Why is the beautyberry so colourful? Evolution, biogeography, and diversification of fruit colours in Callicarpa (Lamiaceae)

Key innovations and niche variation promoted rapid diversification of the widespread Juniperus (Cupressaceae)

The processes of forming lineages undergoing widespread radiations remain a knowledge gap that is fundamental to our understanding of the geographic distributions of species. Although early studies emphasized the importance of dispersal ability and historical migration events, key innovations that promote rapid diversification and/or adaptation to new habitats may also strongly influence distribution ranges. Juniperus is the second largest genus of conifers and is widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere. Here, we used phylogenetic, phenotypic, and climatic data to investigate the contributions of these processes to the wide distribution and rapid diversification of Juniperus. Combining a time-scaled phylogeny and macroevolutionary theory, we show that the key innovations of berry-like seed cones and dioecy promoted the rapid diversification of Juniperus and that increased dispersal ability promoted allopatric speciation. Ecological niches had significant divergence among different clades of Juniperus. Biogeographic results supported multiple long-distance dispersal events and niche variation that contributed to the modern range of Juniperus, while both phenotypic adaptation and ecological opportunity probably drove its distribution range. Our findings suggest that the current widespread distribution is likely the result of significant divergence driven by niche variation in which ecological opportunities from key innovation and phenotypic divergence.

Callicarpayongshunensis (Lamiaceae): A new species from Hunan, China

This study provides detailed description of a newly-discovered Callicarpayongshunensis Wen B. Xu, Xiao D. Li & Yan Ling Liu (Lamiaceae) species from Hunan, China. The species shares similarities in the inflorescence, glandular colour and leaf shape features with C.luteopunctata H. T. Chang and C.giraldii Hesse ex Rehd., while its white fruits are similar to those of C.longifolia Lamk. However, its procumbent, evergreen shrub and white fruits are distinctly different from those of C.luteopunctata and C.giraldii, while its procumbent, scarless nodes and stellate pubescence free fruits distinguishes it from C.longifolia. Images, distribution, morphological features, molecular phylogenetic classification and conservation assessment of this new Callicarpa species are explored.

The complete chloroplast genome of Callicarpa dichotoma (Lour.) K.Koch (Lamiaceae)

Callicarpa dichotoma (Lour.) K.Koch is a shrub species with distribution from East Asia to Southeast Asia. We assembled and annotated for the first time the complete chloroplast (cp) genome of C. dichotoma. The cp genome of C. dichotoma is 154,110 bp long with the GC content of 38.09% and consists of four subregions: a large single-copy (LSC) region of 84,915 bp, a small single-copy (SSC) region of 17,783 bp and a pair of inverted repeats (IRs) of 25,706 bp each. The cp genome of C. dichotoma encodes a total of 114 unique genes, comprising 80 protein-coding genes, 30 tRNA genes, and four rRNA genes. Phylogenetic trees based on the coding sequences strongly support the position of C. dichotoma within the genus Callicarpa, confirming the previously reported monophyly of the genus.

Callicarpa stoloniformis (Lamiaceae), a new species from Southeast China based on morphological characters and phylogenetic evidence

Callicarpa stoloniformis sp. nov. (Lamiaceae) is described as a new species from Fujian Province of China on the basis of both morphological and molecular data. The new species is morphologically most close to C. hainanensis. However, it can be distinguished from the latter by its unique procumbent life form, adventitious roots at nodes, papery leaves, cup‐shaped or campanulate calyx, truncate or shallow fissure calyx lobes, and smaller fruits. In addition, the new species is also similar with C. basitruncata, a species only known from the original description and the photograph of holotype, but it can differ from the latter by its procumbent shrub, purple terete branchlets with apparent linear lenticels, adventitious roots at nodes, and papery larger leaves with prominently cordate leaf base. Original photographs, illustration, distribution map, and a comparative morphological table, as well as an identification key of the related taxa are provided.