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.     

Leaf micromorphology inAgathis and its taxonomic implications

This study surveys the micromorphological surface structure of the leaves of the conifer genusAgathis (Araucariaceae) from throughout the range of the genus (Malaysia to New Zealand and Fiji) as seen with the scanning electron microscope. These data confirm that the vegetative parts ofAgathis are taxonomically highly conservative, but suggest the Melanesian and New Zealand elements to be distinctive from those of the rest of the genus, and from one another. Conclusions are compared with those that have been derived from studies based on other characters.     

Quantitative and qualitative assessment on the suitability of seed oil from water plant (Trichilia emetica) for soap making

Despite widespread and its local available as a naturalized hedge and shade plant, the potential of Trichilia emetica was not utilized in soap making by the majority of local community in various parts of Dodoma, Tanzania. This study aimed to assess the quantity (yields) and quality (Acid Values (AVs), %Free Fatty Acids (%FFAs) and Saponification Values (SVs) of seed oil from water plant (T. emetica), suitable for soap making application. Solvent extraction method was used during oil extraction, where by 50gm of preheated and powdered seed materials were immersed in 250 ml of n-hexane in 1:5 (w/v) to dissolve the oil contained in the seed cake. The oil was collected by vaporizing solvent out through Rotary evaporation at 60 °C. Also standard titration methods were used to obtain SVs, AVs and %FFAs of the extracted oil. Results showed that T. emetica seeds contained higher quantity of oil (48.4%−50.2%) than many reported commercial plant seed oils. Also, the study found higher AV (7.4 mgKOH/g−7.8 mgKOH/g), %FFA (3.7% to 3.9%) and SVs (189.5 mgKOH/g − 191.4 mgKOH/g) than the maximum acceptable limits of 0.50 mg KOH/g, 0.020% and 175 mgKOH/g − 187 mgKOH/g prescribed by ASTM standards (2002). The obtained results showed that, T. emetica seeds yielded high oil quantity with low qualities due to higher levels of acidity. But high SVs guarantees the possibility of using T. emetica seed oil in soap making. However, the oil requires purification in order to bring levels of acidity to acceptable standards and guarantee its normal use in soap making.     

Unravelling the structure and function of the petal appendages in the tribe Schwenckieae (Solanaceae)

• The tribe Schwenckieae (Solanaceae) is characterised by the presence of appendages on the corolla, a diagnostic trait for the group. These appendages constitute a median distal projection of the three‐lobed petal and occur in the genera Melananthus and Schwenckia but are absent in Heteranthia.
• We investigated the micromorphology and anatomical structure of the appendages and lateral petal lobes of Schwenckia americana (two varieties), S. angustifolia, S. curviflora and S. novaveneciana, and Melananthus fasciculatus. We also performed histochemical tests to determine if the appendages are involved in the production of volatiles, acting as a fragrance secretory structure (osmophore).
• The appendages have a uniseriate epidermis, whose cells store phenolics and lipids. The parenchyma is starch‐rich just prior to anthesis in all species studied. The sensory test and anatomical analyses identified scent‐secreting tissues, not only in the appendages, but also in the lateral petal lobes, whose cells are papillose with a sculptured surface. The α‐naphthol p‐phenylenediamine (NADI) reaction detected volatile (essential oils) compounds in S. americana var. americana and S. americana var. angustifolia.
• We demonstrated the secretory tissues and the production of lipids in the corolla appendages of Schwenckia and Melananthus, which indicate their osmogenic function and probable scent emission to attract pollinators.

     

An Estimation Procedure for the Joint Distribution of Spatial Direction and Thickness of Flat Bodies Using Vertical Sections. Part II: An application in soil micromorphology

In soil micromorphology fissures are considered in vertical sections. To get information about the properties of the soil the joint distribution of spatial direction and width of these fissures is of interest. The fissures are mathematically generalized to flat bodies which are defined as stationary weighted surface processes with the weight “thickness”. In a typical point of the surface process suitable, joint parametric distributions of direction and thickness are assumed. The parameters have to be estimated from measurements on vertical sections which are taken from the soil. On these sections only a visible thickness and a visible angle can be observed. The joint distribution of these variables can be expressed by the joint distribution of spatial direction and thickness with the same parameters and in this indirect way the parameters can be estimated. The paper describes how to randomize the vertical section and how to measure the visible variables on the sections. The Chi-Square method is proposed for the parameter estimation. Further it is discussed how to derive good starting values for the numerical procedure. All this is demonstrated in a simulation study using the Bingham-Mardia distribution for the direction and the lognormal distribution for the thickness including a way to correlate the mean thickness and the direction. Finally an application in soil micromorphology is demonstrated for one soil horizon.     

Seed germination with titanium dioxide nanoparticles enhances water supply,reserve mobilization,oxidative stress and antioxidant enzyme activities in pea

The nanoparticle has been reported to have severe effects and metabolic disorders in crops. Analysis of poisoning exposure to titanium dioxide is very important during the seed germination stage. Measuring the levels of water supply, reserve mobilization and redox metabolism with germination success is a prerequisite for understanding the TiO₂ stress mechanism. These measurements are carried out using different methods, including germination tests, determination of growth parameters, analysis of reserve mobilization processes and redox activities under different stress conditions. The significant effects (P < 0.05) of TiO₂ on seed germination were determined by analysis of variance (2 ways-ANOVA). We considered the effect of TiO₂ dose (0 and 50 mg/L) and time of exposure (1,2,3,4 and 5 days). The results showed that TiO₂ treatment significantly affected the germination rate (GR), the mean daily germination (MDG), the tissues dry weights, water supply, solute leakage, and induced oxidative stress and antioxidant enzyme activities. Oxidative and metabolic disturbances are among the major causes of the successful germination of pea seeds.     

Scanning electron microscopy studies of cuticle micromorphology in Cycas L. (Cycadaceae)

Abstract

A scanning electron microscopy (SEM) study of Cycas cuticle characteristics was undertaken in order to expand our knowledge of microscopic characters not observable under light microscopy and to clarify unresolved affinitites among some species within the genus. Whole leaf and isolated cuticle specimens from the middle region of leaflets of greenhouse-grown plants of Cycas revoluta, Cycas rumphii, Cycas circinalis, Cycas media, and Cycas normanbyana were examined using SEM for interior and exterior features. Characteristics in common include hypostomy, hair bases on abaxial and adaxial surfaces, adaxial cells randomly arranged, adaxial exterior cuticle smooth, and stomata sunken to various degrees but stomatal pit always formed by two layers of epidermal cells. Stomatal complex is of the polyperigenous type. Stomata randomly dispersed and oriented, and except C. revoluta, are not contiguous. Stomata deeply sunken in C. revoluta, intermediate in C. rumphii and C. normanbyana, and less sunken in C. circinalis and C. media. Aperture between guard cells extends the entire stomatal length in C. rumphii and C. normanbyana, ～80% in C. circinalis and C. media, and ～50% in C. revoluta. Cuticular features of C. revoluta show the greatest difference from the other species in complex relief of exterior cuticle and interior cuticular structure of subsidiary cells; C. media and C. circinalis show close similarity to each other and their stomatal complex dimensions fall within the same unique cluster using principal component analysis under normalized variables. C. normanbyana and C. rumphii show the most similarity to each other in cuticular micromorphology. Stomatal complex dimensions of these two species fall into a second cluster that also includes C. revoluta. These data contrast with current taxonomy placing C. normanbyana synonymous to C. media.     

Morphological phylogenetic analysis of Ophrys (Orchidaceae): insights from morpho‐anatomical floral traits into the interspecific relationships in an unresolved clade

Reconstructing the phylogeny of the sexually deceptive orchid genus Ophrys is crucial to our understanding of the evolution of its complex floral morphology. Molecular phylogenetic analyses showed that section Pseudophrys forms a well supported clade with Ophrys bombyliflora, O. tenthredinifera and O. speculum, but were unable to elucidate the relationships between these four groups of taxa. Here we conduct a morphological phylogenetic analysis of this unresolved clade of Ophrys based on a data matrix of 45 macro‐ and micromorphological and anatomical floral characters, using maximum parsimony and Bayesian inference. Our cladistic analysis yielded a single most parsimonious tree and a Bayesian 50% majority‐rule consensus tree which differed in their overall topology but agreed that O. tenthredinifera and O. bombyliflora are not sister groups. The phylogenetic placement of O. tenthredinifera was ambiguous since it shares six valid synapomorphies each with the cluster of O. speculum–O. bombyliflora and with section Pseudophrys. In contrast, O. bombyliflora is most likely the sister group to O. speculum, a finding that rejects an earlier morphological phylogenetic hypothesis and favours the existing molecular trees based on nuclear ITS rather than plastid data. © 2015 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2015, 179 , 454–476.     

Suitable water temperature for seed storage of Zostera japonica for subtropical seagrass bed restoration

Restoration of Zostera japonica is needed. Laboratory culture experiments to know the germination characteristics might be helpful for implementation of actual restoration. As a part of germination experiments, we explored suitable water temperature for long-term storage of Z. japonica seeds. This work was based on earlier reports of Zostera marina, which presumably has similar physiological properties to Z. japonica. This study consisted of two experiments: (1) preservation experiments to investigate the fate of stored Z. japonica seeds and (2) germination experiments to investigate the germination potential of the stored seeds. The results of the preservation experiments suggested that seed condition, that is, germinated, degraded, unstable, stable, etc., showed variations between the seeds stored at 4 and 23 °C. The majority of the seeds stored at 4 °C were germinated, while those at 23 °C seemed to be degraded, presumably by bacteria and mold. The germination experiments suggested high germination potential of seeds stored at 4 °C even after 302 days had elapsed. In conclusion, including previously reported results on Z. marina, low temperature was suitable for the preservation of seeds to maintain germination potential.     

小茴香挥发油的抗炎镇痛作用

目的:研究小茴香挥发油的抗炎、镇痛作用,为指导临床合理用药提供科学依据。方法:应用二甲苯致小鼠耳廓肿胀、蛋清致大鼠足肿胀2种动物模型进行抗炎药效学实验;采用醋酸致小鼠扭体反应进行镇痛实验。结果:小茴香挥发油能显著抑制上述各种动物模型的炎症反应及醋酸引起的小鼠扭体反应。结论:小茴香挥发油具有抗炎和镇痛作用。