International Journal of Plant Sciences

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Publishing plant science research since 1875. University of Chicago Press Journal. Posts by EIC Chris Caruso.

Red IJPS bandana with drawings of sequences of land plant antheridia.
Mock IJPS cover showing undergraduate researcher in a purple hoodie looking through a microscope.
On the Cover: Herendeeniodoxa willistonensis Pigg, Ickert-Bond, DeVore & Flynn gen. et sp. nov. (Actinidiaceae), an anatomically preserved fruit from the Late Paleocene Almont/Beicegel Creek flora of North Dakota. The fossil represents a member of the kiwifruit family that combines characters of extant Actinidia, Saurauia, and Clematoclethra, demonstrating that the family was already well established and the order Ericales experienced significant radiation and diversification during the Paleogene. Photo by Kathleen Pigg.
On the Cover: Herendeeniodoxa willistonensis Pigg, Ickert-Bond, DeVore & Flynn gen. et sp. nov. (Actinidiaceae), an anatomically preserved fruit from the Late Paleocene Almont/Beicegel Creek flora of North Dakota. The fossil represents a member of the kiwifruit family that combines characters of extant Actinidia, Saurauia, and Clematoclethra, demonstrating that the family was already well established and the order Ericales experienced significant radiation and diversification during the Paleogene. Photo by Kathleen Pigg.
Red IJPS bandana with repeated sequences of land plant antheridia.
Mock IJPS cover showing an undergraduate researcher in a purple hoodie looking through a microscope.
IJPS cover with photos of Herendeeniodoxa willistonensis gen. et sp. nov., Fossil Actinidiaceae Fruits and Seeds
Mock IJPS cover showing undergraduate researcher at work + photos of fossil plants
Fruits of Aetanthus colombianus (Loranthaceae), a stem hemiparasite of high Andean ecosystems, bearing conspicuous red and yellow hummingbird-pollinated flowers. As shown by Botero-Castaño et al. (in this issue, pp. 306–315), the fruits arise from inferior ovaries surrounded by accessory tissues, including a viscin-rich epicarp. When compressed, the viscin elongates into a continuous strand that facilitates dispersal and secure attachment to the host. Internally, a thin, dry pericarp encloses the endosperm and embryo; by dispersal, the endosperm is fully consumed, and the embryo has developed a haustorial initial. Notably, the seed coat is absent, and the embryo emerges directly into the viscin matrix. This epicarp specialization likely compensates for carpel and seed coat reduction in Loranthaceae, enhancing parasitic reproduction and dispersal. Photo by Favio González.
Fruits of Aetanthus colombianus (Loranthaceae), a stem hemiparasite of high Andean ecosystems, bearing conspicuous red and yellow hummingbird-pollinated flowers. As shown by Botero-Castaño et al. (in this issue, pp. 306–315), the fruits arise from inferior ovaries surrounded by accessory tissues, including a viscin-rich epicarp. When compressed, the viscin elongates into a continuous strand that facilitates dispersal and secure attachment to the host. Internally, a thin, dry pericarp encloses the endosperm and embryo; by dispersal, the endosperm is fully consumed, and the embryo has developed a haustorial initial. Notably, the seed coat is absent, and the embryo emerges directly into the viscin matrix. This epicarp specialization likely compensates for carpel and seed coat reduction in Loranthaceae, enhancing parasitic reproduction and dispersal. Photo by Favio González.
Mock IJPS cover showing undergraduate researcher at work
Dashing IJPS editor James Ellis.
IJPS cover featuring photo of the flower-to-fruit transition in a Neotropical Loranthaceae
Mock IJPS cover showing undergraduate researcher at work
Fossil fruit of an earliest Miocene Eucryphia (Cunoniaceae) from northern Patagonia (Argentina)
Capella raulingsii fruit reconstruction
Transverse stem section of Heladena multiflora (Hook. & Arn.) Nied. (Malpighiaceae), the only species of the genus Heladena, a liana distributed from south-central Brazil to northern Argentina. The wood displays biphasic development, with differences between the self-supporting and climbing phases, diffuse porosity, vessel dimorphism, and bands of nonlignified axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma distribution is a key anatomical trait in Malpighiaceae, and within the Bunchosia clade, nonlignified parenchyma occurs only in Heladena and Henleophytum, sister genera. This tissue has been linked to flexibility, storage, wound repair, and meristematic potential in lianas, highlighting functional diversification of stem structure in climbing plants (see Quintanar-Castillo et al., in this issue, pp. 195–216). Photo by Angélica Quintanar- Castillo, October 2023.
Mock IJPS cover in yellow with a cartoon phylogeny of the liliales and asparagales
Transverse stem section of Heladena multiflora (Hook. & Arn.) Nied. (Malpighiaceae), the only species of the genus Heladena, a liana distributed from south-central Brazil to northern Argentina. The wood displays biphasic development, with differences between the self-supporting and climbing phases, diffuse porosity, vessel dimorphism, and bands of nonlignified axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma distribution is a key anatomical trait in Malpighiaceae, and within the Bunchosia clade, nonlignified parenchyma occurs only in Heladena and Henleophytum, sister genera. This tissue has been linked to flexibility, storage, wound repair, and meristematic potential in lianas, highlighting functional diversification of stem structure in climbing plants (see Quintanar-Castillo et al., in this issue, pp. 195–216). Photo by Angélica Quintanar- Castillo, October 2023.
Mock IJPS cover showing undergraduate researcher at work.
Mock IJPS cover showing undergraduate researchers at work.
IJPS cover in yellow with a cartoon phylogeny of the liliales and asparagales
On the cover: Transverse stem section of Heladena multiflora (Hook. & Arn.) Nied. (Malpighiaceae), the only species of the genus Heladena, a liana distributed from south-central Brazil to northern Argentina. The wood displays biphasic development, with differences between the self-supporting and climbing phases, diffuse porosity, vessel dimorphism, and bands of non-lignified axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma distribution is a key anatomical trait in Malpighiaceae and, within the Bunchosia clade, non-lignified parenchyma occurs only in Heladena and Henleophytum, sister genera. This tissue has been linked to flexibility, storage, wound repair, and meristematic potential in lianas, highlighting functional diversification of stem structure in climbing plants (Quintanar Castillo et al., in this issue, pp. XX–XX). Photo by Angélica Quintanar-Castillo, October 2023.
All land plants have life cycles that alternate back and forth between haploid (1n) gameto-phyte and diploid (2n) sporophyte phases. The January cover features representatives of the major land plantlineages with a diagram of the life cycle (top), illustrations of the gametophyte phase (middle), and details ofthe gametangia (bottom). In bryophyte lineages, such as mosses, the life cycle is gametophyte dominant; ingymnosperms and angiosperms the life cycle is sporophyte dominant; in homosporous ferns and lycophytes,the life cycle is codominant between phases. The relative dominance of the gametophyte (haploid) phase isa key feature that characterizes the major land plant lineages and is mirrored by the complexity of the gam-etangia. This issue’s Coulter Review (see Sorojsrisom et al., pp. 1–70) discusses the evolution and develop-ment of the land plant gametangia, places them into a shared framework, and highlights future directions forintegrating a wealth of ontology descriptions from two centuries of botanical research with emerging -omicstechniques to understand the molecular basis of gametangia patterning and how these developmental pro-grams have changed throughout the evolution of land plants
All land plants have life cycles that alternate back and forth between haploid (1n) gameto-phyte and diploid (2n) sporophyte phases. The January cover features representatives of the major land plantlineages with a diagram of the life cycle (top), illustrations of the gametophyte phase (middle), and details ofthe gametangia (bottom). In bryophyte lineages, such as mosses, the life cycle is gametophyte dominant; ingymnosperms and angiosperms the life cycle is sporophyte dominant; in homosporous ferns and lycophytes,the life cycle is codominant between phases. The relative dominance of the gametophyte (haploid) phase isa key feature that characterizes the major land plant lineages and is mirrored by the complexity of the gam-etangia. This issue’s Coulter Review (see Sorojsrisom et al., pp. 1–70) discusses the evolution and develop-ment of the land plant gametangia, places them into a shared framework, and highlights future directions forintegrating a wealth of ontology descriptions from two centuries of botanical research with emerging -omicstechniques to understand the molecular basis of gametangia patterning and how these developmental pro-grams have changed throughout the evolution of land plants.
Phylogenetic tree showing the evolution of land plant gametangia
Mock IJPS cover featuring undergraduate researcher
Mock IJPS cover featuring an undergraduate researcher
Mock IJPS cover showing undergraduate researcher standing in front of a blooming agave. Photo credit: John Brew (https://inaturalist.lu/observations/116226)
Mock IJPS cover showing an undergraduate researcher pipetting
Burgundy IJPS cover showing a cartoon phylogeny of the evolution of land plant gametangia.
Hesperis matronalis is an ornamental mustard plant introduced from Eurasia that has becomewidely naturalized throughout North America. Flowers of this species (pictured here) can be violet, pink, or white;however, upon infection by turnip mosaic virus, petals may display a striking flower color change referred to as“color breaking” or “variegation.” Research by Dawson et al. (in this issue, pp. 412–426) used the appearance offlower color breaking to investigate whether urbanization influences the prevalence of viral infection withinand among naturalized populations of H. matronalis. Field surveys of more than 38,000 plants from132 populations across Ontario, Canada, revealed that populations in areas of greater human activity weremore likely to be infected, independent of population size. Photograph by Kaitlyn Dawson
The Montado/Dehesa is a distinctive Mediterranean silvopastoral ecosystem of the southwesternIberian Peninsula. It is ecologically and culturally dominated by two iconic evergreen oaks: Quercus suber L.and Quercus rotundifolia Lam. These two species frequently occur in sympatry and are known to hybridizenaturally, producing Quercus × avellaniformis Colmeiro & Boutelou, which exhibits a range of intermediatemorphological traits. In this issue (pp. 315–322), Botticelli et al. reveal that the comparative leaf venation patternanalysis of Q. suber and Q. rotundifolia exhibits discrete, diagnosable features that correlate well with molecularmarkers, supporting its utility as a taxonomic and field-diagnostic character. The integrative approach combiningmorphometric and molecular analysis offers a novel and reliable framework for identification of the natural hybridQ. × avellaniformis. The photograph shows Carlos Vila-Viçosa, one of the study’s authors, conducting a prelimi-nary examination of the leaf venation of a putative hybrid. Following the molecular and morphometric analysesdescribed in Botticelli et al., the specimen was confirmed as Q. × avellaniformis. Photo by Ana Campilho, takenin October 2021, in Reguengos de Monsaraz, Alentejo, southern Portugal.
Renewal buds positioned below the soil surface are better protected from aboveground disturbances (e.g., fire and frost). Deeper bud placement, and therefore better protection, may incur costs that must be offset by the plant. The size of underground storage organs (USOs), such as bulbs, may be one countermeasure to these costs. The Ledebouriinae (Scilloideae, Asparagaceae) are a group of bulbous geophytes found predominantly throughout disturbance- and drought-prone landscapes in sub-Saharan Africa. To examine the relationship between USO size and depth (a proxy for bud depth), Howard et al. (this issue, pages 299–306) excavated and measured bulb diameter and depth for 44 Ledebouriinae taxa in southern Africa. They recovered a positive relationship between bulb diameter and bulb depth in the soil (i.e., deeper bulbs were larger) across species. Within species, the positive relationship was maintained except for in a few taxa. These findings suggest that variation in USO size can be capitalized upon to allow for varying bud depth positionings in the soil.
On the Cover: The sporophyte is a sexual reproductive structure considered rare and even unknown in some moss species. Here, the sporophyte of the dioecious species Hyophila involuta (Hook.) A. Jaeger highlights two attributes of this species: its cosmopolitan and urban distribution. The study by Araújo and Maciel-Silva (pp. 215–230, in this issue) examines cushions of this moss and reveals a positive relationship between gametophyte length and sexual reproduction in the marginal microenvironment of the cushion. The research also characterizes the production of clonal reproduction structures (gemmae) in the central microenvironment, demonstrating the use of both reproductive strategies by this species to overcome the challenges of urban environments—strategies that ensure its persistence by managing cushion structure.
On the Cover: A nearly intact fossil of the Paleozoic tree fern Scolecopteris libera (Marattiales, Psaroniaceae) from the Wuda tuff flora in Inner Mongolia, China, dated to approximately 298.34 mya. The specimen shows eight pinnate fronds with both vegetative and reproductive elements, as well as aphlebiae emerging from the top of the stem. Partially permineralized stems, rachises, and synangia preserved together at the same site reveal the internal anatomy of S. libera. Based on these specimens, a whole-plant reconstruction of S. libera has been presented (see Li et al., pp. 127–147, in this issue). This reconstruction represents the most comprehensive depiction of a Paleozoic eusporangiate fern to date, indicating the exceptional value of the Wuda tuff flora for paleobotanical systematics studies.
On the Cover: Cross section of a leaf blade from Psidium grandifolium, a species endemic to Brazilian savannas, analyzed under an autofluorescence filter. A natural autofluorescence exhibited by plants aids in the anatomical analysis of vegetative and reproductive organs. This species features secretory cavities distributed throughout its plant body that produce an exudate predominantly composed of phenolic compounds (fluorescing green), which protect the leaf blade from both excessive ultraviolet radiation and attacks by various herbivores. These compounds also contribute to the protection of aerial buds in plants that inhabit fire-prone ecosystems, such as the Brazilian Cerrado (see Faleiro et al., pp. 10 –19).
Mock IJPS cover showing undergraduate researcher at work
Hesperis matronalis is an ornamental mustard plant introduced from Eurasia that has becomewidely naturalized throughout North America. Flowers of this species (pictured here) can be violet, pink, or white;however, upon infection by turnip mosaic virus, petals may display a striking flower color change referred to as“color breaking” or “variegation.” Research by Dawson et al. (in this issue, pp. 412–426) used the appearance offlower color breaking to investigate whether urbanization influences the prevalence of viral infection withinand among naturalized populations of H. matronalis. Field surveys of more than 38,000 plants from132 populations across Ontario, Canada, revealed that populations in areas of greater human activity weremore likely to be infected, independent of population size. Photograph by Kaitlyn Dawson
Hesperis matronalis is an ornamental mustard plant introduced from Eurasia that has becomewidely naturalized throughout North America. Flowers of this species (pictured here) can be violet, pink, or white;however, upon infection by turnip mosaic virus, petals may display a striking flower color change referred to as“color breaking” or “variegation.” Research by Dawson et al. (in this issue, pp. 412–426) used the appearance offlower color breaking to investigate whether urbanization influences the prevalence of viral infection withinand among naturalized populations of H. matronalis. Field surveys of more than 38,000 plants from132 populations across Ontario, Canada, revealed that populations in areas of greater human activity weremore likely to be infected, independent of population size. Photograph by Kaitlyn Dawson
IJPS cover in yellow with a cartoon phylogeny of the asparagales and liliales and the title of the primer
Mock IJPS cover featuring an undergraduate researcher
Mock IJPS cover showing undergraduate researcher at work
Mesogyne insignis fruit
On the Cover: The Montado/Dehesa is a distinctive Mediterranean silvopastoral ecosystem of the southwesternIberian Peninsula. It is ecologically and culturally dominated by two iconic evergreen oaks: Quercus suber L.and Quercus rotundifolia Lam. These two species frequently occur in sympatry and are known to hybridizenaturally, producing Quercus × avellaniformis Colmeiro & Boutelou, which exhibits a range of intermediatemorphological traits. In this issue (pp. 315–322), Botticelli et al. reveal that the comparative leaf venation patternanalysis of Q. suber and Q. rotundifolia exhibits discrete, diagnosable features that correlate well with molecularmarkers, supporting its utility as a taxonomic and field-diagnostic character. The integrative approach combiningmorphometric and molecular analysis offers a novel and reliable framework for identification of the natural hybridQ. × avellaniformis. The photograph shows Carlos Vila-Viçosa, one of the study’s authors, conducting a prelimi-nary examination of the leaf venation of a putative hybrid. Following the molecular and morphometric analysesdescribed in Botticelli et al., the specimen was confirmed as Q. × avellaniformis. Photo by Ana Campilho, takenin October 2021, in Reguengos de Monsaraz, Alentejo, southern Portugal
The Montado/Dehesa is a distinctive Mediterranean silvopastoral ecosystem of the southwesternIberian Peninsula. It is ecologically and culturally dominated by two iconic evergreen oaks: Quercus suber L.and Quercus rotundifolia Lam. These two species frequently occur in sympatry and are known to hybridizenaturally, producing Quercus × avellaniformis Colmeiro & Boutelou, which exhibits a range of intermediatemorphological traits. In this issue (pp. 315–322), Botticelli et al. reveal that the comparative leaf venation patternanalysis of Q. suber and Q. rotundifolia exhibits discrete, diagnosable features that correlate well with molecularmarkers, supporting its utility as a taxonomic and field-diagnostic character. The integrative approach combiningmorphometric and molecular analysis offers a novel and reliable framework for identification of the natural hybridQ. × avellaniformis. The photograph shows Carlos Vila-Viçosa, one of the study’s authors, conducting a prelimi-nary examination of the leaf venation of a putative hybrid. Following the molecular and morphometric analysesdescribed in Botticelli et al., the specimen was confirmed as Q. × avellaniformis. Photo by Ana Campilho, takenin October 2021, in Reguengos de Monsaraz, Alentejo, southern Portugal.
Jorge Ramos holding a yellow IJPS bandana
Two ESA attendees holding yellow IJPS bandanas.
ESA attendee Daley O'Keefe, holding a yellow IJPS bandana.
Mesogyne insignis fruit
Hand holding flyer for Primers in the Plant Sciences.
Chicago press booth at Botany2025, covered with journal issues and swag.
Chartreuse water bottle with IJPS@150 sticker on it.
Photo of booth featuring IJPS journal issues and swag.
Phylogenetic tree showing the evolution of land plant gametangia
Rhododendron beyerinckianum Evergreen; loosely branched shrub or small tree; terrestrial or epiphytic; max. height 5m; max. leaf length 6cm. Photo courtesy of Yasper Michael Mambrasar
Mock IJPS cover showing undergraduate researcher at work. Photo credit: John Brew (https://inaturalist.lu/observations/116226)
Renewal buds positioned below the soil surface are better protected from aboveground distur-bances (e.g., fire and frost). Deeper bud placement, and therefore better protection, may incur costs that mustbe offset by the plant. The size of underground storage organs (USOs), such as bulbs, may be one countermea-sure to these costs. The Ledebouriinae (Scilloideae, Asparagaceae) are a group of bulbous geophytes foundpredominantly throughout disturbance- and drought-prone landscapes in sub-Saharan Africa. To examine therelationship between USO size and depth (a proxy for bud depth), Howard et al. (this issue, pages 299–306)excavated and measured bulb diameter and depth for 44 Ledebouriinae taxa in southern Africa. They recovereda positive relationship between bulb diameter and bulb depth in the soil (i.e., deeper bulbs were larger) acrossspecies. Within species, the positive relationship was maintained except for in a few taxa. These findings sug-gest that variation in USO size can be capitalized upon to allow for varying bud depth positionings in the soil.
Renewal buds positioned below the soil surface are better protected from aboveground disturbances (e.g., fire and frost). Deeper bud placement, and therefore better protection, may incur costs that must be offset by the plant. The size of underground storage organs (USOs), such as bulbs, may be one countermeasure to these costs. The Ledebouriinae (Scilloideae, Asparagaceae) are a group of bulbous geophytes found predominantly throughout disturbance- and drought-prone landscapes in sub-Saharan Africa. To examine the relationship between USO size and depth (a proxy for bud depth), Howard et al. (this issue, pages 299–306) excavated and measured bulb diameter and depth for 44 Ledebouriinae taxa in southern Africa. They recovered a positive relationship between bulb diameter and bulb depth in the soil (i.e., deeper bulbs were larger) across species. Within species, the positive relationship was maintained except for in a few taxa. These findings suggest that variation in USO size can be capitalized upon to allow for varying bud depth positionings in the soil.
Becky Chong (University of Hawaii) and Becca Tarvin (UC Berkeley) showing off their IJPS bandanas at Evolution 2025.