Nutlet morphology in Hemigenia R.Br. and Microcorys R.Br. (Lamiaceae)

Nutlets of Hemigenia R.Br. and Microcorys R.Br. were examined using SEM. Significant variation, mainly useful at the infrageneric level, was found in nutlet shape, nature of the attachment scar, nature of surface sculpturing, exocarp cell shape and sculpturing, and nature of the indumentum. Typical nutlets are ovoidal, strongly reticulate or rugose. The exocarp cells are isodiametric and convex to papillate. Also common are cylindrical nutlets, often with longitudinal ridging and papillate exocarp cells. Surface pitting and concave exocarp cells are rare. A cladistic analysis of nutlet characters suggests both Hemigenia and Microcorys are polyphyletic, and Microcorys paraphyletic with respect to Westringia Sm. Notwithstanding that, the infrageneric classification of Hemigenia was largely supported, while in Microcorys, there was support for sect. Hemigenioides, but sects Anisandra and Microcorys were not resolved as distinct.     

Flavones and anthocyanins from the leaves and flowers of Japanese Ajuga species (Lamiaceae)

Flavones and anthocyanins were isolated from the leaves and flowers of 14 Ajuga taxa (Lamiaceae), which are all native or naturalized in Japan. Of 13 flavones obtained from the leaves, 11 were characterized as apigenin, luteolin, 6-hydroxyluteolin and acacetin glycosides. Ten flavones were isolated from the flowers. Ten anthocyanins were isolated from the flowers. Six of these anthocyanins were identified as acylated delphinidin glycosides and four were shown to be acylated cyanidin glycosides. Japanese Ajuga taxa were chemotaxonomically discussed by their distribution patterns, especially foliar flavonoids.     

A morphological,caryological and morphometrical analysis of Teucrium euganeum Vis. and its allies

The aim of the present study is to clarify the taxonomic position of Teucrium euganeum Vis. vis à vis T.siculum (Rafin.) Guss. and T.scorodonia L. The study is based on an analysis of macro- and micro-morphological characters, type, and distribution of trichomes in different parts of the plant, chromosome counts, and a statistical analysis of such morphometric data. The results of the study allow one to consider the populations of the Euganean Hills (Padua, north-eastern Italy) as a sub-species of T.siculum, and, therefore, a new combination is proposed: Teucrium siculum (Rafin.) Guss. subsp. euganeum (Vis.) Tornadore, comb. et stat.nov.     

A chemosystematic study of the genus Gomphostemma and related genera (Lamiaceae)

Species in the genera Gomphostemma, Chelonopsis and Bostrychanthera were systematically studied with reference to their flavonoid and phenolic acid compounds in order to investigate whether the profiles of these compounds would support a classification of the genus and related genera based on morphological characters. Thirty-five flavonoid glycosides, eight phenolic acids and derivatives were identified by LC-UV-MS/MS analysis of aqueous 80% MeOH extracts on the basis of their UV and mass spectra, retention times and comparison with in-house library. The occurrence of individual compounds was not particularly informative in Gomphostemma, although the overall chemical profile supported G. subgen. Pogosiphon and vicenin-2 was a characteristic component of Gomphostemma leptodon and Gomphostemma curtisii. In contrast, the flavonoids and phenolic acids of Chelonopsis were informative at infrageneric level. Glycosides of 6-substituted flavones were well represented in Ch. subgen. Aequidens, including Ch. forrestii, Ch. rosea, Ch. odontochila, Ch. lichiangensis and C. giraldii. A dicaffeoylquinic acid was produced in Ch. subgen. Chelonopsis, (for example, in Ch. longipes and Ch. Moschata), but absent from Ch. subgen. Aequidens. The same dicaffeoylquinic acid was also found in the genus Bostrychanthera and suggests a close relationship with Ch. subgen. Chelonopsis, in agreement with a recent DNA based phylogeny. There is correlation between trichome type and phenolic acid compound distribution in Chelonopsis, but this is not observed in Gomphostemma.     

Proof of geographical origin of Albanian sage by essential oil analysis

Salvia officinalis L. and the closely related Salvia fruticosa Mill. (Lamiaceae) are amongst the economically most important medicinal and aromatic plants. Both species are rich in essential oil, which can vary significantly and is partly responsible for their bioactivity and sensorial properties. Therefore we studied its variability within Albania, one of the main exporters of both species. In S. officinalis a clear geographical gradient could be observed from North to South, based mainly on a trade-off between the thujones (α- and β-thujone) and camphor. The differences between the provinces were so pronounced that the essential oil profile could be used to identify the origin of unknown samples from within Albania to a high degree of certainty. The variability within S. fruticosa was not as pronounced due to its restricted distribution to coastal regions in the South–West only. No hybrids between the two species could be found in the overlapping distribution areas.     

Phylogenetic Analysis of Selected Menthol-Producing Species Belonging to the Lamiaceae Family

Menthol is an organic compound with diverse medicinal and commercial applications, and is made either synthetically or through extraction from mint oils. The aim of the present study was to investigate menthol levels in selected menthol-producing species belonging to the Lamiaceae family, and to determine phylogenetic relationships of menthol dehydrogenase gene sequence among these species. Three genus of Lamiaceae, namely Mentha, Salvia, and Micromeria, were selected for phytochemical and phylogenetic analyses. After identification of each species based on menthol dehydrogenase gene in NCBI, BLAST software was used for the sequence alignment. MEGA4 software was used to draw phylogenetic tree for various species. Phytochemical analysis revealed that the highest and lowest amounts of both essential oil and menthol belonged to Mentha spicata and Micromeria hyssopifolia, respectively. The species Mentha spicata and Mentha piperita, which were assigned to one cluster in the dendrogram, contained the highest amounts of essential oil and menthol while Micromeria species, which was in the distinct cluster and placed in the farther evolutionary distance, contained the lowest amount of essential oil and menthol. Phylogenetic and phytochemistry analyses showed that essential oil and menthol contents of menthol-producing species are associated with menthol dehydrogenase gene sequence.     

Pollen morphology of the genus Salvia L. (Lamiaceae) in Turkey

Pollen grains of 30 taxa of the genus Salvia, belonging to sections Salvia, Horminum, Drymosphace, Plethiosphace and Hemisphace from Turkey were examined by light (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Detailed pollen morphological characteristics are provided for these taxa. Among the studied taxa, S. verticillata subsp. verticillata from sect. Hemisphace has the smallest pollen grains, and S. pachystachys from sect. Salvia possesses the largest ones. The basic shape of the pollen grains in most taxa is suboblate, oblate-spheroidal or prolate-spheroidal. However subprolate pollen grains are recorded for S. macrochlamys from sect. Salvia. The grains are hexacolpate in all taxa, but in S. recognita from sect. Salvia also octacolpate pollen was found. Three distinct exine sculpturing types exist, reticulate-perforate (the common type), reticulate-granulate and bireticulate. The reticulate-perforate and bireticulate sculpturing patterns can be divided into subtypes based on the number of perforations and the number of secondary lumina in each primary lumen. Pollen morphological characteristics of the taxa studied are compared and discussed on the basis of taxonomical concepts. In some cases, these characters are useful in distinguishing the sections. For instance, the presence of 1-2 large central secondary lumina per primary lumen is a significant character of sect. Horminum separating it from the other sections. As well, the presence of holes on colpus membrane ornamentation can be used as a diagnostic taxonomic character for sectional division between sect. Hemisphace and others. S. ballsiana from sect. Salvia is clearly distinct from the other taxa examined by its unique pollen morphology. Further, for several macromorphologically similar taxa pollen structures provide additional evidence to delimite them from each other.     

高野山龙头草——中国唇形科植物新记录

报道了中国唇形科龙头草属一新分布种——高野山龙头草.该种的主要特点:植株矮小,高10～20cm,茎细弱,不具匍匐茎;花萼筒状,具15脉,花冠二唇形,下唇中裂片舌状,具有紫红色斑块,顶端2浅裂,侧裂片长圆形,长为中裂片的1/3;子房4裂,被毛.凭证标本保存于浙江农林大学标本馆(ZJFC).