Cyrtomiumadenotrichum (Dryopteridaceae), a new species from Guangxi, China.

Cyrtomiumadenotrichum Y. Nong & R.H. Jiang (Dryopteridaceae), a new species from Guangxi, China, is described and illustrated. This new species is similar to C.nephrolepioides (Christ) Copel., C.obliquum Ching & K. H. Shing ex K. H. Shing, C.sinningense Ching & K. H. Shing ex K. H. Shing and C.calcis Liang Zhang, N.T.Lu & Li Bing Zhang in having erect rhizomes, dense, leathery lamina and rounded sori, but it can be easily distinguishable by its stipe sparsely glandular, base obvious oblique, basiscopic base truncate, acroscopic base auriculate or ovate.

Phylogenomic analysis, cryptic species discovery, and DNA barcoding of the genus Cibotium in China based on plastome data.

Germplasm resources are the source of herbal medicine production. The cultivation of superior germplasm resources helps to resolve the conflict between long-term population persistence and growing market demand by consistently producing materials with high quality. The fern species Cibotium barometz is the original plant of cibotii rhizoma ("Gouji"), a traditional Chinese medicine used in the therapy of pain, weakness, and numbness in the lower extremities. Long-history medicinal use has caused serious wild population decline in China. Without sufficient understanding of the species and lineage diversity of Cibotium, it is difficult to propose a targeted conservation scheme at present, let alone select high-quality germplasm resources. In order to fill such a knowledge gap, this study sampled C. barometz and relative species throughout their distribution in China, performed genome skimming to obtain plastome data, and conducted phylogenomic analyses. We constructed a well-supported plastome phylogeny of Chinese Cibotium, which showed that three species with significant genetic differences are distributed in China, namely C. barometz, C. cumingii, and C. sino-burmaense sp. nov., a cryptic species endemic to NW Yunnan and adjacent regions of NE Myanmar. Moreover, our results revealed two differentiated lineages of C. barometz distributed on the east and west sides of a classic phylogeographic boundary that was probably shaped by monsoons and landforms. We also evaluated the resolution of nine traditional barcode loci and designed five new DNA barcodes based on the plastome sequence that can distinguish all these species and lineages of Chinese Cibotium accurately. These novel findings on a genetic basis will guide conservation planners and medicinal plant breeders to build systematic conservation plans and exploit the germplasm resources of Cibotium in China.

Hoya pyrifolia (Apocynaceae), a new species from south-western Yunnan, China.

Hoya pyrifolia, a new species of Apocynaceae from Yunnan Province, China, is described and illustrated. Results from phylogenetic analyses, based on combined DNA fragments of the nuclear ribosomal external transcribed spacer (ETS), intergeneric transcribed spacer (ITS) and three plastid DNA fragments (matK, psbA-trnH and trnT-trnL), showed that the new species was nested within a clade, including Hoya species distributed in the subtropical foothills of the Himalayas and the Tibet-Sichuan Plateau. Morphologically, the new species can be distinguished from its close relatives by its pyriform and slightly pubescent leaves, as well as the 4-flowered inflorescences.

The complete chloroplast genome of Phlegmariurus phlegmaria, one representative species of genus Phlegmariurus.

Phlegmariurus (Herter) Holub is the largest genus of Lycopodiaceae, with about 250 species distributed in the tropics and subtropics of the world. Phlegmariurus phlegmaria is the representative species of Phlegmariurus. In this study, we reported the complete chloroplast genome of P. phlegmaria. This complete chloroplast genome is 1,49,711 bp in size. In total, 134 genes were identified, including 84 protein-coding genes, 42 tRNA genes, and eight rRNA genes. In phylogenetic analysis, a close relationship with genus Huperzia was supported by maximum-likelihood (ML) tree. The complete plastome of P. phlegmaria will provide potential genetic resources to understand the evolution of lycophytes.

The complete chloroplast genome of the Abies yuanbaoshanensis, an endangered Pinaceae species in Southern China.

Abies yuanbaoshanensis is critically endangered and endemic to Guangxi province of China, with no more than 900 surviving individuals. In this study, we reported the complete chloroplast (cp) genome of A. yuanbaoshanensis. The complete chloroplast genome is 121897 bp in size. In total, 112 genes were identified, including 74 protein-coding genes, 34tRNA genes, and four rRNA genes. In phylogenetic analysis, the tree supported the monophyly of the genus Abies. The complete plastome of A. yuanbaoshanensis will provide potential genetic resources for further conservation and evolutionary studies of this highly endangered species.