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AoB Plants 2022 Jun 30;14(3):plab068. Epub 2021 Oct 30.

Ecology and Evolutionary and Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, 1900 Pleasant Street, Boulder, CO 80302, USA.

Currently, the amount of genetic data for is lacking due to the illegal nature of the plant. Our study used 73 whole-genome shotgun libraries to reveal eight different mtDNA haplotypes. The most common haplotype contained 60 of the 73 samples studied and was composed of only dioecious individuals. Read More

AoB Plants 2022 Jun 18;14(3):plac012. Epub 2022 Mar 18.

School of Forest Resources, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469, USA.

Droughts interact with tree phenology to drive declines in growth. As climate change makes drought more likely in the Northeastern USA, it is important to understand how droughts at different times of year will lead to reduced height and diameter growth of trees. To determine how seasonal drought may reduce intra-annual growth, we implemented spring, summer or fall droughts on 288 containerized saplings of six tree species (, , , , and ). Read More

AoB Plants 2022 Jun 2;14(3):plac015. Epub 2022 Apr 2.

Department of Ecology and Environmental Protection, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Piątkowska 94C, 60-649 Poznan, Poland.

Salinity is a serious problem in the cultivation of ornamental plants. Chrysanthemum () 'Palisade White' was evaluated in order to examine its responses to long-term salt stress. Plants were grown in substrate supplemented with NaCl doses (g dm of substrate) 0, 0. Read More

AoB Plants 2022 Jun 14;14(3):plac002. Epub 2022 Apr 14.

Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences; Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; Key Laboratory of Bee Products for Quality and Safety Control, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; Bee Product Quality Supervision and Testing Center, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; Beijing 100093, People's Republic of China.

Honeybees play a significant role in the plant-pollinator interactions of many flowering plants. The ecological and evolutionary consequences of plant-pollinator interactions vary by geographic region, and the effects of honeybees on the reproduction of toxic plants have not been well studied. We measured the florescence of toxic plants, the flower-visiting behaviour of honeybees and the effects of pollination on the fertility, weight and moisture content of seeds. Read More

AoB Plants 2022 Apr 24;14(2):plac014. Epub 2022 Mar 24.

Research Centre for Applied Alpine Ecology, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC 3086, Australia.

Field transplant experiments can improve our understanding of the effects of climate on distributions of plants versus a milieu of biotic factors which may be mediated by climate. We use a transplant experiment to test how survival and growth of a mountain-top daisy (), when planted within and outside its current local range, varies as a function of individual plant size, elevation, aspect and the presence of other vegetation. We expected a home-site advantage for the species, with highest survival and growth within the species' current elevational limits, and a decline in vital rates above (due to physiological limitations) and below (due to competition with near-neighbours) these limits. Read More

AoB Plants 2022 Apr 4;14(2):plac008. Epub 2022 Mar 4.

Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, Sichuan, P.R. China.

(Apiaceae, Apioideae) is now considered to have an East-Asia and Sino-Himalaya distribution. The genus was not recognized as a natural and separate genus and was treated as a synonym of both in and since first established, though Pimenov have made many taxonomic revisions to , phylogenetic relationships between and have been in dispute. Thirty-four plastomes and 35 nrITS from Apioideae were analysed by RAxML and MrBayes to reconstruct the phylogenetic relationships, along with carpology of 10 species and comparative analyses of 17 plastomes to investigate the evidence supporting the independence of . Read More

AoB Plants 2022 Apr 10;14(2):plac010. Epub 2022 Mar 10.

Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, 915 W. State Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA.

Due to their non-motile nature, plants rely heavily on mutualistic interactions to obtain resources and carry out services. One key mutualism is the plant-microbial mutualism in which a plant trades away carbon to a microbial partner for nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorous. Plants show much variation in the use of this partnership from the individual level to entire lineages depending upon ecological, evolutionary and environmental context. Read More

AoB Plants 2022 Apr 23;14(2):plac007. Epub 2022 Feb 23.

Faculty of Biotechnology, Graduate University of Science and Technology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Cau Giay, Hanoi 100000, Vietnam.

Anthropogenic disturbances in tropical forests often affect the genetic diversity of a species. is an endangered species in the tropical forests of south-eastern Vietnam, both from its over-exploitation and habitat loss. Therefore, knowledge of population genetic diversity and population structure is essential for identifying the species conservation measures. Read More

AoB Plants 2022 Apr 4;14(2):plac009. Epub 2022 Mar 4.

Ecology Department, College of Resources and Environment, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Rural Ecosystem Health in Dongting Lake Area, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China.

The negative effects, caused by high light, on algae, terrestrial and marine aquatic plants are well documented; those negative effects on freshwater submerged plants are, however, not well known. We determined the negative effects of two common submerged species, and , on their growth and reproduction in a shallow water experiment along an irradiance gradient. Our results highlighted that the plant mass, relative growth rate and shoot height of and , and root mass and root length:root mass of and leaf mass and shoot height:shoot mass of were significantly negatively affected in shallow water with high-light regime (>50 % of full light). Read More

AoB Plants 2022 Apr 5;14(2):plac001. Epub 2022 Feb 5.

Tianjin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, The State Key Laboratory of Vegetable Germplasm Innovation, The Tianjin Key Laboratory of Vegetable Genetics and Breeding, Tianjin 300384, China.

Cauliflower ( var. ) is a popular vegetable worldwide due to its delicious taste, high nutritional value and anti-cancer properties. Cauliflower normally produces white curds, and natural spontaneous mutations lead to the production of orange, purple or green curds. Read More

AoB Plants 2022 Apr 23;14(2):plac003. Epub 2022 Feb 23.

Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan.

The roots of many plant species contain large amounts of pectin and it contributes to the formation of the rhizosphere. In the present study, the relationship between the root-tip pectin content and aluminium (Al) tolerance in wild-type (WT) and demethylesterified pectin degradation enzyme gene overexpressor (-FOX) rice lines was compared. -FOX rice showed reduced pectin content in roots, even under control conditions; Al treatment reduced root elongation and the pectin content in the root elongation zone. Read More

AoB Plants 2022 Apr 4;14(2):plac005. Epub 2022 Feb 4.

Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center, United States Department of Agriculture - Agricultural Research Service, Fargo, ND 58102, USA.

Lewis flax () is widely distributed across western North America and is currently used in native ecosystem restoration. There is also growing interest in domestication of Lewis flax as a perennial oilseed crop. To better understand this species and facilitate both restoration and domestication, we used common gardens to assess biogeographical variation in a variety of seed and growth traits from 37 flax accessions, consisting of 35 wild populations from the Intermountain West region, the pre-variety germplasm Maple Grove () and the cultivar 'Appar' () and related this variation to collection site geography and climate. Read More

AoB Plants 2022 Apr 27;14(2):plac004. Epub 2022 Jan 27.

Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong 637002, China.

The evolution of persistent calyces may be an adaptation to ensure reproductive success of certain flowering plants. However, experimental evidence of the functions of persistent calyces during flowering and seed development remains scarce. We explored the possible functions of persistent calyces in , a perennial herb with campanulate calyx. Read More

AoB Plants 2022 Feb 23;14(1):plab080. Epub 2021 Dec 23.

Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, 1900 Pleasant Street, Boulder, CO 80309, USA.

Variation in mating systems is prevalent throughout angiosperms, with many transitions between outcrossing and selfing above and below the species level. This study documents a new case of an intraspecific breakdown of self-incompatibility in a wild relative of tomatillo, . We used controlled greenhouse crosses to identify self-incompatible (SI) and self-compatible (SC) individuals grown from seed sampled across seven sites across Arizona and New Mexico. Read More

AoB Plants 2022 Feb 23;14(1):plab078. Epub 2021 Dec 23.

Centre for Biological Control, Department of Entomology and Zoology, Rhodes University, Makhanda, PO Box 94, 6140, South Africa.

is a problematic invasive alien plant (IAP) in South Africa that is a high priority target for biological control. Biological control has been implemented in the states of Florida and Hawaii (USA), where is also an IAP. Phylogeographic work determined that there have been multiple introductions of two lineages (haplotype A and B) into the USA. Read More

AoB Plants 2022 Feb 17;14(1):plab077. Epub 2021 Dec 17.

Department of Biological Sciences, University of Denver, Denver, CO 80210, USA.

The ability of tree species to acclimate and tolerate projected increases in drought frequency and intensity has fundamental implications for future forest dynamics with climate change. Inquiries to date on the drought tolerance capacities of tree species, however, have focused almost exclusively on mature trees with scant in work on seedlings, despite the central role that regeneration dynamics play in forest responses to changing conditions. We subjected naturally established seedlings of co-dominant subalpine conifer species ( and ) in the southern Rocky Mountains to 2 years of summer precipitation exclusion, simulating summer drought conditions similar to a failure of the North American monsoon. Read More

AoB Plants 2022 Feb 17;14(1):plab075. Epub 2021 Dec 17.

Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050024, China.

Phototropism is an essential response in some plant organs and features several signalling molecules involved in either photo-sensing or post-sensing responses. Annexins are involved in regulating plant growth and its responses to various stimuli. Here, we provide novel data showing that two members of the Annexin family in , AtANN1 and AtANN2, may be involved in the phototropism of etiolated hypocotyls. Read More

AoB Plants 2022 Feb 8;14(1):plab072. Epub 2021 Dec 8.

Department of Agriculture, Veterinary and Rangeland Sciences, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557, USA.

Salt stress impairs growth and yield in tomato, which is mostly cultivated in arid and semi-arid areas of the world. A number of wild tomato relatives (, , and ) are endemic to arid coastal areas and able to withstand higher concentration of soil salt concentrations, making them a good genetic resource for breeding efforts aimed at improving salt tolerance and overall crop improvement. However, the complexity of salt stress response makes it difficult to introgress tolerance traits from wild relatives that could effectively increase tomato productivity under high soil salt concentrations. Read More

AoB Plants 2022 Feb 17;14(1):plab060. Epub 2022 Jan 17.

School of Life Sciences, Nantong University, Nantong 226019, Jiangsu, China.

is a typical desert plant species that is widely distributed in the desert areas of Northwest China. It plays a significant role in sand fixation and soil water conservation. In particular, how it uses water to survive in the desert plays an important role in plant growth and ecosystem function. Read More

AoB Plants 2022 Feb 23;14(1):plab079. Epub 2021 Dec 23.

Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 75007 Uppsala, Sweden.

The COVID-19 pandemic that started in 2020 forced a rapid change in university teaching, with large numbers of courses switching to distance learning with very little time for preparation. Courses involving many practical elements and field excursions required particular care if students were to fulfil planned learning outcomes. Here, we present our experiences in teaching field botany in 2020 and 2021. Read More

AoB Plants 2022 Feb 2;14(1):plab073. Epub 2021 Dec 2.

Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA 92866, USA.

The study of plant functional traits and variation among and within species can help illuminate functional coordination and trade-offs in key processes that allow plants to grow, reproduce and survive. We studied 20 leaf, above-ground stem, below-ground stem and fine-root traits of 17 species from forests in Costa Rica and Panama to answer the following questions: (i) Do congeneric species show above-ground and below-ground trait coordination and trade-offs consistent with theory of resource acquisition and conservation? (ii) Is there correlated evolution among traits? (iii) Given the diversity of habitats over which occurs, what is the relative contribution of site and species to trait variation? We performed a principal components analysis (PCA) to assess for the existence of a spectrum of trait variation and found that the first two PCs accounted for 21.4 % and 17. Read More

AoB Plants 2022 Feb 17;14(1):plab076. Epub 2021 Dec 17.

USDA-ARS, Eastern Oregon Agricultural Research Center, Burns, OR 97720, USA.

Active restoration, especially seeding, is necessary in sagebrush steppe rangelands degraded by the spread and dominance of exotic invasive annual grasses, in part due to low, episodic seed production of native perennial bunchgrasses. In contrast, the widespread exotic bunchgrass, crested wheatgrass, readily produces viable seed cohorts. How soil-water availability affects the ecophysiology of the reproductive structures that may underlie these differences are unclear. Read More

AoB Plants 2021 Dec 2;13(6):plab074. Epub 2021 Dec 2.

Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, 321 Steinhaus Hall, Irvine, CA 92697-2525, USA.

Seed production can be affected by water availability and also depend on the amount (pollen intensity) and quality of pollen deposited. The way pollen receipt on the stigma translates into seeds produced follows that of a saturating dose-response. Not only can water availability and pollen intensity each influence seed production, these factors could interact in their effects on seed production. Read More

AoB Plants 2021 Dec 11;13(6):plab064. Epub 2021 Oct 11.

Institute of Evolution and Ecology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany.

Plant stress responses can extend into the following generations, a phenomenon called transgenerational effects. Heat stress, in particular, is known to affect plant offspring, but we do not know to what extent these effects depend on the temporal patterns of the stress, and whether transgenerational responses are adaptive and genetically variable within species. To address these questions, we carried out a two-generation experiment with nine genotypes. Read More

AoB Plants 2021 Dec 2;13(6):plab071. Epub 2021 Nov 2.

Department of Biology, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg, TX 78539, USA.

Trichomes are the epidermal appendages commonly observed on plant surfaces including leaves, stem and fruits. Plant trichomes have been well studied as a structural plant defence designed to protect plants against abiotic and biotic stressors such as UV rays, temperature extremities and herbivores. Trichomes are primarily classified into glandular and non-glandular trichomes, based on the presence or absence of a glandular head. Read More

AoB Plants 2021 Dec 1;13(6):plab070. Epub 2021 Nov 1.

Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of Ministry of Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China.

Quaternary climate oscillations and complex topography have tremendous effects on current distribution and genetic structure of species, and hence the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP), the largest plateau in the world, has become a hotspot for many phylogeographic studies. However, little is known about the phylogeographic pattern of herbaceous plants in QTP. Here, we investigate the genetic diversity, population structure and historical dynamics of , using five chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) fragments and seven microsatellite markers. Read More

AoB Plants 2021 Dec 21;13(6):plab067. Epub 2021 Oct 21.

Center for Conservation and Sustainable Development, Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.

Amphicarpic plants produce both above-ground and below-ground seeds. Because below-ground seeds are protected in the soil and may maintain viability when above-ground conditions are stressful, they were proposed as an adaptation to recolonize a site after disturbance. However, whether below-ground seeds are the main colonizers after a disturbance remains unknown. Read More

AoB Plants 2021 Dec 18;13(6):plab066. Epub 2021 Oct 18.

Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, Coyoacán CDMX CP 04510, México.

Oaks () are a dominant woody plant genus in the northern hemisphere, which occupy a wide range of habitats and are ecologically diverse. We analysed the wood anatomical traits, the variables derived and the relative hydraulic conductivity of 21 oak species to identify their performance according to abiotic factors, leaf phenological patterns and phylogenetic restrictions by analysing the interspecific variation along an environmental gradient. First, we determine the causes of anatomical trait variation in the oaks, analysing the functional trade-offs related to distribution along the environmental gradient. Read More

AoB Plants 2021 Dec 22;13(6):plab069. Epub 2021 Oct 22.

Department of Biological Sciences, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN 37614, USA.

Pollinator-mediated competition and facilitation are two important mechanisms mediating co-flowering community assembly. Experimental studies, however, have mostly focused on evaluating outcomes for a single interacting partner at a single location. Studies that evaluate spatial variation in the bidirectional effects between co-flowering species are necessary if we aim to advance our understanding of the processes that mediate species coexistence in diverse co-flowering communities. Read More

AoB Plants 2021 Dec 9;13(6):plab065. Epub 2021 Oct 9.

Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Biological Resources and Genetic Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Xinjiang University, Urumqi, China.

Seed dispersal, germination and seedling establishment are affected by various ecological factors in desert plant species. has evolved multiple strategies to facilitate its survival in harsh environments during the early stages of development. In this study, we investigated the effects of different ecological factors on seed germination and seedling growth, the function of the seed pappus in seed dispersal, as well as the function of the hypocotyl hairs in seedling establishment. Read More