Fruit colour is essential to seed dispersal, speciation, and biological diversity in global ecosystems. The relationship between fruit-colour variation and species diversification has long been of interest in evolutionary biology, but remains poorly understood at the genus level. Here, we used Callicarpa, a typical representative of pantropical angiosperm, to analyse whether fruit colours are correlated with biogeographic distribution, dispersal events, and diversification rate. We estimated a time-calibrated phylogeny for Callicarpa and reconstructed ancestral fruit colour. Utilizing phylogenetic methods, we estimated the major dispersal events across the phylogenetic tree and the most likely fruit colours related to each dispersal event, and tested whether the dispersal frequencies and distances of the four fruit colours between major biogeographical areas were equal. We then tested whether fruit colours are correlated with latitude, elevation, and diversification rate. Biogeographical reconstructions showed that Callicarpa originated in the East Asia and Southeast Asia during the Eocene (∼35.53 Ma) and diverse species diverged mainly in the Miocene and lasted into the Pleistocene. Large-scale dispersal events were significantly associated with violet-fruited lineages. Furthermore, different fruit colours were markedly correlated with different latitudes and elevations (e.g., violet fruits were correlated with higher latitudes and elevations; red fruits and black fruits with lower latitudes; white fruits with higher elevations). Notably, violet fruits were statistically associated with highest diversification rates, driving fruit colour variation among different regions globally. Our results contribute to further understanding why fruit colour is so variable at the genus level of angiosperms in different areas around the world.

Pollen morphology of 26 taxa of Clerodendrum, as well as one species of Volkameria from China, was investigated through a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Pollen grains of Clerodendrum are monads, radiosymmetric and tricolpate, with medium or large size. The equatorial view of the pollen grains is spheroidal or subprolate and the polar view is (sub) circular or rounded triangular. The colpus membrane of the investigated taxa is sunken (rarely even). Five varying pollen types are delimited on the basis of exine sculpturing: (1) spine-tectum perforatum; (2) spine-tectum imperforatum; (3) microspine-tectum perforatum; (4) microspine-tectum imperforatum; and (5) obtuser spine. The results indicate that Clerodendrum is closely related to several genera in Lamiaceae, including Aegiphila, Amasonia, Kalaharia, Tetraclea, Volkameria, Oxera, Faradaya, and Hosea, as supported by previous phylogenic studies. Additionally, the conventional infrageneric classification of Clerodendrum based on inflorescence and leaf characters is not supported by the results. However, the palynological data can be used to identify some closely related species with similar external characteristics. In conclusion, the investigation of pollen morphology not only contributes novel data from palynology for Clerodendrum but also provides a basis for future comprehensive classification of this genus.

The phylogenetic studies of the tribe Alsineae (Caryophyllaceae) have revealed a clearer boundary between the genus Stellaria and related genera, primarily relying on the morphological characteristics of style 3, stamens 10 and petals deeply bifid. However, the newly-published species in China, which have 5 styles or ten or more lobes per petal, challenge this boundary and necessitate further studies. In this paper, we reviewed six newly-published Chinese species of Stellaria, utilising both molecular phylogenetic evidence from nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and four plastid regions (trnL-F, matK, rbcL, rps16) and morphological evidence. Our results demonstrated that the five new species (Stellaria abaensis, S. multipartita, S. pentastyla, S. procumbens and S. zhuxiensis) were nested within the genus Stellaria, but Stellaria motuoensis was sister to the genus Schizotechium. Herein, we accepted four new Stellaria species and proposed a new combination in Schizotechium and a new synonym in Stellaria. Additionally, we described a new species Stellaria longipedicellata from Sichuan Province, China, which was distinguished from the closely-related species Stellaria decumbens by its glabrous body, linear-lanceolate leaves, long pedicellate flowers, prostrate growth habit and flowers nearly equal to or slightly shorter than sepals. Both molecular and morphological evidence support the treatment of S. longipedicellata as a new species of the genus Stellaria.

There are about 140 species of Callicarpa L. 1753 (Lamiaceae), with more species richness in tropical to subtropical Asia and the New World. The genus might provide an insight into the amphi-Pacific disjunction pattern of tropical and subtropical vegetation. This study has greatly improved the phylogenetic underpinning for Callicarpa, derived from more inclusive taxonomic samplings, and employing data on both two-nuclear and eight-chloroplast regions. To address time and patterns of diversification in Callicarpa, we conducted divergence time and biogeographic analyses, and inferred shifts in the distribution areas across the phylogenetic clades. Our phylogenetic results show that Callicarpa is monophyletic with respect to the groups considered, and eight well-supported primary clades were discerned in the combined analyses. Our estimates indicated that the crown group of Callicarpa originates around the Late-Eocene (ca. 36.23 Ma) and diversification within most clades is concentrated in the Miocene and continued to the Pleistocene. In addition, our biogeographic analyses suggested that the probable ancestor of the Callicarpa crown clade originated in East Asia and Southeast Asia. Multiple dispersal and vicariance events contributed to the current distribution of the taxa. Furthermore, this genus expanded eastward out of East and Southeast Asia to the New World by long-distance dispersal, which inspired us to better understand the amphi-Pacific disjunct distribution.

Stellaria pentastyla sp. nov. (Caryophyllaceae) is described and illustrated as a new species from Yunnan Province of China on the basis of both morphological and molecular data [nuclear ITS and two plastid regions (matK and trnL-F)]. The new species is similar to S. palustris and S. graminea from which differs by the number styles (5 vs. 3), the shorter leaves (10–13 mm vs. 20–45 mm and 5–50 mm, respectively). S. pentastyla is also similar to S. patens from which can be distinguished in having 5 styles (vs. 3 styles) and glabrous stem (vs. pubescent), and to S. lanipes from which differs from by styles (5 vs. 3), glabrous nodes (vs. densely white lanate on the nodes), and sessile leaves (vs. proximal leaves with very short petiolate).