Ethnopharmacological Survey of Plants Used for the Treatment of Stomach,Diabetes, and Ophthalmic Diseases in Sudhan Gali,Kashmir , Pakistan

The present paper represents the ethnopharmacological survey of Sudhan Gali, Kashmir, Pakistan. The study revealed that 12 plant species belonging to 11 families were used for the treatment of stomach, diabetes and ophthalmic diseases by the local people in Sudhan Gali. Achillea millefolium , Aconitum heterophyllum, Berberis lycium, Polygonum amplexicaule, Mentha longifolia, Paeonia emodi, Plantago lanceolata were locally used for stomach related problems treatment; Berberis lycium, Skimmia lareola, Solanum dulcamara for diabetes and Geranium wallichianum, Artemisia vulgaris, Solanum dulcamara, and Corydalis crassifolia used for the treatment of ophthalmic diseases. Two species Berberis lycium and Solanum dulcamara have multipurpose value. Former is used to treat stomach as well as diabetes while latter is used to treat not only to diabetes but also ophthalmic diseases. According to IUCN categories , out of these 12 plant species collected and marketed, Polygonum amplexicaule and Paeonia emodi are endangered, Aconitum heterophyllum; Berberis lycium species are vulnerable while Plantago lanceolata and Skimmia lareola species are rare.The availability of these medicinal plants has decreased during the past 20 years and these are facing a drastic biotic pressure due to their extensive usage and non-scientific methods of collection. It is quite evident that these valuable native medicinal plants species are going to decline in number and ultimately will become extinct if no timely proper conservation strategies are adopted.     

Ethnopharmacological Survey of Plants Used for the Treatment of Stomach,Diabetes, and Ophthalmic Diseases in Sudhan Gali,Kashmir , Pakistan

The present paper represents the ethnopharmacological survey of Sudhan Gali, Kashmir, Pakistan. The study revealed that 12 plant species belonging to 11 families were used for the treatment of stomach, diabetes and ophthalmic diseases by the local people in Sudhan Gali. Achillea millefolium , Aconitum heterophyllum, Berberis lycium, Polygonum amplexicaule, Mentha longifolia, Paeonia emodi, Plantago lanceolata were locally used for stomach related problems treatment; Berberis lycium, Skimmia lareola, Solanum dulcamara for diabetes and Geranium wallichianum, Artemisia vulgaris, Solanum dulcamara, and Corydalis crassifolia used for the treatment of ophthalmic diseases. Two species Berberis lycium and Solanum dulcamara have multipurpose value. Former is used to treat stomach as well as diabetes while latter is used to treat not only to diabetes but also ophthalmic diseases. According to IUCN categories , out of these 12 plant species collected and marketed, Polygonum amplexicaule and Paeonia emodi are endangered, Aconitum heterophyllum; Berberis lycium species are vulnerable while Plantago lanceolata and Skimmia lareola species are rare.The availability of these medicinal plants has decreased during the past 20 years and these are facing a drastic biotic pressure due to their extensive usage and non-scientific methods of collection. It is quite evident that these valuable native medicinal plants species are going to decline in number and ultimately will become extinct if no timely proper conservation strategies are adopted.     

Food, medicinal and other plants from the 15th century drains of Paisley Abbey, Scotland

Plant remains from the 15th century drains at Paisley Abbey, Scotland include medicinal plants which may have grown in the abbey's physic garden. They are Chelidonium majus, Conium maculatum, Euphorbia lathyris, and Papaver somniferum. Plants with both medicinal and culinary uses are Rumex pseudoalpinus and cf Armoracia rusticana. Other vegetables are represented by Allium sp. and Brassica spp. Malus domestica and Prunus domestica ssp. insititia would have been grown in the abbey's orchard. Juglans regia, represented by nut and wood fragments, was either grown in the orchard or imported. Ficus carica was certainly imported as dried fruit from the Mediterranean region. Myristica fragrans as mace came from Indonesia. Locally grown plants are Avena strigosa, Hordeum, Triticum/Secale, Linum usitatissimum and the dye plant Reseda luteola. It is known that spices and other foodstuffs were purchased at fairs at Berry, Bruges and Antwerp and imported into Scotland at the end of the 15th century.     

Murderous plants: Victorian Gothic,Darwin and modern insights into vegetable carnivory

Darwin's interest in carnivorous plants was in keeping with the Victorian fascination with Gothic horrors, and his experiments on them were many and varied, ranging from what appears to be idle curiosity (e.g. what will happen if I place a human hair on a Drosera leaf?) to detailed investigations of mechanisms. Mechanisms for capture and digestion of prey vary greatly among the six (or more) lineages of flowering plants that have well‐developed carnivory, and some are much more active than others. Passive carnivory is common in some groups, and one, Roridula (Roridulaceae) from southern Africa, is so passively carnivorous that it requires the presence of an insect intermediate to derive any benefit from prey trapped on its leaves. Other groups not generally considered to be carnivores, such as Stylidium (Stylidiaceae), some species of Potentilla (Rosaceae), Proboscidea (Martyniaceae) and Geranium (Geraniaceae), that have been demonstrated to both produce digestive enzymes on their epidermal surfaces and be capable of absorbing the products, are putatively just as ‘carnivorous’ as Roridula. There is no clear way to discriminate between cases of passive and active carnivory and between non‐carnivorous and carnivorous plants – all intermediates exist. Here, we document the various angiosperm clades in which carnivory has evolved and the degree to which these plants have become ‘complete carnivores’. We also discuss the problems with definition of the terms used to describe carnivorous plants. © 2009 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2009, 161 , 329–356.     

Production,decomposition, and nitrogen dynamics ofMyrica gale litter

Summary Myrica gale litter deposition and decomposition were studied in a central Massachusetts peatland to determine the amount of N made available to the ecosystem by these processes. Leaf litter added 114–140 g biomass m^–2 annually and contained 2.12–2.59 g N m^–2 returning about 70% as much N to the ecosystem as was fixed annually byMyrica gale. During the first five years of decomposition, the leaf liter lost only 40% of its initial biomass and released only 10% of its initial N content. About 60% of its original N mass was still present when the litter reached the permanently waterlogged zone, and thus was effectively lost to the vegetation. The low decomposition rate was due primarily to the chemical content of the litter because similarly low rates were observed in an upland forest where the native litter decayed rapidly. The initial lignin content (40%) ofM. gale litter may be largely responsible for its slow decomposition in spite of its relatively high (1.69%) initial N content.M. gale litter decayed substantially more slowly and had a much higher initial lignin content than the litter of other woody N₂-fixing plants which have been examined.     

广州外来入侵植物

根据野外调查及相关文献资料,初步探讨了广州市外来入侵植物的种类组成、分布生境、生长特性、危害以及来源.结果表明:广州市现有外来人侵植物73种,隶属于27科59属,其中菊科(19种)、禾本科(8种)、豆科(7种)和苋科(7种)植物占了入侵植物总种数的56.2%.生活型分析发现,在广州有分布的外来入侵植物中,陆生草本植物最多(58种),其次为灌木(10种)、水生草本(3种),乔木种类最少(2种),它们主要生长在人类干扰比较频繁的低海拔地区.另外,基于对外来入侵植物目前在野外的生长和分布状况等生态学特性进行分析,可大致将它们对本地生物多样性危害程度分为3级,其中危害严重的有11种,危害中等的有25种,危害较轻的有37种.从原产地分析来看,61种来自于热带美洲地区,占广州外来入侵植物总种数的83.6%.与国内其他地区外来入侵植物进行比较发现,广州和广西共有种数最多,有62种,然而,对已经造成严重危害的外来植物种类,在数量上广州与香港、深圳和广西相同种类较多,分别有8种、7种和6种.对广州市目前外来植物的入侵风险(潜在威胁)的评估结果表明,对一些在其它地区已经造成严重危害的外来植物,应当加强监控,防止入侵扩散并造成重大生态灾难.还对广州市外来植物入侵的主要途径及防治策略做了简要分析和说明.     

Repellent Activity of n-Hexane, Ethylacetate, n-Butanol, and Water Extracts of Native Plants against Aedes albopictus

ABSTRACT n -Hexane, ethyl acetate, n -butanol, and water extracts of seventeen native plants (Taraxacum Platycarpum leaf, Artemisia prinseps leaf, Artemisia keiskeana whole, Chrysanthemum zawadskii whole, Petasites japonicus leaf, Allium tuberosom leaf, Lonicera japonica stem and leaf, Cassia obtussifolia whole, Hydrangea macrophylla leaf, Clivia miniata leaf, Pinus densiflora leaf, Taxus cuspidatas fruit, Thuja orientalis leaf, Juniperus chinensis stem, Zanthoxylum schinifolium peel, leaf, Citrus unshiu and Picrasma quassioides stem and leaf) were tested for repellent activity against Aedes albopoctus. The extracts of T. Platycarpum leaf ( n -hexane, BuOH, H₂O), A. prinseps leaf ( n -hexane, BuOH, H₂O), A. keiskeana whole ( n -hexane, BuOH, H₂O), L. japonica stem (BuOH, H₂O), L. japonica flower (H₂O), H. macrophylla leaf (BuOH, H₂O), C. miniata leaf (EtOAC), P. densiflora leaf ( n -hexane, BuOH), Z. schinifolium peel (EtOAC), Z. schinifolium leaf (EtOAC BuOH, H₂O) and P. quassioides leaf ( n -hexane, H₂O) exhibited excellent repellent activity against Aedes albopitus.     

Invasive Ornamental Plants: Problems,Challenges, and Molecular Tools to Neutralize Their Invasiveness

The spread of invasive plants is one of the most challenging ecological problems in the 21st Century, causing a $35 billion loss per year to the economy in the United States alone. More than 50% of all invasive plants and 85% of invasive woody species were introduced originally for ornamental and landscape use. Because many nonnative plants are commercially important and widely utilized for various purposes, completely banning their use and prohibiting their imports are unpractical solutions for control. On the other hand, the methods currently used to control the spread of nonnative plants are ineffective, expensive, or environmentally problematic. Recent advances in plant biotechnology may enable us to create sterile cultivars of these nonnative ornamental crops of commercial value. The use of sterile cultivars should reduce or eliminate the undesirable spread of some nonnative invasive plants into natural areas.     

天牛性信息素、引诱植物和植物性引诱剂的研究与应用

由于目前所拥有的各种天牛防治方法都难以获得理想的防治效果,研发新型天牛控制技术势在必行。其中利用引诱剂是最具潜力的研究领域之一。对天牛的性信息素、引诱植物和植物性引诱剂3个方面的研究及应用作了综述。天牛雌、雄成虫均可释放性信息素进行两性间的通讯联系。天牛性信息素的分泌部位因天牛种类不同而存在着差异。雄、雌成虫触角上均有感受性信息素的感受器,但报道较多的是雄虫感受器。迄今已鉴定出13种天牛性信息素的化学结构。一般而言,天牛成虫的嗜食树种,对天牛具有较强的引诱作用,可作为诱饵树种使用。寄主植物的某些挥发性物质对天牛成虫也有独特的引诱效果。除此之外,对天牛性信息素、引诱植物和植物性引诱剂研究与应用中存在的困难也进行了讨论,并对它们的应用前景做了展望。     

An Ethnobotanical Survey of Inner-West Anatolia, Turkey

This study is focused on ethnobotanical usages of wild plants growing within the Afyonkarahisar province districts of Sinanpaşa, Hocalar and Dazkırı. Ninety local informants in 11 villages were interviewed. A total of 129 different usages of wild plants in the study area were recorded. Out of 650 plant species commonly present, 93 plant taxa (14.3%) belonging to 43 families were used for medicinal (52 citations), foodstuff (37 citations), fodder (14 citations), dye (six citations), firewood (five citations), construction materials (four citations) and miscellaneous purposes (11 citations). At least 15% of the information regarding ethnobotanical uses of wild plants was obtained by showing herbarium voucher samples to the informants. It was noted that Sideritis leptoclada and Verbascum stenostachyum are endemic to Turkey and their endangered status has markedly increased in recent years because of increased collecting for ethnobotanical purposes. Informants indicate that members of the younger generation have a much reduced interest in ethnobotanical knowledge and that this is a danger to the continued use of local plants.     

Morphology, ecology, and contaminant removal efficiency of eight wetland plants with differing root systems

The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that fibrous-root plants and rhizomatic-root plants are characterized by different root morphologies, root growth and distribution, and contaminant removal capabilities. Four fibrous-root and four rhizomatic-root wetland plants were studied in mono-cultured microcosms which received wastewater. Fibrous-root plants had significantly greater (P < 0.05) small-size root (diameter ≤ 1 mm) biomass and a larger (P < 0.05) root surface area per plant than the rhizomatic-root plants and exhibited accelerated growth in both shoots and roots compared to the rhizomatic-root plants. Fibrous-root plants developed the majority of their root biomass increment within a shallower gravel medium than the rhizomatic-root plants. All plants demonstrated fast root biomass growth from July to September. The wetland microcosms planted with fibrous-root plants showed significantly higher (P < 0.05) ammonium-nitrogen (NH₄-N) and nitrate-nitrogen (NO₃-N) removal rates from July to December than those planted with the rhizomatic-root plants. These results suggest that root characteristics of wetland plants, which are related to their shoot and root growth, root distribution, and decontamination ability, can be used in the selection of wetland plants with a higher contaminant removal capacity and in the construction of a multi-species wetland plant community. Handling editor: S. M. Thomaz     

Plant knowledge of the Shuhi in the Hengduan Mountains, Southwest China

The Shuhi are a Tibeto-Burman ethnic group of around 1,500 people living exclusively in the Shuiluo Valley, southwest China. We documented their plant knowledge concerning wild collected species, and analyzed food, medicine, and ritual uses. Overall, uses, collection sites, and use frequencies of 136 plant species were documented. The plants were divided in fodder (46 spp.), food (43 spp.), medicine (27 spp.), ritual plants (20 spp.), fuelwood (17 spp.), plants used for construction (8 spp.), ornamentals (2 spp.), and "others" (34 spp.). Food plants mainly consist of fruits and leafy vegetables, and the uses are comparable with those of other ethnic groups in the area. Knowledge about medicinal plants is relatively limited, since traditional Shuhi healers use ritual and other healing methods instead of medicinal plants. Ritual plants play an important role relative to human well-being. Villagers and ritualists use them to keep the environment clean of malevolent spirits and to maintain a good relationship with the deities. All habitats, from the dry shrub vegetation at the valley bottom up to the alpine shrub, are used for plant collection, but 87% of all species are collected in the near vicinity of the villages around the fields and in the dry shrub vegetation. Finally, we postulate two main factors influencing wild plant use among the Shuhi: cultural values and accessibility.     

The nitrogen supply from soils and insects during growth of the pitcher plants Nepenthes mirabilis, Cephalotus follicularis and Darlingtonia californica

This study investigated the nitrogen (N) acquisition from soil and insect capture during the growth of three species of pitcher plants, Nepenthes mirabilis, Cephalotus follicularis and Darlingtonia californica. ¹⁵N/¹⁴N natural abundance ratios (δ¹⁵N) of plants and pitchers of different age, non-carnivorous reference plants, and insect prey were used to estimate proportional contributions of insects to the N content of leaves and whole plants. Young Nepenthes leaves (phyllodes) carrying closed pitchers comprised major sinks for N and developed mainly from insect N captured elsewhere on the plant. Their δ¹⁵N values of up to 7.2‰ were higher than the average δ¹⁵N value of captured insects (mean δ¹⁵N value = 5.3‰). In leaves carrying old pitchers that are acting as a N source, the δ¹⁵N decreased to 3.0‰ indicating either an increasing contribution of soil N to those plant parts which in fact captured the insects or N gain from N₂ fixation by microorganisms which may exist in old pitchers. The δ¹⁵N value of N in water collected from old pitchers was 1.2‰ and contained free amino acids. The fraction of insect N in young and old pitchers and their associated leaves decreased from 1.0 to 0.3 mg g⁻¹. This fraction decreased further with the size of the investigated tiller. Nepenthes contained on average 61.5 ± 7.6% (mean ± SD, range 50–71%) insect N based on the N content of a whole tiller. In the absence of suitable non-carnivorous reference plants for Cephalotus, δ¹⁵N values were assessed across a developmental sequence from young plants lacking pitchers to large adults with up to 38 pitchers. The data indicated dependence on soil N until 4 pitchers had opened. Beyond that stage, plant size increased with the number of catching pitchers but the fraction of soil N remained high. Large Cephalotus plants were estimated to derive 26 ± 5.9% (mean ± SD of the three largest plants; range: 19–30%) of the N from insects. In Cephalotus we observed an increased δ¹⁵N value in sink versus source pitchers of about 1.2‰ on average. Source and sink pitchers of Darlingtonia had a similar δ¹⁵N value, but plant N in this species showed δ¹⁵N signals closer to that of insect N than in either Cephalotus or Nepenthes. Insect N contributed 76.4 ± 8.4% (range 57–90%) to total pitcher N content. The data suggest complex patterns of partitioning of insect and soil-derived N between source and sink regions in pitcher plants and possibly higher dependence on insect N than recorded elsewhere for Drosera species. Received: 14 April 1997 / Accepted: 18 August 1997     

Thermal insulation and accumulation of heat in the downy inflorescences of Saussurea medusa (Asteraceae) at high elevation in Yunnan,China

Himalayan snowball plants, which are considered to be an extreme form of downy plants, have very dense trichomes on well-developed bracts that surround the inflorescences. It has been postulated that the downy inflorescences of these plants might serve to keep the interior of inflorescences warmer than the outside and, thus, to protect reproductive cells from low temperatures in their Himalayan habitat. In the present study, we examined the downy inflorescences of Saussurea medusa Maxim. in native habitats in the high alpine zone of the Henduan Mountains in Yunnan, China, and we analyzed the temperature within inflorescences after absorbance of light energy. S. medusa is pollinated by bumblebees and we found that its inflorescences accumulated heat not on the inside, but, rather, on the upper surfaces. The thick hollow stems and the overlapping bracts with obvious epinasty might serve not only to retain heat, but also as an insulator to protect the inside against overheating, with apparent local warming of flowers that are located at the tops of plants, which are cone-shaped. We made a model that mimicked the warming of inflorescences, providing support for the hypothesis that the downy bracts of S. medusa have two functions: thermal insulation to protect the inside of flowers and the accumulation of heat on the upper surfaces of the inflorescence. Such a system might be effective in attracting pollinators and also in protecting tissues from extreme variations in temperature. Electronic Publication     

北京维管植物编目和分布数据集

区域性维管植物编目对于该区域内植物多样性保护及植物资源可持续利用具有重要意义。北京作为中国首都, 尽管编目工作早在20世纪60年代就得以开展, 但近30年来没有进行系统更新。现有数据零散、不系统, 相关编目进展甚至已经落后于周边地区。本文在《北京植物志(1992年修订版)》的基础上, 结合多年实际野外调查, 通过系统检索文献资料对现有编目数据进行查漏补缺(补充新分类群、新记录)、修订名称(基于新分类修订成果)、更新分类系统(采用基于分子数据的新分类系统), 并添加物种等级、分布状态、生长状态、室内/室外、分布区、了解程度及保护状况等相关信息, 最终完成北京维管植物编目和分布数据集(分为本土植物和外来植物两个表单, 其中外来植物主要基于志书和文献记载)。截至2021年12月31日, 该数据集共有数据2,883条(本土1,680条, 外来1,203条), 其中包含北京本土野生维管植物134科611属1,597个类群(1,440种3天然杂交种46亚种97变种11变型), 与《北京植物志(1992年修订版)》相比增加3科26属173种4亚种28变种11变型, 其中列入《国家重点保护野生植物名录(2021)》的有16种(一级仅1种), 列入《北京市重点保护野生植物名录(2008)》的有90种3亚种4变种; 收录外来维管植物137科581属1,184个类群(含992种及其他种下等级), 其中栽培植物854种19杂交种15亚种29变种2变型87栽培品种38栽培群, 逸生植物132种1亚种, 归化植物77种2变种, 入侵植物27种。编目数据显示, 北京本土野生维管植物多样性整体上并不高, 主要以广泛分布的常见种为主, 特有种、狭域种以及珍稀濒危种数量不多; 同时, 北京存在大量的外来植物(许多种类在《北京植物志》各版中已经收录), 这些植物也是北京维管植物多样性的重要组成部分, 但现有数据尚不完整。     

Irrigation of Three Wetland Species and a Hyperaccumlating Fern with Arsenic-Laden Solutions: Observations of Growth,Arsenic Uptake,Nutrient Status,and Chlorophyll Content

Engineered wetlands can be an integral part of a treatment strategy for remediating arsenic-contaminated wastewater, wherein, As is removed by adsorption to soil particles, chemical transformation, precipitation, or accumulation by plants. The remediation process could be optimized by choosing plant species that take up As throughout the seasonal growing period. This report details experiments that utilize wetland plant species native to Ohio (Carex stricta, Pycnanthemum virginianum, and Spartina pectinata) that exhibit seasonally related maximal growth rates, plus one hyperaccumulating fern (Pteris vittata) that was used to compare arsenic tolerance. All plants were irrigated with control or As-laden nutrient solutions (either 0, 1.5, or 25 mg As L^?1) for 52 d. Biomass, nutrient content, and chlorophyll content were compared between plants treated and control plants (n = 5). At the higher concentration of arsenic (25 mg L^?1), plant biomass, leaf area, and total chlorophyll were all lower than values in control plants. A tolerance index, based on total plant biomass at the end of the experiment, indicated C. stricta (0.99) and S. pectinata (0.84) were more tolerant than the other plant species when irrigated with 1.5 mg As L^?1. These plant species can be considered as candidates for engineered wetlands.     

广西南宁、柳州、桂林城市园林植物的调查与分析

于1988年春,对广西南宁、柳州、桂林市区的园林植物作了全面调查。结果如下:1)三市区园林植物较丰富,其中南宁市351种隶属245属108科;柳州76科152属198种;桂林76科144属172种。2)园林植物的性状组成中,乔木占50—60％;灌木占20—30％,草本和藤本分别占15%和5%。3)园林植物的主要科是桑科、大戟科、棕榈科、木兰科、桃金娘科、苏木科、蔷薇科、樟科等;优势种是扁桃、人面子、柠檬桉、羊蹄甲、芒果、阴香、樟树、榕树、桂花、银桦、大红花、夹竹桃、九里香、正木等。4)园林植物的区系成分以热带—亚热带为主。5)园林植物的分布以公园最为丰富,其种数占总种数的67—87％,街道和阳台分别为43％和30％。6)不同市区园林植物的优势科、优势种、区系成分、生态外貌有明显差异,反映出各自的特点。与当地自然景观相一致。最后,在调查分析的基础上,对城市园林绿化的发展问题讨论。     

Phytoremediation of organochlorine pesticides: Concept,method, and recent developments

Rapid increase in industrialization of world economy in the past century has resulted in significantly high emission of anthropogenic chemicals in the ecosystem. The organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) are a great risk to the global environment and endanger the human health due to their affinity for dispersion, transportation over long distances, and bioaccumulation in the food chain. Phytoremediation is a promising technology that aims to make use of plants and associated bacteria for the treatment of groundwater and soil polluted by these contaminants. Processes known to be involved in phytoremediation of OCPs include phytoaccumulation, rhizoremediation, and phytotransformation. Vegetation has been accounted to considerably amplify OCP elimination from soil, in contrast to non-planted soil, attributable to both, uptake within plant tissues and high microbial degradation of OCP within the root zone. Developing transgenic plants is a promising approach to enhance phytoremediation capabilities. Recent advances in the application of phytoremediation technique for OCPs, including uptake by plants and plant–microbe association in the rhizosphere for the enhanced degradation and mineralization of these pollutants, is presented in this review. Additionally, some attempts to improve this technique using transgenesis and role of certain enzymes are also discussed.