![]() ![]() ![]() in Solanaceae, are not necessarily modified for this purpose. Nonetheless, persistent sepals (calyx), e.g. In some plants the perianth persists and continues to grow in order to enhance the attraction to pollinators, such as the sepals of the genus Helleborus, which are enlarged and as brightly colored as petals 8. The perianth (sepals and petals) is generally considered to be a protective structure for the central reproductive organs and an attractant for pollinators 7. Flowers are a characteristic of angiosperms, and the evolution of the flower form is largely related to facilitating pollination to increase the rate of reproduction 6. The developmental mechanisms for evolution are summarized for morphological diversification 1, 2, 3, 4, and for the origin of plant morphological novelties 5. Morphological variations and morphological novelties are assumed to be a result of adaptive evolution. Our results suggest that the Chinese lantern morphology of Physalis is an evolutionary adaptive trait and improves plant fitness, thus providing new insight into the origin of morphological novelties. Furthermore, the lantern structure facilitates the dispersal of fruits and seeds by water and wind. Moreover, the developing Chinese lantern provides a microclimate that benefits the development and maturation of berry and seed, and it improves plant fitness in terms of fruit/seed weight and number, and fruit maturation under low-temperature environments. Ultimately, we show that the green-fruiting calyx of Physalis has photosynthetic capabilities, thus serving as an energy source for fruit development. Here, we measured the photosynthetic parameters of the fruiting calyces, monitored microclimatic variation within the Chinese lanterns during fruit development, performed floral-calyx-removal experiments, and recorded the fitness-related traits in Physalis floridana. The evolutionary developmental genetics of the Chinese lantern have been investigated in the last decade however, the selective values of the morphological novelty remain elusive. The fruit of the genus Physalis, a berry, is encapsulated by a novel morphological feature of the post-floral, accrescent calyx that is referred to as a Chinese lantern. The origin of morphological novelties is an important but neglected issue of evolutionary biology. ![]()
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