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Open research questions in Plant Diversity and Evolution

33 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 625 Plant Diversity and Evolution papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.

What the literature leaves open

  • While iconic butterfly species such as Raja Brooke’s Birdwing, Trogonoptera brookiana (Wallace 1855), and Kinabalu Birdwing, Troides andromache (Staudinger 1892) are comparably well-studied, Aris- tolochia as their host plants remain poorly understood (Jalil et al. Borneo, a megadiverse island with a complex ecosys- tem, remains understudied in terms of Aristolochia taxonomy. Since Hou's (1983a, b) revisions, no comprehensive taxonomic updates have been conducted for this genus in Borneo, and extensive collections in Sarawak and Kalimantan are lacking.

    Aristolochia argilophila (Piperales: Aristolochiaceae), a new species from Brunei Darussalam, with notes on the taxa Aristolochia foveolata Merr. and Aristolochia transtillifera Ding Hou · 2026 · DOI

  • To date, the evolutionary dynamics of plastomes and phylogenetic relationships within the tribe Marsdenieae (Apocynaceae) remain poorly understood, particularly regarding the structural diversity driven by variations in the boundary of inverted repeat (IR).

    Phylogenomic and comparative analyses of plastomes of the tribe Marsdenieae (Apocynaceae: Asclepiadoideae): insights into plastome characteristics and generic relationships with an emphasis on Asian genera · 2026 · DOI

  • represents the first unequivocal evidence of piperalean flowers from the Late Cretaceous and exhibits a unique combination of floral traits, including a single whorl of tepals, three whorls of stamens, anthers with a single pollen polyad per pollen sac and valvate dehiscence, a fusion of androecium and gynoecium, and an extragynoecial compitum.

    Trimerous magnoliid flowers with a unique set of floral and pollen traits from the Late Cretaceous of Southern Bohemia (Czech Republic) · 2026 · DOI

  • The persistence of Polygoneae distributions across the Northern Hemisphere temperate belt since the Last Interglacial (∼120 ka) is inferred but lacks direct paleobotanical or genomic evidence from ancient refugia.

    Plastome phylogenomics unveils an East Asian origin and climatic niche-driven radiation of the temperate tribe Polygoneae (Polygonaceae) · 2026 · DOI

  • The role of specific molecular adaptations in stress-related genes (e.g., psaI with Ka/Ks = 1.40) in enabling adaptation to diverse climatic niches across Polygoneae requires functional validation through expression studies or experimental manipulation.

    Plastome phylogenomics unveils an East Asian origin and climatic niche-driven radiation of the temperate tribe Polygoneae (Polygonaceae) · 2026 · DOI

  • While niche overlap analysis revealed high similarity between Fallopia, Muehlenbeckia, and Pleuropterus (D = 0.94), the mechanisms preventing competitive exclusion among these ecologically similar genera are not fully explained.

    Plastome phylogenomics unveils an East Asian origin and climatic niche-driven radiation of the temperate tribe Polygoneae (Polygonaceae) · 2026 · DOI

  • Uncertainty in fossil ages was addressed by using first and last occurrence data during time-slicing, but this approach may introduce noise and reduce precision in age assignments.

    Leaf venation network evolution across clades and scales · 2025 · DOI

  • The shape of P1 and P2 elements of Walliserognathus posthamatus, characterized by a small platform along the whole elements, and its stratigraphic distribution limited to the Ancoradella ploeckensis Zone suggest that the species may have been the bridge in the phylogenesis from Wurmiella to Polygnathoides.

    The new genus Walliserognathus and the origin of Polygnathoides siluricus (Conodonta, Silurian); pp. 113–121 · 2018 · DOI

  • This character, resulting in a winged stem, common to other species of the genus such as Saussurea porcii Degen and Saussurea parviflora (Poiret) DC, has not been reported so far in Saussurea alpina (L.

    Observations on leaf decurrency and stem winging in Saussurea alpina (L.) DC. subsp. macrophylla (Sauter) Nyman populations from the Făgăraş Mountains · 2017 · DOI

  • The new species inhabits high-mountain calcareous screes and so far appears to be endemic to Mt Timfi (NW Greece), although its total range needs to be studied.

    Asperula tymphaea (Rubiaceae) – a new species from Northern Pindus, Greece · 2016

  • Despite recent understanding that these genes play a role in establishing the architecture of inflorescences in the sunflower family (Asteraceae), where hundreds of finely organized flowers are arranged to mimic an individual flower, little is known about their function in the development of flower-like inflorescences across diverse phylogenetic groups.

    The unique pseudanthium of Actinodium (Myrtaceae) - morphological reinvestigation and possible regulation by CYCLOIDEA-like genes · 2013 · DOI

  • The report of two additional bamboo-associated species in this study indicates that these genera are eco- logically adapted to monocot hosts, particularly Poaceae and Arecaceae, and emphasizes the importance of exploring understudied bamboo microhabitats as reservoirs of fungal diversity.

    Taxonomy and phylogeny reveal new species of Minuticlypeus (Pallidoperidiaceae, Xylariales) and Paravamsapriya (Vamsapriyaceae, Xylariales) from Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, China · 2026 · DOI

  • The genus Dinochloa Buse (Poaceae) comprises a diverse group of climbing bamboos distributed throughout Malesia, yet its diversity in the Philippines remains insufficiently documented.

    Four New Climbing Bamboo Species in the genus Dinochloa Buse (Poaceae) from Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary, Mindanao, Philippines · 2026 · DOI

  • The northern portion of the Espinhaço Range in Minas Gerais in Brazil is one such poorly explored region, despite recent floristic efforts and numerous new species discoveries.

    <i>Guapira leucophylla</i> (Nyctaginaceae, Caryophyllales), a new species from the northern Espinhaço Range of Minas Gerais, Brazil · 2026 · DOI

  • However, this genus shows relatively similar morphological characteristics across its species, so classification by morphological comparison has several limitations, and the scientific names and classifications of some species remain controversial.

    Potential DNA Barcoding for Identification of Large Leaf Homalomena (Homalomena pendula (Blume) Bakh.f.) · 2026 · DOI

  • The mechanisms by which dispersal filters (conserved life-history traits) and local adaptation drivers (labile floral traits) interact to shape biogeographic patterns remain mechanistically unclear.

    Plastome phylogenomics unveils an East Asian origin and climatic niche-driven radiation of the temperate tribe Polygoneae (Polygonaceae) · 2026 · DOI

  • The specific microclimatic and edaphic conditions created by Tianshan Mountain uplift that drove the evolution of distinct lignification strategies in Atraphaxis have not been quantitatively reconstructed or validated with paleoclimate models.

    Plastome phylogenomics unveils an East Asian origin and climatic niche-driven radiation of the temperate tribe Polygoneae (Polygonaceae) · 2026 · DOI

  • Time-series regression analyses were only performed for venation traits and clades that showed significant evolutionary trends, potentially limiting the comprehensiveness of environmental association analyses.

    Leaf venation network evolution across clades and scales · 2025 · DOI

  • Additional regression analyses were conducted only for angiosperm species to investigate compensatory effects of leaf exudates on insect-venation relationships, suggesting this analysis was limited in taxonomic scope and presented separately.

    Leaf venation network evolution across clades and scales · 2025 · DOI

  • The study did not have an a priori hypothesis for the model of venation architecture evolution, necessitating post-hoc testing of both punctuated and gradual models rather than hypothesis-driven analysis.

    Leaf venation network evolution across clades and scales · 2025 · DOI

  • In the absence of global insect diversification rates for phytophagous versus non-phytophagous insects, the authors assumed those rates to be consistent with each other, which may not accurately reflect herbivory-specific patterns.

    Leaf venation network evolution across clades and scales · 2025 · DOI

  • Morphological continua in groups like Ophrys (European bee orchids) make traditional species delimitation difficult, suggesting the need for better species concept frameworks.

    Advances in Plant Taxonomy and Systematics · 2023 · DOI

  • Geometric morphometric versus genomic patterns in polyploid plant species complexes show discordance, indicating a need for integrative approaches to resolve conflicting phylogenetic signals.

    Advances in Plant Taxonomy and Systematics · 2023 · DOI

  • Despite the notable progress that has been made in Lamiaceae phylogenetics and in the Nepetoideae subfamily, the genus remains insufficiently investigated concerning its interspecies evolutionary relationships.

    Phylogenetic relationships of Origanum taxa (Lamiaceae) from Greece: Initial insights from molecular and morphological data · 2022 · DOI

  • Since the presence of spontaneous intermediate forms of the genus Alnus in Bosnia and Herzegovina is insufficiently explored, the first results of comparative morphological analysis (seven leaf’s characters) of black and grey alder and their hybrids are given in this study.

    MORPHOLOGICAL IDENTIFICATION OF NOTHOSPECIES ALNUS X PUBESCENS TAUSCH. AND THEIR NEW LOCALITIES IN CENTRAL BOSNIA · 2014 · DOI

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33 open questions have been extracted from the limitations and future-work passages of 625 Plant Diversity and Evolution papers in our library. Each one below links back to the study that raised it, so you can read the original claim in context.

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