High species diversity may result from recent rapid speciation in a 'cradle' and/or the gradual accumulation and preservation of species over time in a 'museum'. China harbours nearly 10% of angiosperm species worldwide and has long been considered as both a museum, owing to the presence of many species with hypothesized ancient origins, and a cradle, as many lineages have originated as recent topographic changes and climatic shifts-such as the formation of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and the development of the monsoon-provided new habitats that promoted remarkable radiation. However, no detailed phylogenetic study has addressed when and how the major components of the Chinese angiosperm flora assembled to form the present-day vegetation. Here we investigate the spatio-temporal divergence patterns of the Chinese flora using a dated phylogeny of 92% of the angiosperm genera for the region, a nearly complete species-level tree comprising 26,978 species and detailed spatial distribution data. We found that 66% of the angiosperm genera in China did not originate until early in the Miocene epoch (23 million years ago (Mya)). The flora of eastern China bears a signature of older divergence (mean divergence times of 22.04-25.39 Mya), phylogenetic overdispersion (spatial co-occurrence of distant relatives) and higher phylogenetic diversity. In western China, the flora shows more recent divergence (mean divergence times of 15.29-18.86 Mya), pronounced phylogenetic clustering (co-occurrence of close relatives) and lower phylogenetic diversity. Analyses of species-level phylogenetic diversity using simulated branch lengths yielded results similar to genus-level patterns. Our analyses indicate that eastern China represents a floristic museum, and western China an evolutionary cradle, for herbaceous genera; eastern China has served as both a museum and a cradle for woody genera. These results identify areas of high species richness and phylogenetic diversity, and provide a foundation on which to build conservation efforts in China.
Recent integrative systematic studies of Vitaceae support the recognition of a new genus Pseudocayratia J.Wen, L.M.Lu & Z.D.Chen. The genus consists of five species from China and Japan. We herein describe the following two new species: Pseudocayratia speciosa J.Wen & L.M.Lu, and P. pengiana Hsu & J.Wen, and make three new combinations: Pseudocayratia dichromocarpa (H.Lév.) J.Wen & Z.D.Chen, P. oligocarpa (H.Lév. & Van.) J.Wen & L.M.Lu, and P. yoshimurae (Makino) J.Wen & V.C.Dang. Phylogenetic analyses based on five chloroplast loci strongly support Pseudocayratia as sister to Tetrastigma. Morphologically, species of the genus have stigmas enlarged (but not 4‐lobed), pedicels at fruiting stage enlarged and fleshy, seeds with a crustaceous thin testa, circular cup‐like ventral infolds, linear chalaza extending ca. 2/3 to 3/4 of the seed length (from apex to base), lateral margin with thin edges, and T‐shaped endosperm in cross‐section. The genus is distributed in eastern Asia (China and Japan). The taxonomic novelties we report in this study at both the generic and species levels highlight the importance of collections‐based research in today's integrative systematics.
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