The study examined how polyploidy, hybridization, and incomplete lineage sorting affect phylogenetic reconstructions in the genus Packera, evaluating several published paralog‑processing pipelines. Results showed that the choice of orthology and paralog handling methods markedly altered tree topology, time‑calibrated phylogenies, biogeographic histories, and detection of ancient reticulation, underscoring the need for careful methodological selection alongside comprehensive taxon sampling.

The study generated a comprehensive transcriptome assembly for the macauba palm (Acrocomia aculeata) across seven distinct organs, annotating 42.85% of transcripts and identifying organ‑specific expression patterns. Comparative analyses revealed macauba‑unique gene families and numerous drought‑responsive genes, while root samples uncovered a notable presence of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal transcripts, underscoring the importance of symbiotic interactions and stress signaling pathways.

The study demonstrates that RNA extracted from herbarium specimens can be used to generate high‑quality transcriptomes, comparable to those from fresh or silica‑dried samples. By assembling and comparing transcriptomes across specimen types, the authors validated a plant immune receptor synthesized from a 1956 collection, proving archival RNA’s utility for functional genomics. These findings challenge the prevailing view that herbarium RNA is unsuitable for transcriptomic analyses.