Detailed phylogenetic relationships and molecular dating are still quite rare for the complex and diverse genus Salix L. Here we focus on the taxonomic status and phylogeny of twenty-six Salix taxa natu­rally found in Turkey using the chloroplast DNA regions (trn T-F, matK, and rbcL) to unravel the relationship among them. The status of Salix species was also checked in the phylogenetic tree constructed with the data from Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) region of nuclear gene, including 158 accessions from the GenBank and 126 newly generated sequences of 26 Salix taxa (24 species) naturally found in Turkey. The phyloge­netic analysis of the sequence data from both the chloroplast (cpDNA) and nuclear (nrDNA) DNA regions enabled a reliable classification of the genus at the subgeneric level (Salix and Vetrix) with high posterior probability/ bootstrap values as 1/100. The study provides important information on the Salix phylogenetic placements and diverging times of S. pentandroides, S.apoda, S. armenorossica, S. pseudomedemii, S. pedicellata subsp. pedicellata, S. pseudodepressa, S. amplexicaulis, two subspecies of S.triandra, and two endemic species of Turkey (S. purpurea subsp. leucodermis and S. rizeensis) for the first time. Taxonomically, S. amplexicaulis and S. rizeensis previously classified under the subgenus Vetrix were clustered phylogenetically under the subgenus Salix. Subgenera Salix species appears to be diverged from the subg. Vetrix in Eocene (ca. 45.1 Mya) while the estimated divergence times of subg. Salix and subg. Vetrix dated back to 23.1 and 21.65 Mya, respective­ly. However, divergence times among species within Salix and Vetrix subgenera of Turkey seem to be around the Pliocene period. Molecular phylogenetic relationship between Salix species native to Turkey and Salix species from the world were mainly associated with taxonomic hierarchy, rather than geographic proximity.

Parasitic plants have evolved independently at least a dozen times across angiosperms, yielding some of the most extreme examples of genomic reconfiguration in plants. Comparative analyses of plastid, mitochondrial, and nuclear genomes reveal striking convergence across lineages such as progressive plastid genome reduction with retention of a minimal core gene set, alongside lineage-specific divergences, including unusual mitochondrial genome architectures, rampant horizontal gene transfer, and repeated loss of nuclear gene families. Expanded sampling largely confirms stepwise plastid genome condensation but also uncovers rare losses of presumed essential genes, novel tRNA retention patterns, and extremes in genome size and base composition. Mitochondrial genome sizes largely vary (<60 kb to ~4 Mb), shaped by repeat proliferation, recombination, and massive acquisition of foreign DNA. Nuclear genomes integrate these organellar changes with structural and regulatory innovations via e.g. polyploidy and repeat-driven evolution, as well as large-scale gene losses. These insights are increasingly translatable to agriculture through predictive weed management and resistance breeding pipelines that combine preattachment control, postattachment defense, and molecular surveillance to slow virulence evolution. The same genomic toolkits, including high-quality assemblies, organelle haplotyping, and quantitative diagnostics, can support the conservation of nonweedy parasites by refining species boundaries, identifying evolutionarily significant units, and informing International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List assessments and recovery plans. By bridging fundamental and applied research, parasitic plant genomics is poised to move beyond descriptive cataloguing toward design-based strategies that safeguard crop production while conserving some of the most specialized and ecologically vulnerable plants on earth.

Salix L. species are economically excellent candidates for sustainable bioenergy production. Especially, shrubs of Salix L. are used in agroforestry for their characteristics of quick growth, wide distribution and resistance to disease and stress. The shrubs of subgenera Salix and Vetrix under Salix L. commonly found in riparian or wetland habitats of Turkey have great potential as bioenergy crops with high biomass yield. This review study will provide information to determine the potential of willows species native to Turkey for bioenergy and to contribute to energy production by using the biomass of fast-growing shrub willows as renewable energy resources. Firstly, botanical description, habitat, growth, traditional breeding efforts and genetic composition were summarized concerning about the bioenergy potential of willows from results of existing studies. Secondly, the titles, establishing willow plantations, biomass reducing the greenhouse gas emissions responsible for climate change and development of willow as bioenergy crop in worldwide and Turkey were reviewed. Lastly, the future of bioenergy potential estimation of willows was proposed to provide some instructions for bioenergy development in Turkey.

Quercus petraea subsp. pinnatiloba is a narrowly distributed oak taxon in southeastern Türkiye, and its taxonomic position has long remained uncertain. This study aims to clarify its distinctiveness by integrating morphological, molecular, and biogeographical evidence. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Stepwise Discriminant Analysis (SDA) of 14 leaf traits revealed that subsp. pinnatiloba constitutes a morphologically stable and distinctly differentiated group from other Q. petraea subspecies and closely related taxa, characterized by key diagnostic traits such as petiole length (PL), lamina length (LL), length of leaf blade at its broadest point (WP), and lobe width at the tip of the widest lobe (LW). Phylogenetic analyses based on nuclear ITS and plastid markers (rbcL, psbA-trnH) confirmed its placement within sect. Quercus, yet consistently distinguished it genetically from other subspecies for the first time. Molecular dating (BEAST) suggested divergence in the Miocene (11 Mya with 95% HPD 3.01, 20.95) while RASP biogeographical analysis indicated an origin in the Euro-Siberian region with later dispersal into the Mediterranean. These integrative results support its recognition at species rank as Quercus pinnatiloba, clarifying its phylogenetic placement and underscoring the conservation importance of this lineage.

Building on centuries of research based on herbarium specimens gathered through time and around the world, much research on the analysis of collections data in the herbarium is being done. In this study, it was analyzed the herbarium sheets from the family Salicaceae. According to the herbarium records examined, Salicaceae family is represented by two genera in Turkish herbariums. A collection of 917 herbarium records for the genus Salix and 242 for the genus Populus was considered from the six biggest herbaria of Türkiye as ANK, ISTO, HUB, AEF, ISTE and GAZI. The number of taxa in herbaria collections, distribution, and the number of taxa according to family, distribution of taxa by collection date and locations, and comparison of Turkish data with well-known herbaria from the world were evaluated in the current study. Python programming language was applied for the data cleaning and visualization using pie charts, plots, bar graphs and map plots. ISTO holds most of the genus Salix with 287 records, followed by AEF with 221 records and HUB with 148 records. Total genus Salix collections of herbaria include 53 taxa. The oldest Salix herbarium sheet dates back to the mid-1800s (GAZI), whereas most herbarium sheets were collected from 2000-2001 (AEF). Most records for both genera Salix/Populus, were collected from Ankara province. It is followed by Bolu and Kars districts, respectively. Furthermore, the locations from which the Salicaceae members have been collected are presented with the help of a Turkish province map.

Astragalus L. is regarded as the most extensive genus of vascular plants globally, encompassing around 3092 species and distributed across Eurasia and the America. Türkiye hosts 493 species categorized into 63 distinct taxonomic groups. This study examines the restricted molecular diversity studies pertaining to the sections of the genus Astragalus. The study primarily investigated ten (10) Astragalus taxa indigenous to Türkiye. The Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) method was utilized to evaluate the existence of genetic polymorphisms. The phylogenetic analysis revealed that the sections Anthylloidei DC (A. anthylloides, A. halicacabus, and A. ermineus), Macrophyllium Bunge (A. oleifolius and A. dipodurus), and Hymenostegis Bunge (A. lagopoides, A. velenowskyi, and A. hirticalyx) are closely related, whereas the sections Poterion Bunge (A. russelli) and Hymenocoleus Bunge (A. vaginans) are situated in distinct locations. This project seeks to enhance the molecular characterization of Astragalus taxa, create molecular biodiversity inventories, and elucidate phylogenetic relationships. The results concerning genetic diversity and evolutionary relationships bear substantial implications for future research and underscore Astragalus species that possess economic significance in diverse domains, such as traditional medicine, agriculture, and landscaping.