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Taxonomy, Phylogeny and Distribution of Vascular Plants
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Taxonomy, Phylogeny and Distribution of Vascular 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: closed (28 February 2025) | Viewed by 3029

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Alexander Sennikov

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Botanical Museum, Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
Interests: plant taxonomy and phylogeny; checklists and databases; plant geography and mapping; plant conservation; plant nomenclature; history of herbarium collections

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Documentation of vascular plant diversity remains a primary task in biodiversity studies, given the large percentage of undescribed plant species. Another ongoing task, which is far from completion in many taxonomic groups, is their phylogenetic classification. In speciose genera or in taxonomic groups with a long history of studies, this task may be complicated with a burden of synonyms, which are also hampering conservation research.

There is an acute need to catalogue and analyse plant diversity worldwide, as the compilation of elaborated and regularly updated checklists is pending in many countries. This work is linked with uncovering detailed plant distributions, for which extensive data collection and mobilisation are still required.

In the modern world, native plant diversity is commonly threatened because of anthropogenic pressure leading to the degradation or loss of habitats, unwanted migration and the risk of extinction. These issues require informed actions, for which the background may be provided only by biodiversity studies.

This Special Issue requests the submission of articles dealing with significant questions of plant taxonomy and phylogeny, evolutionary morphology, inventory of plant diversity in particular territories, including alien plants, and mapping of plant distributions. Large-scale or detailed inventories and in-depth analytic studies are preferred, while phylogenetic taxonomy and revisions (with new species descriptions) are encouraged. Please note that plant nomenclature and typification will not be considered.

Dr. Alexander Sennikov
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Plants is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • evolutionary morphology
  • mapping
  • plant phylogeny
  • plant taxonomy
  • taxonomic diversity
  • vascular plants

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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20 pages, 2128 KiB  
Article
The Genus Petunia (Solanaceae): Evolutionary Synthesis and Taxonomic Review
by Luana S. Soares, João R. Stehmann and Loreta B. Freitas
Plants 2025, 14(10), 1478; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14101478 - 15 May 2025
Viewed by 253
Abstract
Many plant groups exhibit complex evolutionary processes, including hybridization, incomplete lineage sorting, and variable evolutionary rates, which make species delimitation challenging. Molecular data have been essential for studying such groups, including Petunia, where local adaptation, allopatric speciation, pollinator interactions, and hybridization shape [...] Read more.
Many plant groups exhibit complex evolutionary processes, including hybridization, incomplete lineage sorting, and variable evolutionary rates, which make species delimitation challenging. Molecular data have been essential for studying such groups, including Petunia, where local adaptation, allopatric speciation, pollinator interactions, and hybridization shape diversity and population structure. In this study, we produced the first broadly inclusive phylogenetic tree of Petunia using high-throughput DNA sequence data generated by genome complexity reduction-based sequencing (DArT), and incorporating all currently accepted taxa. Additionally, we reviewed previously published phylogenetic and phylogeographic studies on these species to support the taxonomic revision. Phylogenetic analyses based on SNPs were largely congruent, revealing two well-supported clades divided by corolla tube length, consistent with previous studies. These clades likely originated and diversified during the Pleistocene. The phylogenetic trees provided strong support for taxonomic changes, resolving long-standing uncertainties. We recognize P. axillaris, P. parodii, and P. subandina as independent species, elevate P. integrifolia subsp. depauperata to P. dichotoma Sendtn., and resurrect P. guarapuavensis. Additionally, our results highlighted unsolved questions regarding the evolutionary history of the short corolla tube clade, suggesting the need for further investigation into its diversification and genetic structure. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Taxonomy, Phylogeny and Distribution of Vascular Plants)
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17 pages, 1997 KiB  
Article
Phylogenomic Inference Suggests Differential Deep Time Phylogenetic Signals from Nuclear and Organellar Genomes in Gymnosperms
by Yu-En Lin, Chung-Shien Wu, Yu-Wei Wu and Shu-Miaw Chaw
Plants 2025, 14(9), 1335; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14091335 - 28 Apr 2025
Viewed by 825
Abstract
The living gymnosperms include about 1200 species in five major groups: cycads, ginkgo, gnetophytes, Pinaceae (conifers I), and cupressophytes (conifers II). Molecular phylogenetic studies have yet to reach a unanimously agreed-upon relationship among them. Moreover, cytonuclear phylogenetic incongruence has been repeatedly observed in [...] Read more.
The living gymnosperms include about 1200 species in five major groups: cycads, ginkgo, gnetophytes, Pinaceae (conifers I), and cupressophytes (conifers II). Molecular phylogenetic studies have yet to reach a unanimously agreed-upon relationship among them. Moreover, cytonuclear phylogenetic incongruence has been repeatedly observed in gymnosperms. We collated a comprehensive dataset from available genomes of 17 gymnosperms across the five major groups and added our own high-quality assembly of a species from Podocarpaceae (the second largest conifer family) to increase sampling width. We used these data to infer reconciled nuclear species phylogenies using two separate methods to ensure the robustness of our conclusions. We also reconstructed organelle phylogenomic trees from 42 mitochondrial and 82 plastid genes from 38 and 289 gymnosperm species across the five major groups, respectively. Our nuclear phylogeny consistently recovers the Ginkgo–cycads clade as the first lineage split from other gymnosperm clades and the Pinaceae as sister to gnetophytes (the Gnepines hypothesis). In contrast, the mitochondrial tree places cycads as the earliest lineage in gymnosperms and gnetophytes as sister to cupressophytes (the Gnecup hypothesis) while the plastomic tree supports the Ginkgo–cycads clade and gnetophytes as the sister to cupressophytes. We also examined the effect of mitochondrial RNA editing sites on the gymnosperm phylogeny by manipulating the nucleotide and amino acid sequences at these sites. Only complete removal of editing sites has an effect on phylogenetic inference, leading to a closer congruence between mitogenomic and nuclear phylogenies. This suggests that RNA editing sites carry a phylogenetic signal with distinct evolutionary traits. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Taxonomy, Phylogeny and Distribution of Vascular Plants)
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17 pages, 1278 KiB  
Article
Flora Checklist in the Bayanaul State National Nature Park, Kazakhstan with Special Focus on New Species of Conservation Interest
by Zhumabekova Bibigul, Tarasovskaya Natalia, Klimenko Mikhail, Shakeneva Dinara, Assylbekova Gulmira, Shujaul Mulk Khan and Fazal Manan
Plants 2025, 14(7), 1119; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14071119 - 3 Apr 2025
Viewed by 405
Abstract
Bayanaul State National Nature Park (BSNNP), which was established in 1985 and is one of the biggest natural parks in the Republic of Kazakhstan, conserves and rehabilitates the natural flora and fauna of the Bayanaul mountain range. This article expands the floristic inventory [...] Read more.
Bayanaul State National Nature Park (BSNNP), which was established in 1985 and is one of the biggest natural parks in the Republic of Kazakhstan, conserves and rehabilitates the natural flora and fauna of the Bayanaul mountain range. This article expands the floristic inventory of BSNNP and identifies the ecological and ethnobotanical importance of the park. The literature revealed that 681 plant species inhabited the BSNNP region but it was hypothesized that the park’s plant diversity was greater than the documented 681 plant species. Following our expedition travels to BSNNP, we extended the flora summary with an addition of 81 new plant species. Now, according to this study, the flora of BSNNP comprises 762 plant species belonging to 335 genera and 81 families. The leading families are Asteraceae Dumort., Poaceae Barnhart, Brassicaceae Burnett, Fabaceae Lindl, Rosaceae Juss., Caryophyllaceae Juss, Lamiaceae Lindl., Apiaceae Lindl., and Scrophulariaceae Juss. They comprise 57.7% of the total plant species in the national park and 58.5% of the total genera. The largest genera are wormwood, sedge, onion, cinquefoil, speedwell, and astragalus, based on which these genera can be considered polymorphic. Moreover, 16 species of endemic plants belonging to 14 genera and 7 families were also reported. The flora is characterized by high biological diversity with the participation of boreal relicts. The largest group among useful species is medicinal plants, represented by 186 species (24.4%) belonging to 83 genera, and 39 families. Our findings enhance the scientific understanding of plant diversity in BSNNP and provide the groundwork for future conservation research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Taxonomy, Phylogeny and Distribution of Vascular Plants)
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14 pages, 1622 KiB  
Article
Floristic Analysis of Vascular Plants in the Ziwuling Mountains, Shaanxi Province
by Shuyue Ma, Fangfang Qiang, Guangquan Liu, Changhai Liu, Chongyan Bai and Ning Ai
Plants 2025, 14(7), 1006; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14071006 - 23 Mar 2025
Viewed by 341
Abstract
A study was conducted on the vascular floras of the Ziwuling Mountains in Shaanxi Province to establish a foundational database, providing data support for the conservation and utilization of the Ziwuling Mountains’ plant diversity resources. Based on field surveys and literature references, the [...] Read more.
A study was conducted on the vascular floras of the Ziwuling Mountains in Shaanxi Province to establish a foundational database, providing data support for the conservation and utilization of the Ziwuling Mountains’ plant diversity resources. Based on field surveys and literature references, the composition and geographical elements of the vascular floras in the study area were analyzed. The species richness and floristic similarity coefficients of the study area were compared with other floras on the Ordos Platform. The results were as follows: (1) The vascular floras of the Ziwuling Mountains in Shaanxi Province comprised 120 families, 498 genera, and 965 species, with superrosids and superasterids being significantly dominant. There were 15 dominant families, primarily composed of oligotypic and monotypic genera. In terms of life forms, perennial forbs were the most abundant. (2) At the family level, tropical elements slightly outweighed temperate elements; at the genus level, temperate elements dominated. (3) The study area was rich in rare and endangered species. (4) Compared with other floras on the Ordos Platform, the study area exhibited higher species richness and the greatest similarity with the Liupan Mountain floras. The biodiversity of the Ziwuling Mountains in Shaanxi Province was relatively high, with diverse geographical elements and abundant rare and endangered species resources. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Taxonomy, Phylogeny and Distribution of Vascular Plants)
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Review

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24 pages, 14003 KiB  
Review
Preliminary Review of the Diploid Taxa in Hieracium s.s.
by Giacomo Baldesi, Jean-Marc Tison and Simone Orsenigo
Plants 2025, 14(7), 1057; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14071057 - 29 Mar 2025
Viewed by 452
Abstract
A review of the known diploid species in Hieracium L. s.s. (Asteraceae, Cichorieae) is presented. This article aims to summarize the current knowledge of the taxa with the basic ploidy level in the genus (2n = 2x = 18), as these entities [...] Read more.
A review of the known diploid species in Hieracium L. s.s. (Asteraceae, Cichorieae) is presented. This article aims to summarize the current knowledge of the taxa with the basic ploidy level in the genus (2n = 2x = 18), as these entities are supposed to have originated the outstanding diversity observed nowadays, which is largely ascribable to polyploid microspecies. The study of extant diploid species is crucial for the understanding of the speciation dynamics that occurred in hawkweeds. All available cytological data in the literature, pertinent to Europe and adjacent countries, are included to have an overview of the obligately sexual species in this genus and highlight gaps and uncertainties. In order to preliminarily investigate the geographical distribution, all records are georeferenced and projected on a map to highlight the hotspots of Hieracium diversity. A brief account of each taxon is included, with some additional considerations and remarks on doubtful records. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Taxonomy, Phylogeny and Distribution of Vascular Plants)
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