Macrostructure of <i>Malus</i> Leaves and Its Taxonomic Significance
Leaves are the most ubiquitous plant organs, whose macrostructures exhibit close correlations with environmental factors while simultaneously reflecting inherent genetic and evolutionary patterns. These characteristics render them highly significant for plant taxonomy, ecology, and related disciplin...
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2025-06-01
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| author | Yuerong Fan Huimin Li Jingze Ma Ting Zhou Junjun Fan Wangxiang Zhang |
| author_facet | Yuerong Fan Huimin Li Jingze Ma Ting Zhou Junjun Fan Wangxiang Zhang |
| author_sort | Yuerong Fan |
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| description | Leaves are the most ubiquitous plant organs, whose macrostructures exhibit close correlations with environmental factors while simultaneously reflecting inherent genetic and evolutionary patterns. These characteristics render them highly significant for plant taxonomy, ecology, and related disciplines. Therefore, this study presents the first comprehensive evaluation of <i>Malus</i> leaf macrostructures for infraspecific classification. By establishing a trait-screening system, we conducted a numerical taxonomic analysis of leaf phenotypic variation across 73 <i>Malus</i> germplasm (34 species and 39 cultivars). Through ancestor-inclined distribution characteristic analysis, we investigated phylogenetic relationships at both the genus level and infraspecific ranks within <i>Malus</i>. A total of 21 leaf phenotypic traits were selected from 50 candidate traits based on the following criteria: high diversity, abundance, and evenness (D ≥ 0.50, H ≥ 0.80, and E ≥ 0.60); significant intraspecific uniformity and interspecific distinctness (<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mover accent="true"><mrow><mi>C</mi><mi>V</mi></mrow><mo>¯</mo></mover></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula> ≤ 10% and <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mi>C</mi><mi>V</mi></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula> ≥ 15%). Notably, the selected traits with low intraspecific variability (<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mover accent="true"><mrow><mi>C</mi><mi>V</mi></mrow><mo>¯</mo></mover></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula> ≤ 10%) exhibit environmental robustness, likely reflecting low phenotypic plasticity of these specific traits under varying conditions. This stability enhances their taxonomic utility. It was found that the highest ancestor-inclined distribution probability reached 90% for 10 traceable cultivars, demonstrating reliable breeding lines. Based on morphological evidence, there was a highly significant correlation between the evolutionary orders of (Sect. <i>Docyniopsis</i> → Sect. <i>Sorbomalus</i> → Sect. <i>Malus</i>) and group/sub-groups (B<sub>1</sub> → B<sub>2</sub> → A). This study demonstrates that phenotypic variation in leaf macrostructures can effectively explore the affinities among <i>Malus</i> germplasm, exhibiting taxonomic significance at the infraspecific level, thereby providing references for variety selection. However, hybrid offspring may exhibit mixed parental characteristics, leading to blurred species boundaries. And convergent evolution may create false homologies, potentially misleading morphology-based taxonomic inferences. The inferred taxonomic relationships present certain limitations that warrant further investigation. |
| format | Article |
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| institution | Kabale University |
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| language | English |
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| spelling | doaj-art-9dfbfedc793549ea94b23d87699d34f82025-08-20T03:28:26ZengMDPI AGPlants2223-77472025-06-011413191810.3390/plants14131918Macrostructure of <i>Malus</i> Leaves and Its Taxonomic SignificanceYuerong Fan0Huimin Li1Jingze Ma2Ting Zhou3Junjun Fan4Wangxiang Zhang5College of Forestry, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, ChinaCollege of Forestry, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, ChinaCollege of Forestry, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, ChinaJiangsu Key Laboratory for the Research and Utilization of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, Jiangsu Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences (Nanjing Botanical Garden Mem. Sun Yat-Sen), Nanjing 210014, ChinaJinling Institute of Technology, College of Horticulture, Nanjing 210038, ChinaCollege of Forestry, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, ChinaLeaves are the most ubiquitous plant organs, whose macrostructures exhibit close correlations with environmental factors while simultaneously reflecting inherent genetic and evolutionary patterns. These characteristics render them highly significant for plant taxonomy, ecology, and related disciplines. Therefore, this study presents the first comprehensive evaluation of <i>Malus</i> leaf macrostructures for infraspecific classification. By establishing a trait-screening system, we conducted a numerical taxonomic analysis of leaf phenotypic variation across 73 <i>Malus</i> germplasm (34 species and 39 cultivars). Through ancestor-inclined distribution characteristic analysis, we investigated phylogenetic relationships at both the genus level and infraspecific ranks within <i>Malus</i>. A total of 21 leaf phenotypic traits were selected from 50 candidate traits based on the following criteria: high diversity, abundance, and evenness (D ≥ 0.50, H ≥ 0.80, and E ≥ 0.60); significant intraspecific uniformity and interspecific distinctness (<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mover accent="true"><mrow><mi>C</mi><mi>V</mi></mrow><mo>¯</mo></mover></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula> ≤ 10% and <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mi>C</mi><mi>V</mi></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula> ≥ 15%). Notably, the selected traits with low intraspecific variability (<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mover accent="true"><mrow><mi>C</mi><mi>V</mi></mrow><mo>¯</mo></mover></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula> ≤ 10%) exhibit environmental robustness, likely reflecting low phenotypic plasticity of these specific traits under varying conditions. This stability enhances their taxonomic utility. It was found that the highest ancestor-inclined distribution probability reached 90% for 10 traceable cultivars, demonstrating reliable breeding lines. Based on morphological evidence, there was a highly significant correlation between the evolutionary orders of (Sect. <i>Docyniopsis</i> → Sect. <i>Sorbomalus</i> → Sect. <i>Malus</i>) and group/sub-groups (B<sub>1</sub> → B<sub>2</sub> → A). This study demonstrates that phenotypic variation in leaf macrostructures can effectively explore the affinities among <i>Malus</i> germplasm, exhibiting taxonomic significance at the infraspecific level, thereby providing references for variety selection. However, hybrid offspring may exhibit mixed parental characteristics, leading to blurred species boundaries. And convergent evolution may create false homologies, potentially misleading morphology-based taxonomic inferences. The inferred taxonomic relationships present certain limitations that warrant further investigation.https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/13/1918<i>Malus</i>leaf architecturenumerical classificationancestor-inclined distribution |
| spellingShingle | Yuerong Fan Huimin Li Jingze Ma Ting Zhou Junjun Fan Wangxiang Zhang Macrostructure of <i>Malus</i> Leaves and Its Taxonomic Significance Plants <i>Malus</i> leaf architecture numerical classification ancestor-inclined distribution |
| title | Macrostructure of <i>Malus</i> Leaves and Its Taxonomic Significance |
| title_full | Macrostructure of <i>Malus</i> Leaves and Its Taxonomic Significance |
| title_fullStr | Macrostructure of <i>Malus</i> Leaves and Its Taxonomic Significance |
| title_full_unstemmed | Macrostructure of <i>Malus</i> Leaves and Its Taxonomic Significance |
| title_short | Macrostructure of <i>Malus</i> Leaves and Its Taxonomic Significance |
| title_sort | macrostructure of i malus i leaves and its taxonomic significance |
| topic | <i>Malus</i> leaf architecture numerical classification ancestor-inclined distribution |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/13/1918 |
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