Integrative Taxonomy, Systematics, and Morphology of Land Plants

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Systematics, Taxonomy, Nomenclature and Classification".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2027 | Viewed by 3718

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas, Universidade Federal do ABC, Santo André 09606-045, Brazil
Interests: evolution; systematics; Orchidaceae; species delimitation

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Guest Editor
Departamento de Botânica, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
Interests: botany; biogeography; plant systematics; biodiversity; conservation; evolution

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Guest Editor
Department of Biology, University Federal Rural of Pernambuco, Recife 52171-900, Brazil
Interests: Convolvulaceae; brazilian flora; systematics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Recent progress in the taxonomy and systematics of land plants, driven by molecular biology, phylogenomics, bioinformatics, and imaging technologies, has transformed our ability to understand evolutionary patterns, diversification mechanisms, and character evolution. In this Special Issue of MDPI’s Plants, we aspire to assemble a collection of articles underscoring the necessity of integrating traditional and contemporary techniques in plant systematics research. 

Basic morphological data and taxonomic knowledge remain essential for understanding evolutionary processes, while advances in imaging technologies and genetics enhance the potential for deeper conclusions beyond the current edge of knowledge on biodiversity. We seek studies that not only advance our understanding of plant taxonomy, systematics, and evolution but also contribute to broader conversations on biodiversity, conservation, and the mechanisms underlying the remarkable evolutionary success of land plants. We welcome studies on approaches combining anatomy, cytogenetics, morphometrics, molecular phylogenetics, palynology, and phylogenomics for species delimitation, lineage evolution, or to infer taxa relationships. We emphasize the effectiveness of integrative approaches in formulating robust systematic solutions and species delimitation while recognizing that such investigations also provide vital insights into the processes of diversification and adaptation across lineages.

Prof. Dr. Edlley Pessoa
Dr. Matheus Colli-Silva
Dr. Maria Teresa Buril
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • anatomy
  • biogeography
  • cytogenetics
  • evolution
  • morphometrics
  • molecular phylogenetics
  • palynology
  • phylogenomics
  • systematics
  • species delimitation

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 6814 KB  
Article
Grindelia mutabilis (Asteraceae: Astereae), a New South American Species and a Link for Synonymizing Notopappus
by Fernando Fernandes, Bruno de Souza, João Iganci, Tatiana Teixeira de Souza-Chies and Gustavo Heiden
Plants 2026, 15(5), 760; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15050760 - 1 Mar 2026
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Abstract
Grindelia mutabilis (Asteraceae, Astereae), a new species from Brazil endemic to the Espinal Ecoregion of the Río de La Plata Grasslands Bioregion and Pampa Province of the Chaco Biogeographical Domain, is proposed and illustrated. The new species is characterized by a combination of [...] Read more.
Grindelia mutabilis (Asteraceae, Astereae), a new species from Brazil endemic to the Espinal Ecoregion of the Río de La Plata Grasslands Bioregion and Pampa Province of the Chaco Biogeographical Domain, is proposed and illustrated. The new species is characterized by a combination of traits: small, rosette cespitose habit, linear to linear–oblanceolate leaves, light-yellow to pastel salmon ray florets, three-winged ray floret cypselae bearing a pappus of two to four elements and two-winged disc floret cypselae bearing a pappus of two elements. It has a highly restricted habitat and is known exclusively within Parque Estadual do Espinilho in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Preliminary conservation assessments classify the new species as Critically Endangered. We provide illustrations and photographs, as well as a distribution map with an identification key for the South American Grindelia species with winged cypselae. The intriguing morphology of this species combines characters traditionally regarded as diagnostic for Notopappus, a genus segregated from Haplopappus and Grindelia. Previously published phylogenetic studies of related taxa indicate that the recognition of Notopappus as monophyletic is not supported and render Grindelia as non-monophyletic too. Based on this combined morphological evidence and existing phylogenetic hypotheses, we reaffirm the non-monophyly of Notopappus and formally propose its synonymization under Grindelia s.l. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrative Taxonomy, Systematics, and Morphology of Land Plants)
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22 pages, 10535 KB  
Article
Morphology of Chinese Chive and Onion (Allium; Amaryllidaceae) Crop Wild Relatives: Taxonomical Relations and Implications
by Min Su Jo, Ji Eun Kim, Ye Rin Chu, Gyu Young Chung and Chae Sun Na
Plants 2026, 15(2), 192; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15020192 - 7 Jan 2026
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Abstract
The genus Allium L. includes economically significant crops such as Chinese chives (Allium tuberosum Rottler ex Spreng.) and onions (Allium cepa L.), and is utilized in diverse agricultural applications, with numerous cultivars developed to date. However, these cultivars are facing a [...] Read more.
The genus Allium L. includes economically significant crops such as Chinese chives (Allium tuberosum Rottler ex Spreng.) and onions (Allium cepa L.), and is utilized in diverse agricultural applications, with numerous cultivars developed to date. However, these cultivars are facing a reduction in genetic diversity, raising concerns regarding their long-term sustainability. Crop wild relatives (CWRs), which possess a wide range of genetic traits, have recently gained attention as important genetic resources and priorities for conservation. In this study, the taxonomy of Allium species distributed in Korea is assessed using morphological characteristics. Two types of morphological analyses were conducted: macro-morphological traits were examined using stereomicroscopy and multi-spectral image analyses, while micro-morphological traits were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy. We detected significant interspecific and intraspecific variation in macro-morphological traits. Among the micro-morphological features, the seed outline on the x-axis and structural patterns of the testa and periclinal walls were identified as reliable diagnostic characters for subgenus classification. Moreover, micro-morphological evidence contributed to inferences about evolutionary trends within the genus Allium. Based on phylogenetic relationships between wild and cultivated taxa, we propose an updated framework for the CWR inventory of Allium. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrative Taxonomy, Systematics, and Morphology of Land Plants)
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16 pages, 5745 KB  
Article
Molecular Phylogenetics and Morphological Analyses Support Dolichopoda, a New Neotropical Genus of Marantaceae (Zingiberales)
by Naédja K. M. Luna, Thales S. Coutinho, Mark W. Chase, Leonardo P. Felix and Edlley M. Pessoa
Plants 2025, 14(22), 3486; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14223486 - 15 Nov 2025
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Abstract
This study presents a molecular phylogenetic analysis based on four DNA regions (plastid matK, trnL-trnF, and rps16 and nuclear ribosomal ITS) for Ctenanthe, Saranthe and Stromanthe, encompassing nearly 70% of species in these genera. Given this extensive sampling, we [...] Read more.
This study presents a molecular phylogenetic analysis based on four DNA regions (plastid matK, trnL-trnF, and rps16 and nuclear ribosomal ITS) for Ctenanthe, Saranthe and Stromanthe, encompassing nearly 70% of species in these genera. Given this extensive sampling, we assess the monophyly of these genera and evaluate whether key morphological traits can serve as diagnostic characters (synapomorphies). For the first time, we included Stromanthe bahiensis, an unusual species that differs from all congeneric species in its elongate petioles and relatively long, pendulous, hirsute synflorescences. Our findings reveal S. bahiensis as sister to the rest of the group. The evolution of key morphological traits (organization of the aerial shoot system, rachis flexuosity, spathe compactness and cymule type) were estimated to be complex, with none exhibiting consistent diagnostic utility. Given that these traits were among the main reasons S. bahiensis was described under Stromanthe, our ancestral state reconstruction, coupled with its phylogenetic position, justifies recognition of a new genus, Dolichopoda. Our findings suggest that morphological evolution in the group may have been shaped by convergence, parallelisms and reversals, which may partially explain the high morphological overlap observed among genera. This realignment not only resolves phylogenetic inconsistencies but also facilitates more accurate biogeographic and ecological inferences. Additionally, we transfer Ctenanthe dasycarpa to Stromanthe to make Ctenanthe and Stromanthe mutually monophyletic. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrative Taxonomy, Systematics, and Morphology of Land Plants)
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