Melanoserispenghuana (Lactucinae, Cichorieae, Asteraceae), a new species from North-central Yunnan, China.

In this paper, we describe a new species, Melanoserispenghuana, from Mt. Jiaozi Xueshan located in North-central Yunnan, China. Despite its morphological similarities to M.likiangensis, M.penghuana exhibits distinct differences in leaf texture, shape of terminal lobes, indumentum of leaves, peduncles, and involucres, as well as the length of the achenes. Additionally, the conservation status of this species is classified as Vulnerable through data analysis from two field surveys.

Melanoseriskangdingensis (Lactucinae, Cichorieae, Asteraceae), a new species reported from western Sichuan, China.

Melanoseriskangdingensis, a new species native to western Sichuan, China, is firstly described and illustrated, and its conservation status is also assessed. It bears resemblance to M.macrantha and M.bracteata in terms of morphology; however, there are distinguishing characteristics in terms of their leaf structure, presence of bracts, hairiness of involucre, number of florets, and length of both stamen tube and achene's beak.

Primulalongipilosa (Primulaceae), a new species from Yunnan, China.

Primulalongipilosa from SW Yunnan, China, is described as a species new to science and illustrated. The systematic placement of this new species is also discussed based on an nrITS molecular tree. It is morphologically most similar to P.mollis, but differs from the latter in its racemose inflorescence, green calyx tube, pink to pink rose corolla, stamens at 1/3 length above the base of the corolla tube and applanate globose capsule.

Mojiangia oreophila (Crepidinae, Cichorieae, Asteraceae), a new species and genus from Mojiang County, SW Yunnan, China, and putative successor of the maternal Faberia ancestor.

A single small population of chasmophytic plants is described as M ojiangia oreophila, a monotypic genus in the subtribe Crepidinae, characterised by a unique combination of morphological features, in particular densely long-papillose homomorphic achenes with five main ribs each accompanied by two secondary ribs, coarse brownish pappus bristles, moderately many-flowered capitula, a small involucre with numerous outer phyllaries, perennial rosette herb growth and brown-woolly caudex and leaf axils. Molecular phylogenetic analysis detected that in the nrITS phylogeny M. oreophila forms a clade of its own in the Crepidinae; in the plastid DNA phylogeny it is nested in the clade formed by the hybridogenous genus Faberia, the maternal ancestor of which comes from the Crepidinae and the paternal ancestor from the Lactucinae, where Faberia is placed in nrITS phylogenies. M. oreophila shares several morphological features with Faberia and also shares the expected chromosome number of 2n = 16 with its hitherto unknown maternal ancestor. M. oreophila may therefore be a successor of the maternal ancestor of Faberia. Alternatively, cytonuclear discordance is to be assumed in Mojiangia, caused by chloroplast capture as a result of hybridisation and introgression with Faberia.

Phylogeny of Pyroleae (Ericaceae): implications for character evolution.

Pyroleae (Ericaceae) consist of four genera, all of which are distributed widely in temperate coniferous or sometimes deciduous forests of the Northern Hemisphere. To investigate the phylogenetic relationships among these genera and to explore the evolution of the characteristics of the subfamily, we conducted maximum parsimony and Bayesian analyses with nrDNA ITS and three cpDNA intergenic spacers (atpB-rbcL, trnS-trnG and trnL-trnF). The results from cpDNA and combined cpDNA + ITS data sets strongly support the monophyly of Pyroleae as well as a sister relationship between Pyrola and Moneses-Chimaphila, with Orthilia as the basal lineage. The sister-group relationship between Moneses and Chimaphila is supported by a set of synapomorphies, e.g., single flower, colpate pollen, five bundles in the style, straight fruiting pedicel orientation, complete capsule dehiscence, and the basic chromosome number, x = 13. The Moneses-Chimaphila-Pyrola clade is supported by at least one homologous character of pollen in tetrads. Conflicts associated with the phylogenetic position of Orthilia may imply a hybrid origin for it, and therefore further study is needed.

Characterization of the complete chloroplast genome of Aconitum pendulum (Ranunculaceae), an endemic medicinal herb.

Aconitum pendulum is an endemic medicinal herb, which has effects of relieving pains and is widely used to treat frostbite, rheumatoid arthritis, and so on. In this study, we sequenced the complete chloroplast genome with Illumina sequencing technology. The complete chloroplast genome length is 155,597 bp, shows a typical tetrad structure, which manifests as one large and one small single copy (LSC and SSC) regions of 86,336 and 16,961 bp, isolated by two inverted repeat regions (IRs) of 26,150 bp. This study annotated altogether 131 unique genes, consisting of 86 protein-encoding genes, 8 rRNA, and 37 tRNA. According to the maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree based on 20 complete chloroplast genomes, A. pendulum shows close association with additional Aconitum subgenus. The chloroplast genome-wide for A. pendulum would help to conserving the precious natural populations.

The complete chloroplast genome of Polygonatum odoratum (Liliaceae), an endemic medicinal herb.

In this study, we sequenced the complete chloroplast genome of Polygonatum odoratum with Illumina sequencing technology. The complete chloroplast genome length is 156,082bp, shows a typical tetrad structure, which manifests as one large and one small single copy (LSC and SSC) regions of 85,009 and 18,513bp, isolated by two inverted repeat regions (IRs) of 26,280bp. This study annotated altogether 131 unique genes, consisting of 86 protein-encoding genes, 8 rRNA and 38tRNA. According to the maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree based on 8 complete chloroplast genomes, P. odoratum shows close association with additional Maianthemum genus. The chloroplast genome-wide for P. odoratum would help to conserving the precious natural populations.

The complete chloroplast genome of Polygonatum odoratum (Liliaceae), an endemic medicinal herb.

In this study, we sequenced the complete chloroplast genome of Polygonatum odoratum with Illumina sequencing technology. The complete chloroplast genome length is 156,082 bp shows a typical tetrad structure, which manifests as one large and one small single copy (LSC and SSC) regions of 85,009 and 18,513 bp, isolated by two inverted repeat regions (IRs) of 26,280 bp. This study annotated altogether 131 unique genes, consisting of 86 protein-encoding genes, 8 rRNA, and 38 tRNA. According to the maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree based on eight complete chloroplast genomes, P. odoratum shows a close association with additional Maianthemum genus. The chloroplast genome-wide for P. odoratum would help to conserve the precious natural populations.

Lysimachia septemfida (Primulaceae), a new species from Yunnan, China.

A new species, Lysimachia septemfida (Primulaceae), from Yunnan (Southwest China) is described and illustrated. The new species exhibits several unusual characters in Lysimachia including lack of a corolla, 7-merous flowers, leaves in whorls of 3 and distinct multicellular nodiferous hairs, which make it readily distinguishable from all other species in this genus. The diagnostic differences between this new species and its suppositive allies are given. In addition, the systematic placement of this new species is also discussed based on an ITS molecular tree.

Molecular phylogeny of the Lactuca alliance (Cichorieae subtribe Lactucinae, Asteraceae) with focus on their Chinese centre of diversity detects potential events of reticulation and chloroplast capture.

The first comprehensive molecular phylogenetic reconstruction of the Cichorieae subtribe Lactucinae is provided. Sequences for two datasets, one of the nuclear rDNA ITS region, the other of five concatenated non-coding chloroplast DNA markers including the petD region and the psbA-trnH, 5'trnL((UAA))-trnF, rpl32-trnL((UAG)) and trnQ((UUG))-5'rps16 spacers, were, with few exceptions, newly generated for 130 samples of 78 species. The sampling spans the entire subtribe Lactucinae while focusing on its Chinese centre of diversity; more than 3/4 of the Chinese Lactucinae species are represented. The nuclear and plastid phylogenies inferred from the two independent datasets show various hard topological incongruences. They concern the internal topology of major lineages, in one case the placement of taxa in major lineages, the relationships between major lineages and even the circumscription of the subtribe, indicating potential events of ancient as well as of more recent reticulation and chloroplast capture in the evolution of the subtribe. The core of the subtribe is clearly monophyletic, consisting of the six lineages, Cicerbita, Cicerbita II, Lactuca, Melanoseris, Notoseris and Paraprenanthes. The Faberia lineage and the monospecific Prenanthes purpurea lineage are part of a monophyletic subtribe Lactucinae only in the nuclear or plastid phylogeny, respectively. Morphological and karyological support for their placement is considered. In the light of the molecular phylogenetic reconstruction and of additional morphological data, the conflicting taxonomies of the Chinese Lactuca alliance are discussed and it is concluded that the major lineages revealed are best treated at generic rank. An improved species level taxonomy of the Chinese Lactucinae is outlined; new synonymies and some new combinations are provided.