Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Fungal frontiers for sustainability: unlocking the hidden kingdom

Fungi have repeatedly delivered transformative advances across industries, from medicine to food to materials, yet these breakthroughs have emerged from a narrow base of organisms and well-studied systems. Although mycology has taken a big leap forward in the past decades because...

Revisiting Alpinia cumingii (Zingiberaceae): phylogenetic placement, recircumscription and a description of a new morphologically similar species

Alpinia cumingii was described by Karl Moritz Schumann from the Philippines in 1904. Two remarkably similar species, also from the Philippines, Alpinia penduliflora and Alpinia pendula, were described respectively in 1909 by Henry Nicholas Ridley and 1928 by Eduardo Quisumbing an...

The genome sequence of ivy broomrape, Orobanche hederae Duby (Lamiales: Orobanchaceae)

We present a genome assembly of Orobanche hederae (Ivy Broomrape; Streptophyta; Magnoliopsida; Lamiales; Orobanchaceae). The assembly consists of two haplotypes with total lengths of 2,362.87 megabases and 2,355.77 megabases. Most of the haplotype 1 assembly (98.77%) was scaffold...

Isolation and identification of usnic acid from Usnea articulata and evaluation of the antioxidant and antibacterial activities of its ethanol and acetone extracts

Abstract In this study, the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of Usnea articulata were investigated, and usnic acid was isolated and structurally characterized. Antioxidant activity and total phenolic content were evaluated in acetone and ethanol extracts of the species us...

Combined application between remediation and bioremediation enhances soil xenobiotics decontamination

Atrazine (ATZ) is a herbicide extensively used in Brazilian agriculture, yet its environmental persistence poses severe risks to soil health and non-target organisms. This perspective article proposes an integrated remediation strategy combining biochar (BC), Canavalia ensiformis...

Enhance food plant diversity conservation and use through greater coordination between genebanks and botanic gardens

Societal Impact Statement Food plants are vital to human and planetary health, but their diversity is threatened, making food security, nutrition, and environmental goals more difficult to achieve. Food plant diversity conservation, research, and education can be enhanced through...

Large‐scale nuclear and plastid phylogenomic analyses inform an updated Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification: APG V

Abstract We present here a revision of the APG classification that considers the extensive recent analyses of hundreds of nuclear and plastid genes for many angiosperm species. Although previous versions of the APG classification were largely based on uniparentally inherited mark...

European ash pangenome reveals widespread structural variation and genetic basis of low ash dieback susceptibility

Abstract European Ash ( Fraxinus excelsior ) is a keystone tree species, whose populations are being decimated by ash dieback disease (ADB) – better characterisation of genetic variants associated with low susceptibility to the disease is needed. Here, we develop a F. excelsior p...

The genome sequence of Euphorbia maculata L., 1753 (Malpighiales: Euphorbiaceae)

We present a genome assembly of Euphorbia maculata (Spotted Spurge; Streptophyta; Magnoliopsida; Malpighiales; Euphorbiaceae). The assembly consists of two haplotypes with total lengths of 753.52 megabases and 724.52 megabases. Most of haplotype 1 (97.8%) is scaffolded into 20 ch...

The genome sequence of Matricaria discoidea DC., 1838 (Asterales: Asteraceae)

We present a genome assembly of Matricaria discoidea (Pineapple Weed; Streptophyta; Magnoliopsida; Asterales; Asteraceae). The assembly consists of two haplotypes with total lengths of 2,091.66 megabases and 2,094.89 megabases. Most of the haplotype 1 assembly (99.72%) was scaffo...

The genome sequence of Goldilocks Aster, Galatella linosyris (L. Rchb.f., 1853) (Asterales: Asteraceae)

We present a genome assembly of Galatella linosyris (Goldilocks Aster; Streptophyta; Magnoliopsida; Asterales; Asteraceae). The assembly consists of two haplotypes with total lengths of 4,455.90 megabases and 4,428.67 megabases. Most of haplotype 1 (99.26%) is scaffolded into 9 c...

The genome sequence of Carex laevigata Sm., 1800 (Poales: Cyperaceae)

We present a genome assembly of Carex laevigata (smooth-stalked sedge; Streptophyta; Magnoliopsida; Poales; Cyperaceae). The genome sequence has a total length of 376.54 megabases. Most of the assembly (99.74%) is scaffolded into 36 chromosomal pseudomolecules. The mitochondrial...

Evaluating three alternative scenarios for the origin of a disjunct Arctium tomentosum population in the Pyrenees

Background Disjunctions in species distributions offer natural experiments for investigating the mechanisms underlying distributional breaks, such as range contraction, long-distance pollen transport, or long-distance seed dispersal. Here, we document and characterise a floristic...

Ancient DNA reveals early use of melons in China’s Song dynasty

Abstract Melon ( Cucumis melo L.) domestication is thought to have occurred independently once in Northeast Africa and twice in India, but archaeobotanical seed remains point to a possible additional domestication in China. Because Cucumis seeds are difficult to diagnose morpholo...

The genome sequence of Tanacetum vulgare L., 1753 (Asterales: Asteraceae)

We present a genome assembly of Tanacetum vulgare (tansy; Streptophyta; Magnoliopsida; Asterales; Asteraceae). The assembly consists of two haplotypes with total lengths of 4 610.35 megabases and 4 806.39 megabases. Most of haplotype 1 (97.11%) is scaffolded into 9 chromosomal ps...

The genome sequence of Quercus ilex L., 1753 (Fagales: Fagaceae)

<ns5:p> We present a genome assembly of <ns5:italic>Quercus ilex</ns5:italic> (holly oak; Streptophyta; Magnoliopsida; Fagales; Fagaceae). The assembly consists of two haplotypes with total lengths of 847.45 megabases and megabases. Most of haplotype 1 (99.65%) is scaffolded into...

Biology and agricultural relevance of Triticum timopheevii (Zhuk.) Zhuk. and Triticum zhukovskyi Menabde & Ericzjan as underutilised wheat crops historically cultivated in Georgia

The loss of genetic diversity as a result of modern wheat breeding has led to a renewed interest in ancient and underutilised wheats, which often display distinctive agronomic and ecological attributes. Triticum timopheevii and Triticum zhukovskyi are two hulled wheats of the ind...

Echinosphaeria canescens

Abstract

Stable biomass accumulation driven by conservative traits in Brazil’s tropical montane forests

While tropical forests are key CO2 sinks, local drivers of aboveground biomass (AGB) dynamics in diverse systems like the Brazilian Atlantic Forest remain uncertain, constraining ecological references for restoration and long-term carbon sequestration. This study evaluates how bi...

Synergies and trade-offs for reaching global biodiversity and climate commitments

The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework strives to expand high-quality protected areas globally, yet faces economic constraints, climate change and human pressures. This requires integrating biological and socio-economic complexity while ensuring equity. We explore mul...