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Advances in Violaceae Research
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Advances in Violaceae Research

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 July 2022) | Viewed by 26873

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Aneta Słomka

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Guest Editor
Department of Plant Cytology and Embryology, Institute of Botany, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University in Kraków, 9 Gronostajowa Str, 30-387 Cracow, Poland
Interests: plant cell and tissue culture; ex situ plant conservation; the influence of heavy metals on plants/cells in in vivo and in vitro conditions (physiology, reproduction, cyclotides); plant microevolution and speciation at metalliferous sites (tolerance and adaptation; genetic differentiation, metallophytes); the origin and speciation of plants by polyploidisation and hybridisation (phylogenetics).
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Thomas Marcussen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
CEES, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1066 Blindern, NO-0316 Oslo, Norway
Interests: biosystematics; understanding evolution in time and space; historical biogeography; phylogenetics related to reticulate evolution and polyploidy, generating species phylogeny from multigene data, use of fossil data in phylogenies, and reconstructing trait evolution on phylogenies

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Violaceae Batsch is a medium-sized family within the large and diverse order Malpighiales. Violaceae comprises 1000–1100 predominately tropical species in 22 currently recognised genera. Historically, morphological evolution has been poorly understood, and the formerly large genera Rinorea Aubl. and Hybanthus Jacquin have proven profusely polyphyletic. With its around 600 species, the genus Viola L. stands out in the family as not only being the largest genus, but also one of the largest among angiosperms; it is also temperate and cosmopolitan, unlike the rest of the family, and is unrivalled in the aspect of scientific research with almost 5000 records in Web of Science database. Viola is characterised by extensive polyploid evolution, with up to allo-18-ploids and extreme chromosomal reductions (to 2n = 4x = 4). Cleistogamy occurs in several Violaceae genera and in numerous north-temperate Viola specialised into seasonal cleistogamy, which is rare among angiosperms. Pollen heteromorphisms (notably in aperture number) are common and may be associated at least partly with neopolyploidy; Fusispermum has two pollen size classes. Metal hyperaccumulators are quite common in the family and include both herbaceous and woody members. Myrmecochory is common, notably in Viola, usually in combination with ballistic dispersal. Violaceae are the preferred food plants for the caterpillars of the majority of fritillary butterflies, Nymphalidae-Argynnini. Members of the family produce cyclic peptides (cyclotides) in large amounts as a defense strategy against parasites and herbivores. The utility of these natural products of anti-microbial, anti-HIV, and anti-tumour properties has been intensively developed. The fossil record of the family is overall poor, with the oldest putative records being leaves from the mid-Paleocene of Colombia. However, the seed fossil record of Viola from the Miocene onwards in Europe is relatively rich in morphotypes.  

This Special Issue will accept reviews and full or short research papers from a broad scope of interdisciplinary research on Violaceae. We will welcome original papers on topics such as (but not limited to) pollination and cleistogamy, ecology and evolution, phytochemistry, morphology and anatomy, phylogeny, and biosystematics, including the description of new taxa, revisions of the fossil record, adaptation to heavy metal polluted soils, and conservation of narrow endemics or declining species.

Dr. Aneta Słomka
Dr. Thomas Marcussen
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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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

  • Violaceae
  • Viola
  • Hybanthus
  • Rinorea
  • polyploids
  • phytochemistry
  • reproductive biology
  • cleistogamy
  • cyclotides
  • metallophytes

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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10 pages, 2603 KiB  
Article
The Influence of Plant Stress Hormones and Biotic Elicitors on Cyclotide Production in Viola uliginosa Cell Suspension Cultures
by Blazej Slazak, Aleksandra Jędrzejska, Bogna Badyra, Reza Shariatgorji, Anna Nilsson, Per E. Andrén and Ulf Göransson
Plants 2022, 11(14), 1876; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11141876 - 19 Jul 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2561
Abstract
Cyclotides are macrocycle peptides produced by plants from several families, including Violaceae. These compounds have the potential for applications in medicine, bioengineering and crop protection thanks to their multiple biological activities. In most cases, cyclotides are extracted from plant material. Plant cell culture [...] Read more.
Cyclotides are macrocycle peptides produced by plants from several families, including Violaceae. These compounds have the potential for applications in medicine, bioengineering and crop protection thanks to their multiple biological activities. In most cases, cyclotides are extracted from plant material. Plant cell culture provides a viable and sustainable form of plant biomass production Cyclotides are host defense peptides. The aim of the current study was to test whether different plant stress hormones and biological elicitors have effects on cyclotide production in Viola uliginosa suspension cultures. Different concentrations of jasmonic acid (JA), salicylic acid (SA), abscisic acid (ABA) and neutralized pathogens were tested. The cyclotide production was assessed using MALDI-MS. Five major peptides produced by V. uliginosa cultures were chosen for analysis, of which one was sequenced de novo. The treatments had little influence on the suspension’s growth, with the exception of 100 μM SA, which enhanced the biomass increase, and 100 μM ABA, which was toxic. Significant increases in the production of three cyclotides (viul M, cyO13 and cyO3) were observed in suspensions primed with JA (50 μM, 100 μM, 200 μM) after 14 days of culturing. Biotic elicitors had no observable effect on cyclotide production. The current study indicates that some cyclotides in V. uliginosa are triggered in response to JA. The stress plant hormones can be used to enhance plant cell culture-based production systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Violaceae Research)
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24 pages, 21264 KiB  
Article
Complex Scenarios of Reticulation, Polyploidization, and Species Diversity within Annual Pansies of Subsect. Bracteolatae (Viola Sect. Melanium, Violaceae) in Italy: Insights from 5S-IGS High-Throughput Sequencing and Plastid DNA Variation
by Anna Scoppola, Simone Cardoni, Thomas Marcussen and Marco Cosimo Simeone
Plants 2022, 11(10), 1294; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11101294 - 12 May 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2710
Abstract
Viola sect. Melanium, the so-called pansy, is an allopolyploid morphologically well-defined lineage of ca. 110 perennial and annual species in the northern hemisphere, characterized by markedly complex genomic configurations. Five annual pansies occur in Italy, four of which are morphologically very similar [...] Read more.
Viola sect. Melanium, the so-called pansy, is an allopolyploid morphologically well-defined lineage of ca. 110 perennial and annual species in the northern hemisphere, characterized by markedly complex genomic configurations. Five annual pansies occur in Italy, four of which are morphologically very similar and belong to the informal ‘V. tricolor species complex’: V. arvensis (2n = 34), V. hymettia (2n = 16), V. kitaibeliana (2n = 16), and V. tricolor (2n = 26). Their field recognition is difficult and reflects a long-debated taxonomy often resulting in doubtful records in field inventories and across European herbaria. The current lack of comprehensive intra- and interspecific comparative studies and a relative scarcity of appropriate genetic markers coupled with unambiguous cytological descriptions are hindering clear taxa circumscription and phylogenetic inferences within this group. In this work, we tested DNA sequence variation of three highly variable plastid markers and High-Throughput Sequencing (HTS) of the nuclear ribosomal 5S-IGS region in an attempt to decipher species identity within the V. tricolor species complex and to obtain an insight on their genome organization and evolution. Our results document the close relationships within this species group, a reliable molecular resolution for V. tricolor, and the common ancestry of V. arvensis and the poorly differentiated V. kitaibeliana and V. hymettia. Evidence of an important inter-population geographical divergence was recorded in V. tricolor and V. arvensis, pointing at the existence of different eco-cytotypes within these entities. Overall diversity patterns and the occurrence of two to four differently diverging 5S-IGS lineages are discussed in the light of the acknowledged taxonomy and genomic evolutive trajectories of sect. Melanium. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Violaceae Research)
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22 pages, 3285 KiB  
Article
Classical Morphometrics in V. arvensis and V. kitaibeliana (Viola sect. Melanium) Reveals Intraspecific Variation with Implications for Species Delimitation: Inferences from a Case Study in Central Italy
by Anna Scoppola, Daniele Angeloni and Cinzia Franceschini
Plants 2022, 11(3), 379; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11030379 - 29 Jan 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3455
Abstract
The high morphological variability of Viola arvensis may hinder the proper identification of the closely related species with an implication for biodiversity surveys. Variation in floral and vegetative morphology was explored in V. arvensis, compared to V. kitaibeliana, based upon 14 [...] Read more.
The high morphological variability of Viola arvensis may hinder the proper identification of the closely related species with an implication for biodiversity surveys. Variation in floral and vegetative morphology was explored in V. arvensis, compared to V. kitaibeliana, based upon 14 wild Italian populations, to provide new insights into their diagnostic features. Species were characterized using 32 morphological descriptors assessed on 272 flowers and as many leaves and scored as quantitative and categorical variables. Statistical methods, including Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA), were applied to test species delimitation. Data highlighted variations in sepal size, petal size, leaves shape, stylar dark spot, and pollen magazine higher within V. arvensis than between V. arvensis and V. kitaibeliana. LDA partitioned the V. arvensis samples into two distinct clusters; no clear distinction was found between the cluster combining individuals from grasslands and V. kitaibeliana. The separation of V. arvensis and V. kitaibeliana from V. tricolor, included as a reference, was noticeable. Correlations were found in all species between the flower/leaf position on the stem and some floral and vegetative features. The shape and margin of the lower sepal, the stylar flap, and the lamina margin and apex were diagnostic in field identification. The results support the recognition of an undescribed V. arvensis eco-phenotype linked to seminatural dry grasslands, easily distinguishable from the field-grown type of V. arvensis but hardly distinguishable from the dwarf pansy. Data further corroborate the assumption of general deep-rooted confusion in ascribing poorly developed individuals of V. arvensis to the rare and locally threatened V. kitaibeliana, leading to potential implications for its conservation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Violaceae Research)
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13 pages, 2466 KiB  
Article
Seasonal and Simultaneous Cleistogamy in Rostrate Violets (Viola, subsect. Rostratae, Violaceae)
by Ali Ammarellou, Justyna Żabicka, Aneta Słomka, Jerzy Bohdanowicz, Thomas Marcussen and Elżbieta Kuta
Plants 2021, 10(10), 2147; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10102147 - 10 Oct 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3776
Abstract
The special mixed reproductive system, i.e., the ability of an individual plant to develop both open, chasmogamous (CH) flowers adapted to cross-pollination and closed, cleistogamous (CL) flowers with obligate self-pollinating, is a common phenomenon in Viola L. In most sections of Northern Hemisphere [...] Read more.
The special mixed reproductive system, i.e., the ability of an individual plant to develop both open, chasmogamous (CH) flowers adapted to cross-pollination and closed, cleistogamous (CL) flowers with obligate self-pollinating, is a common phenomenon in Viola L. In most sections of Northern Hemisphere violets, cleistogamy is seasonal, and CH and CL flowers develop sequentially in the season. Non-seasonal cleistogamy (simultaneous) is a rare phenomenon in rostrate violets. In the current study, we focused on modification of the CH/CL mating system in V. caspia by environmental conditions, resulting in a gradual switch from temporal cleistogamy, occurring in nature, to simultaneous cleistogamy under greenhouse conditions. V. reichenbachiana with seasonal cleistogamy was the control for V. caspia with the labile seasonal/simultaneous cleistogamy system. In simultaneous cleistogamy, the CH and CL flowers, fruits and seeds developed on an individual plant at the same time on the same branch. The typical difference between CH and CL flowers’ pistils is a straight style ending with a head-like stigma in CH and a curved style in CL adapted to self-pollination. This trait persists in the fruit and seed stages, allowing for easy recognition of fruit of CL and CH flowers in simultaneous cleistogamy. Floral meristems of CH flowers of V. reichenbachiana developed on the rhizome at the end of the growing season under short-day conditions and remained dormant until the following season. The CL floral meristems formed under long-day conditions on elongating lateral branches in the upper leaf axils. The daily temperature influenced the variable CH/CL ratio of V. caspia in nature and greenhouse conditions. Regulation of the CL/CH flower ratio by modifying environmental factors is important for basic research on genetic/epigenetic regulation of cleistogamy and for practical use to produce genetically stable lines of economically important species via CL seeds. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Violaceae Research)
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Review

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135 pages, 48870 KiB  
Review
A Revised Phylogenetic Classification for Viola (Violaceae)
by Thomas Marcussen, Harvey E. Ballard, Jiří Danihelka, Ana R. Flores, Marcela V. Nicola and John M. Watson
Plants 2022, 11(17), 2224; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11172224 - 27 Aug 2022
Cited by 41 | Viewed by 12843
Abstract
The genus Viola (Violaceae) is among the 40–50 largest genera among angiosperms, yet its taxonomy has not been revised for nearly a century. In the most recent revision, by Wilhelm Becker in 1925, the then-known 400 species were distributed among 14 sections and [...] Read more.
The genus Viola (Violaceae) is among the 40–50 largest genera among angiosperms, yet its taxonomy has not been revised for nearly a century. In the most recent revision, by Wilhelm Becker in 1925, the then-known 400 species were distributed among 14 sections and numerous unranked groups. Here, we provide an updated, comprehensive classification of the genus, based on data from phylogeny, morphology, chromosome counts, and ploidy, and based on modern principles of monophyly. The revision is presented as an annotated global checklist of accepted species of Viola, an updated multigene phylogenetic network and an ITS phylogeny with denser taxon sampling, a brief summary of the taxonomic changes from Becker’s classification and their justification, a morphological binary key to the accepted subgenera, sections and subsections, and an account of each infrageneric subdivision with justifications for delimitation and rank including a description, a list of apomorphies, molecular phylogenies where possible or relevant, a distribution map, and a list of included species. We distribute the 664 species accepted by us into 2 subgenera, 31 sections, and 20 subsections. We erect one new subgenus of Viola (subg. Neoandinium, a replacement name for the illegitimate subg. Andinium), six new sections (sect. Abyssinium, sect. Himalayum, sect. Melvio, sect. Nematocaulon, sect. Spathulidium, sect. Xanthidium), and seven new subsections (subsect. Australasiaticae, subsect. Bulbosae, subsect. Clausenianae, subsect. Cleistogamae, subsect. Dispares, subsect. Formosanae, subsect. Pseudorupestres). Evolution within the genus is discussed in light of biogeography, the fossil record, morphology, and particular traits. Viola is among very few temperate and widespread genera that originated in South America. The biggest identified knowledge gaps for Viola concern the South American taxa, for which basic knowledge from phylogeny, chromosome counts, and fossil data is virtually absent. Viola has also never been subject to comprehensive anatomical study. Studies into seed anatomy and morphology are required to understand the fossil record of the genus. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Violaceae Research)
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