Daniel Lee Nickrent

Southern Illinois University Carbondale | SIU · School of Biological Sciences Plant Biology Program

With over 350 species, Thesium is the largest genus in Santalales. It is found on all continents except Antarctica; however, its highest diversity is in the Cape Floristic Region of South Africa where approximately half the species occur. Thesium samples of ca. 590 collections from throughout its entire geographic range were obtained and nuclear ri...

With over 350 species, Thesium is the largest genus in Santalales. It is found on all continents except Antarctica; however, its highest diversity is in the Cape Floristic Region of South Africa where approximately half the species occur. Thesium samples of ca. 590 collections from throughout its entire geographic range were obtained and nuclear ri...

Despite the paramount role of plant diversity for ecosystem functioning, biogeochemical cycles, and human welfare, knowledge of its global distribution is still incomplete, hampering basic research and biodiversity conservation. Here, we used machine learning (random forests, extreme gradient boosting, and neural networks) and conventional statisti...

A new species of Cyne (Loranthaceae) from Bucas Grande and Dinagat Islands, Philippines is described and named C. barcelonae in honor of the Filipina botanist Julie F. Barcelona. Phylogenetic analysis using the complete nuclear ribosomal DNA cistron confirms it is sister to C. banahaensis, the only species among the six in the genus with complete d...

Macrosolen zamboangensis, a new mistletoe species from the Zamboanga peninsula of the island of Mindanao (Philippines), is described. The new species is a member of the widespread M. melintangensis species complex, but differs from the previously described species in this complex in having a conspicuously papillose corolla head. It is also the only...

Despite the paramount role of plant diversity for ecosystem functioning, biogeochemical cycles, and human welfare, knowledge of its global distribution is incomplete, hampering basic research and biodiversity conservation. Here, we used machine learning (random forests, extreme gradient boosting, neural networks) and conventional statistical method...

It is proposed that philately and the study of parasitic plants can be conflated for educational purposes. Of the 12 lineages of parasitic flowering plants, eight are currently represented on postal stamps. The most frequent genus seen on stamps is Rafflesia, closely followed by Viscum. These stamps convey messages about the history and importance...

Several molecular phylogenetic studies of the mistletoe family Loranthaceae have been published such that now the general pattern of relationships among the genera and their biogeographic histories are understood. Less is known about species relationships in the larger (> 10 species) genera. This study examines the taxonomically difficult genus Tax...

The genus Loranthus (Loranthaceae) consists of ca. nine Old World species distributed from eastern Asia to Europe. Loranthus, the type of the family, has had a complex taxonomic history that continues today, partly because most mistletoes in the family have resided in this genus. For this reason, there are over 1800 Loranthus species names, the vas...

A new holomycoheterotrophic member of Burmanniaceae, Gymnosiphon syceorosensis , is described from Mt. Hamiguitan located on the island of Mindanao, Philippines. This species differs from the recently named G. philippinensis from Cebu in a number of quantitative and qualitative characters. Phenetic (neighbor-joining) and phylogenetic (maximum parsi...

Angiosperms that morphologically and physiologically attach to other flowering plants by means of a haustorium have evolved 12 times independently resulting in 292 genera and ca. 4750 species. Although hemiparasites predominate, holoparasitism has evolved in all but two clades, Cassytha (Lauraceae) and Krameria (Krameriaceae). Santalales contains t...

Anatomía floral de la planta Psittacanthus schiedeanus (Loranthaceae). Loranthaceae hemiparasitic family comprises 76 genera and about 1 050 species distributed in temperate and tropical regions. The subtribe Psittacanthinae contains 14 genera of neotropical mistletoe including Psittacanthus with over 120 species, characterized by large, brightly c...

Rafflesia (Rafflesiaceae) is a small endo-holoparasitic Asian plant genus known for its exceptionally large flowers, rare species, and high island endemism. In this study, phylogenetic (parsimony and Bayesian inference) and biogeographic (BioGeoBEARS) analyses of DNA sequence data (atp6 and matR genes, and nad1 B-C intron from the mitochondrial gen...

Premise of the study: The sandalwood order (Santalales) includes members that present a diverse array of inflorescence types, some of which are unique among angiosperms. This diversity presents not only interpretational challenges but also opportunities to test fundamental concepts in plant morphology. Here we used modern phylogenetic approaches t...

Rafflesia speciosa is a threatened endo-holoparasitic species. It has several populations in the Central Panay Mountain Range (CPMR) of Panay island and a single population on Negros Island. Because R. speciosa is the only Philippine species of the genus that is not endemic to an individual island, it is a suitable species for improving our underst...

Besides their alleged therapeutic effects, mistletoes of the genus Viscum L. (Viscaceae) are keystone species in many ecosystems across Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia because of their complex faunal interactions. We here reconstructed the evolutionary history of Viscum based on plastid and nuclear DNA sequence data. We obtained a highly resolve...

This dataset provides the Global Naturalized Alien Flora (GloNAF) database, version 1.2. GloNAF represents a data compendium on the occurrence and identity of naturalized alien vascular plant taxa across geographic regions (e.g. countries, states, provinces, districts, islands) around the globe. The dataset includes 13,939 taxa and covers 1,029 reg...

Thesium nautimontanum M.A. García, Nickrent & Mucina, a new species from the Matroosberg Mt. of Western Cape Province of South Africa, is described and illustrated. This species shows several morphological features unusual for the genus including stem sympodial branching, indeterminate spicate inflorescences subtended by numerous bracts and fleshy,...

Besides their alleged therapeutic effects, mistletoes of the genus Viscum L. (Viscaceae) are keystone species in many ecosystems across Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia because of their complex faunal interactions. We here reconstructed the evolutionary history of Viscum based on plastid and nuclear DNA sequence data. We obtained a highly resolv...

The number of host species infected by a mistletoe (host range) is critical in that it influences prevalence, virulence and overall distribution of the parasite; however, macroecological analyses of this life history feature are lacking for many regions. The Andean‐Patagonian forest, found along the southern Andes from 35˚S to Tierra del Fuego 55˚S...

Background: The taxonomic and phylogenetic status of Colpoon, Osyris and Rhoiacarpos (Santalaceae, Osyrideae) is reviewed. Objectives: To resolve confusion regarding whether Colpoon is deserving of generic status separate from Osyris. Methods: Existing morphological information was examined for the three genera as well as previously published molec...

Rafflesia lagascae is a rare endo-holoparasitic species with a disjunct distribution on Luzon Island. It is morphologically very similar to R. manillana from nearby Samar. This study aims to contribute to the taxonomy and conservation of R. lagascae and R. manillana (i.e. the R. lagascae complex) by resolving their patterns of genetic diversity and...

Using the recently built Global Naturalized Alien Flora (GloNAF) database, containing data on the distribution of naturalized alien plants in 482 mainland and 362 island regions of the world, we describe patterns in diversity and geographic distribution of naturalized and invasive plant species, taxonomic, phylogenetic and life-history structure of...

Rafflesia species are endo-holoparasites of Tetrastigma (Vitaceae) vines. Despite receiving considerable attention because of their rarity, enormous flowers, and fascinating parasitic life style, surprisingly little is known about their host specificity and host preference. This lack of information prevents a better understanding of the evolution o...

Lepeostegeres cebuensis s described as a new species from Cebu Island, Philippines. It is unique among currently known species in the genus by having peculiar ridges of orange-brown scales on the young leaves and internodes. This discovery brings the total number of Philippine Lepeostegeres species to three. We consider Lepeostegeres cebuensis to b...

All around the globe, humans have greatly altered the abiotic and biotic environment with ever-increasing speed. One defining feature of the Anthropocene epoch is the erosion of biogeographical barriers by human-mediated dispersal of species into new regions, where they can naturalize and cause ecological, economic and social damage. So far, no com...

A new monotypic genus from Southern Africa is described based on Thesium lineatum. Lacomucinaea lineata has a number of vegetative and floral morphological features that differ from Thesium and other members of Thesiaceae. An apparently unique feature of the plant is the presence of succulent, fusiform, terete leaves that are caducous, eventually l...

To date molecular data have not revealed the exact phylogenetic position of Balanophoraceae in relation to hemiparasitic Santalales. To elucidate the phylogeny of Santalales and the position of Balanophoraceae, three plastid genes (matK, rbcL, accD), three nuclear genes (SSU and LSU rDNA and RPB2) and one mitochondrial gene (matR) from 197 Santalal...

Floral scent is likely important to the pollination of parasitic plants, despite that it has not been well-studied. We studied the pollination ecology of the North American stem holoparasite Pilostyles thurberi (Apodanthaceae) at two field sites in Texas. To identify effective pollinators, we collected floral visitors to P. thurberi flowers, observ...

Rafflesia is a genus of holoparasitic plants endemic to Southeast Asia that has lost the ability to undertake photosynthesis. With short-read sequencing technology, we assembled a draft sequence of the mitochondrial genome of Rafflesia lagascae Blanco, a species endemic to the Philippine island of Luzon, with ∼350× sequencing depth coverage. Using...

The genetic structure of a plant species is influenced by life-history traits, geographical range and ecological interactions that shape gene flow. We examined the genetic structure of the South American mistletoe Tristerix corymbosus using random amplification of polymorphic DNA. This species is found mainly in Chile and inhabits two biomes, the C...

A compilation of an unpublished checklist of Philippine vascular plants prepared by the late Leonardo L. Co and the plant photographs he took are the core contents of the Co's Digital Flora of the Philippines (CDFP) website (www.philippineplants.org). The aim of CDFP is to present a continuously updated account of all native and naturalized species...

The southeast Asian holoparasite genus Rafflesia Brown (1821: 207; Rafflesiaceae) is famous for producing the largest flowers on record (Kuijt 1969). Following a series of discoveries of new Rafflesia species and populations, the Philippines recently emerged as one of the centers of its diversity. It is home to no less than ten currently recognized...

Multivariate and univariate analyses were used to investigate the morphological variation among the species of Stipa sections Smirnovia and Subsmirnovia. The MODECLUS procedure using Gower's similarity coefficient and UPGMA were used to discover how the selected specimens segregated. Subsequently different analyses were applied to qualitative and q...

Abstract—Tripodanthus consists of three species that are endemic to South America. While T. acutifolius and T. flagellaris have east-west distributions in tropical and subtropical South America, T. belmirensis is restricted to its type locality in the region of Belmira, Colombia. The objective of the present study was to reconstruct the phylogeny o...

In the dwarf mistletoes (Arceuthobium, Viscaceae), sect. Campylopoda was previously considered to include entities treated at the rank of species: A. abietinum, A. apachecum, A. blumeri, A. californicum, A. campylopodum, A. cyanocarpum, A. laricis, A. littorum, A. microcarpum, A. monticola, A. occidentale, A. siskiyouense, and A. tsugense. Morpholo...

The taxonomic identity of Rafflesia banaoana from Kalinga Province in northern Luzon (Philippines) and its affinity with R. leonardi of the adjacent Cagayan Province are discussed. Both taxa share a unique combination of morphological characters pertaining to the color and shape of the perigone lobes, their warts, the diaphragm aperture, the size a...

Mistletoes are flowering plants in the sandalwood order (Santalales) that parasitise tree branches. They evolved five separate times in the order and are today represented by 88 genera and nearly 1600 species. Loranthaceae ( c . 1000 species) and Viscaceae (550 species) have the highest species diversity. In South America Misodendrum (a parasite of...

The new parasitic plant species Rafflesia verrucosa from Mt. Kampalili in eastern Mindanao (Philippines) is described, bringing the total number of Philippine Rafflesia to ten. Rafflesia verrucosa is the first small-flowered Rafflesia described from Mindanao Island, and differs notably from similar-sized species by the dense and prominently raised...

Se describe e ilustra un nuevo género monotípico Hondurodendron C. Ulloa, Nickrent, Whitef. & D. Kelly endémico de Honduras. La nueva especie H. urceolatum C. Ulloa, Nickrent, Whitef. & D. Kelly es un árbol dioico, que se distingue por las flores diminutas en inflorescencias densamente tomentosas, las anteras únicas que se abren por tres valvas y u...

We present here a revised classification of Santalales, an angiosperm order that contains 18 families, 160 genera, and over 2200 species. Both nonparasitic and parasitic flowering plants occur in the traditionally circumscribed family Olacaceae whereas all other families are composed entirely of parasites. The five evolutionary radiations of aerial...

We present here a revised classification of Santalales, an angiosperm order that contains 18 families, 160 genera, and over 2200 species. Both nonparasitic and parasitic flowering plants occur in the traditionally circumscribed family Olacaceae whereas all other families are composed entirely of parasites. The five evolutionary radiations of aerial...

Santalales comprise mainly parasitic plants including mistletoes and sandalwoods. Bitegmic ovules similar to those found in most other angiosperms are seen in many members of the order, but other members exhibit evolutionary reductions to the unitegmic and ategmic conditions. In some mistletoes, extreme reduction has resulted in the absence of emer...

Cytinus ruber (Fourr.) Fritsch is described and illustrated. Current knowledge of its phylogeny and systematics is discussed, and its successful cultivation is recorded.

The mistletoe Tristerix corymbosus (Loranthaceae) is present in the temperate forest and Chilean matorral biomes of Chile and northwest Patagonia. The closely related cactus-specific species, T. aphyllus, occurs only in the matorral biome. The population structure of these mistletoes was examined to determine whether the distribution of haplotypes...

Chloroplast sequences spanning rps7 to 23S rDNA in Arceuthobium campylopodum and A. pendens were generated and compared to Arabidopsis and seven other parasitic plants. Pseudogenes for trnV, trnI (GAU), and trnA (UGC) were seen in both Arceuthobium species, paralleling the situation in the holoparasite Epifagus (Orobanchaceae). These tRNA genes wer...

Two new arborescent species of Santalaceae, both endemic to Madagascar, are described in the new monotypic genera, Staufferia Z. S. Rogers, Nickrent & Malécot and Pilgerina Z. S. Rogers, Nickrent & Malécot. Based on available molecular and morphological data, the new species are part of a clade formed with Pyrularia Michx. of Asia and North America...

Extreme modification and reduction in floral morphology presents an obstacle to determining the evolutionary relationships and homologies of the holoparasites in Balanophoraceae. Developing flowers and inflorescences of two dioecious species, Balanophora papuana and B. elongata, were compared to each other and to the monoecious B. fungosa. Intermin...

There are 11 species of mistletoes in the genus Tristerix (Loranthaceae) endemic to the Andes in South America (1,2). Tristerix verticillatus (Ruiz & Pav.) Barlow & Wiens is distributed on the east side of the Andes from Bolivia to Argentina at high elevations (>1,500 m). On the west side of the Andes, it is only found in Chile where it occurs at l...

Loranthaceae (73 genera and ca. 900 species) comprise mostly aerial hemiparasitic plants. Three monotypic genera considered relicts are root parasites. The family is diverse in tropical areas, but representatives are also found in temperate habitats. Previous classifications were based on floral and inflorescence morphology, karyological informatio...

Mistletoes are familiar to most Europeans and North Americans because of the Christmas folklore associated with these parasitic flowering plants (33,116). Some may also know these plants are parasites of trees but do not realize that mistletoes are widespread, ecologically important components of forests worldwide. Although some mistletoe species a...

Past molecular phylogenetic work has shown that aerial parasites have evolved five times independently in the sandalwood order (Santalales), but the absolute timing of these diversifications was not addressed. DNA sequences from nuclear SSU and LSU rDNA, and chloroplast rbcL, matK and trnL-F from 39 santalalean taxa were obtained. Separate and comb...

As traditionally circumscribed, the family Olacaceae contains a morphologically diverse assemblage of genera that has historically caused much confusion regarding their classification. For example, Olacaceae contain parasites and nonparasites, climbing lianas and trees, and members with dichlamydous and monochlamydous perianths. This family is basa...

Santalaceae sensu stricto, the type family for the sandalwood order (Santalales), include approximately 40 genera and over 550 species distributed worldwide. Because the family possesses plesiomorphic and generalized traits that occur throughout the order, this diverse assemblage of hemiparasitic plants has been difficult to characterize and differ...

The holoparasitic family Cytinaceae (Cytinus and Bdallophyton) was previously shown to be allied with Malvales, however its closest photosynthetic ancestor was not determined. A molecular phylogenetic study was conducted using nuclear small-subunit rDNA and three chloroplast genes (the latter missing from the holoparasites but included to stabilize...

Misodendrum comprises eight species of aerial hemiparasites endemic to temperate forests of Chile and Argentina that parasitize Nothofagus. This mistletoe is unique in that it has feathery staminodes on its wind dispersed achenes. Previous classifications included two subgenera, Misodendrum (two sections) and Angelopogon (three sections). The prese...

Phylogenies can provide valuable information on biotic and abiotic factors associated with speciation. We examined species relationships in Tristerix (Loranthaceae), a genus of 11 species with an Andean distribution from Colombia to Chile. A previous classification divided Tristerix into subgenera Tristerix (two species) and Metastachys (nine speci...

Species of Rafflesiaceae possess the world's largest flowers (up to 1 meter in diameter), yet their precise evolutionary relationships have been elusive, hindering our understanding of the evolution of their extraordinary reproductive morphology. We present results of phylogenetic analyses of mitochondrial, nuclear, and plastid data showing that Ra...

Phylogenies can provide valuable information on biotic and abiotic factors associated with speciation. We examined species relationships in Tristerix (Loranthaceae), a genus of 11 species with an Andean distribution from Colombia to Chile. A previous classification divided Tristerix into subgenera Tristerix (two species) and Metastachys (nine speci...

Chamaeota is a rare agaric genus traditionally classified in the Pluteaceae. The present work offers a treatment of the two species described from the United States. Historical records, morphological and anatomical examinations of type and other collections, and molecular data from nuclear LSU rDNA sequences were studied. Typifications of Annularia...

Chamaeota is a rare agaric genus traditionally classified in the Pluteaceae. The present work offers a treatment of the two species described from the United States. Historical records, morphological and anatomical examinations of type and other collections, and molecular data from nuclear LSU rDNA sequences were studied. Typifications of Annularia...

Taxon sampling – Saxifragales data set. MS Excel file giving taxon sampling by gene and GenBank accession numbers for the Saxifragales data set.

ML tree from the nuclear SSU rDNA partition. Phylogram from maximum likelihood (ML) analysis of the nuclear SSU rDNA partition (GTR+I+Γ model. The tree was generated using a successive approximations approach in which a MP tree was generated and used as a starting tree for additional branch swapping under ML.

Taxon sampling – global data set. MS Excel file giving taxon sampling by gene and GenBank accession numbers for the global data set.

BI tree from global data set. Bayesian inference majority rule consensus tree of 50,000 trees derived from the global data set composed of nuclear SSU rDNA, chloroplast rbcL, atpB, and mitochondrial matR. Trees were generated in two separate BI analyses, each run for 15 million generations with trees from the first 2.5 million generations removed a...

BI tree from the nuclear SSU rDNA partition. Bayesian inference majority rule consensus tree of 50,000 trees derived from the nuclear SSU rDNA partition. Trees were generated in two separate BI analyses, each run for 15 million generations with trees from the first 2.5 million generations removed as burn-in.

BI tree from the Saxifragales data set. Bayesian inference majority rule consensus tree of 50,000 trees derived from the Saxifragales data set. Trees were generated in two separate BI analyses, each run for 15 million generations with trees from the first 2.5 million generations removed as burn-in.

BI tree from the mitochondrial matR partition. Bayesian inference majority rule consensus tree of 50,000 trees derived from the mitochondrial matR partition. Trees were generated in two separate BI analyses, each run for 15 million generations with trees from the first 2.5 million generations removed as burn-in.

MP phylogram from the global data set. Data set of combined nuclear SSU rDNA, chloroplast rbcL and atpB and mitochondrial matR. Tree one of four is shown, with branch lengths drawn proportional to the number of changes.

BI majority rule phylogram from the global data set. Bayesian inference majority rule consensus phylogram from the global data set (nuclear SSU rDNA, chloroplast rbcL and atpB and mitochondrial matR). Branch lengths are means of the branch length posterior probability distribution across all post burn-in trees from one of the two MrBayes runs (bran...

Choice among local, non-local, and cultivar seeds for restoring native ecosystems is not purely an academic question—it also has practical consequences. In this article we summarize a series of genetic and competition studies of big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii Vitman. [Poaceae]), Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans (L.) Nash. [Poaceae]), and purple...

Although recent molecular phylogenetic studies have identified the photosynthetic relatives of several enigmatic holoparasitic angiosperms, uncertainty remains for the last parasitic plant order, Balanophorales, often considered to include two families, Balanophoraceae and Cynomoriaceae. The nonphotosynthetic (holoparasitic) flowering plant Cynomor...

Choice among local, non-local, and cultivar seeds for restoring native ecosystems is not purely an academic question, but has practical consequences. In this article we summarize a series of genetic and competition studies of big bluestem, Indian grass, and purple prairie clover from remnant and restored Illinois (local) prairies, non-local remnant...

The phylogenetic relationships among the holoparasites of Rafflesiales have remained enigmatic for over a century. Recent molecular phylogenetic studies using the mitochondrial matR gene placed Rafflesia, Rhizanthes and Sapria (Rafflesiaceae s. str.) in the angiosperm order Malpighiales and Mitrastema (Mitrastemonaceae) in Ericales. These phylogene...

Strict consensus MP tree from mitochondrial atp1 Strict consensus of 328 trees resulting from a MP analysis of the 71-taxon mitochondrial atp1 matrix. Rafflesiales taxa are shown in bold italics. Bootstrap percentages are given above the branches.

Majority rule consensus BI tree from 3-gene data set Majority rule consensus of 20,000 trees (10 million generations, 5 million burn-in) resulting from Bayesian analysis of the 77-taxon nuclear 3-gene matrix. Clades with Bayesian posterior probabilities are indicated above the clades. Rafflesiales taxa are shown in bold italics.

MP strict consensus tree from mitochondrial matR Strict consensus of 200,000+ trees obtained from maximum parsimony (unconstrained MP) analysis of the 77-taxon mitochondrial matR matrix. Bootstrap percentages are shown above the lines. Rafflesiales taxa are shown in bold italics.

Strict consensus constrained MP tree from nuclear SSU rDNA Strict consensus of 6 trees resulting from the constrained MP analysis of the 77-taxon nuclear SSU rDNA matrix. Rafflesiales taxa are shown in bold italics. Bootstrap percentages are given above selected nodes (Rafflesiales).

Taxa used in this study MS Excel file giving taxon names and GenBank numbers for all genes used.

O 5 0.103 and HE 5 0.121) were more than twice that found in D. foliosa (HO 5 0.037 and HE 5 0.043). For both species, levels of heterozygosity were highest in Tennessee and lowest in Illinois, where levels half that found in Tennessee. Differentiation among populations within geographical regions (GSTC 5 0.161 and 0.145 for A. tenneseensis and D....

A cladistic study based on morphological characters is presented for all 28 genera of Olacaceae as well as 26 representative genera from five other families of Santalales: Loranthaceae, Misodendraceae, Opiliaceae, Santalaceae, and Viscaceae. The data matrix consists of 80 macro-morphological, palynological, and anatomical characters. The phylogenet...

Although genetic differentiation among plant populations is well known, its relevance for preserving the integrity of native ecosystems has received little attention. In a series of competition experiments with Andropogon gerardii Vitman, a dominant species of the North American Tallgrass Prairie, plant performance was related to seed provenance an...

Global habitat fragmentation and loss of undisturbed grasslands has led to the use of non‐local seed and cultivars in restoration. There is concern that these sources may be genetically depauperate and their introduction may lead to loss of unique local genotypes. Within this context we considered the issue with regard to the once widespread but no...

Ribosomal genes are considered to have a high degree of sequence conservation between species and also at higher taxonomic levels. In this paper we document a case where a single individual of Cynomorium coccineum (Cynomoriaceae), a nonphotosynthetic holoparasitic plant, contains highly divergent plastid ribosomal genes. PCR amplification a nearly...