Steps towards sustainable harvest of Ophiocordyceps sinensis in Bhutan

The insect-pathogenic fungus Ophiocordyceps sinensis (better known as Cordyceps sinensis) is harvested over much of the Himalayan plateau as a highly prized remedy in traditional Oriental medicine. Over the past 10 years its financial value has increased dramatically, with collectors paid as much as US $12,500 kg⁻¹ for top-quality material. This is causing significant distortion to local economies, and there is widespread concern that the current rate of collection is unsustainable. This paper introduces the fungus and its insect hosts, documents some of the biological and social constraints to achieving sustainability, describes the socioeconomic climate within which harvest and sale occurs in Bhutan, and details the measures put in place by the Royal Government of Bhutan to promote wise management of this valuable natural resource.

Discovery of three new species of Drosophila obscura species group (Diptera: Drosophilidae) from Mount Kinabalu in Borneo

We describe three new species of the Drosophila obscura species group, D. hypercephala , D. hideakii and D. quadrangula Gao & Toda, spp. nov., all discovered from high altitudes (>1500 m) on Mt Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. These are the southernmost distribution records of the D. obscura group in the Oriental Region. The three new species are each morphologically similar to different species of the Old World D. obscura species subgroup. This suggests that they are descendants of different founder species that independently colonized the tropics from the subtropical or temperate zones during the glacial ages. The new species D. hypercephala is hypercephalic not only in males but also, although less distinct, in females, unlike other hypercephalic drosophilid species in which only males are hypercephalic. This new finding of a hypercephalic species from the subgenus Sophophora , of which species are relatively easy to culture in the laboratory and include the model species such as D. melanogaster and D. pseudoobscura , will promote genetic analyses on the development and the evolution of hypercephaly.     

百合组织培养和遗传转化的研究进展

百合是单子叶球茎类观赏花卉,具有食用和药用的作用。本文综述了国内外百合组织培养和遗传转化研究进展。包括营养器官、生殖器官和原生质体再生系统的建立。详细介绍了基因转化的方法,例如农杆菌、基因枪、电激穿孔等。浅析百合外源基因的表达,例如GUS、半夏凝集素基因、几丁质酶基因等。同时,讨论了百合遗传转化中存在的问题,以期为百合基因工程方面的研究提供依据。     

The widespread naturalisation of Nymphaea hybrids is masking the decline of wild-type Nymphaea alba in Hesse,Germany

The genus Nymphaea has long been cherished for its ornamental value. Since the end of the 19th century, intensive breeding has produced a large number of widely available hybrids used in horticulture. However, their escape from cultivation and their introduction into the wild pose problems for the conservation of Nymphaea alba in its natural distribution area because many white-flowered hybrids cannot be identified by morphological characters alone. To reliably identify plants of hybrid origin and to study the extent of the invasion of natural habitats by such hybrids, a case study was performed in which plant material was sampled at 34 locations in the federal state of Hesse, Germany, and neighbouring federal states. In addition to morphological information and historical data on the populations, an AFLP analysis was used to distinguish populations of true Nymphaea alba from those of hybrid origin.     

LA系列百合‘Eyeliner’花器官组培快繁技术研究

该试验以LA系列百合‘Eyeliner’花器官为外植体,通过不定芽直接诱导和愈伤组织再分化2种途径,建立了花器官组培快繁技术体系。结果表明:以花器官为外植体污染率接近于0;4种百合花器官诱导从易到难的顺序为花梗、花丝、子房和花柱;花丝易诱导愈伤组织,花梗易诱导不定芽,最适诱导培养基均为MS+1.0mg·L-1 6-BA+0.5mg·L-1 NAA;不定芽增殖最佳培养基为MS+2.0mg·L-1 6-BA+0.2mg·L-1 NAA,愈伤组织分化最佳培养基为MS+1.5mg·L-1 6-BA+0.2mg·L-1 NAA;诱导生根最佳培养基为MS+45g·L-1蔗糖;最佳炼苗方式为将组培苗封口放置在自然环境中3d,然后开口放置在自然环境条件下2d;当试管苗鳞茎大小为3.15cm时,移栽成活率最高;移栽最佳基质为草炭∶蛭石∶珍珠岩=2∶1∶1。     

Description of Ortheziolamameti tranfagliai new species (Hemiptera,Coccoidea, Ortheziidae) from India

This paper describes a new Ortheziolamameti species from the Oriental region (India), namely Ortheziolamameti tranfagliai Konczné Benedicty, sp. n. The examined material was extracted from forest litter from India, using Berlese funnels. With this new species the genus Ortheziolamameti now includes six species. An identification key and distribution map are provided.     

厦门地区百合新品种引种栽培

本文总结了厦门园林植物园25个百合新品种的引种栽培表现,探讨栽培管理中光照、温度、土壤pH、施肥、病虫害等若干因素的影响。     

Soil Patches of Inorganic Nitrogen in Subtropical Brazilian Plant Communities with Araucaria angustifolia

One-year old tubers of two hybrid calla lily (calla) cultivars (Zantedeschia ‘Pot of Gold’ and ‘Majestic Red’) were inoculated with the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF), Glomus intraradices, or not, and grown at three different rates of phosphorus (P) supply to asses the effects of AMF-inoculation on plant development (time of shoot emergence and flowering), flowering (number, length and rate of flowering), and tuber biomass and composition over two growing cycles (2002, 2003). Tubers and flowers of calla responded differently to AMF inoculation. Differences in mycorrhizal responsiveness between cultivars was related to differences in P requirements for flower and tuber production, and the influence of P supply on resource allocation to different reproductive strategies. Inoculation increased shoot production and promoted early flowering, particularly in 2003. Inoculated plants also produced larger tubers than non-inoculated plants, but only increased the number of flowers per plant in 2003. High P supply also increased tuber biomass, but decreased the number of flowers per plant in 2002. Plants grown at a moderate P-rate, produced the most flowers in 2003. For ‘Majestic Red’, benefits from AMF were primarily in terms of tuber yield and composition, and AMF effects on marketable flower production could potentially have negative impact on production strategies for growers. Inoculation of ‘Pot of Gold’ primarily influenced flower production and aspects of tuber quality that caused detectable enhancement of tuber yield and flowering in the second growing cycle following inoculation (2003). The results of this study show that the responses of calla to AMF are partially a function of how nutrient supply alters resource allocation to sexual and vegetative reproduction. Whether AMF-induced changes in resource allocation to flowering and tubers significantly alters commercial productivity and quality of calla depends on the crop production goals (e.g. tubers, cut flowers or potted plants). The U.S. Government’s right to retain a non-exclusive, royalty free licence in and to any copyright is acknowledged.     

大杜鹃和东方大苇莺卵的人工孵卵期和孵化率比较

大杜鹃(Cuculus canorus)是一种专性巢寄生鸟类,进化出了一系列适应对策,如雏鸟普遍出壳较早等,以更好适应寄生生活。本研究使用恒温自动孵化箱对25枚大杜鹃卵和20枚其宿主东方大苇莺(Acrocephalus orientalis)卵进行人工孵化,并对孵卵期的卵重进行连续测量。结果表明,在人工孵化条件下,大杜鹃卵的孵化率(76%)极显著高于东方大苇莺(40%)(χ~2=25.144,df=1,P0.01)。尽管大杜鹃的卵鲜重(t=7.447,df=43,P0.01)和卵体积(t=8.817,df=43,P0.01)均极显著大于东方大苇莺,但两种鸟卵的孵卵期不存在显著性差异(t=1.006,df=16,P0.05)。     

Transient expression of a reporter gene in bulbscales and immature embryos of three Lilium species is affected by 5'upstream sequences and culture conditions

In Lilium , a transformation system has not yet been developed. For efficient selection of cells expressing transferred genes following particle bombardment, the effects of 5'upstream regions on the transient expression of the β-glucuronidase gene ( gusA ) were estimated in bulbscales and immature embryos of lily. When four plasmids having the gusA gene under the control of the cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) 35S, maize alcohol dehydrogenase gene and rice actin gene ( Actl ) promoters, and the castor bean catalase introm were introduced by particle bombardment, the patterns of transient expression in the bulbscales showed differences among three Lilium species, L. x formolongi, L. dauricum and L. japonicum . In immature embryos of L x formolongi , transient expression was significantly influenced by age of embryos after self-pollination, duration of culture before bombardment, and culture conditions. Moreover, the transient gusA expression driven by six different 5'upstream regions, including the maize ubiquitin gene promoter and a modified CaMV 35S promoter were compared in both bulbscales and immature embryos. Use of the Actl and modified CaMV 35S promoters resulted in the greatest number of cells that transiently expressed gusA in both types of tissue of L. x formolongi . These two promoters are efficient for use in lily transformation.