of two subtribes, Galipeeae (28 genera and c.130 species) and Pilocarpinae (5 genera, 51 species). Subtribe Galipeinae
is different from Pilocarpinae by the possessionof zygomorphic flowers (v. actinomorphic flowers
in Pilocarpinae) and by the constant presenceof staminodes (v. all fertile stamens in Pilocarpinae.) A phylogenetic analysis was conducted
to test the monophyly of Galipeeae and its two
subtribes. A total of 120 terminals, representing
24 genera and 80 species of both subtribes were
sampled. Species of Balfourodendron, Choisya,
Helietta, Hortia, and Plethadenia, all from genera traditionally not included in Galipeeae werealso used; Zanthoxylum, a phylogenetically distant genus was used as outgroup in all analyses.
Molecular data included four regions, two fromthe cpDNA (trnL-trnF and rps-16) and two nuclear(ITS1 and ITS2) analyses. Parsimony and Bayesian analysis was conducted. Results showed
all Galipeeae grouped in a strongly supported
clade (Bootstrap Percentages BP-100% BP, Posterior Probabilities PP = 1); Subtribes Galipeeae
and Pilocarpinae appear as sisters, both cladeswith strong support. Balfourodendron and Helietta appear as part of the Pilocarpinae and Hortia
along with the Galipeinae. Critical morphological characteristics such as zygomorphic flowers,
presence of staminodes, embryo and fruit characteristics are discussed in the light of the new
produced phylogeny.

S.8.4 The evolution of
Meliaceae: systematics,
genome duplications andimplications for taxonomy
Monika M. Iskander1, Elizabeth M. Joyce2
1 Rhenish Friedrich Wilhelm University of Bonn, Germany. 2 Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich,Germany
Meliaceae is a widespread angiosperm family of c.
740 species in 58 genera, mainly comprising tropical and subtropical trees. Given its distribution anddiversity, Meliaceae is considered a useful lineage
for understanding the evolution of tropical forests;
however, our understanding of the family’s evolution and infra-familial relationships remain unclear. Here, we present the first genus-complete
phylogenies for the family, generated with Angiosperms353 and chloroplast loci, and including 139
taxa with good geographic representation. In the
nuclear trees, many relationships were retrieved
with maximum support (PP=1, BS=100) and suggest that some genera are non-monophyletic andshould be recircumscribed, while some relationships remained poorly supported or conflicted withthe topology of the chloroplast phylogeny, particularly in the Melioideae. Analysis and placement ofparalogs suggest that this poor resolution is likely
caused by a history of hybridisation and genome
duplication events. Our results indicate that thismay confound our ability to reconstruct relationships in bifurcating trees, raising interesting questions about how we might classify tribes and genera within the family.

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S.9 TOWARDS INTEGRATIVE TAXONOMY.
THEORY AND PRACTICE. SESSION 1
S.9.1 Integrated Taxonomy

has been overestimated, likely because of highphenotypic plasticity in the group. We analyzed
morphological characters in the group to understand differences between taxa and intraspecificvariation. Ecological factors that influence morphological variations and promote or inhibit isolation are also analyzed.

R.W. Scotland1
1 University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Tropical plants are in the most urgent need of taxonomic revision as the majority of tropical genera
have never been monographed, that is they havenot been the subject of detailed study acrosstheir entire geographical range. To complete theinventory of tropical flowering plants phylogenetics and monophyly are important but need to be
integrated with nomenclature, description, morphology, geography, literature, interpretation of
specimens, plant collectors and protologues. In
the absence of this integration the inventory oftropical plants remains partial and problematic
to tackle the biodiversity crisis.

S.9.3 Carex sect. Fecundae:
a boreotemperate-origin
adaptative radiation in the
Neotropics
Raúl Lois 1, Anton A. Reznicek2, Socorro
González Elizondo3, Eduardo Ruiz Sánchez4,
Marcial Escudero5, Ana Morales Alonso6,
Carmen Acedo1, Pedro Jiménez-Mejías7

S.9.2 Taxonomic updates
to Caribbean Pitcairnia(Bromeliaceae) based on
genomic, morphological,
and ecological data

1 Universidad de León, Spain. 2 University of Michigan Herbarium, USA. 3 Instituto Politécnico Nacional, CIIDIR Durango, Mexico. 4 Universidad de Guadalajara, Mexico. 5 Universidad de Sevilla, Spain. 6
Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Spain. 7 Universidad
Pablo de Olavide, Spain
Carex, a member of the Cyperaceae family, stands
as a megadiverse genus encompassing over 2000
recognized species, primarily thriving within the boreal and temperate zones of the northern hemisphere. Despite this, certain lineages of Carex havesuccessfully ventured into the tropical zones of thesouthern hemisphere on multiple occasions. Notably, Carex sect. Fecundae emerges as one suchlineage, displaying a distribution entirely within the
Neotropics, predominantly within high-altitude forests and grasslands spanning from Central Mexico
to Northern Argentina. Comprising more than 30
species, Carex sect. Fecundae stands as one of thebroadest lineages within Carex. It boasts perhaps
the most intricate inflorescence patterns among its
counterparts. However, akin to numerous Neotropical plant groups, the understanding of sect. Fecundae remains significantly limited. Only three treatments of this section exist to date, none of which
are comprehensive. Our research addresses thisgap through a comprehensive taxonomic revisionof Carex sect. Fecundae, reviewing more than 1000

Natalia Ruiz-Vargas1, Roberta MasonGamer1
1 Department of Biological Sciences, University of
Illinois at Chicago, Illinois, United States
Pitcairnia is the second largest genus in thefamily Bromeliaceae, distributed from Mexico tonorthern Argentina, and the only one with presence in Africa. There are approximately 15 species
reported for the Caribbean islands, most of which
are island endemics; one species, Pitcairnia angustifolia, has wider distribution. Among the islands, Ayiti (Hispaniola), shared by the Dominican
Republic and Haiti, stands out with six proposed
species, while most of the islands have one. Usinga target Sequence Capture approach with theBromeliad 1776 baits set we analyze the relationships within the Caribbean group and found 1)
that current species delimitation does not matchthe molecular data, and 2) that species diversity

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specimens and statistically testing more than 100
characters. We established morphometric boundaries for species within the section by selecting themost distinguishing characters, such as inflorescence conformation, utricle, glumes, and achene dimensions. Furthermore, we undertook the first complete molecular phylogeny of the section, employing
HybSeq to unravel the evolutionary relationships
within Carex sect. Fecundae. Our combined analysis of morphological and molecular data led to thediscovery of 18 previously overlooked species within
the section. Additionally, we dated the recent originof this section to approximately 5.77 Mya, affirming
the rapid adaptive radiation witnessed within Carex sect. Fecundae. Through biogeographical analysis, we inferred the most recent common ancestorof the section between the Neotropical and SouthAmerican Transition Zones. This origin was followedby two independent rapid radiations—one in Mexicoand the other in South America—further elucidating
its evolutionary history.

of the continued lack of an overarching theoreticalframework for species delimitation and how to treat
incongruence between different types of Systematic data. Deciding what properties to assess, how
to do so, and which to prioritise in the event of incongruence remains an unresolved issue, requiringa theoretical framework within which to make thosedecisions. In this talk, I explore how treating species
as a “heuristic” can provide the basis of just such aframework. Species delimitation inherently involves
the use of heuristics – through the study of representative specimens, the use of selected diagnostic
characters, and strategic sampling of “tree space”.
Meanwhile, species themselves are routinely used ina heuristic manner to investigate broader patternsof biodiversity and the processes underpinning
them. Acknowledging these aspects of systematic research can therefore inform both operational
ways of accurately and consistently delimiting species, and theoretical ideas about their nature.

S.9.5 Challenges in defining
genera: the limits ofintegrative taxonomy in the
Funariaceae (Bryophyta)

S.9.4 Heuristics, species, andthe analysis of systematic
data - or why morphology is
still king
Tom Wells

Rafael Medina1, Matthew G. Johnson2,
Nikisha Patel3, Nicholas Wilding4, Yang
Liu5, Bernard Goffinet5

1,2

1 Herbarium, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK. 2 Biology Department, University of Oxford, UK

1 Departamento de Biodiversidad, Ecología y Evolución. Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Madrid.
Spain. 2 Department of Biological Sciences. Texas
Tech University. Lubbock TX. USA. 3 Departmentof Biology. Trinity College. Hartford CT. USA. 4 UMR
PVBMT, Pôle de Protection des Plantes. University of
La Réunion. Saint-Pierre, Réunion. France. 5 Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. University of Connecticut. Storrs CT. USA

The rise of molecular phylogenetics and “integrative
taxonomy” have led to a sense that disagreements
about the fundamental nature of the species category are no longer an issue in contemporary systematics. The implicit consensus is that increases inthe volume, type, and precision of data and methods available to contemporary researchers will automatically lead to more accurate and consistentspecies delimitations, without the need for a widely
accepted definition of what species are and how
they should be identified and used in biological research. The chief challenge to this triumphalist viewof ‘integrative taxonomy’ remains the heterogenous
nature of speciation. Since speciation proceeds
over extended periods of time and through different
processes, it results in the inconsistent manifestation of different ‘contingent properties’ for its recognition, depending on the taxa in question. Simply
combining multiple forms of data or methods under an ‘integrative approach’ cannot automatically overcome this fundamental obstacle because

Traditionally, morphology played a pivotal role inshaping bryophyte taxonomy until the advent of themolecular phylogenetic revolution, substantially impacting their systematics. The integration of morphology and sequence data, while occasionally feasible,
often remains elusive in select groups, likely due tothe constrained morphospace of their anatomy andthe prevalence of homoplasy. Here, we delve into thetransformative influence of molecular investigations
on classical generic concepts within the moss family Funariaceae. Despite the general conservation ofmoss sporophyte architecture driven by selective
pressures for efficient spore dispersion, the Funariaceae exhibit an exceptionally diverse sporophytic gen-44

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es and how “integrative taxonomy” has helped
our work. Our main aim is to provide a classification framework for the megadiverse and agriculturally important genus to be used acrossresearch fields, including taxonomically authoritative molecular phylogenies, updated list of accepted species names and synonyms, and morphological descriptions of all species. In our view,
phylogenies are important but the main core of
our work is around morphology, nomenclatureand field work as molecular sequence data (including full reference genomes) are being published more widely by non-taxonomists. We are
passionate to expand the number of taxonomic
specialists working in the genus across different
parts of the world, and to provide interactive andvisual identification tools that enable botanists to
identify Solanum species with higher confidence.
Our taxonomic expertise enables us to collaborate with evolutionary developmental biologists
and genomics experts to understand the genetic
control of distinct morphologies in the group andour understanding of evolution across Solanum.
Core part of this work is using our database oftaxonomically verified herbarium specimens fromacross >400 herbaria to characterise species andtraits in ecological and geographical space tobetter understand their biology and function.

eration. Historically, generic assignment relied on specific trait combinations, resulting in the recognition of
17 genera, including three specious ones—Funaria, Entosthodon, and Physcomitrium—and 14 paucispecificgenera. Many of the latter were established to reflect
intuitively unique morphological variations, typified bysingle or very few species, such as for Physcomitrella,harboring the model taxon P. patens. However, a seriesof molecular phylogenetic studies at different scales
has substantially reshaped the taxonomic landscapewithin the Funariaceae. These investigations have
unveiled novel insights: For example, most highly reduced sporophyte morphologies reflect a recurrent
syndrome within the family, lacking predictive valueof systematic affinities. Secondly, certain taxa arise
from hybridization events, exhibiting combinations ofmorphological traits that may or may not align withthe progenitor species. Additionally, what seemed likea coherent lineage, Entosthodon, reveals itself as two
separate groups (Entosthodon s.s. and Physcomitrellopsis) diverging 30 mya. While proposing a novel
generic synopsis consolidating the family’s diversity
into seven genera was feasible, achieving a complete
integration between morphology and molecular systematics remains a partially realized goal. The refinement of Funariaceae taxonomy remains an ongoingchallenge, prompting future inquiries to uncover overlooked synapomorphies that complement the evolutionary narratives elucidated by molecular data.

S.9.6 Modern taxonomic revisions: example of our approach in the big pantropicalgenus Solanum (Solanaceae)
Tiina Särkinen1, Rebecca Hilgenhof1,
Edeline Gagnon2, Sandy Knapp3, Leandro
Giacomin4
1 Tropical section, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh,
Scotland, UK. 2 Department of Integrative Biology,
University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada. 3 Life Sciences Division, Natural History Museum, London, UK.
4 Department of Systematics and Ecology, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Paraíba, Brazil
Agriculture has benefited from the large morphological diversity found within the large genus
Solanum through the exploitation of tubers (potatoes) and fruits (tomatoes, eggplants, and several minor crops). We present an overview of how
taxonomic work on Solanum has developed overthe past decades, highlighting what tools andapproaches have been useful at different stag-45

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S.10 FLORAL SPECIALIZATION AND THE
GENERALISED NATURE OF POLLINATIONINTERACTIONS. SESSION 1
S.10.1 Flowers on an adaptive
plateau: which floral traits
mediate specializationin buzz-pollinated
Melastomataceae?

traits commonly considered important in pollinator
attraction (scent, color, reward) and pollen transfer(flower-pollinator fit), we aim at better resolving theprocesses underlying the evolution of floral diversity within pollination strategies.

S.10.2 Pollinator shifts, floral
evolution, and geographic
range evolution in thegenetic divergence of three
Aeschynanthus species

Benjamin Lazarus , Ashlee Kerber , Agnes
S. Dellinger1
1

2

1 Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research,
University of Vienna, Austria. 2 Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, USA.
While the ecology and evolution of plant-pollinator interactions has often been studied throughthe comparison of closely-related species differing in functional pollinator groups (e.g., bees
and birds), many plant lineages exhibit a single
pre-dominant pollination strategy. Buzz-pollination is one such strategy, where, in the case of theplant family Melastomataceae, more than 5000
species are adapted to pollination by bees capable of producing specialized vibrations on flowers.
While many buzz-pollinated flowers across angiosperms converge into a single main phenotype(‘Solanum-type’ flowers), Melastomataceae exhibit
highly diverse flowers differing in color and scentprofiles, corolla shapes, sizes, and the architecture
and biomechanics of stamens. To date, we know
comparatively little about how unbalanced patterns of flower diversity and uniformity arise acrossplant lineages, and how they play out in communities of co-flowering species. In this talk, we introduce
patterns of macroevolutionary diversity of Melastomataceae flowers, and present new results on how
flower traits may contribute to pollination niche
partitioning and specialization despite substantial
overlap in buzzing bee pollinators among closely-related, co-flowering Melastomataceae species.
We compare trait and pollinator data across selected Melastomataceae communities from theSouth-Eastern USA, Ecuador and Brazil, covering abroad range of floral phenotypes and phylogenetic diversity of the group. By analyzing the links between buzz-pollination niche specialization, flower

Jing-Yi Lu1, Yaowu Xing2, Hong Truong
Luu3, Ming-Xun Ren4, Shao-Jun Ling4, andRichard H. Ree1,5
1 Committee on Evolutionary Biology, University of
Chicago, Chicago, USA. 2 CAS Key Laboratory of
Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical
Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences,
Mengla, China. 3 Southern Institute of Ecology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Ho Chi
Minh City, Vietnam. 4 Center for Terrestrial Biodiversity of the South China Sea, Hainan University,
Haikou, China. 5 Negaunee Integrative ResearchCenter, Field Museum, Chicago, USA
How do plants evolve under a geographic mosaic
of pollinators? The Grant-Stebbins model predicts
that local adaptation to different pollinators may
drive ecological speciation. We test this hypothesis in the SE Asian genus Aeschynanthus, whose
160 species mostly overlap with their putative pollinators, nectar-specialist sunbirds. A conspicuous
exception is A. acuminatus, a species widespread
across mainland East Asia that also occurs in Taiwan, beyond the range of sunbirds. In Taiwan, A.
acuminatus is exclusively pollinated by a mixed
group of generalist passerines. Less is known about
its pollination in mainland Asia, where both sunbirds and generalist passerines are available. In
this study, we investigate the roles of pollinator
shifts and range expansions in the genetic divergence of A. acuminatus from its closest relatives, A.
moningeriae and A. pedunculatus. Pollinator obser-

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vations of A. acuminatus across its range showedvaried degrees of visitation by both sunbirds andgeneralist passerines on mainland Asia. In contrast,
its closest relatives are both exclusively pollinatedby sunbirds. Genome-wide SNP analysis revealed
a mainland origin in A. acuminatus, preceding its
range expansion to Taiwan. The sunbird specialists
have independent origins: A. moningeriae is nested
within A. acuminatus and A. pedunculatus is reciprocally monophyletic. The origin of A. acuminatus
was thus likely on the mainland, coincident with ashift from specialized sunbird pollination to a moregeneralized pollination system that facilitated its
colonization of Taiwan. A. moningeriae represents
a localized reversal to sunbird specialization on
Hainan. The evolutionary history of A. acuminatus
and its closest relatives was not consistent withthe classic Grant-Stebbins model. Instead, ourresearch exemplifies how multiple transitions between generalized and specialized pollination systems can influence the genetic divergence andrange dynamics, and the potential for speciation.

vannah-like vegetation considered one of the World’s
Biodiversity Hotspots for angiosperms, is especially rich in Malpighiaceae species. But how do these
specialists coexist and persist successfully in sympatry if competition for pollination services and riskfor hybridization (i.e., via interspecific pollen transfer)among close relatives is expected to be high? Here,
we explore the niche ecology of 33 sympatric Malpighiaceae species, focusing on potential temporal,
spatial, behavioral, and morphological partitioning
mechanisms. Among other factors, we show the importance of temporal niche partitioning in phenology promoting the Malpighiaceae species richness
that characterizes the Cerrado vegetation throughout its geographic range. We discuss the relevanceof the emergent patterns observed in this system toimprove our understanding of niche and community ecology in other Neotropical plant communities
where specialized pollination is also widespread.

S.10.4 Chemical divergencein floral scents of two
Magnolia species from theColombian Andean region

S.10.3 Pollination niche
partitioning promotes
coexistence of specialists
in a Neotropical plantcommunity

Juan Pablo Santa-Ceballos1, Marcela
Serna Gonzalez2, Vinita Gowda3, Hiroshi
Suzuki-Azuma4
1 Departamento de Ciencias Forestales, Universidad
Nacional de Colombia, Sede Medellín, Medellín, Colombia. 2 Facultad de Ingeniería, Tecnológico de Antioquia–Institución Universitaria, Medellín, Colombia.
3 Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Instituteof Science Education and Research Bhopal, Bhopal,
Madhya Pradesh, India. 4 Faculty of Engineering,
Toyama Prefectural University, Toyama, Japan

Simone Cappellari-Rabeling1,4, Rosana
Tidon2, John L. Neff3 and Beryl B. Simpson4
1 Department of Plant Evolutionary Biology, Institute of
Biology, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany.
2 Department of Genetics and Morphology, Universityof Brasilia, Brazil. 3 Central Texas Mellitological Institute, Austin, TX, USA. 4 Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, USA.

Floral scents serve as chemical signals to attract pollinators and thus play an essential role in the reproductive strategies of angiosperms. In Magnoliaceae,
floral scents were identified as primary attractants forfloral visitors. This study explores the chemical composition of floral scents in two Colombian endemics
species, Magnolia jardinensis and M. yarumalensis,
from the Andean cloud forests. Through scent collection by dynamic headspace methods, followed by
Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS)
analysis, we identified distinct volatile compounds
from flowers in their staminate and pistillate stages, inboth the species. Magnolia jardinensis exhibited sevencompounds, while M. yarumalensis displayed a more
complex profile with sixteen compounds. Notably, five

Neotropical habitats harbor over 40% of the world’s
angiosperm diversity including several plant families
with specialized pollination systems such as the Orchidaceae, Malpighiaceae, and the Plantaginaceae.
The Malpighiaceae is considered one of the mostcommon elements of the Neotropical Flora and is
known for its specialized pollination system involving the production of floral oils (i.e., lipids) which are
harvested by solitary, oil-collecting bees and used forlarval provisioning or nest construction. Comprising
1,300 species, the Malpighiaceae has its center of diversity in South America, where the family is thought
to have originated 65 Mya. Among South American
biomes, the Brazilian Cerrado, a seasonally dry sa-

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compounds were shared between the male and female floral stages of M. yarumalensis, reinforcing thenotion of specialized pollination systems. The chemical divergence between these two Magnolia speciesaligns with previously observed differences in floral
visitors and phenological patterns. Magnolia yarumalensis attracts beetles of the Staphylinidae family, while
M. jardinensis attracts beetles of the Cyclocephalagenus (Family Scarabaeidae). This work holds significance for conservation efforts. The specialized pollination systems observed in these Magnolia species
highlight the vulnerability of these ecosystems to disruptions, underscoring the need for targeted conservation measures to safeguard the intricate relationships between Magnolia trees and their pollinators.

of A. triloba overlap chemically with odors of a rangeof fermenting environmental substrates and attracta range of fermentation-seeking Diptera. Fetid, carrion-smelling inflorescences of S. foetidus chemically overlap with both carrion and fermenting substrates, potentially attracting a broader range ofsaprophagous insects. We highlight convergent floral characteristics between these species as well as
potentially important differences. We present substrate chemical data for locally-occurring potential
models. Finally, we identify insect taxa attracted toflowers of both species, and to carrion and fermentation baits placed near blooming plants. This investigation helps elucidate boundaries and potential
overlap between substrate properties and attracted
insect communities within a close geographic area.

S.10.5 Sapromimesis as apollination strategy – floral
mimicry of the necrobiome

S.10.6 Future distributionof Iranian Salvia and its
pollinators using ecologicalniche modeling andmolecular data

Katherine R. Goodrich1, Jade Savage2
1 Widener University, 1 University Pl. Chester, PA, USA.
2 Bishop’s University, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
Some flowers use false advertisements to deceptively attract pollinators. Mimetic resemblance toother organisms or their by-products can result inpollinators cognitively misclassifying the flowers,
as evident by behavior such as mating attempts
or egg-laying. Floral mimicry of decomposing substrates, frequently termed “oviposition-site mimicry,”presents a particularly challenging study system.
Current studies on flowers mimicking decomposing
substrates (e.g. carrion, fermentation, dung) show
intriguing patterns of convergence of floral scents,
color, and texture. However, we do not yet fully understand the cues utilized by foraging and/or gravid
saprophagous insects which pollinate sapromimetic flowers. Examining floral phenotype convergencein sapromimetic species may help elucidate crucial cues used by these insects. Traditional views of
mimicry suggest that increased phenotypic overlapof the mimic with a specific model should increase
mimic fitness. But in sapromimesis, it is frequently unclear whether the flower imitates a general
set of cues used by saprophagous insects or more
specialized imitation of a particular model, suchas a species of fermenting fruit. I present ongoing
research for two sapromimetic species – Asimina triloba (Annonaceae) and Symplocarpus foetidus (Araceae) – occurring in the same habitats ofnortheastern USA. Yeasty-smelling maroon flowers

Fatemeh Moein1, Hojatolah Saeidi1
1 Department of Plant and Animal Biology, Facultyof Biological Science and Technology, University ofIsfahan, Isfahan, IranClimate change and anthropogenic drivers arewidely considered as the most important threat tobiodiversity. Pollinators play an important role inecosystem regulation. Phenological mistmatches between plant-pollinator interactions canthreat at population or species level depend on
the degree of specialization. Taken into accountthese adverse effect and limited time for conservation, providing maps of species distribution
are required to identify where vulnerable species
are at risk of decline or even extinction speciallyfor plants depend on pollinators for reproduction.
Salvia, the largest genus in Lamiaceae, includes
approximately 1000 species in the world witharound 200 species in southwestern Asia distribution. More than 80 percent of the species arecharacterized by special pollination system known
as lever mechanism. Salvia species in southwestof Asia are melittophilous, pollinated by insects,
mostly bees. (Apis mellifera, Bombus sp and Xyclocopa sp.). Iran with 72 species of Salvia in which
19 of them are endemic is one of the main center of Salvia diversity in southwestern Asia, we focused on Iranain Salvia and relevant pollinators

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Also, small flowers have lower niche overlap with
their relevant pollinators. We integrated molecular
data with ecological information in aspect of phylogenetic diversity, which shows those species inlower latitudes have higher phylogenetic diversity.

to realize how the ongoing climate change caneffect on Salvia distribution in future using ecological niche modeling. We used the current andthe future models to realize whether the nicheshift in plants and pollinators are at the same rate
in 4 stamen type of Iranian Salvia. Our analysis
showed that Salvia species with smaller floral size

S.11 ASSESSING THE INTERPLAY BETWEENGENETIC AND NON-GENETIC MECHANISMSCONTRIBUTING TO PHENOTYPIC VARIATION
AND ADAPTATION OVER TIME
S.11.1 Cumulative
reinforcement ofplasticity: non-genetictransgenerational effects
in stable vs. unstableenvironmental conditions

acterized by two traits—trichome abundance andglucosinolate production. As expected, conditions experienced during a plant’s lifetime induce
a strong plastic response within an organism’s
life cycle. However, our findings also demonstratethat transgenerational plasticity cumulatively
reinforces lifetime plasticity, particularly for individuals whose all previous parental generations
were grown in the same conditions. This cumulative effect causes phenotypes of a given genotype to diverge when exposed for several generations to either stressed or benign conditions,
resulting in increased non-genetic phenotypic
divergence across populations grown for several
generations in different environments. Contrarily, in more unstable environments, where conditions varied across parental generations, we observed increased phenotypic differences amongindividuals growing in the same conditions. Thissuggests the presence of mechanisms supporting bet-hedging effects—enhanced trait diversity
to potentially bolster population resilience. These
results highlight important and previously unexplored effects with implications for ecologicaltheories beyond species adaptation.

Mar Sobral1, Francesco de Bello2
1 University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago deCompostela, Spain. 2 CIDE-CSIC, Valencia, Spain.
Non-genetic heritable variances in phenotype,within and across populations, play a crucial rolein facilitating adaptation in non-mobile organisms like plants. They regulate the expression of
traits in response to shifts in the environment. In
addition to within-generation plasticity (shortterm modifications occurring within an individual’s lifetime), plasticity can be inherited acrossgenerations, manifesting as non-genetic effects
shaped by the conditions in which parental plants
developed (transgenerational plasticity). The extent to which these non-genetic effects accumulate in stable environmental conditions and how
rapidly they revert when conditions change remains unclear. In a three-generation experimentwith wild radish, we maintained different cohorts
in either consistent or varied environmental conditions, with respect to the conditions experienced
by parental generations, with or without herbivory by caterpillars. Results revealed a robust plastic response marked by phenotypic adaptation,
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S.11.2 Phenotypic
diversity generated bytransgenerational plasticity
and transposable elements
enhances population
functioning

heritable plasticity and transposable elements created differentiation in ecologically important traits
connected to different axes of the plant ‘economics’ spectrum. Such increased phenotypic diversity
ameliorated the negative effect of competition between coexisting individuals and enhanced population productivity and stress resistance; and interestingly, by a similar magnitude as genetic diversity did.
Our results highlight the ecological relevance of unexplored sources of phenotypic variability because
as other sources of biodiversity, they could similarly
affect ecosystem and population functioning.

Javier Puy1, Vit Latzel2, Carlos P. Carmona3,
Michael Thieme4, Etienne Bucher5, Lars
Götzenberger2,6, Francesco de Bello6,7

S.11.3 Intraspecific trait
variability within and acrossgenerations: implications forcoexistence and stability

1 Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC, Sevilla,
Spain. 2 Institute of Botany, Czech Academy of
Sciences, Průhonice, Czech Republic. 3 Instituteof Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu,
Tartu, Estonia. 4 Department of Plant and Microbial
Biology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland. 5
Crop Genome Dynamics Group, Nyon, Switzerland.
6 Department of Botany, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic. 7 CIDEUV-CSIC, Centro de Investigaciones sobre Desertificación, Valencia, Spain.

Francesco de Bello1, Vit Latzel2, María del
Mar Sobral Bernal3, Javier Puy4, Christina
Richards5

The observed positive effect of diversity on ecosystem functioning, explained by mechanisms of trait
diversity, has rarely been assessed within populations. However intraspecific phenotypic variability
should theoretically cause similar biodiversity effects. Intraspecific trait variation could stem bothfrom underlying genetic diversity and non-genetic
mechanisms such as plasticity in response to environmental cues. This plasticity can potentially last
multiple generations and can derive, for example,
from epigenetic modifications or mobilization oftransposable elements. Using Arabidopsis thaliana
as a proof-of-concept model, our work has been on
unravelling the effect of phenotypic diversity generated by 1) heritable plasticity and 2) transposable
elements on coexistence, population productivity,
and resistance to stress, as well as on comparing
their magnitude with the effect of genetic diversity. Across two glasshouse experiments, three different types of Arabidopsis thaliana populations were
established: one type with differing levels of genetic diversity, another one with a different mixture ofindividuals that differed in their ONSEN retrotransposon insertions, and a last one, genetically uniform
but with varying diversity levels of the parental environments (parents grown in the same or different
environments). In all populations, we tested whether
the increasing diversity increased the phenotypic
diversity of populations and enhanced their functioning under different conditions. As expected, both

1 Centro de Investigaciones sobre Desertificación(CSIC), Valencia, Spain. 2 Academy of Sciences of the
Czech Republic, Institute of Botany, Pruhonice, Czech
Republic. 3 University of Santiago de Compostela,
Santiago de Compostela, Spain. 4 Estación Biológica
de Doñana, CSIC, Spain. 5 University of South Florida,
USA & University of Tübingen, Germany
To comprehend the responses of ecosystems to
global change, unraveling the dynamics of biologicaldiversity and ecosystem function over time is imperative. A key pursuit in this context is deciphering thefactors fostering coexistence and resilience to environmental shifts within communities and populations. Ecologists have debated various mechanisms
modulating local biodiversity effects on ecosystemproperties although effects within populations remain largely unexplored. Ecological mechanisms
act initially on individuals, scaling up to communities and ecosystems, shaping and being shaped by
Intraspecific Trait Variability (ITV). These variations
stem from diverse sources: genetic (attributed to
DNA differences) or non-genetic (e.g., epigenetic
mechanisms without DNA sequence modifications).
Genetic diversity is believed to empower populations
to adapt to changing environmental conditions byproviding a broader array of phenotypes from which
the fittest can be selected. Concurrently, the abilityof an organism to adjust trait expression in responseto the environment (i.e., phenotypic plasticity) canbe also heritable. Plasticity, in fact, does not allow

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only short-term responses within an individual’s lifetime (within-generation plasticity) but also cause
inherited differences across generations (transgenerational plasticity). The relative impact of genetic
versus non-genetic heritable mechanisms, encompassing their temporal extents and responsivenessto different environmental drivers, remains largely
unknown. Questions persist regarding the cumulative nature of non-genetic effects in stable environmental conditions across generations and thereversibility of induced differences when environmental conditions shift. Addressing these issues necessitates researchers to develop new approaches
to evaluate how genetic diversity and non-genetic
inheritance diversity intersect with population stability over time. Additionally, outlining experimental
approaches to tackle these questions is crucial. This
contribution seeks to synthesize ideas and perspectives aimed at understanding the interplay between
genetic and non-genetic effects on short- andlong-term phenotypic variation within species. It explores how these effects influence coexistence andecological stability of growing conditions and traits.

adaptive potential of woodland strawberry (Fragaria
vesca), a widely distributed herb with both clonal andsexual reproductive capabilities, in the face of projected environmental conditions expected by the endof the 21st century. These conditions included a temperature rise of 4 °C, an atmospheric CO2 concentration twice that of the present (800 ppm), and periodic
drought periods. We quantified ecologically relevant
phenotypic traits and examined whole-genome DNA
methylation patterns in both parental individuals andtheir clonal and sexual offspring. We found evidence
for transgenerational plasticity induced by the parental environment, with a stronger overall effect observed in the clonal offspring compared to the sexual
offspring. These results suggest that transgenerational
plasticity via DNA methylation could potentially facilitate plant adaptation to future environmental conditions, particularly in clonal species.

S.11.5 Epigenetics andtransgenerational plasticity
in the face of climatechange: a matter ofreproductive mode?

Joe Q He1, Rosa Sánchez-Lucas1, Phoebe
Swift1, Charlotte Jones1, Adriane EsquivelMuelbert1, Marco Catoni1, Estrella Luna-Díez1

S.11.6 Epigenetic memory ofclimate change associatedstress in forest trees

1 University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
Memory is the acquisition, retention and transmissionof information guiding future action. The imprinting of
memory in plants mostly happens by altering its epigenetic signature through DNA methylation, which has
been shown to contribute to both short-term phenotypic plasticity and the longer-term adaptive capacity.
In our large research project MEMBRA, we are studying
epigenetic changes and transgenerational memory because of climate change-associated stress in
key forest tree species present. Different abiotic (i.e.,
drought, frost, elevated CO2) and biotic stresses (i.e.,
insect infestation and different diseases) have been
selected based on our data showing that they alter important traits, such as growth, within UK forests. Leaf DNA
from selected trees exposed to stress has been extracted and subjected to Whole Genome Bisulfite Sequencing (WGBS). A custom bioinformatic pipeline was established to call differentially methylated points (DMPs)
and regions (DMRs) and to associate the differential
stresses to the methylome. Our long-term aim is to integrate the capacity of tree species to develop memory into the spectrum of tree form and function and test
its influence on forest resilience. Memory will be used asa plant functional trait to help select the most resilient

Iris Sammarco1, Zuzana Münzbergová 1,2,
Vít Latzel1
1 The Czech Academy of Sciences, Průhonice, Czech
Republic. 2 Faculty of Science, Charles University,
Prague, Czech Republic
Climate change poses a significant threat to plant
species, potentially pushing them beyond their adaptive capacities. Epigenetic modifications, such as DNA
methylation, have emerged as a key mechanism
enabling plants to quickly adapt to environmental
changes by generating locally adapted phenotypes.
These phenotypic changes can be even inheritedacross multiple generations, a phenomenon known
as transgenerational plasticity. Specifically, the extent and ecological implications of this heritability are
known to potentially differ between sexual and clonal
reproductive modes. However, the impact of environmentally induced epigenetic changes on transgenerational plasticity across these reproductive modes
remains poorly understood. Here, we assessed the51

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ience strategies. Through this multidisciplinary projectworking with artists, ethicists and policy experts, we areproviding a paradigm shift in our understanding of theadaptation capacity of forests to the unprecedented
rapid global-change-driven environmental shifts.

forests and populations to be targeted as a source ofseeds for afforestation programme. Therefore, MEMBRA is concerned with the implications of establishinglong-term memory of stress as a key characteristicof trees that can fundamentally change climate resil-

S.12 METAL HYPERACCUMULATORS: NEW
ADVANCES ON A BOTANICAL CURIOSITY.
SESSION 1
S.12.1 Trace element
hyperaccumulator plant
traits: a call for trait datacollection

hyperaccumulators seem to have smaller leaves andpoor competitive ability compared to non-hyperaccumulator species. Contrary to expectations, we foundno indication of hyperaccumulators being more resource-conservative on the leaf economics spectrum.
However, these data remain fragmentary as only 2.7%
of hyperaccumulators have their traits published in the
TRY database. We thus proceed to a systematic review
to retrieve around 40 additional new hyperaccumulator species present on TRY and call for an international
collaborative sampling effort to measure traits in more
hyperaccumulator species. The recent developmentof trait-based models to construct plant communities
providing optimal ecosystem services (e.g., phytoremediation, restoration)3 requires further research to identify predictable trait-service relationships. This research
provides a first synthesis of the research advancement
on hyperaccumulator traits, as well as a first synthesis
analysis of their strategies at a global scale.

Béatrice Gervais-Bergeron1, Adrian Paul1,
Pierre-Luc Chagnon2, Alan Baker3,4,5,
Antony van der Ent3,5, Michel-Pierre
Faucon6, Celestino Quintela-Sabarís7 andMichel Labrecque1
1 Institut de recherche en biologie végétale, Université de Montréal, Canada. 2 Agriculture andAgrifood Canada, Canada. 3 Sustainable Minerals
Institute, The University of Queensland, Australia.
4 School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Australia. 5 Laboratoire Sols et Environnement, Université de Lorraine, France. 6 UniLaSalle,AGHYLE, France. 7 Grupo de Ecoloxía Animal, Universidade de Vigo, Spain

S.12.2 Functional syndromesof hyper-accumulating
species: recent advancesand perspectives

Hyperaccumulator plants exhibit extreme ecophysiological characteristics, which make them valuable forconservation and suited for phytoremediation. Understanding their ecological strategies might help identify
the species and functions to be fostered in phytoremediation, restoration, and conservation projects formetalliferous sites. Here, we identified the hyperaccumulator species in the worldwide plant trait database
TRY and cross-referenced these trait syndromes associated with the ability of plants to concentrate metals.
We collected three traits (leaf area (LA), specific leaf
area (SLA), and leaf dry matter content (LDMC)) on all
available species on TRY (n= 4523), from which 20 wereidentified on the global hyperaccumulator database.
This allows us to link trace element hyperaccumulation
with broader plant ecological strategies, such as competitive, stress-tolerant, and ruderal strategies (CSR)or resource acquisition ones. With these primary data,

Florian Delerue1
1 Université de Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, EPOC,
UMR 5805, Pessac, France
Data bases of plant traits are now available at the global scale, and functional axes of variation among plants
are well defined. Here, we present the synthesis of two
recent studies revealing the position of herbaceous
metallophyte species along these functional axes, witha special focus on hyper-accumulators. These studies
covered the major kinds of metalliferous ecosystems
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ranean Symbiosis, IRD, CIRAD, INRA, Montpellier University, France

biogeographical regions: Cu-rich environments including the “copper hills” in central Africa; Zn-Pb-Cd
rich calamine substrates and Ni-Co-Cr rich serpentinic
substrates in Western Europe. Shoot and root functional
traits have been characterized following standardized
protocols for 348 species present in 30 metalliferous
communities, as well as leaf metal concentration andsoil biogeochemical properties. In all cases metallophyte species exhibited small size like many species
growing on other harsh substrates, some being among
the shortest plants worldwide. This confirms a constant
impact of metal-stress on plant stature. Additionally, an important variability regarding the leaf resource
economics axis related to soil resource acquisition was
found. Metallophyte communities are composed by amix of conservative species (slow resource acquisition,
long-lasting leaves) together with acquisitive species(fast resource acquisition and growth, short-lastingleaves). Remarkably, hyper-accumulating species were
found among the most acquisitive species in the metalliferous communities studied. These results offer new
perspectives regarding the evolution of metal-accumulation in plants. Fast-growing species maintain highsoil resource acquisition on harmful substrates, leading
to an important inflow of metals into their leaves. This
may represent a first step towards hyper-accumulation if specific physiological adaptations are selected
afterwards. Future studies should test the genericity ofthese results, by focusing on woody species present insome serpentinic regions. Additionally, the importanceof the collaboration with mutualistic fungi (anotherfunctional axis related to both soil resources acquisitionand plant-metal relationships) for hyper-accumulating species should be specified.

The extraordinary ability to accumulate and tolerate
tremendous amounts of metals such as nickel, zinc,or manganese in their leaves has been observed inabout 700 plant species belonging to more than 50
families. For many years, these metal hyperaccumulator species have attracted the attention of scientists interested in understanding the evolution of thiscomplex and peculiar trait. In the context of the decarbonization of energy, metal hyperaccumulators
appear as an opportunity to develop phytotechnologies aimed at limiting the metal pollution associatedwith to the growing demand for metals. However, ourknowledge of the molecular mechanisms involved
in metal hyperaccumulation, which is key to the development of these technologies, is still very limited.
To extend our knowledge of the diversity of hyperaccumulator species, we participated in a global effort
to identify new hyperaccumulator species using the
X-ray fluorescence technology focusing on the flora of the neotropical region. Our herbarium and fieldstudies revealed the first example of a zinc hyperaccumulator from the Amazonas region, as well as newnickel hyperaccumulators originating from Cuba. The
identification of nickel hyperaccumulators and closely
related non-hyperaccumulator species from different
families has opened the possibility to perform comparative cross-species transcriptomic studies to identify
orthologous genes whose expression is linked to nickel hyperaccumulation. Among candidate genes, ouranalyses revealed that the high expression in leavesof metal transporters of the IREG/ferroportin family isa highly conserved mechanism involved in nickel hyperaccumulation across distant plant species. We are
now developing the multi-metal hyperaccumulator
Noccaea caerulescens of the Brassicaceae family asa genetic model to validate and study the role of candidate genes in metal hyperaccumulation.

S.12.3 Addressing
the diversity of themechanisms involved inmetal hyperaccumulationin plants

S.12.4 Deciphering
the physiological andbiochemical mechanisms ofthallium hyperaccumulationin Biscutella laevigata

Sylvain Merlot1,2, Celestine Belloeil1, Melina
Gallopin1, Vanesa García de la Torre1,
Dubiel Alfonso Gonzalez3, Yohan Pillon4
1 Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell, CEA,
CNRS, Paris-Saclay University, France. 2 Laboratoire
de Recherche en Sciences Végétales, Toulouse
University Paul Sabatier, CNRS, INP Toulouse, France.
3 Jardín Botánico Nacional, Universidad de La Habana, Cuba. 4 Laboratory of Tropical and Mediter-

Mirko Salinitro1, Sandrine Isnard2, Dennis
Brueckner3, Kathryn M. Spiers3, Mark G.
M. Aarts4, Amelia Corzo Remigio5, Antony
van der Ent4

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S.12.5 Synchrotron elemental
imaging for elucidating
nickel distribution in
hyperaccumulators tropicalplant species from New
Caledonia

1 University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy. 2 Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France. 3 Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Hamburg, Germany. 4 Wageningen University and Research,
Wageningen, The Netherlands. 5 The University of
Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
Thallium (Tl) is a relatively rare element, but highly toxic for all living organisms already at low
concentrations. Some plant however evolved Tl
hyperaccumulation and the most extreme Tl hyperaccumulator is Biscutella laevigata capableof attaining >32,000 μg Tl g -1 in its leaves. Interestingly, only some ecotypes have the ability to hyperaccumulate Tl when growing on Tl-rich soils.
The study aims at understanding the Tl handlingmechanisms, tolerance and distribution in two
ecotypes of B. laevigata using synchrotron-based
X-ray fluorescence microscopy. Two B. laeavigata
accessions were used in this study coming from:Les Malines (France, Tl-hyperaccumulator) and
Feltre (Italy, non-accumulator). Both accessions
were grown in aeroponics for two months andwere subjected to three Tl treatments: 0 (control),5 and 30 μM. The two accessions showed morphological differences in terms of leaves shapes
and trichome distribution, with Les Malines having deeply lobate leaves and scarce trichomes
compared to Feltre with almost entire leaves anddense trichomes. Overall, Les Malines accession
showed greater Tl tolerance and accumulation,compared to Feltre, which did not survive in the
30 μM Tl treatment. Feltre accession accumulated 125 μg Tl g -1 in old leaves (at 5 μM), whereas Les
Malines accession had 1750 and 24,130 μg Tl g-1 inold leaves (at 5 and 30 μM respectively). The distribution of Tl was similar in the two accessions.
The synchrotron μXRF analysis revealed that Tl islocalised in the vacuoles of epidermal cells, especially in trichome basal cells. Thallium also occurs in solid crystalline deposits (3–5 μm in size,~40 wt% Tl) that are mainly found in guard cells of
stomata and in foliar margins. Other studies need
to be carried out including more accessions, andincluding transcriptomics to yield information on
the genes and genetic pathways linked to thephenotypic variation in Tl hyperaccumulation.

Sandrine Isnard 1, Kathryn M. Spiers2,
Tanguy Jaffré1.3, Dennis Brueckner2, Sarah
C. Irvin4, Jan Garrevoet4, Peter D. Erskine5,
Vidiro Gei5, Emmanuelle MontargèsPelletier6, Bruno Fogliani7, Guillaume
Echevarria8, Antony van der Ent8,9
1 AMAP, Université Montpellier, IRD, CIRAD, CNRS,INRAE, Montpellier, France. 2 Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Germany. 3 AMAP, IRD,
Herbier de Nouvelle-Calédonie, Nouméa, New
Caledonia. 4 Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon GmbH,Germany. 5 Centre for Mined Land Rehabilitation,
Sustainable Minerals Institute, The University of
Queensland, Australia. 6 Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire des Environnements Continentaux, CNRS, Université de Lorraine, France. 7 Institut Agronomiquenéo-Calédonien, Equipe ARBOREAL, New Caledonia.
8 Université de Lorraine, INRAE, LSE, F-54000, Nancy,
France. 9 Laboratory of Genetics, Wageningen University and Research, The Netherlands.
Following the discovery of hyperaccumulation syndrome, numerous species were discovered, of which
Ni-hyperaccumulators are by far the most numerous.
Over 400 plant species are currently known to be nickel hyperaccumulators, and about a quarter of this diversity is found in New Caledonia. The extremely highNi concentrations found in hyperaccumulator species
raise the question of how plants can survive with suchhigh metal content in their cells, and how does plant
diversity translate into Ni-location strategy within theplant. At particular, the exact localization of metal within
the leaf is of central significance because it might interfere with metabolic process such as photosynthesis.
In this talk, we present our current knowledge of Ni distribution in hyperaccumulators tropical plant species
from New Caledonia, based on synchrotron elemental
imaging. We then make of focus on Ni-enriched laticiferin the model species Pycnandra acuminata to bridge
the gap between the structure and function of laticifers
in metal accumulation. The extraordinarily high nickel
concentrations in this species function as an effective
natural tracer for both synchrotron-based X-ray fluorescence microtomography and phase contrast microtomography, allowing non-destructive probing of54

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lenium, likely due to a decreased bioavailability of Se
over the last couple of million years. Interestingly, someplants have developed a selenophile lifestyle regardless, growing on selenium-rich soil toxic to most plants.
Some of these plants such as Neptunia amplexicaulis
hyperaccumulate selenium up to 1.3% of their dry mass.
These high tissue Se levels normally cause severe oxidative stress and dysfunctional proteins due to inadvertent incorporation of SeCys en lieu of cysteine. The
latter is caused by the chemical similarity of selenium tosulfur, leading to the production of various organic selenium compounds through the sulfur transport- and assimilation pathway, including SeCys and Selenomethionine. However, in the dry and saline Australian outback,
Neptunia amplexicaulis manages to grow well on toxic
soil and accumulate extreme concentrations of selenium in the plant tissue. Its sister-species Neptunia heliophile has also developed an increased tolerance toselenium, but rather excludes Se from its tissue insteadof accumulating it. Our work aims to determine whatmechanisms are necessary for the extreme lifestyles ofN. amplexicaulis and N. heliophila and especially how
to accumulate and tolerate high tissue selenium levels. This investigation involves the analysis of recently
sequenced genomes of N. amplexicaulis and N. gracilis as well as full-length transcriptomics. Furthermore,this work involves the development of transformation
protocols for N. amplexicaulis to get direct evidenceof gene involvement in Se hyperaccumulation. The
research outcomes could help improve crop Se content and thereby ameliorate the currently widespread
Se-deficiency in various human populations.

the structure and the physiological functioning of thisunique duct system. Using fresh plant samples, we
combined analysis with these techniques to visualize
intact laticifers in vivo for the first time and further, toprovide unprecedented insights in the distribution andstructure of laticifers throughout the plant, from roots
to leaves. Considering that laticifers extend from rootto-shoot, our study elicits the hypothesis that the laticifers network constitute an independent ion transportsystem, which would establish a new paradigm in long
distance transport in plants.

S.12.6 How to achieve aselenium-rich lifestyle in thebarren Australian outback
Jeroen van der Woude1, Maggie-AnneHarvey1,2 and Antony van der Ent1,2,3
1 Laboratory of Genetics, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands. 2
Centre for Mined Land Rehabilitation, Sustainable
Minerals Institute, The University of Queensland,
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. 3 Université deLorraine, INRAE, LSE, Nancy, France
Selenium (Se) is formed in supernovae and is a rarecomponent in most soils. Nevertheless, many organisms including Homo sapiens need selenium to produce selenocysteine (SeCys), also referred to as the 21st
amino acid, required for synthesis of so-called selenoproteins. In contrast, land-plants lost the need for se-

S.13 SYSTEMATICS, PHYLOGENETICS,
BIOGEOGRAPHY AND EVOLUTION OF
MELASTOMATACEAE
S.13.1 A phylogenomic
analysis ofMelastomataceae:
congruence andincongruence acrossgenomes

Cellinese1, Gudrun Kadereit4, 5, Renato
Goldenberg6, Ling Liu7, Darin S. Penneys8,Marie Claire Veranso-Libalah4, Luo Chen4,
Renchao Zhou7, Walter S. Judd1, Fabián A.
Michelangeli2, Lucas C. Majure1
1 University of Florida Herbarium, Florida Museum,
Gainesville, FL, USA. 2 New York Botanical Garden,
Bronx, NY, USA. 3 Universidade Federal de Rio Grande
do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. 4 Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany. 5 Botanischer Garten München-Nymphenburg, Munich,Germany. 6 Universidade Federal de Parana, Curi-

Monique Romeiro Brito1, Léo-Paul Dagallier2,
Marcelo Reginato3, Lucas F. Bacci1, Nico55

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tiba, PR, Brazil. 7 Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou,
China. 8 University of North Carolina-Wilmington,
Wilmington, NC, USA

anthers through vibrations. In seven (of 23) tribes, shifts
to other syndromes have occurred. These shifts can befound in the New- and Old-World and have been shown
to be correlated with increasing altitude in the Neotropics. We recorded 44 functional floral traits across 411
species, spanning the whole family. We used machinelearning algorithms (random forest – RF) to identify pollination syndromes for species with documented pollinators and employed these trained models to predict
pollinators for species without observations. We combined the results from the RF analyses with climatic anddistribution data (elevation) to test if climatic variables
and altitudinal gradients correlate with specific pollination syndromes and certain traits. Finally, we investigated if the same mechanisms apply for the New- and
Old-World. Our results indicate strong support for fourwell differentiated pollination syndromes within Melastomataceae: “buzz-bee”, “nectar-foraging vertebrate”,“food-body-foraging vertebrate”, and “generalist”. Pollination syndromes in Melastomataceae can be discriminated by six system specific floral traits of which
reward type and pollen release mechanism are the twomost important traits. Climatic variables and altitude
explain 67% of the variation found in Melastomataceae,with altitude having a particularly strong impact. Shifts
away from the ancestral “buzz-bee” syndromes, which
can be found along the whole elevational gradient but
declines towards the top of the mountain, start to appear at about 1500m (except for the “generalist” syndrome – start at about 400m and goes up to 1800m).
Also, shifts to the “nectar-foraging vertebrate” and“food-body-foraging vertebrate” syndrome are associated with cooler Temperatures. These patterns canbe found in the New- and Old-World.

Melastomataceae is a megadiverse family, harboringalmost 6000 species and distributed worldwide, mostly in the tropics. The monophyly of the family has been
supported based on morphological and anatomical
data through the last century. However, the advent ofmolecular phylogenies has helped to clarify the identification of new major clades within the family. Additionally, molecular phylogenies have also proven achallenging task to uncover relationships among major
clades when using only a few sets of plastid and nuclear regions. The use of phylogenomic datasets in thefamily using target sequencing and plastome data has
been shown to be a promising tool for obtaining robust
phylogenetic relationships within this family. However,thus far phylogenomic studies have been focused ona limited taxon sampling and presented weakly supported nodes. Here we aimed to reconstruct a phylogenetic tree for Melastomataceae comprising 21 out of
23 tribes and almost 80 percent of the generic diversity.
For this we relied on a Hyb-Seq approach, joining efforts
from nuclear target sequencing and plastid genome
skimming datasets. We reconstructed plastid, mitochondrial, and nuclear phylogenies using concatenated and coalescent approaches. While we recover fairly
robust phylogenies and tribal composition congruent
with previous analyses, the relationships and support
recovered at some of the deeper nodes vary acrossgenomes and analytical methods. We discuss sources of phylogenetic conflicts between approaches andgenetic compartments. We suggest that incongruences are linked to deep/ancient events of introgression/
duplication/reticulate processes of evolution.

S.13.3 Bridging evolutionary
gaps: utilizing public
and newly generated
target capture data forthe placement of someenigmatic old world

S.13.2 Pollination syndromes
and pollinator shifts can be
explained by climatic andelevational gradients
Constantin Kopper1, Jürg Schönenberger1,
Agnes S. Dellinger1

Marie Claire Veranso-Libalah1, Luo Chen1,
Xander van der Burgt2, Pepe Haba3, Peter
Quakenbush4, Gudrun Kadereit1,5

1 University of Vienna, Rennweg 14, Vienna, Austria.
Contact: constantin.kopper@univie.ac.at
Pollination syndromes are defined as suites of floral
traits, which have evolved repeatedly across angiosperms in adaptation to distinct functional pollinatorgroups. The large, pantropically distributed family Melastomataceae is dominated by buzz-bee pollination(95.5%), where pollen is released from tubular, poricidal

1 Systematik, Biodiversität & Evolution der Pflanzen,
Ludwig-Maximilians Universität München, Germany. 2 Herbarium, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, UK. 3 Guinée Biodiversité, Conakry,
Guinea. 4 Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA.

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5 Botanischer Garten München-Nymphenburg,
Munich, Germany

Antioquía, Colombia. 10 Missouri Botanical Garden,
Saint Louis, MO, USA

The strategic amalgamation of public and newly
generated target capture data, utilizing the universal Angiosperms353 probe set and group-specificprobe sets (e.g., Melastomataceae) and Sanger data
have emerged as a potent strategies in phylogenetic
studies. Through this synergistic integration, our aim
is to unravel the evolutionary mysteries surroundingtaxa that have never been sampled or placed in aphylogenetic context, to enrich our understanding of
biodiversity and the tree of life. In recent years, efforts
have been made to resolve phylogenetic relationships among OW Melastomataceae taxa. However, several enigmatic taxa, including Dionychastrum
schliebenii, Dissotis leonensis, Dissotis splendens, Feliciadamia stenocarpa, Medinilla mirabilis and Kendrickia walkeri, persist as unplaced and/or unsampled in current taxonomic revisions and phylogenetic
studies. With recent field collections of these taxa andthe utilization of public and newly generated target
capture data, our goal is to phylogenetically place all
the aforementioned taxa. The resulting phylogenetic placement, complemented by morphology andanatomy, provides a clearer systematic picture andenhances our understanding of the evolution of Melastomataceae at large.

The tribe Merianieae (Melastomataceae) is a group oftrees, lianas and herbs distributed in the American tropics. It contains ca. 288 species within 7 genera. The tribe
is distributed in both lowland and highland rainforests,
from southern Mexico and Central America, the Greater
Antilles to the Central Andes, and eastwards to the Atlantic rain forest. We present the most up-to-date phylogenetic reconstruction of the tribe based on phylogenomic sequence data, including 184 species (ca. 64%)
and hundreds of nuclear loci. We used different phylogenetic reconstruction approaches including paralogy
resolution steps, and secondary calibration to date thetree. Phylogenetic results are consistent with previous
studies based on Sanger sequence data, but phylogenetic placement of some clades (Adelobotrys, Macrocentrum, Salpinga) remains problematic. Indeed, werecovered many gene tree conflicts at both deep andshallow nodes in the Merianieae phylogeny and relatethem to reticulate processes of evolution, possibly linked
to introgression and rapid radiations. Macrocentrum is
not monophyletic and recovered in three clades. Meriania likewise is not monophyletic, because one group(Adelbertia) is more closely related to Adelobotrys, andAxinaea is embedded within the remaining Meriania. Graffenrieda and Centronia form a well-supported
clade. The group seems to have originated in the Guiana Shield, but most of the diversity is in the Andes, as aresult of two distinct radiations (one in Graffenrieda andone in Meriania). Secondary radiations also occurred in
the Guayana Shield and the Atlantic Forest. We discuss
the impact of the Andes in generating the diversity andthe biogeographic history of the clade.

S.13.4 Phylogenomicsof the Merianieae(Melastomataceae) bringnew perspectives for its
systematics, biogeography
and macroevolution

S.13.5 A synopsis of thegenus Sonerila Roxb.
(Melastomataceae:
Sonerileae) in India

Léo-Paul Dagallier1, Frank Almeda2,
Lucas Bacci3, Agnes S. Dellinger4, Diana
Fernández-Fernández5, Robin Fernandez
Hilario6, Renato Goldenberg7, Humberto
Mendoza-Cifuentes8, Jhon S. MurilloSerna9, Carmen Ulloa Ulloa10, Lucas C.
Majure3, Fabián A. Michelangeli1

Resmi Sekarathil1, 2, Nico Cellinese3, K.
Karthigeyan2 & Santhosh Nampy1,
1 Department of Botany, University of Calicut, Kerala, India. 2 Botanical Survey of India, Southern Regional Centre, Tamil Nadu, India. 3 Florida Museumof Natural History, University of Florida, Florida, USA

1 New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY, USA. 2 California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA,
USA. 3 University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA 4
University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria. 5 Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad, Quito, Ecuador. 6 CORBIDI,
Lima, Perú. 7 Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brazil. 8 Jardín Botánico de Bogotá, Bogotá,
DC, Colombia. 9 Universidad de Antioquía, Medellín,

Sonerila Roxb., a taxonomically complex genus in
the family Melastomataceae, comprises approximately 180 taxa, and as one of the largest groups
in Asia, it is distributed mainly across Sri Lanka,
India, Nepal, Bhutan, South China, Taiwan, In-

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genetic studies of Melastomataceae resulted in a
new classification with both megadiverse lineages,
such as tribes Miconieae (1900 species), Sonerileae(1100) and Melastomateae (820) and groups withfew species, such as Lithobieae (1), Rupestreeae(2), Stanmarkieae (4), and Eriocnemeae (7) in the
Neotropics, and Dinophoreae (8) and Feliciadameae (1) in Africa. These depauperon tribes have beenvery recently described, with their taxa traditionallyplaced in bigger tribes, even though they presented features uncommon for those groups or even
the whole family. Three of these groups are restricted to Eastern South America: Lithobieae grows onrock crevices, and is sister to Pantropical Henrietteae+Astronieae (250 spp); Rupestreae grows in“campos rupestres”, and is nested in Pantropical
Melastomataeae+Dinophoreae+Rhexieae(850);
Eriocnemeae’s 3 genera grow in rainforest, iron ore
outcrops, and montane vegetation, and are sister
to Neotropical Miconieae (1900). The recognition
and inclusion of these depauperons in phylogenetic analyses is critical to the study of biogeography,
character evolution and ecology of their speciose
sister groups. The different patterns found for depauperons and their relatives may be explainedby different speciation/extinction rates, but also
by other traits. Overall, the species in these groups
have limited dispersal ability, dependency on water for dispersal, and restricted niches. Climaticniche spaces of the depauperons are limited but
included within the niche space of the sister tribes.
The threat level for them can be exacerbated byclimate change, mainly due to their inability to
spread over long distances, restricted niches andincreased habitat fragmentation. Future conservational actions should prioritize these unique taxa in
Melastomataceae, especially under a phylogenetic diversity perspective.

do-China and the Malay Archipelago. The genus
is represented by caulescent and acaulescentherbaceous plants of shady habitats. It is easily recognized by its generally trimerous flowers,
mostly uniparous (scorpioid) cymes, and 3-locular, inferior ovary. Sonerila is the largest genus in
the tribe Sonerileae in India, with 49 species andone variety, including a substantial percentage
of endemics. The Western Ghats region indeed
stands out as a hotspot for Sonerila with 43 species and one variety, an astonishing 86% of which
are exclusive to this particular biogeographic
zone. This remarkable richness of species serves
as a clear indication of adaptive radiation andexplosive evolution within the genus making it
an intriguing subject of study in the realm of Melastomataceae systematics and evolution. The
present study highlights the diversity of Sonerila
in India with a revisionary account including key
for the identification, detailed descriptions, notes
on infraspecific variations, geographical distribution, and conservation status assessment. Six
species were found new to science. Nomenclatural issues relevant to the taxonomic study werealso resolved, resulting in subsequent synonymy,
reinstatement of names, and typifications.

S.13.6 Neotropicaldepauperons: fromneglected small genera
to strategically placedclades in Melastomataceae
phylogenetic trees
Renato Goldenberg1, Bruno Bastos1, Lucas
F. Bacci1,2, Thuane Bochorny3, Marcelo
Reginato4, Fabian A. Michelangeli5
1 Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil .2 Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil. 3 Instituto de Pesquisas Jardim
Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 4 Universidade
Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil. 5
Institute of Systematic Botany, The New York Botanical Garden, USA
Asymmetric patterns in species richness are a notable feature across different lineages and geographic regions. While some lineages are rich, diverse, and widely distributed, the “depauperons”
are phylogenetically isolated, with only one or a
few narrowly distributed species. Recent phylo-58

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S.14 A CONTINENTAL SCALE CONSORTIUM
APPROACH TO BUILDING GENOMICSCAPACITY AND RESOURCES: GENOMICS FOR
AUSTRALIAN PLANTS. SESSION 1
S.14.1 A consortium
approach to building theAustralian Angiosperm Treeof Life.

of nuclear markers (using the Angiosperms353 target capture baits). From the outset, data quality andreusability have been a priority, ensured throughmandating rigorous documentation of comprehensive sample metadata (e.g. identity, voucher, Nagoya compliance, etc.). We show, through discussion of its successes and challenges, the value ofa multi-institutional consortium approach and theenablers such as well-curated collections and national collaborative research infrastructure, leading
to substantial increase in capacity and delivery of
biodiversity knowledge outcomes. Future directions
for the AAToL project will be discussed.

Lalita Simpson1, Darren M. Crayn1,
Theodore R. Allnutt2, William J. Baker3, Matt
Barrett1, Gillian Brown4, Félix Forest3, Chris
Jackson2, Paul J. Kersey3, Mabel Lum5,
Olivier Maurin3, Todd G. B. McLay6, Daniel
J. Murphy2, Katharina Nargar1, Hervé
Sauquet7, Alexander Schmidt-Lebuhn8,
Kelly A. Shepherd9, Michelle Waycott10

S.14.2 Cross-platform
and containerised
phylogenomicsbioinformatics pipelines forsequence capture data:
hybpiper-nf and paragone-nf

1 Australian Tropical Herbarium, James Cook University, Smithfield, Australia. 2 Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, Melbourne, Australia. 3 Royal Botanic
Gardens, Kew, Richmond, UK. 4 Queensland Herbarium, Toowong, Australia. 5 Bioplatforms Australia, Sydney, Australia. 6 National Biodiversity DNA
Library, CSIRO, Parkville, Australia. 7 Botanic Gardens of Sydney, Mt Annan, Australia. 8 Centre forAustralian National Biodiversity Research, Canberra, Australia. 9 Western Australian Herbarium, Perth,
Australia. 10 State Herbarium of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia

Alexander N. Schmidt-Lebuhn1, Chris
Jackson2, Todd McLay3
1 Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research (a joint venture of Parks Australia and
CSIRO), Canberra, Australia. 2 Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, Melbourne, Australia. 3 CSIRO, Melbourne, Australia

The Genomics for Australian Plants (GAP) Initiative,
catalysed by Bioplatforms Australia in partnershipwith researchers from the Australian State and National Herbaria and Botanic Gardens, aims to develop genomics resources to enhance our understanding of the evolution of the Australian flora andsupport its conservation. GAP Phylogenomics, oneof three GAP projects, has the long-term goal of resolving the Australian Angiosperm (flowering plant)
Tree of Life (AAToL) to species level. To date, this inclusive project has brought together over 70 Australian researchers and herbarium staff and partneredwith the global Plant and Fungal Trees of Life project (PAFTOL) to complete AAToL Stage 1 – a phylogenetic tree including at least one species exemplar of nearly 95% of Australian native angiosperm
genera sequenced for a common set of hundreds

The phylogenomics activity of the Genomics for Australian Plants consortium uses target capture / enrichment data. Early in the process, a phylogenomics-bioinformatics working group was established toevaluate options for the consortium’s technical approach ranging from the desired sequencing depth
across assembly to the phylogenetic analysis itself.
In terms of the analysis pipeline, paralogy was identified as a key concern because phylogenetic analyses
were going to be conducted both at the scale of allangiosperms and in selected genera and plant families known to be characterised by ancestral genome59

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duplication events. We adapted the well-established
HybPiper software for sequence assembly and paralog discovery, and a collection of previously publishedscripts for the inference of ortholog groups from genetree topologies. We iteratively built an integrated workflow in which the HybPiper outputs were provided in aformat directly usable for ortholog inference, discovered and fixed bugs, and added alternative options
for several steps such as assembly, alignments, andgene tree inference. The resulting pipelines have been
published as two Nextflow scripts with a Singularity
container providing all dependencies to allow easy
installation independent of platform, hybpiper-nf andparagone-nf, and recently also as Python packages
that can be installed with conda. We discuss the history of their development, the principles behind theanalyses, and important options available to the user.

Ten out of the 11 subtribes with 33 out of the 34 genera
are represented in our study. We dated the phylogeny
using secondary calibrations and looked at biogeographic disjunctions across different Australian biogeographic regions using BioGeoBEARS. We also tested for environmental-dependent diversification using
RPANDA. Findings from our biogeographic analyses
indicate a mixture of vicariance and dispersal events
across different simulated climatic scenarios (e.g.,aridification of Australia since the Miocene). Biogeographic results and speciation decline detected fromour phylogeny coinciding with the Eocene–Oligocene
extinction event (33 Mya) will also be discussed.

S.14.4 Acacia
phylogenomics using the
Angiosperms353 target
capture bait set

S.14.3 Phylogenomics,
continental biogeography
and climate-dependent
diversification ofAustralian Chamelaucieae(Myrtaceae)

Daniel J. Murphy1, Bruce Maslin2, Theodore
Allnutt1, Todd McLay3
1 Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 2 Western Australian Herbarium,
Kensington, Western Australia, Australia 3 National
Biodiversity DNA Library, National Collections andMarine Infrastructure, CSIRO, ParkvilleFrancis J. Nge1,2, Barbara Rye3, Peter
Wilson1, Kevin R. Thiele4, Ed Biffin2,5,Michelle Waycott2,5, Korjent van Dijk5,
Matthew Barrett6

Acacia – Australia’s largest genus of flowering plants– was selected for a Genomics for Australian Plants(GAP)-supported phylogenomic analysis using the
Angiosperms353 target capture bait set. While Sanger
amplicon sequencing datasets have previously been
compiled for approximately 50% of Acacia species,
those datasets comprised fewer than 10 markers andlacked phylogenetic resolution in certain parts of thetree, demonstrating the need for a deeper phylogenomic-based sampling of the Acacia genome in orderto resolve the phylogeny with greater support. In this talk,results are presented of an initial phylogenomic analysis of around 10% of the total number of Australian Acacia species, sequenced for the Angiosperms353 target
capture baits and representing all major evolutionary
lineages of Acacia that had previously been discoveredin molecular phylogenies and morphological classifications. Initial phylogenetic analyses, including appropriate mimosoid legume outgroups and using several
analytical approaches, have revealed congruence inthe major clades that were previously discovered, suchas the Pulchelloidea clade, which unites morphologically disparate taxa from several traditional sectionsin Acacia. When compared to the topologies found inprevious molecular phylogenetic studies, the overall

1 National Herbarium of New South Wales, Botanic Gardens of Sydney, Australian Botanic Garden,
Locked Bag, Mount Annan, NSW, Australia. 2 Schoolof Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Adelaide,
SA, Australia. 3 Western Australian Herbarium, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Locked Bag 104, Bentley Delivery Centre,
Western Australia, Australia. 4 School of Biological
Sciences, the University of Western Australia, Australi.a 5 State Herbarium of South Australia, Botanic
Gardens and State Herbarium, Adelaide, SA, Australia. 6 Australian Tropical Herbarium, Sir RobertNorman Building, James Cook University Cairns
Campus, McGregor Road, Smithfield, Qld, Australia
The Myrtaceae tribe Chamelaucieae is a diverse tribe
predominantly distributed across Australia with over
660 species across 34 genera. The phylogenetic backbone of this tribe was previously unresolved based onstudies utilising Sanger sequencing data. Here, we
present an updated well-resolved phylogeny of thetribe as part of the GAP Stage 2 initiative, utilising over
400 nuclear single-copy loci (angio353 and Ozbaits).

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es to account for the instability of floral characters,
there may not be sufficient morphological characters outside of these to make useful inferences. Thisis especially problematic in groups with numerous
instances of separate floral specialisation, where interpreting which characters are symplesiomorphic
is difficult. The Eriostemon group (Sapindales: Rutaceae) includes 16 genera and ~209 species that
almost all occur naturally in Australia (with ~12 spp.
in 3 genera outside of Australia). The group is mostdiverse in the south-east and south-west of Australia where species most commonly occur in eucalypt-dominated woodlands and forests, but are also
found in rainforests, savanna, coastal and montane
heathlands, semi-arid scrub and desert shrubland.
Morphologically, members of the group vary in habit, leaf phyllotaxy, fruit type and, most notably, floral
characters. Pollination syndromes vary between andwithin genera, with a predominant contrast between
flowers that are borne upright with spreading, open
petals and flowers that are pendent and tubular or
aggregated into inflorescences surrounded by large
or colourful bracts. This diversity has resulted in taxonomic legacy of large genera with unspecialised,
open petalled flowers, and small or monotypic genera with more complex flowers. We present resultsfrom a phylogenomic study of the Eriostemon groupbased on target capture sequencing using the Angiosperms353 kit. Our results reveal the extent towhich the genus Philotheca (54 spp.) is polyphyleticand highlight how the current classification of thatgenus is based on symplesiomorphic floral characters. They provide new insight into shifts in pollination
modes across the group and support the recognitionof two new genera, separated from Philotheca.

phylogenomics-based topology is somewhat different,
which may be due to increased phylogenetic resolutionof the markers or differences in the targeted samplingof species in particular parts of the tree. Some novel
clades, including a sister clade to the majority of Acacia
species, are recovered in our analyses. Due to the levelof support for relationships, in combination with the very
high success rates for sequencing of silica-dried andolder herbarium samples, the Angiosperms353 bait set
shows great potential as the basis for a larger-scale
study of Acacia species, with the ultimate aim of generating a new formal classification of the genus.

S.14.5 Using sequence
capture to look beyond
floral symplesiomorphiesand classify two new generain the Australian Rutaceae(Sapindales)
Harvey K. Orel1, Todd G. B. McLay2, Paul I.
Forster3, Michael J. Bayly1
1 School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne,
Parkville, Victoria, Australia. 2 National Biodiversity DNA Library, NCMI, CSIRO, Parkville, Australia. 3
Queensland Herbarium, Department of Science,
Information Technology and Innovation, Brisbane
Botanic Gardens, Toowong, Queensland, Australia
Taxonomists have relied heavily on floral charactersto group taxa and assess relationships, despite theadaptive significance of these characters and theircorrelation with pollination modes. Even if the taxonomist, wary of misinterpreting homology, choos-

S.15 EVOLUTIONARY ECOLOGY OF PLANTS.
SESSION 1
S.15.1 Pre-dispersal seed
predation as a selective force
on plant mating system andreproductive traits

Not only mutualistic plant–pollinator interactions but
also antagonistic plant–herbivore interactions canbe a selective force on sex allocation in angiosperms.
The present talk addresses how predispersal seed
predation affects the reproductive success and floral gender of andromonoecious herbs on a naturalsnowmelt gradient. The developing fruits of an alpine
herb (Peucedanum multivittatum: Apiaceae) wereintensively predated by a specialist lepidopteranlarvae (Phaulernis fulviguttella: Epermeniidae) in the

Gaku Kudo, Akari Shibata1
1 Faculty of Environmental Earth Science, Hokkaido
University, Sapporo, Japan61

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early-snowmelt habitat, where flowering occurredfrom mid to late July. In the late-snowmelt habitat,
where flowering occurred after early August, seed
predation was negligible because the oviposition of
the predator moths was concentrated in early summer. The moths tended to oviposit on umbels withmore perfect flowers and taller stems, whereas thenumber of male flowers was independent of theiroviposition preference. Plants having male-biased
umbels and short floral stems were prevalent in theearly-flowering population, where plants sufferedfrom intensive predation damage. The proportion of
perfect flowers increased in the later flowering populations. The contribution of perfect flowers to intact
fruit production was small when flowering occurred
early in the season, and it consistently increased withthe lateness of flowering period along the snowmelt
gradient. Fitness measurements in the early-flowering population revealed that the production of many
perfect flowers resulted in lower female fitness due
to intensive seed predation. In contrast, male fitness
as a pollen donor increased with total flower production irrespective of the composition of perfect andmale flowers. Taken together, the greater productionof male flowers at the expense of perfect flowers isadvantageous under intensive predation pressure
owing to the mitigation of predation damage withkeeping the siring success. These results revealed
that predispersal seed predation acts as a selective
force that promotes male-biased sex allocation in
andromonoecious plants.

ation in floral longevity. In fact, we even lack basic
studies on the heritability of this trait in wild species.
Sabatia angularis (Gentianaceae) is a mixed-mating biennial with remarkable intraspecific variationin maximum floral longevity, ranging from plantsthat produce flowers lasting only 5 days to thosewith flowers that can last over 20 days within a single population. I present data from a combination offield and greenhouse studies that characterize factors maintaining or constraining this variation, highlighting the importance of heritability, trade-offs,
functional and ecological constraints, and plasticity.

S.15.3 The conflict between
ant protection and buzzpollination mutualisms
across angiosperm
evolution
Amanda V. da Silva1, Marjorie G.
Weber2, Anselmo Nogueira1, Thais N.
Vasconcelos2, Avery Russell3, Tamiris D.
Lima4, Lilian F. Melo5, Laura C. Leal6
1 Center of Natural and Human Sciences, Federal
University of ABC, São Bernardo do Campo, Brazil.
2 Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology,
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA. 3 Department of Biology, Missouri State University, Springfield, USA. 4 Department of Botany, São Paulo State
University, Botucatu, Brazil. 5 Department of Ecology, Conservation and Biodiversity, Federal University of Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Brazil. 6 Department of
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Federal Universityof São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.

S.15.2 Constraints on theevolution of floral lifespan ina mixed-mating biennial

Mutualistic interactions involve varying degrees ofconflicts, including the interference between different types of mutualism. One common interference
occurs between protective ants and pollinators inplants bearing extrafloral nectaries (EFNs). While patrolling the plant, ants can reduce herbivory but also
repel pollinators, especially bees. Since this conflict
can affect plant reproductive performance, it might
be selectively disadvantageous for plants to haveboth traits associated with ant defense and specialized bee pollination. Although conflicts in mutualisms have been extensively studied on the ecological scale, the evolutionary consequences of traits
mediating interactions have not been considered.
We hypothesize that there is a negative evolutionary correlation between traits mediating plant protection by ants and exclusive pollination by bees as

Rachel B. Spigler

1

1 Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Angiosperms display a brilliant diversity of floral
forms, with striking variation in color, size, and scent,and morphology, including elaborate or specialized structures offering protection or rewards. Floral
longevity, the length of time a flower remains open
and functional, shows similarly impressive variation
across species, ranging from a day or less to over amonth, but by comparison has been largely overlooked. Consequently, even though floral longevity
should strongly influence fitness by setting a criticaltime limit on opportunities for each flower to export
and receive pollen, we lack a firm understanding of
the forces that shape, maintain, and constrain vari-

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in buzz pollinated plants. For that, we used a phylogenetic comparative approach, mapping all angiosperms reported to bear EFN associated with ant
attendance and poricidal anthers associated withbuzz pollination in an angiosperm tree comprisingca. 8,000 genera. We found that EFNs occur in 755
genera while poricidal anthers occurs in 544. However, only 45 plant genera have both traits. Moreover, we found a negative evolutionary correlation
between EFNs and poricidal anthers, supporting ourhypothesis that the interference of one mutualism inanother can affect the evolutionary trajectory of thetraits driving these interactions. This result means
plants protected by ants are less likely to be involved in buzz pollination, or vice-versa, throughout
angiosperm diversification. Altogether, our results
evidenced that protective and pollination mutualisms may exert a reciprocal selective force that reduces the likelihood of the simultaneous occurrenceof both ants and bee partners across angiosperm
evolution. This emphasizes that we studies focusedon the evolution of mutualistic traits should consider
the joint effect of simultaneous mutualistic interactions instead of evaluating the traits related to different mutualisms separately.

cate a new mechanism for composite trait evolution
and highlight the importance of stochastic phenotypic variation as a facilitator of evolutionary novelty. References: G Chomicki, G Burin, L Busta, J Gozdzik,
R Jetter, B Mortimer, U Bauer (2024) Convergence incarnivorous pitcher plants reveals a mechanism forcomposite trait evolution. Science (In press).

S.15.5 Lower mateavailability and leakier selfincompatibility in Argentina
anserina populations withsmall effective population
size
Anita Cisternas-Fuentes1,2, Matthew Koski2.
1 Departamento de Botánica, Facultad de Ciencias
Naturales y Oceanográficas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile. 2 Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA
Achieving reproductive success in self-incompatible(SI) populations can be difficult. Flowers must receive
enough pollen to produce seeds, and that pollen
must be genetically compatible. The lack of available
mates can reduce population-level reproductive fitness, have negative impacts on population growth,and increase extinction risk. The effects of low mateavailability are exacerbated in small populations,which often harbor fewer S-alleles. So, even with
substantial pollination, reproduction may fail. The
breakdown of SI systems, however, may rescue population declines. Evaluating mate availability acrosspopulations can help us to understand the factors
and conditions leading to mate limitation. We tested
the predictions that populations with small effective
population size have reduced mate availability andexhibit signatures of a breakdown in their SI mechanism. Additionally, we evaluated mechanisms at thepollen-pistil interface that contribute to the failure ofoutcrossed flowers and success of self-pollinatedflowers. We performed self and outcross pollinationsin 13 populations of Argentina anserina with known
genomic estimates of effective population size to estimate mate availability and the SI index, and usedfluorescence microscopy to enumerate pollen deposition, germination, and tube extension. Results showthat genetically depauperate populations have reduced mate availability but not a lower SI index. Unsuccessful outcrosses did not receive fewer pollen
grains or have lower pollen germination than suc-S.15.4 Convergence incarnivorous pitcher plants
reveals a mechanism forcomposite trait evolution
Guillaume Chomicki1
1 Durham University, Department of Biosciences,
South Road, Durham, UK.
Complex, composite traits involve multiple components that, only when combined, gain a new synergistic function. Thus, how they evolve remains apuzzle -- what Darwin referred to as a ‘special diffulty’ in the Origin of Species. I present the resultsof multi-disciplinary study (Chomicki et al., 2024)
that combined field experiments in the field and in
the lab, microscopy, chemical analyses and laser
Doppler vibrometry with comparative phylogenetic
analyses to show that two carnivorous Nepenthes
pitcher plant species independently evolved similar
adaptations in three distinct traits to acquire a new,composite trapping mechanism. Phylogenetic comparative analyses suggest that this new trait arose
convergently via ‘spontaneous coincidence’ of therequired trait combination, rather than directional
selection in the component traits. Our results indi-

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1 Centro de Investigaciones sobre Desertificación(CSIC), Valencia, Spain. 2 University of Sussex, UK.

cessful ones. Barriers to outcross fertilization occurredin the style, specifically pollen tubes were arrested at
the S-allele recognition site. Pistils from self-crosses
showed that a higher proportion of self-pollen grains
extend tubes past the location of the SI mechanismin the style in effectively smaller populations. However, this does not necessarily result in seed production.
Results highlight strong mate limitation in genetically small populations of A. anserina and suggest thatleaky-SI in small populations may represent earlystages of a breakdown in SI.

Fire-stimulated flowering is a widely recognizedstrategy in fire-prone ecosystems, such as Mediterranean ecosystems. Species with this strategy flower more profusely in postfire conditions than in absence of fire. We hypothesize that higher flowering
density and less competition for pollinators could
improve pollination success of plants that flower
quickly after fire. We studied geophytes in Southern
Spain and compared flowering in recently-burned
areas with flowering in adjacent unburned areas.
We performed pollinator censuses, estimated pollen grain deposition on the stigmas and counted
fruit and seed production. We found that pollination
rates and pollinator composition changed in burned
areas compared to unburned areas. Individuals inburned areas showed higher pollen deposition on
their stigmas and fruit and seed production was
also higher in burned areas.

S.15.6 Fire-stimulated
flowering: the effect of fireon pollination success inMediterranean geophytes
Julia Gegunde 1, María Clara Castellanos
2, Juli G. Pausas1

S.16 BOTANICAL CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE
BIODIVERSITY HERITAGE LIBRARY
S.16.1 Data for botany:
unlocking the world ofplants in the Biodiversity
Heritage Libraryand services to facilitate greater access, interoperability, and reuse of content and data. Throughtaxonomic intelligence tools developed by Global Names Architecture, BHL has indexed morethan 230 million instances of taxonomic names
throughout its collection, allowing researchers tolocate publications about specific taxa. BHL also
works to bring historical literature into the modern network of scholarly research by retroactively assigning DOIs (digital object identifiers) andmaking this historical content more discoverable
and trackable. Biodiversity databases such as
the Catalogue of Life, International Plant Names
Index, Tropicos, World Register of Marine Species,
iNaturalist, and more rely on literature housed in
BHL. To make this data FAIR (findable, accessible,
interoperable, and reusable), BHL and its partners
are working on a data pipeline to transform textual content into actionable data that can be deposited into data aggregators such as the Global
Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). This paper
provides an overview of BHL’s botanical content.

Martin R. Kalfatovic 1
1 Biodiversity Heritage Library, Smithsonian Libraries
and Archives, Washington, USA
The Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL) is theworld’s largest open access digital library for biodiversity literature and archives. Headquartered at
Smithsonian Libraries and Archives (SLA), BHL is a
global consortium of research institutions working
together to build and maintain a critical piece of
biodiversity data infrastructure. Created in 2006 asa direct response to the needs of the taxonomic
community for access to early literature, BHL provides free access to over 61 million pages of biodiversity content from the 15th-21st centuries. BHL
provides a global community with ready accessto a vast body of botanical literature. BHL works
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S.16.2 BHL Australia:
unlocking the foundationof Australia’s botanicalknowledge

S.16.3 Amplifying thecontribution of women to
botany: an analysis of plant
genera that were named
after womenNicole Kearney 1

Carmen Ulloa Ulloa1, Sabine von Mering2,
Lauren Gardiner3, Sandra Knapp4,
Heather Lindon5, Siobhan Leachman6,
Sarah Vincent4, Maria S. Vorontsova5

1 Biodiversity Heritage Library, Australia
The Australian node of the Biodiversity Heritage
Library (BHL) began operation in 2010 with justone organisation, Museums Victoria. Since then,it has grown considerably. BHL Australia is now
a national consortium with over 50 organisations contributing content to BHL. These organisations include all of Australia’s state museums
and herbaria, as well as universities, government
agencies, royal societies, field naturalist clubs
and natural history publishers. Together theseorganisations have made over 550,000 pagesof Australia’s biodiversity heritage freely accessible online. This paper focuses on the botanic knowledge contained within the BHL Australia
collection, showcasing highlights from the 1600s
through to the current year. It also celebrate theclose relationship between BHL and the Australian botanical community. BHL Australia’s active
digitisation operation prioritises requests, which
are received regularly from researchers, librarians, artists, educators, and policy makers. These
have resulted in the rapid digitisation of historic literature essential to botanists, such as thosestudying the impact of Australia’s devastating2020 bushfires on endangered species. Finally,
this paper presents BHL Australia’s leading role in
BHL’s global efforts to bring the historic literature
into the modern linked network of scholarly research. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic,
BHL Australia pivoted from digitising historic literature to generating historic article data, mobilising both volunteers and staff to make the contents of our historic journals searchable. Since
then, we’ve worked closely with the publishers ofbotanical journals (in Australia and around theworld) to assign DOIs (Digital Object Identifiers)
to their back issues. Many have elected to have
BHL assign DOIs to their current issues as well.
These DOIs are now appearing seamlessly in new
publications, taxonomic databases, social media,
and Wikipedia, providing instant, permanent, andpersistent open access to the primary literature,
the foundation of our knowledge of biodiversity.

1 Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, United Statesof America. 2 Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Berlin, Germany. 3 Cambridge University Herbarium,
Cambridge, UK. 4 Natural History Museum, London,
UK. 5 Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Richmond, UK. 6
Independent researcher, Wellington, New Zealand
There are several thousand flowering plant genera
named for people of all sorts, but those named formen outnumber -by more than 10 to 1- those named
for women. In mid-2021, a discussion on social media led to the formation of the multidisciplinary international working group to answer a simple question:
how many plant genera honor women? More than
two years of mostly virtual interaction, and additional research questions, resulted in the compilation ofa new open dataset of 728 flowering plant genera
honoring women or female beings (mythological).
Some 36% honor mythological beings, and Medusa
had six genera named after her, more than any real
woman! We verified all these genera by examining
original literature (the majority of which are freely
available on the Biodiversity Heritage Library), andhave categorized the honorees by profession, status
or relationship to the describer. As part of the project, we created or updated Wikidata items for eachof these women and genera; we worked closely with
IPNI, Tropicos® and BHL receiving and providing feedback and data. Our motivation for the developmentof this dataset was not only to highlight names ofplant genera that honor women, but also to enrichand bridge this information with data that would
allow the names, roles, and lives of these women –many with fascinating stories –, to be shared more
widely with others, both researchers and data sources like Wikidata. Amplification of the contributions of
women to botany through multiple means will enable
the community to better recognize and celebrate therole of this particular marginalized group in the history and development of science, their contributions toart, and natural history collections.

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S.16.4 Right on Kew: BHL at
the Royal Botanic Gardens

systematics of this complex have undergone a remarkable evolution from the first Lamarckian taxa
Q. lusitanica and Q. faginea to the present day, especially in the Iberian Peninsula, Tunisia, and Algeria,
by virtue of the recognized taxa. Thus, to reevaluate
and update the nomenclatural and taxonomic status of Q. faginea complex, 23 morphological traits,
and 13 Algerian stands were analyzed, as well as theavailable Moroccan morphological data and corresponding bibliography, to objectively analyze andcompare Moroccan taxa with those found in otherregions. Three taxa were identified in Algeria; Q. canariensis, Q. faginea subsp. faginea and Q. faginea
subsp. broteroi (Cout.) A.Camus. Although the taxonomic situation in Morocco remains unresolved, theanalysis noted the possible presence of the faginea
variety in Morocco- despite the tendency towards
the taxon in terms of leaf size -, while also anticipating the confirmation of a new morphological analysis that accounts for the stable criteria -i.e., toothedmargin- used for an infraspecific distinction. The
rest of Morocco’s stands seem to be represented by
Q. canariensis and Q. faginea subsp. broteroi. Considering the uncertain existence of maroccana, further study of its distinct morphological and biogeographical peculiarity is required.

David Iggulden1
1 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London, UK
17 years on from its official formation, the Biodiversity Heritage Library’s role continues to evolve, further increasing its relevance and demonstrating thecollaborative resiliency of the consortium overall.
BHL’s global partnership of natural history, botanicaland national libraries work together to develop thelibrary and digitise their collections and make them
freely available in BHL. As of November 2023, BHL has
a total of 42 partners consisting of 19 Members and
23 Affiliates. As a Founder Member of the original
project, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew has been a
key member from the outset and is well placed tosupport the next stages of the resource’s development. Kew’s involvement with BHL provides an interesting case study overall, which illustrates how theBHL directly supports botanical research both within
the organisation and across the globe. BHL provides
an invaluable resource for work on plant nomenclature at Kew and has been a key partner in recent
projects within both the Library and Archives andEconomic Botany collections. BHL data is also being
used to support the development of open science
tools for taxonomy. It is for these reasons, plus theongoing use by taxonomists that Kew continues toview BHL as essential to its mission to understandand protect plants and fungi for the well-being ofpeople and the future of all life on earth.

S.16.6 Matching herbarium
specimens with Mary
Vaux Walcott watercolor
paintings using machinelearning and detective work

S.16.5 Quercus faginea
Lam. s.l. in North Africa,
an ongoing taxonomic
challenge

Mike Trizna1, Will Weaver2
1 Data Science Lab, Office of the Chief Information
Officer, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC,
USA. 2 Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
Mary Vaux Walcott’s five-volume collection of illustrations and descriptions, “North American wildflowers”, was published between the years 1925 and1929. All of the volumes, which include over 400 watercolor prints, have been fully digitized and madeavailable through the Biodiversity Heritage Library(https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.67774). Many of theillustrations were based on plant specimens collected by Walcott herself or other botanists fromthe Smithsonian Institution, and specimen labels on
their preserved herbaria sheets include written notations that reference this connection. One example
is US:1087120 (http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/3fd0d532a-

Aissi Abdeldjalil1
1 LAPAPEZA, Department of Agricultural Sciences, ISVSA, University of Batna 1, Algeria
The genus Quercus is known for its taxonomic complexity and it has long been associated with great
controversy. The number of taxa is still debatedamong botanists despite systematists’ attempts
to clarify and simplify it. The Quercus faginea s.l.
complex represents one of the most conclusiveand complex examples found in the North-Western
Mediterranean and North Africa. Nevertheless, the66

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puter vision tools from LeafMachine2 (https://github.
com/Gene-Weaver/LeafMachine2) to isolate morphological and phenotypic traits for comparison.
With confident pairs of illustrations and specimens,
we investigate the possibility of using the Biodiversity
Heritage Library’s extensive collection of botanical illustrations to extract valuable phenotypic and morphological data.

72a3-4818-9dbe-904d72272759), which has a notation that it was “Painted by Mrs. Walcott”, and closely
matches Plate 44 of Volume 1 (https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/42602857). In this project, weused digitized specimen data to explore candidate
matching specimens, machine learning OCR and
LLM validation tools from the VoucherVision project(https://github.com/Gene-Weaver/VoucherVision)
to transcribe and clean specimen labels, and com-

S.17 ACROSS LAND AND WATER:UNDERSTANDING PLANT GENE FLOW AT A
LANDSCAPE SCALE. SESSION 1
S.17.1 Landscape effects
on the spatial distributionof genetic lineages in awidespread, generalist herb

north German plain than anticipated. This could beeither due to a historical lack of suitable habitat as
the region used to be characterized by extensive
wetlands or due to a recent extinction of populations as a result of agricultural intensification. Yet,semi-natural and natural habitats were sampled
preferentially. Should populations north of the central uplands prove not to show signs of isolation, it
could indicate a buffering function of gardens andpublic green spaces as V. chamaedrys can be frequently found in parks and mature lawns.

Mareike Daubert1, Alina Persson1, Dirk C.
Albach1
1 Institute of Biology and Environmental Sciences,
Carl-von-Ossietzky University, Oldenburg, Germany
The majority of landscape genetic studies to thisday has focused on animals, often mammals ofhigh conservation interest. The studies conducted inplants have found a significant to no effect of landscape features on the genetic structuring of the respective species. Previously, no differentiation was
found between populations of the generalist, widespread herb Veronica chamaedrys (Plantaginaceae) growing in grasslands under different management regimes. We suspect however that grassland
management changes on too short timescales toaffect the species and that factors inhibiting or facilitating gene flow may reveal themselves at larger
geographic scales. We sampled populations alonga 500 km transect from the German North Sea
coast to the central German xeric zone at the leeof the Harz mountains. At each location we characterized the surrounding vegetation via Ellenberg
values. Moisture and soil reaction numbers showed
the strongest geographic trends with the steepestchange occurring at the southern margin of theHarz mountains. We expect these marked changes
to be recognizable in genotyping-by-sequencing
data. The species turned out to be much rarer in the

S.17.2 Systematics and longdistance dispersal of family
Urticaceae
Zeng-Yuan Wu1
1 Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
Urticaceae consists of approximately 54 generawith more than 2000 species and is widely distributed in tropical regions but less common in temperate regions, with by far the largest concentrationof genera and species in tropical Asia. This family
has important economic and medicinal value, afull understanding of relationships within this family would help to understand how these ecologicalassemblages evolved, and also to detect potential
new sources of medicinal compounds. However, theinfra-familial classification of Urticaceae has been
controversial for more than one century, and relationships within it remain poorly known. In this talk,67

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I introduce some of my studies on the systematics
of Urticaceae in the last 10 years based on different
molecular markers and research methods. In addition, I present an in-depth study of the biogeographyof Urticaceae Integrated multiple lines of evidence
including phylogenetic, molecular-dating, biogeographical, ecological, seed biology and oceanographic data, we found that Urticaceae originatedin Eurasia ~69 Ma, followed by ≥92 LDD events between landmasses. Under experimental conditions,
it was demonstrated that seeds of many Urticaceae
floated for >220 days, and remained viable after ten
months in seawater, long enough for most detected LDD events, according to oceanographic current
modeling. Ecological trait analyses indicated that
preferences for disturbed habitats might facilitate
LDD. Nearly half of all LDD events involved dioecious
taxa, so population establishment in dioecious Urticaceae requires multiple seeds, or for occasionalselfing to be possible. This work clearly shows thatseawater LDD played an important role in shaping
the geographic distributions of Urticaceae, providing empirical evidence for Darwin’s transoceanic
dispersal hypothesis.

gration rates between these genetic clusters arevery low. Levels of genetic diversity were low in small
populations relative to large populations, and no evidence of inbreeding was found. Landscape genetic analysis revealed that geographic isolation was
the main factor shaping genetic differentiation, notslope or environmental variation. Urgent conservation actions are needed as most of the cloud forests
in which large and genetically diverse M. schiedeana populations persist are not under federal protection, and which currently experience selective
logging. Restoring landscape connectivity should bea priority to reduce risks of inbreeding and genetic
drift as populations become smaller and geographically isolated.

S.17.4 Genetic diversityof grassland plants at
adaptive and neutral loci two actors on the stage oflandscape change
Iris Reinula1, Sabrina Träger2,3, Tsipe Aavik1

S.17.3 Tropical Montane
Cloud Forest at risk: theimportance of unprotected
forest areas for tree genetic
diversity and connectvity

1 Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Estonia. 2 Institute of Biology/Geobotany and Botanical Garden, Martin-Luther-University
Halle-Wittenberg, Germany. 3 German Centre forIntegrative Biodiversity Research, Germany
Over the past century, changes in land use have significantly reduced the extent of semi-natural grasslands,
threatening the functional connectivity, i.e., exchange
of genes through pollen and seed dispersal, among
populations of plants characteristic of these valuable
habitats. Although growing evidence suggests thatlandscape features can influence gene flow amongisolated plant populations, the role of historical land use
legacies in shaping the relationship between current
landscape characteristics and gene flow in perennial grassland plants remains unclear. Notably, studies
often focus solely on genetic diversity at neutral loci(not under natural selection), overlooking genetic diversity at adaptive loci (under natural selection) crucial for plant adaptability to changing conditions. We
studied the impact of landscape characteristics on thefunctional connectivity of 32 populations of the grassland plant Primula veris in two historically semi-natural
grassland-dominated landscapes in Western Estonia.
Nowadays, one landscape remains grassland-dominated, while forests and agricultural fields prevail in theother. We examined genetic diversity at both neutral
and adaptive loci and structure of these populations.

Yessica Rico1, Marisol Zurita Solis1, M. Ángel
León-Tapia2, Ara N. Miguel Peñaloza1
1 Red de Diversidad Biológica del Occidente Mexicano, Instituto de Ecología A.C. Michoacán, Mexico.
2 Departamento de Zoología, Instituto de Biología,
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudadde México, Mexico
Magnolias are representative tree species of theTropical Montane Cloud Forest (TMCF) in Mexico,
which is one of the most endangered ecosystems
due to anthropogenic habitat degradation and climate change. Magnolia schiedeana is a vulnerable
and restricted endemic TMCF species, occurring inforest fragments in the Sierra Madre Oriental. We
sampled remnant populations across the species
range to investigate spatial patterns of genetic diversity and gene flow by genotyping polymorphic
microsatellite loci. Our data showed a strong spatial
structure, which matches the patchy geographic
distribution of M. schiedeana. Contemporary mi-

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We also assessed the role of landscape characteristics
on gene flow at neutral loci. The relative permeability ofdifferent landscape elements for gene exchange depended on landscape context, likely reflecting opposite
land use trajectories in these landscapes. Furthermore,
the outcome was also affected by different gene flow
indices, indicating their context-dependency. Notably,
genetic diversity at neutral and adaptive loci showed
different results to landscape context. Conclusively, applying connectivity measures based on findings from alandscape setting reflecting only one type of land use
trajectory should be avoided. Interpretation of geneflow measures for long-lived plant species should also
be approached with caution due to potential delays intheir response to landscape changes. Lastly, the correlation between genetic diversity at neutral and adaptive loci is not consistent, warning against using one toestimate the other.

termedia has a mixed chemotype and combines thechemistry of the parental species. Both parents exhibit anorth-south genetic differentiation that goes in parallelwith their chemistry. This pattern is also found in the hybrid pointing to its polytopic origin. There is evidence forgene flow between the hybrid and the parental species,
albeit at a low level, allowing independent evolution of
the hybrid taxon. Time and history of the taxa involved
are discussed in the light of ecology vegetation history.

S.17.6 Employing landscape
genetics to forecast
climate-driven habitatchanges for high-mountainplant endemics in the
Canary Islands

S.17.5 Applying genomics
and metabolomics toelucidate evolution in thehomoploid complex of
Baccharis L. in Chile

Sonia Sarmiento Cabello1, Priscila
Rodríguez Rodríguez1, Yessica Rico2,
Leticia Curbelo Muñoz1, Pedro A. Sosa
Henríquez1
1 Instituto Universitario de Estudios Ambientales y
Recursos Naturales, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria University, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain.
2 Instituto de Ecología, A.C., Red de Diversidad Biológica del Occidente Mexicano, Centro Regionaldel Bajío, Pátzcuaro, Michoacán, Mexico.

Fabian Schneider1, Olga Zafra Delgado2,
Tobias G. Köllner2, Frank H. Hellwig1
1 Friedrich-Schiller-University, Jena, Germany. 2
Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena,
Germany

Climate change poses a significant threat to endemic and native flora, particularly those inhabiting
upper vegetation zones. While the impact of climatechange on continental alpine ecosystems has been
extensively studied, little progress has been made inunderstanding high mountain ocean ecosystems.
Using a combination of species distribution models
and landscape genetic methods, our study focuses on species inhabiting high mountain ecosystems
in the Canary Islands. In this context, we aim to 1)
characterize genetically different populations, 2)estimate interpopulation gene flow and functional connectivity, 3) determine the current and forecasting future habitat suitability, and, finally, 4) assess the impact of climate change on these plant
species. Like alpine regions, we expect that species
within the upper vegetation zones of the Canary Islands are vulnerable to population declines due toclimate change, especially those with restricted distribution and short-distance dispersal, such as theTeide violet. Ultimately, our research aims to develop
enhanced conservation strategies for the endemic
and native flora of the Canary Islands.

The genus Baccharis L. (Asteraceae-Astereae) in Chileis supposed to form a homoploid complex containing
about 21 taxa and 33 described hybrids based on morphological and ecological evidence. In this study, we investigated evolutionary processes within this complex
using genomic and metabolomic approaches with
Baccharis linearis (Ruiz et Pavón) Pers., B. macraei Hook.
et Arn., B. vernalis F.H. Hellwig and their putative hybrid
B. x intermedia DC. in Central Chile. The sampling covered selected populations ranging from La Serena in
the north to Concepción in the south. Next generation
sequencing (ddRad/Illumina) and untargeted metabolomics (LC-qTOF) was performed using silicagel-driedmaterial. The initial hypothesis on the hybrid nature of B.
intermedia was corroborated by genomic and chemical evidence. Within the morphologically intermediatehybrid, a combination of genetic markers from bothparents could be detected. The hybrid shows a significantly higher heterozygosity than both parental taxa.
Moreover, metabolomics analyses revealed that B. in-69

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S.18 INVENTORYING THE PLANT DIVERSITY OF
THE EURO-MEDITERRANEAN AREA: INTEGRATINGTAXONOMIC PROGRESS INTO DYNAMIC WEBCHECKLISTS AND ELECTRONIC FLORAS
S.18.1 How to classify
apomictic polyploid
complexes - challenges andperspectives

strategy would avoid swamping databases, floras and checklists with hundreds of species names
for ill-defined taxa. Only few obligate long-term
apomictic lineages exist in plants, without knowledge of progenitors. Such cases may deserve aclassification as species (agamospecies). Application of genomic data and artificial intelligence tools
will improve the classification process and help todelimit taxa as comparative units that can be handled in databases, floras, and checklists.

Elvira Hörandl1
1 Department of Systematics, Biodiversity and
Evolution of Plants (with herbarium), University of
Goettingen

S.18.2 Assessing local andnational floristic diversity
through the Portal to the
Flora of Italy

Apomixis, the reproduction via asexually formed
seeds, avoids cycles of meiosis and fertilization.
Apomictic lineages appear scattered in the phylogenies of plants, and often comprise widespread
and abundant taxa, which makes them highly relevant for biodiversity research. Apomixis poses a
problem for species concepts and delimitation, because the popular biological species concept is per
definition not applicable. Alternative species concepts, like the phylogenetic species concepts, cluster species concepts, evolutionary and ecological
species concepts are theoretically applicable, butpose in theory and practice still many problems. A
major conceptual problem is the predominant hybrid origin of many apomictic plants, which violates
assumptions of tree-like diversification patterns, butalso blur boundaries between clusters and lineages
in the other classical concepts. Genetic clusteringand vertical lineage formation remain weak without the homogenizing effects of sexuality. Pluralistic
approaches for species delimitation are nowadays
preferred for taxonomic decisions, i.e., case-by-caseapplications of concepts based on combinations
and multiple datasets. Apomictic lineages might be
included under one species name, as it often applied to autopolyploids. In allopolyploid complexes
the sexual progenitors can be normally classified
on species level, but the vast majority of ill-defined
asexual lineages could be lumped under a cluster
concept or named just as nothotaxa. The formal
designation of hybrids is possible according to theCode if at least one parental taxon is known, whichapplies to most young apomictic complexes. This

Lorenzo Peruzzi1, Fabrizio Bartolucci2,
Gabriele Galasso3, Gianni Bedini1, Stefano
Martellos4, Gianniantonio Domina5, Fabio
Conti2
1 University of Pisa, Italy. 2 University of Camerino, Italy. 3 Natural History Museum of Milano, Italy. 4 University of Trieste, Italy. 5 University of Palermo, Italy.
Approximately two decades ago, the Working Groupfor Floristics, Systematics and Evolution of the Italian Botanical Society initiated a collaborative project to develop a checklist of the Italian vascular flora. The first project output was a book, published in
2005, followed by a significant update in 2018. Another update is scheduled for release in early 2024.
The project triggered two crucial requirements: thedigital storage and publication of floristic records,
and the dissemination of the checklist through an
online information system. Consequently, the collaborative floristic project “Wikiplantbase” (http://
bot.biologia.unipi.it/wpb/italia) was launched in2013, and in 2018 the online “Portal to the flora of
Italy”(https://dryades.units.it/floritaly/index.php)
was introduced to the scientific community. These
two online tools operate in tandem, ensuring continuous updates and interoperability. They thus70

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constitute a unified system, serving as a robust
and reliable reference for the nomenclature, taxonomy, and distribution of the Italian vascular flora.
Additional resources are slated to be incorporated
into the system. These include a database storing
protologues, type localities and other pertinent information about type designations for acceptedplant names described in Italy, and the “Chrobase.
it” database (http://bot.biologia.unipi.it/chrobase/index.php), focusing on chromosome numbers.
Furthermore, the “The Italian flora of human interest” database (https://www.optima-bot.org/index.
php/en/projects/8-category-en-gb/217-the-italian-cwr-whp-database) will contribute to the expanding repository. An ongoing effort involves establishing interoperability between this system andexternal initiatives, such as the “World Flora Online”(https://www.worldfloraonline.org/), “Plant of theWorld Online” (https://powo.science.kew.org/), andthe “Euro+Med Plantbase” (https://europlusmed.
org/). This integrated approach aims to create amore comprehensive and interconnected resource
for sharing and accessing a wide spectrum of botanical data.

namically, undergoing systematic and regular revisions to incorporate emerging scientific knowledge. The 1st version of the “Flora of Greece web”
was published in May 2017 and the current, 5th
version, summarizes all published information to
the end of November 2023. This ambitious project
stands as a collaborative achievement, based on
the expertise of numerous scientists, aiming to theconstruction of a comprehensive database, currently comprising 5960 species and 2015 subspecies (6850 taxa). Looking ahead to 2024, the Floraof Greece project is poised to release an updated
version. The project adheres to the nomenclatural adaptation via the APG IV, ensuring consistency
with contemporary botanical standards. This new
iteration, to be published in both online and print
formats, will feature expanded content including
additional descriptions and distribution maps. This
ongoing commitment to floristic exploration anddocumentation underscores the project’s enduring impact on the understanding and conservation of Greece’s rich plant diversity.

S.18.4 Euro+Med PlantBase how to integrate taxonomic
knowledge and provide
plant diversity data at acontinental level

S.18.3 Designing acomprehensive online andprint flora from scratch –the Flora of Greece project

Eckhard von Raab-Straube1

Panayotis Dimopoulos1

1 Freie Universität Berlin, Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum, Berlin, Germany

1 Laboratory of Botany, Department of Biology, University of Patras, Greece

Euro+Med PlantBase (E+M), a long-term project
founded in the year 2000, has developed into a wellknown standard resource for information on systematics, nomenclature and distribution of vascularplants and bryophytes in Europe and the Mediterranean region. At present, E+M contains more than
45,000 taxa, over 150,000 scientific names, nearly
150,000 common names in more than 40 languages, and ca. 380,000 source-referenced distribution
records. The data are open access and can be retrieved through the Euro+Med Data Portal (https://
europlusmed.org/), online in its present form since2020. E+M provides a permanently updated taxonomic backbone and a dynamic checklist for native and alien plants in Europe, the Caucasus, thecircum-Mediterranean countries and the Macaronesian archipelagos. Distribution is given for areas
which correspond to all countries and most larger

By starting from scratch, the Flora of Greece project represents a significant initiative aimed atconstructing a thorough and annotated catalogueof the country’s rich plant diversity, with both online and print components. Launched in 2010 andconcluding three years later, in 2013, the “Vascularplants of Greece: An annotated checklist” (VPG)is the first comprehensive inventory of the floraof Greece more than a century after Eugen vonHalácsy, finalized the most recent complete Floraof the country in its political borders. Since 2017,
the project utilizes an advanced web tool (EDIT
Platform for Cybertaxonomy) to facilitate easy
access and navigation through extensive collection of taxonomic information. Users can accessthe electronic version of the VPG through the Floraof Greece website (https://portal.cybertaxonomy.
org/flora-greece). The web checklist evolves dy-

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islands of the region. E+M is currently maintainedby an informal consortium of participating European institutions, with the secretariat at the Botanic
Garden Berlin since 2004. The editorial team of E+Mcontinuously updates the systematic treatmentsof the checklist and adds new or corrects existing
records. Initially based on Flora Europaea and integrating information from all taxonomic and floristic
literature sources from the area, E+M is the mostcomprehensive resource on accumulated historicaland actual floristic data at country level of the Euro-Mediterranean region. It keeps track of the newest publications in plant systematics and evolution,
nomenclature and floristics, thus ensuring that the
database is up to date in every respect. At present,
approximately 200 taxa a year are added which aredescribed as new to science from the E+M area. E+M
also contributes taxonomic and distribution data to
the World Flora Online (WFO) and links to other major online resources, thereby serving as a gateway toEuropean and Mediterranean flora portals.

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Symposia Session 2
S.19 BIOGEOGRAPHY AND DIVERSIFICATIONOF INTERCONTINENTAL TROPICAL PLANT
DIVERSITY. SESSION 2
S.19.1 Origin andbiogeographical history of
the Piper (Piperaceae)

S.19.2 Biogeography ofIndian Persea group(Lauraceae) - filling
the gaps in the global
phylogeny

Dominik Metschina1, Rosabelle Samuel1,
Luiz Augusto Caus dos Santos1, Maarten
Christenhusz2, James W. Byng3, Deepthi
Yakandawala5, Tara de Silva6, Anushka
Wickramasuriya6, Mark W. Chase1,2,4

Nabasmita Malakar1,2., Gudasalamani
Ravikanth1, K. Praveen Karanth3, Ganesan
Rengaian1

1 Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research,
University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria. 2 Departmentof Environment and Agriculture, Curtin University,
Perth, Western Australia, Australia. 3 Hortus Botanicus, Technical University Delft, The Netherlands. 4
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, UK.
5 Faculty of Science, University of Peradeniya, Sri
Lanka. 6 Department of Plant Sciences, University ofColombo, Sri Lanka

1 Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment, Bangalore, India. 2 Manipal Academy ofHigher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India. 3 Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
We investigated the phylogeny and biogeographyof the basal angiosperm group Persea (Lauraceae)that comprises eight accepted genera i.e., 1) Alseodaphne 2) Alseodaphnopsis 3) Apollonias 4) Dehaasia 5) Machilus 6) Nothaphoebe 7) Persea and8) Phoebe. In India, Persea group is distributed in
low-elevation evergreen forests to broad leaved
temperate forests of Himalayas and mid-elevation
evergreen forests of Western Ghats, south India. We
aim to understand the biogeographic origins of the
Persea group and to decipher the times and modesof evolution in the Indian subcontinent compared to
the Asian region. Two nuclear and one chloroplast
gene marker are sequenced for ca. 100 samples collected across Northeast region and Western Ghats
of India. We mapped the sequences of Indian Persea group in global dataset. Phylogenetic relationships were reconstructed using maximum likelihood
and Bayesian inference methods. Divergence time
estimated using BEAST 2.4.8. and Ancestral geographical ranges performed using BIOGEOBEARS.
The Persea group has diverged around ~55.3 Mya(95% highest posterior density (HPD): 41.4 – 69.9 Mya)in China. We expect the probable divergence timeof Persea group in India is early-mid Eocene. Also,

Target enrichment for Piperaceae, including all fivegenera, produced a well-supported maximum likelihood tree in which there was a good support for(Verhuellia ((Manekia + Zippelia) + (Piper + Peperomia))). Originating in South America in the Late
Cretaceous, Piper then dispersed during the middle
Eocene climatic optimum (ca. 40 Mya, when tropical
species reached higher latitudes) to southern Africa
and the Pacific islands first, followed by New Guinea,
Southeast Asia and the Philippines. During the Oligocene the genus radiated in Southeast Asia andreached East Asia, India, Sri Lanka and Australia andre-colonised Africa. The New Caledonian and Vanuatuan species are sister to the New Guinean andPhilippine taxa rather than the Pacific species. Once
Piper left South America it exhibited a great numberof intercontinental dispersals throughout its subsequent evolutionary history.

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molecular study shows the Apollonias arnottii, single known species of the genus globally, has to be
shifted to the genus Phoebe. Phylogenetic tree wedeveloped also supports the Persea group is notmonophyletic. The Persea group requires in-depthtaxonomic study of flower and fruit collections to resolve all the clades of different genera globally. Thisis the first attempt to understand the phylogenetic
relationship and historical biogeography Indian Persea group in the global phylogeny.

Pancheria, Pterophylla and Weinmannia) diverging
during the late Eocene (~39.6 Ma), and the estimated age of Weinmannia (~34 Ma), correspond withthe age of the Eocene-Oligocene Transition (33.9
Ma). This transition was characterized by the firstformation of the Antarctic ice sheet and the isolationof the Gondwanan groups caused by the openingof the Drake Passage between South America andAntarctica, and the Tasman Seaway between Australia and Antarctica. Such continental rearrangement explains the current distribution of the taxa
in the tribe. The most basal species of Weinmannia
are in the Mascarenes Islands and Chile, while thecentral and northern Andean species show a recent
evolutionary radiation estimated to have occurred~5.5 Ma, which is consistent with the two major pulses of Andean uplift during the Miocene and Pliocene
at c.12–6 Ma and ca. 4.5 Mya. Our results support
the idea that continental drift and orogeny playeda crucial role in determining the distribution and diversification of Weinmannia.

S.19.3 Time calibrated
phylogeny of Cunoniaceae
reveals the biogeographicalhistory of the Andean genus
Weinmannia
Francisco Fajardo-Gutiérrez1,2,8, Christine
Edwards3, J. Sebastián Tello3, Alfredo
Fuentes3,4, Nora H. Oleas5, Ricardo A.
Segovia6, Mariasole Calbi7, Markus
Dillenberger1,8, James E. Richardson9
Yohan Pillon10, Thomas Borsch1,8

S.19.4 Unlocking
Parablechnum from thefield to the lab: a HybSeq approach to unravel
the global disjunction of ayoung fern genus

1 Botanischer Garten und Botanisches Museum
Berlin-Dahlem. Berlin, Germany. 2 Jardín Botánico
de Bogotá José Celestino Mutis, Bogotá, Colombia. 3 Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, USA. 4
Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, La Paz, Bolivia.
5 Universidad Tecnológica Indoamérica, Ambato,
Ecuador. 6 Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile. 7 University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy. 8
Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany. 9 University
College Cork, Cork, Ireland. 10 Université Montpellier,Montpellier, France

Sonia Molino1,2, Guillermo Santos Rivilla1,
Mario Mairal1, Weston Testo3, Peter
DeLange4, Rosenber Hurtado5, James
Rodger6, Rafael Medina Bujalance1

Cunoniaceae, mostly distributed in the Southernhemisphere, comprises 27 genera and c. 335 species. The highest diversity can be found in New
Caledonia and South America. Also, diversity is concentrated in the genus Weinmannia (c. 80 species),
which is dominant in cloud and montane forests
along the Andes. Other ten to fifteen Weinmannia
species are scattered throughout the Americas in
the Atlantic Forest (South Brazil), the Guyana shield,
Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean islands.
Our main objective is to reveal the phylogeographic history and diversification patterns of the group.
We used a relaxed molecular clock, based on DNA
sequences of three plastid markers trnK-matK,
trnL-trnF, and rps3-rpl16, and twelve fossil calibrations, with an extended sampling across the Rosid
lineages. We found the Cunonieae tribe (Cunonia,

1 Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Madrid.
Spain. 2 Universidad Europea de Madrid, Madrid,
Spain. 3 Pringle Herbarium, University of Vermont,
Burlington, USA. 4 Unitec Institute of Technology,
Auckland, New Zealand. 5 Herbario Nacional de Bolivia, La Paz, Bolivia. 6 Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
Parablechnum is the most speciose genus of thefern family Blechnaceae, particularly represented invulnerable habitats such as tropical montane cloudforests. Its 68 species exhibit a Gondwanan distribution, predominantly spread across two major centers of diversity —one in the Neotropics and the other in Australasia—; additionally, there are only three
African species found in Southern Africa, Madagascar, and the Mascarene archipelago. Reconstructing the evolutionary history of these ferns has been74

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hampered by their singular circumstances. Recent
studies show that the genus is undergoing a rapid
diversification that obscures its backbone phylogeny and hence the explanation of its current disjunctdistribution. The taxonomy of the genus is still poorly
understood as several species groups need further
attention to be adequately circumscribed. Additionally, phenomena such as hybridization and cryptic speciation seem frequent in the genus, making
it difficult to complete the phylogenetic approach.
Combining the specimens from two recent field
campaigns with herbarium material, we are attempting to improve the quality and quantity of molecular data. Our approach aims to reach a moredetailed phylogenetic resolution via Hyb-Seq using
the GoFlag probe set. Our preliminary results show
a complex evolutionary history of a dynamic groupshaped by long-distance dispersal events and ongoing diversifications. Guided by these results weare undertaking a comprehensive taxonomic reevaluation of the whole genus with the perspectiveof completing a global monograph.

estimation and evolutionary transitions between
biomes. Our results suggest that Zorniaoriginatedin the dry forest in Northeast Brazil. From there, theevolutionary path of the genus continued to the savannas of the Americas, where 40% of the present
species occur. Lineages then adapted to the highelevation grassland in South America and Central
America. The genus dispersed to the hight elevation grassland in Africa and then to the savannas
in India and Australia. Our study shows the transoceanic dispersal occurred in Zornia, as previously it
was not clear if this dispersal occurred from America to Africa or Australia first. We also clarify how theevolutionary transitions between biomes occurredin the genus, which is important to understand the
dynamics of adaptation particularly to dry environments where Zornia mostly occurs.

S.19.6 Historicalbiogeography and niche
evolution of Lecythidaceae
in the American tropics

S.19.5 Exploring
evolutionary transitions
across biomes in Zornia
J.F.Gmel. (Leguminosae:
Papilionoideae)

Diana Medellín-Zabala1, Oscar M. Vargas2,
Deise Pereira Gonçalves1, Raquel C.
Pizzardo1, Andre Chanderbali3, Douglas
Soltis3, Pam Soltis3, Stephen Smith1 &Christopher Dick1

Laís C. Zeferino1,2,3, Flavia F. Pezzini2, Kyle
G. Dexter3, Gwilym P. Lewis4, Ana Paula
Fortuna Pérez1

1 Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology,
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA. 2 Department of Biological Sciences, University of California,
Santa Cruz, USA. 3 Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, USA

1 Universidade Estadual Paulista “Julio de Mesquita Filho”, São Paulo, Brazil. 2 Royal Botanic Garden
Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK. 3 University of Edinburgh,
Edinburgh, UK. 4 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK.

Lecythidaceae (Ericales) is a pantropical familyof woody plants of ca. 278 tree species with threesubfamilies: Foetidioideae (Madagascar), Planchonioideae (Asia and Africa), and Lecythidoideae (ca. 232 species) restricted to the Neotropics.
This family is within the 20 most-species richfamilies of trees in the lowland Amazon forests,
providing important ecological services such ascarbon sequestration and food resources for pollinators and seed dispersers. The global center of
species richness and ecological importance is in
the Amazon basin and Guiana Shield, where mostLecythidaceae research has been focused. However, there are genera occurring in the Andean
and Chocó Biogeographic regions where several
knowledge gaps lie. Despite multiple studies having been performed for Lecythidaceae, there arestill incongruences among hypotheses about the

The genus Zornia J.F.Gmel is the second most speciose representative of the Adesmia clade (Leguminosae: Papilionoideae), with ca. 80 species. Zornia is
the only genus within the clade with a global distribution, mainly occurring in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. A previous phylogeny for
Zornia revealed that most species diverged in Brazil
ca. 8–10 mya, and suggested a single transoceanic
dispersal event from the Americas to the Old Worldca. 5 mya. Here, we augment the previous phylogeny with new sampling from Central America, Asia,
Africa and Oceania. We aimed to investigate evolutionary patterns of distribution in Zornia and answer
biogeographic questions related to ancestral range75

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ering clade, originated in the Paleogene (~34Mya), while Central America and the Chocó wererecovered as the most plausible ancestral area
for the actinomorphic-flowering clade (originated ~37 Mya). Since most of the species includedin this reconstruction occur in the Amazon basin
and given the complexity of wetland habitats andtheir association with the Andean uplift that most
likely had an important role in the evolution of
Amazonian Lecythidaceae, increasing samplingfrom the InterAndean Valleys and Chocó will allow us to better understand the niche evolution
and diversification history of this family.

evolution of this family. To infer the geographic history of Lecythidaceae in the Neotropics,
and identify areas of importance for its diversification, we performed a Maximum Likelihood
analysis in IQ-TREE, based on nuclear markers
targeted by the Angio353 probes in 94 species,
and an ancestral range reconstruction, using adispersal-extinction-cladogenesis model (DEC)in BioGeoBEARS. According to our results, there isa high uncertainty about the ancestral area for
the Neotropical clade. However, the Southeastern
Amazonia was reconstructed as the most probable ancestral area for the zygomorphic-flow-

S.20 CONTRASTING DIVERSITY PATTERNS,BIOGEOGRAPHY, AND CONSERVATION ISSUESIN NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN HEATHERS(ERICEAE, ERICACEAE)
S.20.1 Heath species
help reconstruct thebiogeographic role of theStrait of Gibraltar

these species, followed by a post-glacial expansion along the western Iberian Peninsula. However, the Guadalquivir valley, dominated by clayey,
non-acidic, fertile soils, would represent an edaphic barrier to the northward expansion of these acidophilic species. How did they overcome it? The
phylogeographic analyses of these two heathland
species were reviewed, and the geological andgeomorphological literature of the Strait of Gibraltar region was examined. For both species, a certain genetic discontinuity is observed between theEuropean area of the Strait and those of the rest of
the Iberian Peninsula. In contrast, there is a striking
genetic link between the W Iberian Peninsula andthe African part of the Strait. Assuming a sea-level
drop of about 140 m, the topography of the Straitof Gibraltar and the continental shelf of the Gulf ofCadiz, as well as the tectonic nature of their substrates, we suggest the existence of a glacial corridor between the African side of the Strait and thePortuguese Algarve. Confirmation of this Tingitano-Algarvian corridor using NGS approaches will
help to clarify the role of the Strait of Gibraltar asa bridge or dispersal barrier in the geographicaldistribution of plants.

Antonia Salces-Castellano1,2, Pablo
Vargas3, Fernando Ojeda4
1 Department of Biology, Ecology and Evolution,
Université de Liège, Belgium. 2 Unit of Evolutionary Biology & Ecology. Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium. 3 Departamento de Biodiversidad
y Conservación, RJB-CSIC, Madrid, Spain. 4 Departamento de Biología-IVAGRO, Universidad deCádiz, Cádiz, Spain
The Strait of Gibraltar is characterised by the diversity and uniqueness of its terrestrial flora. The
floristic similarity between both sides of the Strait,
together with the existence of some discontinuities, illustrates its biogeographical importance asa dispersal bridge/barrier. On the other hand, theStrait of Gibraltar has acted as a biogeographical refuge for flora from the Pleistocene glaciations. Many plant species found on both sides of
the Strait are associated with sandy, very acidic
and infertile soils. These include the heather Calluna vulgaris and Erica australis, characteristic
species of the Mediterranean heathland or herriza. The Strait was an important glacial refuge for76

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S.20.2 Phylogenetics,
biogeography andphenotypic variation of four
species of heathers (Erica L.,
Ericaceae) with contrasting
distributions

S.20.3 Phylogenetic
diversity and conservation
prioritisation of Erica(Ericaceae)
Michael D. Pirie1,14, Dirk U. Bellstedt2,
Roderick W. Bouman3, Jaime Fagúndez4,5Berit Gehrke1, Martha Kandziora6, Nicholas
C. Le Maitre7, Seth Musker8, Ethan
Newman9, Nicolai M. Nürk10, E.G.H. Oliver11,
Sebastian Pipins12,13, Timotheus van der
Niet9, Félix Forest12

Jaime Fagúndez1,2, Iván Rodríguez-Buján2,
Pilar Díaz-Tapia1,3
1 Universidade da Coruña, BIOCOST researchgroup, Centro Interdisciplinar de Química e Bioloxía(CICA), A Coruña, Spain. 2 Universidade da Coruña,
Departamento de Bioloxía, Facultade de Ciencias,
A Coruña, Spain. 3 Universidade de Santiago deCompostela, Departamento de Botánica, Santiago
de Compostela, Spain

1 University Museum, University of Bergen, Postboks,
Bergen, Norway. 2 Department of Biochemistry,
University of Stellenbosch, Private Bag X1, Matieland,South Africa. 3 Hortus botanicus Leiden, Leiden University, RA, Leiden, the Netherlands; Naturalis Biodiversity Center, RA, Leiden, the Netherlands. 4 Universidade da Coruña, BIOCOST research group,
Centro Interdisciplinar de Química e Bioloxía(CICA), A Coruña, Spain. 5 Universidade da Coruña,
Departamento de Bioloxía, Facultade de Ciencias,
A Coruña, Spain. 6 Department of Botany, Facultyof Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic. 7 Department of Genetics, University of Stellenbosch, Private Bag X1, Matieland, South Africa.
8 Department of Biological Sciences, University ofCape Town, Private Bag, Rondebosch, South Africa.
9 School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. 10
Department of Plant Systematics, Bayreuth Centreof Ecology and Environmental Research, Universityof Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany. 11 Department of
Botany and Zoology, University of Stellenbosch, Private Bag X1, Matieland, South Africa. 12 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, UK. 13 Department ofLife Sciences, Imperial College, London, UK; On theEdge, London, UK

Erica tetralix, E. ciliaris, E. mackayana and E. andevalensis form a robust clade within the heathers(Erica L.) of the northern hemisphere. They sharea number of traits such as their low size, the pluricellular glandular trichomes, and their ecologicalniche of permanently wet conditions. However, they
cover different geographic areas, ranging from thewidespread North Atlantic E. tetralix, to the narrowly endemic E. andevalensis of South western Iberia.
Moreover, hybridisation occurs in northern areas
between E. tetralix and E. ciliaris or E. mackayana,
but not in overlapping southern populations. Here
we present a dataset of over 400 plants obtained
from the distribution range of the four species. Most
samples have been analysed by means of genetic
analyses using SNPs (nextRAD sequencing). Furthermore, we conducted measurements on an arrayof morphological traits, encompassing macro andmicromorphological traits, including reproductive
and vegetative characters. In this talk, we present
the first results on the biogeography, phylogenetic relationships and morphological variation at the
species, population and individual level including i)
The biogeography of E. mackayana, which shows aclear pattern of recent multiple introduction events
for the Irish populations from northern Spain, ii) both
genetics and morphology support the species taxonomic level of E. andevalensis, and iii) the hybridsof E. tetralix and E. mackayana or E. ciliaris are intermediate in their morphology and genotype, and are
produced only in certain regions. Results from thismodel group can aid in the interpretation of evolutionary and biogeographic patterns such as thenorthern recolonization by plants from southern refuges after the ice age.

Estimates of the numbers of vascular plant species
currently under threat of extinction are shockingly
high, with the highest extinction rates reported fornarrow-range, woody plants, especially in Mediterranean climate and tropical biodiversity hotspots.
The genus Erica is a prime example: of the around
850 species, all shrubs or small trees, a large proportion are narrowly endemic to localities within
the Cape Floristic Region of South Africa. Just under
200 are known to be threatened and a further 100
are ‘Data Deficient’. We need to target conservation
work as well as research to fill the most problematic
knowledge gaps. This can be especially challenging in large genera such as Erica with numerous
threatened species that are more or less closely
related. One approach involves combining knowl-77

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edge of phylogenetic diversity with that of IUCN
threat status to identify the most evolutionarily distinct and globally endangered (EDGE) species. We
present an expanded and improved phylogenetic
hypothesis for Erica (representing 67% of described
species diversity) and combine this with available
threat and distribution data of species to assess
which species and geographic areas should betargeted for conservation effort to maximise preservation of phylogenetic diversity. This analysis delivers priority lists of phylogenetically diverse taxa threatened, or data deficient - and of areas. Priority
lists can be cross-referenced to existing living andseed banked ex situ collections and used to target
new and updated threat assessments and conservation action.

S.20.5 Systematics andevolution of the true
blueberries (Vaccinium
sect. Cyanococcus,
Ericaceae)

S.20.4 Pollinator shifts andbudding speciation in theCape Floristic Region’s
heathers

The true blueberries (Vaccinium sect. Cyanococcus) constitute a clade of about nine to 24 species
in temperate North America. This group served asa model system during the Modern Synthesis for
examining the origins, prevalence, and diversification of polyploidy in nature, and remains intensively
studied because of its economic importance as afood crop. Nonetheless, its taxonomy and evolutionary history is still uncertain, particularly regarding
the relative importance of allo- versus autopolyploidy in the evolution of the group, the extent to whichlevels of ploidy concord with species boundaries,
and the utility of the morphological characters traditionally used for delimiting taxa. To address theseknowledge gaps, we have collected over 750 silica-gel-dried leaf samples from natural populations
with herbarium vouchers and photographs, nearly
500 of which have been analyzed with flow cytometry to estimate ploidy. A robust diploid phylogenetic estimate has been generated for 36 samples ofknown ploidy with a target-enrichment phylogenomic approach. To this diploid framework we haveadded polyploids in several ways to test their evolutionary origins. We found a strong correlation ofleaf and stem stomata size and density with ploidy
across the clade. With the knowledge gained fromthese studies, we have examined thousands of herbarium specimens from key U.S. herbaria to begin
the process of a comprehensive taxonomic revisionthat will uniquely include expansive species descriptions, specimens cited, and distribution maps. Progress indicates that the revision will vary substantially from prior work, e.g., it includes the taxonomic
resolution of two polyploid species to which names
have been extensively misapplied, the resurrectionof a localized polyploid endemic currently buried insynonymy, and the discovery of two diploids withPeter W. Fritsch1, Andrew A. Crowl2, Bruce
A. Sorrie3, and Paul S. Manos4
1 Botanical Research Institute of Texas, Fort Worth Botanic Garden, Fort Worth, Texas, USA. 2 Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville,
Florida, USA. 3 Coker Herbarium, North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA. 4 Department of Biology,
Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA

Seth D. Musker1, Nicolai M. Nürk2, G.
Anthony Verboom1, Michael D. Pirie3
1 Department of Biological Sciences, University ofCape Town, Cape Town, South Africa. 2 Department of Plant Systematics, University of Bayreuth,
Bayreuth, Germany. 3 University Museum of Bergen,
Bergen, Norway
Of the roughly 900 species of Erica worldwide, 690(75%) occur in the Cape Floristic Region. This taxonomic diversity is accompanied by an impressivearray of floral phenotypes corresponding to different modes of pollination, including wind, bird, bee,fly, and even rodent pollination. We focused on aclade with evidence of multiple shifts between bee
and sunbird pollination syndromes and used genome-wide data to improve on previous estimatesof the clade’s phylogeny. This provided a muchclearer picture of the group’s evolutionary history; however, the picture is still by no means clear.
What we can say is that the group’s diversification
happened very rapidly and is certainly still ongoing. Intriguingly, budding speciation – which is when
one species gives rise to a new species without itself changing at all – appears to be a common occurrence and is often accompanied by a shift frombird to bee pollination. The prevalent paradigm ofspeciation by bifurcation might therefore be a poor
model of what really happened during the group’s
spectacular diversification.

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Rhododendron (Ericaceae) is one of the largest genera of woody plants with 1156 species. The genus has
been divided into five subgenera, of which R. subg.
Pentanthera G. Don comprises a group of highly ornamental species, with interesting distribution, indigenous to North America, Japan, China, and theCaucasus regions. The species (17 species) assigned
to R. section Pentanthera are commonly known as
Azaleas. The section has highly debated taxonomy
and unresolved phylogeny. We here used the GBS
techniques to assess the species boundaries using
the population and phylogenomic approaches. Our
initial results suggest that there is frequent admixture
among different species of R. section Penanthera.
The initial phylogenomic results also support reticulation in the tree backbone of the section.

unique morphology and localized geographic distribution that may represent undescribed species. We
also discovered a morphological means to discern“rabbit-eye” blueberry cultivars that have escapedfrom cultivation.

S.20.6 Hybridisation and thedebated species boundries
in Rhododendron subgenus
Pentanthera
Gulzar Khan1, Raulf Baur1, Dirk C. Albach1
1 Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg

S.21 NEW FRONTIERS IN PLANTPHYLOGENOMICS. SESSION 2
S.21.1 Darwin Tree of Life,
towards reference genomesof an entire flora

PacBio Hifi sequencing for the main assembly andscaffolding with HiC. In this presentation we give an
overview of botanical progress on the Darwin Treeof Life project, summarising achievements (including the successful sequencing of the 90 gb mistletoe genome) and also the challenges including themultitude of difficulties that arise when from working with diverse tissues sources and often very small
amounts of starting material.

Michelle L. Hart1, Laura L. Forrest1
1 Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
The Darwin Tree of Life project has the ambitious
goal of producing reference quality genomes of all
eukaryotic species in Britian and Ireland. Within thisbroader goal, the botanical aim is to collect 1900
species of land plant from Britain and Ireland andproduce reference genomes from over half of these
species by the end of 2024. In building such a large
scale reference genome resource, considerable attention has been given to standard operating procedures and protocols. This involves work undertaken by Genome Acquisition Laboratories (GALs) at
the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and the Royal
Botanic Gardens Kew and includes developing target species lists, defining and adhering to comprehensive meta-data standards, collection of plants
directly snap frozen on dry-ice or liquid nitrogen in
the field, and then using DNA barcoding to checkspecies identify, and undertaking genome size estimates with flow-cytometry to guide sequencing
efforts. High quality plant tissues are then submitted
to the Wellcome Sanger institute for DNA extractions
and genome sequencing using a combination of

S.21.2 Towards a better
understanding of the
genomics of tropicalforests: a case study fromSingapore
Matti A. Niissalo1, Sitaram Rajaraman2,3,
Jun Ying Lim2,4, Le Min Choo1, Jia Jun
Ngiam2, Kang Min Ngo5, Shawn K. Y. Lum5,
Victor A. Albert2,6, Charlotte Lindqvist2,6,David J. Middleton1,2, Gillian S. Khew1,2,
Jarkko Salojärvi2,3
1 Singapore Botanic Gardens, National Parks
Board, Singapore. 2 School of Biological Sciences,
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. 3 Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental

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Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. 4
Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore. 5 Asian School of
the Environment, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. 6 Department of Biological Sciences,
University at Buffalo, New York, USA

ing at least one species exemplar of nearly 95% ofAustralian native angiosperm genera sequenced
for a common set of hundreds of nuclear markers(using the Angiosperms353 target capture baits).
However, because sampling is strongly biased due
to being geographically constrained, the range ofapplications of this continental tree in evolutionary
biology is limited

S.21.3 What can we do witha continental phylogenetictree?

Approximately half of Singapore’s native plant diversity resides in a small, 1.64 km2 patch of rainforest in
Bukit Timah Nature Reserve (BTNR). Between 2019 to2022, we collected and vouchered a total of 882 angiosperm species from BTNR. Illumina shotgun shortread sequencing was carried out for each species
to obtain a minimum of 30Gb of data, followed bygenome assembly and gene prediction. For the firststage of the project, we focused our analysis on 499
good quality genomes. A set of 1,000 conserved single-copy genes were used to generate a high-resolution phylogeny of the BTNR species, illustrating thatwhen compared with APG IV, there were differencesin the position of Santalales and the relationships
within the families in Malpighiales and some orders
in the malvids and fabids. Gene predictions allowed
us also to study ancestral whole genome duplication events, to look for evidence of introgression andto chart the proteomic diversity present in BTNR.

Darren M. Crayn1, Lalita Simpson1,
Theodore R. Allnutt2, William J. Baker3, Matt
Barrett1, Gillian Brown4, Félix Forest3, Chris
Jackson2, Lizzy Joyce5, Paul J. Kersey3,
Mabel Lum6, Olivier Maurin3, Todd G. B.
McLay7, Daniel J. Murphy2, Katharina
Nargar1, Hervé Sauquet8, Alexander
Schmidt-Lebuhn9, Kelly A. Shepherd10,
Andrew Thornhill11, Michelle Waycott12
1 Australian Tropical Herbarium, James Cook University, Smithfield, Australia. 2 Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, Melbourne, Australia. 3 Royal Botanic
Gardens, Kew, Richmond, UK. 4 Queensland Herbarium, Toowong, Australia. 5 Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, Munich, Germany. 6 Bioplatforms
Australia, Sydney, Australia. 7 National Biodiversity
DNA Library, CSIRO, Parkville, Australia. 8 Botanic
Gardens of Sydney, Mt Annan, Australia. 9 Centre
for Australian National Biodiversity Research, Canberra, Australia. 10 Western Australian Herbarium,
Perth, Australia. 11 University of New England, Armidale, Australia. 12 State Herbarium of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia

S.21.4 Angiosperm evolution
and biogeography acrossthe floristically diverse
Canary Islands archipelago

Australia, the world’s smallest continent has a globally significant flora comprising over 2,100 generaand 21,000 native species of flowering plants, ofwhich over 90% are endemic. The Genomics for Australian Plants (GAP) Initiative, catalysed by Bioplatforms Australia in partnership with researchers fromthe Australian State and National Herbaria and Botanic Gardens, aims to develop genomics resources
to enhance our understanding of the evolution ofthis unique flora and support its conservation. GAP
Phylogenomics, one of three GAP activity streams,
has the long-term goal of resolving the Australian
Angiosperm Tree of Life (AAToL) to species level.
To date, this inclusive project has brought together over 70 Australian researchers and herbarium
staff and partnered with the global Plant and Fungal Trees of Life project (PAFTOL) to complete AAToL
Stage 1 – reconstructing a phylogenetic tree includ-

Ryan F.A. Brewer1,2*, Luis Valente1,2, Rampal
S. Etienne2, Ornela Dehayem Nanwou2,
Laura van Hoek1, Marcelino José del Arco
Aguilar3, Yurena Arjona4, Juli CaujapéCastells5, José María FernándezPalacios3, Ruth Jaén-Molina5,6, Louis S.
Jay-García4, Águedo Marrero5, Sara
Martín-Hernanz7,8, Cristina GonzálezMontelongo3,9, Jairo Patiño4, Stephan
Scholz10, Pablo Vargas11, Frederic Lens1,12
1 Naturalis Biodiversity Center, CR Leiden, The Netherlands. 2 University of Groningen, Groningen, The
Netherlands. 3 Universidad de La Laguna. La Laguna, Tenerife, Islas Canarias, Spain. 4 Institutode Productos Naturales y Agrobiología (CSIC), La
Laguna, Tenerife, Spain. 5 Jardín Botánico Canario‘Viera y Clavijo’–Unidad Asociada CSIC, Las Palmas

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de Gran Canaria, Gran Canaria, Spain. 6 DNA Bankof the Canarian Flora, Jardín Botánico Canario ‘Viera y Clavijo’–Unidad Asociada CSIC, Las Palmas,
Gran Canaria, Spain. 7 Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain. 8 Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, London,
UK. 9 TFC Herbarium. Universidad de La Laguna. San
Cristobal de La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands,
Spain. 10 Jardín Botánico Oasis Wildlife Fuerteventura, La Lajita, Fuerteventura. 11 Real Jardın Botánico(CSIC), Madrid, Spain. 12 Leiden University, Leiden
BE, The Netherlands. *Corresponding author: ryan.
brewer@naturalis.nl

S.21.5 Phylogenetic analysesof entire regional flora using
Angiosperms353 sequencesdata

A fundamental characteristic of biodiversity is its uneven distribution across the Tree of Life. A prominent
example of this is the flora of the Canary Islands,
which comprises many spectacular species-rich radiations and dozens of depauperate, single-species
lineages. Addressing why some lineages have diversified, whilst others have not, requires phylogenomic datasets, which can provide unparalleled insight
into the dynamics governing diversity unevenness.
For example, time-calibrated phylogenetic trees
can be used to estimate dynamic biogeographic
processes (such as rates of speciation, extinction,and colonisation), allowing us to infer the drivers ofradiations and depauperate lineages alike. However, a community-wide phylogenetic dataset for the
Canarian flora that would allow for such analyses islacking. Here, we present a time-calibrated molecular phylogeny including over 800 species of native
Canary Islands flowering plants (~60 % of the nativeflora), constructed using hybrid capture-based target enrichment of the angiosperm-wide 353 bait
set. We sequenced the majority of species and lineages that make up the native angiosperm flora of
the archipelago and, to estimate the colonisation
and branching times of the Canarian lineages, integrated the sequences into a broader, time-calibrated angiosperm phylogeny based on the sameangiosperm-353 gene set. Crucially, to provide anestimate of colonisation times, we also sampled theclosest mainland relatives of each lineage. We alsopresent an estimated number of independent colonisation events for all native angiosperm generaof the archipelago, inferred from the phylogenetics
literature, and refined using our phylogenetic data.
From the temporal information contained within themolecular phylogeny, we generate a novel reconstruction of the biogeographic history and temporaldiversity dynamics of angiosperms in the CanaryIslands. By combining biogeography, ecology, andevolution, our analyses present novel insights into
the factors underlying the community dynamics ofthe near-complete flora of a large, floristically diverse oceanic archipelago.

1 Department of Plant Sciences, University of Geneva, Genève 4, Switzerland. 2 Conservatory and
Botanical Garden of Geneva, Pregny-Chambésy,
Switzerland

Sébastien Miche1,2, Charles Pouchon2,
Camille Christe2, Nicolas Wyler2, Mathieu
Perret1,2

Accurate knowledge of the phylogenetic relationships among the species composing the regional biota is crucial to understand how species wereassembled and how much phylogenetic diversity
they represent. However, phylogenetic information
available for local species communities is still limited because of the poor resolution and uncomplete
sampling of the tree-of-life at the species-level.
Here, we demonstrate the feasibility of using Angiosperms353 target-enrichment and high-throughput genome sequencing on both fresh and historic
DNA to estimate phylogenetic relationships among
all species composing the regional flora of the Swiss
plateau. The analysis of over 1300 species provides
a more resolved and complete tree than available
synthetic or plastid-based phylogenies, especiallywithin complex families (e.g. Cyperaceae, Orobanchaceae, Poaceae). This new genomic reference forswiss plants points to several disagreements withthe current plant classification and provides a newframework to assess the evolutionary dynamics ofa complete regional flora. Our results bring new insights into the consequences of habitat conversion
on phylogenetic diversity and the identification ofareas that should be prioritized for long-term conservation strategies.

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S.22 GLOBAL MYRTACEAE SYSTEMATICS: PURE
AND APPLIED PERSPECTIVES FOR MANAGING
AND CONSERVING THE EARTH’S PLANT
DIVERSITY
S.22.1 Fruit evolution
in Eugenia (Myrteae,
Myrtaceae), with taxonomic
implications in one of theworld’s largest tree genera

Eugenia, was commonly recorded as one, but early
diverging clade species tend to produce fruits containing more than one seed. Pulp ratio exhibited astronger association with taxonomic sections, suggesting that species from more recently diverging
clades invest less energy in pulp production and instead allocate more resource to seed size. Our findings suggest that variation in fleshy fruit traits in Eugenia can help define infrageneric lineages. Specificgroups of Eugenia species display unique patterns
of fruit traits, and our evidence suggests that these
traits may have evolved to maximize reproductive
success by either attracting specific dispersers or
minimizing seed predation.

Fiorella F. Mazine1, Karinne S. Valdemarin2,
Mariana Andreotti1, Eve Lucas3 & Vinicius
C. Souza2
1 Universidade Federal de São Carlos, campus Sorocaba – Sorocaba, São Paulo, Brazil. 2 Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz, Universidadede São Paulo – Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil. 3 Royal
Botanic Gardens Kew – Richmond, UK.

S.22.2 The relationshipbetween environment andreproductive traits in theclove genus (SyzygiumMyrtaceae)

Tropical forest habitats are characterized by theprevalence of plants bearing fleshy fruits dispersedby animals. In South America, the genus Eugenia
stands out, with a high number of species and serving as a significant year-round producer of fleshy
fruits. The evolution of fleshy fruits is considered apotential key innovation in the hyper-diversificationof subtribe Myrteae and the large genus Eugenia.
Our investigation focused on the hypothesis thatvariation in fleshy fruit traits within Eugenia is closely linked to infrageneric lineages. We aimed to determine if specific species groups display distinct
patterns of fruit traits and whether these traits have
evolved to enhance reproductive success by either attracting specific dispersers or reducing seed
predation. Results revealed substantial variability
in Eugenia fruit traits, with discernible trends within infrageneric groups. The predominant exocarp
colour in sampled Eugenia fruits were dark purple
and red, contrasting with a higher probability of ancestral colours being yellow. Ripened exocarp colour is relatively strongly associated with taxonomic
sections, suggesting potential common ancestry.
Larger-fruited species are rarer and concentrated
in early diverging clades within Eugenia, offering a
potentially informative taxonomic feature for thesegroups. The number of seeds, a labile trait within

Eve Lucas1, Max Fontaine1,2, Low Yee Wen1,3,
Wei Han Fang4, Matilda Brown1
1 Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Richmond, Surrey, UK.
2 University of Bath, UK. 3 Singapore Botanic Gardens, 1 Cluny Road, Singapore. 4 National Taiwan
University, Taipei, Taiwan
Syzygium (Myrtaceae), is one of the most diverse
tree genera globally, encompassing economicallysignificant species such as clove, lilly pilly, and water apple. Its natural habitat spans Southeast Asia,
Southern Asia, Australia, and the Pacific, with most
species falling within Syzygium subgenus Syzygium.
Despite its economic importance, the taxonomic
complexity of the genus, coupled with limited knowledge about its evolution and ecology, poses challenges to downstream activities such as conservation. Our study focuses on a representative sample
of Syzygium subgenus Syzygium, leveraging reproductive traits, geolocation data, and climate information. Our aim is to identify the key environmental82

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variables influencing floral and fruit diversity within
the genus. Considering the relationships among biotic and abiotic factors, we explore these variables
within a phylogenetic context to discern patterns
independent of and influenced by the environment.
Our investigation recorded 12 continuous and 13 discontinuous traits related to flowers and fruits fromthe sample species. To analyse climate variation,
we extracted 19 CHELSA bioclimatic variables for all
GBIF Syzygium occurrences. Mixed PCA plots wereconstructed to independently assess trait and environmental Principal Components. To understandthe evolution of each trait cluster, we compared
Brownian Motion and Ornstein-Uhlenbeck modelsof evolution based on a pruned version of the mostcomprehensive available phylogenetic hypothesis.
Phylogenetic linear modelling was employed to observe the interplay between the environment andthe main axes of trait variation while considering theevolutionary relationships between species. Our results highlight temperature, precipitation, and seasonality as the primary independent climatic drivers influencing Syzygium distribution. We found thatflower/fruit size contributes more to morphological variation than any other biotic traits examined.
Weak correlations were identified between flower/
fruit size, inflorescence architecture, fruit colour, andclimate. All biotic traits better fit the Ornstein-Uhlenbeck model suggesting that these characteristics
are evolving under natural selection rather thanrandomly.

states, while other research suggests that some eucalypt species should be lumped. A new edition of
the eucalypt identification key Euclid was publishedin 2019 but ways of creating new editions are now
limited. Ways to solve this problem are discussed.

S.22.4 Exploring the timingof environmental shifts in
response to trait evolution:a case study in Myrteae(Myrtaceae)
Thais Vasconcelos1, James Boyko1
1 Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology,
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
The widespread convergence of plant traits in certain environments indicate that generalities exist
for how plants diversify in space. However, because
evolution and environments are dynamic, not all
species are fully adapted to their environment at
all times. A consequence of this is that infrequent
trait-environment combinations – that is, plant
traits that appear in environments where they may
not be optimal—is also a common feature in nature. The presence of these infrequent combinations
can be harnessed to test timing of trait evolution in
relation to environmental shifts. Specifically, whenanalyzed in a phylogenetic context they might help
indicate whether traits evolve prior to (as in exaptations) or after (as in adaptation) an environmental shift. Here, we demonstrate this in the context ofleaf traits and biome shifts in Myrteae (Myrtaceae).
We use a subset of 221 species with dry leaf mass/
area (LMA g/cm2) data measured from herbarium
specimens and trait evolution analyses in a recently generated phylogeny for the group. Biome type
and LMA appear correlated, with low LMA lineages
being more common in closed-canopy biomes. Low
LMA in closed-canopy biomes is recovered as themost likely root state in the group. Transition rates
from this state to low LMA in open-canopy biomes
are practically zero, meaning that the only route totransition to open-canopy biomes is by evolving
high LMA first. Similarly, to transition from open-canopy back to closed-canopy, lineages have to evolve
low LMA before a shift. These preliminary results support the idea that trait evolution precedes and may
facilitate environmental shifts, at least for this trait
and set of species.

S.22.3 A review of eucalypt
research from the last
decade (2014-2024)
Andrew H. Thornhill1
1 N.C.W. Beadle Herbarium, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia
Much progress has been made in the phylogenetic
analysis of the eucalypts (Angophora, Corymbia, andEucalyptus). This presentation aims to summarise
the progress and now controversies that have occured in eucalypt generic classification since theprevious International Botanical Congress in 2017.
Two large-scale phylogenies of the group havebeen published and a new genus, Blakella, has been
proposed to deal with the paraphyly of Corymbia.
The eucalypt fossil record and our current understanding of the biogeography will be discussed. New
species have been described from most Australian83

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S.22.5 Assembling the
genome of rātā Moehau
and applications for other
New Zealand Metrosideros(Myrtaceae)

S.22.6 Digital approaches
in taxonomy: surfacing
datasets from herbarium
specimens and images totreat a species complex in
Myrcia (Myrtaceae)

Jessica M. Prebble1, Natalie Forsdick2,
Thomas Buckley2, Rob Smissen1, Peter
Heenan1, Peter Bellingham1, Alex Verry1,
Connor Watson1, Dukchul Park2, Ngāti Kuri3

Paulo Henrique Gaem1,2 Eve Lucas3,
Fiorella Fernanda Mazine4, Maria do
Carmo Estanislau do Amaral1

1 Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research, Lincoln,
New Zealand. 2 Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research, Private Bag 92170 Auckland Mail Centre
Auckland, New Zealand. 3 Ngāti Kuri Trust Board,
Ngataki, RD4, Kaitaia, New Zealand

1 University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA. 2 Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, SP,
Brazil. 3 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond,
Surrey, UK. 4 Universidade Federal de São Carlos,
Sorocaba, SP, Brazil

The 12 Metrosideros (Myrtaceae) native to the New
Zealand archipelago are facing a growing number of threats, particularly since the arrival of thepathogen myrtle rust (Austropuccinia psidii) in
2017. Despite their iconic status (e.g. Pōhutukawa
M. excelsa known as the New Zealand Christmastree) we have surprisingly little genetic data tohelp us understand how diversity is partitioned
across the landscape for most species. One of
the most threatened species is rātā Moehau (M.
bartlettii), a critically endangered tree found onlyin the far north of New Zealand. At the last countonly 14 trees were found in the wild. In conjunction
with the iwi (tribe) Ngāti Kuri we have assembled agenome of rātā Moehau. This assembled genome
forms the basis of multiple studies in the genus,
e.g. resequencing almost the entire wild population of rātā Moehau, plus representatives of additional closely related species. At the same time,
we are using the assembled genome to develop
new low copy genetic markers and are gathering
a dataset of as many New Zealand Metrosideros
species as we can to sequence using ampliconsequencing. The end goal is an understanding of
how the genetic diversity of each New ZealandMetrosideros species is distributed in space, with aparticular focus on modelled refugia in the face ofclimate change and projected myrtle rust spread,to help prioritise conservation effort.

Herbaria are the most important source of information for taxonomic work. Facilities and technologies
available today, such as digitisation of collections
and herbarium DNA sequencing, can help acceleratetaxonomic decisions. Species complexes are a major factor preventing a better understanding of plant
diversity in the tropics. In this context, we employed amulti-source pipeline to address limits among taxa ofthe Myrcia neoobscura species complex (Myrtaceae)
using herbarium specimens. We collected morphometric traits from high-resolution images and analysed them with a clustering analysis, resulting in twelve
morphological groups. We subsequently tested thesegroups with phylogenomics using molecular data obtained from herbarium specimens. Congruence between morphology and phylogenomics was observedin the following: Myrcia marliereana, M. neoobscura, and M. neoriedeliana, as currently circumscribed,
represent two entities each, and M. excoriata can be
split in three entities. We also investigated species
geographic distributions and phenological patterns
using herbarium specimens and their labels. The two
species today recognised under M. neoriedeliana andM. neoobscura differ in flower seasonality, while twoof the taxa currently under M. excoriata differ in both
geographic distribution and flowering phenophase.
The final species delimited in this work are morphologically diagnosable and geographically structured,and most of them are monophyletic according to theobtained phylogenetic reconstruction. The successful results of this work are based on the high-quality
data obtained from museum specimens, and otherherbarium-based investigations of species complexes are encouraged to accelerate the much-needed
taxonomic resolutions in the tropics.

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S.23 INTEGRATING CONSERVATION BIOLOGYAND SOCIETY ENGAGEMENT TO ENHANCEPROTECTION OF AT RISK FLORA. SESSION 1
S.23.1 A survey of flora andhabitat diversity in threecultural heritage sites ofcentral and southern Italytaxa, and different vegetation patterns -including
wetland and riparian - were found. Here, preliminary
data useful for the next characterization, valorization, and conservation of the flora and vegetation of
the above-listed sites are provided. The applicationof results includes the site management implementation and the planning of conservation actions.

Giulia Albani Rocchetti1, Thomas Abeli1,
Giulia Caneva1

S.23.2 Rare and endemic
plant conservation: insightsfrom the East Mediterranean
experience

1 Department of Science, Roma Tre University,
Rome, Italy.
Several scientific studies highlight that cultural heritage sites, e.g., monuments and sacred sites, often
represent refuge sites for local flora and fauna andcan constitute important ecological corridors andbiodiversity hot spots. Hence, protected cultural heritage sites can play a key role in biodiversity conservation at the global scale, especially for thosesituated in environments modified by anthropogenic activities. To ensure adequate managementof these sites to enhance and conserve biodiversity, in-depth knowledge of the flora, vegetation andthe nature-man relationship are essential elements
to consider. This research aims to provide the firstcharacterization and analysis of the flora and habitats of three Italian sites of the Cultural Route of theCouncil of Europe “Aeneas’ route”. This research isalso aimed at increasing citizens’ awareness of theimportance of maintaining biodiversity and analyzing the relationships between natural and historical characteristics of these important contexts insouthern Italy. Currently, field surveys are being conducted in the following sites: 1) The archaeologicalPark of Cuma is a site of great archaeological andcultural importance, with areas of great naturalistic
and conservation interest. Here, 160ca different taxa
and two interesting forest communities formed byprevious plantations now naturalized were founded. 2) Sanctuary of Sol Indiges, Torvaianica; to date,the site is rich in taxa (more than 180 species), withspecies of conservation interest (e.g., orchids) andhigh biodiversity and community patterns. 3) The
archaeological area of Portus presents a high naturalistic, landscape, historical and cultural interest.
Here, more than 160 different wild and cultivated

Magda Bou Dagher Kharrat1, Carole
Saliba1, Rhea Kahale1, Sonja Yakovlev1,
Thierry Robert1
1 Faculty of Science, Saint Joseph University of Beirut and Mediterranean Facility (EFIMED) European
Forest Institute - Barcelona Office Sant Pau Art Nouveau Site, Sant Leopold Pavilion, Barcelona, Spain
The Mediterranean Basin is considered to be oneof the most biodiverse regions in the world and an
important site of floral exchange and active plant
speciation. Lebanon, a micro-hotspot for plantbiodiversity in the Mediterranean Basin is characterized by the coexistence of plants with diverse
biogeographical origins and a large number ofnarrow endemic taxa. It clearly exhibits differentiated center of endemism. Topographical relief
and sharp climatic contrasts within a small geographical area may have driven micro-evolutionary diversification processes of newly evolved
species while water availability was critical forthe long-term persistence of ancient lineages inrefuge areas of smoother topography. As natural
habitats continue to be lost and degraded, many
plant species are becoming increasingly threatened especially endemic plant species that areusually more vulnerable to anthropogenic threats
and natural changes. Therefore, they hold a higher
extinction risk. The preservation of these species isa major concern on a worldwide context. Our research group has carried out for the last few years85

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an interdisciplinary, integrated approach to theconservation of threatened plants of the Lebaneseflora and to ecosystem restoration. Investigations
on plant distribution, systematic relationships, autoecology, genetic structure, and some plant-animal species interactions were conducted in orderto plan conservation activities. My talk will focus on
Lebanese endemic Irises. Four of the 7 Iris studied
are classified as “Endangered” and 2 as “CriticallyEndangered”. Knowing what taxonomic units need
to be preserved and how unique they are is a prerequisite to any conservation action. Since rescue from possible extinction could be performed
through the reinforcement of populations, defining
species and differentiating taxa is crucial in orderto define conservation units. For this purpose, molecular and cytogenetic studies were conducted,
targeting different species in need of in-situ andex-situ conservation.

willingness to contribute to cliff preservation, withvarious climbing associations focused on promoting sustainable climbing. We carried out a study investigating the origin of the climbing effects on cliff
flora involving the local community. In primal andunaltered cliffs of El Potrero Chico (Mexico), we installed new climbing routes to unravel whether thegreatest climbing impact is produced in an initial
phase due to the installation (opening) of the routeor rather due to increasing climbing frequency. Local climbers actively contributed to create the newroutes and posteriorly climbed them simulating thepost-opening climbing effect. We found that the
opening of the climbing route produced the greatest negative impact on cliff flora, and also promoted the loss of individuals from the surroundings ofthe route. However, successive post-opening climbing have little effects on cliff flora. These findings
clearly evidence the need to consider existing cliff
vegetation before developing new climbing routes,
and that managers should focus on this rather thanclosing existing climbing areas. Given the high complexity of study cliff ecosystems, promoting awareness on its biodiversity and protection needs to the
local community will contribute to its preservation.

S.23.3 Ecology andconservation of cliffplant communities underincreasing climatic andhuman pressures

S.23.4 Local involvement
for endemic floristic
species conservation: casestudy of the Kirindy forest
Morondava - Madagascar

Martí March-Salas1,2; Felipe MoralesArmijo3; Juan Lorite4
1 Plant Evolutionary Ecology, Faculty of Biological
Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt. Frankfurt am
Main, Germany. 2 Area of Biodiversity and Conservation, Department of Biology and Geology, Physics and Inorganic Chemistry, University Rey Juan
Carlos-ESCET, Móstoles, Madrid, Spain. 3 Facultadde Ciencias Forestales, Universidad Autónoma deNuevo León, Victoria, A.P. 41, Linares, Nuevo León,
Mexico. 4 Department of Botany, Faculty of Sciences, University of Granada, Granada, Spain

Andriaharimalala T.1, Ramakarison N. G.2,
Razanamaro O.H.M.3
1 Centre National de recherches sur l’Environnement, Ministère de l’Enseignement Supérieur et dela Recherche Scientifique, Madagascar. 2 Centre
National de Formation, d’Etudes et de Recherche
sur l’Environnement et la Foresterie, Ministère del’Environnement et du Développement Durable,
Madagascar. 3 Parc Botanique et Zoologique deTsimbazaza, Ministère de l’Enseignement Supérieur
et de la Recherche Scientifique, Madagascar

Cliffs are home to a large diversity of endemic andendangered plant species and millennial-old treesthat are currently facing increasing threats from climate change and recreational climbing. In recent
years, rock climbing has become very popular, withannual increases of 15-20% in the number of climbers. Rock climbing is known to damage plant communities and other organisms such as birds, lizards
or snails. However, the origin of the climbing impact
remain largely unknown. Climbing impact sometimes compels conservation managers to makeinsecure or even inappropriate decisions within aframework of growing conflicts among stakeholders. But the climbing community has expressed its

This study focuses on the crucial role played be thelocal community in safeguarding the endemic floristic species within the Kirindy Forest in Morondava,
Madagascar, where several tree species face theimminent threat of extinction. Various stakeholders
are actively combating deforestation and endeavoring to enhance the protection of unique species
such as Dalbergia sp., Commiphora sp., Givotia

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madagascaraiensis, Cordyla madagascariensis,
and Diospyros sp. The primary aim of this research is
to evaluate and promote community engagementin the conservation of these distinctive botanicaltreasures. The methodology involves data collection
through surveys and interviews with both the local
population and managers, focusing on the utilization of these species. Additionally, in-depth interviews and field observations are employed to gather
insights into the knowledge, attitudes, and practicesof the local community, identifying traditional wisdom and indigenous practices related to biodiversity. The study results encompass a comprehensive
assessment of the local population’s knowledge
and attitudes toward conserving endemic floristic
species, proposing solutions for ensuring the sustainability of these species, and exploring traditional
practices conducive to preservation. The outcomes
will contribute to formulating recommendations for
tailored awareness programs targeted at the local
community. Furthermore, the study will underscorethe implications and commitments of the local
population in the conservation and protection of thefloristic biodiversity of the Kirindy Forest, emphasizing the development of sustainable strategies for
safeguarding their natural heritage.

ests in the UNESCO Site 1133. We describe how traits
change along environmental gradients and quantify their contribution to the forest carbon stock andsequestration, as well as the quantity and quality of
biodiversity-hosting microhabitats. Tree-ring cores
collected along the whole trees served to quantify tree conservation status in terms of response to
climate change in the last decades. Old trees features were compared with data on exceptional tree
distribution throughout managed landscapes gathered in a citizen science project promoted within the
National Geographic-funded project “Old But Gold:
Restoring old-growth forests to build effective climate-change mitigating landscapes”. Comparing
natural and managed forests will help quantify thepotential of human-altered landscapes to host old
trees and the contribution of natural forest restoration to climate mitigation and biodiversity conservation.

S.23.5 Conservation
strategies for large old trees
to promote natural forest
restoration and climatechange mitigationJoão Iganci1*, Gustavo Heiden2, Josimar
Külkamp1, Daiane Vahl1, EmanuelScherdien1, Alessandra Menezes1,
Mauricio Bonifacino3, Eimear Nic
Lughadha4

S.23.6 Pampa Singular:
integrative conservation on
subtropical grasslands ofSouth America

1 Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Brazil. 2 Embrapa
Clima Temperado, Pelotas, Brazil. 3 Universidad de
La República, Montevideo, Uruguay. 4 Royal Botanic
Gardens, Kew, UK. *joaoiganci@gmail.com

Alfredo Di Filippo1,2,3, Andrea Caggegi1,2
1 DAFNE, Università della Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy. 2 AgriTech - National Centre for Technology in Agriculture, Italy. 3 National Geographic Society, Washington DC, USA

The Pampas is one of South America’s major grassland ecosystems, extending from northern Argentina to Uruguay and southern Brazil. In addition tonatural grasslands, rocky outcrops, coastal vegetation, swampy areas, savannas, and small patchesof dry forests increase landscape heterogeneity andare home to a remarkable diversity of plant species,of which c. 5% are endemic to the Pampas. Cattle grazing was the dominant economic activity inthe area until the late 20th century, and the natural
grasslands were used in a more sustainable manner. However, the growth of agriculture, silviculture,and mining throughout the Pampas in recent decades has resulted in significant habitat loss andaccelerated habitat fragmentation. Pampa Singular is an integrative project that focuses on under-

Primary forests, including old-growth forests, havea prominent role in biodiversity conservation. Furthermore, they represent a consistent repository ofcarbon in tree biomass and soil, making them critical regulators of the carbon cycle. Their ecologicalintegrity strengthens their climate-change mitigation potential by fostering ecosystem stability as a
C sink. Old trees are the most charismatic elementof old-growth forests, harbouring large quantities ofthe overall biomass and contributing to forest biodiversity with unique arrays of microhabitats. We
present the unique traits characterizing multi-century beech trees in a network of old-growth for-87

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conservation status (extinction risk) and many lacksufficient data to be assessed. We used the Rapid
Least Concern method to identify species that were
not threatened and focused our efforts on likely
threatened species. We mapped the most diverse
areas for endemic species and for crop wild relatives, comparing historic and current species distributions taking into account land conversion to economic uses.

standing biodiversity in the Pampas, as well as theconservation of unique landscapes and rare plant
species. We produced endemic flora species inventories and searched for crop wild relatives from thePampas. Furthermore, science outreach initiatives
were designed to raise awareness in the local population and to promote science and conservation
for future generations. Most plant species endemic
to the Pampas have never been assessed for their

S.24 THE IMPACT GENOME SIZE AND
CHROMOSOME EVOLUTION ON THE
ARCHITECTURE OF THE GENOME
S.24.1 Challenges andlessons learnt from a giant
plant genome: the European
mistletoe (Viscum album L.)

eudicot genera with the largest genomes. We havesequenced, assembled and curated the Viscum album genome to generate the largest high-quality,
chromosome-level genome published to date. Moreover, here we present preliminary results not only on
the genome assembly data but on the analysis of therepetitive fraction of the genome, including TE distribution as well as telomere and centromere repeat analyses. Our efforts are resulting in the first in-depth insights on a giant genome structure, which represents
an invaluable resource for studies on the evolutionary
processes underlying the evolution of genome obesity.

Lucía Campos-Domínguez1,2, Alexandros
Bousios3, Max Brown4, Robin Burns5,
Wellcome Sanger Institute Tree of Life
programme, Wellcome Sanger InstituteScientific Operations: DNA Pipelines
collective, Tree of Life Core Informatics
collective, Darwin Tree of Life Consortium,
Ian Henderson5, Ilia Leitch6, Alex D. Twyford7

S.24.2 Interactions between
cytogenetic diversity
and habit - insights fromneotropical orchids

1 Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Institut
de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries-Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona-Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. 2 Ashworth Laboratories,
Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK. 3 School of Life Sciences,
University of Sussex, Brighton, UK. 4 School of Life
Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK. 5
Department of Plant Sciences, Downing Street, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK. 6 Comparative Plant and Fungal Biology Department, Royal
Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, U.K.

Roseane R. dos Santos1, José J. AmorimSilva1, Juliano S. Cabral2, Ana P. Moraes3
1 Universidade Federal do ABC, São Bernardo doCampo, Brazil. 2 University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK. 3 Universidade Estadual Paulista, IBB,
Botucatu, Brazil
The relationship between cytogenetic and ecological data is a classical hypothesis. Recently,
this subject was poorly analyzed within an evolutionary framework using phylogenetic comparative methods (PCM). To address this gap, weinvestigated the association between cytogenetic data and habitat using the subfamily Epidendroideae (Orchidaceae) as a model throughPCM. The chromosome number (CN) and genome

The European mistletoe (Viscum album) is an obligate
hemiparasitic plant from the Santalaceae family. Although it is a well known plant for its many uses andtraditions, evolutionary and genomic studies on mistletoe are rare due to its haploid genome size, which
can vary from 85 Gbp up to 105 Gbp (more than 30
human genomes). This makes mistletoes one of the88

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UMR AMAP, Université Montpellier, IRD, CIRAD, CNRS,INRAE, Montpellier, France

size (GS) data were organized into an online database (http://orchidcountsdb.epizy.com/) and a
new phylogenetic tree was constructed based onfour markers encompassing 1,754 species. Habit
information was surveyed for all species with cytogenetic data. The CN varied 24x and presented
a low phylogenetic signal (λ=0.53), while GS varied 119x and presented a high phylogenetic signal (λ=0.95). The mode and tempo of evolution
suggest that both CN and GS show punctual evolution (κ=0.34), with long branches contributing
more to the evolution of both characters (δ=3.00).
When analyzing each tribe individually, Cymbidieae stands out as an interesting exception. This
tribe shows adaptive radiation for CN and GS (κ =0 and 0 / δ = 0.46 and 0.31, respectively), and CN
presents a high phylogenetic signal (λ=0.89). The
OU evolutionary model, suggesting a responseto stabilizing selection, was considered the bestmodel for CN in the subfamily and in individual
tribes as well, while BM was the best for GS. Onceagain, the exception is Cymbidieae, which had EB
as the best model for both characters, reinforcing the suggestion of adaptive radiation. Basedon these results, GS is more suitable for performing macroecological analysis, while PCM using
CN will function as an ordinary test. Considering
GS, small GS is associated with an epiphytic habitat (p=0.00067). In conclusion, GS is associatedwith habit at higher taxonomical levels, such assubfamily, while CN, is associated with ecologicaltraits, it should be true at lower taxonomic level.

Genomic architecture in ferns stands out significantly from that of other plant lineages. Ferns exhibit a unique response to whole genome multiplication (WGM), deviating from the typical
diploidization pattern observed in angiosperms.
Instead, ferns tend to accumulate chromosomes
and trigger the silencing of newly acquired genecopies following WGM. Consequently, ferns display
higher mean chromosome numbers (n=61) compared to angiosperms (n=17). Nevertheless, while
average fern genome sizes (1C=12.11 Gbp) are larger when compared to angiosperms (1C=5.13 Gbp),
the underlying mechanisms responsible for suchdifferences remain unclear. Certainly, the contribution of repetitive DNA in driving shifts in genome size
is well studied in angiosperms, but needs to be further explored in ferns. This study seeks to address
this knowledge gap by conducting a comprehensive comparative analysis to identify and quantify the main types of repetitive DNA sequences in
50 fern species. The sampling covers a genome
size range varying over 222-fold (0.72–160.4 Gbp),
including the largest eukaryote genome recently discovered in the fern Tmesipteris oblanceolata(1C=160.4 Gbp). The central focus of this researchis to enhance our understanding of the genomic
processes contributing to the unique characteristics observed in fern genomes, shedding light on
the broader evolutionary implications for plant genome size. The composition of the repetitive DNA
fraction of the genome for each species has been
identified and quantified through low-coverage
genome skimming sequence data analysed with
the RepeatExplorer2 pipeline. Overall, our results
show that fern genomes have a more heterogenous genome landscape than angiosperms and,unlike them, they show a positive correlation of repetitive elements with genome size. Future studies
will focus on identifying the particular role of specific families of repeats that are enriched or depleted
in fern genomes, while diving deeper into the relationship between the accumulation of chromosomes and its implication on genome composition.

S.24.3 The impact ofrepetitive DNA in theevolution of fern genomes
Pol Fernández1,2, Ilia J. Leitch3, Andrew R.
Leitch4, Lisa Pokorny5,3, Oriane Hidalgo3,
Maarten J. M. Christenhusz3, Rémy
Amice6, David Bruy7,8, Jaume Pellicer1,3
1 Institut Botànic de Barcelona (IBB), CSIC-CMCNB,
Passeig del Migdia s.n., Parc de Montjuïc, Barcelona, Spain. 2 Facultat de Farmàcia i Ciències del’alimentació, Campus Diagonal, Universitat deBarcelona, Barcelona, Spain. 3 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, UK. 4 School of Biological and
Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of
London, London, UK. 5 Real Jardín Botánico (CSIC),
Madrid, Spain. 6 Independent researcher, Nouméa,
Nouvelle-Calédonie. 7 AMAP, IRD, Herbier de Nouvelle-Calédonie, Nouméa, Nouvelle-Calédonie. 889

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S.24.4 The Crocus
Chronicles: Decoding the
Triploid Puzzle of Clonal
Saffron Crocus

ly after emergence of triploid saffron crocus. Thesesaffron lineages have likely spread and are retainedby vegetative propagation. (3) The future: Can the
global cultivation of the saffron crocus clone serve
as a model for the epigenetics of adaptation? As
the basis for comparative and epigenetic analyses, we are assembling reference genomes of thetriploid saffron crocus and the diploid progenitor C.
cartwrightianus. We show the progress of sequencing, assembly and chromosomal anchoring.

Abdullah El-nagish1,2, Ludwig Mann1,
Seyedeh Sanam Kazemi Shahandashti3,4,Dörte Harpke5, Zahra Nemati5, Maximilian
W. Schmidt6, Susan Liedtke1, Frank R.
Blattner5, Björn Usadel3,4, Tony Heitkam1,7

S.24.5 Repetitive DNA
elements reveal contrasting
evolutionary responses tothe polyploid genome shock
hypothesis in Brachypodium
grasses

1 Faculty of Biology, Institute of Botany, Technische
Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany. 2 Botany
and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science,
Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt. 3 Institute of Biological Data Science, Heinrich-Heine Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany. 4 IBG-4 Bioinformatics, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany. 5
Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant
Research (IPK), Gatersleben, Germany. 6 Department of Grapevine Breeding, Hochschule of Geisenheim University. 7 Institute of Biology, NAWI Graz,
Karl-Franzens-Universität, Graz, Austria

María Ángeles Decena1,2, Rubén
Sancho1,2,3, Luis A. Inda1,4, Ernesto PérezCollazos1,2, Pilar Catalán1,2

Saffron crocus (Crocus sativus L.), a sterile triploid(2n = 3x = 24), is a clonally propagated crop grown
for the production of saffron, the highest priced
spice of the world. The evolutionary origin of thetriploid C. sativus was largely unknown, but debated since the early 20th century. Recent cytogenetic and comparative next-generation sequencing
approaches pointed to ancient Greece as a pointof origin for saffron and concluded that C. sativus
is an autotriploid species solely derived from heterogeneous diploid cytotypes of C. cartwrightianus(Schmidt et al. 2019, Nemati et al. 2019, reviewed in
Kazemi-Shahandashti et al. 2022). Here, we target the processes before and after emergenceof triploid saffron crocus. With this, we can look
into the past, present and future of this clonal line:(1) The past: How is chromosomal variability in theprogenitor C. cartwrightianus? We detected large
differences in haplotype variability among chromosomes, suggesting that some C. cartwrightianus
chromosomes have obtained a higher genetic diversity across the Mediterranean than others. This
haplotype diversity is fixed in saffron’s karyotype,a testimony to the genetic variability of C. cartwrightianus 5000 years ago. (2) The present: Are
there signs of somaclonal variability in the saffronclone? By comparing triploid saffron accessions
across the globe, we detect chromosomal variability in three independent instances. We conclude
that several saffron lineages evolved somaclonal-

1 Escuela Politécnica Superior de Huesca, Universidad de Zaragoza, Carretera de Cuarte, km 1, 2071,
Huesca, España. mdecena@unizar.es, rsancho@
unizar.es,
ernextop@unizar.es,lainda@unizar.
es, pcatalan@unizar.es. 2 Grupo de Bioquímica,
Biofísica y Biología Computacional (UNIZAR), Unidad Asociada al CSIC, España. Zaragoza, España.
3 Estación experimental Aula Dei-CSIC. Zaragoza,
España. 4 Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón-IA2(Universidad de Zaragoza-CITA), Zaragoza España
The Brachypodium grass species serve as model plants
for studying the functional genomics of grass crops,
and for elucidating the origins of allopolyploidy and perenniality in monocots. However, significant variations
exist in genome sizes among different Brachypodium
diploid and polyploid lineages. To explore the composition, abundance, and phylogenetic significance of repetitive elements in these lineages, we utilized low-passgenome sequencing data from 44 representatives. Our
study aimed to test the potential mechanisms and consequences of the “polyploid genome shock hypothesis”(PGSH) in three distinct evolutionary scenarios, analyzing repeat and genome size variations in Brachypodium allopolyploids. Our findings revealed a 3.3-fold difference in the proportion of the genome covered by therepeatome, ranging from 20.77% in B. stacei-2x to 67.97%
in B. mexicanum-4x. Changes in genome sizes were attributed to gains or losses in repeat elements. The mostprevalent repeat elements in the Brachypodium genomes were LTR-Retand and Tekay retrotransposons.

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1 Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA. 2 Boyce
Thompson Institute, Ithaca, NY, USA

Repeatome phylogenetic networks exhibited high congruence with plastome, nuclear rDNA, and transcriptome trees, distinguishing ancestral outcore lineages
from recently evolved core-perennial lineages. The
rDNA 5S graph topologies aligned well with ploidy levels
and types of subgenomes of Brachypodium polyploids.
The core-perennial B. sylvaticum-2x displayed a large
repeatome, indicative of a post-polyploid diploidized
origin. Our study evidenced that expansions and contractions in the repeatome accounted for three contrasting responses to PGSH: the exacerbated genome
expansion of the ancestral allotetraploid B. mexicanum
was a consequence of chromosome–wide proliferation of TEs and not of WGD, the additive repeatome
pattern of young allotetraploid B. hybridum of stabilized
post-WGD genome evolution, and the genome shrinkage of recent core perennials polyploids (B. pinnatum,
B. phoenicoides) of repeat losses through recombination. Our analyses have contributed to disentangling
the evolution of the repeatome and the genome size
variation of model Brachypodium grasses.

Genetic variation created by whole genome duplication (WGD) events can provide beneficial genetic
variation for evolution to act upon. However, polyploid
genomes comprise many, sometimes unnecessary,
duplicated genes. The loss of these duplicates is partof the process of diploidization. One mechanism of
diploidization is fractionation, where genes are lostor silenced in one or both homoeologs. Fractionation
structurally and functionally alters the genome as only
a subset of duplicated genes is retained. This affects
the amount of genetic variation present following
diploidization, influencing how a lineage will be able
to evolve. Despite its evolutionary importance, little
is known about how fractionation occurs in different
lineages of land plants, particularly in ferns and lycophytes (pteridophytes). In angiosperms, fractionationis thought to proceed quickly, mainly by gene loss.
Previous work suggests that genes may be silenced
rather than lost in pteridophyte genomes, and chromosomes are retained following WGD. We use newly
available published genome sequences for ferns andlycophytes to examine how genome fractionation
may be occurring. We find that pteridophyte genomes
may fractionate relatively rapidly following WGD, but
chromosome order and collinearity are preserved. Including pteridophytes, for the first time, in comparative work on fractionation is a key step to better understanding genome evolution in land plants.

S.24.6 A comparative lookat genome fractionation inpteridophytes
Sylvia P. Kinosian1, Fay-Wei Li2, Michael S.
Barker1

S.25 TOWARDS INTEGRATIVE TAXONOMY.
THEORY AND PRACTICE. SESSION 2
S.25.1 Demographic
systematics–species
circumscription throughreciprocal illumination
among multiple
demographic levels anddata sources

Traditional morphological taxonomy utilises multiple preserved collections that collectively constitute a serendipitous sample of organisms thathave been immediately killed and often also dismembered, thereby reducing the number of morphological characters available for subsequent
study. The comparative approach typically applied
to herbarium specimens prioritises qualitative description above quantitative analysis and cerebral
rather than algorithmic assignments of specimens
to taxa; it also over-emphasises the holotype – asingle point in space and time. The contrasting ‘demographic’ approach to taxonomy, illustrated here
using studies of European orchids, employs a statistically rigorous in situ sampling strategy, and yields
large volumes of fully quantified data of two or more

Richard M. Bateman1
1 Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Richmond, UK(r.bateman@kew.org)

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kinds obtained from the same spectrum of individual organisms. Each sampled individual is subjected to character-rich morphometric data collection,
describing every organ, and to equally detailed
population genetic analysis; additional data categories are optional. Each category of data thenundergoes multivariate ordination via an algorithm
that does not require prior taxonomic assignmentof individuals. This approach entails two contrasting
forms of reciprocal illumination – the essential element in any truly scientific enterprise. (1) Organisms
are aggregated into their source populations, andpopulations into infraspecific taxa and species, relatively large distances among sets of populations
providing the basis of a genuine species circumscription process. (2) Confidence in, and the underlying nature of, the putative species boundaries arethen determined through congruence among patterns of similarity in contrasting categories of data,
addressed in the context of information gathered on
extrinsic properties such as symbiotic relationships,
habitat preference and putative geographic distribution. Although the demographic approach consumes considerably more time and resources than
traditional taxonomy, it rigorously tests initial species
hypotheses and provides far deeper understandingof the resulting species – perhaps even sufficient topredict their behaviour in the face of environmental
challenges such as climate change.

in the evolution of the genus, has made the identification of the species a real challenge. The aim ofour research is to integrate different disciplines todefine taxa within Nothoscordum as part of the main
goal of reconstructing the evolutionary history of thetribe Leucocoryneae. We have gathered 130 specimens and inferred their phylogeny based on thecomplete chloroplast genome and genome-wide
GBS loci, and collected where possible cytogenetic data. Furthermore, we have statistically analyzed
morphological data from included specimens inmolecular analyses as well as from type specimens(matrix size: 32 characters x 160 specimens). As a result, the gathered information agrees at some taxonomic levels (e.g., sections within Nothoscordum)
but only partially in other cases (e.g., on the species
level). Traditional morphological characters used to
distinguish species are in most cases not enough todiscern them, and it is important to consider molecular data, phenology, and ecological traits as well.
Karyotypes are also helping to discriminate somemonophyletic groups. In summary, we dive into thechallenges of linking the different datasets, and the
new questions that have emerged.

S.25.3 Are all thesecarnations supported?
Insights from integrative
taxonomy of the Dianthus
virgineus complex(Caryophyllaceae)

S.25.2 Integrating different
sources of data todisentangle the taxonomy ofNothoscordum (Allioideae,
Amaryllidaceae)

Jacopo Franzoni1, Gianluigi Bacchetta2,
Fabio Conti3, Gianniantonio Domina4,
Simone Fior5, Luigi Minuto6, Lorenzo
Peruzzi1

Agostina B. Sassone1,2, Frank R. Blattner1
1 Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant
Research (IPK), Gatersleben, Germany. 2 Facultadde Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad Nacional de Mar
del Plata, Balcarce, Argentina

1 University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy. 2 University of Cagliari,
Cagliari, Italy. 3 University of Camerino, Camerino,
Italy. 4 University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy. 5 ETH
Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland. 6 University of Genova,
Genova, Italy

Nothoscordum (tribe Leucocoryneae) is a New
World genus distributed mainly in South America.
The huge number of species (ca. 60 new species
described in the last three decades out of a totalof 89 accepted species at POWO), and the difficulty
or impossibility of contrasting the description withtypes, illustrations, and keys to species has createda taxonomic confusion. This problematic scenario
together with the complexity of finding diagnostic
characters and the presence of reticulate patterns

Species are hypotheses about how biological diversity is structured in nature, and robust hypotheses
are typically supported by multiple lines of evidence.
However, traditionally botanists have been prone tocircumscribe species relying just on morphologicalobservations. For instance, the Dianthus virgineus
complex includes 21 wild putative species/subspecies in the central Mediterranean recognized according to qualitative morphology, but their bound-

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Queen’s University, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK. 5
Department of Botany, Goalpara College, India. 6
Biological Sciences, University of Papua New Guinea, Papua New Guinea. 7 Department of Botany,
Trinity College Dublin, Ireland .8 Univesidad Nacional de Colombia, Colombia. 9 Central Departmentof Botany, Tribhuvan University, Nepal. 10 Department of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, University of the Philippines Manila, Philippines. 11 Singapore Botanic Gardens, Singapore. 12 Departmentof Biology, Geology and Environmental Sciences,
California University of Pennsylvania, USAaries await to be explored with other approaches.
Thus, we are conducting an integrative taxonomy
project to test the current taxonomy of the complex. For this purpose, we collected morphometric,
cytogenetic, and genomic (ddRAD-seq) data fromover 100 populations belonging to all the 21 taxa. The
global structure of the morphometric dataset, built
using continuous and categorical variables, suggest
the presence of just two main groups. Populations
distributed from southern France to peninsular Italy show shorter calyx teeth, epicalyx scales andmucros with respect to populations from Sicily andCorso-Sardinian system (including Tuscan Archipelago). These two groups show sub-clusters, only
in some cases mirroring currently accepted taxa.
These plants are all diploid with constant chromosome number (2n = 2x = 30), albeit relative genome
size is slightly higher in populations from Sicily andfrom Corso-Sardinian system. Genotyping thousands of SNPs revealed a genetic structure thatparallels geography rather than taxonomy. Studied
populations from the central Mediterranean belong
to a unique genetic lineage, structured in two majorclines. A first cline extends from southern France tothe southern part of the Italian Peninsula, and theother from the Italian Peninsula to the Tuscan Archipelago, Corsica, and Sardinia. Sicilian and Sardinian populations are linked through those originating from Tunisia. All these evidences point to anumber of groups lower than currently recognizedtaxa. In-depth morphometric classification models
and multispecies coalescence model-based approaches are currently ongoing to test current andalternative taxonomical settings.

Large genera are at the forefront of taxonomic
endeavour, as they often need a considerable
amount of work and represent unique challenges
due to the number of species involved, such as
how to delimit bite-size groups for revision andhow to best work collaboratively. Here we demonstrate an approach to tackling the taxonomy of
the mega-diverse genus Begonia (2132 accepted species), using a relational database system(PADME) developed at the Royal Botanic Garden
Edinburgh to manage nomenclatural and specimen linked data. We built on published hard
copy checklists to make an electronic checklistof current nomenclature and taxonomy. We thenadded images of protologues and specimens,
and included specimen-associated informationin the database, with currently 60,327 specimens.
What emerged was a specimen-driven multi-user dataset, permitting checklist production forany geographic area annotated with current
nomenclature plus type and other herbarium
specimens, facilitating a new wave of taxonomic
work on the genus. Specimen annotations suchas phenology and georeferenced localities havesupported emergent global scale macroecological studies on the genus. More recently, we haveused DNA data to craft a new stable subgeneric classification for Begonia in order to facilitate
revisionary taxonomy and identification, and also
added species descriptions from protologues, revisions and floras in a World Flora Online compliant format. We now have a 50% complete draft
WFO account for the world’s fastest growing genus. Our approach shows the value of the investment of time in baseline taxonomy, and the facilitatory effects of regional checklists and digitised
specimens.

S.25.4 Tackling taxonomyof the mega-diverse genus
Begonia
Mark Hughes1, Wisnu H. Ardi2,3, Gosse
S. Bootsma1,4, Dipankar Borah5, Janet
Gagul6, Deden Girmansyah2, Toby Mills1,
Peter W. Moonlight7, Adolfo Jara-Muñoz8,
Martin Pullan1, Sangeeta Rajbhandary9,
Rosario R. Rubite10, Madhavi Sreenath1,
Daniel C. Thomas11, Mark C. Tebbitt12,
Hannah P. Wilson1, Keqiao Zhong1
1 Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. 2
Research Center for Biosystematics and Evolution,
BRIN, Cibinong, Indonesia. 3 University of Florida,
USA. 4 School of Natural and Built Environment,93

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S.25.5 A heuristic approachto species delimitationin the charismatic giant
waterlily genus Victoria

these three confirmed entities as robust species,
where two correspond to the currently recognized V. amazonica and V. cruziana, the third being new to science, which we describe, diagnose
and name here as V. boliviana Magdalena and L.
T. Sm. Importantly, we identify new morphologicaland molecular characters which serve to distinguish the species and underpin their delimitations.
Our study demonstrates how combining different
types of character data into a heuristic, total-evidence approach can enhance the reliability withwhich biological diversity of morphologically challenging groups can be identified, documented,
and further studied.

Lucy T. Smith1 Carlos Magdalena1 Natalia
A. S. Przelomska1,2,5 Oscar A. PérezEscobar1* Darío G. Melgar-Gómez3
Stephan Beck4 Raquel Negrão1 Sahr
Mian1 Ilia J. Leitch1 Steven Dodsworth5
Olivier Maurin1 Gaston Ribero-Guardia6
César D. Salazar7 Gloria GutierrezSibauty3 Alexandre Antonelli1,8,9
Alexandre K. Monro1*

S.25.6 Reconciling thetaxonomy, morphology, andevolutionary history of thecoca crops (Erythroxylum
spp.)

1 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, UK. 2 National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, United States. 3 Herbario
German Coimbra Sanz, Jardín Botánico Municipal
de Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Santa Cruz de la Sierra,
Bolivia. 4 Herbario Nacional de Bolivia, Universidad
Mayor de San Andrés, La Paz, Bolivia. 5 School of
Biological Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK. 6 La Rinconada Ecoparque, Santa Cruz,
Urbari, Bolivia. 7 Calle 11 Norte #24, Urbari, Bolivia.
8 Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences,
University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden. 9
Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford,
Oxford, UK.

Dawson M. White1
1 Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, USA
Coca represents one of the most culturally significant and oldest crops in the Americas. As the natural source of cocaine, coca is also internationally
proscribed under various applications of taxonomy and/or biochemical data. However, recent
phylogenetic and phylogeographic studies of thecoca crops and closest wild relatives have revealed a complex evolutionary blueprint substantiating taxonomic revisions. The widespread wild
species Erythroxylum gracilipes is a paraphyletictaxon containing two or three clades of coca taxa
(E. coca and E. novogranatense; each with twovarieties) plus the wild species E. cataractarum.
Additionally, genetic, and morphological studies
indicate intraspecific hybrids are being cultivated for the illicit cocaine market. This presentation
provides an overview of the recent genetic andmorphological research on the coca clade anddiscuss various taxonomic proposals that could
be more informative of this evolutionary history.

Reliably documenting plant diversity is necessary
to protect and sustainably benefit from it. At theheart of this documentation lie species concepts
and the practical methods used to delimit taxa.
Here, we apply a total-evidence, iterative methodology to delimit and document species in theSouth American genus Victoria (Nymphaeaceae). The systematics of Victoria has thus far beenpoorly characterized due to difficulty in attributing
species identities to biological collections. This research gap stems from an absence of type material and biological collections, also the confused
diagnosis of V. cruziana. With the goal of improving
systematic knowledge of the genus, we compiled
information from historical records, horticulture
and geography and assembled a morphologicaldataset using citizen science and specimens fromherbaria and living collections. Finally, we generated genomic data from a subset of these specimens. Morphological and geographical observations suggest four putative species, three of which
are supported by nuclear population genomic
and plastid phylogenomic inferences. We propose94

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S.26 AFRICAN TAXONOMY: A COLLABORATIVEEFFORT TOWARDS BIODIVERSITYCONSERVATION. SESSION 1
S.26.1 Taxonomic revisionof the genus Eulophia R. Br.
(Orchidaceae) in Ghana

S.26.2 A case for thenameless – Accelerating
plant taxonomy as a toolfor conservation, using
Indigofera as a case study

Benjamin Darko Williams1, Matthew Kweku
Essilfie1, Alex Asase2
1 Department of Plant and Environmental Biology,
University of Ghana, Ghana. 2 Centre for Scientific
Research into Plant Medicine, Ghana

Brian du Preez1,2, Brian D. Schrire3, Leanne
L. Dreyer2, Charles H. Stirton1, A. Muthama
Muasya1

Eulophia R. Br. is one of the prominent groundorchids in West Africa and Central Africa, however, there is no complete taxonomic revisionof the genus Eulophia in Ghana although a revision has been carried out in Nigeria, Cameroon,
Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of
the Congo. The goal of this study is to determine
the range of morphological variations within thegenus in order to clarify the delimitation of the
taxa in Ghana; evaluate aspects of the ecology and distribution of the genus in Ghana. Field
trips to collection sites as cited by the major herbaria in Ghana yielded no live plants although
the visits were done following the cited collection dates. Urbanization and land use change isquickly destroying the habitats of the membersof this genus. Morphological studies carried out
on preserved specimens suggested eight species of Eulophia in Ghana, with the most common
members found in grasslands. Members of thegenus have a cosmopolitan distribution acrossthe country, with the least distribution around thewestern part. The genus produces flowers andfruits between March to May, with the exceptionof E. cristata (Afzel. ex Sw.) Steud. producing flowers in January also.

1 Bolus Herbarium, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South
Africa. 2 Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Matieland, South Africa. 3 Honorary Research Associate, Accelerated Taxonomy
Department, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, UK.
The saying that we cannot conserve what we do notknow presents one of the greatest dilemmas in the faceof a probable sixth mass extinction. While many large
and charismatic organisms enjoy substantial conservation efforts in terms of funding and public sentiment,
thousands of smaller and lesser-known species face
the prospect of extinction out of the public eye. We arefor fortunate to have one of the best plant red data lists
globally that helps to monitor our more than 20 000
plant species in South Africa. Yet, despite a rich historyof plant taxonomy in SA dating back to the 1700’s, manyof our plant species remain undescribed and poorly known. Indigofera is an example of a genus that ispoorly known and harbors numerous undescribed species. The Greater Cape Floristic Region (GCFR) is home
to a diverse assortment of Indigofera species, but thelast taxonomic account of these species was done in
1862. I aimed, in my PhD study, to taxonomically revise
the genus Indigofera in the GCFR. Following an intensive regime of field sampling and herbarium analyses,
I found 55 undescribed Indigofera species in the GCFR,
meaning that these 55 species have never received
any conservation attention, with some of these species being severely threatened. However, through thisstudy, we now understand and recognize the diversityof Indigofera in the GCFR and can inform conservation
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S.26.4 Potential impactsof climate change on
geographic distribution andconservation of the genus
Talbotiellapreviously unknown species. The extensive fieldwork
conducted during this study has contributed invaluable
information that can be used to help conserve these
species by identifying past, present and future threats.
This study demonstrates the value of taxonomic studies when combined with extensive field sampling, infirstly helping to understand and quantify species diversity, and through that contribute to the subsequentconservation of biodiversity.

Alex Asase1, Daniel Jiménez-García2,
Andrew Townsend Peterson3

S.26.3 Rediscovery of
Nymphaea thermarum Eb.
Fisch. in Rwanda

1 Centre for Plant Medicine Research, P. O. Box 73,
Mampong-Akuapem, Ghana. 2 Centro de Agroecología y Ambiente, Instituto de Ciencias, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla,
Puebla, Mexico. 3 Biodiversity Institute, University of
Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA

Thomas Abeli1,2, Sarah M. Müller3, Siegmar
Seidel3

Although climate change is a leading cause of
species extinction, the effects of climate change
on geographic distributions and conservation
status of African plants have not seen detailed
evaluation. We employed ecological niche modelling approaches to investigate the potential
effects of climate change on geographic distributions of the threatened West-Central African
genus Talbotiella. The results of the study showed
habitat suitability was lower in the northern partsof its range in West Africa and at it’s southern extremes in West-Central Africa. Potentially suitableareas where new populations or species of thegenus could be discovered in West Africa was
between Liberia and southwestern Ghana. Modeltransfers to future conditions showed range shifts
and contractions in geographic distributions.
Conservation of species of the genus should also
include threats by factors such as degradation,
agriculture and development of industrial infrastructure. Our study shows how niche modelling
approaches could be used to enhance the conservation and discovery of African biodiversity.

1 Department of Science, Roma Tre University,
Rome, Italy. 2 IUCN SSC Conservation Translocation
Specialist Group, Calgary, Canada. 3 Rwanda Centre and Office for Africa Cooperation, University of
Koblenz, Koblenz, Germany
Nymphaea thermarum is a small waterlily endemic to Rwanda that is being assessed as extinct in the wild since 2010. The species has beenrediscovered in July 2023 not far from its locus
classicus. We report on the rediscovery of N.
thermarum, identify the current and potential
threats for the wild populations, namely mining
and overharvesting by collectors, respectively
and provide a list of urgent conservation measures and research required to save the species
from “re-extinction”. The species occupies small
muddy ditches fed by hot springs water use towater Avocado plantations and fish pools. The
population counts hundreds of individuals including adult reproducing plants and seedlings.
In the short term, important conservation actions
should include land protection, negotiation toensure that enough water is reaching the habitat of N. thermarum and the reassessment of thespecies against the IUCN Categories and Criteria to update its status. In a new formal IUCN assessment, the species would quality as CriticallyEndangered. In the medium-term the creation ofa nature reserve, the restoration of the areas already affected by mining and the reintroductionof N. thermarum to its original site, would place
the species into a better position for its long-termin situ conservation.

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S.26.5 Digitization andEnrichment of U.S.
Herbarium Data from
Tropical Africa to Enable
Urgent Quantitative
Conservation Assessments

USA. 18 Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
19 Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
USA. 20 University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona,
USA. 21 University of California Berkeley, Berkeley,
California, USA. 22 Malawi University of Scienceand Technology, Mikolongwe, Malawi. 23 California Botanic Garden, Claremont, California, USA.
24 Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA. 25
L’Herbier National du Gabon, Libreville, Gabon.
26 National Museum of Natural History, Washington D.C., USA. 27 Smithsonian, US National
Herbarium, Washington, D.C., USA. 28 Universityof Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA. 29 Universityof Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. 30 Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA. 31 Pittsburg
State University, Pittsburg, Kansas, USA. 32 Yale
Peabody Museum, Yale University, New Haven,
Connecticut, USA. 33 New York Botanical Garden,
Bronx, New York, US. 34 Bell Museum, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA. 35
Rauthiflor LLC, Bariloche, Argentina. 36 Institutode Investigaciones en Recursos Naturales, Agroecología y Desarrollo Rural (IRNAD) Sede Andina,
Universidad Nacional de Río Negro, San Carlos
de Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina

Patricia Barberá1, Alex Asase2,3, Israel
T. Borokini4, Alison Colwell5, Charles C.
Davis6, Nico M. Franz7, Peter Fritsch8,9,Edward Gilbert7,10, Bonnie L. Isaac11,
Robert Johnson12, Beth A. Kaplin13,14,
Rebecca Y. Kartzinel15, Maria Lucia
Kawasaki16, Jonathan Kennedy6,
Jennifer Kluse17, Elena M. Kramer6, Laura
Lagomarsino17, Tatyana Livshultz18,19,
Porter P. Lowry1, Michelle McMahon20,
Brent D. Mishler21, Tiwonge I. Mzumara22,
Mare Nazaire23, Kevin C. Nixon24, Nestor
Engone Obiang25, Sylvia Orli26, 27, Katelin
Pearson7,10, A. Townsend Peterson28,
Daniel Potter5, Mitchell J. Power29, Tiana
F. Rehman8,9, Heidi Schmidt1, D. Rabern
Simmons30, Michaela Schmull6, Eric
Schuettpelz26,27, Chelsea R. Smith16, NeilSnow31, Patrick W. Sweeney32, Nicole
Tarnowsky33, Jordan K. Teisher1, George
D. Weiblen34, Timothy J.S. Whitfeld34,
John Wieczorek35, Paula Zermoglio36

Herbarium specimens represent a rich source ofdata on plant diversity. These rich information
resources, however, too often remain in analog
format only, and have not been digitized and “enabled” in the service of science. This project aims
to digitize, enrich, and share openly the rich data
resources held in 21 U.S. herbaria that correspondto plants of tropical Africa, which will total morethan 1.1 million herbarium specimens. Imaging
and data capture is being carried out at eachof the herbaria, and data are then aggregatedfor efficient georeferencing. For most records,
georeferencing is being performed automatically, and the remainder will be georeferenced
manually by plant scientists in Ghana, Rwanda,
Malawi, and Gabon. Finally, project data will be
subjected to detailed quality-control assessment
and served openly to the scientific community
via a dedicated “African Plants” portal on Symbiota (https://serv.biokic.asu.edu/africa/plantae/
index.php), as well as integration into biodiversity
data portals such as iDigBio and GBIF. The project has thus created a broad, international, intercontinental network of scientists and students
interested in and experienced with management
and analysis of data about African plant distributions. These rich data resources will be used
to understand the conservation status of African
plant species in much greater detail than has
been possible to date.

1 Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, Missouri,
USA. 2 Centre for Plant Medicine Research, Mampong-Akuapem, Ghana. 3 University of Ghana,Accra, Ghana. 4 Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, USA. 5 University of California,
Davis, Davis, California, USA. 6 Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. 7 Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA. 8 Botanical Research Institute of Texas, Fort Worth,
Texas, USA. 9 Fort Worth Botanic Garden, Fort
Worth, Texas, USA 10. Integrated Digitized Biocollections, Gainesville, Florida, USA. 11 Carnegie
Museum of Natural History, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. 12 Bringham and Young University,
Provo, Utah, USA .13 University of Rwanda, Kigali,
Rwanda. 14 University of Massachusetts Boston,
Boston, Massachusetts, USA. 15 Brown University,
Providence, Rhode Island, USA. 16 Field Museumof Natural History, Chicago, Illinois, USA. 17 Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana,97

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S.26.6 Enhancing taxonomy
skills in Africa: joining efforts
in training and international
collaborations

for the African continent, in particular, to accelerate the documentation of its plant diversity as
never before. However, insufficient specialised human resources, unequal access to resources, anddeficient infra-structure could weaken this momentum. Enhancing taxonomy training in Africa is
key to filling in the specialists’ gap and overcome
biases and inequalities in access to these skills.
This presentation offers an overview of current
challenges and opportunities for plant taxonomy
training, particularly in Africa, with suggestions on
how to strategically design plant taxonomy training initiatives that efficiently tackle regional needs,
fostered by international collaboration.

Ana Rita G. Simões1
1 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK.
Plant taxonomy is a diverse and increasingly integrative discipline. With the expansion of digitally
available collections, innovative molecular methodologies and geospatial analyses, there is an
outstanding opportunity for this field to grow, andS.27 A CONTINENTAL SCALE CONSORTIUM
APPROACH TO BUILDING GENOMICSCAPACITY AND RESOURCES: GENOMICS FOR
AUSTRALIAN PLANTS. SESSION 2
S.27.1 Resolving taxonomy
challenges in species
complexes using
conservation genomics

fuses morphological relationships. The Genomics
for Australian Plants initiative is a national collaborative program that is developing genomic resources to enhance understanding of theevolution and conservation of the diverse Australian flora. One of its three components is application of a conservation genomics approachto taxonomic resolution of challenging species
complexes in the Australian flora. This integrated approach brings taxonomists and geneticists
together, applying an evolutionary biology lensto identification of taxonomic entities. The focus
has been on resolving taxa in complexes where
there are likely taxa of conservation concern sothey can be defined and considered in conservation listing, facilitating implementation of management actions. The initiative has supported
projects covering 11 species complexes and clarified relationships amongst entities, using ddRAD
genomic data in combination with morphological assessment. The relative outcomes of ddRAD
and the angiosperm 365 bait kit were also tested
for four species complexes. These analyses have
led to the identification of species of conservation concern, as well as clarification of situations
where morphological variation is not reflectiveof taxonomic separation, or where hybridisation
is a complicating factor obscuring morphologi-

Margaret Byrne1, Rachel Binks1, Kelly
Shepherd1, Laura Simmons2, Katherina
Nargar3,4, Michael Bayly5, Andre Messina2
1 Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Perth, Australia. 2 Royal Botanic Gardens,
Melbourne, Australia. 3 James Cook University,
Cairns, Australia. 4 CSIRO, Cairns, Australia. 5 University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
Species complexes are often present in floras
with high diversity driven by complex evolutionary history and associated high speciation andlow extinction rates. Whilst most species arereadily identified and described, there are many
species complexes where taxa are challenging
to resolve though morphological analysis alone.
Genomic approaches can assist in this challenge through identification of relationships at
the species-population interface providing anevolutionary basis for identifying taxon boundaries, including where ongoing hybridisation con-98

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cal relationships. The outcomes demonstrate thebenefits of an integrated approach using genomic and morphological methods to facilitatetaxonomic resolution of species complexes. Thisapproach may be readily implemented in otherhighly diverse floras where taxonomic identification of conservation entities is critical to effective
conservation action.

systems and highlight the need for fundamental
knowledge of e.g. breeding system, ploidy anddispersal patterns when approaching this flora
and interpreting genetic data.

S.27.3 A species-level
phylogeny of eastern
Australian Phebalium Vent.
sect. Phebalium Duretto& Heslewood (Rutaceae;
Zanthoxyloideae)

S.27.2 Using genomic tools
to explore diversity inSouthwest Australian plantsof conservation concern

Sangay Dema1, Rose L. Andrew1, Ian R.H.
Telford1, Jeremy J. Bruhl1

Benjamin M. Anderson , Rachel M. Binks ,Ryonen Butcher1, Margaret Byrne1,
Andrew D. Crawford1, Terry D. Macfarlane1,
Barbara L. Rye1, Kelly A. Shepherd1
1

1

1 N.C.W. Beadle Herbarium, University of New England, Armidale, Australia
Phebalium Vent. sect. Phebalium Duretto &Heslewood is an Australian endemic monophyletic group of species with 14 species distributed in south-western Australia and 21 in eastern
Australia. Most species of Phebalium have strong
horticultural potential, while many are narrowly endemic and of high conservation value. Underpinned by morphological, phytochemical andmolecular data, we recognised 15 new species,
and we are reinstating four species and raisingeight subspecies to the rank of species. From thefew previous studies in Phebalium, most species-level relationships remained untested orunresolved. Our SNP-based phylogenetic analysis of all eastern Australian Phebalium taxa, including the newly delimited species, was carriedout using maximum likelihood with IQ-TREE2 andmaximum parsimony with PAUP. We also inferred
phylogenetic relationships under a coalescentmodel using SVDquartets. The phylogenetic relationships inferred under all models were concordant. Our analyses recovered three major clades
within eastern Australian Phebalium corresponding to three species complexes involving P. squamulosum, P. glandulosum and P. nottii. The monophyly and inter-specific relationships of most of
the eastern Australian species of Phebalium wereresolved and will be discussed.

1 Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Western Australia, Perth, Australia
The Southwest Australian Floristic Region contains
high angiosperm diversity (>7500 species) often
occuring in managed landscapes with varying
levels of anthropogenic disturbance, which creates a taxonomic and conservation challenge tounderstand, classify and protect these organisms.
Evolutionary patterns in the flora of this historically stable region are diverse, with widespread,
genetically-connected
lineages
contrasting
those with restricted or discontinuous ranges
and complex genetic structure. While much of
the flora has been described, some groups withmorphological complexity or subtlety (and putative evolutionary complexity) have frustrated
taxonomists and prompted the use of genomic
techniques to help unravel that complexity. As
part of the Genomics for Australian Plants initiative, we applied reduced representation genomic
approaches (ddRAD, sequence capture) to species complexes suspected to contain cryptic taxa
of conservation concern. Our goal was to resolve
the taxonomy of these complexes. We present
some of our results, along with reflections on theeffectiveness and appropriateness of the molecular approaches for our goal. Our findings include
unexpected diversity leading to the recognitionof more species, as well as the contrasting pattern of unanticipated genetic connectivity leading to fewer species. We also encountered challenges that reflect the complex biology of these99

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S.27.4 Phylogenomic
analysis of generic limits
underpins a systematic
study of Chrysocephalum(Gnaphalieae, Asteraceae)
Shelley A. Rowntree1,2, Alexander N.
Schmidt-Lebuhn2, Jeremy J. Bruhl1, Ian R.
H. Telford1, Rose L. Andrew1
1 Botany and N.C.W. Beadle Herbarium, University of
New England, Armidale, Australia. 2 Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research, CSIRO, Canberra, Australia
Chrysocephalum Walp. is a medium-sized genus
in the Waitzia clade of the Australian Gnaphalieae (Asteraceae), comprising nine currently recognised species and two phrase-named species.
In a recent revision of the C. apiculatum and C.
semipapposum complexes (Wilson 2016), 34 subspecies were added based on morphologicalcharacters, with a high level of complexity making distinction difficult among them. Detailed relationships within the clades of the Gnaphalieae
remain largely unresolved, and generic concepts
have often been based on a small number ofmorphological characters traditionally considered important. We have inferred a molecularphylogeny of selected Australian native Gnaphalieae (Asteraceae) to test the monophyly of the
Chrysocephalum using target capture sequences and a bioinformatics pipeline co-developed
through the Genome of Australia Plants Consortium. A group of three species form the “core”
Chrysocephalum clade, C. apiculatum (type species), C. semipapposum and C. vitellinum. Aridzone species form separate clades. We are also
resolving species-level relationships with molecular and morphological analyses. This study will
resolve long-standing taxonomic issues and, as
the study group includes several rare and threatened taxa whose status will be clarified, will also
support biodiversity conservation.

S.28 EVOLUTIONARY ECOLOGY OF PLANTS.
SESSION 2
S.28.1 Rapid evolution of
ecological strategies in
Arabidopsis thaliana
Maria Stefania Przybylska1,2,3, Cyrille
Violle1, Denis Vile2, JF Scheepens3, Léo
Delalandre1, Lily Bennett1, Eric Garnier1,
François Vasseur1
1 CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier,France. 2 LEPSE, Univ Montpellier, INRAE, Institut AgroMontpellier, Montpellier, France. 3 Goethe University
Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
The study of ecological strategies, i.e., sets of covarying traits that match with environmental conditions in a potential adaptive way, helps to address the role of the phenotype as a whole, rather
than individual traits, in adaptation. Because, inthe field, covariation between environmental conditions makes it difficult to test for the concrete
factors driving ecological strategies, experimental
approaches can be valuable. Using experimen-

tal evolution, we tested for the evolution of bothmean phenotypes and their variance in response
to contrasting levels of stress (resource availability) and disturbance (herbivory) in Arabidopsis
thaliana. By tracking the phenotypic space formedby whole-plant and leaf traits, we found that, after only three generations, A. thaliana populations
diverged both in terms of phenotypic variationand trait syndromes in response to contrasting
resource and herbivory treatments. The most divergent responses were found to evolve under low
and high resources without herbivory: a strategy
of fast-growth for stress escape and a strategy ofslow-growth for competitive ability, respectively.
Furthermore, these strategies have been shown
to be adaptive and possibly density-dependent.
Our results highlight the rapid evolution of plant
strategies in response to stress and disturbanceand the key importance of population size in ecological analyses.

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S.28.2 Plant epigenetics:
a contribution tounderstanding phenotypicvariation in changing
environments

S.28.3 Genetic andphenotypic differentiationin functional traits of Iris
pseudacorus L. in native andintroduced ranges

Conchita Alonso1, Mónica Medrano1,
Carlos M. Herrera1

Blanca Gallego-Tévar1, Brenda J. Grewell2,
John F.Gaskin3, Jesús M. Castillo1

1 Estación Biológica de Doñana, EBD-CSIC, Sevilla,
Spain

1 Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología,
Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain. 2 USDA-ARS
Invasive Species and Pollinator Health Research
Unit, Department of Plant Sciences MS-4, University of California, Davis, CA, USA. 3 USDA ARS Pest
Management Research Unit, Northern Plains Area,
Sidney, MT, USA

Epigenetics investigates phenotypic variation thatis not accompanied by changes in DNA sequence,but instead involves the set of chromatin modifications that regulate the ability of a certain genome to
produce diverse phenotypes. In plants, DNA cytosine
methylation is a key epigenetic mechanism involvedin genome stability and developmental change. In thelast few decades we have learned that Angiosperms
have evolved specific DNA methylation enzymes andpathways (e.g., chromomethylases, RNA-directed
methylation) which target cytosines in any sequence
context and genomic location, and that genome-widecytosine methylation level is largely variable acrossspecies and has a strong phylogenetic signal andphenotypic correlates within and across plant individuals. Furthermore, changes in DNA methylationinduced by environmental stress and transgenerational transmission of some methylation marks havebeen documented for many plant species. It remains
unclear, however, the extent to which inter- and intra-specific variation in the ability of a given genotype
to produce phenotypic variants depends on intrinsic
genomic features and/or the ecological characteristics of their environments. In our group we have assessed epigenetic variation in wild plant populations
at different spatial scales and adopted experimental
approaches which combined a controlled alterationof epigenetic features (e.g., by applying demethylating
agents) with exposure to selected biotic and abiotic
stress factors. I summarize what we have learned fromapplying these two approaches to a set of non-model plant species. Understanding the relationships between phenotypic traits and changes in DNA methylation in contrasting environments is crucial to uncover
the potential impact of epigenetics on fast plant adaptation to changing environments under current
scenarios of climate change. Integration of molecularunderstanding gained from model species and ecological significance assessed in non-model plant species should contribute to better value the contributionof epigenetics in plant adaptation and evolution.

Intraspecific variation in functional traits between
native and alien invasive plant species may underlie resilience and invasiveness of aliens facing new
physiological limits in response to climate change.
Using a common garden experiment, we explored if
observed phenotypic variation of Iris pseudacorus
L. between tidal wetland populations in the native
vs. invaded range may be explained by genetic differentiation and/or phenotypic plasticity. Iris seeds
were collected from populations under Mediterranean climate along estuarine salinity and inundation gradients within four native and invasive populations in both Guadalquivir Estuary (Andalusia,
Spain) and San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary (California, USA). Germinants were potted (6 plants x 4
populations x 2 ranges; n = 48 experimental plants)
and grown for 12 months under uniform environmental conditions. We then evaluated 23 functional
traits including growth, biomass allocation, morphological and biochemical responses. Genetic analysis was performed on leaf tissue collected fromplants in each seed donor population. Geographic
range explained relative intraspecific trait variation
segregating native from alien phenotypes. Nativeplants had lower SLA (-23%) and rhizome TNC concentrations (-63%) than introduced plants, providing evidence of genetic differentiation. Higher genetic diversity in the field and 27% higher phenotypicvariation in the CGE for native compared to alienplants indicate longer-term adaptive processes
in the native range, while genetic distance of alien
field populations increased along with their phenotypic distance in the CGE suggesting rapid genetic
differentiation. Phenotypic plasticity also explainedsome observed inter-range phenotypic differencesin response to environmental conditions, since thesefield differences were not expressed by plants in the101

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CGE. Management of alien I. pseudacorus in the invaded estuary should be established urgently since
they represent novel genotypes with key functional
traits that can support invasiveness through highcompetitive ability and physiological stress tolerance responses to sea level rise.

S.28.5 Above- and belowground trait covariationin perennial herbaceous
species
Allison Miller1, 2, Molly Hanlon2, Matthew
Rubin2

S.28.4 Fitness and barriers
to gene flow related toflower colour variation in a
snapdragon hybrid zone

1 Department of Biology, Saint Louis University, St.
Louis, MO, USA. 2 Danforth Plant Science Center, St.
Louis, MO, USA

David L. Field1, Sean Stankowski2, Arka
Pal3, Parvathy Surendranadh3, DesmondBradley4, Enrico Coen4, Nick Barton3
1 Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia. 2 University of Sussex, UK. 3 Institute of Science and Technology, Klosterneuburg, Austria. 4 John Innes Centre, Norwich, UKA fundamental question in evolutionary biology
is how phenotypes and their underlying genes
interact to generate reproductive barriers between populations. The fitness landscape has
been an influential framework to model theseconnections, yet direct measures of how multiple genes interact to create fitness valleys between populations remains challenging to obtainin nature. I present some of the work we’ve been
doing to address this gap by exploiting a natural
hybrid zone between subspecies of Antirrhinum
majus (snapdragons) with a well-defined genotype-phenotype map. This work includes investigations into the molecular genetic basis of flower
colour, ecological experiments on the agents of
selection, and the development of novel population genomic approaches to detect barriers in
the genome. A key focus will be on our multi-generational study, where-by genotyping and phenotyping over 30,000 plants over 14 years, we’ve
obtained a pedigree-based estimate of the fitness landscape separating these recently diverged subspecies. At deeper evolutionary timescales, using whole-genomes along geographic
clines we find the absence of a genome-widebarrier to gene flow with only a small proportionof the genome resisting introgression. By linking
recent ecological time-scales of fitness variationin nature to patterns of deeper genomic divergence, our goal is to provide a general model for
how reproductive barriers arise during the earlystages of divergence.

A fundamental question in plant evolutionary biology is how species that live for multiple years
balance resource allocation over time to sexual
reproduction (seed production) relative to vegetative growth. One component of this is understanding how reproductive output covaries withvegetative traits (e.g., stem thickness, leaf number, leaf thickness, physiology, root biomass, etc.),
how these relationships shift from one year to thenext, how they vary under different environmental
conditions, and how they change in response tostrong selection for increased reproduction output. Although the direction and magnitude of trait
correlations can constrain or enhance response
to artificial or natural selection, there are few
comprehensive studies that describe relationships between traits expressed at early life stages (e.g., seed size and weight, germination timing,
germination rate) with traits expressed later in life
(e.g., reproductive output, root/shoot biomass ratio in Y1, Y2, Y3, etc.) in perennial herbaceous species. Here, we phenotyped seeds and seedlingsof 1,650 plants representing eleven perennial,herbaceous species in the Asteraceae, Fabaceae, and Poaceae families, planted those individuals in a spaced plant nursery in Gray Summit,
MO USA, and monitored height, flowering time,and yield over three years. We estimated root
traits via soil cores in Y2 and Y3, and then excavated root crowns for further phenotyping. Analyses to date indicate strong correlations within
and among life-stages, among reproductive andvegetative traits, and among above- and belowground traits. These core questions can provide
key insights into how perennial, herbaceous species evolve under in nature and under artificial
selection and may expedite pre-breeding anddomestication of perennial grain crops throughearly stage selection of traits correlated expressed in seeds and seedling that correlate withdesirable traits expressed at later life stages.

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S.29 AEROBIOLOGY. ADVANCES IN THE
ATMOSPHERIC POLLEN RESEARCH AND
CHALLENGES IN THE CONTEXT OF GLOBALCHANGE. SESSION 1
15 Department of Environmental Science, iClimate,
Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark

S.29.1 Metabarcoding andmetagenomics techniquesin monitoring airbornepollenRosa Pérez-Badia1, Clara E. Pogner2,
Celia Antunes3, Godfrey P. Apangu4,
Nicolas Bruffaets5, Sevcan Celenk6,
Antonella Cristofori7, Nestor GonzálezRoldán8, Agnieszka Grinn-Gofron9,
Beatriz Lara1, Mirela Lika10, Donat
Magyar11, Moises Martínez-Bracero12,
Lucia Muggia13, Babette Muyshondt4,
David O’Connor12, Alberto Pallavicini13,
Alexandra M. Penha3, Helena Ribeiro14,
Ana R. Costa.3, Zsófia Tischner11, Merita
Xhetani10, Carsten A. Skjøth15
1 Institute of Environmental Sciences, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Toledo, Spain. 2 Unit
Bioresources, Center of Health and Bioresources,
AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, Tulln,
Austria. 3 Department of Medical and Health Sciences, School of Health and Human Development,
University of Évora and Earth Sciences Institute(ICT), Évora, Portugal. 4 Protecting Crops and theEnvironment, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden,
U.K. 5 Mycology and Aerobiology, Sciensano, Brussels, Belgium. 6 Bursa Uludag University, Arts andScience Faculty, Biology Department, Görükle-Bursa, Türkiye. 7 Research and Innovation Centre,
Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all’Adige,(TN), Italy. 8 Pollen Laboratory, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University
of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden. 9 Institute of
Biology, University of Szczecin, Szczecin, Poland. 10
Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Tirana, Tirana, Albania. 11 National
Center for Public Health and Pharmacy, Budapest,
Hungary. 12 School of Chemical Sciences, Dublin
City University, Dublin, Ireland. 13 Department of Life
Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy. 14 Department of Geosciences, Environment and Spatial
Plannings, Faculty of Sciences, University of Portoand Earth Sciences Institute (ICT), Porto, Portugal.

The importance of monitoring the concentration of pollen in the atmosphere has been widely
demonstrated from the environmental, ecological and agronomic point of view, as well as fromthe perspective of human health, since allergenic
pollen represents the most important cause ofpollinosis globally. Traditionally, pollen concentrations in the air are estimated from analyses
based on identification and quantification using
optical microscopy. However, the classification ofpollen types at the species level using this procedure is limited. This is due to the morphologicalcharacteristics of the pollen grains used for theirrecognition, often shared within genera, families, and even taxonomic orders. An alternative
approach is the identification of pollen throughmolecular sequencing and DNA analysis. Different high-throughput sequencing (HTS) technologies have been used to massively analyse
environmental DNA and therefore the airbornepollen. This process requires, before sequencing,
the preparation and amplification of the specific library for each sequencing platform. “Ion
Torrent” (ThermoFisher), “GenapSys” technology
and above all “Ilumina”, represent several platforms that sequence with the metabarcoding
procedure short DNA fragments (reads) up toa few hundred base pairs in length. Other platforms called “third generation sequencing” suchas “PromethION”, “GridION” and “MinION” from
“Oxford Nanopore Technology” and “PacBio CCS”
from “Pacific Biosciences”, generate much longer
reads (LR) than those obtained in the previous
ones, however they are still little used in aerobiology. This study presents a review and the state of
the art of airborne pollen studies based on metabarcoding and metagenomics, as well as thelimitations of these molecular analyses.
Acknowledgments: This study is conducted in theframe of Cost Action CA18226 (New approaches indetection of pathogens and aeroallergens) and has
been carried out by the members of Working Group 2.

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S.29.2 Airborne pollen trends
in the Iberian Peninsula
during the last three
decades: flowering timing
and intensity
Carmen Galán1,2, Jose Oteros1,2, Herminia
García-Mozo1,2, Fátima Aguilera3, María
Jesús Aira4, Jordina Belmonte5,6, Paloma
Cariñanos7, Delia Fernández-González8,9,María Fernández-González10, Santiago
Fernández-Rodríguez11, Montserrat
Gutiérrez-Bustillo12, Beatriz Lara13,
Concepción De Linares7, Stella MorenoGrau14, José M. Moreno-Grau14, Rosa
Pérez-Badía13, Antonio Picornell15, Alberto
Rodríguez Fernández8, Javier RodríguezRajo10, Jesús Rojo12, Luís Ruiz-Valenzuela3,
María del Mar Trigo15, Purificación Alcázar1,2
1 Department on Botany, Ecology and Plant Physiology, Agrifood Campus of International Excellence(ceiA3), University of Córdoba, Spain. 2 Inter-University Institute for Earth System Research, University of Córdoba, Spain. 3 Department of Animal Biology, Plant Biology and Ecology, Universityof Jaén, Spain. 4 Department of Botany, Universityof Santiago de Compostela, Spain. 5 Departmentof Animal Biology, Plant Biology and Ecology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain. 6 Instituteof Environmental Sciences and Technology (ICTA),
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain. 7 Department of Botany, University of Granada, Spain.
8 Department of Biodiversity and Environmental
Management (Botany), University of León, Spain. 9
Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, National Research Council, Bologna, Italy. 10 Department of Plant Biology and Soil Sciences, University of Vigo, Spain. 11 Department of Construction,
University of Extremadura, Spain. 12 Department ofPharmacology, Pharmacognosy and Botany, Complutense University of Madrid, Spain. 13 Departmentof Environmental Sciences, University of Castilla-La
Mancha, Toledo, Spain. 14 Department of Chemical
and Environmental Engineering, Technic Universityof Cartagena, Spain. 15 Department of Botany and
Plant Physiology, University of Málaga, Spain.
Airborne pollen significantly impacts air quality, human health, and ecosystems. Effective pollen monitoring is essential for understanding these effects
and advancing in air protection strategies. Pollen allergies, affecting a substantial global population, leadto respiratory issues and decreased life quality. Pollen

monitoring also informs climate change research, agriculture, and forestry; shifts in pollen seasons indicate
the climatic change impacts on vegetation and aiding in fruit production forecasting. Airborne pollen is agood indicator of floral phenology and intensity on anemophilous plants. Historical databases allow to study
pollen season timing and intensity. The Mediterranean
Climate is wet and mild during winter, and warm anddry in summer. During recent decades, the climate ischanging on increasing temperatures and to the lackof water availability, due to a different precipitation
pattern with more frequent floods and droughts. These
trends are affecting to plant responding to extreme
events. Woody plants response more to temperatures,
especially those flowering during winter or early spring.
Herbaceous plants respond more to water availability.
Many recent studies have shown an advance in flowering start, specially on woody plants. However, winteris getting warmer, and the plants are not sufficiently
exposed to chilling temperature for break dormancy
and budburst; with lack of chilling requirements theforcing process at early spring will not be as effective,that together the lack of water, may cause a delay on
flowering. Weeds and grasses respond more to water
availability, although in different way, with an advanceor delay depending on the species. For this reason,
recently there are evidence of longer pollen seasons
because more diversity on flowering timing. Regarding flowering intensity, recent studies also support thehigher pollen season intensity, probably due to increasing CO2 in the air; however, in the Mediterranean
climate it does not always occur due to lack of water.

S.29.3 Effect of longdistance pollen transport
on the local and regional
airborne pollen evolution
José María Moreno1, Luis Negral1,
Francisco Aznar1, Isabel Costa1, StellaMoreno-Grau1
1 Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Cartagena, Cartagena, Spain
Long-distance pollen transport, primarily wind-facilitated, profoundly influences local and regional airbornepollen dynamics, impacting genetic diversity, species
composition, allergen exposure, seasonal timing, ecological interactions, climate change implications, andbiogeographical patterns. The transport introduces
genetic material from distant populations, fostering in-104

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creased genetic diversity within local plant populations
for enhanced adaptability to environmental changes.
Pollen transport alters the species composition of local
and regional plant communities, potentially introducing new species or amplifying the abundance of certain ones, influencing regional biodiversity. The process
significantly affects allergen exposure by introducing
allergenic species, extending pollen seasons, and altering overall allergen composition, posing implications for
public health. Understanding the impact of long-distance pollen transport on seasonal timing is crucial for
predicting changes in allergen exposure patterns, withdirect implications for public health. Ecological interactions arise, such as competition between introduced
and native plant species, leading to cascading effects
on local ecosystems and changes in insect and bird
populations reliant on specific plant species for food.
The complex interplay between long-distance pollentransport and climate change is pivotal for predicting
ecological responses, managing biodiversity, and devising strategies to mitigate climate-driven environmental impacts. This interconnectedness contributes
to biogeographical patterns, connecting plant populations across geographical regions, vital for maintaining genetic exchange and preventing isolation among
plant populations. Monitoring pollen movement aids
researchers in assessing the impact of global and regional environmental changes on plant populations.
In summary, long-distance pollen transport is a valuable tool for ecological research and environmental
monitoring, providing insights into plant dispersal, genetic connectivity, climate influences, and ecologicaldynamics, contributing to a broader understanding ofinterconnected processes shaping ecosystems.

S.29.4 Response patternsof calendar and pollen
intensity to climate at thesouthwestern distribution limitof Betula: a 30-year study
Guillermo Guada1, María FernándezGonzález1, Rubén Amigo1, Duarte A. Dias
Lorenzo1, Kenia C. Sánchez Espinosa1, F.
Javier Rodríguez-Rajo1

and in the preceding year. Our aim was to understand how environmental conditions can influence the main pollen season and the intensity of airborne pollen presence at the meridionalboundary of the Betula forest distribution in Europe. For this purpose, pollen monitoring was
conducted using Lanzoni VPPS 2000 volumetrictrap and nearby meteorological data. The study
area was located in the northwest of the Iberian
Peninsula, specifically in three cities with diverse
mesoclimate: Vigo (Atlantic), Ourense (Mediterranean) and Lugo (Cantabrian), which had a distinct oceanic influence. Aerobiological data wasconducted based on the Spanish aerobiology
network protocol. Weather variables precipitation, maximum, minimum and mean temperature were selected for three-time windows: 1 st themain pollen season period, 2nd from 5 to 90 days
before the onset of pollen presence, with a cumulative five-day interval, and 3 rd the averagemonthly climate of the previous year. Precipitation delays the onset of the main pollination season and also delays the end of the season, increasing pollen counts in the post-peak interval
at all three areas. Temperature during the pollen
season affects the duration and pollen integral
differently among area. The pollen integral shows
an increasing trend over the last decades at all
three sites, and the increase in the minimum temperature of the previous summer explains this increase at all three areas from a climatic point ofview. In conclusion, the effect of weather before
and during the main pollen season has varied effects on the date-related data across the mesoclimate, while the increase in temperature during
the summer of the last few decades results in aspring with higher airborne pollen loads for all
three locations.

S.29.5 The aerobiologyfloral phenology binomial.
Phenoclimatic models forpollen forecasts.
Giuseppe Frenguelli1

1 Department of Vegetal Biology and Soil Sciences,
Faculty of Sciences, University of Vigo, Ourense, Spain
We studied the relationship between the occurrence of Betula spp. airborne pollen and climate,during the main pollen season, as well as before

1 Department of Agriculture Science, University of
Perugia, Perugia, Italy
The release of pollen from a plant-source is characterized by a time distribution which is the consequence of the various flowering stages. The beginning of the release of pollen and the quantity105

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to a series of biotic factors such as the genotype,the age, the size of the plants, and environmental
factors such as the climate, other than edafic andphytosanitary factors. In the aerobiological studies
phenological models are used to obtain information
useful for forecasting the beginning of pollination ofmany species, expecially of agricoltural and allergological interst, and to know what will be the severityof the pollination or the quantity of pollen which will
be released into the atmosphere day by day. Aerobiological historical data bases on the pollen content in the air, evidence how the climate change isaffecting distinct species in different geographicalareas. The aerobiology-floral phneology binomial can contribute to the improvement of bio-geographical and ecological information of vegetation,
the forest health and vitality being important for theprotection of the plant biodiversity. When a predictive model on beginning of pollination is being developed, it is necessary to take into consideration
the different responses to environmental factors of
the species considered. Temperature-based models are commonly used to predict floral bud-burst
as universal models disregarding that they are siteand species-specific. Models working well in someregions might not respond so well in other areas
due to genetic characteristics that enable plants toshow different tolerance to particular environmental conditions. Modeling to predict the performanceof the pollen season with the intention of giving ameaningful result as early as possible has led tothe development of many analytical mathematicalmodels, increasingly complex, like time series models, multivariate regression models, Artificial Neural
Networks and more.

3-9 days after the measurement. New technologies
developed over the past years are revolutionising
this field. Combining artificial intelligence with advanced measurement methods, several devices
are now available on the market that provide real-time observations of pollen as well as a considerable potential to detect and identify a range ofother airborne particles. The EUMETNET AutoPollen
Programme has been established in 2018 to take fulladvantage of the large potential for progress that
automatic observations provide. It brings together aconsortium from across Europe with the multidisciplinary expertise needed to address the challenges
along the entire information chain – from the initialobservation through to the final products and services co-designed with end users. As an example,
the SwissPollen network, operated by MeteoSwiss,comprises 15 monitoring stations and since the beginning of 2023 provides hourly information in real-time through its website and smartphone app.
Furthermore, the real-time observations are integrated into the COSMO-ART model to provide forecasts to end-users.

S.29.6 Real-time airbornepollen monitoring
B. Clot1, B. Crouzy1, S. Erb11, G. Lieberherr1,
F. Tummon1, R. Pérez-Badia2, EUMETNET
AutoPollen community
1 Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology
MeteoSwiss, Payerne, Switzerland. 2 University ofCastilla-La Mancha, Toledo, Spain.
Between 20-30% of the European population suffersfrom pollen allergy, resulting in costs ranging from€50-150 billion per year. For decades, airborne pollen has been monitored using manual methods withcounting being done by hand under the microscopeand results reported as daily average values from106

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S.30 MERGING EVOLUTIONARY APPROACHESWITH ETHNOBOTANICAL KNOWLEDGE.
SESSION 2
S.30.1 Estimation of Activity
Concentrations of naturally
occurring radionuclides inselected infant-herbs grownin Igbokoda, Ondo state
Funmilola M. Ojo1, Abiola O. Ilori2, Kayode
O. Karigidi3
1 Department of Biological Sciences, Olusegun
Again University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa Ondo State, Nigeria. 2 Department of PhysicalSciences, Olusegun Again University of Scienceand Technology, Okitipupa Ondo State, Nigeria. 3
Department of Chemical Sciences, Olusegun Again
University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa
Ondo State, Nigeria
The traditional use of medicinal herbs in treating
infant ailments is entrenched in many cultures,
including the coastal region of Ondo State, Nigeria. However, there is limited scientific information
regarding their morphological characteristics
and possible radiological health risks. This study
aimed to investigate the morphological featuresand radiological health effects of six commonly consumed infant herbs. A comprehensive fieldsurvey was conducted to identify and collect representative samples of the selected infant herbs:
Ananas comosus, Azadirachta indica, Carica papaya, Cymbopogon citratus, Jatropha curcas,
Mangifera indica, Ocimum gratissimum, Psidium
guajava, Vernonia amygdalina, and Zingiber officinale. Plant identification and classification wereconducted morphologically to assess plants’
growth habits, stem structure, leaf morphology,
and flower characteristics. Radiation levels were
measured to evaluate potential risks associated with the consumption of these herbs, using a
portable radiation meter. The concentration ofradionuclides (specifically, naturally occurring
radioactive materials such as uranium, thorium, and potassium) was also determined using
gamma spectroscopy techniques. The morphological studies revealed distinct features of eachherb, aiding in their accurate identification andclassification. Additionally, the radiological healthimpact assessment indicated relatively low radiation levels in the selected infant herbs, withconcentrations of radionuclides falling within
acceptable limits set by international regulatory bodies. Thus, the consumption of these herbs
was determined to be unlikely to pose significant
radiological health risks to infants and young
children. This study contributes to the documentation of the morphological characteristics ofcommonly consumed infant herbs in the coastal region of Ondo State, Nigeria. Furthermore, theradiological health impact assessment provides
valuable insights into the safe use of herbs for
infant care. The findings can inform healthcare
providers, traditional medicine practitioners, andthe general public about the potential benefits
and risks associated with the consumption ofthese medicinal herbs, promoting safe and informed choices in infant healthcare practices.

S.30.2 Market integrationand changes in traditional
practices in West Africa: thecase of Shea
Nerea Turreira-García1
1 Department of Food and Resource Economics,
University of Copenhagen, Denmark
Commercial and development actors influence
traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) practices among rural populations in the global south
through complex mechanisms. This paper explores this rural transformation dynamic throughthe case of shea (Vitellaria paradoxa). For centuries, women have collected and processed sheanuts into dried kernels, and subsequently butter.
Over the last decades, the international demandfor kernels has increased as opposed to butter.
The results of 1100 household surveys conducted in Ghana and Burkina Faso about women’scurrent and past processing methods and enduse of shea products, reveal that 1) processing107

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methods are being homogenized, and 2) women abandon the butter making process in favorof selling shea kernels. This trend is more visible
in Ghana, where especially younger women follow processing methods promoted by big companies and development institutions, in contrast
to Burkina Faso, where there remains higher processing diversity, and butter production. Loss ofdiversity in processing methods may reduce theability to adapt to external changes, such as
market demands and climate change. The decrease in butter production is leading to matrilineal knowledge loss and has implications for thehousehold economy, as women substitute shea
butter for industrial, more expensive cooking oils
and skincare creams. The study offers a criticalanalysis of how the dynamic and multidirectional
nature of rural transformations and TEK influence
resource users and the entire value chain.

S.30.3 Does scent guideIndigenous People’s
perception of medicinal
plants?
Kimberly P. Castro1, Rodrigo CámaraLeret1
1 Department of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
Understanding the interactions between people
and plants is of great relevance for both biodiversity and biocultural conservation efforts. The use ofplants has been considerably investigated basedon morphological traits, but explaining how people
recognize a plant’s usefulness based on chemistry has been challenging. Here, we explore to what
degree the selection and utilization of medicinal
plants is influenced by people’s smell perception ofplants. We assess this through a literature review
of works published over 50 years on smell perception and Indigenous People’s knowledge of tropicalplants. We find that the sense of smell may very well
be a nexus between human-plant interactions, but
the concept has been relatively complex to establish due to the confines posed by disciplinary perspectives and methodological limitations in moststudies. To advance the field, we propose integrating phytochemistry with standard ethnobotanicaldata collection within study communities to better
understand the role of plant scents and smell perception in medicinal plant selection.

S.30.4 Crop domestication
is favored by higher
competitiveness andresource-capture.
Rafael Rubio de Casas1, Irene MartínBrull1,2, Francisco J. Ocaña-Calahorro1
1 Departamento de Ecología, Universidad deGranada, Granada, Spain. 2 EEAD-CSIC, Zaragoza, Spain.
One of the open questions regarding the relationship between humans and plants is why sometaxa are domesticated and become crops whileother ecologically and morphologically similar
relatives are not. In all likelihood, this is mediatedby functional differences between crops and theirwild relatives. The identification of this key traits requires accounting for the divergence in ecologicaland demographic settings between natural populations and crop fields, in which interspecific density is much higher and diversity lower. Traits facilitating growth and survival under these conditions
might have thus been relevant for domestication.
Using a phylogenetically controlled experiment,
we investigated whether domestication might befacilitated by functional traits that increase survival and growth under high density, hyper-competitive conditions. We picked three important annual
legume crops, lentil (Lens sp.), grasspea (Lathyrussp.) and vetch (Vicia sp.) and measured traits that
determine competition (lodging; growth rate), resource acquisition (plant height; total aerial androot biomass) and yield (fruit no.). Bayesian models were fitted to these data to quantify the effectsof evolutionary divergence between close wildand domestic relatives, as well as between naturaland crop (landraces) populations of domesticated taxa. Our results showed important taxonomic
differences, likely reflective of different selection
pathways. Nevertheless, wild relatives consistently differed from their domesticated congeners incompetition and resource acquisition. Never-domesticated taxa consistently produced smaller,
slower-growing plants that were more prostrated
and allocated less biomass to roots. Conversely,
the effect of selection under domestication onvegetative traits was largely negligible, although
it appeared to have led to an increase in yield. We
conclude that, although domestication processes are always complex and case-dependent, theymight indeed favor taxa that are particularly com-108

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petitive and more effective in resource capture.
Subsequent selection under domestication may
have targeted reproductive traits (i.e., fruit andseed production).

S.30.5 Molecularauthentication,
quantification, and in vitro
production of metabolites
from different Swertia
species
Parthraj Kshirsagar1 Dnyanesh Chinte2
and Nikhil Gaikwad3
1 Department of Botany, Shri. Shivaji College Barshi, Dist-Solapur, India. 2 Department of Zoology, S.
M. Dnyandeo Mohekar College, Kalamb, Dist- Osmanabad, India. 3 Department of Botany, Shivaji
University Kolhapur, Dist-Kolhapur, India
Swertia is ethno-medicinally an important genus
belonging to the family Gentianaceae. Swertia chirayita is used as an imperative medicinal plant in
the Indian system of medicine. However, this species
has been frequently adulterated due to its high demand and scarcity. Authentication of this species
was needed to protect consumers and conservation measures and to find an alternative source. ITS
region proves a robust molecular marker for differ-

ing the S. chirayita from its related adulterant species. All barcoding regions indicate that S. chirayita
and S. minor both are more closely related thanother Swertia species. Swertiamarin and mangiferin
were estimated from different Swertia species andit was revealed that maximum swertiamarin andmangiferin content was found in S. chirayita, S. minor, and S. angustifolia species. Various extraction
methods like static extraction (SE), continuous shaking extraction (CSE), and ultrasonic extraction (USE)
were evaluated for increasing recovery % of swertiamarin and mangiferin from different Swertia species which revealed that SE was more proficient with24 h extraction gave the maximum recovery in S.
chirayita of swertiamarin (256.98 mg/g) and mangiferin (155.76 ± 7.78 mg/g). In vitro production ofswertiamarin from cell suspension cultures of S. minor was studied chitosan-treated (25 ppm) cell biomass accumulated higher contents of swertiamarinthan salicylic acid and methyl jasmonate. Findings
showed that DNA barcoding is an efficient tool forthe identification and authentication of S. chirayita.
S. minor is remarkably the best match for S. chirayita
as per molecular and phytochemical fingerprint isconcerned, suggesting an alternative for chirayita.
The described protocol can be effectively used forthe large-scale propagation, and exploitation of active compounds and will serve as a potential alternative to S. chirayita for the fulfillment of over-growing industrial requirements.

S.31 THE ANGIOSPERM REPRODUCTIVE
SPECTRUM FROM FLOWERS TO SEEDS.
SESSION 2
S.31.1 Variation in fruit andseed dimensions is better
explained by dispersal
system than by leaf size in a
tropical rainforest
Pablo R. Stevenson1, Diana C. AcostaRojas1, Sasha Cárdenas1, L. Francisco
Henao-Díaz1,2

1 Centro de Investigaciones Ecológicas La Macarena, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia. 2 Departmentof Ecology and Evolution, University of Chicago,
Chicago, IL, USA
Variation in fruit and seed traits could originate from selection pressures exerted by frugivores or other ecological factors (adaptive hypotheses) and developmental constraints (by-product hypotheses) or chance.
We evaluated fruit and leaf traits for nearly 850 plant
species from a rainforest in Tinigua Park, Colombia.
Through a series of linear regressions controlling for thephylogenetic signal of the traits (minimum N = 542), we

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tested (1) whether the allometry between seed widthand length depends on seed dispersal system (Mazer
and Wheelwright’s adaptive hypothesis of allometry forspecies dispersed in the guts of animals = endozoochory) and (2) whether fruit length is associated withleaf length (i.e., Herrera’s by-product hypothesis derived
from the assumption that both organs develop fromhomologous structures). First, we discovered a robust
negative allometric relationship between seed widthand length in endozoochorous species, aligning with
our expectations. Surprisingly, this association also held
true for anemochorous species. In addition, we founda positive relationship between fruit and leaf length,
but this relationship was not evident for zoochorous
species. Our findings lead us to the conclusion that theallometric relationship between seed length and width
exhibits variability among dispersal systems. This supports the notion that fruit and seed morphology has
undergone modifications due to interactions with frugivores and the unique adaptability to rotate, particularly
evident in certain wind-dispersed species.

allowed us to conclude that the flowers of these species go through: (1) migration of the nuclei of the megagametophyte, which reach the distal third portionof the style; (2) formation of a secretory parenchyma
associated with the vascular bundles of petals and stamens; and (3) growth of a sclerenchymatic structurethat delimits the megagametophyte in the flower andthe proembryo in the fruit. Conversely, the fruit formation follows: (1) development of the pendular embryo,facing the schlerenchymatic tissue, with a conspicuous
hypocotyl, and formation and expansion of the viscin in
the epicarp; (2) development of two foliose cotyledons
surrounded by massive endosperm (ruminate in Gaiadendron), and lack of seed coat; and 3) the fruit properis delimited by the vascular bundles of the gynoecium,and surrounded by a thick epicarp with extra-carpellary viscin. This work lays the foundation for comparative evo-devo studies on the genetic bases for ovule
reduction in hemiparasitic neotropical Santalales.

S.31.3 Anatomy andmicromorphology of thetwo genera with unusual
fruit type in Apiaceae(Echinophora andThecocarpus)

S.31.2 Morpho-anatomy of
the flower-to-fruit transition
in selected Andean
Loranthaceae
Valentina Botero-Castaño1, Favio
González2, Natalia Pabón-Mora1 *Golshan Zare1, Aslı Doğru-Koca2
1 Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of Pharmacy,
Hacettepe University, Ankara, Türkiye. 2 Laboratory of Plant Conservation & Phylogeny, Departmentof Biology, Faculty of Science, Hacettepe University,
Ankara, Turkey

1 Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia. 2
Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia *Author for correspondence: lucia.pabon@udea.edu.co
Loranthaceae (Santalales) is a family of hemiparasitic plants that exhibits unique structural modifications,such as: (1) structural reduction of the carpels, compensated by the formation of a massive hypanthium and(2) ategmic ovules, these reduced to the embryo sac;(3) migration of the embryo sac nuclei from the ovaryto the style and ectopic fertilization in the style, followedby the repositioning of the proembryo(s) to the ovarian
region; and (4) fruits developing from inferior ovaries
fused with the hypanthium, with abundant viscine. Other atypical features recorded include the presence ofdimorphic embryos (i.e., embryos have foliose or prismatic cotyledons) in the genus Psittacanthus and theabsence of endosperm described in Psittacanthus and
Aetanthus. Conventional serial sectioning of flowers
and fruits at different developmental stages of Aetanthus colombianus A.C. Sm., Gaiadendron punctatum(Ruiz & Pav.) G. Don., and Tristerix secundus (Benth.) Kuijt,

The genus Echinophora, with 10 species is represented in
Türkiye by six species, three of which are endemic. Thecocarpus carvifolius, is the only representative of the genus. Echinophora and Thecocarpus are closely related
genera with taxonomically controversial history, which
are placed in Echinophoreae. This tribe is characterized
by the remarkable structure of the fruiting umbellules.
In this tribe the umbellules have sessile solitary female
fruit in the centre, surrounded by the indurated pedicelsof the male flower. In this group, different parts of theumbellules take part in fruit formation and in these infructescence structures. The anatomical characters of
the fruit are widely used in the taxonomy of Apiaceae.
In this study detailed anatomical and micromorphological futures of 7 taxa were done in detail including; E.
tenuifolia, E. tournefortii, E. chrysantha, E. lamondiana, E.
tricophylla, E. orientais, T carvifolius. The relationships of110

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Echinophora and Thecocarpus species grown in Türkiye were discussed based on the micromorphology andanatomy of fruits of 7 species. Plant material was collected from different regions of Türkiye and free hand
sections were stained with astra blue and safranin. For
scanning electron microscopy, fruits were coated with
gold-palladium. We describe the range of variation in
the infructescence, to discuss the available taxonomic characters and elucidate micro-morphological andanatomical fruit structure. Echinophora mericarps isgenerally pyriform, glabrous or hairy, located inside
thickened structure called the cage or shell. Mericarps
contain two carpels or monocarpel by abortion, 6vittae
and carpophore. Stomata are absent in some species.
Theococarpus, fruits called false nuts are hardened,glabrous with two carpels, 4vittae, and carpophore andstomata are present. Fruit structure such as presence
and position of stomata, carpophore, vittae size, number and position provided valuable diagnostic characters in the taxonomy of these taxa.

presenting different patterns of succession that determine the general appearance of the plant. There
are two main types of inflorescences in Pleurothallidinae, these with single-flowered coflorescences that are dominant in early divergent clades, ant
the multi-flowered coflorescences, which dominate
higher clades. A general and practical classification is established for the different types of coflorescences according to the length and number offlowers produced

S.31.5 Evolution of seeddispersal modes in theOrchidaceae: has the
Vanilla mystery beensolved?
Adam P. Karremans1, Charlotte Watteyn2,
Daniela Scaccabarozzi3,4, Oscar A. PérezEscobar5 & Diego Bogarín1,6

S.31.4 Pleurothallidinae
inflorescences: Importanceof correct morphology
interpretation

1 Lankester Botanical Garden, University of Costa
Rica. P.O. Box 302-7050 Cartago, Costa Rica. 2 Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, KU
Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200E, P.O. Box 2411, Leuven,
Belgium. 3 Department of Ecology and Genetics,
Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden. 4 School ofMolecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, Australia. 5 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, UK. 6 Evolutionary Ecology Group, Naturalis
Biodiversity Center, CR Leiden, The Netherlands.

Gustavo Rojas-Alvarado1, Adam
Karremans1
1 Jardín Botánico Lankester, Universidad de Costa
Rica, Cartago, Costa Rica

Orchidaceae seeds are said to have the smallest
seeds among flowering plants. They lack an endosperm, and most have only a very small embryo withina thin, spindle-like, transparent seed coat. The seeds
are predominantly wind-dispersed, often developed
within dry, dehiscent fruits that typically release millionsof dust-like seeds into the air. Wind dispersal appears
to be a derived state in Orchidaceae and given its
predominance, a trait likely associated with enhanced
speciation rates. Animal-mediated seed dispersal isa lesser-known phenomenon in the family and predominantly occurs in groups belonging to early-diverging lineages bearing indehiscent, fleshy fruits withhard, rounded, dark seeds. Zoochory primarily occurs
in groups derived from early-diverging lineages; occasional reversions suggest a link between dispersal
mode and fruit and seed traits. Among the zoochrous
groups of orchids, genus Vanilla is the most predominant. The more than 120 species of Vanilla are native to
the Tropical regions of Asia, Africa and America where
they grow as climbing vines. Vanillin, the organic com-

Despite its great relevance, the study of the inflorescence from a typological point of view generally
goes unnoticed in taxonomy, which is fundamental for the comparison of structural elements of thesame origin. Pleurothallidinae is the most diverse
subtribe in Orchidaceae is not the exception, its typology inflorescence remains largely unexplored,
causing incorrect interpretations of its structuresand misapplication of terms. The morphology ofPleurothallidinae inflorescences is clearly illustrated
by photographs and diagrams, and it is analyzed
and discussed from a typological point of view,
based on the detailed study of structural elementsof living material, including more than 82% of genera of the subtribe. The study shows that the subtribe presents a generalized type of inflorescences
formed by an abbreviated peduncle and branchsystem that cannot be seen with the naked eye,which is an uncommon condition in other orchid´sgroups. Each branch may produce coflorescencesof different lengths with one or multiple flowers, also111

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tanical Garden Research Center, University of Costa Rica *Corresponding author: nicolas.rengifo@
ucr.ac.cr

pound responsible for the much appreciated vanilla
aroma, is synthesized naturally only in the fruits of certain Neotropical species belonging to this genus. This,and related, aromatic compounds play a pivotal rolein the multimodal seed dispersal. Ectozoochory occurs
in dry, dehiscent fruits, whose seeds are dispersed by(i) male euglossine bees collecting the fruit’s vanillin
aromatic compounds and (ii) female stingless bees
collecting the fruit’s mesocarp. Endozoochory occursin (iii) highly nutritious, indehiscent fruits consumed
by terrestrial mammals or (iv) fleshy, dehiscent fruits
whose mesocarp is consumed by arboreal mammals.
Interestingly, fruits features, such as dehiscence andfleshiness lack phylogenetic signal in Vanilla despite
their role in determining dispersal modes, suggesting
potential environmental adaptability.

Orchids are one of the most diverse groups of plants,
with sophisticated reproductive mechanisms thathave allowed the diversification of niches and pollinators, such as Euglossini bees. The study of the reproductive phenology of orchids by means of bee bodypollinaria provides a clear understanding of the interaction between plants and pollinators. Also, many bee
species have a different phenology in certain ecosystems, which puts pressure on orchids that depend onthese pollinators for reproduction. The objective of thiswork was to characterize the reproductive phenology
of orchids and the Euglossini pollinator bee community. The work was carried out at La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica. During one-year, monthly samplingsof three days were carried out, using different chemical attractants to attract Euglossini males, and only
those observed with pollinaria or accessory structureson their bodies were captured. The orchid pollinators
were identified at the Lankester Botanical Garden andthe bees at the School of Biology, University of Costa
Rica. Gongora and Euglossa were the most abundantorchid and bee genera. During the dry season, theabundance of bees was higher than during the rainyseason. and the species in flowering vary significantly
from season to season, as do the species of bees. This
work presents the first bipartite network between orchids and Euglossini bees, considering the two climatic seasons of the year.

S.31.6 Disentangling
the Orchid-Euglossiniinteraction networks in thetropical forest in Costa Rica
Rengifo Alfonso Nicolás1*, Fernández
Otárola Mauricio2,3, Hanson, Paul2.
Karremans, Adam3
1 Graduate Biology Program, University of Costa
Rica. 2 School of Biology, University of Costa Rica.
3 Center for Research in Biodiversity and Tropical
Ecology, University of Costa Rica. 4 Lankester Bo-

S.32 ADVANCES IN SEED CONSERVATION OF
WILD SPECIES. SESSION 2
S.32.1 Are seeds of today’s
endangered plants readyfor tomorrow’s climatechange challenges?

also seed to seedling transitions via germination.
Important plant life history stages such as seeddevelopment on mother plants and seedling establishment are crucial to sustaining life on Earth.
Yet human induced climate change continues toinfluence thresholds regulating plant regeneration from seeds. Additionally, many of the predicted impacts of climate change may push seeds
beyond limits established during their recent evolutionary history. This predicament may be magnified for seeds of endangered plants and raises
a series of important questions. Are the seeds oftoday’s endangered plants ready for the climate
challenges of tomorrow? How will seeds have toadapt to climate change? Are we expecting too

Héctor E. Pérez1
1 Environmental Horticulture Department, University
of Florida, Gainesville, USA
Seeds operate in a world of physiological limits
established by abiotic and biotic factors. Theselimits represent thresholds that govern not onlyin planta development of high-quality seeds but

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much from seeds given the potential for increasing levels of stress that may keep seeds at operational limits? This presentation explores thosequestions by first discussing projected impacts ofclimate change. It then overlays a current synthesis of seed responses to predicted climate-induced stressors. We conclude with perspectives
that may contribute to development of adaptive
solutions for endangered species while calling for
more attention to seed biology especially in a climate change context.

ment, while germination rates exhibited sub-optimal tendencies under temperatures exceeding thespecies’ native range. The timing of germination
decreased in correlation with rising spring temperatures, with a projected germination occurrence in 2080 anticipated to be 12 days earlier thanthe present timeframe in central Iberia. Elevatedspring temperatures significantly expedite the germination process of recalcitrant Mediterranean
species, potentially influencing the developmental
environment of seedlings and, consequently, theregeneration and species composition of populations. Consequently, germination timing deserves
greater consideration in scientific and stakeholder discourse and should be integrated into forest
vulnerability assessments and assisted migration
programs designed to foster long-term forest adaptation to climate change.

S.32.2 Elevated spring
temperatures promotepremature germinationin range-wide cork oak
populations

S.32.3 Functional traits
at the service of seed
conservation in Brazilian
open ecosystems

Marta Benito Garzón1, Fany Baillou1, Filipe
Costa e Silva2, Carla Faria2, Maurizio
Marchi3, Giovanni Giuseppe Vendramin3,
Natalia VizcaínoPalomar4
1 BIOGECO INRAE, UMR 1202, University of Bordeaux,Pessac, France. 2 Centro de Estudos Florestais, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, Tapada da Ajuda, Lisbon, Portugal. 3 Florence
Research Area, CNR-Institute of Biosciences and
BioResources, Sesto Fiorentino, FI, Italy. 4 ICIFOR,
INIA-CSIC, Madrid, Spain

Carlos A. Ordóñez-Parra1,2, Lara AmaralGarcia2, Rafael Figueiredo2, Fernando A.O.
Silveira2
1. Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade
Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil. 2
Centro de Síntese Ecológica e Conservação - CSEC,
Departamento de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução,Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

Climate change is facilitating the northward migration of Mediterranean oak species, leading to
an expansion of their distribution at their leadingedges. Nevertheless, Mediterranean oaks possess
desiccation-sensitive acorns that lack the ability
to form seed banks, relying instead on post-seedfall climate conditions and the interplay of genetic determinants for germination. In this study, weinvestigate Quercus suber populations’ potential
adaptation to rising spring temperatures in germination timing and rates. A total of 701 acorns from 9
populations, with 10 mother trees each, were sownat temperatures of 15, 20, and 25 °C, with daily monitoring of germination over a 90-day period. Germination timing was modeled using Cox’s proportional-hazards models. Populations’ adaptation to
the transfer distances associated with spring temperature changes and germination climatic niches
under current and the RCP 8.5 scenario for the year
2080 were assessed using fixed-effects models.
Variations in germination timing were attributed
to both population origin and temperature treat-

Seed-based conservation and restoration are increasingly recognised as cost-effective strategies
to protect biodiversity and restore degraded ecosystems. Both strategies depend on seeds’ ability
to remain viable in medium- to long-term storage,
which, in turn, is directly related to seeds’ desiccation tolerance —a trait whose assessment is highly
time-consuming and challenging to scale to various species. To overcome this shortfall, trait-basedmodels to predict desiccation tolerance using easyto-measure traits, such as seed mass and moisture
content, have been proposed. Here, we used thesemodels to explore the potential of seed conservation in two hyperdiverse yet threatened open ecosystems in Brazil: rock outcrop vegetation and the
Cerrado, with the ultimate goal of delivering knowledge about native seed conservation and building
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ration projects. For rock outcrop vegetation, we built
a database of 16 seed traits for 383 species. Unfortunately, data on desiccation tolerance was available
for only 34 species, all of them producing orthodox
seeds. Still, the available information for seed massand moisture content for 87 species indicates a highpotential for seed conservation, as suggested by the
few empirical studies available for these and similar ecosystems worldwide. An ongoing project in the
Cerrado is assessing seed desiccation tolerance in
84 species —56 of them with unknown storage behaviour— currently commercialised by local communities in Central Brazil. This species pool includes
groups whose seed desiccation tolerance has been
little studied, such as perennial grasses, which area fundamental element of Cerrado plant communities. Ongoing data collection will be comparedwith the predictions of global trait-based models
to assess whether these models produce accurate
predictions of seed desiccation tolerance and, thus,
used as a tool to facilitate the seed conservation
work currently carried out by local communities.

storage in gene banks. Additionally, our analysis ofhabitat features and seed longevity data using Ellenberg indicator values (EIVs) aims to unveil why
particular habitats favor short-lived or long-lived
plant species. Our focus within Bavaria, Germany includes understanding how species, including
those stored in projects like Bayern Arche establish their abundance in specific habitats based onseed longevity and environmental factors. This research endeavors to establish a direct connection
between seed viability and essential traits, providing valuable insights to optimize seed conservation
strategies and improve species selection for storage in seed banks.

S.32.4 Enhancing Seed
Conservation Strategies
for Rare and EndangeredPlant Species in Bavaria,
Germany: Insights from
Trait-Based Seed Longevity

Daniel Ballesteros1,2, Rida Ajmal2, Antonia
Martin2, Marina López-Pozo3, Davide
Gerna2, Christina Walters4, Hugh W.
Pritchard5

S.32.5 Green and fattyarchitecture: howchlorophyll, fatty acids andantioxidants modulate
ageing rates in dry seeds

1 University of Valencia, Burjassot, Spain. 2 Royal
Botanic Gardens, Kew, Wakehurst Place, UK. 3 University of the Basque Country, Vizcaya, Spain. 4 USDA-Agriculture Research Service, Fort Collins, USA.
5 Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China

Deshika Muthuthanthirige1, Peter
Poschlod1

Orthodox seeds, when dry, solidify their cell’saqueous cytoplasm forming a glass (i.e., an
amorphous non-crystalline solid) where mostbiochemical reactions are inhibited. However,ageing is not completely stopped at this quiescent state and slowly progress mainly via oxidative reactions. Seed ageing kinetics is species dependant, but the causes for these differences are
not well known. However, it has been well characterized that the seeds of some particular species
age faster than the average. For example, “green
seeds” - i.e., those containing chlorophyll at maturity, generally in fully developed chloroplasts age fast at any storage temperature, like thosefrom Salicaceae species. In addition, diverse “fatty (oily) seeds” age abnormally fast when stored
to high subzero temperatures, as those standard
in seeds bank (e.g., -20°C). The causes for the
faster ageing rates in these two particular seedtypes have been related to specific reactions

1 Institute of Plant Sciences, Faculty of Biology andPreclinical Medicine, University of Regensburg, Regensburg Germany
The rapid changes in the environment due to human activities and climate shifts pose a significant threat to the habitats of rare and endangered
plant species, pushing them closer to extinction. It
remains crucial to preserve these species to uphold the functioning of ecosystems. Our objective is
to comprehend the impact of traits like seed morphology and physiology in endangered species on
their capacity to endure extended storage periods.
By investigating the relationship between these
traits and seed longevity, especially in habitats likeless fertile soils or transitional zones, our aim is toenhance the prioritization of in situ protection oralternative conservation cultures for certain species, as well as those suitable for long-term ex situ

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modulated by their “dry architecture” (Ballesteros
et al., 2020). In other words, the particular physical-chemical properties of the cell cytoplasm of“green” or “fatty” seeds when dry and stored to
low temperatures strongly influences their ageing
kinetics. This influence is focused in two aspects:(1) the source of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS),
the target of oxidative reactions, and the antioxidant potential, and (2) the differential physicalchanges occurring in the glassy aqueous phaseof the cytoplasm and the lipid oil droplets distributed therein. In this talk we review the state ofart of ageing kinetics in dry seeds with green andfatty architectures. Moreover, we show recent
advances on our understanding of this topic using both multicellular seeds but also fern spores
as a unicellular model. References: Ballesteros
D, Pritchard HW, Walters C. (2020). Dry architecture: towards the understanding of the variationof longevity in desiccation-tolerant germplasm.
Seed Science Research 30(2): 142-155.

We present SeedArc, a global initiative to mobilize
seed germination data that has been produced
by decades of studies on seed ecology and conservation. Seed germination is a key stage in aplant’s life that is controlled by numerous environmental conditions. Yet, significant amounts ofdata on germination-environment relationships
remain inaccessible and many plant lineages andbiomes are underrepresented. Since available information is scattered into a multitude of sourcesand germination metrics, there is a need for a unified open-science database to archive and shareprimary seed germination data. To meet this needand to stimulate continental and global eco-evolutionary research, we introduce SeedArc, a global
archive of primary seed germination data (www.
unioviedo.es/seedarc/;
https://doi.org/10.1111/
nph.19143). We expect SeedArc to strengthen international collaborative projects in plant science,
connecting the seed research community withother data synthesis initiatives. In this session, we
demonstrate SeedArc’s potential to address major
research questions in seed ecology and describe
the process for submitting your germination dataand participating in collaboration. Most importantly, we extend an open invitation to all holdersof seed germination data to submit data and collaborate on SeedArc research projects exploringseed ecology and evolution.

S.32.6 Call for data sharing
and an open invitation
to join SeedArc, a global
archive of primary seedgermination data
Eduardo Fernández Pascual1, Angelino
Carta2, Sergey Rosbakh3, Lydia Guja4,5,
Shyam S. Phartyal6, Fernando A.O.
Silveira7, Si-Chong Chen8,9, Julie E Larson10,
Borja Jiménez-Alfaro1
1 IMIB Biodiversity Research Institute (University of
Oviedo - CSIC - Principality of Asturias), Universityof Oviedo, Spain. 2 Department of Biology, Botany
Unit, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy. 3 Department ofPlant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, DK Frederiksberg C, Denmark. 4 National Seed Bank, Australian National Botanic Gardens,
Parks Australia, Acton, ACT, Australia. 5 Centre forAustralian National Biodiversity Research, CSIRO,
Acton, ACT, Australia. 6 School of Ecology and Environment Studies, Nalanda University, Rajgir, India.
7 Department of Genetics, Ecology and Evolution,Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte,
Brazil. 8 Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China. 9 Millennium Seed
Bank, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Wakehurst, UK. 10
USDA Agricultural Research Service, Eastern Oregon
Agricultural Research Center, Burns, OR, US

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S.33 MECHANISMS AND CONSEQUENCES
OF DISPERSAL IN LAND PLANTS: TOWARDS A
MORE UNIVERSAL UNDERSTANDING. SESSION 2
S.33.1 Drift in the tropics:
Phylogenetics andbiogeographical patterns in
Combretaceae

family, with minimal transitions between different biomes. Our findings indicate that drift fruits, dispersing
seeds by water, played a critical role in colonising newcontinental lands. Conversely, biome shifts appear unaffected by dispersal strategies. The study highlights a
dispersal mode paradox, wherein specialised modes ofseed dispersal can facilitate intercontinental dispersal
but limit colonisation of new biomes and strengthen
biome conservatism. Our study emphasises the implications for species preservation in changing environments and the importance of understanding therelationship between plant distribution and dispersal
modes for effective conservation efforts.

Olivier Maurin1, Artemis Anest2,3,4, Félix
Forest1, Ian Turner5,6, Russell L. Barrett7,
Robyn C. Cowan1, Lijia Wang8, Kyle
W. Tomlinson2,9, Tristan CharlesDominique4,10
1 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey,
UK. 2 Center for Integrative Conservation, Yunnan Key Laboratory for Conservation of TropicalRainforests and Asian Elephants, Xishuangbanna
Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of
Sciences, Mengla, Menglun, Yunnan, China. 3 University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing,
China. 4 AMAP, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE,
IRD, Montpellier, France. 5 Singapore Botanic Gardens, National Parks Board, Singapore, Singapore.
6 Singapore Botanical Liaison Officer, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, UK. 7 National
Herbarium of New South Wales, Australian Botanic
Garden, Mount Annan, New South Wales, Australia. 8 University of Michigan School of Public Health,Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA. 9 Center of Conservation
Biology, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, Menglun, Yunnan, China.
10 Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique(CNRS), Sorbonne University, Paris, France

S.33.2 Unraveling theevolutionary history of
island floras on the world’s
most isolated archipelagos.
Ángela Aguado-Lara1,2*, Isabel
Sanmartín2, Johannes Le Roux3, Carlos
García-Verdugo4, Sonia Molino5,6, Bettine
Jansen van Vuuren7, Mario Mairal1.
1 Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid,
Spain. 2 Real Jardín Botánico (CSIC), Madrid, Spain.
3 Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia. 4 Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain. 5 Universidad
Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain 6 Universidad
Europea de Madrid, Madrid, Spain. 7 University of
Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa.

Certain plant clades are distributed across every continent, occupying various contrasting biomes. Withinthese globally distributed clades, the ecologically dominant Combretaceae family shows intercontinental disjunctions. Fruit morphology in Combretaceae suggests
various seed dispersal modes, potentially explaining
the observed geographical patterns. To enhance ourunderstanding of the mechanisms that have facilitated such distribution, this study explores the dispersal
strategies of the Combretaceae family, the acquisitionof new modes throughout their evolutionary history,
and their impact on present and past plant biogeography. The study integrates data on natural distribution,
biomes, and dispersal types into comparative phylogenetic analyses. Estimates of the ancestral distributionof Combretaceae suggest a Gondwanan origin for thisThe sub-Antarctic archipelagos are some of the mostremote and semi-pristine insular habitats in the world.
The diverse array of ages of these archipelagos, combined with the large distances between them and to
the nearest landmasses, create an exciting area for
exploring austral biogeography. This includes phenomena such as extreme long-distance dispersal andcolonization, facilitated by marine currents across theSouthern Hemisphere. Understanding these dynamics
requires reconstructing the patterns and processes
explaining biodiversity assembly in the sub-Antarctic
archipelagos involved in the sub-Antarctic region. To
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arctic region we examined four vascular plant species
exhibiting different modes of dispersal which are widespread across the region and nearby austral continents, along with three species restricted to a very
remote sub-Antarctic province: the Southern Indian
Ocean Biogeographic Province (SIOBP). We generated and compiled nuclear and plastid DNA sequence
data for each species and estimated phylogenetic
relationships, divergence times, inter-island migration
rates and island carrying capacities. Our findings reveal that the nearby continental landmasses (SouthAmerica, Australia or New Zealand) acted as sourceareas for the dispersal of these widespread vascularplant species to the sub-Antarctic archipelagos. Thisconnection persisted for millions of years, spanningfrom the Miocene to the present day, and may havebeen driven by the eastward-moving winds and water currents, supporting long-distance dispersal as a
key biogeographic process in this region. In addition,
the isolation of the sub-Antarctic archipelagos played
a role in the origin of endemics restricted to remoteislands. Overall, our study suggests that the sub-Antarctic islands have served as important biodiversity
refuges from the Miocene to recent times, emphasizing the need to establish priority conservation plans
for these habitats, particularly in light of rapid climatechange throughout this region.

20 Mya . Since the onset of the Mediterranean climate,laurel forests only persisted in Macaronesia, where theoceanic environment buffered the climatic oscillationsof the Pleistocene, and where these forest ecosystems
are closely associated with the elevational belt of orographic cloud formation. The Macaronesian laurel
forest harbors an exceptionally high diversity of bryophytes, with approximately 33 threatened endemic
bryophyte species, the majority of which are dioecious.
Dioecious bryophyte species often face challenges insexual reproduction. Traditionally, asexual reproductionis thought to help maintain well-adapted phenotypes
in stable environments, while sexual reproduction enhances genetic variability, increasing the population’s
chances of survival in new colonizing areas or during
periods of environmental change. In contrast to flowering plants, most dioecious bryophytes exhibit a female
bias among sex-expressing individuals. However, in a
few cases, sex ratios have been found to be evenly balanced or that there is a male bias, as demonstrated
in population studies of leafy liverworts. A significantly
broader taxonomic range of moss species has been
examined, but there is a noticeable lack of data forleafy liverworts. This research will be the first to investigate patterns of sex expression in Macaronesian laurel
forest endemic bryophytes. Through the integration ofdata obtained from fieldwork conducted on the islandsof Madeira and Tenerife, along with herbarium material(AZU, C, E, LD, LISU, E, TFC, VAL), we aim to examine thepatterns of sex expression and sex ratio in four laurel
forest bryophytes (Exsertotheca intermedia [endemic], Frullania polysticta [endemic], Frullania teneriffae,
Porella canariensis), exploring their implications for effective sexual reproduction across their entire range.

S.33.3 Patterns of sex
expression and sex ratiowith focus on insular
bryophytes
Anabela Martins1, Jairo Patiño2, Ana
Losada-Lima3, Manuela Sim-Sim1,4

S.33.4 The ultimate
dispersers? How dispersal
has shaped global patternsof fern biodiversity

1 cE3c - Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes & CHANGE - Global Change andSustainability Institute /MUHNAC - Museu Nacionalde História Natural e da Ciência, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal. 2 Island Ecology and Evolution
Research Group. Instituto de Productos Naturales y
Agrobiología (CSIC). La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain. 3 Departamento de Botánica, Ecología yFisiología Vegetal, Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain 4. cE3c - Centre for Ecology, Evolution andEnvironmental Changes & CHANGE - Global Change
and Sustainability Institute, Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade deLisboa, Campo Grande, Lisboa, Portugal

Emily B. Sessa1, Weston L. Testo2, Cody C.
Howard3
1 William & Lynda Steere Herbarium, New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY, USA. 2 Department of Plant
Biology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA. 3
Department of Plant Biology, Ecology, and Evolution,
Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA
Fern life cycles are characterized in part by their reliance on spores as the primary unit of dispersal. Unlike seeds, which may be a variety of sizes and often
rely on animals to assist with dispersal, fern spores

Oceanic islands host remarkable biodiversity richness
and represent important hotspots. Laurel forests are
the relicts of an evergreen humid forest community,
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Dryopteris, and families like Blechnaceae) and how
their evolutionary history has been shaped by long
distance dispersal. We also discuss the implications
for various biogeographical patterns as they apply
to ferns, such as island biogeography, classical examples of disjunct distributions, and fern species’
ability to colonize of newly available habitats

are almost uniformly microscopic and wind dispersed, and as a result, these plants have long beenrecognized as being exceptional long-distance dispersers. We explore the consequences of this dispersal ability for fern distribution and natural history, focusing on recent studies of globally dispersed
groups (including genera such as Asplenium andS.34 FLORAL SPECIALIZATION AND THE
GENERALISED NATURE OF POLLINATIONINTERACTIONS. SESSION 2
S.34.1 The role of pollinator
generalization in coflowering community
assemblylen co-transport. Specifically, pollen co-transport networks revealed differences in the number and identityof competitors that pollen species encounter on insect
bodies across pollinator taxa. Pollen co-transport networks were modular, indicating some pollen species interact more often on the bodies of pollinators than others. Differences in pollinator generalization can lead tovastly different competitive landscapes during pollentransport and deposition, with important consequences for plant community assembly.

Gerardo Arceo-Gomez1
1 East Tennessee State University, Tennessee, USA
Pollinators can play a key role in the assembly of plantcommunities. Due their ability to carry and disperse
pollen among flowers they are central in mediating
facilitative and competitive plant-plant interactions.
These interactions can be direct (via pollen interactions on the stigma) or indirect (by altering pollinatorvisitation). However, their underlying complexity andtheir relative role in mediating the assembly of highly diverse plant communities is not fully known. To thisend, we collected data on floral traits, phenology andpollinator visitation for over 40 plant species at theserpentine plant communities in California and used
network tools to uncover novel patterns of co-flowering and trait structure to help elucidate the role of pollinator generalization in co-flowering assembly. Results
show plant species are differentially assembled along
multiple trait-axes (flower color and flowering time) depending on the efficiency and specialization level of themain pollinator groups. The assembly of plant species
along multiple axes of trait differentiation limits pollinator sharing (competition) and contributes to the maintenance of diverse co-flowering communities. We further collected over 1000 flower visiting insects and plantstyles and characterized pollen loads on insect bodies
and flower stigmas. We reveal the importance of direct pollen-pollen interactions in community assembly,
not only of those that occur on the stigma, but also of
those that take place on pollinators bodies during pol-S.34.2 Unravelingurbanization: a tropicalperspective on pollinators,
plants, and interactions
Victor H. D. Silva1, Ingrid N. Gomes1, Pietro
K. Maruyama1
1 Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
Urbanization is a major threat to pollination, due
to the transformation of natural landscapes into
urban matrices. Previous studies indicate thathighly urbanized areas have a higher negative
effect on pollinators and their interactions withflowers. However, most of this information comesfrom non-tropical regions, emphasizing the needfor studies in the tropics. Here, we evaluated theimpact of urbanization on the richness of pollinators, plants, and interactions in a large tropicalmetropolis, across twelve sampling points withvarying levels of impervious surface. Over a oneyear period, we conducted monthly visits to eachof these points, sampling over 1 km transects.

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During these visits, we observed and recorded
all flowering plants, as well as interactions with
pollinators. Throughout the study, we recorded
7,603 plants-pollinators interactions, involving
234 plant and 217 pollinator species. Urbanization did not influence pollinator (pseudoR2= 0.154;
p=0.151) and interaction richness; (pseudoR2=
0.083; p=0.311), but it negatively influenced plant
richness (pseudoR2= 0.357; p = 0.0129). Analyzing
seasonal variation, we observed that plant, pollinator, and interaction richness were significantly
higher in the rainy season compared to the dry
season (t = 3.69, W = 125, W = 127; p<0.001, respectively). The plant species most frequently visited
included Sphagneticola trilobata, Tridax procumbens, Leucanthemum vulgare, and Psychotria
carthagenensis. During the rainy season, Sphagneticola trilobata (a native species) emerged as
the predominant resource for pollinators, whilein the dry season, Tridax procumbens (non-native) took precedence. With the exception of Psychotria carthagenensis (Rubiaceae), all otherfrequently visited flowers belong to Asteraceae.
These findings offer crucial insights into the impact of urbanization on biodiversity and ecosystem dynamics, with important implications forbiodiversity conservation in tropical cities. Additionally, they underscore the substantial potentialof Asteraceae plants and non-native species insupporting pollinators in urban areas.

erating the striking spatially structured floral variation that characterises the annual Dimorphotheca
daisy complex in South Africa. First we show thatthe system is underlain by a weak spatial pollinatormosaic because all morphotypes interact strongly
with a core group of widespread visitors, with use of
these pollinators tracking their relative availability incommunities, both within and across morphotype
ranges. However, each morphotype is associatedwith some unique and effective pollinating species
that are distributed in a largely qualitative spatial
mosaic corresponding to floral morphotype distributions. Field experiments with model inflorescences suggest that, while the core pollinators are notexerting selection, the unique species in the assemblage are selecting on divergent trait phenotypes.
Although evidence of trade-offs in pollinator use
is limited, divergent floral phenotypes do produce
weak but significant pollinator partitioning, and thus
ethological isolation, in sympatry. While these results
largely align with the adaptive wandering model offloral divergence, the fact that spatially discrete floral variation is underlain by largely qualitative gradients in the availability of a small subset of effective pollinators exerting selection on divergent floral
traits is akin to the pollinator-shift model. Against
the background of a core widespread generalist
pollinator community, our results suggest that relative fitness gains associated with traits improving
attraction and effective use of additional range-restricted pollinator species may explain the evolutionof floral diversity in Dimorphotheca.

S.34.3 Do pollinator shifts
or adaptive wandering
explain floral divergence ingeneralist Dimorphothecadaisies?

S.34.4 A mosaic of local
pollinator assemblages
underlies floral trait
divergence in a pollinationgeneralized plant.

Arjan Engelen1, Allan G. Ellis1
1 Stellenbosch University, Western Cape, South Africa

Felipe Torres-Vanegas1, Vanda
Temesvári1, Magne Friberg1, Øystein H.
Opedal1

While pollinator-mediated selection undoubtedly contributes to diversification of plants with specialised pollination phenotypes, its importance ingeneralist plants is less clear. The adaptive wandering model of floral diversification posits that floral divergence in generalists, occurring in response
to selection across quantitative pollinator mosaics,
does not result in the trade-off in pollinator use (i.e.,
ecological specialisation) that is the hallmark of thealternate, pollinator-shift model. Here we test theimportance of these alternate mechanisms in gen-

1 Department of Biology, Biodiversity Unit, Lund University. Lund, Sweden. SE.
Pollinators are a fundamental driver of the diversification of floral traits. Indeed, the astonishing diversityof floral traits represent, in part, an adaptation to the
behavioural preferences and functional characteristics of the associated pollinators. The composition of
the local pollinator assemblage is expected to differ

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across the distribution range of a particular plant species, with the potential to generate a geographic mosaic of divergent patterns of phenotypic selection thatcan represent an avenue of adaptation to the local
pollinator assemblage. Thus, studies that relate geographical variation in floral traits to the distinct regimesof phenotypic selection exerted by the local pollinatorassemblage are fundamental to understand the interplay between microevolution and macroevolution.
This is particularly relevant for generalized plant-pollinator interactions, where a particular plant interacts
with a broad range of pollinators. Here, we evaluatedwhether geographical variation in the compositionof the local pollinator assemblage can establish distinct regimes of phenotypic selection and underlie thepatterns of divergence in floral traits of Viscaria vulgaris. We observed a taxonomically and functionallybroad range of diurnal and nocturnal pollinators thatprimarily included bumblebees, honeybees, solitarybees, syrphid flies, butterflies, and moths. We detected
geographical variation in the composition of the local
pollinator assemblage and the strength and directionof phenotypic selection on particular floral traits. Despite generalized plant-pollinator interactions, we detected that the observed variation in floral traits was
associated with divergence in the composition of thelocal pollinator assemblage. We argue that generalized plant-pollinator interactions can exert phenotypic
selection on floral traits and that distinct local pollinator assemblages can underlie the patterns of divergence in floral traits. Together, these outcomes indicate that specialized plant-pollinator interactions are
not required to generate and maintain the diversity ofparticular floral traits.

flowering. Consequently, plants have evolved strategies to minimize heterospecific pollen transfer (HPT)
and ensure efficient pollination. While floral trait diversity
has been well-studied for its role in generating specialized interactions, the role of pollinators in maintaining
this diversity is often overlooked. We investigated theforaging behavior of native pollinators in highly diverse,annually flowering, herbaceous communities of the
Sky-islands of northern Western Ghats. We assessedfloral abundance using a transect method across theflowering season to understand: i) the extent of flowering synchrony with respect to floral color and shape,and ii) shifts in plant-pollinator interactions as flowering phenology changed. Additionally, we examinedthe degree of floral constancy displayed by the mostdominant pollinator group—bees—to assess the effectof floral traits and their abundance within a patch in aheterogeneous community. Despite the high species
diversity in these seasonal communities, we found thatthe community as a whole exhibits higher asynchrony
in its flowering phenology, potentially reducing competition for shared pollinators. Interestingly, while generalized interactions dominate at the landscape-level,
our study revealed that pollinators display high floral
constancy towards the most abundant species withina patch. This observation was further supported by thedominance of uni-floral pollen in their loads, highlighting the critical role of individual foragers in preventing
HPT and maintaining floral diversity. Our findings unveil
the paradox between floral specialization and generalised interactions by showing the presence of low HPTand specialized response of individual pollinators to locally abundant species in a hyper-diverse community
with generalised network

S.34.5 Unveiling theparadox: specialized
individuals shape
generalised networks inseasonal herbaceous
communities of Indian Skyislands

S.34.6 Pollination of
Dipcadi saxorum Blatt.
(Asparagaceae: Scilloideae)

Sukhraj Kaur1, Vinita Gowda1

Dipcadi Medik. (Asparagaceae: Scilloideae), comprises of 44 species distributed in Africa, S. Europe up to
Indian Subcontinent. In India, the genus is represented
by 13 species and 2 varieties. The genus is characterised by bulbous geophyte plants, bearing long linear
flat or channelled leaves, white-green-brick red tubular-campanulate flowers, emitting sweet-foul odour,

Suchandra R. Dutta1, Hensal S. Rodrigues1,
Kiran G. Chakral1
1 Department of Botany, R. D. & S. H. National College & S. W. A. Science College, Bandra (West),
Mumbai, India

1 Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhopal, India
Floral traits are recognised to play a key role in attracting pollinators, and the competition for limited pollinator
resources can negatively impact a plant’s reproductive
fitness, especially in communities with synchronous120

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June-August for a period of 2 years from 2020 to 2022.
Our work deals with pollination of Dipcadi saxorum. The
flowers are nocturnal, producing scent and nectar atnightfall which extends up till morning attracting many
visitors. The study concludes that the species is self-incompatible, and that the foul-acrid odour it produces
is majorly because of aldehydes and esters. Settling
moths, Heliothus peltigera, Chrysodexis acuta and hovering moths, Macroglossum stellatarum and Cephanodes hylas are the pollinators of D. saxorum.

some odourless. Initially, pollination in Hyacinthaceae(now Scilloideae) was known by bees, birds, butterflies,
moths and rodents. Studies of pollination biology on
members from Tribe Dipcadieae Speta ex J.C. Manning& Goldblatt, had not been undertaken until Manning etal. brought forth the pollination of Dipcadi brevifolium(Thunb.) Fourc. by owlet moth Cornutiplusia circumflexa(L., 1767) Syn: Syngrapha circumflexa (L.) (Noctuidae)
from Africa. Scientific study on Pollination of Indian Dipcadi is carried out by the in Mumbai suburban districts,
Maharashtra, India during the flowering season from

S.35 METAL HYPERACCUMULATORS: NEW
ADVANCES ON A BOTANICAL CURIOSITY.
SESSION 2
S.35.1 Tomographic
adventures in the seleniumenriched phloem sinks of a
hyperaccumulator

form (selenocystathioinine), concentrating excessive
Se can be a metabolically costly and risky process. Recently we have been able to use cutting edge X-Ray
Fluorescence Tomographic Imaging at the German
Synchrotron (DESY) to examine the tissue distribution of Se in phloem sinks. These tissues, such as the
youngest developing leaves, apical meristem and root
tips, would have been difficult to hand section without
damaging the tissues or losing any phloem-bound Se.
It was found that Se is present in the epidermis of theyoungest leaves – unlike maturing leaves, less Se could
be found in the vascular tissues of these developing
organs. In contrast, the root tips showed ubiquitous Se
concentrations in the ground meristem, with a gradualconcentration of Se in vascular tissues as they begin todevelop. Analysis of this distribution can reveal interesting implications about the mechanisms of Se cycling inthis plant, as well as the evolutionary advantages of Se
hyperaccumulation.

Maggie-Anne Harvey1, Jeroen van derWoude1, Ai Lin1, Abel Muller1, Cyril Stevens1,
Mirko Salinitro2, Dennis Brueckner3, Hugh
H. Harris4, Kathryn M. Spiers3, James H.
Lovett4, Antony van der Ent1
1 Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands. 2 University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy. 3 Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron
DESY, Hamburg, Germany. 4 The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia.
Selenium (Se) is an element beneficial but not essential to plant nutrition, and soils enriched with Se are
typically hostile to plant growth and induce toxicity.
Uniquely adapted hyperaccumulator plants are capable of growing on these enriched soils and accumulating rather extreme concentrations of Se in theirtissues, without exhibiting serious toxicity. In Australia,
the legume Neptunia amplexicaulis was found growing
on seleniferous soils with >4400 μg Se g-1 in its tissues,
and under controlled conditions this plant is capableof concentrating up to 13,600 μg Se g-1 in the youngest
leaves. This plant has been shown to retain and circulate its accumulated Se, concentrating Se in phloem
sinks such as developing tissues and recycling Se asthese phloem sinks become phloem sources. While
Se is generally metabolized into a non-toxic organic

S.35.2 Screening for metal
hyperaccumulators - Ananalysis of herbarium
material from Angola
Tom Morgenstern1
1 Institute of Botany, Faculty of Botany, Technical
University Dresden, Germany
For the research on hyperaccumulator plants and theiruses in phytomining, phytoremediation of soils andmany other applications one crucial part is the iden-

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tification of species which are able to hyperaccumulate metals. To date there is some research done in the
Democratic Republic of the Kongo but only a few on thenative plants of its neighboring state, the Republic ofAngola. In this context herbaria offer a broad spectrumof native plants that can be scanned for hyperaccumulators. The Herbarium Dresdense contains a big collection of over 3000 specimens from Angola. In cooperation with the Herbarium Hamburgense, for a master’s
project these were scanned for hyperaccumulating
species from different regions of Angola, mainly fromthe north-western Province of Uíge as well as from thesouth of the country. The Global Hyperaccumulators
Database was used to pre-select genera and families from which Hyperaccumulating species are known.
Small samples of each specimen were analyzed for theconcentration of several metals using ICP-OES. Over 130
different species, some with several samples from different locations and organs of the plants were tested
to examine the influence of these factors on the metal
concentrations. We were able to identify several new
aluminum hyperaccumulators containing up to 40.000
mg/kg of its leaf dry mass, one new Mangan hyperaccumulator and discover a rather interesting genus forfurther searches on new hyperaccumulators.

S.35.3 Bioaccumulation ofpotentially toxic elements
in exotic and native woody
species growing around acopper mine in Mufulira,
ZambiaCharles Mulenga1*, Darius Phiri2, Daigard
Ricardo Ortega-Rodríguez3,4, Martina
Meincken5
1 Department of Biomaterials Science and Technology, Copperbelt University, Kitwe, Zambia. 2 Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Copperbelt University, Kitwe, Zambia. 3 Universidadede São Paulo, Escola Superior de Agricultura Luizde Queiroz, Departamento de Ciências Florestais,
Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil. 4 DendrOlavide-Dept.
Sistemas Físicos, Químicos y Naturales, Universidad
Pablo de Olavide, Sevilla, Spain. 5 Department ofForest and Wood Science, Stellenbosch University,
Stellenbosch, South Africa
There is an international debate on the potential of
exotic or native species in phytoextracting potentially
toxic elements (PTEs) from contaminated soil to contain the impact of mining activities on forest ecosys-

tems. Exotic and indigenous trees have been evaluated as greenbelts to trap dust and thereby limit thedispersion PTEs. This study compares the potential ofnative (Brachystegia longifolia) and exotic (Eucalyptus
camaldulensis and E. grandis) tree species growing
around a copper mine in Zambia to accumulate PTEs
and evaluate their ability to biomonitor metal pollution.
Tree bark and leaves were collected from trees growing at the same site downwind from a copper-leachingplant. Topsoil was collected one metre from each sampled tree trunk. Portable X-ray fluorescence was used toanalyse the elemental composition and concentrationof heavy metals in biomass and soil samples. Pollution
indices were used to establish the status and degreeof soil contamination, while the bioaccumulation factor(BF) determined the ability of studied species to accumulate PTEs. PTEs (Cd, Fe, Cu, Pb, Ni, Mn, and Zn) weredetected across biomass and soil samples, with a significant variation between species and plant parts. The
pollution indices established that the soil at the studysite is highly contaminated with Cu. The concentrationof the studied heavy metals varied across species following the order E. grandis > B. longifolia > E. camaldulensis in both tree bark and leaves. The BF indicated thatZn, Mn, and Cd accumulates in all the studied species.
Furthermore, a higher concentration of Cu was detected in B. longifolia bark, suggesting that this tree species
has potential for biomonitoring Cu pollution attributed
industrial activities. This study presents new insights inmanaging polluted environments through biomonitoring and bioaccumulation of PTEs, because these findings can guide policy on species selection when establishing greenbelts.

S.35.4 Mediterranean nativeplants for the restoration ofabandoned mining sites:
where we stand and how wemove forward
Maria E. Boi1, Mauro Fois1, Lina Podda1,
Marco Sarigu1, Marco Porceddu1, Gianluigi
Bacchetta1
1 Centre for the Conservation of Biodiversity, Sardinian Germplasm Bank (BG-SAR), Department ofLife and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
The Mediterranean Basin experienced a long historyof mining exploitation that has left important consequences on environment, human health and biodi-

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versity. In this frame, phytoremediation can help in therestoration of these environments, especially adopting
a multidisciplinary approach. A recent review (Boi et al.,2023) has discussed the main issues of metal(loid)s pollution related to mine exploitation in the Mediterranean.
A list of native plants suitable for phytoremediationand their related applications were given, categorizingthem into four groups basing on their biological forms,
vegetation types, and ecology: (1) hydro/hygrophilous
vegetation, (2) annual and perennial meadows, (3)garrigues and maquis, (4) high maquis and woods. The
study allowed to highlight that mine environments areoften rich in taxa of phytogeographic and conservationinterest which must be taken in account for the remediation of abandoned mines. However, physiological andecological studies were deserved for a little amount of
Mediterranean plants and thus further efforts are necessary to increase knowledge and detect other suitablespecies. Acknowledgements: We acknowledge finan-cial support under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), Mission 4 Component 2 Investment
1.5 - Call for tender No.3277 published on December 30,
2021 by the Italian Ministry of University and Research(MUR) funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU. Project Code ECS0000038 – Project Title eINS
Ecosystem of Innovation for Next Generation Sardinia –CUP F53C22000430001- Grant Assignment Decree No.
1056 adopted on June 23, 2022 by the Italian Ministry of
Ministry of University and Research (MUR), and the Municipality of Iglesias in the frame of “Progetto di conservazione e traslocazione di Limonium merxmuelleri nella
Valle del Rio San Giorgio”.
References: Boi ME et al (2023) Using mediterranean
native plants for the phytoremediation of mining
sites: an overview of the past and present, and perspectives for the future. Plants 12, 3823.

S.36 CULTIVATED PLANT TAXONOMY:BRIDGING THE DIVIDE
S.36.1 Weeping willow
mystery solved: genomewide DArTseq genotyping
reveals origin of Salix
babylonica hybrids
Radim J. Vašut1, Jana Geržová1, Veronika
Ciesaríková1, Veronika Chodilová1, Lucie
Kobrlová1, Zdeněk Špíšek1, Jan Weger2
1 Palacky University Olomouc, Olomouc, Czechia. 2
Silva Tarouca Research Institute for Landscape andOrnamental Gardening, Průhonice, Czechia
Weeping willow (Salix babylonica L.) and twisted willow (S. matsudana Koidz.) are prominent ornamental willows in temperate regions of the world. In addition, their importance has been growing in recent
years due to their use as a promising crop for biomass production. Despite their distinctive morphologies, the taxonomy of this ornamental group, which
also includes cultivars of presumed hybrid origin,has been characterised by uncertainty and confusion. Previous taxonomic concepts lacked exact(genetic) data and relied instead on morphologicalsurveys. The considerable intraspecific phenotypicvariation in willows and the lack of knowledge of thegenetic relationships of taxa within S. babylonica/S.
matsudana group have prevented experts fromreaching a consensus on the number of accepted
taxa of weeping and twisted willows. In our study, weused genome-wide genotyping using DArTseq (Diversity Arrays Technology) to analyse all major cultivars of S. babylonica/S. matsudana and their putative hybrids. By examining thousands of binary SNPs
for each chromosome pair, complemented by dataon genome size variation (estimated by flow cytometry), we gained new insights into the delimitation of
taxa and cultivars within the S. babylonica/S. matsudana group. The results clearly show their close genetic relationship. We identified three major and fourminor hybrid groups, and elucidated the origin ofover 20 cultivars, including all the most widely growncultivars. By providing a solid basis for understanding the genetic relationships between taxa within
the S. babylonica group, and by providing compelling evidence for the origin of S. babylonica hybrids,
we propose nomenclatural changes. These proposed changes aim to provide a stable taxonomic
concept for this immensely popular, widely cultivated and aesthetically pleasing group of ornamental
trees, potentially resolving uncertainties and errorsthat have persisted for nearly two centuries.

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S.36.2 The study of formerly
cultivated plants, part ofour historical, cultural andbiological heritage

South China Botanical Garden (CAS), Guangzhou,
P. R. China. 6 Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing,
China. 7 University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China. 8 Jardí Botànic Marimurtra-Fundació Carl Faust, Blanes, Spain. 9 National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Islamabad,
Pakistan. 10 Institute of Botany (NAS RA), Yerevan,
Armenia. 11 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond,UK. 12 Industrial and Medical Cannabis ResearchInstitute, Tehran, Iran. 13 University of Tehran, Teheran, Iran. 14 Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia. 15 Jagannath University, Dhaka, Bangladesh. 16 Botanic Garden and ResearchInstitute (MAS), Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. 17 Institutd’Estudis Catalans, Barcelona, Spain. 18 Chengdu
University, Chengdu, China. 19 Real Jardín Botánico(CSIC), Madrid, Spain

Daniel Guillot Ortiz1
1 Independent researcher, Valencia, Spain
The data obtained by the author during the period
2001-2023 as a result of the study of the Spanish ornamental flora, at present and during the 19th century and the first half ot the 20th, are presented. The
results have been used in the publication in scientific journals of numerous articles (more than four
hundred) together with several monographs. The
author have also participated in the creation, together with other botanist, of Bouteloua, a Spanish
journal dedicated to the study of ornamental flora
from the scientific perspective, the first volume ofwich was published in 2006. The results of this lineof work have increased knowledge regarding thenumber of species and cultivars cultivated and/or commercialised in Spain. Over the course of thisstudy numerous cultivars not mentioned in recent
botanical or horticultural literature, and present in
the Spanish alien flora, were discovered.

S.36.3 A comprehensive
phylogenomic analysis
bridges micro and macroevolutionary scales to
explain the evolutionary
history of Cannabis
Manica Balant1,2, Daniel Vitales1, Zoltán
Barina3, Branko Dolinar4, Lin Fu5, Tiangang
Gao6,7, Teresa Garnatje1,8, Airy Gras 1,2,
Muhammad Q. Hayat9, Marine Oganesian0, Jaume Pellicer1,11, Alireza S. Salami12,13,
Alexey P. Seregin14, Nina StepanyanGandilyan 10, Nusrat Sultana15, Shagdar
Tsooj16, Magsar Urgamal16, Joan Vallès 2,17,
Zhiqiang Wang18, Lisa Pokorny1,19
1 Institut Botànic de Barcelona (CSIC-CMCNB), Barcelona, Spain.. 2 Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. 3 WWF, Budapest, Hungary. 4
Botanical Society of Slovenia, Ljubljana, Slovenia. 5

Cannabis sativa L. has been used by humans formillennia, providing important and versatile services in traditional medicine, for ritual purposes
and to produce food and fibre. The process ofdomestication and subsequent dispersal by humans has resulted in the development of various
landraces and cultivars, exhibiting a wide arrayof morphological features, phytochemical aspects, and an intricate genetic structure marked
by numerous hybridisation events. Unravelling theorigin of this plant and determining the existenceof genuinely wild populations pose considerable challenges due to its complex nature. In thisstudy, we relied on the Angiosperms353 probe set
to investigate the genetic origins of over 90 accessions, encompassing a spectrum of wild/feraland landrace representatives. Phylogenomic andpopulation genomics workflows were implemented to analyse the data generated. Both workflows
consistently showed East Mongolian accessions
as a distinct group, robustly supported as sister toall other sampled accessions. The remaining accessions segregate into two main clades, aligningwith the geographical distribution and the classification proposed in earlier studies for the putative subspecies Cannabis sativa subsp. indica
and Cannabis sativa subsp. sativa. The first clade
encompasses accessions from China to Iran andsouthwards into the Indian subcontinent, with adispersal to West Africa. These latter Indian and
African accessions consist of landraces characterized by high ∆9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)
content. The second clade is itself divided into
two subclades. A Caucasian-Mediterranean clade
and a mostly Turanian-Russian clade that also includes some Eastern European accessions. These
distribution patterns are consistent with known
routes of trade and migrations of human populations, in agreement with previous studies.

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S.36.4 Classifying andnaming in the network ofcultivated plants
Valéry Malécot1
1 Institut de Recherches en Horticulture et Semences, L’Institut Agro Rennes-Angers, Angers, France
Like done in any plant group, classification and naming are key process to spoke about cultivated plants.
The same tools as those used for wild taxa can beused to reconstruct history of cultivated plants, but
tools coming from genetics (whether population
genetics, genetic diversity or heredity) may also be
used to sort out genealogical links. Most of the questions raised by cultivated plants are on the bridge
between genetics and phylogeny and have consequences on classificatory and naming process. Using various genera (such as Rosa, Cytisus…), we show
how adding cultivated taxa in taxonomic studies canenlarge some aspects of taxonomic studies. The taxonomic and breeding histories need to be assessed
before trying to classify and name some groups inthese genera. Various techniques and process canbe used to sort out these taxonomic and breeding
histories, from purely historical ones to molecular
ones. When such histories are reconstructed, in between inter-individual genealogies and inter-specificphylogenies, classification process can be applied inorder to delimit pertinent taxa and may question taxa
proposed while using wild plants only. In the sameway, naming these taxa may need the exact same
rules as for wild taxa, but may also rely on rules fromthe cultivated plant Code, or even other rules. Suchsituations, intermediate between wild and cultivated,
requiring approaches from different disciplines, arecommon, may be particularly relevant when questioning the naturalness of some individual plants.

S.36.5 Has taxonomy goneto pot? Why the needs andexpectations of amateurgardeners and professional
botanists lead to opposing
desires
Alastair Culham1
1 Herbarium School of Biological Sciences Universityof Reading, Reading, U.K.

Plant taxonomy is a scientific discipline which output
is used directly by a broad range of other parties.
Horticultural taxonomy has a particular impact ongardeners and the horticultural trade. This has led totension between those who dislike any change andthose who update names based on new evidenceof relationships. The past three decades have seen
major changes in plant names and the way plants
can be identified due to the development of DNA
based data. Through a series of examples, the impacts of nomenclatural changes, reactions to decisions made and the lessons learned from thoseexperiences are examined.

S.36.6 Integrative taxonomy,
insights for wild andcultivated tomatoes
classification
Iris Edith Peralta1
1 Universidad Nacional de Cuyo y Consejo Nacionalde Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Mendoza, Argentina.
Cultivated tomato, Solanum lycopersicum L., is aleading vegetable crop worldwide. It is also a model organism for genetics and evolutionary research.
Using integrative taxonomy, a predictive classification of tomatoes and closely related groups was
proposed, as a framework for further studies (Peralta et al. 2008). Wild tomato species are distributed in
Colombia, Ecuador, the Galapagos Islands, Perú, Bolivia and Chile in different ecosystems. The cultivated tomato belongs to a very recently derived groupand was domesticated from its wild progenitor, S.
pimpinellifolium. Domestication process initiated inSouth America and Mesoamerica, continued in Europe when cultivated tomatoes were introduced in
the sixteenth century in Italy, and later its expansion
throughout the world as the species was incorporated into consumption. In the 20th century, modern
breeding and the emergence of seed companies
increased the development of new varieties, andmore recently, commercial hybrids mainly with resistance to abiotic factors, pests and diseases, andquality traits. This long process has generated anenormous cultivar diversity due to their vegetativeand reproductive growth, and fruit shapes, sizes,
colors, and quality characteristics. An attempt has
been made to apply a nomenclatural system basedon the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature to tomatoes, but it is so complex that it has not

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been used. Taking into account a comprehensive
taxonomy approach, a classification based on theInternational Code of Nomenclature for CultivatedPlants is proposed, which is simple and easy to apply to describe new tomato cultivars, and potentially
useful for harmonizing names and classification ofbreeding collections among genebanks. Classification criteria must contribute to understand and use
the diversity among wild and closely related domesticated species.
References: Peralta I.E., Spooner D.M., S. Knapp. 2008.
Taxonomy of Wild Tomatoes and their Relatives(Solanum sect. Lycopersicoides, sect. Juglandifolia,
sect. Lycopersicon; Solanaceae) Systematic Botany
Monographs Vol. 84

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Symposia Session 3
S.37 PLANT RESPONSES TO STRESSES AND
CLIMATE CHANGE. SESSION 1
S.37.2 Extreme fire severity
and fire frequency:
evidence for state shift andgeneration of fire feedback
loops of a mesic forest

ity of fire impacts wet sclerophyll forests and can informmanagement decision on conserving threatened ecological communities.

S.37.3 Improving salinity
tolerance in rice: lessons
from Oryza coarctata

Thomsen. A1, Keith. D1, Lemmon. J2, Allen.
V2, Ooi. M1

Ping Yun1,2, Lana Shabala1,3, Meixue
Zhou1, Zhonghua Chen4, Gayatri
Venkataraman5, Sergey Shabala2,3

1 Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of
New South Wales, UNSW Sydney NSW, Australia. 2
Office of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment
and Water, Wollongong, NSW

1 Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture, University of
Tasmania, Hobart, Australia. 2 School of Biological Science, University of Western Australia, Perth,
Australia. 3 International Research Centre for Environmental Membrane Biology, Foshan University,
Foshan, China. 4 School of Science, Western Sydney
University, Penrith, Australia. 5 Plant Molecular Biology laboratory, M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, Chennai, India

Shifts in the fire regime caused by climatic and anthropogenic influences mean that we are currently experiencing more frequent and severe fires at larger scales.
Fire is a dominant disturbance in Eucalyptus forests
in temperate Australia. Wet sclerophyll forests are often bordered by dry sclerophyll and/or rainforests andchanges to the fire regime can shift these borders by allowing drier sclerophyll or rainforest species to disperse
into current wet sclerophyll forests. The Black summer
fires of 2019-20 saw around 50% of the threatened Upland Basalt Eucalypt forests of the Sydney Basin Bioregion ecological community burnt, with some areas experiencing extreme severity fire. Much of this ecologicalcommunity is often disturbed and fragmented, making
it potentially less resilient to disturbance changes, suchas extreme fire events. To assess how these wet sclerophyll forests respond to different fire severities, we surveyed areas impacted by the 2019-20 Black Summer
fires one-year later. We quantified the mortality rates ofdominant tree species including Acacia melanoxylon,
Eucalyptus blaxlandii, Eucalyptus cypellocarpa and Eucalyptus radiata, and compared how the dominanceof different functional groups varied across the fireseverity gradient. We have uncovered evidence thatrainforest trees within wet sclerophyll forests may behighly susceptible to extreme fire events especially andat sites previously subjected to frequent fires. This study
highlights the importance of understanding how sever-

Oryza coarctata is the only halophytic relative in thegenus Oryza that is tolerant to high salinity levels. In thiswork, we investigated key traits that confer this exceptional salt tolerance in O. coarctata, comparing it withresponses of cultivated Oryza sativa species. We showthat O. coarctata is utilizing Na+ for stomata operation
and, as result, is capable to maintain unaltered stomatalrelated traits (size, density, and opening speed). These
plants had also enhanced RuBisCO carboxylation and
RuBP regeneration in the Calvin cycle. Taken together,
these features allowed O. coarctata maintain relative
steady CO2 assimilation under salt conditions. Upon exposure to salinity, wild rice also quickly increased xylem
Na+ loading for osmotic adjustment but maintained
non-toxic level of stable shoot Na+ concentration byincreased activity of HKT1;5 (essential for xylem Na+ unloading) and a Na+/H+ exchanger NHX (for sequestering
Na+ and K+ into root vacuoles). In contrast, cultivatedrice prevented Na+ uptake and transport to the shoot at
the beginning of salt treatment but failed to maintain it
in a long-term. We also show that wild rice limits passive Na+ entry into root cells while cultivated rice relies

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heavily on SOS1-mediating Na+ exclusion, with major
penalties imposed by the existence of the “futile cycle”
at the plasma membrane. Other traits that contributed
to superior salinity tolerance in O. coarctata included
more efficient ROS signalling; desensitization of ROS-inducible cation channels and more superior K+ retention in the cytosol; more effective control of cytosolic
Ca2+ homeostasis by Ca2+-ATPase and CAX-mediated
Ca2+ efflux systems; and ability to prevent salt-induced
downregulation of RBOH expression that may affectoperation of the “ROS-Ca2+ hub” and signalling cascades under salinity.

S.37.4 Tracing the resilienceof African tree ferns: insightsfrom the African humid
period and beyond

had differential responses to climate change, withsome experiencing minimal range contractions of
5.9% up to over 57% range expansion. Preserving theserefugia not only protects tree ferns but also conserves
overall forest biodiversity and ecosystem functioning.
This knowledge is vital for targeted conservation topromote sustainable forest management and mitigate threats from climate change and human activities in African closed wet forests.

S.37.5 Learning from theadaptive responses of wild
emmer wheat to 28 years ofglobal warming
Yong-Bi Fu1
1 Plant Gene Resources of Canada, AAFC Saskatoon
Research and Development Centre

Mwihaki J. Karichu1,2,3, Boniface K.
Ngarega4, Jefwa JM5, Bette A. Loiselle6,
Emily B. Sessa2
1 The Lewis B. and Dorothy Cullman Program for
Molecular Systematics, New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY. 2 New York Botanical Garden, Bronx,
NY. 3 Graduate Center, City University of New York,New York, NY, USA. 4 Department of Plant Biology,
Ecology, and Evolution, Oklahoma State University,
Stillwater, OK, USA. 5 Pwani University, P.O Box 195,
Kilifi, Kenya. 6 Department of Wildlife Ecology andConservation and Center for Latin American Studies, University of Florida
Tropical forests in Africa are rapidly declining due toincreasing population, recurrent wildfires, logging, land
use changes, agricultural intensification, and othersocioeconomic factors. This study utilized maximum
entropy modeling, paleoclimatic data, and future climate scenarios to evaluate the historical presence oftree ferns in tropical and Saharan Africa during the African Humid Period (AHP; ca. 14,500-5,000 years ago)and project the impacts of climate change on their
future distribution and implications for African forests.
Although precipitation increased substantially during
the AHP, the distribution was variable and insufficient
to support all tropical plant species. We found mostAfrican tree fern species persisted in refuge areas thatsurvived the late Pleistocene extinction. These refugia
provided a haven for tree ferns, enabling them to survive despite challenging and fluctuating conditions.
This highlights the remarkable resilience and adaptability of tree ferns and the critical importance of refugial areas in safeguarding populations during climatic
upheaval. Our study further shows tree fern species

Global warming has been documented to threaten wild plants with strong selection pressures, but
how plant populations respond genetically to thethreats remains poorly understood. We characterized the genetic responses of 10 wild emmer wheat(Triticum dicoccoides Koern.; WEW) populationsin Israel, sampling them in 1980 and again in 2008,
through an exome capture analysis. It was foundthat these WEW populations were under elevatedselection, displayed reduced diversity and temporal divergence, and carried increased mutationalburdens forward. However, some populations still
showed the ability to acquire beneficial alleles via
selection or de novo mutation for future adaptation.
Grouping populations with mean annual rainfall
and temperature revealed significant differences inmost of the 14 genetic estimates in either sampling
year or over the 28 years. The patterns of genetic response to rainfall and temperature varied and werecomplex. In general, temperature groups displayed
more temporal differences in genetic response thanrainfall groups. The highest temperature group had
more deleterious single nucleotide polymorphisms(dSNPs), higher nucleotide diversity, fewer selective
sweeps, lower differentiation, and lower mutational burden. The least rainfall group had more dSNPs,
higher nucleotide diversity, lower differentiation, andhigher mutational burden. These characterized genetic responses are significant, allowing not only abetter understanding of evolutionary changes in thethreatened populations but also for realistic modeling of plant population adaptability and vulnerability to global warming.

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S.37.6 Phenological prints
of climate change on
Mediterranean flora: aretrospective study using
herbarium specimens
Andros Solakis Tena1, Federico CasimiroSoriguer1 & Noelia Hidalgo Triana1
1 Universidad de Málaga, Málaga, Spain
Plant phenology is linked to environmental variables.
However, in the last century, the global temperature(T) has increased by 1.1 °C, which has caused severe
climatic changes that have affected the phenology of
Mediterranean plants. In our study, conducted acrossthe western Mediterranean area of the Baetic Range,
we used data from herbariums to assess the phenological trends of 98 dominant species from Habitats ofCommunity Interest (Group 4, 5, and 9), along with endemic plants and the overall phenology of the bioclimatic thermotypes present in the area, all over the past
200 years. Significant changes and trends in the day ofyear (DOY) were detected in the studied phenophasesof 71 species, whereas 27 showed no changes. In response to the time variable, seven species displayed
significant shifts in the preflowering (FBF), 17 in the flowering (F), one in the fruiting (FS), and 10 in the growth(DVG) phenophase. In response to long-term climatic
variables, 16 species showed no changes in FBF, whereas 22 did so in at least one. In F, 23 showed no changes
whereas 49 did; in FS, 7 did not, whereas 13 did; and in
DVG, 21 did not, whereas 29 did. Regarding overall phenology DOY with time, the thermo-Mediterranean (TM)thermotype showed no changes in the FBF and FS phenophases, whereas advances appeared in F and DVG.
In the meso-supra-Mediterranean (MSM) and oro-cryoro-Mediterranean (OCM) thermotypes, all phenophases showed advancing trends. The DOY against
climatic variables in the TM thermotypes showed advances in FBF and F, while FS showed no changes, and
DVG advanced when P decreased. In the MSM andOCM thermotypes, all phenophases showed trendsof advance. Tendencies were stronger in the orophilicthan thermophilic group. Those results show the influence of climate change in the phenology of western
Mediterranean flora.

S.38 DISSECTING THE EVOLUTION OF SEDGES(CYPERACEAE): PERSPECTIVES FROM MULTIPLE
LINEAGES
S.38.1 The evolution anddiversity of the genus
Bulbostylis (Abildgaardieae,
Cyperaceae)
Jeremie Morel1,2, Fitiavana Rasaminirina3,6,
Juliene Maciel-Silva1,4,5, Vonjison
Rakotoarimanana3, Vincent Savolainen2,
André S. B. Gil5 & Isabel Larridon1,7
1 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, UK. 2 Imperial College London, London, UK. 3 University of
Antananarivo, Antananarivo, Madagascar. 4 Federal Rural University of Amazon, Belém, Brazil. 5
Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, Belém, Brazil. 6 Kew
Madagascar Conservation Centre, Antananarivo,
Madagascar. 7 Ghent University, Department of
Biology, Systematic and Evolutionary Botany Lab,
Gent, Belgium

The genus Bulbostylis (hairsedges) includes 227
species worldwide. The taxonomic history of this genus is quite complex, and limited DNA data is available. This lack of data means that species delimitation and evolutionary relationships are unclear, andthus the study of character evolution and biogeographical history of Bulbostylis is hampered. Thus,
three PhD projects are currently devoted to this genus, working on three centres of diversity of Bulbostylis: Africa, Brazil and Madagascar. These different
regions respectively include 127, 52 and 25 accepted species of Bulbostylis, representing around 90%of the total diversity of the genus. Consequently, theaim of these projects is to gain a better understanding of the diversity, evolution, and conservation of
Bulbostylis on a large and local scale. To this end,a joint project is underway to reconstruct the evolutionary history of the genus as well as its biogeographical history using a phylogenomic approach.
Secondly, integrative taxonomic studies at local

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scale are ongoing to clarify species delimitation
based on phylogenomic data with extensive sampling of species complexes, (micro)morphologicaland anatomical data; and distribution data. Preliminary results for these regions include: thirteen herbaria visited, ten fieldtrips undertaken, discovery of
new species to science (e.g. Bulbostylis itremoensis
from Madagascar), new herbarium specimens andDNA samples of Africa, Neotropical and Madagascan species, discovery of new anatomical characters for species delimitation; 212 newly extracted
DNA samples sequenced with the Angiosperms353
targeted sequencing probes. Our study generates
a large, accurate dataset. The future integrationof this information may contribute to demonstratepatterns of diversity that allow the identification ofimportant areas for conservation studies and provide new insights on ecological and evolutionary
understanding in areas of high biodiversity.

S.38.2 Towards theconsolidation of theSoutheast Asian sedge
knowledge

tory, and predict their future, we must put forward
a set of international collaborations with in-country
researchers to improve the available information forthis economically and ecologically important family.
We hope to start a much-needed new era of collaborations in Southeast Asian sedge-focused projects,
aiming to generate taxonomic, geographical, morphological, molecular, genomic, biochemical, andecological data, accompanied by photographic records of taxa and sets of data that will be publicly
available. Objectives such as training resident taxonomists, digitization of local herbaria, or providing
international long-term financial support are someof the crucial steps towards the establishment ofsedge research lines in Southeast Asia.

S.38.3 Progress on thephylogeny and evolution of
Fuireneae s.l. (Cyperaceae)
Cassandra D. V. Bradshaw1, Étienne
Léveillé-Bourret2, Isabel Larridon3,4, Robert
F. C. Naczi5, Jeremy Bruhl6, Pedro JiménezMejías7, Karen Wilson8, Julian R. Starr1

1 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, UK. 2 Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain. 3 Independent researcher, Cebu, Philippines

1 University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada. 2 University of Montréal, Montréal, Canada. 3 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, UK. 4 Ghent University,
Ghent, Belgium. 5 New York Botanical Garden, New
York, United States of America. 6 University of New
England, Armidale, Australia. 7 Pablo de Olavide
University, Seville, Spain. 8 Royal Botanic Gardens
and Domain Trust, Sydney, Australia

Studies on global biodiversity are detecting common gaps in the taxonomic knowledge of tropicalareas. While some of these areas are not necessarily considered hotspots, these are still incredibly
diverse, and the knowledge gap extends widely to
non-woody plants as they tend to be out of focus
in regions dominated by tropical forests, which may
underestimate diversity levels. For Cyperaceae, thethird most biodiverse monocot family and among
the top ten in angiosperms, Southeast Asia is theperfect example of such a situation. Despite having
diversified worldwide into more than 5000 species
with a particular preference for temperate areas in
the largest genus Carex (40% of the family), there
are over 600 taxa native to Southeast Asia. Nevertheless, the lack of historical collections, digitizationof herbaria, and lack of support in Cyperaceae expertise for local research groups have turned theregion into a darkspot for sedges. To protect current sedge diversity, understand their natural his-

Considerable changes to the classification of thelarge (ca. 5500 spp.), cosmopolitan monocot family
Cyperaceae (“sedges”) have been made over the
past 20 years. This is largely due to the reconstructionof relationships using molecular data. Nonetheless,many groups remain poorly studied, such as tribe
Fuireneae s.l., a collection of ca. 153 spp. common tohumid and wet habitats worldwide. The group possesses numerous annuals and perennials, and holds
ecological and economic importance, often dominating their natural habitats and acting as noxious
crop weeds worldwide. Though a recent molecularstudy found support to divide Fuireneae s.l. into four
tribes and six genera, only 30% of the tribe’s diversity
was sampled, sampling was poor where the groupis most diverse (Asia), species level-complexes remain unresolved, and tribes could only be divided
using impractical microscopic characters. Interestingly, this preliminary data suggested transitions
from an annual to a perennial life history strategy,

José Ignacio Márquez-Corro1, Pedro
Jiménez-Mejías2, Millard Uy3, David A.
Simpson1 & Isabel Larridon1

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Museo de Historia Natural y Facultad de Ciencias
Biológicas, Lima, Perú. 7 Natagora asbl, Namur,
Belgium. 8 Instituto de Botánica Darwinion (CONICET-ANCEFN), Buenos Aires, Argentina. 9 Museodi Storia Naturale di Milano, Milano, Italy. 10 Martin
Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Geobotany and
Botanical Garden, Halle (Saale), Germany. 11 Universidad Nacional de Salta, Salta, Argentina. 12 Allan Herbarium (CHR), Manaaki Whenua, Landcare
Research, Lincoln, New Zealand .13 CIIDIR, Instituto
Politécnico Nacional, Durango, México. 14 Independent Researcher, Lavau-sur-Loire, France. 15 Zhejiang Agricultural and Forestry University, Lin’an,
Zhejiang, China. 16 ul.Kochanowskiego, Choszczno,
Poland .17 Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of
Sciences, Beijing, China. 18 China National Botanical Garden, Beijing, China. 19 University of Chinese
Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China. 20
Universidad de León, Campus de Vegazana s/n,
24007, León, Spain. 21 College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China. 22 Independent Researcher, Celldömölk, Hungary. 23
University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
24 Herbario CONC, Universidad de Concepción,
Concepción, Chile. 25 New York Botanical Garden,
Bronx, NY 10458, USA. 26 Universidad Indoamérica,
Machala y Sabanilla, Quito, Ecuador. 27 Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Campus Trindade, Santa Catarina, Brazil. 28 Mendelova univerzita v Brně, Brno, Jihomoravský, Czech Republic. 29
University of Michigan Herbarium, Michigan, USA. 30
Bakkevej 6, Ørbæk, Denmark. 31 Natuurpunt Studie vzw, Mechelen, Belgium. 32 Meise Botanic Garden, Meise, Belgium. 33 National Herbarium of New
South Wales, New South Wales, Australia

for which few examples are known in angiosperms,
especially in monocots. Using a complete taxonomic sample of Fuireneae s.l., and molecular (Hyb-Seq),morphological and embryo characters, we are testing whether current tribal, generic and infrageneric classifications of Fuireneae s.l. are natural, and if
some perennials in the grade are derived from annuals as suggested by preliminary data.

S.38.4 The relevanceof expert curation intaxonomically complex
groups: a comprehensive
database of occurrences forthe genus Carex
María Sanz-Arnal1, Pablo García Moro1,
Carmen Benítez Benítez2, Marina Cocade-la-Iglesia3, Angélica Gallego-Narbón3,
Consolación Barciela1, Fabrizio Bartolucci4,
Matthew Bradley5, Asunción Cano6,
Antoine Derouaux7, Sabina Donadío8,
Marcial Escudero2, Gabriele Galasso9,
Sebastian Gebauer10, Mariela Fabbroni11,
Kerry A. Ford12, M. Socorro GonzálezElizondo13, David Hamon14, Matthias
H. Hoffmann10, Xiao-Feng Jin 15, Jacob
Koopman16, Bangze Li17,18, 19, Raúl Lois 3,20,
Yi-Fei Lu15, 21, Modesto Luceño1, Santiago
Martín-Bravo 1, José Ignacio MárquezCorro1, Attila Mesterházy22, Mónica
Míguez1, Ana Morales Alonso1, Muthama
Muasya23, Paulo Muñoz-Schüler24,
Robert F.C. Naczi25, Nora Oleas26, Luciana
Pereira-Silva27, Radomír Řepka28, Anton A.
Reznicek29, Katie K. Sanbonmatsu5, Enmily
Sánchez26, Daniel Spalink5, Arne Strid30,
Pieter Vanormelingen31, Filip Verloovee32,
Karen L. Wilson 33, Shuren Zhang17, 18, Pedro
Jiménez-Mejías1

Species occurrences are essential for research requiring spatially-based information. The Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) is the primary andmost popular source of occurrences. However, species identification and georeferencing data in GBIF isoften affected by imprecision. Accordingly, a curation
process is needed to prevent downstream errors, biases and/or inaccuracies derived from their use. Because of its high species diversity, taxonomic complexity, and wide distribution, occurrence data from
Carex L. (Cyperaceae) are not exempt from theseerrors. In this context, we present an expert-curated
global compilation of Carex occurrences mined fromdifferent sources (online databases, herbaria, literature, and fieldwork collections). Beyond basic quality-control procedures, the dataset was reviewed byexperts, who curated both geographical inaccuracies and misidentifications. The final expert-curated
database contains 397,239 records. During the curation, 16,604 occurrences were flagged as potentially erroneous, and 7,672 taxa names were changed.
The resulting dataset has occurrences for 1,679 Carex species (c. 80% of all currently accepted species). Finally, we compared the differences between

1 Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain. 2
Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain. 3 Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain. 4 Centro
Ricerche Floristiche dell’Appennino, Barisciano, Italy. 5 Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas,
USA. 6 Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos,

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the raw and the expert-curated database. Our work
highlights the importance of high-quality taxonomic and geographic data and provides a significantly
enhanced Carex occurrence database that is madeavailable for future research in the genus.

S.38.5 Niche partitioningor divergence? Sisterlineage comparisons reveal
complex patterns of niche
evolution in Carex

S.38.6 Tackling rapid
radiations – update on
the understanding of
the megadiverse genus
Cyperus (Cyperinae,
Cyperaceae)
Isabel Larridon1, Tamara Villaverde2,
Luciana Pereira-Silva3, Martin Xanthos1,
Megan Griffiths1, Nina Münder4, Abubakar
Bello4,5,6, Alexandra N. Muellner-Riehl4,5,
Muthama Muasya7

Daniel Spalink1

1 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, UK. 2 Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Spain. 3 Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianopólis, Brazil. 4 Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany. 5 German
Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research, Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany. 6 Umaru Musa
Yaradua University, Katsina, Nigeria. 7 University ofCape Town, Cape Town, South Africa

1 Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
With over 2000 species, Carex (Cyperaceae) is anearly cosmopolitan genus with centers of diversity intemperate zones of each hemisphere. Carex exhibits
tremendous ecological diversity, occupying habitats
from coasts to mountaintops, deserts to wetlands,
tundra to the tropics, and savannas to forest understories. Divergence across these ecological gradientshas long been hypothesized to be a key driver of diversification in Carex. This hypothesis has been supported by phylogenetic comparative analyses, whichshow strong relationships between rates of speciationand niche evolution across the genus. These analyses to date have been based almost exclusively on
the estimations of species niches from occurrence
records, which are known to contain biased, missing,and incorrect data. Potentially more pernicious problems, however, are that 1) species distributions are dynamic through time; and few species likely 2) occupy
the full extent of their fundamental niches or 3) occur
in all geographic areas that are ecologically suitable.
Consequently, significant findings of niche evolution in
Carex may be spurious. Here, we use emerging methods that avoid the assumption that present distributions represent the full occupancy of species potential
ranges. For nearly 500 sister-species pairs, we perform the Niche Overlap Test, which calculates niche
similarity between two species in their total occupied
environmental space, and the Niche Divergence Test,
which calculates niche similarity in the subset of environmental space that is shared and accessible
to both species. These tests are designed to detect
whether species occupy distinct niches or simply haveaccess to different environments. We then test whether significant niche evolution between sister species isrelated to their time since divergence, trait divergence,
latitude, and total range size.

Cyperus or flatsedges represent the second most
species-rich genus of Cyperaceae with almost 1000
species distributed mainly in the tropics and subtropics. Historically, many segregate genera weresplit from Cyperus sensu stricto to accommodate
the breadth of morphological, functional and ecological variation present in this group. Over the last
15 years, new insights into the evolution, diversityand distribution of this group were gained by integrating molecular phylogenetic data with in-depth
morphological and anatomical studies. In the current phylogenomics-based classification, subtribe
Cyperinae is monogeneric, placing the 13 segregate genera previously recognised in the morphology-based classification within a broadened
circumscription of Cyperus. We also have strong
evidence that a biodiverse clade of species using
the C4 photosynthetic pathway is nested within agrade of C3 species. However, rapid diversification
has hampered our understanding of the relationships within the C4 clade. Now, with the advent ofphylogenomics, first inroads are made to study trait
evolution in Cyperus. Yet, to build a complete picture of this megadiverse genus, a concerted effort
will be needed to generate a species-level phylogenomic framework to investigate its evolutionary history, generate an infrageneric classification, and resolve species limits. We present the current state ofknowledge and explore plans for integrating efforts
towards purging the gaps.

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S.39 PLANT CONSERVATION GENETICS: FROM
IN-SITU AND EX-SITU CONSERVATION TO
REINTRODUCTIONS AND RESTORATIONS.
SESSION 1
S.39.1 Genomic-guided
conservation actions
to restore the mostendangered conifer in the
Mediterranean Basin
José Carlos del Valle1, Montserrat Arista1,
Carmen Benítez Benítez1, Pedro Luis
Ortiz1, Francisco J. Jiménez-López1, Anass
Terrab1, Francisco Balao1
1 Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología,
Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
Species with extremely small population sizes
are critically endangered due to reduced genetic diversity, increased inbreeding, and the added
threat of hybridization. Genomic tools significantly advance conservation by revealing genetic insights into endangered species, notably inmonitoring frameworks. Sicilian fir is the most endangered conifer in Europe with only 30 adult trees
spread across an 84-hectare area. Using 20,824
SNPs from RAD-seq employing the silver fir genome assembly and a custom 120 SNP-array, weevaluated genetic diversity, mating patterns, andeffective population size in adult trees, 118 natural
seedlings, and 2,064 nursery seedlings from pastconservation actions. We assessed introgression
from neighboring non-native fir plantations andestablished an intra-population assisted geneflow program selecting the most genetically dissimilar individuals and investigating the outcome
through simulations. Genomic analysis unveiled
significant genetic diversity among adult Sicilianfirs, comparable to non-endangered Mediterranean firs with larger populations. However, thegenetic diversity of the forthcoming generation
declined due to high self-fertilization, leading tomarked inbreeding (FIS = 0.38) and an alarmingly low effective population size (Ne = 6). Nursery
seedling monitoring revealed similar selfing rates

but significant introgression (~50%) from non-native firs. Although intra-population assisted geneflow could help to mitigate genetic loss, it may
not alleviate the species vulnerability to imminent environmental challenges, perpetuating therisk of an extinction vortex. Hence, investigating
the impact of Sicilian fir population decline andselfing on inbreeding depression, along with exploring the potential of hybrids for genetic load
alleviation and future adaptation, is crucial for effective conservation strategies. This study stands
as a compelling model for guiding conservation
strategies in similarly imperiled species characterized by extremely small populations.

S.39.2 Plant-animal
interactions, population
genetics and local
community engagement
to conserve the Malagasy
baobab Adansonia
suarezensi

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Onja Hariveloniaina Morilline
Razanamaro1, Tonisoa
Ranaivoandriamanantena2, Laura
Parducci3, Fabio Attorre3, Elisa Rondoni3,
Dario La Montagna 3, Alex Byrne4, Barbara
Gravendeel5, Ester Sales6, Richard
Dominique Randriatsitohaina7, Lalaina
Fenosoa Ramiliarisona7, Juan Viruel4,
1 Parc Botanique et Zoologique de Tsimbazaza Rue
Fernand Kassanga, Tsimbazaza, Antananarivo.
Madagascar. 2 Madagasikara Voakajy, Andraisoro BP 5181 Antananarivo, MG. 3 Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome,
Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, Rome, Italy. 4 Royal Botanic
Gardens, Kew, Richmond, UK. 5 Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Endless Forms, Leiden, Netherlands andInstitute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, Leiden,XX International
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Netherlands. 6 Agrarian and Environmental Sciences Department, Institute of Environmental Sciences, University of Zaragoza, High Polytechnic School,
Huesca, Spain. 7 Département biologie et écologie
végétales, Université d’Antananarivo, Madagascar
Adansonia suarezensis, one of the six endemic
baobabs in Madagascar, is currently classified
as Endangered. Its narrow distribution in the arid
areas of N Madagascar is expected to decrease
from 1200 km 2 in 2010 to 17 km2 in 2050 due to climate change, and alarming predictions indicateda likely extinction between 2050 and 2080 without
intervention or conservation efforts. Madagascar has lost 37% of its natural forest since 1973,
and despite the implementation of conservation
programs, deforestation rates have increasedin the last decade, mainly because population
growth and political instability in the country. Ex
situ and in situ conservation actions to recoverthreatened species require extensive knowledge
from diverse disciplines to better understand the
reproduction biology, ecology and demographyof the target species. Adansonia suarezensis belongs to a section named Brevitubae, which include dry-season flowering baobabs with whiteflowers carrying short-staminal tubes pollinatedby fruit bats and lemurs. Recently, a lack of natural regeneration has been observed in natural
populations of A. suarezensis. In our project, weinvestigate the life cycle of A. suarezensis to reveal factors influencing the natural regenerationof the species, and we designed a restoration
plan based on population genomics data by using a whole genome Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) screening approach (MigSeq). We
explore also new plant-animal interactions withfruits, seeds and flowers using camera traps anddirect observations. The aim is to elucidate thegenetic patterns, investigate the level of geneflow, and explore relationships between population size and genetic variation in the species.
The analysis of genetic diversity and population
structure allow us to identify priority populations
for restoration. Our project demonstrates also theimportance of local community engagement inconservation by building nurseries, growing thousands of seedlings of baobabs and other economically plants as part of the conservation plan.

S.39.3 The value of recordand molecular-based
conservation management
to exceptional species:a case study using
Amorphophallus titanum
Justin Tutt1, Jeremie B. Fant2, Kayri
Havens2, Olivia G. Murrell3,4, Zoe Diaz
Martin5
1 University of Central Florida, Orlando, USA. 2 Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe, USA. 3 Manchester
Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK. 4 North ofEngland Zoological Society, Chester Zoo, Chester,UK. 5 Spelman College, Atlanta, USA
If ex situ collections are to effectively conserve species, practitioners should strive to maintain genetically robust ex situ populations by (1) attaining
a comprehensive understanding of the current
estimates of kinship and other relevant population genetic measures and (2) making informed
breeding decisions. The zoological community accomplishes these goals by using a combination ofa record-based approach, where extensive documentation of mating between individuals is recorded and used to generate pedigrees, and amolecular-based approach, where individuals are
genotyped to reconstruct the pedigree or fill in pedigree gaps. This raises the questions: how well dobotanic gardens manage populations of exceptional plant species held across collections, and what
lessons on how to manage collections can we learn
and implement from the zoological community? We
explore these questions and evaluate the utility ofthe zoo model for conservation using the charismatic arum Amorphophallus titanum, an exceptional species native to the Indonesian island of Sumatra that has been cultivated for over 130 years. In thisstudy, we used available accession information tocreate a pedigree and genomic sequencing to generate a SNP-based molecular dataset. We present
our anticipated results that will compare relevant
population genetic measures and pairwise kinshipestimates and their subsequent recommendationsof optimal breeding pairs using the record- andmolecular-based datasets. We expect to observe
differences between kinship coefficients calculated from each dataset and predict that the molecular-based approach will provide higher precision
given notable incompleteness in accession records.

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To our knowledge, this is the first study to compare
the record- and molecular-based approaches ofmanaging exceptional species in botanic gardens.
This work will be an important first step in improving collections management (i.e., standardizing therecording of accession data) and will highlight genomics as an effective tool when managing poorly
pedigreed exceptional species.

highly degraded mining site. Our studies suggest thatvulnerability cannot be easily predicted for co-distributed species, implying the need to obtain species-specific estimates to assess the extinction risks and inform
decision-makers for conservation efforts. Based on ourstudies, we discuss the main challenges in reconcilingconservation with mining activities in unique and highly
diverse environments.

S.39.4 Conservation
genetics of rare andendemic plants: challenges
and advances

S.39.5 Intraspecific genome
size variation, cryptic
speciation and outbreeding
depression in Penstemon
pachyphyllus

Carolina S. Carvalho1, Bárbara S.S. Leal1,
Jacqueline S. Lima1, Carlos Eduardo
Batista1, Rafael Assis1, Mauricio Watanabe1,
Cecílio Caldeira1, Valéria Tavares1

Rafael Urbina-Casanova1,2, Maria Giro1,2,
Jeremy Foster1,2, Bryce Richardson3, Scott
Jensen3, Jeremie B. Fant1,2 & Andrea T.
Kramer1,2.

1 Instituto Tecnológico Vale, Belém, Brazil
Endemic species with limited geographic ranges are
more prone to the negative effects of genetic drift andtheir consequences, especially when their habitat overlaps with economically valuable areas. This is the caseof endemic plants associated with the Eastern Amazon
cangas, a unique ecosystem limited by high iron concentration in the soils, which faces substantial threats
from some of the world’s largest iron ore mines. The
conservation challenges in this ecosystem arise because just as plants adapted to iron-rich soils exhibit
non-random distribution, often clustering in specificmicroclimatic and edaphic conditions; iron mining activities cannot also be haphazard due to variations iniron ore presence and quality. In response to this conservation dilemma, we have conducted comprehensive studies, integrating ecology and conservation andlandscape genomics. By investigating the neutral genomic variation, we have found a scenario of conservation concern for three highly restricted endemic species, with simulations indicating a worsening of such
scenario in a few decades if population sizes further decline. Conversely, certain species have demonstrated
remarkable resilience, with genetic diversity and geneflow patterns remaining unaffected by mining-induced
habitat loss. The use of genotype-phenotype-environment associations has offered further insights into
adaptive genomic variation for restoration purposes.
For example, our findings indicate that whereas local
provenances were found optimal to restore a moderately disturbed site, a mixture of genotypes seems
to be the most promising strategy for the recovery of

1 Plant Biology and Conservation, Northwestern
University, Chicago, IL, USA. 2 Negaunee Institute for
Plant Conservation Science and Action, Chicago
Botanic Garden, Glencoe, IL, USA. 3 Rocky MountainResearch Station, USDA Forest Service, USA.
Outbreeding depression is a main concern when mixing
multiple source populations in restoration, as it can reduce seed quantity and quality in seed production fields
and restoration sites. The main causes for outbreeding
depression are unnoticed taxonomic issues and fixedchromosomal differences, but these aspects are rarely
assessed when designing and implementing a restoration project. Penstemon pachyphyllus was identified
as a restoration priority in the Great Basin, where theGreat Basin Restoration Initiative took a regional admixture provenancing approach, combining as many as 18
source populations in pooled seed production fields, togenerate large quantities of genetically diverse seeds
for wide-scale restoration across this region. However,outbreeding depression was previously reported forthis species when mixing populations from two different
ecoregions. Because this species extends beyond theGreat Basin, we assessed genome size variation acrossthe whole species range to study potential causes ofthis pattern of outbreeding depression. As we founda geographically structured pattern of genome size
variation, with southern populations showing a smaller
genome size, we designed a controlled crosses experiment to test if genome size difference is the main driverof outbreeding depression. Moreover, we took a phylogenomic approach to assess species delimitation on

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our target species including all closely related taxa (i.e.,
the Coerulei-Gentianoides clade). We found that genome size difference is the main driver of outbreeding
depression in this species, with crosses between populations with different genome sizes showing a significantly lower seed production in terms of number andweight, than crosses between populations in different
geographic regions but with the same genome size.
Species delimitation analyses are consistent with thisincipient reproductive barrier.

S.39.6 Using assisted geneflow to save a populationfrom depression
Léa Auclair1 & Olivier Brisset1, José Utgé2,
Nathalie Machon1, Paul Verdu2
1 CESCO, MNHN, CRNS, Sorbonne-Université, Paris,
France. 2 Eco-anthropology, CNRS, MNHN, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
After the drastic decrease of population sizes of Arenaria grandiflora’s population in the Parisian region in
the late 20st century, a translocation program was implemented in 1999. A preliminary study revealed thatthe main cause of the population’s extinction was the
low genetic diversity and the associated low fitnessof the last individuals due to inbreeding depression.
To save this species from extinction in this region,

non-local and local plants were multiplied by in vitro
culture and introduced in three sites of their naturalarea. The three translocated populations were funded with the same mixture of 450 individuals, 2/3 beingclones of local plants and 1/3 of clones from non-local ones. To evaluate the outcome of the program,annual monitoring of plant’s fitness was carried out
over 24 years, coupled with genetic analyses basedon 13 microsatellite markers. First results highlighted
that the newly-created populations showed an increase in genetic diversity compared to the founders, and displayed lower consanguinity due to higher
heterozygosity level. These levels of diversity appear
to be fairly stable from year to year, which was encouraging for the program’s success. Interestingly,
fluctuation in fitness were observed between individuals depending on the proportion of genome inherited from each founder population. To study this model in greater detail and gain a better understandingof the complex genetic processes that condition the
success of programs based on assisted gene flow,
we are currently resequencing the entire genomes ofindividuals sampled between 1999 and the presentday. By comparing simulations to actual genotypic
data obtained from whole genome sequencing, it will
be possible to assess whether natural selection phenomena linked to crossbreeding, such as heterosisor hybrid depression, have influenced the patterns ofgenetic diversity and how introduction of genotypes
drove the genetic evolution of the population.

S.40 XYLEM ANATOMY AS A CENTRAL HUB
LINKING FLUID TRANSPORT PROCESSES FROM
THE INDIVIDUAL PLANT LEVEL TO ECOSYSTEMS
Garden, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg,
Halle (Saale), Germany. 6 Department of Biology,
Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany

S.40.1 The role of drought on
the evolution of woodinessin flowering plants
Frederic Lens1,2, Timo Conradi3, Renske E.
Onstein1,4, Helge Bruelheide4,5, Alex Zizka1,6
1 Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, The Netherlands. 2 Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands. 3 Plant Ecology, Facultyof Biology, Chemistry and Earth Sciences, Bayreuth
University. 4 German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany. 5 Institute of Biology/Geobotany and Botanical

Wood formation is a fundamental evolutionary innovation that gave rise to countless woody species (trees and shrubs), offering crucial ecosystemservices such as carbon storage and its associated climatic feedback. Most of these species only
have woody ancestors, whereas other lineages
have independently evolved woodiness from nonwoody (herbaceous) ancestors throughout evolutionary history. However, what drives species tobecome woody and why have so many unrelated
herbaceous lineages evolved to new woody spe-

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cies? These key questions have baffled scientists
since Darwin, but scientific information has been
too fragmented to develop hypotheses that could
be rigorously tested. Therefore, we have compiled
a unique woodiness database in flowering plants,
showing that most woody species with herbaceous ancestors occur in regions with recurrent
drought cycles. This has laid the foundation for anovel hypothesis, proposing drought as the major driver of most transitions towards woodiness.
We are testing this concept on islands and continents (1) by inferring via modelling whether there
is a positive correlation between woodiness anddrought, and (2) by assessing via experiments
whether woody species with herbaceous ancestors are consistently more drought-tolerant thantheir herbaceous relatives. By bridging evolutionary biology and ecophysiology, this work showsincreasing evidence for a novel strategy that reveals how plants respond to drought stress in aworld facing global change.

trolled drought. Examples of these traits are stem
woodiness, pit membrane thickness, leaf water
potential, leaf turgor loss point, embolism resistance in stems and leaves, hydraulic safety margin, and stomatal conductance. We hypothesizethat (1) the more woody genotypes are moredrought tolerant, (2) the more drought-tolerant
genotypes use a coordinated set of anatomicaland ecophysiological traits in both stems andleaves to reach a certain level of drought tolerance, and (3) these trait syndromes may differ
among the genotypes studied.

S.40.3 The vulnerability
to drought-induced
embolism-vessel diameter
link: what needs explaining,and possible ways forward
Patricia Rivera1, Tommaso Anfodillo2, Mark
E. Olson3

S.40.2 Assessing drought
resistance in a populationof cabbage (Brassica
oleracea) with contrastinglevels of stem woodiness

1 Unidad de Recursos Naturales, Centro de Investigación Científica de Yucatán, A.C., Mérida, Mexico.
2 Department Territorio e Sistemi Agro-Forestali,
University of Padova, Legnaro, Italy. 3 Instituto de
Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico

Anai Pereira1,2, Frederic Lens1,2
1 Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, The Netherlands. 2 Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
As the world’s human population continues togrow and droughts become more intense andfrequent, monitoring drought-responsive anatomical and ecophysiological traits in crops is
crucial to guarantee food security in the future.
Brassica oleracea is a relevant crop species withcultivars mostly consumed as vegetables. In our
research, we crossed a woody accession of B. oleracea native to the island of Jersey- commonly
known as Jersey cabbage - with an herbaceous,
rapid flowering accession TO1000 of the same
species. Five F2 genotypes were selected basedon their contrasting levels of stem woodiness,along with the two grandparent lines. To evaluate
whether stem woodiness is involved in the mechanisms leading to drought tolerance in cabbage,
we monitored a broad range of key drought-responsive anatomical and ecophysiological traits
under well-watered conditions and during con-137

The escalating global tree mortality crisis, withmillions of trees succumbing to drought annually,
impacts biodiversity conservation. The vulnerability of xylem conduits to drought-induced embolism is a critical factor in determining tree survival
during hydric stress. If narrower xylem conduits
are less vulnerable to embolism formation, thenthis vulnerability- diameter link would explain numerous well-established patterns. These include
wider xylem conduits in moist environments andnarrower conduits in drier environments, the consistent production of conduits that are well below
the developmental possible maximum diameter of 700 μm+, widening of the conduits from thetip to the base of the plant, in a way that keeps
conductance optimal with height growth, the distribution of wide to narrow conduits in earlywood
to latewood, and the differential leaf shedding between plants with wider and narrower conduits.
All of these patterns require explanation, and if avulnerability-diameter link is rejected, alternative
explanations are required. As part of a possible
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could involve the association between intervessel pit membrane thickness, vessel wall thickness,and vessel diameter. We show ways in which thevulnerability-pit membrane-wall thickness-vessel
diameter associations could account for the link
as well as why it is not found in some situations.

S.40.4 Developmental
trajectories of the xylem
vessel elements fromsingle-cell sequencing data

S.40.5 Root pressure intomatoes slightly repairs
daily embolism at wellwatered conditions, but
its role during drought isinconsistent
Giovanni Bortolami1, Kathy Steppe2, Jan
Van den Bulcke3,4, Salma Balazadeh5,6, Iris
Frederiks1, Toon Gheyle3,4, Pierre Kibleur3,4,
Max Larter1,7, Liselotte de Ligne3,4, AjareeThonglim1, Seppe Top2, Joris Van Acker3,4,Rune Vanbeylen2, Brechtje van Helden1,
Frederic Lens1,6

Philip Shushkov1
1 Department of Chemistry, Indiana University,
Bloomington, USA
Changes in transcriptional profiles are at theheart of development. Understanding transcriptional dynamics at the single-cell level is a central challenge in deciphering developmental processes. Current sequencing technologies allow
the estimation of transcription profiles at unprecedented single-cell resolution but the inferenceof developmental progressions of cells is hampered by sampling sparsity, technological noise,and loss of spatial and temporal information.
The xylem cell populations have distinct transcriptional profiles and are ideally suited to reconstruct transitions in transcriptional programs
during histogenesis. I use noise-resilient diffusion
mapping-based approaches to infer and recapitulate developmental trajectories from large
single-cell datasets. Our new methods allow us toreconstruct trajectories that occur on substantially different timescales in development andinfer waves of gene expression changes along
the developmental progressions. We analyze thedevelopment of vessel elements and compare it
to the development of other vascular cell types,
including sieve elements and companion cells, indifferent plant organs. We recover known regulators of vascular development that follow expected developmental dynamics based on previous
studies and identify putative regulatory factors.
We identify waves of gene expression changesof transcription factors and their downstream
targets, which provide substantial resolution oftranscriptional dynamics in vascular cell development.

1 Naturalis Biodiversity Center, P.O. Box 9517, RA
Leiden, The Netherlands. 2 Laboratory of Plant Ecology, Department of Plants and Crops, Faculty of
Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent,
Belgium. 3 UGent-Woodlab, Department of Environment, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent
University, Ghent, Belgium. 4 UGent Centre for X-ray
Tomography (UGCT), Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium. 5 Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Plant
Physiology, Potsdam, Germany. 6 Institute of Biology Leiden (IBL), Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands. 7 University of Bordeaux, INRAE, BIOGECO,
Pessac, France.
Inside plants, water moves from the roots up to theleaves due to a gradient in negative pressure (i.e.,tension) generated in the leaf mesophyll cells via
transpiration. During intense drought periods, thetension in the xylem sap increases, leading to gas
bubbles (embolisms) inside the water-conducting
cells (i.e., xylem vessels), thereby obstructing thelong-distance water flow. Tomato plants are known
to also move water through a positive pressure generated in the roots. We hypothesize that root pressure
could help tomato plants remove gas embolism after release from drought after re-watering. Therefore, we used a gantry-based X-ray microCT imaging system, the EMCT scanner at the UGCT (UGent
Center for X-ray Tomography, www.ugct.ugent.be),to visualize plant re-hydration and possible embolism repair by scanning the plants before and after
drought, and at different times after re-watering.
In total, we followed 25 control well-watered plants
and 36 drought-stressed plants (covering a wide
range of drought intensities). Our results show that
all well-watered plants generated root pressure andpartially repaired the few embolized vessels overnight. The role of root pressure in plants subjected138

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to drought is more ambiguous: embolism repair after re-watering was also observed, but only in the
drought-stressed plants that developed root pressure after re-watering (30%), while no root pressure
was detected in 70% of the drought-stressed plants
after re-watering. These results show that root pressure development is not an efficient mechanism of

tomato plants’ recovery from drought but shows theability of this embolism-vulnerable species to remove the first embolism events generated during
the day at well-watered conditions. In conclusion,
we show that root pressure in tomatoes can remove
the limited daily embolism under well-watered conditions and only occasionally after drought.

S.41 APPLICATIONS OF SPECTRALREFLECTANCE IN PLANT SYSTEMATICS ANDEVOLUTION
S.41.1 The evolution of
species specific spectra
in a diverse genus of
Neotropical trees (Guatteria,
Annonaceae) using
herbarium specimen
Paola G. Santacruz Endara1,2, Carlos
Rodrigues-Vaz2, Denis Bastianelli3, Laurent
Bonnal3, Roy R.H. Erkens4, José Eduardo
Meireles5, Lily Bennett2, Thomas L.P.
Couvreur1,2
1 Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito. Apartado postal: 17012184. 2 DIADE, Université deMontpellier, CIRAD, IRD, Montpellier, France. 3 SELMET,
Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut Agro, Montpellier, France. 4 Maastricht Science Programme,
Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
5 University of Maine, School of Biology and Ecology. Maine, USA.
Leaf reflectance spectra estimated via near-infrared scanning (NIRs) are increasingly used to untangle the intricate complexity of plant diversity andevolution. The variation of these spectra across thetree of life and the impact of the evolution of leaf
traits on spectral differentiation between species isstill being explored. In this study, we used a framework that combines NIRs of herbarium dried leaves
to infer the diversity and evolution of species specificspectra within the most diverse genus of Annonaceae in the Neotropics: Guatteria. We scanned herbarium preserved leaves of 148 out of the ca. 180 known
Guatteria species. Spectra were cleaned, normalized, and analyzed using different multivariate ap-

proaches. We tested to see if these data could be
used to identify species with similar spectra. We
then analyzed this dataset within a comparative
phylogenetic framework using a large robust species-level dated phylogeny of Guatteria. We tested
for the phylogenetic signal of leaf spectra and inferred diversification rates across the evolution ofthis genus. We tested if changes in spectral diversity
when present coincided with shifts in diversification
rates within the genus. Our results shed light on thelevels of constraint in the different spectral regions,reflecting the evolution of underlying Guatteria-specific leaf traits. Finally, our study underlines the importance of herbarium specimens to understandthe evolution of diversity and leaf traits using innovative techniques such as NIRs.

S.41.2 Classifying stone oaks
(Lithocarpus) in herbariawith reflectance spectra
Barbara M. Neto-Bradley1, J. Antonio
Guzmán Q.2, Jeannine Cavender-Bares2,
David A. Coomes1
1 Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, UK. 2 Department of Ecology, Evolution and
Behavior, University of Minnesota, USA
Global biodiversity datasets contain key gaps, thisis particularly obvious when considering taxa in the
Global South. Natural History Collections have thepotential to help fill these gaps, however many records are unidentified, precluding them from use. A
need to non-destructively sample from these collections further limits their potential. We evaluate theadded value gained by taking spectral reflectance139

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measurements of leaf tissue from herbarium specimens. We use a previously undigitised set of 1539
herbarium specimens from the Herbarium at Kew to
ask how well we can discriminate between species
using spectral data. We also evaluate the feasibility of inferring traits from these herbarium derived
spectra. Spectra can accurately be used to identify
species, however further work is still needed to extend this application to trait estimates. We highlightthat leaf reflectance spectra provide a novel andnon-destructive way to add value to natural history collections and can be applied to fill systemic
knowledge gaps.

S.41.3 NIRS as a innovative
tool for valorizing herbarium
specimens: ongoing
research at CIRAD

their hybrid, with some specimens dating back 150
years and others collected recently. Using these twodatasets, we evaluate the ability of NIR models built
on older collections to discriminate recent samples
or, in opposite, the possibility of discriminating older
samples with recent collections. Finally, we are experimenting NIRS for the prediction of leaf chemicalcomposition. As prediction of fodder chemical value
is already possible from the use of NIRS on grounded vegetal material, we are building a large calibration set to test the feasibility of applying the same
method non-destructively on complete herbarium
specimens. We present an overview of the researchunderway in our laboratory, spanning these threeareas with practical case studies and initial results.

S.41.4 Leaf spectral
properties and leaf traitsof four alpine species ofbutterworts (Pinguicula L.)

Samantha Bazan1,2, Morgane
Dendoncker3, Elodie Baby1,2, Denis
Bastianelli1,2, Jennifer Mersni1,2,
Alexia Bennert3, Mia Svensk1,2, Simon
Taugourdeau1,2, Laurent Bonnal1,2
1 CIRAD, UMR SELMET, Montpellier, France. 2 SELMET,
Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut Agro, Montpellier, France. 3 Université catholique de Louvain,
Earth and Life Institute, Environmental Sciences,
Croix du Sud, 2, box L7.05.24, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
Near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is a promising toolfor valorizing herbarium specimens as it allows thegathering information on plants without damaging
valuable and historical samples. The CIRAD herbarium is currently testing various approaches. These
research can be separated into three areas: Firstly,
we are using the NIR spectrum as a trait, studying
its covariation with some other more “classic” functional traits such as Specific Leaf Area and leaf thickness. We are working on a dataset of Combretum
genus from West and Central Africa to assess relationships between functional traits and a rainfall
gradient. We are also examining functional traits ofa Sahelian species, Balanites aegyptiaca, in relation
with water availability. Secondly, we are experimenting with NIRS as a tool for systematics discrimination.
Assuming that intraspecific variations in the spectrum are smaller than interspecific variations, it may
be possible to make identifications in herbarium
within some genus, using appropriate calibration.
A test was carried out on two Pistacia species andSara Natale1, Marco Canella1, Garima
Singh1, Mariano Battistuzzi1, Silvia Moschin1,
Anna Pasinato1, Valentina Boscariol1,
Barbara Baldan1, Francesco Dal Grande1,
Nicoletta La Rocca1, Alessandro Alboresi1
1 University of Padua, Padua, Italy
Understanding the traits that influence the responses of species to climate change is a crucial aspectof predicting future community composition andecosystem function. Leaf functional traits are informative data to understand adaptation and acclimatization of species to ecological niches. Moreover,different plant species could have unique spectralreflectance signatures that might provide information to recognize and discriminate plant species. We
characterized leaf morpho-functional traits of four
species of Pinguicula with different ecological niches, from dump meadows to rocky walls. Specifically,
we studied P. alpina, P. leptoceras, P. vulgaris and P.
poldinii. Sampling activities took place in the Dolomites, north-eastern side of European Alpine Arc. We
measured the following environmental parameters:
temperature, relative humidity, light intensity, light
spectrum. As leaf functional traits we consideredleaf dry matter content and specific leaf area. In order to characterize the photosynthetic adaptationin alpine butterworts, we quantified leaf pigment
contents, and we measured photosynthesis in-situ
and leaf reflectance (400-1000 nm). Also, we ob-140

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Jose Eduardo Meireles1, Dawson White2,
Cornelius Nichodemus1, Jeannine
Cavender-Bares3

served leaf surface features, trichomes and glands
morphology via scanning electron microscopy(SEM). Despite a lower concentration of chlorophylls,
P. poldinii and P. alpina showed a higher photosynthetic efficiency (e.g. yield of open photosystem IIreaction centres in light) compared to the other two
species. Since the different species showed different leaf reflectance spectra, our findings corroborate the ongoing hypothesis that leaf reflectancecan be a useful tool to interpret data related to leaf
traits, pigment composition and tissues organization. By providing a comprehensive scenario of leaf
morpho-functional characteristics and leaf spectra
signature, we show that the studied-species are coherently optimized to their prevailing environmental
conditions.

1 School of Biology and Ecology, University of Maine,USA. 2 Herbarium, Harvard University, USA. 3 Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, USA
Understanding the diversity and evolution of plant
function is critical at a time of rapid global change.
However, traditional methods for assessing plant
function, including measuring their traits and physiological strategies, are too expensive and time-consuming to be done at scale. First, we introduce leaf
spectra and how they can be used to rapidly measure plant functional traits and physiological attributes. We cover the basics of leaf optics and techniques used to measure leaves Second, we cover
the prospects and challenges of assessing plant
function using herbarium specimens instead of fresh
leaves. We talk about the challenges imposed by the
background mounting paper and glue on the measurements and how to mitigate them. Finally, we describe and exemplify how to model the evolution ofleaf spectra and their underlying traits to understandevolutionary rates and convergent evolution.

S.41.5 Plants show theirtrue colors: leveraging leaf
spectra to understand thediversity and evolution ofplant form and function

S.42 CURRENT RESEARCH IN BORAGINALES
S.42.1 An updated
phylogeny ofBoraginales based on
the Angiosperms353
probe set: a roadmap
for understanding
morphological evolution

data from 109 Boraginales accessions available in
PAFTOL, phylogenomic data from 161 samples weregenerated, collectively representing all Boraginales
families and approximately 84% of genus diversity.
The results are consistent with previous phylogenetic studies, with some novelties and overall better
resolution. Well-resolved species trees are retrieved
with consistently high support for both data sets
used (exons and supercontigs) and both analyses
implemented (concatenation and multi-locus species tree estimation approach). Among the mostimportant findings, Lennoaceae are found nested
in Ehretiaceae and we propose their inclusion in Ehretiaceae. The tribal relationships of the highly diverse Boraginaceae subfam. Cynoglossoideae are
fully resolved for the first time. Residual ambiguities
remain: Codonaceae are found as basal branch in
Boraginales I (sister to [Wellstediaceae and Boraginaceae]) in the exonic data set, in agreement withprevious studies, but they are retrieved as basal
branch of Boraginales II in reconstructions based on
exons and introns. Also, the sister relationship of Namaceae and Hydrophyllaceae is not clear, probably

Maria-Anna Vasile1,*, Tim Böhnert1, Julius
Jeiter2, Maximilian Weigend1
1 Bonn Institute for Organismic Biology, Plant Biodiversity Section, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany. 2 Faculty of Biology, TUD Dresden University ofTechnology, Dresden, Germany * email: m.vasile@
uni-bonn.de
Boraginales are a subcosmopolitan order with ca.
2,700 species recognized in 11 families. We re-analyzed relationships using the Angiosperms353 probe
set. In addition to the Angiosperms353 nuclear gene141

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due to limited sampling especially in Nama. Similarly, tribe Cynoglosseae was summarily sampled andintergeneric relationships are not at present fully
resolved. Overall, the results highlight the effectiveness of the target enrichment probe set for understanding the evolutionary history of Boraginales andpave the way for resolving remaining taxonomic issues and a comprehensive study of the evolution ofgroup-specific morphological traits. Our studies on
the internal ovary architecture using scanning electron microscopy and micro-computed tomography reveal that changes in placentation and ovule
number are key characters in the macroevolution
and divergence of Boraginales families. Combining
highly resolved phylogeny with critical morphological analyses promises a deep understanding ofevolution trajectories in Boraginales.

S.42.2 Unraveling theevolutionary history
of Cynoglossinae(Boraginaceae): insightsfrom molecular dating,biogeography, anddiversification patterns

suggest that this subtribe likely originated during the
middle Miocene in a large area, including East Asiaand the Irano-Turanian region. It underwent rapid
initial diversification, subsequently and repeatedly
expanding its range both westward to Europe (including the Mediterranean region) and Africa, andsouthward to Australia during the Middle-Miocene toPleistocene, with a preferential radiation into northern temperate regions. The timing of the diversification of the species-rich clades corresponds with
Miocene tectonic events and global climate changes, resulting in increased aridity across Eurasia. Diversification analyses demonstrated a relatively
constant diversification rate for all Cynoglossinae.
Our results highlight the complexity of processes
shaping diversifications in Cynoglossinae, emphasizing a complex interaction among climatic modifications providing opportunities for diversification.

S.42.3 An update on thephylogeny, classification,and biogeography ofthe popcorn flowers(subtribe Amsinckiinae,
Boraginaceae)
Michael G. Simpson1, C. Matt Guilliams2,
Kristen Hasenstab-Lehman2, Makenzie E.
Mabry3

Zohreh Pourghorban1, Yasaman Salmaki1,
Maximilian Weigend2
1 Department of Plant Science, University of Tehran,Tehran, Iran. 2 Bonn Institute of Organismic Biology,
University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
Cynoglossinae has radiated into a diverse assemblage comprising approximately 200 species, andits evolutionary history has not yet been comprehensively explored. Here, we examine the historicalbiogeography of Cynoglossinae, employing molecular dating and ancestral area reconstruction
to understand how past climate changes and geographical patterns have provoked the diversificationof Cynoglossinae. We inferred the evolutionary relationships of Cynoglossinae based on a dataset of
154 taxa, utilizing four plastid markers (trnL-F, rps16,
rpl16, and trnK–matK) and one nuclear region (ITS)
through PacBio sequencing. The monophyly of Cynoglossinae is strongly confirmed under Bayesianand maximum likelihood approaches. However, thenested position of all segregates confirms the broadconcept of Cynoglossum, encompassing all generic segregates. Our biogeographic analysis results

1 San Diego State University, San Diego, USA. 2 Santa
Barbara Botanic Garden, Santa Barbara, USA 3 University of Florida, Gainesville, USA
Subtribe Amsinckiinae, colloquially known as the
popcorn flowers, is currently recognized with 17
genera and approximately 302 species. The subtribe exhibits a remarkable diversity of form andis one of the most taxon-rich groups of family
Boraginaceae. Several new species in the subtribe have been discovered in the past five years,
with more yet to be described. Analyses of new
chloroplast DNA and ddRadSeq sequence data
resolve some past ambiguities and confirm generally strong support for the monophyly of the 17
genera and of a separate group of Cryptantha
species termed the Maritimae clade. We report
the status of resolving “backbone” interrelationships among these major clades, which are often
poorly resolved. We summarize major evolutionary shifts in the Amsinckiinae in plant duration,leaf size, fruit morphology, and reproductive biol-142

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ogy. Long-distance dispersals within the subtribe
occurred a minimum of 18 times, each resulting
in an American amphitropic disjunction. Basedon sequence data and comparative morphology, we now expand membership of the Maritimae clade to include up to 7 North American and
12 South American species, the latter resulting
from evolutionary divergence following a single
long-distance dispersal event. Finally, we present
evidence that the Maritimae clade is inclusive ofa monotypic genus previously not confirmed as amember of the subtribe, and we evaluate whether the Maritimae clade might best be treated asa separate genus of the popcorn flowers.

S.42.4 A systematic analysisof the family Heliotropiaceae
Schard. in India based onmorphology, anatomy andmolecular data
Anna Ancy Antony Attullil1, Etna Bivera1
1 Department of Botany, St. Albert’s College, Ernakulam, India
Systematic concepts of Boraginaceae have beenhighly problematic and controversial over decades. Traditional classifications subdivided thefamily Boraginaceae into five subfamilies. Recent
molecular data-based results, supports the recognition of eleven families namely the Boraginaceae s.str., Codonaceae Weigend & Hilger, Coldeniaceae J.S.Mill. & Gottschling, Cordiaceae R.Br.
ex Dumort., Ehretiaceae Mart., Heliotropiaceae
Schard., Hoplestigmataceae Gilg, Hydrophyllaceae R.Br., Lennoaceae Solms, Namaceae Molinari,and Wellstediaceae Novák. under Boraginales.
The family Heliotropiaceae Schard. comprises
four genera, Heliotropium L., Euploca Nutt., Ixorhea
Fenzl and Myriopus small. with about 450 species
world wide. The members are distributed in thetropics and temperate regions of the world andoccur mostly along the plains, coastal areas, dry
arid zones. In India, the family is represented by
two genera Heliotropium L. and Euploca Nutt. andwith a high percentage of endemism. The members are annual or perennial herbs characterisedby scorpioid cymes, epipetalous stamens, bicarpellary gynoecium, tetralocular ovary, terminalstyle, uniquely modified stigmatic head with annulus base and infertile apex, four seeded fruits.

The family is studied in India based on field andherbarium data and the characters were recorded. Entire morphological variation occurring within the family is considered. Diversity and adaptive
value of foliar architecture and pollen morphology of species is analysed. Hypodromous, brochidodromous type I, II, III, craspidodromous andreticulodromous venation patterns are noted
within the members. Kranz anatomy is restricted
to the Euploca clade. Euploca is characterised bymedium-sized pollen grains, except in E. ovalifolia. Pollen grains are prolate in Heliotropium andprolate spheroidal in Euploca with the absenceof endocingulum and medial constriction. Phylogenetic analysis using combined sequence datafrom regions ITS, trnL–trnF, matK and rps16 wereconducted. These approaches prove to be highly informative in delimiting members within thefamily.

S.42.5 Evolutionary trends
in gynoecium and fruit
evolution in Boraginales
Julius Jeiter1,*, Maria-Anna Vasile2,
Maximilian Weigend2
1 Chair of Botany, Faculty of Biology, TUD Dresden
University of Technology, Dresden, Germany. 2
Bonn Institute for Organismic Biology, Plant Biodiversity Section, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany*email: julius.jeiter@tu-dresden.de
Boraginales constitute a medium-sized orderin the Lamiids with a chequered taxonomic history due to considerable diversity in flower andfruit morphology. In recent decades, molecular phylogenetics established Boraginales as awell-defined order with two major clades. Both
comprise families characterised by either capsules or nutlets and capsules, schizocarps and/or
drupes. A reduction in ovule number from many
to four appears to have preceded the transition
from capsular to indehiscent fruits. We address
two main questions: Why did indehiscent fruits
derived from a bicarpellate, syncarpous gynoecium evolve twice independently? What are themain factors driving fruit evolution in Boraginales? We combine scanning electron microscopy
and X-ray micro-computed tomography in thecontext of recent phylogenies to understand gynoecium and fruit morphological evolution within Boraginales. We focus on three examples fromBoraginales II. Our studies of gynoecium and143

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fruit morphology address patterns in ovule andseed number evolution. In Hydrophyllaceae wefound multiple transitions from pluri-ovulate tofour-seeded fruits, but reversals of this character are rare. We argue that the reduction of ovule
number to four fixes an ontogenetic trajectory,
ultimately leading to indehiscent, four-seeded
fruits. Conversely, in holoparasitic Pholisma arenarium, parasitism has likely led to a departurefrom the “two carpel-four ovule paradigm” in Boraginales, resulting in a multiplication of carpels toincrease seed number. Finally, in Heliotropiaceae,
we found fruit architecture to be highly conserved

and divergent fruit morphology and function isrealized by histological changes. Multiple transitions between schizocarps and drupes occurred
even within closely related taxa within the family.
These morphological and developmental studies
underscore the multiple ontogenetic trajectories
available for morphological diversification andfunctional convergence, even where particularcharacter combinations are highly conserved.
Traditional Boraginales systematics have emphasised mature fruit morphology – phylogenetic data clearly demonstrate that this often fails toreflect relationships correctly.

S.43 GEOPHYTIC MONOCOTS: TAXONOMY
AND THE EVOLUTION OF SUCCULENCE
S.43.1 Delimiting
species boundaries
in Indian Pancratium(Amaryllidaceae): a
cytotaxonomic approach
Shrirang R. Yadav1
1 Shivaji University, Kolhapur, India
Pancratium species grow sporadically throughout
the country and individual plants are usually sparsely distributed. The species are ephemeral bulbous
perennials. The emergence of scape and flowering
mostly depends on the pre-monsoon rain pattern.
Following the first pre-monsoon showers, the species
flower only once in a year for a short period (10-15days). Therefore, catching the species in flowering isa difficult task. Consequently, the genus is taxonomically poorly studied. Moreover, the species have been
distinguished based on overlapping quantitative
characters. Protologues are very brief, and the typespecimens are either not available or poorly preserved. Therefore, there is a need to revisit the taxonomy and develop standard taxonomic methods
to circumscribe species unambiguously. Accordingly,
attempts have been made over the last 20 years to
study the Indian species (distributed across ca. 75
accessions from various localities in India) in the field
as well as under cultivation. I recognize nine species
in India and provide an account of diagnostic characters and standard terminology that can be used

to distinguish them. Additionally, chromosomal andcrossability data are used to understand species limits. Most of the Pancratium species are diploid with 2n= 2x = 22 chromosomes but a few, viz. P. triflorum andP. zeylanicum exhibit triploid (2n = 3x = 33) cytotypes
as well. Karyotypes are represented by m (metacentric), sm (submetacentric), st (subtelocentric) and t(acrocentric) chromosomes. About 60 interspecificcrosses involving eight species were made. Interspecific crosses among the Indian species produced fully fertile hybrids indicating that they represent a single biological species. The differences in characters(fixed genetically) among the populations (of species) probably represent ecotypes adapted to local
environmental conditions.

S.43.2 Taxonomy of Indian
Dipcadi: Does cytogenetics
provide all answers?
Manoj M. Lekhak1, Priya E. Shelke1, Shrirang
R. Yadav1
1 Shivaji University, Kolhapur, India
Dipcadi Medik. (Asparagaceae) is a bulbous
monocot with less than 50 species distributedin Africa, Europe, the Indian subcontinent andMadagascar. India has 13 species with a maximum concentration (11 species) in peninsular India. Cytogenetically the genus is well-known for
its bimodal karyotype wherein two sets of chromosomes of contrasting sizes are found. Taxon-

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omy of the genus has always been convolutedon account of the uniformity of morphologicalfeatures and their short flowering period. Moreover, these species make poor herbarium specimens because of their succulent nature andhence are underrepresented in Herbaria acrossthe globe. Here, we studied the cytogenetics of
23 accessions distributed across 11 species to refine their taxonomy. The variation in diploid chromosome number (2n) indicated the presenceof three chromosome counts, i.e., 2n = 12, 20 and
22 chromosomes. D. concanense, D. goaense,
D. janae-shrirangii, D. reidii, D. saxorum, accessions collected from Ankai fort, Delhi, Gautala andMhaismal had 2n = 12 chromosomes whereas D.
coimbatorensis, D. krishnadevarayae, D. montanum var. madrasicum, D. ursulae, D. ursulae var.
longiracemosum, accessions collected from Ajara, Badami, Belgaum, Dapoli, Dolkhamb, Halkarni,
Rantale and Yercaud had 2n = 20 chromosomes.
D. erythraeum had 2n = 22 chromosomes. The
mean chromosome length (MCL) varied from 1.52
– 9.31 μm and the total length of the haploid complement (THL) was 24.76 – 48.91 μm. Both bimodal
and trimodal karyotypes were observed. Trimodal
karyotypes were confined to species with 2n = 20
and 22 chromosomes. Male meiosis was found to
be normal. Our findings suggest that cytogenetical information, viz. chromosome number andmorphology cannot fully discriminate between
species and hence an integrated approach involving molecular cytogenetics or molecularphylogenetics should be applied to resolve theidentity of species.

S.43.3 Geophytes in
the Anthropocene: anintegrated approach tounderstanding geophyte
responses to rapid change

leaves that normally die back annually. This lifeform evolved to avoid or cope with adverse environmental conditions and associated stressors
both spatially or temporally. A predisposition tostress has arguably resulted in positive and negative consequences, but offers an interesting
perspective on responses to rapid global change
stressors of the Anthropocene especially climatechange. While research focused on geophytism
has gained pace recently, more integrated approaches are required. Here we offer recommendations on an integrated approach of understanding geophyte responses to rapid change
from evolutionary, ecological, and physiologicalperspectives for monocots. This approach should
begin with a deeper understanding of the evolution of the geophytism (particularly lineages withhigh levels of geophytism) to determine whether the trait is basal/advanced, when it evolved
and under what conditions the trait emerges
and persists. Ecological and physiological studies on geophytes focus on distribution, richness,
endemism, growth, phenology, reproduction anddormancy. We argue for the implementation of
more in situ and greenhouse studies (simulated
stress scenarios) as these can provide excellent
opportunities to understand geophyte responses
specifically to climate change at various levels,and potentially provide data for predictive models. Spatial modelling of geophytes under climatechange scenarios has been initiated in various parts of the world, but more of such studies
are needed. While we have focused on climatechange as a primary Anthropocene stressor, weneed to acknowledge other interlinked stressors
such as land use change, overharvesting, overgrazing, disease, fragmentation, and ecosystemdegradation that are increasing the extinction
rate of geophytes globally. An integrated approach will allow for a better understanding of
the risks posed by climate change and multiple
stressors of the Anthropocene, as well as the potential conservation options.

Syd Ramdhani1, Şerban Procheş2,
Sershen3, Angus Macdonald1
1 School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa. 2 Discipline of Geography,
University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa. 3
Department of Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, University of Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa
Geophytes are generally plants with an underground perennation organ (e.g. bulb, corm, tuber, rhizome) that has a storage function and145

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S.43.4 Diversity andphylogeny of the rapidly
expanding Asian
genus Peliosanthes(Asparagaceae)

presence of a pedicel, the shape of the perianth (rotate vs. more or less cup-shaped), and the shape of
the androecial corona (entire vs. lobed). We therefore
argue that the significance of these characters for thesystematics of Peliosanthes was overestimated, andwe refute a number of earlier proposed interspecific relationships. Supported by the Russian Science Foundation, project 24-44-04001.

Maxim S. Nuraliev1,2, Anastasia A.
Krinitsina1, Nikolay A. Vislobokov1,2, Leonid
V. Averyanov3, Khang Sinh Nguyen4,5,
Dmitry D. Sokoloff1, Pavel A. Nikitin1Maxim S.
Nuraliev1,2, Anastasia A. Krinitsina1, Nikolay
A. Vislobokov1,2, Leonid V. Averyanov3,
Khang Sinh Nguyen4,5, Dmitry D. Sokoloff1,
Pavel A. Nikitin1
1 M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow,
Russia. 2 Joint Russian-Vietnamese Tropical Scientific and Technological Center, Hanoi, Vietnam. 3
Komarov Botanical Institute, St. Petersburg, Russia.
4 Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources, Hanoi, Vietnam. 5 Graduate University of Science andTechnology, Hanoi, Vietnam
Considered recently to contain only a few species, thegenus Peliosanthes is currently under active discovery
for its taxonomic diversity. Indeed, by the end of the20th century, it was known to comprise about 15 species, whereas more than 60 formally accepted species
are presently known. However, the more taxonomic
novelties are published, the less clear the interspecific boundaries become. From a morphological point ofview, Peliosanthes can hardly be subdivided into species groups. In the virtual absence of molecular phylogenetic data, this makes the ideas of species proximity
and their discrimination from each other highly subjective and often ambiguous. We used high-throughput
sequencing approaches to obtain sequences of theentire plastid genomes of 20 specimens representing 18 species of Peliosanthes. Our results indicate thatplastome data allow a well-resolved phylogenetic reconstruction of the genus. In some cases, the reconstruction was in congruence with the morphologicalsimilarity between species. For example, P. triandra andP. weberi, representing the earlier recognized genus Neolourya, formed a clade. In other cases, in contrast, thephylogenetic pattern obtained has never been predicted. In particular, our results support the distinctness ofP. graminea, which was considered to be very close to
the widespread and variable P. teta but appeared tobe distantly related to the latter. We show homoplastic evolution of several structural traits, including the
inflorescence type (raceme vs. thyrse), the absence or

S.43.5 New insights on
generic circumscriptionin Hyacinthaceae basedon comprehensive
morphological, molecularand distributional data
Mario Martínez-Azorín, Manuel B. Crespo,
María Ángeles Alonso-Vargas
University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
Generic circumscription and systematics in Hyacinthaceae (= Asparagaceae subfam. Scilloideae), havebeen controversial in recent decades, with contrastingtreatments based on preliminary and partial studies
focusing only on morphology and/or limited DNA sequence data. This created considerable instability atboth generic level and generic relationships. Recent
treatments in subfamilies Ornithogaloideae and Urgineoideae have recognized a single genus Ornithogalum or up to four genera in Ornithogaloideae or only
two genera in Urgineoideae, with a very broadly conceived Drimia. These proposals have been accepted
for the last years by influential repositories (such as
POWO, etc) and represented synonymization of several traditionally accepted genera with very distinct
morphology, such as Galtonia, Neopatersonia andseveral others into Ornithogalum s.l.; several groups
traditionally included in Ornithogalum into Albuca s.l.;or Schizobasis, Thuranthos, Litanthus, etc in Drimia s.l.
In this way, recognition of such very broad concepts
compromise acceptance of most genera in flowering
plants and in petaloid monocotyledons and it is ouraim to provide an alternative solution based on comprehensive studies combining morphological, molecular and distributional data. Our latest phylogenetic
analyses involving plastid and nuclear DNA regions
and a selection of 40 morphological characters covers 293 samples of Urgineoideae (ca. 80% of its diversity) and yielded 31 well-defined clades or lineages,
most corresponding to previously described genera,
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circumscription. Regarding subfamily Ornithogaloideae, our studies evidence the existence of 19 lineages
that can be accepted at genus rank and are linked
to a defined biogeography. As in other monocot families, a considerable degree of homoplasy was observed in morphology, especially in those groups withunspecialized flowers; nonetheless, consistent syndromes of traditional and novel characters are shownto support clade recognition at genus rank.

S.43.6 Integration of
genomic phylogeography,
morphology and climaticniche to elucidate
speciation within Phycella(Amaryllidaceae)
Nicolás García1, Taryn Fuentes1,2, Ryan A. Folk3
1 Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile; email: ngarcia@uchile.cl. 2 Wildland Ecobenefit Conservacy(WEConserv) Foundation, Santiago, Chile. 3 Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, USA
Phycella (Amaryllidaceae) is a clade of approximately
13 species of lilies endemic to the Mediterranean-type
ecosystem of Chile. An unclear taxonomy at the species level and conservation interest makes it a priority toclarify the number and limits of species which hinders
addressing questions about speciation mechanisms inthis key endemism area. To approach the evolutionary

history of Phycella, we sampled a total of 137 individuals from 47 populations, including all described taxa
throughout the geographic range of the group, andsampled 893 nuclear genes (1135 exons) through hybrid capture. These data largely resolved the phylogenyof Phycella with high support and demonstrated substantial phylogenetic resolution at the population level. The combination of high-resolution molecular datawith morphological and ecological data further yielded
insight into speciation mechanisms, and near-complete plastomes were extracted from raw reads andassembled for all samples to compare with the nuclear framework and examine complex evolutionary
processes. Using phylogenetic network and modelingapproaches, we identified major cytonuclear discord,
attributable to proximity-based gene flow among recently diverged species through the speciation process, largely involving cytoplasmic DNA. Analyses ofniche overlap among species and nuclear clades suggest that the diversification of Phycella was associated with niche divergence, supporting a predominantly geographic mode of speciation in the group, likely
driven by the mountainous landscape characteristic ofdiversity and endemism center of this clade in central
Chile. Finally, we present a major integrative taxonomic proposal that divides Phycella into 18 species on thebasis of molecular, morphological, and ecological data.
Overall, our findings highlight the value of strong sampling of both populations/individuals and genetic locifor speciation studies, which was key to identifying both
evolutionary processes and a confident taxonomic
framework for contextualizing these processes.

S.44 MECHANISMS UNDERLYING PLANT
DIVERSITY PATTERNS IN THE EAST ASIAN–
AUSTRALASIAN REGION
S.44.1 What factors
contribute to the biased
latitudinal species
diversity gradient in the
East Asia-Southeast AsiaAustralasian region?
Buntarou Kusumoto1, Takayuki Shiono2,
Yasuhiro Kubota2

1 Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, Japan. 2
Faculty of Science, University of the Ryukyus, JapanThe East Asia-Southeast Asia-Australasian region
constitutes a continuum of plant diversity hotspots
across a broad latitudinal gradient, contributing
significantly to global plant diversity. The higher latitudes in the region, including East Asia and Australia, are the richest source of botanical information(i.e., plant species occurrence records) in the world,
while the lower latitudes present a global cold spotin such records. This spatial inequality of sample
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geographical patterns of plant diversity across thewhole latitudinal zone of the region. Recent study
reported bias-corrected diversity patterns of global woody plants, and reported a skewed latitudinal gradient in species diversity, peaking in the
mid-latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere (southern China). A latitudinal diversity gradient is oneof the best-recognized macroecological patterns,
and its underlying mechanisms are considered tobe due to energy/climatic gradients, and/or tropical niche conservatism, but no consensus has yet
been reached. A thorough exploration of the driversof the skewed latitudinal diversity patterns of woody
plants in the region would provide further insight into
the geographic, ecological, and evolutionary forces
shaping biodiversity. In this presentation, we introduce the results of the examination of the contribution of plant taxonomic components to the biased
latitudinal diversity gradient. Then, we aim to identify
taxonomic levels, groups, and areas to focus on andin the future and organize hypotheses to be tested
in order to elucidate the mechanism of biased latitudinal diversity pattern.

vergence remains unclear. Bayesian dating with 29
rigorously assessed fossil calibrations indicates thatmost Sapindalean families arose in the Cretaceous.
We then integrated target capture data with legacy
Sanger data to produce species-level phylogenetic
trees of Sapindales families. Biogeographic analysesof the dated, species-level trees support Sundanianorigin for Sapindales families, confirm the eastward
bias in exchange from Sunda to Sahul, and highlightthe importance of Wallacean emergence in facilitating the exchange. Most interestingly, the results
indicate that for some lineages, an origin in Sunda
and subsequent colonisation of Wallacea and Sahul
explains the observed eastward bias in exchange,
while for others, ancestors were present in Sahul, but
extinction coincident with Miocene aridification likely contributed to the eastward exchange bias. This
study has shed new light on Sapindalean evolution
and the SSFE, and emphasises the importance ofconsidering ancient evolutionary history when attempting to understand recent and current biogeographic processes.

Elizabeth M. Joyce

S.44.3 Cenozoic dynamics
of beta diversity in East
Asian angiosperm woody
plants: cooling andincreased fluctuation ofclimate drive dist

Systematics, Biodiversity and Evolution of Plants,
Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Munich,Germany

Shogo Ikari1, Takayuki Shiono1, Kubota
Yasuhiro1

The convergence of the Sunda continental shelf(Malaysia, parts of Indonesia and the Philippines)
and the Sahul continental shelf (Australia and New
Guinea) from c. 25 Mya was a significant event inglobal biogeography that resulted in the exchangeof previously isolated floras (the ‘Sunda-Sahul Floristic Exchange’; SSFE). Despite the importance of
the SSFE in shaping the flora of the region, muchremains to be understood about the processes
and patterns underlying it. To address this, we used
Angiosperms353 target capture data to generate the most densely sampled phylogenetic treeof angiosperm order Sapindales to date, with 448
samples and c. 85% of the genera represented. Our
tree resolves the relationships between Meliaceae,
Simaroubaceae and Rutaceae and indicates that
Nitrariaceae, Biebersteiniaceae and Sapindaceae
emerged early in Sapindales, but the order of di-

1 Faculty of Science, University of the Ryukyus, Japan

S.44.2 Origin and Australianpaleoclimate drives biotic
exchange patterns acrossWallace’s Line

We focused on the impact of paleoclimate changes on large-scale taxonomic sorting related to geography; specifically, how cooler and warmer climatic conditions affect the distance-dependency
of betadiversity. Using a dataset of Cenozoic fossil
assemblages of angiosperm woody plants (7,468
data points; 310 genera in 95 families) in the Japanese portion of the East Asian archipelago (except
Ryukyu islands), we modeled the distance-dependency of genus turnover (pairwise compositional
dissimilarity) through the Oligocene, Miocene, Pliocene, Pleistocene, Last Glacial Period, Holocene, andpresent day. The genus turnover of angiospermwoody plants was significantly correlated with geographical and climatic distance only in the Last
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theOligocene to Pliocene, the warmer periods, genus turnover was mostly independent of geographical distance. Spatial/climatic distance-dependent
turnover under colder environments involved a climate-induced sorting process to spatially diversify
woody-plant assemblages across the archipelago.
Moreover, the predominance of distant-independent turnover suggested the effect of dispersal release under warmer, stable climates. Our findings
suggest that future tropicalization in temperate
habitats could promote geographical homogenization of biodiversity patterns.

S.44.4 Historicalbiogeography of Maesa(Primulaceae) with anemphasis on the IndoAustralian Archipelago
Pirada Sumanon1,2, Timothy M.A.
Utteridge3,4, Henrik Balslev2 & Wolf L.
Eiserhardt2,3
1 Silpakorn University, Sanam Chandra Palace
campus, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand. 2 Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark. 3 Royal Botanic Gardens,
Kew, UK. 4 Singapore Botanic Gardens, Singapore
The Indo-Australian Archipelago is recognized as
one of the world’s most geologically and biogeographically complex areas with exceptional floristic
diversity. These islands are situated between mainland Southeast Asia and Australia, acting as an areaof floristic interchange. However, the pathways ofplant dispersal across the region are still unclear.
Although west-to-east dispersal into the Pacific is
detected in several plant groups, the generality ofthis pattern remains to be tested. Maesa is a genus
of shrubs, trees, or woody scramblers in the family
Primulaceae distributed in the palaeotropics fromAfrica to the Pacific comprising approximately 200
species. In this study, we reconstructed dispersal
events of Maesa focusing on the Indo-AustralianArchipelago and the connection to continental Asiaand the Pacific islands. We used a comprehensive
species-level phylogeny generated from genomic(target sequence capture) data for molecular dating and ancestral range estimation. The phylogeny
showed several strongly supported clades, including three geographically structured Asian-Pacificclades. The Asian-Pacific lineage diverged from its
African relatives ca. 15 Ma and established in Conti-

nental Asia-Papuasia-Philippines ca. 11 Mya. However, the recent diversity of the genus in the Asia-Pacific is a result of rapid radiations that happened ca. 5
Mya possibly related to a warming phase and rapid
orogenesis. Papuasia and Continental Asia are inferred as major sources of Maesa. We detected two
west-to-east dispersal trends: from continental Asia
to west Malesia and from Papuasia to Pacific Islands. No connecting path is recovered which might
be due to incomplete sampling especially from thePhilippines. This study is the first to explore historical biogeography of the genus Maesa. Our investigation into the biogeographic history of the genus
reveals the events that shape the current distribution of Maesa and shed light on the connectivity between the complex Indo-Australian Archipelago andneighbouring islands and continents.

S.44.5 Phylogenomics,
pollination biology, floral
chemistry, and historicalbiogeography of Western
Australian Darwinia(Myrtaceae)
Patricia W. Chan1,4, Ashley Hamersma2,
Barbara Rye3, Matthew Barrett 3 4, Thomas
J. Givnish1
1 University of Wisconsin - Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
2 University of Florida, Florida, USA 3 Western Australian Herbarium, Western Australia, AU. 4 Australian Tropical Herbarium, Queensland, Australia
We are using a variety of approaches to analyze
the relative importance of various drivers of species
diversification in the large, relatively young, morphologically diverse genus Darwinia (Myrtaceae)
from Western Australia. This group is ideal for such a
study given the narrow endemism of many species,
the sky-island biogeography of several taxa, the apparent lack of long-distance seed dispersal acrossthe group, and the striking diversity of inflorescences
and associated pollinators, with the latter including
birds, marsupials, and several groups of insects. We
are developing a Myrtaceae bait kit for phylogenomic studies of Darwinia, and have sequenced andanalyzed several hundred single-copy nuclear loci.
We are extending these studies now to constructand date nuclear and plastome phylogenies, to reconstruct relationships, character-state evolution,
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ography in Darwinia. We are also investigating the
reproductive ecology and pollination syndromesof several representative Darwinia species throughstudies of pollinator behavior, floral morphometrics,
and floral volatile and nectar chemistry. Data resulting from these studies will be integrated into analyses of the drivers of taxonomic and morphologicaldiversification in Darwinia. This research will shedlight on speciation, endemism, adaptive radiation,
coevolution, and convergence in a large, threatened clade from the Western Australia biodiversity
hotspot based on research by collaborators at theWestern Australian Herbarium, Australian Tropical
Herbarium, King’s Park Botanic Garden, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

S.44.6 Phylogeography andconservation of Pedicularis(Orobanchaceae) in the
Hengduan Mountains
biodiversity hotspot
Jared B. Meek1, Jenni U. Jones1, Richard H.
Ree2, Deren A.R. Eaton1
1 Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, USA.
2 Integrative Research Center, The Field Museum,
Chicago, USA

Pedicularis (Orobanchaceae) is a genus of herbaceous hemiparasitic plants with highly diverse floral
morphologies. It includes ca. 600 species worldwide,
more than half of which are native to China andendemic to the Hengduan Mountains, where theirgreatest diversity is found. Over the past decade,multiple phylogeographic scenarios have emerged
to describe the impacts of mountain uplift, Quaternary glacial cycles, and climatic transitions on plant
diversification across the Hengduan Mountains.
While some studies have documented these largescale dynamics for species across this region, few
have used population genomics to quantify impactsof geographic barriers on population structure. This
research highlights the phylogeographic histories oftwelve widespread Pedicularis species in the Hengduan Mountains, where it is common to find many
species of Pedicularis flowering in sympatry. With anassembled dataset of ~1,000 specimens, we used amodified ddRAD approach to determine the population structure and divergence time estimates forthese twelve species, as well as putative geographic barriers affecting their dispersal ability acrossthe mountain range. Additionally, we compared
the genetic diversity between contemporary (post2018) and historical (pre-2000) Pedicularis samples collected throughout the Hengduan Mountains
to reveal areas of gene flow, highlighting potential
conservation implications of recent infrastructuredevelopment in the region.

S.45 TOWARDS A MORE ETHICAL SCIENCE:
DECOLONIZING BOTANICAL RESEARCH.
SESSION 1
S.45.1 Publishing as
ethics: decolonizing as ameans towards equitablepublishing
Cynthia T. Fowler1
1 Sociology and Anthropology Department, Wofford
College, Spartanburg, USA
As a means for contributing to the session on decolonizing botany, this paper presents a criticalanalysis of academic publishing. Because scienceis a multipronged institution, decolonizing it requires
also liberating the colonial hold on the ways information is shared and, moreover, on the information itself. The critical analysis in the presentation
is made from my perspective as a publisher andeditor with the Society of Ethnobiology and the University of Arizona Press. I also build upon my experiences as a transdisciplinary field researcher, author,
and peer reviewer. Additionally, I share key momentsfrom dialogues within the ADIE (Allying for a Diverseand Inclusive Ethnobiology) community related toequitable publishing and data sovereignty about:ethics; iterative project design; research approvals
and rapport; co-authoring; regulations, standards

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and practices; funding and advocacy; procedures
for managing vouchers; and ethnobiological methods. By raising questions about what academic
publishing would look like in a world where science
is decolonized, this presentation provokes considerations related to botanical research. For example, IBC conference attendees might discuss data
sovereignty, open access, co-authoring, multilingualism, rank and tenure evaluations, rematriating voucher specimens, collaboration, Indigenizing
methods, and epistemological justice. What efforts
are being made towards decolonizing publishing?
Publishing has made some progress towards decolonizing; particularly with open access, international
hip, ethics codes, data sharing, and editorial support
for scholars with diverse language backgrounds.
What are the barriers in these arenas and what
are some additional obstacles to a more equitablepublishing? Why are these barriers and obstacles inplace, and how could they be overcome? Working
within a framework of decolonial theory and bornfrom practical experience, this paper problematizes
publishing standards in the colonizers’ worlds while
it offers pluralizing and otherwising as conceptual
mechanisms for decolonizing publishing.

ical research, we re-examine our own publishedworks, evidencing gender misconceptions that havebecome evident in the discursive field and have operated in the conception, methodology, and interpretation of our results. Our conclusions reinforce theidea that it is necessary to open new perspectives
that allow considering the feminine dimension whenstudying place-based knowledge and practice,since it is still veiled in much of the ethnobiologicalscientific production. The set of problems evidenced
in our work and that of other, synthesized in the socalled triangle of bias, can only be corrected with an
integral gender approach. Furthermore, we highlightthe importance of further research to describe local
gender asymmetries in the protagonists’ own terms

S.45.3 Co-authorshipwith Indigenous,
Afrodescendant, and local
peoples: Opportunities andresponsibilities of academia
Ina Vandebroek1, Fleur de Marie
Fitzpatrick2

S.45.2 Gender equality andthe visualisation of womenin ethnobiological research:advances and perspectives

1 Department of Life Sciences and Caribbean Centre for Research in Bioscience, Faculty of Scienceand Technology, The University of the West Indies
Mona, Kingston, Jamaica, West Indies. 2 Department of Learning and Participation, The Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew, Richmond, London, UK.
Academia has a long history of not acknowledging
and/or appropriating the research contributions of
traditional knowledge holders in interactions with Indigenous, Afrodescendant, and local communities.
Recognizing this history underscores the continued
need for more equitable and respectful science, advocating for genuinely collaborative research, andembracing co-hip on scientific publications. Thisapproach presents opportunities for expanded allyship networks, facilitates mutual learning experiences, enriches research methodologies, incorporates
diverse perspectives, and fosters ethical and sustainable research outcomes. Co-hip, for example,
provides a platform for Indigenous and other local
community members to actively participate in the
research process, ensuring their voices, perspectives, and knowledge are properly acknowledged
and represented. Moreover, collaborative research
is impactful when embedded in long term relationships that support agency and self determination
with the communities involved. Additionally, papers

Ana H. Ladio1, Irene Teixidor-Toneu2
1 INIBIOMA (CONICET-Universidad Nacional del Comahue). Quintral 1250, S.C. de Bariloche, Argentina. Email: ahladio@gmail.com. 2 IMBE, Aix Marseille
Univ, Avignon Univ, CNRS, IRD, Marseille, France
Achieving gender equality and ensuring a fair representation of women in ethnobiology (and otherdisciplines) is still challenged by biases deeply rooted in the academic system. These biases lead topractices that reaffirm inequalities towards women.
The existence of a gender hierarchy gives rise to atripartite set of problems that may be manifested
in the practice of ethnobiological research. These
problems are: 1) maintaining or exacerbating sucha hierarchy; 2) failing to examine differences, being
insensitivity to differences, and treating people thesame when they should be treated differently; and
3) using double standards, treating different groups
differently because of their position within a social
hierarchy. To explore gender biases in ethnobotan-151XX International
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written collectively are more likely to be expressedin accessible language, enabling more people tobuild on research and rendering them more meaningful for posterity. This collaborative model foregrounds the significance of cultural sensitivity andrespect for local traditions, incorporating the rightto veto the publication of culturally-sensitive information. When co-hip is truly collaborative it will promote trust and mutual respect, giving communities
a sense of ownership and control over the research
process and its outcomes. On the other hand, it isessential to identify and address challenges associated with co-creation of knowledge and co-hip,such as power dynamics, resource imbalances, andthe risk of tokenism. Consequently, research methodology should be informed and grounded in empathy as communities may have suffered trauma inthe past from exploitative research and colonialism.
These challenges should inform future strategies
dedicated to nurturing more meaningful and balanced partnerships.

groups who gather for ceremonies. An ethnographic
case study, using methods drawn from Participatory
Action and Social Movement Research, analyzed theenvironmental injustices in a historical and current
context. Our research is grounded in learning fromthose who have mobilized this movement, especially the Indigenous peoples. We documented thespiritual, sacred connections to the land, and how
sovereignty rights are tied to CHamoru identity andvalues. U.S. law disregarded Indigenous perspectives which play a vital role in plant-human spiritualframeworks and the protection of Indigenous biocultural heritage. Despite opposition from the island
community and demands for environmental justice,
the Department of Defense bulldozed the forest at
Tailalo’. More destruction is on the way at Litekyan.
This symposium, with a call to action from within the
botanical research community, excites us. Maria,
traditional knowledge holder and activist, and Else,scientist and activist, share how they support eachother to amplify Indigenous voices.

S.45.4 Biocultural heritageof Litekyan in Guam:connecting stories ofspirituality and resistance

S.45.5 Using photo
identification and digital
methods to empower local
communities to document
their own botanicalknowledge

Else Demeulenaere1, Maria Hernandez
May2, Stefanie M. Ickert-Bond3
1 University of Guam Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant, University of Guam, UOG Station,
Mangilao, Guam. 2 Micronesia Climate Change Alliance, Guam. 3 UA Museum of the North Herbarium
and Department of Biology and Wildlife, Universityof Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, USA
The Mariana Islands are characterized by a rich biocultural diversity. The CHamoru people of Guam (thesouthernmost island) have coexisted sustainably
with their islands’ biotic communities. When the sacred lands of Tailalo’ and Litekyan became threatened by military expansion on Guam, a social movement advocated for the protection of the CHamoru
peoples’ biocultural heritage and the return of theirlands. Maria Hernandez May, an Indigenous CHamoru woman and daughter of a lineage of original
Litekyan landowners, continues the legacy of herancestors in her fight to get their land back. She is at
the forefront of the movement, advocating for endangered species, CHamoru culture and ancestral
land. The social movement also represents the voices of the traditional healers, fishermen and cultural

Alexander M. Greene1, Irene TeixidorToneu2, Guillaume Odonne1
1 LEEISA, (CNRS, Université de Guyane, IFREMER),
Cayenne, France. 2 Laboratoire IMBE (IRD, Aix-Marseille Universités), Marseille, France
The identification of plants according to the Linnaean system of taxonomy is a cornerstone of ethnobotany, allowing the discipline to be a comparative science. To accomplish plant identification,
ethnobotanists have long relied on the collectionof voucher specimens and their deposition in herbaria. Nevertheless, the complexity of botanical collecting sometimes hampers the process of local
communities self-conducing their own ethnobotanical inventories. Here we bring attention to a new
set of methods which could help facilitate this goal:
the collection of photographic vouchers and theirdeposition in digital repositories. The ever-improving quality and ubiquity of smartphone cameras,
photographic citizen science applications like Pl@
ntnet and iNaturalist, and deep learning techniques152

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Oral presentationsof automated photo identification are contributing
to a slow revolution in the role of digital data in thefield sciences. We propose photographic vouchers
as a valid, scientifically rigorous and locally adapted
method to inventory local botanical knowledge forand by communities and lay out guidelines for theiruse.

S.45.6 Ethnobotany inservice of food, land, anddata sovereignty: examples
and barriersAlex C. McAlvay1
1 The New York Botanical Garden, New York, U.S.A
Ethnobotany, like many fields, was shaped by early Western imperial efforts to colonize people andlands around the world and understand and extract
natural resources. Over the last several decades,
many ethnobotanists have worked to re-envision
the goals of ethnobotany as an anti-colonial science which supports local communities’ rights to
self-determination. Three case studies will be presented that seek to support food, territory, and data

sovereignty of Indigenous Peoples and local communities as well as the challenges faced and lessons
learned. First, in many parts of the world, traditional,
climate-resilient crops and cropping practices arebeing replaced with high-input, introduced grains
promoted by international and governmental policies. I share work to revitalize traditional grain mixtures in Ethiopia that are being discouraged by agricultural policy. Second, Globally, Indigenous Peoples
have shaped landscapes through centuries or millennia of plant stewardship. In the Pacific Northwest of North America, territorial rights can be tied
to laws based on misconceptions about traditional
land stewardship. I share examples from land-rights
cases that incorporate ethnobotany as evidence.
Finally, herbarium specimens can contain not only
biological data, but also cultural data—notes on local names and uses. In many cases this data wascollected without formal approval from communities and/or before Free Prior Informed Consent became standard. I share work by a global consortiumof herbaria working to reunite this data with source
communities and explore options for community
control of their data. Reflections are presented on
the social, legal, and ethical complexities involved inthese cases as well as faced by contemporary ethnobotanists in general.

S.46 AEROBIOLOGY. ADVANCES IN THE
ATMOSPHERIC POLLEN RESEARCH AND
CHALLENGES IN THE CONTEXT OF GLOBALCHANGE. SESSION 2
University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain. 2 Atlantic Botanical Garden of Gijón, Gijón, Spain. 3 Department
of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of Sevilla,
Sevilla, Spain. 4 Department of Biodiversity, Ecology
and Evolution, University Complutense of Madrid,
Madrid, Spain

S.46.1 Vegetation and landuse distribution determine
aerobiological risk areas in
the Madrid Region
Jesús Rojo1, Patricia Cervigón1, Zuzana
Ferencova2, Ángel Cascón1, Jorge
Romero-Morte1, Javier Galán Díaz3,1, Silvia
Sabariego4, Margarita Torres1, Adela
Montserrat Gutiérrez-Bustillo1
1 Department of Pharmacology, Pharmacognosy
and Botany, Faculty of Pharmacy, Complutense

Pollen is the main source of outdoor aeroallergens,together with fungal spores, and because of allergic
respiratory diseases depend on the seasonal occurrence of these aeroallergens, exacerbations of allergic
symptoms follow a strongly seasonal pattern. Vegetation distribution and land-use configuration of theterritory determine the occurrence and magnitude ofpollen exposure, and then the airborne pollen spectrum. The aims of this study were to characterise theairborne pollen dynamics of aerobiological sampling153

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stations of the Madrid Region Palynological Network in
relation to the potential pollen sources and to define
aerobiological risk areas of the Madrid Region basedon homogeneous patterns of occurrence and intensityof the main pollen taxa. Multiple clustering approaches were conducted to group (i) the sampling stationsof the aerobiological network and (ii) all pixels of the
Madrid Region (central Spain). The clustering dendrogram based on vegetation distribution was comparedto those based on airborne pollen characteristics. The
results showed a great correspondence between potential pollen sources distribution and airborne pollen dynamics. The Madrid Region was divided into six
aerobiological risk areas based on the potential pollen
sources. These risk areas were ordered following a clear
anthropogenic gradient, with one cluster in the centre
covering the most urbanised areas, another one covering agricultural lands in the south and southeast, andfour more clusters in the forest-dominated environments of the Madrid Region. Spatial regionalisation inenvironmental risk assessment favours the applicationof management plans by the institutions responsible ofthe management of public health systems and allows
resources to be optimised. The mapping of risk areas
based on impact of allergenic plant species constitutea step forward in the management of the biological air
quality of Madrid Region.

S.46.2 Effects ofurbanisation on airbornepollen spectrum in cities

sampler installed on the roof of the Faculty of Sciencesof the University of Malaga. The samples were mounted and counted following the methodology proposedby the Spanish Aerobiology Network. The main pollen
season (MPS) was defined by fitting a logarithmic function to the accumulated pollen concentrations. Then,trends in the parameters of the MPS were calculated
employing linear regressions. The results reveal a significant decrease in the annual pollen integral of herbaceous taxa growing in agroforestry areas such as Amaranthaceae, Plantago, and Rumex,and a significant
increase in pollen from nitrophilous species such as
Urtica membranacea. Olea and Platanus pollen types
have also increased their presence in the atmosphere
due to the expansion of olive tree crops and the growthof ornamental individuals, respectively. The expansionof urban areas causes the loss of habitats as well as
the modification of plant communities, which results ina modification of the air pollen content. Therefore, urban expansion can be involved in a significant change
in seasonal allergies in the urban population.

S.46.3 Implementation of
the PhenoFlex framework forforecasting the start of themain pollen season in thecontext of climate change
Antonio Picornell1, Enrique de GálvezMontañez1, Marina Muñoz-García1, Rocío
Ruiz-Mata1, Marta Recio1, Eike Luedeling2,
M. Mar Trigo1

Marina Muñoz-García1, Enrique deGálvez-Montañez1, Rocío Ruiz Mata1, M.
Mar Trigo, Marta Recio1, Antonio Picornell1

1 Department of Botany and Plant Physiology. University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain. 2 Department of
Horticultural Science, Institute of Crop Science andResource Conservation (INRES), University of Bonn,
Germany

1 Department of Botany and Plant Physiology. University of Málaga, Malaga, Spain.
Climate change is affecting plant distribution, but human-driven land use changes are also playing a crucial role in it. Accelerated urbanisation drastically alters
the landscape, generating a major impact on herbaceous plant communities in urban environments and,
consequently, altering the airborne pollen concentrations in cities. Two of the most relevant impacts arevegetation removal for construction, as well as the introduction of ornamental species. The aim of this study
is to analyze trends in the pollination period of herbaceous and ornamental species in the city of Malaga
due to urban expansion. To do this, aerobiological datafrom the period 1992-2023 were used. The data wereobtained by means of a Hirst-type volumetric pollen

Climate change is affecting the flowering seasonality of many plant species, disrupting the dynamics oftheir life cycles and triggering changes in ecosystems.
These changes are not uniform across all species andgeographic regions, and local monitoring is required togauge future phenological shifts and to establish mitigation strategies. In this context, aerobiological sampling has proven to be a valuable tool for monitoring
the flowering onset in anemophilous species. The startdate of the main pollen season for a certain pollen typein a given location is usually linked to the flowering onset of the taxa that produce it. This has encouraged
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estimate the start of the main pollen season. However,some of these models rely on rigid assumptions that
may not fit the diversity of the environmental conditions
in which the plants grow. In 2021, Luedeling et al. developed the PhenoFlex statistical framework to forecast
the flowering onset of tree species based on biologicalprocesses. This model accommodates for both overlapping and sequential chilling and forcing periods. It
also fits all the model parameters for the targeted taxa,
avoiding the arbitrary selection of fixed parameters. To
date, this framework has not been used in aerobiological contexts. In this study, we delve into the applicability of this framework to aerobiological data and issue
some recommendations for model validation and its
use in estimating climate change impacts. As an example of application, PhenoFlex models were fitted
to aerobiological data for Cupressaceae and Platanus from 8 sampling locations within Malaga Province(southern Spain) with 52 sampling years. The models
registered mean absolute errors of 7.7 and 4.5 days,
respectively, and were used to generate forecasts according to different future temperature scenarios.

iccating to the international genebank standard of 1525% RH? If desiccation tolerant, 4) how does viability ofpreviously desiccated then hermetically sealed pollen
respond to freezing at conventional (-18ºC) and -80ºC
temperatures? Finally, in order to understand relative
storage lifespan and the influence of moisture relations,
we asked, 5) How does pollen longevity respond to periods of time stored in varying RH environments. To answer these questions, we collected pollen from the National Tropical Botanical Garden’s living collections. We
desiccated pollen to a range of RHs at ambient temperature (~25°C), hermetically seal, and store at -18 and-80ºC, then we tested viability via a germination test at
each stage. To assess pollen longevity, survival curves
were determined and compared using p50 (the timefor viability to decrease to 50%). Research into optimal
pollen storage methods by species is needed to better understand the effects of desiccation, freezing, andtime on pollen viability and longevity. Considering thecurrent rate of plant extinction in Hawai‘i, pollen storageis an important conservation tool for conducting controlled crosses that might otherwise not be possible.

S.46.4 Pollen conservationof endangered Hawaiian
endemic Hibiscus andPritchardia species

S.46.5 Aeropalinology,
critical analysis ofurban trees in cities with
contrasting climates in Chile

Dustin Wolkis1*, Natalie Blum2, Makoa
Elgin2, Cecily Eltringham1, Seana Walsh1,
Alina Wood1

Gloria I. Rojas1

1 Department of Science and Conservation, National Tropical Botanical Garden, Kalāheo, USA.
2 School of Life Sciences, University of Hawai’i atMānoa, Honolulu, HI, USA * corresponding author
dwolkis@ntbg.org

The urbanization in Chile has brought the introductionof arboreal species to the inside of the cities, the same
species are used in different type of Climate. For thisreason it is desired to show that the trees used as ornamental in cities of our country has no relation to thephytogeographic and climatic zone in which they are
inserted, and also in the case of Santiago is expected todemonstrate the effects on the health of people. Fourcities of Chile are chosen to research it: Antofagasta,
Santiago, Concepción and Valdivia, and from Spain,
the city of Barcelona. An analysis of the native arboreal flora is performed and to know the species of theurban trees, the aeropalinological records of the cities involved are used. The results are subjected to theanalysis of the Jaccard similarity index. For the case ofSantiago, the relationship of the concentration of pollen
in the air versus the pollen positive skin tests is given. It
is concluded that the trees species of the studied cities
are mainly exotic. There is a high degree of homogenization or similarity between the urban tree flora be-

1 Museo Nacional de Historia Natural, Botanica,
Santiago, Chile

Storage of pollen allows for gene exchange between
geographically isolated individuals, and for controlled
pollination when flowering of staminate and pistillate
flowers or individual plants are asynchronous. Desiccation of pollen is essential for the retention of highlongevity, yet research into pollen storage behavior isinfrequently performed. Hibiscus clayi and Pritchardia
minor are Kaua‘i single island endemic plant species
assessed as Critically Endangered and Endangered,respectively, by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. With respect to these species we asked; 1) How
does pollen germination respond to varying sucrose
concentrations (5-40%) and substrates (liquid/solid);2) What is the pollen germination temperature nichebreadth; 3) How does pollen viability respond after des-155

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tween the cities of Chile and with Barcelona, the species
are not related to its bioclimatic area, no native trees
are used (if present is a fluke), we do not have originalurban landscapes, and tree species in the case of Santiago are directly related to increases in pollen allergies.

S.46.6 Guignardia bidwellii
spores ecology in thevineyard, relation to weather
factors and phenologicaldevelopment
María Fernández-González1, Eva
Navascués2, Laura Montero2, Dominique
Roujou2, Xose Manuel Lourido2, Débora
Franco3, José David Rey3, Kenia C.
Sánchez Espinosa1, Guillermo Guada1,
Lucía Carrera1, F. Javier Rodríguez-Rajo1
1 Department of Vegetal Biology and Soil Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, University of Vigo, Ourense,
Spain. 2 Viña Meín-Emilio Rojo, Lugar de Meín, Leiro,
Ourense, Spain. 3 Monet Tecnología e Innovación
S.L., Nigrán, Pontevedra, Spain
Knowledge of the phenology and concentration ofphytopathogical fungi in a vineyard is a useful tool toestimate when a phytosanitary treatment is necessary,
since today the high use of pesticides leads to subsequent soil contamination that can negatively affect thesoil biodiversity and the vine itself. Our aim was to understand how environmental conditions can influence
the Guignardia bidwellii, causal agent of grape black rot.
The study was carried out in two vineyards (Viña Meinand Emilio Rojo) belonging to the DO Ribeiro (Northwest
Spain) during 2023 campaign. Phenological study was
carried out on 20 selected vines following BBCH scale.
To monitor the spores, two Lanzoni VPPS-2010 volumetric samplers are used, one in each study plot. The identification and counting of airborne spores have been
carried out following the methodology proposed by the
Spanish Aerobiology Network. Meteorological variables
have been provided by two meteorological stations, located near the spore trap. The concentration of G. bidwellii spores was higher in Viña Mein (2912 spores) thanin Emilio Rojo (656 spores). The peak of spore concentration occurred on May 28 with 438 spores/m3 in Viña
Mein coinciding with the end of flowering stage (S-6),
and 84 spores/m3 on June 23 in Emilio Rojo coinciding
with fruit development stage (S-7). When analyzing intraday behavior of G. bidwellii spores in both plots, weobserved that the highest concentrations occur at
dawn (01:00–8:00 a.m.). The meteorological variables
that exert the greatest influence on the concentrationof G. bidwellii were the minimum temperature, dew
point, relative humidity and precipitation. Knowledge ofthe phenological, phytopathological and meteorological variables of a certain region can provide us a valuable tool to know the phytosanitary status of a crop andthus be able to make appropriate decisions regarding
the application of different phytosanitary treatments.

S.47 INTEGRATIVE TAXONOMY OF
MEDITERRANEAN PLANTS. SESSION 1
1 Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid,
Spain. 2 Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain. 3
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, UK. 4 Lund
University, Lund, Sweden. 5 Papanin Institute for
Biology of Inland Waters RAS, Borok, Russia. 6 Ibn
Khaldoun University of Tiaret, Tiaret, Algeria

S.47.1 Delimiting taxa
boundaries in complex
plant groups by genomic,
morphometric, andecological data: the case of
Helianthemum
Sara Martín-Hernanz1,2, Abelardo
Aparicio2, Juan Viruel3, Björn Widén4,
Polina Volkova5, Mohamed Djamel Miara6,
Encarnación Rubio2, Rafael G. Albaladejo2

The study of complex plant groups demands a comprehensive approach, encompassing macroevolutionary and microevolutionary scales. By integrating
diverse data sources, we aim to offer a thorough perspective that aids in resolving taxonomic and systematic questions. Next Generation Sequencing technologies present a significant opportunity for unravelingthe evolutionary processes within these challenging
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mum stands out as the most extensive genus within
the Cistaceae family, boasting over 140 species andsubspecies, included in 3 subgenera and 10 sections. Its
distribution range extends from Macaronesia to Central
Asia, covering North Africa and central Europe. Notably,
Helianthemum exhibits one of the highest diversification rates in the Mediterranean Basin, attributed to three
evolutionary radiations since the Pliocene. These radiations align with the three major sections: Eriocarpum,
Helianthemum, and Pseudocistus, resulting in a complex taxonomy and nomenclature with poorly definedtaxonomic boundaries. In our research, we employ anintegrative approach that combine genomic techniques (GBS, target capture), ecological analyses (soil,
climate), and morphological assessments (vegetative,
floral, and karyological traits) at both macroevolutionary and microevolutionary levels. Our goal is to unravel
the processes contributing to this taxonomic complexity and establish practical boundaries across all taxonomic ranks, from subgenera and sections to species
and subspecies. Macroevolutionary findings indicatethat higher taxonomic ranks (subgenera and sections)
are generally well-defined in terms of phylogenetic,
ecological, and morphological criteria. On the microevolutionary front, our investigation of polymorphic
species within sect. Pseudocistus (H. marifolium, H. cinereum, and H. oelandicum) reveals compelling evidenceof some introgression between them and the parallel
evolution of characters previously used to define subspecies. This emphasizes the need for a synthetic taxonomic treatment with stable diagnostic characters at
the lowest taxonomic levels.

S.47.2 Integrative taxonomy
of Centaurea aplolepa
Moretti (Asteraceae)
and related central
Mediterranean species

Mediterranean, one of the groups still waiting for athorough taxonomic revision is that of C. aplolepa
Moretti. This species is endemic to north-western Italy and, during the last century, a great number oftaxa at intraspecific rank was described. Currently,
based on qualitative morphological and ecological(e.g., different growing substrate) observations, ten
putative subspecies are accepted. Previous phylogenetic studies using ITS and the rpl chloroplast
region failed to disentangle the relations within C.
aplolepa. Indeed, its subspecies were all placed in
an unresolved clade along with several other central Mediterranean morphologically related species.
To understand the systematic relations among thesubspecies of C. aplolepa and other closely related
taxa, we started an integrated taxonomic investigation. During summer 2023, 17 populations of C. aplolepa and eight populations belonging to five related and geographically contiguous species were
sampled. For each population, 30 individuals werecollected for morphometric analyses. A subset of 15
individuals was used to extract DNA for population
genetics using AFLP; cypselae were collected for cytotaxonomic studies (chromosome count and genome size estimation). The taxonomic investigation
is currently ongoing, but preliminary morphometricresults support the distinction of C. aplolepa with respect to the related species. Conversely, just three(instead of ten) morphological groups are supported within C. aplolepa.

S.47.3 Integrative speciesdelimitation in a Western
Mediterranean polyploid
complex
Salvatore Tomasello1,Kamil Konowalik2,
Christoph Oberprieler3
1 Georg-August-University, Göttingen, Germany. 2
Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Wrocław, Poland. 3 University of Regensburg,
Regensburg, Germany

Antonio Giacò1, Andrea Coppi2, Ludovica
Fittipaldi2, Mario Pentassuglia1, Lorenzo
Peruzzi1
1 Department of biology, University of Pisa, Italy. 2
Department of biology, University of Firenze, Italy
Centaurea L., with approximately 600 species, is oneof the largest genera of the Mediterranean Region.
Due to this species richness and several biologicalphenomena (hybridization, introgression, polyploidy, etc…), the systematic and taxonomic investigation of this genus is highly challenging. In the central

Species delimitation is particularly challenging in polyploid complexes pervaded by reticulate evolution.
As allopolyploids are a mosaic of characters of theirparental lineages, the simultaneous inference of theevolutionary history (allo- vs. auto-polyploidy) and delimitation of species is impracticable in those groups.
For instance, the hybridogenic nature of allopolyploids
violates the assumptions of the current DNA-based
approaches for species delimitation. Leucanthemopsis

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Oral presentations(Giroux) Heywood is a genus of the Asteraceae, consisting of six to ten species and several infraspecific taxa,
mainly distributed in the western Mediterranean Basin.
It is a polyploid complex that includes montane, subalpine, and strictly alpine lineages, which are locally distributed in different mountain ranges of Western Europe
and North Africa. We used a mixed approach including
Sanger sequencing and high throughput sequencing
of amplicons to gather information on single-copy nuclear markers and plastid regions. Nuclear regions were
carefully tested for recombinants/PCR artifacts and forparalogy. Coalescent-based methods were used todelimit species among the diploids. For the polyploids,
we first sorted homeologs of nuclear genes into parental subgenomes. Therefore, we inferred delimitation
among the Iberian tetraploids treating subgenomes
separately in the analyses. We corroborated resultsfrom the DNA-based approaches with evidence frommorphometric analyses of leaf shapes and ecological niche modelling. Based on the results, diploid taxa
found growing in the Eastern Iberian Peninsula constitute a single, heterogeneous complex. Concerning
polyploids, the analyses inferred Iberian tetraploids ashaving a clear allopolyploid origins. At least two different polyploidization events gave rise to L. spathulifolia, endemic of calcareous outcrops in South-eastern
Spain, on the one side, and to all other tetraploid Iberiantaxa on the other.

S.47.4 Integrative taxonomy
recircumscribes diversity of
the Dianthus sylvestris s.l. in
the Balkan Peninsula
Martina Temunović1, Ana Terlević2, Maja
Mucko2, Hirzi Luqman3, Alex Widmer4,
Simone Fior4, Ivana Rešetnik2
1 Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia. 2 Faculty of Science,
University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia. 3 McDonald
Institute for Archaeological Research, University ofCambridge, Cambridge UK. 4 Institute for Integrative Biology, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland

onomy, as species boundaries are primarily determinedby past demographic events rather than by morphology. Here, we focused on six currently described subspecies distributed in the Balkan Peninsula and applied an
integrative approach combining population genomic(RAD-seq), morphometric, genome size and environmental data, to resolve the intraspecific relationships
and evolutionary history of the Balkan D. sylvestris populations. Population structure revealed a strong divergence of subsp. tergestinus from the rest of the Balkan
lineage. More detailed genetic variation patterns within the Balkan lineage suggested two major groups of
populations which were largely concordant with thetwo revealed morphological entities. The north-westerngroup included populations well-connected by geneflow, formerly assigned to subsp. sylvestris and subsp.
nodosus. A south-eastern group included more isolated clusters of populations, formerly assigned to subsp.
alboroseus, subsp. bertisceus and subsp. kozjakensis.
Our combined results (genetic, morphometric, genome
size and environmental analyses) suggest survival of
the Pleistocene glaciations in two main glacial refugia
located along the eastern Adriatic coast, possibly followed by secondary contact in the intermediate area.
However, we cannot exclude the existence of multiple
smaller microrefugia for the south-eastern group. Finally, our results do not support the current taxonomy.
Based on our integrative approach, we propose a species-level treatment for the evolutionary distinct D. tergestinus, and the recircumscription of D. sylvestris subsp.
sylvestris and D. sylvestris subsp. bertisceus to correspond to the north-western and south-eastern genetic
clusters, respectively.

S.47.5 Origin andevolutionary dynamics
of the octoploid weed
Cardamine occulta and its
relatives

Dianthus is one of the most diverse plant genera in
the Mediterranean as a result of its rapid radiation inthis area. Dianthus sylvestris s.l. (Caryophyllaceae) isa species complex distributed across southern andsouth-eastern Europe and includes a large numberof taxa identified based on morphological characters.
Previous work has revealed that evolutionary lineages
within the complex are not reflected by the current tax-

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Terezie Mandáková1, Judita ZozomováLihová2, Hiroshi Kudoh3, Yunpeng Zhao4,
Martin A. Lysak1, and Karol Marhold2,5
1 Central European Institute of Technology, andFaculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech
Republic. 2 Plant Science and Biodiversity Centre,
Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovak
Republic. 3 Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, Otsu, Japan. 4 The Key Laboratory ofConservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife of the
Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China; Laboratory of Sys-XX International
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tematic and Evolutionary Botany and Biodiversity,
Institute of Ecology and Conservation Centre forGene Resources of Endangered Wildlife, Zhejiang
University, Hangzhou, China. 5 Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague,
Czech Republic
The genus Cardamine (Brassicaceae), encompassing over 200 species, exhibits a global distribution except of Antarctica. C. occulta, an octoploid (2n=64) weed indigenous to Eastern Asia,
has become invasive after introductions to various continents, including Europe. In Europe thisspecies first appeared in the Mediterranean region, particularly in Spain and in Italy (here due torice cultivation near Torino). C. occulta shares its
Eastern Asian habitat with related species suchas the tetraploid (2n=32) C. kokaiensis and C.
scutata, as well as the octoploid (2n=64) C. dentipetala. Genomic in situ hybridization and largescale comparative chromosome painting were
employed to elucidate the parental genomes
and chromosome composition of these Cardamine species. All species trace their lineage to
a common ancestral Cardamine genome (n=8),
structurally resembling the Ancestral Crucifer
Karyotype (n = 8) but differentiated by a translocation between chromosomes AK6 and AK8.
The allotetraploid C. scutata resulted from hybridization between the diploids C. parviflora andC. amara. Conversely, C. kokaiensis has an autotetraploid origin related to C. parviflora. Notably,
the octoploid C. occulta likely originated throughhybridization between the tetraploids C. scutata and C. kokaiensis. The octoploid genome of C.
dentipetala probably originated from C. scutata
via autopolyploidization. Apart from a five species-specific centromere repositionings and one
pericentric inversion post-dating polyploidization
events, parental subgenomes remained stablein Asian tetra- and octoploids. Post-polyploidevolution in Asian Cardamine polyploids did not
involve descending dysploidy or intergenomic
rearrangements. The combination of diverse parental (sub)genomes adapted to distinct habitats
conferred an evolutionary advantage to newly
formed polyploids, allowing them to occupy new
ecological niches. The revealed genomic insights
into Cardamine polyploids not only enhance ourunderstanding of their evolutionary history but
also provide valuable knowledge for the targetedmanagement of invasive species.

S.47.6 Using functional
traits in integrative
taxonomy: the case of the
Sonchus asper (L.) Hill
(Asteraceae) complex in the
Mediterranean
Pedro Costales-Maestre1, Seung-Chul
Kim2, Marcial Escudero1, José A. Mejías1
1 Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of Seville, Spain. 2 Department of Biological
Sciences, Sungkyunkwan University, Seobu-ro, Jangan-Gu, Suwon, Korea
Functional traits are measurable properties of individuals that determine their basic performancemodel and role in the communities. The assignment of functional traits allows us to configure
the ecological and evolutionary attributes of theindividuals conforming a taxon and detect divergences associated to speciation processes. Furthermore, the analysis provides a framework for
selecting appropriate operational criteria under
the approach of Integrative Taxonomy. Sonchus
asper (L.) Hill is a relevant case in this sense. It
is considered a cosmopolitan self-fertilized annual weed with small, unattractive flower heads.
However, the variability within the species’ current circumscription revealed the presence ofdifferentiated morphotypes in the Mediterranean,
characterized by these functional traits: a) large
flower heads, which denotes xenogamous sexual
systems; and b) variability in growth habit, fromthe common annual cycle to creeping rhizomatous life form. A taxonomic revision under a multidisciplinary approach is consistently presented here. Morphologic examination revealed thatflowers, leaves, underground parts and fruit traits
are important to discriminate between morphotypes. Phylogenetic analysis revealed two separate clades: 1) autogamous with small flower heads; and 2) xenogamous with large flower
heads, which includes three monophyletic andone paraphyletic groups. Chromosome number
is conserved among morphotypes, with slight differences in chromosome morphology. Post-mating isolation barriers appear to be weak. Therefore, the analysis of ecological and distribution
patterns is crucial to understand speciation processes. Our results support these conclusions:1) The limitation of the name S. asper (L.) Hill to
autogamous annual forms. 2) The reinstatement

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Oral presentationsof three taxa described in the 19 th-century: S. nymanii, a rhizomatous creeping Sicilian endemism;
S. glaucescens subsp. glaucescens, a biennial
south-eastern French coast endemism; and S.

glaucescens subsp. graecus, an annual widelydistributed throughout central and eastern Mediterranean. 3) The existence of a different perennial taxon from mountainous areas of North Africa.

S.48 BIOGEOGRAPHY AND DIVERSIFICATIONOF INTERCONTINENTAL TROPICAL PLANT
DIVERSITY. SESSION 3
S.48.1 Global patterns ofphylogenetic and functional
diversity of Scleria(Cyperaceae)

go and Tanzania) and South American (Brazil) regions.
Protecting these species, we would safeguard 68.47%(41.07 MY) of avertable expected phylogenetic diversity
loss in the genus.

Javier Galán Díaz1, Marcial Escudero2,
Isabel Larridon3,4
1 Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain. 2 Universidad de Sevilla, Spain. 3 Royal Botanic Gardens,
Kew, UK. 4 Meise Botanic Garden, Belgium
Scleria P.J.Bergius (1765: 142), commonly known as nut
rushes or razor grasses, is the sixth largest genus in the
Cyperaceae family with 261 species, and the only genusof tribe Sclerieae Wight & Arn. (subfamily Cyperoideae).
Recent studies have disentangled the evolutionary relationships among Scleria species and identified majordispersal and niche shifts events. Here, we combined
occurrence data, assessments of extinction risk, thelatest phylogeny of the genus and trait data collectedfrom herbarium specimens to: (i) explore the spatial
distribution of Scleria phylogenetic and functional diversity facets, and (ii) identify species and world regionsof remarkable interest for Scleria conservation. Central
America, Western Africa, Madagascar and Northern
Australia showed high functional and phylogenetic diversity. We also found that the four Scleria subgenera
showed contrasting climatic niches, and clear functional segregation in terms of height, blade area andnutlet size. Scleria species from Africa and South America include a great diversity of functional types, whereas
North America and Oceania are characterised by having shorter species with small leaves. Our results alsosuggest that around half of the species not yet included in the Red List of the IUCN are potentially threatenedwith extinction. We found 48 Evolutionary Distinct andGlobally Endangered (EDGE) Scleria. Evolutionary andecologically distinct and endangered Scleria mostly
occur in a few African (Madagascar, Zambia, DR Con-

S.48.2 Did the drift of Hainan
Island occur and affect theevolutionary trajectory ofplants?
Pei-Han Huang1,2,6, Tian-Rui Wang2,3,6, Min
Li1,6, Zi-Jia Lu2,5, Ren-Ping Su1,6, Ou-Yan
Fang1,6, Lang Li1, Shi-Shun Zhou4, YunHong Tan4, Hong-Hu Meng1,4, Yi-Gang
Song2, Jie Li1
1 Plant Phylogenetics and Conservation Group,Center for Integrative Conservation & Yunnan Key
Laboratory for Conservation of Tropical Rainforests and Asian Elephants, Xishuangbanna Tropical
Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences,
Mengla, China. 2 Eastern China Conservation Centre for Wild Endangered Plant Resources, Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden, Shanghai, China.
3 Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of
Sciences, Wuhan, China. 4 Southeast Asia Biodiversity Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Myanmar. 5 College of Life Sciences, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, China. 6 Universityof Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
Demonstrating whether the plate-tectonic drifts ofHainan Island occurred and affected the evolutionaryof plants will disentangle the issue puzzled natural scientists over decades. Here, Engelhardia roxburghiana
around Hainan Island was selected to identify the genetic structure, diversity, and demographic dynamics
using RAD-seq. Three lineages were identified, and thedivergence time and genetic structure showed that E.
roxburghiana dispersed from Chiang-nan to Hainan Island via land bridge during the late Eocene. Hence, drift160

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Oral presentationsof Hainan Island did not occur, which was impossible
to affect the evolutionary trajectory of plants. Higher
genetic diversity in Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau and Chiang-nan Hilly Ranges are the results of mixed populations or refugia, while lower genetic diversity in the Indochina Peninsula due to historical bottleneck. During
the late Eocene to Oligocene, the north shift of arid belt
driven E. roxburghiana expand from Indochina Peninsula to southern China, and main diversification occurredin Miocene within the monsoon system. The climaticoscillations during Quaternary led to the expansion but
there was slight contraction after LGM, while southern
China was and will be the refugia to climate change.
This is the first comprehensive work from large-scale
SNP features, providing genomic insights into the geological history of Hainan Island from biogeographic
patterns of E. roxburghiana，it sheds light on geologicalhistory of Hainan Island and illuminates the biogeographic patterns of island-mainland in the regions.

tively rare event. Our previous studies have shown very
low gene flow between individual inselbergs regardlessof distance, favouring strong genetic and geographic
differentiation. The morphological differences between
plants from separated localities are probably the resultof local adaptations and/or a consequence of phenotypic plasticity. In our analyses, we characterise the genetic diversity of a Malagasy Xerophyta species to contribute insights into evolutionary processes that may
have led to the diversification of lineages of Malagasy
inselberg species and to identify more vulnerable regions that require special conservation measures. Currently, Malagasy inselbergs suffer from human impacts(e.g. quarrying, fire), resulting in a dramatic decrease in
the genetic diversity of taxa that consist of small isolated populations. It can be concluded that many spectacular taxa (incl. orchids, Aloe spp.) are facing similar
problems concerning their long-term survival on Malagasy inselbergs.

S.48.3 Plants on Malagasy
inselbergs: exploring thehidden diversity of isolated
populations

S.48.4 Multiple losses ofstructural color in the fruitsof Elaeocarpus
Miranda Sinnott-Armstrong1,2, Silvia
Vignolini2,3, Stacey D. Smith1

Juliane Rexroth1, Christian Porsche1,
Marina Rabarimanarivo2, Stefan
Porembski1
1 Department of Botany, Institute of Biosciences,
University of Rostock, Germany. 2 Missouri Botanical
Garden, Madagascar

1 Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology,
University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA. 2
Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge,
Cambridge, UK .3 Sustainable Biomaterials, Max
Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Golm,
Potsdam, Germany

Inselbergs are isolated, often monolithic rock outcrops,
usually consisting of granite or gneiss. They are ecologically separated from the surrounding landscape andare thus referred to as terrestrial islands. Only relatively
few plant species possess adaptive traits that enable
them to grow successfully in inselberg habitats, characterised by a lack of soil and nutrients. As a typical floristic element of Malagasy inselbergs, the poikilohydric
Velloziaceae can be highlighted. To explore the hidden
genetic diversity of isolated populations of Malagasy
Velloziaceae, which belong to the genus Xerophyta, weused microsatellite markers to assess the importanceof geographic and ecological isolation on inselbergs
as a trigger for speciation. Usually, species of the Xerophyta occur in isolated mats on open rocky slopes.
Across all our samples, the analysed loci showed a highgenetic diversity. Furthermore, almost all individuals
had different multilocus genotypes, excluding clonality.
Nevertheless, we were able to identify a few clones inour data. However, the emergence of clones is a rela-

Most plants use pigments to color their flowers, fruits,
and leaves, but structural colors are increasingly being
described. In contrast to pigments, structural colors arenanostructures that interfere with light to create color.
Due to the limited study of structural colors in plants,
especially compared to their study in animals, our understanding of how and why structural colors evolvein plants is lacking. Here, we examine the evolution of
structural color in Elaeocarpus, a tropical lineage withthe first described structurally colored fruit. We confirm that E. angustifolius has a multilayered structure,
but we find that the structure is made of lipids rather than of polysaccharides (as was previously described). The use of lipids to build a multilayer reflector
is similar to that of recently described species (Viburnum tinus and Lantana strigocamara), although thetype of lipid is different. Furthermore, anatomically, thestructure in Elaeocarpus differs in that it occurs in theextracellular space, rather than embedded in the cellwall as in Viburnum and Lantana. These anatomical161

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and chemical differences indicate that the structure
in Elaeocarpus has very different evolutionary origins
to similar structures described previously. Additionally,
we observe that all blue-fruited species in Elaeocarpus exhibit the same type of structure, and that thestructure was lost multiple times in black-, brown-, yellow-, and red-fruited species. This is the first time thatlosses of structural color have been documented inplants and suggests that the energetic investment inbuilding large structures out of lipids may not always
be advantageous in fruits.

S.48.5 General dynamic
model of oceanic island
biogeography predicts early
diversification dynamics ofa highly successful insular
plant
Jay Edneil C. Olivar1, Frank Hauenschild1,4,Hannah J. Atkins2, Gemma L.C. Bramley3,
Alexandra N. Muellner-Riehl1,5
1 Department of Molecular Evolution and Plant
Systematics & Herbarium (LZ), Institute of Biology,
Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany. 2 Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, UK. 3 Royal Botanic Gardens
Kew, Richmond, Surrey, UK. 4 Centre for Teacher
Training and School Research, Leipzig University,
Leipzig, Germany. 5 German Centre for Integrative
Biodiversity Research, Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig,
Germany

The general dynamic model of oceanic island biogeography (GDM) views oceanic islands predominantly
as sinks rather than sources of dispersing lineages. To
test this, we conducted a biogeographic analysis of ahighly successful insular plant taxon, Cyrtandra, andinferred directionality of dispersal and founder events
throughout the four biogeographical units of the Indo-Australian Archipelago (IAA), namely Sunda, Wallacea, Philippines, and Sahul. Sunda was recovered as the
major source area, followed by Wallacea. The relatively
high number of dispersal and founder events originating from Wallacea is attributed to its central location in
the IAA and its complex geological history selecting forincreased dispersibility in Cyrtandra. We also tested if
early diversification dynamics in Cyrtandra follow predictions of adaptive radiation, which is the dominant
process on oceanic islands as per the GDM. Diversification dynamics of dispersing lineages of Cyrtandra
in the Southeast Asian grade showed early bursts indiversification rates followed by a plateau which isconsistent with adaptive radiation. We did not detectsignals of diversity-dependent diversification, and thisis attributed to Southeast Asian cyrtandras occupying
various niche spaces as evident by its wide morphological range, particularly in habit and floral characters.
The clade containing mostly Pacific members, which
arrived at the early stages of the ontogeny of the Pacific Islands, showed diversification dynamics predictedby the Island Immaturity Speciation Pulse (IISP) modeland their morphological range is controlled by the leastaction effect favoring woodiness and fleshy fruits. Our
study provides a first step towards a framework for investigating early diversification dynamics as predicted
by GDM in highly successful insular taxa.

S.49 NEW FRONTIERS IN PLANTPHYLOGENOMICS. SESSION 3
S.49.1 Helpful or deceiving?
Reference genomes
and their influenceon phylogenetic tree
topologies.
Christoph Nehrke1, Mareike Daubert1, Eike
Mayland-Quellhorst1, Dirk C. Albach1
1 Carl-von-Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany

Recent improvements in genome sequencing, especially long read sequencing techniques like Oxford Nanopore sequencing, provide the means toassemble high quality (draft) genomes for a plethora of species. While these genomes find uses in multiple fields of life sciences, a common application forthem is to serve as references in the assembly ofhigh-throughput sequencing reads in phylogenomics. However, it is unclear how quality and phylogenetic position of a reference relative to the investigated dataset influence phylogenomic assemblies
and topology of phylogenetic trees. To answer thisquestion, we sequenced and assembled genomes

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for polyploidization, frequent hybridization and highspeciation rates, using Oxford Nanopore sequencing in combination with high coverage Illumina sequencing reads. The assembled references were
tested for quality, completeness, contiguity, andpossible contaminants. A Genotyping-by-sequencing dataset including 72 samples from Veronica
subg. Pseudolysimachium was assembled denovo,
as well as reference-assisted with different parameters, using each draft genome as a reference. We
found that not only alignment lengths and numberof retrieved loci are changing among the different
reference genomes, but also tree topologies andbranch lengths, depending on reference taxon andreference quality. These variable results may lead tofalse conclusions regarding the evolutionary historyof the subgenus.

always available in non-model organisms, and organelle sequences only represent around 10% of the
shotgun libraries when not enriched. This results ina tremendous waste of sequencing data. To makeuse of the 90% remaining data, we also developed
REFMAKER that uses a blind approach to create specific sets of nuclear loci, which can be extracted directly from the low coverage libraries (<3 x). These
two methods can be jointly used in the same phylogenetic framework to exploit all the produced reads,
regardless of their sequencing depth.

S.49.2 Maximizing the
Phylogenetic Yield of
Low-Coverage Shotgun
Sequencing and TargetEnrichment in Plants
Through New Bioinformatic
Tools

Michael Gruenstaeud1

S.49.3 Strategies to improvealignment accuracy
in large-scale plant
phylogenomic analyses
1 Department of Biological Sciences, Fort Hays State
University, Kansas, USA

Charles Pouchon1,2
1 Conservatory and Botanical Garden of Geneva,
Chambèsy-Geneva, Switzerland .2 Department ofPlant sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
Low-coverage shotgun sequencing is a fast andcost-effective method that has been widely usedin plants to infer phylogenies mostly from organellar genomes. However, obtaining such data with
common organelle assemblers, can be particularly
challenging in some plant families with complex genomic structures and rearrangements. In addition,
the shallow coverage of the nuclear genome associated with these libraries (<3 x) prevents the use of
nuclear sequences, leading recently to an increased
use of target-enrichment methods in phylogenomic studies. In this context, we developed ORTHOSKIM
a universal and versatile bioinformatic pipeline thatallows targeting both organelle and nuclear data inshotgun libraries (enriched or not), with reference
sequences and specific modes accounting for paralogous issues as those expected with organelle
gene transfers. Nuclear references are however not

Despite the large quantities of nucleotide sequencesthat are analyzed in contemporary plant phylogenomics, the process of multiple sequence alignment(MSA) remains one of its central tenets. Any phylogenomic investigation will only be as reliable as the
positional homology established among its underlying sequences, irrespective of their length, genomic
origin, or taxonomic representation. Diversifying or
further increasing the amount of input sequences is
not a substitute for careful and often time-expensive
MSA. Instead, the ever-larger data volumes in plant
phylogenomics highlight the demand for analysis
workflows that accommodate the complexities ofnucleotide sequence evolution, especially at the microstructural level. In this presentation, I argue that
despite the skyrocketing amounts of sequence datain contemporary plant phylogenomics, the associated MSA process must not be dismissed as a cumbersome side aspect. Specifically, I highlight thatwhile the existing toolkit of MSA software appears
sufficiently diverse to tackle the challenges of largescale plant phylogenomics, their integration into
phylogenomic analysis pipelines awaits substantial
improvement, especially when accounting for genome-specific idiosyncracies and microstructural
mutations. Several empirical examples are presented to support these observations. First, I demonstratethat the correct assessment of positional homology
in genome-level sequence data can significantly
improve plastid phylogenomic reconstructions in
a lineage of South American sunflowers. Second, I

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illustrate that the manual post-processing of software-generated MSAs significantly improves thereliability of phylogenomic reconstructions amongwater lilies and that such post-processing can beachieved with reasonable effort even for phylogenomic data. Third, I introduce a software tool thatenables the automatic separation of genome sequence data into natural partitions - genes, introns,
and intergenic spacers - across thousands of input genomes and automates their individual MSA
for different software tools. Based on these results, I
highlight the need for an increased effort to develop
targeted and customized MSA strategies for plant
phylogenomics.

S.49.4 Tracing thephylogenomic roots:
revisiting evolution andbiogeography in the Tribe
Maleae of the Rosaceae
Familyyears of changing habitat connectivity, involving theMadrean-Tethyan floristic belt and the Boreotropical forest belt. The patterns of diversity within thisplant group were significantly influenced by a seriesof environmental factors, including habitat disjunction, vicariance, and long-distance dispersal events.
A key finding of the study was the impact of WGD at
the inception of Maleae evolution. The retention ofgene copies post-WGD demonstrated a strong phylogenetic signal, suggesting a pivotal role in the diversification process. Representing the most extensive taxon sampling undertaken to date, the study
sheds light on the complex biogeographic history of
Maleae. It also reveals evidence of genus-specificdiploidization following WGD, highlighting the intricate evolutionary dynamics within this significant
plant group.

S.49.5 Phylogenomics
and evolution of recently
diverged and closely related
species: a case study
in Rosa sect. Synstylae(Rosaceae)

R. Ufimov1,3, S. Píšová2, T. Fér4, C. Dobeš1, M.
van Loo1, R. Schmickl4,5
1 Institute of Forest Growth, Silviculture, and Genetics, Austrian Research Centre for Forests, Vienna,
Austria. 2 Institute of Forest Biodiversity and Nature
Conservation, Austrian Research Centre for Forests,
Vienna, Austria. 3 Komarov Botanical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, RussianFederation. 4 Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic. 5
Institute of Botany, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Průhonice, Czech Republic
The Rosaceae tribe Maleae, encompassing a wide
range of fruit crops, horticultural, and forestry species, displays significant diversity, especially within
its subtribe, Malinae. This study undertook a comprehensive Hyb-Seq-based nuclear and plastid phylogenetic analysis of 184 accessions from 159 species
across all genera within Maleae. The objective was toplace the evolutionary trajectory of Maleae in both aspatial and temporal framework, while also investigating the potential drivers of diversification in Malinae, particularly focusing on the role of whole genome duplication (WGD). The research uncovered
two major radiative events within the Malinae subtribe. The first of these events occurred around the
Early Eocene in the Madrean Region, and the second
during the Middle Miocene in East Asia. These evolutionary radiations were shaped by over 50 million

Ji-Hyeon Jeon1, Masayuki Maki2, YuChung Chiang3, Younhee Shin4, andSeung-Chul Kim1
1 Department of Biological Sciences, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Republic of Korea. 2 Department of Ecological Developmental Adaptability Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.
3 Department of Biological Sciences, National Sun
Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. 4 Researchand Development Center, Insilicogen Inc., Yongin,
Republic of Korea
Many phylogenetic or evolutionary studies acrossvarious plant taxa, particularly those involving recently diverged and closely related species, havehistorically faced challenges in comprehending
species relationships and evolutionary histories
within these groups. Recent advancements in genome-wide sequencing technologies and bioinformatics tools have now empowered phylogenomic
analyses to unravel robust species phylogenies,
offering valuable insights into the intricate evolutionary trajectories of lineages characterized bycomplex histories. The East Asian wild roses within
Rosa section Synstylae (Rosaceae), recognized as
significant genetic contributors to modern ornamental roses, represent a group of species known164

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to have recently diverged and maintained close
relationships. Leveraging 1,683 highly conserved
single-copy orthologs from the reference genomeof R. chinensis, a close relative within the Synstylae
section, we successfully established the first robust
phylogenetic relationships among eight species in
Rosa section Synstylae. Moreover, additional phylogenomic analyses unveiled the complex evolutionary history of the R. sect. Synstylae lineage, likely
influenced by a combination of deep coalescenceand genetic introgressions. Through comparative

ortholog analyses utilizing the draft genome assembly of R. lucieae, we discerned patterns of genefamily evolution within section Synstylae, particularly in response to the adaptation to specific ecological niches. These innovative phylogenomic approaches not only enhance our understanding of
the evolution of East Asian wild roses but also offer
a framework for comprehending the evolutionary
dynamics of other recently diverged and closely
related lineages worldwide.

S.50 INTEGRATING CONSERVATION BIOLOGYAND SOCIETY ENGAGEMENT TO ENHANCEPROTECTION OF AT RISK FLORA. SESSION 2
S.50.1 Experiential learning isvital for Plant Conservation
Rajesh Rajaselvam1
1 Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada
Being a part of nature adds new dimensions to ourperception of it. Experiential learning enhances thisperception by providing real-world experiencesthat help formulate ideal conservation strategies.
With the clock of extinction ticking fast, the message on conservation must reach the younger
generation swiftly. Admiration arises from experiencing something good; thus, visits to gardens andwilderness areas serve as inspirational platforms
for practical education in botany, landscaping, andthe conservation of plants and nature. School outreach activities and undergraduate field courses inexperiential learning not only bolster conservation
efforts but also facilitate the exchange of ideas on
genuine conservation practices. Exploring Sri Lankan national parks from Canada through multiple
educational field trips enabled students to grasp
global concerns and promote awareness, paving
the way for making biodiversity conservation in
the tropics a reality. My experiential learning fieldcourses have led me to conclude that garden andfield visits, hands-on activities in the field, and thecommitment of resource personnel are key elements in motivating young generations towardplant and biodiversity conservation.

S.50.2 Plant conservation
strategies of the Ministry for
Ecological Transition and
Demographic Challenge(Spain)Noelia Vallejo Pedregal1, Marta Viu
Cuerda1
1 General Subdirectorate of Terrestrial and Marine
Biodiversity, Ministry for Ecological Transition and
Demographic Challenge, Spain
The Spanish Ministry for Ecological Transition and
Demographic Challenge (MTRD) is responsible
for planning, formulation of strategies, and establishment of fundamental guidelines for theconservation and sustainable use of natural heritage and biodiversity, in accordance with national and international regulations. Plant species
constitute an essential component of biodiversity, and face numerous threats stemming fromhuman activities. Spain, as a country with a highlevel of endemism, has a significant responsibility for their conservation. In this context, the main
working lines of MTRD are: a) Monitoring the conservation status of all protected species, as wellas the status, distribution, and trends of invasive
alien species; b) Developing strategies for conservation and fight against the main threats toprotected plants; c) Launching the Networks ofForestry and Wild Flora Germplasm Bank as tools165

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for ex situ conservation; d) Carrying field tests forthe conservation measures applied to protected
species; e) Coordinating plant conservation efforts with regional administrations; f) Updating
catalogues of protected and invasive species;and g) Coordinating conservation measures addressed to the critically endangered plant Cistus
heterophyllus subsp. carthaginensis.

S.50.3 Threatened plant
species in agroecosystems:
is the coexistence between
nature conservation andproductivity feasible?
Anna Corli1,2, Simone Orsenigo1,2, Thomas
Abeli2,3, Fiona Jane White1, Micol Orengo1,
Margherita Tognela1, Martina D’Agostino3,
Graziano Rossi1
1 Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences,
University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy. 2 National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy. 3 Department of
Science, Roma Tre University, Rome, Italy
Agricultural practices are among the most significant threats to plant diversity worldwide. Many
threatened species strictly linked to agroecosystems have already disappeared from agricultural areas, particularly in more intensively farmed
countries such as in Europe. The recovery of species listed in the Habitat Directive 92/43/CEE, themain legal conservation framework in the EU, is
mandatory. However, the reintroduction of threatened species to agroecosystems is constrainedby difficulties in recolonizing the original habitat
after extirpation. Where populations do avoid destruction, they remain confined to relict habitats
which are highly fragmented within an agricultural landscape (on farm). There has been a paradigm shift in conservation to restore biodiversity
not only in natural habitats but also in semi-natural areas deemed worthy of conservation. Organicand conventional farms with low-input practices have been suggested as having a potentiallybiodiversity-friendly approach to farming. The increased demand of food from sustainable sources, especially from organic agriculture, has led to
improved environmental conditions and consequently assisted in species conservation. However,for nature conservation and agricultural productivity to co-exist, the needs of stakeholders must

be considered. These include concerns with detrimental effects on crop yields, a perception of focal
species as potential weeds, legal constraints for
species protection, and increased costs associated with conservation. However, there are several
benefits to farmers of biodiversity conservation inagroecosystems such as ad hoc financial incentives (e.g., from the EU Rural Development Plan),
improved ecosystem services provisioning, andopportunities for marketing sustainable products.
We discuss the implications and limitations of biodiversity conservation in agroecosystems using
examples from Europe of the threatened species
Marsilea quadrifolia, Isoëtes malinverniana, Lindernia procumbens, Bromus interruptus, B. grossus, Agrostemma githago and Centaurea cyanus.

S.50.4 Rapid assessments
accurately predict
increased extinction risk ofmegafire impacted flora
Tom Le Breton1, Mark Ooi1, Sylvia Hay1,
Tony Auld1
1 Centre for Ecosystem Science, University of New
South Wales, Australia
The combined pressures of global climatechange and anthropogenic disturbance of thenatural world are leading to a rapid rise in thenumber of species at risk of extinction. For manytaxa, these numbers are rising faster than it iscurrently possible to keep track of leading to anincreased need to utilise rapid assessments toaccelerate extinction risk assessments and ensure plant species receive timely conservation
actions. The 2019-2020 Black Summer fires had
extensive impacts on native flora necessitating aprioritisation process to identify the species mostin need of rapid and full extinction risk assessments. We used a tiered approach to identify priority species for full extinction risk assessments
and compared how well rapid assessments withminimal information predicted extinction risk after full assessment. Some 400 species received
rapid assessments and 135 received full assessments. The rapid assessments accurately predicted the final threat status of 59% of species.
Higher threat statuses like Critically Endangered
and Endangered where more accurately predicted than Vulnerable and Not Threatened. Of the
135 species that recieved full assessments 85%

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were found to be at greater risk of extinction following the fires, Our results highlight the value of
rapid assessments in response to these landmark
disasters with widespread impacts as well as foraccelerating comprehensive listings of under assessed flora.

S.50.5 The vision of plant
conservation in Europe
along the strategies andrecommendations

S.50.6 Conservation of rarearable species through thestudy of their competitive
relationships with crops in
the agroecosystem
Martina D’Agostino1, Silvia Assolari2,
Francesco Boscutti3,4, Giacomo Trotta3,5,
Marco Vuerich3, Thomas Abeli1
1 Roma Tre University, Rome, Italy. 2 SemeNostrum,
Udine, Italy. 3 University of Udine, Udine, Italy. 4 National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy. 5
University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy

Erika P. Kónya1
1 Department of Botany and Plant Physiology, Eszterházy Kátoly Catholic University, Eger, Hungary
In last decades it became clear that urgent activities are needed in plant conservation. The
area and connectivity of habitats and species will
be very important to analyse the direction andintensity of threats of rare species. Although there
are new strategies for protecting native species, the scale of the drivers of extinction can bevariable and in several cases we don’t know thesmall scale drivers of the life history traits of plant
species. Sometimes new ways are needed forchecking the feature of species selected for revision and recommendations for example according to the new, accepted strategic plan of Bern
Convention between 2023 and 2030. A review anda survey can help member states and experts toanalyze the real processes and in characterizing
the state of plant species living in Pan-European areas. Different scale has been used and ageneral, good working conservation methodology have been elaborated together with organizations. The target of making the strategic plan
more objective is the multiscale revision of plant
species in Annex I. The first step is to determine
the main risks in distribution and life history of thespecies which can be asked through a questionnaire tool. The mutualistic features, seed ecology
and the life span also very important factors ofprotection and restoration success. In connection with the sustainable use of plant species wemust take into account the annual or short lived
species and their population stability throughtheir interactions in natural habitats.

After 1950, wild arable plants (hereafter arable species) underwent a dramatic decline due to the rapid
intensification of agriculture. In most cases, arable
species are considered as weeds and, for this reason, they have been systematically eradicated inconventional farming systems. Arable species extirpated even in sustainable agricultural systems
are no longer able to recolonize their former range.
Therefore, the reintroduction of arable species within agroecosystems has been proposed to improvetheir conservation status. Unfortunately, farmers
are often reluctant to accept the reintroduction ofendangered plants to their lands, as they could reduce crop productivity through competition. Therefore, it is important to understand if farmers’ fears
of a reduction of crop productivity are grounded inevidence, to engage them to promote coexistence
between crops and rare arable species. We studied
the mutual competitive effects between two iconic
arable species, Agrostemma githago L. and Centaurea cyanus L., and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.,
variety Palesio) in two densities (5% and 10%) in an
open field experiment at the SemeNostrum company (Udine, Italy) in 2022/2023. Analysing the roots/
shoots ratio, A. githago and C. cyanus in competition
with the crop significantly reduced the aerial part
growth in relation to the root part. The arable species-crop interaction also affected the specific leaf
area and chlorophyll content of wild species, which
decreased in the presence of wheat. For T. aestivum,
instead, there was no significant effect on the biomass, specific leaf area or chlorophyll content due
to the presence of A. githago and C. cyanus. Results
were consistence in both densities. This first comparative analysis evidences a plausible model ofcoexistence of arable species and crops. This will
provide the baseline for future translocation protocols of threatened species in agricultural contexts.

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S.51 FLORAL SPECIALIZATION AND THE
GENERALISED NATURE OF POLLINATIONINTERACTIONS. SESSION 3
S.51.1 Actinomorphy to
Zygomorphy: bilateralsymmetry, with correct
flower orientation, greatly
increases pollen transfer

S.51.2 The effect of grooming
on plant reproduction: atheoretical approach
Vanessa G. Marcelo1,3*, Flávia M.D.
Marquitti2, Mario Vallejo-Marín3, Vinicius
L.G. Brito 1

Nathan Muchhala1

1 Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia,
Brazil. 2 Instituto de Física “Gleb Wataghin”, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, Brazil. 3
Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden. *email- vanessa.marcelo@ebc.uu.se

1 Biology Department, University of Missouri - St.
Louis, USA
While the ancestral symmetry of angiosperm flowers is actinomorphic (radial symmetry), hundreds oflineages have independently evolved zygomorphic
flowers (bilateral symmetry). Such shifts are associated with more specialized pollination systems,
and lead to significant increases in diversification
rates. But what are the actual benefits of zygomorphic flowers for a plant? One little-tested assumption is that zygomorphy maximizes pollen transfer by
allowing flowers to place pollen in a more precise
and repeatable way on pollinator’s bodies. This is
supported by the fact that floral orientation tends
to be more consistent, and often can be quickly readjusted, for zygomorphic flowers compared to actinomorphic ones. In this study, we performed flightcage experiments with nectar-feeding bats and artificial flowers, testing how floral symmetry and orientation affect pollen removal and transfer. For eachflower, four anthers were placed either all of the way
around the opening (actinomorphic) or together at
one side of the opening (zygomorphic). Nearly twice
as much pollen was transferred between zygomorphic flowers, but only when angled at 45°, causing
pollen to be consistently placed on the tops of bats’heads. When flowers were positioned flat (i.e., facing upwards), bats approached from many different angles, and zygomorphic flowers performed no
better than actinomorphic ones in terms of pollentransfer. Thus, results suggest that shifts to zygomorphy allow more specialized pollination systems
which, with the correct floral orientation, maximize
pollen transfer success.

The pathway to male reproductive success in plants
is affected by events that potentially affect the
chance of individual pollen grains reaching the stigma, such as grooming behavior by pollen vectors
and the variation in the positioning of reproductive
organs. To date, only a few theoretical investigations
have attempted to model the effect of groomingon pollen transfer, and empirical studies have been
limited to species in which pollen movement canbe tracked. Thus, we use a spatially explicit agentbased modeling (ABMs) approach to determine theeffect of pollen redistribution and removal in the“pollen landscape” on the vector body, affecting
plant reproductive success and mating between
floral individuals, associated with variation in reproductive organs. For this, we simulated pollen vector
visits and their grooming behavior on a sequenceof different flowers in a population. We showed thatpollen redistribution and removal restructure thepollen landscape in the body of the bee, in a waythat increases the pollen delivery in consecutive
visits and the number of pollen donors depositedon the stigmas. We also observed that the mating
networks were affected both by the grooming behavior and by the morphological variation of the reproductive organs. So, in the absence of grooming,
together with the variation in the positioning of thestigma, makes populations more connected andgeneralist. The grooming behavior breaks the dominance of some individuals, making the relationships
between individuals better distributed. Floral individ-

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uals visited by vectors without grooming and thathave variation in stigma position are reproductively
more generalists. Our model predicts that species
pollinated by non-grooming vectors are more variable in stigma position than species pollinated bygrooming vector. However, empirical studies will beneeded to confirm the predictions we generate with
our model, allowing greater knowledge of the factors that may affect pollen transfer.

S.51.3 Does cheating pay
off? Influence of floral traitson pollinator behavior andplant fitness in a fooddeceptive European orchid
Noa L.A. Schwabe1, Bentje Bossert2, Ingo
Grass2, Philipp M. Schlüter1
1 Department of Plant Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart,
Germany. 2 Department of Ecology of Tropical Agricultural Systems, Institute of Agricultural Sciencesin the Tropics, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart,
Germany
In food-deceptive pollination systems, plants attractpollinators without offering any reward. The plantlures the insect into pollination by showing traits
similar to rewarding flowers. Our research aims tocomprehensively understand the pollination ecology within a food-deceptive system (Orchis militaris) and to identify key traits influencing pollinator
attraction, spatial heterogeneity, pollination success, and consequently, plant fitness. Furthermore,
we are investigating the avoidance behavior ofpollinators in this deceptive system. We are studying two distinct populations, both located north of
the Alps, approximately 650 km apart, covering thebroad habitat requirements of O. militaris. By identifying effective pollinators of O. militaris, along with
their co-vegetation, our preliminary results indicate
marked differences between the two populations,highlighting a broad pollinator spectrum. The overall pollination success and seed set was high. Main
pollinators are Hymenoptera (Apidae), ranging fromlarge (Apis mellifera) to small (Lasioglossum marginatum). While pollinator abundance appears to be
directly linked to plant fitness, current observations
indicate that the density of deceptive orchids does
not adversely affect pollination success. Notably, weobserved that bees seemingly do not exhibit avoidance behavior even in high-density deceptive or-chid populations. These preliminary results contradict the hypothesis that pollinators learn deceptive
strategies, and therefore show avoidance behavior.
As a next step, we aim to understand the mechanisms underlying this observation. To examine thelearning process of pollinators, specifically whether
they avoid specific floral traits (color) or areas after
encountering non-rewarding plants, we are planning to mark bees in the field and to conduct choice
experiments with A. mellifera. In summary, our study
provides insights into pollination ecology and theassociated pollinator behavior contributing to theevolution of deceptive systems, which is also of relevance for habitat conservation and management
strategies in times of rapid biodiversity declines.

S.51.4 Equal access
opportunity: heterospecificpollen tubes grow inthe styles of close- anddistantly-related species
Rachel O. Cohen1, Deren A.R. Eaton1
1 Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, USA
In plant communities where generalist pollinators
are shared, the likelihood of heterospecific pollentransfer (HPT) increases, potentially affecting female
reproductive success. This scenario may drive evolutionary adaptations aimed at either minimizing
the occurrence of HPT (pre-pollination) or reducing
its impact (post-pollination). While it is commonly
assumed that post-pollination mechanisms restrict
heterospecific pollen tube growth in the stigma or
early in the style, direct measurements of this process are relatively infrequent. When heterospecificpollen tube growth is assessed, studies often focus on intrageneric exchanges, even though plants
in diverse communities and may exchange pollen
with both close and distant relatives. To explore theimpact of HPT in a diverse plant community, we performed experimental crosses involving co-flowering,
non-hybridizing plants across a spectrum of genetic
distance from an alpine plant community at Rocky
Mountain Biological Laboratory (Colorado, USA). Using semi-in vivo pollen tube assays, fluorescencemicroscopy, and ovary size measurements, we examined pollen tube growth and ovary size change
following all-by-all reciprocal crosses with 11 species(representatives from Orobanchaceae, Lamiaceae,169

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Phrymaceae, Linaceae, and Fabaceae). Contrary to
expectations that pollen tube growth is more likely among closely related species and rare among
distant relatives, we observed consistent pollen tube
growth among all species pairs, ranging from conspecifics to those in different plant orders. Generalized linear models revealed no significant effects ofgenetic distance on the probability of pollen tube
growth through the stigma and into the style. These
results suggest that in plants with close ecologicalinteractions, reproductive barriers to reproduction
may not broadly include suspension of heterospecific pollen tubes within the stigma and style. Instead, pre-pollination barriers, differences in pollen
tube growth rates, and post-zygotic barriers likely
play more significant roles.

S.51.5 Multifaceted
strategies ensure prezygotic
reproductive isolationof coexisting species of
Stenospermation (Araceae)
Natalia Castaño-Rubiano1,2, Luna Ibáñez2,
Eliana Álvarez-Valdez2, Melisa Alegría
Valencia1, Luis Alberto Núñez-Avellaneda3,
Gonzalo Taborda-Ocampo2, Alejandro
Zuluaga-Trochez1, Artur Campos Dalia
Maia4,5
1 Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia. 2 Universidad de Caldas, Manizales, Colombia. 3 Universidad
de La Salle, Bogotá, Colombia. 4 Université of Corsica, Ajaccio, France. 5 Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
Plants reliance on external agents for pollination
has led to significant adaptations in floral traits,potentially contributing to the remarkable species
diversity observed in this group. Reproductive isolation mechanisms between populations, particularly pre- and post-zygotic isolation in congenericand sympatric species, play a critical role in minimizing competition for pollinators. Reproductive
strategies, including flowering time, visual signals,
floral fragrance chemistry, and rewards offered,facilitate coexistence and can act as prezygotic reproductive isolation barriers when gene flow
persists, allowing for hybrid formation. We investigated the reproductive systems, isolation mechanisms, and pollination dynamics of coexisting
species of Stenospermation (Araceae) in two lo-

calities of Colombia’s central and western Andes.
We assessed pollen transfer and the potential for
hybrid formation using pollination and hybridization tests. Additionally, we evaluated the effectiveness of phenological and ethological isolationin preventing self-pollination. Floral volatile compounds were analyzed using Dynamic Headspaceand GC-MS techniques, and attractiveness assays
were performed to determine pollinator preferences. Stenospermation exhibits a sexual systemwith androgynous flowers, and protogyny prevents
self-pollination, precluding fruit production throughapomixis. Our results demonstrate the possibility ofhybridization through controlled experiments. Stenospermation communities exhibited low synchronicity or were asynchronous. All species display
varying anthesis hours and share their floral volatile
chemistry and pollinators at various degrees. We
conclude that Stenospermation employs a multifactorial approach to prezygotic isolation involving
ethological, phenological, and ecological factors,
as no single trait thoroughly explains the observed
isolation. Pollinator facilitation between syntopic
species and complementary life cycles with pollinators contribute to reproductive success. Spathetissue, the floral chamber and the thermogenesis
are crucial floral rewards, particularly for large pollinators like Cyclocephala.

S.51.6 Improving flowers
to help feed the world: bee
responses to field-realistic
floral trait variation in
strawberry
Hamish Symington1, Beverley Glover1
1 Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, UKA rising global population will need more food, increasing demand for insect pollination services.
However, general insect declines conflict with thisdemand. One way to mitigate this conflict is to growcrop flowers that are easier for insects to find, andmore rewarding to those that visit them. Our work
quantifies variation in the pollinator-relevant traits ofnectar and pollen production, flower size and flower
shape in commercial strawberry, finding significant
variation between varieties in all traits. Bumblebees
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that it is valid to translate lab findings to the field. Ourfindings build on our knowledge of the range of pollinator reward present in a single cultivated species,
and of the impact of field-realistic levels of variationin floral traits on bumblebee preferences.

slow, indicating that this variation is at the limit ofthat which can be detected by bumblebees. Bee
preferences for nectar of differing sugar concentrations at field-realistic volumes were consistent withprevious observations at larger volumes, suggesting

S.52 AFRICAN TAXONOMY: A COLLABORATIVEEFFORT TOWARDS BIODIVERSITYCONSERVATION. SESSION 2
watersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. 13 Gombe
State University, Gombe, Nigeria. 14 Palmengarten
und Botanischer Garten Frankfurt, Frankfurt/Main,
Germany. 15 University of Canterbury, Christchurch,
New Zealand. 16 University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria

S.52.1 A taxonomicallyvetted checklist shows thatspecies richness of Nigerianplants is underrepresented
in major floristic databases“Beyond Extrapolations: A Taxonomically-Vetted
Checklist of Nigeria’s Vascular Plants” is a new initiative shedding light on the gross underrepresentation of Nigeria’s plant diversity in major global floristic databases. Current estimates of Nigeria’s plant
diversity rely heavily on out-of-date extrapolations
from the Flora of West Tropical Africa, a publication
now six decades old. In response to this critical gap,
our consortium is spearheading an ambitious effort
to compile a comprehensive, taxonomically-verified, and vouchered checklist of all vascular plants
in Nigeria. This presentation unveils the significant
findings of our research, emphasizing the disparity
between existing global databases and the true botanical richness of Nigeria. We present the second
and third outputs in a series of publications stemming from this pioneering effort. Using the historical
trend of botanical explorations, we demonstratethat there are still many new plant species to bediscovered in Nigeria. To achieve a comprehensive
description of these new plant species, a significant
number of taxonomists will be needed for an extended period. This demonstrates the significance of capacity building as a milestone in implementing the
Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). It is an urgent
priority to find and name these remaining undiscovered species, Red List them, and allocate resources
to protect those in need. Recent research has shownthat 77% of new plant species at the point of publication today are threatened with extinction. Thisendeavor serves not only as an update on our progress, but also as a call to action to rectify the prevailing underrepresentation. We offer insights into thechallenges faced, methodologies employed, andthe significance of our ongoing efforts in advancing

Abubakar Bello1,2,3, Martin Cheek4, Iain
Darbyshire4, George Gosline4, Gwilym
Lewis4, Thomas L.P. Couvreur5, Alan
Paton4, Isabel Larridon4, Fatima Batul
Mukhtar6, Suzanne Mogue4, Carmen
Puglisi4, Jean Michel Onana7, Ana
Rita Simoes4, David Harris8, Alejandro
Quintanar9, Xander van der Burgt4, Olivier
Lachenaud10, Bente Klitgård4, David
Goyder4, A. Muthama Muasya11, Samaila
Samaila Yaradua3, Maria S. Vorontsova4,
Anifat O. Bello12, Daniel A. Zhigila13, Marco
Schmidt14, Bruce Murphy4, Christian
Wirth1,2, Carsten Meyer2, Aletta Bonn2,
Christine Fürst2, Hazel M. Chapman15,
George I. Nodza16, Oluwatoyin Ogundipe16,
Alexandra N. Muellner-Riehl1,2
1 Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany. 2 German
Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research, Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany. 3 Umaru Musa
Yaradua University, Katsina, Nigeria. 4 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Herbarium, UK. 5 DIADE, Univ
Montpellier, CIRAD, IRD, Montpellier, France. 6 Bayero University Kano, Kano State, Nigeria. 7 University
of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, Cameroon. 8 Royal Botanic
Garden Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK. 9 Royal Botanical
Garden of Madrid, Madrid, Spain. 10 Université Librede Bruxelles, Bruxelles, Belgium. 11 University of CapeTown, Cape Town, South Africa .12 University of Wit-

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botanical research in Nigeria. Our work establishes arobust foundation for understanding Nigeria’s plant
diversity, paving the way for enhanced conservation
efforts, sustainable development, and a more comprehensive global understanding of the country’s
botanical wealth.

curred. Also, areas of ‘waterbody’ and ‘mango plantation’ increased by 35.62% and 72.14% respectively
as ‘vegetation’ and ‘built-up’ decreased by 35.20%
and 39.55%. Farmers agreed their standard of living
improved at the advent of mango production andthe market value of mango remained unchangedby Spatio-temporal dynamics but were ignorant
about the long-term economic effects of their activities on the increasing depletion population of
medicinal plants. Further verification was done using satellite images in comparison with herbarium
data to ascertain the erosion of some medicinal
plant species from their collection locations.

S.52.2 Synergy of taxonomy
and environmental
monitoring, an approach tobiodiversity conservation: A
case study in Ghana.

S.52.3 Conservation of plant
diversity in East Africa

Peter Atta-Adjei Junior1, Allotey Albert Nii
Moe2, Seyram Kumordzi1, Yaw Appau1,
Portia Seble Elorm1, Akuamoa-Boateng
Michael1 and Tonny Asafo-Agyei1

Qingfeng Wang1,2
1 Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of
Sciences, China. 2 Sino-Africa Joint Research Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China

1 Centre for Plant Medicine Research, Mampong
Akuapem, Ghana. 2 Institute for Scientific & Technological Information, Council for Scientific & Industrial Research, Accra, Ghana.

East Africa is home to more than 30,000 species ofplants, yet current data reveals significant gaps infloral surveys and studies, with about 16% of the region having zero collections and about 50% being
under-surveyed. In the context of China-Africa scientific and technological collaboration under the“One Belt, One Road” initiative, the scientists from
China and East African countries have engaged
in extensive collaborative researches, focusing onplant taxonomy and conservation biology. For instance, the Flora of Kenya, a collaborative project
initiated by scientists from China and Kenya. The
team carried out studies on numerous pre-surveyed weak areas and discovered more than ten
new taxa. These efforts further facilitated the understanding of the diversity of the Kenyan flora as
well as its distribution pattern. In Rwanda, the collaborative team discovered more natural populations of dwarf Rwandan water lily (Nymphaea thermarum). A comprehensive taxonomic morphology
description was undertaken, and active involvement in its conservation efforts ensued. In Madagascar, the conservation genomic studies of baobabs were performed incorporating with in-depth
ecological analyses which further raise the concerns on efficient protection of these amazing trees
on the island. All these findings and results would
provide valuable insights for developing effective
and biologically informed conservation strategies
for the biodiversity of East Africa in a change world.

The phenomenon of spatio-temporal dynamics occurs as a significant component of environmental
monitoring in the 21st century. It deploys sophisticated tools such as satellites and advanced computer
applications. Taxonomists believe correctly identifying biological species promotes a universally focused activity such as conservation. Following frequent visits to some portions of the Accra plains of
Ghana for plant collection activities, it was observedthat some areas and plants are speedily depleted. This concern motivated an investigation at the
Shai-Osudoku district occurring on the Accra plains
to ascertain the extent of depletion and understand the potential losses and consequences. The
Shai-Osudoku district which is enriched with a wide
range of medicinal plant species spanning from forest to savannah species was studied to ascertain
the rate of land use/landcover change over the past
two decades. Using mango plantations as a model,
a survey was conducted to verify the spatio-temporal dynamics of mango farming in the Shai-Osudoku district. Images were downloaded from theinternet (United States Geological Survey/Global
Land Cover Facility) to cross-check survey results.
The survey data were analyzed using IBM SPSS 20
and images downloaded were classified using first,
ISODATA algorithm with 25 classes and later knowledge-based supervised classification. The results
indicated that land use/land cover change has oc-

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S.52.4 Exorcising thedemons: subtribal revisionof the ironweed tribe(Vernonieae, Compositae)
in the Eastern Hemisphere.

S.52.5 Floristic diversity,
carbon stocks anddegradation factors in twosacred forests in the West
Cameroon Region.

Morgan R. Gostel1, M. Andotiana
Andriamanohera1, Higor AntonioDomingues2, Ana R.G. Simões2, Isabel
Larridon2, Benoit Loeuille2

Maffo M. N. Liliane1, Mounmemi K. Hubert1,
Mbaire M. K. Marx1, Zapfack Louis1

1 Botanical Research Institute of Texas, Fort Worth,
Texas, USA. 2 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, UK

Sacred forests play a valuable role in conserving local biodiversity and provide numerous ecosystemservices in Cameroon. The study was carried out
in the sacred forests of Bandrefam and Batoufam(western Cameroon). The aim was to estimate thediversity of woody species, carbon stocks and degradation factors in these sacred forests. The floristic inventory was carried out in plots measuring 25
× 25 m for trees with diameters greater than 10 cm,
and 5 × 5 m for trees with diameters less than 10 cm.
Carbon stocks were estimated using the non-destructive method and the allometric equations of
Fayolle et al. (2018), Chave et al. (2014) and Ntomen(2020). Data on degradation factors were collected using semi-structured surveys in the Bandrefam
and Batoufam neighbourhoods. The floristic inventory identified 65 species divided into 57 genera and30 families in the Bandrefam sacred forest, and 45
species divided into 42 genera and 27 families in
the Batoufam sacres forest. The families common
to both sacred forests are as follows: Phyllanthaceae, Fabaceae, Moraceae, Lamiaceae, Malvaceae,
Rubiaceae, Meliaceae, Anacardiaceae, Sapindaceae. Three genera are present in both sites. These
are: Albizia, Macaranga, Trichillia. In addition, there
are 27 species in common between the two sites.
The total carbon stock is 469.26 tC/ha at Batoufam
and 291.41 tC/ha at Bandrefam. The economic value
varies between 15 823 877.05 fcfa at Batoufam and9 825 530.528 fcfa at Bandrefam. The study showsthat despite the sacred nature of these forests, they
are subject to degradation factors such as bushfires (35.42 %), the creation of plantations (23.96 %),illegal timber exploitation (21.88 %), young people’s
lack of interest in the notion of conservation (9.38 %),climate change (7.29 %) and growing urbanisation(2.08 %). These factors threaten biodiversity and reduce carbon storage in these forests.

1 Department of Plant Biology, University of Yaounde
I, Yaounde, Cameroon

The ironweed tribe, Vernonieae, is one of the most
species rich in the daisy family (Compositae) andhas a complicated taxonomic history that has led
to it being referred to by a number of pejoratives,
including the “evil tribe.” A key challenge for taxonomists who work with this tribe was the recognitionof a large and poorly defined core genus, Vernonia,
which included more than 1,000 species worldwide.
In 1999, the genus was re-circumscribed to comprise just 20 species from the Americas and as aresult, the necessary reclassification of more than
1,000 species in Vernonia sensu lato was initiated.
In the last two decades, significant systematic efforts have resulted in the reclassification of many
Vernonieae taxa in the Western Hemisphere. However, comparably little progress has been made toward taxonomic revision of the genus in the Eastern
Hemisphere, where ca. 700 species are recognizedfrom West Africa to Southeast Asia and the Pacific islands. Throughout the range of this tribe in the
Eastern Hemisphere, there are currently 13 subtribes
and 67 genera, but approximately 150 species in thistribe remain in Vernonia and await reclassification.
Furthermore, recent studies suggest few of the subtribes currently recognized are monophyletic. We
present results of phylogenomic analyses using a
combined marker set including Angiosperms353
and Compositae-1061 as well as a greatly expanded sampling of species in this tribe from the Eastern
Hemisphere to test the monophyly of subtribes andgenera. We also explore morphological character
variation in the tribe to understand patterns of evolution and help to support sub-tribal identification of
taxa in the field and collections. Lastly, we present
a plan to curate and rapidly share taxonomic datausing the Global Compositae Database.

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S.52 EVOLUTIONARY ECOLOGY OF PLANTS.
SESSION 3
S.53.1 The ecology andbiogeography of spiny
plantsdefensive architecture for the spatial distributionof plant diversity, and the substantive role of extinct mammals in structuring modern plant diversity.

Kyle W. Tomlinson1, Tristan CharlesDominique2,3, Artemis Anést3, Theodore
Lefébvre1, Mohammed Armani4, Uriel
Gélin5

S.53.2 Elucidating trait
evolution in forest tree
species in response torecent climate changes: areview

1 Center for Integrative Conservation & Yunnan Key
Laboratory for Conservation of Tropical Rainforests and Asian Elephants, Xishuangbanna Tropical
Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences,
Yunnan, China. 2 Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Sorbonne University, Paris,
France. 3 AMAP, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, Montpellier, France. 4 Dept of Ecology and
Evolutionary Biology, Yale Univ., New Haven, CT, USA.
5 Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing
World (BIOCHANGE), Section of Ecoinformatics andBiodiversity, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
Spines are a major ecological innovation supporting plant defence and diversification, present inover 10% of woody plant species. Spine anatomy
is diverse, having arisen in multiple plant lineages
from many different plant organs and parts of organs, which may be differ in relative advantaged
across environmental gradients. We have tried tomake sense of this diversity, by address the following core questions. 1. Do spiny plants possess
functional trait syndromes that distinguish themfrom non-spiny plants, and are there differences
between spines with different anatomies (spine
types)? 2. Where are spines found in environmental space and are there differences between
different spine types? 3. What is the evolutionary
history of spiny plants? I discuss our ongoing inferences about these topics and future directions
we pursue. In brief, our analyses show that different spine types have different functional traits anddiffer in their distribution across climate and possibly soil gradients. Spines appear to have evolved
in response to the evolution of particular mammal
lineages on each continent, and that pre-adaptation appears to have been a fundamental part oftheir diversification in new continents. These combined results emphasise the importance of plant

José Alberto Ramírez-Valiente1,2, Antoine
Kremer3
1 Institute of Forest Science, INIA-CSIC, Madrid,
Spain. 2 CREAF, Barcelona, Spain. 3 BIOGECO, INRAE,
Bordeaux, France
One of the main questions in evolutionary biology iswhether populations can evolve in response to theongoing climate change. Understanding past evolutionary trajectories might help us to predict present and future responses. In this review, we aim to
identify the main climatic drivers of selection, to detect key traits for adaptation to climate heterogeneity and evaluate the evolutionary potential of forest
tree species in response to contemporary climatechange. Results from phenotypic selection studies
at different temporal and spatial scales report thatleaf traits, particularly those related to morphology and physiology are under significant selection.
Consistently, a meta-analysis on common garden
experiments showed widespread population divergence across species in growth, phenology, leaf
economics and allometry. Associations with climate,
however, strongly differed across biomes. In general,
temperature is the main driver of population divergence in temperate environments whereas precipitation is the main driver in seasonally-dry tropicalecosystems. In Mediterranean environments, bothtemperature and precipitation have had important roles in population evolution but acting on different traits. Specifically, whereas phenology andgrowth have evolved in response to minimum temperatures in winter, leaf morphology and leaf economics have evolved in response to precipitation.
Studies combining phenotypic and genomic data

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show that estimated ancestral populations tend to
exhibit more conservative resource-use strategies
which would provide evidence of adaptation to acolder environment in the past. Synchronic studies
also support the existence of evolutionary responses to contemporary climate changes (less than 500
years) in growth, phenology and leaf physiology
consistent with population studies and phenotypic
selection analyses. Overall, our results suggest highevolutionary potential in forest tree species that has
allowed them to respond recent climate fluctuations. However, further studies are needed to elucidate the pace of evolution, particularly through multivariate perspectives that assess trait integration
within phenotypes.

The objectives were to (1) evaluate the genetic diversity within each lineage and population, (2) examine
gene flow levels between lineages and, (3) date thesplit of the J. oxycedrus resprouting lineage.

S.53.4 Amphistomy
increases leaf
photosynthesis more incoastal than montane
plants of Hawaiian ‘ilima(Sida fallax)
Genevieve Triplett1, Thomas N. Buckley2,
Christopher D. Muir1,3

S.53.3 Trait evolution reveals
fire-prone ecosystems
at the origin of theMediterranean climate: acase study on Juniperus
oxycedrus L.

1 School of Life Sciences, University of Hawai‘i Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, USA. 2 Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA, USA. 3
Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin,
Madison, WI, USA

David Gutiérrez-Larruscain1, Pablo
Vargas2, Mario Fernández-Mazuecos3, Juli
G. Pausas4
1 Desertification Research Centre (CIDE: CSICUV-GVA), Valencia, Spain. 2 Real Jardín Botánico(CSIC), Madrid, Spain. 3 Universidad Autónoma de
Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
The Mediterranean climate is known for its summer
droughts, resulting in recurrent fires as the primary
form of disturbance. With the onset of this climate,
newly fire-prone ecosystems emerged, stimulating
species diversification and triggering strong selection
for traits that enable persistence in response to fire.
One such adaptive trait is post-fire resprouting, facilitated by the belowground location of meristematic
tissues. Juniperus oxycedrus, a gymnosperm species belonging to the cypress family and distributed
across the western Mediterranean basin, is reported
as the only species within Juniperus section Juniperus capable of resprouting after a fire. This study
evaluated the resprouting capability of J. oxycedrus
through the examination of 22 burned areas acrossthe Iberian Peninsula. Surprisingly, individuals identified as J. oxycedrus subsp. badia were not able to resprout. Genotyping-by-Sequencing (GBS), a reduction-representation genome strategy, was employedon 11-12 individuals from each examined population.

The adaptive significance of stomata on both upper and lower leaf surfaces, called amphistomy, isunresolved. A widespread association between amphistomy and open, sunny habitats suggests theadaptive benefit of amphistomy may be greatest
in these contexts, but this hypothesis has not beentested experimentally. Understanding why amphistomy evolves can inform its potential as a target
for crop improvement and paleoenvironment reconstruction. We developed a new method to quantify “amphistomy advantage”, AA, as the log-ratio ofphotosynthesis in an amphistomatous leaf to thatof the same leaf but with gas exchange blocked
through the upper (adaxial) surface, which we term
“pseudohypostomy”. We used humidity to modulate
stomatal conductance and thus compare photosynthetic rates at the same total stomatal conductance. We estimated AA and related physiologicaland anatomical traits in 12 populations, six coastal(open, sunny) and six montane (closed, shaded), of
the indigenous Hawaiian species ʻilima (Sida fallax).
Coastal ʻilima leaves benefit 4.04 times more fromamphistomy compared to their montane counterparts. Our evidence was equivocal with respect totwo hypotheses – that coastal leaves benefit morebecause 1) they are thicker and therefore have lower
CO2 conductance through the internal airspace, and2) that they benefit more because they have similar
conductance on each surface, as opposed to mostof the conductance being on the lower (abaxial)
surface. This is the first direct experimental evidence

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that amphistomy per se increases photosynthesis,
consistent with the hypothesis that parallel pathways through upper and lower mesophyll increase
the supply of CO2 to chloroplasts. The prevalenceof amphistomatous leaves in open, sunny habitats
can partially be explained the increased benefit ofamphistomy in ‘sun’ leaves, but the mechanistic basis of this observation is an area for future research.

S.53.5 Systematic,
evolutionary, and ecologicalperspectives on therepeated convergent
evolution of mimetic seeds
in legumes
Benjamin M. Torke1, Luísa M. de P. A.
Bezerra2, Domingos Cardoso3, Kuofang Chung4, Ana Paula Fortuna Pérez5,
Mohammad Vatanparast6
1 New York Botanical Garden, Institute of Systematic Botany, Bronx, NY, USA. 2 Universidade Estadual Paulista, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil. 3 Coordenação Flora e Funga do Brasil, Jardim Botânico do
Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 4 Museum Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei,
Taiwan. 5 Universidade Estadual Paulista, Botucatu,
São Paulo, Brazil. 6 Jodrell Laboratory, Royal Botanic
Gardens, Kew, UK
Seeds that deceptively mimic nutritious fruits or arillate
seeds but provide no nutritive rewards to dispersers
have evolved repeatedly in Fabaceae and are one of
the most striking examples of phenotypic convergencein the family, yet their evolutionary origins have been little studied. These seeds are associated with a suite oftraits, including bright coloration, extreme hardness andimpermeability, strong physical dormancy, suppressed
abscission, and accumulation of toxic secondary metabolites, that define a parasitic dispersal syndrome
targeting naive frugivorous birds. To attract sufficientnumbers of dispersers, this strategy requires that seeds
remain attached to dehisced pods in the plant canopy
for long periods of time, increasing risk of deteriorationand exposure to predators. We review the biology of
mimetic seeds in the context of the increasingly well resolved phylogeny of legumes and present preliminary
data relevant to hypotheses about their origins. We
conclude that mimetic seeds have arisen convergently at least 16 times in the family, but only in subfamilies
Caesalpinioideae and Faboideae. In most cases theevolutionary transition to parasitism is associated with
an abrupt shift to bird dispersal from some other dispersal mode involving one or more non-avian dispersal
agents; apparent transitions from mutualistic to parasitic bird dispersal are few. Evolutionary origins of several of the characteristic traits of mimetic seeds—hardness, location in persistent fruits, and toxic secondary
metabolites—predate transitions to bird dispersal andmimicry; these traits were likely exapted for their current
functions in mimetic seeds. Two other traits—bright coloration and suppressed abscission—are much moreclosely associated with transitions to mimicry and bird
dispersal, and thus likely constitute original adaptations
for these purposes. Planned comparative studies on
the genetic control of this latter class of traits may beilluminating with respect to the apparent propensity forlineages of Fabaceae to evolve mimetic seeds.

S.53.6 Where mating isoverrated: Understanding
the evolution and ecology
of asexual reproduction in a
tropical understory herb
Ritu Yadav1, Vinita Gowda2
1 Tropical Ecology and Evolution Lab, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal,
Madhya Pradesh, India. 2 Department of Biological
Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education andResearch Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India
Flowering plants have a diversity of mechanisms forreproduction. Both asexual and sexual modes represent alternative reproductive mechanisms that plants
may adopt in order to counter temporally or spatiallyvariable environments. In plants, it is common to findthat a single individual may resort to either mode, resulting in a “mixed reproductive strategy.” Our study
is focused on the genus Globba L., which is a tropicalunderstory herb. It is known for its high diversity in reproductive strategies, with presence of both sexual(andromonecy) and asexual (bulbils) modes of reproduction. The objective of our study is to investigate ecological factors that may have shaped theevolution of bulbils in Globba, and to show how thisstrategy may have helped the genus diversify in the
Asian tropical understory. We specifically address theevolutionary significance of asexual reproduction andhow it is an efficient reproductive strategy. To study theevolution of bulbils in this genus, we sampled Indian
Globba spp. from the states of Northeast India andWestern Ghats and used sequences from NCBI for the176

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also identified obligate asexual taxa differed in theirecological characteristics (such as population size,
pollinator visitation rate, natural fruit set, and physiological compatibility). The disproportionate distributional success of obligate asexual species suggested
that asexual reproduction by bulbils is clearly an advantageous and an efficient reproductive strategy insome Globba species.

remaining species. A Bayesian phylogenetic analysis
using BEAST was carried out on nuclear and chloroplast data set with 89 species. To study the ecologicaland physiological relevance of asexual reproductionin Globba, we also carried out field experiments for 10
species across 15 populations. Our results suggest thatthe presence of bulbils is an ancestral state and may
have evolved multiple times in the genus Globba. We

S.54 EVOLUTION OF PLANT SEXUALREPRODUCTION. SESSION 1
S.54.1 Deducing theancestor of angiosperms
from the timeline ofmolecular evolutionary
events associated withflower-specific traits

lyzing the evolution of gene lineages that control thedevelopment of, or are specifically expressed in, theabove-listed angiosperm-specific features. Our aim
is to deduce the order of potential neo-functionalization events in these lineages and hence the likely order-of-origin of the traits/organs with which they areassociated. In particular, the epsilon whole genome
duplication, which preceded the radiation of living
angiosperms, provides a useful genome-wide timepoint to separate earlier and later evolutionary events
along the angiosperm stem lineage. The proposition
that the outer integument of the angiosperm ovule
arose from a Caytoniales-type cupule has been particularly prominent in recent literature, which emphasizes the curved symmetry found in both the cupuleand the anatropous angiosperm ovule. A part of our
project accordingly focusses on the molecular mechanism of ovule curvature and its degree of conservation between model and early diverging angiosperms.

Léa Rambaud-Lavigne1, Marie Morel2,
Bastien Boussau2, Raquel Tavares3, EvaÁlvarez Medrano4, José Manuel Franco
Zorrilla4, Richard Bateman5, Paula Rudall5,
Niels Jacobsen6, Pierre Chambrier1,
Charlie Scutt1
1 Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, France. 2 Université Claude-Bernard, Lyon, France. 3 BIOPOLIS/CIBIO-InBIO, Vairão Portugal. 4 Centro Nacional de
Biotecnología, Madrid, Spain. 5 Royal Botanic Gardens-Kew, London, UK. 6 University of Copenhagen,Denmark. Contact: charlie.scutt@ens-lyon.fr

S.54.2 The role of polyploidy
for the evolution of sexualand apomictic reproductive
systems in angiosperms

The angiosperms, also known as flowering plants, contain numerous traits that are absent from their molecular-phylogenetically identified sister group, theliving gymnosperms. Such angiosperm-specific traits
include the outer integument of the ovule, the carpel,
the perianth, and the bisexual reproductive axis. The
extinct gymnosperm orders Caytoniales and Bennettitales have been suggested as strong candidates forancestors or close stem relatives of angiosperms, butthese possess contrasting sets of angiosperm-likefeatures. In Caytoniales, the ovules are enclosed within a cupule, which might (or might not) represent a
precursor to either the carpel or the outer integumentof angiosperms. In Bennettitales, by contrast, there
is no cupule, but a perianth-like structure and a bisexual axis (in some taxa) are present. We are ana-

Elvira Hörandl1, Claudia Paetzold1,2, Birthe
H. Barke1, Fuad Bahrul Ulum1,3, Ladislav
Hodač1,4, Eleni Syngelaki1
1 Department of Systematics, Biodiversity and Evolution of Plants (with herbarium), University of Goettingen, Germany. 2 Department of Botany and Molecular Evolution, Senckenberg Research Institute,Frankfurt am Main, Germany. 3 Biology Department, Mathematic and Sciences Faculty, Jember
University, Jember, Indonesia. 4 Max Planck Institutefor Biogeochemistry, Department Biogeochemical
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The predominance of sexual reproduction in eukaryotes despite high costs is still an evolutionary enigma.
Major theories propose that sex could provide a twofold DNA restoration tool, i.e. repair of oxidative damage during meiosis, and selective elimination of harmful mutations via recombination. In angiosperms only
about 2.3% of genera and <1% of species reproduce
via apomixis (i.e., reproduction via asexually formed
seeds). Most natural apomicts are polyploids, but thereasons for this association remain still unclear. Previous hypotheses suggested that genome duplication
would be the functional trigger for apomixis by altering gene expression and epigenetic control. However,
several studies indicate that apomixis already starts
in diploid populations at low frequencies and can be
inherited by haploid gametes. Transcriptomics on
diploid aposporous F2 hybrids suggest that a “lucky
combination” of mutations in genes related to reproductive development could be a functional trigger of
apomeiosis. However, polyploidy has indirect positiveeffects to establish apomictic lineages. First, polyploidy
can lower abiotic stress, e.g., light stress, which will reduce the trigger of oxidative stress for initiation of meiosis, thereby favouring facultative asexual pathways.
Second, polyploidy can buffer short-term effects ofrecessive deleterious mutations, and only a little bit offacultative recombination (6%) is efficient to for purifying selection even in big polyploid genomes. Third,
polyploidy can facilitate niche shifts by adaptations tomore extreme environments by epigenetic changes
and phenotypic plasiticity, which will be demonstrated by DNA methylation and gene expression analysis.
Fourth, polyploidy results in a breakdown of self-compatibility, which allows for self-fertilization and uniparental reproduction in pseudogamous apomicts,
which is an advantage for colonization. Experimental
and molecular work on Ranunculus supports thesehypotheses. We conclude that hybridity rather thanpolyploidy is the primary functional trigger for apomixis, but polyploidy is essential for establishment of
apomictic lineages in natural populations.

S.54.3 Anther development
and evolution with singlecell RNA-sequencing
D. Blaine Marchant1,2
1 Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA. 2 Department of Biology, University of Missouri - St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
The anther is the developmental housing of pollen of
flowering plants. The meiotic cells from which pollen

are derived must differentiate de novo from somatic
anther cells and synchronously develop with the restof the anther. Understanding the genes that underlie
the proper differentiation, developmental landmarks,
and functions of each anther cell type is fundamental to plant sciences. Here, we investigated the development of the somatic niche of the maize (Zeamays) anther using single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq).
We established the developmental trajectories of thesomatic cell types from pre-meiosis to post-meiosis,
identified putative marker genes for the cell types
that previously lacked any known specific functions,and addressed the possibility that tapetal cells sequentially redifferentiate. Finally, we compared theseresults with anther scRNA-seq data from wheat (Triticum turgidum) to assess the evolutionary conservation of anther development. These results are essential for future analyses investigating male-sterile
genotypes and the impact of environmental conditions on male fertility in flowering plants.

S.54.4 The role of LEUNIG
and SEUSS transcriptional
regulators during land plant
evolution
Julian V. Garrecht1, Julian Ingelfinger2,
Annette Becker1
1 Institute of Botany, Justus-Liebig University Gießen,
Giessen, Germany. 2 Technical University of Kaiserslautern, Kaiserslautern, Germany
The adaptation of reproductive strategies to the terrestrial environment was one of the crucial steps ofthe transition from water to land that plants had to
overcome. During land plant evolution, various adaptations emerged, from the simple, water-dependent
fertilization mechanism of bryophytes to the morphologically highly diverse flowers of angiosperms.
This wide range of reproductive strategies makes
it especially noteworthy that some of the essential
regulators of flower development in angiosperms
are present in all major land plant lineages. In Arabidopsis thaliana, the transcriptional regulators LEUNIG(LUG) and SEUSS (SEU) play an important role in flower development: LUG and SEU first form a heterodimer, which then can interact with floral organ identity
proteins such as APETALA1, and other developmental
regulators such as AINTEGUMENTA. The moss Physcomitrium patens encodes, like Arabidopsis, several homologs of LUG and SEU, raising the questions of(1) how exactly did these regulators co-evolve with178

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each other and other transcriptional regulators to
become such important floral regulators, and (2) if
their ancestral function was also related to sexual
development. We use Yeast-Two Hybrid and Bifluorescence Complementation assays to study protein
interactions and the CRISPR-Cas system for multiplex
Physcomitrium mutagenesis. We present our data on(1) the protein interaction of the Physcomitrium andother land plant LUG and SEU homologs and the protein domains important in the co-evolution between
LUG and SEU and their interactors, heterodimer formation and for target protein interaction. Further, weshow that removing LUG and SEU function from the
Physcomitrium genomes results in growth retardation and present detailed phenotypic analysis of the
LUG and SEU mutants of Physcomitrium.

S.54.5 Because sex cells:
patterning of gametangia
in land plants andspecification of gametes
in the fern Ceratopterisrichardiiand candidate gene approach. Using bulk RNA-seqof six developmental stages, we developed a timeseries transcriptome atlas for the gametophyte of
C. richardii. This dataset has allowed us to understand broad patterns of gene expression changes
throughout gametophyte development, investigate
dynamics of shared vs. unique gene expression between life stages, and identify promising targets forfurther functional analyses. Our candidate approach
focuses on TALE homeodomain (TALE-HD) proteinsthat specify the identity of distinct gametes. Following
fertilization, proteins from distinct TALE-HD subclasses
form a heterodimer and translocate to the nucleus
to initiate the transition from gametophyte to sporophyte in Chlorophyte algae and Bryophytes. However, whether these genes retain this function in ferns iscurrently unknown. We are combining our transcriptome atlas with in situ hybridization and phylogenetic analysis to understand the evolution of TALE-HD
proteins, and leveraging these new data in ferns tocreate a comparative framework for understanding
gametangia evolution.

Elissa S. Sorojsrisom1,2, Eva Uddin3, Tynisha
Smalls2, Barbara A. Ambrose2
1 Columbia University. New York, NY, USA. 2 New York
Botanical Garden. Bronx, NY. USA. 3 The Bronx HighSchool of Science. Bronx, NY. USA.
The fundamental sexual reproductive structures of
the gametophyte are the archegonium and antheridium (together called gametangia), which produce
egg and sperm respectively. The gametangia show
remarkable morphological conservation acrossnonvascular and free-sporing vascular plants but
are structurally reduced in seed plants. Many studies have investigated the molecular genetics of gametophyte development in angiosperms, as well as
in some Bryophytes, but broad comparative studies
are lacking. Furthermore, whether and how the gametes produced by the gametangia are homologous
across green algae and land plants is not known. Although analyses of patterning provide strong working
hypotheses, contributions from molecular genetics
and functional studies will be necessary to determine
the complete story of how these structures and thegametes they produce have changed throughout
the evolution of land plants. We aim to fill this gap
with developmental genetic analyses in the model fern, Ceratopteris richardii, using a transcriptomic179

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Symposia Session 4 Tuesday
S.55 PLANT RESPONSES TO STRESSES AND
CLIMATE CHANGE. SESSION 2
S.55.1 The widespread
Quercus ilex L. diebackin Mediterranean forests:
investigation of the causes
at plant and ecosystem level
Cecilia Brunetti1,2*, Francesca Alderotti1,2,
Fabiano Sillo1, Antonella Gori1,2, Mauro
Centritto1, Francesco Ferrini1,2,3, Dalila
Pasquini2, Matthias Saurer4, Filippo
Bussotti2, Martina Pollastrini1,2, Raffaella M.
Balestrini1, Paolo Cherubini4
1 National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Institutefor Sustainable Plant Protection, Sesto Fiorentino
and Turin, Italy. 2 University of Florence, Departmentof Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy. 3 National Biodiversity Future
Center, Palermo Italy. 4 WSL Swiss Federal Institutefor Forest, Snow and Landscape Research, Birmensdorf, Switzerland. *cecilia.brunetti@ipsp.cnr.it
Over the past two decades, the occurrence of
extreme climatic events in the Mediterranean
region has increased, and this climatic pressure
has contributed to the spread of vegetation dieback over several forest communities. Dieback
has also affected Quercus ilex L., and since thisdecline has worsened over the last 15 years inmany Mediterranean areas, it is crucial to develop effective tools for studying this phenomenon combining different scales of measurement.
Our study was conducted over four years (20192023) in declining (D) and non-declining (ND) Q.
ilex stands in southern Tuscany, assessing physiological and biochemical traits such as gas exchange, water relations, carbohydrate analysis
in the wood, and xylem sap isotopic signal (δ18O).
Dendrochronological and tree-ring δ13C analyses were combined to investigate the effects ofprevious droughts on tree growth and water-use
efficiency. Lastly, changes in vegetation structure
were assessed to monitor the impact of holm

oak mortality at the ecosystem level. The resultsof physiological analyses showed that seasonality had a strong effect on these traits, with themain stress occurring during the summer of 2020,
as evidenced by the lowest gas exchange values. According to the results of δ18O analyses,
holm oaks mainly took up water from deep soil
sources (bottom soil or ground water) owing totheir deep-root systems, resulting in only slightly
different ring-width patterns and a low responsiveness to seasonal climatic variations in bothstands. By contrast, the δ13C results combinedwith SSR genotyping revealed a more conservative water use of the population in the ND stand,underlying the potential of combining these powerful tools for the selection of seed-bearing genotypes putatively tolerant to water deficit. Furthermore, significant changes in the understory
plant community highlight that Q. ilex dieback
strongly affects the vegetation structure of Mediterranean forests.

S.55.2 Tolerance toherbivory is maintained ininsular herbivore-extinct
ecosystems.

180

Miquel Capó1, Antoni J. Far2, Pere M. MirRosselló2,3, Carles Cardona3,4, Brígida
Fernández de Simón5, Ramón Perea1,
Ismael Aranda5, Jaume Flexas2, Marc
Carriquí2,5
1 Plant and Animal Ecology Lab. Centro para laConservación de la Biodiversidad y el Desarrollo
Sostenible. Departamento de Sistemas y Recursos Naturales, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain. 2 Grup de recerca en Biologia de les Plantes en Condicions Mediterrànies,
Departament de Biologia, Universitat de les Illes
Balears, Institut d’Investigacions Agroambientals i d’Economia de l’Aigua, Palma, Illes Balears,
Spain. 3 Grup d’Ecologia Interdisciplinar, Depar-

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S.55.3 Predicting droughttolerance-related
biomarkers in maritime pine
(Pinus pinaster Ait.) using
machine learning

tament de Biologia, Universitat de les Illes Balears, Palma, Spain. 4 Centre Forestal de les Illes
Balears (CEFOR-Finca de Menut), Institut Balear
de la Natura, Palma, Spain. 5 Instituto de Ciencias Forestales (INIA), CSIC, Madrid, Spain
Plant responses to herbivory play a crucial rolein maintaining ecosystem functionality. Whilea trade-off between resistance and tolerance
to herbivory has been theorized, recent studies
challenged this dichotomy, as they showed thatspecies might possess in-between behaviour.
Additionally, the study of enemy release processes suggests that plant responses to herbivory
ameliorate after herbivore disappearance. Basedon these premises, we set an experiment with thenon-palatable insular-endemic shrub Hypericum
balearicum to assess its capacity to respondto herbivores. We conducted a comprehensive
assessment of real herbivore interaction with H.
balearicum in natural areas and examined plant
responses following simulated herbivory. For this,
we cultivated H. balearicum individuals at theForestal Centre of the Balearic Islands. From all,we planted 90 in each of two natural areas inhabited by feral goats and sheep. To isolate theimpact of herbivores, half of the plants at eachsite were excluded. Simultaneously, 90 individuals
were maintained in a plant nursery for a simulated experiment involving two induced herbivory
treatments: moderate and severe. After 45 days,
we measured various physiological, biochemicaland growth parameters associated with herbivory response. Plants in natural areas showed nosigns of herbivore predation, indicating an absence of herbivory on this species. Nevertheless,the response capacity remained evident. Following induced herbivory, we observed maintained
net photosynthesis but increased chlorophyll
concentration, specific leaf area and Root:Shootratio in response to increasing treatment intensity. Severe herbivory simulation induced oxidative stress, and variations in the concentrationof 47 leaf secondary compounds were reported
across all treatments. Our findings challenge theconventional notion that resistant plants lackmechanisms to respond after herbivory whenevolutionary pressures are absent. This study underscores the importance of considering historical factors, such as the presence of extinct herbivores or traits originated by exaptation, in theassessment of plant-herbivore interactions.

Irene Cobo-Simón1, Nicolás Lobato2, Julio
Ramírez-Guerrero2, Lorenzo F. Manjarrez1,
Nuria de María1, Miriam López-Hinojosa1,
María Dolores Vélez1, Paula Ramos1,
José Antonio Mancha1, Alberto Pizarro3,
José Antonio Cabezas1, María Ángeles
Guevara1, Carmen Díaz-Sala3, María
Teresa Cervera
1 Institute of Forest Science - National Institute for
Agricultural and Food Research and Technology,
Spanish National Research Council, Madrid, Spain.
2 University of Seville, Seville, Spain. 3 University of
Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Spain.
Knowledge about the molecular and functional
mechanisms that control the adaptation of trees
to drought is key in the current context of climatechange, since recurrent drought is one of the main
climatic factors threatening forests, particularly in
the Mediterranean region. However, this knowledge
is scarce, especially in conifers, due to their hugeand complex genomes. Pinus pinaster is one of the
conifers with the greatest socioeconomic (for woodand resin production) and ecological importancein southwestern Europe, given its adaptive capacity. Recent advances in sequencing technologies
enable the generation of large amounts of omics
data, introducing a new era of “big data” in biology.
Machine learning (ML), a branch of Artificial Intelligence (AI), offers promising approaches to recognize fine-grained patterns and relationships in theselarge and heterogeneous datasets, helping bridge
the gap between our capability to produce andanalyze plant molecular data. Here, we explore thepotential of machine learning in predicting droughttolerance-related molecular biomarkers in maritime pine (P. pinaster). To this end, we used transcriptomic data from grafted rootstocks of genotypes with contrasting response to drought (tolerantand sensitive). Machine learning algorithms wereused to analyze the expressed genes on thesegrafted rootstocks under controlled drought conditions to obtain accurate predictions of their tolerance/sensitiveness to drought. The methodology
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selection, model development, and evaluation. The
obtained drought-tolerance molecular biomarkers
can be used to guide the design of breeding andmanagement programs, such as marker assisted
selection and breeding, which will help improve theconservation, health, and productivity of this conifer in the long term. They can be also used in future drought-response research (e.g. comparative
genomic studies, functional transfer across species)
which will shed light on trees’ molecular adaptive
potential to current climate change.

S.55.4 Novel approach
to link the physiologicalresponse of maize (Zeamays L.) to drought and theoccurrence of mycotoxins

total precipitation, mean temperature). We foundthat the soil structure effect was overruled by theeffect of climate and/or irrigation. As we expected,
the absence of irrigation and low total precipitation
led to a reduction of plant biomass and kernel production, whereas interaction between irrigation andphenological stage had significant effects on leaf
pigments (i.e., chlorophyll) and secondary metabolites (i.e., flavonoid). Moreover, irrigation enhanced
the kernel C:N ratio and δ13C, whereas reduced theamount of aflatoxins. Our further investigations aim
at evaluating the interplay between the climatic
variables, the soil structure, and the individual traits
on the ultimate content of mycotoxins in the kernel,
with two distinct irrigation regimes and at the given
different phenological stages, adopting a structural equation modelling approach.

S.55.5 Observing Shifts In
Global Tropical Flowering
Phenology

Giacomo Boscarol1, Elisa Petrussa1,
Giacomo Trotta1,2, Francesco Boscutti1,
Dora Scarpin1, Enrico Braidot1, Valentino
Volpe3, Stefano Barbieri3, Michele Fabro3,
Marco Vuerich1

Skylar Graves1, Gladiana Spitz1, BrettMelbourne1, Nancy Emory1, Patrick Sweeny1,
Julian Resasco1, Erin Manzitto-Tripp1

1 University of Udine, Udine, Italy. 2 University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy. 3 Servizio fitosanitario e chimico, ricerca, sperimentazione e assistenza tecnica,
ERSA, Pozzuolo del Friuli, Italy
One of the effects of global change is the alterationof hydrological events, which affects many humanactivities, including agricultural ones. Understanding how maize (Zea mays L.), one of the most important staple crops worldwide, responds to thesemodifications is important to adapt to climatechange. Drought stress during maize germination,flowering and pollination can lead to decreased
plant growth, nutrient uptake, and grain yields.
Prolonged periods of drought can also significantly increase the spread of diseases, which reduces
yield quality. In this context we monitored 40 maize
fields composed by both irrigated and non-irrigated areas, along a pedoclimatic gradient in NE Italy,
throughout the 2022 and 2023 seasons, at four phenological stages (i.e., beginning of stem elongation,flowering, milk maturation, dent maturation). In
particular, we considered the plant individual functional response (i.e., plant height, SLA, leaf DMC, leaf
chlorophyll, carotenoid and flavonoid content, kernel DW, kernel C:N, kernel δ13C), and the kernel mycotoxins content (aflatoxins and fumonisins), in relation to irrigation conditions and climate data (i.e.,

1 Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology,
University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado,USA. COLO Herbarium, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
Shifts in flowering phenology can have cascadeeffects across entire ecosystems and can be indicators of more severe climate change effects.
Large scale, multi-taxon studies investigating flowering phenology have been limited to non-tropicallatitudes. This study analyzes changes in flowering
times at 20 localities across the global tropics. I
have found that from 1850 to 2021, flowering times
have shifted significantly at all locations, on average 97.6 days across all sites. This ranged from55.5 days shifted at Las Cruces Research Station in
Costa Rica to 109.9 days shifted at Korup National
Park, Cameroon. The Neotropics have undergone
an average of 80.9 days shifted, the Afrotropics anaverage of 91.9 days shifted, and Southeast Asia
an average of 102.6 days shifted. These shifts could
be indicative of greater ecosystem-wide changes.
A changing of flowering time can be an indicatorfor larger impacts of climate change, however it isimportant to take duration of flowering period into
account when analyzing the impact the shift inflowering may cause.

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S.55.6 Overexpression of
BvNHX1 from sugar beet
(Beta vulgaris) confers
enhanced salt tolerance intransgenic tobacco
Guo-Qiang Wu1, Xin-Miao Zhang1, Ming
Wei1, Hong-Xia Kang1
1 School of Life Science and Engineering, Lanzhou
University of Technology, Lanzhou, China
Salinity is one of the major environmental factorsthat limit the plant growth and crop productivity
worldwide. Tonoplast Na+/H+ transporters (NHXs)
play crucial roles in regulating the intracellular Na+/K+ and pH homoeostasis, which is essential for salt
tolerance and development of plants. In the present study, a novel gene BvNHX1 encoding tonoplast
Na+/H+ antiporter was isolated in natrophilic crop
sugar beet (Beta vulgaris) and functionally characterized in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) plants toassess the behavior of the transgenic organisms in
the response to salt stress. The results showed thatoverexpression of BvNHX1 significantly enhanced salt
tolerance in transgenic tobacco plants comparedwith wild-type (WT) plants. The seed germination,root length, plant height, and fresh and dry weights
in transgenic plants were significantly higher thanthose in WT plants under salt stresses. The contents of leaf relative water, chlorophyll, proline, soluble sugars, and soluble proteins were significantly
higher as compared with WT plants, while malondialdehyde (MDA) contents were significantly lower
than those of WT plants under salt stresses. Na+ andK+ contents both in shoots and roots of transgenic plants were significantly higher than those of WT
plants, and transgenic plants maintained a balanced K+/Na+ ratio under saline conditions. Taken
together, these results suggested that overexpression of BvNHX1 reduced damage to cell membraneby reducing osmotic potential of cells, and maintaining relative water and chlorophyll contents ofleaves, and finally improved salt tolerance in transgenic tobacco plants.

S.56 PLANT CONSERVATION GENETICS: FROM
IN-SITU AND EX-SITU CONSERVATION TO
REINTRODUCTIONS AND RESTORATIONS.
SESSION 2
S.56.1 Using gene rescue
theory to improve thesuccess of conservationtranslocations
Aline Finger1, Mike Smedley2, Duncan
Halley3, Martine Borge1, Antje Ahrends1
1 Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Genetics &Conservation, Edinburgh, UK. 2 NatureScot, Inverdee House, Torry, Aberdeen, UK. 3 Norsk institutt for
naturforskning, Sluppen, Trondheim, Norway
We present a study that uses genetic rescue (an improved fitness due to the introduction of new genes)
theory to help maximise the success of conservationtranslocations, the deliberate movement of plants forconservation purposes. Species in need of translocations often remain as small, scattered and isolated

populations. This makes them vulnerable to genetic
problems, such as genetic erosion, inbreeding depression and a lowered evolutionary potential. These genetic problems can decrease plant fitness and consequently make recovery work more difficult. Genetic
rescue can help to overcome fitness declines in small
populations and mixing genes can be a strong toolfor creating more suitable plant material for translocations. Here, we put genetic rescue theory to practice, including all associated steps, such as gathering
genetic background information on the study species,
cross-pollinations in a nursery, and translocations.
We’re using the alpine blue-sowthistle (Cicerbita alpina) as an example, which is only left in four very small
populations in Scotland, UK, where it fails to reproduce.
Like so many other species, C. alpina is unlikely to recover naturally and could be lost without human interventions. We demonstrate that cross-pollinations
improve plant fitness (plant size, survival, flowering) at

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S.56.2 Population genetics
for the conservation of
three endangered Magnolia
species from Chiapas andGuatemalaJosé Antonio Vazquez-García1, Emily
Coffey2, Lauren Eserman2, Amanda
Carmichael2, Jean Linsky2, Maria Voguel2,
Erick Tribouillier Navas3, Fredy Archila4,
Francisco Hernández Najarro5, Sangtae
Kim6, Suhyeon Park6, Alma Rosa Villalobos
Arámbula1, Viacheslav Shalisko1
1 University of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. 2 Conservation & Research Department, Atlanta Botanical Garden, GA, USA. 3 Estación Experimental deOrquídeas de la Familia Archila, Cobán, Guatemala.
4 Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, Guatemala City, Guatemala. 5 Universidad de Ciencias y
Artes de Chiapas, Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Mexico. 6 Sungshin Women’s University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
Understanding the genetic structure of populations
is crucial for conservation purposes of endemic or
geographically restricted species, to ensure thatex-situ propagation and conservation efforts include a representative sample of the species’ genetic diversity existing in nature. In the case of Magnolia, the complex physiographic environment andclimatic diversity in southern Mexico and Guatemala
results in the existence of species restricted in theirdistribution to certain mountain ranges, representing examples of either paleo- or neoendemisms.
The reduction of habitats due to land use change,
deforestation, and climate change consequently places some species in a particularly vulnerable
state, requiring urgent implementation of conservation measures to prevent extinction. The species
Magnolia faustinomirandae, M. montebelloensis,
M. quetzal, are characterized by having highly restricted populations of only a few dozen individuals known in the wild, in addition to those included
in propagation programs. Data obtained from theanalysis of known wild populations of three species
using targeted genomic sequencing revealed rather
limited genetic diversity in M. quetzal. In the case ofmorphologically similar species M. montebelloensis

and M. faustinomirandae, the population of the latter from Chiapas highlands demonstrated a genetic
identity distinctively separated from the rest of thesamples. It was revealed that some individuals morphologically similar to M. faustinomirandae in Guatemala are indeed part of M. montebelloensis diversity, which has been confirmed by more exhaustive
morphological analysis. Therefore, authentic M.
faustinomirandae is restricted to Chiapas highlands.
Regarding M. montebelloensis, its populations in Lagunas de Montebello showed genetic similarity withthose in Quiché, Guatemala, being the most diverse
species in the analysis. The analysis suggested thepossibility of a cryptic Magnolia species in Guatemala, distinct in its genetic composition, known froma cultivated population in the Monastery site, that iscurrently under morphological revision.

S.56.3 Genomic signaturesof inbreeding depression
and mutation load in athreatened African timbertree, Pericopsis elata(Fabaceae)
Surabhi Ranavat1, Dieu-Merci Assumani1,2,
Crispin Ilunga-Mulala3,4, Jean Pierre
Ngongo1,5, Bonaventure Sonké 6, Nils
Bourland 7, Jean-François Flot1, Olivier Hardy1
1 Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Université Librede Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium. 2 Faculty of Renewable Natural Resources Management, University of
Kisangani, Kisangani, Democratic Republic of Congo. 3 Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, Forest Is Life, TERRA
Teaching and Research Centre, University of Liège,
Gembloux, Belgium. 4 Department of Environment,
Faculty of Sciences, Université du Cinquantenaire de
Lwiro, Lwiro, Democratic Republic of Congo. 5 Faculty of Sciences, University of Kisangani, Kisangani,
Democratic Republic of Congo. 6 Plant Systematic and Ecology Laboratory, University of Yaoundé
I, Yaoundé, Cameroon. 7 Service of Wood Biology,
Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium
Pericopsis elata is a large, gregarious, and light demanding tree distributed in the Western and Central African tropics. Highly exploited for its excellent
quality timber, it is listed as endangered on the
IUCN Red List and included in the CITES Appendix II.
It is a peculiar tropical tree as it has a mixed-mating system, with a high selfing rate, and a lack ofregeneration throughout its natural distribution184

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range. Previous results from Democratic Republicof Congo (DRC) showed a high proportion of inbred individuals, with 54% inbreeding in seeds andseedlings, and 20% in adults, indicating inbreeding
depression. Recently, two highly differentiated genepools (FST=0.53) were identified in DRC (Easterngene pool), and Republic of Congo and Cameroon(Western gene pool). Along the Western gene pool,
we observe a steep westward decay of heterozygosity, and we hypothesize that this is a recent
range expansion into Cameroon with founder effects, possibly facilitated by selfing. Our aim is toassess inbreeding depression and mutation load
along this westward expansion. Whole genome
resequencing data of individuals along this gradient will be used to detect the runs of homozygosity(ROH), which will aid in inferring the demographic
history and finding deleterious variants. To detect
the mutation load, we test if there is a westward
decay of the ratio of synonymous to non-synonymous mutations, and the predicted effect of aminoacid substitution on protein function based on sequence homology across closely related species.
On the range expansion front, we expect longer
ROHs, and an increase in inbreeding coefficientand mutation load towards the west. These analyses, combined with phenotypic data, will help in
identifying the effects of inbreeding and informing sustainable management strategies for thisthreatened timber tree.

capture approach Angiosperms353 to capture thegenetic structure and diversity of small regionallyendangered populations within three distinct species for which conservation action plans are developed in Switzerland (Blackstonia acuminata, Eryngium campestre, and Lythrum hyssopifolia). For eachof the three species, we could successfully identify aminimum of 900 non-linked Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) in exonic and flanking intronic regions. The analysis of these SNPs revealed contrasting patterns of population structure, genetic diversity,and hybridization levels, even at a very local scale. In
Blackstonia, our results show the clear differentiationof morphologically similar species (B. acuminata andB. perfoliata) and reveal in B. accuminata a hybridization level indicative of a hybrid taxon likely reproducing through apomixis. Eryngium campestre exhibited distinct population lineages associated withthe drainage systems in which they were situated. Lythrum hyssopifolia revealed both its polyploid natureand significant population differentiation. Although
Angiosperms353 was developed to study species relationships due to the high conservation level of thetargeted genes, we demonstrate the efficacy of thiskit at the population level. Its many advantages suchas direct applicability, cost-effectiveness, compatibility with herbarium samples and a better data interoperability could facilitate the use of genetics for
rapidly assessing genetic diversity and structure withthe aim of informing conservation actions.

S.56.4 Angiosperms353
for population genetics ofregionally threatened plant
speciesS.56.5 Genomics forconservation of Mexican
agaves and cactus
Diana Itzel Martínez-Lona1, Michelle
Cabrera-Guerra2, Eddy MendozaGalindo3, Tania Hernández-Hernández4

Camille Christe1, Nathan Cornide1 2,
Andreas Ensslin1, Yamama Naciri1 2,
Mathieu Perret1 2

1 Ciencias Agrogenómicas, Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores, Universidad Nacional Autónoma
de México, León, Mexico. 2 Department of Genetics,
Faculty of Biology, Ludwig Maximilians Universität,
Munich, Germany. 3 Centro de Investigación y deEstudios Avanzados del IPN (Cinvestav), Irapuato,
Guanajuato. Mexico. 4 Department of Research,Conservation and Collections, Desert Botanical
Garden, Phoenix, AZ, USA

1 Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques de Genève,
Pregny-Chambésy, Switzerland. 2 Department ofPlant Sciences, University of Geneva, Genève, Switzerland
Intra specific genetic diversity is a key component of
biodiversity, but it has frequently been overlooked inconservation studies due to the difficulties to study
it. Conservation programs often need a genetics assessment of the target populations to guidespecific actions, such as source population to use
in reinforcement or reintroduction. Here we test theeffectiveness of the universal targeted sequence

Mexico is one of the few biodiversity hotspots forboth wild and domesticated plants in the world.
Many species, varieties and landraces can only
be found in the region; due to geographical, biological and cultural reasons. Approximately 75%

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cactus found in Mexico are found only here. The
most recent assessments from conservationist
groups reveal that both Agave and cactus species are the most endangered, threatened of extinction mostly from illegal poaching, change inland use and global warming. Unfortunately, there
are still few genomic resources available for bothtaxonomic groups, and the research community is
in high need of tools such as reference genomes,
SNP panels and methodological approaches tobetter understand the biology to these long-lived
wild species and inform conservation strategies.
During this talk, we explain some of the research
initiatives of Desert Botanical Garden in collaboration with several institutions in Mexico and thecommunity to study and preserve both cactus
and Agave biodiversity using genomic tools. We

leverage on the popularity and economic relevance of two flagship species: Carnegiea gigantea(saguaro cactus) and Agave tequilanavar. Azul(‘blue’ tequila agave). Although these species are
not endangered, through their study we develop
tools and raise awareness towards conservation,
not only of species but also varieties and landraces. We explain our study of the columnar saguaro
cactus and the efforts we are making to involveand actively engage the community to set awareness of climate change and their effects in cactus
biodiversity. We also talk about our efforts to document and preserve the almost lost mezcal andtequila traditional Agave landraces, threatened by
the enormous demand for only two cultivars that
produce the spirits that are highly sought-after in
the USA and Europe.

S.57 GENOMIC APPROACHES TO
UNDERSTANDING THE ECOLOGY ANDEVOLUTION OF SYMBIOTIC AND NONSYMBIOTIC MICROALGAE. SESSION 1
S.57.1 Genome of the glacieralga Ancylonema and its
insights into the evolution of
streptophyte life on ice andlandAlexander M. C. Bowles1,2,3, Tom A.
Williams2, Philip C. J. Donoghue2, Douglas
A. Campbell4, Christopher J. Williamson1
1 School of Geographical Sciences, University ofBristol, University Road, Bristol, UK. 2 Bristol Palaeobiology Group, School of Biological Sciences andSchool of Earth Sciences, Life Sciences Building, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK. 3 Department of Plant
Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road,
Oxford, UK 4 Department of Biology, Mount Allison
University, Sackville, NB, Canada
Contemporary glaciers and ice sheets are home
to communities of streptophyte glacier algae thatmust balance their requirements for photosynthesis and growth with tolerance of extremes in temperature, desiccation and UV radiation. These sameenvironmental challenges have been hypothesized
as the driving force behind the evolution of land
plants from streptophyte algal ancestors in the
Cryogenian (720–635 Mya ). Here, we sequence,assemble and analyze the metagenome-assembled genome (MAG) of the glacier alga Ancylonema nordenskiöldii to investigate its adaptations tolife in ice, and whether this represents a vestige of
Cryogenian anydrophyte exaptations. Phylogenetic
analysis confirms the placement of glacier algae
within the sister lineage to land plants, Zygnematophyceae. The MAG is characterized by an expansionof genes involved in high irradiance and UV light tolerance, whilst lineage-specific diversification led to
the novel screening pigmentation of glacier algae.
We found no support for the hypothesis of a common genomic basis for adaptations to ice and toland in streptophytes. Comparative genomic analysis revealed that reductive genome evolution in
the ancestor of Zygnematophyceae correlates with
their reductive morphological evolution. This first genome-scale data for glacier algae supports an Ancylonema-specific adaptation to the cryosphere, as
well as shedding light on the genome evolution ofland plants and Zygnematophyceae.

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S.57.2 From thalli toholobiome genomes:
reappraisal of lichens as
biomonitors for forest healththalli. Our results provide a renewed perspective forbiomonitoring.

Patricia Moya1, Tamara Pazos1, Salvador
Chiva1,2, Isaac Garrido-Benavent3, Pavel
Skaloud4 and Eva Barreno1.

S.57.3 Comparative
genomics in Chlorophyceae:
an exploration to the green
OCC cladeAcknowledgments: PROMETEO/2021/005 (GVA toEB), EU-MS21-058 (to SC), PID2021-127087NB-I00 (MICINN to IGB)

1 Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat i Biologia Evolutiva-Departament de Botànica, Universitat deValència, Burjassot, València, Spain. 2 University ofTrieste, Trieste, Italy. 3 Universitat de Valéncia, Burjassot, València, Spain. 4 Faculty of Science, Czech
Republic
Lichens are one of the most emblematic examples ofthe mutualistic associations between one fungi andpopulations of photosynthetic green microalgae and/or cyanobacteria. Aside from these major lichen symbionts, an indeterminate number of other microorganisms, co-occur, intermingled in these associations.
Given all of these new “players”, the traditional lichen
paradigm is evolving into a broader concept of lichen
holobiomes. Advances in genomics and bioinformatics
have provided a deeper understanding of this diversity. Therefore, lichen thalli are considered microecosystems in which numerous different symbiotic partners
can interact. The fine functioning balance establishedin the thalli is one of the reasons for their recognition as
bioindicators. Lichens are sensitive to a variety of anthropogenic disturbances, and are widely used as rapid bioindicators of both small-scale and global change.
In the 1990s, a sampling network for the biomonitoringof forests using epiphytic lichen diversity was established in eastern Spain. In 1997, an assessment of thestate of lichen communities was carried out and theresults were published. In 2022, this previously established biomonitoring network was revaluated. To compare the results obtained in 1997 and 2022, the same
methodology was used, and data from air quality stations were included. The results displayed a significant
general decrease in the diversity and a generalised increase in damage symptoms in target lichen species,
which seem to be the consequence of a multifactorial
response (climatic and pollution). Taking advantage ofthis new sampling, genomic data were obtained from
188 thalli to explore lichen community structure. Our results showed differences in photobiont choice between
sexually and asexually reproducing lichens in the epiphytic community. Using metagenomic approaches
we explored the differences between the compositionof microorganisms amongst healthy and damagedYanã C. Rizzieri1,2, Fay-Wei Li1,2
1 Boyce Thompson Institute, Ithaca, USA. 2 Plant Biology Section, Cornell University, Ithaca, USA.
In Chlorophyceae, the OCC clade (Oedegoniales,
Chaetopeltidales and Chaetophorales) corresponds
to more than a thousand of understudied algae species. They present a variety of interesting features suchas the diversity of cellular organization complexity,
presence/absence of plasmodesmata, and CO2 concentration mechanisms. However, the lack of genomic
resources from the OCC clade limits further investigation into their unique biology. To address this genomic
gap, we are currently sequencing four genomes thatcover all the three orders in the OCC clade, using a
combination of short and long read sequencing, as
well as Hi-C scaffolding approach. We expect the resulting chromosome level genome assemblies will not
only shed light into the genomic landscape in the OCC
clade, but also form the basis for broader comparative analyses across chlorophyte algae.

S.57.4 Comparative
genomics sheds light on theecology and evolution ofdryland green microalgae
Veronica Malavasi1,2, Núria Beltran-Sanz1,
Sofia Stocco1, Fernando T. Maestre3,
Francesco Dal Grande1
1 University Centre Botanical Garden, University of
Padua, Italy. 2 Department of Botany, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic. 3 Department of
Ecology, University of Alicante, Spain
In dryland ecosystems, soil microbial communities are
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cycling, soil fertility and climate regulation. Unicellulargreen algae are crucial components of these communities with key roles in primary production, food webs,
nutrient cycling, soil formation, and modulation of soil
texture and structure. Despite its importance and interest in biotechnological exploitation, the phototrophic micro-algal flora represents a vastly understudied component of soil microbial communities. Limited
knowledge of the diversity and the adaptive traits important for survival in extreme environments translates
into a limited ability to monitor and eventually prevent
biodiversity losses. This study aimed to create a genomic library of representative strains of green algae
isolated from desert soils worldwide. A collection of
23 soil samples from 14 countries, collected within theframework of the BIODESERT project, was used for thispurpose. The newly generated genomes and transcriptomes from several strains representing over 15 generaof the Chlorophyta and Charophyta divisions allow
testing the hypothesis of genomic convergence in theadaptation to desert environments in green algae. Our
newly genomic library constitutes a novel resource formetagenomics-based monitoring of functional biodiversity in desert soil microbial communities and a better-informed prediction of the ecological implicationsof climate change on soil biodiversity. Additionally, theresults of this initial screening pave the way for the biotechnological exploitation of this vital yet understudiedcomponent of desert ecosystems.

otic and free-living algae in the environment using a
combination of eDNA metabarcoding and Sanger sequencing. In many cases, we revealed highly contrasting patterns of diversity, suggesting that the symbiotic
inventory of lichen communities does not reflect thediversity of free-living algae. In particular, many symbionts that associate only with asexual lichen species
have never been found at a site outside of lichen thalli,
although various substrates, including aeroplankton,
have been examined for the presence of free-living
algae. Such findings strongly violate the paradigm ofhabitat-adapted symbiosis, as fungal hosts obviously
do not select their algal partners from a regional pool ofadapted species. Moreover, we hypothesize that someof the symbionts absent from the environment may exhibit a high degree of dependence on the presence of
symbiotic fungi or may even represent obligate symbionts that never occur in the free-living state.

S.57.6 The photobiont
cookbook: phylogenomicsinformed recipes to makelichen-palatable algae
Francesco Dal Grande1,2,3, Camille
Puginier4, Cyril Libourel4, Juergen Otte1,
Pavel Škaloud5, Mireille Haon4,6, Sacha
Grisel4,6, Malte Petersen7, Jean-Guy
Berrin4,6, Pierre-Marc Delaux4, Jean Keller4

S.57.5 How to find the rightpartner? Omics approaches
unveil the mysteries behindthe formation of lichen
symbiosis

1 Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate ResearchCentre (SBiK-F), Frankfurt am Main, Germany. 2
LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (TBG), Frankfurt am Main, Germany. 3 University of Padova, Padua, Italy. 4 Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France 5 Charles University, Praha,
Czech Republic. 6 Aix Marseille Université, Marseille,
France. 7 University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany

Pavel Skaloud1, Lucie Vancurova1,
Veronika Vesela1, Zuzana Skvorova1, Jana
Steinova1, Ivana Cernajova1, Patricia
Moya2, Ondrej Peksa3
1 Department of Botany, Charles University, Prague,
Czechia. 2 Botánica, ICBIBE, Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain. 3 Museum of West Bohemia inPilsen, Pilsen, Czechia
Symbiotic organisms play a key role in natural communities. However, the mechanisms underlying the selection of symbiotic partners remain largely unknown.
Over the past few years, we have aimed to understandthe formation of lichen symbiotic associations by examining and comparing the diversity of endosymbi-

Lichens are textbook examples of ecologically successful symbioses formed between thousands of fungal
species and a handful of green algae. Their biology,
ecology and physiology have been studied for centuries, with disproportionate focus on the fungal side of
the symbiosis. By contrast, the evolutionary origins andmolecular mechanisms of the symbiosis on the sideof the green algal partner remain elusive. In this study
we explored the evolutionary history and the molecular innovations in green algae at the origin of the ability
to establish symbiotic association with fungi to form lichens. For this, we de novo sequenced the genomes ortranscriptomes of 12 lichen-forming and closely related
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the algal tree of life. We then combined this dataset with
129 previously sequenced green algae and performed
comparative phylogenomic analyses to find genes
discriminating lichen-forming and non-lichen-forming
algae. In addition to gene-family expansions, we showthat one carbohydrate-active enzyme, the glycosyl hydrolase 8 (GH8), was acquired in lichenizing Trebouxiophyceae by horizontal gene transfer from bacteria. Our

results suggest that the ability to degrade the partner’scell wall is a key acquisition for the evolution of symbiotic
lifestyle in these algae. Our study unravels an important
evolutionary event fundamental to the establishmentof symbiotic lifestyle in lichenized algae and paves theway for future functional studies in this understudied yet
ecologically important group of organisms.

S.58 STILL STANDING: RIBOSOMAL DNA
SIGNIFICANCE IN CURRENT PLANT RESEARCH
S.58.1 Moleculararchitecture of rDNA lociand evolutionary dynamics
of 5S and 35S rDNA repeats
in duckweeds (Lemnaceae)
Anton Stepanenko1,2,3, Guimin Chen1,
Phuong T.N. Hoang2,4, Todd Michael5, Eric
Lam6, Ingo Schubert2, Nikolai Borisjuk1*
1 School of Life Sciences, Huaiyin Normal University,
Huai’an, China. 2 Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics
and Crop Plant Research (IPK), Gatersleben, Germany. 3 Institute of Cell Biology and Genetic Engineering, Kyiv, Ukraine. 4 Faculty of Biology, Dalat
University, Ðà Lat, Vietnam. 5 Plant Molecular andCellular Biology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, USA. 6 Department of Plant
Biology and Pathology, Rutgers the State Universityof New Jersey, New Brunswick, USA
Duckweeds, represented by 36 species in Lemnaceae family, are small, mostly vegetatively propagatedaquatic plants with worldwide distribution and fast
growth rate. Sequencing of 35S rDNA repeats in representative species of genus Spirodela, Landoltia, Wolffia
and Lemna showed positive correlation of the repeats
length with genome size, and significant sequencevariability of the intergenic spacers. Our genome surveys of two most ancient duckweed species, S. polyrhiza (Michael et al., 2017) and S. intermedia (Hoang et al.,2020), revealed a very low representation of 35S and
5S rRNA genes, at around 100 copies per genome, andan unorthodox molecular structure of the usually conserved 35S rRNA transcription initiation site (TIS). The
low rDNA copy number in Spirodela made possible toreveal detailed molecular organization of the species’
rDNA loci through a combination of molecular cytolo-gy, conventional sequencing and long DNA reads. The
relatively GC-rich 35S rDNA and 5S rDNA arrays are imbedded in highly AT-enriched chromosome regions.
Further sequence analysis demonstrated that the 5S
rDNA repeat clusters, localized on two different chromosomal loci, and composed correspondingly of 40
and 60 repeat units have the non-transcribed spacers(NTS) of different size and different rates of sequencevariability, suggesting contrasting evolutional dynamics of the two types of 5S rDNA units. In summary, ourfindings put duckweeds in the spotlight of rDNA research, promising new insights into basic principles oforganization and regulation of rRNA genes.
References: Michael et al. (2017) Plant Journal,
89(3):617-635. Hoang et al. (2020) Scientific Reports,
10(1):19230.

S.58.2 Deconstructing
ribosomal DNAs: an
overview of ribosomal DNAs
evolution and genomic
arrangements in thesunflower family
Daniel Vitales1, Joan Pere Pascual-Díaz1,
Teresa Garnatje1, Andrew Leitch2, Ales
Kovarik3, Sònia Garcia1
1 Institut Botànic de Barcelona (CSIC-CMCNB), Barcelona, Spain. 2 School of Biological and Chemical
Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London,
UK. 3 Institute of Biophysics, Academy of Sciencesof the Czech Republic, Brno, Czech Republic
Here we explore the evolutionary dynamism ofribosomal RNA genes (rDNA), a dynamism that189

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is surprisingly high given their crucial role in thesynthesis of ribosomes and thus for life-on-Earth.
rDNA units are present in high numbers, from 50
to 13,000 copies per cell that are typically tandemly arranged at one or a few loci. However,despite their importance and abundance, several aspects of the biology remain enigmatic, particularly their mode of molecular evolution andgenomic arrangements. We aim to deconstructribosomal DNA structure to define the model of
evolution that best explains its high evolutionary
dynamism and the differences in behaviour of
35S and 5S rRNA genes. We have used 74 species
in the sunflower family (Asteraceae) as models
for this analysis, which together represent a diversity of rDNA arrangements, genome sizes, ploidy levels, and rDNA copy numbers. Indeed, family
Asteraceae shows a particularly large diversity ofrDNA arrangements amongst its 24,000 species,
including in subfamily Asteroideae (tribe Anthemideae and some tribes of the Heliantheae alliance), where there is an exceptional arrangementof 35S and 5S rRNA genes being linked together.
Using next-generation sequencing (NGS) andanalytical approaches we address central questions allowing us novel, fundamental insights into
genomic mechanisms related to concerted evolution, pseudogenisation, the relationship withgenome size and rDNAs or their interplay withtransposable elements. Our results impact our
global understanding of molecular evolution andrepetitive DNA organisation in plant genomes.

S.58.3 The plant nucleolus
across the seed plants –ubiquitous but mysterious
Natalia Borowska-Zuchowska1*, Ewa
Robaszkiewicz1, Artur Pinski1, Bozena
Kolano1, Serhii Mykhailyk1, Natalia
Matysiak2, Lukasz Mielanczyk2,3, Maria
Drapikowska4, Ewa Kazimierczak-Grygiel5,
Justyna Wiland-Szymanska5,6, Romuald
Wojnicz2,3, Robert Hasterok1

Centre in Zabrze, Silesia LabMed – Research andImplementation Centre, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland. 4 Department of Ecology
and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poland. 5 Botanical Garden,
Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland. 6
Department of Systematic and Environmental Botany, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University
in Poznań, Poland
The nucleolus is one of the most prominent structures in the eukaryotic cell due to its indispensable role in 35-45S rRNA gene transcription andsubsequent ribosomal subunit assembly. In addition to proteins and rRNA, the nucleolus also
contains the 35S/45S ribosomal DNA (35S/45S
rDNA). These tandemly repeated genes encoding for 18S, 5.8S and 25/28S rRNA are transcribed
as a single 45/35S pre-rRNA by DNA-dependent
RNA polymerase I (PolI). Despite the presence of
nucleolus in almost every eucaryotic cell, manyquestions about its structure and function remainunanswered. Also, the question of how diverse thenucleoli are among the different seed plant representatives is still pending attention. Hence, inthis study, we aimed to shed new light on the seedplant nucleolus structure by integrating insightsfrom the ultrastructure of nucleoli components
and through the lens of modern superresolution
microscopy. Both the model (such as Brachypodium distachyon and Arabidopsis thaliana, monocot and eudicot, respectively) and non-model
species were analysed. The localisation of the selected nucleolar proteins, i.e., fibrillarin, nucleolin,
and subunits of RNA Pol I, were visualized in vivousing the GreenGate cloning system. The patternsof selected nucleolar proteins were then compared with the 3-dimensional localisation of thedecondensed fraction of 35S rDNA by fluorescentin situ hybridisation (FISH). As a result of our study,
the functional characterisation of particular nucleolar components has been proposed, shedding new light on the role of the specific nucleolar
subcompartments, e.g., the nucleolar vacuoles.
Acknowledgments: The gratefully acknowledge
financial support from the National Science Centre, Poland (grant no. 2018/31/B/NZ3/01761 and2018/02/X/NZ3/03197).

1 Plant Cytogenetics and Molecular Biology Group,
Institute of Biology, Biotechnology and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland. 2 Departmentof Histology and Cell Pathology, Faculty of Medical
Sciences in Zabrze, The Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland. 3 Silesian Nanomicroscopy

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S.58.4 Conserved sequence
elements present in the
5S rDNA intergenic spacer
occur in the genomesof distantly related
angiosperms

S.262.5 Uniparentalsilencing of 5S rRNA genes
in plant allopolyploids – firstevidence from Cardamine(Brassicaceae)
Aleš Kovařík1, Terezie Mandáková2, Alice
Krumpolcová1,3, Roman Matyášek1, Roman
Volkov4, Martin Lysák2

Yurij O. Tynkevich1, Irina I. Panchuk1,
Roman A. Volkov1

1 Department of Molecular Epigenetics, Institute ofBiophysics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Brno, Czech Republic. 2 Central European
Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno,
Czech Republic. 3 Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno,
Czech Republic. 4- Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University, Chernivtsi, Ukraine.

1Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University,
Chernivtsi, Ukraine
Tandemly arranged repetitive regions (repeats)that encode 5S rRNA (5S rDNA) are an obligatorycomponent of eukaryotic genomes. Typically, the5S rDNA repeats within a genome are very similar due to the concerted nature of their evolution. Each 5S rDNA repeat consists of a conserved
coding sequence (CDS) and a rapidly evolving
intergenic spacer (IGS). The high evolutionary
stability of the CDS is the result of purifying selection to maintain the function of the 5S rRNA
as a component of the ribosome. In contrast, it
is believed that the main part of the IGS probably
has no function and therefore evolves at a highrate. To uncover the patterns of IGS evolution in a
broad taxonomic context, we applied cloning, sequencing, and bioinformatic analysis to describe
the molecular organization of 5S rDNA in 31 genera representing 15 families and 12 orders of angiosperms. It was found that the short-sequencemotifs at the 3’ and 5’ ends of the IGS, which are
involved in the initiation and termination of 5S
rDNA transcription, evolve at a relatively low rateand demonstrate apparent conservation within a genus/family. Surprisingly, our analysis also
revealed that in eight genera studied the middle
part of IGS harbors conserved sequence elements(CSE), 50 to 200 bp in length, which show clear
similarity (70 to 91%) to the genomic sequences oftaxonomically distant families. This may be due
to presumptive horizontal gene transfer. Alternatively, the CSE may represent ancient sequencesthat were conserved in some phylogenetic lineages. The function of CSE and the mechanismof its maintenance during long-term evolution
remain enigmatic and require further research.

Introduction: While uniparental silencing of 35S rDNA
in interspecific hybrids and allopolyploids is a wellknown phenomenon there is no information onwhether silencing also affects the 5S RNA componentof ribosomes. To address this question, we analyzed
the expression of 5S rDNA and 26S rDNA in Cardamine(Brassicaceae) allopolyploids including C. × insueta(genome composition ARR, 2n=3x=24), C. flexuosa(AAHH) and C. scutata (AAPP) (both 2n=4x=32). These
combine diploid genomes derived from C. amara(A-genome) shared by all three allopolyploids anddivergent genomes derived from C. rivularis (R-genome), C. hirsuta (H-genome) and C. parviflora(P-genome) (all 2n=2x=16). Bioinformatic pipelines
included high-throughput sequencing of transcriptomes and genomes followed by variant calls andphylogenetic analyses of ribotypes. Genomic organization of rDNA was analyzed by SNPs, clustering andrDNA FISH. Results: In C. × insueta allotriploid hybrid
we observed uniparental dominant expression of 35S
and 5S rDNA loci from the C. rivularis genome. In C.
flexuosa and C. scutata allotetraploids 35S rDNA wasexpressed from the A-genome while 5S rDNA wasexpressed from the partner H- and P- genomes, respectively. FISH showed relatively intact 5S and 35Sloci in C. × insueta (twenty populations) while both C.
flexuosa and C. scutata allotetraploids showed copy
and locus number changes. Intergenomic translocation of the H-genome 5S rDNA was identified in
all populations of C. flexuosa which however did not
influence its dominant expression. Conclusion: Both
5S and 35S rDNA loci undergo uniparental silencing
in Cardamine allopolyploids. In stabilized allopolyploids both rDNA loci are transcribed from different191

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subgenomes. This apparently leads to formation ofchimeric ribosomes composed of rRNA molecules
originating from different parents. We speculate that
epigenetic silencing and rDNA rearrangements generate another layer of variation in multi-moleculeribosomal complexes which may contribute to theevolutionary success of allopolyploids.

the context of angiosperm 5S rDNA-Cassandra evolution, discuss Cassandra’s origin hypotheses (single or multiple) and Cassandra’s possible impact
on rDNA and plant genome organization, giving new
insights into the interplay of ribosomal genes andtransposable elements.

S.58.7 5S and 45S rDNA
monomer organization:
lengths, variation, andinterruption in tandem
arrays from Musaceae
speciesS.58.6 Evolving
together: Cassandra
retrotransposons gradually
mirror promoter mutationsof the 5S rRNA genes
Sophie Maiwald1, Ludwig Mann1, Sònia
Garcia2 and Tony Heitkam1,3
1 Faculty of Biology, Technische Universität Dresden,
Dresden, Germany. 2 Institut Botànic de Barcelona(CSIC), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. 3 Institute of
Biology, NAWI Graz, Karl-Franzens-Universität, Graz,
Austria
The 5S rRNA genes are among the most conserved
nucleotide sequences across all species. Similar to
the 5S preservation we observe the occurrence of
5S-related non-autonomous retrotransposons, socalled Cassandras. Cassandras harbor highly conserved 5S rDNA-related sequences within their longterminal repeats (LTRs), advantageously providingthem with the 5S internal promoter. However, the dynamics of Cassandra retrotransposon evolution in
the context of 5S rRNA gene sequence informationand structural arrangement are still unclear, especially: 1) do we observe repeated or gradual domestication of the highly conserved 5S promoter by Cassandras and 2) do changes in 5S organization suchas in the linked 35S-5S rDNA arrangements impact
Cassandra evolution? Here, we show evidence forgradual co-evolution of Cassandra sequences with
their corresponding 5S rDNAs. To follow the impact
of 5S rDNA variability on Cassandra TEs, we investigate the Asteraceae family where highly variable 5S
rDNAs, including 5S promoter shifts and both linked
and separated 35S-5S rDNA arrangements havebeen reported. Cassandras within the Asteraceae
mirror 5S rDNA promoter mutations of their host genome, likely as an adaptation to the host’s specific
5S transcription factors and hence compensating
for evolutionary changes in the 5S rDNA sequence.
Changes in the 5S rDNA sequence and in Cassandras seem uncorrelated with linked/separated rDNA
arrangements. We place all these observations into

Pat Heslop-Harrison1,2, Qing Liu2, Ziwei
Wang2, Trude Schwarzacher1,2
1 University of Leicester, Leicester, UK. 2 South China
Botanical Garden, Guangzhou, China
Long, single-molecule DNA sequencing shows theorganization and structures of rDNA monomers intandem repeats. Short reads of both 5S and 45S
rDNA collapse the arrays during assembly, while older BAC sequences suffer from chaemerism and assembly artefacts. Far from being a continuous arrayof monomers, we find short deletions, insertions orinterruptions in the arrays. Full-length retroelements
are found at variable points within some 45S and 5S
monomers in the arrays, and there are occasional insertions of uncharacterized sequences. Withinmonomers, both deletions and short duplications
are found. Similar rearrangements have been foundin multiple, non-identical, reads, giving evidence forhomogenization through unequal crossing-over(and hence duplication of segments of the arrays).
The ‘starts’ of the arrays have been characterizedwith flanking sequences. Musaceae provides a goodmodel for the comparative study of the rDNA arrays,
with long reads available from multiple species,
variable chromosome numbers and evolutionary
movement of rDNA between chromosomes, independent of other genes. The rDNA is very variable
between species, many with one pair sites of 45S
rDNA, representing 1% of all the DNA, to Musa beccarii
with 3 sites and 5% of the DNA. Monomer lengths arealso variable, with the typical length around 400bp
found for most 5S monomers but 1056bp in Ensete.
The detailed characterization of the arrays shows
evolutionary mechanisms and diversity of the ribosomal DNA arrays. Further information and references are given at www.molcyt.com.

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S.59 BIOGEOGRAPHIC HISTORY ANDECOLOGICAL PROCESSES OF THE ASIAAUSTRALASIA FLORISTIC EXCHANGE
S.59.1 Documentationof flora in the Kimberley
Gateway to facilitate studies
of Sunda – Sahul exchange
Russell L. Barrett1,2, Matthew D. Barrett3,
Francis Nge1, Limin Lu4,5, Russell L. Barrett1,2,
Matthew D. Barrett3, Francis Nge1 andLimin Lu4,5
1 National Herbarium of New South Wales, Botanic Gardens of Sydney, Australian Botanic Garden,
Locked Bag 6002, Mount Annan, New South Wales,
Australia. 2 Evolution and Ecology Research Centre,
School of Biological, Earth, and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales Sydney, Kensington, NSW, Australia. 3 Australian Tropical Herbarium, James Cook University, PO Box 6811, Cairns,
Queensland, Australia. 4 State Key Laboratory of
Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
5 China National Botanical Garden, Beijing, China
Biodiversity knowledge of north-western Australia’s
Kimberley region remains low. However, there is a
growing body of evidence to suggest that the region
has acted as an important gateway for the transferof biodiversity between Sunda and Sahul due to its
proximity to the Indonesian archipelago. We present data based on thirty years of field- and herbarium-based biodiversity discovery demonstratingchanges in our understanding of plant diversity in
the Kimberley, supporting its regional significance.
Covering 100,000 km2 in the Australian tropical savanna bioregion, the Kimberley is home to nearly 3,400 angiosperm taxa, of which 40% have only
been recognised in the last 30 years. Endemism had
been assumed to be low (<10%), but new species records have mostly been localised, and endemism
is now >22%. Biogeographic connections are veryvaried, but include SW, Central, SE and tropical Australia, many parts of SE Asia west to India, and also
Madagascar. We present example phylogenies that
demonstrate the relevance of the Kimberley region
for biogeographic analyses, demonstrating thatsome groups have followed multiple tracks into andfrom Australia. We summarise additional groups

that would benefit from inclusion in future phylogenetic studies for the purpose of biogeographic
reconstructions. Potential mechanisms of dispersal
will be discussed.

S.59.2 Exploring the timing
and mode of evolution of
Asian and Australasianbiogeographic exchanges
in a framework of global
biogeography
Jun Wen1, Alicia Talavera1, Zhiyao Ma2,
Limin Lu3, Richard Hodel1, Liang Zhao4,
Gabriel Johnson1, Virginia Valcárcel5,
Russell Barrett6, Elizabeth Zimmer1,
Zelong Nie7
1 Department of Botany, Smithsonian Institution,
Washington, USA. 2 Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China. 3 Institute of Botany,
Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China. 4
College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China. 5 Departamento de Biología,
Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
6 National Herbarium of New South Wales, Mount
Annan, Australia. 7 College of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Jishou University, Jishou, Hunan,
China.
The Asian – Australasian regions harbor rich biodiversity and represent an ideal natural laboratory to
explore biogeographic exchanges and pathways,
tropical – temperate biome transitions, and plant
diversification in response to tectonic movements
and climate changes. In this study, we analyze thebiogeographic exchanges between Asia and Australasia in a global context in Araliaceae, Calycanthaceae, the Gymnostachydoideae-Orontioideae
clade of Araceae, the Leeaceae/Vitaceae clade,Prunus of Rosaceae, Toxicodendron and its close
relatives of Anacardiaceae, and the conifer family Taxaceae. Our analyses reveal extensive biogeographic exchange among major Gondwanan

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landmasses in the Cretaceous and early Paleogene. Antarctica, Africa, India, and South America
played an important role in the biotic exchange ofdisjunct plants between Asia and Australasia in theearly phase, with the existence of the Antarctic landbridge linking Australia, Antarctica and South America, and the Kerguelen Plateau land bridge connecting Antarctica and India. Hence the Asian and Australasian biotic exchanges in the Cretaceous andearly Paleogene were mostly via indirect migrationand dispersal. Subtropical East Asia and the adjacent tropical southeast Asia developed a rich forest
flora that was highly influenced by the East Asianmonsoon, the Indian monsoon, and the uplift of the
Qinghai-Tibetan plateau. During the Neogene, biogeographic exchange between the Sunda and Sahul regions became highly active after the collisionof the Australian continental crust with southeast
Asia, with a more dominant Sunda-to-Sahul dispersal pattern. Continental Asia, including tropicalSoutheast Asia to subtropical East Asia, was a dominant source area for the later Miocene/Pliocene
phase of the Asian – Australasian biotic exchanges.
Our results also support dispersals from continental Asia to New Guinea, independent dispersals fromcontinental Asia to Sunda and Sahul in a given lineage, and a recent biogeographic corridor linking
Taiwan, the Philippines and New Guinea in the late
Neogene via long distance dispersal.

ed dated phylogenies, biogeography, and ancestral
state reconstructions. Our statistics indicated that68 migrations have occurred between tropical Asia
and Australasia since the middle Eocene except
terminal migrations, and the migration events fromtropical Asia to Australasia is more than 2 times of
the reverse. Only 12 migrations occurred before 15
Ma, whereas the remaining 56 migrations occurred
after 15 Mya. The MDE (maximal number of potential dispersal events) analysis also show obviously
asymmetry with southward migration as the mainfeature, and indicated the climax of two direction
migrations occurred after 15 Mya. We speculated
that the formation of island chains after the Australian–Sundaland collision and climate changes havebeen beneficial for seed plants migrations since
the mid–Miocene. Furthermore, biotical dispersal
and stable habitat may be crucial for floristic interchange among tropical Asia and Australasia. Thus,
this study provides evidence for the past floristic exchanges between tropical Asia and Australasia.

S.59.3 Asymmetricmigration dynamics ofthe tropical Asian andAustralasian floras

Zhi-Duan Chen1, Dan-Xiao Peng1, Hai-Hua
Hu1, Li-Min Lu1, Russell Barrett2, Jun Wen3

S.59.4 Biogeographic history
and ecological processes of
the Asia-Australasia floristic
exchange: history, progress
and prospect

1 Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences,
Beijing, China. 2 National Herbarium of New South
Wales, Australian Botanic Garden, Australia. 3 Department of Botany, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, USA

Li–Guo Zhang1, Xiao–Qian Li2, Wei–Tao
Jin1, Yu–Juan Liu1, Yao Zhao1, Jun Rong1,
Xiao–Guo Xiang1
1 School of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China. 2 Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
The tropical Asian and Australasian floras have aclose relationship, and is a vital distribution patternof seed plants worldwide. As estimated, more than
81 families and 225 genera of seed plants distributed
between tropical Asia and Australasia. However, theevolutionary dynamics of two floras were still vague.
Here, a total of 29 plant lineages, represented themain clades of seed plants and different habits,
were selected to investigate the biotic interchange
between tropical Asia and Australasia by integrat-

The Asia-Australasia floristic exchanges have long
attracted the attention from evolutionary biologists
with its complex geologic background and remarkable associated biodiversity. The rich floras of Asia
and Australasia converge at the unique Wallacea
transition zone, which is noted for the well-known
Wallace’s Line and its outstanding tropical biodiversity. Since the early 19th century, critical insights
have been proposed concerning the extent, timing, and routes of the Asia-Australasia floristic exchange, as well as characteristics of the exchanged
elements and ecological filters of the exchange
processes. We present the early exchanges dated
to the supercontinent, the recent affinities during
the Quaternary glacial fluctuation, and even theinvasive biotic dynamics in the Anthropocene. By

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integrating distribution data and evolutionary information of plant lineages within the Asia-Australasia
convergent region, southwestern Asia showed thehighest plant richness, while southern Asia to eastern Australia showed the highest the phylogenetic
diversity, indicating that the flora of southern Asia
to eastern Australia has together preserved ancientand diverse evolutionary history with frequent interchanges within the region. To better reflect therelationships among floras inside the region, we revisited the regionalization inside the region under arobust phylogenetic framework of the global seedplants and delineated the three phytogeographic areas: the Asia continent and Sunda region, theWallacea region, and the Sahul region. We found thedispersal exchange among these three areas dominated in a time period after the middle Miocene,consistent to the time when northern and southern
shelves in Southeast Asia collided and the migration
showed significant asymmetry with the southward
dispersal exceeding the northward dispersal. We expect the understanding of the evolutionary historyof Asia-Australia flora would shed light on the development history of global biodiversity distribution
pattern and provide the theory foundation for biodiversity conservation in addition to new understanding in the biogeography.

S.59.5 Crossing Wallacea:
floristic exchange between
East Asia and Australasia
Dan-Xiao Peng1, Li-Min Lu1, Andrew H.
Thornhill2,3, Brent D. Mishler4, Bing Liu1, AnMing Lu1, Joseph T. Miller5, Zhi-Duan Chen1

1 Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences,
Beijing, China. 2 State Herbarium of South Australia,
Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. 3 The Universityof Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. 4
University of California, Berkeley, California, USA. 5
Global Biodiversity Information Facility, Copenhagen, Denmark
One of the best cases for investigating the historyof biotic exchange is the convergence of the Sunda (the southeastern extension of the continental
plate of Asia) and Sahul (the tectonic plate of theAustralian continent) shelves, where the remarkably
diverse Wallacean region is located. Located on either side of the Sunda-Sahul zone, the floras of East
Asia and Australasia harbor flourishing, distinctive,
and comparable plant diversity and shared a considerable number of taxa, which provide an ideal
example to test the effects of geological history andecological conditions on exchange dynamics, towhat extent plants could spread over Wallacea, andthe contributions of exchange to floral formation. We
investigated the floristic affinities between the Chinese and Australian floras, which represent much of
the diversity of the floras of East Asia and Australasia,
respectively. Based on a comprehensive genus level
phylogeny of the global seed plants and the literature survey of biogeographic studies for the sharedgenera, we explored the evolutionary relationshipbetween the two floras throughout geological times.
Our results suggested that most exchange cameup after the Miocene when the emerging islandsof Southeast Asia reduced the geographical isolation between the two floras. We also integrated the
distribution data to show the spatial pattern of theshared components and correlate the environmental factors which could have impact on migration
success. Along with the identification of preference
for long life-span and tropical traits, the significant
role of habitat filtering during the exchange process
between the two floras was indicated.

S.60 BARK STRUCTURE: EVOLUTIONARY,FUNCTIONAL AND ECOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS
S.60.1 Bark architecture:
relationships between
appearance andmicrostructure of coveringtissues

Alexei Oskolski1
1 Department of Botany and Plant Biotechnology,
University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South
AfricaThe relations between macro- and microstructure ofbark are poorly explored; the most important contri-

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bution has been made by T.C. Whitmore (1962). The
bark appearance is largely determined: (1) by theability of the outermost layers of bark to maintainits continuity in the course of dilatation, and (2) by
the presence or absence of separation layers, i.e.,thelayers of fragile tissues enabling a regular abscissionof outer portions of bark. Diverse barks can be classified into four major architectural types (stretched,exfoliating, furrowed and peeling barks) by possiblecombinations of these conditions. Stretched (e.g.,
Adansonia digitata) and exfoliating barks (e.g. Celtis
africana) share the ability to conspicuous expansion, usually with lenticels and eye-like markings.
The stretched barks have smooth surface, whereas
the exfoliating ones bear superficial scars of fallen
scales. These barks share a thin periderm underlaid
with parenchymatous layer. Supposedly, these architectural types are associated with photosynthetic ability and gas exchange between stem tissues
and environments. The furrowed (e.g., Quercus suber) and peeling (e.g., Buddleja saligna) barks shareprominent vertical fissures, without lenticels andeye-like markings. The furrowed barks lack separation layers; they are mostly covered by conspicuous
persistent rhytidome or thick single periderm. Suchbark architecture can be associated with fire protection as well as with decline of litter accumulation.
The peeling barks are distinctive by detachment ofrelatively thin strips. Their periderms usually serve as
separation layers whereas the collapsed phloem
perform protective function; occasionally (e.g., Vitis
vinifera), the functions of periderm and phloem areallocated in the opposite way. The peeling barks are
hardly suitable for colonization by epiphytes. Several ontogenetic trends in age transformation of barktypes were found. Estimation of bark architectural
types along with the bark thickness is a promising
approach in ecological research.

S.60.2 Bark anatomy
diversity in Mediterranean
trees and shrubs
Alan Crivellaro1
1 Forest Biometrics Laboratory, Faculty of Forestry,“Stefan cel Mare” University of Suceava, Suceava,
Romania.
Scientists often correlate plant stem anatomical features and physical and biotic factors in the
nearby environment. These relationships form a basis to hypothesise adaptive strategies as drivers ofmuch of the anatomical diversity that has resulted

through evolution. In plant stems, the role of barkencompasses conductive, mechanical, and otherphysiological functions performed by specifically
evolved cell types and their arrangements, thus offering diverse bark anatomies. The extensive plantmaterial collected and anatomically describedfrom the island of Cyprus offered a unique opportunity to analyse the bark anatomy of trees, shrubs,
dwarf shrubs, and climbers for ecological trends.
This study presents bark anatomical trends I identified by analysing the entire woody flora of a geographically well-defined region. I present how barkfeatures of sieve tube morphology and distribution,sclerenchyma presence and arrangement, rays,
phellem, phelloderm, crystals, secretory structures,
and appearance under polarised light vary in different lifeforms and environments.

S.60.3 Bark anatomy: what
to expect from above- andbelow-ground in Cerrado
species community?
Carmen Regina Marcati1, Paula Cristina
Benetton Vergilio2, Julieta Alexandra
Rosell3
1 Laboratório de Anatomia de Madeira e Casca, Departamento de Ciência Florestal, Solos e Ambiente,
Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas, Universidade
Estadual Paulista, Botucatu, Brasil. 2 Colegiadode Ciencias Biológicas, Universidade Estadual do
Paraná, Paranaguá, Paraná, Brasil. 3 Laboratorio
Nacional de Ciencias de la Sostenibilidad, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma deMéxico, Ciudad de México, Mexico
Covering roots and stems of woody plants, bark is a
structurally complex system with functions ranging
from conducting photosynthates, and other compounds, to protect the plant. Bark is composed mainlyby the secondary phloem, arising from the cambium,and the periderm, arising from the phellogen. Althoughvariation in bark structure across species has been
widely examined, little is known about the patterns ofbark variation across woody organs. Structural andfunctional variation would be expected between barkof roots and stems in fire-prone plant communities asa result of the contrasting selective regimes experienced by these above- and below-ground organs. We
tested this hypothesis by comparing bark anatomicaland functional traits between coarse roots and main
stems of species from the Brazilian savanna (Cerrado), the most frequently burnt vegetation globally.

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We sampled the barks from coarse roots and main
stems of 15 species of trees and shrubs with high phylogenetic diversity and followed standard anatomical
techniques. We observed that the secondary phloem
is similar between roots and stems, except that rays inroots were taller than stems suggesting adjustments
in radial conduction, and storage in roots, likely associated with resprouting after fire and drought tolerance.
The periderm showed more protective traits in stems,
mainly higher phellem development, indicating protection against fire. This was observed since the formationof the first periderm, and also when rhytidomes were
present. These data indicate that, although the cambium is barely influenced by its position in different organs, the phellogen is influenced by the environmental
differences to which the organ is exposed.

S.60.4 Shoot-length Scalingof phloem anatomical
traits in angiosperm woody
speciesability of phloem anatomical traits is not well investigated. The aim of our study is to examine stem anatomical
traits of woody angiosperm species in relation to sample distance from apex and their native climate factors
across different biomes. We collected stem cross-section images of species from a wide range of climates.
We measured the size and frequency of sieve elements
and vessels of outer layer rings. The optimum climate
for species was extracted from CHELSA V2.0 based on
their occurrence records on GBIF. Our preliminary resultshows that when data from all species are aggregated,
the radius of sieve elements follows a power law with
distance from the apex. After correcting for the scaling
factor and phylogenetic correlation, both temperaturefrom the wettest quarter and precipitation in the warmest quarter are related to the radius of the sieve tube
element. Our study demonstrates the importance ofconsidering scaling geometry when conducting ecological research on anatomical traits. It also suggeststhat different phloem traits enable various species tocope with distinct environmental conditions.

S.60.5 Modes of smoothbark formation

Yan Wang1, Alan Crivellaro2, Jiri Dolezal3,4,
Patrick Heuret5, Sandrine Isnard5,
Johannes Liesche6, Olivier Maurin7, Yann
Salmon1

Ekaterina L. Kotina1,2, Anna V. Stepanova1,3

1 University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. 2 Stefan cel
Mare University of Suceava, Suceava, Romania. 3
Institute of Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences,Třeboň, Czech Republic. 4 University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic. 5 AMAP,
Université de Montpellier, CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE,
IRD, Montpellier, France. 6 University of Graz, Graz,
Austria. 7 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond,
UK
Studying the anatomical structure of phloem contributes to our comprehension of how phloem transport
plays a role in the ecological success of species. Additionally, integrating both xylem and phloem traits enhances our understanding of how plants strategically
adapt their morphological and anatomical features todiverse climates. In recent years, the importance of thescaling relationship between stem length and the sizeof xylem and phloem conduits has been highlighted for
conducting more precise ecological studies. For somespecies, it has been observed that the intra-specificvariance in vessel and sieve element size is more influenced by stem length than by climate. Further, stem
length dominates inter-specific variance of vessel traits
compared to species habit climate. However, the extent
to which climate contributes to the inter-specific vari-

1 Komarov Botanical Institute, St. Petersburg, Russia.
2 Saint-Petersburg State Forest Technical University, St. Petersburg, Russia. 3 The State Hermitage
museum, St. Petersburg, Russia
Among the conifer and angiosperm trees, the appearance of bark can vary in a wide range fromdeeply fissured to smooth one. The bark surface canremain smooth if its outer layers are stretched and/or divided in response to continuous bark increases
in circumference as tree grows. We studied different
modes of smooth bark formations in several tropical,
subtropical (e.g., Adansonia, Commiphora, Euphorbia, Ekebergia, Heteromorpha, Trichilia, Steganotaenia, Sesamothamnus, Vachellia, etc.) and temperate(Betula, Populus, Salix) taxa. Most of these studied taxa
share relatively narrow outer bark (OB) and much wider inner bark. The OB usually consists of a thin periderm
with lenticels on the surface and a parenchymatous
cortex or pseudocortex whose cells contain chloroplasts. This is why we can see a green underlain layer
after scraping of bark. This suite of traits is apparently
associated with the stem photosynthesis. The anticlinal divisions and tangential stretching of periderm
cells, formation of lenticels, and superficial initiation ofarc-like periderms can contribute to the maintenanceof continuous OB. The sloughing of smooth bark can

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be performed by peeling or weathering of outermost
phellem layers, or by abscission of thin scales formedby superficial periderms. No prominent rhytidome
containing the significant amount of non-conducting
secondary phloem found in smooth barks. Their cortex
or pseudocortex show meristematic activity, occasionally with formation of dilatation meristems. Shifts
from smooth bark to furrowed or tessellated one occur
in the older portions of stems in most studied species.

S.60.6 Patterns and causesof carbon allocation tobark across species andecosystems
Julieta A. Rosell1, Karen Vázquez1, Mark
E. Olson2, Susanne Vetter3, Carmen R.
Marcati4, Guillermo Ángeles5
1 Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico. 2 Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México,
Mexico City, Mexico. 3 Rhodes University, Makhanda,
South Africa. 4 Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas,
Universidade Estadual Paulista, Botucatu, Brasil. 5
Instituto de Ecología AC, Xalapa, Mexico
Bark is a conspicuous part of woody stems, but apoorly understood one, especially in comparison withwood. Bark includes the tissues outside the vascularcambium and can be divided, from a functional pointof view, into an inner mostly living region (inner bark,IB) and an outer dead region (outer bark, OB). There

has been a recent surge of interest in bark functional
ecology, but biologists are still far from understanding
why some woody plants invest more or less carbon
in IB and OB. Bark and wood thickness or cross-sectional areas are good proxies of relative carbon investment, because the density of both tissues covaries strongly. We review the main drivers of IB and OB
thickness and area across species and ecosystems
at the global level, integrating across-species andontogenetic approaches. Across mature individuals,
across species and environments, woody species allocate more carbon to IB in more seasonal environments in which higher storage of water, non-structural carbohydrates, and nutrients is of selective
importance, whereas they allocate more carbon to
OB as fire frequency increases. In turn, ontogenetic
approaches (along stems or across conspecifics ofdiffering sizes) underscore the role of storage but alsoof metabolic demands as crucial drivers of allocationin the secondary phloem, a tissue that includes thephotosynthate-translocating tissue and a large fraction of axial and radial parenchyma. Regarding OB,
ontogenetic approaches show that very frequent fire
drives an isometric pattern of carbon allocation to
OB along stems. Ontogenetic approaches have not
only confirmed across-species patterns, but havealso contributed to disentangling the functional rolesof poorly-understood bark regions such as the phelloderm and the cortex. Further understanding of theremarkable diversity of bark demands a combinationof ontogenetic and across-species approaches tothe measurement of structural and functional traits.

S.61 NEOTROPICAL BOTANICAL INVENTORIES:DOCUMENTING WHAT IS LEFT? PERSPECTIVESFROM ACROSS TROPICAL AMERICAS. SESSION 1
S.61.1 Ferns of Colombia:
Accelerating lineage
discovery to document
Neotropical fern diversity
Alejandra Vasco1, Weston Testo2, Michael
Sundue1,3, Susana Vega4, Sarah Morris2,
Lucía Vargas1,5, Kimberlie Sasan1

1 Botanical Research Institute of Texas, Fort Worth,USA. 2 University of Vermont, Burlington, USA. 3 Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, UK. 4 Universidad de
Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia. 5 Texas Christian
University, Fort Worth, USA
With more than 1450 known species, Colombia harbors fern diversity that is unparalleled elsewhere in
the Americas. However, fern diversity in Colombia
remains poorly known: nearly half of the species in
the country have been collected only a handful oftimes, and most species have never been studied

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Oral presentationsin an evolutionary context. The true richness of Colombia’s fern flora is surely much higher than what
is known today — likely there are hundreds of species that remain either unreported for the country
or are still awaiting scientific description. The Ferns
of Colombia project, funded by the National Science
Foundation of the United States, aims to improve ourunderstanding of Colombian fern diversity throughcollaborative research involving Colombian and international pteridologists. Our research focuses onfour key objectives (1) Addressing major gaps in our
knowledge of Colombia fern diversity, (2) Generating
unified taxonomic resources for the ferns of Colombia, (3) Producing genomic resources for the ferns ofColombia, and (4) Integrating objectives 1-3 to accelerate lineage discovery and taxonomic researchon Colombian ferns. Here we present the progressand some of the most exciting results of this project,which include new species discoveries, new species
records for the country, identification of hybrids, andassessments of the extinction risk for selected species using the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria.
These results are the products of three field expeditions, visits to herbaria in the United States and Colombia, and the training of both undergraduate andgraduate students. Outreach and networking efforts aimed at establishing a community dedicatedto the study and conservation of Colombian ferns
have played a crucial role in achieving our goals.

S.61.2 Flora Mesoamericana:a long process with a lasting
legacyCarmen Ulloa Ulloa1, Héctor M.
Hernández2, Fred Barrie1, Gerrit Davidse1,
Sandra Knapp3
1 Missouri Botanical Garden, Saint Louis, Missouri,
United States. 2 Instituto de Biología, Universidad
Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México,
Mexico. 3 Natural History Museum, London, UK.
Flora Mesoamericana is an international collaborative
project organized by the Missouri Botanical Garden,
the Institute of Biology of the Universidad Nacional
Autónoma de México and the Natural History Museumin London. Its main objective is to carry out a monographic inventory of the vascular plants existing in the
Mesoamerican region, based on a critical analysis of
the best available information. Our current estimate is
20,119 species of vascular plants occur in n the region,
41 of which are endemic (8,222 spp.). According to thedefinition established by the organizers, Mesoamerica
extends south of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec to andincluding Panama, with a total area of 778,238 km2. In
this presentation, a brief account of the history of the
project will be given. Likewise, some aspects of its organization, the working method and the results achieved
will be described, as well as how the information contributes to larger projects like the World Flora Online.
The first volume was published in 1994 and a total ofeight volumes have been printed to date, treating 138
families, 1,724 genera, and 11,998 species, representing
a 60% of the estimated number of species in the flora.
The contents of all volumes, published in Spanish, arealso available in a slightly different format on the Internet (http://www.tropicos.org/Project/FM). The progress
to date has only been possible thanks to the generous
participation of 246 botanists from numerous institutions around the world. Based on the current production rate, we estimate that the remaining five volumes
will be released over the course of the next 10 years.

S.61.3 Documenting themultiple dimensions of the
Amazonian plant diversity
Domingos Cardoso1,2, Rafaela
Campostrini Forzza1,3
1 Instituto de Pesquisas Jardim Botânico do Rio deJaneiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 2 Instituto de Biologia,
Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, Brazil. 3
Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade, Prado, Brazil
Documenting the multiple dimensions (classification,
distribution, ecological interactions, and evolutionary
history) of the remarkable Amazonian plant biodiversity has been one of the greatest challenges of botanical science, especially in the face of global threats oftropical forest destruction and climate change. While
the Amazon is recognized as the home to the world’s
largest tropical rain forest biome and plays a crucial
biogeochemical role in regulating the global climate
through essential ecosystem services, little is known
about the plant biodiversity itself, the leading player
in the evolutionary theater of this majestic forest. For
instance: how many different tree species are there
throughout the Amazon? When and where did they
evolve? What are the primary ecological and biogeographical processes driving their evolution? Addressing
such questions requires a synergistic compromise between plant systematists and tropical ecologists. However, recent debates on the number of plant species
across the Amazonian rain forests have relied heavily

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on model estimates, neglecting published taxonomically verified checklists. Ongoing taxonomic and floristic efforts across Latin America, such as the collaborative and dynamic web-based platform of the Florae Funga do Brasil, are the best way to track progress
and updates in near-real time. Detailed taxonomic
monographic and phylogenetic works including newly
collected specimens and genome-wide sequencingof specimens already held in global herbaria have revealed new species and genera, and how domestication has impacted their evolutionary history. Sustained
investment in taxonomy, herbarium collections, virtual herbarium platforms, new collections through field
work, and massive DNA sequencing are fundamental
in order to document and answer large scientific questions on the origin, evolution, and ecology of the megadiverse Amazon flora in its entirety.

results on the floristic composition and structure of theplant communities associated with the cenotes. We
also highlight the importance of building compelling
narratives around floristic research projects to secure
funding as well as the involvement of relevant stakeholders including local communities and institutions.

S.61.5 Monitoring tree
diversity across the Andes:
the Madidi Project and the
Red de Bosques Andinos
J. Sebastián Tello1, Cecilia Blundo2, Luis
E. Gámez Álvarez3, Luis Daniel Llambi4,
Francisco Cuesta5, Leslie Cayola1,6,
Agustina Malizia, Julieta Carilla2, Oriana
Osinaga Acosta2, Alfredo F. Fuentes1,6

S.61.4 Plants of the ring:
Botany of Mexican cenotes

1 Latin America Department, Missouri Botanical
Garden, St, Louis, MO, United States of America. 2
Instituto de Ecología Regional, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Tucumán, Argentina.
3 Laboratorio de Dendrología, Facultad de Ciencias
Forestales y Ambientales, Universidad de Los Andes, Mérida, Venezuela. 4 Consorcio para el Desarrollo Sostenible de la Ecorregión Andina, Quito,
Ecuador. 5 Grupo de Investigación en Biodiversidad, Medio Ambiente y Salud, Universidad de Las
Américas, Quito. 6 Herbario Nacional de Bolivia, La
Paz, Bolivia.

Manuel Luján1, Rodrigo Duno De Stefano2,
Ivón Ramírez Morillo2, Alfredo Dorantes2,
Nestor Raigoza Flores2, Pedro Zamora
Crescencio3, Eliana Noguera-Savelli4,
Germán Carnevali Fernández-Cocha2
1 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK. 2 Herbario CICY,
Centro de Investigación Científica de Yucatán,
Mérida, México. 3 Herbario UCAM, Universidad
Autónoma de Campeche, Campeche, México. 4
Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología, Colegiode Postgraduados Campus Campeche, Champotón, México
Sixty-five million years ago, a meteorite struck the Earthnear the Yucatán peninsula in south-eastern Mexico,causing global-scale bioclimatic changes that leadto the extinction of all non-avian dinosaurs. Deep andlarge water-filled sinkholes called cenotes formed
along the edge of the crater basin, making a ringaround the center of the crater. Cenotes are striking elements of the natural landscape in the Yucatan peninsula and were sacred worship places for the Mayan
culture. Urban development is threatening cenotes as
they are being polluted or transformed during roadand railway constructions. The flora associated withcenotes remain largely undocumented, and it is unknown how many native and endemic plant species
thrive around these formations. We have undertaken
floristic inventories in several cenotes in the peninsula
including localities in the states of Campeche and Yucatan to collect plant data and materials to prepare
herbarium specimens. This talk shows our preliminary

Botanical inventories are crucial for understanding,managing, and protecting biodiversity. Tropical regions,despite centuries of study, remain poorly known, andtheir botanical diversity is undocumented. Collaboration to develop large-scale, long-term research programs is vital in this monumental task. In Bolivia, theMissouri Botanical Garden and the Herbario Nacional de Bolivia have established a program focused on
documenting and conserving plant diversity. A cornerstone of this initiative is the Madidi Project on the eastern slopes of the Bolivian Andes. This project merges
traditional botanical exploration with a vast networkof forest plots, yielding information from nearly 60,000
collections, 200,000 surveyed trees, and 500 forest plotsthat document more than 3,000 species, including approximately 200 new to science. A significant effort has
been made to standardize species names in this large
dataset, a common challenge in such endeavors. The
data informs various aspects of plant biodiversity, including diversity, ecology, and evolution. It also aids inassessing species’ conservation statuses and provides
essential biodiversity information to local policymak-

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ers. While impactful, the Madidi Project covers a fraction of the Tropical Andes, a global biodiversity hotspot.
To address larger-scale biological and conservation
challenges, researchers from multiple countries established the Red de Bosques Andinos (RBA). This network
includes hundreds of forest plots spanning from Venezuela to Argentina and involves numerous forest biologists. Its formation, primarily by scientists from Andean
nations, represents a formidable regional collaboration.
The RBA generates vital research on forest ecology andresponses to environmental threats. Both the Madidi
Project and the RBA exemplify the importance of collaboration and capacity building in long-term forest
monitoring and large-scale biodiversity inventories
more generally.

S.61.6 How effective havebotanists been at sampling
Neotropical plant diversity
Alexandre K. Monro1, Pablo Hendrigo
Alves de Melo2, Manuel Lujan1, Nadia
Bystriakova3
1 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, UK. 2 Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia
de Minas Gerais, Campus Avançado Piumhi, Minas
Gerais, Brazil. 3 The Natural History Museum, London, UK
For the most part, botanical inventories in the Neotropics have occurred in a haphazard, uncoordinatedmanner and lacked explicit sampling strategies. We

assemble a cleaned version of GBIF biological collections data for the Neotropics to evaluate the gaps
and biases in sampling effort to date with respect topredicted diversity, evolutionary distinctness, extinction
threat, habitat type and ecosystem services. Whilst notcomplete, GBIF represents the single most importantsource of occurrence data for the Neotropics, comprising ca 8 million occurrence records (tracheophyte
preserved specimens with coordinates). ‘Preserved
specimens’ the data class corresponding to herbarium
collections, comprises occurrence records backed bya physical specimen whose identity can be verified. We
downloaded and parsed all occurrence records into
unique collection events (Hendrigo Alves de Melo et al,
2023, matched these to a unified taxonomic backbone(World Checklist of Vascular Plant Names, Govaerts
et al., 2021) and then projected them onto a map of
the Neotropics divided into grid cells of 10 x 10 km. We
then overlaid this map with the bserved tracheophyte
species richness, IUCN habitat classes . Keith et al.
(2020), estimates of predicted species richness, theevolutionary lineage coverage, frequency of threatened species and the estimates of carbon and water
value (Jung et al. (2021). This enabled us to identify bias in the sample effort of previous botanical inventories in respect of all the above, and to identify the
major gaps in occurrence data for the region.
References: Govaerts et al. (2021) https://doi.
org/10.1038/s41597-021-00997-6, Hendrigo Alvesde Melo et al. (2023) https://doi.org/10.21203/
rs.3.rs-3579370/v1. Jung et al. (2021) https://doi.
org/10.1038/s41559-021-01528-7. Keith et al. (2020)
https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.CH.2020.13.en

S.62 EVOLUTION OF KEY INNOVATIONS IN
LAND PLANTS REVEALED THROUGH THE LENS
OF EVODEVO. SESSION 1
1 Department of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. 2 Zurich-Basel Plant Science Center, Zurich, Switzerland.
3 Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. 4 Department
of Plant Biology, Southern Illinois University, Illinois,
USA. 5 Department of Plant Sciences, University ofCambridge, Cambridge, UK. 6 Department of Life
Science, Rikkyo University, Tokyo, Japan

S.62.1 Transcriptomic
landscape of the hornwort
sporophyte
Manuel Waller1,2, Ueli Grossniklaus2,3,
Karen Renzaglia4, Eftychios Frangedakis5,
Keiko Sakakibara6, Kazune Ezaki6, Péter
Szövényi1,2

The diploid spore producing sporophyte of land plants
is thought to have been interpolated into a primarily
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on dry land. However, between the two monophyletic land plant clades, the bryophytes and vascularplants, sporophyte evolution has followed contrasting
trajectories. Bryophyte sporophytes are nutritionallydependent on the gametophyte, uniaxial and monosporangiate, while vascular plant sporophytes have
evolved complex branched body plans with a varietyof lateral organs to become nutritionally independent.
Little is known about how regulatory processes of sporophyte development have evolved and contributed
to the diversification of sporophyte functions and morphology. Comparative analyses on sporophyte development and conclusions on developmental homologies have primarily been drawn using the model moss
Physcomitrium patens and the liverwort Marchantia
polymorpha, in comparison to the well-studied development of flowering plants. However, sporophytes of
the three lineages of bryophytes exhibit considerably
different growth patterns and insights into shared regulatory mechanisms of sporophyte development can
only be achieved by simultaneously investigating all
three bryophyte lineages. With the recent establishment of Anthoceros agrestis as a hornwort model, genomic and sporophyte transcriptomic data has become available. Therefore, to gain insight into sharedand divergent regulatory mechanisms among liverworts, mosses, and hornworts, we compared sporophyte specific gene expression across the three bryophyte models by creating and analyzing sporophyte
and gametophyte enriched transcriptome datasets
for M. polymorpha, P. patens and A. agrestis. Furthermore, using laser capture microdissection, we generated tissue-specific transcriptomes for distinct tissues
within the A. agrestis sporophyte proliferative zone andanalyzed differential gene expression between these
sporophyte tissues, to provide the first insight into
the genetic control of hornwort sporophyte development. Using fluorescent reporter and overexpression
lines we provide our first results concerning the ancestral function of key developmental genes in the sporophyte development of bryophytes and land plants.

S.62.2 The evolution anddevelopment of sporangia– the fundamental
reproductive organ of land
plant sporophytes
Barbara A. Ambrose1
1 New York Botanical Garden. Bronx, NY, USA

A salient feature of the diploid sporophyte is the development of the sporangium, the fundamental reproductive structure of all land plants. Whether the
structure is a cone, strobilus, or flower – all are clustersof sporangia. The sporangium is where meiosis occurs
to produce spores, marking the transition between the
diploid and haploid phases of the plant life cycle. In allland plants, sporangium development begins when asomatic cell is specified to be reproductive and thenundergo a series of stereotypical divisions, and cell fatedecisions that gives rise to the sporangium. The developmental anatomy of sporangia has been studied
across land plants. From an evolutionary point of view,
sporangia are key to land plant success. The evolutionof distinct sporangia (heterospory) and retention of thegametophyte evolved three times independently andwas a necessary innovation for the subsequent evolution of the seed. The well-known nucellus and pollen sac
are the sporangia of flowering plants, and the molecular genetics of their development has been well studied,particularly in Arabidopsis thaliana. Despite its fundamental importance, we lack a comprehensive understanding of the evolutionary developmental genetics ofsporangia development across land plants. To fill thisgap, we are investigating the development and molecular genetics of sporangia in lycophytes and ferns witha focus on the fern model system, Ceratopteris richardii.
We are studying the development of sporangia in lycophytes and ferns using histochemical staining and microscopy. We are investigating the molecular genetics
of C. richardii sporangia development using transcriptomics and a candidate gene approach. Despite differences in sporangia cell patterning between A. thaliana
and C. richardii, we found homologous genes pattern
sporangia in both species. This suggests that there is
a common genetic module that patterns all sporangia
and provides a framework for understanding their evolution and development.

S.62.3 Origin and Expressionof the silencing peptide
RADIALIS in Gymnosperms
suggests a role in seed andfruit development.
Aniket Sengupta, Dianella Howarth1
1 Biological Sciences, St. John’s University, New York,USA
An ongoing question in biology is how gene duplication and changes in gene expression may be associ-202

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ated with morphological shifts. One major innovationin plants is the development of ovules and seeds, traits
that evolved in the ancestor of all seed plants. Withinseed plants, flowers and fruits are synapomorphies
arising within angiosperms, while gymnosperms retain
the ancestral absence of these structures. Known floral
patterning transcription factors RADIALIS and DIVARICATA are closely related MYB proteins whose competitive
interaction is associated with the development of carpels/fruits and the establishment of bilateral symmetry
in zygomorphic flowers. RADIALIS has been described asa silencing peptide that is a truncated paralog of DIVARICATA. Through a Bayesian phylogenetic approach,
we demonstrate DIVARICATA genes underwent tworounds of duplications at the base of vascular plants
forming three clades: DIV-A, DIV-B, and DIV-C. We showthat RADIALIS genes evolved from DIV-C genes at thebase of seed plants through a premature stop codon
that was likely generated by a single-base substitution. This suggests that the RADIALIS-DIVARICATA competitive interaction likely evolved once, at the base of
seed plants. We also surveyed the expression patternof these genes for the first time in a gymnosperm, Ginkgo biloba. We find that Ginkgo biloba RADIALIS genes
are expressed widely but often have higher expression
in reproductive organs, especially in megasporangia.
This is particularly interesting given that the megasporangium is the evolutionary precursor of carpels/fruits.
A key innovation associated with megasporangia of
seed plants is that they enclose ovules or seeds. Our
work provides suggestive evidence that the evolutionof seed habit and the later origin of fruits may be associated with the origin of the silencing peptide RADIALIS

S.62.4 Untangling thedevelopmental genomicsof the unique reproductive
structures in Gnetales

seed plants as well as accessory structures that cover
seeds in gymnosperms and some angiosperms. Dueto extra structures covering the nucellus, the ovules of
Gnetales (Ephedra, Gnetum, Welwitschia) are strikingly
different from those of all other extant gymnosperms.
In the genera Ephedra and Welwitschia two envelopes
cover the nucellus in contrast to Gnetum that has
three envelopes. In all three genera of Gnetales, it isgenerally agreed that the inner envelope is homologous to an integument that elongates and forms the
micropyle in other gymnosperms. The homology of
the additional envelopes remains equivocal, but it is
not debated that these form a unique seed coat in the
Gnetales. With an emphasis on the ovulate reproductive structures, here we present the morphoanatomyof the striking differences in the ovulate reproductive
structures of representatives of the three gnetalean
genera. With a search in our own generated transcriptomic data, we present the differences and similarities with what is already known for angiosperms. Developmental studies on the ovule of Gnetum gnemonsuggests that canonical genes involved in integument
development are not involved in the development of
the additional envelopes, suggesting that at least froma molecular perspective there are major differences
when compared to angiosperms. A holistic approach
involving different perspectives may be required fora better understanding of the complex relationships
and evolutionary history of the Gnetales.

S.62.4 Reconstructing
the origin of reproductivefunction for a flower
development gene in ferns
Hannah McConnell1, Jancee Rice Lanclos1,
Nicholas Gjording1, Genevieve Stockman1,
Julin Maloof2, Andrew Plackett3, Verónica
S. Di Stilio1

Cecilia Zumajo-Cardona1, Dennis W.
Stevenson2, Natalia Pabon-Mora3,
Barbara A. Ambrose2
1 Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy. 2 New
York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY, United States. 3
Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
The seed is a synapomorphy of all extant seed plantsthat develops from an ovule, i.e., an integumented megasporangium. As sporangia are conserved throughout vascular plants, the origin of the integument is adefining step in seed evolution. There are some key
differences in the number of integuments present in

1 Department of Biology, University of Washington,
Seattle, USA. 2 Department of Plant Biology, University of California, Davis, USA. 3 School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
The transition from vegetative growth to flowering in the
diploid sporophyte of angiosperms is partly controlled
by LEAFY (LFY), a well-characterized flower meristem
identity gene. Less is known about whether LFY plays arole in the haploid gametophyte phase and what thatrole might be. LFY orthologs also exist in non-flowering
plants, and in mosses, they control the first mitotic division of the zygote. Recent evidence indicates that LFY

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has a vegetative role in fern meristems, but it is unclear
where its reproductive function arose. Here, we continue to bridge the gap in investigations into this key
floral regulator between mosses and angiosperms toreconstruct the evolution of LFY’s reproductive function
across land plants. We ask whether LFY was co-opted
into its specialized flowering function from its previously identified generalized role in regulating meristems
by characterizing its two paralogs in the model fern
Ceratopteris richardii. Transgenic ferns constitutively overexpressing LFY orthologs experienced delayed
gametophyte fertilization, suggesting a novel role ingametophyte reproduction, and produced overgrownlateral meristems and decreased leaf compoundingin sporophytes, providing additional support to thepreviously characterized vegetative meristem function. Overall, our results suggest that LFY’s reproductiverole in angiosperm sporophytes may have been ancestrally co-opted from the gametophyte while also
supporting previous evidence of their involvement incell division in both phases of the fern life cycle.

S.62.5 Investigating
the origins of phloem
development
Rafael Cruz, Erica de Leau1, Erin Ryan1, Kuo
Xu1, Zishan Fu1, Alexander J. Hetherington1
1 Institute of Molecular Plant Sciences, University of
Edinburgh, Scotland, UK

Food-conducting cells are present in the major branches of the land plants phylogeny, and specialized phloem tissue is a predicted synapomorphy of the vascularplants. Little is known about the origins of phloem, andwhen looking at all groups, especially seed-free plants,
we can find a great diversity of phloem structure considering the organization of sieve pores and associatedparenchyma cells. However, the molecular toolkit necessary for phloem development is mostly describedfor flowering plants, particularly Arabidopsis. To better
understand the evolution of genes related to phloem
development in other groups, we conducted phylogenetic analyses of some genes related to phloem development. Our gene trees demonstrate that homologs of
OCTOPUS (related to phloem cell polarization) and NAC
45/86 (related to cytoplasm and nucleus dissolution)
appeared in the ancestor of vascular plants. The main
regulator of Arabidopsis phloem development, ALTEREDPHLOEM DEVELOPMENT, a MYB Golden-2-like protein, upregulates several genes in the phloem development
pathway (including NAC 45/86). The ancestral copy ofthese proteins was present in the common ancestor ofland plants. We are now exploring the expression of APL
homologs in ferns and lycophytes, and we have identified seven and two APL homologs for the experimental
models Ceratopteris richardii and Selaginella moellendorffii, respectively. Our preliminary data shows the expression of one of the APL homologs in the developing
vascular system of S. moellendorffii. These findings provide insights into a possibly conserved regulatory network governing phloem development, shedding lighton their evolution across diverse plant lineages.

S.63 PLANT DIVERSITY, BIOGEOGRAPHYAND EVOLUTION IN THE TROPICS FORCONSERVATION, RESTORATION ANDSUSTAINABLE USE. SESSION 1
S.63.1 The contribution ofindigenous and local people
to cataloguing life on Earth
Juan C. Copete1*, Alred Kik2, Vojtech
Novotny2, Rodrigo Cámara-Leret1
1 Department of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Zurich, Switzerland. 2 University of South Bohe-mia, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic. 3 Biology
Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
Indigenous and local peoples’ (ILPs) [NV1] contributions to cataloguing life on Earth have been significant but remain under-appreciated. After over 200
years of insights from ILPs to science, the potential
contribution of ILPs to current biodiversity researchand conservation remains underutilised. The traditional knowledge of ILPs face growing cultural and204

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biological threats. Fostering greater participation of
ILPs in research would make science more efficientand conservation more sustainable while also slowing down the erosion of traditional knowledge andskills of ILPs, but formidable obstacles to such participation remain.

S.63.2 Conservation gap
analysis of Mesoamericanoaks: establishing priorities
for conservation

panding survey and exploration work, increasing representation of oak species in botanic gardens andarboreta, particularly in Mexico and Central America,
and identifying priority regions to focus in situ conservation efforts, as well as priority activities for themembers of the Global Conservation Consortium forOak (GCCO).

S.63.3 Characterizing andexplaining diversification in
Haitian Coffee agroforestry
systems

Kate Good1, Allen Coombes2, Susana
Valencia Avalos3, Maricela RodríguezAcosta4, Emily Beckman Bruns1, Silvia
Alvarez-Clare1

Millet Claude Patrick1,2,3,4, Allinne
Clémentine3,4,5,6, Vi Tram1,8, Marraccini
Pierre1,7, Verleysen Lauren9,10, Couderc
Marie1, Ruttink Tom10,11, Zhang Dapeng12,
Solano-Sanchéz William13, TranchantDubreuil Christine1, Jeune Wesly2,14, Poncet
Valérie1

1 The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, USA. 2 Benemérita
Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla, Mexico.
3 Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico. 4 The Global Conservation Consortium for Oak, Mexico and Central America, Puebla,
MexicoMesoamerica is a global center for oak biodiversity (genus Quercus), with an estimated 164 species
in Mexico alone. Despite this incredible diversity, formany species, little is known regarding population
size, trends, occurrence, or threats. There is an urgent
need to coordinate and prioritize conservation action
for both in situ and ex situ populations. We conducted a conservation gap analysis of 59 threatened andData Deficient species of Mesoamerican oaks to estimate the geographic and ecological representationof species in ex situ collections. For species without
population-level genetic data, this is a useful proxy toestimate the genetic representation of ex situ collections. Between 2017 and 2022 we distributed surveys
to ex situ institutions with a request for their Quercus
accessions data. There were 197 institutions that reported living collections of at least one Mesoamerican oak, a majority of which are in the United States(49%) and Europe (32%), with only 5% of the species
having at least one collection in Mesoamerica. Twenty-two of our target species are not held in any ex situ
collections, anywhere in the world. We found that only
three of the 59 target species have ex situ collections
that represent more than 50% of the species’ geographic range, and only 19 species have an ecological coverage greater than 50%. Furthermore, approximately one fourth (16/59) of the target species haveless than 10% of their native range within protectedareas. These results highlight the urgent need for ex-

1 IRD, UMR DIADE, CIRAD, Univ Montpellier, Montpellier, France. 2 Faculté des Sciences de l’Agriculture
et de l’Environnement, Université de Quisqueya,
Port-au-Prince, Haiti. 3 ABSys, Univ Montpellier, CIHEAM-IAMM, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut Agro, Montpellier,France. 4 CIRAD, UMR ABSys, Montpellier, France. 5
GECO, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, Montpellier, France. 6
CIRAD, UPR GECO, Montpellier, France. 7 CIRAD, UMR
DIADE, Montpellier, France. 8 Agricultural Genetics
Institute (AGI), Hanoi, Vietnam. 9 Division of Ecology,
Evolution and Biodiversity Conservation, Faculty of
Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. 10 ILVO, Melle,
Belgium. 11 Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium. 12 USDA-ARS, SPCL, Beltsville, MD, USA. 13 CATIE, Turrialba,
Costa Rica. Pétion-Ville, Haïti
Diversification of cropping systems is a strategy toincrease their social and ecological resilience anddelivery of ecosystem services. Such practices areprevalent in traditional agroforestry systems, suchas those where coffee (Coffea arabica) is grown. Indeed, though they face several challenges, Haitiancoffee agroforestry systems are important contributors to rural biodiversity and household livelihoods.
However, little scientific attention has been paid tothese systems. We studied diverse farms in historically important coffee growing regions of northernand southern Haiti and characterized the diversityof several components of their agroforestry systems:
coffee plants, shade trees, and associate crops. We
tested the relationships between these different levels of diversity and identified key ecosystem services
delivered by them, including provision of diversified

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Seco. 5 Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, ESALQ, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, Brasil. 6
TreeCo- Neotropical Tree Communities database.
7 Instituto de Ecología Regional, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina. 8 RBA-Red
Bosques Andinos. 9 BIOTREE.NET-Tree Biodiversity
Network. 10 Centre de Coopération Internationale
en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement. 11 Guyafor network. 12 Tropical Diversity Section, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Edinburgh,
UK. 13 School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK. 14 Department of Geography,
University of Exeter, Exeter, UK. 15 AMAP (Botaniqueet Modélisation de l’Architecture des Plantes etdes Végétations), Université de Montpellier, CIRAD,
CNRS, INRAE, IRD, Montpellier, France. 16 Red BSTCol- Red Bosque Seco Tropical Colombia 17 Institutode Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexandervon Humboldt, Bogotá, Colombia. 18 International
Institute of Tropical Forestry, USDA Forest Service,
Río Piedras, Puerto Rico. 19 Caribbean Foresters. 20
School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol,
Bristol, UK. 21 ForestPlots.net-Rainfor. 22 School of
Geography, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK. 23 Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad, Concepción, Chile.
24 ATDN- Amazon Tree Diversity Network. 25 Naturalis Biodiversity Center/Free University Amsterdam, Leiden, Netherland. 26 Laboratoire Évolution& Diversité Biologique, CNRS, IRD, Toulouse, France.
27 Department of Geography, School Geography,
Earth and Environmental, Birmingham, UK. 28 Instituto de Biologia Universidad de Antioquia Medellin,
Colombia. 29 Universidad del Tolima, Ibagué, Colombia

farm products and carbon storage. In the case of
Arabica coffee specifically (Millet et al. 2023), using
targeted genotyping, we found significant genetic diversity and complex varietal mixtures. We showthat some coffee farms are repositories of historical,
widely-abandoned varieties while others are generators of new diversity through genetic mixing despite
Arabica’s tendency towards autogamy. In the latter,several varieties are often grown together, often in an
uncontrolled manner, and are allowed to crossbreedwith recruitment from the seed bank common, explaining the frequent admixture detected. Comparing these results with local, vernacular identifications,
we found that the diversity in these systems is often
under-estimated. These studies are, to our knowledge, the first to genetically characterize Haitian C.
arabica and one of very few that have looked at Haitian agroforestry system crop and tree diversity.
References: Millet et al. 2023 Haitian Coffee agroforestry systems harbor considerable, dynamic andunder-reported variety mixtures and genetic diversity. PlosOne, in revision.

S.63.4 Understanding
patterns of biogeography
and threat of tree species
diversity across the Latin
American biomes
Karina Banda-R1,2,3,4, Renato A. Ferreira de
Lima5,6, Guilhierme Grittz5,6, Cecilia Blundo7,
8, Luis Cayuela9, Géraldine Derroire10,11, Kyle
Dexter4,12,13, Moabe Fernandes14, Claire
Fortunel15, Natalia Norden16,17, Susana
Rodríguez17, Carolina Castellanos17,
Roy González-M.4,6,29, Tamara HeartsillScalley18,19, Filipe M. França20,Toby
Pennington4,1214, Oliver Phillips21, 22, Ricardo
Segovia23, Hans ter Steege24,25, Jérôme
Chave 11,26, Adriane Esquivel-Muelbert21,27,
Cristina López-Gallego28
1 FRB-CESAB: Centre de Synthèse et d’Analyse sur la
Biodiversité, Montpellier, France. 2 Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research GmbH – UFZ, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research,Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Germany. 3 Fundación Ecosistemas Secos de Colombia, Pradomar, Puerto
Colombia, Colombia. 4 DRYFLOR-Red Florística Latinoamericana del Bosque Tropical Estacionalmente

Tropical America has greater biodiversity than any
other region of the world, but its biomes are under
severe threat from climate and severe land usechanges. Over recent years, plot inventory networks
have successfully generated syntheses on biodiversity, ecology and ecosystem function. SynTreeSys, a
new integrative initiative supported by CESAB (Centre for the Synthesis and Analysis of Biodiversity inFrance) is gathering knowledge of tree biodiversity
across all biomes and gradients of rainfall and climate in Latin America, in order to dissect the patterns of tree diversity, abundance and threats. These
inventory plot data offer much to assess species
conservation status. Such conservation assessments can be made using herbarium specimen records, but these records have sampling biases and,critically, give no information about species population size and trends. The lack of such basic information prevents us from defining where conservation
actions could be strategically implemented to best
preserve tree diversity in the region, and to generate
future scenarios based on known macroeconomic,
climatic and land-use drivers. Here, we present examples from different biomes and regions that examine species’ geographic ranges (IUCN criterion206

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Oral presentationsB), and population sizes and potential declines (criteria A, B and D), following the International Union forConservation of Nature (IUCN) framework. We show
how inventory plot data can be used to estimate
tree species population size as has been previously
done for the Amazon and Mata Atlantica but acrossother biomes. Population decline can be estimated by crossing such species abundance maps withlayes of vegetation cover change. We show how
abundance and population estimates can inform
more accurately the conservation status of tropicaltree species of all the biomes of Latin America.

S.63.5 Insights into thehistory and evolutionof African tropical trees
through comparative
phylogeography
Olivier J. Hardy1
1 Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
Although tropical Africa is home to the second largest tropical rainforest, the origin and evolution of its
rich biodiversity remain poorly studied. However, theaccumulation of phylogeographic and population
genetic studies on tree species makes it possible
to look for general patterns. 1. We found that about
a quarter of African tree species studied, as delineated by current taxonomy, contain multiple species following the biological species concept, whichmight double the tree species richness in Tropical
Africa and indicate a trend toward taxonomic overlumping. 2. Genome skimming makes it possible tosequence hundreds of plastomes at a reasonable
cost, shedding light on the colonization dynamics
of species or genera using time-calibrated phylodynamic models. Major distribution range shifts
seemed to have occurred c. 200,000 years ago inseveral unrelated taxa. 3. The comparison of maternally inherited plastomes and nuclear markers
provides information on the respective role of seed
and pollen dispersal, and highlights situations ofextensive plastid capture, suggesting that certain
taxa (e.g. several genera of the Berlinia clade, Detarioidea, Fabaceae) could evolve as a syngameon. Finally, phylogeographic data on exploited tree
species provide key information to conserve theirnatural populations or design breeding program forplantation of native species.

S.63.6 Spatial patterns andpredictors of seed plants’
extinction risks in Asian
countries
Lijing Zhou1,2,3, Keping Ma1,2, Li Zhu1,2, Guoke
Chen1,2, Bo Liu4, Hongfeng Wang5, Cui
Xiao1,2, Yuying Zhao1,2
1 State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, 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. 4 Minzu
University of China, Beijing, China. 5 School of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China
Asian countries are experiencing severe biodiversity
loss, so it is crucial to develop practical conservation
actions and strategies. Threats to species are often
dynamic, as their impacts on extinction risk changeover time. There is an urgent need to better understand how these factors are interrelated and how
they vary spatially with extinction risk. Here, we presented a spatially explicit method to evaluate thedynamic trends and predictors of seed plants’ extinction risks across countries, using National Red List
data from China, Japan, and Sri Lanka as case studies, by calculating the Red List Index (RLI) and mapping the percentage of seed plants facing increasing risks and pressures. We found overall decreasein extinction risks, however, a substantial numberof species, ranging from 328 to 1343 depending on
the country, still showed increasing extinction risks.
Increasing extinction risks of plants was strongly
correlated with changes in threats, such as urban
expansion, temperature changes, and tree canopy
cover changes, rather than static threat intensity.
Specifically, increasing tree canopy cover significantly associated with plant extinction risks in both
China and Sri Lanka, where large-scale afforestationand economic forest plantation probably resulted inhabitat degradation and species loss. Concerningly, our findings indicated that land-use change was
the dominant driver of increased species extinction
risk in these two countries, in contrast to climatechange in Japan. As governments commit to theKunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework,
we suggest them to make site-specific or taxa-specific policies to ensure the effectively prevention of
biodiversity loss.

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S.64 RECENT ADVANCES IN THE MEGADIVERSE
LEGUME SUBFAMILY PAPILIONOIDEAE. SESSION 1
S.64.1 A new phylogeny ofthe megadiverse legume
subfamily Papilionoideae
Rafaela J. Trad1, Flávia F. Pezzini1, R. Toby
Pennington1,2, Gwilym Lewis3, Bente
Klitgård3, Russell Barrett4, Anne Bruneau5,
Warren Cardinal-McTeague6, Domingos
Cardoso 7, James Clugston8,9,10, Manuelde la Estrella11, Ashley N. Egan12, Colin
Hughes13, Erik Koenen13, Todd McLay14,
Daniel Murphy14, Matt Renner4, Jens
Ringelberg15, Rowan Schley2, Mohammad
Vatanparast3, Martin Wojciechowski16,
Darren Crayn17, Olivier Maurin3, RaquelNegrão3, Catherine McGinnie3, Paul
Bailey3, William J. Baker3, Félix Forest3,
Gregory J. Kenicer1
1 Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
2 University of Exeter, Exeter, UK. 3 Royal Botanic
Gardens, Kew, Richmond, UK. 4 National Herbarium of New South Wales, Australian Institute of Botanical Science, Mount Annan, Australia. 5 Institut
de Recherche en Biologie Végétale, University deMontreal, Montreal, Canada. 6 Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. 7 Universidade
Federal da Bahia, Salvador, Brazil. 8 Royal Botanic
Garden Sydney, Sydney, Australia. 9 Montgomery
Botanical Center, Coral Gables, United States ofAmerica. 10 Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, Australia.
11 Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain. 12 Utah
Valley University, Orem, United States of America.
13 University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. 14 Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, Melbourne, Australia.
15 School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh,
Edinburgh, UK. 16 Arizona State University, Tempe,
United States of America. 17 Australian Tropical
Herbarium, James Cook University, Cairns, Australia
Papilionoid legumes occupy every terrestrial biome
across a vast array of niches and lifeforms. This charismatic, successful and diverse subfamily (Papilionoideae) is larger than most angiosperm orders andcomparable in size to Ericales and Myrtales. The c.
13,800 species constitute around 60% of diversity in thelegume family and their value as crops for food, fodder,
medicine, soil nitrification, rose wood timber, and an array of other purposes is huge. Due to its size and, until
recently, to technical and cost limitations, studies havemostly focused on resolving relationships within specific clades using chloroplast DNA in the subfamily andan extensive nuclear-based phylogeny is still lacking.
Additionally, several studies in the most diverse groupsof plants have indicated that discordance between
nuclear and chloroplast trees is frequent and that phylogenetic estimates for both are necessary to study
the evolution of a group. Thus, having a comprehensive nuclear phylogeny for the subfamily is imperative.
To this end, we sampled at least one species for over
95% of the 503 papilionoid genera accepted by the Legume Phylogeny Working Group. DNA extraction, library
preparation, hybridization with the Angiosperms353
probe set, and sequencing were conducted as part of
the Plant and Fungal Trees of Life project at the Royal
Botanic Gardens, Kew. We present the first findings ofthis study, which will contribute to understanding intergeneric relationships and form a basis to enable
researchers to investigate many questions across the
subfamily on ecology, patterns of diversification, genome duplication. nodulation and character evolutionthat might help to explain its global success.

S.64.2 Advances inpapilionoid systematics:
insights from theDalbergioid clade (fromrosewoods to fodder plants
and peanuts)
Ana Paula Fortuna Pérez1, Bente Klitgård2
1 Universidade Estadual Paulista, Botucatu, SãoPaulo, Brazil. 2 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK.
Dalbergioid legumes form a mostly pantropicalclade containing 46 genera and about 1,370 species, of which more than half belong in four big
genera: Adesmia, Aeschynomene, Dalbergia, andMachaerium. The Dalbergioid legumes encompass three lineages composed of the Adesmia,
Pterocarpus and Dalbergia clades. The Amor-

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pheae clade, resolved as sister to the Dalbergioid clade, includes eight genera of shrubs usually with paripinnate leaves, and predominantly
North American. The genera form two subclades,
the Daleoids and the Amorphoids. The Amorpheae clade is characterised by loss of the papilionaceous flower several times in its evolutionary
history, especially in the Amorphoid subclade.
This loss also occurs within the Dalbergioid clade,specially within the Pterocarpus clade. Additional
to the genus Acosmium (moved to the Pterocarpus clade), the newly described Maraniona, andthe reestablishment of the genera Steinbachiellaand Ctenodon, recent systematic studies on Dalbergioid legumes have elucidated infragenericrelationships in the genera Aeschynomene (nowexcluding Ctenodon), Dalbergia, Pterocarpus, Adesmia, Nissolia (now encompassing Chaetocalyx),
Zornia and Stylosanthes. Studies on floral ontogeny in the Dalbergioid clade have highlighted interesting data. In species of the Adesmia clade genera, variations are observed in the papilionaceous
flowers where suppressions, abortions, reduction
and/or acquisition of floral parts occur. And other phylogenomic, anatomical and morphologicalstudies are increasing our understanding of many
new traits in the Dalbergioid clade. Belonging toDalbergioid legumes are a wide range of economically important species and their crop wild
relatives, the best known being Arachis hypogea
L. (peanut), Dalbergia spp. (rosewoods), and Stylosanthes spp. (forage). However, additional genera include tree species with sought after timber.
Ensuring that evolutionary relationships and taxonomy are well-understood, provide prerequisites
for conservation actions for threatened tree species; and thus, gives plant systematists an evenmore important role to play.

S.64.3 Revisiting Ebenus L.
(Leguminosae): a molecularperspective

Arabian Peninsula only in Oman, through the
Irano-Turanian region, with a centre of species
diversity in Türkiye (14 species) and around theEastern Mediterranean through North Africa as
far as Morocco. As such, its distribution offers aprospective model for understanding aspects ofEast-West Mediterranean biogeography. The genus was revised by Huber-Morath in 1964 with afocus on groups from Anatolian Türkiye but the
taxonomy and biogeography of the genus havenever been investigated as a whole. This talkpresents the results of the first genomic study ofthe genus, and indeed the first comprehensive
phylogenetic study of the genus. We generated
sequence data for between one and five specimens of each of the 21 recognised species, plus
four outgroups from other genera in the tribe
Hedysareae. These data were assessed using
Bayesian and ML analyses to produce a comprehensive phylogeny for the group. The purpose ofthis presentation is to introduce and discuss theresults of these phylogenetic analyses in taxonomic and biogeographical contexts. Particularattention is paid to the relationships between Irano-Turanian and Mediterranean floristic regions,ecoregions and habitat preferences. In addition,
morphological patterns such as spinescence,corolla, colour, leaflet pairs, and peduncle are interpreted in the light of the phylogeny.

S.64.4 Towards acomprehensive phylogenyof the largest flowering
plant genus: a herbariumbased study of Astragalus(Fabaceae)
Daniele Buono1, Diego F. Morales-Briones
1, Shahin Zarre2, Aaron Liston3, Gudrun
Kadereit1
1 Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich,Germany. 2 University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran. 3 Oregon State University, Corvallis, USA

Ozan Şentürk1, Zeki Aytaç2, Gregory J.
Kenicer1
1 Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK. 2
Faculty of Science, Gazi University, Ankara, Türkiye
The genus Ebenus L. (Leguminosae, Papilionoideae, Tribe Hedysareae) consists of 21 perennial
shrubs and subshrubs with high levels of country and regional endemism. It is known from theAstragalus (Fabaceae, Papilionoideae), with
about 3,000 species, is considered the largest
genus of flowering plants and represents a striking example of recent rapid radiation. Our understanding of the evolutionary drivers and adaptive
traits responsible for this mega-radiation is fragmentary due to insufficient sampling and poorly209

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resolved phylogenetic trees. It has been suggested that edaphic specialisation and colonisationof extreme microhabitats led to the divergenceof lineages in Astragalus. To assess the evolutionary radiation and its drivers in Astragalus, weare using a target enrichment approach to obtain a robust phylogeny. We designed a large bait
set based on 686 orthologous genes (819 exons)
specific for the Astragalean clade, which can potentially resolve complex relationships in Astragalus. Our sampling is focused on main centres ofdiversity (Iran, Turkey, and Afghanistan) and relieson the rich Astragalus collection at the Botanical State Collection Munich (BSM-SNSB - about
25,000 Astragalus specimens from all around theworld). We constructed a preliminary phylogeny including representatives of major sections
based on 101 species (85 Astragalus plus 13 Astragalean clade species and three outgroups). A
well-supported phylogeny at the subgenus level
was recovered, mainly in agreement with previous phylogenies. Yet, several differences between
previous phylogenies and the current sections
were recognised, and clear signals of discordance along the backbone were found. We alsoestablished a fast and reliable workflow for digitising the Astragalus herbarium collection at SNSB.
Using manual and automated machine learningtechniques allows us to extract morphologicaltraits from specimens and voucher data from labels. Mined data, such as geographic origin andhabitat description, can complement genomic data and allow for various studies (e.g., nichemodelling, evolution of morphological traits, andmuch more) to be performed on the extensive
herbarium collection, gaining more insights into
the drivers of diversification in Astragalus.

S.64.5 Progress insystematic studies
in the Adesmia
clade (Leguminosae:
Papilionoideae:
Dalbergieae)
Thiago Cobra e Monteiro1, Higor AntonioDomingues2, João R.V. Iganci3, Renan P.
Campos1, Gwilym P. Lewis2, Mohammad
Vatanparast2, Bente Klitgård2, Federico
Luebert4, Flávia Pezzini5, Rafaela J. Trad5,
Marcus Falcão6, Vidal F. Mansano6,
Carolina M. Siniscalchi7, Ryan Folk7, Silvia
T. S. Miotto8, Cynthia F. P. da Luz9, Mônica
L. Rossi10, Rafael F. de Almeida2, Adriana
Pinheiro-Martinelli10, Ana Paula Fortuna
Pérez1
1 Universidade Estadual Paulista, Botucatu, SãoPaulo, Brazil. 2 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK. 3
Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Rio Grande doSul, Brazil. 4 Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile. 5
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, UK. 6 Instituto de
Pesquisas do Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil. 7 Mississippi State University, United Statesof America. 8 Universidade Federal do Rio Grande
do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil. 9 Instituto de Pesquisas
Ambientais, São Paulo, Brazil. 10 Universidade deSão Paulo, Esalq, Piracicaba, Brazil
The Adesmia clade encompasses five genera:
Adesmia, Amicia, Nissolia, Poiretia and Zornia, and
it is sister to the Pterocarpus and Dalbergia clades(Dalbergieae). The clade arose ca. 35 Ma ago, andall genera are monophyletic, but the infrageneric
divisions of the two largest genera (Adesmia andZornia) are paraphyletic. Adesmia is the largest
genus of the clade with over 200 species almost
exclusively distributed along the western SouthAmerican Dry Diagonal (wSADD), which stretchesfrom Patagonia to the Peruvian Desert and contains some of the driest environments on Earth.
While the ancestor of Adesmia is associated withthe wSADD, the ancestor of the clade (i.e., Amicia,
Poiretia, and Zornia, ca. 100 species) is associated with the eastern South American Dry Diagonal(eSADD). The eSADD comprises the Chaco, Cerrado, and Caatinga domains, and is marked by aseasonal precipitation regime. Sister to the othergenera within the Adesmia clade, Nissolia has adistinct distribution within Seasonal Dry Tropical210

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characterized by radiation bursts. We additionally test whether the species diversity of Astragalus is attributable specifically to its predilection
for cold and arid habitats, types of soils, or if it
is influenced by chromosome evolution. Finally,
we test whether Astragalus originated in central
Asia as proposed and whether niche evolutionary
shifts were subsequently associated with the colonization of other continents. Our results show theimportance of heterogeneity in the diversificationof Astragalus, with upshifts associated with theearliest divergences but not strongly tied to anyof the tested abiotic factor or biogeographic regionalization. Chromosome number was the only
factor potentially correlated with diversification.
In contrast to diversification shifts, biogeographic
shifts have a strong association with the abiotic environment and highlight the importance ofcentral Asia as a biogeographic gateway. Our investigation shows the importance of phylogenetic and evolutionary studies of logistically challenging “mega-radiations.” Our findings reject
any simple key innovation behind high diversity
and underline the often nuanced, multifactorial
processes leading to species-rich clades.

Forests. Both vegetative and reproductive characters exclusive to this clade may have impacted thegroup diversification in the dry diagonals of SouthAmerica. There are several potential functional
traits linked to the occupation, diversification, andmaintenance of Adesmia clade species in dry environments. These include a variety of secretory
structures, growth forms and life history strategies,
underground structures, spinescence, and fruit
morphologies, e.g., the evolution of samaroid fruitsin Nissolia, shared with other genera in Dalbergieae, suggesting that they may be ancestral to thetypical lomentaceous fruit characteristic of theother four genera. Studies of pollen morphology
and floral ontogeny bring an important contribution to understand the evolution of the clade andare discussed. Disk-shaped nectary was found inflowers of Adesmia and Nissolia, which have notbeen previously reported for the clade and may
be a morphological character of taxonomic value.

S.64.4 A phylogenetic
insight into Astragalus
diversification andbiogeography
Carolina M. Siniscalchi1, Joseph L.M.
Charbonneau2, Michael B. Belitz3,
Aliasghar A. Maassoumi4, Tajinder Singh5,
Heather R. Kates3, Douglas E. Soltis3,
Pamela S. Soltis3, Robert P. Guralnick3,
Ryan A. Folk5
1 General Libraries, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, USA. 2 Department of Ecology and
Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann
Arbor, USA. 3 Florida Museum, University of Florida,
Gainesville, USA. 4 Research Institute of Forests andRangelands, Tehran, Iran. 5 Department of Biological Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi
State, USA
Astragalus (Fabaceae) represents a remarkablesuccessful radiation of highly similar species intemperate, cold arid regions of Earth. The factors
behind its extraordinary diversity have attracted attention from systematists and biogeographers, especially on what sets it apart from lessspecies-rich relatives. Yet its status as the iconic
plant megagenus has both highlighted and hindered study of this fascinating diversity. Here, using phylogenomics and an extensive sampling,
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S.65 PLANT CONSERVATION IN
MEDITERRANEAN AND MACARONESIANISLANDS. SESSION 1
Environment, Lefkosia, Cyprus. 16 Frederick University, Nature Conservation Unit, Nicosia, Cyprus. 17 Université de Carthage, Institut National Agronomiquede Tunisie, Tunis, Tunisie .18 Université de la Manouba, Biogéographie, Climatologie appliquée et Dynamiques environnementales, Manouba, Tunisie. 19
Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Institut desSciences de l’Évolution, Montpellier, France. 20 University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences
and Technologies, Caserta, Italy. 21 Mediterranean
Plant Conservation Unit of Mediterranean Agronomic
Institute of Chania (CIHEAM-MAICH), Crete, Greece.
22 Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Centro parala Conservación de la Biodiversidad y el Desarrollo
Sostenible, Madrid, Spain. 23 Tour du Valat, Institut derecherche pour la conservation des zones humides
méditerranéennes, Arles, France. 24 Duzce University, Department of Forest Botany & DUOF Herbarium,
Duzce, Türkiye. 25 Conservatoire botanique national
méditerranéen de Porquerolles, Hyères, France.

S.65.1 Wetland plants inMediterranean Islands:a checklist of globallyor regionally threatened
species
Mauro Fois1, Alba Cuena2, Gianluigi
Bacchetta1, Simonetta Bagella2, Giulio
Barone3,4, Leanne Camilleri5, Katia
Debono5, Gianniantonio Domina3, Sandro
Lanfranco5, Maria Panitsa6, Salvatore
Pasta7, Angelo Troia8, Lorenzo Lazzaro9,
Pere Fraga-Arguimbau10, Richard V.
Lansdown11, Ioannis Bazos12, Pietro
Minissale13, Toni Nikolic14, Charalambos
S. Christodoulou15, Costas Kadis16,
Imtinen Ben Haj Jilani17,18, Amina DaoudBouattour18, Serge D. Muller19, Adriano
Stinca20, Christini Fournaraki21, Miquel
Capó22, Antoine Gazaix23, Necmi Aksoy24,
Katia Diadema25
1 University of Cagliari, Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Cagliari, Italy. 2 University of Sassari, Department of Chemical, Physical, Mathematicaland Natural Sciences. 3 University of Palermo, Department of Agricultural, Food and Forest Sciences, Palermo, Italy. 4 NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center,
Palermo, Italy. 5 University of Malta, Department of
Biology, Msida, Malta. 6 University of Patras, Department of Biology, Patras, Greece. 7 Institute of Biosciences and BioResources, National Research Council,
Palermo, Italy. 8 University of Palermo, Department of
Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences
and Technologies (STEBICEF), Palermo, Italy. 9 University of Florence, Department of Biology, Florence, Italy.
10 Jardí Botànic Marimurtra, Fundació Privada Carl
Faust, Blanes, Girona, Spain. 11 IUCN SSC Freshwater
Plant Specialist Group, Gloucestershire, UK. 12 National
and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Department of
Biology, Panepistimiopolis, Athens, Greece. 13 University of Catania, Department of Biological, Geologicaland Environmental Sciences, Catania, Italy. 14 University of Zagreb, Department of Biology, Zagreb, Croatia. 15 Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development andIn the Mediterranean Basin, the conservation ofplants faces critical challenges due to the historic and ongoing impacts of human land use,
placing biodiversity under pressure. This issue isparticularly pronounced on islands, where the intrinsic fragmentation of freshwater environments
is exacerbated by the limited land area. Consequently, island wetlands, which are generally
smaller than their continental counterparts, aremore fragile and often overlooked in conservation efforts. Therefore, addressing the need for
improved knowledge of wetland plants occurring on islands is a crucial objective that remains
largely unresolved. Challenges persist, including
cryptic taxonomy within certain genera, and there
is still a need for a comprehensive overview of thediversity, distribution, and conservation status ofthese plants. These knowledge gaps contribute topolicy and management shortcomings, hindering effective conservation or recovery efforts. This
study seeks to bridge these knowledge gaps bycompiling information from local experts on wetland vascular plants occurring on the approximately 10,000 Mediterranean islands and islets.
Our work presents and discusses the preliminary
results of a checklist of over 200 wetland vascularplants of conservation interest. Remarkably, 20%of these species are globally endangered, 50%

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face threats on at least one island, and available
information is inadequate to assess the conservation status of 30%. The insights provided in thisstudy can support parallel initiatives, such as the
Red List Index of Mediterranean wetland plants.
Moreover, they can serve as a reference for planning targeted conservation actions and fostering
public awareness about plant diversity in Mediterranean island wetlands.

S.65.2 Importance of small
islands of the Mediterraneanand Macaronesian
regions as refugia of plantbiodiversity

versity is heterogeneous between the archipelagos
and PIMAs are often neglected in conservation policies. If small islands and islets of the Mediterraneanand Macaronesian regions have been neglected
for a long period,current researches point out theirdisproportionate role to preserve coastal biodiversity (from genes to landscape). With regards to thebiome crisis, they constitute key ecological systemsand ‘current refugia’ to ensure the long-term preservation of this highly threatened biodiversity.

S.65.3 Exploring plant traits
that indicate vulnerability
among the endemic flora of
the Balearic Islands
Joana Cursach1, Miquel Capó2, Theodora
Petanidou3 and Amparo Lázaro4,5Joana
Cursach1, Miquel Capó2, Theodora
Petanidou3, Amparo Lázaro4,5

Frédéric Médail1
1 Aix Marseille University, Mediterranean Institute of
Biodiversity and Ecology, Aix-en-Provence, France.
frederic.medail@imbe.fr
This study aims to show the importance of small islands and islets (ie territories < 1000 ha) of the Mediterranean Basin hotspot, including those of theMediterranean and Macaronesian biogeographic
regions, from the point of view of their plant biodiversity and their role in the conservation of coastal
ecosystems.
In the Mediterranean region, there are numerous islands (> 11,000) including a high diversity in term ofplant species and of ecosystems’ types. These patterns can be explained by complex interactions between a highly heterogeneous historical biogeography and ecological processes. Furthermore, most of
the ups and downs of this biodiversity were closely
linked with human pressures which have changed
many times through the long socio-ecological history of these island landscapes since the Neolithic
period. In the Macaronesian region, small islands
and islets (named PIMAs, by Médail et al.,in prep.) areless numerous (n = 430). Islets with a surface areaof less than 1 ha are predominant (88% of the whole
PIMAs, i.e.,377 islets), and only 20 islands possess
an area comprised between 11 and 1000 ha. Theseoceanic small islands are characterized by an exceptionally high richness of endemic taxa and constitute outstanding refugia for rare and threatened
plant species. These PIMAs are nevertheless impacted by a diversity of human-related threats, notably
the presence of invasive alien species, tourist pressure, or overgrazing. The level of knowledge of biodi-

1 Research Group on Plant Biology under Mediterranean Conditions, Department of Biology, University of Balearic Islands, Palma, Spain. 2 Plant &Animal Ecology Lab. Centro para la Conservaciónde la Biodiversidad y el Desarrollo Sostenible, Departamento de Sistemas y Recursos Naturales,
Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
3 Laboratory of Biogeography & Ecology, Universityof the Aegean, Mitilene, Greece. 4 Global Change
Research Group, Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies (UIB-CSIC), Esporles, Spain. 5 Areaof Ecology, Department of Biology, University ofBalearic Islands, Palma, Spain
The threat categories proposed by IUCN are mostly based on trends in population sizes and geographical range estimates. However, other factors could also be predictors of plant vulnerability,
such as those related to the architectural complexity of flowers (e.g. floral shape and symmetry),or plant reproduction (e.g. flowering duration, life
form, capability of asexual reproduction). Here,
we analysed plant traits that could be potential
predictors of vulnerability focusing on the endemic flora of the Balearic Islands, a hotspot of biodiversity and endemicity within the Mediterranean
Basin. For this, we compiled the list of entomophilous plant species endemic to the Balearic Islands,
categorized their vulnerability according to the regional Red Data Book, and gathered bibliographic data about both intrinsic and extrinsic factorsthat could affect plant vulnerability. We selected
10 intrinsic factors (floral shape, floral tube length,213

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floral symmetry, corolla segmentation, floral size,
floral colour, flowering season, flowering duration, life form and the capability of sexual reproduction) and one extrinsic factor (main habitat).
The endemic entomophilous flora of the Balearic
Islands comprises 156 taxa, 57 of which (37%) arethreatened (EW, CR, EN and VU). We used Generalized Linear Models to test the potential effects
of both intrinsic and extrinsic factors on plant vulnerability using a binomial response variable withtwo categories: “threatened” (EW, CR, EN, VU) and“not threatened” (NT, LC), and obtained optimalmodels based on the Akaike Information Criterion
to select the best predictors for plant vulnerability. Our results showed that flowering duration andhabitat were main predictors of vulnerability in theendemic flora of the Balearic Islands. Plants withshort flowering duration, and freshwater, littoraland mountain plants were those more threatened.
This study emphasizes the importance of studying
other useful traits as indicators of species extinction risk in order to enhance plant conservation.

S.65.4 Can we predictthe response of Canarianplant commnunities toincreasingly dry conditions
through leaf physiologicaltraits?
Jaime Puértolas1*, Águeda M. GonzálezRodríguez1, Alicia Perera-Castro1, Yauci
Espinosa-González1, Celine I. GarcíaRodríguez1, Beatriz Fernández-Marín2
1 Department of Botany, Ecology, and Plant Physiology, Universidad de La Laguna, La Laguna,
Spain. 2 Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, Universidad del País Vasco, Leioa, Spain. *jpuertol@ull.edu.es
Precipitation reduction and increasing temperatures are impacting plant communities of the
Macaronesian region. Hence, tools for evaluation and classification of plant species according to their vulnerability to increasing air andsoil dryness are needed for plant conservation.
Ecophysiological studies focused on a single orsmall group of species provide important information for this goal, but studies on adaptive ecophysiological trait syndromes could quantitativeand qualitative improve our capacity to classify

species according to their drought resistance. In
this study, we measured physiological leaf traits
related to drought resistance in more than 70
vascular species distributed across the four National Parks in the Canary Islands. The biomes
represented in these NPs comprises a very strong
climatic gradient within the generally Mediterranean-type climate, especially in terms of water
availability, from the arid climate of Timanfaya
to the cloud forests of Garajonay, and from thetypical Mediterranean climate of the pine forest
in Caldera de Taburiente to the alpine dry environment of Mount Teide and the summits of
La Caldera de Taburiente. Leaf traits comprised
both drought tolerance (leaf rehydration capacity after dehydration, leaf functionality after dehydration, water potential at full turgor) and avoidance traits (leaf hydraulic conductance, minimal
leaf conductance, vein and stomatal density, leaf
water absorption capacity and hydrophobicity).
In addition, climatic data from the last 20 years
recorded by the large weather station network
located within the four NPs was compiled to calculate drought indices. Trait average values per
species was related to climatic data with multivariate statistical tools aimed to establish groupsof species and traits and establish relationships
with climatic aridity. The results allowed identifying different trait combinations (syndromes) andtheir variation along the climatic aridity gradient.
We classified the studied species based on those
syndromes, thus defining strategies and overall
predicted capacity to resist drought.

S.65.5 Plant conservationin the Aegean Archipelago- knowledge building andconservation initiatives
Maria Panitsa1, Christini Fournaraki2,
Katerina Koutsovoulou3, Konstantinos
Kougioumoutzis1, Michalis Choreftakis2,
Costas A. Thanos3
1 University of Patras, Patras, Greece. 2 CIHEAM- Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania(MAICh), Chania, Greece. 3 National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
The Aegean Archipelago is comprised of 123 inhabited islands (Crete, Euboea, Lesbos, Rhodes etc.) andmore than 8,000 uninhabited ones. It is divided into 5
floristic regions, with the East Aegean and Crete-Kar-214

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pathos (KK) ones hosting the richest total floras while
KK, Kiklades and West Aegean are richest in endemics. In total, 740 endemic taxa grow in the Aegean ofwhich 62% are regional and 42.4% are Single Island
endemics. The first round of conservation status assessments (by HBS in collaboration with IUCN) willconclude by the end of 2023 and a rough estimateof 50% of the endemics seem to be categorised as
threatened (CR, EN, VU), most of them facing high extinction risk, uplifting the in situ and ex situ conservation of these plants to an urgent national target. It isnoteworthy that ten out of the TOP50 critically endangered Mediterranean plant taxa, and 44% of the planttaxa of Annexes II, IV & V of the Directive 92/43/EEC arefound in the Aegean. The Aegean Archipelago also
hosts 38% of the Greek NATURA2000 sites, governedby 7 Management Units of Protected Areas; currently,
in situ conservation measures for protected or endangered plants are taken mainly within these protected areas. In addition, Plant Micro-Reserves havebeen established for 7 taxa and one habitat type inCrete while 5 new ones are about to be establishedin Rhodes, Karpathos and Kastellorizo. Ex situ conservation actions include numerous taxa stored in Seed
Banks along with compiling germination protocols
and developing plans for in situ population reinforcements. This work, apart from presenting the progress
made during the last decades in knowledge building
and conservation initiatives, aims to reveal and prioritise the gaps of plant conservation in the Aegean
Archipelago.

inaccessible cliffs, a consequence of historicalpaleogeographical events and ongoing biogeographical processes. These chasmophytes exhibit
limited competitive and dispersal capacities, primarily due to the large size of their diaspores andhighly specialized niches. Having endured harshenvironmental conditions for millennia, these
species now confront an unprecedented threat
level due to the synergistic impacts of climatechange and land-use modifications. This study
investigates the potential effects of future climate and land-use changes on the distribution
patterns of these endemic cliff-dwelling species.
Utilizing a species distribution modeling framework, we assess these impacts across three time
periods and propose conservation strategies tomitigate their potential decline.

S.65.6 Ecological forecastingfor Aegean endemics:
modeling the future of cliffdwelling plant species
Konstantinos Kougioumoutzis1, Anna
Kontopanou1, Ioannis P. Kokkoris1, Arne
Strid2, Panayotis Dimopoulos1, Maria
Panitsa1
1 Laboratory of Botany, Department of Biology, University of Patras, Patras, Greece, 2 Bakkevej 6, Ørbæk, Denmark
The Aegean archipelago, the world’s second largest, lies at the crossroads of Europe, Africa, andAsia. This unique ecological laboratory comprises approximately 8,000 islands and islets, hostingaround 600 endemic species. Among these, certain chasmophytes are confined to calcareous,215

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S.66 NEW FRONTIERS IN PLANTPHYLOGENOMICS. SESSION 4
S.66.1 Genomic
incongruence accompanies
the evolution of flower
symmetry in Eudicots: acase study in the poppy
family (Papaveraceae)

to establish a timeline of events. Our phylogenomic
workflow shows that nuclear-plastid incongruence
accompanies topological uncertainties in Ranunculales. A cocktail of incomplete lineage sorting,post-hybridization introgression, and extinction following rapid speciation most likely explain the observed knots in the topology. These knots coincidewith major floral symmetry transitions and thus obscure the order of evolutionary events.

Lisa Pokorny1,3, Jaume Pellicer2,3, Yannick
Woudstra3,4, Maarten J. M. Christenhusz3,5,
Teresa Garnatje2,6, Luis Palazzesi7,
Matthew G. Johnson8, Olivier Maurin3,
Elaine Françoso3, Shyamali Roy3, Ilia J.
Leitch3, Félix Forest3, William J. Baker3,
Oriane Hidalgo2,3

S.66.2 Complete chloroplast
genome sequence andphylogenetic relationships
of some Acanthoideae
species (Acanthaceae)

1 Real Jardín Botánico (CSIC), Madrid, Spain. 2
Institut Botànic de Barcelona, CSIC-Ajuntamentde Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. 3 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, UK. 4 Natural History
Museum of Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark. 5
Curtin University, Perth, Australia. 6 Jardí Botànic
Marimurtra – Fundació Carl Faust, Blanes, Spain.
7 Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales, CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina. 8 Texas Tech University, Lubbock (TX), USA
Reconstructing evolutionary trajectories and transitions that have shaped floral diversity relies heavily
on the phylogenetic framework on which traits aremodelled. In this study, we focus on the angiosperm
order Ranunculales, sister to all other eudicots, tounravel higher-level relationships, especially thosetied to evolutionary transitions in flower symmetry
within the family Papaveraceae. This family presents
an astonishing array of floral diversity, with actinomorphic, disymmetric (two perpendicular axes ofsymmetry), and zygomorphic flowers. We generated nuclear and plastid datasets using the Angiosperms353 universal probe set for target capture
sequencing (of 353 single-copy nuclear ortholog
genes), together with publicly available transcriptome and plastome data mined from open accessonline repositories. We relied on the fossil record of
the order Ranunculales to date our phylogenies andSamaila S. Yaradua1
1 Department of Geography, Environmental Management and Energy Studies, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
The plastid genomes of Acanthoidea were sequenced and compared with plastome of other sequenced Acanthoideae species to characterize theplastomes, identify the simple sequence repeats(SSRs), detect variations among the cp genomes
and to infer their phylogenetic relationships. The
plastome was assembled from the whole genome
sequences using NOVOPlasty.The cp genomes ofthe species ranged from 149, 717 bp to 152,217 bp inlength with GC and AT contents of 38.3 and 61.7 %respectively and have a quadripartite and circular
structure, the genome constitutes of a pair of inverted repeats (IRa and IRb) which are separated
by large single copy (LSC) and small single copy(SSC). A total of 131 genes were identified in the genomes, comprising of 80 protein-coding genes, 30
tRNA and 4 rRNA; 113 are unique, 18 were duplicated in IR regions. The analysis of long repeat showed
all types of repeats were present in the plastomes
and palindromic has the highest frequency. A total number of 98 SSR were also identified in the cp
genome of B. prionitis and J. flava of which majori-216

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ty were mononucleotide A/T. Genome comparative
analysis among the plastomes revealed that the IRs
regions are more conserved than large single copy
and small single copy. In addition, high variation isobserved in the noncoding region than the coding.
The genes, ndhF and ycf1 are located at the borderjunction of the small single copy region and IRb region of all the plastome. The sequence divergence
analysis indicates that the following genes undergo positive selection (atpF, petD, psbZ, rpl20, petB,
rpl16, rps16, rpoC, rps7, rpl32 and ycf3). Phylogenetic
analysis indicated sister relationship between Ruellieae and Justcieae. In addition, Barleria, Justicia andRuellia are paraphyletic, suggesting that Justiceae,
Ruellieae, Andrographideae and Barlerieae shouldbe treated as tribes.

gruence among topologies reconstructed by threedatasets (single copy nuclear genes, SNP, plastid
genes) based on different methods (concatenation and coalescent), especially the cyto-nuclear
discordance was observed. But all of them support
non-monophyletic of sections proposed based onmorphological characters. The splits phylogenetic
network reconstructed by 508 single copy nuclear
genes and ABBA-BABA test conducted by SNP data
all support the introgression events in Camellia.
Four groups based on the minimum CV error value
were recovered in Admixture analysis, hybridization
events are concentrated on Group II (C2-C6) andGroup IV (C8). Although hybridization/introgression
have some impacts on the reconstruction of thephylogenetic relationships of Camellia, no consistent topologies were detected after removing theputative introgressed loci in SNP. Our study laid afoundation for future researches of Camellia, suchas plant taxonomy, evolutionary genomics, population genomics, and also provided a theoretical basis for the utilization and protection of important wild
plant germplasm resources of the family.

S.66.3 Whole genome
sequencing deciphering
nonbifurcating
diversification of Camellia(Theaceae)

S.66.4 Diversification
history of Pedicularis(Orobanchaceae) in the
Himalaya-Hengduan
Mountains Region

Qiong Zhang1, Ryan A. Folk2, Jian-Li Zhao3,
Shi-Xiong Yang1, Xiang-Qin Yu1,*
1 CAS Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany,
Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China.
2 Department of Biological Sciences, Mississippi
State University, MS, United States. 3 Yunnan Key
Laboratory of Plant Reproductive Adaptation and
Evolutionary Ecology and Institute of Biodiversity,
School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, China. * yuxiangqin@mail.
kib.ac.cn

Rong Liu1,2, Wen-Bin Yu3,4, Hong Wang1,2,De-Zhu Li 2,1
1 Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany,
Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan,
China. 2 Plant Germplasm and Genomics Centre,
Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Kunming Instituteof Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming,
Yunnan, China. 3 Center for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden,
Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, Yunnan,
China. 4 Center of Conservation Biology, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences,
Mengla, Yunnan, China

Although increasing evidence suggested that introgression and reticulation might have affected almost all parts of the tree of life, published examples
likely represent the tip of the iceberg in terms of thetotal extent of the ancient hybridization. Camellia,
the largest genus with significant economic valueof Theaceae, has controversial taxonomy and systematics due in part to a complex evolutionary history. Here, we sampled 64 species representing 20
out of 22 sections of Camellia according to Chang’ssystem. Integrating a group of data sets such as single copy nuclear genes, single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and plastid coding genes extracted
from whole genome resequencing data to investigate the patterns of reticulate evolution of Camellia.
Camellia was divided into eight major clades (C1C8). Our results yielded much phylogenetic incon-

The c. 270 species of Pedicularis endemic to the Himalaya-Hengduan Mountains (HHM) region exhibits considerable diversity in geographic distribution,
elevational range, and floral morphology. Many of
the species, including those with the longest corolla
tubes and beaked galeas, fall within a single clade,
implying putative in situ radiations. We conduct
phylogenetic analyses of a clade (informally named217

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HHM to infer drivers of diversification and the biogeographic history. Integrating plastome phylogeny,
environment data and species distribution data, werevealed the species diversity pattern and identified
the key environmental factors of Pedicualris Clade 3.
Subsequently, we estimated the macroevolutionaryrate and reconstructed ancestral distribution andcorolla traits. Meanwhile, we evaluated the correlation between distribution overlap and phylogenetic
distance. Our results suggest that Northwestern Yunnan–Kangding within the HHM region is the centerof species diversity of Pedicularis Clade 3 and thispattern is constrained by precipitation and multiple environmental factors; Parallel range expansion
from the Sanjiang valley and subsequent allopatricspeciation across the HHM are the dominant process in early rapid diversification and may be a major contributor to the high species accumulation of
Pedicularis spp. Additionally, the evolution of corolla
is not associated with the speciation, but as a response of species richness. Our study highlights theimportance of integrated evidence for understanding species diversification pattern, and this pattern
may be applicable to explain the diversity of otherhyper-diverse alpine genera in the HHM region.

spread phylogenetic conflict across the genome.
We further show that a high proportion of polymorphisms are shared across multiple species, which
has important implications for time-calibrating thephylogeny of oaks and other species that maintainlarge population sizes. We investigated introgression
among oaks species and identify specific genomic regions showing notable signals of introgression,suggesting that introgression could potentially facilitate adaptive evolution among North American
white oak species. As the sequencing and assemblyof reference quality genomes becomes ever moreroutine, whole genome phylogenomic analyses
such as these will likely become increasingly relevant and useful to the botanical community.

S.66.6 Cryptic speciation
among polyploid mosses
demonstrated throughphylogenomic analysis
Nikisha Patel1,2, Matt Johnson3, Rafael
Medina4, Bernard Goffinet2
1 Biology Department, Trinity College, Hartford,
Connecticut, USA. 2 Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut,
USA. 3 Department of Biology, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, USA. 4 Departamento de Biodiversidad, Ecología y Evolución, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain

S.66.5 Advancing ourunderstanding of oak
evolution in the genomic era
Drew A. Larson1, Margaret Staton2, C.
Dana Nelson3, Andrew L. Hipp4, Matthew
W. Hahn1
1 Indiana University, Bloomington IN, USA. 2 University of Tennessee, Knoxville TN, USA. 3 USDA Forest
Service Southern Research Station, Lexington KY,
USA. 4 Morton Arboretum, Lisle IL, USA
Advances in sequencing and analytical technologies have dramatically changed the field of plant
phylogenetics and the ever-increasing availabilityof high-quality reference genomes now offers a particular opportunity to further reveal the evolutionary
history of plant clades. We utilized a new haplotype-resolved reference genome for Quercus alba
and whole genome resequencing to investigate thehistory of speciation and introgression in oaks, witha particular focus on North American white oaks. We
show that phylogenetic results using a whole genome dataset disagree with previously publishedrelationships among oak species and find wide-

Whole genome duplication (WGD) is a mechanism critical to evolutionary change and speciation
across the plant tree of life. Both conspecific genome doubling (autopolyploidy) and WGD following
hybridization (allopolyploidy) may result in morphologically distinct lineages and hence may contribute significantly to species diversity. However, accurate phylogenetic reconstruction of allopolyploids
and their component genomes remains a major
challenge. The moss Physcomitrium pyriforme is a
widespread species complex found across North
America and Europe that exhibits substantial morphological variation, evident in the recognition of 29
synonyms. We hypothesize that this species complex comprises not only numerous cytotypes andpotential species from repeated WGD events, butalso population structure among haploid populations that will inform the evolutionary history of allopolyploids and autopolyploids. We sampled over
400 populations of P. pyriforme across its North
American and use a target capture approach tosequence 648 genes to construct a phylogenetic218

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tree establishing relationships among P. pyriforme
populations. 60 allopolyploid populations are identified using HybPhaser suggesting that WGD plays asubstantial role in the evolution of the P. pyriforme
complex. Further, structure analysis of haploid populations of P. pyriforme offers insights into gene flow
and introgression further elucidating the nature of

reticulation among haploid, autopolyploid, and allopolyploid populations. These analyses both provide
evidence for morphologically cryptic speciation via
polyploidy and also provides evidence for the utilityof target capture sequencing with an 806 gene bait
set for population genomic studies and population
demographic inferences.

S.67 TOWARDS A MORE ETHICAL SCIENCE:
DECOLONIZING BOTANICAL RESEARCH.
SESSION 2
S.67.1 Decolonising
biodiversity collections:
equity, collaboration, andbenefits
Quentin Groom, Sofie Meeus1
1 Meise Botanic Garden, Meise, Belgium
In response to historical inequalities, museums areengaging in the decolonization of biodiversity collections. This entails acknowledging collection histories, enhancing accessibility, and promoting collaborative research. Despite this effort, decolonization
remains contentious due to unequal access, biopiracy concerns, and “parachute science” where
Global North researchers extract specimens fromthe Global South without considering local concerns. Internationally the Nagoya Protocol aims toensure fair benefit sharing, yet scepticism persists.
We used a data-driven approach to understand theinterplay between research, biological collection,and international collaboration. Focusing on Montserrat and the Cayman Islands, the study analyses
collector profiles, their publications, and using data
mediated by the Global Biodiversity Information Facility and Wikidata. By using a data driven approach
we try to quantify some of the less tangible benefitsof biological collection and provide objective information on this issue. Our results reveal specimensfrom these islands are held predominantly in theUSA, Canada, and the UK. Most of the research conducted is related to taxonomy. However, digitization
gaps may skew findings. The study emphasises theneed for equitable sharing of both monetary andnon-monetary benefits. While researchers gain
knowledge and prestige, territories should benefit

from research outcomes. Open-access publishing,data sharing, and duplicate contributions to local
collections are suggested to enhance collaboration. This aims to improve relationships, rectify historical disparities, and inform equitable practices.
In conclusion, biodiversity collection decolonization
involves recognizing historical imbalances and promoting inclusive collaboration. The study advocatesfor responsible research practices, acknowledging
local expertise, and fostering equitable partnerships.
By delving into collection complexities, the study envisions a more equitable future for biodiversity research and conservation.

S.67.2 Pathways todecolonizing botanicalresearch by digitizing
biocultural diversity
collections at the New York
Botanical Garden
Kenneth Walker1, Ina Vandebroek1,2,
Matthew Pace1
1 The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, New York,USA. 2 The University of the West Indies Mona, Faculty of Science and Technology, Department of Life
Sciences and Caribbean Centre for Research in
Bioscience, Kingston, Jamaica, West Indies
Much can be learned from colonial collections
by decolonizing botanical research. Interdisciplinary teams of scholars have recommended a
biocultural framework for the continued curationof these collections. Recognizing and protecting
biocultural diversity helps to create pathways to-219

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wards a more ethical botany. Through this objective, botanical collections of colonial projects canfind additional purpose. Biocultural diversity accounts for the indissoluble link among language,
culture, and humanity’s interaction with the biosphere. An NSF funded project on biocultural diversity collections is currently securing, digitizing,and increasing access to voucher specimens thatare the product of economic botany, medical
botany, ethnobotany, and other botanical studies at the New York Botanical Garden. Digitizationof collections through ethical frameworks presents many challenges but offers several potential rewards. Through the curation of these specimens to the currently accepted taxonomy andthe inclusion of local and indigenous names, theproject seeks to increase access to collections byunderserved communities and the general publicthrough its free online collection data portal. Digitization and proper meta-data association aidsin the archival return of collections to communities of origin, as well as to diasporic communitiesof stakeholders interested in botanical disciplines
or rediscovering cultural traditions.

S.67.3 Small and incountry herbaria are vitalfor accurate plant threat
assessments: A case study
from Peru

Moonlight, Peter1, Jay Delves1,2, Joaquina Alb&aacute;n-Castillo3, Asunción Cano4, Carmen
Fernández Aviles4, Edeline Gagnon 1,5 Sandra Knapp6,
Blanca 3,7, Jose Luis Marcelo 8, Carlos Reynel 9 , Rocio del Pilar Rojas 10, Eric F. Rodriguez11, Tiina 1, Rodolfo
Martinez10, Peter W. Moonlight 1,12.
1 Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
2 Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Sydney, New South Wales,
Australia 3 Herbario San Marcos, Museo de Historia Natural, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San
Marcos, Lima, Peru 4 Instituto Científico Michael
Owen Dillon (IMOD), Arequipa, Peru 5 Dept. Integrative Biology, College of Biological Science,
University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada 6
Natural History Museum, London, UK 7 Department of Geography and the Environment, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA 8 Universidad Nacional de Jaén, Cajamarca, Peru 9Herbario, Departamento Académico de Biología,

Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina, Lima, Peru
10 Herbario Selva Central (HOXA), Jardín Botánico
de Missouri, Oxapampa, Pasco, Peru 11 Herbarium
Truxillense (HUT), Universidad Nacional de Trujillo,
Trujillo, Peru 12 Botany, School of Natural Sciences,
Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
Herbaria can be considered plant libraries, eachholding collections of dried specimens documenting plant diversity in space and time. For
many plant species, these are our only evidenceof their existence and the only means of assessing their conservation status. Specimens in all
herbaria, especially those in small and often under-resourced herbaria in megadiverse countries, are key to achieving accurate estimates of
the conservation status of the world plant species. They are also part of a country shared heritage and critical contributions to knowledge of
the world diversity. Internationally agreed targets
to assess the conservation status of all plant species rely largely on digitised distribution data from
specimens held in herbaria. Using taxonomicallycurated databases of herbarium specimen data
for the mega-diverse genera Begonia (Begoniaceae) Solanum (Solanaceae) occurring in Peru,
we test the value added from including data fromlocal herbaria and herbaria of different sizes on
estimations of threat status using International
Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List
criterio. We find that the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) has little data from Peruvian herbaria and adding these data influences the estimated threat status of these species,
reducing the numbers of Critically Endangered
and Vulnerable species in both genera. Similarly,
adding data from small- and medium-sized herbaria, whether in-country or not, also improves
the accuracy of threat assessments. [Correction
added on 08 September 2023, after first online
publication: In the preceding sentence,has beencorrected to &ldquo;little&rdquo; in this versionA
renewed focus on resourcing and recognising thecontribution of small and in-country herbaria isrequired if we are to meet internationally agreed
targets for plant conservation. We discuss ourcase study in the broader context of democratising and increasing participation in global botanical science.

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S.68 EVOLUTIONARY ECOLOGY OF PLANTS.
SESSION 4
S.68.1 Plant adaptations tocity life: lessons learnt fromdandelions

In present-day urban environments, the predictedeffects of climate change are already normalised,making cities ideal experimental gardens for studying the necessary biological adaptations. Our approach to study relevant traits in urban plant species from both a phenotypic and genomic point ofview is therefore a relevant framework to study theeffects of climate change on plant evolution.

Yannick Woudstra1,2,3, Ron Kraaiveld1,4,
Alger Jorritsma1, Ernest Rouaud5, Timovan Galen2, Kitty Vijverberg2, Slavica
Ivanovic1, Niels C.A.M. Wagemaker4,
Roy Erkens5, Heidrun Huber4, Tanja
Slotte3, Barbara Gravendeel2,4, Koen J.F.
Verhoeven1
1 Netherlands Institute of Ecology, Department of
Terrestrial Ecology, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
2 Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Ecology & Evolution
Group, Leiden, The Netherlands. 3 Stockholm University, Department of Ecology, Environment andPlant Science, Stockholm, Sweden. 4 Radboud University Nijmegen, Radboud Institute for Biological& Environmental Sciences, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. 5 Maastricht University, Maastricht Science
Programme, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Urbanisation is a globally increasing and highly impactful form of land-use change. Increased temperatures (the urban heat island effect), habitat
fragmentation, light pollution, and other human-induced pressures demand rapid biological adaptation from wild species. To discover the necessary
adaptations for surviving urbanisation, we looked ata thriving urban plant species: the common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale F.H.Wigg. s.l.). Alongurban-rural transects, we found urban plants to besuperior in seedling growth at higher temperaturesand flowering response at shorter vernalisation exposure. We also found advancements in flowering
time for suburban genotypes, both in the field andin controlled environments. These trends were reflected in sequence divergence patterns for genes
involved in the regulation of flowering time and heat
resistance, where urban plants displayed highly conserved genotypes. Effects were significantly
different between urban habitats, where city park
plants presented phenotypes intermediate of urban
street and rural field populations. Genetic diversity
among individuals was lowest for street plants andhighest for rural field plants, likely caused by environmental filtering of genotypes in urban environments.

S.68.2 Running to the hills:
changes in plant-pollinator
networks structure over timeand space, in a mountainregionYasmine Antonini1, Montserrat Arista2,
Fernanda Vieira Costa3, Alejandro Núñez
Cabajal4, Juan Arroyo2
1 Departamento de Biodiversidade Evolução e Meio
Ambiente, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro
Preto – Brazil. 2 Departamiento de Biología Vegetal
y Ecología, Universidad Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain. 3 Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade de Brasília,Brasília, DF, Brazil. 4 Estación Biológica de Doñana(CSIC), Sevilla, Spain
Pollinator networks play a crucial role in maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, especially in mountainous regions. Across an elevation
gradient and flowering seasons, several biotic andabiotic factors influence community assemblagesof interacting species leading to a shift in species
distribution, functioning, and ultimately topologies
of species interaction networks. In this work, we analyzed the architecture of plant-pollinator networks
by recording plant-insect interactions at 10 study
sites between 1000 and 1800 m a.s.l., following thetwo major seasons (from spring to summer flowering seasons) in a Mediterranean mountainous
region. Our research aimed to address the following questions: (1) The structure of networks is stable
over time-space? (2) How does the topology of networks change over time? (3) Which environmental
drivers shape network structure across time andspace? We analyzed spatial (elevational) and temporal (weeks) network patterns using generalized221

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linear models (GLMs) and quantified the influenceof climate, richness of flowering plant species, andpollinator diversity on network structures using a
multimodel inference framework. We recorded 3,343
interactions, 343 pollinators, and 44 plant speciesof which a majority involved interactions with bees
and flies. We found that nestedness and robustness
are constant both in space and time. However, wefound that the specialization of plant-pollinator networks increased from spring to summer with the riseof the temperature. Further, network modularity decreases across seasons and plant-pollinator interactions were more specialized at higher elevations.
We found that flower and pollinator species diversity and abundance, rather than direct effects of climate, better predict modularity and specialization
networks. This study highlights changes in networkarchitectures over time and space (elevation) supporting a potential sensitivity of plant-bee interactions to climate change and desertification, putting
Mediterranean mountain biodiversity at risk.

ated compared to the other species. In contrast, there
was evidence of high levels of introgression among
two widespread and morphologically similar species
from the other clade, C. gummifera and C. intermedia.
To explore the impacts of climatic factors on species
evolution, environmental niche models were generated using Maxent to determine the habitat suitability ofeach species under the Last Glacial Maximum. Overall,
our findings offer unique insights into the processes underlying speciation and influencing species boundaries
within complex lineages across diverse landscapes.

S.68.4 Species-soil
relationships and theirevolution in Amazonian
ferns
Hanna Tuomisto1,2, Lassi Suominen2, ChiChuan Chen2, Alfonso Alonso3, Glenda
Cárdenas2, Samuli Lehtonen2, Gabriel
Massaine Moulatlet4, Eneas Pérez5, Anders
Sirén2,6, Patrick Weigelt7, Gabriela Zuquim2

S.68.3 A tale of species fromtwo clades: evolutionary
processes within Corymbia

1 Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark. 2 Universityof Turku, Turku, Finland. 3 Smithsonian National Zoo
and Conservation Biology Institute, Washington,
D.C., USA. 4 University of Arizona, Tucson, USA. 5 Universidad Nacional de la Amazonía Peruana, Iquitos,
Perú. 6 Universidad Amawtay Wasi, Quito, Ecuador.
7 University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany

Susan Rutherford1,2, Alison Paulo Bernardi2,
Eva Montalban2, Justin SH Wan2,3, Maurizio
Rossetto2
1 Department of Environmental Science, Collegeof Science, Mathematics and Technology, Wenzhou-Kean University, Wenzhou, China. 2 ResearchCentre for Ecosystem Resilience, Australian Instituteof Botanic Science, Royal Botanic Garden Sydney,
Mrs Macquaries Road, Sydney, New South Wales,
Australia. 3 School of Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, China
Historical processes driving evolution have left a signature in genetic differentiation and gene flow acrossthe landscape of present-day plant populations. Examining these patterns can enable us to better understand lineage divergence. Corymbia is a genus
within the eucalypts comprising c. 100 species, most ofwhich are endemic to Australia. Recent phylogenetic
analyses suggest that Corymbia is paraphyletic (withanother eucalypt genus Angophora nested within Corymbia). In the current study, we sampled leaf material
from multiple populations of five co-occurring species
from across the two paraphyletic clades of Corymbia
for genome-wide sequencing. We found two species
from one clade (C. maculata and a more restricted
species, C. eximia) to be highly genetically differenti-

Knowledge about plant species niches along environmental gradients is a fundamental prerequisite foraddressing many ecological and evolutionary questions. For example, to what degree are plant species
distributions and community compositions dictatedby species niches in relation to soil properties? And
to what degree does evolutionary diversification itself
reflect adaptive radiation, where lineages specialize to different edaphic niches? These are especiallyintriguing questions in the tropical rain forests, where
the origin of the high species richness has been along-standing puzzle, but lack of data has frustrated
attempts to find answers. Thanks to long-term extensive field studies across Amazonia, we are now able
to model species-soil relationships for many fern species and to place them into an evolutionary context
with the help of molecular phylogenies. This makes it
possible to analyze niche divergence both as an ecological phenomenon and as the result of an evolutionary process. We are carrying out such analyses using
two fern genera, Adiantum and Lindsaea, as example
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Amazonian forests, and both have been suggested to
be useful as indicators of forest types and soil properties, even though detailed models of their edaphic
niches have not previously been available. Our results
show that the species’ edaphic niches are both relatively narrow and divergent, and that there are clear
differences between the two genera. Currently ongoing analyses of niche evolution are expected to shedlight on the evolutionary processes within Amazonia.

S.68.5 Exploring ecologicalstrategies in the five bean
domesticated species(Phaseolus spp.)

work represents the first effort to understand the consequences of domestication on beans from a functional
trait perspective. Understanding patterns and causesof trait correlations in crops is not only important forbreeding efforts, but also for predicting plant responses
in the context of climate change.

S.68.6 Whitin individual
phenotypic andepigenotypic effects ofpostfire resprouting on a
Mediterranean shrub
Jaime Saiz-Blanco1, Conchita Alonso2,
Carlos M. Herrera2, Juli G. Pausas1

Diego E. Dávila1, Julieta A. Rosell2
1 Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional
Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico. 2
Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
Despite increasingly robust understanding of the drivers underlying ecological strategies in wild plants, theconsequences of plant domestication on the expression of these strategies in crops remains poorly understood. For example, there is debate regarding whether
the same patterns of trait covariation observed in wild
plants are also found in crops, such as between theleaf (LES) and root economic spectra (RES). To explore
patterns of trait covariation in crops, a system with highecological variation, more than one event of domestication, and a long domestication history is ideal. Beans(Phaseolus spp.) represent such a system. The genus
includes five domesticated species that represent independent instances of domestication, and hundredsof landraces that grow in a wide range of environmental and management conditions. Although domestication is predicted to produce strong shifts toward
acquisitive strategies under the more stable and fertile
conditions of agroecosystems, it is less clear whether it
would favor uncoupling of the LES and RES. In this study,
we cultivated 20 bean landraces (four per domesticated species) in a common garden at a Mexican temperate highland and measured nine functional traits inleaves, stems, and roots before the reproductive phase.
Our results indicated that despite strong artificial selection, LES and RES are conserved in beans. However,
we found evidence of decoupling between LES and RES,
which has also been reported for other crops. There
was also wide variation in mean values across landraces along a conservative-acquisitive continuum related to the ecological preferences of the species. This

1 Centro de Investigaciones sobre Desertificación,
CSIC, Valencia, Spain. 2 Estación Biológica deDoñana, CSIC, Seville, Spain
Although the ecological and evolutionary effects ofwildfires on plants have been widely studied, thus far
no attention has been given to the possible effects ofwildfires on within-individual plant variability. This kind ofvariability affects both plant phenotype and epigenotype, and its deeply connected to plant animal interactions and maternal effects. In resprouting species, wehypothesize that wildfires can alter within-plant variability at both levels, since this process might lead toarchitectural changes and temporal homogenizationof plant development. We also hypothesize that the relationship between epigenotype and phenotype mightchange. To test these ideas, we studied a populationof the Mediterranean shrub Anthyllis cytisoides (Fabaceae) that was partially affected by a recent wildfire in
Valencia. We selected plants that were resprouting after the wildfire as well as plants that were not affectedby it to study leaf, flower, fruit and fecundity traits as wellas epigenetic traits (i.e.,global cytosine methylation) at
a within-individual level. By fitting mixed models to thedata, we could see that most traits changed in within
individual variance with postfire resprouting, although
the sign of change was not always the same: weight
related traits tended to be more homogenous within burned plants, while petal size and global cytosine
methylation were more variable. In addition, the relationship between methylation level and petal size was
not the same in burned and unburned plants. These
results highlight the potential role of wildfires in shaping
within individual variability of resprouting plants bothat the phenotypic and epigenotypic levels and, thus inplant animal interactions and in maternal effects.

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S.69 COLLECTIONS, HERBARIOMICS
S.69.1 Museomics andtargeted sequencing in
Orthosiinae (Apocynaceae)
yields undescribed diversity

S.69.6 Herbarium leaf
spectroscopy andestimating functional traits
from degraded specimens

Yam M. Pineda1, Martha Kandziora2,
María Pinilla2, Ulrich Meve1, Sigrid LiedeSchumann1, Nicolai M. Nürk1

Rykkar Jackson1, Dominic Wood2, Jordan
Wilson-Morrison2, Subbaiah Mechanda2,
Shan Kothari3, Warren CardinalMcTeague1

1 University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany. 2
Charles University, Praha, Czech Republic.
Herbaria house an immense collection of plant
diversity, primarily in the form of dry-preserved
specimens. We present a work protocol in
Apocynaceae aiming at advancing Museomic
studies in plants using the Andean-centred Orthosiinae in the Neotropical Apocynaceae asmodel. Exclusively using herbarium specimens (n= 205), some of which are almost 200 years old,
we optimised DNA extraction protocols and applied rigorous data processing on target capture
sequencing (Hyb-Seq) data using Apocynaceae-specific set with 835 probes. A well-supported species phylogeny is presented comprising
approximately 78% of the known species and >50
specimens not yet formally described. Phylogenetic results confirm the generic relationships
and the common origin of the species in Orthosiinae. Here, we particularly focus on the relationships inside Scyphostelma, a mainly Andean
genus with many undescribed species. We measured morphological traits and tested for significant differences among inferred clades, mainly
in floral characteristics. We confirm the positionof recently described S. rotorum and S. solomonii,
originally suggested for morphological reasons tobelong to the S. harlingii clade. Our study provides
further evidence on the evolutionary relationshipsof Orthosiinae species. Obtained species trees
serve as framework to study the biogeographicalhistory of the group and to quantify how much of
the species diversity can be explained by parapatric elevational replacement, which would hint
towards ecological speciation (adaptive), andhow much by parapatric speciation in isolation(neutral). Our investigation illuminates patternsof evolution of montane biodiversity in the Andes
using Orthosiinae as a model group.

1 Department of Forest & Conservation Sciences,
University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
2 Ottawa Research & Development Centre, Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada, Ottawa, Canada. 3
Département des sciences biologiques, Universitéde Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Canada
The estimation of leaf functional traits using leaf spectroscopy is a novel and underutilized technique in biological collections. With ~400 million plant specimens
being held in ~3,500 herbaria worldwide today, there is
massive potential for the use of spectroscopy on driedleaf samples. Once models are developed to quantify
the limits of leaf spectroscopy on degraded herbarium specimens, such as those which have been stored
for decades or centuries, we better know the extent
to which we can use herbaria to estimate leaf functional traits through time. This research expands theapplication of collections-based leaf spectroscopy byquantifying the limits of specimen degradation in leaf
spectral analyses. To do so, this project utilizes spectra from both fresh and dried leaves of Ginkgo biloba. Representative specimens were collected in 2022
from a hedgerow and pressed, dried for 48 hours, andassembled into the four treatments: one in a standard
herbarium cabinet (control conditions) and three
in growth chambers (18°C, 21°C, 24°C) to acceleratedegradation. At this time, initial fresh-leaf spectral
readings were conducted. In 2023, after 1 year withinthese treatments, the corresponding dried leaf spectra (350-2400 nm) were measured. This data will be
used to analyze the effects of degradation on spectral
analysis across treatment types by building an empirical model using multivariate techniques to estimate
leaf functional traits via the use of least squares regression (PLSR). This research is among the earliest
studies using PLSR modelling on intact dried leaves
like those in herbaria, as previous models have been
trained using the reflectance spectra of either fresh or
ground, dried, but not intact, dried leaves.

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S.69.3 Frozen in time,changing with climate:
Alpine endemics speak
through herbarium
genomics

1 Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, Missouri, USA.
2 Morris Arboretum & Gardens of the University ofPennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA 3
Claude E. Phillips Herbarium, Delaware State University, Dover, Delaware, USA

Yasaman Ranjbaran1,2,*, Marco Canella1,2,
Niccolò Forin1,2, Veronica Malavasi1,2, Rene
Meissner3, Sven Winter3, Stefan Prost4,
Francesco Dal Grande1,2
1 University of Padua, Padua, Italy. 2 University Centre Botanical Garden, Padua, Italy. 3 University of
Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria. 4 University ofOulu, Oulu, Finland
The European Alps, undergoing a climate change
rate twice as fast as global averages, present aunique opportunity to investigate the genomic responses of alpine flora to environmental shifts. For
this project, we chose a few high-elevation, endemic
alpine plants (e.g., Rhizobotrya alpina (NE), Saxifraga tombeanensis (EN)) to assess genomic changes
over the past two centuries. For this, we employed ahigh-throughput genome resequencing approachon historical specimens from diverse herbariums
across Europe spanning the last two centuries(1840-2023). By assessing allele frequency changes through time and comparing them with the extant genetic diversity we were able to directly gain
insights into climate-driven allele loss and potential
adaptations. This study not only sheds light on theevolutionary responses of alpine plants, crucial for
their conservation, but also underscores the valuable application of genomics in leveraging natural
history collections. The implications of our findings
extend beyond the scientific realm, offering criticalknowledge for informing conservation strategies
and contributing to a deeper understanding of biodiversity in the face of rapid environmental changes.

S.69.4 Filling “big data”
needs for biodiversity
studies requires a diversityof herbaria and continued
collecting

Massive data resulting from herbarium specimen
digitization have started a new era in biodiversity studies, often yielding highly cited publications
and stimulating innovations in digitization andbiodiversity informatics. A growing recognition of
the value of herbarium data for research has, inturn, reinforced funding for digitization of collections. However, digitization grants are temporaryand sometimes insufficient for their own goals. In
addition, they greatly outweigh and outnumber
the (capacity) grants available for collection curation/infrastructure and ongoing botanical collecting, activities also required to maintain thedigitized data pipeline. Critically, projects using
specimen data often lack any funding support for
the herbaria housing those specimens. This situation presents an apparent paradox: herbaria havenever been more impactful in terms of contributing specimen data to research, but at the sametime, those contributions are increasingly hidden
in data download files and burgeoning institutional acronym lists. Such under-acknowledgement exacerbates the long-standing collecting/collections funding crunch. This may be mostdisadvantageous to smaller or more regionallyfocused herbaria, where funding needs are mostacute. However, we argue that these collections
are critical both for geographically equitable access to biodiversity collections and as repositories of specimens representing the spatial andtemporal density needed for large-scale analyses. We use data from the Mid-Atlantic Herbarium Consortium (MAHC; https://midatlanticherbaria.org/) of the United States as a case study
to examine how plant collecting in this region has
contributed to the global data pool. We compare
these data to mid-Atlantic specimens available
through GBIF to evaluate the uniqueness as well
as taxonomic, temporal, and geographic coverage of these specimens. With these analyses, weconsider the varying roles of herbaria of different sizes and histories as data sources. We argue
for greater support for botanical collecting andthe continued support of a diversity of herbarium
types to meet our biodiversity research needs.

Jordan K. Teisher1, Emily A. Humphreys2,
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S.69.5 Unlocking botanicaltreasures: RBG Kew’s
digitisation programme,challenges and learnings

S.69.6 New perspectives onwood collections: integrated
collections at the UNAM
XylariumPriscila A. Reis1, Ellie Graves1, Marie-Helene
Weech1, Sarah Phillips1, Clare Drinkell1,
Alison Moore1

Alí Segovia-Rivas1, Mark. E. Olson2, Marcelo
Pace1
1 MEXUw-Xylarium, Institute of Biology, Universidad
Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico. 2 Instituteof Biology, Universidad Nacional Autónoma deMéxico, Mexico.

1 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, UK.
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (RBG Kew), established in 1852, is home to one of the world’s largest dried flora and fungi collections, safeguarding
around 8.5 million specimens. It encapsulates aremarkable global coverage, containing over 95%
of vascular plant genera and representing around
60% of the world’s currently known fungi. Significantly, the herbarium serves as an invaluable repository of information for understanding the diversity of
the world’s living organisms, encompassing theirmorphological, genetic, physiological and ecological variations. However, most of these botanicaltreasures remain hidden behind cupboard doors,
accessible primarily to academic communities
through on-site visits. In turn, this constrains the research potential inherent in the collection. As part ofa four-year digitisation program, RBG Kew is recognising this urgency and adapting to the digital era.
The objective is to generate high-resolution images and data of the entire herbarium and fungarium
collections, ensuring the preservation of the original
specimens while unlocking global accessibility. Thislarge-scale digitisation initiative involves overcoming substantial challenges, including the adaptationof workflows to address issues such as mould, pests,
and damaged specimens. The Senior Curator Botanists in Digitisation are crucial to the success of the
project. They maintain the integrity of the collection
by providing intensive training and guidance to all
digitisers involved, and by establishing protocols
for resolving large-scale issues encountered during
digitisation and reporting those issues to the appropriate team or individual. They also link the digitisation project and the core curatorial teams, ensuring
constant communication on progress and mediating access to the collections for research while they
are being digitised. The endeavour involves not justthe conversion of physical specimens into digitalformats but also requires the development of strategies to contend with the complexities presented by
the collection’s varied age and condition.

Traditionally, xylaria or wood collections were conceived
from a forestry perspective, primarily with the objective of serving as a reference for wood identification
for commercial purposes. In the dynamic landscapeof botanical collections, the UNAM Xylarium (MEXUw) in
Mexico distinguishes itself by transcending traditionalboundaries. Our collections encompass a diverse array of samples, organized into four subcollections: traditional wood blocks, entire stem fragments with woodand bark preserved in alcohol for all major orders of
gymnosperms and angiosperms, wood anatomicalslides, and cores and disks sampled for dendrochronological purposes. A pivotal aspect of our innovation
lies in recognizing the unique preservation needs forquantitative wood anatomical studies. In response,
the UNAM Xylarium houses an alcohol-preserved collection, a pioneering initiative that retains wood andbark characteristics often lost in conventionally treatedwooden blocks subjected to drying, heat and cold. Thisapproach ensures the protection of delicate features
essential for comprehensive stem and root analyses.
As part of these efforts, collections of wood slides are
essential, but the digitalization of these assets remaina neglected frontier. Few institutions have ventured
into digitizing their slide collections, and fewer still havemade these digital archives publicly accessible, a frontier we are poised to address with the digital resources
available at UNAM. Beyond physical and digital preservation, the UNAM Xylarium acknowledges the imperative to modernize organizational frameworks. We’ve updated all our collections to the APG-IV system, reflecting
the most current nomenclature of plant families. The
manual effort involved in this process is substantial andtime-consuming, emphasizing the need for automation as collections grow and nomenclature evolves. Ourpresentation aims to highlight not only our advancements in specimen preservation but also our commitment to staying at the forefront of organizational practices as we advocate for increase the donations andtrades with other wood collections worldwide.

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S.70 INTEGRATIVE TAXONOMY OF
MEDITERRANEAN PLANTS. SESSION 2
S.70.1 The Azorean
Daucus: a morphological,
cytogenomic, phylogenetic
and ecological study

stand the phenotypical diversity observed and cultivating Daucus carota subsp. azoricus under different climates and soils. Preliminary results indicate that there
are no major morphological differences between thesampled sites. Similarly, with cytogenomic data it was
not possible to discriminate between the two subspecies. However, the molecular data revealed variation
across the archipelago with different haplotypes obtained from the screened regions.

Guilherme Roxo1, Mark Carine2, Ann
Mc Cartney3, Elisabete Dias1, Amélia
Vaz1, Pedro Talhinhas4, Maria ManuelRomeiras2, Rubén M.C. Rego1, ChristianZidorn5, Luís Silva1, Mónica Moura1
1 University of Azores, School of Sciences and Technology, Ponta Delgada, Portugal. 2 The Natural History Museum, London UK. 3 Genome Institute, University of California, Santa Cruz, California, USA. 4
Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade deLisboa, Tapada da Ajuda, Lisbon, Portugal. 5 Pharmazeutisches Institut - Abteilung Pharmazeutische
Biologie Christian - Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel.
Kiel, Deutschland
The genus Daucus L. contains approximately 45 species, the majority of which are found in the Mediterranean region. The Daucus carota complex includes
ca. 25 infraspecific taxa, for which there are no or only
poorly developed barriers to interbreeding between thewild and domesticated forms. In the Azores archipelago two sub-species occur: the endemic Daucus carota
subsp. azoricus Franco, and the native Daucus carota
subsp. maritimus (Lam.) Batt. Due to the phenotypic
diversity observed across the Daucus carota complex,
the distribution and diagnostic morphological characters of the endemic Azorean species remain unclear.
This study aims to clarify the taxonomy of the Daucus
carota complex in the Azores and determine if the Daucus carota subsp. azoricus Franco is in fact a distinct
taxon. For this purpose, we used molecular, cytogenomic, morphological and ecological data. A total of
forty-four specimens of Daucus carota subsp. azoricus
were sampled across the nine islands of the archipelago and the ITS region and the COS region (CA7) sequenced. Estimations of DNA content were performed
with flow cytometry to investigate variation between
taxa (i.e., Daucus carota subsp. azoricus and Daucus
carota subsp. maritimus) and populations. Moreover,
we measured a total of 31 morphological charactersfrom across the stem, inflorescences, flowers, and fruits.
Finally, we performed germination tests in order under-

S.70.2 Disentangling
relationships indifferent lineages of
Euphorbia subgen. Esula(Euphorbiaceae)Božo Frajman1
1 Department of Botany, University of Innsbruck,
Innsbruck, Austria
Euphorbia subgenus Esula is the earliest diverging lineage within Euphorbia and with roughly 480
species represents the most significant radiationof the genus in temperate areas of the Old World,with highest diversity in the Mediterranean and
Irano-Turanian regions. The overall infragenericstructure has been largely resolved using plastid
and nuclear ITS sequences, leading to recognitionof 21 sections. In contrast, spatio-temporal diversification within the sections – and partly also
the relationships among them – remain poorly
understood. I present the outcomes of ongoingstudies on the diversification of different species groups within Euphorbia sect. Esula basedon an integrative approach using phylogenetic
and phylogenomic data, relative genome sizeand chromosome number estimations, as well asmorphometric and ecological analyses. They are
all important for inferring inter-specific boundaries and establishing a stable taxonomy within thesubgenus. I address the significance of polyploidisation for diversification within the subgenus
and summarise major open questions to stimulate further research on this fascinating group of
flowering plants.

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S.70.3 Excessive polyploidy
and unusual pattern ofpollen stainability in Gagea
and Ornithogalum species
Michal Hroneš1, David Horák1, Gabriela
Stryhalová1
1 Department of Botany, Palacký University in Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech RepublicGeophyte monocots with their showy flowers are aprominent component of the Mediterranean flora.
However, they remain taxonomically challenging
due to their low vegetative morphological variability and the presence of polyploidy. We studied
genome size as a proxy for ploidy level of selected
taxa of Gagea (Liliaceae) and Ornithogalum (Asparagaceae) and we also established their pollen stainability. We asked whether genome size
can be used for taxa determination and whether
pollen stainability correlates with established ploidy level. We expected a normal pattern of pollen
stainability with diploids having the highest proportion of well-developed pollen and even ploidy cytotypes having higher stainability than odd ploidy
cytotypes. In both genera, we found an excessive
occurrence of polyploidy ranging from diploids toheptaploids. The studied taxa differed in genome
size also on the same ploidy level suggesting thatgenome size can be used for taxa differentiation.
Quite surprisingly, pollen stainability varied greatly
and it did not follow the expected pattern with higher ploidy and odd ploidy cytotypes usually having
a higher proportion of well-developed pollen. A
simple mechanistic explanation of this pattern islacking. Lower stainability in even ploidies suggests
past hybridisations and/or meiotic aberrations.

S.70.4 Phylogeny andbiogeography unveil
taxonomic deflationin the Mediterranean
disjunct genus Jasione L.
(Campanulaceae)

Jasione is a taxonomically complex genus with a disjunct east-west Mediterranean distribution pattern.
Around 16 species are currently recognized, althoughmore than one hundred taxonomic names have been
proposed. The hypothesis that intense morphologicalstasis is concealing evolutionary relevant variability andhampering correct understanding of the evolutionary
relationships in the genus needs to be tested. Internal phylogenetic relationships are investigated after acomprehensive sampling including different populations from most of the proposed names, to prevent a
priori exclusion of evolutionary significant lineages. The
underlying processes leading to the disjunct east-west
Mediterranean distribution pattern are discussed. To
address these questions, a five cpDNA loci time-calibrated phylogeny was constructed with 111 terminals.
The lineage leading to Jasione originated in the late Oligocene (c. 25 Mya) and the extant lineages of Jasionederive from a much later diversification event, occurring in c. 9 Mya in the Miocene, from an ancestor mostprobably originated in the western Mediterranean region. Two main clades can be identified, one only present in the western Mediterranean and encompassing
species with very different morphologies and anotherwith the extant disjunct distribution pattern. The second
clade began to diversify at the beginning of the Pleistocene, probably in the Balkan Peninsula, and at least twoeast to west dispersal events are identified in this clade,with niche modelling identifying niche conservatism in
the eastern group and niche expansion in the westerngroup. The disjunct pattern results from a dynamic biogeographic process in which the two extant areas provided the opportunity both to remain and to disperse,
increasing the chances of the lineage to endure. Morphological stasis in Jasione led to taxonomic deflationand integrative approaches are addressed. Internal
coherence and discontinuities are tested integrating
information from key traits, ploidy, ecological niche andadequacy to biogeographical units to support “cryptic”
species hypotheses.

S.70.5 Integrative taxonomy
and biogeography ofUmbilicus (Crassulaceae)

Miguel Serrano1
1 Department of Botany, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago deCompostela, Spain

228

Lucas L. Miller1, Maria Cristina Duarte2,
Mónica Moura3, Maria M. Romeiras2,4,
Christian Braeuchler5, Mathieu
Chambouleyron6, Hanno Schaefer1
1 Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany.
2 University of Lisbon, Campo Grande, Portugal. 3

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Universidade dos Açores, Ponta Delgada, Portugal.
4 Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade
de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal. 5 Oberösterreichische
Landeskultur GmbH, Linz, Austria. 6 Reneco International Wildlife Consultants LLC, Rabat, Morocco
Umbilicus is a small genus of Crassulaceae witha distribution ranging from the Mediterranean
region to Macaronesia, sub-Saharan Africa, andWest Asia. The number of species is unclear due
to the controversial taxonomy with multiple unresolved taxa and characters traditionally used forspecies delimitation being rather ambiguous. So
far, only genetic analyses at the family level witha very limited number of Umbilicus species havebeen available. Here, we sequenced six plastid
genes and spacers (matK, psbA-trnH, rps16, trnQ,
trnS and trnL) plus the nuclear ribosomal ITS region of 235 specimens covering most of the distribution range of the genus and most describedtaxa. We inferred phylogenies with maximum
likelihood and Bayesian methods and studied
the morphology of herbarium material and photos of observations on iNaturalist. Using Bayesianmolecular clock dating with secondary calibration we estimated a stem age of 14 (+/- 6) Million
years for the genus. We inferred West Asia as thegeographic origin with Chiastophyllum as sister
lineage. The first diverging clades including U. albido-opacus and U. luteus as well as species witha paniculate inflorescence are restricted to West
Asia, northeast Africa, and southeastern Europe.
The remaining species, which all exhibit a racemose inflorescence and mostly greenish tubular
flowers, diverged 9 (+/- 6) Ma ago and repeatedly colonized Africa, Europe, and Asia. Within thisclade we inferred several cases of long-distancedispersal, most notably the colonization of Cameroon, Angola, and India as well as several independent colonization events of the Macaronesianislands. More data on the pollination biology ofthe genus, including pollinator shifts and transitions to selfing, will help us understand the discovered phylogenetic patterns.

Cyclamen is a genus of 23 perennial flowering
plants belonging to the Primulaceae family valued both horticulturally and evolutionarily. Cyclamen species are found throughout Europe
and the Mediterranean Basin, from the Caucasus
to Iran, with one species found in Somalia. However, despite its significance, understanding theunderlying genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships among Cyclamen species remains achallenge. Here, we investigate plastid single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) using paired-end
sequencing data in order to unravel the complex
evolutionary relationships and variation among
Cyclamen species. These SNPs were subjected tostrict filtering criteria to ensure robustness andreliability in subsequent analyses and to remove
low quality and false positive calls. Our findings
could provide pivotal insights for future studies
and conservation efforts, as well as a deeper understanding of the evolutionary history forming
this genus. Phylogenetic methods and network
analyses based on plastid SNPs would enable assessment of genetic structuring and species delimitation concordant with earlier morphologicaland molecular classifications.

S.70.6 Unveiling the genetic
tapestry: exploring SNPs in
the Cyclamen genus
Khalid Aldhuwaib1, Alastair Culham1
1 School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, UK.

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S.71 BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY HIDDEN IN
EARLY TERRESTRIAL SITES OF EXCEPTIONALPRESERVATION.
S.71.1 Permineralized
plants from the Lydiennes
Formation (France): a
unique record of early
Carboniferous plant
diversity and biology

abundant (+/- 10%), while the progymnosperms andsphenopsids are rare (1–2%). Anatomically preserved
stems and petioles are the most abundant type ofremains, while roots and reproductive structures areuncommon. Some of the fossils exhibit an excellent
preservation that allows detailed inferences on plant
autoecology (e.g., adaptation to aquatic environments), architecture (e.g., the oldest evidence of axillary branching), or development.

Anne-Laure Decombeix1, Thibault
Durieux1,2, Carla J. Harper2, Brigitte MeyerBerthaud1, Jean Galtier1
1 UMR AMAP, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, CIRAD, INRA,
IRD, Montpellier, France. 2 Department of Botany,
Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
The earliest Carboniferous (ca 360-330 Mya ) is a pivotal time in plant evolution, with the transition between
taxa that characterized the first complex plant communities during the middle to late Devonian and more
modern groups that later became major elements of
the iconic “coal swamps” vegetation of the Late Carboniferous. However, localities with well-preserved
fossil plants from that time period are rare worldwide,
especially anatomically preserved remains that yield
important information on the evolution of plant structure and biology. In Southern France, middle Tournaisian anatomically preserved plants were first reported
in the Lydiennes Formation near Cabrières (Hérault) in
the late 19th century. Since that time, at least 21 genera
have been identified, some of them unknown elsewhere. We present a synthesis of our knowledge of thisexceptional fossil flora based on around 450 specimens from the collections of the University of Montpellier, France. The assemblage comprises a mixture of
taxa belonging (1) to groups that were abundant anddiverse during the Devonian and dwindled during theCarboniferous, such as the cladoxylopsids s.l. and progymnosperms, and (2) to groups that appeared in
the Late Devonian and became emblematic members of Late Carboniferous floras such as the Sphenophylllales, Zygopteridalean ferns, and seed plants. In
terms of relative abundance, the assemblage is largely dominated by seed plants (>60%). Zygopteridaleanferns, cladoxylopsids, and lycopsids are also relatively

S.71.2 The resupinate
strobilus spikemoss in
the Cretaceous amber
might be associatedwith the rainforest shadeaggravation
Qiaoping Xiang1, Tongxin Ye1, Xianchun
Zhang1
1 Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences,
National Botanic Gardens, Beijing, China
Selaginellaceae is a Paleozoic origination with a cosmopolitan distribution. Previous fossil evidence indicates the rainforest floor origin of modern spikemoss
and an ecological association between Selaginellaceae and the humid tropics since the Paleozoic. We
observed a 99-million-year-old and well-preserved
spikemoss branch with the character of resupinate
strobilus in mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber, which provides a precious window to glimpse the Selaginellaceae diversification and its specialized habitat. To explore the resupinate strobilus evolution history, we built
up the phylogeny including more than 85% resupinate
strobilus species, estimated the divergence time, andreconstructed the ancestral state of the sporophylls
arrangement and habitat. Resupinate strobilus first
appeared in the Early Cretaceous within the Tropical
Asia clade and later paralleled in other clade, with theoccurrence times strongly related to the rise of angiosperm. In combination with their low-light adaptability and the difference in light response of dimorphic
leaves, we further suggested that the current tropical230

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spikemoss diversity originated since the Cretaceous(after angiosperm origin) instead of the evolutionary
holdovers from the Paleozoic tropical forest and conjectured the resupinate strobilus was a key innovationof the ground-floor spikemoss adapting to the humidity and shadow rainforests.

S.71.3 Unravelling thediversity of plants
and their associatedorganisms in Devonian andCarboniferous cherts
Christine Strullu-Derrien1,2, Alan RT
Spencer1,3, Frederic Fercoq4, Raymond
Wightman5, Paul Kenrick1, Sebastian
Schornack6, David Hawksworth7,8,9,
Andrew H Knoll10
1 Science Group, The Natural History Museum, London, UK. 2 Institut Systématique Évolution Biodiversité, Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, CNRS,
Sorbonne Université, Paris, France. 3 Department ofEarth Science & Engineering, Imperial College London, London, UK. 4 Unité Molécules de Communication et Adaptation des Micro-organismes, Muséum
national d’Histoire naturelle, CNRS, Paris, France.
5 Sainsbury Laboratory, University of Cambridge,
Imaging facility, Cambridge, UK. 6 Sainsbury Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
7 Jodrell Laboratory, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew,
Richmond, UK. 8 Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China. 9 Geography and Environmental Science, University of Southampton,
Southampton, UK. 10 Department of Organismic
and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
Sites of exceptional preservation such as the Devonian Rhynie cherts (Scotland, UK) and the Carboniferous
Esnost chert and Grand’Croix cherts (Massif Central,
France) preserve remarkable records of early terrestrial ecosystems. The cherts at Rhynie formed as deposits from a hot spring system. Fossilization occurred
through episodic inundation of the biota with fluids
from a nearby hot-spring system, and the resulting
silicification preserved organisms in exquisite detail.
Alongside plants, a community of animals, primarily arthropods, and diverse microscopic organisms,
including cyanobacteria, algae, amoebozoa, oomycetes and various fungal groups have been describedfrom these sites. At Esnost cherts formed in acidic volcanoclastic sediments associated with peat deposits(now anthracites). At Grand’Croix silicification of theplants was related to silica-charged waters produced
during chemical weathering of earlier volcanics. Fossilization preserves both in situ plants and transported plant fragments. Preservation is excellent, but theplant remains are fragmentary. In addition to plants,
fungi and oomycetes have been documented. The
development of Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy(CSLM) has provided us with a new tool to investigate
the biodiversity of these unique sites. Unlike traditional
bright-field microscopy, CSLM enhances the image’s
clarity and detail. Recently we used Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging (FLIM) that delivers information about
the spatial and chemical distribution of fluorescentmaterial together with information about its nano-environment. These approaches allow us to document
minute three-dimensional structures with unprecedented precision. We present our latest findings on cyanobacteria, testate amoebae, fungi and oomycetes
from the Rhynie chert, showing that the componentsof the bacterial mats among which plants grew werealready highly diversified. With the addition of new results on symbiotic and pathogenic fungi and of the
newly described oomycetes from the French cherts,
we show an increasing knowledge of the diverse interactions that took place in early terrestrial ecosystems.

S.71.4 Uncovering the origins
of plant complexity in the
Rhynie chert
Alexander J. Hetherington1
1 University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
Land plants exploded in complexity during the
Silurian and Devonian periods during the primary radiation of vascular plants. This radiation saw
plants diversify from tiny species, that we predict
occupied marginal habitats, and culminated in theorigin of the first forests covering large swathes of
the terrestrial surface by 385 Mya . The diversification of vascular plants occurred in parallel to,
and was likely underpinned by, the origin of themodern vascular plant sporophyte body plan delineated into distinct roots, shoots and leaves andconnected by a highly efficient vascular transportsystem. Despite the evolution of the vascular plant
body plan being one of the most important eventsin plant evolution many key questions still remain
about how and when it evolved. The fossil record
provides our only direct evidence for the steps involved in the evolution of the complex vascularplant body plan and despite its biased and frag-231

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mentary record it remains invaluable for shaping
our understanding of plant evolution. Numerous
fossil sites from around the world have helped
shape our views on the diversification of vascularplants but one of the most important fossil sites
has been the Rhynie chert from Aberdeenshire,
Scotland. This single fossil site, preserving an entire 407 million year old ecosystem with exceptional preservation, has been transformative for plant
evolution. Despite being discovered over 100 years
ago new imaging and digital reconstruction techniques are underpinning a resurgence of researchon the site. Here I present recent advances in our
understanding of the plant species in the Rhynie
chert and outline how these fossils are contributing to our understanding of the evolution of plantcomplexity.

S.71.5 Aglaophyton andRhynia: ecology, growth andlife strategies of the twomost common Rhynie chert
land plants
Hans Kerp1 and Michael Krings2,3

1 Universität Münster, Münster, Germany. 2 Bayerische Staatssammlung für Paläontologie und Geologie, Munich, Germany. 3 Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Germany
Aglaophyton major and Rhynia gwynne-vaughanii
are commonly regarded as the less advanced
plants from the Early Devonian Rhynie chert. The
naked, dichotomizing axes with a simple conducting system were lying on the substrate and lacked
root-like structures or rhizomes. Despite their apparent simplicity these plants had rather complex life strategies. The alternation of generationsin these two taxa can be reconstructed in great
detail, and the excellent and rapid fossilization in
the chert even provides snapshots of the releaseof sperm and the gametophyte-sporophyte junction. Cyanobacterial mats appear to have been
crucial for the germination of spores. A symbiosis with vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi ischaracteristic of both taxa and was establishedalready in the early gametophyte stage. Aglaophyton hosted several other organisms, including
cyanobacteria, mites, trigonotarbid spiders andthe oldest known bona fide nematodes, the firstsoft-bodied animals recorded from the Rhynie
chert. Apart from sexual reproduction Rhynia also
propagated vegetatively.

S.72 CITIZEN SCIENCE INITIATIVES FOR THE
PROMOTION OF BOTANY
S.72.1 A citizen science
initiative to monitor urban
plant biodiversity
Nathalie Machon1, Vanessa Laine2
1 Centre d’Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (MNHN, CNRS, Sorbonne-Université), Paris,
France. 2 Tela Botanica, Montpellier, France“Sauvages de ma rue” (Wild Plants of My Street)is a French citizen science program of Vigie-nature, developed by the National Museum of Natural History and Tela Botanica. Focused on theflora of public spaces in cities, it encourages urban residents to conduct a floristic inventory of
their street and submit the data on a website developed by Tela Botanica. Two objectives guided the development of this program: an educa-

tional goal to help urban dwellers recognize theplants growing in their daily environment and ascientific goal to understand the ecological roleof vegetated micro-spaces (tree bases, walls,
pavement cracks, etc.) in the overall functioningof urban biodiversity. This project, initiated in 2011
in the Île-de-France region, was expanded to theentire metropolis in 2012. After about a decade,around 100,000 data points had been collected.
This presentation will provide an overview of thelist of volunteer participants in the program andthe motivations they express. The primary observation is that, in the initial years, individual volunteers submitting data independently have given
way to more formalized organizations such as
associations, schools, and local authorities, driven by diverse motivations. Additionally, we delve
into the scientific outcomes derived from theprogram.

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S.72.2 Photographic field
guide to the common
grasses of Madagascar

300 species of common and economically significant grass species. Photographs were taken
on field trips from 2011 to the present. Ethnobotanical data are gathered from literature as wellas smallholder interviews. Morphological traits,
distribution, ecology, and economic uses arecompiled from GrassBase, project datasets andpartner organisations. Field photographs are being edited using Photoshop software, focusing on
habits, leaves, spikelets, and caryopses as a richvisual resource for diverse audiences.

Rafael F. de Almeida1, Nantenaina
Rakotomalala2, Fenitra N.
Randrianarimanana2, Lorna
MacKinnon1, David Rabehevitra2,
Francois Rousseu3, Lucien Rakotonirina2,
Dina Miarinjanahary4, Nirintsoa
Landry Raharinirina2, Mamy Tiana
Rajaonah2, Tiana Randriamboavonjy2,
Livasoa Randriamanalina2, Cédrique
Solofondranohatra5, Mijoro
Rakotoarinivo6, Olinirina Nanjarisoa2,
Jean A. Randriamampianina7, Botovao
Auguste Ramiandrisoa8, Maria S.
Vorontsova1

S.72.3 Leveraging machinelearning and citizen science
data to describe flowering
phenology across South
Africa National Botanical
GardenRoss D. Stewart1, N. Bard3, M. van der
Bank2, T. Jonathan Davies2,3

1 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK. 2 Kew Madagascar
Conservation Centre, Antananarivo, Madagascar. 3
University of Sherbrooke, Canada. 4 Missouri Botanical Garden, Madagascar. 5 Madagascar Biodiversity Centre, Madagascar. 6 University of Antananarivo,
Madagascar. 7 FOFIFA/CENRADERU, Madagascar. 8
University of Mahajanga, Madagascar
The grasses and grassy ecosystems of Madagascar have been the focus of Kew’s multidisciplinary research, conservation, and development
work since 2011, including taxonomic, phylogenetic, ecological and agricultural projects. Madagascar is home to an estimated 38 million hectares of grasslands comprising 146 genera andca. 590 Poaceae species, of which ca. 220 are
endemic to this island. Unfortunately, the lackof specialist expertise and resources has led toa lack of recognition and a failure to utilise thisdiversity. Madagascar’s first colour picture guideto grass genera was printed by Kew in 2018. Field
photography of grasses has always been challenging due to their small reproductive organs
while living grasses are not easy to recognisefrom traditional line drawings of spikelets. Using specialist photography training and multiple
photographer contributions, we are creating thefirst photographic guide to species to create afoundational resource for identifying, managing,and using common grasses, making native andendemic forages better known and more valuedby the Malagasy people. This bilingual book in English and Malagasy will include 127 genera and1 Sol Plaatje University, Kimberly, South Africa. 2 African Centre for DNA Barcoding, University of Johannesburg, Auckland Park, South Africa. 3 Universityof British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia,
CanadaPhenological patterns, representing the timing ofrecurrent biological events, such as flowering, areessential for understanding plant life cycles, ecological interactions, and how species respond toclimate change. However, given the diversity ofSouth African flora (ca. 24,000 species), manually recording species phenology presents an immense challenge. In this study, we explore machine learning (ML) application to data sourced
from the iNaturalist database and describe theflowering phenology of plants in the South African National Botanical Gardens. We generated a
training dataset from 10,000 photographic images, encompassing a diverse range of species fromvarious locations. Next, we applied a Convolutional
Neural Network (CNN) to classify images as flowering versus non-flowering. Using metadata associated with each image, including the date thephotograph was taken, we were able to derive thetiming of peak flower production and length of theflowering season for each species in the database.
Our analysis illustrates how ML can leverage thevast wealth of citizen science biodiversity data inSouth Africa and describe large-scale phenolog-233

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ical dynamics across the region. Applying ML andother advanced data tools to big data provides
an opportunity for more informed decision-making and sustainable practices in the context of
biodiversity conservation and management.

S.72.4 BOTASCOPIA – Anopen access collaborativecollection of descriptions ofplants species

S.72.5 TEPIK – A resource fortesting and teaching plant
identification and botanicalknowledge
Valéry Malécot1
1 Département d’Ecologie, L’Institut Agro Rennes
Angers, Angers, France

Xavier Aubriot1, Sophie Nadot1, Manon
Villa2
1 Laboratory Ecology, Systematics and Evolution,
University Paris-Saclay, Gif/Yvette, France. 2 Tela
Botanica, Montpellier, France
The teaching of Botany in France faces a paradox: waning support in academia contrasts withburgeoning public interest in plant knowledge. The
success of French Botanical MOOCs reflects thisunprecedented public enthusiasm. In that context, standardized descriptive sheets serve as vitalpedagogical tools, offering comparability and accessibility in cataloging vegetation. In 2022, building on a first set of handmade descriptive sheets,
researchers from University Paris-Saclay united
with pedagogical engineers and informaticiansof the French association Tela Botanica to design
an open access collaborative botanical knowledgebase, BOTASCOPIA. This platform, curated byexperts from different fields (botany, agronomy,
ecology), invites continuous contributions from a
broad audience. Input fields welcome a variety
of data related to plant morphological, ecological and agroecological traits, and have been designed to maximize comparability and extractionof the data, as well as to balance the accuracy ofthe descriptions with the complexity of the botanical concepts. BOTASCOPIA strives for data traceability and citation of the essential references is arequirement. As output, all the data entered areavailable online and a subsample can be assembled into nice-looking and illustrated pdf sheets.
Initially a pedagogical tool, BOTASCOPIA evolution
is now directed towards broader accessibility andshould ultimately be part of a larger naturalistic
package that will include customizable Bayesian-inference based identification keys. Continual
enhancements in structure and interface cater to
BOTASCOPIA usability, promising a robust resourcefor botanical education and research.

Learning plant names is usually considered as acomplex and long process, which is even more complex when additional information is added (such as
plant size, flowering period, leaf deciduousness, …).
We present the produce of our reflexions in the formof a database associated with a quiz generator,
called TEPIK (for Test of Plant Identification and Knowledge). These reflexions have been done with thesupport of various professional groups and teachers.
The produced tool, considered as a complement toteaching with living material, consist in a databasefed by certified and free or licensed data. The main
feeding sources are eflore from Tela Botanica andFloriscope from Plante&Cité. Selection of the current
taxa is based on wild and commercial frequency
but any new taxa may be added if needed. For eachtaxa (more than 4000 are currently included) various
characteristics and numerous pictures are present.
Each picture is tagged in such way that the part ofthe plant presented is known by the system. Difficulty parameters are also implemented, whether they
rely on the plant (i.e.,some plant parts are more difficult to recognise), on questions (open questions are
more difficult that single-choice questionnaire) oron information tested (knowing common name lessdifficult to learn than soil type). Teachers can generate sets of questions on a precise list of plants, withmore or less detailed parameters in order to provide
quiz to their students. In addition, thoughts on learning progression are currently developed with Bayesian Knowledge Tracing in order to follow and predict
knowledge acquisition.

S.72.6 Breaking the negative
trend: Can iNaturalist help
boost species knowledge?

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Stina Weststrand1,2, Åsa Krüger1,2
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In Sweden, as in many other countries, species
knowledge is in decline. There are fewer specialists
to teach the next generation and to update floras
and keys. We need to use everything we can to help
turn this trend around! Engage the general public aswell as students at all levels. iNaturalist is a powerfultool in citizen science, such as a bioblitz or inventory competitions. Not only will people get a proposed
species name for their observation, they will also be
adding valuable data that later can be used in research. When scientists and other experts help identify the observations, a valuable direct link between
the scientific community and the public is created.
The project function in iNaturalist is a usable asset
in for example a floristics course and will make datafrom inventory projects accessible to the community. We show examples from both a bioblitz for thegeneral public and a floristics course at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

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Symposia Session 5
S.73 PLANT RESPONSES TO STRESSES AND
CLIMATE CHANGE. SESSION 3
S.73.1 An overview on the“multi-tasking” enzyme
phytochelatin synthase inplantsin terms of microbe-triggered-immunity. Advancesin the overall area of knowledge on PCS may wellhelp clarify the evolutionary history and function(s)of this ubiquitous and partly mysterious “multi-tasking” enzyme.

Luigi Sanita’ di Toppi1

S.73.2 Growth, antioxidative
defense, and yield
responses of four pearl
millet cultivars underelevated UV-B radiation

1 Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Italy
My contribution deals, in an evolutionary perspective, with “traditional” and new roles of the phytochelatin synthase enzyme (PCS), the functions ofwhich still appear shrouded in a degree of mystery.
I illustrate and discuss the five main key-points thatcharacterize this peculiar “multi-tasking” enzyme
in plants: 1) PCS is a “papain-like” Clan CA cysteine peptidase; in particular, the eukaryotic PCS is a
gamma-glutamylcysteine-dipeptidyl-(trans)peptidase. 2) PCS is constitutively expressed in plants,
algae, lichen chlorophyte photobionts, as well as
in other eukaryotes, such as Fungi, some Animalia
and Amoebozoa, SAR (especially Bacillariophyceae
and Phaeophyta) and, more rarely, Excavata. Moreover, prokaryotic PCSs, which possess significant sequence homologies with those of plants, have been
identified in cyanobacteria and in some proteobacteria. 3) Through its transpeptidasic products – i.e.,the metal(loid)-binding oligopeptides named phytochelatins (PCn) – PCS detoxifies toxic heavy metals
and metalloids (e.g., cadmium, lead, mercury, arsenic, etc.), but can also help regulate the homeostaticneeds of metal micronutrients such as iron, zinc, andcopper. 4) Being a peptidase (see point 1), PCS can
also hydrolyze GSH and GS-conjugated xenobiotics
in the cytosolic environment through the cleavageof glycine from GSH. The GS-conjugation capacity ofplant PCSs is a feature also detected in prokaryotic
PCSs, and the breakdown of GS-conjugates may
accordingly be considered a primigenial function of
PCS, perhaps older than the biosynthesis of PCn. 5)
Lastly, a yet limited number of experimental works
is increasingly highlighting the importance of PCS inplant defence against phytopathogens, essentially

Pooja Singh1, Krishna Kumar Choudhary1*
Department of Botany, MMV, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi-221005, India. *kkc@bhu.ac.in
Ultraviolet (UV-B) radiation is a well-known potent stress factor on this Earth’s surface caused bystratospheric ozone depletion, which alters morphological, physiological, cytological, and biochemical
traits in plants. However, its impact on underutilized
plant species such as pearl millet is less exploredand further, the question of global food security
under climate-changing scenarios can be ascertained. This encouraged the present study to investigate the effects of elevated UV-B (eUV-B) radiation (ambient+7.2 kJm-2d-1) on four cultivars of
pearl millet (HHB-272, HHB-67, MPMH-21 and MPMH17) during May to August 2023 under ambient conditions in the Indo-Gangetic plains of India. Maximum increase in plant height (20%), no. of leaves(31.2%), leaf area (35.4%), and panicle length (60%)
was recorded in HHB-272 at grain-filling stage (GFS).
Superoxide radicals were initially higher in MPMH21(47.3%), MPMH-17(28.6%) at panicle development
stage (PDS), but later decreased by 35.5%, and 15.3%
at GFS. To counter oxidative stress, maximum increase in SOD activity was recorded only at PDS in
MPMH-21(35.9%), MPMH-17(34.8%), while declined in
all the tested cultivars at GFS. Highest phenolic andflavonoid contents was reported at GFS in MPMH-

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21(97.2%, 41.7%), and MPMH-17(6.9%,14.9%), respectively. Oxidative damage in terms of malondialdehyde(MDA) content was significantly higher in MPMH21(46.3%), and MPMH-17(25%), while declined at GFS
due to increased phenolic and flavonoid contents,
respectively. Yield of tested cultivars was not adversely affected under eUV-B in an ambient tropicalcondition, but the response varied between them.
Grain yield (g m-2) increased significantly in HHB272(30.2%), HHB-67(55.8%), MPMH-21(83.3%), and
MPMH-17(28.6%), respectively. Further investigations
are required to assess the impact of elevated UV-B
on grain quality characteristics that will be helpful
to address the question of food security as well as
malnutrition challenges.

S.73.3 Disturbance andnutrient enrichment impacts
on plant community
dynamics: contributions to a
global study
Lydia R. O’Halloran1, Justin Robbins1,
Thomas O’Halloran1
1 Baruch Institute of Coastal Ecology and Forest Science-Clemson University, Georgetown, South Carolina, USA
Herbaceous-dominated ecosystems are foundthroughout the world in diverse locations that differ
in their climate and edaphic factors. This is reflected
in a wide range of annual above- and belowgroundbiomass production, plant diversity and canopy
density between these ecosystems. Our study aims
to understand how nutrient availability and disturbance impact soil trace gas fluxes and how thisrelates to plant species relative abundance, diversity, and annual aboveground production. Here,
we present data on herbaceous-dominated ecosystems found in coastal South Carolina, USA. This
study is part of a global network (DRAGNet) of herbaceous-dominated ecosystem study sites distributed globally using identical protocols for treatment
application and data collection. We found the relationship between plant species diversity and aboveground biomass production varies. Abovegroundbiomass and accumulated litter were not correlated, suggesting that the drivers for carbon assimilation and decomposition are different. The combination of disturbance and nutrient enrichment leadto greater CO2 and CH4 fluxes, while the relationshipbetween N2O and the treatments is less clear. This
research will serve as the foundation for future research on how nutrients and soil disturbance interact with the amount of carbon assimilation, andif some species show trait variation in response tothese treatments in different regions of the world.

S.73.4 Enhancing crop
production in acidic soil
by mitigating aluminium
toxicity
Bhumi N. Tripathi1, Vijetna Singh1, Babita
Chaudhary1, Rimjhim Joshi1
1 Department of Biotechnology, Indira Gandhi National Tribal University, Amarkantak, 484887, Madhya Pradesh, India
Wheat is a globally significant staple grain crop due
to its high nutritional content and adaptability toa variety of agroclimatic situations. Wheat output
must rise on current agricultural acreage to avoid
agricultural expansion. Most wheat-growing locations face soil restrictions, including acidity, whichhinders crop productivity. Due to excessive usageof ammonium-containing fertilizers and acid rain,
30-40% of global arable soil is acidified. Aluminum(Al) toxicity limits plant development in acidic soil.
In Raj 3077, an Al-resistant wheat genotype, an antioxidant defense mechanism against Al-induced
oxidative damage and external malate detoxification provides Al-resistance. Raj 4120 (Al-sensitive) inhibited growth more than Raj 3077. Both genotypes’roots were tested for lipid peroxidation and H2O2
concentration. These indicators were greater in Raj
4120 shoots, indicating oxidative stress. Antioxidant
enzymes as SOD (EC 1.15.1.9), CAT (EC 1.11.1.6), and APX(EC 1.11.1.11) protected Raj 3077 against Al-induced
oxidative damage. Inefficient antioxidant enzyme
activity in Raj 4120’s roots indicated severe oxidative
damage and a greater number of harmful Al ionstranslocated to the shoot, creating Al stress there.
Interestingly, Raj 4120’s shoot had more CAT activity
than Raj 3077, but it wasn’t adequate to counteract
Al-induced reactive oxygen species. Raj 3077 hadstronger malate efflux and ALMT gene expression
than Raj 4120. The root length of Raj 3077 seedlings
was especially reduced by niflumic acid, an anion
channel inhibitor, suggesting that malate detoxification is needed for root Al-resistance. Al-induced
antioxidant defense and external malate detoxifying
mechanisms help Raj 3077 cope with Al toxicity.

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S.73.5 Diversity in tree
hydraulic drought tolerance
promotes temporal stability
in forests
Raúl García-Valdés1, José V. RocesDíaz2,3,4, Miquel de Cáceres2, Adrià
Descals2, Pilar Hurtado2, Francisco Lloret2,5,
Josep Maria Espelta2, José ManuelÁlvarez-Martínez6, Enric Batllori Presas7,
Jordi Martínez-Vilalta2,5
1 Department of Biology, Geology, Physics and Inorganic Chemistry, School of Experimental Sciences and Technology, Rey Juan Carlos University,
Móstoles, Madrid, Spain. 2 CREAF, Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Catalonia, Spain. 3 Smart-Forests Research Group, Department of Organisms
and Systems Biology, University of Oviedo, Mieres,España 4. Biodiversity Research Institute IMIB, Spanish Research Council CSIC – University of Oviedo –Principado de Asturias, Mieres, Spain. 5 UniversitatAutònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra (Cerdanyola
del Vallès), Catalonia, Spain. 6 Environmental Hydraulics Institute “IH Cantabria”, University of Cantabria, PCTCAN, Santander, Spain 7. Departamentde Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona,
Barcelona, Spain.
Forest biomass productivity is essential for climate
functioning and for providing other services to humankind. This productivity, however, is not constant,and it fluctuates between years due to variationsin climate and the intrinsic characteristics of tree
communities. At the same time, climate change isrising temperatures and climate variability around
the World, increasing forest vulnerability to drought,
and compromising the stability of forest functioning
and services. It is therefore important to understandwhat factors drive the stability in forest productivity. We explored how tree community characteristics(local climate, vegetation structure and drought-related traits) affected the stability of 40k permanent
forest plots across Spain. We used two decadesof productivity-related satellite indices (NDVI and
EVI) for measuring forest productivity stability, andstand-level data derived from the Spanish National Forest Inventory for measuring tree community structure (maturity and tree density) and mean
and diversity of hydraulic drought tolerance traits(P50 and HSM). We found that there are complex
interactions determining the patterns of stability, including direct and indirect effects of environmental variables, vegetation structure and tree species

drought adaptations. Forests showed higher stability with higher water availability, its stability in time,stand development and density of trees. We also
found solid evidence that tree community diversity in hydraulic drought tolerance favoured stability.
Results indicated that this diversity influences both,the mean of productivity (positively) and its standard deviation (negatively). Mean drought tolerance at the community level showed a less clear(but mostly negative) effect on stability. These results suggest that drought-related functional diversification would be a good management strategy
to secure the stable provision of forest ecosystemservices, especially under increasing variability inclimate and intensity of droughts.

S.73.6 Adapting toCompound Climate
Stresses: lessons from two
extremophytes
Isabel Johnson1, Pramod Pantha1,
Kieu Tran1, Richard Garcia1, Maheshi
Dassanayake1
1 Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State
University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA
Agriculture faces increasing challenges from climate change, introducing complex stressors that
reduce crop yields. Rising sea levels and prolonged
droughts drive reliance on salt-contaminated water for irrigation. Additionally, extensive use of synthetic fertilizers elevates CO2 emissions and risks
depleting non-renewable nutrients like phosphorus. As low-nutrient and high-salt soils become
more common, these stresses frequently co-occur,
complicating crop responses. When crops facecombined stressors, their responses are often integrated rather than additive, presenting a novel
challenge. Most stress experiments focus on single
variables, leaving the effects of combined stresses
largely unexplored. Therefore, developing solutions
based on plant biology and genetics to design
stress-resilient crops is increasingly important. Extremophytes, wild plants adapted to multiple environmental stresses, can provide insights into enhancing resilient crop growth. Schrenkiella parvula
and Eutrema salsugineum are extremophyte models in the Brassicaceae family related to Arabidopsis thaliana. Their reference genomes were recently
updated with chromosome-level assemblies. We

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examined genomic, transcriptomic, metabolic, ionomic, and physiological responses of these two
extremophytes to compare their potential adaptive mechanisms in response to high salt and otherstresses. S. parvula often adjusted its root architecture in response to single and compound stresses, while E. salsugineum showed minimal change
in primary root growth under similar stresses, indicating physiological and genetic diversity within
extremophytes in the same family. S. parvula shows
stress-ready transcriptomes, while E. salsugineum
shows stress-ready metabolomes under salt exposure. Additionally, our results identified several anti-oxidant and nutrient recycling pathways active under stress conditions in each species. These studies
in extremophytes suggest how key genes in stressresponse pathways may function differently promoting stress-resilient traits, synchronized acrossdevelopmental stages and tissues, distinguishingextremophytes from stress-sensitive plants. Understanding the genetic mechanisms of these adaptive traits can significantly influence current andfuture crop development strategies, with extremophytes offering a valuable genetic resource fortransformative crop design.

S.74 ADVANCES IN PHYLOGENOMICS AND
SYSTEMATICS OF THE BRASSICACEAE. SESSION 1
S.74.1 The Brassicaceae thenand now -Advancements inthe past two decades
Ihsan A. Al-Shehbaz1
1 Plant Science Department, Missouri Botanical
Garden, St. Louis, USA
It is generally agreed that the systematic and phylogenetic relationship within the mustard family (Brassicaceae or Cruciferae) is one of the best known among
all of the medium- and large-sized families of vascular plants. One of its species, Arabidopsis thaliana, became the model organism of flowering plants about
two decades before it entire genome was sequenced
in December 2000. The most rewarding developments
in systematic botany started when a handful of European and American geneticists, together with theirstudents and others, focused from early to middle
1990’s on the study of variation of a single chloroplast
gene (e.g., rbcl), chloroplast restriction-site variation,or nuclear ITS in several species of a given genus orseveral genera and assessed the phylogenetic implications of their data on systematic relationships andcharacter evolution. Those pioneering studies led in2006 to the first phylogenetic tribal classification of theBrassicaceae based on the single chloroplast genes
ndhF, in which 25 monophyletic tribes were recognizedbased on a sample of 113 species in 101 genera. That
study, together with a global phylogeny of the family
based on the internal transcribed spacer (ITS), were
the foundation on which based are subsequent studies in the following 17 years that led to the most robustand best available classification of the family using
thousands of genes. After 57 years of research on the
Brassicaceae, I summarize the major advancementin the phylogenetics and systematic relationships ofthe family within the past few decades. Brief comparisons of the limits of tribes, genera, and species between what was then and now are presented. Finally,a handful of features that apparently evolved once inthe history of the family as we know it now.

S.74.2 Resolving theevolutionary historyof Arabideae using
phylogenetic placement
Nora Walden1, Christiane Kiefer, Marcus A.
Koch
1 Department of Biodiversity and Plant Systematics,
Centre for Organismal Studies, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
The Arabideae represent the largest Brassicaceae tribe
with ~550 species in 18 genera, among them eponymous Arabis and the large genus Draba with over
400 species. Polyploidy is prevalent in the tribe, withploidy levels up to hexadecaploid, and hybridization
is hypothesized to be common. Previous phylogenetic
studies have identified larger clades consistently, butfailed to provide resolution at the species level, in partlikely due to the presence of paralogs remaining frompast whole-genome duplications (WGDs) and hybrid-

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izations. We have developed a concept and workflow
to infer polyploidization status from target enrichment
data and reconstruct the evolutionary history of the
taxa of interest using evolutionary placement of paralogs into a diploid reference tree. This method allows
us to use information from paralogs despite multiple
rounds of WGD and hybridization. Our results provide
a solid backbone phylogeny for the Arabideae andpinpoint the ancestral lineages involved in past hybridizations. Within Draba, we found strong evidence
that one of three main evolutionary lineages originated from hybridization between the other two lineages,
with subsequent hybridizations giving rise to further
subclades. In total we identified 68% of our samples
as ancient polyploids and clustered them in over 40
clades with different patterns of paralog placement,suggesting independent or additional WGDs and hybridization events. Our study highlights the need fornovel approaches to phylogenomics in clades withcomplex evolutionary histories.

S.74.3 Exploring massive
parallel evolution towards
derived woodiness in the
Brassicaceae
Kasper P. Hendriks1,2, Ihsan A. Al-Shehbaz3,
Dmitry A. German4, C. Donovan Bailey5,
Andreas Franzke6, Christiane Kiefer7, Marit
Kuijt1, Marcus A. Koch6, Martin A. Lysak8,
Sander van Zon1, Alexandre R. Zuntini9,
Klaus Mummenhoff2, Frederic Lens1
1 Functional Traits, Naturalis Biodiversity Center,
Leiden, The Netherlands. 2 Department of Biology,
Botany, University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany. 3 Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, USA.
4 South-Siberian Botanical Garden, Altai State University, Barnaul, Russia. 5 Department of Biology,
New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, USA. 6 Heidelberg Botanic Garden, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany. 7 Centre for Organismal Studies, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany. 8
CEITEC–Central European Institute of Technology,
Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic. 9 Royal
Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, UK
Flowering plants are characterized by a great variation
in woody and non-woody (i.e., herbaceous) growthforms. The first flowering plants were woody, but many
lineages evolved into herbaceous species. Interestingly, roughly 700 lineages turned back towards a state ofphylogenetically derived woodiness. This remarkablecase of massive convergent evolution has baffled sci-

entists since Darwin. Recent studies suggest drought
as a main driving force, leading to a ‘drought hypothesis’. We study the mustard family (Brassicaceae; ~4,000
species), which alone represents one out of seven of
all woodiness shifts in flowering plants, making it theperfect model family to understand woodiness evolution. We recently developed a protocol to sequence>1,000 nuclear genes from herbarium specimens, allowing the reconstruction of a robust, time-calibrated
Brassicaceae Tree of Life (BrassiToL). This phylogenetic
framework will be essential to identify all ~100 woodiness shifts, thereby generating a powerful framework
to test for an evolutionary link between woodiness andthe environment. Here, we present our initial results, including a robust BrassiToL of over half the family’s species, with a focus towards ‘woody tribes’ like Anastaticeae, Heliophileae, and Lepidieae. Our first analyses ofwoodiness evolution suggest that drought is correlated with woodiness in at least several of the family’stribes, including Brassiceae and Alysseae. However, wefound other factors to also correlate with woodiness,
including UV intensity (Arabideae, Brassiceae, Thelypodieae) and aseasonality (Alysseae, Descurainieae,
Erysimeae). In the face of global warming and periods of prolonged drought, understanding how plants
cope with drought is essential, warranting a thoroughassessment of the drought hypothesis.

S.74.4 Eco-physiologicalfeatures of C3-C4
Moricandia african clade: arange of within-individual
phenotypic plasticities
Cristina Armas1, Adela González-Megías2,
Francisco Perfectti2, Luis Navarro3,
Eduardo Narbona4, José M. Gómez1,2
1 Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (EEZA-CSIC), Almería, Spain. 2 Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain. 3 Universidad de Vigo, Vigo,
Spain. 4 Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Sevilla, Spain
The majority of plant species on Earth employ C3 photosynthesis. However, more than a quarter of the assimilated CO2 by C3 species can be lost later to photorespiration, which is exacerbated in hot and arid conditions.
In response, some plant lineages have evolved carbon
concentrating mechanisms to improve net carbon assimilation, either re-assimilating the CO2 released byphotorespiration (the uncommon C3–C4 intermediates) or directly inhibiting it (C4 species). There are no240

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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 theWestern Mediterranean, where they are able to growand bloom not only in spring but also during the hot,bright and dry summer, displaying phenotypic plasticity in different functional traits. Phenotypic plasticity, theability of a genotype to produce alternative phenotypes
when exposed to different environments, is pivotal tounderstand 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 machineryof 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 ofchloroplasts across leaf cells, and in their CO2 compensation points, all point to different abilities to capture, concentrate and re-assimilate the CO2 releasedby photorespiration. Compared to C3 species, C3-C4
congeners show improved net carbon assimilation inhigh photorespiration environments, allowing them toextend their productivity, flowering and production of
viable seeds during the harsh season, when most otherco-occurring C3 plants are inactive and dormant.

S.74.5 Comparative
analysis of ancient genome
triplication and diversificationof photosynthesis in
Brassicaceae andCleomaceae
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 morphologicalinnovation of the Brassica vegetables. We have examined the contribution of independent WGT in Gynandropsis gynandra (Cleomaceae) and to high ratesof photosynthetic assemiliation in Hirshfeldia incana(a close relative of Brassica crops). Namely, we havemade chromosome-level assemblies of both spe-

cies 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 tothe evolution of the photosynthetic capacity of these
two semi-desert/Mediterranean climate species.

S.74.6 Multispecies
single-cell transcriptome
integration in the modelclade 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, whichallows 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, oursingle-cell floral atlas of Arabidopsis thaliana, we havegenerated 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 ofdiverse 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 uncovershared nodes and modules, as well as to identify unique
network motifs, which may underlie phenotypic divergences. We further focus on the nectary secretory cellto study the contributions of phylogenetic distance anddrift 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.

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S.75 IAWA SYMPOSIUM - THE CONTRIBUTION
OF WOOD IN FOREST: FROM WOOD DYNAMICS
TO TRAIT DIVERSITY AND CARBON GAINS
S.75.1 Inter- and intragrowth ring variations ofwood carbon fractions in
Pinus tabuliformis

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 togain a deeper understanding of the patterns, causes, and potential adaptive significance of chemical
traits in forests.

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 incarbon (C) neutrality. Carbon fraction (CF) of trees isessential 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 interand 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 thisstudy. Elemental analysis was performed to obtain
CF values of the earlywood and latewood in eachgrowth 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 heartwoodand sapwood, as well as between juvenile wood andmature wood. CF values decreased nonlinearly withcambium 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 andmature wood are important to estimate the C stockof P. tabuliformis. Our research provides insights into
C gains for forest management and wood utilization. To better understand the impact of forests on

S.75.2 Spatial organizationand connectivity of woodrays in Pinus massoniana
xylem based on highresolution 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 Jianzhu 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 cellsize. 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

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rays. Moreover, three different types of pits for connectivity 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-foldlarger 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 axialtracheids. Additionally, spatial organization of rays
and axial resin canal was analyzed by a curved surface reformation tool, providing the first evidenceof rays close to epithelial cells inwards through theresin canal. Epithelial cells had various morphologies and large variations in cell size. Our results givenew insights into the organization of radial systemof xylem, especially the connectivity of rays with adjacent cells. Furthermore, the diversified structure in
the forestry will be better understood and target thegoal of carbon neutrality for human society.

S.75.3 Climate change
and forest vulnerability:
environmental signals intree-rings of Mediterraneanwoods
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 directmodification of plant growth and physiologicalbehaviour, 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 lastyears, the key role of quantitative wood anatomy in understanding tree acclimation has been
more and more recognised, considering that thelargest part of global vegetation biomass depends on a thin layer of cells, namely the vascular cambium, whose functioning determines thevariability of wood traits. The latter have impact
on tree eco-physiological behaviour, given thatthe limits of metabolic and physiological accli-

mation are ultimately regulated by the physics ofthe plant’s structure. A focus is dedicated to study
cases conducted on tree and shrub species inMediterranean ecosystems which are particularly
vulnerable to climate change. The increase in thefrequency of extreme events, such as severe andprolonged drought periods, will likely induce plastic adaptive responses in Mediterranean species,
thus affecting plant growth, health, and productivity of forestry systems, with consequences onbiogeochemical cycles and ecosystem services.
Main findings are discussed regarding xylogenesis and anatomical traits of Mediterraneanwoods, both under natural and semi-controlled
conditions, to unravel signals hidden in treerings, as intra-annual-density-fluctuations. Indeed, a correct functional interpretation of suchsignals must be guided by the study of xylogenesis, which helps relate intra-ring variation of traits
with intra-seasonal environmental variations. Understanding how the plants have reacted to pastenvironmental changes can help understanding
their plasticity and forecasting their responses
to future changes, to evaluate possible consequences on ecosystems.

S.75.4 A theoretical
approach to study the
relative importance ofsource and sink controls on
annual wood growth andanatomical traits
Fabrizio Cartenì1, Aleksandr Bobrovskikh1,2,Francesco Giannino1, Stefano Mazzoleni1
1 Department of Agricultural Sciences, Universityof Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy .2 Laboratory of
Plant Growth Biomechanics, Institute of Cytology
and Genetics Siberian Branch of Russian Academyof Sciences (SB RAS), Novosibirsk, Russia
Understanding the physiological mechanisms behind plant responses to environmental cues is crucial to assess the effect of global climate changes
on forests. In this context, it is important to comprehend the extent to which wood growth is limitedby either the availability of carbon sources or by
the activity of the sink itself, i.e.,the vascular cambium. Carbohydrates are produced by photosynthesis and allocated to vascular cambium throughsource-sink dynamics between competing sinks243

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such as primary and secondary meristems in bothshoots and roots. The vascular cambium is also
directly affected by two main environmental factors, temperature and water availability. Here we
present an original process-based modular modelling framework focusing on annual wood growth
incorporating the main source and sink dynamics.
A first module computes soil water availability andcarbohydrates produced by photosynthesis, using
temperature and rainfall inputs. A second module estimates the vegetative phenology of primarysinks, both above- and below-ground, and allocates the remaining available carbon resources tosecondary growth. Finally, a wood growth module
computes the dynamics of cambial cells’ divisions
and xylem differentiation as a function of three external controlling factors: available carbohydrates,
temperature, and water stress. The model outputs
are the number of xylem cells produced throughthe season, the main anatomical traits of thesecells (i.e., lumen area and wall thickness), overallwood radial growth and earlywood to latewood ratio. Model simulations are performed under different environmental conditions, representing a wide
range of world climates, and the results are analysed and compared with general observed trendsof tree ring characteristics. The emergence of Intra-Annual Density Fluctuations (IADFs) is also observed. The model approach seems promising, allowing for a better understanding of the dynamics
of wood growth and carbon sequestration in forest
ecosystems by an in-depth understanding of thebalance between primary and secondary growth.

S.75.5 Is the history ofDipterocarpaceae written in
the wood?

family nomenclature, uncertainties persist, particularly regarding the placement of certain taxa, suchas the largest genera Shorea or Dipterocarpus. Simultaneously, emerging data supports the hypothesis of an African origin for the family, underscoring
the need for insights from the fossil record to addresspersistent questions. In the case of Dipterocarpaceae, wood constitutes the predominant fossil remains.
A question consequently raises: how accurate recognition and identification of Dipterocarpaceae
taxa can be? The question is especially relevant as acertain degree of link between wood anatomy andphylogeny was previously acknowledged. However,comprehensive studies about the wood anatomy ofDipterocarpaceae have been scarce, if not absent
since the 1960s, posing limitations on contemporaryinterpretations. We explore the potentials and limitations of the integrated study of wood through examples from both extant and fossil specimens. Emphasizing the necessity of accounting for inter- andintrataxa variability, strengthening the correlation
between wood anatomy, phylogeny, and biogeographical history, and reevaluating the fossil recordin light of current, more nuanced knowledge, arepivotal considerations.

S.75.6 Vascular cambium
and wood characteristics ofstem 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

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 understood. While recent refinements have enhanced ourunderstanding of phylogenetic relationships and244

1 Department of Bioscience and Territory, University of Molise, Pesche, Italy. 2 Hans Em Faculty ofForest Sciences, Landscape Architecture and Environmental Engineering, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, Skopje, North Macedonia.
3 Department of Wood Science and Technology,
Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia. 4 School of Engineering and Applied
Sciences, National University of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. 5 College of Agriculture and Life
Science, Chungnam National University, Daejeon,South Korea. 6 Department of Biotechnology andLife Science, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy

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The Joint Korea-Mongolia Green Belt Project relieson 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 lastwood increment, earlywood, and latewood xylemarea) as a response to 12 combinations of irrigationand fertilization treatments, both in the stem and theroot. The vascular cambium characteristics and thelength 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 possibilityof 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 andthe highest irrigation regime. In both species, thetreatments 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, inboth stem and root, could be of value for species
and management selection, which are linked withafforestation 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 ofSouth Africa
Ronell R. Klopper1,2, M. Marianne le Roux1,3and 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 theearly 1970s. Initially the database only contained thetaxonomic 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 resultof Target 1 of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation—to produce an online World Flora by 2020—thefloristic data content of the Botanical Database ofSouthern Africa (BODATSA) was greatly expanded tocontribute to the World Flora Online (WFO) throughthe 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 forcompiling the e-Flora. However, liberating publishedtreatments were a stumbling block in the initial stagesof the project, until a custom plug-in was created to
extract information from publications and format it forimport into BODATSA, from where it was published to
the WFO. The Plazi workflow offers a similar, althoughmore 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 andenhancing the taxonomic backbone and e-Flora ofSouth Africa. We present our experiences, tools, andworkflows used to integrate data from Plazi databases
into our taxonomic backbone and floristic database,as well provide recommendations to taxonomists tofacilitate easier data liberation.

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S.76.2 Using linked
publications as the evidencebase for the World Flora
Online Plant List

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

Roger Hyam1
1 Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
The World Flora Online (WFO) Plant List is a collaboratively built, consensus classification of the vascularplants 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 ayear 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; nomenclaturaland taxonomic. Nomenclatural publications include
the original place of publication but also publications
associated with other nomenclatural acts such as
lectotypification. Taxonomic publications are used tojustify 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 caseoutside 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 approachand the challenges we face are described.

S.76.3 Beyond the PDF:
semantic publishing as
gateway to the resources
about biodiversity
Laurence Bénichou1,2

The core mission of Natural History Institutions is to contribute to the understanding of the natural world and todisseminate 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 facedrastic changes and adapt their workflows economically (with a mandate for open access) and technically(with a need to comply with FAIR principles). As scientificand public institutions, NHIs have to ensure research tobe easily accessible, interoperable and reusable to facilitate new research. The traditional way of publishingtaxonomy and floras is still predominant and does notallow 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 thuslink) all essential parts of the information. Based on asingle-source publishing model, the XML file enables toautomatically 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 highquality-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 paperand 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 inbillions of statements in an estimated daily growing
corpus of 500 million published pages including all246

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the known taxa. All statements are linked by taxonomic names, thus playing a key role in organizing
this knowledge, and to access it. Traditionally accesshas been through the citation of a publication. In thedigital age, direct access to the cited statement,such as to taxonomic treatment, material citation,
figure, or trait as FAIR (Findable Accessible, Interoperable, Reuseable) data is possible and desirable,
especially to leverage the power of machines, andto enable artificial intelligence applications to support research and other usages. A way to make thishappen is to annotate the texts with terms that describe the content, such as taxonomic name, collector, material citation, taxonomic treatment for whichreference vocabularies exist such as Darwin Core or
Taxpub/JATS. In a more advanced step, terms canbe 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 literaturethat is currently not accessible digitally. In this presentation an introduction to annotations is provided,
and the workflow and access developed by Plazi toannotate 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 inthe biodiversity PMC.

S.77 PATTERNS AND PROCESSES DRIVING
CLIFF PLANT COMMUNITIES: APPROACHESFOR THE CONSERVATION OF ENDEMIC CLIFF
FLORA. SESSION 1
S.77.1 Unravelling
evolutionary events thatshaped plant life in cliff
habitats: the Iberian
endemic genus Petrocoptis(Caryophyllaceae)
Jorge Calvo-Yuste1,2, M. Montserrat
Martínez-Ortega1,2, Teresa MalvarFerreras2, 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 Pirenaicode Ecología (CSIC), Jaca, Spain. 5 Aranzadi Societyof Sciences, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain.
Cliffs are fragmented environments that host agreat diversity of specialist plant taxa, often withnarrow 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 Petrocoptis A. Braun ex
Endl. (Caryophyllaceae), a genus of chasmophytic plants endemic to the limestone cliffs and overhangs of the northern Iberian Peninsula. In order totry to shed light on the evolutionary processes that
may have contributed to shape vascular plant lifeon 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, whichevidences very limited seed dispersal, strong isolation and vicariance, even at population level. The
nuclear phylogeny does not generally show such astrong geographic pattern, probably due to higher
pollen flow, and supported most of the previous-

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ly accepted taxa. The integration of morphological
data further contributes to support the idea thathigh phenotypic plasticity may be a key strategy forlong term survival of lineages. Finally, we discuss thepotential 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 narrowendemic chasmophyteŽiva 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 deBarcelona), Barceloma, 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 northwestern Adriatic region. Our research focused on
examining the population biology of the species bystudying 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. Ourinvestigation considered various factors, such as
the coefficient of inbreeding, population size, seed
weight, pollen-to-ovule ratio, flower display size, andthe 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 withboth seed weight and pollen production. Although aselfing syndrome could not be confirmed due to themajority of selfing resulting from allogamous treatments, the occurrence of selfing was notable. In thepresence of M. muscosa, particularly in a closely coexisting site, a distinct pattern of fruit production wasobserved 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 ofevolutionary diversificationin 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 ofthese ecosystems. For millions of years, cliffs havebeen acting as climatic and ecological refugia foran 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-

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finity and relevant functional traits from a phylogenetic perspective. We extracted a list of 1,398
Iberian taxa of vascular plants potentially inhabiting cliffs from the reference work for the flora of thestudy area, Flora iberica. To evaluate their degreeof cliff-affinity, we contacted 94 experts. A total of
32% of the taxa had cliffs as their preferred habitat and we confirmed that 127 species (9%) growexclusively on cliffs. As cliff-specialist plants may
present a series of efficient strategies and traits tosurvive in cliffs, we also gathered different ecologically relevant traits for all species, including plantsize, seed-size, flowering period, and altitude rangeof 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 investigated the effect that the degree of affinity has on the
different relevant traits under a phylogenetic perspective. Our contribution present and discuss theresulting phylogenetic patterns, helping to improvethe understanding of the processes leading to cliff
specialization in Iberian flora, and unravelling evolutionary divergences in cliff ecosystems.

S.77.4 Ecology on the rocks:
stories from cliff faces in thesoutheastern 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) area biodiversity hotspot for North America, but little
is known about regional cliff biota. Many factors
shape cliff vegetative communities, including natural variation in slope and surface heterogeneity,and anthropogenic disturbances like rock climbing.
However, the interaction between abiotic variability
and anthropogenic pressures is largely uneplored.
The Southern Appalachian Cliff Coalition (SACC),
based in western North Carolina, has been investigating cliff ecosystems of the Blue Ridge since1997. Much of this work remains unpublished. This
talk outlines results from three important SACC cliff
studies of cliff vegetation and the impact of rockclimbing. 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, Universityof Balearic Islands, Palma, Spain. 2 Interdisciplinary
Ecology Group, Department of Biology, Universityof the Balearic Islands, Palma de Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain. 3 Plant & Animal Ecology Lab.
Centro para la Conservación de la Biodiversidad yel Desarrollo Sostenible, Universidad Politécnica deMadrid, Madrid, Spain.
The study of cliff ecology has long revealed the richbiodiversity of these habitats and their susceptibility to climate change. Similarly, island ecosystems
are recognized for their unique biodiversity andhigh rates of endemism but are also significantly
impacted by human activities. This research focuses on the intersection of these two areas: the uniqueand 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 factorsthat shape these habitats. Using the WorldClim database, we projected future changes in spatial distribution. Our findings highlight the mountains andcoasts 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 inthe mountain ranges where habitat suitability ishigh but will decrease or disappear in other lessfavourable areas between 2021 and 2040. By 20812100, the only areas predicted to be well-suited forcliff vegetation are the high-elevation mountains
north of Mallorca. These findings underscore thevulnerability of these habitats to climate change,
particularly their susceptibility to aridity and thestrict 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 climate change. This research contributes to our understanding of the spatial distribution and vulner-249

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

S.77.6 Climate change andthe future of cliff specialist
plantsTejero 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 Diputaciónde 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 copewith them. According to many indicators, ourplanet 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, germinationand their interaction with climate. All the species
included in the genus showed high viability andin vitro germination rate, a couple of traits thatmight 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 totemperature, and seeds from mothers behaving
contrary to the main population trend were recurrently 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 establishedin 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 theclassification 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. Establishedby 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 thediscussion smoulder on until today. Resolving thefamily-wide phylogeny is the next step to get amore complete picture of the relationships between the included genera and forming tribes aswell as helping to place genera within the order250

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Oral presentationsof 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 amore complete picture, herbarium samples wereused 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 mostcomplete 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 groupand 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, uprightgrassland plants, whereas section Kickxiella aresmall, 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 thesection Antirrhinum. We examined how sharingof genomic structural variants between species
provides insights into the evolutionary history of
the genus. Long read genome sequencing andassembly 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 andused to identify structural variants. Whole genome short read sequences from samples acrossthe genus were mapped to the pangenome todetermine if the identified structural variants areshared by species within an Antirrhinum section.
This allowed us to gain insights into the evolutionof 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 bodyplan, physiology, reproduction, and genome. Yet inmore 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 molecularlevel and beyond have evolved repetitively, including
reduced vegetative bodies, shrunk gene repertoire,
and an abundance of alien genes. Drawing from myprevious 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 phenotypiclevels how repeated losses of photosynthesis in thisfamily have led to convergent evolution in the genome and vegetative architecture. This family contains c.a. 2,300 species spanning the entire spectrumof parasitism from free-living species to non-photosynthetic holoparasites. In particular, I focus on theunderstudied mitochondrial genome and present
the first comparative study of leaf architecture in thisfamily. 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 historyof the figwort family
Scrophulariaceae

251

Tamara Villaverde1, Isabel Larridon2, Toral
Shay3, Rachael M. Fowler4, John H. Chau5,
Richard G. Olmstead6, Isabel Sanmartín7

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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 formuch 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 hemisphereapproximately 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 phylogenyof the genus Phlomoides(Lamiaceae, Lamioideae)1

As currently circumscribed, Phlomoides included
seven traditionally defined genera, making the
genus is the second largest and perhaps mosttaxonomically challenging genus within subfamily Lamioideae (Lamiaceae). The genus has undergone major species radiation in Central Asia,
the Iranian highland, and China. To date, a robustand broad phylogeny of Phlomoides remains absent. Moreover, given the myriad new additions to
the genus, the existing infrageneric classificationneeds 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 abroad taxon sampling of ca. 80% species of thegenus. We employed Maximum likelihood (ML)and Bayesian inference (BI) methods to reconstruct the backbone phylogeny of Phlomoides.
Our results revealed largely congruent topologiesof plastid and nuclear DNA data sets, and six major clades were recognized. Several morphological characters (i.e., the root type, appearance ofbasal leaves, shape of basal and floral leaves, theshape 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

Yue Zhao , Ya-Ping Chen , Bryan Drew ,Orzimat T. Turginov4, Yasaman Salmaki5,
Chun-Lei Xiang1*
1,2

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

3

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 Excellencein Phylogeny of Living Organisms, Department of

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 largestof all orders. Representatives of this order can befound in nearly all ecosystems around the world
and many are well-known for their economic
value. This group presents wide morphologicaland ecological diversity, from aquatic herbs tolarge trees, and even specialised strategies like252

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parasitism and carnivory. This variation alongside convergent evolution has led to a turbulent
taxonomic history, with familial circumscriptions
being constantly redrawn even until the presentday. Understanding the affinities among lineagesof Lamiales has also been challenging, with many
inter- and intrafamilial relationships still unknown.
In light of these issues, there is a need to undertake deeper research on the phylogenetics of Lamiales not only to understand plant evolution but
also to answer questions in related fields such as
biogeography and ecology. Understanding of relationships 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, reticulation and whole genome duplication. Thesebarriers are now being overcome with the help ofmodern high-throughput sequencing strategies,
large-scale nuclear data and more robust phylogenetic methods. Using the most up to date phylogenomic tree of Lamiales, underpinned by thedata produced by the Plant & Fungal Trees of Life
(PAFTOL) project at the Royal Botanic Gardens,
Kew, we establish a new phylogenomic baseline for Lamiales and reassess the boundaries offamilies and infra-familial taxa, with the aim of
produce a synthetic and stable classification of
the order.

S.79 SPATIAL MODELLING OF PLANT NICHESAND 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 JiménezAlfaro1
1 Biodiversity Research Institute IMIB (Univ. OviedoCSIC-Princ. Asturias), Mieres, Spain
Biological invasions are causing massive ecological, social, and economic impacts worldwide.
Understanding the ecological factors that affectthe regeneration of invasive plants is critical to
improving action plans that limit the establishment and dispersal of such species. In this study
we combine Species Distribution Models (SDMs)
with greenhouse experiments to evaluate the regeneration niche of the plant invasive species
pool at the regional scale. The central hypothesis 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 value and optimal conditions for the spread of invasive plants in Europe. With a combination of local
literature, expert knowledge, and evidence fromscientists and managers, we created a complete
list of invasive plant species in the ecoregion (~170
species). We used a hierarchical SDM approachto analyze how environmental predictors affected
habitat suitability for each species. Using occurrence and environmental data from European andglobal databases, we found that climatic and soil
variables were good predictors of habitat suitability. To evaluate the potential regeneration niche,
we combined the habitat suitability estimatesfor each species with extensions of SDMs implementing dispersal constraints into species projections. Dispersal limitation was approached byestimating 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 experiments with the most successful invasive species
to evaluate the effect of temperature, water availability, and plant traits on plant regeneration. We
found the ecological thresholds for germinationand early growth, as well as positive maternal effects on offspring performance.

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S.79.2 Unveiling nichebased responses andpatterns of local occupancy
of dryland species

tions against the empirical data on dryland communities from the BIODESERT dataset and assess theextent to which potentially suitable locations alignwith 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 andthe establishment and sustainability of local populations in drylands, which can ultimately help informing ecosystem-level adaptation strategies toglobal change in extreme environments.

Alejandra Zarzo-Arias1,2,3, Cristina
Ronquillo1, Mario Mingarro1,4, Victoria
Ochoa5, Rubén G. Mateo3,6, Fernando T.
Maestre7,8, Joaquín Hortal1
1 Departamento de Biogeografía y Cambio Global,
Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), Madrid, Spain. 2 Departamento de Biología de Organismos y Sistemas, Facultad de Biología, Universidad
de Oviedo. 3 Departamento de Biología (Botánica),
Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
4 Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (CSIC),
Almería, Spain. 5 Instituto de Ciencias Agrarias(CSIC), Madrid, Spain. 6 Centro de Investigación en
Biodiversidad y Cambio Global (CIBC-UAM), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain. 7 Instituto Multidisciplinar del Estudio del Medio Ramón
Margalef, Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Spain. 8
Departamento de Ecología, Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Spain
Alterations in climate and land use are key driversof global environmental change in drylands. Understanding the responses of dryland biodiversity tothese 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 BIODESERT 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 Grinnellianniches 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 theentire 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, foreach 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 projec-

S.79.3 Species Distribution
Modeling Beyond
Boundaries: A Comparative
Exploration of HierarchicalStrategies
Teresa Goicolea1, Antoine Adde2,3, Olivier
Broennimann2,3, Juan Ignacio GarcíaViñas4, Aitor Gastón4, María José ArocaFernández4, Antoine Guisan2,3, Rubén G.
Mateo1
1 Department of Biology, Universidad Autónoma de
Madrid, Madrid, Spain. 2 Institute of Earth Surface
Dynamics, Faculty of Geosciences and Environment, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland. 3 Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland. 4 ETSIMontes, 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 guidethese 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 andEurope 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 andrecommended species are identified at a spatial
resolution of 250m. Initial results for 108 species ex-254

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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, consideringmodel 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 nichetruncation 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 andextrapolation issues, challenging the reliability of
non-hierarchical predictions. The results, consistentacross 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 GeoPl@ntBERT:
modelling plant species
assemblages andproducing high-resolution
maps of habitat types withlarge language models

puter vision (convolutional neural networks) andnatural 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 alarge database of vegetation plots were used. The
resulting dataset covers over ten thousand different European vascular plant species. All steps arevalidated using a spatial block hold-out procedure(to account for spatial autocorrelation) and reacha high accuracy, as assessed by expert judgement.
GeoPl@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 distributionof plant species
Juliano Sarmento Cabral1,2, Gunnar
Petter3, Anne Lewerentz1,4, Zachary Chu2,
Jana Blechschmidt1, Stefan Fallert1
1 Ecological Modelling, CCTB, University of Wurzburg,
Wurzburg, Germany. 2 School of Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Universityof Birmingham, Birmingham, UK. 3 Soil CompetenceCentre, Bern, Switzerland 4 Institute of Geography
and Geoecology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology(KIT), Karlsruhe, Germany

César Leblanc1,2, Pierre Bonnet2,
Maximilien Servajean3, Alexis Joly1
1 Inria, Zenith, Montpellier, France 2 CIRAD, AMAP,
Montpellier, France. 2 LIRMM, ADVANSE, Montpellier,FranceBiodiversity is under severe pressure, as many different disturbance events threaten organisms withextinction and ecosystems with collapse. Therefore,
species and habitat distribution modelling are increasingly relevant. They aim to quantify the statistical links between environmental covariates andrespectively species or habitat occurrences. Herein,
we introduce GeoPl@ntBERT, a novel framework tomodel species assemblages and produce distribution maps for individual habitats. It leverages a sophisticated deep learning pipeline based on com-

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 thatsimulate agents at lower ecological levels (individuals
or populations) across biogegraphical scales. Here, I
provide an overview on cross-level mechanistic nichemodelling, focusing on recently developed ecological255

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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 andmetacommunities 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 tobiogeographical levels. This is important, as ecologicaland evolutionary dynamics at large scales are difficult
to experiment in real-world systems, but that can betackled 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 hierarchicalspecies 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
1 Department of Ecology and Evolution, Universityof Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland. 2 Centre deBretagne, DYNECO, Laboratoire d’Ecologie Benthique Côtière (LEBCO), IFREMER, Plouzané, France.
3 Department of Biology, Universidad Autónoma
de Madrid, Madrid, Spain. 4 InfoFlora, c/o Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques de Genève, Chambésy-Genève, Switzerland. 5 Swiss Federal Institutefor Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
Species distribution models (SDMs) have become amajor 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 climatechange. SDMs are also based on several assumptions,
one being that to make such temporal projection, thefull realized environmental niche must be captured.
Yet, the niche has a high risk to be truncated if thegeographic – 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
1 University of Padua, Padua, Italy. 2 Botanical 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 andmale 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, pollinationand 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 isready 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 the256

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ovule, at the level of the pollen chamber, and cangerminate. The pollen tube elongates and penetrates into the available gaps among the nucellarcells, and shortly after, it develops a highly branchedhaustorial system that anchors the male gametophyte to the nucellar tissue to absorb nutrients andsurvive during the long time between pollinationand fertilization. In the meantime, the ovule goes
through a process of growth and development, andthe single integument differentiates into the threelayers of the seed coat: sarcotesta, sclerotesta andendotesta. Differently from angiosperms, indeed, theseed coat differentiation precedes the fertilizationand thanks to our analyses, we pointed out that thisprocess is triggered by pollination, highlighting thecritical role of pollen perception and recognition for
the further Ginkgo ovule development. We therefore
believe it is really interesting to understand how theregulation 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 andrepurposing in the evolutionof gymnosperm seeddispersal units

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 indevelopment, and hyaline margins growing into“wings”. Differentially expressed candidate genes inthe 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 matureleaf differentiation program.

S.80.3 Genetic changes
underlying malegametogenesis evolution inland plants

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

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

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 newenvironments, the expansion of geographic ranges
and gene flow. Two broad categories of seed plantseed dispersal units are dry and fleshy. Knowledge ofthe anatomy and developmental genetics of fleshy
diaspores is much advanced in angiosperms compared to gymnosperms. To improve understandingof the development of the accessory structures ofgymnosperm seed dispersal units, we studied theanatomy and histochemistry of seed cone bractsof 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 bothseed cone bract types to pollen cones and leaves
with differential gene expression analysis by RNAseq.

1 State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academyof 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 isconfined to few-celled gametophytes (pollens) andsperm cells are delivered by pollen tube, non-seedplants, including bryophytes, lycophytes, and ferns,
undergo serial well-defined changes between cellfate 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 seedplants arise with evolution of pollen. Taking advan-257

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tage of Marchantia polymorpha, the model bryophyte species, we drive forward our understandingof 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 malegametogenic 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 uniquetransformation from flower
to leafy structures

tional floral reversion highlights its adaptability andgenetic plasticity. This evidence contributes to ourunderstanding 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

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 afast-growing annual herb with hermaphroditic features, part of the Cleomaceae family. Thriving inwarm, humid environments, it prefers full sunlightand is often found in wet soils along roadsides andopen 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 isthe rare floral reversion phenomenon, where floralorgans transform into leafy structures. This implies
that the flower is a modified shoot, activating shootmeristem 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 oranther 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 excep-

Zinc finger transcription factors are conserved ineukaryotes. The C1-1i ZnF–clade is known to act astranscriptional repressors during different developmental processes. Here we elucidate the evolutionof C1-1i 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 andexpression of the flowering
integrator genes AGL24,
SVP, and SOC1 in theendoholoparasitic
Apodanthaceae

258

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 deMedicina, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia. 5 Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Sede
Bogotá, Facultad de Ciencias, Instituto de Ciencias
Naturales, Colombia

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Floral transition is crucial for successful plant reproduction. This is regulated by multiple genetic pathways activated by environmental and endogenous
signals and unified by a limited number of integrators. While floral transitions have been extensively
studied in autotrophic plants, less attention has been
given to endoholoparasitic angiosperms, which lackstems and leaves; thus they cannot sense environmental signals to initiate the floral transition, yet they
still manage to bloom. In this study, we explore how
the Apodanthaceae (a family with 12 endoholoparasitic species) achieve this. To this end, we studied
three key integrators (AGL24, SVP, and SOC1) involvedin 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 andassessed their copy numbers in the reference transcriptomes 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, allof them likely belonging to the host (Dalea cuatrecasasii). We also found three SOC1 copies in P. boyacensis transcriptomes; however, two belonging to its
host, and one likely endogenous. Preliminary datafrom in-situ hybridization in D. cuatrecasasii and P.
boyacensis point to extensive usage of host genes,
especially DacuAGL24A, by the parasite. Conversely, expression of D. cuatrecasasii SVP homologs, theonly 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 Sustainabilityof medicinal plants
gathering in Spain: cultural
importance, availability, andconservation 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 theworld are used, mainly as medicines (25,791) (RBG Kew,2020). The consumption and harvesting of wild medicinal plants are increasing globally, both for self-treatment and for trading. This growing demand is leading

to unmonitored commercial gathering and could resultin the over-harvest of some species. However, the consequences of harvesting on the conservation status of
medicinal wild plants are still barely explored. We haveexamined the relationship between a species’ cultural
importance (CI), availability, conservation status, andlegal protection, to understand how gathering affects
their sustainability. Spain is an ideal case study for thisapproach because of its rich biological and cultural diversity, which have led to a wealth of traditional knowledge about these plants. We found 1,376 species of medicinal 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 andtheir abundance (r = 0.466) and area of occupancy(r = 0.495). Only 6% of the traditionally utilized wild medicinal plants in Spain are considered as endangered,and again, just 6% are totally or substantially subject
to protection measures. In Spain, the majority of thespecies used for self-treatment are widespread, easily
available, and not threatened. Our results indicate thatdomestic medicinal plant use does not lead to overexploitation and that traditional knowledge systems ofmanagement might safeguard the sustainability of thespecies. However, this may not be the case for wild species that are gathered for their commercialization.

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

S.81.3 Current status andfuture perspectives of
ethnobotany in Pakistan

Daniel Lopez Estrada1, Adolfo AndradeCetto2, Michael Heinrich1,3, Hen-Hong
Chang4, Wen-Te Chang1

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

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 beena cornerstone of Mesoamerican ethnobotany, revered in ceremonial and medicinal contexts. This
study delves into the historical and ethnobotanical trajectory of T. erecta, tracing its journey frompre-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 tansy. 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 inpharmacopeias and designation as Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) in the USA signify its dualrole 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 inunderstanding the multifaceted roles of T. erecta. It
underscores the need for sustainable conservation
strategies to preserve traditional uses while fostering modern applications. The global disseminationof T. erecta, intertwined with cultural, historical, andscientific narratives, offers a unique case study inthe broader field of ethnopharmacology, highlighting the dynamic interplay between traditional
knowledge and modern scientific inquiry.

Arshad Mehmood Abbasi1, Arfaa Sabbah1

Ethnobotany is the study of the dynamic relationshipbetween humans and plants that has developed overthousands of years. This particular form of botanicalresearch plays a key role in identifying and preserving traditional knowledge systems, which can lead tothe 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 acountry with diverse ecosystems and rich bio-cultural diversity. A number of ethnobotanical studies havebeen conducted on various ethnolinguistic communities throughout the country, mainly in the northern andnorthern 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 managementof natural resources and the conservation of local biodiversity. Although ethnobotany is an emerging field inPakistan, socio-economic changes, climate change
and habitat destruction are major challenges thatthreaten 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 bioresources. This strategy aims to achieve a more harmonious balance between human activities and theenvironment by incorporating local perspectives into
conservation strategies and policy frameworks. b) Integrating modern technologies such as GIS mappingand molecular analysis to advance ethnobotanicalresearch. Advanced technologies and data analysis
provide opportunities for the systematic documentation and dissemination of ethnobotanical information,
which improves its accessibility and usefulness.

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S.81.4 The traditional
knowledge’s dynamism:
the first ethnobotanicalborder study in Valmalenco(Italy) and Valposchiavo(Switzerland)in Valmalenco and Valposchiavo. At the same time,
homogenization may have occurred between the two
LEKs over time, leading to the sharing of plants andpopular uses.

S.81.5 Is ethnobotanicalknowledge conserved inspace and time? A casestudy in rural Kurdish
communities in IranMartina Bottoni1,2, Fabrizia Milani1,2, Lorenzo
Colombo1,2, Paola S. Colombo1,2, Claudia
Giuliani1,2, Piero Bruschi3, Gelsomina Fico1,2Tahereh Maleki1, Alexander Rudov2,3, Maja
Dal Cero1, Marco Leonti4, Reto Nyffeler1, Ali
Sonboli5, Caroline Weckerle1

1 Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy. 2 Ghirardi Botanic Garden,
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universityof Milan, Brescia, Italy. 3 Department of Agricultural, Environmental, Food and Forestry Science andTechnology, 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-economicchanges. 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 analysesof 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), employedin 10 sectors of use. LEKs 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; sinceancient times, in Valmalenco, the decoction of daneda’s inflorescences (Achillea moschata Wulfen) has
been a daily remedy for dyspepsia disorders, and the
Swiss remember malenca people crossing the frontierduring World War II to harvest its flowers as a source ofincome; elderberry was used in Valmalenco as ink; St.
John’s worth oleolite for otitis as a peculiarity of Swissborder tradition. Despite the same natural environment,socio-economic and historical contexts may have influenced the bio-cultural popularity of traditional uses

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 andseven 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 ofthe last millennium, many Kurds have been resettled
in East and Southeast Iran. Kurds are known for theirrich record of traditional ethnobotanical knowledge. It
is however unknown if the resettled rural Kurdish communities, especially in remote areas under conditionsof cultural assimilation could preserve their original
herbalism. We have collected data in 32 Kurdish ruralcommunities 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 understandconsensus 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

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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 Iranhave 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 illuminatedpreviously neglected histories of missionary scientific activity during the Spanish colonial period. Betweenc.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 andNueva España. This paper investigates the medicinal
plants prescribed in Remedios Fáciles (1712), the mostcomprehensive surviving representation of missionary
medicine during the Spanish period of the Philippines.
Written by Bohemian Jesuit Paul Klein (Hispanicisedname Pablo Clain), this manual of ‘easy remedies’ wasintended 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 botanicalcollections, unpublished manuscripts, missionary notes,
and archival records, we present case studies from
Klein’s manual of Philippine medicinal plant uses fromthe 17th century to the present day and discuss thechallenges of linking historically used medicinal plants
to modern-day collections and botanical research.

S.82 PLANT DIVERSITY, BIOGEOGRAPHYAND EVOLUTION IN THE TROPICS FORCONSERVATION, RESTORATION ANDSUSTAINABLE USE. SESSION 2
guna, Philippines. 4 College of Public Affairs, University of the Philippines Los Banos, Laguna, Philippines

S.82.1 Perspective ofchange in abundance offloral species utilized bycommunities 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 Scienceand Management, University of the Philippines Los
Banos, Laguna, Philippines. 3 Institute of Biological
Sciences, University of the Philippines Los Banos, La-

The Polillo Islands in the Philippines is one of the 228
Key Biodiversity Areas in an archipelago of morethan 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-262

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spective shows that most (65.38%) are perceived tohave been in decline including Agave americana,Avicennia officinalis, Barringtonia asiatica, Basellaalba, Bruguiera conjugate, Calophyllum inophyllum,
Calophyllum obliquinervium, Casearia fuliginosa
followed by 23.07% perceived to be stable (i.e Aegiceras 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 humanhabitation and agriculture as well as the reductionof complexity with the changing of beach forest andmangrove areas towards lesser diverse ecosystems
as part of the ecosystem response to perturbation where grasses and shrubland replaced beachforest and mangroves. The reduction of naturalseascape 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 causesof species dominance inwestern Amazonian forestsfrom 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,

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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, ManuelJ. 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 yQuímica 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, Instituteof Environment, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA. 7 Smithsonian Tropical ResearchInstitute, Panama City, Panama. 8 Yale Institutefor 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 Schoolof 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 Facultadde Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional de laAmazonía Peruana, Iquitos, Perú. 20 Department ofIntegrative 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 deAmazonas (UNTRM), Chachapoyas, Perú. 22 Instituto de Investigaciones de la Amazonía Peruana,XX International
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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 Amazonia 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 deDios, Perú. 32 Bioversity International, Rome, Italy. 33
Univerdiad 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 globalchange drivers. Here, we used an extent plot network
encompassing contrasting habitats in Amazonia tostudy 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 foundthat 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, associatedwith 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 potentialof trait-based approaches in the study of the ecological mechanisms underlying dominance in tropical forests. Our findings highlight the importance offorest habitat conditions in shaping species dom-inance. Accounting for both local abundance andregional 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 inAmazonia.

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 Gardenof 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 thistropical archipelago. Among them, eight species areendemic 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 emblematicgroup, summarizing more than 13 years of research.
Diversification of extant Scalesia species and active phenotypic and genomic evolution appear tohave occurred in recent times, specifically in thelate Quaternary. However, the present survival andconservation of Scalesia species are at high risk, asshown by establishment rates reduced to 5% whencompeting with invasive plant species. Also, for the
first time, we present the most updated distribution maps and ecological niche information for thistaxonomic group. We finish by presenting ongoing
research and future avenues for the study of thisunique plant group. With this presentation, we hope
to fill an important gap of information regarding
Galapagos plants, particularly for one of the leaststudied groups of these iconic islands, which servesto create new international collaborations and attract more botanical research on one of the mostinteresting daisy groups.

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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 Laboratoirede Génétique et Ecologie végétales, Université Librede Bruxelles, Bruxelles, Belgium. 6 Herbier National
du Gabon, Libreville, Gabon. 7 Institut de Systématique, Évolution, et Biodiversité, Muséum Nationald’Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche
Scientifique, Sorbonne Université, École Pratique desHautes 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 conservationand 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, thecanopy 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 ofpresent-day tree compositional patterns and (b) thatthe canopy floristic composition is less dependent onenvironmental factors than the understory. Using aunique dataset comprising 466 vegetation transects
inventoried across Gabon including 129,876 trees witha diameter at breast height ≥ 5 cm, we produced twocontinuous categorical maps, one by excluding and asecond by including the understory composition. We
identified forest types through hierarchical clusteringof the floristic composition of transects and predicted
forest types based on environmental and anthropogenic variables obtained through free available rasterdata through spatially explicit randomforest models.
We tested for the importance of each predictor in themodel. 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 importancein predicting canopy-based compared to both-stratabased forest types. Our results emphasize the importance of integrating the understory composition whenaiming at unveiling floristic patterns in Central Africa for
it is less altered by historical successional dynamics.

S.82.6 Floristic andstructural distinctnessof 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 deRecherche Forestière, Brazzaville, Congo. 5 Gabon
National Parks Agency, Libreville, Gabon. 6 Lester
E. Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation ofApes, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, USA. 7 Departmentof 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 stereotype of plant diversity in the tropics. Monodominant
Gilbertiodendron dewevrei forest covers large areas of
the Congo Basin, but it is currently unclear whether it
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forest to warrant separate treatment for conservation
planning and carbon calculations. This study aimed tocompare the structure and diversity of monodominant
and mixed forest, and ask whether there is a uniquevascular 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 andmixed forest for stem density, basal area, above groundbiomass, stem size distribution, species diversity, andspecies composition. In addition, a database of 3,557
herbarium specimens was used to identify species ofvascular 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 oflarger 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 compositionallyand structurally distinct from mixed forest. We therefore
recommend this forest type be considered separatelyfrom 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 theEuropean alpine flora

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

1 Biodiversity Research Institute (CSIC-Univ.Oviedo-Princ.Asturias), Mieres, Spain. 2 Department ofGeographical and Sustainability Sciences, Universityof 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 ofspecies pools in 23 regional alpine floras of Central andSouthern Europe. At the phylogenetic level, we foundthat climatic changes during the glacial-postglacial
periods had an important role in determining current
species pools, with closely related lineages in cold andunstable climates. At the taxonomic level, the diversityof 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 thesmallest 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 climatechange, concerning spatial, bedrock, and topographic
configurations. Since the assembly of European alpine
floras may not be in equilibrium with climate, the effectsof current warming must be evaluated at meso- andmicro-scales within a given species pool, with expecteddiscrepancies 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 inalpine plant diversity.

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

266

Francisco Encinas-Viso1, Jaime Florez2,
Bryan Lessard2, James Lumbers2, Juanita
Rodriguez-Arrieta2, Alexander SchmidtLebuhn1, Andreas Zwick2, Liz Milla1
1 Centre of Australian National Biodiversity Research, CSIRO, Canberra, Australia 2 Australian National Insect Collection, CSIRO, Canberra, Australia

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Alpine ecosystems are highly threatened by climate change. We are observing a fast shrinkingof these ecosystems around the world with unprecedented changes of their macroclimate andvegetation. Plant-pollinator interactions play animportant 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-pollinatormetacommunity networks from the Australian
alpine region using two approaches: pollen DNA
metabarcoding and flower-visitor observations.
Additionally, we analysed historical changes ofplant-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 havegone through multiple changes of community diversity in the last century as result of grazing, introduced species and climate change. Overall, ourfindings suggest that the heterogeneity of Australian alpine habitats make these communities partially resilient to climate change, however rapid
vegetation changes observed could generate theextinction of some alpine herbaceous plants andkey pollinator taxa.

S.83.3 Plant responses toclimatic change: insightsfrom tropical alpine plantlineages in the Andesand comparing the responses of four Asteraceae
plant lineages to past and future climatic changes. Using curated herbarium-backed occurrencedata, we constructed species distribution models(SDMs) based on paleoenvironmental reconstructions and future climate predictions for 113 species
from four monophyletic lineages and evaluatedtheir predicted elevation changes, suitable habitat sizes and temperature ranges. We expectedthat 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 theLGM, 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 inunderstanding the impacts of climate change on
habitat suitability.

S.83.5 The seed
regeneration niche inMediterranean highmountains
Clara Espinosa del Alba1, Eduardo
Fernández Pascual1, Borja Jiménez-Alfaro1
1 IMIB Biodiversity Research Institute, (Principado de Asturias – Universidad de Oviedo – CSIC),
Mieres, Spain

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 ofBotany, 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

The seed regeneration niche encloses 4 mainstages (dispersal, persistence, germination andseedling establishment) which are regulated by acomplex array of physiological and environmental cues. Understanding the regeneration nichein high-mountain ecosystems is important totrack species responses and community dynamics under current and future climate conditions.
However, we know very little about the regeneration processes that occur in Mediterraneanhigh mountain vegetation, which faces increasing summer drought periods. Here, we review the
topic combining published literature and results

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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 limitingat 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 suggestthat it is highly species-specific and modulated
by microhabitat conditions. Germination is themore studied, showing a general pattern of immediate germination if water is available, evenat low temperatures, with complementary effectsof 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, seedlingestablishment appears to be the most vulnerable stage, with low chance of survival in the field
and in controlled laboratory conditions. Literaturesuggests that timing of emergence is strongly
influenced by temperature cycles, and we founda pattern of increasing radicle length in species
linked to warmer microhabitats. In summary, thesuccess of seed regeneration in Mediterraneanhigh mountains seems to be primarily limited bywater stress, especially during germination andseedling establishment.

lands. In this study, a model for the ecologicalevolution of rhizosphere soil microorganism of O.
glacialis was constructed using high-throughput
sequencing combined with climatic and environmental factor analysis. The results show that theecological 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 bacterialgroups 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.83.6 Ecologicalevolution characteristics
of rhizosphere soil
microorganism of Oxytropis
glacialis on the QinghaiTibetan Plateau
Peng-xi CAO1,2, Yi-xuan LIU1,2, Xing Liu1,2,3,
Qiong LA1,2
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 ofLife 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 grass-

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S.84 NEXT GENERATION ZINGIBERALES: FROMTAXONOMY TO EVOLUTION
S.84.1 Genome size in
Zingiberaceae correlateswith the life strategies,
plant traits and habitat
preferences

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

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
1 Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Průhonice, Czech Republic. 2 National Museum in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic. 3 Singapore
Botanic Gardens, Singapore. 4 Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK. 5 Faculty of Science,Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic *zaveskae@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 growthand smaller genome size (GS). However, evidence
for this was so far available only for temperateorganisms. 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 hypothesison 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 withlarger GS are excluded from areas with a shorter
growing season. In the subfamily Alpinioideae, GSturned out to be correlated with the type of stem
and light requirements and its members copewith seasonality mainly by adaptation to shadyand moist habitats. The Ornstein–Uhlenbeck
models suggested that evolution in regions with

S.84.2 Networked
relationships in the family
Zingiberaceae – The roleof ancient hybridizations inlineage diversification
Tomáš Fér1, Eliška Záveská2, Otakar
Šída3, Axel D. Poulsen4, Jana LeongŠkorničková5
1 Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic. 2
Botanical Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Průhonice, Czech Republic. 3 National Museum, Prague, Czech Republic. 4 Royal Botanic
Garden, Edinburgh, UK. 5 Singapore 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 forthe recognition of ancient hybridization, which
has been linked to evolutionary radiations whilesometimes preventing further diversification.
The causes of ancient hybridizations remain to
be explored. The frequency and consequencesof 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. Such269

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a commonness of ancient hybridization explains
the inability to resolve relationships among andwithin certain genera, as well as the importanceof including historical hybridization analysis whenbuilding phylogenies, resolving taxonomic issues,or reconstructing biogeographical history.

S.84.3 Love thy neighbours
and create complexes:
lessons from the phylogenyof the fragrant ginger lilies,
Hedychium J.Koenig
Vinita Gowda1, Preeti Saryan1, Aleena
Xavier1, and Ajith Ashokan1,2
1 Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Instituteof Science Education and Research Bhopal (IISER
Bhopal), Bhopal, India. 2 Department of Biology,
University of Missouri, St. Louis, USA
The genus Hedychium (Zingiberaceae), distributedin the Asian tropics, is riddled with species complexes. ‘Species complex’ refers to a set of taxa that lackmorphological 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 usingmorphological, 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 haveplayed a role in maintaining hazy species boundaries. We next looked at intra- and inter-specificreproductive barriers by carrying out directionalcrossing experiments in the wild, where male andfemale parents were tracked in each treatment. Although past horticultural studies had indicated thepotential 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 theflowering phenology and we concluded that the
4-5 months of overlapping flowering phenology ofclosely 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 signaturesof hybridization, facilitated by the lack of reproductive-isolation mechanisms. This is further enabled
by factors such as sympatric associations andthe timing of flowering. What is interesting is that,
despite this, the clades were stable and showedbiogeographic. 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 toerode species boundaries
among multiple sympatricrelated species
Hong-Fan Chen1,2,3, Ryan Andrew Folk4,
Ya-Li Wang1,2,3, Wen-Jing Wang1,3, GuoJun 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 Adaptationand Evolutionary Ecology and Centre for Invasion Biology, Institute of Biodiversity, School of Ecology andEnvironmental 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 seventeenmorphological traits and whole-genome resequencing data to investigate introgression in fiveclosely related species in Roscoea that co-occur
in a “sky island” distributional pattern with limited seed and pollen dispersal. Introgression is thecause of phylogenomic discordance between the270

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S.84.6 Sequence diversity
and chromosome evolution
in Musaceae inferred fromt2t genome assemblies andmolecular cytogenetics

nuclear and chloroplast genomes. Introgression islargely asymmetrical in intensity and gene function. Introgressive intensity changed over time witha peak at approximately 2-3 Mya Inferred functionsof 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 forunderstanding the conflict between introgression
and species fate. Our finding offers novel insights
into how related sympatric species boundaries canbe upheld in the face of frequent gene flow.

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 ofLeicester, U.K. 2 Key Laboratory of Plant Resources
Conservation and Sustainable Utilization / Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany,
South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academyof Sciences, Guangzhou, China. 3 Henry Fok Schoolof Biology and Agriculture, Shaoguan University,
Shaoguan, China. 4 Bioversity International, Parc
Scientifique Agropolis II, Montpellier, France

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

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 andrepetitive 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 ofspecies. A tandemly repeated 134bp satellite sequenceis 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-syntenicarms. 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 ofgenera, 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-

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 Floraof 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 shapesof the anther crest, and the size of the lateral staminodes. Furthermore, our study also aims to reconstructa 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.

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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 mappingof vegetation cover onsome listed Algerianislands (Habibas &Rachgoun).

S.85.2 Diversification andconservation of species andspaces in Macaronesia: an
example from the endemic
flora of Gran Canaria
Juli Caujapé-Castells1, Isabel Saro1,
Ruth Jaén-Molina 1, Antonio Díaz Pérez2,
Avigdor Suárez-Pérez1, Inmaculada
Guillermes-Vázquez1, Miguel A.
González-Pérez1, Carlos GarcíaVerdugo3, Isabel Sanmartín4, Javier
Fuertes4, María Romeiras5, Rafael Nebot
R 6, Daniel Reyes6, Alejandro Curbelo6,
Carlos Caraballo6

Mohamed Hamimeche1,2, Simona
Niculescu3, Antoine Billey3, Riadh Moulaï1
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 toidentify 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 heterogeneityof 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 canbe used to establish management and protection plans for these habitats. Our methodologicalapproach 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 thegreat heterogeneity and very small surface areaof our islands and islets, led to very satisfactory
results, reflected by good overall accuracy andKappa index values (overall accuracy > 92% andKappa index > 0.90).

1 Jardín Botánico Canario ‘Viera y Clavijo’-Unidad 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 deAgronomia, 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, thosewhich occur on all islands), but the selective andstochastic landscapes of the islands trigger fast
diversification, so that a widespread occurrence
should be an extremely transient distributionalfeature in most taxa. The SIE are also subject tofrequent diversification, and there are numerous
examples where molecular tools have discovered
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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, togain insight into the factors that influence floristic diversification and conservation status. We
show that the closest extant mainland congenersof the UE often occur in distant mainland regions,
thereby supporting the hypothesis of extinctionof their closest relatives from Western Africa orclose Mediterranean regions during the glacial
cycles in the late Pleistocene. Our spatial analyses compellingly show that most UE occur inlower 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 ingeographically complex regions, likely reflecting
a major role of ecology, relief and stochasticity
on their diversification. We analyse multiple data
layers related to ecological, geographic, climaticand phylogenetic parameters to suggest restoration strategies to recover areas subjected tohigh anthropogenic pressure related to renewable energy sources. All calculations were madeusing 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 andMuscari gussonei, two range-restricted endemic species from Sicily. We specifically investigated the germination capacity of P. gussonei and M. gussonei, and thetemporal 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 averagetemperature 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 geneticsof threatened endemic
plants in the CanaryIslands: applications andperspectives.
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 deGran Canaria University, Las Palmas de Gran
Canaria, Spain
The study of population genetics has become afundamental pillar in the management of endangered species. Knowing the distribution and levelsof 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 toknow both the biology and ecology of species andtheir 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 biogeographicalparticularities of island ecosystems, they are an
important source of biodiversity, with a high rateof plant endemism. However, due to isolation andsmall population sizes, island endemics are more
vulnerable to anthropogenic disturbances, resulting in an increasing number of threatened species.
In this presentation, we highlight some practicalcases studied by our research group in the CanaryIslands 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 thedescription of two new species, assistance in theperformance of restoration actions or predictions

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S.85.5 A review of the
reproductive biology ofendemic Azorean taxa
Alejandra G. Herrezuelo1, Guilherme
Roxo1, Rúben M.C. Rego1, Rosa Febles2, Olga Fernández-Palacios2, Magui
Olangua-Corral2, Luís Silva1, Violeta Oliván
Barriendo3, Cátia F. Freitas4, Roberto
Resendes1, Mónica Moura1
1 CIBIO, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Universidade dos Açores, Ponta Delgada, Portugal. 2 Jardim Botánico Canario “Viera y Clavijo”, Las Palmas
de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain. 3 Jardim
Botânico do Faial, Horta, Faial, Portugal. 4 Banco deSementes dos Açores, Horta, Faial, Portugal.
The Azorean archipelago is located in the North Atlantic Ocean between 36º55’-39º43’N and 25º00’-31º15’W
and is composed of a total of nine volcanic islands
divided by three groups. Positioned as the northernmost segment of the Macaronesian biogeographic
region, it is considered a hotspot of biodiversity due
to the elevated number of endemic species and asignificant number of endangered species present.
The flora of Azores faces significant threats, primarily stemming from human settlement. The clearingof native vegetation for cereal crops and pasture,along with the introduction of numerous crops, forage, 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 conservationis the combined study of reproductive biology andthe genetic characterization of natural populations.
There is a considerable lack of information regarding the reproductive biology of the Azorean endemic 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 particular subject. During the above-mentioned projects,
seven endemic Azorean taxa were reviewed: Hypericum foliosum Aiton; Picconia azorica (Tutin) Knobl.;
Veronica dabneyi Hochst. ex Seub.; Frangula azorica Grubov; Myosotis azorica H.C.Watson; Viburnum
treleasei Gand. and Laurus azorica (Seub.) Franco.

New data was collected about micro-morphologicalelements of the flower, phylogenetic relationships,
seasonal and floral phenology, palynology, fruit andseed 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 thehistorical biogeography ofan (almost) lost ecosystem:
Evolutionary genomicsof 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 ofGeography, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 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 andcolonial 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 understandhow humans have transformed island ecosystems.
Our study leverages recent advances in massivehigh-throughput DNA sequencing (ddRADseq) andpopulation genomic analyses to address the case ofJuniperus 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 practicallyvanished 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,

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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 Canary cedar underpast and future climate change scenarios through theimplementation of species distribution models. By integrating these complementary approaches, we seek tounveil 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 adensely sampled papilionoid
metachronogram forcomparative 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 Gardens Kew, Surrey, UK. 4 School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK. 5 Department
of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Universityof 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 andprompting 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 largescale 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 matchedthe one in the original study. Those fine-scale phylogenies were then grafted onto the backbone to produce a meta-chronogram. This approach meansthat diverse data types can be combined to build asingle phylogeny, thereby tapping into the full wealthof available DNA sequence data and maximising thenumber of taxa that can be sampled with molecular
data and provides a computationally tractable way tobuild a large phylogeny with many taxa.

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

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Abdulwakeel A. Ajao, Tlou S. Manyelo,
Annah N. Moteetee
Department of Botany and Plant Biotechnology,
University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South
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In southern Africa, the tribe Phaseoleae consists ofca. 185 indigenous, naturalized, and cultivated species distributed among 25 genera, namely, Alistulus, 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 thediscovery of new species and many combinationsof names, some genera, such as Galactia, Eriosema,Teramnus, still require comprehensive taxonomic revision. Morphological studies revealed a number ofcharacters that can be used to distinguish closely
related species within genera, as well as within thesubtribes and tribes. These include growth habit, stipule type, leaf indumentum, inflorescence typeand length, calyx, and standard petals indumentum.
In the realm of phylogenetic studies, our researchon southern African Rhynchosia has confirmed thepolyphyly 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, andestablishes 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 targetcapture 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, andCore 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 toarid deserts. However, the phylogeny of Mirbelieae, required to reach consensus on the taxonomic relationships of species and genera within thetribe, has never been adequately resolved using
traditional sequencing. To resolve the phylogenyof Mirbelieae, samples were collected from 354
taxa within the core genera, from a combinationof 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 totalof 278 genes being recovered after filtering, withalignments that ranged from 97 bp to 3,575 bp inlength. 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.

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S.86.4 Systematics ofgenistoid legumes:
taxonomy and phylogeny ofArgyrolobium (Genisteae,
Fabaceae)

S.86.5 Species delimitationand phylogenomicsof African Pterocarpus
with an implication for
species identification tools
development

J. Stephen Boatwright1, Brian du Preez2,
Xichavo Mathebula1, Marianne M. le Roux 3,4Laura Albreht1, Nils Bourland2, Bente
Klitgård3, Rowan Schley4, Steven B.
Janssens5, Olivier J. Hardy1

1 Department of Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, 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 Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, South Africa. 4 Department of Botany and Plant Biotechnology, University
of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
The genus Argyrolobium Eckl. & Zeyh. (Genisteae)
comprises of ca. 97 species distributed throughout tropical and northern Africa, Madagascar, theMediterranean, 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 beentreated synoptically in recent years, based on an
unpublished Ph.D. thesis, and the last publishedcomprehensive 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 somespecies 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 Genisteae. 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.

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 ofGeography, Exeter, UK. 5 Meise Botanic Garden,
Meise, Belgium. Contact: Laura.Albreht@ulb.be/laura.albreht@gmail.com
Reliable delimitation of species is fundamental forestablishing sustainable and equitable harvesting
guidelines of economically important organisms.
Pterocarpus (Fabaceae) is a pantropical genus oftrees 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 delimitationof 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 aparaphyletic P. rotundifolius, presenting one Angolan subclade with the remaining subclades further
subdivided in three geographically coherent groups,
suggesting the possibility of cryptic diversity within thecomplex. 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 formost species, indicating the reliability of chloroplast

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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 DNAbased tools aimed at improving logging regulations
for African Pterocarpus species.

S.86.6 Floral evolutionof morphologicallyunusual 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 papilionate flowers, CYC and DICH like genes are expressed on
the dorsal (upper) side of the flower bud and specificto development of the standard petal via RAD. Several
papilionoid lineages have lost the typical floral morphology of 5-petaled, zygomorphic papilionate flower with 10 stamens and have highly morphologicallyunusual 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 papilionate flower), Cyathostegia(single petal and multiple stamens), and Cadia (radially symmetrical flower). We used draft genome toidentify putative ortholog sequences of CYC, DICH, DIV,and RAD, and quantified the expression of these genes
in different developmental stages and between thespecies. 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, Dicle University, Diyarbakir, Turkey. 2 Department ofField 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 deeplilac colored flowers with fertile black deep dormant
seeds. Tunceli garlic seeds were collected from fieldgrown plants and aimed to break seed dormancy tooptimize conditions for induction of bulblets, alongwith 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
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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 eachof 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 thesame sequence. The results emphatically noted roleof 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 betransferred 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 forconservation and protection of this endemic.

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 therestoration potential for therare sexual populations of
Chara canescens, a singularcryptogam, 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

S.87.2 Can inbreeding
coefficients predict plant
progeny fitness? A casestudy from wild andtranslocated populations.

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, Facultyof 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

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 orfunctional 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 weused a long lived clonal but preferentially outcrossing
case study species to assess the impact of inbreeding on fitness of wild and translocated populations.

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 toMediterranean and Pannonian inland brackish watersites, 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 lackat least some of the genetic recombination mechanisms and consequently are more vulnerable to lossof genetic diversity compared to sexually reproducing
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limited to the coastal stands will not be effective, because the fitness of these stands depends to a highdegree on connectivity with inland brackish watersites. With the aim of developing effective transnational conservation strategies, the project “ProPartS”(Biodiversa+) assesses the restoration potential of thespecies’ diaspore bank. The oospores are the charophytes sexual propagules, which can remain viable inthe sediment during years and develop new individuals when the conditions are suitable again. Analyzingthese 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 forthe species. These “hidden biodiversity elements” actas reservoirs and can ensure mid-term resilience oftemporary and/or degraded habitats and be potentially useful for the restoration of lost habitats. This isespecially important in the context of a changing environment dealing with increased droughts and otherthreats for the aquatic ecosystems.

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 possibilityof 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.87.4 Extinct or not?
Establishing the status of theurban endemic Hieracium
tolstoii (Asteraceae) withtaxonomic investigations

S.87.5 Using pedigree
approach to makemanagement decisions ofvaluable ex-situ collections

Orsenigo Simone1, Giacomo Baldesi1,
Carla Lambertini2, Fainelli Federico1

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

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

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

Hieracium is one of the largest plant genera in the Angiosperms and experienced a rapid and recent evolutionary radiation. Due to the massive morphologicalvariation among species, past hybridization events andfrequent polyploidization, combined with apomictic
reproduction in polyploids, the species concept in Hieracium is widely debated and species identification isvery challenging. According to recent studies (Davis etal. 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 tochanges in conservation status or to de-extinctions ofspecies3. Taxa with doubtful classification are particularly sensitive to this kind of problems. Hieracium tolstoii

Historically, ex situ plant conservation has focused onseed 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 inliving 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 andrecorded in a “studbook.” This allows genetic lineages
to be tracked and prevents the breeding of closely related individuals. Optimal breeding pairs are identified

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and crossed (typically via sperm transfer) to maximize
the genetic health of the captive population acrossinstitutions. This approach greatly improves conservation outcomes by safeguarding genetic diversity exsitu, creating robust captive populations, and improving reintroduction efforts. By emulating the pedigree
approach and creating greater collaboration between
institutions, the botanic garden community would bebetter 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 climatechange era: strategy used
for a rare and threatened
conifer in France,
Salzmann’s pine
Bruno Fady, Caroline Scotti-Saintagne
INRAE ecologie des Forêts
(URFM), Avignon, France

Méditerranéennes

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 tobe 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 frommassive 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 differentiatedlineages 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 isan original genetic lineage within the western European
and Mediterranean black pine subspecies. We identified five genetic groups in France that can serve as thebasis for in-situ gene conservation as well as for delineating seed zones and guiding forest plantation andrestoration practice in a context of increasing interestfor 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 ANDEVOLUTION OF SYMBIOTIC AND NON-SYMBIOTIC
MICROALGAE. SESSION 2
S.88.1 Genomic divergenceand photo-physiologicaldifferences within thecommon 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 ResearchCenter, 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, wereport results from two connected studies including(1) a genome-wide comparative study concern-281

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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 ofthe six strains under high light conditions. We haveassembled 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, andeven within Trebouxia clades with genome sizes
and numbers of protein-coding genes ranging from63.08-74.14 Mb and 14,109-18,870, respectively. Interestingly, we found differences in protein-coding
genes associated with photosynthesis, suggesting
differences in physiological capacities related tophotosynthetic performance. To test this hypothesis,
we performed an experiment to examine responsesof 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 fromvariation in their genomic composition, particularly
regions associated to photosynthesis. Overall, ourwork demonstrates that unifying physiological andmolecular 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 studyof asco- and basidiolichen
thalli sharing the photobiont
Rhizonema

Ascomycota (Coccocarpia) and one in the Basidiomycota (Dictyonemateae), the latter encompassing the genera Cyphellostereum, Dictyonema, andCora, 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, andCyphellostereum. Based on our results, we conclude that formation of penetrative haustoria in
Rhizonema associations is mycobiont- rather thanphotobiont-driven and does not correlate with theevolution of a more complex thallus structure in,e.g., Coccocarpia or Cora. We hypothesize that theabsence 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 timeto 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 whencompared to one another, especially the presenceof carbohydrate secretions around the intrahaustorial hyphae but conclude that they likely evolvedin 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 ampliconsequencing approach
Salvador Chiva1,2, Tamara Pazos1, Patricia
Moya1, Eva Barreno1, Lucia Muggia2

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 isstill unclear whether their associations, which areusually 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

1 Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat i Biologia Evolutiva, Universitat de València, Spain. 2 Department ofLife Sciences, University of Trieste, Italy
Lichens are considered as microecosystems due tothe great diversity of microorganisms that coinhabit 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 withlichen species and their growth form and ecology.
Thalli of five lichen species were collected in a Medi-

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terranean climate zone of the Iberian and Italic peninsulas. The selected species, i.e., Cladonia foliacea,
Parmelia sulcata, Ramalina farinacea, Squamarina
cartilaginea and Xanthoria parietina are widely distributed in these regions, have different thallus architectures and grow on different substrates. DNA
from five thalli of the same species collected ateach locality was extracted, amplified, pooled andDNA metabarcoded for the algal ITS2 marker using
an Illumina sequencing approach. This allowed theestimation of the microalgae community present at
a certain locality for each lichen species collected
there. Furthermore, to corroborate the correct identifications of the lichen mycobionts, barcode identification (of the fungal ITS) by Sanger sequencing
was performed. In addition, at each locality threesamples of each substrate type present, adjacentto the collected lichens, i.e., soil, bark and rocks were
sampled. The substrate samples were used to assess the microalgal background diversity in each locality, i.e., the whole set of algae potentially available
for the establishment of lichen symbioses.
Acknowledgments: Prometeo Excellence in Research Program (Generalitat Valenciana, Spain,
PROMETEO/2021/005) and a postdoctoral contract(Next Generation EU, to SC) Ministry of Universities –Universitat de València (MS21-058).

analyzed over 400 thalli of R. farinacea collectedin the Atlantic archipelagos of Macaronesia, theMediterranean Basin, and Temperate/central and
Boreal/northern Europe. Data from two nuclear
markers (nrITS and uid70) of the mycobiont wereobtained to calculate genetic diversity indices, infer
phylogenies, haplotype networks, and explore populations structure. Additionally, dating analysis was
conducted to provide a valuable hypothesis of thetiming of the origin and diversification of R. farinacea and its closest allies. Regarding the phycobiont
diversity, we studied the climatic niche and bioclimatic distribution of Trebouxia jamesii and T. lynnae, the predominant symbiotic microalgae in theanalyzed populations of R. farinacea. Our results
highlight that phylogenetic species circumscription
in the “Ramalina farinacea group” is complex andsuggests that incomplete lineage sorting is at thebase of conflicting phylogenetic signals. Moreover,T. jamesii and T. lynnae climatic niches overlappedin a particular zone, but also exhibited restrictedzones for each taxon. T. jamesii emerged as themost abundant and widespread microalga, which
is present in all the bioclimatic belts and biogeographical areas, but T. lynnae was identified as themain symbiotic microalga in the thallifrom Western
Mediterranean Basin and Canary Islands.

S.88.5 New approaches tounderstand the effect ofanthropic perturbations onlichen communities.

S.88.4 Unraveling thephylogeography andphycobiont diversityof Ramalina farinacea(lichenized fungi,
Ascomycota)

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

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 Universityof Trieste, Trieste, Italy. 4 Real Jardín Botánico (CSIC),
Madrid, Spain. 5 Instituto de Biotecnología y Biomedicina, Universitat de València, Burjassot, Spain

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 deCiencias de la Vida, Universidad de Alcalá, Alcaláde Henares, Spain. 5 Department of Ecology, Centro de Investigaciones sobre Desertificación (CSIC),
Moncada, Valencia, Spain

Ramalina farinacea is an epiphytic lichen-forming 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

Lichens, symbiotic organisms consisting of a fungus specialized in obtaining nutrients from a population of unicellular algae or cyanobacteria, havebeen acknowledged since the 19th century to behighly sensitive to environmental changes, partic-283

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ularly those of anthropogenic origin. This is largely
owing to their poikilohydric nature, which lacks active mechanisms for regulating the uptake and lossof gas and water, as well as the symbiosis’s fairly
delicate equilibrium. Since the mid-20th century,
lichens have been utilised as bioindicators for detecting changes that are caused by atmosphericpollution, habitat fragmentation and loss, global
warming, etc. However, changes in lichen communities have exclusively been studied from theperspective of fluctuations in mycobiont diversity.
There has been little attention to the fate of photobionts and fungal-algal interactions within thecommunity context. Here, we present our recent
research results on the impact of anthropogenic
disruptions on lichen communities. We utilized metabarcoding tools to characterize species-associated photobiont communities in epiphyte communities 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 andabundance. This enables us to utilise them as anadvance indicator of shifts in lichen communities
resulting from global change agents.

S.89 NEOTROPICAL BOTANICAL INVENTORIES:DOCUMENTING WHAT IS LEFT? PERSPECTIVESFROM ACROSS TROPICAL AMERICAS. SESSION 2
S.89.1 Flora of the forgotten
forests: inventorying the
Marañón dry forest in PerúS.89.2 Where are we now:state of our knowledge
on the evolutionary
relationships ofChrysobalanaceae

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 thebiodiversity crisis and the climate emergency. Seasonally dry tropical forests contain a high proportionof 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 ofworking with our specimens has highlighted threeissues: 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 onplot data maybe wildly underestimating alpha species diversity in this biome.

Cynthia Sothers1, Ghillean T. Prance2
1 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, UK; c.sothers@kew.org. 2 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, UK
Over the last years molecular phylogenetics has
played a major role in the changing taxonomic landscape of the Chrysobalanaceae. The well-establishedmorphological classification based on four tribes was
upturned and genera previously thought to be closely 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 relationships of the well-supported clades and discuss putative reasons for the incongruence of some genera.
Chrysobalanaceae has a pantropical distribution andcomprises 540 species in 27 genera. The Neotropics
harbours the greatest number of taxa, represented byover 400 species in 16 genera. Africa is represented byca. 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 the284

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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, anddiversity in floral morphology among genera centreson the position of the ovary on the receptacle (basal, apical, midway on wall of receptacle), number ofovary locules (1- or 2-locular), and presence/absenceof petals. Parinari and Maranthes are the only twopantropical 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 thefamily, from a morphological and biogeographicalviewpoint, 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 andcategorization 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 Southare 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 andconduct thorough studies to better understand theconservation status of these plants. With 600 species,
Elaphoglossum is a hyperdiverse fern genus distributed worldwide. In the American tropics, it represents asignificant 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 IUCNRed List. We downloaded over 7000 records of Elaphoglossum from Mexico through different open-accessspecimen databases, including GBIF, Pteridoportal,and IBdata. Detailed curation of the datasets involved
retaining only accepted names (without synonyms)
and removing duplicated records and records fromtaxa 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 ordegradation of habitat due to human activities andoverpopulation. Enhanced curatorial efforts of the herbarium collections and updated field collections, willcontribute to the accuracy of future assessments.

S.89.4 Understanding thediversity 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 oflycophytes 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 forthe group. Selaginella diversity in the Americas peaksin 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 updateto the Flora of Colombia that aims to improve theunderstanding of the diversity, taxonomy, and distribution of Colombian Selaginella is here presented. In
total 110 species are recognized, 17 of which are newrecords 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.

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S.89.5 Ecuadorian herbaria
and their contribution
towards botanicaldocumentation in a
biodiversity hot-spot
Alina Freire-Fierro1,10,11,12, Sirli Leython2,
Jorge Marcelo Caranqui Aldaz3, Diego
Gutiérrez del Pozo4, Nora Oleas5, Angel
Benítez6, Zhofre Aguirre Mendoza7, Nelson
Jaramillo7, Priscilla Muriel8, Rebeca Cortez
Zambrano9
1 Herbario UTCEC, Universidad Técnica de Cotopaxi,
Facultad CAREN, Latacunga, Ecuador. Alina.freire@
utc.edu.ec. 2 Universidad Técnica de Ambato, Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Herbario Misael
Acosta Solís (AMAS). Ambato, Ecuador. 3 Herbario
Escuela Superior Politécnica del Chimborazo, Facultad de Recursos Naturales, Riobamba- Ecuador. 4
Herbario Amazónico del Ecuador ECUAMZ, Universidad Estatal Amazónica, Carlos Julio ArosemenaTola, Napo, Ecuador. 5 Herbario HUTI, Universidad
Tecnológica Indoamérica, Machala y Sabanilla, Quito, Ecuador. 6 Herbario HUTPL, Universidad Técnica
Particular de Loja, Campus Loja, Loja, Ecuador. 7 Herbario “Reinaldo Espinosa”. Universidad Nacional de
Loja. Campus La Argelia. Loja, Ecuador. 8 Herbario
QCA, Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad deCiencias Exactas y Naturales, Pontificia Universidad
Católica del Ecuador, Quito. Ecuador. 9 QUSF, Universidad de San Francisco de Quito, Quito, Ecuador. 10
Botany Department, Natural History Museum, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC, USA. 11 Missouri
Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO, USA. 12 Universidad
Regional Amazónica Ikiam, Tena, Ecuador
Ecuador, despite being a small Neotropical country,
includes two of the 36 biodiversity hot-spots: Tropical
Andes and the Chocó/Darién/Western Ecuador. Per
1000 km2, Ecuador has more than 6 times the diversity of vascular plants occurring in China, Brazil, Europe,and USA-Canada combined. The literature and directinterviews to personnel from the 18 active Ecuadorianherbaria listed in GRSciColl demonstrate an urgent
need for increasing/mobilizing botanical collections
as well as the need for support for botanical researchin Ecuadorian institutions. Also, it is necessary to highlight the very low number of taxonomists in Ecuador.
They, being experts in the area, know how to properly identify and handle these specimens. As such, they
are the core of the herbarium operativity. Ecuador registers more than 22,000 vascular plant species names
including synonyms, Ecuadorian collections house almost 800,000 specimens, more than 4,900 of which aretypes. In contrast, only one herbarium from the Global
North has more than 600,000 Ecuadorian specimens
including +6,000 types. Despite the low average number of Ecuadorian botanists working on herbaria (1-2 FT
employees/herbarium), big efforts have been madeto digitize almost 400,000 of these specimens. Many ofthese records are available in GBIF and/or global databases such as Tropicos, and Symbiota as well as inlocal databases. Potential contributions from Ecuadorian herbaria towards areas such as floristics, molecularphylogenetics, metagenomics, identification with artificial intelligence and accelerated taxonomic efforts are
immense. With the climatic crisis we are going through,there is an urgent need for increasing collecting anddigitization efforts, describing more plant taxa by local
taxonomists, updating/studying the conservation status of the more than 5,000 endemics to Ecuador andrepatriating duplicates and/or type images from herbaria from the Global North. Similar situation could beforeseen for other herbaria in biodiversity hot-spots
countries from the Global South.

S.89.6 A preliminary
palynological study of wildand naturalized vascularplants from the western
Andean mountains in the
Cotopaxi Provin
Jaime Lema1,2, Sergio Javier Andrango
Guayasamín1, Alba Liliana Mañay
Chimborazo1, Caizapanta Guamán Leslie
Mercedes1
1 Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Technical University of Cotopaxi, Latacunga, Ecuador. 2 Departamento de Biología yGeología, Centro Andaluz para la Evaluación y Seguimiento del Cambio Global, Universidad de Almería, Almería, Spain
Little is known about palynological information on
wild or naturalized species present in the western
mountain range in Ecuador. This research comparedpalynological diversity at three altitudinal levels in
the Western Andean Cordillera of Cotopaxi province: evergreen foothill forests (BsPn01) at 300-1400m, low montane forest (BsBsn04) at 1400-2000 m
and montane forest (BsMn03) at 2000-3100 m. Pollen morphology found in this preliminary study of 9
genera in 9 families of vascular plants was mainly
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es between 26.9 μm and 134 μm. Pollen observed in
the range 300-1400 m belongs to: 1) Sambucus sp.
(Adoxaceae): 26.9 μm, perprolate and monoporate;2) Guzmania sp. (Bromeliaceae): 53.7 μm, perprolate
and bicolpate; 3) Gasteranthus sp. (Gesneriaceae):
17.9 μm, perprolate and monoporate; and 4) Hibiscus rosa-sinensis (naturalized, Malvaceae): 17.9 μm,
perprolate and monoporate.Pollen observed in therange 1400-2000 m belongs to: 1) Cavendishia (Ericaceae): 53.7 μm in length, perprolate and monoporate; 2) Columnea sp. 1 (Gesneriaceae): 53.7 μm in
length, subprolate and tricolporate; 3) Salvia sp. 1 (Lamiaceae): 134 μm long, and perprolate; 3) Oxalis sp. 1(Oxalidaceae): 26.9 μm in length and monocolpate;and 4) Guzmania sp. 1: see previous description. Pollen observed in the range 2000-3100 m belongs to: 1)
Calceolaria tripartita (Calceolariaceae): 134 μm, longand bicolporate; 2) Salvia sp. 2 (Lamiaceae): 134 μm
in length and shape and openings not identifiable; 3)Oxalis sp. 1: see previous description and 4) Guzmania
sp. 1: see previous description. The same species ofGuzmania (Bromeliaceae) was present in the three
altitudinal levels and Oxalis, Cavendishia, and Salvia
were found in the two upper altitudinal levels (1400 to
3100 m). These preliminary results need identificationof the genera to species and verification and reconfirmation of the pollen grain characteristics.

S.90 CONNECTIONS ALONG THE ATLANTICFRINGE
S.90.1 Why so few endemic
species in oceanic island
bryophyte floras? Insightsfrom phylogeographic
inference in the
Macaronesian region
Sébastien Mirolo1,2, Alice Ledent1, Jairo
Patiño2,3, Manuela Sim-Sim4, Rosalina
Gabriel5, Alain Vanderpoorten1
1 University of Liège, Liège, Belgium. 2 University of La
Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain.
3 Instituto de Productos Naturales y Agrobiología,
Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas(CSIC), Tenerife, Spain. 4 Universidade de Lisboa,
Lisboa, Portugal. 5 University of the Azores, São Miguel, Azores, Portugal
Among land plants, bryophytes exhibit the lowest rates
of endemism on oceanic islands. This pattern has primarily been interpreted in terms of intense gene flow
preventing speciation from the closest continental
sources, so that endemism would have to originate
from geographically remote sources through chancelong-distance dispersal. Here, we test this hypothesis
through a meta-analysis of species distribution patterns and phylogeographic analyses in the Macaronesian bryophyte flora. Our results reveal a striking
mismatch between the strong similarity of the Macaronesian and Mediterranean floras, and the largely

extra-Mediterranean origin of endemism that is, at firstsight, compatible with this hypothesis. This hypothesis
is, however, at odds with the significant genetic differentiation systematically found among populations
disjunct between Macaronesia and the Mediterranean. Our reconstruction of the biogeographic origin
of non-endemic species based on ABC analyses in acoalescent framework reveal a complex history of colonization of the archipelago from multiple continental sources, but also of continental colonization fromisland ancestors. Altogether, our results thus suggestthat Macaronesian bryophyte flora originated fromdifferent sources depending on the variation of windconnectivity through time, triggering endemic speciation from various sources. While speciation rates
may thus not have necessarily been lower than inother land plant lineages, the low rates of endemism
among island bryophyte floras result from subsequentdispersal events towards continental areas.

S.90.2 The introductionof heathers to western
Ireland indicates an ancientmaritime trade route fromthe Iberian peninsula

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Nick Scott1, Micheline Sheehy Skeffington2
1 Teach Na Tuisceana, Co. Galway, Ireland. 2 University of Galway, Galway, Ireland

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Five species of heather have disjunct ‘Lusitanian’
type distributions in Europe. They occur as discrete
populations along Ireland’s west coast, and two also
occur on Britain’s south-west coast. The nearest,or principal other place they occur is in the Iberian
Peninsula. None could have survived the last ice age
in Ireland or Britain, and migration northwards, leaving 100s of kilometre gaps en route, appears impossible. Erica mackayana (Mackay’s Heath) does not
set seed in Ireland and is restricted to small colonies
beside minor routeways inland from the west coast,suggesting it was introduced through smuggling.
This was confirmed by a genetic study which foundthat each Irish population was similar to plants sampled from a different place in north Spain and not toeach other. However, while the results are consistent
with most of the populations being comparatively recent introductions, the largest, on Roundstone
Bog in Connemara, appears to be much older. Other heathers appear to be historical introductions to
Ireland, Erica vagans (Cornish Heath) brought on
smuggled goods and Erica erigena (Irish Heath)brought by pilgrims traveling on pilgrimage by sea
to Santiago de Compostela, but the single population of Daboecia cantabrica (St Dabeoc’s Heath),
is today that extensive, covering all the available
habitat in Connemara and South Mayo, that it musthave been brought much longer ago. Eleven other
Lusitanian plant species occur in western Ireland
including Arbutus unedo (Strawberry Tree) shown
to be probably introduced 4,300 BP by the first copper miners. Combining the distribution pattens of all
those likely to be ancient introductions points at a
direct ancient sea crossing from Galicia to western
Ireland dating back to the start of the Bronze Age.

S.90.3 Genetic evidence
indicates multiple origins of
Ireland’s tree flora
Colin T. Kelleher1, Samuel Belton1 andPhilippe Cubry1, 2
1 National Botanic Gardens of Ireland, Dublin, Ireland. 2 Université de Montpellier, CIRAD, IRD, Montpellier, France
Over the past 20 years our understanding of Ireland’stree flora has increased significantly through genetic analysis. While Ireland has among the lowest native forest cover in Europe along with considerable
recent planting, the remnants do show a signatureof a native flora rather than that of an introduced

flora. What emerges from the evidence is a relatively depauperate genetic component, a subset ofEurope with reduced genetic diversity. This is to be
expected from an island on the western periphery ofthe distribution of many European trees. We review
studies completed to date in Alder, Ash, Birch, Oakand Scots pine. We show that while each species is
unique, two overall patterns have emerged. One for
species with temperate distributions showing a linkwith the Iberian Peninsula refugium and another for
more cold tolerant and boreal species which showsa mix of Iberian genotypes along with those froma more northerly refugia. This baseline data is essential for situating Ireland’s tree flora in a European
context. However, many questions remain, such as
the sequence and dynamics of invasions throughchloroplast capture and the contractions and expansions of populations over time. Further work is
ongoing to improve our understanding of the genetic landscape of the native tree flora.

S.90.4 Is Arbutus unedo L.
native to Ireland, or was itbrought from the Iberianpeninsula by Bronze Age
copper miners?
Micheline Sheehy Skeffington1, Nick Scott2
1 University of Galway, Galway, Ireland. 2 Teach na
Tuisceana, Galway, Ireland
Arbutus unedo, Strawberry Tree, is a small tree occurring widely in central and western Mediterranean
regions. It is also found along the Atlantic seaboard,
northwards along western France. It is not considered native in Britain, but is in Ireland, where it isvirtually confined to the south-west. However, thisspecies could not have survived the last ice age
in Ireland and migration northwards leaving sucha large gap appears unlikely. Its Mediterranean
ecological traits are not adapted to Ireland: it bothflowers and fruits in early winter; it is unable to growon wet soils and is intolerant of shade or grazing,so that it is now confined to cliffs, islands and rocky
outcrops. The region around Killarney, Co. Kerry in
SW Ireland, supports at least 2,000 individuals of A.
unedo, or >80% of the total known trees in Ireland. It
is here that both a palynological investigation andan archaeological excavation date the first fossil
occurrence of the species in Ireland to be around
4,000 – 4,300 BP. The archaeological excavation, on288

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Ross Island, Lough Leane, was of the first Bronze Age
copper mine to be exploited in NW Europe. Using the
Botanical Society of Britain & Ireland database, oldrecords and field work, we mapped the distributionof A. unedo in Ireland and found a striking association with the occurrence of Bronze Age copper
mines. We suggest A. unedo was brought by copper miners to Lough Leane from northern Spain,
where three copper mines were worked from 4,800
to 4.300 BP, and that it flourished and later spreadto other copper mines in SW Ireland, favoured by
the extensive forest coppicing associated with themining and its ability to produce multiple stems
from an underground lignotuber. Such an introduction is supported by Irish mythical stories.

S.90.5 Genetic heritage of
Arbutus unedo: potential
origins of populations fromthe Atlantic fringe
Iván Rodríguez-Buján1, Pilar DíazTapia1,2, Colin Kelleher3, Micheline
Sheehy Skeffington4, Nick Scott5, Jaime
Fagúndez1,6
1 Universidade da Coruña, BIOCOST researchgroup, Centro Interdisciplinar de Química e Bioloxía, A Coruña, Spain. 2 Universidade de Santiago deCompostela, Departamento de Botánica, Santiago
de Compostela, Spain. 3 National Botanic Gardens,
Glasnevin, Dublin, . Ireland. 4 University of Galway,
Galway, Ireland. 5 Teach na Tuisceana, Galway, Ireland. 6 Universidade da Coruña, Departamento de
Bioloxía, Facultade de Ciencias, A Coruña, Spain
The strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo) is an iconic
plant species that occurs throughout the Mediterranean and the south-western European Atlantic coast.
In this talk, we present the initial results of a biogeographic study using wide-genome SNPs (nextRAD sequencing) on over 250 specimens from 38 populations throughout most of its distribution range, with a
special sampling effort on Irish populations. At a continental level, we provide evidence of the divergence
between Mediterranean and Atlantic populations. In asecond analysis at the regional scale, we obtained aconsistent linkage among Irish populations, probably
due to one or more ancient introductions that haveinbred for a long period of time. Here, we describe themain putative patterns of genetic differentiation andwill discuss the potential routes and events that may
have given rise to these.

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Symposia Session 6
S.91 ADVANCES IN FLOWER DEVELOPMENT:
THE PIVOTAL TREATISE OF PAYER REVISITED
S.91.1 Merism of
Begoniaceae: an issue of
numbers

is a good case to understand how different meristic
patterns evolved in relation to shifts in space andpressure during early floral development.

Jun-ru Wang1,2, Louis P. Ronse De Craene1
1 Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK. 2
Institute of Molecular Plant Sciences, University of
Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
Floral merism, the number of parts per whorl in theflower, is a relatively conserved and reliable character within major clades, generally with a limited shift
between different merisms. Begoniaceae is a family with unisexual flowers which are highly diverse inmerism, especially in female flowers. This study aims
to understand the original merism and the potential
evolutionary trends within male and female flowers.
The floral developmental processes of several representative Begoniaceae species were investigatedwith SEM, and floral characters along the phylogenyof the family were reconstructed to trace back theevolution of different merisms. We also treated earlyfloral buds with 6-BAP to test the effect of size onchanges in merism. Our results show that tetramery and dimery shift between each other several times in Begonia, and the shifts are the result of
space availability or a variation in position in early
developmental stages. Trimery is rare and evolved
from pentamery. Pentamery is relatively common
in the female flower, but is less stable in some species with evidence of shifts from a higher or a lower
merism. Shifts towards higher merisms are causedby either the fusing of two tepal primordia or the
splitting of one primordium, which also results in the
lobed tepal in the section Eupetalum. Flowers treated by 6-BAP increase in merism by producing extraorgan primordia and this relates to the expansionof floral apex. Female flowers are more diverse inmerism than male flowers and possible causes are
weaker pressure from bracts on female floral primordia, a higher spatial constraint caused by thedevelopment of hypanthium, and the unstability ofa high merism. Floral development of Begoniaceae

S.91.2 The study offlower development andphylogeny, then and now
Peter K. Endress1
1 Institute of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany,
University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
Payer was a pioneer in the microscopic study offloral development based on detailed drawings ofdifferent developmental flower stages across many
angiosperms. He recognized patterns that appeared to be similar in young stages. Some of thesewere interpreted as indicating systematic relationships. He assumed that in these flowers the development of the androecium was centrifugal. Only inpolyandrous Magnoliales and Ranunculales did hefind a centripetal pattern. Later improved the observation techniques and the systematic interpretation by phylogenetic analyses. Hirmer worked along
similar lines (1918). As a new tool he used microtome
sections, which allowed more precise images. Corner emphasized the systematic importance of centrifugal androecia, and unlike other workers, he assumed that this feature was phylogenetically basal,
as it occurred in many families of mainly tropical distribution (1949). Corner’s view also influenced somelater macrosystematists to assume that a numberof angiosperm orders together were to be treatedas the new angiosperm class Dilleniidae. However,with molecular systematic studies it later was shownthat the class Dilleniidae had to be discarded (2018).
Further progress was the use of scanning electron
microscopy for flower development (Endress 1972)
and the use of synchrotron radiation x-ray tomography microscopy for visualizing the inside of fossil
flowers (Friis et al. 2014). Progress came also with thefocus on still earlier developmental stages, when290

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the developing flowers did not yet have any shape,
but were only expressed as an activated meristem,
only visible using stained microtome sections. Phylogenetic improvement came with global molecular phylogenetics, at first with the gene rbcL (Chaseet al. 1993), and then continuously enriched up to
the inclusion of all three plant genomes (Soltis etal. 2018). This, in turn, greatly helped to improve theknowledge of structural flower evolution.

S.91.3 The enigma of thegrass stigma

outgroups is highly important in resolving the morphological interpretation of the grass stigma. Ecdeiocoleaceae are the closest specialised wind-pollinated outgroup of grasses. Our data show that thestigmas of Ecdeiocoleaceae are flat and bifacial,
and this condition is apparently plesiomorphic ingrasses. The peculiar stigma position found in some
PACMAD grasses can be explained in terms of formation of a secondary carpel margin in the regionof closure of the gynoecium orifice.

S.91.4 Morphology anddevelopment of flowers andinflorescences in Burmannia(Burmanniaceae)

Dmitry D. Sokoloff1,2, Constantin I.
Fomichev2,3, Paula J. Rudall4, Terry D.
Macfarlane5, Margarita V. Remizowa2

Sophia V. Yudina1,2, Ba Vuong Truong4,
Nikolay A. Vislobokov1,3, Dmitry F. Lyskov1,3,
Maxim S. Nuraliev1,3, Margarita V.
Remizowa1, Alexander Kocyan5

1 School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
2 Faculty of Biology, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State
University, Moscow, Russia. 3 Faculty of Biology,
Shenzhen MSU-BIT University, Shenzhen, China. 4
Jodrell Laboratory, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK.
5 Western Australian Herbarium, Biodiversity andConservation Science, Department of Biodiversity,
Conservation and Attractions, Perth, Australia
Jean-Baptiste Payer (1857) was among the pioneering researchers of grass flower development. He
nicely demonstrated that, taken in isolation, data on
gynoecium development in grasses do not contradict its interpretation as a solitary carpel. This conclusion created a need for an explanation of theoccurrence of more than one stigma in most grasses. Some scattered angiosperms do have two stigmas per carpel, but a number of grasses possess
as many as three (and rarely even more) stigmas.
Grass stigmas and their stalks develop as ab initio
terete and filiform structures. They differ in this respect from the typical plicate condition of the angiosperm stigma. As first illustrated by Payer (but not
documented in full detail with SEM before the present
study), at least some PACMAD grasses have stigmas
attached to the outer surface of the gynoecium
wall, well below the margin of the gynoecium orifice.
Consequently, some researchers concluded thatthe grass stigma is not homologous to the stigma ofother angiosperms. Broad comparative analysis ina modern phylogenetic context demonstrates thatthe grass gynoecium, contrary to the view of Payer,
is pseudomonomerous. Each stigma, at least in the
hypothetical ancestral grass condition, belongs to
its own carpel. A bistigmatic grass gynoecium has
two sterile carpels, each producing a stigma, and afertile carpel that lacks a stigma. Comparison with

1 M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia. 2 The Institute for Information Transmission Problems RAS, Moscow, Russia. 3 Joint
Russian-Vietnamese Tropical Scientific and Technological Center, Hanoi, Vietnam. 4 Department of
Biological Resources, Institute of Tropical Biology,
Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Ho
Chi Minh City, Vietnam. 5 Department of Plant andMicrobial Biology, Botanical Museum, University of
Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
Burmannia is the largest genus of the pantropicalfamily Burmanniaceae (Dioscoreales). Species of
Burmannia demonstrate, on the one hand, actinomorphic bisexual flowers with typical monocot trimerous groundplan and, on the other hand, highly
elaborated morphology that includes prominent
floral tube with large longitudinal wings. We provide
comprehensive analysis of inflorescence structure,
floral anatomy and floral development for eight species of Burmannia with different life strategies (autotrophy, full mycoheterotrophy, partial mycoheterotrophy). In Burmannia, the basic inflorescence type isa thyrsoid of two cincinni, which is transformed into abotryoid in the few-flowered species via the reduction of lateral cymes to single flowers. The floral tube
in Burmannia consists of a hypanthium and a perianth tube. In B. oblonga, inner tepals are seemingly
absent from mature flowers. However, during early
developmental stages of the flower these organs arepresent; but, their growth is arrested almost immediately after initiation. The gynoecium of Burmannia
consists of synascidiate, symplicate and asymplicate

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zones. The symplicate zone is secondarily trilocular.
The border between synascidiate and symplicate
zones (i.e.,the cross zone) is hard to recognize dueto the absence of visible traces of postgenital fusionin the basal part of the symplicate zone. Species of
Burmannia uniformly possess supralocular septal
nectaries, i.e.,located in the upper region of the ovary
just below the ovary roof. Finally, species of Burmannia reveal a remarkable diversity of stamen-style interactions. The stamens are either tightly appressedto the style remaining free from it, or postgenitally
fused with the style by their connectives forming agynostegium. A gynostegium is otherwise only foundin some lineages of Apocynaceae of eudicots thathave similar complex synorganised flowers. Acknowledgements: The work was supported by the Russian
Science Foundation (project 21-74-10006) and by IITP
RAS FFNU-2022-0037.

S.91.5 The legacy of JeanBaptiste Payer – a need to
put floral developmental
studies at the forefront ofbotanical research.
Louis P. Ronse De Craene1, Julien B.
Bachelier2, Florian Jabbour3
1 Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. 2 Biological Institute, Freie Universität
Berlin, Berlin, Germany. 3 Institut de Systématique,
Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum nationald’Histoire naturelle, Paris, France
Morphology has always been the indispensable
instrument for the exploration of biodiversity andstudies of living organisms. Fundamental questions, such as the origin of flowers and their homology can only be properly answered from theperspective of ontogeny in a phylogenetic framework. Payer was the first to systematically create
a comparative study of flowers in great detail,covering as many as 329 species, belonging in
130 families of flowering plants. His masterpiece,
Traité d’organogénie comparée de la fleur, published in 1857 (1854 for the first edition), was advanced for his time and remains strongly relevantin its extraordinary accuracy and as a valuable
counterpart of evo-devo studies. The floral developmental study of Payer has created the perfectconditions for the development of twentieth century schools of dynamic botany set against themore conservative typological approach. Com-

parative floral developmental studies allow for abetter understanding of complex structures andare a key to understanding fundamental trends
in floral evolution. As flowers are dynamic structures, often without clearcut boundaries between
organs or tissues, an integration of ontogenetic
and evolutionary approaches remains the cornerstone in understanding floral evolutionary change.
Morphology has always been significant but becomes increasingly so, as the understanding of
the floral phenotype is only relevant through integrative studies including pollination systems,
gene expression and regulation, and development, demonstrating the importance of spatialconstraints. The first part of the talk presents an
overview of the significance of Payer as individual. The second part covers his legacy for modern
morphological research. The third part explores acase study in the family Anacardiaceae, illustrating the importance of floral developmental evidence for floral studies.

S.91.6 Floral anatomy andvasculature in Peliosanthes(Asparagaceae): refinedknowledge of flower
structure and implications
for systematic
Constantin I. Fomichev1,2, Maxim S.
Nuraliev1,3, Nikolay A. Vislobokov1,3, Leonid
V. Averyanov4, Margarita V. Remizowa1
1 Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia. 2 Shenzhen MSU–BIT University, Shenzhen, China.
3 Joint Russian-Vietnamese Tropical Scientific andTechnological Centre, Hanoi, Vietnam. 4 Komarov
Botanical Institute, Saint Petersburg, Russia
Peliosanthes is one of Southeast Asian genera of
Asparagaceae (Asparagales). Species of Peliosanthes (Asparagaceae) are common herbs intropical and subtropical evergreen forests. We
studied inflorescence morphology, flower structure and flower anatomy, with special emphasis
on its vascular system, in 13 species of Peliosanthes. We revealed raceme and thyrse as two distinct inflorescence types in Peliosanthes. Probably,thyrse evolved several times from a raceme inthe evolution of the genus, which appeared to beavailable due to the presence of bracteoles (floral
prophylls). A characteristic feature of Peliosanthes292

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is the presence of an androecial corona, i.e.,a tube
formed by congenitally fused stamens. The corona is absent from the closely related genera of
Asparagaceae and therefore can be considered
as a synapomorphy of Peliosanthes. Our data
show that the ovary position (superior, semi-inferior and inferior) is not associated with any differences in the structure of the gynoecium but
is a consequence of the different shapes of theovary roof. According to our results, species differ
in the presence of septal nectaries: nectaries areabsent from P. longicoronata and P. triandra, andtherefore these species lack an asymplicate gynoecium zone, and their style is formed by a sym-

plicate zone. In the other species, the nectaries arelocated in the hemisymplicate zone, and the styleis formed by the asymplicate zone. The flower vasculature in all the studied species is fundamentally uniform; the interspecific differences are only
found in the levels of bundle separation. The structure of the ventral carpel bundles correlates withthe presence or absence of the septal nectaries.
Our data supplement the phylogenetic findings
providing additional evidence for the distinctnessof species and lineages within Peliosanthes, andalso they fulfill the gaps in knowledge on its basic
flower structure.

S.92 CAREX: THE EVOLUTION OF A
MEGADIVERSE GENUS TACKLED FROMMULTIPLE APPROACHES. SESSION 1
S.92.1 Revisiting thetaxonomy of Carex
sect. Lupulinae subsect.
Lupulinae (Cyperaceae)
Lacroix-Carignan, Étienne1, Starr, Julian
R.2, Naczi, Robert F. C.3, Léveillé-Bourret,
Étienne1
1 Institut de Recherche en Biologie Végétale andDépartement de Sciences Biologiques, Universitéde Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada. 2 Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada 3. New York Botanical Garden, Bronx,
New York, USA
Carex subsect. Lupulinae (Cyperaceae) is a well-defined clade of four showy sedge species common ineastern North American swamps that has been thesubject of no less than four independent taxonomic
revisions in the last 50 years. Although these treatments were all concordant in their species delimitation, extensive fieldwork across the subsection’s
geographic range in addition to the morphometric analysis of more than 300 herbarium specimens
have revealed unexpected morphological extremes
and evidence for hybrids that challenge the current
circumscription of taxa. Plastid and nuclear sequences were subsequently recovered for more than 100
individuals included in morphometric analyses, andthe phylogenies reconstructed from these markers
were concordant with the conclusions drawn frommorphology and fully support the recognition of anundescribed species endemic to the southern United States Coastal Plain. Moreover, preliminary results
suggest that another cryptic species may be hiddenin what is currently called Carex lupuliformis, a taxon
rare throughout most of its range. The discovery of
considerable morphological and molecular variation within one of the most extensively studied Carex
clades in eastern North America not only demonstrates how basic studies in biodiversity continue tobe relevant, but also highlights their importance toconservation in even in well-known floras.

S.92.2 Temporal and spatial
scales in populations andlineages differentiation in a
sedge

293

Inés Gómez-Ramos1, Ana Valdés-Florido1,
Sonia Merinero2, Enrique Maguilla3,
Carmen Benítez Benítez1, Pedro JiménezMejías3, Modesto Luceño3, Juan Arroyo1,
Marcial Escudero1

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1 University of Sevilla, Seville, Spain. 2 Rey Juan Carlos University, Móstoles, Spain. 3 Pablo de Olavide
University, Seville, Spain
Biologists have debated about how time scaleaffects evolutionary processes, since the firstevolution theories. We present local and regional
approaches on the evolution of a common species in the Palearctic (also in the eastern North
America): Carex nigra (L.) Reichard. In each approach we have assessed which factors are morecritical: current ecological conditions or historical
processes? In the local approach, microsatellites
were used to assess the genetic diversity andstructure of 12 populations along an altitudinal
gradient in SE Spain. The regional approach involved the application of RAD-seq to explore thephylogeography of Carex nigra. Niche modelling
analyses were also conducted to evaluate thepotential distribution of the C. nigra complex. At
a local scale, microclimatic and edaphic conditions influenced genetic diversity among populations and shaped the plant’s reproductive strategy (clonality vs. sexual reproduction). Notably,
lower genetic diversity was observed in colder
and nutrient-poor environments where clonality
predominated. The genetic structure exhibited aweak pattern, showing no correlation with either
climate or geography. Results from the regional
approach indicated a strong geographical structure within Carex nigra range, distinguishing between three subspecies: C. nigra subsp. intricata, subsp. nigra and subsp. transcaucasica, withalmost non-overlapping distribution. The significant differences in their climatic niches are, likely,
explained by their allopatric distribution pattern.
At this scale, historical phylogeography emerge
as the main driver of divergence, with theseranges coinciding with different climate refugia during the Pleistocene glaciations. The scaleof the evolutionary process plays a crucial rolein determining the importance of diversification
drivers in Carex nigra. Historical phylogeographic factors, such as refugia during Pleistocene
glaciations, wielded substantial influence at theregional level. In contrast microclimate and soil
conditions did not contribute to population genetic differentiation across altitudinal gradientsin a Mediterranean mountain range but determined patterns of genetic diversity.

S.92.3 Genetic andmorphological diversity in
Carex sect. Siderostictae
Kyong-Sook Chung1, Okihito Yano2
1 Department of Medicinal Plant science, Jungwon University, Goesan, Korea. 2 Faculty of Biosphere-Geophere Science, Okayama University of
Science, Okayama, Japan
Carex sect. Siderostictae is a basal lineage in thewhole group of Carex. In traditional taxonomy,
about thirteen taxa are considered in the group,
but the recently proposed phylogeny, 27 taxa are
included in the Siderosticta group. Unlike othermembers in Carex, the Siderosticta group haslarge and fewer-numbered chromosomes with
distinct polyploidization (about 1 μm long and
2n = 12 or 24) and miss continuous variation inchromosome number (aneuploidy, agmatoploidy and/or symploidy). The Siderosticta group hasapparently broad leaves and well-developed rhizomes. Within the section, terminal spikes exhibit
diversity with unisexual (staminate) and bisexual(androgynous) flowers. To clarify major lineages
within the group and evaluate evolution of major characters, nrDNA (ITS and ETS), cpDNA (trnCycf6, aptB-rbcL, and trnL-F), and nuclear low-copy genes (catP and GZF) were utilized. nrDNA andcpDNA do not support monophyly of the traditional section and C. siderosticta, which is the mostwidely distributed in East Asia. However, nuclear
low-copy genes support the monophyly of C. siderosticta. In addition, C. siderosticta + C. okamotoi and C. ciliatomarginata + C. splendentissima+ C. pachygyna clades were well supported. Multiple polyploidization events were hypothesized in
the C. siderosticta + C. okamotoi clade (2x, 3x, 4x
populations). Unisexual terminal spikes are mainly found in diploids such as C. okamotoi, C. ciliatomarginata, C. splendentissima, and C. tumidula. Further discussion will be made on cytologicaland morphological character evolution in major
lineages of the Siderosticta group.

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S.92.4 Jumping for joy:phylogenomic insights on
the biogeographic anddiversification adventuresof Carex sect. Uncinia(Cyperaceae)

routes of sect. Uncinia through the Oceans can be appreciated in some of its species’ complex as those of
the circum-Antarctic archipelagos: Carex austrocompacta s.l. describes a Stepping-Stone pattern from New
Zealand in an East-to-West direction. Carex brevicauliss.l., on the other hand, seems to have colonized Pacific,
Atlantic and circum-Antarctic islands through several,
independent LDD events from South America.

S.92.5 Comparative
genomic architecture ofchromosomal fissions andfusions in holocentric sedges

Pablo García Moro1 Tamara Villaverde2,
María Sanz-Arnal1, José Ignacio
Márquez-Corro3, Paulo Muñoz-Schüler4,
Kerry Ford5, Karen Wilson6, Germinal
Rouhan7, Mónica Míguez1, Santiago
Martín-Bravo1 & Pedro Jiménez-Mejías1

Ashwini V. Mohan1, Marcial Escudero2,3,
André Marques4, Kay Lucek1

1 Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain. 2 Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Spain. 3 Royal
Botanic Garden, Kew, UK. 4 Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile. 5 Royal Botanic Gardens,
Sydney, Australia. 6 Manaaki Whenua – Landcare
Research, New Zealand. 7 Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France
Carex sect. Uncinia with c. 70 species is the most diverse
lineage of subgenus Uncinia and displays a remarkabledisjunct distribution in the Southern Hemisphere. It had
its ancestral area in South America, where it originated 15 Mya, but it is also present in the Pacific-Southwest
Region (Australia-New Zealand), as well as in some
Pacific Islands and circum-Antarctic archipelagos.
The colonization of these regions was likely facilitatedby the presence of an exserted hooked rachilla, which
is a syndrome for long-distance dispersal (epizoochory) exclusive of sect. Uncinia. A large proportion of
the species richness is roughly halved between SouthAmerica and New Zealand, which have been related
to putative evolutionary radiations, especially in thelater. Previous phylogenetic reconstructions based onstandard DNA barcoding markers failed to disentangle relationships at shallow evolutionary level. We haveenhanced phylogenetic resolution within this section
by using Hyb-Seq genomic data for an almost complete species sampling. We tried to further studied theevolution within this lineage by obtaining genome size
data and by conducting morphometric analyses forshallow species complex with disjunct trans-oceanic
distributions (C. austrocompacta s.l., C. brevicaulis s.l.)biogeographic patterns. Genome size reconstruction
analysis reveals that several species of sect. Uncinia
could be polyploid, as they exceed the average size ofthe genus. This increase in genome size could be associated to its colonization ability in new ecological niches
as previously seen in other Cyperaceae. The dispersal

1 Biodiversity Genomics Laboratory, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland. 2 Department of Plant Biology and Ecology,
University of Seville, Seville, Spain. 3 Department
of Integrative Ecology, Doñana Biological Station,
CSIC, Seville, Spain. 4 Department of Chromosome
Biology, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Cologne, Germany
Speciation is a fundamental evolutionary process thathas generated and maintained biodiversity. The evolution of reproductive barriers completes speciation, andis therefore key to maintaining species boundaries. In
monocentric species, where chromosomes contain asingle centromere region, changes in karyotypes often
promote reproductive isolation by causing constraints
during cell division; however, such chromosomal rearrangements are less likely to be established first. Holocentric species that lack a single centromere but havecentromere-like structures across their chromosomes
have repeatedly evolved in the tree of life and often
show high variation in karyotypes between closely related species. Sedges are a holocentric group with ahigh diversity of karyotypes between and within species. In sedges, karyotypic changes through chromosomal fusion and fission are associated with changes
in transposable elements (TEs). However, the specificunderlying genomic architecture is not yet fully understood. Here, we used pairs of sibling species from thegenus Carex (Cyperaceae) with different or identical karyotypes to unravel the genomic architecture ofchromosomal fission and fusion. For this, we (i) characterized the TEs across rearranged and non-rearranged
chromosomes, (ii) measured synteny across species
with different karyotypes, (iii) annotated genomes, and(iv) tested whether non-conserved genomic areas differed in gene density compared to conserved regions.

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Ecology Department, Botany Area, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain. 6 Natural
Sciences Museum, Universidad Nacional Mayor de
San Marcos, Lima, Perú. 7 Instituto de Botánica Darwinion, San Isidro, Buenos Aires, Argentina. 8 Jodrell
Laboratory, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond,
UK. 9 Laboratory of Biodiversity and Canopy Ecology,
Facultad de Ciencias Forestales y Recursos Naturales, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile. 10
University of Michigan Herbarium, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
11 School of Biological Sciences, Washington State
University, Pullman, Washington, DC, USA.

We assembled 10 reference quality genomes from eight
Carex species using PacBio Revio and 3D genome-wide
chromatin interactions. Through this rare comparative
study, we provide detailed insights into genome evolution in holocentric species and its links to speciation by
tracing the evolution of changes in genomic architecture and regions associated with reproductive isolation.

S.92.6 The genus Carex(Cyperaceae) in SouthAmerica: a decade-longstudy of one of SouthAmerica’s best hidden secrets
Muñoz-Schüler, P.1, Morales-Alonso, A.2,3,
García-Moro, P.3, Acedo, C.4, BenítezBenítez, C.5, Cano, A.6, Donadío, S.7, Lois,
R.4, Luceño, M.3, Márquez-Corro, J.I.3,8,Penneckamp, D.9, Reznicek, A.10, Roalson,
E.11, Sanz-Arnal, M.3, Villaverde, T.2, MartínBravo, S.3, Jiménez-Mejías, P.3
1 CONC Herbarium, Department of Botany, Facultadde Ciencias Naturales y Oceanográficas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile. 2 Biodiversity and Conservation Area, Department of Biology
and Geology, Physics and Inorganic Chemistry, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Spain. 3 Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemical Engineering, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain.
4 Deparment of Biodiversity and Management, Universidad de León, León, Spain. 5 Plant Biology andSouth America harbors an astonishing amount of
the world’s vascular plant diversity, including morethan 120000 species, 6200 genera and five biodiversity hotspots. Systematic and evolutionary studies
have been mostly focused on plant lineages greatly
diversified in tropical habitats like rainforests, in contrast to the comparatively less studied temperatelineages, which are mostly confined within the continent’s colder regions. The genus Carex L. (Cyperaceae) is a megadiverse and sub-cosmopolitan groupof plants, which, despite being within the ten most
speciose plant genera of South America’s temperate regions, has been historically overlooked. In thiswork we present a preliminary systematic synopsis
of Carex in South America, derived from the resultsof more than nine years of past and ongoing international collaborative studies involving researchers
from all over America and Spain. The main results
are the systematic revisions of the two largest lineages within the continent, sections Junciformes
and Uncinia, as well as a series of taxonomical andchorological studies aimed to resolve the systematics of complex groups, describe new taxa, and elucidate biogeographic patterns.

S.93 GLOBAL CONSERVATION CONSORTIA:
INTEGRATED PLANT CONSERVATION ON A
GLOBAL SCALE
1 Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, London, UK. 2 On
the Edge, London, UK. 3 Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, UK. 4 The London
School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UK. 5 EDGE
of Existence Programme, London, UK. 6 UNEP World
Conservation Monitoring Centre, Cambridge, UK. 7
Global Greengrants Fund, UK

S.93.1 Spatial priorities for theconservation of plant andanimal evolutionary history
Sebastian Pipins1,2,3, Alex Bowmer2,4, Rikki
Gumbs3,5, Ian Ondo1,6, Nisha Owen7, Sam
Pironon1,6, James Rosindell3, Felix Forest1

The biodiversity crisis is set to prune the Tree of Life ina way that threatens billions of years of evolutionary
history. To secure this heritage along with all the benefits it provides to humanity, there is need for conser-

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vation prioritisations to be informed by phylogenetics.
Furthermore, it is typical for prioritisations to report on
vertebrate diversity, biasing our attention away fromplants. Here, we contrast global priorities of threatened evolutionary history for seed plants and tetrapod animals, highlighting areas of shared priority andunique concern. We then reveal patterns of Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE) species
and consider how areas of shared priority disaggregate at the sub-national scale. With the EDGE index
featuring under Target 4 of the Kunming-Montreal
Global Biodiversity Framework, it is vital to ensure theworld’s most unique and imperilled species are safeguarded. This study therefore presents an important
examination of the potential synergies to be found inconserving across the Tree of Life.

S.93.2 Ex situ gap analyses:
informing prioritization forconservation action

at the highest risk, and prioritize conservation actions. The presentation will showcase case studies from the GCC on managing metacollections
for Cycads, Magnolias, and Oaks. These studies
will illustrate the value of data sharing amongst
botanic gardens in the application of Conservation Gap Analysis, establishment of collaborative conservation orchards, and best practices
for managing collections with a genetic focus.
This talk will introduce the GCC’s gap analysis
tools, underscoring the potential for collaborative
opportunities and inviting new partners to participate in the GCC’s global conservation efforts.

S.93.3 Improving oak
micropropagation andcryopreservation through
GCC collaborations
Megan Philpott1, Valerie Pence1

Emily Coffey1, Jean Linsky1, Amy Byrne2,
Silvia Alvarez Clare2,5, Vanessa Handley3,
Dan Crowley4,5

1 Center for Conservation & Research of Endangered Wildlife (CREW), Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical
Garden, Cincinnati, USA

1 Atlanta Botanical Garden. 2 The Morton Arboretum. 3 Montgomery Botanical Center. 4 Westonbirt, The National Arboretum, UK. 5 Botanic Gardens
Conservation International
Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) is leading a global initiative to createa cost-effective, botanic garden-driven systemfor conserving and managing plant diversity.
This initiative involves forming consortia of experts knowledgeable in genera that pose conservation and management challenges. These
consortia operate under a unified framework tomeet the conservation needs of these endangered plant groups. A key strategy for the mostthreatened species includes establishing ex situ
metacollections, networks of living collections
across various locations, and managed as unified populations. These metacollections aim toconserve a broader range of genetic diversity,
mitigate risk by distributing collections acrossmultiple institutions, and lower maintenance costs.
The Global Conservation Consortium (GCC) is at
the forefront of promoting best practices for these
metacollections through cross-sector collaborations. They have also developed new methodologies for conservation gap analysis to evaluate
existing plant group collections, identify species

Oaks are flagship species that act as keystones inmany communities. However, oaks worldwide are
increasingly threatened by novel pests and diseases, habitat loss, and climate change. Protection of global oak biodiversity must include ex situ
banking, but as oaks are considered exceptional species overall, they cannot be banked using
conventional seed banking methods and instead
are best banked long-term using cryopreservation. The first step in developing many cryopreservation protocols is initiation into tissue culture.
However, tissue culture propagation in oaks isdifficult, with protocol response often specific tospecies and even genotype. Developing universal tissue culture protocols would make it vastly
easier for practitioners worldwide to quickly andeffectively bank the biodiversity necessary to ensure these charismatic species survive into theuncertain future. As a beginning step towards thisgoal we selected eight focal oak species, including six threatened species, from across the UnitedStates to study the factors affecting tissue culture
initiation in Quercus in preparation for cryopreservation. Eighteen institutions across North America, organized through the Global Conservation
Consortium (GCC) for Oak, collaborated to send
cuttings from their collections. Using 91 genotypes
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shoot and somatic embryo cultures using a standard experimental protocol to test the effects ofspecies, genotype, climate conditions, anti-microbials, silver thiosulfate, sterilization methods, andother factors in the initiation of Quercus to tissue
culture. First year results showed survival at threemonths across species ranging from 41.3% (Q. rubra) to 1% (Q. boyntonii), with an average survivalof 15.7%. Comparison of four new sterilization methods reduced the contamination rate from 73.9% to18.2%. This project is an example of how the GCC
can be used to facilitate large-scale studies on
the improvement of ex situ conservation methods.
(Research supported by IMLS).

S.93.4 Establishing ex situ
conservation collections
through collaborative
partnerships
Amy Byrne1, Silvia Alvarez-Clare 1,5, Emily
Coffey2, Jean Linsky2, Vanessa Handley3,
Dan Crowley4,5
1 The Morton Arboretum. 2 Atlanta Botanical Garden. 3 Montgomery Botanical Center. 4 Westonbirt,
The National Arboretum, UK. 5 Botanic Gardens
Conservation International
Effective conservation of tree genetic diversity requires the integration of ex situ and in situ conservation approaches. A network of coordinated living
collections at multiple sites managed as a single
population —a metacollection— is the most effective and efficient way to conserve genetic diversityof threatened exceptional plants (plants that cannot be conserved in conventional seed banks), ex
situ. Metacollections can be used for research, education, restoration, and act as an insurance policy
against extinction. Botanic gardens and arboreta
have the expertise to identify, collect and propagate exceptional plant species, but they often lacksufficient space to establish coordinated collections at the scale needed to capture sufficient genetic diversity. The public garden community has
long known that we are more impactful working together than on our own, but how does that translate
to living collections? To address this challenge, theGlobal Conservation Consortia (GCC) have createda solution that brings partners from different sectors to solve the challenges of ex situ conservationof exceptional plants. More specifically, the GCC’s
have led cross-sector partnerships that advanceand maximize the different strengths and skills of
GCC partners to successfully establish geneticallydiverse metacollection sites. Partners such as traditional botanic gardens and arboreta, those thathave the staff capacity and infrastructure to collect and propagate seedlings, cuttings, and graftsof rare and threatened species are partnering withother sectors such as government agencies or land
trusts, those who have more space or capacity to
manage and monitor large-scale plantings longterm. Throughout this presentation, the GCC for
Oak, Magnolia and Cycad will provide case-studies
of successful, collaborative metacollection site establishment. This talk will present opportunities toengage with the GCC’s to establish more partnerships to protect the depth and breadth of genetic
diversity found in wild populations of the priority atrisk plant species, globally.

S.93.5 Understanding the
dynamics of ex-situ living
collections: a longitudinal,
contextual, and global
meta-data approach
Samuel F. Brockington1, Ángela Cano1
1 Cambridge University Botanic Garden, Universityof Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
The ex-situ living collections of Botanic Gardens are
distinct from other horticultural landscapes in being “documented”, in other words they are definedby the data that describe the collections. Consequently, ex-situ living collections individually andglobally amass vast quantities of data, as they seek
to track and document the transient flow of biodiversity within and through networked ex-situ collections. But these data are rarely if ever comprehensively analysed to understand the performance,
strengths and limitations of ex-situ collections. At
the Cambridge University Botanic Garden, we havedeveloped a bioinformatic pipeline called BGSmarR
which will thouroughly analyse the data of a living
collection in order to reveal the quality (or otherwise) of collection management - itself crucial forthe sustainable maintenance and conservation of
ex-situ diversity. Furthermore, by combining theseanalyses across the multiple globally distributed
living collections, we can reveal the global dynamics that enable and limit the functioning of ex-situ
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global meta-analyses, describing the rise and fall of
ex-situ living collections over time, and the surprising and counterintuitive patterns that emerge fromlongitudinal and contextual approaches. On the basis of these analyses we identify global and culturalforces in play that are limiting our collective ability
to manage high performance living collections, andpreventing us from realising the our full portential todeliver ex-situ conservtaion in perpetuity.

S.93.6 Beyond Botanic
Gardens – establishingand maintaining an ex situ
conservation metacollection
with non-botanic garden
partners
Hannah Wilson
Ex situ conservation is crucial for preventing species extinction, yet many conifer species are exceptional and cannot be preserved through traditional seed banks. These species must be conserved

as living collections, a challenge compounded by
the substantial space required for cultivating large,
slow-growing trees. The International Conifer Conservation Programme (ICCP) at the Royal Botanic
Garden Edinburgh has pioneered a solution overthe past 35 years, establishing a vast conifer conservation metacollection across the British Isles. This
network spans over 270 diverse sites, from botanic
gardens and private estates to zoos, hospitals, andhotels, encompassing over 23,500 individual plants
and nearly half of all conifer taxa.
This talk will explore the ICCP’s journey, emphasizing
the unique benefits and complexities of collaborating with non-botanic garden partners. By expanding
beyond traditional botanic gardens, the ICCP has
enhanced its conservation capacity and created
new opportunities for public engagement, education, and outreach. Special attention will be given
to the educational and outreach efforts that havetransformed participants from conservation novices to enthusiastic advocates. This talk will highlightthe significant added value of non-traditional partnerships in achieving botanic garden conservation
goals and fostering a widespread commitment topreserving threatened species

S.94 LARGE-SCALE GENERATION ANDUTILISATION OF REFERENCE-QUALITY
GENOMES FROM PLANTS
S94.1 10KP sequencing ofgenomes from phylodiverse
species: new discoveries
and new technologies
Gane Ka-Shu Wong1,2, Xun Xu1
1. BGI-Research, Shenzhen, China. 2 University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
Seven years ago at the IBC in Shenzhen, we announced a plan to sequence the genomes of 10,000
phylodiverse plants. Much has changed since thosedays. The technology of sequencing, especially longreads, has raised the standards for assembly. But
the COVID-19 pandemic and growing geopoliticalconflicts have made international collaborations increasingly difficult. We have adjusted to these reali-ties and continued to produce data, albeit at a lower
rate. Much of the data produced by 10KP have been
for algae provided by Michael Melkonian. The mostnotable discovery, echoed by other publications notaffiliated with us, is the ubiquity of horizontal genetransfer. We have identified two mechanisms for thegene transfer, involving phages and DNA viruses,
depending on the nature of the donor organism. The
mechanisms are not unique to plants and may beshared across eukaryotic evolution, included metazoan evolution. As for land plants, and in particular
the angiosperms, long reads will be essential to create the high-quality assemblies that plant scientists
rightly demand. To this end, BGI has developed an
in-house long reads nanopore sequencing platform. We are adopting this new technology as analternative to the otherwise more expensive options
currently available.

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S94.2 Pangenome andmultiple origin dynamics
of the Brachypodium
distachyon - B. stacei- B. hybridum grassallopolyploid model
system

S94.3 Genomic fruits fromthe Darwin Tree of Life
project
Alex D. Twyford1,2, Peter M. Hollingworth2,
Darwin Tree of Life Consortium, Claudia
Martin1, Robin Burns3, Ian Henderson3, Max
Carter-Brown4, Andrew Leitch5, Alex Bousios6,
Hans-Wilhelm Nützmann7, Ilia Leitch8

Miguel Campos Cáceres1,2, Rubén
Sancho1,2,3, Bruno Contreras-Moreira2,3,
Ernesto Pérez-Collazos1,2, Li Lei4, John
Vogel4, Pilar Catalán1,2
1 Escuela Politécnica Superior de Huesca, Universidad de Zaragoza, Huesca, Spain. 2 Grupo de Bioquímica, Biofísica y Biología Computacional (BIFI,UNIZAR, CSIC). 3 Estación Experimental Aula DeiCSIC, Zaragoza, Spain. 4 DOE Joint Genome Institute, Berkeley, CA, USA
Pangenome analyses help to unveil the genome
landscape and the evolutionary traits and trajectories of complex plant groups. We generated alarge pangenome for 282 native Mediterranean
representatives of the diploid-allopolyploid Brachypodium grass model system (118 B. distachyon-2x,
35 B. stacei-2x, 129 B. hybridum-4x) accounting
for a total of 411 assembled genomes and subgenomes. Filtered syntenic SNPs from whole (sub)genomes were used to reconstruct the evolutionary
trajectory of the ‘Brachy’ lineages and to perform
population genomics. B. hybridum showed a general additive pattern of TEs in its two progenitor genomes, our analysis detected a slight proliferationof transposons in the allotetraploid compared tothe diploids, probably as consequence of the allopolyploidization process. Maximum Likelihood (ML)and coalescent-based trees uncovered several genomic clusters in the diploids B. distachyon and B.
stacei, which were shaped by evolutionary history
and geography, and revealed three independentand recurrent origins for their derived allotetraploid
B. hybridum from local parents. Population genomic
structure also revealed three clusters for, respectively, the ancestral western Mediterranean and thetwo recent western and eastern Mediterranean hybridization events, and overall large homogeneities
in both subgenomes. A thorough genomic analysis
of intraspecific individuals exhibiting genetic admixture showed a homogeneous distribution of admixture markers across all chromosomes suggesting agenome-wide level occurrence of admixture.

1 University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh UK. 2 Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Edinburgh UK. 3 Universityof Cambridge, Cambridge UK. 4 Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge UK. 5 Queen Mary University of
London, London UK. 6 University of Sussex, Sussex
UK. 7 University of Exeter, Devon UK. 8 Royal Botanic
Garden Kew, London UK.
The field of evolutionary genomics is at a turning
point, where many unresolved questions can now
be addressed using high quality reference genomes
for non-model species. The Darwin Tree of Life (DToL)
project aims to sequence all eukaryotic genomes in
Britain and Ireland and has recently hit the milestoneof generating 1,000 reference genomes including over
50 plants. I show how these plant genomes can be
integrated with the wealth of knowledge on the diversity of the British flora to investigate evolutionary
processes. Comparative genomic analyses reveal
the wide range of plant genomic diversity, shaped byvarious attributes such as mating system and extent
of natural hybridisation. A ‘deep dive’ into the genomeof the European mistletoe (Viscum album), the largest genome ever sequenced (90Gb), reveal its giant
genome size has been achieved via extensive repeat
proliferation and degradation rather than recurrent
polyploidy. Future large-scale floristic analyses promise to combine the benefits of broad-scale analyses ofdiverse species, with the precision to infer evolutionary
process from whole genome sequence data.

S94.4 From plastomes togenomes – pitfalls andprospects
Katja Reichel
Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin,
Germany
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conferring special phenotypic properties, or forstudying genome evolution, especially at the structural level or at small genetic distances (such as inpartially clonal / apomictic populations). However,
several technical obstacles still hamper progress
towards high-quality nuclear reference genomes“for all”. By fostering exchange and collaboration
between experts throughout Europe and beyond,as well as the development of protocols, tools andstandards, the European Reference Genome Atlas
initiative (ERGA) seeks to ease the way for future
genome sequencing projects and maximize thebenefits which can be obtained from such data.
While nuclear reference genomes are often stillwork in progress, their “smaller siblings”, i.e.,plastid
genomes, rapidly become broadly available andmight serve as a test case for large-scale genome
sequencing. Though they have some peculiarities,
such as a smaller size and a more uniform structure,
the overall workflow for their generation parallels
that for nuclear genomes. We tested several bioinformatic tools for the assembly of plastid genomes
and found considerable differences in reproducibility and sensitivity to sequencing coverage, whichhave the potential to cause misinterpretations of
the biological data. Based on our findings, we developed PlastidPipeline, an open bioinformatic pipeline
producing highly reproducible, fully annotated andstructurally standardized plastid genome assemblies from short read sequence data. Finally, we ask
how far we can extrapolate from plastome to nuclear genome sequencing projects – what will we gain,
and which pitfalls can we potentially avoid?

S94.5 The benefits andvalue of large-scalereference genome
generation in plants

chromosome-level assemblies even for large andcomplex genomes. Thus, high-quality reference genomes are being generated for many clades, providing key insight into specific genotype-to-phenotype relationships and facilitating comparative
genomic analyses on an unprecedented scale.
Large-scale community sequencing projects havebeen particularly effective at generating genomic anchors for diverse clades, and notable insights
are emerging. Key among them is the consistentevidence for widespread whole-genome duplication, with even very small genomes bearing signatures of multiple duplication events. In other cases,
expansions of gene families and the identificationof gene clusters are being linked to production of
key metabolites, defense compounds, and disease
resistance. One of the most surprising discoveries
is the frequency of ancient reticulation, based on
extensive gene-tree conflict. How general are theseresults to date? Ongoing large-scale sequencing
projects will continue to generate new genomes,
but the number of plant species is immense, andmany more such efforts are needed, particularly as
the concept of the reference genome evolves froma high-quality assembly for a single individual to apangenome that represents a species. Fortunately,
the tools for sequencing, assembling, and annotating genomes are improving rapidly, and we canlook forward to novel discoveries and the possibilityof any plant species becoming a genomic model.

S94.6 Single-cell spatialtranscriptomic drives a new
era in plant research
Xun Xu1 BGI Research, Beijing, China

Pamela S. Soltis1
1 Florida Museum of Natural History, University of
Florida, Gainesville, USA
The genomes of green plants vary tremendously insize, transposable element content, and structural complexity, making sequencing, assembly, andannotation challenging. Although many publishedplant genomes are complete or nearly so at thegene sequence level, their assemblies remain fragmentary, precluding certain types of comparative
analyses. However, recent advances in sequencing
technology and analytical software are enabling

Dissecting the delicate and complex plant tissues
and cell types in single-cell resolution facilitates us
to discover plant developmental mechanisms andhow plants respond to various environmental stimuli. Based on the developed Stereo-seq technology
and plant cell wall staining, we developed the scStereo-seq (Single-cell SpaTial Enhanced REsolution Omics-sequencing) technique that enabled us
to show the in situ spatial transcriptome profiles invarious plant tissues at the real single-cell resolution. By analyzing Arabidopsis leaves, we successfully distinguished cell sub-types that show subtle
but significant transcriptomic differences, including
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mesophyll and palisade mesophyll. We also discovered cell-type-specific gene expression gradientsfrom the main vein to the leaf edge for the first time.
Furthermore, we managed to apply scStereo-seq
in various plants and tissues. For example, the spatiotemporal developmental atlas of nodules enabled us to reveal the new function of stress-related
genes in regulating nitrogen fixation, and the mostrefined spatiotemporal atlas of Arabidopsis seedfacilitated us to define the subtype of endosperm
cells generated by differentiation during germination. Altogether, these findings show the crucial roleof scStereo-seq in discovering new cell types andexploring their spatiotemporal cell-fate transition
characteristics, and scStereo-seq will significantly
advance our understanding of plant morphogenesis, plant-microbe interactions, and stress tolerance
mechanisms in the future.

S.95 ECOLOGICAL AND EVOLUTIONARYDYNAMICS AT THE REAR EDGE UNDER
CLIMATE CHANGE
S.95.1 Evolutionary history
affects adaptation at therear edge
Antoine Perrier1, Laura F. Galloway1
1 Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville VA, USA
How past evolutionary dynamics have shaped
range limits remains a central and timely question in
ecology and evolutionary research, especially when
predicting how species ranges will respond to futureclimates. The rear edge – remnant populations persisting in former glacial refugia – is particularly exposed to climate change as these populations often
occur at the warmer range limits. However, this range
limit is largely overlooked in evolutionary researchso we lack a clear picture of how past evolutionary
dynamics may affect adaptation in these populations. Rear-edge populations may have served as
distinct genetic diversity reservoirs during successive glaciation periods. High genetic diversity anddifferentiation may have provided beneficial variation to adapt to continuously warming post-glacial
climates and will be crucial for the ability of these
populations to persist and adapt to future climates.
At the same time, rear-edge populations may be atparticular risk for extinction, as strong genetic drift
resulting from a history of demographic decline
and isolation in marginal habitats may reduce their
genetic diversity and constrain adaptation. This interplay of opposing evolutionary forces may resultin a mosaic of adaptive capacities at species’ rearedges. Here we assessed how past evolutionary dy-

namics shape climate adaptation at the rear edgeof the North American herb Campanula americana.
We studied populations from the core and the rearedge and found greater phenotypic differentiation
among populations and greater adaptation to themarginal climates in rear-edge populations. These
results will be discussed in a climatic, population genetic and phylogenetic context.

S.95.2 Climate change andtraits interact to explain
abundance shifts in thearidity edges of Iberian trees
Josep Padullés Cubino1,2, Albert VilàCabrera1, Javier Retana1,2
1 Centre for Ecological Research and Forestry Applications, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain. 2 Autonomous University of Barcelona, Cerdanyola delVallès, Spain
Climate change is expected to exert an amplified
influence on the climate edges of species distribution owing to their proximity to ecological tolerances. However, a notable ambiguity persists regarding
the interplay between climate change, plant functional traits, and their collective role in driving shifts
in plant abundance at climate edges. Furthermore,
the influence of historical land-use legacies in moderating this interaction remains unclear. Leveraging
data from approximately 300,000 monitored trees
spanning 66 widely distributed species in Spain, wequantified shifts in tree species abundance at aridity edges (i.e., cold and wet vs. warm and dry con-302

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ditions) over 25 years. We also examined the relative significance of the interplay between climatechange and tree traits in driving these abundance
shifts. To evaluate the shifts in tree species abundance at aridity edges, we used a null model to test
the hypothesis that such shifts occur randomly concerning gains and losses of trees across the entire
aridity gradient. Our investigation revealed an overall increase in tree species abundance over time
across the studied region. Notably, a non-random
increase in tree species abundance was observedat the cold and wet edge, while the increase at thewarm and dry edge appeared to follow a random
pattern. Furthermore, shifts in tree species abundance across the entire aridity gradient, including its
edges, correlated with forest densification within thesurveyed plots. The influence of climate change on
shifts in tree species abundance was notably mediated by the traits of these species at the aridity
edges. Consequently, our study offers species-specific insights into the dynamics of tree abundance
at climatic edges, presenting valuable information
pertinent to informed decision-making in formulating conservation, management, and restoration
strategies within the context of anthropogenically-induced global environmental changes.

S.95.3 Evolutionary rescueof wild monkeyflower
populations during extreme
drought
Amy L. Angert1, Daniel N. Anstett1-5, Julia
Anstett6,7, Seema N. Sheth8, Dylan R.
Moxley1, Mojtaba Jahani1, Kaichi Huang1,
Marco Todesco1,9,10, Rebecca Jordan11,
Jose Miguel Lazaro-Guevara1, Loren H.
Rieseberg1
1 Biodiversity Research Centre and Department of
Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver,
Canada. 2 Plant Resilience Institute, Michigan State
University, East Lansing, USA. 3 Department of Plant
Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing,USA. 4 Department of Entomology, Michigan State
University, East Lansing, USA. 5 Program in Ecology,
Evolution, and Behavior, Michigan State University,
East Lansing, USA. 6 Genomic Sciences and Technology Program, University of British Columbia,
Vancouver, Canada. 7 Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia,
Vancouver, Canada. 8 Department of Plant andMicrobial Biology, North Carolina State University,

Raleigh, USA. 9 Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. 10 Department of Biology, University of British Columbia,
Kelowna, Canada. 11 CSIRO Environment, Sandy Bay,
Australia
Populations declining due to extreme climatechange may require adaptive evolutionarychange in order to persist. While evolutionary
rescue is well-established by theory and demonstrated in microbial experiments, its relevanceto the persistence of natural populations facing
climate change remains largely unknown. Here
we document range-wide patterns of rapid evolution and evolutionary rescue in scarlet monkeyflower after an exceptional natural drought
event in the western United States. We combine
10 years of field demographic monitoring withwhole-genome sequencing across 55 populations prior to the exceptional drought (“baseline”
genomics), and whole-genome resequencing of
12 populations throughout the drought (“time series” genomics). Range-wide population decline
during the drought was most closely associatedwith precipitation anomalies. Genome-environment associations in baseline samples identify
approximately 600 snigle-nucleotide polymorphisms associated with spatial variation in historical climate. In the time series samples, theheat- or drought-associated allele at these 600
climate-associated loci increased more than expected by chance throughout the drought, consistent with rapid evolution by natural selection.
Finally, rates of demographic recovery were predicted by genetic variation, not climate anomalies. Specifically, populations that recovered
most quickly had higher nucleotide diversity at
climate-associated loci in the baseline samples
and greater rates of temporal change in climate-associated loci in the time series samples.
Genetic variation, rapid evolution, and demography showed weak latitudinal clines across the
species range, with rear edge populations facing some of the steepest demographic declines,
the lowest segregating genetic variation, andthe weakest response to selection. These findings demonstrate evolutionary rescue in the wild,
showing that some populations can evolve to recover from climate-change induced population
decline and that genomics tools can have an important role in predicting recovery capacity via
evolutionary rescue.

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S.95.4 Forest ecosystem
dynamics at rear edges in achanging world

S.95.5 Genetic structure andmating system shift at a
trailing edge of Sphagnum
fuscumAlbert Vilà-Cabrera1

Joan Cuscó-Borràs1,2,3, Núria GarcíaJacas2, Eulàlia Pladevall-Izard1, Jordi
López-Pujol2, Nil Escolà-Lamora1, Aaron
Pérez-Haase1.

1 CREAF, Bellaterra, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Catalonia, Spain
Forests are home to a large part of terrestrial biodiversity and underpin critical ecosystem processes, including climate regulation, and carbon and nutrient cycling. Unfortunately, ongoing
anthropogenic climate change is reshuffling
the geographic distributions of tree species with
far-reaching implications for the beneficial contributions of forests to human populations. It is
typically assumed that climate change-relatedrisks to forests are higher at species rear edges,
i.e., the low latitude and altitude edges of species
distributions, because rear edge populations tend
occur at the limit of the species’ climatic tolerances. Yet evidence on uneven patterns of rear edge
population loss and retention is accumulating.
This variability in population responses may result
from the large ecological heterogeneity at species
rear edges, including site-level abiotic conditions
decoupled from the regional climate, functional
trait variability across populations or species interactions. Importantly, climatic stressors and other global change drivers such as anthropogenic
land-use changes interact and strongly impact
biological communities and may influence species redistributions. Here we present recent andongoing research on these major regulating factors of forest dynamics at species rear edges. Refining our predictive understanding of species rearedges is essential to advance our ability to monitor and plan for the impacts of climate change on
forest biodiversity and functioning.

1 Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. 2 Institut Botànic de Barcelona (CSIC-ICUB), Barcelona,
Spain. 3 Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain.
Rear edge populations match in many cases withthe extreme of species´ niche. During the Holocene,
one strategy for cold-adapted species has been
migrating to refugia while conserving their ecological niche, in what is known as trailing edges. In
such populations, long-distance dispersal is thus a
crucial trait that may be under selective pressure. In
the genus Sphagnum L. (peat mosses) such function relies on spores. Its production may be compromised by the species mating system, with sporophytes being less frequent in dioicous species rather
than monoicous. Here, we studied the genetic structure and demographic traits of Sphagnum fuscum(Schimp.) Klinggr., a putative dioicous species, on its
rear edge in the Pyrenees. We entirely genotyped
seven populations through 16 microsatellite loci, andwe assessed the production of sporophytes in each
population. Genetic diversity within populations isextremely poor, harbouring only one to three private
genotypes per population. Each genotype constitutes a separate group according to a Bayesiancluster analysis. Surprisingly, we found sporophytes
in some monoclonal populations. We suggest that
S. fuscum is a glacial relict in the Pyrenees. Its current genetic structure can be explained by a demographical contraction and altitudinal migration
upwards after the Local Last Glacial Maximum. The
remarkable uniqueness of every genotype may result from independent founder events and strong
isolation. Our findings indicate that S. fuscum may
have shifted to monoicy in the Pyrenees. This trait
would enhance the fitness of small populations withlimited and fragmented suitable habitat. Consequently, we think that S. fuscum would be a goodmodel to study the molecular mechanisms underlying sex determination in the genus. Furthermore, it
could provide valuable insights to understand mating system transitions in Sphagnum under an evolutionary ecology perspective.

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S.96 GRAPEVINES (VITIS SPP.): A MODEL
FOR MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACHESTO CONSERVING AND USING CROP WILDRELATIVES
S.96.1 Optimized design ofa genetic reserve network
for the in situ conservationof wild grape Vitis vinifera
subsp. sylvestris

S.96.2 Conservation andsustainable use of crop wild
relatives for food security

Nerea Navarro1, M. Luisa Rubio Teso1, José
M. Iriondo1

1 Department of Botany, Bhavan’s Sheth R A College of Science, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad,
India. 2 Department of Chemistry, Bhavan’s
Sheth R A College of Science, Gujarat University,
Ahmedabad, India

Satishkumar M Khadia1, Falguni G
Bhabhor2

1 Department of Biology, Rey Juan Carlos University,
Móstoles, Spain
Wild grape is important for Spain because it is a) thethird largest wine producer in the world, b) one of
the most climate-affected European countries, andc) a rich source of wild grape diversity. As part ofthe implementation of the National Strategy for theConservation and Utilization of Crop Wild Relatives
and Wild Food Plants of Spain, we aimed at inventorying the occurrences of wild grape populationsin Spain and developing an optimized design of a
network for the establishment of wild grape genetic
reserves. 796 wild grape populations were identified from various sources. An ecogeographic landcharacterization (ELC) map was created for Spain toestimate genetic differentiation between wild grape
populations. 309 populations that occur in protected areas were found in 9 of the 10 ecogeographical categories in which the species occurs in Spain.
Using a complementarity analysis, seven protectedareas including nine populations were finally selected for the establishment of the genetic reserves. Aneighth site in a non-protected area was also selected to cover the ecogeographic category that was
not represented in the protected area populations.
The proposed network is distributed across a latitudinal gradient including sites located in Navarra,
Aragón, Madrid and Andalucía. The establishmentof these genetic reserves would provide protectionand enable access to the genetic resources for the
breeding of new cultivars adapted to the forthcoming environmental conditions.

A valuable resource for agrobiodiversity, sustainableagriculture, and overall food security are crop wild
relatives, or CWRs. Genes for advantageous characteristics like high nutritional value, disease andpest resistance, resource efficiency, and climate
adaptation may be present in CRWs. Their innate
genetic diversity and the microbiota that coexists
with it provide an abundance of resources for creating resilient, nutrient-dense, and productive cropvarieties as well as for diversifying agricultural systems. Despite their value, a wide range of CWRs are
threatened and face pressures, e. g. from the consequences of climate change, urbanization, pollution, and intensive agriculture. However, there is stilla dearth of information regarding their deployment
in breeding and conservation. As a result, there is alack of understanding regarding the diversity thatis present and the specific ways in which it can beapplied to farming and crop improvement. Wild relatives of crops are an essential source of adaptive
traits and genes, which can be used in plant breeding to improve sustainable food security in the faceof obstacles like population growth and climatechange. These traits and genes include resistanceto diseases, pests, and stresses like drought and extreme temperatures. Crop wild relatives are valued
at more than 120 billion US dollars annually (PwC,
2013). Their significance for maintaining agriculturein the future has been acknowledged internationallyin the Convention on Biological Diversity (Aichi target13), International Treaty on PGRFA, FAO Global Plan305

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relatives is still an underfunded field of study, despite
their economic significance to agriculture and thecenturies-long influence they have had on the development of our food crops.

S.96.3 Using phylogenetic
relationships and speciesdelimitations of North
American Vitis to inform
crop breeding andconservation action
Jun Wen1, Alicia Talavera1, Zhi-Yao Ma2,
Gabriel Johnson1, Stefanie M. IckertBond3, Elizabeth A. Zimmer1, Ze-Long Nie4
1 Department of Botany, Smithsonian Institution,
Washington, USA. 2 Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs,
Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen,
China. 3 UA Museum of the North Herbarium and
Department of Biology and Wildlife, University of
Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, USA. 4 College of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Jishou University,
Jishou, China
The North American Vitis species are of considerable economic importance and have played a significant role in saving the viticulture industry sincethe 1870’s. With the recent advances in genomics
and collections-based informatics, the taxonomy of Vitis is experiencing a new era of revolution.
We conduct extensive phylogenomic analyses tounravel the complex evolutionary history of North
American Vitis by densely sampling all New World
species with representatives from Eurasia and byusing a newly developed bait set target-capturing1013 nuclear genes. We also target the sampling ofseveral species complexes including the taxonomically challenging Vitis aestivalis, V. arizonica and V.
cinerea complexes. Our analyses reveal extensive
introgressive hybridizations of North American Vitis
at the deep and shallow levels. Introgressive hybridization is a major mode of speciation in North
American Vitis, driving the evolution of several species including V. californica, V. novae-angliae, andV. shuttleworthii. Geographic isolation plays an important role in generating morphological variationsin the V. aestivalis, V. arizonica and V. cinerea complexes. Vitis is herein classified into three subgenera:

subgenus Mesoamericana J. Wen (subg. nov.), subgenus Muscadinia (Planch.) Rehder and subgenus
Vitis, and the North American Vitis subgenus Vitis isplaced into eight taxonomic series. The taxonomic
framework, evolutionary relationships, phenotypicvariations, geographic distribution, and ecologicalcharacters provide fundamental insights into crop
breeding and conservation actions. We call the attention to further assess the distribution and conservation status of V. novae-angliae, a species that is
supported to be of hybrid origin between V. labrusca
and the common ancestor of V. riparia and its close
relatives. Furthermore, V. shuttleworthii of peninsular Florida should be more closely monitored as thecoastal narrow endemic can be threatened by rising ocean levels associated with climate warming.

S.96.4 A multidisciplinary
and collaborative model for
conserving North American
grapes (Vitis spp.)
Anne L. Frances1, Wesley M. Knapp2
1 Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, USA. 2 NatureServe, Arlington, USA
Crop wild relatives are wild plants closely related
to domesticated crop species. The genetic diversity found in crop wild relatives is utilized to improvecrops in many ways, including increased resistanceto pests and pathogens, and tolerance of heat,cold, and drought. Grapes are one of the most economically valuable crops globally, but productionof grapevines is hindered by pests, pathogens, andclimatic changes. North American wild grape germplasm was critical in providing resistance to thepest, phylloxera, that plagued many European vineyards in the late 1800s. North America is a major
center of grape diversity, with about 25 taxa native
to the United States. Several native North American
Vitis taxa are used as rootstock for the cultivatedgrapevine (V. vinifera) or for scion breeding. North
American wild grapes have been cultivated for theirfruit for centuries, particularly muscadine grapes(Vitis rotundifolia). Due to changing climatic conditions, North American native grapes are increasingly important to improving the cultivated grapevine. As with other native plants, crop wild relatives
are becoming more threatened, and further efforts
are needed for conservation. However, informationon the complementary conservation (in situ and306

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ex situ) of North American native grapes is lacking
and scattered among different stakeholder groups.
To more comprehensively conserve North American
Vitis, we convened a collaborative workshop in November 2022, which brought together 20 scientists
from the agricultural and conservation communities to identify conservation gaps in North American
native grapes. We discuss the conservation status ofnative grapes, the importance of hybrid wine grapes
for sustainability, and a roadmap for the complementary conservation of North American grapes.
We also address the positive outcomes from collaborating with multiple stakeholder groups to conserve crop wild relatives.

S.96.5 Natural variationin North American Vitis
species used as rootstocks
influences shoot system
phenotypes in grafted
grapevines
Allison Miller1,2, Zach Harris2,3, Laszlo
Kovacs4, Misha Kwasniewski5, Jason
Londo6
1 Department of Biology, Saint Louis University, St.
Louis, MO, USA. 2 Danforth Plant Science Center, St.
Louis, MO, USA. 3 Taylor Geospatial Institute, St. Louis, MO USA. 4 Department of Biology, Missouri State
University, Springfield, MO, USA. 5 Department ofFood Science, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA. 6 School of Integrative Plant
Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
North American grapevines (Vitis spp.) represent amorphologically, genetically, and ecologically diverse group of taxa that are important contributors of regional and global viticulture. Although few
North American species are grown directly for grape
production, these species have been used for morethan one hundred years in the generation of disease-resistant hybrid vines derived from crosses
between North American species and the European grapevine (V. vinifera). Beyond their use in hybridvines, North American Vitis species have also beenused as rootstocks: roots of domesticated V. vinifera are susceptible to damage caused by the North
American aphid phylloxera, but North American Vitis
species can withstand infestation. As a result, North
American Vitis species and their hybrid derivatives
are widely used as rootstocks for V. vinifera vines on
multiple continents. In perennial woody systems likegrapevines, a fundamental question is how variation
within and among species in below-ground features influences traits expressed in structures above
ground, including leaves, flowers, and fruits. In thisstudy, we used a rootstock experimental vineyardin which the clonally propagated grapevine cultivar‘Chambourcin’, a European-American hybrid, wasgrowing ungrafted and grafted to three hybrid rootstocks derived from crosses between V. cinerea ssp.
berlandieri, V. riparia, and V. rupestris. Data collected
over three years demonstrate seasonal and annual variation in rootstock effects on ‘Chambourcin’
phenotypes including leaf ion concentrations, gene
expression patterns and epigenomic signatures,among others. These data indicate that naturalvariation grapevine root systems have a detectable influence on a multitude of traits observed ina grafted clonal scion. Additional work is required to
document natural variation in wild grapevine species and it’s genetic and environmental influences,in order to fully leverage these taxa in ongoing efforts to adapt global viticulture for consumer preferences and changing climates.

S.96.6 Importance of wild
Vitis germplasm in historicaland modern grape breeding
Matthew D. Clark1, Surya Sapkota2, Soon Li
Teh1
1 Department of Horticultural Science, University of
Minnesota, USA, 2 School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, USA
Grapes, and its diversity offer a unique opportunity to tell the importance of germplasm for modern
plant breeding while simultaneously highlighting
the need for its conservation for future generations.
Because of their abundance in our food system (asraisins, wine, juice, jelly, and for fresh eating), as wellas their role in sacrament, grapes hold cultural significance in many ways. The history of grape breeding in both Europe and North America is rooted incontrolling fungal diseases (powdery and downy
mildew) and insects (phylloxera) which persist as
the main breeding targets today along with highquality. Due to the narrow genetic base of Vitis vinifera, the predominantly grown grape in production
worldwide, other Vitis species from Asia and North
America have been critical for introgressing pest resistance and solving vineyard problems. This review
will cover the importance of wild Vitis germplasm

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through several examples/historic events that continue to impact the viticulture community. Grapes
can be a model to exemplify the importance ofwild species in impacting human life, culturally andeconomically, and the need for conservation in pro-tecting important genetic resources. Modern plant
breeding, although empowered through new genetic and genomic tools, at its core relies on accessto the diversity for genetic improvement for sustainability and human benefits.

S.97 SOLANACEAE: BIOLOGY, SYSTEMATICSAND EVOLUTION. SESSION 1
S.97.1 The anatomicaland genetic bases of fruit
diversity in Solanaceae
Natalia Pabón-Mora1, Natali HernandezCiro1, Clara Ines Ortiz-Ramirez2, Cristina
Ferrándiz2
1 Instituto de Biología, Universidad de Antioquia. 2
Instituto de Biología Celular y Molecular de Plantas, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Valencia,
EspañaThe diversity of fruit patterning and seed dispersal
strategies in Solanaceae is outstanding. The family
exhibits berries, capsules, drupes, pyrenes and intermediate forms of thin fleshy fruits that dehisce or thickfleshy fruits that dry out. The optimization of fruit typeonto a phylogenetic framework results in a unidirectional shift, from dry fruits to fleshy fruits, in the specious Solanoideae. However, independent acquisitions of fleshy fruits have occurred at least in Cestrumand Duboisia, and reversals to dry fruits take place inmembers of Daturae. We have undertaken comparative anatomical studies coupled with genetic studies to understand the evolution and development ofdifferent fruit types across Solanaceae. We have been
documenting the carpel-to-fruit transformation in
distantly related species across the family including
Brunfelsia, Brugmansia, Capsicum, Cestrum, Petunia,
Nicotiana, Nierembergia, Nicandra, Nolana, Salpiglossis, Saracha, Schizanthus, and Solanum, which haveallowed us to assess key anatomical homologous
and convergent features. We have reconstructed theevolution of specific anatomical features during thediversification of the family. We have also evaluatedgenes that are critical for fruit patterning, taking as
reference the genetic network for fruit development
established in Arabidopsis, where major transcription
factors control valve identity (i.e., FRUITFULL), replum
development (i.e., REPLUMLESS) and the differentiationof the dehiscence zones (i.e., SHATTERPROOF, INDEHISCENT and ALCATRAZ). Our data indicates that thefruit developmental genetic network in the Brassicaceae cannot be extrapolated to the Solanaceae, due
to independent duplication events and changes in
expression patterns for key genetic hubs. We present
data on their expression and function in species withdifferent fruit type with Solanaceae emphasizing thoseconvergent fruit types in Cestrum and Brugmansia
and we discuss the implications of our findings in fruit
evolution studies across the family

S.97.2 Transposable
Element Activity as Genome
Evolution Driver: The
Nicotiana Suaveolentes
section Case
Agustín Amata1, Sabela Quirós1, Nicolas
Sierro2, Nikolai V. Ivanov2, Aureliano
Bombarely1
1 Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas (CSIC-UPV), Valencia, Spain. 2 PMI R&D, Philip
Morris Products S.A., Neuchâtel, Switzerland
Nicotiana is an herbaceous plant genus of the Solanaceae family with 90 naturally occurring species divided into 13 sections. Five sections contain allopolyploids
formed by interspecific hybridization between diploids.
The largest section is Suaveolentes which includes 38
species, such as the well-studied Nicotiana benthamiana. The origin of this paleopolyploid clade is dated
6 MYA. Our previous work showed that Suaveolentes
derives from the hybridization of the Alatae/Sylvestresand Noctiflorae/Petunioides ancestors. The polyploid
genomes evolve to a diploid state in which repetitiveelements are purged and some duplicated genes
lose their function becoming pseudogenes or get removed by non-homologous recombination between

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the subgenomes. The transposable element analysis
has revealed an explosion of LTR/Copia elements atthe time of the diversification of the clade, shaping thegene space of the most recent Suaveolentes species.

S.97.3 Evolution of sacredplantsS.97.4 Evolution of steroidal
glycoalkaloid (SGA)
metabolism in medicinal
and wild plant species ofSolanaceae
Pablo A Pérez Mesa1, Thomas Gatter2,
Saleh Alseekh3, Sofía Rojas Contreras1,
Karl Kaether2, Gina P Sierra1, Andrés
Orejuela4, Peter F Stadler2, Alisdair G
Fernie3, Clara I. Bermúdez Santana1,
Federico Roda1

Federico Roda , Ronald A. Pardo , Sofía
Rojas-Contreras1, Saleh Alseekh2,3, Pablo
Perez Mesa1, Andrés Orejuela1, D. Estevan
García1,4, Liliana Lopez-Kleine4, Gina P.
Sierra1, Alisdair R. Fernie2,3
1

1

1 Max Planck Tandem Group GEME, Facultad deCiencias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia. 2 Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Potsdam-Golm, Germany. 3
Center of Plant Systems Biology and Biotechnology,
Bulgaria. 4 Departamento de Estadística, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia.
Plant species that produce tropane alkaloids (TAs)have been used by humans for millennia as medicines, stimulants, and for mystical-divinatory purposes. We ignore how the longstanding interaction withhumans has shaped the genomes and metabolismof these sacred plants. We studied the evolution of TAs
in members of the Solanaceae family, which includes
multiple TA-producing species that are sacred to cultures around the world. We conducted a search forregulatory networks associated with TA evolution by
integrating transcriptomic and metabolomic variation in hundreds of Solanaceae species. Our findings
show that TAs are produced by independent phylogenetic clades, indicating the independent acquisition orloss of the TA pathway. Notably, TA genes are components of the same co-expression networks as genes
involved in the production of other alkaloids, steroidal
glycoalkaloids (SGAs), implying a regulatory tradeoff
linking the two pathways. We identified candidate alkaloid genes whose expression shows a correlation
with SGA and TA levels across samples. These genes
could play a role in metabolic switching between
TAs and SGAs during the evolution of the Solanaceae. A genomic analysis of the distribution of TA genes
across the Solanaceae phylogeny highlights the significance of genomic clustering, gene duplication, andgene loss in the evolution of alkaloid pathways. Finally,
we found that viruses and endophytes have shaped
the use of TA-producing species by humans. Our
study provides a unique view of the evolution of medicinal plants with potential applications for metabolicengineering of TAs.

1 Universidad Nacional de Colombia Sede Bogotá,
Bogotá, Colombia. 2 Universität Leipzig, Leipzig,
Germany. 3 Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant
Physiology, Potsdam-Golm, Germany. 4 Instituto
tecnológico del Putumayo, Mocoa, Colombia.
The Solanaceae family constitutes a promissory
group for genomic and metabolomics studies. Thiscondition is attributable to the morphological diversity, agronomic importance, and few polyploidy eventsfor most taxonomic groups. Within Solanaceae, wild
species in the Neotropic are a valuable source ofdiversity to study the phylogenomic evolution ofdifferent plant clades through specialized metabolism. Steroidal glycoalkaloids (SGAs) are among themost interesting compounds of plant origin due totheir medicinal, antibiotic, and defensive properties
against pests. These compounds have been mainly studied in the domesticated species of the Solanum genus. Genomic synteny and gene expression
studies in species such as potatoes, tomatoes, andeggplants have allowed the identification of genesthat determine the production of SGAs. These analyses have shown that the genes associated withthe metabolism of SGAs are grouped in genomic
regions, forming what is known as biosynthetic clusters (BCs). The expression and gene composition ofthese BCs define the evolution of SGAs in cultivatedspecies. However, the genes that have generated thediversity of SGAs in wild species have not yet beenstudied. Understanding the genetic causes of the diversification of SGA metabolism in non-highlighted
species is fundamental to understanding the evolution of metabolism in Solanaceae and characterizing these compounds for biotechnological purposes.
Our project proposes to fill this gap by studying theevolution, metabolism, expression, and genomic organization of genes associated with the productionof SGAs in wild and medicinal species of the Solana-309

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ceae family. Specifically, we identify candidate genes
using co-expression and correlation analysis using
the transcriptomes and metabolomes of dozens ofspecies. In addition, we performed synteny analysis
to characterize the BCs variation between cultivatedand wild Solanum plants. Moreover, we validate somecandidate genes using overexpression techniques tofind new and promising compounds for medicinal
purposes.

S.97.5 . Repetitive DNA in the
Cyphomandra clade (Solanum, Solanaceae).

Sader, Mariela Analía1, Vaio M2 , Urdampilleta JD 1

1-Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (IMBIV), Universidad de Córdoba-CONICET, Argentina
2- Laboratorio de Evolución y Domesticación de lasPlantas, Departamento de Biología Vegetal, Facultadde Agronomía, Universidad de la República, Uruguay

The genus Solanum is quite diverse, containing awide range of species including important crops liketomatoes, potatoes, and eggplants, as well as many
wild species. The Cyphomandra clade is a group within the Solanum (Solanaceae), commonly known as
the nightshade family. One of the most well-known
members of this clade is S. betaceum (tree tomato or
tamarillo). Members of the Cyphomandra are typically found in tropical and subtropical regions and theirfruits are generally edible and used in culinary applications. Genome sizes (GS) within Solanum can varysignificantly and Cyphomandra has giant genomes(Solanum GS mean=1.40pg, range 0.60-24.8pg, andCyphomandra GS mean=10.71pg, range 6.80-24.80pg)
compared to its cultivated relatives: Tomato (S. lycopersicum, 950Mb), Potato (S. tuberosum, 844 Mb) andEggplant (S. melongena, 1,120 Mb). Giant genomes
are characterized by often containing a high number of repetitive sequences and non-coding DNA. To
understand and characterize the repetitive fraction,
we sequenced DNA from four species (S. betaceum,
S. glaucophyllum, S. confusum,S. stuckertii) using low
coverage (0.1&times;). We also estimated the genome
size, performed a clustering analysis, and mapped themost abundant repeats using FISH. The estimated GS
were 12.5pg, 17.3pg, 21.7pg and 23pg for S. glaucophyllum S. stuckertii, S.confusum, and S. betaceum respectively. The repetitive fraction constitutes 54%, 53%, 63%,
and 76% of the genome respectively, with the Ty3/gypsy-Tekay retrotransposon being the most abundant
except in S. glaucophyllum (Ty3/gypsy-Ogre). Furthermore, we identified four distinct satellite DNA families in
S. confusum, S. stuckertii and S. betaceum, with 0.45%,
1.93%, and 0.85% of repetitive fraction respectively, and9 families in S. glaucophyllum 1.52%). We observed thatin the species exists an accumulation of repetitive DNA
sequences, especially retrotransposons, and different
satellite families, confirming that these genomes arehighly dynamic in their repetitive fraction.

S.98 KIN DISCRIMINATION AND KIN SELECTION
IN PLANTS
S.98.1 Kin recognition
and kin selection from anexperimentalist’s view
Bodil K. Ehlers1
1 Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University,
Denmark
Some plants are able to discriminate and alter
their competitive phenotype towards a conspecificneighbor, depending on its genetic relatedness. Thishas spurred a large interest in studying kin selectionin plants during the last two decades. The ability toshow positive kin discrimination may create positivefrequency dependent interactions in plant commu-

nities with implications on species co-existence andassembly as well as consequences for agronomy
where selection of crops with more “co-operative”
behaviors may prove fruitful. Whether plants actively
avoid competing with their kin and the fitness consequences of such “behavior” is, however, tricky to
study experimentally as alternative hypotheses may
predict similar outcomes. Questions of importanceare, what type of experiments could we conduct,
which plant traits should we study and what are theresults to expect in order to decide if we find evidence of kin recognition and kin selections or not?
I present examples from different experiments anddiscuss how we may or may not interpret these as
evidence for kin recognition and kin selection.

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S.98.2 How to use kin
selection models in plants: atheoretical perspective

Plants have the ability to recognize their kin neighbours,
which may be a beneficial trait that increase inclusive
fitness, by suppressing individual growth to support
the combined growth of the group. However, the advantages of kin cooperation (known as kin selection
theory), may differ across environmental gradients,
with competition between related individuals potentially being detrimental under resource limitation (following niche partitioning theory). The study aimed tounderstand how quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.)
plants grow with kin or with non-kin under different
nutrient supply rates. Plants were grown in treatments
post-germination for 70 days. Biomass accumulation,
allocation to organs, and organ traits related to resource acquisition were measured at the end of theexperiment. Total mass and shoot mass were greater for plants grown with kin than with non-kin acrossnutrient treatments. Plants grown with kin had greaterroot allocation than with non-kin under low and highnutrients. Allocation to leaves, specific leaf area, andaverage leaf mass were greater for plants grown with
non-kin than kin under high nutrient supply but did not
differ under low nutrient supply. Allocation to stem was
greater for plants grown with kin than non-kin underhigh nutrient supply but did not differ under low nutrient supply. Specific taproot length and specific stem
length were respectively positively and negatively
related to increased fertility, but unrelated to kinship.
Our results suggest that both niche partitioning andkin selection processes may be at play in quinoa, depending on whether soil nutrient competition is more
important. Under both situations, quinoa plants always
grew better with kin than non-kin regardless of soil nutrient conditions.

Ryosuke Iritani1,2
1 Interdisciplinary Theoretical and Mathematical
Sciences Program (iTHEMS), RIKEN, Wako, Saitama,
Japan. 2 Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
Inclusive fitness theory of kin selection has been very
successful in evolutionary biology, which provides
both conceptual and theoretical explanations for theevolution of numerous traits ranging from social behaviors, microbial interactions, and disease evolution.
There are also cases where inclusive fitness theory
has been applied to plant ecology, for example, theevolution of sex allocation, seed dispersal, pollen dispersal, and dormancy. However, the conceptual gap
between inclusive fitness theory and plant ecology is
still large, rendering the powerfulness of the theory at
most in its intuitiveness. In this talk, I tell you a bit about
why inclusive fitness theory should be (re-)advocated in plant ecology. Specifically, I show some classical,
elementary predictions derived from inclusive fitness
theory, including (i) the effect of local competition on
the evolution of interaction among relatives, (ii) kin
recognition as unnecessary conditions for inclusive fitness theory, and (iii) the effects of plant reproductive
traits (selfing, pollen dispersal, and seed dispersal) on
inclusive fitness theory. Finally, I draw an example fromthe evolutionary dynamics of plant reproductive traits
to highlight plant reproductive traits as model systems
of inclusive fitness theory theory.

S.98.5 Specificity andcontext-dependency ofplant-plant communicationin response to herbivore andpathogen attacks

S.98.3 Plant growth of
Chenopodium quinoa(Willd.) is better whengrowing with kin than with
non-kin regardless of soil
nutrient condition

Xoaquín Moreira1, Lucía Martín-Cacheda1,
Carla Vázquez-González1, Luis AbdalaRoberts2

Jan Sher1,3, Nasrullah Khan2, Kyle W.
Tomlinson1

1 Misión Biológica de Galicia (CSIC), Pontevedra,
Galicia, Spain. 2 Departamento de Ecología Tropical, Campus de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida,
Yucatán, Mexico

1 Center for Integrative Conservation & Yunnan Key
Laboratory for Conservation of Tropical Rainforests
and Asian Elephants, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Mengla, Yunnan, China. 2 Department of
Botany, University of Malakand Pakistan. 3 Universityof Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

Over three decades of work on airborne plant communication have demonstrated that plants send,311

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receive, and respond to volatile organic compounds(VOCs) emitted by neighboring plants. Much of thisresearch has focused on the consequences of plantplant communication on resistance against herbivory, with studies showing that VOCs emitted byherbivore-damaged plants increase resistance ofneighboring undamaged plants. This phenomenonof plant communication is thought to be widespread
and an increasing number of studies have proposed
the use of plant VOC-mediated signaling as an alternative for sustainable crop protection against pests
and diseases. However, a key aspect that has received
relatively less attention concerns the ecological specificity and context-dependency of this phenomenon.
Knowledge on this is crucial for assessing the ecological mechanisms that govern plant communication,
determining its biological significance under natural
conditions, as well as designing effective strategies for
its use in crop plant resistance. Here, we talk about theecological specificity of plant communication, as wellas the chemical mechanisms underlying this phenomenon, based on three main aspects: plant-based
specificity, enemy-based specificity, and the importance of the abiotic context.

S.98.6 The fitness
consequences of sharing
pollinators with relatives

Camilo Ferrón1, Inés Álvarez2; Lucía
DeSoto3, Yedra García1 4, Luis GiménezBenavides1, Javier Jiménez-López1,
Cristina Poyatos1, Luis G. Quintanilla1,
Violeta Quiroga1 5 6, Rubén Torices1
1 University Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, Spain. 2 RealJardín Botánico de Madrid, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain. 3
Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
4 Lund University; Lund, Sweden. 5 Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (CSIC), Almería, Spain. 6
Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
Recently, it has been shown that the genetic composition of the intraspecific neighborhood can influence aplant’s investment in attracting pollinators. Specifically, plants surrounded by kin exhibit significantly larger
floral displays compared to those grown with nonkin. This increased floral display in kin groups could
enhance plant inclusive fitness by attracting shared
pollinators to other nearby kin. To investigate this hypothesis, we conducted an experiment using themodel plant species Moricandia moricandioides. We
established an experimental population of 560 plants,
divided into 80 groups of seven plants each. Half ofthese groups consisted solely of half siblings, while theother half contained a random sample of genotypes.
We then measured pollinator visitation rates and female reproductive success. Our findings provide thefirst experimental insights of the potential effect of kin
selection on floral display evolution.

S.99 USING GENOMIC DATA TO UNDERSTAND
THE BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION OF LICHENS
S.99.1 Exploring Biosynthetic
Gene Clusters in Lichens:
Insights into Secondary
Metabolites Evolution
David Pizarro1, Pradeep K. Divaka1,
Thorsten H. Lumbsch2
1 Department of Pharmacology, Pharmacognosy
and Botany, Universidad Complutense de Madrid,
Spain. 2 Collections, Conservation, and Research
Division, Field Museum of Chicago, Illinois, USA
Lichens, symbiotic organisms comprising fungiand photosynthetic partners, are known for theirdiverse array of secondary metabolites with pharmaceutical, ecological, and adaptive significance.
The biosynthetic pathways responsible for thesecompounds are encoded within biosynthetic geneclusters (BGCs). In this study, we investigate theevolutionary processes shaping BGCs in lichens,
focusing on the genetic mechanisms driving secondary metabolite diversification, particularly incortical secondary metabolites such as usnic acidand atranorin, and a medullary substance as fumarprotocetraric acid. Advances in genomics andbioinformatics have provided a deeper understanding of the diversity and organization of BGCs
across lichen-forming fungi. Comparative analyses reveal that BGCs have undergone dynamic
evolutionary processes, including gene gain, loss

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and rearrangements. Furthermore, environmental and ecological pressures may have influenced
the evolution of BGCs, shaping the secondary metabolite profiles, including those in the cortex oflichens. Insights into BGC evolution enhance ourknowledge of lichen secondary metabolism andits adaptation to various habitats, paving the way
for potential applications in biotechnology andenvironmental sciences.

S.99.2 Speciation continuum
in non-model organisms:
revisiting the species-pairconcept in lichens

S.99.3 The genomic
landscape of recombination
in a fungal syngameon(Pyrenodesmia,
Teloschistaceae)
Fernando Fernandez-Mendoza1,2, Eva
Andrea Strasser2, Ester Gaya3, Martin
Grube2
1 Institute of Biomedical Informatics, Technological
University of Graz, Graz, Austria. 2 Institute of Biology, Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz, Graz, Austria. 3
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, UK

Ana Otero1,2, H. Thorsten Lumbsch1, Polina
Degtjarenko3,4 and Felix Grewe1
1 The Grainger Bioinformatics Center & Negaunee
Integrative Research Center, Collection, Conservation and Research Division, The Field Museum,
Chicago, USA. 2 Universidad Autónoma de Madrid,
Facultad de Ciencias, Departamento de Biología,
Spain. 3 Institute of Ecology & Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Estonia. 4 Institute of Life Sciences
and Technology, University of Daugavpils, Latvia.
Evolutionary biologists have long pursued understanding the continuum in which populations flow,interact, and evolve to eventually diverge into
different species. Traditionally, these discussions
have centered around model organisms and reproductive isolation. Lichens, redefined as complex ecosystems, show impressive evolutionary
mechanisms that are far to be accounted for bymainstream speciation definitions. Unlike in otherorganisms, the so-called species-pair concept ofclosely related taxa that only differ in their reproductive mode is frequently documented in lichens.
We investigated this species-pair concept in theiconic beard-like lichen Usnea using a comparative approach through reference-based RADseq combining multivariate and model-based
methods. Species pairs in Usnea showed contrasting scenarios of lineage divergence along
the speciation continuum. The reproductive mode
emerged as a major factor shaping lineage differentiation, promoting upgrading the species-pairconcept into a continuum landscape of speciation. Ultimately, this study contributes to expanding the speciation continuum framework towards
non-model organisms and advancing our understanding of the consistency of speciation patterns
across the tree of life.

The role played by reproductive isolation in fungal
speciation remains poorly understood. Several
studies, especially based in in vitro experiments,
show that some fungi maintain open reproductive boundaries with more or less distantly related species, in a strategy that can be best described as “first mate and then figure things out”.
In nature, however, sexual isolation is shaped bymultiple factors that act simultaneously as barriers to the flow of genetic information at different scales and levels of organization. Geographic
and ecological boundaries limit gene-flow between populations, while molecular factors implied in recognition, development or simply completeness of gene content, impose limits to theviability of hybrid genotypes. The lichen genus
Pyrenodesmia s.s. provides a good example ofthe limitations of phylogenetic methods of species delimitation, and of the importance of interspecific hybridization in natural populations. The
phylogenetic study of Western European specimens of the genus identified widespread interspecific mating, i.e., low pre- zygotic isolation as
well as discrepancy in phylogenetic signal linked
to hybridization. All species are interconnected
in a supraspecific syngameon in which species
remain partly distinguishable but also produce
hybrids and phenotypically intermediate morphs.
Comparative genomics data on selected specimens, provides evidence that genome concertation plays an important role in fungal hybrids. The
mechanisms implicated in genome simplification and in the concertation of gene content are
still a matter under scrutiny. IN our survey we discuss the role played by heterochromatin related
genome defense mechanisms, such as RIP, andthe proliferation and silencing of transposable elements in the regionalization of the genome into

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areas of reduced and increased recombination.
We hypothesize that this regionalization is largely responsible for the evolutionary success of thismating strategy, as it allows maintaining a stablecore genome while allowing for the incorporationof xenologous genes of adaptive value in subtelomeric regions.

S.99.5 Intraspecific genomic
differentiation in lichenforming Umbilicaria species
along climatic gradients

S.99.4 Insights into theevolution of lichens usinglarge-scale phylogenomic
analyses

1 Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate ResearchCentre, Frankfurt, Germany. 2 Goethe University,Frankfurt, Germany

Philipp Resl1, Christoph Hahn1
1 Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Austria
The growing availability of genomic data from lichens enables us to test hypotheses about theirevolution based on the information from entire genomes. Robust phylogenetic trees derived from theanalysis of many genes not only resolve taxonomic
relationships but also lay the groundwork for various downstream analyses. This has recently led toseveral novel findings about the evolution and inner workings of lichen symbioses. While the potential of genome based phylogenetics in lichen research remains huge, challenges in analyzing large
genome-scale datasets reliably, reproducibly, andfast also persist. To mitigate common problems encountered in phylogenomics, we developed phylociraptor (http://github.com/reslp/phylociraptor), a
tool facilitating streamlined phylogenomic analyses
based on the information of hundreds to thousandsof genomes. Starting from genome and transcriptome assemblies or sets of proteins, phylociraptor
identifies genes, infers orthologs, performs and filters multiple sequence alignments and calculates
phylogenomic trees using various methods. Finally,
we showcase recent advancements in our understanding of lichen evolution by presenting largescale phylogenomic analyses of lichens performed
with phylociraptor. We concisely introduce the software and show how it helps to overcome several
typical methodological challenges, while employing
innovative strategies to enhance the robustness ofphylogenomic analyses. The exploration of lichensusing large-scale phylogenomic analyses promises
to deepen our understanding of these fascinating
symbioses, with implications extending to nearly all
facets of lichen research.

Imke Schmitt1,2

Many species of lichen-forming fungi have wide geographic ranges, and can occur in more than one biome. These species have evolved broad ecologicaltolerances to cope with different climatic conditions.
Here we ask, how climate affects genome architecture and variation in populations of lichenized fungi. We study populations of different species of therock-inhabiting genus Umbilicaria, collected alongelevation gradients. The gradients are located in Europe and North America, and span different climate
zones, e.g. the Mediterranean and cold temperatezone. In my talk I summarize research in my groupover the past few years, which overall has shown that
there is substantial and abrupt genome-wide divergence between high elevation and low elevation
population groups, largely corresponding to biome
borders. I report on fungal genes and genomic features affected by climate, and differences in genomic
differentiation of sexually and asexually reproducing
species. Furthermore, I discuss the symbiotic green
algae associating with Umbilicaria (Trebouxia spp.),which show community turnovers along elevation,and preferred altitudinal distributions, suggestingthat environmental filtering is one driver of symbiont
distribution. All in all, our findings contribute to piecing
together the complex picture of environmental adaptation in the lichen symbiosis.

S.99.6 Using genomic
data to assess species ofconservation concern inwestern North America

314

Robert Hadfield1,2, Teagan Mulford1,2,
Nopparat Anantaprayoon3, Makani
Fisher4, Steven D. Leavitt1,2
1 Department of Biology, Brigham Young University,
Provo, UT, USA. 2 Monte L. Bean Museum, Brigham
Young University, Provo, UT, USA. 3 Department of
Botany, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand. 4

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Department of Entomology, Purdue University, West
Lafayette, IN, USA
The northern North American Cordillera is a globally significant center of endemism. In western North
America, imperiled arid steppe habitats support a
number of unique species, including several endemic and threatened lichens. However, processes
driving diversification and endemism in this region
remains unclear, and genomic data can play critical roles in informing conservation decisions. Here,
we investigate diversity and phylogeography of thethreatened wanderlust lichens (mycobiont=Rhizoplaca species) which occur free on calcareous
soils in steppe habitats in western North America.
Wanderlust lichens comprise three species of lichen-forming fungi (LFF) – Rhizoplaca arbuscula, R.
haydenii, and R. idahoensis (endangered, IUCN Red
List) – which occur in fragmented populations in Idaho and Wyoming, with limited populations in southeastern Montana and northern Utah. Using a genome-skimming approach, we generated a 19.1Mbalignment, spanning ca. half of the complete LFF

genome, from specimens collected throughout theentire range of wanderlust lichens. Phylogeographic
analyses suggest that both dispersal and vicariance
played a significant role throughout the evolutionary
history of the vagrant Rhizoplaca clade, with mostof the dispersal events originating from the Salmon
Basin in eastern Idaho – the center of diversity forthis group. This has resulted in an unexpected number of morphologically distinct, and geographically restricted lineages. Furthermore, niche modellingsuggests that vagabond lichens don’t fully occupy
the areas of highest distribution probability. In fact,
documented records often occur in areas predicted to be only marginally suitable. These data suggest a potential mismatch between contemporary
habitats outside of the center of diversity in eastern
Idaho with the most suitable habitat, adding to thevulnerability of this imperiled complex of endemic
lichens. We discuss how the implications of thesefindings can help guide conservation strategies forimperiled regional endemic lichens.

S.100 ETHNOBOTANY AND CONSERVATION OF
MEDICINAL PLANTS. SESSION 2
S.100.1 Identifying Hmong
postpartum medicinal herbs
via DNA Barcoding
Alexandra Crum1, Sophie Naylor2, Annika
Smeenk1, Adiel J. Andino-Acevedo3, Zack
Radford4, Natalie Hoidal5, Zongxee Lee,Mayyia Lee, Ya Yang1
1 Plant & Microbial Biology Department, Universityof Minnesota -Twin Cities, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA.
2 Geology Department, Colgate University, Middletown, Connecticut, USA. 3 Agricultural Technology,
University of Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico, USA. 4 Department of Biological Sciences, University of South
Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina. 5 Minnesota
Extension, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, St.
Paul, Minnesota USA
The Hmong people are an ethnic group that primarily live in China and Laos. However, post-Vietnam War, many Hmong were forced to leave Laos
as refugees, with a large portion settling in the U.S.
Today, one of the largest communities of Hmongin America is in the Twin Cities of Minnesota. In

traditional Hmong culture, to recover from giving
birth a new mother will follow a strict diet of chicken soup with medicinal herbs for 30 days postpartum. In the Hmong diaspora, some Hmong
women brought these herbs with them and began growing them in their new homes, including
Mayyia Thao Lee. Now an organic farmer outside
St. Paul, MN, she and her daughters, Mhonpaj
and Zongxee, sell postpartum herbs to regional
hospitals for culturally relevant care. While they
have extensive knowledge of the plant’s Hmong
names and uses, the scientific names are either
unknown or tentative. Noticing that many younger generations of Hmong are either skeptical orlacking knowledge about the herbs, Mayyia andZongxee requested help assigning Latin names totheir soup herbs, so they could continue sellingto hospitals and preserve their knowledge. Complicating species identification, many of them do
not flower outside of tropical/montane Asia, andkeys for this area are limited. Given these challenges, DNA barcoding is the best option for assigning scientific names. To identify these medicinal herbs, we sequenced the ITS and rbcL loci of315

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these herbs, BLASTed them against NCBI GenBank,and inferred the phylogeny of our sequences andtheir close matches from GenBank. Taxonomic
issues and limited publicly available sequencesin some taxonomic groups complicated species
identification for several of the plants. However,we were able to barcode 45 Hmong medicinal
herbs, with 29 identified to species, 14 to genus,
and 2 to family.

S.100.3 Maya Q’eqchi’
phytotherapy in Guatemala:transdisciplinary research toadvance the evidence basefor medicinal plants
Ana Isabel García-Ambrosy1, Francesca
Scotti2, Michael Heinrich2, Caroline
Maake3, Rafael Grajeda-Estrada4, María
Renée Álvarez-Ruano5, José Joaquín
Ché6, Pablo Ax6, Mónica Berger-González1

S.100.2 Consequences ofclimate change on potential
geographic distribution ofsome threatened African
medicinal plants

1 Unidad de Antropología Médica, Centro de Estudios en Salud, Universidad del Valle de Guatemala,
Guatemala, Guatemala. 2 UCL School of Pharmacy,
University College London, London, UK. 3 Instituteof Anatomy, University of Zurich, Zurich, Schweiz. 4
Centro Universitario de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, México. 5 Departamento de Biología, Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, Guatemala,
Guatemala. 6 Council of Q’eqchi’ Maya Elders Releb’aal Saq’e’, Petén, Guatemala

Alex Asase1, Daniel Jiménez-García2, A.
Townsend Peterson3
1 Centre for Plant Medicine Research, Mampong-Akuapem, Ghana. 2 Centro de Agroecología
y Ambiente, Instituto de Ciencias, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla, México. 3
Biodiversity Institute, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA
Climate change is anticipated to have significant
impacts on medicinal plant distribution and populations. However, the effects of climate change on
many African medicinal plants have not been evaluated. As such, we evaluated the anticipated climatechange effects on the geographic distributions of
three threatened but commonly used African medicinal plants (Garcinia afzelii, Khaya ivorensis, andK. senegalensis). We used primary biodiversity data
records from GBIF and climatic data for the present and future, the latter characterized by two IPCC
representative concentration pathway (4.5, 8.5) future emissions scenarios and 27 general circulation
models for a 2050-time horizon. The modelled present-day distribution of the medicinal plants generally showed more suitable habitats in the south-eastern parts of its known distribution for G. afzelli and K.
ivorensis whereas that of K. senegalensis was similar
to it’s known distribution. Our results showed drastic
range reductions and shifts, and only modest gains
for the three medicinal plants under future climatechange. Thus, climate change may reduce local
availability of these medicinal plants which are considered to be threatened.

Maya Q’eqchi’ phytotherapy plays a vital role in Guatemala’s socio-natural capital, being one of the key
elements in traditional healthcare provision services,which co-exist alongside the national public health system. The historical marginalization of indigenous communities, alongside biodiversity loss, habitat degradation, urbanization, monocultures, and invasive species
compromises plant resources. This jeopardizes accessto medicinal plants, hindering their availability, research,utilization, and benefits for traditional knowledge inmeeting basic needs, like medicine. To understand therole of herbal therapies within traditional Maya systems
and the potential for commercial scaling, the Green
Health Project aimed to propose an implementation
framework for the sustainable use, access, and distribution of benefits of biological species within the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) protocols. Under a transdisciplinary format with the collective participation of
the Q’eqchi’ Council ACGERS, Universidad del Vallede Guatemala, UCL School of Pharmacy, University ofZürich, public and private sectors, an ethnographic andethnobotanical research on Maya Q’eqchi’ phytotherapy was conducted, proposing a protocol of access andbenefit-sharing framed within the CBD. From 2019 to
2021, 15 Ajilonel (traditional healers and herbalists) from
Guatemala participated in documenting 764 patient
treatments in Epidemiological Booklets deriving a list of
medicinal plants employed, to later collect specimens
for identification. The UVG research team effected thirty-two transect walks in Guatemala, where indigenous

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community researchers helped gather 42% of the ethnobotanical data and plant samples. Of the 251 specimens collected, 132 morphospecies were identified
across 51 taxonomic families and 92 genera. The healers addressed 130 physical and 36 energetic-spiritualconditions. Based on the Cultural Importance index, 11
species, including Drymonia serrulata, Petiveria alliacea,and Anthurium pentaphyllum, stood out for treating
multiple conditions. Understanding plant-use relationships is crucial to comprehend sociocultural dynamics
in traditional medicine, enabling the implementation ofconservation efforts, benefits, and healthcare policies in
the country.

S.100.4 The medicinal plant
Buddleja asiatica and its
relation to the welfare of local
people in the Pan-Himalayan
region: past, present
Bishal Gurung1,2,3, Feng-Mao Yang1,2,3, Gao
Chen1,2, Jia Ge1,2
1 Yunnan Key Laboratory for Integrative Conservationof Plant Species with Extremely Small Populations,
Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of
Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China. 2 CAS Key Laboratory for Plant Biodiversity and Biogeography of East
Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academyof Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China. 3 University ofChinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

Buddleja asiatica Lour. (Scrophulariaceae) is widelydistributed across the Pan-Himalayan region. It has
traditional medicinal applications and cultural value, as well as ecological significance. We conducted an ethnobotanical study combining field surveys
from Nepal and Xizang, China with a literature review to assess the ethnobotanical, phytochemical,
and pharmacological aspects of this species. We
also employed in silico computational techniques
to confirm the pharmacological findings. Our study
highlights the cultural significance of B. asiatica
within indigenous communities, and in particular
the use of the leaves to make a starter culture forthe preparation of wine. The origin of plant use as astarter culture is likely to be vertical transmission, as
inferred from the phylogenetic comparative method. However, an evident intergenerational gap inknowledge transfer exists. The phytochemical investigation revealed the presence of various chemicalclasses (carbohydrates, terpenoids, flavonoids, saponins, esters, steroids, glycosides, fatty acids). The
potential medicinal properties of these chemicals
include anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, cytotoxic,
antihepatotoxic, antimicrobial, and anti-cholinesterase activities and our in silico molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation support
the efficacy of iridoid glycosides as potent anti-inflammatory agents. We combine these lines of evidence to show the prospects for the livelihoods of
local people across this region and propose future
research directions.

S.101 ALPINE PLANT ECOLOGY AND DIVERSITY:
FROM SPECIES TO ECOSYSTEMS. SESSION 2
S.101.1 Re-distributions ofalpine plant species in the
Anthropocene

warming caused individuals of plant species already previously present to grow taller, and the overall plant community height increased. This increaseof community height is, however, not only driven byintraspecific trait variation. The composition of plant
species communities changed as well. A few plant
species increased substantially in abundance at theexpense of the majority of species which decreased
in abundance. In addition, species shift their ranges
to higher elevations to track the climatic conditions
they are adapted to. Taller-growing nutriphilous andthermophilic species from lower elevations seem toprofit by shifting their distributions faster than theless competitive, more specialized, and unique flo-

Sabine Rumpf
Department of Environmental Sciences, Universityof Basel, Switzerland
Mountain ecosystems remain comparatively natural and harbor disproportionately high levels of biodiversity. Yet, they are warming about twice as fast
as the global average and are additionally affectedby nitrogen depositions from the lowlands. Recent

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ra of higher elevations. These trends led together toa significant greening of the European Alps above
the tree line. Yet, the vast majority of species is lagging behind recent trends, implying that even if climate change was halted now, its effects were likely
to continue. Climate warming is, however, not slowing down but is rather accelerating. Potentially increasing lags might therefore become too large toovercome in the future, resulting in species extirpations. These local to regional extirpations might bereinforced by more competitive and faster shifting
neophytes that start to arrive and spread in mountain ecosystems. Predicting these future responsesof alpine plant species to global change is crucial toconserve global biodiversity. For accurately predicting the future it is, however, inevitable to first understand the past and its legacy effects.

S.101.2 The importance offacilitative interactions forthe plant diversity of alpine
plant communities

cushions consistently increased species richness at
the entire community level. The magnitude of theseincreases in species richness varied with habitat
severity where cushion species enhanced species
richness more in systems with harsher environments
and hence inherently impoverished in local diversity. Facilitative interactions with the nurse species
appear to act as a “safety net” sustaining diversity
under harsh conditions, demonstrating the importance of positive interactions among species in determining the diversity of alpine habitats in general.
Acknowledgments: Funded
ACT-210038, FB-0006.

byFondecyt-1211197,

S.101.3 Endemic species
in the aerobiome?
Evidence from floristic andaerobiological studies in the
Italian Alps
Franziska Zemmer1,2, Antonella Cristofori1,2,
Fabiana Cristofolini1, Elena Gottardini1,2Lohengrin A. Cavieres1,2
1 Departamento de Botánica, Facultad de Ciencias
Naturales y Oceanográficas, Universidad de Concepción, Chile. 2 Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad (IEB), Chile
Facilitation among plants occurs when the fitness of
one species increases in the presence of neighboring
plants. It has been suggested that the importance offacilitative interactions among plants increase withthe environmental harshness. In high-elevation (alpine) habitats the abiotic harshness increases withelevation, and several studies have addressed how
the intensity of facilitation among plants change
along elevational gradients. However very few haveaddressed the frequency and importance of theseinteractions for the diversity of alpine environments.
Using a dataset spanning 78 sites and 5 continents,
we assessed the relative importance of facilitativeinteractions in determining plant diversity in alpine
ecosystems. We focused on alpine plant communities dominated by cushion plants, a particular
growth form that act as nurse plant for other species. Samples from cushions and open areas werecombined in a single matrix accounting for the difference in cover between both microhabitats, andthrough rarefaction curves we assessed how many
more species are added to the community due tothe presence of cushions. In general, the presence of

1 Environmental Botany Unit, Fondazione Edmund
Mach, San Michele all’ Adige, Italy. 2 National Biodiversity Future Centre, Palermo, Italy
Pollen as a proxy for plant diversity helps to interpret vegetation and/or to model vegetation
shifts under climate change scenarios. Within the
BIOALPEC project “Biodiversity in Alpine Ecosystems,” we investigate the qualitative-quantitative
input of pollen and spores on the bioaerosol ofhigh altitudes exploring implications for ecosystem functioning and biodiversity. Here we present
how the local flora and surrounding vegetation
are sources of the bioaerosol at alpine receptor
sites in Trentino, Italy. The methodology applied
involves floristic studies and bioaerosol samplingwith passive gravitational traps. We surveyed theflora at different local scales starting from the
aerobiological sampler: i) within a circle of 10 m
radius; ii) in 5 randomized 2 x 2 m plots withina circle of 100 m radius; iii) along a transect of1000 m x 2 m. The bioaerosol was analyzed by microscopy and eDNA metabarcoding. Microscopic
analysis permits the identification and quantification of pollen, while molecular analysis goesbeyond morphological identification allowing
for deeper taxonomic resolution and, thus, biodiversity assessment. Results of floristic studies
indicate the presence of Italian endemic species,

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including Anthyllis vulneraria subsp. alpestris,
Galium baldense, Knautia baldensis; and alpine
endemits such as Primula daonensis; Eritrichium
nanum, Arabis caerulea, Alchemilla pentaphyllea, Achillea erba-rotta subsp moschata, Adenostyles leucophylla, and Bupleurum stellatum.
The bioaerosol analysis will verify the presenceof pollen from endemic species in alpine ecosystems. Complementing floristic data with the results from optical microscopy and eDNA will bea step forward in exploring the potential of air tomonitor terrestrial plant biodiversity.
Acknowledgments: This study is conducted within
the National Biodiversity Future Centre, NBFC, fundedby the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRRMISSION 4 COMPONENT 2, INVESTMENT 1.4 – D.D. 1034
17/06/2022, CN00000033).

S.101.4 Upscaling thefunctional response of plantcommunities to summer
drought in alpine tundra
Francesco Boscutti*1,2, Marco Vuerich1,2,Giacomo Trotta1,3, Alessandro Petraglia4,
Enrico Braidot1, Marco Zancani1, T’ai G.W.
Forte4, Michele Carbognani4
1 Department of Agricultural, Food, Environmental
and Animal Sciences (DI4A), University of Udine,
Udine, Italy. 2NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy. 3 Department of Environmental
and Life Sciences (DSV), University of Trieste, Trieste,
Italy. 4 Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences andEnvironmental Sustainability, University of Parma,
Parma, Italy. *E-mail: francesco.boscutti@uniud.it
Climate change is causing remarkable impacts
on plant species distribution and communities
in cold biomes, with particular concern to arctic and alpine tundra. One prominent effect isthe progressive increase of vegetation coverthat is leading arctic and alpine greening, with
far reaching consequences for the species persistence and the overall plant diversity. Nonetheless, the greening magnitude is expected to besignificantly shaped by the increasing frequencyof summer heat waves and drought, in the alpine
domain as well. Climate change induces plants
to acclimate by both morphological and physiological traits due to their phenotypic plasticity. A functional trait approach is hence crucial
to foresee the responses of dominant species,

whose changes could also affect the entire community and ecosystem functioning. To get new
insight into the ecological mechanisms involvedin these changes, it is important to promote innovative upscaling approaches, for linking field
monitoring evidence to remote sensing data. We
here present the results of a rain exclusion experiment conducted in alpine tundra (i.e., grasslands
and dwarf shrub communities) in two localities ofthe eastern Alps. We measured individual growthand physiological traits, as well as communityand ecosystem response to experimental treatments. Concurrently we carried out close-rangeand UAV (Unnamed Aerial Vehicle) multispectral surveys, obtaining remote sensing-derived
vegetation indices for the upscaling of plant responses. We found that precipitation induced a
trait-mediated plant community response affecting the ecosystem functional response. We
also found remote sensing-derived indices tobe related to the analyzed plant traits, showing
promising perspectives for the upscaling of plant
responses to drought. Our findings shed new lighton the potential use of remote sensing tools forunderstanding of the response of alpine vegetation to the future climate scenarios, proving to bea promising method for long-term monitoring ofsuch plant communities.

S.101.5 Species responses
to harsh environments in
Alpine communities with
contrasting regional pools
Teresa Morán-López3,4, Jesús LópezAngulo1,2, David Sánchez Pescador1,5,
Adrián Escudero1
1 Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Spain. 2 Institute ofAgricultural Sciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. 3 Departamento Biología de Organismos ySistemas, Universidad de Oviedo e Instituto Mixtode Investigación en Biodiversidad (CSIC-Universidad de Oviedo-Principado de Asturias), Oviedo,
Spain. 4 Grupo de Ecología Cuantitativa, INIBIOMA, Universidad Nacional del Comahue, CONICET,
Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina. 5 Departamento
de Farmacología, Farmacognosia y Botánica, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de
Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
Unravelling assembly processes that explain thecomposition and abundance of coexisting spe-

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cies is a backbone of community ecology. Local
communities emerge from the filtering of species present in the regional pool in response toassembly processes such as the suitability ofenvironmental conditions. Understanding how
plant communities with distinct levels of turnover respond to their environment is crucial forcomprehending these species-environment relationships. The regional pool limits the amountof functional variation among species, andhence, their ability to cope with contrasting environments. However, we often lack information
about niche requirements of all species present
in the community, especially for rare ones. To
shed some light on this regard, we analysed the
distribution of plant species across two mountain ranges with contrasting levels of regionalrichness (63 and 159 species, Mediterranean andTemperate respectively). We applied Hierarchical Modelling of Species Communities (HMSC)
to quantify species-specific environmental responses (to elevation, soil fertility and radiation)and how they are affected by 3 functional traits(vegetative height, LDMC, leaf thickness). Despite
differences in species turnover between communities, we detected common signals of filteringwith plant height and leaf harness (LDMC, thickness) modulating the effects of environmental
stress (elevation and radiation). Contrary to our
expectations, functional responses of species
were more diverse in the species-poor Mediterranean region. We found positive and negative
responses to elevation, whereas in the Temperate area negative responses prevailed. In addition, in the Mediterranean area, species also responded to soil fertility according to their growthstrategies (height and leaf thickness). Taken together these findings highlight the importance offunctional traits related to growth strategies andleaf economic spectrum in shaping species environmental responses in high mountain contexts.
Also, they suggest that contrasting environmental stress (drought in summer and cold in winter)may trigger diverse functional responses in species poor mountains.

S.101.6 Are differences in soil
fungi communities between
the High Andean Forests
and Paramos preventing theupslope migration of trees?
Lina Aragón1, Eloisa Lasso2,3, Kenneth J.
Feeley1
1 Biology Department, University of Miami, Miami,
USA. 2 Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia. 3 Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Ancón,
Panama.
Despite rising temperatures, treeline is stable (i.e.,
not shifting upslope) in many montane areas. Indeed, recent studies have shown that treeline hasremained unchanged in Peru and other parts of thetropical Andes for at least the last 40-50 years evenas many trees are shifting their distributions upslope
within the forested areas below treeline. Treeline stability suggests that factors other than temperaturemust play essential roles in determining the upper
elevational limit of tree growth and the dynamics ofthe forest-grassland ecotone in these systems. One
factor that could influence treelines is the composition and abundance of symbiotic soil fungi, which
are known to play important roles in determining
tree species performance in different habitats andshaping forest ecosystems. To explore the possible
role of soil fungi in determining treeline location andstability, we are studying the composition, diversity,and abundance of soil arbuscular and ectomycorrhizal fungi in the Eastern Andes Cordillera of Colombia from 3,000 to 3,500 masl. At each of our sites, wecollected soil samples in each habitat: the High Andean Forest (~3,000 - 3,200 masl), treeline ecotone(~3,200 - 3,400 masl), and Páramo (>3,400 masl). At
each sampling site, we also measured the soil’s pH,
mineral nitrogen, total nitrogen, available phosphorous, cationic exchange capacity, exchangeable
acidity, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and oxidizable organic carbon. Microbial DNA was extracted
to determine soil fungi composition, diversity, andabundance, and the ITS and SSU regions were sequenced for ectomycorrhizal and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, respectively. By April 2024, we used
HMSC models to assess what are the environmental drivers of arbuscular and ectomycorrhizal fungi
communities from the High Andean Forest to theParamo. These data provide valuable insight into
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tane tree species distributions and the dynamics of
the Andean treeline.

S.102 PLANT RESPONSES TO STRESSES AND
CLIMATE CHANGE. SESSION 4
S.102.1 Savannas retain
water better thangrasslands in central
Brazil: findings from anovel Sentinel-1 derived
vegetation water content

abling access to deeper groundwater. This researchunderscores the potential of Sentinel-1 SAR data formonitoring VWC in natural ecosystems, opening avenues for assessing ecosystem responses to drought
events and alterations in their functioning, ultimately
guiding informed land management decisions in theface of climate change.

Paulo N. Bernardino1 2, Rafael S. Oliveira2,
Koenraad Van Meerbeek1, Marina Hirota2,3,
Mariana N. Furtado2, Isabela A. Sanches1,
Ben Somers1

S.102.2 Mangrove forests:
natural laboratories forstudying epigenetic andclimate changes

1 KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. 2 University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil. 3 Federal University of Santa
Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil.
Assessing vegetation water content (VWC) dynamics
is essential for understanding plant growth, water andcarbon cycles, and ecosystems’ drought response andstability in the face of climate change. However, acquiring field-based VWC estimates, consistently throughspace and time, is challenging due to time and resource
constraints. Therefore, in this study we explored the potential of Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data
for estimating VWC in natural ecosystems in central
Brazil, ultimately using the generated VWC dataset toanswer how the studied vegetation types (i.e., savannas, dry grasslands, and waterlogged grasslands) respond to seasonal dry periods in terms of water content. Field data from 82 plots, spanning various seasonsand vegetation types, served to calibrate and validate
the VWC estimation model. The calibrated model, withan R2 of 0.519 and RMSE of 0.412 kg/m2, was then applied
to Sentinel-1 SAR backscatter data to generate monthly
VWC maps for grassland and savanna ecosystems at
30 m spatial resolution between April 2015 and March
2023. These maps, combined with rainfall and potential evapotranspiration data, provided insights into how
these ecosystems respond to water scarcity during dry
seasons. More specifically, savannas showed to be able
to retain higher water content levels during dry periods,
likely attributed to their woody component’s enhanced
water-holding capacity and deep-root systems, en-

Matin Miryeganeh, David W. Armitage
Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST)The tolerance adaptations of mangrove trees to osmotic stress, high temperatures, and low nutrients makethem a promising model system for studying trees’
molecular responses to stress, which must occur relatively quickly to outpace climate change. Little is known
about the transcriptomic and epigenomic contributions to stress responses and rapid local adaptation inmangroves. In Okinawa Japan, which near the global
northern range limit of mangroves, we investigated the
genomic, transcriptomic, and epigenetic contributions
to stress adaptation over a local salinity gradient. Here,our data focuses on the mangrove Bruguiera gymnorhiza (Rhizophoraceae), which grows over a widesalinity but experiences stunted growth at the ocean.
We focused on two patches of B. gymnorhiza growing
within the same population but in two different saline
environments – one brackish (15 psu) and one oceanside (34 psu). Individuals within each patch display remarkable morphological and physiological differences
which may be associated with the observed differential
expression of stress responsive genes from transcriptomic analysis. In addition, trees in saline environments
had genome-wide DNA hypermethylation, especially of transposable elements (TEs) indicating marked
epigenetic structuring in the absence of population
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current with the transcriptional regulation of chromatin
modifier genes, suggesting robust epigenomic regulation of TEs in the mangrove genome under osmotic
stress. We then performed a reciprocal transplant ofmangrove propagules between sites to investigate if
and for how long the trees “remember” their parental
environmental conditions at the transcriptomic andepigenomic level. Following whole genome methylation and transcriptome analysis, our results provide evidence for the transient persistence of DNA methylationand gene expression pattern for several weeks after
transplantation. These results provide a first glimpse
into the mechanisms underlying wild trees’ adaptive
capacities under novel stress conditions, which may
be critical for understanding their responses to climatechange more generally.

S.102.3 Responses ofsouthern European forest
understorey species tomacro and microclimatic
variations

ents (in open vs dense forests and at the forest edge vsforest interior). A total of 576 individuals were transplanted within their range (Italy) and beyond their northernrange limit (Belgium): 288 individuals derived from lowland forests and 288 from highland forests. Individualsof all species were sourced from Italian forest sites as
seedlings, bulbs or rhizomes collected from local native
populations and grown in nurseries for one year. Specifically, during two growing seasons, we investigated
the individual responses in terms of survival, number offlowers, ground cover percentage, number of leaves,plant height, SLA and LMA. This allowed us to estimate
infraspecific trait plasticity for all species along the experimental gradients. Preliminary results showed strong
effects of forest structure and edge vs interior position
on plant growth and performance with significant interactions between the two regions for most species,
i.e., in contrasting ways depending on macroclimate.

S.102.4 Regeneration
response of Vepris dainellii,
an endemic species of
Ethiopia to disturbance inmoist forest ecosystem

Cristina Gasperini1,2, Elisa Carrari1,
Karen De Pauw2, Giovanni Iacopetti1,
Sofia Martini1, Pieter Sanczuk2, Thomas
Vanneste2, Pieter Vangansbeke2, Pieter
De Frenne2, Federico Selvi

Befkadu Mewded1, Kedir Erbo2
1 Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. 2 Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute, Hawassa,
Ethiopia

1 University of Florence, School of Agriculture, Florence, Italy. 2 Ghent University, Faculty of Bioscience
Engineering, Melle-Gontrode, Belgium
Forests can mitigate climate change effects on understorey plants by maintaining microclimatic conditions
which create local refugia for many species under ongoing climate warming. However, these microrefugia
are today reduced and threatened by increasing forest
fragmentation, land use change and anthropogenic
or natural modification of the canopy cover, reducing
the temperature buffering capacity of forests and exacerbating the negative effects of climate change onplants. Especially for species with a narrow ecologicalniche, such as forest specialist plants, their ability torespond to climate change through habitat tracking
remains questionable, particularly in highly fragmented forest landscapes. Here, we assessed the functional
trait responses of eight understorey plant species fromsouthern Europe through a multi-factorial experiment
performed in two deciduous forest types (thermophilous and mesophilous forests in Italy and Belgium, respectively) and along macro and microclimatic gradi-

Examining the regeneration response of species is oneof the key ecological analyses vital to understanding
and predicting the spatial structure of plant populations and designing specifc management plans in theface of anthropogenic and climate change factors.
Despite the ecological and traditional importance ofVepris dainellii species, little is known about the efects
of anthropogenic disturbances on its natural regeneration patterns and recruitment structure. This study
investigates the regeneration and recruitment response of V. dainellii and its correlation to disturbanceparticularly clear-cut in Sirso moist evergreen Afromontane forest, Ethiopia. By employing transect sampling technique, fifty sample plots (20 m×20 m size)
were laid in five transect lines for exploring V. dainellii
species in Sirso moist evergreen Afromontane forest.
In plots, where V. dainellii were found, vegetation dataand stumped individuals (timber pieces resulting fromthe illegal cutting of trees) were recorded. Regeneration
was recorded using sub-plots. Vepris dainellii is the firstranked woody species by recorded a higher numberof bowdlerized stems. The regeneration of V. dainellii

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species was higher in disturbed sites compared to undisturbed sites. Besides, the regeneration of the species
positively correlates with the intensity of clear-cuts or
the number of stump individuals of the species (73.5%).
Whereas, the species regeneration and forest canopy
cover, altitude, slope and aspect were not correlated.
Vepris dainellii is a disturbance resilient species with thepresence of mother trees. Though, this study suggested
detailed research on the threshold of clear-cut intensityand functional traits in response to disturbance in moist
forest ecosystems.

S.102.5 Phyto-nutrient
profiling of Amaranth
species grown under theorganic medium enclosed
trough system
Maeleletse G. Mopai, Semakaleng Mpai,
Ashwell R. Ndhlala
Department of Plant Production, University of Limpopo, Limpopo Province, South Africa
Amaranth species are a highly popular group of indigenous leafy vegetables (ILV) consumed in South
Africa as a relish. Amaranth is rarely cultivated due
to lack of protocols for optimum production. Climatechange impacts on vegetable production has mandated farmers to resort to and develop sustainable,

effective and efficient environmentally friendly growing practices. The Organic Medium Enclosed Trough(OMET) system is a non-drainable vegetable growing technique. The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of the OMET system on primary andsecondary metabolites of two Amaranth species: A.
caudatus and A. cruentus. Primary metabolites of thetwo species determined after harvesting included%protein, macro- and micro-elements using AOAC
methods. Secondary metabolites, targeted (total
phenolics, flavonols and tannins) and untargeted
metabolites were analysed using photometric assays and UHPLC-MS-Q-ToF techniques, respectively.
A. caudatus and A. cruentus grown under OMET system exhibited higher contents of nutrients including%protein, Ca, Mg, P, K, Mn, Cu, Fe, Se, Zn compared to
non-OMET grown A. caudatus and A. cruentus, respectively. In contrary, A. caudatus and A. cruentus
grown under non-OMET system recorded the highest total phenolics, flavonols and tannins comparedto the same Amaranth species, A. caudatus and A.
cruentus grown under OMET. The use of unsupervised PCA showed less metabolic variation and theuse of supervised OPLS-DA showed clear metabolic
variation based on treatments, OMET and non-OMET. The use of OMET system can be recommended
to mitigate the climate change impacts in vegetableproduction as well as to combat the crisis of malnutrition hence it eliminate water and nutrient seepage,especially in developing countries whereby irrigationwater is the most scarcest agricultural commodity.

S.103 ADVANCES IN PHYLOGENOMICSAND SYSTEMATICS OF THE BRASSICACEAE.
SESSION 2
Columbia, USA. 4 Plant Genetics Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Columbia, USA 5 Department of Soil andCrop Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, USA

S.103.1 The timing,
placement, and impactsof the tribe Brassiceae
mesohexaploidy
Shawn K. Thomas1,2, Craig A. Schenck3,
Jacob D. Washburn4, J. Chris Pires5
1 Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, USA. 2 Bioinformatics and Analytics Core, University of Missouri, Columbia, USA. 3
Department of Biochemistry, University of Missouri,

Gene duplications are one mechanism that provides
raw material for the emergence of novel traits. The two
major mechanisms for duplicating genes are polyploidy events resulting in whole genome duplications/triplications (WGD, WGT) and small-scale duplications(SSD). The combination of these is an important force
in plant evolution. Mustard crops like bok choy, broccoli,
cabbage, and canola among others (Brassica) share a
relatively recent WGT. Duplicated genes from this WGT323

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have been shown to influence patterns of domestication and phenotypic plasticity in mustard crops. However, it is unclear when and where on the mustard phylogeny this event has occurred. In this study we combine
sequence and fossil data to both date and place thisWGT event on the mustard phylogeny. Further we explore how gene/genome duplications influence theabiotic stress tolerance of a crop wild relative of mustard crops that shares this WGT. Using a combinationof ionomics, metabolomics, and comparative genomics, we characterize aspects of salt stress response in
Cakile maritima and identify retained duplicate genesthat have likely enabled adaptation to salt and mild
levels of cadmium. These findings help to phylogenetically localize and date this WGT. In addition, we demonstrate the power of using crop wild relatives as they canprovide understanding of the evolution of environmental adaptation and genetic targets/tools for developing
resilient crops in the face of global/climate change.

S.103.2 The pathwaysof post-polyploid
diploidization anddescending dysploidy in
Biscutella (Brassicaceae)ber (n=6, 8 or 9). The estimated 9 million-year rediploidization of the progenitor genome was marked byextensive reorganization of the parental subgenomes,
genome downsizing, descending dysploidy (n=14 → n=6,
8 or 9), and cladogenetic/speciation events in the genus Biscutella. We reconstructed the ancestral genomeof Biscutella and analyzed two differently fractionatedsubgenomes, which have evolved at unequal rates
during post-polyploid diploidization of the sequenced
genomes. Although the dominant, less fractionatedsubgenome has retained more intact genes, the more
fractionated subgenome has a more stable karyotype
structure with fewer chromosomal breakpoints. In addition, duplicated syntenic genes and their extensive
structural variation are associated with environmental
adaptation. Our results provide new insights into therole of dysploid changes in plant genome evolution
and speciation.
Acknowledgments: This work was supported by agrant from the Czech Science Foundation (21-07748L).

S.103.3 Diversification
and biogeography ofyellowcress herbs (Rorippa,
Brassicaceae)

Yile Huang1,2, Terezie Mandáková1,3,
Nicolas Blavet1, Manuel Poretti4, Xinyi Guo1,
Milan Pouch1,2, Rimjhim Roy Choudhury4,
Manuel B. Crespo5, Christian Parisod4,
Martin A. Lysak1,2

Ting-Shen Han1,2, Yao-Wu Xing1

1 CEITEC – Central European Institute of Technology,
Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic. 2 National
Centre for Biomolecular Research, Faculty of Science,
Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic. 3 Instituteof Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk
University, Brno, Czech Republic. 4 Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland. 5
Departamento de Ciencias Ambientales y Recursos
Naturales, Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Spain

Yellowcress (Rorippa Scop.) is a Brassicaceae genus
with an accepted 86 species and a worldwide distribution characterized by amphitropical disjunction. Mostof Rorippa species have affinity for wet habitats, where
migrating birds may transit their seeds or propagules
far from local populations. They also have robust tolerance to whole-genomic changes, such as interspecifichybridization and polyploidization. About 70% of Rorippa
are polyploids, and 90% of them are endemic to specific continents. Rorippa polyploids are globally distributed but more prevalent in the Southern Hemisphere(accounting for 91% of species). These observations
highlight a potential role of long-distance dipsersal(LDD) in shaping the amphitropical disjunction of Rorippa and suggest that polyploidy may have promoted
effective LDD. To test the polyploid role in LDD, we traced
the biogeographic and speciation history for 17 diploids
and 41 polyploids of Rorippa using variation from plastid genomes and multiple nuclear loci. The ploidy role

1 CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese
Academy of Sciences, Yunnan, China. 2 Department of Chromosome Biology, Max Planck Institutefor Plant Breeding Research, Cologne, Germany

In plants, whole-genome duplications (WGDs) are often
followed by genome-wide diploidization including descending dysploidy, i.e., chromosomal rearrangementsthat reduce chromosome number and genome size.
However, the genomic basis and evolutionary significance of chromosomal rearrangements are still poorly
understood. Here, we report the consequences of the
WGD event for infrageneric diversification using comparative genomic analyzes of eight de novo assembled Biscutella species (Buckler mustard) that differ ingenome size (0.7 to 1.1 Gbp) and chromosome num-324

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in dispersal rate difference was demonstrated using
trait-dependent biogeographic modeling. We demonstrate that polyploidy would be not only a driver but
also a responder of LDD in Rorippa, highlighting a synergistic relationship between them. Our results provide aframework to uncover the biogeographic consequences of polyploidization and the joint roles of polyploidy
and LDD in shaping the distribution of biodiversity.

their functions could have contributed to adaptationof polyploids. Overall, our study provides further genomic evidence of inter-ploidy introgression acrossthe genome and across different contact zones in anatural plant system and how this introgression may
have an impact in the adaptation of polyploid lineages.

S.103.5 Testing the‘snowball’ theory on
intraspecific reproductive
isolation in Arabidopsis
lyrataS.103.4 Population genomic
evidence of inter-ploidy
introgression in natural
plant populations ofArabidopsis arenosa

Lise Huseby1, Anne Brysting2, Christian
Brochmann1, Lovisa Gustafsson1, Johanna
Leppälä3

Nélida Padilla-García1, Jakub Vlček1,
Simon Martin2, Vivaswat Shastry3, Joern
Gerchen1, Filip Kolár1
1 Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic. 2 Institute of Ecology and Evolution, The University of Edinburgh, UK. 3 University of Chicago, Chicago, USA
Polyploidy, the presence of multiple genome copies
as a result of whole-genome duplications (WGD), is
an important speciation mechanism in plants. WGD
has been traditionally assumed to cause immediate
reproductive isolation due to strong genetic incompatibilities leading to sterility between polyploids andtheir diploid progenitors and/or inviability of inter-ploidy offspring. However, recent field surveys, cytologicaland population genetic studies have demonstrated
that gene flow between plants with different ploidy
levels can happen in natural populations. Yet, it remains unclear how common such inter-ploidy introgression is and to what degree it contributes to plant
adaptation. Here we present new results on Arabidopsis arenosa, a natural plant system in which both
diploids and autotetraploids are present. We focusedon one primary and three secondary contact zones
across Europe, where diploid and tetraploid individuals of A. arenosa are found coexisting in mixed-ploidy
populations and/or in geographically closed diploidand tetraploid populations. We used whole-genome
sequencing to test for inter-ploidy gene flow on bothgenome-wide as well as local genomic scales. We
found significant evidence of introgressed genomic
regions across contact zones. We also identified genomic regions that can be acting as barriers to introgression between different ploidy levels. We identified the genes localized in these regions and we
performed GO enrichment in order to interpret how

1 Natural History Museum of Oslo, University of Oslo,
Norway. 2 Department of Biosciences, University ofOslo, Norway. 3 Natural Research Institute, Finland
The Bateson-Dobzhansky-Muller (BDM) model posits that the evolution of intrinsic postzygotic barriers
occurs when independent mutations become fixedin diverging populations. If we assume that new mutations become fixed at rate n, then the number ofpair of potentially interacting loci that could contribute to reproductive isolation between the populations accumulates at rate n2. This is the ‘snowball’theory, which so far only has been empirically tested
in interspecific studies in Solanum, Eucalyptus, andDrosophila. In this project we aim to address whether a ‘snowball effect’ also can be detected withina species using the outcrossing species Arabidopsis lyrata as a model. We 1) identify the number ofloci responsible for reproductive isolation between
populations assumed to represent different divergence times, and 2) test for a correlation between
the number of loci contributing to reproductive isolation and population divergence. We selected three
populations, previously demonstrated to produce
varying degrees of F1 sterility in experimental crossing studies. We produced three F1 hybrid populations
and crossed two individuals from each of them toproduce three F2 populations, each comprising 500
individuals. We currently perform quantitative traitloci (QTL) mapping of reproductive isolation (pollen
fertility) in the F2 populations using genotype datafrom restriction-site associated DNA sequencing.
Preliminary results indicate a declining trend in fertility with respect to population divergence.

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S.103.6 Identify potential
cross-compatible CWRs
in Brassicaceae using
phylogenetic approaches
Elena Castillo-Lorenzo1, Elinor Breman1,
Pablo Gómez Barreiro1, Juan Viruel2
1 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Wakehurst, Ardingly,
Haywards Heath, West Sussex, UK. 2 Royal Botanic
Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, UK
Crop wild relatives (CWRs) hold a wealth of genetic diversity which can be used to improve and help
adapt traditional crops to succeed under environmental changes, being of paramount importancefor research and conservation. Characterising andunderstanding the cross-compatibility between
CWRs and crops, is essential to direct breeding efforts and to prioritise conservation of CWRs and facilitate their accessibility for future sustainable use.
Wild species in the Brassicaceae family host desirable agronomic traits, biotic and abiotic stress tolerance. We reviewed the current classifications of
CWRs in the Brassicaceae with the aim of identifying
new potential cross-compatible CWRs from a total of 1,242 species using phylogenetic approaches.

These approaches were used to fill in gaps of species without genetic sequence data to estimate theirevolutionary relationships with Brassicaceae crops.
Gaps in ex situ conservation and characterisation of
CWRs were reviewed by compiling globally available
data. Around 70% of the wild Brassicaceae lacked
genetic sequence data available, and chromosome
numbers were available for only 40% of them. Generally, compatibility data between wild species andcrops, and phenotype and genotype characterisation data were available for major crops and very
limited for minor crops. Half of the species had norecords of being conserved ex situ and 80% were
not assessed for their conservation status. Generate more sequence data for more species is key tounderstanding the needs of the cultivated species
and to identify new CWRs. Using phylogenetic distances, we proposed 103 new potential CWRs, which
we recommend as priorities for cross compatibility
tests with crops and for physiological and phenotypic characterisation, including 71 newly identified
CWRs for 10 minor crops. Confirming the cross-compatibility of the new potential CWRs with the same
chromosome number is critical, in addition to generating more DNA sequencing data to complete thegenetic characterisation of the family.

S.104 PLANT CONSERVATION GENETICS:
FROM IN-SITU AND EX-SITU CONSERVATIONTO REINTRODUCTIONS AND RESTORATIONS.
SESSION 4
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 College of Life Sciences,
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing,
China. 4 Guangxi Institute of Botany, Guangxi Zhuang
Autonomous Region and the Chinese Academy of
Sciences, Guilin, Guangxi, China. 5 Guangxi Forestry
Research Institute, Nanning, China 6 College of Life
Sciences, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou,
China. 7 State Environment Protection Key Laboratory of Regional Ecological Process and Functional
Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, China

S.104.1 Species delimitationand genetic conservationof the endangered firs
Abies beshanzuensis and A.
ziyuanensis
Ling Yang1,2,3, Si-Qi Liang1,2,3, Jia-Ming
Pan1,2,3, Jin-Xin Wei 1,2,3, Tao Ding4, Ri-HongJiang5, Yi-Zhen Shao6, Xian-Chun Zhang1,2,
Yong-Bo Liu7, Qiao-Ping Xiang1,2

Abies beshanzuensis is one of the most endangered
species in the world, with only three individuals so far.
The accuracy of endangered species delimitation

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largely determines the efficiency and conservation
strategies. The taxonomy of Abies beshanzuensis, A.
ziyuanensis and A. dayuanensis, have always been
controversial. A. dayuanensis has been considered as
the synonym of A. ziyuanensis, whereas A. ziyuanensis
is currently treated as a variety of A. beshanzuensis. To
test this classification hypothesis, we performed target
enrichment sequencing on 23 individuals from eight
extant populations and obtained 805 single nucleotide
polymorphic sites from 60 single-copy nuclear genes
for population genetic analyses. Results of population
genetic structure and demographic history analyses
showed that this endangered fir group has diverged
into two lineages corresponding to A. beshanzuensis
and A. ziyuanensis. A. ziyuanensis first diverged from thecommon ancestor of A. beshanzuensis and A. dayuanensis, the latter two split apart later and more closely
related, forming the other lineage. The genetic diversity
is low within these populations. Strong genetic differentiation was found among populations. Gene flow is notdetected after lineages split, probably because of thefragmented habitats which blocked effective genetic
exchanges among populations. Ecological niche comparison showed that the average annual temperatureand the temperature of the coldest quarter were significantly higher in the habitats of these endangered firs
compared to those of non-threatened firs in East Asia.
Therefore, we inferred that global warming is likely topush this group of endangered firs to the edge of extinction. According to the significant population differentiation, we provide genetic evidence that A. dayuanensis is a synonym of A. beshanzuensis and resurrect A.
ziyuanensis as a separate species. We also highlight thenecessity to carry out ex-situ conservation in the Hengduan Mountains and the Qingling-Bashan Mountains
and conduct in-situ regeneration.

S.104.2 Conserving
the Florida ziziphus(Pseudoziziphus celata):
integrating translocations,demography, andepigenetics

Florida ziziphus (Pseudoziziphus celata (Judd & D.W.
Hall) Hauenschild) is a critically endangered, clonal
shrub, endemic to sandhill habitat within the Lake Wales
Ridge of central peninsular Florida. It was once thought
to be extinct but was rediscovered in the wild in 1987
and several locations since then. Several barriers tospecies recover exist, including a highly restricted range,
low genetic diversity, slow growth, and the presence ofmating types. Since the 1990s, our comprehensive efforts to rescue the species combine demographic
monitoring, ex-situ conservation, genetics, propagation,and translocation to establish new populations on protected lands. In this presentation, we (1) report on thegenetic diversity in the species and how this information is used in conservation translocation, (2) describe
advances in understanding the epigenetic diversity
in this species, (3) report on demographic success ofthe species’ introduction efforts. We have documented 46 genotypes in existence, and only three S-locus
mating types, which severely limits cross-compatibility.
DNA methylation patterns suggest a potential epigenetic basis for mating types, though further research is
required. Demographic monitoring on 18 translocations
established between 2002-2023 shows that the Florida
ziziphus has a high survival rate but very low recruitment rate, so maintaining viable, self-sustaining populations remains a challenge. Nevertheless, strides havebeen made in developing germination techniques, tissue culture propagation, and best land management
practices for transplant survival, especially prescribedburn management. Overall, Florida ziziphus serves as
an important case study for the preservation of a highly
endangered clonal species, which was brought backfrom the brink of extinction.

S.104.3 Using genomic data
to inform management
decisions for augmentationof a rare San Diego endemic
succulent
Caroline Iacuaniello1, Christa Horn1, Joyce
Maschinski2, Stephanie Steele1, Katie
Heineman2

Aaron S. David1, Sterling A. Herron1,
Christine E. Edwards2, Brigette Williams2,
Eric S. Menges1

1 San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, Plant Conservation, San Diego, USA. 2 Center for Plant Conservation, San Diego, USA

1 Archbold Biological Station, Venus, FL, USA. 2 Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO, USA

San Diego County, USA is a hotspot of plant biologicaldiversity. Many rare plant species are severely threatened by habitat fragmentation in this rapidly develop-327

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ing population center. Dudleya brevifolia is a diminutive,
deciduous succulent that is an edaphic endemic with 6
known extant occurrences all located within a five-mileradius. The range of this species’ genetic diversity, bothwithin and between occurrences, the degree of inbreeding, and the possibility of outbreeding depression
was not previously known. Our study set out to genotype representative individuals from five of six known
occurrences in order to inform management practices. We sought to understand 1) whether the distinct
occurrences were genetically similar or different fromone another, and 2) whether there was evidence of inbreeding due to fragmentation between populations.
This information will help land managers decide if seedfrom more robust populations might be appropriate forsupplementing smaller populations in augmentation
projects. Genomic data indicated that individuals separated into three distinct clusters corresponding closely with geographic localities. Further analysis showed
moderate differentiation (Fst) exists between the moredistant populations, while slightly higher than expected
heterozygosity (He) and low inbreeding (Fis) were seen
across all sites. Based on this data, we suggest managing the clusters as populations where seed from occurrences within each cluster might be used to augmenteach other as needed.

S.104.4 Conservation andpopulation genetics ofthe federally endangered
Florida torreya (Torreya
taxifolia, Taxaceae).

the Atlanta Botanical Garden have been collecting
cuttings for safeguarding, caging trees to prevent
deer browsing, and tagging and monitoring wild treesin Torreya State Park and the Nature Conservancy’s
Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve. Recently,
partnership with the Florida Native Plant Society has
allowed outreach to private landowners to locate, tag,and collect cuttings of trees on private lands. Using thecollection of trees from across its range, we are performing conservation genetic studies of Torreya taxifolia using target gene capture to assess the level ofgenetic diversity and population structure remaining
in the wild. Conifers are notorious for having extremely
large and highly repetitive nuclear genomes, making
typical population genomic techniques such as Genotype-by-Sequencing (GBS), restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (RADseq), and genome skimming unfeasible. Gene capture, in contrast, allows fortargeted sequencing of specific loci in the genome
and allows us to overcome the problem of the large,
repetitive genome structure. This method is a cost-effective way to obtain DNA sequence variation necessary to distinguish among closely related populations.
Results suggest that the entire species range is consistent with a single panmictic population. In addition,
private landowners hold significant genetic diversity inthis species, highlighting the importance of landowner relationships. Together, these projects will advanceconservation efforts for this critically imperiled conifer.

S.104.5 Genomics,
morphology, and flow
cytometry inform taxonomy
and conservation ofrare cacti in the genus
Echinocereus

Lauren A. Eserman-Campbell1, Amanda
Carmichael1, Ethan Baldwin2, Chazz Jordan2,
Ashlynn Smith1, Lilly Anderson-Messac3,
Loy Xingwen1, Laurie Blackmore1, James H.
Leebens-Mack2, Emily E. E. D. Coffey1

Shannon Fehlberg1, Kevin Fehlberg1,
Donna Dehn1, Marc Baker2, Paula
Williamson3, James Beck4

1 Department of Conservation & Research, Atlanta Botanical Garden, Atlanta, GA, USA. 2 Plant Biology Department, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA. 3 Torreya Keepers, Florida Native Plant Society, Florida, USA
Florida torreya, or Torreya taxifolia (Taxaceae), is oneof the most endangered conifers in North America
and is endemic to the ravines east of the Apalachicola river in the Florida panhandle. In the last century,
populations have declined from nearly 700,000 trees
in the early 1900s to around 800 trees today. This dramatic decline is the result of an invasive fungal pathogen, Fusarium torreyae. For the last 30 years, staff at

1 Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix, Arizona, USA. 2
Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA. 3 Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas, USA. 4 Wichita State University, Wichita, Kansas, USA
Echinocereus is one of the most diverse genera of
the Cactaceae family. Many Echinocereus species
display wide variation in stem, spine and floral morphology within and among populations. Such variation has resulted in the description of over 70 taxa,
with a number of these considered rare, threatened,328

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or endangered. While detailed morphological, cytological, and distributional studies have contributed
greatly to our knowledge of species, subspecies, andvarieties within Echinocereus, the addition of genomic data are needed to enable understanding of evolutionary relationships and eliminate long-standing
taxonomic confusion. Our recent work in Echinocereus has focused on three rare taxa: E. arizonicus
subsp. arizonicus, E. fendleri subsp. kuenzleri, and E.
fitchii subsp. albertii. For each of these taxa, population-level samples have been collected throughout
the range and from a subset of close relatives. Population genetic and genomic, and flow cytometricdata have been obtained and analyzed using standard population genetic, clustering, ordination, andphylogenetic approaches. Results indicate that genetic variation is high and typically geographicallystructured, sometimes supporting the rare taxon asa unique evolutionary lineage, but sometimes supporting stronger genetic affinity among geographically proximate populations and non-monophylyof the rare taxon. Detailed morphological studies
for these same taxa have revealed that large sample sizes are critical for understanding the range ofmorphological variation within and among populations and reducing sampling error and phenologicaleffects from environmental factors. Although mostresults from these genetic and morphological studies are in alignment with each other and support
current taxonomy, some are not, which might be expected given the recent and rapid radiation of thisgenus and the potential for convergent evolution incharacters that are typically used to define taxa. Information gained from these studies is actively being discussed with conservation managers to help
prioritize and optimize conservation efforts.

S.105 PATTERNS AND PROCESSES DRIVING
CLIFF PLANT COMMUNITIES: APPROACHESFOR THE CONSERVATION OF ENDEMIC CLIFF
FLORA. SESSION 2
S.105.1 Is the current
conservation management
effective to protect atrisk cliff plant species
against increased climbingpressure?
Adrián Escudero1, Martí March1,
WorldClimb group
1 Instituto de Investigación en Cambio Global (IICG/
URJC), Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, Madrid, Spain
Cliff flora constitutes one of the less studied biodiversity components worldwide. This is surprisingsince it shelters a huge amount of very endangered
plant species, and also a high representation of veryancient lineages and relicts which have survived
perched on the inaccessible rocks. Cliffs shelter low
competitive taxa which are refuged up there, butalso a complete guild of rupicoluous specialists
which have developed morphological and phys-iological adaptations to occur there. Consequently, cliffs are natural labs to evaluate microevolutive
mechanisms but also to have a complete perspective of the biological history of a territory. However,
our knowledge on the ecological and evolutive determinants of these habitats is almost null, althoughbotanists have systematically explored the cliffs tocomplete the checklists of every explored territory.
Threats are putting at risk this biological treasure.
Emergence and recent massification of climbing asa very popular outdoor activity together with the incidence of other drivers of Global Change such as
warming are pushing most of these plants at theverge of extinction and make necessary to evaluate
the impact of this increasing pressure on the viability of these plants. Here we evaluate the risk associated to the popularization of this sport and the effectivity of conservation measures taken to face thisproblem. Specifically, we evaluated if the measurestaken within protected areas are effective and, also,
if they leakage to the surrounding areas. Preliminary
results suggest they are ineffective. A paradigmatic
example of this pressure is the almost total extinction of the population of Petrocoptis grandiflora in
the Enciña da Lastra Natural Park duto climbing.

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S.105.2 Conservation ofcliff plants with the aid of
remote collecting drones
Ben Nyberg 1
1 National Tropical Botanical Garden, Hawaii, USA
Cliff ecosystems often host unique, narrowly endemic plants. Due to the terrain, it is difficult anddangerous to access these areas. Rapidly evolving
drone technology has been helpful in developing a
deeper understanding of these cliff taxa through efficient aerial survey. Here we present a high-resolution approach to exploration and documentation ofplants growing on vertical surfaces. In addition, newdrone-based remote collection hardware has beendeveloped for collecting plants from these hardto-reach areas. This combination of tools has had
an amazing impact for the conservation of criticallyendangered Hawaiian cliff endemic taxa.

S.105.3 CLIMB TO CONSERVE.
An innovative approach to
managing and mitigating
the impact of climbing by
sharing responsibilities
between scientists,
administration andclimbers.

in certain areas, specially in legally protected environments. Scientific knowledge must provide tools
to assess the adequacy of these measures as wellas methods to undertake restoration and reinforcement interventions to improve the status of protected species. CLIMB TO CONSERVE aims to reinforce two
populations of plants listed as ‘Vulnerable’ locatedin Bierzo region, Northwest area of Iberian Peninsula. In order to do that, a multidisciplinary team has
been created, involving regional Administration, scientific community and climbers association. We workwith Petrocoptis grandiflora Rothm. and P. viscosa(Rothm.) P.Monts. & Fern.Casas, two endemic species
with a very restricted distribution that live in cracks,
ledges and limestone overhangings. We focus on
restorating one population of each specie that havebeen affected by non-regulated climbing activities,
a challenge per se due to its lack of available water and its inaccessibility. The main contribution is thetesting of restoration both in zones where climbing
has been forbidden and is still taking place. We center our contribution on detailing the followed protocol
and on discussing effects observed related to methods of sowing, sowing period and the effect of climbing in germination and survival of seedlings. CLIMBTO CONSERVE aims to join scientific criteria and thecollaboration of climbers to restore affected plant
populations. Furthermore, it sets a basis from whereadministration can implement regulations which
help to create a conservation conscience and natural heritage custody in those who spend more timewith these species, the climbers.

S.105.4 Anthropogenic
threats and conservation
status of coastal plants:
the case of two endemic
Azorean taxa

Lena Saiz1,2, Brais Hermosilla2, Roberto
Núñez3, Ignacio Artime3, Ignacio Díez3,
Javier Cruz3, Miguel A. Acevedo3, Miguel
Seoane4, Alfonso Louro4, Agustí Agut2,
Pablo Tejero4,5

Rúben M.C. Rego1, Mónica Moura1, Magui
Olangua-Corral2, Guilherme Roxo1,
Roberto Resendes1, Luís Silva1

1 Pyrenean Institute of Ecology. 2 Olarizu Botanical
Garden. Vitoria-Gasteiz Council, Spain. 3 Castillay León County Council, CSIC, Spain 4 Sustainable
Climbing Galicia, Spain. 5. Sociedad de Ciencias
Aranzadi, Spain.
Climbing has seen a rapid increase in the number ofpeople practising the sport that has led into a growthin the number of outdoors climbing areas, whichchallenges the conservation of endemic plants related to rocky habitats. This has propelled administrations to develop mechanisms to protect this endemic species through regulation or ban of the activity

1 Universidade dos Açores, Ponta Delgada, Portugal. 2 Jardim Botânico Canario “Viera y Clavijo”, Las
Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain.
Natural and anthropogenic threats are causing alteration of coastal areas worldwide. Most of the coastal
biodiversity is endangered, taking a particular toll on
island ecosystems, like the Azores. To better understand the biotic and abiotic factors constraining the330

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distribution and conservation status of the two endemic plants, Azorina vidalii (Campanulaceae) and
Lotus azoricus (Fabaceae), we performed a global
survey of coastal plant communities in the archipelago, also covering environmental descriptors, natural and anthropogenic threats. Moreover, we revised
their IUCN conservation status and estimated the
population fractions within protected areas. Non-indigenous plants were commonly found in plots withor without the target endemics, contributing for theabsence of well-defined coastal plant communities.
Nonetheless, indigenous taxa commonly occurred at
the plots with L. azoricus. With a larger area of occurrence, A. vidalii ecological niche differed from L. azoricus, the latter being restricted to dry and rocky sea
cliffs, mostly in Santa Maria Island. Besides the presence of invasive plants, signs of habitat destruction,
trampling and grazing, and of natural threats, suchas coastal erosion were commonly observed. Occurrence data indicated an endangered status forboth species, although this would change to critically endangered for L. azoricus when using smaller
occurrence plots. Both species are threatened since
their habitat is restricted to a very narrow vegetation
belt, strongly limited by sea influence and humanpressure, and with the frequent presence of invasiveplants. While focusing on two endemic plants, ourstudy allowed a broader view of the conservation
status of coastal plant communities in the Azores.

S.105.5 Cliff species as
indicators of dark diversityof an island habitat affectedby invasive herbivores
Juana María González-Mancebo1*, Juan
José García-Alvarado1, Berta Casals1,Ángel Palomares2, Gustavo Balsera2,
Antonio Rodríguez2, Jorge Rey-Medina1,
Víctor Bello-Rodríguez1, Jonay Cubas1
1 Plant Conservation and Biogeography ResearchGroup, Departamento de Botánica, Ecología y Fisiología Vegetal, Universidad de La Laguna, La Laguna, Tenerife, Islas Canarias, Spain. *jglezm@ull.edu.
es. 2 Caldera de Taburiente National Park, El Paso,
La Palma, Spain
Widespread anthropic activities have left few
well-preserved habitats in Europe, leading to a significant impoverishment in their ecosystems. Thisdegradation has also occurred on oceanic islands,
where, in addition, the introduction of invasive herbi-

vores has resulted in many habitats being characterized by the least palatable species. Thus, there is a
profound lack of knowledge about the original plantcommunities, as the ecosystems have been considerably impoverished, leaving most of the species
richness restricted to cliffs inaccessible to herbivores.
The Canary Islands have not been exempting fromthese problems, although still retain high endemicity.
For many of their habitats, few well-preserved remnants of original vegetation remain. This has led toserious conservation problems as there are difficulties in restoring habitats without having suitable reference ecosystem. Some of the best species refuges are found on platforms and cliffs within Caldera
de Taburiente National Park (La Palma island), whichharbour an extensive representation of the Canarian pine forest. Traditionally, this ecosystem has been
defined as poor in species, but high endemicity andrichness rates are in the cliffs. On the other hand, theaccessible areas barely preserve 10% of their potential richness. Here we present a comparative study ofthe diversity and composition of the flora in the pine
forests of Caldera de Taburiente. Plots located on inaccessible platforms and cliffs, cliff base exclusionplots, restoration exclusion plots and their respective
controls were used. The results obtained show thatinvasive herbivores density is the most importantdriver in determining gradients of diversity and species composition. The characteristic species of thepine forest in the presence of invasive herbivores are
not dominant in inaccessible areas. The Canarianpine forest restoration must be aimed at a progressive enrichment in which the refugee species must
be used to recover the diversity and structure of understory communities.

S.105.6 Specialist plants onvertical calcareous rockformations in the Pyrenees
share common traits andstrategies
Cirera-Sancho, Alberto1, Tejero-Ibarra,
Pablo1, Palacio-Blasco, Sara1
1 Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología IPE-CSIC, Jaca, Spain.
Among mountain environments, vertical rocky outcrops present especially extreme conditions for plant
life. These outcrops are characterized by the strong
effect of gravity, minimal soil presence, limited water and nutrients, and challenging seed dispersal. In

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response to these conditions, certain plant species
have undergone evolutionary processes that haveenabled them to adapt to life on rocks, but, is there
any shared trait or common strategy between specialist rupicolous plants? This study aims to be a firststep into addressing this question, focusing it in amore concrete field: calcareous mountain cliffs in
the Pyrenees. For this purpose, 10 rupicolous species
and 10 generalist plant species were selected, eachpaired between them, with a genetically closely related counterpart to control for phylogenetic factors. Various functional traits were measured foreach species, including leaf area, specific leaf area
(SLA), leaf dry matter content, leaf thickness, flower
area, plant size and leaf nutrient concentration. Preliminary results indicate that rupicolous plants tend
to exhibit a more compact trait niche, suggestinga narrower range of adaptations that allow themto survive in such harsh environments. Additionally,
these plants seem to display smaller size, leaf areaand SLA compared to their generalist counterparts.
Further systematic studies in other vertical cliff environments are encouraged to enhance our understanding of the adaptations in rupicolous plants.

S.106 SYSTEMATICS AND EVOLUTION OF
LAMIALES. SESSION 2
S.106.1 Pollen morphology
of Indo-Chinese
Clerodendrum (Lamiaceae)
and its systematic
implications
Jiratthi Satthaphorn1, Alan J. Paton2,
Wongkot Phuphumirat3, Charan
Leeratiwong4
1 School of Science, Walailak University, Thasala,Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand. 2 Royal Botanic
Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, UK. 3 Division of
Health and Applied Sciences, Faculty of Science,Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla,
Thailand. 4 Division of Biological Science, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai,Songkhla, Thailand
Clerodendrum is a highly species-diverse genus belonging to the family Lamiaceae and comprises approximately 250 species distributed in Asia, Australia,
and Africa. Systematic studies of the Indo-Chinese
Clerodendrum have previously relied on morphological and molecular evidence, while pollen morphology
is poorly understood. The palynological evidence has
been reported as important for taxonomic resolution
for delimiting taxa within Lamiaceae for decades. In
this study, pollen morphology of 22 representative Indo-Chinese Clerodendrum were investigated using
light and scanning electron microscopy. The results
revealed that pollen grains are monad and isopolar orheteropolar in type, subspheroidal to prolate spheroidal in shape and the surface with microechinate orna-

mentation surrounded by perforations. The apertural
types are tricolpate or hexacolpate arranged in twoseries (trizonocolpate and tricolpate on the proximalpole). The length of the polar axis ranges from 38.14
μm to 96.42 μm and the length of the equatorial axis
is from 31.38 μm to 97.72 μm and the exine thickness
varies from 1.41 μm to 3.71 μm. Palynological evidence
provides insights into detailed micromorphology thatcan be support phylogenetic relationships of the infrageneric taxa especially species within Clerodendrum
section fortunata and Clerodendrum section Tridens.
In addition, the results support the distinction between
morphologically similar species.

S.106.2 Karomia gigas(Lamiaceae - Ajugoideae):
floral morphology, systematic
position, genetic diversity, andrescue from extinction
Roy E. Gereau1, Fandey H. Mashimba2,
Patricia Barberá S.1, Alexander Linan1,
Rebecca Sucher1, Andrew Wyatt1,
Christine Edwards1
1 Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, USA. 2 Tanzania Forest Service Agency, Dodoma, Tanzania
The tree species originally known as Holmskioldia gigas
was first collected in a small patch of coastal forest on
the coast of Kenya in 1977. Only one mature, fruiting tree
and one sapling were observed, and by 1985, they were332

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both found to have been cut down. Thus, when the species was formally described and named in 1988, it wasconsidered “Feared Extinct”. The species was transferredfrom the genus Holmskioldia (Lamiaceae subfamily
Scutellarioideae) to Karomia (subfamily Ajugoideae) in
1992 with the caution that its generic placement would
have to be confirmed by its then-undocumented floral
morphology. The rediscovery of Karomia gigas in 20032011 in two Tanzanian coastal forests more than 600
km south of its original Kenyan locality demonstrated
that the species is not extinct, but its flowers remained
unknown. A large number of mature fruit with seeds
were collected in 2017, but initial attempts to germinate
and propagate the species were unsuccessful due tofungal infection of most of the wild-collected seeds. In
2018, a second attempt at germination after treating
the seeds with a fungicide was successful, resulting in
30 healthy seedlings that grew into young saplings that
produced flowers in early 2021. Analysis of its floral morphology confirms the current placement of this species
in Karomia, and DNA sequencing will further elucidate
its subfamilial and generic position. With only 46 known
individuals in the wild, Karomia gigas is assessed as
Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Genomic analysis of an ex-situ population has provided important insights into the conservation of genetic diversity K. gigas. With many threats andlow population numbers in its native habitat, continued
protection and propagation of this species is required
to enable future population recovery in Tanzania andeventually repatriation to Kenya.

S.106.3 The study on
phylogenetic positionand character evolutionof the genus Utricularia(Lentibulariaceae) in
ThailandSupannika Phromkhlibnin1, Piyakaset
Suksathan2, Thaya Jenjittikul1, Saroj
Ruchisansakun1, Nicha Thawara1
1 Department of Plant Science, Faculty of Science,
Mahidol University, Thailand. 2 The Botanical Garden Organization, Ministry of Natural Resources
and Environment, Thailand
The genus Utricularia is a carnivorous plant in the Lentibulariaceae family, consisting of around 270 species
divided into 35 sections, of which 27 species are nativeto Thailand (from 7 sections). This genus possesses

bladder-like traps with appendages surrounding theentrance. Numerous species of this plant in Thailand
have not been investigated using molecular techniques, hence this study aims to determine the phylogenetic position of Utricularia in Thailand in comparison to other species in the GenBank database, using
the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, and thenreconstruction the ancestral state to study some selected morphological characters (life form, presenceof rosette leaves, twining inflorescence, floral color, andhairy seed. The results reveal that Utricularia in Thailand
evolved from multiple clades within many sections. Furthermore, most morphological characters evolve multiple times throughout their evolutionary history.

S.106.4 Comparative
phylogeography of mintsin the California Floristic
Province
Jeffrey P. Rose1,2, Ricardo Kriebel3, Mark A.
Elvin4, Kenneth J. Sytsma1, Bryan T. Drew2
1 Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, USA. 2 Department of Biology, University of Nebraska at Kearney, Kearney, USA.
3 California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco,USA. 4 Department of Ecology and Evolutionary
Biology, University of California Los Angeles, UCLA
Herbarium, Los Angeles, USA
Mediterranean-like biomes across the globe are biodiversity hotspots for both animals and plants. However, because such climates have only existed since the
mid-Miocene, lineages adapted to Mediterranean-likebiomes have diverged relatively recently, making it difficult to make robust inferences of phylogenetic relationships. Moreover, apparent abiotic niche conservatism
within these lineages often leads to high levels of range
overlap among species, potentially obscuring theirbiogeographic history. In particular, it is possible that
pulses of expansion and contraction of suitable habitat throughout the Pleistocene, especially contraction
towards the present, mimics a scenario of sympatricspeciation when in fact speciation was primarily allopatric. The California Floristic Province is the only areaof Mediterranean-like biome in North America and is
the center of diversity – and potentially the area of origin – for several clades of mints (Lamiaceae), including Lepechinia sect. Calycinae (5 species), Salvia subg.
Audibertia (19 species), and Monardella (> 40 species).
Prior studies have shown that all three clades have diversified since the mid-Miocene, although relationships
within clades have been difficult to resolve. Using a333

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phylogenomic hypothesis of relationships and a suiteof biogeographic tools, including generating ecologicalniche models for all ancestors that originated in the last
5 million years, we test if all three clades (1) show similar
temporal patterns of divergence, (2) show parallel patterns of area of origin and directionality of geographic
spread, and/or (3) show evidence of sympatric speciation rather than allopatric speciation followed by secondary contact. Our results provide important insights
into the origin and maintenance of species diversity
within Mediterranean-like biomes.

S.106.5 The acualescentspecies of Henckelia(Gesneriaceae)

are acaulescent. Henckelia humboldtiana (Gardner)
A.Weber & B.L.Burtt is the acaulescent species seen
both in South India and Sri Lanka. The present paper
discusses the taxonomy, ecology and endemism of
the acaulescent Henckelia. A phylogenetic tree is also
constructed from ITS and trn loci.

S.106.6 A left-right story:
Understanding thefunction and evolutionof enantiostyly in thegenus Didymocarpus(Gesneriaceae)
Rhuthuparna S B1, Vinita Gowda1

Janeesha A.P., Santhosh Nampy1
1 Department of Botany, University of Calicut, Kerala, India
The genus Henckelia Spreng. (Gesneriaceae, sub-family Didymocarpoideae) includes 82 species, distributedin Northeast and South India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Nepal, Bhutan, southern China, northern Vietnam, northern Laos and northern Thailand. The genus was treatedearlier as a synonym of Didymocarpus Wall. until it was
resurrected and remodeled by Weber and Burtt (1997).
Weber et al. (2011) re-defined the genus based on molecular data and included species of Henckelia sect.
Henckelia, Chirita sect. Chirita (excluding the species
under Damrongia Kerr ex Craib), the monotypic genus
Hemiboeopsis W.T.Wang and exclude the species ofHenckelia sect. Loxocarpus, Didymanthus, Heteroboea
and Glossadenia. Henckelia includes mainly perennial
plants, sometimes with a woody base; caulescent toacualescent (rarely creeping) habits; infundibuliform
to tubular corolla; geniculate or straight filaments; unilocular or bilocular ovary; chiritoid to (rarely) truncate
stigma and capsules splitting into 2 valves, or only
along the dorsal side. Species of Henckelia generally
fall under two groups: (1) plants predominantly caulescent, with internodes and leaves in whorls of 2 or 3, andorthocarpic capsules dehiscing along both upper andlower suture; (2) plants predominantly acaulescent,with leaves in basal rosette and plagiocarpic capsules
opening along the upper suture only. The former group
includes 64 species, distributed throughout the distributional range of the genus except South India, while
the latter group includes 18 species, found in South India as well as in Sri Lanka. All the 16 species of Henkelia found in South India are acualescent, whereas Sri
Lanka has eight species of Henckelia of which three

1 Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Bhopal, India
Enantiostyly is a type of stylar polymorphism in which
either style and anther or style alone is deflected fromthe main axis of the flower to either right (R morph)or left (L morph). The floral design of enantiostylous
flowers has been interpreted to promote insect-mediated cross-pollination, although, there are very
few experimental examinations of this hypothesis.
Therefore this study aims to understand the evolution and fitness consequences of enantiostyly in thegenus Didymocarpus Wall. (Gesneriaceae) a narrowendemic herb distributed from the Himalayas to the
Malay peninsula. To evaluate this we tested the following hypothesis: 1) enantiostyly is a synapomorphic
character in the genus Didymocarpus and it evolved
from a straight-styled ancestor, 2) floral morphology of enantiostylous flowers decreases autonomous
self-pollination while maximizing pollen transfer between floral morphs thus increasing reproductive
fitness. We collected morphometric data including
the presence of enantiostyly for 43 Didymocarpus
species from field surveys and literature. We mapped
enantiostyly and a few other associated floral traits
to the phylogenetic tree and estimated the ancestral
states for these traits. All the above analysis was carried out in R using packages phytools, ape, and caper.
Pollinator observations, pollen dye experiments, andhand pollination experiments were performed in four
enantiostylous species and three non-enantiostylous species during the flowering period between July-September in the Northeastern states of India. Our
analysis shows that enantiostyly is a synapomorphic
character in the genus Didymocarpus and the evolution of this character and the degree of spatial sep-334

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aration between anther and stigma shows a significant correlation with corolla tube shape. Results fromour field experiments indicate that enantiostylous
floral morphology decreases autonomous self-pol-lination and increases the efficiency of inter-morph
pollen transfer. Furthermore, enantiostylous species
exhibited higher natural fitness in terms of fruit production compared to non-enantiostylous flowers.

S.107 SPATIAL MODELLING OF PLANT NICHESAND DISTRIBUTIONS IN THE ANTHROPOCENE.
SESSION 2
S.107.1 Seagrasses on the
move: tracing the multidecades trends of lagoon
meadows using Landsat
series imagery.
Paolo Cingano1,2, Marco Vuerich2,
Francesco Petruzzellis1, Lorenzo Orzan1,2,
Giacomo Trotta1,2, Valentino Casolo2,
Francesco Boscutti2
1 University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy. 2 University of
Udine, Udine, Italy
Lagoons globally provide crucial ecosystem services,
harbouring a rich mosaic of fragile habitats. Amongthese, seagrass meadows play a vital role for this ecosystem and its biota, by sustaining trophic networks
and influencing sediment and nutrient dynamics. Their
distribution and functioning are closely tied to ecological disturbances, showing rapid shifts over time inrelation to the ongoing global changes. Furthermore,lagoons often host multi-species meadows, where
species interactions might complicate the understanding of the whole ecosystem responses to environmental changes. Long term monitoring of species
and communities is, hence, important to understandthe response to past and future global change scenarios. The availability of long term open-access satellite data (e.g. Landsat mission) offers a new remotesensing perspective for studying seagrass community
dynamics in shallow waters, especially when combined with the power of machine learning algorithms.
In this study, multispectral seasonal images were usedwith a Random Forest algorithm to map the trends ofseagrass meadows and individual species in the vast
Grado and Marano lagoon (Northern Adriatic) overtwo decades. Supervised classification models werebuilt using a large field training dataset collected in2010 (n = 426, accuracy of 92%) together with Landsat
5TM and 8OLI imagery and then applied from 1999 to2019 images. The change detection analysis revealed
a 14.16 km2 expansion (+ 39 %) of the entire seagrass
community at a rate of 1.59 km2* year-1. Despite Landsat’s low spatial resolution, discrimination of individual species achieved an accuracy of 76% allowing the
tracing of relative species movements and shedding
light on their complex dynamic over time. The observed expansion might underpin an increasing sea
water influence that are radically modifying Adriatic
brackish water bodies, emphasizing the connection
between ongoing environmental changes and therapid responses of seagrass meadows.

S.107.2 Classical metrics
misguide the interpretationof species distribution
models affected bysampling biases
Claudio A. Bracho-Estévanez1, Salvador
Arenas-Castro2, Juan P. González-Varo1,
Pablo González-Moreno3
1 Department of Biology, IVAGRO, Universidad deCádiz, Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain. 2 Area of Ecology,
Department of Botany, Ecology and Plant Physiology,
Faculty of Sciences, Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain. 3 Department of Forest Engineering, ERSAF
RNM-360, Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain.
Species distribution models (SDMs) are a vast collection of techniques that predict species’ likelihood of
occurrence across spatial and temporal dimensions.
These techniques barely require two inputs: presences (referred as only-presences when real absencesof species are unavailable) and a set of relevant environmental variables for the niche of target species.

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Thus, the recent expansion of open platforms offering massive georeferenced data on biodiversity has
boosted the use of SDMs. Still, the employment of suchdata holds a major limitation: the profusion of sampling biases. The former implies that opportunisticpresences are potentially affected by heterogeneous
sampling efforts across study areas and species,
which demands the implementation of adequate bias
corrections. As well, modelers usually take advantage
of classical metrics (namely AUC and TSS) to evaluate the overall quality of model predictions. However,
AUC and TSS have been widely criticized given its poor
capacity to assess the biological reality of predictions,and it would be alarming if such metrics are eventuallyunsensitive to sampling biases. In this study, we selected 31 fleshy-fruited plants as a study case to evaluate
the sensitivity of classical metrics to sampling biases,
as well as to compare the effect of three distinct bias
corrections on the quality of predicted distributions.
We run models on a (sub-)continental scale and usedboth classical and alternative, spatially explicit metrics
of model performance. Our results suggest that bias
corrections are imperative to improve predictions,whilst model performance depends on settings as themodelling algorithm or the method to generate pseudo-absences. Likewise, classical metrics were particularly weak to discern biased predictions, and eventually contradicted alternative metrics. Altogether
reveals the convenience of implementing contrasting,spatially explicit validations when assessing predictions affected by sampling biases.

S.107.3 Spatial distributionof Annonaceae acrossbiomes and anthromes:
knowledge gaps in spatialand ecological data

though humans have impacted tropical forests
long before modern times, they are currently atrisk because of increasing anthropogenic activities. Especially during the last few decades, humans increasingly influenced the earth’s surface
to meet their needs. As a result, most natural biomes have changed into anthropogenic biomes,
also called anthromes. Understanding how different taxa are affected by these changes is key
in order to inform measures for conservation andprotection, something especially important in thisUN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. Here, we investigate if this impact can be quantified for the
globally-distributed tropical plant group Annonaceae (Soursop family) using spatial (distributional) data. Insight is gained in how Annonaceae are
distributed over biomes and anthromes. We findthat even for a taxonomically well-studied groupsuch as Annonaceae, very little is known about
the true distribution and ecological requirementsof species. We urge to invest in 1) the explorationof ecological requirements of species in relation
to their genetic patterns, in order to understandthe impact of ecosystems changes, 2) researchon distributional patterns in a temporal framework since the available data collected over decades might not reflect current distributions overbiomes and anthromes well, and 3) high-quality
spatial data collection that should adhere to the
FAIR data principles, so that the quality of spatial
analyses will increase. These data will also contribute to better base-line data for IUCN Red List
assessments, which are a vital tool to assess thelevel of threat to a taxon.

S.107.4 A Species
Distribution Model toelucidate the occurrence ofan endemic species

R.H.J. Erkens1,2, L.M.P. Blanpain1, I.
Carrascosa Jara1, K. Runge1, N.
Verspagen1, A. Cosiaux3, T.L.P. Couvreur3

Paola De Giorgi1, Gabriel Cainelli1, Daniela
Ciccarelli1,2, Gianni Bedini1,21 Maastricht Science Programme, Faculty of Scienceand Engineering, Maastricht University, Maastricht,
The Netherlands. 2 System Earth Science, Facultyof Science and Engineering, Maastricht University, Venlo, The Netherlands .3 IRD, DIADE, Université
Montpellier, Montpellier, France
Covering approximately 7% of the terrestrial portion of the earth’s surface, tropical rain forests
harbour c. 45% of all terrestrial species, including
approximately three fourth of all tree species. Al-

1 University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy. 2 Centro interdipartimentale per lo studio degli effetti del cambiamento climatico, Pisa, Italy
The presence of species in ecological communities mainly depends on abiotic factors, biotic factors, and their dispersal ability. Species Distribution
Models serve as valuable statistical tools to clarify
the distribution of a species considered the relationships among multiple species and their interaction

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with the environment. Our aim is to determine how
biotic and abiotic factors influence the spatial distribution of Crocus etruscus Parl., an endemic geophyte of Central Italy. We constructed a hierarchical mixed-effects model using the “lme4” package
in R programming language, with the presence ofC. etruscus as the response variable. We conducted vegetation surveys to identify the dominant tree
species coexisting with C. etruscus, considering
them as biotic factors. Subsequently, we combined
these factors with the classes of Corine Land Cover to incorporate random effects into our analysis.
Functional leaf traits linked to the Leaf Economic Spectrum (leaf area, specific leaf area, leaf dry
matter content) represented additional biotic variables. The leaf traits of C. etruscus were determinedon samples collected during the vegetation surveys.
Then the fixed-effect explanatory variables were
the abiotic variables, sourced from the online databases WorldClim and SoilGrids, and the biotic variables, represented by the functional leaf traits of C.
etruscus. This study provides an assessment of theinfluence of abiotic and biotic factors on the occurrence of C. etruscus. Such insights provide valuableguidance for the management of this species andaid in the identification of key areas for further exploration, thereby contributing to a comprehensive
understanding of its distribution range.

S.107.5 Temperature anddrought resistant species’
past and future
Maria M. Ribeiro1,2,5*, Alice M. Almeida1,
Natália Roque1,2,3, Celestino QuintelaSabarís4, Maria João Martins5, Manuel L.
Campagnolo5, Paulo Fernandez1,6
1 Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco, School of
Agriculture, Castelo Branco, Portugal. 2 CERNAS, Research Center for Natural Resources, Environment
and Society, Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco,
Castelo Branco, Portugal. 3 QRURAL, Quality of Lifein the Rural World – Research Unit, Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco, Castelo Branco, Portugal.
4 GEA, Animal Ecology Group, Vigo University, Vigo,
Spain. 5 CEF, Forest Research Centre, TERRA Associated Laboratory, Superior Institute of Agronomy,
Lisbon University, Lisbon, Portugal. 6 MED – Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment andDevelopment & CHANGE – Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Évora University, Évora, Portugal

iterranean plant species’ distribution will be crucial
for management and conservation design. Climatechange impact in two well-adapted Mediterranean species, drought, and temperature-resistant,
was studied (rockrose (Cistus ladanifer L.; CL) andstrawberry tree (Arbutus unedo L.; AU)). The past,present, and future potential spatial distribution was
unfolded, and the potential glacial refugia basedon modeling, phylogeography, and fossil data wasverified. Modeling was made based on real occurrences and environmental variables using machinelearning and regression-based algorithms. The potential future distribution was projected for the years
2050 and 2070, considering a less and more severe
climate scenario. The precipitation variables had
decreasing importance in the obtained models, followed by the temperature variables, in the case of
the CL, but conversely in the case of the AU, being
the slope influential. For both species, the results of
the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) projection suggested the presence of refugia in the core of the Mediterranean Basin, particularly in the Iberian Peninsula(PI) southeast. Projections for the Mid-Holocene (MH)indicated increasing climatic suitability and expansion for the two species relative to the LGM. The past
distribution projections modeled were congruent
with the two independent approaches (fossil andgenetics), validating the CL distribution modeling in
the past, unlikely in the AU case, where very strong
fossil signals were found in the IP borders, even innorthern regions. Those species will be dramatically affected by global warming, despite drought andtemperature resilience, particularly the CL. Contrarily to AU, CL northward future migration is unlikely tohappen, but a westward collapse towards the Portuguese coast. The AU northern migration will dependon its ability to pace and adapt to environmental
changes speed. Consequently, thermophilic Mediterranean species will probably be endangered.

S.107.6 What explains thehigh island endemicity ofthe threatened parasitic
Rafflesia in the Philippines?

The Mediterranean region is utterly vulnerable toglobal change and provoked disturbances in Med-

337

Jasper J.A. Obico1, R. Sedricke C. Lapuz2,
Julie F. Barcelona3, Pieter B. Pelser3
1 Department of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, University of the Philippines Manila, Manila,
Philippines. 2 School of Biological Sciences, The
University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China. 3

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School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.
Rafflesia are rare holoparasitic plants. In the Philippines, all but one species are found only on single islands. This study aimed to better understandthe factors contributing to this distribution pattern. Specifically, we sought to determine whether
narrow environmental tolerances of host and/or
parasite species might explain their island endemicity. We used Maxent species distribution modeling to identify areas with suitable habitat for R.
lagascae, R. lobata, and R. speciosa and their Tetrastigma host species. These analyses were carried out for current climate conditions and two
future climate change scenarios. Although spe-

cies distribution models indicated suitable environmental conditions for the Tetrastigma hostspecies in many parts of the Philippines, considerably fewer areas are inferred to have suitableconditions for the three Rafflesia species. Some ofthese areas are found on islands from which they
have not been reported. All three species will facesignificant threats as a result of climate change.
Our results suggest that limited inter-island dispersal abilities and/or specific environmental requirements are likely responsible for the current
pattern of island endemicity of the three Rafflesia
species, rather than environmental requirementsof their Tetrastigma host species.

S.108 PLANT DIVERSITY, BIOGEOGRAPHYAND EVOLUTION IN THE TROPICS FORCONSERVATION, RESTORATION ANDSUSTAINABLE USE. SESSION 3
S.108.1 Tree diversity andliana infestation predict
acoustic diversity in logged
tropical forests
Zachary Chu1,2,3, Cindy C. P. Cosset1,4,Catherine Finlayson1,5, Patrick G.
Cannon1,6, Robert P. Freckleton1, Kalsum M.
Yusah3,7, David P. Edwards8
1 Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, UK. 2 School of
Biosciences, University of Birmingham, UK. 3 Royal
Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK. 4 Wildlife Ecology andConservation Department, IFAS, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA. 5 Center for Natural Climate
Solutions, Conservation International, Arlington,
VA, USA. 6 School of Biological Sciences, Universityof Reading, UK. 7 Institute for Tropical Biology andConservation, University Malaysia Sabah, Malaysia.
8 Department of Plant Sciences and Conservation
Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
Logged tropical forests can retain a great deal of
biodiversity, but there is substantial variation in thetype and severity of habitat degradation caused bylogging. Logging-induced habitat degradation canvary significantly at fine spatial scales, with differing
effects on plant communities and the growth of lianas, which are woody, climbing vines that proliferate
in degraded forests and infest trees by climbing onto
them and competing for above and below groundresources. The impacts of such fine-scale variation inhabitat structure on faunal diversity is relatively poorly known. We recorded soundscapes and variation
in local-scale habitat structure in selectively logged
and old-growth primary forests in Malaysian Borneo
to examine how changes to logged forest structure
predict variation in acoustic diversity indices that are
known to correlate with biodiversity indices. We showthat acoustic indices relating to higher soundscapediversity increase with liana prevalence but declinewith tree species richness and are unaffected by
the liana load of adult trees. Our results suggest that
acoustic data represent a simple, practicable measure for detecting fine-scale patterns of biodiversity
response to post-logging habitat structure. Our findings also suggest that retaining many trees lightly infested by lianas in logged forests is the optimal outcome for biodiversity. This emphasises the need forforest restoration that retains some climbers, rather
than blanket-cutting of all stems in projects seeking
to return post-logging forest communities towards
their primary forest state.

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S.108.2 Plant diversity andcultural specificity influence
traditional knowledge on
ecosystem services inwestern Amazonia

of floristic composition in shaping knowledge foreach Indigenous community, however different patterns of knowledge convergence among Indigenous
communities were found. These findings highlightthe importance of considering both cultural and biological factors in understanding Indigenous knowledge networks. Respecting and valuing the distinct
bodies of knowledge requires an understanding ofthese factors and a commitment to supporting theirautonomy and self-determination in preserving andtransmitting knowledge systems.

Julia G. de Aledo1,2,3, Luis Cayuela3, Laura
Matas-Granados1,2, Celina Ben Saadi1,
Norma Salinas4,5, María de los Ángeles La
Torre-Cuadros6,7, Manuel J. Macía1,2
1 Departamento de Biología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain. 2 Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global (CIBCUAM), Madrid, Spain. 3 Departmento de Biología yGeología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad
Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Spain. 4 Sección Química,
Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Lima, Peru
.5 School of Geography and Environment, Universityof Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK. 6 Universidad Científica
del Sur, Lima, Peru .7Universidad Nacional Agraria
La Molina, Lima, Peru
Biodiversity and cultural idiosyncrasy shapes plant
traditional knowledge in the Amazon basin. Yet, thefactors that influence how different human groups
gather knowledge for a certain purpose are not wellunderstood. We aim to investigate: 1) the relationship between traditional knowledge (culture) andbiodiversity and 2) the degree of floristic knowledge
convergence among Indigenous communities. We
inventoried 1907 species of woody plants in 115 0.1-haplots in western Amazonia. The relationship between
use diversity and species richness was analyzed
per plot with generalized linear models, whereas
the relationship between cultural and floristic distance was explored with beta regression models.
The Euclidean distances between floristic and cultural distances were compared among Indigenous
communities to analyze the degree of knowledge
convergence. High plant diversity and heterogeneity of rainforests contribute significantly to the development of traditional knowledge within and between Indigenous communities. In most cases, thedifferences in knowledge across human groups aremainly due to floristic distances, showing the interrelation of these variables. However, in some cases,
floristic distances were higher than cultural distances (36%), i.e., knowledge convergence. In other cases(14%) floristic distances were lower than cultural, implying unique bodies of knowledge between communities. Biodiversity largely influences versatility ofuses and traditional knowledge turnover both at local and regional scales. We highlight the importance

S.108.3 Comparing
taxonomic andphylogenetic diversity ofwoody plant communities incontrasting biogeographic
regions of Colombia
Camilo Palacios-Hurtado1,2, Sebastián
González-Caro3, Nicolás Castaño4, Saúl
Hoyos-Gómez5, Heriberto David5, Felipe
Cardona5, Harley Quinto6, Mauricio
Sánchez2, Miguel Peña2, Álvaro Duque2
1 Department of Biology, University of Miami, Miami,
USA. 2 Departamento de Ciencias Forestales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Medellín, Colombia. 3 University of Exeter, UK 4 Instituto Amazónico
de Investigaciones Científicas SINCHI, Bogotá, Colombia. 5 Herbario Universidad de Antioquia (HuA),
Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia. 6
Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Tecnológica del Chocó, Quibdó, Colombia
Biodiversity distribution in Neotropical regions, suchas the Amazon, Tropical Andes, and Choco, continues to captivate scientists. This study contributes tothe ongoing debate over Earth’s most plant-diverse
region, unraveling the interplay of geological history, climate, and evolution. Our primary objective wasto compare taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity
in woody plant communities across the Amazon,Northern Andes, and Choco, utilizing 48 permanent
1-ha plots. A secondary objective was to discern therelationship between species richness and phylogenetic diversity in these biogeographic regions, exploring its connection to the Museums and Cradles
hypothesis and the role of these regions. We observed the highest species accumulation rate andspecies richness (SR) in the Amazon. Similarly, phylogenetic species richness was most pronounced339

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Contrary to expectations, the Choco surpassed theNorthern Andes in angiosperm SR and phylogenetic
diversity (PD). Strong positive correlations between
SR and PD were evident across regions. Our findings
reveal distinctive taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity patterns. The Amazon, rooted in ancient geological history, exhibits higher SR and PD. In contrast,
the Andes and Choco, with more recent origins,demonstrate higher speciation rates, evidenced
by greater SR relative to PD. Residual analysis of ourdata suggests unexpected results, with the Amazon aligning with a cradle hypothesis, the Northern
Andes resembling a museum, and the Choco displaying characteristics of both. This study challenges preconceived notions, offering insights into taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity in the Amazon,
Andes, and Choco. By elucidating the relationships
between geological history, climate, and evolution,
our findings underscore the importance of considering both dimensions in biodiversity assessments.
Effective conservation in these Neotropical regions
requires accounting for their unique evolutionary
dynamics and the implications of varying geological ages on plant community composition.

S.108.4 Functional traits
in four tropical dry forest
species in relation tosoil water availability
under nursery conditions(Colombia)
Alisson Dennis González-Cortes1, Natalia
Rodríguez-Jiménez1, Yesid Alejandro
Mariño-Macana2, Mary L. Berdugo-Lattke3

al response before planting, because the nursery
management influence the survival and successof plants in restoration areas. In this research, theresponse of four species of inter-Andean tropicaldry forest (TDF) in Colombia was analyzed under
different conditions of soil water availability (WA):100%, 79.6%, 65.9% and without irrigation (main environmental filter). The species were selected by theirsuccessional preference, 120 plants were includedin the experimental design, divided into four treatments per species: Ochroma pyramidale (pioneer),
Senna spectabilis (pioneer), Tabebuia rosea (intermediate-advanced) and Astronium graveolens(intermediate-advanced). The experimental phase
was carried out for seven consecutive weeks, thentotal harvest was performed to measure six traits:leaf area (cm2), leaf thickness (mm), xylem vessel
density (#/mm2), xylem vessel diameter (μm) andthe proportion of secondary roots (% dry biomass).
In O. pyramidale WA -response traits are related tostem and roots with an affinity towards the acquisitive strategy and resists drought, in S. spectabilis
the response were leaf thickness and stem, with anaffinity towards the acquisitive strategy and avoids
drought. For A. graveolens and T. rosea, the response
traits were stem and root, related to the conservative
strategy, however A. graveolens tolerates drought as
it remained evergreen, while T. rosea resists as leaf
abscission occurs with prolonged drought (deciduous). In all species the relationship between traits
was different, however under prolonged drought the
proportion of secondary roots increased, as a strategy to search water. We conclude that these species require differential irrigation management toimprove their response in growth, transplanting andsurvival in the nursery, this management guarantee
a better response in the areas will be restored.

1 Semillero Tygua, Programa de Biología, Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias Básicas, Universidad
Central, Fundación Natura Bogotá, Colombia. 2
Programa de Biología, Facultad de Ingeniería yCiencias Básicas, Universidad Central, Bogotá, Colombia. 3 Grupo de investigación de agua y desarrollo sostenible, Semillero Tygua, Programa deBiología, Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias Básicas,
Universidad Central, Bogotá, Colombia. 4 Grupo deinvestigación de biodiversidad y conservación, Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacionalde Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia
During process of propagation and managementof key plant species for ecological restoration (ER),it is necessary monitoring the growth and function-340

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Symposia Session 7 Wednesday
S.109 CRYOBIOTECHNOLOGY: BROADENING
THE SCOPE OF PRESERVING PLANT
BIODIVERSITY FOR THE FUTURE
S.109.1 Cryopreservation of
Macadamia – a tough nut
to crack

following drying and immersion in liquid nitrogen will
be undertaken in the next fruiting season.

Karen Sommerville, Cathy Offord
Botanic Gardens of Sydney, Mount Annan, Australia
The preservation of Macadamia diversity is important
to conservation of species in the wild and the futureof the world-wide macadamia industry. We aimed todetermine whether standard seed banking or cryopreservation of whole seeds would be suitable for preserving these taxa. We first investigated the responseof seeds of five taxa to desiccation and storage for 1
month at -20 and -192ºC. All taxa tolerated drying but
responded poorly to storage at both temperatures.
Thermal analysis of dry seeds was then used to investigate energy transitions during freezing and thawingthat might explain the observed response. Samples
of cotyledonary tissue were sealed in aluminum pansthen lowered from 20 to -150ºC, and raised from -150
to 50ºC, in a differential scanning calorimeter. The resulting thermograms showed a crystallisation transition between -10 and -20ºC, and a broad melting
transition from around -20 to 0ºC, for all taxa. Basedon these results, we compared the effect of storage
at 4 and -5ºC (avoiding the crystallisation transitionzone) against storage at -20 and -192ºC for seeds of
M. integrifolia x tetraphylla ‘Beaumont’ and M. jansenii.
Both taxa responded significantly better to storage at
the higher temperatures than at -20 or -192ºC. However, we expect the large seeds of some Macadamia
taxa may still be short-lived under those conditions sohave commenced research on cryopreservation of
the much smaller embryonic axes. Preliminary experiments have shown that normal seedlings can be produced from fresh embryonic axes providing they havea small amount of cotyledon attached, are sterilised in
2% bleach for no more than 15 minutes and are sown
on MS medium containing 2% activated charcoal and
250 ppm gibberellic acid. Experiments testing survival

S.109.2 Bryophyte spore
conservation: what do weknow and what else canwe learn?
Belén Albertos1, Giuseppe Tilocca2,4,
Carlos Eced1, Aleksandra Ruzic1, Ricardo
Garilleti1, Francisco Lara3, Daniel
Ballesteros1,4
1 Universitat de València, Spain. 2 University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria.
3 Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain. 4 Royal
Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK.
Bryophyte spores offer enormous potential for biological studies and conservation. As unicellular model forstress tolerance studies, they can provide essential information on how the land was conquered. Being key
elements in reproduction and dispersal, they play important part in the biology and biogeography of thespecies. And for our efforts in preserving biodiversity,
they can be used for efficient ex-situ conservation in
spore banks. Bryophyte spores are usually unicellular,
although some species produce multicellular sporesbecause of an endosporic germination. Most bryophyte spores have fully developed chloroplasts atmaturity, and our results show that they can be highly lipidic. This is a unique combination of charactersin land plants’ propagules, as seeds and fern sporescontaining chlorophyll often show low storage lipids.
Bryophytes have proved to be long term survivors,
growing from soil banks after a century (e.g., Bruchia
vogesiaca, Physcomitrium eurystomum). However, ourcomparative studies suggest that they are generally
short lived at room or experimentally controlled conditions. This may be related to the unique combination

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their physiology (e.g., type of storage lipids, contentsof chlorophyll, other pigments, and antioxidants), ecology (e.g., relationship between desiccation tolerance
and xerocastic/hygrochastic dispersal) and biogeographic implications (e.g., how differences concerning
spore features justify differing distribution patterns inrelated taxa). Finally, for the purpose of ex-situ conservation, we should experimentally understand the storage conditions that preserve their maximum longevity. Moreover, we must decipher the parameters for the
optimal spore germination and protonemal growth ina large and diverse number of species. We aim to offera brief overview of current knowledge and future perspectives of this line of research because, despite theirimportance, our knowledge of bryophyte spores is still
fragmentary and sometimes contradictory.

S.109.3 Phylogenetic
diversity stored in seedbanks: looking back andahead

S.109.4 Conservation of oak
species by biotechnologicaltools

Angelino Carta , Efisio Mattana , Andreas
Ensslin3, Sandrine Godefroid4, Rafael
Molina-Venegas5
1

genetic history representativeness should they become protected in conventional seed banks. Over
one third (8,383 species) of the European angiosperm
flora is currently secured in conventional seed banks,
representing 60% of the total PD. However, this value
is lower than the potential PD that could have beenconserved because whole plant lineages are absent
from banked seed lots. We show how securing further
4000 unsecured species selected from those lineages, would lead to protect 90% of total PD, as opposedto the 74% achieved from the same number of randomly selected unsecured species. Our method allows to prioritise among unsecured species using a
stepwise-PD-maximisation procedure, adaptable todifferent resource availability scenarios. Nevertheless,for some of those species there are obstacles thatprevent their seed collection and conservation. Thus,
this study provides baseline data to promote better-grounded seed-based conservation policies andmore generally, our new method will serve to prioritizeamong unsecured species of any taxonomic groupso that the trade-off between secured evolutionary
history and budget availability is maximised.

2

1 University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy. 2 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Ardingly, UK. 3 Conservatory and Botanic Garden of Geneva, Switzerland. 4 Meise Botanic
Garden, Meise, Belgium. 5 Universidad Autónoma
de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
With two in five plants facing extinction, identifying
currently unsecured branches of the Tree of Life is
key to prioritise future conservation efforts. Thus, phylogenetic diversity (PD) methods become crucial indesigning cost-effective conservation planning forspecies’ prioritisation and prevent lineages loss. Conventional seed banking (i.e., conservation of desiccation-tolerant seeds at below-zero temperatures)is the most efficient and effective ex-situ method
for long-term conservation. However, the development of phylogenetically informed seed collecting
programmes is difficult due to the insofar limitedaccessibility of biodiversity data represented in conservation facilities and to the lack of tailored methodological frameworks. Here, we used a comprehensive
dataset spanning over 30 years conservation effortof 109 institutions across 29 European countries andprovided a new flexible method to identify those species whose conservation would maximize the phylo-

Elena Corredoira1, Mª Teresa Martínez1
1 Misión Biológica de Galicia (CSIC), Santiago deCompostela, La Coruña, Spain
The genus Quercus, which includes more than 400
species of oak, is found throughout the northern hemisphere in a wide diversity of habitats. Oak forests playvital social, ecological and economic roles. However,the sustainability of oak populations is currently threatened by habitat loss caused by, among other factors,
human-mediated disturbance, adverse environmental
conditions, attack by pathogens and pests and in particular by a complex disease commonly known as “oakdecline”. The conservation of oak species is therefore ofgreat importance. Biotechnological tools based on invitro cultivation, such as micropropagation and cryopreservation, are considered good alternatives to otherclassic conservation strategies (i.e., in situ conservationor field collections). In vitro culture techniques enable
conservation of the germplasm of woody species that
undergo vegetative propagation or that produce recalcitrant seeds; they also enable the conservation of biotechnology-derived products. The present work revises
the main advances in the conservation of oak genetic

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resources using biotechnological tools based in vitro
techniques. Different strategies are reported for shortand medium-term (micropropagation) and also longterm conservation (cryopreservation in liquid nitrogen)of oak. In the first approach, shoot cultures and somatic
embryos are maintained by periodic subculture (4-6weeks), often indefinitely. In addition, the subculture
period can be greatly extended (12 months or evenlonger) by subjecting the cultures to slow growth conditions (i.e., low temperature, illumination, or nutrients).
Long-term conservation procedures have also beendeveloped for different oak species by cryopreserving
somatic embryos. Cryopreservation of somatic embryos was performed following vitrification- and desiccation-based procedures. Comparative studies of thesemethods clearly showed that the vitrification-based
procedure yielded the highest recovery rates.
Acknowledgments: This research was partly fundedby Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MICIN, Spain),through the project PID2020-112627RB-C33.

S.109.5 The plant cryo
phenotype
Hugh W. Pritchard1, Xiaojian Hu1, Daniel
Ballesteros2, Liang Lin1

1 Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming Instituteof Botany, China. 2 University of Valencia, Burjassot,
Spain.
Cryobiotechnology embraces three components
of low temperature science: natural, physiological
adaptation and capability; fundamental science ofvarious stress tolerances; and innovative design forbiobanking of various explants (cryopreservation).
Even though cryo-based solutions are widely accepted as a critical part of a strategy to combat therisk of biodiversity loss, an understanding of species’
cryobiotechnology is still patchy. Nonetheless, progress over the last 20 years has been made on thecryo responsivity of species’ explants, leading to abetter comprehension of cryo phenotypes, i.e., thefunctional traits that contribute to cryo success inthe natural, experimental and biobanking setting.
These traits relate to, inter alia, the extent or easeof cellular physiological adaptation (including elicitation) to cold and dehydration, the dimensional(physical) limits for tissue cryo and species’ differences in cryoprotectant permeability, seed lipid
composition and thermal properties, and inter-specific variation in somatic embryogenesis and regrowth of explants in vitro. We provide an overview
of these multiple cryo phenotypes and identify gaps
in knowledge that need to be addressed by a future
research agenda.

S.110 WORLD FLORA ONLINE: DEVELOPINGTAXONOMIC CONSENSUS FOR LAND PLANTSSUPPORTING SCIENCE, CONSERVATION ANDSUSTAINABLE USE
S.110.1 Integrating taxonomic
and floristic data into a
global perspective: the caseof the South African flora
M. Marianne le Roux1,2, Ronell R. Klopper1,3,
Janine E. Victor1
1 South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, South Africa. 2 University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa. 3 University of Pretoria,
Pretoria, South Africa.

Taxonomy serves as the foundational framework essential for evaluating, monitoring, and safeguarding
biodiversity. At the onset of the 21st century, acquiringtaxonomic information for these endeavours presented challenges; however, recent advances in technology have considerably eased this process. The establishment of the World Flora Online (WFO) Consortium
has garnered global support in the pursuit of a global Flora. In 2013, the South African National Biodiversity
Institute (SANBI) joined the WFO Consortium and hassince achieved notable success in creating the e-Floraof South Africa. Drawing from the 2024 release of theSouth African National Plant Checklist, the country has
22,158 indigenous taxa (20,202 indigenous species) of343

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which 14,154 taxa (12,210 species) are endemic. As documented on the WFO website (April 2024), the global
species count stands at 377,216, signifying that South
Africa contributes approximately 5.4% to the global floral knowledge. Remarkably, 3.2% of this contribution is
unique due to the high level of endemism in the country. Taxonomic information is harnessed from existing
published information to populate the e-Flora of South
Africa database. Starting from 2016, data from theSouth African National Plant Checklist and the e-Floraof South Africa have been integrated into the WFO, fulfilling the country’s international obligations concerning
the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation and WFO.
By 2020, comprehensive coverage of all indigenous
species was achieved within the e-Flora of South Africa culminating in its 2023 publication on SANBI’s new
Biodiversity Advisor platform. Looking ahead, the e-Floraof South Africa will be maintained in alignment with updates to the South African National Plant Checklist, accompanied by expansion to encompass descriptionsof infraspecific taxa, genera, families, and naturalised
taxa. An inclusive overview of the e-Flora of South Africa
project will be presented to provide a comprehensive
understanding of its scope and significance.

S.110.2 Consensus
classifications are crucial
for conservation: How CITES
utilises checklists

especially those with higher classification listings.
These standard references contain lists of names thatare currently accepted in those taxa and forms thebasis for updates to the CITES Checklist of Species andSpecies+ databases, which are regularly consulted bythose who need to regulate international plant trade.
Standard nomenclature references for CITES can takethe form of published revisions or other taxonomic
works, customised checklist publications produced
specifically for this purpose, or time-stamped extracts from online data sources. The WFO Plant List canplay an important role as a consensus classification
source, curated by a global specialist-based community of experts, to be used for future CITES standard
nomenclature references. Time-stamped extracts fora specific group from the WFO Plant List will be ideal toserve this purpose. Furthermore, the WFO Taxonomic
Expert Networks (TENs) are ideally placed to produce
customised CITES checklist publications. In fact, threesuch checklists based on the WFO Plant List are currently being produced for CITES by WFO TENs.

S.110.3 Electronic tools andsocial networks: resolving
names and integrating new
taxa in developing a global
consensus classification
Alan Elliott1, Roger Hyam1, Mark Watson1

Ronell R Klopper1,2

1 Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Scotland, UK

1 South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, South Africa. 2 University of Pretoria, Pretoria,
South Africa

The World Flora Online (WFO) was developed in response to the Global Strategy for Plant Conservationand the need for suitable floristic data to support
conservation. WFO currently contains about 1.6 million plant names, with associated concepts, and over
600,000 pieces of descriptive content. WFO includes
a global consensus plant classification, developed
through merging and incorporating multiple data
sources, augmented by input from WFO’s Taxonomic
Expert Networks (TENs). TENs are key to achieving a robust, curated, consensus classification. These social
networks are open groups of taxonomic specialists
providing relevant taxonomic and nomenclatural expertise to resolve issues and maintain the classification. TENs vary in size, structure, and function. Some are
new while others are built on existing collaborations.
The WFO classification is managed through Rhakhis, a standalone, web-based data management tool
allowing curation of the data. Curator authenticationis handled via a link to ORCiD. Authorisation for cura-

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered
Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) aims to ensure that international trade in wild animals and plants
does not threaten their survival. To manage and regulate trade in endangered species, taxa are listed on
one of three CITES Appendices. Many groups are included in the Appendices via higher classification listings. In such cases an entire genus will be listed, forinstance ‘Pachypodium spp.’ (i.e., all species of Pachypodium). As classifications change, genera can be
split apart or lumped together. These changes in classification have dire implications for law enforcement
officials who need to implement CITES regulations.
The situation is further complicated when different resources provide different classifications for the samegroup of plants. Therefore CITES designates standard
nomenclature references to use for certain listed taxa,

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tors is delegated hierarchically down the taxonomic
tree. This allows TENs, and the TEN Manager, to oversee and manage the live data directly and delegate
curatorial authority to colleagues. The TEN Manager
has additional tools to add newly published, historic
names and edits from the International Plant Names
Index (IPNI); incorporate structured classification files
from sources like World Checklist of Vascular Plants(WCVP), BryoNames, and datasets provided by TENs
stored in institutional taxonomic databases or in Catalogue of Life’s ChecklistBank. The WFO classification
is published 6-monthly as the WFO Plant List, and isprovided in multiple formats with a CC-0 licence, including data archives on Zenodo and ChecklistBankwith DOIs. Two R packages are available to matchand resolve names to a WFO ID. Name matching is
also available through an interactive online matching tool that accepts text lists and csv files. Machine
to machine interfaces allow for integration with curatorial and other systems.

S.110.4 Catching up on plant
diversity: the online flora of
Mexico “eFloraMEX”
Victoria Sosa1
1 Biología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología AC, Xalapa, Mexico
Mexico is a megadiverse country with an elevated diversity of species of vascular plants. A comprehensive Flora that includes all of the vascularplants distributed in Mexico does not yet exist.
Electronic Floras have demonstrated the valueof a compendium based on existing knowledge
and published Floras, checklists and revisions.
The objective here is to summarize and evaluate the taxonomic and digital resources and thebioinformatic tools needed to develop an online
Flora for the vascular plants of Mexico, as well as
to discuss its content. Organization of this project will follow World Flora Online. It will be basedon approximately 5.3 million specimens deposited in Mexican herbaria, with an inter-operational portal to other biodiversity platforms. The
name assigned to this online flora is “eFloraMEX”.
The main challenges to completing this Flora arebuilding the team, training taxonomists, digitizing
the specimens for most of Mexican herbaria andobtaining the required long-term funding.

S.110.5 Bridging thephylogeny to classification
gap at genus and species
levels to obtain the best
possible taxonomic
knowledge in the
Caryophyllales
Nadja Korotkova1, Thomas Borsch1
1 Botanischer Garten Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin,
Germany
The order Caryophyllales constitutes a major cladeof the angiosperms, encompassing about 13.500
species. Whereas the circumscription of families has
been stable since a number of years, the circumscription of genera shows considerable turnover as
the number of species included into phylogenetic
analyses raises. From 749 genera accepted in 2015,
the current state of knowledge justifies the monophyletic circumscription of >779 genera. The examples of the three speciose families Cactaceae, andin particular Caryophyllaceae and Plumbaginaceae
show that large (>100 species) and widespread genera lack consistent taxonomic treatments. We havetherefore developed a work-flow that aims at integrating the available knowledge: The basis forms aname source compiled from available electronicsources (WFO core data, WCVP, IPNI) with a preliminary assessment of the status as accepted nameand synonym. As next steps protologue and type information is added as completely as possible, andpublished sources for taxon concepts matching theaccepted species are assigned as secundum references with priority being given to phylogeny-based
synopses or monographs. Further support to evaluate taxon concepts at species level comes fromphylogenetic analyses which we are also directly
implementing or facilitating within the TEN. The EDIT
Platform is used to manage the taxonomic backbone (taxon concepts, names, references, associated data) what allows for an easy change of taxon circumscriptions once new knowledge become
available and the generation of publication readyoutputs of taxonomic treatments. The results showthat the number of accepted species can differ
considerably from previous estimates and hitherto available species lists. All together more than 50
botanists from 30 countries are so far involved in the
Caryophyllales TEN.

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S.110.6 Catalogue of Lifeand the need for a global
consensus classification forplantsOlaf Bánki1
1 Catalogue of Life, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Taxonomic name services are relevant in science to combine data from different sources. In
fact, all information about a species is tied to its
name. Usages extend beyond science to different
domains, like legislation, health, nature management amongst others. A global consensus classification is also used for discovery and accessto biodiversity data, such as in the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (https://gbif.org), andfor measuring the progress of implementing targets from international policy initiatives like theConvention on Biological Diversity. In its 27 yearsof existence, Catalogue of Life (COL; https://catalogueoflife.org) has created a global index of described organisms (Bánki et al. 2023). But taxonomy is dynamic and ever changing. Continuous

effort by taxonomic communities is essential tokeep up with new scientific insights. COL is supported by a community of more than 500 experts, who are acknowledged in the COL Checklist citation. Together with the World Flora Online(https://worldfloraonline.org), COL is aspiring to
get towards a global consensus classification forplants. Filling gaps in plant taxonomic data andensuring the highest data quality are essential
for meeting user needs. The ChecklistBank infrastructure (https://checklistbank.org), a publishingplatform for taxonomic data, is a helpful tool in
overcoming challenges. It offers open access todata sources, and tools for comparing species
lists amongst others. We invite plant taxonomists
to become part of the endeavour and help makethe best possible taxonomic data available.
References: Bánki, O., Roskov, Y., Döring, M., Ower,
G., Hernández Robles, D. R., Plata Corredor, C. A.,
Stjernegaard Jeppesen, T., Örn, A., Vandepitte, L.,
Hobern, D., Schalk, P., DeWalt, R. E., Ma, K., Miller, J.,
Orrell, T., et al. (2023). Catalogue of Life Checklist(Version 2023-11-24). Catalogue of Life. https://doi.
org/10.48580/dfgnm

S.111 NEW DIRECTIONS IN EARLY MODERNBOTANY COLLECTIONS AND ARCHIVES
S.111.1 Networks, maps
and silences in the Sloane
Herbarium, 1680-1753
Brad Scott1
1 Natural History Museum, London, and Queen Mary
University of London
Understanding the history of early natural history
collections is an essential prerequisite for almost
any other research on them, though their histories can be challenging to reconstruct. Recent
work in the history of science, history of knowledge, collection histories, and digital humanities
offers productive methods for conceptualisingand reinterpreting these fragile objects. The herbarium of Hans Sloane (1660-1753) comprises 265
volumes and about 125,000 specimens. As a collection it has been periodically studied especiallysince the 1880s, but it is difficult to access andto comprehend its scale, complexity, and limitations. My work combines archive-based researchwith a folio-by-folio review of all the volumes,
and the creation and analysis of an enriched XML
version of James Dandy’s catalogue, The Sloane
Herbarium (1958). Together, these approaches
offer opportunities for researching plant knowledges and histories at scale, and reveal some of
the gaps and silences in the way the collection
has been mediated to us. Incorporating mapping
and network analysis, my work explores the social and cultural relations of plant collecting as
centred in Britain and Ireland, the geographicalorigin of specimens, and how that changed overtime. In so doing, it examines the implications forunderstanding and constructing provenance formaterial from the seventeenth and eighteenth
centuries and discusses the methodological insights arising from such approaches.

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S.111.2 The lasting impact
of Caspar Bauhin’s (15601624) enormous herbarium:
40 years of assembly and
400 years of dissemination

gen, The Netherlands. 3 Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, The Netherlands * a.stefanaki@uu.nl

Jurriaan M. de Vos1
1 Herbaria Basel, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
Caspar Bauhin (1560-1624) is one of the most influential botanists of all time. His publication Pinax Theatrum
Botanicum (1623) represents approximately the firstcomplete compendium of all ca. 6000 known plants,
130 years before Linnaeus’ famous Species Plantarum(1753). By listing extensive synonymy, a somewhat “natural” classification, and a greatly improved naming system that included genus and species as explicit ranks,
Bauhin shaped botany as a scientific discipline for centuries to come. Bauhin based his plant catalogue anddescriptions on his herbarium, that by his own accountcontained ca. 4000 species. Of these, some 2700 survive. In this talk I sumarize the process of its assemblyover 40 years, including through exchange with at least
70 contemporaries evidenced from Bauhin’s Phytopinax (1596), Pinax (1623), letters, and herbarium labels.
The following 400 years, the herbarium influenced directly and indirectly other key figures in the history of
botany, including Albrecht von Haller, Carolus Linnaeus,and Augustin Pyramus de Candolle. I emphasize how
the “biography” of the herbarium tracks changing concepts in herbarium based research from the late renaissance to current research, the latter exemplified byongoing projects regarding comparative genomics oftomato domestication and progress in digitalization. I
conclude that these developments necessitate closer
collaboration between historians of science and natural-scientists.

S.111.3 Tracing the
introduction history of Tulipa
sylvestris in northern Europe
in the 16th century
Anastasia Stefanaki1,2,3*, Floris C. Breman2,
Freek T. Bakker2, Robin van Velzen2, M. Eric
Schranz2, Tinde van Andel2,3Tulipa sylvestris is a small yellow tulip that was introduced in northern Europe during the 16th century
by botanists. Unlike commercial ornamental tulips
that came from Ottoman gardens, T. sylvestris camefrom the Mediterranean region. It subsequently escaped from gardens to become widely naturalizedin Europe, where it is commonly known as the “wildtulip”. Its introduction path is poorly understood andcomplex due to naturalization, polyploidization and acomplex taxonomy. We combined historical researchand population genomics to reconstruct the introduction history of T. sylvestris in Europe. Our historicalsearch was restricted to original 16th-century sources,
including herbarium specimens, botanical texts, illustrations and archives. We also performed genomic
repeat profiling, and constructed median networks
using rDNA and complete chloroplast genomes. DNA
was sampled from native and naturalized T. sylvestris populations across Europe and historic herbarium material, including a 16th-century specimen fromthe Rauwolf herbarium collected in 1563. Our results
show that the introduction of T. syvlestris was nota one-time event but happened through several
routes in the period between ca. 1550 and 1580. Famous 16th-century botanists were involved, including
Conrad Gessner, Ulisse Aldrovandi, Matthias de Lobel and Carolus Clusius. Seeds were introduced firstfrom the garden of Padova in northern Italy to Zurich,
Switzerland, in ca. 1554–1559. This material was most
likely not further spread in Europe. Historical and DNA
data point out that naturalized T. sylvestris in northern
Europe originates from Bologna in northern Italy. Another introduction route via the west Mediterranean
is historically connected with Montpellier in southern France. Our findings show that (ancient) DNA isof great value to fill gaps in historical sources. Moreover, we argue that a genetic approach on past crop
movements can only reach its full potential whenembedded in proper historical context.

S.111.4 Combining scientificarchives, historical methods,
and indigenous knowledge
to reconstruct Oxford’s duBois Herbarium (1680-1740)
Madeline E. White1

1 Utrecht University Botanic Gardens, Utrecht, The
Netherlands. 2 Wageningen University, Wagenin-

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The du Bois Herbarium, a collection of nearly
14,000 botanical specimens pristinely preserved
within the Oxford University Herbaria, is a uniquerelic of early modern science. Compiled by English
East India Company treasurer Charles du Bois between 1680 and 1740, the Herbarium is closely tied
to leading figures of eighteenth-century botany,
melding early British scientific and colonial histories into a single source. Despite the compendium’s exciting potential, the du Bois Herbarium
remains one of the least explored collections of
its kind, largely neglected after it was dismantledfrom its original binding in the 19th century. Whilelong deemed archaic, this project argues that the
du Bois Herbarium should instead be considereda vibrant scientific archive, brimming with details about the inner workings of natural history
and its ties with Britain’s early colonial endeavours in India. Charles du Bois and his herbarium
bring a fresh perspective to the histories of eighteenth-century botany, which have long been
dominated by a historiographical hyper-fixationon the Atlantic world and more famous figures
such as Hans Sloane and Joseph Banks. Furthermore, du Bois’s unique interest in collecting anddocumenting South Asian plant names, allows foran unprecedented opportunity to trace the interest in, and treatment of, indigenous Indian knowledge within pre-Linnean taxonomical systems.
Highlighting the accompanying manuscripts andmateriality of the herbarium, this examination
also shows how these now-discarded naming
systems are central to reconstructing the herbarium’s original form. Charles du Bois stood at a
key crossroads between early modern structuresof commerce, science, and empire, presenting an
ideal entry to discussions of ‘decolonising’ natural history. The first to bring such a critical lensto the University of Oxford’s historical collections,this project shows how centuries-old specimens
provide deeper insight into early modern botany,
and the larger scientific and colonial communities that underpinned its development.

S.111.5 The herbarium
collections of the Moravian
Church – network analysis
with digital humanities
methods
Sarah T. Wagner1, Frank Müller1, Lena
Frenzke1, Thomas Ruhland2
1 Chair of Botany, Dresden University of Technology. 2 Interdisciplinary Centre for Pietism Research,Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg
The Herbarium Dresdense (DR), Germany, houses
about 500.000 specimens of worldwide origin. One ofthe oldest and most valuable collections is the Herbarium Barbiense of the Moravian Church (in German: Herrnhuter Brüdergemeine) from the mid to thelate 18th century. On their mission to spread Christianity, the Moravians settled on many continents andtook the advantage of exploring culture and natureof their new home countries. Being excellent observers and documentarists, they left a barely explored
corpus of objects and texts of tremendous importance for natural sciences and humanities. A current
project, which uses Digital Humanities methods, aims
to identify the historical contexts of their herbarium
collections, i.e., through personal correspondences,itineraries, botanical manuscripts, and publications
to reconstruct the names of the individual collectors,
to clarify their manifold contributions to botany andfinally to create an overview of their influence on thedevelopment of modern natural sciences. The scientific heritage of the Moravian Church members
demonstrates that they were strongly integrated into
the scientific community of the 18th and 19th century.
Letters in the collections of the Linnean Society show,that they were in close contact with leading scientists,
e.g. Carl v. Linné, discussing issues on plant taxonomy,
exchanging specimens and presenting own fieldworks and floras. Using methods of the Text Encoding
Initiative (TEI), Normed Data and Linked (Open) Data,
we want to contextualise herbarium specimens,
which often lack detailed collection information, withassociated archive material (e.g. flora manuscripts,
plant lists, field books) in order to enrich the specimens with botanical metadata and thus make them
usable for research. First results are presented in ourcontribution.

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S.112 MECHANICAL FORCES IN PLANT GROWTH
AND DEVELOPMENT
S.112.1 How cell wall structure
and mechanics affect plantorgan function
Dorota Borowska-Wykręt1, Dorota
Kwiatkowska1, Aleksandra Liszka2, JanŁyczakowski2, Anna Nowak1, Łukasz
Wiczołek2, Wiktoria Wodniok1
1 Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Silesia
in Katowice, Poland. 2 Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University,
Kraków, Poland
Plant tissue is a cellular solid material in whichwalls of adjacent plant cells form a complex network that is the main mechanical componentof the tissue. Therefore, mechanical propertiesof cell walls are crucial for plant growth and forsupportive or movement functions of plant organs. Protoplasts of growing cells are encapsulated in primary cell walls that are under tensilestress generated by turgor. These prestressed
walls provide structural support to growing organs but at the same time are a direct growth
regulating factor. The regulation acts via mechanical properties of primary walls that dependon their chemical composition and structural anisotropy. Secondary cell walls, in turn, are formed
after growth cessation and ensure performanceof specific organ functions even long after deathof the encapsulated protoplasts. We investigate
the complex relationships between cell walls andorgan function and growth using trees as a model system. Trees are unique in providing opportunity to investigate both primary and specialized woody secondary walls in the same plant
species. In our work we combine biochemical
analyses with mechanical tests and deformation
measurements. We address the question on how
composition of primary cell walls affects elongation of hypocotyls and their stiffness, focusing
on the hemicelluloses, which are the least extensively studied component of primary cell walls.
We also introduce a scale of conifer (Abies sp.)cones as a new model to study the role of cellwall in movements of organs built of dead cells.
Similar, albeit slower, movements are observed inreaction wood, which has major importance forthe forestry sector.
Acknowledgments: This research is funded by National Science Centre, Poland, grant No 2022/47/B/
NZ3/01972.

S.112.2 Transcriptomic
profiling reveals early
woody root responses tomechanical stress
Mohamed Kouhen1, Anastazija Dimitrova1,
Gabriella Stefania Scippa1, Dalila
Trupiano1
1 Department of Biosciences and Territory, Universityof Molise, Contrada Fonte Lappone, Pesche, IS, Italy
Plants are exposed to a variety of mechanicalstresses including wind, herbivory, gravity, andbelowground physical obstacles. These factors
can have major economic impacts on crops, forests, and urban trees. Revealing the plant molecular responses to mechanical stress is crucial forunderstanding the mechanisms underlying theiradaptive strategies. A lack of knowledge persists
regarding the early root responses to mechanical impedance, especially in woody roots. We
opted for RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to investigate the early genetic response in the woodyroots of Populus nigra. Mechanical stress overa temporal scale ranging from 1 to 6 hours wasapplied, adopting plant-adapted root bending
approaches, after which root tissues were manually sectioned into concave (compressed zone)
and convex (stretched zone) sides to discern
spatially distinct gene expression patterns. The
study constitutes the first characterization andcomprehensive view of the early transcriptomic
landscape in woody roots, emphasizing the roleof spatial considerations in the plant responses
to mechanical stress and the way in which theasymmetrical sensing is integrated into global
root responses. The results provide new insights
into the early molecular events associated withmechanical stress in woody roots reflecting the349

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dynamic of time-dependent and side-specifictranscriptomic shift. Key genes and pathways involved in stress perception, signal transduction,and the activation of defense mechanisms wereidentified. These genes and pathways could beperspective targets for further functional characterizations and enhancing plant resilience to mechanical perturbations and thus growth in forestry, urban and farming context.

S.112.4 Bending in style: abead-spring mechanicalmodel for stylar deflection
and development in flowersof Cyanella alba
Marco Saltini1, Caroline Robertson2,
Haoran Xue3, Nicola Illing2, Michael
Lenhard3, Eva Deinum1

S.112.3 How mechanicalforces interact withheterochrony as a major
force of floral evolution

1 Mathematical and Statistical Methods, Plant Science Group, Wageningen University and Research,
Wageningen, The Netherlands. 2 Department of
Molecular and Cell Biology, University of CapeTown, Cape Town, South Africa. 3 Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany

Louis P. Ronse De Craene1
1 Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
Heterochrony functions as a fundamental process in the evolution of organisms, as the event
causing changes in the timing of initiation andin the duration of a developmental process. In
flowers this process is linked to the early development of floral organs and their subsequent
expansion. As organs develop in the confined
space of the flower bud, they undergo spatialconstraints which are intimately linked to heterochronic shifts. Mechanical pressure may be effective at different stages of development, at theonset of flower formation, when organs arise, andat flower maturation. Heterochronic shifts leadto a delay or acceleration of the development ofneighbouring primordia, ultimately affecting themorphospace of the flower. The results of theseshifts are altered organ positions and morphologies (heterotopy and homeosis), fusions, or organ
reductions and loss, leading to major changes
in floral evolution and diversification of flowers.
A number of examples illustrate how delay andaccelaration in the development are intimately
linked to the effect of mechanical forces on developing organs. These affect the transition frominflorescence to flower through bract and bracteoles, the constraint caused by the perianth on
stamens and carpels, and the centrifugal influence of stamens on petals, and carpels on stamens, respectively.

The widespread occurrence of left/right symmetry breaking in the biological realm underscores apervasive yet not fully comprehended phenomenon. In particular, the molecular basis of handedness in helical plant growth and the mechanicalforces driving asymmetric development in reproductive organs are central, unresolved questions
in plant developmental biology. The mirror-image flowers of Cyanella alba serve as a striking
example of the asymmetric development of plant
reproductive organs. In these flowers, the style isdeflected either to the left or right side of the floral axis, with a pollinating anther deflected in the
opposite direction. Our microscopy imaging of
Cyanella alba carpels revealed that stylar bending results from differential expansion in ovary
wall regions. However, how mechanical forces
influence such differential expansion remains
unclear. Here, we combine data-driven modelling based on image recognition and biophysical modelling using a bead-spring formalism toinvestigate the mechanical forces guiding ovary wall growth and stylar bending. By optimisingbiophysical model parameters to best represent
ovary morphological features identified throughimage recognition, we not only quantify the mechanical forces responsible for ovary expansion
and style bending, but we also identify the stiffness of the style base as the primary factor driving stylar bending following differential expansionof the ovary walls. Our findings offer insights into
the balance of forces necessary to break symmetry in plant organ development, shedding lighton the mechanisms at play in symmetry breaking
within biological systems.

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S.112.5 Effects of mechanicalforces on the flower
development in Arabidopsis
thaliana using a novel
experimental system

S.112.6 Glutamate inmechanosensing andmechanotransduction: adynamic spatio-temporal
integrator between
mechanosensing andmicrotubule behaviour

Akitoshi Iwamoto1, Yuna Yoshioka2, Ryoka
Nakamura1, Takeshi Yajima1, Wakana
Inoue1, Kaho Nagakura1

Bellandi, A.1, Lionnet, C.1, Faulkner, C.2,
Hamant, O.1

1 Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Kanagawa University. 2 Department of Biology, Tokyo Gakugei University
The mechanical forces have a key role in plantdevelopment, including the floral development inangiosperms. Our observation revealed that thephyllotactic variation in the staminate flower ofCeratophyllum demersum should be caused by
the mechanical forces on the adaxial side of floral primordia, which may be a common mechanism in angiosperms. Based on this result, wehave developed a novel experimental system forthe analysis of the effects of mechanical forces on the floral meristem of Arabidopsis thaliana, aiming to induce morphological changes inflowers. A micromanipulator with a microdevice
which is shaped to fit the contour of the abaxial
side of young floral primordium is used to cause
the contact pressure on floral primordia in thisexperimental system. We conducted contact experiments using this system, and successfully induced morphological changes in floral primordia
during development. In several primordia, the tipof the abaxial sepal was divided into two or threelobes through their development. Another pressured floral primordium developed an additional
sepal on the abaxial side (two abaxial sepals). On
the other hand, we also found the fusion of sepals
in some floral primordia. These results suggestthat the mechanical forces have multiple effects
on the floral development.

1 RDP Laboratory, ENS Lyon, Lyon, France. 2 John
Innes Centre, Norwich, UK
When responding to various stimuli plants couple
cellular responses to intercellular ones, leading
local stimuli to affect characteristics of tissues
and organs. Upon wound and touch, for example,
plants respond with increasing apoplastic glutamate levels and increasing cytoplasmic calcium
levels travelling across tissues and organs in awave-like manner. Intriguingly, it is unknown how
glutamate is released upon mechanical stimulation and what the implications of this release arein the context of mechanosensing and mechanotransduction. Microtubules are key in defining
tissue mechanical properties, and it is well documented that they can dynamically respond tochanges in stress patterns. However, how microtubules reorient in response to mechanical stress
it is not known. We hypothesise that glutamate
could affect microtubule dynamics and properties via posttranslational modification (glutamylation) of tubulin, therefore representing themissing link between mechanosensing and microtubule behaviour. To test this, we investigate
levels of tubulin glutamylation in plants, mechanisms of glutamate release upon touch and effects of glutamate on microtubule dynamics.

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S.113 THE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE OF
PALMS (ARECACEAE)
S.113.1 The tumultuous
past, glorious present, andtroubled future of palms

some of the fossils were selected to inform the estimation of early divergence times and historical biogeography in the family. Second, we use machinelearning based on occurrence data points to estimate the extinction risk of hundreds of species, andwe combine these predictions with trait and ethnobotanical datasets to assess the impact that predicted extinctions could have on palm phylogenetic
and functional diversity, and on palm uses aroundthe world. We conclude by discussing how integrating ecological, morphological and genomic data
could help to predict and improve palm resilience
to global change, highlighting the urgent need andopportunity for collaborative international studies
on this topic.

Sidonie Bellot1, Alexandre Antonelli1,
Steven P. Bachman1, Grace Brewer1,
Rodrigo Cámara-Leret2, Fabien
Condamine3, Ángela Cano4, Thomas
Couvreur5, Robyn Cowan1, Laszlo Csiba1,
John Dransfield1, Wolf L. Eiserhardt1,
Niroshini Epitawalage1, Félix Forest1, W.
Daniel Kissling6, Benedikt G. Kuhnhäuser1,
Ilia J. Leitch1, Yijing Lu1, Kelly Matsunaga7,
Olivier Maurin1, Robert J. Morley8, Eimear
Nic Lughadha1, Ian Ondo1, Samuel
Pironon1, Michelle Siros1, Barnaby E.
Walker1, William J. Baker1
1 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, UK. 2 Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
3 Institut des Sciences de l’Evolution de Montpellier (ISEM), Montpellier, France. 4 Cambridge University Botanic Garden, Cambridge, UK. 5 Institut
de Recherche pour le Développement, Montpellier,France. 6 Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem
Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. 7 The University of Kansa,
Lawrence, USA. 8 Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, Surrey, UK.
Palms (Arecaceae) have been studied for decades
all around the world, yielding an ever-growing
wealth of data on their geographical distribution,
traits, fossils, genomes, and uses by people. The
combined study of these datasets can help us understand how palms evolved, how they can be usedand protected today, and how they may cope with
future challenges. We illustrate this here with two
examples from our past and current research. First,
we show how combining genomic and paleontological data improves our understanding of the relationships, ages and early historical biogeographyof palm genera. Up to 1255 nuclear genes were sequenced for each palm genus and the data wereused to estimate their phylogeny. Affinities and agesof hundreds of palm fossils were then reviewed andS.113.2 Palms in space andtime: Progress towards
a genomic species-level
phylogeny
Paola de Lima Ferreira1, Ángela Cano2,
Benedikt Kuhnhäuser3, Sidonie Bellot3,
William Baker3, Wolf Eiserhardt1 and thePalm Phylogeny Working Group
1 Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark. 2 Cambridge
University Botanic Garden, Cambridge, UK. 3 Royal
Botanic Gardens, Richmond, UK.
Evolutionary and ecological studies rely on phylogenies to shed light on the patterns and processes
that have shaped biodiversity through space andtime. However, our understanding is often fragmented due to incomplete phylogenetic sampling. Here,
we are moving towards having a complete phylogenetic framework for the palm family (Arecaceae) based on target enrichment sequencing data.
Bioinformatic analyses are based on a “divide andconquer” approach where each palm subfamily isanalyzed separately in order to minimize the effectsof paralogous genes. Then, subfamilies are combined to understand their relationships and to reconstruct the backbone. Our sequencing databaseincludes all five subfamilies, all 183 genera and 2,080
species (83% of accepted species). The extensive
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a massive joint effort of >40 researchers of the Palm
Phylogeny Working Group (PPWG). Most of the deep
relationships that we recovered with these data areconsistent with our understanding of palm phylogeny from earlier studies. However, the majority of
species-level relationships have never been tested
before and are explored for the first time in this new
genomic tree. The phylogeny tree was dated using
the most recent revision of fossils available for thefamily and used as a framework to understand its
historical biogeographic patterns through space
and time, diversification and biome evolution.

S.113.3 Unravelling evolution
in the date palm genus:
phylogenomics and speciesdelimitation of genus
Phoenix.
Jeronimo Cid1,2, Alex Papadopulos1,2,
Muriel Gros-Bhalthazard3,4, Sylvie
Ferrand4, Nathan Wales5, Michael
Purugganan4, Oscar A. Pérez-Escobar1,
Sidonie Bellot1
1 Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Richmond, UK. 2
School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University,
Gwynedd, UK. 3 DIADE, University of Montpellier, CIRAD, IRD, Montpellier, France. 4 Center for Genomics
and Systems Biology, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, UAE. 5 Department of Archaeology,
University of York, York, UK.
Palms are distributed along sub-tropical and tropical regions of the world and depended upon by millions of people. As such, ongoing aridification raises
concerns for palm conservation and their supported livelihoods, and makes it critical that we gain adeeper understanding of drought adaptation inpalms. Comparative studies including model crop
species and their more variable wild relatives show
great potential to progress the understanding ofcomplex traits such as drought tolerance. A goodmodel to perform such studies is the Phoenix genus,
which includes the culturally and economically important date palm crop (Phoenix dactylifera), andthirteen wild species occurring in habitats that vary inaridity. However, the phylogenetic relationships andspecies barriers of Phoenix species have not been
elucidated so far. This slows down understanding of
Phoenix evolutionary history and prevents robust estimations of how wild species may suffer from futurearidification. Accurate delimitation of species andthe inferring of the species relationships in Phoenix
has been impeded by morphological and genetic
similarities among species, in some cases resulting
from past or ongoing hybridisation. For instance, hybridisation among the Cretan date palm (Phoenix
theophrasti) and west African date palm has been
documented and is considered the reason for theincreased genetic diversity among west African
date palm populations. To build accurate phylogenies while solving the delimitation of species within the genus, multidisciplinary research looking at
genetic, ecological and morphological informationmust be undertaken on well identified accessions,and genomic approaches must account for geneflow between species. Here, we infer well-supported phylogenetic relationships in genus Phoenix andclarify the taxonomic status of the Cape Verde datepalm by using authoritatively-identified herbarium
specimens and gene-flow aware approaches. This
will improve our knowledge on the Phoenix system
which will aid conservation efforts and in crop development.

S.113.4 Phylogeny
and biogeography of
Hispaniolan palms
Christine D. Bacon1, Francine Almeida2,
Teodoro Clase3, Eladio Fernandez3, Xavier
Gratacos4, Ayress Grinage5, Andrew
Henderson6, Adrian Hill1, Oscar Montero3
1 Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden. 2 Department of Agronomy, Federal Universityof Espírito Santo, Alegre, Brazil. 3 Jardín Botánico
Nacional “Dr. Rafael Ma. Moscoso”, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. 4 Montgomery BotanicalCenter, Miami, USA. 5 School of Integrated Plant
Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, USA. 6 New York
Botanical Garden, New York, USA
The Caribbean is a biodiversity hotspot and harbours
2% of the Earth’s plant diversity. The region is comprised of more than 700 islands, one of the largest ofwhich is Hispaniola. Hispaniola is home to two nations,
Haiti and the Dominican Republic, and harbours approximately 38 palm species distributed among 16
genera. The impressive Caribbean palm diversity ispoorly known, particularly on Hispaniola. Previous work
on Caribbean palms will be reviewed to identify knowledge gaps and contextualize our work on the colonization history of Hispaniola. Using a dated phylogeny

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and historical biogeographic analysis, we discuss island diversification. From this, palm species delimitation and conservation action are discussed, with afocus on Coccothrinax. Recent monographic work on
Coccothrinax is summarized in a preliminary phylogenetic framework. A multispecies coalescent inferencewith multiple samples for nearly all populations present on Hispaniola supports novelties in the genus, species limits, and conservation needs on the island.

S.113.5 Macroevolution andmacroecology patterns ina changing world: insightsfrom an iconic tropical clade

tems. Climate change threats to global palm richness
are ubiquitous but uneven geographically. Most species are expected to lose suitable areas, particularly in
Latin America, where palm richness is concentrated.
Sharp richness loss is projected for Amazonia and Cerrado, the sources of diversification of drought-avoidance traits like acaulescence. Our studies underscorethe intricate interplay between evolutionary history,
functional traits, and environmental change in shaping the fate of palm diversity.

S.113.6 Using Bayesian anddeep learning models to infer
the origin and evolutionary
trajectory of palms

Cibele Cássia-Silva1, Christine D. Bacon2,
Rafael S. Oliveira1

Daniele Silvestro, Rosane Collevatti,
Carina Hoorn, Huasheng Huang, Viktoria
Keller, Kelly Matsunaga, Robert Morley,
Luis Palazzesi, Shalani Parmar, Vandana
Prasad, David Sunderlin, Yaowu Xing, andChristine D. Bacon

1 Department of Plant Biology, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil. 2 Department of Biologicaland Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, Sweden
Palms (Arecaceae) likely originated in TRF-like ecosystems of Laurasia in the mid-Cretaceous. While many
palm lineages fail to colonize seasonally dry habitats,the evolution of drought-avoidance traits enables
certain clades, like the tribe Cocoseae, to thrive. The
acaulescence growth form, linked to outstanding cocosoid palm diversification in Latin America, involves
an underground stem, enhancing survival during seasonal dry spells and fires. Acaulescence serves as apreadaptation allowing rainforest cocosoid lineages
to colonize new fire-prone and drier zones. Indeed,geographic distribution patterns of palms seem closely tied to their traits, particularly in both seasonally dry
habitats and islands. Insular habitats play a crucial rolein shaping palm trait diversity, with island palms exhibiting higher evolutionary rates for height, fruit size, andpredominantly being dioecious. Trait flexibility in sexual
system evolution and the in situ radiation of dioecious
lineages contribute to the outstanding distribution ofpalms on islands. As sessile organisms, plants respondto environmental change through reproductive traits.
Spatial segregation and physiological specialization ofsexes in dioicous plants create mismatches in individual responses to environmental change. Conversely,
self-fertilization, linked to the dominance of hermaphrodites in drought-stressed habitats, circumvents theneed for sexual partners. Different sexual systems ofpalms (dioecy, hermaphroditism, monoecy, and polygamy) respond similarly to climate change, with reductions in potential distribution expected for all sys-

Throughout the long evolutionary history of life,
species of all kingdoms have undergone staggering diversification and faced countless environmental changes and extinction events. Since thegreat majority of species that lived on Earth havesince gone extinct, it is difficult to infer how the evolution of biodiversity unfolded over billions of years.
The fossil record provides the most direct evidenceof past biodiversity. Yet, using fossils to understandthe time of origination of major lineages and how
their diversity changed over time is challenged by
the inevitable incompleteness of the paleontological record, plagued by taxonomic, temporal, andspatial biases. Here we present a suite of supervised and unsupervised models based on Bayesianinference and deep learning to infer clade age andspecies richness dynamics in deep time. We compile a comprehensive global database of palm micro- and macro- fossils to evaluate the age of theclade independently of assumptions made underphylogenetic molecular clock models. We also infer
the diversity dynamics of the clade after accounting for the biases in the fossil record. Our findings
provide new insight into palm evolution acrossmore that 100 million years and the basis for data-driven priors to improve the use of fossil information in phylogenetic inference.

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S.114 FLORAL POLYMORPHISMS AS A
RESEARCH TARGET FOR NATURAL SELECTION
S.114.1 Transitions between
combined and separate
sexes via natural selection
on polymorphisms in sex
allocation

S.114.2 Genomic studies ofthe evolution and loss of
distyly shed new light onconvergent evolution

John R. Pannell1

1 Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant
Sciences, Science for Life Laboratory, Stockholm
University, Sweden

Tanja Slotte

Department of Ecology and Evolution University of
Lausanne, Lausanne Switzerland
Transitions from hermaphroditism to dioecy haveoccurred numerous times in the diversificationof angiosperms. While the role of inbreeding
avoidance in driving these transitions has received substantial attention in both theoreticaland empirical studies, we know much less about
how transitions might evolve selection for sexual
specialisation, despite the fact that sexually dimorphic specialization often accompanies theevolution of dioecy. In this presentation, I present new theoretical results that show how dioecy
may evolve from hermaphroditism when there
are advantages to sexual specialisation such as
those associated with pollen or seed dispersal.
The theory also predicts an association between
the shape of ‘gain curves’, which relate fitness tosex allocation, and the evolution of XY versus ZW
sex determination. I illustrate the process modelled with empirical results from a long-term experimental evolution study in which we observed,
first, the breakdown of dioecy via loss of a Y chromosome and, subsequently, the early stages of atransition back towards separate sexes via selection on variation at sex-allocation loci unrelated
to the original sex chromosomes. The study thus
draws a theoretical link between sex-allocationand sex-chromosome evolution and draws on
the remarkably rapid evolution of sex allocation
under experimental conditions that shows how
such a link may be manifest.

Distyly is a floral polymorphism governed by a supergene, that has evolved repeatedly in independent flowering plant lineages, making it a primeexample of convergent evolution. Distyly promotes outcrossing and efficient pollen transfer by
pollinators via the presence of two floral morphsthat differ reciprocally in the positions of their anthers and stigmas, coupled with a heteromorphic
self-incompatibility system that reduces self- andintra-morph fertilization. While distyly has evolved
multiple times, it has been lost far more frequently, often in association with convergent evolutionof floral selfing syndromes. Studying the genetic
basis of convergent evolution and loss of distyly therefore offers an excellent opportunity to investigate to what extent convergent phenotypicevolution is associated with repeated evolutionarychanges at the molecular level, at the level of genetic architectures, regulation of molecular pathways, or in terms of selection at particular genes.
Studying repeated losses of distyly further offers
an opportunity to test theoretical predictions on
the genetic causes of supergene breakdown, andthe population genetic consequences of selfing.
Here, I present our work on these topics in Linum,a plant system that is exceptionally well suited forthis purpose. Harnessing high-quality genome assemblies, we have for the first time identified andcharacterized the distyly supergene in Linum at
the molecular level. We have also tested theory on
genetic causes of loss of distyly and documented
pervasive population genomic consequences ofthis major evolutionary transition. Taken together,genomic studies of distyly have revealed striking
similarities in hemizygous genetic architecturesand molecular evolution of independently evolved
distyly supergenes, contributed new insights into355

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the genetic basis of floral morphs, and provide afoundation for further characterization of the genetic underpinnings and genomic consequencesof convergent evolution and loss of distyly.

S.114.4 Exploring the originof a shared flower color
polymorphism

S.114.3 Is flower colour
variation adaptive?

Mercedes Sánchez-Cabrera1, Eduardo
Narbona2, Montserrat Arista1, Pedro
L. Ortiz1, Francisco J. Jiménez-López3,
Amelia Fuller4, Benjamin Carter5, Justen B.
Whittall4

Yuval Sapir1, Tzlil Labin1,2, Norah Saabnah1,2,
Esther Senden1,3, Merav Lebel Vine1, Yamit
Bar-Lev1, Katarzyna Roguz4
1 Yehuda Naftali Botanic Garden, Tel Aviv University,
Israel. 2 Haifa University, Oranim, Israel. 3 Universityof Amsterdam, The netherlands. 4 Warsaw University Botanic Garden, Poland
The evolution of flower colour is argued to be
driven by pollinators. While most flowering species are colour uniform, a minority exhibit within-population colour variation. This variation ishypothesized to result from balancing selection,
assuming flower colour is an adaptive trait. Balancing selection is driven by multiple selection
agents, driving balanced and equalized fitnessof all colours. For example, differential pollinatorbehavior balances fitness of two colour morphs
in Linum pubescens. Species with spatial pattern of variation suggest a more complex picture.
For example, populations of Anemone coronaria in the arid climate region are red-monomorphic, while in the Mediterranean climate colour
polymorphism is maintained through admixture
due to partial partitioning of pollinators. Pollinators in polymorphic population of Fritillaria persica showed little discrimination among colour
morphs due to lack of detection among continuous shades of flower colour. The wide range ofcontinuous flower colour variation in Iris petrana
is driven by differential expression levels of a few
genes in the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway,
with no selection on flower colour likely becauselack of discrimination by pollinators. These piecesof evidence suggest that flower colour variationis largely associated with either of three selection
regimes: monomorphic populations are under
directional selection, populations with discretecolour polymorphism are under balancing selection, and continuous colour variation is the hallmark of neutral or no selection on flower colour.
Studying the rare cases of continuous flower colour variation can shed light on the evolution of
flower colours and its role in communicating with
pollinators.

1 Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain. 2 Universidad
Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain. 3 Universidad Rey
Juan Carlos, Móstoles, Spain. 4 Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA, USA. 5 San Jose State University, Santa Jose, CA, USA
Polymorphisms are common in plant and animal species. However, the origin, maintenance and evolutionary forces acting on cases where the polymorphisms
are shared between closely related species remains
challenging. How is a shared polymorphism maintained across closely related species? Convergent
evolution, introgression, and the maintenance of anancestral polymorphism are the three main possible
evolutionary pathways. Although shared neutral genomic variation is commonplace, very few examplesof shared functional traits exist. Herein, we investigate
a fascinating case that involves a blue-orange flower color polymorphism maintained across two closely related species, Lysimachia monelli and L. arvensis,
using a multiscale approach. We performed UV-vis
reflectance spectra, flavonoid biochemistry, and petal
transcriptome comparisons followed by climate niche
analysis, to explore different hypothetical evolutionary
scenario of the polymorphism origin. The similarities inreflectance spectra, biochemistry, and transcriptomes
suggest that a single shift from blue-to-orange sharedby both species is possible. Transcriptomic analyses revealed two orange-specific genes are directly involvedin both blue-orange color polymorphisms: DFR-2 specificity redirects flux from malvidin to pelargonidin production while BZ1-2 stabilizes it with glucose, producing
the orange pelargonidin 3-glucoside. Interestingly, thedifferent geographic distribution pattern between both
species suggests that their environmental adaptations
may transcend flower color variation and that both
species experienced a different evolutionary history
since their divergence, adding complexity to the maintenance of the polymorphisms to the present days. Thispersistent flower color polymorphism may represent
an ancestrally polymorphic trait that has transcended
speciation with some unique ecological effects.

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S.114.5 An unusual
supergene underlies thefloral polymorphism inheterostylous Amsinckia(Boraginaceae)

of deleterious mutations in proportion to their size.
We present how Amsinckia exploits several complementary processes to mitigate and avoid the risk ofmaladaptive consequences of the adaptive floral
polymorphism of heterostyly.

Mathias Scharmann1, Lisa Bartholomäus1,
Christian Kappel1, Jemimah Abaya1,
Mark Johnston2, James Cohen3, Martin
Lysák4, Terezie Mandáková4, Kristen
Hasenstab-Lehman5, Matt Guilliams5, Axel
Himmelbach6, Michael Lenhard1
1 University of Potsdam, Germany. 2 Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada. 3 Weber State University,
Ogden, Utah, USA. 4 CEITEC Brno, Czech Republic. 5
Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, USA. 6 IPK Gatersleben, Germany
Heterostyly is a polymorphism where two or more
discrete floral morphs are produced by different individuals in a population. The morphs have reciprocally different placements of their male and female
reproductive organs, which promotes inter-morph
pollen transfer, and thus enhances outcrossing
rates. Although this morphological syndrome likely
evolved hundreds of times independently in plants,
it is unclear to what extent repeated evolution occurred at the developmental and genomic level. Here, we focus on the Boraginaceae, a family inwhich gains and losses of heterostyly were frequent.
Using the example of Amsinckia (fiddlenecks), webuild a chromosome-scale genome assembly andintegrate genetic maps, cytogenetics, population
genomics and functional molecular approaches.
We characterise style development and functionally validate a candidate gene, which highlights
remarkable parallel evolution of developmental
mechanisms with other origins of heterostyly. As
predicted by theory, we find that the efficacy of natural selection is enhanced in heterostylous populations as compared to predominantly selfing (homostylous) populations. However, the heterostyly
supergene of Amsinckia differs fundamentally fromthe relatively small and hemizygous supergenes inother heterostylous plants, because both dominant
and recessive alleles are present and they involve alarge inversion which captured thousands of genes.
The large size is unexpected and raises the question how this supergene could be viable over longtimes. The lack of meiotic recombination characteristic of supergenes should lead to the accumulation

S.114.6 Pollinators and pollenfates in plants with stylar
polymorphisms
Steven D. Johnson1
1 Centre for Functional Biodiversity, University of
KwaZulu-Natal
Plant species that are polymorphic for style length
or orientation have evolved repeatedly in the angiosperms. Stylar polymorphisms are considered
to promote efficient cross-pollination, but haverarely been considered in terms of floral adaptation to particular pollinators. Here I explore howpolymorphisms involving length and orientation ofstyles (and also stamens) interact with pollinators
to influence the fates of pollen. I compare the effectiveness of different flower visitors as pollinators oflong-tubed distylous plants and consider the conditions under which stylar polymorphisms could bemaintained through disassortative pollination. I also
consider whether selection for traits that enabletransfer of pollen on the wings of insects can explain
the evolution of enantiostyly in some plant lineages.
The evidence reviewed shows how stylar polymorphisms generally promote efficient pollen transfer
via morphological fit with specific body parts of various animal pollinators.

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S.115 POLYPLOIDY AND HOMOPLOIDHYBRIDIZATION AS EVOLUTIONARY DRIVERS IN
MEDITERRANEAN PLANTS. SESSION 1
S.115.1 Evolution of polyploid
species complexes in
the Mediterranean:
phylogenomic studies in
Brassicaceae genera

dated the origin of several auto- and allopolyploids.
We identified diversity hotspots that may result fromlong-term species persistence and diversity accumulation in situ, but also arise as melting pots favoring species contacts and polyploid evolution. Overall,our studies highlight the evolutionary role of hybridization and polyploidy in stimulating plant speciation
in southern Europe and demonstrate the power ofthorough phylogenomic approaches when studying
reticulate evolution in polyploid species complexes.

Judita Zozomová-Lihová1, Adam Kantor1,
Marek Šlenker1, Stanislav Španiel1
1 Plant Science and Biodiversity Centre, Slovak
Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
Recently diversified and polyploid-rich plant lineages pose a challenge for both taxonomic and evolutionary studies. Recent speciation, recurrent polyploidformation, involving both auto- and allopolyploidy,
and permeable reproductive barriers between species with historical and recent gene flow result in intricate species complexes. These are characterizedby high diversity, but phylogenetic inferences often
yield shallow, largely unresolved or conflicting phylogenetic structuring. Genome-scale data obtained byhigh-throughput DNA sequencing, as well as recent
developments in phylogenetic approaches that account for reticulate and polyploidization events, provide excellent opportunities to improve phylogenetic
inferences and gain insights into such evolutionarily
challenging lineages. We illustrate these advances inour studies of polyploid species complexes in Brassicaceae genera by applying ddRADseq and target
enrichment with genome skimming (Hyb-Seq). The
studied species complexes show the highest diversity
and concentration of polyploid endemics in southern
Europe, which probably evolved through repeatedcycles of glaciation-induced range shifts, isolationof populations in multiple refugia, followed by range
expansions and secondary contacts. In Alyssum, wefound evidence of introgression events between diploids both within and between clades and revealeda unique case of parallel polyploid speciation witheight sibling polyploids containing subgenomes fromthe same two diploid progenitors. In Cardamine andOdontarrhena, when specifically targeting the Eastern Mediterranean region, we detected both historical and recent interspecific gene flow and eluci-

S.115.2 Species delimitationand evolutionary
relationships in the
Leucanthemum polyploid
complex (Compositae,
Anthemideae)
Marco Dorfner1, Sarah Eder1, Johannes
Gössele1, Tankred Ott1, Robert Vogt2 &Christoph Oberprieler1
1 University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany. 2
Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Gene flow at the diploid and polyploid level, multiple
formation of polyploid species, often under reciprocal parentage, and the young age of polyploid species radiations account for the taxonomy of polyploid
complexes being the ultimate challenge for a DNAbased, phylogenetic species-delimitation approach.
Additionally, reconstructions of the evolutionary history of polyploid complexes are still hampered by
the lack of explicit methods for the reconstruction ofreticulate (species) phylogenies. The present contribution summarizes the state-of-the-art of our project aiming at the establishment of a methodologicalpipeline for species delimitation and phylogenetic reconstructions in the polyploid complex of the genus
Leucanthemum Mill. (ox-eye daisies; Compositae-Anthemideae), which comprises around 43 species withploidy levels between 2x and 22x. At the diploid level,
species discovery and validation methods based on
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datasets were applied to test the currently accepted diploid morphospecies, i.e., hitherto morphologically delimited taxa. Novel approaches were taken in
the analyses of RADseq data (consensus clustering),
morphometrics of reconstructed leaf silhouettes fromdigitized herbarium specimens, and quantification of
species-distribution overlaps. We show that 17 of the
20 Leucanthemum morphospecies are supported
by genetic evidence. At the tetraploid level, the same
methodological approach revealed the evolutionary
relationships among additional eight morphospecies
and resulted in an adequate taxonomic treatmentof these taxa. Further results are presented for species-delimitation and phylogenetic studies in the L. atratum-group, which comprises diploid and hexaploidtaxa, and in the decaploid L. pachyphyllum-group.
While in the former double-digest Genotyping-by-Sequencing (ddGBS) was used for genetic fingerprinting,the latter study was based on a newly established
Nanopore-based AFLPseq procedure and bioinformatic analysis pipeline.

S.115.3 Invasive Bermuda
buttercup in the
Mediterranean basin: What
have I become?
Sílvia Castro1, Živa Fišer2, Mariana Castro1,
João Loureiro1, Joana Costa3, Staša
Simčič2, Adela Horvat2, Rafael Matos1,
Hava Verbessem1, Finding Bermuda
buttercup team, Peter Glasnović2
1 Centre for Functional Ecology, Department of Life
Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal. 2 Department of Biodiversity, Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies, University of Primorska, Koper, Slovenia.
3 Linking Landscape, Environment, Agriculture andFood Research Centre (LEAF), Instituto Superior deAgronomia, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
Biological invasions provide ideal scenarios for investigating evolutionary changes within contemporary
timescales. Following long-distance dispersal, exotic
species face significant mate limitations, which canpotentially lead to shifts toward uniparental reproduction. However, the interplay of multiple introductions and natural selection in novel environments can
induce transformative changes in well-establishedpopulations. Bermuda buttercup (Oxalis pes-caprae
L.) is a polyploid tristylous plant native to South Africa and invasive in Mediterranean regions worldwide.

While its native populations bear diploids or tetraploids with three flower morphs, facilitating sexual reproduction, invaded ranges display a reduced
diversity, predominantly composed of pentaploid
short-styled morph reproducing asexually. Nevertheless, new ploidies and floral morphs have been discovered in western Mediterranean basin, introducing
new reproductive and, consequently, evolutionary
contexts. This study aims to quantify shifts in ploidy
and floral morph composition of Bermuda buttercup
across the entire Mediterranean basin, exploring theirimplications for invasive species reproduction andevolution of reproductive systems. ‘Finding Bermuda buttercup’ team, comprising over 40 researchers and 12 countries, collected data on floral morph
composition, ploidy and fitness variables in invasive
populations across the Mediterranean basin. Ploidy
was determined for the majority of populations using flow cytometry on fresh material, while selected
populations underwent floral morphometric analyses and quantification of pollen loads. This extensive
assessment unveils novel insights into the distributionof ploidy and floral morphs and two contrasting scenarios emerge after successful establishment in the
Mediterranean basin: the transition to uniparental reproduction through clonality due to mate limitation,and the re-establishment of sexuality driven by multiple introductions of compatible mates and/or the
breakdown of tristylous polymorphism in pentaploid
short-styled plants. These findings underscore thedynamic nature of invasion processes, highlightingthat ecological and genetic constraints inherent to
the invasion process can give rise to distinct reproductive strategies, ultimately shaping the likelihood ofinvasion success.

S.115.4 Beyond thediscovery of plant natural
hybridization: lessons from
Iberian groups on an often
deceptive process of inquiry
Gonzalo Nieto Feliner1
1 Real Jardín Botánico (RJB), CSIC, Madrid, Spain
The complexity of natural hybridization and its corollary—the difficulty of unraveling hybridization scenarios and understanding their impact on the evolutionof plant groups—are mainly due to two causes. Hybridization is an open process that can lead to different outcomes, from no effect in sterile of unfit hybrid359

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offspring to hybrid speciation, or adaptive introgression. The dynamism of hybridized genomes is higher
than that of non-hybridized genomes on short timescales after hybridization, and this may also be true
on longer time scales (ancient hybridization). This dynamism, which obscures the initial traces of hybridization, is driven by the genetic adjustments required
following the merger of two differentiated genomes,a process that involves coping with genic incompatibilities and purging the minority genome. In themedium and long term, however, it can be also fueled by standard evolutionary mechanisms such as
adaptation in interaction with the environment. Thereis one consequence of this whole situation that has
been insufficiently discussed: how complexity candeceive the researcher along the process of inquiry,
and whether some steps can be anticipated whenever new cases of hybridization are unveiled. This
presentation discusses how meandering investigations that aim to shed light on hybridization scenarios might actually be, using three Iberian angiospermgroups that represent contrasting cases. In Armeria, the benefits of bidirectional introgression for two
species in a coastal southern Spanish hybrid zone
were inferred after several phylogeographic studies.
The Iberian endemic Phalacrocarpum illustrates thechallenge of reconstructing hybridization occurring
at different time scales. Arenaria sect. Plinthine epitomizes complexity resulting from polyploidy combinedwith hybridization. The incorporation of genomic dataand new analytical techniques has led to a gradualimprovement in this subject. However, the lack of universal models is a major obstacle to our advance inthe elucidation of hybridization scenarios.

large parts of Europe, hexaploid M. annua, which arefound on the Iberian peninsula and in Northern Africa, are monoecious (male and female inflorescences on the same individual) or androdioecious (maleand monoecious individuals in the same population).
Here we present results concerning the evolutionary history of these polyploid Mercurialis lineages
and discuss how it may be related to the variationin sexual systems. We show that polyploid Mercurialis lineages are the result of a complex series of allopolyploidization events. In addition, the presenceof common male-specific DNA sequences suggeststhat maleness is based on an ancestrally shared XY
system of sex determination in both dioecious andandrodioecious lineages. Surprisingly, phylogenetic
trees based on Y-linked sequences suggest that the
Y chromosome in androdioecious hexaploid lineages has been introgressed from distantly related perennial lineages instead of more closely related annual lineages, which contributed to its allopolyploidsubgenomes. Using additional population genomic
datsets we test for further signatures of introgression
genome-wide and propose the hypothesis that thestrong outcrossing advantage of the male phenotype could have favored such inter-ploidy introgression specifically for the Y chromosome.

S.115.6 Can changes inploidy drive the evolution
to allogamy in a selfing
species complex?
Ana García-Muñoz1, Camilo Ferrón2,
Celia Vaca-Benito1, M. Nazaret MartínezGómez1, Sílvia Castro3, Mariana Castro3,
João Loureiro3, A. Jesús Muñoz-Pajares1,4,
Mohamed Abdelaziz1

S.115.5 Allopolyploidization,inter-ploidy introgression
and the evolution of sexual
systems in the plant genus
Mercurialis

1 University of Granada, Granada, Spain. 2 University
Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Spain. 3 University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal. 4 Research Unit Modeling
Nature, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain

Jörn F. Gerchen1, John R. Pannell2
1 Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Charles
University, Prague, Czech Republic. 2 Department of
Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
The annual lineage of the plant genus Mercurialis (Euphorbiaceae) is found in Europe and Northern
Africa and shows a remarkable diversity in sexual
systems and ploidy levels. While M. annua is diploidand dioecious (separate males and females) acrossThe evolution of mating systems in plants is central to understanding the rise of their diversity on
Earth. The transition towards self-fertilization isa well-known example of convergent evolution
and, in fact, the opposite direction is expected to
be forbidden according to evolutionary theories.
The mating system is often shaped by the actionof biotic drivers such as pollinators in outcrossing
plants. Here, we suggest that the ploidy could also360

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promote changes in the reproductive strategies
through to its effect on traits related to pollination.
To this end, we used several populations from theErysimum incanum species complex which has
been described as predominantly selfing. We performed over 7,000 controlled crosses to assess the
inbreeding depression. In addition, we measured
mating traits such as flower size, herkogamy, anther exertion and the relative investment between
male and female reproductive investment (i.e., pollen-ovule ratio). We described three ploidy levels-the hexaploid level was previously unknown- andestimated the genomic diversity of each ploidy. We

found significant differences in the self-pollination
success among ploidies and, even, among populations within the same ploidy. A certain degree of
inbreeding depression was present in higher ploidies, which were also accompanied by larger flowers
with higher anther exposure, a more accentuatedherkogamy and a higher allocation in pollen production related to the ovule amount. These findings
suggest that ploidy could be promoting alternative
reproductive strategies to selfing, driving mating system diversification within a selfing species,
which has not been described in the wild before.

S.116 THE FUNCTIONAL ROLE OF NONCHARISMATIC BIODIVERSITY IN THE FACE OF A
CHANGING WORLD
S.116.1 Variation of surface
thermal heterogeneity
and water dynamic within
nonvascular epiphytic
communities during adehydration cycle
G. Canali1, P. Hurtado Aragüés2,3, R. Rocha
de Oliveira4,5, S. Gariglio4, C. Malegori2, P.
Giordani2
1 Department of Earth Sciences, Environment andLife, University of Genoa, Genova, Italy. 2 Department of Pharmacy, University of Genoa, Genova,
Italy. 3 Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, Spain. 4 Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry,
University of Genoa, Genova, Italy. 5 Departmentof Chemical Engineering and Analytical Chemistry,
Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
Nonvascular epiphytic communities include poikilohydric organisms, such as lichens and bryophytes which lack organs for active water uptake
and regulation of thermal and gas exchange.
Furthermore, they have no protective tissues,
therefore they directly respond to fluctuationsof ambient environment also for gas exchange
and light. Shifting the perspective to the epiphytic scale, functional traits of lichens and bryophytes could act as effect traits influencing thesurrounding temperature through the exchangeof water and heat at the substrate-atmosphereinterface. In this work, we hypothesised that thecomposition of nonvascular epiphytic community may affect the water availability and, consequently, the surface thermal pattern. We verified
if i) in a dehydration process, the epiphytic water content and their thermal pattern co-varies
following a trend linked to the community composition; and if ii) the greater thermal heterogeneity is linked to a more diverse epiphytic community. To test these hypotheses, we selected 32
different epiphytic community samples. Then, wemonitored them during the dehydration processby regularly weighting the samples and capturing InfraRed images every 40 minutes. Using
structural equation modelling, we evaluated therelationships between epiphytic communities,
water-related variables and surface thermal
pattern. The results confirmed our hypotheses:
community composition showed both a direct
effect on thermal patter and an indirect effectmediated by water content and dehydration dynamic. Community dominated by foliose lichensand bryophytes exhibited higher water content,
less water loss, and lower temperatures pattern.
Conversely, communities with a greater cover ofcrustose lichens showed a faster water loss andan higher temperatures pattern. Hence, a morediversified community will have greater thermal
heterogeneity.

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S.116.2 Are ephemeral
streams early-stage soils
or fluvial ecosystems? The
role of biocrusts to maintaintheir functioningte, Spain. 2 Institute of Landscape Ecology, Münster University, Münster, Germany. 3 Department of
Ecology and Multidisciplinary Institute for Environment Studies “Ramon Margalef”, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain.

Rebeca Arias-Real1, Pilar Hurtado2,3
1 National Museum of Natural Sciences (CSIC),
Spain. 2 Università di Genova, Dipartimento di Farmacia, Italy. 3 Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Spain.
Understanding global change impact on biodiversity
is crucial to conserve healthy ecosystems and the essential services they provide to people. However, ourunderstanding of the functional role of biocrusts onephemeral streams remains unexplored. Ephemeral
streams are watercourses that flow episodically during
periods of intense rainfall and dry up quickly. They arewidely distributed in hyper-arid, arid and semi-arid regions where the current global drying trend will be more
severe, and they play a crucial role on global carbon
processing and greenhouse gas emissions. Althoughephemeral streams are expected to support a uniquefraction of biodiversity as they are transitional habitats
between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, it remains
unclear which organisms may inhabit these highly dynamic habitats. Biocrusts offer a promising avenue toaddress this challenge given their global occurrence
and their functional importance in terrestrial water-limited ecosystems such as drylands. Besides, biocrusts
play key roles in global carbon and nitrogen cycles andregulate the horizontal and vertical fluxes of water (i.e.,water balance). Thus, this project aims to address thesechallenges by exploring the functional role of biocrusts
for tracking the direct effect of climate change on biodiversity but also its impact on the functioning of Mediterranean ephemeral streams.

S.116.3 Effects of mycorrhizal
fungi and the functional
diversity of plants on
ecosystem functioning: anexperimental approach

In exchange for the carbon assimilated by plants, mycorrhizal fungi increase plant nutrient supply, protect
them against pathogens and drought, and influencesoil formation and aggregation, among other benefits. These processes, in turn, affect the diversity of thevegetation and multiple ecosystem functions, including one of the most important, biomass production.
The functional traits of the host plants dominating thevegetation can be used to estimate the responsiveness of plant communities to mycorrhizal fungi andtheir relevance to ecosystem multifunctionality, as
plants vary in their responsiveness to mycorrhizal fungi and their carbon economics. Despite the potential
relevance of plant functional diversity as mediator ofmycorrhizal effects on dryland diversity and functioning, experimental tests of such effects are still missing.
This study aims to evaluate, through an experimental
approach, the effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi(AMF) on plant biomass production. For doing so, weused simplified grassland communities two with functional groups, forbs and grasses, where varying dominance of one or another plant functional group is used
as an indicator of plant functional diversity. Arbuscular
mycorrhizal fungi increased plant biomass production, but no effect of functional diversity on biomass
production was found. Furthermore, no interactive
effects of functional diversity and mycorrhiza presence on biomass production were found. This study
indicates that to fully understand the interactions between AMF and different plant species it is also essential to consider all the complexities of nutrient economy mechanisms. This work also underscores theimportance of considering soil microorganisms andmycorrhizal-plant interactions in studies of ecosystem
functioning, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive understanding of belowground processes.

S.116.4 The green side of
the white continent: occult
precipitation and terrestrial
cryptogams in Antarctica.

Yelyzaveta Shpilkina1, Lena Neuenkamp2,
Fernando T. Maestre3
1 Multidisciplinary Institute for Environment Studies“Ramon Margalef”, University of Alicante, Alican-

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Beatriz Fernández-Marín1, Alicia V. PereraCastro2, Miren Irati Arzac1, Laura DíazJiménez2, Abel Torre1, José Vicente Albero
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Leire Ruiz5, Jose Luis Vilas5, María Leo6,
Nagore G. Medina7, Asunción de los Ríos8,
Jaime Puértolas2, Águeda M. GonzálezRodríguez2, José Ignacio García-Plazaola1
1 Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of the Basque Country, Leioa, Spain. 2 Department of Botany, Ecology and Plant Physiology,
University of La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain. 3 Agencia
Estatal de Meteorlogía, Málaga, Spain. 4 Unidad deTecnología Marina (CSIC), Barcelona, Spain 5 Department of Physical Chemistry, University of theBasque Country. 6 Department of Soil, Plant andEnvironment Quality Department, Instituto de Ciencias Agrarias (CSIC), Madrid, Spain. 7 Departmentof Biology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain. 8 Department of Biogeochemistry andmicrobial ecology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias
Naturales (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
Maritime Antarctica (Antarctic Peninsula plus adjacent archipelagos) is one of the richest vegetated areas in Antarctica, with 189 and 59 speciesof lichen and of bryophytes respectively, but also
one of the most fragile regions. After a period of
decreasing temperature in the last 20y, in Maritime Antarctica this trend is currently shifting.
Changes in air temperature induce variations in
the type, frequency and timing of precipitation but
predictions show high uncertainty regarding theirdirection and extent for this region. Furthermore,while “occult precipitation” (fog, snow, or rain withstrong wind) is probably a key source of available
water for the ecosystem, its occurrence and relevance are, so far, understudied. Thus, we aimed atevaluating how changes in water availability may
affect the ecophysiological performance of someof the most prominent photosynthetic species of
the antarctic tundra, with especial emphasis on
horizontal precipitation and on lichen and moss
flora. For this purpose, we have (i) monitored thepotential contribution of occult precipitation to
the ecosystem, (ii) studied anatomical and physicochemical properties of the thalli involved in thecapture, absorption and retention of water and(iii) evaluated interspecific differences to deal
with periods of water restriction, as well as biophysical and physiological traits involved on them.
Our preliminary results reveal that (i) occult precipitation is potentially very relevant for terrestrial
vegetation in Antarctica, particularly at moderated elevations (>200m asl); (ii) there are importantinterspecific differences in the wettability of thallisurfaces and in their capability to delay desiccation; (iii) there are significant interspecific differences in the longevity of thalli in the dry state.

Acknowledgments: This research is part of DROPLET:
project supported by a 2022 Leonardo Grant for Researchers and Cultural Creators, BBVA Foundation;and included in the Spanish Antarctic Campaign
2023/2024 organised by the CPE and funded by the
MCIN.

S.116.5 Mycorrhizal
associations interact withstand development andclimate to influence tree
diversity patterns acrosstropical montane forests
Albert Vilà-Cabrera1,2, Julen Astigarraga3,
Kirsten O’Sullivan1, Josep PadullésCubino1, Karina Clemmensen4, JanChang Chen5, Sarah Greenwwod2, Alistair
Jump2
1 CREAF, Catalonia, Spain. 2 Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK. 3 Forest Ecology and
Restoration Group, University of Alcalá, Spain. 4
Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden. 5 Department of Forestry, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology,
Pingtung, Taiwan
Symbiotic associations between trees and soil
fungi – mycorrhizas – influence forest structureand diversity, with important differences between
mycorrhizal types. It is thought that communities
dominated by ectomycorrhizal associations exhibit weaker negative conspecific density dependence because of improved nutrient acquisitionand protection against soil-borne pathogens
to conspecifics, relative to arbuscular mycorrhizal associations. This mechanism should explain stand-level gradients of tree diversity, with
low-diverse forest communities dominated byectomycorrhizal trees and high-diverse communities dominated by arbuscular mycorrhizal trees.
Here, we tested this hypothesis across tropicalmontane forests and found that, in general, tree
species diversity was lower under the dominanceof either ectomycorrhizal or arbuscular mycorrhizal trees, and higher in mixed communities ofboth mycorrhizal types. However, this pattern wasdependent on forest stand development andclimate, with ectomycorrhizal dominance differ-

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entially influencing tree diversity between young
and old-growth forests, from cold to warm climates. In particular, ectomycorrhizal dominance
was associated to increased tree species richness but decreased tree species evenness acrossold-growth forests located in median- and warm
conditions along the climatic gradient. Our findings indicate that mycorrhizal associations may
represent an important factor shaping forest biodiversity in subtropical and tropical regions, themost species-rich and varied environments ofthe planet but currently at risk from the pressuresof human-driven environmental changes.

S.116.6 Interspecific andintraspecific variability infunctional traits of lichenscommunities from gypsum
soils across a latitudinal
gradient
Sergio Muriel1, Isabel Martínez1, Gregorio
Aragón1, Pilar Hurtado1 2, María Prieto1
1 Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, Madrid, Spain. 2
Dipartimento di Farmacia, Università degli Studi di
Genova, Genova, Italia
It is known that environmental variables affectfunctional diversity in terricolous lichen communities from gypsum soils. And although these ob-served responses of functional traits in relation toenvironmental changes may be due to species
turnover and/or intraspecific trait variation (ITV) it
is not known until what extent ITV and species turnover influence the observed trait variability. In orderto understand how these communities survive under challenging conditions we aim to analyze theeffect of environmental and soil variables on intraspecific trait variation (ITV) and species turnover
and which is the contribution of both processes tofunctional variability. For this purpose, we quantified the relative contribution of species turnoverand ITV determining the functional variation in lichen communities from gypsum soils in Spain andanalyzed the relation with climate and edaphic
predictors. We surveyed 35 plots along a latitudinal
gradient and measured a set of eleven quantitative functional traits potentially affected by climaticand edaphic conditions and related to water use
strategy, photosynthetic performance, and nutrient
uptake. The results showed that ITV explained mostof the functional changes in lichen communities
along the latitudinal gradient except in the water
holding capacity which had a similar relative contribution of both ITV and species turnover. Interestingly, climatic variables barely affected most traits
except in the case of the nitrogen content andtraits related with water use strategy were mostly
affected by gypsum content. These results suggestthat lichen communities confront environmental
conditions (mostly gypsum content) by adjusting
their trait values within the species rather than by
the replacement of species.

S.117 PLANT DIVERSITY IN SPECIALIZEDHABITATS - ECOLOGY TO EVOLUTION
S.117.1 Diversity of treelayer species along slope
gradient of Moerolakop hillin Nylsvley Nature Reserve
Tendani Mavhila, Milingoni P. Tshisikhawe,
Khathutshelo Magwede
Department of Biological Sciences, University of
Venda, Thohoyandou, South Africa

Slope gradients play an important role in distribution of species within the vegetation. Interesting vegetation distribution patterns are
therefore more noticeable in mountainous regions which are set apart by steeper slopes. This
study attempts to showcase species distribution
patterns along Moroelakop hill located in Nylsvley Nature Reserve, Mokghoopong municipality,
Limpopo Province. Point-Centred-Quarter (PCQ)
method was used in data collected to achieve
the purpose of the study which was to analyseand compare the vegetation structure of Moroelakop hill’s north-facing slope. The parameters364

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sampled through PCQ included the plant species
height, basal stem diameter and canopy diameter. The relative density and relative frequencies
were used to determine importance value index(IVI) of sampled species. Data collected from theNorth facing slope revealed the dominance ofDiplrorhynchus condylocarpon and Combretum
molle. Species like Grewia bicolor, Dichrostachys
cinerea and Combretum zeyheri had low relative
frequency and subsequent low IVI. Diversity wasmeasured using Shannon-Weiner diversity index. Shannon diversity index for north facing was
2.20 (down-slope), 1.97 (mid-slope) and 1.77 (upslope). There is a significant difference in terms ofspecies diversity recorded along the slope gradient. The study has flagged out species that need
to be monitored in order to manage the vegetation well.

S.117.2 Clade-specificphylogenetic structure of
boreal habitats suggests
non-uniform assembly
processes acrossphylogenetic scales

defined at a smaller plot level scale. We obtained
vascular plant species lists for six habitats in Newfoundland, Canada, and for 73 permanent 1m2
plots at Gros Morne National Park to estimate
their mean pairwise phylogenetic distance standardized for sample size (SES-MPD). As expected,
we found that the phylogenetic structure of plant
habitats was clade-specific, with clustering at
deep angiosperm nodes, overdispersion, and nopattern at both old and young lineages. Our results suggest that different lineages may exhibit
different assembly processes within a habitat. As
expected, at smaller spatial scales, communities
showed strong phylogenetic overdispersion likely
explained by processes like limiting similarity andcompetition.

S.117.3 First global
assessment of an edaphic
endemic flora: diversity,
main features andconservation status of theworld gypsum flora

Angelo Armijos-Carrion1*, Sander Boisen1,
Susan Meades2, Michael Burzynski3,
Julissa Roncal1
1 Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, Canada. 2 Great Lakes Forestry
Centre, Sault Ste. Marie, Ont, Canada. 3 Gros Morne
National Park of Canada, Parks Canada, Rocky Harbour, NL, Canada. *aarmijoscarr@mun.ca
Understanding how plant communities are assembled is critical to explaining the functioningof ecosystems and the maintenance of biodiversity. The phylogenetic distance among species in
a community (i.e community phylogenetic structure) has been used to infer deterministic and stochastic assembly processes, albeit with criticisms.
However, the effect of the phylogenetic scale (oldversus young lineages) and spatial scale on measures of community phylogenetic structure arerarely tested, yet essential to unravel different assembly processes that might operate across species in a community. We examined clade-specificphylogenetic structure of different plant communities defined at the habitat scale, and the aggregated phylogenetic structure of communities

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Sara Palacio1,2*, Juan Pablo OrtizBrunel3, Pablo Tejero1,4, Michael J. Moore5,
Francisco Pérez-García6, M. Hilda Flores7,
Helga Ochoterena7, Juan F. Mota6, Sofía
Bueno1, Latif Kurt8, Georgy A. Lazkov9, Mike
N. Lyons10, Ebru Ozdeniz8, Alexander V.
Pavlenko11, Anibal Prina12, Kamal Shaltout13,
Khabibullo F. Shomurodov 4, Bekhruz
Khabibullaev14, Kobil Bobokalonov15,
Mariyo Boboev16, Stefan Siebert2, Matts
Thulin17, Hossein Akhani18, Andreu Cera1,19,
Georgia Chrysostomou20, Adrián
Escudero21, Fabián Martínez Hernández3,
Farshid Memariani22, Antonio MendozaFernández3, Encarna Merlo3, Carmelo
M. Musarella 3, Esteban Salmerón
Sánchez 3, Stephen A. Smith24, Giovanni
Spampinato23, Ioannis Vogiatziakis25,
Alexander Rudov26.
1 Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología (IPE-CSIC), Jaca,
Huesca, Spain. 2 School of Biological Sciences,
North West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa. 3 Departamento de Botánica, Universidad

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de Guadalajara, Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico. 4
Botanika Saila, Sociedad de Ciencias Aranzadi, Donostia – San Sebastian, Gipuzkoa, Spain.
5 Oberlin College of Arts and Sciences, Oberlin, Ohio, USA. 6 Departamento de Biología yGeología, CEI·MAR and CECOUAL, Universidad de
Almería, Almería, Spain. 7 Instituto de Biología dela UNAM, Coyoacán, Ciudad de México, México. 8
Faculty of Biology, Ankara University, Tandoğan,Ankara, Turkey. 9 Institute of Biology & Pedology of the National Academy of Sciences, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. 10 Conservation Science Centre,
Department of Biodiversity, Conservations andAttractions, Government of Western Australia,
Australia. 11 Serdar Branch of the Center for Prevention of Especially Dangerous Infectious Diseases, State Sanitary and Epidemiological Service, Ministry of Health and Medical Industry of
Turkmenistan, Serdar, Turkmenistan. 12 Facultadde Agronomía, Universidad Nacional de La Pampa, Santa Rosa, La Pampa, Argentina. 13 Botany
Department, Faculty of Science, Tanta University,
Tanta, Gharbia, Egypt. 14 Laboratory Geobotanyand plant ecology, Institute of Botany Academy
Sciences Republic of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Uzbekistan. 15 Institute of Botany, Plant Physiology
and Genetics, National Academy of Tajikistan,
Dushanbe, Tajikistan. 16 Khatlon Scientific Centerof the National Academy of Tajikistan, Kulob Botanic Garden, Kuljab, Tajikistan. 17 Systematic Biology, Dept. of Organismal Biology, EBC, Uppsala
Univ., Uppsala, Sweden. 18 Halophytes and C4
Plants Research Laboratory, Department of Plant
Sciences, School of Biology, College of Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran. 19 UFR desSciences, Université Caen-Normandie. 20 Department of Forests, Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Nicosia, Cyprus. 21 Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación.
Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física yQuímica Inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, Madrid, Spain. 22 Department of
Botany, Research Center for Plant Sciences, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran. 23
Department of Agriculture, Mediterranean University of Reggio Calabria, Reggio Calabria, Italia. 24 Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences at
the Open University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus.
25 Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan,
USA; 26 Yerevan Botanical Garden, Yerevan, Armenia. *s.palacio@ipe.csic.es
Plant species that grow only on unusual soils represent a significant proportion of plant diversity
worldwide. These unique endemic communities arecomprised of resilient and sometimes bizarre plantsthat thrive on difficult soils that most plant species
cannot tolerate. One of the most widespread, yet
understudied substrate-endemic floras of the worldis that of gypsum soils. Gypsum (CaSO4·2H2O) soils
occur worldwide in arid and semiarid ecosystems,
posing serious restrictions to plant life. Despite theselimitations, gypsum soils host rich endemic florasthat have evolved independently on five continents.
Plant communities growing on gypsum represent
an excellent opportunity to investigate soils as adriving force in plant evolution and ecology, offering
key insights into such fundamental biological processes as adaptation, the formation of new species,
and the factors controlling plant community composition. Here we present the first global assessmentof an edaphic endemic flora, providing informationon the diversity, functional traits and conservation
status of plants restricted to gypsum soils worldwide. Over 1200 taxa are restricted to gypsum in theworld. These taxa belong to 86 families grouped in
32 orders, ranging from recently diversified groups
like Poales to ferns, indicating restriction to gypsum
soils evolved separately in different lineages of theplants tree of life and occurs in very distantly related groups. Most species are small perennial woody
plants and almost half of the taxa are local endemics, pointing at the rarity and potential vulnerabilityof gypsophilic floras worldwide. Notably, more thana third of the gypsum endemic taxa have been
listed in conservation reports or red lists and onefourth are under a certain degree of protection. Our
study highlights the singularity of gypsum ecosystems globally and calls for urgent action to preserve
these unique plant communities.

S.117.4 Mycoheterotrophy
in orchids: a Himalayan
perspective
Tirtha R. Pandey1
1 National Herbarium and Plant Laboratories,
Godawari, Lalitpur, Nepal
This study presents an analysis of mycoheterotrophy in orchids of the Himalayan region, Diversity of
mycoheterotrophic orchids is highest in the eastern
Himalaya while Nepal Himalaya also harbors considerable number of species. Owing to their uniquegenetic rearrangement, they exhibit anomalous
feeding mechanism, which signifies a considerable
evolutionary modification. However, due to their
specific habitat requirements and regenerative potential, conservation of such species in the wild is
becoming increasingly challenging. This paper aims
to summarize the occurrence and conservation
status of one of the enigmatic orchid groups in the
Himalayan region to understand their diversity andfacilitate their conservation efficiently.

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S.117.5 Molecular ecology ofendemic shrubs in isolated
OCBIL populationsPeter Pemberton1, Rose Andrew1, Manu
Saunders1, John Hunter1, Liz Wandrag2
1 University of New England, Armidale, Australia. 2
University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia
Old Climatically Buffered Landscapes (OCBILs)
often exist as terrestrial islands that are isolated
in a larger landscape matrix, and plants confined
to OCBILs have a high incidence of endemicity
and rarity. Shrubs are a significant component of
OCBIL vegetation, yet many have restricted geneflow due to a lack of seed dispersal mechanisms,
and a reliance on insect pollinators with limited
ranges. We hypothesise that the persistence of
these shrub species in small and isolated populations limits the adaptive potential that arises
from gene flow between populations. We conducted a systematic review of molecular ecology papers on OCBIL species to identify where theresearch has occurred and what the molecular
ecology revealed about OCBIL flora. We identified
geographic gaps and a paucity of studies focusing on shrubs, whilst species pollinated by insects
alone tended to have highly structured populations with low gene migration rates, underlining
the need to understand how OCBIL shrubs diversify and persist. On the basis of this review, we
now research the genetic diversity and gene flow
at multiple scales in the New England Tableland
region of Australia, a region with relatively understudied OCBILs. Fine-scale analysis of relatedness and spatial autocorrelation at centimetre
precision will investigate patterns of gene flow
and dispersal within granite outcrop populations.
In concert with observations of flower visitors,
comparisons among age cohorts will illustrate
the influence of geography and insect-mediatedpollination on gene flow at the finest scale. Using
coalescent estimates of migration rates and population divergence in OCBIL and non-OCBIL taxa,
we can begin to understand the demographic
history and adaptations of terrestrial island flora. This research sheds light on the mechanisms
by which small, isolated populations persist, andtheir capacity to adapt to novel conditions underglobal climate change.

S.117.6 Pollinator-mediatedfrequency-dependent
selection of floral colour
polymorphism in a
nocturnally pollinatedginger from Western Ghats
of India
Saket Shrotri1, Vinita Gowda1
1 Tropical Ecology and Evolution Lab, Indian Instituteof Science Education and Research Bhopal, Bhopal
by-pass road, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India
Polymorphism refers to the presence of discrete
forms within a population of taxonomically recognized species. Because species characteristics canbe continuous, the idea of when to delineate eachmorph is highly controversial and becomes a statistical problem. Here we present a method of recognizing morphs versus inherent within species variants by extensively examining a trait or set of traits
within a population and delimit them based on
gaps in their frequency of occurrence. This method
assumes that while there is a continuum in morphology, this continuum may not extend to othermorphological, ecological, or physiological traits ofthe species. Here we present a complex geographic mosaic of traits of a highly polymorphic ginger,
Curcuma caulina (Zingiberaceae), from the genus
otherwise known for its polymorphic morphologicaltraits. Here we describe the multifaceted nature offloral colour polymorphism in C. caulina, demonstrating that it extends beyond mere colour variation of the lateral bracts to encompass ecologicaland physiological traits of the species. Finally, we
present that the pollinators, along with the plant’straits which are associated with floral colour, play acentral role in governing the dynamics of selection
regimes across populations to maintain floral polymorphism. This study highlights that our handicap
in defining a species based on morphological characters has limited our understanding of how polymorphic a species can actually be. We offer a newperspective on floral polymorphism that integrates
the eyes of taxonomists and ecologists.

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S.118 SPEEDING UP OUR UNDERSTANDING OF
ADAPTIVE EVOLUTION WITH GENOMICS
S.118.1 Adaptive evolution of
Arabidopsis and its relatives
in the new genomic era
Ya-Long Guo1
1 State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academyof Sciences, Beijing, China. yalong.guo@ibcas.ac.cn
How organisms adapt to climate change is a fundamental biological question. High throughput genome
sequencing of A. thaliana and its closely related species speed up the studies of plant adaptive evolution.
Transposable elements (TEs) are a type of repetitive
DNA sequence mobilizing across the genome, which
consists of a large fraction of the genome size, andits mobilization could rapidly produce large-effectmutations. However, there are many questions about
TEs, for example, how TEs insertion affect gene andphenotypic variation, what are the driving forces of
TE load variation, and how did the genetic load of TEsvary during range expansion. Based on the genomics
and genetics analyses of Arabidopsis thaliana andits relatives, we demonstrated that TEs are an important source of genetic variation that could account forhigh phenotypic diversity, and could plays importantroles in the process of adaptive evolution. In addition,
we revealed that effective population size, high transposition rate, and selective sweeps contributed to TE
accumulation in the expanded populations. In particular, we genetically mapped and identified multiple
candidate causal genes and TEs, and revealed thegenetic architecture of TE load variation. Overall, ourresults highlight TEs could play a crucial role in theprocess of adaptation.

S.118.2 The Evolution of
Splicing Specificity
Jordyn Coutts1, Craig I. Dent1, Angus
Burns1, Chaaya Atri1, Nawar Shamaya1,
Sridevi Sureshkumar1, John Bowman1,
Sureshkumar Balasubramanian1
1 School of Biological Sciences, Monash University,
VIC, Australia

Splicing is an important gene regulatory process. Alternative splicing can lead to varied proteins being
produced and can also alter gene expression levels.
Alternative splicing can be seen during development and in response to changes in environmental
cues, allowing plants to display developmental andphenotypic plasticity in response to abiotic stress.
The regulation of alternative splicing evolved withincreasing complexity as plants diversified, particularly as genomes duplicated. This has resulted in
an amplification of splicing genes such as SR proteins. As a result, it is difficult to study splicing regulators due to functional redundancy. The bryophyte
Marchantia polymorpha gives us a chance to untangle the regulatory mechanisms of alternative
splicing, due to its low genomic duplication. We use
the CRISPR Cas9 mutagenesis system and in-housebioinformatics tools of splicing measurements touncover the targets of splicing factors and define
splicing specificity. Comparisons of splicing in different species provides evolutionary insights on splicing specificity.

S.118.3 Mechanisms oftrinucleotide repeat
expansions in plants
Sridevi Sureshkumar1
1 School of Biological Sciences, Monash University,
Australia
We identified an association between trinucleotide
repeat expansion and phenotypic changes underelevated temperatures in the wild-type Arabidopsis strain. Trinucleotide repeats are part of microsatellite repeats, and their expansion has been
linked to several human genetic disorders. However, the underlying mechanisms by which these repeats regulate gene expression remain unknown.
Can we address this fundamental biological gap
using Arabidopsis as a natural model for repeat
expansion to investigate the molecular mechanisms associated with gene expression? Over theyears, we have developed Arabidopsis as a natural model to uncover the molecular mechanisms
associated with repeat expansion-induced genesilencing. Recently, we discovered two molecular368

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mechanisms that induce epigenetic gene silencing
at the repeat-expanded locus. I describe the novel
genes and pathways we have uncovered. Our findings provide important insights into the molecularmechanisms underlying the association between
trinucleotide repeat expansion and pathogenesis
in Arabidopsis. Overall, our study has significant implications for understanding the underlying mechanisms of repeat-induced gene regulation andpathogenesis not only in plants but also in understanding the human genetic disorders associatedwith trinucleotide repeat expansions.

S.118.4 Unraveling carnation
domestication: comparative
genomics among wild andcultivated Dianthus species
Jesús Picazo-Aragonés1, Manuel Narváez1,
Ana Brescia-Zapata1, Stefan Dötterl2,
Ovidiu Paun3, Anass Terrab1, Francisco
Balao1

ses between the wild carnations D. broteri and D.
sylvestris (assembly genome size 443.52 Mb), andcultivated D. caryophyllus “Francesco” (568.89 Mb)
and “Aili” (584 Mb) varieties. We compared genome structure, gene families gain and losses andTE landscapes. Differences in genome sizes are not
the result of the increase in gene content but canbe explained due to increase of TEs in D.broteri, witha higher abundance of long terminal repeat-retrotransposons (LTR-RTs). LTRs highly impact thestructure, function and evolution of the host genome, and might have an important role in domestication and the divergence between Dianthus
species. Furthermore, using transcriptomic data,
we have studied MYB transcription factors and terpene synthases to understand the importance ofscent emission in wild carnations.

S.118.5 Population genomicsof rapid weed adaptation in
Amaranthus
Julia M. Kreiner1, Sergio M. Latorre2, Hernán
A. Burbano2, John R. Stinchcombe3, Sarah
P. Otto4, Detlef Weigel5, Stephen I. Wright3

1 Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of Seville, Seville, Spain. 2 Department ofEnvironment & Biodiversity, Paris Lodron University
Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria. 3 Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research, University of Vienna,
Vienna, Austria
The Dianthus genus, native to Europe and Asia,
presents one of the fastest diversification rates everreported in flowering plants, with a high incidenceof polyploidy and over 300 species. Carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus) is one of the most importantornamental flowers, that has been cultivated for
centuries, overcoming an extensive domestication
process which is largely understudied. Fragrance isan important property of marketable ornamental
flowers, but modern carnation cultivars have weakfragrances in contrast to wild carnations. Dianthus
broteri is a recently radiated polyploid complex
with four cytotypes (2x, 4x, 6x and 12x) endemic to
the Iberian Peninsula. This complex, which present
a highly diverse scent composition, has been studied as an evolutionary model in the genus. With theobjective of understanding the ongoing evolutionary processes of domestication, fragrance divergence and the impact of transposable elements(TEs), we assembled a chromosome-level genomeof the diploid Dianthus broteri (876.17 Mb with scaffold N50 53 Mb and 43,817 protein coding genes).
We performed comparative genome-wide analy-

1 Department of Ecology and Evolution, Universityof Chicago, Chicago, USA. 2 Centre for Life’s Origins
and Evolution, University College London London,
UK. 3 Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto Toronto Canada. 4 Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia
Vancouver, Canada. 5 Max Planck Institute for Biology, Tübigen Germany
North America has experienced a massive increase in cropland use since 1800, accompanied
more recently by the intensification of agricultural practices. Through genome analysis of present-day and historical samples spanning environments over the past two centuries, we studied theeffect of these changes in farming on the extent
and tempo of evolution across the native rangeof the common waterhemp (Amaranthus tuberculatus), a now pervasive agricultural weed. Modern agriculture has imposed strengths of selection
rarely observed in the wild, with notable shifts inallele frequency trajectories since agricultural intensification in the 1960s. An evolutionary responseto this extreme selection was facilitated by a concurrent human-mediated range shift. By reshaping genome-wide diversity across the landscape,agriculture has driven the success of this weed in
the 21st century.

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S.119 THE ROLE OF RESEARCHINFRASTRUCTURE TO ADVANCE BOTANICALKNOWLEDGE AND RESEARCH
S.119.1 Biodiversity
information standards:
enabling data infrastructure
Shelley A. James1,2, Elycia Wallis3,2,Visotheary Ung4,2, Stan Blum2, David
Bloom2
1 Western Australian Herbarium, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Kensington, Australia. 2 Biodiversity Information Standards(TDWG), USA. 3 Atlas of Living Australia, CSIRO, Melbourne, Australia. 4 Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France
Data standards are crucial for the efficient and effective sharing of biodiversity data for herbarium
management, conservation, policy development
and botanical research. They enable data to follow
FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable, reusable)
and CARE (collective benefit, authority to control, responsibility, ethics) data principles. Data standards
are essential for data infrastructure projects suchas the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF).
Biodiversity Information Standards (TDWG - https://www.tdwg.org/) is a not-for-profit, scientific andeducational association that enables international
collaboration among creators, managers and usersof biodiversity information and promotes effective
dissemination and sharing of knowledge about theworld’s biota. In collaboration with partner organizations, TDWG develops, maps and maintains standards, extensions and guidelines for documenting
and exchanging data about geo- and bio-diversity,
to guarantee data interoperability between communities. The most widely used of these is Darwin
Core, which facilitates the sharing of information
about the occurrence of taxa in nature as documented by observations, specimens, samples, andother related information. Also relevant to the botanical community are: Audiovisual Core - a set of
vocabularies to represent metadata for biodiversity multimedia resources; Taxon Concept Schema – taxon concepts as defined in published taxonomic classifications, revisions and databases; theHumboldt Extension - an extension to Darwin Corefor representing information about scope, method
and completeness of observational inventories; andthe MIxS (Minimum Information about any (x) Sequence) extension to Darwin Core to integrate genomic data. Information technology and scientificmethods are not static, and data standards must
be developed and maintained to keep pace withneeds and expectations. Early TDWG standards relevant to botany have been reframed and absorbed
into current standards. In addition, TDWG establishes new community-led interest groups to develop
standards and vocabularies that cover new areas,such as People in Biodiversity Data, Collection Descriptions, and Plant Phenology.

S.119.2 Catalogue ofLife, ChecklistBank andTaxonomic Data Services
Olaf Bánki1
1 Catalogue of Life, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Catalogue of Life (COL; https://catalogueoflife.org)
aims to list all described organisms covering all lifeon earth. COL contains more than 2,1 million described
species (Bánki et al 2023). COL however needs to become more comprehensive, including more names
and bridging over to genetic resources. Different approaches on how to speed up will need to be explored.
COL could also benefit from new endeavours to support the online registration of names. To improve its
processes and to scale up its effort, COL has teamed
up with the Global Biodiversity Information Facility(GBIF; https://gbif.org) to build a new infrastructure,
ChecklistBank (https://checklistbank.org). ChecklistBank is an open data publishing platform with a focus on taxonomic and nomenclatural datasets, aswell as non-global taxonomic lists and policy relevant
species lists. ChecklistBank is core infrastructure forboth GBIF and COL. More than 50K taxonomic datasets are openly accessible for use. These also include
well managed plant taxonomic data sources, as well
as datasets from digitised literature. Data sets can be
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data standards and data types. Since datasets areprocessed within ChecklistBank in a similar manner,datasets can be better compared to one another as tothe taxonomic overlap and differences. Name matching services are available through an Application Programming Interface (API) and a user interface. COL isa prime user of ChecklistBank. A range of data services
could support both scientific and broader societal use.
References: Bánki, O., Roskov, Y., Döring, M., Ower, G.,
Hernández Robles, D. R., Plata Corredor, C. A., Stjernegaard Jeppesen, T., Örn, A., Vandepitte, L., Hobern,D., Schalk, P., DeWalt, R. E., Ma, K., Miller, J., Orrell, T., et al.
(2023). Catalogue of Life Checklist (Version 2023-1124). Catalogue of Life. https://doi.org/10.48580/dfgnm

S.119.3 Harmonizing
dynamic botanicalknowledge at the source:
infrastructures forresolvable IDs and taxon
concept subscriptions

local data portals often link to aggregator databases, relying on name strings as the search parameter,
which may be inaccurate. Integrating the resolvable
ID improves data quality and opens further possibilities. Users who matched their names should have a“taxon concept subscription” option for automatic notifications of name usage changes. For this, target aggregators must monitor changes in taxon concepts,
including alterations in status, nomenclatural status,
and addition/removal of synonyms. Introducing this
into infrastructures like the GBIF/CoL Checklist Bank
would make it possible to subscribe to a multitude ofversioned online treatments. TETTRIs aims to instigate
this development. In the project’s remaining period,
we’ll test and document aggregator services, promoting name ID usage for a linked data landscape in biodiversity information.

S.119.4 GBIF evolves to meetbotanical research needs
Joseph T. Miller1
1 Global Biodiversity Information Facility, Copenhagen, Denmark

Walter G. Berendsohn1
1 Botanic Garden Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin
Botanical taxon names are vital for information accessibility across diverse systems, used locally infields from systematics, forestry, agriculture, ecology, and conservation to government regulations andmedicine. Traditionally, taxonomists played a crucialrole in connecting and mediating knowledge fromvarious sources. Nowadays, machines are often uncritically asked to perform this task online. However,scientific names may be ambiguous if used as theidentifier, posing challenges due to the taxon’s hypothesis-based circumscription and the existenceof multiple name variants. Globally unique identifiers
for botanical names, variants, and “designations” areprovided by initiatives like WFO Plant List and IPNI. They
can control machine interactions and help to conserve data cleaning results. Integrated into taxonomic
systems like WFO’s flora site or EU-Nomen (PESI), theseidentifiers can enable tracking of taxonomic and nomenclatural changes proposed by these sites. The EU
TETTRIs project aims, inter alia, to document and enhance these processes, establishing functional workflows for mapping local taxonomies. Basic use cases, such as checking names against the normative
EU-Nomen checklist, are already covered by existingmechanisms, often also used for data cleaning. But

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In collaboration with Index Herbariorum, GBIF has rebuilt and manages the Global Registry of ScientificCollections. GRSciColl contains collection informationfor over 5,500 herbaria and synchronizes weekly with
Index Herbariorum. GBIF has aligned over 104 million plant and fungal specimen records to herbaria
GRSCiColl records. Each herbarium that shares datawith GBIF has a collection data page which, in addition
to collection metadata, contains an informative dashboard summarizing data by taxon, IUCN threat status,
collectors, identifiers, and origin of specimen. Thesestatistics are also summarized across national andtaxonomic groups in various GBIF hosted portals managed by the community. The specimen alignment
to the collections is part of GBIF’s work to update ourDarwin Core based data model. GBIF runs a clustering algorithm weekly to identify potential relationshipbetween records such as: types, duplicates, literature
citations, DNA sequences, and phylogenies. The clustered records are viewable in the ‘Related” tab on ahosted portal. GBIF is developing a material cataloguethat integrates these related records into a single record. This record includes data shared by the specimen holder such taxonomic, spatial data and often
images, as well as related data about the specimenthat has been shared via GenBank (or ENA), BOLD, literature citations in taxonomic revisions, published phylogenetic trees, and trait datasets. To improve data

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quality GBIF encourages community curation of taxonomic, phylogenetic, and spatial data. As demonstrated in the Legume Portal, we invite taxonomic revisions
to be published to ChecklistBank, a GBIF-Catalogue ofLife collaboration. From ChecklistBank the taxonomic
data can be viewed on a taxon specific data portal
and be quickly integrated into GBIF’s taxonomic backbone to improve the quality of the specimens sharedwith GBIF. A similar phylogenetic pipeline is available
on the portal in partnership with Open Tree of Life.

S.119.5 Innovation leading
to new ways of knowing
in Australian botanicalcollections and the Atlas of
Living Australia
Elycia J. Wallis1, Katharina Nargar2, Shelley
A. James3
1 Atlas of Living Australia, CSIRO, Melbourne, Australia. 2 Australian Tropical Herbarium & National
Research Collections Australia, CSIRO, Cairns, Australia. 3 Western Australian Herbarium, Departmentof Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Kensington, Australia
Once thought of as static, collections are being reframed as resources whose potential goes beyond
the physical entities held in herbaria. In Australia,
novel projects are being undertaken in botanicalcollections, and the results can often be accessed

through the Australasian Virtual Herbarium (AVH)and the Atlas of Living Australia (ALA) (https://www.
ala.org.au/). The collections, AVH and the ALA together represent critical infrastructure for understanding Australia’s biodiversity. Many novel projects
utilise advanced computing power, cloud-basedstorage, and analysis tools. For example, digitisation projects have been completed by organisations including the National Herbarium of NSW and
the Australian National Herbarium, one of the CSIRO
National Research Collections. These projects aim
to go way beyond previous efforts in terms of sheer
numbers and the scale of the operation required todeliver the result. Another activity is AusTraits, which
compiles data across over 30,000 species and hundreds of traits. Collected data can be accessed on
ALA species pages. Of particular interest in Australia is Indigenous knowledge recorded on herbarium
sheets; unique and valuable information. Building
community and collaborations to bring Indigenous
knowledge and western science closer together isan active challenge for those working in Australianbotany. The Atlas of Living Australia provides a conduit for new information to be published online andmade accessible. The aggregated data then provide even more opportunities for new knowledge tobe generated, with tools to view, download and visualise information. Areas of future development in the
ALA include work in biosecurity, including weeds andplant pests; better data about interactions, suchas between plants and pollinators; and inclusion of
genomic data. Much that is new can be generated
from specimens that may be old.

S.120 PLANT RESPONSES TO STRESSES AND
CLIMATE CHANGE. SESSION 5
S.120.1 Unveiling the
Hidden Harmony: exploring
the mycobiome of thethreatened Posidonia
oceanica Seagrass in the
Mediterranean Sea

Gidon Winters4, Moran Kaminer4, Luciana
Migliore1,5

Sara Frasca1, Annamaria Alabiso1, Chiara
Conte1, Loredana Manfra2, Alice Rotini2,
Marlen I. Vasquez3, Eleni Christoforou3,

Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile is a threatened endemic seagrass of the Mediterranean Sea. As
a Mediterranean Climax community, Posidonia
meadows hold high ecological relevance in prima-

1 Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133, Rome, Italy. 2 Institute for Environmental
Protection and Research, Rome, Italy. 3 Departmentof Environmental Science and Technology, Cyprus
University of Technology, Limassol, Cyprus. 4 The
Dead Sea and Arava Science Center, Mount Masada, Israel 5 eCampus University, Novedrate CO, Italy372

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ry productivity, food web support and nutrient cycling, also providing multiple ecosystem services
as biodiversity hotspot, ecosystem engineering or
carbon sink. Despite its recognised importance, Posidonia meadows are declining at an accelerating
rate by global or local anthropogenic pressures. Like
terrestrial plants, P. oceanica host a diverse community of microorganisms which may influence its
ecophysiology and health, even regulating the biogeochemical dynamics of entire meadows. Among
microorganisms, very little is known about P. oceanica mycobiome. Fungi in terrestrial ecosystems are
known to confer benefits to the plant and could playa crucial role in functioning of the seagrass ecosystem, spanning from mutualism to parasitism. We
performed a large-scale sampling at 3 localities in
the Mediterranean Sea (France; Crete and Cyprus
respectively) and a Next Generation Sequencing(NGS) study based on ITS2 and 5.8S rDNA sequence
analyses, in order to investigate how the fungal
communities’ structure and composition associated with the P. oceanica environmental matrices(seawater column or sediment) and plant compartment (leaves, roots or rhizome) differ according toenvironmental variability and biometrics or physiological descriptors. A single species dominated thefungal community, Posidoniomyces atricolor, hitherto unknown from other hosts and supposed to be
responsible for the putative dark septate endophyte(DSE) colonization pattern found in P. oceanica. Outof P. atricolor, the less dominant taxa showed astrong plant compartment specificity. The consistent occurrence of the DSE suggested a mutualistic
relationship as with mycorrhizal fungi in terrestrial
plants, representing an integrated approach for themonitoring of the P. oceanica meadows in an evenmore changing environmental condition.

S.120.2 The impact of fire
regime shifts on plant
species persistenceMark K.J. Ooi1
1 Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of
New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, AUSTRALIA
Climate change is leading a shift in ecological processes, and fires are arguably one of the most spectacular examples of such shifts. Fire regimes arechanging and recent megafires around the world
are examples of the extremes that fire events canreach. Plant species are adapted to historic fire re-gimes, persisting within thresholds of fire frequency, seasonality, severity and extent. Developing an
understanding of how shifting fire regime elements
can impact persistence and recovery of plant species is therefore essential for conserving biodiversity.
Seeds are key drivers of plant population dynamics
and their study can allow us to predict the trajectories of functional groups of species. Seeds are also
critical for applied restoration, where plant populations have been pushed past the limits for natural
recovery. Drawing on the results from recent research, I look at how different elements of the fire
regime, including extreme fire severity and out-ofseason burns, interact with plant and seed ecological processes to determine which species may persist and which will struggle. While the reduction ofclimate change impacts requires a global effort, aclear understanding of local processes can help toprovide informed conservation management, while
local restoration efforts can help to minimise negative impacts for those species most at risk.

S.120.3 Continuous turningon stress genes stabilizes
gene regulatory networks
and benefits mangroves’
adaptation to unstableenvironments
Shao Shao1, Ziwen He1, Suhua Shi1,
Shaohua Xu1
1 Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
When experiencing unstable environments, a major challenge for plants is the maintaining stabilityof gene regulatory networks (GRNs). How plants accumulate genetic changes to stabilize GRNs in thelong-term adaptation to environmental fluctuations
is rarely revealed. In this study, we proposed a possible strategy of continuously turning on stress-responsive genes, which may increase GRNs stability
while increasing energy costs. We tested the hypothesis by comparing expression profiles in a typicalmangrove plant Rhizophora apiculata and its inland
relative Carallia pectinifolia. Mangroves inhabitedintertidal zones with highly fluctuated salinity andother stressors. We found that the gene expression
profiles of R. apiculata were more stable than thatof C. pectinifolia under salinity changes. It is causedby the transitation of stress-induced expression to
constitutive expression in >4,000 genes. The genes

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include the up-regulation by high salinity in inland
plant meanwhile constitutively high-expressed inmangroves and the down-regulation in inland plant
and always low-expressed in mangroves. The former
are enriched in salt stress response, while the latterare concentrated in the metabolic and development processes such as photosynthesis. We reconstructed GRNs based on time-series expression dataand identified 42 key transcription factors that may
have dominated the gene expression profile transitation. We also identified genetic changes possiblely responsible for the evolution of mangrove GRNs.
In summary, mangroves have undergone extensivechanges in gene expression profiles compared totheir inland relatives. In particular, many salt stressresponse genes have evolved from stress-type toconstitutive expression, which may be caused bychanges in the expression patterns of key genes on
GRNs. The growth-defense trade-off, investing moreenergy in denfense at the cost of growth, may be an
important strategy for mangroves to adapt to thefluctuating intertidal environments.

S.120.4 Exploring thecapacity of rare species toacclimate to environmental
changeJennifer N. Boyd1, Jenny Cruse-Sanders2,
Jill T. Anderson3, Carol Baskauf4, Jessica
Bryzski5, Annie Lindsay4, Jared Odell1, Will
Rodgers2
1 Department of Biology, Geology, and Environmental Science, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA. 2 State
Botanical Garden of Georgia, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA. 3 Department of Biology,
Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, Tennessee,
USA. 4 Department of Plant Genetics, Odum Schoolof Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia,
USA. 5 Department of Biology, Seton Hill University,
Greensburg, Pennsylvania, USA

the ability of rare species to acclimate also could
influence their current rarity and responses to environmental change, this capacity has been relatively underexplored in rare species. To compare
the capacity of rare versus common species to acclimate, we investigated the phenotypic plasticity
of individuals of rare Boechera perstellata (Braun’s
rockcress) and Pityopsis ruthii (Ruth’s golden aster)with their widespread congeners B. laevigata and
P. graminifolia propagated from seed collectedfrom several populations throughout their ranges
in controlled-environment growth chamber experiments. In contrast to our predictions that rarity
would be associated with acclimatory constraints,
both rare species exhibited phenotypic plasticity inresponse to changes in light and water availability
that were comparable or greater than that exhibited by their common congeners. However, rare species were comparably constrained in their ability toacclimate to temperature. Overall, our findings elucidate the narrow ranges and habitat specificitiesof these rare endemic species of the southeastern
USA and their vulnerability to future environmental change. To further explore the potential role ofacclimatory constraints in species rarity we offer
recommendations for field-based transplant experiments of endemic rare species such as B. perstellata and P. ruthii beyond their natural ranges.

S.120.5 Riparian forest
response to extreme
drought: what do high watertable forests reveal about
forest resilience to drought?

The enduring question of why some species arerare while others are common has important implications for the conservation of rare species andoverall biodiversity. In the context of both current
constraints to their ranges and their responses to rapid rates of contemporary environmental
change, rare species can be limited in their capacities to adapt or migrate due to low genetic diversity and/or fitness as is suggested by previous
research and our recent meta-analytic work. While374

Ana P. Portela1,2,3, João Gonçalves1,3,4,
Isabelle Durance5, Cristiana Vieira6, JoãoHonrado1,2,3
1 CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidadee Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado,
Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, Vairão,Portugal. 2 Departamento de Biologia, Faculdadede Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal. 3 BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão,Vairão, Portugal. 4 proMetheus—Research Unit inMaterials, Energy and Environment for Sustainability, Instituto Politécnico de Viana do Castelo, Viana
do Castelo, Portugal. 5 Water Research Instituteand School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, The
Sir Martin Evans Building, Cardiff, UK. 6 Museu deHistória Natural e da Ciência da Universidade do
Porto (PRISC), Porto, Portugal.

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Droughts significantly impact forest ecosystems, reducing forest health and productivity. Droughts thus
compromise key forest functions such as carbon sequestration and consequently nature-based solutions for climate change mitigation and adaptation.
Riparian forests play key roles in the functioning ofaquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. However, there
is limited understanding of the response of riparian
forests to drought. Here we investigate riparian forest drought responses and resilience to an extreme
drought event at a regional scale. Specifically, we
examined riparian forest drought response strategies and how drought event characteristics, average climate conditions, topography, soil and vegetation structure and functional composition shape
the resilience of riparian forests to drought. We used
a time series of Normalized Difference Vegetation
Index (NDVI) and Normalized Difference Water Index(NDWI) derived from Sentinel-2 satellite imagery to
calculate the resistance to and recovery after an
extreme drought (2017-2018) in 49 sites across an
Atlantic-Mediterranean climate gradient in North

Portugal. We used generalized additive models andmulti-model inference to understand which factors
explained drought responses. We found a trade-off
between drought resistance and recovery, as wellas contrasting strategies across the climatic gradient of the study area. Riparian forests in Atlanticareas showed higher resistance, while those under
Mediterranean influence showed a higher recovery
than the former. Canopy structure and climate context were the most relevant predictors of drought
response. However, three years after the extreme
drought, median NDVI and NDWI across the study
area had not returned to pre-drought levels. Our
study shows that riparian forests present trade-offs
between drought resistance and recovery and may
be susceptible to extended drought legacies associated with extreme and/or recurring droughts,
similarly to upland forests. This work highlights anunderestimated component of riparian ecosystems
vulnerability to climate change and emphasises theneed for further understanding on long-term resilience to drought.

S.121 CAREX: THE EVOLUTION OF A
MEGADIVERSE GENUS TACKLED FROMMULTIPLE APPROACHES. SESSION 2
Valencia, Spain. 6 Department of Biology and Geology, Physics and Inorganic Chemistry, Universidad
Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Spain

S.121.1 Forces driving
the divergence of Carex(Cyperaceae) lineages: therole of the biotic component
Carmen Benítez Benítez1, Pedro JiménezMejías2, Juan Antonio Calleja-Alarcón3,
María Sanz-Arnal2, Pablo Vargas4,
Francisco Lara3, Roberto Garilleti5,
Santiago Martín-Bravo2, Marcial
Escudero1, Mario Fernández-Mazuecos3,
Joaquín Calatayud6, Nagore G. Medina3
1 Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain. 2 Departmentof Molecular Biology and Biochemical Engineering, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain. 3
Department of Biology, Universidad Autónoma de
Madrid, Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain. 4 Real Jardín
Botánico de Madrid, Madrid, Spain. 5 Departmentof Botany and Geology, Universidad de Valencia,

Divergence between lineages and speciation
may be attributed to both geographic isolation
and adaptive ecological differentiation. Carexelata and C. reuteriana are two closely related
species with very similar habit and ecologicalrequirements, inhabiting river shores at medium-low altitudes, that display an allopatric distribution within the Iberian Peninsula. They conforman ideal system to study the relative importanceof geographical versus ecological factors in differentiation and speciation. We employed a multidisciplinary approach integrating abiotic, biotic and geographical factors, with genomic data
(genotyping-by-sequencing) to infer the relative role of different evolutionary drivers. Abiotic
factors were assessed based on 38 bioclimatic
variables. We characterised biotic factors using
the community of co-occurring plant species as
a proxy containing presences and absences ofvascular plant taxa (using 1536 vegetation in-

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ventories). Geographical factors were evaluatedwith a distance matrix based on geographic coordinates. We used regularized generalized linear
models to determine which variables contribute
more to explain the observed allopatric distribution pattern. Furthermore, we examined the relationships between genetic distances (from SNPs)
and abiotic environment, biotic and geographicalfactors. The genomic analysis revealed a clear
geographic structure of the taxa. Interestingly, their distributions are better predicted by thepresence of other species within their respective
communities than by abiotic or geographical factors. This suggests that biotic factors have played
an important role in the divergence of these taxa
or act as a proxy for other unaccounted ecological factors. In addition, inter-population genetic distances of each taxon are significantly associated with all aforementioned factors, albeit
with varying degrees of influence. However, biotic
distances alone explain the highest proportion ofgenetic distance variance within C. elata, whereas abiotic or geographical factors have a greater
effect in C. reuteriana. This study contributes toa deeper understanding of the evolutionary processes shaping the distribution and population
dynamics of species.

S.121.2 Is the red leaf colourof Carex (Cyperaceae) in
New Zealand an adaptation
to browsing by the extinct
moas? A study of the
dissuasive effect on herbivory
by extant ratite birds
Santiago Martín-Bravo1, Mónica Míguez1,
Diego Herrero1, Kerry Ford2, Pedro
Jiménez-Mejías1, Miquel Capó3

sidered a major force in the evolution of native vegetation, and their evolutionary legacy can still be seenin traits of different plant species. Colour-based plant
defence has been proposed as a strategy to avoid
herbivory. Genus Carex, which has a hotspot of diversity and endemicity in New Zealand, has red-leaved
species in four different lineages. Despite this is aunique feature not found elsewhere in this megadiverse cosmopolitan genus, its evolution has not been
investigated yet. In order to evaluate if red foliage
could have helped Carex to escape from herbivores,a cafeteria-type experiment was conducted in a zoo
using the moas’ closely related extant species Dromaius novaehollandiae (emu) as a proxy. We exhibited green-leaved and red-leaved morphotypes of
two Carex species (subgen. Carex, sect. Echinochlaenae) to evaluate emus’ diet preference on the different colour morphotypes. We studied different growthparameters in control and bird-exposed plants (e.g.,
dry biomass, specific leaf area, root-shoot ratio, etc),
and the interaction of birds with plants (time, pecknumber) through phototrapping, during three twoweek cafeteria presentations. Our results show thatemus clearly interacted and consumed the green
plants over the red ones, which was also evident
from several significant measured plant variables.
This suggests that red-leaved plants could be less visually attractive and/or palatable to ratite birds. Our
study supports the hypothesis that red-leaved Carex
foliage could have adaptively evolved to avoid herbivory by moas in New Zealand.

S.121.3 The genus Carex(Cyperaceae) in New
Zealand: a southernhemisphere hotspot in aboreotemperate genus

1 Botany Area, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville,
Spain. 2 Landcare Research-Manaaki Whenua, Lincoln, New Zealand. 3 Plant & Animal Ecology Lab.
Centro para la Conservación de la Biodiversidad
y el Desarrollo Sostenible, Departamento de Sistemas y Recursos Naturales. Universidad Politécnica
de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
The moas were giant flightless birds (ratites) endemic to New Zealand, where they were the largest herbivores before their rapid extinction after colonization
by maori people (c. 1440 AD). Moas’ herbivory is con-376

Kerry A. Ford1, José Ignacio MárquezCorro2,3, James McCarthy1, Pablo García
Moro2, Ana Morales Alonso2,4, María SanzArnal2, Pedro Jiménez-Mejías2, Santiago
Martín-Bravo1,2
1 Landcare Research-Manaaki Whenua, Lincoln,
New Zealand. 2 Botany Area, Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemical Engineering, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain. 3 Jodrell Laboratory, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, UK. 4
Biodiversity and Conservation Area, Department of
Biology and Geology, Physics and Inorganic Chemistry, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, SpainXX International
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Carex is a megadiverse genus with about 2000
species of cosmopolitan distribution, which isespecially diversified in temperate and cold regions of the Northern Hemisphere. In New Zealand, however, it is remarkably the second largest angiosperm genus with 115 native species (c.
85% endemic), but its study has received comparatively little attention. We provide a general revision of the natural history of Carex in New
Zealand, including systematic, biogeographic,
ecological, morphological and evolutionary aspects. In the context of the latest dated phylogeny of Carex, New Zealand has been recurrently
colonized by multiple lineages via long distancedispersal. Time of colonization seems to have astrong influence in the extent of lineage diversification, probably as a result of more ecologicalopportunity for diversification for earlier arriving
lineages. Two lineages (sects. Echinochlaenaeand Uncinia) which concentrate most species diversity (>70%) could have undergone evolutionary radiation processes, which is in agreementwith molecular evidence, wide ecological andmorphological diversity, and relatively uniform
chromosome numbers. A wide array of disjunction patterns is revealed by the distribution of
non-endemic taxa. On the other hand, restricted endemics shed light on putatively important
areas for Carex speciation. Some morphologicalfeatures are remarkable, including the uniquepresence of red-leaved species in four different
lineages, a feature that could have evolved as apossible adaptation to escape herbivory by theextinct moas. Our revision remarks the extraordinary multidisciplinary interest of the study of New
Zealand Carex and paves the road for future specific research on this group.

S.121.4 Population genomics
and phylogeography insedges: speciation, niche
evolution and landscapegenomics of Carex gr. furva

era among angiosperms. Previous studies, basedon morphological and molecular data (plastid
DNA regions and RADseq) from 10 populations
across the Iberian Peninsula, recognised two different species within C. furva complex: C. furva
and C. lucennoiberica. Carex lucennoiberica is a
species endemic to high siliceous mountains in
the Iberian Peninsula. In contrast, C. furva is only
distributed in Sierra Nevada, a high Mediterranean mountain in Southern Spain. Both species
only co-occur in Sierra Nevada, which is an excellent area to study genetic divergence and local
adaptation in the presence of hybridization. Here,
we aim to (i) verify the split of both species bymeans of phylogenomic analyses performed byRADseq markers and using morphological characters measurements, (ii) study the niche evolution of both species, with special focus in Sierra
Nevada using dataloggers (Ibutton®) to record
temperature data across their distribution in Sierra Nevada and (iii) correlate fine scale RADseq
loci of this group with temperature records andmicroclimate layers. Morphological and molecular data suggests two main groups in Sierra
Nevada, corresponding to C. furva and C. lucennoiberica, but also intermediate individuals arefound, evidencing gene flow between species.
Our results allow us to conclude that there are
not significant climatic niche differences between C. furva and C. lucennoiberica populations
but there are some other microhabitat differences. Finally, our preliminary landscape genomic
results suggest that there is evidence of local adaptation in this group.

S.121.5 Carex sect.
Racemosae (Cyperaceae):
Insights into diversificationand systematics of ataxonomically challenging
group

Ana Valdés-Florido1, Enrique Maguilla2,
Juan Arroyo1, Marcial Escudero1
1 University of Seville, Seville, Spain. 2 Pablo de Olavide University, Seville, Spain
The genus Carex L. (Cyperaceae), with about
2,000 species, is one of the most diversified gen-377

Sebastian Gebauer1, Pedro JiménezMejías2, Mohammad Amini Rad3, Carmen
Benítez Benítez4, Asunción Cano5, KyongSook Chung6, Bernhard W. Dickoré7,
Marcial Escudero4, Adrien Favre8, Andrew
L. Hipp9,10, Takuji Hoshino11, Xiao-Feng
Jin12, Sangtae Kim13, Chun-Kuei Liao14,

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Santiago Martín-Bravo2, Tomomi Masaki15,
Ana Morales Alonso16, Mónica Míguez4,
Georg Miehe17, Anton A. Reznicek18,
Eric H. Roalson19, Julian R. Starr20, Irina
Shekhovtsova21, Polina A. Volkova22,
Marcia J. Waterway23, Martin Röser1,
Matthias H. Hoffmann1
1 Department of Systematic Botany, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Geobotany and
Botanical Garden, Halle (Saale), Germany. 2 Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemical
Engineering, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville,
Spain. 3 Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Agricultural Research, Education, and Extension Organization, Tehran, Iran. 4 Department
of Plant Biology and Ecology, Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain. 5 Natural History Museum andBiological Sciences Faculty, Universidad Nacional
Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Peru. 6 Department ofMedicinal Plant Science, Jungwon University, Goesan, South Korea. 7 Department of Vascular Plants,
Botanische Staatssammlung München & Systematic Botany and Mycology, University of München,
München, Germany. 8 Parc naturel régional de laVallée de Trient, Salvan, Switzerland. 9 The Morton
Arboretum, Lisle, USA. 10 The Field Museum, Chicago, USA. 11 Department of Biosphere-Geosphere
Science, Faculty of Biosphere-Geosphere Science,
Okayama University of Science, Okayama, Japan.
12 Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Forest Aromatic Plants-based Healthcare Functions andSchool of Forestry and Biotechnology, Zhejiang A&F
University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China. 13 Department of Biology, Sungshin University, Seoul, South
Korea. 14 Lioukuei Research Center, Taiwan Forestry Research Institute, Kaohsiung County, Taiwan.
15 Nature Fieldwork Center, Okayama University of
Science, Okayama, Japan. 16 Biodiversity and Conservation Area, Department of Biology and Geology, Physics and Inorganic Chemistry, Universidad
Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Spain. 17 Department ofGeography, Vegetation Geography, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany. 18 Universityof Michigan Herbarium, Ann Abor, USA. 19 School of
Biological Sciences, Washington State University,
Pullman, USA. 20 Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada. 21 Central Siberian
Botanical Garden SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia. 22
Papanin Institute for Biology of Inland Waters RAS,
Borok, Russia. 23 Plant Science Department, McGill
University, Quebec, Canada

species sampling thanks to a global collaborative effort, including field campaigns and herbarium work
as well as ongoing taxonomic revisions in Eurasia andthe Neotropics, Divergence-time estimation and multispecies coalescent (MSC) analyses were conducted
on a multi-accession Sanger-sequencing dataset (i.e.,
multiple samples per species) using nuclear (ITS, ETS)
and plastid (rps16, trnK–matK, trnL–trnF) DNA regions(ca. 6,000 bp). Biogeographic analyses suggest a Late
Miocene (c. 10 Myr) origin within the forest and mountain-steppe belts of the Northern Hemisphere, followed
by several, partly trans-continental range expansions,mainly during the early diversification process (10–5
Myr). A trans-Cordilleran disjunction is also evident.
Overall patterns highlight the importance of Central
Asia and Western North America for the group’s diversification. Obtained clades are more congruent withbiogeographic rather than by morphological patterns.
Diversification rate analyses showed an unexpected,
continuous and uniform slowdown in diversification
rates across all major clades, suggesting niche conservatism coupled with niche filling. Finally, several taxonomic and nomenclatural changes are suggested,i.e., some regional taxa previously placed in synonymy
of other widespread species require revalidation (e.g.,
C. apodostachya) or remain “orphan species” with noclear assignment to any specific clade (e.g., C. serreana). In conclusion, our collaborative study provides
fundamental insights into the evolutionary dynamics
of a significant high mountain plant group and lays
the groundwork for a comprehensive global revisionof Carex sect. Racemosae.

S.121.6 Carex phylogenomics(Cyperaceae) and MADSbox gene evolution

The mainly arctic-alpine Carex sect. Racemosae (>60
spp.) constitutes one of the larger, yet taxonomically most challenging groups within the megadiverse
genus Carex. Previous molecular studies have been
limited by incomplete sampling and have failed todisentangle the taxonomic delimitation and phylogenetic placement of several controversial, doubtful,or rare species. We achieved a more or less complete

378

Sangtae Kim1, Se-Eun Jung1, Seungyeon
Lee1, Bora Lee1, Yanghoon Cho2, Tamara
Villaverde3, Pedro Jiménez-Mejías4, Étienne
Léveillé-Bourret5, Carmen Benítez Benítez6,
Bruce A. Ford7, Julian R. Starr8, Bishnu
Adhikari9, Sangchul Choi1, Sungsik Kong10
1 Department of Biology, Sungshin Women’s University, Seoul, South Korea. 2 Uri Plant ResearchInstitute, Kwangju, South Korea. 3 Departmentof Biology and Geology, Physics and Inorganic Chemistry, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos,
Móstoles, Madrid, Spain. 4 Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemical Engineering,
Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain. 5
Institut de recherche en biologie végétale andXX International
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Département de sciences biologiques, Universitéde Montréal, Montréal, Canada. 6 Department ofPlant Biology and Ecology, Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain. 7 Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. 8 Department of Biology, Universityof Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. 9 Department of Biological Sciences, Univ. of Alabama, USA. 10 The
Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of
Wisconsin-Madison, USA
With around 2,000 species, Carex (Cyperaceae) is thesecond-largest genus of monocots. Its great diversity
means that extensive taxonomic sampling and genome-scale sequence data are necessary to unravelits detailed evolutionary history and evaluate its newly proposed infrageneric classification. In this study,
we estimated both nuclear and plastid phylogenetic
trees based on genome-scale data, incorporating
152 representative taxa. We recovered 490 single-copy nuclear gene loci using Carex-specific probes
through the Hyb-Seq technique and sequenced 71
coding plastid genes through genome skimming. Results showed that four of the six subgenera proposedin the new classification system were highly supported (bootstrap support ≥ 95%) in nuclear and plastid

trees. However, their positions in the plastid and nuclear trees differed for many taxa or clades, suggestinga putative hybrid origin, which was assessed by HyDeand GHDet analyses. We also obtained high-quality
genome sequences from five Carex species (C. siderosticta, C. paxii, C. dickinsii, C. breviculmis, and C.
capricornis) and analyzed them with two previously
reported Carex genomes and representatives of other
Poales lineages. The genome sequences from Amborella trichopoda, Oryza sativa, and Arabidopsis thaliana were employed as references to detect MADSbox genes in Carex. The maximum-likelihood tree,
constructed using an amino-acid-aligned DNA matrix, showed unique duplication and deletion events inthe evolutionary history of MADS-box genes in Carex.
Furthermore, we generated transcriptomes for eachfloral organ from two Carex species and comparedthem with those from Arabidopsis and rice. Our findings 1) highlight conflicting phylogenetic relationships
among some subgroups, possibly due to the different
evolutionary histories of plastid and nuclear genomes,
and 2) shed light on floral structure and genome evolution in Carex.

S.122 SOLANACEAE: BIOLOGY, SYSTEMATICSAND EVOLUTION. SESSION 2
S.122.1 Untangling the
web of Solanum sections
Herpystichum and Pteroidea
Tepe, Eric1, Jacob Bryant1
1 Department of Biological Sciences, University ofCincinnati, Cincinnati, USA.
Solanum sections Herpystichum and Pteroidea aresmall sections of ten species each within the Potato
Clade of the enormous genus Solanum. Both sections
range from Central America to the central Andes andare heterogeneous groups of species that include
herbs and vines, and species with simple and compound leaves. Pteroidea is defined by inflorescences inan axillary position, unifoliate sympodial units, and rugose, conical fruits in most species. This combinationof characters is unique in Solanum and lends support
to the monophyly of Pteroidea. Herpystichum, on theother hand, is more heterogeneous, but can be characterized by onion-shaped floral buds and distinctly
flattened fruits in some species. Phylogenetic analyses

based on nuclear and plastid markers have shownthat the two sections form a strongly supported clade,but an understanding of the relationship between thesections has remained elusive. Analysis of concatenated data supports the two sections as reciprocallymonophyletic, or with Pteroidea nested within Herpystichum. Similarly, analysis of individual markers recovers
Pteroidea as sister, in a polytomy with, or nested within
Herpystichum. Our analyses of both nuclear and plastid
markers, as well as nearly complete plastid sequence
data suggest frequent shifts in leaf complexity in theentire clade and a single origin of sect. Pteroidea. Origins of the flattened fruits of Herpystichum, as well as
the monophyly of the section itself, remain enigmatic.
The additional data, however, reinforce the previous
findings that the widespread species, S. anceps and S.
mite are not monophyletic, and both morphology andmolecular data suggest that there is at least one undescribed species in sect. Pteroidea. Additional sequence
data using ddRAD-seq is underway, which may provide
additional insights into the evolution and relationships
among these groups.

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S.122.2 Communities pulling
together for 21st century
taxonomy: the Solanum(Solanaceae) story
Knapp Sandra1
1 Natural History Museum, London, UK.
There are only a handful of genera of angiosperms withmore than 1,000 species, and they are often left aside
by botanists studying plant diversity. Their sheer size
frightens us away from beginning to tackle them; they
don’t fit into a three- or five- year funding cycle, andmaking progress, let alone finding a way to begin, canbe daunting. But what if we looked at working together
in different ways? Not as lone taxonomists working ona group but as a collective – let’s call it a “meta-lab”
where different sets of people come together for different types of analysis, all with the goal of understanding
something a single botanist could never do in a lifetime.
Solanum is one such giant genus, with more than 1,400
currently recognised species distributed on all continents but Antarctica. Solanum was last treated as awhole on a global basis in the 19th century; we know a
lot more today about both species diversity and relationships. I describe how the Solanum “meta-lab” hasapproached working on such a monster and show
how the community approach facilitates significant
progress in taxonomy, phylogeny and the productionof identification tools; I l also discuss some of our recent
advances and where we are going next.

S.122.3 Distinct assembly
patterns of Solanum:
insights from the globe andAustralia

sured the diversity and endemism patterns of Solanum all over the world and using Australia as an
example of the regional scale for its diverse species richness and insular geographical property.
Around the globe, we found that Central America
to South America has the highest species richness,
species endemism, phylogenetic diversity, andphylogenetic endemism, whereas Australia has thesecond highest diversity and endemsim, especiallyin its eastern coast. The distributions of neo- andpaleo- endemism centers are generally congruent with the local volcanic activities and orogenic movements. Within Australia, the hotspots were
distributed mainly in the tropical or temperate forests and grasslands and generally congruent withthe vegetation types. Based on the clustering analyses, we further identified a certain linkage among
Africa, Asia, and Australia, especially the clustering in Asia-Australia showing a pattern of multiple
clusters in Philippines and Indonesia, suggestingthat Solanum in tropical Asia possibly have multiple origins. By investigating the diversity patternsof Solanum through global to regional scale, ourstudy suggests that diversity patterns of Solanumat the global scale are more likely shaped by the
local orogenic movements, while those at regional
scale (e.g., Australia) are more likely affected by thevegetation heterogeneity. The possible connection
among Africa, Asia, and Australia was figured out tohelp to reveal the complex and controversial origin
of Asian Solanum.

S.122.4 Functional andecological diversificationof underground organs in
Solanum
Edeline Gagnon1,2,3, Ludwig Baldaszti2,4,Peter Moonlight5, Sandra Knapp6,
Caroline E.R. Lehmann2,4, Tiina Särkinen2

Ang Li1, Tiina Särkinen2, Brent D. Mishler3,
Li-Min Lu1, Yun-Feng Li1, Dan-Xiao Peng1,
Hai-Hua Hu1, Zhi-Duan Chen1

1 Department of Integrative Biology, University ofGuelph, Guelph, ON, Canada. 2 Tropical Diversity Section, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK. 3 TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical
University of Munich, Freising, Germany. 4 School of
GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh,
UK. 5 Botany, School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland. 6 Natural History Museum, London, UK.

1 Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences,
Beijing, China. 2 Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, UK.
3 University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
Solanum (Solanaceae) is one of the largest genera of angiosperms (containing more than 1,000
species) with worldwide distribution and great
economic importance. However, few studies havebeen conducted on the global and continental
distribution patterns of the genus. We here mea-

The evolution of geophytes in response to different environmental stressors is poorly understoodlargely due to the great morphological variation in380

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underground plant organs, which includes species
with rhizomatous structures or underground storage
organs (USOs). Here we compare the evolution andecological niche patterns of different geophytic organs in Solanum L., classified based on a functional
definition and using a clade-based approach withan expert-verified specimen occurrence dataset.
Results from PERMANOVA and Phylogenetic ANOVAs
indicate that geophytic species occupy drier areas,
with rhizomatous species found in the hottest areas
whereas species with USOs are restricted to cooler
areas in the montane tropics. In addition, rhizomatous species appear to be adapted to fire-driven
disturbance, in contrast to species with USOs thatappear to be adapted to prolonged climatic disturbance such as unfavorable growing conditions due
to drought and cold. We also show that the evolutionof rhizome-like structures leads to changes in therelationship between range size and niche breadth.
Ancestral state reconstruction shows that in Solanum rhizomatous species are evolutionarily morelabile compared to species with USOs. Our results
suggest that underground organs enable plants toshift their niches towards distinct extreme environmental conditions and have different evolutionary
constraints.

group (e.g., Costa Rica, Africa and Asia), but a set ofpoorly understood species complexes remain in thetropical Andes especially that have been used as adumping ground for complex morphological variation that may represent several distinct species.
This talk presents a taxonomic overview of the Torva
clade in the Andes. Based on a detailed morphological study of herbarium specimens, fieldwork, andnomenclatural revision, we recognise 36 species of
the Torva clade in the Andes, of which 7 species are
new and 5 are newly resurrected. The clade is mostdiverse in Peru where 21 species are found. Reassessment of the morphological traits reveals thattrichome structure on stem, leaves and flowers is
key to species delimitation. Other key characters include floral bud shape, calyx lobe shape, and corolla
shape. The morphological species concepts will now
be tested using target capture bait sequence data.

S.122.5 Taming a monster:taxonomic revision of theTorva clade of Solanum(Solanaceae) in the Andes

Leandro Giacomin1, Juan David Tovar D.2,
Tiina Särkinen3, Sandra Knapp4, Thiago
André5, Clarisse Palma-Silva6, Edeline
Gagnon7

Briggitthe Melchor-Castro
Knapp4, Tiina Särkinen1

S.122.6 Moving forward on
Solanum (Solanaceae)
systematics: phylogenomic
insights from unarmed
lineages

1 Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa, Brazil 2 Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da
Amazônia, Manaus, Brazil. 3 Royal Botanic Garden
Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK. 4 Natural History Museum,London, UK. 5 Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, Brazil. 6 Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, Brazil. 7 University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada, Sandra

1,2,3

1 Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK. 2
University of Edinburgh, Old College, South Bridge,
Edinburgh, UK. 3 Departamento de Etnobotánica yBotánica Económica del Museo de Historia Naturalde la Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos,
Jesús María, Lima, Perú. 4 Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK.
One third of Solanum species remain to be taxonomically revised (~250 of the total 1,200 species).
The unrevised species are focused in five clades
mostly Neotropical clades with highly plastic leaf
morphology and indumentum that is difficult to understand without field observations, large number of
specimens, and access to microscopic details. Oneof these clades is the Torva clade with ca. 68 species
and 269 names and which includes the pea eggplant (S. torvum) used for its edible fruits. Regional accounts have helped to clarify taxonomy of the

Building robust phylogenetic frameworks is the basis topose any evolutionary question. Nevertheless, understanding relationships among taxa can also benefit
society in many other ways, for example, in crop improvement. The economically important genus Solanum (Solanaceae) has had significant advances on its
systematics in the past decades, where recent works
have revealed strong incongruence among phylogenomic datasets and reticulate diversification in deep
nodes. We present genomic insights from two unarmed
lineages of the genus (clades Brevantherum and Geminata). These lineages together represent >20% of species diversity in Solanum. We generated target capture
data (353 Angiosperm bait set) for 140 species and retrieved these regions from publicly available genome381

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skimming data from another 5 species. Our results
show that the 353 bait set can be useful to resolve relationships within genera, but more variable regions aredesired for recently diversified lineages like Geminata.
The heterogeneous length of recovered target regions
seems to influence the support of recovered clades
and, as this heterogeneity is related to DNA quality andsample preservation, it might remain as a challenge to
any speciose group. Incongruences were found within
the 353 bait set alone, and we argue a gene genealo-

gy interrogation method should be employed in thesecases. Capturing 353 targeted regions from genome
skimming data yielded satisfactory amounts of data
for these lineages, and it is a promising approach tocompare different datasets and reduce bench work
time related to sequence capture. We conclude that
universal probe sets such as the 353 can be useful for
big genera like Solanum, considering specific baits canbe less cost-effective.

S.123 EVOLUTION OF KEY INNOVATIONS IN
LAND PLANTS REVEALED THROUGH THE LENS
OF EVODEVO. SESSION 3
S.123.1 Genetic
underpinnings of growth
regulation, floweringand floral organ identity
in the holoparasitic
Apodanthaceae
Natalia Pabón-Mora1, Angie D. González2,
Andrea Ramírez-Ramírez1, Juan F. Alzate3,
4, Elena M. Kramer5, Charles C. Davies5,
Jeff P. Mower6, Favio González7
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—CNSG, Sede de Investigación Universitaria—SIU, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia. 4 Grupo de Parasitología,
Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia,
Medellín, Colombia. 5 Department of Organismic
and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, USA. 6 Center for Plant Science Innovation,
University of Nebraska, Lincoln, USA. 7 Universidad
Nacional de Colombia, Facultad de Ciencias, Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Bogotá, Colombia
Plant-plant parasitism has independently evolved 12
times in angiosperms. The ca. 4750 parasitic plants
constitute only 2% of all angiosperm diversity; however, they exhibit some of the most outstanding genome reductions and extraordinary modifications interms of development, structural adaptations, andreproductive strategies. The most dramatic devel-

opmental reductions occur in the endoholoparasites, which grow completely inside of their hosts asparenchymatic cells, lack typical roots, shoots andleaves, and become visible only through emerging flowers and fruits. We have focused on documenting the atypical developmental transitions
occurring in the Apodanthaceae, specifically in the
Salicaceae parasite Apodanthes and the Fabaceae parasite Pilostyles. These plants have no root
(RAM) or shoot (SAM) apical meristems; however,flowers initiate in contact to the host vascular tissue, completely inside the host, and emerge having
completed organogenesis. Using comparative genomics, we are currently characterizing plastome
reduction and are documenting extensive horizontal gene transfer in the mitogenomes. Using comparative transcriptomics (derived from the host, theparasite, and mixed tissues), we have addressed
the mechanisms through which Pilostyles maintains
stem cells in the absence of primary meristems, thesignals perceived for reproductive transitions in theabsence of typical photoperiod sensing leaves, andthe endogenous capacity for organogenesis in thedark, fully embedded inside of the host. We present data on: 1) the substantial reduction in the SAMs
genetic machinery; 2) the regulation of cell division
during the endophytic phase until the completion of
flower development, 3) potential recruitment of hostflowering regulators by the holoparasites; and 4) expression analyses of endogenous LEAFY and MADSbox floral organ identity homologs in these atypicalflowering plants. We discuss our results in comparison with emerging developmental data from other holoparasitic plants to determine convergent
mechanisms in the evolution of parasitism.

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S.123.2 How do ectopic
cambia form? A case study
from the legume familyular evolution of conserved genes related to vascular development (WOX4, CLE41, PXY, ER) to test
for signatures of selection, gene duplication, andpseudogenization in lineages with and without
successive cambia.

Israel L. Cunha Neto1, Anthony Snead2,
Jacob B. Landis3, Chelsea D. Specht3,
Joyce G. Onyenedum1
1 Department of Environmental Studies, New York
University, New York, USA. 2 Department of Biology, New York University, New York, USA. 3 Section of
Plant Biology and the L.H. Bailey Hortorium, Cornell
University, Ithaca, USA
Secondary growth is a remarkable evolutionary
innovation in vascular plants, representing a developmental process through which plants increase in thickness. Typically, secondary growth
generates a core secondary xylem (wood) surrounded by a sheath of secondary phloem (inner bark), and this pattern is achieved through adelicate balance between cell initiation, proliferation, differentiation, and programmed cell death– all governed by a single stem-cell region called
the vascular cambium. Thousands of seed plants
share this conserved mode of radial growth, whichis regulated by a common set of conserved genes.
However, this typical modality of vascular radial growth has been disrupted in several lineagesof gymnosperms and angiosperms that containalternative vascular developmental pathways
called ‘vascular variants’. In certain lineages, thepresence of vascular variants becomes especiallyintriguing when the stem produces supplementary vascular cambia in unconventional locations,in addition to the initially formed original vascular cambium. This phenomenon is called ectopic cambia and generates distinct anatomicalpatterns, most commonly ‘successive cambia’where concentric rings of cambium and its products encircle the stem/root. This process results inthe development of stems or roots with multiple
cambia. In this study, we investigate the evolution and development of ectopic cambia, with aparticular focus on the Fabaceae. By comparing
Phaseolus vulgaris (typical secondary growth) to
Wisteria floribunda (ectopic cambia), we combine anatomy with comparative transcriptomes
to elucidate the developmental and molecularmechanisms underlying successive cambia formation. We generated seventeen transcriptomes
to explore variations in gene expression within andbetween species, focusing on both typical andectopic cambia. Moreover, we explore the molec-

S.123.3 Comparative single
nuclei sequencing of themonocot gynoecium reveal
candidate genes underlying
septal nectary development
in banana
Irene T. Liao1, Lena C. Hileman2, Karen E.
Sears1,3, Lachezar A. Nikolov4
1 Department of Molecular, Cell, and Development
Biology, University of California – Los Angeles, Los
Angeles, CA. 2. Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS.
3 Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology,
University of California – Los Angeles, Los Angeles,
CA. 4. Department of Biology, Indiana University,
Bloomington, IN
Nectary function is central to many important ecological interactions. Across flowering plants, nectaries are diverse in positional location and morphology, yet few have used genomic approaches
to examine how nectaries develop. Most monocot
flowers form septal nectaries, which are located on
the margins between the three fused carpels thatcomprise the gynoecium. While key transcription
factors underlying nectary development in eudicots
have been characterized, the genes driving monocot nectary development are virtually unknown. Asa first step to identifying candidate genes, we areusing single nuclei RNA sequencing to obtain celltype specific expression profiles. We isolated andsequenced banana (Musa “Ice Cream”) nuclei fromtwo sets of tissues—one region enriched in nectary
cells at the top of gynoecium (the “top”) and theother that lacks nectary cells at the base of the gynoecium (the “base”)—and asparagus (Asparagus
officinalis) nuclei from whole gynoecia. We identified putative nectary cell clusters and genes, anda number of candidate genes will be spatially validated with fluorescence in-situ hybridization. These
analyses will determine whether both species share
a common core set of genes for nectary development. Results from this study will form the foundation for understanding how nectaries have beenconserved in monocots.

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S.123.4 A BLADE-ON-PETIOLE
orthologue regulates
corolla differentiation in theproximal region in Torenia
fournieri

S.123.5 How do neotropicalorchids bloom? acomparative transcriptomic
approach in orchids withdifferent habits and storage
organsShihao Su1, Xuan Zhou1, Tetsuya
Higashiyama2

Yesenia Madrigal1, Michael Scanlon2,
Marian Bemer3, Juan F. Alzate4, Natalia
Pabón-Mora1

1 School of Agriculture, Sun Yat-sen University,
Shenzhen, China. 2 Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Tokyo, JapanThe three-dimensional shape of a flower is integrated by morphogenesis along different independent axes. Differentiation along the petal
proximodistal axis is tightly linked to the specification of pollinators; however, it is still unclear
how a petal patterns its proximodistal axis. The
corolla of Torenia fournieri, exhibits strong differentiation along the proximodistal axis, including
a distal petal lobe region, an intermediate corolla tube, and a proximal corolla neck region
that is controlled by an ALOG family homologue,
TfALOG3. In this study, we report a floral-specific BOP gene, TfBOP2, which is predominantly
expressed in the proximal region of the corolla.
CRISPR knockout mutants of TfBOP2 have shorter
proximal corolla tubes and longer distal lobe regions, with ectopic growth of conical cells in thefusion boundaries of the corolla tube, consistent
with its expression pattern as a proximal regulator. Mutants of BOP homologues in Arabidopsis
thaliana also show developmental defects in thepetal proximal region, favouring a shared role of
BOPs among different species. Genetic analysis
demonstrates the interaction between TfBOP2
and TfALOG3 in the control of corolla proximodistal differentiation since double mutants have theshortest proximal corolla tubes while exhibiting
normal boundary fusion. We further found that
TfALOG3 physically interacts with TfBOP2 and canrecruit TfBOP2 to the nuclear region, indicating its
possible function as a complex. Our study favours
a hypothetical shared BOP-ALOG complex acrossthe core eudicots that is recruited to regulate corolla differentiation in the proximal region axis ofT. fournieri.

1 Instituto de Biología, Universidad de Antioquia,
Medellín, Colombia. 2 School of Integrative Plant
Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, US. 3 Plant Developmental Systems, Wageningen University andResearch, Wageningen, the Netherlands. 4 Centro
Nacional de Secuenciación Genómica, SIU, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
Flowering in angiosperms occurs when vegetative meristems (VM) that form leaves become
inflorescence meristems (IM) that form bracts
and flowers. This process has been comprehensively studied in monocots, such as Oryza sativa, where the genetic regulatory network (GRN)
includes promoter genes such as FT, COL and
FUL that activate floral meristem identity genes.
There are also repressors involved in the maintenance of vegetative phases that include TFL1 and
AGL24/SVP, in addition to FLC and VRN2 that areimportant in response to cold. In contrast, little is
known about how flowering is genetically controlled in neotropical orchids with different habitsthat colonize different micro-niches and respondto subtle environmental changes. We performed
an exhaustive analysis of the morpho-anatomical and transcriptomic changes from VM to IM
in three orchids: Epidendrum fimbriatum (miniature terrestrial), Cattleya trianae (epiphytic withstorage organs), and Elleanthus aurantiacus(a big size terrestrial). Our RNAseq results showa higher proportion of differentially expressed
genes (DEGs) involved in flowering in terrestrial
species compared to epiphytic taxa. Conversely, a greater number of genes related to the metabolism of sugars and lipids was found in theepiphytic species. The most important floweringtranscription factors within the DEGs include thepromoters FT2A, FD2A, FUL1B/1A, SOC1La, LFY andthe repressors COL4A/4B, SVP2A, GHD7, AP2 andTFL1. We validated our results using spatiotemporal expression by ISH and by protein-protein interaction using Y2H. We found important differ-384

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ences between the flowering GRN in orchids andmodel crops in the Poaceae: 1) high duplication
rates for flower integrators in orchids but a low
percentage of transcriptionally active homologs;2) the retention of canonical flowering integra-

tors, at the expense of low expression, loss of key
protein interactions, and possibly pseudogenization of some homologs; and 3) changes in transcriptomic profiles in different orchids according
to their morphological adaptations and habits.

S.124 ETHNOBOTANY AND CONSERVATION OF
MEDICINAL PLANTS. SESSION 3
S.124.1 Medicinal plants
profile of the Mapulana
people of Ehlanzeni Districtin Mpumalanga Province,
South Africa

S.124.2 Ethnobotanical
Exploration: Assessing
antifeedant andphytochemical propertiesof selected plants against
Spodoptera frugiperda

Shalom P. Mashile1, Milingoni P.
Tshisikhawe1, Ndivhaleni A. Masevhe1

K.C. Shilaluke, D.T Ndinteh, A. Moteetee

1 Department of Biological Sciences, University of
Venda, Thohoyandou, South Africa

University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South
AfricaSouth African government has declared publichealth care free for all citizens. Traditional medicine is preferred as supplement to avoid challenges
faced by the public health care system; most people rely on both health-care systems. A semi-structured questionnaire was administered to participants who included elderly people, community
adults and youths. Data was analysed by calculating the use value and informants’ consensus factor.
The study revealed that the elderly are custodians of
traditional medicine. Hundred and six plant species
were identified in treatment of 50 different ailments.
The recorded medicinal plant species were distributed amongst 55 plant families with Fabaceae(20%), Crassulaceae (5%) and Cucurbitaceae (5%)
as dominating families. Plant parts such as roots(48%), leaves (26%) and barks (15%) were collectedfrom herbs (45%), trees (37%) and shrubs (18%). Aloe
zebrina (0.38), Aloe marlothii (0.29), Sclerocarya birrea subsp. caffra (0.28) and Siphonochilus aethiopicus (0.28) use values were the highest. Gonorrhea(1.80), stomach cleansing (1.40) chicken diseases(1.19), bad luck (0.88), flu (0.84), and diarrhea (0.80)
received the highest informants’ consensus factor(ICF). Plant species with low use value and ICF were
known by the elder and few community adults.

Environmental and health hazards linked to synthetic pesticides have prompted a growing interest inbotanical insecticides as safer and environmentallyfriendly alternatives for controlling insect pests in agriculture. Following the historical utilization of plants
in folk remedies and their continued application indiverse communities, this study explores the insecticidal potential of nine traditionally recognized plants
as insecticides against the Spodoptera frugiperda
larvae. The feeding deterrence activity of methanol
and hexane extracts was evaluated using a choicetest bioassay where maize leaves were used as test
food. Podalyria sericea and Cassytha ciliolata hexane extracts were the most toxic to the larvae, with
LC50 values of 0.779 and 0.993 mg/ml, respectively,
as compared to the methanol extracts LC50 valuesof 1.853 and 1.461 mg/ml, respectively. Subsequently, the most efficient insecticidal extracts underwent
further chemical analysis for compound isolation,
purification, and structural elucidation of secondary
metabolites. The efficacy of the isolated compoundswith insecticidal activity will be evaluated and compared with synthetic insecticides, paving the way for
a comprehensive assessment of their potential use
as sustainable alternatives in pest management.

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S.124.3 Phase 5: Status of
ethnobiology and study
perspectives in Albania
Ani Bajrami1, Anyla Saraci2, Besnik
Rexhepi3, Robert Damo4
1 Museum of Natural Sciences “Sabiha Kasimati”, University of Tirana, Tirana, Albania. 2 Department of Language and Literature, “Fan S. Noli”
University, Korce, Albania. 3 Department of Biology, University of Tetova, Tetova, Republic of North
Macedonia. 4 Department of Agronomy, “Fan S.
Noli” University, Albania
The science of ethnobiology has been influenced bytheories and methods belonging to various scientificdisciplines, giving it an interdisciplinary nature. In thisarticle, we address the main trends and new directions in ethnobiology, focusing on the contribution ofevolutionary theories that have altered the conceptual and interpretative framework of ethnobiology
today. Additionally, we outline the main phases of
ethnobiology in Albania, with a focus on ethnobotany, from its beginnings to the present day. From here
on, in accordance with the theoretical developmentof contemporary ethnobiology in Europe and theUSA, we attempt to create a local research framework and explore the ways in which ethnobiologicalstudies may develop in the future in Albania.

S.124.4 In vitro culture andhairy root induction in
Solanum virginianum: animportant component of‘Dashamoola’ an ayurvedic
multi-ingred

in these formulations and therefore, there is a needto develop an efficient protocol for in vitro multiplication of this species so that roots can be obtainedon a large scale within a short time span. Accordingly, we standardized the in vitro protocol for thisspecies using nodal explants. MS (Murashige andSkoog) medium supplemented with different concentrations and combinations of cytokinins wasused for shoot initiation. MS supplemented with 0.75
mg l-1 BA ideally yielded 31.7±1.33 shoots/explant(p<0.05) with a response of 95%. Combination of BA(0.75 mg l-1) and TDZ (1 mg l-1) produced the highest
number of shoots (63.91±5.19 shoots/explant) with90% response. Subculturing the shoots on different
concentrations of BA led to 100% shoot multiplication
with an average shoot number of 26.25±1.31 shoots/
explant and average shoot length 4.43±0.26 cm. MS
augmented with IBA (2.5 mg l-1) and IAA (1.5 mg l-1)
was used for in vitro rooting of shoots that yielded
26.83±1.27 roots/shoot with 92% rooting response
and the average root length 6.25±0.33 cm. Agrobacterium rhizogenes mediated hairy root induction
was successfully done in leaf and stem explants ofS. virginianum using ATCC 15834 strain. The transformation was confirmed by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). Initiation of hairy roots from both leaf andstem explants was recorded but in varied frequencies (leaf 37.77%, 5.88±0.22 hairy roots/explant andstem-21.33% with 3.18±0.29 hairy roots/ explant). Proliferative growth of hairy roots was achieved in the
9th passage (188.94±3.65 hairy roots/leaf explant)
and in 6th passage (115.77±6.62 hairy roots/stem explant).

S.124.5 The bitter chemicals
in the tip shoots of Bambusa
oldhamii Munro (Green
bamboo)Charushila M. Dalavi1, Jalaja Naravula2,
P.B. Kavi Kishor3, Pratik S. Kamble1,
Swaroopa A. Patil1

Jiao, Yulian
Zhejiang Institute of Subtropical Crops, Zhejiang
Academy of Agricultural Sciences

1 Shivaji University, Kolhapur, India 2 Vignan’s Foundation for Science, Technology and Research(Deemed to be University), Guntur, India 3 Osmania
University, Hyderabad, India
Solanum virginianum L. (Solanaceae) is one among
the Dashamoola group of plants used in Ayurveda.
Dasmul Asava and Dasmularishta are well known
ayurvedic formulation used as analgesic and anti-inflammatory. The roots of S. virginianum are used

When the young bamboo shoots of Bambusa oldhamii have their best taste, they are rich in nutrition
and widely used in traditional Chinese cuisines. But
the shoots erupted out of the soil surface with sunlight for several days, the flavor would be changed
to a little bitterness in the tip shoot which would decrease the price in the market.&nbsp; Our research
was aimed at mining out the bitter chemicals thatwould influence the bitter flavor when the shoot of386

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green bamboo grew from underground to above
ground. In our previous research based on threedeveloping bamboo shoot phases, we mined several bitter chemicals counting for the flavor transformation, such as Solanidine, Amygdalin, Salicin, Arbutin, and others from metabolome data, and the AP2/
ERF transcription factor family and the pathway of
Biosynthesis of phenylpropanoids might play a keyrole in the biological process based on the correlation analysis with gene expression data corresponded with each phases.
To explain the biologicalquestion more comprehensively and with multiple
perspectives, the design and experiment proposal
was improved. The shoot development phases ofBambusa oldhamii were extended to seven phases,

and the transcriptome data was assembled basedon the genome reference, moreover, the detectionof the metabolites has a different method, finally,
we mined more than 30 bitter chemicals. The bitterchemicals were distributed in the family of Flavonoids, Terpenoids, Amino acids, Purines and derivatives, Carbohydrates, and others. With the correlation analysis between the data of metabolome andtranscription factor expression data with corresponding phases, we found that bHLH and HB would
be the major transcription factor family, AUX/IAA
would be the major transcription regulation factor
family, and Leucine Rich Repeat Kinase XI &amp; XII
would be the major protein kinase family participate
in the biological process of flavor taste transition.

S.125 PLANT DIVERSITY, BIOGEOGRAPHYAND EVOLUTION IN THE TROPICS FORCONSERVATION, RESTORATION ANDSUSTAINABLE USE. SESSION 4
S.125.1 The key role of theseasonally inundated
forest in the conservation of
biodiversity in southeastern
MexicoAlexis Herminio Plasencia-Vázquez1,
Alfredo García-González1, Annery Serrano
Rodríguez2, Frander B. Riverón-Giró3,
Yarelys Ferrer-Sánchez4, Anay Serrano
Rodríguez1, Griselda Escalona-Segura5,
José Domingo Cú-Vizcarra6, Karla Paola
Borges-Jesús6, Pedro Zamora Crescencio1,
Jorge Albino Vargas-Contreras2
1 Centro de Investigaciones Históricas y Sociales,
Universidad Autónoma de Campeche, Campeche,
Mexico. 2 Facultad de Ciencias Químico Biológicas,
Universidad Autónoma de Campeche, Campeche,
Mexico. 3 El Colegio de La Frontera Sur (ECOSUR), Unidad Tapachula, Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico. 4 Facultad de Ciencias de la Ingeniería, Universidad Técnica
Estatal de Quevedo, Quevedo, Ecuador. 5 El Colegiode La Frontera Sur (ECOSUR), Unidad Campeche, Ciudad Industrial, Lerma, Campeche, México. 6 Institutode Ecología, Xalapa Enríquez, Mexico.

Wetlands are one of the most productive ecosystems in the world, supporting a large biodiversity.
Tintal (seasonally inundated forest dominated by
Haematoxylum campechianum) is a characteristic wetland of the Southeastern Mexico and havea long history of commercial exploitation. Due toits structural characteristics and the conditions of
the areas where it develops, tintal could work as a
critical habitat for many plants and animal species,
and as a refuge, mainly in highly anthropized landscapes. Furthermore, as the tintal develops at sites
where water disappears totally or partially during
determined times of the year, and the characteristic vegetation favors the formation of open spaces, these areas can be easily accessed to carry out
sampling. Therefore, the tintal is the ideal case study
in order to demonstrate the impact of human activities on wetland ecosystems. We analyzed the variations in the richness and abundance of different
plants (vascular epiphytes) and animals (macroinvertebrates, amphibians, reptiles and bats) between
preserved and human-disturbed tintales. The study
was carried out at 27 tintal sites in the Southeastern
Mexico, 10 preserved and 17 human-disturbed, andfor each group different sampling techniques wereused. The species composition and structure differ
between preserved and human-disturbed tintales.
In the case of vascular epiphyte species, the rich-387

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ness and abundance were related to a degree ofconservation, and the tintal can be an importantreservoir of these plants. Most of the researchedtintales were highly anthropized, but the toleranceof several animal and plant species to these landscape modifications has allowed them to make useof such areas. The function of tintales as islands andsources of diversity in degraded land matrices andH. campechianum must be considered as a key
species. This allows as to value the importance of
tintal from an ecological and biodiversity conservation point of view.

S.125.2 Epiphytic
bryophytes as indicatorsof successional changes intropical lowland rainforests
in Sri Lanka

this study is the identification, for the first time, of thepivotal role played by tree species richness in influencing the richness of epiphytic bryophytes in the
Kottawa, Pituwala, and Wilpita forests. Notably, higher tree species diversity in late succession forests isfound to be a key factor contributing substantially tothe conservation of epiphytic bryophytes in lowland
rainforests. This study underscores the importanceof exploring epiphytic bryophytes in tropical lowland
rainforests in Sri Lanka, offering valuable insights into
successional processes and ecosystem dynamics.
The obtained information holds crucial implications
for the formulation of effective conservation andmanagement strategies, particularly in light of thepersisting environmental changes.

S.125.3 Cascading
effects of defaunation
on vertebrate-dispersed
plant communities in
Madagascar

H.A.C. Dilrukshi1, S.C.K. Rubasinghe2, N.C.S.
Ruklani2
1 Postgraduate Institute of Science, University of
Peradeniya, Kandy, Sri Lanka. 2 Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, University of Peradeniya,
Kandy, Sri Lanka
Epiphytic bryophytes stand out as vital indicators of
ecosystem transformations in rainforests due to theirheightened sensitivity to environmental shifts. Succession, the gradual evolution of plant communities
over time leading to the establishment of a matureand stable ecosystem, can be effectively monitored
by tracking the presence and abundance of specific species. This study aims to investigate the response of epiphytic bryophytes to forest succession
in three lowland rainforests in the Southern Provinceof Sri Lanka; Wilpita, Kottawa, and Pituwala. The assessment of bryophytes on 135 trees across threesuccession stages (early, intermediate, late) in each
forest site was conducted, and the impacts of forest
succession stage, tree species richness, and diameter at breast height on epiphytic bryophyte species
richness per plot were analyzed using generalized
linear mixed models. Results revealed the identification of 73 bryophyte species across the three forests. The diversity of epiphytic bryophytes exhibiteda pattern, being highest in late succession stages
and lowest in early succession stages across all
three forest sites. The families Calymperaceae, Sematophyllaceae, and Jungermanniaceae emerged
as the most abundant among bryophytes in thethree lowland rainforests. A significant revelation of

Yuanshu Pu1,2, Alexander Zizka4, Renske E.
Onstein2,3
1 Univeristy of Leipzig, Leipzig, DE (yuanshu.pu@
evobio.eu). 2 German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig,
DE. 3 Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, NL. 4
Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, DE
Madagascar’s biodiversity faces various threatsleading to defaunation and biodiversity loss. However, how defaunation affects biotic interactions
and hence ecosystem functions, such as seed dispersal of fleshy fruited plants by vertebrate (frugivory), remains unclear. We used structural equation
modelling to test whether the loss of trait matching
between fruit-eating and seed dispersing animals(frugivores) and fleshy-fruited vertebrate-dispersed
plants (i.e., dysfunctional seed dispersal) has led
to high plant extinction risk, and whether protected areas in Madagascar conserve seed dispersal
interactions. We integrated distribution data, dispersal traits, and IUCN Red List status of 2,852 vertebrate-dispersed plant species and 129 frugivore
species in 649 communities across Madagascar.
We detected a loss of seed size to body size trait
matching in non-protected areas, suggesting thatmany large-seeded plants do not co-occur withfrugivores that are able to swallow and effectively
disperse the seeds. Interestingly, such ‘dysfunctional’
communities also showed the largest proportion of388

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threatened plants, but only when they were depleted of all large-bodied frugivorous lemurs, with birds
or bats left as the largest seed dispersers. We also
found that protected areas conserve lemur-dominated communities with the highest proportion of
threatened plants, but not the highest seed dispersal dysfunctionality. In these communities higher
dysfunctionality did not lead to higher threat. Thissuggests that increased plant extinction risk is linked
to defaunation as well as other stressors. Our results
highlight the importance of biotic interactions forecosystem functioning and plant extinction risk in
Madagascar, emphasizing how timely monitoring
ecosystem functioning of degraded ecosystems
may help conserve biodiversity.

S.125.4 Biodiversity ofterrestrial chlorophytes
in Yogyakarta Province,
Indonesia

measured. The algae samples were examined under a light microscope and morphological identification was analysed. Diversity and Evenness Index were also calculated and presented. Species
descriptions and identification keys of twenty-one
species grouped into eleven families are reported
here. This paper is the first report on terrestrial algae
from Yogyakarta Province. The environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, wind speed andlight intensity affect the growth and density of terrestrial algae. However, each species has different
tolerance to these environmental factors.

S.125.5 Floristic wealth ofNorth Eastern Region (NER)
of India – an aura of nature
Debjyoti Bhattacharyya1
1 Department of Life Science & Bioinformatics, Assam University, Silchar, Assam, India

Ludmilla F. Untari1*, Dita Rahmadani2, Faiq
I. Majid2, Juntria R. Khasanah2, Japareng
Lulang3, Ari Satia Nugraha4
1 The Plant Systematics Laboratory, Departmentof Tropical Biology, Faculty of Biology, Universitas
Gadjah Mada, Jl. Teknika Selatan, Sekip Utara, Yogyakarta, Indonesia. 2 Department of Tropical Biology, Faculty of Biology, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Jl.
Teknika Selatan, Sekip Utara, Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
3 School of Industrial Technology, Universiti Sains
Malaysia, Jalan Sungai 2, Gelugor, Pulau Pinang,
Malaysia. 4 The Faculty of Pharmacy, University ofJember, Krajan Timur, Sumbersari, Kec. Sumbersari,
Kabupaten Jember, Jawa Timur, Indonesia. *Corresponding author: ludmilla.untari@ugm.mail.ac.id
Algae can be found in a variety of habitats, including
terrestrial habitats. Chlorophytes are algae that areoften found as the main component of terrestrial algal populations. Molecular data also explain that thediversity of terrestrial algae is much higher than theothers. However, several problems in studying terrestrial algae make the study of terrestrial green algae challenging. As a result, it is difficult to find dataon terrestrial green algae and their species diversity, especially in Indonesia. More research is neededon the diversity of terrestrial Chlorophyta species inIndonesia. Therefore, this research was conducted
to determine the diversity of terrestrial Chlorophyta species in Indonesia, especially in the Yogyakarta
Province. At the time of sampling, physicochemicalparameters of the growth environment were also

North Eastern Region (NER) of India comprises eight
States viz. Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura. The
region covers an area of 2,62,179 sq. km, of which,about 66% is under forest cover. Occupying only 7.7%of the total geographical area of India, the region
supports about 50% of the total flora of the country.
Blessed with tropical humid climate, vast altitudinalvariation, dynamic ecosystems and geographicalisolation, the area serves as a rich repository of wild
floras. Two important biodiversity hotspots, the Himalaya and the Indo Burma cover the region whichcontains a globally significant array of unique florawith high endemism. Diverse forest types ranging
from tropical to sub-tropical broad-leaved forests,
temperate, sub-alpine to alpine meadows host various plant species. These include gigantic trees andlianas in the foot hills of Himalayas to rhododendron
scrubs at the high-altitude alpine region. Composition of about 8000 flowering plants with high percentage of endemic taxa has made the region anarea of interest for the conservationists and nature
lovers. The area has been identified as the home
for a wide range of Orchids, Grasses and Bamboos,
Gingers, Rhododendrons, Primulas, Impatiens, Begonias, Pedicularis and so many. Many commerciallyvaluable hardwood trees, medicinal and aromatic
species, ethno-medicinally important taxa used in
the traditional systems are profusely found in the region. Still many areas are underexplored and even
unexplored due to dense forests and tough terrain.

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Exploration to the areas in future may open up newvistas for discovery of many new taxa. India has set
up a wide network of conservation programmes forsustenance of biodiversity in the region along withprioritization of preserving ecosystems and theirnatural resources. In this paper, floristic diversity of
the region is discussed with their challenges andopportunities of conservation.

S.125.6 Climatic
determinants of Andean
forests functional
composition
Báez Selene1, Hans Verbeeck2, Marijn
Bauters2, Sonia Palacios3, Sebastián Tello4,
Homeier Jürgen5,6
1 Escuela Politécnica Nacional, Facultad de Ciencias, Quito, Ecuador. 2 Department of Environment,
CAVElab - Computational and Applied Vegetation
Ecology, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium. 3 Universidad Agraria La Molina, Facultad de Ciencias Forestales, Lima, Perú. 4 Missouri Botanical Garden, MO,
USA. 5 HAWK Göttingen, Faculty of Resource Man-

agement, Göttingen, Germany. 6 Georg August
University Göttingen, Plant Ecology and Ecosystems
Research, Göttingen, Germany
Trait composition of tropical forests are closely related to climatic factors. Andean forests are extremely
diverse and occur over large areas with wide climatic variation. There is a general understandingof how trait composition of Andean forests varies
across climatic gradients. However, detailed studies
relating key plant functional traits -that could provide information about forest sensitivity to changing climatic conditions- are inexistent thus far. In thisstudy, we used 86 permanent forest plots established in Ecuador, Perú and Bolivia. For each plot, we
calculated community-weighted means (CWM) for
the following traits: Leaf nitrogen, Specific Leaf Area
(SLA) and Specific stem density (SSD). We used linear models to predict how trait varied in response
to climatic variables obtained from extrapolated
databases (i.e., mean annual temperature (MAT),
mean annual precipitation (MAP), and vapor pressure deficit (VPD). Our results indicated that Andean
forests trait expression is tightly linked to MAT and
VPD, but the role of MAP was unclear. These findings
confirm the critical role of climate on Andean forest’s functional configuration.

S.126 ALPINE PLANT ECOLOGY AND DIVERSITY:
FROM SPECIES TO ECOSYSTEMS. SESSION 3
S.126.1 Can alpine species
take the heat?: Impacts ofincreased temperatures on
early life stages
Alexandra Seglias1
1 Department of Research and Conservation, Denver Botanic Gardens, Denver, USA
Climate change threatens plant biodiversity worldwide. Alpine plant species are particularly vulnerable to climate change, as temperature fluctuations
are projected to be most severe in high elevation
areas. Even small shifts in climate can have major
consequences on phenology, reproduction, fitness,and community composition. Early life stages (seedgermination and seedling survival) are arguably themost important processes in not only the fitness ofan individual plant, but also in the dynamics andpersistence of plant populations. These initial developmental stages are expected to be more vulnerable to changes in climate than adult life stages andthereby represent a major bottleneck to recruitment
and population responses as climate change increases in severity. To understand how the early life
stages of alpine plant species will respond to warming temperatures, I used climate-controlled incubators at three different temperature regimes. Temperatures were based on current conditions andprojected future conditions under moderate and severe scenarios. I found that two rare alpine species(endemic to the Rocky Mountains of the USA), Physaria alpina and Townsendia rothrockii, performed
better under warmer temperatures as compared tocontrol temperatures at both the germination andseedling stage. Germination proportion, number ofleaves, and the length of the longest leaf were all
higher on average under warm conditions for both
species. The results show that early life stages of al-390

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pine plants may not be at high risk from warming
temperatures, however there are many other shifting climatic factors resulting from climate change
beyond temperature alone. Precipitation, snowpack,freeze/thaw cycles, and length/variability of seasons will all impact alpine species. Furthermore, it isimportant to understand the entire life cycle of thespecies and how conditions may impact plants atlater life stages. Future studies aim to tease apartthese considerations.

S.126.2 Daily functional
dynamics of alpine plants at
chloroplast level
Miren I. Arzac1, Jon Miranda-Apodaca1,
Laura González-Cosío1, Usue Pérez-López1,
Antonio Hernández1, Beatriz FernándezMarín1, José I. García Plazaola1

rally growing in a talus field at 2630 m a.s.l. near Col
du Galibier (French Alps). Combining physiological,
biochemical and ultrastructural analyses our results
show daily changes in plastoglobule size and number. The analysed antioxidants also presented oscillations, mainly the xanthophyll cycle. However, thechanges were species-dependent, indicating possible different strategies among alpine plants living
under similar conditions. We conclude that thylakoid membranes and their components present theability to adapt according to daily changes of highirradiance in different species of alpine plants.

S.126.3 Adapting to
extremes: cold stress
tolerance mechanisms inmontane plant communitiesof the Pyrenees
Melanie Morales1,2, Sergi Munné Bosch1,2

1 Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of the Basque Country, Leioa, Spain
Alpine plants are exposed to very contrasting conditions of irradiance and UV radiation imposed bya day/night regime during the summer period. To
maintain their photosynthetic efficiency under these
conditions, alpine plants need to dissipate the excess energy and scavenge the reactive oxygen
species (ROS) formed, via different photoprotective
mechanisms. At chloroplast level, some carotenoids
such as those involved in the xanthophyll cycle directly participate in the dissipation of excess energy.
Some of them (such as zeaxanthin) are additionally strong antioxidants that act together with otherantioxidant molecules (e.g. lutein, β-carotene andα-tocopherol). These lipophilic antioxidants are associated with plastoglobules, lipoprotein structuresattached to thylakoid membranes that respond to
stress conditions by changing their size and number.
While daily modulation of some protective mechanisms such as the xanthophyll cycle are rather wellknown, daily oscillations in other molecules (tocopherols) and structures (plastoglobules) are virtuallyunexplored. In the present study, we aim at unravelling how the leaves of alpine plants are able to thrive
under such strong diurnal oscillations, and in particular, what the role of those lipophilic antioxidants
and their holding structures (plastoglobules) is on
such responses. For this purpose, we studied fivealpine species during a day/night cycle (Ranunculus glacialis, Saxifraga oppositifolia, Veronica alpina,
Geum reptans and Doronicum grandiflorum) natu-

1 Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i
Ciències Ambientals, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. 2 Institut de Recerca en Biodiversitat,
Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
Montane plant communities like those growing in
the Pyrenees must face multiple and contrasting
abiotic stresses throughout their life cycle. Particularly, during winter and cloudless sunny days, these
species have to cope harsh low temperatures combined to high solar radiation, both promoting photo-oxidative damage. Extreme temperatures are amain factor limiting plant growth in montane habitats, besides the high risk of frost damage especiallyin open sites where wind may have a severe drying effect, often in snow-free sites. Here, we studied the cold stress tolerance mechanisms of four
diverse perennial herbs inhabiting the Pyrenees:
Anthyllis vulneraria L, Leontodon hispidus L, Plantago lanceolata L. and Scabiosa columbaria, with anemphasis on photoprotective and antioxidant, andtheir association with stress-related phytohormonal responses. The study was performed in a Pyrenean plant community located in a south-facing
slope near Sispony (Andorra, Spain) at 1660 m.a.s.l.,
and a set of functional traits, including leaf gas exchange, photosynthetic pigments and photo- andantioxidant molecules (anthocyanins, carotenoids
and a-tocopherol) were measured together withstress-related phytohormones (ABA, salicylic acidand jasmonates), during autumn (before), winter(during) and spring (after cold stress). All species391

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studied were efficient in the prevention of photoinhibition during winter, as indicated by values of the
maximum efficiency of PSII (Fv/Fm) above 0.75 during
winter. However, they distinctly respond to cold-induced desiccation stress, as indicated by reductions in the relative water content (RWC), which
could recover during spring in A. vulneraria and L.
hispidus, but not in P. lanceolata and S. columbaria.
ABA and jasmonates confirmed the differential behavior and increased stress sensitivity of A. vulneraria and L. hispidus. compared to that of P. lanceolata
and S. columbaria. This knowledge is very valuablefor predicting how global warming may impact the
Pyrenean plant communities.

transport and retention capacity. Thus, they could
be considered an adaptation to drought. Plasticity
varied according to donor populations, suggestinga region-specific adaptive potential. However, we
could not demonstrate phenotypic plasticity whentransplanting samples to lower altitudes, but only todrought conditions. Extended warm and dry summers compromise Sphagnum hummocks in the climatic edge of distribution. The outcome of our study
suggests that Sphagnum capillifolium would havethe potential for adaptation to future climatic scenarios to some extent. Furthermore, the experimentshowed how hummock restorations are feasible using near populations as donors.

S.126.4 Phenotypic plasticity
to warming and drought ina Sphagnum species

S.126.5 Plant diversity survey
and progress in the flora of
Pan-Himalaya

Eulàlia Pladevall-Izard1, Pau Montané1,
Jaume Espuny1, Aaron Pérez-Haase1

Qiang Wang1, De-Yuan Hong1

1 University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

Pan-Himalaya covers the northeastern Hindu-Kush,
Karakoram, Himalaya, and Hengduan mountains.
These majestic mountain ranges form the highest region in the world, which is called ‘the roof of
the world’. Three biodiversity hotspots are wholly or
partially included in Pan-Himalaya, i.e., Himalaya,
Mountains of Southwest China, and Indo-Burma.
However, although this region is an important andindispensable source of biodiversity, the plant diversity of Pan-Himalaya is poorly known. There is evenno complete record of the flora for this most uniqueregion. The aim of the Flora of Pan-Himalaya (FPH)
project is to understand the plant diversity of Pan-Himalaya and present the first complete record of theflora of Pan-Himalaya. For the last ten years, the FPH
project has organized 15 comprehensive expeditions(>10 taxonomists) and more than 400 teams (eachconsisting of 3–5 taxonomists) and has investigatednearly all areas of Pan-Himalaya (except those areas in Northeast Afghanistan). Members of these expeditions have collected more than 150, 000 specimens, and have taken more than 200, 000 pictures ofvascular plants in Pan-Himalaya. Observation data,
living seeds, and silica gel-dried leaves have beencollected as well. New or updated illustrations havebeen drawn for more than 1, 000 representative species. Based on extensive field work and integrative
phylogenetic analysis, one new family, 10 new genera, and more than 100 new species from Pan-Himalaya have been described. A sound knowledge of

1 Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Phenotypic plasticity enables species to adapt tofast environmental changes. Therefore, it may provide a fitness advantage at a short-term response
and may evolve through natural selection at longterm scales. Studying phenotypic plasticity in a climate change simulation experiment would allow
predicting the viability of populations in their current distribution limits facing global change. Miresare sensitive ecosystems and peat mosses growthdetermine the ecosystem functioning. In Sphagnum
hummocks, maintaining moisture in the apical partof shoots compromises Sphagnum survival, growth,and sexual reproduction. Therefore, many anatomical and morphological traits are key to retain waterfrom precipitation. We carried out a field experimenton Sphagnum capillifolium hummocks in the Pyrenees. We simulated global warming by transplanting
Sphagnum shoots from two mires at high altitudes(2190 m and 2340 m a.s.l.) to a subalpine mire (1770m). We simulated drought by placing transparent
roofs and digging ditches around hummocks. After
two growing seasons, we analysed the performanceof nine anatomical functional traits of Sphagnum
shoots from the experiment and of other Sphagnum
samples from the donor populations. Sphagnum
shoots showed significant changes under drought
conditions: leaf hyaline cells were wider and longer, and they had more but smaller pores. Thesechanges coincide with a greater water absorption,392

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the plant diversity of Pan-Himalaya is the only way
to achieve sustainability, and it is also essential for
ecological civilization development, which is now animportant national policy of China. The FPH project isthe first and key step in improving our knowledge ofthe plant diversity in Pan-Himalaya.

S.126.6 Variablephenological responsesof High Andean species
to artificial warming in
Antisana Volcano

ing in comparison to control. However, significant
differences in reproductive structure abundance
emerged between control and warming treatments
among species, with five producing more structuresin control plots and three within chambers. Thissuggests that warming in equatorial regions may
consistently affect the production of reproductive
structures in páramo species, instead of their flowering and fruiting seasons, thus potentially alteringcommunity composition in the future. The heterogeneous response underscores the urgency of assessing a larger number of species for conservation
measures in this highly endemic and diverse region.

Priscilla Muriel1, Gabriel Sáenz1, Carolina
Tovar2
1 Laboratorio de Ecofisiología, Escuela de Ciencias
Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Ecuador. 2 Department of Biodiversity Informatics and Spatial Analysis, Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, Surrey, UK
Climate warming globally affects plant communities, affecting their distribution, development, productivity and phenological patterns. However, studies of phenological responses to warming in speciesof equatorial regions are very scarce. In our investigation at Antisana Volcano, Ecuador, we characterized the reproductive phenophases (buds, flowering, and fruiting) of 12 selected plants in high altitude
grasslands (páramo) under passive warming using
Open Top Chambers (OTC). Objectives included
assessing if reproductive seasons coincide among
12 selected páramo species with different growthforms, determining if artificial warming induces phenological shifts, and understanding its impact on reproductive structure abundance. We monitored thephenology of 12 species every 22 days over a year in
23 control plots, and 23 plots under passive warming. We used circular statistics to characterize andcompare the phenology of the different species,
and we used non-parametric variance analyses
to assess if there is a significant phenological shift
related to warming for the selected species. Results
revealed diverse seasonality patterns, with seasonal, aseasonal, and species with mixed patterns.
Seasonal species exhibited a higher abundance ofreproductive structures between May and August,indicating a “reproductive season,” independent ofgrowth form. Contrary to temperate regions, where
temperature increase led to earlier flowering andfruiting of many species, we found no significant
phenological shift in plants under passive warm-

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Symposia Session 8 Thursday
S.127 FUNCTIONAL ASPECTS OF NECTARMEDIATED PLANT-POLLINATOR INTERACTIONS
S.127.1 Where the bee sips:
the perception of nectar byeusocial bees
Geraldine A. Wright1
1 Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
Floral nectar and pollen are the currencies of the transactions that occur among flowering plants and theiranimal pollinators. The sense of taste allows pollinators to make rapid decisions about food quality. Specialist feeders like bees, however, that feed on nectar
and pollen may have adaptations that permit themto have greater acuity for compounds like sugars thatare relevant to their survival. We know surprisingly little
about the way that the chemical composition of nectar
influences floral choice by pollinators. In this talk, I review what we know about the bee’s sense of taste. My
lab has discovered that bees have specialized mechanisms for the perception and encoding of sugar molecules in food which make them capable of discriminating among sugar compounds. We have also foundthat bee species have specific preferences for nectar
cocktails, indicating that bees may exert selective pressure on plants to produce nectar suited to their metabolic needs.

S.127.2 Geographic variationof nectar properties ingeneralist plants: pollinatedmediated selection or
adaptive wandering?
Marcin Zych1, Katarzyna Roguz1
1 Botanic Garden, University of Warsaw, Warsaw,
PolandNectar is one of the important floral characters thatshape plant-pollinator interactions. Some nectar prop-

erties, e.g. sugar profiles, seem relatively conservative across different populations of the same species,
whereas there is reported considerable variation in others. For instance, in some members of the supergeneralist family Apiaceae nectar of individual plants fromcertain populations includes amino acids (AAs) thatare absent in representatives of other populations. In
species of Rhododendron producing toxic nectar suchvariation was reported for toxic grayanotoxine I. Suchdivergence may be correlated with habitat properties
but also may reflect pollinator-mediated selection exerted by local insect communities. The paper discusses plausible evolutionary scenarios that arise from thespatial variation of nectar characters in plants, with thespecial focus on generalist pollination systems.

S.127.3 Nectar thieves arecostlier than robbers toanimal-pollinated plants
Laura Leal1,2, Matthew Koski2, Rebecca
Irwin3, Judith Bronstein4
1 Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Diadema, SãoPaulo, Brazil. Contact: laura.leal@unifesp.br. 2 Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, USA. 3 North
Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina,
USA. 4 University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
Mutualistic interactions are biological markets where
different species exchange commodities to mutual
benefit. Because of that, mutualisms are susceptible toexploitation, with individuals taking without reciprocating. While models predict fitness costs inflicted by exploiters, empirical knowledge is limited, highlighting theneed for broader quantification. Pollination serves as acase study since animal-pollinated flowers are commonly exploited by larcenists—non-pollinating animals
consuming flower rewards without reciprocating. The
impact of larcenists on plant reproduction varies widely,
indicating differing costs and factors influencing them.
In the context of nectar flowers, the behavior of larcenists, classified as robbers or thieves, plays a crucial role.
Robbers damage flowers while extracting nectar, po-394

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tentially affecting flower attractiveness and female reproductive function. Thieves, though not damaging, candisrupt flower visitation patterns. Plant mating systems
further mediate these costs, with self-incompatible orstrongly selfing plants experiencing greater impacts.
The study aims to fill gaps in understanding by employing a meta-analytical approach, focusing on primary nectar robbing and theft and considering different
datasets capturing various pollination process steps.
We found that both robbers and thieves negatively influence flower visitation patterns, but only thieves impact nectar quality and availability. Surprisingly, robbers
have neutral effects on nectar traits and even improve
male reproductive success. On the contrary, thieves
consistently reduce male and female reproductive
performance. Importantly, these effects remain consistent across plant mating systems, challenging previous
generalizations. The study provides a comprehensive
evaluation of larcenists’ costs on animal-pollinatedplants, revealing that nectar theft is more detrimental
than robbing, regardless of the plant’s mating system.
This pioneering evidence enhances our understandingof the intricate dynamics of mutualistic interactions inecological and evolutionary contexts.

S.127.4 Nectaries changes
across the flower lifetime
ensure multiple ecologicalinteractions

and since the pre-anthesis bud, the starch grains presented degradation signs and became almost absent,
while cytoplasmic oil bodies, mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, and leucoplasts became more evident.
For the NN, in the young bud stage amyloplasts werealso scarce, but there were lipophilic bodies in plastids
and vacuoles. However, at pre-anthesis stage there
was a massive increase in amyloplasts abundance,
Golgi bodies (fewer than in ENN), mitochondria andplastids with different contents. At anthesis, we observed an increase in cytoplasmic oil bodies, proteinin the cytosol and starch grain degradation. These ultrastructural changes in ENN, evince a transition fromhydrophilic to lipophilic secretion. In NN, in contrast, thepopulation and morphology of organelles were consistent with hydrophilic secretion during the whole flower’s
lifetime. These differences in nectaries functioning may
be linked to nectar features that attract specific animalgroups, acting on protection and pollination mutualism
throughout the flower’s lifetime.

S.127.5 Nectariferous andnectarless Prosthechea
Knowles & Westc. (Laeliinae;
Orchidaceae)
Małgorzata Stpiczyńska1, Kevin L. Davies2,
Emerson R. Pansarin3
1 Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Botanic
Garden, Warszawa, Poland. 2 School of Earth andEnvironmental Sciences, Cardiff University, Main
Building, Cardiff, UK. 3 Department of Biology, FFCLRP, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

Hannelise Balduino , Elza Guimarães ,Silvia Machado1
1

1

1 São Paulo State University, Botucatu, Brazil
Nectar is an essential trophic resource for many animals, playing an important role in plant-animal interactions. Amphilophium mansoanum (DC.) L.G. Lohmann(Bignoniaceae) is a liana with extranuptial nectaries(ENN), at the calyces’ margins, and nuptial annularnectariferous disk (NN) below the ovary, at the bottomof the floral tubes. The energetic content, the chemicalcomposition, and the dynamics of nectar from bothnectary types are different. These traits seem to be under selective pressure by the interacting animals since
ENN is visited by ants, wasps, flies, and cockroaches,
and the latter mainly by large-sized pollinating bees.
The aim of this study was to understand the functioningof these nectaries based on ultrastructural evidences.
The ENN released nectar since the bud stage, while theNN released nectar only during the anthesis. These patterns matched the changes in the cell’s machinery: For
ENN, in the young bud stage, amyloplasts were scarce

In the flowers of Prosthechea Knowles & Westc. (Laeliinae; Orchidaceae), there is an internal spur or reservoir formed by the fusion of the labellum base and thecolumn. This structure acts as a nectary in nectar-secreting species. However, not all species in this genus
produce nectar. In order to determine the structural
adaptations for secretory activity or any constraints
leading to the cessation of nectar production, the inner floral spur (cuniculus) of selected nectar-secreting and nectarless flowers was examined at the anatomical and cellular level. Our results indicate thatthe presence of nectar in the studied species is unrelated to the structure and character of the epidermisthat covers inside of the spur, e.g. occurrence of thetrichomes or papillae, and cuticle surface. Additionally, the ultrastructure of epidermal and subepidermal
cells, distribution of plasmodesmata and the occurrence of reserve materials are similar in both types of395

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flowers. Nectar, if present, becomes visible during thelate bud stage, one day prior to flower opening, andis solely accessible during the first day of anthesis. It
is then likely reabsorbed. Limited amount of accessible nectar in the flowers of Prosthechea can represent
a mechanism for pollinator manipulation, enabling
plants to decrease the energetic costs of the interaction while still ensuring consistent pollinator visitation.

S.127.6 The evolution of
nectary anatomy: structuraland developmental
modifications associatedto pollinator switch in
Malvaceae
Cristina R. Marinho1, Lluís García-Mir1,
Lucía del Castillo1, Elisa Román1, Magui
Olangua2, Olga Fernández-Palacios2,
Rosa Febles2, Yannick M. Staedler3, Jürg
Schönenberger3, Javier Fuertes-Aguilar1
1 Real Jardín Botánico de Madrid (CSIC), Spain 2
Jardín Botánico Canario Viera y Clavijo (UA CSIC),
Spain. 3 Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research, University of Vienna, Austria
The presence of floral nectaries (FN) composed ofa carpet of multicellular secretory trichomes, is oneof the most conspicuous features of Malvaceae. Although their location within the flowers is virtuallyconstant in the Malvoideae subfamily, they display
considerable morphological differences associatedwith specific pollination syndromes. Here, we aimed
at understanding the evolution of the anatomy underlying the pollinator-mediated nectar secretioncomparing the FN structure and development between three phylogenetically-related Malva species
pollinated by insects (Malva wigandii, Malva canariensis) or birds (Navaea phoenicea). Buds andflowers were collected along seven developmental
stages, from which FNs were dissected and processed for optical microscopy, SEM and CT-scan.
Morphological parameters were digitally measured
using ImageJ and analyzed with RStudio suite. We
found changes in growth and differentiation patterns, anatomy, and starch metabolism relevant tonectar secretion. 1) Trichome inception developed
synchronically among the five sepals in all species,
but monocentrically in M. canariensis and M. wigandii, and polycentrically in N. phoenicea. 2) N. phoenicea FN takes longer to develop than other species, which may be related to its greater structuralcomplexity. As a result, bird-pollinated N. phoenicea
FN are much larger and show a nectariferous parenchyma that is more compact, thicker, and with
abundant phloem vascularization. On the contrary,entomophilous species show smaller nectaries, witha parenchyma with intercellular spaces and few orno phloem terminations. 3) Trichomes have a similar shape, but they are shorter and tightly packed inornitophilous N. phoenicea, which also accumulated
more starch in the parenchyma over time than theother species. This study provides evidence for the
intimate relationship between FN morphology andnectar production, showcasing the pivotal role of
FN size and structure in determining nectar output
across distinct pollination strategies.

S.128 PLANTS IN FOSSIL LAGERSTÄTTEN
S.128.1 The Umm Irna flora, alatest Paleozoic melting pot
from the Dead Sea Region,
JordanHans Kerp1, Benjamin Bomfleur1
1 Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, University
Münster, German
With some 60 species the Umm Irna flora from theDead Sea region in Jordan ranks among the most latePermian diverse floras known worldwide. During the latest Permian the present-day Dead Sea region was situated at a paleolatitude of c. 15°S at the western end of
the Paleotethys in a monsoonal floodplain setting withmeandering rivers, abandoned channels, ephemerallakes and backswamps of various size. The Umm Irna
Formation, exposed on the eastern side of the Dead
Sea, is characterized by rapid vertical and lateral facies
changes. About a dozen localities have yielded a very
diverse flora reflecting the different depositional settings. Not only the high diversity but also the excellent
preservation, particularly the cuticles, and the composition make this flora unique. The Umm Irna flora com-396

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prises elements of at least three of the four major floral provinces, Euramerica, Cathaysia and Gondwana.
Not only the mixed nature of this flora is of interest, butalso the earliest appearances of extinct plant groups
traditionally regarded as typically Mesozoic, i.e., corystosperms and bennettitaleans, and the still existing
podocarpalean conifers, which became major, someeven dominant constituents of early Mesozoic floras.
Moreover, the Umm Irna flora includes the last appearances of long-ranging Paleozoic groups, including noeggerathialean progymnosperms, lepidodendrids, aswell as lyginopteridalean, callistophytalean and gigantopteridalean pteridosperms, glossopterids, and walchian conifers. The Umm Irna flora contributes to a better understanding of evolution, distribution, extinction
and survival patterns in a crucial period in life history,
shortly before the largest mass extinction on Earth.

roots, stems, leaves) and fertile organs (fructifications,seeds, fertile fern leaves) attributed to at least 35 taxa.
Among those are some of the oldest representants of
the Caytoniales seed ferns as well as conifers that are
more closely related to the Permian forms than to Mesozoic ones. This demonstrates how this period of time
was important for the evolution of plants.

S.128.2 The Fossillagerstätte
Kühwiesenkopf of the
Middle Triassic of the
Dolomites (N Italy)

Vivi Vajda1, Sylvain Razafimandimbison2,
Nicolas Rakotosolofo3, Hery L.
Ranarijaona3

S.128.3 A snapshot into
the exceptionally wellpreserved Jurassic
vegetation of the
Mahajanga Basin,
Madagascar

1 Department of Paleobiology, Swedish Museum of
Natural History, Svante Arrhenius v. 9, Stockholm,
Sweden. 2 Department of Botany, Swedish Museumof Natural History, Svante Arrhenius v. 7, Stockholm,
Sweden. 3 École Doctorale sur les Ecosystèmes Naturels, Faculté des Sciences, Université de Mahajanga, Mahajanga, Madagascar.

Evelyn Kustatscher1, Johanna H. A.van
Konijnenburg – van Cittert2
1 Naturmuseum Südtirol, Bolzano, Italy; email: Evelyn.Kustatscher@naturmuseum.it. 2 Laboratory of
Palaeobotany and Palynology, Utrecht, The Netherlands; email: j.h.a.vankonijnenburg@bio.uu.nl
The Triassic was characterized by greenhouse conditions, but experienced major environmental changes
linked to several short but severe climate shifts. It is in
this climatic scenario that a vegetation turnover took
place with the appearance and radiation of modern plant families and the rapid diversification of thegymnosperms, which then became ecologically dominant for most of the Mesozoic era. In 1999 a rich fossil horizon has been discovered within the Anisian terrigenous-carbonatic succession of Kühwiesenkopf /Monte Prà della Vacca (Dolomites, N-Italy). The fossil
horizon yielded abundant marine fossils, such as brachiopods, bivalves, fishes, and ammonoids, but yielded also abundant terrestrial plant fossils and a small
reptile skeleton called Megachirella wachtleri Renesto
et Posenato, 2002, which represents the oldest known
squamate. The main fossiliferous level represents a
rapid burial event caused by submarine flows within a marine basin, triggered by heavy storm events inthe terrestrial domain, but plant debris and scatteredplant remains occur in other layers along the section
as well. The flora is composed of both sterile (shoots,

Here we present results originating from a collaborative project involving paleontologists, geologists, andbotanists from the Swedish Museum of Natural History and Mahajanga University, Madagascar. Madagascar’s geological history is central to interpreting the origins of its flora and fauna as the island separated fromcontinental Africa in the Jurassic ca. 165 Mya, leaving
Madagascar and its biota to develop in isolation fromother continental landmasses. Paleobotanical studies
are few, most dating back to the 1960s and 1970s byAppert, who described Upper Jurassic (Oxfordian) assemblages from the Manamana massif (southwestern
Madagascar). Dipteridaceous ferns, conifers belonging
to the genera Brachyphyllum, Elatocladus, Cupressinocladus., Cyparissidium, and Araucarites, as well as minor amounts of “seed ferns”, make up the majority ofthese impression floras. Our palynological results fromtwo outcrop sections within the Mahajanga Basin, reveal well-preserved palynological assemblages of entirely continental aspect. While the older assemblage
is highly dominated by fern- and lycophyte spores,
including Cyathidites, Baculatisporites, Dictyophyllidites, Ceratosporites and Retritiletes, the younger assemblage is dominated by gymnosperm pollen, whichconstitutes c. 70%. Within the gymnosperms Classopol-

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lis, Araucariacites, Perinopollenites, and Callialasporites
are the most abundant spore genera. Based on thesetaxa, we assign the studied assemblage to the Early Jurassic (Pliensbachian–early Toarcian) Corollina torosa
Zone of Helby et al. (1987). The floras are very similar tothe coeval floras of, e.g., Sweden and Australia, revealing a highly homogenous global vegetation pattern at
the time growing in a stable ecosystem for many million years, as similar floras are present in the Late Jurassic, as outlined by Appert.

narily selected to analyze their paleoecophysiologicalleaf traits. The functional types of fossils and living taxa
were included in our analysis, as well as the type of fossil association according to the mode of transport. The
leaf energy balance model was used to infer the leaf
temperature and transpiration from measurements ofvein density and leaf width. As a result, the ecologicalrequirements of fossil taxa of angiosperms and gnetalean gymnosperms were estimated and comparedwith those of related living plants in different habitats.

S.128.4 Paleoecophysiology
of Early Cretaceous Crato
Flora (Brazil)

S.128.5 How does
fossilisation change
the anatomy of wood:awareness andconsequences?

Gobo, William Vieira1, Fradret, Alice2;
Nascimento Jr., Daniel Rodrigues3, Silva
Filho, Wellington Ferreira3, Iannuzzi,
Roberto1; Kunzmann, Lutz4, Coiffard

Ronny Roessler1,2

1 Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto
Alegre, Brazil. 2 ENS de Lyon, Lyon, France. 3 Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, Brazil. 4 Senckenberg Naturhistorische Sammlungen, Dresden,
Germany. 5 Freie Universität, Berlin, Germany
The Crato Formation of the Araripe Basin, northeast of
Brazil is one of the best Fossil Konservat Lagerstätte toaccess Early Cretaceous paleoecosystems in equatorial regions of Gondwana. There, the apparent dominance of gymnosperms splits attention with the emerging group of angiosperms. Despite intensive geologicaland taxonomic studies made in this area, approaches
to elucidate the paleoecophysiological aspects of fossil
plants are still rare. Interestingly, the gnetaleans, a gymnosperm lineage, which convergently evolved similarfeatures with many angiosperms, might have occurred
the same environments together with some early angiosperms. Until now, it is still lacking clear evidence
showing the reason for intense diversification and radiation of both angiosperms and gnetaleans in the early to middle Cretaceous. Both plant lineages may befunctionally similar and then subjects to similar selective pressures. One of the big questions is what caused
the subsequent success of angiosperms and the coeval decline of gnetaleans. Did gnetalean taxa alreadydiffer, in the Crato flora, from angiosperms in terms ofecophysiological adaptations and tolerance ranges?
Could this have influenced on the subsequent success of the angiosperms? In addition, does the ecological role of these plants differ significantly? To addressthese questions, 35 specimens of 17 angiosperm taxa
and 70 specimens of 20 gnetalean taxa were prelimi-

1 Museum für Naturkunde Chemnitz, Chemnitz,
Germany, roessler@naturkunde-chemnitz.de. 2 TU
Bergakademie Freiberg, Department of Palaeontology, Geological Institute, Freiberg, Germany
Fossil wood belongs to the most frequent and insightfulrecords of ancient terrestrial life. Although cellular anatomical preservation often provides excellent detail,various alterations of organic matter occur during fossilisation and modify tissue properties. Due to manifold
taphonomic pathways, plant tissues experience multiple changes, which may cause a tissue-volume reduction, including desiccation, microbial decay, charcoalification, coalification and mineralisation. A few casestudies concerning different geological ages, preservational backgrounds and palaeogeographic occurrences offer evidence of widely distributed but vastly
underestimated shrinkage phenomena in fossil woods.
Samples from several Paleozoic to Cenozoic fossil lagerstätten representing diverse geologic settings areanalysed to comprehend putative shrinkage reasons.
As a result, volume reduction is more widespread in
petrified wood than commonly thought and not easy torecognise. Unexpectedly, tissue contraction varies evenin wood from the same fossil site, the same strata andreflecting the same taphonomy. Accordingly, quantitative data on cellular anatomy gained as a routine may
be misleading, and cell size and shape modifications
affect morphometric purposes, like the interpretationand identification of fossil species. Differences in preservation demonstrate the profound effects of microbial
degradation, such as lack of tracheid secondary walls
and decayed tissue constituents. Differential shrinkageof silicified wood and stromatolite encrustation help

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quantify shrinkage by providing graphically measurable, one- and two-dimensional parameters to assess
percental volume loss during fossilisation. This study reveals essential shrinkage-related alterations independent of palaeoenvironment, plant material and hostrock. The results demonstrate that shrinkage must be
considered when comparing fossil and modern woodmorphometric data.

S.128.6 The hyperdiverse
conifer flora of theBaltic amber forest andits palaeoecologicalsignificanceLutz Kunzmann1, Alexander R. Schmidt2,
Eva-Maria Sadowski3
1 Senckenberg Naturhistorische Sammlungen Dresden, Dresden, Germany. 2 Georg August University
of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany. 3 Museum fürNaturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Berlin, Germany
Late Eocene Baltic amber constitutes the largest
amber deposit on Earth and one of the most important Cenozoic fossil lagerstätten worldwide,
however, the picture of vegetation and habitat diversity of its source area has been very fragmentary. Notions concerning the Baltic amber flora
were mainly based on palaeobotanical data published in the 19th century and the early 20th century, and conclusions concerning habitat types andpalaeoclimate were predominantly drawn fromthe ecology of closest living extant relatives of fossil
animals from Baltic amber. Here, we summarize ourrevision of historic monographic treatments andinvestigation of conifer inclusions from historic andnewly discovered amber specimens, and show thatthe conifer flora of the source area of Baltic amber
was hyperdiverse. Our study revealed five families,
17 genera and 26 fossil-species of conifers, including eight genera and 14 fossil-species of Cupressaceae (Calocedrus, aff. Glyptostrobus, Cryptomeria,
Cupressinanthus, Cupressinocladus, Quasisequoia,
Sequoia, Taxodium); six genera and nine fossil-species of Pinaceae (Abies, Cathaya, Nothotsuga, Pinus, Pseudolarix, aff.Tsuga), and one fossil-species
each of the families Geinitziaceae (Cupressospermum), Cephalotaxaceae (Cephalotaxus), and Sciadopityaceae (Sciadopitys). Our data show thatthe Baltic amber conifer flora is unique and clearly
distinct from both central European paratropical or
subtropical floras and polar cool-temperate floras of the Eocene. Instead, assemblages from Neogene coastal lowland vegetation of mid-latitudinal
Europe exhibit a similar conifer composition. Evaluation of the autecology of individual fossil-species unraveled a heterogeneous vegetation witha mosaic of forests and open habitats in alluvial
plains, coastal swamps and mesic hinterland. Ourdata challenge previous notions that Baltic amber
derives from tropical or ‘subtropical’ forests. Compilation of all currently available botanical data
implicates a warm-temperate and humid palaeoclimate in the source area.

S.129 SYSTEMATICS, FLORISTICS, AND
CONSERVATION: FACILITATING DATAINTEGRATION TO PROMOTE SOUND SCIENCE.
SESSION 1
S.129.1 The intersection oftaxonomy and conservationin the United States andCanadaWesley M. Knapp1

1 NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia, USA
NatureServe is a conservation non-profit based out of
Arlington, VA, USA that has a foundational role in North
American conservation. NatureServe works with 60+
Member Programs (usually but not exclusively referred
to as Natural Heritage Programs) to answer the threequestions of conservation: What species exist, where arethese species found, and how are these species doing?

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NatureServe is a Red List partner but maintains a distinct
ranking methodology that has been used to assess over
100,000 plants, animals, fungi, and natural communities.
The NatureServe Network maintains a robust geospatial
database that includes over 1,000,000 on-the-groundlocations of rare species. NatureServe partners withnumerous other organizations to maintain taxonomic
currency (including but not limited to the Flora of North
America committee, USDA-Plants, and Missouri Botanical
Garden’s Tropicos Database). NatureServe’s ranking system of G-, N-, and S- ranks are integral to conservation
as these ranks are a valuable prioritization complement
to legal status designations assigned by government
agencies such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service andthe National Marine Fisheries Service in administering the
U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA), and the Canadian
Ministry of Environment and Climate Change in administering the Species At Risk Act (SARA). Integrating the best
available taxonomy presents a pressing conservation
challenge. The intersection of taxonomy and conservation is often misunderstood, difficult to understand, andconfusing for the non-expert. This can lead to the misallocation of precious conservation resources, inappropriate decisions about what species should be conserved,
and what natural communities should be restored or
managed. Great conservation liabilities exist when there
are taxonomic disagreements and misalignments. In
this presentation, I give examples of how disagreementsor misalignments have caused negative conservation
impacts, discuss how NatureServe presents a multitiered taxonomy, and propose possible solutions to thebotanical community.

S.129.2 The Flora of North
America: a hard copy andonline continental flora

throughout the world. FNA is a vital tool for those concerned with conserving the continent’s flora for several reasons. For many groups, FNA provides the only
comprehensive, modern North American treatments
available anywhere. Although continental in scope,
the treatments are reviewed by a team of about 75
botanists with expertise in their state or provincial floras, ensuring that important local variation and distributions are accurately reflected. The combination ofkeys and detailed technical descriptions improves
plant identification. Furthermore, because taxonomic opinions vary, both among sources and over time,the included synonymy affords the opportunity fornomenclatural and taxonomic cross-walks. Because
the treatments are made available online soon after
they are published, they not only are widely accessible,
but the finely parsed data are also made available informats that improve data sharing and cross-linking.
Efforts currently are underway to improve coordination among FNA, NatureServe, and the USDA-NRCS National Plant Data Team, organizations that play majorroles in providing conservation data for North American plants. Looking to the future, we will be working todevelop tools for moderated and versioned authoringand editing of treatments at FNA’s website (floranorthamerica.org), allowing FNA to remain up-to-dateby continuously incorporating results of new research.

S.129.3 Reinventing the“flora” as a 21st century
tool for science andconservation
Alan S. Weakley1, Michael T. Lee1, Scott
G. Ward1, J. Christopher Ludwig2, Katie
Gibson3

Geoffrey A. Levin1

1 North Carolina Botanical Garden (Herbarium
NCU), University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA.
2 Seedbox Consulting, Maidens, USA. 3 High Country Apps, Bozeman, USA

1 Research and Collections, Canadian Museum of
Nature, Ottawa, Canada
The Flora of North America North of Mexico (FNA) is a30-volume work that includes taxonomic treatments
for all the native and naturalized plants growing in thecontinental United States, Canada, Greenland, and
St. Pierre and Miquelon. Treatments include accepted
names and important synonyms, detailed morphological descriptions, dichotomous keys, phenology andhabitat data, text- and map-based distributions, andline drawings of about 20% of the species. The projectis a truly international effort involving a collaboration
among about 1,000 artists, reviewers, and editors fromThe flora (“a treatise on or list of the plant life of a particular region”) has been a centuries-old basic tool inunderstanding, studying, and using the plant biodiversity of a particular geographic area. The contents andformat of floras have evolved through time, but typically include a list organized by taxonomy of the species native or naturalized in the region covered, withdescriptions of the morphology, habitats, phenology,
and synonyms of each, including keys for their identification, and sometimes including other information(illustrations, maps, synonyms, taxonomic discussion,400

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chromosome numbers, etc.). Floras are difficult to develop, expensive to publish and purchase, often written
for a limited and technical audience, and infrequently
revised, hampering the utility and currency of this necessary resource. The Southeastern United States Floraproject covers a biodiverse area of in southeastern
North America, with about 11,000 vascular plant species. We are using modern technology to reinvent theflora as a dynamic, digital resource for modern biodiversity science and conservation by developing andmaintaining a database, FloraManager. FloraManager
supports easy revision by multiple, production of products in diverse platforms (traditional paper, web app,installable mobile app), and customization of those
products. Digital flora products enable us to havenearly unlimited imagery, taxonomic concept-mapping to over 7000 other taxonomic sources, insertionof diagnostic illustrations as “popups” into keys, development of multiple-access graphic keys, geographic
autosubsetting of keys, autocreation of “on-the-fly” dichotomous keys (decision trees) for any set of species
in the flora, and inclusion of species-specific conservation information (imperilment status, wetland indicator status, heliophily, ecological conservatism, etc.).
Goals include engaging a broader audience (general public, land managers, environmental consultants,etc.) for information on the plants of the region, using
modern technology to make plant identification easier, and bringing current taxonomy to bear on locating
and conserving plant biodiversity.

these rate-limiting factors lessen (e.g. NGS sequencing costs decrease), we are encouraged to pursue
these “sidelined” studies with a collective evidence
approach. This effort utilizes multiple data sources(molecular, cytogenetic, ecological, biogeographic,etc.) to help guide our ultimate taxonomic interpretations. While this approach is not conceptually novel, the power of current technologies to help aid thisprocess is, and an approach that regionally targets
known research needs is atypical in a world in which
research funding tends to drive research by plantfamily. Our lab is actively pursuing resolution in a
number of clades within taxonomic disparate genera
including Allium (Alliaceae), Astragalus (Fabaceae),
Blephilia (Lamiaceae), Carex (Cyperaceae), Eryngium (Apiaceae), Helianthus, Marshallia, and Packera(Asteraceae), Micranthes (Saxifragaceae), and Thalictrum (Ranunculaceae). We use select examples
from these groups to illustrate the case-by-casenuances encountered during our systematic assessments, as well as discuss the regional and global implications of our findings.

S.129.4 Taxonomic discovery
from a regional perspective:
current approaches andconservation implications

Jennifer R. Ackerfield1, Mit E. McGlaughlin2

S.129.5 Collaboration is the
key to documenting andconserving biodiversity: A
case study on Colorado’s
Front Range
1 Jennifer R. Ackerfield, Denver Botanic Gardens,
Denver, CO, U.S.A. 2 Mit E. McGlaughlin, University ofNorthern Colorado, Greeley, CO, U.S.A.

Derick B. Poindexter1, Alan S. Weakley1
1 North Carolina Botanical Garden (Herbarium
NCU), University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA
Despite its long history of botanical exploration, theSoutheastern United States still has much novel biodiversity to yield, as evidenced by the large numberof new taxa described over the past 50 years – nearly 10% of the recognized native flora. Contemporary
molecular tools, in conjunction with traditional systematic techniques, have made this continued advancement possible, particularly concerning difficult
species complexes. Furthermore, many of these ongoing studies focus on long-recognized problematicgroups, historically neglected due to the perceived
need for extensive time and financial investments. As

Conservation management requires time, personnel, and funding to accomplish effectively. However,these resources are often in short supply. It is therefore important for government agencies to efficiently
spend their time, targeting the most vulnerable rare
plant species and communities for protection. Additionally, which species agencies target for conservation relies on a foundation of accurate taxonomic
classification. One taxon of conservation concern on
the Front Range of Colorado is referred to as Physaria X1 by the Colorado Natural Heritage Program(CNHP). Physaria X1 is narrowly restricted in range
and is hypothesized to be a hybrid between the rare
Physaria bellii (G2S2) and more widespread P. vitulifera (G3S3). Previous research done nearly 30 years
ago indicated that Physaria X1 may be geneticallydistinct and deserve recognition as a species. Basedon these findings, Physaria X1 is tracked as a taxon401

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would have significant management consequences
for several agencies. A collaboration of researchers,
government, and non-profit agencies determined
if Physaria X1 deserved species recognition using
population-level sampling and next-generation sequencing. Our results showed conclusively that Physaria X1 is not a unique species, but a phenotypicallyunusual P. vitulifera. However, surprisingly, one population of P. vitulifera was shown to be quite genetically distinct from other populations. Upon further
investigation, we found populations of these Physaria
to also be morphologically distinct from P. vitulifera
and uniquely substrate specific. Therefore, we recommend that populations of this Physaria be treated as a new species, Physaria pamsmithiae, for the
CNHP botanist who diligently tracked Physaria X1 andadvocated for this project. These results highlight theimportance of government and non-profit agencies
working collaboratively with researchers to provide
efficient, evidence-based conservation management strategies. Ultimately, these results also inform
our understanding of regional biodiversity.

S.129.6 Using genomic data
to inform taxonomy andconservation of rare plants
Mitchell McGlaughlin1, Samantha
Naibauer1
1 University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, Colorado, USA

Accurate taxonomic identification of rare plant species is essential for defining elements of biodiversityand directing conservation funding to protect thatdiversity. Recent advances in genetic data collection,
particularly those utilizing next-generation DNA sequencing technologies, have increased the accuracy
and speed of genetic studies, and has lowered thecost to generate robust genomic datasets. Genetic
data provides a method to determine if species are
distinct from close relatives, genetic structure of populations, and levels of genetic diversity within populations, independent of challenges associated withphenotypic plasticity, which can complicate analysesof plant morphology. However, many of these modern
genetic tools remain focused on evolutionary studies
and are not directly leveraged to support conservation. In this presentation, We discuss collaborations
between the University of Northern Colorado, the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Colorado Bureau ofLand Management as a model to support the collection of conservation focused genetic data. Supported studies have examined taxonomic uncertainty,
defined management units, and increased our understanding species life history. Examples will focus
on how genetic data has improved the allocation ofconservation resources in Colorado, with studies that
determined that Draba weberi (Brassicaceae) is not a
distinct species, that endangered Sclerocactus glaucus (Cactaceae) should be recognized as two species, and that Erythranthe gemmipara (Phrymaceae)
is entirely clonal with a very uneven distribution of genetic diversity across the species range. Collectively,
these results illustrate how agencies and researchers
can collaborate to ensure that the taxonomy of plant
species of concern is accurate and that conservation
activities are targeted to species most in need.

S.130 MALVACEAE: PROGRESS & PROSPECTS
IN EVOLUTIONARY RESEARCH IN THE COTTON& CACAO FAMILY
S.130.1 What have welearned from the Malvaceae
fossil record?
Cédric Del Rio1
1CR2P, Centre de Recherche en Paléontologie–Paris, MNHN, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Paris, France

The Malvaceae is a family of flowering plants thatconsists of 244 genera and 4,225 species. This family
is found on all vegetated continents and exhibits substantial morphological and habitat diversity. The fossil record has been abundant since the Cretaceous
period, but many fossils, especially pollen and leaf remains, are ambiguous. As a result, some subfamilies,
such as Malvoideae, may have a challenging-to-interpret fossil record. Nevertheless, Malvaceae fossils

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are distinguished by the variety of questions they
have helped answer throughout the history of paleobotany. What have we learned from the fossil recordof Malvaceae? This presentation highlights three focus of study that have been developed: (i) Origins:
Although partial, Malvaceae fossils have helped clarify the temporal origin of the family and the diversification of its subfamilies, particularly by supporting
molecular phylogenies. The study of new fossils hasconstantly made it possible to test the ages proposed by molecular analysis and has often extended
the previously determined ages. (ii) Biogeography:
Malvaceae serves as a model for the biogeographyof subtropical floras. For instance, the genus Craigia,
a relict group from East Asia, has an extensive fossil
record that has helped elucidate the history of floras
at various geographic levels in the Northern Hemisphere, especially exchanges between North America, Asia, and Europe. (iii) Morphological evolution:
Fossils exhibit forms that are little or not documented
in the present diversity, allowing us to understand theevolution of certain organs over time. Examples include the inflorescence bracts of the genus Tilia andthe evolution of wood in the Sterculioideae subfamily,
which have revealed morphological changes overtime. From these three axes, it follows that the studyof Malvaceae fossils addresses many key questions
related to plant evolution. New fossils, for example,
those from less explored regions, could refine both
paleobotanical and neobotanical studies.

By examining a comprehensive molecular datasetof hundreds of single-copy nuclear genes across allnine subfamilies, we employed a maximum likelihood
framework to ascertain introgression levels and direction. Floral evolution was examined applying a modelthat explicitly tests morphological evolution throughintrogression. This study illuminates the complex interplay between introgression and floral evolution, providing novel insights into the evolutionary processes
that have shaped the phylogenetic relationships anddiversity in Malvaceae.

S.130.2 Reconstructing thephylogeny of Malvaceae

The last three decades have seen an explosionof studies showing long-distance dispersal to
be a major force in determining the patterns ofspecies distributions around the globe. The increasing prevalence of molecular phylogenies
with widespread species sampling, coupled withimproved dating methods, has revealed that dispersal and subsequent adaptive radiations arecommon and occur more rapidly than previously thought. Recent studies in the genus Hibiscus (Malvaceae) have demonstrated repeateddispersal events out of Madagascar alone, indicating that the island is not only a hotspot of
biodiversity but also a source of colonizers to numerous continents. Perhaps most striking are thespecies in Hibiscus section Lilibiscus, a group that
arose in Madagascar within the last ~2 million
years. Members of Lilibiscus are largely endemic
to oceanic islands, with 19 of the 30 species (63%)
occurring on three volcanic archipelagos (Mascarene, Fijian, Hawaiian) spread across the globe.
A parsimonious explanation for this distribution
might be a single dispersal event out of Mada-

Rebeca Hernández-Gutiérrez1
1 Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal
Biology, University of California, Riverside, USA
The Malvaceae family outstands for its diversity in
species richness, morphology, growth form, and geographic distribution. Unraveling the drivers behindsuch a high variation demands an integrative approach that leverages multiple data sources to yield
a comprehensive picture of the evolution of this important family. It is known that numerous events of introgression occurred in the deep past of Malvaceae,
which not only explains the pervasive phylogenetic
discordance among genes trees, but also explains floral evolution in some subclades. However, the broader
implications of introgression on floral evolution remain
largely unexplored. This study aimed to quantify the extent of introgression among genera within Malvaceae
and to assess its role in shaping floral morphologies.

S.130.3 Hibiscus sect.
Lilibiscus: Expanding
perspectives on the tempo
and mode of extreme longdistance dispersal andrapid radiations on
Brock Mashburn1,2, Margaret M. Hanes3,
Lex A. J. Thomson4, Kenneth M. Olsen1,
Christine E. Edwards2
1 Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO,
USA. 2 Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO, USA.
3 Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI, USA.
4 Australian Centre for Pacific Islands Research,
Queensland, Australia

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gascar to the Mascarenes, from there to Fiji, andfinally to Hawaii. We tested this hypothesis using
a 2bRAD next-generation sequencing approachwith over 700 samples and produced a phylogeny that includes every species in sect. Lilibiscus
and closely related outgroups. The resulting species relationships revealed an unexpected colonization pattern, with at least three independent
dispersal events out of Madagascar and twoway dispersal between islands in the Pacific andIndian Oceans. This suggests that we may still be
underestimating the ability of species to regularly disperse across incredibly long distances andthat species disjunctions could be much younger than expected. In addition, we uncovered asurprising biogeographical connection between
volcanic archipelagos in the Pacific and Indian
Oceans that requires further investigation.

S.130.4 Towards an updated
classification of Malvales
and Malvaceae: insightsfrom phylogenomics andmorphology
Matheus Colli-Silva1, Oscar A. PérezEscobar1, Carlos D.M. Ferreira2, Maria T.R.
Costa2, Samuele Gerace2, Thales SilvaCoutinho3, Vania Nobuko Yoshikawa4,5,
Higor Antonio-Domingues1, Rebeca
Hernández-Gutiérrez6, Martin Cheek1,
Mark W. Chase1, Michael F. Fay1, William
S. Alverson7, Massimo Bovini2, Laurence
J. Dorr8, William J. Baker1, Alexandre
Antonelli1,9,10,11
1 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, UK.
2 Instituto de Pesquisas Jardim Botânico do Rio deJaneiro, Diretoria de Pesquisas, Rio de Janeiro, Riode Janeiro, Brazil. 3 Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, Mato Grosso,
Brazil. 4 Laboratório de Sistemática Vegetal, Núcleo
de Ciências Ambientais, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade de Mogi das
Cruzes, Mogi das Cruzes, São Paulo, Brazil. 5 Department of Botany, Institute of Biosciences, Universityof São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil (Present affiliation). 6
Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal
Biology, University of California, Riverside, California,
USA. 7 WIS Herbarium, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA. 8 Department of Botany, National Museum of Natural History, Smithso-

nian Institution, Washington DC, USA. 9 Gothenburg
Global Biodiversity Centre, Gothenburg, Sweden. 10
Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China. 11 Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
The Malvales, a diverse order of flowering plants
spanning various global biomes, boasts significant species diversity and morphologicalvariability. Despite its ecological and economic importance, Malvales classification has been
largely neglected since the late 1990s. This study
addresses this gap by revisiting Malvales classification, emphasizing its largest family Malvaceae. By integrating molecular and morphologicaldatasets, our primary goal is to map key traits
for classification onto an extensive phylogeny
and reassess taxonomic boundaries as necessary. This investigation enhances our evolutionary understanding of Malvales, bringing providing valuable insights for a more contemporary
taxonomy. We generated a molecular dataset
based on 196 nuclear genes for 188 genera within Malvales, including genera from all recognizedfamilies and subfamilies, almost all tribes, andall subtribes. Phylogenetic trees were inferredusing maximum-likelihood and a coalescenceapproach to reconcile conflicts. A morphologicalmatrix with 52 characters relevant for to suprageneric classification was compiled to identify
diagnostic features within specific clades. Character state distributions were mapped onto thefinal phylogenetic topology to aid the search offor diagnostic features for of suprageneric taxa.
Phylogenetic relationships and monophyly formost groups aligned with prior research. Significant variations in diagnostic morphological traits
were observed across clades, including growthforms, leaf structures, pollen types, flower floral
attributes, and fruit/seeds. Incongruities in relationships among some Malvales families andwithin well-supported Malvaceae clades were
attributed to discrepancies observed in genetrees. For Malvaceae, uncertainties in basal Malvoideae were resolved. Incongruities among nuclear loci, while not impacting clade definitions,suggest caution in interpreting the current Malvaceae classification. We propose maintaining
Malvaceae sensu lato and introducing two new
subfamilies (Matisioideae and Durionoideae) for
several tropical genera. Pollen characteristics
define Malvoideae as a monophyletic subfamily.
Four new tribes within Malvoideae improve taxonomic placement for genera previously of uncertain classification, aligning with updated findings.

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S.130.5 A new phylogeny
and classification for tribe
Hibisceae (Malvaceae)

South Wales Sydney, Australia 12 Louisiana State
University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA

Margaret M. Hanes1,13, Orland J. Blanchard
Jr.2, Janice Valencia-D.3,4, Todd McLay5,6,7,
J. Richard Abbott8, Stuart F. McDaniel9,
Russell L. Barrett10,11, Sarah Mathews6,12, Kurt
M. Neubig3
1 Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan,
USA. 2 Florida Museum of Natural History, University
of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA. 3 Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois, USA. 4 Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá D.C., Colombia.
5 Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, Melbourne, Australia. 6 Centre for Australian National Biodiversity
Research, CSIRO, Canberra, Australia. 7 The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia. 8 University of Arkansas at Monticello, Monticello, Arkansas,
USA. 9 University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.
10 National Herbarium of New South Wales, Botanic
Gardens of Sydney, Australia. 11 University of New

Tribe Hibisceae represents a very iconic group ofplants with extraordinary horticultural, agriculturaland cultural significance. No studies, however, havebroadly sampled across the dozens of taxa within
the tribe, leading to uncertainty in the relationships
among genera. The non-monophyly of the genus
Hibiscus is infamous and challenging, whereas themonophyly of most other genera in the tribe has yet
to be assessed, including the large genus Pavonia.
We significantly increase taxon sampling and assess monophyly of most currently recognized genera in the tribe. We also include many newly sampled species and sections of Hibiscus and Pavonia.
Our phylogenetic trees demonstrate that Hibiscus,
as traditionally defined, encompasses at least 20
additional genera. The status of Pavonia emerges
as comparable in complexity to Hibiscus. Our phylogeny offers clarity in the phylogenetic placementof several taxa of uncertain affinity (e.g., Helicteropsis, Hibiscadelphus, Jumelleanthus, and Wercklea).
We introduce a new classification for the tribe andclarify the boundaries of Hibiscus and Pavonia.

S.131 THE ROLE OF AGMATOPLOIDY ANDSYMPLOIDY FOR DIVERSIFICATION OF
FLOWERING PLANTS WITH HOLOCENTRIC
CHROMOSOMES
S.131.1 Evolutionary
significance of holocentricchromosomes

points in studying chromosomal speciation and comprehending the impact of recombination on species’
success within dynamic or stable environments.

František Zedek1, Petr Bureš1
1 Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Czechia
Holocentric chromosomes, in contrast to the commonly known monocentric ones, exhibit a remarkable
tolerance for fragmentation. They have independently
evolved multiple times in both plants and animals. Despite their rarity, holocentrics might have significantly
influenced the colonization of land half a billion years
ago, while also gaining relevance as significant agricultural pests in contemporary times. Furthermore,these chromosomes are increasingly becoming focal

S.131.2 The architecture ofchromosome fission andfusion in holocentrics
Marcial Escudero1
1 Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
Chromosome evolution is a major driver of diversification in angiosperms. Whereas polyploidy has been
investigated at a great deal in angiosperms, dysploidy (chromosome number changes by fission/
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icant change in DNA content) has been, in comparison, mostly ignored. The clade of family Cyperaceae,with holocentric chromosomes -kinetochoric activity is distributed along the whole chromosome-, andconsequently a large range of chromosome number
vatiation, is an ideal study system to investigate theconsequences of chromosome fission and fusion. By
fitting models of chromosome evolution in the phylogeny of the Cyperaceae, we have inferred that therate of dysploidy, and also polyploidy, is not homogeneous across Cyperaceae, instead there are clades
where rates of chromosome evolution accelerates ordecelerates. Using comparative genomics of closely
and distantly related species, we have also observed
the pull of the present for chromosome evolution. The
same way that the rates of molecular, morphological, fossil and speciation seem to accelerate towards
the present in the tree of life, we have also found how
the rates of fission and fusion seem to be much faster at microevolutionary scale than at macroevolutionary scale. Comparative genomics suggest that
there is a strong genomic constraint that limits where
fission and fusion may occur which results in parallel
events of fission and fusion across different lineages
and leads to underestimate the rates of dysploidy at
the macroevolutionary scale. The inferred hotspots ofdysploidy are very rich in repeat DNA, that is, the repeat landscape may determine the rates of fission
and fusion and their location in the genome. Finally, at
microevolutionary scale, we shed light into the crucial
question of how new karyotypes become established.
New chromosome variants may become fixed in the
populations by both, stochastic processes like drift or
selection of locally adapted karyotypes.

S.131.3 Cryptic evolution
and diversification of
agmatoploid-polyploid Luzula
sect. Luzula (Juncaceae) in
the Eastern Alps
Valentin Heimer1,2, Jonas Geurden2,Andreas Hilpold1, Mingai Li3, Claudio
Varotto3, Peter Schönswetter2, BožoFrajman2
1 Eurac Research, Bozen/Bolzano, Italy. 2 Universityof Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria. 3 Fondazione Edmund Mach, S. Michele all’Adige, Italy.
The diversification of flowering plants has been influenced by changes in the number and structure ofchromosomes. While the evolutionary consequences of chromosome duplications (polyploidy) are well
documented, much less is known about the effects ofchromosome fragmentations (agmatoploidy). Luzula (Juncaceae) is a genus with common incidence ofboth phenomena, leading to a variety of cytotypes. The
most variable and taxonomically intricate group within
the genus is Luzula sect. Luzula, of which eight species
with six karyotypes, including di-, tetra- and hexaploids,
have been reported for the Eastern Alps. However, due
to weak morphological differentiation among taxa, theirdistributions and phylogenetic relationships are insufficiently known. By using an integrated approach employing extensive vegetation surveys, relative genome
size estimations, chromosome counts, RAD- and plastome sequencing, we aim at disentangling the evolutionary history and ecological niche segregation within
this species complex. Combining a variety of different
methods will allow us to reconstruct phylogenetic relationships among species as well as unravel the rolesof chromosome duplication and fragmentation for
speciation and ecological divergence in Luzula. In thistalk we present preliminary results of ecological andgenomic data. Our findings include common co-occurrence of cytotypes at the same locality and a varying degree of ecological differentiation among taxa. In
the (sub)alpine belt, we found tetraploid species to be
more common on silicates while diploid L. exspectata
occurs mostly on calcareous bedrock and L. sudetica is
restricted to humid habitats.

S.131.4 Initial insights
about mono- andholocentromeres incarnivorous Drosera species
Laura Ávila Robledillo1, Aaryan Bhatia1,
André Marques1
1 Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research,
Cologne, Germany
Sundews are carnivorous plants that grow in nutrient-poor habitats, such as bogs, swamps, and sanddunes. They are distributed globally, with more than
200 species described. In addition to carnivory, sundews are reported to have great diversity of genomic and chromosomal features. The chromosomesof sundews have been studied for over a century
revealing extraordinary variability in chromosome
number and ploidy across species. But perhaps, oneof the most fascinating features of sundews chromosomes is the fact that several species analyzed within

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the genus Drosera lack a visible primary constriction,
leading to the assumption that holocentricity is common in the genus. This is very exciting as it points tothe occurrence of both monocentric and holocentric
species in a single genus. Combining genomics andcytogenetics we are analyzing the genome of Drosera species differing in centromere organization. We
assembled the genome of 5 selected species fromthe main clades using a combination of long-readsequencing technologies. In addition we made useof low-coverage Illumina short reads for the characterization of the repetitive fraction of the genome inadditional species. Our preliminary data reveals thedifferent genome architecture of mono- and holocentric Drosera and suggest that satellite repeats areassociated with centromeres in both types. However,satDNAs are rarely conserved among Drosera species contrary to other reported holocentric species.
Moreover, the development of specific centromere
markers allowed us to verify the centromere type of
our set of species. In addition our data gives insights
into the evolution of the karyotypes of Drosera species. Synteny analyses among Drosera and its sisterclade such as Nepenthes showed that events of fission and fusion are common in the group. This work
could provide the bases for the understanding of the
genomic changes associated with holocentricity as
well as the drivers of this transition.

S.131.5 Combining
chromosome evolution
models and phylogenomic
data to disentangle
polyploidy and single
chromosome evolution in
Drosera

Drosera L. (Droseraceae, Caryophyllales) has beenlong thought to exhibit large amounts of chromosome
evolution due to both single chromosome number
change and polyploidy. We used the BiChrom model
to test whether rates of single chromosome number
increase and decrease, and chromosome number
doubling differed between D. subg. Ergaleium andthe other subgenera and between self-compatible and self-incompatible lineages. The best model
for chromosome evolution among subgenera had
equal rates of chromosome number doubling but
higher rates of single chromosome number change
in D. subg. Ergaleium than in the other subgenera.
Contrary to expectation, self-incompatible lineages
had a significantly higher rate of single chromosome
loss than self-compatible lineages. The findings ofdifferent rates in different subgenera were further
supported by phylogenomic analyses not finding evidence for any polyploid events in the D. subg. Ergaleium while finding evidence of polyploidy in the othersubgenera. We found no evidence for an association
between differences in single chromosome number
changes and diploidization after polyploidy or centromere type. This study highlights the complexity offactors influencing rates of chromosome number
evolution. Further work should explore whether meiotic and specifically holocentric drive might explain
heterogeneity in chromosome number evolution in
Drosera. This work is in part published in Evolution athttps://doi.org/10.1093/evolut/qpad153.

S.131.6 Detecting shifts inthe mode of chromosomal
speciation across thecosmopolitan plant lineage
Carex

Rebekah Mohn , Rosana Zenil-Ferguson ,Thilo Krueger4, Andreas Fleischmann5,6,
Adam Cross4,7, Ya Yang2

Carrie M. Tribble1, José Ignacio MárquezCorro2,3, Michael R. May4, Andrew L.
Hipp5, Marcial Escudero6, Rosana ZenilFerguson7

1 Center for Tree Science, Morton Arboretum, Lisle,
IL, United States. 2 Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota–Twin Cities, St.
Paul, MN, United States. 3 Department of Biology,
University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States.
4 School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, Australia. 5 Botanische
Staatssammlung München (SNSB-BSM), Munich,Germany. 6 GeoBio-Center LMU, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany. 7 EcoHealth Network, Brookline, MA, United States

1 School of Life Sciences, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, Honolulu, USA. 2 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Richmond, Surrey, UK. 3 Department of Molecular
Biology and Biochemistry Engineering, Universidad
Pablo de Olavide, Sevilla, Spain. 4 Department of
Evolution and Ecology, University of California Davis, Davis, USA. 5 Herbarium and Center for Tree
Science, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, USA. 6 Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University
of Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain .7 Department of Biology,
University of Kentucky, Lexington, USA

1,2

3

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Recent studies of angiosperm diversification havefocused on the role of polyploidy as a driver of diversification. However, we know far less about theeffects of single changes in chromosome number—
dysploidy, which can mediate lineage diversification by affecting recombination rates, linkage, and/or reproductive isolation. Modeling the effects ofdysploidy on diversification is mathematically andcomputationally challenging because many statesand parameters are required to track changes inindividual chromosomes, especially in lineages thathave high variability in chromosome number. Additionally, we expect the processes of diversificationand dysploidy to vary across clades, which requires
modeling process variation to disentangle the effects of the observed trait (chromosome number)from the effects of unobserved traits on diversification. In this work, we propose a new state-dependent
diversification model of chromosome evolution that

includes numerous character states and explicitly
models heterogeneity in the diversification process.
Our model includes parameters that functionallylink diversification rates to dysploidy rates and differentiate between anagenetic and cladogenetic
changes. We apply this model to Carex (Cyperaceae), a model lineage for understanding dysploidy
and diversification, leveraging chromosome number information and the most recent time-calibrated phylogenetic tree for over 700 species and subspecies. We recover distinct modes of chromosomal
speciation across Carex. In one mode, dysploidy occurs very frequently and drives faster diversification
rates. In the other mode, dysploidy is rare and diversification is driven by other factors, unmeasured
in our analysis. This study is the first to demonstratethat dysploidy drives diversification in plants whileconsidering unmeasured factors affecting diversification.

S.132 BIOGEOGRAPHIC AND EVOLUTIONARYPATTERNS AND PROCESSES OF THE TROPICAL- TEMPERATE BIOME TRANSITION
S.132.1 Taxonomy,
biogeography, and sectionalboundaries of the tropical
blueberries (Vaccinieae,
Ericaceae) of Malesia
Maverick N. Tamayo1, Wendy A.
Mustaqim2, John D. Horner1, Matthew C.
Hale1, Peter W. Fritsch3
1 Department of Biology, College of Science andEngineering, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth,USA. 2 Program Studi Biologi, Fakultas Teknik, Universitas Samudra, Langsa, Indonesia. 3 BotanicalResearch Institute of Texas, Fort Worth, USA
The tribe Vaccinieae (Ericaceae) is a large groupof more than 1000 species mostly found in thetropics, and a third of which are found in Malesia. Vaccinium is the largest genus of Vaccinieae in Malesia, comprising ca. 250 species, morethan half of which are endemic to the island of
New Guinea. Malesian species of Vaccinium aremainly adapted to high-elevation zones, exposed
mountain ridges and peaks, montane mossy rain

forests, nutrient poor habitats, and rarely littoral
areas. They are often rare in the wild; hence, few
studies on its taxonomy have been conducted inMalesia. A revision was included in the account for
Ericaceae in the Flora Malesiana. However, limited
specimen availability and utilization of ambiguous and poorly defined morphological charactershindered resolution of many species complexes.
Moreover, sectional boundaries of Malesian Vaccinium are poorly defined, and the morphologicalcharacters overlap with those of other sections,thus limiting their utility. Furthermore, a comprehensive phylogeny for the Malesian Vaccinium
is lacking. A preliminary phylogenetic analysis of
Ericaceae reveals that Vaccinium is non-monophyletic, with the genera Agapetes and Rigiolepis
nested within it. We present recent findings fromfield and herbarium work helping to clarify thesystematics and evolution of Malesian Vaccinieae. A taxonomic revision of Philippine Vaccinium
has resulted in the discovery of 11 new species,
three new island records, rediscoveries, and clarification of species complexes. In Indonesia, wehave discovered a new species and a variety ofVaccinium, including three new species of Rigiolepis. We provide assessment of the morphologi-

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cal basis for the sectional boundaries of Malesian
Vaccinium in the context of ongoing molecular analysis. The biogeography, distribution, andmorphological distinctions among Agapetes, Rigiolepis, and Vaccinium will be discussed.

S.132.2 The tropicaltemperate transition ina World without clearcut climatic boundaries:
evolutionary implications

evaluation of the role of transitional areas in promoting biodiversity across the Tree of Life.

S.132.3 A diversificationtransition model between
tropical and temperatebiomes explains theNorthern Hemispherebiodiversity

Medina, N.G.1,2, Coca de la Iglesia, M.1,
Gallego, A.1, Wen, J.3, Valcárcel, V.1,2

Ze-Long Nie1, Ying Meng1, Meng-Hua
Zhang1, Luke Sparreo2, Alicia Talavera3,
Jun Wen3

1 Departamento de Biología, Universidad Autónoma
de Madrid, Madrid, Spain. 2 Centro de Investigación
en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global, Universidad
Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain. 3 Departmentof Botany/MRC 166, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA.

1 College of Biology and Environmental Sciences,
Jishou University, Jishou, Hunan, China. 2 Department of Botany, Connecticut College, New London,
CT, U.S.A. 3 Department of Botany, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution,
Washington, DC, U.S.A.

The so-called latitudinal diversity pattern has often been explained invoking the clear-cut climaticdifferences between tropical-temperate latitudes.
However, this hypothesis assumes that moving fromthe tropics to the temperate latitudes implies drasticchanges in the climatic preferences of the species.
Yet the climatic transitions between regions are often gradual and overlooking their importance candeeply affect how we perceive the impact of climate
on evolutionary patterns. We examined the natureand distribution of the transitions between climatic regions worldwide and evaluated their impact for
inferring the past and present climatic preferencesin the Asian Palmates, a highly diverse and climatically complex lineage of Araliaceae. We find consistent geographic patterns in the climatic transitions
worldwide. Particularly, we detect a consistent higher
extent and spatial complexity of the transitions between tropical-temperate climates in the Old World.
By considering climatic transitions we identified thatthe early ancestors of the Asian Palmates had strong
affinities for the subtropical-temperate transitions
suggesting an initial diversification under such climate. This leads us to propose that the Asian Palmates diversified under these transitional climatesand its evolution was interspersed with occasional
shifts towards more pronounced tropical or temperate climates. Such results emphasized the significance of transitional climates in understanding niche
diversity and evolutionary patterns and calls for a (re)The evolutionary patterns and processes driving
ecological transition and diversification between
tropical and north temperate biomes are complex and remain poorly understood in the Northern
Hemisphere flora. Moreover, it is becoming clear that
introgression is an important driving force of speciation in plant diversity. Here, we applied phylogenetic and biogeographic analyses to account for both
introgression and incomplete lineage sorting basedon genomic data from two charismatic lineages of
the Northern Hemisphere, the tribe Viteae (the Ampelocissus-Vitis group) of Vitaceae and Magnolia of
Magnoliaceae. Biogeographic inference and fossil
evidence suggest that the ancestors of Viteae were
widely distributed from North America to Europe
during the Paleocene to the Eocene, followed bywidespread extinction and survival of relicts in thetropical New World. During the climate warming in
the early Miocene, an ancestor migrated northwardfrom the refugia with subsequent diversificationin North America and Eurasia. Similarly, Magnolia
had once been widely distributed in the Northern
Hemisphere in the early Palaeogene followed withextensive extinction and southward retreat to the
low-latitude regions during the middle to late Eocene cooling climate. Magnoliaceae had been welldiversified in the tropical regions with less development during the transition back to the temperateregions. Meanwhile, we found strong evidence forwidespread incongruence and reticulate evolution
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cient lineages in the Ampelocissus-Vitis clade andMagnolia during their biome transitions and diversification in the Northern Hemisphere. The scenario wereport here may represent a transition model between tropical and temperate regions in general forflowering plants that adapted to the global climate
cooling and fluctuation in the Northern Hemisphere.

S.132.4 The modernizationof plant diversity on the
Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau
associated with the late
Eocene climate transition

S.132.5 Terrestrial plant
evolution driven by the
global cooling during
the Eocene-Oligocenetransition-examples fromthree tribes of Leguminosae
Lei Duan1, Hong-Feng Chen1, AJ Harris1,
Jun Wen2
1 South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China. 2 Departmentof Botany, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, USA

Tao Su1,2, Zhe-Kun Zhou2, Jia Liu1, Xin-Wen
Zhang1, Jiang Huang2, Shu-Feng Li2
1 State Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Reservoir
Geology and Exploitation & Institute of Sedimentary Geology, Chengdu University of Technology,
Chengdu, China. 2 CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical
Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical
Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla,
China
The modernization of plant diversity, which means thefloristic assemblage in deep time being similar to nowadays, is a milestone for the evolution of global plant
diversity; however, little is known about when did thisprocess occur. Recent paleobotanical investigation on
the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) sheds new lights on
this topic. The late Paleocene Liuqu flora (~59 Ma) fromsouthern QTP mainly consists of Annonaceae, Fabaceae, Moraceae and Palmae, suggesting a tropical forest. The middle Eocene Jianglang flora (~47 Ma) from
central QTP is composed of Apocynaceae, Araceae,
Menispermaceae, Sapindaceae and Simaroubaceae,
there is no dominant species in this subtropic flora. The
Dayu flora (~39 Ma) from central QTP consists of bothwoody plants and herbs, indicating the vegetation ofopen woodland. The floristic components of all thesefloras mentioned above are quite different from modern vegetations. It is not until the latest Eocene that thefloristic components are similar to nowadays, which isevidenced by the Markam flora from eastern QTP with
Fagaceae and Betulaceae as the most abundant taxa.
This kind of evergreen deciduous broad-leaved mixed
forest still survives in southeastern margin of the QTP
nowadays. During the latest Eocene, the growth of the
QTP and the associated climate change from dry to wet
condition may contribute to the modernization of plant
diversity on the QTP and regions nearby, and graduallyshaped the rich plant diversity in this large area.

An abrupt, dramatic global cooling event occurred
during the short period of the Eocene-Oligocene transition (EOT). This paleoclimatic event drove a largescale aridification and increasingly seasonality, which
drastically influenced the evolution of plants and distribution of global vegetation, especially, the great retreating of boreotropical flora. However so far, previous
biogeographic studies have not well interpreted themolecular mechanism of the influence on terrestrial
plants. The leguminous tribes Glycyrrhizeae (the liquorice tribe), Adinobotryeae and Wisterieae (the Wisteria tribe) formed a clade, widely distributed in every
continent except for Antarctica. Based on the data oforthologous nuclear genes and chloroplast genomes
from deep next-generation sequencing, and using theinterdisciplinary analyses of historical biogeography,
molecular ecology and phylogenomics, our study revealed that the common ancestor of the three-tribe
clade existed in boreotropical region during the Eocene, and experienced inter-tribal divergence, rapid
niche evolution and biome shift from humid tropicalforest to drier grassland or desert at the EOT. Subsequently, adaptive evolution occurred to many taxa ofthe clade, especially those of Glycyrrhizeae, to survive
the changing habitats. On the other hand, the EOT
global cooling differentiated the plant habits among
the three tribes: herbs for Glycyrrhizeae, trees for Adinobotryeae and woody lianas for Wisterieae. To better
investigate the noticeable point, with the annotatedwhole genomes obtained from the third-generation
sequencing of representatives for each of the tribes,
this study assessed the genome structure change andthe evolution of the key gene families, whose function
was to regulate the trait of habits by influencing thebiosyntheses of cellulose and lignin. With the threetribes as a model, our results can provide a reference
to the studies on plant evolution under the present
background of global environmental changes.

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S.132.6 Machine learning
analyses of herbarium
specimens identify
morphological featurescharacterizing tropical totemperate transitions

sitions were facilitated by the acquisition of morphological characters enabling adaptation to novel
habitats (i.e., temperate environments). Synthesisof biogeographic studies of many plant lineages
improved our understanding of the frequency oftropical-temperate transitions, but our understanding of associated trait evolution lags behind. Here,
we use novel approaches for quantifying phenotype—machine learning algorithms that can classify and extract leaf, flower, and fruit features fromdigitized herbarium specimen images—to infer themorphological characters that were important for
enabling transitions from tropical to temperate biomes. Specifically, we used the machine learning
package LeafMachine2 to extract leaf, flower, andfruit traits from tens of thousands of specimens intargeted groups. We used the plum/cherry genus(Prunus, Rosaceae) and the grape genus (Vitis, Vitaceae) because they represent rare lineages thatsuccessfully transitioned from tropical to temperate biomes. We used morphological data from tensof thousands of digitized specimens representing
hundreds of species to trace continuous character evolution on time-calibrated phylogenies. Thisapproach was selected so that the effects of both
evolutionary history and past environmental conditions on observed phenotype could be considered.
We measured leaf and reproductive characters andassessed phenology to identify features associated with biome shifts. Additionally, for comparative
purposes, we investigated morphological variation
within extant widespread species. The workflow developed for connecting morphological data withphylogenetic and environmental data is available
as a user-customizable pipeline.

Richard Hodel1,2, Alicia Talavera1, Will
Weaver3, Alex White2, Mike Trizna2,
Rebecca Dikow4, Liz Zimmer1, Ze-Long
Nie5, Jun Wen1
1 Department of Botany, National Museum of Natural History, MRC166, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA. 2 Data Science Lab, Office of the
Chief Information Officer, Smithsonian Institution,
Washington, DC, USA. 3 Department of Ecology and
Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA. 4 Computational Methods and Data,
Yale University Library, Yale University, New Haven,
CT, USA. 5 Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Utilization, College of Biology andEnvironmental Sciences, Jishou University, Jishou,
Hunan, China
The phylogenomic age has revealed that the number of plant lineages that can successfully transition
between temperate and tropical biomes is surprisingly low. One explanation for this trend invokes thedifficulty of tropical lineages acquiring the necessary traits to tolerate the cooler, drier, and moreseasonal temperate zone. Nevertheless, in rare cases, some lineages have been able to successfully
migrate from the tropics to temperate zones during
their evolutionary history. Presumably, these tran-

S.133 THE SPECIAL AND ENDURING VALUE OF
MODEL CLADES IN EVOLUTION AND ECOLOGY
S.133.1 What is a modelclade? Viburnum as an
exampleparticular phenomenon or process. This, we think, istrue of every clade. Likewise, it is not because it is aclade that includes a model species such as Arabidopsis thaliana. Nor is it because it somehow represents a microcosm of the variety manifested by amore inclusive clade. Instead, we adopt the view thata model clade is simply one that has been studied
intensively and from many different angles, leading
naturally to a more holistic understanding. The expectation is that this concerted, integrative attention
to a group of organisms will yield insights that would

Erika J. Edwards1, Michael J. Donoghue1
1 Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology,
Yale University, New Haven CT, USA
What makes a clade a model clade? In our view it
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not otherwise be attainable, and this accumulationof context will invariably improve our interpretationof any one study in isolation. We view this context ascritical in evaluating macro-evolutionary data andpredict that studies of model clades will continue
to provide the most compelling explanations of organismal evolution. Although there are no rules forthe development of a model clade, there are somethings that are foundational in providing a platform
for diverse studies. One key element is the development of a firm understanding of phylogenetic
relationships and of a phylogenetic classification
system to support unambiguous communication
across labs and generations. An additional consideration is clade size. There are distinct advantages
to clades of moderate size – large enough to support convincing statistical analysis, but not so largethat comprehensive surveys become too challenging. Viburnum (Adoxaceae) provides an example ofa model clade in the sense that we have outlined
here, and we provide concrete examples of novel
insights that have emerged as a consequence of
having carried out a diverse set of studies of Viburnum over multiple decades.

S.133.2 The tribe Bignonieae(Bignoniaceae) as a model
for understanding evolution,
ecology, and biogeography
in the Neotropics
Lúcia G. Lohmann1, 2
University of California, Berkeley, California, USA.
2.Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
The tribe Bignonieae (Bignoniaceae) comprise ca.
20 genera and 400 species that are broadly distributed through the Neotropics, representing the largest and most successful clade of lianas in this partof the World. Species of Bignonieae show diverse
morphology, ecology, and distribution, occurring in
all major ecological zones (dry to wet) and providing an excellent opportunity to further understandhabitat movements, niche transitions, and adaptations to dry/wet environments. The comprehensive phylogenetic, morphological, distribution, fossil,and ecological datasets gathered during the past
three decades allow us to test hypotheses on theevolution of morphology, ecology, and biogeography of this important plant clade. Some of this work
involved detailed studies of traits associated withthe climbing habit (e.g., wood anatomy, tendrils), insect-plant interactions (e.g., nectaries, mitedomatia,
trichomes), pollination systems (e.g., traits associated with different flower whorls), and dispersal (i.e.,seeds). While Bignoniaceae is a model system, ourexhaustive exploration of the Neotropical Bignoniaceae established the basis for cross-taxonomic
and multi-disciplinary studies that combine similar
datasets for other organisms. The understandingof species’ movements to dry environments acrossclades is allowing us to gain a deeper appreciationof clade-specific differences in the ability to adapt
to climate change. Information of this nature is crucial to manage biodiversity, design sound policy,
and establish conservation priorities.

S.133.3 Hydnophytinae as amodel clade
Guillaume Chomicki1
1 Department of Biosciences, Durham University,
Durham, UK.
Widespread in nature, mutualistic associations –cooperative interactions between unrelated species–
are pivotal for the generation and maintenanceof biodiversity. These partnerships vary from loose,facultative interactions between large guilds totight, obligate interactions on which species depend
for reproduction or survival. The Hydnophytinae is aclade of 105 species of epiphytic Rubiaceae, mostof which form symbiotic mutualisms with ants. Despite its size, the Hydnophytinae have a higher rateof evolutionary transitions in mutualistic dependence magnitudes than mycorrhizal, pollination andseed dispersal mutualisms, making them an ideal
model clade to study the evolution of mutualisms.
I synthesize a decade of work and show how integrative, phylogenetically-informed studies of Hydnophytinae ant/plant symbioses have shed major
insights on our understanding of mutualisms as awhole. Using phylogenetic comparative methods,
field experiments, comparative genomics and transcriptomics, 3D imaging, microbiology and modelling, I show how mutualistic dependence is criticalfor determining the evolutionary stability of the partnership, its efficiency in trading resources, and show
how it mediates trait evolution within and beyond
those involved in the interaction. I also show how theHydnophytinae can help us resolve the paradox ofmulti-species mutualisms and share new insights
on mechanisms promoting obligate dependence
between ‘macro’ partners.

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S.133.4 The where, when,
and why of pulsed trait
evolution in an explosive
plant radiation, Lupinus(Fabaceae)

Our findings demonstrate the existence of rapid
bursts of trait evolution and suggest that pulsed
evolution may be a common feature of plant radiations.

S.133.5 Sarraceniaceae as amodel clade

Livio Bätscher1, Colin E. Hughes2, Jurriaan
M. de Vos1

David W. Armitage1

1 Department of Environmental Sciences, Universityof Basel, Basel, CH. 2 Department of Systematic andEvolutionary Botany, University of Zürich, Zürich, CH

1 Integrative Community Ecology Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Onna, Okinawa,Japan

We present an overview of why the genus Lupinus
L. (Fabaceae) has emerged as a model clade forstudying rapid recent plant radiations providing
potent insights into the drives rapid ecologicaland phenotypic plant diversification. The Western New World Lupinus clade with more than 200
species, comprises a series of nested and parallel radiations, including the recent rapid Andean
radiation. Previous work has shown that a combination of biome shifts and life form changes
underpin accelerated species diversification, but
detailed understanding of the interactions between environmental and phenotypic evolution islacking. Moreover, while multiple drivers of highrates of species diversification have been proposed, the drivers of rapid ecological and morphological trait evolution remain unclear. Here
we leverage taxonomic, morphological, biogeographic, and environmental data to ask what environmental factors drove the apparently differential rates of trait evolution among western New
World Lupinus lineages. Specifically, we test whichmodel classes, including models of incremental
or pulsed change (i.e., Lévy processes), best describe evolution across eight traits, and whether
life forms, climatic niches, and biographic realms
affect the tempo and mode of trait evolution. We
demonstrate a radically expanded trait space
occupancy by the Andean clade. We reveal support for pulsed evolution in three of eight plant
traits and identify five nested branches in the Andean clade that are congruent with “evolutionary jumps”, rather than a single shift to an overall higher rate of incremental evolution. We findthat these shifts are associated with perennials
occupying aseasonal temperature niches, but
not all such lineages experience “jumps”, suggesting that longer life spans and longer growing
seasons are prerequisites but, alone are insufficient to drive episodes of pulsed trait evolution.

Sarraceniaceae is the Drosophila of community
ecology. The fluid-filled leaves of these carnivorous
plants have, over the course of centuries, captivated professional and amateur botanists alike, and— owing to their unique phytotelmic habit — havebeen used by ecologists, entomologists, and microbiologists as miniature models for lakes, island
chains, and animal digestive systems. The balance between tractability and realism in Sarraceniaceae microcosm studies has produced many
key insights into the functioning and dynamics ofcommunities and ecosystems that would otherwise be impossible in larger systems. Sarraceniaceae are similarly important from botanical andevolutionary perspectives. Captivating as theseplants are, however, many aspects of their evolution and biology remain shrouded in mystery.
While their phylogenetic placement is becoming
clear, far less is known about their landscape genetic structuring, trait-environment relationships,
and mechanisms of prey attraction, capture, digestion, and dispersal. Furthermore, major questions remain concernning the evolutionary historyof the group, as well as mechanisms contributing
to their local-scale diversification in the Southeastern United States and Guiana Highlands. In
this talk, I discuss my research history with Sarraceniace and Darlingtonia californica, in particular.
I show how an integration of ecological, genetic,
and biomechanical studies focusing almost entirely on this single clade has, perhaps paradoxically, helped me become a more interdisciplinaryscientist and more effective advisor and collaborator. I also introduce a brief history of the use of
the Sarraceniaceae model system in community
ecology — highlighting the groundwork of bothestablished and early career researchers — andconclude by outlining areas which would further
help enshrine the family as a model system thatcan effectively integrate many fields of science.

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S.133.6 Cuscuta (dodders;Convolvulaceae) as amodel-system to study
biology of heterotrophic
plantsSaša Stefanović1, Miguel A. García2, Mihai
Costea3
1 University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga,
Canada. 2 Royal Botanical Gardens, Madrid, Spain.
3 Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Canada
Among several dozen independently evolved
groups of heterotrophs, Cuscuta is emerging as amodel clade for understanding different aspectsof heterotrophic plant biology due to the convergence of several factors. First, Cuscuta is one of thelargest and most economically important lineagesof heterotrophic plants. Second, phylogenetic relationships within this species-rich group are well-resolved and strongly supported. Third, the shallow
phylogenetic level that encapsulates substantial
diversity observed in this genus makes the system
tractable. We are now interested to use this system
to explore in-depth three particular venues of heterotrophic plant biology: Cuscuta is one of only two
clades of haustorial parasites known to span thetrophic continuum from photosynthetic hemiparasites to non-photosynthetic, obligate holoparasites.
Most of its lineages are “cryptically photosynthetic”
and capable of limited and localized photosynthesis. However, we were unable to recover any plastome sequences from section Subulatae, suggesting that plastomes of its species are likely entirely
lost, a condition encountered only once before in theangiosperm evolution (Rafflesiaceae). Furthermore,
Cuscuta may represent a genus with the broadest
karyotypic and genome size diversity among all ofangiosperms. This group includes species not onlywith regular monocentric but also with holocentricchromosomes, a feature found in a very few phylogenetically scattered groups of plants. In addition,
the genus has diverse karyotypes, with enormous
variation reported for chromosome numbers, chromosome size, and variation in nuclear DNA content
as well as presence of symmetrical and asymmetrical karyotypes. Discordances between phylogenies
derived from different data sources suggest that
reticulation and polyploidy have likely played a significant role in Cuscuta species diversification, withpotentially 10% of its species being of hybrid origin.
Some of these cases are consistent with more ancient hybridization events while represent relatively
recent reticulations. Our current progress in thesethree areas of Cuscuta biology will be discussed.

S.134 TELLING PLANT SPECIES APART WITH
DNA. SESSION 1
S.134.1 Molecular barcoding
identification of invasive
species dispersed by wind
and in the soil seed bankof South Georgia using
phylogen
Rosemary Newton1, Calum Sweeney1,2,Rachel Day1, Kaitalin White1, Wayne
Dawson3,4, Bradley Myer5, Kelvin Floyd5,
Marcella Corcoran1, Carey Kelting1, Sally
Poncet5, Ken Passfield5, Felix Forest1, Colin
Clubbe1, Juan Viruel1*

1 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, UK, 2 National Parks and Wildlife Services, Kenmare Road,
Killarney, Kerry, Ireland. 3 Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham, UK. 4 Department
of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, University ofLiverpool, Liverpool, UK. 5 Indigena Biosecurity International, Nelson, New Zealand * Author for correspondence: j.viruel@kew.org
Climate change and invasive species are major
causes of biodiversity loss. Invasive species are highly
competitive in ecosystems due to their ability to germinate and grow in a wide range of conditions, theircapacity to produce high reproductive outputs andtheir effective dispersal strategies. Climate change
has already severely impacted several ecosystems
across the planet, such as sub-Antarctic regionswith temperatures rising there fastest in recent decades. The effects of climate change can exacerbate414

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the impacts of invasive species by enhancing features that favour invasiveness, such as tolerance to abroad range of environments. Islands are particularly
vulnerable to the effects of climate change due toreduced habitable space, small populations, and low
functional redundancy. The remote sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia is 160 km in length with a vegetated area of approximately 30,000 ha predominantly confined to near coastal regions due to snow andice being prominently present inland. South Georgia
has a history of use as a land base for extraction ofnatural biotic resources from the surrounding coasts
and ocean. Due to human occupation, non-nativeflora and fauna were inadvertently and/or intentionally introduced. Today, the introduced flora with 41
species outnumbers the native flora with 24 species.
To mitigate this problem, the South Georgia Non-Native Plant Management Strategy was implemented
during 2016-2020 to reduce the population size of
non-native species on the island. We evaluate theefficacy of this eradication programme by quantifying the incidence of invasive species seeds in thesoil seed bank. We designed a molecular barcoding
approach to enable accurate identification of seedlings by evaluating the resolution of traditional barcoding markers (i.e., rbcL and matK) and optimisinga high-throughput sequencing molecular barcoding
method. We applied this method to identify seedlings
that emerged from soil samples collected at key areas on the island.

S.134.2 An evaluation of thetaxonomic status of Musaviridis, Musa splendida,
and Musa paracoccinea
using high-throughput
sequencing data

mediate phenotypes is particularly questionable.
However, thorough morphological assessments or
traditional molecular analyses often lack resolution
to clarify if two species are truly separate taxonomic
entities or should be merged. Interestingly, advancesin high-throughput sequencing methods and dataprocessing during the last decades enable the use ofhigh-resolution data to tackle taxonomic problems.
Several species with an unclear taxonomic status
are found in the banana family (Musaceae). In Vietnam, the Musa species M. viridis, M. splendida, andM. paracoccinea have very similar morphologicaltrait characteristics. The main difference between
M. splendida and the two other Musa species is thecolour of the male flower bud: M. splendida has red
flower buds, whereas M. viridis and M. paracoccinea
have pink flower buds. All three species occur sympatrically, and individuals with red and pink male
flower buds are found together in some populations. In this study, we used high-throughput (DArT)
sequencing data from plants of nine populations toinvestigate the taxonomic status of these Musa species. Maximum likelihood phylogenetic trees werereconstructed for over 12,000 loci (< 120 base pairs)
and one ASTRAL consensus tree was created fromall locus trees. The individuals in the ASTRAL phylogenetic tree did not cluster by species identity, but
by population, having individuals from different species in the same cluster. Consequently, we propose
to merge the species M. viridis, M. splendida, and M.
paracoccinea into one species named M. splendidaaccording to nomenclatural conventions.

S.134.3 Precisionof molecular plant
identification of plants inthe coastal dunes in Thy
National Park, Denmark

Yves Bawin1,2,3, Arne Mertens1, Sander
de Backer1, Dang Toan Vu4, Loan Thi Le4,
Tuong Dang Vu4, Filip Vandelook1,3, Sofie
Meeus1, Steven B. Janssens1,3

Conny B.A. Lange1, Henrik Æ. Pedersen3,
Else Ø. Andersen4 and Anders, S. Barfod2

1 Meise Botanic Garden, Meise, Belgium. 2 Hasselt
University, Hasselt, Belgium. 3 KU Leuven, Leuven,
Belgium. 4 Vietnamese Academy of Agricultural
Sciences, Hanoi, Vietnam
The delimitation of species based on morphologicaltraits can be challenging due to overlapping trait
variation. The taxonomic identity of closely related
sympatric species with individuals displaying inter-

1 Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences,
University of Copenhagen, Denmark. 2 Departmentof Bioscience, University of Aarhus, Denmark. 3 Select Nature, Denmark 4 Thy National Park, Denmark
Coastal sand dunes are highly dynamic landscapes
shaped by wind, water and salt. In Europe they aremainly distributed along the Atlantic coastlines.
In Denmark sand dunes are widespread and arecharacterized by a rapid turnover of the constituent
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for novel and efficient ways of monitoring dunes
dynamics. Traditionally, a trained botanist identify
plants either by recognizing them or using a scientific flora. However, this procedure is constricted to theflowering season and often requires complete plant
specimens. Molecular plant identification is a toolthat may prolong the monitoring season, can identify plants based on fragments, and can add to thequality of plant identification. To test the precision ofmolecular plant identification we collected four individuals from each of 100 plant species common toor characteristic of the sand dunes in Thy National
Park. For each individual we sampled a herbarium
voucher specimen and leaf material dried and preserved in silica gel. From the leaf material the DNA
barcode genes rbcL and matK were sequenced.
We used rbcL sequences to probe into the abilityof the international databases, Genbank and BOLD
to retrieve the correct identifications. Less than 50%of the individuals were unambiguously identified tothe correct species. However, a barcode gap existed between all species, except for a few hybrids ofJuncus. A Neighbour Joining analysis clustered individuals of each species and was congruent with thecurrent APGIV classification. We conclude that caution should be exercised when basing plant identification purely on BOLD and GenBank. The mostimportant sources of error in the online databases
were mismatch between the sequence uploaded
and the underlying herbarium voucher specimen,
wrong identification of herbarium specimens, andmismatch between the length of the sequence inthe database and the sequence submitted.

S.134.4 Next-generation
DNA barcoding using
phylogenomic data
Benedikt G. Kuhnhäuser1*, Jason
Stevenson1, Rowan Schley2, László Csiba1,
Sidonie Bellot1, William J. Baker1
1 Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, UK. 2 University of Exeter, UK. * b.kuhnhaeuser@kew.org
DNA barcoding has the potential to enable and speed
up plant identification, but traditional barcoding using
single to few genes is limited by insufficient discriminatory power in plants. Novel sequencing technologies
can routinely generate hundreds of genes even fromdegraded plant material, promising to overcome thecurrent limitations and unlock a new era of next-generation DNA barcoding. Despite this potential, no bar-coding tools exist that can handle dozens or hundredsof genes. To address this methodological gap, we
have developed a novel approach to DNA barcodingthat can take the information content of hundreds ofgenes into account. Here, we present our DNA identification toolkit and illustrate its potential to revolutionise plant identification using a case study of rattan
furniture authentication. By comparison with traditional barcoding markers, we demonstrate a substantial
increase in both accuracy and interpretability of ourapproach compared to existing methods. The toolkit ispublicly and freely available (https://github.com/BenKuhnhaeuser/RattanID).

S.134.5 Towards a nuclear
DNA barcode for land plants
Peter M. Hollingsworth1, Wu Huang1,
Cornelia Simon-Nutbrown1, Flavia Pezzini1,
Li De-Zhu2, Alex D. Twyford3
1 Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
2 Kunming Institute of Botany Chinese Academyof Sciences, Kunming, China. 3 University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
Accurate and rapid identification of plant species
is of fundamental importance for understanding
global biodiversity, monitoring change, and managing biodiversity. Yet plant species identification
can be challenging in many situations. To address
this challenge, a substantial body of data has been
generated using standard plant barcodes such as
rbcL, matK, trnH-psbA and ITS for telling plant species apart. These barcode markers are useful formany applications, but do not provide universal
species-level discrimination. There is thus considerable interest in developing new standardised plantbarcoding methods. In this presentation we (1) review the strengths and limitations of the standard
barcoding approach; (2) explore the potential for
gains in discriminatory power by using complete
plastid genomes as plant barcodes; and (3) explore
recent work considering options for utilisation of nuclear loci for plant DNA barcoding. In the explorationof nuclear loci for species identification we cover
the frequency with which plant species resolve asmonophyletic based on studies to-date, the number of randomly selected nuclear loci required togive maximal species discrimination, and whether
there are individual loci that show any exceptional
species discrimination performance. We conclude
by outlining a roadmap for further developing nuclear DNA barcoding approaches for plants.

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S.134.6 Plant DNA barcode
library for native flowering
plants in the arid region ofnorthwestern China
Feng Song1, Ting Li1, Hai-Fei Yan1, Ying Feng2,
Lu Jin1, Kevin S. Burgess3, Xue-Jun Ge1
1 Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservationand Sustainable Utilization, South China Botanical
Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou,
China. 2. State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis
Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, China.
3. Department of Biology, Columbus State University,
University System of Georgia, Columbus, USA
DNA barcoding is a well-established tool for rapid
species identification and biodiversity monitoring.
A reliable and traceable DNA barcode reference library with extensive coverage is necessary but unavailable for many geographical regions. The arid
region in northwestern China, with a vast area of
about 2.5 million km2, is ecologically fragile and often overlooked in biodiversity studies. In particular,
DNA barcode data from the arid region of China islacking. We develop and evaluate the efficacy of an

extensive DNA barcode library for native flowering
plants in the arid region of northwestern China. Plant
specimens were collected, identified and vouchered
for this purpose. The database utilized four DNA barcode markers, namely rbcL, matK, ITS and ITS2, for
1816 accessions (representing 890 species from
385 genera and 72 families), and consisted of 5196
barcode sequences. Individual barcodes varied
in resolution rates: species- and genus-level rates
for rbcL, matK, ITS and ITS2 were 79.9%–51.1%/76.1%,
79.9%–67.2%/88.9%, 85.0%–72.0%/88.2% and 81.0%–
67.4%/84.9%, respectively. The three-barcode combination of rbcL+matK+ ITS (RMI) revealed a higher
species- and genus-level resolution (75.5%/92.1%,
respectively). A total of 110 plastomes were newly
generated as super-barcodes to increase species
resolution for seven species-rich genera, namely
Astragalus, Caragana, Lactuca, Lappula, Lepidium,
Silene and Zygophyllum. Plastomes revealed higher species resolution compared to standard DNA
barcodes and their combination. We suggest futuredatabases include super-barcodes, especially forspecies-rich and complex genera. The plant DNA
barcode library in the current study provides a valuable resource for future biological investigations in
the arid regions of China.

S.135 EVOLUTION AND FUNCTION OF
CONVERGENT FLORAL PHENOTYPES. SESSION 1
S.135.1 Trade-off mitigation:a key concept tounderstand the evolution
and function of convergent
floral phenotypes
Kazuharu Ohashi1, Ayumu Tanaka1,
Andreas Jürgens2, James D. Thomson3
1 University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan. 2 Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany. 3 University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
Flowers are often thought to have adapted to pollination by specific animals due to the trade-off that
one flower cannot adapt to diverse pollinators. If this istrue, why do most flowers harbor various visitors, while
maintaining distinct phenotypes among ecotypes,
subspecies, and congeners? Because strong pheno-

typic trade-offs leading to disruptive selection have
only been observed in highly specialized systems,
we proposed a hypothesis that flowers can adapt todiverse pollinators simultaneously by evolutionarily
mitigating trade-offs (Ohashi et al. 2021). In this talk,we explore three ideas about how floral phenotypic convergence evolves and functions from the perspective of trade-off mitigation. First, we demonstratethat certain phenotypic convergence in flowers—floral
color change, compact inflorescences, and nocturnal
anthesis—could have resulted from adaptive generalization for particular pollinator communities rather
than adaptive specialization for specific pollinators.
Next, based on the fact that even specialist flowers areoften visited by minor pollinators, we discuss that any
pollination system can be positioned along a continuum of “generalized systems for specific sets of pollinator groups.” With this in mind, we propose three
types of functional traits that constitute a floral syndrome: those that improve pollination by primary visi-

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tors, those that exclude flower visitors that act as conditional parasites, and those that modify trait-fitness
relationships to mitigate trade-offs among pollinators.
Finally, we suggest that the concept of trade-off mitigation may provide an explanation for the uniformityof floral phenotypes in some clades. Flowers attracting
a wide range of pollinators, such as compact inflorescences in Apiaceae, may have achieved “super-mitigating” phenotypes that could eliminate fitness valleys among all types of pollinators. In such flowers, any
local shift in pollinator composition will not exert disruptive selection pressure but rather result in a slightchange of the adaptive peak.

S.135.2 Andromonoecy as
a convergent resolution to
intra-locus sexual conflict inbisexual flowers

may allow hermaphrodites to resolve sexual conflictbecause modules with different genders can promotefitness through their specialized sexual functions. We
discuss the extent to which modular variation in sex allocation in species with other sexual systems involving
unisexuality and bisexuality (e.g., monoecy and gynomonoecy) may be explained similarly.

S.135.3 Plasticity-mediatedfloral convergence triggers
the exploration of new
generalist pollinaton niches
José M. Gómez1,2, Adela González-Megías2,3,
Eduardo Narbona4, Luis Navarro5, Francisco
Perfectti2,6, Cristina Armas1
1 Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (CSIC), Almería, Spain. 2 Research Unit Modeling Nature, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain. 3 Dpto. deZoología, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain.
4 Dpto. de Biología Molecular e Ingeniería Bioquímica, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Sevilla, Spain. 5
Dpto. de Biología Vegetal y Ciencias del Suelo, Universidad de Vigo, Vigo, Spain. 6 Dpto. de Genética,
Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain.

Kai-Hsiu Chen1, John R. Pannell1
1 University of Lausanne, Department of Ecology
and Evolution, Lausanne, Switzerland
Andromonoecy, the production of male and bisexual flowers by the same hermaphroditic individual, has
evolved numerous times independently across flowering plants and is found in 7% of species. Despite its
repeated evolution, its function remains poorly studied.
Here, we consider the convergent evolution of andromonoecy as a resolution to sexual antagonism, drawing on data from the alpine plant Pulsatilla alpina thatshares common features with many andromonoecious species. Hypothesis: We expected to detect evidence for strong sexual conflict on female allocation
but not male allocation traits in bisexual flowers, i.e.,
female and male functions have different fitness optima only in the female allocation trait, thus favoring the
production of unisexual male and bisexual flowers. We
analyzed and compared selection gradients via female and male functions for five floral traits, including
sex allocation, phenology, and display traits, in bisexual
flowers of P. alpina using a paternity analysis. Our results
indicate strong sexual conflict in the number of pistils
and flowering date but not in the number of stamens
in bisexual flowers. Specifically, we found evidence fordisruptive selection on pistil number within flowers, suchthat flowers with many or no pistils contributed more
to fitness than those with an intermediate number ofpistils. By abandoning the female function, unisexual
male flowers possess phenotypes that approach themale optimum of different floral traits. We show that theunisexual male flowers of andromonoecious species

Phenotypic convergence is a ubiquitous phenomenon that reveals the multiple evolutionary constraints that face the organisms and illustrates
the ability of natural selection to find similar solutions to similar ecological problems. Uncovering
the possible mechanisms behind the origin of
convergence remains a fundamental goal in biology. Evolutionary theory shows that convergent
phenotypes emerge through independent genetic
changes selected over long periods of time. Here
we show that convergence can also arise throughphenotypic plasticity. By compiling the multidimensional floral phenotype, the phylogenetic
relationships, and the pollination niche of morethan 3000 Brassicaceae species, we demonstrated that the mustard species Moricandia arvensis
exhibits a plastic-mediated intra-individual floral
disparity greater than that found not only between
species but also between higher taxonomical levels such as genera and tribes. As a consequenceof this floral divergence, M. arvensis moves outside
the morphospace region occupied by its recent
ancestors and close relatives, crosses into a new
region where it encounters a different pollination
niche and converges phenotypically with distantBrassicaceae lineages. We suggests that, by inducing several phenotypes that explore simul-

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taneously different regions of the morphologicalspace, plasticity may not only promote the evolution of novelties but also trigger rapid phenotypic
convergence.

S.135.4 Convergent
evolution of sexual
deception in Gorteria diffusa(Asteraceae)
Beverley J. Glover1, Boris Delahaie1,
Allan G. Ellis2, Roisin Fattorini1, Roman
Kellenberger1 Farahnoz Khojayori1, Greg
Mellers1, Udhaya Ponraj1, Xiao Wang1
1 Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, UK. 2 Department of Botany and Zoology,
Stellenbosch University, South Africa
Gorteria diffusa is endemic to South Africa, but its floral
morphology varies extensively across its range. Geographically distinct populations produce capitula withno petal spots, with simple petal spots and with highly
complex petal spots that mimic female bee flies. These
last forms attract pollinators through sexual deception. We have studied the development of these complex petal spots and their evolution within the species,
and find that sexual deception has emerged at least
twice in the system. I describe our work to understandthe genetic and genomic changes that underlie therepeated evolution of this novel trait.

S.135.5 Convergent
evolution of hummingbird
pollination in the
Neotropical spiral gingers:
traits, genetics, and theselective environment
Kathleen M. Kay1, Kathleen Darragh2, Dena
L. Grossenbacher3, Pedro Juárez1, Santiago
Ramírez4, Kathryn Uckele1, Oscar M. Vargas5
1 Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology,
University of California, Santa Cruz; Santa Cruz, CA,
USA. 2 Department of Biology, Indiana University,
Bloomington, IN, USA. 3 Department of Biology, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo,
CA, USA. 4 Center for Population Biology, Universityof California, Davis; Davis, CA, USA. 5 Departmentof Biological Sciences, California State Polytechnic
University, Humboldt; Arcata, CA, USA
The evolution of hummingbird pollination is common
across angiosperms throughout the Americas, presenting an opportunity to examine convergence intraits, genetics, and selective environments to better
understand how complex phenotypes arise. We examine many independent shifts from bee to hummingbird
pollination in the Neotropical spiral gingers (Costus;
Costaceae) and address common explanations forthe prevalence of these transitions. We reconstruct ancestral pollination states on a well-resolved phylogeny
and examine variation in traits and environmental correlates across independent shifts. Using a phylogenomic approach, we assess historical introgression events
to determine if convergence could involve the sharingof alleles across species. We further dissect the genetic
basis of a recent bee-to-bird shift and compare thosefindings to genetic changes underlying floral traits inother Costus species. We also test the hypothesis thathummingbird pollination is adaptive in high-elevation
pollination environments relative to bee pollination bytranslocating flowering plants of both types across anelevational gradient in Costa Rica. A consistent set of
traits predict hummingbird pollination, but not the stereotypical ‘hummingbird’ traits of long, red flowers. We
find many shifts to hummingbird pollination, no reversals, a single shared phenotypic optimum across hummingbird flowers, and little evidence of introgression. Our
genetic investigations find large effect color and scentloci, small effect morphology loci, and some overlap inloci across independent floral transitions. In contrast toother clades, we find no association between pollination and climate, and mixed evidence that hummingbird pollination is adaptive in montane environments.
Evolutionary shifts to hummingbird pollination in Costus
are highly convergent and directional, involve a surprising set of traits when compared with other plants withanalogous transitions, and refute the generality of several common explanations for the prevalence of transitions from bee to hummingbird pollination.

S.135.6 Convergence anddivergence: specializationand generalization in themost diverse poricidal
flowered plant lineage

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Vinícius L. G. Brito1
1 Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal de
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Buzz-pollinated flowers represent some of themost iconic examples of evolutionary convergence in angiosperms. Typically, buzz-pollinated flowers exhibit a syndrome of convergently
evolved traits including poricidal anthers, dimorphic stamens, and pollen as the sole floral reward.
This suite of floral traits is thought to have evolved
together in ca. 25 angiosperm families. However,at finer taxonomic levels, these traits are not always associated with one another. For example,
stamen dimorphism appears to be context-dependent within the Melastomataceae (the mostdiverse plant lineage with poricidal flowers): dimorphic stamens tend to be associated with pollinator dependence, whereas pollinator-independent species are more likely to have monomorphic

stamens. Furthermore, some melastomes haveacquired divergent traits which are associatedwith increased pollinator specialization. For example, independent evolutionary origins of oils by thestamens appear to have made melastome pollen unpalatable to many bees, so that unrelated
oil-producing flowers are almost entirely visited bya small subset of buzzing bees – those that alsocollect oil. On the other side of the specialization
spectrum, some nectar-producing melastomes
have increased pore size, allowing them to be visited by a more diverse range of insects. Together,
the shifts towards more specialized or generalized
systems suggest a complex pattern of both diverging and converging traits within paraphyleticmelastome lineages.

S.136 BRYOPHYTE DIVERSITY, ENVIRONMENT
AND CONSERVATION IN MEDITERRANEAN
CLIMATE AREAS
S.136.1 California
bryophytes: evolution
and conservation in a
biodiversity hotspot
Brent D. Mishler1, Ixchel González-Ramírez1,
John Mclaughlin2, Benjamin Carter2, Israel
Borokini3
1 University and Jepson Herbaria, University of California, Berkeley, USA. 2 Sharsmith Herbarium, San
Jose State University, USA. 3 Department of Ecology,
Montana State University, Bozeman, USA
California is one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots.
It is also one of the places where biodiversity ismost threatened, because of habitat loss, invasive
species, and climate change. There is an urgent
need to understand conservation priorities on thelandscape of California for all groups of organisms,
yet no such study has been made for mosses orliverworts. Bryophytes are indicators of ecosystem
health, and contribute significantly to nutrient andwater cycles. Therefore, we carried out spatial phylogenetic analyses for both groups. For mosses wepruned a larger spatial dataset of geo-referenced
herbarium records for North America, plus matching phylogenetic data matrix, from Carter et al.

(2022, Journal of Biogeography, 10.1111/jbi.14385) tomake a California subset. For liverworts we assembled a new spatial data set from GBIF and minedmolecular data from Genbank. A maximum likelihood phylogeny was constructed for both groups
and used along with newly produced species nichemodels to find regions of significant phylogenetic
diversity and phylogenetic endemism within California, employing a spatial randomization. We also
carried out phylogenetic complementarity analyses to identify conservation priorities on the landscape that optimally increase protected biodiversity, using an algorithm that considers current land
protection status and data on landscape intactness to identify priority sites containing concentrations of lineages that are evolutionarily unique,vulnerable due to small range size, and poorly protected across their ranges. We evaluated priorities
using three different dimensions of phylodiversity):a phylogram (i.e., genetic divergence), a chronogram (i.e., evolutionary time), or a cladogram (i.e.,
speciation events). These metrics yielded conservation priorities that agreed in many places but
differed in others. We compare these results to
those previously published for vascular plants ofCalifornia (Kling et al. 2018, Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc. B,
374: 20170397). Several top priority regions of thestate emerged from these comparisons.

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S.136.2 Orthotrichaceae(Bryophyta) in
Mediterranean climate
areas: unveiling an
unexpected diversity inCentral Chiledata on the adaptive morphological characteristics of the new species, their distribution patterns,
and their phylogenetic relationships, consideringa broad framework that integrates species fromother South American areas and the remaining
Mediterranean regions worldwide.

Francisco Lara1,2, Juan Larraín3, Ricardo
Garilleti4, Isabel Draper1,2
1 Departamento de Biología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain. 2 Centro de Investigación
en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global, Universidad
Autónoma de Madrid, Spain. 3 Centro de Investigación en Recursos Naturales y Sustentabilidad
Santiago, RM, Chile. 4 Departamento de Botánica y
Geología, Universidad de Valencia, Spain.
The five global regions with Mediterranean climates harbor high and unique biodiversity, hence
all being part of recognized hotspots. A climatecharacterized by a prolonged period of drought
coinciding with the hottest time of the year may
not seem, at first glance, favorable for bryophytes.
However, several groups of mosses and liverworts are widely diversified in this environment.
The representation of Orthotrichaceae in the different Mediterranean floristic regions is highly unequal, both in terms of the genera present, andin the overall specific diversity. The Mediterranean
Basin and the California Floristic Province boast
a notable diversity of species distributed amongfew genera, all belonging to the subfamily Orthotrichoideae. Conversely, in the Cape Floristic Province and Southwest Australia, there are relatively
few species, but there is a significative presenceof Macromitrioideae genera. In contrast to this, inCentral Chile the diversity reported so far is very
low, both in number of genera and species, withall taxa belonging to Orthotrichoideae. But, towhat extent is this diversity scenery realistic forthe southern hemisphere Mediterranean areas?
Our studies in Central Chile indicate that there isindeed a considerable hidden diversity of Orthotrichaceae there. Specifically, our results unveilthat there is a high number of previously unknown
species belonging to the genera Orthotrichumand Lewinskya. Most are species restricted to theChilean Mediterranean biome. However, two particularly diverse environments, sharing few species
among them, can be distinguished: the fog oasesof the coastal hills and the high elevation zones of
the inland Mediterranean mountains. We provide

S.136.3 Achievements,
failures, and challenges inbryophyte conservation in
Spain
Belén Albertos1, Elena Ruiz2, Patxi Heras3,
Ricardo Garilleti1, Marta Infante3
1 Universitat de València, Spain. 2 UniversitatAutònoma de Barcelona, Spain. 3 Museo de Ciencias Naturales de Álava, Spain
The conservation of bryophytes in Spain is at aconsiderable standstill. Despite notable initiatives
in the field of regulation, such as the elaborationof the standard list, the improvement of someregional protection catalogues and the process
initiated to extend national catalogues, the number of protected species is insufficient and centred on species protected at the European level.
Improvements in the legislative field do not necessarily mean an improvement in the protectionof bryophyte species because the legally established management mechanisms are not developed. The decentralisation of the Spanish state,while improving the distribution of funds, limits
the control mechanisms over the autonomous
communities. The level of non-compliance, generally high in our administrations, is aggravatedby the fact that it is a small group of species that
does not justify the administrations’ investmentin specialised training for their technicians. The
improvement of the administrative situation will
hopefully lead to an improvement in investment
in research and monitoring projects, as the current situation means that there is a lack of demand for such studies. Generating a need in theadministration may increase the number of research projects, both requested and granted, on
bryophyte conservation and stimulate interestin training staff in charge of the managementof natural areas and protected species. A review of the current situation is presented, with its
achievements and shortcomings, and the most
relevant scientific, technical, and administrativeneeds are analysed.

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S.136.4 Resilient nature ofcosmopolitan mosses in
the Mediterranean Basin:
insights into climate-driven
molecular adaptation

responses to climatic shifts, using F. hygrometrica asa model. Deciphering genetic variations and expression dynamics among genotypes will illuminate howthese molecular mechanisms orchestrate adaptive
responses to high temperatures and dehydration, offering insights into mosses’ adaptive strategies amidst
climate change challenges.

Mahmoud Magdy1,2, Olaf Werner1, Rosa M.
Ros1

S.136.5 Bryophytes ofAustralian Mediterranean
climate areas: Species
diversity, adaptation,
distribution andconservation

1 Department of Plant Biology, Faculty of Biology,
Murcia University, Murcia, Spain. 2 Department of
Genetics, Faculty of Agriculture, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
Across Mediterranean mountainous regions and surrounding lowlands, the ecological resilience of cosmopolitan mosses, Bryum argenteum Hedw., Ceratodon
purpureus (Hedw.) Brid, and Funaria hygrometrica
Hedw. delineated distinct clades. Our research story
provides insights into the interaction between landscape diversity, climate change, and molecular adaptation in mosses. The genetic analyses of B. argenteum along the gradient surface of the Sierra Nevada
Mountains compared to Tenerife Island unveiled astory of recurrent colonization spanning over millennia. Despite indications of native status, shared haplotypes with continental areas suggest recent introductions. Clade distinctions among genotypes mirrored
enduring climatic barriers between the highlands andlowlands of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, influencing
migration dynamics. In C. purpureus, morphologicalvariations posed challenges in taxonomic delineation.
The evolutionary trajectory and the emergence of a
new Ceratodon species through peripatric speciation, genome expansion, and skewed sex ratios within
the Mediterranean landscape. These genetic insights
led to the identification of Ceratodon amazonum Nieto-Lugilde, O. Werner, S.F. McDaniel & Ros and theconsideration of Ceratodon conicus (Hampe ex Mull.
Hal.) Lindb., as a nothospecies, emphasizes the delicate impact of environmental factors on moss taxonomy amidst changing landscapes. Exploration of
F. hygrometrica across the Sierra Nevada Mountains
highlighted the correlation between landscape diversity and genetic makeup. Diverse landscapes harbored higher genetic diversity, possibly linked to spore
establishment challenges in unsuitable environments.
Altitudinal gradients influenced genetic structures,
while precipitation and temperature shaped specificgenetic markers, underscoring the pivotal role of environmental heterogeneity in shaping genetic diversity. Our ongoing investigation into the Heat-Shock
Factor gene family aims to unravel mosses’ molecular

D. Christine Cargill1, Josephine Milne2
1 Australian National Herbarium. Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research (a joint venture between Parks Australia and CSIRO) Canberra.
Australia .2 Honorary Associate, National Herbarium of Victoria, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria,
South Yarra. Australia
Bryophytes that occur in the Australian Mediterranean
biome have been the subject of many studies: regional checklists, taxonomic revisions, ecological studies of
biocrust species and flora surveys of various locations
across the biome. However, no cohesive study of thebryophytes which occur there has ever been attempted. We are presenting our observations and studies oftargeted groups of bryophytes which are particularly
diverse and/or particularly adapted to this biome asa first step to address this broader knowledge gap.
Complex thalloid liverworts are well suited to this habitat type and the genus Riccia is the largest and mostdiversified group. South Africa and Australia both haveover 50 species, half of the known diversity for the genus. Other families that have been successful in thisbiome include the Aytoniaceae, comprised of cosmopolitan species such as Reboulia, Plagiochasma
and Asterella. The highly diverse genus Fossombronia
has also developed adaptations to survive in extreme
conditions, allowing it to thrive in Mediterranean conditions. However, it is the discovery of elusive and rare
members of the Sphaerocarpales that has opened
up the habitat of salt marshes, rarely visited by bryologists leading to the discovery and hitherto unknown
diversity and range for these taxa. Many moss taxa
are also well adapted to the extremes of this area, inparticular tiny mosses such as Phascum, Stonea andPhascopsis, which thrive in biocrusts. We present thevaried ways in which these bryophytes successful-422

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ly survive in the harsh conditions in which they grow.
While studies are continuing, progress is slow, and dueto the decline in the number of active Australian bryologists, conservation of rare, threatened, or vulnerable species is well behind that for other plant groups.
We conclude by summarising the conservation efforts
that are currently being undertaken in Australia in the
Mediterranean biome.

S.136.6 Green Canopies
and Cityscapes: Decoding
Urban Epiphytic Bryophyte
Diversity in Novi Sad, Serbia– A Phorophyte Puzzle
Miloš Ilić1, Ankica Milovanović1, Ivana
Blanuša1, Boris Radak1, Mirjana Ćuk1, TijanaŠikuljak1, Dragana Vukov1

was phorophyte type, explaining approximately 30%of the total variability. Tree height, tree diameter, barkpH, and structure significantly influenced the Shannon
diversity index of epiphytic bryophytes, accounting for
approximately 5% of the total variability. While this study
underscores the predominant influence of phorophyte
type on epiphytic bryophyte diversity, further researchis warranted to unravel unexplained variations, possibly
attributable to microclimatic conditions.

S.136.7 Bryo-ecologicalpatterns in Mediterranean
temporary ponds: a highly
sensitive proxy for habitat
monitoring
Silvia Poponessi1, Daniela Gigante2,
Annalena Cogoni1
1 Department of Environmental and Life Science,
Botany section, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.
2 Department of Agricultural, Environmental, andFood Science, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy

1 University of Novi Sad, Faculty of sciences, Department of Biology and Ecology, Novi Sad, Serbia
There is a notable gap in our understanding of the primary factors influencing epiphytic bryophyte diversity
in urban areas. This study aims to provide fresh insights
into the intricate web of epiphytic diversity within urban
landscapes, specifically investigating whether phorophyte type exerts a predominant influence on bryophyte
diversity compared to other tree characteristics. The
survey encompassed seven locations in Novi Sad City,
including three city parks and four main boulevards. All
epiphytic bryophyte species were meticulously recorded across these sites, revealing a total of 35 species. To
quantify bryophyte abundance, we utilized the microplot sampling method, employing microplots (10×10 cm)
at a 20 cm distance on all four sides of each tree, fromthe base up to the 2 m heigh. Alpha-diversity measures
included species richness, the Shannon diversity index,
and the Pielou evenness index. The Sörensen similarity
index served as a non-parametric beta diversity measure to assess the similarity between different locations.
Environmental drivers, such as bark pH, tree diameterat breast height, bark structure, tree height, and phorophyte type, were incorporated. Multivariate analysis,
specifically Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA)and Variation Partitioning, were employed to test the
impact of environmental variables on epiphytic bryophyte diversity. he highest Shannon diversity index was
observed on Celtis occidentalis and Populus alba trees,
while Betula pendula and Styphnolobium japonicum
exhibited the highest evenness index. CCA analysis indicated that the most influential explanatory variableThis study contributes to the knowledge and understanding of Annex I priority habitat 3170*, where bryophytes play an essential role in the ecological patterns
and are a significant indicator, especially concerning
habitat monitoring, assessment, and management. In
this paper, we analyze the bryological component of
Mediterranean temporary ponds in two different areasin the Mediterranean Biogeographic Region, such as
the “Pauli” of Giara di Gesturi in Sardinia (a Mediterranean island), and the Piana di Ferretto in Umbria (inland
Central Italy), comparing the rate of bryophytes occurrence. The detected species are described in terms of
their functional characteristics using Ellenberg values
adapted for bryophytes. More specifically, the following
parameters are considered: life strategy, life macroform, light and moisture preferences, chorological elements and humidity Belt. We focused on the distributionof bryophytes along concentric areas of the pools according to their humidity gradient. On this ground, thebryological flora of the studied Mediterranean temporary ponds was characterized from an ecological pointof view. To account for ecological variability, data fromthe two areas were compared. Temporary Mediterranean ponds represent vulnerable niches where climatechange is exerting its influence. The approach used inthis study could be extended to comparable Mediterranean habitats, focusing on bryological ecology as aneffective proxy for habitat monitoring under a scenario
of unpredictable climate change.

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S.137 USING HIGH-THROUGHPUT SEQUENCING
TO UNDERSTAND PLANT EVOLUTION ON
ISLANDS IN A DATA-RICH ERA: NEW INSIGHTSFOR NEW CHALLENGES. SESSION 1
S.137.1 Genome-wide data
provide new insights into thephylogenetic relationships
within the woody Sonchus
alliance (Asteraceae)
Seon-Hee Kim1, Koji Takayama1, Imai
Ryosuke2, Masuda Sachiko3, Shibata
Arisa3, Shirasu Ken3, Arnoldo SantosGuerra4, Seung-Chul Kim5
1 Department of Botany, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan. 2 Forest Research and Maintenance Organization, Matsunosato, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan. 3 RIKEN Center
for Sustainable Resource Science, Yokohama,
Kanagawa, Japan. 4 Tegueste, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain. 5 Department of Biological Sciences,
Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Republic of Korea

divergence of segregate genera, Sventenia, Chrysoprenanthes, Babcockia, and Lactucosonchus, wassupported. With 95 accessions, ddRAD-seq dataalso provided a fully resolved and highly supported
phylogenetic framework for the alliance, while better reflecting species morphological and biogeographic relationships and revealing monophyly inmost species. Newly inferred species relationships,
timing of lineage divergence, and biogeographic
history of the alliance based on the genome-wide
nuclear data will be presented.

S.137.2 Great speciatorsof the plant world: Island
biogeography of Asteraceae
on Hawai’i and the
Mascarenes

Numerous unique plant groups have made theMacaronesian Islands an exceptional area forstudying evolution and speciation. Of several iconic angiosperm groups, the woody Sonchus alliance,
which includes approximately 31 species in the Canaries, Madeira, and Cape Verde, represents one of
the best-known examples of adaptive radiations. It
has been difficult to unravel rapidly radiated interspecific relationships using conventional molecularmarkers (e.g., nrDNA ITS and chloroplast noncoding regions) due to the insufficient resolution andsupport. In order to clarify the biogeographic andevolutionary history of the alliance, we used thecomplete chloroplast genome and double-digest
restriction site-associated DNA sequence (ddRADseq) data based on the thorough species coverage and multiple populations per species. The
complete plastome sequences of 135 accessions
provided well resolved strongly supported phylogenetic relationships but revealed non-monophyly of numerous species and unusual species
relationships, suggesting rampant chloroplastpolymorphisms. As previously suggested, the early424

Lizzie Roeble1,2, Marina Ventayol García1,
Claudia Baider3, Vincent Florens4, Matthew
Knope5, Joshua Lambert2, David Lorence6,
Cliff Morden7, Dominique Strasberg8,
Christophe Thébaud9, Kenneth Wood6,
Rampal S. Etienne2, Luis Valente1,2
1 Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, The Netherlands. 2 Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life
Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The
Netherlands. 3 The Mauritius Herbarium, Agricultural Services, Ministry of Agro-Industry and Food
Security, Reduit, Mauritius. 4 Tropical Island Biodiversity, Ecology and Conservation Pole of Research,
Faculty of Science, University of Mauritius, Le Réduit,
Mauritius. 5 University of Hawai’i at Hilo, Dept. ofBiology, Hilo, HI, USA. 6 National Tropical Botanical Garden, Kalaheo, Hawaii, USA. 7 School of Life
Sciences, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, Honolulu,
Hawai’i, USA. 8 Peuplements Végétaux et Bioagresseurs en Milieu Tropical, UMR PVBMT, Universitéde La Réunion, SaintDenis, La Réunion, France. 9
Laboratoire Évolution and Diversité Biologique (UMR5174), CNRS- IRD- Université Paul Sabatier (Toulouse 3), Toulouse, France.

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Macroevolutionary models of island biogeography
applied to high-throughput DNA sequencing dataon island species are promising tools for inferring theprocesses governing biota assembly for entire communities over evolutionary time scales. However, todate, phylogenetic trees of island plant lineages thatcan be used for studying island biogeography havemostly been reconstructed using a limited numberof loci, often leading to poor resolution, particularly in rapidly evolving insular radiations. Asteraceae- the largest plant family in the world - provides an
excellent model system for looking at diversity dynamics on islands, due to this group’s high diversity,
endemism, and number of radiations across islands
globally. In particular, the Asteraceae floras of two remote oceanic archipelagos - Hawai’i and the Mascarenes - are remarkably diverse. The Hawaiian Islands have 99 native Asteraceae species of which 98
are endemic, and are home to the iconic silversword
alliance, a textbook example of adaptive radiation.
The Mascarenes also have a high proportion of Asteraceae endemism (89%), but until now most of thenative Asteraceae lineages on the Mascarenes havenot been studied in a phylogenetic context. Here, we
compile and build new dated phylogenies with target capture sequencing (Hyb-Seq) using both theAngiosperm-353 and the Compositae-1061 kits for all
the native Asteraceae lineages that have colonizedthese two isolated oceanic archipelagos. We thenuse a macroevolutionary island biogeography model (DAISIE) to analyze and reconstruct the build-up of
the diversity for the entire native Asteraceae assemblage on Hawai’i and the Mascarenes. Our approach
using target-capture sequencing allows us to infer
the number of colonization and radiation events withincreased precision, estimate macroevolutionary
rates of colonization, speciation and extinction, andto test whether these systems are at equilibrium.

S.137.3 The Paradox of Insular
Diversification: How Can
Lineages Depleted of Genetic
Variation Radiate on Islands?
Insights from the Galáp
José Cerca1, Juan Ernesto Guevara
Andino2, Gonzalo Rivas-Torres3,4, Michael
D. Martin5
1 Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences, Universityof Oslo, Oslo, Norway. 2 Grupo de Investigación en

Ecología y Evolución en los Trópicos, Universidad
de las Américas, Quito, Ecuador. 3 Estación de Biodiversidad Tiputini, Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas
y Ambientales, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Quito, Ecuador. 4 Universidad San Francisco de
Quito, Cumbayá, Quito, Ecuador. 5 Department of
Natural History, NTNU University Museum, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
Despite the constraints imposed by founder
events, small population sizes, and inbreeding,some oceanic lineages exhibit an astonishingdegree of ecological and phenotypic diversity. This intriguing paradox raises a fundamental
question: how do isolated lineages generate andmaintain genetic diversity? While de novo mutation, the traditional source of genetic variation,is widely considered too slow to account for theobserved levels of ecological differentiation anddivergence in these lineages, alternative mechanisms remain elusive. In this work, we explore therole of diverse genomic architectures in fostering
genetic diversity. With a focus on the adaptive radiation of Scalesia, we investigate the contributionof transposable elements and polyploidization to
the generation of genetic variation. Our findings
reveal an even distribution of transposable elements across subgenomes and a lack of association between ecological niche, phylogeny, andtransposable element accumulation. Collectively,
these results suggest that transposable elements
may not have played a significant role in shaping
this adaptive radiation.

S.137.4 Genomic dissectionof island syngameons:arborescent Asteraceae
from St Helena (South
Atlantic Ocean) “Mikko Paajanen1, Quentin C. Cronk1
1 Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
The genera Commidendrum (4 spp.) and Melanodendron (1 sp.) from St Helena (South Atlantic Ocean) form a single clade whose ancestor
reached the island in the early Pliocene. All species have highly divergent morphologies linked
to ecology. Commidendrum and Melanodendron are known to form an intergeneric hybrid
and Commidendrum is known to form interspe-

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Oral presentationscific hybrids. Plant genomics can untangle evolutionary history as well as complex histories ofhybridization on islands. Genomic evidence ispresented that hybridization has occurred in theCommidendrum/Melanodendron clade due torecent conservation efforts due to planting species in proximity. Furthermore, there is genomic
evidence that hybridization events may be ancient, with the species forming a syngameon,
so raising the genetic effective population sizes(Ne) of species. A syngameon is here defined as:“a group of otherwise distinct species interconnected by limited gene exchange, i.e., the mostinclusive interbreeding evolutionary unit” (Suarez-Gonzalez et al., “Adaptive introgression: aplant perspective” Biology Letters 2017). Such hybridization events are postulated to be a continual source of background ‘evolutionary rescue’ of
species from any small population size impacts
over geological time, a phenomenon of particular importance and impact on islands. Genomic
studies are an essential tool for the study of plant
evolution on islands, and for endemic plant conservation.

S.137.6 Phylogenomicsof the hyperdiverse
Asteraceae family in an
oceanic archipelago:
unveiling insights into themechanisms of evolution
Yurena Arjona1,2, Louis S. Jay-García1,2,
Alfredo J. Reyes-Betancort3, Marcos
Salas-Pascual4, Miguel Padrón-Mederos2,
Agustín Naranjo-Cigala4, Javier MorenteLópez2, Stephan Scholz5, Jairo Patiño1,2
1 Instituto de Productos Naturales y Agrobiología,
Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), La Laguna, Spain. 2 Universidad de La Laguna, La Laguna, Spain. 3 Jardín de Aclimatación de La Orotava, Puerto de La Cruz, Spain. 4 Universidad de Las
Palmas de Gran Canaria, Tafira Baja, Spain. 5 Jardín Botánico Oasis Wildlife Fuerteventura, La Lajita,
Fuerteventura, Spainother anthropogenic disturbances. Despite thisrecognition, the mechanisms driving the successof invasive species remain uncertain. Charles
Darwin proposed two competing hypotheses,collectively known as Darwin’s Naturalization
Conundrum (DNC), to predict a species’ invasive potential. The first hypothesis, termed the“Pre-adaptation Hypothesis,” posits that species
closely related to the native community are more
likely to invade successfully. This is attributed totheir possession of similar life-history traits thatpre-adapt them to establish and thrive under
the local environmental conditions (environmental filtering). Conversely, the “Naturalization Hypothesis” suggests that species distantly related
to native species can exploit empty ecologicalniches, avoiding competitive exclusion and thus
exhibiting a higher potential for invasion (biotic filtering). Herein, we present the findings of along-term project, ASTERALIEN, focused on testing the DNC within the Compositae family acrossthe Canary Islands. We explored the DNC by examining two dimensions of relatedness between
species: phylogenetic and functional distance.
Utilizing a comprehensive phylogenomic approach to infer a super-tree encompassing all
genera and a majority of species in the archipelago, we assessed the phylogenetic relatedness
between alien and native species. This super-tree
is constructed using hybrid capture-based target enrichment of the angiosperm-wide 353 andthe Asteraceae family-specific 1061 probe sets
for approximately 300 species. The integrationof measured functional traits of all species collected in the field allow us to estimate functional
distances between these two (naive vs. exotic)
distinct functional groupings. By integrating bothphylogenomic and functional approaches at unprecedent resolution, our study explicitly evaluates the mechanisms of evolution and invasion
in alien species on oceanic islands within theframework of the DNC.

Invasive species pose a significant threat to biodiversity, particularly on oceanic islands. The native biota of oceanic islands is both fragile andunique, rendering these ecological systems especially susceptible to biological invasions and426

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S.138 PHYLOGENOMICS AND EVOLUTION OF
GYMNOSPERM
S.138.1 Phylogenomics
shed new light on theevolutionary history of
Cupressaceae
Jialiang Li1, Wentao Wang1, Kangshan Mao1
1 College of Life Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan, P.R.
China
As one of the largest families of gymnosperms, Cupressaceae comprises above 162 species (32 genera, seven subfamilies), and is the only gymnospermgroup occurring on all continents except Antarctica.
The world-wild distribution and high species diversity
make this family an ideal example for exploring evolutionary history of the global intercontinental floras.
Here we conducted a comprehensive phylogenomic
study of Cupressaceae using more than 2000 single
copy nuclear genes with a nearly complete sampling of species. Species tree reconstruction suggestthat all genera and subfamilies were well-supportedmonophylies. Unexpectedly, we found the subfamily
Athrotaxidoideae, which was sister to the remaining
four subfamilies except Cunninghamioideae and Taiwanioideae in previous studies, was clustered with Sequoiodeae. Results of concordance analysis showeda high level of gene tree conflict of the ancestral nodeof Athrotaxidoideae and Sequoiodeae, suggesting it
might have experience rapid speciation event and/or hybridization. PhyloNet analyses suggested three
reticulation events within Cupressaceae at subfamilylevel. Molecular clock estimation revealed that two diverse evolutionary lineages (the tribe Cupresseae andCallitris), which together comprise ~70% of the species of Cupressaceae, underwent rapid diversification
around the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) boundary.
A diversification rate shift was also detected along
the ancestral branch of the tribe Cupresseae, corresponding a rate shift in phenotypic evolution. Biogeographical analyses suggest that the current distribution pattern of Cupressioideae and Callitroideae islargely associated with the breakup of Pangea, yet thedetailed spatiotemporal evolutionary history is different from previous studies. In short, our phylogenomic
survey suggest that the evolutionary history of Cupressaceae is more complex than previously thought.

S.138.2 Of signals andsynthesis: the evolutionary
implications of chemicalsignal divergence and its
relationship to biosynthetic
pathways in
Gwen M. Bode1, Shayla Salzman1
1 Department of Entomology, University of Georgia,
Athens, Georgia USA
The staggering diversity of mutualistic interactions found in nature, has long been a topic offascination to science, with studies of chemically-mediated ecological interactions contributing
great strides in our understanding. Investigations
on the chemical ecology of ancient insect-pollinated plant lineages provides critical insight
into the myriad ways such mutualistic diversity
could evolve. Brood-site pollination mutualismof cycads, an early-diverging lineage of gymnosperms, is the most ancient pollination mechanism yet documented; pre-dating even the riseand dominance of flowering plants. Cycad pollination is a classic example of a brood-site pollination mutualism, wherein pollinators develop
within the reproductive tissue of their host plant,
relying on them for shelter, food, and in this case,
breeding site. Cycads’ chemically mediated‘push-pull’ mechanism ensures pollinators visit
both pollen and ovulate cones through thermogenically driven increases in the concentration ofcone volatiles (scent) that results in a mass exodus of pollinators from pollen cones and simultaneous attraction to conspecific ovulate cones.
Zamia, a genus of cycads found widely dispersed
across the Americas and the Caribbean, are pollinated by a group of specialist brood-site mutualists, the cycad weevils (Subtribe: Allocorynina).
The Caribbean Zamia clade, shows remarkablediversity in cone volatile composition that appears to be both species-specific and rapidly evolving under positive selection suggestingthat plant chemistry is integral for maintaining
species boundaries, yet we remain woefully unaware of how plant volatile chemistry related to427

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pollination evolves across a lineage. In this study
we conduct a deep exploration of the chemicalcommunication across the Caribbean Zamia
clade by characterizing the quantitative patternsof cone volatile chemical composition in a phylogenetic and biogeographic context. We discuss
the biosynthetic origins of biologically relevant
compounds and the evolutionary implications ofdiverging signals.

S.138.3 Multidisciplinary
approaches reveal the
spatiotemporal evolution ofgymnosperms
Xiao-Quan Wang1
1 State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, Institute of Botany, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
Reconstructing the phylogenetic history of organisms and understanding what determines
the distribution of species diversity remain challenging in evolutionary biology and ecology.
This is particularly true for gymnosperms, which
comprise only 13 families and a little more than
1,000 species. Although greatly outnumbered by
the species of angiosperms, gymnosperms havehuge ecological and economic value, of which
conifers (about 615 species) constitute approximately 39% of the world’s forests. In addition, theNorthern Hemisphere conifers do not follow a latitudinal diversity gradient and show a unique distribution pattern, i.e., most species are distributed
in mountainous areas at middle latitudes. It is ofgreat interest to investigate the spatiotemporal
evolution of gymnosperms, especially conifers. In
recent rears, we have used phylotranscriptomics
to robustly reconstruct the phylogeny of gymnosperms at both higher (interfamilial and intergeneric) and lower (interspecific) taxonomic levels,and employed multidisciplinary approaches toreveal the mechanisms underlying diversificationand global distribution of conifers, including Gnetales. Our studies indicate: (1) Podocarpaceae
originated in Gondwana in the late Triassic, andboth vicariance and dispersal contributed to its
current biogeographic patterns; (2) Cupressaceae very likely originated in Asia in the Triassic, andgeographic isolation caused by continental separation drove the vicariant evolution of the two
subfamilies Cupressoideae and Callitroideae in

the northern and southern hemispheres, respectively; (3) The mid-latitude region has provided
an evolutionary museum for global pines, topography played a primary role in pine diversification, and the aridity index was decisive for theniche rate shift; and (4) Ephedra very likely originated in the Tethys coast during the late Cretaceous, and the South American Ephedra species
have a single origin by dispersal from Mexico or
North America. Our study highlights the importance of integrating phylogenomic and ecological approaches to address evolution of biological groups at the global scale.

S.138.4 Sex chromosome
evolution of Ginkgo biloba
with implication for dioecy
evolution of gymnosperms
Pan-Pan Bai1, Kai-Jie Gu1, Jun-Jie Wu1, Yue
Sun1, Juan Xu1, He Zhang2, Guangyi Fan2,
Xuanmin Guang3, Huan Liu3, Yun-Peng Zhao
1 College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, China.
2 BGI-Qingdao, BGI-Shenzhen, Qingdao, China. 3
State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genomics, BGI
Research, Shenzhen, China
Sex determination genes of dioecy, which refers
to male and female reproductive organs present
in separate individuals, have been uncovered ina few angiosperms, while there is a contrasting
gap in gymnosperms. Ginkgo biloba L., representing one of the five extant gymnosperm lineages,
is a well-known dioecious tree species in which
sex determination genes remain unknown. Here,anatomical observation, transcriptomic analyses, and evolutionary analyses strongly support
that two B-class MADS-box genes at the non-recombination region of the Y chromosome acted
as the sex determination genes of ginkgo. Functional transgenic analysis in Arabidopsis thaliana
indicated that they were related to the male reproductive organ identity specification. Moreover,the spatial enhanced resolution omics sequencing (Stereo-seq) revealed that the highest expression level of the two sex determination genes
were present in the male reproductive primordium, i.e., microsporophyll primordium, of malestrobilus buds at the sex determination stage.
Collectively, these results not only systematically verified the hypothesis that B-class MADS-box
genes determine the sex of dioecy in gymno-

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sperms for the first time, but also pioneered theconstruction of the spatial transcriptome atlas ofmale strobilus buds in ginkgo. In light of the present discovery, we discussed the repeated evolution of dioecy and sex chromosomes in gymnosperm as well as its time course in seed plants.

S.138.5 Reconstructing
polyploid histories inEphedra using target
sequence capture

S.138.6 Perspectives
on a comprehensive
gymnosperm phylogeny
from targeted enrichment
sequencing
J. Gordon Burleigh1, Lorena Endara2,
Stefanie M. Ickert-Bond3
1 Department of Biology, University of Florida,
Gainesville, FL, USA. 2 Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA. 3 UA
Museum of the North Herbarium and Departmentof Biology and Wildlife, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, USA

Stefanie M. Ickert-Bond1, J. Gordon
Burleigh2
1 UA Museum of the North Herbarium and Department of Biology and Wildlife, University of Alaska
Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK USA. 2 Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, USA
The gymnosperm genus Ephedra (Gnetales) is
widely distributed in New and Old World arid andsubtropical regions and has featured prominently in elucidating the phylogenetic interrelationships of seed plants. Reconstructing the evolutionary history of Ephedra has been hamperedby fast rates of molecular evolution and extensive polyploidization, with 80% of the c. 54 species known to be polyploids, mostly tetraploids ofallopolyploid origin. Recent advances in generating large sequencing datasets and new methodological advances for inferring complex histories from genomic data provide new promisefor resolving previously intractable phylogenetic
problems. Here we used target sequence capture
data, generated using the GoFlag 408 flagellate
land plant probe set, to infer the evolutionary history across 139 samples representing nearly all
species of Ephedra. We discuss some of the challenges of using target capture data for Ephedra,and explore the value of assembling off-target
plastid loci and new methods for phasing polyploid taxa using short read sequences and network inference on our ability to infer the reticulate
history of Ephedra and identify putative progenitors of polyploid species. While numerous questions about the evolution of Ephedra remain, ouranalyses using targeted capture data and comprehensive sampling across the genus present
new insights into the complex history of Ephedra
as well as the challenges that remain.

The gymnosperms represent one of the two major
lineages of seed plants and are critically important to the biodiversity of many ecosystems. While
decades of molecular phylogenetic analyses
have resolved many relationships within extant
gymnosperms (c. 1080 species), some parts ofthe tree remain contentious, and there is a needfor a comprehensive resource that highlights thecomplexities of evolution that can be illuminated with genomic data. We generated a phylogenomic dataset using targeted enrichment with
the GoFlag 408 flagellate plant probe set, which
covers 408 exons from 229 single or low copy nuclear genes, and sampled approximately 1060
taxa, representing all families and genera, andapproximately 95% of all extant species. The resulting phylogeny is strongly supported, althoughsome areas of the tree have weaker support and/or high levels of intragenomic conflict. Our analyses also highlight some of the challenges andlimitations of targeted enrichment data from a
universal probe set. We compare the tree inferredfrom targeted enrichment data with trees fromplastid and transcriptome data. The targeted
capture dataset provides new perspectives onsome classic questions in gymnosperm phylogenetics and highlights areas where further research is needed, and it provides a resource ofcomparable and combinable data that can help
illuminate future studies of evolutionary processes across the gymnosperms.

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S.139 GLOBAL CHANGE AND EVOLUTIONARY
ADAPTATION OF PLANTS IN COASTAL AREAS
S.139.1 Evolution andpatterns of epimutation
rates in stress
Chuangchao Zhou1, Yushuai Wang1, Yalan
Wang1, Cai Li1, Tian Tang1
1 State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, School ofLife Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guanghzou,
China
DNA methylation plays an important role in plant response to environmental stress whereas its contribution to long-term adaptation remains elusive. Here
we estimate evolutionary rates of methylation gain
and loss in mangroves and the potential role of natural selection using population epigenomic analysis.
Mangroves exhibit a high ratio of gain over loss of
CG methylation. Cytosine sites in CG context, particularly in the promoter regions, are under significant
selection to remain methylated in mangroves but
not in non-mangroves. We also analyzed available
expression profiling data of mangroves and foundthat gains of CG DNA methylation in both promoter
and coding regions are associated with reduced expression variation in stress. Our results suggest that
DNA methylation is favored by selection in plants under stress adaptation, perhaps due to its impact onmaintaining transcriptional homeostasis.

S.139.2 Peripatric speciationof pantropical coastal
plants in East Asia
Koji Takayama1
1 Department of Botany, Kyoto University, Japan
Pantropical plants with sea-drifted seeds (PPSS) expanded globally through long-distance seed dispersal
by sea. These plants, representing individual species orclosely related species, thrive globally in tropical littoral
areas. Notable examples include Ipomoea pes-caprae
subsp. brasiliensis (Convolvulaceae), Canavalia rosea(Leguminosae), and Hibiscus tiliaceus (Malvaceae).
Closely related species are found in marginal areas of

PPSS distribution, such as Ipomoea pes-caprae subsp.
per-caprae (northern Indian Oceanic region), Canavalia subgenus Maunaloa (Hawaiian Islands), and Hibiscus hamabo (temperate East Asia) and H. glaber(Bonin Islands). Despite PPSS’s extensive distribution, thespecies cohesion breaks down in peripatric areas due
to limited gene flow, fostering differentiation throughalternative allele fixation, local adaptation, and genetic
drift. However, the spatiotemporal processes of peripatric speciation in PPSS remain unclear. To address
this gap, we conducted phylogenomic analyses using plastome and genome-wide nuclear SNP data of
H. tiliaceus and its East Asian relatives H. hamabo andH. glaber. Our dated phylogeny suggests that global
expansion began around four million years ago, andspecies diversification began approximately one million years ago. Plastome phylogeny revealed that H.
hamabo haplotypes were fully nested within H. tiliaceus
haplotypes, supporting a peripatric speciation process
involving migration to temperate zones. In contrast, H.
glaber haplotypes showed diversification at the basal
position in the plastome phylogeny. Genome-wide nuclear SNP phylogenies highlight distinct genetic segregations among species and geographical regions. Hibiscus hamabo exhibited low genetic diversity, whereas
H. glaber displayed relatively high genetic diversity inboth plastome and genome-wide SNPs. This study provides insights into the divergent genetic backgroundsof H. hamabo and H. glaber, both of which are undergoing peripatric speciation in East Asia. Discussions will
focus on the factors contributing to these distinct genetic patterns in these peripatrically derived species.

S.139.3 Assessing theconservation of terrestrial
HCIs in the Alboran Sea:
Coast of Málaga andGranada430

Goncalves Estefany1, Javier García
Caballero1, Federico Casimiro-Soriguer1,
Hidalgo-Triana Noelia1
1 Department of Botany and Plant Physiology (Botany Area), University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain; fsoriguer@uma.es

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The coastal regions of the Alboran Sea in southern
Spain, bathed by the Mediterranean Sea, are celebrated for their remarkable biodiversity and contain several Habitats of Community Interest (HCI), a designation
under the European Union Council Directive. Althoughthose HCIs host various ecosystems and numerous
endemic species whose conservation is the shared responsibility of EU member states, many of them facesignificant risks. In our study, we analysed the degreeof conservation (DC) of terrestrial habitats along thecoasts of Málaga and Granada, in order to provide
key information for prioritising conservation measures.
To that end, vegetation inventories were conducted toassess the DC of HCIs, current coverage, the presenceof typical species from a phytosociological perspective, and the invasion of non-native species. Our findings suggest that HCI Groups 1 and 2 (i.e., 1150, 1210, 1240,
and 2210), including dunes, halonitrophilous vegetation,and cliffs, were the most impacted due to displaying diminished plant coverage and a proliferation of invasive
species. Enhanced management is therefore urgently
needed to ensure the preservation and protection of
those unique ecosystems. We also propose that thecomprehensive evaluation method used in our study
and the creation of a conservation index have the potential for extrapolation to other HCIs across Europe.

S.139.4 Genomic evidence
for rediploidization andadaptive evolution following
the whole-genome
triplication
Xiao Feng1, Qipian Chen1,2, Weihong Wu1,
Jiexin Wang1, Guohong Li1, Shaohua Xu1,
Shao Shao1, Min Liu1, Cairong Zhong3,
Chung-I Wu1, Suhua Shi1, Ziwen He1
1 School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University,
Guangzhou, China. 2 Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural
Sciences, Shenzhen, China. 3 Hainan Academy ofForestry (Hainan Academy of Mangrove), Haikou,
China
Whole-genome duplication (WGD), or polyploidy,
events are widespread and significant in the evolutionary history of angiosperms. However, empiricalevidence for rediploidization, the major process where
polyploids give rise to diploid descendants, is still lacking at the genomic level. Here we present chromosome-scale genomes of the mangrove tree Sonner-

atia alba and the related inland plant Lagerstroemia
speciosa. Their common ancestor has experienced
a whole-genome triplication (WGT) approximately
64 Mya coinciding with a period of dramatic global climate change. Sonneratia, adapting mangrove
habitats, experienced extensive chromosome rearrangements post-WGT. We observe the WGT retentions display sequence and expression divergence,suggesting potential neo- and subfunctionalization.
Strong selection acting on three-copy retentions
indicates adaptive value in response to new environments. To elucidate the role of ploidy changes ingenome evolution, we improve a model of the polyploidization–rediploidization process based on genomic evidence, contributing to the understanding ofadaptive evolution during climate change.

S.139.5 Ecology andevolution of invasive salt
marsh grass Spartina
alterniflora
Wenwen Liu1, Yihui Zhang1
1 Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for
Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems, College of theEnvironment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
Coastal saltmarsh wetlands provide high levels of
ecosystem services. Many of these services stem fromthe vegetation of coastal saltmarsh systems. However,global change has posed a serious threat to coastal
salt marshes in recent years. Therefore, it is critical todetermine the spatio-temporal patterns, ecologicalprocesses and adaptation mechanisms of coastal
saltmarsh vegetation. In this study, the global invasive salt marsh plant Spartina alterniflora was taken
as the model salt marsh plant, and studied at the individual, population, and community levels. In particular, we studied the spatial and temporal dynamics,
ecological processes and adaptation mechanisms ofdifferent levels of vegetation in coastal saltmarshes
in response to multi-scale environmental gradients.
Our study identified three key findings: 1) we clarified
that the spatio-temporal allometric patterns in S. alterniflora followed self-thinning and life-history theory, suggesting that salt marsh plants may serve as
simple, model systems for studies of plant life history. 2) Intraspecific hybridization and rapid evolution
drive different latitudinal clines in S. alterniflora in thenative and introduced ranges, indicating the importance of phenotypic plasticity and genetic control of431

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change during the invasion process. 3) Community
composition, distance, and latitude alter the synchrony and stability of S. alterniflora biomass, suggesting that managers should identify the most sensitive
habitat to abiotic variation as a priority for monitoring.
In summary, the above multi-level and multi-scalestudies clarified the pattern, process, and mechanismof coastal salt marsh wetlands, and provided new
methods, perspectives, and ideas for establishing salt
marsh model system, understanding its ecologicalservice value, and protecting habitat and species diversity. Furthermore, it also provides decision support
for the adaptive scientific management of coastal
wetlands under global change.

S.139.6 Leaf pattern in
Colombian Caribbean
mangroves
Mary L. Berdugo-Lattke1,2, J. Orlando
Rangel-Ch2
1 Grupo de investigación de agua y desarrollo
sostenible, Semillero Tygua, Programa de Biología,
Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias Básicas, Universidad Central, Bogotá, Colombia. 2 Grupo de investigación de biodiversidad y conservación, Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de
Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia
The biotypological foliar pattern was characterized
in the mangrove vegetation (39 inventories or surveys) of the Caribbean region of Colombia, in localities of the departments La Guajira (arid), Magdalena(semiarid), Sucre (semihumid), Córdoba (humid),defined by three phytosociological formations oralliances: Lagunculario racemosae - Avicennion
germinantis especially the association Avicennion
germinantis-Rhizophoretum manglis (Magdalena, Sucre); Lagunculario racemosae-Rhizophorion
manglis with the association Lagunculario racemosae-Conocarpodetum erecti (La Guajira, Magdalena
P. N.N. Tayrona) and Fico dendrocidae - Rhizophorion
manglis especially the association Priorio copaiferae-Rhizophoretum manglis (Córdoba). Between 5 to
20 leaves and one branch fragment were collected per survey to estimate leaf area (cm2), specificweight (gr/dm2), succulence (gr/dm2), dry mass (%),
thickness (mm) and wood density (gr/ml). A total of
812 samples were processed, from 14 families, 19 genera and 21 species. The general pattern corresponds
to simple, notophyll leaves (31-53 cm2), with elliptic
and oblong shapes, entire margin, obtuse apex andbase, coriaceous consistency, unprotected and lamina thickness B (0.16-0.35mm). As the aridity condition increases (arid and semi-arid zones La Guajira,Tayrona N.N.P.), there is a tendency to increase thevalues of specific weight and succulence (gr/dm2),
dry mass (%), leaf thickness (mm) and wood density(gr/ml), conditions that are related to higher salinity. Leaf area increases in the semi-humid and humid
zones (moderate relationship with precipitation, R2= 0.62**), a condition associated with lower salinity
and/or greater influence of continental water. The results illustrate the differential responses related to thetype of mangrove vegetation (floristic compositionand structure-architecture aspects), furthermore thestrategies species for to control salinity regulationand transpiration.

S.140 IAPT EARLY CAREER INVESTIGATORSYMPOSIUM: THE EDGE OF THE UNKNOWN IN
PLANT, ALGAE, AND FUNGAL SYSTEMATICS.
SESSION 1
S.140.1 The rapid radiation of
Bomarea (Alstroemeriaceae:
Liliales), driven by the rise of
the Andes

432

Carrie M. Tribble1,2, Fernando AlzateGuarín3, Etelvina Gándara4, Araz
Vartoumian1,5, J. Gordon Burleigh6, Rosana
Zenil-Ferguson7, Chelsea D. Specht8, andCarl J. Rothfels2,9

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1 School of Life Sciences, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, USA. 2 University Herbarium and Department of Integrative Biology University of California, Berkeley, USA. 3 Grupo de Estudios Botánicosand Herbario Universidad de Antioquia, Instituto de
Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales,
Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia. 4 Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Benemérita Universidad
Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla, Mexico. 5 Departmentof Oral Biology, University of California, Los Angeles,
USA .6 Department of Biology, University of Florida,
Gainesville, FL USA. 7 Department of Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington KY USA. 8 Section of Plant
Biology and the L.H. Bailey Hortorium, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, USA.
9 Intermountain Herbarium, Department of Biology,
and Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, USA
Geological events such as mountain uplift affect how,when, and where species diversify, but measuring
those effects is a longstanding challenge. Andean
orogeny impacted the evolution of regional biota bycreating barriers to gene flow, opening new habitats,and changing local climate. Bomarea (Alstroemeriaceae) are tropical plants with (often) small, isolated
ranges; in total, Bomarea species occur from central
Mexico to central Chile. This genus appears to have
evolved rapidly and quite recently, and rapid radiations
are often challenging to resolve with traditional phylogenetic inference. In this study, we apply phylogenomics—with hundreds of loci, gene-tree-based data curation, and a multispecies-coalescent approach—to infer
the phylogeny of Bomarea. We used this phylogeny
to untangle the potential drivers of diversification andbiogeographic history. In particular, we test if Andean
orogeny contributed to the diversification of Bomarea.
We find that Bomarea originated in the central Andes
during the mid-Miocene, then spread north, following
the trajectory of mountain uplift. Furthermore, Andeanlineages diversified faster than non-Andean relatives.
Bomarea thus demonstrates that—at least in somecases—geological change rather than environmental
stability has driven high species diversity in a tropicalbiodiversity hotspot. These results also demonstrate theutility (and danger) of genome-scale data for making
macroevolutionary inferences.

for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia,
Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of
Sciences, Kunming, China. 3Germplasm Bank ofWild Species, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese
Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
Conifers are economically and ecologically important and form extensive forests in both the Southernand Northern Hemispheres. The Podocarpaceae
have evolved distinctive seed cones, most of which
are fleshy. The detailed diversity and evolution of seedcones is poorly known in this family. We undertook acomparative analysis of Podocarpaceae seed cone
morpho-anatomical traits and used ancestral state
reconstruction to interpret their evolution. The family exhibits great diversity in functional structures andfive distinct structures (free epimatium, fused epimatium, fleshy bracts, arils, and the receptaculum) are
involved in the formation of their fleshy cones. Eachof these structures has distinct evolutionary patterns,
involving multiple origins and/or losses of fleshiness,with a minimum of 24 independent evolutionarychanges either from non-fleshy to fleshy or fleshy to
non-fleshy structures. The pathways of fleshy seed
cone production vary among genera and sometimes
within a genus. The Podocarpaceae show great evolutionary lability in seed cone morphology and especially in the production of fleshy seed cones, which
are associated with the pollination mechanism (byassisting ovule inversion), protection of the ovule/seed and seed dispersal. The reconstruction of theancestral Podocarpaceae seed cone is complicatedby extinction, convergent evolution, and the relatively
few fossil seed cone records.

S.140.3 Pteridophyte
Phylogeny Group II andbeyond: an updated,
community-driven, andopen classification for ferns
and lycophytes
Joel H. Nitta1, Carl J. Rothfels2, Harald
Schneider3, Eric Schuettpelz4

S.140.2 On the origin andcomplex convergent
evolution of fleshy cones in
Podocarpaceae
Raees Khan1,2,3, Robert S. Hill1, Jie Liu2,3
1 School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia. 2 CAS Key Laboratory433

1 Graduate School of Global and Transdisciplinary
Studies, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan. 2 Ecology Center and Department of Biology, Utah State
University, Logan, UT, USA. 3 Center for Integrative
Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical
Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun,
China. 4 Department of Botany, National Museumof Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA

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We live in an era of big data, when no single person
can manually digest all the information required tomake optimal decisions. This fact extends to the fieldof systematic biology, which is being revolutionizedby rapid improvements in genomic sequencing andphylogenetic analysis. One approach to handling thisdata deluge is to move beyond the traditional system whereby a single “expert” publishes their view on
the most logical taxonomic system for a particulargroup, to one where a community of scientists work
collaboratively to reach taxonomic decisions. Thisapproach was successfully applied to ferns and lycophytes by the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group (PPG)
in 2016, resulting in the landmark PPG I classification. Since then, systematic research has continued
apace, resulting in a need to update PPG I. Here, wereport on the methodologies and progress to date of
PPG II, with a focus on how such a community-driven,open approach to taxonomy can be employed bysystematists studying other groups. In particular, informulating PPG II we utilize GitHub as an open online
platform to solicit and discuss taxonomic proposals and then, with the assistance of custom, opensource R scripts, to adopt those proposals, ensuringthat taxonomic interdependencies are fully accounted for (see https://pteridogroup.github.io/).

S.140.4 Integrative taxonomics and deep learning in
Ranunculus

process highly multi-dimensional, large-scale datasets. However, there have been few attempts so far
to combine an integrative approach with ML methodologies. We explore the potential of ML to classify
species in the highly reticulate evolving Ranunculus
auricomus complex, in which taxonomically challenging processes such as apomixis, hybridization,and polyploidy are prevalent. In our previous work, we
assessed different fusion techniques with the integration of morphological data and genetic markers
using convolutional neural networks (CNNs) that now
serve as a basis for the fusion of extensive genetic data, morphology, ecology, and ploidy as well as
reproductive information. We show that an integrative approach in ML species classification is not only
feasible but that it increases the performance of theneural network. We hope to encourage a more holistic perspective of future ML models.

S.140.5 Epiphyllous fungi
from Early Cretaceous
swamp forests: exploring
multiple techniques forrecovering fungal remains
from lignites
Giovanni C. Nunes1, Louise EgertonWarburton2, Patrick S. Herendeen2, Niiden
Ichinnorov3, Gongle Shi4, Peter R. Crane5,6,
Fabiany Herrera7

Lara M. Kösters1, Kevin Karbstein1, Martin
Hofmann2, Ladislav Hodač1, Patrick
Mäder2,3,4, Jana Wäldchen1,3

1 Egidio Feruglio Paleontological Museum, Trelew,
Argentina. 2 Chicago Botanic Garden, Chicago, IL,
USA. 3 Institute of Paleontology, Mongolian Academy of Sciences, Ulaanbaatar–15160, Mongolia. 4
State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology and Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences,
Nanjing, China. 5 School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University, New Haven, USA. 6
Oak Spring Garden Foundation, Oak Spring, Upperville, Virginia, USA. 7 Earth Sciences, Negaunee Integrative Research Center, Field Museum of Natural
History, Chicago, IL, USA

1 Biogeochemical Integration, Max-Planck-Institutefor Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany .2 Data-intesive Systems and Visualization Group, Technical University, Ilmenau, Germany. 3 German
Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research, Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany. 4 Faculty of Biological Sciences, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena,
Germany
Integrative taxon-omics aims to combine genomics
with a multitude of different complementary datasets
such as morphology, ploidy level, information on hybridization and/or apomixis, geography, or ecology.
Here, the goal is to advance species delimitation andto achieve a more reliable species classification. Machine learning (ML) encompasses a range of methods that autonomously learn to map a given input toa desired output. ML is rapidly gaining attention in the
biological and botanical community for its ability to

A preliminary report of fungal remains associated withleaves of different gymnosperm taxa is presented inthis study. The fossils were recovered from lignites collected at the Early Cretaceous Tevshiingovi Formation(~120 Ma – Aptian-Albian) in Central Mongolia. This
contribution also explores the different techniques
used for recovering the fungal remains from the lig-

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nites. Around 450 specimens of leaves of several gymnosperm lineages (i.e., ginkgophytes, corystosperms,
conifers) were analyzed using multiple complementary techniques (i.e., light microscopy, epifluorescence,
SEM, and X-ray computer microtomography). For observations under light microscopy, most of the samples were previously bleached, applying a modified
protocol for chemical treatment of fossil cuticles (withboth H2O2 and KOH). Staining of the fungal remains
with different stains (e.g., safranin, cotton blue, congored) for enhancing critical features was also explored.
Abundant nonreproductive and reproductive remainsof epiphyllous fungi are associated with the cuticularsurface of around 70% of the specimens. The mostconspicuous and abundant structures are scattered
to densely distributed thyriothecium-like ascomata,which are mostly associated with the leaves of ginkgophytes and corystosperms. Additional remains include septate hyphae, often with appressoria, 1-3 septate phragmospores, scolecospores, and perithecia
with associated filamentous mycelium. These fungal
remains are attributable to epiphyllous, probably saprobic, fungi within different lineages of Ascomycota(e.g., Dothideomycetes, Sordariomycetes) and other incertae sedis taxa. This report represents the firststeps in documenting the fungal diversity associatedwith the leaves of gymnosperms and in the characterization of the ecological relationships between different organisms from the Early Cretaceous swamp
forests of Mongolia. Exploring different complementary
techniques demonstrates an improvement in recovering fungal remains from lignite samples. More importantly, the abundance and well preservation of thefossil fungi will help recognize different developmental
structures and features of the epiphyllous community.

S.140.6 Bryophytes of
the high mountains ofMadagascar: a comparative
analysis of diversity anddistribution patterns
Lovanomenjanahary Marline1,2,3,
Rivoharifara Randrianarimanana2,4, Rhian
Smith1, Alexandre Antonelli1,5,6,7

Centre, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden. 6 Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese
Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China. 7 Departmentof Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
Madagascar is a global biodiversity hotspot, withsome of the highest levels of diversity and endemism on the planet. Its high mountain massifs are
remarkable for having a higher degree of regional
endemism, often localized to an individual massif.
Madagascar’s exceptional biodiversity has motivated many studies; however, they have not been
evenly distributed and many groups of organisms
remain poorly studied. Bryophytes are among theleast documented of the Malagasy biodiversity. We conducted detailed analyses of bryophyte
communities along elevational gradients in threehigh mountains in Madagascar to describe thehidden but important biodiversity of bryophyte
and understand bryophyte community structure
along elevational gradients. We explored Tsaratanana Integral reserve, North-western Madagascar(2888m), Andohahela national park, South-eastern
Madagascar (1956m) and Marojejy National Park
North-eastern Madagascar (2130m). Preliminary
observation shows a diverse and abundant community of bryophytes. Overall, species richness is
exhibiting a hump-shaped pattern along elevation
gradients, peaking at mid-elevation. Preliminary
analyses of the bryophyte community indicate thatmost species have a narrow range of elevational
distribution and are specialized to a particular microhabitat. At higher taxonomic rank, many genera
and families also have a narrow range of elevational
distribution and microhabitat preferences. This implies that microhabitat preferences are taxonomically structured. This investigation constitutes asignificant biodiversity resource that will be used ina range of contexts such as taxonomic revision of
the many understudied and likely to be misidentified group of bryophytes. And given that there are
no existing molecular databases on the bryophytesof Madagascar, new bryophytes collections fromthose unique sites have been considered for molecular analysis, especially leveraging next-generation
sequencing technologies.

1 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, UK. 2 Kew
Madagascar Conservation Centre, Antananarivo,
Madagascar. 3 Association Vahatra, Antananarivo, Madagascar. 4 Mention Biologie et Ecologie
Végétales, Université d’Antananarivo, Antananarivo, Madagascar. 5 Gothenburg Global Biodiversity435

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S.141 TRANSPOSON TAKEOVER:
TRANSPOSABLE ELMENTS IN PLANT GENOME
EVOLUTION, ADAPTATION AND REGULATION
S.141.1 Transposon dynamics
in plant genomes
Josep M.Casacuberta1, Lucía Campos1,
Rauú Castanera1, Noemia Morales-Díaz1,
Marc Pulido1, Carlos Vicient1
1 CRAG (CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB), Barcelona, Spain
Transposable Elements (TEs) are major components of eukaryote genomes and in particular ofthat of plants. The relationship between TEs andthe host genome is often seen as a conflict withgenomes tightly controlling TEs which transiently scape control by horizontal transfer or during
stress situations, producing bursts of transposition and amplification, until the genome re-establishes the control and silence them. However, the dynamics of TEs is highly diverse anddepends on the type and family of the TEs andthe genome they inhabit. In our laboratory weare studying the dynamics of TEs in a wide rangeof plant genomes including rice, almond andpeach, cotton, and P. patens. In this communication I present recent data illustrating different
strategies followed by plant TEs to be maintainedin the genome ecosystem. On the other hand, thelong lasting presence of TEs in genomes has endowed the latter with a high plasticity during evolution. Our laboratory, among many others, has
shown that TEs have generated genome variability linked to phenotype diversity selected during
plant domestication and breeding. In particular,
our recent data points to an important role of TE
in generating subtle transcriptional variability oftranscription factors and regulatory proteins, thathas been selected accompanying domesticationand local adaptation of crops. In this communication I also show recent data on the capacityof TEs to generate phenotypic diversity selectedduring crop domestication and local adaptation.

S.141.2 Dynamics
of centromeric
retrotransposons andtheir consequences forchromosomal evolution
Manuel Poretti1, Rimjhim Choudhury1,
Yile Huang2, Hussein Anani2, Terezie
Mandáková2, Martin Lysák2 andChristian Parisod1
1 Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland. 2 CEITEC Masaryk University,
Brno, Czech Republic
Beyond their fundamental importance for the
segregation of chromosomes, centromeres andtheir evolution remain elusive. In plants, flanking(pericentromeric) segments are characterized
by low recombination and chiefly constituted ofgypsy retrotransposons. Although such distribution expectedly results from an equilibrium between the insertion of new copies and their removal by purifying selection in high-recombining
segments away from the centromere, empiricalevidence remains scarce. Chromosome-scaleassemblies characterizing the gene space andrepetitive fraction of three diploids within thehighly-polymorphic species Biscutella leavigata
and one outgroup species were used to assess
the evolution of retrotransposons around centromeres. Despite high synteny within the species,
we find large variability in the non-coding partof the genome and particularly high sequence
turnover among pericentromeric segments ofthe genome from the smallest population. By
comparing retrotransposons actively targeting
pericentromeric regions such as CRM elements
to similarly-distributed retrotransposons thatare unknown to present biased insertion such as
ATHILA elements, we infer their dynamics of transposition vs deletion and highlight the role of specialized retrotransposons during a centromere
shift. We further show that they disperse towards
the distal part of nucleolar chromosomes and436

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invade intervening gene-rich regions, increasing
the methylation of nearby gene and decreasing their expression. Accordingly, bursts of retrotransposon activity associated with the rapid
evolution of centromeres are not only affecting
the formation and maintenance of heterochromatin and chromocenters, but also result in considerable changes across the gene space.

S.141.3 Repeat turnover
meets stable chromosomes:
repetitive DNA sequences
mark speciation and genepool boundaries in beets
Nicola Schmidt1, Katharina Sielemann2,3,Sarah Breitenbach1, Jörg Fuchs4, Boas
Pucker5, Bernd Weisshaar2, Daniela
Holtgräwe2, Tony Heitkam1,6
1 Faculty of Biology, Technische Universität Dresden,
Dresden, Germany .2 Genetics and Genomics ofPlants, Center for Biotechnology & Faculty of Biology,
Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany. 3 Graduate
School DILS, Bielefeld Institute for Bioinformatics Infrastructure, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany.
4 Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant
Research, Gatersleben, Stadt Seeland, Germany. 5
Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Institute of
Plant Biology & Braunschweig Integrated Centreof Systems Biology, TU Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany. 6 Institute of Biology, NAWI Graz,
Karl-Franzens-Universität, Graz, Austria
Sugar beet and its wild relatives share a basechromosome number of nine and similar chromosome morphologies. Yet, interspecific breeding
is impeded by chromosome and sequence divergence that is still not fully understood. Since repetitive DNAs are among the fastest evolving partsof the genome, we investigated, if repeatome innovations and losses are linked to chromosomal
differentiation and speciation. We traced genome
and chromosome-wide evolution across thirteen
beet species comprising all sections of the genera
Beta and Patellifolia. For this, we combined shortand long read sequencing, flow cytometry, andcytogenetics to build a comprehensive framework that spans the complete scale from DNA
to chromosome to genome. Genome sizes andrepeat profiles reflect the separation into three
gene pools with contrasting evolutionary patterns.
Among all repeats, satellite DNAs harbor most genomic variability, leading to fundamentally differ-ent centromere architectures, ranging from chromosomal uniformity in Beta and Patellifolia to theformation of patchwork chromosomes in Corollinae/Nanae. We show that repetitive DNAs arecausal for the genome expansions and contractions across the beet genera, providing insights
into the genomic underpinnings of beet speciation. Satellite DNAs in particular vary considerably
between beet genomes, leading to the evolutionof distinct chromosomal setups in the three genepools, likely contributing to the barriers in beetbreeding. Thus, with their isokaryotypic chromosome sets, beet genomes present an ideal system
for studying the link between repeats, genomic
variability, and chromosomal differentiation andprovide a theoretical fundament for understanding barriers in any crop breeding effort.

S.141.4 Role of transposable
elements in thedomestication of fruit trees:
insights from the apple trees
Cornille, A.1,Venon, A.1, Chen X.1, Mesnil, A.1,
Bourgeois Y.2, Marrande W.3, Confais J.4,
Alix K.1
1 Université Paris Saclay, INRAE, CNRS, AgroParisTech, GQE – Le Moulon, Gif-sur-Yvette,
France. 2 DIADE, University of Montpellier, CIRAD,
IRD, Montpellier, France. 3. French Plant Genomic Resource Center, INRAE-CNRGV, Castanet Tolosan, France. 4.Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE,
URGI, Versailles, France
Transposable elements (TEs) are major components of eukaryotic genomes and are supposed
to be evolutionary catalyzers. Unlike the extensive
information available for annual crops, the role of
TEs in the adaptation of perennial crops, such as
fruit trees, has been studied in less depth. Yet, thedomestication of perennials is expected to follow
different processes than annuals, with distinct
genetic outcomes. I present results on TE copy
number variation and TE polymorphism insertions
in crop-wild population pairs of the apple trees
based on the joint study of SNPs and TEs and ongoing experiments. This research will add to ourunderstanding of the role of TEs in the evolutionof genetic diversity and innovation in perennials
and, ultimately, in the adaptation of populations
to recent environmental changes, together withthe applied consequences of the findings.

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S.141.5 Endogenouspararetroviruses (EPRVs):
their evolution, diversity, andregulation
Trude Schwarzacher1, Katja R. RichertPoeggeler2, Osamah Alisaw3, Gilbert
Chofong2, Kitty Vijverberg4, Pat HeslopHarrison1
1 Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, Institute for Environmental Futures, University of Leicester,
Leicester, UK. 2 Julius Kuehn Institute, Federal ResearchCentre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Epidemiology and Pathogen Diagnostics, Braunschweig, Germany. 3 Department of Plant Protection, Faculty ofAgriculture, University of Kufa, Kufa, Iraq. 4 Radboud
University, Institute for Water and Wetland Research(IWWR), Nijmegen, Netherlands
Pararetroviruses (PRVs) share a common origin withretroviruses and LTR retrotransposons employing reverse transcription for genome replication. In plants,
both episomal and chromosomal (endogenous;
EPRVs) forms are present. Pararetrovirus evolution
most likely occurred through recombination of anancestral genomic retroelement with exogenous
RNA viruses and resulted in horizontal gene transfer.
Illegitimate recombination probably also facilitatedpararetrovirus integration into the host genomes
using virus sequences instead of homologous hostgenomic sequences on the sister chromatid (duringmitosis) or homologous chromosome (during meiosis). RNA interference initiated in the host, regulates
episomal and chromosomal pararetrovirus forms,
while pararetroviruses themselves have evolved
suppressors against this plant defense. Analysing
genome and raw read sequences as well as small(sm)RNA databases revealed three types of EPRV
clusters comprising petuvirus-, florendovirus- andcaulimovirus-like sequences along with two distinct
variants of Petunia vein clearing virus (ePVCV-1 and-2) in wild and hybrid petunia. Both ePVCV variants
increased in copy number in P. hybrida, a diploidhybrid of P. axillaris and P. inflata, while exhibiting
differences in sequences, organization and activity patterns. ePVCV-1 shared 99% sequence identitywith the known episomal PVCV and host smRNAs
mapped throughout its genome, likely serving as
template for initiating episomal PVCV replication in
P. hybrida. ePVCV-2, with only 74% similarity, lacked
some regulatory elements and homologous smRNAs, rendering it replication incompetent. In the permissive genomes P. axillaris and P. hybrida, we foundthe pericentromeric regions to be hot spots for EPRV
integration. In PVCV infected P. parodii, with no detectable ePVCV but episomally replicating PVCV, denovo integration of PVCV in the telomeric regions ofa single chromosome was identified. We postulatethat the pericentromeric insertions are older and silenced while telomeric ePVCV localizations of someP. hybrida lines indicate recent, transient activationof ePVCV-1 and de novo integration.

S.141.6 What is thecontribution of transposable
elements to adaptive
evolution? A case study
using the Persimmon genus
Diospyros
Katie Emelianova1, Teerna Saugata
Khastgir1, Jérôme Munzinger2, Ovidiu
Paun1
1 Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research,
Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria. 2 AMAP, IRD, CIRAD, CNRS, INRA, Université Montpellier, Montpellier, France
New Caledonia, a biodiversity hotspot with a mosaic of altitudinal, climatic and edaphic environments,
was colonized by the Persimmon genus Diospyros
four times. While three of the New Caledonian Diospyros clades have few species, one clade underwent an explosive burst of speciation over a periodof ca. 1000 generations, today numbering over 30
species which have repeatedly colonized almost all
habitat types on the peninsula. The genome sizes of
the radiating clade are roughly double that of their
non-radiating counterparts, driven largely by transposable element (TE) expansion rather than polyploidy, prompting speculation that transposable
element dynamics underlie the success of the radiating clade through rapid generation of genetic diversity, ameliorating the founder effects which often
follow long distance dispersal events. To investigate
the origins of the adaptive variation required for Diospyros to so successfully colonize New Caledonia,
we ask how TE dynamics may have contributed tothe adaptive potential of radiating Diospyros species. Using long read PacBio sequencing data, we
compare the TE landscapes of adaptively radiating
Diospyros species to an outgroup of the radiation,
asking which TE families have undergone expansion,
when expansion occurred, and whether repetitive438

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element proliferation pre-dated the burst of speciation in New Caledonian Diospyros or occurred
after dispersal to the archipelago. By analysing the
TE landscape of adaptively radiating and outgroupspecies within a comparative genomic framework,
we can begin to answer questions about the interplay of the mobile genome, shifting ecological circumstances, and the drivers of biodiversity.

S.142 PLANT RESPONSES TO STRESSES AND
CLIMATE CHANGE. SESSION 6
S.142.1 Integrating functional
traits for predicting the
response of flowering
phenology to change ina diverse Mediterranean
community
Daniel Pareja-Bonilla1, Montserrat Arista1,
Leonor P, Cerdeira-Morellato2, Pedro L. Ortiz1
1 Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología,
Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain. 2 Instituto deBiociencias, Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júliode Mesquita Filho”, Rio Claro (SP), Brazil
Flowering time plays a key role in the reproductive
success of plants. It is subject to natural selection and
we now know that climate change is shifting flowering phenologies in the Northern Hemisphere, favouring
early flowering. However, due to the scarcity of studies
of natural communities with long data series, the traits
involved in the response of flowering time to climatechange are poorly known, especially non-vegetative
traits (reproductive, phenological and phylogenetic
traits). In the Mediterranean region, the effects of climate change are stronger than the global averageand there is an urgent need to understand how biodiversity will be affected in this area. In this study weinvestigated how the overall flowering phenology ofa species-rich community comprising 270 plant species from the Southwest of the Iberian Peninsula haschanged over the last 35 years (1980 and 2020 decades) in response to climate change, and how functional traits conditioned this change. We built models
combining vegetative, reproductive and phenologicaltraits (flowering season), as well as phylogenetic information as a covariant. Preliminary results indicatethat the advance in the flowering date is generalised
across the community and that flowering season
plays a significant role in the response of flowering
to climate change, with winter/early spring flowering

species showing a stronger phenological shift. Our
results show that mismatches resulting from changes in the co-flowering neighbourhood may lead tonew competitive or facilitative interactions regarding
plant reproduction. This study will allow us to predictthe phenological response of Mediterranean communities and the reassembly of species according
to functional traits, increasing our capacity to designconservation strategies for natural areas in the face ofclimate change.

S.142.2 Historical forest
uses constrain tree growth
responses to climatechange: a case on resin
tapped maritime pines(Pinus pinaster)
Cristopher Fernández-Blas1, Paloma RuizBenito1, Antonio Gazol2, Elena Granda1, Eva
Samblás1, Irene Granado-Díaz1, Patricia
González-Díaz3, Miguel A. Zavala1, C.
Valeriano2, J. Julio Camarero2
1 Universidad de Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Spain. 2
Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología, Consejo Superior deInvestigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Zaragoza, Spain.
3 Centro de Investigaciones sobre Desertificación(CSIC-UV-GV), Valencia, Spain
Resin extraction from pine trees was an important economic activity for most of the 20th century in forested
countries such as Spain. However, the decrease in resin
prices and massive rural migration to cities led to theirabandonment in the 1960s-1970s. Reduced tree growthis often observed after long periods of resin tapping, but
it is unknown how these formerly tapped stands would
respond to recent climate warming and aridification. In
Spain, maritime pine (Pinus pinaster) was extensively
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ed to increasing drought stress. To understand the differential growth and their responses to climate between
resin tapped and non-resin tapped trees, we sampledthree historically tapped maritime pine stands in Teruel,eastern Spain, where tapping finished in the 1970s. We
extracted and measured cores from 51 resin-tapped
and 47 non-resin tapped trees, and compared their
growth trends and responses to climate variables anda drought index. Basal area increment was used tomeasure annual growth. We performed linear mixed
regression models to understand the differential responses of resin tapped and non-resin tapped trees toclimate variables, including as covariates tree size, age
and the resin tapped status. In the study area, climate
has progressively warmer and dried since the 1970s.
Tree growth was higher in resin tapped trees compared to non-resin tapped trees, which were generally younger. Formerly tapped trees responded more to
drought severity than non-tapped trees and were also
more negatively impacted by warmer summer temperature. Our results suggest that the legacy effects ofprevious management can constrain tree responses toclimate change.

tially constrained multivariate clustering techniques,
we discerned distinct budburst patterns across Canada territory. Our findings revealed a baseline disparityof 17 days between black spruce and balsam fir/white
spruce budburst timings. Additionally, we observed anegative correlation between the mean minimum May
temperature and budburst date. Black spruce exhibited a notable advancement in budburst at a rate of-3.33 days °C-1, twice the rate of balsam fir and white
spruce (-1.53 and -1.27 days °C-1, respectively). Notably,
the clustering of budburst timings corresponded closely with Canada’s ecoprovince distribution, aligning withtemperature gradients across the nation. May’s mean
minimum temperature emerged as the primary driver for budburst in northern tree species. Our projections
suggest an earlier budburst in a warmer spring, withblack spruce displaying the most pronounced rate ofchange. Intriguingly, the identified clustering patterns
remained consistent despite the longitudinal precipitation gradient across Canada. This study underscores
the intricate relationship between climate, geography,
and the timing of budburst in boreal tree species.

S.142.4 Molecularmechanisms of seed
persistence during theextreme heat of a wildfire

S.142.3 Rate of phenology
advance in boreal conifers
in Canada
Diego S. Podadera1,2, Annie Deslauriers2,
Sergio Rossi2, Lorena Balducci2Sarah J. McInnes1, Ryan Tangney1,2, Mark
K.J. Ooi1

1 Department of Forest Science, Soils and Environment, São Paulo State University-UNESP, Botucatu,
Brazil. 2 Département des Sciences Fondamentales, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi-UQAC, Chicoutimi, Canada
The emergence of buds marks a critical phase in the life
cycle of plants, signifying an essential response to seasonal shifts in weather patterns. Within boreal forests,
distinct species display unique phenological behaviors,
and their responsiveness to warming conditions canvary significantly. This study focuses on examining the
budburst timing across Canada within three coniferous
species, Balsam fir (Abies balsamea), black spruce (Picea mariana), and white spruce (Picea glauca) (Pinaceae). Our study encompasses 2839 locations spanning from 1980 to 2021. Our analysis involved identifying
the triggers for budburst, assessing its acceleration rate,and discerning the spatiotemporal patterns in relation
to climate. We developed response functions between
budburst and climate (air temperature, precipitation,and solar radiation), and used the strongest correlations to test their effect on budburst. Employing spa-

1 Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological Earth and Environmental Sciences, Universityof New South Wales, Kensington, NSW, Australia. 2
Kings Park Science, Biodiversity, and Conservation
Science, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation,
and Attractions, Kings Park, WA, Australia
Fire is a key ecological driver and many plant species
have evolved to persist in fire-prone regions. During fire,different life stages of plants, including seeds, are exposed to temperatures as high as 150°C, yet are able
to persist. This suggests that molecular processes within the seed provide a mechanism for survival. In thisstudy, we sought to understand the molecular aspectsof seed persistence during the extreme heat of wildfire.
We focused on Acacia pycnantha, a species native tofire-prone southeastern Australia, which has heat-triggered germination cues and recruits prolifically postfire, and therefore has a life-cycle tightly linked with
fire. We explored the physiology of Acacia pycantha
under heat stress through pairing molecular biology with traditional seed biology methods. To examine440

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seed survival under extreme heat, we subjected seeds
to 10-minute heat shock treatments ranging from 25°C
to 150°C, and subsequently conducted germination trials. Seed water-content isotherms were constructed
to determine seed hydration profiles post-heat stress,and mRNA extracted to create gene expression profiles. Gene expression was examined at different seedhydration levels after heating at the optimum temperature (92 °C) for dormancy-break to understandthe mechanisms that support persistence during theextreme heat from fires. We report on the genes, andthus mechanisms, that are expressed during extreme
temperatures and the role these may have in enabling
species persistence. This work is essential for ecologicalunderstanding and informing conservation efforts asfire regimes shift under a changing climate.

S.142.5 Unveiling themolecular mechanisms ofdrought stress response
in cigar tobacco: insightsfrom transcriptome andmetabolome analysis
Huaxin Dai1, Mengjiao Ding1, Taibo Liang1,
Wang Zhong1, Jinpeng Yang2, Ruiwei
Yang2, Baoming Qiao2, Chunlei Yang2 andYanling Zhang1

1 Zhengzhou Tobacco Research Institute of CNTC,
Zhengzhou, China. 2 Tobacco Research Institute of
Hubei Province, Wuhan, China
Cigar tobacco is sensitive to water stress and can serveas an ideal material for investigating the molecularmechanisms of drought resistance. In this study, we
examined the response of Cigar tobacco to drought
stress through physiological, transcriptomic and metabolic analyses. Cigar tobacco seedlings were subjected to 20 (DR) days of drought stress. Compared tocontrol (CK), the results indicated that drought stressinhibited plant growth, physiological traits and enzyme activities. Transcriptome analysis showed that a
total of 6446 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in
DR/CK were identified. These DEGs were found to be
involved in tryptophan and α-linolenic acid metabolism, flavonoid and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis andthe mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling
pathway. Furthermore, most alkaloids and lipid content were reduced, amino acids and their derivatives,
lignans, flavonoids and coumarins were increased under drought stress. This change can be attributed tothe upregulation of type III polyketide synthase B (PKSB),
flavonol synthase/flavanone 3-hydroxylase (FLS), andUDP-glycosyltransferases (UGTs), as well as the significant downregulation of R2R3MYB and lipid metabolism-related genes. The regulation of cutin, suberine
and wax biosynthesis, the flavonoid pathway and α-linolenic acid metabolism contributes to Cigar tobacco’ s
response to drought stress and provides valuable datafor understanding the regulatory mechanisms underlying drought tolerance in Cigar tobacco.

S.143 ETHNOBOTANY AND CONSERVATION OF
MEDICINAL PLANTS. SESSION 4
1 Grupo INTEGRA, Facultad de Ingeniería, Tecnológico de Antioquia - Institución Universitaria,
Medellín, Colombia. 2 Grupo Toxinología, alternativas terapéuticas y alimentarias, Universidad de
Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia. 3 Líder comunitariovereda Caucheras, Mutatá, Colombia .4 Instituto
Clodomiro Picado, Universidad de Costa Rica, San
José, Costa Rica

S.143.1 Ethnobotanicalapplications to treat
snakebite in Colombia
Marcela Serna1, Alejandro Serna2, Omar
Carmona3, Álvaro Cogollo1, Diver Mayo1,
Yamileth Delgado1, Jorge Ignacio
Montoya1, Mahmood Sasa4, Felipe Triana4,
Fabian Bonilla4, Jeisson Gómez-Robles2,
Ana María Prieto1, Jessica Paola Rey2,
Vitelbina Núñez2

Colombia harbors a vast cultural and biological diversity, including a great richness of snakes. Most species
are harmless to humans, although a few constitute a
relevant public health problem as they induce severeenvenomations and aftermaths. This pathology primarily affects rural regions in poor conditions. In Colombia, over 5.000 cases of snake envenoming, with441

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530 deaths, are reported yearly. Local communities use
a vast number of botanic alternatives to treat snakebite due to the precariousness of public health. We performed a literature review from the last 50 years aboutplants used against snakebite in Colombia, including
information from interviews with local communities in
Mutatá town at Northwest Antioquia. More than 300
plant species useful for snakebite were compiled after
this review, while local communities from Mutatá use 131
medicinal plants, including 31 for snakebite. From these,
21 species had not been included in any ethnobotanical study or report, highlighting that traditional knowledge keeps providing valuable information in plant use
and management. Laboratory tests were then carriedout using ethanolic extracts of five species. We did not
find antivenom bioactivity but found no differences between extracts from four plant species and ibuprofen,suggesting analgesic activity. In addition, the anti-inflammatory activity of these plants and the amountof polyphenols in their ethanol extract were tested. Information on the biological activity of plant extracts
used by the communities is an important source to findbioactive molecules and promote adequate plant use
to which the communities have access. Therefore, we
encourage local communities to conserve these traditions as a parallel treatment to public health programs
focused on distributing and using antivenoms. Ancestral knowledge must be respected and conserved while
public health is guaranteed.

S.143.2 Wealth of knowledgeof medicinal plants usedby three populations of thecommunity of the urban
area of the municipality of
Neiva

tions of different ages (young people ≤19 years, adults
between 20 and 39 years and older adults ≥40 years)
in the urban area of the city of Neiva, was determined.
through semi-structured interviews and the collection of data such as the species used, their parts used,
the ways of preparation and consumption. Thus, older
adults presented a greater wealth of knowledge (RQZ =100%), reporting peppermint (Mentha spicata L.), calendula (Calendula officinalis L.) and aloe vera (Aloe vera
Burm) as the most used to treat gastrointestinal conditions. neurological, musculoskeletal, or other types, using the leaves in greater proportion, due to their great
capacity to store secondary metabolites responsible
for the relieving effect of different symptoms and pathologies; This part was also used in the preparation of
infusions, because it is the most intuitive way of preparing for oral administration. In conclusion, ethnobotanical knowledge is detrimental as populations become
younger or very old, due to the growth of acculturation and memory loss due to old age, in addition, theuse of plant resources is limited by the lack of verticaltransmission of information, accentuated by the loss of
biological wealth because of anthropogenic activities
mostly related to local urbanization that fuels the degradation of ecosystems.

S.143.3 Ethnobotanicalinventory of plants
belonging to the categories
of use: aromatic andmedicinal distributed in themetropolitan area
Sergio A. Salazar1, Olga Y. Coronel1, CarlosA. Méndez 1

Nestor A. Ramírez S. , Yipsyth M. Rodríguez
M1, María C. Perdomo P1, Carlos A. Méndez P1

Departamento de ciencias exactas y naturales,
programa de Biología Aplicada, Universidad Surcolombiana, Neiva, Colombia

1

1 Departamento de Ciencias Naturales, programade Biología Aplicada, Universidad Surcolombiana,
Neiva, Colombia
The loss of ethnobotanical knowledge for medicinal
purposes has increased in recent decades due to theappearance of technologies or other factors that reduce the importance of the acquisition and dissemination of this knowledge in new generations, causing
acculturation processes in the young people of thecurrent societies. Therefore, in this study, the richnessof ethnobotanical knowledge present in three popula-

The flora species belonging to the categories of aromatic and medicinal use commercialized in the urban
area of the city of Neiva were characterized, with 73
plant species, 61 genera and 38 families reported. The
reported taxa were: Lamiaceae, Asteraceae and Myrtaceae families, these represented by more than 3 genera. It was evident that the most used plant resources
are the leaves, inflorescences and stems as the mostcommonly used parts. Therapeutic actions mentioned
to a greater extent were antispasmodic, antidiarrheal, antitussive, bronchodilator, diuretic, expectorantand hepatoprotective actions. In addition to, decoc-442

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tion and infusion technique of the fresh plant material
were highlighted as the method of use most appliedby the population. About 63% of the reported species
are grown and obtained in the district of “Ulloa” province of “Rivera”, 10% of the plant species are grown in
district of “Cerro-Neiva” province of “Neiva” in the samedepartment of Huila, and 27% of the plant species must
be imported from the departments of Cundinamarca,
Boyacá, Tolima and Cauca, showing that 70% of the interviewed people commercialize plants as their mainsocioeconomic activity, 24% commercialize plants due
to lack of job opportunities, and 6% as an indirect economic resource.

S.143.4 Quantitative
Phytochemical Analyses of
the Fruit and Propagation of
Amomum dealbatum Roxb.
(Zingiberaceae)

dealbatum possess high antioxidant potentials which
has many benefits for health. Trial propagation of thespecies using the seeds were also conducted. Boilingthe seeds before sowing and covering the pots withplastic improved the chance of the seeds to germinate. T1 (garden soil + rice hull, 1:1) and T2 (garden soil
+ sawdust, 1:1) are the best growing media which resulted to higher germination and growth rate of youngshoots, respectively. Hence, A. dealbatum has high TAA
and TFC and that propagation utilizing the indigenous
growing media is feasible.

S.143.5 Ethnomedicinal
appraisal of plants used
for the treatment ofgastrointestinal complaints
by tribal communities ofWestern Himalaya
Rahmat Wali Muhammad Faraz Khan1,
Rahmatullah Qureshi1, Zia-ur-Rehman
Mashwani1

Maria Hazel C. Ubang1, Hannah P. Lumista1,
Noel E. Lagunday1, Florfe M. Acma1
1 Plant Biology Division, Institute of Biological Sciences, Central Mindanao University, Musuan, Bukidnon,
Philippines
Amomum dealbatum Roxb. is an indigenous wild ginger of the Philippines of which its fruits are eaten by the
local people to treat stomach upsets. It’s leaf sheaths
were also reported to be utilized in making hats andother handicraft products. Despite its uses, no propagation efforts are done by the local people for thisspecies. The study was conducted to determine thequantitative phytochemical components of the fruits
and propagate A. dealbatum utilizing indigenous
growing media. Phytochemical analyses revealed thatthe fruits of A. dealbatum possess antioxidant property which was determined using the phosphomolybdenum method, while total phenolic content wasdetermined through the folin-ciocalteu method andflavonoids were determined using aluminum chloride
colorimetric method. Analyses of the fruits revealed total antioxidant activity (TAA) of 32.66 +- 1.80 mg AAE/g
dried sample, total phenolic content (TPC) has a valueof 4.33 +- 2.45 mg GAE/g dried sample and total flavonoid content (TFC) of 6.38 +- 81.22 mg QE/g driedsample. In comparison to other other studies, TAA and
TFC are relatively higher, while TPC is relatively lower.
Thus, the fruit extract of A. dealbatum contained flavonoid compounds which are higher in quantity compared with other plants which imply that the fruits of A.

1 Department of Botany, PMAS Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Most of the mountain dwelling communities living in
the Himalayas rely on traditional herbal medicines forprimary healthcare needs. Present study was conducted in fairy meadows and allied valleys in District
Diamir, Gilgit Baltistan autonomous territory in northern Pakistan. Documentation of traditional medicinal
knowledge of local communities for the treatment ofgastrointestinal disorders was carried out as a component of a wider medico-botanical expedition conducted in the entire base camp of the great Nanga
Parbat peak during 2016–19. Various ethnobotanicalparameters i.e., use value (UV), informant consensus
factor (ICF), Fidelity level (FL), direct matrix ranking test
(DMRT) and preference ranking (PR) were applied toevaluate the data collected during field surveys. The
plants were also subjected to a comparative review
for novelty assessment. A total of 61 medicinal plant
species belonging to 55 genera and 35 families arereported here for the treatment of GIDs. Compositae
was the leading family with 8 (13%) species. Fourteen
gastrointestinal disorders were cured with 32% taxon
reported for stomachic followed by diarrhea (15%)
and constipation (14%). Highest use reports (5) anduse citations (207) were reported for Mentha longifolia L. while highest UV (1.79) was obtained for Artemisia
maritima L. Hylotelephium telephioides, A. maritima,

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M. longifolia, M. piperita L., Allium cepa L., and A. annua
L. exhibited 100% FL. Highest ICF was calculated against
dysentery and flatulence. DMRT ranked Prunus persica L. first for its multipurpose uses. Taking constipation as a reference gastrointestinal disease, PR for
ten plant species was calculated where H. telephioi-

des was ranked first followed by A. maritima. Present
study concluded that 19 out of 61 plant species were
documented for the first time with novel medicinal
uses to cure GIDs. These plant species could act as
potential reservoirs of novel lead compounds for thetreatment of gastrointestinal disorders.

S.144 POLYPLOIDY AND HOMOPLOIDHYBRIDIZATION AS EVOLUTIONARY DRIVERS IN
MEDITERRANEAN PLANTS. SESSION 2
S.144.1 Polyploidhybridization in Kalanchoe:
Understanding a newinvasive complex in the
Mediterranean basin
Joan Pere Pascual-Díaz1,2, Neus Besolí1,
Iván Pérez Lorenzo1, Sophie Maiwald3,
Tony Heitkam3,4, Ronen Shtein5, Jordi
López-Pujol1, Neus Nualart1, Daniel Vitales1,Sònia Garcia1
1 Institut Botànic de Barcelona, CSIC-CMCNB, Barcelona, Spain. 2 Departament de Biologia Animal, de Biologia Vegetal i d’Ecologia - UniversitatAutònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain. 3 Faculty of Biology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany. 4 Universität Graz, Institute of Biology, Holteigasse 6, Graz, Austria. 5 The Steinhardt
Museum of Natural History, Tel Aviv University, Tel
Aviv-Yafo, Israel.
Invasive alien species pose a significant threat to
global biodiversity, and ornamental plant tradeis one of the primary causes of introducing alienplants. One such plant is Kalanchoe ×houghtonii, a
purpoted artificial hybrid created from the crossing between K. daigremontiana and K. tubiflora.
The two parental species are native to Madagascar, but together with the hybrid have become
naturalised and a threat in several regions worldwide, particularly in Mediterranean climate areas.
Kalanchoe ×houghtonii has four morphotypes,
two of which are of known synthetic origin, and theother two which may occur naturally and could
be derived from spontaneous gene flow between
sympatric populations of the parentals. Reproduction is primarily promoted by propagules pro-

duced by the plant. From the cytogenetic pointof view, K. tubiflora is tetraploid (2n=4x=68), while
K. daigremontiana is diploid (2n=2x =34). For the
hybrids, there are at least two cytotypes, a triploid (2n=3x= 51) and a tetraploid (2n=4x= 68). This
study aims to elucidate the interplay between
invasiveness, cytotype, and genetic diversity in
Kalanchoe xhoughtonii. We sampled individuals
from several wild locations of the Mediterraneanbasin, and we complemented the sampling withherbarium and cultivar samples from different regions of the globe. We performed whole genome
sequencing and analysed the plastid and nuclear genomes – including the repetitive DNA content and the diversity of ribosomal DNAs – to infer
the genomic composition of the hybrid complex.
To better understand the contribution of each parental species in the different hybrid cytotypes, weenhanced the study with fluorescent in situ hybridisation (FISH) using 18S and 5S ribosomal DNA
probes. Combining genomics, molecular data,and cytogenetics, we aim to provide a holistic understanding of the evolutionary history and theinvasiveness of this new and aggressive hybrid
complex in the Mediterranean habitats.

S.144.2 The role ofhomoploid and polyploidhybridization in theevolutionary success of wild
wheats444

Stella Huynh1
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Polyploidization, or whole-genome doubling, appears
to be widespread across plants, particularly in angiosperms. However, it is known to induce sudden drasticchanges in nascent polyploid species at both genomic and physiological levels. Allopolyploidy combinespolyploidization and hybridization, which additionallycauses epigenetic instabilities between genetically divergent maternal and paternal subgenomes that trigger bursts of transposable elements. Nevertheless, allopolyploid species are frequent and generally have alarger geographical distribution than their diploid progenitors. This suggests that successful species might
have evolved evolutionary advantages pertaining totheir allopolyploid state. To investigate the long-term
impact of allopolyploidy on species evolution and adaptation, we used the wild wheat Aegilops L. species
as model species, a well-known diploid-allopolyploidsystem in which half of the species are allopolyploids.
We collected ~400 samples from four allopolyploid
species and their four diploid progenitor species. Basedon chloroplast data and amplicon sequencing of 30
low-copy nuclear genes, we inferred a dated phylogeny that confirmed the homoploid hybrid origin of the
Aegilops genus as well as the multiple maternal andpaternal origins of the polyploid species. In addition, by
jointly analysing our genomic data with geographicaland climatic data, we found that allopolyploids combine both their diploid progenitors’ niches. This likely
promoted faster recolonization of available suitableniches after the Last Glacial Maximum in allopolyploids
as compared to their diploid progenitors. Moreover, thisalso confer higher adaptability potential to colonize
new ecological niches.

S.144.3 Ecological niches
in the polyploid complex
Linum suffruticosum s.l.
Ana Afonso1, Sílvia Castro1, João Loureiro1,
Juan Arroyo2, Albano Figueiredo3, Sara
Lopes1, Mariana Castro1
1 Centre for Functional Ecology, Associate Laboratory TERRA, Department of Life Sciences, Universityof Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal. 2 Departamento de
Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Universidad de Sevilla,
Sevilla, Spain. 3 Centre of Studies in Geography andSpatial Planning, Department of Geography andTourism, University of Coimbra, Portugal

possess distinctive traits, enabling them to circumvent
exclusion by the minority cytotype. These traits may
enable polyploid individuals to thrive in habitats divergent from their progenitors, thereby expanding into
new places and promoting spatial segregation. This
study delves into the role of environmental variables
to explain current distribution patterns of the five main
cytotypes of Linum suffruticosum s.l. (diploids, tetraploids, hexaploids, octoploids and decaploids) acrossits distribution range. Employing maximum entropy
modelling alongside niche equivalency and similarity
tests, we discerned the realised environmental nicheof each cytotype. Discrepancies in environmental
conditions among L. suffruticosum s.l. cytotypes were
evident, with polyploids demonstrating an affinity for
habitats characterised by elevated drought and soil
pH levels, lower temperature ranges, and diminishedsoil water and cation exchange capacities. Diploids exhibited the broadest environmental niche, while polyploids occupied a subset of diploid niche. Althoughsome polyploids exhibited ecologically equivalentniches, they did not coexist naturally. Furthermore, theecological niche of this polyploid complex diverged
between continents, with North African habitats featuring distinctions in soil texture, higher pH, lower cationexchange capacity, precipitation, and soil water capacity, as well as higher temperatures compared tohabitats in southwest Europe. While these ecologicalconditions played a pivotal role in cytotype distribution, the mosaic pattern remained incompletely explained by environmental variables alone. Other factors, such as reproductive isolation and competitive
interactions among cytotypes, likely contributed to theextant diversity and distribution patterns. This study
yields pertinent insights into the niche requirements ofeach cytotype, laying the groundwork for subsequent
competition and reciprocal transplant experiments.

S.144.4 Intraspecificcompetitive performanceof cytotypes is contextdependence over alatitudinal gradient

The prevalence of polyploidy in the evolutionary historyof angiosperms within the Mediterranean region appears intricately linked to the region’s dynamic paleogeography and climatic oscillations. Polyploids often

445Mariana Castro1, Maria C. Dias1, JoãoLoureiro1, Brian C. Husband2, Sílvia Castro1
1 Centre for Functional Ecology, Associate Laboratory TERRA, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal. 2 Department
of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph,
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Polyploidization, a common mutation observed
throughout the evolutionary history of flowering
plants, has played a pivotal role in shaping current
plant diversity. While only a small fraction of neopolyploids (newly formed polyploids) successfully
establish and spread, several factors contribute tothis process. Crucially, neopolyploids must possesscertain advantages over their diploid progenitors togain a foothold, such as enhanced competitive ability. To investigate this competitive advantage, we
compared the developmental and physiological responses of natural diploids, tetraploids, and synthetic
neotetraploids of Jasione maritima var. maritima to
intraspecific competition in controlled conditions. We
also examined whether competitive abilities differedamong populations within and beyond the contact
zone. Diploids grown without competition exhibitedsuperior developmental traits compared to the othercytotypes, such as increased size. Competition differentially impacted cytotypes, with neotetraploids
demonstrating the least susceptibility and tetraploids the most significant negative effects. Notably, an asymmetric competitive response emerged
across the latitudinal gradient. Populations outside
the contact zone were most adversely affected, withtetraploid populations in the south experiencing thestrongest negative impact compared to diploid populations in the north. The higher biomass and intermediate competitive capacity of diploids likely contribute to their persistence in northern distribution
areas, while the dominance of neotetraploids under
intraspecific competition would enable their establishment. Therefore, the asymmetric competitive
abilities of cytotypes across their distribution range,potentially linked to environmental gradient adaptations, likely underlie the observed geographical patterns. Conversely, the similar competitive abilities of
diploids and tetraploids within the contact zone may
contribute to the maintenance of a dynamic andstable contact zone.

S.144.5 Long-term climaticstability and hybridization
as drivers of the endemic
diversity of Picris in the
Eastern Mediterranean
Juan Manuel Gorospe1, Tomáš Fér1, Jaromír
Kučera2, Ali Dönmez3, Sırrı Yüzbaşıoğlu4,
Zübeyde Uğurlu Aydın3, Roswitha Elisabeth
Schmickl1,5, Marek Slovák1,2

1 Department of Botany, Charles University, Czech
Republic. 2 Institute of Botany, Plant Sciences andBiodiversity Centre, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Slovakia. 3 Botany Section, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Hacettepe University
Beytepe-Ankaraz, Turkey. 4 Department of Botany,
Faculty of Science, Istanbul University, Vezneciler,
Istanbul, Turkey. 5 Institute of Botany of the Czech
Academy of Sciences, Průhonice, Czech Republic
The Mediterranean basin emerges as a biodiversity hotspot, housing an exceptionally high number of endemic entities. This biodiversity stems
primarily from the region’s long-term climaticstability, coupled with extreme geomorphologicalheterogeneity, including myriad island systems
and high mountain ranges with diverse bedrock.
Despite climatic stability, oscillations during the
Pleistocene triggered contractions and expansions in the majority of organisms. These fluctuations led to recurrent contact between previously allopatric lineages or species, fosteringboth within and between species hybridizationand introgression. The resultant extensive andrecurring gene flow significantly contributed tothe evolution of numerous hybridogenous lineages and speciation events. This study delves
into the evolutionary history of the genus Picris
L. (Compositae), serving as an exemplary model to investigate the impact of hybridization on
the diversification and speciation processes.
The genus Picris originated in the Mediterranean,
featuring two major lineages—one evolving inNorthern Africa and the other arising in the eastern Mediterranean, specifically in the southern
region of Asia Minor and the Near East. Both regions host the highest diversity of the genus, withpronounced species diversity, particularly in thelatter region. Previous studies suggested that,beyond allopatric speciation, hybridization andintrogression likely play a significant role in thiseastern Mediterranean lineage. Employing target
enrichment with genome skimming (Hyb-Seq)
and inferring both nuclear and plastome phylogenies, our investigation scrutinized the extent towhich gene flow contributed to endemic diversity in the genus Picris in this region. Our findings
indicate that secondary contacts and gene flow
between species and their lineages occurred recurrently across several time horizons. The evolution of many endemics, particularly those from
Asia Minor, was notably influenced by hybridization and introgression events.

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S.144.6 Hybridization
processes and genetic
structure in Western
Mediterranean Tamarix
gallica populations
Alejandro Terrones1,2, Joaquín Moreno3,
Ana Juan2
1 Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas, CSIC, Almería, Spain 2 University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain.
3 Miguel Hernández University of Elche, Elche, Spain
The genus Tamarix comprises trees and shrubs thatgrow mainly in saline habitats. In the Western Mediterranean region, three different species naturally
occur: T. africana, T. boveana and T. gallica. These
three species do not form a monophyletic group andsome morphological intermediate samples havebeen mentioned. The species T. gallica is the mostcommon one, and due to its complex morphology, it has been misidentified with T. canariensis, anendemic species from the Canary Islands. The aimof this work is to study the phylogeographic history
and genetic diversity of the T. gallica populations in
the Western Mediterranean, and to understand thenatural hybridization processes between T. gallica
and different co-occurring species. For this purpose,
fourteen polymorphic nuclear microsatellite markers were analyzed, and two different plastid regions
were sequenced for 377 individuals of T. gallica fromits complete natural distribution and some individuals from other related species. Our results show thatcurrent hybridization processes between co-existing
species are much more common than previously reported, even between phylogenetically distantspecies. The three Western Mediterranean species
T. africana, T. boveana and T. gallica hybridize between them with different degrees of introgression innatural populations that do not always involve morphological variability. Besides, T. gallica has a genetically complex relationship with other species, since
it shares haplotypes with other geographically distant species from the Eastern Mediterranean region.
Nonetheless, the genetic structure of T. gallica population reveals certain clear geographic patterns. In
addition, African populations showed a higher genetic diversity, and it diminished towards the northof the Mediterranean Basin. Our results show that
incomplete lineage sorting and reticulate evolution
have been crucial in the evolution of the genus, andall these processes might be the underlying cause
for the morphological confusion between species.

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Symposia Session 9
S.145 GENOMICS OF LOCAL ADAPTATION.
SESSION 1
S.145.1 Multiple
domestications of Asian rice:evidence from domestication
genes across the genome
Chun-Yan Jing1,2, Fu-Min Zhang1,2, Xiu-Hua
Wang1, Mei-Xia Wang1, Song Ge1,2
1 State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academyof Sciences, Beijing, China. 2 University of Chinese
Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
Asian rice (Oryza sativa L.) is not only one of the world’s
most important crops but also serves as a model forstudying crop evolution and understanding the progression of human civilization. However, the origin of
Asian rice remains controversial for more than half acentury. The controversy arises from four main factors:(i) the ambiguous population structure and genetic
relationship of rice progenitors; (ii) poorly annotated samples that do not represent the gene pools of
cultivated rice and especially wild rice; (iii) substantial
gene flow and introgression among cultivar groups;and (iv) the lack of an effective approach to test foralternative hypotheses about domestication history.
Of various speculations and opinions, two leading hypotheses stand out with empirical evidence: a single
domestication event in China or multiple domestication events in geographically separate areas. These
two hypotheses differ in their predicted history ofgenes/alleles selected during domestication. Here weamassed a dataset of 459 newly resequenced and1119 publicly available genomes of wild and cultivatedaccessions that cover entire geographic range of wild
rice and all known cultivar groups. With this large dataset, we developed a strategy to test for single vs. multiple domestication events; this strategy differs fromprevious studies by analyzing the selective sweep regions/selected genes that have single-origins acrossdomesticated germplasm. We identified 993 selected
genes that generated phylogenetic trees on whichjaponica and indica formed a monophyletic group,suggesting that the domestication alleles of thesegenes originated only once in either japonica or indica. Importantly, the domestication alleles of most selected genes (~80%) stemmed from wild rice in China,
but the domestication alleles of a substantial minority
of selected genes (~20%) originated from wild rice inSouth and Southeast Asia, demonstrating separate
domestication events of Asian rice.

S.145.2 Genomic assessmentof climate adaptation in anannual legume via artificial
selection and assisted geneflow
Carlos Lara-Romero1, Sandra SacristánBajo1, María L. Rubio Teso1, Elena Torres2,
Alfredo García-Fernández1, José M. Iriondo1
1 Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, Madrid,
Spain. 2 Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid,
Spain.
In response to global warming, early flowering in temperate plants may provide adaptive advantages. This
research delves into the utilization of artificial selection (AS) and assisted gene flow (AGF) to increase theadaptive potential of Lupinus angustifolius L. populations, particularly in flowering onset. Common garden
experiments and genomic studies on diverse populations unveiled marked genomic distinctions between
northern and southern counterparts. AS was effectivein advancing flowering in northern populations but notin southern ones, suggesting prior natural selection
for this trait. Importantly, the advancement of flowering brought about consequential alterations in various
vegetative and reproductive traits. Several divergent
SNPs between control and AS lines within each population were identified. This number was higher in northern
populations compared to their southern counterparts.
Southern populations, with limited genomic diversityand diminished responsiveness to selection, may have448

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a reduced capacity for evolution and adaptation toclimate change. However, their genotypes favor early flowering, proving advantageous in AGF initiatives innorthern populations. To validate this hypothesis, AGF
was performed by using pollen from southern individuals to pollinate northern plants. This resulted in amarked advance of flowering onset, accompanied byheavier seed production and reduced above-ground
growth, highlighting the influence of AGF extending beyond the flowering phase, as observed for AS. Genomic
analysis identified 36 highly divergent SNPs between thecontrol and AGF lines, a validation reinforced by genotype-phenotype associations with flowering onset,
seed weight, and above-ground growth. This dual validation robustly reinforces the impact of AGF on these
traits on both genetic and phenotypic levels. Overall,
our findings underscore the pivotal role of genomics incomprehending genetic modifications induced by AS
and AGF, providing detailed information on underlying
molecular changes that may be essential for climatechange adaptation through early flowering.

genome SNP markers (Tournebize 2022). We provided
a comprehensive map of selection signals in the genome of the C. canephora (Salojarvi 2023) both at the
species level and within its major genetic groups. The
genotype-environment association suggests regional adaptation to spatially varying environments of therecent past, with a special focus on the Eastern edgeof the distribution, in Uganda (Kiwuka 2021). More specifically, we found signals of selection tightly linked toseveral genes involved in response to biotic and abiotic
stress and in caffeine biosynthesis. We also observed
variation of wild Uganda accessions in both growthand drought tolerance (Kiwuka 2023) that can be utilised for optimizing breeding programs initiatives todevelop drought-tolerant varieties with adequate yield
capacity. Our results support the hypothesis of present
ecological gradient contributing to the structure of thegenetic diversity with variation in adaptive traits. Moreover, assessing the adaptive capacities of the present
populations will help to predict their response to futureenvironmental changes.

S.145.3 The adaptive
potential of wild Coffee
from Uganda in response to
climate change

S.145.4 Nucleotide andstructural adaptive variation
facilitate the colonization ofstressful habitats in a wild
tomato species

Poncet, Valérie1, Aquino, Sinara1,2, Kiwuka,
Catherine3, Tournebize, Rémi1, Marraccini,
Pierre4, Musoli, Pascal3, Anten, Niels5

Gustavo A. Silva-Arias1,2, Kai Wei2, Edeline
Gagnon3,4,5, Remco Stam5, Aurelien Tellier2

1 IRD, UMR DIADE, Montpellier, France. 2 Federal University of Lavras, MG, Lavras, Brazil. 3 Naro, Kampala, Uganda. 4 CIRAD, UMR IPME, Montpellier, France.
5 Wageningen Univ. Wageningen, Netherlands
Understanding how organisms respond to their environment by altering physiological processes will increase our capacity to make predictions about adaptation to global climate change. Adaptive clines havebeen increasingly studied in plant species within temperate zones to understand adaptation of organism innatural populations. However, they are still poorly understood in tropical environments. Coffea canephora, cultivated as Robusta, is an interesting tropical tree model
to investigate adaptation in the tropics, as it is largely
distributed within the range of the lowland tropical rain
forests of Africa. In particular, modifications occurring in
genes related to abiotic stress tolerance make thesegenes candidate for enhanced resilience to future climate change. We combined the use of both captured
regions sequenced for a set of candidate genes related to drought tolerance (de Aquino 2022) and whole

1 Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Colombia.
2 Population Genetics, Department of Life Science
Systems, School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Germany. 3 Department of Integrative Biology, College of Biological Science, University of Guelph, Canada. 4 Chair of Phytopathology,
TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of
Munich, Germany. 5 Department of Phytopathology and Crop Protection, Institute of Phytopathology, Faculty of Agricultural and Nutritional Sciences,
Christian Albrechts University, Germany
Species distributed across broad environmental gradients are ideal models for unraveling the intricate
signals of demographic and adaptive variation in genome dynamics. Solanum chilense, a wild tomato
relative, thrives in narrow valleys along steep altitudinal gradients in the Andes and has recently colonizedisolated areas in highland and coastal regions aroundthe Atacama desert. Utilizing whole-genome sequencing, we correlated climatic changes with demographic
shifts and the emergence of adaptive variations. Se-

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lective sweeps at 112 genes associated with flowering
time and other abiotic response networks, indicate
concerted adaptation during colonization to new regions. Complementary, integrating transcriptomic data
in response to water deprivation revealed two distinct
drought-response networks: cell cycle and fundamental metabolic processes. Interestingly, genes with older
selective sweeps exhibit greater network connectivity,
illustrating the importance of network rewiring to improve the species’ ability to colonize new niches. To gaina more comprehensive understanding of gene network
evolution in response to colonization of new habitats,
we investigated gene copy number variation (CNVs),
identifying 212,207 CNVs that reflect the species’ demographic history and reveal candidate genes associated with stress response and, intriguingly, flowering time
regulation. Environmental associations link CNV dynamics to climatic variables, pointing to natural selection’s role in shaping genome structural variation. Thesefindings provide insights into CNV-driven adaptation in
marginal populations, enriching our comprehensionof plant evolutionary responses to changing environments. Lastly, we comprehensively examine pathogen resistance genes (NLRs) in S. chilense. A refined
genome and target-capture approach reveal larger
within-population than between-population Presence-Absence Variation (PAV) of NLR loci. Contrary toabiotic-stress response networks, PAV in NLRs is linked todemographic history rather than environmental gradients, challenging prevailing notions about NLR diversity
maintenance. This study enhances our understandingof evolutionary processes shaping genome diversity
and structure in an outcrossing plant with high nucleotide diversity.

S.145.5 Adaptive
hybridization in Western
European grapevine
varieties
Sara Freitas1,2,3, João Nunes1,2,3, JoãoTereso2,3,4,5, Miguel Carneiro1,2,3, Herlander
Azevedo1,2,3
1 Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal. 2 CIBIO,
Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Laboratório Associado, Campus
de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal.
3 BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity andLand Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, Vairão,Portugal. 4 MHNC-UP - Museum of Natural History
and Science of the University of Porto - PO Herbar-

ium, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal. 5 Centre forArchaeology, UNIARQ, School of Arts and Humanities, University of Lisbon, Portugal.
Grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) diversity richness resultsfrom a complex domestication history over multiple
historical periods, which culminated in the creationof thousands of modern varieties with extensive phenotypic diversity. Unfortunately, the recent favoringof specific varieties/clones, climate change and theglobalization-driven exposure to pathogens, has led
to extensive genetic erosion in this widely cultivatedand economically significant crop. Fighting this genetic erosion whilst addressing issues of resilience
to climate change, yield and other traits, requires a
crucial understanding of the genetic basis of grapevine variation. Such studies have been significantly enabled by the use of genomics approaches
based on Next Generation Sequencing (NGS). Here,NGS-driven whole genome resequencing of individual genotypes has been used to tackle the extant
genetic diversity present in grapevine germplasm,
including a clarification of different features of its
recent evolutionary path. Our results supported amodel in which a central domestication event ingrapevine was followed by post-domestication hybridization with local wild genotypes. This lead to thepresence of an introgression signature in modern
wine varieties across Western Europe, in which the
Iberian Peninsula may have played a meaningful role. Furthermore, the examination of underlying genes suggests that environmental adaptation
played a fundamental role in both the evolution ofwild genotypes and the outcome of hybridization
with cultivated varieties, supporting a case of adaptive introgression in grapevine. Acknowledgments:
Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT/MCTES)
for project GrapeVision (PTDC/BIA-FBT/2389/2020);
FCT/MCTES and POCH/NORTE2020/FSE for support
to S.F. (SFRH/BD/120020/2016); FCT/MCTES and POPHQREN/FSE for support to M.C. (CEECINST/00014/2018/
CP1512/CT0002).

S.145.6 The accumulation ofdeleterious mutations hasa detrimental effect on tree
growth in Pinus pinaster Aiton

450

Rosalía Piñeiro1, Lowana Cahn2, Katharina
B. Budde3, Agathe Hurel4, Adelaide
Theraroz2, Giovanni G. Vendramin5, Sara
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Plomion2, Myriam Heuertz2, Santiago C.
González-Martínez2
1 Evolutionary Biology Research Group, Interdisciplinary Centre of Chemistry and Biology, University of A Coruña, A Coruña, Spain. 2 INRAE, Univ.
Bordeaux, BIOGECO, Cestas, France. 3 North West
German Forest Research Institute, Department ofForest Genetic Resources, Hann Münden, Germany.
4 Department of Forest Growth, Silviculture and Genetics, Unit of Genome Research, Austrian ResearchCentre for Forests, Wien, Seckendorff-Gudent-Weg
8, Austria. 5 Institute of Biosciences and BioResources, National Research Council of Italy, Divisionof Firenze, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy. 6 EGFV, Univ. Bordeaux, Bordeaux Sciences Agro, INRAE, ISVV, Villenave d’Ornon, France
Genetic load, i.e., the accumulation of deleterious
mutations in the genome, is predicted to cause areduction in individual fitness. In plants, an increased
number of deleterious mutations has been documented as a consequence of population bottlenecks, for instance in small or recently colonised
populations at the margin of species ranges, or incultivated plants as a negative outcome of domestication. However, the actual adverse effect ofgenetic load on plant phenotypes remains virtuallyuncharacterised. We estimated genetic load in populations of the Atlantic-Mediterranean conifer maritime pine, Pinus pinaster Aiton, to examine its association with phenotypic traits related to growth andphenology (budburst) measured under common
garden conditions. We observed a strong negative
correlation between genetic load and tree heighton the island of Corsica based on two different
datasets (including 133,656 SNPs in 393 individuals
and 10,185 SNPs in 334 individuals), thus suggestinga negative effect of the accumulation of deleterious alleles on tree growth on the regional scale. This
association was further confirmed by a wide-range
analysis including 464 individuals from 34 populations across the entire range of maritime pine in thewestern Mediterranean, Atlantic Europe and North
Africa. Our study is one of the first to experimentallydemonstrate adverse phenotypic effects of genetic
load in a long-lived plant.

S.146 NEW INSIGHTS INTO PHYLOGENOMICS,
SYSTEMATICS AND EVOLUTION OF SALICACEAE
Chemistry, University of Turku, Turku, FI. 7 Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas atAustin, Austin, TX, US. 8 Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Ancón, PA

S.146.1 Ecologicalgradients in various
types of stress support
different dimensions ofplant chemical diversity:
Salicaceae as a modelMartin Volf1,2, Jing Vir Leong1,2, Paola deLima Ferreira1,3, Ezgi Ogutcen1, Natascha
D. Wagner4, Gibson Aubona1,2, Simon T.
Segar5, Juha-Pekka Salminen6, Vojtech
Novotny1,2, Brian E. Sedio7,8
1 Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Branisovska 31, Ceske Budejovice, CZ. 2 Facultyof Science, University of South Bohemia, Branisovska 31, Ceske Budejovice, CZ. 3 Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, DK. 4 Department
of Systematics, Biodiversity and Evolution of Plants(with Herbarium), University of Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany. 5 Agriculture and Environment Department, Harper Adams University, Newport, UK. 6
Natural Chemistry Research Group, Department ofPlants produce hundreds of thousands of specialized
metabolites and many more probably remain to bediscovered. There are currently multiple competing
explanations for the origins and roles of chemical diversity in plants. We propose that to understand theorigins and functions of chemical diversity, we needto decompose it into its various dimensions and linkthese to prevailing types of environmental stress. From
this perspective, the willow family (Salicaceae) represents an ideal model system as the family is diverse
from lowlands to highlands and from warm to cold climates. Our results from elevational gradients suggestthat changes in the relative importance of stress by
specialized insect herbivores and abiotic conditions
drive differential phylogenetic trends in willow chemistry that, in turn, support increase in different dimensions of chemical diversity. Abiotic stress promotes directional phylogenetic increase in the concentrationof metabolites such as flavonoids that protect plantsfrom abiotic conditions. Abiotic pressures also act asa filter that selects for similar responses, which results451

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in convergent chemical traits in plants growing undersimilar conditions. Contrastingly, divergent chemistry
can improve plant fitness under strong pressure by
specialized insect herbivores. Under prevailing pressure by specialized enemies, plants can thus be selected to switch to a completely different form of defence
rather than invest in high concentration or richnessof their current metabolites. The resulting divergenceshould allow for a ‘chemical niche’ partitioning andpromote chemical variation among plant species. We
suggest that similar gradients in the relative importance of various types of stress can underlay global
trends in the diversity of metabolites. Specifically, we
propose that the elevational clines may be analogous
to latitudinal patterns of herbivory, host specialization,and quantitative investment in chemical defence, due
to similar underlying gradients in the relative importance of abiotic stress and biotic interactions.

S.146.2 Molecular evidence forsectional classification andspatio-temporal evolution of
shrub willows (Salix L. subg.
Chamaetia/Vetrix)
Pia Marinček1, Étienne Léveillé-Bourret 2,
Stéphane M. Bailleul3, Martin Volf4, Li He5,
Loïc Pittet1, Elvira Hörandl1, Tommi Nyman6,
Sophie Karrenberg7, Campbell O. Webb8,
Maria Tomoschevich9, Natascha D. Wagner1
1 Department of Systematics, Biodiversity and Evolution of Plants (with Herbarium), University of Goettingen, Untere Karspüle 2, Göttingen, Germany. 2 Institut
de recherche en biologie végétale (IRBV), Département de sciences biologiques, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada. 3 Division Recherche etdéveloppement scientifique, Jardin botanique deMontréal, Montréal, QC, Canada. 4 Biology Centre of
the Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice,
Czech Republic. 5 Eastern China Conservation Centre for Wild Endangered Plant Resources, Shanghai
Chenshan Botanical Garden, Shanghai, China. 6
Department of Ecosystems in the Barents Region,
NIBIO Svanhovd Research Station, Svanvik, Norway.
7 Department of Ecology and Genetics, Plant Ecology and Evolution, University of Uppsala, Uppsala,Sweden. 8 Museum of the North, University of Alaska,
Fairbanks, AK, USA. 9 Central Siberian Botanical Garden of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academyof Science, Herbarium, Novosibirsk, Russia

the genus, about 300 species organized in 40 sections, isrepresented by the so called “shrub willows” belonging
to subgenera Chamaetia and Vetrix that form a monophyletic clade. Several traditional molecular markers
could not resolve the relationships within this clade. Traditional, morphology-based taxonomical classification
continues to be under question due to vast inter- andintra-specific phenotypic variation and a lack of informative characters. The processes of hybridization, introgression and polyploidization played an importantrole in the evolution of willows and further complicated research of this genus. Thus, shrub willows remain ahard challenge that fascinates biologists to this day. In
our project, we selected a RAD sequencing approach togenerate a huge number of SNPs to disentangle the interrelations of shrub willows. This way we wanted to findevidence to justify or refute the current sectional classification. We were able to sequence more than 400 individuals of over 120 species of shrub willows collectedworldwide. Using a maximum likelihood estimation, we
built a well resolved phylogeny. Our data revealed thatmost of the species form monophyletic clades, thoughsome exceptions show polyphyly. Morphological traits
have evolved multiple times in shrub willows and current sectional classification does not reflect true biological relationships. Polyploidy evolved numerous times
as a result of allo- and auto-polyploidization events.
Patterns of species radiation could be observed in regions such as North America and Chinese Hengduan
mountains. Migration and long distance dispersal further shaped the diversity of shrub willows. Our researchpresents a strong backbone for future studies on shrub
willows regarding taxonomy, hybridization, polyploidization, ecology and many more.

S.146.3 A multi-method
genomic approach tophylogenetic reconstructionof the Salicaceae

Genus Salix is the largest genus of family Salicaceae
with about 450 species of woody plants predominantly
inhabiting the Northern Hemisphere. A large portion of452

Ezgi Ogutcen1,2, Paola de Lima Ferreira1,3,
Natascha D. Wagner4, Jing Vir Leong1,5,
Gibson Aubona1,5, Jeannine CavenderBares6, Jan Michálek1,7, Lucy Schroeder6,
Brian E. Sedio8,9, Radim Vašut10,11, Martin Volf1,5
1 Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences,
Ceske Budejovice, CZ. 2 Department of Environment
and Biodiversity, Paris Lodron University of Salzburg,
Salzburg, AT. 3 Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, DK. 4 Department of Systematics,
Biodiversity and Evolution of Plants, University of

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Goettingen, Göttingen, DE. 5 Faculty of Science,
University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, CZ.
6 Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior,
University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA. 7 Instituteof Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences,Centre Algatech, Trebon, CZ. 8 Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin,
TX, US. 9 Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute,
Apartado 0843–03092, Ancón, PA. 10 Departmentof Botany, Faculty of Science, Palacký University
in Olomouc, Olomouc, CZ. 11 Department of Biology, Faculty of Education, Palacký University in Olomouc, Olomouc, CZ
With over 1,400 species, the Salicaceae exhibit
broad distribution across tropical and temperate
forests. Despite ongoing efforts in genome-based
approaches, the family lacks a comprehensive
phylogeny due to high rates of hybridization andpolyploidy. With a sampling of 75 species, ourstudy aimed to reconstruct an extensive Salicaceae phylogeny using whole-genome sequence(WGS) data. We utilized a set of 23,393 RAD-Seq
loci from Salix as an initial reference library formapping. The resulting matrix was then used ina second round of mapping, thereby extending
the reads recovered from the main WGS dataset.
Additionally, we extracted two targeted-capture
subsets from our WGS data: the Angiosperms353
and a Salicaceae-specific gene sets.Applying various quality-trimming parameters, we comparedphylogenetic informativeness across datasets. We
performed ML-based phylogenetic reconstructions using supermatrix and coalescent-based
supertree approaches. The length and the number of loci recovered from the WGS data varied
between different filtering schemes. Compared to
the WGS datasets, both targeted-capture datasets have longer loci with more parsimony informative sites. For both targeted-capture datasets,
locus recovery rates were higher for the ingroupsamples than the outgroups. Overall, phylogenetic
reconstructions revealed consistent family-level topologies, highlighting the monophyly of thefamily and detailed relationships within. In contrast, the relationships within Salix showed lower
support and some incongruence across different
methods and datasets. In most phylogenies, thesubgenera Chamaetia and Vetrix were recovered
as monophyletic, but monophyly of the subgenus
Salix was not supported in any of the phylogenies. Our study provides a thorough comparisonof various genome-based sequencing datasets
and phylogenetic reconstruction methods, while
enhancing our understanding of the Salicaceae
evolution by providing valuable insights into thecomplex relationships within the family.

S.146.4 Challenges
for dating divergencetimes in the Salicaceae:
hybridization and fossil
calibration
Brian J. Sanderson1,8,10, Diksha Ghambir1,
Guanqiao Feng1, Nan Hu1, Quentin C.
Cronk2, Diana M. Percy2, Francisco Molina
Freaner3, Matthew G. Johnson1, Lawrence
B. Smart4, Ken Keefover-Ring5, Tongming
Yin6, Tao Ma7, Stephen P. DiFazio8,
Jianquan Liu7,9,
1 Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, USA. 2 Department of Botany,
University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada .3 Universidad Nacional Automoa de Mexico,
Hermosilla, Mexico. 4 Horticulture Section, School ofIntegrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Cornell
AgriTech, Geneva, New York, USA. 5 Departmentsof Botany and Geography, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA. 6 Key Laboratory ofTree Genetics and Biotechnology of Jiangsu Province and Education Department of China, Nanjing
Forestry University, Nanjing, China. 7 Key Laboratoryof Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministryof Education & College of Life Sciences, Sichuan
University, Chengdu, China. 8 Department of Biology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, SA.
9 State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystem, Institute of Innovation Ecology & College ofLife Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China. 10
Current Address: Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
Understanding divergence times in the Salicaceae (poplars, willows, and relatives) are crucial
for understanding environmental impacts on trait
evolution such as sex chromosomes, pollination
type, stature, and cold hardiness. Two factors underlie the challenges to estimation of divergencetimes: 1) the impact of hybridization on estimationof the species tree and 2) accurate placement offossils onto the tree for calibrating the molecular
clock. We used sequence capture protocols to investigate the intricate gene histories in both Populus and Salix. These histories often conflict withthe overall species tree of the Salicaceae family.
The diverse gene histories are linked to evidenceof gene flow resulting from hybridization, datingback to the earliest divergence events in thesegenera. Current coalescent dating methods demand extensive computational resources andare feasible only when a limited number of genes

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are used. We show that variations in gene tree
histories can significantly affect estimates of divergence times. Furthermore, despite the abundance of Salicaceae fossils, their limited morphological characteristics make it challenging
to confidently place them within the family tree.
Our findings demonstrate that calibrating themolecular clock using the most reliable fossils of
the origins of subgenera within Salix and Populus leads to a substantial alteration in estimateddivergence times compared to calibrating theclock based on the most reliable assessment of
the Populus+Salix clade’s origin time.

ceae. In summary, our work illustrates how single-gene sex determination in combination withminimal sexual conflict can facilitate repeatedturnovers and prevent expanding recombination
suppression and sex chromosome degeneration.

S.146.6 Sex chromosome
evolution in Salix
Xiaomeng Mao1, Pär Ingvarsson2,
Vinciane Mossion1, Sophie Karrenberg1
1 Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala
University. 2 Department of Plant Biology, Swedish
University of Agricultural Sciences

S.146.5 Evolution of sexual
systems in poplars and its
relatives
Niels A. Müller1, Birgit Kersten1, Matthias
Fladung1
1 Thünen Institute of Forest Genetics, Grosshansdorf, Germany
Although hundreds of plant lineages have independently evolved dioecy, i.e., separation of thesexes, the underlying genetic basis has been resolved only in a small subset of species. Additionally, transitions between sexual systems, such as
monoecy and dioecy, remain largely elusive. Here
we show that diverse poplar species carry partial
duplicates of an ARABIDOPSIS RESPONSE REGULATOR 17 (ARR17)-like gene in the male-specific region of the Y chromosome. These duplicates giverise to small RNAs apparently causing male-specific DNA methylation and silencing of the ARR17
gene. Excitingly, CRISPR/Cas9-induced mutations demonstrate that ARR17 functions as a single-gene sex switch triggering female development when ‘on’ and male development when ‘off’.
Despite repeated turnovers, including transitions
between XY and ZW systems, sex-specific regulation of ARR17 is conserved across the Populus genus. Interestingly, ARR17 appears to be involved insex determination in the sister genus Salix as well.
To address the question of when ARR17 evolved its
sex-determining function in the Salicaceae family
and whether the same gene may control monoecy and dioecy, we analyzed Poliothyrsis sinensis,
the closest monoecious relative of poplars andwillows. We present first functional genomics results of Poliothyrsis and discuss their implications
for the evolution of sexual systems in the Salica-

Sex chromosomes have been hypothesized tobe drivers of speciation, however, they are difficult to study due to their complex and dynamic
evolutionary trajectories. The species-rich, dioecious genus Salix (willows) has homomorphic sex
chromosomes and is an ideal model system forthe evolution of sex chromosomes. We de-novo
assembled a chromosome-level genome of thedwarf willow S. herbacea using Pacbio HiFi and
HiC sequencing. We detected a female heterogametic sex determination system and resolved
both Z and W haplotypes on chromosome 15.
Two sex-associated regions were located at bothends of a ~5Mb inversion: a 1.8Mb female-specificregion (missing from males) and a 0.5Mb region
with high sequence divergence between sexes.
This suggests stepwise evolution of the sex chromosomes. The sex-associated regions of S. herbaeca show only partial synteny with the closely related S. purpurea indicating that the region
expanded and evolved recently. We currently
explore the evolutionary mechanisms that gave
rise to the sex-associated regions in S. herbacea using whole genome re-sequencing of two S.
herbacea populations and populations of eight
further Salix species from the Vetrix section. We
analyze signatures of selection as well as differentiation between populations and species in
ZW homologous regions. With this study, we contribute to the understanding of fast-evolving sex
chromosomes with possible consequences forlineage divergence and speciation.

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S.147 SPEEDING UP CONSERVATION IN
POORLY KNOWN ORGANISM GROUPS – NEW
APPROACHES TO BRYOPHYTE CONSERVATION.
SESSION 1
S.147.1 Bryophytes andlichens become increasingly
visible through remotesensing data: newavenues for research andconservation
Carlos Cerrejón1,2, Enrique HernándezRodríguez2, Maxence Martin2, Nicole J.
Fenton2, Osvaldo Valeria2,3
1 Conservation research group. Biodiversity andGlobal Change, Universidad de Extremadura,
Badajoz, Spain. 2 Institut de recherche sur les forêts,Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue,
Rouyn-Noranda, Québec, Canada. 3 Hémera Centro de Observación de la Tierra, Escuela de Ingeniería Forestal, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad
Mayor, Huechuraba, Santiago, Chile
Bryophytes and lichens are ubiquitous taxa contributing significatively to total biodiversity and ecosystem functioning worldwide. Conservation of these
ecologically important and sensitive species is however hampered by current knowledge gaps on theirdiversity, ecology and distribution. Remote sensing(RS) can significantly aid to fill these gaps through its
direct and indirect approaches. The direct approachconsists in detecting the target species or specificattributes by directly capturing their spectral information, while the indirect approach focusses on thecharacterization of any habitat factor related to any
aspect of the species, allowing for the quantification and eventual specialisation of their relationshipacross the landscape. Here, we provide a systematic
review on the application of RS for the study of bryophyte and lichens, whose potential, as an emerging
research area, remains largely unexplored. We identified a total of 101 articles on this topic, of which 55
and 46 followed a direct and indirect approach, withbryophytes and lichens being relatively well represented across them. Both approaches have usedvery diverse RS information, from purely spectral toindicative of topography, geology, vegetation, wetness, presence of snow, land uses or natural disturbances. They have been derived from a wide variety of airborne and satellite sensors (either opticalor active). The direct approach has mainly focusedon cover, health and vegetation types, while the indirect approach on α- and β-diversity, distribution,
cover and abundance. By synthetizing the results
and performances obtained in the reviewed articles
across RS approaches, sensors, spatial resolutions
and target aspects, we provide discussion on thelimitations, knowledge gaps and new opportunities
on the use of this technology for bryophyte and lichen research, as well as on the promising role that
RS can play for improving their representation inconservation planning.

S.147.2 Cryopreservation of
gametophytes as a tool for
ex-situ conservation
Jennifer K. Rowntree1, Neil Bell2,
Jonathan Kendon3, Izadora Kervin1, Dave
Lamacraft4, Silvia Pressel5
1 University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK. 2 Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Edinburgh UK. 3 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, UK. 4 Plantlife International, Salisbury, UK. 5 Natural History Museum,London, UK
Between 2000-2016 a collection of UK threatened
bryophytes was established at the Royal Botanic
Gardens, Kew as part of the UK’s conservation commitments. The majority of accessions were initiatedfrom leafy gametophore material with dried andencapsulated protonemal material subsequently
cryopreserved for long-term storage. Regeneration
success rates after removing material from shortterm cryo-storage were high, with all species able
to regrow and 100% regeneration success for 50% of
the species tested. However, viability after long-term
storage remained unknown. In 2020 and 2021, afterat least 14 years in the deep freeze, two species of455

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ongoing conservation interest (Ditrichum cornubicum and Orthodontium gracile) were removed fromthe collection. Both successfully regenerated andwere re-established into tissue culture, where they
have been growing in protonemal form and producing leafy gametophores. Experiments are underway at the University of Plymouth to test weaning
methodologies to enable growth in more naturalenvironments. The impacts of long-term cryopreservation and the feasibility of using such material
for reintroductions will be presented and discussed.
The Kew collection contains over 20 species and thesuccessful regeneration of two mosses is a hopeful sign that cryopreservation could be a useful tool
for long term storage of bryophytes. This work forms
part of a programme to develop standard methods
for the reintroduction of bryophytes from cryopreserved collections and the removal and regeneration of additional species is planned.

S.147.3 Bryophytes as thecanaries in the coal mine –using eDNA from 35 yearsof air samples to analysechanges in bryophyte
phenology

downfall. Biological material, that had accumulated on glass fibre filters exchanged weekly during
35 years, was analysed for total DNA and matchedagainst genetic data. As much as ten percent of thegenerated reads originated from wind-dispersed
bryophyte spores. We selected 16 taxonomic groups
based on information about local presence, available genomic data for discrimination and level ofphylogenetic isolation. We found substantial changes in onset of spore dispersal in spring throughout
the time series, with most bryophyte taxa advancing
their spore dispersal a whole month, extending theentire season a month or more. The end-of-season timing remained largely the same. Phenologicalshifts may predate population changes, and both
occurrence and phenology data from eDNA may inform conservation planning and efforts. At present,
the taxonomic precision of the method is limited by
the genomic resources available, but the possibilities are steadily increasing. The proportional natureof the data, with varying relative abundances of different kinds of airborne biological matter between
sampling events, makes the analyses computationally challenging. We conclude that eDNA from air
samples is a promising and potentially cost-efficient
way to monitor changes in bryophyte communities.

S.147.4 Extinction risk ofEuropean bryophytes
predicted by bioclimate andtraitsFia Bengtsson1,2, Nils Cronberg1, Johan
Ekroos1,3,4, Jose A. L. Villegas5, Abu B.
Siddique5, Per Stenberg5
1 Biodiversity unit, Lund University. 2 Norwegian Institute for Nature Research. 3 Department of Agricultural Sciences, Plant Production Sciences,
University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. 4 Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. 5 Department of Ecology andEnvironmental Sciences, Umeå University
Bryophytes are physiologically highly dependent
on climatic conditions, making them useful as early
indicators of ongoing changes in biological communities. However, monitoring bryophytes is highly work-intensive, rarely carried out over extensive
periods and even less frequent at temporal scales
that allow detection of changes in phenology. eDNA
approaches are surging in biodiversity monitoring,
but bryophyte applications are still in their infancy.
We explore a unique eDNA dataset (from the project
Swe-BITS) based on airborne particles originally collected from Kiruna, northern Sweden, by FOI (Swedish Defence Research Agency) to detect radioactive

Kristel van Zuijlen1,2, Irene Bisang1,2, Michael
P. Nobis1, Ariel Bergamini1
1 Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Birmensdorf,
Switzerland. 2 Swedish Museum of Natural History,
Stockholm, Sweden
Extinction risk is not randomly distributed among
species but depends on species traits, their relationship to environmental factors such as climate
and land use, and corresponding threats by globalchange. While knowledge of which factors influence
extinction risk is increasingly available for some taxonomic groups, this is still largely lacking for mosses, liverworts and hornworts. Here, we used random
forest models to study which biological and ecological traits and bioclimatic variables are important
predictors for extinction risk in European bryophytes.
We found that bioclimatic variables were the mostimportant predictors for extinction risk, most notably
precipitation and precipitation seasonality. Import-

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ant biological traits were plant size, life strategy andreproductive traits while important ecological traits
were continentality and elevational range of species
distributions. In general, species living at climatic extremes and/or those with a narrow environmental
range are more likely to be threatened with extinction. In addition, small-sized species and/or species
with low sexual or asexual reproductive effort and/or larger spore size are more likely to be threatened.
Our findings indicate that future climate change will
be an important driver of bryophytes’ extinction risk,
while biological and ecological traits will likely become most relevant for species in coping with future
threats.

S.147.5 Project «Searchingfor the ‘Brillófito’»: enhancing
knowledge of the intriguing
and rare luminous moss
Schistostega pennata in th
Jairo Robla1, Víctor González-García2,Sara Santamarina3, Pablo AguadoRamsay4, Mikel Artazkoz5
1. Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC), Sevilla,
Spain. 2 Instituto Mixto de Investigación en Biodiversidad (Univ. Oviedo - CSIC - Princ. Asturias),
Mieres, Spain. 3 Universidad de León, León, Spain. 4
Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain. 5.
Universidad Pública de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
The luminous moss, Schistostega pennata (Hedw.)
F.Weber & D.Mohr, is a Holarctic moss known for its
unique green-emerald glowing protonema when
exposed to sunlight. This distinctive feature has inspired several stories surrounding this intriguingfeature. The distribution in the Iberian Peninsula represents the westernmost extent in Europe, with only
73 confirmed locations to date. It thrivs primarily inchallenging environments such as caves, mines, andcrevices, making the discovery of new populations
a complex task. Despite its uniqueness, S. pennata
faces conservation concerns and is categorised as
Vulnerable or near Threatened in several Iberian Red
Lists. Yet, the criteria for such designations remain
unclear. To enhance understanding and contribute to the conservation efforts of this species, the«Searching for the ‘Brillófito’» project was initiated.
This project leverages citizen science to gather dataon the distribution, ecology, and conservation status of the luminous moss. A comprehensive scientific communication campaign through newspapers,social media, and lectures was also launched toraise awareness and engage the public in moss-related initiatives. The response exceeded expectations, with citizens locating more than 15 new populations across the Iberian Peninsula. Some of these
populations revealed new habitats not previously
described for the Iberian populations. Interestingly,
some were discovered in areas not predicted as optimal by the first species distribution model for the
species, highlighting the complexity of understanding the ecological requirements of the species.
Many questions remain regarding its ecology andbiology in the Iberian Peninsula. These include thescarcity of populations, the mechanisms of dispersal and connectivity between them, the relationshipwith other non-Iberian populations, and whether luminescence could have an associated function notpreviously described. Unravelling these mysteries
will require further research and an understandingof the role of the moss in its unique ecosystems.

S.147.6 Neglected plants:
towards a comprehensive
extinction risk assessmentof the Brazilian bryophytes
Eduardo T. Amorim1, Paulo E.A.S. Câmara2,
Denilson Fernandes Peralta3, Juçara
Bordin4, Andre Eppinghaus1, Camila
Nardy1, Carlos Ferreira1, Daniel Maurenza1,
Fernanda Fraga1, Fernanda Wimmer1,
Gláucia Crispim1, Gustavo Martinelli1,
Lucas Arguello1, Lucas Jordão1, Mário
Gomes1, Monira Bicalho1, Pablo Melo1,
Vicente Calfo1, Eduardo Fernandez1
1 Centro Nacional de Conservação da Flora/Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. 2 Departamento de Botânica, Universidade de Brasília,Brasília, Brazil. 3 Núcleo de Briologia, Instituto de
Pesquisas Ambientais, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. 4 Universidade Estadual do Rio Grande do Sul, Osório,RS, Brazil
Over the last 50 years, escalating biodiversity losses, coupled with persistent and intensifying pressures, have resulted in the extinction of species
before their scientific description. The Brazil stands
out as a country with a vast diversity of bryophytes,
with consistent progress done in past years towards a complete assessment of its flora. However,major gaps still exist, making the conservation of457

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this group challenging. In this scenario, automated tools that assist in species extinction risk detection emerges as crucial alternatives to accelerate
the process of biodiversity protection. Thus, wehighlight the initiative of the Brazilian conservation
community to optimize and automate processes
for calculating criteria and parameters needed toassess species’ extinction risk. Aiming to expedite
the risk assessment and direct efforts towards truly
threatened species, a list of endemics was created,with names accepted and validated by the backbone taxonomic of the Flora of Brazil 2020, and ofbroad occurrence, using the rapidLC method, totalling 100 species. The acquisition of occurrence
records relied on databases such as Splink, JABOT,and GBIF. For a complete assessment, various biological data were extracted from available on-line databases, covering biomes, habitats, incident
threats, among others. A web application development system was elaborated through the Shiny
package of the R software, enabling the delivery ofdatasets to experts who validated determinations,confirming species distributions, and compiling biological data. The bryophytes were then assessedfollowing the IUCN criteria, resulting in 48 species
immediately assessed as Least Concern, while theremaining 52 were forwarded for continuous assessment, evaluated by the National Centre for
Flora Conservation, Brazil’s National and Global Red
List Authority. The use of these tools represents crucial steps in the creation of a consistent red list for
Brazilian bryophytes, emphasizing the importanceof expediting risk assessments, especially in megadiverse tropical regions like Brazil.

S.148 SYSTEMATICS, FLORISTICS, AND
CONSERVATION: FACILITATING DATAINTEGRATION TO PROMOTE SOUND SCIENCE.
SESSION 2
S.148.1 Bringing plants tothe table: Assessing bias tobuild a subsample of plantsthat represents global
diversity patterns
Baldaszti, L.1,2, Pironon, S.3,4, Brummitt, N.A.5,
Lehmann, C.1,2, Moonlight, P. M.2,6, Särkinen, T.2
1 University of Edinburgh, UK. 2 Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, UK. 3 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew,
UK. 4 UNEP-World Conservation Monitoring Centre,
UK. 5 Natural History Museum, UK 6 Trinity College
Dublin, Ireland
More than 40% of the world’s plant species are rare
and threatened by extinction. While destructionof the natural world has accelerated dramatically over the past decades, our knowledge of global
plant biodiversity patterns has not accelerated atsimilar rates, with only 20% of the species having
their extinction risk formally assessed by now. As ourknowledge of plant biodiversity is incomplete, allglobal studies of plant diversity patterns are based
upon subset of species. The included species andthe amount of data available for those species are
the result of >300 years of biased plant collecting.
So, while studying diversity patterns based upon all
available distribution data has its merits, it can also
lead to a severely distorted view of global biodiversity patterns. It is thus necessary to identify andreduce these biases or find alternatives to better
estimate extinction risk and biodiversity patterns
from incomplete data. Determining the number of
species needed to accurately represent different
aspects of plant biodiversity patterns at a global
scale thus has important implications for the validityof previous studies but can also be incorporated infuture studies. We aim to identify the number of species needed to represent different aspects of global
vascular plant biodiversity patterns including species, phylogenetic, floristic, and functional diversity
using the World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)
as a baseline. We use this information to determine how well datasets such as the IUCN Red List of
Threatened Species, the Species Red List Index, andopenly available plant occurrence data incorporate
different aspects of plant biodiversity. The outputs
will be of interest for biodiversity conservationists
and macroecologists.

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S.148.2 The evolutionary
building up of a biodiversity
hotspot: new insights ofAndalusian Flora diversity
from phylofloristic
perspective

pattern. Interestingly, many ecological specialized
character states, as a proxy of niche space, exhibited notable phylogenetic clustering, indicating their
dominance within closely related species. Thesefindings will provide new insights into the integration of evolutionary history into the criteria of management of protected areas and lineages.

S.148.3 Techniques for
managing biodiversity
information overload: someexamples with bryophytes

Carmen Benítez Benítez1, Alejandra deCastro1, José Luis Silva1, Juan Viruel2,
Marcial Escudero1, José Carlos del Valle1,
Montserrat Arista1, Juan Arroyo1
1 Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain. 2 Ecosystem Stewardship Department, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK.

John C. Brinda1

Southern Spain, recognized as a plant biodiversity
hotspot, boasts remarkable species diversity, notable endemism, and relictness, by its high environmental variability and dynamic geomorphologicalhistory. These factors have acted as drivers of migration and diversification in this region, contributing to the richness of its plant landscape. The three
National Parks in Andalusia (Doñana, Sierra Nevada, Sierra de las Nieves) are considered the jewelsof the crown, thought to exemplify the majority of
ecological and evolutionary processes underlying the region’s diversity. The flora of these natural
reserves comprises a notably high percentage of
species of the entire Andalusian flora. This, in turn,offers an assurance for preserving not only individual species but also populations and communities.
The fields of phylofloristics and spatial phylogenetics open new avenues for understanding how
evolutionary processes shape phylogenetic relationships of species in a region, elucidating theirevolutionary patterns, which is particularly insightful when applied to biodiversity hotspots. Therefore, leveraging this new perspective, we used a
megaphylogenomic approach (HybSeq, based on
angiosperm353) to study the woody flora in theseparks. Particularly, we explored the historical effects
on biodiversity in these megadiverse areas andcompare the patterns within and among territories. The phylogenomic results enabled us to calculate the phylogenetic diversity and signal associated with life-history traits (pollination, dispersal,
flowering), ecological factors (habitat, substrate,
altitude), and distribution within representative
species ensembles of these biodiversity enclaves.
Indeed, life-history traits displayed a strong phylogenetic signal and a pronounced overdispersal

Our collective ability to effectively curate, summarize, and visualize biodiversity data has broader
implications beyond botany into the disciplines ofconservation science and policy. It is vitally important that decisions made in those areas are basedon the best available science, and that starts withthe data we create and manage. However, the increasing pace of digitization of biodiversity data
threatens to overwhelm our capacity to capture,
curate, and use these data. Direct access to theraw data upon which traditional floras, checklists,monographs, etc. are built, would seem to be aboon to both scientific research and policy development. However, in actual practice the results
are mixed. End users often struggle to use thesedata effectively because they are provided ‘as is’,flaws and all. Moreover, significant effort is wasted
as these data are downloaded separately by multiple parties and ‘cleaned’ for different use cases.
In most cases, improvements made to these data
externally never find their way back upstream tothe original source and in turn, to other end users.
Such duplication of effort generally results in reduced productivity without any significant increase
in data quality. Moreover, the problem of curatingthese digital and online representations of botanical data has often fallen to botanists who are already overloaded and has been exacerbated by
the lack of available tools for doing this efficiently. Here we illustrate some common problems anduse cases using a dataset developed for bryophytes. While many of these problems are not new,practical solutions either remain elusive or are atbest poorly implemented. Our aim is to provoke
thoughtful discussion about potential strategies forovercoming these challenges.

1 Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, USA

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S.148.4 From the extended
specimen to conservationassessment: predicting
species Red List statusfrom publicly available
information
Alexander Zizka1,2, Daniele Silvestro3
1 Department of Biology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany. 2 Naturalis Biodiversity
Center, Leiden, The Netherlands. 3 Department of
Biology, University of Fribourg
The IUCN Red List of threatened species (RL) is themost authoritative global quantification of extinction risk, and widely used in ecological research andapplied conservation. Yet, due to the time-consuming assessment process, the RL is taxonomically andgeographically biased, in particular towards theglobal North and charismatic taxa. One promising
approach to speed up RL assessments and overcome these biases is the use of AI to predict extinction risk based on the combination of informationfrom digitized collection specimens and citizen science data with remote sensing information on theenvironment. Here, we present IUCNN, an approach
using deep learning models to predict species
RL status from publicly available geographic occurrence records (and other data, such as traits if
available). We show that AI methods can reach accuracies up to 95% in identifying threatened species
and use the results from three recently publishedcase studies -on the orchid family, global tree species and the biota of Madagascar- to illustrate thepotential and caveats on using AI and collection
specimen to predict species extinction risk.

S.148.5 Identifying gaps in theex situ conservation of nativeplant diversity in China

servation gaps analysis is often a major challenge. Here, we used a dated phylogeny including 95.70 % of the Chinese vascular genera and
1,540,695 species distribution records to identify
ex situ conservation gaps in the tree of life andgeographic space in China. We found that atleast 41.70 % (12,716 species) of all vascular plant
species (30,494 species), including 49.31 % (1715
species) of Chinese endangered species, areconserved in the botanic gardens. The results
show that most species in ex situ collections arefrom eastern China and have been housed inbotanic gardens in this region, whereas several
plant diversity hotpots in the southwestern andnorthwestern regions are not well represented in
ex situ conservation; only 12.67 % of the collection capacity of the Chinese botanic gardens isallocated to endangered species; there are 18
phylogenetic clusters of genera absent from theex situ collections and the missing species aremostly from alpine or desert, mainly distributed in
the Himalaya-Hengduan Mountains and northern
Xinjiang. Therefore, we suggest that more collection capacity of China be devoted to endangered
species particularly in the southwestern andnorthwestern regions. Our study provides quantified resources of targeted inventory and area for
future ex situ conservation in China, and a fundamental protocol to invest the future achievementof local or global ex situ conservation.

S.148.6 Conservation statusassessments of species-richtropical taxa in the face ofdata availability limitations:Insights from Sulawesi
Begonia
Daniel C. Thomas1, Wisnu H. Ardi2, Yu H.
Chong3, Philip Thomas4, Mark Hughes4
1 National Parks Board, Singapore Botanic Gardens,
Singapore. 2 University of Florida, Institute of Foodand Agricultural Sciences, USA. 3 Nanyang Technological University, School of Biological Sciences, Singapore. 4 Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh,
Scotland, UK

Jianfei Ye1
1 School of Ecology, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
Due to intensified human pressure and climatechange, ex situ conservation measures have become essential for conserving Earth’s remaining
biodiversity, but the development of targetedex situ conservation strategies based on con-

The feasibility of conservation and extinction risk
assessments of plant species using the criteria
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compromised by the limited availability of crucial
underlying data. This is particularly true for species-rich, tropical plant taxa with a preponderance of microendemics, whose species are often
represented by only a few collections in herbaria
worldwide. Begonia, a megadiverse, pantropicalgenus (> 2100 species) and characteristic elementin the herb layer of tropical forests, is a prominent
example. The Begonia flora of the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, for example, is comprised of 65
species, 62 of which are endemic to the island,and 51 of which are represented by less than 10collections in herbaria worldwide. Here we discuss
how, despite of these data limitations, meaningful conservation assessments can be achievedby integrating (i) extensive fieldwork and field observations; (ii) herbarium collection locality data;(iii) data primarily based on remote sensing approaches including forest landscape integrity,
forest cover loss and land cover categories; (iv)locality number estimates by evaluating the impact range of plausible threats (e.g. concession
sizes for palm oil plantations and logging, or thesize of large-scale forest fires), and (v) area of
habitat estimations using overlap analyses of elevational ranges, forest landscape integrity andlimestone karst distributions. The results indicatethat most Sulawesi Begonia species are narrowendemics whose rainforest and limestone karst
habitats have substantially deteriorated in the lasttwo decades: 28 species are assessed as CriticallyEndangered, 24 as Endangered, six as Vulnerable,
five as Least Concern and two species were considered Data Deficient. Conservation assessmentsof species-rich taxa such as Begonia, which include numerous narrow endemics, are important
for the formulation of effective national-level action to prevent further extinction.

S.148.7 Integrating data forconservation: a use case formonitoring plant species on
a European scale
Pierre Bonnet1, Antoine Affouard2, JeanChristophe Lombardo2, Mathias Chouet1,
Hugo Gresse2, Vanessa Hequet1, Remi
Palard1, Maxime Fromholtz2, Vincent
Espitalier1, Hervé Goëau1, Thomas Paillot2,
Benjamin Deneu2, Christophe Botella2,

Joaquim Estopinan1,2, César Leblanc1,2,
Maximilien Servajean3, François Munoz4,
Alexis Joly2
1 AMAP, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE, IRD,
Montpellier, France. 2 Inria, LIRMM, Université deMontpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France. 3 LIRMM,
AMIS, Université Paul-Valéry - Montpellier 3, CNRS,Montpellier, France. 4 LIPHY, Univ. Grenoble Alpes,
CNRS, Grenoble, France
Human activities are exerting an increasingly profound impact on global biodiversity. There is apressing need for a substantial improvement in
our understanding of biodiversity to assist land
managers, and decision-makers in formulating
effective day-to-day strategies for preserving
species and habitats. At the European level, significant efforts are underway to harness and leverage the vast corpus of floristic, environmental, andremote sensing data to refine our understandingof vegetation. The Pl@ntNet platform has been set
up to meet this challenge, based on a workflow
at the intersection of citizen science, botany, anddata science. It now enables the automated identification of over 45,000 plant species using stateof-the-art deep learning algorithms. The millions
of produced plant observations have contributed
to numerous research and conservation projects,
positioning Pl@ntNet in 2022 as a top-5 data provider to the GBIF international platform. In this presentation, we introduce the innovative methods
currently being developed by the Pl@ntNet teamto assist field botanists. Specifically, we discuss
how today’s AI technologies allow us to establish
contextualized summaries of plant biodiversity in
specific areas. We discuss advancements in theanalysis of multi-species images commonly generated during floristic inventories. Additionally, weshowcase results obtained through DeepSDMs(Species Distribution Models based on deep learning) for predicting the distribution of species andindicators characterizing plant biodiversity at very
high resolution. These results are disseminatedthrough free online maps and services for managers, assisting in the identification of key conservation areas. Notably, this work has enabled
map production from local to regional scale, at
50 m resolution. We provide a brief overview ofidentified and implemented uses of these results,
demonstrating the various contexts in which theseresearch findings can be impactful, whether for
education, management, monitoring, or promotion of natural heritage.

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S.149 SYSTEMATICS AND EVOLUTION OF
EUPHORBIACEAE
S.149.1 New insights in theevolutionary relationships of
Euphorbiaceae: Implications
for classification andunderstanding character
evolution
Kenneth J. Wurdack1, Otávio Luis M. da
Silva2,4, Ricarda Riina3, Inês Cordeiro4,
Lynn J. Gillespie5, Warren M. CardinalMcTeague6, Federico Fabriani7, Olivier
Maurin7, Sue Zmarzty7, Alexandre Zuntini7,
Felix Forest7, William Baker7
1 National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA. 2 Instituto de
Pesquisas Ambientais, São Paulo, Brazil. 3 Real Jardín Botánico, CSIC, Madrid, Spain. 4 Universidade deSão Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. 5 Canadian Museum of
Nature, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. 6 University of British Colombia, Vancouver, British Colombia, Canada.
7 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, UK.
Resolving relationships among Euphorbiaceae, thelargest and least understood family of Malpighiales,
is challenging due to the family’s morphological diversity, ancient origins, and pantropical distribution.
Molecular phylogenetic studies from the early 2000’s
discovered (but could not resolve among) seven major lineages of uniovulate Euphorbiaceae and identified widespread conflicts with existing supragenericclassifications. Our phylogenomic results from thePlant and Fungal Trees of Life (PAFTOL) project, whichsampled 150 of the ca. 230 genera of Euphorbiaceae using Angiosperms353 target sequence capture,
are largely congruent with the prior few-gene studies and offer improved backbone resolution. They
support four subfamily-level clades including thepreviously unclear monophyly of Acalyphoideae,with Erismantheae as its first-diverging lineage. The
monophyly of Crotonoideae is also strongly supported, with four major lineages plus a novel, isolated
placement for monotypic Klaineanthus. The resolution of several critical deep nodes remains problematic, including among subfamily clades, which
limits our understanding of the early evolution ofmajor traits such as latex/laticifers, petals, and pol-len types. In addition, the relationships within Malpighiales of hard-to-place parasitic Rafflesiaceae
remain unclear and affect whether Peraceae could
be reunited with Euphorbiaceae (as Peroideae).
Hippomaneae s.l., the greatest remaining tribal systematics problem, represents a gap in our taxonomic
sampling, with only nine of ca. 40 genera sampled.
Striking variations in diagnostic morphological traits
were observed across clades, including contrasting
life history strategies, plant defenses, floral attributes,
and specialized reproductive biology (e.g., changes
in seed size and dispersal mode). The advances presented here are major steps towards a well-resolved
generic phylogeny that would underlie a new classification for Euphorbiaceae and support future studies on the evolution of the astonishing diversity of thefamily and its biogeographic history.

S.149.2 Deciphering thedrivers behind the “Odd
Man Out” pattern using
continental African
Euphorbiaceae as a case of
study
Paloma Ruiz de Diego1*, Patricia Barberá2,Ángela Aguado-Lara1, Irene Villa-Machío1,
Tamara Villaverde3, Ricarda Riina1, Isabel
Sanmartín1
1 Real Jardín Botánico, CSIC, Madrid, Spain. 2 Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, Missouri, USA. 3
Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Spain
The “Odd-Man-Out’’ pattern describes the lower
plant diversity observed in continental tropical Africa compared to other tropical regions. We examine
long-standing hypotheses behind this pattern byadopting a model-clade approach that combinesin-depth knowledge of small-scale clade studies
with the power of family-wide meta-analysis. We focus on 31 genera of Euphorbiaceae (~550 species),grouped into 19 clades. Our workflow involves therevision of each genus’ alpha-taxonomy and thecompilation of information about species traits, distribution, and ecology; the generation of phylogenet-462

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ically informative sequence data from 431 low-copy
nuclear genes, obtained using target sequencing(Hyb-Seq) and a taxon-specific bait kit; and finally, the integration of the assembled trait, ecological,
biogeographic, and phylogenomic data to explore
biological processes working at the clade-level, andgeneral drivers acting clade-wide on Afrotropicallineages. Based on ~78% of the target species andall focal genera, we produced the first phylogenomic time-tree for the African Euphorbiaceae, including representatives of the three subfamilies Acalyphoideae, Crotonoideae, and Euphorbioideae. An
ancient stem age (54-26 Ma) was inferred for thesmallest genera (less than 10 species), predating the
global climate cooling that followed the Paleogene.
Diversification rate analyses using episodic birthdeath models and an empirical strategy to accountfor missing species revealed a negative diversification rate between 23 and 5 Ma, which correspondswith a period of severe aridification in Africa. Paleoclimate niche projections showed climatically suitable areas across southern and eastern Africa formany genera, which disappeared after the Pliocene.
Taken together, this evidence points to climate-driven extinction as the most likely process to explain
the Odd-Man-Out pattern in African Euphorbiaceae.
Frequent dispersal from Madagascar was an additional process involved in shaping diversification
patterns, as revealed by an 80%-complete species
tree for the mega-diverse genus Croton.

S.149.3 Inflorescenceand floral morphology
in the tribe Crotoneae:
Implications for thesystematics and evolution

light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, resin
sectioning and micro-CT. Our investigation revealed
significant floral diversity among all genera. Our investigation further identified several synapomorphies
across the Crotoneae tribe, including the exclusive
presence of staminate flowers on the upper portion of
the inflorescence, the presence of more than 10 stamens in staminate flowers, and the reduction of petals in pistillate flowers. Furthermore, synapomorphiesof each subclade within the Crotoneae were identified. The Sagotia-Sandwithia clade members havebotryoid inflorescences, simple trichomes, petals exceeding the size of sepals at the anthesis, and outermost stamens alternating with petals. In contrast, theAcidocroton-Astraea-Brasiliocroton-Crotonclade exhibits racemose inflorescence, stellate trichomes withdiverse forms, and outermost stamens positioning opposite petals. Notably, Acidocroton, despite belonging
to this clade, exhibits some unusual characters thatdiverge from the typical patterns observed within thegroup. Our investigation also explored and discussed
the inflorescence and floral morphologies of the Crotoneae compare to the tribe Jatropheae and others
groups in the subfamily Crotonoideae. Therefore, ourstudy highlights the remarkable heterogeneity present among members of this tribe and provides valuable insights into the key morphological features thatdefine the entire group. Further research is needed to
fully elucidate the complex evolutionary relationships
and adaptive significance of floral characteristics
within the Crotoneae.

S.149.4 A revised genericclassification of Tragiinae
including the subdivision ofTragia (Euphorbiaceae tribe
Plukenetieae)

Pakkapol Thaowetsuwan1, Ricarda Riina2,
Louis P. Ronse De Craene3

Warren Cardinal-McTeague1,2, Kenneth
Wurdack3, Lynn Gillespie2

1 Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Silpakorn University, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand. 2 RealJardín Botánico, CSIC, Madrid, Spain. 3 Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
The tribe Crotoneae comprises six genera Sandwithia,
Sagotia, Acidocroton, Astraea, Brasiliocroton and themega-diverse Croton. However, there is no prior study
compares floral morphology across all six genera
except in few species of Astraea and Croton. To understand the floral diversity in this tribe, inflorescences and flowers from at least one species from eachgenus were examined with various techniques, e.g.,

1 Department of Forest & Conservation Sciences,
University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
2 Research & Collections Division, Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa, Canada. 3 Department of
Botany, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, USA
Plukenetieae subtribe Tragiinae (Acalyphoideae) isa pantropical and subtropical lineage of ~14 generaand ~200 species of primarily twining vines characterized by their small unisexual flowers with diverse
pistillate and androecial morphology, exceptional pollen morphology (including trends towards

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aperture reduction and loss), and stinging hairdefenses. Tragia (~160 species) is one of the larger genera of Euphorbiaceae and has a complex
sectional classification that until recently included
several small genera that are now recognized as
distinct (e.g., Bia, Ctenomeria, Monadelpha, Zuckertia). It was hypothesized that several more of thesections of Tragia could be resurrected as genera
but only upon the careful assessment of molecular and morphological data. Using Bayesian phylogenetics on a concatenated dataset of nuclear
ribosomal (ETS, ITS), nuclear low-copy (TEB), andplastid (matK, ndhF) DNA, we produced a robust
and well-resolved phylogeny for Tragiinae. Tragia isstrongly supported as paraphyletic with many subclades that could be recognized as distinct genera.
Here, we outline our revised generic classification
for Tragiinae, which circumscribes genera by a
combination of floral morphology (specifically pistillate and androecial morphology), inflorescencestructure, well-defined biogeographic distributions,and palynological evidence.

S.149.5 Shining light ona Boreotropical clade:evolution and diversificationof Euphorbia subgenus
Esula

have shaped the extant diversity and present distribution of this subgenus. We also explored the influence of changes in life form/history in the diversification and the present altitudinal ranges of E. subg.
Esula. Our results show the divergence of E. subg. Esula from its sister clade (the three other subgenera)c. 47 Mya, and diversification within this group ca. 41
Mya Biogeographic analyses suggest an ancient origin of the group in the Western Palearctic, where it
steadily diversified over millions of years, before thesubgenus dispersed to other regions recently. The
group underwent parallel events of recent radiations coupled with life history changes, from annual
to perennial. Our findings suggest a positive correlation between perenniality and high elevations. These
results support that the recent rapid diversificationof E. subg. Esula is associated with the evolutionary
shift to perennial life forms, which allowed colonization of montane habitats and global range expansion beyond the Western Palearctic.

S.149.6 The almighty Ricinus:
a phylogenomic study
sheds new light on thehistorical domesticationand invasive potential of
castor bean
Tamara Villaverde1, Irene Villa Machío2,
Nicolás Echarren Lucendo1, Esther García
Guillén3, Juli Caujapé-Castells4, Isabel
Sanmartín3, Ricarda Riina3

Irene Masa-Iranzo1, Isabel Sanmartín1,Božo Frajman2, Andrea S. Meseguer1,
Ricarda Riina1
1 Real Jardín Botánico, CSIC, Madrid, Spain. 2 University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
Euphorbia subgenus Esula Pers. is one of the four
lineages of the megadiverse genus Euphorbia, andcomprises over 485 annuals or perennials, including
dendroid shrubs and pencil-stemmed succulents.
While the group is primarily a northern temperateradiation it is most diverse in the Irano-Turanian andMediterranean regions, but taxa also occur in Africa,
Asia, and the temperate New World. We assembled
the largest taxon sampling of E. subg. Esula to date(322 spp.), representing its entire geographic range.
We updated previous phylogenetic analyses, which
confirmed the current sectional classification of thegroup. We also estimated divergence times and reconstructed ancestral ranges using Bayesian methods. This framework allowed us to characterize themagnitude of extinction and speciation events that

1 Conservation and Biodiversity Area, Universidad
Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Spain. 2 Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO, USA. 3 Real Jardín Botánico (CSIC), Madrid, Spain. 4 Jardín Botánico Canario“Viera y Clavijo” (CSIC), Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
Ricinus communis is an economically and culturally
important species. Today, it is used in the automotive, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries, aswell as an ornamental plant. In the last decades, thespecies has become an exotic invasive species inmany areas of the world. We aimed to characterize
the genetic structure of R. communis in its native andinvaded areas using genomic data. Our sampling
included specimens worldwide, with a special focus
on naturalized populations, and also whole-genome
data from previously published studies. Capture
success using HybSeq was high in samples collect-464

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ed in the early twentieth century. We also managed
to sequence one of the oldest specimens ever included in a phylogenomic analysis, a sample collected by A.J. Cavanilles in Valencia (Spain) in 1792.
Introgression of populations was detected, althoughunique genotypes were found in the putative native range of Ricinus (Ethiopia and Somalia). Our
results revealed frequent events of admixture andintrogression between regions of the world that aresupported by historical herbarium records in Europe.

This demonstrates the cultivation and naturalizationof Ricinus in Europe at least during the Great Age of
Exploration. Herbariomics and sampling of naturalized populations have uncovered a wide genomic
breath, unseen in previous studies. Ricinus climaticniche shows that it occupies areas with novel climates, not present in its native range, indicating awide ecological plasticity that might have facilitatedits naturalization in all continents.

S.150 POALES: FROM ADDRESSING GLOBALSCALE QUESTIONS TO UNRAVELING THE
EVOLUTIONARY SECRETS OF NEGLECTEDFAMILIES
S.150.1 Cyperus
margaritaceus and its
relatives: How many species
are there?
Martin Xanthos1, Isabel Larridon1,2, Simon J.
Mayo1
1 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, UK.
2 Ghent University, Department of Biology, Systematic and Evolutionary Botany Lab, Gent, Belgium
The Cyperus margaritaceus-niveus complex (Cyperaceae) is a group of ten tropical species (C.
karlschumanii, C. kibweanus, C. ledermannii, C. margaritaceus, C. niveus, C. nduru, C. obtusiflorus, C. somaliensis, C, sphaerocephalus & C. tisserantii) from
sub-Saharan Africa & Madagascar united by the
combination of a capitate inflorescence, white-yellow glumes and swollen bulb-like bases. Recent molecular studies in the C4 Cyperus clade, have shownthat some members of the complex form a monophyletic group sister to the rest of the C4 Cyperus
species, however regional floras have been unable
to reach a consensus on inter-species relationships,presenting differing opinions on the circumscriptions of these taxa. In this study, we use multivariate morphometric analyses - Principal Component
Analysis (PCA), Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA)and Classification and Regression Tree Analysis(CART) - to test the robustness of the species circumscriptions presented in these floras. Unlike flo-ra accounts which only use a partial subset of thetaxa, we use all species represented in the complex
from across their entire geographical range. Cyperus kibweanus was not considered due to lack ofmaterial. The analyses show that eight morphospecies are recognised for the LDA, and six morphospecies are recognised for CART. Both PCA and LDA
showed varying degrees of overlap in nine of the ten
taxa, with no single group clearly separating in multivariate space. Notable results include: 1) the LDA
cross-validation showing C. margaritaceus to forma robust entity despite its overlapping with the othertaxa, and 2) the failure of C. niveus to form a distinct
entity in both LDA cross-validation and CART. The
computational approach attempted here is a useful
tool to add to traditional taxonomic methods in resolving other species complexes in the Cyperaceae.

S.150.2 Unprecedented
variation pattern of plastid
genomes and the potential
role in adaptive evolution in
Poales465

Hong Wu1,2, De-Zhu Li1, Peng-Fei Ma1
1 Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Yunnan Key
Laboratory of Crop Wild Relatives Omics, Kunming
Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences,
Kunming, Yunnan, China. 2 University of Chinese
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The plastid is the photosynthetic organelle in plantcell, and the plastid genomes (plastomes) are generally conserved in evolution. As one of the most economically and ecologically important order of angiosperms, Poales was previously documented to exhibit
great plastomic variation as an order of photoautotrophic plants. We acquired 93 plastomes, representing all the 16 families and five major clades of Poales
to reveal the extent of their variation and evolutionary
pattern. Extensive variation including the largest one
in monocots with 225,293 bp in size, heterogeneous
GC content, and a wide variety of gene duplicationand loss, were revealed. Moreover, rare occurrences ofthree inverted repeat (IR) copies in angiosperms andone IR loss were observed, accompanied by short IR(sIR) and small direct repeat (DR). Widespread structural heteroplasmy, diversified inversions and unusual
genomic rearrangements all appeared in Poales, occasionally within a single species. Extensive repeats inthe plastomes were found to be positively correlatedwith the observed inversions and rearrangements. The
variation all showed a ‘small-large-moderate’ trend
along the evolution of Poales, as well as for the sequence substitution rate. Finally, we found some positively selected genes, mainly in C4 lineages, while theclosely related lineages of those experiencing geneloss have already undergone more relaxed purifying
selection. The variation of plastomes in Poales may
be related to its successful diversification into diverse
habitats and multiple photosynthetic pathway transitions. Our order-scale analyses revealed unusual evolutionary scenarios for plastomes in the photoautotrophic order of Poales and provided new insights into
the plastome evolution in angiosperms as a whole.

S.150.3 Global dominancein open and closed
habitats is driven byunique traits in the Poales
Tammy L. Elliott1,2, Daniel Spalink3, Isabel
Larridon4,5, Marcial Escudero6, Jan Hackel4,
Russell L Barrett7, Santiago MartínBravo8, José Ignacio Márquez-Corro4,8,Carolina Granados Mendoza9, Aluoneswi
C Mashau10, Katya Romero Soler9, Daniel
A. Zhigila11, Caroline Oliveira Andrino12,
Ana Carolina Galindo da Costa13, Maria S
Vorontsova4, Karen L Wilson7, A Muthama
Muasya2

1 Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic. 2 University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa. 3
Texas A&M University, Texas, USA. 4 Royal Botanic
Gardens, Kew, UK. 5 Ghent University, Gent, Belgium.
6 Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain. 7 AustralianInstitute of Botanical Science, New South Wales,
Australia. 8 Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville,
Spain. 9 Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico. 10 South African National
Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, South Africa. 11 Gombe
State University, Gombe, Nigeria. 12 Universidade de
Brasília, Brasília, Brazil. 13 Instituto Tecnológico Vale
Desenvolvimento Sustentável, Belém, Brazil
Poales, one of the most species-rich orders of plants,
often characterise open habitats, enabled by uniquesuites of traits. We test the hypothesis that key life
form traits (photosynthetic system, annual/perennial, insect/animal pollination, epiphyte/non-epiphyte,
presence of silica) diverge in different lineages atdistinct times and places, leading to spatiotemporal
heterogeneity in the diversification of families and theassembly of open habitats. We sampled 42% of Poales species and obtained taxonomic and biogeographic data from the World Checklist of Vascular
Plants database, which was combined with trait datascored by taxonomic experts. A dated phylogeny of
Poales was constructed using phylogenomic andphylogenetic data. We integrated spatial phylogenetics with regionalization analyses, historical biogeography, ancestral state estimations and modelsof contingent evolution. Diversification in Poales andassembly of open and closed habitats results fromdynamic evolutionary processes that vary acrosslineages, time, space and traits. Parallel patterns ofhabitat and trait transitions are evident in the species-rich Poaceae and Cyperaceae families, yet other smaller families display unique evolutionary trajectories. Our results suggest that flexibility in key traits,
which is displayed in the most species-rich lineagesof Poales, might be an important adaptation allowing
transitions between open and closed habitats.

S.150.4 Evolution of
holocentricity in cyperids

466

Andrea Pedrosa-Harand1, Yennifer MataSucre1,2, Yhanndra Dias1,3, Lucas Costa1,
Mariela A. Sader4, Mariana Báez5, Thaíssa
Boldieri de Souza6, Letícia Maria Parteka6,
Gokilavani Thangavel2, Yi-Tzu Kuo3, Veit
Schubert3, Jörg Fuchs3, Christopher E.
Buddenhagen7, André Vanzela6, Gustavo
Souza1, André Marques2, Andreas Houben3

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1 Laboratory of Plant Cytogenetics and Evolution,
Department of Botany, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife-PE, Brazil. 2 Max Planck Institutefor Plant Breeding Research, Cologne, Germany.
3 Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant
Research (IPK) Gatersleben, Germany. 4 Instituto
Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal, Universidad
de Córdoba-CONICET, Córdoba, Argentina. 5 Plant
Breeding Department, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany. 6 Laboratório de Citogenética e Diversidade
de Plantas, Departmento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Londrina-PR, Brasil. 7
AgResearch, Agro-ecology, Ruakura, New Zealand
While most species have monocentric chromosomes with a regionally restricted centromere,
holocentromeres show centromere activity
along the entire chromosome. Holocentromeres
evolved independently at least 14 times acrossplant and animal groups. Among plants, the cyperid clade (Poales) comprises the highest number of species with holocentric chromosomes.
However, based on recent findings, the transition from mono-to-holocentricity occurred inthis clade multiple times, because lineages withmono- or holocentric chromosomes exist. Independent transitions to holocentricity resulted
in different adaptations of the centromere andgenome structures in these different groups ofspecies, giving insights into variable centromere
plasticity and function. We review our recent findings regarding the centromere organization andthe role of different classes of repeats in chromosome evolution in monocentric and holocentric
Thurniaceae, Juncaceae and Cyperaceae species, and discuss the diversification of this groupfrom a cytogenomic perspective.

S.150.5 Homology-based
approach in assessing
morphological diversity ofRestionaceae

and species identification for non-specialists. The
problem is at least partly caused by the insufficientamount of morphological data on Restionaceae
based on homology instead of a descriptive approach. Well-defined morphological characters can
indicate the accurate similarities and differences oftaxa and are especially significant for systematics.
Restionaceae are well-known for their commonly
short and inconsipuous leaf lamina. To date, identification of Restionaceae commonly ignores someleaf characters, e.g., fusion of sheath edges, detailsof leaf sheath to lamina transition, and lamina morphology. Our analysis of the leaf charters of Australian Restionanceae indicates the taxonomical significance of foliar morphology. For example, we used
the occurrence of a long leaf ligule (up to 1.5 cm)
as a new character to distinguish species in Anarthria (a genus with unusually well-developed leaf
lamina). We revealed, also using molecular data
and micromorphology, that the commonly accepted species, Anarthria gracilis, represents a species
complex comprising three distinct species. We present and analyse a new data set on key characters ofleaf morphology, including fine details of sheath tolamina transition, for all genera of Australian Resionaceae. A case study of Leptocarpus denmarkicus
provides an example of new knowledge on inflorescence morphology. We show that the female inflorescence unit in L. denmarkicus is a double rather
than a simple spike. Spirally arranged glumes represent pherophylls bearing reduced lateral spikelets.
Each true spikelet has two bracts, of which one is
fertile and subtends a flower. Analogous situations
may occur in other Restionaceae. Our aim is to produce a homology-based compendium of morphological character evolution in Restionaceae and toassess the adaptive value of taxonomic characters.

Constantin I. Fomichev1,2, Terry D.
Macfarlane3, Barbara G. Briggs4, Dmitry D.
Sokoloff1
1 Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow,
Russia. 2 Shenzhen MSU–BIT University, Shenzhen,
China. 3 Western Australian Herbarium, Perth, Australia. 4 National Herbarium of New South Wales,
Sydney, Australia
Despite great taxonomic diversity and a significant role in the vegetation of Australia and South
Africa, Restionaceae remain quite difficult in genus

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S.151 EVOLUTION AND FUNCTION OF
CONVERGENT FLORAL PHENOTYPES. SESSION 2
S.151.1 Selection surfaces
driven by different
pollinators

S.151.2 Convergent
evolution of floral visualsignals via different opticalmechanisms

Ethan Newman1,2, Allan Ellis1, Bruce
Anderson1

Casper J. van der Kooi1

1 Stellenbosh University, Stellenbosch, South Africa.
2 Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa
Pollinators are important drivers of floral divergence and speciation in plants. Indeed, Tritoniopsis revoluta populations appear to have divergedin response to different long proboscid fly pollinators, as evidenced by closely matched floral
tube lengths and pollinator proboscis lengths. But
in addition to long proboscid flies, most populations are also visited by solitary bees with shortproboscides. Here we investigate how different
functional pollinator groups affect pollen receipt
across a wide range of floral tube length phenotypes. We experimentally increased floral tube
length variance in two populations by translocating short and long tubed plants from elsewhere.
We then counted the number of pollen grainsdeposited on virgin stigmas after single visits byeither bees or long proboscid flies. We demonstrate that these distinct functional groups ofpollinators have very different effects on pollen
movement. More specifically, although bees may
be important pollinators in these systems, they
are unlikely to impose strong selection on floral
tube length. In contrast, the morphological fit between the proboscides of long tongued flies andthe corolla tubes of T. revoluta flowers appears
to be a key feature affecting pollen transfer. This
study explains why the tube lengths of T. revoluta
are apparently adapted to flies rather than bees,
even when both are present.

1 University of Groningen, The Netherlands
Flower colour is a key enabler for plants to attract animal
pollinators. The colours of flowers are generated by twobasic optical principles: wavelength-specific absorption of light by floral pigments and reflection/scatteringof incident light by floral structures (e.g., cell walls, starch
granules, epidermal surface). We study the evolution of
flower colouration using optics, anatomical methods
and behavioural experiments with insects. Sampling
different Angiosperm groups that are characterised byindependent transitions between pollinators with different visual systems, we found that the optical propertiesof flowers evolve to maximise visibility to pollinators infour complementary ways. First, the type of pigment,
which determines a flower’s overall hue, is tuned to thespectral sensitivity of pollinators. For example, reflectionof ultraviolet, blue, yellow or red light is linked to whether
the prime pollinator can perceive this colour. Second,
the amount of pigment, which determines the spectral filtering of the scattered light, is optimised to yieldhigh colour contrast. Low pigment amounts yield palecolours, intermediate amounts vivid colours, and highamounts dull colours. Third, the amount of scattering(“brightness”) of flowers is determined by the number
and inhomogeneity of cell layers. Flower brightness increases upon a switch from diurnal to nocturnal pollination, and this is caused by modifications of bothflower thickness and cell structure. Fourth, the epidermal surface determines the glossiness (specularity) of
a flower. In specific taxa, such as sexually deceptive orchids and buttercups, very flat and specular surfaces
create a brilliant visual effect. Behavioural experiments
confirm that bees use surface gloss as a visual cue. In
most species, however, cone-shaped epidermal cells
annihilate surface gloss and so increase the absorption
by pigments and enhance a flower’s visibility. Together,
our findings show that floral visual signals converge via
different, complementary optical mechanisms to maximise visibility to their pollinators.

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S.151.3 Exploring the roleof local bee diversity on
the evolution and spatial
distribution of floral
uniformity in tropical trees
Thais Vasconcelos1, Lena Heinrich1, Aline
Martins1
1 Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology,
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
Floral phenotypes, as any other plant trait, may present geographical structuring based on biotic and abiotic conditions that favor certain traits to occur more
often in sympatry due to convergence. Recently, it has
been suggested that angiosperms and their main pollinators, the bees, may present a spatial mismatch intheir patterns of diversity, with areas where bee species
richness peak being areas where angiosperm species
richness is relatively low and vice versa. We here explore
how this spatial mismatch may impact the geographical distribution of floral phenotypes of bee pollinatedplant lineages. First, we describe the spatial mismatchand explore whether this pattern leads to a decreasein the proportion of bee pollinated angiosperms in areas where bees are less diverse. Second, we investigate
how local floral phenotype diversity in bee pollinated plants may be impacted by a less diverse, but notnecessarily less abundant, pollinator community, specifically testing whether floral phenotypes would tend
to be more morphologically uniform through time inthese lineages. We discuss the results in the context ofcoevolution between bees and angiosperms and how
this relationship has modulated the convergent and divergent evolution of floral traits across time and space.

erence, and morphology optimizing the mechanicalaspects of pollen transfer and access to rewards. Yet
the response of different floral traits to novel natural
selection can vary. Floral morphology is often expected to show high phenotypic integration to maintain
pollination accuracy, while nectar traits can be environmentally sensitive. Genetic correlations and phenotypic plasticity can therefore play important roles
that are not fully understood, particularly for nectar
traits. We explored this in the context of recent pollinator change, using Digitalis purpurea to study thepotential to respond to selection of traits that often
show convergent patterns of evolution in response
to pollination-mediated selection. D. purpurea shows
rapid recent convergent evolution of corolla morphology but not nectar traits after a range expansion withhummingbirds added as pollinators. We studied phenotypic plasticity, heritability, evolvability, and integration of morphology and nectar in wild populations andin a multi-population common garden. Morphologicaltraits showed higher heritable variation than nectar
traits, and the proximal section of the corolla, which
regulates access to nectar and shows rapid change inintroduced populations, presented higher evolvability
and lower integration than all other traits. Nectar was
more plastic than morphology, driven by highly plastic
sugar concentration. Nectar production rate showed
high evolvability and potential to respond to selection.
Our results explain patterns of rapid evolution in thisspecies and provide novel insights on the causes andconstraints in the evolution behind the extraordinary
diversity of flowers.

S.151.6 Genetic mechanismsof convergent floral color
evolution in Pedicularis
Yue Yang1, Jianjun Jin1, Deren Eaton1

S.151.5 Plant quantitative
genetics to understandfloral trait diversity

Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology Department, Columbia University, New York, USA

Maria Clara Castellanos1, Andrés
Romero-Bravo1
1 University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
Plants can evolve rapidly after changes in their pollinators and this is believed to be an important force
behind the evolution of floral diversity. Both floral morphological and nectar traits can be expected to play
important adaptive roles, with nectar being offered
as a reward that varies depending on pollinator pref-

Floral color, one of the conspicuous phenotypic traits
in plants, exhibits a wide spectrum of variations. Color
variations are mainly determined by the types, combinations and concentrations of different pigments.
The underlying genetic pathways of pigment production have been well-studied and are relatively
conserved across species. However, the evolutionary
and genetic mechanisms driving the interspecificfloral color variations, particularly in lineages such as
Pedicualris, remain elusive. Pedicularis has over 500
species worldwide and over two-thirds are distribut-469

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ed in Hengduan Mountain, a recognized biodiversity
hotspot. This plant genus has an exceptional diversity
in floral color with a range encompassing white, yellow, red, purple and their combinations. A particular
intriguing aspect of this genus is its floral color convergence, where similar color patterns recur in multiple
independent lineages. It is unclear how independent
mutations (genetic convergence), inheritance of ancestral polymorphisms and introgressions contributeto the observed convergence. Moreover, if genetic
convergence is a major factor, its scale and scopeis uncertain - occurring at a specific site, within aparticular gene, along a pathway or in a genetic net-

work. In our study, we analyzed transcriptome data of
83 samples across 57 Pedicularis species to build aphylogenetic tree using both coalescent-based andconcatenated-based methods. We reconstructed
ancestral colors in internal nodes using different MKbased models. We investigated gene tree-species
tree discordances and the prevalence of hemiplasy
in floral color evolution. By applying diverse phylogenetic comparative methods, we aim to detect potential evolutionary and genetic mechanisms underlying
floral color evolution. This study will contribute to ourunderstanding of the evolution and function of convergent floral phenotypes.

S.152 MOUNTAIN BIODIVERSITY ANDEVOLUTION. SESSION 1
S.152.1 Applications ofspatial phylogenetic tounravel biodiversity patterns
and evolutionary history of
the Himalayan flora
Saddam Saqib1,2,3*, Wajid Zaman4, Fazal
Ullah1, Zhi-Duan Chen2, You-Cai Xiong1
1 State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement andGrassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology,
Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China. 2 State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, Chinese
Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China. sadamsaqib.
qau@gmail.com, zhiduan@ibcas.ac.cn. 3 University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China. 4
Department of Life Sciences, Yeungnam University,
Gyeongsan, Gyeongbuk, Republic of Korea
Mountainous ecosystems are prime biodiversity reservoirs and also serve as hub of raw materials and minerals. Various factors such as climate, landscape, ecological gradients and topographic factors play role inmaintaining biodiversity in mountainous regions such
as Himalaya. Himalaya is one the world highest mountains range and known as biodiversity hot spot. The region is affected by strong elevational gradients, drastic
altitudinal climate variations over very short distances
which generate various environmental niches that
leads to simple geometric constraints on species
distribution boundaries resulting in divergence andspeciation. This study focused on general trends andrecent advances in highlighting biodiversity hotspots
and its evolutionary history. Our study observed thatuse of species richness, phylogenetic diversity, phylogenetic endemism, and weighted endemism canhelp to understand biodiversity hotspots in the study
area. On the other hand, phylogenetic patterns suchas use of net related index and nearest taxon index
revealed phylogenetic clustering and over dispersion
within study region. Furthermore, our study highlighted that spatial distribution and phylogenetic tree byusing β diversity metrics, help to understand phytoregions, indicator species and evolutionary distinctions
within the Himalayan flora. Based on these factors,
our study recommends that integrative, multifacteted
and policy backed approaches are required for understanding of the Himalayan flora. Our study will be
helpful in examining ecosystem drivers and provide
novel insights into the maintenance and conservationof other mountain regions.

S.152.2 Floristic andevolution of the “sky islands”
of East Africa
Shengwei Wang1,2, Neng Wei1,2, Tao
Wang1,2, Qingfeng Wang1,2
1 Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of
Sciences. 2 Sino-Africa Joint Research Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences
The East African mountains are one of the world’s crucial biodiversity hotspots, and their distinctive “sky island” structure makes them a Garden of Eden for theevolution of plant diversity. Long-term studies have fo-

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cused on the diversity and evolution of the Afroalpine
flora, and there is a lack of research on the floristic history of the entire montane system. Recent plant catalogs from East African mountains reveal the extremely
high diversity of plants here, with about 7,000 species
in 193 families and 1,544 genera, of which more than
15% are endemic to East Africa. The spatial and temporal phylogenetic patterns of the mountain flora revealthat the East African mountains are a convergence ofancient and young plants, serving as a museum andcradle of plant diversity in East Africa. Habitat disturbances caused by Pleistocene climate oscillations
have led to colonization, dispersion, extinction, andevolution of species. Especially the dispersal of habitats of montane forest species to intervening lowlands
during the Pleistocene glacial period facilitated species exchange between mountains. Meanwhile, thetemporal differences in mountainous geological dynamics, such as volcanism and uplift, coupled with theisland effect, intensify the differentiation of populations
among mountains. Our research shows that the East
African mountains are experiencing a gradual upward
trend in the number of exotic plants, which poses a
serious problem of homogenization of native plants.
Plant diversity in the East African mountains faces vulnerability and urgently needs more conservation andresearch attention.

plant radiations. However, little is known whether theseradiations are experienced similar or different diversification histories. In this study, we investigated the origin of the radiation of Berberis, an Andes and Hengduan-Himalaya Mts. (HHM) centered shrub clade. Our
results revealed that the net diversification rate of the
HHM steadily rised since the Miocene, whilethe rateof net diversification in the Andes remained relatively
flat during the same period. We recognized multiple
trait-environment matchings evolved from the HHM
unlike the Andes, and found such relationships were
stepwise evolved along the diversification history ofan alpine deciduous clade. Here, we unraveled a distinct but little-tested scenario for mountain radiation,in which sequential assembly of multiple enablers (i.e.,key trait evolution, mountain uplift, and paleo-climatechange) synergistically function as a trigger to maintain and promote the radiation.

S.152.4 Different levelsof competition explain
species richness differences
between two biodiversity
hotspots
Martha Kandziora1, Diana L. A. Vasquez2,
Christian Brochmann3, Abel Gizaw3, Petr
Sklenář1, Filip Kolář1,2, Nicolai M. Nürk4, andRoswitha Schmickl1,2

S.152.3 Mountain radiation
across the Andes and theHimalaya-Hengduan Mts.
driven by evolutionary
confluence in a shrub clade,
Berberis

1 Department of Botany, Charles University, Prague,
Czech Republic. 2 Institute of Botany, The Czech
Academy of Sciences, Průhonice, Czech Republic. 3 Natural History Museum, University of Oslo,
Oslo, Norway. 4 Department of Plant Systematics,
Bayreuth Centre of Ecology and Environmental Research, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany

Chih-Chieh Yu1, Qiu-Yue Zhang1, Wen-Na
Ding1, 2, Richard H. Ree3, Yao-Wu Xing1
1 CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese
Academy of Sciences, Mengla, China. 2 WSL, Swiss
Federal Research Institute for Forest, Snow andLandscape, Birmensdorf, Switzerland. 3 Life Sciences Section, Negaunee Integrative Research Center,
Field Museum, Chicago, IL, USA
The high-altitude regions of the Andes and the Hengduan-Himalaya Mts. are home to some of the world’s
most remarkable plant radiations. However, little is
known whether these radiations are experienced similar or different diversification history.The high-altitude
regions of the Andes and the Hengduan-Himalaya
Mts. are home to some of the world’s most remarkable

Niche packing and niche specialisation are two central factors modulating biodiversity patterns acrosslatitudes and altitudes. Niche packing is when species
niches are finely packed in a multi-dimensional niche
space while occurring in the same geographic space.
Specialised species on the contrary should have narrow, separate niches and are highly adapted to certain
environmental conditions. Both phenomena enablespecies to coexist by avoiding competition via resource
partitioning. Here, we combine phylogenomics of six
plant lineages, with occurrence records to compare
niche and range metrics - size and overlap - of species
between the highly diverse tropical alpine habitats of
the South American Andes and the less species-rich alpine habitats on the eastern African mountains. Com-471

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paring species niche sizes between both continents
using a multidimensional climate space, we foundthat overall niche size is larger in the Andes than in themountains of eastern Africa. Additionally, range-overlapping species in the Andes showed generally lessoverlap in niche space than in Africa. Taken together,
we hypothesise that biodiversity differences between
the two tropical alpine ecosystems might be causedby different degrees of competition.

S.152.5 From the Andesto the Cascades—
biogeography and evolution
across western South andNorth American mountain
ranges in Cistantheae
Anri Chomentowska1, Sophie Dauerman1,
Patrick Sweeney2, Iris Peralta3,4, C. Matt
Guilliams5, Monica Arakaki6, Joseph
Holtum7, Matthew Ogburn8, Lillian
Hancock9, Erika Edwards1,2
1 Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology,
Yale University, Connecticut, USA. 2 Peabody Museum, Yale University, Connecticut, USA. 3 Facultad deAgronomía, Universidad Nacional del Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina. 4 Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones
de las Zonas Áridas, Mendoza, Argentina. 5 Santa
Barbara Botanic Garden, California, USA. 6 Museo deHistoria Natural, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San
Marcos, Lima, Perú. 7 College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Queensland, Australia. 8 Department of Biology, Southern Utah University,
Utah, USA. 9 Department of Ecology and Evolutionary
Biology, Brown University, Rhode Island, USA
The plant family Montiaceae (Caryophyllales) has anaffinity for desert or alpine habitats and exhibits significant evolutionary lability in life history and climate
niche. Lability in life history traits has been shown tocluster especially in one South and North American
sublineage, the Cistantheae; this clade is distributed
in desert and mountain regions from the Andes to the
Cascade mountains, but is absent from equatorial regions (amphitropic distribution). Exploring evolutionary
patterns in this lineage has been stymied thus far byunresolved phylogenies, exacerbated by decades oftaxonomic confusion due to the presence of intraspecific variation in morphology. We aimed to clarify phylogenetic relationships within Cistantheae and delimiting species using various next-generation sequencing
techniques, with the ultimate goal of understanding its

biogeographical history and biome transitions. We sequenced 460 plant specimens involving 103 putative
species (including outgroup taxa) collected largely
from Chile, Argentina, Peru, and USA; the sequencing
reads were assembled using a whole-genome reference of the species Cistanthe longiscapa. The consequent phylogeny supported genus-level relationships
in the Cistantheae, and clarified species relationships
in its subsections. Phylogenomic and population genomic approaches showed signatures of gene flow
between select populations in smaller geographical ranges; we also inferred multiple long-distancedispersals between continents, with South America
acting as the source pool for movements into North
America. These analyses support several phylogenetic
hypotheses from previous studies and reveal instances where species have been over-split and need taxonomic revision. The phylogeny also raises interesting
implications about life history strategies and climate
niche evolution, and their role in desert and mountainradiations. Finally, Cistantheae includes multiple rare
and highly distinctive species that are vulnerable toextinction––highlighting the necessity for the conservation of their montane habitats and the importanceof describing the clade’s biodiversity.

S.152.6 Phylogenomic
analysis of “quinas”
and “pseudoquinas”(Cinchoneae - Rubiaceae)
from Peru
Eder Chilquillo1*, Joaquina Albán1, Monica
Arakaki1, Carla Maldonado2, Pedro
Romero3, Jorge L. Ramirez3, Isabel Cruz1,
Julio C. Torres1, Edgardo M. Ortiz4
1 Museo de Historia Natural, Universidad Nacional
Mayor de San Marcos, Jesús María, Lima, Perú. 2
Herbario Nacional de Bolivia, Instituto de Ecología,
Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, La Paz, Bolivia. 3
Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Perú. 4 Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
In its current circumscription, the Cinchoneae tribe includes 9 genera of neotropical distribution. Its species
occur mostly in the Andes in South America, with few
reaching Central America. Preliminary phylogenetic
studies have suggested the monophyly of Cinchoneae but intrageneric relationships are still debatable.
In this study, we sampled 8 genera of Cinchoneae(with ca. 50% of species for Cinchona and Laden-

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bergia) and obtained multiple single-copy nuclear
loci (ca. 207 genes) by using the “Angiosperm353
universal probe set”, which was complemented witha taxonomic review of Cinchoneae. Phylogenetic
inferences were realized with multispecies pseudo-coalescent (ASTRAL III) and gene concatenation
analysis (ML). Our results strongly support the monophyly of the tribe and most of the genera, except for
Ladenbergia. Furthermore, Ciliosemina, Ladenbergia
and Remijia formed a clade, although the position of

Ciliosemina (=Remijia pedunculata) and Ladenbergia muzonensis is still elusive. The position of Ladenbergia muzonensis is intriguing due to its intermediate floral morphology, which resembles both Remijia
and Ladenbergia species. Additionally, our phylogeny
also supports the recognition of a new species in Cinchona. Finally, our results show that sequencing datausing the probe set designed for multiple gene capture is a useful tool for phylogenetic reconstructions
in taxonomically complex groups.

S.153 USING HIGH-THROUGHPUT SEQUENCING
TO UNDERSTAND PLANT EVOLUTION ON
ISLANDS IN A DATA-RICH ERA: NEW INSIGHTSFOR NEW CHALLENGES. SESSION 2
S.153.1 Do we have enoughdata yet? Phylogenomics
of a rapid island species
radiation: an example fromNew Zealand Myosotis(Boraginaceae)
Heidi M. Meudt1, Sofie Pearson2,3, Weixuan
Ning2,4, Jessica M. Prebble5, Jennifer A. Tate2
1 Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, PO
Box 467, Cable St, Wellington, New Zealand. 2 Schoolof Natural Sciences, Massey University, Private Bag
11222, Palmerston North, New Zealand. 3 Present address: The University of Queensland, Warwick, QLD,
Australia. 4 Present address: Iowa State University,
Ames, IA, USA. 5 Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research, PO Box 69040, Lincoln, New ZealandIsland systems represent natural laboratories forstudies of species radiations, but they often present several challenges for species delimitation.
New Zealand forget-me-nots (Myosotis, Boraginaceae) are a typical example where the c. 50 species are morphologically divergent but often lacksufficient genetic diversity to distinguish among
the identifiable lineages. Many of these Myosotis
species are geographically restricted in alpine areas, uncommon, threatened, and have high taxonomic and conservation priority. Several previous
studies have attempted to identify species boundaries and groups using numerous data sources,

including single-gene sequences (ITS, ETS, andplastid markers), AFLPs, and microsatellites. Here
we present phylogenomic results based on Angiosperms353 baits, whole plastomes, and nrDNA toaddress long-standing questions in the southernhemisphere lineage of Myosotis. We sampled 300
individuals distributed across New Zealand representing all species and subspecies, and included representatives from the two native Australian
species. Specifically, we address whether these genomic-level datasets identify taxonomically usefulgroups (subgeneric, species, subspecies) that arerecognized by morphological attributes, including
vegetative and reproductive characteristics andpollen. Additional questions we aim to address using these datasets include: Do species form monophyletic groups? Do geographic patterns exist? Can
the data be used to delimit species as well as place
individuals whose identity was uncertain based on
their morphological characteristics? Overall, thephylogenomic data reflect earlier studies that show
a recent, rapid species radiation of Myosotis in New
Zealand. Although the backbone of the phylogenies
generally have short branches with low support,collectively the phylogenomic data presented here
are more useful than previous studies in identifying
species groups. Finally, although this phylogenomic
study does not fully overcome all of the challenges
regarding species delimitation of rapid island species radiations, it nevertheless makes an important
contribution to an integrative taxonomic revision of
the southern hemisphere species of Myosotis.

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S.153.2 Evolution in isolation:
sympatric and hybrid
speciation on a remoteoceanic island

S.153.3 Repeated dispersals
and in-situ radiations
shaped cactus diversity of
the Antilles

Theodore S. Brook1,2, Kyle Macleod1, Martin
Bidartondo1,2, Ian Hutton3, Sue Bower4, Alex
Papadopulos5, Trevor Wilson6, Vincent
Savolainen1

Lucas C. Majure1, Duniel Barrios2, Yuley
Encarnación1, Alan Franck1, Peter Breslin3

1 Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK. 2 Ecosystem Stewardship, Royal
Botanic Gardens, Kew, London, UK. 3 LHI Museum,
Lord Howe Island, Australia. 4 Bower Bush Works,
Sydney, Australia. 5 Environment Centre of Wales,
Bangor University, Bangor, UK. 6 Botanic Gardens ofSydney, Sydney, Australia
Speciation with gene flow – sympatric speciation –has often been considered improbable. Recent evidence, which is becoming more readily available
with next generation sequencing data, has revealed
that it can occur and, in some scenarios, may be relatively common. The flora of Lord Howe Island (LHI)
provides a unique system to study this process due
to its isolation and small size, enabling us to ruleout allopatry in many cases. A putative example ofsympatric speciation on LHI is a small radiation of
Coprosma (Rubiaceae), which has produced up toseven species across two independent colonisations.
Alongside producing an integrated taxonomic revision of this genus, we are using a transcriptomic data
to test the hypotheses that these species evolved insympatry and that hybrid speciation has produced
at least two of the (putative) species. The latter could
provide some of the first substantial evidence for thesyngameon hypothesis, the proposed role of elevated levels of hybridisation upon colonisation of a
new environment in enabling rapid adaptive diversification under disruptive/divergent selection. Thisphylotranscriptomic approach involves constructing
reference transcriptomes for each species, mappingRNA-seq reads from samples across each species’
range, and producing a phylogenetic tree and network of the genus on LHI. This is complimented by arange of population genetic analyses to determine
the stage of speciation and transcriptomic regions
associated with differentiation in this radiation. Given
the strong evidence for sympatric speciation among
other genera on LHI (Howea and Metrosideros), further study into Coprosma allows us to determine how
general sympatric speciation is across the island andthus how relevant this process is generating biodiversity on LHI and beyond.

1 Florida Museum, University of Florida, Gainesville,
Florida, U.S.A. 2 Universidad de La Habana, Cuba 3
University of Arizona, Tucson, U.S.A.
Cactaceae are a diverse subset (ca. 1800 spp.) of thearid flora of the Americas. Major diversity centers exist
in Mexico, Andean South America and eastern Brazil. The Caribbean biodiversity hotspot, including the
Bahamas, and the Greater and Lesser Antilles also
houses substantial diversity of the family, especially
species of seasonally dry tropical forest, with around
110 species of cacti found there. Most of those species(ca. 91) are endemic to the islands, thus providing amodel system for studying island biogeography andthe origins of Caribbean biodiversity. Previous work has
provided insight into the possible ways in which this diversity was generated, however, no broadly sampled
phylogeny is yet available to test these patterns. We
generated a near comprehensive dataset of Antillean
species of Cactaceae, as well as close relatives basedon chloroplast genomes, to test the age and origin of
Caribbean cacti. Numerous putative dispersals fromthe continent occurred during the late Pliocene andthroughout the Pleistocene, which led to the tremendous diversity of cacti we now see in the islands. In-situ
radiations were most prominent on the larger islandsof Cuba and Hispaniola, and those two islands also
were the most influential for the further spread of cacti
across the rest of the Antilles. Cactaceae provide an
intriguing piece to the puzzle for understanding Caribbean biogeography, and Pleistocene climatic events
appear to have played a major role in their diversification, a pattern comparable to parts of the mainland
distribution of the family.

S.153.4 Historicalbiogeography of two
Caribbean clades ofbromeliads

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1 Department of Biological Sciences, University of
Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, USA. 2 Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia
Pitcairnia (Pitcairnioideae) and Wittmackia (Bromelioideae) are two genera in Bromeliaceae with highCaribbean endemism. Pitcairnia is the second largest
genus in the family, distributed from Mexico to northern Argentina and the only one with presence in Africa.
There are approximately 15 species reported in the Caribbean islands. Wittmackia is distributed in Brazil andthe Caribbean with two separate radiations into theislands, one to the Grater Antilles that diversified into 17
different species, and another to the Lesser Antilles that
resulted in one species with widespread distribution. Using a target Sequence Capture approach with the Bromeliad 1776 baits set we analyze the relationships within
the Caribbean group and discuss biogeographic implication. Our analysis indicate that Pitcairnia colonized
the Caribbean from northern South America in one single successful event and later diversified and that species diversity has been overestimated likely because ofhigh phenotypic plasticity in the group. The colonizationof the Grater Antilles by Wittmackia is also the result ofa single event, in this case from Brazil, that resulted in a
Puerto Rican and a (mostly) Jamaican clade.

S.153.5 Correlates ofinter- and intra-island
speciation in Aeonium(Crassulaceae), a speciesrich Macaronesian radiation
Thibaud F.E. Messerschmid1, Stefan
Abrahamczyk2, Ángel Bañares-Baudet3,
Miguel A. Brilhante4, Urs Eggli5, PhilippHühn6, Joachim W. Kadereit6,7, Patrícia
dos Santos4,8, Jurriaan M. de Vos8, Gudrun
Kadereit1,7
1 Botanischer Garten München-Nymphenburg,
München, Germany. 2 Staatliches Museum fürNaturkunde Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany. 3 Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna,
Spain. 4 Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal. 5
Sukkulenten-Sammlung Zürich/Grün Stadt Zürich,
Zürich, Switzerland. 6 Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Mainz, Germany. 7 Ludwig-Maximilans-Universität München, München, Germany. 8
Universität Basel, Basel, Switzerland
The Aeonium alliance (Crassulaceae) is the most species-rich and ecologically diverse plant radiation on
the Canary Islands. In such radiations, speciation cantake place either within islands or following dispersal
between islands. By quantifying intra- and inter-island
speciation events in the evolution of Aeonium andexploring their correlates, we hypothesized that (1) intra-island diversification resulted in stronger ecological divergence of sister lineages, and that (2) taxa on
islands with a longer history of habitation by Aeonium
show stronger ecological differentiation and produce
fewer natural hybrids. We studied the biogeographicaland ecological setting of diversification processes in
Aeonium with a fully sampled and dated phylogeny
inferred using a ddRADseq approach. Ancestral areas
and biogeographical events were reconstructed in
BioGeoBEARS. Eleven morphological characters andthree habitat characteristics were taken into accountto quantify the morphological and ecological divergence between sister lineages. In lineages that diversified within single islands, morphological and ecological divergence was stronger than in lineages derived
from inter-island diversification, but only the difference
in morphological divergence was significant. Those islands with the longest history of habitation by Aeonium had the lowest percentages of co-occurring andhybridizing taxon pairs compared to islands colonizedby Aeonium more recently. Our findings illustrate theimportance of both inter- and intra-island speciationin island radiations, of which only the latter is potentially sympatric speciation.

S.153.6 The draft genomeof the cucumber tree
(Dendrosicyos socotranus,
Cucurbitaceae) as agenomic basis of adaptive
evolution on islands
Gentaro Shigita1,2, Edgardo M. Ortiz1, Alina
Höwener3, Hiroshi Ezura2, Hanno Schaefer1
1 Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany.
2 University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan. 3 Ludwig
Maximilian University of Munich, Munich, Germany
The island syndrome is a recurring pattern in ecological and morphological differences between
insular species and their continental relatives,
typically involving loss of defensive structures,increased woodiness, and modifications in floral
and reproductive traits. Although this phenomenon has long been treated as a textbook example of adaptive evolution, the underlying genetic
mechanisms remain largely unknown. The cu-

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cumber tree (Dendrosicyos socotranus Balf.f.) is
endemic to Socotra island, Yemen, and the only
arborescent species among ~1,000 Cucurbitaceae species. Its anatomical features demonstrate
adaptation to Socotra’s seasonally dry habitatby storing water in the parenchyma of its swollen
stems, allowing extended photosynthesis during
the dry season. Moreover, the species attracts
additional attention due to its vulnerable statuson the IUCN Red List and its cultural significancefor local communities as a source of fodder andmedicine. Here, we report the first genomic exploration of D. socotranus. Based on k-mer spectrum
analyses, the species is estimated to be diploid,with a ~400 Mb genome. Using a combination of
Nanopore long-reads and Illumina short-reads,
the genome was assembled into 181 contigs, totaling 405.9 Mb with an N50 of 4.9 Mb, and 97.7%

BUSCO completeness. Genome annotation revealed that 65.4% of the genome consists of repeats and contains 19,241 protein-coding genes.
Comparative genomics with 22 other cucurbits
identified 7,592 gene families conserved acrossall examined cucurbits, as well as 19 gene families
unique to D. socotranus. Functional annotationof these 19 gene families found one gene family
presumably associated with self-incompatibility, suggesting a potential shift in the reproductive manner as observed in other insular species.
Further analyses of this genome and comparison
with its closest continental relatives will provide
valuable insights into the genetic mechanismsthat make D. socotranus outstanding in the family and facilitate our understanding of adaptive
evolution on islands.

S.154 CYCADS AS EMERGING MODELS IN
EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY AND SYMBIOSIS
S.154.1 The Cycas genome
and the early evolution ofseed plants
Yang Liu1,2,34, Sibo Wang1,34, Linzhou Li1,34,
Ting Yang1,34, Shanshan Dong2,34, Tong
Wei1,34, Shengdan Wu3,34, Yongbo Liu4,34,
Yiqing Gong2, Xiuyan Feng5, Jianchao
Ma 6, Guanxiao Chang6, Jinling
Huang5,6,7, Yong Yang8, Hongli Wang1,9,
Min Liu1, Yan Xu1,9, Hongping Liang1,9,
Jin Yu1,9, Yuqing Cai1,9, Zhaowu Zhang1,9,
Yannan Fan1, Weixue Mu1, Sunil Kumar
Sahu 1, Shuchun Liu2, Xiaoan Lang2,10,
Leilei Yang2, Na Li2, Sadaf Habib2,11,
Yongqiong Yang12, Anders J. Lindstrom13,
Pei Liang 14, Bernard Goffinet15,
Sumaira Zaman 15, Jill L. Wegrzyn15,
Dexiang Li 10, Jian Liu5, Jie Cui16, Eva C.
Sonnenschein 17, Xiaobo Wang18, Jue
Ruan18, Jia-Yu Xue19, Zhu-Qing Shao20,
Chi Song21, Guangyi Fan1, Zhen Li22,
Liangsheng Zhang23,24, Jianquan Liu25,

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Zhong-Jian Liu26, Yuannian Jiao27, XiaoQuan Wang27, Hong Wu28, Ertao Wang29,
Michael Lisby30, Huanming Yang1,
Jian Wang1, Xin Liu1, Xun Xu1, Nan Li2,
Pamela S. Soltis31,Yves Van de Peer19,22,32,
Douglas E. Soltis31,33, Xun Gong5, Huan
Liu1, Shouzhou Zhang2
1 State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genomics,
BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China. 2 Key Laboratoryof Southern Subtropical Plant Diversity, Fairy Lake
Botanical Garden, Shenzhen & Chinese Academyof Sciences, Shenzhen, China. 3 State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, Collegeof Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.
4 State Environmental Protection Key Laboratoryof Regional Eco-process and Function Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, China. 5 Key Laboratory
for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia,
Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China. 6 Key Laboratory of Plant Stress Biology, State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Adaptation and Improvement,
Henan University, Kaifeng, China. 7 Departmentof Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC,
USA. 8 College of Biology and Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China. 9 Collegeof Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academyof Sciences, Beijing, China. 10 Nanning Botanical
Garden, Nanning, China. 11 School of Life Scienc-

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es, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China. 12
Sichuan Cycas panzhihuaensis National Nature
Reserve, Panzhihua, China. 13 Global Biodiversity
Conservancy, Chonburi, Thailand. 14Departmentof Entomology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China. 15 Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs,
CT, USA. 16 Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Plant Epigenetics, Longhua Institute of Innovative Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences
and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China. 17 Department of Biotechnology andBiomedicine, Technical University of Denmark,Lyngby, Denmark. 18 Shenzhen Agricultural Genome Research Institute, Chinese Academy ofAgricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China. 19 College of Horticulture, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China. 20 State Key Laboratoryof Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life
Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China. 21
Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China. 22 Department of Plant
Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, VIB UGent Center for Plant Systems Biology,
Gent, Belgium. 23 College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
24 Hainan Institute of Zhejiang University, Sanya,
China. 25 The College of Life Sciences, Sichuan
University, Chengdu, China. 26 Key Laboratory ofOrchid Conservation and Utilization of National
Forestry and Grassland Administration at Collegeof Landscape Architecture, Fujian Agriculture andForestry University, Fuzhou, China. 27 State Key
Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China. 28 College of Life Sciences,
South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou,
China. 29 National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences,
Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese
Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China. 30 Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen,Copenhagen, Denmark. 31 Florida Museum of
Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville,
FL, USA. 32 Department of Biochemistry, Genetics
and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa. 33 Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA. 34 e-mail:yang.liu0508@gmail.com; yvpee@psb.vib-ugent.
be; dsoltis@ufl.edu; gongxun@mail.kib.ac.cn; liuhuan@genomics.cn; shouzhouz@szbg.ac.cn
Cycads represent one of the most ancient lineagesof living seed plants. Identifying genomic featuresuniquely shared by cycads and other extant seedplants, but not non-seed-producing plants, may
shed light on the origin of key innovations, as well as
the early diversification of seed plants. Here, we report the 10.5-Gb reference genome of Cycas panzhihuaensis, complemented by the transcriptomes of339 cycad species. Nuclear and plastid phylogenom-

ic analyses strongly suggest that cycads and Ginkgo
form a clade sister to all other living gymnosperms, incontrast to mitochondrial data, which place cycads
alone in this position. We found evidence for an ancient whole-genome duplication in the common ancestor of extant gymnosperms. The Cycas genome
contains four homologues of the fitD gene family thatwere likely acquired via horizontal gene transfer fromfungi, and these genes confer herbivore resistancein cycads. The male-specific region of the Y chromosome of C. panzhihuaensis contains a MADS-box
transcription factor expressed exclusively in malecones that is similar to a system reported in Ginkgo, suggesting that a sex determination mechanism
controlled by MADS-box genes may have originatedin the common ancestor of cycads and Ginkgo. The
C. panzhihuaensis genome provides an importantnew resource of broad utility for biologists.

S.154.2 Paleogenomic dataon karyotype evolution in
the gymnosperms support
Ginkgo and cycads assisters and both as sister to
Pinaceae
Pengchuan Sun1, Susanne S. Renner2,
Jianquan Liu1
1 College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University,
Chengdu, China. 2 Department of Biology, Washington University, Saint Louis, USA
Chromosome-scale genomes provide a basis for
inferring ancestral linkage groups and processes ofkaryotype evolution. We have reconstructed the karyotypes of nine representatives of the major groups ofgymnosperms, using an approach that starts from retained intact chromosomes and syntenic blocks. The
results show that the most recent common ancestorof the gymnosperms had 24 unique protochromosomes and that their fusion can be traced from the
Pinales ancestor to extant species of (((Pinus, Cycas,
Ginkgo), ((Cupressus, Metasequoia), (Taxus, and Torreya))). The karyotypes of Gnetum and Welwitschia, bycontrast, are extremely modified. Recent assessmentsof cycad and Ginkgo male and female reproductive
organ development, pollen ontogeny and germination as well as ovule development, female gametophyte formation, and ovule integument differentiation(Offer et al. Critical Rev. in Plant Science 2023) support
the (cycad, Ginkgo) sister relationship.

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S.154.3 The Cuba Conundrum:
Insights into Caribbean Zamia(Zamiaceae, Cycadales)
evolution
Michael Calonje1, Ramona Oviedo Prieto2,
Gabriel Brull Puebla3, Lisbet GonzalezOliva2, Ramiro Chaves2, M. Patrick Griffith1,
Javier Francisco-Ortega4,1, Dayana SalasLeyva5, Mario Coiro6,7, Alan W. Meerow1,8
1 Montgomery Botanical Center, Coral Gables, Florida, USA. 2 Instituto de Ecología y Sistemática, Habana, Cuba. 3 Empresa Nacional para la Protección de la Flora y la Fauna, Habana, Cuba. 4 Florida
International University, Florida, USA. 5 University ofCambridge, Department of Biochemistry, Cambridge, UK. 6 Department of Palaeontology, University of Vienna. 7 Ronin Institute for Independent
Scholarship, Montclair, USA. 8 Arizona State University, College of Life Sciences, Tempe, AZ, USA
We used SSR and Single Copy Nuclear Gene molecular markers to explore patterns of genetic variation
across 130 wild populations of Caribbean zamias
sampled throughout the entirety of their geographic
range. We report the results of several genetic analyses with an emphasis on populations occurring in
Cuba, the country with the highest species richness(6 currently accepted spp.) and morphological diversity in this group. We present the following findings: 1) The strongest genetic separation is between
zamias in Florida and those occurring in the rest of
Caribbean, 2) Cuban populations appear closest to
the ancestral Caribbean zamia population and other Caribbean Islands where colonized from Cuba,3) Bahamian populations are closest geneticallyto Cuban populations and there is a close relationship between populations in Dominican Republicand Puerto Rico and between populations in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, 4) Hispaniola wascolonized from Puerto Rico rather than from Cuba,
explaining the unusual distribution of the genus on
the island, where it is restricted to Eastern Dominican
Republic, 5) 80% of Florida populations have Heterozygote excess indicating a recent bottleneck event,
likely due to the massive starch industry in Florida. 6)
Zamia lucayana, a species endemic to Long Islandin the Bahamas, is more closely related to Cuban
Zamia populations than to other Bahamian populations, 7) Cuban populations are the most morphologically distinct in the Caribbean, but are incredibly genetically admixed, suggesting a high degreeof genetic connectivity between them in the recent

past. 5) there is a high morphological convergence
between genetically distinct populations in the Caribbean, and this extreme conflict between morphological resemblance and genetic similarity makes
them a challenging group for morphology-based
traditional species delimitation.

S.154.4 Symbiotic microbial
and metabolic diversity andage estimates of coralloid
roots: deciphering cycad’s
resilience secrets
Angélica Cibrián-Jaramillo1, Francisco
Barona-Gómez2
1 Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, the Netherlands. 2 Institute of Biology, Leiden University, theNetherlands.
Cycads are known to host symbiotic cyanobacteria,
including Nostocales species, as well as other sympatric bacterial taxa within their specialized coralloid
roots. Even if it is reasonable to expect that Nitrogen-fixing microbiomes contribute towards the remarkableadaptability of cycads, it remains to be elucidated if(i) these bacteria share a phylogenetic origin and/or
common genomic functions that allow them to engage in facultative symbiosis; (ii) how the metabolic
products of these microbiomes mediate and sustain‘symbiotic’ interactions amongst conserved bacteria
and with the cycad host; and (iii) what is the role ofthese communities, and of the whole coralloid root, on
cycad’s longevity, which remains to be determined. In
this presentation, we provide an integrated view on thecycad’s coralloid root, including its microbiome composition and related metabolic products, as well as
the anatomy of the host itself, obtained after a broad
range of analytical approaches. These include phylometagenomics and functional analysis of synthetic
sub-communities, to evaluate evolutionary and functional relationships; metabolomics and imagining DESI
mass spectrometry, to provide mechanistic insights
underlying the symbiosis functions; and q-FISH tomeasure telomers lengths and laser ablation tomography to analyze internal anatomy of colonized andnon-colonized coralloid roots. Results derived from ourintegrated approach support a role of coralloid roots
on cycad’s adaptive resilience, central to the notionof developing cycads as an evolutionary plant modeland with a bearing on conservation strategies of thishighly endangered plant group.

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S.154.5 Enemy-free spacein cycad-herbivore
interactions: a case studyof Zamia cycads andEumaeus butterflies
Melissa RL Whitaker1
1 East Tennessee State University, Johnson City TN USA
Cycads support fascinating insect herbivore faunas
composed of mutualists like brood site pollinators, aswell as parasitic herbivores such as folivorous caterpillars. While most research on cycad-insect interactions
has focused on insect pollination, parasitic herbivores
also significantly affect the fitness of many cycads, withsometimes dire consequences for cycad conservation and management. These herbivore associations
are strongly influenced by cycads’ defensive traits,
particularly their unique chemical defenses, requiring
significant adaptation on the part of the insects to beable tolerate, excrete, and/or detoxify cycads’ phytotoxins. For this reason, the majority of parasitic cycad
herbivores are obligate cycad specialists. For example,
the neotropical butterfly genus, Eumaeus, is a wholly
cycadivorous lineage that feeds primarily on Zamia
cycads and provides an emerging model system forinvestigating cycad-herbivore interactions. Recent research in into Zamia-Eumaeus interactions includes
genomic investigations of both the insects and plants,
toxicity and survival assays, and chemical analyses.
In this presentation, I synthesize recent research on
Zamia-Eumaeus interactions (both published and in
progress), including results from preference-performance assays conducted with cycad-specific toxins,
and descriptive and experimental investigations into
the importance of higher trophic levels driving cycad-insect interactions. I evaluate these results in theframework of enemy-free space, using a multi-trophic
approach to understand the evolution and ecology ofcycads’ fascinating symbioses with insects.

Cycads are an ancient lineage of dioecious gymnosperm that overwhelmingly rely on insect mutualists for pollination services, providing an excellent opportunity for studies into the ecology andevolution of insect pollination, plant-insect signaling, and the maintenance of mutualisms. Specialized cycad-beetle pollination has existed since atleast the early Jurassic, placing it before the ecological dominance of angiosperms and the accompanying diversification of major lineages ofpollinators such as butterflies and bees (Cai et al2018). Entire lineages of beetles exclusively live on
and pollinate cycads in what has been suggested to be a classic case of co-evolution. Chemical communication (scent) has been shown to
be important for the maintenance of these mutualisms (Salzman et al. 2021) and for plant reproduction through ‘push-pull pollination’ (Terry et al.
2007), the most ancient pollination mechanism
yet documented (Salzman et al 2020), yet scent is
not the only signal influencing pollinator behavior(Salzman et al. 2023). These entomophilous plants
produce dense woody reproductive cones without
the overt visual signals commonly employed byangiosperms and must rely on other signals andcues for communication with their insect partners.
As such, they are thermogenic plants, producing
internal heat within their reproductive structuresthat in turn alters the carbon dioxide, humidity,
and scent of the cones. All of the plant produced
primary and secondary metabolites that are perceived by pollinators are used in decision making.
I discuss plant signaling and morphology in an
ecological and evolutionary framework to understand extant and ancient pollination.
References: Cai et al. 2018. Current Biology 28: 28062813. Salzman et al. 2020. Science Advances 6:
eaay6169. Salzman et al. 2021. Frontiers in Plant Science 12: 639368. Salzman et al. 2023. Current Biology
33: 1654-1664. Terry et al. 2007. Science 318: 70.

S.154.6 Multi-modal
pollination signaling in
cycads, an ancient plantlineage
Shayla Salzman1
1 University of Georgia, Athens, USA

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S.155 KEY MORPHOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS IN
FLOWER EVOLUTION
S.155.1 Development ofsexually deceptive petal
spots
Farahnoz N. Khojayori1, Udhaya Ponraj1,
Xiao Wang1, Róisín Fattorini2, Roman
Kellenberger1, and Beverley J. Glover1
1 University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK. 2 University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
Gorteria diffusa, a South African daisy, has at least
15 distinct populations that differ in their floral morphology, specifically in the number, complexity, andposition of petal spots. However, all morphs are pollinated by the same bee-fly, Megapalpus capensis.
Floral morphs with simple spots lead to foraging andresting by the bee-fly, while those with complex petal spots mimic the female bee-fly, tricking the males
into pseudo-copulation. Our research suggests
multiple genetic pathways may have been co-opted and integrated to produce an effective bee-fly
mimic. We are comparing these pathways acrossthe populations of G. diffusa to identify processes
underlying the evolution of this novel character.

S.155.2 Macroevolutionary
patterns of floral
diversification
Jürg Schönenberger1, Julian Herting2,
Andrea López-Martínez3, Marion Chartier1,
Susana Magallón3, Maria von Balthazar1,
Hervé Sauquet2
1 University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria. 2 National
Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico. 3 Botanic Gardens of Sydney, Sydney, Australia

phylogenomic analyses in angiosperms, together
with results from comparative floral development
and morphology, provide a unique opportunity tounderstand macroevolutionary patterns of floral diversification. In this study, we trace the evolution anddiversification of various floral traits related to thethree main organ categories (perianth, androecium,and gynoecium) and key aspects of floral structure(e.g., merism, phyllotaxis, and union of organs). We
base our analyses on an extensive, referenced andcontinuously updated and curated dataset of floral morphology, which we compiled over the past
decade in the collaborative database PROTEUS, aspart of the eFLOWER initiative. The current dataset
comprises 30 floral traits scored for 1201 species,
representing all currently recognized angiosperm
families. We apply ancestral state reconstructions
using parsimony, maximum likelihood, and Bayesianinference, exploring different evolutionary models, totrace the evolution and diversification of pivotal floral traits. In addition, we reconstruct and re-evaluate
ancestral flowers at the crown node and additional
deep nodes in the angiosperm phylogeny. We findthat floral diversification was shaped both by modification and innovation and that similar evolutionary trajectories were often explored repeatedly andindependently in different parts of the angiosperm
phylogenetic tree. Our study complements earlier
and ongoing studies from the fields of paleobotany, comparative morphology, and evo-devo in theirattempts to answer key questions on the early evolution and diversification of flowers in angiosperms.

S.155.3 Developmental
patterning of headlike inflorescences inAsteraceae

Since crown group angiosperms originated morethan 140 Mya., flowers have diversified into a multitude of floral forms. Their diversification was shapedby the combination of extrinsic physical (e.g., climate) and biological (e.g., pollinators) factors aswell as by their intrinsic structural and genetic constraints. The continuing progress in phylogenetic and

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Paula Elomaa1, Teng Zhang1, Feng
Wang1 Andrew Owens2, Mikolaj Cieslak2,
Przemyslaw Prusinkiewicz2
1 Department of Agricultural Sciences, Viikki Plant
Science Centre, University of Helsinki, Finland. 2 Department of Computer Science, University of Calgary, Canada

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Asteraceae (sunflower family) represents one of
the largest and most diverse families of plants. The
inflorescences of Asteraceae mimic solitary flowers
but are in fact compressed, head-like structures
typically comprised of multiple florets with specialized functions. This unique architecture has been
considered as a key innovation behind the evolutionary success of the family. Flower heads arealso iconic examples of geometric regularity foundin nature; the involucral bracts and florets are arranged in regular left- and right-curving spirals
whose numbers follow the mathematical Fibonacciseries. We have explored the growth dynamics andpatterning of the enlarged inflorescence meristem
in the model plant Gerbera hybrida and shown with
DR5 auxin reporter lines how the high spiral numbers emerge. The molecular data was integrated
into a computational model to explain phyllotactic
patterning of Asteraceae heads. We have extended our studies to explore how head vasculature isassociated with organ phyllotaxis. By applying synchrotron-based micro-CT imaging, we have explored the vascular networks in heads of diverse
Asteraceae species. The observed diversity andirregularities of vasculature stand in contrast withthe regularity of phyllotactic patterns, confirmingthat phyllotaxis in heads in not driven by the vasculature. We discuss how our recent discoveries onmeristem patterning relate to distinct scenarios ofthe evolutionary origin of Asteraceae heads.

S.155.4 Gene Duplication
Facilitates but does not
Trigger Floral Color Pattern
Diversification
Mark D. Rausher1
1 Duke University, Durham, USA
The genus Clarkia exhibits a tremendous diversity offloral color patterns. Patterns consist of a small number of pattern elements, including background petal
color, spots, sprays, white patches. The presence/absence, positions and sizes of these elements frequently
differ between very closely related species. In general,
different pattern elements are controlled by different
paralogs of R2R3Myb proteins that have arisen via duplication, and similar pattern elements (e.g. spots) arecontrolled by different paralogs in different species.
The spatial locations of elements are determined by
the expression domains of the genes coding for these
proteins. While gene duplication clearly has facilitat-ed the diversification of color patterns, this does notnecessarily imply that duplication events actually triggered his diversification. By exploring the presence ofdifferent paralogs in Clarkia and related genera, wehave found that the R2R3Myb duplications occurred
long before diversification of color patterns, indicating a substantial lag time between duplication andthe association of these genes with color pattern elements. Duplication events thus did not trigger pattern
diversification. Instead, this lag suggests that pattern
diversification did not occur until environmental conditions made it advantageous to have novel patterns.

S.155.5 A generalized
polarity-based modelingsystem for plant lateralorgan morphogenesis andevolution
Jie Cheng1,2, Xu Yao1,2, Xukun Li1,2,3, Tan
Qin1,2,3, Dian Yu1,2,3, Xiaofeng Yin1,2, Hongyan
Shan1,2, Christopher Whitewoods4, Enrico
Coen5, Hongzhi Kong1,2,3
1 State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, 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.
4 Sainsbury Laboratory, University of Cambridge,
Cambridge UK. 5 Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
Shape and form are basic attributes of objects. Exploring how the various shapes of Organisms were madethrough development and evolution is the key to understanding biodiversity. Peltate organs, such as theprey-capturing traps of carnivorous plants and nectary-bearing petals of ranunculaceous species, arewidespread in nature and have intrigued and perplexed scientists for centuries. Shifts in the expression
domains of adaxial/abaxial genes have been shown tocontrol leaf peltation in some carnivorous plants, yet themechanisms underlying the generation of other peltate organs remain unclear. Here, we show that formation of various peltate ranunculaceous petals was also
caused by shifts in the expression domains of adaxial/abaxial genes, followed by differentiated regional
growth sculpting the margins and/or other parts of theorgans. By inducing parameters to specify the time,
position, and degree of the shifts and growth, we fur-481

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ther propose a generalized modeling system, throughwhich various unifacial, bifacial, and peltate organs canbe simulated. These results demonstrate the existenceof a hierarchical morphospace system and pave theway to understand the mechanisms underlying plantorgan diversification. Based on this generalized organ
modelling system, we are extending it into a more powerful framework available for multiple organs as well ascomplex biological structures.

S.155.6 Developmental
genetics of corolla
tube formation: a key
morphological innovation
during angiosperm
evolution
Yao-Wu Yuan2
1 Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology,
University of Connecticut, USA
About one third of all angiosperm species produce
flowers with petals fused into a corolla tube. Differences in the length, width, and curvature of the corolla tube have led to an endless variety of different-

ly shaped flowers that attract specialized groups ofpollinators (e.g., beeflies, hawkmoths, hummingbirds,
nectar bats). As such, the corolla tube is considereda key morphological innovation that contributes toplant diversification and speciation; yet it remains
one of the least understood plant organs from a developmental genetics perspective. In this talk, I present our work towards understanding this problem
using monkeyflowers (Mimulus) as a model system.
Through genetic analyses of several Mimulus mutants
with split corolla tubes, characterization of corolla tube
ontogenesis in the wild type and mutants, and a series of transgenic experiments, we have establisheda regulatory pathway and a new conceptual modelfor the developmental genetic control of corolla tube
formation. At the heart of this model is auxin-induced
synchronized growth between the bases of the petal
primordia and the inter-primordial regions during early stages of flower development. Upstream of this coremodule is the tasiRNA-ARF3/4 pathway that regulates
auxin homeostasis in the synchronized growth zone;
downstream is an organ boundary gene (MlNAC1) thatsuppresses localized tissue growth if not repressed by
auxin signaling. We expect that this conceptual modeland the regulatory pathway (i.e., tasiRNA-ARF3/4-auxin-MlNAC1) will serve the foundation for many interesting studies on corolla tube development and evolution in the coming years.

S.156 RELICT PLANT VULNERABILITY TO
CLIMATE CHANGE
S.156.1 Algerian relict trees
under global and climat
change: statuts, threats andconservation
Sarmoum Mohamed1, Abdoun Fatiha2
1 Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Soil Culture, Faculty of Nature and Life Sciences, Ibn Khaldoun University, PO Box 78 Zaaroura, Tiaret, Algeria. mohamed.
sarmoum@univ-tiaret.dz. 2 Laboratory of Plant Ecology and Environment, Faculty of Biological Sciences,
University of Science and Technology Houari Boumediene, BP 32 El Alia, Bab Ezzouar, Alger, Algeria.
In the context of global and climatic changes whichprevail today, many trees are threatened with disappearance. Algeria is a vast country which is located between two large geographical areas: Med-iterranean (Northern Algeria) and desert (Southern
Algeria). This situation has generated a remarkablediversity of habitats and ecosystems. Unfortunately, global and climatic changes have negatively affected this diversity (deforestation, grazing, desertification, forest dieback, etc.). Among the importantelements of this biodiversity, relict trees occupy an
important place in the landscapes. Having lived indifferent geological eras, these trees are witnesses to the environmental changes that have takenplace over millions of years. They also constitute anatural heritage of great ecological, economic andcultural value which must be preserved for future
generations. In this work, we present the state ofknowledge on the relict trees of Algeria, their ecological and biogeographical status, the threats andthe problems linked to their conservation underglobal and climatic changes.

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S.156.2 Diversity of
Taxaceae in Northeastern
China during Middle-Late
Jurassic

S.156.3 Meta-analysis of
genomic vulnerability ofrelict plants under rapid
climate change in East Asia

Chong Dong1, Gongle Shi1, Fabiany
Herrera2, Yongdong Wang1, Patrick S.
Herendeen3, Peter R. Crane4,5

Wen-Hao Li1, Zheng-Zhang Zhu1, YunPeng Zhao1

1 Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China.
2 Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, USA.
3 Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe, USA. 4 Oak
Spring Garden Foundation, Upperville, USA. 5 Yale
University, New Haven, USA
Taxaceae (the yew family) are a small family of
conifers comprising about 25 extant species infive genera, including Taxus, Amentotaxus, Torreya, Pseudotaxus, and Austrotaxus. Their axillary
ovulate structures are characterized by bearing
a single terminal seed with a fleshy aril, whichmakes the family very different from other extant
conifers. Taxaceae have a long fossil history withthe earliest occurrences from the earliest Jurassic (Hettangian, 201–197 Ma) of southern Sweden.
Recently, we discovered well-preserved, diverse
Taxaceae fossils from the Middle- Late Jurassic
Daohugou Biota (~165-158 Ma) in eastern Inner
Mongolia, northeastern China. These include
a least four species that could be assigned toAmentotaxus, Taxus, Torreya and probably an
extinct genus different from all extant generaof Taxaceae. Among the new fossils, Amentotaxus ningchengensis sp. nov. and Taxus daohugouensis sp. nov. are based on leafy shootswith attached seed-bearing structures, andthey resemble those of extant Amentotaxus andTaxus respectively in vegetative as well as ovulate features. Torreya daohugouensis sp. nov. isbased on leafy shoots with well-preserved cuticles. It is also comparable to extant Torreya inmorphology of leaves as well as detailed cuticle
structures. The new fossils from the Dahugou Biota show that the yew family had been diverse in
Northeastern China since the Middle-Late Jurassic and this pattern of diversification is also seen
in early Cretaceous floras of Mongolia. Amentotaxus, Taxus and probably Torreya appeared
early in the evolutionary history of the family. The
Asian fossils also indicate that Amentotaxus andTaxus may have undergone little morphologicalchange since the Middle-Late Jurassic.

1 Systematic & Evolutionary Botany and Biodiversity
Group, MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystem Homeostasis and Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
Relict species form an essential component ofcontemporary biodiversity as representativesof a patrimony nested in the Tree of Life. Rarity
and restricted distributions obviously place relict
species in special demographic jeopardy of extinction, especially in the face of ongoing climatic changes and other ecological perturbations(Habel et al. 2010). East Asia harbors hundreds ofrelict species, as several long-term climaticallystable refugia provided chances of species-level
persistence (Tang et al. 2018). However, climatic-derived genetic diversity loss of relict species
in the coming decades has few reported. In thisstudy, we evaluated the population-level climatic vulnerability of 10 relict taxa by genetic-environment associated loci data, considering local
adaptation by heterogenous habitats. We aimed
to (1) identify the most fragile areas with highest genomic vulnerability, highlighting prior local
populations for conservation; (2) assess effects
of rescue via migration with or without distancelimitation; (3) reveal the traits/genetic basis thatenable populations overcome the adaptive challenges. Our work quantified the maladaptationand migration to understanding the extinct risksof relict plants, further help target future conservation actions.
References: Habel, J. C., Assmann, T., Schmitt, T., &Avise, J. C. (2010). Relict species: from past to future. In Relict species: phylogeography and conservation biology (pp. 1-5). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. Tang, C. Q., Matsui, T., Ohashi, H., Dong, Y. F.,
Momohara, A., Herrando-Moraira, S., ... & López-Pujol, J. (2018). Identifying long-term stable refugia
for relict plant species in East Asia. Nature Communications, 9(1), 4488.

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S.156.4 The origin,speciation, and adaptive
divergence of the relict
genus Pterocarya under the
climate change

adaptive potential was suggested by the high levels of genetic vulnerability in marginal populations.
Environmental gradient mainly shaped the population differentiation of P. macroptera. Marginal populations may be at high risk of extinction, and thus
proactive management measures, such as assisted gene flow, are required to ensure the survival ofthese populations.

Yi-Gang Song1, Tian-Rui Wang1, Zi-Jia
Lu1, Hong-Hu Meng2, Si-Si Zheng1, Gregor
Kozlowski1,3,4
1 Eastern China Conservation Centre for Wild Endangered Plant Resources, Shanghai Chenshan
Botanical Garden, Shanghai, China. 2 Plant Phylogenetics and Conservation Group, Center for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical
Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences,
Kunming, China. 3 Department of Biology and Botanic Garden, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland. 4 Natural History Museum Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
The integration of past, present and future spatial-temporal patterns is crucial in all research areasof biogeography and conservation biology. Combined with the phylogenomics, biogeography, andadaptive genomic variation, we explored the origin,speciation, hybridization, and adaptive evolution of
the small Cenozoic relict genus Pterocarya that livein riparian areas with six to eight species. Our results
clearly confirm the division of the genus into twomonophyletic sections: the Platyptera section and
the Pterocarya section. The climate changes during
the Early Miocene era coped with the divergence
between the two sections. The climate cooling andformation of Gobi Desert in the Middle Miocene epoch caused a split in the continuous distribution of
the genus and formation of the disjunction. Focus on
East Asia, the phylogeographic break of Pterocarya
hupehensis conformed to the boundary of the Sino-Himalayan and Sino-Japanese forests sub-kingdoms. However, in contrast to the nuclear gene, two
chloroplast clades within the eastern lineage further
diverged along the Yangtze River, and the extensivepollen flow may be the primary factors. Three genetic lineages within P. macroptera: the Qinling-Daba-Tianmu Mountains, Western Sichuan, and Northwest Yunnan lineages, which showed significant
signals of isolation by distance (IBD) and isolation
by environment (IBE). The identified GEA SNP-related
genes were involved in chemical defence and gene
regulation and may exhibit higher genetic variation
to adapt to the environment. Gradient forest analysis revealed that the genetic variation was mainly
shaped by temperature-related variables. A limited

S.156.5 Local belief as aconservation driver ofgolden larch (Pseudolarix
amabilis) in China
Cheng Jin, Yuan Chen1, Siwei Hu, Lihua
Zhou1, Yongchuan Yang1
1 Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Reservoir
Region’s Eco-Environment, Ministry of Education,
Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
Pseudolarix amabilis is a specific mono-species
genus plant in China, and one of the most internationally influential ancient relict plants in China. P.
amabilis is facing various threats such as habitat
fragmentation, population isolation, and number
dwindle. Fortunately, it has been pointed out thatthe village fengshui forest provides shelter for thenatural population of P. amabilis. However, how
can the village fengshui forest protect the natural
population of P. amabilis remains to be exploredin depth. Therefore, based on the methods of field
investigation and community interview, this study
conducted a comprehensive investigation of therecruitment status, conservation behavior, anddisturbance degree for the natural population of
P. amabilis. At the same time, we took the natural
population of P. amabilis in Linjiatang as an example to reveal the protection and management paradigm of P. amabilis fengshui forest and explore itsrole in the effective protection of P. amabilis. The
results showed that DBH structure of P. amabilis
in fengshui forest was more continuous, and theseedling density was higher, compared with otherhabitat types. Fengshui and taboo culture carriedby shuikou forest, cemetery forest, and yangji tree
are the internal reasons why the fengshui forest
can effectively protect the natural population of
P. amabilis. The development of rural tourism has
further promoted the protection of the P. amabilis
fengshui forest. Our results can provide a basis formaking an effective protection paradigm for thenatural population of P. amabilis.

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S.156.6 Deepphylogeographic
divergence of beaked
hickory calls fortransboundary conservation
in a biodiversity hotspot
Jie Liu1
1 CAS Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany,
Chinese Academy of Sciences
The conservation of endangered plants is a crucial step for the maintenance of biodiversity ina changing world. However, the lack of comprehensive phylogeographic information for mostendangered species greatly impedes effective
action, especially for species distributed acrossnational borders. Beaked hickory (Carya sinensis),which is endemic to China and Vietnam, part of
the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot, exemplifies
these issues. Here, based on comprehensive fieldsampling, we used three genomic datasets (i.e.,

plastid, mitochondrial, and nrDNA) and ecological niche modeling to reveal its genetic diversity,
phylogeographic structure, and population history, shedding insights into conservation. Three distinct clades were resolved, i.e., Clade A in Vietnam,
Clade B in China, and Clade C covering both countries. Genetic diversity is low at species and within-clade levels, but multiple private haplotypes
were observed in each clade. The three clades
diverged between 6 and 8 Mya, making this a far
older species than others within Carya, and eachlikely had a separate glacial refugium. Bottlenecks
were detected in all three clades after the LGM,
probably driven by the late Pleistocene glacial oscillations, but Clade C experienced a recent (~800
years ago) expansion which might have been anthropogenic. From this, we recommend treating
the three clades as distinct conservation units for
C. sinensis and propose a precise evidence-basedin and ex situ conservation management strategy,
as part of a practical transboundary conservation
framework. This sets a model for transboundary
conservation through joint efforts between nations, for other threatened species using a similar
integrative approach.

S.157 PLANT RESPONSES TO STRESSES AND
CLIMATE CHANGE. SESSION 7
S.157.1 Predicting the effects
of climate change on seedgermination: implications
for woodland regenerationand tree seed sourcing
Roberta L.C. Dayrell1, Charlotte Seal1, Efisio
Mattana1, Kaitalin White1, Pablo GómezBarreiro1, Ted Chapman1
1 RBG Kew, Millennium Seed Bank, Ardingly, UK
Expanding and connecting woodlands to capture
atmospheric carbon and enhance resilience to environmental change is garnering support as a climate change mitigation action. This requires anunprecedented increase in tree planting, which demands the efficient use of limited native seed resources. Thus, there is a need to develop improved

practices to overcome hurdles posed by the variable quality, dormancy states, and germination requirements of native seeds. Moreover, as the climatechanges, species germination requirements may nolonger be fulfilled or be met at an unfavourable time
for seedling establishment, impacting woodland regeneration and ecosystem diversity and services.
We aimed to investigate intra-specific variation in
seed germination traits of two native broad-leafed
species of forestry importance in the UK: Alnus glutinosa and Betula pubescens. We tested seeds fromsix populations of each species collected in thewild and stored at the RBG Kew’s Millennium Seed
Bank, to represent the latitudinal gradient acrossthe country. Germination tests were conducted oncollections of each population at a range of constant temperatures, both with and without a cold
stratification pre-treatment to alleviate dormancy.
The collected data were then used in a modelling
approach to estimate thermal thresholds for seedgermination (base, optimum and ceiling tempera-485

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tures; sub- and supra-optimal thermal time) anddetermine the requirement for cold stratification for
all collections. In addition, we modelled germination
parameters under different climate change scenarios to identify plant populations at the greatest
risk. Finally, we explored the potential of morphological traits serving as predictors of germinative behaviour. This information helps evaluate the impact
of climate change on woodland regeneration andallows for informed adaptive ‘climate-smart’ seed
sourcing to enhance reforestation practices. The results also provide insights on how climate and provenance shape the functional diversity of tree seeds.

S.157.2 Revealing withintree sensitivity to droughtin temperate forest species
differing in shade tolerance
Francisco J. Cano1,2, Rosana López3,
Jesús Rodríguez-Calcerrada3, Charles R.
Warren4, Luis Gil3, Ismael Aranda1
1 Instituto de Ciencias Forestales (INIA), CSIC, Madrid, Spain. 2 ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Hawkesbury Institute for theEnvironment, Western Sydney University, NSW, Australia. 3 Department of Natural Systems and Resources, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid,
Spain. 4 School of Life and Environmental Sciences,
University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
Droughts are becoming a recurrent event worldwide, which reduce carbon uptake and increase treemortality risk threatening several ecosystem functions and services. Global change is increasing theintensity, duration, and frequency of droughts due toa combined effect of scatter precipitations, atmosphere warming and soil erosion. However, droughts
do not affect equally to all forest tree species due
to species-specific differences in drought resilienceand niche partition. Furthermore, leaf physiology,
anatomy and morphology acclimate within thetree canopy to changes in light intensity and quality, evaporative demand and soil water availability.
However, not many studies analyse within tree canopy inter-specific drought tolerance and plasticity,which in turn may constrain the adaptative strategies of the species shade tolerance. Here, we measured leaf gas exchange and hydraulics within the
canopies of four forest tree species differing in shade
and drought tolerance. Trees were in transects ofincreasing soil depth at the Natural World Heritage

Site of “Hayedo de Montejo”, a relict European forest
growing under Mediterranean conditions, and measurements were done during very dry and wet years.
We show that shaded leaves are more susceptible
to water stress than sun-developed leaves, and that
decreased photosynthesis is due to the combined
effect of reduced stomatal and mesophyll conductances and to a lesser extent by biochemical constrains, while top canopy leaves are mainly limitedby the stomatal closure. This results in earlier lower
carbon balance of the more shaded leaves within
the canopy, what explains the earlier leaf sheddingof the more shaded leaves. More shade tolerant
species were more affected by drought along the
canopy, while more drought tolerant ones were able
to maintain modest gas exchange rates but only insun-exposed leaves. Climate change may promote
open forests which may benefit the more drought
albeit less shade tolerant species.

S.157.3 Strategies forenhancing urban air quality
through vegetation
Barbara Baesso Moura1,2, Yasutomo
Hoshika1,2,3, Jacopo Manzini4, Elena
Marra1,3, Elena Paoletti1,2,3
1 Institute of Research on Terrestrial Ecosystems,
National Research Council, esto Fiorentino, Italy. 2
National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy.
3 Italian Integrated Environmental Research Infrastructures System, Tito Scalo (Potenza), Italy. 4 Department of Agricultural, Food, Environmental andForestry Science and Technology, University of Florence, Firenze, Italy
Cities face diverse environmental challenges, making it crucial to identify the most significant ones foreach city to design effective urban strategies. Implementing urban green infrastructure is a promising approach that can significantly improve publichealth by reducing air pollution. Vegetation controls pollutant flow and distribution, with some tree
species being more effective at trapping pollutants
than others. Key traits for improving air quality include canopy density, foliage longevity, water-use
strategy, and high stomata conductance, which isessential for gaseous pollutants capture. However, trees can also emit volatile organic compounds(VOCs), which react to form ground-level ozone(O3). Therefore, avoiding tree species that emit high
VOC levels is important, particularly in residential areas. Advanced models and tools can help estimate

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ecosystem services and support urban greenery
management. These tools assist public institutions
and citizens in selecting species that maximize
air pollution reduction. The effectiveness of urban
greenery varies with fragmentation, green cover,and plant species. In conclusion, while beneficial
vegetation traits enhance pollutant capture, they do

not guarantee suitability for all contexts. Selecting
tree species with high pollution mitigation potential
does not always yield desirable results. Plant species
must be adapted to local conditions, and stress tolerance should be prioritized in urban environments,
especially roadside areas facing multiple stressors.

S.158 TELLING PLANT SPECIES APART WITH
DNA. SESSION 2
S.158.1 Comparative
analysis of complete
plastome sequences of
Tulipa L. (Liliaceae Juss.)
species from Kazakhstan

hexanucleotide repeats were detected in four Tulipa species from Kazakhstan. Furthermore, tandem
repeats in each of the Tulipa plastome were identified. Comparative analysis of plastome genome
sequences revealed the genes with high polymorphism, which can be used as candidate DNA barcode markers for further studies.

Almerekova S.1, Yermagambetova M.1,
Turuspekov Y.1, Abugalieva S.1
1 Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Plant
Biology and Biotechnology, Almaty, Kazakhstan
The Tulipa L. genus belongs to the Liliaceae Juss.
family, consisted around 100 species all over theworld. Tulipa species are native to southern Europe,
North Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia. The
mountainous regions of Central Asia (including Kazakhstan) are considered the primary center of Tulipa origin. According to Ivaschenko (2019) 42 wild
Tulipa species are found in Kazakhstan, 18 of themlisted in the Red Book of Kazakhstan. These plants
have an important economic, floricultural, ecological significances, cultural value in many regions of
the World. Wild species are important genetic resources for breeding and play a significant role inecosystems, especially for pollinators and insects.
Ten Tulipa species from Kazakhstan were studied
based on complete plastome genome sequences using NovaSeq 6000 (Illumina) platform. All thesequenced Tulipa species from Kazakhstan were
deposited to the National Center for Biotechnology Information GenBank and publicly available.
Tulipa species plastomes contained 136 genes, including 90 protein-coding genes, 38 transfer RNA,and 8 ribosomal RNA genes (including duplicatedgenes). The forward, reverse, and palindromic repeat elements and mononucleotide, dinucleotide,
trinucleotide, tetranucleotide, pentanucleotide andAcknowledgements: This research is funded by the
Science Committee of the Ministry of Educationand Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan (Grant
No. AP14870612).

S.158.2 Large scale DNA
sequencing of plantbiodiversity in global
biodiversity hotspots – theChina plant barcode of life
De-Zhu Li1, Meng-Yuan Zhou1, ChunXia Zeng1, Jun-Bo Yang1, Hong-Tao Li1,
Lian-Ming Gao2, Peng-Fei Ma1, Jin-Mei
Lu1, Cen Guo3, Ting-Shuang Yi1, Peter M.
Hollingsworth4
1 Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming Yunnan, China. 2 CAS Key Laboratory for Plant
Diversity and Biogeography in East Asia, Kunming
Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming Yunnan, China. 3 Center for Integrative Conservation & Yunnan Key Laboratory for theConservation of Tropical Rainforests and Asian Elephants, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden,
Mengla, Yunnan, China. 4 Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
Vascular plants dominate terrestrial ecosystems andprovide food, drugs, timber, fibers, fuels and ornamen-

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tals for human beings. Our understanding of plant diversity remains a substantial challenge and identification becomes particularly difficult where material
is juvenile, fragmented, or processed. The combination of plastid rbcL+matK sequences was proposed
to be the standard barcode for land plants in 2009,
followed by our proposal to incorporate the nuclear
ribosomal ITS into barcoding practice. Because of
the development of next-generation sequencing, it ispossible to enhance the plant barcode, focusing on
increasing discriminatory power via either gene capture of nuclear markers or genome skimming. Genome skimming has the advantage of using existing
protocols, being backward compatible with first-generation barcode, and the depth of sequence coverage can be increased as sequencing costs fall. We
made a practical trial of routine recovery of rDNA andplastome sequences from herbarium collections. We
sequenced specimens up to 80 years old by using as
little as 500 pg of degraded starting DNA, and it canbe performed with limited sample destruction. We
gathered genome-skimming data of 25,583 individuals representing 20,260 species of 431 genera in 473
families of vascular plants, mainly from biodiversity
hotspots in China, to build up a large-scale reference
database for the China plant barcode of life initiative. Analyses of recalcitrant genera (or subgenera,or species complex) showed that organelle-scalebarcode, together with rDNA sequences increased
the discriminatory power by 10-15%. However, using
Skmer, a method for estimating genomic distances
between the query and reference genome skimming
sequences, after removing the rDNA and plastome
sequences, the discriminatory power was further increased. Furthermore, using deep genome skimming,
particularly where a reference genome is available
for the genus, a large number of single-copy orthologs can be acquired, opening up a new avenue fornuclear DNA barcodes.

S.158.3 Plant Species
Identification by
Multispecies Coalescent(MSC) Method Using SingleCopy Orthologs (SCOs)
Zheng-Shan He1, De-Zhu Li1, Jun-Bo Yang1
1 Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Kunming Instituteof Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming,
Yunnan, China. Heilongtan, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
Email: dzl@mail.kib.ac.cn; jbyang@mail.kib.ac.cn

Standard barcodes and ultra-barcodes face challenges in delimitation and discrimination of closely
related species with deep coalescence, hybrid speciation, gene flow or low sequence-variation. Single
copy orthologs (SCOs) have been recommended
as standardized nuclear markers in metazoan DNA
taxonomy. Here, we assessed the performanceof SCOs in identifying recently diverged species
in Cymbidium subgenus Jensoa which has beenpoorly settled by ultra-barcode. More than 90% of
target 9094 reference SCOs inferred from three genomes of Cymbidium were successfully retrieved
for all 11 representative species in subg. Jensoa by
ALiBaSeq from as low as 5× depth whole genome
shotgun sequences. Species tree reconstructedfrom multiple refined SCO matrices under multispecies coalescent model successfully discriminated all species and discerned wrongly identified
or labeled species. Plentiful and refined SCOs matrices obtained by implementing our pipeline facilitate not only phylogenetic study, but also high-resolution species diagnosing. Biparentally inherited
SCOs as multi-locus marker not only advances
the force of DNA barcoding, but also facilitates aneventual transition to species-tree-based barcoding strategies. We also test the performance of
SCOs in other taxa among embryophytes to screen
sevel universal and capable SCOs as the new barcodes to advance the plant species identification
under the multispecies coalescent.

S.158.4 DNA barcoding ofChinese and JapaneseMorus alba (Moraceae)
documented by genome
resequencing
Chun-Xia Zeng1, Jun-Bo Yang1
1 Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming Yunnan, China;
In Pharmacopoeia of the People’s Republic of China
2020th edition, Mori Folium, Mori Cortex, Mori Ramulus, Mori Fructus, however, botanical origin of all ofthese four medicines are limited to only one species,
M. alba. The Japanese Pharmacopoeia Eighteenth
Edition also limit the botanical origin of Mori Cortex
to M. alba. Because of polyploidization and hybridization occured frequently in Morus,we found that
not a few individuals and specimens of Morus plants
are difficult to identify because of their intermedi-

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ate morphological characteristics between species
especially M. alba and other species. For the safety
and standardization of medication, it is particularly
necessary to answer that the mecinal plant Morusalba is really a “good” species or not? The previous
phylogentic analysesof ITS and cpDNA have beenreported most of the Morus speices collected in China were grouped into a clade lacking for phylogentic resoulition. Genome skimming has the potential
for generating large data sets for DNA barcoding
and wider biodiversity genomic studies, particularly
via the assembly and annotation of full chloroplast(cpDNA), nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA) sequences
and single copy orthologs (SCOs). Based on phylogenetic analyses of plastome sequences and
ITS sequences, most Morus species grouped into alarge clade lacking for phylogenetic resolution. Except for M. notabilis, other 8 species all should beconsidered as the botanical origin od Mori Cortex.
However, based on 272 SCOs, Morus alba could bea monophyletic species. Plant species identification
is difficult because of the main reasons being incomplete lineage sorting, artificial cultivation, natural hybridization and chloroplast capture. It appears
that nuclear genome data have a vital role in species identification and are expected to be used as
next-generation nuclear barcodes.

S.158.5 Whether cryptics are
the reason for adulterationin plant herbal products?
– case studies from Indian
subcontinent

orders respectively. The vernacular conflicts andits co-existence with other morphologically similar
species lead to unintentional adulteration in the
trade. To validate both i.e., Parpadaka and Gokshura, the samples were purchased from herbal raw
drug stores across India for Gokshura and withinsouthern India for Parpataka. These samples were
further validated using rbcL gene of chloroplast for
Parpataka and ITS2 region of nuclear genome for
Gokshura respectively. DNA from the market samples was extracted and amplified with the selected barcodes and validated using Bayesian phylogenetic framework in MrBayes 3.2. Trade analysisof “parpadaka” samples revealed five different
species of Molluginaceae and a species of Oldenlandia in the trade. The tree showed nearly 72.5%
of Hypertelis umbellata, found in Indian trade forthe first time and thus were achieved as a new report to India from this study since there was no report on its natural occurrence in any regional flora.
Out of the remaining 27.5%, four different speciesof Mollugo s.l resulted into 17.5%. In Gokshura, Tribulus lanuginosus had replaced the T. terrestris(an authentic species) with 40.7% and T. subramanyamii, an endemic species had replaced itwith 18.5%. Our results show that, market samplesof Parpataka sold in southern India contains few
substitutes, though among them, H. umbellata
showed the cryptic nature with its counterpart i.e.,
H. cerviana, was predominant and completely replaced the authentic substitute in the indigenous
trade. Similarly, in case of Gokshura, Tribulus had
showed high degree of cryptic nature along with
its counterpart, i.e., T. subramanyamii that evident
by means its prevalence in the trade.

Umapathy Senthilkumar1, Chatterjee
Abhinav2, Kaliappan Ilango3, Parani
Madasamy4
1 DNA Barcoding Laboratory, Department of Botany,
Madras Christian College (Autonomous), Chennai,
Tamil Nadu, India. 2 Department of Biotechnology,
School of Bioengineering, SRM Institute of Scienceand Technology, Kattankulathur, Tamil Nadu, India.
3 Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Collegeof Pharmacy, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Tamil Nadu, India. 4 Department of Genetic Engineering, School of Bioengineering, SRM Institute of Science and Technology,
Kattankulathur, Tamil Nadu, India.
Authentic species of Parpataka (Hypertelis & Oldenlandia) and Gokshura (Tribulus terrestris) are
well known due to their synergistic effect with other herbs for anti-pyretic activity and urinary dis-489

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S.159 ETHNOBOTANY AND CONSERVATION OF
MEDICINAL PLANTS. SESSION 5
S.159.1 From chlorine tobiodiversity: a project for
the naturalization of urban
ponds.

synergies with associations and collectives helps
to drive the transformation of these urban green
infrastructures.

Bárbara Martínez Escrich1, Mónica López
Martínez1
1 IMGEMA- Royal Botanic Garden of Córdoba, Spain“From chlorine to Biodiversity”, a short phrase that
titles the project that is being developed in theRoyal Botanic Garden of Córdoba (Spain). The
main objective of this initiative is the naturalization of urban ponds, removing chlorinated waterand introducing autochthonous aquatic species
and charophytes meadows in order to create a
hot spot of biodiversity. In this way is not only possible to eliminate chemical compounds harmful
to the environment and reduce water consuption
but also ecological restoration points are created in cities and villages. One of the greatest
strengths of this project is that the species used
are autochthonous aquatic macrophytes and algae. After the five years that the project has beendeveloped and having naturalized 22 spaces, it
has been possible to establish a protocol that
imitates the natural processes that occur in theponds of the countryside, it is possible to establish a trophic chain that allows the self-regulationof the new ecosystems. More than 1500 people
have participated in the programme and 44 students have completed their internships within the
project. Furthermore, naturalized sources havebeen revealed as a novel and attractive instrument to explain the complex concept of Biodiversity. The educative programe offered by the Royal Botanical Garden of Córdoba conceives theponds as ecosystems that allow the observationof associated flora and fauna, as well as the interactions that occur between them. The growing
pollution of cities, the scarcity of water and climate change can be tackled through urban policies and management strategies that considers
green structures as backbones of the design ofcities and villages. Experience has shown us thatcitizen participation is essential. The creation of

S.159.2 Ethnobotanicalsignificance of Zingiberaceae
in southern Western Ghats of
Kerala, India
Valukattil P. Thomas1, Thundiathu T. Binoy1
1 Catholicate College, Pathanamthitta, Kerala, India
India has a rich diversity of Zingiberaceae and constitutes one of the ten largest families in the country.
The family is considered one of the important families in monocotyledons because of their economic,
medicinal and ornamental values. Ethnobotanicalstudies on Zingiberaceae of Kerala identified 26 taxa
with ethnobotanical significance and were used byvarious tribal communities in Kerala, India. The study
covered 34 tribal communities distributed over 14
districts of Kerala and informants were interviewed
during house-to-house surveys. The informationfrom tribal practitioners was compared with results
obtained during earlier visits. Taxonomic studies
were carried out and voucher specimens were deposited at CATH. The specimens are conserved in
the Ginger House of Catholicate College Botanical
Garden (CCBG). The collected data were analyzed
using the informant consensus factor (Fic), fidelity
level and use value (UV). The plants were utilized in
traditional medicine, food, fodder, religious purposes,
etc. The Fic values of various species were analyzed
and calculated for 22 categories. The highest values of Fic for Zingiberaceae were calculated in thecase of the ENT category (1.0) and the lowest value
was estimated for gynaecological ailments (0.28).
The highest use value was determined for Curcuma
longa (0.056). The highest fidelity level was reported
for Curcuma longa (92.4%) followed by C. amada(87.1%) and Zingiber officinale (86.3%). The documentation of traditional knowledge and conservation of the valuable plants are very important, andthe information collected will serve as baseline data
for future phytochemical and pharmacological research to develop new drugs and services.

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S.159.3 Phytochemical
studies and anti-diabetic
activities of Plumbago
zeylanica, Neolitsea cassia
and Wrightia tinctoria at
Palamalaihill

S.159.4 Anti-inflammatory
activity of Curcuma putii
rhizome extracts in HaCaT
cell via NF-κB nuclear
translocation inhibition
Pannita Karnjanasrimak1, Suparerk
Borwornpinyo2,4, Saroj Ruchisansakun1,
Warawuth Wannalo4, Tanawadee
Khumpanied4, Chawisa leekuakul4,
Kedchin Jearawuttanakul4,
Mutita Kongphet4, Sitthivut
Charoensutthivarakul3

E.G. Wesely1, L. Thamaraiselvi1
1 Department of Botany, Arignar Anna Government
Arts College, Namakkal, India
Medicinal plants have been identified and used in
traditional medicine all over the world since thedawn of civilization. Medicinal plants are a richsource of novel drugs, which are used in traditional medical systems (Bauri et al., 2015). Morethan 50,000 plant species are reported to be used
for medicinal purposes around the world. Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a metabolic disorder causedby an insufficient amount of insulin in the body,either during its production or action, or both
(Mukhtar et al., 2019). If DM is not treated properly, serious complications such as muscular tissue
damage, retinopathy, neuropathy, nephropathy,
heart complications, and ulceration problems
can occur. Insulin and glucagon are pancreatichormones that regulate blood glucose levels in anormal range based on the body’s needs (Arden
and Ramsey, 2015). Although synthetic drugs areprimarily used to treat diabetes, they have significant and irreversible side effects, and their accessibility to the general public is also difficult due totheir high cost (Amin et al., 2013). Little researchhas been done on the anti-diabetic properties of
ethanolic extract of leaves and stems Plumbago
zeylanica, Neolitsea cassia and Wrightia tinctoria.
Due to the rising prevalence of diabetes, antihyperglycemic drugs are in high demand. Becauseof the minimal side effects and medicinal importance of ethanolic extract of Plumbago zeylanica,
Neolitsea cassia and Wrightia tinctoria, the current study is being conducted to conduct antidiabetic studies. The results of the study suggestthat the ethanol extract of the leaves and stems
has antidiabetic properties. Oral hypoglycaemics
such as acarbose, which belongs to the α-amylase inhibitor class, have been shown to inhibit alpha-amylase. As a result, in the assays, acarbose
was used as a positive control.

1 Department of Plant Science, Faculty of Science,
Mahidol University, Thailand. 2 Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University,
Thailand. 3 Department of Bioinnovation, Facultyof Science, Mahidol University, Thailand. 4 Excellent
Center for Drug Discovery, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
Curcuma is a genus in the Zingiberaceae family. Previous studies have demonstrated their diverse medicinal benefits, including antioxidant,
anti-cancer, antimicrobial and anti-inflammation activities. The objective of this research is toinvestigate the anti-inflammatory activity of therhizomes of Curcuma putii, a species discoveredin Thailand in 2019. To determine the anti-inflammatory activity, the inhibition of nuclear translocation of a transcription factor is employedby disrupting the nuclear translocation of NF-κB
from cytoplasm into nucleus. Dried rhizomes ofCurcuma putii were extracted using six different
solvents including ethanol, methanol, acetone,
hexane, ethyl acetate and dichloromethane. Initially, cytotoxicity experiments through the MTT
assay were performed and found that concentration of 50 μg/mL is the highest concentration inall solvents determined to be non-toxic to humanimmortalized keratinocyte HaCaT cells. In addition, the NF-κB nuclear translocation activity was
performed and found that the extracts from all six
solvents at 50 μg/mL non-significantly inhibitedagainst HaCaT cells. This serves as a direction for
future studies on the anti-inflammatory potency
and other bioactivity of Curcuma putii.

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S.159.5 Biogeography ofMedicinal Plants registeredin the State of Hidalgo,
Mexicogoza UNAM, Mexico. 20 Laboratorio de Fitoquímica,
Facultad de Ciencias UNAM, Mexico

Valdés-Vásquez I.F.1, Monroy-Ata A.1,
Cuervo-Robayo A.P.2, Villaseñor J.L.3,
Defossez E.4, Morrone J.J.5, Bye-Boettler
R.A.6, Calmé S.7, Reyes-Chilpa R.8, OsorioOlvera L.O.9, Ramírez-Barahona S.A.3,
Beltrán-Rodríguez L.A.10,CouturierStéphane R.A.11, Mas J.F.12, AguilarContreras A.13, Cristians-Niizawa S.6, De
Nova-Vázquez J.A.14, Yáñez-Arenas C.A.15,
Morales-Manilla L.M.16, Bollo-Manent M.16,
Ortiz-Bermúdez E.3, Estrada-Márquez
A.S.3, Heike-Vibrans L.17, Torrescano-Valle
N.18,Espinosa-Organista D.N.19, SantiagoAlvarado M.19 and Guevara-Fefer P.20
1 Unidad de Investigación en Ecología Vegetal,
FES Zaragoza Universidad Nacional Autónoma
de México, México. 2 Laboratorio Nacional CONAHCYT de Biología del Cambio Climático, Instituto de Biología UNAM, Mexico. 3 Departamento
de Botánica, Instituto de Biología UNAM, México. 4
Laboratory of Functional Ecology, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchátel, Neuchátel, Switzerland. 5 Departamento de Biología Evolutiva, Facultad de Ciencias UNAM, México. 6 Laboratorio deEtnobotánica, Jardín Botánico IB UNAM, Mexico. 7
Department of Biology, Université de Sherbrooke,
Québec, Canada. 8 Departamento de Productos
Naturales, Instituto de Química UNAM, México. 9
Departamento de Ecología de la Biodiversidad,
Instituto de Ecología UNAM, Mexico. 10 Laboratorio de Etnobotánica Ecológica, IB UNAM, Mexico. 11
Laboratorio de Análisis Geoespacial, Instituto deGeografía UNAM, Mexico. 12 Laboratorio de Análisis Espacial del CIGA, ENES Morelia UNAM, Michoacán, Mexico. 13 Unidad de Investigación de Plantas Medicinales, Herbario Medicinal IMSS, México.
14 Instituto de Investigación de Zonas Desérticas,
Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Mexico. 15 Laboratorio de Ecología Geográfica, Unidad
Académica Sisal, Facultad de Ciencias, ENES Mérida UNAM, Yucatán, Mexico 16 Laboratorio Universitario de Drones, (CIGA) ENES Morelia UNAM, Michoacán, Mexico. 17 Departamento de Botánica,
Colegio de Postgraduados, Universidad Chapingo, Estado de México, Mexico. 18 Departamento
de Conservación de la Biodiversidad, El Colegiode la Frontera Sur Unidad Chetumal, Quintana
Roo, Mexico. 19 Unidad de Investigación en Biogeografía, Sistemática y Conservación, FES Zara-

Mexico is the second country with the greatest
diversity of medicinal plant species in the world,
after China. In Central Mexico, the state of Hidalgo is in an area with high floristic diversity, thatis in the Mexican Transition Zone, between the
Neartic and Neotropical Regions, composed ofsix types of vegetation: cloud forest, semi-evergreen tropical forest, xeric scrub, coniferous andfir forest, pine-oak forest and induced grassland.
The objective of this work was to develop a specialized database of medicinal plants registeredin the state of Hidalgo, through taxonomic, phytochemical, biogeographic, and ecological parameters, to make thematic maps on geographic
distribution patterns, analyze ecological relationships of secondary metabolites. with climatic
variables from biogeographic and physiographic provinces, as well as evaluating floristic richness by documenting the composition between
nine ecoregions. Likewise, a mini drone was used
to carry out multistage in situ sampling of aerial
photography, with which 21 areas were characterized in strata: 10 geocultural regions of Nahua,
Otomi, and Tepehua ethnic groups, 9 ecoregions,6 types of vegetation, 4 biogeographic provinces and 3 physiographic provinces. Also, basedon the registration of 400 species of medicinal
plants, belonging to 80 botanical families, andconsulting international databases, species distribution models were designed. The results show
thematic maps with geographical distribution
patterns of species characteristic of each typeof vegetation, organized by ecoregions, for plants
for medicinal use to fine-scale. Also, with spatial
analysis, it was found that altitudinal gradients
influence the diversity of second phytochemicals
at different spatial scales. Finally, the state of Hidalgo constitutes 1.1% of the Mexican territory, witha record of 400 species for therapeutic use and
4,000 similar plants that are distributed throughout the country, so 1% of the country is home to
10% of the medicinal plants’ diversity.

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S.160 POLYPLOIDY AND HOMOPLOIDHYBRIDIZATION AS EVOLUTIONARY DRIVERS
S.160.1 Reticulate
genetic set-up of
endangered species andits consequences forconservation strategies.

their resilience and adaptive capabilities, these
populations emerge as crucial custodians of biodiversity, embodying the intricate dance between
genetic diversity and environmental change.

Marcus A. Koch1
1 Centre for Organismal Studies, Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
Gladiolus palustris (marsh Gladiolus) of wet grasslands is an extremely rare and highly endangered
species in Central Europe. Ongoing loss of habitat, population fragmentation, drought, and higher mean annual temperatures caused by global
warming have all contributed to a severe decline
in its population over the past few decades. Additionally, hybridization with other species, such
as G. imbricatus and G. illyricus, and genetic depletion may pose a significant threat to the species’ survival. The focus here is set to characterize
major gene pools of the species in southern andsouthwestern Germany and illustrate that pasthybridization and introgression in Central Europe
are more extensive than previously thought, posing a challenge to conservation strategies targeting taxonomically defined species. A parallel
exploration into the water plant Nuphar pumila, apost-glacial relic in Central Europe, sheds light on
the diverse signs of introgression from the widespread Nuphar lutea. These genetic imprints serveas historical markers, reflecting centuries-old processes and changes in the landscape. Contrary
to expectations, hybrid gene pools did not invariably result in intermediate morphologies. Instead,introgression appears to have played a pivotal
role in enabling these species to adapt to evolving environmental conditions, such as heightened
nitrogen levels and water temperatures. Given thelongstanding presence of these populations in theregion and their vital contribution to the active
gene pool, the evidence suggests a need to champion and safeguard these populations. In light ofthese findings, it is proposed that conservation efforts should also prioritize naturally occurring hybrids and introgressed populations. Recognizing

S.160.2 Investigatingconserved floral scentprofiles acting as a driver ofhybridization in Heuchera
Nicholas J. Engle-Wrye1, Ryan A. Folk1
1 Department of Biological Sciences, Mississippi
State University, Mississippi State, USA
Little is known about environmental drivers of hybridization, but its phylogenetic distribution acrossplants is heterogeneous, suggesting that plant
traits play an important role. Because animal vectors are responsible for gene flow in most plants,
conservatism of biotic niche could explain whysome plants are more prone to hybridization, ahypothesis yet to be tested. The taxonomic tribe
Heuchereae (Saxifragaceae) is a well-characterized system for pollinator interactions, with studies
in Asimitellaria and Lithophragma suggesting the
VOCs comprising floral scent are hypervariable atthe population level and responsible for pollination selectivity, leading to divergent pollinator assemblages. High levels of pollinator attractant divergence may be responsible for the relatively low
levels of hybridization observed in these groups.
Heuchera flowers, by contrast, are thought to bepollination generalists and Heuchera species hybridize frequently. Measurement of floral volatiles,
yet to be characterized for Heuchera, would offer insight into whether divergence of pollinator
attractants can more broadly explain hybridization rate differences across taxa. Given that pollinator-mediated gene flow primarily hinges on
VOCs in the relatives of Heuchera, we investigated whether high rates of hybridization observedin Heuchera are associated with low interspecific divergence of VOCs, using as a system thehybrid zone between H. americana and H. richardsonii. We optimized a GC-MS (gas chromatography-mass spectrometry) protocol to character-493

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ize VOCs. To identify floral visitation and effective
pollinators, we conducted pollination observations
at 47 different populations over two years. GC-MS
data from ~110 Heuchera representing 21 populations, analyzed with a suite of statistical methods,
suggests that VOC compound classes and individual compounds are largely shared within the
hybrid complex, while other Heuchera that do not
hybridize with these species have distinct species-specific compounds. Pollination observations
confirmed shared effective pollinators in the hybrid zone and the overall importance of VOCs inshaping gene flow.

S.160.3 Genomics ofhybridisation in British
native flowering plants

er regions to gene flow. By studying hybridization
outcomes of species pairs from diverse taxonomic
lineages, we hope to provide a comparative perspective to understand how introgression is affected by intrinsic factors, such as parental species divergence.

S.160.4 Genetic integrationof species diagnostic
characters and theirevolutionary responses toselection within hybridizing
oaks
Ilga M. Porth1
1 Department of Forest and Wood Sciences, Laval
University, Quebec, Canada

Meng Lu1,2, Peter M. Hollingsworth2, Alex D.
Twyford1,2
1 Ashworth Laboratories, Institute of Ecology and
Evolution, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
2 Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UKHybridization can have various evolutionary outcomes, from homogenizing the differences between populations to generating phenotypic andgenotypic novelty. However, the majority of theseimportant phenomena are evaluated in isolatedcase studies of evolutionary model species chosen for their notable hybridization outcomes, andhow well the current findings represent generalities of natural hybridization in a wider range oftaxa remains unknown. As such, this project aims
to explore the general patterns of natural hybridization in the British flora using genomic approaches. The British flora is very well-studied withextensive records of hybrids, rendering it the ideal
system for understanding natural hybridization at
a broad scale. Specifically, we evaluate the extent
of introgression in native flowering plants, using
model-based demographic inference on wholegenome resequencing data. Six conspicuous hybridizing species pairs were selected, each pairfrom a distinct taxonomic family, including genera that are well known for their common natural
hybrids, such as Primula and Geum. The results
support models with asymmetrical gene flow in
focal pairs. Additionally, using a demographically explicit genome scan approach, we were able
to estimate heterogeneous gene flow across thestudied genomes and identify candidate barri-

The European oak species complex Quercus petraea/robur represents the best studied system
for temperate tree speciation and population
dynamics. Due to their extensive historical introgression, genetic clustering follows a continuous transition between the species, with only
few species-specific clusters rather than strong
species differentiation. Investigation of GxE andspecies’ integrity found that GxE decreases withincreasing species integrity, and therefore GxEinteractions across the studied species discriminant leaf traits were strongly driven by the levelof introgression between species across tested
forest stands. Using a marker-based relationshipmatrix, we estimated coefficients of genetic integration for each trait, with those leaf traits being the least integrated that showed the highest
species discriminatory power. Historical introgression seemed highest within cooler and wetter environments, while organismal modularity allowed for the independent evolution in oak
species’ morphology relating to ecological adaptation. This was corroborated by networks ofgenetic correlations. Hence, low within-species
genetic integration of traits allows for the highest difference in evolutionary response to selection between species. Thus, less integrated traits
can effectively drive Quercus species divergence,and more specifically, the evolutionary response
to selection for leaf veins’ function could explain
the difference in water use efficiency and gas exchange between the different oak species. Our
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about the genetic, epistatic, and plastic effects
associated with species diagnostic traits when
considering conservation units in oak.

S.160.5 Deciphering
complex reticulate
evolution of Asian Buddleja(Scrophulariaceae)
Fengmao Yang1,2, Jia Ge1,2
1 Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany,
Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan,
China. 2 Yunnan Key Laboratory for Integrative
Conservation of Plant Species with Extremely Small
Populations, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese
Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
Species of the genus Buddleja in Asia are mainly
distributed in the Sino-Himalayan region and forma challenging taxonomic group, with extensive
hybridization and polyploidization. A phylogenetic approach to unravelling the history of reticulation in this lineage will deepen our understandingof the speciation in biodiversity hotspots. For thisstudy, we obtained 80 accessions representing
all the species in the Asian Buddleja clade, andthe ploidy level of each taxon was determinedby flow cytometry analyses. Whole plastid genomes, nuclear ribosomal DNA, single nucleotide
polymorphisms and a large number of low-copy
nuclear genes assembled from genome skimming data were used to investigate the reticulate
evolutionary history of Asian Buddleja. Complex
cytonuclear conflicts were detected through a
comparison of plastid and species trees. Gene
tree incongruence was also analysed to detect
any reticulate events in the history of this lineage.
Six hybridization events were detected, which areable to explain the cytonuclear conflict in Asian
Buddleja. Furthermore, PhyloNet analysis combining species ploidy data indicated several allopolyploid speciation events. A strongly supported species tree inferred from a large number of
low-copy nuclear genes not only corrected someearlier misinterpretations, but also indicated that
there are many Asian Buddleja species that havebeen lumped mistakenly. Divergent time estimation shows two periods of rapid diversification(8–10 and 0–3 Mya) in the Asian Buddleja clade,which might coincide with the final uplift of theHengduan Mountains and Quaternary climate
fluctuations, respectively. This study presents awell-supported phylogenetic backbone for the
Asian Buddleja species, elucidates their complex
and reticulate evolutionary history and suggeststhat tectonic activity, climate fluctuations, polyploidization and hybridization together promoted
the diversification of this lineage.

S.160.6 Sub-Genome
Influence on Tree Topology
in the Tribe Brassiceaeof the Mustard Family(Brassicaceae)
R. Shawn Abrahams1, Shawn Thomas2,
Tatiana Arias, Jacob Washburn2, J. Chris
Pires
1 Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology,
Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA. Departmentof Biochemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette.
r.shawnabrahams@gmail.com. 2 Division of Biological Sciences and Bond Life Sciences Center,
University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA
The Brassiceae tribe of the Mustard Family has acomplex evolutionary history of whole genome
duplication and hybridization. These mechanisms contribute to phenotypic plasticity andadaptability of the tribe, while also confounding
attempts to understand the relationships among
the species of the tribe. To account for thesecomplications, we utilize a genome-guided phylotranscriptomic method that leverages genomic
synteny to inform phylogenomic inference. With
this method, we infer a nuclear tree with a novel
topology that places the Crambe clade as sister to both the Nigra and Rapa/Oleracea groupspecies. Further investigation of single copy
genes from the ancestral sub-genome of thetribal hexaploidy identified differences in topology among genes derived from different parental
genomes. These findings help explain why we see
various topologies based on the data type method of inference when attempting to reconstructclade relationships.

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S.161 PALEOBOTANY AND PALEOPALYNOLOGY:
DIVERSITY, TAXONOMY, AND PALEOECOLOGY
S.161.1 Balkan Neanderthals:
the Late Pleistocene
palaeoecological sequence of
Pešturina Cave (Niš, Serbia)
Juan Ochando1,2, José S. Carrión1,3,
Donatella Magri2, Ana B. Marín-Arroyo4,
Federico Di Rita2, Manuel Munuera5,
Fabrizio Michelangeli6, Gabriela Amorós1,
Stefan Milošević7, Katarina Bogićević8,
Vesna Dimitrijević7,9, Draženko Nenadić8,
Mirjana Roksandic10,11, Dušan Mihailović7
1 Department of Plant Biology (Botany Area), Facultyof Biology, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain. 2 Sapienza University of Rome, Department of Environmental Biology, Rome, Italy. 3 Evolutionary Studies
Institute, University of Witwatersrand, South Africa
4 Grupo I+D+i EvoAdapta, Departamento Ciencias Históricas, University of Cantabria, Santander,
Spain. 5 Department of Agricultural Engineering,
Polytechnic University of Cartagena, Cartagena,
Spain. 6 Department of Biological, Geological andEnvironmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy. 7 Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade, Belgrade,
Serbia. 8 Department of Palaeontology, Faculty of
Mining and Geology, University of Belgrade, P.O. Box
227, Belgrade, Serbia. 9 Laboratory for Bioarchaeology, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade,
Belgrade, Serbia. 10 Department of Anthropology,
University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. 11 Department of Anthropology, University ofWinnipeg, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
The Central Balkans are a key biogeographical region in Southern Europe, influenced by a central European-Mediterranean climate, which acted as a
refugium for flora and fauna, and favoured the dispersion of Neanderthals and migration of modern
human populations during Late Glacial Period. This
study presents pollen analyses of sediment andhyaena coprolites from Pešturina Cave in Serbia
to reconstruct the vegetation landscapes faced
by Balkan Neanderthals and early Anatomically
Modern Humans between MIS 5e-3. Between MIS
5e-5c (archaeological layers 4c and 4b) and MIS
5b-5a (layer 4a), semi-forested environments prevailed, characterized by Pinus, deciduous Quercus,

Tilia and other angiosperm woody taxa, accompanied by heliophytes such as Artemisia and Poaceae. During MIS 4-3 (layers 3-2), the vegetation
was dominated by Artemisia-Poaceae steppes
with Quercus patches, conifers and legumes. Overall across the sequence, pollen assemblages arehighly diverse and include a number of deciduoustrees and sclerophylls. In addition, the occurrenceof several herbaceous taxa reinforces the view thatthe Balkans were outstanding for endemicity. Neanderthals and early Upper Palaeolithic hominins
lived in a highly diverse refugium, offering multiple
opportunities for survival during the warm interstadials and, more critically, the cold stadials of the
Pleistocene.

S.161.2 Paleohistories forConservation Practice from
Quaternary Paleoecology of
the Iberian Peninsula
José S. Carrión1, Manuel Munuera2, Juan
Ochando3,1, Gabriela Amorós1
1 University of Murcia, Spain. 2 University Polytechnic of Cartagena, Spain. 3 University La Sapienza,Roma, Italy
The Quaternary flora and vegetation records ofthe Iberian Peninsula provide insights for biological conservation strategies in the context oflarge projects like Rewilding Europe and otherinitiatives aimed at restoring ecosystem dynamics and functionalities from pre-anthropogenic periods. It is crucial to integrate information
derived from the identification and characterization of glacial plant refugia, considering theirsignificance as biodiversity sinks and sources ofgeographic expansion during critical moments in
the glacial history of the European continent. It is
important to note that many of these refuges are
more hydrorefuges than thermorefuges, as aridity conditions became the limiting factor in manystadial episodes across extensive territories ofthe southern Mediterranean peninsulas. Likewise,
it is worth considering that refuge areas were located on emerged coastal platforms and intra-

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mountain valleys at medium altitudes. From astructural perspective, many pre-anthropogenic
Quaternary forests were influenced by herbivory,a factor that has been overlooked for decades
and is now emerging as a consideration in therenaturation of protected or pilot areas. During
the Holocene, it is important to analyze cultural collapses resulting from state changes in the
paleoecosystem caused by anthropogenic disturbances. An example of ecocide could be theArgaric collapse. Finally, the dynamics of Quaternary vegetation aid in understanding the explanatory patterns of the floristic and ecologicalconfiguration of current plant communities, while
also allowing the establishment of plausible scenarios in the near future under the influence ofclimate change and environmental crisis.

modern forest types occurring in the ecoregion
as a second approach to understand changes
in the forest distribution. Our results highlight thecomplexity of Iberian ecosystems during the LGM,
including mixed distribution of temperate andmediterranean climates as detected by modern
analogues. We also found a similar bioclimatic
zonation of the Iberian Peninsula in both LGM andmodern climates, with the northwestern regions
experiencing a relative stronger Atlantic influence. Additionally, available pollinic records wereused to validate the potential vegetation of the
Iberian Peninsula during LGM. Our approach allowed us to establish new hypotheses about theLGM distribution of ecosystem types in southern
Europe, to be used in historical and ecologicalbiogeography.

S.161.3 Ecosystems of NorthWestern Iberian Peninsulain the Last Glacial Maximum
based on paleoecologicalmodelling

S.161.4 Palynology of the
Canaan Peak Formationin Utah (United States ofAmerica)
Uxue Villanueva-Amadoz1, Brayan
Bustamante2, Jeffrey G. Eaton3

Víctor González-García1, Eduardo
Fernández Pascual1, Borja Jiménez-Alfaro1

1 Estación Regional del Noroeste, Instituto deGeología, UNAM, Hermosillo, Mexico. E-mail: uxue@
geologia.unam.mx. 2 DICTUS, Universidad de Sonora, Hermosillo, Mexico. 3 Natural History Museum of
Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

1 Biodiversity Research Institute-IMIB (CSIC-Univ.
Oviedo-Princ. Asturias), Mieres, Spain
Southern European peninsulas provided refugia
for temperate and mediterranean ecosystems
during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Despite pollen data, fossils and distribution modelling have been all used to understand vegetation during the LGM, we still lack a spatially
explicit approach to map ecosystem types frommodern climatic analogues. Here, we develop
a framework for mapping ecosystem diversityof North-Western Iberian Peninsula during the
LGM. First, we classified the Iberian Peninsula inclimatic regions based on LGM climatic models
and k-means unsupervised classification. The selected regions were sampled to conduct distribution models that were extrapolated to modern
climates of Europe to detect modern climatic analogues. The areas with the highest climatic similarity to each one of the Iberian LGM regions werecharacterized with recent vegetation data to estimate the relative dominance of functional ecosystem types under modern climate conditions.
In addition, we performed distribution models for

The Canaan Peak Formation, overlying the Campanian Kaiparowits Formation, in southern Utah (UnitedStates of America) is mostly conglomeratic unit with
mudstone intervals containing plant debris and vertebrate remains (Bowers, 1972). This author indicateda lower or middle Campanian age for this formationon the basis of palynological assemblage studied
by R.H. Tschudy due to its similarity to other palynological zonation in Montana, however, taxa are notdeterminative for this age. New palynological sampling from this dark grey mudstone interval yieldedwell-preserved palynomorphs, mainly composed bypollen grains (genera Alisporites, Carolinapollis, Fraxinoipollenites, Holkopollenites, Inaperturopollenites
and Taxodiaceaepollenites, Discoidites parvistriatus,
Rhoipites globosus, Tschudypollis retusus, among
more common taxa) and scarce spores (Cyathidites minor, Laevigatosporites hardtii). The presenceof Discoidites parvistriatus whose first apparance isthe late Maastrichtian and K-taxa Tschudypollis retusus suggests a late Maastrichtian age.

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S.161.5 Early angiosperms:
New insights from a preAptian pollen flora ofPortugal
Julia Gravendyck1,2, François-Nicolas
Krencker1, Rute Coimbra3, Ulrich
Heimhofer1
1 Institute of Geology, Leibniz University Hannover,Hannover, Germany. 2 Bonn Institute for Organismic Biology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany. 3
Department of Geoscience, University of Aveiro,
Aveiro, Portugal
The timing of the origin of angiosperms is along-standing topic of debate in plant evolution.
Different disciplines and approaches provide highly variable age estimates. It is generally accepted,
that early macro- and mesofossils showing unequivocal angiosperm features occur in lower Aptian deposits. Workers employing palynology, i.e.,
the extremely durable, abundant, and widespreadpollen record, have suggested much earlier, buthighly disputed ages. To date, it remains question-

able how far back pollen with unequivocally angiospermous features can push back the age forthe origin of (early) angiosperms. Here we present
new ‘early records’ from pre-Aptian coastal marine
strata from the Lusitanian Basin of Portugal that are
known for their rich and unique fossil assemblages
and excellent pollen preservation. Based on strontium isotope stratigraphy, we provide a refinedhigh-resolution stratigraphic framework for existingand newly studied sections to better constrain theage assignment of our new palynological findingsof subsequent palynological findings. Employing a
new fluorescence-based screening method pairedwith the standard light-microscope approach, we
try to find the needle in the haystack. We document
challenges and solutions to finding the extremelyrare angiosperm pollen and illustrate new finds ofearly angiosperms with super-resolution microscopy (Airy Scan). The rare but exciting finds of four
triaperturate pollen grains from the Early Barremian (124.63–126.24 Ma, GTS2020) of Portugal indicate
the presence of eudicot angiosperms in pre-Aptian
strata and provide a new, well-dated calibration
point for phylogenetic approaches.

S.162 IAPT EARLY CAREER INVESTIGATORSYMPOSIUM: THE EDGE OF THE UNKNOWN IN
PLANT, ALGAE, AND FUNGAL SYSTEMATICS.
SESSION 2
partment of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen, Uppsala, Sweden.

S.162.1 Molecularand morphologicaldiversification of the family
Inocybaceae (Agaricales,
Fungi) in tropical Africa
Hyppolite L. Aïgnon1, Yu-Guang Fan2,
Martin Ryberg3, Nourou S. Yorou1
1 Research Unit Tropical Mycology and Plants-Soil
Fungi Interactions, Faculty of Agronomy, University of Parakou, Parakou, Benin. 2 Key Laboratory of
Tropical Translational Medicine of Ministry of Education Tropical Environment and Health Laboratory, School of Pharmacy, Hainan Medical University,
Haikou, China. 3 Systematic Biology program, De-Over the past decade, Africa has recorded the highest annual rate of forest loss with 3.9 million hectares
destroyed. This forest destruction causes the extinction of many species and at this rate of destruction,
many species can go extinct and perhaps without
being known. Whereas, despite the scientific community’s efforts to estimate and catalog fungal diversity, worldwide only a small fraction (ca. 3%) of
fungal diversity has been named and described. In
recent years, with the progress of science, mycology has undergone a rapid development. Thus, since2017, we have been interested to the diversity of Inocybaceae in Tropical Africa through the description
and documentation of new species with an updateon known species. The results show that in Africa, the498

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diversity of Inocybaceae is about 80 species against
1,100 species in the world and the members of Inocybaceae are one of the most dominant in the soilof the woodlands and gallery forests after Russulaceae Lotsy. Nine new species are described andpublished in three genera like Inocybe (I. beninensis,
I. flavipes, and I. fuscobrunnea and I. pallidiangulata), Inosperma (I. africanum, I. bulbomarginatum, I.
flavobrunneum, and I. macrocarpa) and Mallocybe(Mallocybe africana). We are convinced that there
are still enough unknown Inocybaceae species andwe must redouble our efforts in sampling and also
the exploration of new habitats in Africa.

phy, systematics, and evolution of mating systems
in polyploid Fragaria. We anticipate that our pipeline
for reconstructing the origin of polyploids will be informative in other lineages with complex allopolyploids.

S.162.2 Reconstructing an
allo-decaploid: identifying
the ancestors of Fragariacascadensis

Enrico Boccato1, Fabio Candotto Carniel1,
Mauro Tretiach1

S.162.3 New approaches
in the study of the sexual
reproduction of the green
microalga Trebouxia: whenfree-living means more sex

Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste,
Trieste, Italy

Sebastian Mortimer1, Aaron Liston1
1 Oregon State University, Oregon, USA
Allopolyploidy is widespread among plant lineages
and is an important driver of speciation. Understanding how allopolyploid species have formed throughreticulate evolution is a challenging task. How can
we infer the ancestry of extant allopolyploids whenmany ancestral diploids and lower-level polyploidancestors are extinct? Moreover, genomic signal isoften eroded in the allopolyploid genome throughhomeologous exchange. Using a suite of genomic tools, we developed a pipeline for identifying theprogenitor lineages of high-level allopolyploids (6xand above). We test our pipeline on Fragaria cascadensis, a recently described allo-decaploid whichis narrowly endemic to a single mountain range inwestern North America. The species has acquired
five subgenomes through sequential interspecifichybridization events likely taking place in Beringia inthe last 1 million years. Using whole genome alignments between extant diploid and polyploid strawberry species, a phylogenetic hypothesis testing
framework, and k-mer based inferences of transposon activity, we reconstruct the allopolyploid ancestors and identify putative diploid progenitors ofthe decaploid strawberry F. cascadensis. Our new
genomic evidence suggests a revision of the current ancestry hypothesis. We characterize the extent
of asymmetric subgenome evolution and compare
the decaploid strawberry to closely related octoploid species. Finally, we consider the implications ofa new allo-decaploid hypothesis on the biogeogra-

The aero-terrestrial green microalgae of the genus
Trebouxia Puymaly are the most frequent photobionts of lichens, but our comprehension of their sexual life is very limited, because in the lichen symbiosis it is typically suppressed by the fungal partner.
In this study, innovative techniques were applied tocharacterise the formation and destiny of zoosporesin four axenically cultured Trebouxia species (T. decolorans, T. vagua, T. gelatinosa, and T. angustilobata), selected to represent three of the four primaryphylogenetic clades(A, A, I, and S, respectively)recognized within the genus. Frequent zoosporogenesis was achieved by increasing the concentration of
glucose and peptone in the growth solid medium.
By light transmitted and scanning electron microscopy(SEM)on samples treated with theCO2 critical point dryer, we identified two distinct zoospore
morphotypes, conserved among the major cladesof the genus: spherical to sub-spherical vs. broadly
ellipsoidal to ovoid. By observing zoospores stainedwith OsO4 at the SEM in backscattered electronsmode, we could easily identify lipid bodies, as confirmed by the detection of Os by energy dispersive
X-ray spectrometry, whose presence varied among
species. These lipid bodies, which serve as energy
sources in motile gametes of other green algae, led
us to hypothesise that the heteromorphic zoosporesof Trebouxia could represent true gametes. Sexual
reproduction was corroborated in T. decolorans byconfocal observations, through the assessment of
the DNA content at cell population level, thus providing the first insights into the ploidy of this organism.
Finally, cells with four flagella, which might be interpreted as the first direct evidence of a kariogamic499

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event, were documented by light and SEM microscopy in populations of zoospores isolated by cytofluorimetry. The role of heteromorphic zoospores in
the life cycle of Trebouxia and the implications ofsexual reproduction in the photobionts of lichens willbe thoroughly discussed.

S.162.4 To the mountains
and beyond: diversity andsystematics of Agarista(Ericaceae) in the Americas

fieldwork expeditions allowed collecting 15 samples
of distinct taxonomic entities. We confirm the occurrence of 34 species in the Neotropics, 24 of themBrazil, being 22 endemics to this country. Additionally, three new species were described. Molecularanalysis is in progress with the Botanical ResearchInstitute of Texas in view to clarify the evolutive andbiogeographical history of the genus based on the
Angiosperms-353 kit.

S.162.5 Phylogenomics ofthe tropical African genus
Hymenocoleus Robbr.
(Rubiaceae)

Claudenice H. Dalastra1, Peter Fritsch2,
Morgan Gostel2, Gustavo Heiden3
1 PPG Botany, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande
do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil. 2 Botanical Research Institute of Texas, Fort Worth, EUA. 3 Embrapa Clima
Temperado, Pelotas, Brazil dalastra.ch@gmail.com
Agarista is a little-known and understudied genus
of subshrubs to trees in the blueberry family, comprising about 35 species. One species is distributed along the mountains of tropical Africa and theislands of the western Indian ocean, and the other34 species are endemics from tropical mountains
and temperate lowlands of the Americas. Despiteprevious monographic and cladistics studies providing an excellent framework of Agarista circumscription through a phyletic approach, sampling for
phylogenetic assessment has been sparse. Only
6% of the Agarista species are represented in phylogenetic, biogeographic and evolutionary studies
based on molecular data. Thus, this research provides a systematic study of Agarista focusing on
the American species, especially in the Brazilian diversity center. The study comprises morphological
data, taxonomic revision, molecular phylogenetic
analysis, evolutionary character reconstruction, andbiogeographic analysis. We are testing the monophyly of Agarista and reconstructing a phylogenetic
hypothesis for its evolution. The American species
are distributed among five main geographic areas
previously defined and each of these areas comprises an endemic set of species. On this hand, weare also in search to understand how morphological characters evolved within the group and, basedon biogeographic analysis, test hypotheses of pastconnections among these currently isolated set of
species. Herbaria reviews included in person consults to 31 American herbaria, plus the herbaria revised online through their specific websites. Typifications were made for 17 names in Agarista. Four

Lovisa Thilén1, Olivier Lachenaud2,3, Sylvain
Razafimandimbison4, Catarina Rydin1,5
1 Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden. 2 Meise
Botanic Garden, Meise, Belgium. 3 Herbarium et
Bibliothèque de Botanique Africaine, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium. 4 Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden. 5 Bergius Foundation, Stockholm, Sweden
Hymenocoleus is a small genus in the coffee family (Rubiaceae). It belongs to the pantropical tribe
Palicoureeae of the subfamily Rubioideae, and thespecies of the genus are herbs or undershrubs restricted to rainforests in tropical Africa. Infragenericrelationships in Hymenocoleus have received limited attention since its description and phylogenetic relationships have never been investigated, but
the genus has undergone a recent taxonomic revision, recognising 19 species. Several species are
newly described, and some are rare and as far as
known endemic to narrow geographic ranges. Here
we present the first phylogeny of Hymenocoleus, inferred using a phylogenomics approach. We used
the Angiosperms353 probe set to capture hundredsof low-copy nuclear genes and inferred a species
tree using coalescent-based methods. The result
is a fully resolved, highly supported species-level
phylogeny of Hymenocoleus. Data produced using
the Angiosperms353 probe set here showed capable of resolving relationships in the genus, including some infraspecific relationships. Moreover, thetopology proved robust to different analytical approaches, and use of different data partitions andfiltering schemes. Hymenocoleus libericus is sister tothe remaining species, however, incomplete lineage
sorting is affecting the deepest splits in the genus
and it is possible that cytonuclear discordance will500

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be detected in future studies, for this node as well
as a few others. It is further interesting to note that
there is morphological support for several clades inthe species tree.

S.162.6 Evolution andmegaspore morphology in
Isoetes (Lycophyta)
Eva Larsén1, Catarina Rydin1
1 Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant
Sciences, Stockholm University, Sweden
Isoetes L. (Isoetaceae, Isoetales) is a cosmopolitan
genus of heterosporous lycopods with an ancientand diverse evolutionary history that presumably
reached its zenith in the Paleozoic. The genus belongs to the order Isoetales, which appeared in
the Late Devonian and had its greatest diversity
and ecological dominance in the late Carboniferous when arborescent lepidodendrids were widespread in the coal swamps of Euramerica. But living
alongside and outliving their tree-shaped relatives
were also several genera of smaller and mostly unbranched isoetaleans that were common in the Triassic and continued to diversify throughout the Mesozoic and Cenozoic. The age of the living clade has
however never been satisfactorily clarified and nofossils have been phylogenetically placed within theextant clade. With little morphological (and molecular) divergence among species, megaspore morphology may be one of the best hopes for resolutionof relationships in the group as well as relationships
among extant and extinct forms. We have studied
the megaspore morphology, ornamentation andsurface texture/structure, in 74 phylogeneticallyplaced samples representing 59 species of Isoetes
and discuss evolutionary implications of the results.
The samples were studied with scanning electron
microscopy, and ornamentation and surface structure/texture were mapped onto a phylogeny constructed based on molecular data from the same
samples whenever possible. While there are generalfeatures common to all megaspores of the family(trilete with an outermost siliceous coating) there isin addition ample morphological variation, of whichsome appears clade-specific.

501

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Symposia Session 10
S.163 GENOMICS OF LOCAL ADAPTATION.
SESSION 2
S.163.1 Genome-wide
differentiation alongelevation corresponds to
the Mediterranean and cold
temperate climate niches
in lichens
Edgar L.Y. Wong1,2, Henrique Valim1,2, Imke
Schmitt1,2,3
1 Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate ResearchCentre, Frankfurt am Main, Germany. 2 LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics, Frankfurt am Main, Germany. 3 Goethe University Frankfurt, Institute of Ecology, Evolution and Diversity,Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Lichens are known to withstand extreme environmental heterogeneity such as seasonal anddiurnal temperature differences, and regular hydration-desiccation cycles. Many species also
have a wide distribution range across multiple
climate zones. However, little is known about themechanisms and genomic basis of environmental adaptation in lichen-forming fungi. In this talk,we present genomic work on Umbilicaria species, which are obligate lichen-forming fungi thatgrow on rocks. Using samples collected (1) fromdifferent mountainous gradients in Europe andUSA; (2) from low-elevation Mediterranean zone
to high-elevation cold temperate zones; and(3) with different reproductive modes (asexualor sexual), we compared patterns of genomic
differentiation and signatures of adaptation toclimate niches. Specifically, we ask: (1) How do
population genomic features of different species
vary along replicated elevational gradients? (2)Which genomic regions are associated with theclimate niche transition from the Mediterranean
to the cold temperate zone? (3) Which bioclimatic variables are important predictors of population genomic change at the boundary between
the two climate zones? (4) Do species with con-trasting reproductive modes show different genomic features? Some of our results include clear
genomic differentiation between samples collected from the Mediterranean versus the cold
temperate climate niche. Cline analyses showed
one bioclimatic variable (winter temperature) as
a strong selective pressure that led to allele fixation. Coupled with genomic scans for selective
sweeps and subsequent gene ontology analyses,
we present strong evidence that this bioclimatic
variable is a major driver of genomic differentiation and hence adaptation. Overall, our resultsenrich our knowledge of fungal genomic functions related to climatic niche, population genomics, and the response of long-lived, sessile
species to environmental heterogeneity.

S.163.2 Local adaptationinduced evolutionary trap in
alpine plants under climatechange502

Li Li1, Jie Zhang1, Victoria L. Sork2,3, Matthew C.
Fitzpatrick4, Hong Liao1, Gang Wang5, YanBo Sun1,6, Qing-Jun Li1 and Jian-Li Zhao1*
1 Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Transboundary Ecosecurity of Southwest China, Yunnan
Key Laboratory of Plant Reproductive Adaptationand Evolutionary Ecology and Centre for Invasion
Biology, Institute of Biodiversity, School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University,
Kunming, Yunnan, China. 2 Department of Ecology
and Evolutionary Biology, University of California,
Los Angeles, CA, USA. 3 Institute of the Environment
and Sustainability, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA. 4 Appalachian Laboratory, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science,
Frostburg, Maryland, USA. 5 CAS Key Laboratory of
Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical
Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, Yunnan, China. 6Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-resources, Yunnan
University, Kunming, Yunnan, China. *e-mail: jianli.
zhao@ynu.edu.cn.

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Evolutionary traps occur when populations deviate
from local adaptation and become maladapted under
rapid climate change. Alpine plants, with geneticallydistinct ecotypes in sky islands, are susceptible to being
trapped by rapid climate change. We employed landscape genomics to test a local adaptation-induced
evolutionary trap in the alpine perennial plant Roscoea
tibetica (Zingiberaceae) with three distinct ecotypes
along altitudinal gradients in the Hengduan Mountains.
Strong local adaptation to alpine environments wasobserved through isolation-by-environment and rapid
decreases in effective population size following interglacial niche contraction. Genomic offset increased
with climate warming and was positively correlatedwith the intensification of local adaptation. Insteadof high-elevation ecotypes, an evolutionary trap wasindicated in the low-elevation forest ecotype, whichshowed the strongest local adaptation and niche loss,
requiring the greatest shift in allele frequencies to keep
pace with future climate change, and will likely experience the largest population decline. Therefore, stronger local adaptation induces evolutionary traps moreeasily and aggravates the harm to alpine plants facing
rapid climate warming. Our study provides the first empirical case of local adaptation-induced evolutionary
traps for alpine plants and highlights that it is crucial for
alpine biota conservation to consider and disarm evolutionary traps under climate change.

S.163.3 GWAS analysis
reveals genetic basis ofsome phenological andmorphological traits inChouardia litardierei(Hyacinthaceae)
Sara Laura Šarančić1, Nikolina Pleić2,3,
Krešimir Križanović4, Ivan Radosavljević1
1 Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia. 2 Department ofMedical Biology, School of Medicine, University of
Split, Split, Croatia. 3 University of Applied Sciences ASPIRA, Split, Croatia. 4 Department of Electronic Systems and Information Processing, Faculty ofElectrical Engineering and Computing, University ofZagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Chouardia litardierei (Hyacinthaceae) is a bulbous, perennial species of the western parts of the Balkan Peninsula. It is characterized by a pronounced ecologicalplasticity since its populations are distributed acrosscontrasting habitat types: karst poljes, wet meadowsnear the seashore, and dry mountain slopes. Thus, C.
litardierei presents a valuable model for addressing
one of the central questions of evolutionary biology:
what genomic mechanisms underlie local adaptationand ecological divergence? Here we present the results of a genome-wide association study (GWAS) that
aimed at elucidating the genetic architecture of somecomplex traits in studied species. For this purpose, we
set the common garden experiment with 214 individuals from nine selected populations, three representing
each assumed ecotype. We performed comprehensive morphometric and phenological analyses andgenotyped all individuals using a genotyping-by-sequencing approach. Finally, we combined all the obtained results in a comprehensive study to characterize
the genotype-phenotype relations of selected traits. For
the analysis, we used 24,660 SNPs, five reproduction-related morphological, and five phenological traits. Alltraits were considered polygenic, and GWAS analyses
were performed assuming an additive genetic model.
For each association analysis, we considered two different statistical approaches: the frequentist single-locus models and Bayesian multi-locus models. Within
the single-locus models, for each trait, we fitted a standard linear mixed model (LMM) in GEMMA, as well asa Poisson linear mixed model in GMMAT for traits that
represented count data, to correctly model the trait’s
distribution. Within the multi-locus models, we fitted aBayesian sparse linear mixed model (BSLMM) and a latent Dirichlet Process Regression (DPR) model for each
trait. Results were visualized using Manhattan and QQ
plots. Multiple candidate loci were detected for different
traits, and the results are being discussed.

S.163.4 Perennial Grass
Ecotype Ecological andGenetic Responses to“Home” and “Away”
Microbial Inocula is
Ecotype-SpecificEli Hartung1, Soumyadev Sarkar2, Anna
Kazarina1, Kian Fogarty1, Brad Olson1, Matt
Galliart3, Jack Sytsma1, Ari Jumpponen1,
Sonny Lee1, Loretta Johnson1
1 Division of Biology, Kansas State University. 2 University of Arizona. 3 Fort Hays State University
Andropogon gerardii (big bluestem) is a dominantgrass of the US Great Plains and its broad distribution503

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across a steep rainfall gradient has given rise to locally adapted wet and dry ecotypes. While abiotic factorsthat drive local adaptation have been well-studied, little
is known about the role of soil microbiomes in local adaptation. We used reciprocal inoculation to investigate
how home and away microbiomes affect local adaptation. We collected seed and A. gerardii rhizospheresoils from prairies in Kansas (dry ecotype, 580 mm
rainfall year-1) and Illinois (wet ecotype, 1167 mm rainfall year-1). We cultured microbes from roots and nativesoils, and reciprocally inoculated wet and dry microbes
weekly into wet and dry ecotypes growing in common
garden soil for 12 weeks in greenhouse. We measured
plant form and function weekly for a variety of ecological responses. We extracted mRNA from leaves toanalyze transcriptome responses. Genetic backgroundbetween ecotypes determined most of our results. In
addition to ecotype, inoculation increased biomass,
especially that of the dry ecotype by ~30%. Furthermore,
ecotypes had higher chlorophyll absorbance whengrown with local soil microbiomes suggesting biotic
local adaptation. Gene expression differed between
ecotypes with ~7000 genes differentially expressed
between ecotypes. However, when ecotypes were inoculated with their local soil microbes, with whom theyshare evolutionary history, inoculum strongly affected
diverse aspects of plant growth and development. We
conclude that plant microbial interactions for ecological and genetic responses strongly depend on ecotype
context.

S.163.5 Patterns andConsequences ofSubgenomic Variation in
Invasive Johnsongrass(Sorghum halepense)
Michael R. McKai, Fae D. Bramblepelt,
Bishnu Adhikari, Nathaniel Hofford,
M’Kalya Motley, Bryan N. MacNeill, Sontosh
K. Deb, Andrew Busby, Alaina Dawkin,
Allison Hayes, William A. Laycock, Caitlin
McCann, Susie McLaughlin, Kayln Pate1
Department of Biological Sciences, The University of
Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
Johnsongrass (Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers.) is aninvasive, polyploid grass found throughout disturbed
and agriculture areas of temperature, subtropical,
and tropical regions. This species is thought to be

an allotetraploid formed through the hybridizationof sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) and Sorghum propinquum (Kunth) Hitchc. Since its introduction into the United States in the early 1800s andsecondary introduction into Arizona, Johnsongrasshas spread throughout much of the Southeast, lower
Great Plains, portions of the Midwest, Southwest, andCalifornia. The movement of this invasive has been
facilitated by the transport of agricultural products
and the development of major railway and highway
systems where Johnsongrass thrives in the disturbed
areas surrounding fields, railroads, and highways.
In this study, we assembled four genomes, resequenced 38 accessions at either 20X or 40X coverage, and low-coverage whole genome shotgun sequenced approximately 50 additional populationsof Johnsongrass from diverse regions of the UnitedStates. Using these data, we assess patterns of overall genetic diversity between subgenomes within
individuals, among accessions, and across populations to determine how subgenomic variation might
drive adaptation to varying habitats. We also explore
homoeolog retention and loss patterns, leveraging
phylogenetic relationships to identify potential locicontributing to Johnsongrass’s success as an invasive species in the United States. Furthermore, we examine the abundance and dispersion of homoeologous exchange across the Johnsongrass genome
and identify the extent to which different loci have
either moved to homoeologous chromosomes or
have been lost. Ultimately, this research sheds lighton the impact of diploidization on the diversity of U.S.
Johnsongrass germplasm, offering insights into how
polyploidy influences patterns of invasion.

S.163.6 Repeatedadaptation of Arabidopsis tochallenging environments
Filip Kolář1, Sonia Celestini1, Veronika
Konečná1, Magdalena Bohutínská1
1 Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Charles
University, Prague, Czech Republic
Repeated adaptation provides valuable insight into
the predictability of evolutionary change throughreplicated natural experiments. We investigated thestrength and genomic underpinnings of repeatedlocal adaptation of two outcrossing Arabidopsis
species (A. arenosa, A. lyrata) towards challenging
environments. Based on structured sampling andgenome sequencing of 50 ecologically divergent504

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populations, transplant experiments and population genomics, we discovered rapid multi-parallel
adaptation towards different environmental gradients (high elevations, toxic soils) and detectedsignificant over-representation of shared adaptive
candidate genes for each environment. Althoughvast majority of the parallel candidates sourced onshared allelic variation, we also discovered a small
fraction of genes exhibiting convergent evolution
from independent de novo mutations. In addition,a significant number of genes was identified repeatedly as candidates to two or more different
environments (e.g. challenging soils and alpine),suggesting spatio-environmentally fluctuating se-lection may further contribute to the maintenanceof diverse pools of adaptive standing variation.
Then, we complemented our investigations withadditional published gene lists and our genome
scans from other Brassicaceae genera and foundthat the extent of genomic parallelism significantly decreased with increasing divergence between
the compared lineages. This relationship was explained by decreasing probability of repeatedselection on the same standing or introgressed
alleles. We therefore conclude that genetic divergence between populations, species and genera,
affecting the pool of shared variants, is an important factor in the predictability of genome evolution.

S.164 GRASSROOTS MULTIDISCIPLINARY ANDINTEGRATIVE RESEARCH ON THE GLOBAL
DIVERSITY OF THE GRASSES (POACEAE).
SESSION 1
kee, WI, USA. 8 Instituto de Biologia, Universidade
Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, MG, Brazil. 9
Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St Louis, MO,
USA. 10 Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO, USA.

S.164.1 Grasses throughspace and time:
An overview of thebiogeographical andmacroevolutionary history
of Poaceae
Robert J. Soreng1, Timothy J. Gallaher2,
Paul M. Peterson1, Konstantin
Romaschenko1, Fernando O. Zuloaga3,
De-Zhu Li4,5, Lynn G. Clark6, Christopher D.
Tyrrell7, Cassiano A. D. Welker8, Elizabeth A.
Kellogg9, Jordan K. Teisher10
1 Department of Botany, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC
20013-7012, USA. 2 Department of Natural Science,
Herbarium Pacificum, Bishop Museum, Honolulu,
HI, USA. 3 Instituto de Botánica Darwinion (CONICET-ANCEFN), Casilla de Correo 22, San Isidro,
Buenos Aires, Argentina. 4 Germplasm Bank ofWild Species, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese
Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China. 5 Universityof Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China. 6
Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal
Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA. 7 Botany Department, Milwaukee Public Museum, Milwau-

Grasses are widespread on every continent and occur
in all terrestrial biomes. The dominance and spread ofgrasses and grassland ecosystems led to significant
changes in Earth´s climate, geochemistry, and biodiversity. Abundant chloroplast DNA sequence data, andadvances in placing grass fossils within the family allow for phylogenetic reappraisal of the family´s origins,
timing, geographic spread, and factors promoting diversification. We constructed a time-calibrated grass
phylogeny and inferred ancestral areas using chloroplast DNA sequences from nearly 90% of extant grass
genera. With a few notable exceptions, the phylogeny
is well resolved to the subtribal level and in agreementwith our current classification. Using this phylogenetic,
temporal, and spatial framework, we review the evolution and biogeography of the family and present biogeographical hypotheses concerning its origins, evolutionary tempo, and diversification. Extant lineages of thefamily began to diversify around the Late/Early-Cretaceous boundary (crown 98.54 Ma) in West Gondwana.
All subfamily crowns (except Pharoideae) evolved between the Late-Cretaceous to Late-Eocene, with mosttribe crowns between Mid-Eocene to Early-Oligocene,and stems of most genera between the Mid-Oligocene
and Late-Miocene. The splitting of Gondwana appears505

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responsible for the initial vicariance of Anomochlooideae from the rest of the family: It’s genera lack true spikelets and are endemic to and the only subfamily (ortribe) with a crown (80 Ma) in South America. Africa wasthe center of origin for much of the early diversificationof the family (Spikelet and Bistigmatic clades, Puelioideae, Core-Grass-clade, BOP and Oryzoideae, PACMAD
and ACMAD clades, Panicoideae, Aristidoideae, Arundinoideae, and Chloridoideae). Bambusoideae andMicrairoideae exhibit Indomalayan origins. Pooideae
and tribes exhibit Palearctic origins. Ehrhartoideae andCyperochloeae are tribes of Australian origins. No tribes
have North American origins. Key questions to answer
are the roles of Antarctica, extinction, unequal-rates ofsequence evolution (woody-bamboos, and annuals),
and whether Aristidoideae or Panicoideae evolved first.

breeding. We inferred a comprehensive nuclear
species tree of grasses by combining new and published sequences, including paralogs, for 331 genes
from genome, transcriptome, target enrichment
and shotgun data. Our 1,153-tip tree covers 78% ofgrass genera and all but two small tribes. We compared it to a 910-tip plastome tree. The nuclear phylogeny matches that of the plastome at most deep
nodes, with only a few instances of incongruence.
Gene tree–species tree reconciliation suggests that
reticulation events occurred repeatedly in the history of grasses. We provide a robust framework forcompleting the grass tree of life to support researchon grass evolution, including modes of reticulation,and genetic diversity for sustainable agriculture.

S.164.3 How can grasstaxonomy secure the futureof Madagascar?

S.164.2 Nuclear
phylogenomics of grasses(Poaceae) supports
classification and reveals
repeated reticulation

Maria S. Vorontsova1
1 Accelerated Taxonomy, Royal Botanic Gardens,
Kew, Richmond, Surrey, UK

Grass Phylogeny Working Group III(Arthan W., Baker W.J., Barrett M.D., Barrett
R.L., Bennetzen J., Besnard G., Bianconi
M.E., Birch J.L., Catalán P., Christin P.-A.,
Clark L.G., Columbus J.T., Crayn D.M.,
Davidse G., Dunning L., Duvall M.R., Fisher
A.E., Fjellheim S., Forest F., Gillespie L.J.,
Hackel J., Haevermans T., Hodkinson
T.R., Huang C.-H., Huang W., Humphreys
A., Jobson R.W., Kellogg E.A.E., Larridon
I., Li D.-Z., Liu J.-X., Ma H., Macfarlane
T.D., Maurin O., McKain M., McLay T.G.B.,
Moreno-Aguilar M.F., Murphy D.J., Peterson
P., Saarela J.M., Simpson L., Snow N.W.,
Soreng R.J., Thompson E.J., Traiperm P.,
Verboom G.T., Vorontsova M.S., Walsh
N.G., Washburn J.D., WatcharamongkolT., Waycott M., Welker C.A.D., Xanthos M.,
Zhang L., Zizka A., Zuntini A.R.)
Grasses (Poaceae) have over 11,800 species and are
central for human livelihoods and terrestrial ecosystems. Knowing their relationships and evolutionary
history is key to comparative research and crop

Twenty million years before human arrival on Madagascar, the ancient ancestors of Fatakamanga or
the Blue Bamboo, also known as Lecomtella madagascariensis, made their journey to the island. The
only remaining population of this isolated lineage isrestricted to the mountains of the Andringitra National Park. The list of Andringitra micro-endemics
whose presence justifies protected area funding
also includes the world’s only grass that imitates Erica shrubs: Panicum cupressifolium. But savannas
at lower elevations are not included in biodiversity
protection campaigns and not believed to be worthy of protection. Landscape genomics of Loudetia
simplex which dominates vast expanses of savanna
are helping us reconstruct ecosystem history to help
plan conservation. Traditional Malagasy livelihoods
are based around herds of zebu dependent on theguilds of forage grasses forming grazing lawn assemblages, including the recently revised endemics Panicum luridum (Panicum sensu stricto), andPanicum umbellatum with Brachiaria subrostrata(which need to be given new generic names within
the Melinidinae in the Panicoideae). Agriculture professionals are unaware of native forages, and weare working to promote their use. The most beautiful baskets are woven in the Fandriana region fromharsh bunchgrasses called Haravola and Haravola
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cultivation. One is a sorghum relative Lasiorhachis
viguieri, and the other is a mystery likely affiliatedwith the South African Phacelurus franksiae. None ofthese natural history facts were known or connected
to national policy before the start of the Madagascar grass project in 2011. Placing grasses at the centre, we are working to piece together useful stories
combining herbarium taxonomy, ethnobotany, phylogenetics, and functional ecology interfacing withsocial science and biome modelling, livestock development, and conservation. This talk will present
an overview of how Madagascar’s grasses are being braided together to support the country’s future.

S.164.4 Advances on a newclassification for koelerioid
grasses based on molecularstudies and morphology(Poaceae: Pooideae:
Aveninae)

reduction or resurrection of others. A notable caseof reduction is Trisetum, before considered to hostca. 70 perennial species, and now restricted toonly three species, one of them annual. In contrast, Koeleria, another large perennial genus fromcold or temperate regions of all hemispheres, hasgrown from 25 to nearly 100 species after absorbing part of the diversity of Trisetum. Aegialina,
Acrospelion, and Cinnagrostis were resurrected.
The detection of past reticulation events forming
Graphephorum and parts of Rostraria suggest theimportance of the hybridization as driving force ofevolution in these groups, a common feature withother lineages of supertribe Poodae.

S.164.5 Decoding
hybridization events intemperate Loliinae grasses:
a nuclear single-copy gene
perspective
María Fernanda Moreno-Aguilar1, Juan
Viruel2, Aminael Sánchez-Rodríguez3, Itziar
Arnelas3, Juan Camilo Ospina4, Gloria
Martínez-Segarra5, Diana Calderón3, Juan
Antonio Devesa5, Pilar Catalán1,6

Alejandro Quintanar1, Robert J.
Soreng2, Paul M. Peterson2, Konstantin
Romaschenko2, Carlos Aedo1, Patricia
Barberá3
1 Real Jardín Botánico de Madrid CSIC, Madrid,
Spain. 2 National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC, USA. 3 Department of Africa and Madagascar, Missouri Botanical
Garden, St. Louis, USA
Analyses of molecular data accumulated overnearly two decades have revealed extensive polyphyly affecting many of the genera that make up
the oats subtribe, Aveninae, a group of subfamily
Pooideae grasses of global economic importance.
Within Aveninae, Koeleriinae clades A and B (koelerioid grasses) contain most of the biodiversity inthe subtribe, including mostly perennial lineages,
such as Trisetum s.l. or Koeleria (both worldwide)
and other American genera like Sphenopholis andGraphephorum, and a series of annuals like Rostraria and Trisetaria from the Mediterranean (except Limnodea). We present our latest results on
the systematic relationships of the koelerioids resulting from the largest sampling of these grasses
carried out to date. Our new phylogenetic trees
have improved our understanding of the evolutionof this diverse group and led to drastic revisionsof their classification. Amendments have involved
the publication of new genera and the expansion,

1 Departamento de Ciencias Agrarias y del MedioNatural. Escuela Politécnica Superior de Huesca.
Universidad de Zaragoza, Huesca, Spain. mmoreno@uniza.es. 2 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond. UK. 3 Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas
y Agropecuarias, Universidad Técnica Particular deLoja, Loja. Ecuador. 4 Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias.
Universidad Nacional de Jujuy. San Salvador de Jujuy, Jujuy, Argentina. 5 Departamento de Botánica,
Ecología y Fisiología Vegetal, Universidad de Córdoba, Spain. 6 Grupo de Bioquímica, Biofísica y Biología Computacional (UNIZAR), Unidad Asociada
al CSIC, Zaragoza. Spain.
Resolving the phylogeny of recently evolved groups
that have experienced recurrent introgressions andpolyploidizations throughout their history is challenging. Evolutionary reconstruction based on alarge set of biparentally inherited single-copy nuclear genes is considered a suitable approach torecover relationships that might otherwise be obscured by nuclear ribosomal genes in concerted
evolution or biased by maternally inherited plastomes. Here we present the first single-copy gene
phylogeny of the ecologically and economically important grass subtribe Loliinae (Festuca and related

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genera) using 241 nuclear coding loci captured fromthe Angisoperm353 probe set and a large sample
of 137 representative taxa of Loliinae, covering all of
its 22 evolutionary lineages. We have further completed genome-skimming sampling of other nuclear (35S rDNA gene) and organellar (plastome)
sequences to elucidate the reticulate history of the
Loliinae from multiple and complementary genome
sources. Concatenated maximum likelihood andmultispecies coalescent trees of single-copy genes
showed well-supported relationships that weregenerally consistent across analyses and with previous taxonomic and phylogenetic findings but also
revealed high levels of gene discordance. Hybridization and topological incongruence tests between
the nuclear and plastome-based trees confirmed
the rampant introgression experienced by Loliinae
at deep and shallow nodes, detecting hybridization
in four broad-leaved (Subulatae-Hawaiian, Schenodorus, Tropical-South African, Mexico-Central-SouthAmerican) and five highly-diversified fine-leaved(American II, Exaratae-Loretia, Aulaxyper, Afroalpine,
American-Neozeylandic) Loliinae lineages. The levels of intragenomic discordance could have beenmagnified by the prevalence of allopolyploids in the
Loliinae and methodological bias in the selection oforthologs; however, our nuclear and plastome trees
have revealed key hybrid origins in these grasses.

S.164.6 Taxonomy of
Digitaria (Panicoideae,
Poaceae) grasses tosupport weed andforage management in
Madagascar
Nantenaina H. Rakotomalala1,
Lorna MacKinnon2, Fenitra N.
Randrianarimanana1, Sami Touafchia3,
Thomas Haevermans3, George
Burton2, Rafael F. de Almeida2, Jean
A. Randriamampianina4, Mijoro
Rakotoarinivo5, Maria S. Vorontsova2

The Poaceae family is species-rich and functionallysignificant for Madagascar’s ecosystems and agrisystems. As part of an interdisciplinary project on
grass diversity and agricultural interactions, we revise the classification of the genus Digitaria in Madagascar. This complex group poses identification
challenges due to strong similarities between species. Over 50% of the 14,000 Madagascar’s Poaceae
herbarium collections are housed in Paris, presenting a constraint for Malagasy botanists aiming tostudy grass microscopic features that are not discernible in digital images. Consequently, I undertook trips to both Paris and London to access the essential resources, supplementing fieldwork efforts.
Through examination of herbarium materials andfield collections, we identified 30 species in Madagascar, including seven endemics, and excluding
five species previously believed to occur in the region. Noteworthy are a likely new species from central and northern Madagascar and a new record of
D. ternata. Three names were placed in synonymy:
endemics D. psammophila and D. planiculmis aresynonyms of the non-endemic D. didactyla, while
D. madagascariensis is a synonym of the endemic
D. fulva. A key to the species is provided along with
illustrations, descriptions, and distribution information. This revision updates the Digitaria data in the
Weed Identification and Knowledge in the Tropicaland Mediterranean Areas portal. Using the updated species concepts, ethnobotanical analyses revealed 11 Digitaria species considered to be weeds
affecting agriculture and used as forages in thehighlands. Weedy traits of D. humbertii include its
entangling growth habit and the ability to infiltrate
cropping systems. Phylogenetic analysis indicates
independent evolution of weedy species in theparaphyletic Digitaria clade. In order to disseminate these findings, we created an illustrated field
guide in English and Malagasy, developed collaboratively with national agricultural institutions andthe Ministry of Agriculture to help farmers recognize
native forages and identify weed control methods.

1 Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Antananarivo, Madagascar. 2 Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, London, UK.
3 Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle Paris 4 National Centre for Applied Research on Rural Development (FOFIFA), Madagascar. 5 University of Antananarivo, Madagascar

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S.165 MORPHOLOGICAL, ANATOMICAL, AND
EVOLUTIONARY BASIS OF HABIT TRANSITIONSIN PLANTS
S.165.1 Apocynaceae wood
evolution matches key
morphological innovations

tions towards (phylogenetically) derived woodinessand a scandent or erect growth form. In conclusion,
there are clear evolutionary transitions in the wood
anatomy of Apocynaceae –many associated withclimbers – representing structural adaptations thatare part of a cascade of morphological evolutionarychanges across the family.

Vicky Beckers1,2, Mary Endress3, Pieter
Baas1, Erik Smets1,2, Frederic Lens1,2
1 Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, The Netherlands. 2 Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
3 University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
Apocynaceae are a wonderfully diverse group, widely
studied for their variable evolutionary processes. The
stem is one of the most functionally important plantparts, yet a wood anatomical overview of this family is missing. Here, we present a wood anatomical
overview of the Apocynaceae, including reconstructions of wood evolution. To do so, we revised over
200 published wood anatomical descriptions andmade original sections and light microscopic descriptions for another ~50 species. Changes in wood
anatomical characters through time were visualizedwith ancestral state reconstructions on a selectionof 26 informative traits for 147 woody species included in the family’s most recent molecular phylogeny. We performed tests for correlated evolution on
a combined dataset of anatomical and publishedmorphological traits to identify potential synnovations and key traits associated with growth form
adaptations. The most important finding was a shift
towards a syndrome of derived wood anatomical
traits within the paraphyletic apocynoid grade that
include an increased presence of vessel multiples,
vessel dimorphism, laticifers, cambial variants, andparatracheal axial parenchyma. These traits separate the grade into early- and later diverging tribes,
and continue in the monophyletic Periplocoideae,
Secamonoideae, and Asclepiadoideae. When wecompared these trait reconstructions with morphology traits evolution, we found that key morphological innovations co-occur with wood characters onconsecutive nodes in the family’s phylogeny. In contrast to these abrupt trait changes, vessel elements
and fibers gradually shorten along the phylogenetic
backbone of the family. This correlates to a generalplant size reduction, regardless of the many transi-

S.165.2 Ontogeny of interand intra-xylary phloem in
eudicotyledons
Kishore S. Rajput1
1 Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, The
Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Vadodara, Gujarat, India
Migration of aquatic autophytes to terrestrial conditions compelled them to evolve a new strategy
of specialised tissues for mechanical support andconduction, i.e., secondary xylem and phloem respectively. From them, the phloem is a relatively
delicate tissue that plays a vital role in the translocation of photosynthates. In most of the eudicots,
the phloem develops external to the vascular cambium and the xylem internal to it. Besides their position external to the cambium, in a small fractionof eudicots, it also occurs within (interxylary phloem
that develops from the single ring of vascular cambium) and inside (intraxylary) the secondary xylem.
Based on their unique ontogeny, interxylary phloem
is classified variously (Strychnos, Combretum, Azima
and Calycopteris types) by earlier researchers. The
present study documents several additional examples that do not fit into any of the types mentioned
above (i.e., it develops in a later stage by dedifferentiation of parenchyma and not from the cambium).
Similarly, the intraxylary phloem located on the pithmargin either initiates from procambial derivatives,
ground meristem, from the adjacent pith cells or bydeveloping intraxylary cambium. Little information isavailable on the formation of intraxylary cambium
and its unifacial (deposition of the secondary xylem and phloem in the same direction) or bifacial(xylem externally and phloem internally) nature but509

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detailed information on its behaviour remains unexplored. Several such examples of intraxylary cambium with intermediate variants are also discussedherewith and their possible functions are attributed to defence against insect injury and herbivory
based on pieces of experimental evidence available
in the literature.

S.165.3 Just keep growing!
Woodiness as a simple
extension of herbaceous
habit.
Kamil E. Frankiewicz1,2,3,4, Carmen R.
Marcati3, Anthony R. Magee1, Alexei A.
Oskolski5,6
1 Compton Herbarium, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Private Bag X7, Claremont, CapeTown, South Africa. 2 Bolus Herbarium, Departmentof Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universityof Cape Town, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch, South
Africa. 3 Laboratório de Anatomia da Madeira,
Departamento de Ciência Florestal, Solos e Ambiente, Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Botucatu, São Paulo,
Brazil. 4 Plant Cytogenetics and Molecular Biology
Group, Institute of Biology, Biotechnology and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Natural Sciences,
University of Silesia in Katowice, Katowice, Poland.
5 Department of Botany and Plant Biotechnology,
University of Johannesburg, P.O. Box 524, Auckland
Park, Johannesburg, South Africa. 6 Komarov Botanical Institute of the Russian Academy of Science,
St. Petersburg, Russia
Transitions between herbaceous and woody habits
is a key to angiosperm ecological and evolutionary
success. Some correlations between habits and climatic niches have been established, such as that theincrease in herbaceous life forms since the Eocene
was a strategy to evade seasonal frost, or that reversals to woodiness during the Miocene climate aridification enhanced resistance to drought-induced
embolism. While these relationships are well-understood, intrinsic (organismal) traits governing angiosperm habit adaptability remain elusive. We takeadvantage of our extensive sampling to delve into
the anatomical distinctions between woody and herbaceous plants. Do these differences extend beyond
quantity of secondary xylem? Are there any qualitative traits universally distinguishing herbs from woody
plants? What makes angiosperms so adaptable
when their closest extant relatives (gymnosperms)
are constrained to a narrow range of life forms? First,

we observe that across diverse angiosperms, spanning magnoliids, asterids, and rosids, the rays of secondary woody may simply prolongate patterns fromprimary xylem, without qualitative changes. Then,
we show that quantitative traits such as vessel areaand vessel wall thickness develop at comparable
rates in closely related herbaceous and secondarily
woody species (i.e., shrubs derived from herbaceous
ancestors). These underscore that woodiness may
be a mere prolongation of patterns present in herbaceous ancestors. Finally, we propose a novel perspective: habit shifts are linked to changes in wood
lignin content, influencing stem mechanical properties and, consequently, maximal height. We argue
that this could foster morphological disparification
contributing to angiosperms unparalleled diversity.
In summary, our observations emphasize that angiosperm habit adaptability results from their ability toalter cambial activity and, possibly also, the amountof lignin produced and deposited in xylem. Simultaneously, while wood anatomical traits are crucial for
adaptations to specific niches, they do not seem tobe primarily related to life forms.

S.165.4 Developmental
processes behind habit
transitions from lianas totrees and shrubs in vascularplantsMarcelo R. Pace1, Angélica Quintanar
Castillo1, Camila Alcántara1
1 Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Instituto de Biología, Departamento de Botánica
The ancestral habit of woody plants is inferred as
self-supporting i.e., either erect shrubs or trees. The
vascular system in self-supporting woody plants fulfills the roles of water and photosynthate transport,mechanical support, storage, and longevity. Lianas,
however, do not support themselves, therefore theirstem anatomy, released from this role, undergo modifications towards other critical purposes. First, lianas
have some of the most efficient hydraulic systems,with less fibers, wider and more abundant vessels perunit area. Second, liana stems undergo selection for
flexibility, thus their stems have wider and taller rays,
sometimes more abundant axial parenchyma, andthe wholesale restructuring of the vascular architecture (vascular variants), which intermixes parenchymatous and lignified tissues. Interestingly, within sev-

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eral ancestrally lianescent lineages, self-supporting
plants have re-evolved, when occupying semi-arid
regions. In these unique cases, the vascular system,
therefore, must provide support to keep the stem
upright, which is reflected in the reversal to a secondary xylem with narrower vessels, smaller rays
and more fibers, and sometimes with changes in theaxial parenchyma abundance. Critically, when the
self-supporting habit is regained, vascular variantsin their stems may even be lost or greatly reduced.
Conversely, if the emergent self-supporting habit issucculent, these plants co-opt the ancestral vascular variant for increased water storage, representing a case of exaptation. In this talk, we discuss there-emergence of self-supporting plants from ancestrally lianescent lineages using case studies in Bignoniaceae, Convolulaceae, and Malpighiaceae.

dress the following questions: (1) How many times dideach type of vascular variant evolve? (2) Do vascularvariants have systematic value in defining clades? (3)How did changes in the mode and tempo (heterochrony), spatial reorganization (heterotopy), tissue identity transformations (homeosis), and the re-purposingof old tools (exaptation) contribute to the diversity ofvascular architecture in lianas? This study represents
the power of an integrative approach, bridging developmental anatomy, within a robust phylogenetic
context, to elucidate the evolution of development ofcomplex traits.

S.165.6 Cambial activity
contrasts between trees
and lianas in temperate andtropical regions

S.165.5 Evolution of
Development of Vascular
Variants in a Large Lineageof Neotropical Woody Vines:
Paullinieae (Sapindaceae)

Veronica Angyalossy1, André C. Lima2,
Lui Agostinho Teixeira1, Marcelo R. Pace3,
Carmen R. Marcati2, Ray F. Evert4
1 Departamento de Botânica, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. 2 Departamento de Ciência Florestal, Solos e
Ambiente, Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas,
Universidade Estadual Paulista, Botucatu, Brazil. 3
Departamento de Botánica, Instituto de Biología,
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudadde México, Mexico. 4 Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA

Joyce G. Onyenedum1, Israel L. Cunha
Neto1, Chun Su1, Pedro AcevedoRodríguez1
1 Department of Environmental Studies, New York
University, New York, NY, USA. 2 Department of Botany, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC, USA

The vascular cambium typically has a seasonal activity, both in trees and lianas, either in the tropics orin temperate regions. This seasonal activity is generally annual for both habits. Photoperiod is one of
the main triggers of the resume of cambial activity after dormancy, but this is in concert to a rise intemperatures in the temperate regions and the endof the dry season in the tropics. Both the onset andoffset of cambial activity occur within the favorable
growing season, i.e., summer in the temperate region and rainy season in the tropics, indicating thatcambial rhythm anticipates the seasons that comeahead. However, lianas typically have a much larger inter-specific variation than trees. Within a study
under the same conditions, some lianas had only 2months activity, others 5 month and others yet had
the cambial activity throughout the year. We explore
here the best methods to detect cambial activity,
the most reliable initial and terminal growth rings
markers, specificities in growth ring formation in lianas and how vascular variants of lianas may also
greatly influence cambial activity.

Climbing woody vines–– “lianas” –– are the snakes ofthe plant kingdom, capable of wrapping around hosttrees in search of light at the top of the forest canopy. Intriguingly, this lifeform has evolved independently
multiple times, and in accordance, lianas have independently evolved significant modifications to theirstem anatomy to meet the unique demand to twist
without breaking. Unlike the stems of most trees andshrubs, comprised of a core of wood (xylem) sheathedby inner bark (phloem), lianas often have “vascularvariants”, expressed as aberrations in the typical distribution and abundance of xylem and phloem. In thisstudy, we sought to elucidate the evolution of development of vascular variants in a large neotropical liana
tribe, Paullinieae (Sapindaceae), comprised of 11 vascular variants across 495 species. We here leverage
the newly developed molecular phylogeny of Paullinieae, comprised of 75% species of the tribe, together
with robust developmental anatomy dataset to ad-

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S.166 PHYLOGENOMICS AND SYSTEMATICS OF
LILIACEAE
S.166.1 Plastome structure,phylogenetics, andhistorical biogeographyof Liliaceae subfamily
Streptopoideae

short branch lengths. One individual of S. lanceolatus
from the Pacific Northwest showed evidence of chloroplast capture from sympatric S.amplexfolius. These
results indicate that alternative molecular methods
targeting the nuclear genome will be needed to further tease apart the evolutionary history of this group.

Kenneth M. Cameron1, Shenyi Wang1, Pan Li2
1 Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA. 2 Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
Liliaceae always have been a challenge to classify
and the taxonomy of one subfamily, Streptopoideae,also has been plagued with controversy. As currently
circumscribed Streptopoideae contain three genera:
Prosartes, Scoliopus, and Streptopus with 17 species
distributed across the Northern Hemisphere. A few ofthe species even exhibit inter-continental disjunctions.
Although several higher-level molecular phylogenetic
studies have included a handful of species from thissubfamily as placeholders, the whole picture of finerscale phylogenetics among these plants has never been studied adequately. We resolved the phylogenetic relationships, estimated divergence times
among clades, and reconstructed historical biogeography within Streptopoideae and several outgoup
taxa using newly sequenced de novo assembled andannotated whole chloroplast genomes. We achieved
a high level of sampling for the ingroup (15 of 17 species), and also considered a moderate level of intraspecific sampling for the two species, S. amplexifolius
and S. lanceolatus, with the widest geographic distribution. We compared and contrasted the structure ofStreptopoideae plastomes, demonstrating that they
have relatively large genomes, but with same genearrangement that characterizes other Liliaceae. A
relatively well resolved and supported phylogenetic
reconstruction supports the North American genera
Prosartes and Scoliopus sharing a recent common
ancestor, with Streptopus as sister to them. The subfamily diverged from its shared ancestor with Tricyrtis
at least 57 Mya in the late Paleocene of either Western
North America or East Asia. The species of Streptopus
in North America appear to have migrated to the east
from Asia more recently. Relationships within each genus are fully resolved, but mostly supported only by

S.166.2 Phylogenomics,
historical geography,
adaptive radiation,and quantitative floral
convergence in lilies (Lilium)
Thomas J. Givnish1, Mark Skinner2,
Ivana Rešetnik3, Nursel Ikinci4, Ricardo
Kriebel5, Alan R. Lemmon6, Emily Moriarty
Lemmon7, Yundong Gao8
1 Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, USA. 2 Skinner & Associates, Portland, USA. 3 Department of Biology, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia. 4 Departmentof Botany, Abant Izzet Baysal University, Bolu, Turkey. 5 Department of Botany, California Academyof Sciences, San Francisco, USA. 6 Departmentof Scientific Computing, Florida State University,
Tallahassee, USA. 7 Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, USA. 8
Department of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China
Lilies – with ca. 125 species in Lilium and the former genus Nomocharis – are restricted to the Northern Hemisphere, with centers of diversity in East Asia, southern
Europe, the Caucasus, and eastern and Western North
America. Species vary widely in habitat and in floral
form, orientation, color, and fragrance. To identify relationships within Lilium and reconstruct its adaptive radiation and geographic spread, we conducted the firstphylogenomic analysis of relationships in the genus bysequencing, assembling, and analyzing more than 400
single-copy nuclear loci and whole plastomes of almost all extant species. The maximum-likelihood plastome phylogeny fails to resolve any of the traditional,
morphology-based sections as monophyletic, with
two origins for North American § Pseudolirium, two for
Himalayan/Tibetan § Nomocharis, four for East Asian §Sinomartagon, two for Asian § Leucolirion, two for Asian512

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Oral presentations§ Archelirion, three for European and Central Asian §Martagon, two for East Asian § Daurolirion, and two forEuropean § Liriotypus. The nuclear phylogeny, however, resolves most sections as monophyletic, except for
polyphyletic § Sinomartagon and § Leucolirion. Reconstructions of historical biogeography point to an origin
in East Asia or Himalayas/Tibetan Plateau, with subsequent dispersals into North America, the Himalayas/Tibetan Plateau, Europe, Formosa, Japan, and the Philippines. Within the North American clade § Pseudolirium,
we found strong quantitative convergence in flower
shape, orientation, and color associated with pollination by hummingbirds, sphingid moths, and bees, andapparent retention of ancestral characters in species
pollinated by butterflies.

the protologue and other related materials) and locating the type specimens; and combining these withthe molecular evidence accumulated by the present, as well as the findings of over a decade of field
investigation, this monograph aims to provide a fully
updated catalog and enumeration of Chinese native
lilies including each species’ history, details of the typespecimen, morphological description, distribution information, all accompanied by field images.

S.166.4 Phylogenomics of
Liliaceae revisited
Mingyue Ye1, Meizhen Wang1, Kenneth
Cameron2, Pan Li1,*

S.166.3 A monograph ofChinese lilies

1 Laboratory of Systematic & Evolutionary Botany andBiodiversity, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China. 2 Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA. *panli@zju.edu.cn

Yundong Gao1, Melvyn Herbert2
1 CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratoryof Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology,
Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China. 2
Llwynteg, Bwlchllan, Nr Lampeter, Ceredigion, UK.
Lilies are amongst the most fabulous of cultivatedflowers, being important subjects for both the amateur gardener and professional growers supplying the
fresh cut flower trade across the globe. Comparedto the great multitude of hybrid cultivars that havebeen developed the naturally occurring wild species
are relatively few, just over a hundred of these being
mainly concentrated in the northern temperate zone.
Of the major distributional areas, Eastern Asia (mainly
China) exhibits the greatest diversity of wild lily species, boasting over three-quarters of the taxa currently
known to science. In addition to possessing the largest number of species, the Chinese lilies also display
great diversity at the sub-generic level. At least 5 outof 7 of the sections that are commonly accepted are
represented in the Chinese flora (though differencesof opinion regarding classification within the genus doremain). Recent technological and scientific innovations, along with easier access to remote areas, meanthat it is now possible to resolve many of the outstanding taxonomic puzzles relating to the lilies of China thatremain from earlier times and also to incorporate the
newly recognized species into a fully updated catalog of these wonderful plants. In this work, the makea substantial revision of all the Lilium species that are
currently known to occur in China. By tracing the history of their discovery, verifying the relevant literature (i.e.,

The lily family (Liliaceae), which is distributed mainly across the temperate Northern Hemisphere, is ofgreat horticultural, culinary, and medical importance. It is also a family with a long history of taxonomic uncertainty. Challenges in accurate species
identification persist and phylogenetic relationships among genera within the family continue
to be unresolved and/or weakly supported due tothe use of limited molecular markers with insufficient variability. Here, plastome and transcriptome
data were generated and combined with previously published data for this family, providing a
total of 86 plastomes and 88 transcriptomes (plus
one WGS data) covering all 15 currently recognizedgenera for analyses. Both plastid and nuclear phylogenomic analyses strongly confirm the recognition of four subfamilies: Tricyrtidoideae with four
genera; Medeoloideae with two genera (Clintonia
and Medeola); Lilioideae with eight genera; and a
distinct subfamily, Calochortoideae, for Calochortus, which is sister to Medeoloideae and Lilioideae.
Within Lilioideae, both plastid and nuclear phylogenomic analyses show that the Lilieae clade of (Notholirion, (Cardiocrinum, (Fritillatia, Lilium))) is sisterto the Tulipeae clade of (Gagea; (Tulipa, (Erythronium, Amana))). However, plastid and nuclear trees
show different topologies within Tricyrtidoideae,
which is (Tricyrtis, (Streptopus, (Prosartes, Scoliopus))) in the plastid tree but (Tricyrtis, (Prosartes,(Streptopus, Scoliopus))) in the nuclear tree. This
cytonuclear conflict is likely due to ancient hybridization. Our results provide a solid framework for future studies on the evolution of Liliaceae.

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S.166.5 Updated molecularphylogenetic analysis,
dating and biogeographicalhistory of the lily family(Liliaceae: Liliales)
Joonhyung Jung1, Joo-Hwan Kim1
1 Department of Life Science, Gachon University
Liliaceae sensu APG IV include ca. 600 species,
and have been circumscribed into three subfamilies, Lilioideae, Calochortoideae and Streptopoideae. Molecular phylogenetic approaches tothis family have produced dynamic changes in
the generic circumscriptions. We conducted molecular phylogenetic analyses, time estimations
and biogeographical analyses to confirm generic relationships, discuss their circumscription forclassification and clarify the evolutionary historyof the family. A phylogenetic analysis is presented as a combined data set of ca. 6.1 kb from four
plastid coding gene sequences for 142 taxa representing all the genera of Liliaceae. Medeoloideae
were newly defined as an independent subfamily from Lilioideae. Tricyrtis of Calochortoideae isembedded in Streptopoideae, despite its uniquecharacteristics. The crown age of Liliaceae wascalculated at ca. 85 Mya, and Liliaceae are considered to have originated in temperate Asia inthe late Cretaceous and to have expanded theirdistribution via dispersal with the occurrence ofrepetitive vicariance events during their evolution.

ies within species. In this study, we examined themorphological characteristics, elevation, andphysiology to revise this genus in Taiwan. As a result, we confirmed five species and one variety:i.e., T. formosana Baker., T. lasiocarpa Matsumura,T. lasiocarpa var. ovatifolia (S.S. Ying) Y.H. Chen &T.H. Huang, stat. nov., T. lingyunyanensis Y.H. Chen
& T.H. Huang, sp. nov., T. ravenii C.I Peng & Tiang,
and T. suzukii Masamune. Tricyrtis lingyunyanensis
Y.H. Chen & T.H. Huang is a new species found onlyin the north of Wunfong Mountain, Chiayi Country,
Taiwan, at an elevation of approximately 1100 m.
The unique feature is that dried capsules fall off
from the base of the capsule, and bulbils develop at the nodes of the aerial stem aboveground.
Furthermore, we discovered bulb formation in thisgenus in Taiwan and described the growth patterns of its underground parts. This study seeks toprovide a detailed assessment of the morphology of each species by offering descriptions andprecise comparative photographs.

S.166.6 Taxonomic revisionof Tricyrtis (Liliaceae) anda new species Tricyrtis
lingyunyanensis in Taiwan
Yu-Huan Chen1, Ting-Hsuan Huang1,
Chang-Tse Lu2, Rong-Show Shen1
1 Department of Horticultural Science, National
Chiayi University, Chiayi City, Taiwan. 2 Departmentof Biological Resources, National Chiayi University,
Chiayi City, Taiwan
Tricyrtis Wall. (Liliaceae) is a perennial herb, including approximately 20 species, endemic to
East Asia. Tricyrtis exhibit similar morphologies;
thus, some species display infraspecific morphological variation and ambiguous boundar-

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S.167 LEGUME SYSTEMATICS: FROMCOLLABORATIVE NETWORKS TO GENOME
SEQUENCING
S.167.1 Evolution of legumes:
from introgression to wholegenome duplication

ory facilitated rapid speciation, given the ecologicaladvantage of novel defences in resisting the relentless insect herbivory experienced by rainforest trees.
Overall, we aim to assess whether transfer of adaptive variation through introgression helped generate
the unmatched diversity of rainforest trees.

Le Min Choo1,2, Rowan Schley1
1 Department of Geography, University of Exeter,
Exeter, UK. 2 Singapore Botanic Gardens, National
Parks Board, Singapore
Introgression and duplication are two of the mostdramatic phenomena that a genome may encounter, each with myriad outcomes, ranging
from increased evolutionary potential through to aheightened likelihood of extinction. Both processes
have greatly influenced the evolution of plant diversity, particularly within the legume family whichholds more than 20,000 species. Among the most
species-rich legume communities occur in tropicalrainforests, which are emblematic for their diversity.
Accordingly, here we explore the influence of introgression and genome duplication on legume tree
genera found in tropical rainforests, spanning thetropics. Sindora, from the Detarioideae subfamily,
comprises 20 species found in palaeotropical rainforests, and has experienced whole genome duplication in its history. As such, phylogenetic reconstruction is challenging within the group due to thehigh abundance of paralogues. Sindora is known
to hybridise extensively, forming ‘syngameons’ ofmany interfertile species, and so here we investigate whether introgression has contributed to thepresent day ability of the genus to form interspecific hybrids using a bespoke phylogenetic pipelinethat aims to account for paralogy. The extent of thesyngameon and the nature of hybridisation are alsostudied using present day hybrids. Inga, from the
Caesalpinioideae subfamily, comprises >300 species and typifies the rapid rainforest tree radiations
that gave rise to most Neotropical tree diversity. Introgression can catalyse such events of rapid diversification, and so here we assess whether hybridisation catalysed rapid diversification in Inga. Firstly,
we ascertain the extent of introgression across Inga,
following which we test whether introgression ofloci underlying chemical defences against herbiv-

S.167.2 The future of legume
systematics: Embracing
collaborative tools toenhance taxonomic,
geographic andevolutionary knowledge
M. Marianne le Roux1,2, Domingos
Cardoso3,4, Juliana Gastaldello Rando5,
Anne Bruneau6
1 South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, South Africa. 2 University of Johannesburg,
Johannesburg, South Africa. 3 Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 4 Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Brazil. 5 Federal Universityof Western Bahia, Bahia, Brazil. 6 Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
The legume systematics community’s long historyof research and collaboration has greatly increased
our understanding of the classification, biogeography and evolutionary history of the family. This isevident in the many activities and publications thathave seen the light since 1978, when the first International Legume Conference was held at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. In 2010, the Legume Phylogeny
Working Group (LPWG) was founded, and has since
published five papers under this name, including a
new phylogeny-based subfamily classification anda revised higher-level classification for subfamily
Caesalpinioideae. In 2020 the LPWG established fiveworking groups to promote collaboration on specificaspects of legumes. The Taxonomy Working Groupwas created to work on a list of names that would
feed into and support the underlay of the other four
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four versions of updated legume taxon names fromwhich out of the 64 351 specific names ever published in the family we now accept 22 623 species
and 797 genera. The Legume Taxonomy Working
Group is now acknowledged as an active legumepartner and contributor to the international World
Flora Online project and Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and serves as the authoritative
source for legume names in both portals. A collaborative online platform, Rhakhis, was chosen for thecommunity to continue updating names. Working
with GBIF, the legume community developed a portal focused on the family, and this led to the launchof the first version of GBIF’s phylogeny viewer basedon a phylogenomic analysis of Caesalpinioideae.
Other international collaborations to pursue phylogenomic analyses and data sharing, including morphological and geographical data, have been encouraged to facilitate monographic, phylogenetic,
macro-evolutionary and biogeographical analysesof this ecologically important family.

S.167.3 Resolve tribal
relationships of Fabaceae
using nuclear, plastid andmitochondrial genomic data

and transcriptome data of 909 species across 486
genera, representing all six subfamilies and almost
all tribal lineages. Our results strongly supported themonophyly of the six subfamilies and 64 tribal clades,
and clarified many long-controversial relationships.
However, 14 sets of nodes remained unresolved due
to conflicts among trees based on plastid and nuclear data, or different analysis methods. Throughgene-tree quartet analyses evaluating alternative
topologies and consistently strong support in ML andAstral tree both on the nuclear data sets, we resolved
18 of these recalcitrant nodes. Using relative quantification analyses, our study identified incomplete
lineage sorting as the main source of conflict for
deeper nodes (e.g., the root of Fabaceae), gene flowis the main source for shallower nodes (e.g., Griffonia,
ADA clade, Wisterieae), both are involved conflicts
for some nodes (e.g., core Papilionoideae, Erythrophleeae, Tachigalieae, Moldenhawereae). The study
suggested when ILS and gene flow coexist to a considerable extent, resolving contentious relationships
becomes exceedingly difficult. Our study provides
a robust phylogenomic framework for exploring legume evolution and supplies a typical case to apply
multiple types of molecular data and analysis methods to resolve recalcitrant phylogenetic relationships
and explore the underlying conflict.

S.167.4 Phylogenomics
understanding of theevolution and adaptation of
RNS in Legumes

Rong Zhang1, Ting-Shuang Yi1, Jin JianJun1,2, Yin-Huang Wang1,3, De-Zhu Li1,
Joseph Charboneau4, Xing-Xing Shen5,
Stephen A. Smith4, Domingos Cardoso6,
Luciano P. de Queiroz7, Anne Bruneau8

Zijian Liu1, Xiaoxiao Zhao1, Wenfei Xian1,
Jeffrey J. Doyle2, James Euan3, Shifeng
Cheng1

1 Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of
Sciences, Kunming, China. 2 Present Address: Columbia University New York, USA. 3 Present Address:
Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China. 4
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA. 5 Zhejiang
University, Hangzhou, China. 6 Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 7 Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana, Feira de Santana, Brazil.
8 Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
Tree of Life lies at the heart of almost all studies in
evolutionary biology. However, it is challenging to resolve recalcitrant phylogenetic relationships causedby rapid evolutionary radiations, hybridizations, andwhole genome duplications. Despite the ecologicaland economical importance of Fabaceae (Leguminosae), phylogenetic relationships among somesubfamilial and tribal lineages remain poorly resolved. We reconstructed the backbone phylogenyof Fabaceae using plastomes, mitochondrial genes

1 Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Dapeng
District, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China. E-mail:chengshifeng@caas.cn. 2 School of Integrative
Plant Science, Sections of Plant Biology and Plant
Breeding & Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY,
USA. Email: jjd5@cornell.edu. 3 The James Hutton
Institute, Invergowrie, Dundee. Charity No. SC041796.
Email: Euan.James@hutton.ac.uk
Leguminosae is the third largest angiosperm family in
species richness, spreading and adapting globally in awide range of ecology. Many legumes are economically important food crops offering highly nutritious sources of protein and micronutrients for human beings andanimals, which can partly attributed to its successful
establishment of the nitrogen-fixing root-nodule sym-516

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biosis (RNS) with the mutualistic nitrogen-fixing bacteria. >95% of RNS are restricted in Legumes, however, how
RNS in Leguminosae rised, stabilized, and widely adapted remains an unsolved mystery. With the developmentof genomic sequencing technologies and bioinformatics, the ability to “sequence everything” for an entire genus or even for an entire family, is becoming a reality.
We thus initiated the “Legume Genome Sequencing
Consortium” and started the Legume Nodulation and
NFNC Phylogenomics v2.0 Project. 32 representative
new legume species, carefully selected from all the six
sub-families (Cercidoideae, Detarioideae, Duparquetioideae, Dialioideae, Caesalpinioideae, and Papilionoideae) as the diverse ‘comparison pairs’ of nodulating
plants together with their closest non-nodulating relatives, are sequenced (PacBio + HiC), assembled andannotated into high-quality chromosome-level genome references. In addition, a matched phylo-pantranscriptome from these species was constructed.
This effort opens new ways to explore diversity of RNS ina broad comparative context (phylogenomics), to gaina deeper and more holistic view of the evolution in protein-coding genes, conserved non-coding elements,
and differential gene expression for RNS, to utlinately reveal the molecular evolutionary mechanism of RNS either by divergence from a common ancestor over 100
Mya or by convergence following independent origins
over that same time period. This study also provides
great opportunity to understand the diversification andadaptation of Legumes.

S.167.5 Parallel domesticationof New and Old Worldlupins: chromosome-level
assemblies of Lupinus
mutabilis and a crop wild
relative
Romulo Segovia-Ugarte1, Marco Todesco1,
Loren H. Rieseberg1, Bruno Nevado2, Colin
E. Hughes3, Sean W. Graham1

biased towards crops with worldwide distribution,neglecting those cultivated locally that have significant agricultural and cultural value. Lupinus mutabilis (Fabaceae) is the only lupin crop domesticated in
the New World, where it is cultivated for its high protein content and soil enrichment properties. There are
high-quality genome assemblies and pan-genome
data available for Old World lupin crops (i.e., Lupinus
albus and L. angustifolius). However, there is no reference genome for L. mutabilis. We assembled the
genomes of L. mutabilis and L. piurensis, its crop wild
relative, using PacBio HiFi and chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C) reads into 828 Mb and 795 Mb
assemblies, respectively. In each case we assembled
24 chromosomes (594 Mb and 591 Mb). In total weannotated 34,176 and 33,681 protein-coding genes
in L. mutabilis and L. piurensis, respectively. BUSCO
scores indicate 98% completeness for both annotations. Transposable element annotation reveals that67% and 69% of the L. mutabilis and L. piurensis genomes are repetitive, with Copia the most abundantclass. Synteny analysis between L. mutabilis and L.
albus demonstrates that L. mutabilis chromosome
4, the largest super scaffold, represents a merger of L. albus chromosomes 4 and 24, resulting in akaryotype with one fewer chromosome total, which
is characteristic of the western New World lupins. We
are reconstructing the evolutionary history of the two
Andean lupins in comparison to the predicted ancestral legume karyotype. We surveyed for genes
under positive selection, and document gene-family
evolution and the effects of parallel domestication in
the New World and Old World lupin crops.

S.167.6 Why are somelineages more successful
than others? Comparing
distribution patterns acrosssubfamilies in Leguminosae

1 Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. 2 Centre for Ecology,
Evolution and Environmental Changes, University of
Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal. 3 Department of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, University of Zurich,
Zurich, Switzerland
The Andes are the domestication centre of many important and minor crops, but the list of Andean crops
with available high-quality genome assemblies is517

Jens J. Ringelberg1, Moabe F. Fernandes2,Anne Bruneau3, R. Toby Pennington2,4,
Colin E. Hughes5, Juliana Gastaldello
Rando6, Edeline Gagnon7, Joseph T. Miller8,
Dario I. Ojeda9, Manuel de la Estrella10
1 University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK. 2 Universityof Exeter, Exeter, UK. 3 Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada. 4 Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh,
Edinburgh, UK. 5 University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. 6 Universidade Federal do Oeste da Bahia, Barreiras, Brazil. 7 University of Guelph, Guelph,

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Canada. 8 Global Biodiversity Information Facility,
Copenhagen, Denmark. 9 Norwegian Institute of
Bioeconomy Research, Ås, Norway. 10 Universidad
de Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
One of the central aims in evolutionary biology is
explaining why some lineages are more evolutionarily successful than others, for example in termsof species richness, ecological versatility, and geographic distribution. Direct comparisons of lineages are complicated by the impacts of confounding
factors such as differences in age and evolutionary
relatedness. The six subfamilies of the legume family provide an ideal natural experiment to determine
why some lineages are more successful than others.
Since the origin of Leguminosae is a phylogenomic
tangle which gave rise to all subfamilies within a very
short time frame, the subfamilies are nearly identical in terms of age and relatedness. Notwithstanding
these similar starting conditions, this natural experiment yielded vastly different results, ranging from
subfamily Duparquetioideae, consisting of a single
African species, to subfamilies Caesalpinioideae
and Papilionoideae, which have respectively circa
4,700 and over 14,000 species across the globe. The

other three subfamilies, Cercidoideae, Detarioideae,
Dialioideae, are also widely distributed but harbour
lower numbers of species. Here we assemble a legume-wide quality-controlled occurrence dataset tocompare distribution patterns across the six subfamilies. We quantify differences between subfamilies inareas of species richness, ecological versatility, andgeographic extents, to investigate links between richness and distribution. Furthermore, by combining thisnew geographic dataset with existing legume-wide
and subfamily-specific phylogenies, we compare
rates of long-distance dispersal and niche shifting
through time to examine the roles of evolvability andphylogenetic conservatism in generating species
richness. Our analyses reveal important differences
between subfamilies in terms of their main centresof diversity, ecological versatility, and biogeographical evolvability through time. Notably, invasion of thetemperate zone in Papilionoideae played a key rolein generating its extreme species richness, whereas
other subfamilies are largely constrained by tropicalniche conservatism. These results shed new light on
why some lineages are more successful than others.

S.168 SYSTEMATICS, BIOGEOGRAPHY,
ADAPTATION AND UTILIZATION OF THE GRAPEFAMILY VITACEAE
S.168.1 The origin,diversification, andadaptation of the grapefamily Vitaceae
Limin Lu1,2, Yichen You1,2,3, Jinren Yu1,2,3,
Zelong Nie4, Russell L. Barrett5, Jun Wen6,
Zhiduan Chen1,2
1 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. 4 Jishou University, Jishou,
China. 5 Australian Botanic Garden, New South
Wales, Australia. 6 National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, USA
Faced with environmental changes, plants may either“move” to track their ancestral habitats or “evolve” andadapt to new habitats. Vitaceae, the grape family, has

evolved diverse adaptive traits facilitating a global expansion in wide-ranging habitats. This evolutionary
history makes Vitaceae ideal for investigating for any
preference between “move” or “evolve” strategies andtheir underlying mechanisms. We inferred patterns ofbiogeographic diversification and trait evolution in Vitaceae based on a robust phylogeny with dense sampling including 495 species (~52% of Vitaceae species).
Vitaceae most likely originated from Asia, the diversity
center of extant genera and the major source of dispersals. India and Australasia are recognized as thebiggest sinks and dispersals to the two regions might
be largely facilitated by land connection. At least four
shifts in diversification rates have been detected respectively in Ampelocissus, Cyphostemma, Tetrastigma, and Vitis, which have either evolved key innovations
or showed adaptation to specific habitats. In particular, we find that the Oligocene-Miocene boundary isa turning point in shifting strategies, before which Vitaceae lineages preferred to “move”, and after which,to “evolve”. The increase of niche opportunities mainly

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contributed to the frequent employment of the “evolve”
strategy after the Oligocene-Miocene boundary, while
putative key trait innovations also played a role.

S.168.2 Genomic adaptation
to aridity in Cyphostemma(Vitaceae)

Moreover, we find that succulent species from arid
regions of continental Africa and Madagascar exhibit different patterns of LTR-RT amplification, indicating
different mechanisms for the origin of succulence.

S.168.3 Unraveling
evolutionary diversification
dynamics of North American
grapes across different
biomesJin-Ren Yu1,2,3, Ju Zhou1,2, Rindra M.
Ranaivosona1,2,3, Romer N. Rabarijaona1,2,3,
Zhi-Duan Chen1,2,4, Li-Min Lu1,2

Alicia Talavera1,2, Richard Hodel1,3,
Elizabeth Zimmer1, Jun Wen1

1 Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences,
Beijing, China. 2 China National Botanical Garden,
Beijing, China. 3 University of Chinese Academyof Sciences, Beijing, China. 4 Sino-Africa Joint Research Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
Cyphostemma, the second largest genus (ca. 200
species) of the grape family, mainly distributes in continental Africa and Madagascar. Species of the genus
have colonized various habitats including tropicalrainforests, savanna, and deserts. The genus exhibits
extraordinary diversity in morphological innovations,of which the development of succulent stem is themost striking. Previous studies revealed a disparity ingenome size, which has been suggested to be related
to the innovation of succulence. However, it remains
unclear how the genome size diversity in Cyphostemma is generated, and how it contributes to the adaptation to various habitats. We investigate this problem
from both the genomic and ecological aspects. We
assembled genomes of two representative species of
Cyphostemma, C. dehongense from the Asian rainforest and C. currorii from the African desert. We find thatgenomes of Cyphostemma are mainly inflated by
the insertion of long terminal repeat retrotransposons(LTR-RT), especially the explosive insertions of several
families in the Ale lineage. According to the dynamics
of LTR-RT, these families show a preference for inserting into introns since the Oligocene-Miocene Boundary, when Vitaceae began to diversify rapidly. The
intron-preferring LTR-RT families have a higher deathrate, and the genes with longer introns are under morerelaxed selection, suggesting the co-evolution of LTRRTs and their host genome. To further investigate therelationships between LTR-RT amplification and environmental conditions, we collected genomic repeat
profiles, genome size, and habitat climatic factors formore than 100 taxa in Cyphostemma. Analyses basedon a linear model reveal that genome expansion is
generally associated with adaptation to aridity but islimited by precipitation during the growing season.

1 Department of Botany, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington. DC,
USA. 2 Departamento de Botánica y Fisiología Vegetal, Universidad de Málaga, Málaga, Spain. 3 Data
Science Lab, Office of the Chief Information Officer,
Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA.
Understanding the origin and distribution of species isa focal point of evolutionary biology. In North America, the current distribution and diversity of species
have been substantially influenced by environmental
changes during climatic oscillations, as well as historic and contemporary geographic barriers. Phylogeographic studies have revealed conflicting patterns
among co-distributed taxa with distinct ecologicalrequirements, suggesting dispersal ability and otherlife-history traits are crucial for shaping the diversityand distribution of the region’s biota. However, a complete understanding of North America´s diversification
dynamics is hampered by a limited number of comprehensive genome-scale phylogeographic studies
that integrate phenotypic and environmental niche
evidence. This is crucial for revealing intricate evolutionary mechanisms driving diversification, such as introgression/hybridization, ecological adaptation, andecophenotypic plasticity, which might be overlooked
through less integrative approaches. The grape genus
Vitis L., especially subgen. Vitis, serves as an ideal model for studying North America´s biogeography andphylogeography. Recent progress in genomics, phenomics, and specimen digitization offers an unprecedented opportunity to explore the convoluted evolutionary history of two challenging species complexes:
Vitis aestivalis and Vitis cinerea. These taxa have extensively overlapping distributions throughout several
biomes in North- and Mesoamerica. In this study, we
sampled both species complexes across their distributional range. We employed several phylogenomic
inference approaches to identify relationships within

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these complexes and hybridization events. Complementary population structure analyses were used toassess genetic diversity within and among sampling
locations. Environmental variables were used to evaluate ecological differentiation as a driver of diversification, and phenotypic differences in leaf and stem
characters were quantified to determine the extent of
the influence of ecophenotypic plasticity. Our results
support the recognition of several species in both theV. aestivalis and the V. cinerea complexes. Geographic
isolation was important for species differentiation, andkey phenotypic differences were detected among different ecological zones.

may have caused the topological discordances andrelatively low support detected in our analyses. Ecological niche modeling shows that most of the diversification of East Asian Vitis species is driven by temperatureand precipitation environmental variables. Sympatricparallel diversifications of major clades also may havefacilitated the rich diversity in East Asian Vitis. Our results
emphasize the significance of comprehensive genomic data, including single-nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs), insertion/deletions and structural variations(SVs), to predict environmental adaption of wild grapes
in the context of rapid climate change.

S.168.5 Population genetics
analyses reveal thegenetic basis of importantagronomic traits andfacilitate grape breeding

S.168.4 Genomic insights
into adaptative evolution
and climate change
vulnerability of the grape
genus (Vitis L.)
Zhiyao Ma , Xiaodong Xu , Wenjing Peng ,Hua Xiao1, Zhongjie Liu1, Wenwen Liu1, Fan
Zhang1, Tianhao Zhang1, Zhuyifu Chen1,
Yuanyuan Luo1, Yanling Peng1, Jun Wen3,
Brandon S. Gaut4, Yongfeng Zhou1
1

1

1,2

1 National Key Laboratory of Tropical Crop Breeding,
Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Ministry ofAgriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China. 2 College ofAgriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning, China. 3
Department of Botany, Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC
USA. 4 Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
Wild grapes show a high level of species diversity andhave been widely recognized as important germplasm
resources of wine, table grapes, and resistance to biotic
and abiotic stresses for the grape industry. However, thelocal adaptation and drivers of diversification of genus
Vitis L. remain poorly understood. Hybridization and introgression events of Vitis are still lacking a comprehensive knowledge regarding their frequency, pattern, andadaptive landscape, particularly at the genome-wide
scale. The reticulated evolutions, local adaptations andresponses to future climate change of several widely distributed wild grape in East Asia are investigatedbased on population genomic data. Species network
analyses identified several hybridization events within
East Asian Vitis. These interspecific hybridization events

520

Hua Xiao1, Zhongjie Liu1, Nan Wang1,
Ying Su1, Qiming Long1, Yanling Peng1,
Lingfei Shangguan2, Fan Zhang1, Shuo
Cao1, Xu Wang1, Mengqin Ge2, Hui Xue1,
Zhiyao Ma1, Wenwen Liu1, Xiaodong
Xu1, Chaochao Li1, 8, Xuejing Cao1, Bilal
Ahmad1, Xiangnian Su1, Yuting Liu1,
Guizhou Huang1, Mengrui Du1, Zhenya
Liu1, Yu Gan1, Lei Sun4, Xiucai Fan4, Chuan
Zhang3, Haixia Zhong3, Xiangpeng Leng5,
Yanhua Ren2, Tianyu Dong2, Dan Pei2,
Xinyu Wu3, Zhongxin Jin1,8, Yiwen Wang1,
Chonghuai Liu4, Jinfeng Chen6, Brandon
S. Gaut7, Sanwen Huang1,8, Summaira
Riaz9, Andrew M. Walker9, Jinggui Fang2,5,
and Yongfeng Zhou1, 8, *Hua Xiao1, Zhongjie
Liu1, Nan Wang1, Ying Su1, Qiming Long1,
Yanling Peng1, Lingfei Shangguan2, Fan
Zhang1, Shuo Cao1, Xu Wang1, Mengqin
Ge2, Hui Xue1, Zhiyao Ma1, Wenwen Liu1,
Xiaodong Xu1, Chaochao Li1, 8, Xuejing
Cao1, Bilal Ahmad1, Xiangnian Su1, Yuting
Liu1, Guizhou Huang1, Mengrui Du1, Zhenya
Liu1, Yu Gan1, Lei Sun4, Xiucai Fan4, Chuan
Zhang3, Haixia Zhong3, Xiangpeng Leng5,
Yanhua Ren2, Tianyu Dong2, Dan Pei2,

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Xinyu Wu3, Zhongxin Jin1,8, Yiwen Wang1,
Chonghuai Liu4, Jinfeng Chen6, Brandon
S. Gaut7, Sanwen Huang1,8, Summaira
Riaz9, Andrew M. Walker9, Jinggui Fang2,5,
Yongfeng Zhou1,8, *1 National Key Laboratory of Tropical Crop Breeding,
Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Ministry ofAgriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics
Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China. 2 College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing,
China. 3 Institute of Horticultural Crops, Xinjiang
Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Urumqi, China. 4 Zhengzhou Fruit Research Institute, Chinese
Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou, China. 5 College of Horticulture, Qingdao Agricultural
University, Qingdao, China. 6 State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects andRodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of
Sciences, Beijing, China. 7 Department of Ecology
and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA. 8 National Key Laboratory of Tropical
Crop Breeding, Tropical Crops Genetic Resources
Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural
Sciences, Haikou, China. 9 Department of Viticulture
and Enology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
Grapevine is among the first domesticated crops.
However, its breeding is impeded by the investigationsof the genetic basis of important agronomic traits.
Based on population genetics combining multiple new
analytic methods, such as pan-genome and machinelearning, we identified many important trait-related
quantitative trait loci (QTLs), and revealed the importance of introgression in shaping the current textureof grapes. We constructed a variant map by interrogating resequencing data from grapevine cultivars
based on pan-genome including 18 newly generated
telomere-to-telomere gap-free haplotype-resolved
assemblies and performed genome-wide association studies (GWAS) related to 29 traits. 148 significantly
related QTLs were identified, and 8.1% QTLs of 12 traits
were identified as significant contributions by structure variations (SVs). We also found some QTLs werelocated in regions of divergent selection between wine
and table grapes. Given the previous studies showing
genomic signals of introgression from wild to wine
grapes in Europe, based on machine learning-based
population genetic analyses, we predicted the time,mode, genomic pattern, and biological effects ofthese introgression events, and found that continuous
gene flow between European wild grapes (EU) andcultivated grapes over the past ~2000 years, especially from EU to wine grapes, suggesting EU wild grapes
were an important resource for improving the flavorof wine grapes. We further found that introgression

may be a historically important process for improving
clonal systems like domesticated grapes. Despite thepotential benefits of introgression in grape improvement, the introgressed fragments introduced a higher deleterious burden, and most of these deleterious
variants were in a heterozygous state in grapes. In
general, our study facilitates the breeding of superior
cultivars via genomic selection of multiple traits andthe understanding of beneficial and harmful effects ofintrogression is critical for genomic breeding of grapevine to take advantage of wild resources.

S.168.6 Cenozoic seeds ofVitaceae reveal a deep
history of extinction anddispersal in the Neotropics
Fabiany Herrera1, Monica R. Carvalho2,
Gregory W. Stull3,4, Carlos Jaramillo5,
Steven R. Manchester6
1 Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, USA. 2
Museum of Paleontology and Department of Earthand Environmental, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA. 3 Department of Botany Smithsonian Institution, Washington, USA. 4 National Identification
Services, USDA-APHIS-PPQ, Beltsville, USA. 5 Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama. 6 Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida,
Gainesville, USA.
The remarkably diverse plant communities of the
Neotropics are the result of diversification driven bymultiple biotic (e.g., speciation, extinction, and dispersal) and abiotic (e.g., climatic fluctuations andtectonics) processes. However, in the absence of awell-preserved, thoroughly sampled, and criticallyassessed fossil record, the associated processes ofdispersal and extinction are poorly understood. We
report an exceptional case documenting patterns of
extinction in the grape family (Vitaceae Juss.) basedon fossil seeds discovered in four Neotropical paleofloras dated between 60 and 19 Mya. These include
a new species that provides the earliest evidenceof Vitaceae in the Western Hemisphere. Eight additional species reveal the former presence of major
clades of the family currently absent from the Neotropics and previously unknown dispersal events.
Our results indicate that regional extinction and dispersal have substantially impacted the evolutionary
history of Vitaceae. They also suggest that while the
Neotropics have been dynamic centers of diversification through the Cenozoic, extant Neotropical bo-

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tanical diversity has also been shaped by extensive
extinction over the last 66 million years.

S.169 HERBARIOMICS, AN INVALUABLERESOURCE FOR PLANT RESEARCH
S.169.1 Herbariomics unveils
endangered chemistryacross the world’s flora

sequence? We use examples from our own work to
explore the limits of herbarium genetics and present
an outline of approaches which can maximise useful
information from samples which would never passquality control in a commercial company.

Luiz L. Saldanha1, Rodrigo Cámara-Leret1
1 University of Zurich, Switzerland
Plants are essential for human health. However, little
is known about how much of their chemical diversity is threatened with extinction. Here, we characterised the phytochemical space of endangered plant
species and quantify, for the first time, how muchchemodiversity may vanish globally with the lossof threatened plants. We find that 29% of the 1,463
species with chemical studies contain unique compounds. For the other 23,689 chemically neglected
species, we developed a metabolomics workflow toaccelerate their chemical study. Essentially, we test
to what degree the diversity of alkaloids, terpenoids
and flavonoids in living plants can be detected on
herbarium specimens of the same species covering diverse taxa. Overall, our herbariomics approachto study chemodiversity brings a new dimension toconservation planning (beyond the currently usedmetrics of biological, phylogenetic and functional
diversity) by highlighting priority species for future
research (e.g. discovery of natural products) and imminent conservation action (i.e., threatened species
with unique chemistry).

S.169.2 Making the most of it:
what can be done with poor
data from bad specimens?
Catherine Kidner1, Thibauld Michel1
1 Institute of Molecular Plant Sciences, University of
Edinburgh, Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh.
Herbarium data can be of varying quality, some if
surprisingly good, some is terrible. How do you decide if a sample is worth working with and what can
you get from samples which will not yield up good

S.169.3 Integrative speciesdelimitation of Xanthium sect
Acanthoxanthium based on
herbarium specimens andtype material
Manzo, Eleonora1, Tomasello, Salvatore1,
Justus Müller-Kiefer 1, Sebastian Nillies 1,
Diego G. Gutiérrez 2
1. Georg-August University Göttingen, Germany
2. Argentine Museum of Natural Sciences (MACN),
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Xanthium is a peculiar genus of the Asteraceae family, identifiable by its spiny female capitula (burs) andwind-pollination. Features of the burs are the primarymorphological characteristics used for identifying taxa
within the genus. The high degree of their morphological variability has led to inconsistent taxonomic treatment in the past, resulting in numerous names given
by different authors. The genus can be divided into two
sections: sect.Xanthium, which includes all taxa withunarmed stems; and sect. Acantoxanthium comprising plants with stems with trifurcate spines. The taxa
of sect. Acanthoxanthium are native of South America, but due to human-mediated dispersal, some ofits lineages have now reached a cosmopolitan distribution. Apart from the widespread X. spinosum, several other taxa have been described within this section.
The aim of the present study is to determine species
boundaries in Xanthium sect. Acanthoxanthium. The
study employed phylogenomics, including target enrichment of hundreds of nuclear loci and complete
plastomes, and geometric morphometrics, alongsidecoalescent-based species delimitation approaches.
To ensure a comprehensive range of morphological522

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variations in the section, including types and original
material for some taxa, we surveyed key herbaria such
as P, B, WU, and BA. Analysis of herbarium specimensthat are nearly 200 years old, comprising type material, along with modern extraction techniques andintegrative taxonomy analyses, have enabled us to
identify distinct evolutionary lineages within the section. This further confirms the existence of two previously acknowledged species, X. spinosum and X. ambrosioides (Tomasello 2018). Two further independent
lineages are inferred as species, the neglected X. argentum, initially described by Widder (1923) basedon a single herbarium voucher from the province of&quot;Nubles&quot; in Chile and nowadays probably
extremely rare; and X. catharticum, differentiated fromX. spinosum, is its vicariant in the high-altitude environments of the Andes.

S.169.4 Systematics in theage of herbariomics: a taleof sweet potatoes

potato, including species delimitation, the identification of sweet potato closest diploid and tetraploid wild
relatives, or their differentiation from modern hybrids.
In this talk, we discuss the role and importance of
herbarium specimens and herbariomics in our work,as part of a taxonomic monograph and with a focus
on sweet potato. We discuss our previous results andongoing work on the origin, evolution and domestication of this important crop, and will highlight theimportance of integrating genomics and taxonomy
using herbarium specimens to accelerate tropicalplant diversity studies.

S.169.5 Herbariomics forplant conservation: thestudy case of the presumed
extinct Armeria arcuata
Giulia Albani Rocchetti1, Thomas Abeli1,
Ana Isabel D. Correia2, David Draper2, Eric
Gouda3, Isabel Marques2, Lorenzo Peruzzi4,
Fred Stauffer5, Manuel Tiburtini4, Gonzalo
Nieto Feliner6, Salvatore Tomasello7

Pablo Muñoz-Rodríguez1,2, John R.I. Wood3,
Tom Wells2,3, Bethany R.M. Williams2, Tom
Carruthers4, Robert W. Scotland2

1 Roma Tre University, Rome, Italy. 2 Universtity of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal. 3 Utrecht University, Utrecht, The
Netherlands. 4 University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy. 5 Conservatoire et jardin botaniques, Chambésy, Switzerland. 6 Real Jardín Botánico, CSIC, Madrid, Spain. 7
Georg-August-University, Göttingen, Germany

1 Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid,
Spain. 2 University of Oxford, Oxford, UK. 3 Royal
Botanic Gardens, Kew, London, UK. 4 University ofMichigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States.
Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.) is a top
ten food crop worldwide. Cultivated in all tropical andsubtropical regions of the world, it is a hexaploid species with a complex evolutionary history. Dozens ofstudies have tried to untangle its origin since the 19th
century, but they accumulated as much useful information as error. This was due to a poor understanding of the relationship between sweet potato and its
wild relatives, poorly defined species boundaries, andlack of robust phylogenies. In summary, the lack of agood taxonomic knowledge has hindered progress insweet potato research. Herbarium specimens are an
extraordinary resource for molecular data. However, the optimal use of these data requires a decisive,
parallel taxonomic effort. We have dedicated the lastten years to investigating the origin and evolution ofsweet potato in the context of a taxonomic monograph of Ipomoea. During this time, we have studied ca. 30,000 herbarium specimens with molecularsequence data from ca. 3,000 specimens – Sanger
sequencing, HybSeq and whole genome sequencing.
This enabled important results pertaining to sweet

Herbaria play fundamental roles in many fields, including plant taxonomy, systematics, and conservation
biology. In this framework, Herbariomics offers invaluable -and sometimes unique- opportunities to obtaindata that can inform species’ conservation. While investigating extinct plant species in Europe, we foundat the Utrecht Botanical Garden a living specimenlabelled as Armeria arcuata Welw. ex Boiss. & Reut., aspecies endemic to Portugal assessed as extinct (EX).
After many years in cultivation, the specimens’ morphological characteristics changed making a correct
identification difficult. To unequivocally identify the accession of “A. arcuata” from Utrecht, we compared its
DNA with herbarium and fresh material from type material and other related Armeria species. We collected
and analysed samples of A. arcuata from the living
specimen at Utrecht and three ancient herbarium
specimens (including type materials, ca. 1848; G, LISU
herbaria), A. neglecta, also extinct, from the type specimen (1882; COI), A. caespitosa from recent herbarium
specimens (2003-2009; JBAG, HSS), A. pinifolia (1970;
GOET), A. pungens (1997; GOET), and A. curvifolia (living;523

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Teplice Botanic Garden). We applied DNA extraction
techniques suitable for old herbarium material, alongwith adaptation of the normal double-stranded library preparation protocols. Genome skimming was
performed on a lane of a NovaSeq sequencer, whichallowed us to gather about four Gb of sequence information per sample. After quality trimming of the received reads, we performed reference-based assembly of plastomes and of the nrDNA region (about 12,000
bp long) and inferred phylogenetic tree and networks.
Results from the phylogenetic analyses indicate thatthe plants cultivated in Utrecht are not actually A. arcuata. Moreover, network analyses suggest a hybrid
origin of these cultivated plants.

S.169.6 Explainable AI
powered by shape analysis
to capture the phenotypicvariation of plants in thefield and in herbaria
Ladislav Hodač1, Kevin Karbstein1, Lara
Kösters1, Michael Rzanny1, Hans C. Wittich2,
David Šubrt3, Patrick Mäder2,4,5, Jana
Wäldchen1,4
1 Department of Biochemical Integration, Max
Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany. 2 Data-intensive Systems and Visualization
Group, Technical University Ilmenau, Ilmenau, Germany. 3 Faculty of Science, Jan Evangelista Purkyně
University, Ústí nad Labem, Czech Republic. 4 German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research –iDiv, Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany. 5 Facultyof Biological Sciences, Friedrich Schiller University
Jena, Jena, Germany
Plant leaves vary not only between species, but also
within populations of the same species. A persistent
challenge in botany is to accurately document thisvariation directly in a plant’s natural environment. In
this study, we investigate the phenotypic variation of
buttercup leaves in natural plant populations using
an easy-to-use smartphone app called Flora Capture, designed for citizen scientists. We exploit thestrengths of machine learning and geometric morphometrics to address three key questions: (1) Can
smartphone images effectively capture leaf variation comparable to traditional herbarium methods?
(2) Do image differences detected by computer vision correspond to actual variation in leaf shape? (3)Can smartphone images of leaves achieve detailed
resolution for identifying plants at high taxonomic levels? Our approach incorporates several deeplearning techniques, including Grad-CAM for interpretable AI and EfficientNet for feature extraction
from images. We analyze the same leaves using
computer vision and quantitative morphology - byextracting their shapes using landmark geometricmorphometrics. Through dimension reduction andcovariation analysis, we discover common patterns
in both the image features and the corresponding
biological shapes. Using machine learning algorithms such as Random Forest and Support Vector
Machine, we evaluate the suitability of leaf images
for classifying plant populations at high taxonomic
levels. The goal is to understand the decision-making processes of computer vision in biological shapeclassification. This work represents a step towards
reliable and reproducible phenotyping of plants intheir natural habitats.

S.170 FROM DEVELOPMENTAL SWITCHESTO BROAD EVOLUTIONARY TRAJECTORIES:UNDERSTANDING MECHANISMS OF SEX
DETERMINATION
S.170.1 Evolutionary
developmental biology ofsex in the Salicaceae

Quentin C. Cronk1, MaKenzie Drowns2, C.J.
Tsai2
1 Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. 2 Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia,
Athens, USA

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The Salicaceae, and especially Salix and Populus, arebecoming a leading model for the “clade biology”
of sex determination, as dioecious, monoecious andpolygamous forms are common. In angiosperms,dicliny (the production of single sex flowers), evolves
through one of two contrasting evolutionary developmental mechanisms: organ deletion or organ
abortion. Organ deletion, under which sex organs
never form, may involve MADS-box genes, as thesegenes are required to produce floral organs of a given identity. Organ abortion, under which sex organs
form but during development become vestigial or
non-functional, are less likely to involve MADS-box
genes, and more likely to involve late-stage developmental modifiers of organ development. Phylogenetic studies strongly suggest that there are necessary pre-adaptations for plant lineages to adopt
either the deletion or abortion pathway. Populus
and Salix are both examples of the deletion pathway, in which no trace of stamens is ever seen infemale flowers, and no trace of carpels in male flowers. In poplar we show that the B-class MADS-box
genes PISTILLATA (PI) and APETALA3 (AP3) are strongly down-regulated in early female flower development. This is expected as these genes are required
for stamen development under the canonical ABC
model. A powerful way of dissecting the role of the
MADS-box developmental module in dioecious
species is provided by CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing.
Recent developments in efficient poplar transformation coupled with engineered hyper-precocious
flowering have facilitated novel experiments in thisarea. Preliminary experiments on MADS-box genes
in poplar show the potential for functional dissectionof pathways to dioecy. The development of CRISPR/
Cas9 technology in other systems could greatly accelerate understanding of the evolutionary developmental genetics of dioecy in diverse lineages.

S.170.1 The transition
from dioecy to monoicy
in liverworts is a case of
convergent evolution
Giacomo Potente1, Yasui Yukiko2, Rachel
N. Walstead 3, Jane Grimwood 3, Jeremy
Schmutz 3, Jim Leebens-Mack 4, Eita
Shimokawa 2, Tomoha Tanaka 2, Yuka
Umeya 2, Shogo Kawamura 2, Katsuyuki
T. Yamato 5 , Katsushi Yamaguchi 6 ,Shuji Shigenobu 6, Masaki Shimamura 7,
Takayuki Kohchi 2 and Péter Szövényi 1
1 Dept. of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland 2 Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan 3 HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL 4 University of Georgia,
Athens, GA 5 Kindai University, B.O.S.T., Kinokawa,Japan 6 Trans-Scale Biology Center, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan 7 Hiroshima
University, Hiroshima, JapanSex chromosomes have evolved independently inmany groups of plants and animals. Genetic sex
determination ensures obligate outcrossing that
may confer advantages against selfing. In liverworts, sex is expressed in the haploid phase andgenetically determined by the presence of a single U (female) or V (male) sex chromosome. The
UV sex determination is ancestral in liverworts andrepresents the oldest sex chromosome systemever described (430 million years old). Although
the transition to monoicy occurred repeatedly inliverworts, its genomic basis has been investigated only in one species (Ricciocarpos natans). Here
we report on the chromosome-scale genome
assembly of the monoicous liverwort Marchantia quadrata, which diverged from the dioicous M.
polymorpha 125 million years ago. We show that
the M. quadrata genome consists of eight large
and one 9 th small chromosome (1/10th of the sizeof the large eight chromosomes). The eight large
chromosomes are collinear with the eight autosomes of M. polymorphashowing many intra- but
few inter-chromosomal rearrangements. By contrast, the small 9thchromosome contains genes
homologous to the M. polymorpha V chromosome.
Many genes homologous to U-chromosome genesof M. polymorpha are absent from the M. quadrata
genome or are relocated to the autosomes, including the major sex determining gene These results
imply that the transition from dioecy to monoicy
was achieved by the translocation of few crucial
U-genes to the autosomes and the loss of the U
chromosome, while a larger proportion of V-linked
genes was retained on a segment of the V chromosome as chromosome 9. Our findings are remarkably similar to the recent observation madeon R. natans, raising the possibility that genomicchanges underlying the transition from dioecy tomonoecy in liverworts may be highly predictable.

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S.170.3 Sex and/or asex:
insights from brownseaweeds
Susana Coelho1
1 Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen, Germany
In many eukaryotes, male and female sexes are determined during the (haploid) gametophyte stageof the life cycle, by the presence of a female (U) or
male (V) sex chromosomes. The rise, evolution anddemise of U/V systems have remained enigmatic todate. I present how we analyzing genomes spanningthe entire brown algal phylogeny to decipher theirsex- (and asex) determination evolutionary history.

S.170.4 Analysis of sex
determination system in
Cannabis sativa

termination. We have also developed a PCR-based
method to determine sex genotype and establish
genotype-phenotype relationships. Our results indicate that sex determination is established very early
during Cannabis development by a network of gene
regulatory proteins, and that the genetic basis ofsex determination is robust across different cultivars
and chemotypes.

S.170.5 The dynamic
evolution of heteromorphic
sex chromosomes in
Cannabaceae
Sarah B. Carey1
1 Hudson Alpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, USA

Ainhoa Riera-Begue1, Matteo Toscani1,
Jiaqi Shi1, Susanne Schilling1, Rainer
Melzer1
1 School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Cannabis sativa is mainly a dioecious plant, whichmeans that female and male flowers develop on
separate individuals. This crop presents high sexual
dimorphism, as we can see biochemical, vegetative and reproductive differences between the twosexes. C. sativa has a XY sex determination system:
female have two X chromosomes and male plants
carry an X and a Y chromosome; but the sexual
system of this crop is much more complex, as thesex is not only determined genetically, but also byenvironmental and hormonal factors. While the developmental processes of male and female Cannabis sativa flowers clearly involves the orchestrated
activation of numerous genes, it is conceivable that
one or two key genes act as molecular switches
for sex determination. The aim of our research is tounderstand how genes, phytohormones and environmental conditions interrelate and contribute tosex determination in hemp. Utilising transcriptomics
analysis, we have pinpointed potential candidate
genes on the sex chromosomes apparently associated with both female and male functional development in Cannabis sativa. Among those candidates
are transcription factors with homologs know to be
involved in reproductive development and sex de-

The Cannabaceae family has a deep history regarding their dioecious flowers and sex chromosomes.
One century ago, the XY pair that controls the development of the sexes was identified in the hop Humulus lupulus var. lupulus, owing to the cytologicallysmaller Y chromosome relative to the X. Curiously,
examinations across other species in Humulus andin the sister genera Cannabis uncovered varying cytological differences. In Cannabis, the Y chromosome
is bigger than the X, while other varieties of Humulus remain homomorphic or have evolved a multiple
sex chromosome system (e.g., XXYY). Despite theseearly discoveries, we know little about the Cannabaceae sex chromosomes at the molecular level. Thisis largely due to the complexities of assembling XYpairs in genome references. Here we use a combination of Illumina, PacBio HiFi, and Dovetail Omni-C datato assemble fully-phased genomes for XY males ofCannabis and Humulus. Using these assemblies, wefirst show that the XY pairs match the known cytology.
We next use these assemblies to explore the dynamic
patterns of gene gain and loss, as well as structuralchanges that have shaped the XY pairs. Ultimately
these comparative analyses across Cannabaceae
will uncover genes that control the development of
the economically valuable females of hop and hemp.

S.170.6 Long readsequencing to explore therepeated evolution of sex
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Alex Harkess1
1 Hudson Alpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, USA
Sex chromosomes have evolved hundreds, if not
thousands, of independent times across flowering
plants. However, only a small number of master sex
determination genes have been identified, largely due to a lack of high quality genomic resources
for complex plant genomes that contain sex chromosomes. We have built computational pipelines
for 1) assessing if a species has XY or ZW sex chro-mosomes, 2) assembling highly contiguous and fully-phased sex chromosome assemblies in heterogametic sexes, 3) delimiting the non-recombining sex
determination region on these sex chromosomes,
and 4) exploring the evolution of these regions indiverse plant species to identify putative sex determination genes in non-model plants. We use thesecomputational tools to explore the repeated evolution of sex chromosomes in flowering plants, whichis uncovering a hidden world of sex chromosome
variation within and among species.

S.171 PRESERVATION AND PROMOTION OF
TRADITIONAL ECOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE IN
THE ERA OF OPEN SCIENCE: BENEFITS AND
CHALLENGES
S.171.1 The legitimacy of
empirical sciences under
the oversight of an EthicalCommittee? Defending a
critical ethnobotany
Adolfo Calvo Redondo1
1 Centre de Recherche et de Documentation surles Amériques, Université Sorbonne Nouvelle, Paris,
FranceIn my ethnobotanical research in 2018 and my recentsociology-of-science fieldwork in Jujuy (Argentina),
I address ethical challenges and question the needfor expert committees in empirical sciences. I analyze how certain institutional mechanisms force achoice between the privatization of knowledge or its
anonymization in the name of scientific universality.
In Argentina, despite the 2023 Open Science Law (Law27738), field research remains trapped in neo-developmentalism and patrimonialistic dynamics, especially when accessing biocultural information in an
indigenous context. This reflects a dominance relationship of Jujuy institutions over scientists and theircivil informants. The mistrust between academic andindigenist institutions is manifested in police controls and specific protocols for working with Pueblos
Originarios (PO). Instead of addressing social exclusion from a Human Rights perspective, a contractu-

al practice is prescribed. Consent is seen as the legal solution to dialogue between “different cultures,”leading to clientelistic practices among local authorities and researchers, namely by controlling field access. The patrimonialistic regime may promote thesepre-research contracts to appropriate knowledge
in favor to PO interests. Paradoxically, anti-colonial
resistance is expressed through an anti-extractive
discourse. In practice, then, control over science istranscended through underground dialogues, driven
by a “community resistance” ethic that shapes theidentity of both native populations and field scientists
advocating empirical, inclusive, and critical methodologies within a “decolonial” framework. Critical ethnobotany is based on a “dialogue of knowledge” froma position of subalternity, promoting “interdisciplinarity” and “institutional coordination” to subvert the hierarchical and authoritarian structures of the neoliberal academic playground. However, this decolonial
framework can perpetuate conservative dynamics
if it does not overcome mistrust and secrecy in thetransmission and production of knowledge. On a material level, effectively challenging the patrimonialistic
regime requires expanding social justice policies by
the State, ensuring academic autonomy in designingcollaborative projects directly with the public.

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sovereignty lessons andtools from linguistics into
ethnobiology

1 Department of Intercultural Development andManagament, Faculty of Philosophy and Letters,
Mexico City, Mexico. 2 Master Degree in Environmental Education, Autonomous University of Mexico City, Mexico city, Mexico

Alex C. McAlvay1, Stefanie Ramos Bierge1,
Tutupika Carrillo de La Cruz2
1 The New York Botanical Garden, New York, U.S.A.
2 Universidad Autónoma de Nayarit, Tepic, Mexico
Ecological knowledge and Indigenous languages
are tightly interwoven and have been eroded in tandem in many parts of the world. To bolster or revitalize this cultural heritage, many Indigenous Peoples
have worked with linguists and/or ethnobiologists,
either from within or outside of their communities.
Despite an increase in interdisciplinary projects at
the intersection of these fields, there has been limited exchange of best practices, ideas, and resources
related to ethical and effective work with communities. One area where linguists and ethnobiologists
have innovated in parallel is data sovereignty. While
linguists tend to deposit data in large centralizedarchives with different levels of access depending
on community preferences, equivalent archives andgraded-access capabilities for ethnobiology aremuch less common. At the same time, some scholars have been experimenting with Traditional Knowledge Labels and Biocultural Labels as a mechanism
to ensure that community preferences for information use accompany the data. Linguistics and ethnobiology share significant overlaps not only related to the classification and encoding of biologicalknowledge, but also in the need for methodologies
that foster ethical engagement with local communities. Cross-communication between the two disciplines on data sovereignty, community engagement, and other areas may lead to mutual benefit.
Here we outline approaches taken to address theseissues by both fields, examine opportunities for mutual enrichment, and share experiences from our
project with Wixárika (Uto-Aztecan) communities inWest-Central Mexico.

S.171.3 The centers of origin
as spaces for dialogue ofknowledge
Alberto Betancourt Posada1, Efraín Cruz
Marín1

Capitalism and colonization systematically persecuted and destroyed the knowledge of indigenous
peoples. Currently, numerous argue the need for a
new paradigm based on the dialogue of knowledge,
which reverses positivist reification, vindicates traditional knowledge, decolonizes knowledge and establishes epistemic justice. In this article we maintainthat since Nikolai Vavílov postulated the theory of
the centers of origin of cultivated plants, these havebecome an important space for dialogue of knowledge between various scientific disciplines and the
traditional knowledge of numerous cultures on topics
such as the conservation of wild and domesticatedbiodiversity. The beginning of this dialogue sparked ascientific revolution, transformed the organization ofknowledge and contributed significantly to the birthof multiple ethnosciences. In this text we ask ourselves: what importance does it have for the historyof science that the centers of origin have becomea space for dialogue between scientific disciplines
and traditional knowledge? And what benefits has
this dialogue brought to the various scientific fields?
What are the main threats to the continuity of thecenters of origin? And finally, how could they protect
themselves? To answer these questions we follow
bibliographically in the footsteps of Nikolai Vavílov,we integrate a large corpus of rom very diverse disciplines who recognize contributions of traditional
knowledge; the factors that threaten them and the
proposals to protect them. In our conclusions weagree with Casas and Parra (2016) who point out that
farmers in the centers of origin constitute an evolutionary force, since of the total of 7000 species andhundreds of thousands of varieties of current agricultural and horticultural systems: “it is the result of evolutionary processes shaped by domestication, fasterand more dynamic than those that occur in nature”(Casas and Parra, 2016).

S.171.4 Historical
documentation in theinventory of traditional
knowledge associated withbiodiversity: a tool for therecovery of neglec528

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1 New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY, USA. 2 Royal
Botanical Garden, Kew, Wellcome Trust Millennium
Building, Wakehurst, Ardingly, West Sussex, UK. 3
King’s College London, Bush House NE, London, UK.
4 University of Torino, Turin, Italy

J. Esteban Hernández-Bermejo1
1 Department of Forestry Engineering, Córdoba University, Córdoba, Spain
The author has participated in several initiatives in
Spain and Latin America related to the inventory ofknowledge associated with bio- and agro-diversity, always working with historical documentation,
not only with that contained in textual sources but
also from graphic and archaeobotanical sources. These include its participation in the IECTB and
IECTBA (Spanish inventories of traditional knowledge
associated with bio and agrodiversity), the FAFA
(Agricultural and Forest Flora of al-Andalus), the
CultIVA-CYTED network for the recovery of NUS (neglected and underutilized species) or various projects for the recovery and management of culturallandscapes in archaeological sites such as the Alhambra and Generalife or Medina Azahara in Andalusia (Spain) or the Jesuit reductions in the missionary-Guarani area. This experience demonstrates theinterest of retrospective research in Historical Ethnobotany and its usefulness in recovering forgotten
crops, phytotherapeutic knowledge, forms of agrofood consumption and forest uses that are once
again of interest today in the fight against hunger,
poverty and especially as elements of adaptationand even mitigation of climate change. They also
make it possible to document the traditional valueof many of these crops within a historical processof germplasm transfer between cultures, countries,
and continents, turning apparent innovations subject to new codes of germplasm exchange and associated knowledge into archaeophytes, requiring a
new analysis of the rights and sovereignty of peoples over part of their genetic and ethnobiological
heritage. Some examples are examined such as thecase of the argan tree [Argania spinosa (L.) Skeels]and its current potential cultivation in countries outside its natural range.

S.171.5 Useful Plants
and Fungi of Colombia:
traditional knowledge
for conservation, andconservation of traditional
knowledge
Mauricio Diazgranados1,2, Laura Kor2,3,
William Milliken2, Tiziana Ulian2,4

Colombia is one of the world’s most biodiverse andethnically rich countries. As the nation continues resolving its socio-economic challenges, biodiversity,and the traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) associated with it are under increased threat by climatechange, deforestation, habitat loss, acculturation,and other factors. The Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia project aimed to develop pathways to enhance nature’s contribution to people in Colombia
by increasing, consolidating, and making accessible
the knowledge of its useful plants and fungi for the
benefit of society. The project produced catalogs ofuseful species, online portals, and a platform to facilitate sustainable value chain markets, alongsidea wide range of publications, including books andscientific articles. A core research question was how
the knowledge of useful plants could inform national conservation priorities and sustainable utilization.
We applied the Important Plant Areas (IPA) approach
to identify key sites for in-situ conservation, with 980
sites meeting IPA thresholds. We found 46 sites to beof high priority and highlighted 10 top-priority sites forfurther investigation and conservation actions. We
also found that complementing scientific and traditional knowledge can better inform the conservationand support the sustainable use of plants in Colombia. We investigated whether citizen science could
help mitigate the erosion of traditional ecologicalknowledge on useful plants through the use of digital surveys involving local citizen scientists. The trial inthree pilot areas was successful, and we recommend
building and strengthening the engagement of citizen scientists. Lastly, we carried out gap analyses atthe spatial and taxonomic levels, to identify areas
lacking floral inventories or ethnobotanical surveys,
as well as underrepresented taxa. Overall, the project
enhanced the baseline knowledge of useful plants
and fungi, and the associated TEK, providing crucial
information to support Colombia’s transformation
towards a greener, more sustainable economy whilst
protecting its biodiversity.

S.171.6 IECTB and CONECTe:
two copyleft Spanish
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protect traditional plantknowledge
Manuel Pardo-de-Santayana1,2, Laura
Aceituno-Mata3, Petra Benyei4, Airy Gras5,
Almudena Lázaro3, María Molina3, Javier
Tardío3, Victoria Reyes-García6,7,8
1 Departamento de Biología (Botánica), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain. 2 Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global(UAM), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain.
3 Instituto Madrileño de Investigación y Desarrollo Rural, Agrario y Alimentario, Madrid, Spain. 4
Dpto. de Economía y Geografía Aplicadas, Institutode Economía, Geografía y Demografía, Centro deCiencias Humanas y Sociales, CSIC, Madrid, Spain.
5 Departament de Biologia, Sanitat i Medi Ambient,
Universitat de Barcelona, Spain. 6 Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, Barcelona, Spain.
7 Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellatera, Barcelona, Spain. 8 Departament d’Antropologia Social i
Cultural, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellatera, Barcelona, Spain
In the current global change framework, the erosionof traditional ecological knowledge is pronounced,
remarkably in industrialized countries like Spain. Ethnobotanical studies conducted in the country reveal that this erosion varies across territories andknowledge domains, with health or food exhibitinga less profound decline. The overall erosion trend
is attributed to factors such as the abandonmentof traditional agricultural practices and shepherding, changes in land use, the diminished necessityof wild plants for subsistence, reduced time spentin the field, or negative associations with certain
species deemed famine food. Conversely, there are
multiple motivations that promote wild plants use.
Some view gathering as a recreational and community-building activity, while others appreciate theunique flavors of wild plants that cannot be replicated by cultivated or commercial varieties. Additionally, the medicinal role of food, particularly in uses
closely aligned with medicine such as beverages
and condiments, remains highly valued. Recognizing the significance of traditional ecological knowledge, two initiatives in Spain are actively promoting
its documentation, protection, and reintroduction
to society. Firstly, the Spanish Inventory of Traditional Knowledge related to Biodiversity compiles anddisseminates information on the traditional use andmanagement of biodiversity. Six volumes have been
published since 2014 and two more are being edited, including monographs about 837 plant species.
Secondly, CONECT-e (www.conecte.es) is an online
platform enabling citizens to document knowledge
and uses of both wild and domesticated species,
and includes 3772 monographs. By employing open
data and copyleft licenses, these endevours contribute to the traditional knowledge preservation in the
public domain, ensuring the unrestricted exchange
and reproduction of this valuable knowledge.

S.172 NATURAL HYBRIDIZATION AND SPECIESCONSERVATION. SESSION 1
S.172.1 Hybridization in
Mexican Pinus - implications
for management andconservation
M. Socorro González-Elizondo1, Martha
González-Elizondo1, Norma L. Piedra
Leandro2, Jorge A. Tena-Flores1, Christian
A. Wehenkel3, José J. Corral-Rivas4, Lluvia
Flores-Rentería5
1 CIIDIR, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Durango,
México. 2 Jardín Etnobiológico Estatal de Durango,

Durango, Mexico. 3 ISIMA, Universidad Juárez delEstado de Durango, Durango, Mexico. 4 FCF, Universidad Juárez del Estado de Durango, Durango,
México. 5 Department of Biology, San Diego State
University, San Diego, CA, U.S.A.
Hybridization is common in plants. Its outcomes arewide and contrasting, from detrimental or causing
merging of species, to increasing their evolutionary and ecological resilience and even resulting in
hybrid speciation. In western and northern Mexico,
hybridization frequency among Pinus species ranges from occasional (e.g., isolated individuals of Pinus chihuahuana × P. lumholtzii) to stable populations (e.g., of P. arizonica × P. cooperi). There is also awide range of fitness outcomes, from hybrid swarms

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composed by low fitness individuals (e.g., P. arizonica × P. engelmannii) to populations exhibiting hybrid
vigor (e.g., P. herrerae × P. luzmariae). Some are recent (isolated F1s), and others are part of ancient introgressions (e.g., P. cembroides × P. discolor; P. strobiformis × P. flexilis); a syngameon encompassing
pinyons has been recently recorded showing how
sequential hybridization might have accelerated
the speciation in this group. Gene flow among these
species increases along ecological or geographical range edges and in disturbed communities. The
high rate of hybridization in the zone may be owed
to the facts that: a) Mexican pines are relatively recent (6 - 10.5 Ma), allowing for species to hybridize
in absence of genetic incompatible systems, b)
northwestern Mexico is a very rugged region offering
multiple and diverse niches that favor diversification, and c) it is a boundary area for many species
reaching there their northern or southern limits. Despite the evidence about their commonness, natural
hybrids are not yet considered in forestry policies in
Mexico. Combined names indicating hybridization
or introgression are not allowed in inventories andmonitoring reports nor in official paperwork. A shift ofparadigm is needed to adjust forestry policies andmanagement to the real situation in which genetically merged biological entities are common in forest ecosystems.

S.172.2 Multiple glacial
refugia and impacts ofenvironmental variables
on hybridization between
Betula species of differing
ploidy levels

tal variables explain the spatial patterns of genetic
admixture? We collected samples representing B.
costata (2x), B. dahurica (8x), B. ermanii (4x) and B.
platyphylla (2x) in northeast China and B. ashburneri (2x) and B. utilis (4x) from north to southwest
China. We integrated microsatellite data of 2,609
individuals, species distribution models and spatial
autoregressive models to address these issues. Our
results revealed multiple glacial refugia for Betulaspecies. Microsatellite data analysis showed frequent bidirectional genetic admixture among Betula species, irrespective of the ploidy difference. The
amount of genetic admixture from either B. costataor B. ermanii to B. platyphylla is partially explainedby their overlapped range and from B. dahurica to B.
platyphylla is partially explained by precipitation of
the coldest quarter (PCQ) and changes in PCQ. The
amount of genetic admixture from B. ashburneri to
B. utilis is partially explained by the mean temperature of the wettest quarter (MTWQ). Our results show
asymmetrical gene flow from high to low ploidy
levels and indicate that envrionemtal factors playa role in shaping the patterns of genetic admixture
between Betula species.

S.172.3 Optimal mating
strategy in secondary
sympatry may oppose
reinforcement of premating
isolation – A whole-genome
study of mangroves
Sen Li1, Miles Tracy1, Ziwen He1, Chung-I
Wu1, Suhua Shi1
1 State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong
Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, Schoolof Life Sciences, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Sun Yatsen University, Guangzhou, China

Lu Liu1, Feifei Wang1, Junyi Ding1, Yuangui
Wei1, Wenting Wang2, Julia LópezDelgado3, Nian Wang1
1 College of Forestry, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an, China. 2 School of Mathematics andComputer Science, Northwest Minzu University,
Lanzhou, China. 3 School of Biology, University ofLeeds, Leeds, UK.
Natural hybridization frequently occurs in natureand plays a crucial role in evolution of biodiversity.
Here we use the genus Betula to address the following questions: (1) where are their glacial refugia?
(2) does hybridization occur between Betula species of various ploidy levels, (3) which environmen-

Reinforcement, the process by which premating isolation is strengthened by selection against the investment in maladaptive hybrids, is a key predictionof the evolutionary theory. Exceptions may therefore
shed light on this controversial topic. Two mangrove
species (Bruguiera gymnorhiza and B. sexangula)on the Indo-Malayan coasts come into secondary contact on the Hainan island, China, but rarely elsewhere. Strikingly, hybrids account for 30% of
the individuals in sympatry and exceed the number
from the parental species, B. gymnorhiza. Further-531

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more, while the two species in allopatry have different flowering times, they both flower year-roundin Hainan. Counter-reinforcement thus appears to
be at work in Bruguiera. To analyze the unusual hybridization, we sequenced and de novo assembled
the high-quality genomes of the two species, followed by the re-sequencing of 63 individuals fromallopatric and sympatric populations. The genomic
analysis identifies both F1s and multiple generationsof backcrosses. The hybridization pattern suggests
weak postmating isolation and, likely, ecological
speciation. Based on these patterns, we develop atheoretical model whereby the allele that does not
exercise mate choice can be advantageous. In thismodel, the mating allele of the weaker species may
do better by mating with the stronger and morecommon species. The case of Bruguiera thus showsthat the evolution of mating preference as well as
reinforcement is a function of genic fitness, rather
than the fitness of the species itself.

S.172.4 Genetic bases of theflower color variation in anatural hybrid zoneof a hybrid zone between the two morphotypes,
suggesting a strong selection on certain parts of the
genome, therefore maintaining differences between
P.c. asparagoides and P.c. comosa. Finally, the investigation of potential outlier SNPs associated withgenetic structure as well as phenotypic and environmental data allowed us to find genes involved incolor differentiation but also in light and cold stresses adaptation. To uncover the subtle color differentiation from pink to yellow, we applied comparativetranscriptomic and metabolomic approaches. All
together, these results provided us key information
to draw recommendations for the conservation ofthese species as a whole.

S.172.5 Can hybrids modify
the adaptive trajectories ofparental species in contact
zones?
Modesto Berbel1, Ana García-Muñoz1,
Andrés Ferreira-Rodriguez1, Melissa
Moniz1, José Carlos del Valle2, Eduardo
Narbona3, Gonzalo Nieto Feliner4, A. Jesús
Muñoz-Pajares1, Mohamed Abdelaziz1.

Pascaline Salvado1, Valérie HinouxDelome1, Joris Bertrand1

1 Departamento de Genética, Universidad deGranada, Granada, Spain. 2 Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Facultad de Biología,
Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain. 3 Departamento de Biología Molecular e Ingeniería Bioquímica, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain. 4
Departamento de Biodiversidad y Conservación,
Real Jardín Botánico, CSIC, Madrid, Spain

1 Laboratoire Génome et Développement des Plantes, Université de Perpignan Via Domitia, Perpignan,
FranceThe Angiosperm radiation can be characterized byits outstanding flower color diversity, spanning theentire color spectrum of human and pollinator vision. Moreover, flower color is an evolutionary labile
trait which can differ between sister species, among
populations or even among individuals at different
life-stages. In Pedicularis comosa, two subspecies/
morphs display distinct flower color, Pedicularis comosa comosa has yellow flowers while Pedicularis
comosa asparagoides has pink flowers. In order tobetter understand this species taxonomy, to get an
overview of the overall genetic diversity and differentiation, and to unravel the possible evolutionary
origins and genetic bases behind both morphotypes, we applied a population genomic approach.
The phylogenetic tree provided us keys to settle anold debate on Pedicularis comosa’s classification,
supporting that the two “subspecies” are not reciprocally monophyletic, and that genetic structure israther consistent with geography. Cline analyses
and genetic structure results revealed the existence

The species hybridization is a phenomenon whichconsequences can go from the collapse and loss ofdiversity to the rise of this diversity. Global change, arepromoting the secondary contact and hybridization
between diverging taxa with incomplete reproductive barriers. These hybrid zones have the potential toshed light on evolutionary processes driving adaptation and are particularly powerful natural systems forstudying the interaction between divergent genomes
to explore how the rise of phenotypic novelties canmodify the evolutionary trajectory. We have studied
a total of 480 plants belonging to six populations
and two transects of two Erysimum (Brassicaceae)
species presenting a contact zone in the Serra da
Estrela (Portugal). The plants were phenotyped using
25 traits and genotyped using more than 4000 SNPs
across their whole genomes. Plants also were tagged
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used different component to quantify their fitness. We
analyzed the patterns of hybridization using genomic approach, identifying two hybrid zones in different
stages of hybridization. When we explore the patternsof natural selection acting on the parental and hybrid
plants, we found different traits related to plant size
and reproductive investment driving the population
evolution for the parental plants. However, the natural
selective pressures acting on hybrids were variable
depending on the evolutionary stage of the hybridzone. In the hybrid zone enriched with F1-hybrids we
identified new adaptive trajectories acting on traits
not selected in parental species. But the hybrid zone
enriched by F2 and backcrosses, the adaptive trajectories were similar to those found at parental sites.
Our results demonstrate that hybrids promote therise of novelties in plant evolution but in absence oftransgressive phenotypes the hybrid zone tends tobecome in parental secondary contact zones.

S.173 ASSESSING AND CLASSIFYING THE
POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF ALIENPLANTS
S.173.1 Employing theEnvironmental Impact
Classification for Alien Taxa
(EICAT) on coastal areas:
the example of the Costa
Brava (Spain)
Carlos Gómez-Bellver1*, Neus Ibáñez1,
Neus Nualart1, Arnau Guiu-Bosch1, Jordi
López-Pujol1
1 Botanic Institute of Barcelona, CSIC-CMCNB, Barcelona, Spain. *carlosmiguel.gomez@ibb.csic.es
High human population density and habitat fragmentation, in a future climate change scenario, may
lead to an accelerating trend of biological invasions,particularly in Mediterranean coastal areas. A paradigmatic example of this is represented by the
Costa Brava, a coastal strip of ca. 250 km stretching from the French-Spanish border to Blanes (Girona Province, Spain). It harbours a great richnessof native species, some of them endemisms, aswell as diverse natural habitats. However, it is underenormous anthropogenic pressure due to nassive
urbanization, mass tourism, and the presence ofnumerous invasive plant species, mostly escapedfrom gardens. In order to minimize new introductions of alien plants and improve the managementof invasive species present in the Costa Brava, an
European Union LIFE Program project (LIFE medCLIFFS https://lifemedcliffs.org/es/) is underway.
The initial phase required the design of around ahundred transects of 0.5–1 km in length distributed throughout the coastline to monitor by trained
volunteers the evolution of 33 invasive or potentiallyinvasive plant species populations (i.e., using citizen
science). Large amount of data was gathered as aresult of our field trips derived from examining theareas for the transects, together with the first results
provided by the volunteers [which included the area(m2) and the size (census) of the detected populations of alien species]. All this information let us to
identify and categorize the main impacts of these
33 invasive (or potentially invasive) species on native communities according to the Environmental
Impact Classification for Alien Taxa (EICAT) criteriaof the IUCN (2020). To our knowledge this is the firsttime that this standard classification has been used
in a LIFE project and, also, specifically for a coastal area. Future projects employing this assessment
methodology will contribute to a more accurate understanding of these impacts.

S.173.2 Positive and negative
invasive plant species
ecological impacts in
Europe533

Montserrat Vilà1,2, Alejandro Trillo1, Pilar
Castro3, Belinda Gallardo4, Sven Bacher5
1 Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC), Sevilla,
Spain. 2 Department of Plant Biology and Ecology,
Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain. 3 Departament of Live Sciences, University of Alcalá, Alcalá

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Oral presentationsde Henares, Spain. 4 Applied and Restoration Ecology Group, Pyrenean Institute of Ecology (CSIC),
Zaragoza, Spain. 5 Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
Despite that many invasive species threaten biodiversity and ecosystems, their effects are highly idiosyncratic and context dependent. We compiled
a comprehensive database of 287 publications on
4622 field studies on the ecological impacts of 114
invasive alien plants in 30 European countries toanalyse their direction and frequency. Impacts werecategorized across levels of ecological organization,
taxa and feeding mode. Furthermore, if the information was available, the impacts were also classified
based on the feeding mode of the impacted species or communities. Forty-four percent of the studies found significant impacts with more significant
decreases (26.8%) than increases (16.6%) on the impact response variables. Negative impacts (i.e., statistically significant decreases) were more frequenton species and communities than on ecosystemproperties. The impacts on ecosystem properties
were highly variable. The frequency of negative impacts to species and communities was higher onplants than on animals, but the frequency of finding
positive impacts (i.e., statistically significant increases) was similar between taxa. Finally, the frequencyof negative impacts was higher on primary producers, herbivores and parasites than on decomposers, pollinators and predators, while the frequencyof positive impacts was generally similar amongfeeding modes. Our database provides the first information system on field studies of the ecologicalimpacts of invasive plant species at the continental
scale. This information can be of interest for academic, management and policy purposes.

S.173.3 Not all impacts arenegative: a bidirectional
impact assessment of
the alien tree Robinia
pseudoacacia

The IUCN Environmental Impact Classification for
Alien Taxa (EICAT) has been developed to assess
negative impacts on native biodiversity. Alien species can also have positive impacts, e.g., throughhabitat/food provisioning or dispersal facilitation.
However, these impacts have never been systematically examined, mostly due to the absence of astandardized protocol to assess their magnitude
and diversity. We have filled this gap by developing
EICAT+, a framework which structurally resembles
IUCN EICAT, can be applied to all alien taxa at different spatial and organizational scales, and uses fivesemi-quantitative scenarios to describe the magnitude of observed positive impacts of alien taxa on
native biodiversity. In EICAT+, the highest levels of impact magnitude are assigned to alien taxa increasing the area of occupancy of native species throughlocal population re-establishment or preventing local extinction. EICAT+ also describes the underlying
impact mechanisms by which alien taxa facilitate
native biodiversity. To illustrate the functionality andutility of the framework, we have applied EICAT+ tostudies reporting positive impacts of the alien tree
black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) and used IUCN
EICAT to assess its negative impacts. About one
third of all impacts were positive. Most impacts, both
negative and positive, involved changes in population size of native species and were caused byalterations to abiotic conditions. Species that benefit from the introduction of the black locust showa preference for nutrient-rich soils and higher lightintensity, in contrast to species negatively affected.
Our results align with the existing literature on theblack locust and demonstrate how the combined
use of IUCN EICAT and EICAT+ enables to obtain acomprehensive understanding of alien species impacts on native biodiversity.

S.173.4 Assessing the
Ecological Impacts ofInvasive Alien Plants ofFrance using adapted
protocols of EICAT and
EICAT+

Giovanni Vimercati1, Leon Strotz, Sven
Bacher1
1 University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
Alien species cause various environmental impacts
worldwide. Negative impacts have received considerable attention, as impactful alien species, named
invasive, are a major driver of biodiversity decline.

534

Thomas de Solan1, Aurélien Caillon1,
Guillaume Fried2, Yohann Soubeyran3,
Arnaud Albert4
1 Conservatoire Botanique National Sud Atlantique,
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des Végétaux, Unité entomologie et botanique,Montferrier-sur-Lez, France. 3 French committeeof the International Union for Conservation of Nature, Montpellier, UMR AMAP (Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE, IRD), France. 4 French Biodiversity
Agency, Research and Scientific Support Department, Nantes, France
The creation of prioritized checklists ranking alien taxa
depending on their risk for biodiversity is an essential
step for an effective management of invasive alien
species (IAS). In France, such lists for alien plants are
drawn up by different structures at regional and national scales using various risk assessment methods.
This lack of homogenization in assessment methods limits the implementation of the French national
strategy on IAS. To address this problem, we investigated if two recent frameworks, EICAT and EICAT+,
have the potential to become standards for assessing the ecological impacts of alien plants in France.
We first identified the needs and constraints associated with the use of these two protocols, and proposed several modifications. We then assessed withthe modified EICAT/EICAT+ (i) the regional impacts of

100 alien plants naturalized in a French region, and(ii) the national impacts of the 230 plants identified
as invasive in France. Modifying EICAT and EICAT+ istricky, as too many changes would compromise thestandardization feature of these methods and limit
comparison with assessments from other regions.
Firstly, we propose criteria to better define some concepts (e.g. local population), which were difficult tohandle with plants in a continental context. Sourced
impact data are required in both methods, but areeither non-existent or fragmentary for most species
at a regional scale, leading to a high number of “datadeficient” species. Therefore, we include local knowledge from botanists and wildlife specialists, in addition to literature review. Finally, we propose a key fortranslating field observations into impact levels, because local knowledge is usually related to species
behaviour and often cannot be translated into EICAT(+) impact. This work provides the most comprehensive assessment to date of the current ecologicalimpacts in France of 280 alien plants on a local and/or national scale.

S.174 PARADIGM SHIFTS IN FLOWER COLOR
S.174.1 New insights into theimpact of non-pollinatoragents of selection in flower
color over the past ten years
José Carlos del Valle1, Justen B. Whittall2,
M. Luisa Buide3, Eduardo Narbona3
1 Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología,
Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain. 2 Departmentof Biology, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, California, United States of America. 3 Departamento
de Biología Molecular e Ingeniería Bioquímica, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain
Besides the predominant role of pollinators in floral
evolution, it has been suggested that the selective
pressures exerted by abiotic agents may also contribute to variability in flower color. In the past ten
years, we used the shore campion (Silene littorea)
as a model species to develop studies aimed at
gaining a better understanding of modifications offlower color driven by these selection agents, mainly
focusing on the effect of solar, and more specifically in the UV light. We used different approaches tounveil color variation in this species, such as com-

mon garden experiments, transcriptomic and biochemical studies. Our results have highlighted thatflower color in S. littorea is influenced to some extent
by sunlight and UV radiation. However, the specificregulation of anthocyanin production in petals, themain pigments responsible for the flower color in thisspecies, may reduce drastic changes on that trait,
presumably due to its importance for pollinators.
This is manifested in the lower plasticity observedin anthocyanin biosynthesis in petals compared tovegetative tissues. Additionally, transcriptomic andbiochemical analyses have evidenced that petal
pigmentation is tissue-specific regulated, resulting even in the occurrence of individuals with whiteflowers lacking anthocyanins without hindering anthocyanin accumulation in other tissues. Pollinator
attraction seems to be at least partially favoredby the presence of petal anthocyanins, althoughwhite-flowered plants can overcome this limitation
by utilizing their mixed mating system and reproducing through autonomous selfing. Finally, the rarity of plants lacking anthocyanins in both vegetativeand reproductive tissues suggest that anthocyaninsin photosynthetic tissues are the targets of non-pollinator mediated selection. In conclusion, we suggest that environmental stressors may drive antho-535

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cyanin accumulation in the whole plant, although it
may be limited in petals, at least in S. littorea. Future
research will incorporate further transcriptomic andbiochemical analyses.

S.174.2 Does allopolyploidy
lead to transgressive red
pigments in Silene?
Andrea E. Berardi1
1 Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, USA
Determining how and why reproductive traits evolve
between and within species is key to understanding patterns of speciation. In plants, both genome
duplication as well as selection on floral traits, suchas color, have been major drivers of angiosperm diversification. Silene (Caryophyllaceae) is a largely
white- and pink-flowering diploid genus distributed throughout temperate regions. However, at least
two independent polyploidization events occurredin the genus’s expansion into North America, andmost extant North American species are at least
tetraploids. Two novel floral pigmentation strategies
arose in the North American polyploids – red flower
color and UV bullseyes. Insights into how these two
floral color traits arose as well as the revised phylogeny of North American Silene polyploids are madefrom target capture of herbarium specimens, genesilencing, and character mapping of floral pigments
to answer the following questions: What is the most
likely driver of floral color evolution in Silene - pollinator shifts, habitat specialization, sympatric competition, abiotic factors, or polyploidy?

S.174.3 The impacts ofglobal change on floral
pigmentation

rapid abiotic shifts associated with global change
have the potential to drive temporal change in flower
coloration. I discuss results from collections-based
studies exploring whether flower color has changed
over the last ~100 years across a diverse set of angiosperm taxa and whether such change is linked withabiotic factors such as temperature and ozone (aproxy for ultraviolet irradiance). I then present data
testing whether abiotic-induced flower color plasticity has the potential to contribute to responses offlower color to global change. Results show that taxa
that have experienced stronger temporal changes
in ozone and temperature have experienced greater change in floral pigmentation. The response toabiotic change depended on whether anthers are
exposed to external environmental conditions orconcealed by petal tissue, which is in line with petal
pigmentation’s role in protecting pollen from abiotic
stress. Plasticity studies revealed that UV exposure
induced a pigmentaiton response in one focal species, but not in all populations. Thus, there is genetic
variation for pigmentation plasticity. Temperaturechange induced a weaker pigmentation responsethat was not population-specific. Together, results
show that floral pigmentation has responded to
global change, and plasticity is one mechanism bywhich plants have elicited phenotypic responses.
This change in pigmentaiton has the potential toimpact plant-pollinator interactions, and plant reproductive output.

S.174.4 Flower colour
communities acrosselevation - a case study
on calcareous vs silicious
bedrock from the European
Alps
Svenja Wanke1*, Mani Shrestha1, Andreasvon Heßberg1, Anke Jentsch1

Matthew H. Koski1
1 Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA
Floral coloration is nortoriously important for mediating plant-pollinator interactions though support
for abiotic selection on floral pigmentation has increased over that last few decades. Pigments produced in the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway
both give rise to floral color diversity and are criticalcompounds for abiotic stress responses. As such,

1 University of Bayreuth, Germany *svenja.wanke@
uni-bayreuth.deFlower colour plays an important role in structuring
plant communities and is under selection by pollinators. Recently, the significant discrepancy between flower colour vision by humans versus pollinators has been discussed, which must be taken
into account when considering the role of flower colour in communication with pollinators. Since bedrock and soil conditions are known to affect plant536

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community composition, and can also affect flower
colour directly, studies on flower colour compositionof a community should include bedrock as an environmental variable. Elevational gradients in highmountain ranges are particularly suitable to study
patterns and drivers of plant community diversity,
including plant functional trait distribution relevant
for trophic interactions. We measured flower colour
spectra within six highly diverse grasslands on both
calcareous and silicious bedrock across an elevational gradient in the European Alps: Hohe Leite (500m asl), Brunnenkopfalm (1500 m), Obergurgl (2500m), Kaserstattalm Stubai (1850 m), Arnspitze (1700m) and Furkapass (2400 m). We collected flowers
or petals of 315 locally occurring, insect-pollinatedplants and measured their light reflectance property using ocean optics spectrophotometer. We usedthe ‘bumblebee color vision model’ to translate
spectral data into “bee-colours” because bumblebees are representative insect pollinators from low
to high elevation in the European Alps. Our primary
results suggest that for humans ‘white’ and yellow’
flowers increase with higher elevation, whereas forbees ‘blue’ and ‘green’ flowers increase. Our datashows that calcareous grasslands have a higher
color diversity than siliceous grasslands based onhuman vison, but higher number of blue and bluegreen flowers based on hymenopteran vision. Subalpine area shows a higher color diversity based onhuman vision, despite alpine regions harboring ahigher number of plant species. Based on pollinatorvision, more species with blue and bluegreen flowers occur in the alpine than in the subalpine region.

S.174.5 On colour to rulethem all: the evolutionaryrise of the betalains
Samuel F. Brockington1
1 Department of Plant Science, University of Cambridge
The evolution of betalains within the order Caryophyllales, was a singular evolutionary event, both in theevolution of a completely new biosynthetic pathway
to make pigments, but also in its replacement of theanthocyanin pathway. It has had profound implications for the ecology and evolution of Caryophyllales,from the evolution of floral colour to the structuralarrangment of the genomes. In talk I outline how ourknowledge of the evolutionary fate of the betalain
pathway and anthocyanin pathways in Caryophyl-lales has been transformed, through transcriptomic
and genomic resources, coupled with synthetic biology approaches. I address the role of modulation of theinterface between primary and secondary metabolism, the prevailing importance of gene duplications,and the evidence for convergent origins of betalain
pigmentation and iterative loss of anthocyanins. I explore how flavonoid pathways have more generally
changed in the context of a shift to betalain pigmentation, and discuss the impact of this on the variety
of floral colour hues within Caryophyllales. Given theincreasingly strong support for convergent evolutionof betalains, I revisit hypotheses for the evolution ofbetalains and consider new and emerging evidence
for their functions in the context of floral adaptation,and the unique adaptational advantages they offerwith respect to flower-pollinator interactions.

S.174.6 Identificationof TFs controlling
pigment synthesis in theendoholoparasite Pilostyles
boyacensis and its host
Dalea cuatrecasasii
Estefania Elejalde-Baena1, Favio
Gonzalez2, Juan F. Alzate3, Natalia PabonMora1
1 University of Antioquia, Medellin, Colombia. 2 National University of Colombia, Bogota, Colombia. 3
National Center of Genomic Sequencing, Medellin,
Colombia
Chlorophylls, carotenoids, flavonoids, and betalains generate colors in plants. Anthocyanins, atype of flavonoids, are the pigments responsible
for red, pink, and purple hues in vegetative andreproductive tissues of plants. The synthesis ofthese pigments is primarily regulated at the transcriptional level by R2R3-MYB transcription factors
assigned to subgroup 6. These genes have extensively studied in model plants such as Arabidopsis
thaliana, Antirrhinum majus, and Petunia hybrida.
In this study, we focused on a system composedby the endoholoparasite Pilostyles boyacensis andits exclusive host Dalea cuatrecasasii, both exhibiting purple perianth organs. Two R2R3-MYB homologs from subgroups 5 and 7 were identified in P.
boyacensis, and four homologs from subgroup 6
were isolated from Dalea cuatrecasasii. We foundthat R2R3 MYB genes from subgroups 5 and 7 are537

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actively expressed in the endophyte, flowers, andfruits of P. boyacensis. Meanwhile, R2R3 MYB subgroup 6 homologs are expressed in the in the D.
cuatrecasasii inflorescences, as expected. Interestingly, R2R3 MYB S6 homologs were also foundexpressed in the P. boyacensis endophyte. These
results suggest that anthocyanin synthesis in theflowers and fruits of the holoparasite P. boyacensis may be mediated by host-specific R2R3 MYB

S6 genes, which are known to be mobile at least,
from Citrus to Cuscuta. Alternatively, anthocyaninsin P. boyacensis can be endogenously produced
R2R3 MYB genes from subgroups 5 and 7. We discuss our results in the broader context of convergent floral pigments and the resulting color huesin parasites with significant reduction in their bodyplan and complete dependence upon their hosts.

S.175 PLANT RESPONSES TO STRESSES AND
CLIMATE CHANGE. SESSION 8
S.175.1 How will leaf nutrientsin C2 vs C3 salad crops fare
under climate change?
Catherine A. Walsh1, Marjorie R. Lundgren1
1 Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
Climate change is placing immense pressure on
agricultural systems to ensure sufficient production
for an ever-growing global population. Producers
must not only increase yields to satisfy these demands, but also safeguard crop nutrition to prevent deficiency-induced diseases and consequentmalnourishment. Some crop species experience
nutritive decline under ambient atmospheric CO2
concentrations in comparison to crops grown historically when atmospheric CO2 levels were much
lower. Of course, elevated CO2 does not occur inisolation and the problem is further exasperated
by other environmental factors such as high temperatures or drought. The extent of nutritional demise, however, may be determined by the modeof photosynthesis employed by the crop. Currently,
the only commercial food crop to use the rare C2
type of photosynthesis is wild rocket (Diplotaxis tenuifolia), a nutritionally dense salad crop with richpotential to provide both high nutrients and yieldunder climate change. Unlike C3 species, plants using C2 photosynthesis divide the photorespiratory
pathway across mesophyll and bundle sheath cells,
which functions to effectively concentrate and reassimilate carbon released from photorespiration toultimately improve photosynthetic efficiency underwarm and dry conditions. However, how C2 physiology influences leaf nutrients remains unknown. Here
we present the first study of intraspecific diversity forC2 photosynthesis across 15 cultivars of wild rocket.
We investigate how mineral and phytonutrient profiles change across a range of growth temperaturesand in response to elevated CO2 concentration
across these C2 wild rocket cultivars as compared toclosely related C3 salad greens. Our results suggestthat wild rocket will retain nutrients better than related C3 salad crops under climate change. This work
has significant commercial application for current
and future agricultural systems.

S.175.2 The ultimate guideof mycorrhiza and abiotic
stress polytolerance inwoody plants
Lauri Laanisto1
1 Biodiversity and Nature Tourism, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia
Mycorrhizal symbiosis is an ancient association
between plants and fungi, crucially important especially for woody plants, as they have to maintain aboveground structures. Our current understandings of how woody plants respond to abiotic
stress and how mycorrhiza mitigates this stress isvery limited and considers almost exclusively justa single stress factor at a time. Functional diversity of both woody plants and mycorrhizal fungiinteracting with them, variability of the strengthand composition of multiple stress conditions indifferent regions of the world – all this makes it
difficult to predict the patterns of these interactions from both the adaptational and mitigational
point of view. In this study we used top-down approach, where known interactions are partitioned

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into functional and biogeographical groups, andthen the stress tolerances and interactions are
mapped into overlapping heatmaps to provide
us large-scale patterns of these associations.
We compiled a concordant dataset of 621 woody
species stress polytolerance (including shade,drought, waterlogging, cold stress) and theirknown species-specific mycorrhizal interactions.
We tested how stress polytolerance correlateswith different mycorrhiza functional types. Our
results confirmed contrasting patterns between
single vs. multiple type, arbuscular vs. ectomycorrhiza, and obligate vs. facultative mycorrhizal
interaction. Functionally different symbionts form
significantly polarizing abiotic stress mitigation
patterns with woody species with different life
forms, growth forms, and biogeographical origin.
These results provide insight into both evolutionary and biogeographic patterns related to thedevelopment of plant-mycorrhiza interactions.

S.175.3 miRNA profilingin maritime pine (Pinus
pinaster Ait.) subjected towater stress using grafting
as an experimental system
Lorenzo F. Manjarrez1, Nuria de María1,
María Á. Guevara1, María D. Vélez1, José A.
Cabezas1, José A. Mancha1, Paula Ramos1,
Alberto Pizarro2, Miriam López-Hinojosa1,
Irene Cobo-Simón1, María C. Díaz-Sala2,
María Teresa Cervera1

ranging from Mediterranean areas to the Atlantic
coast. All these features make P. pinaster exceptional for studying the response and adaptation of conifers to water stress. In this study, we explored miRNAprofiles from sampled stems of four different graft
constructs. These grafts combined four genotypes
that showed contrasting response to drought in previous studies. We used Gal1056 (drought-sensitive)
and Oria6 (drought-tolerant) as scions grafted onto
either R1S (drought-sensitive) or R18T (drought-tolerant) rootstocks. The rootstock genotypes are F1
siblings derived from the controlled cross Gal1056
x Oria6, vegetatively propagated. Three biologicalreplicates of each graft construct were grown underwater deficit and control conditions. This study will
likely reveal potential roles of some miRNA families
regulating transcripts associated with the response
and tolerance to water stress. We can envisage theymight regulate the expression of genes involved in
response to osmotic and oxidative stresses, signalling of growth regulators (abscisic acid or ethylene)
and controlling compatible solute metabolism. Additionally, other miRNA families, including two novel
families, are involved in regulation of defence response and signal transduction.

S.175.4 The effects of risingtemperatures on the foliar
and reproductive traits ofthe snowbed specialist Salix
herbacea L.
Estela Illa Bachs1,2, Iu Vilaseca Juan1, Núria
Llauradó Nolla1, Núria Roca Pascual1

1 Institute of Forest Science - National Institute for
Agricultural and Food Research and Technology,
Spanish National Research Council, Madrid, Spain.
2 University of Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
Growing body of evidence has stablished miRNAs asa key regulation component of multiple biologicalprocesses across diverse species. Yet, studies focusing on miRNAs in forest species, particularly in gymnosperms like conifers, remain scarce. This scarcity
limits our comprehension of how forest trees sense
and respond to environmental stimuli to manage
stress. Pinus pinaster Ait., a native conifer to thewestern Mediterranean, has held significant ecological and socioeconomic value for decades, emerging as a European model species due to its remarkable genetic variability, which has made it possible
for this species to thrive in a wide variety of habitats,

1 Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i
Ciències Ambientals. Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. 2 Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat, Universitat de Barcelona,
Barcelona, Spain
Snowbeds are those environments in temperatehigh mountains that remain covered by snow until
mid-summer, and where only a set of specialised
species are able to thrive. Climate change represents a major threat for these ecosystems andspecies. The rising temperatures cause an earlier snowmelt, and snowbeds become then favourable environments for the more competitive species growing in the surrounding alpine grasslands.
The way snowbed specialists respond to changing
environmental conditions through their vegetative and reproductive performance may be crucial

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to face not only new abiotic stresses but also thehigher competition exerted by grassland species.
In 2017, we set four pairs of control and OTC (OpenTop Chamber) plots in four Pyrenean study sites withpresence of the dioecious dwarf shrub snowbed
specialist Salix herbacea L., with the aim to induce a
moderate increase of temperatures on this species.
In year 2021, we collected from 3 to 5 Salix herbacea’s female ramets with mature fruits per plot, andwe analysed a set of foliar and reproductive traits,
among which leaf area, LDMC, SLA, viable seeds/
fruit, total seeds/fruit or proportion of viable seeds.
Preliminary results showed a site dependent trend
towards a higher leaf productivity inside OTC, where
we usually observed larger leaves with higher SLA
and lower LDMC. Moreover, we also observed an increase of soil N in many of the OTC plots. Concerning reproductive traits, we found a trend towards alower reproductive performance of Salix herbacea
inside the OTC, with lower seed production and seedviability. Overall, the results suggest that increased
temperatures have a fertilising effect in snowbeds,
that enhance leaf productivity of Salix herbacea.
However, the lower reproductive performance inside the OTC suggests that Salix herbacea may beapproaching to its thermal fertility limit, which may
pose a threat to its colonizing ability.

S.175.5 Comparisons ofgenetic diversity between
congeneric plants
elucidates vulnerabilityof species in the face ofenvironmental change
Jennifer M. Cruse-Sanders1, Jennifer N.
Boyd2, Jill T. Anderson1, Carol Baskauf3,
Jessica Bryzski4, Annie Lindsay3, Jared
Odell2, Will Rogers1
1 University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA. 2 University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA. 3 Austin Peay State University,
Clarksville, Tennessee, USA. 4 Seton Hill University,
Greensburg, Pennsylvania, USA

natural landscapes with some species characterized as rare due to restricted geographic distribution, low local abundance or habitat specialization. Several questions arise from these observed
patterns, including ecoevolutionary causes andconsequences of rarity. Our metanalyses of population genetic diversity, fitness and functional
traits in rare and common congeneric plant species compared 252 rare species and 267 common
congeners. Patterns identified for rare species included reduced population genetic diversity andfertilization efficiency, inbreeding depression anddepressed fitness among other traits. Our recent
comparisons of phenotypic plasticity and genetic diversity between rare and common congeners
collected from natural populations elucidate rarityand vulnerability of an endangered riparian plant,
Pityopsis ruthii, compared to more common congener, P. graminifolia. Pityopsis ruthii (Asteraceae)
is a narrowly endemic perennial herb that grows
in rocky crevices within a short distance along
the banks of two rivers in Tennessee, USA. Pityopsis graminifolia is widespread within wooded savannahs, open grasslands and roadsides acrossthe southeastern USA. Genetic diversity across therange of both species was estimated at nine putatively neutral microsatellite loci. Results indicated that P. ruthii exhibited reduced genetic diversity relative to its more common congener. These
results were compared with other population genetic studies of field collected congeneric pairs ofrare and common perennial herbaceous species
in the southeastern USA and evaluated along withother measures of fitness. Overall, rare species exhibited lower levels of genetic diversity and limited
capacity to adapt or migrate in response to environmental change, highlighting potentially significant vulnerability to future change.

S.175.6 Regulation of metal
micronutrient homeostasis
and toxicity by glutathione
and phytochelatins inMarchantia polymorpha

Environmental change, accelerated by anthropogenic activities, threatens many species and canbe particularly challenging for rare plants withpotentially limited capacity for migration and adaptation relative to more common species. Plant
species differ dramatically in their prevalence in

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Erika Bellini1,2, Carlo Sorce1, Andrea
Andreucci1, Valentina Vitelli1, Alessandro
Saba1,3, Mingai Li4, Claudio Varotto4, Luigi
Sanità di Toppi1

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1 University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy. 2 Sapienza University ofRome, Roma, Italy. 3 Center for Instrument Sharingof the University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy. 4 Research andInnovation Centre, Fondazione E. Mach, Trento, Italy.
As with all living organisms, photoautotrophs facechallenges in regulating metal homeostasis. Plants
have evolved mechanisms to control the uptake
and accumulation of both essential and non-essential metals, including chelation and sequestration by ligands such as phytochelatins (PCn).
These thiol-peptides are synthesized by the phytochelatin synthase enzyme (PCS). PCn production is a widespread strategy for detoxifying harmful metal(loid)s, such as cadmium (Cd), mercury(Hg), lead (Pb), and arsenic (As). However, recent
studies suggest that PCn and PCS roles may extend beyond detoxification of harmful metal(loid)s, to include responses to homeostatic needs andtoxicity of essential metals, including copper (Cu),zinc (Zn), and iron (Fe). Yet, PCS function in earlyplant lineages remains largely underexplored. This
study focuses on the PCS of the model liverwort
Marchantia polymorpha L., namely MpPCS. Usinga recombinant MpPCS protein, we confirmed that
the MpPCS gene encodes a 530 amino acids poly-

peptide with a molecular mass of ~57 kDa. In vitro
activity assays with Zn, Cu, and Fe demonstrated
that MpPCS catalyzes a transpeptidation reaction,with activation effectiveness in the order of Zn, Cu,
and, to a lesser extent, Fe. Gene expression andin vivo function of PCS were investigated underconditions of starvation, metal excess and physiological concentrations of Fe, Cu, and Zn, with arange of different exposure times. Metal-induced
impacts were monitored through photochemical
efficiency analysis using a chlorophyll fluorometer, offering insights into light absorption, trapping,photochemistry, electron transport, and PSII structure. Our results reveal that MpPCS plays a crucialrole in detoxifying metal excess and regulating thehomeostatic control of metal micronutrients. Thus,
thiol-peptides such as glutathione and PCn have
proven their efficiency in managing metal needs
and detoxifying their excess. It is worth noting that
PCn production appears to be regulated by enzyme activity rather than gene expression levels.
Furthermore, this study highlights a potential novel
extracellular detoxifying role for PCn and glutathione in M. polymorpha.

S.176 SPEEDING UP CONSERVATION IN
POORLY KNOWN ORGANISM GROUPS – NEW
APPROACHES TO BRYOPHYTE CONSERVATION.
SESSION 2
S.176.1 A systematic
review of the success oftranslocation experiments
for bryophyte species.
Izadora Kervin1*, Jennifer Rowntree1, Scott
J. Davidson1, Neil Bell2
1 School of Biological and Marine Sciences, Facultyof Science and Engineering, University of Plymouth,
Devon, UK. 2 Royal Botanical Gardens Edinburgh,
Edinburgh, Scotland. *izadora.kervin@plymouth.
ac.uk
An estimated one-fifth of all botanical species are
at risk of extinction with the most vulnerable of these
species being bryophytes. This is due to them being

poikilohydric, causing bryophytes to be sensitive tochanges in the environment. Translocation and reintroduction practices can be used to help reintroduce species into their native ranges, and ultimately
help reduce the risk of extinction. However, currently
there are no available guidelines specifically tailored towards the translocation and reintroductionof bryophyte species. We undertook a systematic
review to advance our understanding of successful translocation and reintroduction projects. Usinga standardised methodology, we systematicallysearched literature databases for articles on bryophyte translocations. The academic papers were
filtered to 144 relevant articles (WoS = 138, EthOs = 4,
ProQuest = 1, and Scorpus = 1), in which the subject
and focus were assessed. From the remaining literature the estimated location of the translocation,
distance transferred, reason for translocation, bryo-541

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phyte species, duration of experiments and transplant method were extracted. The results show thatmost transplant experiments are for biomonitoring
projects, with very little literature dealing with bryophyte transplants for conservation efforts. Most ofthese studies are short-term experiments with very
limited long-term translocation projects. There werealso disparities between bryophyte species utilised,for example, out of the 144 journal articles there wasa total of 133 bryophyte species, of which 82.7% weremoss species and only 17.3% were liverworts (4.7xmore moss species compared to liverworts). Thissuggests that liverwort species are underrepresented within translocation and reintroduction experiments. This systematic review has highlighted
a research gap in the frequency of academic papers focusing on conservation-based translocation
experiments. To speed up bryophyte conservation
we need to focus on increasing research efforts fortranslocations and reintroduction projects. Furthermore, we need to develop standardized guidelines
for bryophyte reintroduction and translocations.

tralasia. 70% of threatened bryophytes are foundin tropical forests, and the major threat is habitat
loss. We hope this is a significant step towards
extinction risk evaluation of bryophytes, but acknowledge its flaws. It is time-consuming, taxonomic knowledge may be lacking, publication iscomplex, information can already be out of datewhen it is published, species classed as Not Evaluated or Data Deficient due to taxonomic issues
and/or poor recording are not adequately dealt
with. New artificial intelligence techniques usingmorphological traits are being developed to indicate which species are pre-disposed to becoming threatened, tackling uncertainties and narrowing down the species to prioritize for IUCN Red
List assessment while also speeding the process.
However, collaboration between taxonomic specialists, ecologists and conservationists is paramount to fully estimate and understand the true
number of bryophytes at risk, which and where
they are, what threatens their survival and how tohalt their extinction.

S.176.2 Global assessmentsof bryophyte extinction risk

S.176.3 Breaking thehomogeneity of the eastern
North American boreal
forest: identifying bryophyte
biodiversity hot spots forconservation

Neil Brummitt1, Ana Claudia Araujo1,
Sinan Gürlek1,2, Kathryn Fowler1, Giuseppe
Signorino1
1 Natural History Museum London, UK. 2 Imperial
College London, UK
Bryophytes are fundamental ecological components of peatlands and tropical forests andprovide important services such as carbon storge and nitrogen fixation. About 20% of species
worldwide might be threatened with extinction(Brummitt et al. 2015), yet fewer than 3 % globally
have been assessed under IUCN Red List criteria.
Of those that have, two thirds are threatened withextinction (Vulnerable, Endangered or CriticallyEndangered) or Near Threatened, a further 10%classified as Data Deficient, but almost one third
already need updating. These results reflect bias
in the species selected for assessment; instead,
we have randomly selected and assessed 1500
bryophyte species from around the world, andshow that 215 are at risk of becoming extinct, 68
were classified as DD and 725 are Least Concern;
the rest are poorly known and left as Not Evaluated. The greatest number is found in Africa, followed by the American continent, Asia, and Aus-

Nicole J. Fenton1, Nils Ambec1, Manon
Carboni1, Enrique Rodriguez Hernandez1,
Deanna Holt-Schmitt1, Marion
Noualhaguet1, Xiangbo Yin1
1 Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue,
Rouyn-Noranda, Canada
Conservation of bryophytes across boreal North
America is complicated by the large spatial scaleof the landscapes, the difficulty of access of many
areas, and the relatively few bryologists studying
this landscape. Consequently, the detailed habitat niche of many species are not identified, andmany species are described as simply “boreal
forest”, which does not permit meaningful evaluation of the amount of habitat available for agiven species, or even estimations of population sizes. Combining results from several largescale field studies including nearly 1000 systematically sampled plots, we are able to determine542

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patterns at different spatial scales from sites toregions that illustrate the heterogeneity of bryophyte species distribution patterns, but also ofcommunity diversity. Individual species showed
clear patterns of frequency among ecosystem
types and across landscapes, linked to their species traits and their ability to find the right microhabitat conditions with different combinations ofmacrohabitat factors. While alpha diversity within an ecosystem type varies with microsite richness as previously described, beta and gamma
diversity varied across landscapes within ecosystem types, in association with topographicalelements and regional gradients. Consequently,
describing site, landscape and regional patterns
in bryophyte communities allows us to refine theexisting concept that boreal bryophyte species
are inherently not rare because of the size of theirpotential biogeographic niche. With these results
we are able to identify areas of diversity and highinterest for conservation.

S.176.4 About disturbed
landscapes and the unseen
diversity of a miniature
plant
Enrique Hernández-Rodríguez1,2*, Adriel M.
Sierra2,3,4,5, Marta Alonso-García2,3,4,5, Juan
Carlos Villarreal 2,3,4,5, Nicole J Fenton1,2
1 Institut de recherche sur les forêts, Université duQuébec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Rouyn-Noranda, QC, Canada. 2 Centre d’étude de la forêt,Québec, QC, Canada. 3 Département de Biologie,
Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada. 4 Institut
de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada. 5 Centre d’études
nordiques, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada.
*enrique.hernandezrodriguez@uqat.ca
Habitat loss is the primary driver of species diversity
decline. One effect of habitat loss is changes in theoccurrence of new land cover (composition) andthe spatial pattern of different land cover (configuration) at different scales across the landscape.
Although the effects of changes in landscapecomposition and configuration (LCC) on species
richness are increasingly well understood, little is
known about the response of genetic diversity tosuch changes, particularly in non-vascular plants
such as mosses. In this study, we used a multiscale
approach to assess the effects of changes in LCC
on the population genetics of the dominant asexual

reproduction moss Dicranum flagellare. We sampled and SNP-genotyped 191 stems of D. flagellare
from 12 old-growth boreal forest fragments in eastern Quebec, Canada. Our results indicate that genetic diversity (e.g., nucleotide diversity and allelicfrequency) of D. flagellare is primarily negatively influenced by old forest reduction at large landscapescales (8-9 km radii; landscape composition). In
addition, patch density (landscape configuration)of young forest areas reduces the genetic diversityof D. flagellare from old forest at small scales (2 km
radius). We also found evidence of spatial genetic
structure between and within populations depending on the old forest percentages (<40 % and >40 %)in the landscape. Our study shows that habitat loss
at large scales and aggregation of recent disturbance areas at small scales affect the genetic diversity and spatial structure of non-vascular plants.
Because of habitat loss at large scales, our results
are useful for establishing logging thresholds that
promote species conservation in landscapes withlogging plans.

S.176.5 Bryophyte
communities in broadleaved forests in relation to
substrate and environment
along forest age
chronosequence
Evita Oļehnoviča1, Anna Pastare-Skutele1,
Ligita Liepiņa1,2, Anna Mežaka1
1 Department of Biosystematics, Institute of Life
Sciences and Technology, Daugavpils University,
Daugavpils, Latvia. 2 University of Latvia, Faculty ofBiology, Riga, Latvia
Broad-leaved forests are rich in bryophytes and provide microhabitats for many rare bryophyte species.
Forest transformation to agricultural lands in thepast and intensive forestry has led to fragmentationof broad-leaved forests in Latvia. Previous studies inbroad-leaved forests mostly focused on bryophyte
communities in old-growth forest stands, but there
is still a lack of bryophyte studies in young and middle-aged forest stands. We studied bryophyte communities in 30 forest stands dominated by Europeanash (Fraxinus excelsior L.) and linden (Tilia cordata
Mill.) in Latvia. The aim of the study was to evaluate the changes in bryophyte communities along
the forest age chronosequence from younger forest

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stands to middle aged and old-growth forest stands
in relation to substrate and environmental variables
that affect bryophyte communities in each forest
age class. The results of the study can be applied
to determine the best conservation practices to enhance bryophyte species diversity in broad-leaved
forests of different ages.

S.176.6 Spore germinability
and longevity of four
Sphagnum species along
the gradient of altitude in
the Changbai Mountains
Zhao-Jun Bu1,2, Jia-Qi Zhang1,2
1 Key Laboratory of Geographical Processes andEcological Security in Changbai Mountains, Ministry of Education, School of Geo-graphical Sciences,
Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China. 2
State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of
Wetland Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, Institute for Peat and Mire Research, Northeast Normal
University, Changchun, China.
Elevation can strongly influence the vitality and longevity of sexual propagules (seeds and spores) of
mountain plants. Germination behavior of sexual propagules at a certain elevation can vary withmicrohabitats. To date, little is known about how elevation and microhabitat differences in peatland
ecosystems affect the germination and longevityof Sphagnum (peat mosses) spores. Here, we selected five peatlands in the Changbai Mountains
along an elevation gradient (562-1472 m.a.s.l.) andconducted a three-year burial experiment with
spores of four Sphagnum species. Our aim was toexplore the effects of elevation and microhabitaton the germinability, dormancy percentage, andlongevity of Sphagnum spores. We found that intermediate elevations were favorable for the germination of Sphagnum spores but unfavorable fordormancy maintenance and spore bank formation.
Overall, Sphagnum spores had greater longevity inhollow microhabitats at low elevations and in hummock microhabitats at high elevations. Correlation
analysis showed that spore germination of hollow
species was more sensitive to temperature change
than that of hummock species, with S. squarrosum
demonstrating the clearest response to both temperature and precipitation changes. Our study suggests that elevation and habitat may interactively
affect spore germinability and persistence of sporebanks in peatlands. This highlights the importance ofconsidering the difference of both elevation and microhabitat in vegetation restoration by using sporebanks in degraded peatlands in the future.

S.177 SYSTEMATICS, FLORISTICS, AND
CONSERVATION: FACILITATING DATAINTEGRATION TO PROMOTE SOUND SCIENCE.
SESSION 3
the Philippines Los Baños, Philippines. 4 Land Grant
Management Office, University of the Philippines Los
Baños, Philippines. 5 Makiling Center for Mountain
Ecosystems, University of the Philippines Los Baños,
Philippines. 6 Institute of Biological Sciences, Collegeof Arts and Sciences, University of the Philippines
Los Baños, Philippines. 7 University of Oxford Botanic
Garden, Rose Lane, Oxford, UK. 8 University of Oxford
Department of Biology, Oxford, UK

S.177.1 Conservation
Challenges and Priorities for
Rafflesia (Rafflesiaceae) in
the Philippines
Tobias, A.B.1,2, Malabrigo Jr., P.L.2,3,4, Maldia,
L.S.J.2,5, Buot Jr., I.E.6, Chris Thorogood7,8
1 Graduate School, University of the Philippines Los
Baños, Philippines. 2 Department of Forest Biological Sciences, University of the Philippines Los Baños,
Philippines. 3 Museum of Natural History, University of

We present a synthesis of the taxonomy, distribution,and conservation status of Rafflesia in the Philippines.
Through meticulous taxonomic review, field surveys,
and data compilation, 16 Rafflesia species have been
identified in the country, with the addition of a newly

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discovered species, R. balatociana. The IUCN Categories and Criteria assessment categorizes ten species
as Critically Endangered, five as Endangered, and one
as Vulnerable, emphasizing the urgent need for conservation action. The study highlights various threats
faced by Rafflesia, including deforestation driven bycommodities, shifting agriculture, urbanization, illegal forest harvesting, and plantation establishment.
Alarmingly, half of the recorded Rafflesia sites are located outside of designated protected areas, underscoring the necessity for targeted conservation effort.
Even within protected areas, some Rafflesia species
face habitat degradation and tree cover loss. To ensure their conservation, actions are recommended
to address the drivers of habitat loss, promote sustainable land-use practices, and establish more protected areas. Effective monitoring and collaboration
among local communities, government agencies,and conservation organizations will be vital for achieving positive conservation outcomes. Furthermore, we
identify strengthening legal frameworks and enforcement, habitat restoration efforts, regular monitoring,and raising awareness as essential steps towards therecovery of Rafflesia in the Philippines.

S.177.2 Mulshi Watershade
Catchment, NWG, India:
Floristic Assessment, impact
analysis and Biodiversity
Conservation
Rani B. Bhagat1

happening at geological time scale. All of these
distinct physical characteristics have resulted
in the formation of distinct habitats. Study area
is centrally located in NWG at 18 º25’N to 18 º 41’ N
and 73 º20’ E to 73 º25’ E. which covers 240 sq. km
in Pune district, Maharashtra. Extensive surveys
reported 1592 flowering species from 776 genera and 162 families. Number of flowering species from dicotyledones were 1185 and 337 frommonocotyledones, of which 150 are endemic species and more than 50 IUCN categorized. Studyalso documented 74 sacred groves with rich flora. In 2013, state government designated Tamhini as a wildlife sanctuary from Mulshi. Importantwater catchments includes-Mulshi, Temghar,
Varasgaon and adjoining Pawana dam. Besides
a private planned cities like- Lavasa, Sahara andAmby valley lies in the study area. Further, morehill cities are proposed in various parts of Mulshi
threatening the biodiversity. Iconic’ Western Ghat
is facing a threat due to forest loss, encroachment & conversion. With this backdrop the documentation of floristic diversity, impact analysis
and conservation of diversity was carried out for
future ecosystem management.

S.177.3 Plagiarism in Botany
and Plant Classification:
Unearthing EthicalDilemmas in Scientific
Research
Orlando Alvarez1,2,3

1 Department of Botany, PDEAs Baburaoji Gholap
College, Sangvi Pune, Maharashtra, India
The Western Ghats (WG) are a UNESCO World
Heritage site in India and one of the world’s recognized biodiversity “hot spots.” It is shrunken by
25% over the past decades, degrading unique &valuable ecosystem. The physiography and climate of the NWG sustain tropical semi-evergreen
to moist deciduous forest vegetation, which hasenormous worldwide relevance for biodiversity
conservation. Research area is biogeographically located in the Sahyadri mountains and spans
multiple ecological zones such as the crestline of
the Western Ghats, hill ranges, and a gently sloping section abutting the Deccan plateau, supporting numerous plant communities. Due to highrainfall, processes of soil formation are relatively
faster than low rainfall areas on plains, though

1 The SAR Group, LLC, Florida, USA. 2 Plant Biology
Department, Herbarium, Michigan State University,
Michigan, USA. 3 Herbarium, University of Florida,
Florida, USA
Plagiarism in botany manifests itself in various
forms, ranging from word-for-word replication ofa text without due recognition to the appropriation of experimental data and research discoveries; the latter materializes most of the time in new
combinations of nomenclature that eliminate
and also obscure any original hip. However, thissecondary result could also be an asset to use
in a court of law in a civil case for plagiarism or
copyright infringement, or both. The consequences of such unethical practices extend beyond academic misconduct because they undermine thefoundations of scientific progress and thwart thedevelopment of accurate plant classification sys-545

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tems. It is no secret that plant classification withinbotany has played and will continue to play a fundamental role in expanding our understanding of
the diverse plant kingdom, encompassing taxonomy, ecology, and evolutionary biology. However,in our haste to use phylogenetic data to validate,change, or generate new hypotheses about theevolutionary relationships within said plant kingdom, we are once again nullifying all scientificintegrity with renewed acts of plagiarism; actsthat unfortunately will be overlooked and little
criticized and their perpetrators will feel covered,as happened in the past, under the false cloak
provided by the international code of botanicalnomenclature. The presentation explores specific instances of plagiarism within the large fern
family Thelypteridaceae over the past 60 years,
and its implications for the reliability of some taxonomic and genomic databases, as well as forregional floras; all of this hinders true progress in
our understanding of the diversity and evolutionof Thelypteridaceae. It also emphasizes the needfor collective efforts within the scientific community to combat plagiarism in botany.

ferent approaches to continually changing taxonomic
information, and these discrepancies cause further
challenges for the researchers using herbarium specimens and data. Here, we present the survey results,
an overview of current herbarium curation practices
under different resource limitations and propose arecommended workflow for curators with varying resource restrictions. Three levels of curation standards
were identified, and a checklist associated with eachlevel was developed for use in future curatorial work.

S.177.4 Assessing curatorial
practices and improving access to natural resource data

Ternstroemia Mutis ex L.f. has been, until recently, apoorly known genus from tropics and subtropics ofAmerica, Africa, Australia, and Southern Asia, with
one species reaching Korean peninsula and Japan.
In the last years a wealth of contributions spanningfrom classic taxonomy and biogeography to phylogenetic systematics have shown the existence of
two main clades. As a product of a revision of literature and a new combined analysis, including DNA,morphology, and anatomy, major transitions within
the genus can be traced along with morphologic
shifts in flowers, related with pollination syndrome,and for the most part following a geographic structure. As a consequence of the new, updated phylogeny, the Asian genus Anneslea Wall. is transferred toTernstroemia, resulting in an expanded circumscription where tribe Ternstroemieae becomes monogeneric. Six monophyletic clades can be distinguished,with type species (Ternstroemia meridionalis Mutis
ex L.f.) embedded within a pantropical super-clade,still to be solved. Pistil morphology, especially in the
stigmas are correlated with corolla, stamen, calyx
and bracteole morphology, and all of them to certain anatomic features in leaves. After the present
revision Ternstroemia Mutis ex L.f. is a genus with ca.
141 species, 87–103 of which are present in the Neotropics, ca. 49 in Asia (or its adjacent islands, including Papuasia), and 4 in Africa. A taxonomic overview
of the genus is presented, including major areas of

Celia C. Aceae1
1 School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
Herbaria represent vast repositories of data that are
integral for conservation work and have the potential
to contribute to research across biological disciplines.
The value of herbaria and the data of the specimens
within depends largely on the accessibility of this information and the accuracy of specimen identification,
which in turn depends on curatorial work. Here, we assessed the current practices in curation and identification in a global survey for herbarium curators. The
results were compared by the size of the responding
herbaria, which were identified as small, medium, or
large institutions based on the number of specimens
held. This assessment found that there is a vast needfor more global standards in herbarium curation. Curators of herbaria are limited by the resources they
have available and the training in curation they havereceived. Curation practices are often varied within
herbaria themselves and differ by size and geographical region of the herbarium. Curators each have dif-

S.177.5 Advances in thesystematics of genus
Ternstroemia Mutis ex L.f.
(Pentaphylacaceae s.l.):
Towards a taxonomic
monograph
José R. Grande A.1
1 Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada,
Granada, Spain

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distribution and endemism, number of species per
country, and species complexes. Future venues for
systematic research in the genus are suggested,
and a provisional species list is offered.

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S.178 MOUNTAIN BIODIVERSITY ANDEVOLUTION. SESSION 2
S.178.1 Origin and assemblyof the alpine flora in the
Northern Hemisphere

S.178.2 Evolution and species
diversification of seedplants in the Hengduan
Mountains

Wen-Na Ding1,2, Richard H. Ree3, Michael
R. May4, Alex Skeels5, Philipp Brun2, LoïcPellissier2,6, Yao-Wu Xing1, Niklaus E.
Zimmermann2

Lianming Gao1,4, Chaonan Fu1,2, Hongtao
Li2, Zhiqiong Mo1,3, Mingshu Zhu1,3,
Tingshuang Yi2, Dezhu Li2

1 CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden,
Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, Yunnan,
China. 2 Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snowand Landscape Research WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland. 3 Negaunee Integrative Research Center, Field Museum, Chicago, IL, USA. 4 University
Herbarium and Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley. 5 Research
School of Biology, Australian National University,
Canberra, Australia. 6 Department of Environmental Systems Science, Ecosystems and Landscape Evolution, Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
The alpine biota above the treeline of the highmountains harbors unique floristic characters
adapted to stressful environments and provides
critical ecosystem services to our society. Yet, theorigin, assembly pattern, and biotic interchange
across different mountain regions remain enigmatic. Here, we investigated the diversification
and assembly history of alpine biotas in the Northern Hemisphere aligning with paleoenvironmental
changes. Our findings reveal that the alpine biodiversity is disproportionally assembled by colonization and in situ diversification. Alpine lineages
initially diversified in the Tibet-Hengduan-Himalaya (THH) region as early as the Oligocene, playing
a pivotal role as the primary source of alpine flora
until it was overtaken by the arctic-boreal region by
the Pliocene. The diversity of alpine plants in othermajor mountains of the Northern Hemisphere began accumulating since the early to middle Miocene, but significantly diversified until climaticallysuitable habitats expanded towards the end of the
Miocene. Our study highlights the significant role of
the THH region as both the cradle and museum of
cold-adapted plants, with a subsequent increasein the importance of the arctic-boreal region.

1 CAS Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany,
Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan,
China. 2 Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Kunming
Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences,
Kunming, Yunnan, China. 3 University of Chinese
Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China. 4 Lijiang Forest Biodiversity National Observation and Research
Station, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lijiang, Yunnan, China
The Hengduan Mountains, also named Mountainsof Southwest China (MSC), is one of the global
biodiversity hotspots with the most extensively elevated surface on Earth, harboring around10840 seed plant species from 1542 genera and
194 families. The origin and evolutionary history of
the Hengduan Mountains flora remains unclear.
We analyzed a time-calibrated phylogenetic treeof over 21000 seed plant species with 206 fossil
calibrations based on 80 plastid genomic genes
to investigate the evolutionary history and species diversification covering over 70% seed plant
species from the Hengduan Mountains (7663
species from 1435 genera and 194 families). Our
results showed that extant lineages (genera) in
the Hengduan Mountains mainly immigrated
from other floras and emerged after the early
Oligocene. The rapid species diversification andaccelerated diversification took place after the
middle Miocene (ca. 15 Mya), especially in Pliocene (5.3–2.6 Mya) and Pleistocene (2.6–0.1 Mya),and the regional endemic species had the similar diversification pattern, which was likely driven
jointly by mountain building, intensification of the
Asian monsoon, Neogene climate cooling, andQuaternary climate fluctuations. The results ofthe molecular dating, species diversification, andancestral area reconstruction analyses on nine
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that the early lineages mainly immigrated fromother floristic regions, and accelerated from early
Miocene (ca. 20 Mya), and peaked in ca. 5 Mya,
mainly from the Saharo-Arabian realm. The in situ
speciation with an increased rate of in situ speciation started from the later Miocene-early Pliocene to Pleistocene, likely triggered by Hengduan
Mountains orogeny, the intensified Asian summer
monsoon, and Quaternary climate fluctuations.

S.178.3 Reconstructing
the ecological andevolutionary assembly of
the Alpine Flora

S.178.4 Genetic diversity
assessment of Juniperus
seravschanica populations
from Central Asia
Moldir Yermagambetova1, Shyryn
Almerekova1, Orzimat Turginov2, Ormon
Sultangaziev3, Saule Abugalieva1, Yerlan
Turuspekov1
1 Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, Almaty, Kazakhstan. 2 Institute of Botany, Tashkent,
Uzbekistan. 3 Fauna and Flora International, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

Sébastien Lavergne , the PhyloAlps
consortium
1

Laboratoire d’Ecologie Alpine, CNRS – Université Grenoble Alpes - Université Savoie Mont-Blanc,
Swiss Federal Research Institute, Jardin du Lautaret,
Genoscope-Evry, Conservatoire Botanique National Alpin, Conservatoire Botanique National Méditerranéen, Parc National des Ecrins, Parc National dela Vanoise, Parc National du Mercantour, Info-Flora,
Institute of Biological Research Cluj-Napoca, Botanic Garden - Babeș-Bolyai University, Charles
University, Institute of Botany Krakow, Institute ofBotany Bratislava, Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Evolution et Diversité Biologique Toulouse,
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Universität
Wien, Universität Innsbruck, Università di Pisa, British
National Museum
Biodiversity genomics is an emerging field thatleverages advanced sequencing technologies
to analyze the genetic makeup of entire species
assemblages in order to gain insights into theirevolutionary history, adaptation, and ecologicalroles. I present the PhyloAlps project, which has
now been running for over 10 years, and consisted in sampling and sequencing all vascular plant
species of the Alps, a biodiversity hotspot harboring 20% of the European flora. This initiative has
now expanded onto the flora of the arctic realm
and other mountain ranges through the workof companion projects, thus providing an ever-growing, unique genomic resource aiming toward a comprehensive genomic characterizationof the arctic-alpine flora. I finally present someuse of these data to study the phylodynamics ofalpine plant clades, the delimitation of novel species and the metabarcoding of sediment-corestime-series.

Juniperus seravschanica Kom. is a widespread andimportant tree species in Central Asia, and grows
extensively in the mountain ranges of Oman to Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan. It is crucial informing shrub-forest massifs in mountainous regions, contributing to soil drainage and stabilization
at medium to high altitudes. To gain a comprehensive understanding of the current status of J. seravschanica resources and develop effective conservation strategies, a thorough study of the species’
genetic diversity and population structure was conducted. To assess genetic diversity and population
structure leaf samples were collected from 15 J. seravschanica populations across Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan. Utilizing 11 polymorphic simple
sequence repeat (SSR) markers genetic diversity
parameters such as the number of alleles, numberof effective alleles, percentage of polymorphic loci,and Nei’s genetic diversity index were evaluated.
Nei’s genetic diversity index for the J. seravschanica
populations averaged 0.450, ranging from 0.407 to
0.566. The AMOVA indicated that 90.3% of the total
genetic variation was distributed within populations,suggesting a high level of genetic diversity withineach population. Gene flow calculated using alleles
from all populations, was estimated at 4.654. Population structure analysis revealed weak clustering
among the studied populations, confirming the AMOVA findings. The results of this study provide valuable insights into the genetic diversity and population structure of J. seravschanica in Central Asia. The
high genetic diversity within populations suggeststhat the species has a strong capacity to adapt toenvironmental changes. These findings can be effectively utilized to develop conservation strategies
for J. seravschanica, ensuring the long-term sustainability of this important tree species in Central
Asia.

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Acknowledgments: This work was supported by
Grant No.AP09259027 of the Science Committee ofthe Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the
Republic of Kazakhstan.

S.178.5 The signatureof mountain uplifton biogeography,
trait evolution, andphylogenomic complexity of
the Andean flora
Laura P. Lagomarsino1, Ana M. Bedoya1,
Laura A. Frost2
1 Shirley C. Tucker Herbarium, Louisiana State University, USA. 2 University of South Alabama, Mobile, USA
The Andean mountains of western South America
are one of the World’s most species-rich biodiversity hotspots and are home to almost 15% of allangiosperm species. Much of this diversity origi-

nated in concert with relatively recent mountain
uplift and the resulting landscape changes, including high levels of habitat heterogeneity. In thistalk, I discuss how Andean uplift has left its markon the evolution of its flora using Freziera (Pentaphylaceaceae) as a primary example. Freziera is
an Andean-centered clade of 75 species of trees
and shrubs that diversified during the late stages of Northern Andean uplift in the last 12 million
years. Subsequently, Freziera dispered into theCentral Andes repeatedly. Across the cloud forest
habitats that it can now be found, it displays an
impressive diversity of leaf morphology, which wedemonstrate is connected to local environmental conditions (especially precipitation and seasonality). Finally, Freziera’s high levels of phylogenomic complexity can be attributed, in part, tohigh diversification rates and short times between
speciation and introgression— both scenarios
whose impacts were heightened by Andean uplift. Throughout the talk, comparisons between
Freziera and other Andean plant clades will highlight generalities—and idiosyncracies—of Andean
plant evolution.

S.179 PHYLOGEOGRAPHY
S.179.1 The role ofhybrid zones on thephylogeography of two
willow species pairs (Salix
L.) in the European AlpsLoïc Pittet1, Natascha Wagner1, Pia
Marinček1, Elvira Hörandl1
1 Department of Systematic Botany, University of
Göttingen, Germany
The geographic distribution of genetic lineages is highly impacted by climate fluctuations.
Cold-adapted plant species have survived the lastglaciations on nunataks within the glaciated areaof the European Alps, unglaciated areas at the periphery of the ice sheet, in the marginal lowlands,
or in other mountains of the European Alpine Systems that have been less glaciated. Following thelast glacial period, cold-adapted species started tospread to newly available areas. The colonization
is influenced by species-specific factors as well as

evolutionary processes like hybridization and is stillon-going. Two closely related but previously isolated species that merge their marginal ranges during
recolonization create a secondary contact zone
where hybridization can occur and potentially block
the recolonization. Using Restriction-Site-Associated DNA sequencing, morphometrics, species distribution modelling and fine-grained environmental
data, we aim to identify potential glacial refugia andrecolonization routes of two willow (Salix L.) sister
species pairs that show vicariant distributions andsecondary contacts in the European Alps. We aim tocharacterize the hybrid zones genetically, morphologically, and ecologically to test the hypothesis thathybrid zones influence biogeographical patterns ofparent species. Different potential glacial refugia
were found in the southern European mountain systems or alpine periphery and suggest recolonizationof the Alps from both eastern and western marginal areas. Hybrid zones show patterns of introgression rather than hybrid speciation and extend over
several hundred kilometers. A discrepancy between
phenotype and genotype could have resulted frombackcrossing and segregation of later generation

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hybrids. Suitable environmental conditions were
found for each species beyond their current distributions. Ecological relevees of secondary contact
zones indicate high ecological niche similarity withparents but also niche expansion. No apparent reduction of fertility of hybrids was observed in thefield. Altogether, our results support the hypothesisthat hybrid zones can block the recolonization ofparents.

S.179.2 Phylogeographic
insights to delimitate
Mediterranean protected
endemic species L.
cuspidatum evolving insympatry with close taxa
Cyllène Chatellier1,2, Baumel Alex3,
Christine Tollon2, Sylvain Santoni2, James
Molina1& BouchaibKhadari1,2,4 *1 Conservatoire Botanique National Méditerranéen de Porquerolles, Antenne Occitanie-Méditerranée-Occitanie, Montferrier-sur-Lez, France. 2
AGAP Institut, University of Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut Agro, Montpellier, France. 3 IMBE, Institut
Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d’Ecologie marine et continentale,Aix Marseille University, Station
Marine Endoume, ch. Batterie des Lions Marseille,
France. 4 Conservatoire Botanique National Méditerranéen, UMR AGAP Institut, Montpellier, France
While the protection statute of threatened plants isdesigned at species level, delimitating plant species
is a challenge for conservation biologists, especiallyfor diversified taxa evolving in sympatry. Species delimitation exist at the interface of population genetic
and phylogenetic analyses. Here, we aimed to delimitate species to question the species statue of arare and protected taxa in the Limonium confusumgroup. Limonium cuspidatum (Delort) Erben has
a restricted range geographical distribution from
Narbonne to Marseille in south France. Morphological descriptors are not sufficient to clearly distinguish this taxon from three others taxa cited in thesame environments in the south of France: Limonium confusum (Godr. & Gren.) Fourr. 1869; Limonium
legrandii (Gaut. &Timb.-Lagr.) Erben, 1978; Limonium
densissimum (Pignatti) Pignatti, 1971, all belonging to
the Limonium confusum group. To understand theevolutionary history of these populations and taxa
belonging to Mediterranean lineage of Limonium
genus, we analysed a comprehensive sampling of

populations of L. confusum (23 from France, 8 from
Spain) and 29 Mediterranean Limonium species bycombining population genetic and phylogenetic
approaches. First, using population genetic analysisof 31 populations of L. confusum with 12 Simple Sequence Repeat loci, we clearly identified three genetic groups. A first group includes Iberian-Provençal
population, from the salty mud of the Bouches-duRhône (France) to the Tarragona and Ebro Delta
region (Spain). The second group includes populations of the salt marshes located in the Languedoc coast between Leucate and Vendres (France).
The third group includes three disjunct populations
which however share similar ecological conditions.
Second, we selected samples based on genetic andgeographic origin and added representative species of Mediterranean Lineage of Limonium genus
for phylogenetic analysis using plastid DNA variation. We expect to give insights for delimitating species of L. confusum and to define populations, whichhave to be protected in the future.

S.179.3 Phylogeography of
Magnolia Sect. Macrophylla
in Mexico: insights into its
origin, diversification andevolutionary history
Gerardo Hernández-Vera1*, Marco IbarraMartínez1,2, José A. Vázquez-García1,
Eduardo Ruiz-Sánchez1, Marco Cerna2,
Miguel A. Muñiz-Castro1, Arturo SánchezGonzález3
1 Centro Universitario de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Instituto de Botánica, Universidad de
Guadalajara. Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico. 2 Carrera
de Biotecnología de los Recursos Naturales, Universidad Politécnica Salesiana. Quito, Ecuador. 3
Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, Universidad
Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo, Pachuca, Hidalgo, Mexico. *gerardohvera@hotmail.com
In Mexico there are approximately 40 species of thegenus Magnolia (Magnoliaceae), five of them includedin the Sect. Macrophylla: M. alejandrae, M. dealbata, M.
nuevoleonensis, M. rzedowskiana and M. vovidesii. Although most of these are threatened and some havesociocultural importance, its evolutionary history andthe biogeographical events underlying their diversification and distribution are still unknown. In the present
study, we analyse sequence data from four cpDNA regions (trnH-psbA, ORF350, trnK-matK and trnL-rpl32) of551

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Magnolia species Sect. Macrophylla distributed in Mexico in order to: (1) infer their phylogenetic relationships,(2) assess its genetic diversity and population structure, (3) evaluate possible signatures of demographic
expansion and (4) infer its temporal and geographicalorigin. Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood
analyses corroborated the monophyly of Sect. Macrophylla. Interspecific relationships were not resolvedand M. alejandrae and M. nuevoleonensis were recovered as a single monophyletic group. The highest genetic diversity was found in populations of M. dealbata,M. alejandrae and M. nuevoleonensis. Bayesian Skyline
Plots and mismatch distribution analyses indicate that,
overall, the studied populations are in a process of demographic expansion, particularly, the populationsof M. alejandrae and M. nuevoleonensis. Analyses ofgenetic and phylogeographic structure indicate thatgeography has played a fundamental role in shaping
the genetic structure of Magnolia Sect. Macrophylla in
Mexico. Based on molecular clock analyses, initial diversification of Sect. Macrophylla is estimated to haveoccurred ca. 16.1 Ma, whose ancestral area probably
included the Sierra Madre Oriental, Sierra Madre delSur and Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt. Given that theorigin of the Section broadly coincides with the climatic changes of the middle Miocene and with the
emergence of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, these
events could have played a fundamental role in thediversification of Magnolia Sect. Macrophylla in Mexico.

tion of Oxalis along the lomas extension (latitude from
6 ° to 18 ° S), a total of 11 species were identified, largely
showing connections with western Andean slopes. Twomain lineages were identified and further examined,
corresponding to succulent herbs in section Carnosae(subg. Oxalis) and sub-shrubs in section Thamnoxys(subg. Thamnoxys). The phylogenetic reconstruction
revealed differing evolutionary stories for each lineage,
directly linked with alternative adaptive strategies andgeographical colonizing patterns. This study also allowed filling information gaps related to understudied
and endemic taxa, that, in addition to the non-monophyletic arrangement detected in some endemic species, exposes the need for a taxonomic update in thegenus. Furthermore, a set of genomic resources, suchas plastidial markers and nuclear SSRs, were generated
for future phylogenetic and population genetic studies,mainly centered in the broadly distributed sect. Carnosae. Lastly, these results provide valuable insights in theunderstanding of the origin of plant diversity in Peruvian
coastal lomas.

S.179.4 Phylogeographicalpatterns in Peruvian coastal
desert Oxalis reveal two
independent lineages

Lucía D. Moreyra1, Jennifer R. Ackerfield2,
Carme Blanco-Gavaldà3, Christian
Brochmann4, Juan A. Calleja5, Kazumi
Fujikawa6, Mercè Galbany-Casals3,
Abel Gizaw4, Cristina Roquet3, AlfonsoSusanna1

S.179.5 Insights into
the evolutionary andbiogeographic history of the
Carduus-Cirsium group in
the African Sky-Islands

Leonardo Gaspar1, Feng Song2, Ning Fu2,
Lu Jin2, Frank Guzmán3, Asunción Cano1,
Mónica Arakaki1, Xue-Jun Ge2
1 División Botánica, Museo de Historia Natural UNMSM, Lima, Perú. 2 Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Sustainable Utilization,
South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China. 3 Universidad
Científica del Sur, Lima, Perú.
The genus Oxalis is a rather notable and constitutive
plant group in Peruvian lomas formations, displaying
conspicuous traits to cope with aridity. The flora of thisseasonal ecosystem is highly endemic, much like its
inhabiting Oxalis members, thus placing this genus as
optimal for testing evolutionary and biogeographic hypotheses. While elucidating the diversity and distribu-

1 Botanic Institute of Barcelona, CSIC-Ajuntamentde Barcelona, Spain. 2 Department of Biology, Colorado State University, U.S.A. 3 Systematics and Evolution of Vascular Plants – Associated Unit to CSIC
by IBB, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain.
4 Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, Norway. 5 Autonomous University of Madrid, Spain. 6
Kochi Prefectural Makino Botanical Garden, Japan.
The Afromontane archipelago consists of isolated humid and temperate areas on the highest mountains
in Tropical and South Africa. This biome hosts a uniqueflora characterized by a high proportion of endemic
species. Despite its uniqueness, the Afromontane flora is understudied from an evolutionary and biogeographic point of view. Several afromontane endemics
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traditionally been ascribed to the Carduus-Cirsium
group, based on superficially similar morphologies.
To investigate their evolutionary origin, we applied
the Hyb-Seq approach on >500 samples comprising
all genera of subtribe Carduinae. We recovered sequences for >1000 conserved orthologous nuclear lociplus the complete plastome, and conducted phylogenetic inference using concatenated and coalescence-based approaches. The Afromontane species
constituted three distinct evolutionary lineages, oneof them not even belonging to the Carduus-Cirsium
group. Given the evolutionary and morphological distinctiveness of these three lineages, we propose three
new genera, all endemic to the Afromontane flora:

Afrocarduus, Afrocirsium and Nuriaea. Building on ourhighly resolved phylogeny, we conducted ancestralrange estimation analyses. Our results indicate thatthese three endemic genera originated after two independent long-distance dispersals from the Mediterranean region. The first occurred during the Middle
Miocene and resulted in Nuriaea, and the second occurred in the Late Miocene and gave rise to Afrocarduus and Afrocirsium. The current diversity within thethree genera mainly results from speciation during
the Pliocene and Pleistocene. The increased orogeny
in Tropical East Africa during these periods, combinedwith the dramatic Pleistocene climate oscillations, likely fueled the diversification.

S.180 MORPHOMETRICS
S.180.1 A machinelearning approach tomorphometry of Armeria(Plumbaginaceae) inpeninsular Italy
Manuel Tiburtini1, Giovanni Astuti1, Fabrizio
Bartolucci2, Liliana Bernardo3, Fabio Conti2,
Duilio Iamonico4, Mauro Iberite4, Simone
Orsenigo5, Luca Sandroni1, Lorenzo Peruzzi1
1 University of Pisa, Italy. 2 University of Camerino, Italy. 3 University of Calabria, Rende, Italy. 4 Sapienza
University of Rome, Italy. 5 University of Pavia, Italy
In the contemporary era of genome-wide phylogenomic analyses, the significance of morphology in
Botany is crucial but often overlooked. Morphometry
emerges as a method for scientifically and statistically handling morphological data, particularly inintricate groups like Armeria (Plumbaginaceae) inpeninsular Italy, which has undergone multiple taxonomic revisions without yielding conclusive outcomes. In this study, we measured 27 features from587 herbarium specimens across 34 populations
spanning across the Apennines. The specimens encompass the A. arenaria, A. denticulata, A. canescens,and A. macropoda complexes for a total of 11 taxa, 10of which putatively endemic to Italy. Since A. gracilis
has been always traditionally related to the Balkan
A. canescens, we also included the latter species forcomparative purposes. To analyze the data, we employed two innovative machine learning approaches.

Dimensionality reduction was achieved using a novel
non-linear technique called UMAP (Uniform Manifold
Approximation and Projection). Additionally, Gaussian
mixture models (GMM) were used to test alternative
grouping hypotheses. The 3D - UMAP analysis along
the Italian peninsula reveals six main groups, i.e., from
northern to southern Italy: A. arenariasubsp. praecox,
A. arenaria subsp. marginata, A. denticulata complex(A. denticulata and A. saviana), two groups within the
A. canescens complex (including also A. gracilis, A.
garganica, and two populations referred as ‘A. macropoda’), andthe A. macropoda complex (A. aspromontana, A. brutia, A. macropoda s.str., and a population from the Pollino Massif referred as ‘A. gracilis’).
Bayes factor calculations, fitting a supervised GMM,
support the recognition of these six groups over othergrouping hypotheses, constituting a comprehensive
overview of our taxonomic exploration. Seed morphometric, karyological, and phylogenetic studies
are ongoing and will be integrated into a conclusive
taxonomic study.

S.180.2 Morphology 2.0- discovery through 3D
imaging and big data of
cacao and its relatives(Malvaceae: Byttnerioideae)

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Katherine A. Wolcott1, Edward L. Stanley2,
Osman A. Gutierrez3, Stefan Wuchty1,4,
Barbara A. Whitlock1

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1 Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, USA. 2 Department of Natural History,
Florida Museum of Natural History, Gainesville, FL,
USA. 3 Subtropical Horticultural Research Station,
USDA-ARS, Miami, FL, USA. 4 Department of Computer Science, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
We are beginning to realize the potential for discovery using big data and biodiversity archives.
As 3-dimensional (3D) imaging with micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) and photogrammetry becomes more common, workflows to
streamline processes and develop novel studies
using large-scale digital imaging are needed,
especially for botanical specimens in a vertebrate-focused field. We present a case study on
the 3D pollination biology of Theobroma cacao
and its relatives (Malvaceae: Byttnerioideae) thathighlights discoveries possible through combining cutting-edge imaging modalities and big
data, which we call Morphology 2.0. Despite theimportance of chocolate, little is known about its
specialized pollination (likely by micro-dipterans
and/or -hymenopterans) and even less aboutother Byttnerioideae. First, we used micro-CT,
3D geometric morphometrics (GMM), and scanning electron microscopy to precisely quantify
plant-pollinator geometry, functional size limits
for pollinators, and floral reward structures in cacao. Then, we extended our methods to Ayenia
euphrasiifolia, an endemic of endangered Floridapine rocklands. To gain baseline data on putative
pollinators, we used a GoPro camera trap (modified for subjects <1cm), 3D imaging with micro-CTand DSLR camera photogrammetry, then 3D GMM
analysis. After refining methods for cacao andAyenia, we applied them to other Byttnerioideae (Guazuma, Herrania, Byttneria, Commersonia). Processing and analysis pipelines are open
source and available on GitHub, CT datasets on
MorphoSource, and 3D models for outreach on
Sketchfab. By combining lab and field-based imaging technologies, we developed a novel tool
for studying pollination biology of an important
crop. Our 3D imaging also enabled high resolution comparative study of one of the nine major
Malvaceae subclades, characterized by unusualfloral morphology not captured in 2D. Moreover,
we produced a large annotated imaging dataset(N>200) that will be repurposed to train computer
vision models that automate 3D shape prediction
and digitization of botanical specimens.

S.180.3 Innovative multiscale phenotyping
approach on Amaranthus
spp. leaves reveals
contrasting differentiation
traits at young stage
Dora Scarpin1, Giacomo Este1, Francesca
D’Este1, Francesco Boscutti1, Marco
Vuerich1, Elisa Petrussa1, Enrico Braidot1
1 University of Udine, Udine, Italy
Imaging analysis can aid in phenotyping plant morphological traits at different scale levels, with options ranging from microscopy images to remotesensing acquisitions. Through this approach, it ispossible to gain a minimally invasive understanding of physiological and structural trait diversity, as
well as the relationship between plants and the environment. Much attention has already been paid
towards the high phenotypic plasticity of the Amaranthus genus, as it includes highly invasive weed
species harmful to summer crops. The identificationof morpho-anatomical traits in amaranth leaves at
early stage could be beneficial in gaining a greater
understanding of the relation between their structural characters and their performance in the agroecosystem. In this work, we applied an innovative
multi-scale phenotyping approach on single leaf
morphometric traits of four Amaranthus species (A.
hybridus, A. palmeri, A. retroflexus and A. tuberculatus) by processing digital images of intact leaves
and confocal reflection microscopy acquisitions on
adaxial surface imprints. The analysed morphometric variables belonged to three groups: macroscopic leaf traits, evapotranspiration-related traits andmicroscopic traits related to the leaf surface. The
results evidenced that different investigation levels
contribute to revealing species-specific characterseven at a juvenile stage, which is crucial for plantdevelopment and the establishment of competition. In detail, some variables concerning macroscopic and evapotranspiration-related traits were
those that best discriminated A. tuberculatus fromthe other three species. The approach proved to bean effective, reliable, and low-impact procedure fordescribing the functional characteristics of phylogenetically related species and quantifying traits
associated with taxonomy and biodiversity studies.

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S.180.4 Morphometricanalysis of freshwater
estuary endemic Bidens(Asteraceae)

tion of B. infirma, an endemic of the St-Lawrence
estuary, Canada, would have a great impact onconservation action.

Maurane Bourgouin1,2, Robert F. C. Naczi3,
Simon Pesant1,2, Étienne Léveillé-Bourret1,2
1 Centre sur la biodiversité, University of Montreal,Montreal, Québec, Canada. 2 Marie-Victorin Herbarium, University of Montreal, Montreal, Québec, Canada. 3 New York Botanical Garden, New York, USA
The unusual ecological conditions provided by
freshwater estuaries, namely, high rate of sedimentation of nutrient rich minerals, twice-dailytides, waves, and ice-scouring, have induced theevolution of a highly specialized flora containing
several endemics. The origin of this flora appears
to be recent, dating at most to the last deglaciation 10,000-12,000 years ago, which is probably
the cause of relatively minor morphological differentiation of most of the endemic taxa. Unfortunately, freshwater estuaries also are heavily urbanized and industrialized, contributing to habitat
degradation and loss. Endemic Bidens taxa are
an important component of the freshwater estuaries of Northeastern America and offer a great
insight into understanding the recent evolution of
the North American estuarine flora. Many of theseendemics are hypothesized to have originatedfrom hybridization and polyploidization (allopolyploidy). Unfortunately, taxonomic uncertainties of many of the Bidens taxa of Northeastern
America are hampering conservation action. For
instance, unclear morphological limits between
species frequently result in misidentifications,which can lead to over- or under-estimation of
the frequency of threatened taxa. We conducted a morphometric analysis to test species delineation, explore the relevance of new traits for
identification, and test hybridization hypotheses.
Most of the dissimilarity between species is correlated to flower and fruit traits, while vegetative
characters show great lability that is largely uncorrelated with taxonomic boundaries except for
species with composed leaf. We have obtained
clear delineation between B. eatonii and B. infirma and between B. tripartita and B. comosa,species for which taxonomic status until this day
were still uncertain. Even though more samplingis needed to better assess the full range of phenotypic variation of each species, the recogni-

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Symposia Session 11 Friday
S.181 SYNANTHEROLOGY RELOADED:RECENT ADVANCES AND THE FUTURE OF
EVOLUTIONARY STUDIES IN COMPOSITAE.
SESSION 1
S.181.1 Dancing with Thistles

1 University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany. 2
Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany

Alfonso Susanna1

An updated subtribal classification of the Compositae-Anthemideae is presented based on gene- andspecies-tree reconstructions considering sequencevariation from the plastid (cpDNA ndhF, trnL-trnF)
and nuclear genome (nrDNA ITS1-5.8S-ITS2, ETS;nDNA dual specificity phosphatase DSP, plus-3 domain-containing protein of the vernalization independence 5 complex VIP5, major facilitator superfamily protein of the Nitrate Transporter1/Peptide
Transporter NPF3.1) for 113 of the 115 hitherto accepted genera of the tribe. As a result, six subtribes were
newly circumscribed [i.e., Anthemidinae (including
also Xylanthemum), Artemisiinae (including also
Hulteniella, Lepidolopha, Opisthopappus, and Tridactylina), Glebionidinae (including also Otoglyphis,
Endopappus, and Nivellea), Handeliinae (including
Cancrinia, Polychrysum, and excluding Xylanthemum), Leucantheminae (including also Daveaua,
Heteromera, and Otospermum), Leucanthemopsidinae (including Phalacrocarpum)]. Additionally, five
unigeneric subtribes (i.e., Brocchiinae, Inulantherinae, Lepidophorinae, Lonadinae, Vogtiinae) were
described as new to science due to their phylogenetically isolated positions, resulting in 18 subtribes
accepted presently for Compositae-Anthemideae.
A focal subtribe of a more detailed phylogenetic
analysis is based on the W Mediterranean genus
Vogtia Oberpr. & Sonboli that comprises two species,
i.e., V. annua (L.) Oberpr. & Sonboli and V. microphylla (DC.) Oberpr. & Sonboli. To infer the phylogenetic
position of this subtribe the complete chloroplast
genomes of the two species and seven other representatives of additional subtribes of the Anthemideae were sequenced using long-range PCR andOxford Nanopore technology (MinION) and subjected to maximum-likelihood tree reconstructions. The
phylogenetic analysis confirmed the placement ofVogtiinae as sister to subtribes Anthemidinae+Mat-

1 Botanic Institute of Barcelona, Spain
Our research in tribe Cardueae was a challenge
from the beginning for several reasons. Field collections faced many challenges due to the geographical distribution of thistles in complicated places.
When we started investigating the group, our Botanic Institute in Barcelona was a very small research
center with limited resources for studying such alarge tribe. Obtaining an accurate classification wasparticularly challenging due to the thistle-like architecture of many genera, which is shared by many
unrelated genera of the tribe. Development of molecular methods, from single-region DNA sequencing in the nineties to high-throughput sequencing inrecent times, provided the tools for unraveling thetrue phylogeny of the tribe and allowed us to define a new classification. The new subtribal schemein twelve subtribes was anticipated by morphological evidence, and molecular data confirmed thatthe system is robust. This presentation summarizes
thirty years of wrestling with this fascinating groupof plants.

S.181.2 An updated subtribal
classification of Compositae
tribe Anthemideae basedon extended phylogenetic
reconstructions
Christoph Oberprieler1, Nadine Benda1,
Alisha Töpfer1, Marco Dorfner1, Miriam
Stock1, Robert Vogt2556

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ricariinae. Results of additional analyses concerning the phylogenetic relationships and the subtribal
status of the monogeneric orphan genera Brocchia,
Lepidophorum, and Lonas will be also presented.

S.181.3 Exploring the futureof Compositae: advances ingenomics, transcriptomics,
and functional genetics

comparative and functional genomics, as well ascrop improvement efforts in the broader community.
This work provides an integrative framework for futurestudies aimed at understanding the role of the macroevolutionary patterns and processes that generated the enormous species diversity of Asteraceae.

S.181.4 Anatomy ofAsteraceae: methodologicaladvances for an old science

Jennifer R. Mandel1, Mauricio Bonifacino2,
Erika R. Moore1, Paige A. Ellestad1, Linda E.
Watson3, Carolina Siniscalchi1, Ramhari
Thapa1, Daniel S. Jones4, Reid Selby4,
Brannan Cliver4, Vandana Gurung4, Emily
Yaklich5, Jakub Baczyński5, John M. Burke5,
Ashley Crook6, Zachary Nimchuk6, Alex
Harkess7, Zachary Meharg7

Makeli G. Lusa1, Benoit F.P. Loeuille2
1 Department of Botany, Universidade Federal deSanta Catarina, Florianopolis, Brazil. 2 Royal Botanical Gardens Kew, Richmond, UK.

1 Department of Biological Sciences, University ofMemphis, Memphis, USA. 2 Departamento de Biología Vegetal: Laboratorio de Botánica, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay. 3
Department of Plant Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, USA. 4 Department of Biological
Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, USA. 5 Plant
Biology Department, University of Georgia, Athens,
USA. 6 Department of Biology, University of North
Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA. 7 Hudson Alpha Institutefor Biotechnology, Huntsville, USA
Asteraceae or Compositae comprise 10% of all angiosperm species and include numerous species of
economic, medicinal, and industrial value. Despite
this, relatively few large-scale genomic resources
exist for the family, especially given its size/diversity,
which limits our ability to understand the evolutionof this fascinating family and to link genes to phenotypes. Moreover, studies of genomic and evolutionary
mechanisms that have driven the success of Asteraceae have been hampered by the lack of a well-resolved phylogeny. We have used a phylogenomic
framework to fully resolve the Asteraceae backbone.
This work supported a late Cretaceous origin followedby explosive diversifications that resulted in the family’s 30,000+ extant species. Recently, our group has
been working toward enhancing available resources for the family with genomic and transcriptomic
resources for diverse species, including several key
outgroups. We are also addressing the outstandingneed for genome editing tools by working toward
developing novel approaches in Asteraceae. These
resources will be made freely available to enable

Plant anatomy used to be considered an ancient science, or a simple tool for answering equally simple
questions. Thanks to recent advances in the molecularera, the understanding of systematics of the large andcomplex family Asteraceae has greatly advanced. In
this process, plant anatomy has re-emerged as animportant ally, enabling the investigation of complex
evolutionary questions, answering new and old taxonomic questions, and, jointly with plant molecules,
providing a wide range of data for the arsenal of new,species-level information, in addition to helping detect sources of secondary metabolites, through the
integration of histochemistry and phytochemistry. The
present work aims to address the most recent plantanatomy techniques used in investigations in the
Asteraceae, focusing on methodological advancesin the following sectors: evolutionary studies of morphoanatomical diversity; morphoanatomy to answer
complex taxonomic questions; integration of anatomy and phytochemistry through histochemistry andin situ hybridization; and new developments in investigations using Transmission Electron Microscopy. Thus,
this proposal intends to show botanists that this ancient science persists and thrives, uniquely contributing to increasing our knowledge of plants.

S.181.5 The Compositae in the
Plant and Fungal Tree of Life

557

Benoit Loeuille1, Oriane Hidalgo2, Carolina
M. Siniscalchi3, Olivier Maurin1, RaquelNegrão1, Jennifer Mandel4, William Baker1
1 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK. 2. Institut Botànicde Barcelona, Spain. 3 Mississippi State University,
USA. 4 University of Memphis, USA

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The Compositae (or Asteraceae) are one of thelargest flowering plant families with ca. 1,630 genera and ca. 24,700 species. They are distributed
worldwide and display an amazing morphologicaldiversity. Despite the challenging size of the family, molecular phylogenies have recovered a fairly
consistent tribe-level backbone, which resulted in
the current classification with 16 subfamilies and 51
tribes. However, up to now, phylogenomic studies
have included less than 16% of the generic diversity of the family. Here, we present a robust phylogeny including ca. 90% of the genera of Compositae
and all subtribes but one, based on combined datafrom two different probe sets (Angiosperms353 andCompositae1061). The monophyly of the family ischallenged by the position of Calyceraceae as sistergroup of Barnadesioideae in some of the inferences.
The evolutionary relationships between the main lineages are mostly in agreement with previous phylogenomic studies, except for Hecastocleidoideae
emerging as sister to the clade Gochnatieae + Wunderlichieae + Cyclolepis and Tarchonanthoideae assister group of Carduoideae (not Dicomeae). A few
tribes are polyphyletic under their current circumscription (Wunderlichieae, Neurolaeneae, Bahieae,
Madieae). The evolution of Compositae is marked
by at least ten whole genome duplication and numerous hybridisation events, which may explain theincongruences found between different datasetsand methods of phylogenomic reconstruction (e.g.,coalescent-based Astral vs. concatenated supermatrix). This phylogeny will allow new insights aboutmorphological evolution, diversification, and biogeography of the Compositae.

S.181.6 The Global
Compositae Database:challenges andopportunities
Mauricio Bonifacino1, John C. Semple2,
Morgan R. Gostel3, Nicola G. Bergh4,
Benoit Loeuille5, Paola de Lima Ferreira6,
Alexander N. Sennikov7, Nádia Roque8,
Gustavo Heiden9, Guy Nesom10, Liliana
Katinas11

Compton Herbarium, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Newlands, Cape Town, South Africa.
5 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 6 Aarhus University,
Aarhus, Denmark. 7 Botanical Museum, Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Finland. 8 Federal University of Bahia, Brazil 9 Embrapa
Clima Temperado, Pelotas, Brazil. 10 Academy of
Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
11 División Plantas Vasculares, Museo de La Plata,
Pcia. Buenos Aires, Argentina
Online taxonomic databases are fundamental resources for a post-2020 framework for the Global
Strategy for Plant Conservation, particularly Target 1of that effort – “an online flora for all known plants.”
Launched in 2019 as a revitalization of the Global
Compositae Checklist, the Global Compositae Database is a freely accessible, expert-curated, online
taxonomic database of all names for the largest angiosperm family Compositae (Asteraceae) that is
generously supported by the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) and maintained by taxonomic
specialists from The International Compositae Alliance (TICA). The team behind the data curation includes researchers from different backgrounds, withtaxonomic expertise across the many tribes currently recognized in the family. This is a formidabletask, involving almost 170,000 names for ca. 33,000
accepted species, and so TICA is actively recruiting
additional taxonomic specialists i. The developmentof this database highlights the importance of collaboration and is being coordinated, in part, througha larger collaboration with the World Flora Online, forwhich TICA serves as the Taxonomic Expert Network(TEN). The database is hosted on the WoRMS platform, accessible via the TICA website (www.compositae.org), has a friendly interface, and provides
tremendous flexibility in terms of editing and adding
taxonomic data. Current challenges include a lackof specific resources to curate the database, anda general shortage of expert taxonomists. Amongthe groups in Compositae with most up-to-date
information are the basal grade of the family, andvarious elements of the subfamily Asteroideae. A
broader geographic participation of TICA members
and taxonomic specialists, together with a series ofworkshops aimed at facilitating the access and usage of the database, will help increase momentum
in advancing this important resource.

1 Facultad de Agronomia & Facultad de Ciencias,
Universidad de La República, Montevideo, Uruguay.
2 Department of Biology, University of Waterloo,
Waterloo, Ontario Canada 3 Botanical ResearchInstitute of Texas, Fort Worth, Texas, USA. 4 The

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S.182 PRIORITISE, PLAN, ACT AND MONITOR PROMOTING AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO
THREATENED TREE CONSERVATION
S.182.1 Strengthening the
population of threatened
tree species in the
Colombian Caribbean
regionin Magdalena, where the vulnerable endemic to Colombia specie, Clavija sanctae-martae, is the priority. Suitable landowners and changes in land use forplanting actions are presented as one of the mostchallenging aspects. The result includes more than
10,000 planted plants, established propagation protocols, distribution niche models and regional capacity building.

Maria Paula Contreras1
1 Horticulture and Science Department, Cartagena
Botanical Garden, Colombia
The Colombian Caribbean region houses three ofthe most threatened ecosystems and areas in the
country: the tropical dry forest, the mangrove forests,
and the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. Among themain threats are non-sustainable cattle farming,
unplanned urban development that causes deforestation, and climate change. Aiming to strengthen the population of Caribbean threatened species,
Pachira quinata (VU), Libidibia punctata (VU), Handroanthus coralibe (VU), Clavija sanctae-martae(VU), Aspidosperma polyneuron (EN), Pelliciera benthamii ex. Pelliciera rhizophorae (VU), and Pterocarpus acapulcensis (VU), studies in their distribution,
propagation and phenology were made. No actions
to conserve and strengthen their populations havebeen reported in the last decade, and the non-scientific public usually does not know their conservation status and importance. Few places that hostthe native population are under conservation status(public or private). However, there are currently noactions focused on their conservation and propagation in nurseries at a large scale. The Cartagena
Botanical Garden’s science and horticulture teams
have worked together to strengthen the population of the previous mention native threatened tree
species. The Garden strives to conserve, restore,
and enrich the ecosystems through long-lasting
actions involving local communities. Several field
trips to coastal and middle-elevation localities haveallowed seed collection, phenological annotations
and the recognition of potential planting areas. The
Garden has successfully established a partnershipwith local nurseries, one in the northern Caribbean
municipality of Colombia, La Guajira, and the other

S.182.2 Natural drivers
leading Conifers to
extinction
Cañadas, E.M.1, Calderisi, G.2, Lorite, J.1,
Cogoni, D.2, Fenu, G.2
1 Department of Botany, University of Granada,
Granada, Spain. 2 Department of Life and Environmental Sciences
Currently, over 28% of species are at risk of extinction, which could rise to 50% by 2100 since the rate ofextinction has been particularly dramatic for the last
50 years. Conifers stand out as a highly endangeredgroup, with a percentage of threatened species ofca. 34%. Reversing the situation is crucial since coniferous species, which are mostly trees, constitutekey pieces for more than 39% of the world’s forestsand for the provision of ecosystem services globally. Deforestation and other man-made hazards, including climate change, threaten conifers which, likeother gymnosperms, are also doomed to extinction
due to natural causes. In this context, we explore intrinsic or natural traits (both biological and ecological) leading conifers to extinction in order to support
decision-making on biodiversity conservation. Furthermore, we delved into the largest conifer family, Pinaceae. For this, we downloaded from the IUCNRed List database all the 610 species from the Pinopsida Class, assigning the global Red List category. For each species we also compiled traits related
to altitude, adult plant size, and seed size. Moreover,for the Pinaceae family (225 species), we collectedtraits about leaves, seed cones, pollen cones, andseed wing, among others. Then we assessed the re-559

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lationship between extinction risk (with values ranging between 1 (LC) and 5 (CR)) and traits, findingthat the most threatened conifers are smaller in size,
have smaller seeds, and inhabit a narrow altitudinal range at mid-mountain. Pinaceae showed similar trends, but the most endangered species hadheavier seeds and smaller leaves in this case. Our
results could guide conservation efforts for theseplants custodians of an ancient and long evolutionary history since species with certain identified traits
could be more vulnerable to moving to a higher
threat category if no action is taken.

S.182.3 Tools andapproaches for
identifying and filling
gaps in knowledge for theconservation of exceptional
tree species

Database and the Comparative Cryopreservation
Database will be introduced as platforms for thesedata that will align them with taxonomic, morphological, and climatic data to evaluate patterns andmove toward the goal of predictability in developing
new protocols. The companion Media Comparison
Tool has also been developed, which provides rapid
visualization and comparison of the components oftissue culture media as a way of analyzing past research and selecting or developing new formulations
for species new to in vitro culture. These tools shouldboth help identify more specific information gaps
and help prioritize research for more efficiently applying cryopreservation and in vitro technologies forthe ex situ conservation of exceptional tree species.
Acknowledgments: Research supported in part by agrant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

S.182.4 Unveiling theextinction risk of Brazilian
trees

Valerie C. Pence1, Emily B. Bruns1,2, Megan
Philpott1, Melissa Duda1,3

Eduardo Fernandez1,2,3, Eduardo Amorim2,3,Fernanda Wimmer2,3, Gláucia Crispim2,3,Lucas Arguello2,3, Lucas Jordão2,3, Marcio
Verdi1,2,3, Mário Gomes2,3, Monira Bicalho2,3,Fernanda Fraga2,3, Camila Nardy
Delgado2,3, Carlos Ferreira2,3, Vicente
Calfo2,3, Gustavo Martinelli1,2,3

1 Center for Conservation and Research of Endangered Wildlife, Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden,
Cincinnati, USA. 2 Botanic Gardens Conservation
International--US, San Marino, USA. 3 Northwestern
University, Evanston, USA
Exceptional species cannot be conserved in conventional seed banks and will require other approaches for long-term, ex situ conservation. Cryobiotechnologies can be harnessed to preserve exceptional
species, but currently these methods are not being
implemented on the needed scale. Our recent analysis of the literature has shown that there are significant gaps in knowledge of cryopreservation and the
supporting in vitro technologies in their application
to exceptional species, particularly with exceptional
tree species. While a high proportion of exceptional
species are trees, a much lower proportion of trees
are represented in both the cryopreservation and invitro literature, with a particular gap in tropical trees.
Filling these gaps and scaling up application will require developments in both science and technology.
Currently, developing cryopreservation and in vitro
protocols is primarily an experimental process, andinformation and tools are needed to develop greater predictability and efficiency Deeper analyses andunderstanding of reported research are needed, andthe creation and analysis of large datasets of information could facilitate this. The Comparative In Vitro

1 Rio de Janeiro Botanic Garden Research Institute,
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 2 Brazilian National Centre for
Plant Conservation, Rio de Janeiro Botanic Garden
Research Institute, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 3 IUCN
Species Survival Commission Brazil Plant StandAlone Red List Authority, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Brazil is the epitome of plant diversity and champion
the global ranking of tree species’ richness. However,this astonishing diversity confronts a looming crisis as
human-induced activities intensify. Rampant habitat
conversion for agriculture and cattle ranching, coupled with extensive overexploitation, imperils Brazil’s
tree flora. With great responsibility to protect its irreplaceable natural heritage, Brazil has recognized thatassessing species’ extinction risk is a vital step in setting up effective conservation strategies. The Brazilian
National Centre for Plant Conservation (CNCFlora),
from Rio de Janeiro Botanic Garden Research Institute(JBRJ), is designated nationally and internationally as
the Brazil’s plants Red List Authority and adopts thestandards and procedures recommended by IUCN for560

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at-risk species detection. Driven by initiatives tailored
to deliver conservation assessments of trees, such as
the Global Tree Assessment (GTA) from Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI), CNCFlora/
JBRJ has conducted full IUCN conservation assessments of over 3,851 Brazilian trees between 2015-2023.
Our results show that 37% (1,276) of the assessed tree
species are Threatened (187 as CR, 794 as EN and 295
as VU). NT and LC categories were assigned to 1,943
species, while 633 species were deemed as DD. Brazil
has thousands of threatened endemic trees, and whileadvances in detect at-risk plants increased in recent
years, only two native tree species have species-specific national Conservation Action Plans in-place. Most
threatened trees in Brazil are found within two global
biodiversity hotspots (Mata Atlântica and Cerrado),
and in the Amazon, where selective logging is pressing
timber species towards extinction. A comprehensive
evaluation of Brazil’s entire tree diversity is imperative
to strategically guide interventions and prevent irreversible losses, emphasizing the immediate need toextend conservation measures to safeguard endemic
trees for the enduring preservation of Brazil’s tree biodiversity.

S.182.5 A collaborative
programme to protect,conserve and enhance
the natural capital of the
Mexican forests
Tiziana Ulian1,2​Michael Way1, Maraeva
Gianella1, Silvia Bacci1, Elizabeth Bell1, Elena
Castillo-Lorenzo1, Efisio Mattana1, Cesar
M. Flores Ortiz3, Daniel Cabrera Santos3,
Isela Rodríguez Arevalo3, Oswaldo Tellez,
Rafael Lira3, Gabina Sol Quintas4, Jazmin
Cobos Silva4, Estrella Chevez4, Elisa
Peresbarbosa Rojas4, Maria Toledo5, Tarin
Toledo5, Mauricio Diazgranados1,6, Patricia
Davila Aranda3
1 Royal Botanical Garden, Kew, Wellcome Trust Millennium Building, Wakehurst, Ardingly, West Sussex, UK. 2 University of Turin, Turin, Italy. 3 Facultadde Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Tlalnepantla, Estado de Mexico, Mexico. 4. Pronatura Veracruz A.C.,
Coatepec, Veracruz, Mexico. 5 Instituto de Ecología
A.C., Veracruz, Mexico. 6 New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY, USA

Mexico is a megadiverse country, hosting 23,314 species of vascular plants, 40% of which are endemic. Its
ecosystems range from arid to wet and tropical totemperate. It is rich in cultural diversity and is home
to one of the most important biocultural legacies of
the world, resulting in more than 9,000 plants withknown uses. The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (RBG
Kew) has been collaborating in Mexico with the Facultad de Estudios Superiores, Iztacala of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (Fes-I UNAM) forover 20 years to conserve the rich flora of Mexico
through seed banking, research, and training. Seeds
are preserved at Fes-I UNAM, with duplicates storedat Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank at Wakehurst, in theUK, under an Access and Benefit Sharing Agreement.​
Since 2015, RBG Kew and Fes-I UNAM have developed
a programme to protect, conserve and enhance thenatural capital of the Mexican forests, built around adetailed understanding of native tree seeds and theirregeneration under future climatic change scenarios.
We have published the first checklist of native trees of
Mexico, with information on the distribution, uses andconservation status of 2,885 species. This information
is used to prioritise taxa for seed collecting and conservation: seeds are either conserved ex-situ throughconventional seed banking or propagated for in situ
conservation. When propagated, trees are donatedto local communities to support their livelihoods orused for reforestation in urban and peri-urban areas
and degraded forests. This programme has beendelivered through several projects funded by different sources and in collaboration with the NGO Pronatura Veracruz and the Instituto de Ecología A.C. Local
communities are involved in the programme activities through a participatory approach and by applying gender equality and social inclusion principles.

S.182.6 Nutritional status
of Pinus sylvestris andQuercus pyrenaica isimproved in heterospecificneighbourhoods
Tallón Elena, Marina, Carmen Urea, M.
Esther Pérez, Enrique Andivia.
1 Departamento de Biodiversidad, Ecología y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad
Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, España
Tree species admixture is considered as a key
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system functioning under climate change due toniche complementarity between species. Mixing
species with different leaf habit can increase carbon and nutrient stocks in forest soils. However, theeffect of admixture on tree nutritional status has
been less explored. In this study, we compared thefoliar nutrient status of Pinus sylvestris and Quercus pyrenaica in mixed and monospecific stands
in Mediterranean mountains. Our results showedinterspecific differences in foliar nutrient concentration. Pines showed higher C concentrations
while oaks had higher P concentrations in leaves,which resulted in higher C:N and N:P in pines. Despite no significant differences were found in the
nutritional status of study species between mixed
and monospecific stands, we found an improvement in the nutritional status of the trees of both
species in mixed stands as the proportion of basal
area of the other species increased in the vicinity. These results show that complementarity between these two species occurs at the local scale,
which has practical implications for the design offorest management actions aimed at diversifying
monospecific stands.

S.183 FERN AND LYCOPHYTE EVOLUTION: A
PHYLOGENOMIC PERSPECTIVE. SESSION 1
S.183.1 Phylogenomic
data reveal the complex
evolutionary history
of Neotropical
Phlegmariurus(Lycopodiaceae)

new perspective on the evolution of Phlegmariurusin the American tropics, based on target-capture
sequence data from hundreds of nuclear loci.
These data reveal previously undetected biogeographic patterns, provide evidence for reticulate
evolution, and illustrate the evolutionary successof Phlegmariurus in tropical America, from lowland
rainforests to alpine grasslands.

Weston L. Testo1

S.183.2 The genomic
landscape of ferns andlycophytes

1 Department of Plant Biology, University of Vermont,
Burlington, USA. 2 Pringle Herbarium, University ofVermont, Burlington, USA. 3 Botanical Research Institute of Texas, Fort Worth, USA
The clubmosses (Lycopodiaceae) are one of threeextant families of lycophytes, which hold an important phylogenetic position as sister to theremaining vascular plant lineages. An ancientlineage, the Lycopodiaceae is comprised of an
estimated 400 species distributed in 17 genera
and presents a cosmopolitan distribution, thoughspecies richness is highest in the tropics. The most
species-rich lineage of Lycopodiaceae by far is
the genus Phlegmariurus, which includes at least
300 species that are distributed throughout tropical and subtropical regions of the world. A handfulof studies have attempted to reconstruct the evolutionary history of this clade and revealed that it
has been shaped by complex biogeographic scenarios and recent rapid diversification, but thesestudies relied on sequence data from a handful ofchloroplast loci and thus were limited in the conclusions they could draw. In this talk, I present a

Fay-Wei Li1,2
1 Boyce Thompson Institute, Ithaca, New York, USA. 2
Plant Biology Section, Cornell University, Ithaca, New
York, USA
Cracking the giant genomes of pteridophytes
had been seemed as a formidable challenge.
However, thanks to the rapid drop of sequencing cost and the development of highly accurate
long-read sequencing, we now have around adozen pteridophyte genomes already publishedwith many more in the pipeline. Here, I summarize
the current state of pteridophyte genomics andsynthesize the trends emerging from comparative analyses. I particularly highlight the genomic
contrasts between homosporous and heterosporous lineages, and discuss the implications on theevolution of chromosome number and genome
size. Lastly, I point out future directions and areas
worth exploring further.

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S.183.3 First genomic
evidence of hybrid evolutionin Phlegmariurus
Ashley Field1, Weston Testo2, Thais
Almeida3, Lars Nauheimer1
1 Australian Tropical Herbarium, Cairns, Queensland,
Australia. 2 Pringle Herbarium, The University ofVermont, Burlington, Vermont, USA. 3 Universidade
Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
Phlegmariurus (Huperzioideae, Lycopodiaceae) is aworldwide genus of 200 to 300 species comprised ofa Neotropical radiation predominantly associated withmountain chains, and a Palaeotropical radiation predominantly associated with the canopies of rainforests.
Our understanding of evolutionary radiation and species diversity in the Palaeotropical clade has remained
a frontier due to the unresolved nature of species-level
phylogenies, extreme homoplasy, and morphologicalintermediates between distant species. We present
the first species-resolved phylogeny for Palaeotropical Phlegmariurus based on a comprehensive HybSeq dataset of 236 collections. We provide evidence
that Palaeotropical Phlegmariurus comprises 13 major
clades, each with morphological, ecological or geographic specialisation. Using the bioinformatics workflow HybPhaser, we present the first molecular evidence
for hybrids in Phlegmariurus. Phlegmariurus of hybrid
origin are common. We identify seventeen Phlegmariurus that are of hybrid origin, including five already described species and 12 that are newly identified, as well
as evidence of hybrid species complexes. We postulate
that, in addition to the long-distance dispersal, vicariance and habitat-driven diversification pathways previously identified, hybridisation has been an important
species diversification pathway in Phlegmariurus.

S.183.4 Rampant
hybridization in a tropicalfern genus (Danaea,
Marattiaceae)
Venni Keskiniva1, Samuli Lehtonen1,
Weston Testo2, Hanna Tuomisto1,3
1 University of Turku, Turku, Finland. 2 University ofVermont, Burlington, USA. 3 Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
The amount of known hybrids has been observed to belower in tropical than temperate ferns, but patterns ofhybridization are poorly known in the tropics. We examined hybridization in the Neotropical eusporangiate fern
genus Danaea (Marattiaceae) using a phylogenomic
approach with single or low-copy nuclear and chloroplast loci. We found a relatively high rate of hybridization
in Danaea and suggest that the apparent paucity ofhybrids in tropical ferns is due to an observation bias.
We also show evidence that hybridization can function
as both a diversifying and a homogenizing evolutionary
force within the same genus. We found further evidence
for the previously proposed low reproductive barriers inferns, enabling hybridization between lineages separated possibly as far back as the Cretaceous.

S.183.5 Population genomics
of Woodwardia radicans(Blechnaceae) in northern
Iberian Peninsula
Guillermo Santos Rivilla1, Mario Mairal1,
Cornelia Krause2, Sonia Molino deMiguel1,3, Anita Roth-Nebelsick2, Mike Thiv2,
Mario Fernández-Mazuecos4
1 Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid,
Spain. 2 Natural History Museum Stuttgart, Stuttgart,
Germany. 3 Universidad Europea de Madrid, Spain.
4 Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Climatic refugia, deemed as natural laboratories
for investigating species’ responses to historicalclimatic shifts, offer valuable perspectives into theevolutionary dynamics of floras. The Palaeotropicalflora, originating in the northern hemisphere during
pre-Quaternary times, is believed to have enduredin microclimatic subtropical zones across Europe
and the Macaronesian islands. This research focuses on Woodwardia radicans (Blechnaceae), a
fern historically recognized as a Palaeotropical relict, thriving in the Macaronesian archipelagos andsouthern Europe, particularly the northern Iberian
Peninsula. Employing the genotyping by sequencing (GBS) technique, we scrutinized the genetic andphylogeographic patterns of northern Iberian populations and estimated times of lineage divergence.
Despite the species having diverged from its sister,W. unigemmata, around the Pliocene, European
populations diverged in the Quaternary, challenging
the presumed pre-Quaternary relict status of thesecontinental populations. Population-level analysesof the northern Iberian Peninsula reveal low genetic diversity and noteworthy differentiation among
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pre-Quaternary relict status of continental populations, indicating a Quaternary recolonization from
Macaronesia. The absence of a distinct phylogeographical pattern in the northern Iberian Peninsula is attributed to fragmentation and genetic drift,signaling a departure from a more widespread distribution range in the late Quaternary. Beyond illuminating the biogeographic history of this uniquespecies, our results yield crucial insights for defining conservation strategies. The study underscores
the imperative to reassess assumptions about thehistorical persistence of Palaeotropical species insubtropical environments and emphasizes the significance of considering late Quaternary dynamics
in comprehending current genetic and phylogeographic patterns.

S.184 PLANT ECOLOGY - HOW AND WHY
GENOME SIZE MATTERS
S.184.1 Ecologicalimplications of the effects
of genome size evolution
on trait flexibility &diversification in a tropicalplant family
Sreetama Bhadra1,2, Ilia J. Leitch3, Sidonie
Bellot3, William J. Baker3, Renske E.
Onstein4,1,2
1 German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research, Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Evolution and Adaptation, Leipzig, Germany .2 Leipzig University, Leipzig,
Germany. 3 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Kew
Green, Richmond, UK. 4 Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
Survival of plants in their environment depends on theirability to adapt and diversify. Genome size, due to its
biophysical effects, may influence evolution of functional traits, and hence adaptation and diversification.
However, this has never been tested in a quantitative
macroevolutionary framework. Here we hypothesizethat genome size evolution plays a fundamental rolein influencing ‘trait flexibility‘ (i.e., evolvability of traits
over macroevolutionary times), and hence diversification rates. We predict that larger genomes will lead tolower trait flexibility, while higher rates of genome size
evolution will positively influence trait flexibility of plantlineages allowing for greater partitioning of ecologicalspace, leading to speciation, and hence diversification.
To address this hypothesis, we integrated genome
size, functional trait, and phylogenetic data for palms(Arecaceae) - a pantropical plant family comprisingca. 2600 species that express wide functional diversity. Using macroevolutionary and structural equation

models we show that diversification rates of palms increased ca. 20 Mya, concordant with increased rates
of genome size and trait evolution. Furthermore, rateof genome size evolution was positively influenced bygenome size itself, contrary to the idea that large genomes constrain evolution. Finally, we found that higher rate of genome size evolution was associated withgreater trait flexibility (e.g., higher rates of fruit size, leaf
size, and stem height evolution). Overall, our findings
suggest that interactions between rates of genome
size and trait flexibility have played a role leading tohigher diversification rates in palms. Our results suggest that genome size evolution acts as a key driverof diversification in palms both directly, and indirectly via its influence on trait evolution. This may explain
the complex interplay between genomic factors, traits
and diversification leading to some of the most enigmatic evolutionary radiations across angiosperms
and the ecological success of certain plant lineages.

S.184.2 Fine-tuning plants tothe environment – a role forgenome size
Adam B. Roddy1, Arezoo Dastpak1, Kevin A.
Simonin2
1 Institute of Environment, Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami,
USA. 2 Department of Biology, San Francisco State
University, San Francisco, USA
Genome size has been postulated as being a key trait
predictive of numerous anatomical, physiological, andecological traits in plants. While genome size correlateswith many organismal traits, the strongest relationshiphas been with minimum (or meristematic) cell size
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its nuclear envelope. Though mature cells are often
orders of magnitude larger in volume than the minimum volume defined by the size of the genome, themaximum volume of stomatal guard cells–and possibly other cell types–is invariant across species. These
patterns suggest that species with smaller genomes
can produce not only smaller cells but also a greater range in mature cell size than species with larger
genomes, i.e., smaller genomes may allow for greater plasticity to fine tune anatomy to the environment.
Using intraspecific and interspecific data from various
experiments and observations, we test the role of genome size in limiting trait plasticity. Our results highlightthat while genome size may limit the range of cell sizes a plant can produce, there are multiple alternative
ways of overcoming these limitations depending on
the functional implications of these traits. Thus, partitioning the effects of genome size from higher-orderarchitectural traits is important for understanding how
abiotic conditions may select for leaf traits and, thus,
on genome size and, similarly, the distributions of genome size across environmental gradients.

gestive of ecological selection against large genomes
when they are limiting (as in most soils of the world).
But it is unknown if such ecological selection translates to evolutionary selection against large genomes,
because available data suggests that there are only
small rates of DNA loss per generation (4–70 Mb/million years, <500 bp/generation). This poses a problem
as to how evolutionary selection might act, given thatthe size of even the smallest plant genome is three orders of magnitude larger than these DNA losses. We
propose that a solution to this problem might be thatgenome downsizing is an emergent property of polyploidy, which after time has ecological advantages toplants growing in nutrient poor habitats.

S.184.4 How and why
genome size constrains theglobal distribution of plants
František Zedek1, Tammy L. Elliott1,2, Pavel
Veselý1, Petr Šmarda1, Félix Forest3, Ilia J.
Leitch3, Eimear Nic Lughadha3, Marybel
Soto Gomez3, Samuel Pironon3,4, Matilda J.
M. Brown3, Jakub Šmerda1, Petr Bureš1

S.184.3 Ecological andevolutionary processes acting
on plant species dependanton their genome sizes
Andrew R. Leitch1, Marie Henniges1,2, Joseph
Morton1,2,3, Lubna Faizullah1,2, Xiaotong(Elaine) Wang1,2, Jaume Pelicer2, Maite
Guignard1,2, Erika Hersch-Green3, Ilia J. Leitch2
1 Queen Mary University of London, London, UK. 2
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Surrey, UK. 3 Michigan
Technological University, Houghton, Michigan, USA
The amount of DNA in each cell of an organism,
called the ‘genome size’, varies enormously between
species. Indeed, amongst flowering plants there is aknown ~2,500 fold range in genome size (from 60,000-160,000,000 bp per 1C genome). However, most plant
species have smaller genomes than would be expected given the incidence of polyploidy and (retro)transpostion in their ancestries, suggestive of evolutionary selection against large genome sizes. This talkfirst explores ecological selection acting on genome
size, focussing in particular on nutrient limitation. We
show from grassland nutrient experiments in UK, Germany, Inner Mongolia and from the Nutrient Networkthat species with large genomes are favoured in thepresence of nitrogen and phosphate fertilizers, sug-

1 Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of
Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.
2 Department of Biological Sciences, University ofCape Town, Cape Town, South Africa. 3 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, UK. 4 UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, UK.
Angiosperms, spanning diverse habitats across continents, showcase substantial genome size variations,offering a prime platform to explore global genome size
distribution hypotheses. Among these, the large-genome-constraint, mutational-hazard, polyploidy-mediated, and climate-mediated hypotheses stand central. We present the most extensive dataset to date,comprising 16,017 angiosperm species, representing
over 5% of the known diversity. Leveraging this dataset alongside comprehensive geographic distribution
data, we conducted an in-depth analysis of genome
size distribution among angiosperms. Our findings reveal a correlation between small range sizes in angiosperms and larger genomes, supporting the large-genome-constraint hypothesis. Unlike the unimodal
U-shape pattern in latitudinal distribution observed inpolyploid proportions, we observed the S-shape with
the increase in angiosperm genome sizes between theequator and 40-50°N/S and a decrease in genome
sizes beyond 40–50°N northwards. Climate, especially

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temperature, emerges as a dominant factor shaping
genome size distribution along this global latitudinal
gradient. Conversely, the influence of polyploidy frequency and growth form types appears negligible. Our
comprehensive analysis underscores the significant
role of climatically mediated non-adaptive processes, including purifying selection, genetic drift, relaxed
selection, and environmental filtering, in sculpting the
global distribution of angiosperm genome sizes.

loid guard cells), implying a differential impact of
GS based on cell and phase function. The relatively
steeper SMA slopes and maximum to minimum volume ratios support the hypothesis that smaller GS(as seen in mosses) allow a greater cell size variability. Although not directly determining their physiology,
GS could indirectly influence moss productivity andgrowth capacity by affecting phyllid area.

S.184.6 Genome size ispositively correlated withextinction risk in herbaceous
angiosperms

S.184.5 Genome size andcell size in mosses: theimpact of DNA content
on moss anatomy andphysiology

Marybel Soto Gomez1, Matilda J. M. Brown1,
Samuel Pironon1,2, Pavel Veselý3, Petr
Bureš3, Tammy L. Elliott3, František Zedek3,
Jaume Pellicer1,4, Félix Forest1, Eimear Nic
Lughadha1, Ilia J. Leitch1

Pere M. Mir-Rosselló1, Jaume Flexas1,
Antoni J. Far, Marc Carriquí1
1 Universitat de les Illes Balears, Palma, Spain
The DNA content in the nucleus, commonly measured
as genome size (GS), is considered a strong predictor of minimum cell size in eukaryotic organisms. In
tracheophytes, the scaling between GS and cell size
determines leaf anatomy and, consequently, plant
growth capacity. However, the few studies involving
bryophytes, which only considered stomatal guard
cells of the diploid phase, suggest that GS-cell size
scaling does not apply to this group. We measured
leaf area, cell dimensions and cell wall thickness
from mid-lamina, largest and smallest cells in phyllidia of 160 moss species with known GS. From these,
cell area and volume and different key anatomical
traits determining photosynthesis were calculated.
We contrasted cell sizes with GS data through Standardized Major Axis (SMA) analyses. GS weakly explained the variability of laminal and maximum cell
sizes (width, area and volume), but explained morethan half of the variability in minimum cell sizes. While
GS positively correlated with moss phyllid area, it did
not significantly explain cell wall thickness or otheranatomical traits. Notably, SMA slopes for cell sizes
were considerably steeper than those reported fortracheophytes. Furthermore, maximum to minimum
volume ratios showed greater variability in species
with smaller GS. Our findings suggest that GS is a determinant of the minimum cell size in mosses, resembling trends observed in tracheophytes. This similarity holds between tracheophyte sporophytes (diploidleaf and guard cells) and moss gametophytes (haploid leaf cells), but not in moss sporophytes (dip-1 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Richmond, UK. 2
UN Environment Programme World Conservation
Monitoring Centre, Cambridge, UK. 3 Masaryk University. Brno, Czech Republic. 4 Institut Botanic deBarcelona Barcelona, Spain
Angiosperms with large genomes experience nuclear-,cellular- and organism-level constraints that may limit
their phenotypic plasticity and ecological niche. Therefore, we test the hypotheses that extinction risk is higher
in large-genomed compared to small-genomed species, and that the effect of genome size on risk is mediated by life form, range size, and climatic zone. We
combined an angiosperm-wide genome size datasetwith the newly released World Checklist of Vascular
Plants, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and a
species-level angiosperm phylogeny to analyse therelationship between genome size and extinction risk
across life forms, climates and range sizes using anevolutionary framework. We found that angiosperm
genome size and extinction risk are linked directly, andindirectly via range size and climate. Across sampled
angiosperms as a whole, genome size is positively correlated with extinction risk. Partitioned by life form, extinction risk increases with genome size in herbaceous
species across climates, especially in single-country
endemics. However, genome size and risk are not correlated in woody species. Genome size may serve as aproxy for difficult-to-measure parameters associatedwith resilience and vulnerability, especially in herbaceous angiosperms. Therefore, it merits further exploration as a useful genomic trait for understanding extinction risk and enhancing plant conservation efforts.

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S.185 BEYOND BIOGEOGRAPHY: ADAPTATION
AND DIVERSIFICATION ACROSS
THE INDO-PACIFIC
S.185.1 From Refugium to
Radiance: understanding
Smilacaceae speciation in
the Himalayas
Geetika Sukhramani1, Joongku Lee2, Ritesh
K. Choudhary1
1 Agharkar Research Institute, Pune, India. 2 Department of Forest and Environment Resources, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Korea
The Himalayan region, a biodiversity hotspot, has undergone significant geological and climatic changes over millions of years. Due to its unique ecologicaland evolutionary trajectory, the Smilacaceae family
in the Himalayan refugium offers valuable insights
into evolution and conservation priorities. The present
study delves explicitly into how examining Himalayan
Smilacaceae contributes to our comprehension ofevolution, biogeography, and the impacts of climatechange. The endemic nature of various Smilax taxa,
such as S. elegans subsp. osmastonii, S. microphylla,
S. quadrata, S. sailenii, S. turbans in the Himalayan refugium, along with their probable isolated evolutionary paths evident from the disjunctive distribution of S.
wightii, unveils unique adaptations and genetic variations. Our findings shed light on fundamental evolutionary processes and the mechanisms underlying
speciation. The investigation extends to analyzing
inter/intraspecific morphological evolution among
Himalayan Smilax species, aiming to decipher their
phylogenetic relationships. Moreover, their plastomecomparison enables the identification of molecularmarkers that contribute to the resolution of evolutionary relationships and the detection of genetic diversity within the Smilacaceae family. Past researchers
underscored the pivotal role of the Himalayan Smilax in linking species across East Asia, Southeast Asia,
and Africa. Therefore, examining the phytogeographyof Himalayan Smilax becomes crucial in unravelling
the temporal origins and biogeographic processes
shaping the disjunctive distribution of these species.
Smilacaceae in the Himalayan refugium not only
aids in reconstructing historical biogeography but
also provides insights into species movement, adap-

tation to changing environments, and the impact ofhistorical events on plant evolution. Utilizing molecular data-derived phylogenetic insights facilitates
evaluating evolutionary relationships among the
Smilax species in the Himalayan region. This researchalso endeavours to resolve longstanding taxonomic
discrepancies, synthesize synonyms, and establish amore comprehensive framework for identifying andclassifying Smilacaceae in the region.

S.185.2 Taxonomic
circumscription andbiogeography: Dysoxylum
s.l. (Meliaceae) acrossIndomalesia-Australasia
and the Southwest Pacific
Laura Holzmeyer1,2, Frank Hauenschild2,3,Alexandra N. Muellner-Riehl2,4
1 IRD, UMR DIADE, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France. 2 Department of Molecular Evolution
and Plant Systematics & Herbarium (LZ), Instituteof Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany. 3
Centre for Teacher Training and School Research,
Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany. 4 German
Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research, Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
Dysoxylum s.l. had long been speculated to be apolyphyletic taxon. Recently, six strongly supported clades within the group were exhibited basedon phylogenetic analyses employing several DNA
marker regions. To ensure monophyly, five previously recognized genera (Didymocheton Blume, Epicharis Blume, Goniocheton Blume, Prasoxylon M.Roem.
and Pseudocarapa Hemsl.) were reinstated, andDysoxylum s.s. Blume ex Raspail was re-defined. Thistaxonomic revision, based on the most extensively
sampled molecular phylogenetic tree of this group
established so far, and morphological characters, resulted in the re-assignment of 94 presently acknowledged Dysoxylum species, generating forty-five new
combinations and complementary lectotypifications
as required. This taxonomic groundwork set the stage

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for biogeographic exploration. Our sampling encompassed 75% of the Dysoxylum s.l. species diversity,
covering the entire distribution range and all major
lineages. Results showed that Dysoxylum s.l. originated and firstly diversified in the western part of its current distribution range (including Indochina) during
the Miocene to Pliocene, followed by an overall eastern range expansion towards Malesia, Australia andthe Southwest Pacific in the Pliocene. This southeastward expansion into Wallacea and Australia coincided temporally with the convergence of the Asian andAustralian tectonic plates and followed the expected
dispersal directionality bias. We were able to establish long-distance dispersal as the primary mechanism shaping the current distribution. Furthermore,
we identified two dispersal pathways into the Southwest Pacific: one from New Guinea and the Solomon
Islands to Fiji, and another one from New Zealand to
Fiji. Remarkably, Fiji served as an important secondary
source area for dispersal into the Southwest Pacificfrom both New Guinea through the Solomon Islands,
as well as from New Zealand.

S.185.3 Using communityscale genetic data tounderstand adaptationand diversification in island
systems
Isaac Overcast1,2,3
1 California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco,
CA, USA. 2 American Museum of Natural History,
New York, NY, USA. 3 Virginia Museum of Natural
History, Martinsville, VA, USA
Islands are classical ‘natural laboratories’, encompassing the majority of terrestrial endemic species,
yet they are substantially vulnerable to numerous
human impacts (agriculture, invasions, climatechange, etc). The relative isolation of islands, so
important for generating their striking patterns ofendemicity, also make them tractable systems formodeling biodiversity processes. Many open questions remain as to how the biodiversity we observein nature has accumulated. For example, how do
the dynamics of adaptation, competition, speciation, and colonization result in the communities
that we observe today? And, how have local environmental conditions and human mediated disturbance modulated or amplified these processes?
Community-scale genetic sequence data (e.g. DNA
metabarcoding) provides a record of past popula-tion dynamics that can unveil processes that havestructured contemporary observed biodiversity.
In this talk I describe the Massive Eco-evolutionary
Synthesis Simulation (MESS) model, a multi-scalemodel of biodiversity which jointly accounts for processes operating on ecological, population genetic, and phylogenetic timescales. The goal of MESS
is to integrate abundance and trait data with phylogenies and population genetic data into a single
mechanistic framework, with the goal of estimating
the contribution of colonization, local adaptation,and ecological interactions to the generation andmaintenance of biodiversity in insular systems. MESS
can also provide insight on “community genetic
health” and all for development of indicator metrics
which can reliably identify genetically healthy andunhealthy communities. MESS simulations coupledwith machine learning inference methods facilitate
the investigation of processes that lead to resilientand genetically healthy communities and reciprocally address questions of how community genetic
health contributes to promoting invasion resistance
and/or providing resilience to disturbance. As acase study, I demonstrate the application of MESS tounderstand the impact of forest fragmentation andland use on floral community structure using DNA
metabarcoding data from rainforests on Sumatra.

S.185.4 Phylogenomic data
informs biogeographic anddiversification patterns ofSerianthes (Fabaceae) in
the Indo-Pacific region
Else Demeulenaere1, J. Gordon Burleigh2,
Tom Schils3, Stefanie M. Ickert-Bond4
1 University of Guam Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant, University of Guam, UOG Station,
Mangilao, Guam. 2 Department of Biology, University of Florida, PO Box 118525, Gainesville, FL, USA. 3
Marine Laboratory, University of Guam, UOG Station, Mangilao, Guam. 4 UA Museum of the North
Herbarium and Department of Biology and Wildlife,
University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, USA
The Indo-Pacific region contains six of the 25 world’s
biodiversity hotspots harboring many endemics. Serianthes consists of 17 island endemics and one littoral
species, S. dilmyi. The endemics occur in the Pacific Islands, while S. dilmyi occurs in Malaysia, Indonesia, and
the Philippines. Twelve of the 18 Serianthes species arelisted on the Red List of Threatened Species. Although568

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the circumscription of the genus has not been questioned, the phylogenetic relationships and diversification through time and space remain unclear. To study
diversification we collected 81 samples across Serianthes’ Indo-Pacific distributional range and employed atargeted sequence capture approach and produced
a time tree. We present the first robust, genus-wide,
time-calibrated phylogeny and biogeographic hypothesis of Serianthes based on phylogenomics
and densely sampling all species. We identified two
well-supported clades representing two subgenera:
One clade, subgenus Serianthes, comprising all taxa
from Malesia, Papuasia and southern Micronesia, andthe other clade, subgenus Hayunia, is uniting all taxa
from Polynesia and northern Micronesia. Both Micronesian species, Serianthes nelsonii and S. kanehiraehave disjunct populations with unique genotypes
within their archipelagoes. Testing geographic range
evolution under the DEC+j model, we inferred themost common ancestor originated in either Papuasia
or New Caledonia during the Miocene. Most founder
events in Serianthes happened during the Quaternary, aligning with the ages of the islands and supporting the progression rule of oceanic islands. Serianthes
dilmyi crossed the Wallace Line and established populations in the Philippines and Indonesia. We may attribute this to its ability to thrive in mangrove habitats
during the Quaternary era when sea levels were lower.
Our study highlights the role of LDD during the diversification of Serianthes in the Indo-Pacific corroborating
the important role of LDD using a Austro-Melanesia
dispersal route similar to other tropical lineages suchas Hernandia and Pandanus.

S.185.5 Exploring theDiversification of
Araucariaceae withTargeted Capture Data
Lorena Endara1, Gordon Burleigh2
1 Clemson University, Clemson, USA. 2 University of
Florida, Gainesville, USA
The gymnosperm family Araucariaceae consists of
27 extant species organized in three genera: Araucaria, Agathis, and the monospecific Wollemia. The
extant Araucariaceae are confined to the southern hemisphere, although there is evidence of theirpresence in the northern hemisphere during theMesozoic. The rich fossil record of this family, combined with the distribution patterns of its extant species makes the Araucariaceae an ideal system to
explore evolutionary hypotheses about the diversification and biogeography of the Indo-Pacific region.
We generated a large nuclear dataset from 126 Araucariaceae samples using targeted enrichmentwith the GoFlag 408 flagellate land plant probe set.
These data help elucidate species boundaries andresolve phylogenetic relationships among taxa. We
dated the tree and described the geographic patterns of diversification, focusing on the putative radiation in New Caledonia.

S.186 BENEFICIAL PLANT-MICROBE
INTERACTIONS. SESSION 1
Institute of Aquatic Ecology, Faculty of Sciences,
University of Girona, Spain. 3 School of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador, Ibarra Campus, Ecuador*wilman.chasi@utc.edu.ec

S.186.1 Comparative
altitudinal analysisof microbial diversity
in cultivated soils in
Ecuadorian Andes
Paolo Chasi1*, Ellana Boada1,2, Andrés
Valencia3
1 Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Technical University of Cotopaxi, Latacunga, Ecuador. 2 Molecular Microbial Ecology Group,

The Ecuadorian Andes are a unique and highly exploited ecosystem both ecologically and economically. Several species of agricultural interest are produced only in these areas and are therefore known
as “Andean crops”, that is, they are produced above
2000 meters above sea level and under climatic, hydrological and geological conditions typical of the Andes. The type of soil in these ecosystems directly influences the growth of these plant production systems.

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Taking into account that existing microorganisms are
key actors in soil formation, we carried out an analysis of the diversity of native bacterial communities incultivated soils of the Ecuadorian Andes. These communities could influence carbon and nitrogen fixation,
promoting soil fertility and promoting innovations insustainable high mountain agriculture. Genetic material was extracted from soil samples from potato
crops (Solanum tuberosum) located in two altitudinallevels at 3400 and 3800 m. The 16s rRNA V4 region was
amplified using the Illumina technique to perform adiversity analysis of the microbial community. These
sequences were subsequently refined in silico using
the Mothur software. As a result, a central community
or “core” with 437 identified genera was obtained foreach altitudinal level, of which 19 are representative
members at 3400 msnm and 16 for 3800 msnm. The
predominant genera regardless of the altitudinal level
were: Raoutella, Stenotrophomonas, and Lysobacter.
Rhodanobacter was representative for the community at 3800 m and the Gemmatimonas for 3400 m.
We establish then that the richness of the bacterial
communities found in the two altitudinal levels andtheir metabolic functionality balances the agricultural
system and contributes to its health and fertility, which
promotes the development and productivity of cultivated species and soil conservation.

Cistus ladanifer and C. laurifolius. Performance measures, focusing on root and shoot biomass, were recorded under experimental conditions. We used soils
dominated by each of the two species, conducteda cross-experimental approach that used sterilizedsoils and soil microorganism inoculum from both
species. This separation aimed to discern the effects
of soil physic-chemical properties and living microorganisms. We found that the interaction of soil properties and microorganisms drive early growth of both
species. Both species grow better in richer soils where
only one species prevails. Yet, this only occurs whenplants are experiencing microorganisms from theirown soil. Consequently, our findings suggests that
PSF play a key role in regulating population dynamics
of competing species, challenging the conventional
understanding dominated by direct competition.

S.186.3 Effect of AMF andPGPB inoculation on thegrowth and volatilome of
Artemisia annua plants
Valeria Todeschini1, Flavio Anastasia1,
Copetta Andrea2, Valentina Gianotti3,
Nadia Massa1, Patrizia Cesaro1, Elisa
Bona3, Elisa Gamalero1, Giorgia Novello1,
Consolata Siniscalco4, Guido Lingua1

S.186.2 Plant-soil feedback
as a key of competitors’
coexistence

1 Università degli Studi del Piemonte Orientale A.
Avogadro, Alessandria, Italia. 2 CREA-Centro di
Ricerca Orticoltura e Florovivaismo, Sanremo, Imperia, Italia. 3 Università degli Studi del PiemonteOrientale A. Avogadro, Vercelli, Italia. 4 Universitàdegli Studi di Torino, Torino, Italia

Ezequiel Antorán-Pilar1, Jaime MadrigalGonzález2, Joaquín Calatayud1
1 Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, Madrid, Spain. 2 EiFAB-iuFOR, Universidad de Valladolid, Soria, Spain
Understanding species coexistence is not only about
exploring the classic paradigm of competitive exclusion but also considering the role of other ecologicalmechanisms. In plants, plant-soil feedback (PSF) has
been identified as a relevant factor influencing plant
performance and population dynamics, but its rolein the coexistence of competing species is still poorly explored. This study explores how PSF mediated by
microorganisms, may regulate or impact coexistencemechanisms of two competing species. Rather thanrelying exclusively on direct competition, we hypothesized that population dynamics and distribution of
species could be driven by PSF. A common garden
experiment were conducted involving two species,

Artemisia annua is a ruderal plant belonging to theAsteraceae family. Besides the production of artemisinin, a bioactive compound used against malaria Plasmodium, the glandular trichomes of this plantrelease many VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds).
Since arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and plant
growth promoting bacteria (PGPB) can strongly affect plant growth and physiology, the aim of this work
was to test (in controlled conditions) different AMF andPGPB strains (alone or in combination) on two artemisia clones (CL7 and CL26) to assess their effects onplant growth parameters and secondary metabolite
production. Plants were grown in growth chamber for
two months and irrigated three times a week with Long
Ashton solution. At harvest, AMF colonization in root,
plant biomass (fresh and dry), leaf pigment and artemisinin concentrations (HPLC analysis) were detected.

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Moreover, the composition of leaf volatilome was analyzed in CL26 clone by GC-MS. The results highlighted that the two clones differently responded to thedifferent tested inocula and, conversely, different microorganisms affected the same clone in a different
way, especially for plant growth parameters. The GCMS analyses of the leaf volatile profile resulted in theidentification of 120 molecules (a higher number thanthat reported in previous works). All these compounds(some of which detected for the first time in this plant
species) were grouped in the most representative
chemical classes (alkenes, alcohols, aldehydes, acids, ketones, ethers, esters, and “other compounds”),
whose percentage changed depending on the usedinoculum. The fact that some molecules were only
present in a certain treatment and that others were
present in different percentages meant that plants ofeach treatment had its own specific particular odor,
mainly due to the bioactive molecules present in thecomplex mixture of plant essential oil, whose production was modulated by the interaction between plantand soil beneficial microorganisms.

S.186.4 Root Rhythms:
revealing the biota’s
dynamic dance in responseto the climatic symphony inRhododendron anthopogon
Sayantika Banerjee1,2*, Dina in ‘t Zandt2,3,
Dinesh Thakur2, Zuzana Münzbergová1,2
1 Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Charles
University in Prague, Praha, Czech Republic. 2 Institute of Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, v.
v. i., Průhonice, Czech Republic. 3 Department of
Terrestrial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology(NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands *banerjesa@natur.cuni.cz

matic factors occur in combination of precipitation,
temperature and their fluctuations. Understanding theseparate and interactive effects of different climatic
drivers is important. Vegetation composition and soil
chemistry also strongly affect root biota. Identificationof the direct effect of climate on root biota is difficult
as both soil chemistry and vegetation composition
are changing along climatic gradients. Hence, there
is a need to deepen our understanding of how root
microbial diversity and functional composition will
shift in root biota of specific plant species as climaticand edaphic conditions are changing most strongly
in montane ecosystems. In this study root associated fungal communities were studied along a climatic
gradient in a dominant alpine Himalayan shrub species. Site and elevation significantly affected both rhizosphere and root fungal communities. Variation inrhizosphere and root fungal communities was related
to soil moisture, soil chemistry and plant community
composition. Highest number of OTUs were found inrhizosphere as compared to endosphere fungal communities. This study contributes to our knowledge of
below ground biotic mechanisms that affect the functioning and adaptation of natural plant populations
under stressful conditions in vulnerable ecosystems. It
will enable in the formulation of evidence-based conservation and management strategies especially forspecies under threat of climate change.

S.186.5 The genera
Gymnostoma andCeuthostoma(Casuarinaceae) canestablish symbioses withcluster 1 and with cluster 3
Frankia.

Lately studies on root microbe interactions havegained prominence as plant roots in their naturalenvironment are in constant interaction with diverse
microorganisms. Plant roots assemble two distinct microbial compartments rhizosphere and endosphere.
Root biota influences plant growth and performanceby modulating the effects of biotic and abiotic stressors. However, climate change is causing changes in
the composition of root biota that affects host plant
functions. While plant’s primary response to changes
in climate is adjustment of their physiology, root biota
which has shorter generation times, responds by rapidchanges in community composition. Changes in cli-

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Celestino Quintela-Sabarís1, Lo Chor Wai2,
Hasna Boubakri3, Philippe Normand3,
Sukaibin Sumail4, Aude HerreraBelaroussi3, Manuel Aira1, Farnidah
Jasnie2, Siti-Aminah Mohamad2, Jorge
Domínguez1
1 Animal Ecology Group, Universidade de Vigo, Vigo,
Spain. 2 Fakulti Sains Gunaan, Universiti Teknologi
MARA – Cawangan Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. 3 Laboratoire d’Écologie Microbienne, Université
Lyon 1, Lyon, France. 4 Kinabalu Park Herbarium, Sabah Parks, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia

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The family Casuarinaceae comprises four genera(from more basal to more recent): Gymnostoma,
Ceuthostoma, Casuarina and Allocasuarina. Casuarinaceae have actinorhizal symbioses with Frankia
N-fixing actinobacteria. This symbiosis is an intriguing model of evolution of plant-microbe interactions,as Gymnostoma established a nonspecific symbiotic association with easy-to-isolate, more saprophytic Frankia strains which belong to cluster 3 frankiae,
whereas the genera Casuarina and Allocasuarina arein symbiosis with hard-to-isolate strains from the cluster 1c frankiae. To date, there is no information about
the symbiont associated to the genus Ceuthostoma,
whose origin is intermediate between Gymnostoma and Casuarina + Allocasuarina. To advance ourknowledge on the Frankia-Casuarinaceae symbioses
and to obtain first evidences on the strains associatedto Ceuthostoma, a genus with a narrow geographical range, we collected actinorhizal nodules from thespecies C. terminale, Gymnostoma nobile and G. sumatranum from different sites in Sabah (Malaysia).
After surface sterilisation and peeling, we extracted
DNA from the nodules and amplified and sequenced
a fragment of the bacterial pgk gene, which has beenused previously for the identification of Frankia strains.
After aligning our sequences with published sequences of standard Frankia strains covering all the diversity in the bacterial genus, we constructed a maximum-likelihood tree. We found that all the G. nobile
and the majority of G. sumatranum and C. terminale
trees had symbioses with cluster 3 frankiae, whereas
10% and 18% of the C. terminale and G. sumatranum
trees had symbioses with Frankia strains in cluster 1.
Interestingly, those strains were not grouped with thestrains from Casuarina and Allocasuarina. Instead,they were in a different group, closer to Frankia species that enter symbiosis with Alnus and Morella. Overall, this study points to a complex scenario of evolutionof actinorhizal symbiosis in this group.

Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain. 2 Estación
Experimental de Zonas Áridas. CSIC. Almería, Spain.
Germination onset is the first choice in the phenological plant cycle, influenced by abiotic and biotic factors. Both soil and seed microbiota are key
drivers of germination, influencing seed storage,
dormancy release, and germination rates. Interactions between plants and soil microbes contributeto plant adaptation to their environment. Therefore,
plants could benefit more from interacting with soil
microbes from the local (‘home’) environment rather than with those from different origins. As crucial
germination drivers, plants may select for specificmicrobial taxa that provide them with a home-fieldadvantage, despite having less microbial richness
and diversity. Here, we look at the role of seed-associated microbes on holm oak (Quercus ilex) germination, whether the soil or the seed microbes havea greater impact on this process, and how the interaction between the seed microbiome and soil microbiota influence holm oak germination. We foundthat microbes on Q. ilex seeds have a significant effect on germination, with non-sterilised seeds having higher germination rates than sterilised ones.
Moreover, when co-occurring, soil microorganisms
enhance the effect of seed-associated microbes onholm oak germination. Overall, our results evidencea home-field advantage where local soil communities, along with seed-associated microorganisms,
enhance Q. ilex germination over that of different
soil or species-linked communities.

S.186.6 Microbialcommunities and seeds:
Home-field advantage
effects in holm oak
germination
Rosina Magaña Ugarte1, Francisco I.
Pugnaire2
1 Department of Pharmacology, Pharmacognosy and Botany. Faculty of Pharmacy. Universidad572

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S.187 EVOLUTION AND DIVERSITY OF CARBON
CONCENTRATING MECHANISMS (CCM) IN
LAND PLANTS. SESSION 1
S.187.1 C2 photosynthesis
across scales
Marjorie R. Lundgren1
1 Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, UK
Plants have evolved extraordinary diversity in the carbon fixation pathways of photosynthesis that allow
species to survive and thrive across a broad array of
ecological niches. While most plants use only C3 photosynthesis, this physiology is heavily affected by highrates of photorespiration under warm and arid environments. In response, some plant lineages have evolved
carbon concentrating mechanisms (CCMs) to improve
net carbon assimilation in these high photorespiration
environments. C2 photosynthesis is one such CCM that
can increase net CO2 assimilation by capturing, concentrating, and re-assimilating CO2 released from photorespiration. This talk will discuss C2 photosynthesis
across scales, from the evolutionary history and biogeography of C2 plants, to their unique whole-plant growth
patterns, and to specifics of their mesophyll structure,
vascular patterning, and ultrastructure. In all cases, C2
plants will be compared to their close C3 and C4 relatives for context. The talk will conclude with a discussion
on the potential for C2 photosynthesis engineering programs to improve the efficiency of C3 crops.

has evolved convergently in many dozens of plant lineages through the co-option of core carbon metabolic
pathways. Despite the near-universal set of gene families exapted in each CAM origin, a diverse landscapeof CAM phenotypes has evolved that vary along multiple axes, including the extent of nocturnal stomatal
conductance, the amount of CO2 sequestered as malic acid, and the degree to which CAM is facultative or
constitutive. The mounting genomic resources for CAM
species across the vast number of convergent CAM
origins makes CAM an ideal system for understanding
the evolution of stress response gene regulation, andhow such facultative responses can become constitutive. Here, we compare the regulatory elements of CAM
gene networks from multiple independent origins offacultative and constitutive CAM plants to identify convergent patterns of regulatory evolution.

S.187.3 Comparative
analysis of distribution andclimatic preferences of C4
lineages
Jessica A. Berasategui1,2, Anže ŽerdonerČalasan1, Alexander Zizka4 & Gudrun
Kadereit1,3
1 Prinzessin Therese von Bayern Lehrstuhl für Systematik, Biodiversität & Evolution der Pflanzen,
Ludwig-Maximilians Universität München, Germany. 2 Institute for Molecular Physiology, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Germany. 3
Botanischer Garten München-Nymphenburg und
Botanische Staatssammlung München, Staatliche
Naturwissenschaftliche Sammlungen Bayerns,
Germany. 4 Department of Biology, Philipps-University Marburg, Germany

S.187.2 Evolution offacultative and constitutive
gene regulation in plants
with CAM photosynthesis
Ian S. Gilman1,2, Robert VanBuren1,2
1 Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA. 2 Plant Resilience Institute, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
The evolution of stress response mechanisms and theirregulation have broad implications from the origins ofevolutionary novelties to climate change adaptability
across the tree of life. Crassulacean acid metabolism(CAM) is an adaptation to water and CO2 limitation that

Photosynthetic pathways play a pivotal role in shaping
the ecological and structural diversity of plant species.
The C4 photosynthetic pathway has independently
evolved over 61 times in multiple angiosperm lineages
and consists of a series of anatomical and biochemical modifications to the ancestral C3 pathway increasing plant productivity under warm and light-richconditions. C4 eudicots entail an enormous structural573

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and ecological diversity, whereas the C4 syndrome ingrasses is more uniform and phylogenetically constrained. Using GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information
Facility) database we compiled an occurrence data
matrix for 1514 C4 taxa, covering more than 80% of currently known C4 grasses and eudicots. The highest C4
species diversity is in Mexico/Southern United Statesand Australia. Furthermore, C4 grasses predominantly
thrive in more humid regions compared to their eudicot counterparts, and among the latter, various biochemical subtypes exhibit specific climate preferences, with C4 eudicots often adapting to drier conditions
through features like succulence and salt tolerance.
Our study illustrates that GBIF is a valuable resource formeta world-wide biogeographical studies.

S.187.4 CAM evolution isassociated with gene family
expansion in an explosive
bromeliad radiation
Clara Groot Crego1,2, Jaqueline Hess1,3, Gil
Yardeni1,4, Marylaure de La Harpe1,5, Clara
Priemer6,7, Francesca Beclin1,2,8, Sarah
Saadain1,2, Luiz A. Cauz-Santos1, Eva M.
Temsch1, Hanna Weiss-Schneeweiss1,
Michael H.J. Barfuss1, Walter Till1, Wolfram
Weckwerth6,7, Karolina Heyduk9, ChristianLexer1,, Ovidiu Paun1, Thibault Leroy1,10
1 Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research,
University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria. 2 Vienna
Graduate School of Population Genetics, Vienna,
Austria. 3 Cambrium GmbH, Berlin, Germany. 4 Institute of Computational Biology, Department of
Biotechnology, University of Life Sciences and Natural Resources, Vienna, Austria. 5 Office for Natureand Environment, Canton of Grisons, Chur, Switzerland. 6 Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, Molecular Systems Biology, Universityof Vienna, Vienna, Austria. 7 Vienna Metabolomics Center, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria. 8
Gregor Mendel Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna BioCenter, Vienna, Austria. 9 Ecology
and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut,
Storrs, CT USA. 10 GenPhySE, Université de Toulouse,
INRAE, ENVT, Castanet Tolosan, France †deceased
The subgenus Tillandsia (Bromeliaceae) belongs to
one of the fastest radiating clades in the plant kingdom and is characterised by the repeated evolutionof the water-conserving Crassulacean Acid Metabolism (CAM), which is regarded as a key innovation
trait and driver of ecological diversification in Bro-meliaceae. By obtaining physiological and transcriptomic data under control and drought conditions ofa Tillandsia species pair representing the phenotypic
extremes of photosynthetic metabolism found in theclade, we were able to characterise the range of CAM
phenotypes in Tillandsia with unprecedented detail.
We found that species previously identified as C3 are
CAM intermediates which activate a latent CAM cycle
under drought conditions. However, the CAM-specific response to drought in this facultative species has
little overlap with the constitutive CAM cycle of thestrong CAM species. By producing high quality genome assemblies of a facultative and a constitutive
CAM Tillandsia, and combining genome-wide investigations of synteny, TE dynamics, sequence evolution,
gene family evolution and temporal differential expression, we were able to pinpoint the genomic drivers of CAM evolution in Tillandsia. Our analyses showthat rewiring of photosynthetic metabolism towards
constitutive CAM is mainly obtained through regulatory evolution rather than coding sequence evolution,
as CAM-related genes are differentially expressed
across a 24-hour cycle between the two species, but
are no candidates of positive selection. Gene orthology analyses reveal that CAM-related gene families
manifesting differential expression underwent accelerated gene family expansion in the constitutive CAM
species, further supporting the view of gene family
evolution as a driver of CAM evolution.

S.187.5 Diversity andevolution of CAM and CAMrelated traits in the most
species-rich Macaronesianplant radiation
Thibaud F.E. Messerschmid1, Jurriaan M.
de Vos2, Jessica A. Berasategui3, Susanne
E. Hamburger4, Sophie C. Simon4, Gülsem
Kara4, Siwi A.W. Astuti3, Gudrun Kadereit1,3
1 Botanischer Garten München-Nymphenburg,
München, Germany. 2 Universität Basel, Basel, Switzerland. 3 Ludwig-Maximilans-Universität München,
München, Germany. 4 Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Mainz, Germany
CAM photosynthesis involves the nocturnal assimilation and storage of carbon in the form of malic
acid in the vacuole. It is mostly but not exclusively
associated with succulence which may optimize
the vacuolar storage capacity of malic acid. Plants574

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that express CAM rely on diurnal closure of stomata
while internal CO2 concentrations are high, limitingtranspiration to its cuticular rather than stomatalcomponent during parts of the day. Cuticular transpiration barrier properties may thereby represent
an understudied trait related to CAM. To investigate
the interrelation and evolution of cuticular transpiration barrier properties, succulence and CAM expression, we set up a climate chamber experiment
sampling most species of Aeonium and Aichryson(Crassulaceae), the iconic houseleeks that largely diversified on the Canary Islands. Under varied
treatments of heat and drought, over-night acidification of leaves was quantified as a means tostudy CAM expression patterns. Transpiration barrier properties of the cuticle as well as the degreeof succulence were quantified through leaf drying
curves and measurement of minimum conductance (gmin). Our results reveal a negative correlation of CAM activity and gmin such that species withstrong or constitutive CAM were more likely to havean efficient cuticular transpiration barrier. However, leaf succulence was not correlated with CAM
activity which is in contrast to the remarkable roleof succulence in the function of CAM photosynthesis. In conclusion, we present first evidence forthe need of reduced cuticular transpiration in CAM
plants which is to be expected under selection forhigh water-use efficiency.

S.187.6 Leveraging
facultative CAM forengineering synthetic CAM
into C3 photosynthesis
plants

as Mesembryanthemum crystallinum, and important crops such as Agave, Ananas, Hylocereus, and Opuntia. Well-annotated genomes alongwith extensive transcriptomic, proteomic, andmetabolomic datasets and associated co-expression and transcriptional regulatory networks
provide a strong foundation for understanding
the biochemical and regulatory frameworks that
underpin the diel and circadian operation of CAM.
Detailed time-resolved transcriptome profiling
analysis in the facultative CAM plant M. crystallinum has revealed hundreds of genes with putative CAM-associated functions that provide thebuilding blocks for creating synthetic versions of
CAM in the C3 photosynthesis model Arabidopsis
thaliana. We have built different gene circuits torecreate synthetic versions of the carboxylation,
decarboxylation, and core diel carboxylation + decarboxylation modules of CAM. The carboxylation
module increased CO2 assimilation, nocturnal
malate accumulation, and plant biomass whereas
the decarboxylation module improved water-use
efficiency. Combining the carboxylation and decarboxylation modules resulted in increased CO2
assimilation, nocturnal malate accumulation,
plant biomass, and improved water-use efficiency. Design and implementation of new iterationsof the SynCAM design cycle (SynCAM 2.0) also target soybean, a major crop that suffers large economic losses due to damage from drought events.
CAM functions optimally within succulent leaves
so the benefits of tissue succulence engineering
will also be discussed.

John C. Cushman1
1 Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557-330, USA
The global climate crisis is rapidly increasing major crop losses around the world due to increased
intensity and duration of drought events. Therefore, novel strategies are needed to create moreclimate-resilient crops. Remarkable progress has
been made in advancing our understanding of
the functional genomics of crassulacean acidmetabolism (CAM) in the last decade. Dozens of
CAM plant genomes have now been sequenced
including obligate CAM species such as Kalanchoë fedtschenkoi, facultative CAM species such

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S.188 ADVANCES IN MICROCLIMATE RESEARCHFOR CRYPTOGAM ECOLOGY. SESSION 1
S.188.1 BryoMicroClim:
collecting bryophyterelevant microclimate datato assess the gap between
macro- and microclimate
Helena Hespanhol1,2, João F. Gonçalves1,2,3,
Ana P. Portela1,2, Alain Vanderporten4,Ángel Lareo Fernández5, Carlos VilaViçosa1,2, Cristiana Vieira6, Fernando
Lima1,2, Irene Bisang7,8, Jesús Muñoz9,
Joana Marques1,2, Joaquín Hortal10,11, John
Spill12, Lars Hedenäs7, Lizzie Wilberforce13,
María Leo14, Nagore G. Medina5, Neil Bell15,
Niklas Lönnell16, Robbie Blackhall-Miles
FLS12, Rui Seabra1,2, Salvador ArenasCastro17, Vincent Hugonnot18
1 CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidadee Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado,
Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal. 2 BIOPOLIS
Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Vairão, Portugal. 3 Instituto Politécnico
de Viana do Castelo, Viana do Castelo, Portugal.
4 University of Liège, Liège, Belgium. 5 Universidad
Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain. 6 Museu deHistória Natural e da Ciência da Universidade do
Porto (PRISC), Porto, Portugal. 7 Swedish Museumof Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden. 8 IUCN SSC
Bryophyte Specialist Group. 9 Real Jardín Botánico (CSIC), Madrid, Spain. 10 Museo Nacional deCiencias Naturales (CSIC), Madrid, Spain. 11 cE3c–Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental
Changes, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade
de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal. 12 Plantlife Cymru, Llanberis, Gwynedd, UK. 13 Plantlife Cymru, Salisbury,
UK. 14 Instituto de Ciencias Agrarias (CSIC), Madrid, Spain. 15 Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh,
Edinburgh, UK. 16 Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SLU Artdatabanken, Uppsala, Sweden.
17 Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Córdoba,
Spain. 18 le Bourg, Blassac, France

plants such as bryophytes, which are highly dependent on local environmental conditions. To achievethis, we established a Europe-wide collaborative network of bryologists (the BryoMicroClim project), tomeasure the microclimate experienced by a bryophyte species. The moss Hedwigia striata, evaluatedas near-threatened in Europe (Hodgetts et al., 2019),
was selected as the target species. This species
grows mainly in forests or rocky areas. We selected
15 sampling sites across Europe, spanning a wide
range of climate conditions (Portugal, Spain, France,
Belgium, Wales, Scotland, and Sweden). In each site,
mostly continuous forested areas, we measured airtemperature and humidity using three dataloggers(Envloggers, Environmental loggers) installed near H.
striata populations. In the Iberian Peninsula, we also
installed other dataloggers (BtMs, Bryolichen Temperature Moisture), specifically designed to measureambient temperature, humidity, and water content
of nonvascular cryptogams. We used the slope andequilibrium approach (Grill et al., 2022) to infer if the
microclimate temperature and relative humidity
variability (as measured by the in-situ dataloggers)
is buffered or amplified in relation to the macroclimate variability (from ERA5-Land and ERA5 data).
We observed that microclimate temperatures werebuffered or amplified depending on site conditions.
As hypothesized, microclimate temperatures had abuffered variability in dense forest sites. Our results
suggest that collecting bryophyte-relevant microclimate data at fine spatial resolutions and long timescales will be critical to better understand the potential vulnerability of bryophytes to climate change.

S.188.2 Microclimate andintraspecific variation
mediate the effects ofbiotic interactions on lichen
performance

Significant mismatches between macro- and microclimates challenge our ability to accurately estimate the climatic conditions experienced by organisms and thus to predict responses to climatechange. This study aims to evaluate the relationshipbetween macro- and microclimate for small-scale

576

Sonia Merinero1,2, Caroline Greiser2, Kristoffer
Hylander2, Alicia Valdés2, Johan Ehrlén2
1 Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, Spain. 2
Stockholm University & Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm, Sweden.

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Climate and biotic factors, and their complex interactions, drive species performance and distributions. Climate at the local scale (i.e., microclimate) drives population dynamics, ultimately determining local species
abundance and fine-scale distribution. If populations
are locally adapted to their environment, we would
expect different responses to environmental change
among populations across the species’ range. Understanding how microclimate affects biotic interactions
and accounting for intraspecific variation in responses
can improve our predictions of species performanceand distribution. We examined the direct and indirect
effects of microclimate and mollusc grazing on five
distant populations of the ground-dwelling forest lichen Peltigera aphthosa. We transplanted individuals
from each population to 56 boreal forest sites covering
a wide microclimate gradient in central Sweden andrecorded their growth for one year. We quantified the
direct and indirect effects of microclimate, grazing andpopulations origin on lichen growth using confirmatory
path analyses approaches (piecewise Structural Equation Models). We found indirect effects of microclimate
and populations origin mediated by grazing: 1) lichen
growth decreased with increasing grazing pressure,which was enhanced by increasing temperature andair humidity during the growing season; and 2) populations differed in their susceptibility to grazing, as one
population experienced higher damage. Our study
adds evidence on the importance of climate-mediated antagonistic biotic interactions. When predicting future species distributions in the face of climate change,in addition to microclimatic drivers, both the presenceof natural enemies together with local population differentiation needs to be considered.

dataset from biotopes traditionally devoid of climate
data due to the absence of meteorological stations.
Forest interiors represent a paradigmatic case, exhibiting microclimates substantially divergent from meteorological observations typically obtained from open
land. The influx of this massive volume of microclimatic data has facilitated innovative approaches and insights while concurrently introducing new challenges in
the processing, analysis, and meta-analysis of microclimate data. In response to these challenges, we present
the development of the myClim R package, specificallydesigned for seamless microclimate data processing
and analysis, including the computation of standard,
ecologically relevant microclimate variables. Leveraging myClim in conjunction with our expansive national
forest microclimate monitoring network, “CzeMiN,” andthe national database gathering the occurrence of lichens and bryophytes “DaLiBor,” we discerned the principal microclimatic variables steering the diversity anddistribution of forest bryophytes and lichens. Moreover,through a comprehensive assessment, we partitioned
the variance among microclimate, macroclimate, forest structure, and topography. Our findings indicatethat the variation in temperate forest bryophyte andlichen diversity elucidated by in-situ measured microclimate cannot be accurately estimated through alternative proxy variables. This underscores the indispensable nature of microclimate data for comprehending
the distribution of bryophytes and lichens and underscores its potential utility in their protection and conservation efforts. Specifically, our investigation identified
growing degree days, maximum air temperature, andsoil volumetric water content as the foremost variables
influencing these ecological communities.

S.188.3 The most important
microclimatic variables fortemperate forest bryophytes
and lichens

S.188.4 Variation of
epiphytic bryophyte
communities through thelens of a spatially-explicit
microclimatic model in SE
Asian sky treesMatěj Man, Martin Macek, Anna Růžičková,Jiří Malíček, Vojtěch Kalčík, Josef Brůna,Jiří Prošek, Jan Wild, Martin Kopecký
Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Průhonice, Czech Republic
The in situ measured microclimate is increasingly acknowledged as a pivotal determinant influencing species diversity and distribution. The affordability andwidespread utilization of microclimate loggers in ecological research globally have yielded an extensive

577

Fabien Spicher1, Flavien Collart2, Thing
Shen3,4,5, Marianne Laslier1, Eva Gril1, Alain
Vanderpoorten3, Jonathan Lenoir1
1 UMR CNRS 7058 Ecologie et Dynamique des Systèmes Anthropisés, Université de Picardie Jules
Verne, Amiens, France. 2 Department of Ecology
and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne,
Switzerland. 3 Institute of Botany, University of Liège,
Liège, Belgium. 4 Xishuangbanna Tropical Botan-

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ical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun, Mengla, China. 5 Kunming Institute of Botany,
Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
At the interface between atmosphere and vegetation, epiphytes are exposed to dramatic variations oflight exposure and microclimatic conditions along atree, from the buffered conditions at the base to theamplified conditions in the outer canopy. They appear
therefore as an ideal model to assess the impact of
the spatial variation in microclimatic conditions at finescales and its change under ongoing climate warming. A canopy crane giving access to 1.1 ha of tropicalrainforest in Yunnan (China) was used to record hourly
light, temperature and relative humidity from 54 sensors during 3 years and 408 plots of epiphytic bryophyte communities. To quantify how microclimatesare buffered or amplified relative to macroclimates,
we implemented, at each sensor, linear regressions
between the hourly variation in microclimate andmacroclimate. The slope of this regression represents
an integrative parameter describing the buffering(slope < 1) or amplification (slope > 1) capacity of the
canopy. We then employed a series of spatially-explicit predictors of canopy structure derived from aterrestrial LiDAR scan to predict the slope of the macro-microclimate relationship. This resulted in a spatially-explicit model of microclimatic variation in 3D,
allowing for predicting the microclimatic conditions
that prevail at any point in the canopy under present
and future macroclimatic conditions. Microclimatic
variation accounted for 33% and 18% of the variation invertical turnover in mosses and liverworts, respectively,
highlighting the crucial role of microclimates in determining the composition of epiphytic communities. Ensemble of small models were finally implemented to
predict the distribution of the dominant species underpresent climatic conditions and evaluate the shift oftheir distribution under ongoing climate change.

S.188.5 Exploring
environmental drivers of thenon-vascular community
with a process-based modeltion of non-vascular vegetation, such as mosses
and lichens, is important since the organisms provide essential ecosystem functions in many regions
around the world. Responses of individual non-vascular vegetation to different environmental factors
have been explored in a range of field and laboratory experiments. These observational data, however,
have rarely been assembled into a comprehensive,
consistent framework that allows quantitative exploration of the roles of multiple environmental factors
for the performance of non-vascular vegetation, inparticular across climatic regions. Here, we applied adata-driven mechanistic model that is driven by microclimate (air temperature, relative humidity, shortand longwave radiation etc.) at six study sites alonga climate gradient from dryland, temperate to alpine
regions to simulate the annual carbon (C) balance oflichen- and moss-dominated biocrusts, a key measure of their growth and survival. Furthermore, we
performed several sensitivity analyses to investigate
the relative importance of the driving factors. We
found substantial effects of air temperature and CO2
concentration on biocrust C balance, which differed,however, in their patterns across regions: ambient
CO2 concentration was the most important factor forbiocrusts from drylands, while air temperature had
the strongest impact at alpine and temperate sites.
Further, we estimated a small annual carbon gain of
biocrusts in drylands (e.g., 1.9 gm−2 yr−1 by moss-dominated biocrust), while the biocrusts lost substantial
carbon at some temperate sites (e.g. −92.1 gm−2 yr−1
for lichen-dominated biocrust), which contradicts theobserved survival of the organisms at the sites. We
thus conclude that the uncertainties in air temperature, CO2 concentration may be a relevant source oferror and should be taken into account in future approaches that estimate the long-term C balance.

S.188.6 Urban lichens andbryophytes: diversity,
distribution and response to
the urban heat islands
Tim Claerhout1,2, Michael Stech2, Paul J.A.
Keßler1, Laurens B. Sparrius3

Yunyao Ma1, Maaike Y. Bader2, Philipp
Porada1

1 Hortus botanicus - Universiteit Leiden, Leiden, theNetherlands. 2 Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden,
the Netherlands. 3 Dutch Bryological and Lichenological Society, Utrecht, the Netherlands

1 Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany. 2 University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
Environmental filtering is a fundamental processthat shapes plant community assembly. Understanding the impact of this process on composi-

With the increasing urbanization and likelihood of
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there is a need for investigating the impacts of theurban environment on the species communities
living therein. Two ubiquitous, but often overlooked
species groups are lichens and bryophytes, whichhave a historic background as bio-indicators. Here,
we explore for the first time whether the urban heatisland influences the diversity and distribution of lichens and bryophytes living epiphytically on urban
trees. Additionally, we investigate the possibility ofusing these two groups as bio-indicators for theurban heat island. Furthermore, we investigate thepatterns of temperature and humidity in different
urban settings on a smaller scale using sensor data
and link this with the prevalent lichen and bryophyte

diversity. We conducted vegetation surveys on Tilia
trees in three cities in the Netherlands (Amsterdam,
Leiden and Rotterdam) and analysed species diversity and distribution patterns. Based on an indicatorspecies analysis, we defined groups indicative fordifferent levels of heat stress. For example, acrocarpous mosses are indicative for urban regions withmuch heat stress, whilst crustose lichens with photobionts belonging to the genus Trentepohlia Martius, 1817 are more indicative for the outer semi-rural regions. These results will be further analysed inrelation to urban microclimate (temperature andhumidity using sensor data) and are also being implemented in a citizen science project.

S.189 ORCHID PHYLOGENOMICS:
DIVERSIFICATION, TRAIT EVOLUTION AND
BIOGEOGRAPHY. SESSION 1
S.189.1 Assembling the orchid
tree of life – origin andevolution of one of the largest
plant families on earth
Oscar A. Pérez-Escobar1, Diego Bogarin2*,
Natalia Przelomska1,3, William J. Baker1,
Alexandre Antonelli1,4,5,6
1 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK. 2 Lankester Botanic Garden, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José,
Costa Rica. 3 University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth,
UK. 4 Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre, Gothenburg, Sweden. 5 University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
6 Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of
Sciences, Wuhan, China.
Orchids represent one of the most striking examplesof flowering plant diversification, thriving in nearly all
terrestrial environments and often standing out as
one of the most species-rich plant groups in tropicalfloras. However, their origin, spread across the globe,
and hotspots of speciation remain uncertain due tothe lack of an updated, densely sampled, robust phylogenomic framework. We present the most densely sampled phylogeny of the Orchidaceae utilizing
combined high-throughput and Sanger sequencing datasets. Our analysis covers all five subfamilies,
and included representative sampling for 17 out of
22 tribes, 40 out of 49 subtribes, 285 out of 736 gen-era, and ~7% (1,921) of the 29,524 accepted species.
By integrating curated geographical distribution records, we infer geographic range evolution, diversity,and speciation patterns. We found that the orchids’
most recent common ancestor probably lived in the
Late Cretaceous Laurasia. Despite their ancient origin, modern orchid species’ diversity mainly originated over the last 5 million years, with highest speciation rates in montane forests of Panama and Costa
Rica. These results alter our understanding of thegeographic origin of orchids, previously proposed as
Australian, and pinpoint Central America as a regionof recent and explosive speciation.

S.189.2 Scaphosepalum
phylogenomics
Lorena Endara1, Jana U’Ren2, Gordon
Burleigh3
1 Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, USA. 2 Department
of Plant Pathology, Washington State University,
Pullman, Washington, USA. 3 Department of Biology,
University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
Scaphosepalum is a comparatively small orchid lineage (ca. 53 spp.) within the diverse Neotropical orchid subtribe Pleurothallidinae. Species within the genus are primarily restricted to microhabitats in Central
America’s and the northern Andes’ premontane and579

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montane forests. We use targeted enrichment data
generated with the GoFlag 408 angiosperm probe
set to infer the phylogeny of Scaphosepalum to test
the monophyly of the genus and elucidate relationships within Scaphosepalum previously unresolved bySanger sequencing. These data produced a strongly supported tree that illuminates our understandingof species circumscriptions, especially for groups (i.e.,
Scaphosepalum antenniferum, S. breve, S. swertiifolium) where a mosaic distribution of phenotypic characters has been confounding and has resulted in species over description. This well-resolved phylogenetic
tree represents a fundamental tool towards a better
understanding of the evolutionary and ecological drivers that led to the diversification of this orchid group.
We also discuss insights from the first Scaphosepalum
genome and metagenomic sampling of microbialcommunities within the flowers of Scaphosepalum.

S.189.3 Phylogenomics
provides insights into thediversification and range
evolution of the megagenus Bulbophyllum(Orchidaceae)
Consolata Nanjala1,2,3, Lalita Simpson1, AiQun Hu4, Vidushi Patel5, James Nicholls5,
Stephen J. Bent3, Stephan Gale6, Gunter
Fischer8, Darren Crayn1, Mark Clements7,
Katharina Nargar1,3
1 Australian Tropical Herbarium, James Cook University, Smithfield, Queensland, Australia. 2 Collegeof Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Smithfield, Queensland, Australia. 3 National
Research Collections Australia, CommonwealthIndustrial and Scientific Research Organisation,
Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 4
Singapore Botanic Gardens, Singapore. 5 Australian National Insect Collection, CommonwealthIndustrial and Scientific Research Organisation,
Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 6
Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden, Tai Po, HongKong. 7 Centre for Australian National Biodiversity
Research (Joint Venture), Canberra, Australia. 8
Missouri Botanical Garden, St Louis, United Statesa pantropical distribution with the highest species diversity in tropical Asia (over 1560 species), particularly in the floristic regions of Malesia and Papuasia. The
high species richness and complex patterns of morphological diversity within this genus have presented
significant challenges to constructing a stable andinformative infrageneric classification, and to understanding patterns of evolutionary relationships andtrait evolution (including ancestral range evolution).
Poor resolution on phylogenetic trees from previous
molecular studies based on few DNA loci has greatly
hampered our understanding of the diversification of
its evolutionary lineages in time and space. Here we
present results from a broad-scale plastid phylogenomic study including over 450 samples, representing 398 species and 61 (of 97) sections of Bulbophyllum, with taxonomic focus on the highly diverse Asianclade. Maximum likelihood analyses based on 65 plastid markers yielded well-resolved and well supported
phylogenetic reconstructions, clarified infragenericrelationships, and identified several non-monophyletic sections within Bulbophyllum, such as Beccariana,
Brachyantha, Cirrhopetalum, Minutissima, Polymeresand Sestochilus. Divergence-time analyses based on
secondary calibration points within a broader outgroup sampling in Orchidaceae using BEAST placed
the origin of the genus in the early Oligocene and theonset of crown diversification in the late Oligocene.
Species distributions were extracted from World Flora
Online and biogeographic areas coded based on botanical continents and for a more-fine scaled coding
within tropical Asia and Australasia, based on floristic regions following Brummit (2001). Ancestral range
analyses were carried out in BIOGEOBEARS testing six
biogeographic models. The findings of this study provide important insights into the phylogenomic relationships and spatiotemporal dynamics of the taxonomically complex genus Bulbophyllum.

S.189.4 Phylotranscriptomis
to tease apart introgression
from incomplete lineage
sorting in the diversificationof the Ophrys genus

The hyperdiverse orchid genus Bulbophyllum constitutes the second largest genus of flowering plants
with more than 2,100 species and exhibits exceptional morphological and ecological diversity. The genus,
comprising predominantly epiphytic species, exhibits

580

Lucas Vandenabeele1, Joris Bertrand1,
Hervé Philippe2
1 Laboratoire Génome et Développement des Plantes, Université de Perpignan, Perpignan, France.
2 Station d’Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale,(CNRS), Moulis, France

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The orchid genus Ophrys is an outstanding example
of an important and recent plant adaptive radiation.
However, both this rapid diversification and the large
size of its genome make its systematics and evolutiondifficult to study, and most of the phylogenetic hypotheses published so far are either poorly resolved
and prone to display gene trees incongruences. In
this context, we decided to use phylotranscriptomics
as a genome complexity reduction technique to workat the genomic scale and be able to simultaneously
obtain and compare thousands of gene trees to improve resolution and tease apart the relative contribution of introgression and Incomplete Lineage Sorting in Ophrys diversification. We de novo assembled
more than 150 Ophrys floral transcriptomes to obtainan important pool of orthologous genes that we used
to reconstruct a phylogeny of the Ophrys genus withan unprecedented resolution. This phylogeny largely
confirms the relationships between the main Ophrys
lineages obtained by other methods but also provides
new insights within each of these lineages. We showthat the incongruence between gene trees is not only
due to Incomplete Lineage Sorting. Although introgression has been hypothesised to play an importantrole in Ophrys evolution we provide for the first timequantitative characterisation of this reticulate evolution at the genus scale. We implemented several introgression tests with different levels of complexity, from
D-statistics to phylogenetic network inference, andwere able to highlight several complex introgression
events between the Ophrys lineages. This introgression analysis provides us a set of introgressed genes
which will be further analysed to find their impact onphenotypic variation, in order to explore a putative
adaptive role of introgression in Ophrys diversification.

S.189.5 Vanillomics:
towards a phylogenomic
monograph of neotropicalvanillasAlexander Damián-Parizaca1,2, Adam
Karremans3, Oscar A. Pérez-Escobar4,
Gerardo Salazar5, Eric Hagsater6, Andrés
Barona7, Mathias Engels8, Marcelo
Rodrigues9, John Janovec10, Segundo Oliva11,
Nicole Mitidieri1, Luis Baquero12, Gabriel
Iturralde12, Wilfrido de la Cruz13, Álvaro Pérez14,
Marco Jiménez12, Miguel Lozano17, Rebeca
Menchaca17, Iván Tamayo-Cen18, German

Carnevali18, Henry Garzón15, Leisberth Vélez16,
Yader Ruiz19, Kenneth Cameron1
1 Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin, USA. 2 Inka Terra Asociación, Madre de Dios, Perú. 3 Jardín Botánico Lankester, Universidad de Costa Rica, Costa Rica. 4 Royal
Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, UK. 5 Instituto de
Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico. 6 Herbario AMO, Miguel Hidalgo, Mexico.
7 Instituto Amazónico de Investigaciones Científicas
Sinchi, Colombia. 8 Universidade Federal do Paraná,
Brazil. 9 Caraguatatuba São Paulo, Brazil. 10 Sam
Houston State University Natural History Museum,
TX, USA. 11 Universidad Nacional Toribio Rodríguez deMendoza de Amazonas, Amazonas, Perú. 12 Universidad de Las Américas, Quito, Ecuador. 13 Fundación
Pachamama, Puyo, Ecuador. 14 Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador. 15 Herbario HA, Universidad del Azuay, Cuenca, Ecuador.
16 Herbario HUTPL, Universidad Técnica Particular deLoja, Loja, Ecuador. 17 Tropical Research Center-Universidad Veracruzana, Mexico. 18 Centro de Investigación Científica de Yucatán, Merida, Mexico. 19
Universidad de El Salvador, San Salvador, El Salvador
The biodiversity of the Neotropics presents an excellent opportunity to study different evolutionary
phenomena. Early divergent lineages, such as thegenus Vanilla, show promise as a system to test
these processes. Despite their unique characteristics, including a wide floral diversity and specialization in complex ecological interactions, many
aspects of the evolution, taxonomy, and ecologyof the genus remain poorly studied. This project
aims to generate a comprehensive and detailed
phylogeny of Neotropical vanillas through an unprecedented international collaborative effort that
includes extensive taxonomic sampling and theuse of high-throughput sequencing techniques,
specifically the Angiosperm353 probe set. We use
the species tree generated as a framework to examine the evolutionary relationships of the group,
the diversification rate of major clades, their biogeography, and the evolution of certain characters. At
the same time, we propose a modern monographof the group by integrating the molecular data we
generate with field studies and an extensive review
of herbarium collections. Among the preliminary
results are: a tissue bank of over 400 samples, covering ~85% of the total Neotropical species, with 70%
resulting from the ‘ fieldwork; and a matrix of over2500 specimens (including herbarium samples
and flowers in alcohol) from 43 examined herbaria. This project demonstrates how regional collaborative work and the exchange of capabilities atdifferent levels can contribute to the study of our
Neotropical flora, the most diverse on the planet.

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S.189.6 Assessing genomic
diversity and taxonomic
delimitation in thethreatened Cooktown orchid
species complex using
target capture
Evelin Krol1,2,3, Alicia Grealy3, Ashley R.
Field2,4, Mark Clements5, Keith Mc Donald6,
Heidi Zimmer5, Natascha D. Wagner1,
Katharina Nargar2,3
1 Department of Systematics, Biodiversity and Evolution of Plants, Georg August University of Göttingen,Göttingen, Germany. 2 Australian Tropical Herbarium,
James Cook University, Cairns, Australia. 3 National
Research Collections Australia, Commonwealth Industrial and Scientific Research Organisation, Canberra, Australia. 4 Queensland Herbarium, Department of Environment and Science, Mount Coot-tha
Botanic Gardens, Brisbane, Australia. 5 Centre forAustralian National Biodiversity Research (Joint Venture between Parks Australia and CSIRO), Canberra,
Australia. 6 Queensland Museum, Brisbane, Australia
Conservation of wild species is a major responsibility given the global extinction crisis. Wild orchids
face threats from illegal harvesting and trade, driven by demand for horticultural, ornamental, cosmetic, and medicinal use. For effective conservation management, it is crucial to accurately assess
the genomic diversity of natural populations anddetermine their taxonomic boundaries. However,delimitation of species complexes in orchids remains a considerable challenge due to shallow

genetic differentiation and conflicting morphological and genetic signals resulting from hybridization.
The Cooktown orchid complex (Dendrobium bigibbum s.l.) comprises epiphytes and lithophytes withstriking purple-pink flowers, rendering it a populargroup for horticulture. Spanning over 140,000 km2,
the complex primarily occurs in the subtropicalCape York Peninsula of Queensland (Australia) andrepresents the state’s floral emblem. Its popularity
has caused overcollection in easily accessible areas, resulting in local extinctions and taxa of thiscomplex being classified as endangered or vulnerable under national legislation. Despite being ofhigh public interest, the taxonomic delimitation remains unclear. Since its original description, multiple
species, subspecies and varieties have been proposed. This study uses next-generation sequencing
to disentangle the evolutionary relationships within
the Cooktown orchid complex. Over 200 individuals
across its geographic distribution and morphological diversity were sampled, including associatedtaxa as well as intermediate forms. We compared
the performance of three target capture bait kits
regarding informativeness and capture efficiency:
a universal bait set for all flowering plants (Angiosperms353), a custom bait set for Orchidaceae(Orchidaceae963), and a lineage-specific custom
bait set for Bulbophyllum/Dendrobium. Based on
our assessment, we selected the best-performing kit to generate target capture data. Our results
shed light on the evolutionary patterns and genetic diversity within this threatened orchid species
complex, allowing for a reassessment of taxonomic
delimitation and informing conservation management to protect Queensland’s botanical treasure.

S.190 NATURAL HYBRIDIZATION AND SPECIESCONSERVATION. SESSION 2
S.190.1 You may say I’m ahybrid, but I’m not the only
one: assuming the dilemmaof species admixture inconservation

1 Center for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental
Changes & Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal,
ddmunt@gmail.com. 2 Centro para la Investigación y la Experimentación Forestal de la Generalitat Valenciana Quart dePoblet, Valencia, Spain.
3 Forest Research Centre & Associate Laboratory
TERRA, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal

Draper, D.,1* Laguna, E.2, Marques, I.3

Speciation through hybridisation is a complex
and long evolutionary process occurring in nature, where several intermediate stages might oc-

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cur, all with divergent evolutionary outcomes andtherefore, difficult to deal with in terms of conservation policies. The main existing tools to define
conservation priorities are based on the delimitation of geographic areas and the elaborationof categorized lists of species usually prioritizing“pure species”. Generally, these approximations
are subsequently transposed into legislation (local, national or international) defining the uses
and restrictions on the territories or taxa. The
whole process has proven effective in most casesand has been adapted and updated throughout
history. Yet, these conservation policies overlook
any potential benefits in promoting the protection of hybrids. Despite potential advantages thatmany hybrids might have in facing environmental changes, they are often tagged with negative
connotations: hybrids are not to be conserved ashybridization itself is a threat to the persistenceof species. But even if we consider hybrids as athreat, there is an overall gap of knowledge limiting the success of any action or the creation of
accurate guidelines to deal with hybrids. In thistalk, we addressed the question of hybridization
being considered a threat to species survival using 120,369 global species assessments available
on the IUCN Red List Data. Altogether, the results
showed that hybridization has been involved in
species extinctions less often than thought, leaving the question: in what circumstances should
hybrids be considered a threat? Should we only
conserve natural hybrids? Considering the large
evidence supporting the presence of hybrids, thedebate dealing with the conservation of hybrids
should be re-opened.

S.190.2 Identifying climatic
drivers of hybridization
with a new ancestral niche
reconstruction method
Ryan A. Folk1, Michelle L. Gaynor2,3, Nicholas
J. Engle-Wrye1, Brian C. O’Meara4, Pamela
S. Soltis2,5,6, Douglas E. Soltis2,3,5,6, Robert P.
Guralnick2,6, Stephen A. Smith7, Charles
J. Grady8, Yudai Okuyama9, Ryan A. Folk1,
Michelle L. Gaynor2,3, Nicholas J. EngleWrye1, Brian C. O’Meara4, Pamela S.
Soltis2,5,6, Douglas E. Soltis2,3,5,6, Robert P.

Guralnick2,6, Stephen A. Smith7, Charles J.
Grady8, Yudai Okuyama9
1 Department of Biological Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA. 2
Florida Museum of Natural History, University of
Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA. 3 Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA. 4
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology,
University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA. 5 Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville,
FL, USA. 6 Biodiversity Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA. 7 Department of Ecology
and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan,
Ann Arbor, MI, USA. 8 Biodiversity Institute, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA. 9 Tsukuba Botanical Garden, National Museum of Nature andScience, Tsukuba, Japan
Applications of molecular phylogenetic approaches have uncovered evidence of hybridization across numerous clades of life, yet theenvironmental factors responsible for driving opportunities for hybridization remain obscure. Verbal models implicating geographic range shiftsthat brought species together during the Pleistocene have often been invoked, but quantitative
tests using paleoclimatic data are needed to validate these models. Here, we produce a phylogeny for Heuchereae, a clade of 15 genera and 83
species in Saxifragaceae, with complete samplingof recognized species, using 277 nuclear loci andnearly complete chloroplast genomes. We thenemploy an improved framework with a coalescentsimulation approach to test and confirm previous
hybridization hypotheses and identify one newintergeneric hybridization event. Focusing on the
North American distribution of Heuchereae, we
introduce and implement a newly developed approach to reconstruct potential past distributions
for ancestral lineages across all species in theclade and across a paleoclimatic record extending from the late Pliocene. Time calibration basedon both nuclear and chloroplast trees recovers amid- to late-Pleistocene date for most inferred hybridization events, a timeframe concomitant withrepeated geographic range restriction into overlapping refugia. Our results indicate an importantrole for past episodes of climate change, and thecontrasting responses of species with differing
ecological strategies, in generating novel patternsof range contact among plant communities andtherefore new opportunities for hybridization. The
new ancestral niche method flexibly models theshape of niche while incorporating diverse sources of uncertainty and will be an important addition
to the current comparative methods toolkit.

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Oral presentations

S.190.3 Recurrent
natural hybridisation in
Mediterranean Cyclamen:
towards a conservation
strategy for sites of ongoing
evolutionsion. These findings emphasise the need for precise
comprehension of ongoing hybridisation processes
to plan appropriate conservation strategies. Theseshould include both small areas with incipient hybridisation events (like in Corsica) and wide hybrid
zones where reticulate introgression among parental and hybrid lineages is the prevailing process on
wide spatial scales (like in Sardinia).

Emmanuele Farris1, Jordi López-Pujol2,
Alfredo Maccioni1, Guillaume Papuga3,
Virginie Pons4, Alfonso Susanna2, John D.
Thompson4, Roser Vilatersana2
1 University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy. 2 Institut Botanic de Barcelona (CSIC-CMCNB), Barcelona, Spain.
3 University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France. 4
Centre d’Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive-CNRS,Montpellier, France
Homoploid hybridisation gives rise to new lineages
having the same chromosome numbers as parental
species. Therefore the reproductive isolation of hybrid individuals from parental ones is complex andslow. Moreover, homoploid hybrids act as a bridge
between the two parental species, favoring introgression events among them. These often combined processes form hybrid zones where homoploid hybrid populations and introgressed parental
populations coexist. This is the case for the western
Mediterranean Cyclamen subgenus Psilanthum,composed of two closely related allopatric taxa
(Cyclamen repandum and C. balearicum). Cyclamen repandum is a geographically widespread taxon (central Mediterranean Basin), whereas the second is endemic to the Balearic Islands and the southof France west of the Rhône valley. In 2002, threesmall populations of C. balearicum, C. repandum
and bicoloured flowers were discovered in northern
Corsica. These populations grow on limestone outcrops in a disjunct, until then unknown, peripheral
part of the distribution of the endemic species andin an ecologically marginal area for the widespread
species. Further, based on floral traits and genetic
variability, it was highlighted that bicoloured floral
types in these populations were of homoploid hybrid origin. Later a wide hybrid zone was discovered
in north-western Sardinia, where bicoloured floral
types dominate in hybrid populations, revealing amore advanced hybridisation process compared to
Corsican populations. Recent findings showed thatthe cpDNA of all floral types in Sardinian populations is of C. balearicum rather than C. repandum,
highlighting a bi-directional asymmetric introgres-S.190.4 Species delimitation
in intensively hybridising
genera based on herbarium
specimens – the CARRARA
approach
Lara Escherich1, Marco Dorfner1, Frank
H. Hellwig2, Robert Vogt3, Christoph
Oberprieler1
1 University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany. 2
Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Jena, Germany. 3
Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
In contrast to polyploid species formation, the high frequency of homoploid hybridisation among flowering
plant species poses an even harder problem for an
objective discovery and naming of phytodiversity. The
formation of so-called syngameons and of introgressive hybrid swarms are incompatible with the biological
species concept (BSC) and urge for additional criteria
to delimit species in plant taxonomy. Even greater problems for species delimitation in hybridising plant groups
arise when the biological situation is not studied andevaluated in the field, but a taxonomic judgement has
to be based on herbarium specimens due to the deliberate or unavoidable abstinence from additional fieldwork and/or the wilful usage of the rich treasure of plant
specimens in museum collections. The different criteria stressed in the opposed species concepts varies
among separate speciation events and are best considered being just mere indicators for independently
evolving metapopulation lineages (the ‘unified species
concept’ of De Queiroz). The Carrara approach to species delimitation in intensively hybridising plant groups
follows the idea of classifying metapopulation systems
as infraspecific entities (subspecies) vs. species by discriminating between primary and secondary hybrid
zones. By implementing high-throughput moleculartechniques based on herbarium material (AFLPseq) in
combination with the automated extraction of morphological characters and ecological niche-modellingbased on museum material, we aim at the fast discov-584

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ery and delimitation of evolutionary significant units(species) without the necessity of additional field work.
Our approach will be exemplified in two plant groups ofthe sunflower family (Compositae, Asteraceae) known
for their critical taxonomy caused by extensive hybridisation: the Senecio nemorensis syngameon (8 species)in Europe and the genus Baccharis L. in Chile (14 species,
26 hybrid combinations).

S.190.5 The Iberian Peninsula
as a major hotspot for
white oak conservation
and analysis of species
syngameons
Carlos Vila-Viçosa1,2,3,4, Ricardo ArraianoCastilho5, Andrew L. Hipp6, Francisco M.
Vázquez7, Rubim Almeida1,2,3,4, Cristina
García8, Albano Beja-Pereira1,2,9,Herlander Azevedo1,2,4
1 BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity andLand Planning, CIBIO. Campus de Vairão, Vairão,Portugal. 2 Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources - Research Network in Biodiversity
and Evolutionary Biology, University of Porto. Campus Agrário de Vairão, Vairão; Portugal. 3 Museu deHistória Natural e da Ciência da Universidade do
Porto – Herbário PO, Universidade do Porto, Porto,
Portugal. 4 Departamento de Biologia, Faculdadede Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.
5 Department of Ecology and Evolution, Universityof Lausanne, 115 Lausanne, Switzerland. 6 The Morton Arboretum, Lisle IL, USA. 7 Department of Forest
Production and Vegetal Biodiversity, Institute of Agricultural Research “Finca La Orden Valdesequera”,
Guadajira, Spain. 8 Department of Biological Science. Centre for Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour,
Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, Surrey,
UK. 9 DGAOT, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade
do Porto, Porto, Portugal

sula, disentangling putative hybridization and ancestral
relationships. Towards this end, we used restriction-site
associated DNA sequencing (RADSeq) to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms across the genomesof 275 samples representing eight widespread Iberian
oak species, including infraspecific taxa and nothotaxa.
Our results show that the marcescent oak species addressed in this study hold high levels of hybridization,
validating several nothotaxa (Q.×coutinhoi, Q. ×cerrioides, Q. ×subpyrenaica, Q. ×tlemcenensis) known to form
hybrid swarms in particular biogeographic areas of the
Iberian Peninsula, where sometimes they exclude atleast one of the parental species. We discuss these results in the framework of the Iberian oak forests conservation, and the implications it brings to understanding
the western Mediterranean biogeography. Finally, we
conclude that binding taxonomic and biogeographic
awareness, rooted in strong historical collections andliterature review is of extreme relevance for solving difficult groups of plants displaying reticulate evolution.

S.190.6 Supporting
practitioners in the
management ofhybridization for theconservation andsustainable use of(genetic) biodiversity

The Iberian Peninsula is a wide known hotspot and refugia for the Eurasian white oak species. In classic literature, this group of oaks are traditionally assumed
to form common hybrid swarms, and their resulting
nothotaxa have suffered of nomenclatural uncertainty.
This comes from natural history artifacts and the unknown validation of putative parent species, as valid
taxa that have been suffering of distinct rankings, withno consensus by the broad that treated the Iberianoaks. Here, we aimed to re-assess the phylogeographic relationships among species and investigate the occurrence of hybrid swarms in marcescent oak species(Subsection Macrantherae) across the Iberian Penin-

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Myriam Heuertz1, Pauline Garnier-Géré1,Juan Galindo2, Peter Galbusera3, José
Godoy4, Carles Vilà4, Sven Winter5,
Katharina B. Budde6, Tsipe Aavik7, Maria
Kachamakova8, Elena Bužan9, Cristiano
Vernesi10, Laura D. Bertola11, Milomir
Stefanović12, Frank E. Zachos13, Christina
Hvilsom14, Aleksandra Biedrzycka15,
Dragana Šnjegota16, Roberta Gargiulo17,
Joukje Buiteveld18, Isa-Rita M. Russo19,
Maud C. Quinzin20, Belma Kalamujić
Stroil21, Barbora Rolečková22, Ivaylo N.
Tsvetkov23, Craig Primmer24, Pamela
Burger25, Tamer Albayrak26, Snæbjörn
Pálsson27, Philippine Vergeer28, Sabrina
Träger29,30, Małgorzata Pilot31, Julia Barth32,
Margarida Fernandes Lopes33

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1 BIOGECO, INRAE, Univ. Bordeaux, Cestas, France. 2
Centro de Investigación Mariña, Universidade deVigo, Facultad de Biología, Vigo, Spain .3 Centre for
Research and Conservation, Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium. 4 Estación Biológica de Donana, CSIC, Sevilla, Spain.. 5 ResearchInstitute of Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary
Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria 6 Northwest German Forest Research Institute, Hann. Münden, Germany. 7 Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences,
University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia. 8 Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research at Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. 9 University of Primorska, Facultyof Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information
Technologies, Koper, Slovenia. 10 Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, Italy. 11
Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen,Copenhagen, Denmark. 12 Department of Biology
and Ecology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi
Sad, Serbia.. 13 Natural History Museum Vienna, Vienna, Austria. 14 Copenhagen Zoo, Copenhagen,Denmark 15 Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish
Academy of Sciences, Krakow, Poland. 16 Facultyof Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of
Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina. 17 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK. 18 Centre for Genetic Resources, the Netherlands, Wageningen University &Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands. 19 Schoolof Biosciences, Cardiff University. 20 Independent
researcher. 21 University of Sarajevo-Institute for
Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology. 22 Instituteof Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences,Brno, Czech Republic. 23 Forest Research Institute,
Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria. 24
University of Helsinki, Finland. 25 Research Instituteof Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine
Vienna, Vienna, Austria. 26 Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy
University, Science and Art Faculty, Department of
Biology, Turkey. 27 University of Iceland, Iceland 28
Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
29 Institut of Biology / Geobotany and Botanical
Garden, Halle (Saale), Germany. 30 German Cen-tre for Integrative Biodiversity Research, Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany. 31 Faculty of Biology,
University of Gdańsk, Poland. 32 Zoological Institute,
Department of Environmental Sciences, Universityof Basel, Basel, Switzerland. 33 Centro em Rede deInvestigação em Antropologia, Pólo da NOVA FCSH,
Campus de Campolide, Lisboa, Portugal
In the context of the ongoing biodiversity and climate crises, the conservation genetics community
has a strong mission to support practitioners in suggesting the most useful and applicable management actions for the conservation of biodiversity,
especially genetic diversity, and its sustainable use.
Practitioners may have specific and variable knowledge on the effects of hybridization on biodiversity
and a variety of views on its relevance in conservation strategies. To effectively support practitioners,
we took advantage of the cooperation network of
COST Action G-BIKE - Genomic Biodiversity Knowledge for Resilient Ecosystems - to consult practitioners, e.g., policy makers, natural areas managers, and coordinators of species action plans, from
European countries about their experience, knowledge and perceptions with regard to hybridizationin conservation and its management. We identified
key actors in each country and presented themwith a questionnaire to fill out either autonomouslyor through a guided interview. We interpret the results of the questionnaire in the context of the legal framework pertaining to hybridization in nature
management in Europe. Furthermore, we derive recommendations combining common practices andcurrent research findings for the management ofhybridization in the most common situations or species where it occurs, in support of the conservationof genetic diversity and biodiversity more generally.

S.191 CLIMATE CHANGE EFFECTS ON ALPINE
PLANT SPECIES AND COMMUNITIES: INSIGHTSFROM THE GLORIA NETWORK. SESSION 1
S.191.1 Emerging insights fromglobal mountain research
initiatives - MIREN & GLORIA
meeting up at treelinePeter Wolff1, Svenja Wanke1*, Anke
Jentsch1

1 University of Bayreuth, Germany *svenja.wanke@
uni-bayreuth.deWe summarize and synthesize emerging insightsfrom MIREN and GLORIA, including additional analyses on species reshuffling around the treeline ecotone. MIREN: Climate change threatens plant diversity
in mountains worldwide. Evidence suggests that plant
species respond by changing their elevational ranges. The Mountain Invasion Research Network (MIREN)

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systematically quantifies global patterns of nativeand non-native species distributions along elevation
gradients and shifts arising from interactive effects
of climate change and human disturbance. GLORIA:
Global evidence suggests that species from lower elevations are colonizing habitats on mountain summits
at an accelerating pace, with five times faster rates
than half a century ago. Repeated in situ surveys inpermanent plots showed a widespread transformation of alpine plant community assemblages toward
more warmth-demanding and/or less cold-adapted species. Concurrently to widespread increases inoverall species richness, high elevation plant species
have declined in abundance and frequency. Strongly
cold-adapted plant species may directly suffer fromwarmer and longer growing seasons. We suggest thetreeline ecotone to be the critical observational zone
for species reshuffling in mountain environments. Although MIREN and GLORIA permanent plots do notmatch in location, they jointly provide clues on changing alpine plant community dynamics.

S.191.2 Compositional shiftsof alpine plant communities
across the high Andes
Francisco Cuesta1, Julieta. Carilla2, Luis. D.
LLambí3,4, P. Muriel5, María. V. Lencinas6, R. I.
Meneses7, Kenneth. J. Feeley8, H. Pauli9,10, N.
Aguirre11, S. Beck12, A. Bernardi1,5, S. Cuello2, S.
A. Duchicela1,13, P. Eguiguren11, L. E. Gamez3,
S. Halloy14, L. Hudson15, R. Jaramillo5, P. L.
Peri16, L. A. Ramírez3, P. Rosero-Añazco1, N.
Thompson12, K. Yager17, C. Tovar15
1 Grupo de Investigación en Biodiversidad Medio
Ambiente y Salud - BIOMAS, Universidad de las
Américas, Quito, Ecuador. 2 Instituto de Ecología
Regional, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas yTécnicas, Tucumán, Argentina. 3 Instituto de Ciencias Ambientales y Ecológicas, Universidad de Los
Andes, Mérida, Venezuela. 4 Consorcio para el Desarrollo Sostenible de la Ecorregión Andina, Lima,
Peru. 5 Laboratorio de Ecofisiología, Escuela deCiencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador. 6 Centro Australde Investigaciones Científicas, Consejo Nacionalde Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Tierradel Fuego, Argentina. 7 Instituto de Investigaciones
Arqueológicas y Museo, Universidad Católica delNorte, San Pedro de Atacama, Chile. 8 Biology Department, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, USA. 9 Institute for Interdisciplinary MountainResearch, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna,
Austria. 10 Department of Integrative Biology andBiodiversity Research, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria. 11 Carrera de Ingeniería Forestal, Centro de Investigaciones
Tropicales del Ambiente y Biodiversidad, Universidad Nacional de Loja, Loja, Ecuador. 12 Herbario
Nacional de Bolivia, Museo Nacional de Historia
Natural - Instituto de Ecología, La Paz, Bolivia. 13
Department of Geography and the Environment,
University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA. 14
Ministry for Primary Industries, Wellington, New Zealand .15 Jodrell Laboratory, Royal Botanical Gardens
Kew, Surrey, UK. 16 Instituto Nacional de Tecnología
Agropecuaria, Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia Austral, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones
Científicas y Técnicas, Santa Cruz, Argentina. 17
School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony
Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
Climate change is transforming mountain summit plant communities worldwide, but we know little
about such changes in the High Andes. Understanding large-scale patterns of vegetation changes across the Andes and the factors driving thesechanges is fundamental to predicting the effects ofglobal warming. We assessed trends in vegetation
cover, species richness (SR) and community-level
thermal niches (CTN) and tested whether they are
explained by summits’ climatic conditions and soil
temperature trends. Between 2012 and 2017/2019, using permanent vegetation plots placed on 45 mountain summits and soil temperature loggers situatedalong a ~6800 km N-S gradient, we measured species
and their relative percentage cover and estimated
CTN in two surveys (intervals between 5 and 8 years).
We then estimated the annual rate of changes forthe three variables and used generalized linear models to assess their relationship with annual precipitation, the minimum air temperatures of each summit
and rates of change in the locally recorded soil temperatures. Over time, there was an average loss ofvegetation cover (mean = −0.26%/yr), and a gain in
SR across summits (mean = 0.38 species m2/yr), but
most summits had significant increases in SR andvegetation cover. Changes in SR were positively related to minimum air temperature and soil temperature rate of change. Most plant communities experienced shifts in their composition by including greater
abundances of species with broader thermal niches
and higher optima. However, the measured changes in soil temperature did not explain the observedchanges in CTN. High Andean vegetation is changing
in cover and SR and is shifting towards species withwider thermal niche breadths. The weak relationshipwith soil temperature trends could have resulted
from the short study period that only marginally captures changes in vegetation through time.

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S.191.3 Using multi-scale
tools to detect how climatechange affects alpine
vegetation dynamics insubtropical moist region

S.191.4 Climate-driven lossof plant diversity in African
mountains
JD Vidal Junior1,2, C Carbutt3, VR Clark2, AJ
Plumptre4, F Senbeta5, T6 Woldemariam,
C Chapano7, C David8, L Aiah9, C Tovar10,
E Lulekal11, AS Uwase12, M Kordofani13,
B Kaplin14, A Antonelli10,15,16, T Pearce10,
J White10, B Loeuille10, CB Langa17, IS
Chelene17, T Fremout18, CB Schmitt1

Chu-Chia Kuo1, Yu Su2, Ho-Yih Liu3,
Cheng-Tao Lin2*
1 Department of Biological Resources, National
Chiayi University, Taiwan. 2 School of Forestry andResource Conservation, National Taiwan University,
Taiwan. 3 Department of Biological Sciences, National Sun Yat-sen University *oral speaker/corresponding author
Climate change is notably affecting natural vegetation, especially in mountainous regions. Alpine
plants, adapted to harsh conditions such as cold,
low nutrients, and high radiation, are particularly vulnerable to climatic shifts. Changes including uneven precipitation, increased droughts, andfewer rainy days significantly impact these plants.
To assess the long-term effects on Taiwan’s alpine vegetation, we established dynamic plots on
15 high mountain summits, aiming to study these
impacts and develop conservation strategies. Our
study used three methodological scales. On a landscape level, we employed the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI), Temperature
Anomaly Index (TA), and Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) to link moisture balance with vegetation
changes. Community-scale analysis involved examining alpine plant communities using moist-philic and thermophilic indices, diversity indices, andprincipal component analysis. At the species level,
we assessed changes through climatic ecologicalniches to understand species richness variations.
Our third survey revealed negative SPEI and extreme
TA values, suggesting drought and high-temperature impacts. These conditions led to reduced plant
growth, a decrease in EVI, fewer species, reduced diversity, and shifts towards species suited to warmer,
drier environments. This suggests significant effects
on Taiwan’s alpine vegetation, decreasing its resilience to environmental disturbances. Consideringongoing climate change and its expected reductionin Taiwan’s precipitation, our findings underscorethe urgent threat of drought to alpine ecosystems,
even in typically moist areas like Taiwan. Given thehigh sensitivity of alpine vegetation to these changes, proactive and robust conservation measures are
critical to protect these vital ecosystems.

1 Universität Passau, Passau, Germany. 2 Afromontane Research Unit & Department of Plant Sciences, University of the Free State, Qwaqwa Campus,
Phuthaditjhaba, South Africa. 3 Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, . Montrose, South Africa. 2 Afromontane Research Unit & Department of Geography, Universityof the Free State, Qwaqwa Campus, Phuthaditjhaba, South Africa. 4 Key Biodiversity Area, London, UK.
5 Addis Ababa Herbarium, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. 6
Environment and Coffee Forest Forum (ECFF) Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. 7 National Herbarium of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe. 8 University of Zambia,
Lusaka, Zambia. 9 Njala University Njala Campus,
Njala, Sierra Leone. 10 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew,
UK. 11 Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. 12 National Herbarium of Rwanda University of
Rwanda Huye campus, Huye, Rwanda. 13 Universityof Khartoum Herbarium Al-Gama’a Avenue, Khartoum, Sudan. 14 Center of Excellence in Biodiversity & Natl Res Management (CoEB), University of
Rwanda, Huye campus, Huye, Rwanda. 15 Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University ofGothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden. 16 Departmentof Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK. 17 Herbário LMA do Instituto de Investigação Agrária deMoçambique, Maputo, Moçambique. 18 Alliance ofBioversity International and International Center for
Tropical Agriculture, Rome, Italy
Mountains host some of the most diverse and vulnerable communities of plants in Africa. With the 1.5
to 5 ºC increase in temperature projected for theupcoming decades, it is hypothesised that plants
will shift their distribution to track their environmental constraints along elevation and latitudinal gradients depending on their dispersal capacity. Responses like upslope and poleward shifts may resultin accelerated rates of species turnover and amplified habitat loss in high elevations. Little is known
about how such processes will transform the floristic
composition of African mountains. Here, we apply acommunity-scale modelling approach to quantify
and map how different climate change scenarios
may affect species ranges and community richness

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Oral presentationsof vascular plants in African mountains. Using nichemodels and dispersal buffers, we project the distributions of 416 species to three climate and land usechange scenarios for the late century. Our comparisons between predicted ranges indicate that, without dispersal, species will lose an average of 22–
52% of their suitable areas, depending on the SSP.
We also observed a pattern of upslope elevational
shifts and higher suitability losses for species occurring in higher elevations. Higher proportional losses
are projected for ferns, herbs, and shrubs than fortrees, with the highest losses projected for Southern
Africa and Madagascar. Our results provide novel
evidence for the disproportional impact of climatechange on mountains and highlight target regions
and species requiring more intensive conservation
efforts and reforestation strategies, which need to
improve the coverage of other life forms than trees.
Furthermore, our findings emphasise that the current rate of change may be too rapid for some species to track based solely on their natural dispersal
capacity, and alternatives like assisted migrationmust be carefully considered.

S.191.5 Plant ecology of
Mediterranean highmountains and GLORIA:
two decades of researchsynergies

the environmental influences on these communities
composition, as well as their spatial and functional structure. Also discussed is the role of facilitativeinteractions in the structure of these communities.
Additionally, C recycling research and the susceptibility of these ecosystems to changes to these cycles brought about by climate change have beenaddressed. Recent research has revealed that several species of the mountainous Mediterranean
have developed unique physiological, metabolic,and morphological responses to water stress andphotoprotection. Our understanding of the ecologyof high mountain habitats in the Mediterranean has
been enhanced by these contributions. Going forward, we are optimistic that the GLORIA monitoringdata can provide additional insight on the ecosystems’ vulnerability to the effects of climate change.

S.191.6 Shift in vascularplant diversity across alpine
ecosystems: insights fromthe Italian Gloria Network
Silvano Lodetti1, Alessandro Petraglia2,
Andrea Mondoni1, Angela Stanisci3,
Brigitta Erschbamer4, Elena Barni5,
Ludovica Oddi5, Fiona Jane White1,
Graziano Rossi1, Lena Nicklas4, Lucianodi Martino6, Marcello Tomaselli2,
Margherita Tognela1, Michele
Carbognani2, Pau Carnicero4, Pietro
Fanchini1, Simone Orsenigo1, Valter diCecco6, Francesco Porro1

Alba Gutiérrez-Girón1, Rosina Magaña
Ugarte1, Rosario G. Gavilán García1
1 Complutense University of Madrid Pharmacy Faculty Department of Pharmacology, Pharmacognosy and Botany, Madrid, Spain
Since the establishment of the GLORIA monitoringarea in central Spain in 2005, a series of plant ecology research projects have been carried out, whichhave allowed us to gain a deeper understanding of
the ecology of this type of ecosystem. In these environments, in addition to the stress factors of temperate high mountain communities (short growing
season, low temperatures, snowfall, limited soil development, etc.), the existence of a summer drought
period is an additional determining factor. Presented here are the most important findings from thepast twenty years about the ecology of these Mediterranean communities in the heart of the Iberian
Peninsula, and their global and continental contexts
are also briefly discussed. Topics covered include

1 University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy. 2 University of Parma, Parma, Italy. 3 University of Molise, Termoli, Italy. 4 University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria. 5
University of Torino, Torino, Italy. 6 Majella National
Park, Sulmona, Italy
Since 2001, the vegetation of 28 mountains has
been monitored in the Italian Alps and Apennines
across seven different GLORIA Target Regions (TR).
The Italian Gloria Network aims to provide insights
into how Italian alpine vegetation is responding
to global warming. Here we present our preliminary findings regarding changes in species richness, species abundance and diversity. Species
richness increased significantly in all TRs, with anaverage of +4.3 species per Summit Area Sections (SASs) recorded since the first survey. The

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highest numbers of new species were recordedin the Alps sites, with an average of +21.5 species(+13% of the total species richness), in contrast
to what has been observed for Apennine TRs (onaverage +7 specie; +7.4%). Local species loss was
also observed but was not as pronounced anddid not show clear patterns, ranging from 7 species lost in the Dolomites (S-Alps) to none in theMont Avic (W-Alps). Species’ abundance changed
significantly, with “winning” and “losing” species
becoming more dominant or rarer, respectively,
highlighting an ongoing process of communitychange. The disproportionate increment of “winning species” led to an overall decrease in species
evenness, especially in the Apennines, which com-munities are becoming more dominated by fewer
species. These findings highlight an alarming biodiversity loss associated with a warmer climate.
Overall, although local site diversity (alpha-diversity) increased in most TRs due to new colonizing
species, diversity among sites (beta-diversity) decreased consistently across sites, due to site-specific species loss and turnover, revealing a trendof floristic homogenization in Italian mountains.
Finally, we observed a generalized increment ofspecies belonging to similar growth forms (e.g.,graminoids). However, further multidisciplinary
studies (e.g., SENTINEL project, started in 2023) areneeded to fully disentangle the role of functional
traits in driving vegetation dynamics.

S.192 AN UPDATE ON THE PHYLOGENY OF SEEDPLANTS. SESSION 1
S.192.1 Fossil Mesozoic Seed
Plants and their Utility
Patrick S. Herendeen1
1 Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe, USA
Paleontology provides a unique window on the history of life. Fossils reveal biological diversity that is
now extinct and will remain unknown unless fossilized remains of these organisms are discovered,described, and interpreted. Knowledge of extinct diversity is essential to understanding the full diversity
and evolutionary history of plants or animals. Paleontological data can also illuminate the history ofclimate or biogeography or morphological diversity through time. However, consumers of paleontological data must be aware that the identificationsof fossils have the potential to be wrong, just as
the identifications of herbarium specimens can be
wrong and must be verified by the investigator who
is using the specimens. Similarly, the stated ages offossils can be incorrect or lack precision. If the fossils
are being used as calibration points for moleculardating analyses, for example, these sources of potential error must be taken seriously. These cautions
notwithstanding, this is an exciting time in plant paleontology and the fields that draw on paleobotanical data. Mesozoic age fossil seed plants have been
the subject of much research in recent decades. A
diversity of early fossil angiosperms have been described from a wide variety of fossil sites, and re-search is being conducted in geographic areas thatwere previously neglected. Documenting the morphology and timing of appearance of the earliest
flowers continues to be of broad evolutionary andecological interest. In addition, numerous fossil gymnospermous seed plants have also been describedfrom many geographic areas and have included
some very interesting newly discovered taxa. Understanding the origin of angiosperms and their phylogenetic relationships is important, but it cannot be
accomplished without a detailed understanding of
the diversity, morphology and relationships of gymnospermous seed plants. While much progress has
been made there are still many discoveries to bemade in the fossil record of gymnosperms.

S.192.2 Current challenges
and perspectives on seedplant phylogeny

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Susana Magallón1, Adriana BenítezVillaseñor2, Laura Calvillo-Canadell1,
César A. González-Martínez2, Andrea M.
López-Martínez2, Eduardo Torres-Flores2,
Karina Yáñez-Aroche2
1 Institute of Biology, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico. 2 Graduate Program in Biological Sciences, Universidad Nacional
Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico

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Seed plants diversified profusely during the Paleozoic,
giving rise to most of their major lineages, and a vastmorphological and functional diversity. Reconstructing
seed plant relationships has been a major challenge
due to a deep conflict between morphological andmolecular phylogenies. Here, we review some major
challenges, summarize what has been learned, andpropose potential ways forward. Representative sampling is a major obstacle because the number of extinct lineages vastly surpasses the five extant branches,
and includes those derived from the earliest radiationof the group; extinct crown group lineages; and stem
members of extant branches, which may hold clues tounderstanding relationships. The nature of plants typically results in fragmentary preservation and missing
data. Recognition of the need to strive for whole plant
reconstructions and to include species as terminals
are important advances. Molecular phylogenetic estimation is complicated because extant species represent recent branches within lineages that diverged in
the deep past. Molecular data has been shown to besystematically biased, and genomic datasets have not
improved resolution. Paleobotanical discoveries andrevised interpretations of fossil characters can critically improve phylogenetic estimation. Inconsistent taxon
representation among different data sets precludes
direct comparison of estimated relationships. Furthermore, different interpretations of primary homology,
of structural attributes of particular fossils, and scoring philosophy result in phylogenetic lability. Analyses
combining morphological and molecular data undermodel-based phylogenetic methods have been insufficiently exploited in the estimation of seed plant relationships, and implementation of novel approaches
to model morphological character substitution holdpromise. The Fossilized Birth-Death model, which integrates fossils and extant species into a single diversification process, may represent a potential alternative.
Nevertheless, placement of fossils ultimately relies onmorphological data, hence rigorous character assessment based on meticulous observations and thoughtful postulations of primary homology is inescapable.

Analyses of morphological data sets are especially
important when attempting to reconstruct phylogenies for clades whose diversity has been significantly
reduced during historic periods of high extinction rates.
Two such clades are seed plants, and one of its included clades, the cycads. These clades have evolutionary
histories that increase the difficulty of accurate phylogenetic inference from molecular data: They are deeply diverged and extant members represent a fraction of
their former diversity. In the case of cycads, of the forty
described genera, just ten are extant. In seed plants,
approximately 70% of its major lineages are extinct.
Morphology thus provides a critical line of evidence inefforts to infer accurate phylogenies for these groups.
In this study, we seek to address some of the challenges inherent in phylogenetic analyses of morphological
data using recently assembled morphological data
sets. First, different character sets within a matrix of living and fossil taxa may vary considerably in information content and may have discordant phylogenetic
signals. We therefore are using a Bayesian approach to
explore information content, and using Bayes Factors
to explore discordance among characters and character sets that might lead to erroneous results and/or
reduced resolution. Second, development of models of
evolution for use in phylogenetic analyses of morphological data sets has lagged far behind that of models
of nucleotide evolution. Recent advances have, however, enabled analyses to be conducted under more
realistic assumptions about the evolution of morphological characters. We thus are inferring trees using
Bayesian methods that allow different relaxed modelsof character evolution to be tested. We discuss resultsfrom these analyses and from analyses that integrate
morphological and slowly evolving molecular characters, which aim to obtain a synthetic understanding ofseed plant evolution.

S.192.3 A synthesis of new
phylogenetic insights fromphylogenetic studies ofliving and fossil seed plants

Andrew B. Leslie1, Stephen A. Smith2,
Jeremy M. Beaulieu3

S.192.4 Dating thediversification of extant
conifers

1 Earth and Planetary Science, Stanford University,
Stanford, USA. 2 Ecology and Evolutionary Biology,
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA. 3 Biological
Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, USA

Sarah Mathews1
1 Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State
University, Baton Rouge, USA

Conifers are the most species-rich extant gymnosperms and have the longest and best-documented fossil history of any seed plant group, making
them an excellent study system for investigating591

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plant macroevolution. An accurate time-calibrated phylogeny is important for understanding
their evolutionary history, and a number of studies
have developed dated molecular trees for major
conifer clades or the group as a whole. Except forthe possible placement of Gnetales within conifers, backbone relationships among and withinconifer families are generally stable across thesestudies, but inferred divergence ages vary widely
depending on the dating method and calibration
fossils used. Our previous work in this area useda Bayesian node dating approach and generated
conifer divergence age estimates that appearedboth too old for many deep nodes and too young
for many shallow nodes, given paleobotanicalintuition as well as more recent discoveries fromSouthern Hemisphere fossil assemblages. Angiosperm studies have shown that rate heterogeneity among clades can bias even sophisticatedmolecular dating analyses, particularly for deep
nodes, and this phenomenon may be importantin conifers given their long branch lengths anddeep divergence ages. Here we develop an updated time-calibrated molecular phylogeny ofconifers (as well as other gymnosperms) using
a new node-dating approach that incorporates
a hidden Markov model (HMM) in estimating divergence ages. This method allows different evolutionary rate classes to be assigned to different
clades, which has been shown in simulation studies to improve divergence age estimates, particularly for deep nodes. We also suggest that node
dating continues to be important for fossil plants,
where important characters are often found infragmentary remains like pollen grains that do notlend themselves to total evidence analyses.

netic placement. The pollen is monosulcate or taeniate to non-taeniate bisaccate. Their wood andgrowth habit is unknown but they are commonly assumed to have been shrubs to trees of open
habitats. Phylogenetic analyses have focused on
only a few representatives of this palaeoecologically heterogeneous group. Past analyses haveresolved a close relationship between Peltaspermales and Umkomasiales, but inferred affinities ofthese groups to other seed-plants vary widely. Peltaspermales were one of the few Paleozoic ‘seed
fern’ clades to persist into the early Mesozoic. Thisorder originated in the Late Carboniferous anddiversified primarily within northern low- to middle-palaeolatitudes in the Permian. Several distinctgroups have been recognized, generally occupying discrete regions during the Permian: supaioids(southwestern United States), callipteroids (euramerican province), tatarinoids (Volga-Uralian region), and possibly comioids (palaeotropical belt).
Peltaspermales sparsely penetrated Gondwana
and Cathaysia in the mid-Permian. However, following the hyperthermal end-Permian extinction
event, the family abruptly spread globally and Early
Triassic Lepidopteris/Germaropteris species developed thick cuticles, strongly protected stomata
and small leaflets adapted to hot and seasonally dry conditions. The family rediversified throughthe Triassic, encompassing forms with complex
reticulate venation. Lepidopteris ottonis markedly
increased in abundance near the end-Triassic extinction event and produced aberrant pollen suggesting major disruption to reproductive strategies.
Peltaspermales disappeared during the end-Triassic Extinction Event apart from two relictual Jurassic
occurrences.

S.192.5 The rise and fall of
Peltaspermales

S.192.6 Mesozoic seed plants
with recurved cupules
and the stem relatives ofangiosperms

Stephen McLoughlin1
1 Department of Palaeobiology, Swedish Museumof Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden
Peltasperms are extinct seed plants with simple,
forked, or variably dissected fern-like leaves having thick cuticle and sunken actinocytic stomata.
Triangular ovules were borne on the underside ofovate or peltate appendages attached to a slender stalk. Clustered pollen sacs were arranged at
the tips of loosely branched stalks. The attachmentof reproductive and vegetative organs remains unresolved, but is critical to resolving their phyloge-

592

Gongle Shi1, Fabiany Herrera2, Patrick S.
Herendeen3, Elizabeth G. Clark4, Peter R.
Crane5,6
1 Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology,
Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China. 2
Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, USA. 3
Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe, USA. 4 Universityof California Berkeley, Berkeley, USA. 5 Oak Spring
Garden Foundation, Upperville, USA. 6 Yale University, New Haven, USA

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The “Mesozoic seed ferns”, a loose group of extinct
seed plants with cupulate ovulate reproductive
organs, have long been considered to be key forunderstanding the origin of angiosperms. Traditionally this group has included Caytonia, Petriellaea, corystosperms, peltasperms and several
other closely related groups of plants. However,most of these plants are known based on compression or impression fossils, hindering a detailed
understanding of the structure and homology of
their reproductive organs, and resulting in several
distinct interpretations regarding the relationships
of “Mesozoic seed ferns” with other extant and extinct seed plants. Recent discoveries and careful
documentation of similar cupulate ovulate structures from the Early Cretaceous of Canada, Mongolia and China based on three-dimensionallypreserved, lignified specimens, and anatomicallypreserved, permineralized material, have signifi-

cantly enriched our knowledge of the anatomy,
structure and homology of these cupules. Careful
comparisons suggest that the recurved cupules of
Caytonia, Doylea, Jarudia, Geminispermum, Kannaskoppia, Ktalenia, Petriellaea, Reymanownaea,
Umkomasia are all fundamentally the same. Differences among these Mesozoic seed plants inthe number of cupules per lateral unit, the numberof seeds per cupule and the degree of seed enclosure probably reflect differences in their pollination ecology and/or seed dispersal strategies.
These recurved cupules are fundamentally comparable with the second integument of an anatropous angiosperm ovule. Phylogenetic analyses
suggest that the likely stem relatives of angiosperms are among these Mesozoic plants, which
has important implications for continuing efforts
to understand the phylogeny of seed plants andthe origin of angiosperms.

S.193 THE ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION OF
MODERN PLANT DIVERSITY: INSIGHTS FROMMULTIPLE DISCIPLINES. SESSION 1
S.193.1 Approaching the‘odd-man-out’ of tropicalrain forest diversity witha global perspective ofAnnonaceae evolution andbiogeography
Serafin J.R. Streiff1, Francis J. Nge1,2,
Laura Holzmeyer1, Delphine Tardiff1, Roy
H.J. Erkens3, Thomas L.P. Couvreur1 &Annonaceae Phylogenetics Consortium4
1 DIADE, Université Montpellier, CIRAD, IRD, Montpellier, France. 2 National Herbarium of New South
Wales, Botanic Gardens of Sydney, Mount Annan,
NSW, Australia. 3 Maastricht Science Programme,
Faculty of Science and Engineering, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands. 4 http://www.
couvreurlab.org/agpc.html
The longitudinal distribution of tropical rain forest
plant diversity presents a distinct ‘odd-man-out’
pattern: Neotropical and South East Asian forests are
more biodiverse than their African counterparts. Un-

derstanding the contributing present and historicalpatterns and processes has remained challenging
for decades. However, it promises to give important insights into the evolution, ecology and conservation of some of the simultaneously richest andmost threatened floras of our planet. Focusing on
the ubiquitous pantropical family Annonaceae with
about 2450 species, we leverage a novel pipeline
to curate, clean and merge herbarium specimen
records from natural history collection databases,
taxonomic revisions and publicly available biodiversity datasets. With these family-wide occurrences
we produce species range estimates on a global
scale allowing the generation of species richness
maps across its distribution. We infer global and regional correlates of diversity and combine spatial
data with a new species-level phylogeny of Annonaceae and modern methods of biogeographicalinference to test environmental dependent diversification models using newly generated spatialized
paleoclimatic simulations. Within this framework, weinvestigate longstanding questions on the evolutionary history and assembly of tropical rain forest
floras and get one step closer to understanding theprocesses leading to the ‘odd-man-out’ pattern.

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S.193.2 The evolution ofphylogenetic community
structure of the northerntemperate floragy, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, China. 3 StateKey Laboratory of Oil and Gas Reservoir Geology
and Exploitation & Institute of Sedimentary Geology,
Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu, China

Qiuyue Zhang1, Daniele Silvestro2, Yaowu
Xing1
1 CAS, Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology,
Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, China. 2 Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg,
Switzerland
Understanding the causes and evolution of the phylogenetic community structure (PCS) in the geological past is critical to explaining present-day biodiversity patterns and modelling biotic responses toclimate change. The paleontological record provides
a unique window into the causes and evolution ofcommunity dynamics. In this study, we compiled alarge fossil community data during the Cenozoic for
the North temperate zone. We quantified PCS for different geological times. We then reconstructed paleoclimate for the fossil assemblages and fit it to PCS.
We finally estimated diversification rates for woody
and herbaceous plants to discuss the driving factors of the evolution of PCS. Our results showed thatmost fossil communities were dominated by woody
taxa and there was no significant latitudinal gradient during the warm early Paleogene due to the homogeneity of the environment and similar rates forwoody and herbaceous plants. The establishmentof the PCS latitudinal gradient coincided with global
cooling and increased seasonality and the flourishing of herbs at high latitudes. The PCS latitudinal gradient after the Middle Miocene was less steep thanthat of the Oligocene and closer to modern times.
Our comprehensive analyses shed critical insights
into the evolution of the PCS latitudinal gradients andits climatic and evolutionary driving forces.

The voyage of the Indian plate from the southernto the northern hemisphere took ~150 million years
and experienced varied types of climate due tochanging insolation at different palaeolatitudes.
This makes the biota of the Indian plate unique anda perfect natural laboratory that offers a peculiar
opportunity to understand the vegetation-climate
relationship during the late Cretaceous–Paleogene.
During this journey, India acted as a biotic ferry andfacilitated the migration of biota from Africa to Asia.
Besides this, India also acted as a homeland for several biota such as Ipomoea of Convolvulaceae fromthe late Paleocene, Olea of Oleaceae, Eucalyptus of
Myrtaceae, and Burseraceae from the Maastrichtian–Danian sediments of Deccan Intertrappean
beds. The plant fossil data compelled to believe thatorders such as Sapindales, Myrtales, Solanales, andLamiales have roots in east Gondwanaland. Moreover, the climatic reconstruction based on leaf physiognomy and nearest living relative methodologies
suggests a warm and humid climate with seasonalrainfall during the entire journey of the Indian plate.
The leaf morphological traits of fossils and modern
forests also inferred an Indonesian-Australian typeof monsoon during the Late Cretaceous–Paleogene.

S.193.4 Exploring an enigma- the geographic andtemporal origins of theWestern Ghats flora
Madhavi Sreenath1,2, Mark Hughes1,2,Catherine Kidner1,2, Rengaian Ganesan3,
Gudasalamani Ravikanth3
1 Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. 2 University of
Edinburgh. 3 Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology
and the Environment

S.193.3 Late Cretaceous–
Paleogene monsoon andvegetation evolution inSouth Asia
Gaurav Srivastava1, Harshita Bhatia1, Su
Tao2,3, Sadanand1, R.C. Mehrotra1
1 Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeoscience, Lucknow,
India. 2 CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecolo-

The Western Ghats are an ancient mountain range
with an origin dating back to the Late Jurassic, andan extraordinarily diverse and endemic flora. The
biodiversity of these sky islands has been influenced
by the separation of India from Gondwana during
the Late Jurassic period, and its ultimate collision
with the Eurasian plate in the Late Cretaceous. As aconsequence, the flora of the Western Ghats has thepotential to have accreted from several regions, in-594

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cluding Africa, the Himalayas, Continental Asia, andthe Sunda Shelf. There is an emerging paradigm oftropical floras being geologically young and driven by high rates of species turnover. However, theunique journey of the Indian subcontinent alludes tothe presence of an entirely unique floristic diversity
in the Western Ghats. The aim of this project was tounderstand the temporal and geographic origins of
the Western Ghats flora. A herbarium genomics approach was employed (Whole Genome Sequencing) to assemble DNA regions of species native orendemic to the Ghats and incorporate them into
existing phylogenetic datasets of plant families
with wider tropical distributions. Time-calibrated
phylogenies and ancestral range evolution models
were used to provide a synthetic view of the flora’s
origins using the families Annonaceae, Begoniaceae, Chloranthaceae, Dipterocarpaceae, Ebenaceae, Lauraceae, Sapotaceae, and Zingiberaceae as
representatives. The ancestral area reconstructions
show that the Western Ghats flora originated predominantly from the regions of Continental Asia andthe Sunda Shelf during the Miocene-Pliocene period,
showing a flora strongly influenced by geologically
recent dispersal rather than ancient vicariance.

tion over time. This study focuses on reports of angiosperms in Mexican amber, identified as extinct
members of the Staphyleaceae, Celastraceae, andLeguminosae families. These findings reveal a closer
biogeographical connection with floristic elementsof the Paleotropics, supporting the notion of a link
between tropical regions through intercontinental
dispersal routes during the Cenozoic, known as the
Boreotropical Flora. To validate this hypothesis, it isessential to continue documenting the diversity offlowering plants in Mexican amber deposits. Analyzing current lineages with disjunct distribution patterns will allow the development of a more robust
biogeographical hypothesis. This comprehensive
approach will significantly contribute to our understanding of the evolution of biodiversity in the Neotropics and interconnections over geological time.

S.193.5 Angiosperms
preserved in Mexican amber:towards the integration of
Neotropical Flora

1 Laboratorio de Botánica Sistemática. Pontificia
Universidad Católica del Ecuador. Quito, Ecuador. 2
Department of Botany, Charles University in Prague.
Praga, República Checa. 3 Missouri Botanical Garden, Missouri, USA. 4 Conservatoire & Jardin Bot
Geneve, Ginebra, Suiza

Ana L. Hernández-Damián, Sergio R. S.
Cevallos-Ferriz
DepartmentofPaleontology,
Instituto
Geología-UNAM, Mexico City, MexicodeThe Neotropics stands out as a region that harbors
remarkable biological diversity, especially within thegroup of angiosperms or flowering plants. A comprehensive understanding of the origin of this biodiversity involves the integration of the fossil record,
which, unfortunately, is scarce in this area. Bioinclusions of angiosperms preserved in Mexican amber
emerge as a unique source of information. Theirrelatively recent antiquity, corresponding to the Miocene (approximately 23-15 Mya), provides valuable
insights into the recent history of vegetation in theregion. The Miocene period appears to have playeda crucial role in the “modernization” of vegetation,
as the angiosperms identified in Mexican amber are
strikingly like contemporary plants. This phenomenon suggests a process of evolution and adapta-

S.193.6 Ecuadorian páramos:
towards a checklist of thevascular Flora
K. Romoleroux1, P. Muriel1, P. Sklenář2, C. Ulloa3,
D.A. Espinel-Ortiz1, C. Romoleroux1, J. Calvo

The Ecuadorian páramos constitute a complex andheterogeneous biome, integrated by several ecosystems, whose plant composition vary according to climate, altitude, geology, biogeographic history, anddisturbance degree. The uplift of the Andes and the
Pleistocene glacial and interglacial events, in addition
to anthropogenic activities, helped to consolidate the
Andean plant communities. The present work is basedon bibliographic data, field work, and the revision of herbaria collections, particularly QCA and MO. In our work,
we have recorded 1897 vascular plant species, whichis the highest number of species cited for this biomein Ecuador, (1682 Angiosperms, 210 Pteridophytes andfive Gymnosperms), of which 1161 are native, 699 areendemic to Ecuador and 37 are introduced. We foundthat the 10 most diverse families in this biome were: Asteraceae, Orchidaceae, Poaceae, Melastomataceae,
Campanulaceae, Cyperaceae, Rosaceae, Ericaceae, Polypodiaceae, and Lycopodiaceae; whereas the
10 richest genera were: Epidendrum, Elaphoglossum,
Phlegmariurus, Calceolaria, Senecio, Gentianella, Valeriana, Miconia, Gynoxys, and Carex. Ecuadorian páramos

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have a high percentage of endemism (40%), especiallyin the narrower and more fragmented altitudinal belt,
these unique species contribute to the formation ofcomplex communities that change from north to south
and along altitudinal gradients. Although these páramos contain one of the highest numbers of native andendemic species in relation to their area, they are very

vulnerable to environmental changes and other anthropogenic processes, that is why most of these species are now endangered. It is necessary to continue
with the study of the páramos to have a complete andupdated checklist of the flora species, which will serve
as a basic tool for conservation and decision-making
processes in this important Andean landscape.

S.194 ECOLOGY, EVOLUTION AND GENETICSOF STYLAR POLYMORPHISMS: LINKING FORM &FUNCTION
S.194.1 Deep homology orconvergence? Comparative
genomics elucidates theorigins of the heterostyly
supergene
Elena Conti1, Barbara Keller1, Narjes
Yousefi1, Emiliano Mora Carrera1, Irina
Gavrilina1, Giacomo Potente1
1 Department of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, University of Zurich, Switzerland
The rapid accumulation of high-quality reference genomes now enables us to re-examine long-standing
questions on evolutionary convergence: Does convergence at the phenotypic level correspond to shallow convergence or deep homology at the genotypiclevel? Do the same genes and genetic architectures
underlie convergent traits or can different genes be
recruited to achieve the same phenotypic outcome?
Heterostyly in Primulaceae represents an ideal system
to investigate these questions. Found in 28 families offlowering plants, heterostyly refers to the co-occurrence in a population of different plants characterized
by self-incompatible floral morphs with reciprocallyplaced male and female sexual organs, a combination promoting outcrossing while restricting selfing.
Originally investigated by Darwin in Primula, heterostyly in this genus is now known to be controlled by the
S-locus, a hemizygous supergene comprising a minimum of four genes with paralogues elsewhere in the
genome. Published phylogenetic analyses of trait evolution showed that heterostyly evolved independently
three times in Primulaceae, namely in the ancestor of
Primula, in Hottonia palustris, and in Androsace vitali-ana. However, it remains unknown whether the genes
determining heterostyly also evolved multiple times
concomitantly with heterostyly or were already present in the common ancestor of the three heterostylous
lineages but were subsequently lost in non-heterostylous relatives. To test the alternative predictions stemming from these two hypotheses, we generated highly
contiguous, chromosome-scale, haplotype-phased
assemblies of heterostylous and non-heterostylous
genomes of Primulaceae and performed comparative genomic analyses across Ericales, the order that
includes Primulaceae. Preliminary results suggest thatthe three independent origins of heterostyly inferred
via phylogenetic analyses of trait evolution mightstem from both deep homology of duplicated S-locus
genes and genetic reinvention. Primulaceae thus represent an ideal system to clarify the connections anddisconnections of evolutionary convergence from the
genotypic to the phenotypic level and back.

S.194.2 What we do
and don’t know about
stylar polymorphisms inflowering plants
Spencer C.H. Barrett1
1 Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology,
University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
Among the most remarkable floral strategies in flowering plants are those involving stylar polymorphisms.
Unlike the majority of angiosperms with continuous
phenotypic variation in style and stamen deployment, species with stylar polymorphism have discrete
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morphologically identifiable, genetically controlled
floral morphs. The most well-known stylar polymorphisms are distyly and tristyly. Since Darwin’s classic
book on heterostyly – “Forms of Flowers” – ecologists
and evolutionary biologists have been fascinated by
the origins and adaptive significance of these polymorphisms. We now know that at least some of thesepolymorphisms are controlled by linkage groups composed of major genes, and that they are maintainedin populations by negative frequency-dependent selection resulting from disassortative mating between
morphs. Work on unrelated distylous and tristylous
species has revealed much about the variation in
expression and the functions of the various components of the heterostylous syndrome. However, ourunderstanding of the other four classes of stylar polymorphism – stigma-height dimorphism, enantiostyly,
flexistyly and inversostyly – is far less complete. Here, I
summarize what we currently know about the six stylar polymorphisms in an effort to synthesize similarities and differences between the polymorphisms andgeneral principles that may apply to all of them. I focus on recent work on three main topics: 1) the genetic architecture of distyly and tristyly supergenes andpatterns of molecular convergence among unrelated
lineages; 2) efforts to understand the molecular underpinnings of enantiostyly and flexistyly; 3) the ecology and evolution of breakdown in the maintenance of
stylar polymorphisms and the genomic consequences of the resulting transitions in the mating biology
of populations. I conclude by highlighting unresolved
questions in the study of stylar polymorphisms andwhy these polymorphisms remain attractive systems
for the study of adaptation and evolution.

asymmetry is found in many animals, it is very rarein plants. One example is the mirror-image flowersof Wachendorfia and Barberetta. Species of thesetwo closely related genera show enantiostyly, i.e.,they form flowers with the style deflected to the leftof the midline and one of the three stamens to theright, or with the opposite arrangement. All flowers
on one individual have the same handedness, indicating genetic control. Functionally, the reciprocal
placement of the stigma and the opposing antherpromotes pollen placement on segregated sitesof the pollinators’ bodies and efficient transfer tostigmas of the opposite morph. We are investigating the genetic, molecular and developmental basis of mirror-image style and stamen deflection in
Wachendorfia and Barberetta. Genome assemblies
and pooled sequencing of left- and right-morph
individuals from natural populations have identified a hemizygous region whose presence causes
right-styled flowers, whereas plants lacking this region form left-styled flowers. This region contains
two conserved genes throughout all the species
tested, one of which is expressed in the developing
stamen, the other in the style around the time when
the organs begin to deflect from the midline. Efforts
to assign functions to these genes are ongoing.
Identification of the hemizygous region opens up
the possibility of assaying realized mating patterns
in natural populations and testing the efficiency ofenantiostyly in promoting disassortative mating.
Thus, our results pave the way for a mechanistic understanding of left-right asymmetry in plants and its
impact on plant reproduction.

S.194.4 Breakdown of distyly
in tropical Rubiaceae:
breeding system andmorphometric changes

S.194.3 Telling left from right- the genetic and molecularbasis of enantiostyly
in Wachendorfia andBarberetta

Paulo E. Oliveira1, Renata T. Telles2, JoãoC. Cardoso3, Ebenezer B. Rodrigues1,
Christiano P. Coelho4, Helder N. Consolaro5

Haoran Xue1, Kelly Shepherd2, OliverMarketos2, Olivia Page-Macdonald2,
Caroline Robertson2, Christian Kappel1,
Robert Ingle2, Nicola Illing2, Michael Lenhard1
1 University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany. 2 University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
Telling left from right is a difficult task for organisms,
as the two sides can only defined by reference totwo other axes. While genetically encoded left-right

1 Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Brazil. 2 Universidade Estadual de Campinas,
Campinas, Brazil. 3 Universidade Federal de Ouro
Preto, Ouro Preto, Brazil. 4 Universidade Federal
de Jatai, Jataí, Brazil. 5 Universidade Federal deCatalão, Catalão, Brazil
The Rubiaceae is a widely distributed, megadiverse
angiosperm family. Distyly is the prevalent floral system in many Rubiaceae, especially in the Brazilian

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Cerrado and other tropical environments. Besides
two floral morphs with reciprocal stigma and stamens heights, distyly is associated with a heteromorphic incompatibility system and other ancillarymorphological traits. Since the majority of Rubiaceae depends on precise biotic pollination services
for their reproductive success, distyly is vital for their
persistence. Nevertheless, morphological changes
followed by the loss of floral polymorphism are common, leading to anomalous species or populations
displaying homostyly, monomorphism or even dioecy. These reproductive transitions have occurred repeatedly in the Psychotrieae alliance, which includes
the most speciose distylous genera, Palicourea andPsychotria. Anomalous distyly cases do not show any
clear phylogenetic clustering, but seem to be associated with anthropized/disturbed or island environments, and inefficient pollination. As in other distylous groups, these changes have been explained bysudden mutation events within a supergene model,
which include both morphological and self-incompatibility alleles. However, community-wide approaches have shown that distylous Rubiaceae lack
precise reciprocity in the height of their sexual organs,often displaying higher inaccuracies either in low orhigher organs. These changes seem to be linked toreduced floral integration, possibly under pressure
from the loss of precise pollination, which seems to
be required for efficient distyly functioning. The lossesof ancillary features and reciprocity are often associated with less strict self-incompatibility. We suggest
here that the reduction of floral integration and reciprocity, besides other ancillary features associatedwith distyly, may be intermediate transition stages.
In more advanced stages, these changes may leadto a complete breakdown of the system. Such trends
can be used as indicators of environmental pressures on distyly functioning.
Acknowledgments: We thank CAPES, CNPq, and
FAPEMIG for funding.

S.194.5 Shift in pollinator
effectiveness results inchronic pollen limitation in
an enantiostylous, buzzpollinated species
Alice L.M. Fairnie1, Babu Ram Paudel2, Kelly
Shepherd3, Sam McCarren3, Eva Deinum4,
Rob Ingle3, Lawrence D. Harder5, Bruce

Anderson6, Nicola Illing3, Spencer C.H.
Barrett1
1 University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 2 Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal. 3 University ofCape Town, Cape Town, South Africa. 4 Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands. 5 University of Calgary, Canada. 6 Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
Diverse floral mechanisms have evolved in angiosperms to promote cross-pollination andoutcrossed mating. One such innovation is thesexual polymorphism enantiostyly (‘mirror-image flowers’) where styles are deflected either
left (L), or right (R) of the flower’s midline. Thisasymmetry is usually associated with heteranthery, the structural specialization of anthers forfeeding and pollinating functions. Pollinating anthers are reciprocally positioned to the style promoting bee-mediated cross-pollination between
flowers of opposite ‘handedness’ by ‘buzz-pollinating’ bees. Cyanella has nine species mostly
endemic to the Western Cape, South Africa; six
are straight-styled and two possess enantiostyly. Here, we present current research on C. albausing multiple populations in the Biedouw valley
and Bokkeveld plateau, all of which contained
three sex phenotypes – left- and right-handed
plants and those with a mixture of both flower types (L, R, M, respectively). Surveys of handedness revealed average frequencies of L=0.47,
R=0.43, M=0.10 among 15 populations with an average daily display size of 1.6 flowers. Censuses ofmarked plants throughout two seasons in three
populations revealed an increase in M frequency concomitant with decreases in L or R plants.
Controlled crosses demonstrated moderate
self-incompatibility, with plants incapable of autonomous self-pollination. Comparisons of openversus controlled cross-pollinations revealed
chronic pollen limitation of seed set. Despite 74
hours of observation, we observed only two shortvisits by buzz-pollinating bees and most flower
visits were by beetles. Observations of stamen
dimorphism at the northern range edge suggestthat heteranthery may be breaking down in some
populations enabling generalist pollination, perhaps in response to the absence of visits by bees
capable of buzz pollination. Cyanella alba plants
display few flowers daily and this could enable
enantiostyly to function effectively without genetic determinism of floral polymorphism. Breakdown of heteranthery in some populations has
probably resulted from a lack of buzz pollination.

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S.194.6 Pollinatorcomposition explains thesymmetry of pollen transfer
between floral morphs of a
distylous species.
Javier Valverde1
1 Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
Populations of distylous species are composed ofindividuals of two floral morphs that exhibit contrasting but reciprocal spacial arrangement of sexual organs: in the short-styled morph (S-morph),
stigmas are located below the anthers, while in thelong-styled morph (L-morph) this arrangement isreversed. This feature predicts cross-pollination between morphs, promoted by the morphological fitof pollinators to flowers and sexual organs. Howev-

er, it has been reported that the pollination process
can occur more efficiently in one direction (fromL- to S-morph flowers or vice versa), suggesting a
sub-optimal efficiency of the pollinator assemblage. This study analyses the relationship between
pollinator composition and pollination efficiency in
16 populations of a distylous species. Pollination efficiency at each population and direction was assessed by quantifying pollen deposition and pollen
tube growth through epifluorescence microscopy.
The data shows inter-population variation in the efficiency of pollen flow, which was explained by thecomposition of the pollinator assemblage. In particular, in populations with a lower proportion of visitsfrom a beefly genus, pollen flow from L- to S-morph
flowers occurred less efficiently. This result points to
suboptimal pollination as a driver of asymmetricalpollen flow in distylous species and highlight the importance of pollinators in the proper functioning andprobably evolutionary maintenance of distyly.

S.195 BEYOND PLANT BLINDNESS: BRINGING
PLANTS INTO THE FOREGROUND
S.195.1 Children’s perception
and plant identification
knowledge: Using drawing
to tackle emic perspective.
Vincent Porcher1,2, Sandrine Gallois2,
Victoria Reyes-García2,3, Stéphanie
Carrière1
1 Institut de Recherche pour le Développement,
UMR SENS, Montpellier, France. 2 Institut de Ciència
i Tecnologia Ambientals, Universitat Autònoma deBarcelona, Barcelona, Spain. 3 Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, Barcelona, Spain
In small-scale societies, people learn to identify
plant species during childhood. Plant recognition
is an important baseline knowledge, immediately
useful to avoid intoxication risk due to wrong identification. Plant recognition is at the basis of other ethnobotanical knowledge. However, despite
many studies on folk classification, we still have anarrow understanding of the criteria locally used
for species identification; the gap being evenlarger regarding children’s plant identification criteria. Here, we study the criteria used by Betsileo

children and adolescents to identify wild edible
plant (WEP) species using a child-adapted method including drawings and follow-up interviews.
We worked with 80 teenagers (from 12 to 17 years
old; 51 girls, and 29 boys). Our results suggest thatteenagers use a large spectrum of visual criteria
to identify plants and that these criteria matchwith botanical and ecological knowledge documented in the literature and herbarium vouchers.
We found that 35% of the identification criteria
used were non-morphological (e.g., phenology,
biotic interactions), suggesting deep ecologicalknowledge. On average, teenagers use more thannine distinct criteria per plant, which allows themto identify most plant species with a very high level of precision. The precision level of plant representation increases with age for boys, but remains
constant for girls, suggesting different dynamics
in plant identification knowledge acquisition. We
also found that boys and girls use different identification criteria: girls focus on morphological criteria while boys also incorporate ecological criteria,such as landscape features and biotic interactions, in their spectrum of identification keys. Our
results highlight the complexity of teenagers’ plantknowledge and the importance of the ecological599

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context for plant identification. Finally, our finding
suggests that gender plays an important role inplant identification’s knowledge acquisition, probably because gender differentiates daily interactions with plants.

S.195.2 Ethnobotany fosters
the interest on plants.
Different ways of returningknowledge to society in theCatalan linguistic area

erful instruments to capture people’s attention forplants and their biocultural aspects, and, therefore, to diminish the extent of plant blindness.

S.195.3 Unveiling plant
blindness through mental
modelsPeter Pany1,2, Manuel Eichler1, Benno
Dünser1, and Michael Kiehn1
1 University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria. 2 University
College of Teacher Education Vienna, Vienna, Austria

Teresa Garnatje1,2, Airy Gras3, Montse
Parada3, Joan Vallès3,4
1 Institut Botànic de Barcelona, CSIC-Ajuntamentde Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. 2 Jardí
Botànic Marimurtra - Fundació Carl Faust, Blanes,
Catalonia, Spain. 3 Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. 4 Institut d’Estudis Catalans,Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
Plant blindness -or, at least a certain degree ofplant myopia- does exist, as plants are often either neglected by people as objects of interest
or much less considered than animals, the latterprobably reflecting phylogenetic proximity andempathy. This concerns people in many aspectsof their lives, and even students at different levels
in academic subject preferences. Nevertheless, it
is also true that there is an extended interest ofpeople in nature, natural products useful for many
purposes, and biodiversity. Ethnobotanical research can undoubtedly contribute to attracting
general people’s attention to plants, for different
reasons. First of all, for its multidisciplinarity, for its
situation in the interface between social and natural sciences, for highlighting biocultural aspectsof plants. Secondly, for its important componentof citizen science, in which academic and popularknowledge converge. Finally, for the ethical commitment that an ethnobotanist has to return tosociety (and not only to the scientific community,
as is logical in any research) the knowledge thatcomes from it. In this communication, we delve into
the ways our research team employed on ethnobotany of the Catalan linguistic area. Our objective is to disseminate the traditional knowledge onplant biodiversity and to try to increase people’sinterest in plants, their names and uses and their
management. Different kinds of outreach publications, an open-access webpage, educational issues, conferences, practical workshops are pow-

This study addresses the widespread problem of‘plant blindness’, a phenomenon characterised by
the neglect of plants in both everyday perception
and educational settings. Focusing on 162 students
aged 6-18, the research uses drawings as a tool to
uncover their mental models (internal representations of concepts and ideas), providing insights into
the depth of their understanding and attention toplants, trees, flowers, and grass. Through the analysis
of drawings, the study examines the mental models
associated with these botanical terms, shedding lighton the prevalence of plant blindness and the simplification of ideas related to plants. The results show thatthe term ‘tree’ serves as a reliable indicator of how
complex plants are perceived in nature and depicted
in drawings. In particular, the study reveals consistency in mental models across age groups, highlighting
common features in plant representations. Statisticalanalyses reveal age-related anomalies and changes in certain features of mental models. Notable findings include an increased occurrence of leaf veinsfrom around 8–9 years of age. These findings contribute to a nuanced understanding of how students’
perceptions of plants develop over the course of
their schooling. Comparisons with previous researchshow consistency with existing findings. However, thisstudy introduces new insights, such as the age-related emergence of specific features in mental models. These findings provide opportunities to optimiseteaching strategies, address knowledge gaps andpotentially reduce plant blindness. In addition, thestudy establishes a link between the term ‘tree’ andthe detailed perception of plants in the environment,suggesting that drawings can be a valuable tool forassessing students’ knowledge of plant structure andanatomy. Standardised methods of investigation
using drawings may facilitate the identification ofplant blindness within groups of students, providing
a practical means of improving botanical education.

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S.195.4 Beyond plantawareness disparity:
intangible relationships withplants among ethnobotanicalexperts in the Catalan
Pyrenees

anecdotes, 27 traditions, and 31 family customs. Ourfindings shed light on the intricate relations between
humans and plants in rural communities, largely underpinned by emotional connections and a sense ofcultural identity. These findings hold large implications
for studies aimed at gauging plant awareness andquantifying PAD levels, while underscoring the breadthand depth of humans’ many intangible relationships
with the plant worlds around them.

Joaquim Querol1, Álvaro FernándezLlamazares1,2, Teresa Garnatje3, Joan
Vallès4,5, Ariadna Casadevall5, Alba
Garet5, Sandrine Gallois1
1 Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès,
Barcelona, Spain. 2 Unitat de Botànica, Departamentde Biologia Animal, Biologia Vegetal i Ecologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola delVallès, Barcelona, Spain. 3 Institut Botànic de Barcelona, CSIC-Ajuntament de Barcelona, Parc deMontjuïc, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. 4 Laboratori
de Botànica, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat deBarcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. 5 Institutd’Estudis Catalans, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain f Department of Anthropology, Universitat Autònoma deBarcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
Although plants contribute to human well-being,
their importance is vastly underestimated. This socio-psychological phenomenon, widely known as
Plant Awareness Disparity (PAD), has been studied bylooking at people’s knowledge of plants, their intereston them, the level of attention they pay to them, andtheir general attitudes towards their conservation. Yet,the emotional dimensions, encapsulated through ourintangible relations with plants, have been largely undervalued in the study of PAD. Moreover, while PAD has
been documented among mostly urban and industrialized settings, traditional plant-related wisdom of rural communities is virtually absent from this discussion.
This study explores the intangible relations between
local ethnobotanical knowledge holders and plants atthree levels – communal, familial, and individual – byexploring diverse aspects of expressive culture suchas stories, songs, and personal recollections anchoredin lived experiences. We propose a methodologicalapproach to document and characterize these intangible connections with plants and recognize them inthe study of PAD. In-depth interviews were conducted among 22 recognized ethnobotanical knowledge
keepers in the Camprodon Valley (Catalan Pyrenees,
Spain). Exhibiting notably low PAD levels, our informants
reported a myriad of cultural, familial, and individual
expressions of their bonds with the shared botanical
heritage of the valley, including 36 distinct sayings, 53

S.195.5 Can plant blindness be
detected on the vocabularylevel: poor descriptions of
personally important plants,
in Tartu, Estonia
Raivo Kalle1, Andres Kohv2, RenataSõukand3
1 Estonian Literary Museum, Tartu, Estonia. 2 Räpina
School of Horticulture, Räpina, Estonia. 3 Departmentof Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Venice, Italy
In modern society, knowledge about plants can originate from the family, from official sources or many hybrid forms in between (coming from media). The history of the scholarly botanical terminology in Estonia
dates back to 1881, when the first botany schoolbook in
Estonian was published. The next botany book, intended for a wide readership, was published in 1922 andcontained greatly different content and terminology.
Changing technical terms over time is only part of the
problem. Looking at the present day botanical literature in Estonian, we see that the vocabulary used incurrent botanical literature has become increasingly
specialized, understandable just to the specialists inthe field. For ordinary citizens, such terms often remain
distant and ambiguous. We conducted a qualitative
survey on the Google Forms platform, answered by
149 people living in Tartu. We asked to free list up to 10
trees/shrubs, herbaceous plants and cultivated plantsthat they consider important. As additional qualitative
questions, we asked why these plants are important tothem and how the respondents would describe theseplants. Only a few plants were described. Moreover,comparing the description of the most popular tree
(birch) with the official key book gave a noticeable difference. We can clearly see that as the terminology
of botanical literature diverges greatly from the local
plant-related terminology, people may have less interest in those books. Neither do they need to describe
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which leads to a loss of local botanical vocabulary in
Estonian. We propose to name this phenomenon linguistic plant blindness and invite colleagues to discuss whether plant key books should consider using

local plant-related vocabulary in parallel with the scientific one and include local plant uses to promote theinterest in plants and through that reduce linguistic
plant blindness.

S.196 GRASSROOTS MULTIDISCIPLINARY ANDINTEGRATIVE RESEARCH ON THE GLOBAL
DIVERSITY OF THE GRASSES (POACEAE).
SESSION 2
S.196.1 Floral trait syndromesin tropical grasses and theirenvironmental associations
Aluoneswi C. Mashau1, Gareth P.
Hempson1, Caroline E.R. Lehmann1,
Maria S. Vorontsova1, Cédrique
Solofondranohatra1, Abraham
Dabengwa1, Jan Hackel1, Sally Archibald1
1 Foundational Research and Services, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Private Bag X101,
Pretoria, South Africa. Email: c.mashau@sanbi.org.
za. 2 School of Animal, Plant and Environmental
Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Private Bag X3, Wits, South Africa. 3 Tropical Diversity, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Edinburgh UK. 4 School of GeoSciences, University of
Edinburgh, Edinburgh UK. 5 Accelerated Taxonomy,
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey UK.
6 Laboratoire de Botanique, Département de Biologie et Ecologie Végétales, Faculté des Sciences,
Université d’Antananarivo, Antananarivo, Madagascar. 7 Kew Madagascar Conservation Centre,
Antananarivo, Madagascar. 8 Universität Marburg,
Fachbereich Biologie, Marburg, Germany
Grass floral structures vary greatly but we have very
little understanding of their functional significance.
Due to the varied dispersal mechanisms shown by
grasses, certain syndromes of floral traits would likely
be associated with particular strategies for dispersal,
and consequently, different environments. In particular, effective seed maturation and dispersal in fireprone tall grasslands would require different floral
trait syndromes than in short, frequently grazed ecosystems. Here we quantify floral traits of nearly 200
Poaceae species from savanna and grassland ecosystems in southern Africa and explore how their floral
structures co-vary and correlate with other functional

characteristics such as grass height. Using field information on the dominance disturbance regime of 163
of these grass species it was tested whether certain
floral traits are more associated with fire vs grazing
and mean rainfall arranged from 323–1256 mm.yr-1 inthe study areas. Non-metric multi-dimensional scaling (NMDS) was used to illustrate how floral traits covaried among grass species, and to group them into
syndromes based on these traits. Analysis of variance(ANOVA) was used to test whether certain floral trait
syndromes were more associated with fire vs grazing.
We identified four clear floral trait syndromes separated largely by awn length and the presence of hooks/
prickles or bristles. Long-awned species were more
likely to be found in frequently burned environments
and were also usually taller than species without awns.
Grazer-dominated systems appear to select for two
different floral trait syndromes which are no lemmaawns, blunt or no callus sharpness. The study has improved our ecological and taxonomic understandingof how floral traits differ among the range of tribes in
one family across African countries. It can help in understanding dispersal limitations in grasses and predicting which species are likely to flourish in particulargrassland habitats.

S.196.2 Poaceae as a modelclade for understanding
cold tolerance evolution andadaptation to temperatebiomes602

Aelys M. Humphreys1, Laura Schat1, Sylvia
Pal-Stolsmo2, Sofia Nilsson1, Marian
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1 Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden. 2 Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
Grasses (Poaceae) are thought to have originated in
the moist tropics in the Late Cretaceous. Their long evolutionary history has seen multiple independent transitions to open, dry habitats as well as cold and freezing ones. The >11,000 species extant today are globally
distributed, occurring on all continents including Antarctica and dominating biomes ranging from topicalsavannahs to alpine grasslands and boreal tundra.
Grasses already constitute a model clade for understanding C4 evolution and biome formation (grasslands). This research benefits from 1) a large, active
community of grass taxonomists, systematists and palaeobotanists, 2) rich genetic and genomics resources,
centred on economically important species such as
the cereals and the model organism Brachypodium
distachyon and 3) the fact that many species growfast and have short lifecycles, making them easy tocultivate and manipulate experimentally. Despite this,and although grasses are both diverse and abundantacross the coldest places on Earth, we have a relatively
poor understanding of the details surrounding evolution of cold tolerance in the clade, whether repeated
topical-temperate-transitions were facilitated by precursor traits, what traits characterise the species thatoccupy the coldest habitats and the order of events
leading to the suite of adaptations that have madegrasses so successful in temperate biomes today. In
this talk, we showcase grasses as a model for understanding tropical-to-temperate transitions and present ongoing multidisciplinary work across grasses as awhole, as well as in smaller clades. Comparative, experimental, ecophysiological, ecological and genetic work
is providing new perspectives on cold tolerance evolution and adaptation to temperate biomes, with implications for other angiosperms as well.

S.196.3 Adapting to highstress environments:
Grasses from geothermallyheated areas of Iceland

diversity environments, with the main factor limiting
the presence of most life there being heat. The diversity of land plants occurring on geothermally heatedsoils is relatively well characterised, with mosses andgrasses (Poaceae) being particularly common at
the hottest sites. However, the geographical origin ofgeothermal organisms is largely unknown, as are theeffects of adapting to geothermal heat, e.g. phenological shifts or performance under cooler conditions.
Here we present ongoing work on geothermal grasses from Iceland, a subarctic island where scorchinggeothermal areas and bitterly cold non-thermal areas occur side by side. We show for the genus Agrostis, which occurs on soils <70˚C, that A. stolonifera hascolonised Iceland at least twice, leading to one lineage exclusive to geothermal areas and anotherexclusive to non-thermal areas. In contrast, A. vinealis has colonised Iceland just once, leading to a single widespread lineage occupying geothermal andnon-thermal areas alike. We further show phenotypic
differences, increased heat tolerance, reduced performance under cooler conditions and a shift in flowering
phenology for geothermal compared to non-thermal
A. stolonifera, suggesting that geothermal A. stolonifera represents a specialised, thermophilic lineage. Finally, we study Festuca rubra, which is found on moderately warmed soils (<30˚C). This species showed nodifference in thermal tolerance, winter survival abilityor phenology in response to geothermal warming,suggesting it is adjusting plastically to the geothermal
conditions. Our results highlight that responses to geothermal warming can be idiosyncratic, even amongclose relatives, and pave the way for further studies ofboth adaptations to extreme environments and responses to moderate warming, using the natural laboratory afforded by geothermal areas.

S.196.4 Grass diversity in
Brazil and the Flora of Brazil
project
Cassiano A. D. Welker1, Christian da Silva2,
Pedro L. Viana3, Reyjane P. Oliveira4

Aelys M. Humphreys1, Jan-Niklas
Nuppenau1

1 Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia,
Brazil. 2 Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina,
Laguna, Brazil. 3 Instituto Nacional da Mata Atlântica, Santa Teresa, Brazil. 4 Universidade Estadual de
Feira de Santana, Feira de Santana, Brazil

1 Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
Geothermal areas are formed where Earth’s innerheat is transported to the surface. This results in peculiar formations including fumaroles, geysers andheated soils. Geothermal areas are high stress, low

Brazil is a megadiverse country and houses a larger
number of plant species than any other country in
the world. The study of its flora has a long history,
including many foreign naturalists collecting in Brazil

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throughout the 18th and 19th centuries and sending
these plants to European herbaria. Until recently, themost comprehensive treatment of the Brazilian flora was the “Flora Brasiliensis”, edited by Carl Friedrich von Martius (1840-1906). Over the past 15 years,
a huge number of taxonomists have joined efforts
in the Flora of Brazil project, motivated to meet Target 1 of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation(GSPC). The Flora of Brazil project currently recognizes more than 52 thousand species of algae, fungi,
and plants that occur in the country. Identification
keys, morphological descriptions, illustrations, anddata on their habitat and geographic distribution
are available online for most taxa, including grasses. Poaceae is the fourth richest angiosperm family
in Brazil, with around 230 genera and 1.560 species.
These numbers correspond to almost a third of thegenera and about 13% of the grass species in theworld. Of these, 24 genera and about 520 species
are endemic to Brazil. Representatives of all subfamilies, except Puelioideae, occur in Brazil, including
Anomochlooideae, the first lineage that diverged
within Poaceae. This subfamily predominates in Brazilian forests, as do Pharoideae and Bambusoideae,
while Panicoideae (the richest subfamily in Brazil)
dominates tropical and subtropical grasslands. On
the other hand, Pooideae and Danthonioideae havea predominantly extratropical distribution in Brazil,
decreasing in species richness and density fromsouth to north. Phylogenetic studies including Brazilian grasses have increased greatly in the last decade, as well as the number of new taxonomists inthis family, improving our knowledge about generaand species and resulting in several nomenclaturalchanges in taxa from Brazil.

S.196.5 Taxonomic
studies on the tribe
Jansenelleae Voronts.
(Poaceae: Panicoideae:
Andropogonodae) in India
Ambika I. 1, C. Pramod1
1 Department of Botany, University of Calicut,
Malappuram, Kerala, India
Jansenelleae Voronts., a rare C3 Asian grass lineage,
was recently elevated as a tribe and comprises twogenera, Jansenella Bor and Chandrasekharania
V.J.Nair, V.S.Ramach. & Sreek. The former genus contains two species Jansenella griffithiana (Müll.Hal.)

Bor and Jansenella neglecta S.R.Yadav, Chivalkar& Gosavi and the latter is monotypic with Chandrasekharania keralensis V.J.Nair, V.S.Ramach. &Sreek. Among the three species within the tribe Jansenella griffithiana is the only widespread species,
and is reported from India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar andThailand. The other two species are endemic to theWestern Ghats. The restricted distribution and sporadic nature of this group is evident from the limited volume of literature regarding this group. Apartfrom the type, Chandrasekharania is represented bya few collections only. Jansenella griffithiana is the
only species in the tribe in which few investigations
are undertaken; and Chandrasekharania keralensis
and Jansenella neglecta are not studied thoroughly.
This paper discusses the taxonomy and nomenclature of the tribe Jansenelleae in detail.

S.196.6 The mitochondrial
genome of the diploid oat
Avena longiglumis
Qing Liu1,2,3, Hongyu Yuan1,2,4, Jiaxin
Xu5, Dongli Cui1,2,4, Gui Xiong1,2,4, Trude
Schwarzacher1,2,6, and John Seymour
Heslop-Harrison1,2,6*Qing Liu1,2,3*, Hongyu
Yuan1,2,4, Jiaxin Xu5, Dongli Cui1,2,4, Gui
Xiong1,2,4, Trude Schwarzacher1,2,6, John S.
Heslop-Harrison1,2,6
1 Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservationand Sustainable Utilization / Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China
Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences,
Guangzhou, China. 2 South China National Botanical
Garden, Guangzhou, China. 3 Center for Conservation Biology, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China. 4 Universityof Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China. 5
College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural
University, Guangzhou, China. 6 University of Leicester, Department of Genetics and Genome Biology,
Institute for Environmental Futures, Leicester, UK
Avena longiglumis Durieu (2n=2x=14) is a wild relative of cultivated oat (Avena sativa, 2n=6x=42) withgood agronomic and nutritional traits. The plant mitochondrial genome has a complex organizationand carries genetic traits of value in exploiting genetic resources, not least male sterility alleles used
to generate F1 hybrid seed. Therefore, we aimed tocomplement the chromosomal-level nuclear andchloroplast genome assemblies of A. longiglumis
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genome (mitogenome) based on Illumina and ONTlong reads, comparing its structure with Poaceae
species. The complete mitochondrial genome of A.
longiglumis can be represented by one master circular genome being 548,445 bp long with a GC content of 44.05%. It can be represented in four circular
DNA molecules (isoforms or contigs), with multiple
alternative configurations mediated by long (4,100–
31,235 bp) and medium (144–792 bp) size repeats.
Thirty-five unique protein-coding genes, threeunique rRNA genes, and 11 unique tRNA genes wereidentified. The mitogenome was rich in duplications(up to 233 kb long) and multiple tandem or simple
sequence repeats, together accounting for morethan 42.5% of the length. We identified homologous

sequences between the mitochondrial, plastid andnuclear genomes, including exchange of eight plastid-derived tRNA genes, and nuclear-derived retroelement fragments. At least 85% of the mitogenome
is duplicating in the A. longiglumis nuclear genome.
We identified 269 RNA editing sites in mitochondrial
protein-coding genes including stop codons truncating ccmFC transcripts. Comparative analysis
with Poaceae species revealed the dynamic andongoing evolutionary changes in mitochondrial genome structure and gene content. The complete
mitochondrial genome of A. longiglumis, completes
the last link of the oat reference genome and lays
the foundation for oat breeding and exploiting thebiodiversity in the genus.

S.197 GENOMICS OF LOCAL ADAPTATION.
SESSION 3
S.197.1 Subgenomic
stability of progenitor
genomes during repeatedallotetraploid origins of thesame grass Brachypodium
hybridum
Wenjie Mu1, Kexin Li1, Yongzhi Yang1,
Adina Breiman2, Jiao Yang1, Ying Wu1,
Mingjia Zhu1, Shuai Wang2, Eviatar Nevo3,
Jianquan Liu1, Pilar Catalán4
1 State Key Laboratory of Herbage Innovation and
Grassland Agro-Ecosystem, College of Ecology,
Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China. 2 University of
Tel-Aviv, Tel-Aviv, Israel. 3 Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, Haifa, Israel. 4 Escuela Politécnica Superior de Huesca, Universidad
de Zaragoza, Huesca, Spain.
Both homeologous exchanges (HEs) and homeologous expression bias (HEB) are generally found in
most allopolyploid species. Whether HEs and HEBs
differ between repeated allopolyploid speciation
events from the same progenitor species remains
unknown. Here we detected a third independentand recent allotetraploid origin for the model grass
Brachypodium hybridum, discarding alternative
scenarios of potential introgressions of early allotetraploids with diploid progenitor species. Our HEwith replacement analyses indicated the absenceof significant homeologous exchanges in any of thethree types of wild allotetraploids, supporting the
integrity of their progenitor subgenomes and theimmediate creation of the amphidiploids. The absence of HE is probably due to the distinct structureof the “homeologous” progenitor chromosomes.
Specifically, the five B. distachyon chromosomes resulted from four centromeric nested chromosome
fusions of the ten B. stacei chromosomes, making
homeologous crossovers highly improbable in theB. hybridum nucleus. Further HEB tests did not uncover significant subgenomic dominance in different tissues and conditions of the allotetraploids. Thissuggests a balanced expression of homeologs under similar or dissimilar ecological conditions in theirnatural habitats. We observed that the density oftransposons around genes was not associated with
the initial establishment of subgenome dominance;
rather, this feature is inherited from the progenitor
genome. We found that drought response genes
were highly induced in the two subgenomes, likely contributing to the local adaptation of this species to arid habitats in the third allotetraploid event.
These findings provide evidence for the consistency of subgenomic stability of parental genomes
across multiple allopolyploidization events that led
to the same species at different periods. Our study
emphasizes the importance of selecting closely related progenitor species genomes to accurately assess HE with replacement in allopolyploids, thereby605

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avoiding the detection of false HEs when using lessrelated progenitor species genomes.

S.197.2 Genomic andphenotypic responses
to climate in European
grasslands
José Luis Blanco-Pastor1, P. Barre2, J.F.
Bourcier2, A. Boutet2, S. Delaunay2, A.
Escobar-Gutiérrez2, A.J. Muñoz-Pajares3, E.
Roy2, F. Surault2, J.P. Sampoux2
1 Departamento de Biología, Instituto de Investigación Vitivinícola y Agroalimentaria, Campus de
Excelencia Internacional Agroalimentario, Universidad de Cádiz, Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain. 2. INRAE,
Centre Nouvelle-Aquitaine-Poitiers, UR4 (URP3F), LeChêne – RD, Lusignan, France. 3. Departamento deGenética, Universidad de Granada, Campus Fuentenueva, Granada, Spain.
In recent decades, there has been an increasing
number of studies on the genetic basis of adaptation in a variety of species of agricultural importance. These studies are based on the idea that wecan predict the optimal genetic component to copewith climate change by identifying the current allelicfrequencies of adaptive genes in particular climatesor geographical regions. This approach assumes
that, in the absence of temporal data (future climate), these can be replaced by geographic data.
Here we present results on geographic genetic variability in perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) but
also temporal genetic variability in meadow fescue(Festuca pratensis Huds.). We identified the temporal genetic change in meadow fescue using populations sampled long enough to empirically analyze
allele frequency changes over evolutionary time. We
sampled three meadow fescue populations from
Switzerland that have evolved without artificial reseeding. We performed whole genome sequencingof pooled samples (pool-Seq) on individuals derived
from seed samples of these populations, which were
sampled in the late 1970s and resampled in 2021,
and analyzed allele frequency differences acrossthe genome. We also grew these individuals in acommon garden and measured agronomic traits
associated with adaptation to climate. Analysis ofallele frequency and phenotypic changes in these
populations will provide information on the candidate genomic and physiological mechanisms ofadaptation to climate change in grassland species.

S.197.3 Adaptation in
unstable environments via
global gene losses - Smallbut steady by the MayWigner theory
Shaohua Xu1, Shao Shao2, Suhua Shi2,
Ziwen He2
1 School of Ecology, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China. 2 School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen
University, Guangzhou, China
Although gene loss is common in evolution, it remains
unclear whether it is an adaptive process. In a surveyof six major mangrove clades that are woody plants
in the intertidal zones of daily environmental perturbations, we noticed that they generally evolved reduced
gene numbers. We then focused on the largest cladeof Rhizophoreae and observed the continual gene set
reduction in each of the eight species. A great majority of gene losses are concentrated on environmental
interaction processes, presumably to cope with theconstant fluctuations in the tidal environments. Genesof the general processes for woody plants are largely
retained. In particular, fewer gene losses are found inphysiological traits such as viviparous seeds, high salinity and high tannin content. Given the broad and continual genome reductions, we propose the May-Wigner theory (MWT) of system stability as the underlying
mechanism. In MWT, the most effective solution forbuffering continual perturbations is to reduce the sizeof the system (or to weaken the total genic interactions). Extending MWT to gene regulatory networks(GRNs), computer simulations and transcriptome analyses support the stabilizing effects of smaller gene sets
in mangroves vis-a-vis inland plants. In summary, weshow the adaptive significance of gene losses in mangrove plants, including the specific role of promoting
phenotype innovation and a general role in stabilizing
GRNs in unstable environments as predicted by MWT.

S.197.4 Genomic suitabilityof wild Robusta coffee tolocal climate in Vietnam

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Tram Vi1,2, Julie Orjuela1, Philippe Cubry1,
Ngan Giang Khong2, Viet Ha Phan4, Pierre
Marraccini1,3, Yves Vigouroux1, Valerie
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1 UMR DIADE, Univ Montpellier, IRD, CIRAD, Montpellier, France. 2 National Key Laboratory of Plant Cellular Biotechnology, Agricultural Genetics Institute,Hanoi, Vietnam. 3 UMR DIADE, CIRAD, Montpellier,France. 4 Western Highlands Agriculture & Forestry
Science Institute, Buon Ma Thuot, Vietnam.
Crops are generally cultivated outside of their native
range. Optimal climatic suitability for crop production
is raising more concerns, especially in the context ofclimate change. Robusta coffee (Coffea canephora) is
indigenous to west and central Africa, but is also widely grown on other continents. Vietnam has been theworld’s largest Robusta producer since the 2000s, but
is currently facing the risk of yield loss due to climatechange. Assessing the suitability of wild genetic material to local climate conditions in Vietnam is essential
for sustainable improvement of Vietnamese Robusta
coffee. We first compared climatic conditions between
native environments in Africa and that in Vietnam, using
bioclimatic variables. The wild populations were highly differentiated into five main genetic groups, but only
one of these (group ER from DRC) was mainly found incultivated elite varieties in Vietnam, with a minor proportion of group AG from Gabon and Angola. A negative relationship between climate distance to the native
range of group ER and coffee yields at the planted areas was found, and used to predict future coffee yields.
The climate distance suggested higher suitability of theminor group (AG) in Vietnam. Using a reference-free
approach, more than 18M of k-mers (substrings of sequence reads at 31-bp length) were detected in association with bioclimatic variables. Functional annotationof these candidate k-mers identified putative proteins
related to gene regulation. They were used to predictthe genetic changes that the wild individuals would require to fit the local environment (genetic offset) in thepresent and future Genetic offsets revealed variation
between the different groups, and also suggested thatthe most suited genotypes came from the group AG.
The results would be useful for planning strategies toimprove adaptability of Vietnamese Robusta coffee.

S.197.5 Conservation
genomics of the narrowendemic Zoysi’s harebell(Favratia zoysii Feer)
Garima Singh1, Marco Canella1, Sara
Natale1, Nicoletta La Rocca1, Alessandro
Alboresi1, Barbara Baldan1, Špela
Pungaršek2, Francesco dal Grande1

1 University of Padova, Padova, Italy. 2 The Slovenian
Museum of Natural History, Slovenia
Alpine plants with small, disjunct populations areamong the most vulnerable to extinction due to climate change. In fact, under the global change scenario, it is predicted that several alpine species may
decline and be replaced by those from lower elevation through upward range extension. Such species
therefore require immediate efforts for assessing
their fitness and vulnerability to climate change toplan adequate biodiversity management and recovery. Here we studied Favratia zoysii, a narrow endemic chasmophyte plant of South-east Alps to evaluate
its adaptive potential and conservation status. Briefly,
after obtaining a high-quality reference genome, we
implemented a low-coverage whole genome resequencing approach on 150 individuals from the entire
distribution range. We found that the F. zoysii populations show signatures of genetic vulnerability andcharacteristics of declining populations. We proposea road map to management and recovery for thisspecies that could be extended to alpine endemics
having small population sizes.

S.197.6 Determinate root
growth in Cactaceae
and exploring its genetic
regulation
Gustavo Rodriguez-Alonso1,2, Kenia A.
Galván Alcaraz1, J. Pablo Villa Nuñez1,
Ramsés U. Albarrán Hernández1, Sofia
Esteban Hernández1,2, Julieta Olvera
Berruecos1,2, Selene NapsucialyMendivil1, Joseph G. Dubrovsky1, Svetlana
Shishkova1
1 Departamento de Biología Molecular de Plantas,
Instituto de Biotecnología - Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, México. 2
Centro de Investigación en Dinámica Molecular,
Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Básicas yAplicadas - Universidad Autónoma del Estado deMorelos, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
To thrive in deserts, Cactaceae plants possess numerous developmental adaptations. Determinate
root growth, i.e., the root apical meristem (RAM)consumption, or exhaustion, and subsequent differentiation of all root-apex cells soon after germination, is one of these adaptations (Dubrovsky,
1997). Determinate growth of primary and lat-607

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eral roots of seedlings of many Cactaceae species from the Cactoideae subfamily (Shishkova
et al., 2013) leads to the formation of a compact
root system that might provide seedlings with anadvantage for survival in arid and semiarid environments. We analyzed the primary-root growth
pattern, determinate or indeterminate, for ca. 150
Cactoideae species and most species exhibited determinate growth. Notably, a few species
that exhibit indeterminate primary root growthbelong to the sole epiphytic tribe, Hylocereeae.
In contrast, both Maihuenia species and few analysed Pereskia (and Leuenbergeria) species exhibit indeterminate primary root growth, while thischaracter could be variable between and within Opuntioideae species. To explore the genetic
regulation of the RAM exhaustion in Cactaceae,
we performed RNA-seq of the primary-root apexof Pachycereus pringlei (Rodriguez-Alonso et al.,2018) and Carnegiea gigantea (this work) on thedevelopmental stages with active and exhausted
RAM; and inferred a genetic regulatory networkthat operate in the root apex. The putative orthologs of the most important regulators of the RAM
maintenance reported for Arabidopsis thaliana
were also expressed in the root apex of the mentioned cacti species. These transcriptomes, as wellas the improved C. gigantea genome (Copetti etal., 2023) and highly fragmented draft genomes offive more Cactoideae species (Copetti et al., 2017,
Zhen et al., 2021) allowed us to start the explorationin Cactaceae of the PLT and WOX5 pathways of
RAM maintenance described in Arabidopsis thaliana. Acknowledgements: This work was partially funded by PAPIIT-UNAM IN210221, IN208824 andCONACyT-CF304301.

S.198 MOUNTAIN BIODIVERSITY ANDEVOLUTION. SESSION 3
S.198.1 Contrasting originsof two seemingly related
mountain endemics:
Saxifraga wahlenbergii(W Carpathians) and S.
styriaca (E Alps)
Natalia Tkach1, Martin Röser1, Tomasz
Suchan2, Elżbieta Cieślak2, Peter
Schönswetter3, Michał Ronikier2
1 Department of Geobotany and Botanical Garden,
Institute of Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany. 2 W. Szafer Institute of Botany, Polish Academy of Sciences,
Krakow, Poland. 3 Department of Botany, Universityof Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
The Carpathians and the Alps are the largest mountain ranges of the European Alpine System and important centers of endemism. Among the distinctive
endemic species of this area is Saxifraga wahlenbergii, a Western Carpathians member of the speciose genus Saxifraga. It was frequently suggested ataxonomically isolated Tertiary paleopolyploid andpaleoendemic. A recently described narrow endemic of the Eastern Alps, S. styriaca, was hypothe-

sized to be closely related to S. wahlenbergii due tothe presence of pelicular glandular hairs. Clarifying
the origin and phylogenetic relationships of both
species could provide valuable insights into evolutionary and biogeographical history of the Carpathian and Alpine floras. To this end, their nuclear andplastid DNA were analyzed using Sanger and NGS(MiSeq) in a broad taxonomic context. Different evolutionary courses were found: S. wahlenbergii has acomplicated hybrid origin. The maternal parent is apart of a West Eurasian lineage consisting of highmountain taxa within subsect. Androsaceae andcould be widespread S. androsacea itself. The paternal lineage belongs to the distantly related subsect.
Tridactylites, which also includes S. adscendens, thepresumed second parent of S. wahlenbergii. The
NGS screening revealed presence of sequencesfrom both lineages. The second species S. styriaca
was clearly assigned to subsect. Androsaceae andis not the sister of the first species. The similarity of
the glandular hairs of both taxa is thus based onparallelism, and both species are not an example ofa close evolutionary connection between the Western Carpathian and the Eastern Alpine floras. Since
the origin of the paternal S. adscendens-like ITS DNA
is estimated to be ca. 3.0 Ma, S. wahlenbergii cannot be relict of the mid-Tertiary climate optimum. Its
hybrid origin is much younger and most likely took
place in the Pleistocene.

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S.198.2 Phylogeny,
species boundaries, andmorphological evolution ina Himalayan-Hengduan
clade of honeysuckles(Isoxylosteum, Lonicera)

S.198.3 Structure, diversity
and regeneration ofvulnerable Pseudotsuga
forests in southwestern
China
Cindy Q. Tang1, Shi-Qian Yao1, Jian-Ran
Wen1, Peng-Bin Han1

Mansa Srivastav1, Amit Kumar2, Gopal
Singh Rawat2, Michael J. Donoghue1
1 Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology,
Yale University, USA. 2 Department of Habitat Ecology, Wildlife Institute of India, India
The Himalayan-Tibetan-Hengduan region is one of
the most important biodiversity hotspots for high-altitude plants. However, owing to the trans-boundary
nature of this region and its remote peaks and valleys, many taxonomic problems remain unresolved.
In turn, this has impeded our understanding of its
evolutionary history. Here we resolve the phylogeny and delimit species in an endemic lineage ofhoneysuckles – the Isoxylosteum clade of Lonicera– using restriction-site associated DNA sequencing(RADSeq) combined with morphological and ecological data. These plants occupy almost the entire
length and breadth of the Himalayan-Hengduan
system, as well as the Tien Shan and Pamiro-Alai
mountains to the north of the Tibetan Plateau. They
also span an altitudinal range from ~2000-5000 m
and occupy several major biomes, from wet anddry temperate forests to cold deserts and alpine
areas. Phylogenetic and population structure analyses support the recognition of five species. One ofthe previously recognized varieties – L. rupicola var.
minuta – was found to form a clade that is sister toL. spinosa. This is surprising because the geographic
range of L. minuta is contiguous with the other varieties of L. rupicola in the northern Hengduan region
and it is widely separated from L. spinosa whose
range is confined mainly to the west of the Tibetan plateau. However, on close examination, several morphological and ecological traits also favour
a closer relation of L. minuta to L. spinosa than to
L. rupicola. This finding raises the possibility of ring
speciation around the Tibetan Plateau. Our analyses
demonstrate contrasting patterns of diversification
between the predominantly lower-elevation L. angustifolia-L. tomentella clade and the higher-elevation L. spinosa-L. minuta-L. rupicola clade. We also
found repeated parallel evolution into alpine habitats in L. angustifolia.

1 Institute of Ecology and Geobotany, College of
Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
Our study sought to comprehensively understandPseudotsuga forestii and Pseudotsuga sinensis forests, exploring forest structure, species diversity, andregeneration characteristics. The analysis of various
indices, including species richness, Simpson diversity, Pielou evenness, Shannon-Wiener diversity, andphylogenetic diversity, consistently revealed comparable values across different forest types, indicating consistent biodiversity patterns. Forests are
multilayered, reaching a maximum height of 42 m
and a maximum diameter at breast height (DBH) of
143 m, with an age of 570 years. The age frequency distribution exhibited a multimodal pattern, witha distinct absence of individuals in the 0-20 years
age range. Seedlings and saplings were predominantly found in unstable micro-habitats. Forests undergoing moderate disturbance displayed a higher
number of P. sinensis individuals younger than 30
years compared to areas with no, slight, or severe
disturbance. Our findings highlight the significanceof moderate disturbance in the regeneration of bothP. forrestii and P. sinensis. This information provides
valuable insights into the conservation strategies
needed for these vulnerable coniferous species,emphasizing the importance of managing and preserving habitats with a focus on maintaining moderate disturbance levels to support their sustainable
regeneration and long-term survival.

S.198.4 Flower form andfunction in a speciose
tropical mountainecosystem

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Dario C. Paiva1, Adam B. Roddy1
1 Insitute of Environment, Department of Biological
Sciences, Florida International University, USA

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Climate change is altering the costs and benefitsof plant investments in reproduction. Knowing thecosts of flowers and the mechanistic linkages between floral traits and floral performance is crucial topredicting how plants will respond to these changes
in the future. Yet, the physiological costs of flowers
and the traits influencing these costs of floral production and maintenance remain poorly studied. A
few studies have addressed how water and carbon
costs relate to flower longevity, but these have been
restricted to only a few genera and mostly to cultivated plants that were not growing under natural
conditions. To address this fundamental knowledge
gap, we investigated how flower longevity and size
– two traits associated with the likelihood of pollination – are related to traits influencing the waterand carbon costs of flowers in naturally occurring
montane plant communities. We sampled 19 species belonging to 15 families in the endangered
Brazilian campos rupestres, a montane ecosystem
known for its high diversity and endemism. We foundthat variation in traits related to carbon construction
costs (petal mass per area and petal thickness) was
explained by the longevity of individual flowers, while
traits related to water maintenance costs (residual
conductance and water residence time) were associated with flower size. Our results showcase how
the physiological costs of flowers are related to pollinator attraction and thus play an important role inplant reproduction. Furthermore, our results highlight that shifts in the relative strengths of pollinatorand non-pollinator selection may alter floral traits
depending on the physiological costs of the flower.
Therefore, our results can provide insight into how
flower production and function may be affected bydifferent components of climate change.

S.198.5 Molecularphylogenetics in Andean
Caryophyllaceae
D.B. Montesinos-Tubée1, T. Borsch1
1 Botanischer Garten Dahlem Berlin, Germany. 2
Universidad Nacional de San Agustín de Arequipa
The family Caryophyllaceae has a Worldwide distribution. In the Andes, this family is represented
by approximate 250 species. In the framework ofthis work, several tribes are treated at the phylogenetic level including morphology and theircorrespondent distribution. Results indicate thathigh radiations occurred in the Andes and spe-

ciation events derived in numerous unknown
species that yet remain undescribed. Our conclusions corroborate the high diversity of species
concentrated in the Central Andes (Peru, Bolivia).

S.198.6 Mistletoes as
key component of highmountain temperate
rainforests of southern
South America
Francisco E. Fontúrbel1,2, José I. Orellana1,2,
Gabriela S. Olivares3, Roberto F. Nespolo2,4
1 Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile. 2 Millennium Nucleus of Patagonia
Limit-of-Life, Valdivia, Chile .3 Universidad de Chile,
Santiago, Chile. 4 Universidad Austral de Chile,
Valdivia, Chile
Mistletoes are a key component of most forest
habitats, as they offer valuable fruit resources
for animals during scarcity times. Despite theirparasitic habits, mistletoes exert many positiveeffects in forest communities via indirect interactions. While our knowledge about plant-animal interactions in which mistletoes are involved
is reasonably good, our knowledge about theplant-plant interactions that take place with theirhosts remains limited. The temperate rainforests of southern South America are considereda biodiversity hotspot due to its highly-endemic relic flora. There are two common mistletoe
species at those forests: Tristerix corymbosus, ahighly-abundant generalist mistletoe in the evergreen forests, and Desmaria mutabilis, a deciduous mistletoe that parasitizes only Nothofagus
trees. Those mistletoes are almost exclusively
dispersed by the relict arboreal marsupial Dromiciops gliroides. While both mistletoes are sympatric at mid-elevations, where we found T. corymbosus in Nothofagus spp. trees by parasitizing
D. mutabilis (hyperparasitism), as D. gliroides
feeds simultaneously on both species during the
austral summer. However, above 1250 m of elevation only D. mutabilis is found as forest vegetation
change from evergreen to deciduous. From 1250
m until the forest treeline (~1600 m) the deciduous tree Nothofagus pumilio becomes dominant, concentrating most of D. mutabilis plants.
The presence of D. mutabilis represents a major
food source for D. gliroides at those forests, whereother fleshy-fruited plants are nearly absent. We

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recorded many D. gliroides visits to those mistletoes using camera traps, even at temperatures
as low as -6ºC, as mistletoes generate amenablemicroclimatic conditions. Besides D. gliroides, werecorded many other animal species associatedwith D. mutabilis (e.g., parrots). Whereas both mistletoes play a key role in southern South America
temperate rainforests, D. mutabilis is particularly
relevant in high-mountain forests where food islimiting, and environmental variations are broader than in the evergreen forests.

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Symposia Session 12
S.199 SYSTEMATICS, EVOLUTION AND
DIVERSIFICATION OF MAGNOLIALES(ANNONACEAE, EUPOMATIACEAE,MAGNOLIACEAE, MYRISTICACEAE)
S.199.1 Integrative speciesdelimitation, biogeography,
and conservation of Cuban
magnolias (Magnoliaceae)
Ernesto Testé1,2,3, Majela HernándezRodríguez3, Eldis R. Bécquer3, Alejandro
Palmarola5 & Luis R. González-Torres6
1 University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel. 2 Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Montpellier,France. 3 Jardín Botánico Nacional, Universidad
de La Habana, La Habana, Cuba. 4 Facultad de
Biología, Universidad de La Habana, La Habana,Cuba. 5 Jardín Quinta de los Molinos, La Habana,Cuba. 6 Douglas College, Vancouver, Canada
An accurate taxa delimitation, based on a complete understanding of evolutionary processes
involved in taxon differentiation, can be gained
from a combination of ecological, morphological, and molecular approaches. The taxonomy
of Cuban magnolias has long been debated andexclusively based on a traditional morphological study of a limited number of individuals. Our
goals are to delimit the Cuban species of Magnolia and to understand their biogeographic history in order to update their conservation status.
Samples for the ecological, morphological, genetic, and phylogenetic analyses were collected throughout the entire distribution range. The
variability of each group was analyzed throughecological niche models, multivariate and geometric morphometrics, genetic markers, and afully sequenced plastome. The conservation status of each species was given based on the IUCN
guidelines. Seven species of Magnolia are reported for Cuba, six of the endemics. Almost all the
species showed a restricted distribution and evident differences in the ecological niche used. The

observed leaf morphological variability was different between groups and from that describedby previous studies. The population genetic andphylogenetic results showed good limits for all
the species except for Magnolia minor and Magnolia oblongifolia, in which a recent or still ongoing hybridization event was reported. The phylogeny showed three different colonization events in
Cuban magnolias: from North America, Central
America, and the Caribbean Islands. All the Cuban magnolia are included in one category of
threatened, due mainly to mining, deforestation,and invasive species.

S.199.2 Mutualistic
interactions with seeddispersing vertebrates
determine global andregional variation plantdispersal trait syndromes612

Andressa Cabral1, Irene M.A. Bender2,Thomas L.P. Couvreur3, Søren Faurby4,5,
Oskar Hagen1, Isabell Hensen6, Ingolf
Kühn7, Hervé Sauquet8,9, Joseph Tobias10,
Renske E. Onstein1,111 German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research, Halle, Jena, Leipzig. 2 Instituto de Ecología
Regional CONICET-UNT. 3 IRD, DIADE, University ofMontpellier, Montpellier, France. 4 Department of
Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Box 461, Göteborg, Sweden. 5
Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre, Göteborg,
Sweden. 3 6 Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Institute of Biology/Geobotany and Botanical
Garden. 7 Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, Department Community Ecology. 8

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Laboratoire Écologie, Systématique, Évolution, Université Paris-Sud, CNRS UMR 8079, Orsay, France.
9 National Herbarium of New South Wales, Royal
Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust, Sydney, Australia. 10 Imperial College London, Faculty of Natural
Sciences, Department of Life Sciences. 11 Naturalis
Biodiversity Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
Tropical rainforests are the most diverse ecosystems in the world, but the underlying drivers of this diversity remain debated. Mutualistic
interactions between fruits and frugivores (i.e.,fruit-eating and seed-dispersing animals) areprominent in tropical rainforests, and may influence diversification and diversity. These interactions are facilitated by the evolution of functional trait matching between plants and frugivores,
leading to the evolution of ‘fruit dispersal syndromes’. Here, we hypothesize that co-diversification and selection on co-evolving traits has
shaped plant-frugivore interactions and co-occurrence across broad-scale assemblages. We
integrated global occurrence and novel frugivory-related trait data for >2000 species of a pantropical plant lineage (Annonaceae) with data
for all 5,159 frugivorous birds and mammals. We
applied functional diversity metrics, structural
equation models, and fourth corner analyses toevaluate whether there is a match in the global distribution of plant and frugivore taxonomic richness and dispersal syndromes. We showthat global variation in Annonaceae species
and functional diversity was strongly influenced
by the diversity and trait matching of co-occurring frugivorous mammals, whereas frugivorous
birds affected Annonaceae diversity within particular regions: the Asia-Pacific and Afrotropics.
Additional direct and indirect effects of climate,elevation, and net primary productivity on plant
and animal diversity were found. This suggeststhat high diversity of fleshy-fruited plants acrosstropical forests is at least partly shaped by diversification-dependent co-evolutionary dynamics
and selection on co-evolving frugivory-related traits – such as fruit length and growth form
with beak volume, hand wing index, body mass,and colour vision. Our results also suggest thatbiogeography and scale-dependence modulate
how mutualistic interactions promote diversity, with mammals shaping intercontinental andbirds primarily shaping intracontinental patterns.
Our work builds on studies of particular animalgroups or regions by providing a global view of
how frugivores have shaped pantropical variation in plant species richness and traits.

S.199.3 Phylogenomic
evidence sheds light onphylogenetic relationships
and infragenericclassification of Neotropicalmagnolias
Fabián Augusto Aldaba Núñez1, Salvador
Guzmán-Díaz1, Emily Veltjen2, Pieter
Asselman2, Isabel Larridon3, Esteban ManuelMartínez Salas4, Marie-Stéphanie Samain1,2
1 Instituto de Ecología, A.C., Pátzcuaro, Mexico. 2
Ghent University, Gent, Belgium. 3 Royal Botanic
Gardens, Kew, UK. 4 Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
The genus Magnolia includes around 390 species
inhabiting the Nearctic (~10 spp.), Neotropical (~170
spp.) and Oriental and Palaearctic (~210 spp.) biogeographic regions. Although several studies havebeen carried out to elucidate their phylogenetic relationships, the Neotropical taxa have been underrepresented, whereas the number of Neotropical
species described has doubled in recent decades.
Hence, this research focused on determining thephylogenetic relationships of Neotropical Magnolia
using phylogenomic procedures to understand theinfrageneric classification of Neotropical clades. The
study included 137 samples from 90 taxa: 75 Neotropical and 15 Nearctic and Asian, covering one-third of
all Neotropical species and including related clades
to maintain phylogenetic representativeness. A listof 25 macromorphological characters for Magnolia, emphasizing Neotropical species was provided
to delimit lineages. Two primary clades were identified: the first grouped the Neotropical sections Talauma and Splendentes, as well as Gwillimia from
Asia, while the second was composed of the Neotropical sections Macrophylla and Magnolia and thefour remaining Asian and Nearctic groups. These
two main clades corresponded to those found inprevious studies based on plastome data. The section Talauma was divided into two geographicallypatterned clades: one included species from Mexico and Central America, and the other comprised
species from South America and the Caribbean. The
Splendentes section was also subdivided into two
subclades corresponding to the former sections
Cubenses and Dugandiodendron. The phylogenomic evidence showed a species complex in the
Macrophylla section, where taxa intersected among

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lineages. Relationships within the Magnolia section
were unclear due to inconsistent topologies. All recognized Neotropical clades can be diagnosed by
a combination of macromorphological traits, andthey were confirmed as monophyletic, while certain
Nearctic or Asian groups were not. The infrageneric classification of Neotropical clades was updated
based based on the phylogenomic evidence and ataxonomic key is provided.

S.199.4 A Taxonomic updateof Brazilian magnolias
Juliana Cruz Jardim Barbosa1, Maria
Beatriz Rossi Caruzo2, Ana Rita G. Simões3,
Marie-Stéphanie Samain4of our work are highly relevant for future studies that
aim to unravel the evolution of the genus in Brazil,
such as those on population and landscape genetics, as well as its inclusion in a phylogenomic study
in a Neotropical framework.

S.199.5 Global map oftaxonomical and functional
diversity of Annonaceae
and implications for tropicalrain forest conservation
Wei Xu1, Carlos Rodrigues-Vaz1,2, Vincent
R.C. Soulé1, Francis J. Nge1, Serafin Streif1,
Alix Lozinguez1, Galilea Orellana3, Thomas
L.P. Couvreur1, Annonaceae Global
Phylogenetics Consortium4

1 Instituto de Pesquisas Ambientais, São Paulo, Brasil .2 Instituto de Ciências Ambientais, São Paulo,
Brasil. 3 Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, London, UK.. 4
Instituto de Ecología, A.C., Pátzcuaro, Mexico. E-mail:juliana.cruz.jardim@gmail.com
The genus Magnolia (Magnoliaceae) has a wide anddisjunct geographic distribution ranging from Eastern and South Asia to Malaysia, extending across the
Neartics (Canada and USA) and reaching into the
Neotropics, which is one of its two diversity hotspots.
Regarding its infrageneric classification, the genus
is divided into three subgenera: Yulania, Gynopodium and Magnolia, the latter including the section
Talauma in which the native Brazilian taxa are classified. The species of Magnolia sect. Talauma canbe recognized by two parallel longitudinal scars on
the petiole formed by the shedding of the stipules, inaddition to a woody syncarp that breaks into irregular plates at dehiscence. Currently, in Brazil, speciesdelimitation within Magnolia is not clear on national platforms that are of great importance to theBrazilian botanical community (e.g., Flora do Brasil), with only two species of native Magnolia being
recognized: M. amazonica and M. ovata. The lack ofknowledge about the species and their distinguishing morphological characteristics has resulted inmany identification errors in the main Brazilian herbaria, leading to the lack of knowledge about theircurrent conservation status. We conducted a complete taxonomic revision based on extensive fieldwork, herbarium survey, and literature. In addition to
the abovementioned species, we recognize threepreviously described species, which increases thenumber of recognized native Magnolias occurring in
Brazil to five, namely: M. amazonica, M. brasiliensis,
M. irwiniana, M. ovata and M. sellowiana. The results

1 DIADE, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, IRD, Montpellier,France. 2 Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle-CNRSSU-EPHE-UA, Paris, Cedex 05, France. 3 Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Facultad de Ciencias
Exactas y Naturales, Quito. Apdo. postal: 17012184 4
http://www.couvreurlab.org/agpc.html
Protecting tropical rain forests (TRFs), home tohalf of the world’s plant diversity, is essential for
mitigating the global biodiversity crisis. TRFs not
only exhibit an impressive taxonomical diversity (TD) but are also renowned for their diverse
morphological traits, indicating high functional diversity (FD). However, our knowledge of thespatial patterns of their TD and FD remains incomplete, severely impeding our ability to implement effective conservation measures. In particular it remains unclear is both these dimensionsof diversity overlap or not across global scales.
To address this issue, we assembled the mostcomprehensive distribution and morphologicaltraits datasets within Annonaceae, a diverse andecologically important pantropical family. We examine spatial correlations between TD and FD,
and overlap the hotspots of both to identify thehottest hotspots. We further assess the current
protection and threat status of these hotspots
by overlaying them with protected areas, global
tree cover loss and regional land use datasets.
The hotspots exhibiting high levels of both TD andFD, lack of protected areas, and high coverage ofdisturbed areas should be given utmost priority intropical rain forest conservation efforts.

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S.199.6 Genomics sheds
light on the diversification of
the amazonian tree genus
Duguetia (Annonaceae)
Federico Fabriani1, Francis J. Nge2, Vincent
R.C. Soulé2, Carlos Rodrigues-Vaz2,3,Thomas L.P. Couvreur2, Lars W. Chatrou1
1 Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium. 2 DIADE, Univ.
Montpellier, CIRAD, IRD, Montpellier, France. 3 Institut
de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité, Muséum
National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France
The genus Duguetia (Annonaceae) is composed of
97 species of trees found mostly in tropical America with the Amazon basin representing the main
centre of diversity for the genus. Some species
occur in the Atlantic coastal forest, Central America and South American savannahs. Although the
Amazon basin is the world largest tropical forest
hosting an estimated tree flora between 9 and 16
thousand species, drivers and dynamics of tree
species diversification are not yet fully understood.
Previous studies have showed that Duguetia start-

ed diversifying during the Eocene, probably within
the Amazon basin. Additionally, Duguetia species
are present in virtually all vegetation types foundin the Amazon. These characteristics make Duguetia an outstanding example to study the diversification and biogeography of Amazonian trees. We
produced a genomic dataset with near-full taxon
sampling, based on low copy nuclear genes, to infer species relationships. Consequently, we wereable to infer a fully resolved and strongly supported species-level phylogenetic tree which we usedin conjunction with a selection of morphologicaland biogeographical characters to reconstruct
the historical biogeography and investigate possible drivers of diversification in Duguetia. Our results
show that the genus Duguetia likely originated in
Africa and diversified in the Amazon basin with a
few independent range expansions into the Atlantic forest and Central America. We hypothesize thata combination of characters within a particularvegetation type, rather than single characters, has
led to accelerated diversification rates. Our results
contribute to an improved understanding of the origin and diversification dynamics of the Amazoniantree flora.

S.200 TAXONOMY AND EVOLUTION OF
BAMBOOS IN THE PHYLOGENOMIC ERA
S.200.1 Phylogenomics ofbamboos using reference
genomes and deep genome
skimming data
Meng-Yuan Zhou1, Peng-Fei Ma1, Jing-Xia
Liu1, Yun-Long Liu1, Cen Guo1,2, De-Zhu Li1*
1 Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China. 2 Xishuangbanna Tropical
Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences,
Menglun, Yunnan, China. *dzl@mail.kib.ac.cn
Bambusoideae is a typical legacy of complex reticulation. It has diverse ploidy levels (herbaceous bamboos, temperate and neotropical woody bamboos,
and paleotropical woody bamboos being diploid,
allotetraploid, and allohexaploid, respectively) andcytonuclear discordance is manifest, making it a difficult plant group in which phylogenetic relationships

and taxonomy of some tribes, subtribes, genera andspecies remain controversial to varying degrees.
Ancient hybridization, polyploidization, and complex
reticulate evolution history have led to extensive cytonuclear discordance and difficulties in accurately
identifying orthologous genes applicable to phylogenetic studies of allopolyploid plants. Also, great challenges have been encountered in elucidating thecomplex history of deep reticulation.
In order to recover the phylogenetic framework ofbamboo and explore its evolutionary history, we sampled 43 representative species across the 19 bamboo
subtribes with reference to traditional taxonomy andprevious molecular phylogenies based on plastomes
and ddRAD data whenever available. Of the sampled
43 ingroups, there are 12 reference-level genomes
and 31 assemblies generated from deep genome
skimming data. We compared four different analysis
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for identifying orthologs, and finally selected a large
number of syntelog groups to carry out phylogenomic
analyses and to resolve relationships at deep nodes
for reconstructing the subtribal-level phylogeny ofbamboos. Moreover, the evolutionary history was deciphered by integrating published bamboo transcriptome data and multiple lines of evidence such as thedetection of potential hybridizations and introgressions, divergence time estimation, etc. Ultimately, thisstudy offers a robust phylogenomic framework for further taxonomic studies of subtribal delimitations froma molecular biology point of view and provides an example for tracing the origin and evolutionary history of
deep reticulation in polyploid plants.

S.200.2 Into the unknown:long-lost knowledgeof bamboo diversity in
Thailand
Watchara Arthan1,2, Atchara
Teerawatananon1,3, Sarawood
Sungkaew1,4
1 Center of Excellence for Bamboos, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand. 2 Department of Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mahidol
University, Ratchathewi, Bangkok, Thailand. 3 Natural History Museum, National Science Museum,Technopolis, Pathum Thani, Thailand. 4 Department
of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
Biased documentations of bamboo diversity are observed in species-rich Indochina region towards a
few countries. Thailand is situated at the center of theregion and shares floristic regions with neighboring
countries China, Myanmar, and Malaysia and covervarieties of habitats favoring different bamboo species. However, robust and up-to-date references ofbamboos from Thailand are absent. Approximately
100 bamboo species are enumerated by global databases. However, the number still reflects the underestimation of Thai bamboo species since discovery of new species and genera and species records
points out unrecognized wild bamboos and long-utilized species by the locals. More than two decadesof extensive fieldwork and specimen examinations
proved unexpected high diversity of Thai bamboos,
which not only encompass morphological diversity but also delivers biogeographic and evolutionary
meanings. The majority of tropical woody genera
belong to the evolutionary complex clade of Bambu-

sa, Dendrocalamus, and Gigantochloa (BDG clade)in which multiple cases and observations of natural
hybridization, such as a hybrid species xThyrsocalamus liang and suspected Dendrocalamus hybrid
contribute to the overall diversity. Schizostachyum
exemplifies gaps in diversity knowledge that the recorded number of its species is underrepresented.
Minor and other endemic genera such as temperate
genus Chimonocalamus and tropical genera Holttumochloa, Maclurochloa, Phuphanochloa, and Temochloa are accounted for diversity and new unknown
genera represent rare morphological characters distinct from other genera and require further data todelimit the genus. For the first time, we represent acompilation of bamboo diversity in Thailand in taxonomic and diversity perspectives. Morphologicalcomparison and relationships of bamboos are discussed. We proposed future directions in studying
evolution and ecology of bamboos in Thailand as
foundation knowledge and how biodiversity knowledge of Thai bamboos can drive national Bio-Circular-Green economic model and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the global context.

S.200.3 Macroecology ofworld bamboos
Sami Touafchia1, Maria S. Vorontsova2,
De-Zhu Li3, Thomas Haevermans1
1 Institut de systématique, évolution, biodiversité,Museum national d’histoire naturelle, Paris, CNRS,
SU, UA, EPHE, France. 2 Royal Botanic Gardens,
Kew, Richmond, Surrey, UK. 3 Germplasm Bank ofWild Species, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese
Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
Occurring all over the world (being introduced or native), bamboos represent one of the most familiargroup of plants worldwide. Serving as sources of shelter, sustenance, and economic livelihood for a substantial segment of the global population, these versatile plants also play a pivotal ecological role in theirnative biomes. Their influence extends to the structuring of ecosystems by offering cover and habitats fora diverse array of animal taxa, spanning from invertebrates to mammals, in addition to fostering symbiotic
relationships with countless microorganisms. Despite
their ecological significance, the systematic study ofbamboos poses considerable challenges, leading
to periodic reassessments of their classification. The
factors underpinning the overarching patterns of diversity and distribution on a global scale remain inadequately understood. This knowledge gap encom-

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passes environmental parameters, historical contexts,
dispersion events, and anthropic influences that canshape the distribution of the various bamboo clades.
Understanding the correlation between these factors
and the observed diversity and distribution patterns is
crucial to decipher how environmental have shaped
the diversity and distribution of bamboos as observed
today. Especially focusing on extremes, like drought or
freeze known to limit the ranges of several other plants
groups. Such knowledge not only enriches our understanding of the ecological and evolutionary processes
at play but also holds intrinsic value in addressing societal needs and exploring nature-based solutions. Our
project with its particular emphasis on bamboo-centric approaches, will provide useful primary data thatcan be generalized to allow understanding the effects
of global climate crisis and its consequences for othergroups of plants.

S.200.4 Evolution anddiversity of Chusquea(Poaceae: Bambusoideae:
Bambuseae)

ploidy, has been enhanced by recent genomic-level
analyses, but no WGS resources for Chusquea are
available. Elucidation of species-level diversification
has been hampered by lack of resolution in plastid sequence data but also likely rapid and recent radiationin the Euchusquea clade and homoploid hybridization.
We are exploring the utility of nuclear target capture
data (Angiosperms353) to study the evolution of thisdiverse and ecologically important genus. Questions
include revisiting the apparent paraphyly of Neurolepis relative to Chusquea, testing the monophyly andrelationships of morphologically defined groups within
Chusquea, and unraveling the biogeographic historyof the genus.

S.200.5 Advances in theknowledge on systematics
and evolution of Neotropicalherbaceous bamboos(Poaceae, Bambusoideae,
Olyreae)Reyjane P. Oliveira1, Iasmin Laiane C.
Oliveira1, Maria Luiza S. Carvalho2, Fabrício
M. Ferreira3, Cassiano A.D. Welker3, João P.
S. Vieira1, Marcos C. Dórea1, Alessandra S.
Schnadelbach2, Lynn G. Clark4

Lynn G. Clark , Nancy F. Refulio-Rodriguez
11

1 Department of EEOB, Iowa State University, USA
Although bamboos (Bambusoideae) are typically associated with the Eastern Hemisphere, especially China, India and Japan, >600 bamboo species (of over1700) are native to the Americas. Of these, 203 (onethird) belong to Chusquea, the most diverse genus ofbamboo, and the description of new species in thisgenus continues unabated. Chusquea is the mostwidespread bamboo genus in the Americas, extending from 25°40’N in Mexico to 47°S in Chile and Argentina. Species of Chusquea grow primarily in montane
forests and high elevation grasslands in Mesoamerica, the Greater Antilles, the Andes and eastern Brazil, and are often dominant elements in these habitats. Chusquea has the broadest elevational rangeof any bamboo genus, from sea level to over 4300 m,
although few of its species occur below 1000 m. Morphologically, Chusquea has a uniform spikelet structure of four glumes and one fertile floret with no rachilla extension, but exhibits extreme vegetative diversity,from aerially unbranched culms bearing leaves to 4 mlong and 30 cm wide to highly branched culms with
2-200 subsidiary branches per node, bearing leaves
1-40 cm long and 0.06-8.5 cm wide. Understanding of
the complex evolutionary history of the woody bamboos, which involves ancient hybridization and poly-

1 Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana, Bahia,
Brazil. 2 Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador,
Brazil. 3 Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Minas
Gerais, Brazil. 4 Dept. of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University
The tribe Olyreae includes weakly lignified plants bearing unisexual dimorphic spikelets which inhabit theunderstory of tropical forests, almost exclusively in theAmericas. Its monophyletic status is well supported, as
are the relationships of its subtribes (Buergersiochloinae sister to the Olyrinae + Parianinae clade). However,in the past five years new information about this tribe
has been gathered using integrative approaches. Molecular phylogenies based on plastid and nuclear sequences, as well as morphological and micromorphological data, were used to reveal novel relationships
and identities within the group. Three genera (Piresiella, Miniochloa and Ekmanochloa) were recently transferred from Olyrinae to Buergersiochloinae, enlarging
the circumscription of the group to four genera andfive species. In Parianinae, another new genus is being
described, also increasing its generic number to four.
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largest subtribe, which has undergone in-depth investigations. One important result is the confirmation of
the paraphyly of Olyra, which will be resolved by transferring some of its species to Arberella and recognizing five new genera. Thus, the subtribe now encompasses 20 genera, increasing to 30 the total number ofgenera of Olyreae. Most richness of this tribe is found in
Brazil (25 genera, six of them recently described) from
where several species are endemic and threatened. In
this sense, our efforts have focused on the recognitionof taxa the diversity of which was and continues to beunderestimated due to their complexity and rarity. We
are also developing genomic studies to better explore
the evolutionary history and biogeography of this interesting bamboo group.

S.200.6 How can we use
the macro and micro
morphology for the bamboo
taxonomy in the era ofphylogenomics?
Yu-Xiao Zhang 1, De-Zhu Li 2
1 College of Forestry, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China 2 Germplasm Bank ofWild Species, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese
Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China
The bamboos are notorious for the difficulty in taxonomy. Morphological characteristics are the cor-

nerstones for classification. As in other plants, themacro morphology including both reproductive
and vegetative features is used in traditional bamboo taxonomy, particularly that of inflorescences
and spikelets. Woody bamboos usually flower after
decades of vegetative growth, therefore, taxonomists rely much on their vegetative characters, suchas rhizome, culms, culm leaf, branch complement,
and foliage for classification. However, vegetative
characters are more plastic and variable in different
environment, which brings confusions for bamboo
taxonomy. On the other hand, some micromorphology, such as foliage leaf blade anatomy, epidermis
characters, and phytolith (silica body) are exploited
as supplementary evidence for bamboo taxonomy.
With the development of molecular phylogenetics
and phylogenomics, the relationships within Bambusoideae have been changed incredibly, which
also render researchers to reassess the evolutionary significance of macro and micro morphologyof bamboos. Homoplasy or convergence of somemorphological features, including inflorescence has
been detected at different taxonomic levels. In addition, inconsistency in terminology for some characters (e.g., inflorescence vs. synflorescence, sheathscar vs. nodal line) exists in current floristic and/or
morphological accounts. Those terms should be
unified for taxonomic constancy and meaningful
evolutionary studies under the Bamboo Phylogeny
Group II, a joint international effort. We also propose
to establish an image database with an array ofmorphological characters onto the BambooBase.

S.201 INTEGRATING FLORISTIC,BIOGEOGRAPHIC AND ETHNOBOTANICALSTUDIES FOR CONSERVATION
S.201.1 Local perceptions of
the benefits versus negative
impacts of weedy grasses inCentral Madagascar, focusedon the genus Digitaria
Noro F. H. Randrianarimanana1,2,Nantenaina H. Rakotomalala1, Jean
A. Randriamampianina4, Mijoro

Rakotoarinivo2, Helene Ralimanana1,
Lorna MacKinnon3, Rafael F. de Almeida3,
Philippa Ryan3, Maria S. Vorontsova3
1 Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Antananarivo, Madagascar. 2 Biology and Plant Ecology Mention,
University of Antananarivo, Madagascar. 3 Royal
Botanic Gardens Kew, Richmond, UK. 4 National
Center for Applied Research on Rural Development(FOFIFA), Antananarivo, Madagascar
Plants and agricultural practices are an integral part of human food systems and well-being.
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self-consumed but also constitute the local economy basis. Beside climate change, weeds are oneof the main problems that hinder production, andmost of them are grasses belonging to the Poaceae family. Conversely, some Poaceae considered
bad for crops are used for food, medicine, andornamentation purposes. Digitaria species, commonly known as finger grasses, are typically foundin Malagasy crop fields, interacting with cultivation. This work aims to identify the best-known Poaceae weeds and understand their roles in agricultural systems. To increase our understanding of
the relationship between these plants and farming
activities, information on their recognition and thefarmers’ perception of the Poaceae weed status
in cropping systems was analysed. Our approach
was based on field surveys and farmer interviews
with plant voucher specimens and photographs
in three areas of Madagascar central highlands.
Additionally, we present detailed data on Digitaria
species. 51 Poaceae, including 11 Digitaria species
were mentioned. Farmers classify Poaceae weeds
in three ways: their impacts on agricultural activities, use category, and vegetative growth patterns, the latter especially significant for Digitaria.
Locally common grasses are perceived as weeds
when they are abundant and cause yield loss.
Overall, 67% of the species mentioned are judged
useful. More than 40% of the farmers use Poaceae weeds in composting, more than 20% as fodder, and more than 8% as medicine. The diversityof useful species and the associated indigenous
knowledge is important to the local communities,
but weeds are still perceived as overall negative.
The Poaceae are overall neglected in Malagasy
ethnobotany. The data obtained will be useful for
weed control as well as the conservation of agrobiodiversity, especially endemic species that are
not widely known.

S.201.2 Fern and palm
species biogeographic
patterns in Amazonia

S.201.3 Tropical Important
Plant Areas (TIPAs) in
Bolivia: identification,
documentation, and impact
on the protection of plant
ecosystems
Bente Klitgård1, Maira T. MartinezUgarteche1,2, Daniel Villarroel2,3, Jack
Plummer1, Hannah Rotton1, Rebecca
Dicker1, Nicola Biggs1, Oriana Lino-Villalba3,
Liliana Arroyo-Herbas3
1 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK. 2 Museo de Historia Natural Noel Kempff Mercado, Santa Cruz de la
Sierra, Bolivia. 3 Fundación Amigos de la Naturaleza, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia

Gabriela Zuquim , Hanna Tuomisto , Rajit
Gupta11anthropogenic effects in shaping the current distribution of used and non-used plants in Amazonia, we developed species distribution using species records, top-notch remote sensing products,
deforestation masks, soils and climatic variables.
Applying several modelling approaches, we reveal the main drivers of human use, species distributions and biogeographic patterns of selected
Amazonian plants. In nutrient-richer soils, palm
species richness is lower, but, a higher proportionof the species are used and each species is morediversely used by humans. For ferns, the opposite
was found: richer soils harbor a richer fern flora
than poor soils. For both ferns and palms composition patterns, the primary floristic gradient wasstrongly related to soil nutrient concentration, andthe secondary gradient, to climatic variables. Traditionally, the relative importance of soils as opposed to climate as drivers of species distribution
has been considered a matter of scale. However, we conclude that the effects of soils are often
underestimated and vary according to species
characteristics.

2

1 Department of Biology, University of Turku, Finland.
2 Biology Department, Aarhus University, Denmark
Species occurrences are strongly affected byenvironmental properties. To understand the interplay between historical, environmental, andThe concept “Important Plant Areas” (IPAs) was
developed by PlantLife International in the early
2000th and initially implemented in Europe andthe Mediterranean, identifying IPAs in 27 countries.
Given the impact of the IPAs program, the “Tropical Important Plant Areas” (TIPAs) program waslaunched in 2015, with Bolivia as the first country inSouth America for its application. The three main
objectives of TIPAs are to: 1) identify the most im-

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portant areas and habitats for rare, threatened,
endemic and useful plants or habitats; 2) designate priority TIPA sites for their conservation; and3) promote the sustainable management andprotection of TIPAs through the participation of
government decision makers, local communities
and conservation institutions. To date, the Bolivia
TIPA program has identified 37 sites in two ecoregions of the country: the Chiquitano Dry Forest andthe Inter-Andean Dry Valleys. In total, 319 species
and eight habitats met the TIPA criteria for inclusion. In the process, we have also: a) identified
six centres of richness of useful plants; b) evaluated the risk of habitat collapse following IUCN
criteria in the highly threatened Chiquitano Dry
Forest ecoregion; c) discovered 12 species new
to science; and trained 28 Bolivian professionals
and 65 undergraduate students in IUCN and TIPA
methodology. The TIPA network of sites has been
adopted by the subnational government of Santa
Cruz along with the RAMSAR and IBA sites, and has
informed 1) the revision of the Master Plan of protected areas in the Department of Santa Cruz, 2)
the delimitation of two areas protected areas, 3)
the Comprehensive Natural Resources Plan of the
Department of Santa Cruz, and 4) the recent review of the Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) in Bolivia.

S.201.4 Promoting the
integration of different plantdisciplines for bioculturalconservation in tropicalregions
Manuel J. Macía1,2, Julia G. de Aledo1,
Laura Matas-Granados1, Celina Ben
Saadi1, Luis Cayuela3
1 Departamento de Biología, Universidad Autónoma
de Madrid, Madrid, Spain. 2 Centro de Investigación
en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global (UAM), Madrid,
Spain. 3 Departamento de Biología y Geología,
Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan
Carlos, Madrid, Spain
Plant biodiversity studies in tropical regions aremainly based on field inventories. Despite thelarge networks of plots and plant data banks,
there is still a need for further fieldwork to document the enormous richness existing in these areas at local and regional scales. In addition, tropical regions are populated by different humangroups that have extensive traditional knowledge

on the use and management of plant species
and communities. Studies of our research groupare shown with the idea of promoting a greater
integration of different data sets and disciplines:(1) Forest types and plant uses. The inventories
show clear floristic differences between different
habitats, although often the forests with the highest species richness are not necessarily thosewith the highest use value for human groups. (2)Elevation and uses. It is widely known that above
1500 m, the floristic richness in tropical areas
decreases progressively, although this is not directly related to plant utilization patterns, since
they vary according to the needs of local humanpopulations. (3) Latitude and uses. Understanding the variation in plant communities along thelatitudinal gradient is essential for comparing theuse patterns across different human groups ordifferent communities of the same ethnic group.
(4) Traits and uses. There is a clear relationshipbetween functional traits and the use of plants
by different communities. Various traits can promote similar uses, however there are some use
categories more dependent on a particular trait.
(5) Dominance and uses. Plant species with higher abundances and frequencies are potentiallymore widely used than rare species and generally have uses in a greater number of ethnobotanical categories. (6) In studies with local communities, it is necessary to integrate gender studies,differences between generations and to understand the influence of socioeconomic variables
on traditional knowledge.

S.201.5 Understanding
Cerrado plant biodiversity toboost conservation actions ina UNESCO World Heritage site
Gabriel R. Vedovello1, Natashi L. Pilon1,
Rafael S. Oliveira1
1 Department of Botany, Institute of Biology, Campinas State University, Campinas, Brazil
The Cerrado, a biodiversity hotspot, with only 1% of
the total area legally protected, has its diverse flora at risk due to land conversion and facing local
species extinctions. The Chapada dos Veadeiros
National Park (CVNT), a UNESCO World Heritage site,
appears as an iconic protected area, presenting arich, heterogeneous and representative Cerrado
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terns of diversity within the park, such as species
composition on small-scales, beta diversity patterns and degree of threat. Here, the study goal
was to evaluate and categorize flora composition across different vegetation types, consideringvegetation coverage, species distribution and vulnerability. The study was conducted by analyzing
open databases and literature reviews. Considering CVNP legal perimeter and surrounding vegetation patches, it was found a coverage of open
environments of 65% (52% savannas), harboring
33% of unique species considering the total species pool already cataloged in the park. In contrast
only 13% consists of forest vegetation, but exhibiting
similar species richness, and about 32,5% of uniquespecies. However, the bias of collection for woody
and forest species is well known, even in savanna
ecosystems, which might result in this similar percentage of species. Over 20% of the area is humanaltered, underscoring the urgent need for conservation and restoration actions. Threats such as biological invasion, tree planting, and unnatural fire
regimes endanger both open and forested landscapes. The park flora represents almost a third of
the total Cerrado species. Over 90% of the park species cataloged lack vulnerability data, and thosewith data are classified to some degree of threat.
Our results pointed out the need to increase thetaxonomic studies in critical biodiversity hotspots
and urge to better catalog non-woody vegetation.
This information is the basis for conservation actions in areas with global importance such as Chapada dos Veadeiros.

S.201.6 The Madidi Project:
Monitoring tree diversity tounderstand environmental
change and inform plant
conservation
J. Sebastián Tello1, Leslie Cayola1,2, Carla
Maldonado2, Gabriel Arellano3,4, ManuelJ. Macía5,6, Beatriz Nieto Ariza7,2, Alfredo F.
Fuentes1,2

drid, Spain. 6 Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global (UAM), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain. 7 Karlsruher Institut
für Technologie, Karlsruhe, Germany.
The Madidi Project stands as a testament to thepower of collaborative botanical research, particularly in tropical regions, where biodiversity remains
largely undocumented despite centuries of study.
Spearheaded by the Missouri Botanical Garden
and the Herbario Nacional de Bolivia, along with aconsortium of researchers and institutions, the Madidi Project represents a multifaceted approach tobotanical exploration. Key elements of the project
include floristic surveys, the establishment of an
extensive network of forest plots, the collection offunctional trait data, the gathering of information for
population genetics and phylogenetics, and ethnobotanical research with several local communities.
The data obtained from this project have been instrumental in studies aimed at understanding the
dynamics of biodiversity. Notably, the project has
shed light on the evolution of species in response tolarge-scale environmental changes in the geological past, as well as shifts in species distributions andthe composition of forest communities in responseto recent climate change. Increasingly, a significant
application of the data from the Madidi Project lies
in its contribution to conservation. It provides critical information that aids in identifying priority areas
for conservation and informs the decision-making
processes of policymakers in the regions affectedby the project. Importantly, the project has served
as a platform to train a large number of students,
particularly in Bolivia, by addressing a major gap inlocal capacity for research and conservation. The
Madidi Project, therefore, not only enhances our understanding of tropical biodiversity but also plays asignificant role in guiding conservation strategies
in Bolivia. Major conservation challenges remain in
Bolivia – as in Latin America and the Tropics. The
Madidi Project – as well as other major scientific initiatives – should simultaneously contribute to efforts
to understand and preserve natural places for the
benefit of biodiversity and people.

1 Latin America Department, Missouri Botanical
Garden, St, Louis, MO, USA. 2 Herbario Nacional de
Bolivia (LPB), La Paz, Bolivia. 3 Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor,
Michigan, USA. 4. Oikobit LLC, Albuquerque, New
Mexico, USA. 5 Departamento de Biología, Área de
Botánica, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Ma-

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S.202 BENEFICIAL PLANT-MICROBE
INTERACTIONS. SESSION 2
S.202.1 How plantmicroorganisms interactions
can help reveal insights
about coevolutionary
processes?

S.202.2 Induction of stress
tolerance genes and plant
protection by endophytic
bacteria

Yanis Bouchenak-Khelladi1

Surendra K. Gond1, Rusi Lata1, James F.
White2

1 UMR Agroécologie, Université de Bourgogne, Dijon,
France1 Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India. 2 Rutgers University, New Brunswick NJ, USA

As early as the 19th century, Darwin and Wallace considered the importance of plant-biotic interactionsin promoting diversity and the intensity of selection.
The extent to which coevolution may drive natural
selection and shape angiosperm diversity is still
debated, particularly because no unequivocal evidence has been provided regarding reciprocal evolutionary changes. For instance, the use of phylogenetic trees for the study of coevolutionary processes
turns out to be inconclusive because phylogenetic
patterns of coevolution exclusively reflect codivergence phenomena. The concept of coevolution
is still subject to multiple debates and, apart fromsemantic questions, reflects the need to develop
experimental approaches which take into accountthe complexity of biotic interactions. Experimental
approaches under controlled conditions have beenable to highlight selection pressures exerted by organisms connected in food networks generatingchanges in allelic frequencies. However, when species are integrated into complex and diverse interaction networks under natural conditions, reciprocal
selection pressures can vary in time and space anddepend on the ecosystem under study. Despite theknown benefits of plant microbiota on growth andnutrition, the mechanisms of association and theirdegree of heritability remain largely unknown whereas they do constitute the basis and requirements forcoevolution to occur. Here, I highlight the suitabilityof studying plant-microorganisms’ interactions todisentangle the mechanisms and dynamics of biotic associations in light of coevolutionary processes.
Studying genetic variability, gene expressions andfunctional responses of plant-microorganisms associations would provide exceptional insights on themechanistic processes of coevolution.

The microorganisms which survive within healthy
tissues of plants without causing any overt negative effect to the host are defined as endophytic microbes. These microbes develop a mutualistic relationship with their host and promote
plant growth under different biotic and abiotic
stresses. The endophytic bacteria were isolated
and molecularly identified from different maize
varieties including ancestral Teosinte and Chloris grass. Plant protection and stress tolerance
was observed by treating endophytic bacteria
to non-host plant. The over expression of stress
tolerance genes of plants was analysed by qPCR
(quantitative PCR). The plant salt stress tolerance
was observed by up-regulation of the aquaporin gene family in maize plant treated withendophytic bacterium Pantoea agglomerans.
The plasma membrane integral protein type 2(PIP2-1) gene in tropical corn seedlings was highly up-regulated by P. agglomerans treatment
under salt stress conditions. The species of endophytic Bacillus showed up-regulation of several defense genes of maize plant against biotic
stress also. The induction of expression of pathogenesis-related genes, including PR-1, PR-4 andPR-10 was observed against fungal pathogen inmaize seedlings treated with endophytic Bacillus. Plant protection was also observed in maize
seedlings and Arabidopsis thaliana treated withendophytic Bacillus against fungal pathogen
Fusarium moniliforme. The study suggests that
endophytic bacteria may be further formulated
and applied for the plant stress tolerance anddisease protection.

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S.202.3 Microbial effects onholm oak (Quercus ilex L.)
germination
Francisco I. Pugnaire1, Christian Kindler1,
Esteban Manrique2

S.202.4 Molecularmechanisms involvedin rhizobacteria-plantinteraction in Solanum
lycopersicum

1 Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas, Consejo
Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Almería,
Spain. 2 Real Jardín Botánico, Consejo Superior deInvestigaciones Científicas, Madrid, Spain

Giulia Ghirardello1,2, Nicole Zerbetto1,2,
Rosalba Cipriani1,2, Sebastiano Nigris1,2,
Barbara Baldan1,2

Seed germination is a critical step in plant establishment and is influenced by both abiotic and biotic factors. Humidity, radiation, and temperature
generally determine germination onset, which isalso influenced by the microbiota. Germination
rate depends therefore on the interaction between
microbes hosted by the seed, soil microbes andenvironmental clues. Over time, plants selected
specific sets of microbes and evolved together
in response to local conditions. We looked at therole of soil microorganisms on holm oak (Quercus ilex L.) germination, and specifically whether soil microbes from its own habitat enhanced
germination more than soil microbes from otherhabitats, testing whether the home-field advantage hypothesis (HFA) reported for litter decomposition applies to seed germination. We used Q.
ilex seeds from different provenances sowed witha factorial design on sterilised soil from different
habitats, and added soil extracts with the microbiome from the same soils. The objective was totell apart effects from soil and microorganisms.
We recorded seed germination daily for about 2
months. Overall, germination rate of Q. ilex seeds
from Somiedo (N Spain) was higher than seeds
from Ronda (S Spain). Soil extracts from Somiedo enhanced seed germination more than otherextracts, pointing to the soil microbial community
as the factor controlling seed germination. There
was a significant difference in HFA between the
two localities, being positive in Ronda and negative in Somiedo, suggesting stronger coevolution
between plants and soil microbes under harshthan under mild environmental conditions. Our
results evidence that soil community structureand diversity critically contribute to Q. ilex germination, all else being equal.

1 University of Padua, Padua, Italy. 2 Botanical Garden of Padua, Padua, Italy
Plants cohabit and interact with diverse soil microorganisms, that are archaea, bacteria, fungi,
and protists, which form the root microbiota. These
communities play a pivotal role in enhancing plant
growth through improved nutrient uptake, immunity,
and stress tolerance. Here, we examine the role ofbacterial species of a commercial compost on Solanum lycopersicum (tomato) growth and health.
Firstly, we identified six main bacterial species fromthe culturable microbiota of the compost, belonging to Bacillus, Kocuria, Glutamicibacter and Microbacterium genera. Tests for their plant growth-promoting traits revealed their capacity to solubilize
phosphorus, produce siderophores and synthesise
auxin. To investigate the plant responses to the colonization, the tomato seedlings were grown in soil
enriched with the inoculum of the single bacterial
species. RTqPCR highlighted a specificity in the expression profile of genes representing pathways
involved in plant-microbe interplays, such as flavonoid biosynthesis and ethylene production, in
response to the different bacterial strains. RNAseq
analysis of the host transcriptome will provide awider overview of the plant response to the rhizobacteria, hence pointing out other pathways influenced by the interaction. Moreover, some of the isolated bacterial strains were transformed to express
fluorescent-tag proteins. This will enable the tracking of rhizobacteria accommodation on the tomato
root and the description of their spatial distribution
from different plant root surfaces to inner tissues byconfocal microscopy. This study aims to contributeto the decipherment of the molecular signalling behind the interactions between plants and bacteria
in the context of the promotion of sustainable agriculture practices proposed by the European Union
within the EU Sustainable Goals 2030.

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S.202.5 Nitrogen-fixing
bacteria boost floral
attractiveness in a tropicallegume species

S.202.6 Holobionts comprisedof grass Festuca species
and their fungal Epichloë
endophytes exhibit diverse
coevolutionary mechanisms

Anselmo Nogueira1, Caroline Souza1,
Isadora Schulze-Albuquerque2, Pedro J.
Bergamo3, Douglas D. Souza1, Lorena B.
Valadão-Mendes4

Alba Sotomayor-Alge1,2, Luis Ángel Inda1,2,
María Fernanda Moreno-Aguilar1,2, Íñigo
Zabalgogeazcoa3, Pilar Catalán1,2

1 Universidade Federal do ABC, São Bernardo doCampo, Brazil. 2 Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil. 3 Instituto de Biociências,
Universidade Estadual Paulista, Rio Claro, Brazil. 4
Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
Legumes establish mutualistic relationships withnitrogen-fixing bacteria and pollinators critical forplant reproduction and ecosystem services. However, we know little about how nitrogen-fixing bacteria and soil nutrient availability affect the plant’s
attractiveness to pollinators. We conducted a
two-factorial greenhouse experiment to investigate the impact of nitrogen-fixing bacteria (rhizobia) and soil types on flower traits in Chamaecrista latistipula (Fabaceae): rhizobia-inoculated (R+)
and non-inoculated (R-) plants in organic-richmatter (OM) and sandy soils. We monitored bud
and flower production and analyzed leaf, petal,
and anther reflectance curves with a spectrophotometer. Using the bee hexagon model, we estimated chromatic contrasts, a crucial visual descriptor for attracting bees up close and from a
distance. We partially corroborate our hypotheses,
in which only plants R+ and under sandy soils had
a high floral display and color contrasts. On theother hand, the absence of nitrogen-fixing bacteria in the root system or plants growing under
OM soil severely reduced flower display and color contrasts, decreasing flower attractiveness tobee pollinators. Our findings indicate that rhizobia
positively impacts pollination, particularly in nutrient-limited conditions. This study provides insights
into the dynamics of plant-pollinator interactions
and underscores the significant role of rhizobia
bacteria in influencing key floral traits within tropical ecosystems. These results contribute to understanding the mechanisms governing mutualistic
relationships and their consequences for plant fitness and ecological dynamics.

1 Escuela Politécnica Superior de Huesca, Universidad de Zaragoza, Huesca. 2 Grupo de Bioquímica,
Biofísica y Biología Computacional (UNIZAR, CSIC).
3 IRNASA-CSIC
Epichloë endophytes (Clavicipitaceae, Ascomycota) are known to colonize the aerial part oftemperate pooid grasses and the nature of theirantagonistic or synergistic interactions with their
host depends on the ability of the endophyte toreproduce sexually or asexually. Most of these endophytes can only be transmitted vertically andasexually through plant seeds, establishing mutualistic symbiotic interactions with their hosts.
We are investigating the potential co-evolution ofholobionts comprised of Epichloë taxa and species complexes of the worldwide distributed grass
genus Festuca (Loliinae, Poaceae). This genus encompasses ~500 accepted species, most of which
had never been surveyed for their interactions
with these endophytes before. To assess this matter, we are conducting a worldwide scale researchcollecting information about all the reported symbioses between these two genera and studying
material from ~200 Festuca species through bothgenome sequencing and bioinformatic pipelines.
So far, we can affirm that at least 14% of the Festuca species interact with Epichloë endophytes.
Additionally, we unraveled the existence of natural symbioses between 15 Festuca species and13 Epichloë taxa and we were able to detect 20
lineage-specific relationships for temperate andtropical mountain fescues and their endophytes, afifth of which presumably correspond to new Epichloë endophytes. We have applied a multidisciplinary approach that included morphoanatomical, histological, cytogenetic and phylogenomic
studies to analyze holobionts formed by the Festuca rothmaleri polyploid complex and their endophytes. This study suggests a hybridogenic
adaptive co-evolutionary scenario where the increasing ploidy-level of the grass host (tetra, hexa
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with the ploidy-levels of their respective symbionts. This scenario offers an opportunity to better

understand the co-evolutionary mechanisms involved in the establishment of these relationships.

S.203 FILLING THE GAPS IN THE CATALOGUING
OF ALIEN FLORAS IN THE MEDITERRANEAN BASIN
S.203.1 The alien floraof Greece: taxonomy,chorology, life traits andhabitats preferences
Margarita Arianoutsou1, Ioannis Bazos1,
Anastasia Christopoulou1, Alexandros
Galanidis2, Yannis Kokkoris1, Andreas Zikos1
1 Department of Ecology and Systematics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece. 2
Department of Environment, University of the Aegean, Mytilene, Greece
Biological invasions represent one of the most important threats to biodiversity, with invasive alien
species (IAS) having severe negative consequences
for the invaded environment. This contribution reports on the alien flora of Greece as well as on theworst invasive alien plant taxa in it. A compilation of
the alien plants occurring in Greece has been performed resulting in 448 taxa (including 58 archaeophytes). For this task, various literature sources
have been screened. Of those 448 taxa 270 are established, 171 are casual and 7 are of unknown establishment status. The richest families in numberof taxa are Poaceae, Asteraceae, Fabaceae, Solanaceae and Amaranthaceae. Chorology of the established taxa indicates that 47,8% are of American
origin followed by those of Asian (16,7%) and African
origin (10,4%). Regarding their life form, therophytes
prevail with 47% followed by hemicryptophytes andphanerophytes with 20% and 15% respectively. Artificial (man-made) habitats are the most invadedwith 69% of the plant taxa found there followed by
freshwater habitats and rocky habitats both with12%. Taxa consisting the total alien flora of Greece
as well as others that were added after a horizon
scanning process were screened for their degree or
potential of invasion. In total, 32 were considered as
the most invasive ones and they were proposed to
be included in the National Catalogue of Alien Invasive Species. The majority of these taxa have theirnative geographical distribution in the Americas.

The most common introduction pathway is their use
as ornamental and in horticulture. Risk assessments
have been performed for all 32 plant species, to detect those presenting the highest risk to the local
biodiversity and ecosystem services. Fifteen plants
were found to have major impacts, with 80% of them
being recorded in the wild, while 40% of them arealready established in Greece.

S.203.2 Towards a complete
and updated knowledgeof exotic flora in Sardinia:
diversity, ecology andactivities for their control
Gianluigi Bacchetta1, Alba Cuena
Lombraña1, Mauro Fois1, Lina Podda1,
Marco Porceddu1
1 Centro Conservazione Biodiversità, Dipartimento
di Scienze della Vita e dell’Ambiente, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Cagliari, Italia
Since the appearance of Homo sapiens, humans
have increasingly become a global force capable of altering the functioning of the entire planetary ecosystem. Among human-induced pressures,plant invasions are considered one of the most impactful processes on biodiversity, due to, among
others, their negative influence on food webs, vegetation structure and ecosystem services. This isparticularly true in the Mediterranean Basin, which
has long been a crossroads for human populations,and especially on islands, where human pressures
can be more impactful due to their inherent small
size and wider fragmentation. Here we present alargely replicable regional approach from Sardinia(Italy), which starts from the presence and distribution of invasive plants and improves knowledge byinvestigating the ecology of the species of greatest interest. A dynamic checklist of exotic vascularplants was continuously updated by monitoring andreporting new introductions and changes in status,

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focusing in particular on those environments thatare particularly sensitive, such as most coastal habitats highly threatened by humans’ impacts. In parallel, the investigation of the ecophysiology of seedgermination of some invasive species has made it
possible to predict their potential invasion trend andfuture risk, providing further insights into their control.
This information was put into practice by controllingthe invasion of some introduced species in different contexts, such as small islands, wetlands andcoastal sand dunes. These activities were evaluated
not only on the basis of control success, but also on
economic costs and feasibility. These experiences
highlighted the importance of constantly monitoring the changing local status of exotic species andof sharing and recording all research and practicalactivities. From a bottom-up perspective, such local
experiences provide crucial information to improvethe effectiveness of efforts to halt the increasing environmental depletion of native resources.

S.203.3 Alien plants in
Sardinian wetlands, theireffects to the native
biodiversity and ecosystems
Alba Cuena Lombraña1, Mauro Fois1, Lina
Podda1, Gianluigi Bacchetta1
1 Department of Life and Environmental Sciences,
University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.
Biodiversity is declining globally and invasion byalien plants is regarded as one of the most significant threats to ecosystems worldwide. Despite theirgreat value in biodiversity conservation, wetlands
are one of the most vulnerable environments to Invasive Alien Species (IAS). This is attributed to theanthropogenic pressure, especially eutrophication,
which favours new invaders and variations of flooding pulses. IAS plants can cause radical changes inaquatic ecosystems with severe consequences, either through competition for resources with the native plants or by physically altering the habitat.
Here are presented analyses on invasion by alienplants and how these affect the native flora. We
monitored 500 wetlands around Sardinia (Italy),
including different types. The field information was
gathered following a rapid assessment protocol toprovide a general overview of a maximum number of sites. Most of the wetlands investigated arethreatened by biological invasion, a total of 128 alienplant species were found (ca. 1300 records), accounting for 8,5% of the total plant species.
Furthermore, invasive plants were found in the 50.41%
of the wetlands, while the naturalized in 30.89% andthe casual ones in 18.70% sites. Asteraceae species
had the highest frequency, followed by Poaceae,
and Fabaceae. Among invasive hydrophytes, we recorded Lemna minuta, Hydrocotyle ranunculoides,
Pontederia crassipes and Azolla filiculoides. Higher
concentration of IAS was detected in coastal wetlands than in inland or human-made wetlands.
These wetland types include lagoons, estuaries
and salt marshes of different surface and catchment size, human population and touristic pressure.
We detected that multiple activities around coastal wetlands and their catchments directly and indirectly promote IAS proliferation, especially in themost easily accessible areas. These results lead us
to enhance multidisciplinary research on the ecology and functioning of wetlands, to plan more effective conservation actions based on plant communities’ knowledge.

S.203.4 Neophytes andarchaeophytes in thesegetal flora of artichokefields in the Mediterranean
island of Sardinia
Vanessa Lozano1,2, Maria Teresa Tiloca1,
Giuseppe Brundu1,2, Luigi Ledda3
1 Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of
Sassari, Sassari, Italy. 2 National Biodiversity Future
Center, Palermo, Italy. 3 Department of Agricultural,
Food and Environmental Sciences, Marche Polytechnic University, Ancona, Italy
Segetal flora refers to the set of spontaneous plant
species, almost exclusively annual, that grow inagroecosystems, within crops, and whose composition and biomass depend on habitat conditions
and management adopted. Plant communities inconventional intensive cropping systems often include a limited number of species, with dense covering, which may represent a limiting factor as theirpresence affects crop yield. On the contrary, a morediverse segetal flora considerably increases thewhole biodiversity of agroecosystems, supporting
pollinators and other beneficial insects. The study
was carried out in Sardinia (Italy) during 2019-2021
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segetal flora in globe artichoke (Cynara cardunculus L. s.l.) cropping system. The data was collected in
Sardinian fields of globe artichoke through random
located georeferenced plots (1×1 m). Two different
cropping systems were analyzed: conventional andorganic. Based on floristic surveys, it was possible
to make an inventory of 115 plant species classified
as native or non-native (neophytes and archaeophytes). The most frequent and often also the mostabundant species were three natives (Calendula arvensis (Vaill.) L., Convolvulus arvensis L., Lolium
rigidum Gaudin), one archaeophyte (Avena fatua
L. s.l.), and three neophytes (Glebionis coronaria (L.)
Spach, Oxalis pes-caprae L., Veronica persica Poir).
Our results showed that organic farming often has
positive effects on species richness, improving thediversity of plant communities, reconciling the sustainability of agricultural systems and the provisionof ecosystem services. However, a higher coverageof plant species was observed in the conventional
systems compared to the organic. In the conventional systems the composition of the segetal flora is shaped by high nutrient availability, herbicide
resistance and biogeographic origin. Such traits areoften linked to species that are highly competitiveand difficult to control.

cially Protected Areas of Mediterranean Importance(SPAMI). In Italy, 73 alien macrophytes (10 Chlorophyta, 16 Ochrophyta, 46 Rhodophyta, 1 Tracheophyta) iscurrently reported. Our research revealed differences among the MPAs with respect to the number ofmarine alien macrophytes, which could be linked todifferent reasons such as differences in the numberof conducted studies or differences in geographicalposition. For instance, 12 marine alien macrophytes
have been reported for the MPA Egadi Islands, 6 forthe MPA Capo Carbonara, 2 for the MPA Miramare
and 8 for the MPA Portofino. The research has also
shown that data on fauna and terrestrial flora are
more numerous than those on marine flora andthat the last ones are not often updated. Despite
their fundamental role in the conservation of marine
biodiversity, MPAs are not immune to biological invasions, evidencing that protection does not hinder
the introduction and spreading of NIS. Management
actions within MPAs should include the planning of
regular monitoring activities which will allow early
detections and to follow the spread of species already present. This work represents an important
starting point for the creation of a regularly updated
list of alien macrophytes within the Italian MPAs.

S.203.6 Towards an updated
catalog of the alien vascularflora of Spain

S.203.5 Biological invasionsin Marine Protected Areas(MPAs): trends in nonindigenous macrophytes in
Italian MPAs

Carlos Gómez-Bellver1, Jordi López-Pujol1,
Felipe Martínez-García2, Ana Novoa3,4,
Neus Nualart1 Jairo Patiño4, Llorenç Sáez5

Anna M. Mannino1,2, Donatella Serio3

1 Botanic Institute of Barcelona (CSIC-Ajuntament de Barcelona), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. 2
Departamento de Sistemas y Recursos Naturales,
Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería de Montes,
Forestal y del Medio Natural, Universidad Politécnica
de Madrid, Madrid, Spain. 3 Department of Invasion
Ecology, Institute of Botany of the Czech Academyof Sciences, Průhonice, Czech Republic. 4 Island
Ecology and Evolution Research Group, Instituto de
Productos Naturales y Agrobiología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Tenerife, Spain. 5 Systematics and Evolution of Vascular
Plants—Associated Unit to CSIC, Departament deBiologia Animal, Biologia Vegetal i Ecologia, Facultat
de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

1 University of Palermo, Italy. 2 NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy. 3 University of
Catania, Italy
Non-indigenous species (NIS), widely recognized
as one of the main drivers of global change, may
in time become invasive, determining significant
environmental impacts, such as biodiversity loss
and ecosystem services degradation. The impact
of NIS on marine habitats within Marine Protected
Areas (MPAs), whose major aim is biodiversity conservation, can be significant even highly detrimental. Therefore, monitoring NIS distribution is crucial
in these areas for planning effective conservation
strategies. Currently, in Italy have been established
29 MPAs that protect about 700 kilometres of coastline and are mainly concentrated in the two great islands, Sicily (7) and Sardinia (6). Of them, 11 are Spe-

Invasive alien species poses one of the main threats
to biodiversity conservation, ranking as the second
leading cause of native species extinction worldwide. The Mediterranean Basin, particularly Spain,
has emerged as one of the most impacted regions

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by biological invasions. Several factors contributeto this vulnerability, including: (1) the profound human-mediated modification of natural habitats(habitat loss and fragmentation, contamination); (2)complex and varied topographic, lithological, andclimatic gradients; (3) its key role as a global commercial and transportation hub; (4) its condition as
one of the world’s main touristic destinations; and(5) its recurrent identification as one of the biodiversity hotspots more susceptible to climate change.
Biological invasions have profound impacts on the
Spanish flora, since Spain is very rich in plant diversity, with plenty of narrow-range endemics; the latterbeing inherently vulnerable to human activities due
to low effective population size but exhibiting taxa ofhigh genetic distinctiveness. Knowledge on the status of alien species in a given area is essential for

effective management and prevention of their further spread. Within this context, the Introduced Plant
Working Group of the Spanish Botanical Society (SEBOT) is currently developing a comprehensive listof alien vascular plants found in Spain, aiming at:(objective 1) updating and completing the existingcatalog of introduced plants in Spain, which was last
published over two decades ago and excluded casual plants; and (objective 2) identifying alien taxa
that are not currently included in the Spanish Catalog of Invasive Exotic Species, which legally regulates the possession, transport, movement, andtrade of alien species. In this communication, we
provide a summary of the progress achieved in thisongoing initiative that already agglutinates an important network of researchers working on invasive
biology in Spain.

S.204 ADVANCES IN MICROCLIMATERESEARCH FOR CRYPTOGAM ECOLOGY.
SESSION 2
S.204.1 A new autonomousand low-cost electronicsystem based on Arduino
for measuring the
microclimatic conditions oflichens and their hydration
Francisco Gasulla1, Miguel Blázquez2,
Sergio Pérez-Ortega2.
1 Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad de Alcalá, Campus Externo, Alcalá de Henares,
Spain. 2 Department of Mycology, Real Jardín
Botánico (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
The influence of climate on lichen physiology isdirectly shaped by its poikilohydric nature. Whilelichens exhibit high tolerance to extreme environmental conditions when dry, their sensitivity significantly increases when hydrated. Consequently,
the primary impacts of climate on lichen physiology
are confined to periods when the thallus is wet andactively metabolizing. Numerous ecophysiologicalstudies on lichens have tackled the challenge ofdistinguishing microclimatic conditions during periods of thallus activity or inactivity, often employing

measurements of thallus electrical conductivity. In
response to this challenge, we have developed anautonomous and low-cost electronic system designed to measure the microclimatic conditions oflichen habitats and those of the thallus itself. Additionally, the device utilizes electrical resistancemeasurements to estimate the thallus’ hydrationlevel. Built on the open-source Arduino platform andcomplemented by readily available and affordable
hardware components, the system is powered bylithium-ion batteries, which are recharged with solar
energy, ensuring indefinite operation. Data is stored
on an SD card and concurrently transmitted to a
cloud server through the GSM network. The devices
were tested with thalli of Ramalina farinacea growing in a mixed oak forest (Guadalajara, Spain). Overthe course of a year, continuous data collection revealed that irradiance and temperature levels werelower when the lichens were in a hydrated statethan when they were dry. Notably, the environmental conditions during the active phases of the thalli
fell within the tolerance limits previously established
for R. farinacea photobionts. In summary, this system enables the extended measurement of environmental conditions for both physiologically active
and inactive lichens. This data is crucial for comprehending the dynamics of lichen communities.

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S.204.2 Beach or mountain?
Ecophysiological andmicroclimatic comparative
study of the lichen Usnea
aurantiaco-atra in maritime
Antarctica
Ana Aramburu1, José Raggio1, David
S. Pescador1, Núria Beltrán-Sanz1, Ana
Pintado1, Leopoldo G. Sancho1
1 Section of Botany, Faculty of Pharmacy, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Understanding the environmental responses of thepolar cryptogamic flora and determining its ecological boundaries is a useful tool to evaluate the impact of ongoing global change on Antarctic regions.
In maritime Antarctica, ice-free rocks on coastal
areas and on nunataks within mountain systems
offer suitable niches for cryptogams, particularly
for lichens able to survive in severe environmental
conditions. Due to their poikylohydric nature, thesephotosynthetic lithobionts are strongly tied to the
local climatic conditions. The present study focuses on the fruticulose lichen Usnea aurantiaco-atra(Jacq.) Bory, an Antarctic endemism vastly spreadthroughout maritime Antarctica. The aim of the research is to assess the ecophysiological optimums
and ranges of tolerance of U. aurantiaco-atra to environmental change. Two sites were chosen acrossan altitudinal gradient within the South Bay on Livingston Island (South Shetland Islands) with intent tocover an environmental-pressure range of the subject species: Punta Polaca (50 m a.s.l.) and El Castillo Nunatak (449 m a.s.l.). The photosynthetic andrespiratory rates of thalli collected from each sitewere measured in relation to key drivers such as water content, temperature, and light under controlledlaboratory conditions. Metabolic performance wasanalysed in situ for both locations through continuous chlorophyll a fluorescence monitoring pairedwith simultaneous recording of microclimatic conditions. To further understand potential acclimation
or adaptation mechanisms adopted by the photobionts of U. aurantiaco-atra, induction-recovery
curves were conducted. Additionally, an extensive
network of temperature and relative humidity microsensors was deployed throughout multiple lithic niches at both sites and kept recording for overa year. Preliminary results suggest that the coastal
population achieves significantly greater photosyn-

thetic activity at higher temperatures. No dissimilarities have been found in the performance of coastal
and mountainous individuals at lower temperatures.
There seems to be strong environmental filtering in
the nunatak, which points to greater ambient stress.

S.204.3 Ecophysiologicalresponse between
populations of epiphytic
macrolichens of Araucaria
araucana (Mol.) K. Koch in
Chile
Johana Villagra1, David Alors1, Leopoldo G.
Sancho2, Claudio Inostroza-Blancheteau1
1 Catholic University of Temuco, Temuco, Chile. 2
Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
The Araucaria araucana forest is one ecosystem
highly affected by climate change, global warming
and fire. This conifer specie is endemic to southern South America at the Chilean and Argentinian
mountain ranges, distributed from ~37°24´ to ~40°03´
S. The epiphytic lichens inhabiting this forest showsa close relationship with his phorophyte and are an
important biological group increasing the biodiversity of the habitat. Some lichen functional traits likethickness of the thallus layer or state of the photosystems can vary in response to changes in light,
humidity and temperature that can occur in the environment. However, it is unclear how in the scenario of global climate change (GCC) with a decreasein precipitation and an increase in temperature willaffects the epiphytic lichens of A. araucana forest.
Lichens are especially vulnerable to environmental conditions since they need availability of water
to maintain their active metabolism. In this work weaimed to understand how lichens are adapted tothe expected GCC we are studying the tolerance todesiccation of epiphytic lichens. Macrolichens collected on A. araucana bark from two different populations where compared, one located at Conguillío
National Park (Andes Mountains) and the other atNahuelbuta National Park (Coastal Mountains). We
measured the photosynthetic performance of lichens after maintaining in dry atmosphere for atime period of 72 days. We found significant differences in the response of the maximum efficiency
of PSII (Fv/Fm) to desiccation over time and in the
anatomy of the thallus between species. The physiological response of the species compared to the629

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anatomical responses and macroclimatic and microclimatic records are discussed.

floras of putative ice age refugia and is placed in thecontext of North American ice age refugia.

S.204.4 The Immensityof Minutiae: Utilizing
Bryophytes to Detect
an Ice Age Refugium in
the Northern Cascade
MountainsS.204.5 What role havechanges in climaticconditions and atmosphericpollution played in thespatio-temporal variation of
epiphytic bryop

Miles Berkey1

Virginie Hutsemékers1, Lea Mouton2,
Hannah Westenbohm2, Flavien Collart3,
Alain Vanderpoorten2

1 Department of Biology, Western Washington University, Bellingham, USA
Ice age refugia were ecologically stable areas thatremained ice-free during the Pleistocene glaciations. As a result, they offered a level of suitableconditions to host arctic species associated withthe climate of that time. About 16,400 years ago, theclimate began to warm, the ice sheets in western
North America began to recede, and these vestigesof the late Pleistocene became surrounded by thetemperate ecosystems of today leaving disjunctand isolated species of a previous climate. A uniquebalance of microclimatic and topographical factors has allowed for these remnant species to exist
today. Throughout the Pleistocene, ice age refugia
were drivers of speciation, and currently are retainers of relictual species. Therefore, these places are
biodiversity hotspots providing key insights into evolutionary histories of northern taxa. However, complete biological inventories of these places are lacking and many ice age refugia remain undetected.
Tragically, due to climate change, these ecologicallynovel places are at risk due to the projected changes in moisture and temperature regimes for western North America. This study takes a comparative
bryophyte floristics approach to detect an ice age
refugium in an area of the northern Cascade Mountains of Washington state – Barlow pass. The resultsof two years of field work yields numerous disjunctnorthern taxa such as Cyrtomnium hymenophylloides, Psilopilum laevigatum and Macrodiplophyllum
imbricatum found within a microclimatically significant area of Barlow Pass while absent from similarareas in the glaciated North Cascades. The maximum extent of the Cordilleran ice sheet is pairedwith reconstructions of the local paleo-alpine glaciers, suggesting that these species are relicts of an
ice-free corridor during the last glacial maximum.
Finally, the bryoflora of Barlow Pass is compared with

1 Belgian Interregional Environment Agency, Brussels, Belgium. 2 University of Liège, Institute of Botany,
Liège, Belgium. 3 Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
Because of their ecophysiological characteristics
and their position at the interface between the atmosphere and vegetation, epiphytic bryophytes
have long been used as indicators of air quality.
The spectacular recolonization of these organisms
over the last twenty years has paralleled the drastic reduction in SO2 concentrations. However, theconcomitant variation in the concentration of othermajor pollutants (NOx, NHx, O3, fine particles) as well
as climatic conditions complicates the interpretation of the factors responsible for the observed floristic changes. We carried out a diachronic analysis
since 1980 to separate the impact of climatic conditions and concentrations of major atmosphericpollutants on the historical variation in floristic composition. This analysis was complemented by an assessment of the contribution of major pollutants andpesticides on the spatial variation of flora observed
today. The results show that temporal changes infloristic composition within the same community
are more than twice as great as spatial changes incomposition between communities at present. This
temporal variation in flora is largely explained by thedecrease in SO2 and NO2 concentrations, but notby variations in climatic conditions. The absence ofa relationship between historical concentrations ofmajor pollutants and contemporary variation in flora at regional scale suggests that epiphytes havesufficient dispersal capacity to recolonize the areasthat are favorable to them within a few decades.
Our analyses have shown that the drastic reduction in major atmospheric pollutants has enabled
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floras based on regional variation in climatic conditions, even though other pollutants, particularly fineparticles, are playing an increasing role.

S.204.6 Long-term effectof elevated CO2 ondesiccation-rehydration
cycles of bryophytes
José Ángel Morales Sánchez1, Kristiina
Mark1, Ülo Niinemets1,2
1 Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia.
2 Estonian Academy of Sciences, Tallinn, Estonia
The concentration of atmospheric CO2 has been
constantly increasing since the industrial revolution
and it is projected to rise even further, surpassing
1000 ppm at the end of this century in the worstcase scenario. In vascular plants, influences of rising CO2 have been studied extensively, but there aremuch fewer studies for bryophytes. This is a signif-

icant omission as these organisms are major contributors to biodiversity in high latitudes and play
key roles in ecosystem functioning. We conducteda long-term in vitro CO2 elevation experiment withfour bryophyte species to assess the effect of elevated CO2 (1000 ppm) on bryophyte desiccation
tolerance and desiccation-rehydration cycles. Real-time kinetics of gas-exchange and chlorophyll
fluorescence were monitored throughout a year,with measurements taken every four months. The
results show a reduction of photosynthetic activity under elevated CO2 in the four species studied.
Long-term exposure to elevated CO2 negatively
affected the photosynthetic recovery and carbon
balance after desiccation-rehydration, howeverinterspecific differences were observed in the responses to elevated CO2. These results highlight theimportance of studying species-specific responses to climatic disturbances that might affect theirphotosynthetic characteristics in distinct ways. This
study provides insight into the variable responsesof bryophytes to environmental change that canpotentially affect their fitness and role in the ecosystems under the current global change.

S.205 ORCHID PHYLOGENOMICS:
DIVERSIFICATION, TRAIT EVOLUTION AND
BIOGEOGRAPHY. SESSION 2
1 Australian Tropical Herbarium, James Cook University, Cairns, Australia. 2 National Research Collections Australia, Commonwealth Industrial andScientific Research Organisation, Canberra, Australia. 3 Department of Systematics, Biodiversity
and Evolution of Plants, Georg August University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany. 4 College of
Science and Engineering, James Cook University,
Cairns, Queensland, Australia. 5 Division of Ecology
and Evolution, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia. 6 National Biodiversity DNA Library,
Commonwealth Industrial and Scientific Research
Organisation, Brisbane, Australia. 7 Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research (Joint Venture between Parks Australia and CSIRO), Canberra, Australia 8 Australian National Insect Collection,
Commonwealth Industrial and Scientific Research
Organisation, Canberra, Australia. 9 Leibniz Institutefor the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, ZoologicalResearch Museum A. Koenig, Bonn, Germany. 10
Ctr Int Rech Agronorn Dev, Université La Reunion, La
Reunion, France. 11 University of Wisconsin-Stevens
Point, Wisconsin, USA

S.205.1 Australasianorchid diversification:phylogenomic insightsfrom tribe Diurideae(Orchidoideae)
Katharina Nargar1,2, Natascha Wagner1,3,
Consolata Nanjala1,4, James Perkins1,4,
Stephen J. Bent6, Lars Nauheimer1, Heidi
Zimmer7, Stephanie Goedderz1, James
A. Nicholls8, Vidushi S. Patel8, Vanessa
Neale1,2, Vera Zizka1,9, Claire Micheneau1,10,Janani Jayanthan1, Stephanie Lyon11,
Darren M. Crayn1, Lalita Simpson1, Mark
Clements7

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Australia harbours a rich and highly endemic orchid
flora with over 1,600 species of which over 90 % occur
nowhere else. The terrestrial orchid tribe Diurideae is amorphologically diverse and characteristic elementof the Australasian orchid flora and comprises ninesubgenera and over 1,000 species. The tribe exhibits
greatest diversity in Australia where it encompasses
ca. 60% of native orchid species, extending into New
Zealand, New Caledonia, New Guinea, tropical Asiaand the Pacific. Previous phylogenetic studies provided only limited insights into the origins and spatio-temporal evolution of Diurideae lineages due tolimited resolution and/or sampling. Here we present athoroughly sampled phylogenomic study of Diurideae, encompassing all nine subtribes, all recognised
genera and the vast majority of species of the tribe.
Genome skimming data for over 1,350 Diurideae samples as well as for a broad outgroup sampling acrossOrchidaceae was generated and assembled either
de novo or via reference-guided assemblies. Maximum likelihood analyses were carried out based onconcatenated alignments of 62 plastid coding genes
and divergence time estimations conducted basedon secondary calibrations using BEAST. Biogeographic areas were delineated based on botanicalcontinents and regions following Brummit (2001) andwithin Australia based on the terrestrial phytoregionalisation sensu Ebach et al. (2015). Range evolutionary
scenarios were reconstructed using model-based
inference methods as implemented in BioGeoBEARS.
This study provides new insights into the diversification and range evolution of tribe Diurideae during the
Cenozoic with its profound climatic and vegetationalchanges and constitutes an unprecedented phylogenomic framework for macroevolutionary studies inAustralasian Orchidaceae.

S.205.2 Phylogenomics
and the evolution of floral
traits in the species-rich
Pleurothallidinae subtribe
Diego Bogarín1,2, Oscar A. Pérez-Escobar3,
1 Jardín Botánico Lankester, Universidad de Costa
Rica, P. O. Box 302-7050 Cartago, Costa Rica. 2 Naturalis Biodiversity Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands. 3
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London, UK.

most groups within the subtribe have recently originated due to rapid diversification. This remarkable diversity
is associated with significant morphological variationand pronounced homoplasy, posing a challenge inestablishing robust phylogenetic frameworks. Previous
studies relying on limited markers, such as nrITS and
matK, have proven insufficient in resolving relationships
within specific clades. To deepen our understanding of
the relationships among Pleurothallidinae groups andthe role played by critical morphological traits in theirevolution, we present a comprehensive phylogenomic framework sourced from the Angiosperm353 kit. Thisdataset comprises 127 samples from 33 genera, representing 73% of the subtribe’s genera. Our study includes
an expanded analysis encompassing 1765 nrITS samples, 900 matK samples, and plastomes from 44 selected species. Utilizing these extensive phylogenetic datasets, we have explored the evolution of floral traits, suchas anther position and pollinarium structures, employing cutting-edge phylogenetic comparative methods.
Our findings establish a well-resolved backbone formost Pleurothallidinae clades, enabling the explorationof critical floral trait evolution. We have identified potential correlations between apical anthers and pollinaria
featuring sticky viscidia in groups associated with highdiversification rates, such as Lepanthes, Pleurothallis,
and Stelis. By incorporating phylogenomic data derived
from the Angiosperm353 kit, we have significantly advanced the understanding of the relationships among
Pleurothallidinae groups, and their evolutionary patterns related to critical floral traits. However, a compelling need remains to increase species sampling toensure more comprehensive conclusions and include
a broader range of morphological characteristics. As
phylogenomic and species sampling efforts continue to expand, our objective is to trace the origins anddispersal routes of Pleurothallidinae and elucidate theconnections between assessed morphological traits
and intriguing pollination mechanisms.

S.205.3 Phylogeny
and diversification of
Aeridinae (Orchidaceae:
Epidendroideae), with afocus on Vanda s.l.

Pleurothallidinae, with over 5500 species, stands as themost species-rich subtribe within the Orchidaceae,
providing an ideal model for studying Neotropical diversity and its evolution. Recent estimates suggest that

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Ai-Qun Hu1,2, Jungle K. Liang2,3, TianChuan Hsu4,5
1 Singapore Botanic Gardens, 1 Cluny Road, Singapore, Singapore. 2 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew,
Richmond, Surrey, UK. 3 Institute for Biodiversity andXX International
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Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam,
Amsterdam, The Netherlands. 4 Forest Ecology Division, Taiwan Forestry Research Institute, Taipei,
Taiwan. 5 Department of Life Sciences, National
Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
The subtribe Aeridinae, consisting of approximately 90 genera and 1550 species, is recognised as oneof the most diverse and taxonomically challenging
groups within Orchidaceae. In this study, we reconstructed the most data-rich intergeneric phylogeny of
Aeridinae by sequencing around 400 species from 60
genera with samples obtained from herbarium specimens and living collections that span its geographic ranges, from tropical Asia to the Pacific region. Our
comprehensive analyses integrated data from Angiosperms353 target-captured and off-target nuclear sequences, complemented by plastid genome
sequences retrieved from genome skimming. The
preliminary results showed that increasing the size ofdata sets enhanced the congruence between analysis methods but did not alleviate gene tree conflicts.
To address incongruence observed between nuclear
and plastid phylogenies, we conducted further analyses to explore potential factors contributing to thisdisparity. Hypothesised historical hybridization events,
conceivably linked to regional speciation and diversification were tested and discussed. A specific focus
was directed towards the genus Vanda s.l., aiming toresolve its ambiguous phylogenetic relationship withallied genera, namely Aerides, Ascocentrum, Holcoglossum, Neofinetia, Seidenfadenia, and Rhynchostylis.
We further employed BAMM, GeoSSE, and niche analyses to infer patterns of species richness and diversification of Vanda s.l., providing valuable insights into
the evolutionary dynamics within these linages. This
study, with its comprehensive exploration of Aeridinaeand the detailed investigation of the genus Vanda s.l.,is poised to serve as a reference for future endeavors
in the taxonomic, systematic and integrative phylogenetic studies within these groups.

S.205.4 First Phylogenomic
exploration of Angraecinaewith target capture:
evolutionary history ofAngraecum

Program in Biology, Graduate Center, City Universityof New York, New York, U.S.A. 3 Herbarium et Bibliothèque de Botanique africaine, Université Libre deBruxelles, campus de la Plaine, Brussels, Belgium.
4 Missouri Botanical Garden, Africa & Madagascar Department, St. Louis, MO, U.S.A. 5 Botanic Garden Meise, Domein van Bouchout, Meise, Belgium.
*sverlynde@nybg.org
Recent attempts to classify Angraecum, the largest
genus of Angraecinae (Epidendroideae, Vandae),have fallen short due to a lack of molecular sampling
and of molecular characters as well as the paucity ofavailable voucher material. Without a robust naturalclassification, however, the reconstruction of the evolutionary history of Angraecum is impaired. Using a new
multi-locus dataset collected with the Angiosperm353
bait set, augmented by a comprehensive sampling
now available through the orchid shade house network of the Missouri Botanical Garden in Madagascar,in parallel to extensive field work conducted on the
Mascarene islands and East Africa, we aimed to revise
the genus Angraecum, improving its classification andtesting phylogenetic hypotheses. Using resulting datafrom Hyb-Seq, our analyses consistently retrieved astrongly supported clade grouping most Angraecum
species from Madagascar and the Western Indian
Ocean, but interestingly including species from threeother Malagasy genera, Lemurorchis, Oeoniella andSobennikoffia. Moreover, the resulting phylogenies allowed us to re-circumscribe sections and better understand intersectional relationships. Finally, a groupof fifteen species were found to be polyphyletic andwere described as a new genus, Vavavoloina.

S.205.5 Holocene climatechange promoted allopatricdivergence and disjunctgeographic distribution
in the bee orchid species
Ophyrs aveyronensis
J.A.M Bertrand1, Anaïs Gibert1, Bertrand
Schatz2, Roselyne Buscail3, Michel
Baguette4,5, Christelle Fraïsse6, Camille Roux6

Simon Verlynde1,2*, Gregory M. Plunkett1,
Tariq Stévart3,4,5
1 Cullman Program for Molecular Systematics, NewYork Botanical Garden, Bronx, New York, U.S.A. 2 PhD

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1 Laboratoire Génome et Développement des Plantes, Université de Perpignan Via Domitia, Perpignan,
France. 2 Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université de Lille, Lille, France. 3 Centre deFormation et de Recherche sur les Environnements
Méditerranéens, Université de Perpignan Via Domitia, Perpignan, France. 4 Institut Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité, Museum National d’Histoire Na-XX International
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turelle, Paris, France. 5 Station d’Écologie Théoriqueet Expérimentale, Moulis, France. 6 Centre d’Écologie Fonctionnelle et Évolutive, Centre National de laRecherche Scientifique, Montpellier, France.
Species with disjunct geographic distributions provide natural opportunities to investigate recent orincipient allopatric divergence. Although not rare,
many of the cases observed result from successful colonization from a historical to a new range
through dispersal or human-induced introduction
which make the underlying eco-evolutionary processes sometimes difficult to decipher. The bee
orchid species Ophrys aveyronensis presents a
disjunct geographic distribution with two ranges
currently separated by 600 km on both sides of the
Pyrenees Mountains. To uncover the causes of such
intriguing biogeographic pattern, we combined
population genomics and Ecological Niche Modelling approaches. Population genomic data showthat all the populations studied display similar patterns of genetic diversity and dramatic decrease ineffective size. We found significant genetic differentiation between the two ranges of O. aveyronensis.
Our results support a very recent divergence (i.e., ca.
1500 generations ago). Ecological Niche Modelling
results further indicate that the disjunct geographic
distribution of the O. aveyronensis species complex
is consistent with a range split of a broad ancestralrange, contraction and shifts in opposite directions
in response to climate warming during the Holocene. The congruence of both the results of population genomics and ENM approaches demonstrates
that continental allopatric divergence is involvedin the Ophrys adaptive radiation. O. aveyronensis
is a promising candidate to study the onset of reproductive isolation immediately following an initialstage of geographic separation.

S.205.6 Geitonogamy blurs
the distinction between
autogamy and allogamy:a case study in Epipactis(Orchidaceae)

my. Structural modifications said to encourage thistransition include: (1) reduction in the size and/or
hydration of the adhesive viscidial disc responsible for attaching the pollinaria to pollinating wasps
and bees, such that pollinaria are less likely to be
removed; (2) ontogenetic extension of the anthersuch that the gynostemium apex curves downward, bringing the pollinaria into closer proximitywith the stigma; (3) decreased cohesion of the viscid threads that link the permanent tetrads of pollen
within the pollinaria, allowing the formerly cohesive
mass of tens of thousands of pollen grains to dissociate for abiotic dispersal, and; (4) reduction in
the size and prominence of the rostellum that separates the pollinaria from the stigma, thus permitting
pollinium fragments to reach the subjacent stigma
through the effects of wind, rain-splash or gravity.
Sramkó etal. (2019) used RADseq data to reconstruct
the phylogenetic relationships of 108 plants representing 27 named ingroup taxa recognised by traditional taxonomy, which consequently were recircumscribed to 11 species that collectively spanned
the full range of supposed reproductive categories.
However, all species yielded F statistics consistent
with dominant (but not obligate) autogamy; only
the widespread, ecologically tolerant E. helleborines.s. had a somewhat lower mean F value than the
more ecologically specialised species, the majorityof which evolved relatively recently from within theconsequently paraphyletic E. helleborine. This consistently high level of self-fertilisation is attributed toextensive geitonogamy, facilitated by the upward
movement of nectar-seeking pollinators within the
many-flowered inflorescence combined with theabsence of reorientation mechanisms in pollinaria once attached to the insect. Thus, reproductive
strategies traditionally presented as alternatives
driving speciation have proven considerably lessdistinct than previously believed.

Richard M. Bateman1*
1 Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Richmond, UK.
*r.bateman@kew.org
The North Temperate orchid clade Epipactis has
become a model system for the study of speciation through transitions supposedly passing fromallogamy through facultative to obligate autoga-634

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S.206 LET PEOPLE COME TO BOTANY: NEW
METHODS TO ENGAGE PEOPLE WITH PLANT
DIVERSITY. SESSION 1
S.206.1 Lichens wantyou! Communication,dissemination andengagement strategies inlichenology

S.206.2 Experiences of using
citizen participation as ateaching tool for botany
Mario Mairal, Juan Manuel Rubiales,
Guillermo Santos, Santiago Martín-Bravo,
Sonia Molino, Ángela Aguado-Lara,
David Sánchez Pescador, Elena Carrió
González, Estrella Alfaro-Saiz, Joana
Cursach, Joshua Borràs, Lucía DeSoto,
Mario Fernández-Mazuecos, Miquel
Capó, Neus Nualart, Rafael Medina, Sara
Martín. Teresa Garnatje, Ignacio RamosGutiérrez, Pedro Jiménez-Mejías, José
Ignacio Márquez-Corro, Sergio Chozas.

Silvana Munzi1
1 Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
Traditionally, scientific knowledge reached the
public through passive mediums like television
programs and museums. In the last decades,
we’ve witnessed a paradigm shift, where museums
and botanic gardens have transformed into interactive platforms, offering immersive experiences
through multidisciplinary approaches. Technology
is democratizing access to information, widening
age range and user typology, and fueling collaborative efforts among people with common interests thanks to various online arenas for source
searching, content sharing, and discussion. In the
dynamic landscape of knowledge dissemination,
the shift to virtual events, driven by health-security concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic, has
proven to be a game-changer. Similarly, citizen
science activities have emerged as a powerfultool in science, extending educational outreachbeyond traditional boundaries. This paper analyses the strategies adopted in the last years by two
scientific entities - the International Association
for Lichenology (IAL) and the Italian Lichen Society (SLI) – for their communication, dissemination, and public engagement, showing the global
reach and inclusivity achievable through online
platforms. In the field of lichenology, virtual experiences and citizen science activities enhancescientific literacy and training, contributing to environmental conservation by fostering familiarity
and appreciation for lichens.

Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Sevilla, Spain. Universidad Europea de Madrid, Madrid, Spain. Universidad de León, León, Spain. Universitat de les Illes
Balears, Palma, Spain. Universidad Autónoma de
Madrid, Madrid, Spain. Institut Botànic de Barcelona(CSIC-Ajuntament de Barcelona), Barcelona, Spain.
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, UK. Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
In a society increasingly affected by plant blindness, the need for botanical literacy is undeniable
and urgent. In this context, we explore the transformative potential of citizen participation as a dynamic teaching tool in botany courses. The latest
advancements in citizen science platforms provide
now the opportunity to integrate classical botanical guides and taxonomic keys with the judicious
use of cutting-edge technologies —notably artificial
intelligence. These tools can be used to strengthen
innate heuristic processes, such as the recognitionof the General Impression of shape and size (GISS),
sharpening participants’ analytical observational
skills. Simultaneously, these platforms foster a culture of collaborative learning, stimulating active engagement, promoting greater student participation,and facilitating the exchange of knowledge. In thisway, this approach not only serves as an invaluable635

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tool for biodiversity study but also immerses participants in a dynamic learning experience, enabling
continuous growth and reinforcing the learning process. To illustrate the use of citizen participation as
an educational instrument, several examples will beshowcased, ranging from local projects in a university campus, spanning an entire botany course, toa national-scale flora bioblitz. Through the implementation of this educational method, people willdevelop a stronger interest in botany and students
may even consider careers in the field due to their
deeper connection and appreciation of plant diversity. Ultimately, this method accelerates the learning
curve, propelling botanical education into a new eraof plant knowledge accessibility and enthusiasm,
that will contribute to the acceleration of taxonomy
and the prevention of biodiversity loss.

S.206.3 Blossoming
awareness: empoweringcommunities throughcitizen science platforms tocombat plant blindness
Patrícia Tiago1,2
1 Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental
Changes & CHANGE - Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Departamento de Biologia Animal,
Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa,
Lisboa, Portugal. 2 – BioDiversity4All – Portugal
Citizen science is increasingly becoming a methodology used in biodiversity monitoring due to themassive amount of data it allows to collect, greatly
benefiting scientific work. In this way, it gains a vastarray of allies, the citizen scientists, spread across theentire territory, enabling unprecedented sampling.
Indeed, this is not the only advantage. The increasein environmental literacy and the shift of these citizens from a passive role to being considered key
elements in the scientific process give them an importance they did not have before. Is crucial to understand how to achieve a wide diversity of citizens,making citizen science not only democratic, as it already is, but also inclusive. How can we ensure thateveryone feels they can contribute? What strategies
can be employed to reach social groups less engaged with these topics? Should we strive to reacheveryone? How can citizen scientists be encouraged to explore taxonomic groups that may seemless appealing? How do we tackle “plant blindness”
that affects so many? Can citizen science help citi-

zens become less disconnected from nature? These
questions will set the tone for this symposium, aiming for it to be dynamic and participatory.

S.206.4 The Flora-On portal:
leveraging the potential of
biodiversity data to provide
new insights into species
natural histories
Miguel Porto1,2,3,4,5
1 CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidadee Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado,
Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, Vairão,Portugal. 2 CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório
Associado, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal. 3 BIOPOLIS Programin Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO,
Campus de Vairão, Vairão, Portugal. 4 EBM, Estação
Biológica de Mértola, Mértola, Portugal. 5 Sociedade
Portuguesa de Botânica, Alverca, Portugal
The Flora-On.pt platform was conceived with themission of sharing botanical knowledge to the widest audience possible, on the distribution, ecology,
threats, phenology, morphology, biotic interactions
and bioclimatic niches of the plants of a given territory. It is built upon curated crowd-sourced andscientific data of different types and sources, including distribution data from project collaborators and iNaturalist. The primary focus is to deliver
intuitive tools for exploring and relating the data in
useful or unexpected ways, allowing users to quickly find the answers to their specific needs, or justsatisfy their curiosity. This is achieved by offering arich set of query possibilities: textual queries withpartial matching (taxonomy, common name andecologies); morphological queries (e.g. flower color,shape, leaf characters, etc.); phenological queries(search by exact flowering date or period, basedon continuous dates); geographical queries (proximity to point coordinates and occurrence withinboundaries or regions - UTM grid squares, municipalities, protected areas, etc.); bioclimatic queries(search by multivariate bioclimatic envelopes); rarity queries (search by area of occurrence); ecological similarity to other species (search using bioclimatic envelope similarity); biotic interactions (e.g.
search species that parasite, or are parasitized by,other species). One of the innovative features is thatthe queries based on continuous numerical data
(flowering dates, location, bioclimatic data) work

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in a probabilistic workflow, delivering results tuned
and sorted according to probability, thanks to internal numerical processing algorithms. To empower
these possibilities, query results can be displayed ina variety of views, for example point clouds in bioclimatic spaces, aggregated abundance distributions
in a GIS viewer, multiway identificatoin key, in addition to the usual photo album. The software is on
its way to be publicly accessible in an open source
repository, therefore enabling anyone to implement
the Flora-On system in other countries, or to otherbiological groups.

S.206.5 The Taylor Swift’s
Method: music videos asadvance organizers formeaningful learning in
Botany- Folklore); 3. Gymnosperms (week three: Out of The
Woods – 1989); 4. Angiosperms (week four: Willow –Evermore). One week before each remote lesson,
they received the YouTube link to the video in theirschool system and watched it. In the first 20 minutes of the remote lesson, we discussed what kind of
botanical elements they saw in Taylor Swift’s music
videos, this dynamic led them to identify vegetables,
plants, moss, fruits, flowers, trees, roots, and evenecological traits, increasing their optical perceptionof plants. Our results showed that art can be an ally
for meaningful learning in botany: classes were fun,students spoke botanical terms naturally, and, consequently, began to pay more attention to plants inthe environment.

S.206.6 An Illustrated Floraof the Caribbean: from earlybotanical illustrations to amodern electronic flora

Glaucia Silva1, Vitória Souza2, Aline
Mattos3, Leonardo Versieux4

Santiago Madriñán1,2

1 Department of Botany and Zoology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, RN, Brazil. 2 Department of Physiology and Behavior, Federal Universityof Grande do Norte, RN, Brazil. 3 Department of Educational Practices and Curriculum, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, RN, Brazil. 4 Departmentof Botany and Zoology, Herbarium UFRN, Federal
University of Rio Grande do Norte, RN, Brazil
The COVID-19 pandemic changed the structure ofclasses in Brazil, teachers had the task of creating
new strategies to make remote learning fluid. In Botany, this challenge was intensified, because, eventhough plants are essential for life, their study is considered unnecessary and uninteresting. Students’complaints are related to the nomenclatural complexity, traditional classes, lack of attractive teaching
resources, also, teachers with a lack of enthusiasm,
and they see no connection with plants in their lives.
This negative image of Botany that society, students,
and a few teachers of sciences carry, is called “Plant
awareness disparity”: the general public largely does
not notice plants in nature and is not able to recognize how important they are to the biosphere andsociety. Therefore, the aim of this study was to use
four music videos of the singer Taylor Swift, one per
week, as advance organizers to introduce four different lessons to a second-year class (high school)in Natal, Brazil: 1. Plant awareness disparity and its
consequences (week one: Blank Space – 1989); 2.
Bryophytes and pteridophytes (week two: Cardigan

1 Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia. 2
Jardín Botánico de Cartagena, Colombia
The Caribbean region boasts a rich botanical diversity, encompassing a myriad of plant species withunique ecological and cultural significance. Thisconference presentation explores the evolutionary
journey of Caribbean botanical documentation,
tracing the transition from early botanical illustrations to the development of a contemporary electronic flora. The Caribbean has been a focal point
for botanical exploration since the Age of Discovery,
with early naturalists and artists meticulously capturing the region’s flora through intricate illustrations. This presentation begins by delving into thehistorical context of these early botanical artworks,
shedding light on the scientific and cultural contributions made by early explorers. From the vivid depictions of exotic plant life to the discovery of
new species, these illustrations serve as invaluable
snapshots of the Caribbean’s botanical heritage. As
technology advanced, so did the methods of botanical documentation. The transition from traditional
illustrations to modern electronic formats marks asignificant milestone in the representation and accessibility of Caribbean flora. This presentation explores the challenges and innovations associatedwith digitizing botanical information, emphasizing
the advantages of electronic floras in promoting
conservation, education, and research. The elec-

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tronic flora under discussion is a comprehensive
and interactive resource that integrates traditional taxonomic knowledge with modern technology.
This platform aims to provide users with a dynamic
and user-friendly interface for exploring the diverse
plant life of the Caribbean. Features include detailed species profiles, distribution maps, and multimedia content, enhancing the overall accessibility
and educational value of the flora. The presentation

concludes by highlighting the collaborative efforts
involved in creating this electronic flora, emphasizing the importance of interdisciplinary partnerships
between botanists, illustrators, and technologists. By
bridging the past and present, this project not only
preserves the botanical legacy of the Caribbean but
also facilitates ongoing research, conservation, andpublic engagement with the region’s unique andthreatened plant species.

S.207 ECOPHYSIOLOGICAL CHALLENGES IN
THE ANTHROPOCENE. SESSION 1.
S.207.1 CLEANFOREST COST
Action: helping forests toface the Anthropocene
Guerrieri Rossella1, Vanguelova Elena2,
Munzi Silvana3
1 Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy. 2 Forest Research, Farnham, UK. 3 Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
Forests are at the forefront of our efforts to mitigate
climate change and achieve the UN’s Sustainable
Development Goals, to ensure a sustainable life on
Earth. However, forest ecosystems are particularly threatened by global change components, suchas increasing frequency and severity of climate extreme events, increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide and pollutants concentrations. Different globalchange drivers could play a synergistic, antagonistic or predisposing role in affecting forest ecosystem
functioning and health. All these drivers, however, aregenerally considered in isolation, and their effects
on key processes (at tree, soil and ecosystem levels) are investigated separately in natural, periurban
and urban forests, thus leading to uneven, un-coordinated and scattered information among different
research communities. CLEANFOREST is establishingan inclusive and multidisciplinary pan-European
network, which capitalizes on existing expertise andinfrastructures (monitoring networks, manipulation
experiments) to i) coordinate research efforts (e.g.
data collection), ii) compare approaches and define
common protocols to standardize measurements
and methods used in global change studies, andiii) foster collaboration among different researchgroups to exchange and synthesize data, thus con-tributing to advancing scientific knowledge, identifying research gaps and providing suggestions forthe next generation manipulation experiments andmonitoring networks. This includes summarizing
main results on the effects of treatments applied(experiments) or observed deposition level (monitoring) on eco-physiological parameters, health,
growth and diversity of forests, assessing the effects
of atmospheric deposition and climate extremes ontrees’ nitrogen storage and cycling, and evaluating
the role of aboveground biodiversity (tree diversity
and identity) response to N depositions and climate
extremes, as potential mitigation measures.
Acknowledgments: This article/publication is based
upon work from CLEANFOREST COST Action CA21138,
supported by COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology).

S.207.2 Temperature shifts
dynamically influenced
reproductive development
and fruit yield of apple(Malus x domestica Borkh.)
Bong M. Salazar1,2, Colin P. Osborne2
1 University of the Philippines Los Baños, Philippines.
2 University of Sheffield, UK.
Temperature plays a pivotal role in climate change,
significantly impacting both natural and agroecosystems. While extensive research has elucidated
temperature influence on bud dormancy and flowering in deciduous species, a notable gap exists inunderstanding its effects on fruit tree yield, particularly apples. Hence, this research aimed to explore

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the relationship between temperature, reproductive
development, and fruit yield in ‘Red Windsor’ apple
trees under controlled environments during the 2020
and 2021 seasons. Specifically, apple trees were subjected to ambient temperatures and fixed deviations (-4°C, +2°C, or +4°C) from these levels for eightmonths, spanning from budbreak to fruit maturation,with the treatments following the daily and seasonaltemperature fluctuations. Results revealed that phenological shifts induced by temperature treatments
altered the growth patterns of reproductive structures,subsequently impacting the developmental overlap
between reproductive and vegetative organs. Whileflowering duration remained unaffected, fruit setting,trunk/branch wood volumes, thermal time requirements, and bud development displayed a magnitudechange ranging from 11% to 31% per 1°C shift in temperature. Interestingly, manipulating temperatures by ±4°C
from ambient levels did not significantly influence final
fruit yield due to source limitations. Significant treatment effects were evident on fruit yield components,
with the warmer temperatures prompting an earlier
harvest with fewer but larger fruits. Sub-ambient temperatures remarkably enhanced fruit set but resulted in a considerable fruit drop incidence due to low
assimilation rates. Moreover, warmer temperatures
supported early fruit development by increasing photosynthetic pigment levels and assimilation rates but
subsequent stimulation of vegetative growth intensified sink competition at the expense of fruit development. This research provides crucial insights into thecomplex physiological dynamics of temperature andtheir profound implications on apple fruit productivity. Further exploration of these relationships can contribute to the development of practical, resilient, andsustainable strategies to maximise apple yield undershifting climatic conditions.

S.207.3 From sea tofarm: Rhizodesigning
crop rhizospheres withmarine bacteria synthetic
communities to enhanceplant tolerance to stress
Bernardo Duarte1,2, João Carreiras1,
Ana Cruz-Silva3, Bruno Fonseca1,3,
Ricardo C. Carvalho1, Enrique Mateos
Naranjo4, Ignacio D. Rodríguez-Llorente5,
Eloísa Pajuelo5, Susana Redondo-

Gómez4, Isabel Caçador, Ana Rita
Matos2,3, Jennifer Mesa Marin4, Andreia
Figueiredo2,3
1 MARE—Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre & Aquatic Research Network Associated Laboratory, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade deLisboa, Campo Grande, Lisbon. 2 Departamento de
Biologia Vegetal, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, Lisbon, Portugal. 3 Biosystems and Integrative Sciences Institute, Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Faculdadede Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, CampoGrande, Lisboa, Portugal. 4 Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Facultad de Biología,
Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain. 6 Departmentof Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Seville, Seville, Spain.
The world population is expected to reach 9.1 billion
by 2050, thus raising the need for increasing global food production by 70% to match the growing
demand. Alongside, the impacts of global climatechange tend to reduce land fertility at a rate higher
than the adaptation capacity of agricultural practices, imposing new challenges to agriculture, increasing physiological constrain factors (high atmospheric CO2, drought, salinization, thermal stress).
Thus, the need to search for alternative cash crops
and nature-based solutions and practices towards
sustainable and regenerative cultivation schemes
arises. Recently several bacterial isolates havebeen identified from marine ecosystems with plant
growth-promoting abilities displaying highly promising results upon application in crop cultivation, allowing plants to fight back physiological constraints.
Plant rhizosphere bioaugmentation with marine
plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) appears
as a reliable, low-cost nature-based solution to
improve agriculture production under disadvantageous conditions. Among the available PGPB hosts,
halophyte plants with recognized nutritional andagroecological value but also a high degree of tolerance to several physiological constraints such as
soil salinization, drought, CO2 rising, and disadvantageous thermal conditions. Nevertheless, despite
this high tolerance degree to adverse environments,
in common garden experiments, these species still
suffer some biomass production decrease under
extreme conditions. Thus, these species’ thriving
ability in natural ecosystems indicates that this is not
only boosted by their intrinsic tolerance but also by
the presence of key microorganisms that improvethese tolerance and resistance traits, becoming an
attractive environment for PGPB bioprospection. In
the present work, we present and discuss the application of marine PGPB isolated in different classi-

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cal and novel crop systems as biotools to improve
plants’ resistance and tolerance mechanisms toadverse cultivation conditions (for e.g. heat, drought
and saline stress) as well as potential tools to study
the underlying physiological mechanisms improvedby this rhizosphere bioengineering.

nitrogen (DIN). Higher values of photosynthetic efficiency are related to a high amount of nutrients andlow depths; areas that are low in these parameters will
have low photosynthetic efficiency and be vulnerable
to seagrasses meadows.

S.207.5 To tree or not totree? Integrating LCA andecosystem services toevaluate the sustainabilityof phytoremediation

S.207.4 The photosynthetic
efficiency of Thalassia
testudinum and abiotic
factors associated with thephotosynthetic efficiency

Lidia Favaretto1,2, Werther Guidi Nissim1,2,
Massimo Labra1,2Sergio Armando Fuentes Agueda ,Margarita Elizabeth Gallegos Martínez1,
José Alfredo Arévalo Ramírez2, Jordan
Kyril Golubov Figueroa2, María delCarmen Mandujano Sánchez3.
1

1 Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences,
University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy. 2 National
Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy

1 Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa,
Mexico City, Mexico. 2 Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Xochimilco, Mexico City, Mexico. 3 Instituto de Ecología, UNAM, Mexico City, Mexico
Seagrasses are angiosperms that live mostly in theocean. Also, they have ecological and economic importance, like having a highly primary production(500 − 4000g carbon m-2 year-1) and giving nourishment to fish and other important invertebrates. One of
the strategies for evaluating the health of seagrasses is the evaluation of their photosynthetic efficiency.
The objective of the study was to obtain the Fv/Fm of
Thalassia testudinum and to analyze the abiotic factors associated with photosynthetic efficiency in seagrasses. In 7 areas of The Gulf of México and Yucatán,environmental parameters (temperature pH, depth,
dissolved oxygen, salinity, nutrients in the water column, interstitial water nutrients, type of sediment, andorganic carbon) were registered at each site. Plantsof T. testudinum were collected in 7 areas along thecoasts of The Gulf of México and Yucatán during theyears 2016 and 2019. They were in dark conditions forless than 24 hours, and with a Pulse-amplitude modulated (PAM) chlorophyll fluorometer, it was possible toregister the Fv/Fm of the youngest leaves. A PCA analysis was used to establish relations with the photosynthetic efficiency of T. testudinum. T. testudinum has anaverage of 0.72 Fv/Fm ratio. Also, there were significant
differences in the areas; Area 5 (San Felipe, Yucatán)presented the lowest Fv/Fm ratio (0.61). The most important factors in the PCA were, the Fv/Fm ratio of T.
testudinum, depth, silicates, and dissolved inorganic

Over the past 30-40 years, urban areas have experienced a considerable shift in their economic activity.
Many industrial sites that were once part of the urban centre are abandoned (brownfields), stimulating
active discussion on challenges and opportunities
for their reclamation and redevelopment. One of themain reasons for the lack of intervention are the highcosts for conventional remediation techniques which
are also associated with some important environmental disservices (i.e., SOx, NOx and VOC emission).
Nature-Based Solutions (NBS), including phytoremediation for urban brownfields, may promote urban
renewal, while reducing pressure on surrounding
greenfield areas. Despite the high ecological and economical potential, due to some evident constraints(e.g., long operational time frame, plant tolerance topollution) phytoremediation is still rarely applied on alarge-scale. However, phytoremediation may provide
multiple benefits in the form of ecosystem services(ES), such as soil and air quality regulation, biomass
supply, biodiversity, aesthetics, and human health.
Unfortunately, the assessment of ES related to phytoremediation is still incomplete and further researchis needed in this regard. The assessment of ES is only
partially covered by tools like Life Cycle Assessment(LCA), which provide data about the potential impacts
of productions and services. The primary objectiveof the project is to assess different phytoremediation techniques and their related ES using an LCA approach. This analysis will highlight the most adequate
phytoremediation approach providing the most suited ES for a specific area, with a particular emphasis
on soil remediation and biodiversity conservation.

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In addition, objective tools will be developed to support the fulfilment and validation of guidelines on theuse of phytoremediation in urban areas, highlighting
benefits and drawbacks of each possible applicabletechnique to the stakeholders involved. The final aim
would be the efficient redevelopment of brownfields,
endorsing policies for a sustainable management ofthese abandoned areas.

S.207.6 The effect of earlylight and water conditions
for the seedlings ofchamomille (Matricaria
chamomilla L.)
Erika Pénzesné Kónya1
1 Department of Botany and Plant Physiology Eszterházy Károly Catholic University, Eger, Hungary
It is evident that the environmental conditions
during the first weeks of germination has effectfor all the life span of several annual plant spe-

cies. The examined species is chamomille (Matricaria chamomilla L), an important and valuable
wild medicinal plant species growing in the plain
protected areas of Hungary. Tthis annual medicinal plant is known in connection with the medicinal comounds and the traditional use of it. Our aim
with the experiment was to simulate different light
conditions and a water flooding which occasionallyoccur in plain areas after winter or in autumn. The
climatic chamber treatment of seeds was divided
into the treatents under two different light spectra
and colour temperature of LED lights with permanent light expositions of seeds using two different
temperatures After the treatment the results show
different growing features of the plants comparing
with control individuals. The results of the experiments show the adaptability of the species to different light and water conditions of the area. It canhelp understanding the different productability ofthe species during the extreme weather conditionsof last decades.The research is supported by the
support of OTKA 143376 application of Hungarian
Academy of Sciences.

S.208 UNDERSTANDING FLORAL EVOLUTION
ALONG MULTIPLE DIMENSIONS: EMERGINGPATTERNS OF MORPHOLOGICAL, SCENT, AND
COLOR VARIATION. SESSION 1
S.208.1 Patterns of finescale, tissue-specific floral
scent in the yucca-yucca
moth mutualism.
Gwen M. Bode1
1 University of Georgia Syracuse University
Flowers are incredibly diverse, varying across a suiteof macro-traits including size, shape, color and scentthat are used to advertise rewards to pollinators.
However, insect pollinators are usually much smaller than the flowers they visit, meaning fine-scale, or
intra-floral, traits are likely significant to pollinatorbehavior and thus, floral reproduction. Floral scent ispredominantly known for its important role in long-range pollinator attraction, with the majority of floral
scent analysis conducted at the whole flower or inflorescence level. Getting the pollinator to the plant
is of crucial importance to plant reproduction andis the first step in the pollination process, however
successful pollination relies heavily upon pollinatorbehavior once within the flower and is likely highly
impacted by fine-scale intra-floral differences inscent chemistry. The existence of floral tissue-specific scent variation has been shown to be present in
14 plant families and the patterns observed thus far
are highly variable and species-specific. Intra-floral
scent patterns might act as a chemosensory mapthat guides insects to floral rewards or improves
pollination efficiency, but the ecological implications of intra-floral scent variation remain poorly
understood. Brood pollination mutualisms, such as
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plex behaviors and a need for the pollinator to distinguish among floral parts, providing an excellent
system to elucidate the ecological and behavioral
impacts of intra-floral scent variation. Here I analyze
the floral scent of tepals verses pistils of five speciesof Yucca that share a common pollinator (Tegeticula yuccasella). I describe within-species patterns of
intra-floral scent variation, how patterns of intra-floral scent differ among Yucca species, and potential
implications for pollinator behavior [13].

S.208.2 Testing the sensory
drive theory in flower colors
and bees: light environmentand background are more
important than floral color

tral shape. Furthermore, sandy background nearly
doubles the reflectance compared to leafy backgrounds, also showing spectral shape differences.
In each vegetation type, we categorized flower color as UV+ yellow, UV- yellow, pink and white. In bothcommunities, all flower colors but UV- yellow showedsignificantly higher chromatic contrast in the dunes
environment that in the corn oak understory. However, UV- yellow flowers showed lower in these conditions. Taken together, our findings indicate that open
sandy environments favor the conspicuousness ofmost flower colors and suggests that other selective
forces may play a role in the evolution of flower color
at the community level.

S.208.3 Integration among
phytochemicals cannot
explain among-population
variation in floral scent inArabis alpina

Melissa León-Osper1, Mª Luisa Buide1,
Montserrat Arista2, Pedro L. OrtizBallesteros2, Justen B. Whittall, José C. delValle2, Eduardo Narbona1.

Hanna Thosteman1, Katherine Eisen1,2,
Hampus Petrén1,3, Sotiria Boutsi1,4, Loretta
Pace5, John M. Halley6, Consuelo deMoraes7, Mark C. Mescher8, James
Buckley7,9, Magne Friberg1

1 Pablo de Olavide University, Seville, Spain. 2 University of Seville, Seville, Spain. 3 Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, USA.
The evolution of flower color is commonly shaped by
selective pressures exerted by pollinators. The sensory drive theory posits that the evolution of communication signals is determined by the sensory
systems of the animals and the habitat conditions
in which the signals are received. When applied topollinators, this theory would imply that some floral colors may have divergently evolved in certain
light environments, for example by becoming more
conspicuous. Using the Mediterranean vegetation ofsouth Spain, we compared flower color of coastal
dune vegetation with open light environment andsandy background with those of closed cork-oak
forest with shaded light environment and green
leafy background. We hypothesized that, in the visual system of bees, each vegetation should be highly
conspicuous in its own light environment and background. Irradiance of each community, reflectancespectra of flowered species and sandy dunes’ background were collected. We modelled these data inthe visual system of bees to assess conspicuousness differences of each flower community under
different light environments. We found that the irradiance of coastal dune with open light environment
was four orders higher than light reaching the corkoak understory and showed differences in the spec-

1 Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan
37, Lund, Sweden. 2 Department of Biology, Loyola
Marymount University, California, United States ofAmerica. 3 Department of Biology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Germany. 4 Department of Agriculture and Environment Harper Adams University,
Newport, UK. 5 Medicina Sanità Pubblica Scienzedella Vita e dell’ Ambiente, Università degli Studidell’Aquila, L’Aquila, Italy. 6 Department of Biological Applications, University of Ioannina, Greece. 7
Biocommunication group, Institute of Agricultural
Sciences, ETH Zürich, Switzerland. 8 Plant Ecology
group, Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zürich,
Switzerland. 9 School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, UK.
One recent discovery is the presence of variation infloral scent among conspecific populations of plants
involved in generalized pollination systems. Often,
such variation is taken as evidence suggesting thatthe floral scent of different populations is moulded
in different directions by pollinator mediated selection, due to e.g. variation in local pollinator communities. Pollinators are believed to drive the evolutionof floral scent in several systems, and this theory canalso be tested for Arabis alpina. However, one possibility is that floral scent may not be the target of se-

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lection and that pollinators are not the only agents
shaping the evolution of the floral scent chemistry
in this system. Many floral scent compounds sharebiosynthetic pathways with defence compounds.
Thus, selection pressures that affect defence compounds could result in indirect selection on the floral
scent compounds. Therefore, to determine if floral
scent is free to evolve unrelated to other plant compounds it is important to investigate to what degree floral scent compounds are correlated to otherplant compounds, especially those involved in plant
defence. We extracted floral scent, constitutive foliar
volatiles and glucosinolates from 23 populations of
the perennial herb Arabis alpina. Thereby, we could
assess the magnitude of interdependence among
these compounds produced and emitted by different plant tissues. By comparing integration indices,
we found that floral scent was largely non-correlated with plant defence compounds in this species,
and the geographically variable floral scent variation is thus likely the target of locally divergent selection pressures.

S.208.4 Exploring
polyploidy-induced floral
scent divergence andits impact on pollination
shifts in a Mediterraneancarnation complex
Francisco Balao , Jesús Picazo-Aragonés ,Alba Rodríguez Parra1, Javier López
Jurado1, Claudia Moreno Portillo1, Stefan
Dötterl2, Anass Terrab1
1

1

1 Department of Plant Biology & Ecology, University
of Seville, Seville, Spain. 2 Department of Environment & Biodiversity, Paris Lodron University Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
Polyploidy is a significant driver of plant speciation.
However, the establishment of neo-polyploids requires a process of ecological divergence to alleviate inter-cytotypic competition. This divergenceoften encompasses quantitative and qualitative
alterations in floral phenotype, potentially affecting
pollination assemblage. This phenomenon holds
notable significance within the intricate ecologicalcontext of the Mediterranean region, marked by its
unique climatic nuances and a diverse array of ecological niches. Our objective is to elucidate the foundational mechanisms driving ecological divergencepost-polyploidization, using the Mediterranean autopolyploid Dianthus broteri complex as a study
system. This complex comprises four distinct ploidy
levels (2x, 4x, 6x, and 12x) and parapatric monocytotypic populations along an arid gradient in the Iberian Peninsula. Through a multidisciplinary approach
involving Reproductive Biology and Chemical Ecology, we identified alterations in the pollinator spectrum and analyzed changes in floral volatilome andtranscriptome among cytotypes Our investigation
identified varying floral scent profiles and distinct
pollinator assemblages among cytotypes. The 12x
cytotype, primarily pollinated by hawkmoths, exhibited floral scents rich in ketones, whereas the 2x and4x cytotypes displayed high visitation rates by bees
and floral scent composed by benzenoids, monoterpenoids and sesquiterpenoids. The 6x cytotype
showed a floral scent enriched in sequiterpenoids
and a generalist pollination by bees, butterflies, andmoths. However, experimental sympatry of cytotypes suggested that complete isolation of cytotypes is not automatically conferred by pollinator
shifts and may have required further evolutionary
adaptations, such as habitat isolation, to diminish
the immediate spatial overlap of the neo-polyploids. This comprehensive approach shed light on
the mechanisms shaping evolutionary trajectories
within the Dianthus broteri complex, providing valuable insights into the impact of autopolyploidy onplant speciation and adaptation.

S.208.5 Fragrant Gingers:
Ecological and taxonomic
insights from floral scents in
the genus Hedychium from
India and Thailand
Anupama Sekhar1, Ratchuporn
Suksathan2, Piyakaset Suksathan2, Vinita
Gowda1
1 Tropical Ecology and Evolution lab, Department of
Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhopal, India. 2 Queen Sirikit
Botanic Garden, Botanic Garden Organisation, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Floral scents play a dual role in a plant’s fitness, thatis as both an attractant as well as a deterrent. In acommunity, when congeneric species are in sympatry, competition drives interspecific variationsin floral scents. Like any other morphological floral trait, floral scent profiles both qualitatively and643

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quantitatively can be used as a taxonomic character, as they are key traits in many plant-animal
interactions. These ecological interactions are often
isolating mechanisms driving speciation in many
mixed-floral communities. The chemical signatures from floral volatiles can also be used to differentiate taxa within species complexes. These aretaxa where the members are not morphologicallydistinguishable. Here, we first explore the interspecific variations in floral scents among sympatrictaxa and secondly, we explore chemicals that may
act as signature molecules for taxonomic identifications. To address the above questions, we used
the taxonomically complex, fragrant ginger genus
Hedychium (Zingiberaceae) which is endemic to
the Asian paleotropics. A total of 22 species and 12
intermediate forms were sampled from the NorthEast of India, Western Ghats, and Northern Thailand
during two peak flowering seasons. The floral scentswere extracted via dynamic headspace sampling
and analyzed using Gas chromatography-mass
spectrometry (GC-MS). The chemical analysis results revealed that most of the sampled sympatrictaxa had their unique chemo space. The intermediates showed a shared profile from both the putative
parents suggesting a congruence with what we had
known from ecological and morphological data.
Our work emphasizes the use of chemical data as
critical and complementing to the morphological,
ecological, and genetic data in drawing taxonomic
boundaries. It also allows us to understand the ecological and evolutionary implications of floral scentsamong sympatric taxa.

versity of sexual systems that are present in several
species of the Indian Aeschynanthus. Our field observations revealed the presence of andromonoecy
and variations in forms of andromonoecy among
the Indian species of Aeschynanthus. Since andromonoecy has been reported in Aeschynanthus we
explored its nature and efficiency among different
species from the North East of India from an ecological perspective. We focused on achieving thefollowing objectives during our study: 1) To investigate the presence of andromonoecy in the genus.
2) To comprehend how the allocation of floral resources (such as floral sex ratio, rewards, and display) is impacted by andromonoecy. 3) To analyze
the differences in fitness (such as pollinator visitation and fruit set) among species while considering
their reproductive strategies. Out of the four species
studied, three were found to be andromonoeciousand one was non-andromonoecious. Among theandromonoecious species, taxa with the highest
nectar quality (percent sucrose) had the highest
male-biased sex ratio and displayed significantly
higher fitness. Interestingly, the non-andromonoecious species had similar fitness to this andromonoecious taxa and also had some of the highest nectar quality. Our findings suggest that andromonoecy
enables species to improve pollen export withoutcompromising on pollinator attraction, as there is atradeoff between the proportion of bisexual flowers
and nectar quality between species. In this sexual
system of protandry and andromonoecy (protandromonoecy), protandry promotes outcrossing
while andromonoecy may facilitate better pollen
export and efficient resource allocation.

S.208.6 Diversity inreproductive strategies andfloral sex allocation in thegenus Aeschynanthus Jack
(Gesneriaceae)
Sanika Goray1, Vinita Gowda1
1 Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhopal, India
Intrafloral protandry is a type of dichogamy wherebisexual flowers exhibit male function at the beginning of anthesis and transition to the female phaselater. This phenomenon is present in the genus
Aeschynanthus Jack (Gesneriaceae). Though horticulturally popular, empirical studies on the ecologyof the genus are scarce. Here, we investigate the di-644

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S.209 TROPICAL PLANT EVOLUTION ACROSSSPATIAL AND TEMPORAL SCALES. SESSION 1.
S.209.1 The evolution anddistribution of defense
traits are shaped bymegaherbivores andclimateRachel Souza Ferreira1, Colin Hughes2, Eduardo Alé3,
Jens Ringelberg4, Renske Onstein1,5
1 German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research, Halle – Jena – Leipzig. 2 Institut für Systematische Botanik, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland. 3 Department of Zoology, Tel Aviv University,
Tel Aviv, Israel. 4 School of GeoSciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. 5 Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
The evolutionary arms race between plants andherbivores has led to many adaptations andcounter-adaptations in both groups. Plants possess numerous analogous defense structures, suchas thorns and spines, that deter predation fromlarge-bodied herbivorous mammals. However,whether herbivory shaped the evolution and distribution of such traits remains unclear. Here, we use
a macroecological approach and hypothesize thatthe evolution and distribution of plant defense traits(spinescence hereafter) is convergent and wasshaped by the interaction with medium- to largesized (i.e., more than 10kg) mammalian herbivores.
We focus on the pantropical mimosoid (Mimosoideae, Fabaceae) lineage, including 2338 species (69%of total). We compiled a database of functional
traits on growth form, spinescence, leaves, and fruits
for all mimosoids. We integrated the mimosoid datawith morphological, phylogenetic, and geographical data for 235 extant and 185 extinct species of
medium- to large-sized mammalian herbivores,
fire regimes, and climate, and applied phylogenetic and structural equation models to identify direct
and indirect drivers of spinescence at global andcontinental scales. Results illustrate the repeatedevolution of spinescence across mimosoids, and weshow that the global proportion of spinescent species across broad-scale assemblages is strongly
associated with species richness of extant and extinct mammalian herbivores and extended periodsof drought, whereas fire affected spinescence indirectly, via effects on herbivore richness. Furthermore,

we detected biogeographical differences in driversof spinescence: Extinct herbivore richness was themost important driver in Africa, whereas extant herbivores explained most of the variation in the Americas. Our findings suggest that the environmental
correlates of plant defense traits are scale-dependent and that current ecosystems cannot be properly understood without considering past interactions with megaherbivores. We argue that thecomplex interaction between climate, fire, and theevolution of mammalian herbivores has influenced
the evolution and distribution of plant defense adaptations across tropical realms.

S.209.2 Revisiting thepatterns of African flora
biodiversity using spatial
phylogenetics
Israel Borokini1, Brent D. Mishler2, Shawn
Laffan3
1 Montana State University, Bozeman, USA. 2 University of California, Berkeley, USA. 3 University of New
South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
The African continent is the second most biologically diverse continent on earth, after South America, harboring a vast richness of animals and over
70,000 known plant species. The African savanna is
the richest grassland on earth and the Guineo-Congolian Forest biome is the world’s second largest
tropical rainforest and carbon sink (after the Amazon Basin). Also, eight of the world’s 36 biodiversity
hotspots are found on the continent. The unprecedented levels of floristic diversity on the continent
indicates that several factors, including ecological,
biogeographical, and evolutionary drivers, play important roles. Because of these important historicalfactors, diversity assessments based on species
counts alone cannot reliably describe biodiversity
patterns and mechanisms responsible for generating and maintaining them. We conducted spatial
phylogenetic analysis of the African vascular plants,
leveraging recently accessible georeferenced occurrences and a corresponding time-calibrated phylogeny, using Biodiverse software (https://645

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shawnlaffan.github.io/biodiverse/), to identify areasof significant concentrations of phylogenetic diversity (PD), relative phylogenetic diversity (RPD), phylogenetic endemism (PE), and phylogenetic turnover.
We also conducted a categorical analysis of neoand paleo-endemism (CANAPE). Spatial data fornative African vascular flora and a corresponding
phylogeny were accessed from open-source databases and published papers. Areas of significant
phylodiversity in PD, PE, and RPD were identified using
a spatial randomization test. The resulting patterns
were compared with climate data to infer biodiversity drivers. We also looked at floristic regions of thecontinent using a range-weighted version of phyloturnover to evaluate previously published regionalizations. Maps of significant phylodiversity wereoverlaid on a map of Africa’s protected areas toevaluate the congruence of habitat protection andbiodiversity patterns. Conservation priorities are given based on these results.

S.209.3 The decline ofmegathermal forestsand fate of tropical forest
lineages through the
Cenozoic: Insights frompalms
Jun Ying Lim1, Huasheng Huang2, Carina
Hoorn3
1 Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore. 2 Department ofEarth Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy. 3 Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, theNetherlands
Tropical rain forests and mangroves are much smaller in extent today than in the early Cenozoic, primarily
owing to global cooling and drying trends since the
Eocene–Oligocene transition. The general reductionof these biomes is hypothesized to shape the diversity
and biogeographical history of tropical plant clades.
However, this has rarely been examined owing to apaucity of good fossil records of tropical taxa and the
difficulty in assigning them to modern clades. Here, we
evaluate the role that Cenozoic climate change might
have played in shaping the diversity and biogeography of tropical plants through time, by examining theexquisite fossil pollen record for an iconic and ubiquitous component of tropical forests globally: the palms.

S.209.4 Deciphering thecomplex interactions thatshape the genetic diversityof a tropical montane ginger
using a genomic approach.
Aleena Xavier1, Vinita Gowda1
1 Tropical Ecology and Evolution Lab, Indian Instituteof Science Education and Research, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India.
Widely distributed species often harbour high levelsof genetic and phenotypic variations due to theirinteractions with diverse environmental conditions.
This makes them an ideal study group to understand the microevolutionary processes that canlead to speciation. Their wide distribution allows us
to investigate the genetic and physical barriers togene flow across both spatial and temporal scales.
Our study focuses on Hedychium spicatum, a morphologically variable, widespread ginger found in
the understory of tropical montane forests. It is distributed across high-elevational regions of India,
Southern China, and Northern Thailand and is foundin sympatry with congeners. Ecological studies haveshown that H. spicatum can interbreed with congeneric, sympatric taxa. This led us to hypothesizethat the morphological variation seen in this species
could be due to hybridization events. We aim to investigate putative barriers to gene flow in H. spicatum across its geographical range. We sampled 12
H. spicatum populations and sympatric congenericspecies across their distributional range. We used
dd-RAD sequencing and SSR markers to investigate
the genetic structure of this species using model-based and model-free clustering approaches.
We also checked for different genetic isolation models, migration models, demographic history, mating
dynamics, and ploidy variations to understand thedeterminants of the genetic diversity of this species. Our results showed migrations between different geographical regions, and we found evidenceof genetic admixtures between H. spicatum and its
sympatric taxa. We propose that the structure of H.
spicatum is affected by a combination of factors
such as migrations, historical demographic processes, hybridization events, and ploidy variations.
Understanding the complex interaction of thesefactors could be critical in understanding plant speciation mechanisms in the tropics, an area where
we still have limited knowledge.

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S.209.5 Fossil floras show
early diversification in theevolution of NeotropicalRainforests
Mónica R. Carvalho1, Fabiany Herrera2, L.
Alejandro Giraldo3, Brielle Canares1, Laura
M. Puente4, Carlos Jaramillo5
1 Museum of Paleontology and Department of Earthand Environmental Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA. 2 Negaunee Integrative Research Center, Field Museum, Chicago, USA. 3 Department of Geosciences, The Pennsylvania State
University, State College, USA. 4 Departamento de
Biología, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia. 5 Center for Tropical Paleoecology
and Archeology, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panamá
Neotropical plant communities are exceptionally diverse and are the result of dynamic processes that
include diversification, dispersal, and local/regional
extinctions driven by climatic fluctuations and tec-

tonics over the past 66 million years. Two Paleocene
floras from northern South America show the earliest
evidence of angiosperm-dominated, closed-canopy forests that document the early stages in theevolution of Neotropical rainforests. The Cerrejón and Bogotá paleofloras (58–60 Ma) represent
coastal and fluvial environments, respectively, andshare similar climatic characteristics and family-level composition seen in living rainforests. Despite overall similarities and shared patterns of low
plant richness, these fossil assemblages show contrasting ecologies and composition at sub-familial
levels that reflect floristic heterogeneity at a regional scale by the Late Paleocene. Fossil species within
dominant and species-rich plant families such as
Fabaceae and Annonaceae are typically restricted
to each flora, showcasing patterns of diversificationin northern South America. This talk revise recent
findings within Paleocene floras of Colombia andevaluate the extent to which environmental gradients contributed to the early diversification of Neotropical rainforests.

S.210 SYNANTHEROLOGY RELOADED:RECENT ADVANCES AND THE FUTURE OF
EVOLUTIONARY STUDIES IN COMPOSITAE.
SESSION 2
S.210.1 Phylogenetic insights
into the endemic speciesof the genus Senecio L.
(Asteraceae) in India
Akanksha S. Jeswani1, Siddharthan
Surveswaran2, Manoj M. Lekhak1
1 Shivaji University, Kolhapur, India. 2 University ofHyderabad, Hyderabad, India
Senecio L. (Senecioneae: Asteraceae) is one of themost speciose genera globally, comprising approximately 1250 species primarily concentrated
in southern Africa and South America. The genus
is characterized by its remarkable adaptability tovaried habitats which is probably the reason for its
widespread distribution and high species numbers.

The sheer magnitude of species and huge variation has hindered comprehensive phylogenetic reconstruction. For a long period of time phylogenetic
studies have revealed the paraphyletic or polyphyletic nature of the genus prompting the need forbetter sampling as well more sequence markers.
However, despite extensive molecular studies on Senecio worldwide, the Indian species have remainedlargely unexplored. In India, the genus is represented
by about 53 taxa (47 species and 6 varieties), exhibiting high species diversity in the Himalayas and theWestern Ghats. Of the 21 endemic species identified
in India, 80% are confined to the Western Ghats. We
sampled six species and two putative new species
from the northern Western Ghats to study their phylogenetic status. Based on different nuclear ITS andplastid markers (trnT-L, trnL, trnK, psbA-trnH), theanalysis reveals that these taxa are closely related
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notis-Cineraria clade, as identified in Pelser et al.
(2007). Furthermore, the study strongly supports theplacement of these species under Section Madaractis (DC.) Hook.f. represented with species occurring in central Asia.

S.210.2 Biogeographyof the Mexico-eastern
U.S disjunction in
Symphyotrichum
Sushil Dahal1, Carolina M. Siniscalchi2,
Ryan A. Folk1
1 Department of Biological Sciences, Mississippi
State, USA. 2 Mississippi State University Libraries,
Mississippi State, USA.
Biotic disjunctions, the occurrences of related organisms in disconnected areas of the Earth, haveattracted scientific attention for past 200 years.
Despite being represented in many familiar plants
such as bald cypress, flowering dogwood, sweetgum, partridgeberry, etc., the eastern North American (ENA)–Mexican (M) disjunction remains poorly
understood. Major outstanding questions include
the divergence times of taxa exhibiting the disjunction and environmental/geological processes
that may underlie the disjunction. Symphyotrichum,
one of the most diverse genera in the eastern US,
extends across the Americas, the Caribbean, andEurasia, with several examples of disjunct ENA-M
taxa. We performed molecular work using herbarium specimens to sequence accessions representing most of the species-level diversity of broader
Symphyotrichum. We performed a sequence capture approach on DNA libraries using the Angiosperms353 baitset and used HybPiper to assemble
the sequence data. Our phylogenetic analyses usedboth concatenation in RAxML-NG and coalescencein ASTRAL-III. We used MCMCTREE to perform divergence time estimation and R package BioGeoBEARS
to infer ancestral regions and biogeographic transitions between North America and Mexico. Finally, weused an ancestral niche reconstruction approachin Utremi to test for a role of historical aridificationin generating the disjunction. Our molecular datasuggest a recent radiation of Symphyotrichum at
the Plio-Pleistocene boundary (~2.5 mya), with early connections to Mexico in ancestral lineages thatclosed off shortly after. Several subsequent dispersals to Mexico in the mid-Pleistocene were followedby vicariance across this region. Except for somepresent-day broadly distributed species, there is acomplete lack of movement between ENA and M
after 1 mya. A reconstructed disjunct distribution ofsuitable habitat in Pleistocene climatic models corroborate results from biogeographic modeling andconfirm a role for aridification in the North Americaninterior in creating the ENA-M disjunction.

S.210.3 Four or more?
Integrative speciesdelimitation of theAfrican daisy complex
Dimorphotheca pluvialissinuata
Thaabiet Parker1,2, Geoge A. Verboom1,
Nicola G. Bergh2, John C. Manning2,
Allan G. Ellis3
1 University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa. 2 South African National Biodiversity Institute
Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, Cape Town, South
Africa. 3 University of Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch,South Africa.
Evolutionary relationships in the South African daisy
genus Dimorphotheca Vaill ex. Moench. have long
been problematic, with historical taxonomy often
being based on potentially labile morphologicaltraits. Here we investigate the Dimorphotheca pluvialis-sinuata species complex which have historically been separated based on white vs orange
ray colour alone; but show widespread variation in
ray colour patterns, disc floret sculpturing and fruit
characters. We present an integrated taxonomic approach utilising next-generation sequencing
genetic data in conjunction with several additionallines of evidence. Plants from 191 populations were
sampled from 20 a priori morphotypes which encompassed the range of morphological variation in
the complex. DNA of 301 individuals were extracted
for genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) and concatenation and coalescent phylogenetic species delimitation approaches were used to assign individuals to hypothesised genetic species. Support for
genetic species was further assessed using surveysof phenotypic trait variation as well as cross-pollination experiments. Results showed strong support
for at least four species within the complex; with theprevious use of ray colour ineffective in delimiting
species. While three putative genetic species can beclearly identified and grouped based on morpho-648

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logical characters, the remaining species encompasses a wide range of diverse morphotypes which
exhibit variation on a geographic cline. Phylogenetic
patterns suggest this may be due to repeated range
expansion and subsequent serial founder effects,
and we further assess this using a clinal genomic
analysis which incorporated pollinator observations
as a potential selective regime. This study provides aframework for untangling complex taxonomic questions and emphasises understanding of evolutionary process in reclassification.

S.210.4 Phylogenomic
insights into the Marguerite
daisy tribe (Anthemideae,
Astearaceae)
David Criado-Ruiz1,2, Joan Vallès3, Randall
J. Bayer4, Luis Palazzesi5, Jaume Pellicer6,7,
Iván Pérez Lorenzo3,6, Olivier Maurin7,
Elaine Françoso7, Shyamali Roy7, Ilia J.
Leitch7, Félix Forest7, William J. Baker7, Lisa
Pokorny1,7, Oriane Hidalgo6,7, Gonzalo Nieto
Feliner1
1 Real Jardín Botánico, CSIC, Madrid, Spain. 2
Facultad de Biología, Universidad Autónoma de
Madrid, Madrid, Spain. 3 Laboratori de Botànica,
Facultat de Farmàcia i Ciències de l’Alimentació,
Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia,
Spain. 4 Department of Biological Sciences,
Center for Biodiversity, University of Memphis,
Memphis, USA. 5 Museo Argentino de Ciencias
Naturales, CONICET, División Paleobotánica,
Buenos Aires, Argentina. 6 Institut Botànic deBarcelona, CSIC-Ajuntament de Barcelona,
Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. 7 Royal Botanic
Gardens, Kew, Richmond, UK.
Using targeted high-throughput sequencing of
244 low-copy nuclear genes and capture of 66
plastid genes and including 61 out of 111 genera
and all but four of the 19 currently recognized subtribes (Inulantherinae, Lapidophorinae, Lonadinae,
and Vogtiinae), our study takes a step further into
the intricate evolutionary history of Anthemideae,a remarkably diverse tribe within the Asteraceae family. Our results are largely consistent withprevious research but clarify the placement andcircumscription of several taxa and reveal compelling incongruences. Some of these clarifications involve longstanding issues affecting someof the 19 currently recognized subtribes, such as

the placement of Osmitopsis, the monophyly of
Cotulinae, the affinities of Glebionidinae and Santolininae, and the paraphyly of two subtribe pairs,
proposed here to be merged: Athanasiinae with
Phymasperminae and Matricariinae with Anthemidinae. Among the incongruences, those between
nuclear and plastid trees are particularly noteworthy since they challenge subtribal taxonomy
and hint at ancient hybridization events. Disparities were also observed between the multispecies
pseudo-coalescent (MSC) and maximum likelihood (ML) nuclear trees. Furthermore, our research
introduces novel perspectives on the tribe’s historical biogeography, supporting three groupings:
a Southern African Grade, an Asian Clade, and a
Circum-Mediterranean Clade, which shed light on
the historical expansion of Anthemideae lineages
across different regions. Divergence time analyses
underscore the role of Plio-Pleistocene climatic
shifts as drivers of rapid radiations within the tribe.
By refining the phylogenetic relationships among
and within subtribes and by pointing out potential
ancient hybridization events, our research highlights episodes that require further investigations,paving the way for a deeper understanding of Anthemideae systematics and evolution.

S.210.5 Palynology
of Vernonieae from
Madagascar (Compositae)
Higor Antonio-Domingues1, Benoit
Loeuille1, Isabel Larridon1, Morgan Gostel2,
Ana Rita G. Simões1
1 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, UK.
2 Botanical Research Institute of Texas, Texas, USA
One of the largest tribes in Asteraceae, Vernonieae, has proven intractable for taxonomic revision,
with more than 1,000 of the ca. 1,500 species being
recognised in the genus Vernonia. This genus has
recently been re-circumscribed to include just 21
accepted species in the Americas, prompting thereclassification of ca. 1,000 species out of Vernonia. Much of this work has been completed in the
Neotropics, but few studies have been undertaken
for the more than 700 species of Vernonieae in the
Paleotropics. At least 200 African species remain
in Vernonia, but due to poor generic delimitationin this tribe, it is unclear to which genus they belong. We have performed the most complete palynotaxonomy study of Malagasy representatives of649

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the tribe Vernonieae to date, which is represented
by 90 species, including 39 still placed in Vernonia.
Pollen grains and micromorphological reproductive
characters were analysed under light microscopy
and SEM. Our results the eurypalynous status of tribe
Vernonieae tribe based on variations in pollen grainsize, aperture and ultrasculpture types. Further study
that includes more comprehensive molecular sampling of species in Vernonieae is in progress and will
be elemental for further understanding the diversity
and evolution of pollen within this tribe.

S.210.6 Hyperdiverse but
still under-explored: recent
and future evolutionary
studies in the Compositae ofSouthern Africa
Nicola G. Bergh1,5, Zaynab Shaik2,4,
Thaabiet Parker1,3, Lauren M. C. James3,
Allan G. Ellis2, Robert Sadler3, Bengt
Oxelman4, G. Anthony Verboom3,4
1 The Compton Herbarium, South African National
Biodiversity Institute, Kirstenbosch, Cape Town, South
Africa. 2 Department of Botany and Zoology, University of Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch, South Africa. 3 Department of Biology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Cape Town, South Africa. 4 Department of

Biological and Environmental Sciences, University ofGothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden. 5 Gothenburg
Botanical Garden, Gothenburg, Sweden.
The Cape Flora has very high concentrations of species diversity and extremely high levels of endemism
in a relatively small geographic area. As for mosttemperate regional floras, Compositae is the most
species-rich family. A number of endemic composite lineages have radiated within (and in manycases, subsequently dispersed out of) the region,
after adaptation to the unique edaphic and climatic conditions that characterise the island-like Capehabitats. Most of the taxonomic work on Cape Compositae occurred more than thirty years ago, before the advent of modern methods and resources,
and there has been very little evolutionary work onthese systems. Here, I present advances in species
discovery and in the understanding of speciation
processes in the Cape Flora, based largely on our
research in two Cape-centred tribes, the Gnaphalieae (everlasting daisies) and the Calenduleae(the African marigolds). These studies make use of
herbarium specimens, online databases, and citizen-science platforms; extensive fieldwork; and arange of morphological and molecular techniques,
including genomic data, to reconstruct evolutionary
relationships, discover new species, and examine
the context of diversification. We extrapolate fromthese results to explore possible implications for
future species discovery in other members of theCompositae of this hyperdiverse region.

S.211 EVOLUTION AND DIVERSITY OF CARBON
CONCENTRATING MECHANISMS (CCM) IN
LAND PLANTS. SESSION 2
S.211.1 Defining the C2
photosynthesis phenotype
across diverse plantlineages
H.R. Roberts1, G. Rumble1, D. Worall1, T.
Hernandez-Verdeja1, M.R. Lundgren1
1 Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Bailrigg, Lancaster, UK.
Most plants use only C3 photosynthesis, which endures high rates of metabolically costly photorespi-

ration under elevated temperatures and dry conditions. However, several plant lineages convergently
evolved carbon concentrating mechanisms (CCM;
e.g., C4) to help avoid these photorespiratory costs
and consequently boost photosynthetic efficiency under these stressful environments. During therepeated evolutionary transitions from the ancestral C3 to complex C4 CCM, evolutionary intermediate C3-C4 states arose, many of which use a rarephysiology called C2 photosynthesis. The C2 CCM isa natural CO2 recycling mechanism that shuttles
the photorespiratory product glycine from mesophyll into bundle sheath cells, where it releases,650

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concentrates, and reassimilates the CO2 released
from photorespiration. Engineering the C2 CCM into
C3 crops shows promise to increase crop yields, especially under climate change, but achieving thisrequires a detailed understanding of the complete
C2phenotype across scales, from the sub-cellular
to whole-plant. To comprehensively characterise
the C2 phenotype across diverse plant lineages, wequantified ultrastructure, organelle content, andbiochemistry of mesophyll vs bundle sheath cells,
leaf structure, relative growth rate, whole plant resource allocation, root characteristics, drought responses, leaf gas exchange in C2plants comparedwith their close C3 relatives from six plant lineages. C2 species showed several clear benefits compared to their C3 relatives under the experimental
conditions, including greater biomass, leaf area,
and intrinsic water use efficiency, as well as manyother phenotypic differences compared to their C3
counterparts. Our findings clarify the phenotypicchanges that accompanied the repeated evolution of C2 phenotypes in diverse plant lineages, providing critical information needed engineering theC2 photosynthetic pathway into C3 crops to achieve
food security now and into the future.

strategic to achieve this objective. Like tropical Andean ecosystems with soils that are mostly derived
from volcanic ash and important carbon storage
and stabilizers, due to their high content of organic
matter, these ecosystems present high biological,
cultural and agricultural diversity. These ecosystems
are altered by the high concentration of human settlements and changes in land use; Given this situation, research questions formulated in the review
were raised, a gap in knowledge of SOC sequestration in tropical Andean ecosystems has been identified and the methods and approaches for its study
must be clarified, understanding that there are various techniques for determining C, but little is addressed from socio-ecological systems and there
is diversity of information regarding C models, thisresearch suggests addressing the sequestration of
SOC within an interdisciplinary and systemic approach. This implies the development of methodological, sociological, ecological, and technologicalprocesses that allow us to understand the problem
from a holistic and integrative perspective, whichallows us to understand the dynamics of communities in the territories surrounding the conservation of
ecosystem services.

S.211.2 Soil organic carbon intropical Andean ecosystems
study methods andapproaches: a systematic
review

S.211.3 Pyrenoid formationand carbon concentrating
mechanisms in hornworts:
contrasting dynamics
but parallel molecularunderpinnings

Víctor Alfonso Mondragón Valencia1,2,
Carolina Bambagüe Caicedo3, Apolinar
Figueroa Casas1

Stephanie Ruaud1, Svenja Nötzold2, James
Barrett3, Manuel Waller1, Anna Neubauer1,
Luke Mackinder3, Susann Wicke2, Péter
Szövényi1

1 Doctorado en Ciencias Ambientales, Universidad
del Cauca, Colombia. 2 Grupo de estudios sobre
diversidad vegetal, Universidad del Cauca, Colombia. 3 Institución Educativa Belén, Colombia
Soil is the most important carbon (C) reserve in theterrestrial biosphere, soil organic C (SOC) is the resultof the balance between the contributions of organic
matter to soils and the loss of C through decomposition, leaching and erosion of organic matter, themain source of organic matter is dead plant material from both surface and underground tissues.
The potential of soils as carbon sinks has attracted
considerable scientific attention in recent years, as
an alternative to mitigate warming and which is a
key factor for soil health, there are areas that can be

1 Dept. of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, University of Zurich, Switzerland. 2 Plant Systematics
and Biodiversity, Humboldt-University Berlin, Germany. 3 Department of Biology, University of York,UK
Biophysical carbon concentrating mechanisms(CCMs) operating at the single-cell level have
evolved independently in various lineages of eukaryotic algae and a single land plant lineage, thehornworts. An essential component for an efficienteukaryotic CCM is a pyrenoid, a specialized compartment inside the chloroplast that mainly comprises the CO2-fixing enzyme RuBisCO. Information

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land. 3 University of Birminghan, Birmingham, UK.
4 Lund University, Lund, Sweden. 5 Service Publicde Wallonie, Jambes, Belgium. 6 Forest and Natural Resources Research Centre Foundation, Warsaw, Poland. 7 Agency for Nature and Forests (ANB),
Brussels, Belgium. 8 Institute of Forest Ecosystem
Research, Jilove u Prahy, Czech Republic. 9 Université Grenoble Alpes (INRAE), UR LESSEM, Saint-Martin-d`Hères, France. 10 Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden. 11 Wageningen
Environmental Research, Wageningen, Netherlands

on pyrenoid biology and CCM is primarily available
for the unicellular green alga, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, suggesting that both pyrenoid formation
and CCM is highly dynamic and inducible by low
CO2 concentrations.
In contrast to C. reinhardtii, molecular underpinnings,
inducibility and dynamics of the hornwort CCM andthe pyrenoids are poorly understood. To start investigating molecular underpinnings of the CCM in
hornworts we used a combination of methods including (1) protein co-IP of pyrenoid components,(2) localization of candidates homologous to CCM
genes in Chlamydomonas, and (3) CO2 assimilation
measurements in pyrenoid-bearing and pyrenoidfree species. While we provide evidence that thescaffolding candidate and the RuBisCO co-localize
in hornworts like in Chlamydomonas, they appear tobe less dynamic. We further found that the carbon
anhydrase homolog (CAH3) of hornworts is localized to the pyrenoid, while the LCIB homolog is lessintimately linked to the pyrenoid than in Chlamydomonas. Surprisingly, we observed that pyrenoid
formation and subcellular localization of CAH3 andLCIB do not react to changing CO2 concentrations,
darkness or H2O2 as it is described in C. reinhardtii.
Our results imply that the pyrenoid-based CCM of
hornworts is characterized by a mixture of Chlamydomonas-like as well as hornwort-specific features
which is line with their independent evolutionary origin. Furthermore, our study suggests that hornwort
CCM may be less dynamic than that of C. reinhardtii.

S.211.4 Tree demography
driving species compositionand carbon stock changes
in European forests
Miriam Bravo-Hernández1, Julen
Astigarraga1, Susanne Suvanto2, Albert
Vilà-Cabrera1, Thomas A.M. Pugh3,4,Miguel A. Zavala1, Adriane EsquivelMuelbert3, André Thibaut5, Andrzej
Talarczyk6, Anja Leyman7, Emil Cienciala8,
Georges Kunstler9, Jonas Fridman10,
Julien Barrere9, Leen Govaere7, Marta
Rodríguez-Rey1, Mart-Jan Schelhaas11,
Sara Villén-Pérez1, Paloma Ruiz-Benito1

Forest ecosystems play a crucial role in climatechange mitigation due to their extensive carbon sequestration and reservoir capacity. Tree species distributions and abundance largely vary across environmental gradients and are expected to change
in response to climate change and management.
The expected spatio-temporal changes of coexisting species depend on different demographic
processes, where tree growth and mortality may
follow the same or opposite directions, largely contingent on species strategies to cope with climatechange. However, changes in species demographic
processes across large environmental gradients remain unexplored. In this study, we aim to investigatechanges in species abundance and forest composition considering biomass gains and losses for themain tree species in Europe. We used National Forest
Inventories (NFIs) to build species-specific modelsof biomass gains and losses, considering climate,forest structure, and recent management. Then, we
integrated these model’s predictions to determinechanges in composition and carbon storage under climate change scenarios. We observed thatbiomass gains and losses generally follow similar
patterns, with a high importance of forest structure, climate and recent management driving observed changes. The predicted changes in species
and functional composition across Europe underclimate change varied across the covered environmental gradient, which is directly linked with thepredicted carbon stored. Future work should further
explore the potential implications of increased biomass gains and losses under climate change andthe potential role of forest management in modifying these trends.

1 Universidad de Alcalá, Madrid, Spain. 2 Natural
Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Helsinki, Fin-

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S.212 CLIMATE CHANGE EFFECTS ON ALPINE
PLANT SPECIES AND COMMUNITIES: INSIGHTSFROM THE GLORIA NETWORK. SESSION 2
S.212.1 Long-termmonitoring of alpine
ecosystems

S.212.2 Using long-term
remote sensing series to
upscale the vegetation
shifts along elevation in the
GLORIA network Italian peaks

Christian Körner1, Erika Hiltbrunner1,
Christian Newesely2, Ulrike Tappeiner2
1 University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland. 2 Universityof Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
Naturally treeless by definition, the vegetation covered terrain of the alpine belt amounts to ca. 2 %of all land outside Antarctica. Despite the assumed
hostility for life, it embraces an estimated 4 % of all
flowering plant species. Habitat diversity createdby topography and a microclimate that deviates
strongly from what meteorological stations report,
are the explanation for this unexpected biodiversity.
The habitat diversity across short distances offers
unique opportunities to study the long-term effect ofcontrasting environmental conditions on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. We present concepts,
definitions, challenges and pitfalls in monitoring terrestrial ecosystems and the study of steep gradientsof life conditions related to snow duration and lengthof growing season, with a focus on snowbed andadjacent grassland communities. We provide a synthesis of findings obtained during seven consecutive
seasons of monitoring with a standardized protocol,
across four monitoring sites in the Swiss and Austrian Alps. We show that plant dry matter allocation ishighly conserved across such gradients, tbwhile theratio of graminoid to herb biomass emerges a sensitive indicator for season length. Microclimate andphenology data will be presented that illustrate thekey role of ‘timing’ for alpine plant life, and underpin
the central role of the aerodynamic boundary layer near the ground and exposure for alpine plants.
Data from such late successional ecosystems will
facilitate projections of the consequences of futurechanges in season length and they complementfindings from early successional systems such as
those studied in the GLORIA network. For further reading see: Körner C (2021) Alpine Plant Life, Springer;
Körner and Hiltbrunner (2021) Diversity 13:383; Körner
et al. (2022) EcoMont 14:48-69.

Marco Vuerich1,2, Francesco Boscutti1,2,Davide Mosanghini1, 3, Giacomo Trotta1,
Graziano Rossi4, Francesco Porro4,
Simone Orsenigo4, Silvano Lodetti4,
Margherita Tognela4, Elena Barni5,
Ludovica Oddi5, Umberto Morra di Cella6,
Angela Stanisci7, Maria Laura Carranza8,
Pau Carnicero9, Brigitta Erschbamer9,
Lena Nicklas9, Michele Carbognani10,
T’ai G.W. Forte10, Marcello Tomaselli10,
Alessandro Petraglia10
1 Department of Agricultural, Food, Environmental
and Animal Sciences, University of Udine, Udine, Italy. 2 National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo,
Italy. 3 FOR NATURE SRL, Udine, Italy. 4 Departmentof Earth and Environmental Sciences, University ofPavia, Pavia, Italy. 5 Department of Life Sciences
and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy;.6 Aosta Valley Regional Environmental Protection Agency, Saint-Christophe, Italy. Department of
Botany. 7 Department of Bioscience and Territory,
University of Molise, Termoli, Italy. 8 Departmentof Bioscience and Territory, University of Molise,Pesche (IS), Italy. 9 Department of Botany, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria. 10 Departmentof Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
Plant species and communities’ distribution are remarkably affected by the climate change, particularly in arctic and alpine biomes. In alpine ecosystems,
species and communities are shifting upwards dueto the temperature increase, seeking for the optimum
growth conditions. As a prominent effect, a progressive increase of vegetation cover is leading an alpine
greening, with important consequences for the overall plant diversity. Nonetheless, little is known about
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elevation gradients. Innovative upscaling approaches able to link field monitoring evidence to remotesensing data represent a promising tool to get new
insights into the ecological mechanisms involved inthese changes, and to produce reliable projections
over time. This study aimed at parsing the long-term
trends of remote sensing-derived vegetation indicesin five GLORIA network target regions, located acrossthe Italian Alps and Apennines. NDVI was calculated
for each growing season (June-September) in the
period 1985-2022, using Landsat 5 and 8 multispectral satellite images of each mountain summit. Linear
mixed-effects models were used to analyze the relationships between NDVI, time and climate variables, indifferent elevation belts. NDVI linearly increased overthe last 37 years, but with significant higher increase
rates and values at the treeline, lower alpine and alpine zones, compared to the upper alpine, subnival
and nival belts. Moreover, NDVI was significantly affected by the interaction between temperature and rain
precipitation at lower altitudes. These results provided
further evidence of the ongoing alpine greening andshowed that vegetation at the treeline is responding
faster than the other communities to a warmer anddrier climate. Therefore, future scenarios depicting thefate of alpine plant community communities should
not neglect for the interplay of temperature and precipitation regimes. Our finding opens future perspectives on the interpretation of GLORIA field evidence, in acontinental upscaling perspective.

S.212.3 Results of the 17-year
GLORIA survey: Has there
been a change in the plant
diversity in the mountains ofcentral Spain?

the particular conditions that have worked as a selective pressure on plant species. Nevertheless, thebiodiversity found in these areas may be in jeopardy
as a result of climate change. Dry spells have become more common in central Spain over the last
decade, and experts predict that these high elevations will experience even more dry spells as a resultof global warming. Our research is centred on identifying the most significant changes in plant diversitythat have occurred or are occurring in the summitsof the Sistema Central (Sierra de Guadarrama, Sierra de Gredos and Sierra de Béjar) a 300 km mountain range in the centre of the Iberian Peninsula that
separates the southern and northern plateaus. Thishas been accomplished by utilising climatic data
derived from GLORIA soil temperature dataloggers
and supplementary records from the AEMET (National Meteorological Institute), as well as vegetation data gathered from permanent plots of threesurveys of two GLORIA study regions over a spanof 17 years (2006–2023). We used multivariate approaches and GLMMs to examine the relationships
between diversity patterns and climatic conditions.
Here, we go over the main findings concerning species richness, species cover (especially for endemic
species and shrubs), colonisation or loss events andhow they relate to trends in temperature and precipitation.

S.212.4 Impact of climatechange on plant phenology
in a Mediterranean
mountain (Sierra Nevada,
SE Spain) using herbarium
specimens
Katy V. Rondinel-Mendoza1, Matilde
García-Valdecasas Ojeda2, Eva
Cañadas1, Juan Lorite1

Rosina Magaña Ugarte1, Alba GutiérrezGirón1, Daniel Sánchez-Mata1, Rosario G.
Gavilán1
1 Botany Unit, Pharmacology, Pharmacognosy
and Botany Dept., Complutense University, Madrid, Spain
The environmental particularities of the Mediterranean – a dry season during the vegetative period and a cold season during the rest of the year
– make the plausible climate change impacts on
the unique Mediterranean summits more severe.
A significant number of endemic species, primarily orophytes, are found in this region as a result of

1 Department of Botany, University of Granada,
Spain. 2 Department of Applied Physics, Universityof Granada, Spain
Mediterranean mountains are extraordinarily diverse and host a high plant diversity, especially ofendemic plants. However, these mountain ecosystems are particularly vulnerable to climate change,and significant changes in plant communities andthe life cycle of many species are expected. Plant
phenology is considered one of the most importantbioindicators of climate change, as trends can pro-654

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vide considerable temporal and spatial information
on changes in species and ecosystems. This work
aimed to analyze the phenological trends of 89 endemic and conservation-important plant species ofSierra Nevada (SE Spain) over period of 187 years. A
total of 5,262 records were obtained from herbarium samples. Phenological variability was analyzed
considering: altitudinal gradient and climatic data
series (temperature and precipitation) extracted
from raster layers with temporal climate models
from 1950 to 2020. As preliminary results, we found aclear tendency to advance the flowering and fruiting events at the massif scale. And, at the species
level, the response was more significant in one thanin the others. These results may improve the understanding of phenological changes in endemic
plants under the current climate change scenario
in a Mediterranean water-limited mountain. Thus,
serving as early warning indicators, providing appropriate mitigation and adaptation strategies andmeasures at the species level. Moreover, the study
highlights the crucial role that historical records harboured in herbarium sheets have for monitoring theeffects of climate change on biodiversity.

Mountain region in southwestern China to study pollination networks by investigating their topologies, structuring mechanisms and spatial-temporal dynamics.
We investigated how ecological and historical factors,
including functional traits of plants and pollinators, phylogenetic history and environmental factors influenceof structure of pollination networks. In this talk, we presented our key findings.1) Compared to other mountainecosystems, the specialization of pollination networks in
our communities was much lower, potentially due to the
key roles of super generalists including bumblebees andhoneybees. 2) Species abundance, functional trait andphylogenetical history strongly shaped network structures. The matching between insect tongue length andthe floral tube/spur length determined the structure andstability of networks. The physical match between floral
morph and insects were significantly varied among different insects groups and influenced by elevation. 3) Pollination networks showed a strong spatial and temporalvariation. In conclusion, our studies uncover the uniqueness of pollination in the mountains of Southwestern
China compared with other mountain ecosystem in theworld providing new understanding of plant-pollinatorinteraction at alpine and subalpine regions.

S.212.5 Two Decades of
Pollination and PollinatorStudies on the Hengduan
Mountains: The Importanceof Super-generalist
Eusocial Bees

S.212.6 Differences in seedtraits determine ‘winners’
and ‘losers’ of climatechange in European alpine
plant communities.
Andrea Mondoni1, Sergey Rosbakh2,
Margherita Tognela1, Graziano Rossi1,
Silvano Lodetti1, Simone Orsenigo1,
Francesco Porro1, Fiona White1

Zong-Xin Ren1, Hong Wang1
1 Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of
Sciences
Mountain ecosystems are natural labs for species evolution providing natural experiments awaiting us to explore.
Alpine environments at high mountains are sensitive toenvironmental changes, plants and their pollinators aswell as their interactions at mountain regions are threatened under the current global change and human disturbance situation. Changes of the composition of plants
and pollinators at different spatial and temporal scales
will reshape the pollination networks, eventually influence
ecosystem function and stability. Currently, the topology
and structure of pollination on the mountain ecosystemwere not fully explored and the spatial and temporal
pattern along elevation and factors determining network structures are not fully understood. We selected
several typical elevation gradients on the Hengduan

1 Department of Earth and Environmental Science,
University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy. 2 Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenaghen, Copenaghen, Denmark
Alpine habitats are threatened by climate change because their cold-adapted species are experiencing
some of the fastest rates of warming. In response, alpine plants have altered their performance, population
dynamics, community structure and geographic distribution, ultimately affecting the functions and services
alpine ecosystems provide. Yet, there is a general lackof mechanistic explanations about these complex responses. In this context, application of functional traits,that is morphological, physiological, phenological or
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ness, has been considered as a promising approachin assessing climate change vulnerability of alpine
plants. In particular, seed traits are expected to havea good predictive power in explaining the observed
patterns of alpine species migration, adaptation, andpersistence, as seeds are the main plant organ fulfillingthese functions. Here, we investigated whether species
with contrasting long-term population dynamics differ
in their seed traits related to germination, dispersal, andpersistence. Specifically, we correlated data on 20-yr
population dynamics collected within the GLORIA network (https://www.gloria.ac.at/) for 146 alpine species
occurring in temperate, sub-Mediterranean and Mediterranean mountain ranges with seed traits (mass,
shape, number, dormancy, germination time, basetemperature for germination, anemochory and epi-

zoochroy potential) measured following standardised
protocols We revealed that the focal species displayed
mountain range-specific changes in abundance, with
Mediterranean and sub-Mediterranean ranges having
the largest variations. The relationship between seedtraits and abundance change were significant only inthe sub-Mediterranean ranges. Here, species that increased in abundance exhibited weaker dormancy(e.g. shorter cold stratification period), required higher
temperatures for germination, and produced larger
seeds, all traits that enable long-distance dispersal andimproved performance under a warmer climate. Our
results show that seed traits may explain differences inrecently observed population dynamics and highlightimportant insights for assessing extinction risk and predicting future community structure.

S.213 AN UPDATE ON THE PHYLOGENY OF SEEDPLANTS. SESSION 2
S.213.1 Seed structure
in Bennettites morieri(Bennettitales) and its
implicationsPeter R. Crane1,2, Kaj Raunsgaard
Pedersen4, Else Marie Friis3,4
1 Oak Spring Garden Foundation, Upperville, VA, USA.
2 Yale School of the Environment, New Haven, CT
6511, USA. 3 Department of Palaeobiology, Swedish
Museum of Natural History, Box 50007, Stockholm,
Sweden. 4 Department of Geoscience, University of
Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark
Understanding the structure of bennettitalean seeds
is important so they can be compared with those ofother seed plants, but their interpretation has been
controversial for more than a century. A key question is whether or not the integument is surroundedby an envelope, as in seeds of Gnetales and Erdtmanithecales, and hence whether the seeds are, or
are not, chlamydospermous. Resolving this question,even in well preserved material, is difficult because
the seeds are small and tightly packed in a massof interseminal scales causing different tissue layers to adhere closely together. Non-destructive reinvestigation of exceptionally well-preserved permineralized seeds of Bennettites morieri using three
dimensional visualization by synchrotron radiation

X-ray tomographic microscopy (SRXTM) indicatesthe presence of an envelope, as well as two distinctive features seen in several dispersed fossil chlamydospermous seeds; i) closure of the micropyle byradial expansion of the cells of the inner epidermis of
the micropylar tube (as also occurs in extant Gnetum gnemon, extinct Protoephedrites and extinct
Williamsonia); and, ii) the presence of distinctively
angled and radially aligned cells in the apical portion of the envelope (not easily seen in some otherpermineralized bennettitalean ovules). These results support the hypothesis that Bennettitales, Erdtmanithecales and Gnetales are closely related, andsuggest that the ovulate ‘flowers’ of Bennettitales
are multiaxial compound heads.

S.213.2 Impact of new
taxa and morphologicalinterpretations on seedplant phylogeny and theorigin of angiosperms

656

Mario Coiro1, James A. Doyle2, Andrés
Elgorriaga3, Leyla J. Seyfullah1
1 University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria. 2 University ofCalifornia, Davis, USA. 3 University of Kansas, Lawrence, USA

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Recent discoveries of new fossil taxa, improved
data on poorly known fossils, and major reinterpretations of the morphology of several key taxa
have potential to strengthen or refute previous
hypotheses on seed plant phylogeny. To test the
impact of these developments, we have amassed
a new data set including Doylea (Cretaceous, recently assigned to the mainly Triassic seed fern
order Umkomasiales, = corystosperms), Petriellaea (Triassic), and Protoephedrites (Cretaceous)and substantially redefined many previously usedcharacters. We have revised the scoring of glossopterids in light of evidence that the ovule-bearing structures are axillary cladodes with ovuleson the surface facing the subtending leaf andhave rescored Bennettitales based on evidence
that the ovules are borne on simple sporophylls
and lack a cupule, while we interpret Doylea as
having compound strobili with axillary fertile
short shoots bearing ovules enveloped by lobesof the short shoot. Preliminary analyses associate glossopterids with coniferophytes rather thanangiosperms, Doylea with conifers rather thancorystosperms, Protoephedrites with Gnetales,
and Petriellaea and Caytonia with angiosperms.
The positions of Bennettitales and Pentoxylon are
particularly unstable, presumably due in part tothe uncertain morphological homologies of theirreproductive structures. These results are consistent across different methods (parsimony, maximum likelihood, Bayesian inference) and models
for character evolution. They may favor origin of
the angiosperm leaf by webbing of a pinnately
compound or lobed leaf, rather than differentiation of vein orders in a simple taeniopterid- orglossopterid-type leaf, and derivation of the carpel from a megasporophyll with pinnately borne
cupules (bitegmic ovule homologs), rather thana leaf plus an axillary cupule-bearing branch.

S.213.3 Embracing uncertainty:
the way forward in plant fossil
phylogenetics
Mario Coiro1

1 University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Although molecular phylogenetics remains the mostwidely used method of inferring the evolutionary historyof living groups, the last decade has seen a renewed interest in morphological phylogenetics. This has mostly
been driven by the promises that integrating the fossil
record offers to our understanding of macroevolution-

ary processes and dynamics, as well as the possibility
that the inclusion of fossil taxa could lead to more accurate phylogenetic hypotheses. The plant fossil record
presents some challenges to its integration in a phylogenetic framework. Phylogenies including plant fossils
often retrieve uncertain relationships with low support,
or lack of resolution. This is due to the pervasiveness ofmorphological convergence among plant organs andthe fragmentary nature of many plant fossils, and it isoften perceived as a fundamental weakness reducing
the utility of plant fossils in phylogenetics. Here I discuss
the importance of uncertainty in morphological phylogenetics, and how we can identify important information from different patterns and types of uncertainty. I
also review a set of methodologies that can allow us tounderstand the causes underpinning uncertainty, andhow this can help us to further our knowledge of plantfossils. I also propose that a new visual language, including the use of networks instead of trees, represents
an improvement on the old visualization based on consensus trees, and more adequately serves phylogeneticists working with plant fossils. This set of methods andvisualization tools represents an important way forward
in a fundamental field for our understanding of the evolutionary history of plants.

S.213.4 Reassessment of
the presumed Phylica
inflorescence from
Cretaceous amber: Laurales
rather than Rhamnaceae
Simon Beurel1, Julien B. Bachelier2,
Alexander R. Schmidt3, Eva-Maria
Sadowski1
1 Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Berlin, Germany. 2
Freie Universität Berlin, Institute of Biology/Dahlem
Center of Plant Sciences, Berlin, Germany. 3 University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
Cretaceous fossil flowers are highly significant, if notessential, for understanding origin and evolution ofangiosperms. Kachin amber from northern Myanmar
represents a valuable source of three-dimensionallypreserved mid-Cretaceous (approximately 100-million-year-old) plant fossils, including diverse flowers.
Systematic placement of early angiosperm fossils issometimes challenging as they often possess surprising, unique combinations of floral traits which are absent in Cenozoic taxa. Using the published original microXCT data, we reconstructed the fossil inflorescence657

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from Kachin amber previously assigned to the extant
genus Phylica (Rhamnaceae; Shi et al., 2022), visualized new diagnostic features and reassessed the fossil.
The dichasial inflorescence bears bisexual flowers witha spiral phyllotaxis, an undifferentiated perianth with afloral cup, stamens with bilocular valvate anthers and apair of basal filament appendages, inner staminodes,
and a semi-inferior ovary. The characteristic flap dehiscence and the pair of basal staminal glands suggest
Lauralean affinities. Using the morphological datasetof extant basal angiosperms by Kvaček et al. (2016) weplaced the fossil in the Siparunaceae-Gomortegaceae-Atherospermaceae (SGA) clade of the core Laurales. Our results challenge the notion of the presence of amodern genus of Rhamnaceae in the mid-Cretaceousand are in line with most previous age estimates of
Laurales and angiosperms as a whole.
References: Shi, C., Wang, S., Cai, H. H., Zhang, H. R.,
Long, X. X. et al. (2022). Fire-prone Rhamnaceae with
South African affinities in Cretaceous Myanmar amber. Nature Plants, 8(2), 125-135. Kvaček, J., Doyle, J. A.,
Endress, P. K., Daviero-Gomez, V., Gomez, B., & Tekleva,
M. (2016). Pseudoasterophyllites cretaceus from the
Cenomanian (Cretaceous) of the Czech Republic: A
possible link between Chloranthaceae and Ceratophyllum. Taxon, 65(6), 1345-1373.

extant species without any fusion or fission. Other protochromosomes underwent rare and probably irreversible fusion events, detectable throughrepeated polyploidizations. Amborella trichopoda
shares a unique nested chromosome fusion with
Nymphaea colorata, Euryale ferox and other Nymphaeales. Our data also securely resolve the position of the monocots as sister to magnoliids plus
eudicots. These findings reject the low ancestral
numbers for ancient angiosperms inferred with
non-genomic approaches over the past 90 years
and have profound implications for the early evolution and biogeography of flowering plants.

S.213.6 Landscapegenomic and introgressive
hybridization in bur oak(Quercus macrocarpa)
Rebekah Mohn1, Mira Garner2, Leah
Samuels1, Paul S. Manos3, Alan S.
Whittemore1, Ian S. Pearse4, Jeannine
Cavender-Bares5,6, Peter G. Kennedy7,
Heather R. McCarthy8, Andrew L. Hipp1
1 Science and Conservation, The Morton Arboretum,
Lisle, IL, USA. 2 Pritzker Laboratory for Molecular Systematics and Evolution, The Field Museum, Chicago, IL, USA. 3 Department of Biology, Duke University,
Durham, NC, USA. 4 U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, CO, USA. 5 Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, Universityof Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA. 6 Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA. 7 Department of Plant andMicrobial Biology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul,
MN, USA. 8 Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology, The University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA

S.213.5 Paleogenomics
reveals angiospermkaryotype evolution during
their early history and showsthat Amborella belongs in
the Nymphaeale
Pengchuan Sun1, Susanne S. Renner2,
Jianquan Liu1
1 College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University,
Chengdu, China. 2 Department of Biology, Washington University, Saint Louis, USA
Chromosome-scale genomes provide a basis for
inferring ancestral linkage groups and processesof karyotype evolution. We have reconstructed the
karyotypes of numerous representatives of the major groups of flowering plants, using an approachthat starts from retained intact chromosomes andsyntenic blocks. The results show that the most recent common ancestor of the flowering plants had
16 unique protochromosomes and that nine of these
protochromosomes are still retained in at least one

Quercus macrocarpa Michx. (Fagaceae) is a common, morphologically variable, and geographically and ecologically widespread species in eastern
North America. This species is one of more than 16
eastern North American members of the white oaksection, Quercus sect. Quercus. All are capable of interbreeding in sympatry and have been the subjectof numerous previous studies, but limited genomic work. It has been proposed that multispecies introgression in the oak syngameon has contributed
to the adaptation of eastern North American whiteoaks including Q. macrocarpa to a variety of ecological conditions. To evaluate the pattern of genetic
diversity in the species and test for landscape-scalepatterns of gene flow, we did genome resequenc-

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ing across this species and 10 co-occurring species.
Our resequencing data includes 693 individuals
across the range of Q. macrocarpa, sequenced toan average depth of 21x. Thus far, we have identified approximately 50 highly introgressed individuals with slightly more than a third F1 hybrids, but theremainder showing evidence of introgression backinto parental species at around the F2 or F3 generation. Most of the hybridization is concentrated near
the boundaries of the parental species. As previously documented, the chloroplast does not appear
to correspond with species identity. Interestingly, italso does not seem to strictly correspond to geographical proximity either. Quercus macrocarpa exhibits population structure between the northwest,
northeast, and southwest regions of its distribution
despite its long-range pollen movement. This work
is part of a bigger collaboration to characterize thereciprocal influences of environment, migration history, and forest community structure on introgression across the range of Quercus macrocarpa, andthe potential effects on the organisms who dependon and live with oaks.

S.214 THE ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION OF
MODERN PLANT DIVERSITY: INSIGHTS FROMMULTIPLE DISCIPLINES. SESSION 2
S.214.1 Dissecting theimpact of mating systems
and genetic diversity in
Euphrasia: insights intomodern plant evolution

reveal a full spectrum of demographic history related
to inbreeding, indicating complex evolutionary strategies for sustaining diversity. This study enhances ourunderstanding of the evolutionary mechanisms thatdrive plant diversity, especially in lineages undergoing
rapid diversification. By integrating molecular phylogenetics with population genomics, our researchsheds light on the intricate interplay between mating
systems, genetic drift, and hybridisation in the evolution of modern plant diversity.

Yanqian Ding1,2, Pete Hollingsworth2, Alex
Twyford1,2
1 Institute of Ecology and Evolution, The University of
Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK. 2 Royal Botanical Garden,
Edinburgh, UK
The evolution of modern plant diversity is intricately
linked to the dynamics of mating systems and genetic diversity. This study investigates the genus Euphrasia, known for its rapid speciation and diverse mating
strategies, to understand these factors’ roles in shaping plant diversification. We focus on a comparative
analysis of Euphrasia micrantha, a predominantly
selfing species, and E. arctica, a mixed-mating species, exploring their genetic structures, diversity, andruns of homozygosity. Our results indicate that E. micrantha, despite its high inbreeding levels, maintains
nucleotide diversity comparable to the geneticallymore diverse E. arctica. This suggests that occasional
outcrossing events may play a crucial role in preserving genetic diversity within selfing species. Additionally,
the pronounced genetic structure observed in E. micrantha is consistent with expectations for selfing species. The runs of homozygosity analysis in both species

S.214.2 Late Oligocene adventof monsoonal climate andevolution of the evergreen
forests in South Asia
Harshita Bhatia1,2, Gaurav Srivastava1,2,
R.C. Mehrotra1
1 Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, Lucknow,
India. 2 Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, Ghaziabad, India
India plays a crucial role in understanding current
biogeographical patterns in paleotropical flora, as its
vegetation has likely experienced more changes thanany other tropical region. This is attributed to the Indian
plate traveling a distance of ~9,000 km from the Southern to the Northern Hemisphere. Climatic changes
have led to the extension of the majority of the lineages
that contribute for its rich diversity of evergreen forests.

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However, very little evidence for this rich history comesfrom the examination of the present-day flora of the
Indian subcontinent. Deciphering the story of the originof the modern-day flora is important for the conservation of this highly biodiverse flora. In South Asia, the evergreen forests are confined to the Western Ghats andnortheast India, influenced by the South Asian Monsoon(SAM) or Indian Summer Monsoon (ISM). The evolutionary history and relationship of these evergreen forests
with SAM are still poorly known. Here, we present a detailed study on the late Oligocene megafossil record
from Makum Coalfield, northeast India, using qualitativeand quantitative techniques of paleoenvironmental reconstructions. Qualitative data indicate the presenceof mostly megathermal plant families and the dominance of tropical wet evergreen taxa with modern-likefloristics diversity. Quantification of climate by using
the Coexistence Approach (CA) and CLAMP (Climate
Leaf Analysis Multivariate Program) methodologies indicates a tropical warm, humid, and seasonal climate
during the late Oligocene. Moreover, leaf physiognomic
data obtained from CLAMP indicate the presence of amodern-like SAM during the late Oligocene. Our study
suggests that the initiation of modern like evergreen
forests and SAM have occurred synchronously during
the late Oligocene in South Asia.

S.214.3 How cacti colonized
the hyperarid Atacama
Desert?

and functional traits, together with inferences in the historical biogeography related to the occupation of the
Atacama Desert. Phylogenetic reconstructions werebased on genomic data obtained from whole genome
sequencing. Historical biogeography results were compared with independent geological data on the originsof these deserts. We characterized the water sources
used by these plants, differentiating between rainfall,groundwater, dew, or fog, by studying water isotopes(2H and 18O). Variations in niche breadth and isotopic
signals were found to be related to the microhabitats
occupied and the growth forms of the species. Significant lag times were observed between the colonization of the region and the invasion of hyperarid habitats by Eriosyce subclades, with an inferred historicalbiogeographical route from less arid habitats, such as
Mediterranean central Chile, to the hyperarid desert.
The findings suggest that adaptation to extreme environments like deserts, which have been evolving formillions of years, is a slow and complex process. This
presents significant challenges for the survival of various species in the face of rapid climate change.

S.214.4 Botany and
Geogenomics: constraining
geological hypotheses withlarge-scale genetic data
derived from plants
Ana M. Bedoya

Pablo C. Guerrero , Sandy Toledo , José
A. García-Beltrán1,2
1,2,3

1,2

1 Departamento de Botánica, Facultad de Ciencias
Naturales & Oceanográficas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile. 2 Instituto de Ecología
y Biodiversidad, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad
de Chile, Santiago, Chile. 3 Millennium Institute Biodiversity of Antarctic and Sub-Antarctic Ecosystems, Santiago, Chile.
The evolution of the hydrological niche and its contribution to the biogeographical expansion into hyperarid areas enhance our understanding of how lineages
adapt to and occupy some of the harshest zones on
the planet. This study focuses on a globose and diverse
cactus genus, investigating the evolutionary dynamics
of the hydrological niche and its associated functional
traits. The study encompasses the genus Eriosyce, distributed along a 2,300 km arid gradient on the Pacificcoast of southwestern South America. We reconstructed genomic, time-calibrated phylogenies for Eriosyce,
analyzing evolutionary shifts in the hydrological niche

Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State
University
Decades of empirical research have revealed how thegeological history of our planet shaped plant evolution
by establishing well-known patterns (e.g., how mountain uplift resulted in high rates of diversification andreplicate radiations in montane plant taxa). Under thisapproach, information is passed from geology to botany by interpreting data in light of geological processes.
Instead, in this synthesis, I describe how by integrating
natural history, phylogenetics, and population genetics,
botanical research can inform our understanding ofpast geological and climatic processes. This conceptual shift aligns with the goals of the emerging field ofgeogenomics. In the Neotropics, plant geogenomics isa powerful tool for the reciprocal exploration of two longstanding questions in biology and geology: how the dynamic landscape of the region came to be and how it
shaped the evolution of the richest flora. I describe what

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makes some groups of plants excellent model systems
for geogenomics research.

S.214.5 The origin andevolution of phytohormone
signaling systems driven byhorizontal gene transfer
Qia Wang1, Steven M. Smith2, Jinling
Huang1,3,4
1 Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Yunnan Key Laboratory for Fungal Diversity and Green Development, Kunming
Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China. 2 ARC Centre of Excellence for
Plant Success in Nature and Agriculture, School of
Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart,
Australia. 3 State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Adaptation and Improvement, School of Life Sciences,
Henan University, Kaifeng, China. 4 Department of
Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA

Plants respond to environmental cues throughphysiological and developmental changes that arelargely regulated by various signaling molecules.
The phytohormones strigolactones (SLs) and exogenous compounds karrikins (KARs) are butenolides
that influence multiple aspects of plant growth anddevelopment. D14 and KAI2 are members of the
α/β-fold hydrolase superfamily and act as receptors of SLs and KARs, respectively. In this study, we
found that the plant D14/KAI2 gene family was derived from bacterial gene RsbQ via horizontal genetransfer (HGT) during plant colonization of land. The
D14/KAI2 and RsbQ proteins share conserved tertiary structures and functional features. We suggestthat the acquisition of RsbQ by plant cells was fundamental to the formation of a butenolide sensing
system, which provided a key innovation associatedwith the transition of green plants from aquatic toterrestrial environments. Recruitment of additionalsignal transduction components and gene duplication subsequently led to diverse SL and KAR signaling systems in land plants. This ﬁnding highlights thecritical importance of HGT in plant evolution.

S.215 FERN AND LYCOPHYTE EVOLUTION: A
PHYLOGENOMIC PERSPECTIVE. SESSION 2
S.215.1 Elaphoglossum
phylogenomics:
perspectives andchallenges in the study of
one of the most diverse
groups of tropical ferns.
Alejandra Vasco1, Weston Testo2
1 Botanical Research Institute of Texas, Fort Worth,USA, 2 University of Vermont, Burlington, USA
The fern genus Elaphoglossum (Dryopteridaceae) is
one of the most species-rich and taxonomically complex genera of ferns globally, with over 600 recognizedspecies. Despite extensive taxonomic and systematicstudies, numerous species groups within Elaphoglossum pose persistent taxonomic challenges and several key evolutionary relationships within the genus
remain unresolved. This complexity highlights the significance of improving our understanding of Elaphoglossum diversity, given its status as one of the most

species-rich, dominant, and frequently collected vascular plant genera in many areas of tropical America,
where approximately 500 species ofElaphoglossum
occur. This presentation introduces the first phylogenomic study of Elaphoglossum, including a dataset of
more than 230 accessions and target-capture datafrom around 300 nuclear loci. The resulting phylogenetic hypothesis is largely congruent with those reported previously, but with improved support andresolution, and the recovery of novel clades and previously unsampled taxa. Our phylogenomic analyses
also show, for the first time, that reticulate evolution
was important and prevalent during Elaphoglossum
evolutionary history. Integration of our phylogenomic
data with information derived from floristic inventories,
herbarium specimens, and rigorous taxonomic studies enables a data-driven assessment of the current
state of knowledge for Elaphoglossum. From this, wehighlight persistent challenges hindering the study
of Elaphoglossum today and identify priorities andresearch opportunities for future exploration and research of this and other highly diverse and taxonomically complex fern genera.

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S.215.2 Diverse origins ofhorizontal gene transfers
in Ophioglossaceae
mitogenomes

Pesquisas Ambientais, Herbarium SP, São Paulo,
Brazil. *Correspondence: jbernar1@uni-bonn.de

Li-Yaung Kuo1, Huei-Jiun Su2, Yu-Hsin
Tseng3, Blake D. Fauskee4, Pei-Jun Xie1,
Atsushi Ebihara5, Yi-Han Chang6
1 Institute of Molecular & Cellular Biology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan. 2 Department of Earth and Life Sciences, University of Taipei, Taipei, Taiwan. 3 Department of Life Sciences,
National Chung Hsing University, Taichun, Taiwan.
4 Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham,
USA. 5 Department of Botany, National Museum of
Nature and Science, Tsukuba, Japan. 6 Taiwan Forestry Research Institute, Taiwan
Several horizontal gene transfers (HGT) found in ferns
are interpreted to significantly benefit their adaptation.
As the recent advances of mitogenome sequencing
in these plants, more HGT cases are discovered fromthese genomes. In the fern family Ophioglossaceae,
we assessed mitogenome assemblies from all generic representatives, and confirmed numerous HGTs inside their mitogenomes. In the most extreme case, up
to one third of mitogenome is HGT-originated. Newly
compiled phylogenomic datasets revealed that these
HGTs are derived from diverse donors, primarily rootparasite angiosperms but also a few from ferns andlycophytes. To evaluate the functionality of these horizontally-transferred genes within the host mitogenomes, we generated transcriptomic data to examine
their expression levels and RNA editing patterns. Our
novel insights emphasize a unique and unusual evolutionary process by which ferns can acquire a substantial number of foreign genes from angiosperms
through plant-to-plant HGTs.

S.215.3 Deciphering
reticulate evolution in
Isoetes: comprehensive
analyses with multifaceted
sequencing approaches

Polyploidy is arguably a dominant force shaping
the evolutionary histories of many, if not most,plant lineages. It can fuel evolutionary novelties
and, in some cases, facilitate speciation anddiversification. Among the free-sporing vascular plants, the lycophyte genus Isoetes L. exhibits one of the highest proportions of polyploids,
constituting approximately 50% of its species. The
globally distributed genus comprises about 250
species, with plants occurring in aquatic environments, fully to partially submerged, and more
rarely, terrestrial. Although several phylogenetic
studies converge on seven major well-supported
clades, the relationships within these clades remain highly unresolved. Since Isoetes polyploids
mostly have a hybrid origin, polyploidy poses a
confounding factor in phylogenetic analyses. In
this study, we employed data from multiple sequencing approaches to elucidate phylogenetic relationships and polyploid origins in recently
diverged Isoetes groups in the Neotropics. Using
nuclear datasets derived from double-digest restriction-site associated DNA (ddRAD) and PacBio
long-read amplicon sequencing, along with organellar data from skimmed genome sequencing, we showed that while polyploidy evolved
early in Isoetes, the deep divergences inferredfrom nuclear and organellar data are identical.
On the other hand, relationships in recently diverged groups exhibit strong discordance between organellar and nuclear datasets, reflecting recent hybrid speciation within the genus.
Furthermore, ddRAD-Seq data analyses result inwell-resolved phylogenetic relationships within the Neotropical species groups. These groups
present clear geographical distribution patterns
and we discuss the factors that led to their current distribution in the Neotropics. We showcase
the robustness of nuclear data in establishing aphylogenetic framework to address evolutionary
questions and demonstrate how incongruence
between nuclear and organellar data can offer
insights into the origin of polyploids. Our findings
contribute to a comprehensive understanding ofpolyploid origins and deepen our insights into thebiogeography of the genus in the Neotropics.

Jovani B. S. Pereira*,1,2, Dietmar Quandt1,
Jefferson Prado2
1 Bonn Institute of Organismic Biology - Plant Biodiversity & Evolution, Bonn, Germany. 2 Instituto de662

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S.215.4 Unfurling a reticulate
Andean fern clade using
phylogenomic methods

S.215.5 A phylogenomic
approach for inferring
cryptic taxa within theEurasian allopolyploid fern
Polypodium vulgare

Sarah K. Morris1, Weston L. Testo1, Michael
A. Sundue2
1 Pringle Herbarium, Department of Plant Biology,
University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA. 2 Royal
Botanic Garden Edinburgh, UK
Nearly one-third of fern speciation events involve
ploidy changes, compared to 15% in angiosperms,
highlighting the unparalleled importance of reticulate evolution in fern diversification. Despite fern
diversity peaking in the tropics, few studies haveaddressed hybridization and polyploidy in tropical fern lineages. Pleopeltis is a group of about
100, mostly epiphytic species found throughout
the American tropics. Species of Pleopeltis occur
in a broad spectrum of ecosystems, ranging frompluvial lowlands to dry alpine zones and with agreat diversity of morphologies. Hybridization
appears to be frequent throughout the group,
challenging the delimitation of species and application of names. Evolutionary investigations
have been hampered by several polytomies, recalcitrant nodes and short branch lengths in the
backbone of the phylogeny, suggesting a possible rapid speciation event. Here, we focus on
the Andean Pleopeltis species complex, a cladeof pinnately divided species found in mid to upper elevations in the northern and central Andes
and the putative hybrids between them. Using an
integrative approach including geography, morphometrics, spore size and admixture analyses,
we developed the first hypothesis of reticulate relationships within this complex and tested this hypothesis using recently developed phylogenomic
techniques. Sourced from herbarium specimens
and silica gel dried material, we produced DNA
sequence data for all members in the Andean
Pleopeltis species complex using the Genealogy of Flagellate Plants (GoFlag) target captureprobe set, and we used a suite of newly developed allele-phasing bioinformatic tools to infer
relationships between allopolyploid species andtheir diploid progenitors in this clade and elucidate the role of introgression and incomplete
lineage sorting. This is the first phylogenomic investigation of this genus as well as one of the firstinvestigations of polyploid speciation in a tropicalfern clade using modern sequencing and bioinformatic techniques.

Jonas I. Mendez-Reneau1, Erin M. Sigel2
1 Department of Biology, University of Louisiana at
Lafayette, Billeaud Hall, Lafayette, LA U.S.A. 2 Department of Biological Sciences, University of New
Hampshire, Durham, NH, U.S.A
We present a case study using the GoFlag 408 target-capture probe set for ferns to test hypotheses
about the progenitors of the allotetraploid fern Polypodium vulgare (Polypodiaceae) across Eurasia.
Using our recently published SORTER bioinformatic
pipeline, we accurately phased homeologs in 65
allopolyploid individuals, allowing us to resolve different progenitor pairs for P. vulgare in Asia and Europe, as well as three progenitors in the closely alliedallohexaploid P. interjectum. We then used by-catchreads to assemble plastid genomes for a subset
of samples and generated a time-calibrated phylogeny revealing the maternal progenitors of eachpolyploid taxon. The results of our combined plastid
and nuclear phylogenomic analyses provide support for the segregation of ‘P. okiense’ in Asia from P.
vulgare in Europe. We highlight the effectiveness of
the SORTER pipeline to generate allopolyploid datasets for phylogenetic analyses incorporating a large
number of samples at varying ploidy levels.

S.215.6 A systematic revisionof the lady fern (Athyrium
filix-femina) species
complex in the Americas
Bertrand Black1, Michael Sundue2
1 Plant Biology Department, University of Vermont. 2
Royal Botanical Gardens Edinburgh
Athyrium filix-femina (L.) Roth is a terrestrial fern thatis widespread in forest regions across the Northern Hemisphere and South America. Despite its
prevalence, its taxonomy in the Americas remains
unresolved and the evolutionary relationships between taxa remain poorly understood. Uncertainty
about whether to recognize a single widespread A.
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has persisted to the present day due to unclear
morphological differences between regional varieties and a lack of a comprehensive study acrossits range. To address this uncertainty, we sampled
herbarium specimens from four continents and employed an integrative methodology that combined
molecular, morphological, and biogeographic data
to examine evidence for speciation, hybridization,and cryptic diversity in this species complex. Our
results indicate that there are at least five monophyletic lineages in North America with diagnosable
morphology, habitat preferences, and discreet geographic ranges. In spite of many documented hybrids in Asia, we found no evidence for widespreadhybridization or reticulation among North American
species. In South America, we did not find clear species boundaries defined by morphology, geography
or molecular evidence to recognize more than asingle species. Allele phasing identified a single putative hybrid from Queretaro, Mexico of unknown origin. Research such as this enhances our capacity torecognize and document American floristic diversitythat may be concealed in plain sight and highlights
the value of utilizing integrative molecular methods
to facilitate biologically accurate classification ofplant species.

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Symposia Session 13
S.216 COMPARATIVE SPATIAL PHYLOGENETICSOF MEDITERRANEAN-TYPE FLORAS OF THE
WORLD
S.216.1 Scaling issues inspatial phylogenetics,
in relation to testing
hypotheses aboutbiodiversity and its causes

pared to results for all angiosperms. We also compare
results obtained using different levels of OTUs, different
spatial unit sizes, and local vs. global regions.

S.216.2 Spatial phylogenetic
patterns in a biodiversity
hotspot, the Cape of South
AfricaBrent D. Mishler1, Robert Guralnick2, Nico
Cellinese2, Shawn Laffan3
1 University of California, Berkeley, USA. 2 University
of Florida, Gainesville, USA. 3 University of New South
Wales, Sydney, Australia
Newly available distributional data from global museum databasing efforts, rapidly increasing coverage ofDNA sequence data, and improvements to computer
hardware and software has enabled a new “big data”
approach to the application of PD-based metrics andrandomization-based hypothesis tests called “spatial
phylogenetics.” It can be defined most simply as mapping a phylogeny onto geographic space, which canthen be used with GIS layers to understand drivers ofphylodiversity patterns and for conservation prioritization. Alpha- and beta-phylodiversity can be measured using interestingly different ways of representing
branch lengths on a given topology (called “facets.”e.g., chronograms, phylograms, or cladograms), andhypotheses about ecology and evolution can be tested using spatial randomization. Scaling questions arepresent with both the spatial and phylogenetic data.
Spatially, what size should be used for the basic spatial units, and how much of the Earth’s surface should
be studied at once? Likewise, there are similar issues
at both the small and large scales in phylogenetics -what should the OTUs represent, and how much of thetree of life should be studied at once? All these questions involve both theoretical considerations and practical data limits. These scaling issues will be exploredusing Mediterranean-climate regions as a test case.
For example, we compare the results of comparative
phylodiversity analyses of monocots alone as com-

Félix Forest1, Jonathan F. Colville2, Colin
Beale3, Brent D. Mishler4, Andrew Thornhill5,
G. Anthony Verboom6, Richard M. Cowling7
1 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, UK.
2 Statistics in Ecology, Environment and Conservation, Department of Statistical Sciences, Universityof Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa. 3 Department of Biology, University of York, York, UK. 4 University & Jepson Herbaria, Dept. of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, USA. 5 N.C.W.
Beadle Herbarium, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, Australia. 6 Department
Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, CapeTown, South Africa. 7 African Centre for Coastal Palaeoscience, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
The Greater Cape Floristic Region (GCFR) of South Africa is a small area found in the southwestern cornerof the African continent and comprising an incredible floral diversity (ca 11,500 species, ca 75% endemic).
Small-leaved sclerophyllous shrubs and geophytes are
the predominant growth forms in the region while tree
and annual species represent only a small proportionof the flora. Furthermore, the floristic composition of theregion is very distinctive with families such as Iridaceae,
Aizoaceae, Ericaceae, Proteaceae and Restionaceae
dominating, all of which are minor groups in other floras of the world. Understandably, this diversity has attracted a lot of speculation as to which environmental
and/or ecological factors may be the prevailing drivers
explaining the uniqueness of the region. This contri-665

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bution reports on ongoing studies focussing on largescale spatial phylogenetic patterns within the region.
First, we present a spatial phylogenetic analysis using
phylogenetic diversity and phylobetadiversity metrics
based on a set of species-level phylogenetic trees andfine-scale species distribution modelling comprising all
species found in the GCFR. In particular, we investigate
the west-east decreasing longitudinal gradient in plant
diversity observed in the region, termed the Levyns’
Law. We explore the predictions made to explain thisgradient by the age and area (i.e., high diversity is theresult of biome and climate stability over evolutionary
times) and ecological opportunity (high diversity is theresult of increased ecological heterogeneity) hypotheses. Secondly, we examine the phylogenetic endemism
patterns in the GCFR using Categorical Analysis of Neoand Paleo-Endemism (CANAPE) to characterize local
centres of endemism. We compare these species-level
results with preliminary analyses performed at the genus-level to observe the effects of using different taxonomic levels. All these diversity measures are usedin concert to try to understand both the origin of thisextraordinary biodiversity hotspot and to prioritize conservation efforts.

S.216.3 Comparative
Spatial Phylogenetics ofMediterranean-Type Florasof The World: The Case of
Chilean Protected Areas
Rosa A. Scherson1, Taryn Fuentes-Castillo1,
Federico Luebert1-2, Andrew Thornhill3,
Brent D. Mishler4, Patricio Pliscoff5, 6, 7
1 Departamento de Silvicultura y Conservaciónde la Naturaleza, Universidad de Chile, Santiago,
Chile. 2 Facultad de Ciencias Agronómicas, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile. 3. NCW Beadle
Herbarium, Armidale, New South Wales, Australia.
4 Department of Integrative Biology, University andJepson Herbaria, University of California, Berkeley,
California, USA. 5 Facultad de Historia, Geografíay Ciencia Política, Instituto de Geografía, Pontificia
Universidad Católica de Chile. 6 Departamento de
Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia
Universidad Católica de Chile. 7 Center of Applied
Ecology and Sustainability., Pontificia Universidad
Católica de Chile 8 Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity, Santiago, Chile

Diversity (PD) and related evolutionary indicators havebeen increasingly used to understand patterns of biodiversity distribution and as a tool to aid in evaluatingconservation targets. Mediterranean-like climatic areas
around the world are characterized as being floristicallydiverse and vulnerable, and all of them are consideredbiodiversity hotspots. Central-southern Chile is one ofthese areas, showing high floral diversity and endemism. In this study, we calculated PD and other related
metrics for the Chilean hotspot, identifying several interesting areas (hotspots within a hotspot). In areas suchas Mediterranean Chile where lack of locality information is a problem to study biodiversity spatial patterns,
species distribution models (SDMs) can be very usefulin filling in missing locality information. Using SDMs, weanalyzed how protected areas can act as a reservoirof PD in a climate change scenario in Mediterranean
Chile, identifying museum-like and cradle-like areas.
Randomizations were performed to identify areas inwhich these metrics departed from values expected bychance, for example identifying places in which phylogenetic overdispersion of taxa occurs. We correlated
these areas with parameters such as geodiversity andclimatic factors that could influence the spatial distribution of PD. Protected areas in MedChile are expected
to harbor more PD than expected in climate change
scenarios, but responses of individual areas differ depending mainly on climatic and geographic factors.

S.216.4 Spatial
phylogenetics in the western
Mediterranean Region:
phylogenetic diversity andendemism of the Iberianangiosperm flora

Determining the factors that explain diversity patterns
helps to understand the processes that have shaped
different types of biodiversity hotspots. Phylogenetic

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Alberto J. Coello1,2, Ignacio RamosGutiérrez2,3, Rafael Molina-Venegas2,3,Antoni Buira4, Mario Mairal5, Pablo
Vargas4, Rosa A. Scherson6, Brent D.
Mishler7, Juan Carlos Moreno Saiz2,3, Mario
Fernández-Mazuecos2,3
1 National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian
Institution, Washington, D.C., United States. 2 Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain. 3
Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio
Global (UAM), Madrid, Spain. 4 Real Jardín Botánico(CSIC), Madrid, Spain. 5 Universidad Complutensede Madrid, Madrid, Spain. 6 Universidad de Chile,

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Santiago, Chile. 7 University of California, Berkeley,
United States
The Iberian Peninsula is one of the main centers of plant
diversity in the Mediterranean biodiversity hotspot. The
Iberian flora has been the subject of scientific attention
for centuries, and biogeographical patterns of plant
species richness across Iberia are well known. However, a full understanding of the geographical patternsof biodiversity requires an evolutionary framework, as
provided by the field of spatial phylogenetics. Here, we
aimed to explore the spatial phylogenetics of Iberianangiosperms, including patterns of phylogenetic diversity and endemism, as a tool to inform conservation
actions. We used distribution data from the Atlas of the
Vascular Flora of the Iberian Peninsula (AFLIBER) at 10km resolution and a global species-level mega-phylogeny of seed plants, resulting in a coverage of ca.
60% of Iberian angiosperm species. To analyze spatial
phylogenetic patterns, we employed the R package
canaper, including the mapping of endemism areas
according to Categorical Analysis of Neo- and Paleo-Endemism (CANAPE). Uncertainty associated withthe phylogenetic placement of unsampled species
was addressed using the randtip package and compared with results using only sampled species. Our
results indicate a concentration of relative phylogenetic diversity (RPD) in peripheral areas of the Iberian
Peninsula under oceanic influence. According to CANAPE, areas of super-endemism (with a high concentration of both neo- and paleo-endemism) are foundin the Pyrenees, the Balearic Islands and the Baetic
Mountains. Areas of neo-endemism are concentrated mostly in the Baetic Mountains and the Balearic Islands, while areas of paleo-endemism are scatteredacross the Peninsula. The abiotic drivers of these patterns have been investigated using generalized linear
models. Based on these findings, we conduct an evaluation of the adequacy of Spanish and Portuguese
networks of protected areas to preserve phylogenetic
diversity and endemism of the Iberian flora.

S.216.5 The role of traits incommunity assemblages
across Mediterranean-type
ecosystems

Mediterranean-type ecosystems (MTEs) are found in
five regions (southwestern Australia; the Cape region ofSouth Africa; central Chile; California; and the Mediterranean Basin). These areas are characterized by warmand dry summers, mild and wet winters, and frequentfire, to which resident plants and animals must be
adapted. Floristic diversity and endemism are exceptionally high in all five MTEs. Consequently, all five MTEs
have been recognized as global biodiversity hotspots.
Studies have suggested that biodiversity in the MTEs isinfluenced by several eco-evolutionary drivers including
high net diversification rates, fire, and geological history.
As a result, biodiversity in the MTEs is hypothesized to bestrongly coupled with plant traits; thus, understanding
patterns of functional diversity can increase our understanding of the biodiversity drivers. We integrated spatial occurrence data for native seed plants, four selected traits, and a corresponding phylogeny for plants ofthe five MTEs, and employed a novel metric based on
phylogenetic diversity (PD) called trait diversity (TD), toevaluate and identify areas of significant phylogenetic
and/or trait diversity. Areas with different combinationsof high or low PD and TD can be used to infer biodiversity
drivers and the relative contribution of niche vs neutral
processes in these regions. All data used in this analysis
were obtained from open access and published empirical studies. The ranges of the plants were restricted to their natural distributions to exclude non-native
distributions in other MTEs. We selected four traits thatare hypothesized to be associated with the persistenceof native flora in the MTEs. Phylogenetic and trait diversity (and spatial randomization hypothesis tests) werecomputed using Biodiverse software (https://shawnlaffan.github.io/biodiverse/), allowing comparison ofthese patterns across the five global MTEs. Biodiversity
in the MTEs appears to be influenced by an unusuallycomplex mixture of past and current biogeographic,
ecological, and evolutionary processes

S.216.6 World spatial
phylogenetics of theangiosperms

Israel Borokini1, Brent D. Mishler2, Shawn
Laffan3

Andrew H. Thornhill1, Alexandre R. Zuntini2,
Tom Carruthers2, Shawn W. Laffan3,
William J. Baker2, Joseph T. Miller4, Félix
Forest2, Wolf L. Eiserhardt5, Nunzio J. Knerr6,
Naia Morueta-Holme7, Brent D. Mishler8.

1 Montana State University, Bozeman, USA. 2University of California, Berkeley, USA. 3 University of New
South Wales, Sydney, Australia.

1 N.C.W. Beadle Herbarium, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia. 2 Royal Botanic
Gardens, Kew, UK. 3 University of New South Wales,667

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Sydney, NSW, Australia. 4 Global Biodiversity Research Facility, Denmark. 5 Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark. 6 National Research Collections,
CSIRO, Canberra, ACT, Australia. 7 University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. 8 University ofCalifornia, Berkeley, California, USA
Spatial phylogenetic analyses combine phylogenies
and spatial data at any taxonomic and geographic
level. All studies to date have concentrated on either
a particular taxonomic group, for example Australian Acacia, or the flora of a particular geographic
region, for example analyses on the flora of Australia, California, or Chile. The recent PAFTOL angiosperm phylogeny created the opportunity to makea spatial phylogenetic world analysis at the genus
level. We cleaned institutional plant records stored
in the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
to reflect the worldwide native range of each spe-

cies (over 200000 species), then combined theminto the PAFTOL genera. The final spatial dataset
contained over 23 million records and was projected using World Mollweide at 50 ×50 km grid cells. The
PAFTOL tree and spatial data were combined using
Biodiverse to make diversity analyses and randomisations for CANAPE, Relative Phylogenetic Diversity
and Phylogenetic Diversity tests. The results of two
spatial phylogenetic analyses will be presented, one
using a PAFTOL phylogram and one using a PAFTOL
chronogram. We also present comparisons of results against climatic variables and the biodiversity
hotspots of the world. We particularly focus on the‘Mediterranean-climate’ regions of the world andcompare the world-analysis results with what has
been found previously when analyses have just focussed on one particular area.

S.217 EVOLUTIONARY HISTORY OF ARID
FLORAS AND THEIR UNDERLYING BIOLOGICALSURVIVAL MECHANISMS
S.217.1 Did succulents
originate and diversify inresponse to aridity?
Jamie B Thompson1, Marilyn VásquezCruz2, Israel Loera3, Melina Del Angel4,
Miguel Nakamura4, Kevin R. Hultine5,
Santiago Ramírez-Barahona6, Nicholas K.
Priest1, Tania Hernández-Hernández5
1 The Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Life
Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, UK. 2 Tecnológico Nacional de México/ITS Irapuato, Gto, México. 3
Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA. 4 CIMAT,
Guanajuato, Gto, México. 5 Department of Research,Conservation and Collections, Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix, AZ, USA. 6 Departamento de Botánica,
Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México
Succulents have been typically considered theiconic example of arid adapted plants. Although
distributed globally, plants possessing the succulent
syndrome are assumed to have evolved to adapt toarid climates, because they possess modifications
that increase their water use efficiency. Though suc-

culence is considered a classic case of convergent
evolution driven by shared environmental drivers,
we lack a full understanding of whether the timing
and drivers of the diversification of succulent lineages are, in fact, concordant; or even whether theirclimatic niches are indeed trending towards arid
climatic conditions. We present our recent findings
about the timing; climatic niches and evolutionary
dynamics of major succulent lineages globally. Our
analyses reveal different levels of evolutionary synchronicity and relation with aridity. The impact of atmospheric CO2 on succulent macroevolution is varied. While transitions and radiations are especiallyconcentrated in recent time, following a collapseof atmospheric CO2 ~15 Mya, CO2-dependent diversification is not supported in most lineages. With
the exception of Euphorbia, we find that succulenceelevates net diversification, though the effects onunderlying speciation and extinction disagree. The
phylogenetic distribution of transitions to succulence and rate shift increases suggests these phenomena are decoupled, indicating that succulence
might not adhere to a classic key innovation model.
The climatic niches of succulents are not differentiated from their non-succulent relatives, but narrower, and contained within the non-succulents’, showing no relationship with extreme conditions such as668

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high aridity or temperatures. Our results reveal thecomplexity of the succulent strategy, as well as theabiotic conditions and ecological contexts underwhich the different succulent lineages evolved.

S.217.2 Characterization ofdrought-resistance traits
in the leaf-succulent genus
Crassula
Marc Fradera-Soler1,2,3, Jozef Mravec2,4,
Jesper Harholt5, Olwen M. Grace3,6, Bodil
Jørgensen2
1 Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant
Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
2 Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences,
University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark.
3 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey,
UK. 4 Institute of Plant Genetics and Biotechnology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Plant Science andBiodiversity Center, Nitra, Slovakia. 5 Carlsberg Research Laboratory, Copenhagen, Denmark. 6 Royal
Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
Succulent plants have specialized water-storage tissues with collapsible cell walls that reversibly fold aswater is lost. However, the ecophysiological significance of cell wall traits has often been overlooked in
succulents. We focused on southern African speciesof the leaf-succulent genus Crassula and used comprehensive microarray polymer profiling (CoMPP) andglycan-binding antibodies to analyse cell wall polysaccharide and glycoprotein content in leaves. We
found significant differences in leaf glycomic profiles
that can be linked to increased drought resistance in
one of the two main growth forms in Crassula. Furthermore, some cell wall components correlate positively with increasing aridity, which suggests that they
are likely advantageous in terms of arid adaptation.
A deeper insight into the relationship between cell
walls and the succulent function would be particularly useful given the potential of succulents as natural capital to mitigate the effects of climate change.
Numerous hydathodes are another peculiarity of Crassula species, foliar structures that are usually associated with guttation. Foliar water uptake (FWU) throughhydathodes has long been suspected in Crassula,particularly in species that occur in fog-influenced
arid habitats in southern Africa. To provide empiricalobservations linking FWU to hydathodes in Crassula,
we used the apoplastic fluorescent tracer Lucifer Yellow in combination with different imaging techniques.
The resulting images confirm that hydathode-medi-

ated FWU does indeed occur in Crassula and is likely widespread across the genus. Surprisingly, FWU is
operational in Crassula species that occur in rather mesic environments, beyond fog-influenced arid
habitats, and even in species with seemingly hydrophobic leaves, in which the hierarchically sculptured
leaf surfaces may facilitate FWU thanks to hydrophilicleaf surface microdomains. These findings confirm theecophysiological relevance of FWU in Crassula andreassert the importance of atmospheric humidity forsome arid-adapted plant groups.

S.217.3 Evolutionary lessons
from the Chihuahuan Desert
gypsum endemic flora
Michael J. Moore1, Clare Muller2, Andreu
Cera3, Norman A. Douglas4, Hilda Flores
Olvera5, Helga Ochoterena5, Rebecca
Drenovsky2, Pablo Tejero Ibarra6, Sara
Palacio6
1 Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH, USA. 2 John Carroll
University, University Heights, OH, USA. 3 Universitéde Caen-Normandie, Caen, France. 4 University of
Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA. 5 Instituto de Biología,
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudadde México, México. 6 Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología,
CSIC, Jaca, Spain
Gypsum outcrops occur in arid and semi-arid regions around the globe, and present a significant
barrier to plant growth due to challenging soil nutrient
levels (excess sulfur and calcium, minimal nitrogenand phosphorus) and the presence of well-developed soil crusts. Nevertheless, these difficult soils hosta wide variety of endemic plants. The Chihuahuan
Desert region of Mexico and the USA has the largest
known gypsum endemic flora in the world, with over
240 plant taxa known only from gypsum. Ongoing
research into the diversification of this flora has revealed a number of repeated evolutionary patterns.
For example, the dominant gypsum endemic taxa
in the Chihuahuan Desert region typically belong toclades of gypsum endemics that likely originated in
the Pliocene or latest Miocene, and that have survived the climatic oscillations of the Pleistocene. Likewise, the dominant gypsum endemic taxa of the Chihuahuan Desert belong to genera and families withmany independent evolutionary origins of gypsum
endemism, strongly suggesting that preadaptations
to life on gypsum exist in these groups. One such preadaptation may be the ability to accumulate sulfur669

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within leaves—an ability that has now been documented in many of the dominant gypsum endemicsof the Chihuahuan Desert. The presence of this trait inwhat are likely the oldest clades of gypsum endemics and some of their closest non-endemic relatives
suggests that foliar sulfur accumulation may be oneof the driving factors in explaining the historical assembly and evolution of the Chihuahuan Desert gypsum endemic flora. Similar patterns related to sulfur
accumulation are also present in the independently
derived Spanish gypsum flora, suggesting that thisecophysiological trait may be of global importancein understanding gypsum plant evolution.

S.217.4 Biogeographic andevolutionary history of the
Atacama Desert Flora
Tim Böhnert1, Federico Luebert2,
Maximilian Weigend1
1 Bonn Institute of Organismic Biology, University ofBonn, Bonn, Germany. 2 Departamento de Ciencias
Ambientales y Recursos Naturales Renovables andDepartamento de Silvicultura y Conservación de la
Naturaleza, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
Post-Miocene climate history, particularly in arid environments, has emerged as a key factor in shaping species dispersal and diversification. The Atacama Desert innorthern Chile, one of the driest regions on Earth, stands
out for its presumed Oligocene-Miocene age, as wellits unexpectedly high biodiversity and elevated number of endemic species thriving under hyperarid conditions. Contrary to expectations, the extreme aridity of
the Atacama predates the estimated divergence timesof most extant genera. The initial onset of hyperaridity
cannot have been the primary driver of diversificationin these extant groups. We argue that recent climatic
history, marked by intervals of pluvial and arid phases,
especially during the Pliocene-Pleistocene transition,
played an important role in shaping the current desert
flora. Our research uses next-generation sequencing
and molecular clock dating to unravel how this complex biogeographic and evolutionary history was influenced by past climate variability and Andean orogeny.
Here, we briefly review our findings on the historical biogeography of selected Atacama taxa and discuss theirbroader implications for the existing body of knowledge
on the Atacama Desert flora. A striking example is thegenus Cristaria (Malvaceae), an element of the Chilean
Mediterranean flora that colonized the Atacama during
Pliocene pluvial phases. This led to in-situ diversification
likely fueled by repeated introgressions and the emer-

gence of new species. Conversely, the ca. 15 endemic
species of Atriplex (Amaranthaceae) do not originate
from local radiation alone: they arose from multiple
colonization events (including by long-distance dispersal) followed by local divergence. The paleoendemic
lineage Huidobria fruticosa (Loasaceae), on the other
hand, appears to have undergone little if any diversification, despite being genetically separated from its
closest relatives for about 50 million years. However, ourdata suggest that its recent population history can betraced to the Pliocene-Early Pleistocene transition.

S.217.5 Dispersal, notvicariance, drives thediversification of native
Australian tobacco(Nicotiana section
Suaveolentes; Solanaceae)
in the arid zone
Luiz A. Cauz-Santos1, Rosabelle Samuel1,
Dominik Metschina1, Maarten J. M.
Christenhusz2,3, Ovidiu Paun1, Mark W.
Chase1,2,3
1 Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research,
University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria. 2 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, UK. 3 Departmentof Environment and Agriculture, Curtin University,
Perth, Western Australia, Australia
For the last six million years, the Australian Eremaean Zone (EZ) has been as dry as today. The flora andfauna of arid regions worldwide, including the EZ,
have been hypothesised to have diversified widely
before aridification began, in this case 20 Mya, andslowly adapted as aridity developed. Undocumented
are more recently arrived plants that developed arid
specialisations in situ. Here, we investigate the biogeography and timing of native allotetraploid tobaccos, Nicotiana sect. Suaveolentes, which putatively
entered the EZ 5 Mya. The original allotetraploid migrants from South America were adapted to mesic
areas of Australia and only recently radiated in the EZ
after developing drought adaptations. Based on coalescent and maximum likelihood analyses designed
to corroborate timing of the Australian radiation independently, arrival of Nicotiana sect. Suaveolentes
occurred approximately 6 Mya, followed by spread
via multiple invasions across the EZ from the ecologically highly diverse Pilbara District (Western Austra-670

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for adaptations to harsher conditions. These results
demonstrate that poorly adapted plant groups candevelop novel adaptations that permit them todisperse extensively and rapidly despite the extremesof heat and drought in the EZ.

S.217.6 Comparative
evolutionary history of theAustralian AmaranthaceaeAnže Žerdoner Čalasan12, Kelly A.
Shepherd2, Karol Krak3, Bohumil Mandák3,
Gudrun Kadereit1
1 Systematics, Biodiversity and Evolution of Plants,
Faculty of Biology, Ludwig Maximilian University of
Munich, Germany. 2 Western Australian Herbarium(PERTH), Biodiversity and Conservation Science, WA,
Australia. 3 Plant Biodiversity and Evolution, Facultyof Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life
Sciences Prague, Czech Republic
The vast arid region covering about 70% of Australian continent remains one of the world’s largest
and least explored territories. Despite its extremely
adverse environmental conditions, this area is richin xerophytic plant life that has adapted to challenging physiological and ecological constraints.
Despite such a high diversity, this flora is thought
to have evolved along a similar evolutionary trajectory, known as the littoral connection hypothesis. This hypothesis states that the most recent
common ancestors of contemporary arid floral
elements arrived in Australia already preadapted

to increased aridification and/or salinisation, andwere thus able to thrive in environmental conditions that have otherwise driven most mesic floral elements to extinction. Alongside Asteraceae,
Fabaceae, and Myrtaceae, Amaranthaceae are
one of the species-richest plant families in thisarid zone that underwent rapid diversification
events. In our studies, we employed various RADseq and HybSeq techniques to resolve the phylogenies of numerous recalcitrant groups of xerophytic Australian Amaranthaceae and compare
their evolutionary histories. Our analyses focusedon understanding the spatiotemporal patterns
in these lineages and the underlying biologicalmechanisms that drove their rapid diversification and survival. Despite their separate arrivalsin Australia during the Miocene/Pliocene transition, our analyses unveiled shared spatiotemporal
patterns among these groups, lending support tothe littoral connection hypothesis. Some lineages exhibited floral exchanges between Australia
and South Africa, while polyploidisation, potentially driving speciaton, appeared to be restricted
to certain taxa. Future research aims to expand
these investigations to other arid-adapted elements in the Australian outback with the main aim
to further validate the littoral connection hypothesis and understand the broader role of polyploidisation in the evolution of Australian arid clades
beyond Amaranthaceae. Our research sheds lighton the evolutionary adaptations of plants in someof Earth’s harshest environments, providing valuable insights into the mechanisms driving biodiversity in arid regions.

S.218 THE KEY ROLE OF REFUGIA IN FACINGTHE GLOBAL BIODIVERSITY CRISIS
S.218.1 Climate Change
Refugia Conservation as a
21st Century Solution
Toni L. Morelli
Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center, U.S.
Geological Survey, Amherst, USA
Anthropogenic climate change is posing a serious risk
to Earth’s biodiversity. As scientists and practitioners,

we can document the erosion of our biodiversity, andcan model how those changes will increase with eachwarming increment. However, we can also work together to identify ways to reduce those impacts. Climate adaptation focuses on conducting and translating research to minimize the impacts of climatechange, including threats to biodiversity and humanwelfare. One adaptation strategy is to focus conservation on climate change refugia, areas that remain relatively buffered from contemporary climate changeover time and enable persistence of valued physical,

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ecological, and socio-cultural resources. Climate refugia is a concept that has existed for more than 100
years, originating in the paleontological literature tounderstand what fostered the survival of disjunct populations despite severe and rapid past climate change
events. The refugia concept has captured the attention of scientists, practitioners, and the public more
recently, in part because it offers some hope of maintaining current conditions, at least in some places andfor the short term. The field transcends disciplines andsectors and intersects with knowledge about otherglobal change stressors like fire, drought, and invasive
species to create actionable science that can, in its
own small way, address the biodiversity crisis. This talkwill synthesize the work that has been to develop andimplement the climate change refugia concept andwhere it is headed in the 21st century.

within dolines, and the long-term stability of thesefactors. Secondly, we evaluate the effects of thesefactors on local and regional biodiversity, highlighting the role of dolines as past, present and potential
future microrefugia. Finally, we identify key knowledge gaps that need to be addressed to improve
our knowledge on the effects of various stressors(e.g., temperature increase, drought, and forestry
management) on the refugial capacity of dolines.

S.218.3 Refugia forbiodiversity: identification
and role in plant persistence
María B. García1, Raúl Hoffrén Mansoa2,
Marta Quintana-Buil1, Ane Múgica1, Héctor
Miranda1, Manuel Pizarro1, Daniel Gómez1

S.218.2 Karst depressions as
past, present and potential
future microrefugia

1 Pyrenean Institute of Ecology (CSIC), Zaragoza,
Spain. 2 Geoforest-IUCA, Department of Geography and Land Management, University of Zaragoza,
Zaragoza, Spain.

Zoltán Bátori, Kata Frei, Gábor Li, Csaba
Tölgyesi
University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
Karst landscapes cover about 15–20% of the Earth’s
terrestrial surface, providing high topographic complexity that may facilitate the persistence of plant
species despite unfavourable macro-environmental changes. Enclosed depressions (i.e., dolines) are
the most common and typical landforms in karst
landscapes. Microhabitats in dolines, such as bottoms, north-facing, south-facing, east-facing, andwest-facing slopes, may act as microrefugia formany endangered and highly specialized plant
species (e.g., species listed in the IUCN regional and/or global Red Lists). Notable examples include Cerastium dinaricum (Slovenia), Dracocephalum ruyschiana (Hungary and Serbia), Biebersteinia orphanidis, Horstrissea dolinicola (Greece), and Magnolia
aromatica (China). Dolines also have the potential
to maintain natural and restricted vegetation types(e.g., beech forest patches at low altitudes in Central Europe). Our aim is to provide an overview about
the ecological factors of dolines in general, to discuss the mechanisms underpinning their role as microrefugia, and to highlight research priorities thatwill advance our understanding of plant diversity indolines. Firstly, we illustrate the importance of geomorphology on ecological factors (such as air temperature, relative air humidity, and soil properties)

Mountains are home to a rich biodiversity thanks
to the environmental heterogeneity they offer, andconsidered highly vulnerable to climate change.
Indeed, many studies have shown how rapidly mountain land cover is changing in response
to both climate change and the abandonmentof traditional land uses. However, mountains canalso be conceived as mosaics of microclimatesthat can facilitate the survival of species in theface of contemporary climate change throughshort migrations, and home to refugia where species withstand climate crisis. In this presentation
we combine different approaches to shed light on
the characteristics of climatic refugia in the Pyrenean mountain range, as well as their role for thepersistence of biodiversity. On the one hand, by
deploying numerous small sensors in rough terrain, and thermal images taken from the groundor drones, we identify areas with a narrow thermal range where maximum summer temperatures are damped: climate refugia. On the other
hand, based on floristic inventories, we explore
what fraction and type of plant diversity inhabits
those climate refugia. Finally, from the population
monitoring of some unique plants typical of refugia, we demonstrate the environmental stability
they offer. The integrity and proper managementof mountains, their microclimates and the refuges
they shelter, are key to preserving biodiversity inthe current climate change scenario.

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S.218.4 Not only climatic
refugia - the multifaced
concept of refugia forthe long-term survivalof species during the
Anthropocene

S.218.5 Pictorial
Conceptualization of
Glacial Refuges in the
Mediterranean Quaternary
Gabriela Amorós1, Victoria SánchezGiner1, Ariadna Amorós1, Juan Ochando2,1,
Donatella Magri2, Manuel Munuera3, Juan
Manuel Jiménez-Arenas4, Ana B. MarínArroyo5, José Carrión1

Rodolfo Gentili1, Gabriele Galasso2,
Sandra Citterio1
1 Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences,
University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy. 2 Museodi Storia Naturale di Milano, Milano, Italy
The refugium concept in biogeography, evolutionary biology and conservation science has
traditionally been associated with glacial and interglacial periods. Particularly, it has been linked
to regions or locations with stable climatic conditions over long time in comparison to the surrounding areas. However, over the last decades
the massive global environmental changes andthe increase of extinction rate of species has led
to the need to identify stable areas for species
with respect to different environmental factors
and temporal and spatial scales. According tothis view refugia are landscape elements that remain marginally affected by anthropogenic environmental factors and that subsequently cancontinue to support native species and community with reference to ecosystem functions, andbiodiversity levels. Therefore, depending on thescale, they are location or regions resilient to disturbances and environmental changes. Recent
literature has highlighted the existence of Anthropocene refugia or potential areas providing spatial and temporal shelter to species from humanactivities in the long-term. However, Anthropocene refugia have not been ecologically characterized which is pivotal for recognizing their role inallowing the persistence of species in context ofglobal environmental changes. Works have emphasized the presence of different kinds of refugia for biodiversity such as urban refugia, marine
refugia, biocultural refugia, dark refugia, and fire
refugia. Therefore, in this work we aimed at reviewing the recent concepts of refugia over different ecological scales and to define their value
for biodiversity accounting, landscape conservation and species’ evolution as well as identify
conservation and management strategies.

1 University of Murcia, Spain. 2 University La Sapienza, Rome, Italy. 3 University Polytechnic of Cartagena, Spain. 4 University of Granada, Granada, Spain.
5 University of Cantabria, Santander, Spain
The importance of glacial plant refugia has been
and continues to be a subject that sparks great intellectual excitement and promotes the developmentof many research activities specifically oriented towards biogeographic, ecological, evolutionary, andconservation biology issues, among others. These
investigations aim to address an extensive spectrum of questions that lie on the frontiers of knowledge and have implications in a scenario of climate
emergency and biodiversity crisis. It is crucial forsociety to be properly informed about the conclusions and corollaries arising from all these activities,
mostly funded with public money. Scientific illustration and paleoart are essential tools in transmitting
the knowledge acquired about refugia to different
educational and cultural levels in each social context. Similarly, the pictorial representation, a resultof synergy between the artist and paleoecologicalscientists, provides new avenues of research byhighlighting biases, deficiencies, and methodological and interpretative inconsistencies in the studyof paleoecosystems. In this poster, we present several paleoartistic proposals for representing glacial
refugia in the Mediterranean Basin during the cold
Quaternary stages, considering the originality of the
depicted communities, the lack of current analogs,
their probable landscape structure, and above all,the unique floristic components. The scientific data
stem from palynological analyses complemented with other botanical remains and paleoclimatic
inferences derived from non-botanical proxies. We
put emphasis on hydroclimatic refugia in the driest territories and the evidences in support of thesestrongholds as reservoirs and sources of biodiversity
which favoured the survival of hominins during periods of highly unfavorable climate across most of
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S.218.6 Assessing how
climate will change inworld’s terrestrial protectedareas: are they behaving as
proper climatic refugia?
Arnau Bosch-Guiu1, Cindy Q. Tang2,
Neus Nualart1, Tetsuya Matsui3,4, Haruka
Ohashi3, Takuto Shitara5, Ileana Herrera6,7,
Jordi López-Pujol1,6
1 Botanical Institute of Barcelona, CSIC-CMCNB,
Barcelona, Spain, arnau.bosch@csic.es 2 Instituteof Ecology and Geobotany, College of Ecology andEnvironmental Science, Yunnan University, University Town, Chenggong New District, Kunming, Yunnan, China. 3 Forestry and Forest Products ResearchInstitute, Forest Research and Management Organization, Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki-ken, Japan. 4 Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University ofTsukuba, Tennodai 1-1-1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan. 5
Institute of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Saiwai-cho, Fuchu-shi, Tokyo,
Japan. 6 Escuela de Ciencias Ambientales, Universidad Espíritu Santo, Samborondón, Ecuador. 7 Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad, Quito, Ecuador
Climatic changes play an essential role in shaping
biodiversity. As global climate change accelerates,
comprehending its potential impacts on ecosystems
and species has become increasingly vital; indeed,climate change is considered a key driver for species extinction. Therefore, climatic refugia will play a
crucial role for the conservation of extant biodiver-sity, and conservation efforts should be directed towards protecting these areas. Protected areas (PAs)are currently regarded as fundamental to ensurebiodiversity conservation; thus, evaluating how futureclimatic change is affecting PAs would be helpful inprioritizing or redesigning the existing ones. Moreover,identifying areas with high climatic stability (i.e., climatic refugia) could also guide the designing of newPAs. This study employs the Climate Stability Index(CSI), developed by Herrando-Moraira et al. [1], to assess the vulnerability of the current network of world’s
terrestrial PAs to climate change. The CSI originallyused an uncorrelated set of the 19 WorldClim bioclimatic variables from present to year 2100 at 2.5 arcmin (ca. 5 km) grid resolution, and here is updatedwith the latest fourteen general circulation models ofclimate change at higher resolution (ca. 1 km) of four
periods available from WorldClim. This research evaluates the projected climate changes considering thecurrent network of PAs as a whole, but also considering different levels of protection of PAs (e.g. the IUCN
six management categories), different biogeographic regions, or different levels of species richness andendemism. The findings will contribute valuable insights to conservation strategies, aiding policymakers and land managers in mitigating and adapting to
the impacts of ongoing climate change in the world’s
terrestrial PAs, ensuring informed decision-making in
the face of environmental challenges.
References: Herrando-Moraira, S., et al. (2022). Climate Stability Index maps, a global high resolution
cartography of climate stability from Pliocene to2100. Scientific Data 9, 48.

S.219 BACK TO BASICS: USING MICROMORPHOLOGY, ANATOMY AND HISTOLOGY TO
INVESTIGATE EVOLUTION IN BRYOPHYTES
S.219.1 The contributionsof electron microscopy tobryology
Jeffrey G Duckett, Silvia Pressel
Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, Cromwell
Road, London, UK
The 1950s to the early 21st century was the Golden
Age of biological electron microscopy: almost ev-

ery university Biology department had both transmission (TEM) and scanning electron microscopes(SEM). The benefits to bryology have been enormous. In 1952, Manton and Clarke discovered thecompound nature of the sperm flagella in Sphagnum and suggested it was the same as in algae,
ferns and humans. Sectioning then revealed thesperm cytoskeleton, the microtubule spline andmultilayered structure. Consequent on meticulous
reconstructions, initiated by Carothers spermatozoid ultrastructure now provides a suite of fea-674

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tures key to defining the different lineages of land
plants and their algal ancestors. Manton was also
the first to observe the ultrastructure of hornworts:
though disappointed that their cells are basicallythe same as other bryophytes she illustrated theirunique channelled thylakoids. Decades later immunogold labelling confirmed pyrenoids as crystalline
arrays of RUBISCO. The same technique has thenbeen used to unravel the unexpected complexitiesof bryophyte cell walls particularly those of conducting cells, whose unique features had been well
documented by Hébant, and stomata. Though TEM
has revealed that the structure and biogenesis ofoil bodies are unique to liverworts, we have still tosolve the mystery of their function. The biggest contributions of SEM have been to illustrating surface
and spore ornamentation and the unrivalled beautyof peristomes. Cryo-SEM from the late 1990s added
an extra dimension in enabling the observation ofbryophytes in different stages of cytorrhytic dehydration and rehydration. In vascular plants intercellular spaces are gas-filled from the outset whereas in bryophytes they are liquid-filled. They remainin this condition in the gametophytes but become
gas-filled following stomatal opening in mosses andliverworts. Except for hydroids, bryophyte cells arehighly resistant to cavitation. Cryo-SEM also demonstrates that bryophytes have a mixture of hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces.

S.219.2 Peristome evolution
in the Dicranidae revealed
by SEM and histology

out across a large sampling in the Dicranidae, using
histology and state-of-the-art SEM. The peristome
tooth-insertion region, studied with thin longitudinal
sections, was delimited, and described. The comparative anatomy of the peristome teeth-insertion
region has revealed conserved and variable anatomical features, at the lower levels, that are usefulfor elucidating relationships in the Dicranidae. The
imaging of teeth ornamentations and morphology,
using SEM, revealed an unsuspected diversity acrossthe group. The main patterns and traits of ornamentations have been reassessed, and a newly discovered set of shapes and sizes of ornamentations havebeen redefined. The ornamentations have provento hold taxon-specific information across and between the various taxonomic ranks. The combination of anatomy and micro-morphology allowed fora global comparison of peristomes in the Dicranidae. This study confirms the taxonomic importanceof the peristome at the species, generic and familial
level in the Dicranidae. It will allow the use of new
diagnostic features for further investigations on therelationships across the Dicranidae, as well as forthe establishment of stable characteristics for peristome descriptions.

S.219.3 Evolution anddevelopment of waterrelated traits in the dryland
moss Syntrichia caninervis(Mitt.)
Javier Jauregui-Lazo, Florian Deligne,
Siobhan Brady

Ruche M.1, Pressel S.2, Price M.J.1,3

1 Conservatory and Botanical Garden of the City ofGeneva, Geneva, Switzerland .2 Life Sciences Department, Natural History Museum, London, UK. 3
Plant Sciences Department, University of Geneva,
Geneva, Switzerland
The peristome is considered the most complex andconservative morphological structure in mosses. The
arthrodontous peristome is composed of a single, or
double, ring of teeth surrounding the opening of thecapsule. Peristome characters have long been used
for classification at the higher taxonomic ranks, andfor understanding evolutionary events across mosses. In the monophyletic Dicranidae, which contain athird of total moss diversity and are characterized
by a haplolepidous peristome, the peristome architecture has been found to be informative acrossthe group. A thorough morpho-anatomical investigation of the haplolepidous peristome was carried

Department of Plant Biology and Genome Center,
University of California Davis, USA
In contrast to vascular plants, most mosses rely on
external water transport and absorption over theentire plant surface, a condition known as ectohydry.
Morphological characters (i.e., papillae) create capillary pathways or increase the surface area to facilitate water uptake and transportation. As a moss
acquires water, small chambers and capillary spaces fill up with water and the moss expands rapidly.
Then, a new set of structural features appear, ranging from modifications in their overall morphology toextensive changes of cells in the leaf. The way thesefeatures develop over time, function, and/or reflect
adaptation to different environmental regimes is anarea that remains poorly understood in mosses. This675

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research applies genomics and cutting-edge imaging to (1) characterize leaf development with respect to water-related traits, (2) identify how stagesof leaf development facilitate ectohydric capabilities and relate to changes in water conducting cell
types, (3) identify gene expression profiles in response to dehydration/hydration cycles in the moss
S. caninervis. This presentation will describe preliminary data encompassing multiple biological levelsof organization (cells, tissues, and organs) alongwith cutting-edge confocal microscopy to provide abasis for a better understanding of the mechanisms
underlying leaf organogenesis, and more broadly how plants evolve complex traits crucial for theiradaptation to terrestrial environments.

S.219.4 Complex
thalloid going simple:
the importance of
microanatomic traits
in unveiling Dumortiera
hirsuta’s diversity

to study the importance of microscopic charactersin Marchantiopsida systematics. For that purpose,the presence or absence of epidermal papillae, thevestiges of epidermal reticulum (in the form of vertical walls on the dorsal epidermis), the morphologyof hairs and rhizoids, as well as the morphology andornamentation of spores, were studied in a selectionof D. hirsuta specimens, mainly from Europe, Macaronesia, and the Americas. The integration of themorphoanatomical and newly generated molecular data, which is coherent with the multiple-species
hypothesis, is discussed together with the next steps
to improve our understanding of this lineage.

S.219.5 Fungal symbioses
in bryophytes: anatomical
insights on the evolution of
mycorrhizal associations inland plants
Silvia Pressel1, Katie Field2, Martin
Bidartondo3, Roberto Ligrone4, Jeffrey
Duckett1

David Horcajada1, Belén Estébanez2,
Rafael Medina3
1 Universidad Pablo de Olavide. Sevilla, Spain. 2 Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. Madrid, Spain. 3 Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Madrid, Spain.
Complex thalloid liverworts (class Marchantiopsida) represent a good example of the importanceof microanatomical characters when the macroscopic ones fall short in taxonomic decisions. Some
representative microscopic structures showing
traits with taxonomical relevance in the group include dorsal epidermis cells, dorsal papillae, hairs,
air pore cells, photosynthetic filaments, scales, orrhizoids. Dumortiera hirsuta (Sw.) Nees is a widespread pantropical species present also in sometemperate regions, characteristically lacking sometypical complex thalloid traits, such as air pores ora developed epidermic reticulum. This liverwort displays, nonetheless, a remarkable variation of othermicroscopic traits. This fact led 18th and 19th-century botanists to describe multiple species that werelater synonymized to D. hirsuta, concurrently with the
lumping trend that thalloid liverwort taxonomy experienced throughout the 20th century. Recently, thelikelihood of the ancient multiple-species hypothesis is again being reconsidered according to molecular data. We have chosen this liverwort as a model

1 Natural History Museum, London, UK. 2 School of
Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK. 3
Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, UK. 4 Università degli Studi della Campania,
Caserta, Italy.
Light microscope studies, many dating back to thenineteenth century, showed the ubiquitous presence of fungi in many liverworts and hornworts. Theiridentity and function were unknown. Transmission
electron microscopy revealed the endophytes as
belonging to a range of major fungal groups; Ascomycota in the rhizoids of Cephaloziaceae, Cephaloziellaceae, Lepidoziaceae, Schistochilaceae andMylia anomala where the fungus induces rhizoid
swelling and branching, Basidiomycota in the stemsof Scapaniaceae and in the thalli of Aneuraceae,
and Mucoromycota (Glomeromycotina and Mucoromycotina) in the Haplomitriopsida, hornworts andmany simple and complex thalloid liverworts. The
demonstration of healthy fungi in healthy host cells
and specialised interfaces comparable to those of
mycorrhizal associations in vascular plants, werestrongly indicative of symbiotic relationships. Sequencing enabled more precise identification of
the fungi. The rhizoid ascomycete is Rhizoscyphus
ericae, with the exception of Meliniomyces in Mylia anomala, the same fungi as in ericaceous hairroots. The basidiomycete genus Serendipita is found676

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Oral presentationsin leafy liverwort families but a later fungal lineage,
Tulasnella, is the endophyte in the Aneuraceae. Underlying their unusual cytology, also found in some
Devonian fossils, the endophytes in the Haplomitriopsida are exclusively members of the subphylum Mucoromycotina whereas hornworts, simple
and complex thalloids contain a mixture of Glomeromycotina and Mucoromycotina. From the firstestablishment of symbiosis, in the Haplomitriopsida,at the foot of the land plant tree, liverwort evolution
has witnessed several gains and losses of fungi. Microcosm experiments combined with anatomical
analyses are now demonstrating major differences in nutrient exchanges between Mucoromycotina
and Glomeromycotina fungi and in their response toelevated carbon dioxide levels on a par with thoseat the dawn of plant terrestrialisation. Ultrastructuralobservations of living hyphae in close proximity to
Nostoc colonies suggest potential plant-fungus-cyanobacterium synergistic interactions in hornworts.

S.219.6 Refining ourunderstanding of
hygroscopic movements
in moss peristomes using
histology
Michelle J Price1,2, Sylvain Loubery2,
Mathilde Ruche1,2

1 Conservatory and Botanical Garden of Geneva,
Chambèsy-GE, Switzerland. 2 Department of Plant
Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
The peristome in mosses plays a role in spore maturation and release. Arthrodontous peristomes areformed from one or two rings of cell-wall remnantsof opposing cell layers that are divided into distinct,
articulated teeth. These teeth are reactive to humidity and move in response to changes in the ambient
water levels in their immediate surroundings. The
hygroscopic movements of the peristome teeth arehypothesised to facilitate spore dispersal. Two maintypes of response of the peristome teeth to water
availability extremes are documented, peristomesthat are open when wet and closed when dry versus peristomes that are open when dry and closed
when wet. Cell wall deposition patterns on the internal and external faces of the teeth influence themovements based on water diffusion patterns andabsorption-loss dynamics. The presence of a hydrophobic substance between the two cell layers of thesingle or outer ring of teeth has been documented
in certain moss species, with several hypotheses
proposed to explain its function in the hygroscopic
movements and what the substance may be composed of. Histological examination of peristomes
from species across the Dicranidae allowed us toclarify the composition of the layer and, when present, clarify its role in the mediation of the hygroscopic movements. Reflections on the responses of
peristomes, with and without the hydrophobic layer,
revealed a potential link with ecological preferences.

S.220 APG V AND THE CHALLENGE
OF TRANSLATING PHYLOGENY INTO
CLASSIFICATION WHEN GENE TREES CONFLICT
S.220.1 Nightmare or delight:
taxonomic circumscription
meets reticulate evolution in
the phylogenomic era
Ze-Tao Jin1,2,3, Richard G.J. Hodel4, Dai-Kun
Ma2,3, Hui Wang2,3,5, Guang-Ning Liu3, Chen
Ren6, Bin-Jie Ge7, Qiang Fan8, Shui-Hu Jin5,
Chao Xu2,3, Jun Wu1, Bin-Bin Liu2,3677

1 State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China. 2 State Key Laboratory of Systematicand Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese
Academy of Sciences, Beijing, Beijing, China. 3 China
National Botanical Garden, Beijing, Beijing, China. 4
Department of Botany, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC,
USA. 5 College of Forestry and Biotechnology, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Hangzhou,
Zhejiang, China. 6 Key Laboratory of Plant Resources
Conservation and Sustainable Utilization & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany,
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my of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China. 7
Eastern China Conservation Center for Wild Endangered Plant Resources, Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden, Shanghai, Shanghai, China. 8 State Key
Laboratory of Biocontrol and Guangdong Provincial
Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 51075, China
Phylogenetic studies in the phylogenomics era havedemonstrated that reticulate evolution greatly impedes the accuracy of phylogenetic inference, andconsequently can obscure taxonomic treatments.
However, the systematics community lacks a broadly applicable strategy for taxonomic delimitation ingroups identified to have pervasive reticulate evolution. The red-fruit genus, Stranvaesia, provides an ideal
model for testing the effect of reticulation on generic circumscription when hybridization and allopolyploidy define a group’s evolutionary history. Here, we
conducted phylogenomic analyses integrating datafrom hundreds of single-copy nuclear (SCN) genes
and plastomes, and interrogated nuclear paralogs toclarify the inter/intra-generic relationship of Stranvaesia and its allies in the framework of Maleae. Analysesof phylogenomic discord and phylogenetic networks
showed that allopolyploidization and introgression
promoted the origin and diversification of the Stranvaesia clade, a conclusion further bolstered by cytonuclear and gene tree discordance. The well-inferred
phylogenetic backbone revealed an updated generic delimitation of Stranvaesia and a new genus, Weniomeles, characterized by purple-black fruits, trunk
and/or branches with thorns, and fruit core with multilocular separated by a layer of sclereids and a clusterof sclereids at the top of the locules. Here, we highlighta broadly-applicable workflow for inferring how analyses of reticulate evolution in phylogenomic data candirectly shape taxonomic revisions.

S.220.2 Reconciling genetree discordance inclassification
Douglas E. Soltis
Florida Museum of Natural History, University of
Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
The first four iterations of the APG classification werelargely based on sequence data from the plastid genome. Over the past decade, the use of numerous
nuclear loci across many taxa has become increasingly common in phylogenetic analyses of plants. In
many cases, nuclear and plastid-based topologies forangiosperms agree, providing increased support for
inferred relationships. However, in other cases, comparison of nuclear and plastid-based topologies hasrevealed surprising instances of incongruence at levels much deeper than those likely resulting from recent hybridization or incomplete lineage sorting overrecent timescales. These examples of conflict provide
important insights into evolution, showing that reticulation has been common and widespread throughout
angiosperm evolutionary history. But how best to reflect these examples of deep incongruence in classification, especially in the next APG classification?
Various approaches deserve consideration as we attempt to construct classifications that are maximally
informative about phylogenetic history. When nuclear and plastid phylogenies conflict, the classification
could alternatively follow: (1) the nuclear topology, withsymbols indicating where the plastid genome provides an alternative topology; or (2) both the nuclear
and plastid topologies by placing a taxon in alternative clades (as allowed under the PhyloCode). Eachof these approaches presents challenges. For example, what percentage of nuclear genes would be required for a particular placement to be the favored
placement in APG? And what navigation tools might
be needed to alert users that a taxon is placed in twoalternative groups? A system that provides maximum
information and flexibility should be employed.

S.220.3 Whence APG: a shorthistoryMark W. Chase1,2
1 Department of Environment and Agriculture, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, Australia. 2 Royal Botanic
Gardens, Kew, Richmond, UK.
In the middle to late 1990s, as DNA data began toaccumulate, it became clear that no modern angiosperm classification resembled the emerging DNA
results. In Uppsala, Sweden, Kåre and Birgitta Bremer
and their colleagues created a booklet with a newclassification based on the DNA results with the ideathat it could be used in teaching plant systematics.
At that time, several of their PhD students were collecting molecular data in the molecular systematics
laboratory at Kew, and on a supervisory visit to Uppsala in 1998 I was shown this teaching booklet. We
decided that their largely DNA-based classification
should be published. At the time, although molecular systematists were identifying the same clades offamilies, different order names, formal and informal,
were being applied to these, which made commu-

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nication difficult and was undesirable. We contacted other botanists who were also working broadly
on angiosperm phylogenetics, both with DNA andmorphological data, to get their input and decided
that a new system should be published under the
APG acronym, to avoid the situation in which the
new classification was authored by one authority.
Although the APG classification has gone throughsome minor changes in philosophy and four updates, with a fifth in progress, the general framework
remains unchanged.

S.220.4 Phylogenomics anda revised classification of
the Cucurbitales

gyneae grouping as sister to the remaining tribes. A
network analysis revealed ancient reticulation within
and between Benincaseae, Coniandreae, and Cucurbiteae, suggesting that Benincaseae are the resultof ancestral hybridization between Coniandreae andCucurbiteae. A similar pattern of reticulation is foundbetween Schizopeponeae and Sicyoeae. Finally, thereis evidence for recent reticulation within Coniandreae
and within Thladiantheae, indicating frequent hybridization events in the evolutionary history of Cucurbitaceae. We present a revised taxonomic classification of
Cucurbitales and discuss the implications for character evolution in the group.

S.220.5 The impact of
nuclear data on APG V

Hanno Schaefer, Gentaro Shigita,
Edgardo M. Ortiz

Alexandre R. Zuntini*1, the PAFTOL
community

Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
Cucurbitales currently includes eight plant families
with diversity centers in the Tropics: Anisophylleaceae,
Apodanthaceae, Begoniaceae, Coriariaceae, Corynocarpaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Datiscaceae, and Tetramelaceae. These families comprise 109 genera withmore than 3,100 species. Morphologically, the taxa of
Cucurbitales are rather diverse ranging from the holoparasitic Apodanthaceae, to annual and perennial
herbs in Datiscaceae and Begoniaceae, to trees andshrubs in Anisophylleaceae, Corynocarpaceae, Coriariaceae, and Tetramelaceae and finally to woodyor herbaceous climbers and creepers in Cucurbitaceae. Based on target-capture and whole genome
sequencing data of 125 Cucurbitales samples representing all 102 genera currently accepted in the order,
we inferred coalescent species trees and networks.
We infer monophyletic and well supported families
and tribes. The holoparasitic Apodanthaceae areplaced outside Cucurbitales. For the remaining seven
Cucurbitales families, the relationships vary. The best
supported alternative shows a grade Coriariaceae +Corynocarpaceae, followed by Anisophylleaceae andthen the remaining clades, but there is also considerable gene tree and site support for a clade Anisophylleaceae, Corynocarpaceae + Coriariaceae, rest. The
woody Tetramelaceae is resolved as sister to the herbaceous families Begoniaceae and Datiscaceae but
again there is also considerable gene support for thetwo alternative combinations within the triplet. Within
Cucurbitaceae, there is gene support for different relationships between the tribes but the best supported
topology is a clade Actinostemmateae + Gompho-

1 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, UK.
*a.zuntini@kew.org
For the past 25 years, the Angiosperm Phylogeny Grouphas revolutionised the systematics of angiosperms
by providing a stable classification system based on
robust phylogenetic evidence. This classification haslargely been informed by plastid markers. Now, due
to advances in high throughput sequencing, the nuclear genome is more easily accessed, allowing us toinfer phylogenetic trees from hundreds of nuclear loci.
Target sequence capture (e.g. using Angiosperms353
probes) is now routinely used to tap into the nuclear
genome, even using DNA from historical collections.
These advances, however, demonstrate that the evolutionary history of plants is more complex than theplastid genome suggests, challenging previous classifications. Here, we present novel phylogenetic insightsfrom nuclear data on the circumscription of families,
orders and major clades of angiosperms. These insights arise from anuclear phylogenomic researchof the Plant & Fungal Trees of Life (PAFTOL) project at
the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, which has resulted
in genome-scale phylogenetic trees including all angiosperm families and nearly 60% of extant genera.
Importantly, many relationships by plastid evidence
are corroborated, such as the delimitation of major
clades, and deep relationships in the ANITA grade, themonocots and the early-diverging eudicots. However,conflict between nuclear and plastid data is evident
across the tree, leading to several changes, e.g., theinclusion of Chloranthales in magnoliids; in rosids, thereduction of fabids and expansion of malvids, and thedisintegration of the COM-clade; and in asterids, the679

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break-up of orders Aquifoliales, Bruniales and Icacinales. In other groups, like Santales and Brassicales, notable conflicts are observed, but refining family circumscriptions requires denser sampling in those clades. As
expected, cytonuclear conflict is evident throughout

the angiosperm tree of life. Future classifications mustembrace this conflict to ensure that our knowledge infrastructures are consistent with the complex historyof angiosperms.

S.221 ATYPICAL SUBSTRATES AS ENGINES FOR
PLANT AND LICHEN EVOLUTION I: GYPSUM
SOILSS.221.1 The gypsum outcropsof North America: islands ofhigh floristic endemism anddiversity
Juan Pablo Ortiz-Brunel1, Hilda Flores2,
Helga Ochoterena2, Michael J. Moore3
1 Departamento de Botánica, Universidad de Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. 2 Instituto de Biología,
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudadde México, Mexico. 3 Department of Biology, OberlinCollege, Ohio, USA.
Isolated gypsum outcrops along Mexico and southwestern USA are diverse in terms of size and flora. Over250 plant species restricted to gypsum (gypsophytes)
are known there, mostly within the Chihuahuan Desert.
The dominant North American gypsum endemics areoften physiologically and morphologically highly distinctive from their nearest relatives, and many belong
to clades that may have originated several million
years ago. Nevertheless, biogeographic patterns ofendemism and the ultimate origins of the gypsum flora of North America (including endemic and non-endemic taxa) are poorly known. This is particularly true
for the gypsum outcrops in tropical Mexico, which arepoorly investigated. Recent efforts showed that thegypsicolous flora of tropical Mexico is highly diverse
despite inhabiting much smaller outcrops than in the
Chihuahuan Desert. However, no comprehensive studies of diversity patterns, including phylogenetic diversity, have been conducted in North America. Here weuse different diversity metrics to analyze the composition of the gypsum floras of North America. We used
6,211 herbarium-based records to estimate the spatial
distribution of species richness, endemism, phylogenetic diversity, and phylogenetic endemism. We foundthat tropical gypsum patches possess a more diverse

flora but with significantly reduced endemism ascompared to those in the arid regions further north. We
detected a mix of Nearctic and Neotropical elements,
with the latter especially prominent in western andsouthern Mexico. Total species richness followed global latitudinal diversity gradients, but remarkable casesof high diversity were identified in the Cuatrociénegas
Basin, in the Sierra Madre Oriental at Nuevo León, andin Oaxaca. Categorical analysis revealed examples ofneo- and paleo-endemism. Species endemism andphylogenetic endemism are heterogenous throughout the study area, but are higher in the Chihuahuan
Desert Region, which may reflect the much greater
geographic extent of gypsum outcrops in these areas
compared with the tropical patches.

S.221.2 Facilitation in
gypsum soils is promoted
by homogeneous
microenvironmental
conditions under the nurses
Ricardo Sánchez-Martín1, Alicia
Montesinos-Navarro1, Helga Ochoterena2,
Irene Pisanty3, Mariana RodríguezSánchez2, Miguel Verdú1, Hilda Flores
Olvera2
1 Centro de Investigaciones sobre Desertificación(CSIC) Moncada, Valencia, Spain. 2 Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México,
Ciudad de México, México. 3 Facultad de Ciencias,
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudadde México, México
Besides the environmental stress in arid and semi-arid regions, gypsum outcrops are a barrier to plant
growth due to challenging soil nutrient levels. In such

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extreme conditions, biotic interactions are highly affected by species traits and micro environmental variability. Studies on facilitation have shown that nurse
species alleviate abiotic stress for beneficiary species,
but the impact of the micro-environmental variability
generated by nurse plants in shaping facilitation outcomes is poorly understood. Here, we assess which
traits define beneficiary species and whether nurse
and non-nurse species differ in their ability to reduce
abiotic stress and its variability under their canopy.
We sampled recruits in two gypsum arid and stressfulenvironments in the Cuatro Ciénegas’ valley in Coahuila, Mexico. Our aims were to assess i) which species accumulate more juveniles beneath their canopy controlling for their coverage (nurse vs. non-nurse
species); and ii) which species benefited from facilitation by determining whether they tend to recruit more
species beneath or on the bare ground (beneficiary/
non-beneficiary). Then, we compared how nurse andnon-nurse species modify the physical and chemical
microenvironments underneath their canopy, both interms of magnitude and variation. Furthermore, comparisons were made between root growth, water retention, and nutrient accumulation in juvenile plants
of beneficiary and non-beneficiary species. We foundthat facilitation is enhanced by species that provide
a more homogeneous microenvironment rather thanan intense reduction of microenvironmental stressunder their canopy. In addition, the juveniles of beneficiary species invest more in root development, accumulate Ca and S in their shoot tissues, and show ahigher water content than non-beneficiary species.
Our results suggest that the homogeneity of microenvironments plays a crucial role in facilitative interactions, and the juveniles of beneficiary species show aless conservative strategy, investing more in resource
acquisition than juveniles of non-beneficiary species.

Laboratory, Department of Plant Sciences, Schoolof Biology, College of Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.. 3 Department of Biology, Facultyof Science, University of Zabol, Zabol, Iran 4Instituto
Pirenaico de Ecología, Jaca, Huesca, Spain
Armenia, with an area of less than 30.000 km2, is an
important biodiversity hotspot with about 3800 plant
species and a very diversity of landscapes and vegetation, that ranges from subalpine communities toforests, steppes, semideserts and even a small sanddesert. The semidesert belt is very diverse in soil types,
including gypsum. However, botanists of the former
century have often misclassified plant communities
as gypsophile, while in fact dealing with marls andclays. Due to these misconceptions, up to date no detailed map and no complete floristic inventory of gypsum rich soils has been published. Additionally, to thelack of precise data, gypsum outcrops and semideserts as a whole, are not highly valued for conservation
by local populations and are highly threatened by destruction and fragmentation, while harboring a goodamount of the country’s biodiversity. To address thisproblem, we mapped all gypsum outcrops by satellite imaging (SentinelHub). Within extensive fieldwork
we collected soil and herbarium data from all gypsum
outcrops in the Republic of Armenia. We created a
species inventory for all the species occurring on gypsum and analyzed the soil composition and gypsum
content in each gypsum area. Finally, we evaluatedcurrent threats to these small and unique habitats
and the possibility of their conservation. As a result, we
present an updated and corrected critical checklist ofplants occurring on gypsum outcrops in the Republicof Armenia and a detailed map of gypsum habitats inArmenia. Finally, we present recent data on the conservation of gypsum habitats and discuss the actual
threats to these unique ecosystems.

S.221.3 Mapping gypsophilevegetation in Armenia– solution to former
misconceptions?

S.221.4 Secondary metabolic
pathways and gypsum
endemism

Alexander Rudov1,2, Razmik Papikyan1,
Hripsik Qosyan1, Mehdi Dehghani3, Anna
Asatryan1, Maria Perez-Serrano4, Aurora
Bartolome4, Alicia Perez4, Yekaterina
Shcherbakova1, Sara Palacio4

John Carroll University, Ohio, USA.

Rebecca E. Drenovsky

1 Institute of Botany after A.L. Takhtajyan of National Academy of Sciences of Armenia, Yerevan,
Armenia. 2 Halophytes and C4 Plants Research

Gypsum soils are rich in calcium and sulfate, creatinga challenge for plant life. Despite these stressful conditions, many gypsophiles (gypsum-loving plants) accumulate high levels of these mineral nutrients in theirtissues, particularly in leaves, without suffering toxicity
effects. Based on these patterns, we seek to investigate mechanisms, such as assimilation or seques-681

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tration, supporting excess mineral nutrient accumulation in plants growing on gypsum. Two secondary
metabolites of particular interest are glucosinolates
and sulfated flavonoids. These sulfur-rich metabolites are naturally present in taxa common on gypsum(glucosinolates in members of the Brassicaceae andsulfated flavonoids in members of a variety of families but particularly the Asteraceae). Our data suggestthat gypsophiles may have higher glucosinolate levels than non-endemics. Similarly, we have data thatsuggests that plants growing on gypsum produce
sulfated flavonoids in flowers and leaves and that thelikelihood of their expression may be related to evolutionary history, as some taxonomic groups weremore likely to produce these compounds than others.
We hypothesize that glucosinolates and sulfated flavonoids may serve as sulfur sinks in gypsophiles andthat glucosinolates may also support water uptake indrying soils in these taxa. Future work will investigate
how widespread these patterns are in gypsophiles,
as well as how plastic these responses are. Identifying
the mechanisms supporting plant life on gypsum mayhelp us understand fundamental biological processes such as speciation, adaptation, and how biotic andabiotic factors influence community assembly.

S.221.5 Extreme variability in
gypsum lichen species: thecase of Squamarina
Maria Prieto1, Sergio Muriel1, Isaac Garrido2
1 Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, Madrid, Spain. 2
Departament de Botànica i Geologia, Facultat deCiències Biològiques, Universitat de València, Burjassot, València, Spain
The genus Squamarina is a predominant component in Biological Soil Crusts (BSC) from gypsum
soils in the Iberian Peninsula. It is considered to bewell known with only two species cited in this habitat,i.e., S. cartilaginea and S. lentigera. However, the highmorphological variability led us to more thoroughly assess the species of Squamarina from gypsum
soils. Our molecular data revealed the existence ofat least five lichen taxa in gypsum soils instead of
two. These five taxa were not evenly distributed in
gypsum soils in Spain. Subsequent analyses were
driven to understand these distributional differences. First, we discovered that these taxa had sevendifferent photobiont haplotypes. Differences in photobiont partner were related with location and lichen species. Functional traits related with water re-tention were also different in the different locations
but not related with the lichen species. Also, traits related with photosynthetic activity were related withlocation and photobiont haplotypes. These results
point out that functional variability in this group is
more related to environmental variation and photobiont composition than to lichen species identity.

S.221.6 Bridging Gaps
between Mining and
Restoration: Insights from
Gypsum Quarry Succession
Alejandro Gomez1, Juan F. Mota Poveda2,
Fabián Martínez Hernández2, Antonio J.
Mendoza Fernández3, Francisco J. Pérez
García2, Esteban Salmerón Sánchez2,
Federico Escudero Clarés2, Rebecca E.
Drenovsky4, Hailey Whitten4, M. Encarna
Merlo Calvente2
1 New Mexico University, New Mexico, USA. 2 University of de Almería, Almería, España. 3 University ofGranada, Granada, España. 4 John Carroll University, Ohio, USA.
This research delves into reconciling gypsum mining
with sustainable development in a scenario of Global Change. Our research was conducted in a quarry
situated within the Protected Area of the Gypsum
Karst Natural Park in Sorbas (Almería, Spain). The exploitation of this quarry ceased eight years prior to
the initiation of this study, which spans from 2009 to
2024. Ten permanent plots were established there,with dimensions of 20 × 50 m. The presence of perennial vascular plants was documented in theseplots over the course of 15 years. Our main objective
revolves around monitoring the temporal trajectoryof spontaneous succession within the quarry, juxtaposing it with undisturbed shrubland as the reference ecosystem. To this end, we also sampled fivesimilar plots within the shrubland. We hypothesizedthat a largely predictable convergent successional development will occur, which can serve as amodel for habitat restoration. Based on the floristic
composition of the plots and the functional types
present (based on the degree of gypsophily), we investigated the convergence/divergence of species
composition and functional types, characterized by
the degree of gypsophily. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (nMDS) analysis was used considering
15 succession points (years) relative to the five cor-682

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responding reference points in undisturbed shrublands. Reductions in dispersion over time indicate
convergence, while increases signify divergence.
Our findings consistently demonstrate a convergent trajectory towards the reference ecosystem,
albeit with varying rates of convergence. These
results underscore the importance of autogenic
succession as a geoecological model to consider
for habitat restoration. This research advances ourunderstanding of primary succession dynamics in
gypsum quarries after mining cessation, shedding
light on the intricate relationship between naturalenvironments and disturbed areas. Importantly, ithighlights the fundamental role of scientific knowledge transfer in facilitating effective ecological restoration within gypsum habitats, designated as priority habitats by the EU.

S.222 LET PEOPLE COME TO BOTANY II:
IMPROVING FLORA KNOWLEDGE THROUGHINATURALISTS.222.1 Flora of Russia on
iNaturalist: moving forward
Alexey P. Seregin, Dmitriy A. Bochkov, Julia
V. Shner, Sergey R. Mayorov, Natalia S.
Gamova, Sergey A. Lednev
Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
Since 2008, iNaturalist has been crowdsourcing biodiversity observations made by citizen scientists
and professional biologists. Thousands of publications have already taken into account these data foruse in research, conservation and policy. There arethree key themes that iNaturalist embraces: social
interaction; shareability of data, tools and code; andscalability of the platform and community. The “Floraof Russia” project on iNaturalist (https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/flora-of-russia) brought together
professional scientists and amateur naturalists fromall over the country since 9 Jan 2019. The main goalof the project is to maintain crowdsourced data forthe national atlas of vascular plants in the absenceof an appropriate national platform. By 2023, over
25K+ people were involved in the data collection.
Within 5 years, the participants accumulated 3M+photo observations of 8K+ species of the Russian
vascular plants. This constitutes the largest datasetof open spatial data on the country’s biodiversity
and a leading source of data on the current stateof the national flora. The key index of the project isthe number of uploaded observations. The project
reached 2.5M observations of “Research Grade”
quality on 7 May 2023, whereas ca. 0.5M unverified
observations make the project’s backlog. The Mos-

cow Oblast and the City of Moscow take the lead by
the number of observations and observers, whereas
Dagestan harbours the highest number of observed
species. The Moscow University team of professional
botanists leads the expert efforts within the project.
About 90% of all project data, are available underfree licences (CC0, CC-BY, CC-BY-NC) and can be
freely used in scientific, educational and environmental activities. Due to the project, Russia is currently one of top-five countries of the platform by
the number of observations and the leading country
on iNaturalist by share of records available in GBIF.

S.222.2 The age of colour
in alpha taxonomy: newfrontiers for online species
discovery
Farminhão, J.1,2
1 Jardim Botânico da Universidade de Coimbra,
Coimbra, Portugal. 2 Sociedade Portuguesa deBotânica, A-dos-Potes, Portugal
Platforms such as iNaturalist provide botanists with
unprecedented, accurate and universal access to
information on spatially structured and taxonomically significant colour variation in angiosperms,
which was historically inaccessible through herbarium specimens or, more recently, highly dispersed
through slide collections and multiple web resources.
This wealth of newly and readily available data will
accelerate the pace of species description and taxonomic revision of multiple taxa in which flower colour is key to diagnosis. As a proof of concept, I here683

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illustrate the potential of iNaturalist, and other online
platforms, to uncover unaccounted or long-neglected taxonomic diversity in three genera of the Iberian
Flora. On a more practical side, I present a quick guidefor online species discovery using photographic dataand introduce a citizen science initiative to map colour variation in iris plants on iNaturalist, championedby the Botanical Society of Portugal.

S.222.3 Citizen science,higher education and
iNaturalist: a multifaceted
approach for biodiversity
conservation in
Latinamerican cities.

ing new plant records and endangered species.
Furthermore, the outcomes of these projects weredisseminated through the creation of posters andother communication materials, as well as environmental education talks conducted in schools andamong residents in the neighborhoods where theactivities were carried out. In addition to these community interactions, students assumed the role of forarticles presented at conferences and subsequently
published in scientific journals. This multifaceted approach underscores the university’s commitment toknowledge dissemination, practical application, andcommunity engagement.

S.222.4 Using iNaturalist in
Plant Research: Strengths
and Challenges

Nora H. Oleas1, Natasha Baer1, Mónica
Paez1,2, David Salazar1, Laura Salazar3,
Ibon Tobes1

Eduard López-Guillén1, Ileana Herrer2,3,
Badis Bensid 1,4, Carlos Gómez-Bellver1,
Neus Ibáñez1, Pedro Jiménez-Mejías5,
Mario Mairal6, Laura Mena-García1, Neus
Nualart1, Mònica Utjés-Mascó1, Jordi
López-Pujol1,2

1 Universidad Tecnológica Indoamérica, Machala ySabanilla, Quito, Ecuador. 2 Centro Jambatu de Investigación y Conservación de Anfibios, Fundación
Jambatu, San Rafael, Quito, Ecuador. 3 Universidad
Regional Amazónica Ikiam, Napo, Ecuador
University education in Ecuador is conceptualized
as a dynamic interplay among academia, research,and societal engagement. Furthermore, academia
serves society by providing the information necessary to address problems. Additionally, the dissemination of scientific knowledge to the broader
community constitutes an integral facet of university endeavors. Within this framework, to ensure theconservation of biodiversity and its ecological services within cities, multidisciplinary approaches
are required to engage the community. This study
describes the mechanisms through which thesechannels of reciprocal enrichment have been cultivated. As an integral component of their academic
curriculum, students enrolled in the Biodiversity Engineering program at the Universidad Tecnológica
Indoamérica in Quito, Ecuador, actively participatedin projects that fostered connections with society.
This involvement entailed the practical applicationof data collection tools, such as surveys, and theutilization of platforms like iNaturalist during various
community events. Through these initiatives, a collective repository documenting the city’s flora wasestablished, showcasing contributions from bothstudents and citizens. This collaborative effort facilitated the identification of novel findings, includ-

1 Institut Botànic de Barcelona, CSIC-CMCNB, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. 2 Escuela de Ciencias
Ambientales, Universidad Espíritu Santo, Samborondón, Ecuador. 3 Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad, Quito, Ecuador. 4 Departament de Biologia
Animal, Biologia Vegetal i Ecologia, Facultat deBiociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona,
Bellaterra, Catalonia, Spain. 5 Área de Botánica,
Departamento de Biología Molecular e Ingeniería
Bioquímica, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Sevilla,
Spain. 6 Departamento de Biodiversidad, Ecología
y Evolución (Unidad de Botánica), Facultad deCiencias Biológicas, Universidad Complutense de
Madrid, Madrid, SpainiNaturalist (https://www.inaturalist.org/) self-defined
as an “online social network of people sharing biodiversity information to help each other learn about
nature”, and it is likely one of the largest citizen science web portals of the world as it includes nearly
165 million observations of over 430,000 species produced by a community of almost 2.9 million users
by December 2023 (for plants, almost 67 million observations of over 154,000 species by nearly 2 million
users). This platform presents some strengths andpotentialities such as its usability and low technicalrequirements, immediacy, open-access, the possibility of interacting with other users, artificial intelligence-aided identification, versatility and the auto-

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matic incorporation of the validated records to GBIF.
However, there are some features that scientists
need to take into account when using data fromthis science portal in research, making sure that thequality of observations does not limit or hinder its
usefulness in plant research. While these are identified, we are providing some suggestions to overcome them and, by doing so, increasing the use andadding value of iNaturalist in plant research.

S.222.5 Contribution of
citizen science throughiNaturalist to the knowledgeof the Mexican Flora
Jesús G. González-Gallegos, J. Fernando
Pío-LeónInstituto Politécnico Nacional, CIIDIR Unidad Durango
iNaturalist is an online visual network allowing the interaction between citizens attracted by the natural
world, and experts on different taxonomic groups,
who would help them to identify the species documented by pictures linked to spatiotemporal data. The
platform pursues to promote a connection between
people and biodiversity, and to support biodiversity and conservation science. Mexico was one of thefirst countries to ascribe to this new way of socializing

and collecting biodiversity data, under the lead of theComisión Nacional para el Conocimiento y Uso de la
Biodiversidad (CONABIO), which keeps promoting it.
At first, there was some reluctancy from the Mexican
scientific community on biodiversity studies, but progressively more researchers have gotten involved in
the uploading and identification of observations; andit is becoming more common to find scientific papers benefited by iNaturalist data. The observations
have helped to better document the distribution ofsome species with the addition of unknown localities,
and their morphological variation with and increasing number of photographs, long forgotten species
have been rediscovered, or even new ones have been
named based on clues given by iNaturalist observations. Here we present a revision of the contributionsof iNaturalist to the knowledge of the diversity of Lamiaceae family in western Mexico as a case study. A
numerical analysis was performed on the comparisonof richness patterns revealed in the study area basedon two databases; the first downloaded from iNaturalist, and the other assembled from herbarium specimens of more than 20 herbaria. Although the patterns
extracted from iNaturalist data are clearly biased incomparison to those obtained from herbarium specimens, the platform helped in adding additional localities and to detect previously unrecorded plants, oreven new arrivals in terms of new naturalized species.
Recommendations for the use and improvement of
iNaturalist impact are also compiled.

S.223 DIVERSIFICATION IN LARGE DOMINANT
PLANT LINEAGES: INTEGRATION OFPHYLOGENY, ECOLOGY, PHYSIOLOGY, AND
BIOGEOGRAPHY
S.223.1 Evolution in plant
function and ecologicalniches in the oak adaptive
radiation inform community
assembly at continental scale
Jeannine Cavender-Bares1,2, Jesús
Pinto-Ledezma1, Clarissa Fontes1, Kieran
Althaus3,4, Andrew L. Hipp3

1 Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior,
University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA.
2 Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. 3 Morton Arboretum, Lisle, Illinois, USA. 4
Biological Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago,
Illinois, USA
Oaks (genus Quercus L) are an important adaptive
radiation that includes ecological dominants on fivecontinents with extraordinary diversity and abundance. They are major contributors to ecosystem
function, including climate regulation and support ofbiodiversity in Northern Hemisphere temperate for-685

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est systems. Biogeographic history, including pastenvironmental change, have influenced the diversification process and evolution of functional traits.
Trait evolution, in turn, has influenced the habitatsthat the species across the lineage can occupy. Trait
evolution in the oaks shows evidence for phylogenetic inertia and adaptation in response to novel environments. We show examples of freezing tolerance
and vulnerability to drought as well as chemical andstructural foliar traits of leaves as derived from spectral signatures. We test how traits evolved in responseto new environmental challenges and whether evolutionary shifts in traits allowed species to colonize
new habitats. We show that the coordinated processof diversification in traits and ecological niches explains community assembly processes at continental scale in the Americas. Insights from addressingthese questions have far reaching implications forunderstanding the nature of trait and niche evolution
in other lineages across the tree of life.

S.223.2 Ecophysiological
adaptations and realizedheight growth shape
Eucalyptus distributions
along an Australian rainfall
gradient

accord qualitatively with theory. Most traits appear
adaptive across species within gardens (indicating
fixed genetic differences) and within species acrossgardens (indicating plasticity). However, species
from moister climates have lower stomatal conductance than others grown under the same conditions.
Responses in stomatal conductance and five related
traits appear to reflect greater mesophyll photosynthetic sensitivity of mesic species to lower leaf water
potential. Our data support adaptive crossover, withrealized height growth of most species exceedingthat of others in climates they dominate. Our findings
show that pervasive physiological, hydraulic, andallocational adaptations shape the distributions ofdominant Eucalyptus species along a subcontinental climatic moisture gradient, driven by rapid divergence in species P/Ep and associated adaptations
over the past 4 million years. Across the entire genus,
the rate of net species diversification has increased
substantially over this period, especially in areas of
low climatic moisture availability, which are often associated with smaller species ranges.

S.223.3 Disentangling
the drivers of diversity at
multiple taxonomic scales
in the rapid radiation of theSouth African Protea

Duncan D. Smith1, Mark A. Adams2,3,
Amanda M. Salvi1, Cécile Ané4, Katherine
A. McCulloh1, Thomas J. Givnish1

Nora Mitchell1, Kent E. Holsinger2

1 Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, USA. 2 Faculty of Science,
Engineering, & Technology, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Australia. 3 School of
Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, University of Melbourne, Creswick, Australia. 4 Department of Statistics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, USA
Tradeoffs between the energetic benefits and costsof traits can shape the distributions of species andtraits along environmental gradients. Here we test
predictions based on tradeoffs involving photosynthesis and water loss using survival, growth, and 50
photosynthetic, hydraulic, and allocational traits often Eucalyptus species grown in four common gardens along an 8-fold gradient in relative moisturesupply – as measured by precipitation/pan evaporation (P/Ep) – from mallee to tall wet sclerophyll forest in Victoria, Australia. Phylogenetically structured
tests show that most trait-environment relationships

1 Department of Biology, University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire, Eau Claire, WI USA. 2 Departmentof Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University ofConnecticut, Storrs, CT USA
The genus Protea of South Africa is an iconic plant radiation with remarkable variation in growth form, leaf
functional traits, and pollination syndromes. Their center of diversity and center of origin is the Cape Floristic Region of southwestern South Africa, a biodiversity
hotspot, and a region characterized by multiple climatic gradients, substantial edaphic heterogeneity,
fire-dominated ecosystems, and multiple mountain
ranges resulting in both topographic variation andgeographic isolation. Here, we synthesize our researchon the drivers of diversity in Protea across taxonomic scales, asking the extent to which the radiation has
been driven by adaptive versus nonadaptive mechanisms. We investigate these questions 1) across thegenus in a phylogenetic context, 2) within a restricted clade, 3) across populations within a single species, and 4) between hybridizing species at a single

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site. We use a variety of approaches, including phylogenomics and Bayesian phylogenetic frameworks,
common garden studies assessing trait differentiationand gene expression, in situ measurements of plants
growing across climatic gradients, and population
genomics tools to assess the roles of geographic
and environmental differences. Our findings present
a paradox, where we detect trait-environment relationships at multiple scales (suggesting that adaptive
processes underlie the radiation) while our population genomic evidence points to a potential role for
geographic isolation (suggesting that nonadaptive
processes underlie the radiation). Moreover, within agiven site, many Protea species often co-occur, andco-occurring species often represent wildly disparate
morphologies. We attempt to reconcile the roles forthese difference mechanisms and point to future work
to disentangle the effects of adaptive processes (driven by both biotic and abiotic interactions) as well as
nonadaptive mechanisms.

S.223.4 Global driversof diversification andassembly are spatiallystructured in the
megadiverse Carex(Cyperaceae)

globally distributed, mega-diverse genus Carex (Cyperaceae) to test the hypothesis that both drivers ofdiversification and assembly are spatially varied, suchthat observed patterns of phylogenetic diversity andendemism are determined by context-specific physiological traits associated with individual lineages andthe ecological conditions of different geographic areas. We used 4.35 million museum records, a global
Carex phylogeny, historical biogeographical estimations, and rate analyses to test for spatially structured
correlations to diversification and patterns of assembly using structural equation modeling. We find thatall previously hypothesized drivers of diversificationin the genus are associated with elevated speciation
rates. However, these drivers have interacted in different combinations in different geographical areas,
with no two regions exhibiting the same combinationof drivers. This has resulted in spatially varied patternsof phylogenetic diversity and endemism. Our results
demonstrate that integrating analyses of diversification and assembly with spatial scaling improves theresolution at which we can understand the origins anddistribution of our extant biodiversity.

S.223.5 Diversity anddivergence: the ecology andevolution of defenses in thetropical tree genus Inga

Daniel Spalink1, Pedro Jiménez-Mejías2,4,
Tamara Villaverde3, Santiago MartínBravo4, Marcial Escudero5, Katie
Sanbonmatsu1, José Ignacio MárquezCorro5, Isabel Larridon6,7, Eric Roalson8,
Kenneth J. Sytsma9, Andrew L. Hipp10,11

Dale L. Forrister1, María-José Endara1,2,
Abrianna J. Soule1, Gordon C. Younkin3,4,Anthony G. Mills1, John Lokvam1, Kyle G.
Dexter5, R. Toby Pennington6, Catherine
A. Kidner7.8, James A. Nicholls9, Oriane
Loiseau5, Thomas A. Kursar1, Phyllis D. Coley1

1 Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA. 2
Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain. 4
Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain. 5
Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain. 6 University of Seville, Seville, Spain. 7 Royal Botanic Gardens,
Kew, Richmond, Surrey, UK. 8 Ghent University, Gent,
Belgium. 9 Washington State University, Pullman,
Washington, USA. 10 University of Wisconsin-Madison,
Madison, WI, USA. 11 The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL,
USA. 12 The Field Museum, Chicago, IL USA

1 Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake
City, UT, USA. 2 Centro de Investigación de la Biodiversidad y Cambio Climático e Ingeniería en Biodiversidad y Recursos Genéticos, Facultad de Ciencias de Medio Ambiente, Universidad Tecnológica
Indoamérica, Quito, Ecuador. 3 Boyce Thompson
Institute, Ithaca, New York, USA. 4 Plant Biology Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell
University, Ithaca, New York, USA. 5 School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh, Old College, Edinburgh, UK. 6 Department of Geography, Universityof Exeter, Exeter, UK. 7 School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK. 8 Royal
Botanic Gardens Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK. 9 The
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research
Organisation, Australian National Insect Collection,
Black Mountain ACT, AU

The processes of speciation and assembly are inextricably linked. Diversification drivers vary among clades
and are often determined by the geographic context where speciation is occurring. We should therefore expect patterns of assembly to be influenced byspatially variable speciation dynamics. We use the687

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Because plants and their insect herbivores together
account for more than half of the macroscopic diversity on land, their interactions play an extremely
important role. From an evolutionary perspective,
they are thought to be locked in a coevolutionaryarms race, in which plants evolve novel defense
traits to which herbivores evolve counter adaptations. We discuss evidence for the role of plant-herbivore interactions in shaping the ecology and evolution of Inga (Fabacea) a specious tropical tree
genus. With a particular focus on the evolution ofplant secondary metabolism and ecological significance. To do so we characterized the chemical
profile of one-third of species in the genus Inga (ca.
100) using ultraperformance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-based metabolomics andapplied phylogenetic comparative methods to un-derstand the mode of chemical evolution. Each Inga
species contains structurally unrelated compounds
and high levels of phytochemical diversity; closely
related species have divergent chemical profiles,
with individual compounds, compound classes, andchemical profiles showing little-to-no phylogenetic signal; at the evolutionary time scale, a species’
chemical profile shows a signature of divergent
adaptation. At the ecological time scale, sympatricspecies were the most divergent, implying it is also
advantageous to maintain a unique chemical profile from community members; finally, we integratethese patterns with a model for how chemical diversity evolves. We find that this chemical divergenceplays an important role in shaping the community assembly of tropical trees and shaping the host
choice of insect herbivores.

S.224 ADVANCES IN FERN ECOLOGY:RESPONSES TO ENVIRONMENTAL AND BIOTIC
STRESS FACTORS
S.224.1 Advances in Fern
Ecology: a synthesis andfuture research directions
Klaus Mehltreter1, Rafael P. Farias2
1 Instituto de Ecologia, A.C., Xalapa, Mexico. 2 Universidade Federal do Bahia, Salvador, Brazil
In the last decade, studies on fern ecology haveovercome many of the historical misjudgments.
Some of these preconceptions included the allegedly old evolutionary age of extant ferns, theirsupposedly low growth rates, low nutrient concentrations, low ability to compete with seed plants, todefend themselves against herbivores, and to withstand environmental catastrophes and anthropogenic disturbances. Furthermore, a high vulnerability of the gametophytic life stage, a low diversityof biochemical compounds, and a reputedly low
usefulness for medical or industrial purposes wereassumed. We present an overview of the advancesin Fern Ecology based on exemplary case studies,
which have demonstrated that ferns are much morefunctionally, ecologically, physiologically, and biochemically diverse than previously thought. In addition, we discuss how the results of current research

have changed our perception of the ecologicalrole of ferns in different ecosystems and show how
ferns effectively differ from seed plants. Researchgaps and open questions are outlined, and future
research directions are proposed such as holistic
approaches integrating all life stages of ferns, comparative studies between ferns and angiosperms,
and conservation approaches to deal with anthropogenic disturbances and climate change. To facethese challenges, the future study of fern ecology
still requires more inter- and multidisciplinary approaches and intensive collaboration efforts.

S.224.2 Water use efficiency
explains differences in
global diversity patterns
between ferns andangiosperms

688

Daniela Aros-Mualin1, Amanda Taylor2,
Patrick Weigelt2, Michael Kessler1
1 Department of Systematics and Evolutionary Botany, University of Zurich, Switzerland. 2 Faculty ofForest Sciences & Forest Ecology, University of Göttingen, GermanyXX International
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The colonization of land by plants strongly depended on their ability optimize the use of water. Vascularplants have successfully colonized a broad range of
habitats, but their diversity is lower under physiologically stressful conditions. Ferns, the second mostdiverse extant land plant group, exhibits disparate
global patterns of species richness when compared
to angiosperms. This contrast becomes more evident under water-limited environments, where thediversity of ferns sharply declines. To understand thisdisparity, we combined greenhouse experiments ofwater use efficiency (WUE) with studies of global
macroecological distribution patterns. In the greenhouse, we compared WUE, quantified as the biomass
produced per unit of water usage, of 12 fern and 12
angiosperm species, encompassing both terrestrial
and epiphytic ones. We found that among terrestrial
species, ferns exhibit lower WUE and consequently higher water loss compared to angiosperms. At
the macroecological scale, this is reflected by anincrease in the proportion of ferns relative to angiosperms as water availability increases. Conversely,
fern and angiosperm epiphytes had a comparable
WUE in the greenhouse, which at the macroecological scale is reflected by a constant proportion of fernrichness in relation to water availability. These findings reveal the key role of water in shaping the competitive dynamics between ferns and angiosperms,
and their diversity patterns. Moreover, it suggeststhat terrestrial ferns serve as potential early indicators of climate change.

S.224.3 Thermal tolerance
and competition of two
tropical relict ferns

germination and growth of two fern species: Culcita
macrocarpa and Woodwardia radicans. Both species, which are potential competitors, are tropicalrelics that share distribution, habitat and exhibit synchronous spore dispersal. Spore germination wascompared at eight temperatures ranging from 5 to
35 °C and gametophyte growth at 10, 20 and 30°C.
Our findings demonstrated that spores of W. radicans germinated faster and to a higher percentage,
and their gametophytes grew faster than those of
C. macrocarpa, especially at moderate to high temperatures. Additionally, interspecific competition reduced germination only in C. macrocarpa. Besides,
our results reveal an exceptionally high correlation
between climatic parameters and germination parameters in both species. In the case of C. macrocarpa, this correlation increased when examining
germination under competition. These findings show
the advantages of ferns for culture experiments, andtheir potential usefulness for tackling many researchquestions, such as community-level experiments on
coexistence, dispersal, effects of community structure on ecosystem functioning or ex situ conservation. These results also hold particular relevancefor studying the impacts of climate change even inearly life stages, shedding light on how competitive
interactions among species can shape their thermal
responses and ultimately influence their adaptation.

S.224.4 Nutrient ecology oflithophytic ferns: responses
to different substrates
Catalina Flores-Galván1, Judith MárquezGuzmán2, Martín Mata-Rosas3, James E.
Watkins Jr.4, Klaus Mehltreter1

Sofía Ruiz Cano1, Luis G. Quintanilla2,
Nagore G. Medina1

1 Red de Ecología Funcional, Instituto de Ecología,
A.C., Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico. 2 Departamento de
Biología Comparada, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudadde México, Mexico. 3 Red de Manejo Biotecnológico de Recursos, Instituto de Ecología, A.C., Xalapa,
Veracruz, Mexico. 4 Department of Biology, Colgate
University, Hamilton, New York, USA

1 Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
2 Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Spain.
Studying the thermal niche of organisms is crucial
in the current context of climate change. However,
it is a complex task as physiological requirements,
species distributions and the modulating factors
such as competition need to be analysed simultaneously. We present a study that combines germination experiments along an environmental gradient both with and without interspecific competition,with thermal niche analyses based on estimatedclimatic data from global distributions. We evaluated the thermal niches by setting up experiments on

Many plants grow only on specific soil types. Ferns
are no exception. In the family Pteridaceae, many
fern species are limited to alkaline limestone oracidic volcanic soils. Although the reasons for soil
specialization of plants have received some attention, our knowledge about the consequencesof growing on alkaline or acidic substrates is poor.
Consequently, we studied the distribution of 19 fern

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species on 37 sites and the mineral nutrient composition of the shallow soils as well as calcicole (limestone-loving) and calcifuge (limestone-avoiding)fern species in central Mexico, supposing that theformer will have higher Ca and lower Al and P concentrations than the latter. All fern species, except
the soil-indifferent Myriopteris aurea, were restricted
to one soil type. As expected, calcicole fern species
had higher nutrient contents except for P and Mn,
but surprisingly they also contained higher amountsof Al and Fe. This was even more surprising because
limestone soils had only higher pH and Ca concentrations, but lower concentrations of exchangeable
Fe and P. These results indicate that calcicole fern
species possess limited or no mechanism to avoid
the uptake of Al but are more efficient in absorbing
Fe and P, even when those concentrations are lower than on acidic soils. On the other hand, calcifuge
fern species can limit the uptake of Al but are not as
efficient as calcicole fern species in absorbing Na,
K, Mg, S, and N even if these nutrient elements areavailable at similar concentrations as on limestonesoils. However, there is a considerable variation in
the nutrient concentrations of each fern species,
which implies that they also differ in their nutrient
metabolism independently from the exchangeable
nutrient concentrations of the soils.

S.224.5 Haplopteris
yakushimensis, a newmodel for fern independent
gametophyte

pendent phases in their life cycles: gametophytes
and sporophytes. Independent gametophytes referto those long-lived gametophytic populations that
extend beyond the geographic distribution of theirsporophyte counterparts. Unlike typical cordiform(heart-shaped) gametophytes, independent gametophytes are non-cordiform and some of themcan reproduce asexually through gemmae. In thisstudy, we propose to investigate the origin of the
independent gametophyte in a rare species Haplopteris yakushimensis utilizing an integrated approach including molecular biology, reproductive
biology, and ecology. Genetic data reveal that the
species comprises two diverged lineages (hereafter
α and β) but their sporophytes are morphologicallyindistinguishable. The distribution of these two lineages is asymmetric, with the α lineage being endemic to Japan, while the β lineage is found in Japan, Taiwan, and Vietnam but persisting solely as
independent gametophytes in Japan. This system,featuring two sister lineages with distinct reproductive behaviors (i.e., with and without independent
gametophytes), offers a unique opportunity to explore the origins of independent gametophytes. Our
preliminary data suggest a complex origin of Haplopteris yakushimensis, involving multiple hybridization and polyploidization events. Additionally, both
environmental and genetic factors may play roles
in shaping the current distribution of the independent gametophytes. Our study is poised to be themost comprehensive in the field and is expected
to significantly advance our understanding of gametophyte ecology in general. Furthermore, it will
also contribute to the conservation of Haplopteris
yakushimensis.

Cheng-Wei Chen1,2, Katsuhiro Yoneoka3,
Tao Fujiwara4, Atsushi Ebihara4, Van
Truong Do5, Noriaki Murakami3, Yi-Shan
Chao2, Yao-Moan Huang6, Ko-Hsuan
Chen1, Kuo-Fang Chung1

S.224.6 Insect herbivory anddefense mechanisms inferns

1 Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan. 2 National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan. 3 Tokyo
Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan. 4 National
Museum of Nature and Science, Ibaraki, Japan. 5
Vietnam National Museum of Nature, Hanoi, Vietnam. 6 Taiwan Forestry Research Institute, Taipei,
TaiwanIn the 1960s, two papers published in the journal Science fundamentally altered our understanding offern gametophytes, giving the concept of ‘independent gametophyte’ a prominent place in the field of
pteridology. Ferns and lycophytes (pteridophytes)
stand out among land plants by having two inde-

Rafael P. Farias1, Lucas E.N. Costa2, Klaus
Mehltreter3
1 Universidade Federal da Bahia, Bahia, Brazil. 2 Instituto Tecnológico Vale, Pará, Brazil. 3 Instituto de
Ecología, Xalapa, Mexico.
For ferns, an abundant component of tropical understories, knowledge about their insect interactions anddefense mechanisms is still very limited. Consequently,
the ecological and evolutionary drivers of herbivory, as
well as the ecological role of ferns in these interactions
are overlooked. Here, we investigated fern–insect in-

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teractions in three different ecosystems asking the following questions: 1. How do ferns structure their defense
mechanism (syndromes)? 2. Does the leaf damageof ferns differ from angiosperms in mangroves? 3. Are
there herbivore effects on Pteridium after fire events?
Our sample included 34 species of ferns from the Atlantic Forest, Acrostichum aureum L. (and two angiosperm
species) in the mangroves, and Pteridium in burnt ironstone campo rupestre. We measured some leaf traits
for our first (SLA, water content, trichome density, nitrogen, phosphorus, alkaloids, phenols, saponins, tannins
and triterpenoids) and second question (phenols). Leaf
damages were estimated by relative leaf area loss perplant and species. All traits were correlated with eachother and compared with leaf damages. We identified
three different defense syndromes: (I) high nutritional

quality combined with a variable trichome density (14species), (II) low nutritional quality, but high phenol concentrations, and often high trichome density (4), and(III) intermediate nutritional quality combined with a
low trichome density or no trichomes (16). Leaf damages ranged between 0 and 32.3% but did not differ
among defense syndromes. Acrostichum aureum hadlower phenol concentrations than the angiosperms
mangrove species but was damaged than Rhizophora mangle. Postfire resprouts of Pteridium were highly
damaged by herbivores (almost 75%). We conclude
that ferns combine a variety of defensive traits against
insects, with a similar resistance against insects, thatferns can exhibit similar damages than angiosperms inmangroves; and that Pteridium may constitute a crucial resource for herbivores after fire events.

S.225 FLORAL NECTAR: POLLINATIONSYNDROMES, PRODUCTION ATTRIBUTES,REGULATION EVOLUTION. SESSION 1
S.225.1 Floral nectar: cost,
regulation and partner
manipulation
Zong-Xin Ren1, Graham H. Pyke1,2
1. Kunming Institute of Botany, China 2. Macquarie
University, Australia
Floral nectar is central to most relationships between
plants and animal pollinators, and has been the subject of much investigation for a long time. However,much about nectar remains poorly known and understood. We know, for example, costs of floral nectar
production to a plant are significant, however, relevant evidence is scant and difficult to interpret. Also
unknown is the extent to which plant costs and gains
associated with nectar production can be expressedin a single currency such as energy. There is also
growing evidence that plants can both secrete andabsorb nectar, possibly enabling them to regulate
nectar attributes in their flowers and thus manipulate pollinator behaviour to their advantage. In somecircumstances, floral nectar may also attract or repulse potential pollinators by virtue of its attributes,
but such circumstances are likely rare. In this talk,we present our new findings on cost, regulation andpartner manipulation based on the evidence frommultiple plant species pollinated by various animal
pollinators in Australia and China. By doing a seriesof floral nectar removal, nectar reabsorption and artificial nectar addition experiments, we provide evidence of simultaneous nectar secretion/ absorption
and consequent regulation for sugar volume, sugarconcentrations and sugar type. We also show thatsome floral nectar attributes between neighbouring
flowers within an individual plant are correlated inboth bagged and open pollination treatments indicating potential partner manipulation.

S.225.2 Color & chemistry:
how flowers signal reward
quality to pollinators
Casper van der Kooi1, Kira Tiedge1
1 Groningen University, Groningen, The Netherlands
The vast majority of flowering plants require animal
pollinators for sexual reproduction, and in turn, many
animal pollinators rely on floral rewards. Floral colour and scent are the two main signals that plants
employ to attract potential pollinators. Our central
hypothesis is that flower colour and scent have coevolved with the sensory systems and preferencesof pollinators and that those signals convey reli-691

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able (‘honest’) information about a flower’s reward.
To answer this question, we are trying to determine
how flower signals and rewards match pollinator visual systems, ecology, and resource requirements
among many independent transitions between pollinators with widely different visual systems, olfactory preferences and/or nutritional requirements. We
are collecting and integrating data from a) (micro-)
spectroscopy, anatomy, and state-of-the-art optical models to quantitatively understand how floral
structure and pigmentation generate visual signals,b) volatile metabolomics to capture and analyse
floral scents and c) semi-targeted metabolite profiling to study the nutritional properties of nectar(and pollen). This comparative approach enables
identifying how the colour and scent of flowers
and the nutritional properties of nectar (and pollen) have co-evolved at a broad taxonomic scale.
How plant-pollinator interactions have evolved andshaped biodiversity is a fundamental question in biology and has direct implications for agriculture andspecies conservation.

S.225.3 Nitrogen at night:
do volatile aldoximes serve
as index signals of nectar
amino acids to hawkmoth
pollinators?

fenses of wounded poplar foliage, or as precursors
to direct defenses such as mustard oils and cyanogenic glycosides. Nevertheless, they have evolved indozens of angiosperm families with night-blooming flowers, from Darwin’s star orchid to jasminesand gingers. Given that aldoximes are derived fromamino acid precursors, we explored their potential
to function as volatile “index signals” – unfakeable
indicators – of the presence of amino acids in nectar, using the night-blooming flowers of Oenothera
flava and Datura discolor as model systems. First,
we tested whether volatile aldoximes are correlated with nectar amino acids, either naturally or undersoil fertilizer manipulation, using GC-MS and HPLC,
respectively. Next, we designed behavioral assays
to test whether flower-naïve hawkmoths (Hyles lineata) are attracted to aldoximes derived from LEU
and ILE in a nectar-feeding context. Finally, we usedbehavioral assays to test whether hawkmoths prefer nectars with amino acids, and whether such fortified nectars provide additional fitness benefits tothe moths. Our findings suggest an important rolefor N metabolism as a non-caloric component offloral advertisement and reward in “moonflowers”
pollinated by hawkmoths.

S.225.4 Honesty of floral
signaling is dependent onneighborhood kinship

Geoffrey T. Broadhead1,2, Robert A.
Raguso1

Rubén Torices1, Inés Álvarez2; Lucía DeSoto3;
Camilo Ferrón1; Yedra García1 4; Luis
Giménez-Benavides1; José María Gómez5
Javier Jiménez-López1; Eduardo Narbona6,
John Richard Pannell7, Cristina Poyatos1;
Luis G. Quintanilla1; Violeta Quiroga1,5,8

1 Cornell University, Ithaca, USA. 2 University of Florida, Gainesville, USA
Hawkmoths are important pollinators worldwide,
whose powerful dispersal flights can promote geneflow between geographically distant plant populations. That same flight capacity generates highenergetic demands, and hawkmoths are known tomaximize caloric intake in the face of thermal, osmoregulatory and biophysical constraints. Thus,
hawkmoth-pollinated flowers tend to secrete copious quantities of relatively dilute (15-30%) sugar
solutions at anthesis, just as they emit strong fragrances known to attract hawkmoths from a distance. One surprising feature of such fragrancesis the presence of nitrogenous aldoximes, volatilecompounds derived from essential amino acids(LEU, ILE, VAL, and PHE). Aldoximes are uncommon
fragrance components in day-blooming plants andare better known for their roles in the indirect de-

1 University Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, Spain. 2 RealJardín Botánico de Madrid, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid, Spain. 3 Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain. 4 Lund
University; Lund, Sweden. 5 Estación Experimental
de Zonas Áridas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, CSIC), Almería, Spain. 6 Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain. 7 University of
Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland. 8 Universidad deGranada, Granada, Spain
Although pollinators have innate preferences for
specific floral signals such as petal color, they canquickly adapt their preferences by associative learning, based on the quality and quantity of rewards(e.g., nectar) provided to them. In this sense, wemight expect the local intraspecific neighborhood692

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to have important consequences for an individual plant’s optimal strategy of both display and reward. Cohen and Shmida (1993) modelled the association between floral advertisement and reward,
with specific attention to flower density. Their model
predicts that allocation to signaling traits should be
increased when flower density is low, thereby facilitating visibility, whereas allocation to reward should
be favored under conditions of high flower density or
low visitation rate, thereby capitalizing on favorable
pollinator choice. However, to our knowledge, we stilllack formal theoretical foundations for predicting thepotential kinship effects on the relationship between
floral signaling and reward. In our study, we experimentally examined how neighboring kinship affects
the relationship between floral signaling and reward.
We found that the genetic relatedness of neighbors
significantly altered the relationship between floral
color and reward quantity. Specifically, plants growing with non-kin exhibited a positive relationship between petal color and nectar production. However,this relationship became negative when plants had
no neighbors or when their neighbors were kin. The
observed plastic sensitivity to neighborhood composition in the honesty of floral signals might have important effects on pollinator behavior and visitation,with direct and indirect effects on plant reproductive
success and mating patterns.

S.225.5 Anatomical,
ecological, and evolutionary
trends of nectary and nectar
traits in Acanthaceae
Leonardo Galetto1, Carolina Torres1
1 Departamento de Diversidad Biológica y Ecología,
Universidad Nacional de Córdoba and CONICET,
Argentina.
Pollinators are linked with plant reproduction andwith evolutionary diversification of some cladesof angiosperms. Modifications in floral form andfunction can suggest the best match with different pollinator functional groups implying a positive
interaction in reproductive terms. Acanthaceae includes species with diverse floral sizes, shapes andcolours that are visited by different pollinators. Previous studies analyzing different floral shapes (floral
syndromes) and nectar in Acanthaceae indicatedstronger relationships with floral shapes and nectar sugar composition or concentration rather thanwith phylogenetic trends. Nevertheless, some ana-

tomical nectary particularities may restrict the expression of nectar traits in some groups (clades orgenera) although the occurrence of floral form diversification within them. Moreover, nectar secretion
patterns may be related with the preferences andneeds of different pollinator groups. Thus, the variations in nectary and nectar traits in Acanthaceae
may be shaped by a combination of the preferences of the main plant-pollinator interactions (functional or ecological) and/or by the basic anatomy
and developmental constraints (phylogenetical) of
the flower present in some clades or genus within
this family. In consequence, complex trends between nectar and nectary traits could be analyzed
using the hypothesis of pollination syndromes but
also considering the most accepted hypothetical
phylogeny of the family. If nectar and nectary traits
are linked with pollinator preferences, associations
between floral traits and different groups of pollinators will be stronger than the evolutionary trends
within different clades. Species from major clades ofAcanthaceae are used to test this hypothesis andpredictions. Original data for anatomical featuresand nectar traits > 20 species distributed among
different phylogenetic clades were analyzed. Moreover, a data set from the literature of nectar traits for>100 species were obtained to present a better picture for the family linking developmental, ecological,
and evolutionary trends.

S.225.6 Nectar sugarconcentration, foraging
currencies and floral
preferences in bumblebees
Jonathan G. Pattrick1
1 University of Oxford, UK
One way in which nectar sugar concentration cancontribute to partitioning of pollinator floral preferences is through between-species differences in
how viscosity influences rates of nectar transport.
However, preferred nectar sugar concentrations
may also vary between species depending on thestrategy, or ‘currency’ through which pollinators are
optimising their foraging. Here I discuss our recent
work in bumblebees investigating both of thesefactors. Firstly, we investigated how nectar viscosity influences multiple aspects of nectar transport.
Secondly, to explore the energetics of foraging, weused a lab-based assay using a biomechanical foraging challenge to test if bumblebees can make a693

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trade-off between nectar valence and the time/energy expended obtaining it. Bee foraging behaviourin this paradigm was in agreement with maximisation of the currency of net rate, but not in agreement with maximisation of the currency of energy

efficiency. Given this currency differs from reported
results in honeybees, we consider the implications
for expected floral preferences between these two
important generalist pollinators.

S.226 ECOLOGICAL DRIVERS OF PALM
SPECIATION
S.226.1 Can plant-fungal
symbioses underpin plant
diversity?
Vincent Savolainen1, Kyle Macleod1, Martin
Bidartondo1, Colin Turnbull1, Roger Butlin2,
Ian Sanders3, Ian Hutton4
1 Imperial College London, London, UK. 2 Universityof Sheffield, Sheffield, UK. 3 University of Lausanne,
Lausanne, Switzerland. 4 Lord Howe Island Museum,
Lord Howe Island, Australia
Our understanding of how species originate (speciation) has changed considerably since Darwin’s
seminal work. One aspect, however, that has been
ignored is the role that microbes can play in driving
speciation. Here, we propose a new mechanism forthe origin of species, whereby coevolutionary divergence in plant-mycorrhizal associations increases
local adaptation and leads to the completion of
speciation, using one of the most compelling examples of speciation in the face of gene flow as ourmodel system: The Howea palms of Lord Howe Island. While it is well known that species can diverge
due to geographic barriers such as mountain ridges
or oceans, populations can also split in the face ofgene flow without geographic isolation, for example through specialisation to habitats or resources.
In this context, symbiotic associations that plants
have with microbes may be particularly powerful insimultaneously facilitating local adaptation and reproductive isolation leading to speciation. We focus
on two sister species of palms (Howea), endemic
to Lord Howe Island, a remote island in the Tasmansea, and their interactions with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Howea palms represent the dominant
vegetation on the island. The speciation scenario for
Howea involves adaptation to different soils, volcanic rocks and calcareous deposits, and associatedfitness trade-offs. We hypothesise that soil and soil

microbes have affected local adaptation of the ancestral palm population, which in turn led to differences in flowering time, and ultimately promoted
speciation. Differing levels of mycorrhizal colonisation and gene expression co-regulated in Howea
and mycorrhizal associations may have led to theemergence of distinct forms of Howea populations
occupying different soils. We test these key hypotheses using metagenomics and RNA-seq combinedwith long-term field experiments on Lord Howe Island.

S.226.2 Climatic-based
diversification of a
hyperdominant species
complex in Western
Amazonia and endangered
species in the Central Andes
Julissa Roncal1, Marinoli Rivas-Chamorro2,
Víctor Jiménez-Vasquez2, Betty Millán2,
Nicolas Peñafiel Loaiza1, Nora H. Oleas3,
Monica Moraes4
1 Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s,
Canada. 2 Universidad Nacional Mayor de San
Marcos, Lima, Peru. 3 Universidad Tecnológica Indoamérica, Quito, Ecuador. 4 Universidad Mayor de
San Andrés, La Paz, Bolivia
Landscape reconfigurations in South America haveinfluenced the evolution of tropical plants by triggering diversification through niche partitioning, byfacilitating dispersal, or separating ancestral populations. However, the genetic characterization of
intraspecific entities or species delimitation remains
a primary objective to which we can link the ecological factors that influence their evolution. Using several sequencing technologies and marker types, we694

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assess the genetic variation within two palm lineages growing in two biomes, Amazonia and the Andes;
and link the resulting genetic entities to putative environmental conditions that may be acting as selection. Astrocaryum section Huicungo is a complex of
15 morphologically defined species, the majority ofwhich grow in western Amazonia. We found evidenceof cytonuclear discordance where the two major
lineages recovered in phylogenetic analyses almost
matched. A Bayesian species delimitation test rendered three putative species occupying areas ofcontrasting geological activity. Preliminary ecological niche modeling show that putative species havedifferent niches characterized by elevation and precipitation seasonality. The case of the Andean palm
genus Parajubaea is similar in that we found genetic
groups occupying different elevations, habitats andgeological substrates. The delimitation of two morphologically defined, endemic, IUCN endangered
species in Bolivia was challenged by our sequencing
data that favored the recognition of three intraspecific genetic groups. Genetic groups showed admixture, no evidence of inbreeding, and we use themto propose management units for conservation.
Many palm lineages, especially widespread species
complexes, still await an assessment of intraspecificvariation or a reconsideration of species limits combined with fine scale niche analyses. High throughput sequencing provides an unparalleled opportunity to unmask genetic differences, which is needed
to improve our knowledge of ecological speciationin palms at higher resolutions.

S.226.3 Advances inthe study of population
dynamics of transposable
elements and application todate palm genomics
Yann Bourgeois1
1 Institut de Recherche pour le Développement,
Montpellier, France
Quantifying the factors that drive the accumulationof genetic variation in genomes is essential to understand the rules of life and has widespread applications in agronomy and conservation. However,
our understanding of the determinants of genetic
diversity is still strongly biased towards the study ofpoint mutations such as single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). More must be done to understandthe evolutionary dynamics of structural variation. A
common type of such variation includes transposable elements (TEs). These elements are among themost variable genomic features across the living
world and can have a dramatic effect on their host’s
fitness. In this presentation, I introduce some of themost recent advances in our understanding of TEs,
adopting a population genetics perspective. I show
how combining information about TEs and flanking SNPs may help addressing key questions, suchas the distribution of TEs fitness effects. I illustrate
the interest of such approaches by applying someof these methods to the date palm (Phoenix dactylifera), a keystone species of oasis agrosystems
particularly adapted to arid environments, in which
recently active TEs account for ~3% of the ~850Mb
genome, making them promising candidates tostudy the bases of (mal)adaptation.

S.226.4 Evolutionary
dynamics of central African
rain forest plants reveal
contrasting responses topast climatic fluctuations
Thomas L.P. Couvreur1 Andrew J.
Helmstetter1, Kevin Bethune1, Narcisse G.
Kamdem2, Bonaventure Sonké2
1 Institut de Recherche pour le Développement,
UMR-DIADE, BP 64501, F-34394, Montpellier, France. 2
Université de Yaoundé I, Ecole Normale Supérieure,
Département des Sciences Biologiques, Laboratoirede Botanique systématique et d’Ecologie, Yaoundé,
Cameroon
Central African rain forests are mega diverse andharbor the world’s second largest expanse of thisbiome. Yet, how plant species have adapted to past
climate change remains understudied. Palms might
not be that diverse in this region, but they are nevertheless omnipresent. Here, we infer the evolutionary
and demographic dynamics of three co-distributed
palm species using comparative phylogeography
based on hundreds of nuclear markers. In addition, we contrast our results with four tree speciesof Annonaceae, an equally important component
on rain forests in Africa. For all species we estimated population variation and the temporal origin of
this structure using dated phylogenetic trees. Finally, we explicitly tested how different environmental
factors such as soil, climate stability and geography
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Oral presentationsof our species. Levels of genetic variation variedamong palms and Annonaceae, all showing somelevel of structure. Divergence between populations
emerged primarily during the Pleistocene but wererarely concordant. Demographic trends ranged
from repeated contraction and expansion to continuous growth. Furthermore, patterns in genetic variation were linked to disparate environmental factors,
including climate, soil, and habitat stability. Using astrict refugia model to explain past TRF dynamics incentral Africa is too simplistic. Instead, individualistic evolutionary responses to Pleistocene climaticfluctuations have shaped patterns in genetic diversity in central African rain forests. Overall, our results
suggest that predicting the evolutionary responsesof TRF plant diversity under climate change will bechallenging. More emphasis is needed on individual
species ecology if conservation of this incredible diversity is to be effective.

S.226.5 The geography of
speciation in palms andpines
Ingrid Olivares1, Søren Faurby2, Rodrigo
Cámara-Leret1, Alex Pigot3
1 Department of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, University of Zurich, Switzerland. 2 Departmentof Biological & Environmental Sciences, University
of Gothenburg, Sweden. 3 Centre for Biodiversity

and Environment Research, University College London, UK
Linking phylogenies to the geographical distributionof a lineage allows inferring the geographical modeof speciation. Here, we used the geographical distribution of sister species and their estimated divergence times to infer if there is a predominant modeof geographical speciation (allopatry or sympatry)in two diverse groups of plants from tropical (palms)
and temperate regions (pines). We selected two
approaches previously used to infer the mode of
speciation in vertebrates: 1) the proportion of sister
species showing zero and complete range overlap, and 2) a modelling framework that calculates
the probability that a sister species pair exists in its
current geographical state (i.e., allopatry or sympatry). In contrast to birds, for which the first indicator shows that sympatric speciation accounts for
only 5% of speciation events, our results hint towards
a greater role of sympatric speciation (ca. 30–45%)
in palms and pines. We further find that palms andpines can diverge through either allopatry or sympatry and undergo reverse transitions back to theinitial state. In contrast, previous studies showed thatthe best suited model for primates, amphibians, andbirds is one in which species diverge exclusively inallopatry and then undergo an irreversible transition
to sympatry. Our work therefore suggests that thesympatric speciation of Howea palms might not be
an exceptional case, but rather, that sympatric speciation might be an important mode of plant speciation in palms and other plant families.

S.227 THE JOURNAL OF PLANT RESEARCH´S
SYMPOSIUM ON BIOTIC INTERACTIONS AND
BIOLOGICAL INVASION. SESSION 1
Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney,
New South Wales, Australia

S.227.1 Below- and aboveground mutualisms slows
invasion success of alien
brooms (Fabaceae) inSouth Africa
Geerts, S.1, Le Roux, J.J.2
1 Department of Conservation and Marine Sciences, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, PO
Box 652, Cape Town, South Africa. 2 Department of

Mutualisms are thought to be important in the invasion dynamics of alien plant species. There is no
guarantee that plants will encounter suitable mutualistic partners in a novel environment. When amutualistic partner is co-introduced, or is a generalist and easily co-opts mutualists, invasion is moreprobable. If plants are more specialized in their mutualistic requirements or require multiple mutualistic partners, invasion might be curbed. Most studies
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but many plant species typically interact with multiple types of mutualists. Therefore, in this study we
explore the interactions between two non-native
legumes (Genista monspessulana and Spartium
junceum) and their associated below-ground (nitrogen-fixing rhizobia) and above-ground (pollinators) mutualists. We conducted pollinator observations, breeding system experiments and collectedroot nodules for 16S rRNA gene amplification. Both G.
monspessulana and S. junceum are dependent onpollinators for seed production but are successfully
pollinated in South Africa. Genista monspessulana ispollinated largely by honeybees and carpenter bees
whilst the bigger flowers off S. junceum are only pollinated by carpenter bees. Differences in rhizobium
associations (nodulation) were much more pronounced. We found G. monspessulana populations
to be nodulated by at least four distinct lineages ofBradyrhizobium, while for S. junceum this was muchless. The wider distribution of S. junceum comparedto G. monspessulana likely reflects the differences inpropagule pressure (S. junceum was a popular garden plant). The inability to nodulate, and relative low
rates of pollination of S. junceum, suggest it currently
poses a much lower risk than G. monspessulana inbecoming a widespread invasive species in South
Africa.

X. strumarium. Herbaria play a crucial role in botany as they offer a wealth of untapped knowledge
and a portal into plants’ historical past. The potential
invasion paths of X. orientale subsp. italicum weretraced using geographic profiling techniques andphylogenomic analyses of herbarium specimens.
Moreover, the potential effect of allelopathy andcompetition for the decline of the native X. strumarium were studied through garden experiments. Geographic profiling is a technique initially developed incriminology, and then also applied for imputing biological invasion routes. The inferred spreading pointfor X. orientale subsp. italicum was the area close to
Pavia or Monzambano. Phylogenetic analyses wereconducted on nuclear and chloroplast data using
network and ML tree approaches, suggesting a possible area of origin in Texas (US), around the town ofGreenville. To test allelopathic effect of X. oriantale
on X. strumarium, we compared germination andgrowth of seedlings under treatment (watered with
X. orientale exudates) and control conditions. The
presence of a significant effect has been observedon the growth of the two species. Concerning thecompetition experiments, we used dried biomass,
number of burs and bur biomass as measure of fitness, showing a significant effect of the interspecificcompetition on X. strumarium.

S.227.2 The invasion of X.
orientale in Europe andits effect on the native X.
strumarium reconstructedon herbarium specimensand garden experiments

S.227.3 Brachypodium
distachyon complex
associated soil microbial
differences across thenative and invaded ranges
Emma Aronson1, Jon Botthoff1, Pilar
Catalán2

Eleonora Manzo1, Anna-Lena Köster1,
Lina-Marie Deussig1, Franka Neiß1, Alessio
Papini2, Salvatore Tomasello1

1 University of California, Riverside, CA, USA. 2 Universidad de Zaragoza, Spain

1 Georg-August University Göttingen, Germany. 2
Universitá degli studi di Firenze, Firenze, Italy
Xanthium orientale, an American species complex
presently disseminated across the whole world, wasfirst introduced in Europe via natural fiber trading, as
the fruits stick easily to fibers owing to their peculiar
spiny diaspores. Various lineages can presently befound in the continent, with X. orientale subsp. italicum being the first to have been observed in the wildaround 1820. The presence of X. orientale in Europe
has been hypothesized as a contributing factor tothe contemporary decline of its indigeneous relative,

In the last few decades, Brachypodium distachyon
has emerged as a model grass to study fundamental topics in plant biology, including seed development, genomics, plant-pathogen interactions, androot architecture. This temperate grass is closely related to important biofuel crops, such as sorghum
and switchgrass. Another research advantage of B.
distachyon is that there are wild, naturally occurring
isolates in its broad native circum-Mediterranean
range. Not only are the species of the B. distachyon complex found across the native range, but they
have been introduced to the US, Australia, China,

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South Africa and South America, and are invasive insome of these areas, notably Southern California. Although there has been a number of recent research
articles on the genomic architecture and microbiome of Brachypodium species, there remains adearth of information on associated rhizospheremicroorganisms. In order to better understand themicrobial associations of the B. distachyon complex,
we sampled root, rhizosphere, and bulk microbiomesof B. distachyon and hybridum across their nativeand invaded ranges, including 4 countries acrossMediterranean Europe, as well as B. hybridum from
California in the United States. Here we describe thevariability in the wild microbiome of this important
grass. Brachypodium hybridum is a rampant invasive grass across coastal California, and a contributor to fire danger and severity. This data may help
us to better understand the invasive qualities of thisgrass, and potentially could lead to mitigation strategies, which may improve fire conditions in California. Further, we hope that generating model grassmicrobiome data will contribute to a growing global
scientific community working on cereal and biofuels
crop genetics, and beyond.

S.227.5 Plant defense
against herbivores of nativeand non-native populationsof Datura stramonium

S.227.4 When roses gorogue: Expanding ranges ofinvasive Rosaceae in South
AfricaSandy-Lynn Steenhuisen , Grant D. Martin ,Karabo T. Moloi1, Lehlohonolo D. Adams3,
Stephanie L. Payne1, Onalenna Gwate1,
Patricia Masole1, Lesego Malekana1, Colleen
Downs3, Vincent R. Clark1
1mine frugivores in the field, and faecal seed counts.
To determine altitude and climate impacts on theirsurvival and growth, Rosaceae species were translocated and planted in both natural vegetation and inopen top chambers at low and high-altitude sites torepresent future climate warming scenarios. Results
show that these species produce millions of seeds/m2
invasion, which are long-lived in the soil. Fruits are eaten and dispersed by animals and different Rosaceae
species appear dependent on different guilds of frugivores. Larger bird species, eland and baboons werehighlighted as potential long-distance dispersers.
Transplant experiments show that these species areable to survive at high altitudes up to 3100 masl andfuture climates may favour their spread into mountainecosystems. These invasive Rosaceae species possess several reproductive traits that make them formidable invaders and difficult to manage. More study
is needed to understand all factors involved in exacerbating spread in warmer climate scenarios as climatechange experiments suggest the entire altitudinalrange of the Drakensberg Mountain system is suitable
for the establishment of these invasive Rosaceae.

Juan Núñez-Farfán1, Juan Arroyo2

1,2

1 Afromontane Research Unit, University of the Free
State, Phuthaditjhaba, South Africa. 2 Centre for Biological Control, Rhodes University, Makhanda, South
Africa. 3 South African National Biodiversity Instituteand Centre for Functional Biodiversity, University of
KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
Invasive fleshy-fruited Rosaceae are becoming problematic in the grasslands and mountains of South
Africa, where they can have severe impacts. Here we
review current and ongoing research into the expansion of these species. Plant reproductive ecology experiments have been conducted on a number of themost problematic invasive Rosaceae species. These
have included determining seed production, soil seedbanks, aviary feeding experiments with frugivorous
birds, camera trapping and observations to deter-

1 Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional
Autónoma de México, México. 2 Departmento de
Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Universidad de Sevilla, España.
Datura stramonium has successfully established inmany regions worldwide from its native range in America. Historical accounts indicated that it was introduced
to Europe (Spain) after the conquest of Mexico. In the
introduced range D. stramonium lacks the biotic interactions maintained in its native range opening the opportunity to further evolution. Here, we present field andexperimental evidence on changes in plant defense
hypothetically promoted by the difference in specialist
herbivores between ranges. Results indicate that damage exerted by specialist and generalist herbivores onnative and non-native plants differ; specialist herbivores preferred the native plants. There are differences between populations, of both ranges, in resistanceto herbivores. The tropane alkaloid scopolamine has ahigher concentration on a native population whereas
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tion. Analysis of volatile compound emitted by D. stramonium, showed that native plants produce a greaternumber of volatile compounds than non-native plants.
Expression of gene TPS10, involved in the synthesis ofvolatile compounds, is higher in artificially damaged
plants relative to control plants, and higher in native
population and non-native populations. Overall, results
suggest quantitative and qualitative change in defense
traits between non-native population of D. stramonium
but most changes are at the population level.

S.227.6 Understanding how
to a plague moves: The
analysis of the expansion of
Cactorum cactorum
Guadalupe Andraca-Gómez1, Juan
Fornoni1
1 Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; Mexico City. Mexico
Human activities such as transport, trade and biological control practices have led to the movementof different species, beyond their native distribution
regions. Cactorum cactorum is a moth of Argentine
origin, which feeds on plants of the genus Opuntia
and was introduced for control. After its introductionin the Caribbean, it is considered an invasive species
since it has spread to several Islands of the Caribbean, Mexico and the United States. Given the ecological and economic implications that its expansion
implies, it is important to know the factors that favor
and limit their dispersion. For this purpose, we asked,
which environmental factors are correlated with thegene flow and population structure in the native andinvaded area? In the invaded area it is observed that
trade and hurricanes have promoted gene flow. On
the other hand, factors such as seasonality and soil
types affect the genetic structure in the native areaof C. cactorum. The results show a change in the evolutionary processes affecting native and introduced
populations to the extent that the incidence of hurricanes in the Atlantic and the Caribbean promote theexpansion and re-entry in Mexico. Given high diversity of Opuntia in Mexico that can constitute potential
host plants for C. cactorum, it is relevant the ongoing
genetic and ecological monitoring

S.228 TAXONOMY AS OPEN SCIENCE: TOOLSUPPORT TO FACILITATE DATA USE FOR
HANDS-ON PRACTITIONERS
S.228.1 Horama ID – making
image classification models
for species identification
accessible to end-users
Alexander N. Schmidt-Lebuhn1, PeteThrall2
1 Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research(a joint venture of Parks Australia and CSIRO), Canberra, Australia. 2 CSIRO, Canberra, Australia
Computer vision (CV) has matured as a mobile anduser-friendly species identification tool, as demonstrated by apps such as iNaturalist or PlantSnap,
which are aimed at the nature-enthusiastic public.
However, the CV models of such apps cover taxonomic diversity opportunistically, based on what
user-contributed images happened to be available

for training the model, as opposed to comprehensive coverage of a taxonomic group. Their scope isprimarily the overall appearance of complete, living
specimens in their natural environment. If CV is to become the next generation identification tool in taxonomy, field biology, and collection curation, biologists
will have to be able to easily train, deploy, and use CV
models for anything from dried fruits on a herbarium specimen to pinned insects of their study groups.
Specimen collections are increasingly being imaged,
and commercial cloud services allow users without
expertise in AI research to train models. The main
remaining bottleneck is getting species identification models into the hands of end-users. We present
Horama ID, a system for the storage and deploymentof image classification models for species identification. It consists of a server where contributing
taxonomists can upload the model, metadata suchas its title and description, who created it, acknowl-

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edgements, and a title image, as well as a table ofspecies profiles including profile images and external
weblinks, e.g., to eFlora profiles. The Horama app displays the list of models available on the server andallows the user to download them individually andswitch between them. The camera page of the app
displays live updates of identification estimates. The
user can tap suggested names to see species profiles and compare them against the specimen. Horama ID gives taxonomists the opportunity to develop
CV models as part of their studies in the confidence
that they can become available to end-users.

S.228.2 ParseGBIF: data andan interactive database forvisualising and prioritisingplant occurrence data

References: Oliver et al. (2021) Global and national trends, gaps, and opportunities in documenting and monitoring species distributions. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3001336. GBIF, biologicalcollections occurrence data, accessed January 16
2023. Hendrigo Alves de Melo et al. (2023). https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-3579370/v1

S.228.3 Improving access tobiodiversity data: leveraging
digital tools and global
information standards
Celia C. Aceae1
1 School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK

Alexandre Monro , Pablo Hendrigo Alvesde Melo2, Nadia Bystriakova3
1

1. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, London,
UK, a.monro@kew.org. 2 Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia de Minas Gerais,
Campus Avançado Piumhi, Brazil. 3 The Natural
History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, UK
Global and national initiatives to halt the loss of plant
diversity require adequate knowledge of species andtheir occurrences. Such knowledge can be currently
characterised as poor and very uneven (Oliver et al.
2020). For example, in GBIF the plant diversity of the
Amazon Forest biodiversity hotspot is documented
by an average of 10 to 142 occurrence records per
100 km2. In contrast, the Mesoamerican biodiversity
hotspot in Costa Rica is documented by 10,539 records per 100 km2 (GBIF). Despite this, there are few
tools to visualize knowledge gaps or to prioritize how
they should be filled. We have developed such a tool,
Prioritization Resource for Information-driven Species Monitoring (PRISM) for doing so at the regional,
national, or subnational level. PRISM aims to support
the prioritization of areas for data acquisition basedon local priorities. To do so we have, 1) developed aworkflow, ParseGBIF (Melo et al. 2023), to assemble abaseline of occurrence records, 2) used the baseline
to characterize sample effort and gaps in occurrence data at high resolution, and 3) overlayed thesewith key biodiversity, conservation and ecosystemservices layers to support the prioritization of areas
for data acquisition, at the regional, national, or subnational level through an interactive database.

Herbaria represent vast repositories of data thathave the potential to contribute to research acrossbiological disciplines. The value of herbaria and thedata of the specimens within depends largely on theaccessibility and quality of this information. As collections become more widely available through largescale digitisation initiatives, it is integral to develop
tools that can help researchers and curators access,review, assess, and annotate specimen data andrelated information with ease. Additionally, as specimens are included in nomenclatural and taxonomic events, digitised collections and data repositories
must reflect these changes rapidly to ensure themost accurate distribution of information. Here, we
trialled the tool Echinopscis, an “extensible notebook
for open science on specimens” (Nicolson & Lucas,2022). Echinopscis has provided researchers and curators with a new and effective way to access specimen determinations within other institutions acrossthe globe and has been used to facilitate note-taking
and data tracking. Curators of herbaria are limited byresource availability and level of training, meaningthat curation standards vary within herbaria and differ greatly between herbaria. Institutions, researchers,
curators, and collectors have different methods of recording data in the field, in the herbarium, and in thedigitisation process. Small variations in the presentation of data can have vast impacts on how data issorted and accessed digitally. In a time marked byworldwide open access information sharing, there
is a vast need for more global standards in herbarium curation. Here, we present recommendations for
global standards in data recording and identify opportunities for the development of new tools to assist
and facilitate the curation process within herbaria.

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S.228.4 New advancesin the development ofechinopscis, an extensible
notebook for open scienceon specimens

Jutta Buschbom1,2, James A. Macklin3,
Richard K. Rabeler4, Katelin Pearson5,6

Nicky Nicolson1, Eve J. Lucas1

With advancing digitization of natural science specimens, e.g. preserved in herbaria and paleobotanycollections, bio- and geodiversity researchers are
increasingly working with digital representations ofcollection specimens and related digital-born data.
Dedicated and enthusiastic, they are embracing anddeveloping digital tools and platforms to infer novel
discoveries and support conservation decisions toaddress the biodiversity crisis. Research that is meeting today’s questions and challenges increasingly
relies on high-quality, multidimensional datasets thatare seamlessly integrated across sources and datatypes. Accordingly, on-site digital infrastructures are
currently more and more integrated with online resources and functionality. These developments have
led to the concept of the Digital Extended Specimen(DES), which describes how a diversity of Findable,
Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable (FAIR) datafrom disparate sources can be linked and integrated into analysis pipelines. Recognizing that largescale, fair and equitable technical linking needs
to be community-driven and requires social connections, networks of trust, and community acceptance, the International Partners for the DES (IPDES)
were formed. Since 2020, the informal group brings
together individual scientists, representatives of international, national and regional organizations, andstakeholders from different backgrounds. It provides
a forum for exchange and coordination to foster andexpand on community-driven successes to connect
people, data, tools, and working practices. We present insights from a community workshop in 2023 that
explored data linking, and we reflect on the rapid developments over the past months towards linked resources. The workshop revealed several difficulties inextending existing natural history specimens, including lack of automation and lack of pertinent data.
One year later, we address the questions: where are
we now? Do we have everything we need, or are there
gaps? Importantly, do we address the concerns andexpectations of both the communities of tool and infrastructure providers and end users?

1 Natural History Museum, London, UK. 2 Statistical
Genetics, Ahrensburg, DE. 3 Agriculture and AgriFood Canada, Ottawa, Canada. 4 University ofMichigan, Ann Arbor, USA. 5 Arizona State University,
Tempe, USA. 6 Integrated Digitized Biocollections,
Gainesville, USA

1 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK
Botany can claim to have led the way in the mobilisation of specimen metadata through digitisation.
Botanical research groups also were central in thedevelopment of e-taxonomic systems to apply this
digital information in networked research activities.
With the subsequent growth of the open science
movement, many generic research tools and working practices have become available. We highlighttools and platforms which can be adapted for use
to realise the vision of e-taxonomy and to enable
researchers to easily access and use the wealth ofdata that is now available online. The “echinopscis”
project is an experiment in creating an extensible
notebook for open science on specimens, built on thegeneric note-taking software Obsidian. In contrast to
early centralised e-taxonomic systems it operates
on a local set of files stored in plain text (Markdown)
format, enabling the user to have confidence about
long term access to their data. It facilitates accessto many of the components of the digital extended
specimen, including literature, nomenclature, taxonomy, specimen metadata, images, and descriptive data. These data can be further contextualised
through access to information stored in Wikidata,
which supplies identifier mappings and can act asa broker between different information systems. The
use of open data formats and generic data reconciliation standards should allow wider participation in
the project and help to cement open science principles in the process of botanical taxonomy.

S.228.5 The digital extended
specimen network: frommanual links to machineaction accelerating network
generation

S.229 UNDERSTANDING FLORAL EVOLUTION
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ALONG MULTIPLE DIMENSIONS: EMERGINGPATTERNS OF MORPHOLOGICAL, SCENT, AND
COLOR VARIATION. SESSION 2
S.229.1 Pollen
release dynamics
in morphologicallydistinct buzz-pollinated
Melastomataceae flowers

done with the aim of contributing to the field’s understanding of the evolution and functioning of stamen trait diversity and subniche partitioning within
the buzz-pollination syndrome, as well as to pinpoint
potential evolutionary trajectories towards convergent or divergent floral phenotypes.

Benjamin S. Lazarus1, Ash Kerber2, César
Arvelos3, Fabian Michelangeli4, Agnes S.
Dellinger1
1 Department für Botanik und Biodiversität, Universität Wien, Wien, Österreichische. 2 University ofColorado - Boulder, Department of Ecology and
Evolutionary Biology, Boulder, Colorado, USA. 3 Programa de Pós - Graduação em Ecologia, Conservação e Biodiversidade, Universidade Feredal de
Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil. 4 Institute of Systematic Botany, New York Botanical Garden, New York City, New York, USA.
Flowers that are buzz-pollinated have evolved restricted, poricidal anthers that are most effectively
pollinated by bees rapidly vibrating the stamens
to extract pollen. This functionally specialized pollination strategy has evolved repeatedly in approximately 8% of angiosperms, and dominates in theplant family Melastomataceae, with around 96%
of species exhibiting buzz pollination. Within Melastomataceae, a vast diversity of anther shapes
and configurations have emerged and have beenequated to an ‘adaptive plateau’ of morphologically successful phenotypes. In this study, we explore
the biomechanics of different anther structures andtheir effects on pollen release dynamics. Using CT
scans and artificial buzzing experiments of morphologically distinct Melastomataceae species, we
relate vibration parameters (frequency, amplitude,
and number of pulses) and anther structure to pollen release rates. We present results from convergent and divergent anther types found in different
genera across three different Melastomataceae
communities. We then interpret these results in theirpollination-ecological context, i.e., whether Melastomataceae species visited by a larger diversity of bee
species also show high pollen release rates acrossa larger range of vibration parameters. This work is

S.229.2 Flower trait evolution
and pollination sharing in acommunity context
Rocío Pérez-Barrales1
1 Botany Department, University of Granada, Spain.
Pollination involves the transfer of pollen from anthers tostigmas. Indeed, pollination is a “messy” process shapedby the fit between flowers and pollinators, the contact
with reproductive organs along the body of pollinators,
pollinator preferences, and the plant’s breeding system.
In addition, pollination interactions are often generalized, leading co-flowering congeners to share pollinators, creating selective pressures based on reproductive costs. If costly, the evolutionary consequences ofpollinator sharing should be reflected in patterns ofvariation in reproductive organs to reduce interspecificpollination and reproductive interference. Here, I investigate variation in pollinator fit, pollen pick-up, and deposition in allopatric and sympatric populations of Linum
suffruticosum with other Linum species. The study aims
to understand if floral variation can be attributed to local patterns of pollinator sharing, reducing interspecificpollen transfer. Observations in different localities, floral
measurements to measure morphological overlap between species, and quantitative analyses of reproductive costs through interspecific hand pollinations wereconducted. Results revealed that the size and identityof the most important pollinator explained floral trait
variations. The morphological overlap of L. suffruticosum flowers with co-flowering species varied depending on the identity of the co-flowering species. While
post-pollination incompatibility maintains reproductive
isolation, conspecific pollen-tube formation decreased
after heterospecific pollination. In co-flowering sites,
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single-species localities. Overall, the results suggestthat trait variation in L. suffruticosum corresponds to themost important local pollinator, and incomplete pollinator partitioning may lead to interspecific pollination
with associated reproductive costs. These costs may
drive selection favoring reduced morphological overlap with co-flowering congeners, potentially leading to
the evolution of pollination ecotypes.

flowering community
effects on pollination andreproductive success of
deceptive orchids

S.229.3 Floral allometry
and its relationship with
pollinators along an
altitudinal gradient of thetropical Andes of Bolivia

1 Biology Department, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.

Yedra García1, Michael Hedrén1, Magne
Friberg1, Øystein H. Opedal1

Flower traits have been shown to be related to breeding systems (outcrossing vs. selfing), pollinators andcan vary along environmental gradients. Environmental variation along altitudinal gradients is commonly
associated with changes in the diversity of plants andanimals, making them ideal systems to study variation in flower traits and its relationship with pollinators.
We measured flower traits of 20 plant species andobserved their pollinators (flower visitors that touchedreproductive parts of the flower) along an altitudinal
gradient (1000-4500m) in the tropical Andes of Bolivia.
Flower traits included flower size, entrance diameter,
flower length and anther-stigma distance. In particular,
we compared allometries of stigma-anther height andflower size traits along the gradient. In this study we test
the hypothesis that anther-stigma correlations is stronger at higher altitudes, assuming that at higher altitudes
the conditions are harder, pollination is less reliable andtherefore selfing plants species would be more common. We tested whether allometric slopes for fit traits(anther-stigma height) differ from those for flower size
traits and among pollination systems. We expect to finda shallower allometric slope for fit traits than size traits.
Additionally, we tested whether anther-stigma heightcorrelations are related to more generalist plant species or a particular guild of pollinators.

Interactions for pollinators among co-flowering species are common and can modify plant reproductive
success and ultimately natural selection on floral traits.
However, studies considering the effects of the whole
co-flowering community are still rare. Food-deceptiveorchids provide suitable models to test for community effects on plant fitness as they often depend on
rewarding co-flowering species to attract pollinators.
Novel statistical approaches such as hierarchical latent-variable joint models now allow testing the influence of multiple co-flowering species on plant reproductive success. Here, we used two food-deceptiveorchids Dactylorhiza majalis subsp. lapponica andD. majalis subsp. majalis to address the effects of the
co-flowering community on pollination and plant reproductive fitness. We implemented the HierarchicalModelling of Species Communities (HMSC) frameworkby fitting hierarchical latent-variable joint models withrelative pollination success and fruit set as response
variables. Together with phenotypic traits, we included the animal-pollinated co-flowering species in thecommunity of each orchid as model predictor by using a reduced-rank regression approach in HMSC. Our
results revealed that the animal-pollinated co-flowering community affected both pollination success andreproductive fitness via fruit set. Moreover, for D. lapponica, we found that the effect of animal-pollinatedco-flowering species was strong even after accounting
for effects of non-animal pollinated species in the community. By using a reducing-rank regression approachwithin the HMSC framework, we yielded new insights on
the biotic factors influencing pollination and reproductive success of deceptive pollinated species. This approach can be extended to other pollination systems
and plant communities and highlights the importanceof considering the whole co-flowering community tounderstand the ecology and evolution of flowering
plants in multispecies communities.

S.229.4 The importanceof your neighbors: co-S.229.5 Flower size, thermal
plasticity and local

Sissi Lozada-Gobilard1,2, Øystein H.
Opedal1
1 Biodiversity Unit, Department of Biology Lund University, Sweden. 2 Instituto de Ecología, Universidad
Mayor de San Andrés, La Paz, Bolivia.

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adaptation under climatechangeand floral adaptation to higher temperatures will improve predictions on how plant-pollinator interactions
may respond to climate change.

Andrés Romero-Bravo1, Maria C.
Castellanos1, Marko Hyvärinen3, Susanna
Koivusaari2,3, Aino Kotilainen2, Martti Levo2,
Anniina Mattila3, Charlotte Møller3, Øystein
H. Opedal4, Laura Pietikäinen3, Maria
Hällfors2,5
1 University of Sussex, Brighton, UK. 2 University of
Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. 3 Finnish Museum of Natural History, Helsinki, Finland. 4 Lund University, Lund,
Sweden. 5 Finnish Environment Institute (Syke), Helsinki, Finland.
Increasing average temperatures as well as more
frequent extreme weather events caused by climatechange are likely to affect plant-pollinator interactions
around the globe. The ability of plants to adapt theirreproductive strategies to new environmental conditions is crucial for their survival. Temperature-inducedchanges in the floral phenotype might negatively affect visitation rates and potentially hinder plant sexual reproduction and reduce fitness. At the same time,
phenotypic plasticity may improve plant fitness underfluctuating environments. We used Hypericum perforatum to assess the effect of temperature on floral andflowering traits using a common garden full factorial
setup. Contemporary and historical seed accessions,collected across the native distribution of the species, were grown under four temperature treatments.
We tested for differences in population-level floral
plasticity between temporal (ancestors vs. descendants) and geographical (trailing, core, and leading part of the distribution) origins to reveal potentialchanges in plasticity over the last decades and how
these vary across space. We compared local adaptation of ancestral and descendant populations in areciprocal transplant experiment across the European native range of the species. Our results show thathigher temperatures are associated with a reductionin flower size and flower display and an earlier onsetof flowering. Ancestral and descendant populations
differed in flower thermal plasticity, which may haveplayed an adaptive role over the last decades. Additionally, a reduction in fitness linked to a smaller flower
size, display or earlier flowering onset could highlight
detrimental effects of higher temperatures on plantsexual reproduction. Lastly, in our reciprocal transplant
experiment, individuals from descendant populations
flowered earlier than their ancestral counterparts, indicating potential rapid adaptive evolution to a warmer
climate. Understanding evolution of thermal plasticity

S.229.6 Floral trait
integration and potential for
reproductive interferencein North American Lobelia(Campanulaceae)
Andrea Case1, Svea Hall1, Eli Graber2,
Cooper Murphy2, Lynda Delph2,
Grant Godden3, Nico Cellinese3, Chris
Blackwood1,4
1 Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA. 2 Departmentof Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana,
USA. 3 Florida Natural History Museum, University of
Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA. 4 Department ofPlant, Soil, and Microbial Sciences, Michigan State
University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA.
Tight integration of floral traits may constrain floral diversity among closely related species and influencemechanisms of pre-mating reproductive isolation
as well as the potential for reproductive interference
when close relatives co-occur. Here, we present a
detailed analysis of floral morphology in Lobelia sect.
Lobelia (Campanulaceae). This monophyletic clade
comprises 25 eastern North American species witha diversity of breeding systems, from obligate inbreeding to bee and hummingbird pollination to gynodioecy. Even though Lobelia sect. Lobelia species
are phenotypically and ecologically similar, largely
cross-compatible in the greenhouse, and frequently sympatric, hybrids are rarely observed in the wild.
We measured 40+ morphometric characters on preserved flowers from across the ranges of 19 species,
including samples from allopatric and sympatricpopulations and greenhouse-grown hybrids. A single
principal component explained more than half of thevariation in overall flower size and showed strong phylogenetic compared to geographic structure. Species
exhibit distinct floral forms that fall along three continuous axes of floral shape: shorter, wide corolla tubes
accommodating bumblebee access; long, narrowtubes associated with hummingbird pollination; continuous length variation with medium-sized tubes, withthe smallest borne on selfing species and larger flowers associated with visits by small bees and butterflies.
While the sex organs of all species show the form typical of the Lobelia “pollen pump,” their lengths and an-704

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gles within the flower differ in ways that should affectthe likelihood of interspecific pollen transfer. Individual
metrics of size and shape show different patterns ofinheritance in hybrids, with most matching one of theparents and only some traits showing intermediate
values. We interpret these patterns in light of effects
on reproductive dynamics, isolation and interference
where these congeners occur in sympatry.

S.230 BENEFICIAL PLANT-MICROBE
INTERACTIONS. SESSION 3
S.230.1 Dynamics of
microbial communities
associated with Pisum
spp. (Fabaceae) acrossplant growth stages andmicrohabitats
Victor Angot1, Yanis Bouchenak-Khelladi1
1 UMR Agroécologie, Université de Bourgogne INRAE,
Dijon, France.
The discovery of the holobiont in plants (host plant-microorganism association), particularly in angiosperms
have revolutionized our understanding of the effects
on the physiology and ecology of associated plants.
The plant-microorganism interaction is governed by a‘chemical dialogue’ via the production of exudates by
the plant which selects and recruits bacterial communities which, in return, produce metabolites which facilitate the acquisition of nutrients and help promote thegrowth of the host plant. Symbiotic relationships between plants and microorganisms are the most documented, such as Rhizobia strains associated with root
nodulating legumes that facilitate N uptake. Beyond
these associations, non-symbiotic bacteria also impact their host. Significant gaps persist in understanding these complex microbial associations and require
holistic approaches at different temporal and spatial
scales. In this study, we conducted a greenhouse experiment to characterize the microbial communities
associated with Pisum throughout its developmental
cycle and in four compartments or microhabitats provided by the host plant. Microbiomes from four compartments of 144 plants from four different Pisum genotypes (Pisum fulvum, P. sativum subsp. abyssinicum, P.
sativum subsp. elatius and P. sativum subsp. sativum)
were sampled at three distinct developmental stages, representing a total of 456 microbial communities.
These microbiomes were analyzed using full 16S rRNA
gene PACBIO sequencing and phylogenetically-cor-rected statistical analyses. Our results suggest thatthe plant-associated microbiome composition andstructure evolved throughout the plant’s developmental cycle, likely in response to differential nitrogen andcarbon allocations during vegetative, flowering, andseed-filling stages. The different microhabitats offeredby the plant acted as ecological filters, influencing thecomposition of bacterial communities. Finally, bacterial communities associated with peas exhibited differences based on the genotype of the host plant. Thesefindings enhance our understanding of the dynamics
of bacterial communities and the host’s influence inshaping this process.

S.230.2 Whole-soil microbialcommunities from shaded
coffee plantations andmontane forest fragments
offer similar benefits tocoffee andCamila Pizano1, Scott A. Mangan2
1 Department of Biology, Lake Forest College, Lake Forest, Illinois USA. 2 Department of Biological Sciences,
Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, Arkansas, USA.
Soil microbial communities are among the most species-rich components of terrestrial ecosystems andcan influence plant productivity and quality by establishing direct interactions with plant roots (pathogens,parasites, root herbivores, mycorrhizae) and by locking
or liberating nutrients into the soil. However, agricultural practices such as tillage and fertilization can reduce
soil community diversity in general, reduce mycorrhizal
inoculum potential, or modify the abundance of soil
microorganisms such as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). In this study we exposed seedlings of coffee(Coffea arabica), and three native shade tree species(Albizia carbonaria, Cordia alliodora and Inga densiflora) to contrasting soil types and sterilized vs. whole-soil

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live microbial communities from long-term fertilized
shaded coffee plantations and montane forest fragments in Colombia. Surprisingly, plants showed a limited response to contrasting soil types, but benefited
from live soil microbial communities, and their growthdiffered across varied combinations of soil type andinoculum source. Fast-growing plant species (A. carbonaria and C. alliodora) benefited the most from inoculation with live soil organisms, but A. carbonaria benefited the most from soil microbes coming from shaded
coffee plantations. In contrast, shade-tolerant species(C. arabica and I. densiflora) performed similarly acrossdifferent live inoculum sources, but growth of I. densiflora with a live inoculum was higher in soils containing higher organic matter, and N and P contents. AMF
colonization varied across species, being the lowest in
C. arabica, but similarly high for plants inoculated withsoils coming from shaded coffee plantations and forest fragments. These results suggest that agricultural
systems that maintain intermediate plant diversity andemploy low soil disturbance, despite fertilization, maintain soil microbial communities similar to those present
in more diverse natural habitats.

S.230.3 A small signal
peptide modulates root hair
growth in response to fungal
ethylene emissions
Rafael Jorge León Morcillo1, Jesús LealLópez1, Alberto Férez-Gómez1, Lidia
LópezSrano1, Edurne Baroja-Fernández2,
Samuel Gámez-Arcas3, Germán
Tortosa4, Leonel E. López5, José Manuel
Estevez5,6, Verónica G. Doblas1, Laura
Frías-España1, María Dolores GarcíaPedrajas1, Jorge Sarmiento-Villamil1,
Javier Pozueta-Romero1

nium Science Initiative Program - Millennium
Nucleus for the Development of Super Adaptable Plants, Santiago, Chile.
In nature, plants and microorganisms communicate
with each other by exchanging different signaling
compounds including volatile compounds (VCs), someof which have biostimulating properties. In Arabidopsis,
VCs from the fungal phytopathogen Penicillium aurantiogriseum promote growth, photosynthesis and root
hair (RH) proliferation and hyper-elongation throughmechanisms involving ethylene, auxin and photosynthesis signaling. A striking alteration in the proteome ofroots of fungal VCtreated plants involves strong up-regulation of RALF22. To test the possible involvement of
the RALF22 in the fungal VC-promoted RH changes,
we characterized the RH responses of ralf22 and fer-4
plants impaired in RALF22 and its receptor FERONIA to
VCs emitted by P. aurantiogriseum. We found that theseplants were unresponsive in terms of VC-promoted RH
elongation and proliferation. Unlike in WT roots, fungal
VCs did not enhance the transcript levels of RALF22 inroots of fer-4 and ethylene- and auxin- insensitive mutants, and those of RH-related, ethylene-responsive
genes (e.g. RSL2, RSL4, RHD2, PRX1 and PRX44) in ralf22
and fer-4 roots. Finally, we identified ethylene as thebioactive fungal VC, as VCs of ΔefeA strains of P. aurantiogriseum cultures impaired in ethylene synthesis
weakly promoted RH proliferation and elongation in exposed plants. Collectively, our results demonstrate thatRALF22-FERONIA complex is a key determinant of theethylene, auxin and photosynthesis signaling-mediated RH response to fungal ethylene emissions.

S.230.4 The use of compost
improves biodiversity inthe bacterial community of
the rhizosphere of tomato
plants1 Institute for Mediterranean and Subtropical Horticulture “La Mayora”, CSIC-UMA, Campus de Teatinos, Málaga, Spain. 2 Instituto deAgrobiotecnología, CSIC-Gobierno de Navarra,
Mutiloabeti, Nafarroa, Spain. 3 Instituto de Bioquímica Vegetal y Fotosíntesis, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas - Universidad
de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain. 4 Department of Soiland Plant Microbiology, Estación Experimentaldel Zaidín (CSIC), Granada, Spain. 5 Fundación
Instituto Leloir and IIBBA-CONICET, Buenos Aires,
Argentina. 6 Centro de Biotecnología Vegetal,
Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad
Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile and ANID - Millen-

Nadine De Biasio1, Rosalba Cipriani1,
Giulia Ghirardelli1, Tiziano Bonato2,
Werner Zanardi2, Barbara Baldan1,
Sebastiano Nigris1
1 Department of Biology, University of Padova, Padova, IT. 2 SESA spa, Este (PD), Italy.
Certain bacteria form symbiotic relationships withplant roots in the rhizosphere and on the rhizoplaneand endosphere of the roots, leading to improved
plant nutrient uptake, enhanced productivity, and resilience to abiotic stresses and pathogens. However, soil

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biodiversity is nowadays endangered and reduced bymodern agricultural practices, having a severe impact
on soil structure and plant productivity. Soil microbiota
is the source from which plants recruit bacteria species to interact with. A community of bacteria in thesoil and the rhizosphere is necessary to allow correct
plant nutrition, and development, and to help the plant
to cope with environmental and biotic stresses. Among
all the strategies to sustain soil biodiversity, biofertilizers, substances containing beneficial microorganismsthat enhance plant health and growth, offer a potential remedy. Among these, compost, a product of controlled aerobic decomposition of organic materials
carried out by microorganisms, stands as a promising solution. Recognized in agriculture for being rich inorganic matter and nutrients, compost’s unexploredpotential as a microbial inoculum for enriching the soil
and fostering plant health necessitates further investigation. This work revolves around the study of compostand its role as a source of beneficial microorganisms,
aiming to elucidate its capacity to enrich microbialcommunities in soil and the rhizosphere. Additionally,
the study seeks to isolate and characterize the culturable bacterial diversity within compost and assess its
ability to promote plant growth. This research contributes to understanding sustainable agricultural practices and soil ecosystem health, aligning with the EU’s
2030 sustainable development goals.

Recent research has shown that bioaugmentationof crops with halotolerant bacteria isolated from
halophytic plants can alleviate salt stress and promote plant growth. Halocnemum strobilaceum is a
widespread hyperhalophyte desert plant known for
its antioxidant, antimicrobial, insecticidal and phytoremediation properties. However, it is criticallyendangered in Spain. Whereas most of the studies
focus on rhizospheric bacteria, little is known about
how endophytes help halophytes to cope with salt
stress. In this work we study the diversity of endophytic bacteria of Halocnemum strobilaceum fromarid areas of Murcia and Almeria, Spain. In total, 79
endophytic bacterial strains were isolated from theaerial parts of this halophytic plant on tryptic soy
Agar supplemented with 0.5 M NaCl to ensurance
their salt tolerance. They show in vitro plant growthpromoting (PGP) properties as phosphate solubilization, siderophore production, auxin IAA production,
biofilm formation, and enzimatic activities as protease or cellulase. We also carried out 16S rRNA genesequencing and found several isolates could be
new potential species of Halomonas and Kushneria, a relatively novel and small genera. We selected
three best strains based on their PGP properties andset up a greenhouse trial with Medicago sativa under 100mM NaCl salinity stress to test the consortia
capacity in mitigating salt stress.

S.230.5 Halocnemum
strobilaceum as new sourceof potentially plant growthpromoting endophytic
bacteria

S.230.6 Defining a forestby the fungi: “mycorrhizal
spillover” effects on nutrient
cycles, soil microbiomes,
and plant community
dynamics

Romano-Rodríguez Elena1, Flores-Duarte
N.J.1, Mateos-Naranjo Enrique1, NavarroTorre Salvadora2, Rodríguez-Llorente
Ignacio D.2, Pajuelo Eloísa2, RedondoGómez Susana1

Christopher B. Blackwood1,2, Andrew C.
Eagar1, Princess H. Abu1, Megan A. Brown1,
Sara M. Moledor1, Kurt A. Smemo3, Richard
P. Phillips4, Andrea L. Case1

1 Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Seville, Seville, Spain. 2
Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmacy,
University of Seville, Seville, Spain.
In recent years, several efforts have been madeto enhance the salt-tolerance of plants, as salinity
stress is one of the major abiotic stresses threatening crop production in arid and semi-arid regions.
Also, soil salinization is expected to increase due toclimate change and increased irrigation practices.

1 Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA. 2 Department
of Plant, Soil, and Microbial Sciences, Michigan
State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA. 3 Environmental Studies and Science Program, Skidmore
College, Saratoga Springs, New York, USA. 4 Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington,
Indiana, USA.
Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) and ectomycorrhizal(ECM) tree species tend to differ across a multitude of707

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traits beyond the structure of the root symbiosis, including leaf and root chemistry, litter decomposability,
carbon allocation to mutualistic fungi, and protection
from root pathogens. Here we explore how, as foundation species, the mycorrhizal type of dominant trees
also has a profound “mycorrhizal spillover” effect onsoil biogeochemistry and the soil microbiome, resulting in different stresses experienced by all membersof the plant community. We present evidence that,compared to soil in forests dominated by ECM tree
species, soils in forests dominated by AM tree species
have increased soil mineral nutrient availability, greater abundance and diversity of plant pathogens andAM fungi, and lower abundance and diversity of ECM

fungi. Although we discuss some context-dependency of these patterns, they seem to be consistent evenacross a continuous gradient of mycorrhizal dominance (i.e., 0 to 100% AM basal area), and for individual species (e.g., for AM plants surrounded by increasing dominance of ECM trees, and vice versa). Basedon these patterns, we describe a new hypothesizedframework of additive and interactive effects of mycorrhizal spillover. These mycorrhizal spillover effects
shift the strength and direction of plant-soil feedback
and conspecific density dependence in predictableways, which has implications for our understanding of
future plant community and evolutionary dynamics.

S.231 TROPICAL PLANT EVOLUTION ACROSSSPATIAL AND TEMPORAL SCALES. SESSION 2
S.231.1 Do reticulate
relationships between
tropical trees drive
diversification?

hybridisation catalysed the rapid radiation of Inga
through passage of ‘rare’ herbivore defence traits. We
use phylogenomic approaches to first understandwhether reticulation preceded rapid diversification in
Inga, and hence whether hybridisation may underlie
this radiation. Then, using whole-genome resequencing of >520 Inga accessions comprising >40 species,
we ask whether hybridisation facilitates the transfer oflinkage blocks containing ‘rare’ chemical defence locibetween species. Overall, we aim to assess whether
ecological divergence facilitated by transfer of adaptive variation through hybridisation helped to generate the unmatched diversity of rainforest trees.

Rowan J. Schley1, Alex D. Twyford2,3,
Flavia Pezzini3, Catherine Kidner2,3,
Rosalia Piñeiro4, Maria-Jose Endara5,
James Nicholls6, Kyle G. Dexter2, R. Toby
Pennington1,3
1 University of Exeter, UK. 2 University of Edinburgh,
UK. 3Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, UK. 4 University of A Coruña, Spain. 5 Universidad de Las Americas, Quito, Ecuador. 6 CSIRO, Canberra, Australia.
Radiations that generate species-rich clades are fundamental in the evolution of diversity. Hybridisation
can facilitate radiations through transfer of adaptive
variation, catalysing rapid divergence. Much of thehyperdiverse neotropical tree flora was generated byradiations, but the influence of hybridisation on theirevolution remains unexplored. Rainforest tree communities are subject to relentless insect herbivory,
such that co-occurring tree species differ significantly
in herbivore defence chemistry, with ‘rare’ defences
most effectively overcoming local herbivores. Chemical defences show evidence of divergent evolution
between sister species of Inga, a chemically diverse
genus of >300 rainforest trees that typifies rapid neotropical tree radiations. Thus, here we ask whether

S.231.2 Contrasting diversity
and biogeographic patterns
in the forest-savannatransitions of Africa.
Mathew Rees1,2, John L. Godlee1, David J.
Harris2, Casey M. Ryan1, Kyle G. Dexter1,2
1 University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK. 2 Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, UK.
In tropical Africa, forests and savannas are the twomost widespread biomes and potentially represent alternative stable states with a divergent species composition. Transition zones between the two biomes arethought to be floristically impoverished, with fewer representatives from each biome. Further, the evolutionary708

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dimension of diversity has received limited attention,
despite its importance for understanding the biogeographic history of biomes. Here, we quantified species
richness and several measures of evolutionary diversity
in 1° grid cells, using ca. 300,000 occurrence records oftrees and shrubs combined with biome affiliation datafor 3203 species. We found that assemblages in transition zones hold fewer woody species than assemblages in forest and savanna zones. However, transition
zones hold more phylogenetic diversity than expected
given their species richness, whether one considers forest and savanna assemblages separately or together.
We also show that the Congo Basin forests have lowlevels of phylogenetic diversity, given the number of
species, and highlight south-eastern African savannas
as a centre of savanna woody species richness andphylogenetic diversity. Regions with high phylogenetic
diversity, given the number of both forest and savanna
species, were centred around the Dahomey Gap and
Cameroon, mainly in transition zones. Overall, our study
shows that even if floristically impoverished, transition
zones hold unexpectedly high evolutionary diversity.
This suggests that they are important centres of evolutionary innovation and diversification and/or serve as
evolutionary crossroads, where lineages that diversified
in contrasting environments coexist within a single area.

S.231.3 Insight into
biodiversity formation in
Amazonia: phylogeny andevolution of the fern genus
Adiantum
Chi-Chuan Chen1, Samuli Lehtonen1,
Hanna Tuomisto1,2
1 University of Turku, Turku, Finland. 2 Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
The tropics are home to high species diversity, but our
understanding of the formation, evolution and distribution of that diversity is still limited. This hampers the targeting of conservation efforts, especially in such megadiverse environments as Amazonia. Here we focus on
unraveling the evolutionary diversification of the fern
genus Adiantum in Amazonia. The genus has approximately 225 species distributed worldwide, and ecological inventories have found it to be one of the mostabundant and diverse fern genera in Amazonian rain
forests, making it an ideal example group. However, thespecies delimitations, phylogenetic relationships, andniche evolution of Adiantum remain poorly understood.

By applying advanced bioinformatics techniques andintegrating information from molecular (chloroplastand nuclear data), morphological and environmental
data, we aim to elucidate the phylogenetic relationships of Adiantum in Amazonia and to explore to what
degree the diversification of Adiantum species is related to niche evolution, dispersal limitation and hybridization. The results will not only improve our understandingof the biodiversity of Adiantum itself but will also contribute to understanding the formation of biodiversity in
the Amazon region in general.

S.231.3 Understanding
the evolutionary andbiogeographical history of
the enigmatic pantropicalfamily Putranjivaceae
Irene Villa-Machío1, Alejandro Quintanar2,
Alexander G. Linan1, David Harris3, Patricia
Barberá1
1 Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, USA. 2- RealJardín Botánico – CSIC, Madrid, Spain. 3 Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
Tropical ecosystems are recognized as one of the most
biologically diverse regions on Earth. The “odd-manout” pattern proposes that Tropical Africa is less diverse
than both Neotropics and Tropical Asia. Although this istrue for many vascular plant groups, this is not the casefor the pantropical family Putranjivaceae. It is a complex and species-rich group that includes two genera:
Putranjiva (4 spp., restricted to Asia) and Drypetes (219
spp.). Asia contains the greatest number of species
belonging to Drypetes (113 spp.), followed by Africa (86spp.) and significantly less in America (20 spp.). The highnumber of African species recently described indicatesthat the diversity of Putranjivaceae on this continent has
been underestimated. The evolutionary and biogeographical history of the Putranjivaceae has never beenstudied due to the lack of both an updated taxonomic
scheme (the only extant infrageneric classification ofDrypetes was published in 1922 by Pax & Hoffmann) anda comprehensive phylogeny for the family. Herbaria
store vast collections of plant specimens accumulated
over several centuries, and recent advances in DNA extraction methods and sequencing techniques allow researchers to include degraded DNA in their studies. We
aim to analyze ~200 herbarium specimens, accounting
for over 90% of the Putranjivaceae family’s diversity, toreconstruct their phylogenomic relationships. Target

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capture sequencing combined with genome-skimming (HybSeq) is favored due to its compatibility with
old herbarium material and ability to produce numerous low-copy nuclear orthologs and organellar DNA.
This study will advance understanding of the evolutionary history of Putranjivaceae and demonstrate how astrong phylogenomic hypothesis can inspire and direct
future taxonomic research, support species identification and elucidate important inquiries regarding theirevolution and biogeography.

S.231.4 Sapotaceae
across time and space: ataxonomic and historicalbiogeographic perspective

Asia ca. 84 - 80 Mya, with dispersal to South Americaand Africa. Chrysophylloideae had a early diversification in Africa ca. 71 - 57 Mya, with subsequent dispersal
to the Neotropics (two events) and Australasia (singles
event) during the Palocene and Eocene. Sapotoideae
had an early diversification in Africa ca. 71 - 50 Mya, with
migration to Australasia and North America during the
Eocene. Those results are somehow congruent withprevious studies. Long-distance dispersal has been an
important mechanism for range expansion in Sapotaceae.

S.231.5 Berries on bellflowers:
diversification patterns in
one of the fastest Andean
plant radiations

Raquel C. Pizzardo1, Deise Pereira
Gonçalves1, Andre Chanderbali2, Douglas
Soltis2, Pam Soltis2, Stephen Smith1,
Christopher Dick1

Ajith Ashokan1, Justin C. Bagley2, Nathan
Muchhala1

1 University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, UnitedStates. 2 University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.

1 Department of Biology, University of Missouri - St.
Louis, USA. 2 Department of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Auburn University at Montgomery,
Alabama, USA.

Sapotaceae is one of the most important plant families
in the world. With around 1,250 species and 62 genera,
Sapotaceae is a pantropical family, and is usually restricted to lowland tropical rainforests. However, the taxonomy of the family is unstable and lacks in informationof this ecologically important groups of angiosperms in
the tropics. Many incongruences between phylogeny
and classification in Sapotaceae have been noted, as
well as alternative topologies for species-level phylogenies. Here, we generate a higher sampled Sapotaceae
phylogeny and, for the first time, we aimed to determine
the geographical origin of the pantropical family andthe roles vicariance and dispersal have played in shaping its modern distribution. We used target sequence
capture data from the Angio353 probe for 199 taxa. The
concatenated maximum likelihood molecular phylogeny was constructed using IQ-TREE (v. 1.6) considering
GTR+G and partition models, and 1000 bootstrap replicates. Dates of diversification events were estimatedusing two fossils and the penalized likelihood approach(treePL). The subsequent dated phylogenies were compared and analysed for biogeographical patterns using BioGeoBEARS. The phylogeny moderately recovered
the three subfamilies of Sapotaceae, showing relatively
high support for Sapotoideae but not for Chrysophyloideae. The phylogeny shows inconsistencies with thecurrent morphological classification. Our results indicate that the ancestral range of the family was in East

The centropogonids within Lobelioideae (Campanulaceae), consist of Burmeistera H.Karst. & Triana, Centropogon C.Presl, and Siphocampylus Pohl,
stand out as one of the rapidest plant radiations in
the Neotropics. Remarkably, this alliance gave rise toapproximately 550 species in less than three million
years. Traditionally, fruit traits were employed to distinguish genera within centropogonids, where Siphocampylus is identified by capsules, and Burmeisteraand Centropogon by berries. Inflated berries are a
distinctive feature of Burmeistera, representing athird of its species diversity. Our study compares inflated and fleshy berries in Burmeistera, examining
differences in elevation, as well as the evolution ofmorphological, ecological, and geographical traits.
This analysis, conducted within a phylogenomic
framework, provides insights into how these factors
have influenced the diversification of Burmeistera.
Our findings indicate that inflated fruits evolved multiple times in the phylogeny of Burmeistera species,
with inflated and fleshy berries occupying distinct
adaptive regimes, particularly concerning elevation.
Moreover, the diversification patterns in Burmeistera varied among species distributed in the Chocó
biogeographic region, exhibiting a comparatively
reduced frequency of inflated berries. We proposethat studies focused on the conservation of often
overlooked taxa, like Burmeistera, could significant-710

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ly impact the preservation of severely threatened
cloud forest ecosystems.

S.232 GENOMICS
S.232.1 Ancient DNA recoveredfrom lake sediment with
Angiosperms353 shows
plant composition shifts withpaleoclimate

humans have been ecosystem engineers via controlled use of fire for thousands of years. This projectvalidates the preservation and recovery of ancienteDNA using Angiosperms353 in warm-climate sediment cores from southern California, which can be atool that helps define the role of humans in shaping
California’s ecological history.

Madeline Slimp1, Lisa Martinez2, Glen
Macdonald2, Don Hankins3, Matthew
Kirby4, Josh Kapp1, Sebastian Melrose1,
Beth Shapiro1, Rachel Meyer1

S.232.2 An update on
plant genome size
diversity: contributing
towards a comprehensive
understanding acrossangiosperms

1 Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology,
University of California Santa Cruz, California, USA. 2
Department of Geography, University of California Los
Angeles, California, USA. 3 Geography and Planning
Department, California State University Chico, California, USA. 4 Department of Geological Sciences,
California State University Fullerton, California, USA.

Jaume Pellicer1,2, Maarten Christenhusz2,3,J. Leitch2, Oriane Hidalgo1,2

Humans have steadily been in Southern California for
14,000 years. Despite this legacy of human presence,studies showing the historical composition of the organisms that cohabited this Southern California withhumans are scant. Sedimentary ancient eDNA can beused as a tool to reconstruct thousands of years ofplant and mammal presence records and may present a more sensitive spatiotemporal scale than pollen
records. We sequenced the mammal and plant DNA
present in a sediment core from Lake Elsinore, spanning 24,000 years of natural history and 10,000 yearsof human settlement. Preservation of environmental
DNA is poor in warm climates, so we tested the Angiosperms353 Target Capture Kit’s effectiveness in increasing the proportion of diagnostic plant sequences
for ancient metagenomic samples. We find that the
Angiosperms353 libraries have a greater proportion ofreads mapped on average, and a greater plant target richness. From the target capture data, we seek
to trace ethnobotanical families, like Rutaceae, Fagaceae, and Apiaceae, to characterize the landscapearound the time of human arrival to understand someof the challenges and opportunities presented to early
inhabitants. Further, we associate characteristic environmental changes, like shrubland dominance andabsence of widespread taxonomic groups, with a
newly reconstructed charcoal history, suggesting that

1 Institut Botànic de Barcelona, CSIC-CMCNB, Barcelona, Spain. 2 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, UK. 3 Deptartment of Environment and Agriculture, Curtin University, Perth, Australia.
Research into genome size evolution in angiosperms
has increased significantly, uncovering a huge diversity across different taxonomic lineages. Despite theefforts made and the vast amount of data generated(> 10,000 species), which have been carefully collated
onto the plant DNA C-values database (http://data.
kew.org/cvalues/), many taxonomic families are stilllacking a single estimate. Certainly, such taxonomic
gaps are particularly notable in angiosperms, where
nuclear DNA contents are only available for about 3,000
genera out of ca. 13,000 genera currently recognised,and over 10,000 species (ca. 2.5% of the ca. 352,000
species recognised). At the family level, this translates
into estimates for 270 families out of 417 (sensu the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group IV), i.e., nearly 65% of thecurrently accepted diversity. With the already available data, we have been able to unveil a staggering
diversity of nuclear DNA contents in angiosperms thatspans up to 2400-fold. Notwithstanding, the question
still remains as what is the extant diversity of genome
sizes in angiosperms? And what is yet to be uncovered?
In order to bring further robustness to our current un-711

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derstanding of angiosperm genome size diversity, we
set up an initiative aimed at filling most –if not all- thetaxonomic caveats, starting at the family level. The unceasing production of novel genome size data, complemented with an increasingly robust understandingof the worldwide distribution of organisms, has opened
unprecedented prospects for investigating the role ofgenome size in shaping and influencing the survival ofextant biodiversity. Our goal is to produce at least one
estimate per each accepted family (122 families represented so far, i.e., 94%), focusing our efforts on thoselineages largely understudied, and interpret these data
within an evolutionary context, investigating the existing
links between the patterns and processes shaping extant plant genome diversity.

pression patterns in both plant species. Although theplastid genome had been lost, plastids likely biosynthesize essential fatty acids and amino acids (aromatic amino acids and lysine). A set of credible andfunctional horizontal gene transfer (HGT) events (involving genes and mRNAs) were identified in the nuclear and mitochondrial genomes of S. himalayana,most of which were under purifying selection. Convergent HGTs in Cuscuta, Orobanchaceae, and S. himalayana were mainly expressed at the parasite–host interface. Together, these results suggest that HGTs act
as a bridge between the parasite and host, assisting
the parasite in acquiring nutrients from the host. Our
results provide new insights into the flower development process and endoparasitic lifestyle of Rafflesiaceae plants. The amount of gene loss in S. himalayana
is consistent with the degree of reduction in its bodyplan. HGT events are common among endoparasites
and play an important role in their lifestyle adaptation.

S.232.3 The Sapria
himalayana genome
provides new insights
into the lifestyle ofendoparasitic plants

S.232.4 Extreme
chromosome copy number
variation and unusual suiteof transferred sequencescharacterize mitogenomesof Gastrodia

Xuelian Guo1, Xiaodi Hu2, Jianwu Li3,
Bingyi Shao1, Yajun Wang1, Long Wang2,
Kui Li2, Dongliang Lin1, Hanchen Wang1,
Zhiyuan Gao1, Yuannian Jiao1, Yingying
Wen1, Hongyu Ji1, Chongbo Ma1, Song Ge1,
Wenkai Jiang2, Xiaohua Jin1

Hanchen Wang1, Deyi Wang2, Bingyi
Shao1, Xiaohua Jin1

1 State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of
Sciences, Beijing, China. 2 Novogene Bioinformatics
Institute, Beijing, China. 3 Xishuangbanna Tropical
Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences,
Menglun Township, Mengla County, Yunnan, China.

1 State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academyof Sciences, Beijing, China. 2 Naturalis Biodiversity
Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.
The evolution of heterotrophy in plants has induced
dramatic genomic alternations, such as for plastids,
where extensive gene loss and size reduction are
widely reported. Analogous to plastids are several
extreme modifications discovered in mitochondrial
genomes (mitogenomes) of parasitic plants. However, whether trophic reliance on symbiotic fungi(mycoheterotrophy) similarly results in mitogenomic alternations remains largely unknown. We present
a comprehensive mitogenomic study for mycoheterotrophic plants based on 11 de novo assemblies
of Gastrodia (Orchidaceae). These mitogenomes
contain multiple chromosomes, range from 0.56 to
2.1 Mb in size, and exhibit several features are rarely, if ever, observed among other plants. Specifically,variations in chromosome copy number are universal, and in two assemblies, a chromosome exists at

Sapria himalayana (Rafflesiaceae) is an endoparasitic plant characterized by a greatly reduced vegetative
body and giant flowers; however, the mechanisms underlying its special lifestyle and greatly altered plant
form remain unknown. To illustrate the evolution andadaptation of S. himalayasna, we report its de novo
assembled genome and key insights into the molecular basis of its floral development, flowering time,fatty acid biosynthesis, and defense responses. The
genome of S. himalayana is ~ 1.92 Gb with 13,670 protein-coding genes, indicating remarkable gene loss(~ 54%), especially genes involved in photosynthesis,
plant body, nutrients, and defense response. Genes
specifying floral organ identity and controlling organ
size were identified in S. himalayana and Rafflesia
cantleyi, and showed analogous spatiotemporal ex-712

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approximately 15 times higher abundance than theconspecific average, resulting in the most extreme
chromosomal copy number variation among any
mitogenomes so far. Insertions from plastid andfungal genomes are unexpectedly scant, in contrast to those potentially rampant, species-specific,
non-coding sequences transferred from the nucleus
and distant plant taxa. Yet, despite the 3.8-fold size
variation and highly variable intergenic sequence
components, these mitogenomes harbor an ordinary complement of genes and introns, and exhibit
moderate substitution rates of coding sequences,with no genes acquired via horizontal transfer. Taken
together, our findings suggest a minor role of mycoheterotrophic lifestyle on mitochondrial coding
sequences, but the extreme copy number variation
across mitochondrial chromosomes and unusual combinations of transferred sequences set new
benchmarks for architectural and content variation
seen in plant mitogenomes, and hints at unexploredmechanisms governing mitogenomic evolution ofthese extraordinary heterotrophic plants.

S.232.5 Reciprocal geneloss after whole-genome
duplications contributes
to species diversity inmangrove plants

is Avicennia-specific, coinciding with the genus’s origin approximately 46 Mya. The WGD retained gene
duplications are involved in high salt tolerance andnutrient absorption, contributing to the genus’ adaptation to intertidal environments. We test the roleof reciprocal gene loss (RGL) in the rapid species
divergence of the Avicennia genus. Combined withgene collinearity and phylogenetic analyses, we accurately identified RGL events among these species.
Interestingly, a few RGLs between sister species areclosely related to reproduction process, such as pollen tube invasion of the stigma. Further functional
studies suggested that RGLs may cause reproduction isolation between sister species. In summary,
our study uncovered the role of WGD in environmental adaptation and provided evidence that RGL after
WGDs may be a potential speciation mechanism inmangrove plants.

S.232.6 Phylogenetic
Analysis of Marchantia
Species in Sri Lanka Basedon rbcL, psbA, and ITS2
Sequences
Nanayakkarawasan Carijjawaththagei
Sumudu Ruklani1, Sumudu C. K.
Rubasinghe1

Ranran Zhu1, Suhua Shi1*, Shaohua Xu1**

1 Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.

1 Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
*lssssh@mail.sysu.edu.cn,**xushh27@mail.sysu.
edu.cnWhole-genome duplications (WGDs) are prevalentand provide extensive material in plant evolution
process. The extensive gene loss and biased retention of duplicated genes after WGDs were proposed
responsible for the environmental adaptation andspecies diversification, but the mechanisms arestill rarely uncovered. In mangroves that inhabitedintertidal environments independently from inland
ancestors, we found the clades experienced WGDevents had higher species diversity. We choose
Avicennia genus, a typical mangrove clade withspecified phenotypes and a high species diversity,
to explore the possible molecular mechanisms of
WGD in promoting species divergence. We first assembled seven high-quality mangrove genomes of
the Avicennia genus using PacBio Single-Molecule
Real-Time sequencing. Then, we identified two recent WGD events in Avicennia. The more recent one

713

This study presents the first comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of Marchantia species in Sri Lanka using nucleotide sequences from three distinct
genetic markers: rbcL, psbA, and ITS2. The aim of
this research was to elucidate the evolutionary relationships among different Marchantia taxa within
the Sri Lankan context, providing valuable insights
into the genetic diversity and evolutionary historyof these liverworts. A total of 20 Marchantia samples representing diverse geographical locations
across Sri Lanka were collected and analyzed. DNA
was extracted, and the targeted regions (rbcL, psbA,
and ITS2) were amplified through polymerase chain
reaction (PCR). Subsequent sequencing and alignment were performed to construct phylogenetic
trees using MEGA version 11.0.13. The resulting trees
were then subjected to bootstrap analysis to assess
the robustness of the inferred relationships. Our phylogenetic analysis revealed distinct clustering patterns within the Marchantia species sampled fromXX International
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Sri Lanka. The utilization of multiple markers (rbcL,
psbA, and ITS2) provided a more comprehensive understanding of the evolutionary dynamics, offering
insights into both conserved and variable regions of
the genome. Furthermore, the study identified potential cryptic species and clarified the taxonomic
relationships among Marchantia populations in Sri
Lanka. The implications of these findings extend beyond the realm of taxonomy, contributing to our understanding of the biogeography and evolutionary

processes shaping the diversity of Marchantia in thisregion. This research not only adds to the growing
body of knowledge concerning liverwort evolution
but also underscores the importance of incorporating multiple genetic markers for a robust phylogenetic inference. The insights gained from this study
have implications for conservation efforts and provide a foundation for future investigations into theecological and physiological adaptations of Marchantia species in Sri Lanka.

S.233 FROM MULBERRIES TO FIGS: STUDIES IN
THE EVOLUTION OF MORACEAE
S.233.1 Revisiting C.C.
Berg’s and E.J.H. Corner’s
treatments of Moraceae:
morphology and its rolein the evolution of the fig
familyNicole Mitidieri-Rivera1, Elliot Gardner2,
Leandro Pederneiras3, Alexander
Damián-Parizaca1, Kenneth J. Sytsma1
1 Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin, USA. 2 Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Ohio, USA.
3 Diretoria de Pesquisa, Instituto de Pesquisa do
Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil.
The diversification of angiosperms poses an intriguing evolutionary puzzle that has been attributed tothe origin of the flower. Pollinator-mediated selection stands as a key force driving the astonishing diversity of floral forms observed in angiosperms, but
its role in the diversification of Urticalean rosids has
been neglected. Utilizing the Moraceae family as amodel system, we aim to investigate how changes in floral traits have influenced its floral disparity
and the emergence of unique clades, such as thefigs. This pantropical, monophyletic family boasts a
remarkable floral diversity across its 46 genera andca. 1,200 species. Despite the family’s extensive morphological diversity, limited studies have exploredthe role of floral traits in its evolution and diversification. Previous classification schemes by C.C. Bergand E.J.H. Corner, primarily based on morphology,

led to conflicting taxonomic circumscriptions dueto the family’s homoplasious nature. Recent advances in molecular techniques and phylogenomic analyses have unveiled deep-seated relationships among Moraceae tribes, shedding light on
the evolution of floral structures and reproductive
mechanisms. The time is now ripe to revisit Berg’sand Corner’s treatments of Moraceae. Leveraging
the latest phylogenomic study in the fig family, weapplied model-based phylogenetic comparative
methods to translate hypotheses of morphologicalevolution under pollinator-mediated selection. We
inferred ancestral character states and conducted trait-dependent diversification analyses basedon a literature review and a comprehensive Moraceae dataset of 529 species. Understanding the intricate web of factors influencing the diversificationof Moraceae remains a dynamic area of research,offering crucial insights into the macroevolutionary
trajectories of one of the most diverse groups of angiosperms.

S.233.2 An updated
classification of Moraceae
supported by stablephylogenomic hypotheses
Elliot M. Gardner1
1 Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve
University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
The Moraceae is an ecologically and economically important family with a worldwide distribution
centered in the tropics. Notable species include
species of Ficus (figs), Artocarpus (breadfruit and714

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jackfruit), Morus (mulberries), and others. Classification within the family based on morphology has
led to instability over the past century due in partto the difficulty in distinguishing preserved ancestral or convergent characters from truly plesiomorphic characters. Historical classification systems
have particularly disagreed on the importance ofstamen position, which may be straight or inflexedin bud, the latter a notable adaptation to wind pollination. Inflorescence architecture varies widelyfrom spicate inflorescences in the Moreae to theclosed syconium of Ficus or the flattened disc of
Dorstenia, yet differences in the individual flowers
may be more cryptic. Two decades of molecularphylogenetic analyses, the most recent incorporating hundreds of genes as well as analyses of introgression, have clarified evolutinoary relationships
and transitions within this family. After reviewing thecurrent state of phylogenetic reconstructions andthe morphological traits that characterize the major clades, this paper will propose a comprehensive
updated classification of Moraceae that is consistent phylogenetic reconstructions but morphologically tractable. The author hopes that this updated
classification will provide stability for further workon Moraceae and bring formal taxonomic names
in line with phylogenetic evidence.

S.233.3 Syncarpous fruits
from the Early Oligocene
Capella Flora in Queensland,
Australia suggest affinities
to the Moraceae

rived from the perianth. These radiating segments
extend from the centre to the margin of the fruit
and adjacent perianth apices appear to be fused
apically, forming an irregular pentagonal-hexagonal imbricate surface which shows no consistentphyllotactic pattern. It was possible to exclude themonocot families and Balanophoraceae because
the arrangement of seeds in the fruits of thesefamilies typically exhibit a regular phyllotaxy, whichis less evident in the Pandanaceae. The structureof the fruit and seed shape in the fossil differs fromthat in Rafflesiaceae. The fossil also has a complex internal structure consisting of thin connate
radiating elements that are closely aligned and in
this respect the fossils differ from the internal fruit
morphology of Cornaceae, Chloranthaceae, Rubiaceae, Bataceae and Urticaceae. Comparison ofcharacter traits across these families suggests thatthese fossil syncarpous fruits are considered tohave affinities with the Moraceae. While most fruits
in Moraceae are syncarpous the fruit morphology
of genera in the family is highly diverse, although
five-sided fruits are not currently known. The connately arranged fruitlets and pentagonal-hexagonal external appearance suggests that the closest
affinities of these fossils lie with the Artocarpeae.

S.233.4 Exploring evolutionof breeding systems in
Moraceae within the context
of correlated character
traitsJulianne Phipps1,2, Elliot Gardner3,4, Nyree
Zerega1,2

Andrew C Rozefelds

1

1 Queensland Museum, Collection and ResearchCentre, Hendra, Queensland, Australia.
Fruits composed of a many individual fruitlets thatare united into a complex structure are described
as a syncarpium or a sorosus. Syncarpia occur indiverse and phylogenetically unrelated families,
such as in the monocots Araceae, Bromeliaceae,
Cyclanthaceae, Pandanaceae, and dicots Balanophoraceae, Bataceae, Chloranthaceae, Cornaceae, Moraceae, Rafflesiaceae, Rubiaceae and Urticaceae. Permineralised fruits from the Oligocene
Capella locality in Queensland consists of many
fruitlets, and the seeds occur in the upper portionof each fruitlet. The fruitlets form connate radiating segments, which are interpreted as being de-

1 Northwestern University, Evanston, USA. 2 Chicago
Botanic Garden, Glencoe, USA. 3 Florida International University, Miami, USA. 4 Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, USA.
Monoecy, the presence of discretely sexed flowers
on the same individual, and dioecy, the presenceof only unisexual individuals, are both relatively rare
breeding systems among angiosperms (Renner2014) but yet are the only breeding systems, with few
exceptions, found among the roughly 1200 extant
members of the Moraceae family. Dioecy, in particular, has long been considered as an evolutionary
endpoint due in large part to the perceived reproductive hurdles such a breeding system presents inplants. But there is an increasing body of evidence
that dioecy can and will revert to other breeding715

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systems, demonstrating lineage extinction is not aforegone conclusion. With this increasingly accepted, exploration into the surrounding factors is merited. Using an updated molecular phylogeny, theevolutionary patterns of these breeding systems
within Moraceae are contextualized through theirrelationships with character traits chosen either for
their long association with dioecy or for their potential to contribute to resilience in the face of habitat
disruption or periods of low reproductive success.
Evaluating these factors in tandem will reveal key
evolutionary milestones and adaptive connections
which enabled Moraceae to diversify into the ecologically important family it is today.
References: Renner, S. S. 2014. The relative and absolute frequencies of angiosperm sexual systems: Dioecy, monoecy, gynodioecy, and an updated online
database. American Journal of Botany 101:1588–1596.

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Symposia Session 14 Saturday
S.234 THE EVOLUTION AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
OF APOMICTIC PLANTS. SESSION 1
S.234.2¡1 Female-malecrosstalk affects malemeiosis and pollen
development in sexualand apomictic Limonium
speciesS.234.2 Apomixis andpolyembryony in plants of
Cerrado, the Neotropicalsavannas in Central Brazil
Clesnan Mendes-Rodrigues1, Rafaela
Cabral Marinho1, Diana Salles
Sampaio1, Gastón O. Carvallo2, Luciana
Nascimento Custódio1, Ana Paulade Souza Caetano3, Renata CarmoOliveira1, Paulo Eugênio Oliveira1

Ana Delaunay Caperta1
1 Linking Landscape, Environment, Agriculture andFood Research Center, Associate Laboratory TERRA,
Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade deLisboa, Tapada da Ajuda, Lisboa, Portugal.

1 Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia,
MG, Brazil. 2 Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile. 3 Universidade Federal
de Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, Brazil.

Breeding systems were extensively studied by
Baker, who has been influential in the development of evolutionary and biogeographical hypotheses for Plumbaginaceae, as in Limonium(sea-lavenders). This genus is a remarkablecase-study as apomicts have a large general
distributional success, although most of the relevant questions were not yet answered whichhampers an understanding about apomixis origins. Limonium species present a polymorphic
sexual system associated to flower polymorphisms such as ancillary pollen and stigma and/or heterostyly, under sporophytic control thatprevents self and intramorph mating. Most sexual and apomict species are self-incompatible,
the first usually form meiotically reduced embryosacs and viable pollen. While apomicts can originate unreduced embryo sacs and pollen ranging
from low to high fertility or it is not produced at all.
To explore the mechanisms beyond these reproduction modes, ovule transcriptome profiling of
sexual and apomict species was carried out. Ourinvestigations revealed several novel challenges,
among which female-male interactions associated with reproduction modes.

Polyembryony involves multiple, either sexual or asexual embryos in the same seed. Asexual embryos arecommonly the result of apomixis processes. Althoughsexual systems and monoembryony predominate
among Cerrado plants, the Neotropical savannas inCentral Brazil, recent studies have shown increasing
numbers of apomictic species, many of them polyembryonic. Here we surveyed the polyembryony among
Cerrado plants and connected its occurrence withapomixis. We compiled records of embryonic patterns- monoembryony or polyembryony (216 species) andbreeding systems (139 species) from literature, andalso gathered original data (91 species). We observed
the rate of polyembryony either by dissecting seeds orevaluating the emerging seedlings per seed after germination experiments. Plant species were classified as
exhibiting monoembryony, low polyembryony (<5%) or
higher polyembryony rate (>5%). Polyembryony wasobserved in 72 species (31.8%). Surveyed species were
either self-incompatible (66 species; 47.5%), self-compatible (33 species; 23.7%), apomictic (28 species;
20.1%) or dioecious (12 species; 8.6%). Among apomictic species, 89.3% (N = 25) were polyembryonic. Percentage of polyembryonic seeds ranged from 0.09%
to 98.4%, with sporophytic apomicts exhibiting usually higher rates of polyembryony. Polyembryony and717

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apomixis in Cerrado plants seem to be linked to dioecy
and polyploidy, and widely distributed woody species.
Although apomixis and polyembryony are common
in taxa such as Bignoniaceae, Fabaceae, Malvaceae
and Melastomataceae, we did not find any clear phylogenetic signal for the distribution of these traits. Polyembryony rate higher than 5% proved to be a good
indicator of apomixis. However, polyembryony wasabsent in some apomictic specie and, in several cases, was even linked to sexual reproduction. Polyembryony associated with apomixis seems to be a common
reproductive alternative in savanna plants rather thana reproductive abnormality. Moreover, these traits will
be important for plant conservation strategies in thisthreatened biome. Acknowledgments: We acknowledge CAPES, FAPEMIG and CNPq funding.

S.234.3 Multiple origin ofwidespread apomictic
Hieracium halleri:
phylogenomic andcytogenetic evidence
Begoña Quirós-de-la-Peña1,2, Ladislava
Paštová2, Jindřich Chrtek2, Eliška
Záveská1,2, Yann J. K. Bertrand2, Jiřina
Josefiová2, Shook Ling Low2, Simon V.
Corrales2, Barbora Tomešová2, Zuzana
Sejfová2, Pavel Zdvořák1, Alexander
Belyayev2, Patrik Mráz1
1 Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic. 2 Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences,Průhonice, Czech Republic.
Hieracium s.str. (Asteraceae) is a highly diverse genus that occurs in a wide range of environments,from lowlands to the alpine zone. It is known for its
notorious taxonomic complexity, caused by widespread past interspecific hybridisation. This process
has been closely linked to polyploidisation and apomixis, which has ensured the persistence of otherwise sterile hybrids. As a result, Hieracium is the largest apomictic-sexual genus among angiosperms,
whose diversity is dominated by apomictic polyploid species. However, very little is known about theevolutionary and biogeographical history of these
apomictic polyploids. We aim to decipher the evolutionary history of the alpine apomictic species H.
halleri, which probably arose from hybridisation between H. alpinum and H. intybaceum. We also ask if

H. halleri originated only once or if it is of recurrent
hybrid origin. To achieve these aims, we combined
cytogenetic (FISH and GISH), flow cytometric (assessment of mode of reproduction), and molecular(RADSeq, cpDNA) approaches. This multidisciplinary
approach is applied to plants collected across therange of the species, which shows a large disjunction between the Alps and the Western Carpathians.
We found that despite strictly apomictic mode of reproduction, H. halleri is cytogenetically variable taxon,
both in chromosome number (prevailing are triploids, tetraploids are very rare) and karyotype pattern(variation in number and positions of 5S rDNA, 45S
rDNA and HintCL-82 repetitive DNA clusters, and unbalanced translocations). Prevailing triploid H. halleri
cytotype contains two genomes of H. alpinum andone genome of H. intybaceum, the pattern explaining the much closer morphological affinity of H. halleri
to H. alpinum. Furthermore, cytogenetic and phylogenomic data indicate multiple origin of H. halleri. To
conclude, multiple hybridisation events, post-hybridisation chromosomal rearrangements, and migration
to the Western Carpathians have shaped molecularand biogeographic histories of this species.

S.234.4 Evolution andbiogeography of the
Ranunculus auricomus
complex in marginal areas:from the Mediterranean tothe circumarctic
John Paul Bradican1,2, Salvatore
Tomasello1, Judith Vollmer3, Evelin Krol4,
Elvira Hörandl1
1 Albrecht-von-Haller Institute for Plant Sciences,Göttingen, Germany. 2 Georg-August University
School of Sciences (GAUSS), Göttingen, Germany. 3 Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden. 4
Georg-August University of Göttingen, Göttingen,Germany.
Young species complexes represent prime subjects
for the study of speciation, hybridization and range expansion. The apomictic mode of propagation sometimes expressed in such groups can exacerbate themorphological and taxonomic complexity characteristic of hybridizing species complexes, as well as facilitating rapid expansion into new habitats. We focus
on the facultatively apomictic Ranunculus auricomus
complex in order to investigate the evolution, bio-718

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geography and taxonomic status of geographically marginal populations of this young (<1 mya) and
rapidly radiating group. At the southern and northern edge of the groups range apomixis is the primarymode of propagation, with sexual reproduction occurring only rarely. Taxonomically, Ranunculus auricomus
agg. is composed of a handful of sexually reproducing
basal lineages occuring in temperate Europe, which
through repeated hybridization have begotten manifold polyploid apomictic lineages. Given this, we also
examine the patterns of ancestry in marginal areas,
utilizing phylogenomic methods including subgenomic phasing. At the southern periphery we find no
additional sexually reproducing species, supporting
the recognition of many newly described apomictic
hybrid taxa in the region as nothotaxa. In the circumboreal-circumarctic zones we focus on a particularmorphogroup, typified by the diminutive Ranunculus
monophyllus Ovcz. Individuals included in this morphogroup exhibit dwarf growth, high ploidy levels (4x6x) and obligate apomixis. In order to test the plasticityof traits distinguishing R. monophyllus from other morphogroups, we conducted climate chamber experiments which showed little phenotypic plasticity in key
morphological traits in response to temperature. We
conclude that dwarf growth is adaptive and evolved
multiple times during colonization of Northern marginal areas. Biogeographical analyses of the wholecomplex based on phylogenomic data will show the
expansion of the R. auricomus complex in space andtime, contributing to our understanding of geographical parthenogenesis.

syndrome. Some studies suggest that drought, or
periodic water limitation, could be key to driving therepeated evolution of obligate apomixis. To evaluate
the drought hypothesis, we are uniting genomic, spatial, environmental, and life history data (across multiple evolutionary and ecological scales), leveraging
ferns as a model system. Current estimates indicatethat 10–30% of ferns exhibit obligate apomixis, which
has evolved repeatedly in xeric and monsoonal environments around the world. Dry environments impose major constraints on plant life histories and thefern life cycle is especially vulnerable. In this study, we
focus on North American desert ferns, integrating reproductive traits (karyotype, gametophyte development, and spore size/number), climate and microhabitat, and phylogenomic data to specifically ask:
Does environmental niche predict obligate apomixis
or its constituent traits in desert ferns of North America? This work aims to further bridge generational
gaps in technical expertise among next-generation
researchers for a variety of cutting-edge and classical approaches, stimulating interdisciplinary student-driven research that emphasizes the value andrelevance of museum specimens for addressing fundamental biological questions.

S.234.5 Evaluating a
drought-driven hypothesis
for the origin of obligate
apomixis in ferns

Terezie Mandáková1, Michael D.
Windham2, Martin A. Lysak1
1 Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk
University, Brno, Czech Republic. 2 Department of
Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.

Amanda L. Grusz , Michael D. Windham
1,2

S.234.6 The origin andevolution of apomixisrelated chromosomes in
Boechera (Brassicaceae)

3

1 Department of Biology, University of Minnesota
Duluth, Duluth, USA. 2 Department of Botany, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, USA. 3 Departmentof Biology, Duke University, Durham, USA
Obligate apomixis -- asexual reproduction by seed,
spore, or egg -- has evolved repeatedly across thetree of life, in diverse organisms ranging from animals(such as reptiles, insects, and fishes) to angiosperms
and other plants. Despite its many origins, and the intriguing ecological and evolutionary parallels among
them, little is known regarding the causes and longterm consequences of this heritable reproductive

The genus Boechera (Brassicaceae) comprises approximately 480 genetically distinct taxa, predominantly distributed in North America. Characterized
by a basic chromosome number of x = 7, the genus
includes diploid sexuals (2n = 14), diploid apomicts(2n = 14, 15), and triploid apomicts (2n = 21, 22). The
extensive morphological diversity within the genus
arises from frequent hybridization among diploid
species, leading to the emergence of apomictic
diploid hybrids. Triploids have independently arisen
through hybridization between sexual and apomictic diploids. Notably, apomictic Boechera plants
feature two heterochromatic B-like chromosomes(Het and Del). With a small genome size, close evolutionary ties to Arabidopsis, and the coexistence of719

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diploid sexual and apomictic lines, Boechera stands
as a unique model system for exploring genomic changes associated with apomixis. This study,
employing cutting-edge cytogenomics and phylogenomics approaches, delves into the genome
structure and evolutionary dynamics of sexual andapomictic Boechera plants. By unveiling the origins

of chromosomes linked with apomixis, our findings
contribute valuable insights into the broader cytogenetic foundations of apomixis, advancing our understanding of reproductive strategies in plants.
Acknowledgments: This work was supported by the
Czech Science Foundation (grant number 24-11371S).

S.235 INTEGRATING ECOLOGY INTO MACROAND MICROEVOLUTIONARY STUDIESPROBLEMS AND OPPORTUNITIES IN CURRENT
AND PAST DATA SOURCES
S.235.1 Ecological andevolutionary drivers ofcurrent plant diversity inNorth America
Pamela S. Soltis1
1 Florida Museum of Natural History, University of
Florida, Gainesville, USA.
The North American continent is characterized by striking diversity in climate, geology, and soil, which havetogether shaped patterns of plant diversity. With nearly
40,000 species of seed plants and >20% of the world’s
seed plant flora, North American plant communities
differ in species richness, phylogenetic diversity, andtheir resilience in the face of climate change. Analyses of eco-evolutionary dynamics have demonstrated
processes of community assembly and species diversification that have contributed to geographic structure of plant diversity at continental, regional, and local levels. For example, differential patterns of species
diversification and temporal impacts of community
assembly appear to have led to distinct patterns ofphylogenetic diversity in eastern versus western North
America. Moreover, biodiversity hotspots were identified
in Mesoamerica, central Mexico, California, and Florida,with corresponding centers of endemism in Mexico, thesouthwestern USA, and the southeastern USA. Ongoing studies are integrating traits, phylogenies, and distributional data to forecast risks and resilience – bothphylogenetically and regionally – in the North American
flora. The North American Coastal Plain, a global biodiversity hotspot that encompasses the southeastern
USA and extends from Texas to the northeastern USA,is a composite of areas of paleo- and neoendemism,
which in some cases correspond to regions of significant habitat heterogeneity. Environmental gradients intemperature and precipitation have shaped plant distributions across the hotspot, producing a patchworkof lineage-based adaptive zones. Many rare lineages
converge in Florida, where areas of high and low phylogenetic diversity are in close juxtaposition and regions of high endemicity correspond to key structuralfeatures such as ridges and river valleys. These nested
analyses at multiple geographic scales promise newperspectives for conservation.

S.235.2 The splendid
isolation of the SouthAmerican continent forangiosperms: tempo, rates
and the role of distance andtemperature
E.K. López-Estrada1, I. Sanmartín1, A.
Meseguer
1 Real Jardín Botánico, CSIC, Madrid, Spain.
South America was an island continent separated
from other landmasses by large open seas for morethan 50 million years. It was only when the Isthmus
of Panama emerged from the sea, about 3 Mya, that
South America came into contact with North America and the Great American Biotic fauna Interchange(GABI) began. The long-term confinement of SouthAmerican mammals resulted in the evolution of an ex-

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ceptional endemic fauna, giving rise to the so-called“Splendid Isolation” diversification pattern proposed by
Simpson. Nonetheless, whether this model can be extended to explain the outrageous diversification of the
Neotropical angiosperm flora remains uncertain. It is
unclear whether the isolation of South America was asstrict for plants as it was for other groups of organisms,
or whether angiosperms were able to disperse fromother landmasses uninterruptedly during the isolation.
It remains to be clarified as well, to what extent the arrival of new colonizers contributed to the extraordinary
diversification pattern observed in the Neotropics today. To understand the effect that the disconnectionof South America had on the evolution of the Neotropical flora, in this study we reconstruct the global
biogeographic history of angiosperms and examine
the proportion of dispersal events into and out of the
Neotropics that occurred throughout the Cenozoic.
We also investigate whether abiotic factors such as
geographic distance or temperature directly affected
dispersal opportunities into the Neotropics. Given thehigher dispersal capacity of plants than animals, wehypothesize that the “Splendid Isolation” model will not
hold for the Neotropical flora, and that several dispersal events between the Neotropics and other continents will be recovered during the Cenozoic.

ry uses of fossils in niche reconstructions and identifies significant gaps in fossil knowledge. Deep timereconstructions often rely on morphological analyses
of fossils due to difficulties in obtaining niche information from ancient specimens. Traits of extant plants
like stomata, growth rings, tracheid size and thickening
types, or foliar architecture (e.g. CLAMP) have provento be indicative of present climatic conditions and insome cases are utilized for paleoclimatic reconstructions. However, the use of plant traits is based on inferences made on certain groups of extant plants andloses its applicability in deeper time as the taxonomic
and atmospheric differences become so great thatthe comparison is unreliable (e.g. studies stomataldensity in Carboniferous Pteridosperm leaves do notshow consistent results). Additionally, the use of traitsof the plant taxa themselves could lead to circularreasoning. Alternative methods, such as isotopic analyses and sedimentology, offer additional evidence
on the abiotic conditions in which the plant fossilized
evidence but face limitations in data scarcity. Our review examines plant traits, sedimentology, and stable
isotope data from 15 fossil taxa (spanning from 470 to
100 Ma) that are commonly used to calibrate the land
plant tree. This forms the basis for developing a methodological framework to infer the ancestral niches ofthe main clades of extant land plants, ensuring consistency and comparability in future research.

S.235.3 Reconstructing pastniches: the link between
quantitative paleobotanyand phylogenetic
reconstructions

S.235.4 Plant palaeoecologyof the Late Cretaceousin Central Europe and its
bearing on angiosperm
dispersal

Candela Blanco-Moreno1,2, Virginia
Valcárcel1,3, Nagore G. Medina1,3Jiří Kvaček1, Jana Čepičková1,2, Veronika
Veselá2, Petra Zahájská2,3 Mário M.
Mendes4, Marcela Svobodová5

1 Departamento de Biología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain. 2 Biological Sciences
Department, California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, Arcata, CA USA. 3 Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global (UAM),
Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.

1 National Museum Prague, Czechia. 2 Charles University in Prague, Czechia. 3 University of Bern, Switzerland. 4 University of Coimbra, Portugal. 5 Institute of Geology, Prague, Czechia.

A comprehensive understanding of the ecologicalniches occupied by the ancestors of today’s plantclades is essential for elucidating the evolutionary
pathways that have shaped contemporary diversity.
Integrating present-day observations with fossil records is crucial for studying these niches accurately.
However, incorporating fossil information into phylogenetic ancestral reconstructions is challenging due
to the limited direct information on the ecologicalniches of fossilized plants. Our work reviews the prima-

Early angiosperms and their environment are frequently discussed topics in palaeobotany. However, detailed
reconstructions of their environment are not always
available. In the present study we reconstruct five major terrestrial palaeoenvironments, some dominated byangiosperms, from the Cenomanian Peruc-Korycany
Formation of the Bohemian Cretaceous Basin in Central Europe. The present taphonomic studies are based721

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on long term observations of plant macro-, meso- andmicrofossils providing detailed information about plantcommunities during that time period. The environmental conditions and plant communities, ordered fromsea inwards, are reconstructed as follows: 1) Salt marsh
environments dominated by cheirolepidiaceous conifer Frenelopsis alata, 2) Coastal wetlands dominatedby cupressoid conifers (typically Cunninghamites lignitum), 3) Meandering rivers characterised by lauroids(Myrtophyllum geinitzii), 4) Braided rivers dominated bylauroid angiosperm Mauldinia bohemica (with Eucalyptolaurus sp. foliage), 5) Upland vegetation characterised by fern prairies. This study shows a diversity ofangiosperms in alluvial plains, with prevailing lauroids
and platanoids. The reconstruction of the upland vegetation, interpreted as fern prairie shows also a diversityof ancient angiosperm groups with particularly affinities
to ANA group and Chloranthaceae. Comparisons of theLate Cretaceous (Cenomanian) palaeonvironmentswith the Early Cretaceous (Barremian-Albian) palaeoenvironmental conditions from the Lusitanian Basinin western Portugal shows remarkable and interesting
differences. In the Early Cretaceous environments, angiosperms are interpreted as herbaceous and shrubby
plants growing in disturbed habitats. While in the Late
Cretaceous angiosperms were already part of canopy
forming arborescent and shrubby vegetation in alluvial
plains of both meandering and braided rivers.

S.235.5 A pipeline toinclude the species climaticheterogeneity and thecomplexity of the world’s
climate in ancestral
reconstructions

or to summary statistics to address the heterogeneityof the species climatic preferences. In this study weevaluate the impact of using different types of climatic data (discrete and continuous) and comparative approaches (character state, quantitative andprobabilistic) to reconstruct climatic niche evolution in
the Asian Palmates of Araliaceae, an example of thetropical-temperate diversity pattern. We used phylogenomic reconstructions, worldwide point-occurrence
database of the Asian Palmates and five classification
schemes of the World’s climate. We used discrete categorization of genera (tropical or temperate) for thecharacter state reconstruction and the first axis of aclimatic PCA for the continuous-based reconstructions, using summary statistics for the quantitative
approach and the complete climatic space of eachgenus for the probabilistic one. The character state
and the quantitative reconstructions using maximum
and minimum values were inconclusive. Instead, we
disclosed a general preference of the Asian Palmatesancestors for the subtropical and tropical climatictransition when using the mean and median values.
The probabilistic approach allowed us to uncover the
narrow ancestral climate niches of the ancestors incomparison to the broad niches of the extant genera.
We propose the probabilistic approach at least for
lineages with high climatic heterogeneity or living inhighly heterogeneous regions. However, since the precision of this probabilistic approach is highly dependent on the accuracy of the distribution data, we also
provide a pipeline to consider climatic heterogeneity
and the complexity of the World’s climate for ancestral
reconstructions in lineages in which the knowledge of
species distribution is poor or biased.

S.235.6 Phylogenetic
diversity and regionalizationof root nodule symbiosis

V. Valcárcel1,2, M. Coca de la Iglesia1, A.
Gallego1, J. Wen3, N.G. Medina1,2

R.A Folk1, M.W. Belitz2,3, C.M. Siniscalchi1,
H.R. Kates2, D.E. Soltis2,3,4,5, P.S. Soltis2,4,5, R.P.
Guralnick2,5, L.M. Borges6

1 Departamento de Biología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain. 2 Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global (UAM),
Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain. 3
Department of Botany/MRC 166, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA.
Current approaches that integrate climatic niche inevolutionary studies often fail to consider the climaticheterogeneity of species, the climatic context in which
they live and the complexity of the World’s climate. Indeed, evolutionary studies often resort to climatic classifications to deal with the World’s climatic complexity

1 Department of Biological Sciences, Mississippi
State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA. 2 Florida Museum, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL,
USA. 3 Department of Biology, University of Florida,
Gainesville, FL, USA. 4 Genetics Institute, University of
Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA. 5 Biodiversity Institute,
University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA. 6 Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, SP, Brazil.
Among the most vexing questions in legume biogeography is why non-nodulating and facultative-

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ly nodulating legumes, i.e., those that do not or need
not engage in RNS with rhizobia, are preponderant in
the tropics, whereas extratropical areas have almost
entirely nodulating legumes. Understanding the environments associated with loss of symbiosis would
yield more precise insight into the ecological functionthat nodulation confers in natural ecosystems. Here
we determine centers of species richness (SR), relative phylogenetic diversity (RPD) and centers of paleoand neo-endemism, and regionalizations of phylogenetic diversity in the mimosoid clade of the legumes
to understand the distribution and environmental associates of mimosoids lacking RNS (root nodule symbiosis). We built a phylogenetic tree of 1313 species
and high-quality species distribution models for 1128
species representing the phylogenetic breadth of themimosoid clade to identify the geographic distributionof RNS. Centers of significant RPD and endemism wereidentified using a randomization approach, the latter
using CANAPE. Phylogenetic regionalization used a distance-based phylogenetic beta-diversity approach.
We recognized nine areas of contiguous high SR as
distinct SR hotspots. Non-RNS species occur mainly
outside hotspots but are closely correlated with high
RPD. Absence of RNS was best predicted by high precipitation, and represents multiple independent phylogenetic assemblages in different biogeographic areas. SR hotspots are partly incongruent with centersof RPD and phylogenetic endemism. Lineages lacking
RNS, likely to represent loss of symbiosis, are distributed in SR hotspots in Africa and the Americas, belong
to biogeographically separate species assemblages, and are, in most cases, associated with relatively moist tropical environments with low temperatureseasonality and high available soil nitrogen.

S.236 EVOLUTIONARY TRENDS IN SKYISLANDS: NEW INSIGHTS IN THE SEARCH
OF MAJOR BIOGEOGRAPHIC AND
PHYLOGEOGRAPHIC PATTERNS
gascar. 5 South African National Biodiversity Institute, Claremont, South Africa. 6 University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. 7 BotanicalInstitute of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. 8 Autonomous University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain. 9 University of Memphis, Memphis, USA. 10 Meise Botanic
Garden, Meise, Belgium.

S.236.1 Niche conservatism
prevails in repeated longdistance colonization ofMadagascar mountains
by the genus Helichrysum(Compositae)
Carme Blanco-Gavaldà1, Cristina Roquet1,
Genís Puig-Surroca1, Santiago AndrésSánchez2, Sylvain Razafimandimbison3,
Rokiman Letsara4, Nicola Bergh5, Glynis
V. Cron6, Lucía D. Moreyra7, Juan Antonio
Calleja8, Òscar Castillo1, Randall J. Bayer9,
Frederik Leliaert10, Alfonso Susanna7,
Mercè Galbany-Casals1
1 Systematics and Evolution of Vascular Plants(UAB) – Associated Unit to CSIC by IBB, Bellaterra, Spain. 2 University of Salamanca, Salamanca,
Spain. 3 Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden. 4 Herbarium of the Parc Botaniqueet Zoologique of Tsimbazaza, Antananarivo, Mada-

Madagascar is a world’s biodiversity hotspot,showing exceptionally high levels of species richness and endemism. Despite the island’s prolonged geographic isolation (150 to 160 Ma fromAfrica, 84 to 90 Mya from India), most of its extant
endemic plant species are the result of recent
long-distance dispersals, mainly from continental Africa. The genus Helichrysum is a relevant
study-case to explore the evolutionary and biogeographic history of Malagasy flora because it
represents one-fifth of the Compositae speciesof the island. We generated a time-calibrated
phylogeny of 350 Helichrysum species (including
60% of the Malagasy endemics) based on target-enrichment DNA sequence data and conducted ancestral range estimation analyses. Our
results reveal at least six independent dispersal
events to Madagascar from African regions since723

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the Pliocene. Notably, Madagascar was colonizedat least twice by lineages originating from theTropical Afromontane region, leading to significant subsequent radiations in the island’s highlands and mountains. The southern African montane grasslands have also played a key role in
Madagascar’s colonization, originating at least
three clades on the island, one of which notably
diversified. Helichrysum mahafaly, endemic to
the arid SW region of Madagascar, was inferred
to originate from an ancestor coming from thearid region of SW Africa. The similarity of habitats
between source and colonized areas suggests
the prevalence of niche conservatism, a common
phenomenon in allopatric speciation following
the colonization of a newly isolated region. Our
results underscore the affinities between continental Africa and Madagascar’s montane floras.
The main radiations of Helichrysum in Madagascar’s mountains occurred within the last 2 My,
coinciding with a transition towards a cool, arid
climate and the expansion of open habitats, andwere likely driven by a combination of allopatricand ecological speciation.

S.236.2 Evaluating the roleof evolutionary processes
in the differentiation of
Dendrosenecio species from
Mount Kenya
Juan M. Gorospe1,2, Eliška Záveská2,
Desalegn Chala3, Abel Gizaw3,
Lubomír Piálek4, Filip Kolář1,2,3, Christian
Brochmann3, Roswitha Schmickl1,2

geographically and ecologically, which makes thema great system to study evolution and speciation. The
genus Dendrosenecio evolved independently in four
geographically isolated afroalpine mountain groups,
mainly as a consequence of reduced gene flow between these mountain groups. At the same time, populations of different Dendrosenecio species are sometimes found in sympatry, which could be evidence for
ecological speciation. In this study, we focus on twosister species, D. keniensis and D. keniodendron, thatlikely evolved on Mount Kenya and show clear differences in morphology, flower phenology, reproductionand ecology. These species can be found growing
sympatrically, and the existence of a hybrid zone has
been reported. We employed vegetation plot information and dd-RADseq data together with population
genomic tools to evaluate the extent of habitat differences, genetic differentiation, and the demographic
processes involved in the divergence between these
two species. In particular, habitat similarity between
the two species on Mount Kenya were analysed, genetic differentiation between them was evaluated, andecological speciation was tested against geographic
speciation followed by secondary contact. Vegetation
plot data showed a negative relationship between
both species, genetic differentiation supported two
well differentiated groups, and demographic modelling supported a speciation-with-gene flow scenario.
Taken together, these results suggest that ecologically mediated speciation occurred between these two
Dendrosenecio species from Mt. Kenya.

S.236.3 Pleistocene climatic
cycles, landscape dynamics
and the late rise of sky
island vegetation in the Alps

1 Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic. 2 Institute of Botany of The Czech Academy of Sciences, Průhonice, Czech Republic. 3 University of Oslo,
Oslo, Norway. 4 University of South Bohemia, Ceske
Budejovice, Czech Republic.

Lara Wootton1, Florian Boucher1, Sébastien
Lavergne1

Mountains are dynamic regions that undergo tectonic, erosional and climatic processes over a short geological time period. These processes make mountainous regions highly heterogeneous environments witha wide variety of topographic features. Such habitat
heterogeneity and dynamics generate increased opportunities for lineage differentiation through ecological adaptation, geographic isolation and secondary
contact. The afroalpine vegetation belts on the top of
the East African mountains are highly isolated both

How past orogeny, landscape dynamics andclimate change drove the emergence of species-rich mountain floras remains poorly understood. Here, we aim to uncover how the physicalhistory of a range influences the assembly of its
biodiversity in the context of the European Alpine
sky island (ASI) flora. Using newly sequenced chloroplast genomes for 96% of the flora, we reconstruct a time-calibrated phylogenetic tree to infer temporal changes in assembly rates. We showthat the majority of the flora assembled via col-1 Université Grenoble-Alpes, France.

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onisation rather than diversification, and experienced high rates of extinction over the course of
its evolution. The accumulation of extant lineages
was decoupled from major orogenic events, suchas the initial uplift of the Alps and the later rise of
the peripheral massifs. Most ASI lineages instead
originated within the last 5 Myr. The Quaternary
climate oscillations had the strongest impact oncolonisation and diversification rates, which increased substantially during the Pleistocene glacial cycles. A search of existing biogeographic literature showed that many ASI lineages originatedlocally in Europe, rather than through long distancedispersal from temperate Asian ranges. We conclude that the ASI flora consists of a continuous
subset of the European flora, potentially filtered by
the ability to disperse into the sky islands after the
disturbance of the Pleistocene glacial cycles. Ourfindings contradict established theories of Alpine
plant biogeography, likely because by analysing
the entire flora we include species-poor lineages
that comprise an overlooked, but important, component of the flora.

plants to the last glacial period and to identify areas of high intraspecific phylogenetic endemism,
which are ultimately of special interest for conservation. For this purpose, we used a multi-species comparative phylogeography approachcombining molecular data (RADseq) and retrospective as well as prospective distribution modelling of species and intraspecific lineages. Our
results show a highly structured distribution of
intraspecific diversity, which allows to formulate
the first molecular-based hypothesis of glacial
refugia for alpine plants in the Pyrenees. Refugia
of calcicolous species were in weakly glaciatedranges south of the main chain, while silicicolous
species show a pattern of multiple geographically incongruent genetic groups, indicative ofspecies-specific reduced size refugia and nunatak survival. The easternmost Pyrenees emerge
as a common refugium for most of the studied
species and contain high levels of phylogenetic
endemism, rendering them an area of major interest for conservation of intraspecific diversity.

S.236.5 Interglacial refugia
shape the distributionof apomict allopolyploid
Hieracium halleri on
European ‘sky-islands’

S.236.4 Post-glacial
expansion patterns andhotspots of intraspecificdiversity for high elevation
plants in the Pyrenees: amulti-species
Pau Carnicero1, Stefan dullinger2, Peter
Schönswetter1

Shook Ling Low1, Yann J.K. Bertrand1, Simon
V. Corrales1, Eliška Záveská1, Vojtěch
Zeisek1,2, Begoña Quirós-de-la-Peña1,2,
Patrik Mráz2, Jindřich Chrtek1,2

1 Department of Botany, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria. 2 2Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.

1 Institute of Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, Průhonice, Czechia. 2 Department of Botany,
Charles University, Prague, Czechia.

The urgent need for preserving biodiversity is beyond any doubt. However, not all components of
biodiversity are usually taken into account. Fora long time, conservation efforts have targeted
ecosystems or species; in recent years, a new
focus has been put on cryptic intraspecific diversity on the gene level. In mountain ranges of
the temperate regions, intraspecific diversity has
been strongly determined by the Pleistocene glaciation cycles. We here focus on the Pyrenees, ahotspot of plant diversity in western Europe withmore than 4,300 plant species, but still lacking
an assessment of intraspecific diversity features.
We aimed to reconstruct the response of alpine

Interglacial refugia serve as counterpoint to glacial refugia for cold-adapted species widely distributed during the glacial maxima but forced toretreat due to changing climatic conditions andincreasing competition from new immigrants
during interglacial periods. European ‘sky islands’
function as climate refugia for many hybridogeneous species whose origin might be clouded
by demographic processes like founder effect,bottleneck, selection and genetic drift. Yet in allopolyploid apomictic species, i.e., hybridogeneous species which reproduce by seeds without
fertilization, severe gene flow reduction and few
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genotypes and therefore allows for exploring previous contacts and subsequent local extinctionsof their parental lineages. We explored the origin,genomic composition and post-polyploidization
population dynamics of the apomict Hieracium halleri (triploid and tetraploid) that evolved
through hybridization between diploid H. intybaceum (2n=18) and diploid or triploid H. alpinum(2n=18, 27). We aimed to investigate the tempo
of recurrent establishment of asexual cytotypesof H. halleri, elucidate whether the differences in
evolutionary histories of these cytotypes is reflected in their genetic variation, morphology, recent distribution, and ecology. The genetic structure of hybridogeneous apomictic species andits progenitors was explored using RADseq loci.
For the allopolyploid apomicts, haplotypes wereobtained with alignment-based phasing that
segregated data originated from the parental
subgenomes. We performed chromosome scaleassembly of one of the progenitors (H. alpinum,
genome size ~ 4G) and created a pseudoreference for the other by RAD loci concatenation. The
repeated independent polyploidization eventswere dated using whole plastome and Hybseq
low-copy nuclear genes alignments. We alsopresented the read-mapping approach method
to identify subgenomes in hybrid. Thus, an integrative approach allowed us to decipher evolutionary history and biogeography of this widelydistributed apomict.

S.236.6 Frailejones in Sky
Islands: insights into theirevolution, biogeography,
and conservation

the high elevations. Frailejones (common namehere referred to all the species within the Espeletiinae, Asteraceae), are the most representativeplants of the páramos. With circa 144 recognizedspecies, most endemic but locally abundant,
these plants are a model to understand not justbiogeographic and phylogenetic patterns in sky
islands, but also their conservation challenges
under the pressing world’s environmental crisis.
We present the state-of-the-art regarding ourknowledge on these aspects. The most recent insights into their phylogeny using Hyb-Seq on 1269
nuclear loci, support the hypothesis of two large
clades (i.e., Venezuelan and mainly Colombianclades), radiating in the last 2.5 Ma, from Venezuela into Colombia and more recently into Ecuador. The support for the previously establishedgenera is conflictive, exacerbated by the frequentinterspecific hybridization. Regarding their conservation status, our most recent conservation
risk assessment for Colombia suggests that 55(61%) of the 90 species found in the country are
under threat, and 40 (45%) species are endangered. In-vitro and in-situ propagation of some ofthese species is underway. Based on a comprehensive dataset of georeferenced records (5,560
records for 138 species), we implemented the Important Plant Areas (IPAs) approach, using unitsof analyses of 100 km2. We identified 176 potential
IPAs using the distribution of records of globallythreatened species (including 59 species), and 51
potential IPAs when considering species richness(including 76 species). We assessed gaps basedon currently established protected areas andfound that only 27% of the potential IPAs are within those areas, and 73% face significant humandisturbances. These results inform priorities forconserving these keystone species for the páramos of the northern Tropical Andes.

Mauricio Diazgranados1, Clara MoralesRozo2,3, Maria Pinilla Vargas4, Martha
Kandziora4, Roswitha Schmickl4, Andrea L.
Simbaqueba5
1 New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY. 2 Pontificia
Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia. 3 Jardín
Botánico de Bogotá ‘José Celestino Mutis’, Bogotá,
Colombia. 4 Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic. 5 Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica deColombia, Tunja, Colombia.
Páramos, located above the timberline in the
Tropical Andes, are remarkable examples of sky
islands, and are often considered the world’s
most diverse and fastest evolving ecosystems of726

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S.237 ATYPICAL SUBSTRATES FOR PLANT AND
LICHEN EVOLUTION II: ULTRAMAFIC SOILS
S.237.1 Investigating thediversity and functionof microorganisms inserpentine and nonserpentine soils across
California

gen, and 20% solubilized phosphorus. This study
enhances our understanding of nutrient cycling
in metal-rich, drought-prone soils, impacting
plant-microbe interactions, agriculture, andbioremediation. The findings inform conservation policies, aiding efforts to preserve unique soil
ecosystems and their microorganisms.

Allie Igwe1, Michelle Afkhami1
1 Department of Biology, University of Miami, Miami,
USA.
Serpentine soils, characterized by high heavy
metal levels and magnesium-to-calcium ratios,
exert selective pressure on plants and microorganisms. While some plants are endemic to thesesoils, most struggle to survive. Our research revealed that serpentine-indifferent plants, thriving on both serpentine and non-serpentine soils,
may be sustained by their association with locally adapted plant growth-promoting bacteria. The
role of microorganisms in supporting plant diversity and ecosystem services is being explored,
and characterizing taxonomic and functional microbe diversity on and off serpentine soils is crucial. Our project aimed to identify taxa associatedwith serpentine or nonserpentine soils, characterizing microorganisms’ plant-growth-promoting properties across California. Shotgun metagenomic sequencing and physiological assays
were conducted on soil samples from 23 sites.
Kaiju and MEGAN6 were used for taxonomic classification and functional analysis. After removing
contaminants, 41,326 taxa were identified, withsimilar abundance and alpha diversity acrossserpentine and nonserpentine soils. Soil chemistry and location significantly shaped bacterial
and eukaryotic communities, not archaeal ones.
Random forest analysis highlighted features like
Mesorhizobium, Rhizobium, and Pontibacter in
nonserpentine soils and Nitrosophaera and Pontibacter in serpentine soils. Preliminary functional
analysis revealed Ni/Fe subunits and siderophore
production functions. Siderophore production
was influenced by nickel presence, with higher
levels in serpentine soils. Approximately 50% of
microorganisms from both soil types fixed nitro-

S.237.2 How ultramafic soils
can affect plant-herbivore
interactions
Robert S. Boyd1
1 Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Alabama, USA.
The unique features of atypical substrates suchas ultramafic soils can have important effects onorganismal interactions and may provide stimulating avenues for research. Some ultramafic soil
plants (metal hyperaccumulators) have extraordinarily elevated metal concentrations (most often nickel). Hyperaccumulated nickel can defend
plants against some (unadapted) herbivores andtherefore act as an elemental chemical defence.
Elemental defences differ from more widely studied organic chemical defences because thetoxin is absorbed from the soil (rather than being constructed from photosynthetic products)
and an elemental defence cannot be obviatedby breaking it down into constituent parts (which
is one way that organic defence chemicals canbe detoxified by herbivores). But some herbivores(such as the heteropteran Melanotrichus boydi)
have apparently evolved metal tolerance andthus can feed with impunity on nickel hyperaccumulators. Elemental defences may even benefit
plants that accumulate elements at levels lower
than hyperaccumulation thresholds, especially ifelemental defences and organic plant defences
have additive or synergistic joint effects. This aspect of elemental defences needs further investigation. Plant-herbivore interactions may also
influence the color of plant species growing on
ultramafic soils. For example, there is a striking
correspondence between substrate color andseed coat or leaf colors of some California ser-727

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pentine plants, suggesting that visual apparencyof these plants to herbivores may drive evolutionof traits such as seed coat or leaf color. Visualapparency may be an under-studied aspect ofplant-herbivore interactions on serpentine andother atypical soils.

S.237.3 The diversity ofmineral nutrition in a diverse
shrubland on ultramafic
soil is revealed throughcommunity ionomics
Yohan Pillon1, Juliette Hocedez1, Karine
Gotty1, Vanessa Hequet2,3, Sandrine
Chay4, Audrey Léopold5, Stéphane Dray6
1 Laboratoire des Symbioses Tropicales et Méditerranéennes, IRD, INRAE, CIRAD, Institut Agro, Univ.
Montpellier, Montpellier, France. 2 AMAP, IRD, CIRAD, Herbier de la Nouvelle-Calédonie, Nouméa,
New Caledonia.. 3 AMAP, Univ Montpellier, IRD, CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE, Montpellier, France 4 IPSiM, Univ
Montpellier, CNRS, INRAE, Institut Agro, Montpellier,France. 5 Institut Agronomique néo-Calédonien,équipe SolVeg, Nouméa, New Caledonia. 6 Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, VetAgro Sup,
Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, Villeurbanne, France.
High species richness is observed in some shrublands growing on infertile substrates. Mineral
nutrients may be the main limiting resources insuch ecosystems and underground interactions
between plants are probably a key to understandtheir diversity. Here we tested whether there wasa nutritional differentiation between plant species co-occurring in a shrubland in an edaphically extreme environment. We designed a 20 × 20 m
plot in a diverse shrubland (“maquis”) on ultramafic (infertile) substrate in New Caledonia. We
sampled all 475 plants taller than one meter andwe characterised their ionome (22 elements). A
total of 37 species were recorded, including a few
abundant species and many rare species, representing all major types of mycorrhizal symbioses,
nitrogen-fixing plants (actinorhizal but not Fabaceae), cluster rooted and parasitic plants. Bothnickel- and manganese-hyperaccumulating
species were present in the plot. Using hypervolume approaches, we observed limited overlap in
the ionome of the 10 most abundant species. The
functionally most distinct species were also therarest ones in the plot. A diversity of nutritional

strategies was represented in the plot, as indicated by the diversity of root symbioses and differences in leaf ionomes. These special nutritional
traits associated with adaptation to the infertile
substrates meet the expectation of the theory of
the Old Climatically Buffered Infertile Landscapes(OCBIL). Our results suggest that partitioning into
different biogeochemical niches, including highly
specialised ones, could explain the coexistenceof a large number of species in this shrubland on
infertile substrate.

S.237.4 Ophiolitic substrates
as drivers for reticulate
evolution in Armeria(Plumbaginaceae)?
Manuel Tiburtini1, Salvatore Tomasello2,
Giovanni Astuti1, Luca Sandroni1, Thomas
Abeli3, Lorenzo Peruzzi1
1 University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy. 2 Georg-August-University, Göttingen, Germany. 3 Roma Tre University,
Rome, Italy.
Ultramafic substrates can play a role in fostering ecological adaptation and microevolutionary
dynamics. The Italian endemic Armeria denticulata complex includes two species (A. denticulata and A. saviana): the former is a serpentinophyte endemic to Tuscany and western Liguria,
the latter grows on limestone/jasper in a small
area of southern Tuscany. Intriguingly, also northern Apennine populations of A. arenaria subsp. praecox, a subspecies otherwise endemic towestern Alps, grow on ophiolites. Finally, the central-southern Italian endemic A. gracilis is strictly
linked to limestone. We aimed at understanding
whether substrate specificity and/or hybridization-introgression promoted speciation in the A.
denticulata complex, despite similar ecologicalconditions failed to cause speciation in the nearby A. arenaria. We extracted DNA from two populations of A. arenaria subsp. praecox, three of A.
denticulata, one of Armeria saviana, and one ofA. gracilis. Sequencing was conducted using genome skimming on a NovaSeq sequencer, gathering about four Gb of sequence information per
sample. After quality trimming of the reads, we
performed reference-based assembly of plastomes (152kb) and nrDNA (ETS+ITS+rRNA regions,
12kb altogether) to infer phylogenies. The genomic data were complemented by a morphometric728

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study using a Principal Component Analysis (134individuals × 27 characters). Phylogenomic results
suggest that A. saviana may have a homoploidhybrid origin involving A. denticulatas.str. (pollen
donor) and A. gracilis (ovule donor), whereas a
population of A. denticulata from inner Tuscany(Monte Ferrato) could have originated from an
introgression/hybridization event between Armeria denticulata s.str. (pollen donor) and one of the
haplotypes found in A. arenaria subsp. praecox(ovule donor). This is supported also by morphometric results, which highlight positions of theputative hybridogenic populations somehow intermediate between the putative parents in themorphospace. In summary, our results suggestthat substrate specificity and hybridization/introgression prompted microevolutionary processes.

Desert. Of these species, 19 are considered gypsophiles, and 11 are gypsovags (Ortiz et al. 2023).
Our initial hypothesis proposed that nutritional
patterns are similar among Mexican plants growing on gypsum compared to those known in the
Spanish gypsicolous flora, thoroughly investigated from this point of view. Our results confirm thehigh values for foliar mineral contents, typicalof gypsophiles and some gypsovags (Merlo et
al. 2019). These findings align with the high gypsum contents of Mexican soils; in 2/3 of the cases
studied, gypsum contents were higher than 90%.
However, we found notably high values for S, Ca,
Mg, and Sr in some of foliar samples collected in
Mexico. These results are not only consistent withthose found for the Spanish flora, but we also extend them to the case of ferns and lycophytes,
which are studied here for the first time.

S.237.5 Exploring Nutritional
Strategies in the Rich
Gypsophile Flora of Mexico

References: Ortiz-Brunel, J.P. et al. 2023. https://doi.
org/10.3390/d15040522. Merlo, M.E. et al. 2019. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2018.10.001.

Juan Mota1, Encarnación Merlo1, Hilda
Flores Olvera2, Helga Ochoterena Booth2,
Juan Pablo Ortiz-Brunel3
1 Department of Biology and Geology, CEI.MAR
and CECOUAL, University of Almería, La Cañada,Almería, Spain. 2 Departamento de Botánica, Instituto de Biología, Ciudad Universitaria, Ciudadde México, Mexico. 3 Departamento de Botánica
y Zoología, Centro Universitario de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Universidad de Guadalajara, Zapopan, México.
The accumulation of mineral elements in theleaves, such as S, Ca, Mg, and Sr, has been proposed as a set of important traits in gypsophile
plants to cope with the edaphic and hydric stressposed by gypsisols. Mexico hosts the richest gypsophile flora globally, primarily concentrated
in the Chihuahuan Desert and the Sierra Madre
Oriental, although gypsum soils are scatteredthroughout the country. However, many functional aspects related to the adaptations of thisflora remain unknown in this biodiversity hotspot,
including those associated with the accumulation of the mentioned key mineral elements. To
explore nutritional strategies, soil (15) and foliar(30) samples from two species of Selaginella,four ferns, and 24 angiosperms were collectedon gypsum soils from the Valle de Tehuacán, theSierra Madre Occidental (Colima and Jalisco),
the Sierra Madre Oriental, and the Chihuahuan729

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S.238 NEW INSIGHTS ON BIG PLANT GENERA 1:
DIVERSITY & DISTRIBUTION
S.238.1 The history of
the colonization of theSouthern Hemisphere by the
megadiverse genus Carex L.
(Cyperaceae)
Pedro Jiménez-Mejías1, María Sanz Arnal1,
Pablo García Moro1, Ana Morales Alonso2,
Carmen Acedo3, Carmen Benítez Benítez4,
Asunción Cano5, Sabina Donadío6, Kerry
Ford7, Raúl Lois3, Modesto Luceño1, José
Ignacio Márquez-Corro8, Muthama
Muasya9, Paulo Muñoz-Schüler10, Nora
Oleas11, Tamara Villaverde2, Karen Wilson12,
Daniel Spalink13, Santiago Martín-Bravo1
1 Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Spain. 2 Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Spain. 3 Universidad de León,
Spain. 4 Universidad de Sevilla, Spain. 5 Universidad
Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Peru. 6 Instituto de
Botánica Darwinion, CONICET, Argentina. 7 Manaaki
Whenua – Landcare Research, New Zealand. 8 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK. 9 University of CapeTown, South Africa. 10 Universidad de Concepción,
Chile. 11 Universidad Tecnológica Indoamérica, Ecuador. 12 Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney, Australia.
13 Texas A&M University, USA.
Carex (>2,000 spp) diversity is not equally distributed
across the continents. This cold-adapted genus was
originated in E Asia during the Eocene, from where it
expanded and diversified across the Northern Hemisphere. The colonization of the Southern Hemisphere(SH) happened from the Miocene onwards. Remarkably, the resulting diversity levels in each of the landmasses are very different. South America (SA) and
New Zealand (NZ) harbor the largest diversity compared to Africa and Australia. Here we perform acontinental-level comparison of Carex evolutionary
history in the SH. Results indicate that all the areas
were recurrently colonized by different lineages. N
to S migrations happened repeatedly from the Miocene to the Pleistocene, suggesting that no single
bioclimatic event or colonization route were the triggers of the dispersal events. The number of groups
in these areas increased towards the late Miocene,
pointing that the Neogene global cooling facilitatedcolonization. Most lineages appear to be ecologically
pre-adapted to SH cold/temperate climates, sincelittle differences in the bioclimatic niche is observed
compared their sister groups. Africa, NZ and SA displayed a few large in-situ radiations, which entailed
to some extent niche diversification. Most diversity in
NZ was explained by extensive radiation of two clades,
which seemingly have had a competitive exclusion
effect preventing the establishment or diversificationof other lineages. SA diversity is equally due to in-situ
diversification and also to a number of poorly diversified groups. The higher connectivity of SA with theNorthern Hemisphere, and the larger available area
for Carex to diversify, explains these differences. Inturn, the relatively low diversity in Australia and Africa
appears to be due to the limited ecologically available area in these landmasses. Essentially the differences respond to the huge Carex diversity and its
diverse natural history, involving different taxonomic
groups, geoclimatic events and colonization routes.

S.238.2 Systematics
and evolution of theEuphorbiaceae giants(Croton and Euphorbia):
recent findings, newinsights, and current
challenges
Ricarda Riina1
1 Real Jardín Botánico, CSIC, Madrid, Spain.
The family Euphorbiaceae includes two of themost-species rich genera of flowering plants: Croton(~1,300 species) and Euphorbia (~2,060 species). Euphorbia is clearly defined by its highly specialized andunique inflorescence, the cyathium, while Croton is distinguished by a suite of morphological features. Taking
their global distributions together, species of both or either of these genera are present in almost all biomesof the world. Many species are important for a varietyof traditional human uses and for the development of
products in the pharmaceutical and other industries.
Numerous weeds and pioneer species are present in730

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both genera, while ornamentals of high commercial
value are common in Euphorbia. A robust phylogenetic framework is available for Euphorbia based on both
Sanger sequencing and genomic data. Many of therecent advances in the systematics of Euphorbia havebeen focused on groups or species complexes distributed in Eurasia, Macaronesia and Africa. Unlike Euphorbia, phylogenetic relationships within Croton remain
largely unresolved at deep and shallow nodes, but preliminary analyses using genomic data (HybSeq) showpromising results for resolving the genus backbone
as well as species relationships within its main cladesor sections. Recent developments in our knowledgeof Croton include the discovery of new clades, clarification of phylogenetic relationships and taxonomy ofimportant sections, and the increasing incorporation of
anatomical characters and development approaches
in morphological studies, including both vegetative andfloral structures. These have provided new insights into
the evolutionary success of Croton in arid or seasonally dry habitats, and into the evolution of chemical andphysical defenses against herbivores and pathogens.
Major gaps in the biological knowledge of the two genera are highlighted, including suggestions for key questions to be addressed in future studies.

S.238.3 Why we recognize
big genera? The birthof a big genus, Miconia(Melastomataceae)

S.238.4 Ancient origin andrecent diversification of agiant genus: Evolution ofPhilodendron (Araceae) in
the junction zone of Central& South America

Fabián A. Michelangeli , Frank Almeda ,Lucas Bacci3, Eldis R. Bécquer4, LéoPaul Dagallier1, Walter S. Judd3, Renato
Goldenberg5, Darin S. Penneys6, Monique
Romeiro-Brito3, Lucas C. Majure3
1

1,100 species in its old definition), as paraphyletic with allother genera embedded within it. Moreover, only four
traditionally recognized are recovered as monophyletic, with some, like Leandra and Ossaea, recovered in
at least a dozen clades each. A search for diagnostic
characters that would allow recognition of a manageable group of smaller genera have proven futile
due to a series of factors: 1-node stability and support,
2-changes in resolution with the addition of taxa, 3-wellconserved and diagnostic characters being impractical for taxonomy (e.g. micromorphological features ofseeds or internal anatomy), 4-well-defined and supported groups contain many taxa with reversals to plesiomorphic conditions rendering diagnostic characters unusable, and 5-well-supported and diagnosable
clades are embedded in larger grades. Based on thesefactors we have proposed an expanded Miconia as the
only genus in the tribe. Miconia s.l. is the seventh largest genus of flowering plants, and notably the only one
among the 10 largest whose native range is restricted to
the Neotropics. Recognizing Miconia s.l. highlights an extraordinary radiation that occurred in a relatively shortamount of time. While the advantages of recognizing asingle genus outweigh the disadvantages, this decision
has some drawbacks. These include the size, making it
unwieldy for monographic work, and subsumation ofendemic genera that may impact their utility in conservation. We discuss how these issues are shared among
megadiverse genera and address different strategies
for tackling them.

2

1 The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY, USA. 2
Frank Almeda, California Academy of Sciences, San
Francisco, CA, USA. 3 University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA. 4 Jardín Botánico Nacional-Universidad de la Habana, La Habana, CP, Cuba. 5 Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brazil. 6
University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC, USA.

Marco Cedeño-Fonseca1,2,3, Orlando O.
Ortiz1,4,5, Nils Köster1, Astrid de Mestier6,
Thomas Borsch1

The tribe Miconieae (Melastomataceae) comprises ca.
1,900 species of Neotropical mostly shrubs and trees. For
most of the 20th century between 17 and 22 genera were
accepted in most treatments, and another ca. 12 were
often recognized in the tribe. Phylogenetic analyses, firstwith a few genes and more recently with hundreds ofgenes, recover Miconia (the largest genus with close to731

1 Botanischer Garten und Botanisches Museum
Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany. 2
Herbario Luis Fournier Origgi (USJ), Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Ecología Tropical,
Universidad de Costa Rica, Apdo.11501−2060, San
José, Costa Rica. 3 Jardin Botánico Lankester, Universidad de Costa Rica, Apartado 302–7050 Cartago, Costa Rica. 4 Herbario PMA, Universidad dePanamá, Panamá, Panamá. 5 Coiba Scientific Station (COIBA AIP), Panamá, Panamá. 6 Institut für

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Biologie – Systematische Botanik und Pflanzengeographie, Freie Universität, Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
With >600 currently accepted species and an estimated total of 1500 species, Philodendron is the second
largest aroid genus and one of the most diverse genera in Neotropical rainforests. It originated 29 Mya in the
pan-Amazonian rainforests and diversified more intensely from the Late Miocene onwards, coinciding withthe rise of the Andes and the formation of the Isthmus
of Panama. Being South American in origin, the genus
colonized Central America only relatively late from the
Pliocene onwards. Nonetheless, the region is one of thecenters of diversity and endemism of Philodendron,harboring >120 known species in Central America and
Mexico. In all available molecular studies, however, representation of species from this region has been poor. In
order to understand the evolutionary origin of the highCentral American diversity, we used an exhaustive species sampling and a combination of three non-coding
plastid regions (petD, rpl16, and trnK/matK). The phylogenetic results support 12 geographically well-definedclades in the large subgenus Philodendron, 10 of which
consist of species from the Amazon, the Andes, andthe Chocó Biogeographical Region. The vast majorityof species from Central America, southern Mexico and
the Caribbean were found in two distinctive and diverse
Central American clades, apart from five smaller subclades and several single, rather widespread species
nested within the South American clades. This patternsuggests at least nine colonization events in the regionand several rapid radiations, especially in the Talamanca Mountain range and along the Isthmus of Panama.
In summary, Philodendron has proven to be an ideal
model group to study the historical biogeography andevolutionary processes of big plant genera in the Neotropics, the most diverse phytogeographic realm.

S.238.5 Twenty years of big
generaDébora Zuanny1, Domingos Cardoso1,2,
Tiina Särkinen3, Sandra Knapp4, Peter W.
Moonlight5
1 Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. 2 Instituto de Pesquisas
Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil. 3 Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Scotland,
UK. 4 Natural History Museum, London, England, UK.
5 Botany, School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College
Dublin, Ireland.
Big plant genera are often considered the final frontierof plant systematics. Their size means that they are dif-ficult to study in their entirety and as a consequence
the taxonomy, systematics, evolutionary history, andecology of these genera are poorly known. It is now 20
years since the last review of the history and conceptsof big plant genera, when 57 such genera were recognized. There has been a proliferation in plant bioinformatics and taxonomic databases over the past 20
years, including the World Flora Online and Plants of
the World Online. Here we review the current number,size, and geographic distribution of big plant genera
based on the current data. We recognize 87 big plant
genera, an increase of 30 genera, that collectively include 25% of all plant species. Of these genera, 28-29
are considered “megadiverse” with >1000 species eachand account for 13% of all plant species. We discuss,with examples, the mechanisms behind the changes in
the number and size of big and megadiverse genera
since 2004. We compare the distribution of species in
big plant genera to the distribution of flowering plants
as a whole to demonstrate that big genera have diversified through the temperate and tropical regions of theworld but are over-represented in temperate regions.

S.238.6 The evolution of
Impatiens: phylogenomics
and biogeography
Nora S. Gavin-Smyth1,2, Jeremie B. Fant1,2,
Patrick S. Herendeen1,2
1 Negaunee Institute for Plant Conservation Scienceand Action, Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe, IL,
USA. 2 Plant Biology and Conservation, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
The Impatiens genus is well known to vary excessively, presenting extensive modifications in floral
structure among its 1200 species. Most Impatiens
lineages radiated just within the last 3 million years,
indicating that these disparate floral forms canevolve rapidly, even among closely related taxa.
Phylogenetic relationships in the genus have historically been difficult to intuit based on morphology, given numerous occurrences of convergent
evolution, but also difficult to determine based onmolecular characters, due to issues such as incomplete lineage sorting and hybridization. We present
results of the first target enrichment approach to
Impatiens phylogeny, using Angiosperm353 loci. In
our tree with over 325 individuals from 250 taxa, we
focus on resolving the phylogenetic relationships
among African taxa, with a fine-grain focus on theendemic-rich Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania
and Kenya. We also recovered plastomes for these732

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samples and estimated the chloroplast phylogeny; we found several instances of discordance with
the nuclear phylogeny. In the nuclear phylogeny, we
found that endemic-rich clades generally diversify
within mountain units in the Eastern Arc Mountains.
This indicates ecological speciation in this case,and the important role of limited dispersal ability in
Impatiens diversification. Conversely, we found the
opposite pattern in the bird pollinated endemic-richclades. However, the pattern for bird-pollinated taxa
is not present in the chloroplast tree.

S.239 MTZ FLORAS, A WARNING LIGHT OF
GLOBAL CONSERVATION FUTURE
S.239.1 Contrasting patterns
for endangered flora
revealed by 60-year landuse change analysis

rewilding is not the solution to conservation problems for plants, and could be counterproductive. Urban land-use changes present a more urgent issue,
especially for those endangered plants in coastal
areas. Finally, high herbivore density and richness
compromise endangered plant populations growing at high elevation in protected areas.

Sandra Navas1, Rut Sánchez de Dios1,
Felipe Domínguez Lozano1
1 Department of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution,
Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
Land-use change analysis is widely accepted asa biodiversity conservation tool. However, it has
seldom been used in the context of endangered
plants. Our aim is to accurately quantify changes inland cover over the last 60 years in a selection of 58
populations of 43 Spanish threatened plants. Consequently, we explain how these changes correlatewith major trends in biodiversity conservation suchas human demography, ecological gradients or
the spatial distribution of plant threats. A semi-automatic classification methodology has been used
to identify land-cover changes by comparing aerial
photographs from 1956 to 2019 in an established radius around field plots. Secondly, information fromfield plots and external databases was analyzed using GIS layers and PCA statistics. Land-use changes have been extensive throughout the sampledthreatened plant populations. On the one hand, we
find species inhabiting mountain areas, which areless prone to land-use changes because humanactivities are limited. On the other hand, species thathave their habitats in coastal and/or urbanized areas. Hence, land-use changes define two groups in
the endangered flora: a first group is related to highhuman densities, low elevation settings and low insitu protection, while a second group is related tothe cessation in human pressure, protected area
establishment and increase in forest cover. Basedon our research, it can be concluded that passive

S.239.2 Quantifying
the potential niches ofendangered plant species
for improving reintroduction
success
Merav Lebel Vine1, Jonathan Belmaker1,
Yuval Sapir1
1 Tel Aviv University, Israel.
One of the most severe threats to global biodiversity
is land-use changes. Reintroduction is a major conservation tool, but its success relies on accurate estimation of the species niche. While niche modelinghas been used to predict the distribution of plants, it
has been rarely used as a tool for predicting reintroduction success. We aim to examine the possible useof niche modeling for improving endangered species reintroduction success and thus contributing toplant conservation efforts. The East Mediterraneanbasin is a hotspot of plant diversity, but due to dense
population and massive urbanization, only a small
fraction of the natural areas remains, challenging
the finding of appropriate sites for reintroduction.
Moreover, habitat suitability is rapidly changing with
global climate change. We used species distribution models (SDM) to estimate the potential niche
for reintroduction of endangered species based on
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are currently performed for five endangered endemic plants- Rumex aeroplaniformis, Verbascum
berytheum, Salvia eigii, Onosma gigantea, and Vicia
esdraeloninsis- representing two endangered habitats: Loamy soils in valleys and coastal sandy soils.
For those species, we also predicted future potential
distribution using future climate projections. For all
species, the model predicts a general decline in thepotential distribution, particularly in the suitability ofcurrent population sites.

S.239.3 Composition,
diversity and productivityof ruderal vegetation in
Mediterranean peri-urban
greenspaces
Miriam García Torija1, José R. Quintana
Nieto2, Raquel Pino Bodas3, José A.
Molina Abril1
1 Department of Botany, Complutense University of
Madrid, Spain. 2 Department of Soil Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Spain. 3 Departmentof Botany, Rey Juan Carlos University, Madrid, Spai.n
Urban ecosystems are experiencing a significant
growth worldwide. Cities include areas that provide important ecosystem services such as carbon
sequestration and maintenance of biodiversity. In
a context of global warming, it is necessary to increase knowledge on ecosystem services provided
by Mediterranean urban greenspaces. Our study
was focused on spontaneous vegetation in four
periurban greenspaces located in Madrid (Spain).
We aimed to analyse the composition, diversity andproductivity of four plant community types widely extended in Mediterranean urban areas, namely
annual graminoid grasslands, annual herbaceous
communities on slope roadsides, perennial herbaceous communities and perennial graminoid grasslands. Plant species composition, productivity, diversity, cover of growth forms and functional groups
were determined in 3 plots x 4 plant-communities
x 4 greenspaces = 40 plots analyzed. We used generalized linear model to determine the influence ofthe community type on vegetation variables. We
performed a cluster analysis by unsupervised agglomerative classification, to test numerically thevegetation types and to identify their diagnostic,
characteristic and differential species. Our results
showed that perennial herbaceous communities

had a significant lower species richness in comparison to the other communities but a lower Shannon
index and higher biomass when comparing themwith herbaceous communities on slope roadsides
and perennial graminoid grasslands. Besides, annual grasslands showed a significant higher abundance of individuals. Regarding functional groups, asignificant higher cover of mucilage-accumulator
plants was detected in the perennial herbaceous
communities and of Sulphur-accumulator plants inthe annual herbaceous communities on slope roadsides. The agglomerative classification identified
two sub-communities within the vegetation type on
slope roadsides. We conclude that plant productivity, diversity, and cover of functional groups andtheir associated ecosystems services, are unevenly
distributed throughout urban greenspaces. Furthermore, their management should be addressed topreserve those vegetation types that better support
biodiversity and carbon storage.

S.239.4 Regional applicationof a global conservation
approach: spatial patternsof EDGE angiosperms in the
Iberian Peninsula
Ignacio Ramos-Gutiérrez1,2,3, Sebastian
Pipins2,4,5, Rafael Molina-Venegas3,6,
Mario Fernández-Mazuecos1,3, Pedro
Jiménez-Mejías7, Juan Carlos Moreno
Saiz1,3, Félix Forest2
1 Department of Biology (Botany), Universidad
Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain. 2 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, UK. 3 Centro deInvestigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global(UAM), Spain 4. Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College, London, UK. 5 On the Edge, London, UK.
6 Department of Ecology, Universidad Autónoma
de Madrid, Madrid, Spain. 7 Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemical Engineering (Botany),
Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain.
Determining the species or regions to prioritize forpreservation stands as a key topic in Conservation
Biology. Traditionally, this assessment relies on specific criteria such as the threat risk to a particulartaxon or the richness of species for defining protected areas. However, incorporating an evolutionary variable into these analyses can be achieved
through the utilization of mega-phylogenies. The
EDGE (Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endan-734

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gered) metric combines how evolutionary unique a
species is, along with how likely it is to become extinct. Thus, a comprehensive global EDGE analysis
allows the creation of a priority list, offering a quantitative measure of the importance of preserving
each individual species. The Iberian Peninsula is amajor center of plant richness and endemism within
the Mediterranean hotspot, and the recent publication of the AFLIBER atlas with the distributions of all
Iberian angiosperms using a 10 km grid, enabled theuse of an EDGE analysis for the first time for a regional flora. We then determined which areas presented
a higher conservation value, calculated as the sumof the EDGE scores of all occurring species in eacharea. Lastly, a prioritization list of areas for preservation was established using complementarity methods, maximizing EDGE conservation in a minimum
area. Many selected areas were located in coastal
or mountainous enclaves, often absent from national networks of protected spaces.

challenges? For that we explore trends in extinction
rates and threatening processes, delineating whattypes of plants are becoming more threatened andwhy. This will allow us to identify possible conservation gaps in plant conservation. We also deal with
future trends in protected areas: National Parks, microrreserves and urban areas in relationship withplant conservation.
Finally, we introduce flora rewilding as a restoration
approach for plant conservation. We identify somecurrent and future projects. We propose some tools
for a global system of plant biodiversity and conservation monitoring in the five MTZ.

S.239.6 200 years evolutionof an urban remnant habitat
Rut Sánchez de Dios1, Pablo Castro
Sánchez-Bermejo2,3, Ignacio Mola4, Felipe
Domínguez Lozano1

S.239.5 MTZ (MTE,
Mediterranean type zones)
floras, a warning light ofglobal conservation future

1 Department of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution,
Faculty of Biological Sciences. Complutense University of Madrid. 2 Institute of Biology/Geobotany
and Botanical Garden, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany. 3 German
Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research, Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany. 4 Independent
consultant.

Andrés Moreira-Muñoz1, Anthony G.
Rebelo2, Felipe Domínguez Lozano3
1 Instituto de Geografía. Pontificia Universidad
Católica de Valparaíso Valparaíso, Chile. 2 South
African National Biodiversity Institute, Kirstenbosch
National Botanical Garden Rhodes Dr, Newlands,
Cape Town, South Africa. 3 Fac. Biología, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
MTZ combines three main aspects basic in conservation science, biodiversity, threats and knowledge.
It is one of the richest and highly diverse biome in
the Globe, the most if we consider area extension. In
addition, the MTZ floras are extensively studied andwell known. Finally, MTZ has been for long, one of themore intensive conservation scenarios. We address
two major points: First, we review major current
drivers of threats. We provide an update on someof the most acknowledged plant conservation
problems, such as land use changes (urbanization),
fire, or herbivory. We also review the red list plants
assessments in MTZ. Then, we carry on a future
prospect of conservation mediterranean plants,
addresing future scenarios of conservation efforts.
More specifically, we question: are different MTZ areas responding differently to common conservation

Urban biodiversity is originated by the curse of urban
history, biogeographical context, and disturbance
regime. Therefore, several species groups and functionalities conform present urban biotas, conforming a mixture of novel ecosystems and remnantsof natural habitats. Recently, urban settings havebeen considered perfect scenarios to develop nature conservation and restoration actions. However,
because of this mixed origin and rapid changes, thefrontier between nature and cultural conservation
may be fuzzy and true conservation measures could
be mistaken for traditional horticultural practices.
The study of the evolution of remnant natural habitats immersed in the urban matrix can contribute toclarify future trends of urban biodiversity conservation. We hypothesized that urban remnants evolve
differently than the rest of urban green habitats bymaintaining, not also more species diversity, butalso better functionality. Further, they may respondin different ways to urban perturbations. Our main
objectives are: (i) To record gain and losses for native and non-native plants for a 200-year period ina remnant habitat, Casa de Campo (Madrid), andto compare it with the rest of urban green habitats.

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Oral presentations(ii) To study rare- common species conformation
during this period. (iii) To study functional diversity and functional spectrum. By compiling plant records from different inventories performed in Casa
de Campo and Madrid during the last 200 years, werecorded losses and gains of species (discovery andextinction rates) in both Casa de Campo and therest of the city and simulated how different scenarios of plant species change may affect functional diversity in the remnant habitat and its surroundings.

S.240 INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACHESIN THE VISUAL ARTS AND THE BOTANICALSCIENCES
S.240.1 “Iconotypes” at the
Natural History Museum
Vienna and the importanceof color systems, such as
those utilized by Ferdinand
Bauer

pencil field-sketches, now almost all at the Natural
History Museum Vienna, were the bases for coloredillustrations (mostly now at The Natural History Museum London), some of which are types. The drawings
are important, as they include information omitted
from the final, colored illustrations, such as collection localities, dates, and additional detailed sketches of descriptive morphological characters. The fielddrawings enabled Bauer to produce colored platesof exceptional aesthetic and scientific quality by employing numerical and other codes, which indicate
the hue, brightness, opacity, and texture of particularparts of the living organism.

Tanja M. Schuster1, Mario-Dominik Riedl1,
Sarah M. Fiedler1, Martin Krenn1, Heimo
Rainer1, David J. Mabberley2,3,4
1 Natural History Museum Vienna, Vienna, Austria. 2
Wadham College, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
3 School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University,
Sydney, Australia. 4 Australian Institute of Botanical
Science, Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust,
Sydney, Australia.
Aside from the more commonly selected herbarium
specimens for this purpose, a botanical illustration,in particular a historical one, can also serve as type
for the name of a taxon. Although the term “iconotype” is not formally used in the International Code of
Nomenclature for Algae, Fungi, and Plants, it is generally understood to be an illustration that serves as
the type for the name of a taxon. For example, thelectotypes of many Linnaean binomials are illustrations. When a type specimen is lost or destroyed, illustrations prepared from the original material can becandidates for types; such illustrations are obligate
lectotypes when all other original material has beenlost. The Archive for the History of Science at the Natural History Museum Vienna holds many such “iconotypes.” These include illustrations used in Jacquin’s,
Schott’s, and others’ taxon descriptions. Use of illustrations as types is facilitated if they were made using standardized coloration. An outstanding exampleof this is the work of Ferdinand Lucas Bauer. Bauer’s

S.240.2 Botanical motifs inthe visual arts in China: analternative look at nature
Jordi López-Pujol1, Neus Nualart1
1 Botanical Institute of Barcelona (CSIC-CMCNB),
Barcelona, Spain.
It is well known that plant elements (flowers, leaves,
fruits, but also whole plants) are a recurring motif inthe different expressions of visual art (mainly painting,ceramics, sculpture and architecture) in most culturesand civilizations. In the case of East Asian countries(China, Korea and Japan) botanical motifs have aneven more evident weight in their art, mainly due tothe dominant religion and philosophy (mainly Taoism,
Buddhism and Shintoism) in which nature and respect
for it is a common thread of many of their principles. In
this contribution we are focusing on the case of China, a place where “artistic botany” reached its maximum expression thanks, most likely, to the astonishing wealth of plant species and different landscapesthat the country houses. This great diversity may haveconstituted a substrate and at the same time a cat-736

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alyst for the rooting of beliefs and precepts in harmony with nature and, in turn, a source of inspiration for
artists. Some examples of plant motifs used profusely
in Chinese visual art will be presented, corresponding
to various historical periods, including Buddhist, Taoist and Confucian symbols. These will be used as vehicles through which we analyze China’s flora from ascientific point of view, both in aspects of diversity andconservation. Finally, the possibilities offered by the
resurgence of Buddhism and Taoism in China for theconservation of its biodiversity will be also discussed.

S.240.3 Kaleidoscope
Science: using herbarium
specimens, scientificillustrations, andprintmaking to provide aholistic perspective on na
Erin Bentley1,2, Dr. David Tank1,2, Bailey
Russel3, Lars Roeder3, Rebecca Austin3,4
1 Program in Ecology and Evolution, Department of
Botany, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA. 2
Rocky Mountain Herbarium, Laramie, WY, USA. 3 Visual Arts Department, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA. 4 Makerspace Wyrkshop, University of
Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA.
Transdisciplinary approaches to science, specifically science/art, increase student learning andengagement and retain underrepresented groups
in STEM, and using art to engage the public has
been the source of many broader impacts. An
area of transdisciplinarity that is understudied
and underutilized is embracing our “transdisciplinary self”. People are multifaceted, from their
biology to their culture. However, we often findourselves in a self or socially enforced silo. Thisis common in science, where specialization isolates disciplines, ways of thought, and collaboration. Instead of dividing ourselves into categories
like “scientist,” “artist,” “student,” “gamer,” “teacher,” we should be embracing all of them to informour “transdisciplinary self.” By bringing our wholeselves to our research, outreach, and teaching, we
produce more meaningful outcomes. Through myexperiences leading National Science Foundation
funded science art outreach projects, conducting
scholarship of teaching and learning research,and developing my artistic practice, I understandthat by being our transdisciplinary selves, we

make science art that achieves more than justcommunication. To accomplish this, I worked with
Visual Arts faculty at the University of Wyoming todevelop a project that exemplifies the idea of thetransdisciplinary self. Kaleidoscope Science is ascience art outreach project using photo processes and printmaking to showcase the complexityof native organisms. These organisms are viewed
through many lenses to generate a holistic perspective of their ecology, natural history, traditional knowledge, and other perspectives. To highlightthe different aspects of each organism, we paira screen print designed in a certain color/set ofcolors with a corresponding perspective and expert narrative. The final product is similar to Andy
Warhol’s “Self Portrait,” and can be used in schools,
institutions, and by researchers to gain insightfulperspectives on organisms and the complexityof research, themselves, and the benefits of thetransdisciplinary self.

S.240.4 Personal practices
in the integration of art andscience
Nicolette Sipperly1
1 Department of Ecology and Evolution, Stony Brook
University, New York, USA.
Unification of art and science has largely been accepted in the scientific community as a way for
scientists to hone in on communication skills andbe able to share their science more broadly. However, I argue that there are greater implications
integrating art and science process. During thispresentation will share how it became essential
for me to make art to explore my personal experiences alongside my work crafting my dissertation. For example, through this process I found theways that looking at my emotional experience andpersonal growth with a scientific attention to detail and curiosity allowed me to overcome difficultinteraction; to take ownership for my emotions
rather than attempting to control the emotions ofothers. I share the how I consciously bringing myheart into science helped me find (or rise again
after failing to find!) the notoriously elusive plants
I study while navigating summers in the Rocky
Mountains from Idaho to New Mexico solo. Finally, I share how devoting my final field season towater color portraits of my study group taught
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past seasons driven by my rush to collect data. By
allowing awareness of my emotions to be present in science, I found I was able to connect tomy work more honestly and with less resistanceto failed expectations. Most importantly, I foundbeauty in and purpose for my unique strengths.
Without taking into account emotional reality, science will perpetuate the disconnect between humans and the natural world that is made undeniable in the depletion of our world’s soils, dramatic
loss of biodiversity and in the always rising rates ofdepression and anxiety. However, if we embraceand move forward without rejecting any parts ofourselves, we can mend our relationships by connecting to human creativity.

S.240.5 How Do We Learn
to Love Learning? Using Art
and Creativity to Facilitate
Paleobotanical Outreach
Ashley Hamersma1
1 Florida Museum of Natural History, University of
Florida, Gainesville, USA.
What makes an educational experience memorable? How can education be individually relevant to students while maintaining quality andconsistency? Can we as educators utilize ourdistinctive experiences to inform more effective communication? Developing outreach andteaching materials and habits is a lifelong andadaptive learning process, often through which
we reach a main goal of scientific communication. In this discussion, I explore relevant methods incorporating interactive creativity used tofoster engagement and understanding between
scientist and audience, be that in the classroom
or other settings we find ourselves in. I include myexperiences in these roles and discuss responses to and results from different creative learning experiences I have facilitated throughout mytime as an educator, and directions of interest
for future work. As scientists and educators, weare situated where our connections to both roles
require us to explore the most effective ways tocommunicate concepts to colleagues, students,
and the general public. In recognizing the role ourown perspectives and skills play in our teaching
and communication, it is increasingly possible toutilize those differences to teach in a unique andeffective way.

S.240.6 Field Notes
Andrew L. Hipp1,2, Rachel D Davis3
1 Center for Tree Science and Herbarium, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, Illinois, USA. 2 Committee on
Evolutionary Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA. 3 Independent Artist, artbumble.
com, Downers Grove, Illinois, USA.
The of this talk have been collaborating formally as
artist (RD) and writer (AH) for more than 20 years. We
have published a book and several illustrated natural essays together, and we have a book in press.
We are currently working on a series of paintingsand essays based on the lakes of Northern Wisconsin, supported by a multiyear residency through the
Drawing Water Program at UW Madison’s Trout Lake
Station. We collaborate at the interface between art,
literature, science, and natural history. Our work is inpart documentary: we take great pleasure in seeing and recording what the natural world presents
us, then sharing it in our own ways. We each see
an organism from a different angle, see something
the other could not have. The collaboration moves
beyond documenting and telling about, however. It
also informs our individual work in art, education, andscience. For Andrew, writing mediates between subjects of inquiry in the field and herbarium—a weevil
escaping from an acorn, an early-emerging false
rue anemone—and the processes that connect individual organisms. Sentences convey information,
but they also give form to understanding. The writingis the thinking, not simply an account of thoughts.
For Rachel, photographing plants, fungi and insects
is a first step to discovering the formal in the natural.
Painting, drawing, natural dyes, and printmaking areways to distill the shapes of plants, the light reflected off the water, mosses seen through a magnifying
lens, and lichens into patterns. The rearrangementof shapes from the landscape with colors found innature engages and feeds her as an artist. Our talkwill illustrate how this collaboration both reveals andexists in parallel with the natural world, while presenting our understanding of how integrating art,science, and natural history has changed our respective practices.

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S.241 ECOSYSTEM GENOMICS: ELUCIDATINGTHE GENETIC DRIVERS OF NUTRIENT FLUXES IN
BRYOPHYTE DOMINATED COMMUNITIES
S.241.1 Mosses as hosts
to nitrogen-fixing
cyanobacteria: abiotic andbiotic controls
Kathrin Rousk1
1 Department of Biology, Center for Volatile Interactions, VOLT, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
Nitrogen (N) fixation by moss-associated cyanobacteria is the main source of new N in pristine
ecosystems such as arctic tundra, boreal forests, and tropical cloud forests. While we havea good understanding of individual factors (e.g.
temperature, humidity) that drive this ecosystemprocess, we still lack a comprehensive frameworkthat can answer key questions in biogeochemistry, symbioses and ecophysiology research.
Here, I present N fixation data from various environmental gradients (and thereby the combined
effects of various factors), ranging from altitudinal to nutrient availability gradients, as well as
moss hosts to synthesize current knowledge on
moss-associated N fixation. For instance, N fixation decreased with elevation along a tropicalforest mountain, linked to sharp declines in air
temperature, relative humidity as well as shifts inbacterial communities associated with mosses.
Nitrogen availability or pollution is another key
driver of moss-associated N fixation, with inhibiting effects along natural N fertility gradients aswell as in laboratory settings. In contrast, heavy
metal pollution seems to be less detrimental.
Whether moss host or the habitat drives bacterial
communities on mosses, and thereby, N fixation
rates, is an ongoing debate, and I bring new data
to the debate.

S.241.2 Variation in volatileorganic compoundemissions and nitrogen
fixation rates from subarctic
cryptogams and associatedmicrobes.
Annika Engroff1, Wanying Zhang1,2, Kathrin
Rousk1
1 Center for Volatile Interactions, Department of
Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen,Denmark. 2 School of Earth and Space Sciences,
University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China.
Cryptogams can be significant emitters of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). VOCs are highly reactive, can considerably affect atmospheric chemistry and lead to positive and negative
climate feedback. Simultaneously, cryptogams
associate with microbes, especially nitrogen(N)-fixing cyanobacteria. Cyanobacteria cancontribute to N-budget of the plant host as well
as of the ecosystem. Besides their contribution
to the N cycle, these microbes could contribute
substantially to VOC emissions measured from
cryptogams. However, their contribution has notbeen assessed to date, and a potential link to N
fixation, albeit plausible, is similarly unknown. In
this study, VOC emission and N fixation rates ofseveral cryptogamic species were measured.
Four moss species (Hylocomium splendens,
Sphagnum spp., Pleurozium schreberii, Polytrichum commune), three lichen species (Peltigera aphtosa, Nephrona arcticum, Cladonia spp.)
and one liverwort species (Lophozia lycopodioides) from subarctic tundra were investigated before and after removal of associated microbes.
Removal of associated microbes was done bysurface sterilizing. VOC emissions were measured
using real time PTR-ToF-MS and GC-MS. N fixation
rates were measured using the acetylene reduction assay (ARA) as a measure of nitrogenase
activity. Results revealed statistically significant-739

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ly lower N fixation rates in washed compared tocontrol condition in Hylocomium splendens andPolytrichum commune. Of all cryptograms in thisstudy, N fixation rates were highest in the lichens
Peltigera aphtosa and Nephrona arcticum andlowest in the liverwort Lophozia lycopodioides
but without significant differences between control and washed condition. This lack of effect tosurface sterilization on N fixation could be due tovarious reasons such as cyanobacteria residing
safely within the plant cell or generally low colonization of some species. Preliminary data shows
VOC emission rate and blend differences among
cryptogam species as well as a positive link to N
fixation rates.

and nitrogen-fixing activities of these microorganisms. Information is also lacking about theimportance and dynamics of moss–cyanobacteria interactions in tropical ecosystems and how
they will be directly or indirectly affected by climate change. In this presentation, I explore advances on the molecular aspects of ecologicalinteractions between mosses and cyanobacteria
in northern and tropical ecosystems. Our results
suggest that mosses from different environments
are potentially capable of manipulating themorphophysiology of cyanobionts to increase
their N fixation rates, but without necessarily giving cyanobacteria something in return.

S.241.4 The evolutionary
origin of gene networks
regulating mutualistic
plant-microbe interactions

S.241.3 The molecular
ecology of moss–
cyanobacteria symbioses
Danillo Oliveira Alvarenga1, Lina Ávila
Clasen1, Rune Fromm Andersen1, Kathrin
Rousk1

Yuling Yue1,2, Anna Neubauer1,2, Gaurav
Sablok3, Jaakko Hyvönen3, Péter
Szövényi1,2

1 Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen,Denmark. 2 Center for Volatile Interactions, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
Cyanobacteria are oxygenic photoautotrophs
that are widely known for releasing potent toxins in water bodies, contributing to global oxygen
production and playing an important part in theevolution of life on the planet. Nevertheless, nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria also perform a vital
ecological role in the nitrogen cycle of several aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, either as
free-living organisms or in symbiotic relationships. Several plants from tropical, temperate andboreal environments were shown to recruit cyanobacteria as epiphytic symbionts when going
through nitrogen starvation. This includes mosses, non-vascular plants that are usually found inmoist and shaded areas. These bryophytes canbe responsible for up to 100% of primary production in some pristine northern ecosystems, inwhich 50% of the nitrogen input may derive frommoss–cyanobacteria associations. Moss–cyanobacteria interactions have consequences on
a global scale, since northern environments sequester 20% of all the carbon generated by forests in the world and stock at least 32% of global terrestrial carbon. Nevertheless, few is known
about how mosses can influence the physiology

1 Department of Systematic and Evolutionary botany, University of Zurich, Switzerland. 2 Zurich-Basel
Plant Science Center, Zurich, Switzerland. 3Facultyof Biological and Environmental Science, University
of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
It was proposed that the molecular network enabling and controlling intimate plant-microbe
symbiotic interactions could have evolved froma general starvation response. Molecules released during starvation by the host plants could
have been recruited by microbes to recognize
the plant host and the ancestral starvation network of the host plant could have been extended
with components enabling proper control of thesymbiotic interaction. Nevertheless, this hypothesis remains largely untested because information on the consequences of nutrient starvation ismainly available for vascular plants but missing
for most non-vascular plant lineages. Here we
investigated this hypothesis by exploring gene
expression changes during nitrogen starvation in
the two major lineages of bryopyhtes, hornworts
and liverworts, capable of establishing intimate
symbiotic interaction with cyanobacteria. By
conducting comparative analyses with symbiotic
and non-symbiotic vascular as well as non-vascular plants we found that the global gene expression response to nitrogen starvation is high-740

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ly conserved across bryophytes and vascularplants. Furthermore, we observed little difference
in response to nitrogen starvation in symbiotic
and non-symbiotic species and between species establishing symbiosis with AM fungi, nodule
forming bacteria or cyanobacteria. These observations suggest that the nitrogen and general
nutrient starvation response is highly conserved
across the two major lineages of land plants thevascular plants and the bryophytes and likely
represents a starvation response inherited fromtheir common ancestor. While the overall starvation response was conserved, we were alsoable to identify pathways and molecule groups
only induced in the cyanobacteria-hosting bryophyte species implying their potentially role in attracting the symbionts in the initial phase of thesymbiosis. Overall, our results are in line with theproposed hypothesis and suggest that regulatory gene networks governing the intimate symbiotic interaction between plants and microbes
have likely evolved from a conserved starvation
response involving few regulatory changes.

S.241.5 A laboratoryto-field approach for
determining the genetic
and environmental factors
underlying mutualism withina Sphagnum peatland
systemDavid J. Weston1, Alyssa Carrell1, Jun
Hyung Lee1, Sara Jawdy1, Dale Pelletier1,
Jon Shaw2, Gustaf Granath3, Adam
Healey4, Jeremy Schmutz4

ganic matter. Sphagnum together with associated microorganisms, contributes substantial
nitrogen inputs into peatlands and influences
host resilience to extreme climatic events. Underchanging environmental conditions, a central
question about these ecosystems is whether the
Sphagnum-microbiome will maintain its beneficial interactions, or will it shift to neutral or evenantagonistic interactions that ultimately influence peatland carbon gain and storage. Here,
we test the hypothesis that the thermal origin of
the microbiome influence Sphagnum host performance and resilience to warming. Briefly, wemechanically separated the microbiome from
Sphagnum plants residing in a whole ecosystem
warming study, transferred the component microbes to germ-free plants, and exposed the newhosts to temperature stress. Although warming
decreased plant photosynthesis and growth ingerm-free plants, the addition of a microbiome
from a thermal origin that matched the experimental temperature completely restored plants
to their pre-warming growth rates. Metagenome
and metatranscriptome analyses revealed thatwarming altered microbial community structure,including the composition of key cyanobacteria
symbionts, in a manner that induced the plantheat shock response, especially the Hsp70 family and jasmonic acid production. The plant heatshock response could be induced even without
warming, suggesting that the warming-origin
microbiome provided the host plant with thermal
preconditioning. Together, our findings show thatthe microbiome can transmit thermotolerant
phenotypes to host plants, providing a valuablestrategy for rapidly responding to environmental
change.

1 Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN. 2
Duke University, Durham NC. 3 Uppsala University,
Sweden. 4 Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek,
California, USA.
The importance of plant-microbiome systems onterrestrial carbon and nitrogen processes is perhaps most pronounced in Sphagnum dominatedecosystems, which occupy 3% of the Earth’s land
surface yet store approximately 30% of terrestrial
carbon as recalcitrant organic matter (i.e., peat).
The foundation plant Sphagnum is responsible
for much of the primary production in peatland
ecosystems and produces recalcitrant dead or-741

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S.242 DYSPLOIDY, DIPLOIDISATION AND
DIVERSIFICATION: IMPACT OF POSTPOLYPLOID GENOME RESTRUCTURING ON
SPECIES AND TRAIT DIVERSITY. SESSION 1
S.242.1 Post-polyploid
diploidization anddiversification throughdysploid changes
Terezie Mandáková1
1 Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk
University, Brno, Czech Republic.
Whole-genome duplications are pervasive
across land plant phylogenies, with pronounced
frequency in ferns and angiosperms. These duplications have been instrumental in propellingthe evolution of key innovations, fostering diversification within numerous angiosperm clades andlineages. Notably, diversification is not instigatedby genome doubling itself. Instead, the differentiation of primary polyploid populations, facilitatedby various processes, culminates in post-polyploid genome diploidization. Structural diploidization orchestrates a gradual reversion of thepolyploid genome to a functionally diploid-likestate through frequent chromosomal rearrangements, giving rise to dysploid changes. These
alterations, in turn, hold the potential to induce
reproductive isolation among post-polyploid offspring, significantly contributing to speciationand cladogenetic events. This intricate interplay
between genome dynamics and evolutionary
outcomes underscores the importance of understanding the role of post-polyploid diploidizationin shaping plant diversity.

S.242.2 Recurrent polyploidy,
dysploidy, genome
restructuring and ecologicalsuccess in Sporobolus sect.
Spartina (Chloridoideae,
Poacea)Armel Salmon1, Lin-Feng Li2, Morgane
Milin1, Yan Hao2, Armand Cavé-Radet1,
Delphine Giraud1, Oscar Lima1, Virginie
Huteau3, Olivier Coriton3, JM Aury4, P.
Wincker4, Bo Li2, Malika Ainouche1
1 Université de Rennes, UMR CNRS 6553, Ecosystèmes-Biodiversité-Evolution, OSUR, Campus deBeaulieu, Rennes, France. 2 Ministry of Education
Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Center for Evolutionary Biology, Fudan University, Shanghai, China. 3 Plateforme
de cytogénétique moléculaire végétale, Institut deGénétique, Environnement et Protection des Plantes, INRA Domaine de la Motte, Le Rheu. 4 Genoscope, Institut de biologie François-Jacob, Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique CEA, Université
Paris-Saclay, Evry, France.
Polyploidy and genome evolution are particularly
well documented in the grass family (Poaceae),although the accumulated knowledge is concentrated in subfamilies containing important crop
species such as rice (Oryzoideae), maize, Sorghum(Panicoideae) or wheat (Pooideae) and related
species. In contrast, one of the largest, and highly variable subfamily (notably with regard to basechromosome number and ploidy levels), Chloridoideae, is still underinvestigated. We focused on
the large Sporobolus genus where various basic
chromosome numbers are recorded (n=7, 8, 9, 10).
In this genus, S. sect. Spartina (Schreb.) P.M.Peterson& Saarela is a monophyletic clade that represents
an iconic model system in evolutionary ecology. It
contains several species that are considered as
ecosystem engineers on coastal saltmarshes, and742

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some of them are highly invasive, having expanded on different continents. Of particular interestis the textbook example of neopolyploidy involving hybridization in Europe between the native
Sporobolus maritimus (presumed hexaploid with
2n=60) and introduced American S. alterniflorus(2n=62) during the 19th century. Genome duplication of the sterile hybrid S. x townsendii (2n=62)
resulted in the successful allopolyploid species
S. anglicus (2n=124). We conducted comparative
analyses involving newly Sporobolus-Spartinaassembled genomes and related grass genomes.
We show how two successive whole genome duplication events (WGD1 & WGD2) have shaped themesopolyploid parental genomes (chromosomal
repatterning, repetitive sequence dynamics) following the diversification of the Sporobolus- Spartina clade in the last 20 MYs. Descending dysploidy
appears to have resulted in a new base chromosome number following WGD1, which allowed us torevisit ploidy levels of the derived species. We also
show how chromosomal restructuration accompanied divergence between S. maritimus and S.
alterniflorus (2-5 MYA) during the speciation process and resulted in an additional chromosome
pair (2n=60+2) in S. alterniflorus, and discuss consequences of these dramatic genome changes
on species distribution and ecology.

S.242.3 Cyto-phylogenomicsof the Brachypodium
grass complex unveils
different pre- and postpolyploidization descending
dysploidy trends
María Ángeles Decena1,2, Joanna
Lusinska3, Rubén Sancho1, 2, Robert
Hasterok3, Ernesto Pérez-Collazos1,2, Luís. A.
Inda1,4, Pilar Catalán1,2
1 Departamento de Ciencias Agrarias y del MedioNatural. Escuela Politécnica Superior de Huesca.
Universidad de Zaragoza, Huesca, Spain. 2 Grupo
de Bioquímica, Biofísica y Biología Computacional(BIFI, UNIZAR), Unidad Asociada al CSIC, Zaragoza,
Spain. 3 Plant Cytogenetics and Molecular Biology
Group, Institute of Biology, Biotechnology and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Natural Sciences,
University of Silesia in Katowice, Katowice, Poland. 4
Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón-IA2 (Universidad de Zaragoza-CITA), Aragón, Spain.

Descending dysploidy may be considered as oneof the mechanisms that convert polyploids intofunctional diploids. However, karyotypes resulting
from this mechanism can also be present in neopolyploids and diploids. The model grass genus
Brachypodium contains up to 21 recognized species showing a remarkable descending dysploidy
and various ploidy levels. We performed an extensive cyto-phylogenomic study of its 14 worldwide
distributed perennial species and minor satellite
taxa. Genome size, chromosome number, andcomparative-chromosome-barcoding analyses
across 147 populations revealed previously unknown cytotypes for several species and characterized the karyotypic profiles of their constituent
genomes. A Brachypodium supertree showed theparticipation of ancestral ‘orphan’ progenitor genomes in American B. mexicanum, ancestral andrecent ‘orphan’ and ‘extant’ progenitor genomes
with diverse basic chromosome numbers or karyotype structure in the aridic-to-mesic Mediterranean and Western European lineages (B. retusum,
B. boissieri, B. phoenicoides, B. rupestre), and intermediate-recent ‘extant’ progenitor genomes incurrently diploid core-perennial mesic lineages (B.
arbuscula-2x, B. sylvaticum-2x, B. pinnatum-2x).
Phylogenetic inference suggested the rapid evolution of distinct descending dysploidy trends
from ancestral (x=10) or intermediate (x=9) karyotypes to different sorts of derived karyotypes (x=8,
x=6, x=5). Our hypothesized scenarios indicatedthat some of the descending dysploidies preceded both ancestral and recent polyploidizations(x=10->x=8[genome A2], x=10->x=9[G], x=10->x=5[D], x=9->x=8[E1], x=9->x=5[E2]) as these uniquekaryotypes correspond to orphan diploid progenitor genomes of current Brachypodium polyploids,
while others likely occurred after the polyploidizations (x=8[A2]+8[E1]+5[E2]->x=8[A2]+6[E1’]+5[E2];x=9[G]+5[E2]+5[E2]->x=8[G’]+5[E2]+5[E2]), as theycorrespond to rare orphan subgenomes of someallopolyploids. Our analysis uncovered anotherrecent descending dysploidy (x=9[G]->x=8[G*])occurring in parallel in closely diverging diploidlineages. Most of the descending dysploidies detected in Brachypodium resulted from nested
chromosome fusions, while just a few were causedby telomeric fusions. The different combinationsof these ‘orphan’ and ‘extant’ dysploid genomes
originated diverse phenotypic differences among
species and cytotypes.

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S.242.4 Phylogenomics andbiogeography of Nicotiana
section Suaveolentes

1 Department of Biological Sciences, The Universityof Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA. 2 Officeof Environmental Services and Historic Preservation, United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians,
Tahlequah, Oklahoma, USA. 3 Alabama Water Institute, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA.

Luiz A. Cauz-Santos1, Rosabelle Samuel1,
Dominik Metschina1, Maarten J. M.
Christenhusz2,3, Ovidiu Paun1, Mark W.
Chase1,2,3
1 Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research,
University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria. 2 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, UK. 3 Departmentof Environment and Agriculture, Curtin University,
Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
For the last six million years, the Australian Eremaean Zone (EZ) has been as dry as today. The flora andfauna of arid regions worldwide, including the EZ,
have been hypothesised to have diversified widely
before aridification began, in this case 20 Mya, andslowly adapted as aridity developed. Undocumented
are more recently arrived plants that developed arid
specialisations in situ. Here, we investigate the biogeography and timing of native allotetraploid tobaccos, Nicotiana sect. Suaveolentes, which putatively
entered the EZ 5 Mya. The original allotetraploid migrants from South America were adapted to mesic
areas of Australia and only recently radiated in the EZ
after developing drought adaptations. Based on coalescent and maximum likelihood analyses designed
to corroborate timing of the Australian radiation independently, arrival of Nicotiana sect. Suaveolentes
occurred approximately 6 Mya, followed by spread
via multiple invasions across the EZ from the ecologically highly diverse Pilbara District (Western Australia), which served as a mesic refugium and cradle
for adaptations to harsher conditions. These results
demonstrate that poorly adapted plant groups candevelop novel adaptations that permit them todisperse extensively and rapidly despite the extremesof heat and drought in the EZ.

S.242.5 Comparative
genomics of woody
bamboos using a novel
Arundinaria gigantea
genomeGiant rivercane (Arundinaria gigantea (Walter)
Muhl., Poaceae) is a woody bamboo species native to the eastern United States. Prior to European colonization, large stands of giant river cane—called canebrakes—formed unique ecosystems
across the Southeast. However, these ecosystems
have undergone significant reduction, diminishing to a mere fraction of their original size. Thisdecline has resulted in the dwindling or extinctionof multiple species that depended on canebrakes
for survival. Moreover, giant river cane holds considerable significance in the cultural practicesof numerous Indigenous Peoples, making it botha cultural and ecological keystone species. As amember of the tribe Arundinarieae, Arundinaria
shares a polyploidy event with other temperate
woody bamboo species and is part of a complex subgenomic history associated with multiple
polyploid events and reticulate evolution acrossthe bamboos. In this study, we present the first
chromosome-scaffolded genome of Arundinaria
gigantea. Using this genome and other available
bamboo genomes, we characterize variation in
how shared and different polyploid events have
diploidized in the bamboos. We consider patternsof transposon diversity, retention of paralogs, differences in post-polyploid tandem gene duplications, structural changes, and homoeologous
exchange, and examine how they influence overall subgenome contribution to genes associatedwith potentially adaptive phenotypes. Given theuniquely high discrepancy across bamboos forflowering cycle times, we focus on genes identified through transcriptomes generated from floral and fruit tissue taken at various developmental stages to investigate how these genes have
evolved across different bamboo lineages. Finally, we discuss the future of how the Arundinaria genome will be used to assess genotypic andphenotypic diversity across populations of giant
river cane in efforts to restore these lost ecosystems and promote the protection of threatened
species and Indigenous cultural practices.

Michael R. McKain1, Fae D. Bramblepelt1,
Roger Cain2, and Michael Fedoroff3744

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S.242.6 Genomic changes
between early generationsof allopolyploids show
diploidization andincreased progeny fitness inTragopogon
Ingrid E Jordon-Thaden1,2,3, Douglas E.
Soltis3, Pamela S. Soltis2,3
1 Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin
Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA. 2 Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA. 3 Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.
Recently formed allopolyploids Tragopogon mirus andT. miscellus (Asteraceae) and their diploid parental
species, T. dubius, T. porrifolius, and T. pratensis, offer
an opportunity to study the earliest stages of allopolyploidy. This study is the first large-scale common-garden and genotyping experiment to assess genomic
and phenotypic trait variation in the North American
Tragopogon allopolyploid complex from both naturaland synthetic lines. We conclude that polyploidization
contributes to larger progeny and therefore improved
establishment of the young plant, as well as the al-

ready known gigas effect observed in mature polyploid plants, resulting in increased competitive ability.
Natural populations as well as the three generations ofresynthesized allopolyploid lines examined here generally showed minor phenotypic trait differences, indicating that any trait differences due to polyploidization
were seen in the very first generation after allopolyploidy had occurred and did not change much in subsequent generations after polyploid formation. Likewise,
we detected evidence of diploidization via gene loss
and as well as gene silencing in the first generations
after polyploid formation and repeated across different lineages. We observed increasing gene loss andsilencing over several generations of synthetic polyploids and even more in the natural polyploids approximately 45-50 generations old. Both genomic andexpression changes are maintained and continue toaccumulate over subsequent generations at a steadyrate over time, with gene loss occurring at a greater magnitude and rate than gene silencing over thesame time period. Gene silencing does not seem tobe a prerequisite for gene loss, and the two processes
may operate independently of each other. Our findings confirm McClintock’s hypothesis of genomic andtranscriptomic shock following hybridization, but in thiscase following allopolyploidization. Together, these results further demonstrate the dynamic nature of polyploid genomes shortly after their formation.

S.243 THE JOURNAL OF PLANT RESEARCH´S
SYMPOSIUM ON BIOTIC INTERACTIONS AND
BIOLOGICAL INVASION. SESSION 2
S.243.1 Traits of cooccurring native and nonnative plants in invaded
communities
Montserrat Vilà1,2, Javier Galán Díaz3,
Ingrid M Parker4, Enrique G. de la Riva5
1 Doñana Biological Station (CSIC), Sevilla, Spain. 2
Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University
of Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain. 3 Department of Pharmacology, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid,
Spain. 4 Department of Ecology and Evolutionary
Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, USA.
5 Department of Biodiversity and Environmental
Management, University of León, León, Spain.

Many plant species of European origin have been
introduced to North America. Many of these introduced species are highly competitive, and havedisplaced endemic native plant species. However,in most invaded communities, non-native species
co-occur with some native species. We investigated
the role of non-native plant species in the functional
assembly of putative donor and recipient communities by conducting coordinated floristic surveys
and analysis of plant traits related to competitive
ability in California and Spanish grasslands. While in
Spain, all species were native, in California, half species were non-native. All non-native species foundin California grasslands were native in Spain. Many
non-native species were more abundant in the
Californian invaded grasslands than in the com-745

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munities of their putative Spanish native range. Invaded California grasslands were more similar in
species composition to Spanish grasslands thansome Spanish grasslands were among themselves.
In California, non-native species had more resource
acquisitive traits than co-occurring native species.
In Spain, species that invaded California were also
more acquisitive than species not known to be invasive somewhere. However, trait differences were
not as large as in the introduced range of California indicating that they might have increased theircompetitive ability. This might also reflect preadaptation of the entire species pool to the management
practices that have taken place in Europe for millennia. Trait differences between native and non-native species were also dependent on environmental conditions indicating that niche differentiation is
subject to the influence of abiotic and biotic filters
encountered in the new region of introduction. Our
results show that differences between co-occurring
native and non-native species are context dependent and that a correct interpretation of filtering
processes in community assembly requires a biogeographical perspective.

S.243.2 Buzz pollination ininvasive plant populations
Mario Vallejo-Marín1
1 Plant Ecology and Evolution, Department of Ecology and Genetics. Uppsala University, Sweden.
Plant populations that colonise and spread beyond their native range might face reproductive
challenges arising from the scarcity of con-specific mates and suitable pollinators. For this reason, it
could be expected that outcrossing plants with specialised pollination syndromes should be at a particular disadvantage compared to similar species
with generalised pollination or capable of shifting toautonomous self-pollination. Here, I discuss the caseof species that have managed to successfully colonise and spread beyond their native range despite
having a functionally specialised pollination systemthat relies on vibration-producing bees to release
pollen, i.e., buzz pollination. Buzz pollinated plants
usually have tubular-shaped anthers that open
only through small apical gaps or pores (poricidal
anthers). Reducing pollen limitation in successful
invasions of buzz pollinated plants could be facilitated by modification of poricidal anthers to release
pollen in the absence of pollinators, thus promoting
autonomous selfing. Alternatively, buzz-pollinatedplants may be able to recruit taxonomically different, but functionally similar types of buzz pollinating
bees in the introduced range. Buzz pollinating bees
are geographically widespread and can adapt behaviourally to deploy vibrations in many types offlowers. Thus, we expect that invasions of buzz pollinated plants often occur by recruiting non-native
buzz pollinators rather than by transitions to increased autonomous selfing.

S.243.3 Adapting plant
genetic diversity to climatechange along a continental
latitudinal gradient
Ivan M. De-la-Cruz1, Anne Muola2,3, JohanA. Stenberg1
1 Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp,
Sweden. 2 Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, Tromsø, Norway. 3 University of Turku, Turku,
Finland.
Climate change, including increased temperature
and altered precipitation, is likely to advance spring
phenology and cause poleward range expansionsof many plant species but also herbivores. This is
likely to profoundly alter both abiotic and biotic natural selection on – and evolution of – plant traits
in local plant populations. We used latitudinal gradient across the continental Europe as a ‘spacefor-time approach’ to mimic future climates, i.e.,current southern ecosystems represent the abiotic
and biotic conditions of more northerly habitats inthe future. Genotypes of the woodland strawberry (Fragaria vesca; Rosaceae) originating from thisgradient were replicated to five separate experimental sites placed across a north-south latitudinal gradient within Europe. Additionally, at each site,
half of the plants were exposed to a drought treatment. By using this framework, we studied biotic andabiotic natural selection on plant traits. Herbivore
pressure was higher at mid-latitudes compared tothe extremes of the latitudinal distribution of F. vesca in Europe. In the Arctic, F. vesca genotypes fromsouthern and central Europe had delayed flowering
onset compared to when they grew at more southern sites. However, northern F. vesca genotypes
showed remarkable flexibility in their ability to timeflowering onset according to local conditions. Plants
subjected to drought experienced more herbivory,
accelerated flowering in most of the sites, and grewlarger and produced more fruits and runners at

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some sites. However, at the driest site, there was adecrease in fruit production and chewing damage.
Indication of a trade-off was found between reproduction, growth, and defense at several of the sites,
being evident almost only under drought. Our results
provide timely insights on how plant adaptationsS.
to climate change should be studied in combination
with plant adaptations to biotic interactions, which
also are affected by changing environments.

S.243.4 The specialized buzz
pollination syndrome posesa partial barrier to plantinvasionsanalysis of the behaviour and pollen loads of floral
visitors demonstrated that the specialist behaviour
is not required to extract pollen from S. obtusifolia,
depicting alternative foraging behaviours can beused to extract pollen from plants that exhibit thebuzz-pollination syndrome. This is important wherebuzzing pollinators may be absent or not attracted
to newly introduced plant species, potentially enabling invasions for plants that exhibit the specialised buzz-pollination syndrome.

S.243.5 What processes
maintain the species
diversity of annual plants inarid environments?

Laura Lopresti1,2, Lori Lach2, Daniel
Montesinos1,2

Peter Chesson1,2
1 Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology,
the University of Arizona, USA. 2 Department of Life
Sciences and Center for Global Change Biology,
National Chung Hsing University, Taiwan.

1 Australian Tropical Herbarium, James Cook University, Cairns, Australia. 2 College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Cairns, Australia.
The missed mutualist hypothesis proposes thatwhen a species is introduced into a new range it
may leave behind its mutualistic partners, which
can lead to reduced fitness and prevent the species
establishing and becoming invasive. Further, it has
been hypothesised that specialist mutualisms arelikely to impede invasion success due to the difficultyof attracting new specialist partners. The buzz-pollination syndrome encompasses specialised floral
traits that restrict pollen access and requires a specialised bee behaviour for efficient pollen extraction.
Yet, many invasive plants globally exhibit the buzz
pollination syndrome. We used the buzz-pollination
syndrome as a model to test the hypotheses that: (1)plant species exhibiting specialised pollination syndromes are underrepresented as invasive species,(2) species with specialised pollination syndromesthat have become invasive can reproduce in theabsence of specialist buzzing pollinators. Our review of global invasive species found evidence forbuzz-pollination in 1.8% (82/4,630) of invasive angiosperms, which is an underrepresentation of the proportion of angiosperms that are estimated to exhibit
this syndrome (6-10%). Most invasive buzz-pollinated plants are genetically self-compatible (97%), but
only 43% can set fruit in the absence of a pollinator.
We undertook assessments of the breeding systemand pollinators of a highly invasive weed across theworld’s tropics, Senna obtusifolia, in its native and invasive ranges. Senna obtusifolia is self-compatible
and can set seed in the absence of pollinators. An

Arid regions support diverse floras of annual plants.
Such regions are characterized by highly variable
rainfall. The flexibility of the annual plant life cycle issuited to such variable conditions because annual
plants can take advantage of short periods of rainfall to germinate, grow and set seed. A striking featureof such annual plant communities, however, is highlevels of temporal variation in species composition.
This variation can be traced to species-specific germination requirements, especially sensitivity to temperature when rain falls, which differs between species. More than 70 years ago it was suggested that
temporal changes in composition have an importantrole in maintaining the species diversity of these systems. These annual plants are generally assumed tocompete intensely for soil moisture and nutrients, but
temporal variation in composition means that thevarious species are competing for these resources atdifferent times. Many observations and experiments
have confirmed these patterns, yet definitive tests
that temporal variation maintains diversity is lacking.
Such tests use covariance measures to test whether temporal patterns in germination and growth do,over time, intensify average intraspecific competition
relative to interspecific competition, thus promoting species coexistence. However, such systems arecommonly subject to high levels of seed predationfrom rodents, ants, and birds, which can limit competition, undermining temporal variation as a coexistence mechanism. Species-specific patterns of747

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seed predation, however, provide an alternative diversity maintenance mechanism, yet studies of seed
predation patterns are too limited to support thismechanism. Quantitative coexistence theory suggests observations, experiments and statistics thatwould provide strong tests of these hypotheses, andquantify their relative and absolute contributions to
species coexistence. The evidence from the existing
literature on these hypotheses will be reviewed, including evidence from biological invasions. Suitablestudies for strong tests of the various hypotheses will
be proposed.

S.244 METHODS IN INTEGRATIVETAXONOMY: BRIDGING THE PHYLOGENY TO
CLASSIFICATION GAP. SESSION 1
S.244.1 New approaches formachine-learning-based
integrative taxon-omics inplantsKarbstein, Kevin1,2*, Kösters, Lara1, Hodač,
Ladislav1, Hofmann, Martin2, Mäder,Patrick2,3,4, Wäldchen, Jana1,3
1 Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena,
Germany. 2 Technical University of Ilmenau, Institute for Computer and Systems Engineering, Ilmenau, Germany. 3 German Centre for Integrative
Biodiversity Research, Leipzig, Germany. 4 Friedrich
Schiller University, Institute of Ecology and Evolution,
Jena, Germany. *kkarb@bgc-jena.mpg.de.
Species are the central units for taxonomic research
and measuring Earth’s biodiversity. Recent findings inevolutionary genomics are raising awareness that what
we call species can be ill-founded entities due to solely morphology-based or regional species descriptions.
This particularly applies to plant groups characterized
by intricate evolutionary processes such as hybridization, polyploidy, and/or apomixis. Here, challenges ofintegrative taxon-omics, that is genomics combinedwith morphological, ecological, and other datasets, become apparent: (i) different favored species concepts(e.g., genetic vs. morphological concepts), (ii) missing
appropriate analytical tools for intricate evolutionary
processes (which often hurt assumptions of popular
MSC-based models), and (iii) highly subjective ranking
and fusion of datasets for final taxonomic treatments(e.g., whether genetics or morphology is taxonomicallymost important). Now, integrative taxon-omics combined with machine learning (ML) under a unified species concept may enable systematic data integrationand thus reduce subjectivity in species classificationand delimitation. Recent ML applications predominantly rely on deep learning, which represents automated feature extraction and learning based on artificial
neural networks (ANNs). We introduce supervised (withlabeled training datasets) and unsupervised (only using the inherent structure of testing datasets) ANN approaches that fuse genomic information with othersources (e.g., ‘genomics’, ‘genomics+morphology’, ‘genomics+morphology+ecology’, etc.) using integrative
taxonomic datasets. Accuracy scores, confusion matrices, and bootstrapping techniques were applied toevaluate results. In addition, strategies to visualize highly
important features within ANN classification or clustering processes (“XAI”) and current ANN limitations will be
discussed. Integrative taxon-omics based on ML may
help classify or delimit species less subjectively as well
as more reliably and rapidly than traditional methods
do, and thus may help to revise and unravel plant diversity also on a global scale.

S.244.2 Integrative
taxonomic approach inunravelling the Systematics
of Machilus glaucescensand M. macranthus(Lauraceae) from India

748

Nabasmita Malakar1,2, Gudasalamani
Ravikanth1, K. Praveen Karanth3, Ganesan
Rengaian1
1 Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment, Bangalore, India. 2 Manipal Academy ofHigher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India. 3 Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India.

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The Asian genus Machilus (Lauraceae - wild relative of
avocadoes) is widely distributed in South and Southeast Asia. The systematic profiling of the group has
suffered from the lack of integrative taxonomic approach across the distributional range, including India.
Historically, the taxonomic revision of Machilus in the
Indo-Burmese region (Chakrabarty et al. 2022) did not
improve the taxonomy and distribution. In this study,
we used integrative taxonomic approach to delineate
taxonomy, distribution, and phylogenetic relationship ofMachilus macranthus Nees, (endemic to the Western
Ghats-Sri Lanka hotspot), and M. glaucescens (Nees)
Wight, (Indo-Burma region). We integrated morphological, molecular (nuclear and chloroplast), and distribution data to elucidate the systematic relationship.
We collected individuals in flowering and fruiting from
Assam, Meghalaya, and Mizoram of the Northeasternregion of India and Western Ghats of south India. We
sequenced the collections using two nuclear markers(ITS and LEAFY) and one chloroplast marker (trnL-trnF)
for the phylogenetic analysis. We further explored 27
morphological characteristics for cluster analysis andextensively mapped the distribution of the species
through primary and secondary sources. Cluster analysis using morphological characters, the distribution
range as well as phylogenetic relationship confirmsthat M. macranthus and M. glaucescens are two distinct
species and reflected two distinct distributional ranges.
The phylogenetic result also supports the hypothesisthat both are two distinct species. Our integrative taxonomic approach proved to be better to understand thesystematics of species belongs to Machilus genus andcould shed light on the origin and biogeography of thegenus Machilus in the Asiatic region.

S.244.3 A primer on
integrative taxonomy

defined “integrative taxonomy” as the “... science thataims to delimit the units of life’s diversity from multiple
and complementary perspectives (phylogeography,
comparative morphology, population genetics, ecology, development, behaviour ...” While Dayrat’s argument
focused on species delineation and the developmentof solid taxon concepts at the species level throughmultiple lines of evidence, integrative taxonomy has
since then been expanded to encompass taxonomy
at all hierarchical levels, with the aim to bridge the gap
between molecular phylogenies and their translation
into formal, stable classifications. Other terminology
developed for this purpose includes “polyphasic taxonomy” and the “pluralistic species concept”. Here, we
redefine integrative taxonomy to encompass the following four components: (1) a molecular phylogenetic
framework; (2) quantitative assessment and integration of non-molecular data (phenotype, ecology, behaviour, distribution, etc.) into this framework; (3) formal
implementation of the results in a revised classification;and (4) providing revised identification tools reflecting
the new classification. Using this strict definition, many
works claiming to do “integrative taxonomy” actually
fail to do so, either lacking a quantitative integration of
non-molecular data or a revised formal classification.
Methods for quantitative integration of non-molecular
data are briefly outlined.

S.244.4 Cryptic Beauty
Revealed: Quantifying
Phenotypic Variation in
Two Vicariant Ophrys
aveyronensis Populations
via Image Processing
Anais Gibert1, Florian Louty1, Roselyne
Buccal2, Michel Baguette3,4, Bertrand
Schatz5 and Joris AM. Bertrand1

Robert Lücking1, Karina Wilk2
1 Botanischer Garten Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin,
Berlin, Germany. 2 W. Szafer Institute of Botany, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland.
The concept of “integrative taxonomy”, until then restricted to define terminology the fields of psychology
and business, was first introduced into biodiversity research in 2005, by the North American zoologist Benoît
Dayrat, about twenty years after the onset of molecular phylogenetic research. Dayrat recognized a deep
division between the field of molecular phylogenetics, which had developed new methods to test species boundaries, and the field ot traditional taxonomy,
which appeared to rely on typological approaches. He

1 Laboratoire Génome et Développement des Plantes, Université de Perpignan Via Domitia—CNRS, Perpignan, France. 2 Centre de Formation et de Recherche sur les Environnements, Université de Perpignan
Via Domitia—CNRS, Perpignan, France 3 Institut Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité, Museum Nationald’Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE,
Université des Antilles, Paris, France. 4 Station d’Ecologie, Théorique et Experimentale, UMR 5321, CNRS,
Université Toulouse III, Moulis, France. 5 CEFE, CNRS,
Université Montpellier, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France.
Studying phenotypic differentiation is essential
in understanding population divergence and the749

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traits involved in the speciation process. Detecting slight phenotypic variations is difficult at firstglance, especially when species have a disconnected spatial distribution or conceal cryptic taxa.
To examine this, we implemented image-based
analyses in conjunction with a simple machinelearning algorithm to distinguish between two vicariant population groups within an orchid species complex acknowledged for its resistance todifferentiation using conventional morphologicalcriteria: Ophrys aveyronensis. Our all-encompassing approach involved three primary stages: (i) Capturing and measuring 109 individuals intheir natural habitat, (ii) extracting morphometric, colour and colour pattern information fromfield photographs and (iii) utilising random forest
algorithms for classification, the amalgamationof field and image-derived data resulted in an
identification accuracy rate of 95%, highlighting
the efficacy of our multidimensional approach. It
is worth noting that the variables pinpointed by
the random forest algorithm for distinguishing
between the two population groups differed fromthose typically proposed in current literature. This
captivating discovery emphasises the demandfor inventive techniques that go beyond traditional standards in phenotypic differentiation
studies. Our outcomes demonstrate the capacity
to augment taxon identification through combining field-captured images with machine learningclassification methods. Furthermore, they draw
attention to potential traits for future eco-evolutionary investigations, offering valuable observations into the complex interplay of phenotypicvariations within intricate species. This study not
only aids in improving taxonomic methodologies
but also highlights the significance of advanced
analytical tools in enhancing our comprehension of species differentiation and evolutionary
mechanisms.

The genus Wetmoreana includes saxicolous,
crustose-lobate to squamulose species withbright orange anthraquinones, often producing
vegetative propagules such as isidia, papillae,
schizidia or soredia. It is known throughout theAmericas, Africa and Asia. The origin of the genus is unknown, but the highest diversity occurs
in South America, perhaps indicating this continent as the centre of its diversification. The genus
was studied using quantitative integrative taxonomy methods to resolve its delimitation and explore its taxonomic diversity at the species level.
As a result, the number of taxa within Wetmoreana increased from four to sixteen, including six
newly described species, as well as six species
newly transferred to this genus. Among the latter are some species for which DNA sequences
are as yet unavailable. Their classification within Wetmoreana was tested using a quantitative
approach based on phenotypic traits combinedwith the evaluation of phylogenetic signals bymeans of phenotype-based phylogenetic binning. Clade distinctiveness of all recognised taxa
at the generic, specific and intra-specific levels
was assessed by a multi-response permutation
procedure (MRPP). The taxa of interest mainly
represent poorly studied South American species and are characterized by a certain variability in phenotypic traits. Such variable taxa pose achallenge to taxonomists, and our results confirm
the usefulness of statistical methods in assessing
such difficult species complexes.

S.244.6 Anarchy toHarmony: Redbud (Cercisspp.) as a case for
integrative taxonomy
Mason C. McNair1, Caitlyn Hughes2, James
Leebens-Mack2

S.244.5 Exploring thediversity of Wetmoreana
lichens (Teloschistaceae)
using an integrative
taxonomic approach

1 Department of Plant & Environmental Science,
Clemson University, South Carolina, USA. 2 Department of Plant Biology, University of Georgia, USA.

Karina Wilk1, Robert Lücking2
1 W. Szafer Institute of Botany Polish Academy of
Sciences, Krakow, Poland. 2 Botanischer Garten,
Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.

The genus Cercis, like many genera, is fraught
with taxonomic controversy. Circumscriptions ofspecies, subspecies, varieties, and forms of North
American taxa are hotly debated in taxonomic
and horticultural literature. Common garden assessment of phenotypic variation and documentation of the genetic basis of phenotypic variation
can inform taxonomic circumscription. We inves-750

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tigated published delimitations for North American Cercis taxa through analysis of phenotypicvariation among specimens growing in a common garden (JC Raulston Arboretum, North Carolina State University). In addition, we leveraged anavailable breeding population for genomic estimation via GWAS and for phenotypic traits thathave been used to distinguish Cercis canadensis

var. canadensis and Cercis canadensis var. texensis. By combining phenotypic information withan understanding of the genetic basis of key taxonomic traits, we illustrate how a pluralistic andintegrative approach to taxon delimitation canyield rigorous and reproducible species and infraspecific taxonomic concepts.

S.245 FLORAS AND DIVERSITY OF EASTERN
ASIA. SESSION 1
S.245.1 Moscow Digital
Herbarium and Atlas of theRussian Flora initiative
Alexey P. Seregin1, Sergey V. Dudov1,
Natalia S. Gamova1
1 Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow,
Russia.
A web-resource, the Moscow Digital Herbarium(https://plant.depo.msu.ru/), was launched by Lomonosov Moscow State University in October, 2016
for publication of specimens imaged and databased in the Moscow University Herbarium (MW).
From 2015 to 2018, a commercial partner scanned
93% of the regular herbarium collections at 300 dpi
and 100% of the types at 600 dpi. Since 2019, Moscow
Digital Herbarium became a consortium of Russian herbaria with nine active members (MW, MHA,IRKU, KUZ, TUL, TULGU, KULPOL, TKM, MAG). As of August
2023, database contained 1,266,139 specimens with
1,244,376 images covering 36,171 species of vascularplants and bryophytes. These data are available in
GBIF as nine independent datasets and updated ina weekly synchronization mode. Gradually, we started to publish extended metadata on our portal, likefull transcriptions of labels and georeferences, i.e.,the coordinates of collection sites for each specimen. Two thirds of records (890,356 specimens) arecurrently georeferenced and 600,424 specimens
have complete label transcriptions. Atlas of the Russian Flora is a new initiative for producing grid mapsof native vascular plants of the country. This initiative is integrated into the Moscow Digital Herbariumand employs different data sources merged into asingle FLORUS dataset. Ca. 6.5M+ records (700K gridrecords) were used to produce 9,885 grid maps

with 100×100 km squares. This dataset includes precleaned GBIF data (including data from the Moscow
Digital Herbarium), complete data from the Flora of
Russia project on iNaturalist, as well as previously
unpublished records. The taxonomy is given against
the Catalogue of Life associated with the accepted
names in the Moscow Digital Herbarium. Acknowledgments: The work was supported by a grant fromthe Russian Science Foundation (project No. 21-7720042, https://rscf.ru/en/project/21-77-20042/).

S.245.2 Invasive alien floraof China: An update
Qiang Hao1, Jin-Shuang Ma1
1 China National Botanical Garden (North Garden),Beijing, China.
China is the largest country in eastern Asia andcontains habitats that range from cold temperate
to tropical rainforest. The Chinese have a long history of plant cultivation and domestication. Althoughmost cultivated plants in China are native species,
many are non-native plants introduced throughout Chinese history for food, medicine, horticultureor ornamental purposes. The Catalogue of Alien
Plants in China records a total of 14,710 alien plants.
Among these, some, such as corn and potato, areused as food to meet the demands of China’s large
population. Non-native plants that have establishedpopulations and colonized local environments arecalled naturalized plants. Previous studies indicatethat the number of naturalized plant species in China ranges from 861 to 933. Of those, between 126 to
402 have been designated as Invasive Alien Plants.
In China, invasive plants have been detrimental tothe conservation of biodiversity and native ecosys-751

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tems, particularly since the 1990s. Thus, it is criticalto use multidisciplinary, nation-wide approaches toinvestigate invasive plants in China. Here we present
an analysis of 403 invasive plant species based on
the Alien Invasive Flora of China and other recently
published works.

level, 10 genera represent a high species richness (>40 species): Astragalus L. (127 species), Artemisia L.
(103), Carex L. (99) Oxytropis DC. (97), Potentilla L. (75),
Saussurea DC. (55), Taraxacum F.H.Wigg. (53), AlliumL. (50), Salix L. (42), Ranunculus L. (41).

S.245.4 Global National
Management List of Invasive
Alien Plants: Key Species
and Policy Analysis

S.245.3 An overview ofcurrent checklist of vascularplants in Mongolia
Magsar Urgamal1, Shukherdorj
Baasanmunkh2, Batlai Oyuntsetseg3

Feifei Li1, Jin-shuang Ma1

1 Laboratory of Plant Systematics and Phylogenetics,
Botanic Garden and Research Institute, Mongolian
Academy of Sciences, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. 2 Department of Biology and Chemistry, Changwon National University, Changwon, South Korea. 3 Department of Biology, School of Arts and Science, National
University of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
In this study, we critically revised and updated thechecklist of native vascular plants of Mongolia. The
checklist comprises 3,041 native vascular plant taxa
(2,835 species and 206 infraspecific species) from653 genera and 111 families, including 7 lycophytes,
41 ferns, 21 gymnosperms, and 2,972 angiosperms.
In the angiosperms, we identified the 14 families withthe greatest species richness, ranging from 50 to 456
taxa. Species endemism is also noted here; 102 taxa
are endemic to Mongolia, and 275 taxa are subendemic that co-occur in adjacent countries. Since
2014, a total of 14 taxa have been described new toscience based on morphological evidences. Moreover, five genera and 74 taxa were newly added to
the flora of Mongolia. Based on our critical revisions,names of three families, 21 genera, and 230 species
have been changed in comparison to the previous
checklist, “Conspectus of the vascular plants of Mongolia” (2014). We revised the checklist of Mongolian
vascular plants provided by Urgamal et al. (2014),
which included 3,127 taxa, belonging to 683 generaand 112 families. There were 3,069 native taxa from
682 genera and 110 families listed by Urgamal et al(2014) and the current checklist has been shortened
and comprises 3,041 native vascular plant taxa from653 genera and 111 families. There are 10 families witha high species richness (> 10 genera / > 94 species):
Asteraceae (85 genera/456 species), Fabaceae(24/328), Poaceae (58/229), Rosaceae (28/168), Ranunculaceae (20/156), Brassicaceae (51/138), Cyperaceae (10/131), Lamiaceae (22/103), Caryophyllaceae(20/97), and Amaranthaceae (34/94). At the genus

1 China National Botanical Garden (North Garden),Beijing, China.
Invasive alien plants (IAPs) pose a major threat tobiodiversity and ecosystems worldwide. The recent
adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework sets an ambitious “Target 6” fortackling invasive alien species. Our study provides
a comprehensive analysis of the current national
management list of IAPs. It aims to answer the questions for achieving this target: Which species arepriority IAPs/potential IAPs/should be eradicated orcontrolled in priority sites? How to manage IAPs toachieve the target? 107 countries/union were analyzed, and only 26 of them have officially released
national management IAPs lists. 65% of them are legal documents while 35% are only official lists. These
countries/union span six continents. France, South
Africa and Argentina have more than 300 IAPs, while
Slovakia only has seven IAPs. Based on all of the lists,1316 taxa were compiled, belonging to 683 generaand 149 families. The families with the most taxa are
Poaceae (159) and the genera with the most taxa
are Prosopis (29 ). 104 taxa distributed in at least
three continents and listed in four or more countries/union were considered as the priority IAPs in ourstudy. We also found species exchanged between
the Eastern and Western Hemispheres have been amajor pathway enabling plant invasions worldwide.
For potential IAPs, we suggested the long-distancepathways between the Eastern and Western Hemispheres should be a top focus for prevention andpathways management. Aquatic IAPs are recognized as top priorities for prevention and control inisland nations and other vulnerable sites. Additionally, our study revealed that most countries/unionlack concrete control and management measures.
This indicates that significant improvements are stillneeded to align IAPs lists and policies with the called
for Target 6.

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S.245.5 Diversity, taxonomy
and evolutionary
history of the ferns
Hymenophyllaceae in
China: a phylogenetic andbiogeographyic approach

S.245.6 Advancements in
Chinese plant names index:
a comprehensive overview
Cheng Du1, Jun Liu2, Shuai Liao3,4,
Jinshuang Ma5
1 Eastern China Conservation Centre for Wild Endangered Plant Resources, Shanghai Chenshan
Botanical Garden, Shanghai, China. 2 Zhejiang University Library, Hangzhou, China. 3 Key Laboratoryof Plant Resources Conservation and Sustainable
Utilization, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese
Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China. 4 South
China National Botanical Garden, Guangzhou, China. 5 National Botanical Garden (North Garden),Beijing, China.

Yanan Zhao1
1 Institute of Systematics, Evolution and Biodiversity, Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Sorbonne
Université, CNRS, EPHE-PSL, UA, Paris, France.
Hymenophyllaceae, encompassing over 600 recognized species, are useful as indicators of the threatened humid forest environments at a pantropicalscale. Emerging at least in the early Triassic andmaybe in the Paleozoic, the family has ancient origins
and displays a worldwide distribution resulting fromsignificant diversifications and potential vicarianceevents since the Mesozoic. The taxonomic stabilization at family level is necessary and a prerequisite
for biogeographic research, providing insights into its
evolutionary history, including diversification patterns
and processes. With nearly 1/3 of the world’s species,
Asia would likely be the origin area of certain lineages. Furthermore, China would host approximately 70
species of Hymenophyllaceae, representing over
10% of the total family diversity, making it a potential key area for biogeographic studies at an Asianand global scale. Therefore, an updated revision ofHymenophyllaceae diversity and taxonomy in China appeared essential and has yet to be conducted.
For this purpose, a first step was to revise the list ofnames, descriptions and a representative sample ofspecimens in the collections, including types, with theaim to provide an updated list of valid Chinese taxa
and their verified synonyms, and to generate an online identification key. In a second step, we acquired
DNA sequences for many Chinese specimens, usedrbcL to reconstruct phylogenies for Trichomanoideae (6 genera in China: Abrodictyum, Callistopteris,
Cephalomanes, Crepidomanes, Didymoglossum,
Vandenboschia), and rbcL combined with rbcL-accD and rps4-trnS for the genus Hymenophyllum. With
these datasets and by conducting dating and biogeographical analyses, we tested species hypotheses, and the role of China in the assembly of the family biodiversity, especially in Asia, was explored and isdiscussed. Hymenophyllaceae are emblematic andindicators of fragile and threatened wet habitats. Thistaxonomy work is thus integral to a conservation anddecision support perspective.

China’s plant biodiversity, boasting 38,844 species, ranks among the highest globally. Since 2000,
it consistently reports 220 new vascular plant taxa
annually, with notable changes in names and national-level records. Despite most findings being
published internationally, some, particularly fromregional and university sources, lack representationin global databases. To address this, a systematic review of Chinese plant nomenclature literaturesince 2000 has been undertaken. This effort has resulted in annual plant species name indices and theChinese Plant Names Index (https://cpni.ibiodiversity.net/) database, hosting 16,495 entries from 7,565
publications. This platform aims to fill the gap for
species excluded from international databases, facilitating convenient access to plant name data fortaxonomic revision and research citation. The comprehensive initiative extends beyond plant names,
compiling data on 3,305 to avoid hip homonymity
and enhance research accuracy. Additionally, information on 7,458 Chinese plant collection sites, withhistorical and contemporary spellings, aids precise
referencing for researchers. The systematic organization of China’s plant taxonomy documents not
only advances botanical research but also contributes to the conservation and sustainable use of thecountry’s abundant plant resources. In summary,the project addresses the underrepresentation ofChinese plant species in global databases by systematically organizing and disseminating information on plant taxonomy, aiming to enhance accuracy in botanical research, citation, and ultimately
support the conservation and sustainable utilizationof China’s diverse plant resources.

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S.246 RANUNCULALES: FROM MORPHOLOGYTO PHYLOGENOMICS AND EVO-DEVO
1 Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, AgroParisTech,
Ecologie Systématique et Evolution, Gif-sur-Yvette,
France. 2 Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité, Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, CNRS,
Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles,
Paris, France. 3 Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, CNRS,AgroParisTech, Génétique Quantitative et Evolution-Le Moulon, Gif-sur-Yvette, France. 4 Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria. 5 Jardin du Lautaret,
CNRS, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France.
6 INRAE, UMR1318, Institut Jean-Pierre Bourgin, Saclay Plant Sciences, AgroParisTech, Versailles,
France. 7 Previously, Massy, France.

S.246.1 RanOmics:
genomic tools for studying
evolutionary innovations
on the molecular scale inRanunculales
Le-Han Nguyen1, Doudou Kong1,
Oliver Rupp2, Svent Griep2, Alexander
Goesmann2, Annette Becker1
1 Institute of Botany, Justus-Liebig-University, Giessen,
Germany. 2 Institute of Bioinformatics and Systems
Biology, Justus-Liebig-University, Giessen, Germany.
One of the central goals of evolutionary research is tounderstand how changes in gene regulatory networks
lead to the origin of novel, complex traits, or, in short: Howdo evolutionary novelties arise? Ranunculales are earlybranching eudicots that comprise extremely morphologically diverse species and they are special because
several morphological novelties evolved repeatedly, and novel floral traits emerged. I introduce the RanOmics project, aimed at uncovering gene regulators
modules required for the emergence of novel, often
convergently emerging traits. We have sequenced the
genomes in reference quality of several Ranunculales
and the transcriptomes of several species from homologous tissues and comparable developmental stages.
I provide the state of the art of this project with the firstcomparative analyses of the genomes. The RanOmics project provides the genetic resources for the Ranunculales community and all researchers interested
in studying comparative genomics, evolution of gene
regulatory networks, and origin of novel traits.

S.246.2 Petal evolution
and morphogenesis in
Ranunculaceae
Pauline Delpeuch1,2, Florian Jabbour2,
Catherine Damerval3, Jürg
Schönenberger4, Susanne Pamperl4,
Maxime Rome5, Katia Belcram6, Antoine
Plumerault7, Sophie Nadot1

Ranunculaceae comprise ca. 2500 species that display a broad range of floral diversity, particularly at thelevel of the perianth. Petals, when present, are often referred to as ‘elaborate’ because they have a complex
morphology. In addition, the petals usually produce
and store nectar, which gives them a crucial functional role in the interaction with pollinators. Its morphological diversity and species richness make this family
a particularly suitable model group for studying theevolution of complex morphologies. For this purpose,
we scored and analysed traits that characterize indetail the complexity of mature petal morphology in
32 genera (out of ca. 55), and used an already published robust and dated phylogeny of the family to
conduct ancestral state reconstruction. Furthermore,
we described petal development using high resolution X-Ray computed tomography in six species with
contrasting petal forms. Our results suggest a flat andshortly clawed ancestral petal for the entire family, andfor the ancestors of all tribes except Adonideae. Elaborations would have therefore evolved independently in
different lineages, with some convergences in shape.
To further explore the morphogenesis of elaborations,
we focused on the spurred petals of Staphisagria picta. We described the cellular characteristics (volume,
sphericity, orientation in space) of the developing spurusing a newly designed automated method to analyse in a three-dimensional space images generatedusing confocal microscopy. Our results show that spurdevelopment is marked by an early phase of dominant cell proliferation, followed by a phase of dominant anisotropic (directional) cell expansion. The acquisition of the spur’s curvature seems to be achievedby a complex interplay of anisotropic cell elongationand cell division, both mechanisms being unevenly
distributed among the different parts of the spur.

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S.246.3 Curiouser andcuriouser: mechanisms
underlying spurdevelopment anddiversification in Aquilegia
Elena M. Kramer1, Yang Gong1, Ya Min2,
Evangeline Ballerini3, Scott A. Hodges4
1 Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA. 2 Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT USA. 3 Departmentof Biological Sciences, California State University,
Sacramento, CA, USA. 4 Department of Ecology,
Evolution and Marine Biology, University of CA, Santa Barbara, CA, USA.
The lower eudicot model system Aquilegia possesses several morphological features that canshed light on the evolution of novelty, particularly inthe context of complex organ form. We have been
studying several key aspects of the Aquilegia flower
but will focus today on the three-dimensional petal nectar spur. We have found that Aquilegia petal
spurs initiate due to a localized region of cell division. This lays the ground pattern of the spur, whichis then realized through anisotropic cell elongation.
Diversification of spur morphology has involved
multiple factors, including heterochronic shifts thatgenerate much longer, narrower cells; differencesin cell numbers around the radial axis of the spurand along its length; and independent control ofboth cell division and elongation on different surfaces of the spur, which generates curvature. We
are now combining transcriptomics, candidate
gene approaches, and QTL mapping to explore thegenetic architecture of spur development and understand its evolution.

The origin of nectar spurs is associated with theadaptive radiation of the columbine genus, Aquilegia. Dissecting the genetic and developmental
mechanisms of nectar spur development specifically and petal morphology generally is thus
important for our understanding of the origin ofnovel traits. Recently, a key gene in Aquilegia spurdevelopment, POPOVICH, was identified using hybridization between a natural spurless species,
A. ecalcarata, and a spurred relative exemplifying the utility of natural variants. I outline ourongoing efforts to identify additional potential
genes for spur and petal development using natural variation in the closest relatives of Aquilegia,
Semiaquilegia and Urophysa. There have been
recent discoveries of rare species of Semiaquilegia with novel petal shapes and we have beenable to produce intergeneric hybrids between
some of these species and Aquilegia, which offers a new research avenue. Urophysa consistsof two species, U. rockii, which produces small
petals with very short spurs and U. henryi, which
in one accession produces small flat petals andin another produces small cupped-shaped petals but no spurs. Thus, QTL analysis from hybrids
among these species will also likely aid in finding candidate genes involved in petal shape. Finally, we are developing genomic assemblies ofboth Semiaquilegia and Urophysa to facilitate
the identification of genomic features unique toAquilegia and thus potentially being involved its
adaptive radiation.

S.246.5 Developmental
genetics of floral traits
associated with windpollination in Thalictrum
Verónica S. Di Stilio1, Anthony G. García1

S.246.4 Dissecting thegenetic and developmental
basis of petal spurs
in Aquilegia using
QTL, hybridization andphylogenomics.

1 Department of Biology, University of Washington,
Seattle, USA.

Scott A. Hodges1
1 Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, Univ. of California, Santa Barbara, USA.

Wind pollination has evolved repeatedly in flowering plants, yet the developmental genetics offloral traits associated with this pollination moderemains elusive. Thalictrum (Ranunculaceae)
have transitioned repeatedly between insect
and wind pollination and exhibit intermediate
floral morphs with mixed pollination, providing
an ideal system to test the correlated evolutionof floral morphology, developmental genetics
and pollination mode. Prior data broadly sup-755

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ports the existence of detectable flower morphs
from convergent evolution to wind pollinationin Thalictrum, consisting of small, inconspicuous, and mostly dioecious flowers with extended stigmatic surfaces on long styles or dangling
stamens. MIXTA family transcription factors are
known to modulate the differentiation of cellular outgrowths (conical cells and trichomes) on
the epidermis of land plants and were tested
here as potential candidates for the longer stigmatic papillae and extended stigmas found inwind-pollinated species. A single copy ortholog
from diploid T. thalictroides, paleoMIXTA (TthPMX), was functionally characterized via targeted gene silencing and overexpression, followedby comparative transcriptomics to investigate
the gene regulatory network. The reduction instigmatic papillae length under targeted genesilencing and their extension under over-expression suggest that TthPMX has a novel rolein promoting stigmatic papillae cell elongation.
Elevated expression of specific PMX paralogs incarpels of polyploid taxa further suggests that
duplications in PMX may have facilitated theevolution of the long stigmatic papillae found inplumose stigmas of wind-pollinated species.

and well-represented phylogenetic tree with time
calibration of the Ranunculaceae, and detected
two gene flows that have resulted in nuclear-cytoplasmic incompatibility; 2) explored the processes and general patterns of the evolution of
genome size and other important characters; 3)
revealed the mechanisms underlying the diversification of flowers in basic structure, petal shapeand several phytochemical traits, and 4) discussed the roles of the changes of genome sizein plant evolution.

S.246.6 Ranunculaceae:
from Morphology to
Phylogenomics andEvolutionary Developmental
Biology
Xuehao Fu1,2, Boka Li1,2,3, Tianyu Lei1,2,3,
Hongyan Shan1,2, Hongzhi Kong1,2,3
1 State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular
Plant Sciences, 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.
Ranunculaceae exhibits a remarkable diversity
in genome size, floral morphology, and secondary metabolites. How these characters evolved,
and to what extent the changes of genome size
have contributed to the evolution of other characters, however, remain largely unclear. Here, by
sequencing the genome of Nigella damascena(genome size about 10 Gb) and the transcriptomes of the other 51 species representing 37
genera of the 14 tribes, we: 1) constructed a robust756

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S.247 FLORAL NECTAR: POLLINATIONSYNDROMES, PRODUCTION ATTRIBUTES,REGULATION EVOLUTION. SESSION 2
S.247.1 Nectar secretionmechanism in a monocot
Roscoea (Zingiberaceae)
Wen-Jing Wang1, Hong-Fan Chen1,2, Yue
Gao1, Hong Liao1, Jian-Li Zhao1
1 Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Transboundary Ecosecurity of Southwest China, Yunnan
Key Laboratory of Plant Reproductive Adaptationand Evolutionary Ecology, Institute of Biodiversity,
School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan, China. 2 Instituteof International Rivers and Eco-security, Yunnan
University, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
Nectar serves as a reward offered by flowers topollinators, facilitating the success of sexual reproduction. Consequently, nectar holds indispensablebiological significance in plant reproduction andevolution. Despite the characterization of nectar function and composition, the mechanism ofnectar secretion has remained unclear. To elucidate the probable mechanisms governing nectar
secretion, we selected two Roscoea species asmodel: the outcrossing species R. cautleoides, secreting nectar from its nectaries, and the autonomous selfing species R. schneideriana, no nectar.
We first conducted a comparative study for microstructure, nectary size and nectar volume were recorded in the field. Nectary location, external form
and internal structure were observed by paraffin
section staining method. Subsequently, we performed an intricate assembly and annotation of
the R. cautleoides genome, employing multi-omics
techniques, facilitating an analysis of the molecular mechanisms in the nectaries and doing identification of target genes crucial for nectar secretion.
Ultimately, we delved into the gene structure, function and evolution of these essential genes. Here,
we found that the nectaries of R. schneideriana
possess significantly reduced volume and deteriorated internal structures, compared to R. cautleoides. Multi-omics correlation analysis identified one
gene that is specifically highly expressed in thenectaries of the R. cautleoides, which is critical for
nectar secretion in Roscoea. These results provide

an important basis for revealing the differences offloral characteristics, pollination mechanism andbreeding system, as well as the mechanism ofnectar secretion between outcrossing and selfing
species in Roscoea. Characterization of this target
gene regulating nectary production has provided
new insights into understanding of the mechanismand evolution of nectar secretion in plants.

S.247.2 Predicting pollination
syndromes along an
altitudinal gradient of thetropical Andes of Bolivia
Valeska De Cárdenas1, Øystein H.
Opedal2, Sissi Lozada-Gobilard1,2
1 Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Mayor de San
Andrés, La Paz, Bolivia. 2 Biodiversity Unit, Department of Biology Lund University, Sweden.
Pollination syndromes refer to a set of flower characteristics, including flower structure, color, fragrance,and rewards, which have developed through interactions with a particular category of animal pollinators. The predictive power of pollination syndromes
regarding actual plant-animal interactions has
been constantly debated. Here we tested this prediction power in 30 plant species occurring along
an altitudinal gradient (1000-4500m) in the tropical
Andes of Bolivia. We measured flower traits, flower
morphometry (size), signal (color, shape) and reward traits (nectar). In addition, we observed thepollinators (flower visitors that touched reproductive
parts) corresponding to different pollinator guilds:
bees, flies, wasps, beetles, butterflies and birds. Using the flower traits, we classified the plant species
into a particular pollination syndrome. Later basedon the most legitimate and abundant pollinators,
we confirmed or rejected the predicted syndrome.
Along the altitudinal gradient we expect to find different conditions related to both specialist and generalist strategies of pollination. If so, then we expect
an accurate predictive power of the pollination syndromes in the specialist systems only.

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S.247.3 The challengeof nectar production in
Mucuna (Fabaceae): fromanatomical to ecologicaltraits

S.247.4 Challenges andrewards of measuring
selection on nectar
Amy L. Parachnowitsch1
1 Biology Department, University of New Brunswick,Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada.

Kayna Agostini1, Leonardo Galetto2,
Marlies Sazima3
1 Depto of Natural Science, Mathematics and Education, Federal University of São Carlos, Araras,
Brazil. 2 Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba,
Argentina. 3 Depto of Botany, State University ofCampinas, Campinas, Brazil.
The genus Mucuna (Fabaceae) shows explosive
flower opening and an impressive radiation involving different pollinators. The aim of this study
was to verify how anatomical and ecologicaltraits affect the dynamics of nectar production in
the genus Mucuna which have a diversity of vertebrate pollinators. Mucuna japira (pollinated bybirds) inflorescence bears 12-21 yellow flowers,
which are in anthesis for seven days, whereas M.
urens (pollinated by bats) inflorescence bears
36-54 greenish flowers, but only 1-3 flowers are inanthesis simultaneously, that last one night. Related to floral morphology, the reproductive organs
are enclosed in the keel, being released after explosive flower opening. At the tip of the keel, thepetals are stiff and united, which probably act as
support to trigger flower explosion. In the non-lignified part of the inner epidermis occur entwined
secretory papillae, which keep the petals firmly
united. Both species had constant nectar sugarconcentration (ca. 10% for M. japira and ca. 16%
for M. urens) and secreted high volumes of nectar (ca. 340μl per flower for M. japira and 310μl per
flower for M. urens), during five days for M. japira
and six hours for M. urens, but nectar production
stops immediately when flower opening mechanism is triggered. Nectar resorption occurred inboth species since there is no longer any chanceof flower being pollinated. Both species of Mucuna are dependent on their pollinators to produce
fruits and seeds, but they have different strategies
to promote the necessary interaction with birds orbats, especially related to nectar and flower traits.
Also, anatomical traits can mediate pollinators
visitation as secondary wall thickenings of the inner mesophyll exist only in M. japira flowers, which
are more difficult to open than those of M. urens.

The importance of nectar in plant-pollinator interactions and the diversity of animal pollinated flowers haslong been appreciated. However, nectar traits havegenerally been neglected in estimates of natural selection in populations. While researchers appreciate thatnectar may be a target of selectin in populations, it canbe a challenging trait to quantify in the numbers necessary for phenotypic selection studies. Here I outline
some of the challenges and opportunities for studying
selection on nectar. I also outline lessons we’ve beenlearning as my lab attempts to fill this important gap in
our understanding of the evolution of floral traits. I’ll showthat nectar can be but isn’t always a target of selection.
Abiotic conditions can also change selection patterns
on nectar. Quantifying selection on nectar traits may
be particularly important to understand the impacts ofour changing climate on floral evolution. Nectar can bea plastic trait influenced by current conditions, many
which are changing, such as temperatures and water
availability. Therefore, understanding the relationshipbetween phenotypic plasticity and natural selection will
be particularly important for furthering our understanding of the evolution of nectar.

S.247.5 Identifying andmeasuring the role ofnatural selection in theevolution of floral nectar
attributes: Avoiding thepitfalls
Graham Pyke1, Zong-Xin Ren2, Nickolas
Waser3
1 Macquarie University, Australia. 2 Kunming Institute of Botany, China. 3 University of California, Riverside, USA.
Determining how floral nectar attributes have evolved
and continue to evolve is important and necessary forunderstanding, managing, conserving and manipulating plant biology. However, there are several pitfalls
that can and do arise along this path. One pitfall is the758

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assumption, often implicit, that plants evolve nectar attributes to benefit their animal pollinators, rather thanthemselves. Instead, floral nectar should be viewed as
an evolutionarily stable strategy with fitness outcomes
clearly identified for both plant nectar production andpollinator behaviour. To suggest that pollinators preferentially visit or revisit individual plants on the basis of
their nectar attributes is similarly problematic because
pollinators are generally unable to assess nectar attributes of a flower (volume, concentration, composition)
without probing it and removing its nectar and unlikely
to remember and preferentially revisit or avoid particular plants based on encountered nectar. Another pitfall
is to argue, also often implicitly, that a plant populationor species has certain nectar attributes because these
attributes benefit the population or species rather thanan individual plant. There are also problems with at-

tempts to measure what has been termed ‘phenotypic
selection’ by observing correlations across individual
plants between some measure of plant reproductive
fitness (e.g., seed set) and various phenotypic traits,
possibly including nectar attributes. In addition, measurements of ‘phenotypic selection’ sometimes omit
consideration of male function reproduction whichshould be half the story. A final pitfall may arise whenattempts are made to determine the nature and extent of natural selection in relation to nectar attributes
through experimental manipulation because such experiments may not leave everything else unchanged.
Determining how floral nectar attributes evolve will
therefore require a carefully developed approach withmuch care given to avoiding the pitfalls describedabove. However, this may not be easy, especially given
how easy it is for these pitfalls to arise.

S.248 EVO-DEVO
S.248.1 Perianth evolution in
Ranunculales
Marcel Tunggawihardja1, Julien B.
Bachelier1
1 Institute of Biology/Dahlem Centre of Plant Sciences, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
As sisters to all other eudicots, members of the Ranunculales are pivotal to understanding the evolution of
their perianth, and the homology of petals that can beof bracteal or staminal origin. However, recent ancestral character reconstructions suggest that the mostrecent common ancestor (MRCA) of Ranunculales
and several families, including Berberidaceae, had
not two but three series or whorls of perianth, and thatthe innermost was petaloid. To assess perianth organ
evolution and homology between extant lineages
and the MRCA of Ranunculales, we thus re-evaluatedfloral development in two genera of Berberidaceae
with several whorls of perianth becoming increasingly petaloid toward the center of the flower. However,
only the two innermost persist at anthesis in Nandina
and four in Vancouveria. Using scanning electron microscopy, we confirmed that in both genera, the outermost whorls of sepals are all caducous. In addition,in Nandina, the two whorls of petals are not delayedin development and interpreted as the two innermost
whorls of increasingly petaloid sepals, similar to thosepersisting in Vancouveria. Primordia at the base ofsome stamens of Nandina that we interpreted as be-

ing homologous to those regularly found in two whorls
around the stamens in Vancouveria were also documented but they vanish during development whereas in Vancouveria, while they are typically delayed indevelopment and form modified and nectariferous
petals. Our study suggest that like in Vancouveria, the
MRCA of Berberidaceae and Ranunculales as a whole
likely had a perianth differentiated into outermost andinnermost more or less petaloid sepals, and more orless modified and nectariferous petals. As such, theirflowers thus had petals of both bracteal and staminal
origins at anthesis, supporting the hypothesis of a fading-border ABC model determining floral organ identity and petaloidy in the basalmost eudicot lineage.

S.248.2 New floral organs inAmaranthaceae: ontogeny
and gene function
Ivonne Sánchez-del Pino1, Alexander
Vrijdaghs2, Stefan de Folter3, Elsa
Góngora1, Valentín Luna García3
1 Centro de Investigación Científica de Yucatán A.C.
Mérida, Mexico. 2 Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity Conservation, KU, Leuven, Belgium. 3 Laboratorio
de Genómica Funcional del Desarrollo de Plantas,
Irapuato, Mexico.
Most eudicot angiosperms have flowers withfour types of floral organs arranged in concen-759

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tric whorls - sepals, petals, stamens, and carpels-. However, throughout the process of evolution,flower morphology has evolved, resulting in a variety of modifications such as the origin of new
or the loss of existing floral parts, changes in thefunction of floral organs, and others. In Amaranthaceae, androecial tubes occur with appendages known as ‘pseudostaminodes’, alternating withthe stamens. The characterization of the pseudostaminodes has been controversial with different
definitions found in literature. However, a recent
floral ontogenetic study based on scanning electron and light microscopy suggested that pseudostaminodes are a new category of floral organs called ‘androecial appendages’. Two types
of appendages were identified: appendages on
the androecial tube and appendages on the filaments. To test this hypothesis and further clarify the nature of the androecial appendages, anRNA-seq study was conducted in order to obtaintranscriptome sequences. Bioinformatic analyses
were then performed to determine differentiallygenes expressed in these new floral organs, andtheir possible functions.

to attract different species, the genetic flow between them is interrupted, promoting plant differentiation and speciation. However, until now welacked an understanding of the mechanisms behind the development of the floral traits employedin the mimicry. In this study, we investigate theOphrys sphegodes labellum, the highly specialized petal responsible for pollinator attraction, inorder to uncover the genetic basis of these floral
traits. We used a combination of microscopy, micro-computed tomography, and photography todescribe the morphology of the labellum during
the development. We delineated, for the first time,seven distinct developmental stages, which will
be pivotal for subsequent studies. We also foundthree main cell types that are localized in threedifferent areas of the labellum. With this knowledge in hand, we created the first expression atlasof labellum stages and tissues by RNA-Seq, so as
to be able to uncover the genes involved in pollinator-relevant traits of the labellum. These results
will facilitate future detailed evo-devo studies between O. sphegodes and other Ophrys species
with different pollinators.

S.248.3 Developmental
analysis of Ophrys
sphegodes labellum helps
to unravel the secrets ofsexual mimicry

S.248.4 Knockdown offloral symmetry in Fedia
graciliflora
Theresa A. Mustacchio1, Amila Radoncic1,
Yoland Savriama2, Jingjing Tong3,
Dianella G. Howarth1

Mattia Alessandrini1, Yannick M. Städler2,
Susanne Pamperl2, Salvatore Cozzolino3,
Jürg Schönenberger2, Philipp M. Schlüter1
1 University of Hohenheim, Dept. of Plant evolutionary Biology, Institute of Biology, Stuttgart, Germany.
2 University of Vienna, Dept. Botany & Biodiversity Research, Vienna, Austria. 3 University of Napoli
Federico II, Department of Biology, Naples, Italy.
The orchids of the genus Ophrys represent an excellent system to study pollinator-driven speciation. These orchids have a particular pollination
strategy that involves the attraction of the malesof one specific species of insect, mimicking thepheromone and the appearance of the conspecific females. After landing on the flower, the deceived male starts to perform a “pseudocopulation”, which leads to removal of pollinia. Different
species of Ophrys typically attract different species of insects due to the perfection of the decoy.
Thus, if two orchids vary enough in their floral traits

1 Department of Biological Sciences, St. John’s University, New York, USA. 2 Department Evolutionary
Genetics, Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany. 3 Department of Plant andSoil Sciences, University of Delaware, Delaware, USA
Shifts between radial symmetry (actinomorphy)
and bilateral symmetry (zygomorphy) in flowers have occurred multiple times independently
within angiosperms. These morphological shifts
are commonly associated with increased pollinator specialization and speciation rates. The
CYCLOIDEA (CYC)-like genes have been shown
to shift their expression dorsally independently
in nearly all shifts to bilaterally symmetrical flowers examined. Three core eudicot clades of CYClike genes have been identified: CYC1, CYC2 andCYC3, with only CYC2-like genes being shownto have a role in floral symmetry. We use thenon-model plant, Fedia graciliflora (Caprifoliace-760

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paralogs on floral shape and symmetry. F. graciliflora have strongly bilaterally symmetrical flowers with morphologically distinct dorsal (upper),lateral, and ventral (lower) petals and only two
functional stamens. Fedia is nested within the Valerianella, a group with pseudo-radially symmetric flowers with three functional stamens, providing a model for studying the evolution of strong
bilateral symmetry and teasing apart the effects
from each paralog. Here we used Virus-Induced
Gene Silencing (VIGS) to knockdown each of theparalogs separately: FgCYC2A, FgCYC2B, FgCYC3A, and FgCYC3B. The down-regulated plants
were assayed using geometric morphometrics
combined with tools of multivariate statisticalshape analysis to quantify shape changes, using
a combination of landmarks and semilandmarks
to precisely capture in high detail the corolla outline. Using canonical variate analysis (CVA), weare able to statistically model the morphological effect of lower expression of each paralog.
These analyses indicate that each paralog playsa slightly different role in patterning floral symmetry, both in location and size of petal lobes.
Additionally, here we show evidence for the firsttime that CYC3, despite having lower expression
in general, also patterns corolla shape.

S.248.5 Genetic basis
underlying heteranthery in
Melastomataceae.

ity of the connective morphology and heteranthery within several clades lead us to hypothesizethat these traits might be controlled by relatively simple genetic mechanisms. We aimed to test
this hypothesis by using a comparative transcriptomics approach and selected two closely related Arthrostemma species with different degreesof heteranthery for our studies. Suitable developmental stages for transcriptomic comparisonswere identified and RNA was extracted by dissecting and separating the two stamen whorls. Differential expression analyses were done to compare
the gene expression profiles of the tissues fromthe two whorls of stamen within and between
species at different developmental stages. Further
analyses of the differentially expressed genes to
identify candidate genes/groups involved in pedoconnective development and heteranthery are
underway. We hope to gain a better understanding of the genetic basis behind this phenomenonof heteranthery and associated staminal traits to
use as a substrate for future evolutionary studies in melastomes and other angiosperm families
showing heteranthery.

S.248.6 Using Lonicera(Caprifoliaceae) as an evodevo model clade to study
floral and extrafloral fusionand shape.
Dianella Howarth1, Mansa Srivastav1,2,
Michael Donoghue2, Wendy Clement3

Suvrat Kotagal , Christian Siadjeu ,Gudrun Kadereit1,2
1

1

1 Fakultät für Biologie, Systematik, Biodiversität &Evolution der Pflanzen, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Germany. 2 SNSB: Botanische Staatssammlung München und Botanischer Garten
München-Nymphenburg, Germany.
Melastomes are well known for their striking diversity in stamen morphologies. The variously modified connective appendages and heteranthery(stamen dimorphism) occurring within this family of ca. 5800 species, has fascinated botanists
for more than two centuries. A variety of functions
associated with pollination have been discovered
for these staminal traits over the years. Althoughmost species are buzz pollinated, repeated evolutionary shifts in staminal traits have often been
linked to pollinator shifts and suspected of causing
diversification in the family. The evolutionary labil-

1 Department of Biological Sciences, St. John’s University, New York, USA. 2 Department of Ecology and
Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, Connecticut,
USA. 3 Department of Biology, The College of New
Jersey, New Jersey, USA.
Diversification in plant form commonly arises fromchanges in regulation of rates of tissue growthand location of tissue boundaries. Lonicera, withroughly 140 species, displays considerable variation and multiple independent transitions in floral
symmetry; length of floral whorls; and fusion of
petals, ovaries, extrafloral bracteoles, and leaves.
We have used target enrichment to sequence
twenty candidate genes and a microRNA (acrossmost of the species) that are known to underlie
these traits in core eudicots and/or angiosperms.
In addition to genic coding sequence, we also
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regulatory regions to examine changes in transcription factor binding sites across the groupthat correlate with morphological shifts. Our key
initial focus examined the role of CUC (CUPSHAPEDCOTYLEDON) in frequent shifts in fusion of leaves,bracteoles, and ovaries across Lonicera, with independent shifts recreating the same structures
repeatedly. CUC is a NAC1a transcription factor
that has been shown to affect organ boundaries
in leaves and floral organs. We previously used
genomic skimming and transcriptomic datasets
to infer the phylogenetic history of CUC acrossLonicera, and our findings suggest that there has
been a duplication of CUC2 and a genomic loss of
CUC3. This is the first known case of loss of CUC3 in
any angiosperm group, and it is correlated with amarked increase in transitions in extrafloral fusion
across the Caprifoliaceae. We further show thatboth CUC2 paralogs in Lonicera japonica and L.
sempervirens are more highly expressed in corolla
lobes than in the corolla tube, suggesting a function of CUC2 in separating tissues in Lonicera flowers. Using our target enrichment dataset, we discuss changes in the CUC2 binding elements that
correlate with morphological shifts. We further use
this dataset to examine the larger gene regulatory
network that includes CUC.

S.248.7 Documenting
developmental transitions
and studying targeted
gene expression in thegametophyte of ferns:
Adiantum raddianum andAnemia villosa

loid bodies, respectively. Gametes are generated
through cellular differentiation in the haploid gametophyte, which by itself a product of spore germination. After fertilization, the zygote develops into
a new sporophyte. In comparison to angiosperms,
few developmental studies have focused on ferns,
and the studies made have emphasized morphological diversity and gene expression data in the
sporophytic phase. For instance, several studies
have addressed the expression of identity andleaf development genes, as well as reproductive
transition genes in fronds and during sporangia
formation. Similar analyses are lacking in the haploid phase: the gametophyte. This study standardized spore germination and gametophyte growthin Adiantum raddianum and Anemia villosa. Morphological changes and developmental timing
were documented for all haploid stages, fromspore germination to zygote formation. Successful optimization of RNA extractions from tiny individuals allowed expression analyses for LEAFY (LFY)and Phosphatidylethanolamine Binding Protein(PEBP) genes. These gene lineages control the reproductive transition in angiosperms, and are hypothesized to play similar roles in ferns, due to theirwide expression in fern sporophytes, especially insporangia throughout their maturation. Our datashows active expression of LFY and PEBP homologs
in fern gametophytes. We discuss the specific expression patterns and their putative functions inspore germination, gametophyte growth, or theformation of antheridia and archegonia and gametogenesis in early diverging vascular plants.

Luis Miguel Prieto1, Aura Urrea Trujillo1,
Carolina Rodríguez-Pelayo2, Natalia
Pabón Mora1
1 Universidad de Antioquía, Instituto de Biología,
Medellín, Colombia. 2 Instituto de Biología Celulary Molecular de Plantas, Universidad Politécnica deValencia, Valencia, Spain.
Ferns constitute the second most diverse lineageof vascular plants on Earth, surpassed only by angiosperms. In most recent phylogenies, ferns appear monophyletic. In both ferns and lycophytes,
gametophytes and sporophytes can grow independently as multicellular haploid and dip-762

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S.249 PHYLOGENETICS AND PHYLOGENOMICS.
SESSION 1
S.249.1 Phylogenomics ofangiosperms based on
mitochondrial genes: new
insights into deep node
relationships

S.249.2 Glue them all:innovative recycling
genomic sequencing
resources using universal
Angiosperms353 probe sets

Dongliang Lin1,2,3, Bingyi Shao1, Zhiyuan
Gao1, Jianwu Li4, Zhanghai Li1, Tingyu Li2,5,
Weichang Huang6, Xin Zhong6, Chao Xu1,3,Mark W. Chase7,8, Xiaohua Jin1,3

Miao Sun1,Xueqin Wang1, Tao Xiong1, Yiying
Wang1, Xinru Zhang1

1 State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Prominent Crops, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academyof Sciences, Beijing, China. 2 University of Chinese
Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China. 3 China National Botanical Garden, Beijing, China. 4 Center for
Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical
Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences,
Yunnan, China. 5 Key Laboratory of Economic Plants
and Biotechnology, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China. 6 Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden, Songjiang, Shanghai, China. 7 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew,
Richmond, Surrey, UK. 8 School of Plant Biology, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Perth, Australia.
Angiosperms are the largest plant group and play anessential role in the biosphere. Phylogenetic relationships of many families and orders remain controversial despite 30 years of study, and, in an attempt toaddress these, we performed the most extensive sampling of mitochondrial genes to date. We reconstructa seed plant phylogenetic framework based on 41 mitochondrial protein-coding sequences (MTCDSs). The
results for major clades of angiosperms have moderate to strong support (>70% bootstrap) for more than
80% of the nodes and strong support for monophyly of
most orders. Eight major nodes were supported in thisstudy, including three paraphyletic ANA grade (Amborellales, Nymphaeales, and Austrobaileyales) andfive major core angiosperm branches. Chloranthales
and Ceratophyllales are placed sister to the eudicots,
whereas the monocots are placed sister to the magnoliids. A new order, Huales, was proposed to establish
to accommodate phylogenetic isolated Huaceae. Our
results indicated that mitochondrial genomic data
were effective at resolving deep node relationships ofangiosperm phylogeny.

1 National Key Laboratory for Germplasm Innovation & Utilization of Horticultural Crops, Huazhong
Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.
With the continuous advancement of sequencing strategies, high-throughput sequencing (HTS)
technologies have developed as one of the mostimportant tools in plant phylogenomics. Target capture sequencing, particularly hybridization target enrichment sequencing (Hyb-seq), isa crucial HTS sequencing strategy known for its
flexible probe design, which has been becoming
a standard method of phylogenomics. The widelyused universal Angiosperms353 probe sets (Angiosperms353) play a pivotal role in Hyb-seq andhave increased applications in recent years. We
have comprehensively assessed the potential
application for Angiosperms353 by combing alarge amount of literature and empirical datasets. We found that RNA-seq strategy captures
the highest number of Angiosperms353 genes,
and then followed by whole genome sequencing and genome skimming strategies; increasing
sequencing depth leads to higher yields of captured genes; and no obvious bias was observed
for the yields of Angiosperms353 across all angiosperm groups we tested. Hence, based on
the knowledge acquired above, we used Angiosperms353 extracted from genome resequencing data, and attempted to build a phylogeny
for all the seed plants, as well as phylogenomics of Elaeagnaceae and Rosaceae. In the eraof genomics with large volumes of HTS data, ourworks demonstrate the practical application ofAngiosperms353 by innovatively recycling vast
genomic sequencing resources, maximizing genomic data sharing and utilization.

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S.249.3 Phylogenomic
insights into theevolutionary history of
evergreen broadleaved
forests in East Asia under
Cenozoic climate change
Sheng-Yuan Qin1,2, Zheng-Yu Zuo1, Cen
Guo1, Xin-Yu Du1, Shui-Yin Liu1,2, Xiang-Qin
Yu3, Xiao-Guo Xiang4, Jun Rong4, Bing Liu5,6,
Zhi-Fang Liu7, Peng-Fei Ma1, De-Zhu Li1,2,3
1 Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences,
Kunming, China. 2 University of Chinese Academyof Sciences, Beijing, China. 3 CAS Key Laboratory
for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia,
Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of
Sciences, Kunming, China. 4 Jiangxi Province Key
Laboratory of Watershed Ecosystem Change andBiodiversity, Centre for Watershed Ecology, Institute of Life Science and School of Life Sciences,
Nanchang University, Nanchang, China. 5 StateKey Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary
Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of
Sciences, Beijing, China. 6 Sino-African Joint Research Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China. 7 Key Laboratory of Chemical Biologyof Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical
Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong
University, Jinan, China.
The evergreen versus deciduous leaf habit is an
important functional trait for adaptation of forest
trees and has been hypothesized to be related
to the evolutionary processes of the component
species under paleoclimatic change, and potentially reflected in the dynamic history of evergreen broadleaved forests (EBLFs) in East Asia.
However, knowledge about the shift of evergreen
versus deciduous leaf with the impact of paleoclimatic change using genomic data remains
rare. Here, we focus on the Litsea complex (Lauraceae), a key lineage with dominant species of
EBLFs, to gain insights into how evergreen versus deciduous trait shifted, providing insights
into the origin and historical dynamics of EBLFs
in East Asia under Cenozoic climate change. We
reconstructed a robust phylogeny of the Litsea
complex using genome-wide single-nucleotide
variants (SNVs) with eight clades resolved. Fossil-calibrated analyses, diversification rate shifts,
ancestral habit, ecological niche modelling andclimate niche reconstruction were employed toestimate its origin and diversification pattern.

Taking into account studies on other plant lineages dominating EBLFs of East Asia, it was revealed
that the prototype of EBLFs in East Asia probably
emerged in the Early Eocene (55–50 Mya), facilitated by the greenhouse warming. As a responseto the cooling and drying climate in the Middle toLate Eocene (48–38 Mya), deciduous habits were
evolved in the dominant lineages of the EBLFs in
East Asia. Up to the Early Miocene (23 Mya), theprevailing of East Asian monsoon increased theextreme seasonal precipitation and accelerated
the emergence of evergreen habits of the dominant lineages, and ultimately shaped the vegetation resembling that of today.

S.249.4 New genetic
markers for phylogenomic
studies in Amaranthaceae
sensu stricto
Tina Kiedaisch1, Diego Morales-Briones1,
Gudrun Kadereit1, Anže Žerdoner Čalasan1
1 Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Munich,Germany.
Amaranthaceae sensu stricto form a monophyletic group within the Amaranthaceae (including
Chenopodiaceae) comprising 80 genera and 900
species. Amaranthaceae s.s. are found predominantly in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. In Australia 10 genera with together ca. 190
species occur, spread across the entire continent
including also arid biomes. Current phylogenies
are insufficient to understand the complex evolutionary history of the lineage which is challenging
due to three whole genome duplication events,
rapidly diversified sublineages and an unusual high number of widespread, often introduced
weedy species. This rules out a genome skimming
approach and suggests target capture methods
as the more appropriate approach. We identified
a new genetic marker set universally applicable
across the entire Amaranthaceae s.s. lineage.
The baits are based on 28 transcriptomes and areference genome of Amaranthus hypochondriacus. A total of 10,612 orthologous and low-copy
genes were identified in a previous comprehensive transcriptomic study and compared withthe output of MarkerMiner. Following the genomereference, 73,262 exons were split and filteredbased on criteria including a minimum length of800 bp, less than 50% missingness per sequence,764

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more than 2% informativeness, a minimum of
75% pairwise identity, and a requirement of atleast 15 sequences per alignment. The remaining
2,561 exons were manually checked to ensure thequality of the loci. The final probes target a totalof 884 nuclear loci and 1.7 Mbp. Based on this setof carefully selected loci, we reconstruct the evolutionary history of the entire Amaranthaceae s.s.
lineage with the first aim to investigate the origin,age and spread of Australian lineages of Amaranthaceae s.s.

S.249.5 Ecological andhistorical factors underlying
the uneven diversificationof firs in the Northern
Hemisphere
Qiaoping Xiang1,2, Jie Yang1,2,3, David S.
Gernandt4, Tongxin Ye1,2, Ling Yang1,2,3,
Jiaming Pan1,2,3, Ruichen Xiang1,2,3, Cheng
Zhao5, Koh Nakamura6, Xianchun Zhang1,2,
Yongbo Liu7, Ran Wei1,2
1 State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academyof Sciences, Beijing, China. 2 China National Botanical Garden, Beijing, China. 3 University of Chinese
Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China. 4 Departamento de Botánica, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de
México, Mexico. 5 Institute for Environmental Decisions, ETH Zurich, Switzerland. 6 Field Science Center for Northern Biosphere, Hokkaido University,
Sapporo, Japan. 7 State Environmental Protection
Key Laboratory of Regional Eco-process and Function Assessment, Chinese Research Academy ofEnvironmental Sciences, Beijing, China.

force underlying the heterogeneity of species diversity in the Northern Hemisphere. In this study,
we used the next-generation sequencing approach Hyb-seq to obtain nuclear conserved ortholog loci, and to reconstruct a robust phylogeny
of Abies with maximum likelihood and coalescentanalysis. The multi-peak Ornstein-Uhlenbeck
model and BayesRates revealed the significant
correlation between diversification rate changes
and niche shifts, that the ecological environment
plays an important role in firs diversification. We
also conducted multiple regression analyses andsimultaneous autoregressive and the results indicated that the Abies species richness negatively responds to warmer temperatures and lower
precipitation, which prefers seasonally moist andcool temperatures. The estimated time of speciation rate change and major niche shift in the
East Asia clade coincides with the Asian monsoon
strengthening caused by orogenic events in the
Himalayas and Hengduan Mountains. We proposed that the significant transition from arid tohumid and cool climates in large areas of East
Asia as well as the diverse mountain environment
in the Himalayas and Hengduan Mountains, hastriggered an acceleration of Abies diversification. Our results unraveled that the net diversification driven by specific environmental factors
is responsible for the fir diversity anomaly in the
Northern Hemisphere.

The Northern Hemisphere represents the largest
landmass and harbors the most diverse temperate biomes on the Earth. Notably, species richness is unevenly distributed across regions in
the Northern Hemisphere, which is much higher
in East Asia than in North America and the Euro-Mediterranean region. However, the possible
factors underlying this pattern remain to be explored. Abies (Pinaceae) represents one of themost species-rich genera of conifers, which isconsistent with the general biodiversity unevenpatterns of the Northern Hemisphere, and once
used as an important ecological proxy in estimating climate changes. Therefore, Abies is an
outstanding lineage to explore the evolutionary765

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S.250 LET PEOPLE COME TO BOTANY: NEW
METHODS TO ENGAGE PEOPLE WITH PLANT
DIVERSITY. SESSION 2
S.250.1 Sowing the Seeds:
Citizen Science and Mobile
Apps in Education and
BeyondS.250.2 Green roofs incontinental climates: whatmakes them different?
Marta Pianta1, Mariasole Calbi1, Enrica
Roccotiello1, Lea Margraf2, Zoe Hentschel2,
Wolfgang W. Weisser2

Sergio Chozas1,2, Alice Nunes1, Helena C.
Serrano1, Fernando Ascensão1, Susana
Tapia2, Cristina Máguas1, Cristina
Branquinho1
1 Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal. 2 Sociedade Portuguesa de Botânica, Portugal.
Over the last decades, there has been a sharp decline
in global biodiversity. Land-use change, habitat fragmentation, and climate change are key human-induced causes contributing to the current biodiversity
crisis. However, public awareness of the biodiversity
crisis is low, particularly for plants, creating a barrier to their conservation. Moreover, in a world wherea large part of the human population lives in urban
areas, the contact of people with nature is declining,a tendency that will be exacerbated in the future. Indeed, many have highlighted the “extinction of experience” — a term for the growing alienation between
people and nature — as the primary cause of this lackof public awareness of the biodiversity crisis. In thiswork we show how citizen science and mobile apps
can be used as educational tools to raise awareness about plant diversity among students and thebroader public. We examine the outcomes of three
BSc-level formal education activities as well as two
informal education initiatives. We discuss the potential of these approaches as educational and outreach tools and show that citizen science and mobile
apps are remarkable tools for connecting students
and the public with nature and engaging society inenvironmental challenges such as biodiversity conservation. We also explore the need for developing
metrics to determine the real impact of these new
approaches and propose some of them, such as anincrease in the number of students in Flora disciplines
and master’s theses, plant conservation activism andobservations in iNaturalist by former students.

1 Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy. 2 Technical University Munich, Terrestrial Ecology ResearchGroup, School of Life Sciences, Freising, Germany.
Green Roofs (GRs) are Nature-based Solutions thatprovide habitats and support biodiversity in cities.
While GRs number is rapidly increasing, their ecological characterization is still poor. In particular, while all
GRs are seeded or planted with plant mixtures, thedevelopment of plant communities on GRs has rarely
been investigated. To unravel relationships between
GRs vegetation and structural and environmental
factors, this study examined 75 GRs in the city of Ingolstadt, Germany. A comprehensive sampling was
carried out in the summer of 2023 within plots of 1 m2
located in the centre of each GR. GR size, height, soil
depth, age and management regime were considered as predictor variables. The plant taxonomic diversity of the roof communities was calculated using
Hill numbers. The main drivers of species composition
were identified through a Non-Metric Multidimensional
Scaling (NMDS) and selected variables were used tofit a Redundancy Analysis (RDA). GLMs were then fitted
to model diversity indices and bryophyte coverage
across GRs in relation to selected factors. Differencesin bryophyte coverage according to management
type were also assessed with a Kruskal-Wallis test. The
NMDS showed that the most influential variables on
GRs plant communities are age, soil depth, mowing
and weeding practices (9% of the variance explainedin the RDA). Plant diversity tends to increase with increasing soil depth and GR height. Bryophyte coverdecreases with increasing soil depth. In addition, bryophyte cover is significantly different between unmanaged and regularly mown or weeded GRs. Our study
shows that plant communities of GRs are affected byseveral roof variables, and that soil depth, roof height766

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and management strongly affect plant communities
developing on the roofs. The results may provide useful insights for more environmentally and financiallysustainable design and management of GRs.

S.250.3 The time for species
knowledge is now!
Åsa Krüger1,2, Stina Weststrand1,2
1 Gothenburg Botanical Garden, Gothenburg, Sweden. 2 Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre, Gothenburg, Sweden.
How can we spark people’s interest for the fascinatingworld that is Botany? The climate and the biodiversity crisis are the main focuses in both education andmedia. But are we prepared to tackle these important
issues? To understand biodiversity, or the loss of biodiversity, it is essential to also know the building blocksof biodiversity – species! There has never been a time
when species knowledge has been more important
than now! How do we spread our knowledge insideand outside the classroom? As a botanical garden, we
have a broad platform for communication of botanicalknowledge. People arrive happy and excited and (mostoften) by their own choice, that’s a good start! We also
have strong presence on social media. By combining
the digital content, podcast and personal interactionin the garden at events, lectures and guided tours,
we can reach a mixed target group. This is where wecan spread and encourage interest in species knowledge; give people the information they didn’t know theywanted. We present challenges and new possibilities
on how people can interact with botany!

S.250.4 Surveying the scope,
success, and challengesof plant conservation
community science
Jessamine Finch1, Micah Jasny1,2,Katherine F. Kucera3,4, Gretel Kiefer4
1 Conservation Department, Native Plant Trust,Framingham, Massachusetts, USA. 2 Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program, Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife, Westborough,Massachusetts, USA. 3 The Wetlands Initiative, Chicago, Illinois, USA. 4 Negaunee Institute for Plant
Conservation Science and Action, Chicago Botanic
Garden, Glencoe, Illinois, USA.

Since the end of the 20th century, volunteerism has become a major component of biological conservationworldwide. Interacting factors including limited funding, availability of technology, and public interest present a unique opportunity for conservation scientists
and practitioners to benefit from larger datasets withbroader spatial and temporal reach than possible withprofessionals alone. Volunteer monitoring efforts canbe considered a part of the wider, growing field of community science (a.k.a. citizen science). In tandem with
benefits to science and conservation, volunteers gain
hands-on research experience, scientific knowledge,
outdoor opportunities, and community. While adoptionof community science in plant conservation appears
to be increasing over the last 30 years, the landscapehas remained largely undefined. To better understandthe current status of community science in plant conservation, we conducted an assessment of community
science projects that conduct rare plant monitoring.
Through online research and targeted outreach, wesurveyed 19 project managers in the United States andAustralia and close to 300 volunteers from five uniqueprojects. We documented a spectrum of project models, bounded by semi-autonomous surveys and monitoring directly supervised by researchers. We foundthat volunteers contribute tens of thousands of hours tomonitoring rare plants annually, representing hundredsof thousands of dollars of in-kind donations. Despite
project success documented through longevity, number of volunteers, and the amount of data collected,
persistent challenges including data quality, data security, and project management limit establishment of
new projects and the potential of existing projects. This
assessment has led to the founding of the Rare Plant
Community Science Network with the goal of “improving rare plant monitoring and conservation throughsharing and collaboration between community science programs.” The network currently represents 38
programs spanning four countries (Canada, U.S., Australia, and South Africa) and three continents.

S.250.5 Botanical diversity
and conservation
strategies in the Colombian
Caribbean: the critical roleof local herbaria

767

Andrés Orejuela1
1 Department of Biology, University of Cartagena,
Colombia.

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The Colombian Caribbean stands out for its immense
biological richness, evidenced by diverse flora and thepresence of numerous endemic species. This presentation outlines the current state of knowledge about
this flora and highlights the scientific value of botanicalcollections in the region. The Colombian Caribbean flora faces significant threats, primarily due to anthropogenic factors such as deforestation, urbanization, andagriculture. Key mountainous regions like the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and the Serranía de Perijá host aunique diversity of plant formations, including the valuable páramos. In parallel, the extensive plains of the
Caribbean, which make up the majority of the region,
are home to equally important ecosystems such as dry
tropical forests. These plains, along with the mountainous zones, form a mosaic of habitats that underscore
the rich biodiversity of the Colombian Caribbean. The
fragmentation and systematic destruction of theseecosystems have drastically reduced their extent, leaving less than 8% of the original dry tropical forests. This
alarming situation underscores the urgency of implementing effective conservation strategies. In this context, botanical collections become critically important.
The local herbaria, like the one recently established at
the University of Cartagena, are fundamental for preserving knowledge of the regional flora. These centres
serve as vital resources for research in taxonomy, diversity, evolution, and ecology. Beyond their academic
value, the herbaria play an essential role in education
and raising awareness about the importance of local
flora conservation. Conservation efforts through theseherbaria are a vital step towards understanding andprotecting the unique biodiversity of the Colombian
Caribbean. Interinstitutional collaboration and continuous commitment to botanical research and conservation are key to tackling environmental challenges andpreserving this valuable natural heritage.

Communication, Washington State University, Pullman, USA.
New ‘scientific’ common nomenclatures wereconstructed in line with the root meanings of scientific names. Based on this study, 563 novel, scientific common names (SCN) have been createdfor 181 medicinal plants belonging to 79 families, in
relation to their binomial nomenclature for the firsttime. The newly established common names havethe benefit of making scientific knowledge simpler.
Newly formed SCNs can be used as templates forthe naming of other living things and for the creation of new, scientific local names in other languages. New ‘scientific’ common nomenclatures
were constructed in line with the root meanings
of scientific names. Based on this study, 563 novel,
scientific common names (SCN) have been created for 181 medicinal plants belonging to 79 families,
in relation to their binomial nomenclature for the
first time. The newly established common names
have the benefit of making scientific knowledge
simpler. Newly formed SCNs can be used as templates for the naming of other living things and forthe creation of new, scientific local names in otherlanguages. The construction of new SCNs followed
the etymologies of scientific terms. This study led
to the creation of 563 new common names for
180 medicinal plants from 80 families, which werepreviously unknown in relation to their binomial
nomenclature. The primary benefit of the recently established common names is that scientific
data is presented in clear, concise language thatis easy to understand. On the basis of this, it is advised to review plant common names. These new
SCNs can be used as templates to generate similar names for other living things.

S.250.6 Scientific common
names (SCNs) for
selected medicinal plants:
an improved botany
communication method
Adeyinka O. Adepoju1, Tunde J.
Ogunkunle2, Abiola G. Femi-Adepoju1,
Emmanuel Ejigboye3
1 African Methodist Episcopal University, Monrovia,
Liberia. 2 Ladoke Akintola University of Technology,
Ogbomoso, Nigeria. 3 Edward Murrow College of768

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S.251 ECOPHYSIOLOGICAL CHALLENGES IN
THE ANTHROPOCENE. SESSION 2.
S.251.1 Functional traits andsoil water availability shapecompetitive interactions in a
diploid-polyploid complex
Alba Rodríguez Parra1, Javier López
Jurado1, Jesús Picazo Aragonés1, Mario
Fernández Martínez 1, Claudia Moreno
Portillo1, Anass Terrab Benjelloun1,
Enrique Mateos Naranjo 1, Francisco
Balao Robles1

S.251.2 Inter- andintraspecific variability inleaf minimum conductance(gmin) in vascular plant
species across five biomes

1 Biología vegetal y Ecología, Universidad de Sevilla,
Spain.
Although polyploid species become successfully
established in the short term, only a few persist in
the long term. Interaction between polyploids with
their ancestral cytotypes in secondary contact
zones can contribute to these extinctions. Environmental factors as water availability and functional trait divergence may influence this competitive interaction.We conducted a greenhousecompetition experiment with four cytotypes (2x,4x, 6x, and 12x) of Dianthus broteri under two contrasting water regimes. We estimated niche andfitness differences and predicted the pairwisecompetitive outcomes. Additionally, we exploredthe influence of functional traits (SLA, AN, Fv/Fm,
and iWUE) on competitive interactions. Water
availability modified the competitive dynamics
between cytotypes and predicted competitive
exclusion. Under high water availability, cytotypes
with lower ploidy levels (2x and specially 4x) exhibited the greatest competitive abilities while
under low water availability, the higher level cytotypes (12x, 6x) overcompeted. These differencesin competitive outcomes were explained by functional traits related to competitive effects (SLA)
and competition tolerance (AN, Fv/Fm, and iWUE).
Our study emphasizes that the long-term fate ofpolyploids largely depends on water availability,with polyploids having a competitive advantage
in arid environments and highlighting the role offunctional traits in shaping the competitive dynamics between cytotypes.

769

Marc Carriquí1,2, Faustino Rubio3, María
Ancín4, Ismael Aranda2, Daniela ArosMualin5, Unai Artetxe6, Manuel Ayuso7,Ángel Barón-Sola3, Ignacio Buesa8, F. Javier
Cano2, Miquel Capó9, Carles Cardona10,11,
Jaume Company1, María del Rey2, Raquel
Esteban6, Antoni Josep Far1, Beatriz
Fernández-Marín6, Jaume Flexas1, Luis
Flor1, Angie L. Gámez12, J. Ignacio GarcíaPlazaola6, Llorenç Gibanel1, Roman Gmür5,M. Teresa Gómez-Sagasti6, Javier Gulías1,
Virginia Hernandez-Santana13, Antonio
Hernández6, Laia Jené14, Rafael G. Lacalle6,
Ana López-Ballesteros15,16, Rubén MartínSánchez15, Enrique Mateos Naranjo17, David
Medel3, Pere M. Mir-Rosselló1,11, José Carlos
Miranda3, Melanie Morales14, Lluna Morcillo18,
Sergi Munné-Bosch14, Miquel Nadal15, Jorge
Pallarés3, Alicia V. Perera-Castro19, AlfonsoPerez-Martin13, Javier Pichaco13, Marta PintóMarijuan14, Rocio Ploschuk20, Joan Pons1,
Jesús Rodríguez-Calcerrada3, Celia M.
Rodríguez-Domínguez13, J. Salvador RubioAsensio21, Lorena Ruiz de Larrinaga6, Roberto
L. Salomón3, Jaime Sebastian-Azcona13,
David Soba22, Guillermo Toro23, Alberto
Vilagrosa18,24, Sabina Villadangos14, Rosana
López3
1 Grup de recerca en Biologia de les Plantes en
Condicions Mediterrànies, Departament de Biologia, Universitat de les Illes Balears, Institut d’Investigacions Agroambientals i d’Economia de l’Aigua,
Palma, Illes Balears, Spain. 2 Instituto de Ciencias
Forestales (INIA), CSIC, Madrid, Spain. 3 Grupo deXX International
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Investigación FORESCENT, Departamento de Sistemas y Recursos Naturales, Universidad Politécnica
de Madrid. 4 Instituto de Agrobiotecnología, Consejo
Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Gobierno deNavarra, Mutilva, Spain. 5 Department of Systematics and Evolutionary Botany, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. 6 Group of Biodiversity, Ecosystem
Services and Ecophysiology of Stress and Pollutionin Plants, Department of Plant Biology and Ecology,
Faculty of Science and Technology, University of theBasque Country, P.O. Box 644, Bilbao, Spain. 7 Centro
de Investigação de Montanha, Instituto Politécnicode Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, Bragança,
Portugal. 8 Centro de Investigación de la Desertificación (CSIC-UV-GV), Moncada, Valencia, Spain. 9
Plant & Animal Ecology Lab. Centro para la Conservación de la Biodiversidad y el Desarrollo Sostenible.
Departamento de Sistemas y Recursos Naturales,
Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. 10 Centre Forestal
de les Illes Balears (Menut), Institut Balear de la Natura, Palma, Spain 11 Interdisciplinary Ecology Group.
Department of Biology, University of the Balearic Islands Palma, Spain. 12 Department of Agronomy,
Biotechnology and Food Science, Public University ofNavarre, Pamplona, Spain. 13 Irrigation and Ecophysiology Group. Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología (CSIC), Seville, Spain .14 Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Institut
de Recerca en Biodiversitat, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. 15 Departamento de Sistemas
Agrícolas, Forestales y Medio Ambiente, Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Agroalimentaria de Aragón
Zaragoza, Spain. 16 AgriFood Institute of Aragon – IA2(CITA-University of Zaragoza), Zaragoza, Spain. 17 Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Facultad
de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain. 18
Mediterranean Center for Environmental Studies, University of Alicante, Sant Vicent del Raspeig, Alacant,Spain. 19 Departamento de Botánica, Ecología y Fisiología Vegetal, Universidad de La Laguna, La Laguna, Spain. 20 Department of Agricultural and Forest
Sciences and Engineering, University of Lleida-AGROTECNIO-CERCA Center, Lleida, Spain. 21 Departamentode riego, Centro de Edafología y Biología Aplicada delSegura (CSIC), Campus de Espinardo, Murcia, Spain.
22 Institute for Multidisciplinary Research in Applied
Biology, Universidad Pública de Navarra, Pamplona,
Spain. 23 Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Fruticultura, Las Parcelas 882, Rancagua, Chile. 24 Department of Ecology, University of Alicante, Sant Vicent delRaspeig, Alicante, Spain.

plasticity to growth conditions. Our study encompasses a diverse array of over 300 species growing undernatural conditions, including angiosperms, gymnosperms and pteridophytes, as well as various growthforms—from trees to herbs—and leaf habits. To capture the interspecific variability and plasticity in gmin, we
sampled plants from more than 50 locations spanninga steep mean annual temperature and precipitation
gradient in Europe, ranging from 2.4 to 19.6 ºC, and 250
to 2200 mm, respectively. Sampling was conducted on
current-year, sun-adapted leaves during the summerof 2023. Measurements also included leaf dimensions,stomata distribution, trichome presence, and leaf dry
mass per area. This broad sampling allows to explore
the extent of gmin variability and its potential correlations with climatic conditions across five biomes in alarge spectrum of plant diversity. In order to explore
intraspecific variability, we selected four widely distributed species representing different ecological strategies—Quercus ilex (evergreen angiosperm), Ailanthus
altissima (deciduous angiosperm), Pinus halepensis(evergreen gymnosperm), and Pteridium aquilinum(fern)— and measured them in over 10 locations. Results showed a strong intra- and inter-specific variability in gmin, as well as significant plasticity. This study
provides valuable insights into the adaptive responsesof plants to climate, enhancing our understanding of
the functional significance of gmin in the context of climate change adaptation.

S.251.3 Stomata are driving
the direction of carbon
dioxide induced water-use
efficiency gain in selected
tropical trees in Fiji

Leaf minimum conductance (gmin) represents the vapor diffusion conductance through the surface withclosed stomata, encompassing cuticle and “leaky”
stomata. It stands as a critical functional trait defining
the dehydration rate after stomatal closure and its capacity to overcome long-lasting droughts and heatwaves. While other traits related to drought resistance(e.g., wilting point, embolism vulnerability) are known tovary with climate, the climate-dependent variation in
gmin remains poorly understood, despite being recognized to display significant interspecific variability and770

Wuu Kuang Soh1, Charilaos Yiotis2, Michelle
Murray3, Sarah Pene4, Alivereti Naikatini5,
Johan A. Elkink6, Joseph D. White7, Marika
Tuiwawa5 and Jennifer C. McElwain3
1 National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, Dublin, Ireland. 2 Department of Biological Applications andTechnology, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece.
3 Department of Botany, School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland. 4 School of
Geography, Earth Science and Environment, University of the South Pacific, Laucala Campus, Suva, Fiji.
5 South Pacific Regional Herbarium, University of theSouth Pacific, Laucala Campus, Suva, Fiji. 6 School of
Politics and International Relations, University College
Dublin, Belfield, Ireland. 7 Department of Biology, Baylor University, Waco, TX, USA.

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To date, the effects of decadal scale rising atmospheric CO2 concentration on plant gas-exchange
characteristics in the tropics are largely unknown. This
research provides a rare insight on the little-known
long-term impact of rising atmospheric CO2 on plantwater-use and conductance of tree species in Fiji. Our
study focuses on five tree species from the South Pacific Islands, a region that is particularly vulnerable tothe impact of global warming. This is the first known
study on the long-term physiological response of native plants to climate change in the region. Studying
this long-term trend using herbarium records is challenging due to trait intraspecific variation. We assessed
the impact of atmospheric CO2 concentration rise ofabout 95 ppm (1927–2015) on intrinsic water-use efficiency (iWUE) and theoretical maximum stomatal
conductance of five tropical tree species in Fiji using
isotopic composition and stomatal traits of herbarium leaves. Empirical results were compared withsimulated values using models that uniquely incorporate intraspecific variation of empirical maximum
stomatal conductance responses and specimen- or
species-specific parameterization. While the magnitude of iWUE and maximum stomatal conductance
response is species-specific ranging from strong to
negligible, our findings indicate that the impact of stomata on determining the direction of iWUE response
becomes apparent in situations where there is a consistent trend in photosynthesis. Generally, a stronger
increase in iWUE was accompanied by a stronger decline in maximum stomatal conductance. This study
demonstrates that incorporation of adaptations inmaximum stomatal conductance, via changing size
and/or density of stomata, in simulation is necessary
for assessing an individual species iWUE response tochanging atmospheric CO2 concentration.

exert a strong selective pressure on plant defensive strategies. At the same time, the production andmaintenance of defenses is energetically costly anddepends on habitat quality, including resource andnon-resource stress levels. Accordingly, under highherbivory pressure, plants allocate resources to defense against phytophagous insects, possibly limiting
resource allocation to tolerate abiotic stressors. In other words, biotic and abiotic stress tolerance can exhibit
a trade-off. In that context, we aim to elucidate the roleof biotic stress (defense dimension) on shaping a species abiotic tolerance syndrome. The so-called Stress
Tolerance Space (STS) was recently described as atrade-off model defining the limits of ecophysiological tolerances of Northern Hemisphere woody plants
towards four major abiotic stresses (shade, drought,
cold and waterlogging). A plant tolerance to a given
abiotic stress is constrained by other co-occurring
abiotic and biotic factors and, therefore, the integration of key ecological dimensions with the STS model
would allow to disentangle the multidimensional nature of woody plants’ adaptations to abiotic stress. To
that end, we have compiled data on traits related to
the feeding ecology (e.g., feeding guild, hostplant specialization) of 6000 species of phytophagous Lepidoptera and Hymenoptera associated with the woody
plant species under study within the abovementioned
STS model. By exploring how insect feeding traits distribute within the STS, we provide evidence of a complex association between particular sets of feeding
traits and specific stress tolerance strategies in woody
plants of the Northern Hemisphere, thereby gaining
insights about the significance of the biotic-abiotic
stress tolerance trade-off.

S.251.5 The above- andbelow-ground segregationof functional space of oak
seedlings responds tonative habitats

S.251.4 The role of theplants’ defense dimension
on shaping abiotic stress
tolerance of woody plants

Maribel Arenas-Navarro1,2, Ken Oyama3,
Fernando Pineda-García3, Andrés TorresMiranda3, Horacio Paz1, Felipe García Oliva1

Andrea Cerdeira-Pérez1, Lauri Laanisto2,
Giacomo Puglielli1
1 Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain.
2 Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences,
Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia.

1 Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma deMéxico, Michoacán, México. 2 Facultad de Estudios
Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México, México. 3 Escuela Nacionalde Estudios Superiores, Unidad Morelia, Universidad
Nacional Autónoma de México, Michoacán, México.

Plants are members of a biodiverse community whereinteractions can either benefit or negatively impact
plant fitness. Herbivore insects (negative interaction)771

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Seedling growth and morphology reflect functional
responses to habitat because their establishment
relies on the development of resource-acquiringorgans and their capacity to respond to the environment. Oak species contribute significantly toabove-ground biomass and biodiversity in Northern
Hemisphere Forest ecosystems. Although morphological and physiological differentiation has beenstudied in oaks, it is necessary to conduct studies
to analyze the ecological strategies at the seedlingstage. In this study, we conducted an experiment under controlled conditions to assess how interspecificvariation in functional traits of oak seedlings varies in relation to their native climates. We selected
three oak species from dry lowland forests and three
from mesic highland forests of Mexico. We analyzed
the trade-offs among leaves, stems, and roots thatdrive functional differentiation between dry andmesic oak species. We examined trait-by-trait relationships, constructed interaction trait networks,
and then quantified the overlap of functional spaceat both the species and environmental group levels.
Our results showed significant differences among
environmental groups, primarily in leaf carbon:phosphorus ratio, stem water content, and biomass allocation. Oak species from dry environments allocate
biomass to roots to obtain water and nutrients as adrought adaptation. Meanwhile, mesic oak species
allocate more biomass to leaves, with higher leaf
nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations and stem
water content. Both environmental groups showed
trait-by-trait relationships; however, we found thatthe pattern of coordination of traits was different
between the dry and mesic oaks. This supports theidea that the selective value of the same traits differs under different environmental conditions. Finally, we found significant segregation of the functional
space among species in the same environmentalgroup, highlighting the diversity of ecological strategies in oaks. Variations in plant functional traits anddifferent elemental compositions among oak species promote diversity in ecological strategies.

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Symposia Session 15
S.252 THE EVOLUTION AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
OF APOMICTIC PLANTS. SESSION 2
S.252.1 Phylogenomics
and morphometricenvironmental modelingunraveled reticulate
polyploid evolution of the
Ranunculus auricomus
complexKarbstein, Kevin1,2,3*, Tomasello, Salvatore1,
Hodač, Ladislav2, Wagner, Natascha
D.1, Marinček, Pia1, Barke, Birthe Hilkka1,
Paetzold, Claudia1,4, Bradican, John P.1,
Wäldchen, Jana2 & Hörandl, Elvira1
1 University of Göttingen, Albrecht-von-Haller Institute for Plant Sciences, Göttingen, Germany. 2 Max
Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany. 3 Technical University of Ilmenau, Institute for
Computer and Systems Engineering, Ilmenau, Germany. 4 Senkenberg Naturhistorische Sammlungen, Dresden, Germany. *kkarb@bgc-jena.mpg.de.
Hybridization, polyploidization, and/or apomixis represent important evolutionary forces of plant speciation.
However, consequences of partly overlapping, intricate
evolutionary processes are still poorly understood fornon-model, neopolyploid plant groups. Analytical challenges are attributable to high heterozygosity, low genetic divergence, and missing information on progenitors species, ploidy levels, and reproduction modes. To
tackle this, we selected the large European Ranunculus
auricomus species complex, comprising five newly circumscribed sexual species and >800 polyploid taxa/
morphospecies. Subgenomic (97,312 RAD-Seq loci, 576
nuclear genes, and 71 plastid regions), flow cytometricleaf/seed (1,474/1,075 screened individuals), geometricmorphometric (1587-1880 landmarked individuals pertrait), and abiotic environmental datasets were collected from 75 polyploid apomictic taxa and four putative sexual progenitor species. In this talk, an innovative
taxonomic workflow will be presented, which includes
phylogenomic tree, structure, network, and SNP-origin

analyses, and genomic-morphometric-environmental multivariate modeling. Results consistently showed
polyphyly and only 3–5 supported groups instead of
80 polyploid morphospecies. Each group contained
an extant sexual progenitor species, and surprisingly,
one group possessed a yet unknown (probably extinct) progenitor. Combined multi-genomic analyses
demonstrated predominantly allopolyploid origins,each involving 2–3 different diploid sexual progenitors,
potentially during interglacial periods. Young allotetraploids showed subgenome dominance and non-hybrid SNPs, suggesting substantial post-origin (e.g., hybrid segregation) and little lineage-specific evolution.
Sexual progenitors occupied a much smaller range
in southern and central Europe, whereas three-times
more heterozygous polyploid and predominantly obligate apomictic derivatives expanded their range towards northern and northeastern Europe characterizedby more temperature variable habitats. Allopolyploidapomicts, compared to their diploid sexual progenitors,
resemble a mosaic of new, more stress-tolerant genotypes with morphologically intermediate to transgressive biotypes often outside the progenitor’s ecologicalniches, explaining the observed geographic parthenogenesis scenario. The joint evaluation of phylogenomic,
cytological, morphological, and ecological data supports a revision of the purely descriptive, subjective traditional morphological classification.

S.252.2 Integrative taxonomy
studies to disentangle
Hieracium tenuiflorum ArvTouv. (Asteraceae) diversity
in Italy773

Fainelli Federico1, Giacomo Baldesi1,
Giulia Ginelli1, Carla Lambertini2, Orsenigo
Simone1
1 University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy. 2 University of Milan, Milan, Italy.

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Hieracium L. has extreme morphological variation
caused by complex reproductive strategies, interspecific hybridization and polyploidization. The genus
includes few sexual diploids and numerous apomictic polyploids (Mraz & Zdvořák 2019). Taxonomy andsystematics of this group are extremely complex andpoorly investigated. Hieracium. tenuiflorum Arv.-Touv.
belongs to H. murorum L. group (sect. Hieracium), andoccurs in Alps and Apennines, where it grows in forest margins and along roadsides between 200-1800
m a.s.l. Currently, there are 6 subspecies ascribed to
H. tenuiflorum. Most of them were originally describedfor Italian localities across the Alps. However, the current classification for these taxa is based only on morphology and information on current distribution, ploidy
level or genetic diversity is lacking. To disentangle thetaxonomic diversity of the species, we used an integrated taxonomic approach, including nomenclaturalinvestigation on herbarium specimens, morphometry,chromosome counts, genome size estimation and molecular systematics. Recently collected plants from lociclassici of H. tenuiflorum subspecies and from different localities in Alps and Apeninnes were investigated.
These studies revealed a high variability in ploidy level in
H. tenuiflorum. For the first time, at least three diploid H.
tenuiflorum populations were reported in the Southern
Alps. Morphometric analyses showed morphologicaldifferences between subspecies despite morphological clusters mainly overlapped, suggesting high morphological similarity. Finally, we performed molecularinvestigations using three plastid intergenic spacers(trnH-psbA, trnT-trnL, and trnV-ndhC) and ten nuclear
microsatellites to evaluate the phylogenetic relationship between sampled populations.
References: Mraz, P., & Zdvořák, P., (2019) Ann. Bot.,
123(2), 391-403.

S.252.3 The hybrid origins ofAfrican forage crop grasses
in the genus Urochloa(Panicoideae, Poaceae)

Lizo E. Masters1,2, Paulina Tomaszewska1,3, Trude
Schwarzacher1,4, Alexandre R. Zuntini2, Pat Heslop-Harrison1,4, Maria Vorontsova2
1 University of Leicester, Leicester, UK. 2 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, UK. 3 University of
Wrocław, Wrocław, Poland. 4 South China Botanical
Garden, Guangzhou, China.

species (U. brizantha, U. decumbens, and U. ruziziensis) dominate Urochloa breeding and are hybridizied
to produce the world’s most commercially important
tropical forage cultivars. These three grasses form anaturally occurring species complex characterised bydiverse ploidy levels, overlapping morphologies, andsexual and asexual reproduction. The reticulate evolution of U. brizantha, U. decumbens and U. ruziziensis,
and their phylogenetic relations within Urochloa remain
unclear. Elucidating this history will greatly benefit future
breeding projects. We inferred a species level phylogeny for Urochloa using target enrichment and RNA-seq
data from Kew Herbarium and Centro Internacional de
Agricultura Tropical (CIAT) accessions. Additionally, we
estimated ancestral states for important forage traits
using our phylogeny. Finally, we investigated reticulate
evolution in U. brizantha, U. decumbens, U. ruziziensis
and their closest wild relatives using phylogenetic networks and fluorescent in-situ hybridization (FISH). Our
analysis revealed the independent evolution of five
forage clades across Urochloa. Urochloa brizantha, U.
decumbens, and U. ruziziensis form a well-supported
clade with two wild relatives, U. eminii and U. oligobrachiata. Phylogenomic networks and FISH analysis confirm that U. brizantha and polyploid U. decumbens are
hybrid species that share at least one parental lineage.
Further, diploid U. decumbens and polyploid U. decumbens belong to separate lineages, which is supported
by morphological data, chloroplast phylogenies, andprevious population genetic and cytological work. We
found evidence of reticulate evolution between polyploid U. decumbens and the lineage containing diploid
U. decumbens and U. ruziziensis. The reticulate evolutionof U. brizantha is more complex as diploids and polyploids share a single origin. Our study demonstrates
that multiple lines of evidence (morphological, phylogenetic, cytological) are required to disentangle highly
reticulate species complexes.

S.252.4 “Pseuds corner”– morphometrics anddistribution of Dryopteris
pseudocomplexa andDryopteris pseudodisjuncta
in the UK and Ireland

African grasses in the genus Urochloa (Brachiaria)
have been recognised for their forage crop potential as
early as the 18th century. Three closely related African

774

Alison Evans1, Libor Ekrt2, Roger Golding,
Sven Batke1, Paul Ashton1
1 Edge Hill University, Ormskirk, UK. 2 University ofSouth Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.

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The scaly male ferns of the Dryopteris affinis (Lowe)
Fraser-Jenk. complex cause problems for taxonomists because of their hybrid origins and partly
apomictic, partly sexual methods of reproduction.
The work presented is part of a larger study of thiscomplex in the UK and Ireland, combining morphometrics and flow cytometry. Dryopteris pseudocomplexa, previously known informally as ‘morphotype
Arranensis’, was published by Fraser-Jenkins as asubspecies of D. cambrensis, with records on Skye,
Arran, and two locations in Ireland. In 2016 it was discovered to be a fertile tetraploid. It was published by
Sell as a species. There are also reports of a similar
fertile tetraploid taxon from the Härz mountains, theVosges, and from Romania. Dryopteris pseudodisjuncta was first discovered in the UK in 2008, in Kirkbean Glen, Scotland, where there are also recordsof D. pseudocomplexa. It has subsequently beenfound on Arran and at Strome ferry, Scotland, where
D. pseudocomplexa is also recorded, and in Cumbria and Somerset. D. pseudodisjuncta is a triploidapomict, and also produces male gametes that canhybridise with sexual species. Results of the morphometric analysis, and the current distribution of these
two taxa in the UK and Ireland will be presented, together with identification guides to distinguish thesetaxa from other scaly male ferns. Samples for DNA
sequencing from this study will be provided for astudy led by Michael Kessler, Zurich, which may reveal whether these two taxa are related. Alternatively, they may occur together because of their preference for an Atlantic climate.

S.252.5 The cost of cooccurrence: pollen from
apomicts negatively
impacts the fitness ofsexuals in an openpollinated common garden

we might expect sexuals to ‘catch up’ over time andcolonize sites where apomicts have established.
Where this is not the case, it could reflect ecologicaland/ or additional life history divergence that precludes coexistence. Asymmetrical reproductive interference is an additional or alternative mechanismthat may prevent invasion by sexuals into apomictic
sites, through the action of pollen from apomicts reducing the reproductive fitness of sexual outcrossers. Townsendia hookeri (Asteraceae) includes obligate apomictic autotriploid and sexual outcrossing
diploid populations that display a classical patternof geographical parthenogenesis along the eastern
slope of the Rocky Mountains, from Colorado, USA
to British Columbia, Canada. The two forms overlap
in range in southern Wyoming, but co-occurrence
is rare. Transplants across the range reveal thatsexuals can persist in sites occupied by apomicts.
We measured the strength of reproductive interference (RI) by analyzing progeny produced in a mixed,
open-pollinated common garden located in thezone of range overlap. Seed set of sexuals declined
as a function of their proximity to apomicts. We used
genomic markers (SNPs) to infer the parentage ofprogeny arrays from sexual maternal plants, using
the programs BORICE to estimate the mating system and HIPHOP to determine parentage. We detected low levels of hybrid formation, and, contrary
to previous interpretations from controlled crosses,
no evidence of induced selfing. Our findings point tosignificant negative impacts of co-occurrence via
RI, even though sexuals were roughly equal in number to apomicts in our garden. This suggests that, insome cases, reproductive interference may be key
to explaining geographical parthenogenesis.

S.252.6 Deconstructing
apomixis inangiosperms: frommacroecological patterns
to microevolutionary
processes

Gracy Buckholtz1, Max W.R. Gray1,
Jeannette Whitton1
1 Department of Botany, The University of British Columbia.
Diverse factors have the potential to explain geographical parthenogenesis, the tendency for related sexual and apomictic forms to occupy distinct
ranges. Apomicts are expected to have a colonization advantage relative to obligately outcrossing
sexuals, but if this advantage is purely demographic,

775

Diego Hojsgaard 1; Agostina Sassone 1;
Piyal Karunarathne 2
1 Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant
Research, Gatersleben, Germany
2
InstituteofPopulation
Genetic,
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Mapping the geographical distribution of phylogenetic traits helps visualize macroecological patterns(above species regional level) and understand how
long standing microevolutionary processes (below
species level) shape evolution. These processes are
determined by mutation, genetic drift, gene flow,
non-random mating, and natural selection, leading
to the patterns we see today.
We reviewed global occurrences of apomictic species and mapped them according to the Tree_
of_Life 3.0. Apomixis (asexual seeds), develops by
sporophytic (adventitious embryony) or gametophytic (apospory or diplospory) pathways. Almost
1500 species show evidence of apomixis and c.230
species have anecdotal evidence of apomixis. Most
apomicts occur in Asteraceae, Rosaceae and Poaceae, and 6 families have at least 50 apomictic species whose distribution varies significantly amongcontinents. A correlation between developmental
phenotypes among apomictic species and families
suggests developmental constraints on phenotypic variability, adding to the recognized association
between apomixis-derived biodiversity and general
biodiversity.
To bridge the gap between microevolutionary processes and macroecological patterns and understand the role of apomixis in speciation, we took
Paspalum intermedium a grass species with sexual diploids and apomictic tetraploids ecologicallydifferentiated along a latitudinal gradient in SouthAmerica&ndash; and use population-level genomics (Genotyping-by-Sequencing), reproductive and environmental/occurrence data (Ecological-Niche-Modelling) to assess microevolutionary
processes. Diploids are genetically less variable
than tetraploids and shows a narrow diploid genepool from which tetraploids arise in P.intermedium.
STRUCTURE analysis shows three consistent K values
that relate to ploidy states, lineage ancestry andecological attributes. Principal component and minimum spanning network analyses support a narrow
cluster of diploids, and more diverse tetraploid lineages differentiated by geographic region (North/Centre/South) and cytotype co-existence (sympatry/parapatry/allopatry). Reproductive mode ratios (sexual/apomictic) associate to environmental
variables and within population clonal diversity in
marginal areas.
Our analyses suggest that differences in gene flow
conditions promote intraspecific geographic/genetic differentiation within and between cytotypes,
supporting early steps of speciation.

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S.253 HABITAT-BOUND BRYOPHYTEEVOLUTION
S.253.1 Haplotype variationin mosses bound to niche
adaptation
Lars Hedenäs1, Flavien Collart2
1 Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm,
Sweden. 2 University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Thanks to molecular information, numerous new
bryophyte species, both morphologically recognizable and cryptic ones were discovered during
the last decades. Some of the new species are
restricted to specific habitats, but what about
haplotypes, haplotype groups, or lineages within species? Haplotype variation within bryophyte
species was often used to infer migration routesof populations, population histories, and similar
aspects. Much less often the focus was on correlations with habitat or potential niche adaptations or intraspecific habitat diversification. Still,
we should expect these to occur when different
populations adapt to environmental conditions
and sometimes as part of speciation. By notconsidering this aspect, we may draw incorrectconclusions regarding which factors explain observed patterns of bryophyte haplotype variation and thus, predictions in species/haplotype
response to climate change. Here we explore
whether certain haplotypes, haplotype groups,
or lineages in mosses are or may be associatedwith specific environmental niches, sometimes
contrasting this with geographical patterns. Further, we discuss how correlations between haplotypes and habitat parameters could be exploredin greater detail in the future, including importantcaveats – for example, factors like the number ofsamples and sampling strategies.

S.253.2 Disentangling
habitat adaptation in
species of Sphagnum
magellanicum complex in
North America
Marta Nieto-Lugilde1, Diego NietoLugilde2, Bryan T. Piatkowski3, Aaron M.
Duffy1, Blanka Aguero1, A. Jonathan Shaw1
1 Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham,
USA. 2 Departamento de Botánica, Ecología y Fisiología Vegetal, Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba,
Spain. 3 Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National
Laboratory, Oak Ridge, USA.
Evolutionary drivers play a pivotal role in shaping
biodiversity and influencing how species adapt andchange over time. The process of habitat adaptation and evolution helps species better fit their environments, increasing their chances of survival andsuccessful reproduction. Sphagnum species are
remarkable in their ability to construct and modify
their own niches, which are often well differentiatedamong species. Nevertheless, the scarcity of morphological characters that separate the species
poses a challenge in identifying ecological traits crucial for understanding their evolution and systematics. A current contentious topic revolves around theclassification of the widely distributed S. magellanicum into several morphologically indistinguishable
taxa. The recent addition of two newly described
species brings the count of North American species
to four: S. diabolicum, S. divinum, S. magniae, and S.
medium. Sphagnum, especially the S. magellanicum
complex, has been developing as a model group for
ecological genomics. To explore differences among
these cryptic species in microhabitats and climate
niches, we developed barcode markers and used
RADseq analyses on 808 collections from 119 sites
across eastern North America. Microhabitats, classified by hydrology and shade, alongside hierarchicalmodeling of species communities, were assessed
for niche variation among species. Surprisingly, S.
diabolicum showed not significant responses toany variable, whereas the other complex members exhibited diverse responses. Climatic variables

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strongly influenced S. magniae but less so for S. diabolicum, S. divinum, and S. medium. Micro-habitat
variables minimally affected occurrence variation
for all species, whereas random variables (sample
and locality) explained significant variation for S. diabolicum, S. divinum, and S. medium. These results
suggest that there are still unmeasured but important ecological traits impacting species occurrence.
Our findings underscore the intricate interplay between species and their environments, emphasizing
the varying impacts of climate and local factors on
Sphagnum species.

S.253.3 Parallel evolution
in the genus Ulota(Orthotrichaceae,
Bryophyta) under hyperhumid oceanic climates ofthe southern hemisphere
Ricardo Garilleti1, Isabel Draper2,3, Juan A.
Calleja2,3, Francisco Lara2,3
1 Departamento de Botánica y Geología, Universidad de Valencia, Spain. 2 Departamento de Biología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain. 3.
Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio
Global, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain.
The subfamily Orthotrichoideae, comprising 14
genera and approximately 360 species, plays asignificant role in epiphytic communities withintemperate regions and high tropical mountains
worldwide. Four genera notably contribute to thesubfamily’s diversity, accounting for around 94%
of its species: Orthotrichum (ca. 110 taxa), Zygodon(80), Lewinskya (75), and Ulota (70). The latter genus boasts a subcosmopolitan distribution but
stands out for its greatest diversity in the hyper-humid oceanic-temperate climates of the southernhemisphere. In western Patagonia, thriving withinthese conditions, Valdivian temperate forests andMagellanic subpolar forests host 23 recognized
Ulota species so far. All these species are endemic
to the area, exhibiting remarkable and rare dispersion-related adaptation patterns that could
have emerged during radiative processes. Many
species show adaptations that limit spore release,such as oversized endostome segments or capsule mouth contraction. Moreover, large sporesare very common, and among Patagonian Ulotae
the abundance of spores with endogenous ger-mination (multicellular spores) stands out. Despite
being an uncommon feature in the genus, thistrait has appeared in up to six species in Patagonia. Large and heavy spores as those found here
might face challenging long-distance dispersal.
Arguably, both climatic preferences and dispersal limitations could be linked to an evolutionarypressure for spores to remain within favorable locations, particularly in this territory where strong
winds can transport propagules to adverse environments, including the nearby ocean. In addition,
rapid germination significantly aids the establishment of new individuals in similar and suitableconditions. These adaptations, whether occurring
as syndromes or in isolation, are also observed inother regions, such as Australasia, China, or Japan.
Current data suggest that this intercontinental
pattern might reflect parallel evolution that arises
from homoplasy, which is common in the family.

S.253.4 Habitat-boundevolution in epiphyllous
leafy liverworts of the
Lejeuneaceae
Julia Bechteler1, Adriel Sierra2, Alfons
Schäfer-Verwimp3, Gaik Ee Lee4, Kathrin
Feldberg5, Alexander Schmidt5, Gordon
Burleigh6, Stuart McDaniel6, Christine
Davis6, Emily Sessa6, Dietmar Quandt7,
Juan Carlos Villarreal2
1 Plant Biodiversity and Ecology, Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU University of Kaiserslautern-Landau, Landau, Germany. 2 Département deBiologie, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada.
3 Mittlere Letten 11, 88634 Herdwangen-Schönach,
Germany. 4 Faculty of Science and Marine Environment/Institute of Tropical Biodiversity and Sustainable Development, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu,
Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia. 5 Georg-August-Universität Göttingen. 6 Department of Biological Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL,
USA. 7 Nees-Institute for Plant Biodiversity, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
The leafy Lejeuneaceae is the largest family of liverworts with some 1.900 species in 88 genera andcomprise a high morphological and ecological diversity in tropical and sub-tropical ecosystems.
Most species have an epiphytic lifestyle with a rather
large proportion of species adapted to epiphyllous
microhabitats. Specific characteristics of epiphytic
and epihyllous Lejeuneaceae are, among others, a

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small size, rhizoid discs, inflated leaf lobules and ashort life cycle. The evolution of these epiphyllous
and epiphytic lineages with their morphological andlife history traits, as well as habitat transitions fromterrestrial to epiphytic within the Lejeuneaceae is still
poorly understood as a well-supported backbone
phylogeny is lacking for this family. Beside exploringlarge Sanger-Sequencing datasets of nuclear andplastic markers, we use nuclear target enrichment
data based on the GoFlag probe kit to untangle theevolutionary history of Lejeuenaceae that started
during the Jurassic and Cretaceous. Our study will
give novel insights into the evolution of potential
habitat-bound life-history traits associated with theindependent colonization of unstable epiphyllous
habitats by several Lejeuneaceae lineages.

S.253.5 Effect of niche on
the epiphytic bryophyte
community in a tropicalrainforest of the Amazon

zones of the tree, without reaching the canopy, andfinally, eight species were shared between fallen
trunks and the phorophytes. Species were identified as being distributed in a free vertical zonation
pattern along the host trees. By comparing the dataobtained with regional studies, it could be confirmedthat the niche assemblage is driving the species
composition of epiphytic bryophyte communities at
local and regional scales.

S.253.6 Epigenetic andtranscriptomic changesof amphibious liverwort
Riccia fluitans duringtransformation from land towater form
Jakub Sawicki1, Mateusz Maździarz1,
Mateusz Kurzyński1, Łukasz Paukszto1,
Katarzyna Krawczyk1, Paweł Sulima1,
Monika Szczecińska1

Laura V. Campos1, Emanuel A. Cataño2,
Jaime Uribe2
1 Escuela de Ciencias Básicas y aplicadas, Universidad de La Salle, Bogotá, Colombia. 2 Instituto deCiencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia.
This study evaluated the presence and distributionof epiphytic bryophyte species in a vertical gradient based on the influence of niches associatedwith a tropical rainforest in the Colombian Amazon.
The vertical gradient evaluated included 16 phorophytes and 16 decaying fallen logs. Each fallen log
was considered as a zone (Z1), and in the case of
the phorophytes six height zones (Z2 - Z7). Each zone
(Z1 - Z7) was surveyed in a 10 cm2 plot, for a total of
192 sampling units (96 for phorophytes and 96 forlogs). The taxonomic and floristic composition yielded a total of 120 bryophyte species, corresponding
to 81 liverworts and 39 mosses. Species richness anddiversity was quite similar between fallen logs andphorophytes; however, differences in species composition were evident. Of the total number of species identified, only 44 species were shared between
fallen logs and phorophytes. Of the shared species,
16 were widely distributed, occurring in almost allheight zones of the phorophytes, suggesting a wide
tolerance of the species to changes in microclimatic and physical conditions of the environmentand substrate; 20 species were restricted to the first

1 Department of Botany and Nature Protection, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Poland.
Amphibious plants, adept at thriving in the transitionzone between terrestrial and aquatic environments,
exhibit remarkable adaptability by adjusting theirmorphology and physiology to fluctuating environments. Riccia fluitans, an aquatic liverwort, serves as
an excellent example. This species can grow as floating mats in water or on moist land, demonstrating
its versatile adaptability. In our study, we employedgenomics and transcriptomics approaches to shedlight on the molecular mechanisms that underpin
this adaptation. To assemble and annotate the Riccia genome, we utilized nanopore-based native DNA
and RNA sequencing, nanopore full-length cDNAtranscript sequencing, Illumina-based RNA-seq andDNA-seq of paired-reads, and Hi-C libraries. The genome of Riccia fluitans was 448 Mbp, scattered over
8 chromosome-scale contigs. Interestingly, the genome size was double that of Marchantia polymorpha, mainly due to the expansion of transposons.
By comparing the water and land forms of Riccia
fluitans, we identified over a thousand differentiallyexpressed genes involved in a variety of biologicalprocesses. Our analysis of alternative splicing (AS)revealed over 800 splicing events with significant inclusion levels that differentiated the water and land
forms. The majority of these events were classified

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as intron retention (RI), followed by alternative 3’
splice site (A3SS) and alternative 5’ splice site (A5SS).
The least frequent AS events were exon skipping (SE)and mutually exclusive exons (MXE). We also applied
native, direct RNA sequencing to identify m6A sites
along the transcriptomes of both water and land
forms. This revealed 152 methylated sites across

110 genes in the water form and 25 modified sites
across 18 genes in the land form. Interestingly, evenamong the shared genes (16), different adenosines
were methylated in the compared ecotypes. This
study thus provides a comprehensive insight into
the molecular mechanisms underlying the aquatic
adaptation in Riccia fluitans.

S.254 NEW INSIGHTS ON BIG PLANT GENERA 2:
GENOMICS & TRAIT EVOLUTION
Center, Stuttgart, AR, USA. 11 Leibniz Institute of Plant
Genetics and Crop Plant Research, Gatersleben,
Germany. 12 Department of Crop Sciences, Center for Integrated Breeding Research, Georg-August-University, Göttingen, Germany. 13 Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, New
Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, USA. 14
Sustainable Agriculture Science Center, New Mexico State University, Alcalde, NM, USA. 15 Laboratoire
Reproduction et Developpement des Plantes, INRAE,
CNRS, Université de Lyon, Ecole Normale Superieurede Lyon, Lyon, France. 16 Natural History Museum,London, UK. 17 Plant Breeding and Genetics Section,
Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA. 18 Department ofPlant and Environmental Sciences, The Weizmann
Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.

S.254.1 Discovery ofa major gene behind
prickles, an important plantinnovation, in Solanum(Leptostemonum Clade)James W. Satterlee1,2, David Alonso3,
Pietro Gramazio3, Jia He1,2, Andrea
Arrones3, Gloria Villanueva3, Mariola
Plazas3, Katharine Jenike4,5, Srividya
Ramakrishnan4,5, Matthias Benoit6,
Iacopo Gentile1,7, Anat Hendelman1,2,
Hagai Shohat1, Blaine Fitzgerald1,2,
Gina M. Robitaille1,2, Yumi Green8, Kerry
Swartwood8, Edeline Gagnon9, Rebecca
Hilgenhof9, Trevis D. Huggins10, Georgia
C. Eizenga10, Nils Stein11,12, Shengrui
Yao13,14, Clement Bellot15, Mohammed
Bendahmane15, Sandra Knapp16, Tiina
Särkinen9, Joyce Van Eck8,17, Michael
Schatz4,5, Yuval Eshed18, Jaime Prohens3,
Santiago Vilanova3, Zachary B. Lippman1,2,7
1 Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA. 2 Howard Hughes Medical Institute,
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA. 3 Universitat Politècnica de València,
Valencia, Spain. 4 Department of Computer Science, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
5 Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins
University, Baltimore, MD, USA. 6 INRAE, CNRS, Laboratory of Plant-Microbe Interactions, Toulouse,
France. 7 School of Biological Sciences, Cold Spring
Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA. 8
Boyce Thompson Institute, Ithaca, New York, USA 9Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK. 10
USDA-ARS, Dale Bumpers National Rice Research

Solanum is one of the largest genera in the plant
kingdom with approximately 1,250 species. The
largest monophyletic group within Solanum is the
Leptostemonum Clade, with more than 500 species. A distinctive characteristic of this clade is thepresence of epidermal prickles on vegetative organs; these are a synapomorphy of the Clade andrepresent a single origin evolutionary innovation in
the genus. Prickles have been lost independently inseveral taxa. In cultivated species, breeders favored
selection of prickleless (pl) materials during crop
domestication. Interspecific mapping populations
between pl eggplant (Solanum melongena) andwild prickled species revealed that the pl phenotype
is recessive and consistent with one Mendelian locus. Advanced backcrosses of prickle-bearing wild
species into the S. melongena background pointed
to a region at the end of chromosome 6 containing
the causal genetic locus. Fine mapping of the region
narrowed the causal interval to a 600 kb genomic
region containing 13 annotated genes that included a LONELY-GUY (LOG) cytokinin biosynthesis geneharboring a splice-site mutation. Other pricklelesscultivated eggplants were found to have either
splice-site mutations (S. macrocarpon) or a deletion (S. aethiopicum) in this gene, identifying it as PL.

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Sequencing of PL in prickleless species from the Leptostemonum clade revealed 15 independent mutations (i.e., frameshift, splice-site, TE insertion, and deletion alleles). The key role of PL in the developmentof prickles was further confirmed by CRISPR-Cas9
gene editing of PL in the prickly Australian wild species S. cleistogamum and S. prinophyllum, which recapitulated the phenotype. Our results indicate that
PL may have had a major role in the evolution of an
adaptive morphological novelty in the Leptostemonum Clade, as well as serving as a key genetic target during multiple instances of crop domestication.

S.254.2 Exploring theevolutionary history of Carex(Cyperaceae) with new
insights from geometricmorphometrics
Ana Morales Alonso1, Pedro Jiménez-Mejías2,
Carmen Benítez Benítez3, Andrew L. Hipp4,
Sangtae Kim5, Modesto Luceño2, José
Ignacio Márquez-Corro6, Santiago MartínBravo2, Eric H. Roalson7, Tamara Villaverde1

This exploration will be informative about the anatomical diversification of the genus during its global
expansion. Our work, by identifying synapomorphiesof the organ likeliest to be preserved in the fossil record, will also help in the identification and subsequent incorporation of previously unassigned fossil records of Carex in divergence time estimation.
Furthermore, we explore the potential correlation ofachene shape and ecological requirements. Therefore, our results could potentially help to understandthe possible triggers of radiation events and thefactors influencing the expansion and settlement of
the different Carex lineages.

S.254.3 Genome dynamics
across mega-diverse
taxa: the role of changes in
repetitive DNA on Begonia
evolutionary radiations
Campos-Domínguez L.1,2,3, Thea E.
Kongsted1,4, Turnbull L.1,2, Fan C.1,2, Miller
C.1,2, Cure L.1, Downie M.5, Qi Y.1,2, Tseng
Y-H.6,7, Hu D.6,8, Chung K-F.6, Pellicer J.8,9,
Bombarely A.10, Twyford A.D.1, Kidner C.A.1,2

1 Department of Biology and Geology, Physics andInorganic Chemistry, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos,
Madrid, Spain. 2 Department of Molecular Biology
and Biochemical Engineering, Universidad Pablo
de Olavide, Seville, Spain. 3 Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, Universidad de Sevilla, Seville,
Spain. 4 The Morton Arboretum, Lisle IL, USA. 5 Department of Biology, Sungshin University, Seoul, Korea. 6 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, UK.
7 School of Biological Sciences, Washington State
University, Pullman, USA.
Carex, with over 2000 species and a cosmopolitan distribution, is the second largest genus withinmonocots. The Global Carex Group, a research consortium established in 2013, has produced a seriesof publications addressing the systematics andevolution of this giant genus. As a result, a robust
phylogenetic backbone at the subgeneric level anda sectional classification framework for Carex are
now available. In this work, we have doubled previous genomic species sampling and obtained awell-supported Hyb-Seq phylogeny for all subgenera and represented groups, except for the subgenus Carex. For the first time, we applied geometricmorphometrics to nutlet (achene) shape across
all Carex, allowing the reconstruction of ancestralachene shape and its comparison among lineages.

1 School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK. 2 Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK. 3 Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain. 4
Gregor Mendel Institute of Molecular Plant Biology,
Viena, Austria. 5 John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK. 6
Biodiversity Research Museum, Academia Sinica,
Taipei, Taiwan. 7 National Chung Hsing University,
Taichung City, Taiwan. 8 Royal Botanic Garden Kew,
Richmond, London, UK. 9 Institut Botanic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. 10 Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas, Valencia, Spain.
Understanding the drivers of species diversity andrapid radiations has always been a major goal in evolutionary biology research. Begonia is one of the most
species-rich angiosperm genera with over 2000 pantropically distributed species currently identified. Recent work on Begonia provides a robust phylogenetic
background for the analysis of evolutionary patterns
across various radiations in the group, and suggeststhat speciation in Begonia is not only driven by adaptive processes, but rather by a “random walk”. This
group exhibits large variation in chromosome number and genome sizes across the genus, and previous genomic studies also confirm abundant andrecent transposon activity in some Begonia species.

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We have analysed patterns in TE content and activity of all main radiations within Begoniaceae using thefive previously published Begonia genomes and seven new genome assemblies. We show that Begonia
species show more complex, repetitive and dynamic
genomes overall than their close relative, the monotypic Hillebrandia sandwichensis and identify repeatfamilies recently expanded in species from two different highly speciose South-East Asian sections and in
two large Neotropical radiations. We examined in detail two of these parallel radiations represented by two
highly species-abundant sections, one in SE Asia andthe other in the Neotropics. Results show recent LTR
and wide satellite DNA expansions across very recently diverged species, in contrast with their species-poor,closely related clades. The genomic analysis of Begonia heracleifolia accessions showing variable genome
sizes revealed a markedly higher satellite repeat and
LTR-Gypsy content in the accessions with larger genome sizes, associated with the expansion of a few
abundant repeat lineages. We finally identify an association between changes in genomic repeat content
and genetic barriers to reproduction within this species, directly linking expansions of repetitive DNA to theprocess of genetic isolation and speciation.

S.254.4 Adaptive evolutionof stomatal cluster andhypodermis in Asian
Begonia
Hong-Wun Chen1, Yu-Hsin Tseng2, ShihHui Liu3, Li-Wei Tsai1, Ai-Qun Hu4, Kuo-Fang
Chung1
1 Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica,
Taipei, Taiwan. 2 Department of Life Sciences, Taichung, Taiwan. 3 Department of Biological Sciences,
Kaohsiung, Taiwan. 4 Singapore Botanic Gardens,
Singapore.
With more than 2,000 species exhibiting striking morphological variation, the mega-diverse genus Begonia has emerged as a fascinating system for studying
plant speciation. Many explanations, such as genome
size variation, polyploidization, hybridization, and geographical isolation, have been proposed as the potential drivers for its high species richness. However, few
studies have studied the role of phenotypic variation
has played in facilitating ecological adaptation andtriggering speciation. One unique morphological anatomic feature in some Begonia species is the presenceof stomatal cluster and hypodermis that are beneficial

for growing in arid habitats; however, the evolutionary importance of these anatomical traits has neverbeen investigated under a broad phylogenetic context.
Based on a highly resolved phylogenomic tree of Asian
Begonia reconstructed using target capture data, phylogenetic comparative analyses of three characters (i.e.,
singular vs. clustered stomata, absence vs. presence of
hypodermis, and epiphytic vs. lithophytic vs. terrestrial)
were conducted. Our study demonstrates strong andsignificant phylogenetic signals in all three charactersand reveals high concordance between both leaf anatomical traits with habitat preference, implying a highdegree of phylogenetic niche conservatism in Begonia.
However, the transition from singular to clustered stomata had occurred mainly in the common ancestors of
B. sect. Baryandra and B. sect. Jackia distributed mainly
in limestone karsts of the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia, respectively. Considering the biogeographic
origin mainly mediated by long-distance dispersal in
B. sect. Baryandra, our findings suggest that, after thecommon ancestors of B. sect. Baryandra dispersed to
the Philippines, the possession of stomatal cluster andhypodermis could have facilitated the successful colonization to the limestone habitats throughout the archipelago. By integrating multiple data sets, our study
demonstrates how phenotypic variation and ecological adaptation could have triggered an exceedingly
high speciation rate in the megadiverse Begonia.

S.254.5 Homoplasy inthe evolution of the New
World clade of Astragalus(Fabaceae)
Joseph Charboneau1
1 Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology,
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Missouri, USA.
With more than 3,000 recognized species, Astragalus
L. (Fabaceae) is possibly the most species-rich genus
of seed plants. With limited exceptions, the species
recognized two decades ago have still been found tobe part of one large Astragalus s.s. clade after subsequent phylogenies using small and large numbers ofloci. These phylogenies have been relatively successful at identifying major clades within the genus especially for Old World species, where about 5/6 of thespecies richness of the genus is found. However, thephylogeny of the New World clade (informally called
Neo-Astragalus) has proven more difficult to resolve. Neo-Astragalus has about 400 species in North
America and 100+ species in South America that all782

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have chromosome numbers in an aneuploid series(n = 11, 12, 13, 14, 15), in contrast to the euploid chromosome numbers predominant in the Old World (n = 8,
16). I speak about the origin of the aneuploid series
and chromosome number evolution in Neo-Astragalus as well as the paralogy that hinders phylogenetic
inference within the clade. In addition to the variable
structure of Neo-Astragalus nuclear genomes, plas-

tid genomes in the clade have also undergone numerous rearrangements, some of which are sharedby multiple species through homology and others
shared through homoplasy. I also examine rates
of homoplasy in morphological characters within
Neo-Astragalus and Astragalus as a whole and discuss how this may have influenced the number of
species assigned to the genus.

S.255 SEEDS, SALINITY AND SURVIVAL: A
FUNCTIONAL PERSPECTIVE
S.255.1 Seed germinationand seedling establishment
strategies under salt stressHongxiang Zhang1,2
1 Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology,
Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, China. 2
Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, Melbourne, Australia.
Salinization is a serious agricultural and environmental
problem worldwide that impacts crop production andnatural ecosystems. Germination and seedling establishment is the prerequisite for species growing in saline environments. Thus, germination responses to salts
have received considerable attention. The influencesof salts on plant growth including germination include
osmotic effects, ion effects and nutrient deficit. Therefore, germination strategy under salt stress should beconsidered based on these aspects of saline effects.
We designed a series of experiments using grassland
species and crops to study the related questions. We
found that the osmotic effect was not the predominant effect under NaCl stress because the hydrotime
model cannot predict germination of barley and grass
species well. Then we proposed a salinity model which
can better fit germination of these species under NaCl
stress. The ion effect was adverse to germination onlyat high salinity, with sodium as an osmotic regulator topromote germination percentage and speed of barleyat low and intermediate salinity. An experiment testinggermination tolerance of 12 halophytes to salt type NaCl,
Na2SO4 and NaHCO3 showed species-specific responses to different salts and they were either salt tolerators(high germination at high salinity) or avoiders (highrecovery germination when salinity alleviated). Bigger
seeds had higher salt tolerant capability at high salinity.
Further analysis with mixed salts revealed that the mostclosely related salt parameters with germination andseedling growth was Na+ concentration, not pH. Diluted
salt solutions should be considered to conduct recovery germination experiments, rather than distilled water
based on our study. We found that proper N application
may aid seedling establishment of grass species in saline soils, which denoted nutrient deficit effect of salts.
These results help to understand plant adaptation insaline environments and provide important information for salt tolerant species/crops breeding.

S.255.2 Variability in seedsalinity tolerance in an
island coastal community
Dustin Wolkis1,2, Seana Walsh1,2, Raffaela
Abbriano1, 2, Kasey Barton3
1 Department of Science and Conservation, National
Tropical Botanical Garden, Kalāheo, HI, USA. 2 Natural
History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. 3 School of Life Sciences, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, USA.
Many coastal plant species have adaptations that enable them to exist in higher saline conditions. However,rising sea levels, increased frequency and intensity ofstorm surges, and increased drought due to climatechange are anticipated to increase the level of salinity
to which coastal plants are exposed. Although somespecies may be able to tolerate these changes, salinity tolerance is highly variable across species andontogenetic stage. Coastal ecosystems are critical for
the welfare Hawai’i’s residents, providing sustenance,stabilizing shorelines, and promoting economic andcultural well-being. Understanding how increased
salinity will affect Hawaiian coastal plants is important to effectively manage and conserve these criticalecosystems. To improve our understanding of coastal

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plant species tolerance to projected increases in salinity exposure at the early ontogenetic stage of seedgermination, we tested the effect of salinity (0, 10, 20,
and 35 ppt total salinity of unfiltered/untreated seawater), then tested for resilience by rinsing seeds andsowing with freshwater. We included 17 native and 3
non-native species in our study. Although salinity tolerance varied considerably among species, salinity exposure generally reduced and delayed germination.
The greatest effects were detected at higher salinity
levels. Recovery germination overall was higher forseeds that had been exposed to higher salinity. Noneof the factors we explored emerged as predictors ofsalinity tolerance except seed mass, which tended toenhance germination at higher salinity. Species responses to salinity exposure indicate high vulnerability of coastal systems to increased salinity stress, andvariability among species could lead to shifts in community assembly and composition under sea levelrise. These results can help guide coastal ecosystemconservation and restoration management decisions
in the face of climate change.

S.255.3 Effect of Ibuprofen
on the germination niche of
halophyte species

tigate seeds’ ability to recover after salinity and Ibuprofen stress. In J. acutus, ibuprofen slightly decreased thegermination percentage and increased the standard
deviation around the mean values. Ibuprofen also increased the germination time and synchrony, although
not significantly. L. vulgare showed a less linear trend
and non-significant effects. Recovery tests showed
that, although with fluctuating patterns, seeds of both
species can recover from salinity, also when exposedin combination with Ibuprofen. This research for the firsttime empirically tested the effect of ibuprofen on thegermination of wild species. Furthermore, it provides
relevant insight to understand plant dynamics andtheir responses to emerging human-induced threats,such as pharmaceutical contamination.

S.255.4 Saline Challenges:
A Hydrotime Modeling
Perspective on Germination
Patterns in Mangrove
Species under Differing
Sodium Chloride Co
Malaka M. Wijayasinghe1, Gehan
Jayasuriya2, Jeffrey L. Walck3

Silvia Del Vecchio1,2, Marco Picone2, Samira
Gurbanli2, Anna Volpi2, Gabriella Buffa2
1 Università Degli Studi Roma Tre, Roma, Italia. 2
Università Ca’ Foscari, Venezia Mestre, Italia.

1 Department of Biological Sciences, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka, Mihintale, Sri Lanka. 2 Department of Botany, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. 3 Department of Biology, Middle
Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN, USA.

Salt marshes are habitats of high ecological value andconservation concern worldwide. Recently, pharmaceutical pollution has become a further human-induced risk for these already-threatened environments.
While the effects of pharmaceutical pollution were investigated on some fishes and invertebrates, they arelargely unexplored for wild plants. This research investigated the effect of ibuprofen, one of the most commonly detected pharmaceuticals in surface waters,on seed germination of salt marshes plants. Adverse
effects of this emergent contaminant can affect species population dynamics and, consequently, the integrity of salt marsh plant communities. We explored
the germination requirements of Juncus acutus, Limonium vulgare, Sarcocornia fruticosa, Tripolium pannonicum. Then, seeds of the best germinating species(Juncus acutus and Limonium vulgare) were exposed
to increasing concentrations of ibuprofen (0, 2, 20, 200,
and 2000 μgL-1), both alone and under saline conditions(NaCl 513 mM). Recovery tests were performed to inves-

The study focused on investigating the impact ofsalinity on the germination of selected mangrove
species; Aegiceras corniculatum, Acanthus ilicifolius, Pemphis acidula, Sonneratia caseolaris, and Allophylus cobbe, emphasizing the critical adaptations
these plants undergo during germination to thrive inthe challenging interface of salt and freshwater. The
study explored the relationship between water potential in the growth medium and the germination rate by
applying a hydrotime model. Seed germination wasstudied under various temperatures (15, 25, and 35 °C)
and varying sodium chloride concentrations. The germination patterns of different mangrove species wereanalyzed, with a specific examination of whether thesepatterns align with the hydrotime model. Effects of salinity on cotyledon emergence were also evaluatedfor A. corniculatum. Temperature was identified as a
critical factor affecting seed germination, particularlyof S. caseolaris and P. acidula. Moreover, an interaction
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was evident on seed germination. The research unveils distinct salinity tolerance levels among the tested
species, with A. corniculatum (a viviparous species)
exhibiting the highest tolerance, followed by S. caseolaris, A ilicifolius, P. acidula, and A. cobbe. A. corniculatum, showed a delay in cotyledon emergence fromradicle emergence, showing epicotyl dormancy andsignificantly fewer days to emerge cotyledon in higher
osmotic potentials when compared to lower osmotic
potentials. A. ilicifolius was the only species conforming to the hydrotime model, with a determined threshold water potential of –1.8 MPa. Overall, the findings
revealed that the studied mangrove species exhibit
facultative halophytic behavior, capable of germinating across a wide range of saline environments. Salinity can influence the duration of epicotyl dormancyof A. corniculatum. While the application of a hydrotime model was limited for mangroves due to deviations from model criteria, the research enhances ourunderstanding of the intricate adaptations enabling
mangroves to thrive in extreme conditions.

S.255.5 Are there different
germination patterns along
the saline gradient in theco-occurrent halophytes
in Mediterraneansaltmarshes?

cosa, four sympatric Limonium species -L. caesium,
L. cossonianum, L. delicatulum, and L. supinum- andLygeum spartum) and the whole salinity gradient ofthese habitats (0–6% NaCl). Our results suggest thatthe successful establishment of halophytes depends
on the germination strategy which implies a rapid
germination velocity when the soil salinity decreases,
shaping the plant asssembly within the saline habitat.
According to the obtained results, two different germination strategies have been defined which favour
the adaptation of different halophytes species underfavorable conditions. Certain species can germinate
along a wide salinity range (e.g., S. fruticosa, L. cossonianum), whereas others are characterised by highgermination at low-medium salinities and a reduced
germination after high salinity exposure (e.g., A. macrostachyum). These findings provide evidence to shedlight on the local assembly processes of halophytic
communities and its particular zonation.

S.255.6 Seed germination
responses of annual backdune species to current andfuture climatic scenarios
Diana María Cruz Tejada1, Clara Espinosadel Alba2, Alessio Mo1, Alice Fuggirai1,
Stefania Bottega1, Eduardo Fernández
Pascual2, Angelino Carta1

Joaquín Moreno1, Alejandro Terrones2,
Ana Juan31 Miguel Hernández University of Elche, Elche, Spain.
2 Arid Zones Experimental Station (CSIC), Almería,
Spain. 3 University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain.
Soil salinity is one of the most relevant drivers leading to plant zonation in Mediterranean saltmarshes,
where germination is a critical stage in the life cycleof many halophytes. The study of how salinity allows
the germination and establishment of halophytes insaline environments is a relevant first step to disentangle the assembly processes in theses habitats, where
sympatric species occupate separate ecologicalniches as a result of adaptive differentiation along thesalinity gradient. In this framework, the main goal ofthis study is to assess if the co-occuring halophytes inMediterranean saltmarshes show different germination patterns along the salinity gradient. Experiments
were conducted considering the seeds of perennial
co-occuring species in Mediterranean saltmarshes (Arthrocaulon macrostachyum, Salicornia fruti-

1 University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy. 2 IMIB Biodiversity Research Institute (University of Oviedo CSIC Principality of Asturias), Mieres, Spain.
Plant species living in coastal sand dunes face survival challenges from harsh environmental conditions likehigh soil temperature and low water availability thatclimate changes could exacerbate. The regenerationof annual plant species depends on seeds; thus they
may be particularly vulnerable to climate-induced
environmental changes. We studied seed responses
of annual dune species to environmental cues in thelaboratory, with the aim of identifying the thermal andwater potential germination limits, as these could becritical to forecast the germination risk. We sampledcharacteristic annual species in Mediterranean backdune grasslands: Festuca fasciculata (Poaceae), Marcus-kochia ramosissima (Brassicaseae) and Silene
canescens (Caryophyllaceae). Fresh and after-ripened
seeds were exposed to different temperature and light
regimes. To explore water stress responses, seeds were
exposed to different water potential levels. After-rip-785

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ening overcame dormancy allowing for germination
responses at most temperatures and light conditions
in F. fascitulata and S. canescens. M. ramossima hadvery low germination under all treatments except when
exposed to GA3, thus this species probably exhibits
deeper dormancy compared to the other two annuals. While F. fasciculata exhibited broader temperature and water potential germination niches (Psib50= -0.83) compared to S. canescens (Psib50 = -0.24),
the former species exhibited a thermal germination
risk compared to the latter, which did not exhibit a risk.

Whilst light positively affected seed germination underno water stress, a negative effect was detected whenseeds were exposed to water stress, indicating photoinhibition of seed germination under these conditions forall species. In conclusion, we found common responses
among phylogenetically distant species (F. fasciculata
and S. canescens) concerning the environmental cues
examined. In particular, seeds can integrate water andlight signals from their environment to modulate theirgermination responses to avoid the risk of seedlingmortality that may occur in water stress scenarios.

S.257 PLANT AWARENESS DISPARITYRESEARCH (PAD) AND CHALLENGES INSCHOOL EDUCATION
S.257.1 Assessing Plant
Awareness - a tool forscience and school
Benno Dünser1, Andrea Möller1, Peter
Pany1,2
1 University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria. 2 University College of Teacher Education Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Since the early 20th century, biologists have bemoaned
the lack of interest in plants and their neglect in education. Wandersee and Schussler (2001) defined thisphenomenon as ‘plant blindness’ and challenged educational practitioners and researchers to investigate
the causes and reform plant pedagogy. The next stepin development was to redefine the condition as ‘plantawareness disparity’ to address the ableist connotations of the original term and to examine its components through the lens of the new definition. Following
this line of thought, plant awareness, a novel perspective in contrast to deficit-oriented studies, encompasses visual perception, knowledge of and attitudes
towards plants. Perceptual attention involves focusing
mental resources on plants compared to other environmental elements. Attitude, a stable evaluation of aphenomenon, includes components such as perceived
importance, appreciation, and preference for plants.
Focused attention, positive affect and motivation contribute to an individual’s interest in plants, whereas negative attitudes often arise from misconceptions aboutplant vitality. While various studies have examinedthese components individually, a comprehensive un-derstanding of plant attitudes requires measurement
tools that capture multiple dimensions and ensure internal consistency and structural validity. This oral presentation aims to promote a common understandingof plant awareness by exploring its conceptualisationand measurement methodology. The measurement
tool we have developed will be examined in detail, as
it is the first tool to go beyond self-report items. This includes an exploration of its development, overarching
objectives, and the results of an expert-led validationof the Delphi technique. The in-depth examination ofthis measurement tool provides valuable insights into
the complexities of plant awareness and highlights theevolving landscape of research in this area.
References: Wandersee JH, Schussler EE (2001). Towards
a theory of plant blindness. Plant Science Bulletin 47, 2–9.

S.257.2 Plant awareness in
Spanish formal education:an analysis of new curriculaand innovative experiences
at initial teacher training
Marcia Eugenio-Gozalbo1
1 Faculty of Education of Soria, University of Valladolid, Spain.
Plants constitute a highly diverse taxonomic group with
fundamental ecological functions, which is currently
undergoing a dramatic biodiversity loss. It is thus essential to promote their knowledge and appreciation

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through formal education, particularly during educational stages that are compulsory for all citizens. In
Spain, plants are studied along primary (6-12 years)
and compulsory secondary education (12-16 years). An
analysis of the new competence-based Spanish curricula (2022) was conducted by identifying all plant-related text fragments and classifying them into a systemof categories; the results will be presented and discussed to highlight both the strengths and weaknessesof the new curricula regarding plant contents teaching. Furthermore, and basing on the fundamental rolethat teachers play for the introduction of new perspectives in societies, two educational experiences aiming
to promote plant awareness in Spanish pre-service
teachers will be presented. The first one had two fundamental pillars: (1) the use of an organic garden as areal-world context where students could establish direct interactions with alive plants and develop attachment to them, besides learning about plants that are
useful (thus facilitating authentic learning: linking new
knowledge to prior knowledge and noticing the relevance and applications of their learning); (2) the use ofa teaching-learning strategy largely based on drawing to promote observation, and including a seminaron botanical illustration, drawing sketches from nature,or designing mind maps. The didactic sequence included other science activities and contents, with theoverall objective of integrating plant-related contents
and promoting plant awareness. The second one constituted a refinement of that first experience, in whichsome new and relevant elements were included, suchas a test that was purposely designed to assess students’ perception of plants both at the small and medium-scales, as a measure of plant awareness. Results ofboth experiences will be also presented and discussed.

bear the responsibility of disseminating this knowledge
widely throughout society. This dissemination contributes significantly to the evolution of our shared “civic
epistemologies”—the processes through which knowledge is cultivated and authenticated within a given
society, ultimately influencing public engagement anddecision-making. This oral presentation, framed under
the overarching theme of “Plants and Society,” showcases recent educational initiatives that effectively
mitigate students’ cultural “blindness” towards plants.
Commencing with an exploration of its historical context, I introduce the concept of plant blindness—a termcoined in 1999 by botanists and educators James
Wandersee and Elizabeth Schussler. Subsequently,
an examination of “civic epistemologies” in the context of plants will ensue, drawing insights from thescholarly contributions of Sheila Jasanoff. The presentation will proceed to scrutinize three experiments
in higher education (Brenner, 2017; Bonser et al., 2013;
Nyberg y Sanders, 2013). Leveraging common technologies such as smartphones, these experiments
have demonstrated efficacy in heightening students’awareness of plant behavior and ecological significance. Following this, I contemplate the implications ofthese experiments in challenging preconceived civic
epistemologies. Additionally, a conclusive sociologicalstudy by Katherine Mach and colleagues (Mach et al.,2020) will be presented to underscore the imperative
for a collective “coproduction” of knowledge acrossdiverse educational levels, ensuring heightened applicability. Confronting the urgent challenges posed byclimate change necessitates an imperious call for societies to cultivate a more widespread disseminationof plant-related knowledge within the public domain.

S.257.4 Revisiting the term
‘plant blindness’ with
community INCLUSIONAND GROUND-SOURCED
ALTERNATIVES

S.257.3 Reverting plant
blindness: challenging civic
epistemologies througheducation
Francisco Javier Navarro Prieto1

Renee M. Clary1, Melanie Link-Perez2

1 Department of Philosophy, Autonomous Universityof Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
In the realm of plant sciences, both classical andcontemporary experiments have unveiled a level ofcomplexity in plant behavior surpassing conventional
perceptions held by the general public. Beyond theirfundamental ecological roles, plants exhibit intricate
behaviors akin to those observed in higher animals.
Positioned as scholars within the academic sphere, we

1 Department of Geosciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, USA. 15 Degree Laboratory
2 University of Tampa, Florida, USA.
When first identified in 1998, the construct of ‘Plant Blindness’ captured public attention and summarized botanists’ frustration with people’s inattention to plants. The
term grew in popularity over two decades and continues to be regularly invoked outside the United States,with visual cognition explanations as the root cause for787

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the observed plant perception biases. With increasingawareness of the need for respectful communication
for supportive and inclusive societies, researchers appropriately revisited the concept and recommended
a new title of ‘Plant Awareness Disparity.’ Their goal ofmoving away from ableist language to describe thiscognitive inattention toward plants is noble and forces
reexamination of the language we use. While we applaud efforts to encapsulate public botanical inattention through considerate terminology, we propose thatthe journey to rename ‘Plant Blindness’ has not reached
its natural community-based conclusion. We suggestthat inclusive nomenclature for the community mustarise from the community. We present our current research-based efforts to identify a ground-sourced alternative to ‘Plant Blindness,’ through which we invite
participation of diverse voices to identify a groundsourced alternative.

S.257.5 Plant awareness inchildren’s picture books
Verity Jones1
1 University of the West of England, Bristol, UK.

In this contribution I theorise the importance ofchildren’s picture books as spaces for interaction
and awareness with plants. I reflect on the newand more traditional genres within children’s literature and how plants have been used (andabused) within them before critically reviewing a
selection of popular children’s fiction found in thefive most popular supermarkets in England. Onein five children’s books in the UK are purchased at
supermarkets and the selection of books in thisstudy includes some of the most well-known andcurrent popular titles. Following content analysis
of a sample of these books (for audiences of ca.
5-10 years old) I highlight how plants are being
represented in different ways, who (if anyone) isseen as responsible for these plants, what the impact of the plants are to the story, and how accurately they are represented (both through text andillustration). I then consider the potential impacts
these representations may be having on young
audiences and the challenges children’s and illustrators are faced with. Final comments will suggest ways in which teachers and teacher trainers
might choose and use books in order to support
young people navigate plant awareness.

S.258 PHYLOGENOMICS AND ADAPTIVEEVOLUTION OF THE WOODY PLANT GENUSRHODODENDRON
S.258.1 Pervasive hybridization
during evolutionary radiationof Rhododendron subgenus
Hymenanthes in mountains ofsouthwest China
Jianquan Liu1,2, Richard Milne3, Quanjun
Hu2, Yazheng Ma2, Xingxing Mao2, Ji Wang2
1 College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou,
China. 2 College of Life Science, Sichuan University,
Chengdu, China. 3 Institute of Molecular Plant Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
Radiations are especially important for generating species biodiversity in mountainous ecosystems. The contribution of hybridization to suchradiations has rarely been examined. Here, we

use extensive genomic data to test whether hybridization was involved in evolutionary radiation
within Rhododendron subgenus Hymenanthes,
whose members show strong geographic isolation in the mountains of southwest China. We
sequenced genomes for 143 species of this subgenus and 93 species of four other subgenera
and found that Hymenanthes was monophyletic
and radiated during the late Oligocene to middle
Miocene. Widespread hybridization events wereinferred within and between the identified clades
and subclades. This suggests that hybridization
occurred both early and late during diversification of subgenus Hymenanthes, although the extent to which hybridization, speciation throughmixing-isolation-mixing or hybrid speciation, accelerated the diversification needs further exploration. Cycles of isolation and contact in such andother montane ecosystems may have together

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promoted species radiation through hybridization between diverging populations and species.
Similar radiation processes may apply to othermontane floras in this region and elsewhere.

S.258.2 Genomic insights
into spatiotemporal
evolution and adaptive
evolution of the species-richcosmopolitan plant genus
Rhododendron
Xiao-Mei Xia1
1 Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences,
Beijing, China
Evolutionary radiation is a widely recognized modeof species diversification, but its underlying mechanisms have not been unambiguously resolved forcosmopolitan plant genera. The factors that enable certain species-rich plant genera to adapt todiverse environments and achieve global distribution are still not fully understood. Rhododendron,as the largest genus of woody plants in the Northern Hemisphere, presents an exceptional system
for investigating the genomic mechanisms driving
evolutionary radiations and the capacity to adapt
to a wide range of habitats. Here, we reconstructed
the first completely resolved and dated phylogenyof Rhododendron and found that most extant species originated by evolutionary radiations when
the genus migrated southwards from circumboreal areas to tropical/subtropical mountains. We
also found rapid increases of both net diversification rate and evolutionary rate of environmental
factors in the Miocene, indicating that ecologicalfactors have triggered the evolutionary radiations.
Furthermore, we have accomplished high-quality,
chromosomal-level genome assemblies of ninespecies and revealed diverse adaptive strategies
employed by Rhododendron, particularly the adaptation to alpine and subalpine habitats by expansion/contraction of gene families involved inpathogen defense and oxidative phosphorylation,
genomic convergent evolution, gene copy number variation, and a high percentage of private
genes. The adaptation to high altitudes is further
supported by our population genomic analysis of
R. nivale, a species representing the highest altitudinal distribution within the genus and based oncomprehensive range-wide sampling. Moreover,using metabolomic, transcriptomic, and genomic
analyses, we have identified the genes involved in
the biosynthesis of anthocyanins and carotenoids.
This study provides a good example of integrating phylogenomic and ecological analyses in deciphering the mechanisms of plant evolutionary
evolutions. It holds considerable significance inenhancing our understanding of plant adaptive
evolution and offers valuable insights for improving flower colors in this important horticultural
plant genus.

S.258.3 Genomic adaptationand future responses ofan alpine rhododendron
species in the eastern
Hengduan Mountains
Qin Li1, Kaining Hu2, Xiaojun Kou3, Richard
Ree4
1 School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China.
2 Department of Human Genetics, University of
Chicago, Chicago, USA. 3 School of Life Sciences,
Beijing Normal University, Beijing, Shanghai. 4 Department of Science and Education, Field Museumof Natural History, Chicago, USA.
High-altitude plant species have shown local
adaptations to specific environments, such as
low temperature, drought, ultraviolet radiation,and short growing season. In the face of climatechange, alpine specialists are more likely to experience range contractions and evolutionary risks.
To quantify such adaptation as well as vulnerability, we sampled 15 populations of an alpine Rhododendron (R. intricatum) with a large elevational
range (3000 m - 4500 m) in the Mt. Gongga regionof the eastern Hengduan Mountains in southwestern China. Using a whole-genome re-sequencing
dataset, we performed genotype-environment
association (GEA) and gene ontology (GO) enrichment analyses to explore its adaptation signature along elevation. Using inferred outlier SNPs
(single nucleotide polymorphisms), we then modeled genetic turnover in a multidimensional climate space and estimated genetic offsets underclimate change. The genomic data showed nosignificant geographic structure, while GAE tests
revealed a large number of outlier SNPs associated with elevation. Among the inferred significant
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functional tendency associated with reproductive processes such as pollination and signaling.
The current genetic turnover shows strong signals
along climatic variables related to precipitationseasonality and extremes, which is consistent witha northeast-southwest geographic separation of
the population. Meanwhile, such turnover signals
would lead to remarkable risks at high elevations
with intense precipitation changes in the future.
Together, we highlight the genomic mechanisms
underlying local adaptation at high altitudes. More
importantly, we show that predicting climate vulnerability from both evolutionary and ecologicalfactors reveals population-level risks to climatechange in a mountainous region.

S.258.4 Exon and exonflanking regions sequenceassembly from deep
genome skimming
data for Rhododendron
phylogenomics
Zhi-Qiong Mo1,2,3, Chao-Nan Fu1, Alex
Twyford 3, Pete M. Hollingsworth4, Jun-Bo
Yang2, De-Zhu Li2,6, Lian-Ming Gao1,6
1 CAS Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany,
Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan,
China. 2 Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Kunming
Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences,
Kunming, Yunnan, China. 3 University of Chinese
Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China. 4 Institute of
Molecular Plant Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK 5.
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. 6 Lijiang Forest Biodiversity National Observation and Research Station, Kunming Instituteof Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lijiang,
Yunnan, China.
Using the deep genome skimming (DGS) data to assembly target nuclear orthologous genes for phylogenomics has recently become attractive, but little
practical exploration has been done for herbarium
specimens. Sequences flanking target genes are useful for phylogenetic inference of shallow taxonomic
levels, while it is underutilized in studies possibly due
to its finite recovery. We evaluated the optimal sequencing depth and performance for recoveringtarget nuclear gene from specimen accessions, by
subsampling genome sequencing data (10×, 15× and20× sequencing coverage) with Rhododendron as ex-

ample. To explore whether the sequence recovery oftarget exons and their flanking regions improved ornot, we utilized exons only or allowed intron-containing
sequences (supercontigs) as reference for read sorting in assembly process using HybPiper, respectively.
Additionally, phylogenetic analyses were conducted
to test the phylogenetic utilities of plastomes and thecaptured nuclear exons and their flanking sequences. Our results showed that DGS can be well appliedfor herbarium specimens to recover large number ofnuclear genes, and the optimal sequencing depth for
high-quality gene assembly from specimens was ~15×coverage. Further analyses suggested that the adoption of supercontigs as reference can capture morehigher-integrity target exons and flanking regions, andcan be used as an alternative to increasing sequencing depth to improve sequence recovery in the caseof limited sequencing data. The high-integrity nuclear
sequences recovered here and plastome sequences
recovered robust phylogenetic relationships in Rhododendron. It is also noteworthy that the recovered
non-targeted exon-flanking regions showed great
promise for shallow-scale phylogenetic relationships.
The exons and flanking regions captured by adding
introns into references for assembly shed new light on
resolving interspecies relationships by using DGS data
which recover high-integrity target nuclear genes
and their flanking regions for phylogenomics of an expanding sampling covering both the extant and thenatural history collections.

S.258.5 The migration
history of Kamchatka
rhododendron(Therorhodion
camtschaticum s.l.) - twice
towards eastern Beringia
Ickert-Bond, Stefanie M.1, Polezhaeva,
Maria A.2, Oliver, Margaret G.3
1 UA Museum of the North Herbarium and Department of Biology and Wildlife, University of Alaska
Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, USA. 2 Institute of Plant
and Animal Ecology, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Science, Ekaterinburg, Russia. 3 University ofTennessee Herbarium, The University of Tennessee,
Knoxville, TN, USA.
Therorhodion is a small genus including three species– T. redowskianum with an Asian-restricted range
and two amphiberingian taxa T. camtschaticum
and T. glandulosum. The Kamchatka rhododendron790

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Oral presentations(Therorhodion camtschaticum s.l.) is a small cold-resistant arcto-alpine shrub species with a controversial intraspecific taxonomy and a wide distribution
range covering northern Eurasia and North America
within Beringia. Russian taxonomists recognize one
species with two subspecies, whereas two distinct
species are recognized in North America following abroader species concept. We set out to unravel thetaxonomic relationships within Therorhodion and thelikely dispersal route/s of T. camtschaticum and T.
glandulosum. First, we look at the overall phylogeny
and recover strong molecular support for Therorhodion as the sister clade to Rhododendron, and within
Therorhodion three strongly supported monophyleticclades representing three species are inferred. Next,
we assess the level and distribution of diversity in thetwo closely related amphiberingian species within thenative species range. The degree of differentiation
we found is consistent with the species rather thansubspecies status of the taxa studied. Two genetic
lineages reflect the migration pathways of species
from western Beringia to eastern Beringia. A northern pathway for T. glandulosum from northern East
Asia (Okhotsk seashore, the Kolyma region, Chukotka, central and northern Kamchatka) to the Seward
Peninsula in northern Alaska. A southern pathway for
T. camtschaticum from the southern part of western
Beringia (the Sikhote-Alin ridge, Sakhalin Island, theKuril Islands, and southern Kamchatka) to the Aleutian Islands and the seashore of southeast Alaska.
We inferred a divergence of Therorhodion from Rhododendron in the late Paleocene with the Asian-restricted T. redowskianum diverging during the middle
Miocene, supporting an Asian origin for the genus.
Demographic analysis using nSSR data inferred adivergence time between T. camtschaticum and T.
glandulosum in the Pleistocene at 1.52 Mya.

ronmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China. 4 Center for Tree Science, The
Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL, USA. 5 College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
Understanding the evolutionary history in the genus
Rhododendron (Ericaceae) is a difficult but important enterprise. The genus is iconic, both in horticulture
where their charismatic flowers and hardy growthhabits are highly valued, and as a prominent element of the North Temperate flora. In addition, polyploidy is highly desirable in rhododendron breeding
and occurs naturally among multiple groups within
the genus. The alpine group, subsection Lapponica
remains somewhat of a mystery to ‘rhody’ enthusiasts. While some of the species in the group display
consistent morphological identity across their geographic range, many taxonomic characters holdlittle value for delimitation. Additionally, we have uncovered a pattern where polyploids are more frequent than previously thought. Here, we present DNA
relationships among samples from China and botanical garden material that test hypotheses about
species boundaries in Lapponica. In tandem, usingmorphological data from flowers and leaves, we
compare phenotypes to one another in an effort tounderstand where variation is most informative for
species identification. Finally, we combine the two
approaches together to provide our first look at thecomplicated and beautiful evolutionary history of
Rhododendron’s ‘Hardy Mountaineers.’

S.258.6 Phylogenomic andmorphological insights into
ploidy and the radiationof Rhododendron subsect
Lapponica in the Hengduan
Mountains
Ryan S. Fuller1,2, Qin Li2,3, Andrew R. Hipp1,4,
Jian-Quan Liu5, Richard H. Ree1,2
1 Committee on Evolutionary Biology, University of
Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA. 2 Negaunee Integrative
Research Center, Field Museum of Natural History,
Chicago, IL, USA. 3 School of Ecological and Envi-791

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S.259 USING PLANTS FOR RESTORATION,CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT OFFRESHWATER HABITATS
S.259.1 Macrophyte-based
solutions: Environmental
drivers, potential andlimitations of aquatic plants
as key actors in ecosystem
restoration

growth processes, especially in the very early stagesof development and recovery of an impaired waterbody. Building on this evidence and delving into major international experiences in wetland restorationand enhancement, the aim is to outline the potential
and limits of using macrophytes as nature-based
solutions.

Rossano Bolpagni1
1 Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainabilty, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
Freshwater biodiversity is collapsing globally. Urgent
and effective actions are essential to address thiscrisis within-a-crisis. In Europe, for example, most
up-to-date data show that climate change is a
growing threat (1), mainly due to increased droughtand decreased precipitation, while agricultural activities, land abandonment and urbanization (2) are
the main pressures on habitats and species of conservation concern. Natural wetlands emerge as thebest sites for preserving adequate levels of aquaticand riparian vegetation and associated biota; however, especially in the lowlands, pristine wetlands
and aquatic ecosystems have almost completely disappeared. Therefore, actions are needed tomaintain, on the one hand, and recreate, on the other hand, an extensive network of wetlands capableof preserving acceptable levels of aquatic/wetland
vegetation diversity and functioning. Understanding
the eco-functional responses of macrophytes toecological/anthropogenic pressures and local effects of the climate crisis is, then, crucial to achieving this fundamental goal. Findings gathered overthe past two decades on diverse and complex wetland systems located in overexploited Italian lowlands confirm the key contribution made by natural sites in maintaining vegetation diversity in highly
compromised riverine settings. This also suggests a
direct effect of interannual and seasonal dynamics of water-level changes on observed vegetation
patterns. In addition, progressive loss of hydrological connectivity and herbivory have been shownto massively affect macrophyte establishment andS.259.2 Big plans for small
pools: a morphologicaltypology for in situ
conservation andmanagement of theseasonal rock pools of Malta
Sandro Lanfranco1
1 University of Malta, Msida, Malta.
The seasonal freshwater rockpools (SFRs) of Malta
constitute an Annex I ‘priority’ habitat (3170*) andfunction as a network of ecological islands supporting phytocoenoses that differ from those of the surrounding habitat matrix. The plants in these biotopes
range from obligate aquatic species to amphibious
species, to terrestrial species tolerant of saturated
soils. Management, conservation, and restoration of
SFRs provides unique challenges as the occurrenceof these species is influenced by the integrated effect of multiple factors including the depth of waterand sediment. Relatively small changes, on a scale of
1 cm, in the topography of the pool basin can modify
the hydroperiod characteristics of the affected segment of the pool, leading to replacement of a plant
assemblage by another. This study therefore aimed
to guide management initiatives by proposing amorphological typology of SFRs, based on a sample
of 170 pools from 12 pool landscapes. A preliminary
hierarchical cluster analysis optimised by k-means
partitioning suggested four morphoclasses of pools,
each with their own indicator species. Morphoclass I:
deeper pools with a low surface area to volume ratio
and a thick sediment layer; Morphoclass II: shallow
pools with a low surface area to volume ratio and792

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thin sediment; Morphoclass III: shallow pools withthick sediment and variable surface area to volume
ratio; Morphoclass IV: shallow pools with thin sediment and a very high surface area to volume ratio.
The species with the highest indicator values (Elatine
gussonei, Ranunculus saniculifolius, Lythrum hyssopifolia, and Zannichellia melitensis) generally havevery high specificity for the SFR habitat and wereassociated with different morphoclasses. As such,management plans for these habitats should takethese variations into account so as to assess theeffectiveness of restoration programmes against arealistic benchmark for each morphoclass.

S.259.3 Pyrenean mountainwetlands: assessmentof main threats andrestoration actions toimprove their conservation
statusspecialists. Fostering this natural process, we undertook active restoration on four wetlands by thetransplantation of selected specialist species (Carex nigra, Valeriana dioica, etc.). To counteract theeffects hydroelectric regulation, we performed theinitiation of two wetland habitats on the shores ofa decommissioned reservoir by transplanting sedges (Carex rostrata) and peat mosses (four species,
including vulnerable Sphagnum magellanicum).
Although restoration was successful for both habitats, dry spells affected severely sphagnum hummocks, whereas wet sphagnum carpets endured
unaltered. As for encroachment, we set up a pine
clearcutting action, which will expectedly lead to arise of the water table by a reduction of tree transpiration, and to the removal of negative shadowing
on wetland-specialists. The knowledge gained fromthe successes -and failures- of our pilot restoration
experiments can be used to guide management
decisions for improving the conservation status ofmountain wetlands.

S.259.4 The wetland of the“Climate-friendly Parks” - aproject in the city of Reggio
Emilia (Italy)

Aaron Pérez-Haase1, Eulàlia PladevallIzard1, Josep M. Ninot1, José M. BlancoMoreno1, Víctor Lecegui-Carnero1, Nil
Escolà-Lamora1, Empar Carrillo1

Giulia Santunione1, Elisabetta Sgarbi1,
Daniela Mordacci2

1 University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
Pyrenean mountain wetlands are unique ecosystems that face several threats (overgrazing, dam
regulation, drainage, tree encroachment, etc.),
which keep them away from a favourable conservation status. To help tackling the main management challenges, since 2014 we have assessed (andmonitored) the condition and primary threats of Pyrenean wetlands through extensive field sampling.
Our findings revealed overgrazing as the predominant disturbance, affecting 24% of these wetlands.
Dry spells and water table drawdown were also of
primary importance and affected habitats differentially. Dam regulation and pine encroachment had
intermediate importance, whereas other threats
were less relevant. Consequently, we initiated pilot
restoration experiments involving plant transplantations or removals to address these challenges. To mitigate overgrazing, we set up 14 exclusion
fences -both permanent and temporary-, where,
through passive restoration, we observed a significant recovery of plant cover, particularly on pugged
soils. Plant community composition showed a slow
trend from pioneer to late-successional wetland

1 Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena
and Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy. 2 Municipality of Reggio Emilia, Italy.
Within the framework of the European project “LifeCityAdaP3,” the municipality of Reggio Emilia, in Italy,
is implementing a project known as “Climate-friendly Parks.” This initiative aims to mitigate the urban
heat island effects and enhance the overall environmental quality. Among the foreseen interventions,particularly interest is focused on “Marco Biagi Park”.
This represents a first experimentation of the adaptive park model application. The model is based on
the introduction in an urban green area of four main
landscape environmental devices, including the micro-forests (as described by “Miyawaki method”), rural hedges, trees in row and multispecies meadows.
Moreover, the project has foreseen the realizationof an artificial pond with a lateral runoff, which exploits the possibility of deriving water — in the summer —from the nearby irrigation channel (managed
by the local “Consorzio di Bonifica”). The landscapeenvironmental devices and the wetland area share793

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common objectives, including the mitigation action
on the microclimate, biodiversity conservation, improvement of air quality and the usability for social
activities. Particularly attention has been focused on
the plant species selection for the wetland, which
involves non-rooting and rooting hydrophytes (forexample Lemna minor, Callitriche palustris, Mentha
aquatica, Nymphaea alba, Nuphar lutea, Nasturtium officinale); proceeding towards the banks weintroduced Iris pseudacorus, Lytrum salicaria, Carex
sp.pl. and Thypha latifolia. Many common meadow
species have been sown to facilitate the colonization of soil near the wetland and some woody trees,
Alnus glutinosa and Salix alba, to consolidate thebanks. Only native species have been chosen in order to increase plant biodiversity. The realization ofthis experimental wetland is furthermore aimed toobserve how the different species are able to copewith water level fluctuations and in general with theenvironmental conditions of the site of introduction.

S.259.5 The use of floating
beds with native halophytes
in restoration of coastal
saltmarshes in the
Mediterranean area

species were tested: Arthrocnemum meridionale(Ramírez et al.) Fuente et al. (Am), Salicornia alpini
Lag. (Sa), Salicornia emerici Duval-Jouve (Se), Salsola soda L. (Ss). Cuttings of the perennial species(Am, Sa) and plantlets of the annual ones (Ss, Se),
collected from nearby wild habitats, have beenused. Best results, in terms of growth, were obtainedwith the perennial and the annual Salicornia. Arthrocnemum and Salsola grew slower respect towild plants nearby. Our preliminary results confirm
the possibility to cultivate the Mediterranean native
species Salicornia alpini and Salicornia emerici on
floating beds on marine waters. The next step isthe application of these results to saltmarsh restoration projects, including the removal of nutrientsand metals from degraded ponds, the improvement of halophytic vegetation cover and the consequent improvement of the whole ecosystem.

S.259.6 Facing theecological complexity of
Mediterranean temporary
ponds for tailor-maderestoration, conservationand management action
V.C. Cuccaro1, D. La Montagna1, V.E.
Cambria1, G. Fanelli1

Dario Salemi1, Andrea Santulli2, Concetta
M. Messina3, Angelo Troia1
1 Department STEBICEF, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy. 2 Consorzio Universitario di Trapani, Trapani, Italy. 3 Department DISTEM, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
Saltmarshes support a variety of important ecosystem functions. Unfortunately, they have been
drastically reduced in the last centuries, especially in the Mediterranean area: most of them were“reclaimed” or otherwise transformed, and the remaining ones are still threatened. Our project’s aim
is to investigate the possibility to use floating beds
with native halophytes to remove nutrients fromeutrophicated waters in artificial saline basins or
degraded saltmarshes and at the same time tocontribute to the restoration and renaturalizationof the sites, offering habitats to several organisms.
The use of floating islands with these aims has already been tested, but usually in freshwater basins.
Here we present our preliminary results regarding
the cultivation of annual and perennial halophyteson floating beds in effluent basins of a marine fish
hatchery, in western Sicily (Italy). The following

1 Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza
University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
Mediterranean temporary ponds (3170*) are peculiar habitat types particularly rich in plant species
but regularly reported in Europe with an “unfavourable” conservation status. They are usually heterogeneous, shallow, and small water bodies which
dry entirely in summer. Alternation of the flooding
period strongly influences the floristic composition, mainly belonging to the plant community
Isoeto-Nanojuncetea (=Isoeto durieui-Juncetea
bufonii). Besides climate alteration, inappropriate water and landscape management, pollution and trampling, habitat misinterpretation represents another threatening issue for the habitat,
often underestimated. An interdisciplinary study
has investigated two clusters of Mediterranean
temporary ponds embedded in the Natura 2000
sites of Bosco di Palo Laziale and Bosco di Foglino (Lazio Region, Italy). Field data collection onplant communities, geo-chemical soil properties,
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proxies was implemented to identify the habitat’s
ecological patterns, processes and interdependencies. Clustering analysis and data post-processing allowed to discriminate vegetation types
and sub-types of surveyed coenoses as well as todetermine the most significant ecological predic-

tors of the habitat. This study has proved to be valid in addressing plant assemblage complexity. Its
cost-effective and easy-to-use approaches canbe successfully applied elsewhere to facilitate therestoration, conservation and management of thisand similar ecosystems.

S.260 PERSPECTIVES ON PLANT BIOME
TURNOVER IN AN ERA OF MASSIVE DATA AND
NEW METHODOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS
S.260.1 The lability factor:
biome shifts may predict
diversification dynamics inflowering plants more thanthe biomes themselves
James Boyko1,2, Thais Vasconcelos1
1 Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology,
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA. 2 Michigan
Institute of Data Science, University of Michigan,
Ann Arbor, USA.
The remarkable diversity of angiosperm species
have prompted a search for universal drivers thatmodulate rates of speciation and extinction acrossthis clade. To date, most attempts to define differences in diversification have correlated diversification rates with the presence or absence of a discrete
trait. However, an often overlooked explanation is thatthe evolutionary lability, here defined as the rates oftrait change, is a better predictor of the diversification dynamics than the observed traits themselves.
This hypothesis, first proposed half a century ago in
the context of biome shifts, is based on the idea thatthe capacity to adapt to environmental changes is
the key element defining angiosperm diversification
dynamics. Thus, rather than relying on single phenotypic descriptors, we test whether the propensityof change between biomes is significantly correlated with lineage speciation and extinction rates. We
test this hypothesis using a phylogenetic datasetof 51 angiosperm clades including 10,636 species
in closed-canopy, 4,818 in open-canopy and 3,921
widespread across both biomes. We find that trait
lability is frequently associated with higher rates ofboth speciation and extinction. Additionally, we findthat transition rates tend to be faster from open to

closed-canopy biomes, contrary to prevailing ideas
in the field that lineages occurring in open-canopy
biomes tend to emerge from closed-canopy ones.
We propose that looking at lability rather than single traits, in angiosperms and other organisms,
may provide a more comprehensive and dynamic understanding of biodiversity patterns. This shift
in focus from static traits to dynamic evolutionary
processes offers new insights into how biodiversity is
generated and maintained.

S.261.2 Assessing the powerof artificial intelligenceapproaches for birth-deathmodel classification
Pablo Gutiérrez de la Peña1, Guillermo
Iglesias Hernández2, Isabel Sanmartín1,
Andrea Sánchez Meseguer1
1 Real Jardín Botánico, CSIC, Madrid, Spain. 2 Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
Birth-death (BD) models applied to dated phylogenies,
are a useful tool to study past diversification dynamics
in the absence of complete fossil record. Parametersin these stochastic models are typically inferred using
likelihood-based methods such as Maximum Likelihood
or Bayesian Inference. However, these methods require
the formulation of a new likelihood algorithm eachtime a new model is proposed, and some of the mostcomplex models are also computationally intractable,or mathematically non-identifiable, with two models
generating identical probability distributions. The lastyears have witnessed a revolution, with artificial intelligence (AI) methods applied to phylogenetic inference,
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power of these approaches in birth-death modelingis almost unexplored. Here, we tackle a classification
problem, the power of AI algorithms to discriminate
among six different diversification scenarios: constantbirth–death (BD), high extinction (HE), mass extinction(ME), stasis and radiate (SR), diversity dependent (DD),and waxing and waning (WW). We simulated 10,000
trees under each diversification scenario and encoded the phylogenies using two different representation
techniques: a set of summary statistics and the compact bijective ladderized vector encoding. These simulations were used to train and validate two different
AI methods: convolutional neural networks (CNN) andrandom forests (RF), and the trained AI algorithm wasused to predict the most probable model of diversification for selected empirical phylogenies. Finally, we
compared the performance of AI methods with previous likelihood-based approaches. The cross-validation approach showed that the percentage of correct
assignment for the simulated scenarios was high forthe two DL algorithms, except for BD and SR models.
The most accurate strategy was the combination of RF
algorithms with summary statistics as the tree representation. We hypothesize the hierarchical structure ofphylogenetic trees it is more difficult to capture using
CNN designed for image-based encoding.

S.260.3 Asymmetric biome
lability across lineages
underlies the evolutionof miombo woodlandsavannas in Africa during
the early Miocene

Faculté des Sciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles,
Belgium. 8 Department of Ecology and Genetics,
University of Oulu, Finland. 9 Royal Botanic Gardens,
Kew, Richmond, UK. 10 Departamento de Botánica,
Ecología y Fisiología Vegetal, Facultad de Ciencias,
Universidad de Córdoba, Spain.
Previous research has highlighted the frequency ofniche conservatism during the radiation of plant lineages at regional and global scales. These studies indicate that niche conservatism played a major role inthe current distribution of biodiversity. A recent analysis
in tropical Africa also found high prevalence of niche
conservatism at the genus level in biomes (forest andsavanna), indicating that niche lability (as evidenced
by the presence of a genus in two biomes) is uncommon and unevenly distributed among forest tree species in Africa. Current limitations to infer the fine-scale
distribution of this trait among lineages of tropical trees
is the low resolution of current phylogenetic trees anda limited sampling at the species level of the analyzed
taxa. Here we explored the distribution of niche lability
within an endemic African lineage of tropical trees that
contains 16 genera (including three genera that are key
components of miombo savannas): the Berlinia clade.
Our results indicate an asymmetric distribution of thecapacity to shift and diversify into these biomes in Africa. Only five genera shifted between forest and savanna during the evolutionary history of the group, andonly the first transitions in the early-middle Miocene in
Julbernardia, Brachystegia, and Isoberlinia led to an increase in the number of species. This asymmetry is also
evident from the distribution of species-rich lineages
that exploited both biomes identified in this study (forest and savanna), as well as from the presence of five
paleoendemic (mostly monotypic) genera that havepersisted solely in the forest biome since the Eocene.

Dario I. Ojeda1, Anaïs-Pasiphae Gorel2, Gilles
Dauby3, Aaron D. Pan4, Thomas Marcussen5,
Samuel Vanden Abeele6, Arthur Boom7,
Sandra Cervantes8, Félix Forest9, Olivier J.
Hardy7, Manuel de la Estrella10

S. 260.4 Reconstructing
paleo-environments andpaleo-diversity using
Bayesian deep learning

1 Department of Forest Biodiversity, Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, Norway. 2 Laboratory of Plant Ecology, Department of Plants andCrops, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent
University, Ghent, Belgium. 2 Forest is Life, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, Université de Liège, Gembloux,Belgium. 3 MAP, Univ. Montpellier, IRD, CNRS, CIRAD,
INRAE, Montpellier University, France. 4 Museum of
Texas Tech University, Texas Tech University, USA. 5
Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Norway. 6 Department of Plant Sciences, University ofCambridge, UK. 7 Evolutionary Biology and Ecology,

Daniele Silvestro1,2,3
1 Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Switzerland. 2 Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg and Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre, Sweden. 3 Swiss
Institute of Bioinformatics, Fribourg, Switzerland.
Throughout the long evolutionary history of life,
species of all kingdoms have diversified throughcountless environmental changes and extinction
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gone extinct, it is difficult to infer how the evolutionof biodiversity and ecosystems unfolded over millions of years. Here I present a suite of new methods to infer the spatial and temporal evolutionary
dynamics across major clades in the tree of life.
Analyzing the fossil record through supervised andunsupervised neural networks we infer species
richness dynamics in deep time, and test hypotheses on past speciation and extinction, while correcting for the gaps and biases that characterize
the preservation and sampling processes. With the
integration of geological and paleontological data
through Bayesian deep learning models we generate reconstructions of paleovegetation and paleotemperatures through time and space providing
a more accurate environmental context aroundmacroevolutionary hypotheses. Our results showthat coupling deep learning models with evolutionary models can improve our understanding of biodiversity and its evolution across time scales.

S.260.5 The use ofphylogenetic tree shapeand habitat reconstructions
to reveal regional
environment history andflora assembly
G. Anthony Verboom1
1 Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Phylogenetic trees are routinely used to examine theevolution of single biological lineages. Where phylogenetic data are available for multiple lineages,
however, congruent macroevolutionary pattern can
additionally be used to gain insights into regional environment history and flora assembly. In thistalk I show how reconstructions of habitat variables
across multiple phylogenies reveal the timing of key
environmental transitions, while the shapes of phylogenetic trees, and their correlation with habitat
variables, can offer insights into past environmental stability. A comparison of such patterns across
14 plant lineages native to the South African Capereveals that mountain fynbos heathlands are older
and have evolved under conditions of greater environmental stability than the semi-arid renosterveld
and succulent karoo shrublands that dominate thelow elevation zone of the Cape.

S.260.6 Unraveling theevolutionary history oftropical rainforest plant
diversity using an allevidence approach
Oscar Wrisberg1, Melanie Tietje1, Hélène
Morlon2, Wolf L. Eiserhardt1,3
1 Aarhus University: Aarhus, Denmark. 2 École Normale Supériore: Paris, France. 3 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, UK.
The latitudinal diversity gradient is one of themost pervasive patterns in biogeography andthe astonishing diversity of tropical rainforests
contributes disproportionately to this pattern.
Macroevolutionary processes such as speciation,
extinction and migration are the key mechanisms
underlying the current diversity of tropical rainforests. Yet, evaluating the relative importance ofeach of these processes on this diversity faces
challenges such as under sampling of species,difficulties in defining biome borders and thesheer scale of data needed to elucidate patterns
at a global scale. We aim to solve these problems
and determine the relative importance of theseprocesses on the diversity of tropical rainforest
seed plants. We estimate the biome associationsof seed plants using occurrence data and theWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants. We then use
these biome associations to investigate the effect of speciation, extinction, migration and age
on the diversity of tropical rainforest seed plants.
This is done by utilizing the current largest phylogeny of seed plants along with a recently developed state dependent model of speciationand extinction which can account for paleoenvironmental variations. This enables us to see howthese macroevolutionary processes have variedin space and time and allows us to determine
if the diversity of tropical rainforests is best explained by higher speciation rates, lower extinction rates or increased immigration. Additionally,
we investigate if the number of tropical rainforest lineages has increased more steadily compared to elsewhere. Our investigation utilizes theever-increasing amounts of data from herbaria,
online biodiversity databases and DNA sequence
repositories to reveal the intricate interplay ofmacroevolutionary processes on present day
tropical rainforest biodiversity.

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S.261 ACROSS LAND AND WATER:UNDERSTANDING PLANT GENE FLOW AT A
LANDSCAPE SCALE. SESSION 2
S.261.1 Dispersal distanceand modes of spread in arange of maritime sedge
speciesS.261.2 Is the population
genetics of the invasive
species Cotula coronopifolia
in Europe more consistent
with human vectors,
migratory wa

Jennifer Clayton-Brown1, Paul Ashton1
1 Biosciences, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk, UK.
Salt Marsh plants are specialists in a highly stressful, spatially restricted, though predictable environment. Dispersal, through pollen, seed or vegetative fragments will need to be efficient andpossibly specialised to reach suitable habitats.
Carex section Phacocystis (Cyperaceae) incorporates a group of wind pollinated long lived clonal
species with an Amphi-Atlantic distribution which
inhabit salt marshes. They thus present a suitable
suite of species to investigate maritime dispersal
methods. On the Norwegian coast three of the section; C. paleacea, C. salina and C. subspathacea
occupy different niches on the salt marsh characterised by different distance from the low tide.
C. subspathacea occupies the lowest position on
the saltmarsh and is infrequently free of saltwater
immersion while C. paleacea is only submerged atvery high tides. C. salina is intermediate between
the two. These species thus provide an opportunity
to assess transport distances at small and medium
scale along the Norwegian coast while the differing
extent of offers an additional, potentially influencing, factor. The discovery of a C. salina populationin Scotland in 2004, a species previously unknown in
the UK, with other Scottish populations subsequently discovered, reveals that longer distance dispersal across the North Sea is also occurring. The recent spread of the species into the UK highlights the
dynamic nature of the salt marshes, especially under climate change. Using genetic data obtained
from microsatellite variation, patterns of dispersal
and connectivity are assessed in this group. The effects of latitude and position in the salt marsh areconsidered alongside the possible source and pattern of long-distance dispersal. Spread via sexualor vegetative route is also assessed.

R. Sánchez1, MA. Ortiz2, F. Hortas3, L.
Tomasson4, E. Serrão5, K. Tremetsberger6,
C. van Leeuwen7, A. Lovas-Kiss8, C.
Reynolds9, J. Rowntree10, A. Green1.
1 Department of Conservation Biology and Global
Change, Doñana Biological Station (CSIC), Spain. 2
Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University
of Sevilla, Spain. 3 Department of Biology, University
of Cádiz, Spain. 4 Department of Ecology, Swedish
University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden. 5 Center for Marine Sciences, University of Algarve, Faro,
Portugal. 6 Institute of Botany, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria. 7
Netherlands Institute of Ecology (KNAW), Wageningen, Netherlands. 8 Wetland Ecology ResearchGroup, Centre for Ecological Research, Institute of
Aquatic Ecology, Debrecen, Hungary. 9 School ofAnimal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. 10 School of Biological and Marine Sciences,
University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK.
There is increasing evidence that migratorywaterbirds act as important long-distance vectors of plants lacking a fleshy fruit. Seeds of many
plants have been extracted from faeces andshown to have high germinability. However, there
are almost no genetic studies addressing the influence of waterbird endozoochory on gene flow.
Waterbirds can provide a means of spread acrosslandscapes for alien species that were originally
moved between continents by other means. We
selected the buttonweed Cotula coronopifolia,
native to South Africa, as our alien model species.
This species was originally introduced to Europe
more than two centuries ago, and has an extensive range. Faecal analysis confirmed endozoochory of this plant by migratory shorebirds such

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as Limosa limosa. Cotula coronopifolia is mainly
distributed in coastal areas and is currently expanding along the Baltic coast. It is also spreading to inland wetlands with waterbirds, especiallyin Sweden and the UK. We are therefore studying the population structure and gene flow of
32 different populations of Cotula coronopifolia
sampled in 6 European countries (UK, Germany,
Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Portugal), plus
5 populations in the native South Africa. We areusing SNPs (Single Nucleotide Polimorfism) obtained from 282 individuals of Cotula coronopifolia by GBS (Genotyping by Sequencing). Questions we address include: 1) Are patterns acrossEurope consistent with the position of waterbird
flyways? 2) Are patterns within a given landscapemore consistent with dispersal by waterbirds, hydrochory, or human vectors? (i.e., are genetic distances more related to connectivity by birds, bywater, or by human activities?). 3) within populations, are genetic distances determined by physical distances between plants? 4) are populationsin the introduced range less diverse that those in
the native range? Or has high propagule pressure (e.g. from multiple introductions via ballast
from ships coming from South Africa) created the
opposite effect?

S.261.3 Genetic diversity
and clonal structure inwild populations of Vanilla
pompona (Orchidaceae) in
Costa Rica
María Alejandra Serna Sánchez1,2*, Eric J
Fuchs2,3, Adam P Karremans1
1 Lankester Botanical Garden, University of Costa
Rica, P.O. Box 302-7050, Cartago, Costa Rica. 2 Escuela de Biología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San
José, Costa Rica. 3 Laboratorio Binacional de Análisis y Síntesis Ecológica, UNAM-UCR, México-Costa
Rica *maria.serna@ucr.ac.cr.

harbor genetic variants important for genetic
crop improvement or conservation efforts. Despite
Vanilla pompona is listed as endangered by the
IUCN, the lack of studies on genetic diversity andpopulation structure hinders its management andconservation. As other Vanilla species, V. pompona depends on pollinators for sexual reproduction,and the interactions among the plant, its pollinators, and dispersers shape the genetic diversity ofthis Vanilla species. To assess the genetic diversity
and structure of wild V. pompona populations, 117
individuals from 8 populations along the Pacificregion of Costa Rica were sampled. Microsatellites (SSRs) previously proposed in the literaturefor different Vanilla species were used; of the 28
SSRs tested, 18 proved transferable, and 12 werepolymorphic. High genetic diversity was observedin wild V. pompona populations (HT = 0.588) withmoderate genetic structure (FST = 0.194), andpopulations in the central and northern Pacificshowed the least genetic distance. As suggested earlier, greater genetic diversity was evident
among populations rather than within, mainly due
to their high degree of clonal propagation. The
high genetic diversity could be explained by theirpresence in extensively preserved forests, favoring large effective population sizes over extended
periods, thereby mitigating the reducing effects ofgenetic drift. This study is essential to guide ex situ
and in vitro preservation strategies by providing aclear description of genetic diversity in wild Vanilla
populations.

S.261.4 Population genomicsof the unisexual moss
Pseudoscleropodium
purum: from reproductive togenetic patterns

In Costa Rica, around a dozen species of wild
Vanilla, including commercially significant ones
such as Vanilla planifolia Andrews, V. odorata C.
Presl, and V. pompona Schiede, are present, yet
information regarding their population genetics
is limited. It is suggested that genetic diversity in
Vanilla populations may be low due to their potential formation by a few individuals with clonal
reproduction. Nevertheless, wild populations may

799

M. Teresa Boquete1, Jesús R. Aboal1,
Bodil Cronholm2, Per G.P. Ericson2, J.
Ángel Fernández1, Lars Hedenäs3, Martin
Irestedt2, Johan Nylander2, Irene Bisang3
1 CRETUS, Ecology Unit, Department of Functional
Biology, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela,
Santiago de Compostela, Spain. 2 Department of
Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of
Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden. 3 Departmentof Botany, Swedish Museum of Natural History,
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Reproductive mode, sexual vs. asexual, determines
the capacity of plants to disperse, shaping both theirgeographic distribution patterns and their population
genetic makeup. All bryophytes have a high capacity
to reproduce asexually which contributes to population maintenance, expansion at relatively short spatial scales, and retains extant genetic variation. The
capacity to reproduce sexually, however, strongly depends on the sexual system. Sexual reproduction iscommon in bisexual species, but far less so in unisexual species. Thus, unisexual bryophytes are expected
to show limited long-distance dispersal capacities andlower population genetic variation than bisexual species. Still, many unisexual bryophytes show remarkably
wide distribution ranges. To date, we know little about
the processes underlying such wide distribution ranges and the levels of population genetic variation andgenetic structure at these spatial scales in unisexual
bryophytes. Here, we study population genomics andits relation to reproductive patterns in the cosmopolitan, unisexual moss Pseudoscleropodium purum tocontribute to filling this knowledge gap. We performed
whole genome sequencing on 500 individual plantsfrom 37 mainland and island populations across its native distribution range in Europe. With this unprecedented dataset (currently being generated), we characterize the species’ large-scale spatial genetic structure
and levels of genetic variation. Also, we reconstruct its
biogeographic history to infer the relative contributionof sexual and asexual reproduction to colonization processes in this species. Provided that P. purum predominantly reproduces asexually through fragmentationand clonal growth, we hypothesize that its populations
will exhibit low levels of genetic variation and that genetic differentiation will increase with increasing geographic distance between populations, following an
isolation-by-distance model. We further predict thatthe biogeographic history of P. purum will conform toa stepping-stone colonization model where the geographic range expansion was dominated by numerous
short-distance dispersion events.

S.261.5 Ecogeography of wild
tomatoes (Solanum Sect.
Lycopersicon) and closely
related species, strategies
for conservation and uses
Gabriela Ramírez-Ojeda1, Iris E.
Peralta2,3, Juan E. Rodríguez-Pérez4,
Jaime Sahagún-Castellanos4, Eduardo

Rodríguez-Guzmán5, Tulio C. MedinaHinostroza6, Jorge R. Rijalba-Vela7,
Leopoldo P. Vásquez-Núñez7, José L.
Chávez-Servia8
1 Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales,
Agrícolas y Pecuarias, Jalisco, Mexico. 2 Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina. 3
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas
y Técnicas, Mendoza, Argentina. 4 Universidad
Autónoma Chapingo, Estado de México, Mexico.
5 Universidad de Guadalajara, Zapopan, Mexico.
6 Ministerio del Ambiente del Perú, Lima, Perú.
7 Universidad Nacional Pedro Ruiz Gallo, Lambayeque, Perú. 8 Instituto Politécnico Nacional,
Oaxaca. Mexico.
Ecogeographic analysis allows identifying species adaptive ranges and most relevant variables explaining their patterns of distribution. Additionally, it is possible to predict environmental
conditions, using ecological descriptors derived
from the geographical location of collected germplasm and variables obtained through Geographical Information Systems (GIS). Wild tomato
species are distributed in Colombia, Ecuador, theGalapagos Islands, Peru, Bolivia and Chile, in various ecosystems from sea level to approximately
3995 m. In Central America S. lycopersicum L. isexpanded and naturalized in different regions. A
predictive classification of tomatoes and closely
related groups were considered as a framework
for ecogeographic characterization. The objectives were to determine ecological descriptors
and edaphoclimatic diversity along the distribution range of 12 species of wild tomatoes (Solanum sect. Lycopersicon) and four wild species ofphylogenetically related groups (Solanum sect.
Juglandifolia and sect. Lycopersicoides), using
4228 wild tomato accessions in South America,and 1296 accessions of S. lycopersicum in México. An environmental information system wascreated with 34 edaphoclimatic variables with 1
km 2 resolution. Multivariate techniques (Principal
Component Analysis, PCA; Cluster Analysis, CA)
and GIS tools, established most relevant variables
for accession distribution, as well as the groups
formed according to their environmental similarity. Three Principal Components (PCs) of PCA
explained more than 75% of total variation for all
species. The most relevant related to seasonalvariables of temperature and precipitation. CA
revealed five statistically significant clusters for
Mexican species and six for wild South American
species. Potential distribution analysis with Maxent model (10 replicates by cross-validation) de-800

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termined areas with higher probability of tomato
species occurrence. This approach reveals phylogenetic patterns of adaptation, allowing promissory strategies to test predictive models involving identification of abiotic and biotic resistancesin populations, associating functional traits andspecies diversification towards the conservation
and uses of valuable genetic resources.

S.260.6 Down River? Geneflow within and between UK
riparian systems
Paul A Ashton1
1 Dept of Biology, Edge Hill University, Lancashire,
England, UK.
The UK is a densely populated, industrialised andintensively farmed country. Areas of high plant biodiversity are largely restricted to nature reserves.
A UK government report in 2010 called for morereserves, which were larger and linked. Interconnected sites will allow movement of advantageous
genes between populations permitting adapta-

tion to new selective pressures brought about by
climate change. The aspiration of connectedness
has informed UK conservation practice within the
NGO sector. However, beyond a few bird species,
there is little understanding of how much gene flow
occurs in the UK landscape. This study fills someof this knowledge gap by assessing the extent ofgene flow between plant populations growing onriver margins. Such riparian systems have long
been viewed as significant corridors for plant andanimal movement. Taking three different species(Carex aquatilis, Carex tomentosa and Geranium
pratense) across various different geographicallyseparate river systems the work identifies patternsof variation within and between such systems.
Within a river system an assessment of the strengthof Ritland’s Unidirectional Flow Hypothesis can bemade, while between river systems that share acommon source gene flow either side of the watershed can be assessed. Finally, populations growing
on completely separated river systems can be utilised to understand gene flow at the national scale.
Taken together these results provide a picture ofgene flow within riparian systems which will inform
conservation understanding and action.

S.262 DYSPLOIDY, DIPLOIDISATION AND
DIVERSIFICATION: IMPACT OF POSTPOLYPLOID GENOME RESTRUCTURING ON
SPECIES AND TRAIT DIVERSITY. SESSION 2
S.262.1 Descending
dysploidy and repeat
expansion drive theevolution of Crocus series
Verni
Nomar Espinosa Waminal1, Frank R.
Blattner1, Dörte Harpke1
1 Leibniz Insitute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant
Research.
Spring crocuses, which comprise ten diploid and two
polyploid species, as well as a polyploid complex,
show diverse chromosome numbers (2n = 2x = 8, 10,
12, 14, 16, 28; 2n = 4x = 16, 18, 20, 22). Phylogenomic data

revealed a high rate of dysploid karyotype changes
among the diploid taxa, reducing the chromosome
number from 2n = 28 to 2n = 8 while increasing genome size within a few million years. To infer the roleof repeat expansion and chromosomal rearrangements in descending dysploidy, we characterized
the types and abundances of repetitive genomic elements from each taxon and performed a comparative karyotype analysis in a phylogenomic context.
FISH analysis of six repeat families and chromosome
painting suggest a concerted action of descending
dysploidy and a burst of repetitive DNA elements asdrivers to the reduction of chromosome number while
increasing genome size in more recently evolved
taxa. This work provides insights into dysploidy in ser.
Verni and an opportunity to develop approaches tostudy other dysploid-rich clades in plants.

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S.262.2 Genome evolution
in the neopolyploid
heterosporous fern Salvinia
molesta

Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems,
College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou,
China. 3 University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.

Yanã Campos Rizzieri1, Fay-Wei Li2, Stacy
Holt3, James Beck4, Brittany Sutherland5,
Nicholas Kooyers3, Erin M. Sigel6
1 Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA. 2 Boyce
Thompson Institute, Ithaca, New York, USA. 3 University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, Louisiana,
USA. 4 Wichita State University, Wichita, Kansas, USA.
5 George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, USA. 6
University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA.
Among the ferns, a group rife with exceptionally large
genome sizes and high chromosome numbers, theheterosporous water ferns are distinct for their small
genomes. It has been posited that hetersporous ferns,
as well as heterosporous lycophytes and seed plants,
have more “dynamic” genome evolution following
whole genome duplication than homoploid lineages, often leading to rapid downsizing and diploidization. As a first attempt to assess genome evolution in
neopolyploid heterosporous ferns, we present a draft
haplotype-resolved genome assembly for the natural
allopentaploid Salvinia molesta (1C=2.28Gb). By comparing genic content, synteny, and repetitive element
composition to the previously published Salvinia cucullata (1C=0.25Gb) and Azolla filiculoides genomes(1C=0.75Gb), we assess genomic and subgenomicchanges in this recently formed polyploid fern. Additionally, we discuss our findings relative to comparable
studies of other heterosporous polyploid seed plants
and lycophytes, as well as homosporous ferns, providing phylogenetic context for understanding post-WGD
genomic changes.

S.262.3 Genomics ofEngelhardia, a characteristic
taxon of Southeast Asia

Engelhardia is a characteristic flora of subtropical andtropical forests in South-eastern Asia, which is of great
ecological and economic values. Due to its large latitude span of geographical distribution, insufficientresearch materials, and different names used for thesame species in different regions, the species definition of Engelhardia is complicated. The classificationand phylogeny of Engelhardia has always fascinatedecologists and biologists in recent decades, but there
are still debatable. Even with the combined analysis
of morphological and molecular data, the phylogeny
and interspecific relationships of the genus were notclarified. Here, we are based on extensive resource
investigation and sampling, integrating phylogenetic genomics and comparative genomics analysis
methods, reconstructing the phylogenetic relationshipof Engelhardia through chromosome-level genomes
for the first time, and comprehensively explored the
genome evolution, genetic diversity and genome
structural changes of Engelhardia. Our study used genomics to advance our understanding of the evolution of characteristic taxa in biodiversity hotspots andsolve the complex species delimitation. It also provides
an insight of a comprehensive understanding of thecauses of biodiversity in tropical and subtropical regions, the protection of the uniqueness of these regions, and the promotion of the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of global plant resources.

S.262.4 An optimized CRISPR
system in Tragopogon(Asteraceae) facilitatesfunctional studies ofgenome evolution following
polyploidy
Shengchen Shan1, Bing Yang2,3, Douglas E.
Soltis1,4,5

Min Li1,3, Jin-Jin Wu2, Pei-Han Huang1,2,
Xiao-Hui Ma2, Hong-Hu Meng1,3, ShengDan Wu2, Jie Li1,3
1 Plant Phylogenetics and Conservation Group,Center for Integrative Conservation & Yunnan Key
Laboratory for Conservation of Tropical Rainforests and Asian Elephants, Xishuangbanna Tropical
Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences,
Mengla, China. 2 State Key Laboratory of Herbage

1 Florida Museum of Natural History, University of
Florida, Gainesville, USA. 2 Division of Plant Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, USA. 3 Donald
Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, USA. 4 Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, USA. 5 Genetics Institute, University of Florida,
Gainesville, USA.
Dynamic genomic changes following polyploidy (i.e.,
whole-genome duplication; WGD) may contribute to802

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the success of polyploids. At the gene level in allopolyploids, changes include retention of both parental genecopies, function/expression divergence between thetwo parental copies, and loss/silencing of one parental copy. However, the rules governing these processes
remain unclear, limited largely by the absence of study
in organisms that best exemplify the earliest stages of
WGD. Diploid and polyploid Tragopogon (Asteraceae)
represent an excellent natural system to study the immediate consequences following polyploidy. Allotetraploid T. miscellus and T. mirus are 90-100 years old.
Functional studies of genes with different retention patterns in young Tragopogon polyploids can be used toelucidate the genetic factors underlying the success of
WGD. To accomplish this, we report here on our development and optimization of tissue culture, Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, and a genome editing
system in Tragopogon. Using CRISPR/Cas9, we successfully knocked out PDS (encoding phytoene desaturase
in carotenoid synthesis) and also DFR (encoding dihydroflavonol 4-reductase in anthocyanin production)in diploid and polyploid Tragopogon. The experiments
produced mutants with the expected phenotypes, i.e.,albino plants and plants without anthocyanins, respectively. In addition, the CRISPR-mediated genome editing
system exhibited high efficiency: in the tetraploid mutants, modifications of all four alleles of the target gene
were identified in the T0 generation. With this exceptional
toolkit in place, we have proposed functional studies of
12 Tragopogon genes controlling pivotal traits and having specific retention patterns following polyploidy. By
following CRISPR-mediated changes in gene retention
following WGD, we examine genes and complex phenotypes associated with meiosis, flower/inflorescencedevelopment, and stress response. This established genome editing platform permits functional studies in theevolutionary model system Tragopogon, contributing
to a better understanding of the genetic consequences
following WGD and the success of polyploids.

S.262.5 A Reference Quality
Genome Assembly andInvestigation of Whole
Genome Duplication in the
Mimosoid Legume Leucaena
trichandra
C. Donovan Bailey1, Susan R. Strickler2,
Erik J. M. Koenen3, Jens J. Ringelberg4, Kitti
Banga1, Mike Lopez.1, Ogo Iloba1, Gillian L.

Reynolds5, Madhugiri Nageswara-Rao6,
Joshusa T. Trujillo7, Shannon C.K. Straub8,
Kevin A. Weitemier9, Richard Cronn10, Colin
E. Hughes3, Aaron Liston9
1 New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, USA. 2
Chicago Botanic Garden, Chicago, USA. 3 University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. 4 University of
Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland. 5 Montana State
University, Bozeman, USA. 6 USDA Agricultural Research Service, Subtropical Horticulture Research
Station, Miami, USA. 7 Purdue University, Lafayette,
USA. 8 Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Geneva, USA. 9 Oregon State University, Corvallis, USA.
10 US Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research
Station, Corvallis, USA.
Previous phylogenetic and evolutionary work on themimosoid legume genus Leucaena has inferred acomplex history that included an ancient wholegenome duplication (WGD) prior to the diversification of 19 diploidized divergently related species.
Inter subclade hybridization events among a subset of these 19 species resulted in the formation offive independent allotetraploid species, some ofwhich are important multipurpose trees in tropicalagroforestry systems. Here we use whole genome
sequencing from long- and short-read data to assemble a reference genome for the putatively diploidized species L. trichandra, the putative parentof four of the five Leucaena allotetraploids. The genome is used 1) in comparative genomic analyses
to investigate the relative quality of the genome
and the associated annotations, 2) to clarify WGD
relevant events and the diploid, tetraploid, and/or
octoploid nature of Leucaena species, and 3) toinvestigate the role of methylation and chromatin
structure on gene expression following an ancient
WGD. The comparative genomic analyses showthat the chromosome-scale assembly capturescontiguous gene space well and that the annotation file is comprehensive. Despite the modest
genome sizes observed in Leucaena, our results
conflict with the prior conclusion of extensive genic diploidization following a stem lineage WGD. This
lack of diploidization suggests that Leucaena comprises 19 tetraploid species and five allooctoploid
species as well as several other putatively hybrid
lineages. The inferred combination of ancestral
subgenomes contributing to the stem lineage WGD
is also apparently complex, with three potentially
distinct subgenomes representing the observed
genomic diversity. Lastly, we discuss the impact ofcytosine methylation and chromatin structure on
the fate of duplicated genes and their expression
following the ancient WGD.

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S.263 BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS
S.263.1 Highly Hazardous
Pesticides: The impactof their use in the fynbos
biome
D. Muir1
1 Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, South Africa.
Highly hazardous pesticides (HHP’s) are usedwidely in South Africa, including the fynbos biome.
There has been a global move through the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) programme of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and otherorganizations to ban, phase out and/or restrict
the use of HHP’s. The Global Harmonization System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals(GHS) identifies the hazards and exposure risksof a number of pesticides and classifies them,into 10 hazard criteria (HC), where the first criterion deals with Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEA’s), criterion 2 deals with acute toxicity
to mammals and birds and the next 4 are chronic health exposure criteria, hazard groups 7 and
8 deal with environmental exposure criteria andthe criteria 9 is dioxins and 10 heavy metals. The
identification and classification of HHP’s are doneusing the 8 criteria developed by the Joint Meeting on Pesticide Management (JMPM) of the Foodand Agriculture Organization and World HealthOrganization (FAO/WHO). The hazard criteria (HC)that will be concentrated on are HC 7 and HC 8
which deal with environmental toxicity and theirimpacts on fauna, flora, and ecosystem services.
HHP’s currently being used in the fynbos biome will
be discussed together with their impacts on theecosystem functioning in the fynbos biome. Thisis just one example of how pesticides negatively
impact on biodiversity and ecosystems and havethe ability to alter ecosystems. Pesticides, biodiversity and climate are intrinsically linked. Lastly,
recommendations will be discussed on phaseout options for these pesticides, and alternatives
to these HHP’s will be given using the Hierarch ofControl (HOC) and Precautionary Principles, andmitigation measures on how to ensure compliance to the Paris Agreement targets with regards
to temperatures and HHP’s.

S.263.2 Soil salinity rather
than nutrients decreasedalien plant abundancein dune system in early
succession stages:
experimental evidence
Giacomo Trotta1,2, Marco Vuerich2, Elisa
Pellegrini2, Francesco Boscutti2
1 University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy. 2 University of
Udine, Udine, Italy.
Biological invasion is now widely acknowledged
as a significant threat to biodiversity, particularly
within coastal dune ecosystems. While numerous
studies have established connections between
the invasion of dune habitats and human disturbances, less attention has been given for the understanding the influence of soil properties andplant traits on the process of plant invasion. We
performed a manipulative experiment in a dune
system of the Northern Adriatic Sea. We removed
the spontaneous vegetation through soil tillage inthe back dune system, triggering a new ecologicalsuccession to analyse alien invasion at the initialstages of plant colonization due to the present
seed bank. We further altered soil properties in 8
experimental blocks by adding salt, nitrogen andorganic substances (i.e., peat) and testing theireffects and interactions in a full factorial design(i.e., 64 plots). We measured plant species andcommunity traits in the experimental plots andin 8 reference plots (i.e., surrounding untouchedplant community). The results showed that all
the treatments decreased the species richnessof alien plants, in particular where soil salt content was enhanced. Moreover, salt increased theevenness of the plant community. Interestingly,
soil with increased salt content controlled thealien cover while favouring native cover, likely
by reducing the initial propagule pressure and,hence, affecting the future successional stages.
This study provides new information on conservation and management efforts in this ecologically sensitive habitat, giving new insight into the
dynamics of biological invasion and the impacts
on native ecosystems.

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S.263.3 A citizen science
approach for the early
detection and publicawareness on invasive plant
species: experiences from
LIFE medCLIFFSSònia Garcia1, Arnau Bosch1, Francesc
Caralt2, Carlos Gómez-Bellver1, Neus
Ibáñez1, Jordi López-Pujol1, Roser Melero1,
Neus Nualart1
1 Institut Botànic de Barcelona, CSIC-CMCNB, 08038
Barcelona, Spain. 2 Flora Catalana, Albinyana, Les
Peces, Spain.
LIFE medCLIFFS, spanning from October 2021 to September 2026, is an EU-funded LIFE Nature project focused on the management of invasive alien plant
species along the Costa Brava in Catalonia, specifically targeting the Cap de Creus Natural Park. The
primary goal is to improve the conservation status of the habitat of community interest HCI 1240,
characterized by cliffs along the Mediterranean
coast with endemic Limonium spp., currently in an
unfavorable conservation status. LIFE medCLIFFS
integrates prevention, rapid detection, risk assessment, and eradication strategies. Citizen scienceplays a pivotal role in early detection and prevention through public awareness. Citizen science in LIFE
medCLIFFS involves two networks that leverage iNaturalist. The Observers’ Network gathers observationsof 180 invasive or potentially invasive plant species,
with 109 registered members having recorded 4345
observations until November 2023. Simultaneously,
the Volunteers’ Network focuses on 33 highly invasive species, with 92 trained volunteers until present,
each adopting 1-kilometer transects in the study
area, and providing detailed data on reproductive
status and other population metrics. The project has
already accumulated a substantial body of data,
featuring Opuntia ficus-indica as the Observers’
Network most observed species and Pittosporum
tobira heading the Volunteers’ Network. The initiative
already offers valuable data for the further management of invasive alien plants in the targeted
habitat. The detailed observations provided will feeda database to produce risk maps which will allow
us to predict the risk of invasion by a given species
and area. The network is also useful for the detectionof new occurrences of invasives not recorded until
present in the study area. Beyond the contribution toinvasive species management, citizen involvement
raises awareness about invasive plants through amore environmentally conscious society. It contributes to botanical knowledge, fostering a communitythat is sensitive to the importance of conservationand environmental management.

S.263.4 Assessing theimpact of invasive annual
plants on soil microbialcommunities in riparian
habitats of Kruger National
Park
Ana Novoa1, María L. Castillo1, Llewellyn
C. Foxcroft2,3, Luís González4, Desika
Moodley1, Jan Čuda1, Martin Hejda1,
Johannes J. Le Roux3,5, Khensani V.
Nkuna2,3, Klara Pyšková1,6, Petr Pyšek1,6
1 Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Botany,
Department of Invasion Ecology, Průhonice, Czech
Republic. 2 Scientific Services, South African National Parks, Private Bag X402, Skukuza, South Africa. 3
Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany
and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag
X1, Matieland, South Africa. 4 Plant Ecophysiology
Group: Invasive plants, Department of Plant Biology and Soil Sciences, Universidade de Vigo, Vigo,
Spain. 5 School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie
University, Sydney, NSW, Australia. 6 Departmentof Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University,
Prague, Czech Republic.
The number and magnitude of alien plant invasions in protected areas are increasing globally. In
Kruger National Park (KNP), one of the world’s oldest
and most widely known protected areas, 146 alienplant taxa have already become naturalized or invasive. Among these, three annual plants native to
the Americas – i.e., Xanthium strumarium L., Datura
innoxia Mill., and Parthenium hysterophorus L. – form
extensive dominant stands along rivers. However,their environmental impact in KNP has not yet been
determined, specifically their effects on soil physicochemical attributes and microbial communities. To
explore the potential impacts of these three species,
we identified seven populations of each species
throughout the park, and in each site, we selecteda pair of invaded and uninvaded plots. Within eachplot (14 plots per species, n = 42 plots), we collected five subsamples from the top 10 cm of soil andpooled them into a single replicate. Subsequently,

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we used these composite soil samples to analyze
soil pH, humidity, nutrients (P, NO2-, NO3-, NH4+, andorganic matter), enzymatic activities (glucosidase,urease, and phosphatase), and bacterial and fungal
diversity. The findings of this research offer new insights into the impacts of annual alien plants on soil
characteristics and bacterial and fungal communities in riparian habitats, thereby contributing to thestrategic planning of invasive species management
within an iconic protected area.

S.263.5 Baccharis halimifolia
in Southern Brittany coast(France): Adaptation tosalt stress and invasion
dynamics
Marie Peignard1, Sébastien Gallet1, Xavier
Dauvergne1
1 Laboratoire Géoarchitecture, Université
Bretagne Occidentale, Brest, France.

deInvasive alien species (ISA) are a serious threat tobiodiversity. For several decades a plant species has
been invading French Brittany coastline: Baccharis
halimifolia. It is presently classified by the European
Commission as a “Shrub, ISA of concern for the European Union”. Native to North America where it grows
on intertidal marshes, this species belongs to the Asteraceae family. Currently, this species has been introduced on 4 continents: Europe, Oceania, Australia
and New Zealand, mainly for its ornamental value
and its function as a windbreak and soil stabilizer. It
is gradually invading the French coastline, where it
is becoming established in a variety of coastal environments such as salt marsh, rushes, reedbeds,
roadsides and wasteland. This plant is susceptible
to generate ecological and landscape impacts. This
species occurs preferentially in environments with
low to moderate salinity. We are interested in ecophysiological responses of this species to salt stress.
The ecological characteristics of several populations were studied. Plant communities were characterized, and biological traits were measured foreach population in order to fully describe them. The
abiotic characteristics of the soil were also reported, such as salinity and water content. In addition,
Sodium and potassium leaf concentrations andosmorality were measured and the osmolytes (e.g.
glycine betaïne and oses) were characterized by 1H
NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) and quantified

by UPLC (Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography). Finally, the same ecophysiological parameters were studied on plants grown under controlled
conditions with a salt stress gradient. In addition,
seed germination ability was studied as against thegradient of salinity. This work has enabled us to understand the adaptation of Baccharis halimifolia tosalt stress. A better understanding of these adaptive
mechanisms will enable us to propose new control
strategies against Baccharis halimifolia and anticipate its dynamic of invasion.

S.263.6 Tracking theorigin and dispersal of
the sycamore maple
Acer pseudoplatanus, aninvasive species involvedin the atypical equine
myopathy
Hubert Kozdra1, Lamine Bensaddek2,
Solene Roque2, Thomas Kichey2, Quentin
Mettray3, Stéphane Dreano4, Anna Gazda1,
Annie Guiller2
1 University of Agriculture, Krakow, Poland. 2 EDYSAN
UMR CNRS UPJV 7058, Amiens, France. 3 Les entreprises du paysage, Paris, France. 4 IGDR UMR CNRS
UR1 6290, France.
Combined with climate change and anthropogenic activities, biological invasions have rapidly
become one of the world’s most costly ecologicalproblems, significantly altering ecosystems, disrupting agriculture and spreading diseases. Understanding the circumstances of invasions underchanging environmental conditions and unravelling the ecological and evolutionary mechanisms
underlying invasive success are major challenges
for improving our ability to predict and therefore
mitigate biological invasions. Acer pseudoplatanus is a tree species native to central and southern Europe, introduced in various parts of the world
for either ornamental or timber production benefits. Its high reproductive potential and remarkablecapacity for dispersal, recruitment and establishment enable it to become a redoubtable invader. Thanks to its high seed production, which canbe propagated over long distances, and its rapid
growth, the sycamore maple is a threat to natural forests, particularly rare for species. The study

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focused on the ecophysiological, genetic and biochemical variation in native (Poland, Germany,
Switzerland), naturalized (north eastern France)
and invasive (north western France, Ireland, UnitedStates, New Zealand) ranges of A. pseudoplatanus.
Aims were to infer the demogenetic history and toreconstruct the routes of invasion of the species,
as well as to reveal traits facilitating its invasion in

response to new habitat pressures. In particular,
the comparison of the profiles of the hypoglycine
A metabolite involved in the etiology of atypicalequine myopathy disease, of which no clinic is
documented in its native range, allowed to shedlight on the relationship between invasiveness andallelopathy which is the basis of the New Weapons
Hypothesis (NWH).

S.264 METHODS IN INTEGRATIVETAXONOMY: BRIDGING THE PHYLOGENY TO
CLASSIFICATION GAP. SESSION 2
S.264.1 Towards
reconciliation of genetic andbiogeographic patterns withmorphologic variation in thegenus Osmunda (royal ferns)
Marcus Lehnert1,2,3, Tilo Monjau4, Christoph
Rosche3,4
1 Herbarium (HAL), Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany. 2 Nees-Institut für Biodiversität der Pflanzen, RheinischeFriedrich-Wilhelms Universität, Bonn, Germany.
3 German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research, Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany. 4
Plant Ecology, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany.
We present an overview of the morphology, biogeography and ecology of the fern genus Osmunda(i.e., without previously included taxa of Claytosmunda, Osmundastrum, and Plenasium), with a focus
on the American O. spectabilis Willd. and Old World
O. regalis L. While genetic data supports the separation of these taxa, commonly used morphologic
characters to distinguish between O. regalis andO. spectabilis (maximum frond size; pinnae sessile
vs. stalked; pinnules opposite vs. alternate; general
pinnule proportions) are not infallible. We recorded
morphometric differences among and between O.
regalis and O. spectabilis and correlated these withspatio-environmental gradients. Our work provides
an updated taxonomic overview with full synonymy
and diagnostic key of Osmunda. We preliminarily
recognize six informal subtaxa in O. regalis (“regalis”, “abyssinica”, “huegeliana”, “longifolia”, “trans-vaalensis”, “obtusifolia”) and three in O. spectabilis(“spectabilis”, “palustris”, “piresii”) which separate
in a morphological traits-based PCA. The morphotaxa appeared geographically structured and theirdistribution showed significant correlations with elevation, mean annual precipitation, mean annual
temperature and temperature seasonality. The taxonomic rank and validity of the proposed subtaxa
have to be tested through a large-scale sampling,e.g. with comparative cp/nr genomic and cytogenetic analyses. Such future analyses may help toascertain whether the observed morphologic peculiarities are conditioned solely by abiotic factors(which would allow addressing them as forms) orare manifested in the genome.

S.264.2 PhyloBarcode: anovel platform for species
identification with DNA
sequences
Ping Wu1,2
1 Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, Sichuan,
China. 2 Institution of Botany, Chinese Academy of
Sciences, Beijing, China.
DNA barcoding, which identifies species using sequences from universal genetic markers, has become a routine method over the past two decades.
As for botany, standard DNA barcodes such as rbcL,
matK, ITS, and trnL-F have been established, alongwith some lineage-specific barcodes. Traditional
identification methods primarily depend on calculating the genetic distance between the target
sequence and those in a database to determine

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the best match. This approach often overlooks theevolutionary relationships between sequences, suchas lineage-specific sequence mutation events andignores the differential treatment of mutations inconserved versus highly variable regions. Moreover,when the genetic distance between the target sequence and multiple sequences in the database issimilar, it can lead to incorrect species identification.
Phylogenetic trees can make more comprehensive
use of multi-sequence alignment data to constructevolutionary relationships and are theoretically applicable for more accurate species identification.
However, building phylogenetic trees requires substantial computational resources, and there is acurrent lack of automated analysis tools, limiting its
use to manual identification for a small number of
species. This study has developed PhyloBarcode, asoftware that automates species identification by
constructing and analyzing phylogenetic trees. By
preprocessing common barcode sequences, building trees, and optimizing algorithms, this method
not only surpasses the accuracy and utility of resultscompared to traditional methods using genetic distances but also does not significantly lag in runningspeed. For lineage-specific barcodes, we provide aquick and convenient process for importing data,building reference phylogenetic trees, and matching target sequences. To facilitate ease of use, we
also offer an online platform for direct identification, thereby avoiding any technical burden. This research is poised to further enhance the accuracy ofplant species identification, bringing convenience torelated research and applications.

sible for easy retrieval, communication, and display
to the public. Our research synthesized data from existing phylogenetic tree databases, academic literature, and research datasets, employing advanced
methods such as Python programming and LLM
models for data cleaning and integration. We meticulously identified taxonomic groups and specificspecies associated with each tree, culminating in acompilation of 385,143 phylogenetic trees from 10,011
phylogenetic research papers. Each entry includes
detailed information and access links to the original
papers, metadata of phylogenetic trees, and storage in various formats such as Newick, Nexus, andPhyloXML. Building upon this foundation, we developed the PlantTreeDB website. This platform delivers
a multi-keyword, rapid, and user-friendly phylogenetic tree search service, including fuzzy searches
for taxonomic groups, and supports a variety of visualization and editing methods. PlantTreeDB allows
for bulk data download and submission, with specialized optimization for plant group data retrieval
and submission to ensure accuracy. PlantTreeDB is
set to significantly foster the sharing and exchangeof plant phylogenetic data, thereby providing a substantial impetus to the advancement of research inplant evolution and systematics.

S.264.4 Systematic study ofthe genus Saldinia A. Rich
(Rubiaceae)
Lantotiana Randriamanana1, Bernard
Riera2, Timothée Le Pechon3,4, Sylvain
Razafimandimbison4, Florian Jabbour1

S.264.3 PlantTreeDB: a new
online platform for submit,
query and view of plant
phylogenetic trees

1 Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, CNRS,
Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles,
Paris, France. 2 Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, mécanismes adaptifs et Evolution UMR 7179
MECADEV-CNRS, Paris, France. 3 Meise Botanic Garden, Meise, Belgium. 4 Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, Service Général de l’Enseignement Supérieur
et de la Recherche Scientifique, Brussels, Belgium. 5
Department of Botany, Swedish Museum of Natural
History, Box 50007, Stockholm, Sweden.

Ping Wu1,2, Hui Wu2
1 Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, Sichuan,
China. 2 Institution of Botany, Chinese Academy of
Sciences, Beijing, China.
Phylogenetic trees serve as a fundamental tool forunderstanding plant classification and identification, providing a clear depiction of evolutionary relationships between species. The construction of precise phylogenetic trees is not only computationallyintensive but also demands the dedicated effort ofresearchers. Despite these challenges, there is still asignificant hurdle in making these resources acces-

Madagascar is known for its exceptional wealth of
biodiversity, particularly flora. The Rubiaceae family is
one of the largest flowering plant families in Madagascar, encompassing approximately 650 described
species distributed across 95 genera. Notably, 98% of
these species and 30% of the genera are endemic
to Madagascar, highlighting the island’s significance808

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as a hotspot for Rubiaceae endemism. Despite thenumerous ongoing research projects on this family,
the Malagasy Rubiaceae remain understudied andits Flora treatment for Madagascar has not been
completed. A case in point is Saldinia (tribe Lasiantheae, subfamily Rubioideae), which is a poorly known
genus mostly endemic to Madagascar, with 22 shrub
species. The main objective of this study is to reconstruct the first phylogeny of the genus as a precursor
to its taxonomic revision. A comprehensive morphological dataset was compiled based on more thana thousand specimens from P, TAN, and BR herbaria,
including all Saldinia types and 125 newly collected
specimens from Madagascar during spring 2023. Total DNA was extracted from silica-dried leaves andherbarium material. Four markers (nrITS and nrETS,
and matk, trnT-F) from nuclear and plastid genome
were sequenced. We perform the maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference analyses using outgroup taxa from the subfamily Rubioideae. The results of our analyses will be presented and discussed.
This study significantly contributes to Madagascar’s
biodiversity knowledge and advances research on
Saldinia and Rubiaceae. Challenges in sample collection highlight the need for further exploration in
unexplored regions, especially the Comoro Islands
and specific Madagascar areas.

S.264.5 Unbuttoning
the button daisies:
Recircumscription andclassification of thecosmopolitan genus Cotula
L. (Asteraceae).

as Cotula has never been revised in its entirety andcurrently has no synapomorphies to define the genus.
Previous phylogenetic analyses of the genus Leptinella
included a limited sampling of Cotula,and recovered
both genera as non-monophyletic. We here present
expanded phylogenetic analyses including ±80% of
the currently recognized Cotula species, using both
nuclear (ITS) and plastid DNA regions (psbA-trnH and
trnC-petN). Our analyses support the non-monophyly of Cotula, with Cotula mexicana (a South American
endemic) embedded within Soliva, C. alpina (an Australian endemic) embedded within Leptinella, and Cotula sensu stricto a paraphyletic assemblage of fourmain clades. Together with morphological data, wehere propose an expanded circumscription of Cotula
to include Leptinella and Soliva (viz. Cotula sensu lato),
comprising over 100 taxa with a nearly cosmopolitan
distribution. Due to the size and complexity of this expanded concept, we also propose a new infragenericclassification based on both phylogenetic and morphological evidence. Cotula sensu lato is divided into
two subgenera, Cotula subgenus Soliva (Ruiz. & Pav.)
Jakoet & Magee and subgenus Cotula, and 21 sections. Extensive herbarium and field studies on Cotula
sensu lato resulted in 136 taxa being recognized including four new species and seven species needingnew combinations. A broad overview of the expanded
phylogeny and the diversity of morphological characteristics, particularly fruit characters, within Cotula
sensu lato is presented.

S.264.6 Morphologicalphylogeny of Commelinales(Commelinids, Monocots)
and its congruence withmolecular data

Aarifah Jakoet1,2, J. Stephen Boatwright2,
Ladislav Mucina3, Anthony R. Magee1,4

Marco O. O. Pellegrini1, Charles N. Horn2,
Stephen D. Hopper3, Matti A. Niissalo4,
Rafael F. de Almeida1

1 South African National Biodiversity Institute, CapeTown, South Africa. 2 University of the Western
Cape, Cape Town, South Africa. 3 Murdoch University, Perth, Australia. 4 University of Johannesburg,
Johannesburg, South Africa.
The genus Cotula L. (button daisies) historically comprises of ca. 50 species, distributed mostly in southern
Africa with some species extending to or endemic totropical Africa, Eurasia, the Americas, and Australia.
The genus is closely related to the South American genus Soliva Ruiz & Pav. and the largely Australasian genus Leptinella Cass. The latter two genera have beenrevised and are morphologically well-defined, where-

1 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK. 2 Newberry College, Department of Sciences and Mathematics,
USA. 3 University of Western Australia, Centre of
Excellence in Natural Resource Management and
School of Biological Sciences, Australia. 4 Singapore Botanic Gardens, Molecular Biology & Micropropagation, Research & Conservation Branch,Singapore.
Commelinales is a small and well-supported monocot order, sister to Zingiberales, and currently includes Commelinaceae, Haemodoraceae, Han-

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guanaceae, Philydraceae, and Pontederiaceae(arranged in ca. 65 genera and ca. 1,080 species).
The order is Pantropical in distribution, reachingtemperate areas in some parts of the world, mainly due to the wide distribution of Commelinaceae,
Haemodoraceae, and Pontederiaceae. Australasia
represents the diversity centres of Haemodoraceae,
Hanguanaceae and Philydraceae, and Pontederiaceae has the Neotropics as its diversity centre, especially Brazil. Finally, Commelinaceae possesses
two Neotropical (Mexico and Brazil) and two Paleotropical (tropical Africa and Southeast Asia) diversity centres. Despite being strongly recovered as
monophyletic by molecular studies, Commelinales
lacks any morphological support and circumscription. The order is probably the least studied monocot order from an evolutionary and taxonomic pointof view, having suffered the most striking changes in
its circumscription between different classification
systems (with Commelinaceae being its only con-sistent member). Based on our combined efforts
and extensive herbarium, field, botanical illustration,and morphological studies, we compiled an extensive 570-character morphological matrix, samplingalmost a third of the species in the order. Despite
the known elevated degree of morphological homoplasy in the order, the topology and relationships we recovered are remarkably congruent withthe molecular phylogenetic hypotheses available
to date, showing the overlooked potential of largesized and well-curated morphological datasets. The
small degree of incongruence is limited to a few intergeneric and interspecific relationships. Our dataset and analyses recover at least one synapomorphy for each of the recognised genera and familiesof Commelinales, aside from supporting a revisited
infrafamilial classification for all families. Finally, werecover for the first time four morphological synapomorphies for Commelinales, plus a putative fifth,
depending on how character states are coded for it.

S.265 FLORAS AND DIVERSITY OF EASTERN
ASIA. SESSION 2
S.265.1 Taxonomic andphylogenetic studies on
Costaceae from China
Juan Chen1,2, Sijin Zeng1,2, Linya Zeng1,
Nianhe Xia1,2
1 State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China. 2
South China National Botanical Garden, Guangzhou, China.
Costaceae comprises seven genera and 143 species, widely distributed in tropical and subtropicalregions. One genus with five species was recorded in Flora of China. Since then, there has been nocomprehensive taxonomic revision on Costaceae
from China. Therefore, based on extensive historical literature and herbarium studies, the relationships and classification of Costaceae from China
were studied by means of field survey, morphology, and molecular phylogeny. The main results are
as follows: The important characters for identification of species from China include bracts (texture and shape), bracteoles (texture and shape),
buds (quantity, shape, and size), stamens (antherposition and appendage shape), stigmas (shape)and its dorsal appendage (shape and color), etc.
Our research supported that most of Costus species from China should be transferred to Hellenia
Retz. Currently, five species of Hellenia recognizedfrom China. Hellenia deliniana (≡ Costus chinensis) were recovered. Two new combinations(Hellenia viridis ≡ Costus viridis, Hellenia oblonga≡ Costus oblongus) were proposed. Plastid phylogenomic analyses of Costaceae revealed that
Hellenia is strongly supported as paraphyletic. Two major clades are recovered, namely theHellenia s.s. subclade and the Parahellenia subclade. Phylogenetic analyses based on an enlarged taxon sampling of the Asian clade using a
two chloroplast markers dataset (trnK intron and
trnL-F spacer) confirmed the paraphyly of Hellenia. Meanwhile, morphological analyses suggested
that members of the Parahellenia subclade differ from the remaining Hellenia species in many
characters including inflorescences, bracts, stigma, axillary buds, floral tubes, and labellum. According to the present molecular and morphological evidence, the latter subclade is recognized
as a new genus, Parahellenia. Two new species
are described, four new combinations are made,and identification keys are also provided.

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S.265.2 Construction ofChina National Botanic
Garden System and Plant
Diversity Protection

S.265.3 Plant Taxonomy and
Botanical Gardens in China
and the world

Ran He1

1 China National Botanical Garden (North Garden),Beijing, China.

JInshuang Ma1

1 China National Botanical Garden (North Garden),Beijing, China.

China is one of the richest countries in plant biodiversity in the world, not only from taxonomic view but also from horticultural point as well.
However, its plant resources are still not veryclear today, even Chinese flora has been studied more than 250 years. Especially In the pastseventy years, Chinese taxonomists worked very
hard and finally finished the first completed florain Chinese, Flora Reipublicase Popularis Sinicae(FRPS, 1959-2004), with 31,180 vascular species in
300 families and 3,434 genera, documented firsttime in the Chinese History of botany. And among
them, 233 genera (6.8%) and 16,864 (54%) are endemic. More recently, new English version of Floraof China (FOC, 1994-2013), cooperated with Missouri Botanical Garden, in 25 volumes in text plus
additional 25 volumes in Illustration, with total 312
families 3,328 genera and 31,362 species recorded, and it all resources has been online (flora.
huh.harvard.edu/china/) as well as in Chinese in
China (iplant.cn). Besides above, Chinese taxonomists also finished more than seventy local floras in or above Chinese province level in the past
more than half of century. So far, each province
in China has its own flora, plus few major natural areas, such as Chinese Desert, Chinese Loess
Plateau, and famous Tsinling mountain in central
China. In this report, both current situation andfuture prospect of plant taxonomy and botanical gardens are fully reviewed. Particularly for thehuge challenge in conservation biology of plantresources is in front of Chinese gardens, including
survey, protection, conservation and utilization.
And it has a long way to go for Chinese taxonomists to understand their plant resources well,to fully protect its various plant resources better,and to use them smartly and continuingly purpose. Especially, from conservation view, Chinesetaxonomists should more hard work, particularly
within botanical gardens both home and abroad.

China is one of the countries with the richest plant
diversity in the world, with more than 38,000 species of higher plants. In-situ protection and ex-situ
protection are two forms of wild plant protection.
The natural reserve system with national parks as
the main body is the main form of in-situ protection, and the national botanical garden system isthe main form of ex-situ protection. Both are indispensable, organic complementation. At present, China has established the China National
Botanical Garden in Beijing and South China National Botanical Garden in Guangzhou. In the next
step, we comprehensively consider factors suchas China’s climate zones and typical vegetation
zoning characteristics, biodiversity hotspots, thestability and sustainable development of plant
ex-situ conservation, and select more than 10 national botanical garden candidate gardens to be
included in the spatial layout to build a The “1+N”
national botanical garden system with the China
National Botanic Garden as the core and regional
botanical gardens as the support, and will gradually realize the full coverage of ex-situ protection
for more than 85% of China’s wild native plants
and all key protected wild plant species, providing
China plan for the protection of plant diversity. The
China National Botanical Garden was officially established in December 2021. It focuses on ex-situ
plant protection and has functions such as scientific research, popular science education, gardening, culture and leisure. In the future, the National
Botanic Garden will collect more than 30,000 species of living plants through the construction of a
specialized garden collection system, greenhouseclusters and germplasm resource banks, covering
80% of the families and 50% of the plant species
in China, accounting for 10% of the world’s plant
species, to undertake the responsibility for ex-situ
conservation of regional plants and fulfill the mission of global species protection.

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S.265.4 How to understandbiogeographic patterns
in Southeast Asia fromdiversity of Engelhardia(Juglandaceae)?

S.265.5 From α- to βdiversity: Understanding
the historical, present, andfuture diversity patterns ofFagaceae in Southwestern
China

Hong-Hu Meng1,2

Bikram Pandey1,2, Fengying Zhang3, Basu
Dev Poudel4, Rong Li2, Mohammed A.
Dakhil5,6, Tashi Norbu7, Yawen Gan7, Ziyan
Liao1, Lin Zhang1

1 Center for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, China. 2 Southeast Asia
Biodiversity Research Institute, Chinese Academyof Sciences, Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar.
Southeast Asia is recognized as global biodiversity
hotspots with conservation priority. Since the mid19th Century, Southeast Asia has been widely considered as one of the most important cradles andfrontiers of biogeography. This connection stems
from the groundbreaking field works of Alfred Russel Wallace, who spent 8 years to extensively explore the regions and proposed the geographic
distribution patterns of fauna in Malesia. However,many distribution patterns were from fauna or animal diversity. Thus, more plant taxa are necessary
to explore the biogeographic patterns in Southeast
Asia. Here, some superficial ideas and recommendations are presented to address the unresolved
challenges of the field of biogeography in Southeast Asia from Engelhardia. The related information
includes species delimitation, taxonomic revision,biogeographic patterns in the regions. The comprehensive taxonomic revision of Engelhardia will
provide insights into Southeast Asia. As well, the results urge caution when using the concepts of subspecies and varieties in order to prevent confusion,
particularly with respect to species delimitation
for tropical and subtropical species. Also, biogeographic patterns of Engelhardia have told that thetropical elements were transformed from the tropical elements; Miocene cooling and the onset of the
EASM facilitated the transformation of Engelhardia
from the tropical Indochina Peninsula to subtropical China. The lineages around Hainan Island, China mainland and Indochina Peninsula showed that
Engelhardia dispersed from Chiang-nan to Hainan
Island via land bridge, so that drift of Hainan Island
did not occur, which was impossible to affect theevolutionary trajectory of plants. In all, I hope theworks from Engelhardia will serve as a link between
past and future, intends to be the gain of propaganda, and facilitates the flourishing developmentof biogeography in Southeast Asia.

1 CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bio-resource Utilization and Ecological
Restoration Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan, China. 2 CAS Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity
and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Instituteof Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China. 3 Sichuan Provincial Instituteof Forestry and Grassland Inventory and Planning,
Chengdu, Sichuan, China. 4 Environmental Services Nepal, Kathmandu, Nepal. 5 School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical
University, Xi’an, China. 6 Botany and Microbiology
Department, Faculty of Science, Helwan University,
Cairo, Egypt. 7 Institute of Agriculture Research, Tibet Academy of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry
Sciences, Lhasa, Tibet, China.
Macroecological research aims to understand factors influencing species composition and diversity.
Understanding the distribution patterns of species isessential for prioritizing areas for conservation. This
study investigates the alpha (α) and beta (β) diversity facets of Fagaceae across past (historical), present, and future timelines in Southwestern China. We
used over 11,000 geographical observations to predict the spatial patterns of the α- and β-diversity of
120 species. We modeled the α-diversity via stacking
prediction using an individual species distribution
model at 50 km × 50 km grid cells. We used pairwise
Sørensen dissimilarity to quantify total β-diversity
and its components -turnover (βSIM) and nestedness(βNES). We integrated climate variables along with
topographic and edaphic predictors to understandthe species diversity. Finally, simultaneous autoregression (SAR) model was used to evaluate the effects of predictor variables on the α- and β- diversity
patterns. Our results indicate a temporal decline in
the α-diversity from 120 during the past to 49 in the
future. However, species occurrence area has expanded, fostering an increase in the β-diversity, and812

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it may potentially continue to increase in the future.
At present, the southern region exhibits the highest
α-diversity, while high β-diversity occurs in the central region. The findings underscore that the species
βSIM is a driving factor of differing species composition during the past and present periods, while βNES

will be a dominant factor in the future. During thepast, climatic and topographic factors significantly
influenced the α-diversity, and similar factors continue to impact the β-diversity and its components.
In the future, climatic variables will play a significant
role in determining the diversity patterns.

S.266 EVOLUTION OF PLANT SEXUALREPRODUCTION. SESSION 2
S.266.1 Whole genome
duplication enables rapid
evolution of male, but not
female, function in bisexual
flowers
Joseph H. Williams1
1 Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology,
University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA.
Whole genome duplication (WGD) has well-known
phenotypic effects at the cell and organismallevel, with potential functional consequences forpollen -the haploid, single-celled male gametophyte phase of angiosperms. A review of species
with diploid (2x) and autotetraploid (4x) cytotypes, showed 2x pollen from artificial and crop
neo-autotetraploids was double the volume of 1xpollen from diploid progenitors (N = 65, 34 species, respectively). In contrast, 2x pollen of wild
autotetraploid cytotypes was only 54% larger (significantly smaller-than-doubled volume; N = 54).
These results suggest WGD doubles pollen volume,
whereas post-WGD evolution is biased to pollen
size reduction. To understand why, I asked if WGD
disrupts sexual allocation patterns that reflect
evolved size-number trade-offs in Galax urceolata, a species with natural diploid (2n = 2x = 12) andcryptic autotetraploid (2n = 4x = 24) populations.
I measured floral organ sizes and numbers in four
2x and four 4x populations (20 plants/population),verified using flow cytometry. 2x and 4x plants had
the same number of flowers and floral parts, including ovules, whereas 4x floral organs were 2024% longer, reflecting conserved progenitor-likefloral allometries. Autotetraploid anthers were
2.12 times the volume of diploid anthers, enoughto accommodate doubled volume of 1x pollen
numbers. Surprisingly, autotetraploid anthers pro-

duced 76% more viable pollen of 33% larger size
than diploid anthers. Total per-plant sexual allocation to anther and ovule volume in 4x plants
increased by 76% and 68%, respectively, but 4x
plants produced 83% more male, but only 6% more
female, gametes. In sum, WGD seems not to alter
sexual allocation at the organ level, but instead
WGD-enlarged microsporangia have enabled therapid evolution of smaller and more neo-2x pollen, whereas WGD-enlargement of megasporangia are limited to one egg/ovule. WGD generates
greater opportunity for sexual selection on malethan on female gamete numbers.

S.266.2 Variation in sexual
dimorphism for multiple
traits among populations
sampled at a continental
scale for a dioecious
annual plant
Shengman Lyu1, John R. Pannell1
1 Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of
Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Plants originating from different populations andenvironments often exhibit distinct trait values forlife history, morphology, and physiology as a resultof local adaptation. Similarly, in plants with separate
sexes, males and females often have distinct phenotypes that optimise their respective sexual functions (sexual dimorphism). This phenotypic variation
can be summarised in terms of a trait correlation
matrix, which can limit responses to selection. There
has been substantial research on trait correlation
matrices within populations and their implications
for constraints on adaptation, but there is still limited work on how these matrices differ among envi-

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ronments and between the sexes. We sowed seedsof the European ruderal plant Mercurialis annua L.
(Euphorbiaceae) sampled from 21 populations fromseven regions across Europe and the Middle East,
spanning a wide range of environmental conditions,and measured a suite of life history and morphological traits associated with fitness and sexual reproduction in a large common garden. We present
the results of our analyses that point to substantial
variation in trait correlations among populations, regions and sexes. We discuss the results in relation toenvironmental variation among source sites and interms of constraints that limit evolutionary responses to selection and phenotypic divergence between
the sexes. Our study provides valuable insights into
the multidimensional nature of plant adaptation
across spatial scales seldom studied for wild populations, especially for species with separate sexes.

S.266.3 Stable co-existenceof females, males andhermaphrodites throughinteractions between
maternally and biparentally
inherited genes
Mai Thu Nguyen1, John R. Pannell1
1 Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of
Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
The co-existence of females, males and hermaphrodites (trioecy) is rare in both plants and animals,
and the few cases that do exist are poorly understood. Here, we provided a new model explaining thestable coexistence of these three sexual phenotypes.
In contrast with previous models, which investigate
the invasion of a hermaphroditic population by cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS), our model considers
the invasion of CMS into a population in which males
and hermaphrodites already coexist (androdioecy).
We compared the invasion and fixation of CMS in
androdioecious versus hermaphroditic populations
and show that the existence of males prior to CMS
invasion facilitates the maintenance of trioecy evenin the absence of pollen limitation – though pollen
limitation does also promote the maintenance oftrioecy under certain conditions. We discuss theseresults with reference to the case of trioecy in theannual plant Mercurialis annua and consider trioecy
as a possible evolutionary path from hermaphroditism and dioecy.

S.266.4 Towards
characterization of thegenetic self-incompatibility
system in Beta vulgaris
Gil Yardeni1, Thomas Holzweber1, Juliane
C. Dohm1, Heinz Himmelbauer1
1 Institute of Computational Biology, Department of
Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources andLife Sciences, Vienna, Austria.
The majority of flowering plant individuals are
co-sexual with hermaphroditic flowers, possessing
the ability to self-fertilize. Self-fertilization is however an infrequent mode of reproduction and nearly
half of all flowering plants strictly avoid self-fertilization through an array of physiological, temporaland genetic mechanisms. Genetic self-incompatibility (SI) systems guarantee the rejection of pollen identified as ‘self’ based on protein-protein interaction. The response is controlled by an S-locus
that contains two linked protein-coding regions,
one uniquely expressed in pollen or anther and theother in the pistil. While pivotal in plant reproduction, SI-systems have been characterized in only ahandful of species, owing to their limited homology,
high sequence diversity and intricate architecture.
The Beta vulgaris complex (family Amaranthaceae) includes three subspecies and several cultitypes, among them commercially important cropsof temperate climates such as the sugar beet.
Species in the genus Beta exhibit complex genetic self-incompatibility that has been lost in varietal
populations, and remains little understood from aphysiological and genetic perspective. We present
an in silico investigation into the genetic basis of SI
in B. vulgaris using high-quality genomic resources. We targeted candidates for an RNAse-based
SI system, which has the broadest taxonomic distribution among angiosperms and closely related
taxa. Specifically, a highly contiguous long-read
assembly and other data were utilized to identify SI
candidate genes. We harness the unique featuresof the S-locus to identify candidates based on phylogenomic relationships, structural features, highheterozygosity and tissue-specific expression. We
proceed to explore the highly dynamic evolutionof gene structure in the putative S-loci in different
beet taxa. The results will provide first hints to an
RNAse-based SI system operating in B. vulgaris andprovide a foundation for further studies on molecular mechanisms of SI.

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S.266.5 A hemizygous
supergene controls
homomorphic andheteromorphic selfincompatibility systems
in the olive family(Oleaceae)

S.266.6 Using geometricmorphometrics for the studyof stylar polymorphisms:
Insights into the evolution
and function of mating
phenotypes
Violeta I. Simón-Porcar1,2, Inés GómezRamos1, Marcial Escudero1, Steven D.
Johnson2, Juan Arroyo1

P. Raimondeau1,2, S. Ksouda1, W. Marande3,
A-L. Fuchs1, H. Gryta1, A. Puyoou1, J. Dupin1,
P-O. Cheptou4, S. Vautrin3, S. Valière3, S.
Manzi1, D. Baali-Cherif5, J. Chave1, P-A.
Christin6, G. Besnard1

1 Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of Seville, Seville, Spain. 2 School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermartizburg,
South Africa.

1 CNRS, Université Paul Sabatier, IRD, UMR 5174 EDB(Laboratoire Évolution & Diversité Biologique),Toulouse, France. 2 Yale Institute of Biospheric Studies, New Haven, CT, USA. 3 INRAE/CNRGV,US 1426, GeT-PlaGe, Genotoul, Castanet-Tolosan, France. 4 Centre d’Ecologie Fonctionnelle etEvolutive, UMR 5175, CNRS, Université de Montpellier, Université Paul Valéry, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier,France. 5 Laboratoire de Recherche sur les Zones
Arides, USTHB/ENSA, Alger, Algeria. 6 Ecology and
Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
Self-incompatibility (SI) evolved independently multiple times and prevent self-fertilizationin hermaphrodite angiosperms. Several groupsof Oleaceae such as jasmines exhibit distylous
flowers, with two compatibility groups eachassociated to a specific floral morph. Other
Oleaceae species, in the olive tribe, harbor two
compatibility groups without associated morphological variation. The genetic basis of both
homomorphic and dimorphic SI systems of
Oleaceae are unknown. By comparing genomic sequences of three olive subspecies (Olea
europaea) belonging to the two compatibility
groups, we first locate the genetic determinism
for self-incompatibility within a 700-kb hemizygous region present only in one of the two types.
We then demonstrate that a homologous hemizygous region is also involved in controlling distyly in jasmine. Phylogenetic analyses support acommon origin of both systems following a segmental genomic duplication in their ancestor.
We postulate that self-incompatibility and dityly
imply two genes in the hemizygous region thatare involved in gibberellin and brassinosteroid
regulation, underpinning the diversity of incompatibility systems in the group.

Linum was among the first examples of heterostyly reported by Darwin, and extensive research has
been carried out since then in this study system.
The yellow-flowered Linum clade (Sections Linopsis and Syllinum), mainly distributed in the Mediterranean Basin (MB) and the Cape Floristic Region(CFR) in South Africa, includes a great variation ofmating phenotypes, including typical heterostyly,
three-dimensional heterostyly and various typesof monomorphic conditions. There is limited, mostly qualitative data about the pollination biology ofthe genus, but it has been suggested that pollinators may be the drivers of convergent evolution of
stylar polymorphisms in the MB and CFR. In this talk, I
illustrate the use of geometric morphometrics to link
the study of form and function across mating phenotypes in the yellow flaxes’ lineage. We use geometric morphometrics to investigate the variationof mating phenotypes in South African and Mediterranean yellow Linum species and their pollinators.
Using phylogenetic analyses, we reconstruct theancestral character and the evolution of the mating
phenotypes and the convergent evolution of stylar
polymorphisms in MTEs in relation with the pollination niche of species. We test the hypothesis thatpollinators, through their morphological fit, are theevolutionary drivers of (i) the great variation of mating phenotypes in South African and Mediterraneanyellow flaxes; and (ii) the convergent appearance ofheterostyly in both separate regions.
Acknowledgments: This project has received
funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
research and innovation programme under
grant agreement No 897890 FLAXMaTE. This work
was also funded by MICINN-FEDER grant PID2021122715NB-I00 DiversiChrom.

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S.267 PHYLOGENETICS AND PHYLOGENOMICS.
SESSION 2
S.267.1 Addressing
phylogenetic
incongruences inCantharellales (Fungi,
Basidiomycota) through a
526 protein-coding-gene
capture kit

ceae resolved. Novel phylogenetic relationships
are revealed within the Hydnaceae. Our results
show that an updated classification at genericlevel needs to be proposed urgently within theCantharellales. We infer from our test that Cantharellales-kit constitutes an excellent approachto construct a multiple-marker, fully supported
phylogeny of Cantharellales. Our test suggests
furthermore that the kit will function well in sistergroups of Cantharellales, such as in Dacrymycetales and Sebacinales.

Rodrigo Márquez-Sanz1, Lisa Pokorny2,
María Prieto1, Ana Millanes1, Isabel
Salcedo3, Sergio Pérez Gorjón4, Ibai
Olariaga1

S.267.2 Reconstruction of
Orchid Phylogeny
Yajun Wang1,2,3, Dongliang Lin1,2,3, Hanchen
Wang1,2,3, Zhiping Wang1,2,3, Chongbo
Ma1,2,3, Shiyu Qin4, Bingyi Shao1,2,3, Chao
Ye1,2,3, Jianwu Li5, Miaomiao Wang3,
Xuelian Guo1,3, Xiaohua Jin1,3

1 Rey Juan Carlos University, Móstoles, Spain .2
Real Jardín Botánico (CSIC), Madrid, Spain. 3
University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain. 4
University of the Basque Country, Apdo 644, Bilbao, Spain.
The order Cantharellales contains economically important species because of their edibility(Cantharellus, Hydnum), being orchid-mycorrhizal (Tulasnella) or plant pathogens (Rhizoctonia).
However, within this group nuclear ribosomal regions produce phylogenetic conflicts due to an
accelerated rate of evolution and cause longbranch attraction problems, making them useless to infer phylogenetic relationships between
family clades. This is why, despite 4 monophyletic
lineages Hydnaceae, Cejpomycetaceae, Tulasnellaceae, Botryobasidiaceae are consistently
retrieved in phylogenetic studies, their relationships remain unclear and are strongly dependent upon the genetic marker and taxon sampling employed. In this scenario, we designed
a kit to capture 526 orthologous single-copy
protein-coding genes in Cantharellales filteredfrom 10 representative genomes. Filtered genes
were sequenced across a set of more than ahundred samples of Cantharellales, representative of its diversity and including many generic types. The analysis of the dataset containing
DNA sequences of 526 genes resulted in a fully
supported backbone for the Cantharellales, withrelationships among the Ceppomycetaceae,
Tulasnellaceae, Botryobasidiaceae and Hydna-

1 State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China. 2 University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China. 3 China
National Botanical Garden, Beijing, China. 4 Schoolof Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang,
China. 5 Center for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese
Academy of Sciences, Yunnan, China.
Orchidaceae is among the largest families of angiosperm distributed all over the world except
Antarctica. There are more than 30,000 species in
748 genera and five subfamilies (Apostasioideae,
Vanilloideae, Cypripedioideae, Orchidoideae, andEpidendroideae), interrelationships within family
are not well resolved. Recent technical advances
in molecular biology have provided unprecedented opportunities in resolving complex phylogenies,
such as that of Orchidaceae, in a repeatable way.
In order to further our understanding of the evolutionary history of orchids, we sampled a total of 163
species in this study, covering all five subfamilies
and 20 of 22 tribes, and combined transcriptomic and genomic data of orchids to reconstruct acomprehensive, robust, and reliable phylogenetic
framework of orchids.

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S.267.3 Phylogenomic
analysis of Santalaceae
s.l. gives insight into theevolution of a unique
respiratory pathway inmistletoes

S.267.4 Phylogeny of Virola(Myristicaceae) and speciesdelimitation for the Floras of
Brazil and the Guianas

Gitte Petersen1, Benjamin Anderson2,
Brendan Lepschi3, Daniel Nickrent4,
Jennifer Tate5, Amir Sultan6

1 Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, The Netherlands. 2 Institute of Biology, Leiden University, The
Netherlands.

S. Mota de Oliveira1,2, C.C. Hoff2, M.
Ventayol1

1 Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden. 2 Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Western Australia, Perth, Australia. 3 Australian National Herbarium, Centre for Australian
National Biodiversity Research, Canberra, Australia.
4 Cornell University, Ithaca, USA. 5 Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand. 6 National Herbarium of Pakistan, Islamabad, Pakistan.
Parasitic plants in the family Viscaceae (mistletoes)
have been shown to have highly unusual mitochondrial genes compared to other flowering plants.
Genes encoding respiratory complex I are even lost.
In order to investigate where in the evolutionary history of this group these bizarre changes have occurred,a solid hypothesis of their evolutionary relationships
is needed. In order to reconstruct a phylogeny, we
have sampled all Australian representatives of both
Viscaceae and the closely related family Amphorogynaceae (both included in Santalaceae s.l.) as part of
the GAP initiative. Since the families are not restricted
to Australia, numerous species from other regions of
the world were also sampled. Taxon sampling additionally included other representatives of the orderSantalales for a total of approximately 200 samples.
Using target capture sequencing with the Angiosperms353 bait set, we obtained data from over 300
nuclear loci, which were used for phylogenetic reconstruction based on both concatenation and coalescence methods. The phylogenetic trees derived fromthe two methods are largely congruent and confirm asister group relationships of Viscaceae and Amphorogynaceae. Generic relationships within the families
are also largely consistent with previous hypotheses,
but the denser taxon sampling allows for more detailed hypotheses about species relationships within
genera. The phylogeny will be used to trace the evolution of mitochondrial genes, and preliminary datasuggest a deeper origin than ancestral Viscaceae forthe onset of evolutionary drastic changes. It is evenpossible that gene loss has occurred multiple times
during the evolution of mistletoes.

The Neotropical Myristicaceae includes six genera. Virola (Myristicaceae) is the genus with thehighest number of species and the broadest geographical range, occurring from Central America
to South Brazil, with a peak of diversity in Amazonia. Species delimitation in Virola is mostly basedon the number and the spacing of the secondary veins, the indument, inflorescence branching,length of anthers and filament column, and on
fruit shape and size. Currently, around 70 speciesnames are accepted, with a few disagreementson synonymies in the literature. During an ongoing treatment of the genus for Flora do Brasil and the Flora of the Guianas, morphological
data had limited power to address the disputedsynonymies and the status of the monotypic genus Bicuiba, reduced to synonymy in the Brazilian literature but still accepted elsewhere. As an
attempt to add new evidence for species delimitation and to understand the evolutionary relationships among species, we generated different
sets of molecular data. Plastome and ITS regions
were sequenced in 86 herbarium samples of 35
species. We also carried out targeted sequencing of nuclear genes (Angiosperm 353 probe set)in part of these samples and new ones, in total
79 herbarium specimens of 36 species. Plastome
and ITS data were in general not informative or
incongruent. The sampling of multiple specimens
per species and analysis of the different datasets
have offered additional support for decisions on
synonymies. The resulting phylogeny based on
the targeted sequencing of nuclear genes indicated that Virola can be divided in three well supported clades; one of which formed by sub-canopy to canopy species including the widespread
V. sebifera and V. calophylla, agrees with previous findings. The study of independent molecular
datasets integrated to morphology is a strategy
for supporting taxonomic decisions and better
understanding the evolution of the genus.

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S.267.5 A phylogenetic
framework for themodel genus Kalanchoe(Crassulaceae)

S.267.6 The sexual systemof the dioecious species
Laurus azorica
Catarina Branco1,2,3, Rúben Rego1,2,4,Gabriel Marais1,2,3, Raquel Linheiro1,2,3,Raquel Tavares1,2,3, Sylvain Santoni5, Hugo
Tessarotto5, Jos Käfer6, Alessio Iannucci7,8,
Claudio Ciofi7, Maria A. Diroma7, Chiara
Natali7,9, Marco Morselli10, Guilherme
Roxo1,2,4, Roberto Resendes1, Manuela
Sim-Sim11,12,13, Helena Trindade11,13, Sara
Vicente11,14, João P. Marques1,2, Vitor
Sousa11,15, José Melo-Ferreira1,2,3, Ann
Mc Cartney16, Alice Mouton7,17, Giulio
Formenti18, Mónica Moura1,2,3

Seraina E. Rodewald*1, David-Paul Klein2,
Ronen Shtein3, Gideon F. Smith4, Rokiman
Letsara5, Gudrun Kadereit1
1 Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Germany. 2 Humboldt University zu Berlin, Berlin,
Germany. 3 Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel. 4
Department of Botany, Nelson Mandela University, Gqeberha, South Africa. 5 Parc Botanique et
Zoologique de Tsimbazaza & École supérieur Polytechnique d’Antananarivo, Antananarivo, Madagascar. *seraina.rodewald@lmu.de.
Kalanchoe (Crassulaceae) is a diverse genus
native to Madagascar and Africa, and to a lesser extent, the Arabian Peninsula and tropicalsoutheast Asia. The genus is known as a model
system for CAM photosynthesis and vegetative
reproduction as well as for its horticultural value, invasive potential and use in traditional medicine. Surprisingly, however, Kalanchoe lacks areliable phylogenetic framework. To address thisissue, we inferred a phylogeny based on ddRADseq data representing 70% of the taxa recognisedin the genus. We recovered four major clades,
broadly corresponding to the current subgenericclassification, with exceptions. The recently reinstated subgenus Calophygia resolves as sisterto the rest of the genus, and the predominantly
mainland-African subgenus Kalanchoe forms astrongly supported monophyletic clade. However,
the relationship among the remaining two cladescontaining species from subgenera Bryophyllum,
Kitchingia and Pubescentes, receives less support. A Malagasy origin of the genus is confirmed,
from where the African continent was colonised
only once, with two subsequent dispersals eachto the Arabian Peninsula and tropical southeast
Asia. The production of bulbils on the leaf margin
was found to be an apomorphy within the subgenus Bryophyllum while propagules on the inflorescence can occasionally be found in all four
major clades.

1 Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Porto, Vila do Conde, Portugal. 2 BIOPOLIS
Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, Vila do Conde, Portugal. 3 Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal. 4 UNESCO
Chair – Land Within Sea: Biodiversity & Sustainability
in Atlantic Islands. 5 Université de Montpellier, Montpelier, France. 6 Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1,
Villeurbanne, France. 7 University of Florence, Sesto
Fiorentino, Italy. 8 National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy. 9 Okinawa Institute of Science andTechnology, Okinawa, Japan. 10 University of Parma,
Parma, Italy. 11 Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade
de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal. 12 Museu Nacional deHistória Natural e da Ciência, Universidade de Lisboa,
Lisboa, Portugal. 13 Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal. 14 Escola Superiorde Saúde Ribeiro Sanches, Instituto Politécnico da
Lusofonia, Lisboa, Portugal. 15 Faculdade de Ciências,
Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal. 16 Genomics Institute, University of California, Santa Cruz, USA.
17 University of Liege, Liege, Belgium. 18 The Rockefeller
University, New York City, USA.
The Laurus genus exhibits a current distribution encompassing the southern Black Sea region, the Mediterranean Basin, Morocco, and the Macaronesianislands (i.e., the Azores, Madeira, and Canaries archipelagos). Despite numerous attempts, previous
studies faced challenges in elucidating the taxonomy, ploidy, and phylogenetic relationships within thisgenus. Concerning the taxonomy, two species are
traditionally recognized: L. nobilis and L. azorica. This
study delves into L. azorica, a dioecious tree endemic
to the Azores archipelago that falls within the European Reference Genome Atlas (ERGA) initiative to ensurehigh-quality reference genomes of the European bio-818

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diversity. Despite the well-established dioecy of thisspecies, its sex-determination system remains elusive.
Here, we aim (i) to obtain a chromosome-level assembly and (ii) to identify its sex determination system.
Firstly, long-read sequencing data from Pacific Biosciences (PacBio) were acquired to ensure a robust genomic dataset. Additionally, chromatin conformation
capture data (Hi-C) were incorporated to facilitate
the construction of a chromosome-level assembly.
Then, Illumina short reads for 32 individuals were obtained, ensuring an even representation of phenotypicmales and females. SDPOP (Käfer et al. 2021) analysis will
be applied to infer the genes’ sex-linkage by model-ling populations’ allele and genotypic frequencies.
This framework allows statistical testing of alternative sex-determination systems (i.e., presence or absence of sex chromosomes, distinguishing between
XY and ZW systems). Our preliminary results suggestthat L. azorica is tetraploid (n=18), consistent with priorstudies on this genus. Ongoing research is expected
to yield additional insights into the sex-determination
system and contribute valuable information to broader studies on dioecy and sex-determination mechanisms in plant species. Moreover, this study serves as acornerstone for further exploration into the evolutionary dynamics within the Laurus genus.

S.268 CONSERVATION STATUS OF MAGNOLIAIN SOUTH AMERICA
S.268.1 Conservation
status of Magnolia in
South America: the case ofColombia

are endemic to Colombia, highlighting the urgent
need to keep working on public awareness and effective conservation programs in which conservation in situ by means of the constitution of reserves
is a priority This presentation will show the conservation status of Colombian magnolias, the successful
results achieved so far, and the conservation priorities and challenges that still need to be faced.

Marcela Serna1, Álvaro Cogollo2,31 Tecnológico de Antioquia-Institución Universitaria, Medellín, Colombia. 2 Jardín Botánico Joaquín
Antonio Uribe, Medellín, Colombia. 3 Corporación
Salvamontes, Medellín, Colombia.
Magnoliaceae is a family of trees and shrubs withapproximately 350 species mainly distributed in Asia
and America. Having a well-known taxonomy with 33
species distributed along the whole territory, manyof them endangered, Magnoliaceae was chosen asa pilot group in Colombia to implement the National
Strategy for Plant Conservation in 2001. Since then,several people and organizations have performed
significant efforts to look for trees and populations,increase public awareness, and identify ecologicalrequirements for their growth and establishment.
After nearly 20 years of continuous work, several
new species have been discovered and formallydescribed positioning Colombia as the country withthe most Magnolia species (40) in South America.
Magnolia species are characterized by a restricted
geographical distribution with very small populations, even reduced to isolated trees highly affectedby habitat fragmentation and overharvesting. Consequently, most species are currently considered apriority for conservation. Besides, 90% of the species

S.268.2 Conservation
status of Magnolia in SouthAmerica: Brazil
Patrick C. Cantuária1, Maryele F.
Cantuária2, Lucilene S. Melo3
1 Instituto de Pesquisas Científicas e Tecnológicas
do Estado do Amapá, Secretaria de Estado do Meio
Ambiente do Amapá e Universidade do Estado do
Amapá, Macapá, Brazil. 2 Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Amapá, Santana,
Brazil. 3 Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência eTecnologia do Amapá, Laranjal do Jari, Brazil.
Within the family Magnoliaceae Juss., the genus
Magnolia L. has the largest number of species, including more than 300 species worldwide, whose
number is increasing due to the recent discovery of
new species, mainly in the Neotropical region. The
group is mainly represented by trees that are usually
represented by a few records in herbariums. Determining the conservation status of Magnolia species
is a challenge, since of the 75 species in South America, 59 are threatened according to IUCN threat cate-819

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gories. However, as the species have been assessed
for several years, there is a need to know the current
conservation status, update this assessment, andprovide information for those species with deficientdata. The objective of this lecture is to discuss thesestrategies to update the conservation status of Magnolia species in South America, especially in Brazil,
so that we can contribute to the effective conservation of this interesting group of plants characterized
by vulnerable populations, especially in the face ofclimate change scenarios. There are many speciesof Magnolia in America that are threatened with extinction and are included in the IUCN Red Lists. However, numerous species lack information and needstudies to compensate for their threatened status.
The consolidation of this information in the different
countries of South America provides important decisions in the field of public policies that can help in themaintenance of Magnolia species. The importanceof the Global Conservation Consortium for Magnolia is highlighted, engaged in the dissemination andconstruction of effective collaborative work in theconservation of these plants. For Brazil, only the following species are considered: Magnolia amazonica(Ducke) Govaerts, Magnolia grandiflora L., Magnolia
ovata (A.St.-Hil.) Spreng.

S.268.3 Conservation
status of Magnolia in SouthAmerica: EcuadorÁlvaro J. Pérez1, Edison Rea1,2, Kevin S.
Burgess3, Daniela Cevallos4, José León5, J.
Antonio Vázquez-García6
1 Herbario QCA, Pontificia Universidad Católica deEcuador, Quito, Ecuador. 2 Department of Biology,
University of Kentucky, Lexington, USA. 3 Department of Biology, Columbus State University, University System of Georgia, Columbus, USA. 4 Universidad de las Américas, Grupo de Investigación
en Biodiversidad, Medio Ambiente y Salud, Quito,
Ecuador. 5 Fundación de Conservación Jocotoco,
Quito, Ecuador. 6 Instituto de Botánica (Herbario
IBUG), Universidad de Guadalajara, México .
Magnolia diversity in Ecuador is high, actually 24
species are recorded, and 17 are endemic. The conservation status of these species is worrying, mainly
because the number of adult-reproductive individuals is low, and their threats are latent. Currently,
80% of the species are severely threatened; six areassessed as Critically Endangered (CR) and 11 are
Endangered (EN). There is an urgent need to startwith in-situ and ex-situ conservation plans. Someactions have been created; for example, Jocotoco
Foundation is monitoring fruits to obtain seeds for
propagation in nurseries for M. buenaventurensis,
M. canandeana, and M. dixonii. Around 1,500 seedlings are growing and being used in restoration
programs in their habitats.

S.268.4 An integrative studyof species distribution
modelling and conservation
genetics: Magnolia in
Hispaniola
Tim Claerhout1,2, Diederik Strubbe3,
Ramón Castillo Torres4, Marie-Stéphanie
Samain3,5, Lars. W. Chatrou3, Emily Veltjen3
1 Hortus botanicus - Universiteit Leiden, Leiden,
Netherlands. 2 Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden,
Netherlands. 3 Ghent University, Gent, Belgium. 4
Fundación Progressio, Santo Domingo, Dominican
Republic. 5 Instituto de Ecología, A.C., Pátzcuaro,
Mexico.
On the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean, five endemic species of Magnolia occur, all of which arethreatened with extinction. Little is known about theirdistribution and genetic health, hampering targeted
conservation actions. The objective of this study wasto assess the potential distribution and the genetic
health of the Magnolias of Hispaniola, and to formulate concrete guidelines for effective conservation
management. Using species distribution modelling (SDM), we predicted habitat suitability for the
Magnolias of Hispaniola. Using 17 SSR markers, wegenotyped 417 individuals of the three endangered
Magnolia species from the Dominican Republic, totest for genetic structure and degree of inbreeding.
The SDM and genetic data confirm the recognitionof the four studied Magnolia as species. The studied individuals of the three Dominican Magnolias are
structured into five populations which show ample
genetic diversity and little inbreeding overall. For
conservation management, we propose, on the one
hand, to focus on exploration using the SDM results.
On the other hand, we propose to focus on protection and reinforcement using the genetic and occurrence data. Our study exemplifies how integrating different research techniques, as well as working
closely with conservation practitioners, may lead toa better understanding regarding the requirements
for an effective conservation plan.

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S.268.5 Unveiling the genetic
patterns of Magnolia
calimaensis: Insights
into local endemism andconservation
Bocanegra-González K.T1,2, Aranguren Y.3,4,
Fernández-Méndez F.5
1 The University of Edinburgh, UK. 2 Royal Botanic
Garden Edinburgh, UK. 3 Research Group on Biodiversity and Dynamics of Tropical Ecosystems, University of Tolima, Colombia. 4 University of Tolima,
Colombia. 5 University Simón Bolívar, México.
An endemic species occurs naturally, exclusively, and is highly adapted to a specific geographic
area. If this area is very small, the species is termed
as local endemic and generally consists of small ora single population. The genus Magnolia is an interesting study model of local endemism since outof the 39 species recorded for Colombia, 80% areendemic and restricted to less than 100 km2. The
species of the genus are also hermaphroditic, andboth entomophily and self-pollination are reported as their main reproductive syndromes. Here we
study Magnolia calimaensis (Lozano) Goavaerts, anendemic tree species of the Bajo Calima region on
the Pacific coast of Colombia, which is critically endangered with fewer than 100 individuals in the wild.
To understand the origin of local endemism in M.
calimaensis, 38 individuals were sampled from Bajo
Calima and Bahía Málaga localities. Microsatellite
marker analysis revealed low genetic diversity andhigh inbreeding coefficients for both populations(He: 0.24 / F: 0.53 for Bajo Calima, and He: 0.29 / F:
0.29 for Bahía Málaga). Significant genetic differentiation between locations suggests dissimilar population conditions. Results imply that the species’
gregarious distribution and local endemism may
be linked to reproductive biology, like geitonogamy,
rather than landscape composition. Urgent genetic restoration strategies are needed to preserve M.
calimaensis populations, highlighting the importance of further reproductive biology studies.

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Author index by first name
A

A. Adde.......................................................................................256

Adolfo Calvo Redondo.................................................... 527

A Antonelli............................................................................... 588

Adolfo Jara-Muñoz...............................................................93

Aaron D. Pan...........................................................................796

Adriana Arnal......................................................................... 279

Aarifah Jakoet...................................................................... 809

Adrià Descals.........................................................................238

Aaron Liston......................................................209, 499, 803

Adriana Benítez-Villaseñor...........................................590

Aaron M. Duffy........................................................................777

Adriana Pinheiro-Martinelli........................................... 210

Aaron Pérez-Haase...................................... 304, 392, 793

Adriane Esquivel-Muelbert......................... 51, 206, 652

Aaron S. David....................................................................... 327

Adrián Escudero.............................................. 319, 329, 365

Aaryan Bhatia....................................................................... 406

Adrian Hill..................................................................................353

Abdullah El-nagish.............................................................. 90

Adriano Stinca........................................................................ 212

Abdoun Fatiha.......................................................................482

Adrián Lázaro-Lobo...........................................................253

Abdulwakeel A. Ajao.......................................................... 275

Adrian Paul.................................................................................52

Abelardo Aparicio................................................................156

Adriel M. Sierra.......................................................................543

Abel Monteagudo-Mendoza.......................................263

Adrien Favre............................................................................ 377

Abel Gizaw............................................................471, 552, 724

Adriel Sierra............................................................................. 778

Abel Muller..................................................................................121

Aelys M. Humphreys.............................................. 602-603

Abel Torre..................................................................................362

A. Escobar-Gutiérrez........................................................ 606

Abiola G. Femi-Adepoju.................................................768

Agathe Hurel...........................................................................450

A. Boutet.................................................................................... 606

Agnes S. Dellinger...............................24, 46, 56-57, 702

A. Bernardi................................................................................587

A. Gallego.................................................................................. 722

Abiola O. Ilori............................................................................ 107

Agnes C. Rola.........................................................................262

Abraham Araña-Padilla................................................. 274

Agnieszka Grinn-Gofron.................................................. 103

Abraham Dabengwa.......................................................602

Agostina B. Sassone.............................................................92

Abrianna J. Soule.................................................................687

A. Green......................................................................................798

Abubakar Bello................................................................132, 171Águeda M. González-Rodríguez..................... 214, 363

Abu B. Siddique.................................................................... 456

Águedo Marrero..................................................................... 80

Abugalieva S..........................................................................487

Aguilar-Contreras A..........................................................492

A. Calchera............................................................................... 281

Aguinako I.................................................................................250

Acedo, C....................................................................................296

A. Guisan...................................................................................256

A. Cosiaux.................................................................................336

Agustí Agut..............................................................................330

Adam B. Roddy......................................................... 564, 609

Agustina Malizia...................................................................200

Adam Cross............................................................................407

Agustín Amata......................................................................308

Adam Healey.......................................................................... 741

Agustín Naranjo-Cigala...................................... 274, 426

Adam Kantor..........................................................................358

Agut A..........................................................................................250

Adam Lovas-Kiss........................................................... 38-39

Ainhoa Riera-Begue..........................................................526

Adam Karremans......................................................... 111, 581

Ai Lin.................................................................................................121

Adam P Karremans...........................................................799

Aino Kotilainen......................................................................704

Adam P. Karremans..............................................................111

Ai-Qun Hu........................................................... 580, 632, 782

Adela González-Megías.......................................240, 418

Airy Gras.................................................... 124, 259, 530, 600

Adela Horvat...........................................................................359

Aissi Abdeldjalil....................................................................... 66

Adelaide Theraroz...............................................................450

Ajaree Thonglim.................................................................... 138

Adelaide Clemente...............................................................32

Aitor Gastón............................................................................254

Adela Montserrat Gutiérrez-Bustillo........................ 153

A. Jesús Muñoz-Pajares.......................................360, 532

Adeyinka O. Adepoju........................................................768

AJ Harris......................................................................................410

Adiel J. Andino-Acevedo................................................ 315

Ajith Ashokan................................................................270, 710

Adina Breiman..................................................................... 605

A.J. Muñoz-Pajares............................................................ 606

Adolfo Andrade-Cetto.....................................................260

A. Jonathan Shaw................................................................777822

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AJ Plumptre............................................................................ 588

Aleksandra Biedrzycka....................................................585

Akari Shibata..............................................................................61

Aleksandra Ruzic.................................................................. 341

Akanksha S. Jeswani.........................................................647

Aleksandra Liszka................................................................349

Akitoshi Iwamoto.................................................................. 351

Aleksandr Bobrovskikh....................................................243

A.K. Pradeep...............................................................................38

Ales Kovarik..............................................................................189

Akuamoa-Boateng Michael..........................................172

Aleš Kovařík............................................................................... 191

Alaina Dawkin........................................................................504

Alessandra Bryan...................................................................28

Alain Vanderpoorten...................................287, 577, 630

Alessandra Menezes............................................................87

Alain Vanderporten...........................................................576

Alessandra S. Schnadelbach....................................... 617

Alan Crivellaro.............................................................. 196-197

Alessandro Petraglia...................................319, 589, 653

Alan Baker...................................................................................52

Alessandro Alboresi................................................. 140, 607

Alan Elliott.................................................................................344

Alessandro Rapini.................................................................. 27

Alan Franck..............................................................................474

Alessandro Saba.................................................................540

Alan J. Paton........................................................................... 332

Alessio Iannucci....................................................................818

Alan Paton...................................................................................171

Alessio Mo.................................................................................785

Alan R. Lemmon.................................................................... 512

Alessio Papini.........................................................................697

Alan RT Spencer.................................................................... 231

Aletta Bonn.................................................................................171

Alan S. Weakley......................................................... 400-401

Alexander Belyayev............................................................ 718

Alan S. Whittemore............................................................ 658

Alexander Damián-Parizaca..............................581, 714

Alan W. Meerow....................................................................478

Alexander G. Linan..............................................................709

Alastair Culham..........................................................125, 229

Alexander Goesmann......................................................754

Alba Cuena........................................................ 212, 625-626

Alexander J. Hetherington................................... 204, 231

Alba Cuena Lombraña........................................ 625-626

Alexander Kocyan................................................................ 291

Alba Garet.................................................................................601

Alexander Linan.................................................................... 332

Alba Gutiérrez-Girón............................................. 589, 654

Alexander M. C. Bowles.....................................................186

Alba Liliana Mañay Chimborazo..............................286

Alexander M. Greene.......................................................... 152

Albano Beja-Pereira..........................................................585

Alexander N. Schmidt-Lebuhn.................59, 100, 699

Albano Figueiredo..............................................................445

Alexander N. Sennikov......................................................558

Alba Rodríguez Parra.............................................643, 769

Alexander R. Schmidt............................................399, 657

Alba Sotomayor-Alge......................................................624

Alexander Rudov.............................................. 261, 365, 681

Alberto Betancourt Posada..........................................528

Alexander Schmidt............................................................. 778

Alberto Pallavicini................................................................ 103

Alexander V. Pavlenko......................................................365

Alberto Férez-Gómez.......................................................706

Alexander Schmidt-Lebuhn........................ 59, 80, 266

Alberto Pizarro.............................................................. 181, 539

Alexander Vrijdaghs..........................................................759

Alberto Rodríguez Fernández.......................................104

Alexander Zizka....................................... 32, 388, 460, 573

Alberto Vilagrosa.................................................................769

Alexandra Crum.................................................................... 315

Albert Vilà-Cabrera.......................... 302, 304, 363, 652

Alexandra M. Penha............................................................ 103

Aleena Xavier..............................................................270, 646

Alexandra N. Muellner-Riehl...... 41, 132, 162, 171, 567

Alejandra de Castro..........................................................459

Alexandra Seglias...............................................................390

Alejandra G. Herrezuelo.................................................. 274

Alexandre Antonelli..........16, 27, 94, 352, 404, 435, 579

Alejandra Vasco.............................................. 198, 285, 661

Alexandre K. Monro.....................................................94, 201

Alejandra Zarzo-Arias......................................................254

Alexandre Monro.................................................................700

Alejandro Berlinches de Gea......................................283

Alexandre R. Zuntini........35, 240, 252, 667, 679, 774

Alejandro Curbelo............................................................... 272

Alexandre Zuntini......................................................... 27, 462

Alejandro Gomez.................................................................682

Alexandros Bousios.............................................................. 88

Alejandro Núñez Cabajal................................................ 221

Alexandros Galanidis.......................................................625

Alejandro Palmarola.......................................................... 612

Alex Asase.................................................................95-97, 316

Alejandro Serna.....................................................................441

Alex Bowmer...........................................................................296

Alejandro Quintanar...................................... 171, 507, 709

Alex Bousios............................................................................300

Alejandro Terrones.................................................. 447, 785

Alex Byrne.................................................................................. 133

Alejandro Trillo......................................................................533

Alex C. McAlvay........................................................... 153, 528

Alejandro Zuluaga-Trochez.......................................... 170

Alex D. Twyford..............................88, 300, 416, 494, 708

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Alexei A. Oskolski...................................................................510

Aline Finger............................................................................... 183

Alexey P. Seregin...............................................124, 683, 751

Aline Mattos............................................................................ 637

Alexei Oskolski........................................................................195

Aline Martins.......................................................................... 469

Alex Harkess................................................................. 527, 557

Alireza S. Salami.................................................................... 124

Alexia Bennert.........................................................................140

Alisdair G Fernie....................................................................309

Alexis Herminio Plasencia-Vázquez....................... 387

Alisdair R. Fernie...................................................................309

Alexis Joly........................................................................255, 461

Alí Segovia-Rivas.................................................................226

Alexis Licht................................................................................244

Alisha Töpfer.......................................................................... 556

Alex Pigot.................................................................................. 696

Alison Colwell............................................................................97

Alex Twyford....................................................... 251, 659, 790

Alison Moore...........................................................................226

Alex Papadopulos.................................................... 353, 474

Ali Sonboli.................................................................................. 261

Alex Skeels............................................................................... 548

Alison Evans............................................................................ 774

Alex Verry.................................................................................... 84

Alison Paulo Bernardi....................................................... 222

Alex White................................................................................... 411

Alisson Dennis González-Cortes..............................340

Alex Widmer.............................................................................158

Alistair Jump...........................................................................363

Alfonso Alonso....................................................................... 222

Alix K.............................................................................................. 437

Alex Zizka.................................................................................... 136

Alivereti Naikatini................................................................. 770

Alfonso Louro..........................................................................330

Alix Lozinguez...........................................................................614

Alfonso Susanna.................................552, 556, 584, 723

Allan G. Ellis................................................ 119, 419, 648, 650

Alfredo Di Filippo.....................................................................87

Allen. V..........................................................................................127

Alfonso Perez-Martin........................................................769

Allan Ellis................................................................................... 468

Alfons Schäfer-Verwimp................................................ 778

Allen Coombes.....................................................................205

Alfredo Dorantes..................................................................200

Allie Igwe....................................................................................727

Alfredo F. Fuentes...................................................... 200, 621

Allinne Clémentine.............................................................205

Alfredo Fuentes........................................................................74

Allison Hayes..........................................................................504

Alfredo García-Fernández........................................... 448

Allison Miller....................................................................102, 307

Alfredo García-González............................................... 387

Allotey Albert Nii Moe..........................................................172

Alfredo J. Reyes-Betancort...........................................426

Alma Rosa Villalobos Arámbula................................184

Alfredo Maccioni................................................................. 584

Almerekova S.........................................................................487

A-L. Fuchs..................................................................................815

Almudena Lázaro................................................................530

Alger Jorritsma...................................................................... 221

Alonso Verde..........................................................................259

Aliasghar A. Maassoumi....................................................211

A. Lovas-Kiss...........................................................................798

Alice Fuggirai..........................................................................785

Alred Kik.....................................................................................204

Alice Krumpolcová............................................................... 191

Aluoneswi C Mashau....................................................... 466

Alice Ledent............................................................................. 287

Aluoneswi C. Mashau.......................................................602

Alice L.M. Fairnie................................................................... 598

Álvaro Cogollo.............................................................. 441, 819

Alice M. Almeida................................................................... 337

Álvaro Duque.........................................................................339

Alice Nunes..............................................................................766

Álvaro J. Pérez........................................................................820

Alicia Grealy............................................................................582

Alycia Riboulet—Posset...................................................244

Alice Mouton............................................................................818Álvaro Fernández-Llamazares....................................601

Alice Rotini................................................................................ 372

Álvaro Pérez..............................................................................581

Alicia Montesinos-Navarro.......................................... 680

Alyssa Carrell.......................................................................... 741

Alicia Perera-Castro.......................................................... 214

Alžběta Böhmová................................................................269

Alicia Perez................................................................................681

Amanda Carmichael............................................. 184, 328

Alicia Talavera................................193, 306, 409, 411, 519

Amanda L. Grusz................................................................... 719

Alicia Valdés...........................................................................576

Amanda M. Salvi................................................................. 686

Alicia V. Perera-Castro......................................... 362, 769

Amanda Taylor.................................................................... 688

Ali Dönmez.............................................................................. 446

Amanda V. da Silva..............................................................62

Alina Freire-Fierro................................................................286

Ambika I.................................................................................... 604

Alina Persson.............................................................................67

Amelia Fuller...........................................................................356

Alina Höwener............................................................... 37, 475

Amelia Corzo Remigio........................................................53

Alina Wood...............................................................................155

Amélia Vaz............................................................................... 227

824

XX International
Botanical
Congress
Madrid Spain

Oral presentations

A. Meseguer............................................................................. 720

Anass Terrab.......................................... 133, 369, 643, 769

Amina Daoud-Bouattour................................................ 212

Anastasia A. Krinitsina......................................................146

Amila Radoncic....................................................................760

Anass Terrab Benjelloun................................................769

Aminael Sánchez-Rodríguez......................................507

Anastasia Christopoulou...............................................625

Amir Sultan............................................................................... 817

Anastasia Stefanaki.......................................................... 347

Amit Kumar............................................................................ 609

Anastazija Dimitrova..............................................244, 349

A. Moteetee..............................................................................385

Ana Terlević..............................................................................158

A Muthama Muasya......................................................... 466

Ana Valdés-Florido..................................................293, 377

Amparo Lázaro...................................................................... 213

Anat Hendelman.................................................................780

A. Muthama Muasya....................................................95, 171

Anay Serrano Rodríguez................................................. 387

Amy Byrne.....................................................................297-298

Anders J. Lindstrom...........................................................476

Amy L. Angert.........................................................................303

Anders, S. Barfod...................................................................415

Amy L. Parachnowitsch...................................................758

Anders Sirén............................................................................ 222

Ana Afonso..............................................................................445

Andrea Andreucci...............................................................540

Ana Aramburu.......................................................................629

Andrea Arrones.....................................................................780

Anabela Martins......................................................................117

Andrea Caggegi.....................................................................87

Ana B. Marín-Arroyo...............................................496, 673

Andrea Case..........................................................................704

Ana Brescia-Zapata..........................................................369

Andrea Cerdeira-Pérez.....................................................771

Ana Carolina Galindo da Costa.............................. 466

Andrea Coppi......................................................................... 157

Ana Claudia Araujo...........................................................542

Andrea E. Berardi.................................................................536

Ana Cruz-Silva......................................................................639

Andrea L. Case...................................................................... 707

Ana Delaunay Caperta.....................................................717

Andrea López-Martínez.................................................. 480

Ana Gabriela Martínez-Becerril.................................285

Andrea L. Simbaqueba.................................................... 726

Ana García-Muñoz..................................................360, 532

Andrea M. López-Martínez...............................7, 23, 590

Ana H. Ladio.............................................................................. 151

Andrea Möller.........................................................................786

Anai Pereira...............................................................................137

Andrea Mondoni...................................................... 589, 655

Ana Isabel D. Correia........................................................523

Andrea Pedrosa-Harand.............................................. 466

Ana Isabel García-Ambrosy........................................ 316

Andrea Ramírez-Ramírez..............................................382

Anaïs Boura.............................................................................244

Andrea Sánchez Meseguer..........................................795

Anais Gibert.............................................................................749

Andrea Santulli.....................................................................794Anaïs Gibert.............................................................................633

Andreas Ensslin.................................................. 32, 185, 342

Anaïs-Pasiphae Gorel......................................................796

Andreas Fleischmann......................................................407

Ana Juan........................................................................ 447, 785

Andreas Franzke..................................................................240

Ana L. Hernández-Damián...........................................595

Andreas Hilpold................................................................... 406

Ana López-Ballesteros.....................................................769

Andreas Houben................................................................. 466

Ana Losada-Lima...................................................................117

Andreas Jürgens.................................................................. 417

Ana M. Bedoya.......................................................... 550, 660

Andreas von Heßberg......................................................536

Ana María Prieto....................................................................441

Andrea S. Meseguer......................................................... 464

Ana Millanes............................................................................816

Andreas Zikos.........................................................................625

Ana Morales Alonso............ 43, 131, 376, 378, 730, 781

Andreas Zwick.......................................................................266

Ana Novoa....................................................................627, 805

Andrea T. Kramer................................................................. 135

Ana Otero.................................................................................. 313

Andre Chanderbali......................................................75, 710

Ana Paula de Souza Caetano......................................717

André C. Lima........................................................................... 511

Ana Paula Fortuna Pérez..................... 75, 176, 208, 210

Andre Eppinghaus..............................................................457

Ana Pintado.............................................................................629

Andreia Figueiredo.............................................................639

Ana P. Portela.............................................................. 374, 576

Andre Messina......................................................................... 98

Ana R.G. Simões......................................................................173

André S. B. Gil........................................................................... 129

Ana P. Moraes.......................................................................... 88

André Marques.............................................. 295, 406, 466

Ana R. Costa............................................................................ 103

Andrés Barona.......................................................................581

Ana Rita G. Simões.......................................... 98, 614, 649

Andrés Elgorriaga.............................................................. 656

Ana Rita Matos......................................................................639

Andrés Ferreira-Rodriguez...........................................532

Ana Rita Simoes......................................................................171

Andres Kohv.............................................................................601

825

XX International
Botanical
Congress
Madrid Spain

Oral presentations

Andrés Moreira-Muñoz................................................... 735

Ángel Palomares.................................................................. 331

Andrés Romero-Bravo..........................................469, 704

Angie L. Gámez.....................................................................769

Andrés Orejuela........................................................ 309, 767

Angie D. González.....................................................258, 382

Andressa Cabral...................................................29-30, 612

Ang Li............................................................................................380

Andrés Torres-Miranda.....................................................771

Angus Burns............................................................................368

Andrés Valencia.................................................................. 569

Angus Macdonald...............................................................145

André Thibaut........................................................................652

Ani Bajrami..............................................................................386

Andreu Cera............................................................... 365, 669

Anibal Prina.............................................................................365

André Vanzela...................................................................... 466

Anifat O. Bello............................................................................171

Andrew A. Crowl......................................................................78

Aniket Sengupta..................................................................202

Andrew B. Leslie.....................................................................591

Anita Cisternas-Fuentes...................................................63

Andrew Busby........................................................................504

Anita Roth-Nebelsick........................................................563

Andrew C. Eagar.................................................................. 707

Anja Leyman...........................................................................652

Andrew D. Crawford............................................................ 99

Ankica Milovanović............................................................423

Andrew C Rozefelds............................................................ 715

Anke Jentsch.............................................................. 536, 586

Andrew Henderson............................................................353

An-Ming Lu................................................................................195

Andrew H Knoll....................................................................... 231

Anna Ancy Antony Attullil............................................... 143

Andrew H. Thornhill.......................................... 83, 195, 667

Anna Asatryan.......................................................................681

Andrew Hudson..................................................................... 251

Anna Corli..................................................................................166

Andrew J. Green............................................................. 38-39

Anna E-Vojtko...........................................................................25

Andrew J. Helmstetter..................................................... 695

Anna Gazda........................................................................... 806

Andrew L. Hipp....................................... 218, 377, 407, 585,

Anna Kazarina.......................................................................503

Andrew Leitch..............................................................189, 300

Annah N. Moteetee............................................................. 275

658, 685, 687, 738, 781

Anna Kontopanou............................................................... 215

Andrew M. Walker......................................................520-521

Annalena Cogoni................................................................423

Andrew Owens..................................................................... 480

Anna-Lena Köster...............................................................697

Andrew Plackett...................................................................203

Annamaria Alabiso............................................................ 372

Andrew R. Hipp....................................................................... 791

Anna Mežaka..........................................................................543

Andrew R. Leitch.......................................................... 89, 565

Anna M. Mannino................................................................. 627

Andrew Thornhill..............................................80, 665-666

Anna Neubauer.......................................................... 651, 740

Andrew Townsend Peterson.......................................... 96

Anna Nowak............................................................................349

Andrew Wyatt........................................................................ 332

Anna Pasinato........................................................................140

Andriaharimalala T.............................................................. 86

Anna Pastare-Skutele......................................................543

Andros Solakis Tena........................................................... 129

Anna Růžičková.................................................................... 577

Ane Múgica............................................................................. 672

Anna Volpi................................................................................784

Andrzej Talarczyk.................................................................652

Anna Traveset..........................................................................29Ángela Aguado-Lara.................................... 116, 462, 635

Anna V. Stepanova............................................................. 197

Angela Balzano.....................................................................244

Anne Bruneau.................................................... 208, 515-517

Ángela Cano...............................................................298, 352

Anne Brysting.........................................................................325

Angela Stanisci......................................................... 589, 653

Anne-Laure Decombeix..................................................230Ángel Bañares-Baudet...................................................475

Anneleen Kool............................................................................ 21Ángel Barón-Sola................................................................769

Anne Lewerentz....................................................................255

Angel Benítez..........................................................................286

Anne L. Frances.....................................................................306

Ángel Cascón......................................................................... 153

Anne Muola.............................................................................746

Angélica Cibrián-Jaramillo.........................................478

Annery Serrano Rodríguez............................................ 387

Angélica Gallego-Narbón........................................30, 131

Annette Becker..................................................178, 258, 754

Angélica Quintanar Castillo.........................................510

Annie Deslauriers................................................................440

Angelino Carta...................................24-25, 115, 342, 785

Annie Guiller........................................................................... 806

Ángel Lareo Fernández....................................................576

Annie Lindsay..............................................................374, 540

Angelo Armijos-Carrion.................................................365

Anniina Mattila......................................................................704

AngeloTroia............................................................................. 279

Annika Engroff....................................................................... 739

Angelo Troia...................................................................212, 794

Annika Smeenk...................................................................... 315

826

XX International
Botanical
Congress
Madrid Spain

Oral presentations

Ann Mc Cartney...........................................................227, 818

Ariadna Amorós................................................................... 673

Anselmo Nogueira......................................................62, 624

Ariel Bergamini..................................................................... 456

Anri Chomentowska.......................................................... 472

Ariadna Casadevall...........................................................601

Anten, Niels............................................................................. 449

Ari Jumpponen.....................................................................503

Anthony G. García..............................................................755

Ari Satia Nugraha................................................................389

Anthony G. Mills....................................................................687

Arjan Engelen........................................................................... 119

Anthony G. Rebelo.............................................................. 735

Arka Pal....................................................................................... 102

Anthony Snead.....................................................................383

Armel Salmon........................................................................ 742

Anthony R. Magee.....................................................510, 809

Armand Cavé-Radet........................................................ 742

Antie Ahrends........................................................................265

Arnau Bosch............................................................................805

Antje Ahrends......................................................................... 183

Arnau Bosch-Guiu..............................................................674

Antoine Adde.........................................................................254

Arnaud Albert.........................................................................534

Antoine Affouard..................................................................461

Arnau Guiu-Bosch..............................................................533

Antoine Billey.......................................................................... 272

Arne Mertens...........................................................................415

Antoine Derouaux..................................................................131

Arne Strid............................................................................ 131, 215

Antoine Gazaix....................................................................... 212

Arnoldo Santos-Guerra..................................................424

Antoine Guisan.....................................................................254

Arrieta M....................................................................................250

Antoine Kremer...................................................................... 174

Arshad Mehmood Abbasi.............................................260

Antoine Plumerault............................................................754

Artemis Anést.......................................................................... 174

Antoine Perrier.......................................................................302

Artemis Anest........................................................................... 116

Anton A. Reznicek................................................43, 131, 378

Arthan W................................................................................... 506

Antonella Cristofori....................................................103, 318

Arthur Boom............................................................................796

Antonella Gori.........................................................................180

Artur Campos Dalia Maia............................................... 170

Antonia Martin......................................................................... 114

Arturo Sánchez-González..............................................551

Antonia Salces-Castellano.............................................76

Artur Pinski.................................................................................190

Antoni Buira............................................................................ 666

Åsa Krüger......................................................................234, 767

Antoni J. Far...................................................................180, 566

Ash Kerber................................................................................ 702

Antonio Díaz Pérez.............................................................. 272

Ashley Crook...........................................................................557

Antoni Josep Far..................................................................769

Ashlee Kerber........................................................................... 46

Antonio Gazol.........................................................................439

Ashley Field..............................................................................563

Antonio Giacò......................................................................... 157

Ashley Hamersma.................................................... 149, 738

Antonio Hernández.................................................. 391, 769

Ashley N. Egan.......................................................................208

Antonio J. Mendoza Fernández.................................682

Ashlynn Smith........................................................................328

Antonio Mendoza-Fernández.....................................365

Ashok K. Patel.........................................................................258

Antonio Montagnoli...........................................................244

Ashwell R. Ndhlala............................................................... 323

Antonio Picornell......................................................... 104, 154

Ashwini V. Mohan................................................................295

Antonio Rodríguez............................................................... 331

Asiain M......................................................................................250

Anton Stepanenko...............................................................189

Aslı Doğru-Koca..................................................................... 110

Anupama Sekhar................................................................643

Asunción Cano............................. 131, 220, 377, 552, 730

Antony van der Ent............................................... 52-55, 121

Astrid de Mestier....................................................................731

Anushka Wickramasuriya................................................ 73

Asunción de los Ríos.........................................................363

Anyla Saraci............................................................................386

AS Uwase................................................................................. 588

Anže Žerdoner Čalasan.........................................671, 764

Atchara Teerawatananon.............................................616

Apolinar Figueroa Casas................................................651

A. Townsend Peterson............................................... 97, 316

Aquino, Sinara...................................................................... 449

Attila Mesterházy....................................................................131

A. Puyoou...................................................................................815

Atsushi Ebihara......................................................... 662, 690

Aranguren Y............................................................................. 821

Aude Herrera-Belaroussi................................................ 571

Ara N. Miguel Peñaloza...................................................... 68

Audrey Léopold..................................................................... 728

Araz Vartoumian.................................................................432

Aura Urrea Trujillo................................................................ 762

Archange Boupoya............................................................265

Aureliano Bombarely........................................................308

Arfaa Sabbah.........................................................................260

Aurelien Tellier...................................................................... 449

Arezoo Dastpak................................................................... 564

Aurélien Caillon....................................................................534

827

XX International
Botanical
Congress
Madrid Spain

Oral presentations

Aurora Bartolome................................................................681

Beatriz Lara..................................................................... 103-104

Avery Russell..............................................................................62

Beatriz Nieto Ariza................................................................ 621

Avigdor Suárez-Pérez....................................................... 272

Befkadu Mewded................................................................. 322

Axel D. Poulsen......................................................................269

Begoña Quirós-de-la-Peña...............................718, 725

Ayress Grinage......................................................................353

Belén Albertos................................................................341, 421

Axel Himmelbach................................................................ 357

Bekhruz Khabibullaev.......................................................365

Ayumu Tanaka....................................................................... 417

Belén Estébanez...................................................................676

A. Zarzo-Arias.........................................................................256

Belinda Gallardo..................................................................533

B

Belma Kalamujić Stroil....................................................585

Bellandi, A.................................................................................. 351
Beltrán-Rodríguez L.A.......................................................492

Babette Muyshondt............................................................ 103

Benedikt G. Kuhnhäuser....................................... 352, 416

Babita Chaudhary.............................................................. 237

Benedikt Kuhnhäuser.......................................................352

Babu Ram Paudel.............................................................. 598

Bengt Oxelman.................................................................... 650

Badis Bensid.......................................................................... 684

Benítez-Benítez, C...............................................................296

Báez Selene.............................................................................390

Benjamin Anderson............................................................ 817

Bailey Russel........................................................................... 737

Benjamin Bomfleur............................................................396

Baker W.J.................................................................................. 506

Benjamin Carter........................................................356, 420

Baldaszti, L............................................................................... 458

Benjamin Darko Williams................................................. 95

Bangze Li......................................................................................131

Benjamin Deneu...................................................................461

Baoming Qiao.........................................................................441

Benjamin Lazarus.................................................................. 46

Barbara A. Ambrose......................................179, 202-203

Benjamin M. Anderson....................................................... 99

Barbara A. Whitlock...........................................................553

Benjamin M. Torke................................................................ 176

Barbara Baesso Moura.................................................. 486

Benjamin S. Lazarus........................................................... 702

Barbara Baldan..........................140, 256, 607, 623, 706

Bennetzen J............................................................................ 506

Bárbara F. Dantas..................................................................33

Benno Dünser..............................................................600, 786

Barbara G. Briggs................................................................467

Ben Nyberg..............................................................................330

Barbara Gravendeel................................................. 133, 221

Benoit F.P. Loeuille...............................................................557

Barbara Keller....................................................................... 596

Benoit Loeuille........................................173, 557-558, 649

Barbara L. Rye.......................................................................... 99

Ben Somers.............................................................................. 321

Bárbara Martínez Escrich...............................................490

Bente Klitgård...................................171, 208, 210, 277, 619

Barbara M. Neto-Bradley................................................ 139

Bentje Bossert.........................................................................169

Barbara Rye.....................................................................60, 149

Berit Gehrke................................................................................ 77

Bárbara S.S. Leal.................................................................... 135

Bernard Goffinet................................................. 44, 218, 476

Barbara Turner...................................................................... 279

Bernardo Duarte..................................................................639

Barbara Vinceti.....................................................................263

Bernard Riera........................................................................ 808

Barbora Rolečková.............................................................585

Bernd Weisshaar................................................................. 437

Barbora Tomešová............................................................. 718

Bernhard W. Dickoré.......................................................... 377

Barke, Birthe Hilkka............................................................. 773

Berta Casals............................................................................ 331

Barnaby E. Walker...............................................................352

Bertrand Black.......................................................................663

Barrett M.D............................................................................... 506

Bertrand Schatz......................................................... 633, 749

Barrett R.L................................................................................. 506

Beryl B. Simpson......................................................................47

Bastien Boussau....................................................................177

Besnard G................................................................................ 506

Basu Dev Poudel................................................................... 812

Besnik Rexhepi.......................................................................386

Batkhuu Nyam-Osor.........................................................244

Beth A. Kaplin............................................................................97

Batlai Oyuntsetseg............................................................. 752

Bethany R.M. Williams......................................................523

Baumel Alex.............................................................................551

Beth Shapiro..............................................................................711

Ba Vuong Truong.................................................................. 291

Bette A. Loiselle...................................................................... 128

B. Clot............................................................................................106

Bettine Jansen van Vuuren............................................ 116

B. Crouzy.....................................................................................106

Betty Millán............................................................................. 694

Béatrice Gervais-Bergeron.............................................52

Beverley Glover...................................................................... 170

Beatriz Fernández-Marín.................. 214, 362, 391, 769

Beverley J. Glover......................................................419, 480

828

XX International
Botanical
Congress
Madrid Spain

Oral presentations

Bhumi N. Tripathi.................................................................. 237

Brad Scott.................................................................................346

Bianconi M.E........................................................................... 506

Brais Hermosilla...................................................................330

Bikram Pandey....................................................................... 812

Brandon S. Gaut.........................................................520-521

Bilal Ahmad.............................................................................520

Branko Dolinar........................................................................ 124

Bing Liu.............................................................................. 195, 764

Brayan Bustamante..........................................................497

Bin-Bin Liu................................................................................. 677

Brannan Cliver.......................................................................557

Bing Yang..................................................................................802

Brechtje van Helden........................................................... 138

Bingyi Shao........................................................... 712, 763, 816

Brenda J. Grewell................................................................... 101

Bin-Jie Ge................................................................................. 677

Brendan J. Lepschi............................................................. 276

Birch J.L...................................................................................... 506

Brendan Lepschi................................................................... 817

Birgit Kersten..........................................................................454

Brent D. Mishler...................... 97, 195, 380, 420, 645,

Birthe H. Barke..........................................................................177

665-667

Bishal Gurung..........................................................................317

Brett Melbourne..................................................................... 182

Björn Usadel.............................................................................. 90

Brian C. O’Meara..................................................................583

Bishnu Adhikari..........................................................378, 504

Brian C. Husband.................................................................445

Björn Widén..............................................................................156

Brian D. Schrire........................................................................ 95

B Kaplin...................................................................................... 588

Brian du Preez................................................................ 95, 277

Blaine Fitzgerald...................................................................780

Brian E. Sedio................................................................451-452

Blake D. Fauskee..................................................................662

Brian J. Sanderson..............................................................453

Blanca Gallego-Tévar....................................................... 101

Brian Schrire............................................................................... 27

Blanka Aguero........................................................................777

Brielle Canares......................................................................647

B Loeuille................................................................................... 588

Brigette Williams.................................................................. 327

Boas Pucker............................................................................. 437

Briggitthe Melchor-Castro............................................. 381

Bodil Cronholm.....................................................................799

Brigitta Erschbamer............................................... 589, 653

Bodil K. Ehlers........................................................................... 310

Brittany Sutherland............................................................802

Bocanegra-González K.T................................................ 821

Brígida Fernández de Simón........................................180

Bodil Jørgensen................................................................... 669

Brigitte Meyer-Berthaud.................................................230

Bohumil Mandák................................................................... 671

Brock Mashburn...................................................................403

Boka Li.........................................................................................756

Bruce A. Ford........................................................................... 378

Bo Li............................................................................................... 742

Bruce Anderson........................................................ 468, 598

Bollo-Manent M....................................................................492

Bruce Maslin............................................................................. 60

Bo Liu............................................................................................ 207

Bruce A. Sorrie...........................................................................78

Bombarely A............................................................................ 781

Bruce Murphy............................................................................171

Bonaventure Sonké..................................................184, 695

Brummitt, N.A......................................................................... 458

Bong M. Salazar....................................................................638

Bruno Bastos............................................................................ 58

Boniface K. Ngarega.......................................................... 128

Bruno Contreras-Moreira..............................................300

Bonnie L. Isaac..........................................................................97

Bruno Fady................................................................................ 281

Bora Lee..................................................................................... 378

Bruno Fogliani...........................................................................54

Boris Delahaie.........................................................................419

Bruno Fonseca......................................................................639

Boris Radak..............................................................................423

Bruno Nevado......................................................................... 517

Borja Jiménez-Alfaro...............115, 253, 266-267, 497

Bryan Drew...............................................................................252

Boštjan Surina........................................................................248

Bryan Lessard........................................................................266

Botovao Auguste Ramiandrisoa.............................. 233

Bryan N. MacNeill.................................................................504

BouchaibKhadari.................................................................551

Bryan T. Drew.......................................................................... 333

Bourgeois Y.............................................................................. 437

Bryan T. Piatkowski..............................................................777

Bo Xu............................................................................................ 257

Bryce Richardson................................................................. 135

Bozena Kolano.......................................................................190

Buntarou Kusumoto........................................................... 147

B. Petitpierre............................................................................256

Bye-Boettler R.A....................................................................492

Božo Frajman...................................................227, 406, 464

Buot Jr., I.E.................................................................................544

Bradican, John P.................................................................. 773

Bradley Myer............................................................................414
Brad Olson................................................................................503

829

XX International
Botanical
Congress
Madrid Spain

Oral presentations

C

Carlos M. Herrera.........................................................101, 223

Cai Li.............................................................................................430

Carlos P. Carmona................................................................50

Carlo Sorce..............................................................................540
Carlos Rodrigues-Vaz........................... 36, 139, 614-615

Cairong Zhong....................................................................... 431

Carlos Vicient.........................................................................436

Caitlin McCann.....................................................................504

Carlos Vila-Viçosa..................................................576, 585

Caitlyn Hughes.....................................................................750

Carl Wagner...............................................................................28

Caizapanta Guamán Leslie Mercedes.................286

Calderisi, G...............................................................................559

Carme Blanco-Gavaldà..................................... 552, 723

Calum Sweeney....................................................................414

Carmen Acedo............................................................. 43, 730

Carmelo M. Musarella......................................................365

Calmé S......................................................................................492

Carmen Benítez Benítez...............................131, 133, 293,

Calvo J........................................................................................250

375, 377-378, 459, 730, 781

Camila Alcántara................................................................510
Camila Nardy..............................................................457, 560

Carmen Díaz-Sala................................................................ 181

Camila Pizano.......................................................................705

Carmen Puglisi.........................................................................171

Carmen Galán.......................................................................104

Camila Nardy Delgado.................................................. 560

Carmen Regina Marcati..................................................196

Camille Christe............................................................... 81, 185

Carmen R. Marcati............................................198, 510-511

Camille Puginier....................................................................188

Carmen Ulloa Ulloa.............................................57, 65, 199

Camille Roux...........................................................................633

Carmen Urea, M....................................................................561

Camilo Ferrón................................................... 312, 360, 692

Carol Baskauf.............................................................374, 540

Camilo Palacios-Hurtado.............................................339

Carole Saliba............................................................................ 85

Campbell O. Webb.............................................................452
Campos-Domínguez L..................................................... 781

Carolina Bambagüe Caicedo.....................................651

Candela Blanco-Moreno.................................................721

Carolina Ferreira.....................................................................42

Carolina Castellanos........................................................206

Cañadas, E.M..........................................................................559

Carolina Granados Mendoza.................................... 466

Cano, A.......................................................................................296

Carey Kelting...........................................................................414

Carolina M. Siniscalchi.......................210-211, 557, 648

Carla Faria..................................................................................113

Carolina S. Carvalho.......................................................... 135

Carolina Rodríguez-Pelayo.......................................... 762

Carina Hoorn.............................................................. 354, 646

Carolina Siniscalchi...........................................................557

Carla J. Harper......................................................................230

Carolina Torres.....................................................................693

Carla Lambertini........................................................280, 773

Carla Maldonado.......................................................472, 621

Carolina Tovar.......................................................................393

Carla Vázquez-González..................................................311

Caroline Greiser...................................................................576

Caroline E.R. Lehmann..........................................380, 602

Carla P. Bruniera.....................................................................42

Caroline Iacuaniello.......................................................... 327

Carles Cardona.......................................................... 180, 769

Caroline Maake..................................................................... 316

Carles Vilà................................................................................585

Caroline Oliveira Andrino............................................. 466

Carl J. Rothfels............................................................432-433

Caroline Robertson.................................................350, 597

Carlos A. Amasifuen Guerra........................................263

Caroline Scotti-Saintagne............................................. 281

Carlos Aedo............................................................................507

Caroline Souza......................................................................624

Carlos A. Méndez.................................................................442

Caroline Weckerle............................................................... 261

Carlos A. Méndez P.............................................................442
Carlos A. Ordóñez-Parra...................................................113

Carrie M. Tribble........................................................ 407, 432

Carlos Cerrejón....................................................................455

Carsten Meyer..........................................................................171

Carsten A. Skjøth................................................................... 103

Carlos Caraballo................................................................. 272

Casey M. Ryan.......................................................................708

Carlos D.M. Ferreira............................................................404

Casper J. van der Kooi.................................................... 468

Carlos Eced.............................................................................. 341
Carlos Eduardo Batista.................................................... 135

Casper van der Kooi..........................................................691

Carlos García-Verdugo.......................................... 116, 272

Cassandra D. V. Bradshaw............................................ 130

Casper van Leeuwen.................................................. 38-39

Carlos Ferreira............................................................457, 560

Cássia Bitencourt................................................................... 27

Carlos Gómez-Bellver.....................533, 627, 684, 805

Cassiano A.D. Welker......................................................... 617

Carlos Jaramillo......................................................... 521, 647

Cassiano A. D. Welker........................................... 505, 603

Carlos Lara-Romero........................................................ 448

Catalán P................................................................................. 506

Carlos Magdalena............................................................... 94830

XX International
Botanical
Congress
Madrid Spain

Oral presentations

Catalina Flores-Galván................................................. 689

Charan Leeratiwong......................................................... 332

Catarina Rydin........................................................... 500-501

Charles C. Davies................................................................382

Catarina Branco...................................................................818

Charilaos Yiotis..................................................................... 770

Catherine A. Kidner............................................................687

Charles C. Davis......................................................................97

Catherine A. Walsh.............................................................538

Charles H. Stirton................................................................... 95

Catherine Finlayson..........................................................338

Charles Mulenga.................................................................. 122

Catherine Damerval.........................................................754

Charles J. Grady...................................................................583

Catherine Kidner................................. 278, 522, 594, 708

Charles N. Horn.................................................................... 809

Catherine McGinnie...........................................................208

Charles Pouchon........................................................... 81, 163

Cathy Offord............................................................................ 341

Charles R. Warren.............................................................. 486

Cátia F. Freitas....................................................................... 274

Charlie Scutt.............................................................................177

CB Langa.................................................................................. 588

Charlotte Jones........................................................................51

CB Schmitt.............................................................................. 588

Charlotte Lindqvist................................................................79

C Carbutt................................................................................. 588

Charlotte Mills........................................................................ 279

C Chapano............................................................................. 588

Charlotte Møller....................................................................704

C. Dana Nelson...................................................................... 218

Charlotte Watteyn..................................................................111

C.C. Hoff...................................................................................... 817

Charlotte Seal....................................................................... 485

C David...................................................................................... 588

Charushila M. Dalavi.........................................................386

C. Dobeš.....................................................................................164

Chatterjee Abhinav.......................................................... 489

C. Donovan Bailey....................................................240, 803

Chawisa leekuakul..............................................................491

Cécile Ané............................................................................... 686

Chazz Jordan.........................................................................328

Cecilia Ballón Falcón........................................................263

Chelsea D. Specht................................................... 383, 432

Cecilia Brunetti.......................................................................180

Cheng Du.................................................................................. 753

Cecilia Blundo.............................................................200, 206

Chelsea R. Smith.............................................................26, 97

Cecilia Zumajo-Cardona..............................................203

Cheng Jin................................................................................. 484

Cecílio Caldeira..................................................................... 135

Cheng-Tao Lin...................................................................... 588

Cecily Eltringham.................................................................155

Cheng-Wei Chen............................................................... 690

Cédrique Solofondranohatra.......................... 233, 602

Chen Ren................................................................................... 677

Cédric Del Rio.........................................................................402

Cheng Zhao............................................................................765

Celestine Belloeil.....................................................................53

Chen X......................................................................................... 437

Celia Antunes.......................................................................... 103

Chiara Natali...........................................................................818

Celestino Quintela-Sabarís........................52, 337, 571

Chiara Conte.......................................................................... 372

Celia C. Aceae............................................................546, 700

Chi-Chuan Chen...................................................... 222, 709

Celia M. Rodríguez-Domínguez.................................769

Chih-Chieh Yu........................................................................ 471

Celia Vaca-Benito..............................................................360

Chi Song....................................................................................476

Celina Ben Saadi........................................... 263, 339, 620

Chongbo Ma...................................................................712, 816

Celine I. García-Rodríguez............................................. 214

Chong Dong............................................................................483

Cen Guo................................................................ 487, 615, 764

Chonghuai Liu.............................................................520-521

César A. González-Martínez........................................590

Chris Blackwood..................................................................704

César D. Salazar..................................................................... 94

Christa Horn............................................................................ 327

César Arvelos......................................................................... 702

Chris Jackson.......................................................... 35, 59, 80

César Leblanc..............................................................255, 461

Christelle Fraïsse..................................................................633

Cesar M. Flores Ortiz...........................................................561

Chris Thorogood..................................................................544

Chaaya Atri.............................................................................368

Christian A. Wehenkel......................................................530

Chang-Tse Lu.........................................................................514

Christian Braeuchler.........................................................228

Chantelle A.T. Doyle........................................................... 279

Christian Brochmann........................ 325, 471, 552, 724

Chaochao Li............................................................................520

Christian da Silva................................................................603

Chaonan Fu........................................................................... 548

Christiane Kiefer........................................................239-240

Chao-Nan Fu..........................................................................790

Christian Kappel....................................................... 357, 597

Chao Xu...........................................................................677, 763

Christian Kindler...................................................................623

Chao Ye.......................................................................................816

Christian Körner...................................................................653

Charalambos S. Christodoulou.................................. 212

Christian Lexer.......................................................................574

831

XX International
Botanical
Congress
Madrid Spain

Oral presentations

Christian Newesely............................................................653

Claire Micheneau................................................................. 631

Christian Parisod......................................................324, 436

Clara Espinosa del Alba...................................... 267, 785

Christian Siadjeu.................................................................. 761

Clara I. Bermúdez Santana..........................................309

Christiano P. Coelho..........................................................597

Clara E. Pogner....................................................................... 103

Christian Porsche.................................................................. 161

Clara Groot Crego..............................................................574

Christian Wirth..........................................................................171

Clara Ines Ortiz-Ramirez................................................308

Christian Zidorn.................................................................... 227

Clara Morales-Rozo........................................................... 726

Christina Hvilsom................................................................585

Clara Priemer.........................................................................574

Christina Walters................................................................... 114

Clare Muller............................................................................ 669

Christina Richards.................................................................50

Clare Drinkell..........................................................................226

Christine Davis...................................................................... 778

Clarissa Fontes.................................................................... 685

Christine D. Bacon.................................................. 353-354

Clarisse Palma-Silva......................................................... 381

Christine Edwards....................................................... 74, 332

Clark L.G.................................................................................... 506

Christine E. Edwards............................................... 327, 403

Claudenice H. Dalastra...................................................500

Christine Fürst...........................................................................171

Claudia Baider......................................................................424

Christine Nolan..................................................................... 257

Claudia Büchel...................................................................... 281

Christine Strullu-Derrien.................................................. 231

Claudia Giuliani..................................................................... 261

Christine Tollon......................................................................551

Claudia Martin......................................................................300

Christini Fournaraki....................................................212, 214

Claudia Moreno Portillo.......................................643, 769

Christin P.-A............................................................................ 506

Claudia Paetzold...................................................................177

Christophe Botella...............................................................461

Claudio A. Bracho-Estévanez.....................................335

Christophe Plomion...........................................................450

Claudio Ciofi............................................................................818

Christopher Baraloto........................................................263

Claudio Inostroza-Blancheteau...............................629

Christopher B. Blackwood............................................. 707

Claudio Varotto........................................................ 406, 540

Christopher Dick............................................................75, 710

Clemens Roessner.............................................................258

Christopher D. Muir.............................................................. 175

Clement Bellot.......................................................................780

Christopher D. Tyrrell.........................................................505

Clesnan Mendes-Rodrigues.........................................717

Christopher E. Buddenhagen..................................... 466

Cliff Morden.............................................................................424

Christopher J. Williamson..............................................186

C. Malegori................................................................................ 361

Christopher Whitewoods................................................481

C. Matt Guilliams........................................................142, 472

Christophe Thébaud.........................................................424

C.M. Siniscalchi..................................................................... 722

Christoph Hahn..................................................................... 314

Coca de la Iglesia, M.........................................................409

Christoph Nehrke................................................................. 162

Cody C. Howard......................................................................117

Christoph Oberprieler......................157, 358, 556, 584

Cogoni, D...................................................................................559

Chuangchao Zhou.............................................................430

Colin Beale.............................................................................. 665

Christoph Rosche................................................................807

Coiffard......................................................................................398

Chuan Zhang.........................................................................520

Colin Clubbe............................................................................414

Chu-Chia Kuo....................................................................... 588

Colin E. Hughes....................................... 275, 413, 517, 803

Chung-I Wu.....................................................................431, 531

Colin Hughes...............................................................208, 645

Chung K-F................................................................................. 781

Colin Kelleher.........................................................................289

Chun-Kuei Liao..................................................................... 377

Colin P. Osborne...................................................................638

Chun-Lei Xiang.....................................................................252

Colin T. Kelleher....................................................................288

Chunlei Yang...........................................................................441

Colin Turnbull........................................................................ 694

Chun Su........................................................................................ 511

Colleen Downs..................................................................... 698

Chun-Yan Jing..................................................................... 448

Conal Aitken.............................................................................. 27

Cindy C. P. Cosset...............................................................338

Concetta M. Messina........................................................794

Chun-Xia Zeng.......................................................... 487-488

Columbus J.T......................................................................... 506

Cibele Cássia-Silva...........................................................354

Concepción De Linares....................................................104

Cindy Q. Tang.............................................................609, 674

Conchita Alonso..........................................................101, 223

Cirera-Sancho, Alberto.................................................... 331

Confais J................................................................................... 437

C.J. Tsai.......................................................................................524

Connor Watson...................................................................... 84

Claire Fortunel............................................................206, 263

Conny B.A. Lange..................................................................415832

XX International
Botanical
Congress
Madrid Spain

Oral presentations

Consolación Barciela..........................................................131

Cynthia Hong-Wa...............................................................225

Consolata Siniscalco........................................................570

Cynthia Sothers....................................................................284

Consolata Nanjala...................................................580, 631

Cynthia Skema.....................................................................225

Constantin I. Fomichev.............................. 291-292, 467

Cynthia T. Fowler...................................................................150

Constantin Kopper............................................................... 56

Cyrille Violle..............................................................................100

Consuelo de Moraes.........................................................642

Cyril Libourel............................................................................188

Cooper Murphy.....................................................................704

Cyril Stevens..............................................................................121

Copetta Andrea...................................................................570

D

Cornelia Krause....................................................................563
Cornelia Simon-Nutbrown............................................416

D.A. Espinel-Ortiz..................................................................595

Cornelius Nichodemus...................................................... 141

Daiane Vahl................................................................................87

Cornille, A.................................................................................. 437

Daigard Ricardo Ortega-Rodríguez........................ 122

Costas A. Thanos.................................................................. 214

Dai-Kun Ma.............................................................................. 677

Costas Kadis............................................................................ 212

Dale L. Forrister......................................................................687

Couderc Marie......................................................................205

Dale Pelletier............................................................................ 741

Couturier-Stéphane R.A.................................................492

Dalila Pasquini........................................................................180

C. Pramod........................................................................ 38, 604

Dalila Trupiano......................................................................349

Craig A. Schenck.................................................................. 323

Dan Crowley................................................................297-298

Craig I. Dent.............................................................................368

Dang Toan Vu.........................................................................415

Craig Primmer.......................................................................585

Daniela Aros-Mualin..............................................688, 769

Crayn D.M................................................................................ 506

Daniela Cevallos..................................................................820

C. Reynolds..............................................................................798

Daniela Ciccarelli................................................................336

Crickette Sanz........................................................................265

Daniela Gigante...................................................................423

Crispin Ilunga-Mulala.......................................................184

Daniela Holtgräwe.............................................................. 437

Cristiana Vieira.......................................................... 374, 576

Daniela Mordacci................................................................ 793

Cristiano Vernesi.................................................................585

Daniela Scaccabarozzi.......................................................111

Cristians-Niizawa S............................................................492

Daniel A. Zhigila............................................................171, 466

Cristina Armas............................................................240, 418

Daniel Ballesteros............................................. 114, 341, 343

Cristina Branquinho..........................................................766

Daniel Cabrera Santos.....................................................561

Cristina Ferrándiz................................................................308

Daniel C. Thomas....................................................... 93, 460

Cristina García......................................................................585

Daniele Buono.......................................................................209

Cristina Gasperini............................................................... 322

Daniele Silvestro................................. 354, 460, 594, 796

Cristina González-Montelongo................................... 80

Daniel Gómez......................................................................... 672

Cristina López-Gallego...................................................206

Daniel Guillot Ortiz............................................................... 124

Cristina Máguas...................................................................766

Daniel Jiménez-García............................................96, 316

Cristina Poyatos......................................................... 312, 692

Daniel J. Murphy.....................................................59-60, 80

Cristina R. Marinho.............................................................396

Daniel Lopez Estrada........................................................260

Cristina Ronquillo................................................................254

Daniel Maurenza..................................................................457

Cristina Roquet.......................................................... 552, 723

Daniel Montesinos.............................................................. 747

Cristopher Fernández-Blas..........................................439

Daniel Murphy.......................................................................208

C. Romoleroux.......................................................................595

Daniel N. Anstett...................................................................303

Csaba Tölgyesi..................................................................... 672

Daniel Nickrent....................................................................... 817

C Tovar...................................................................................... 588

Daniel Pareja-Bonilla........................................................439

C. Tovar......................................................................................587

Daniel Potter..............................................................................97

Cuervo-Robayo A.P...........................................................492

Daniel Reyes........................................................................... 272

Cui Xiao...................................................................................... 207

Daniel Sánchez-Mata..................................................... 654

C. Ulloa........................................................................................595

Daniel S. Jones......................................................................557

Cure L............................................................................................ 781

Daniel Spalink................................ 131-132, 466, 687, 730

C. Valeriano.............................................................................439

Daniel Villarroel......................................................................619

C. van Leeuwen....................................................................798

Daniel Vitales..................................................... 124, 189, 444

Cyllène Chatellier.................................................................551

Danillo Oliveira Alvarenga............................................740

Cynthia F. P. da Luz.............................................................. 210

833

XX International
Botanical
Congress
Madrid Spain

Oral presentations

Dan Pei........................................................................................520

David Soba..............................................................................769

Darcy Galiano Cabrera...................................................263

David Šubrt..............................................................................524

Dan-Xiao Peng..................................................194-195, 380

David S. Pescador...............................................................629

Darin S. Penneys............................................................ 55, 731

David Sunderlin....................................................................354

Darío Atienza-Barthelemy...............................................20

David W. Armitage.....................................................321, 413

Dario C. Paiva........................................................................ 609

Davy Ulrich Ikabanga.......................................................265

Dario I. Ojeda.................................................................517, 796

Dawson White.......................................................................... 141

Darío G. Melgar-Gómez.................................................... 94

Dawson M. White................................................................... 94

Dario La Montagna............................................................. 133

Dayana Salas-Leyva........................................................478

Dario Salemi...........................................................................794

D. Baali-Cherif........................................................................815

Darius Phiri................................................................................ 122

D. Blaine Marchant.............................................................. 178

Darren Crayn...............................................................208, 580

D.B. Montesinos-Tubée....................................................610

Darren M. Crayn....................................................59, 80, 631

D. Christine Cargill..............................................................422

Darwin Tree of Life Consortium........................ 88, 300

Deanna Holt-Schmitt.......................................................542

Dave Lamacraft...................................................................455

Debjyoti Bhattacharyya.................................................389

David A. Coomes.................................................................. 139

Débora Franco.......................................................................156

David Alonso...........................................................................780

Débora Zuanny..................................................................... 732

David Alors...............................................................................629

Deden Girmansyah..............................................................93

David A. Simpson................................................................. 130

Deepthi Yakandawala........................................................ 73

David Bloom........................................................................... 370

Defossez E.................................................................................492

David Bruy.................................................................................. 89

Deise Pereira Gonçalves..........................................75, 710

David Criado-Ruiz.............................................................. 649

Delia Fernández-González............................................104

David Draper..........................................................................523

Delphine Giraud................................................................... 742

Davide Mosanghini............................................................653

Dena L. Grossenbacher....................................................419

Davide Gerna........................................................................... 114

Delphine Tardiff....................................................................593

David Goyder.................................................................... 27, 171

Denilson Fernandes Peralta.........................................457

David Gutiérrez-Larruscain........................................... 175

Denis Bastianelli..........................................................139-140

David Hamon............................................................................131

Denis Vile....................................................................................100

David Harris..................................................................... 171, 709

Dennis Brueckner.................................................. 53-54, 121

David Hawksworth............................................................... 231

Dennis W. Stevenson.........................................................203

David Horák.............................................................................228

De Nova-Vázquez J.A.......................................................492

David Horcajada..................................................................676

Deren A.R. Eaton.......................................................... 150, 169

David Iggulden........................................................................ 66

Deren Eaton............................................................................ 469

David J. Harris.............................................................265, 708

Derick B. Poindexter............................................................401

David J. Mabberley............................................................ 736

Desalegn Chala................................................................... 724

David J. Middleton.................................................................79

Deshika Muthuthanthirige.............................................. 114

David Kunkel..............................................................................28

Desmond Bradley................................................................ 102

David J. Weston..................................................................... 741

Desika Moodley....................................................................805

David L. Field............................................................................ 102

D.E. Soltis.................................................................................... 722

David Lorence........................................................................424

D. Estevan García................................................................309

David Medel............................................................................769

Detlef Weigel..........................................................................369

David Morgan........................................................................265

Dexiang Li..................................................................................476

David O’Connor..................................................................... 103

Deyi Wang..................................................................................712

David-Paul Klein....................................................................818

De-Yuan Hong.......................................................................392

David P. Edwards.................................................................338

Dezhu Li..............................................................................33, 548

David Pizarro............................................................................ 312

De-Zhu Li.......................................217, 465, 487-488, 505,

David P. Padilla...................................................................... 274

516, 615-616, 618, 764, 790

David Rabehevitra.............................................................. 233

Diana C. Acosta-Rojas.....................................................109

David Salazar........................................................................ 684

Diana Calderón....................................................................507

David Sánchez Pescador..................................... 319, 635

Diana Fernández-Fernández.........................................57

Davidse G................................................................................ 506

Diana Itzel Martínez-Lona...............................................185

David S. Gernandt...............................................................765

Diana L. A. Vasquez............................................................. 471

834

XX International
Botanical
Congress
Madrid Spain

Oral presentations

Diana María Cruz Tejada.......................................25, 785

Don Hankins...............................................................................711

Diana M. Percy.......................................................................453

Dora Scarpin................................................................. 182, 554

Diana Medellín-Zabala......................................................75

Donna Dehn............................................................................328

Diana Salles Sampaio........................................................717

Dorota Borowska-Wykręt..............................................349

Dianella G. Howarth...........................................................760

Dorota Kwiatkowska..........................................................349

Dianella Howarth........................................................202, 761

Dörte Harpke...................................................................90, 801

Dian Yu.........................................................................................481

Doudou Kong.........................................................................754

Diazgranados, Mauricio.................................................. 267

Douglas A. Campbell.........................................................186

Diederik Strubbe..................................................................820

Douglas D. Souza.................................................................624

Diego Bogarin........................................................................579

Douglas E. Soltis................ 211, 476, 583, 678, 745, 802

Diego Bogarín................................................................. 111, 632

Douglas Soltis..................................................................75, 710

Diego E. Dávila....................................................................... 223

Downie M.................................................................................... 781

Diego F. Morales-Briones.......................................36, 209

D. Rabern Simmons..............................................................97

Diego G. Gutiérrez...............................................................522

Dragana Šnjegota..............................................................585

Diego Gutiérrez del Pozo................................................286

Dragana Vukov.....................................................................423

Diego Herrero......................................................................... 376

Draper, D.,..................................................................................582

Diego Morales-Briones....................................................764Draženko Nenadić............................................................. 496

Diego Nieto-Lugilde............................................................777

Dr. David Tank........................................................................ 737

Diego S. Podadera..............................................................440

Drew A. Larson........................................................................ 218

Dietmar Quandt........................................................ 662, 778

Drisya V.V.....................................................................................38

Dieu-Merci Assumani........................................................184

D. Scherrer................................................................................256

Diksha Ghambir...................................................................453

D.T Ndinteh...............................................................................385

Dina in ‘t Zandt....................................................................... 571

Duarte A. Dias Lorenzo......................................................105

Dina Miarinjanahary.......................................................... 233

Dubiel Alfonso Gonzalez....................................................53

Dinesh Thakur......................................................................... 571

Duilio Iamonico.....................................................................553

Diosdado Nguema.............................................................265

Dukchul Park............................................................................. 84

Dipankar Borah........................................................................93

Duncan D. Smith................................................................. 686

Dirk C. Albach................................................67, 79, 162, 250

Duncan Halley........................................................................ 183

Dirk U. Bellstedt......................................................................... 77

Duniel Barrios.........................................................................474

Dita Rahmadani...................................................................389

Dunning L................................................................................. 506

Diver Mayo................................................................................441

Dušan Mihailović................................................................ 496

D. La Montagna.....................................................................794

Dustin Wolkis................................................................ 155, 783

Dmitriy A. Bochkov..............................................................683

Duvall M.R................................................................................. 506

Dmitry A. German................................................................240

D. Worall.................................................................................... 650

Dmitry D. Sokoloff.............................................146, 291, 467

Dylan R. Moxley.....................................................................303

Dmitry F. Lyskov...................................................................... 291

E

D. Muir................................................................................ 175, 804
Dnyanesh Chinte..................................................................109

Ebenezer B. Rodrigues......................................................597

Domingos Cardoso............................ 176, 199, 208, 278,

Ebru Ozdeniz...........................................................................365

515-516, 732

Eckhard von Raab-Straube............................................. 71

Dominic Wood.......................................................................224

Ed Biffin......................................................................................... 60

Dominik Metschina......................................... 73, 670, 744

Eddy Mendoza-Galindo...................................................185

Dominique Roujou...............................................................156

Edeline Gagnon........45, 220, 380-381, 449, 517, 780

Dominique Strasberg.......................................................424

Eder Chilquillo........................................................................ 472

Donadío, S................................................................................296

Edgardo M. Ortiz......................................37, 472, 475, 679

Donat Agosti...........................................................................246

Edgar L.Y. Wong....................................................................502

Donatella Magri.........................................................496, 673

Edison Rea................................................................................820

Donatella Serio...................................................................... 627

Eduard López-Guillén...................................................... 684

Donat Magyar......................................................................... 103

Eduardo Amorim................................................................ 560

Donato Chiatante...............................................................244

Eduardo Fernandez................................................457, 560

Dongliang Lin...................................................... 712, 763, 816
Dongli Cui....................................................................... 271, 604

835

XX International
Botanical
Congress
Madrid Spain

Oral presentations

Eduardo Fernández Pascual......................25, 115, 267,

Elisa Bona..................................................................................570

Eduardo Narbona................... 240, 356, 418, 532, 535,

Elisa Gamalero......................................................................570

497, 785

Elisa Carrari............................................................................. 322

642, 692

Elisa Pellegrini....................................................................... 804

Eduardo Rodríguez-Guzmán......................................800

Elisa Peresbarbosa Rojas................................................561

Eduardo Ruiz-Sánchez.....................................................551

Elisa Petrussa............................................................... 182, 554

Eduardo Ruiz Sánchez.........................................................43

Elisa Román.............................................................................396

Eduardo T. Amorim............................................................457

Elisa Rondoni........................................................................... 133

Eduardo Torres-Flores.....................................................590

Elisa Toini....................................................................................... 21

Edurne Baroja-Fernández.............................................706

Eliška Záveská.........................................269, 718, 724-725

Edward Gilbert..........................................................................97

Elissa S. Sorojsrisom........................................................... 179

Edward L. Stanley.................................................................553

Elizabeth A. Kellogg..................................................... 17, 505

Efisio Mattana........................................... 25, 342, 485, 561

Elizabeth A. Zimmer...........................................................306

Efraín Cruz Marín..................................................................528

Elizabeth Bell............................................................................561

Eftychios Frangedakis....................................................... 201

Elizabeth G. Clark.................................................................592

E.G.H. Oliver................................................................................. 77

Elizabeth M. Joyce........................................................42, 148

E.G. Wesely................................................................................491

Elizabeth Zimmer........................................................ 193, 519

Ehoarn Bidault.......................................................................265

Elke Zippel....................................................................................32

Eike Mayland-Quellhorst................................................. 162

Ellen Heimpel..........................................................................265

Eike Luedeling.........................................................................154

Ellana Boada......................................................................... 569

Eilish McMaster........................................................................34

Ellie Graves...............................................................................226

Eita Shimokawa....................................................................525

Elliot M. Gardner.................................................................... 714

Eimear Nic Lughadha.................27, 87, 352, 565-566

Elliot Gardner..................................................................714-715

Ekaterina L. Kotina................................................................ 197

Elodie Baby...............................................................................140

E.K. López-Estrada............................................................... 720

Eloisa Lasso.............................................................................320

Eladio Fernandez.................................................................353

Eloísa Pajuelo.........................................................................639

Elaine Françoso..........................................................216, 649

Elsa Góngora..........................................................................759

Eldis R. Bécquer............................................................. 612, 731

Else Demeulenaere..................................................152, 568

Elena Barni................................................................... 589, 653

Else Marie Friis....................................................................... 656

Elena Bužan.............................................................................585

Else Ø. Andersen...................................................................415

Elena Carrió González......................................................635

E Lulekal..................................................................................... 588

Elena Castillo-Lorenzo........................................... 326, 561

Elvira Hörandl...............................................70, 177, 452, 718

Elena Conti.............................................................................. 596

Elvis Valderrama Sandoval..........................................263

Elena Gottardini..................................................................... 318

Elycia Wallis............................................................................. 370

Elena Corredoira..................................................................342

Elycia J. Wallis........................................................................ 372

Elena Granda.........................................................................439

Elza Guimarães.....................................................................395

Elena Marra............................................................................ 486

Elżbieta Cieślak.................................................................... 608

Elena M. Kramer................................................. 97, 382, 755

Emanuel A. Cataño............................................................ 779

Elena Paoletti......................................................................... 486

Emanuel Scherdien...............................................................87

Elena Ruiz................................................................................... 421

Emerson R. Pansarin..........................................................395

Elena Torres............................................................................ 448

Emil Cienciala........................................................................652

Eleni Christoforou................................................................ 372

Emiliano Mora Carrera................................................... 596

Eleni Syngelaki.........................................................................177

Emily A. Humphreys...........................................................225

Eleonora Manzo....................................................................697

Emily B. Bruns........................................................................ 560

Eliana Noguera-Savelli....................................................200

Emily B. Sessa.......................................................... 34, 117, 128

Eliana Álvarez-Valdez....................................................... 170

Emily Beckman Bruns.......................................................205

Eli Graber...................................................................................704

Emily Coffey....................................................... 184, 297-298

Eli Hartung................................................................................503

Emily E. E. D. Coffey.............................................................328

Elinor Breman.........................................................................326

Emily Haley................................................................................ 251

Elisabete Dias......................................................................... 227

Emily Moriarty Lemmon................................................... 512

Elisabetta Offer.....................................................................256

Emily Sessa.............................................................................. 778

Elisabetta Sgarbi................................................................. 793

Emily Veltjen.................................................................. 613, 820

836

XX International
Botanical
Congress
Madrid Spain

Oral presentations

Emily Yaklich...........................................................................557

Ernesto Testé........................................................................... 612

Emmanuele Farris.............................................................. 584

E. Roy........................................................................................... 606

Emmanuelle Montargès-Pelletier...............................54

E. Serrão.....................................................................................798

Emma Aronson.....................................................................697
Emmanuel Ejigboye...........................................................768
Empar Carrillo........................................................................ 793

Encarnación Merlo............................................................. 729
Encarnación Rubio..............................................................156
Encarna Merlo.............................................................365, 682

Eneas Pérez............................................................................. 222
Enkhchimeg T.Chimgee..................................................244
Enmily Sánchez........................................................................131
Enrica Roccotiello................................................................766
Enric Batllori Presas............................................................238

Enrico Boccato..................................................................... 499

Ernest Rouaud........................................................................ 221

Ertao Wang..............................................................................476
Espinosa-Organista D.N.................................................492

Esteban Manrique...............................................................623
Esteban Manuel Martínez Salas................................. 613
Esteban Salmerón Sánchez..............................365, 682

Estefania Elejalde-Baena.............................................. 537
Estela Illa Bachs....................................................................539
Ester Gaya................................................................................. 313
Ester Sales................................................................................. 133
Esther García Guillén....................................................... 464

Esther Pérez..............................................................................561

Enrico Braidot..................................................... 182, 319, 554

Esther Senden........................................................................356

Enrique Andivia......................................................................561

Estrella Alfaro-Saiz.............................................................635

Enrique G. de la Riva..........................................................745

Estrella Luna-Díez....................................................................51

Enrico Coen.................................................................... 102, 481
Enrique de Gálvez-Montañez......................................154
Enrique Hernández-Rodríguez........................455, 543

Estrada-Márquez A.S........................................................492

Estrella Chevez.......................................................................561
Etelvina Gándara................................................................432

Enrique Maguilla........................................................293, 377

Ethan Baldwin........................................................................328

Enrique Rodriguez Hernandez....................................542

Etienne Bucher.........................................................................50

Enrique Mateos Naranjo......................................639, 769

Erica de Leau..........................................................................204
Eric Akouangou.....................................................................265

Eric Garnier...............................................................................100

Eric Gouda................................................................................523
Eric Hagsater...........................................................................581
Eric H. Roalson..............................................................378, 781

Eric J Fuchs..............................................................................799
Erick Tribouillier Navas......................................................184
Eric Lam.......................................................................................189
Eric Roalson.............................................................................687
Eric Schuettpelz............................................................ 97, 433
Eric S. Menges........................................................................ 327
Erika Bellini................................................................................540

Ethan Newman............................................................. 77, 468

Étienne Léveillé-Bourret.................. 130, 378, 452, 555
Etna Bivera................................................................................ 143

Etxeberria M.............................................................................250
Eulàlia Pladevall-Izard............................... 304, 392, 793
Eurídice N. Honorio Coronado....................................263
Eva Álvarez Medrano..........................................................177
Eva Andrea Strasser........................................................... 313
Eva Barreno........................................................ 187, 282-283
Eva C. Sonnenschein........................................................476
Eva Deinum................................................................. 350, 598
Eva Gril........................................................................................ 577

Eva Larsén.................................................................................501

Eva-Maria Sadowski..............................................399, 657

Erika Edwards......................................................................... 472

Eva Montalban...................................................................... 222

Erika Hiltbrunner...................................................................653

Eva Navascués.......................................................................156

Erika Pénzesné Kónya........................................................641

Eva Samblás...........................................................................439

Erika Hersch-Green........................................................... 565

Erika J. Edwards...................................................................... 411
Erika P. Kónya.......................................................................... 167

Erika R. Moore.........................................................................557
Erik J. M. Koenen........................................................ 275, 803

Eva M. Temsch.......................................................................574

Evangeline Ballerini............................................................755
Eva Troner.................................................................................282

Eva Uddin................................................................................... 179
Eve J. Lucas............................................................................... 701

Erik Koenen..............................................................................208

Evelin Krol........................................................................ 582, 718

Erin Bentley.............................................................................. 737

Evelyn Kustatscher............................................................. 397

Erik Smets..................................................................................509
Erin Manzitto-Tripp.............................................................. 182
Erin M. Sigel...................................................................663, 802

Erin Ryan....................................................................................204
Ernesto Pérez-Collazos.................................90, 300, 743

Eve Lucas.....................................................................27, 82, 84

Eviatar Nevo........................................................................... 605
Evita Oļehnoviča..................................................................543
Ewa Kazimierczak-Grygiel.............................................190
Ewa Robaszkiewicz..............................................................190

837

XX International
Botanical
Congress
Madrid Spain

Oral presentations

Ezequiel Antorán-Pilar.....................................................570

Federico Roda.......................................................................309

Ezquerra V................................................................................250

Feifei Li......................................................................................... 752

Ezgi Ogutcen.................................................................451-452

Federico Selvi......................................................................... 322
Feifei Wang............................................................................... 531

F

Felipe Cardona.....................................................................339
Felipe Domínguez Lozano....................................733, 735

Fabiana Cristofolini............................................................. 318

Felipe García Oliva...............................................................771

Fabián A. Michelangeli......................................55, 57, 731

Felipe Martínez-García.................................................... 627

Fabian Bonilla.........................................................................441

Felipe Morales-Armijo........................................................ 86

Fabián Martínez Hernández..............................365, 682

Felipe Torres-Vanegas...................................................... 119

Fabian Michelangeli.......................................................... 702

Felipe Triana............................................................................441

Fabiano Sillo.............................................................................180

Felix Forest...................................................35, 296, 414, 462

Fabian Schneider.................................................................. 69

Félix Forest...................27, 59, 77, 80, 116, 208, 216, 352,

Fabiany Herrera......................... 434, 483, 521, 592, 647

565-566, 649, 665, 667, 734, 796

Fabien Condamine............................................................352

Felix Grewe........................................................................... 4, 313

Fabien Spicher...................................................................... 577

Fengmao Yang.....................................................................495

Fabio Attorre............................................................................ 133

Feng-Mao Yang.....................................................................317

Fabio Candotto Carniel................................................. 499

Feng Song...................................................................... 417, 552

Fabio Conti..............................................................70, 92, 553

Feng Wang............................................................................. 480

Fabrício M. Ferreira.............................................................. 617

Fengying Zhang.................................................................... 812

Fabrizia Milani......................................................................... 261

Fenitra N. Randrianarimanana.......................233, 508

Fabrizio Bartolucci..............................................70, 131, 553

Fenu, G........................................................................................559

Fabrizio Cartenì....................................................................243

Fernanda Fraga.........................................................457, 560

Fabrizio Grassi........................................................................... 21

Fernanda Vieira Costa..................................................... 221

Fabrizio Michelangeli....................................................... 496

Fernanda Wimmer..................................................457, 560

Fae D. Bramblepelt..................................................504, 744

Fernández-Méndez F......................................................... 821

Fainelli Federico..........................................................280, 773

Fernández Otárola Mauricio...........................................112

Faiq I. Majid..............................................................................389

Fernando Alzate-Guarín................................................432

Falguni G Bhabhor..............................................................305

Fernando A.O. Silveira................................................ 113, 115

Fan C............................................................................................. 781

Fernando Ascensão..........................................................766

Fandey H. Mashimba........................................................ 332

Fernando Cornejo-Valverde.......................................263

Fany Baillou................................................................................113

Fernando Fernandez-Mendoza................................. 313

Fan Zhang................................................................................520

Fernando Lima......................................................................576

Farahnoz Khojayori.............................................................419

Fernando Ojeda......................................................................76

Farahnoz N. Khojayori...................................................... 480

Fernando O. Zuloaga........................................................505

Farminhão, J...........................................................................683

Fernando Pineda-García.................................................771

Farnidah Jasnie..................................................................... 571

Fernando T. Maestre.....................................187, 254, 362

Farshid Memariani.............................................................365

Ferrández J.V..........................................................................250

Fatemeh Moein....................................................................... 48

F. Hortas.....................................................................................798

Fátima Aguilera.....................................................................104

Fia Bengtsson....................................................................... 456

Fatima Batul Mukhtar..........................................................171

Filipe Costa e Silva................................................................113

Faulkner, C................................................................................. 351

Filipe M. França.....................................................................206

Faustino Rubio.......................................................................769

Filip Kolár...................................................................................325

Favio Gonzalez...................................................................... 537

Filip Kolář...............................................................471, 504, 724

Favio González...................................................110, 258, 382

Filippo Bussotti.......................................................................180

Fay-Wei Li......................................................91, 187, 562, 802

Filip Vandelook............................................................... 24, 415

Fazal Ullah................................................................................470

Filip Verloovee..........................................................................131

Federico Casimiro-Soriguer.............................. 129, 430

Fiona Jane White.......................................................166, 589

Federico Di Rita.................................................................... 496

Fiona M. Jordan................................................................ 21-22

Federico Escudero Clarés.............................................682

Fiona White............................................................................. 655

Federico Fabriani.......................................................462, 615

Fiorella Fernanda Mazine................................................. 84

Federico Luebert............................................. 210, 666, 670

Fiorella F. Mazine.....................................................................82838

XX International
Botanical
Congress
Madrid Spain

Oral presentations

Fisher A.E................................................................................... 506

Francisco J. Ocaña-Calahorro...................................108

F. Javier Cano........................................................................769

Francisco Lara..........................................341, 375, 421, 778

Fitiavana Rasaminirina.................................................... 129

Francisco J. Pérez García...............................................682

F. Javier Rodríguez-Rajo........................................ 105, 156

Francisco Lloret.....................................................................238

Fjellheim S............................................................................... 506

Francisco Molina Freaner..............................................453

Flávia Fonseca Pezzini...................................................... 275

Francisco M. Vázquez.......................................................585

Flavia F. Pezzini.........................................................................75

Francisco Pérez-García..................................................365

Flávia F. Pezzini......................................................................208

Francisco Perfectti....................................................240, 418

Flávia M.D. Marquitti...........................................................168

Francis J. Nge..............................31, 36, 60, 593, 614-615

Flavia Pezzini................................................................. 416, 708

Francis Nge............................................................................... 193

Flávia Pezzini............................................................................ 210

François Munoz......................................................................461

Flavien Collart................................................... 577, 630, 777

François-Nicolas Krencker........................................... 498

Flavio Anastasia...................................................................570

Francois Rousseu................................................................ 233

Fleur de Marie Fitzpatrick................................................. 151

François Vasseur..................................................................100

Flores-Duarte N.J................................................................. 707

Frander B. Riverón-Giró................................................... 387

Florfe M. Acma.......................................................................443

Frank Almeda...................................................................57, 731

Florian Boucher..................................................................... 724

Franka Neiß.............................................................................697

Florian Delerue.........................................................................52Frank E. Zachos.....................................................................585

Florian Deligne.......................................................................675

Frank Guzmán.......................................................................552

Florian Jabbour..............................................292, 754, 808

Frank Hauenschild.................................................... 162, 567

Florian Louty............................................................................749

Frank H. Hellwig............................................................ 69, 584

Floris C. Breman................................................................... 347

Frank Müller.............................................................................348

Forest F...................................................................................... 506

Frank R. Blattner.....................................................90, 92, 801

Fradret, Alice...........................................................................398

František Zedek..............................................405, 565-566

Francesca Alderotti............................................................180

Franziska Zemmer............................................................... 318

Francesca Beclin.................................................................574

Fred Barrie.................................................................................199

Francesca D’Este.................................................................554

Frederic Fercoq...................................................................... 231

Francesca Scotti................................................................... 316

Frederick C. Draper............................................................263

Francesc Caralt....................................................................805

Frederic Lens............................ 32, 80, 136-138, 240, 509

Francesco Boscutti...............................167, 182, 319, 335,

Frédéric Médail...................................................................... 213

554, 653, 804

Frederik Leliaert.................................................................... 723

Francesco Dal Grande.............140, 187-188, 225, 607

Fred Stauffer...........................................................................523

Francesco de Bello.......................................................49-50

Fredy Archila............................................................................184

Francesco Ferrini..................................................................180

Freek T. Bakker....................................................................... 347

Francesco Giannino..........................................................243

F Senbeta................................................................................. 588

Francesco Petruzzellis......................................................335

F. Surault................................................................................... 606

Francesco Porro............................................ 589, 653, 655

F. Tummon................................................................................106

Francine Almeida................................................................353

Fuad Bahrul Ulum..................................................................177

Francisco Aznar.....................................................................104

Fu-Min Zhang........................................................................ 448

Francisco Balao.................................... 133, 369, 643, 769

Funmilola M. Ojo.................................................................... 107

Francisco Balao Robles...................................................769

G

Francisco Barona-Gómez.............................................478
Francisco Cuesta.....................................................200, 587

Gabina Sol Quintas.............................................................561

Francisco E. Fontúrbel.......................................................610

Gábor Li...................................................................................... 672

Francisco Encinas-Viso..................................................266

Gabriela Amorós......................................................496, 673

Francisco Fajardo-Gutiérrez..........................................74

Gabriela Ramírez-Ojeda................................................800

Francisco Gasulla....................................................283, 628

Gabriel Arellano.................................................................... 621

Francisco Hernández Najarro......................................184

Gabriela S. Olivares.............................................................610

Francisco I. Pugnaire.............................................. 572, 623

Gabriela Stryhalová..........................................................228

Francisco Javier Navarro Prieto................................ 787

Gabriela Zuquim.........................................................222, 619

Francisco J. Cano............................................................... 486

Gabriel Brull Puebla...........................................................478

Francisco J. Jiménez-López............................... 133, 356

839

XX International
Botanical
Congress
Madrid Spain

Oral presentations

Gabriel Cainelli.....................................................................336

Georgy A. Lazkov..................................................................365

Gabriel Iturralde....................................................................581

Géraldine Derroire..............................................................206

Gabriele Galasso................................................. 70, 131, 673

Geraldine A. Wright............................................................394

Gabriel Johnson................................................. 30, 193, 306

Gerardo Arceo-Gomez..................................................... 118

Gabriella Buffa......................................................................784

Gerardo Flores Llampazo..............................................263

Gabriella S. Scippa.............................................................244

Gerardo Hernández-Vera..............................................551

Gabriella Stefania Scippa.............................................349

Gerardo Salazar....................................................................581

Gabriel Marais........................................................................818

German Carnevali...............................................................581

Gabriel Massaine Moulatlet......................................... 222

Germán Carnevali Fernández-Cocha.................200

Gabriel R. Vedovello..........................................................620

Germán Tortosa...................................................................706

Gaik Ee Lee............................................................................... 778

Gerrit Davidse.........................................................................199

Gabriel Sáenz.........................................................................393

Germinal Rouhan................................................................295

Gaku Kudo....................................................................................61

G. Fanelli....................................................................................794

Galilea Orellana....................................................................614

Ghillean T. Prance...............................................................284

Gallego, A..................................................................................409

Giacomo Baldesi.......................................................280, 773

Gane Ka-Shu Wong..........................................................299

Giacomo Boscarol............................................................... 182

Ganesan Rengaian.................................................... 73, 748

Giacomo Este.........................................................................554

Gang Wang.............................................................................502

Giacomo Potente.....................................................525, 596

G. Anthony Verboom..........................78, 650, 665, 797

Giacomo Puglielli..................................................................771

Gao Chen....................................................................................317

Giacomo Trotta................. 167, 182, 319, 335, 653, 804

García-Moro, P......................................................................296

Gianluigi Bacchetta.....................92, 122, 212, 625-626

Gareth P. Hempson............................................................602

Gianniantonio Domina......................................70, 92, 212

Garmendia J..........................................................................250

Gibson Aubona...........................................................451-452

Garima Singh............................................................... 140, 607

Gianni Bedini.................................................................. 70, 336

Gastón O. Carvallo...............................................................717

Gideon F. Smith......................................................................818

Gaston Ribero-Guardia.................................................... 94

Gidon Winters........................................................................ 372

Gaurav Sablok.......................................................................740

Gilbert Chofong....................................................................438

Gaurav Srivastava.................................................. 594, 659

Gilles Dauby.................................................................265, 796

Gayatri Venkataraman.....................................................127

Gillespie L.J.............................................................................. 506

G. Besnard.................................................................................815

Gillian Brown..................................................................... 59, 80

G. Canali..................................................................................... 361

Gillian L. Reynolds................................................................803

Geerts, S.................................................................................... 696

Gillian S. Khew...........................................................................79

Geetika Sukhramani.........................................................567

Gil Yardeni...................................................................... 574, 814

Gehan Jayasuriya..............................................................784

Gina M. Robitaille.................................................................780

Gelsomina Fico...................................................................... 261

Gina P Sierra...........................................................................309

Gemma L.C. Bramley......................................................... 162

Gina P. Sierra..........................................................................309

Genevieve Stockman.......................................................203

Giorgia Novello......................................................................570

Genevieve Triplett................................................................ 175

Giovanni Astuti........................................................... 553, 728

Genís Puig-Surroca........................................................... 723

Giovanni Bortolami............................................................. 138

Gentaro Shigita................................................. 37, 475, 679

Giovanni C. Nunes..............................................................434

Geoffrey A. Levin...................................................................400

Giovanni Giuseppe Vendramin....................................113

Geoffrey T. Broadhead.....................................................692

Giovanni G. Vendramin...................................................450

George Burton.......................................................................508

Giovanni Spampinato......................................................365

Geoge A. Verboom............................................................ 648

Giovanni Iacopetti.............................................................. 322

George D. Weiblen.................................................................97

Giovanni Vimercati............................................................534

George Gosline........................................................................171

Giovanni Zecca......................................................................... 21

George I. Nodza.......................................................................171

Gitte Petersen......................................................................... 817

Georges Kunstler.................................................................652

Giulia Albani Rocchetti............................................85, 523

Georgia C. Eizenga.............................................................780

Giulia Caneva.......................................................................... 85

Georgia Chrysostomou..................................................365

Giulia Ghirardelli..................................................................706

Georg Miehe........................................................................... 378

Giulia Ginelli............................................................................ 773

Georgia R. Harrison............................................................249

Giulia Ghirardello................................................................623

840

XX International
Botanical
Congress
Madrid Spain

Oral presentations

Giulia Santunione................................................................ 793

Guanqiao Feng.....................................................................453

Giulio Formenti.......................................................................818

Gudasalamani Ravikanth.......................... 73, 594, 748

Giulio Barone........................................................................... 212

Guanxiao Chang.................................................................476

Giuseppe Bonanno............................................................ 273

Gudrun Kadereit.............................. 36, 55-56, 209, 475,

Giuseppe Brundu................................................................626

573-574, 671, 761, 764, 818

Giuseppe Frenguelli............................................................105

Guerrieri Rossella................................................................638

Giuseppe Signorino...........................................................542

Guevara-Fefer P...................................................................492

Gladiana Spitz........................................................................ 182

Guilherme Roxo..................................... 227, 274, 330, 818

Giuseppe Tilocca.................................................................. 341

Guido Lingua..........................................................................570

Gláucia Crispim........................................................457, 560

Guilhierme Grittz..................................................................206

Glaucia Silva........................................................................... 637

Guillaume Chomicki.................................................. 63, 412

Glenda Cárdenas............................................................... 222

Guillaume Echevarria..........................................................54

Glen Macdonald.....................................................................711

Guillaume Fried....................................................................534

G. Lieberherr.............................................................................106

Guillaume Odonne.............................................................. 152

Gloria Gutierrez-Sibauty.................................................. 94

Guillaume Papuga............................................................ 584

Gloria I. Rojas...........................................................................155

Guillermo Ángeles...............................................................198

Gloria Martínez-Segarra................................................507

Guillermo Benítez................................................................259

Gloria Villanueva.................................................................780

Guillermo Guada........................................................ 105, 156

Glynis V. Cron......................................................................... 723

Guillermo Iglesias Hernández....................................795

Gobo, William Vieira..........................................................398

Guillermo Santos..............................................74, 563, 635

Gokilavani Thangavel..................................................... 466

Guillermo Sicilia-Pasos................................................... 274

Godfrey P. Apangu.............................................................. 103

Guillermo Santos Rivilla..........................................74, 563

Golshan Zare............................................................................ 110

Guillermo Toro.......................................................................769

Goncalves Estefany...........................................................430

Guimin Chen...........................................................................189

Gongle Shi..........................................................434, 483, 592

Gui Xiong.................................................................................. 604

Gonzalo Nieto Feliner.......................359, 523, 532, 649

Guizhou Huang.....................................................................520

Gonzalo Rivas-Torres............................................264, 425

Gülsem Kara...........................................................................574

Gonzalo Taborda-Ocampo.......................................... 170

Gulzar Khan................................................................................79

Gopal Singh Rawat........................................................... 609

Gunnar Petter........................................................................255

Gordon Burleigh........................ 34, 429, 432, 568-569,

Gunter Fischer.......................................................................580

579, 778

Guohong Li................................................................................ 431

Gordon C. Younkin..............................................................687

Guo-Jun Shao....................................................................... 270

Gosse S. Bootsma..................................................................93

Guoke Chen............................................................................ 207

Grace Brewer.........................................................................352

Guo-Qiang Wu....................................................................... 183

Gracy Buckholtz................................................................... 775

Gustaf Granath...................................................................... 741

Graham H. Pyke.....................................................................691

Gustavo A. Silva-Arias.................................................... 449

Graham Pyke..........................................................................758

Gustavo Balsera.................................................................... 331

Grant D. Martin..................................................................... 698

Gustavo Heiden................................................ 87, 500, 558

Grant Godden........................................................................704

Gustavo Martinelli....................................................457, 560

Graziano Rossi...................................... 166, 589, 653, 655

Gustavo Ramos.................................................................... 278

Greg Mellers.............................................................................419

Gustavo Rodriguez-Alonso..........................................607

Gregorio Aragón..................................................................364

Gustavo Rojas-Alvarado...................................................111

Gregor Kozlowski................................................................ 484

Gustavo Souza..................................................................... 466

Gregory J. Kenicer.........................................208-209, 275

Guy Nesom..............................................................................558

Gregory M. Plunkett............................................................633

Gwen M. Bode.............................................................. 427, 641

Gregory W. Stull..................................................................... 521

Gwilym Lewis..................................................................171, 208

Gretel Kiefer............................................................................. 767

Gwilym P. Lewis.............................................................. 75, 210

Griselda Escalona-Segura........................................... 387

H

G. Rumble................................................................................ 650
Guadalupe Andraca-Gómez.................................... 699

H.A.C. Dilrukshi.......................................................................388

Guang-Ning Liu.................................................................... 677

Hackel J..................................................................................... 506

Guangyi Fan................................................................428, 476

841

XX International
Botanical
Congress
Madrid Spain

Oral presentations

Haevermans T...................................................................... 506

Helena C. Serrano...............................................................766

Hagai Shohat.........................................................................780

Helena Hespanhol..............................................................576

Hai-Hua Hu....................................................................194, 380

Helena Trindade...................................................................818

Haixia Zhong...........................................................................520

Helene Ralimanana............................................................618

Hai-Fei Yan............................................................................... 417

Helena Ribeiro........................................................................ 103

Hailey Whitten.......................................................................682

Hélène Morlon........................................................................ 797

Hamant, O................................................................................. 351

Helga Ochoterena.............................365, 669, 680, 729

Hamish Symington............................................................. 170

Helga Ochoterena Booth............................................... 729

Hana Chudáčková.............................................................269

Hendrik Schubert................................................................. 279

Hampus Petrén.....................................................................642

Helge Bruelheide.................................................................. 136

Hanchen Wang.............................................................712, 816

Hen-Hong Chang...............................................................260

Hannah J. Atkins................................................................... 162

Henrik Æ. Pedersen..............................................................415

Hannah McConnell............................................................203

Henrik Balslev..........................................................................149

Hannah P. Lumista..............................................................443

Henrique Valim.....................................................................502

Hannah P. Wilson....................................................................93

Henry Garzón...........................................................................581

Hannah Rotton.......................................................................619

Hensal S. Rodrigues............................................................ 120

Hannah Westenbohm.....................................................630

Heriberto David.....................................................................339

Hannah Wilson......................................................................299

Herlander Azevedo................................................. 450, 585

Hanna Thosteman.............................................................642

Herminia García-Mozo.....................................................104

Hanna Tuomisto...................................222, 563, 619, 709

Hermosilla B............................................................................250

Hanna Weiss-Schneeweiss.........................................574

Hernán A. Burbano.............................................................369

Hanno Schaefer......................................37, 228, 475, 679

Hervé Philippe........................................................................580

Hans Kerp...................................................................... 232, 396

Hery L. Ranarijaona............................................................ 397

Hannelise Balduino............................................................395

Hervé Goëau............................................................................461

Hans C. Wittich......................................................................524

Hervé Sauquet................................7, 23, 59, 80, 480, 612

Hanson, Paul..............................................................................112

He Zhang...................................................................................428

Hans ter Steege....................................................................206

H. Gryta........................................................................................815

Hans Verbeeck......................................................................390

Hidalgo-Triana Noelia.....................................................430

Hans-Wilhelm Nützmann..............................................300

Higor Antonio-Domingues..............173, 210, 404, 649

Haoran Xue...................................................................350, 597

Hilda Flores.............................................365, 669, 680, 729

Harald Schneider................................................................433

Hilda Flores Olvera........................................669, 680, 729

Harley Quinto.........................................................................339

Hiroshi Ezura............................................................................475

Harshita Bhatia......................................................... 594, 659

Hiroshi Kudoh..........................................................................158

Harvey K. Orel.............................................................................61

Hirzi Luqman............................................................................158

Hava Verbessem.................................................................359

Hodkinson T.R........................................................................ 506

Heather Lindon........................................................................ 65

Hojatolah Saeidi..................................................................... 48

Haruka Ohashi.......................................................................674

Hiroshi Suzuki-Azuma.........................................................47

Hasna Boubakri..................................................................... 571

Hodač, Ladislav..........................................................748, 773

Hazel M. Chapman................................................................171

Hofmann, Martin..................................................................748

Heather R. Kates......................................................................211

Homeier Jürgen....................................................................390

Heather R. McCarthy........................................................ 658

Hong-Fan Chen..........................................................270, 757

Héctor E. Pérez..........................................................................112

Hong-Feng Chen..................................................................410

Héctor M. Hernández.........................................................199

Hongfeng Wang................................................................... 207

Heidi M. Meudt....................................................................... 473

Hong Liao....................................................................... 502, 757

Héctor Miranda..................................................................... 672

Hong-Hu Meng...................................... 160, 484, 802, 812

Heidi Schmidt............................................................................97

Hongli Wang...........................................................................476

Heidi Zimmer................................................................ 582, 631

Hongping Liang....................................................................476

Heidrun Huber........................................................................ 221

Hongtao Li............................................................................... 548

Heike-Vibrans L.....................................................................492

Hong-Tao Li.............................................................................487

Heimo Rainer.......................................................................... 736

Hong Truong Luu................................................................... 46

Heinz Himmelbauer............................................................814

Hong Wang................................................................... 217, 655

Helder N. Consolaro...........................................................597

Hong Wu.........................................................................465, 476

842

XX International
Botanical
Congress
Madrid Spain

Oral presentations

Hong-Wun Chen.................................................................. 782

Ian Turner.................................................................................... 116

Hong-Xia Kang...................................................................... 183

Iasmin Laiane C. Oliveira................................................ 617

Hongxiang Zhang................................................................ 783

Ibai Olariaga............................................................................816

Hongyan Shan............................................................. 481, 756

Ibon Tobes.............................................................................. 684

Hongyu Yuan......................................................................... 604

Iciar Jiménez.............................................................................39

Hongyu Ji....................................................................................712

I. Carrascosa Jara..............................................................336

Hongzhi Kong............................................................... 481, 756

Ickert-Bond, Stefanie M...................................................790

Horacio Paz................................................................................771

Ignacio Artime.......................................................................330

Hörandl, Elvira........................................................................ 773

Ignacio Buesa........................................................................769

Ho-Yih Liu................................................................................. 588

Ignacio D. Rodríguez-Llorente....................................639

Hripsik Qosyan.......................................................................681

Ihsan A. Al-Shehbaz...............................................239-240

Hossein Akhani......................................................................365

Ignacio Díez.............................................................................330

H. Pauli.........................................................................................587

Ignacio Ramos-Gutiérrez........................635, 666, 734

H.R. Kates................................................................................... 722

Ileana Herrer.......................................................................... 684

H.R. Roberts............................................................................. 650

Ileana Herrera........................................................................674

H. Thorsten Lumbsch.................................................... 4, 313

Ilga M. Porth............................................................................ 494

Huang C.-H............................................................................. 506

Ilia J. Leitch...................89, 94, 216, 352, 564-566, 649

Huang W................................................................................... 506

Ilia Leitch....................................................................27, 88, 300

Huan Liu..........................................................................428, 476

Imai Ryosuke..........................................................................424

Huanming Yang...................................................................476

Imke Schmitt................................................................ 314, 502

Huasheng Huang.................................................... 354, 646

Imtinen Ben Haj Jilani........................................................ 212

Hua Xiao....................................................................................520

Ina Vandebroek.............................................................151, 219

Hubert Kozdra....................................................................... 806

Inês Cordeiro..........................................................................462

Huaxin Dai.................................................................................441

Inés Álvarez................................................................... 312, 692

Hu D................................................................................................ 781

Inés Gómez-Ramos................................................. 293, 815

Huei-Jiun Su............................................................................662

Ingo Grass.................................................................................169

Hugh H. Harris...........................................................................121

Ingolf Kühn................................................................................ 612

Hugh W. Pritchard.......................................................114, 343

Ingo Schubert.........................................................................189

Hugo Gresse............................................................................461

Ingrid E Jordon-Thaden..................................................745

Hugo Tessarotto....................................................................818

Ingrid M Parker......................................................................745

Hui Wu........................................................................................ 808

Ingrid Olivares...................................................................... 696

Hui Wang................................................................................... 677

Ingrid N. Gomes...................................................................... 118

Hui Xue........................................................................................520Íñigo Zabalgogeazcoa....................................................624

Humphreys A......................................................................... 506

Inocencio E. Buot, Jr...........................................................262

Humberto Mendoza-Cifuentes....................................57

Inmaculada Guillermes-Vázquez........................... 272

Hussein Anani........................................................................436

Ioannis Bazos................................................................212, 625

Hyppolite L. Aïgnon............................................................ 498

Ioannis P. Kokkoris................................................................ 215

Ioannis Vogiatziakis...........................................................365

I

Irene Bisang......................................................456, 576, 799

Irene Cobo-Simón..................................................... 181, 539

Iacopo Gentile.......................................................................780

Irene Granado-Díaz...........................................................439

Iain Darbyshire.........................................................................171

Irene M.A. Bender.................................................................. 612

Ian Engelbrecht....................................................................245

Irene Martín-Brull..................................................................108

Ian Henderson.............................................................. 88, 300

Irene Masa-Iranzo............................................................. 464

Ian Hutton......................................................................474, 694

Irene Mendoza.......................................................................... 37

Iannuzzi, Roberto..................................................................398

Irene Pisanty.......................................................................... 680

Ian Ondo.........................................................................296, 352

Irene Teixidor-Toneu........................................... 21, 151-152

Ian R.H. Telford......................................................................... 99

Irene T. Liao..............................................................................383

Ian R. H. Telford.......................................................................100

Irene Villa-Machío..............................................................709

Ian Sanders............................................................................ 694

Irene Villa Machío............................................................... 464

Ian S. Gilman........................................................................... 573

Irina Gavrilina........................................................................ 596

Ian S. Pearse........................................................................... 658

Irina I. Panchuk........................................................................ 191

843

XX International
Botanical
Congress
Madrid Spain

Oral presentations

Irina Shekhovtsova............................................................. 378

J

Iris E. Peralta............................................................................800

Jaakko Hyvönen...................................................................740

Iris Peralta................................................................................. 472

Jack Sytsma...........................................................................503

Iris Edith Peralta..................................................................... 125

Jack Plummer.........................................................................619

Iris Frederiks............................................................................. 138
Iris Reinula.................................................................................. 68

Jacob B. Landis.....................................................................383

Isaac Garrido.........................................................................682

Jacob B. Socolar..................................................................263

Isaac Overcast..................................................................... 568

Jacob Koopman.....................................................................131

Isabel Caçador.....................................................................639

Jacopo Franzoni.....................................................................92

Isabel Cruz............................................................................... 472

Jacqueline S. Lima............................................................... 135

Isabel Johnson......................................................................238

Jade J. Sandstedt................................................................... 21

Iris Sammarco...........................................................................51

Jacob Bryant.......................................................................... 379

Isaac Garrido-Benavent.......................................187, 283

Jacob D. Washburn........................................................... 323

Isabela A. Sanches.............................................................. 321

Jacob Washburn.................................................................495

Isabel Costa.............................................................................104

Jacopo Manzini................................................................... 486

Isabel Draper.................................................................421, 778

Jacquelyn Ann Kallunki......................................................42

Isabel Larridon.......................................... 129-130, 132, 160,

Jade Savage............................................................................ 48

Jailton J. Silva...........................................................................33

171, 173, 251, 465-466, 613, 649, 687

Jaime Fagúndez.......................................................... 77, 289

Isabelle Durance.................................................................. 374

Jaime Florez............................................................................266

Isabell Hensen........................................................................ 612

Jaime Lema............................................................................286

Isabel Marques.....................................................................523

Jaime Madrigal-González............................................570

Isabel Martínez......................................................................364

Jaime Prohens......................................................................780

Isabel Salcedo........................................................................816

Jaime Puértolas......................................................... 214, 363

Isabel Sanmartín..........................116, 251, 272, 464, 795

Jaime Sahagún-Castellanos.....................................800

Isabel Saro............................................................................... 272

Jaime Saiz-Blanco............................................................. 223

Isadora Schulze-Albuquerque...................................624

Jaime Sebastian-Azcona.............................................769

I. Sanmartín............................................................................. 720

Jaime Uribe............................................................................. 779

Isa-Rita M. Russo.................................................................585

Jairo Patiño..............................80, 117, 274, 287, 426, 627

IS Chelene............................................................................... 588

Jairo Robla...............................................................................457

Isela Rodríguez Arevalo...................................................561

Jakub Baczyński...................................................................557

Ismael Aranda..................................................180, 486, 769

Jakub Sawicki........................................................................ 779

Israel Borokini...................................................420, 645, 667

Jakub Šmerda...................................................................... 565

Israel L. Cunha Neto...................................................383, 511

Jakub Vlček.............................................................................325

Israel Loera............................................................................. 668

Jalaja Naravula....................................................................386

Israel T. Borokini.......................................................................97

J.A.M Bertrand........................................................................633

Itziar Arnelas...........................................................................507

James A. Doyle.................................................................... 656

Iu Vilaseca Juan...................................................................539

James A. Macklin.................................................................. 701

Ivana Blanuša........................................................................423

James A. Nicholls...................................................... 631, 687

Ivana Cernajova...................................................................188

James A. R. Clugston........................................................ 276

Ivana Rešetnik...............................................................158, 512

James Barrett.........................................................................651

Iván Cortés-Fernández...................................................249

James Beck..................................................................328, 802

Ivan M. De-la-Cruz.............................................................746

James Boyko..................................................................83, 795

Iván Pérez Lorenzo.................................................. 444, 649

James Buckley......................................................................642

Ivan Radosavljević..................................................248, 503

James Clugston...................................................................208

Iván Rodríguez-Buján............................................... 77, 289

James Cohen........................................................................ 357

Iván Tamayo-Cen...............................................................581

James D. Thomson............................................................. 417

Ivaylo N. Tsvetkov................................................................585

James E. Richardson............................................................74

Ivonne Sánchez-del Pino...............................................759

James Euan.............................................................................516

Ivón Ramírez Morillo..........................................................200

James E. Watkins Jr.......................................................... 689

Ixchel González-Ramírez................................................420

James F. White......................................................................622
James H. Leebens-Mack................................................328

Izadora Kervin..............................................................455, 541

844

XX International
Botanical
Congress
Madrid Spain

Oral presentations

James H. Lovett.......................................................................121

Jason Stevenson..................................................................416

James Lumbers....................................................................266

Jasper J.A. Obico................................................................. 337

James Leebens-Mack.....................................................750

Jason Vleminckx..................................................................263

James McCarthy................................................................. 376

Jaume Company................................................................769

James Molina.........................................................................551

Jaume Espuny.......................................................................392

James Nicholls...........................................................580, 708

Jaume Flexas....................................................180, 566, 769

James Perkins........................................................................ 631

Jaume Pelicer....................................................................... 565

James Riser................................................................................28

Jaume Pellicer........................ 89, 124, 216, 566, 649, 711

James Rosindell...................................................................296

Javier Francisco-Ortega................................................478

James Rodger..........................................................................74

Javier Cruz...............................................................................330

James W. Byng........................................................................ 73

Javier Fuertes......................................................................... 272

James W. Satterlee............................................................780

Javier Fuertes-Aguilar.....................................................396

Jamie B Thompson........................................................... 668

Javier Galán Díaz.............................................153, 160, 745

Jamie Thompson...................................................................22

Javier García Caballero.................................................430

Jamille C. Silva.........................................................................33

Javier Gulías...........................................................................769

Jana Blechschmidt............................................................255

Javier Jauregui-Lazo........................................................675

Jana Čepičková.....................................................................721

Javier Jiménez-López............................................ 312, 692

Jana Geržová.......................................................................... 123

Javier López Jurado...............................................643, 769

Jana Leong-Škorničková...............................................269

Javier Martín-Carbajal.................................................... 274

Janani Jayanthan............................................................... 631

Javier Morente-López........................................... 274, 426

Jana Steinova.........................................................................188

Javier Pichaco.......................................................................769

Jana U’Ren...............................................................................579

Javier Pozueta-Romero..................................................706

Jana Wäldchen.........................................................434, 524

Javier Puy....................................................................................50

Jancee Rice Lanclos..........................................................203

Javier Retana.........................................................................302

Jan-Chang Chen................................................................363

Javier Rodríguez-Rajo.................................. 104-105, 156

Janeesha A.P..........................................................................334

Javier Tardío................................................................259, 530

Jan Čuda..................................................................................805

Javier Silva Espejo..............................................................263

Jane Grimwood....................................................................525

Javier Valverde............................................................ 40, 599

Janet Gagul...............................................................................93

Jay Edneil C. Olivar.............................................................. 162

J. Ángel Fernández.............................................................799

J. Calvo.......................................................................................595

Jan Garrevoet...........................................................................54

Jazmin Cobos Silva............................................................561

Jan Hackel............................................................27, 466, 602

J. Chave......................................................................................815

Janice Valencia-D..............................................................405

J. Chris Pires.................................................................323, 495

Janine E. Victor......................................................................343

J. Christopher Ludwig.......................................................400

Jan Lukas Klein......................................................................265

J. Dupin........................................................................................815

Jan Łyczakowski...................................................................349

JD Vidal Junior..................................................................... 588

Jan Michálek..........................................................................452

Jean A. Randriamampianina................ 233, 508, 618

Jan-Niklas Nuppenau......................................................603

Jean-Christophe Lombardo........................................461

Jan Sher........................................................................................311

Jean-François Flot..............................................................184

J. Antonio Guzmán Q......................................................... 139

Jean Galtier.............................................................................230

Jan Van den Bulcke............................................................ 138

Jean Keller.................................................................................188

J. Antonio Vázquez-García...........................................820

Jean-Guy Berrin....................................................................188

Jan Weger................................................................................. 123

Jean Linsky.......................................................... 184, 297-298

Jan Wild..................................................................................... 577

Jean Michel Onana...............................................................171

Japareng Lulang.................................................................389

Jeannette Whitton.............................................................. 775

Jaqueline Hess......................................................................574

Jeannine Cavender-Bares........................139, 141, 452,

Jared B. Meek..........................................................................150

658, 685

Jared Odell...................................................................374, 540

Jean Pierre Ngongo............................................................184

Jaromír Kučera.................................................................... 446

Jefferson S. Hall....................................................................265

Jarkko Salojärvi........................................................................79

Jefferson Prado....................................................................662

Jason Bragg.................................................................... 34, 279

Jeff P. Mower...........................................................................382

Jason Londo........................................................................... 307

Jeffrey Duckett......................................................................676

845

XX International
Botanical
Congress
Madrid Spain

Oral presentations

Jeffrey G Duckett.................................................................674

Jesús Picazo Aragonés...................................................769

Jeffrey J. Doyle.......................................................................516

Jesús Pinto-Ledezma...................................................... 685

Jeffrey G. Eaton.....................................................................497

Jesús Picazo-Aragonés.......................................369, 643

Jeffrey L. Walck.....................................................................784

Jesús R. Aboal........................................................................799

Jeffrey P. Rose........................................................................ 333

Jesús Rodríguez-Calcerrada..........................486, 769

Jefwa JM.................................................................................... 128

Jesús Rojo........................................................................ 104, 153

Jemimah Abaya.................................................................. 357

J.F. Bourcier............................................................................. 606

Jeisson Gómez-Robles....................................................441

Jeune Wesly............................................................................205

Jennifer A. Tate..................................................................... 473

J. Fernando Pío-León....................................................... 685

Jennifer Clayton-Brown.................................................798

JF Scheepens..........................................................................100

Jennifer C. McElwain......................................................... 770

J. Gordon Burleigh................................34, 429, 432, 568

Jennifer Kluse............................................................................97

Jhon del Águila Pasquel.................................................263

Jennifer K. Rowntree..........................................................455

Jhon S. Murillo-Serna...........................................................57

Jennifer Mandel...................................................................557

Jia Ge................................................................................. 317, 495

Jennifer M. Cruse-Sanders...........................................540

Jia He...........................................................................................780

Jennifer Mersni.......................................................................140

Jia Jun Ngiam...........................................................................79

Jennifer Mesa Marin..........................................................639

Jialiang Li.................................................................................. 427

Jennifer N. Boyd.........................................................374, 540

Jia Liu............................................................................................410

Jennifer R. Ackerfield............................................... 401, 552

Jiaming Pan............................................................................765

Jennifer R. Mandel..............................................................557

Jia-Ming Pan..........................................................................326

Jennifer Tate............................................................................ 817

Jianfei Ye.................................................................................. 460

Jennifer Rowntree................................................................541

Jianchao Ma...........................................................................476

Jenni U. Jones.........................................................................150

Jiang Huang............................................................................410

Jenny Cruse-Sanders...................................................... 374

Jianjun Jin............................................................................... 469

Jens J. Ringelberg...........................................275, 517, 803

Jian Liu........................................................................................476

Jens Ringelberg.........................................................208, 645

Jian-Li Zhao...............................................217, 270, 502, 757

Jeremie B. Fant..................................................134-135, 732

Jianquan Liu....................453, 476-477, 605, 658, 788

Jeremie Fant...........................................................................280

Jian-Quan Liu......................................................................... 791

Jeremy Bruhl........................................................................... 130

Jian Wang................................................................................476

Jeremie Morel......................................................................... 129

Jian-Ran Wen....................................................................... 609

Jeremy Foster......................................................................... 135

Jianwu Li................................................................. 712, 763, 816

Jeremy J. Bruhl.............................................................. 99-100

Jiao Yang................................................................................. 605

Jeremy M. Beaulieu.............................................................591

Jiao, Yulian...............................................................................386

Jeremy Schmutz........................................................ 525, 741

Jiaqi Shi......................................................................................526

Jeroen van der Woude...............................................55, 121

Jia-Qi Zhang...........................................................................544

Jérôme Chave.......................................................................206

Jiaxin Xu.................................................................................... 604

Jérôme Munzinger..............................................................438

Jia-Yu Xue................................................................................476

Jesper Harholt...................................................................... 669

Jie Cui..........................................................................................476

Jeronimo Cid..........................................................................353

Jie Cheng...................................................................................481

Jessamine Finch.................................................................. 767

Jie Li....................................................................................160, 802

Jessica A. Berasategui.........................................573-574

Jie Liu................................................................................433, 485

Jessica A. Ramírez-Ramírez........................................258

Jiexin Wang.............................................................................. 431

Jessica Bryzski............................................................374, 540

Jie Yang.....................................................................................765

Jessica M. Prebble......................................................84, 473

Jie Zhang..................................................................................502

Jessica Paola Rey................................................................441

J. Ignacio García-Plazaola...........................................769

J. Esteban Hernández-Bermejo................................529

Jill L. Wegrzyn.........................................................................476

Jessie A. Pelosi..........................................................................34

Ji-Hyeon Jeon........................................................................164

Jesús G. González-Gallegos....................................... 685

Jill T. Anderson............................................................374, 540

Jesús Leal-López.................................................................706

Jimena Mateo-Martín......................................................259

Jesús López-Angulo........................................................... 319

Jiménez-Mejías, P...............................................................296

Jesús M. Castillo..................................................................... 101

Jim Leebens-Mack.............................................................525

Jesús Muñoz...........................................................................576

Jim Vega Arenas.................................................................263

846

XX International
Botanical
Congress
Madrid Spain

Oral presentationsJindřich Chrtek.............................................................718, 725

Joaquina Albán.................................................................... 472

Jinggui Fang.................................................................520-521

Joaquín Hortal............................................................254, 576

Jinfeng Chen................................................................520-521

Joaquín Calatayud................................................. 375, 570

Jingjing Tong..........................................................................760

Joaquín Moreno........................................................ 447, 785

Jing Vir Leong...............................................................451-452

Jobson R.W............................................................................. 506

Jing-Xia Liu...............................................................................615

Joel H. Nitta..............................................................................433

Jing-Yi Lu..................................................................................... 46

Joe Q He........................................................................................51

Jin Jian-Jun.............................................................................516

Joern Gerchen.......................................................................325

Jin-Jin Wu................................................................................802

Joey Talbot..............................................................................263

Jinling Huang............................................................... 476, 661

Johan A. Elkink....................................................................... 770

Jin-Mei Lu..................................................................................487

Johan A. Stenberg..............................................................746

Jinpeng Yang..........................................................................441

Johana Villagra....................................................................629

Jinren Yu.....................................................................................518

Johan Ehrlén...........................................................................576

JInshuang Ma................................................................753, 811

Johanna H. A.van Konijnenburg – van Cittert.........397

Jin-Ren Yu.................................................................................519

Johan Ekroos......................................................................... 456

Jin-shuang Ma........................................................... 751-752

Johanna Leppälä................................................................325

Jin-Xin Wei...............................................................................326

Johanna Weitzel.................................................................. 279

Jin Yu............................................................................................476

Johannes Gössele..............................................................358

Jiratthi Satthaphorn.......................................................... 332

Johannes J. Le Roux...........................................................805

Jiri Dolezal................................................................................. 197

Johannes Le Roux................................................................. 116

Jiří Malíček................................................................................ 577

Johan Nylander....................................................................799

Jiří Kvaček...................................................................................721

Johannes Liesche................................................................ 197

Jiřina Josefiová...................................................................... 718

John Bowman........................................................................368Jiří Prošek.................................................................................. 577

John C. Brinda.......................................................................459

Ji Wang......................................................................................788

John C. Cushman...............................................................575

J. Leitch................... 89, 94, 216, 352, 564-566, 649, 711

John C. Semple.....................................................................558

J. Julio Camarero................................................................439

John C. Manning................................................................. 648

JM Aury....................................................................................... 742

John D. Horner...................................................................... 408

Joachim W. Kadereit.........................................................475

John D. Mitchell.........................................................................41

Joana Cursach........................................................... 213, 635

John D. Thompson............................................................. 584

Joana Costa...........................................................................359

John Dransfield.....................................................................352

Joana Marques....................................................................576

John F.Gaskin........................................................................... 101

Joan Cuscó-Borràs...........................................................304

John H. Chau........................................................................... 251

Joanna Lusinska.................................................................. 743

John Hunter............................................................................. 367

Joan Pere Pascual-Díaz.......................................189, 444

John Janovec.........................................................................581

Joan Pons.................................................................................769

John L. Godlee.......................................................................708

Joan Riba..................................................................................362

John L. Neff..................................................................................47

Joan Vallès...............................................124, 600-601, 649

John Lokvam..........................................................................687

João Carreiras......................................................................639

John M. Burke.........................................................................557

João F. Gonçalves...............................................................576

John M. Halley........................................................................642

João C. Cardoso..................................................................597

John Mclaughlin..................................................................420João Gonçalves................................................................... 374

John Paul Bradican............................................................. 718

João Honrado........................................................................ 374

John Richard Pannell........................................................692

João Iganci.................................................................................87

John R.I. Wood.......................................................................523

João Nunes..............................................................................450

John R. Stinchcombe........................................................369

João Loureiro................................................... 359-360, 445

John R. Pannell............................. 355, 360, 418, 813-814

João P. Marques....................................................................818

John Seymour Heslop-Harrison.............................. 604

João P. S. Vieira...................................................................... 617

John S. Heslop-Harrison................................................ 604

João Tereso.............................................................................450

John Terborgh.......................................................................263

Joaquim Querol....................................................................601

John Wieczorek........................................................................97João R.V. Iganci..................................................................... 210

John Spill...................................................................................576

Joaquim Estopinan.............................................................461

John Vogel...............................................................................300

847

XX International
Botanical
Congress
Madrid Spain

Oral presentations

Jonas Castro..........................................................................246

José Ángel Morales Sánchez....................................... 631

Jonas Geurden.................................................................... 406

José Antonio Mancha........................................................ 181

Jonas Fridman......................................................................652

José Antonio Cabezas....................................................... 181

Jonas I. Mendez-Reneau...............................................663

José Antonio Vazquez-García....................................184

Jonathan Belmaker........................................................... 733

José A. Vázquez-García..................................................551

Jonathan F. Colville........................................................... 665

José Carlos del Valle........................ 133, 459, 532, 535

Jonathan G. Pattrick..........................................................693

José Carlos Miranda.........................................................769

Jonathan Kendon...............................................................455

José Carrión............................................................................ 673

Jonathan Kennedy................................................................97

José C. del Valle...................................................................642

Jonay Cubas........................................................................... 331

José Cerca...............................................................................425

Jonathan Lenoir................................................................... 577

Jose Cerca...............................................................................264

Jon Botthoff.............................................................................697

José David Rey.......................................................................156

Jon Miranda-Apodaca.................................................... 391

José Domingo Cú-Vizcarra......................................... 387

Jon Zulaika...............................................................................250

José Eduardo Meireles..................................................... 139

Jon Shaw.................................................................................... 741

Jose Eduardo Meireles...................................................... 141

Joo-Hwan Kim........................................................................514

Josef Brůna.............................................................................. 577

Joongku Lee............................................................................567

José Godoy..............................................................................585

Jordan K. Teisher..............................................97, 225, 505

José Ignacio García-Plazaola....................................363

Joonhyung Jung...................................................................514

José I. García Plazaola...................................................... 391

Jordan Kyril Golubov Figueroa................................. 640

José Ignacio Márquez-Corro.130-131, 295, 376, 407,

Jordan Wilson-Morrison.................................................224

466, 635, 687, 730, 781

Jordi López-Pujol....................304, 444, 533, 584, 627,

José I. Orellana......................................................................610

Jordi Martínez-Vilalta.......................................................238

José J. Corral-Rivas...........................................................530

674, 684, 736, 805

José J. Amorim-Silva.......................................................... 88

Jordina Belmonte................................................................104

José Joaquín Ché................................................................ 316

Jordyn Coutts........................................................................368

José L. Chávez-Servia......................................................800

Jorge Albino Vargas-Contreras............................... 387

José León..................................................................................820

Jorge A. Tena-Flores.........................................................530

José Luis Blanco-Pastor................................................ 606

Jorge Calvo-Yuste............................................................. 247

José Luis Silva........................................................................459

Jorge Domínguez................................................................. 571

Jose Luis Vilas........................................................................363

Jorge Ignacio Montoya....................................................441

José Manuel Álvarez-Martínez..................................238

Jorge L. Ramirez................................................................... 472

José Manuel Estevez.........................................................706

Jorge Pallarés........................................................................769

José Manuel Laza................................................................362

Jorge Marcelo Caranqui Aldaz..................................286

José Manuel Franco Zorrilla...........................................177

Jorge Rey-Medina............................................................... 331

José María Fernández-Palacios................................. 80

Jorge Romero-Morte......................................................... 153

José María Gómez..............................................................692

Jorge R. Rijalba-Vela........................................................800

José María Moreno.............................................................104

Jorge Sarmiento-Villamil..............................................706

José M. Blanco-Moreno.................................................. 793

Jörg Fuchs.....................................................................437, 466

José Melo-Ferreira..............................................................818

Joris AM. Bertrand...............................................................749

José M. Gómez............................................................240, 418

Joris Bertrand..............................................................532, 580

Jose Miguel Lazaro-Guevara......................................303

Joris Van Acker...................................................................... 138

José M. Iriondo.......................................................... 305, 448

J. Orlando Rangel-Ch......................................................432

José M. Moreno-Grau........................................................104

Jörn F. Gerchen.....................................................................360

Jose Oteros..............................................................................104

José A. Cabezas...................................................................539

Joseph Charboneau............................................... 516, 782

José A. García-Beltrán................................................... 660

Joseph D. White.................................................................... 770

José Alberto Ramírez-Valiente................................... 174

Joseph G. Dubrovsky........................................................607

José Alfredo Arévalo Ramírez.................................... 640

Joseph Holtum...................................................................... 472

Jose A. L. Villegas................................................................ 456

Joseph H. Williams.............................................................. 813

José A. Mancha....................................................................539

Josephine Milne...................................................................422

José A. Molina Abril............................................................ 734

Joseph Morton..................................................................... 565

José A. Mejías..........................................................................159

Joseph L.M. Charbonneau...............................................211

848

XX International
Botanical
Congress
Madrid Spain

Oral presentations

Joseph T. Miller..........................................195, 371, 517, 667

Juan F. Mota Poveda........................................................682

Josep Maria Espelta..........................................................238

Juan Galindo..........................................................................585

Joseph Tobias........................................................................ 612

Juan Fornoni.......................................................................... 699

Josep M.Casacuberta.....................................................436

Juan Guo...................................................................................242

Josep M. Ninot....................................................................... 793

Juan Ignacio García-Viñas..........................................254

Josep Padullés-Cubino..................................................363

Juanita Rodriguez-Arrieta............................................266

Josep Padullés Cubino........................................266, 302

Juan José García-Alvarado......................................... 331

José Raggio............................................................................629

Juan Larraín............................................................................. 421

José Reyna Huaymacari................................................263

Juan Manuel Gorospe.................................................... 446

José R. Quintana Nieto.................................................... 734

Juan Manuel Rubiales.....................................................635

Josérald Mamboueni.......................................................265

Juan Lorite............................................................ 86, 248, 654

José R. Grande A................................................................. 546

Juan Manuel Jiménez-Arenas................................... 673

José Rubens Pirani................................................................42

Juan M. Gorospe.................................................................. 724

José S. Carrión..................................................................... 496

Juan Mota................................................................................ 729

José Utgé................................................................................... 136

Juan Núñez-Farfán........................................................... 698

José V. Roces-Díaz.............................................................238

Juan Pablo Ortiz-Brunel............................365, 680, 729

Joshua Borràs.............................................................249, 635

Juan P. González-Varo....................................................335

José Vicente Albero Molina..........................................362

Juan Ochando...........................................................496, 673

Josh Kapp....................................................................................711

Juan Pablo Santa-Ceballos...........................................47

Joshua Lambert...................................................................424

Juan Viruel..................133, 156, 247, 326, 414, 459, 507

Joshusa T. Trujillo................................................................803

Juan Xu......................................................................................428

Josimar Külkamp...................................................................87

Juca A. B. San Martin........................................................ 257

Jos Käfer.....................................................................................818

Juçara Bordin........................................................................457

Joukje Buiteveld...................................................................585

Judith Bronstein...................................................................394

J. Otte............................................................................................ 281

Judita Zozomová-Lihová.....................................158, 358

Joyce G. Onyenedum...............................................383, 511

Judith Márquez-Guzmán............................................. 689

Joyce Maschinski................................................................ 327

Judith Vollmer........................................................................ 718

Joyce Van Eck........................................................................780

Juergen Otte............................................................................188

Jozef Mravec......................................................................... 669

Jue Ruan...................................................................................476

J. Pablo Villa Nuñez............................................................607

Juha-Pekka Salminen.......................................................451

J. Richard Abbott.................................................................405

Julia Anstett............................................................................303

J.P. Sampoux......................................................................... 606

Julen Astigarraga....................................................363, 652

J. Rowntree..............................................................................798

Julia Barth................................................................................585

J. Salvador Rubio-Asensio............................................769

Julia Bechteler....................................................................... 778

J. Sebastián Tello............................................... 74, 200, 621

Julia G. de Aledo............................................ 263, 339, 620

J. Stephen Boatwright........................................... 277, 809

Julia Gegunde......................................................................... 64

Juan A. Calleja........................................................... 552, 778

Julia Gravendyck............................................................... 498

Juana María González-Mancebo............................. 331

Julia López-Delgado.......................................................... 531

Juan Antonio Calleja........................................................ 723

Julia M. Kreiner......................................................................369

Juan Antonio Devesa.......................................................507

Juliana Gastaldello Rando...................................515, 517

Juan Antonio Calleja-Alarcón................................... 375

Juliana Cruz Jardim Barbosa......................................614

Juan Arroyo.............. 221, 293, 377, 445, 459, 698, 815

Julián Aguirre-Santoro....................................................474

Juan Camilo Ospina.........................................................507

Juliane C. Dohm....................................................................814

Juan Carlos Moreno Saiz....................................666, 734

Juliane Rexroth....................................................................... 161

Juan Carlos Villarreal............................................ 543, 778

Julian Herting.................................................................23, 480

Juan C. Copete............................................................. 22, 204

Julian Ingelfinger.................................................................. 178

Juan Chen.................................................................................810

Julianne Phipps..................................................................... 715

Juan Ernesto Guevara Andino...................................425

Juliano S. Cabral.................................................................... 88

Juan David Tovar D............................................................. 381

Juliano Sarmento Cabral..............................................255

Juan E. Rodríguez-Pérez.................................................800

Julian Resasco....................................................................... 182

Juan F. Alzate........................................ 258, 382, 384, 537

Julian R. Starr.................................................................130, 378

Juan F. Mota.................................................................365, 682

Julian V. Garrecht................................................................ 178

849

XX International
Botanical
Congress
Madrid Spain

Oral presentations

Julia V. Shner..........................................................................683

K

Julie E Larson............................................................................ 115

Kaho Nagakura...................................................................... 351

Julie Hawkins.............................................................................22

Kai-Hsiu Chen.........................................................................418

Juli Caujapé-Castells...................................80, 272, 464
Julie F. Barcelona................................................................ 337

Kaichi Huang..........................................................................303

Julien Bachelier....................................................................282

Kai-Jie Gu.................................................................................428

Julien Barrere.........................................................................652

Kaining Hu................................................................................789

Julien B. Bachelier......................................... 292, 657, 759

Kaitalin White...............................................................414, 485

Julien Boutte..............................................................................28

Kai Wei....................................................................................... 449

Juliene Maciel-Silva........................................................... 129

Kaj Raunsgaard Pedersen........................................... 656

Julie Orjuela........................................................................... 606

Kaliappan Ilango................................................................ 489

Julieta Alexandra Rosell..................................................196

Kalle Ruokolainen................................................................263

Julieta A. Rosell........................................................... 198, 223

Kalsum M. Yusah..................................................................338

Julieta Carilla.........................................................................200

Kamal Shaltout.....................................................................365

Julieta. Carilla........................................................................587

Kamil E. Frankiewicz............................................................510

Julieta Olvera Berruecos................................................607

Kamil Konowalik.................................................................... 157

Juliette Hocedez.................................................................. 728

Kandziora, Martha.............................................................. 267

Juli G. Pausas........................................................64, 175, 223

Kang Min Ngo............................................................................79

Julio C. Torres......................................................................... 472

Karabo T. Moloi..................................................................... 698

Julin Maloof.............................................................................203

Kangshan Mao...................................................................... 427

Julio M. Grandez Ríos........................................................263

Karbstein, Kevin..........................................................748, 773

Julio Ramírez-Guerrero..................................................... 181

Karen De Pauw...................................................................... 322

Julissa Roncal............................................................ 365, 694

Karen E. Sears........................................................................383

Julius Jeiter.......................................................................141, 143

Karen L Wilson...................................................................... 466

Jun-Bo Yang.................................................... 487-488, 790

Karen L. Wilson.........................................................................131

Jungle K. Liang......................................................................632

Karen Renzaglia.................................................................... 201

Jun He Junbo............................................................................33

Karen Sommerville.............................................................. 341

Jun Hyung Lee........................................................................ 741

Karen Vázquez.......................................................................198

Jun-Jie Wu...............................................................................428

Karen Wilson.......................................................130, 295, 730

Jun Liu......................................................................................... 753

Karina Banda-R....................................................................206

Jun Rong......................................................................... 194, 764

Karina Clemmensen.........................................................363

Jun-ru Wang..........................................................................290

Karina Wilk....................................................................749-750

Juntria R. Khasanah..........................................................389

Karina Yáñez-Aroche.......................................................590

Jun Wen........30, 40, 193-194, 306, 409-411, 518-520

Karine Gotty............................................................................ 728

Jun Wu........................................................................................ 677

Karinne S. Valdemarin........................................................82

Junyi Ding.................................................................................. 531

Karin Tremetsberger................................................... 38-39

Jun Ying Lim....................................................................79, 646

Karla Paola Borges-Jesús............................................. 387

Jürg Schönenberger..............................7, 23, 56, 396, 480,

Karl-Georg Bernhardt...................................................... 279

754, 760

Karl Kaether.............................................................................309

Jurriaan M. de Vos...............................347, 413, 475, 574

Karolina Heyduk...................................................................574

Justen B. Whittall...........................................356, 535, 642

Karoline Kjesrud....................................................................... 21

Justin C. Bagley..................................................................... 710

Karol Krak................................................................................... 671

Justin SH Wan........................................................................ 222

Karremans, Adam.................................................................112

Justin Robbins....................................................................... 237

Karol Marhold..........................................................................158

Justin Tutt.................................................................................. 134

Kasey Barton.......................................................................... 783

Justus Müller-Kiefer...........................................................522

Kasper P. Hendriks..............................................................240

Justyna Wiland-Szymanska........................................190

Kata Frei..................................................................................... 672

Jutta Buschbom................................................................... 701

Katarina Bogićević............................................................ 496

Ju Zhou........................................................................................519

Katarzyna Krawczyk.......................................................... 779

J. Wen............................................................................... 306, 722

Katarzyna Roguz.......................................................356, 394

J White....................................................................................... 588

Kate Good................................................................................205

Katelin Pearson...............................................................97, 701

850

XX International
Botanical
Congress
Madrid Spain

Oral presentations

Katerina Koutsovoulou..................................................... 214

Kelly A. Shepherd..........................................59, 80, 99, 671

Katharina Nargar................ 59, 80, 372, 580, 582, 631

Kelly Shepherd.................................................. 98, 597-598

Katharina B. Budde................................................ 450, 585

Kelly Matsunaga.......................................................352, 354

Katharina Sielemann........................................................ 437

Kelvin Floyd...............................................................................414

Katharine Jenike..................................................................780

Kenia A. Galván Alcaraz..................................................607

Katherine A. McCulloh..................................................... 686

Ken Keefover-Ring..............................................................453

Katherina Nargar................................................................... 98

Kenia C. Sánchez Espinosa.................................. 105, 156

Katherine A. Wolcott..........................................................553

Kenneth Cameron..................................................... 513, 581

Katherine Eisen.....................................................................642

Kenneth J. Feeley.................................................................320

Katherine F. Kucera............................................................ 767

Kenneth. J. Feeley................................................................587

Katherine R. Goodrich........................................................ 48

Kenneth J. Wurdack...........................................................462

Katherine H. Roucoux........................................................263

Kenneth J. Sytsma..........................................333, 687, 714

Kathleen Darragh.................................................................419

Kenneth M. Cameron......................................................... 512

Kathleen M. Kay.....................................................................419

Kenneth M. Olsen.................................................................403

Kathrin Feldberg.................................................................. 778

Kenneth Walker..................................................................... 219

Kathrin Rousk..............................................................739-740

Kenneth Wood.......................................................................424

Kathryn Fowler.......................................................................542

Kenneth Wurdack...............................................................463

Kathryn M. Spiers................................................... 53-54, 121

Ken Oyama................................................................................771

Kathryn Uckele.......................................................................419

Ken Passfield...........................................................................414

Kathy Steppe........................................................................... 138

Kent E. Holsinger.................................................................. 686

Katia Belcram........................................................................754

Keping Ma................................................................................ 207

Katia Debono.......................................................................... 212

Keqiao Zhong............................................................................93

Katia Diadema....................................................................... 212

Kerry A. Ford....................................................................131, 376

Katie Emelianova................................................................438

Kerry Ford.............................................................295, 376, 730

Katie Field.................................................................................676

Kerry Swartwood..................................................................780

Katie Gibson............................................................................400

Kevin A. Simonin.................................................................. 564

Katie Heineman.................................................................... 327

Kevin A. Weitemier..............................................................803

Katie K. Sanbonmatsu........................................................131

Kevin Bethune....................................................................... 695

Katie Sanbonmatsu...........................................................687

Kevin C. Nixon............................................................................97

Katja R. Richert-Poeggeler............................................438

Kevin Karbstein..........................................................434, 524

Katja Reichel...........................................................................300

Kevin Fehlberg.......................................................................328

Katsuhiro Yoneoka............................................................ 690

Kevin L. Davies.......................................................................395

Katsushi Yamaguchi.........................................................525

Kevin R. Hultine..................................................................... 668

Katsuyuki T. Yamato..........................................................525

Kevin R. Thiele.......................................................................... 60

Katya Romero Soler.......................................................... 466

Kevin S. Burgess.......................................................... 417, 820

Katy V. Rondinel-Mendoza.......................................... 654

Kexin Li........................................................................................ 605

Kay Havens..............................................................................280

Khabibullo F. Shomurodov............................................365

Kayln Pate.................................................................................504

Khalid Aldhuwaib................................................................229

Kay Lucek..................................................................................295

Khalid Mahmood Khawar.............................................. 278

Kayna Agostini......................................................................758

Khang Sinh Nguyen............................................................146

Kayode O. Karigidi............................................................... 107

Khathutshelo Magwede.................................................364

Kazuharu Ohashi.................................................................. 417

Kheta Ram...............................................................................258

Kayri Havens............................................................................ 134

Khensani V. Nkuna..............................................................805

Kazumi Fujikawa..................................................................552

Kian Fogarty............................................................................503

Kazune Ezaki............................................................................ 201

Kidner C.A.................................................................................. 781

K.C. Shilaluke...........................................................................385

Kieran Althaus...................................................................... 685

Kedchin Jearawuttanakul..............................................491

Kieu Tran....................................................................................238

Kedir Erbo.................................................................................. 322

Kimberlie Sasan....................................................................198

Keiko Sakakibara.................................................................. 201

Kimberly P. Castro................................................................108

Keith Mc Donald...................................................................582

Kiran G. Chakral..................................................................... 120

Keith. D..........................................................................................127

Kim Castro..................................................................................22

Kellogg E.A.E........................................................................... 506

Kira Tiedge................................................................................691

851

XX International
Botanical
Congress
Madrid Spain

Oral presentations

Kirsten O’Sullivan.................................................................363

Ladislav Mucina................................................................... 809

Kitti Banga................................................................................803

L Aiah........................................................................................... 588

Kishore S. Rajput...................................................................509

Laguna, E...................................................................................582

Kitty Vijverberg............................................................ 221, 438

Laia Jené...................................................................................769

Kiwuka, Catherine.............................................................. 449

Laís C. Zeferino.........................................................................75

K. Karthigeyan..........................................................................57

Lalaina Fenosoa Ramiliarisona.................................. 133

Klaus Mehltreter.......................................................688-690

Lalita Simpson.............................................59, 80, 580, 631

Knapp Sandra.......................................................................380

Lana Shabala...........................................................................127

Koen J.F. Verhoeven........................................................... 221

Lantotiana Randriamanana....................................... 808

Klara Pyšková.........................................................................805

L. Alejandro Giraldo............................................................647

Klaus Mummenhoff...........................................................240

Lamine Bensaddek........................................................... 806

Kobil Bobokalonov..............................................................365

Lang Li..........................................................................................160

Koenraad Van Meerbeek................................................ 321

Lara Amaral-Garcia.............................................................113

Ko-Hsuan Chen................................................................... 690

Lara Kösters.............................................................................524Kolář, Filip.................................................................................. 267

Lara M. Kösters......................................................................434

Koh Nakamura......................................................................765

Lara Escherich...................................................................... 584

Koji Takayama...........................................................424, 430

L. A. Ramírez.............................................................................587

Konstantinos Kougioumoutzis.......................... 214-215

Lara Wootton.......................................................................... 724

Konstantin Romaschenko..................................505, 507

Larridon I................................................................................... 506

Korjent van Dijk....................................................................... 60

Lars Emil S. F. Hansen............................................................ 31

Kösters, Lara............................................................................748

Lars Götzenberger.........................................................25, 50

K. Praveen Karanth..................................................... 73, 748

Lars Hedenäs..................................................... 576, 777, 799

Krešimir Križanović.............................................................503

Lars Nauheimer.......................................................... 563, 631

Krishna Kumar Choudhary...........................................236

Lars Roeder.............................................................................. 737

Kristel van Zuijlen................................................................ 456

Lars W. Chatrou.....................................................................615

Kristen Hasenstab-Lehman................................142, 357

Lars. W. Chatrou...................................................................820

Kristiina Mark........................................................................... 631

Lassi Suominen..................................................................... 222

K. Romoleroux........................................................................595

László Csiba.............................................................................416

K. Tremetsberger.................................................................798

Latif Kurt.....................................................................................365

Kui Li................................................................................................712

Laura A. Frost..........................................................................550

Kristoffer Hylander..............................................................576

Laszlo Csiba............................................................................352

K. Runge.....................................................................................336

Laszlo Kovacs......................................................................... 307

Kubota Yasuhiro....................................................................148

Laura Aceituno-Mata.......................................................530

Kunzmann, Lutz.....................................................................398

Laura Albreht...........................................................................277

Kuo-Fang Chung.............................................176, 690, 782

Laura Ávila Robledillo...................................................... 406

Kuo Xu.........................................................................................204

Laura Calvillo-Canadell.................................................590

Kurt A. Smemo....................................................................... 707

Laura C. Leal.......................................................................39, 62

Kurt M. Neubig.......................................................................405

Laura D. Bertola....................................................................585

K. Yager......................................................................................587

Laura Díaz-Jiménez...........................................................362

Kyle G. Dexter..................................75, 265, 275, 687, 708

Laura Frías-España............................................................706

Kyle Dexter........................................................................ 27, 206

Laura F. Galloway................................................................302

Kyle Macleod...............................................................474, 694

Laura González-Cosío...................................................... 391

Kyle W. Tomlinson................................................116, 174, 311

Laura Holzmeyer........................................ 31, 36, 567, 593

Kyong-Sook Chung.................................................294, 377

Laura Kor...................................................................................529
Laura Lagomarsino...............................................................97

L

Laura Leal..................................................................................394
Laura L. Forrest.........................................................................79

Lachezar A. Nikolov.............................................................383

Laura Lopresti........................................................................ 747

Lachezar Nikolov................................................................... 241

Laura Matas-Granados............................ 263, 339, 620

Lacroix-Carignan, Étienne............................................293

Laura M. Boggess................................................................249

Ladislava Paštová................................................................ 718

Laura Mena-García.......................................................... 684

Ladislav Hodač.................................................177, 434, 524

Laura Montero........................................................................156852

XX International
Botanical
Congress
Madrid Spain

Oral presentations

Laura M. Puente....................................................................647

Léo Delalandre.......................................................................100

Laura Pietikäinen.................................................................704

Leonardo Gaspar................................................................552

Laura Parducci....................................................................... 133

Leonardo Galetto.....................................................693, 758

Laura P. Lagomarsino.......................................................550

Leonardo O. Alvarado-Cárdenas...............................29

Laura Salazar........................................................................ 684

Leonardo Versieux.............................................................. 637

Laura Schat.............................................................................602

Leonel E. López.......................................................................706

Laura Simmons....................................................................... 98

Leonel Herrera-Alsina......................................................... 27

Laura V. Campos................................................................. 779

Leonor P, Cerdeira-Morellato......................................439

Laura van Hoek....................................................................... 80

Leonid V. Averyanov................................................ 146, 292

Lauren A. Eserman-Campbell....................................328

Leon Strotz................................................................................534

Laurence Bénichou............................................................246

Léo-Paul Dagallier................................................55, 57, 731

Lauren Eserman....................................................................184

Leopoldo P. Vásquez-Núñez........................................800

Laurence J. Dorr....................................................................404

Leopoldo G. Sancho..........................................................629

Lauren Gardiner..................................................................... 65

Le Roux, J.J............................................................................... 696

Lauren M. C. James........................................................... 650

Lesego Malekana............................................................... 698

Laurens B. Sparrius.............................................................578

Leticia Curbelo Muñoz............................................. 69, 273

Lauren Raz...................................................................................22

Leslie Cayola................................................................ 200, 621

Laurent Bonnal.............................................................139-140

Letícia Maria Parteka....................................................... 466

Laurie Blackmore.................................................................328

Léveillé-Bourret, Étienne.................................................293

Lauri Laanisto................................................................538, 771

Lex A. J. Thomson.................................................................403

Lawrence B. Smart..............................................................453

Leyla J. Seyfullah................................................................. 656

Léa Auclair................................................................................. 136

L. Hudson...................................................................................587

Lawrence D. Harder........................................................... 598

L. Francisco Henao-Díaz..................................................109

Leah Meier...................................................................................24

Liang Lin.....................................................................................343

Leah Samuels....................................................................... 658

Liangsheng Zhang..............................................................476

Lea Margraf.............................................................................766

Lianming Gao....................................................................... 548

Leajim A. Villanueva..........................................................262

Liang Zhao................................................................................. 193

Lea Mouton..............................................................................630

Lian-Ming Gao............................................................ 487, 790

Leandro Pederneiras.......................................................... 714

Lichao Jiao...............................................................................242

Leandro Giacomin.......................................................45, 381

Libor Ekrt..................................................................................... 774

Leanne Camilleri................................................................... 212

Li De-Zhu....................................................................................416

Leanne L. Dreyer..................................................................... 95

Lidia Favaretto...................................................................... 640

Leen Govaere.........................................................................652

Li D.-Z.......................................................................................... 506

Léa Rambaud-Lavigne.....................................................177

Lidia LópezSrano..................................................................706

Lee Ping Ang..............................................................................40

Ligita Liepiņa...........................................................................543

Le-Han Nguyen.....................................................................754

Li He...............................................................................................452

L. E. Gamez................................................................................587

Li–Guo Zhang..........................................................................194

Lehlohonolo D. Adams.................................................... 698

Lihua Zhou............................................................................... 484

Lehmann, C............................................................................ 458

Lijia Wang................................................................................... 116

Lei Duan......................................................................................410

Lijing Zhou................................................................................. 207

Leilei Yang................................................................................476

Li Lei...............................................................................................300

Leire Ruiz....................................................................................363

Li Li....................................................................................... 270, 502

Leisberth Vélez.......................................................................581

Liliana Arroyo-Herbas.......................................................619

Lei Sun.........................................................................................520

Liliana Bernardo...................................................................553

Le Min Choo...................................................................... 79, 515

Liliana Katinas.......................................................................558

Lemmon. J..................................................................................127

Liliana Lopez-Kleine...........................................................309

Lena Frenzke...........................................................................348

Lillian Hancock...................................................................... 472

Lena C. Hileman...................................................................383

Lilian F. Melo...............................................................................62

Lena Heinrich......................................................................... 469

Lilly Anderson-Messac....................................................328

Lena Neuenkamp................................................................362

Lily Bennett...................................................................... 100, 139

Lena Nicklas................................................................ 589, 653

Liming Cai.................................................................................. 251

Lena Saiz....................................................................................330

Limin Lu.............................................................................. 193, 518

853

XX International
Botanical
Congress
Madrid Spain

Oral presentations

Li-Min Lu....................................................... 194-195, 380, 519

Lorena Endara.................................................429, 569, 579

Lina Ávila Clasen.................................................................740

Loren H. Rieseberg.....................................................303, 517

Lina Aragón.............................................................................320

Lorena Ruiz de Larrinaga...............................................769

Lina-Marie Deussig............................................................697

Lorenzo Colombo................................................................. 261

Lina Podda.......................................................... 122, 625-626

Lorenzo F. Manjarrez................................................. 181, 539

Linda E. Watson.....................................................................557

Lorenzo Lazzaro..................................................................... 212

Lin-Feng Li................................................................................ 742

Lorenzo Orzan........................................................................335

Lin Fu.............................................................................................. 124

Lorenzo Peruzzi....................... 70, 92, 157, 523, 553, 728

Lingfei Shangguan.............................................................520

Loretta Johnson...................................................................503

Ling Liu...........................................................................................55

Loretta Pace............................................................................642

Ling Yang....................................................................... 326, 765

Lori Lach..................................................................................... 747

Lingyu Ma..................................................................................242

Lorite, J........................................................................................559

Lin Zhang.................................................................................... 812

Louise Egerton-Warburton...........................................434

Linya Zeng.................................................................................810

Lorna MacKinnon............................................ 233, 508, 618

Linzhou Li...................................................................................476

Louis P. Ronse De Craene............. 290, 292, 350, 463

Lionnet, C.................................................................................... 351

Louis S. Jay-García....................................................80, 426

Lisa Bartholomäus.............................................................. 357

Lovanomenjanahary Marline.....................................435

Lisa Martinez..............................................................................711

Lovisa Gustafsson...............................................................325

Lisa Pokorny.......................................89, 124, 216, 649, 816

Lovisa Thilén............................................................................500

Lisbet Gonzalez-Oliva.......................................................478

Lowana Cahn.........................................................................450

Lise Huseby..............................................................................325

Low Yee Wen..............................................................................82

Liselotte de Ligne.................................................................. 138

Loy Xingwen............................................................................328

Liu J.-X........................................................................................ 506

L. Thamaraiselvi.....................................................................491

Livasoa Randriamanalina............................................. 233

L. Tomasson............................................................................798

Livio Bätscher.......................................................................... 413

Lubna Faizullah.................................................................... 565

Li-Wei Tsai................................................................................ 782

Lubomír Piálek....................................................................... 724

Li-Yaung Kuo..........................................................................662

Luca Sandroni............................................................. 553, 728

Li Zhu............................................................................................ 207

Lucas Arguello............................................................457, 560

Liz Milla........................................................................................266

Lucas Bacci.......................................................................57, 731

Liz Wandrag............................................................................ 367

Lucas C. Majure...........................................55, 57, 474, 731

Lizzie Roeble............................................................................424

Lucas Costa........................................................................... 466

Lizzie Wilberforce.................................................................576

Lucas E.N. Costa.................................................................. 690

Liz Zimmer................................................................................... 411

Lucas F. Bacci................................................................... 55, 58

Lizzy Joyce.................................................................................. 80

Lucas Jordão...............................................................457, 560

Llewellyn C. Foxcroft..........................................................805

Lucas L. Miller..........................................................................228

Llorenç Gibanel.....................................................................769

Lucas Vandenabeele.......................................................580

Llorenç Sáez............................................................................ 627

Luceño, M..................................................................................296

Lluís García-Mir.....................................................................396

Lucía Campos.......................................................................436

Lluna Morcillo.........................................................................769

Lucía Campos-Domínguez............................................ 88

Lluvia Flores-Rentería.......................................................530

Lucía Carrera..........................................................................156

L.M. Borges................................................................................ 722

Lucía del Castillo..................................................................396

L.M.P. Blanpain.......................................................................336

Lucía DeSoto...................................................... 312, 635, 692

Loan Thi Le.................................................................................415

Lucía D. Moreyra........................................................ 552, 723

Lo Chor Wai.............................................................................. 571

Lúcia G. Lohmann................................................................ 412

Lohengrin A. Cavieres....................................................... 318

Lucía Martín-Cacheda.......................................................311

Loïc Pellissier.......................................................................... 548

Lucia Muggia................................................................ 103, 282

Loïc Pittet...................................................................................452

Luciana Migliore................................................................... 372

Lois, R............................................................................................296

Luciana Nascimento Custódio....................................717

Long Wang.................................................................................712

Luciana Pereira-Silva................................................131-132

Loredana Manfra................................................................. 372

Luciano di Martino............................................................. 589

Lorena Balducci....................................................................440

Luciano P. de Queiroz........................................................516

Lorena B. Valadão-Mendes.........................................624

Lucía Vargas............................................................................198854

XX International
Botanical
Congress
Madrid Spain

Oral presentations

Lucie Kobrlová........................................................................ 123

Lutz Kunzmann......................................................................399

Lucie Vancurova...................................................................188

Lydia R. O’Halloran.............................................................. 237

Lucien Rakotonirina........................................................... 233

Lydia Guja................................................................................... 115

Lucilene S. Melo......................................................................819

Lynda Delph............................................................................704

Lucy Schroeder.....................................................................452

Lyn G. Cook.............................................................................. 276

Lucy T. Smith............................................................................. 94

Lynn G. Clark................................................................. 505, 617

Ludmilla F. Untari.................................................................389

Lynn Gillespie.........................................................................463

Ludovica Fittipaldi................................................................ 157

Lynn J. Gillespie.....................................................................462

Ludovica Oddi............................................................ 589, 653

M

Ludwig Baldaszti..................................................................380

Ludwig Mann...................................................................90, 192

Maaike Y. Bader....................................................................578

Lui Agostinho Teixeira......................................................... 511

Maarten Christenhusz................................................. 73, 711

Luigi Ledda...............................................................................626

Maarten J. M. Christenhusz............. 89, 216, 670, 744

Luigi Minuto................................................................................92

Mabel Lum.......................................................................... 59, 80

Luigi Sanità di Toppi..........................................................540

Macfarlane T.D..................................................................... 506

Luigi Sanita’ di Toppi.........................................................236

Madeline E. White................................................................ 347

Luis Abdala-Roberts............................................................311

Madeline Slimp........................................................................711

Luis A. Inda................................................................................. 90

Mäder, Patrick........................................................................748

Luís. A. Inda.............................................................................. 743

Madhavi Sreenath..................................................... 93, 594

Luis Alberto Núñez-Avellaneda.................................. 170

Madhugiri Nageswara-Rao.........................................803

Luísa M. de P. A. Bezerra................................................... 176

Maeleletse G. Mopai.......................................................... 323

Luis Ángel Inda......................................................................624

Maffo M. N. Liliane..................................................................173

Luis Baquero............................................................................581

Magda Bou Dagher Kharrat.......................................... 85

Luis Cayuela.......................................... 206, 263, 339, 620

Magdalena Bohutínská...................................................504

Luis Daniel Llambi................................................................200

Maggie-Anne Harvey..................................................55, 121

Luis. D. LLambí........................................................................587

Magne Friberg....................................................119, 642, 703

Luis E. Gámez Álvarez.......................................................200

Magsar Urgamal........................................................124, 752

Luis Flor.......................................................................................769

Magui Olangua.....................................................................396

Luis Gil........................................................................................ 486

Magui Olangua-Corral......................................... 274, 330

Luis Giménez-Benavides..................................... 312, 692

Ma H............................................................................................. 506

Luís González..........................................................................805

Maheshi Dassanayake....................................................238

Luis G. Quintanilla........................................... 312, 689, 692

Mahmood Sasa.....................................................................441

Luis Miguel Prieto................................................................. 762

Mahmoud Magdy...............................................................422

Luis Navarro..................................................................240, 418

Maira T. Martinez-Ugarteche.......................................619

Luis Negral.................................................................................104

Maite Guignard.................................................................... 565

Luis Palazzesi.....................................................216, 354, 649

Mai Thu Nguyen....................................................................814

Luis R. González-Torres..................................................... 612

Maja Dal Cero......................................................................... 261

Luís Ruiz-Valenzuela..........................................................104

Maja Mucko..............................................................................158

Luís Silva............................................................... 227, 274, 330

Majela Hernández-Rodríguez...................................... 612

Luis Valente.............................................................30, 80, 424

Makani Fisher.......................................................................... 314

Luiz A. Cauz-Santos..................................... 574, 670, 744

Makeli G. Lusa........................................................................557

Luiz Augusto Caus dos Santos...................................... 73

MaKenzie Drowns................................................................524

Luiz L. Saldanha............................................................. 22, 522

Makenzie E. Mabry............................................................... 142

Lu Jin.................................................................................. 417, 552

Makoa Elgin..............................................................................155

Lukasz Mielanczyk................................................................190

Maks Merela............................................................................244Łukasz Paukszto.................................................................... 779

Malabrigo Jr., P.L...................................................................544

Łukasz Wiczołek....................................................................349

Malaka M. Wijayasinghe................................................784

Luke Mackinder......................................................................651

Maldia, L.S.J..............................................................................544

Luke Sparreo...........................................................................409

Małgorzata Pilot...................................................................585

Lu Liu.............................................................................................. 531

Małgorzata Stpiczyńska.................................................395

Luna Ibáñez.............................................................................. 170

Malika Ainouche.................................................................. 742

Luo Chen.............................................................................55-56

855

XX International
Botanical
Congress
Madrid Spain

Oral presentations
Marco Canella.................................................. 140, 225, 607
Marco Catoni.............................................................................51
Marco Cedeño-Fonseca..................................................731
Marco Cerna............................................................................551
Marco Dorfner................................................. 358, 556, 584
Marco Ibarra-Martínez.....................................................551
Marco Jiménez......................................................................581
Marco Leonti............................................................................ 261
Marco Morselli........................................................................818
Marco O. O. Pellegrini....................................................... 809
Marco Picone.........................................................................784
Marco Porceddu.........................................................122, 625
Marco Saltini...........................................................................350
Marco Sarigu........................................................................... 122
Marcos C. Dórea................................................................... 617
Marco Schmidt........................................................................171
Marcos Salas-Pascual....................................................426
Marcos V. C. Freitas...............................................................33
Marco Todesco............................................................303, 517
Marco Vuerich......... 167, 182, 319, 335, 554, 653, 804
Marco Zancani....................................................................... 319
Marc Pulido..............................................................................436
Marc S. Appelhans.................................................................40
Marcus A. Koch...............................................239-240, 493
Marcus Falcão........................................................................ 210
Marcus Lehnert.....................................................................807
Mareike Daubert........................................................... 67, 162
Marek Šlenker.........................................................................358
Marek Slovák......................................................................... 446
Mare Nazaire.............................................................................97
Margaret Byrne...............................................................98-99
Margaret M. Hanes..................................................403, 405
Margaret R. Metz..................................................................263
Margaret Staton.................................................................... 218
Margarida Fernandes Lopes.......................................585
Margarita Arianoutsou....................................................625
Margarita Elizabeth Gallegos Martínez............... 640
Margarita Torres................................................................... 153
Margarita V. Remizowa......................................... 291-292
Margherita Tognela.......................... 166, 589, 653, 655
Maria A. Diroma.....................................................................818
María Á. Guevara.................................................................539
María Alejandra Serna Sánchez...............................799
María Ancín.............................................................................769
María Ángeles Alonso-Vargas....................................146
María Ángeles Decena............................................90, 743
María Ángeles Guevara.................................................... 181
Maria-Anna Vasile......................................................141, 143
Maria A. R. Ferreira.................................................................33
Maria A. Rodrigo................................................................... 279
Maria Beatriz Rossi Caruzo............................................614
María B. García...................................................................... 672
Maria C. Castellanos.........................................................704
Maria C. Dias...........................................................................445

Malte Petersen.......................................................................188
Mª Luisa Buide.......................................................................642
Mamy Tiana Rajaonah.................................................... 233
M. Andotiana Andriamanohera..................................173
M. Ángeles Ortiz.......................................................................39
M. Ángel León-Tapia........................................................... 68
Manica Balant............................................................. 124, 248
Mani Shrestha........................................................................536
Manoj M. Lekhak......................................................... 144, 647
Manon Carboni.....................................................................542
Manon Villa..............................................................................234
Mansa Srivastav........................................................ 609, 761
Manuela Cascini.................................................................. 279
Manuel Aira.............................................................................. 571
Manuela Sim-Sim..............................................117, 287, 818
Manuel Ayuso........................................................................769
Manuel B. Crespo...................................................... 146, 324
Manuel de la Estrella.....................................208, 517, 796
Manuel Eichler...................................................................... 600
Manuel J. Macía........................... 20, 263, 339, 620-621
Manuel L. Campagnolo................................................... 337
Manuel Lujan........................................................................... 201
Manuel Luján..........................................................................200
Manuel Munuera......................................................496, 673
Manuel Narváez...................................................................369
Manuel Nogales................................................................... 274
Manuel Pardo-de-Santayana........................259, 530
Manuel Pizarro....................................................................... 672
Manuel Poretti.............................................................324, 436
Manuel Tiburtini.............................................. 523, 553, 728
Manuel Waller............................................................... 201, 651
Manu Saunders.................................................................... 367
Manzo, Eleonora...................................................................522
MA. Ortiz.....................................................................................798
Maraeva Gianella................................................................561
Marc Baker...............................................................................328
Marc Carriquí....................................................180, 566, 769
Marcela Serna...................................................... 47, 441, 819
Marcela Serna Gonzalez...................................................47
Marcela Svobodová............................................................721
Marcelino José del Arco Aguilar................................. 80
Marcella Corcoran..............................................................414
Marcello Tomaselli................................................. 589, 653
Marcelo Pace.........................................................................226
Marcelo Reginato.......................................................... 55, 58
Marcelo Rodrigues..............................................................581
Marcelo R. Pace............................................................ 510-511
Marcel Tunggawihardja.................................................759
Marc Fradera-Soler.......................................................... 669
Marcia Eugenio-Gozalbo...............................................786
Marcia J. Waterway........................................................... 378
Marcial Escudero............................ 43, 131, 159-160, 293,

295, 375, 377, 405, 407, 459, 466, 687, 815
Marcin Zych.............................................................................394
Marcio Verdi........................................................................... 560

María C. Díaz-Sala..............................................................539

856

XX International
Botanical
Congress
Madrid Spain

Oral presentations

María Clara Castellanos.................................................. 64

María Prieto......................................................... 364, 441, 816

Maria Cristina Duarte.......................................................228

María Romeiras.................................................................... 272

María C. Perdomo P...........................................................442

María Renée Álvarez-Ruano......................................... 316

María del Carmen Mandujano Sánchez............ 640

María Sanz Arnal.................................................................. 730

María del Mar Sobral Bernal...........................................50

María Sanz-Arnal.................................. 131, 295, 375-376

María del Mar Trigo.............................................................104

Mariasole Calbi............................................................. 74, 766

María de los Ángeles La Torre-Cuadros.............339

Maria Stefania Przybylska..............................................100

María del Rey..........................................................................769

Maria S Vorontsova.......................................................... 466

Maria do Carmo Estanislau do Amaral................. 84

Maria S. Vorontsova...................65, 171, 233, 506, 508,

María Dolores García-Pedrajas................................706

602, 616, 618

María Dolores Vélez............................................................. 181

María Teresa Cervera............................................. 181, 539

María D. Vélez.........................................................................539

Maria Toledo............................................................................561

Maria Drapikowska.............................................................190

Maria Teresa Tiloca...........................................................626

Maria E. Boi................................................................................ 122

Maria Tomoschevich........................................................452

María Fernanda Moreno-Aguilar..................507, 624

Maria T.R. Costa....................................................................404

María Fernández-González....................... 104-105, 156

María. V. Lencinas...............................................................587

Maria Giro.................................................................................. 135

Maria Voguel...........................................................................184

Maria Hällfors.........................................................................704

Maria von Balthazar.............................................7, 23, 480

Maria Hazel C. Ubang.......................................................443

Maribel Arenas-Navarro..................................................771

Maria Hernandez May....................................................... 152

Maricela Rodríguez-Acosta.........................................205

María Jesús Aira....................................................................104

Marie Claire Veranso-Libalah..............................55-56

Maria João Martins............................................................ 337

Marie-Helene Weech........................................................226

María José Aroca-Fernández.....................................254

Marie Henniges.................................................................... 565

María-José Endara............................................................687

Mariela A. Sader.................................................................. 466

Maria Kachamakova........................................................585

Mariela Fabbroni.....................................................................131

María L. Castillo.....................................................................805

Marie Peignard..................................................................... 806

Maria Laura Carranza......................................................653

Marie Morel................................................................................177

María Leo........................................................................363, 576

Marie-Stéphanie Samain..........................613-614, 820

Maria Lucia Kawasaki..........................................................97

Marika Tuiwawa................................................................... 770

María L. Rubio Teso............................................................ 448

Marijn Bauters........................................................................390

Maria Luiza S. Carvalho.................................................... 617

Marilyn Vásquez-Cruz.................................................... 668

Maria Manuel Romeiras................................................. 227

Marina Coca-de-la-Iglesia....................................30, 131

María Molina................................................................259, 530

Marina de Miguel.................................................................450

Maria M. Ribeiro.................................................................... 337

Marina Hirota.......................................................................... 321

Maria M. Romeiras..............................................................228

Marina López-Pozo............................................................... 114

Mariana Andreotti..................................................................82

Marina Muñoz-García.......................................................154

Mariana Báez........................................................................ 466

Marina Rabarimanarivo................................................... 161

Mariana Castro.............................................. 359-360, 445

Marina Ventayol García.................................................424

Mariana N. Furtado............................................................. 321

Marinček, Pia........................................................................... 773

Mariana Rodríguez-Sánchez..................................... 680

Marine Oganesian............................................................... 124

Marian Bemer........................................................................384

Marinoli Rivas-Chamorro............................................. 694

Marianne Jennifer Datiles.............................................262

Mario Coiro....................................................... 478, 656-657

Marianne Laslier................................................................... 577

Mario-Dominik Riedl.......................................................... 736

Marianne M. le Roux............................................................277

Mario Fernández Martínez.............................................769

Mariano Battistuzzi..............................................................140

Mario Fernández-Mazuecos...........30, 175, 264, 375,

Marian Schubert..................................................................602

563, 635, 666, 734

Maria Panitsa....................................................... 212, 214-215

Mário Gomes...............................................................457, 560

Maria Perez-Serrano..........................................................681

Mario Mairal..........................74, 116, 563, 635, 666, 684

Maria Paula Contreras....................................................559

Mariola Plazas........................................................................780

María Pinilla.............................................................................224

Mario Martínez-Azorín.......................................................146

Maria Pinilla Vargas........................................................... 726

Mario Mingarro......................................................................254

Maria Prieto.............................................................................682

Mário M. Mendes....................................................................721

857

XX International
Botanical
Congress
Madrid Spain

Oral presentations

Marion Chartier........................................................7, 23, 480

Martha Kandziora....................................77, 224, 471, 726

Marion Noualhaguet.........................................................542

Martí March.............................................................................329

Mario Pentassuglia............................................................. 157

Martí March-Salas......................................................86, 248

Mario Vallejo-Marín................................................. 168, 746

Martina Bottoni...................................................................... 261

Marit Kuijt..................................................................................240

Martin A. Lysak.........................................158, 240, 324, 719

Marisol Zurita Solis................................................................ 68

Martina D’Agostino.................................................... 166-167

Mariyo Boboev......................................................................365

Martina Meincken................................................................ 122

Marjorie G. Weber..................................................................62

Martina Pollastrini................................................................180

Marjorie R. Lundgren.............................................. 538, 573

Martina Temunović.............................................................158

Mark A. Adams..................................................................... 686

Martin Bidartondo.........................................474, 676, 694

Mark A. Elvin............................................................................. 333

Martín-Bravo, S.....................................................................296

Mark Carine............................................................................. 227

Martin Cheek..................................................................171, 404

Mark Clements.................................................580, 582, 631

Martine Borge......................................................................... 183

Mark C. Tebbitt.........................................................................93

Martínez-Ortega, M............................................................250

Mark C. Mescher...................................................................642

Martinez N.................................................................................250

Mark Dondi M. Arboleda.................................................262

Martin Grube........................................................................... 313

Mark D. Rausher.....................................................................481

Martin Hejda...........................................................................805

Mark E. Olson..................................................................137, 198

Martin Hofmann...................................................................434

Mark. E. Olson.........................................................................226

Martin Irestedt.......................................................................799

Marketa Applova....................................................................25

Martin Kopecký..................................................................... 577

Mark Fishbein............................................................................28

Martin Krenn............................................................................ 736

Mark F. Newman...................................................................269

Martin Lysák.........................................................191, 357, 436

Mark G. M. Aarts.......................................................................53

Martin Macek.......................................................................... 577

Mark Hughes....................................................... 93, 460, 594

Martín Mata-Rosas........................................................... 689

Mark Johnston....................................................................... 357

Martin Pullan..............................................................................93

Marko Hyvärinen..................................................................704

Martin Röser.................................................................378, 608

Mark K.J. Ooi.......................................................279, 373, 440

Martin R. Kalfatovic.............................................................. 64

Mark Ooi......................................................................................166

Martin Ryberg....................................................................... 498

Mark Skinner............................................................................ 512

Martin Volf......................................................................451-452

Markus Dillenberger.............................................................74

Martin Wojciechowski......................................................208

Mark Watson..........................................................................344

Martin Xanthos............................................................ 132, 465

Mark W. Chase...................73, 404, 670, 678, 744, 763

Mart-Jan Schelhaas.........................................................652

Marlien van der Merwe.......................................................34

Mar Villar de Pablo.............................................................283

Marlen I. Vasquez................................................................ 372

Martti Levo................................................................................704

Marlies Sazima......................................................................758

Marybel Soto Gomez............................................565-566

Marques, I.................................................................................582

Maryele F. Cantuária..........................................................819

Márquez-Corro, J.I..............................................................296

Mary Endress..................................................................27, 509

Marraccini Pierre..................................................................205

Marylaure de La Harpe....................................................574

Marraccini, Pierre................................................................ 449

Mary L. Berdugo-Lattke........................................340, 432

Marrande W............................................................................ 437

Masaki Shimamura...........................................................525

Mar Sobral..........................................................................49-50

Masayuki Maki........................................................................164

Marta Alonso-García........................................................543

Mas J.F........................................................................................492

Marta Benito Garzón............................................................113

Mason C. McNair..................................................................750

Marta Infante.......................................................................... 421

Massimo Bovini.....................................................................404

Marta Nieto-Lugilde...........................................................777

Massimo Labra..............................................................21, 640

Marta Pianta...........................................................................766

Masuda Sachiko..................................................................424

Marta Pintó-Marijuan.......................................................769

Matěj Man................................................................................. 577

Marta Quintana-Buil......................................................... 672

Mateos-Naranjo Enrique................................................ 707

Marta Recio..............................................................................154

Mª Teresa Martínez.............................................................342

Marta Rodríguez-Rey........................................................652

Mateusz Kurzyński............................................................... 779

Marta Viu Cuerda.................................................................165

Mateusz Maździarz............................................................. 779

Martha González-Elizondo............................................530

Matheus Colli-Silva............................................................404

858

XX International
Botanical
Congress
Madrid Spain

Oral presentations

Mathew Rees..........................................................................708

Mauro Centritto.....................................................................180

Mathias Disney......................................................................263

Mauro Galetti............................................................................29

Mathias Chouet.....................................................................461

Mauro Fois..................................................122, 212, 625-626

Mathias Engels.......................................................................581

Mauro Iberite..........................................................................553

Mathias Scharmann......................................................... 357

Mauro Tretiach..................................................................... 499

Mathieu Chambouleyron..............................................228

Maverick N. Tamayo......................................................... 408

Mathieu Perret................................................................. 81, 185

Max Brown.................................................................................. 88

Mathieu Rouard......................................................................271

Max Carter-Brown..............................................................300

Matilda Brown................................................................... 27, 82

Max Fontaine.............................................................................82

Mathilde Ruche..................................................................... 677

Maxence Martin....................................................................455

Matilda J. M. Brown.................................................565-566

Maxime Fromholtz...............................................................461

Matt Barrett....................................................................... 59, 80

Maximilian Weigend........................................141-143, 670

Matin Miryeganeh................................................................ 321

Maxime Rome........................................................................754

Matteo Toscani.....................................................................526

Maximilian W. Schmidt...................................................... 90

Matt Galliart............................................................................503

Maximilien Guèze................................................................263

Matt Guilliams................................................... 142, 357, 472

Maximilien Servajean.............................................255, 461

Matthew A. M. Renner....................................................... 276

Maxim S. Nuraliev............................................ 146, 291-292

Matthew Barrett............................................................60, 149

Max Larter.................................................................................. 138

Matthew Bradley.....................................................................131

Max W.R. Gray........................................................................ 775

Matthew C. Fitzpatrick......................................................502

Mayyia Lee................................................................................ 315

Matthew C. Hale.................................................................. 408

Mbaire M. K. Marx...................................................................173

Matthew D. Barrett............................................................... 193

M. Chevalier............................................................................256

Matthew D. Clark.................................................................. 307

McKain M.................................................................................. 506

Matthew G. Johnson...............................35, 44, 216, 453

McLay T.G.B............................................................................. 506

Matthew H. Koski..........................................................39, 536

M. Coca de la Iglesia......................................................... 722

Matthew Kirby...........................................................................711

Medina, N.G..............................................................................409

Matthew Knope....................................................................424

Megan A. Brown.................................................................... 707

Matthew Koski................................................................63, 394

Megan Griffiths...................................................................... 132

Matthew Kweku Essilfie...................................................... 95

Megan Philpott...........................................................297, 560

Matthew Ogburn................................................................. 472

Mehdi Dehghani....................................................................681

Matthew Pace......................................................................... 219

Mei-Xia Wang....................................................................... 448

Matthew Rubin....................................................................... 102

Meixue Zhou..............................................................................127

Matthew W. Hahn................................................................. 218

Mei-Yuan Huang................................................................. 270

Matthias Benoit.....................................................................780

Meizhen Wang........................................................................ 513

Matthias Fladung................................................................454

Melanie J. Howes.................................................................... 27

Matthias H. Hoffmann..............................................131, 378

Melanie Link-Perez.............................................................. 787

Matthias Saurer.....................................................................180

Melanie Morales......................................................... 391, 769

Mattia Alessandrini............................................................760

Melanie Tietje...................................................................31, 797

Matti A. Niissalo.............................................................79, 809

Melina Del Angel................................................................. 668

Matt Johnson.......................................................................... 218

Melina Gallopin........................................................................53

Matts Thulin.............................................................................365

Melissa Duda......................................................................... 560

Matt Renner.............................................................................208

Melisa Alegría Valencia................................................... 170

Maud C. Quinzin...................................................................585

Melissa León-Osper...........................................................642

Maurane Bourgouin...........................................................555

Melissa Moniz.........................................................................532

Mauricio Bonifacino....................................... 87, 557-558

Melissa RL Whitaker...........................................................479

Mauricio Diazgranados.............................. 529, 561, 726

Melvyn Herbert....................................................................... 513

Mauricio Sánchez................................................................339

M. Encarna Merlo Calvente..........................................682

Mauricio Watanabe............................................................ 135

Meng-Hua Zhang................................................................409

Maurin O................................................................................... 506

Mengjiao Ding........................................................................441

Maurizio Marchi.......................................................................113

Meng Lu..................................................................................... 494

Maurizio Rosetto................................................................... 279

Mengqin Ge.............................................................................520

Maurizio Rossetto........................................................ 34, 222

Mengrui Du..............................................................................520

859

XX International
Botanical
Congress
Madrid Spain

Oral presentations

Meng-Yuan Zhou...................................................... 487, 615

Michal Hroneš........................................................................228

Mercedes Sánchez-Cabrera......................................356

Michał Ronikier..................................................................... 608

Merav Lebel Vine...................................................... 356, 733

Michalis Choreftakis........................................................... 214

Mercè Galbany-Casals....................................... 552, 723

Michel Baguette........................................................ 633, 749

M. Eric Schranz..............................................................241, 347

Michele Carbognani....................................319, 589, 653

Merita Xhetani........................................................................ 103

Michele Fabro......................................................................... 182

Mesnil, A..................................................................................... 437

Michele Rodda......................................................................... 27

M. Hilda Flores........................................................................365

Micheline Sheehy Skeffington.........................287-289

Miaomiao Wang...................................................................816

Michel Labrecque...................................................................52

Miao Sun.................................................................................... 763

Michelle Afkhami..................................................................727

Mia Svensk................................................................................140

Michelle Cabrera-Guerra...............................................185

Micah Jasny............................................................................ 767

Michelle J Price..................................................................... 677

Michaela Schmull..................................................................97

Michelle L. Gaynor...............................................................583

Michael A. Sundue..............................................................663

Michelle L. Hart.........................................................................79

Michael Bayly........................................................................... 98

Michelle McMahon................................................................97

Michael B. Belitz.......................................................................211

Michelle Murray.................................................................... 770

Michael Burzynski................................................................365

Michelle Siros.........................................................................352

Michael Calonje...................................................................478

Michelle Waycott...................................................59-60, 80

Michael D. Crisp.................................................................... 276

Michel-Pierre Faucon..........................................................52

Michael D. Martin.................................................................425

Micol Orengo...........................................................................166

Michael Donoghue.............................................................. 761

Miguel A. Acevedo..............................................................330

Michael D. Pirie................................................................. 77-78

Miguel A. Brilhante..............................................................475

Michael D. Windham.......................................................... 719

Miguel A. García....................................................................414

Michael Fedoroff..................................................................744

Miguel A. González-Pérez.............................................. 272

Michael F. Fay.........................................................................404

Miguel A. Muñiz-Castro....................................................551

Michael Gruenstaeud....................................................... 163

Miguel A. Zavala........................................................439, 652

Michael G. Simpson............................................................ 142

Miguel Blázquez.........................................................283, 628

Michael Hedrén.................................................................... 703

Miguel Campos Cáceres...............................................300

Michael Heinrich............................................. 260, 262, 316

Miguel Carneiro....................................................................450

Michael H.J. Barfuss...........................................................574

Miguel Lozano.........................................................................581

Michael J. Bayly........................................................................61

Miguel Nakamura.............................................................. 668

Michael J. Donoghue............................................... 411, 609

Miguel Padrón-Mederos................................................426

Michael J. Moore........................................... 365, 669, 680

Miguel Peña.............................................................................339

Michael Kessler.......................................................... 688, 775

Miguel Porto............................................................................636

Michael Kiehn........................................................................ 600

Miguel Seoane.......................................................................330

Michael Krings....................................................................... 232

Miguel Serrano......................................................................228

Michael Lenhard............................................ 350, 357, 597

Miguel Verdú...............................................................283, 680

Michael Lisby..........................................................................476

Mihai Costea...........................................................................414

Michael P. Nobis.................................................................. 456

Mijoro Rakotoarinivo.................................... 233, 508, 618

Michael Purugganan........................................................353

Mike Gilbert................................................................................. 27

Michael R. May............................................................407, 548

Mikel Artazkoz.........................................................................457

Michael R. McKain...............................................................744

Mike N. Lyons...........................................................................365

Michael R. McKai..................................................................504

Mike Lopez................................................................................803

Michael Rzanny.....................................................................524

Mike Smedley.......................................................................... 183

Michael S. Barker......................................................................91

Mike Thiv....................................................................................563

Michael Scanlon..................................................................384

Mike Trizna.......................................................................... 66, 411

Michael Schatz......................................................................780

Mikko Paajanen....................................................................425

Michael Stech........................................................................578

Mikolaj Cieslak...................................................................... 480

Michael Sundue..........................................................198, 663

Milan Pouch.............................................................................324

Michael Thieme.......................................................................50

Miles Berkey.............................................................................630

Michael Way............................................................................561

Milingoni P. Tshisikhawe.......................................364, 385

Michael T. Lee.........................................................................400

Miles Tracy................................................................................ 531

860

XX International
Botanical
Congress
Madrid Spain

Oral presentations

Millard Uy.................................................................................... 130

Mohammad Vatanparast................. 27, 176, 208, 210

Miller C......................................................................................... 781

Mohammed A. Dakhil........................................................ 812

Millet Claude Patrick.........................................................205

Mohammed Armani........................................................... 174

Milomir Stefanović..............................................................585

Mohammed Bendahmane..........................................780

Milton Groppo...........................................................................42

Mojtaba Jahani....................................................................303

Miloš Ilić......................................................................................423

Moises Martínez-Bracero................................................ 103

Mingai Li......................................................................... 406, 540

Moldir Yermagambetova..............................................549

Mingjia Zhu............................................................................. 605

Molly Hanlon............................................................................ 102

Mingshu Zhu.......................................................................... 548

Monica Arakaki..................................................................... 472

Ming Wei..................................................................................... 183

Mónica Arakaki.....................................................................552

Ming-Xun Ren.......................................................................... 46

Mónica Berger-González................................................ 316

Mingyue Ye............................................................................... 513

Mónica López Martínez....................................................490

Min Li...................................................................................160, 802

Mônica L. Rossi....................................................................... 210

Min Liu................................................................................ 431, 476

Mónica Medrano................................................................... 101

Miquel Capó..............180, 212-213, 249, 376, 635, 769

Mónica Míguez........................................ 131, 295, 376, 378

Miquel de Cáceres.............................................................238

Monica Moraes.................................................................... 694

Miquel Nadal..........................................................................769

Mónica Moura.............................. 227-228, 274, 330, 818

Miranda Sinnott-Armstrong.................................. 24, 161

Monica R. Carvalho............................................................. 521

Mira Garner............................................................................ 658

Mónica Paez........................................................................... 684

Mireille Haon............................................................................188

Mónica R. Carvalho............................................................647

Mirela Lika.................................................................................. 103

Mònica Utjés-Mascó........................................................ 684

Miren I. Arzac........................................................................... 391

Monika M. Iskander...............................................................42

Miren Irati Arzac....................................................................362

Monika Szczecińska........................................................... 779

Miriam Bravo-Hernández..............................................652

Monique Romeiro Brito.......................................................55

Miriam García Torija.......................................................... 734

Monique Romeiro-Brito.....................................................731

Miriam López-Hinojosa.......................................... 181, 539

Monira Bicalho...........................................................457, 560

Miriam Stock.......................................................................... 556

Monroy-Ata A.........................................................................492

Mirjana Ćuk.............................................................................423

Montse Parada.................................................................... 600

Mirko Salinitro....................................................................53, 121

Montserrat Gutiérrez-Bustillo............................. 104, 153

Mitchell J. Power......................................................................97

Moonlight, P. M...................................................................... 458

Mirjana Roksandic............................................................. 496

Montserrat Arista.............133, 221, 356, 439, 459, 642

Misha Kwasniewski............................................................. 307

Montserrat Vilà........................................................... 533, 745

Mitchell McGlaughlin........................................................402

Morales-Alonso, A...............................................................296

Mit E. McGlaughlin................................................................401

Morales-Manilla L.M...........................................................492

M Kordofani............................................................................ 588

Moreno-Aguilar M.F.......................................................... 506

M’Kalya Motley......................................................................504

Moran Kaminer..................................................................... 372

M. Luisa Buide.........................................................................535

Morgane Dendoncker.......................................................140

M. Luisa Rubio Teso............................................................305

Morgane Milin........................................................................ 742

M. Marianne le Roux...................................... 245, 343, 515

Morgan Gostel........................................................... 500, 649

M. Mar Trigo..............................................................................154

Morgan R. Gostel........................................................ 173, 558

M. Montserrat Martínez-Ortega................................. 247

Morrone J.J..............................................................................492

M. Nazaret Martínez-Gómez........................................360

Mounmemi K. Hubert..........................................................173

Moabe Fernandes...............................................................206

M. Patrick Griffith..................................................................478

Moabe Ferreira Fernandes........................................... 275

M.R. Lundgren........................................................................ 650

Moabe F. Fernandes....................................................27, 517

M. Socorro González-Elizondo............................131, 530

Modesto Berbel.....................................................................532

M. Teresa Boquete..............................................................799

Mohamed Abdelaziz..............................................360, 532

Muhammad Q. Hayat....................................................... 124

Modesto Luceño.......................................131, 293, 730, 781

M. Teresa Gómez-Sagasti.............................................769

Mohamed Djamel Miara.................................................156

Muñoz-Schüler, P.................................................................296

Mohamed Hamimeche.................................................. 272

Munzi Silvana.........................................................................638

Mohammad Amini Rad.................................................. 377

Murphy D.J.............................................................................. 506

Mohamed Kouhen..............................................................349

Muriel Gros-Bhalthazard................................................353

861

XX International
Botanical
Congress
Madrid Spain

Oral presentations

Musoli, Pascal........................................................................ 449

Natalia Rodríguez-Jiménez.........................................340

Muthama Muasya.................95, 131-132, 171, 466, 730

Natalia Ruiz-Vargas..................................................43, 474

Mustafa Raza............................................................................ 37

Natália Roque........................................................................ 337

Mutita Kongphet...................................................................491

Natalia S. Gamova................................................... 683, 751

M. van der Bank.................................................................... 233

Natalia Tkach........................................................................ 608

M. van Loo..................................................................................164

Natalia VizcaínoPalomar..................................................113

M. Ventayol............................................................................... 817

Natalie Blum............................................................................155

M. Victoria O. Espaldon....................................................262

Natalie Forsdick...................................................................... 84

M.W. Belitz................................................................................. 722

Natalie Hoidal......................................................................... 315

Mwihaki J. Karichu............................................................... 128

Natali Hernandez-Ciro....................................................308

Myriam Heuertz..........................................................451, 585

Nataša Fujs..............................................................................248

Natascha D. Wagner....................................451-452, 582

N

Natascha Wagner....................................................550, 631
Natasha Baer........................................................................ 684

Nabasmita Malakar................................................... 73, 748

Natashi L. Pilon......................................................................620

Naczi, Robert F. C.................................................................293

Nathalie Machon........................................................136, 232

Nadia Bystriakova..................................................... 201, 700

Nathan Cornide.....................................................................185

Nadia Massa...........................................................................570

Nathaniel Hofford................................................................504

Nádia Roque...........................................................................558

Nathan J. B. Kraft.................................................................263

Nadine Benda....................................................................... 556

Nathan Muchhala.......................................................168, 710

Nadine De Biasio..................................................................706

Nathan Wales........................................................................353

Nadja Korotkova..................................................................345

Nattapon Nopporncharoenkul....................................271

Nagore G. Medina............. 30, 363, 375, 576, 689, 721

Navarro L...................................................................................250

N. Aguirre...................................................................................587

Navarro-Torre Salvadora.............................................. 707

Naia Morueta-Holme.......................................................667

Nawar Shamaya..................................................................368

Na Li..............................................................................................476

N. Bard......................................................................................... 233

Nallaret Davila Cardozo.................................................263

N.C.S. Ruklani..........................................................................388

Nam V Hoang......................................................................... 241

Ndivhaleni A. Masevhe....................................................385

Nanayakkarawasan Carijjawaththagei

Necmi Aksoy............................................................................ 212

Sumudu Ruklani.....................................................................713

Neil Bell..................................................................455, 541, 576

Nancy C. Garwood.............................................................263

Neil Brummitt.........................................................................542

Nancy Emory........................................................................... 182

Neil Snow......................................................................................97

Nancy F. Refulio-Rodriguez........................................... 617

Nélida Padilla-García.......................................................325

Nan Hu................................................................................35, 453

Nelson Jaramillo..................................................................286

Nan Li...........................................................................................476

Neng Wei...................................................................................470

Nantenaina H. Rakotomalala...........................508, 618

Nerea Navarro.......................................................................305

Nantenaina Rakotomalala........................................... 233

Nerea Turreira-García...................................................... 107

Nan Wang................................................................................520

Nestor A. Ramírez S............................................................442

Napasorn Chuaychoowong..........................................271

Nestor Engone Obiang.......................................................97

Narcisse G. Kamdem....................................................... 695

Nestor González-Roldán................................................. 103

Narjes Yousefi....................................................................... 596

Nestor Raigoza Flores.......................................................200

Nascimento Jr., Daniel Rodrigues............................398

Neus Besolí...............................................................................444

Nasrullah Khan.........................................................................311

Neus Ibáñez...................................................... 533, 684, 805

Natalia A. S. Przelomska.................................................... 94

Neus Nualart.............................. 444, 533, 627, 635, 674,

Natalia Borowska-Zuchowska....................................190

684, 736, 805

Natalia Castaño-Rubiano............................................. 170

Ngan Giang Khong............................................................ 606

Natalia Matysiak...................................................................190

Ngāti Kuri..................................................................................... 84

Natalia Norden......................................................................206

N.G. Medina............................................................................. 722

Natalia Pabon-Mora.............................................. 203, 537

Nianhe Xia.................................................................................810

Natalia Pabón Mora.......................................................... 762

Nian Wang................................................................................ 531

Natalia Pabón-Mora................110, 258, 308, 382, 384

Niccolò Forin...........................................................................225

Natalia Przelomska.................................................... 27, 579

Nicha Thawara.............................................................271, 333

862

XX International
Botanical
Congress
Madrid Spain

Oral presentations

Nicholas C. Le Maitre............................................................ 77

Nikolay A. Vislobokov.................................... 146, 291-292

Nicholas J. Engle-Wrye.........................................493, 583

Nil Escolà-Lamora................................................... 304, 793

Nicholas Gjording...............................................................203

Nikolina Pleić...........................................................................503

Nicholas Kooyers.................................................................802

Nils Ambec...............................................................................542

Nicholas K. Priest................................................................. 668

Nils Bourland..................................................................184, 277

Nicholas Wilding.................................................................... 44

Nils Cronberg........................................................................ 456

Nick Barton................................................................................ 102

Nils Köster...................................................................................731

Nickolas Waser.....................................................................758

Nils Stein....................................................................................780

Nick Scott.......................................................................287-289

Nina Münder............................................................................ 132

Nicky Nicolson........................................................................ 701

Nina Stepanyan-Gandilyan......................................... 124

Nico Cellinese.............................................55, 57, 665, 704

Ning Fu........................................................................................552

Nicola Bergh........................................................................... 723

Nirintsoa Landry Raharinirina..................................... 233

Nicola Biggs.............................................................................619

Niroshini Epitawalage......................................................352

Nicola G. Bergh.............................................. 558, 648, 650

Nisha Owen.............................................................................296

Nicolai M. Nürk.............................................. 77-78, 224, 471

Noel E. Lagunday.................................................................443

Nicola Illing....................................................... 350, 597-598

Noa L.A. Schwabe.................................................................169

Nicolai Nürk................................................................................. 27

Noelia Hidalgo Triana........................................................ 129

Nicolas Blavet........................................................................324

Noelia Vallejo Pedregal....................................................165

Nicolas Bruffaets................................................................... 103

Noemia Morales-Díaz......................................................436

Nicolás Castaño..................................................................339

Nomar Espinosa Waminal.............................................801

Nicola Schmidt...................................................................... 437

Nopparat Anantaprayoon............................................. 314

Nicolás Echarren Lucendo........................................... 464

Nora Gavin-Smyth.............................................................280

Nicolás García........................................................................ 147

Nora H. Oleas...................................................... 74, 684, 694

Nicolas Gentis........................................................................244

Norah Saabnah....................................................................356

Nicolas Herrmann................................................................ 281

Nora Mitchell.......................................................................... 686

Nicolás Lobato......................................................................... 181

Nora Oleas............................................................ 131, 286, 730

Nicolas Peñafiel Loaiza................................................... 694

Nora S. Gavin-Smyth........................................................ 732

Nicolas Rakotosolofo........................................................ 397

Nora Walden...........................................................................239

Nicolas Sierro.........................................................................308

Noriaki Murakami............................................................... 690

Nicolas Texier.........................................................................265

Norma L. Piedra Leandro................................................530

Nicolas Wyler..............................................................................81

Norman A. Douglas........................................................... 669

Nicole J Fenton......................................................................543

Norman J. Wickett..................................................................35

Nicole J. Fenton..........................................................455, 542

Norma Salinas.......................................................................339

Nicole Kearney........................................................................ 65

Noro F. H. Randrianarimanana...................................618

Nicole Mitidieri........................................................................581

Nourou S. Yorou................................................................... 498

Nicole Mitidieri-Rivera....................................................... 714

N. Thompson...........................................................................587

Nicole Tarnowsky...................................................................97

Nunzio J. Knerr.......................................................................667

Nicoletta La Rocca................................................... 140, 607

Núria Beltran-Sanz.............................................................. 187

Nicolette Sipperly................................................................ 737

Núria Beltrán-Sanz.............................................................629

Nicole Zerbetto......................................................................623

Nuria de María.............................................................. 181, 539

Nico M. Franz..............................................................................97

Núria García-Jacas...........................................................304

Niels A. Müller.........................................................................454

Núria Llauradó Nolla..........................................................539

Niels C.A.M. Wagemaker................................................. 221

Núria Roca Pascual............................................................539

Niels Jacobsen........................................................................177

Nursel Ikinci............................................................................... 512

Niels Kappert..........................................................................250

Nusrat Sultana....................................................................... 124

Niiden Ichinnorov................................................................434

N. Verspagen..........................................................................336

Nikhil Gaikwad........................................................................109

Nyree Zerega........................................................................... 715

Nikisha Patel....................................................................44, 218

O

Niklas Lönnell..........................................................................576
Niklaus E. Zimmermann................................................. 548

O. Broennimann...................................................................256

Nikolai Borisjuk........................................................................189

Ogo Iloba..................................................................................803

Nikolai V. Ivanov...................................................................308

863

XX International
Botanical
Congress
Madrid Spain

Oral presentations

Okihito Yano............................................................................294

Oskar Hagen............................................................................ 612

Olaf Werner.............................................................................422

Osorio-Olvera L.O................................................................492

Olaf Bánki....................................................................... 346, 370

Osman A. Gutierrez............................................................553

Olga Fernández-Palacios................................... 274, 396

Osvaldo Valeria....................................................................455

Olga Y. Coronel.....................................................................442

Oswaldo Tellez.......................................................................561

Olga Zafra Delgado............................................................. 69

Otakar Šída..............................................................................269

Olinirina Nanjarisoa........................................................... 233

Otakar Šída O.........................................................................269

Oliver L. Phillips......................................................................263

Otamendi M............................................................................250

Oliver, Margaret G...............................................................790

Otávio Luis M. da Silva.....................................................462

Oliver Marketos.....................................................................597

Ou-Yan Fang...........................................................................160

Oliver Phillips...........................................................................206

Ovidiu Paun................................. 369, 438, 574, 670, 744

Oliver Rupp..............................................................................754Øystein H. Opedal................................. 119, 703-704, 757

Olivia G. Murrell...................................................................... 134

Ozan Şentürk..........................................................................209

Olivia Page-Macdonald.................................................597

P

Olivier Brisset........................................................................... 136

Olivier Broennimann.........................................................254

Pablo Aguado-Ramsay..................................................457

Olivier Coriton........................................................................ 742

Pablo A Pérez Mesa............................................................309

Olivier Hardy.................................................................184, 265

Pablo Ax...................................................................................... 316

Olivier J. Hardy.................................................. 207, 277, 796

Pablo Castro Sánchez-Bermejo............................... 735

Olivier Lachenaud............................................171, 265, 500

Pablo C. Guerrero............................................................... 660

Olivier Maurin......................27, 59, 80, 94, 116, 197, 208,

Pablo García Moro................................ 131, 295, 376, 730

216, 352, 462, 557, 649

Pablo García-Murillo......................................................... 279

Oluwatoyin Ogundipe.........................................................171

Pablo Gómez Barreiro......................................................326

Olwen M. Grace................................................................... 669

Pablo Gómez-Barreiro.................................................... 485

Omar Carmona.....................................................................441

Pablo González-Moreno.................................................335

Onalenna Gwate................................................................ 698

Pablo Gutiérrez de la Peña...........................................795

Ondrej Peksa...........................................................................188

Pablo Hendrigo Alves de Melo......................... 201, 700

Onja Hariveloniaina Morilline Razanamaro....... 133

Pablo Melo................................................................................457

Onja Razafindratsima.........................................................29

Pablo Muñoz-Rodríguez.................................................523

Ooi. M.............................................................................................127

Pablo Perez Mesa................................................................309

Oriana Lino-Villalba............................................................619

Pablo R. Stevenson................................................... 109, 263

Oriana Osinaga Acosta..................................................200

Pablo Tejero................................247-248, 330, 365, 669

Oriane Hidalgo................................. 89, 216, 557, 649, 711

Pablo Tejero Ibarra............................................................ 669

Oriane Loiseau......................................................................687

Pablo Vargas.......................... 76, 80, 175, 264, 375, 666

Orland J. Blanchard Jr.....................................................405

P-A. Christin..............................................................................815

Orlando Alvarez....................................................................545

Paetzold, Claudia................................................................ 773

Orlando O. Ortiz......................................................................731

Paige A. Ellestad...................................................................557

Ormon Sultangaziev.........................................................549

Pajuelo Eloísa......................................................................... 707

Ornela Dehayem Nanwou.............................................. 80

Pakkapol Thaowetsuwan...............................................463

Orsenigo Simone.......................................................280, 773

Palacio-Blasco, Sara......................................................... 331

Ortiz-Bermúdez E.................................................................492

Palacio S....................................................................................250

Orzimat T. Turginov............................................................252

Paloma Cariñanos..............................................................104

Orzimat Turginov.................................................................549

Paloma Ruiz-Benito................................................439, 652

Osamah Alisaw....................................................................438

Paloma Ruiz de Diego......................................................462

Oscar A. Pérez-Escobar.......................... 27, 94, 111, 353,

Pamela Burger......................................................................585

404, 581, 632

Pamela S. Soltis..............11, 211, 301, 476, 583, 720, 745

Oscar B. Wrisberg.................................................................... 31

Pam Soltis...........................................................................75, 710

Òscar Castillo........................................................................ 723

Panayotis Dimopoulos...............................................71, 215

Oscar Lima............................................................................... 742

Pan Li................................................................................... 512-513

Oscar Montero......................................................................353

Pannita Karnjanasrimak.................................................491

Oscar M. Vargas............................................................ 75, 419

Pan-Pan Bai............................................................................428

Oscar Wrisberg..................................................................... 797

864

XX International
Botanical
Congress
Madrid Spain

Oral presentations

Paola De Giorgi.....................................................................336

Pauline Delpeuch................................................................754

Paola G. Santacruz Endara............................................ 139

Paul J.A. Keßler......................................................................578

Paolo Chasi............................................................................ 569

Paul Kenrick.............................................................................. 231

Paola de Lima Ferreira........... 31, 42, 352, 451-452, 558

Pauline Garnier-Géré.......................................................585

Paola S. Colombo................................................................. 261

Paul J. Kersey.................................................................... 59, 80

Paolo Cherubini.....................................................................180

Paul Kersey................................................................................. 27

Paolo Cingano.......................................................................335

Paul M. Peterson........................................................505, 507

Parani Madasamy............................................................. 489

Paulo E.A.S. Câmara..........................................................457

Pär Ingvarsson......................................................................454

Paulo E. Oliveira....................................................................597

Parthraj Kshirsagar.............................................................109

Paulo Eugênio Oliveira.......................................................717

Pascaline Salvado..............................................................532

Paulo Henrique Gaem....................................................... 84

Parvathy Surendranadh.................................................. 102

Paulo Fernandez.................................................................. 337

Pat Heslop-Harrison......................................192, 438, 774

Paulo Muñoz-Schüler.................................... 131, 295, 730

Patricia Barberá......................................97, 332, 507, 709

Paul S. Manos.................................................................78, 658

Pat (J.S.) Heslop-Harrison...............................................271

Paulo N. Bernardino............................................................ 321

Patricia Barberá S............................................................... 332

Paul V.A. Fine...........................................................................263

Patricia Cervigón.................................................................. 153

Paul Verdu................................................................................. 136

Patricia Davila Aranda......................................................561

Pau Montané..........................................................................392

Patrícia dos Santos............................................................475

Pavel A. Nikitin.........................................................................146

Patricia González-Díaz....................................................439

Pavel Skaloud................................................................ 187-188

Patricia Masole.................................................................... 698

Pavel Trávníček.....................................................................269

Patricia Lu-Irving.....................................................................34

Pavel Škaloud..........................................................................188

Patricia Moya.......................................... 187-188, 282-283

Pavel Veselý................................................................565-566

Patricia Rivera..........................................................................137

Pavel Zdvořák......................................................................... 718

Patrícia Tiago.........................................................................636

Paweł Sulima.......................................................................... 779

Patricia W. Chan...................................................................149

P. Barre....................................................................................... 606

Patricio Pliscoff..................................................................... 666

P.B. Kavi Kishor.......................................................................386

Patrick C. Cantuária...........................................................819

Pedro Acevedo-Rodríguez............................................. 511

Patrick G. Cannon...............................................................338

Pedro A. Sosa Henríquez......................................... 69, 273

Patrick Heuret......................................................................... 197

Pedro Carrasco....................................................................283

Patrick Mäder..............................................................434, 524

Pedro Costales-Maestre.................................................159

Patrick Sweeney................................................................... 472

Pedro Jiménez-Mejías............... 43, 130-131, 293, 295,

Patrick S. Herendeen............. 434, 483, 590, 592, 732

Pedro J. Bergamo................................................................624

Patrick Sweeny....................................................................... 182

375-378, 635, 684, 687, 730, 734, 781

Patrick Weigelt...........................................................222, 688

Pedro Juárez............................................................................419

Patrik Mráz.......................................................................718, 725

Pedro L. Ortiz-Ballesteros...............................................642

Patrick W. Sweeney...............................................................97

Pedro L. Ortiz.................................................................356, 439

Patrizia Cesaro......................................................................570

Pedro Luis Ortiz....................................................................... 133

Patxi Heras................................................................................ 421

Pedro L. Viana........................................................................603

Pau Carnicero..................................................589, 653, 725

Pedro Romero........................................................................ 472

Paula Cristina Benetton Vergilio................................196

Pedro Zamora Crescencio................................. 200, 387

Paul A Ashton..........................................................................801

Pedro Talhinhas................................................................... 227

Paula Elomaa........................................................................ 480

P. Eguiguren.............................................................................587

Paula J. Rudall........................................................................ 291

Pei-Han Huang...........................................................160, 802

Paula Ramos................................................................. 181, 539

Pei-Jun Xie...............................................................................662

Paula Rudall..............................................................................177

Pei Liang.....................................................................................476

Paul Ashton.................................................................. 774, 798

Pellicer J...................................................................................... 781

Paula Williamson.................................................................328

Peng-Bin Han........................................................................ 609

Paula Zermoglio......................................................................97

Pengchuan Sun......................................................... 477, 658

Paul Bailey........................................................................35, 208

Peng-Fei Ma............................................ 465, 487, 615, 764

Paúl Gonzáles........................................................................284

Peng-xi CAO............................................................................268

Paul I. Forster..............................................................................61

Penneckamp, D....................................................................296

865

XX International
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Congress
Madrid Spain

Oral presentations

Pepe Haba................................................................................. 56

Philippine Vergeer..............................................................585

Pere Fraga-Arguimbau.................................................... 212

Philipp Porada.......................................................................578

Percy Núñez Vargas..........................................................263

Philipp M. Schlüter..................................................... 169, 760

Pere M. Mir-Rosselló.....................................180, 566, 769

Philipp Resl................................................................................ 314

Per G.P. Ericson......................................................................799

Philip Shushkov...................................................................... 138

Per Stenberg.......................................................................... 456

Philip Thomas....................................................................... 460

Pete Hollingsworth............................................................. 659

Phoebe Swift...............................................................................51

Pete M. Hollingsworth.......................................................790

Phuong T.N. Hoang..............................................................189

Peter Atta-Adjei Junior......................................................172

P. Hurtado Aragüés............................................................. 361

Peter Bellingham................................................................... 84

Phyllis D. Coley.......................................................................687

Peter Breslin.............................................................................474

Pia Marinček...........................................................................452

Peter Chesson....................................................................... 747

Piero Bruschi............................................................................ 261

Peter DeLange..........................................................................74

Pierre Chambrier...................................................................177

Peter C. Jobson..................................................................... 276

Pierre Bonnet................................................................255, 461

Peter D. Erskine.........................................................................54

Pierre Kibleur............................................................................ 138

Peter Fritsch.....................................................................97, 500

Pierre-Luc Chagnon.............................................................52

Peter F Stadler........................................................................309

Pierre-Marc Delaux.............................................................188

Peter Galbusera...................................................................585

Pierre Marraccini................................................................. 606

Peter G. Kennedy................................................................ 658

Pieter Asselman.................................................................... 613

Peter Glasnović..................................................32, 248, 359

Pieter Baas...............................................................................509

Peter Heenan............................................................................ 84

Pieter B. Pelser........................................................................ 337

Peter Hietz.................................................................................263

Pieter De Frenne................................................................... 322

Peter H. Weston..................................................................... 276

Pieter Sanczuk....................................................................... 322

Peter M. Hollingsworth.................................416, 487, 494

Pieter Vanormelingen.........................................................131

Peter K. Endress.....................................................................290

Pieter Vangansbeke.......................................................... 322

Peter M. Hollingworth........................................................300

Pietro Fanchini...................................................................... 589

Peter Moonlight....................................................................380

Pietro Gramazio....................................................................780

Peter Pany.....................................................................600, 786

Pietro K. Maruyama............................................................. 118

Peter Pemberton.................................................................. 367

Pietro Minissale...................................................................... 212

Peter Poschlod........................................................................ 114

Pilar Castro..............................................................................533

Peter Quakenbush................................................................ 56

Pilar Catalán............ 90, 300, 507, 605, 624, 697, 743

Peter R. Crane...................................... 434, 483, 592, 656

Pilar Díaz-Tapia............................................................ 77, 289

Peter Schönswetter......................................406, 608, 725

Pilar Hurtado..................................................... 238, 362, 364

Peterson P................................................................................ 506

Ping Wu.......................................................................... 807-808

Péter Szövényi.....................................................201, 525, 651

Ping Yun.......................................................................................127

Peter W. Fritsch..............................................................78, 408

Pinilla Vargas, María.......................................................... 267

Peter Wilson.............................................................................. 60

Pirada Sumanon...................................................................149

Peter W. Moonlight............................................93, 220, 732

Pironon, S.................................................................................. 458

Peter Wolff............................................................................... 586

Piyakaset Suksathan.............................................. 333, 643

Petra Benyei............................................................................530

P.-L. Rey......................................................................................256

Pete Thrall................................................................................ 699

P. L. Peri.......................................................................................587

Petra Zahájská........................................................................721

P. Muriel...........................................................................587, 595

Petr Bureš...........................................................405, 565-566

P-O. Cheptou..........................................................................815

Petr Pyšek..................................................................................805

Polezhaeva, Maria A..........................................................790

Petr Sklenář............................................................................... 471

Pol Fernández.......................................................................... 89

Petr Šmarda........................................................................... 565

Polina A. Volkova.................................................................. 378

P. Giordani................................................................................. 361

Polina Degtjarenko.............................................................. 313

Philip C. J. Donoghue.........................................................186

Polina Volkova........................................................................156

Philippa Ryan..........................................................................618

Poncet Valérie.......................................................................205

Philipp Brun............................................................................. 548

Poncet, Valérie..................................................................... 449

Philippe Cubry........................................................... 288, 606

Pooja Singh..............................................................................236

Philippe Normand................................................................ 571

Porter P. Lowry...........................................................................97866

XX International
Botanical
Congress
Madrid Spain

Oral presentations

Portia Seble Elorm.................................................................172

Radim J. Vašut....................................................................... 123

P. Raimondeau.......................................................................815

Radomír Řepka........................................................................131

Pratik S. Kamble....................................................................386

Rafaela Cabral Marinho...................................................717

Pradeep K. Divaka................................................................ 312

Radim Vašut...........................................................................452

Pramod Pantha....................................................................238

Raees Khan..............................................................................433

Preeti Saryan.......................................................................... 270

Rafaela Campostrini Forzza.........................................199

Priscila A. Reis.........................................................................226

Rafaela J. Trad............................................................ 208, 210

Princess H. Abu...................................................................... 707

Rafaela Jorge Trad............................................................ 275

Priscila Rodríguez Rodríguez............................... 69, 273

Rafael Assis.............................................................................. 135

Priscilla Muriel.............................................................286, 393

Rafael Cruz...............................................................................204

Priya E. Shelke..........................................................................144

Rafael F. de Almeida............... 210, 233, 508, 618, 809

P. Rosero-Añazco................................................................587

Rafael Figueiredo...................................................................113

Przemyslaw Prusinkiewicz............................................ 480

Rafael G. Albaladejo...........................................................156

P. Sklenář...................................................................................595

Rafael G. Lacalle...................................................................769

P.S. Soltis.................................................................................... 722

Rafael Grajeda-Estrada.................................................. 316

Purificación Alcázar............................................................104

Rafael Jorge León Morcillo............................................706

P. Wincker.................................................................................. 742

Rafael Lira..................................................................................561
Rafael Matos...........................................................................359

Q

Rafael Medina.................................. 44, 74, 218, 635, 676
Rafael Medina Bujalance..................................................74

Qiang Fan................................................................................. 677

Rafael Molina-Venegas.................... 20, 342, 666, 734

Qiang Hao................................................................................. 751

Rafael Nebot R....................................................................... 272

Qiang Wang............................................................................392

Rafael P. Farias.......................................................... 688, 690

Qiaoping Xiang.......................................................... 230, 765

Rafael Rubio de Casas.....................................................108

Qiao-Ping Xiang...................................................................326

Rafael S. Oliveira............................................. 321, 354, 620

Qia Wang...................................................................................661

Rafael Urbina-Casanova............................................... 135

Qiming Long............................................................................520

Raffaela Abbriano............................................................... 783

Qingfeng Wang...........................................................172, 470

Raffaella M. Balestrini........................................................180

Qing-Jun Li.................................................................... 270, 502

R.A Folk........................................................................................ 722

Qing Liu....................................................................192, 271, 604

Rahmatullah Qureshi.......................................................443

Qin Li....................................................................................789, 791

Rahmat Wali Muhammad Faraz Khan.................443

Qiong LA.....................................................................................268

Rainer Melzer..........................................................................526

Qiong Zhang.............................................................................217

Raivo Kalle.................................................................................601

Qipian Chen............................................................................. 431

Rajesh Rajaselvam..............................................................165

Qiulu Meng...............................................................................242

Rajit Gupta................................................................................619

Qiuyue Zhang........................................................................594

Ramakarison N. G................................................................. 86

Qiu-Yue Zhang....................................................................... 471

Ramhari Thapa.....................................................................557

Quanjun Hu..............................................................................788

Ramírez-Barahona S.A....................................................492

Quentin C. Cronk............................................425, 453, 524

Ramiro Chaves.....................................................................478

Quentin Groom...................................................................... 219

Ramona Oviedo Prieto....................................................478

Quentin Mettray.................................................................. 806

Ramón Castillo Torres......................................................820

R

Ramón Perea..........................................................................180

Rampal S. Etienne.......................................................80, 424

Rachael M. Fowler................................................................ 251

Ramsés U. Albarrán Hernández................................607

Rachel Binks.............................................................................. 98

Randall J. Bayer......................................................... 649, 723

Rachel B. Spigler......................................................................62

Ran He........................................................................................... 811

Rachel Day................................................................................414

Rani B. Bhagat.......................................................................545

Rachel D Davis...................................................................... 738

Ranran Zhu................................................................................713

Rachel M. Binks........................................................................ 99

Ran Wei......................................................................................765

Rachel Meyer.............................................................................711

Raquel A. Gomes....................................................................33

Rachel N. Walstead............................................................525

Raquel C. Pizzardo........................................................75, 710

Rachel O. Cohen...................................................................169

Raquel Esteban.....................................................................769

867

XX International
Botanical
Congress
Madrid Spain

Oral presentations

Raquel Linheiro......................................................................818

Resmi Sekarathil.....................................................................57

Raquel Pino Bodas.............................................................. 734

Reyes-Chilpa R.....................................................................492

Ratchuporn Suksathan...................................................643

Reznicek, A................................................................................296

Raquel Negrão........................................... 27, 94, 208, 557

Reto Nyffeler............................................................................. 261

Raquel Tavares.............................................................177, 818

Reyjane P. Oliveira.................................................... 603, 617

Raulf Baur....................................................................................79

R.G. Mateo.................................................................................256

Raúl García-Valdés...........................................................238

Rhea Kahale.............................................................................. 85

Raúl Hoffrén Mansoa........................................................ 672

Rhian Smith.............................................................................435

Raúl Lois.....................................................................43, 131, 730

R.H.J. Erkens.............................................................................336

Raúl Pozner.............................................................................. 257

Rhuthuparna S B..................................................................334

Rauú Castanera...................................................................436

Ricarda Riina................................................... 462-464, 730

Raul Sanchez.................................................................... 38-39

Riadh Moulaï........................................................................... 272

Ray F. Evert................................................................................. 511

Ricardo Arraiano-Castilho...........................................585

Raymond Wightman......................................................... 231

Ricardo A. Segovia................................................................74

Razanamaro O.H.M.............................................................. 86

Ricardo C. Carvalho..........................................................639

Razmik Papikyan...................................................................681

Ricardo Garilleti................................................. 341, 421, 778

R.C. Mehrotra.............................................................. 594, 659

Ricardo Kriebel.............................................................333, 512

R.C. Poquita-Du..................................................................... 281

Ricardo Sánchez-Martín............................................... 680

Rebeca Arias-Real.............................................................362

Ricardo Segovia...................................................................206

Rebeca Cortez Zambrano............................................286

Ricardo Zárate Gómez....................................................263

Rebeca Hernández-Gutiérrez......................... 403-404

Riccardo Guarino................................................................ 279

Rebeca Menchaca..............................................................581

Richard Bateman..................................................................177

Rebecca Austin..................................................................... 737

Richard Cronn.......................................................................803

Rebecca Dicker......................................................................619

Richard Dominique Randriatsitohaina................. 133

Rebecca Dikow....................................................................... 411

Richard Garcia......................................................................238

Rebecca E. Drenovsky............................................681-682

Richard G. Olmstead.......................................................... 251

Rebecca Drenovsky.......................................................... 669

Richard G.J. Hodel............................................................... 677

Rebecca Hilgenhof.....................................................45, 780

Richard Hodel....................................................... 193, 411, 519

Rebecca Irwin........................................................................394

Richard H. Ree...................................46, 150, 471, 548, 791

Rebecca Jordan..................................................................303

Richard K. Rabeler................................................................ 701

Rebecca Sucher................................................................... 332

Richard M. Bateman...................................................91, 634

Rebekah Mohn...........................................................407, 658

Richard Milne..........................................................................788

Rebecca Y. Kartzinel.............................................................97

Richard M. Cowling........................................................... 665

Redondo-Gómez Susana.............................................. 707

Richard P. Phillips................................................................. 707

Reid Selby.................................................................................557

Richard Ree.............................................................................789

Remco Stam.......................................................................... 449

Richard V. Lansdown......................................................... 212

Remi Palard..............................................................................461

Rida Ajmal.................................................................................. 114

Rémy Amice.............................................................................. 89

Ri-Hong Jiang........................................................................326

Renan P. Campos................................................................ 210

Rikki Gumbs.............................................................................296

Renata Carmo-Oliveira....................................................717

R. I. Meneses............................................................................587

Renata Sõukand...................................................................601

Rimjhim Choudhury..........................................................436

Renata T. Telles.....................................................................597

Rimjhim Joshi......................................................................... 237

Renato A. Ferreira de Lima............................................206

Rimjhim Roy Choudhury................................................324

Renato Goldenberg....................................55, 57-58, 731

Rindra M. Ranaivosona....................................................519

Renchao Zhou..........................................................................55

Ritesh K. Choudhary..........................................................567

Rene Meissner.......................................................................225

Rivoharifara Randrianarimanana...........................435

Renee M. Clary....................................................................... 787

Ritu Yadav................................................................................. 176

Rengaian Ganesan............................................................594

R. Jaramillo..............................................................................587

Rengifo Alfonso Nicolás.....................................................112

Roalson, E..................................................................................296

Ren-Ping Su..............................................................................160

Robbie Blackhall-Miles FLS...........................................576

Renske E. Onstein..................29-30, 136, 388, 564, 612

Roberta Gargiulo.................................................................585

Renske Onstein.............................................................32, 645

Roberta L.C. Dayrell........................................................... 485

868

XX International
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Congress
Madrid Spain

Oral presentations

Roberta Mason-Gamer..........................................43, 474

Roger Hyam.................................................................246, 344

Robert Damo..........................................................................386

Róisín Fattorini...................................................................... 480

Robert A. Raguso.................................................................692

Roisin Fattorini........................................................................419

Robert F.C. Naczi.....................................................................131

Rokiman Letsara.........................................................723, 818

Robert F. C. Naczi.......................................................130, 555

Roman A. Volkov.................................................................... 191

Robert Guralnick................................................................. 665

Roman Gmür..........................................................................769

Robert Hadfield...................................................................... 314

Roman Kellenberger...............................................419, 480

Robert Hasterok.......................................................... 190, 743

Roman Matyášek.................................................................. 191

Robert Ingle.............................................................................597

Romano-Rodríguez Elena............................................. 707

Robert J. Morley....................................................................352

Roman Volkov.......................................................................... 191

Robert Johnson.......................................................................97

Romer N. Rabarijaona.......................................................519

Robert J. Soreng........................................................505, 507

Romuald Wojnicz..................................................................190

Robert Morley.........................................................................354

Ronald A. Pardo....................................................................309

Robert Lücking.................................................282, 749-750

Romulo Segovia-Ugarte................................................. 517

Roberto F. Nespolo...............................................................610

Ronell R Klopper....................................................................344

Roberto Garilleti................................................................... 375

Ronell R. Klopper........................................................245, 343

Roberto Ligrone....................................................................676

Ronen Shtein................................................................444, 818

Roberto L. Salomón............................................................769

Rong Li.......................................................................................... 812

Roberto Núñez.......................................................................330

Rong Liu........................................................................................217

Roberto Resendes...........................................274, 330, 818

Rong-Show Shen..................................................................514

Robert P. Freckleton...........................................................338

Rong Zhang..............................................................................516

Robert P. Guralnick.....................................................211, 583

Ron Kraaiveld.......................................................................... 221

Robert Sadler........................................................................ 650

Ronny Roessler......................................................................398

Robert S. Boyd.........................................................................727

Roosevelt García-Villacorta........................................263

Robert S. Hill.............................................................................433

Rosa A. Scherson................................................................ 666

Robert VanBuren................................................................. 573

Rosabelle Samuel............................................ 73, 670, 744

Robert Vogt...................................................... 358, 556, 584

Rosa Febles.................................................................. 274, 396

Robert W. Scotland.............................................................523

Rosalba Cipriani........................................................ 623, 706

Robin Burns..................................................................... 88, 300

Rosalia Piñeiro.......................................................................708

Robin Fernandez Hilario.....................................................57

Rosalía Piñeiro.......................................................................450

Rob Ingle................................................................................... 598

Rosalina Gabriel................................................................... 287

Robin van Velzen................................................................. 347

Rosa M. Ros..............................................................................422

Rob Smissen............................................................................. 84

Rosana López..............................................................486, 769

Robyn C. Cowan.................................................................... 116

Rosana Tidon............................................................................47

Robyn Cowan........................................................................352

Rosana Zenil-Ferguson........................................ 407, 432

Rocio Deanna...........................................................................23

Rosane Collevatti................................................................354

Rocío Pérez-Barrales........................................................ 702

Rosa Pérez-Badia................................................................. 103

Rocio Ploschuk......................................................................769

Rosa Pérez-Badía.................................................................104

Rocío Ruiz Mata.....................................................................154

Rosario G. Gavilán García............................................ 589

Rocío Ruiz-Mata....................................................................154

Rosario G. Gavilán.................................................. 589, 654

Roderick W. Bouman............................................................ 77

Rosario R. Rubite.....................................................................93

Rodolfo Gentili....................................................................... 673

Rosa Sánchez-Lucas............................................................51

Rodolfo Vasquez Martínez............................................263

Rose Andrew........................................................................... 367

Rodrigo Cámara-Leret.......................22, 108, 204, 352,

Roseane R. dos Santos...................................................... 88

522, 696

Rose L. Andrew.............................................................. 99-100

Rodrigo Duno De Stefano..............................................200

Roselyne Buccal...................................................................749

Rodrigo Márquez-Sanz.....................................................816

Roselyne Buscail..................................................................633

Rodríguez-Llorente Ignacio D..................................... 707

Rosemary Newton...............................................................414

Roel Brienen............................................................................263

Rosenber Hurtado..................................................................74

Roger Butlin............................................................................ 694

Roser Melero...........................................................................805

Roger Cain...............................................................................744

Roser Vilatersana............................................................... 584

Roger Golding........................................................................ 774

Rosina Magaña Ugarte.............................572, 589, 654

869

XX International
Botanical
Congress
Madrid Spain

Oral presentations

Rossano Bolpagni............................................................... 792

Ryonen Butcher...................................................................... 99

Ross D. Stewart...................................................................... 233

Ryosuke Iritani..........................................................................311

Roswitha Elisabeth Schmickl...................................... 446

S

Roswitha Schmickl......................................... 471, 724, 726

Rowan J. Schley....................................................................708

Saarela J.M............................................................................. 506

Rowan Schley........................................... 208, 277, 416, 515

Sabela Quirós........................................................................308

Roy E. Gereau......................................................................... 332

Sabina Donadío...........................................................131, 730

Roy Erkens................................................................................. 221

Sabina Villadangos...........................................................769

Roy González-M...................................................................206

Sabine Rumpf..........................................................................317

Roy H.J. Erkens.......................................................................593

Sabine von Mering................................................................ 65

Roy R.H. Erkens........................................................................ 139

Sabrina Träger............................................................. 68, 585

R. Pérez-Badia........................................................................106

Sacha Grisel.............................................................................188

R.P. Guralnick.......................................................................... 722

Sadaf Habib............................................................................476

R. Rocha de Oliveira............................................................ 361

Sadanand.................................................................................594

R. Sánchez................................................................................798

Saddam Saqib......................................................................470

R. Schmickl................................................................................164

S. A. Duchicela.......................................................................587

R. Sedricke C. Lapuz........................................................... 337

Sahr Mian.................................................................................... 94

R. Shawn Abrahams..........................................................495

Saket Shrotri............................................................................ 367

R. Toby Pennington........208, 275, 278, 517, 687, 708

Saleh Alseekh.........................................................................309

Rubén Amigo...........................................................................105

Sally Archibald......................................................................602

Rubén G. Mateo....................................................................254

Sally Poncet..............................................................................414

Rubén Martín-Sánchez...................................................769

Salma Balazadeh................................................................. 138

Rubén M.C. Rego.................................................................. 227

Salvador Arenas-Castro..................................... 335, 576

Rúben M.C. Rego....................................................... 274, 330

Salvador Chiva................................................ 187, 282-283

Rúben Rego..............................................................................818

Salvador Guzmán-Díaz................................................... 613

Rubén Sancho....................................................90, 300, 743

Salvatore Cozzolino...........................................................760

Rubén Torices.............................................................. 312, 692

Salvatore Pasta..................................................................... 212

Rubim Almeida.....................................................................585

Salvatore Tomasello.........40, 157, 523, 697, 718, 728

R. Ufimov.....................................................................................164

Samaila Samaila Yaradua..............................................171

Ruichen Xiang........................................................................765

Samaila S. Yaradua............................................................ 216

Rui Seabra................................................................................576

Samantha Bazan.................................................................140

Ruiwei Yang..............................................................................441

Samantha Naibauer.........................................................402

Ruiz A............................................................................................250

Samira Gurbanli...................................................................784

Rune Fromm Andersen...................................................740

Sami Touafchia..........................................................508, 616

Rune Vanbeylen.................................................................... 138

Sam McCarren..................................................................... 598

Rusi Lata....................................................................................622

Sam Pironon...........................................................................296

Russell Barrett.................................................... 193-194, 208

Samuel Belton.......................................................................288

Russell L Barrett.................................................................... 466

Samuele Gerace..................................................................404

Russell L. Barrett............................. 116, 193, 276, 405, 518

Samuel F. Brockington.......................................... 298, 537

Rute Coimbra........................................................................ 498

Samuel Gámez-Arcas.....................................................706

Ruth Jaén-Molina....................................................... 80, 272

Samuel Pironon............................................. 352, 565-566

Rut Sánchez de Dios................................................733, 735

Samuel Vanden Abeele..................................................796

Ruttink Tom..............................................................................205

Samuli Lehtonen............................................ 222, 563, 709

R.W. Scotland.............................................................................43

Sam Yap.................................................................................... 279

Ryan A. Folk.............................147, 211, 217, 493, 583, 648

Sander Boisen........................................................................365

Ryan Andrew Folk................................................................ 270

Sander de Backer.................................................................415

Ryan F.A. Brewer..................................................................... 80

Sander van Zon....................................................................240

Ryan Folk.................................................................................... 210

Sandra Cervantes..............................................................796

Ryan S. Fuller............................................................................ 791

Sandra Citterio...................................................................... 673

Ryan Tangney.............................................................279, 440

Sandra Knapp......4, 65, 199, 220, 380-381, 732, 780

Rykkar Jackson.....................................................................224

Sandra Navas........................................................................ 733

Ryoka Nakamura.................................................................. 351

870

XX International
Botanical
Congress
Madrid Spain

Oral presentations

Sandra Sacristán-Bajo................................................... 448

Sara M. Moledor.................................................................... 707

Sandrine Gallois.........................................................599, 601

Sara Palacio............................................248, 365, 669, 681

Sandrine Chay...................................................................... 728

Sara Natale.................................................................... 140, 607

Sandrine Godefroid................................................... 32, 342

Sara Pinosio............................................................................450

Sandrine Isnard.....................................................53-54, 197

Sara Santamarina..............................................................457

Sandro Lanfranco......................................................212, 792

Sara Vicente............................................................................818

Sandy Knapp.............................................................................45

Sara Villén-Pérez.................................................................652

Sandy-Lynn Steenhuisen.............................................. 698

Sarawood Sungkaew........................................................616

Sandy Toledo........................................................................ 660

Särkinen, T............................................................................... 458

Sangay Dema.......................................................................... 99

Sarmoum Mohamed........................................................482

Sangchul Choi....................................................................... 378

Saroj Ruchisansakun..................................... 271, 333, 491

Sangeeta Rajbhandary.....................................................93

Saša Stefanović....................................................................414

Sangtae Kim............................................. 184, 377-378, 781

Sasha Cárdenas...................................................................109

Santhosh Nampy........................................................ 57, 334

Saule Abugalieva................................................................549

Sanika Goray......................................................................... 644

Satishkumar M Khadia....................................................305

Santiago-Alvarado M.......................................................492

Saúl Hoyos-Gómez............................................................339

Santiago C. González-Martínez..................................451

S. Beck.........................................................................................587

Santiago Andrés-Sánchez........................................... 723

Sayantika Banerjee............................................................. 571

Santiago Fernández-Rodríguez.................................104

Schmickl, Roswitha............................................................ 267

Santiago Madriñán............................................................ 637

Schmitt, I..................................................................................... 281

Santiago Martín-Bravo.131, 295, 375-376, 378, 466,
635, 687, 730, 781

S.C.K. Rubasinghe................................................................388

Scott A. Hodges....................................................................755

Santiago Ramírez.................................................................419

Scott A. Mangan...................................................................705

Santiago Ramírez-Barahona..............................23, 668

Scott G. Ward.........................................................................400

Santiago Vilanova..............................................................780

Scott J. Davidson..................................................................541

Sanwen Huang...........................................................520-521

Scott Jensen............................................................................ 135

Sanz-Arnal, M.........................................................................296

S. Cuello.....................................................................................587

Saphira Bloom-Quinn.........................................................34

S. Delaunay............................................................................. 606

Sara Frasca............................................................................. 372

Seana Walsh................................................................ 155, 783

Sara Freitas.............................................................................450

Sean Stankowski................................................................... 102

Sarah B. Carey.......................................................................526

Sean W. Graham.................................................................. 517

Sarah Breitenbach............................................................. 437

Sebastian Gebauer.................................................... 131, 377

Sarah C. Irvin.............................................................................54

Sebastián González-Caro.............................................339

Sarah Eder................................................................................358

Sebastian Melrose.................................................................711

Sarah Greenwwod..............................................................363

Sebastian Mortimer.......................................................... 499

Sarah J. McInnes..................................................................440

Sebastian Nillies...................................................................522

Sarah K. Morris.......................................................................663

Sebastiano Nigris.......................................... 256, 623, 706

Sarah Mathews...........................................................405, 591

Sebastian Pipins.................................................77, 296, 734

Sarah M. Fiedler.................................................................... 736

Sebastian Schornack........................................................ 231

Sarah M. Müller........................................................................ 96

Sebastián Tello........................................ 74, 200, 390, 621

Sarah Morris.............................................................................198

Sébastien Gallet.................................................................. 806

Sarah Pene.............................................................................. 770

Sébastien Lavergne................................................549, 724

Sarah Phillips..........................................................................226

Sébastien Miche......................................................................81

Sarah P. Otto...........................................................................369

Sébastien Mirolo.................................................................. 287

Sarah Saadain......................................................................574

Seema N. Sheth....................................................................303

Sarah T. Wagner..................................................................348

Se-Eun Jung........................................................................... 378

Sarah Vincent.......................................................................... 65

Segundo Oliva........................................................................581

Sara Jawdy............................................................................... 741

Seheno Andriantsaralaza................................................29

Sara Laura Šarančić..........................................................503

Selene Napsucialy-Mendivil........................................607

Sara Lopes...............................................................................445

Semakaleng Mpai............................................................... 323

Sara Martín-Hernanz.................................................80, 156

Sen Li............................................................................................. 531

Sara Martín. Teresa Garnatje......................................635

Seon-Hee Kim........................................................................424

871

XX International
Botanical
Congress
Madrid Spain

Oral presentations

Seppe Top................................................................................. 138

Shawn K. Y. Lum.......................................................................79

Serafin J. R. Streiff...................................................................36

Shawn Thomas.....................................................................495

Serafin J.R. Streiff.................................................................593

Shawn Laffan................................................... 645, 665, 667

Serafin Streif.............................................................................614

Shawn W. Laffan...................................................................667

Seraina E. Rodewald...........................................................818

Shayla Salzman......................................................... 427, 479

S. Erb..............................................................................................106

Shelley A. James........................................................370, 372

Şerban Procheş.....................................................................145

Shelley A. Rowntree.............................................................100

Sergey A. Lednev.................................................................683

Shengdan Wu........................................................................476

Serge D. Muller........................................................................ 212

Shengchen Shan.................................................................802

Sergey R. Mayorov..............................................................683

Sheng-Dan Wu.....................................................................802

Sergey Rosbakh.......................................................... 115, 655

Shengman Lyu....................................................................... 813

Sergey Shabala......................................................................127

Shengrui Yao..........................................................................780

Sergey V. Dudov.................................................................... 751

Shengwei Wang...................................................................470

Sergi Munné Bosch............................................................. 391

Sheng-Yuan Qin..................................................................764

Sergi Munné-Bosch...........................................................769

Shenyi Wang........................................................................... 512

Sergio Armando Fuentes Agueda.......................... 640

Shibata Arisa..........................................................................424

Sergio A. Salazar..................................................................442

Shifeng Cheng.......................................................................516

Sergio Chozas........................................................................635

Shih-Hui Liu.............................................................................. 782

Sergio Chozas.............................................................635, 766

Shihao Su..................................................................................384

Sergio Javier Andrango Guayasamín..................286

Shi-Qian Yao......................................................................... 609

Sergio M. Latorre..................................................................369

Shirasu Ken..............................................................................424

Sergio Muriel................................................................364, 682

Shi-Shun Zhou........................................................................160

Sergio Pérez Gorjón.............................................................816

Shi-Xiong Yang.......................................................................217

Sergio Pérez-Ortega..............................................283, 628

Shiyu Qin.....................................................................................816

Sergio Rossi.............................................................................440

Shogo Ikari................................................................................148

Sergio R. S. Cevallos-Ferriz............................................595

Shogo Kawamura...............................................................525

Sérgio T. Freitas........................................................................33

Shook Ling Low.............................................................718, 725

Serhii Mykhailyk.....................................................................190

Shouzhou Zhang..................................................................476

Ser-Oddamba Byambadorj........................................244

Shrirang R. Yadav.................................................................144

Sershen.......................................................................................145

Shuai Liao................................................................................. 753

Seth D. Musker..........................................................................78

Shuai Wang............................................................................ 605

Seth Musker................................................................................ 77

Shuchun Liu.............................................................................476

Seung-Chul Kim............................................... 159, 164, 424

Shu-Feng Li...............................................................................410

Seungyeon Lee..................................................................... 378

Shui-Hu Jin.............................................................................. 677

Sevcan Celenk....................................................................... 103

Shui-Yin Liu..............................................................................764

Seyedeh Sanam Kazemi Shahandashti............... 90

Shuji Shigenobu...................................................................525

Seyram Kumordzi..................................................................172

Shukherdorj Baasanmunkh......................................... 752

S. Gariglio................................................................................... 361

Shuo Cao..................................................................................520

Shagdar Tsooj........................................................................ 124

Shuren Zhang...........................................................................131

Shahin Zarre............................................................................209

Shyamali Roy...............................................................216, 649

Shalani Parmar.....................................................................354

Shyam S. Phartyal................................................................. 115

S. Halloy......................................................................................587

Shyryn Almerekova............................................................549

Shalom P. Mashile...............................................................385

Sibo Wang................................................................................476

Shan Kothari...........................................................................224

Si-Chong Chen....................................................................... 115

Shannon C.K. Straub.........................................................803

Siddharthan Surveswaran.................................... 27, 647

Shannon C. K. Straub...................................................26, 28

Sidonie Bellot..........................................352-353, 416, 564

Shannon Fehlberg..............................................................328

Siegmar Seidel........................................................................ 96

Shanshan Dong....................................................................476

Sigrid Liede-Schumann.......................................... 27, 224

Shaohua Xu............................................... 373, 431, 606, 713

Sijin Zeng....................................................................................810

Shao-Jun Ling......................................................................... 46

Silva Filho, Wellington Ferreira....................................398

Shao Shao........................................................... 373, 431, 606

Silvana Munzi.........................................................................635

Shawn K. Thomas................................................................ 323

Silvano Lodetti................................................ 589, 653, 655

872

XX International
Botanical
Congress
Madrid Spain

Oral presentations

Silvia Alvarez Clare............................................................. 297

Sofia Esteban Hernández..............................................607

Silvia Assolari.......................................................................... 167

Sofia Nilsson............................................................................602

Sílvia Castro.......................................... 248, 359-360, 445

Sofía Rojas Contreras.......................................................309

Silvia Alvarez-Clare................................................205, 298

Sofia Martini............................................................................ 322

Silvia Bacci................................................................................561

Sofía Rojas-Contreras.....................................................309

Silvia Del Vecchio................................................................784

Sofía Ruiz Cano.................................................................... 689

Silvia Machado.....................................................................395

Sofia Stocco............................................................................. 187

Silvia Moschin..............................................................140, 256

Sofie Meeus.....................................................................219, 415

Silvia Poponessi....................................................................423

Sofie Pearson......................................................................... 473

Silvia Pressel.....................................................455, 674, 676

Solano-Sanchéz William................................................205

Silvia Sabariego.................................................................... 153

Solene Roque........................................................................ 806

Silvia T. S. Miotto.................................................................... 210

Song Ge........................................................................... 448, 712

Silvia Vignolini.......................................................................... 161

Sonia Celestini.......................................................................504

Simona Niculescu............................................................... 272

Sònia Garcia............................................ 189, 192, 444, 805

Simon Beurel..........................................................................657

Sonia Merinero........................................................... 293, 576

Simone Cappellari-Rabeling.........................................47

Sonia Molino................................................74, 116, 563, 635

Simone Fior.......................................................................92, 158

Sonia Molino de Miguel...................................................563

Simone Orsenigo..................... 166, 553, 589, 653, 655

Sonia Palacios.......................................................................390

Simonetta Bagella............................................................... 212

Sonia Sarmiento Cabello....................................... 69, 273

Simon J. Greenhill................................................................... 21

Sonja Yakovlev........................................................................ 85

Simon J. Mayo...................................................................... 465

Sonny Lee..................................................................................503

Simon Martin..........................................................................325

Sontosh K. Deb......................................................................504

Simon Pesant.........................................................................555

Soon Li Teh............................................................................... 307

Simon Taugourdeau..........................................................140

Sophia V. Yudina................................................................... 291

Simon T. Segar.......................................................................451

Sophie C. Simon...................................................................574

Simon V. Corrales.......................................................718, 725

Sophie Dauerman.............................................................. 472

Simon Verlynde....................................................................633

Sophie Karrenberg..................................................452, 454

Simpson L................................................................................ 506

Sophie Maiwald..........................................................192, 444

Siobhan Brady.......................................................................675

Sophie Naylor.......................................................................... 315

Sinan Gürlek............................................................................542

Sophie Nadot.............................................................. 234, 754

Siobhan Leachman............................................................. 65

Søren Faurby................................................................612, 696

Si-Qi Liang................................................................................326

Soreng R.J................................................................................ 506

Siri Fjellheim............................................................................602

Sotiria Boutsi...........................................................................642

Sirli Leython..............................................................................286

Soumyadev Sarkar............................................................503

Sırrı Yüzbaşıoğlu.................................................................. 446

Špela Pungaršek..................................................................607

Si-Si Zheng.............................................................................. 484

Spencer C.H. Barrett.............................................. 596, 598

Sissi Lozada-Gobilard............................................703, 757

S. Píšová......................................................................................164

Sitaram Rajaraman..............................................................79

Sreetama Bhadra.............................................................. 564

Siti-Aminah Mohamad.................................................... 571

Sridevi Sureshkumar.........................................................368

Sitthivut Charoensutthivarakul...................................491

Stacey D. Smith............................................................... 24, 161

Siwei Hu..................................................................................... 484

Stacy Holt..................................................................................802

Siwi A.W. Astuti.......................................................................574

Stan Blum................................................................................. 370

S. Joseph Wright..................................................................263

Stanislav Španiel.................................................................358

Skylar Graves.......................................................................... 182

Staša Simčič...........................................................................359

S. Ksouda....................................................................................815

Starr, Julian R..........................................................................293

Slavica Ivanovic.................................................................... 221

Stefan Abrahamczyk........................................................475

S. Manzi........................................................................................815

Stefan de Folter....................................................................759

S. Mota de Oliveira............................................................... 817

Stefan Dötterl..............................................................369, 643

Snow N.W................................................................................. 506

Stefan Fallert..........................................................................255

Snæbjörn Pálsson...............................................................585

Stefan dullinger.................................................................... 725

Socorro González Elizondo...............................................43

Stefania Bottega..................................................................785

Sofía Bueno.............................................................................365

Stefanie M. Ickert-Bond...................152, 306, 429, 568

873

XX International
Botanical
Congress
Madrid Spain

Oral presentations

Stefanie Ramos Bierge....................................................528

Summaira Riaz............................................................520-521

Stefan Milošević.................................................................. 496

Sumudu C. K. Rubasinghe...............................................713

Stefano Martellos...................................................................70

Sunil Kumar Sahu................................................................476

Stefano Barbieri..................................................................... 182

Sungsik Kong.......................................................................... 378

Stefano Mazzoleni...............................................................243

Supannika Phromkhlibnin............................................. 333

Stefan Porembski.................................................................. 161

Suparerk Borwornpinyo...................................................491

Stefan Prost.............................................................................225

Surabhi Ranavat...................................................................184

Stefan Siebert........................................................................365

Surendra K. Gond................................................................622

Stefan Wuchty.......................................................................553

Sureshkumar Balasubramanian..............................368

Stela Vlajos-Gómez...........................................................248

Surya Sapkota....................................................................... 307

Stella Huynh............................................................................444

Susana Coelho.....................................................................526

Stella Moreno-Grau............................................................104

Susana Magallón........................................7, 23, 480, 590

Stephan Beck........................................................................... 94

Susana Redondo-Gómez..............................................639

Stéphane Dray...................................................................... 728

Susana Rodríguez...............................................................206

Stéphane Dreano............................................................... 806

Susana Tapia.........................................................................766

Stéphane M. Bailleul..........................................................452

Susana Valencia Avalos................................................205

Stephan Gale.........................................................................580

Susana Vega...........................................................................198

Stephanie L. Payne............................................................ 698

Susan Fawcett..........................................................................34

Stephanie Goedderz.......................................................... 631

Susana Vega-Betancur..................................................285

Stephanie Lyon...................................................................... 631

Susan K. Pell................................................................................41

Stephanie Ruaud..................................................................651

Susan Liedtke........................................................................... 90

Stephanie Steele.................................................................. 327

Susan Meades.......................................................................365

Stephan Scholz.............................................................80, 426

Susanna Koivusaari...........................................................704

Stephen A. Smith.................................. 365, 516, 583, 591

Susanne E. Hamburger....................................................574

Stephen D. Hopper............................................................ 809

Susanne Pamperl..................................................... 754, 760

Stephen I. Wright.................................................................369

Susanne Schilling................................................................526

Stephen J. Bent...........................................................580, 631

Susanne S. Renner................................................... 477, 658

Stephen McLoughlin..........................................................592

Susanne Suvanto................................................................652

Stephen P. DiFazio...............................................................453

Susanne Vetter......................................................................198

Stephen Smith.................................................................75, 710

Susann Wicke.........................................................................651

Sterling A. Herron................................................................. 327

Susan R. Strickler..................................................................803

Steven B. Janssens....................................................277, 415

Susan Rutherford................................................................. 222

Steven D. Johnson............................................... 11, 357, 815

Sushil Dahal........................................................................... 648

Steven D. Leavitt.................................................................... 314

Susie McLaughlin.................................................................504

Steven Dodsworth................................................................ 94

Su Tao..........................................................................................594

Steven M. Smith.....................................................................661

Suvrat Kotagal........................................................................ 761

Steven P. Bachman............................................................352

Suzanne Mogue.......................................................................171

Steven R. Manchester........................................................ 521

S. Valière.....................................................................................815

Stuart F. McDaniel...............................................................405

Svea Hall....................................................................................704

Stina Weststrand.......................................................234, 767

S. Vautrin....................................................................................815

Stuart McDaniel.................................................................... 778

Sven Bacher................................................................ 533-534

Subbaiah Mechanda........................................................224

Sven Batke............................................................................... 774

Sue Bower.................................................................................474

Svenja Wanke............................................................ 536, 586

Suchandra R. Dutta............................................................. 120

Svenja Nötzold........................................................................651

Sue Zmarzty............................................................................462

Svent Griep..............................................................................754

Suhua Shi...........................................373, 431, 531, 606, 713

Sven Winter..................................................................225, 585

Suhyeon Park..........................................................................184

Svetlana Shishkova...........................................................607

Sukaibin Sumail..................................................................... 571

Swaroopa A. Patil................................................................386

Sukhraj Kaur............................................................................. 120

Syd Ramdhani........................................................................145

Suleyman Kizil........................................................................ 278

Sylvain Loubery..................................................................... 677

Sumaira Zaman...................................................................476

Sylvain Merlot............................................................................53

Sumitra K. Choudhary......................................................258

Sylvain Razafimandimbison....... 397, 500, 723, 808

874

XX International
Botanical
Congress
Madrid Spain

Oral presentations

Sylvain Santoni............................................................ 551, 818

Tejero P.......................................................................................250

Sylvia Hay..................................................................................166

Tendani Mavhila..................................................................364

Sylvia Orli......................................................................................97

Teng Zhang............................................................................ 480

Sylvia Pal-Stolsmo..............................................................602

Teodoro Clase.......................................................................353

Sylvie Ferrand........................................................................353

Teresa Garnatje.................124, 189, 216, 600-601, 635

Sylvia P. Kinosian.....................................................................91

Tepe, Eric................................................................................... 379
Teresa Goicolea...................................................................254

T

Teresa Malvar-Ferreras.................................................. 247

Teresa Morán-López.......................................................... 319

Tahereh Maleki....................................................................... 261

Terezie Mandáková.158, 191, 324, 357, 436, 719, 742

Taibo Liang...............................................................................441

Terry D. Macfarlane.......................................... 99, 291, 467

T’ai G.W. Forte............................................................... 319, 653

Tetsuya Higashiyama......................................................384

Tajinder Singh...........................................................................211

Tetsuya Matsui......................................................................674

Takayuki Shiono.......................................................... 147-148

T. Fér...............................................................................................164

Takeshi Yajima....................................................................... 351

T Fremout................................................................................. 588

Takuji Hoshino....................................................................... 377

T. Goicolea...............................................................................256

Takuto Shitara.......................................................................674

Thaabiet Parker........................................................ 648, 650

Tallón Elena, Marina...........................................................561

Thais Almeida........................................................................563

Tamara Heartsill-Scalley...............................................206

Thais N. Vasconcelos...........................................................62

Tamara Pazos................................................... 187, 282-283

Thaíssa Boldieri de Souza............................................. 466

Tamara Villaverde............................... 132, 251, 295, 378,

Thais Vasconcelos..........................................83, 469, 795

462, 464, 687, 730, 781

Thales Silva-Coutinho.....................................................404

Tamer Albayrak....................................................................585

Thaya Jenjittikul..........................................................271, 333

Tamiris D. Lima.........................................................................62

Thea E. Kongsted.................................................................. 781

Tammy L. Elliott..............................................466, 565-566

Theodora Petanidou.......................................................... 213

Tanawadee Khumpanied..............................................491

Theodore Allnutt.................................................................... 60

Tanguy Jaffré............................................................................54

Theodore Lefébvre.............................................................. 174

Tania Hernández-Hernández...........................185, 668

Theodore R. Allnutt....................................................... 59, 80

Tanja M. Schuster................................................................ 736

Theodore S. Brook...............................................................474

Tanja Slotte............................................................... 9, 221, 355

Theresa A. Mustacchio....................................................760

Tankred Ott..............................................................................358

Therese Mandracchia.........................................................28

Tan Qin........................................................................................481

T. Hernandez-Verdeja..................................................... 650

Tao Ding.....................................................................................326

Thiago André........................................................................... 381

Tao Fujiwara.......................................................................... 690

Thiago Cobra e Monteiro................................................ 210

Tao Ma........................................................................................453

Thibaud F.E. Messerschmid............................... 475, 574

Tao Su...........................................................................................410

Thibauld Michel....................................................................522

Tao Wang.................................................................................470

Thibault Durieux...................................................................230

Tao Xiong.................................................................................. 763

Thibault Leroy.........................................................................574

Tara de Silva.............................................................................. 73

Thierry Robert........................................................................... 85

Tarin Toledo.............................................................................561

Thilo Krueger...........................................................................407

Tariq Stévart................................................................265, 633

Thomas Abeli.......................... 85, 96, 166-167, 523, 728

Taryn Fuentes......................................................................... 147

Thomas A. Kursar................................................................687

Taryn Fuentes-Castillo................................................... 666

Thomas A.M. Pugh..............................................................652

Tashi Norbu.............................................................................. 812

Thomas Borsch....................................................74, 345, 731

Tatiana Arias..........................................................................495

Thomas Buckley..................................................................... 84

Tatyana Livshultz............................................................26, 97

Thomas Couvreur...............................................................352

T. Borsch.....................................................................................610

Thomas de Solan................................................................534

Teagan Mulford..................................................................... 314

Thomas Drouet.....................................................................265

Ted Chapman...................................................................... 485

Thomas Gatter......................................................................309

Ted R. Feldpausch...............................................................263

Thomas Haevermans............................................508, 616

Teerna Saugata Khastgir..............................................438

Thomas Holzweber.............................................................814

Tejero-Ibarra, Pablo........................................................... 331

Thomas J. Givnish........................................... 149, 512, 686

875

XX International
Botanical
Congress
Madrid Spain

Oral presentations

Thomas Kichey.................................................................... 806

T.L.P. Couvreur........................................................................336

593, 612, 614-615, 695

Tobias G. Köllner..................................................................... 69

Thomas L.P. Couvreur.................................31, 36, 139, 171,

Tobias, A.B................................................................................544

Thomas Marcussen...........................................................796

Toby Mills......................................................................................93

Thomas N. Buckley.............................................................. 175

Toby Pennington.................................206, 208, 275, 278,

Thomas O’Halloran............................................................ 237

517, 687, 708

Thomas Paillot........................................................................461

Todd G. B. McLay......................................................59, 61, 80

Thomas Ruhland.................................................................348

Todd McLay.................................................59-60, 208, 405

Thomas Vanneste.............................................................. 322

Todd Michael................................................................ 189, 257

Thompson E.J........................................................................ 506

Tomasello, Salvatore..............................................522, 773

Thorsten H. Lumbsch......................................................... 312

Tomasz Suchan................................................................... 608

Thomsen. A................................................................................127

Tomáš Fér..................................................................... 269, 446

Thuane Bochorny.................................................................. 58

Tom A. Williams.....................................................................186

Thundiathu T. Binoy...........................................................490

Tom Carruthers......................................................... 523, 667

Tiana F. Rehman.....................................................................97

Tom Le Breton.........................................................................166

Tiana Randriamboavonjy............................................. 233

Tommaso Anfodillo.............................................................137

Tian-Chuan Hsu...................................................................632

Tommi Nyman......................................................................452

Tiangang Gao......................................................................... 124

Tom Morgenstern...................................................................121

Tianhao Zhang......................................................................520

Tomoha Tanaka...................................................................525

Tian-Rui Wang............................................................160, 484

Tomomi Masaki.................................................................... 378

Tian Tang..................................................................................430

Tom Schils............................................................................... 568

Tianyu Lei..................................................................................756

Tongming Yin.........................................................................453

Tianyu Dong............................................................................520

Tom Wells.........................................................................44, 523

Tian Zhang............................................................................... 257

Tong Wei....................................................................................476

Tiina Särkinen...................... 45, 284, 380-381, 732, 780

Tongxin Ye..................................................................... 230, 765

Tilo Monjau...............................................................................807

Toni Nikolic................................................................................ 212

Tijana Šikuljak........................................................................423

Toni L. Morelli............................................................................ 671

Tim Böhnert.....................................................................141, 670

Tonisoa Ranaivoandriamanantena....................... 133

Tim Claerhout.............................................................578, 820

Tonny Asafo-Agyei..............................................................172

Timothée Le Pechon......................................................... 808

Tony Heitkam............................................ 90, 192, 437, 444

Timo Conradi.......................................................................... 136

Tony Auld...................................................................................166

Timotheus van der Niet...................................................... 77

Toon Gheyle............................................................................. 138

Timothy J. Gallaher............................................................505

Toral Shay.................................................................................. 251

Timothy J.S. Whitfeld............................................................97

Torrescano-Valle N............................................................492

Timothy M.A. Utteridge......................................................149

Tournebize, Rémi................................................................ 449

Timothy R. Baker...................................................................263

T Pearce.................................................................................... 588

Timo van Galen..................................................................... 221

T.P. Suresh....................................................................................38

Tina Kiedaisch.......................................................................764

Traiperm P............................................................................... 506

Tinde van Andel................................................................... 347

Tram Vi...................................................................................... 606

Ting-Hsuan Huang..............................................................514

Tranchant-Dubreuil Christine....................................205

Ting Li............................................................................................ 417

Trevis D. Huggins.................................................................780

Ting-Shen Han......................................................................324

Trevor Wilson..........................................................................474

Tingshuang Yi....................................................................... 548

Tristan Charles-Dominique.................................116 , 174

Ting-Shuang Yi........................................................... 487, 516

Trude Schwarzacher................ 192, 271, 438, 604, 774

Ting Yang..................................................................................476

Tseng Y-H.................................................................................. 781

Tingyu Li..................................................................................... 763

Tsipe Aavik...................................................................... 68, 585

Tirtha R. Pandey....................................................................366

Tulio C. Medina-Hinostroza..........................................800

Tiwonge I. Mzumara.............................................................97

Tunde J. Ogunkunle...........................................................768

Tiziana Ulian..................................................................529, 561

Tuong Dang Vu......................................................................415

Tiziano Bonato.......................................................................706

Turnbull L.................................................................................... 781

T. Jonathan Davies............................................................. 233

Turuspekov Y..........................................................................487

Tlou S. Manyelo..................................................................... 275

Tutupika Carrillo de La Cruz.........................................528

876

XX International
Botanical
Congress
Madrid Spain

Oral presentations

Twyford A.D............................................................................... 781

Vanessa Lozano...................................................................626

Tzlil Labin...................................................................................356

Vanguelova Elena...............................................................638

Tynisha Smalls....................................................................... 179

Vanessa Neale....................................................................... 631
Vania Nobuko Yoshikawa..............................................404

U

Van Truong Do..................................................................... 690
Varun Swamy........................................................................263

Udayangani Liu........................................................................32

Vásquez, Diana..................................................................... 267

Udhaya Ponraj.............................................................419, 480

V.C. Cuccaro...........................................................................794

Ueli Grossniklaus................................................................... 201

V.E. Cambria...........................................................................794

Uldarico Matapí.......................................................................22

Veit Schubert......................................................................... 466

Ülo Niinemets.......................................................................... 631

Venni Keskiniva.....................................................................563

Ulrich Heimhofer................................................................. 498

Venon, A..................................................................................... 437

Ulrich Meve..............................................................................224

Vera Zizka.................................................................................. 631

Ulrike Tappeiner...................................................................653

Verboom G.T.......................................................................... 506

Umapathy Senthilkumar............................................... 489

Verity Jones.............................................................................788

Umberto Morra di Cella..................................................653

Verleysen Lauren.................................................................205

Unai Artetxe.............................................................................769

Veronica Angyalossy.......................................................... 511

Uriel Gélin................................................................................... 174

Veronica De Micco.............................................................243

Urquiola L..................................................................................250

Verónica G. Doblas............................................................706

Urs Eggli......................................................................................475

Veronica Malavasi.....................................................187, 225

Usue Pérez-López................................................................. 391

Verónica S. Di Stilio........................................203, 257, 755

Uxue Villanueva-Amadoz.............................................497

Veronika Chodilová............................................................ 123

V

Veronika Ciesaríková........................................................ 123

Veronika Konečná..............................................................504

Valcárcel, V..............................................................................409

Veronika Vesela....................................................................188

Valdés-Vásquez I.F............................................................492

Veronika Veselá.....................................................................721

Valentina Boscariol.............................................................140

Vesna Dimitrijević.............................................................. 496

Valentina Botero-Castaño............................................. 110

Viacheslav Shalisko............................................................184

Valentina Gianotti...............................................................570

Vicente Calfo...............................................................457, 560

Valentina Vitelli.....................................................................540

Vicky Beckers.........................................................................509

Valentin Heimer................................................................... 406

Victor A. Albert..........................................................................79

Valentín Luna García........................................................759

Víctor Alfonso Mondragón Valencia.......................651

Valentino Casolo.................................................................335

Victor Andreev..........................................................................28

Valentino Volpe..................................................................... 182

Victor Angot............................................................................705

Valéria Tavares...................................................................... 135

Víctor Bello-Rodríguez...................................................... 331

Valeria Todeschini..............................................................570

Víctor González-García....................................... 457, 497

Valerie C. Pence.................................................................. 560

Victor H. D. Silva...................................................................... 118

Valérie Hinoux-Delome...................................................532

Victoria L. Sork........................................................................502

Valerie Pence......................................................................... 297

Victoria Ochoa......................................................................254

Valerie Poncet...................................................................... 606

Victoria Reyes-García..........................................259, 530

Valéry Malécot............................................................ 125, 234

Victoria Sánchez-Giner................................................... 673

Valeska De Cárdenas...................................................... 757

Victoria Sosa..........................................................................345

Valter di Cecco.................................................................... 589

Víctor Jiménez-Vasquez............................................... 694

Valukattil P. Thomas..........................................................490

Víctor Lecegui-Carnero.................................................. 793

Vandana Gurung................................................................557

Vidal F. Mansano.................................................................. 210

Vandana Prasad.................................................................354

Vidiro Gei......................................................................................54

Vanda Temesvári.................................................................. 119

Vidushi Patel...........................................................................580

Vanesa García de la Torre...............................................53

Vidushi S. Patel....................................................................... 631

Vanessa G. Marcelo...........................................................168

Viet Ha Phan.......................................................................... 606

Vanessa Handley.....................................................297-298

Vijetna Singh.......................................................................... 237

Vanessa Hequet........................................................ 461, 728

Viktoria Keller..........................................................................354

Vanessa Laine....................................................................... 232

Villagrasa E..............................................................................250

877

XX International
Botanical
Congress
Madrid Spain

Oral presentations

Villaseñor J.L...........................................................................492

Walter S. Judd................................................................. 55, 731

Vincent Espitalier..................................................................461

Wang Zhong............................................................................441

Villaverde, T.............................................................................296

Walter Till...................................................................................574

Vincent Florens.....................................................................424

Wanying Zhang.................................................................... 739

Vincent Hugonnot...............................................................576

Warawuth Wannalo...........................................................491

Vincent P. Medjibe..............................................................265

Warren Cardinal-McTeague................. 208, 224, 463

Vincent Porcher................................................................... 599

Warren M. Cardinal-McTeague................................462

Vincent R. Clark.................................................................... 698

Washburn J.D........................................................................ 506

Vincent R.C. Soulé..............................................36, 614-615

Watchara Arthan.................................................................616

Vincent Savolainen....................................... 129, 474, 694

Watcharamongkol T........................................................ 506

Vincent Soulé............................................................................. 31

Waycott M............................................................................... 506

Vincenzo Veneziano.......................................................... 273

Wayne Dawson......................................................................414

Vinciane Mossion................................................................454

W. Daniel Kissling.................................................................352

Vinicius C. Souza.....................................................................82

Weichang Huang................................................................ 763

Vinícius L. G. Brito..................................................................419

Weihong Wu............................................................................ 431

Vinicius L.G. Brito...................................................................168

Wei Han Fang............................................................................82

Vinita Gowda....................................47, 120, 176, 270, 334,

Wei–Tao Jin..............................................................................194

367, 643-644, 646

Wei Xu..........................................................................................614

Violeta I. Simón-Porcar....................................................815

Weixuan Ning......................................................................... 473

Violeta Oliván Barriendo................................................ 274

Weixue Mu................................................................................476

Violeta Quiroga.......................................................... 312, 692

Welker C.A.D........................................................................... 506

Virginia Valcárcel................................................ 30, 193, 721

Wendy A. Mustaqim......................................................... 408

Virginia Hernandez-Santana......................................769

Wen-Bin Yu................................................................................217

Virginie Huteau..................................................................... 742

Wendy Clement.................................................................... 761

Virginie Hutsemékers.......................................................630

Wenfei Xian..............................................................................516

Virginie Pons.......................................................................... 584

Wen-Hao Li..............................................................................483

Visotheary Ung..................................................................... 370

Wen, J..........................................................................................409

Vitelbina Núñez......................................................................441

Wenjie Mu................................................................................ 605

Vit Latzel........................................................................................50

Wenjing Peng.........................................................................520

Vitória Souza........................................................................... 637

Wenkai Jiang............................................................................712

Vít Latzel.........................................................................................51

Wen-Jing Wang.........................................................270, 757

Vitor Sousa................................................................................818

Wen-Na Ding................................................................ 471, 548

Vi Tram.......................................................................................205

Wentao Wang....................................................................... 427

Vivaswat Shastry.................................................................325

Wen-Te Chang.....................................................................260

Vivienne Lo...............................................................................262

Wenting Wang....................................................................... 531

Vojtěch Kalčík........................................................................ 577

Werner Zanardi.....................................................................706

Vivi Vajda.................................................................................. 397

Wenwen Liu................................................................... 431, 520

Vojtech Novotny......................................................... 204, 451

Werther Guidi Nissim....................................................... 640

Vojtěch Zeisek........................................................................ 725

Wesley M. Knapp......................................................306, 399

Vonjison Rakotoarimanana.......................................... 129

Weston L. Testo..................................................117, 562, 663

Vorontsova M.S.................................................................... 506

Weston Testo.............................................. 74, 198, 563, 661

VR Clark..................................................................................... 588

Wiktoria Wodniok................................................................349

V. Valcárcel............................................................................. 722

Wilfrido de la Cruz................................................................581

William A. Laycock..............................................................504

W

William Baker................................................... 352, 462, 557
William J. Baker....................27, 31, 35, 59, 80, 208, 216,

Wagner, Natascha D......................................................... 773

352, 404, 416, 564, 579, 649, 667

Wajid Zaman..........................................................................470

William Milliken......................................................................529

Wakana Inoue........................................................................ 351

William S. Alverson.............................................................404

Wäldchen, Jana.........................................................748, 773

Williane A. S. Oliveira............................................................33

Walsh N.G................................................................................. 506

Will Rodgers............................................................................ 374

Walter G. Berendsohn........................................................371

Will Rogers................................................................................540

878

XX International
Botanical
Congress
Madrid Spain

Oral presentations

Will Weaver........................................................................ 66, 411

Xingxing Mao..........................................................................788

W. Marande..............................................................................815

Xin Liu...........................................................................................476

Wisnu H. Ardi.................................................................. 93, 460

Xing-Xing Shen......................................................................516

Woldemariam...................................................................... 588

Xin-Miao Zhang..................................................................... 183

Wolf Eiserhardt......................................................................352

Xinru Zhang............................................................................. 763

Wolfgang W. Weisser........................................................766

Xin-Wen Zhang......................................................................410

Wolf L. Eiserhardt............................ 31, 149, 352, 667, 797

Xinyi Guo...................................................................................324

Wolfram Weckwerth..........................................................574

Xin-Yu Du..................................................................................764

Wongkot Phuphumirat.................................................... 332

Xinyu Wu..........................................................................520-521

WorldClimb group..............................................................329

Xin Zhong.................................................................................. 763

Wu Huang..................................................................................416

Xiucai Fan.................................................................................520

Wuu Kuang Soh.................................................................... 770

Xiu-Hua Wang...................................................................... 448
Xiuyan Feng............................................................................476

X

Xoaquín Moreira.....................................................................311
Xose Manuel Lourido..........................................................156

Xander van der Burgt..................................................56, 171

Xuanmin Guang...................................................................428

Xanthos M................................................................................ 506

Xuan Zhou................................................................................384

Xavier Aubriot........................................................................234

Xuehao Fu.................................................................................756

Xavier Dauvergne.............................................................. 806

Xuejing Cao.............................................................................520

Xavier Gratacos...................................................................353

Xue-Jun Ge................................................................... 417, 552

Xianchun Zhang........................................................ 230, 765

Xuelian Guo.....................................................................712, 816

Xian-Chun Zhang...............................................................326

Xueqin Wang.......................................................................... 763

Xiangbo Yin.............................................................................542

Xukun Li.......................................................................................481

Xiangnian Su..........................................................................520

Xun Gong..................................................................................476

Xiangpeng Leng...................................................................520

Xun Xu.................................................................... 299, 301, 476

Xiang-Qin Yu...................................................... 217, 270, 764

Xu Wang....................................................................................520

Xiaoan Lang............................................................................476

Xu Yao..........................................................................................481

Xiaobo Wang.........................................................................476
Xiaodi Hu.....................................................................................712

Y

Xiao Feng................................................................................... 431

Yader Ruiz..................................................................................581

Xiaofeng Yin.............................................................................481

Yafang Yin................................................................................242

Xiao–Guo Xiang....................................................................194

Yalan Wang.............................................................................430

Xiaodong Xu...........................................................................520

Yadvinder Malhi...................................................................263

Xiao-Feng Jin................................................................. 131, 377

Yajun Wang.....................................................................712, 816

Xiao-Guo Xiang....................................................................764

Ya-Li Wang.............................................................................. 270

Xiaohua Jin........................................................... 712, 763, 816

Ya-Long Guo..........................................................................368

Xiao-Hui Ma............................................................................802

Yamama Naciri.....................................................................185

Xiaojian Hu...............................................................................343

Yamileth Delgado................................................................441

Xiaojun Kou..............................................................................789

Ya Min..........................................................................................755

Xiaolong Ren.......................................................................... 257

Yamit Bar-Lev........................................................................356

Xiaomei Jiang........................................................................242

Yam M. Pineda.......................................................................224

Xiao-Mei Xia............................................................................789

Yanã Campos Rizzieri.......................................................802

Xiaomeng Mao.....................................................................454

Yanã C. Rizzieri........................................................................ 187

Xiao–Qian Li.............................................................................194

Yanan Zhao............................................................................. 753

Xiao-Quan Wang.....................................................428, 476

Yan-Bo Sun..............................................................................502

Xiaotong (Elaine) Wang................................................ 565

Yáñez-Arenas C.A...............................................................492

Xiaotong Qi.............................................................................. 257

Yang Dezhu Li............................................................................33

Xiao Wang......................................................................419, 480

Yang Gong...............................................................................755

Xiaoxiao Zhao.........................................................................516

Yanghoon Cho...................................................................... 378

Xiaoxia Zhang........................................................................ 257

Yang Liu..............................................................................44, 476

Xichavo Mathebula.............................................................277

Yan Hao...................................................................................... 742

Xing Liu........................................................................................268

879

XX International
Botanical
Congress
Madrid Spain

Oral presentations

Yanhua Ren.............................................................................520

Ying Su........................................................................................520

Yanling Peng...........................................................................520

Yingying Wen...........................................................................712

Yannan Fan.............................................................................476

Yipsyth M. Rodríguez M....................................................442

Yanis Bouchenak-Khelladi................................ 622, 705

Ying Wu..................................................................................... 605

Yanling Zhang........................................................................441

Yin-Huang Wang..................................................................516

Yann Bourgeois................................................................... 695

Yiqing Gong.............................................................................476

Yannick M. Städler..............................................................760

Yi-Shan Chao........................................................................ 690

Yannick M. Staedler...........................................................396

Yi-Tzu Kuo................................................................................ 466

Yannick Woudstra......................................................216, 221

Yiwen Wang..................................................................520-521

Yannis Kokkoris.....................................................................625

Yi-xuan LIU................................................................................268

Yann J.K. Bertrand............................................................... 725

Yiying Wang............................................................................ 763

Yann Salmon........................................................................... 197

Yohann Soubeyran............................................................534

Yann J. K. Bertrand............................................................... 718

Yi-Zhen Shao..........................................................................326

Yanqian Ding......................................................................... 659

Yohan Pillon............................................................. 53, 74, 728

Yan Wang.................................................................................. 197

Yolanda Turégano..............................................................283

Yan Xu.........................................................................................476

Yoland Savriama.................................................................760

Yao-Moan Huang.............................................................. 690

Yong-Bi Fu................................................................................. 128

Yao-Wu Xing..................................................... 324, 471, 548

Yong-Bo Liu.............................................................................326

Yaowu Xing.................................................. 30, 46, 354, 594

Yongbo Liu..................................................................... 476, 765

Yao-Wu Yuan.........................................................................482

Yongchuan Yang................................................................ 484

Yao Zhao....................................................................................194

Yongdong Wang.................................................................483

Ya-Ping Chen.........................................................................252

Yongfeng Zhou............................................................520-521

Yarelys Ferrer-Sánchez................................................... 387

Yongqiong Yang..................................................................476

Yasaman Salmaki.....................................................142, 252

Yongzhi Yang........................................................................ 605

Yasaman Ranjbaran.........................................................225

Yong Yang................................................................................476

Yasmine Antonini................................................................. 221

You-Cai Xiong.......................................................................470

Yasuhiro Kubota.................................................................... 147

Younhee Shin..........................................................................164

Yasui Yukiko.............................................................................525

Yuan Chen.............................................................................. 484

Yauci Espinosa-González............................................... 214

Yuangui Wei............................................................................. 531

Yaw Appau................................................................................172

Yuannian Jiao...............................................................476, 712

Yawen Gan............................................................................... 812

Yuanshu Pu..............................................................................388

Ya Yang............................................................................ 315, 407

Yuanyuan Luo........................................................................520

Yazheng Ma............................................................................788

Yu-Chung Chiang...............................................................164

Yekaterina Shcherbakova..............................................681

Yue Gao..................................................................................... 757

Yedra García......................................................312, 692, 703

Yudai Okuyama....................................................................583

Yelyzaveta Shpilkina.........................................................362

Yue Sun.......................................................................................428

Yennifer Mata-Sucre........................................................ 466

Yue Yang.................................................................................. 469

Yerlan Turuspekov..............................................................549

Yue Zhao....................................................................................252

Yermagambetova M........................................................487

Yu Gan........................................................................................520

Yesenia Madrigal.................................................................384

Yu-Guang Fan...................................................................... 498

Yesid Alejandro Mariño-Macana.............................340

Yu H. Chong............................................................................ 460

Yessica Rico......................................................................68-69

Yu-Hsin Tseng............................................................ 662, 782

Yhanndra Dias...................................................................... 466

Yu-Huan Chen.......................................................................514

Yichen You................................................................................518

Yu–Juan Liu..............................................................................194

Yi-Fei Lu.........................................................................................131

Yuka Umeya............................................................................525

Yi-Gang Song..............................................................160, 484

Yuley Encarnación..............................................................474

Yi-Han Chang........................................................................662

Yuling Yue.................................................................................740

Yihui Zhang............................................................................... 431

Yumi Green..............................................................................780

Yijing Lu.......................................................................................352

Yuna Yoshioka........................................................................ 351

Yile Huang.....................................................................324, 436

Yundong Gao................................................................ 512-513

Ying Feng................................................................................... 417

Yun-Feng Li..............................................................................380

Ying Meng.................................................................................409

Yun-Hong Tan........................................................................160880

XX International
Botanical
Congress
Madrid Spain

Oral presentations

Yun-Long Liu............................................................................615

Zhiping Wang..........................................................................816

Yun-Peng Zhao..........................................................428, 483

Zhiqiong Mo............................................................................ 548

Yunpeng Zhao........................................................................158

Zhiqiang Wang...................................................................... 124

Yunyao Ma...............................................................................578

Zhi-Qiong Mo.........................................................................790

Yupei Wei..................................................................................242

Zhiyao Ma....................................................................... 193, 520

Yuqing Cai................................................................................476

Zhi-Yao Ma..............................................................................306

Yurena Arjona.....................................................80, 274, 426

Zhiyuan Gao..................................................................712, 763

Yushuai Wang.......................................................................430

Zhonghua Chen.....................................................................127

Yuting Liu...................................................................................520

Zhongjie Liu..............................................................................520

Yurij O. Tynkevich................................................................... 191

Zhofre Aguirre Mendoza.................................................286

Yu Su............................................................................................ 588

Zhong-Jian Liu......................................................................476

Yuval Eshed.............................................................................780

Zhongxin Jin..................................................................520-521

Yuval Sapir.................................................................... 356, 733

Zhu-Qing Shao......................................................................476

Yu-Xiao Zhang.......................................................................618

Zhuyifu Chen..........................................................................520

Yves Bawin................................................................................415

Zi-Jia Lu............................................................................160, 484

Yuying Zhao............................................................................ 207

Zia-ur-Rehman Mashwani...........................................443

Yves Van de Peer.................................................................476

Zijian Liu.......................................................................................516

Yves Vigouroux.................................................................... 606

Zishan Fu...................................................................................204Živa Fišer.........................................................................248, 359

Z

Ziwei Wang...................................................................... 192, 271

Ziwen He......................................................373, 431, 531, 606

Zabala J.....................................................................................250

Zixiong Cao..............................................................................242

Zachary B. Lippman...........................................................780

Ziyan Liao................................................................................... 812

Zachary Chu................................................................255, 338

Zizka A........................................................................................ 506

Zachary Meharg...................................................................557

Zoë A. Goodwin.....................................................................284

Zachary Nimchuk................................................................557

Zoe Diaz Martin........................................................... 134, 280

Zach Harris............................................................................... 307

Zoe Hentschel........................................................................766

Zack Radford........................................................................... 315

Zohreh Pourghorban.......................................................... 142

Zahra Nemati........................................................................... 90

Zoltán Barina........................................................................... 124

Zapfack Louis...........................................................................173

Zoltán Bátori............................................................................ 672

Zaynab Shaik......................................................................... 650

Zongxee Lee............................................................................. 315

Zdeněk Špíšek......................................................................... 123

Zong-Xin Ren.....................................................655, 691, 758

Zeki Aytaç.................................................................................209

Zsófia Tischner....................................................................... 103

Zelong Nie........................................................................ 193, 518

Zübeyde Uğurlu Aydın..................................................... 446

Ze-Long Nie......................................................... 306, 409, 411

Zuntini A.R.)............................................................................. 506

Zeng-Yuan Wu.........................................................................67

Zuzana Chumová...............................................................269

Ze-Tao Jin................................................................................ 677

Zuzana Ferencova............................................................... 153

Zhang Dapeng......................................................................205

Zuzana Münzbergová.................................................51, 571

Zhanghai Li.............................................................................. 763

Zuzana Sejfová....................................................................... 718

Zhang L...................................................................................... 506

Zuzana Skvorova..................................................................188

Zhao-Jun Bu...........................................................................544
Zhaowu Zhang......................................................................476

Zhedong Ge............................................................................242
Zhe-Kun Zhou.........................................................................410
Zheng-Shan He................................................................... 488
Zheng-Yu Zuo........................................................................764
Zheng-Zhang Zhu...............................................................483
Zhen Li.........................................................................................476
Zhenya Liu................................................................................520
Zhiduan Chen.........................................................................518
Zhi-Duan Chen............................ 194-195, 380, 470, 519

Zhi-Fang Liu.............................................................................764

881

XX International
Botanical
Congress
Madrid Spain

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