Nivicolous myxomycetes are an ecological group of protists associated with melting snowfields in mountainous regions. In this study, we document 11 nivicolous myxomycete species new to Poland, based on 123 herbarium specimens collected over last 40 years in the Carpathians – one of the largest mountain ranges in Central Europe. This includes six species reported here for first time from the entire Carpathians: Badhamia alpina, Lamproderma cristatum, L. cucumer, L. piriforme, L. pseudomaculatum, and Polyschismium granuliferum. Our findings highlight the importance of further research on nivicolous myxomycetes in the Carpathian mountain range.

Cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (CyanoHABs) are observed in many regions worldwide with increasing frequency. The massive development of cyanobacteria is a severe problem for the water environment due to negative changes in water parameters, the introduction of toxic metabolites (cyanotoxins) into the water, and the resulting disruption of ecological relations in the ecosystem. Knowledge regarding CyanoHABs in aquatic reservoirs is increasing. However, information about cyanobacteria development in other, untypical habitats like deserts, open soils, or polar regions is still insufficient. Similarly, data regarding the distribution of cyanotoxins are extensive for some regions (for example, in Europe or North America), whereas, in other localities, such as those in South America, the data are scarce. In this paper, we investigated if phototrophic microbial communities collected from open soil (La Paz department, Sud Yungas province, Bolivia) contained cyanobacteria described as cyanotoxin producers. We performed qualitative and quantitative analysis of typical cyanotoxins found in aquatic reservoirs – anatoxin-a (ATX-a), cylindrospermopsin (CYN), and microcystin-LR (MC-LR). The obtained results showed a relatively high biodiversity of the studied microbial phototrophic community, which consists of several cyanobacterial and algal genera. Analyses of cyanotoxins showed that CYN and MC-LR were not present in the studied samples. However, despite the lack of cyanobacteria described as ATX-a producers, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) chromatograms were revealed, and mass spectrometry (MS) spectra confirmed the presence of the toxin in the studied material. The results presented in this paper are, to the best of our knowledge, the first confirmation of the presence of ATX-a in open soil habitats, as well as the first record of cyanotoxin occurrence in Bolivia. The identification of anatoxin-producing cyanobacteria in open soil environments presents a novel finding that necessitates further work to elucidate their prevalence, abundance, and associated potential hazards, as well as the taxonomic classification of the specific cyanobacterial species able for anatoxin synthesis within these soil habitats. Future studies should focus on the distribution of cyanotoxins in cyanobacterial communities in untypical habitats and in localities for which, to date, the information on cyanotoxin occurrence is not currently available.

The number of polyploid plants in angiosperms is estimated at about 30-80%, depending on the study, but hybridization between diploids and tetraploids is not a common phenomenon. In this study, our aim was to determine the extent of hybridization and introgression between <i>Aconitum</i> species in a mountainous hybrid zone in the Tatra Mountains (Western Carpathians). We hypothesized that topography would affect their populations’ genetic structure. For this purpose, inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) molecular markers and chloroplast DNA (cpDNA, region <i>trn</i>L(UAG)–<i>ndh</i>F) sequencing were used. The results revealed that diploid and tetraploid <i>Aconitum</i> species had specific cpDNA haplotypes, while the spontaneous hybrid species harbored a cpDNA haplotype typical for tetraploids. Bayesian STRUCTURE analysis showed that introgression occurred between diploid and tetraploid species above the tree line, where a spontaneous hybrid, a putative triploid <i>A. ×berdaui</i>, originated, probably via the triploid bridge mechanism. Molecular analysis of variance, principal coordinate analysis, and neighbor-net clustering revealed different genetic profiles of the diploids between neighboring mountain valleys. Hence, mountain topography, ridges, and valleys can form an effective geographical barrier, preventing gene flow over longer distances. Introgression happens near or above the tree line, where the hybridization zone is formed. In the introgressants, however, no morphological alterations were discernible.

Common broom <i>Cytisus scoparius</i> (L.) Link is a native shrub, common both in Europe and Poland and in many other areas of the world, it is considered an invasive plant. e size of the organs of generative reproduction and the factors determining it are still poorly understood. The study of the size of broom flowers, fruits, seeds and leaves was carried out on 16 plots in western Poland. Habitats were described using Ellenberg’s index values, which allowed us to divide the study into two types: warm, rich in nitrogen, and moister with higher pH. It has been shown that a significant part of the variability in the size of flowers and their elements is conditioned by inter-individual differences. Some features (wings and keel area, number of seeds, or nitrogen content in stems) are also dependent on the type of habitat. Probably the key factor influencing the size of generative organs and the number of seeds is the availability of water in the environment. In more moist habitats and with a higher pH, the organs of generative reproduction are larger, and the nitrogen content is lower. The size of individual elements of the perianth is significantly correlated with each other, and the number of seeds depends on the size of the keel. Depending on environmental factors, the size of the generative organs may affect the efficiency of pollination, which in turn determines the size and number of seeds. The ability of <i>C. scoparius</i> to adapt to various edaphic conditions, the ability to establish symbiosis with atmospheric nitrogen-fixing bacteria, and the production of size-diverse flowers that can be pollinated by insects of various sizes determine its invasive success.

A large part of the civilizational progress has been achieved at the expense of the natural environment, which recently reached the stages that threaten its creator. Plants play an important role in various areas of our lives, and it turned out that we can rely on them to reduce this threat. The ability of living organisms and the systems they create to protect and restore the environment is at the core of a technology called environmental biotechnology. Advances in science and technology have created a plant-based discipline known as phytoremediation. This technology allows us to remove or reduce the level of pollutants in our surroundings. We can phytoextract heavy metals from contaminated soil and water with the help of resistant plant species and recover noble metals and rare elements. When the soil or water is contaminated with organic compounds, we try to eliminate them completely with the help of plants and their microbiome. Phytoextraction from water is related to the accumulation of pollutants in water and sediments, in which macrophytes from all water groups participate, including free-floating submerged and emerged plants. The task of these plants, apart from the accumulation of metals or organic toxins, is also the uptake of phosphorus and nitrogen to prevent the eutrophication of water. In recent years, the quality of air has deteriorated. Nowadays, 90% of the population breathes air that does not meet WHO standards. It should be emphasized that in the case of outdoor air, there is no industrial system for removing pollutants. In fact, we can only count on nature: rainfall and plants. Indoor air is sometimes even more polluted than outside and, therefore, we should be safe in it with the help of plants that are able to create a refuge. Additionally, it fulfills biofilling desires and improves our mood.

All the palynological studies of the Polish Paleozoic were conducted during the last 100 years. The investigations regarded the oldest microflora remains, acritarchs reaching up to Precambrian, and spores, and pollen grains which appeared later. The main benefits of palynological analyses are their stratigraphic significance, usage for age determination, correlation of stratigraphic horizons, detection of climatic changes, and information on plant cover, often providing supplementary data for macroflora records. The most important results of Polish palynology demonstrate the multifaceted character of studies and their significance in science.

Abstract On overview of over a hundred years of history of Polish palaeobotanical research on the Paleogene and Neogene (formerly Tertiary) is provided. Profiles of the researchers who laid the foundations for the development of paleofloristic research are presented. In particular, we describe individuals who have made significant research contributions, including M. Raciborski, J. Zabłocki, M. Kostyniuk, H. Czeczott, and W. Szafer. Research centers that were revived after World War II gathered scientists who continued and extended work in the field, including M. Łańucka-Środońowa, J. Oszast, A. Skirgiełło, J. Doktorowicz-Hrebnicka, J. Stachurska, and J. Mamczar. This tradition was maintained and developed by researchers of the next generation: L. Stuchlik, E. Zastawniak, A. Sadowska, M. Ziembińska-Tworzydło, I. Grabowska, H. Ważyńska, A. Hummel, Z. Baranowska-Zarzycka, and A. Kohlman-Adamska. Currently, the fourth generation of Polish palaeobotanists, including B. Słodkowska, E. Worobiec, G. Worobiec, P. Gedl, M. Garecka, E. Durska, and R. Kowalski, conduct multifaceted palaeobotanical research, with links to various fields of knowledge, including botany, geology, and palaeoclimatology. Studies of past changes in plant cover provide important insight current climate change.

Abstract This review was designed to summarize the present state of research around the genetic and epigenetic modification of selected plant species and the potential for their application in industry. This review summarizes the activity of research groups from the University of Wrocław completed over the last 3 decades which tends to focus on potatoes and flax likely as a result of their centuries-old tradition of cultivation, processing, and use in Poland. The aims of these studies were various and included the creation of pathogen-resistant plants, increased antioxidant production, improved flax fiber quality, and improved oil properties. New plant breeds initially produced using genetic engineering technology provide an excellent basis for improving our understanding of the genes involved in potato and flax productivity and the quality of their products. These results have been published in many papers and have given rise to new methods for plant breeding and product prototypes which have been patented. However, none of the prototypes have been commercialized because of their GMO origins. In addition, later development of a novel, epigenetic method has led to the creation of more diverse products based on the newly obtained variety of flax called Silesia. These developments have facilitated the production of a range of new raw materials from these epigenetically modified plants. These include a modified oil for improved nutrition and regeneration of skin cells, seed- cake extracts that act as anti-infection agents, improved fiber production for use as bandages for chronic wounds, improved fibers for application as bio composite materials for the development of biodegradable packaging materials and scaffolds for tissue engineering, and micronized fiber for drug delivery. These modifications mean that flax has become a more useful and valuable source of a wide range of raw materials applicable in industry, allowing for the application of these materials in zero waste applications.

Cadmium (Cd) stress significantly affects plant growth and development. <em>Potentilla sericea </em>is typically grown in gardens or as ground cover. In this study, the Cd response of <em>P. sericea </em>was analyzed based on physiological examinations and transcriptome analyses that uncovered the gene expression changes in <em>P. sericea </em>roots induced by a 7-day treatment with 90 µmol/L Cd<sup>2+</sup>. A total of 53,225 unigenes were identified, including 11,684 differentially expressed genes (DEGs; 8,083 upregulated and 3,601 downregulated). Additionally, 44 gene ontology terms and 127 Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways were significantly enriched among these DEGs. Genes related to glutathione metabolism, plant hormone signal transduction, peroxisome processes, sulfur metabolism, and flavonoid biosynthesis pathways were confirmed as relevant to the Cd response of <em>P. sericea</em>. The molecular biology-related data described here may be useful for the future breeding of transgenic <em>P. sericea </em>plants with increased resistance to heavy metal stresses.

In the cold periods of Quaternary climatic fluctuations, many temperate species underwent severe range contractions, and their survival during these periods was associated with climatically more favorable regions, so-called glacial refugia, from which subsequent range expansions took place. In this regard, the relative roles of the Southern (“main”), Northern (i.e., cryptic northern), and Eastern European (e.g., Colchis) refugia in shaping the evolutionary history of European temperate plants should be evaluated. In this study, we investigated the phylogeographic structure of <em>Primula vulgaris</em>, a European mesophilous species, by comparing DNA sequences derived from the nuclear (nrITS) and the plastid (<em>trn</em>L-<em>trn</em>F and <em>rpl</em>32-<em>trn</em>L) genomes of specimens covering the entire distribution range of the species. The variability in flower morphology was also studied on an area-wide scale with geometric morphometry. Our results clearly show the importance of the northern and eastern refugia (the Carpathian Basin and Colchis) as sources of genetic variation among European mesophilous plant species. <em>Primula vulgaris </em>spread initially from the Colchis refugium westwards, and a proportion of the colonists survived during the last glacial period in the Carpathian Basin, which may have served as a secondary center of diversity from which all Europe was subsequently populated.