Floral Patterns Research Articles

Rethinking the pollination syndromes in Hymenaea (Leguminosae): the role of anthesis in the diversification.

Floral traits associated with functional groups of pollinators have been largely employed to understand mechanisms of floral diversification. Hymenaea is a monophyletic legume genus widely recognized to being bat-pollinated, with nocturnal anthesis and copious nectar. The most of species has short-paniculate inflorescences, white and robust flowers, congruent with a bat-pollination syndrome. However, other Hymenaea species show a different floral pattern (e.g., long-paniculate inflorescences and smaller flowers) which we report here as being bird pollinated. We examined the floral traits and visitors of Hymenaea oblongifolia var. latifolia and identified evolutionary shifts in floral traits associated with potential pollinators of Hymenaea species. Floral traits of H. oblongifolia var. latifolia differ from those expected for bat-pollinated flowers in species of sect. Hymenaea, and we observed hummingbirds collecting nectar legitimately. Our phylogenetic analysis did not support the monophyly of the taxonomic sections and suggests that bat pollination is ancestral in Hymenaea, with bird pollination evolving later. The transition coupling with shifts in the timing of anthesis and other floral traits. Pollinator-mediated evolutionary divergence hypothesis partially explains the Hymenaea diversification in the Neotropics. It is congruent with those species shifting from traits linked traditionally to bat pollination to hummingbird pollination.

Editors' Page

Editors' Page Stephanie G'schwind and Donald Revell A year into the pandemic we each continue to find our own ways of understanding and grappling with the nature of isolation, seeking self-care and coping strategies in these Groundhog Days of staying in, staying safe, staying sane. Many of us are, not surprisingly, finding comfort and companionship in reading. Among the joys of literature is connecting with characters, with stories, and recognizing ourselves—thinking, Yes, I have felt that too or I thought I was the only one … And in those moments we feel, for better or worse, seen, known, perhaps even understood. So in this issue's stories and essays, we hope you discover such moments, in which you see yourself, maybe someone else, and find that, though you may be isolated, you are indeed not alone. We are delighted to feature Holly Goddard Jones's "Antipodes," a fabulist story set amid environmental crisis and postpartum depression, in which a mother's obsession with a sinkhole and fears for her family threaten to overwhelm her. In Tim Erwin's "The Sparks Fly Upward," a man tries desperately to reconcile with his wife but manages only to get in his own way after an illconceived money-making scheme goes awry. A college student, home for the summer and living with her disintegrating family, takes on a lonely copyediting job and seeks solace in a relationship with an older co-worker in Kim Magowan and Michelle Ross's co-written "Twenty-Three Safety Manuals." And in Kathryn Harlan's "Endangered Animals," a young woman accompanies her former girlfriend on a cross-country road trip, anticipating a move that may end their friendship. Molly Rogers's essay "House of Secrets" explores the nature of photography, anxiety, and the secrets our families keep from us, the secrets we keep from them. In "A Shared Stillness," Monica Macansantos considers the possibilities for connection and healing through tango, drawing on her family's trauma and her own grief. And in "Monsters," David Franke returns to his tornado-prone Iowa childhood and observes the unraveling of his parents' marriage. We welcome you to the spring issue—come, join us. You'll be in good company. stephanie g’schwind [End Page 1] ________ There comes a tender shock of recognition when reading the opening line of Maria Zoccola's "At the Downtown Kroger"—"i pray in parking lots"—a recognition not only of shared circumstance but of the courage and humility required to avow as much and then to go forward into the day, into the poem. Every Tuesday morning, just as the designated "Seniors' Shopping Hour" is about to begin, I pull into our supermarket's parking lot, adjust my masks (one for safety and one on top of that with a floral pattern to seem less severe), say a quick prayer, and then go inside for the week's groceries. In this vexed and precarious springtime of 2021, the second spring of the pandemic, all of our public spaces have become little chapels of daring, of wariness, and of faith. We are, it seems to me, newly medieval, steering our shopping carts through allegory, looking to the left and to the right upon our neighbors with both caution and compassion. It's not surprising, then, that the poems appearing in this issue all resound in several worlds at once: worlds of fact, worlds of emblem, worlds of vague but vital anticipation. The skills required to navigate such worlds, as Mary Ann Samyn beautifully proposes, "include humor and patience." As a rule, the springtime is a season of exaltation and refreshing carelessness. Yet this spring, we must take care to exercise patience—with ourselves, with our neighbors of every persuasion, and with our struggling planet—in a spirit of humor and with our allegorical smiles intact. The poems we've gathered here will, I truly believe, help us all to do just that. donald revell [End Page 2] Copyright © 2021 Center for Literary Publishing

<em>Sari-Sari</em> Style: Tropical Excess and an Asian Sense of Brown in Wawi Navarroza's Photographs

2 2 Portfolio Emmanuel David Sari-­Sari Style: Tropical Excess and an Asian Sense of Brown in Wawi Navarroza’s Photographs The scene is excessive. In “I Want To Live A Thousand More Years” (Self-­ Portrait After Dengue, with tropical plants and fake flowers) (2016) (Figure 1), Filipina artist Wawi Navarroza depicts herself wearing mismatched floral patterns. She is sitting alone on a tall red stool, gazing intently at the camera and wearing gem stone–­embellished tsinelas (sandals). In an asymmetrical pose, her right arm rests on a wooden crutch. It appears that Navarroza is in the thick of an artificial tropical forest, but she could also be at a vendor’s stall in a place like Manila’s Dangwa Flower Market, where one can buy fresh-­cut flowers and arrangements for any occasion. Almost every inch is filled with colorful blooms and lush green plants, as well as strewn potting soil and floral-­ print fabric backdrops. This is a portrait of the artist as a survivor in a tropical setting: recovering from dengue, she projects herself into a future. The photograph’s brown frame is a key element of her surroundings: the materials list states that it has been custom tinted to the color of the artist’s skin. This detail prompts a comparison of tones. Viewers may notice differences between the color of Navarroza’s photographed face, with fairer skin tones produced by studio light design, and the color of the painted frame with more golden brown hues.1 Navarroza does not name or specify the exact skin color, instead leaving questions of equivalence open ended: are these skin tones moreno, kayumanggi (brown), or another shade of brown altogether? No matter what the actual color is, and whether there is an actual match or even an attempted match of skin color and frame, the materials list directs the viewer’s attention to the Figure 1. Wawi Navarroza, “I Want To Live A Thousand More Years” (Self-­Portrait After Dengue, with tropical plants and fake flowers), 2016. Archival pigment print on Hahnemühle, cold-­ mounted on acid-­ free aluminum, with artist’s exhibition frame, i.e. double wood frame custom-­ tinted to WN skin tone. 50h × 40w in, 127h × 101.60w cm. Edition of 5 with 2 Artist’s Proofs. Photo courtesy of SILVERLENS. 4 Portfolio 4 Portfolio artist’s skin as part of the work’s composition. Brownness becomes part of the subject matter. In the emphasis on the tonal variations of this nonwhite framing device, I find a certain belonging to what José Esteban Muñoz calls the “brown commons.” For Muñoz, brownness is about a sharedness and commonality of the “ability to flourish under duress and pressure” (2020, 2). This concept resonates with Navarroza’s postdengue portrait and her corpus in general, as well as with broader discussions about global Asias; writing about Wu Tsang’s film Wildness, Muñoz makes clear that his concept of browness can potentially include Asianness (138). His expansive “sense of brown” extends to those who exist at the intersections of local and global forces, those who are “also brown insofar as they smolder with a life and persistence: they are brown because brown is a common color shared by a commons that is of and for the multitude” (2). For Navarroza , in her subject matter and in her technical and formal choices, there appears to be an Asian sense of the brown commons, an unquestionable and persistant vitality even under duress. Her radiant hope for something else and something more is crystalized in her stated desire in the title to extend life into a distant future—­ and extend the work into the brown frame and thus into the world surrounding it. I begin this short essay with Navarroza’s “I Want to Live a Thousand More Years” because it exposes a series of tensions in her artistic practice, especially relations between real and artificial, whiteness and brownness, interiority and exteriority, depth and surface, digital and analog. While her artistic practice resonates with a long history of women photographers across the world, many of whom have challenged the white, male, and colonial gaze, there is a distinctly Filipina character to...

Dissection for Floral Micromorphology and Plastid Genome of Valuable Medicinal Borages Arnebia and Lithospermum (Boraginaceae).

The genera Arnebia and Lithospermum (Lithospermeae-Boraginaceae) comprise 25–30 and 50–60 species, respectively. Some of them are economically valuable, as their roots frequently contain a purple-red dye used in the cosmetic industry. Furthermore, dried roots of Arnebia euchroma, A. guttata, and Lithospermum erythrorhizon, which have been designated Lithospermi Radix, are used as traditional Korean herbal medicine. This study is the first report on the floral micromorphology and complete chloroplast (cp) genome sequences of A. guttata (including A. tibetana), A. euchroma, and L. erythrorhizon. We reveal great diversity in floral epidermal cell patterns, gynoecium, and structure of trichomes. The cp genomes were 149,361–150,465 bp in length, with conserved quadripartite structures. In total, 112 genes were identified, including 78 protein-coding regions, 30 tRNA genes, and four rRNA genes. Gene order, content, and orientation were highly conserved and were consistent with the general structure of angiosperm cp genomes. Comparison of the four cp genomes revealed locally divergent regions, mainly within intergenic spacer regions (atpH-atpI, petN-psbM, rbcL-psaI, ycf4-cemA, ndhF-rpl32, and ndhC-trnV-UAC). To facilitate species identification, we developed molecular markers psaA- ycf3 (PSY), trnI-CAU- ycf2 (TCY), and ndhC-trnV-UAC (NCTV) based on divergence hotspots. High-resolution phylogenetic analysis revealed clear clustering and a close relationship of Arnebia to its Lithospermum sister group, which was supported by strong bootstrap values and posterior probabilities. Overall, gynoecium characteristics and genetic distance of cp genomes suggest that A. tibetana, might be recognized as an independent species rather than a synonym of A. guttata. The present morphological and cp genomic results provide useful information for future studies, such as taxonomic, phylogenetic, and evolutionary analysis of Boraginaceae.

Advection kinetics induced self-assembly of colloidal nanoflakes into microscale floral structures

The article explores the governing role of the internal soluto-thermal hydrodynamics and advective transport within sessile colloidal droplets on the self-assembly of nanostructures to form floral patterns. Water–acetone mixture and Bi2O3 nanoflakes based complex fluids are used as the experimental liquids. Micro-liter sessile droplets are allowed to vaporize and the dry-out patterns are examined using scanning electron microscopy. The presence of distributed self-assembled rose-like structures is observed and is postulated to be formed by the hydrodynamic interactions within the drying droplet. The population density, structure and shape of the floral structures are noted to be dependent on the binary fluid composition and nanomaterial concentration. Detailed microscopic particle image velocimetry and infrared thermography analysis is undertaken to qualitatively and quantitatively describe the solutal Marangoni advection within the evaporating droplets. It has been shown that the kinetics, regime and spatial distribution of the internal flows are dominantly responsible factors towards the advection influenced clustering, aggregation and self-assembly of the nanoflakes. In addition, the size of the nanostructures and the viscous character of the complex fluid are also noted to play dominant roles. The resulting interplay of hydrodynamic behavior, adhesion and cohesion forces during the droplet dry-out phase, and thermodynamic energy minimization leads to formation of such floral structures. The findings may have strong implications towards modulating micro-hydrodynamics induced self-assembly in complex fluids.

Floral Pattern of Keratic Precipitates in Vitreoretinal Lymphoma on In Vivo Confocal Microscopy

ABSTRACT Purpose To describe the morphological patterns of keratic precipitates (KPs) in vitreoretinal lymphoma (VRL) using in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM). Methods Six eyes of three biopsy-proven VRL patients were included. KPs were identified and analyzed on IVCM. Results On examination, pigmented KPs in four eyes, white central KPs in two eyes and anterior chamber cells with flare in six eyes and pseudo hypopyon in one eye were identified. A typical floral pattern of KPs on IVCM was noted in all eyes. Three eyes each showed the complete and incomplete floral patterns, respectively. Resolution of KPs on IVCM was noted after chemotherapy. Conclusion In addition to the routinely used clinical and imaging markers like the visual acuity, presence of lymphomatous cells in the vitreous and optical coherence tomography findings, the presence and appearance of KPs on IVCM can also be considered as a useful, diagnostic and treatment monitoring marker in VRL.

Phylogenomic relationships and character evolution of the grape family (Vitaceae)

The grape family consists of 16 genera and ca. 950 species. It is best known for the economically important fruit crop – the grape Vitis vinifera. The deep phylogenetic relationships and character evolution of the grape family have attracted the attention of researchers in recent years. We herein reconstruct the phylogenomic relationships within Vitaceae using nuclear and plastid genes based on the Hyb-Seq approach and test the newly proposed classification system of the family. The five tribes of the grape family, including Ampelopsideae, Cayratieae, Cisseae, Parthenocisseae, and Viteae, are each robustly supported by both nuclear and chloroplast genomic data and the backbone relationships are congruent with previous reports. The cupular floral disc (raised above and free from ovary at the upper part) is an ancestral state of Vitaceae, with the inconspicuous floral disc as derived in the tribe Parthenocisseae, and the state of adnate to the ovary as derived in the tribe Viteae. The 5-merous floral pattern was inferred to be the ancestral in Vitaceae, with the 4-merous flowers evolved at least two times in the family. The compound dichasial cyme (cymose with two secondary axes) is ancestral in Vitaceae and the thyrse inflorescence (a combination of racemose and cymose branching) in tribe Viteae is derived. The ribbon-like trichome only evolved once in Vitaceae, as a synapomorphy for the tribe Viteae.

Integrating floral trait and flowering time distribution patterns help reveal a more dynamic nature of co‐flowering community assembly processes

Abstract Species' floral traits and flowering times are known to be the major drivers of pollinator‐mediated plant–plant interactions in diverse co‐flowering communities. However, their simultaneous role in mediating plant community assembly and plant–pollinator interactions is still poorly understood. Since not all species flower at the same time, inference of facilitative and competitive interactions based on floral trait distribution patterns should account for fine phenological structure (intensity of flowering overlap) within co‐flowering communities. Such an approach may also help reveal the simultaneous action of competitive and facilitative interactions in structuring co‐flowering communities. Here we used modularity within a co‐flowering network context, as a novel approach to detect convergent and/or over‐dispersed patterns in floral trait distribution and pollinator sharing. Specifically, we evaluate differences in floral trait and pollinator distribution patterns within (high temporal flowering overlap) and among co‐flowering modules (low temporal flowering overlap). We further evaluate the consistency of observed floral trait and pollinator sharing distribution patterns across space (three geographical regions) and time (dry and rainy seasons). We found that floral trait similarity was significantly higher in plant species within co‐flowering modules than in species among them. This suggests pollinator facilitation may lead to floral trait convergence, but only within co‐flowering modules. However, our results also revealed seasonal and spatial shifts in the underlying interactions (facilitation or competition) driving co‐flowering assembly, suggesting that the prevalent dominant interactions are not static. Synthesis. Overall, we provide strong evidence showing that the use of flowering time and floral trait distribution alone may be insufficient to fully uncover the role of pollinator‐mediated interactions in community assembly. Integrating this information along with patterns of pollinator sharing will greatly help reveal the simultaneous action of facilitative and competitive pollinator‐mediated interactions in co‐flowering communities. The spatial and temporal variation in flowering and trait distribution patterns observed further emphasize the importance of adopting a more dynamic view of community assembly processes.

Ethylene glycol assisted three-dimensional floral evolution of BiFeO3-based nanostructures with effective magneto-electric response.

Controlled growth of nanostructures plays a vital role in tuning the physical and chemical properties of functional materials for advanced energy and memory storage devices. Herein, we synthesized hierarchical micro-sized flowers, built by the self-assembly of highly crystalline, two-dimensional nanoplates of Co- and Ni-doped BiFeO3, using a simple ethylene glycol-mediated solvothermal method. Pure BiFeO3 attained scattered one-dimensional nanorods-type morphology having diameter nearly 60 nm. Co-doping of Co and Ni at Fe-site in BiFeO3 does not destabilize the morphology; rather it generates three-dimensional floral patterns of self-assembled nanoplates. Unsaturated polarization loops obtained for BiFeO3 confirmed the leakage behaviour of these rhombohedrally distorted cubic perovskites. These loops were then used to determine the energy density of the BiFeO3 perovskites. Enhanced ferromagnetic behaviour with high coercivity and remanence was observed for these nanoplates. A detailed discussion about the origin of ferromagnetic behaviour based on Goodenough–Kanamori's rule is also a part of this paper. Impedance spectroscopy revealed a true Warburg capacitive behaviour of the synthesized nanoplates. High magneto-electric (ME) coefficient of 27 mV cm−1 Oe−1 at a bias field of −0.2 Oe was observed which confirmed the existence of ME coupling in these nanoplates.

MYB repressors and MBW activation complex collaborate to fine-tune flower coloration in Freesia hybrida

Floral anthocyanin has multiple ecological and economic values, its biosynthesis largely depends on the conserved MYB-bHLH-WD40 (MBW) activation complex and MYB repressors hierarchically with the MBW complex. In contrast to eudicots, the MBW regulatory network model has not been addressed in monocots because of the lack of a suitable system, as grass plants exhibit monotonous floral pigmentation patterns. Presently, the MBW regulatory network was investigated in a non-grass monocot plant, Freesia hybrida. FhMYB27 and FhMYBx with different functional manners were confirmed to be anthocyanin related R2R3 and R3 MYB repressors, respectively. Particularly, FhMYBx could obstruct the formation of positive MBW complex by titrating bHLH proteins, whereas FhMYB27 mainly defected the activator complex into suppressor via its repression domains in C-terminus. Furthermore, the hierarchical and feedback regulatory loop was verified, indicating the synergistic and sophisticated regulatory network underlying Freesia anthocyanin biosynthesis was quite similar to that reported in eudicot plants.

Study on Twining Technologies Adopted by Bamboo Sutra Wrappers of the Tang Dynasty

Bamboo sutra wrapper is made of bamboo splints fastened together with silk threads using the warp twining method. Bamboo sutra wrappers dating to the Tang and Song dynasties are mainly found in Cave 17. They are usually in a rectangular shape with the geometrical, dotted or floral pattern which are quite favored in the Tang dynasty. Affected by Buddhism, sutra wrappers of this kind have also been found in other Asian countries such as Japan and Korea, with a similarity in structure, dimension and twining method.

신한복 저고리에 대한 인식과 디자인 선호도에 관한 연구

A questionnaire was constructed based on the analysis of women’s Hanbok and its online shopping site. It consists of 36 questions, including actual wearing conditions, perception of new jeogori, and preference for design components. The survey was distributed to 408 adult women over age 20 and older across the country. New jeogori is fast becoming popular nowadays. Thus, this study focused on actual wearing conditions and perception of new jeogori design and analyzed design preferences on new Hanbok’s jeogori. Women over age 60 had the highest experience of wearing and the most possessing new jeogori, and the older had more experience of wearing new jeogori. The most preferred form of jeogori was medium length. While women in the 20s preferred short length jeogori styles, women in the 50s preferred the medium length jeogori styles. The regular fit was more preferred than over oversized or undersized fit, and princess line jeogori was the most preferred. Round git, regular width git, no dongjeong, same color git and dongjeong, front closing with a wide overlap, one goreum, fitted sleeve, and long sleeve designs were preferred. The most preferred jeogori color scheme was a monochromatic color, and accent colors with a solid color piece were next preferred. The most preferred color was achromatic color, red and blue were followed. Contemporary materials were preferable to traditional materials, and the preferable fabric was cotton. Contemporary medium-sized patterns were preferred, and the preferable pattern was a floral pattern. As a pilot study, this research is to inherit Korean traditional culture and develop a new hanbok jeogory style. Based on the results of this research, distinct jeogori design is needed to develop by different age levels rather than by materials and patterns. Increasing visibility of the values of Hanbok, a design framework according to age group, needs to be created.

The Architecture plan of Qutb Complex (Delhi) and its Decoration Analysis

The Qutb complex in Delhi contains the array of early Sultanate Period Muslim monuments that demonstrate the earliest artwork development stage of Muslim monuments from 12 to 13th century especially the architecture style and the stone carving patterns that exists in the monuments of this complex like in masjid Quwat-ul Islam (1191 A.D), Qutab Minar (1202 A.D), Illttutmish Tomb (1235 A.D), Alai Darwaza (1311 A.D). These splendid monuments have a new architectural style in India. Their beautiful carvings in red sandstone and marble that includes the patterns of arabesque style along with Kufic and Naskh calligraphy, the delicate floral and geometric patterns along with some Hindu motifs that depicts the earliest amalgamation of Hindu and Islamic architecture within the subcontinent. This paper not only aim to explore the architectural plan of this Qutb complex under different monarchs but also the decoration of this Qutb complex, its analysis and the aesthetic changes of design after the amalgamation of two different cultures. This complex is famous not only for its architecture but also for varieties of decorative arts. This paper also attempts to discover not only aesthetics but also the traditional and regional logic for using these motifs. This explorative study is from available historical data and literature. In the end concludes that the amalgamated motifs of decoration was excellent experiment and first addition in the design vocabulary of Indo-Muslim art and architecture. These designs provide serenity and majestic feelings to these monuments and in whole to Qutb complex.

Macroevolution of Flower Color Patterning: Biased Transition Rates and Correlated Evolution with Flower Size.

Floral pigmentation patterns can both mediate plant-pollinator interactions and modify the abiotic environment of reproductive structures. To date, there have been no inquiries into the rate and directionality of macroevolutionary transitions between patterned and non-patterned petals despite their ecological importance and ubiquity across angiosperms. Petals in the Potentilleae tribe (Rosaceae) display color patterns in the ultraviolet (UV) and human-visible spectrum, or can be uniform in color (i.e., patternless). Using a phylogeny of Potentilleae, I test whether evolutionary transition rates between patterned and non-patterned petals are biased in either direction. I then examine whether UV and human-visible floral patterns are phylogenetically correlated and test the prediction that color patterns will evolve in concert with larger flowers if they function as guides to orient pollinators to floral rewards. I found that transition rates were biased toward petals that were uniform in color. Transition rates from patterned to uniformly colored petals were two and six times higher than the reverse for UV and human-visible pattern, respectively. The presence of UV and human-visible pattern evolved independently from one another. However, the evolution of human-visible pattern was associated with the evolution of larger flowers but the evolution of UV pattern was correlated with the evolution of smaller flowers. I posit that the transition bias toward non-patterned flowers may reflect developmental constraints on spatial regulation of pigments required to produce floral color patterning. The correlated evolution of larger flowers and human-visible pigmentation patterns support the hypothesis that nectar or pollen guides are more likely to evolve in larger-flowered species. This work provides insight into how transition rate bias and trait correlations can shape phylogenetic patterns of floral color pattern diversity.

Climate Predicts UV Floral Pattern Size, Anthocyanin Concentration, and Pollen Performance in Clarkia unguiculata.

Given that flower size and pigmentation can mediate plant–pollinator interactions, many studies have focused on pollinator-driven selection on these floral traits. However, abiotic factors such as precipitation, temperature, and solar radiation also contribute to geographic variation in floral color, pattern, and size within multiple species. Several studies have described an ecogeographic pattern within species in which high temperature, high ultraviolet (UV) radiation, low precipitation and/or low latitudes are associated with increased floral anthocyanin production, smaller flowers, and/or larger UV-absorbing floral patterns (nectar guides or bullseyes). However, latitude or elevation is often used as a proxy variable to study variation in floral traits associated with a wide range of climatic variables, making the proximate abiotic drivers of variation difficult to identify. In this study, we tested and corroborated several predictions for how the abiotic environment may directly or indirectly shape geographic patterns of floral color, pattern, and size in Clarkia unguiculata (Onagraceae). This study provides the first report of geographic variation in multispectral floral color and pattern in C. unguiculata, while also providing an experimental test of the putative protective role of UV absorption for pollen performance. We quantified geographic variation among greenhouse-raised populations in UV floral pattern size, mean UV petal reflectance, anthocyanin concentration, and petal area in C. unguiculata across its natural range in California and, using 30 year climate normals for each population, we identified climatic and topographic attributes that are correlated with our focal floral traits. In addition, we examined pollen performance under high and low UV light conditions to detect the protective function (if any) of UV floral patterns in this species. Contrary to our expectations, the nectar guide and the proportion of the petal occupied by the UV nectar guide were largest in low solar UV populations. Estimated floral anthocyanin concentration was highest in populations with high solar UV, which does support our predictions. The size of the UV nectar guide did not affect pollen performance in either of the light treatments used in this study. We conclude that, under the conditions examined here, UV-absorbing floral patterns do not serve a direct “pollen protection” function in C. unguiculata. Our results only partially align with expected ecogeographic patterns in these floral traits, highlighting the need for research in a wider range of taxa in order to detect and interpret broad scale patterns of floral color variation.

Patterns of Symmetry Expression in Angiosperms: Developmental and Evolutionary Lability

Variation in flower symmetry is a remarkable aspect of flowering plant diversity. Multiple evolutionary transitions from an ancestral form of radial symmetry to bilateral symmetry and reversals from bilateral to radial symmetry have occurred during angiosperm evolution. The high incident of symmetry transitions poses the question concerning the homology of underlying developmental processes. I conducted a comprehensive study of developmental expression of symmetry across angiosperms covering 72 families and 39 orders. A wide range of timing for the expression of symmetry was found from organ initiation, to enlargement, to late differentiation of organs. In many studied genera, the symmetry pattern was transient during development. Mapping the floral symmetry patterns on the phylogenetic tree indicated the scattered distribution of patterns across angiosperms. The expression of symmetry was also versatile within families. The developmental constraints exerted by the inflorescence, bracts, neighbor flowers or neighbor organs within a flower could provide a possible explanation for the observed variation of symmetry expression.

Disturbance of floral colour pattern by activation of an endogenous pararetrovirus, petunia vein clearing virus, in aged petunia plants.

SummaryWhite areas of star‐type bicolour petals of petunia (Petunia hybrida) are caused by post‐transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS) of the key enzyme of anthocyanin biosynthesis. We observed blotched flowers and a vein‐clearing symptom in aged petunia plants. To determine the cause of blotched flowers, we focused on an endogenous pararetrovirus, petunia vein clearing virus (PVCV), because this virus may have a suppressor of PTGS (VSR). Transcripts and episomal DNAs derived from proviral PVCVs accumulated in aged plants, indicating that PVCV was activated as the host plant aged. Furthermore, DNA methylation of CG and CHG sites in the promoter region of proviral PVCV decreased in aged plants, suggesting that poor maintenance of DNA methylation activates PVCV. In parallel, de novo DNA methylation of CHH sites in its promoter region was also detected. Therefore, both activation and inactivation of PVCV occurred in aged plants. The accumulation of PVCV transcripts and episomal DNAs in blotched regions and the detection of VSR activity support a mechanism in which suppression of PTGS by PVCV causes blotched flowers.

Self-organizing floral pigmentation patterns

Plant Science Petals of Mimulus flowers are decorated with anthocyanin spots in patterns that cue pollinators. Ding et al. show how, following the rules of a reaction-diffusion system, a self-activating transcription factor called NECTAR GUIDE ANTHOCYANIN (NEGAN) interacts with a mobile repressor to organize pigment patterns on flower petals. Among the genes regulated by NEGAN is RED TONGUE ( RTO ), which encodes a transcriptional repressor. RTO is transcribed in anthocyanin spot cells, but the RTO protein moves to adjacent cells, where it limits anthocyanin production. Model simulations explored how NEGAN and RTO together construct a variety of pigmentation patterns on the flower petals, which in turn affect bumble bee visitations. Curr. Biol. 10.1016/j.cub.2019.12.067 (2020).

Floral Diversity and Patterns of Vegetation In and Around Siswan Community Reserve (SCR) in Punjab, India

As per Wildlife Protection (Amendment) Act, 2002, a new category of Protected Areas (PAs) have been introduced as Community Reserve (CR) in India. These areas, albeit uninhabited and completely owned by the Government of india are designated as CR for subsistence of local communities. The current study collates information on the vegetation structure and composition across different forests surrounding Siswan reservoir, a newly declared Community Reserve in Punjab, India. A total of 160 species of vascular plants were recorded, of which 45.6% were herbs, 21.3% trees, 12.5% shrubs, 10% grasses, 8.8% climbers and 1.9% sedges. Fabaceae was the most dominant family followed by Poaceae, Asteraceae and Malvaceae. Eight different forest communities were discernible through cluster analysis based on Bray-Curtis similarity, such as Acacia catechu -A. modesta , Acacia catechu -mixed, Acacia catechu -Anogeissus, Dalbergia, Butea -Dalbergia, Leaucaena , Mixed and Moringa -Mixed. The mixed community largely dominated the CR (ca. 45%). Among communities, β-diversity was highest for Acacia catechu -A. modesta community (2.12) and lowest for Acacia catechu -Anogeissus community (1.27). The species richness and Shannon-Weiner diversity index was high in Mixed, Acacia , Acacia catechu -mixed and Leaucaena communities. Owing to several medicinal properties and luxuriant growth of Tinospora sinensis, could be explored as a source oflivelihood for the locals through sustainable harvest. This study provides baseline information pertaining to ecological setting of the CR which will be helpful in the management of the area.

Stable isotope compositions of herbivore teeth indicate climatic stability leading into the mid-Miocene Climatic Optimum, in Idaho, U.S.A

The effects of global climate change are manifested at the regional level; consequently, evaluation of links between palaeoenvironmental change and turnover of past biotas must use regional-scale climate data. Here we test whether climate change influenced faunal and floral patterns leading up to, and during, the mid-Miocene Climatic Optimum (MMCO) based on datasets collected in the Railroad Canyon section (RCS), central-eastern Idaho, U.S.A. Specifically, we use isotope compositions of herbivore tooth enamel to investigate how Mean Annual Precipitation (MAP), Mean Annual Temperature (MAT), Cold Month Mean Temperature (CMMT), and temperature seasonality varied through the RCS and how this local record compares to global climate reconstructions. Isotope compositions of teeth from the fossil equid Merychippus and rhinocerotid Diceratherium were compared across five time bins from c. 23 to c. 15 Ma. Bulk δ18O values of both taxa indicate that meteoric water compositions were unchanged through the study interval (consistently c. −15.6‰) but were c. 1.9‰ higher than current regional meteoric water. This difference points to warmer climates in central-eastern Idaho during the Miocene, post-middle Miocene topographic uplift in western North America, and/or shifts to air mass trajectories. Serial sampling of enamel shows seasonal fluctuations in water compositions and temperature. Bulk δ13C values indicate an average MAP of 190 (range: 10–510 mm·yr−1), with no significant change through the study interval, comparable to today's MAP (236 mm·yr−1). The reconstructed semi-arid, seasonal, warm climate for the RCS agrees with phytolith assemblage data from the same strata indicating dominantly open, grassy habitats. However, it is inconsistent with previously held ideas of warm-wet mid-Miocene climates in the northern Rocky Mountains (NRM) based on paleosol analyses. Our inferred, stable climate conditions for the MMCO of the NRM contrast with coeval records from Europe and Asia indicating sustained or enhanced warm and wet climates. These differences point to a decoupling of regional climate from global trends and highlight the necessity of studying regional variation to understand the biotic impacts of global climate change.