With more than 200 species of native Rubus, China is considered a center of diversity for this genus. Due to a paucity of molecular markers, the phylogenetic relationships for this genus are poorly understood. In this study, we sequenced and assembled the plastomes of 22 out of 204 Chinese Rubus species (including varieties) from three of the eight sections reported in China, i.e., the sections Chamaebatus, Idaeobatus, and Malachobatus. Plastomes were annotated and comparatively analyzed with the inclusion of two published plastomes. The plastomes of all 24 Rubus species were composed of a large single-copy region (LSC), a small single-copy region (SSC), and a pair of inverted repeat regions (IRs), and ranged in length from 155,464 to 156,506 bp. We identified 112 unique genes, including 79 protein-coding genes, 29 transfer RNAs, and four ribosomal RNAs. With highly consistent gene order, these Rubus plastomes showed strong collinearity, and no significant changes in IR boundaries were noted. Nine divergent hotspots were identified based on nucleotide polymorphism analysis: trnH-psbA, trnK-rps16, rps16-trnQ-psbK, petN-psbM, trnT-trnL, petA-psbJ, rpl16 intron, ndhF-trnL, and ycf1. Based on whole plastome sequences, we obtained a clearer phylogenetic understanding of these Rubus species. All sampled Rubus species formed a monophyletic group; however, sections Idaeobatus and Malachobatus were polyphyletic. These data and analyses demonstrate the phylogenetic utility of plastomes for systematic research within Rubus.

The wind load a tree withstood is mainly applied to its crown, whose morphology and structure directly affect the degree of wind load given a certain wind condition. Though the features of tree crown are relatively easy to measure, however, among them which is/are the determining factor and how they contribute to wind load remain unknown. In order to figure out how crown features of different tree species influence the wind load, the wind tunnel experiment was performed for 7 most used urban greening tree species, and laser scanning was used to measure the accurate crown features. The results derived by multiple linear model showed (1) Ficus concinna, Dracontomelon duperreanum, Ormosia pinnata and Bischofia javanica are recommended in urban greening for suffering the smaller wind load under the same conditions, whereas Schefflera macrostachya, Acacia confusa and Khaya senegalensis are inadequate towards the view of crown features; (2) crown features like crown horizontal ratio, windward side projection and porosity ratio are important in estimating wind load. Our study demonstrated that evaluating the wind load via crown features is feasible, and provided valuable suggestion for selecting idealized decorative trees in urban environment with a smaller wind load due to the crown features.

With glossy, wax-coated leaves, Rubus leucanthus is one of the few heat-tolerant wild raspberry trees. To ascertain the underlying mechanism of heat tolerance, we generated a high-quality genome assembly with a genome size of 230.9 Mb and 24,918 protein-coding genes. Significantly expanded gene families were enriched in the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway and the circadian rhythm-plant pathway, enabling survival in subtropical areas by accumulating protective flavonoids and modifying photoperiodic responses. In contrast, plant–pathogen interaction and MAPK signaling involved in response to pathogens were significantly contracted. The well-known heat response elements (HSP70, HSP90, and HSFs) were reduced in R. leucanthus compared to two other heat-intolerant species, R. chingii and R. occidentalis, with transcriptome profiles further demonstrating their dispensable roles in heat stress response. At the same time, three significantly positively selected genes in the pathway of cuticular wax biosynthesis were identified, and may contribute to the glossy, wax-coated leaves of R. leucanthus. The thick, leathery, waxy leaves protect R. leucanthus against pathogens and herbivores, supported by the reduced R gene repertoire in R. leucanthus (355) compared to R. chingii (376) and R. occidentalis (449). Our study provides some insights into adaptive divergence between R. leucanthus and other raspberry species on heat tolerance.

The drought stress responses of plants are complex regulatory mechanisms that include various physiological responses reflected by the global metabolic status. Metabolomics is an effective, analytical, and instrumental technique for informatics/statistics for the acquisition of comprehensive information on metabolites. We investigate the effect of drought stress on a Belosynapsis ciliata cultivar, ‘Qiuhong’ (a drought-tolerant cultivar), using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry based on a widely targeted metabolomic approach. ‘Qiuhong’ leaves are subjected to 15- and 30-day drought treatments and are then compared to a control group without drought stress and a rehydration group. In total, 290 differentially accumulated metabolites were detected between drought and normal conditions through multivariate statistical analyses, of which 65 metabolites (36 upregulated and 29 downregulated) were highlighted for their significant contribution to drought tolerance, including an anthocyanin (peonidin 3-O-galactoside) that caused the purple-red hue in leaves under drought stress. In addition, we found that two significantly altered pathways (citrate cycle and purine metabolism) were related to enhanced drought tolerance in plants. Notably, the synthesis of three compounds (p-coumaroyl putrescine, apigenin 6-C-glucoside, and β-nicotinamide mononucleotide) was specifically induced in the drought-treated ‘Qiuhong’, indicating their critical roles in drought resistance. Our results provide a foundation for further research on drought-resistant mechanisms in B. ciliata.

Southeast Asia’s biodiversity refugia, shaped by Neogene–Quaternary climatic shifts and the Tibetan Plateau uplift, preserve relict lineages like Exbucklandia (Hamamelidaceae). Once widespread across ancient continents, this genus now survives in Asian montane forests, offering insights into angiosperm diversification. Chloroplast haplotypes formed three clades—Clade I (E. tricuspis), Clade II (E. populnea), and Clade III (E. tonkinensis)—with E. longipetala haplotypes nested within II/III. Nuclear microsatellites (SSRs) identified two ancestral gene pools: E. populnea and E. tricuspis showed predominant ancestry in Pool A, while E. tonkinensis and E. longipetala were primarily assigned to Pool B. All taxa exhibited localized genetic admixture, particularly in sympatric zones. Divergence dating traced the genus’ origin to tropical Asia, with northward colonization of subtropical China ~7 Ma yielding E. populnea and E. tonkinensis. Quaternary Glacial Cycles triggered southward expansions, chloroplast capture, and localized hybridization. Morphological, nuclear, and plastid molecular evidence supports reclassifying E. longipetala as E. populnea × E. tonkinensis hybrids lacking genetic cohesion and E. tricuspis as a distinct species with a mixed nuclear composition. This study highlights how paleoclimate-driven gene flow shaped the phylogeography of relict taxa in Southeast Asia and the urgency of habitat restoration to conserve Exbucklandia.

Pruning is a regular and essential urban tree maintenance practice aimed at sustaining overall health, ecosystem services, and public safety. However, knowledge of post-pruning recovery dynamics remains limited, which in turn hinders accurate assessments of growth and ecological functions. To address this, we examined recovery dynamics of Acacia auriculiformis, a common urban species. Tree height and crown radius were recorded monthly for 12 months after pruning. Trees were classified into two size groups based on diameter at breast height (DBH, trunk diameter measured at 1.3 m above ground): medium (DBH < 45 cm) and large (DBH ≥ 45 cm). A generalized linear mixed model (GLMM), appropriate for repeated measures and non-normal data, was fitted using a Tweedie distribution and a log-link function to model the recovery pattern. Results showed continuous growth over time, with medium-sized trees presenting significantly higher crown radius growth than large trees (p = 0.006), while height growth did not differ (p = 0.788). The best model for height included time (AIC = −846.4), whereas crown recovery was best modelled by time and size class (AIC = −1586.6). These findings demonstrate that, in this study, medium-sized A. auriculiformis generally recover faster, especially in crown expansion. This exploratory study suggests that tree size may influence post-pruning recovery and can provide a reference for subsequent differentiated management studies. The morphological modeling further provides preliminary quantitative evidence for annual recovery dynamics in urban A. auriculiformis.