A cornucopia of diversity—Ranunculales as a model lineage

Abstract

The Ranunculales are a hyperdiverse lineage in many aspects of their phenotype, including growth habit, floral and leaf morphology, reproductive mode and specialized metabolism. Many Ranunculales species, such as opium poppy and goldenseal have a high medicinal value. In addition, the order includes a large number of commercially important ornamental plants, such as columbines and larkspurs. The phylogenetic position of the order with respect to monocots and core eudicots and the diversity within this lineage make the Ranunculales an excellent group for studying evolutionary processes by comparative studies. Lately, the phylogeny of Ranunculales was revised and genetic and genomic resources were developed for many species, allowing comparative analyses at the molecular scale. Here, we review the literature on the resources for genetic manipulation and genome sequencing, the recent phylogeny reconstruction of this order, and its fossil record. Further, we explain their habitat range and delve into the diversity in their floral morphology, focusing on perianth organ identity, floral symmetry, occurrences of spurs and nectaries, sexual and pollination systems, and fruit and dehiscence types. The Ranunculales order offers a wealth of opportunities for scientific exploration across various disciplines and scales, to gain novel insights into plant biology for researchers and plant enthusiasts alike.

Genomic incongruence accompanies the evolution of flower symmetry in Eudicots: a case study in the poppy family (Papaveraceae, Ranunculales)

“…& J. Presl, the sister group to all other eudicots ( APG, 2016 ; Li et al, 2019 , 2021 ). This key phylogenetic position, together with its astonishing floral diversity, makes the order an important model system for studying flower evolution ( Damerval and Becker, 2017 ; Becker et al., 2023 ). The family Papaveraceae particularly stands out within Ranunculales and among angiosperms as a unique case of evolutionary transition in floral symmetry, from actinomorphic (radially symmetric; e.g., Meconopsis Vig., Papaver L., and Roemeria Medik.…”

DataSheet_1.docx

“…& J. Presl, the sister group to all other eudicots (APG, 2016;Li et al, 2019Li et al, , 2021. This key phylogenetic position, together with its astonishing floral diversity, makes the order an important model system for studying flower evolution (Damerval and Becker, 2017;Becker et al, 2023). The family Papaveraceae particularly stands out within Ranunculales and among angiosperms as a unique case of evolutionary transition in floral symmetry, from actinomorphic (radially symmetric; e.g., Meconopsis Vig., Papaver L., and Roemeria Medik.…”