Floral Color, Anthocyanin Synthesis Gene Expression and Control in Cape Erica Species

The Cape Floristic Region (CFR) is a biodiversity hotspot, recognised globally for its unusually high levels of endemism. The origins of this biodiversity are a long-standing topic of research. The largest “Cape clade”, Erica, radiated dramatically in the CFR, its ca. 690 species arising within 10-15 Ma. Notable between- and within-species flower colour variation in Erica may have contributed to the origins of species diversity through its...