Urbanization transforms environments in ways that alter biological evolution. We examined whether urban environmental change drives parallel evolution by sampling 110,019 white clover plants from 6169 populations in 160 cities globally. Plants were assayed for a Mendelian antiherbivore defense that also affects tolerance to abiotic stressors. Urban-rural gradients were associated with the evolution of clines in defense in 47% of cities throughout the world. Variation in the strength of clines was explained by environmental changes in drought stress and vegetation cover that varied among cities. Sequencing 2074 genomes from 26 cities revealed that the evolution of urban-rural clines was best explained by adaptive evolution, but the degree of parallel adaptation varied among cities. Our results demonstrate that urbanization leads to adaptation at a global scale.

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The present work intends to clarify the phylogenetic relationships among the species of Paspalum L. belonging to the informal groups Notata/Linearia and Dilatata, and to raise some preliminary hypotheses on the phylogeny of the genus as a whole. A combined dataset including morphological and molecular characters was used to analyze 28 species of Paspalum plus some representatives of related genera of the tribe Paniceae. Analyses were performed using both parsimony and maximum likelihood. The monophyly of Paspalum is not supported nor contradicted. The circumscription of informal groups of Paspalum is discussed, as well as the cladistic treatment of allopolyploid taxa, especially those comprising the Dilatata group. The relationships of members of the Dilatata with their putative progenitors is confirmed, but the monophyly of the group as a whole is not. A close relationship between P. dilatatum Poir. and P. lividum Trin. ex Schltdl. is shown. Our analysis is consistent with the monophyly of a group comprising Notata+Linearia, with a monophyletic Notata group nested within it. The delimitation of the core Notata is proposed by including P. conduplicatum Canto-Dorow, Valls and Longhi-Wagner, P. notatum Flüggé, P. minus E. Fourn., P. pumilum Nees and P. subciliatum Chase.

Chascolytrum, as currently circumscribed, includes 22–23 South American species that were previously included in nine different genera (Chascolytrum, Briza, Poidium, Calotheca, Microbriza, Gymnachne, Rhombolytrum, Lombardochloa and Erianthecium). Due to the remarkable morphological diversity, the relationships in Chascolytrum s.l. have remained poorly understood, and no infrageneric classification could be proposed based on the latest molecular phylogenetic studies. In this study, we combined molecular (GBSSI, trnL-trnL-trnF and rps16 intron) and morphological characters to investigate the phylogenetic relationships in Chascolytrum s.l. Based on this, morphologically diagnosable clades were recognized as eight sections (Calotheca, Chascolytrum, Hildaea, Lombardochloa, Microbriza, Obovatae, Poidium and Tricholemma), of which three are new and three are monospecific. We describe each section and discuss the new infrageneric classification in comparison with the previous infrageneric classification proposed for the group under the genus Briza. A taxonomic key and images for most of the species in each section are provided. Last, the use of single-copy nuclear genes and morphological data for future phylogenetic reconstructions encompassing Chascolytrum is highlighted.

The circumscription of the grass subtribe Calothecinae has undergone several changes since its description. Currently, it comprises Chascolytrum and the recently described genera Laegaardia and Paramochloa.Here we evaluate the circumscription of Calothecinae and the recently proposed infrageneric classification of Chascolytrum based on a phylogeny with more comprehensive taxon and molecular marker sampling than in previous studies. We sampled all Calothecinae genera, all but one Chascolytrum species, two South American Trisetum s.l., and representatives of the subtribes Agrostidinae, Brizinae, Echinopogoninae, Koeleriinae, Phalaridinae, and Torreyochloinae within Poaceae tribe Poeae. We performed Bayesian and Maximum Likelihood analyses of four plastid DNA regions (atpF-atpH, matK, rps16 intron, and trnL-trnF) and two nuclear ribosomal regions (ITS and ETS). Our results revealed that neither Calothecinae nor Chascolytrum is monophyletic, as currently recognized, because Trisetum brasiliense and Trisetum bulbosum are nested within Chascolytrum. We include these two Trisetum species in Calothecinae as incertae sedis. Laegaardia and Paramochloa form a clade that is sister to the Chascolytrum + Trisetum clade, and based on morphological characters, we transfer the former to the new subtribe Paramochloinae. Our Chascolytrum phylogeny is better resolved and supported than in previous studies, and based on these results, we divide Chascolytrum into nine genera, including two new ones: Boldrinia (gen. nov.), Calotheca, Chascolytrum, Erianthecium, Lombardochloa, Microbriza, Poidium, Rhombolytrum, and Rosengurttia (gen. nov.). We provide a key to Calothecinae genera, descriptions of the genera, nomenclatural information, and keys to species of each genus. In addition, six new combinations are proposed.

The shortage of reliable primary taxonomic data limits the description of biological taxa and the understanding of biodiversity patterns and processes, complicating biogeographical, ecological, and evolutionary studies. This deficit creates a significant taxonomic impediment to biodiversity research and conservation planning. The taxonomic impediment and the biodiversity crisis are widely recognized, highlighting the urgent need for reliable taxonomic data. Over the past decade, numerous countries worldwide have devoted considerable effort to Target 1 of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC), which called for the preparation of a working list of all known plant species by 2010 and an online world Flora by 2020. Brazil is a megadiverse country, home to more of the world's known plant species than any other country. Despite that, Flora Brasiliensis, concluded in 1906, was the last comprehensive treatment of the Brazilian flora. The lack of accurate estimates of the number of species of algae, fungi, and plants occurring in Brazil contributes to the prevailing taxonomic impediment and delays progress towards the GSPC targets. Over the past 12 years, a legion of taxonomists motivated to meet Target 1 of the GSPC, worked together to gather and integrate knowledge on the algal, plant, and fungal diversity of Brazil. Overall, a team of about 980 taxonomists joined efforts in a highly collaborative project that used cybertaxonomy to prepare an updated Flora of Brazil, showing the power of scientific collaboration to reach ambitious goals. This paper presents an overview of the Brazilian Flora 2020 and provides taxonomic and spatial updates on the algae, fungi, and plants found in one of the world's most biodiverse countries. We further identify collection gaps and summarize future goals that extend beyond 2020. Our results show that Brazil is home to 46,975 native species of algae, fungi, and plants, of which 19,669 are endemic to the country. The data compiled to date suggests that the Atlantic Rainforest might be the most diverse Brazilian domain for all plant groups except gymnosperms, which are most diverse in the Amazon. However, scientific knowledge of Brazilian diversity is still unequally distributed, with the Atlantic Rainforest and the Cerrado being the most intensively sampled and studied biomes in the country. In times of “scientific reductionism”, with botanical and mycological sciences suffering pervasive depreciation in recent decades, the first online Flora of Brazil 2020 significantly enhanced the quality and quantity of taxonomic data available for algae, fungi, and plants from Brazil. This project also made all the information freely available online, providing a firm foundation for future research and for the management, conservation, and sustainable use of the Brazilian funga and flora.

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Resumo Parques e praças arborizados são refúgios da natureza nas áreas urbanas, os quais contribuem para a conservação