Plant and Fungus Systematics and Taxonomy

Systematics and taxonomy address the discovery, delimitation, naming and classification of plant and fungal diversity. Systematists seek to reconstruct the evolutionary relationships among organisms, while taxonomists apply those insights to define species, genera and higher groups according to shared characters. Historically grounded in morphology and anatomy, the discipline now integrates molecular, genomic and palaeontological data to produce classifications that reflect genealogy as well as phenotype. By providing a stable framework of names and a phylogenetic scaffold, systematics underpins biodiversity inventories, ecological studies, crop improvement, the regulation of trade in biological resources and the conservation of threatened lineages. From lichens to liverworts and algae to angiosperms, each taxonomic decision hinges on evidence from herbarium and culture collections, DNA sequence repositories and, increasingly, high-throughput genomic surveys. Advances in sampling, imaging, phylogenomics and molecular dating continue to refine our understanding of the tree of life and to guide efforts to document and safeguard global biotic heritage.

Research from Nature Portfolio

A genus-level phylogeny of the mustard family revealed that nested whole-genome duplications coincide with elevated diversification and striking morphological disparity. Using a plastome-based backbone across all tribes, researchers showed that lineages bearing extra genome duplications exhibit higher net diversification rates and enhanced trait variation, even in the absence of novel character complexes. This finding provides a template for genome-wide association studies of trait evolution in one of the most economically important angiosperm families.

Work on a river-corridor sedge demonstrated that phenotypic variation in key taxonomic characters can reflect soil nutrient status rather than genetic differentiation. By sampling over twenty populations across central Europe, investigators showed that potassium availability drives intraspecific shifts in utricle and beak length, with consequences for the recognition of taxa. These results underscore the necessity of coupling morphological appraisal with ecological context when circumscribing species.

Analyses of seven-gene concatenations and relaxed-clock models have established a robust timeline for the primary divergence of red algal lineages. The study dated the origins of major subclasses of Florideophyceae to between one thousand and five hundred million years ago, and highlighted the emergence of novel carposporophyte strategies at key geological intervals. This deep chronology refines our understanding of morphological innovations in one of the largest classes of marine algae.

Plant and Fungus Systematics and Taxonomy publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in plant and fungus systematics and taxonomy across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Phylogenetics: The reconstruction of evolutionary relationships among taxa, typically represented as a branching tree.

Monophyly: A grouping that includes an ancestor and all of its descendants, reflecting a single complete lineage.

Whole-genome duplication (WGD): The doubling of an organism’s entire set of chromosomes, often implicated in bursts of diversification.

Carposporophyte: The diploid, spore-producing phase of red algae that arises after fertilisation.

Cryptic species: Distinct biological species that are morphologically indistinguishable but genetically divergent.

References

1. Nested whole-genome duplications coincide with diversification and high morphological disparity in Brassicaceae. Nature Communications (2020).
2. Morphological variability of Carex buekii (Cyperaceae) as a function of soil conditions: a case study of the Central European populations. Scientific Reports (2022).
3. Divergence time estimates and the evolution of major lineages in the florideophyte red algae. Scientific Reports (2016).
4. Earliest fossil pollen records of endemic African Sclerosperma palms and the palaeoecological aspects of the genus. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology (2023).
5. Predominant colonization of Malesian mountains by Australian tree lineages. Journal of Biogeography (2019).
6. Phylogenomics and Biogeography of the Mammilloid Clade Revealed an Intricate Evolutionary History Arose in the Mexican Plateau. Biology (2023).