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This Editorial introduces the Virtual Issue ‘Nectar and nectaries’ that includes the following papers: Ballarinet al.(2024), Griersonet al.(2024), Grof‐Tiszaet al.(2025), Landucci & Vannette (2025), Liaoet al.(2025), MacNeillet al.(2025), Magneret al.(2023, 2024, 2025), Minet al.(2019), Mouet al.(2025), Parkinsonet al.(2025), Quevedo‐Caraballoet al.(2025), Ramoset al.(2025), Romero‐Bravo & Castellanos (2024), Soareset al.(2025), Turneret al.(2025), Zhaiet al.(2025), Zhanget al.(2020). Access the Virtual Issue atwww.newphytologist.com/virtualissues. 

Summary Nectar is a central bridge between angiosperms and animal mutualists. It is produced by specialized structures termed nectaries, which can be found on different plant organs. Consumption of floral nectar by pollinators and the subsequent transfer of pollen contribute to the reproductive success of both angiosperms and their pollinators. Floral nectaries have evolved many times independently, feature diverse structural organizations, and produce nectars with various compositions, which cater to a wide range of pollinators. While the nectary and its nectar have been documented for two millennia, many aspects of nectary biology are still unknown. Recent advances in genetics, genomics, and comparative analyses across diverse species have accelerated our understanding of floral nectary structures and the genetic circuits behind their formation and evolution. In this review, we summarize the recent breakthroughs in nectary research and provide a macroevolutionary framework of floral nectary evolution, focusing on the genetic mechanisms that drive nectary development and shape nectary diversity. 

In this Letter we report Very Long Baseline Array observations of 22 GHz water masers toward the protostar CARMA–6 , located at the center of the Serpens South young cluster. From the astrometric fits to maser spots, we derive a distance of 440.7±3.5 pc for the protostar (1% error). This represents the best direct distance determination obtained so far for an object this young and deeply embedded in this highly obscured region. Taking depth effects into account, we obtain a distance to the cluster of 440.7 ± 4.6 pc. Stars visible in the optical that have astrometric solutions in the Gaia Data Release 3 are, on the other hand, all located at the periphery of the cluster. Their mean distance of 437 −41 +51 pc is consistent within 1 σ with the value derived from maser astrometry. As the maser source is at the center of Serpens South, we finally solve the ambiguity of the distance to this region that has prevailed over the years.