Morphology and valence state evolution of Cu:Unraveling the impact on nitric oxide electroreduction

Ammonia(NH3)serves as a critical component in the fertilizer industry and fume gas denitrification.However,the conventional NH3production process,namely the Haber-Bosch process,leads to considerable energy consumption and waste gas emissions.To address this,electrocatalytic nitric oxide reduction reaction(NORR)has emerged as a promising strategy to bridge NH3consumption to NH3production,harnessing renewable electricity for a sustainable future.Copper(Cu)stands out as a prominent electrocatalyst for NO reduction,given its exceptional NH3yield and selectivity.However,a crucial aspect that remains insufficiently explored is the effects of morphology and valence states of Cu on the NORR performance.In this investigation,we synthesized CuO nanowires(CuO-NF)and Cu nanocubes(Cu-NF)as cathodes through an in situ growth method.Remarkably,CuO-NF exhibited an impressive NH3yield of 0.50±0.02 mg cm^(-2)h^(-1)at-0.6 V vs.reversible hydrogen electrode(RHE)with faradaic efficiency of29,68%±1,35%,surpassing that of Cu-NF(0.17±0.01 mg cm^(-2)h^(-1),16.18%±1.40%).Throughout the electroreduction process,secondary cubes were generated on the CuO-NF surface,preserving their nanosheet cluster morphology,sustained by an abundant supply of subsurface oxygen(s-O)even after an extended duration of 10 h,until s-O depletion ensued.Conversely,Cu-NF exhibited inadequate s-O content,leading to rapid crystal collapse within the same timeframe.The distinctive current-potential relationship,akin to a volcano-type curve,was attributed to distinct NO hydrogenation mechanisms.Further Tafel analysis revealed the exchange current density(i0)and standard heterogeneous rate constant(k0)for CuO-NF,yielding 3.44×10^(-6)A cm^(-2)and 3.77×10^(-6)cm^(-2)s^(-1)when NORR was driven by overpotentials.These findings revealed the potential of CuO-NF for NO reduction and provided insights into the intricate interplay between crystal morphology,valence states,and electrochemical performance.

Responses of growth performance,antioxidant function,small intestinal morphology and mRNA expression of jejunal tight junction protein to dietary iron in yellow-feathered broilers

This study aimed to investigate the dose-effect of iron on growth performance,antioxidant function.intestinal morphology,and mRNA expression of jejunal tight junction protein in 1-to21-d-old yellow-feathered broilers.A total of 7201-d-old yellow-feathered maleb roilers were allocated to 9 treatments with 8 replicate cages of 10 birds per cage.The dietary treatments were consisted of a basal diet(contained 79.6 mg Fe kg^(-1))supplemented with 0,20,40,60,80,160,320,640,and 1,280 mg Fe kg^(-1)in the form of FeSO_(4)·7H_(2)O.Compared with the birds in the control group,birds supplemented with 20mg Fe kg^(-1)had higher average daily gain(ADG)(P<0.0001).Adding 640 and 1,280 mg Fe kg^(-1)significantly decreased ADG(P<0.0001)and average daily feed intake(ADFI)(P<0.0001)compared with supplementation of 20mg Fe kg^(-1).Malondialdehyde(MDA)concentration in plasma and duodenum increased linearly(P<0.0001),but MDA concentration in liver and jejunum increased linearly(P<0.05)or quadratically(P<0.05)with increased dietary Fe concentration.The villus height(VH)in duodenum and jejunum,and the ratio of villus height to crypt depth(V/C)in duodenum decreased linearly(P?0.05)as dietary Feincreased.As dietary Fe increased,the jejunal relative mRNA abundance of claudin-1 decreased linearly(P=0.001),but the jejunal relative mRNA abundance of zona occludens-1(ZO-1)and occludin decreased linearly(P?0.05)or quadratically(P?0.05).Compared with the supplementation of 20 mg Fe kg^(-1),the supplementation of640 mg Fe kg^(-1)or higher increased(P?0.05)MDA concentrations in plasma,duodenum,and jejunum,decreased VH in the duodenum and jejunum,and the addition of 1,280 mg Fe kg^(-1)reduced(P?0.05)the jejunal tight junction protein(claudin-1,ZO-1,occludin)mRNA abundance.In summary,640 mg of supplemental Fe kg^(-1)or greater was associated with decreased growth performance,increased oxidative stress,disrupted intestinal morphology,and reduced mRNA expression of jejunal tight junction protein.

Droplet morphology analysis of drop-on-demand inkjet printing

As an accurate 2D/3D fabrication tool,inkjet printing technology has great potential in preparation of micro electronic devices.The morphology of droplets produced by the inkjet printer has a great impact on the accuracy of deposition.In this study,the drop-on-demand(DoD)inkjet simulation model was established,and the accuracy of the simulation model was verified by corresponding experiments.The simulation result shows that the velocity of the droplet front and tail,as well as the time to disconnect from the nozzle is mainly affected by density(ρ),viscosity(μ)and surface tension(σ)of droplets.When the liquid filament is about to disconnect from the nozzle,the filament length and filament front velocity are found to have a linear correlation withσ/ρμand ln(ρ/(μσ1/2)).

Synthesis of Core-shell ZSM-5@ Ordered Mesoporous Silica by Tetradecylamine Surfactant

A core-shell composite consisting of ZSM-5 zeolite as the core and ordered mesoporous silica as the shell was prepared by a surfactant-controlled sol-gel process and using tetradecylamine(TDA) as the template and Tetraethylorthosilicate(TEOS) as the silica precursor.The pores of the silica shell were found to be ordered and perpendicular to the crystal faces of the zeolite core.The thickness of the shell in the coreshell structured composite can be adjusted in the range of 20-90 nm,while the surface morphology and the pore size distribution were modified by changing the mass ratio of TEOS to zeolite.The composite molecular sieves have higher surface area for capturing molecules than ZSM-5,and with the increase of mesoporous shell layer,the ZSM-5@SiO_(2)-x composites show stronger adsorption capacity of butyraldehyde.However,when the shell thickness exceeds 90 nm,the adsorption capacity of butyraldehyde decreases instead.The composites have a huge potential for environmental applications.

Core-Shell Semiconductor-Graphene Nanoarchitectures for Efficient Photocatalysis:State of the Art and Perspectives

Semiconductor photocatalysis holds great promise for renewable energy generation and environment remediation,but generally suffers from the serious drawbacks on light absorption,charge generation and transport,and structural stability that limit the performance.The core-shell semiconductorgraphene(CSSG)nanoarchitectures may address these issues due to their unique structures with exceptional physical and chemical properties.This review explores recent advances of the CSSG nanoarchitectures in the photocatalytic performance.It starts with the classification of the CSSG nanoarchitectures by the dimensionality.Then,the construction methods under internal and external driving forces were introduced and compared with each other.Afterward,the physicochemical properties and photocatalytic applications of these nanoarchitectures were discussed,with a focus on their role in photocatalysis.It ends with a summary and some perspectives on future development of the CSSG nanoarchitectures toward highly efficient photocatalysts with extensive application.By harnessing the synergistic capabilities of the CSSG architectures,we aim to address pressing environmental and energy challenges and drive scientific progress in these fields.

Recent advances in core-shell organic framework-based photocatalysts for energy conversion and environmental remediation

Direct conversion of solar energy into chemical energy in an environmentally friendly manner is one of the most promising strategies to deal with the environmental pollution and energy crisis.Among a variety of materials developed as photocatalysts,the core-shell metal/covalent-organic framework(MOF or COF)photocatalysts have garnered significant attention due to their highly porous structure and the adjustability in both structure and functionality.The existing reviews on core-shell organic framework photocatalytic materials have mainly focused on core-shell MOF materials.However,there is still a lack of indepth reviews specifically addressing the photocatalytic performance of core-shell COFs and MOFs@COFs.Simultaneously,there is an urgent need for a comprehensive review encompassing these three types of core-shell structures.Based on this,this review aims to provide a comprehensive understanding and useful guidelines for the exploration of suitable core-shell organic framework photocatalysts towards appropriate photocatalytic energy conversion and environmental governance.Firstly,the classification,synthesis,formation mechanisms,and reasonable regulation of core-shell organic framework were summarized.Then,the photocatalytic applications of these three kinds of core-shell structures in different areas,such as H_(2)evolution,CO_(2)reduction,and pollutants degradation are emphasized.Finally,the main challenges and development prospects of core-shell organic framework photocatalysts were introduced.This review aims to provide insights into the development of a novel generation of efficient and stable core-shell organic framework materials for energy conversion and environmental remediation.

Amorphous core-shell NiMoP@CuNWs rod-like structure with hydrophilicity feature for efficient hydrogen production in neutral media

Using interface engineering,a highly efficient catalyst with a shell@core structure was successfully synthesized by growing an amorphous material composed of Ni,Mo,and P on Cu nanowires(Ni-MoP@CuNWs).This catalyst only requires an overpotential of 35 mV to reach a current density of 10 mA cm^(-2).The exceptional hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)activity is attributed to the unique amorphous rod-like nature of NiMoP@CuNWs,which possesses a special hydrophilic feature,en-hances mass transfer,promotes effective contact between the electrode and electrolyte solution,and exposes more active sites during the catalytic process.Density functional theory revealed that the introduction of Mo weakens the binding strength of the Ni site on the catalyst surface with the H atom and promotes the desorption process of the H_(2) product significantly.Owing to its facile syn-thesis,low cost,and high catalytic performance,this electrocatalyst is a promising option for com-mercial applications as a water electrolysis catalyst.

A novel Ag/ZnO core-shell structure for efficient sterilization synergizing antibiotics and subsequently removing residuals

The massive use of antibiotics has led to the aggravation of bacterial resistance and also brought environmental pollution problems.This poses a great threat to human health.If the dosage of antibiotics is reduced by increasing its bactericidal performance,the emergence of drug resistance is certainly delayed,so that there's not enough time for developing drug resistance during treatment.Therefore,we selected typical representative materials of metal Ag and semiconductor ZnO nano-bactericides to design and synthesize Ag/ZnO hollow core-shell structures(AZ for short).Antibiotics are grafted on the surface of AZ through rational modification to form a composite sterilization system.The research results show that the antibacterial efficiency of the composite system is significantly increased,from the sum(34.7%+22.8%-57.5%)of the antibacterial efficiency of AZ and gentamicin to 80.2%,net synergizes 22.7%,which fully reflects the effect of 1+1>2.Therefore,the dosage of antibiotics can be drastically reduced in this way,which makes both the possibility of bacterial resistance and medical expenses remarkably decrease.Subsequently,residual antibiotics can be degraded under simple illumination using AZ-self as a photocatalyst,which cuts off the path of environmental pollution.In short,such an innovative route has guiding significance for drug resistance.

Engineering fibrillar morphology for highly efficient organic solar cells

The power conversion efficiency(PCE)for single-junction organic solar cells(OSCs),wherein the photoactive layer is a typical bulk-heterojunction containing donor and acceptor materials,has surpassed 19%[1−4].The advance is ascribed to the development of Y-series non-fullerene acceptors(NFAs)[5,6]and polymer donors[7−13],and the refined control of the blend film morphology.

Exploring the Core-shell Structure of BaTiO3-based Dielectric Ceramics Using Machine Learning Models and Interpretability Analysis

A machine learning(ML)-based random forest(RF)classification model algorithm was employed to investigate the main factors affecting the formation of the core-shell structure of BaTiO_(3)-based ceramics and their interpretability was analyzed by using Shapley additive explanations(SHAP).An F1-score changed from 0.8795 to 0.9310,accuracy from 0.8450 to 0.9070,precision from 0.8714 to 0.9000,recall from 0.8929 to 0.9643,and ROC/AUC value of 0.97±0.03 was achieved by the RF classification with the optimal set of features containing only 5 features,demonstrating the high accuracy of our model and its high robustness.During the interpretability analysis of the model,it was found that the electronegativity,melting point,and sintering temperature of the dopant contribute highly to the formation of the core-shell structure,and based on these characteristics,specific ranges were delineated and twelve elements were finally obtained that met all the requirements,namely Si,Sc,Mn,Fe,Co,Ni,Pd,Er,Tm,Lu,Pa,and Cm.In the process of exploring the structure of the core-shell,the doping elements can be effectively localized to be selected by choosing the range of features.

Lineaperpetua gen.nov.:a new diatom genus in the Thalassiosirales supported by morphology and molecular data

Based on a combination of morphology and molecular data of ribosomal DNA genes,a new diatom genus Lineaperpetua gen.nov.Yu,You,Kociolek&Wang is described.The features that help define Lineaperpetua at the level of genus include:a tangentially undulated valve face;continuous cribra areolae on the valve interior consisting of pores arranged as strips;single rimoportula located inside the ring of marginal fultoportulae.Additionally,phylogenetic analysis based on nuclear small subunit(SSU)rDNA sequences and nuclear large subunit(LSU)rDNA gene placed the three strains of L.lacustris in a single,monophyletic clade at a considerable sequence distance from the other genera(Thalassiosira,Conticribra,Planktoniella,Shinodiscus,and other genera)belonging to Thalassiosirales.Despite the similarities with some species of Thalassiosira,Conticribra,and Spicaticribra,the suite of features found in Lineaperpetua differentiate it from these other genera.These molecular data and morphological characters suggest an affinity of the new genus to the Thalassiosiraceae.

Interfacial reinforcement of core-shell HMX@energetic polymer composites featuring enhanced thermal and safety performance

The weak interface interaction and solid-solid phase transition have long been a conundrum for 1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetraazacyclooctane(HMX)-based polymer-bonded explosives(PBX).A two-step strategy that involves the pretreatment of HMX to endow—OH groups on the surface via polyalcohol bonding agent modification and in situ coating with nitrate ester-containing polymer,was proposed to address the problem.Two types of energetic polyether—glycidyl azide polymer(GAP)and nitrate modified GAP(GNP)were grafted onto HMX crystal based on isocyanate addition reaction bridged through neutral polymeric bonding agent(NPBA)layer.The morphology and structure of the HMX-based composites were characterized in detail and the core-shell structure was validated.The grafted polymers obviously enhanced the adhesion force between HMX crystals and fluoropolymer(F2314)binder.Due to the interfacial reinforcement among the components,the two HMX-based composites exhibited a remarkable increment of phase transition peak temperature by 10.2°C and 19.6°C with no more than 1.5%shell content,respectively.Furthermore,the impact and friction sensitivity of the composites decreased significantly as a result of the barrier produced by the grafted polymers.These findings will enhance the future prospects for the interface design of energetic composites aiming to solve the weak interface and safety concerns.

Core-shell mesoporous carbon hollow spheres as Se hosts for advanced Al-Se batteries

Incorporating a selenium(Se)positive electrode into aluminum(Al)-ion batteries is an effective strategy for improving the overall battery performance.However,the cycling stability of Se positive electrodes has challenges due to the dissolution of intermediate reaction products.In this work,we aim to harness the advantages of Se while reducing its limitations by preparing a core-shell mesoporous carbon hollow sphere with a titanium nitride(C@TiN)host to load 63.9wt%Se as the positive electrode material for Al-Se batteries.Using the physical and chemical confinement offered by the hollow mesoporous carbon and TiN,the obtained core-shell mesoporous carbon hollow spheres coated with Se(Se@C@TiN)display superior utilization of the active material and remarkable cycling stability.As a result,Al-Se batteries equipped with the as-prepared Se@C@TiN composite positive electrodes show an initial discharge specific capacity of 377 mAh·g^(-1)at a current density of 1000 mA·g^(-1)while maintaining a discharge specific capacity of 86.0 mAh·g^(-1)over 200 cycles.This improved cycling performance is ascribed to the high electrical conductivity of the core-shell mesoporous carbon hollow spheres and the unique three-dimensional hierarchical architecture of Se@C@TiN.

Leaf Morphology Genes SRL1 and RENL1 Co-Regulate Cellulose Synthesis and Affect Rice Drought Tolerance

The morphological development of rice(Oryza sativa L.)leaves is closely related to plant architecture,physiological activities,and resistance.However,it is unclear whether there is a co-regulatory relationship between the morphological development of leaves and adaptation to drought environment.In this study,a drought-sensitive,roll-enhanced,and narrow-leaf mutant(renl1)was induced from a semi-rolled leaf mutant(srl1)by ethyl methane sulfonate(EMS),which was obtained from Nipponbare(NPB)through EMS.Map-based cloning and functional validation showed that RENL1 encodes a cellulose synthase,allelic to NRL1/OsCLSD4.The RENL1 mutation resulted in reduced vascular bundles,vesicular cells,cellulose,and hemicellulose contents in cell walls,diminishing the water-holding capacity of leaves.In addition,the root system of the renl1 mutant was poorly developed and its ability to scavenge reactive oxygen species(ROS)was decreased,leading to an increase in ROS after drought stress.Meanwhile,genetic results showed that RENL1 and SRL1 synergistically regulated cell wall components.Our results revealed a theoretical basis for further elucidating the molecular regulation mechanism of cellulose on rice drought tolerance,and provided a new genetic resource for enhancing the synergistic regulation network of plant type and stress resistance,thereby realizing simultaneous improvement of multiple traits in rice.

A new species of Discostella guiyangensis sp.nov.(Bacillariophyta,Stephanodiscales)from Guiyang,China:morphology and phylogeny

We describe a new species of Discostella from Guiyang based on light and scanning electron microscopic observations,as well as molecular analysis.This species is morphologically distinguished from other species by a relatively smooth and slightly recessed central area with marginal striae of unequal lengths forked near the margin.Marginal fultoportulae and a single rimoportula are situated between every two costae or on the costae.Both morphological characters and the concatenated data of rbc L and SSU rDNA indicate that Discostella guiyangensis is a unique and new species.According to divergence time estimation analysis,Discostella guiyangensis is the oldest species among the Discostella species sequenced currently.In addition,we complement molecular data of Discostella asterocostata and Discostella stelligera.

Fe-N_(x) sites coupled with core-shell FeS@C nanoparticles to boost the oxygen catalysis for rechargeable Zn-air batteries

The development of efficient single-atom catalysts(SACs) for the oxygen reduction reaction(ORR)remains a formidable challenge,primarily due to the symmetric charge distribution of metal singleatom sites(M-N_(4)).To address such issue,herein,Fe-N_(x) sites coupled synergistic catalysts fabrication strategy is presented to break the uniform electronic distribution,thus enhancing the intrinsic catalytic activity.Precisely,atomically dispersed Fe-N_(x) sites supported on N/S-doped mesoporous carbon(NSC)coupled with FeS@C core-shell nanoparticles(FAS-NSC@950) is synthesized by a facile hydrothermal reaction and subsequent pyrolysis.Due to the presence of an in situ-grown conductive graphitic layer(shell),the FeS nanoparticles(core) effectively adjust the electronic structure of single-atom Fe sites and facilitate the ORR kinetics via short/long-range coupling interactions.Consequently,FAS-NSC@950displays a more positive half-wave potential(E_(1/2)) of 0.871 V with a significantly boosted ORR kinetics(Tafel slope=52.2 mV dec^(-1)),outpacing the commercial Pt/C(E_(1/2)=0.84 V and Tafel slope=54.6 mV dec^(-1)).As a bifunctional electrocatalyst,it displays a smaller bifunctional activity parameter(ΔE) of 0.673 V,surpassing the Pt/C-RuO_(2) combination(ΔE=0.724 V).Besides,the FAS-NSC@950-based zincair battery(ZAB) displays superior power density,specific capacity,and long-term cycling performance to the Pt/C-Ir/C-based ZAB.This work significantly contributes to the field by offering a promising strategy to enhance the catalytic activity of SACs for ORR,with potential implications for energy conversion and storage technologies.

An Implementation of Multiscale Line Detection and Mathematical Morphology for Efficient and Precise Blood Vessel Segmentation in Fundus Images

Diagnosing various diseases such as glaucoma,age-related macular degeneration,cardiovascular conditions,and diabetic retinopathy involves segmenting retinal blood vessels.The task is particularly challenging when dealing with color fundus images due to issues like non-uniformillumination,low contrast,and variations in vessel appearance,especially in the presence of different pathologies.Furthermore,the speed of the retinal vessel segmentation system is of utmost importance.With the surge of now available big data,the speed of the algorithm becomes increasingly important,carrying almost equivalent weightage to the accuracy of the algorithm.To address these challenges,we present a novel approach for retinal vessel segmentation,leveraging efficient and robust techniques based on multiscale line detection and mathematical morphology.Our algorithm’s performance is evaluated on two publicly available datasets,namely the Digital Retinal Images for Vessel Extraction dataset(DRIVE)and the Structure Analysis of Retina(STARE)dataset.The experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of our method,withmean accuracy values of 0.9467 forDRIVE and 0.9535 for STARE datasets,aswell as sensitivity values of 0.6952 forDRIVE and 0.6809 for STARE datasets.Notably,our algorithmexhibits competitive performance with state-of-the-art methods.Importantly,it operates at an average speed of 3.73 s per image for DRIVE and 3.75 s for STARE datasets.It is worth noting that these results were achieved using Matlab scripts containing multiple loops.This suggests that the processing time can be further reduced by replacing loops with vectorization.Thus the proposed algorithm can be deployed in real time applications.In summary,our proposed system strikes a fine balance between swift computation and accuracy that is on par with the best available methods in the field.

Synergistic Tuning of Nickel Cobalt Selenide@Nickel Telluride Core-Shell Heteroarchitectures for Boosting Overall Urea Electrooxidation and Electrochemical Supercapattery

Herein,we demonstrate the synthesis of bifunctional nickel cobalt selenide@nickel telluride(Ni_(x)Co_(12-x)Se@NiTe)core-shell heterostructures via an electrodeposition approach for overall urea electrolysis and supercapacitors.The 3D vertically orientated NiTe dendritic frameworks induce the homogeneous nucleation of 2D Ni_(x)Co_(12-x)Se nanosheet arrays along similar crystal directions and bring a strong interfacial binding between the integrated active components.In particular,the optimized Ni_(6)Co_(6)Se@NiTe with an interface coupling effect works in concert to tune the intrinsic activity.It only needs a low overpotential of 1.33 V to yield a current density of 10 mA cm^(-2)for alkaline urea electrolysis.Meanwhile,the full urea catalysis driven only by Ni_(6)Co_(6)Se@NiTe achieves 10 mA cm^(-2)at a potential of 1.38 V and can approach a constant level of the current response for 40 h.Besides,the integrated Ni_(6)Co_(6)Se@NiTe electrode delivers an enhanced specific capacity(223 mA h g^(-1)at 1 A g^(-1))with a high cycling stability.Consequently,a hybrid asymmetric supercapacitor(HASC)device based on Ni_(6)Co_(6)Se@NiTe exhibits a favorable rate capability and reaches a high energy density of 67.7 Wh kg^(-1)and a power density of 724.8 W kg^(-1)with an exceptional capacity retention of 92.4%after sequential 12000 cycles at 5 A g^(-1).

Fabrication of Core-Shell Hydrogel Bead Based on Sodium Alginate and Chitosan for Methylene Blue Adsorption

A novel core-shell hydrogel bead was fabricated for effective removal of methylene blue dye from aqueous solutions.The core,made of sodium alginate-g-polyacrylamide and attapulgite nanofibers,was cross-linked by Calcium ions(Ca^(2+)).The shell,composed of a chitosan/activated carbon mixture,was then coated onto the core.Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed the grafting polymerization of acrylamide onto sodium alginate.Scanning electron microscopy images showed the core-shell structure.The core exhibited a high water uptake ratio,facilitating the diffusion of methylene blue into the core.During the diffusion process,the methylene blue was first adsorbed by the shell and then further adsorbed by the core.Adsorption tests showed that the coreshell structure had a larger adsorption capacity than the core alone.The shell effectively enhanced the adsorption capacity to methylene blue compared to the single core.Methylene blue was adsorbed by activated carbon and chitosan in the shell,and the residual methylene blue diffused into the core and was further adsorbed.

Flower morphology of Allium(Amaryllidaceae)and its systematic significance

Allium is a complicated genus that includes approximately 1000 species.Although its morphology is well studied,the taxonomic importance of many morphological traits,including floral traits,are poorly understood.Here,we examined and measured the floral characteristics of 87 accessions of 74 Allium taxa(belonging to 30 sections and nine subgenera)from Central to Eastern Asian countries.We then examined the taxonomic relationships between select flower characteristics and a phylogenetic tree based on ITS sequences.Our results confirm that floral morphology provides key taxonomic information to assess species delimitation in Allium.We found that perianth color is an important characteristic within the subg.Melanocrommyum,Polyprason,and Reticulatobulbosa.In subg.Allium,Cepa,and Rhizirideum,significant characteristics include ovary shape,perianth shape,and inner tepal apex.For species in subg.Angunium,the key taxonomic character is ovule number(only one ovule in per locule).In the subg.Allium,Cepa,Polyprason,and Reticulatobulbosa,which belong to the third evolutionary line of Allium,hood-like appendages occur in the ovary,although these do not occur in subg.Rhizirideum.Our results also indicated that the flower morphology of several species in some sections are not clearly distinguished,e.g.,sect.Sacculiferum(subg.Cepa)and sect.Tenuissima(subg.Rhizirideum).This study provides detailed photographs and descriptions of floral characteristics and information on general distributions,habitats,and phenology of the studied taxa.