Fractal root system of Melica przewalskyi along different aspect in degraded grassland

Aims Fractal root system is phenotypic plasticity result of plant root architecture to respond to environmental heterogeneity, may reflect the growth strategy of plants to adapt to environmental conditions. Our objective was to explore the relationship between root fractal dimension and fractal abundance of fractal root system of Melica przewalskyi population in response to aspect variation in the northwest of China. Methods The study site was located in a degraded alpine grassland on the northern slope in Qilian Mountains, Gansu Province, China. Survey and sampling were carried out at 40 plots which were set up along four slope aspects transects with 20 m distance between adjacent plots. Handheld GPS was used to determine the elevation, longitude and latitude of each plot. ArcGIS was used to set up digital elevation model (DEM). Community traits were investigated and six individuals roots of M. przewalskyi were collected randomly at each plot. The samples were cleaned and divided into different organs, then scanning the root with the Win-RHIZO for measurements of fractal dimension and fractal abundance in laboratory, and their biomass were then measured after being dried at 80 °C in an oven. Important findings With the slope aspect turned from north to east, west, and south, the density, height and soil moisture content of the plant community displayed a pattern of initial decline, the height, density, root fractal abundance of M. przewalskyi increased and the root fractal dimension decreased. The root fractal dimension was negatively associated with the fractal abundance in all aspects, but the relationship varied along the slope aspects gradient; there was a highly significant negative correlation (p < 0.01) between the root fractal dimension and fractal abundance at north slope and south slope aspect, whereas the correlation only reached a significant level (p < 0.05) at the east slope aspect and west slope aspect; indicating that there is a trade-off between the root fractal dimension and fractal abundance. In addition, when the slope aspect changed from north to east, west and south, the standardized major axis (SMA) slope of the regression equation in the scaling relationships between root fractal dimension and fractal abundance increased (p < 0.05), indicating that the roots of M. przewalskyi at the droughty southern slope have less branch and more sparse in the same soil volume of root exploitation and utilization. Consequently, the resource allocation pattern on reasonable trade-off between root fractal dimension and fractal abundance in different slope aspect of M. przewalskyi, reflects the relationship between the income and the cost of construction of plant root architecture.     

鼻行天下

在热带东非和南非的干旱地区，生长着一种奇异而有趣的树，树上一年到头只是一些光溜溜的绿枝，不长叶子，偶然长叶，但也很少，因此人们叫它“光棍树：也有人叫它神仙棒或绿玉树，日本人称之为青珊瑚。     

盾叶薯蓣地上部分的三个新甾体皂甙

从盾叶薯蓣Dioscorea zingiberensis Wright地上部分分离鉴定了四个甾体皂甙,经鉴定甙A为约莫皂甙元-3-O-[α-L-鼠李吡喃糖基(1→2)]-β-D-葡萄吡喃糖甙;甙B为24α-羟基约莫皂甙元-3-O-[α-L-鼠李吡喃糖基(1→2)]β-D-葡萄吡喃糖甙;甙C为约莫皂甙元-3-O-[α-L-鼠李吡喃糖基(1→2)][β-D-葡萄吡喃糖基(1→4)]-β-D-葡萄吡喃糖基;甙D为约莫皂甙元-3-O-[α-L-鼠李吡喃糖基(1→2)][β-D-葡萄吡喃糖基(1→3)]-β-D-葡萄吡喃糖甙。前三者为新化合物,分别命名为盾叶皂甙A_1、A_2、A_3(zingiberoside A_1、A_2、A_3),其中盾叶皂甙A_2的甙元为一新甾体皂甙元,命名为盾叶皂甙元(zingiberogenin)。     

中药材绵萆薢的主要原植物

中药材绵萆解的主要原植物,经与采自日本的七裂叶萆解Dioscorea septemloba Thunb． 相对照,认为系一新种Dioscorea spongiosa J．Q.Xi,M. Mizuno et W．L．Zhao。该二种主要 区别如下：1．绵萆解地下茎直径3—6cm,色枯黄至黑棕; 叶微波缘或全缘,罕掌裂; 蒴果扁球 形,种翅矩圆形,紫红色。七裂叶萆解地下茎直径1—2cm,色枯黄; 叶全为掌裂; 蒴果倒卵 状; 种翅倒卵形,灰棕色。2．绵萆解花粉粒外壁纹饰肋条状,在七裂叶萆解为网状。3．绵萆解地下茎中柱鞘有众多石细胞,在七裂叶萆解则未见石细胞。4．地下茎甾体皂甙元硅胶G 板层析,以苯：乙酸乙酯：石油醚(4：1：1)展开,磷钼酸显色,二者均现6斑点,绵萆解的第5点 面积和第6点R_f值均较七裂叶萆解大。 5．地下茎甾体皂甙元的紫外光谱检测,绵萆解在399nm处有峰,363有谷; 七裂叶萆解在310有峰,250有谷。     

紫胶虫四种寄主树次生韧皮部与周皮的解剖学观察

紫胶虫的4种寄主树钝叶黄檀、南岭黄檀、木豆和苏门答腊金合欢的次生韧皮部轴向系统均由筛管、伴胞、韧皮薄壁细胞、纤维组成,径向系统由射线组成。木豆、苏门答腊金合欢中尚有少量石细胞。苏门答腊金合欢筛管分子端壁较倾斜,具复筛板,无明显的 P-蛋白质。其余3种筛管分子端壁均为横向,具单筛板,具 P-蛋白质。根据观察结果分析,4种寄主树2—3年生枝条或具表皮,或木栓层很薄;次生韧皮部的筛管看来均具相对较长的寿命;4种寄主中有3种筛管与伴胞均属特化程度高的类型。     

异大茴香脑新资源——齿叶黄皮的研究

齿叶黄皮是生长于广东省北部石灰岩山地的一种芸香科常绿小乔木,其叶富含精油,枝叶经水蒸汽蒸馏出油率为0.7%。精油经毛细管气相色谱、气相色谱/质谱联用、红外吸收光谱、核磁共振波谱等方法分析,确证含异大茴香脑(isoanethole)93.10%。异大茴香脑对霉菌有较强抑菌活性,并可通过异构化一步转变为大茴香脑。