The genus Ephedra of the Ephedraceae family contains more than 60 species of
nonflowering seed plants distributed throughout Asia, America, Europe, and North Africa …

Growing worldwide, the genus Ephedra (family Ephedraceae) had a medicinal, ecological,
and economic value. The extraordinary morphological diversity suggests that Ephedra was …

The study of the Early Cretaceous terrestrial Jehol Biota, which provides a rare window for
reconstruction of a Lower Cretaceous terrestrial ecosystem, is reviewed with a focus on …

Seed size varies tremendously in plants and its evolution is influenced by multiple
ecological and biological factors that are difficult to disentangle. In this study, we focus on …

Abstract Ephedra, Gnetum, and Welwitschia constitute the gymnosperm order Gnetales of
still unclear phylogenetic relationships within seed plants. Here we review progress over the …

Ephedroid macrofossils have been widely documented in Cretaceous deposits, including
numerous from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of NE China. However, few …

Vascular plant reproductive structures have undoubtedly become more complex through
time, evolving highly differentiated parts that interact in specialized ways. But quantifying …

Besides an essential source of energy, light provides environmental information to plants.
Photosensory pathways are thought to have occurred early in plant evolution, probably at …

The evolutionary dynamics of polyploid genomes and consequences of polyploidy have
been studied extensively in angiosperms but very rarely in gymnosperms. The …

The origin and evolution of polyploids have been studied extensively in angiosperms and
ferns but very rarely in gymnosperms. With the exception of three species of conifers, all …