{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,27]],"date-time":"2026-08-27T22:12:32Z","timestamp":1787868752864,"version":"build-2784847793"},"reference-count":56,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"13","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,24]],"date-time":"2026-06-24T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1782259200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100004586","name":"Funda\u00e7\u00e3o Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo \u00e0 Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","award":["204.636\/2024"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["204.636\/2024"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100004586","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]},{"award":["204.636\/2024"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["204.636\/2024"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/03kk0s825","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Biology"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Coccocypselum lanceolatum is a tropical, perennial, creeping, herbaceous C3 plant species that is found in deeply shaded humid forests. This species has potential for medicinal and culinary uses. Knowledge about this species and other herbaceous Rubiaceae is confined to phytocoenological and morpho-anatomical studies. Here, it was hypothesized that (1) leaf gas exchange dynamics over a one-year period in C. lanceolatum are related to light conditions, phenology and environmental seasonal changes; (2) photosynthetic performance is focused on enhanced carbon gains through a high leaf net assimilation rate (Anet) relative to light availability, a low dark respiration rate (Rd) and a light compensation point (LCP); and (3) these parameters will vary over leaf age. The photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD), characterizing the growth and development of C. lanceolatum, was reduced to 4\u201311% of incoming light in the open area, while the red-to-far-red light ratio (R:FR) was reduced from 1.15 to mean diurnal values of 0.45\u20130.81, depending on forest canopy dynamics. Leaf gas exchange parameters [Anet, stomatal conductance (gs), leaf transpiration (E), and intrinsic water use efficiency (iWUE)] were observed over a one-year period. Anet, gs, and E were correlated with energy factors (PPFD and air temperature) during vegetative growth, while only iWUE showed a correlation with leaf gas exchange parameters during blooming and fruiting, indicating that seasonality and phenology were additional drivers of leaf gas exchange. As a deep-shade forest species, C. lanceolatum displayed low iWUE (3\u201321 \u03bcmol m\u22122 s\u22121) and was adapted to maximize carbon gain and prioritize high gs rather than water economy. The extremely low LCP (4.2 \u03bcmol m\u22122 s\u22121), low Rd (0.2 to 0.43 \u03bcmol m\u22122 s\u22121), maximum net photosynthesis (Amax, 5 \u03bcmol m\u22122 s\u22121), and apparent quantum efficiency of CO2 assimilation (\u03a6 of 0.04 \u00b5mol \u00b5mol\u22121) were adaptational traits of this species for low light. Finally, the Anet, gs, E, iWUE, gross photosynthesis under light saturation, Rd, LCP, and light saturation point values were different when comparing young and adult leaves. The ecophysiological responses over a one-year period shown here could assist in the success of C. lanceolatum as a sustainable soil-cover plant in shaded areas.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/biology15130994","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,1]],"date-time":"2026-07-01T16:50:33Z","timestamp":1782924633000},"page":"994","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["One-Year Phenology of Leaf Gas Exchange Dynamics in Coccocypselum lanceolatum"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2068-8821","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Miroslava","family":"Rakocevic","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Setor de Fisiologia Vegetal, Laborat\u00f3rio de Melhoramento Gen\u00e9tico Vegetal, Centro de Ci\u00eancias e Tecnologias Agropecu\u00e1rias, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense (UENF), Avenida Alberto Lamego 2000, Parque California, Campos dos Goytacazes 28013-602, RJ, Brazil"},{"name":"Laboratory of Crop Physiology, Department of Plant Biology, Institute of Biology, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas 13083-862, SP, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,24]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"194","DOI":"10.1590\/S0100-54052008000200021","article-title":"Coccocypselum lanceolatum (Rubiaceae): Nova esp\u00e9cie hospedeira de Puccinia lateritia no Brasil","volume":"34","author":"Pereira","year":"2008","journal-title":"Summa Phytopathol."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"53","DOI":"10.36253\/jopt-15948","article-title":"Supplement to the Rubiaceae in the Flora dos estados de Goi\u00e1s e Tocantins, Brazil: Nomenclatural revision, typifications, new records, new identifications, and new combinations","volume":"79","author":"Delprete","year":"2024","journal-title":"Webbia"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1590\/S1676-06032002000100006","article-title":"Sinopse do g\u00eanero Coccocypselum P. 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