Establishment of a plantation from micropropagated Arnica chamissonis a pharmaceutical substitute for the endangered A. montana

Arnica montana L., like many endangered species, does not give stable yields in commercial plantations. Other Arnica species were investigated for their pharmaceutical activity and A. chamissonis Less., was confirmed as a pharmaceutical substitute for A. montana, extracts having on average 40% higher inhibition of lipoxygenase activity and reduction of superoxide and hydroxyl free radicles on a tissue dry weight basis. A micropropagation protocol was established for A. chammisonis and a plantation of 10,050 plants was established with 0.9% microplant loss at the weaning stage. The plantation is now in commercial production. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

A phylogenetic analysis of the land plants

Phylogenetic systematics (cladistics) is a theory of phylogeny reconstruction and classification widely used in zoology. Taxa are grouped hierarchically by the sharing of derived (advanced) characters. The information is expressed in a cladogram, a best estimate of a phylogeny. Plant systematists generally use a phenetic system, grouping taxa on overall similarity which results in many groups being formed, at least in part, on the basis of shared primitive characters.
The methods of phylogenetic systematics are used to create a preliminary cladogram of land plants. The current classification of land plants is criticized for its inclusion of many groups which are not monophyletic.
Objections to the use of phylogenetic systematics in botany, apparent convergences within major groups and frequent hybridization, are shown to be invalid. It is concluded that cladistic analysis presents the best estimate of die natural hierarchy of organisms, and should be adopted by plant systematists in their assessment of plant interrelationships.     

Coordination between growth and stress responses by DELLA in the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha

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Factors determining the host plant range of the phytophagous mite, Tetranychus urticae (Acari: Tetranychidae): a method for quantifying host plant acceptance

The host plant acceptance of the phytophagous mite Tetranychus urticae was experimentally quantified. Host plant acceptance is described as the proportion of adult females settling on the test plant on which they have been placed. On the other hand, the host plant suitability of T. urticae on different plant species is expressed as the mean number of eggs produced by the females within 5 days (hereafter 'fecundity'). An inbred T. urticae line was tested with regard to host plant acceptance and fecundity on 11 potential host plants. These two variables were positively correlated across host plants; host plant species on which the fecundity was low were also those on which females settled less readily compared to host plants with high fecundity. The characteristics of host plant acceptance of the T. urticae are discussed in light of their potential food resource under natural conditions.     

无人机近景摄影技术在崖壁植物多样性研究中的应用

崖壁植物具有不可及或不易及的特点,有关崖壁植物的调查一直面临着高成本、高风险和难鉴定的难题。本研究创新性地提出一种采用无人机近景摄影技术对崖壁植物拍照及专家鉴定的调查方法,通过分析崖壁植物群落的Margalef、Simpson与Pielou这3种多样性指数的变化,探究海拔、光照、立地条件与水汽条件这4种因子对崖壁植物多样性的影响。研究结果表明：本次调查共发现崖壁植物267种,分属于58科、140属;崖壁植物物种数目与海拔高度变化服从正态分布,物种数量在中海拔700-800m达到峰值,Simpson指数与Pielou指数在低海拔时达到最高,随海拔的升高而下降,但不表现出明显的变化规律;崖壁植物在不同的立地条件下,植物群落的物种组成、优势种类与出现频率均有所不同;崖壁植物的相关性分析显示,在光照条件出现差异或立地条件不同时,崖壁植物各指数之间存在着不同的显著性关系;近水崖壁植物与对照组的分析结果对比显示,崖壁植物的数量与物种组成受崖壁间水汽条件的影响,崖壁水汽条件越高的地区有着更丰富的植物种类。本研究表明崖壁植物的分布特征是受海拔、光照、立地条件以及水汽条件等多因素的综合作用而成。     

陕北丘陵沟壑区撂荒地自然恢复植被的组成结构与数量分类

采用样带调查与TWINSPAN分类等方法,对陕北丘陵沟壑区延安、安塞和吴旗174个撂荒地样方的物种组成、出现频率与盖度、及群落类型进行了统计与分类.植被组成结构的统计结果表明:该区自然恢复的植被几乎一半是由禾本科、菊科、豆科和蔷薇科的物种组成,北温带、旧世界温带、世界与泛热带分布成分占到总物种数近75%,且以中旱生、中生和旱生的草本类植物为主,具有典型的温带地面芽植物气候特征.植被的数量分类表明:调查样方基本包括了该区自然恢复的主要植被类型,延安、安塞和吴旗的植被在1年生草本群落到多年生蒿禾类草本群落阶段,依次均以猪毛蒿(Artemisia scoparia)、赖草(Leymus secalinus)、长芒草(Stipa bungeana)、达乌里胡枝子(Lespedeza davurica)、铁杆蒿(Artemisia gmelinii)、茭蒿(Artemisia giraldii)、白羊草(Bothriochloa ischaemun)等为主要优势物种构成的不同组合的植物群落,且这些物种具有较高的盖度和频度;但在植被演替后期,不同植被带及阴阳坡的演替方向却发生了明显的变化.以延安为代表的森林带,阴坡可形成黄刺玫(Rosa xanthina)、三角槭(Acer buergerianum)、辽东栎(Quercus liaotungensis)等为优势种的群落,阳坡可形成狼牙刺(Sophora viciifolia)、侧柏(Platycladus orientalis)等为优势种的群落;以安塞为代表的森林草原带,阴坡可形成黄刺玫、紫丁香(Syringa julianae)、虎榛子(Ostryopsis davidiana)等为优势种的群落,阳坡可形成白羊草(Bothriochloa ischaemun)、狼牙刺等为优势种的群落;而以吴旗为代表的草原带,阴阳坡植被分异不明显,为多年生蒿禾类草本群落.这些演替后期的灌乔优势物种均为高位芽植物,在阴坡为中生,在阳坡为旱生、中旱生,虽具有比较高的盖度,但分布仅仅是零散出现,并不是目前黄土丘陵沟壑区的主要植被类型.     

Device for the standard measurement of shoot flammability in the field

Fire ecology has been hindered by the lack of comparable, affordable protocols to quantify the flammability of whole plants over large numbers of species. We describe a low‐tech device that can be carried to the field and that allows highly standardized measurement of the flammability of whole individuals or portions up to 70 cm long. We illustrate its potential with results for 34 species belonging to different growth forms from central Argentina. The device consists of an 85 × 60 cm half‐cut metallic barrel placed horizontally and mounted on a removable metallic structure. It contains three parallel burners, a grill with an attached gauging thermometer and a blowtorch. Burners and blowtorch are connected to a propane–butane gas cylinder. Plant samples are placed on the grill and preheated with the burners for 2 min at 150°C. They are then ignited for 10 s with the blowtorch while the burners are kept on. Four parameters are measured for each sample: maximum temperature reached, burning time, burnt length and burnt biomass percentage. These parameters are used to construct a compound index of flammability for each sample that ranges between 0 (no flammability) and around 3 (maximum flammability). We obtained a wide range of values for flammability and all its components. Most of this variability was accounted for by differences between growth forms and species, rather than by differences at the level of replicates. This suggests that the device and protocol are sensitive enough to detect flammability differences among plants with different functional traits, and at the same time robust enough to produce consistent results among samples with similar traits. A major advantage is that plant architecture is kept almost intact, providing a flammability measure much closer to that of whole individuals in the field than those obtained by other standard protocols in use. The device and protocol presented here should facilitate the acquisition of comparable flammability data over large numbers of species from different floras and ecosystems, potentially contributing to several fields of research, such as functional ecology, evolutionary ecology and vegetation‐atmosphere modelling.     

植物引种驯化对近500年人类文明史的影响及其科学意义

近500年来, 植物引种驯化及其广泛栽培深刻改变了世界农业生产的格局, 对促进人类社会文明进步产生了深远的影响。无论在西方殖民地发展史还是在我国明清发展史中, 每一种重要栽培植物的成功引种和驯化, 都对历史进程产生了不可估量的作用。活植物收集是植物园的核心和“灵魂”, 传承了现代植物园几个世纪科学研究的脉络和成就。活植物收集是植物园科学研究的基础和支撑平台, 也是当前和未来发展的根本。基于活植物收集的植物园研究工作具有多学科综合的特征, 既对基础生物学研究具有重要意义, 也与经济繁荣、社会发展和人类日常生活密切相关。     

7种寄主和非寄主植物气味对茶尺蠖成虫行为的调控效应

为探讨茶园生态系中植物气味对茶尺蠖成虫行为的影响,遂以茶园群落中7种常见植物新鲜嫩梢为味源,设1.5、5.0、7.5、10.0、15.0、20.0g和30.0g剂量,洁净空气为CK1,用Y型嗅觉仪对茶尺蠖成虫进行的剂量反应结果为:①剂量为1.5g时寄主薄荷诱得的成虫数与CK1的差异显著;随着剂量增加,其诱得成虫数呈抛物线式递减;剂量为30.0g时其诱得成虫数显著小于CK1。②随着剂量的加大,寄主迷迭香、茶叶和吸毒草诱得成虫数呈抛物线式递增,剂量分别为7.5、10.0g和15.0g、以及10.0g时,3种寄主分别与CK1引诱成虫数的差异显著;当剂量再加大,3种寄主皆表现驱避效应,当剂量为30.0g时迷迭香诱得成虫数显著小于CK1。③当剂量为1.5g时,寄主万寿菊呈微弱引诱效应,当剂量再增加时则呈微弱驱避效应且驱避效应增强,当剂量为30.0g时其诱得成虫数显著小于CK1。④当剂量为5.0g时,寄主碰碰香无引诱或驱避效应;剂量为7.5g时,碰碰香呈微弱引诱效应;当剂量再增加时则呈微弱驱避效应。⑤当剂量为5.0、7.5、10.0g,非寄主薰衣草未呈现引诱或驱避;当剂量再增加时则呈驱避效应;当剂量为30.0g时其诱得成虫数显著小于CK1。再以正己烷为溶剂,取新鲜薄荷、万寿菊、茶叶嫩梢榨汁,汁液浸泡橡皮头24h以汲取气味,制成诱芯,气味以当量计算,即1.5g薄荷/诱芯、0.75g薄荷/诱芯、1.5g万寿菊/诱芯、1.5g茶叶/诱芯;以正己烷浸泡橡皮头24h作为CK2。诱芯附于土黄色粘板组成诱捕器,连续7d诱捕第5代成虫,每日更换色板,均有较强诱捕效应;从1.5g薄荷/诱芯、CK2、1.5g万寿菊/诱芯、0.75g薄荷/诱芯至1.5g茶叶/诱芯,诱效显著增加;1.5g薄荷/诱芯的诱效显著弱于CK2。在第5代茶尺蠖幼虫期,取1/6hm2茶园各3个作为诱捕小区,同样大小的3块茶园作为CK3,查虫口基数。第5代发蛾盛期,在每诱捕小区均匀放置5种诱捕器各7只,连续诱捕7日,每日更换色板,第6代幼虫虫口校正下降率30%。由试验结果认为:植物气味有效调节茶尺蠖成虫行为,薄荷诱效稍强于茶叶,熏衣草有驱避效应。     

Progress in the biotechnology of trees

An increasing world population and rise in demand for tree products, especially wood, has increased the need to produce more timber through planting more forest with improved quality stock. Superior trees are likely to arise from several sources. Firstly, forest trees can be selected from wild populations and cloned using macropropagation techniques already being investigated for fruit tree rootstocks. Alternatively, propagation might be brought aboutin vitro through micropropagation or sustained somatic embryogenesis, with encapsulation of the somatic embryos to form artificial seeds. Tree quality could be improved through increased plant breeding and it is likely that experienced gained, to date, in the breeding of fruit species will be useful in devising strategies for forest trees. Since the development of techniques to regenerate woody plants from explant tissues, cells and protoplasts, it is now feasible to test the use of tissue culture methods to bring about improvements in tree quality. Success has already been achieved for tree species in the generation of somaclonal and protoclonal variation, the formation of haploids, triploids and polyploids, somatic hybrids and cybrids and the introduction of foreign DNA through transformation. This review summarizes the advances made so far in tree biotechnology, and suggests some of the directions that it might take in the future.     

Photosynthate partitioning and nodule formation in soybean plants that received red or far-red light at the end of the photosynthetic period

The influence of row orientation on spectral distribution of light received by growing soybean [ Glycine max (L.) Merr. (cv. Coker 338)] plants was measured under field conditions, and light spectrum effects on photosynthate partitioning were studied under controlled environments. Light received by leaves under field conditions differed among those grown in north-south vs east-west oriented rows. In morning and late afternoon, the far-red/ red ratio received by leaves at the surface of the canopy differed about 3-fold from the east to west sides of north-south rows, but only 1.3-fold from the south to north sides of east-west rows.
In controlled environments, brief exposures to red or far-red light at the end of the photosynthetic period influenced partitioning of photosynthate among leaves, stems and roots. The top/root ratios differed significantly between the red and far-red treated plants. Red treated plants partitioned less photosynthate to stems and more to roots than did those treated with far-red. Also, plants with larger root systems developed more nodules. Phytochrome effects on photosynthate partitioning between tops and roots may influence yield of soybean plants grown in soils with low water-holding capacity.     

植物园发展的动向

对国内外植物园近十余年来发展的动向进行评述,列举了近年来一系列重要的植物园国际会议与重大活动,指出当前国际植物园工作的中心任务首先是物种保护。总结和分析我国植物园发展的历史和现状、存在问题以及在园貌建设上与国际先进植物园的差距。这些差距主要表现在：（１）植物的收集量;（２）活植物数据的积累;（３）罕见植物的引种;（４）现代技术的应用。作者最后提出,我国植物园发展应把握的几个主要问题是：（１）既是多功能全方位发展,又应各具特色;（２）生物多样性是植物园永恒的主题;（３）植物园应着重物种迁地保护的研究和实践;（４）植物园应重视栽培和利用植物并着重以药用植物为对象。     

Monoclonal antibodies against the plant cytokinin isopentenyl adenosine

Sixteen monoclonal antibodies against isopentenyl adenosine (iPA) were developed and characterized for reactivity towards this cytokinin and structurally related molecules by use of a competition fluorescence enzyme immunoassay. Antibodies with suitable affinity and specificity were used in an immunoassay to detect and quantify isopentenyl adenosine. Logit/log plots of fluorescence vs pmol of the cytokinin indicated that the assay had a measurement range of 0.03–256 pmol (10–8500 pg) with high linearity (r =–0.98). This competition fluorescence enzyme immunoassay showed that three antibodies cross-reacted with N-6-benzyladenine and its riboside: cross-reactivity with dihydrozeatin and its riboside, cis -zeatin, trans -zeatin riboside, adenine and adenosine was minor. When an immunoaffinity-HPLC technique was used to measure the cross-reactivity of two of the antibodies in the presence of known quantities of multiple cytokinins, iPA was bound in preference to the other cytokinins. One of the antibodies was used to quantify this cytokinin in developing wheat ( Triticum aestivum L. cv. Stephens) seeds and in wheat seeds spiked with known amounts of certain other cytokinins. The use of these antibodies in immunoassay in combination with HPCL for quantification of iPA in plant extracts is discussed.     

Anatomical and physiological changes of in vitro-propagated Vriesea imperialis (Bromeliaceae) in the function of sucrose and ventilated containers

Abstract

Under in vitro culture conditions, plants may present physiological and anatomical disorders, which can interfere negatively after ex vitro transfer. The aim of this investigation was to analyze the impacts of natural ventilation and sucrose supply on the anatomy and physiology of Vriesea imperialis. Plants previously grown in vitro were transferred to culture medium containing 0, 15, 30 or 45?g L^?1 sucrose. Three different culture container sealing systems were tested: lids with a green filter (81.35 gas exchanges per day), yellow filter (13.09 gas exchanges per day) or lids with a yellow filter covered with three layers of transparent polyvinylchloride (PVC) film (blocking fluent gas exchange). Sucrose concentrations influenced thickness, lignin and suberin deposition of exodermis cell wall. The modifications verified in leaves, such as higher density of stomata and trichome scales, showed that sucrose can induce osmotic stress in the plants. Photomixotrophic conditions, using containers with intermediate rate of gas exchange (yellow filter) and with 15–30?g L^?1 sucrose, produced an improvement in the growth traits and did not induce anatomical and physiological disturbances.     

植物microRNAs研究进展

植物microRNAs(miRNAs)是一类与RNA诱导沉默复合体相关的约由22个核苷酸组成的单链小RNA分子, 其主要功能是, 通过特异性剪切靶mRNA或阻遏靶mRNA的正常翻译在转录后水平调控基因的负表达。植物miRNAs的靶标主要是参与调控植物生长发育和防御应答的转录因子家族。文章主要综述miRNAs在植物体内的生物发生、作用机制及其调控作用研究新进展。     

The parasitic mechanism of the holostemparasitic plant Cuscuta

Cuscuta is a stem holoparasitic plant without leaves or roots, which develops a haustorium and sucks nutrients from host plants. The genus Cuscuta comprises about 200 species, many of which can cause severe problems for certain crops. The parasitic process in Cuscuta begins in finding and attaching to a host plant and then developing a haustorium. The process does not always require any chemical signal, but does require a light signal. Finding a host involves detecting the lower red light:far-red light ratio near a potential host plant by phytochrome. A contact signal is also necessary for haustorium induction. Apparently, cytokinin increase is downstream of the light and contact signal and is critical for haustorium induction. This pathway, however, appears to be slightly different from a standard pathway. The direct connection between Cuscuta and its host involves both the xylem and phloem, and mRNA and proteins can translocate. Several features indicate that Cuscuta is a useful model plant for parasite plant research as well as plant–plant interaction research. These include the simple anatomical structure and seedling development, no chemical requirement for haustorium induction, and the wide range of host plants.     

A phylogenetic classification of the land plants to accompany APG III

A formal classification of the land plants that is compatible with the APG III classification is proposed. Previous classifications inflated taxonomic ranks, particularly of the angiosperms. If the major clades of green algae are recognized as classes, then all land plants, the embryophytes, should be included in a single class, here recognized as Equisitopsida. Accordingly, the 16 major clades of land plants, including the angiosperms, should all be recognized as subclasses, the angiosperms as Magnoliidae. Major clades within the angiosperms are then recognized as superorders. This classification still uses a few informal categories (e.g. eudicots, lamiids, etc.) within the angiosperms because this is convenient. Two new names are established: Amborellanae and Austrobaileyanae. © 2009 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2009, 161 , 122–127.