The dataset was assembled from five field projects: Bisons, PermanentPlots, Scabiosa, CentralKZ and Kendara. Sampling occurred in the Qaraghandy and Ulytau regions and, in part, in southern Akmola Region. Coordinates span 47.46957–51.63357 degrees north and 66.963623–76.22422 degrees east.

Vegetation was surveyed using the relevé method and either the Braun–Blanquet or Drude cover-abundance scale. Investigators estimated total and species-level cover for vascular plants in the tree canopy, understorey or shrub, and herb layers where those layers were present. Plot sizes were 100 or 1,600 square metres.

Most sampling locations were forests: 76 relevés were in forest stands, two in forest sites after fires and five at forest edges. Another 21 surveys represented dry xerophytic forb, forb–feather grass and forb–grass meadow steppe habitats. Eight plots were in grassland, two in floodplains and three on abandoned agricultural land. Pine-dominated stands accounted for 28 forest relevés; other surveys covered birch, aspen, mixed and black alder stands.

The records contain 481 unique scientific names representing 60 families and 238 genera. Of these, 420 taxa were identified to species level, 12 to subspecies and three to variety. Species were identified by Margarita Ishmuratova using regional floras and identification keys, with herbarium specimens deposited in the QAR collection. Scientific names were checked through the GBIF species-matching tool.

Eight alien plant species are represented in the relevés: Agropyron cristatum, Echinops sphaerocephalus, Echium vulgare, Cota tinctoria, Malus baccata, Caragana arborescens, Stellaria media and Acer negundo. The dataset includes fields describing how each was introduced, its degree of establishment and its pathway, drawing on previous research into the flora of Central Kazakhstan.

Boxelder maple, Acer negundo, was recorded twice. One occurrence was in an aspen stand in the Ortau Mountain forests, where it accounted for 25% cover of the understorey layer. The second was a young individual in a mixed forest stand in Karkaraly State National Natural Park. The authors describe the species as potentially the most dangerous among the alien plants in the dataset, citing its invasive status in Russia and unpublished field observations of initial colonisation in Central Kazakhstan.

Field data were digitised and standardised in Darwin Core. They were first released through GBIF as sampling-event datasets, but the GBIF Relevé Darwin Core Extension was not then indexed, so the authors merged the records and published the full dataset through Zenodo. It comprises an event table with plot characteristics and an occurrence table containing species-abundance data.

The dataset offers field observations from a defined geographic area and sampling period rather than a systematic estimate of vegetation across all Central Kazakhstan. Its habitat representation is uneven, with forests accounting for most plots, and the field records alone do not establish the regional prevalence, long-term trend or ecological effect of the alien species recorded.

Subject of Research: Vegetation plot dataset for forests, steppes and other habitats in the Kazakh Uplands

Article Title: Forest and steppe communities of Kazakh Uplands: vegetation plot dataset

Article References: Ivanova, N., Ishmuratova, M., & Tyrzhanova, S. (2026). Forest and steppe communities of Kazakh Uplands: vegetation plot dataset. Biodiversity Data Journal, 14, Article e189416. https://doi.org/10.3897/bdj.14.e189416

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.14.e189416

Keywords: Kazakh Uplands, vegetation relevés, plant diversity, forest communities, steppe vegetation, Darwin Core, GBIF, alien plants, Central Kazakhstan, open biodiversity data, Forest, steppe

The study filled a substantial gap in regional botanical knowledge. Although early floristic records for the lower Sieve Valley date to 1860, only 140 taxa had been reliably referred to the area between 1860 and 2010, including 70 reported before 1950. The new research combined a review of the limited literature with field investigations, herbarium specimens, approximately 3,000 photographs and about 5,000 field observations.

The surveyed area covers 101 km² of the Sieve River basin between Contea and Pontassieve, extending across parts of Pontassieve, Pelago, Rufina and Londa in the province of Florence. Elevations range from 90 to 992 metres above sea level, with distinct valley-floor, hilly and sub-mountainous sectors. The landscape includes urbanized and industrial areas, croplands, vineyards, olive groves, meadows, forests, rocky slopes, rivers, streams and artificial reservoirs. The valley also includes the Chianti Rufina subzone of Chianti Classico DOCG production.

Researchers used Species-Area Relationships developed for Tuscany to estimate expected richness before comparing the predictions with field results. The expected number of species and subspecies was 1,009, compared with 1,034 observed taxa. The correspondence between expected and observed established taxa was 99.3%, indicating that the valley’s floristic richness was close to the model estimate and comparable to other Tuscan areas. Expected alien richness was 89 taxa, whereas the inventory documented 109 established aliens, about 10% of the established flora and 22% above the prediction.

The alien total was proportionally higher than predicted but lower than in nearby areas such as the Cerbaie Hills and the municipality of Empoli. The authors proposed that Populus × canadensis nothosubsp. canadensis should be considered a naturalized alien in Tuscany because it is widespread along the terminal stretch of the Sieve River and competes with native Populus nigra subsp. nigra. Aliens were most numerous in urban and riparian environments, while Arundo donax and Robinia pseudoacacia were among the most widespread along the regional road network.

Three families accounted for 30% of the recorded flora: Asteraceae with 131 taxa, Poaceae with 93 and Fabaceae with 88. The most prominent life forms were hemicryptophytes at 35.1%, therophytes at 30.1% and geophytes at 15.4%. Eurosiberian taxa represented 32.6% of the flora and transitional Eurosiberian-Mediterranean taxa 30.3%, followed by widely distributed taxa at 14.3% and Mediterranean taxa at 13.5%. The authors associated this pattern with the area’s temperate and continental climate, summer aridity and mixture of open habitats.

Twelve Italian endemics were recorded, including Bellevalia webbiana, a narrowly endemic species categorized as Endangered nationally. Newly discovered populations expanded the known range of B. webbiana, whose previously reported area of occupancy was 68 km² and described as gradually decreasing. Of 17 taxa of national conservation interest, 14 were categorized as Least Concern, two as Data Deficient, two as Near Threatened, one as Vulnerable and one as Endangered. Olive groves, fallow grasslands, riparian zones and artificial water basins supported several of the conservation-significant plants.

Among 72 historical records reviewed for the valley, 33 taxa were directly confirmed during fieldwork and 39 were not. The unconfirmed records were concentrated mainly around Monte Giovi. The study noted two possible explanations: older localities were sometimes described only approximately, making it difficult to determine whether plants occurred inside the defined basin, while agricultural abandonment and extensive reforestation may have reduced suitable habitat. The authors therefore treated habitat loss as a possible explanation rather than a demonstrated cause of every missing record.

Water bodies were identified as the most affected habitats because of hydromorphological alteration, water over-exploitation, pollution and alien-species invasion. The authors highlighted the conservation value and fragility of wetlands and artificial basins for rare hygrophytes. Ludwigia peploides subsp. montevidensis, a regulated alien macrophyte recently recorded in the area, was singled out because it can compete strongly with native aquatic communities. Overall, the survey provides a detailed baseline for the lower Sieve Valley, while the unconfirmed historical records and continuing pressures on aquatic habitats remain important limitations on the completeness of the inventory.

Subject of Research: Floristic inventory of vascular plants in Tuscany’s lower Sieve Valley

Article Title: The vascular flora of the lower Sieve Valley (Tuscany, central Italy)

Article References: Pinzani, L. (2025). The vascular flora of the lower Sieve Valley (Tuscany, central Italy). Italian Botanist, 19, 1-14. https://doi.org/10.3897/italianbotanist.19.144112

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.3897/italianbotanist.19.144112

Keywords: floristic inventory, vascular flora, lower Sieve Valley, Tuscany, plant diversity, biodiversity, alien species, field survey, species-area relationships, conservation status, vascular, flora

The fen is a small alkaline-fen meadow in the Caricion davallianae alliance, with elements of transition mires, at an average elevation of 300 metres above sea level in the pre-Alpine Valbelluna landscape. It lies within the 65-hectare Natura 2000 site “IT3230042 Torbiera di Lipoi,” for which the fen constitutes the core area. Its soils comprise fluvial and alluvial deposits over calcareous moraines associated with the Piave river glacier. The climate is temperate-continental, with a mean annual temperature of about 12 °C and mean annual precipitation of 1,200–1,500 mm, with peaks in autumn and spring.

The meadow was traditionally mowed for straw and hay production until the end of the twentieth century. During subsequent decades, abandonment of that management was followed by natural encroachment and a marked alteration of the site’s physiognomy. Approximately 45% of the fen’s surface was lost between 2003 and 2022. The present landscape is a mosaic of alkaline fen, transition mire, Molinia meadow, tall herb-fringe, wet woodland, oak-hornbeam forest, stable hay-meadow and willow-grove habitats.

For the inventory, researchers examined four literature sources published from 1976 to 1993, specimens held in the Herbarium C. Lasen at the Museo Naturalistico Dolomiti Bellunesi, and field observations collected in 2023 and 2024. These records spanned 50 years, from 1974 to 2024. The pre-abandonment scenario was reconstructed from bibliographic and herbarium data, whereas the current scenario was based on the new field survey. The comparison examined life forms, chorology and conservation value.

This approach had a specific limitation: the precise locations of historical observations were unknown. The authors therefore treated the site as morphologically well defined and considered a comparison between the formerly managed period and vegetation after approximately two decades of abandonment reasonable for conservation, monitoring and management purposes. The historical and recent observations were not equivalent sampling efforts, however, and the study’s analysis of change was qualitative rather than a controlled assessment of causation.

Seventy-seven taxa were found only during the recent survey, 165 were confirmed from historical surveys and 78 were not confirmed. Historical records of Carex acuta, Carex riparia, Galium palustre subsp. elongatum, Galium verum subsp. wirtgeni and Ranunculus tuberosus were considered doubtful and probably reflected misidentification. Seven families accounted for about 55% of the inventory: Poaceae with 37 taxa, Cyperaceae with 32, Asteraceae with 20, Lamiaceae with 16, Ranunculaceae with 16, Rosaceae with 16 and Fabaceae with 14.

Five families recorded historically—Campanulaceae, Lentibulariaceae, Linaceae, Polygalaceae and Potamogetonaceae—were not detected during the recent survey, while Caprifoliaceae, Dioscoreaceae and Onagraceae were newly recorded. Hemicryptophytes, geophytes, phanerophytes and therophytes were the most represented life forms, and their overall proportions remained relatively constant between the compared periods. No hydrophytes were found during the recent survey, while phanerophytes tended to increase. Historical observations in 1985 described Salix cinerea, Alnus glutinosa and Quercus robur as occurring in scattered populations, whereas they were widespread across much of the fen in the recent survey. Frangula alnus and Phragmites australis also colonized the site in recent decades.

The biogeographic composition remained comparatively stable, with Eurasian, European-Caucasian, Eurosiberian, European and Circumboreal species predominating, although Eurasian, Eurosiberian and European species decreased relative to the pre-abandonment period. Alien plants represented 4.4% of the recorded flora, principally North American species, whose proportion increased over time. Ten alien taxa were classified as invasive, one as naturalized, one as casual and two as cryptogenetic. Most occurred in small, scattered populations, although Symphyotrichum lanceolatum formed a relatively large but bounded population in the eastern part of the fen.

Plantago altissima was listed as critically endangered in the Veneto Red List, while seven species were classified as vulnerable: Festuca trichophylla, Gentiana pneumonanthe, Carex lasiocarpa, Carex randalpina, Dactylorhiza incarnata, Equisetum fluviatile and Taraxacum sect. Palustria. Epipactis palustris, Menyanthes trifoliata and Cladium mariscus were near threatened. Two previously recorded red-listed species, Rosa gallica and Utricularia minor, were not found and could be locally extinct, while Potamogeton gramineus was considered regionally extinct. The authors noted that most fen-related vascular species still occurred, although populations were thought to have declined. Cladium mariscus and Carex lasiocarpa, by contrast, were reported to be expanding based on the authors’ field observations.

The findings indicated that the surviving flora still reflected a period when fen habitats were more extensive, suggesting that habitat reduction had not yet produced all the species losses it might eventually cause. The authors concluded that conservation could focus on maintaining the remaining open areas rather than restoring the former management regime or removing newly formed forests, which they noted may also be valuable to animals. They proposed small-scale manual mowing, rapid removal of material outside the fen and seasonal timing intended to limit the spread of alien plants, combined with monitoring to assess effects and adjust measures if unexpected dynamics emerged.

Subject of Research: Floristic inventory and historical vegetation comparison of an alkaline fen in Veneto, northern Italy

Article Title: Inventory of the vascular flora of the alkaline fen “Torbiera di Lipoi” (Veneto, northern Italy)

Article References: Zanatta, K., Lasen, C., Scariot, A., & Nascimbene, J. (2025). Inventory of the vascular flora of the alkaline fen “Torbiera di Lipoi” (Veneto, northern Italy). Italian Botanist, 19, 21-30. https://doi.org/10.3897/italianbotanist.19.132549

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.3897/italianbotanist.19.132549

Keywords: floristic inventory, vascular flora, alkaline fen, Torbiera di Lipoi, Veneto, plant diversity, vegetation change, traditional mowing, Natura 2000, Inventory, vascular, flora

The research team conducted floristic surveys on 20 quartz islands between February and March 2024, using systematic walk-through observations to ensure comprehensive species detection. The surveys yielded a complete species list per island and recorded 220 vascular plant species across the archipelago. Roughly one third of the species belonged to just three families: Asteraceae, Aizoaceae, and Poaceae.

Species richness varied dramatically among islands, ranging from 23 to 105 species, a difference of 82 species between the poorest and richest islands. Beyond counting species, the researchers measured functional traits for 134 perennial species, representing more than 80 percent of all perennial species recorded across the islands. Nine traits were quantified following standardized protocols: plant height, specific leaf area, leaf water content, relative leaf phosphorus content, stem succulence, and the presence or absence of epidermal trichomes, prickles, wax coating, and glands.

Each trait captures a different ecological strategy, from drought tolerance to defense against herbivory. From these measurements the team calculated functional dispersion, defined as the mean distance of individual species to the centroid of the community in trait space. This metric is considered robust to outliers and largely independent of species richness, and the authors confirmed that their estimates showed no significant correlation with species counts.

To capture the evolutionary dimension of diversity, the team reconstructed a phylogeny for all recorded species using a megatree backbone and calculated the mean pairwise distance, which measures the average branch distance between all species pairs in a community. This metric is conceptually similar to functional dispersion but reflects deeper lineage history rather than trait values. Island geography was quantified through remote sensing.

The researchers mapped quartz islands by supervised classification of Sentinel-2 multispectral imagery at 10-meter resolution, using a Maximum Entropy Presence Prediction tool and, at two sites, a one-class Support Vector Machine. Model accuracy was evaluated against withheld ground-truth points. From the resulting island polygons and a digital elevation model, the team derived eleven biogeographic parameters grouped into three categories: island shape (area, perimeter, shape index), isolation (nearest neighbour distance, neighbour index, proximity index, and area-based isolation metrics), and habitat diversity (habitat Shannon diversity, habitat richness, and related indices based on slope, aspect, convexity, and surface texture).

Statistical analysis revealed strikingly divergent responses across the three diversity facets. For species richness, the best-supported model contained four parameters and reduced deviance by about 80 percent relative to the null model. Island area emerged as the strongest predictor, exerting a highly significant positive effect consistent with classical island biogeographic theory.

Larger islands offer more resources and space, reduce the risk of population extinction, and enhance the chance of colonization by erratic dispersal. The shape index showed a significant negative effect, indicating that more irregular island outlines flatten the species-area relationship. Partitioning of explained deviance showed that island shape accounted for more than 80 percent of the variation in species richness, while habitat diversity and isolation jointly contributed roughly 15 percent.

Functional dispersion told a different story. The best model explained 70 percent of the variation, but island connectivity, quantified by the neighbour index, was the strongest positive predictor, while nearest neighbour distance and habitat Shannon diversity were significantly negatively related. Variance partitioning revealed that isolation and connectivity metrics accounted for roughly 60 percent of the explained variation, with habitat diversity contributing the remainder.

Notably, island area showed no detectable effect on functional dispersion. The authors attribute this to trait redundancy in species-rich communities: additional species on larger islands likely occupy similar trait combinations rather than expanding the occupied trait space, so functional diversity becomes decoupled from species richness. The narrow range of functional dispersion values across islands, from 0.1187 to 0.1564, further points to strong environmental filtering and broadly similar functional composition among communities.

Phylogenetic diversity responded to yet another parameter. After excluding one highly influential observation identified through diagnostic checks, the best-supported model retained only the area of the nearest neighbour island as a significant positive predictor, explaining about one third of the variance in mean pairwise distance. This suggests that phylogenetic diversity is primarily shaped by the immediate size of the closest potential source area rather than by broader network connectivity.

The absence of stronger isolation signals aligns with studies on other habitat island systems showing weak or random relationships between phylogenetic diversity and insularity. The divergent responses across taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic facets carry important implications for conservation. Quartz islands occur largely on privately owned land, where threats such as poaching of rare and endemic dwarf succulents persist.

The findings suggest that conservation should safeguard both large islands, given the strong area effect on species richness, and well-connected networks of intact islands, which appear crucial for maintaining functional diversity. Maintaining connectivity is also likely to support dispersal and gene flow among islands, enhancing the adaptive potential of quartz island floras under ongoing global change. More broadly, the study underscores the need for multidimensional biodiversity assessments in habitat islands.

Focusing solely on species richness would have missed the connectivity effects on functional diversity and the area-based isolation effects on phylogenetic diversity. Because quartz islands occur across multiple archipelagos along a wide bioclimatic gradient in South Africa and southern Namibia, they offer an exceptional natural system for comparative habitat island biogeography. Future research extending taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic analyses across regions at larger scales could identify the main drivers of diversity patterns and determine how climate shapes functional trait space and island-biogeographic relationships in otherwise comparable edaphic environments.

Subject of Research: Biogeographic drivers of taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic plant diversity on quartz habitat islands in southern Africa

Article Title: Diverging responses of taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic plant diversity to biogeographic parameters in arid habitat islands of southern Africa

Article References: Bürger, A. M., Meyer, K., Eibes, P. M., Lauel, C., Oldeland, J., Schmiedel, U., & Irl, S. D. H. (2026). Diverging responses of taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic plant diversity to biogeographic parameters in arid habitat islands of southern Africa. Frontiers of Biogeography, 19, Article e167957. https://doi.org/10.21425/fob.19.167957

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.21425/fob.19.167957

Keywords: quartz islands, habitat islands, island biogeography, plant diversity, functional diversity, phylogenetic diversity, species richness, South Africa, Nama-Karoo, environmental filtering, conservation, remote sensing

The researchers surveyed six sites in Aalo Forest Division, West Siang District, within India’s Eastern Himalaya. The sites extended from 28°20′50″N to 28°40′21″N and from 94°21′42″E to 94°42′32″E, at elevations of 450–950 m. The area receives an average of 2,300 mm of monsoon rain annually, with temperatures of 18–22°C and relative humidity of 77–98%. Sampling took place in March–April, July and October over three years.

Vegetation was measured with nested quadrats: 10 × 10 m plots recorded trees with circumference at breast height above 30 cm, 5 × 5 m plots recorded shrubs and saplings with circumference of 10–30 cm, and 1 × 1 m plots recorded herbs below 10 cm. Species-area curves determined the number of quadrats needed at each location. The researchers analysed species richness, density, abundance, frequency, dominance, Shannon-Wiener diversity, Pielou evenness, importance value and tree population structure.

Disturbance was represented by a cumulative score based on four locally predominant pressures: proximity to roads, proximity to habitation, tree cutting or lopping, and browsing or grazing by domestic cattle. Tatogito was classified as least disturbed, Roying, Poma Basti and Tagurshit as moderately disturbed, and the two BB Camp sites as highly disturbed. The study was a comparison among six locations along an assumed gradient, not a longitudinal assessment of change through time, and the disturbance score was a surrogate based on field indicators rather than a direct experimental manipulation.

A total of 160 plant species was recorded across the six sites, comprising 54 tree, 30 shrub and 76 herb species. Mean tree species richness declined from 3.2 ± 1.03 in the least disturbed site to 1.9 ± 0.57 in highly disturbed sites, while shrub richness declined from 2 ± 0.82 to 1.5 ± 0.53. Herb richness differed: the moderately disturbed site had the highest mean value, 3.7 ± 1.2. Mean tree and shrub richness differed significantly among sites, as did mean density in all three vegetation classes.

Diversity and evenness measures did not change in parallel. Tree Shannon-Wiener diversity was highest at the least disturbed site, with a value of 2.79, and lowest at the highly disturbed BB Camp Basti site, where it was 1.65. Herb diversity was highest at Tagurshit, a moderately disturbed site, at 2.96, while shrub diversity reached its maximum at the highly disturbed BB Camp Bamboo bridge area, at 2.04. Tree evenness was greatest in the highly disturbed BB Camp Basti site, at 0.24, whereas shrub and herb evenness reached their maxima in the least disturbed Tatogito site.

Density responses also varied among vegetation layers. Mean tree density was highest in the least disturbed forest at 3.4 ha⁻¹ ± 0.5 and lowest in the highly disturbed sites at 2.55 ha⁻¹ ± 1.2. Shrub density ranged from 6.30 ha⁻¹ ± 0.8 at Tatogito to 8.40 ha⁻¹ ± 1.7 at the highly disturbed BB Camp Bamboo bridge area. Herb density was lowest in the least disturbed site, at 6.70 ha⁻¹ ± 1.1, and highest in the highly disturbed BB Camp Basti area, at 23.3 ha⁻¹ ± 2.7. Thus, higher disturbance was associated with fewer trees but more shrubs and herbs at the surveyed sites.

Species composition and tree population structure also varied across the gradient. Tree-family richness fell from 18 families at the least disturbed site to 13 at the highly disturbed site, and Anacardiaceae was the only recorded family present at every site. Alnus nepalensis, Engelhardtia spicata and Albizia odoratissima were the dominant trees in the least, moderately and highly disturbed sites, respectively. At all six sites, trees were most abundant in the 30.1–90 cm circumference classes and least abundant in the 150.1–210 cm classes. Principal component analysis of tree basal area separated the six sites, with the first two axes accounting for 51.92% of the variation in species composition.

Together, the observations indicate that disturbance in these semi-evergreen forests did not produce a uniform response across vegetation layers. The study associated the decline in tree richness, density, basal area and large-tree representation with increasing disturbance, while some shrub and herb measures were greatest at moderate or high disturbance levels. The exotic herb Ageratum conyzoides was absent from the least disturbed forest but dominated highly disturbed sites, and the authors linked disturbed sites with proliferation of disturbance-tolerant shrubs and exotic herbs. Because the research covered only six sites and measured one regional disturbance gradient, the results characterize local associations rather than demonstrating causal or long-term changes throughout the Eastern Himalaya.

Subject of Research: Comparative field study of disturbance effects on tree, shrub and herb communities in six tropical semi-evergreen forests in Arunachal Pradesh, India

Article Title: Anthropogenic disturbance produces divergent effects in the community structure and composition of tropical semi-evergreen forests in the Eastern Himalaya

Article References: Nautiyal, D. C., & Manish, K. (2024). Anthropogenic disturbance produces divergent effects in the community structure and composition of tropical semi-evergreen forests in the Eastern Himalaya. BioRisk, 22, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.3897/biorisk.22.120802

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.3897/biorisk.22.120802

Keywords: anthropogenic disturbance, Eastern Himalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, semi-evergreen forests, plant diversity, species richness, community composition, vegetation structure, forest ecology, Anthropogenic, disturbance, produces

The study was conducted between 2022 and 2024. Researchers used field surveys, drone imaging and plant-species identification to examine biodiversity in the selected urban green spaces. They applied the Shannon–Wiener diversity index, the Simpson diversity index and the Biodiversity-Friendly City Criteria to the Erzincan case. Of the 105 recorded plant taxa, 56% were classified as natural and 44% as exotic.

Kemaliye had the highest diversity index, while Çayirli had the lowest. The Shannon–Wiener results for Kemaliye included a high evenness value of E = 0.896, and the same pattern was supported by the Simpson diversity index. The recorded plants comprised 54% edible-leaf broadleaf trees, 19% conifers, with the remainder consisting of edible shrubs, small trees and vines. Although all seven settlements showed high biodiversity characteristics in the Bio-friendly Settlement analysis, the reported 90.7 points represented the average across the districts rather than a separate score for every settlement.

The authors said the findings support conservation measures intended to improve ecological sustainability and preserve biodiversity in Erzincan. They also identified potential in the province’s agricultural landscapes and tourism. The article was described as seeking strategies for biodiversity inventory, conservation and sustainable management in urban areas, as well as greater use of natural plant species in urban ecosystems. Because the supplied evidence consists of the article abstract and publisher page rather than the full text, details of sampling design, index calculations and the criteria used to score individual settlements are not available here.

Subject of Research: Field assessment of plant diversity and bio-friendly settlement characteristics in seven Erzincan settlements

Article Title: Ecological and environmental assessment of Erzincan Districts within the scope of the biodiversity-friendly city approach

Article References: Askan, G., & Yilmaz, H. (2026). Ecological and environmental assessment of Erzincan Districts within the scope of the biodiversity-friendly city approach. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 198(9), Article 1001. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-026-15839-4

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1007/s10661-026-15839-4

Keywords: Erzincan, urban biodiversity, plant diversity, green spaces, ecological assessment, Bio-friendly Settlement, Shannon–Wiener index, Simpson index, field surveys, conservation, Ecological, environmental

The study was the first systematic investigation of the spontaneous flora of a European historical monumental cemetery, according to the authors. San Cataldo was established as a burial ground outside Modena’s city walls in 1773 and expanded in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The Catholic complex contains an elaborate portico, eight rectangular burial sectors, old tombs along its southern perimeter and grasslands associated with an ancient ossuary. The neighboring Jewish cemetery opened in 1903 and occupies a square area divided into six sections. Both cemeteries are about 2 km northwest of the historic city walls and stand on deep, clay-rich, highly calcareous and moderately alkaline soils.

The investigators divided the landscape into four zones: the monumental core of the Catholic cemetery, ancient tombs along the southern wall, grassland around the ossuary and the full Jewish cemetery. Their areas ranged from 2,500 square metres for the perimeter tombs to 33,000 square metres for the monumental core, while the Jewish cemetery covered 10,000 square metres and the ossuary grassland 2,560 square metres. Green areas were mowed an average of seven to eight times per year, with no more than ten mowing events in exceptional years. This recurring management creates moderate disturbance rather than either intensive cultivation or complete abandonment.

Plant observations were made from February through October in each survey year, usually twice per month. The team also incorporated occasional observations made from April 1998 to April 2015 and herbarium specimens held at Modena’s Botanical Garden Herbarium. Investigators recorded spontaneous plants in grasslands, fissures between tombstones and paving stones, sandy deposits beside walls, hedgerows, grave flowerbeds, clay seams, gravel driveways and disturbed backfill. Ornamentally introduced species were included only when they had spread spontaneously. Plants were identified in the field where possible; otherwise, specimens were collected and examined with a stereomicroscope.

The full list represented 66 plant families and 175 genera. Asteraceae was the largest family with 37 taxa, followed by Poaceae with 35, Brassicaceae with 16, Fabaceae with 14, Rosaceae with 13, Caryophyllaceae with 12 and Lamiaceae with 11. Annual species, or therophytes, made up 37.6% of the total flora, followed by hemicryptophytes at 31.6%, phanerophytes at 16.2% and geophytes at 11.7%. Chamaephytes accounted for 2.6% and helophytes for 0.4%. Altogether, 83.8% of the recorded taxa were herbaceous, with the proportion ranging from 80.0% in the southern Catholic cemetery sector to 88.3% in the ossuary grassland.

The richest sector was the Catholic cemetery’s monumental core, where 129 taxa were recorded in 10 distinct growth environments. The southern perimeter area contained 100 taxa in seven environments, while the ancient ossuary grassland supported 61 taxa in four. The Jewish cemetery contained 180 taxa in eight environments. The number of taxa was strongly associated with environmental variety: the Pearson correlation coefficient between taxa and the number of growth environments was 0.709. Conversely, the zones had relatively distinct species compositions. The highest pairwise Jaccard similarity was 0.373 between the monumental core and the Jewish cemetery, indicating that they shared 37.3% of their recorded taxa. Other comparisons ranged from 0.132 to 0.353.

The flora was dominated by widely distributed geographic types. Eurasian species represented 32.0% of the total, Mediterranean species 26.3% and cosmopolitan species 24.8%. The ossuary grassland and Jewish cemetery had a somewhat more Mediterranean and thermophilous character, while the monumental and southern tomb sectors showed a stronger generalist tendency. The researchers linked the differences partly to physical design: the monumental core combines tombs, gravel paths, lawns, hedges and ornamental trees, whereas the ossuary area is dominated by a broad, enclosed grassland. Grave fissures, dry masonry, flowerbed soil and periodically mown turf create distinct microsites within the larger cemetery complex.

Four findings extended the documented floras of their respective geographic levels. The cultivated crabapple hybrid Malus × robusta ‘John Downie’, found in the ossuary grassland, was new to the flora of Italy. The ornamental conifer Calocedrus decurrens, recorded among the old southern tombs, and Salvia haematodes, found in all four surveyed zones, were new to Emilia-Romagna, while Epilobium ciliatum was new to the province of Modena. Three of the four additions were non-native to Italy. The authors also provisionally identified Symphytum bohemicum as a possible first regional record, but said that further investigation was required. They likewise recommended monitoring the crabapple hybrid and studying its possible parentage.

Introduced taxa made up 16.9% of the cemetery’s complete flora: 28 neophytes, nine archaeophytes and eight cryptogenic species. Neophytes represented 62.2% of the introduced list, and 67.8% of the neophytes had invasive behavior somewhere within their introduced range. At the regional level, four were classified as behaviorally invasive: Ailanthus altissima, Erigeron canadensis, Lonicera japonica and Vitis × koberi. Nevertheless, none of the introduced species was frequent or abundant within the surveyed cemetery. Only Erigeron sumatrensis and Euphorbia prostrata occurred relatively commonly, and their populations remained modest, generally numbering five to 10 individuals or fewer. The alien proportion ranged from 9.8% in the ossuary grassland to 22.0% along the southern wall.

Protected plants accounted for 2.6% of the total list. The seven nationally or regionally protected taxa included Allium roseum subsp. roseum, Bellevalia romana, Anacamptis morio, Ilex aquifolium, Orchis purpurea, Spiranthes spiralis and Taxus baccata. Three orchids, including Anacamptis morio, Orchis purpurea and Spiranthes spiralis, are also covered by CITES restrictions. Five of the seven protected taxa occurred spontaneously in the Jewish cemetery. More than 50 individuals of Spiranthes spiralis, an orchid described as rare in northern Italy and the Po Plain, were counted there, alongside about 25 Anacamptis morio plants and populations of Bellevalia romana. The authors identified these occurrences, together with the dry grassland character of the site, as indicators of naturalness and limited disturbance.

The survey found that 176 of the cemetery’s 266 taxa, or 66.2%, were already present in the flora of Modena’s historic center, but the cemetery also supported distinctive assemblages in its different sectors. The authors cautioned that comparisons with other European cemeteries must account for climate, area, environmental variety and national flora, particularly because studies of monumental cemeteries remain limited and Poland has been the most extensively surveyed country. Their results nevertheless identified San Cataldo as a compact site where protected native species, broad-ranging plants and introduced ornamentals can coexist under a regime of regular mowing. They called for comparable surveys at other monumental cemeteries to clarify whether these cultural landscapes consistently preserve unusual native flora or facilitate the spread of non-native plants into surrounding territory.

Subject of Research: Floristic diversity, introduced plants and protected species in Modena’s San Cataldo monumental cemetery

Article Title: Spontaneous vascular flora of the historical monumental cemetery of Modena (N-Italy)

Article References: Buldrini, F., Gianaroli, I., Bosi, G., Alessandrini, A., & Santini, C. (2023). Spontaneous vascular flora of the historical monumental cemetery of Modena (N-Italy). Italian Botanist, 15, 111-136. https://doi.org/10.3897/italianbotanist.15.102589

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.3897/italianbotanist.15.102589

Keywords: urban botany, cemetery flora, plant diversity, floristic survey, Modena, San Cataldo Cemetery, non-native plants, protected orchids, urban conservation, monumental landscapes, Spontaneous, vascular

The reserve lies about 25 kilometres east of Bronkhorstspruit near the boundary between Gauteng and Mpumalanga, at 25°38′24″ south and 28°44′24″ east. Telperion belongs to the Bankenveld, a mesic highveld region that includes endangered Rand Highveld grassland, smaller areas of Eastern Highveld grassland and rocky sections classified as Loskop Mountain Bushveld. Its terrain comprises undulating hills, open plateaus, steep slopes and rocky ridges, with altitudes ranging from 1,240 to 1,503 metres above sea level.

The region receives 570–730 millimetres of rain annually, mainly during the summer rainfall season. February is the hottest month, with an average daily maximum of 26.4 °C and minimum of 15.1 °C, while July has an average daily maximum of 18.4 °C and minimum of 4.2 °C. Researchers used a 1:10,000-scale aerial photograph to divide the reserve into physiognomic-physiographic units, followed by ground reconnaissance to identify relatively homogeneous areas.

They then placed 294 randomly stratified plots of 100 square metres within those units, allocating more plots to larger units and at least three to each unit. Ecotones were not sampled. All plant species in each plot were recorded and assigned cover-abundance values using a modified Braun-Blanquet scale.

Plot-level environmental observations included slope, aspect and soil type, together with trampling, overgrazing, bare soil, alien plants, animal droppings, signs of browsing and evidence of former fields. The field records were entered into TURBOVEG and analysed in JUICE, a Windows application for editing and classifying large phytosociological tables. A modified TWINSPAN analysis, based on species presence and absence and a phi coefficient of association, produced an initial division of the plots into plant communities.

The researchers refined this classification through Braun-Blanquet procedures and grouped related species manually without rearranging the statistically derived clusters. Diagnostic, constant and dominant species were identified from a synoptic table using stated thresholds for fidelity, frequency and canopy cover. Species richness was calculated from the total number of species in each community, while diversity was assessed with the Shannon-Wiener and Rich-Gini-Simpson indices and converted to effective species numbers for comparison.

A Kruskal-Wallis test and Dunn post hoc comparisons were used to evaluate differences among the classified communities. Five broad communities captured the reserve’s ecological structure. The smallest, covering 18 hectares or 0.3% of Telperion, was Cyathea dregei–Ilex mitis ravine woodland on steep, moist and rocky slopes.

The Paspalum urvillei–Phragmites australis valley-bottom wetland occupied 266 hectares, or 3.6%, beside streams, drainage lines, seepage areas and ground that was permanently or seasonally wet. The Diospyros lycioides–Combretum erythrophyllum riparian woodland followed the Wilge River and associated streams. Rocky ridge woodland dominated by Combretum molle and Englerophytum magalismontanum covered 2,796 hectares, or 38% of the reserve, while Eragrostis curvula–Seriphium plumosum mid-plateau grassland was the largest community, extending across 4,267 hectares, or 58%.

The mid-plateau grassland contained evidence of a long history of cultivation, pasture planting and grazing. After the land was incorporated into Telperion, many sections were left fallow, although grazing and browsing by ungulates continued. Old crop fields, remnants of agricultural equipment, bare patches, erosion, animal paths and localized overgrazing were recorded in the community.

The grasses Eragrostis curvula and Seriphium plumosum were conspicuous in disturbed areas, while less disturbed sections contained prominent palatable grasses such as Themeda triandra, Digitaria eriantha and Setaria sphacelata. Dense stands of the dwarf shrub S. plumosum displaced native grasses in some formerly cultivated sections. The study noted that this encroacher can reduce grazing capacity by as much as 80% and can contribute to lower plant diversity, although it was also present in some wetter areas.

Rocky ridge woodland had the greatest plant richness and effective diversity. Differences in slope, altitude, exposure, rock cover and the shelter provided by stones and woody vegetation created numerous small habitats within this community. Geophytes including Haemanthus humilis, Xerophyta retinervis, Crassula setosa and Zantedeschia rehmannii were recorded in moist-to-dry rock crevices, and variable canopy cover provided additional protected microsites.

The Eragrostis curvula–Seriphium plumosum–Eragrostis racemosa grassland sub-community and two rocky-woodland sub-communities had the highest species richness and effective species diversity. By contrast, the valley-bottom wetland had the lowest overall diversity. Dense Phragmites australis stands occupied much of this habitat, leaving relatively few other species able to establish between the reeds.

The invasive shrub Rubus rigidus formed dense patches on southern ravine slopes and displaced native vegetation. Alien trees recorded in riparian and wetland zones included Acacia mearnsii, Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Sesbania punicea and a poplar taxon identified in the classification as Populus × canescens. In one wetland sub-community, dense poplar stands had displaced most native plant species and had the lowest richness and diversity in the study.

The classification also recorded pioneer weeds including Bidens pilosa and Tagetes minuta as constant in both riparian sub-communities, alongside evidence of animal activity and periodic flooding. Riparian structure was nevertheless associated with little to no erosion in parts of the community, and large woody species, including Combretum erythrophyllum, Celtis africana and Acacia mearnsii, can help bind and stabilize riverbank soils. Wetlands contained grazing animals, trampling paths, sleeping and drinking sites, dung and slight erosion along disturbed sections.

Rocky woodland showed trampling, termite mounds, moribund grasses and bare patches, and field observations included baboons, giraffes, small mammals and porcupines. Animal influence was also apparent in the Burkea africana woodland patches, where many sprouting trees were associated with possible disturbance from fire, browsing or porcupine scarring. Diversity differed significantly among the 14 classified sub-communities.

The Kruskal-Wallis analysis produced a chi-square value of 754.1 for 271 observations and a probability below 0.05. Dunn post hoc comparisons found significant differences in 79% of the 91 possible community pairs. The three communities with the greatest richness were also among those with the highest effective diversity, while the steep ravine communities had lower effective numbers of species than several plateau and rocky habitats.

The survey is a detailed local classification of one privately owned reserve rather than a controlled experiment or a continent-wide comparison. Its results therefore provide a site-specific ecological record that can be incorporated into management planning for Telperion and used as baseline information when considering adjacent natural areas.

Subject of Research: Vegetation classification, plant diversity and habitat mapping at Telperion Nature Reserve

Article Title: A vegetation classification and description of Telperion Nature Reserve, Mpumalanga, South Africa

Article References: Brown, L. R., Magagula, I. P., & Barrett, A. S. (2022). A vegetation classification and description of Telperion Nature Reserve, Mpumalanga, South Africa. Vegetation Classification and Survey, 3, 199-219. https://doi.org/10.3897/vcs.85209

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.3897/VCS.85209

Keywords: Telperion Nature Reserve, South African grasslands, Bankenveld, plant communities, phytosociology, Braun-Blanquet survey, TWINSPAN classification, vegetation mapping, plant diversity, Mpumalanga, vegetation, classification

The researchers described the new species and determined that the previously published V. rubescens is conspecific with V. ardisioides, resolving a taxonomic confusion involving both names. Vaccinium is a large genus in the heath family, Ericaceae, with approximately 485 species distributed worldwide. China has recorded 105 species, including the recently described V. dehongense and V. longisetosum.

Yunnan Province contains about 50 species and has the greatest recorded diversity of the genus in China. V. fangianum was named in honor of Prof. Rhui-Cheng Fang, who has contributed substantially to knowledge of Vaccinium in China.

Its Chinese name is 瑞征越橘, pronounced ruì zhēng yuè jú. The formal description is based principally on the specimen collected at Maku Village in Gongshan County on 8 March 2023. The new species differs from V. ardisioides in both vegetative and reproductive morphology.

Its leaf blades are ovate-lanceolate to ovate, 6 to 14 centimeters long and 3 to 6 centimeters wide, with length-to-width ratios of 1.8 to 2.6 and the widest point near the base. The leaves of V. ardisioides are elliptic to oblong-lanceolate, 7.5 to 13 centimeters long and 2.5 to 4 centimeters wide, with ratios of 3 to 3.5 and their widest point near the middle. V. fangianum has eight to 12 pairs of lateral veins, compared with 10 to 16 pairs in V. ardisioides.

Floral characters provide further separation between the two species. The calyx limb of V. fangianum is nearly divided to the base, with narrowly triangular lobes about 1.5 millimeters long and no apical gland. In V. ardisioides, the calyx limb is divided by less than half and carries broadly triangular lobes measuring 0.5 to 1 millimeter, each ending in a gland.

The corolla of V. fangianum is yellowish green, tubular and five-angled, 7 to 9 millimeters long, and villous on its internal surface. That of V. ardisioides is white-pinkish or pinkish, sometimes turning purplish red later, and is glabrous internally. The tubular portions of the anthers in V. fangianum are about 1.7 times as long as the pollen-bearing thecae and lack the two short abaxial spurs found in V. ardisioides.

Both plants are evergreen shrubs that grow epiphytically on trees, but they differ in stature and in the structure of their inflorescences and fruits. V. fangianum is 0.5 to 1.2 meters tall, with axillary racemes 5 to 10 centimeters long and usually 24 to 35 flowers, although some inflorescences have only 10. Its greenish clavate pedicels measure 6 to 7.5 millimeters.

V. ardisioides can be 2 meters tall and has racemes 6 to 11 centimeters long, generally bearing 17 to 27 flowers but sometimes only 10. Its pedicels are 7 to 15 millimeters long. The fruit of the new species is ellipsoid, about 3 millimeters in diameter, changing from yellowish green to purplish red and finally white with a purple tinge.

The globose fruit of V. ardisioides measures 4 to 6 millimeters and becomes purple-black at maturity. The original description of V. ardisioides was published in 1882 from two collections made in Myanmar by T. Lobb and C.

Parish. Most flowers on both type specimens remained young and unopened, and only one had a torn corolla that exposed short lobes. This limited material contributed to uncertainty over the description of the corolla.

Chinese specimens from southwest Yunnan had been reported to differ from the protologue in inflorescence length, pedicel length and the degree of corolla division. Examination of the type collections and numerous additional specimens showed that the inflorescences and pedicels of the Chinese material were longer than those preserved on the young type specimens. The flowers of the southwest Yunnan populations consistently had the shallowly lobed corolla attributed by the authors to the true V. ardisioides.

That history also explains the description of V. rubescens in 1999 from southwest Yunnan. The types and paratypes of that name were found to agree with V. ardisioides in key characters, including five to seven pseudo-whorled leaves, subsessile petioles, leathery oblong-lanceolate blades, raised veins, entire margins, many-flowered axillary racemes, purplish-red angular rachises, clavate pedicels and anthers with two short abaxial spurs. On the basis of these agreements, the study treats V. rubescens as a synonym of V. ardisioides.

It also provides a revised account of V. ardisioides because the protologue and the earlier Flora of China treatment contained inaccurate floral descriptions. The new species is currently known only from Dulongjiang Township in Gongshan County, where it grows epiphytically on tree trunks in evergreen broad-leaved and mixed forests at elevations of 1,200 to 1,500 meters. Flowering occurs from March to April, and fruiting from May to July.

Its type locality is close to the China–Myanmar border, and the authors consider it likely that the species may also occur in adjacent northeastern Myanmar, but field investigations have not confirmed that distribution. The species is therefore assessed as Data Deficient under the IUCN Red List categories. Its documented occurrence is restricted, while its actual range and population status remain uncertain.

V. ardisioides has a substantially wider documented distribution. It occurs in southwest Yunnan, eastern Myanmar and northwestern Thailand, usually as an epiphyte in evergreen broad-leaved forests or along riversides at elevations of 1,400 to 2,500 meters. Flowering and fruiting extend from February to June.

More than 20 locations have been recorded, and the study estimates an extent of occurrence of approximately 280,000 square kilometers. Based on specimen records, its relatively broad range and the absence of observed evidence of severe population decline, the authors assess V. ardisioides as Least Concern. The two species therefore have both clearly distinguished diagnostic features and different levels of distributional documentation.

Within the genus, V. fangianum is assigned to V. sect. Epigynium because it is evergreen, has pseudo-verticillate leaves, elongated racemose inflorescences and anthers without dorsal spurs. Most species in that section have serrated leaf margins, whereas V. fangianum and V. ardisioides have entire blades, a combination the authors describe as unique within the section.

The new species is also geographically separated from V. ardisioides: V. fangianum is recorded in northwestern Yunnan, while V. ardisioides occurs in southwestern Yunnan, southeastern Myanmar and western Thailand. The study presents V. fangianum as a distinct taxonomic entity and uses herbarium and field comparisons to establish its diagnostic combination of leaf, calyx, corolla, anther and fruit characters.

Subject of Research: Taxonomic description of Vaccinium fangianum and revision of Vaccinium ardisioides in Yunnan, China

Article Title: Vaccinium fangianum ( Ericaceae ), a new species from Northwest Yunnan, China, with critical notes on V. ardisioides

Article References: Liang, X.-H., Ni, J.-B., & Tong, Y.-H. (2026). Vaccinium fangianum (Ericaceae), a new species from Northwest Yunnan, China, with critical notes on V. ardisioides. PhytoKeys, 275, 61-71. https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.275.197108

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.275.197108

Keywords: Vaccinium fangianum, Vaccinium ardisioides, plant taxonomy, species description, Ericaceae, Dulongjiang, northwestern Yunnan, epiphytic shrub, herbarium taxonomy, conservation assessment, Vaccinium, fangianum

The new species was collected during a floristic survey at roughly 1,200 meters elevation, where researchers encountered a small, erect to sprawling herb rising from a cluster of white, fleshy, fusiform roots. Its slender stems, no more than one to two millimeters thick and uniformly covered in minute hairs, reach up to 30 centimeters in length. The elliptic leaves, arranged in opposite pairs, measure between 2.0 and 5.5 centimeters long and 1.0 to 2.5 centimeters wide. But it is the flower that commands attention: a tubular corolla 30 to 50 millimeters long, reddish-purple on the outside, striped within, with an ovoid basal swelling that narrows and then widens toward the mouth, where a distinct ring of white hairs marks the entrance to a cage formed by the petals.

That cage is the signature of the genus. Ceropegia flowers are renowned for their intricate pollination biology, in which small flies and other insects are lured into the tubular blossom, temporarily detained by inward-pointing hairs, and released only after pollinia—compact pollen packages characteristic of the Apocynaceae—have been attached to their bodies. In C. gengmaensis, the corolla lobes are ligulate, red on the outside and white inside with reddish-purple tips, their margins strongly reflexed so that the white inner surface is exposed. The lobes form a cage about 1.5 times as wide as the basal inflation of the tube, a proportion that proved decisive in separating the new species from its closest relatives.

Distinguishing a new species in a genus this large requires both careful morphology and molecular evidence, and the research team, led by P.R. Luo, A. Liu and H. Sun, pursued both lines. On the morphological side, they examined fresh material and herbarium specimens using stereomicroscopy, high-resolution extended depth-of-field imaging, and precision vernier calipers. They cross-checked their material against collections housed at the herbaria KUN and PE, reviewed additional specimens through the Chinese Virtual Herbarium and JSTOR Global Plants, and consulted original species descriptions digitized in the Biodiversity Heritage Library.

The closest comparisons were Ceropegia salicifolia, C. mairei and C. dolichophylla, all members of the section Chionopegia. Each relative differs in ways that are subtle on paper but unmistakable in the hand. C. salicifolia is a twining plant with glabrous stems and much longer, lanceolate leaves of 6 to 15 centimeters, producing cymose inflorescences bearing 13 to 20 flowers, whereas C. gengmaensis bears usually solitary flowers beside the leaf axils on finely puberulent stems. C. mairei has a corolla tube strongly inflated in its basal third to two-thirds, its inner surface densely clothed with long white hairs; the new species has a much less inflated base and confines its white hairs to an annular ring at the mouth of the basal inflation. C. dolichophylla, meanwhile, is a climbing vine whose glabrous stems can stretch to 1.5 meters, with linear-lanceolate leaves and corolla lobes that are pilose inside and often fringed with conspicuous white or purple vibratile hairs—features entirely absent in the Gengma plant.

To test whether these visible differences reflect genuine evolutionary separation, the team turned to chloroplast genomes, the circular DNA repositories in plant cells that have become workhorses of plant phylogenetics. Eleven Ceropegia plastomes were newly sequenced and assembled for the study, joined by additional chloroplast genome sequences retrieved from GenBank, with C. nilotica serving as the outgroup. The final dataset spanned 16 representative species from three closely allied sections: Chionopegia, Callopegia and Tiloris. Sequences were aligned in MAFFT v7.490 with default settings, and poorly aligned regions were pruned with trimAl v1.4 before analysis.

Phylogenetic reconstruction employed two complementary statistical frameworks. Maximum likelihood analysis was run in RAxML-NG v1.2.2 under the GTR+G substitution model, while Bayesian inference was performed in MrBayes using the HKY85+G model. The Markov Chain Monte Carlo search ran for 1,100,000 generations across four chains with a heated chain temperature of 0.2, sampling every 200 generations and discarding the first 100,000 as burn-in. The two approaches yielded highly congruent topologies, and the authors applied a strict standard for confidence: only nodes with Bayesian posterior probabilities of at least 0.95 and maximum likelihood bootstrap support of at least 75 percent were considered strongly supported.

The molecular verdict was unambiguous. Ceropegia gengmaensis sits firmly within section Chionopegia, and it forms a strongly supported sister relationship with C. salicifolia, with posterior probability of 1.00 and bootstrap support of 100 percent. That pair is in turn grouped with C. mairei, confirming a close three-way affinity. Yet the new species resolves as an independent lineage with strong statistical support, a separation that, combined with the consistent morphological differences in stem indumentum, leaf shape and floral architecture, justified its recognition as distinct.

The placement of the new species within a redefined genus is itself part of a larger taxonomic saga. Traditionally, Ceropegia was considered to comprise about 240 species worldwide, but molecular phylogenetic work published over the past decade demonstrated that this circumscription was not monophyletic—it excluded descendants of a common ancestor. To restore monophyly and nomenclatural stability, the botanist Bruyns proposed a broadened genus that absorbs the traditional Brachystelma and all stapeliad genera, swelling Ceropegia to 63 sections and more than 700 species. Under this expanded concept, World Flora Online currently recognizes 863 species, including 424 species traditionally treated as Ceropegia and Brachystelma, making it the largest genus in the Apocynaceae.

China’s Ceropegia flora has been reshaped by the same upheaval and by the country’s complex geological evolution and climatic diversity, which recent taxonomic studies have linked to striking patterns of species diversification across Eurasia. Five new species have been described in recent years, one name has been sunk into synonymy, and another previously synonymized species has been reinstated. The current tally of 26 Chinese species includes 22 in section Chionopegia and 4 in section Tiloris, with two species formerly placed in Brachystelma now incorporated. C. gengmaensis, which flowers from June to September and carries the Chinese vernacular name geng ma diao deng hua, meaning the Gengma lantern flower, is the newest addition.

For now, the species is known from a single population of around five individuals, ascending around stones in grassy areas of the forest understory near its type locality in Lincang City. That restricted range, while not unusual for newly described plants, underscores how much undocumented diversity may persist in the fragmented habitats of southwest China. The holotype, collected on 11 May 2025 and deposited at KUN under the specimen number KUN1643961, anchors the name in the botanical record, and a detailed line drawing accompanies the description. Whether more populations await discovery in the surrounding hills remains an open question—but for a genus whose members have evolved some of the most sophisticated pollination traps in the plant world, every new species is a reminder of how much evolutionary invention still hides in plain sight.

Subject of Research: Description of a new Ceropegia species from Yunnan, China, using morphology and chloroplast phylogenomics

Article Title: Ceropegia gengmaensis ( Apocynaceae ), a new species from Yunnan, China

Article References: Luo, P.-R., Liu, A., Tong, R., Zhang, X.-J., Wang, Z.-Y., Deng, T., Goyder, D. J., & Sun, H. (2026). Ceropegia gengmaensis (Apocynaceae), a new species from Yunnan, China. PhytoKeys, 276, 217-228. https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.276.197333

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.276.197333

Keywords: Ceropegia gengmaensis, Apocynaceae, new species, Yunnan, China, chloroplast phylogenomics, taxonomy, section Chionopegia, Gengma County, plant diversity, PhytoKeys, corolla morphology