The ECAT dataset: expert-validated distribution data of endemic and sub-endemic trees of Central Africa (Dem. Rep. Congo, Rwanda, Burundi).

In this data paper, we present a specimen-based occurrence dataset compiled in the framework of the Conservation of Endemic Central African Trees (ECAT) project with the aim of producing global conservation assessments for the IUCN Red List. The project targets all tree species endemic or sub-endemic to the Central African region comprising the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo), Rwanda, and Burundi. The dataset contains 6361 plant collection records with occurrences of 8910 specimens from 337 taxa belonging to 153 genera in 52 families. Many of these tree taxa have restricted geographic ranges and are only known from a small number of herbarium specimens. As assessments for such taxa can be compromised by inadequate data, we transcribed and geo-referenced specimen label information to obtain a more accurate and complete locality dataset. All specimen data were manually cleaned and verified by botanical experts, resulting in improved data quality and consistency.

A 313 plastome phylogenomic analysis of Pooideae: Exploring relationships among the largest subfamily of grasses.

In this study, we analyzed 313 plastid genomes (plastomes) of Poaceae with a focus on expanding our current knowledge of relationships among the subfamily Pooideae, which represented over half the dataset (164 representatives). In total, 47 plastomes were sequenced and assembled for this study. This is the largest study of its kind to include plastome-level data, to not only increase sampling at both the taxonomic and molecular levels with the aim of resolving complex and reticulate relationships, but also to analyze the effects of alignment gaps in large-scale analyses, as well as explore divergences in the subfamily with an expanded set of 14 accepted grass fossils for more accurate calibrations and dating. Incorporating broad systematic assessments of Pooideae taxa conducted by authors within the last five years, we produced a robust phylogenomic reconstruction for the subfamily, which included all but two supergeneric taxa (Calothecinae and Duthieeae). We further explored how including alignment gaps in plastome analyses oftentimes can produce incorrect or misinterpretations of complex or reticulate relationships among taxa of Pooideae. This presented itself as consistently changing relationships at specific nodes for different stripping thresholds (percentage-based removal of gaps per alignment column). Our summary recommendation for large-scale genomic plastome datasets is to strip alignment columns of all gaps to increase pairwise identity and reduce errant signal from poly A/T bias. To do this we used the "mask alignment" tool in Geneious software. Finally, we determined an overall divergence age for Pooideae of roughly 84.8 Mya, which is in line with, but slightly older than most recent estimates.

A phylogeny of species near Agrostis supporting the recognition of two new genera, Agrostula and Alpagrostis (Poaceae, Pooideae, Agrostidinae) from Europe.

Based on a molecular DNA phylogeny of three plastid (rpl32-trnK, rps16 intron, and rps16-trnK) and nuclear ITS regions investigating 32 species of Agrostidinae, we describe two new genera, Agrostula gen. nov. with a single species and Alpagrostis gen. nov. with four species; provide support for five species in a monophyletic Podagrostis; and include a small sample of 12 species of a monophyletic Agrostis s.s. (including the type and most species of Neoschischkinia), that separates into two clades corresponding to A. subg. Agrostis and A. subg. Vilfa. Agrostula differs from Agrostis in having leaf blades with pillars of sclerenchyma which are continuous between the adaxial and abaxial surface of the blades, dorsally rounded glumes with blunt to truncate and erose to denticulate apices, florets ½ the length of the glumes, lemmas equally wide as long, widest at (or near) apex, apices broadly truncate, irregularly 5 to 7 denticulate to erose, awnless, anthers longer than the lemmas, and rugose-papillose caryopses. Alpagrostis differs from Agrostis in having geniculate basally inserted awns and truncate lemma apices with lateral veins prolonged from the apex in (2)4 setae. The following eight new combinations are made: Agrostula truncatula, Agrostula truncatula subsp. durieui, Alpagrostis alpina, Alpagrostis alpina var. flavescens, Alpagrostis barceloi, Alpagrostis setacea, Alpagrostis setacea var. flava, and Alpagrostis schleicheri. In addition, we provide a key separating Agrostula and Alpagrostis from Agrostis s.s. and other genera previously considered as synonyms of Agrostis; lectotypify Agrostis alpina Scop., A. schleicheri Jord. & Verl., A. truncatula Parl., and A. truncatula var. durieui Henriq.; and neotypify A. setacea Curtis.

ResumenSobre la base de una filogenia molecular de ADN de tres regiones plastidiales (rpl32-trnK, rps16 intrón y rps16-trnK) e ITS nuclear de 32 especies de Agrostidinae, describimos dos nuevos géneros, Agrostula gen. nov. con una sola especie, y Alpagrostis gen. nov. con cuatro especies; mostramos el apoyo para las cinco especies dentro de Podagrostis monofilético; e incluimos una pequeña muestra de 12 especies de Agrostis s.s (que incluye el tipo y la mayoría de las especies de Neoschischkinia), este último dividido en dos subclados que corresponden a A. subg. Agrostis y A. subg. Vilfa. Agrostula se diferencia de otras especies de Agrostis por tener láminas foliares con haces de esclerénquima continuos entre las superficies adaxial y abaxial de los limbos, glumas de dorso redondeado y ápice embotado a truncado y eroso a denticulado, antecios de ½ de la longitud de las glumas, lemas tan anchas como largas, lo más ancho en o cerca del ápice, ápices anchamente truncados, irregularmente 5 a 7 denticulados o erosos, sin arista, anteras más largas que los lemas y cariopsis rugosa-papilosa. Alpagrostis se diferencia de otras especies de Agrostis por tener aristas geniculadas insertas basalmente y ápices de lema truncados con venas laterales que se prolongan en (2)4 arístulas apicales. Presentamos las siguientes ocho nuevas combinaciones: Agrostula truncatula, Agrostula truncatula subsp. durieui, Alpagrostis alpina, Alpagrostis alpina var. flavescens, Alpagrostis barceloi, Alpagrostis setacea, Alpagrostis setacea var. flava y Alpagrostis schleicheri. Además, proporcionamos una clave que separa Agrostula y Alpagrostis de Agrostis s.s. y otros géneros previamente considerados como sinónimos de Agrostis, lectotipificamos Agrostis alpina Scop., A. schleicheri Jord. & Verl., A. truncatula Parl. y A. truncatula var. durieui Henriq. y neotipificamos A. setacea Curtis.

Discovering Karima (Euphorbiaceae), a New Crotonoid Genus from West Tropical Africa Long Hidden within Croton.

Croton scarciesii (Euphorbiaceae-Crotonoideae), a rheophytic shrub from West Africa, is shown to have been misplaced in Croton for 120 years, having none of the diagnostic characters of that genus, but rather a set of characters present in no known genus of the family. Pollen analysis shows that the new genus Karima belongs to the inaperturate crotonoid group. Analysis of a concatenated molecular dataset combining trnL-F and rbcL sequences positioned Karima as sister to Neoholstia from south eastern tropical Africa in a well-supported clade comprised of genera of subtribes Grosserineae and Neoboutonieae of the inaperturate crotonoid genera. Several morphological characters support the relationship of Karima with Neoholstia, yet separation is merited by numerous characters usually associated with generic rank in Euphorbiaceae. Quantitative ecological data and a conservation assessment supplement illustrations and descriptions of the taxon.