Hedysarum qilianshanense sp. nov. (Fabaceae, Hedysareae) is described and illustrated from the Qilianshan Mountains in Gansu, China. This new species is similar to H. przewalskii, but can be distinguished by its corolla being light purple to purple, standard 15–19 mm long, wings 14–16 mm long, keels 16–19 mm long, and the ovary and legume being glabrous. The new species can be easily distinguished from H. neglectum Ledeb. by its bract being shorter than the pedicel, and the ovary and legume being glabrous. Phylogenetic tree based on the nuclear ITS and ETS sequences shows that H. qilianshanense is sister to H. przewalskii, while the tree based on the plastid psbA-trnH, trnC-petN, trnL-F, trnS-G and petN-psbM sequences shows H. qilianshanense as sister to a clade consisting of H. hedysaroides, H. inundatum, H. americanum and H. neglectum. The new species is a diploid with the chromosome number 2n = 14. Based on morphological, phylogenetic and karyotypic evidence, the new species may originate from an ancient homoploid hybrid speciation event.

The Quercus wutaishanica forest influences the ecological environment and climate characteristics and plays an important ecological role in the Loess Plateau region. However, we still know relatively little about the genetic diversity and spatial distribution of Q. wutaishanica. Here, we assessed the genetic diversity of Q. wutaishanica using simple sequence repeats and used the point pattern method to analyze the spatial distribution patterns as well as intraspecific relationships. Our results indicate that the diameter structure of the Q. wutaishanica population was inverted J-type, showing a growing population. In addition, the population maintained high genetic diversity on a small scale. Due to dispersal constraints, the spatial distribution pattern of Q. wutaishanica seedlings (DBH < 1 cm) tended to aggregate at small scales and the degree of aggregation decreased with increasing spatial scale. However, trees (DBH > 5 cm) and saplings (1 cm ≤ DBH < 5 cm) showed more random distribution at the scale, indicating that Q. wutaishanica individuals shift from aggregation to random distribution at the spatial scale. In addition, although individuals of different diameter classes showed facilitative (trees vs. saplings, 5–6.5 m) and competitive effects (trees vs. seedlings, 13.5–16 m) on some scales, they showed no correlation on other scales, especially for saplings and seedlings, where they were not correlated on any scale. The results contribute to revealing the status and dynamics of Q. wutaishanica in the Loess Plateau, thereby providing a theoretical basis for further study on the maintenance mechanism of the population.

A new species, Orychophragmus yangiisp. nov., from the Loess Plateau of Shaanxi Province, China, is described and illustrated. This species differs clearly from all other Orychophragmus species in the following traits: whole plant glabrous; leaves varying from simple to pinnatifid but never lyrate; pinnatifid leaves with lobes divided or not; simple leaves widest at the base; sepals green; petals white; fruit narrowly linear, terete, and glabrous; rostra of fruit 2–4 mm long. Molecular phylogenetic analyses based on plastid genomic data and nuclear ribosomal RNA genes showed that the new species represents the first divergent lineage in the genus Orychophragmus. The chromosome number of the new species is 2n = 24.

The legume tribe Caraganeae, consisting of the genera Caragana , Calophaca , and Halimodendron , is a mid‐sized, shrubby clade mainly found in temperate Central and Eastern Asia. Within this tribe, Caragana is the largest genus comprising 63–74 species, and it is recognized for its taxonomic complexity. However, the phylogenetic framework of Caraganeae and the infrageneric delimitations in Caragana remain inadequately resolved. In this study, fifty‐four species of Caraganeae were sampled, including 51 Caragana species representing all sections in previous taxonomical treatments. By using the genome skimming approach, we reconstructed the phylogenetic framework, inferred the infrageneric delimitations, and explored the historical diversification of the tribe. Our results demonstrated that Caraganeae is monophyletic, yet significant phylogenetic discordance in tree topology between the complete chloroplast genome and nuclear ribosomal DNA datasets was observed at both deep and shallow nodes. Within Caraganeae, the cp genome tree resolved nine highly supported lineages, with Calophaca and Halimodendron nested within Caragana . Molecular dating estimates suggest that Caraganeae originated during the Oligocene (stem age, 27.47 Ma, 95% HPD: 16.48–38.44 Ma), and diversified during the mid‐Miocene (crown age, 16.79 Ma, 95% HPD: 7–30.13 Ma). These findings provide important insights for clarifying the phylogenetic relationships in Caraganeae. The observed cytonuclear discordance may result from hybridization and/or incomplete lineage sorting. Furthermore, climatic and geological changes since the Eocene–Oligocene Transition—including global cooling, progressive aridity, and the rapid uplift of the Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau—likely played essential roles in driving radiative diversification of Caraganeae.