Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41047603›Full record

ArticleAnnals of botany2026

Phylogenetics and evolution of Digitaria grasses, including cereal crops fonio, raishan and Polish millet.

George P Burton, Paolo Ceci, Lorna MacKinnon, Lizo E Masters, Noro Fenitra Harimbao Randrianarimanana, Philippa Ryan, Colin G N Turnbull, Tiziana Ulian, Maria S Vorontsova

Abstract read
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Article in Annals of botany, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

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1citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

George P BurtonRoyal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Herbarium and Library, Richmond TW9 3AB, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-2775-123X
Paolo CeciFood and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, Sub-Regional Office for West Africa (FAO-SFW), Dakar, Zone 6 Parcelle N° 9, Senegal.ORCID 0009-0009-7582-725X
Lorna MacKinnonRoyal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Herbarium and Library, Richmond TW9 3AB, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-1306-9416
Lizo E MastersRoyal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Herbarium and Library, Richmond TW9 3AB, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-8632-0758
Noro Fenitra Harimbao RandrianarimananaRoyal Botanic Gardens, Kew, KMCC, 3GJV+683, Antananarivo, Madagascar.ORCID 0000-0003-3036-5601
Philippa RyanRoyal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Herbarium and Library, Richmond TW9 3AB, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-6645-9744
Colin G N TurnbullDepartment of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-6635-1418
Tiziana UlianRoyal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Herbarium and Library, Richmond TW9 3AB, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-8298-256X
Maria S VorontsovaRoyal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Herbarium and Library, Richmond TW9 3AB, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-0899-1120

Funding

Botanic GardensChristiane Morgan at theImperial College LondonNatural Environment Research Council
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND

aimsMillet crops in the grass genus Digitaria include white and black fonio (D. exilis and D. iburua), raishan (D. compacta) and Polish millet (D. sanguinalis), cultivated across West Africa, India and Europe. Fonio and raishan crops are important in supporting food security and subsistence agricultural systems in rural communities, while D. sanguinalis is no longer cultivated. These crops are resilient to challenging climates. We aim to produce an integrated study of these crops: a phylogeny of the Digitaria genus including all four food species, to identify key crop wild relatives; time-calibrated biogeographic analysis, to investigate the history and evolution of Digitaria; and a morphological study to assess the transition between wild and domesticated species.

methodsWe use the Angiosperms353 target-enrichment sequencing approach to produce maximum likelihood and coalescent model nuclear phylogenies for 46 Digitaria species, and Bayesian methods to propose an evolutionary and biogeographic history for the genus. Morphology of wild and cultivated species is investigated for spikelets and growth habits using microscopy and SEM imaging. KEY

resultsFour distinct evolutionary lineages are found for the Digitaria crops, and we identify new close crop wild relatives D. fuscescens, D. atrofusca, D. setigera, D. radicosa, and D. ciliaris. South and eastern Africa is proposed as a likely origin of early Digitaria divergence, with crop lineages diverging from wild relatives around 2-6 mya. Incomplete domestication traits are observed, including the loss of trichomes, but no clear change in appearance for spikelet or abscission zone morphologies.

conclusionsThe knowledge produced in this study about Digitaria crop wild relatives will be useful in improving crop traits through targeted breeding and physiological studies, and we also highlight the need for conservation of seed material through programmes working with local partners for these important climate-tolerant indigenous cereals.

Indexed as

Biological EvolutionDigitariaMilletsPhylogenyCrops, AgriculturalEdible GrainagricultureDigitaria exilisDigitaria iburuaDigitaria sanguinalisdomesticationevolutionFoniofood securityphylogeneticsraishan

Identifiers

PMID41047603
PMCPMC12784079

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.