The effects of temperature on germination and early growth of three plant species indigenous to Central Australia

The temperature responses of the perennial grass Eragrostis eriopoda Benth., an all-season annual grass (Enneapogon polyphyllus Domin.) and a cool-season annual forb (Lepidium muelleri-ferdinandi Thell.) were studied in two experiments, one during germination and the other during the establishment phase. In the first experiment, extreme differences in the response of germination to temperature occurred between species. The optimum was 42°C for Eragrostis and 15 to 21° C for Enneapogon and Lepidium although Enneapogon tolerated higher temperatures than did Lepidium. The effect of temperature on speed of germination is discussed. In the second experiment, seedlings were assigned to six day/night temperature regimes ranging from 24/16 C to 45/31 C for three weeks in a phytotron. Both grasses responded positively to temperatures tip to 30/22°C with little further change up to 45/37° C, while Lepidium died at temperatures greater than 30/22° C. The experimentally determined response to temperature reflected field observations of seasonal establishment patterns for each species. The ecological significance of the results is discussed.     

The role of seabirds and seals in the survival of coastal plants: lessons from New Zealand Lepidium (Brassicaceae)

Six of the eight indigenous New Zealand Lepidium species are coastal, and have restricted or reduced distributions. One is extinct and the remainder are considered threatened with extinction. This limited distribution is in marked contrast to their apparent abundance in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries (1760s–1830s). Accounts from the voyages of Cook, Surville and d'Urville describe L. oleraceum as an abundant coastal plant which was collected extensively for use as an antiscorbutic. However, by the late 19th century, resident botanists were expressing concern about the marked decline in coastal species of Lepidium, a decline which has continued to the present. Ecologically, coastal species of Lepidium are similar, being restricted to open sites often close to the high tide mark. They are commonly associated with bird colonies, and occasionally with fur seal colonies. Traditionally their decline has been attributed to introduced herbivores. However, wild grazing animals were not common until the end of the 19th century, well after the initial decline had occurred. Other possible reasons for their decline include herbivory and predation by rats, and by fungal and invertebrate pests of cultivated Brassicaceae, overcollecting and coastal development. However, we suggest that a major factor in the decline of coastal Lepidium species was a decline in coastal seabirds through predation and seals through culling. Seabirds and seals are critical for the survival of Lepidium species by keeping sites open through disturbance, dispersing seed, and providing nutrient enrichment for plant growth, and their loss has resulted in decline of habitat for Lepidium.     

Molecular evidence for bicontinental hybridogenous genomic constitution in Lepidium sensu stricto (Brassicaceae) species from Australia and New Zealand

Lepidium sensu stricto (s.s.) (Brassicaceae) (ca. 150 species) is distributed worldwide with endemic species on every continent. It is represented in Australia and New Zealand by 19 and seven native species, respectively. In the present study we used a nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) phylogeny in comparison with a cpDNA phylogeny to unravel the origin of Australian/New Zealand species. Although phylogenetic relationships within Lepidium s.s. were not fully resolved, the cpDNA data were in agreement with a Californian origin of Lepidium species from Australia/New Zealand. Strongly conflicting signals between the cp- and nuclear DNA phylogenetic analysis clearly indicated hybridogenous genomic constitution of Australian Lepidium s.s. species: All 18 studied Australian/New Zealand Lepidium s.s. species examined shared a Californian cpDNA type. While eleven Australian/New Zealand species appeared to harbor a Californian ITS type, a group of seven species shared a South African ITS type. This pattern is most likely explained by two trans-oceanic dispersals of Lepidium from California and Africa to Australia/New Zealand and subsequent hybridization followed by homogenization of the ribosomal DNA either to the Californian or South African ITS type in the two different lineages. Calibration of our molecular trees indicates a Pliocene/Pleistocene origin of Lepidium in Australia/New Zealand. Low levels of cpDNA and ITS sequence divergence and unresolved topologies within Australian/New Zealand species suggest a rapid and recent radiation of Lepidium after the hybridization event. This coincides with dramatic climatic changes in that geological epoch shaping the composition of the vegetation.     

Similar experiment – different conclusion; a response to the recent proposition of Septoria lepidii as a potentially important biological control agent for weedy species of Lepidium in North America

Following preliminary host-specificity testing Septori lepidii Desm. was recently proposed as a potentially important biological control agent for invasive Lepidium species in North America. Conversely, a previous, unpublished assessment of S. lepidii for biocontrol of Lepidium latifolium found the pathogen to be unsuitable due to infection of the American native Lepidium huberi.     

Endosperm-limited Brassicaceae seed germination: abscisic acid inhibits embryo-induced endosperm weakening of Lepidium sativum (cress) and endosperm rupture of cress and Arabidopsis thaliana

The endosperm is a barrier for radicle protrusion of many angiosperm seeds. Rupture of the testa (seed coat) and rupture of the endosperm are two sequential events during the germination of Lepidium sativum L. and Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heyhn. Abscisic acid (ABA) specifically inhibits the endosperm rupture of these two closely related Brassicaceae species. Lepidium seeds are large enough to allow the direct measurement of endosperm weakening by the puncture force method. We found that the endosperm weakens prior to endosperm rupture and that ABA delays the onset and decreases the rate of this weakening process in a dose-dependent manner. An early embryo signal is required and sufficient to induce endosperm weakening, which afterwards appears to be an organ-autonomous process. Gibberellins can replace this embryo signal; de novo gibberellin biosynthesis occurs in the endosperm and weakening is regulated by the gibberellin/ABA ratio. Our results suggest that the control of radicle protrusion during the germination of Brassicaceae seeds is mediated, at least in part, by endosperm weakening. We propose that Lepidium is an emerging Brassicaceae model system for endosperm weakening and that the complementary advantages of Lepidium and Arabidopsis can be used in parallel experiments to investigate the molecular mechanisms of endosperm weakening.     

Habitat suitability modelling of an invasive plant with advanced remote sensing data

Aim  Lepidium latifolium (Brassicaceae; perennial pepperweed) is a noxious Eurasian weed invading riparian and wetland areas of the western USA. Understanding which sites are most susceptible to invasion by L. latifolium will allow more efficient management of this weed. We assessed the ability of advanced remote sensing techniques to develop habitat suitability models for L. latifolium .
Location  San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, California, USA.
Methods  Lepidium latifolium distribution was mapped with hyperspectral image data of Rush Ranch Open Space Preserve, providing presence/absence data to train and validate habitat models. A high-resolution light detection and ranging digital elevation model was used to derive predictor environmental variables (distance to channel, distance to upland, elevation, slope, aspect and convexity). Aggregate decision tree models were used to predict the potential distribution of this species.
Results  Lepidium latifolium infested two zones: near the marshland–upland margin and along channels within the marsh. Topographical data, which are typically strongly correlated with wetland species distributions, were relatively unimportant to L. latifolium occurrence, although relevant microtopography information, particularly relative elevation, was subsumed in the distance to channel variable. The map of potential L. latifolium distribution reveals that Rush Ranch contains considerable habitat that it is susceptible to continued invasion.
Main conclusions  Lepidium latifolium invades relatively less stressful sites along the inundation and salinity gradients. Advanced remote sensing datasets were shown to be sufficient for species distribution modelling. Remote sensing offers powerful tools that deserve wider use in ecological research and management.     

Chloroplast DNA phylogeny and biogeography of Lepidium (Brassicaceae)

Two intergenic spacers, trnT-trnL and trnL-trnF, and the trnL intron of cpDNA were sequenced to study phylogenetic relationships and biogeography of 73 Lepidium taxa. Insertions/deletions of ≥3 bp (base pairs) provided reliable phylogenetic information whereas indels ≤2 bp, probably originating from slipped-strand mispairing, are prone to parallelism in the context of our phylogenetic framework. For the first time, an hypothesis of the genus Lepidium is proposed based on molecular phylogeny, in contrast to previous classification schemes into sections and greges (the latter category represents groups of related species within a given geographic region), which are based mainly on fruit characters. Only a few of the taxa as delimited in the traditional systems represent monophyletic lineages. The proposed phylogeny would suggest three main lineages, corresponding to (1) sections Lepia and Cardaria, (2) grex Monoplocoidea from Australia, and (3) remaining taxa, representing the bulk of Lepidium species with more or less resolved sublineages that sometimes represent geographical correspondence. The fossil data, easily dispersible mucilaginous seeds, widespread autogamous breeding systems, and low levels of sequence divergence between species from different continents or islands suggest a rapid radiation of Lepidium by long-distance dispersal in the Pliocene/Pleistocene. As a consequence of climatic changes in this geological epoch, arid/semiarid areas were established, providing favorable conditions for the radiation of Lepidium by which the genus attained its worldwide distribution.     

基于种皮形态和叶绿体trnL-F对菘蓝属（十字花科）的系统学位置研究

利用种皮微形态观察与叶绿体DNA的trnL内含子和trnL-F基因间隔区序列测定分析相结合,对十字花科菘蓝属植物及其相关属种的系统学关系进行了探讨.研究结果表明原属独行菜族的菘蓝属植物,其种皮特征与原属鸟头荠族的舟果荠属植物相似,同属一类型.而与独行菜族的模式属独行菜属植物、大蒜芥族的模式属大蒜芥属植物以及鸟头荠族的模式属鸟头荠属植物种皮微形态差异显著;在基于叶绿体DNA的trnL内含子和trnL-F基因间隔区序列所构建的系统发育树中,菘蓝属植物与舟果荠属植物距离最近,而与独行菜属、大蒜芥属、鸟头荠属植物具有一定的间隔,结合形态特征,本研究认为,菘蓝属与舟果荠属植物具有较近的亲缘关系,而不是同族的独行菜属植物.     

独行菜种子转录组的高通量测序及分析

独行菜种子为我国传统常用中药,从中已提取出多种药用活性成分,但目前尚不清楚其次级代谢过程中这些活性物质合成的遗传基础。采用Illumina Hiseq^TM 2000高通量测序平台对独行菜种子转录组进行测序,经de novo组装后获得40 303条unigene。进一步利用六大公共数据库进行同源比对,注释了27 935条unigene。研究发现,534个基因参与了独行菜次生物质的合成和代谢,其中在芥子苷、黄酮类和芪类化合物生物合成途径中的unigene分别有4个、19个和69个,在苯丙氨酸代谢途径中的unigene有92个。这些基因可能参与独行菜种子药性活性物质的生物合成,并分析获得了参与上述合成代谢途径的13个关键基因的同源序列。另外,从转录组序列中搜索到6 304个SSR位点,分布于5 306条unigene中,出现频率为15.64%。研究结果不仅为挖掘独行菜种子药用次生代谢物生物合成关键基因提供了基础数据信息,而且为独行菜遗传多样性研究和分子标记开发奠定了分子基础。     

Allelopathic hormesis and potent allelochemicals from multipurpose tree Moringa oleifera leaf extract

Abstract

The secondary metabolites produced by higher plants may act as allelochemicals to stimulate or inhibit growth of other plant species. Moringa oleifera is a multipurpose tree which have been reported, in separate studies, to promote growth of other plant species at low concentrations and inhibit the growth at high concentrations. However, allelopathic hormesis and allelochemicals from Moringa oleifera has not been reported. The present studies were conducted to evaluate hormesis, allelopathic potential and allelochemicals from Moringa oleifera leaf extract using Lepidium sativum as a test species. The results revealed that aqueous leaf extract of Moringa oleifera promoted the shoot growth of Lepidium sativum by 41% at lowest tested concentration of 2.5%, while the highest tested concentration (10%) of leaf extract inhibited shoot length and root length of Lepidium sativum by 38% and 85%, respectively, showing allelopathic hormesis. Twelve allelochemicals (p-coumaric acid, salicylic acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, m-coumaric acid, protocatechuic acid, ferulic acid, p-hydroxysalicylic acid, syringic acid, vanillic acid, p-hydroxybenzaldehyde, m-hydroxybenzaldehyde and gallic acid) were identified from leaf extract of Moringa oleifera. The results suggest that Moringa oleifera exhibit allelopathic hormesis which may have critical impact on defence, survival and invasion of plants in natural as well as agroecosystems.     

Sulphur phytoaccumulation in plant species characteristic of Gypsiferous soils

The SO4= toxicity in gypsiferous soils, which represent more than 100 million hectares worldwide, constitutes one of the major problems limiting world agricultural output. Currently, phytoremediation of SO4= is regarded, from agricultural and environmental standpoints, as one of the most effective alternatives for the decontamination and recovery of these soils. In this study, we analyzed the behavior of five plant species characteristic of gypsiferous soils (Gypsophila struthium, Helianthemun alypoides, H. squamatum, H. syriacum, and Lepidium subulatum) in order to establish the variability of these plants in terms of S-extraction mechanisms. Our results indicate that the species best adapted and with the densest population was Lepidium subulatum. This plant showed the highest concentration of total S and the greatest organic S, as well as the highest levels of amino acids and proteins. In this study, we propose that the incorporation of S into organic compounds is the essential metabolic process determining the tolerance of Lepidium subulatum to gypsiferous soils. In conclusion, the foliar accumulation of organic S could be defined a priori as one of the key characteristics in developing plants with a potential for regenerating zones with high SO4= concentrations.     

The Effects of Callus Elicitation on Lepidine,Phenolic Content,and Antioxidant Activity of Lepidium sativum L.: Chitosan and Gibberellic Acid

Journal of Plant Growth Regulation - Lepidium sativum L. is an annual herb with various medicinal and industrial applications. In addition, the elicitation process is considered as a highly...     

Herbicidal activity of phosphonic,phosphinic, and phosphonous acid analogues of phenylglycine and phenylalanine

A series of phosphonic, phosphinic, and phosphonous acid analogues of phenylglycine and phenylalanine was synthesized and tested as herbicides against Lepidium sativum and Cucumis sativus. Aminobenzylphosphonic acids exhibited notable herbicidal activity and thus represent a group of the most active herbicides found among aminophosphonic acids.     

Cryo-Preservation of Roots for Scanning Electron Microscopy

Fully hydrated roots can be examined in the scanning electronmicroscope after cryo-preservation. Shrinkage associated withdehydration by freeze-drying or critical point drying, to whichroot hairs and secreted mucigel are particularly vulnerable,is avoided. Roots, Lepidium sativum, scanning electron microscopy, cryo-preservation, fully hydrated     

On some species of Cruciferae in the desert regions of China

The present paper deals with 3 genera,Pugionium Gaertn., Lepidium L. and Torularia O. E. Schulz of the family Cruciferae found in the desert regions of China. Of the genus Pugionium 4 species and 1 new variety and their geographical distribution are recognized. Two closely related species of Lepidium, L. apetalum Willd. and L. ruderale L. and one additional new species are described and their distribution patterns are discussed. Two species of the genus Torularia previously described by V. Botschantzev (1959)are here redused to varietal ranks, and one additional new species is described.     

Effects of microtopography and hydrology on phenology of an invasive herb

Phenological traits may influence invasion success via effects on invasiveness of the colonizing species and invasibility of the receiving ecosystems. Many species exhibit substantial fine-scaled spatial variation in phenology and interannual differences in phenological timing in response to environmental variation. Yet describing and understanding this variation is limited by the availability of appropriate spatial and temporal datasets. Remote sensing provides such datasets, but has primarily been used to monitor broad-scale phenological patterns at coarse resolutions, necessarily missing fine spatial detail and intraspecies variation. We used hyperspectral remote sensing to characterize the spatial and temporal phenological variation of the invasive species Lepidium latifolium (perennial pepperweed) at two sites in California's San Francisco Bay/Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta. Considerable phenological variation was detected: L. latifolium was simultaneously present in vegetative, early flowering, peak flowering, fruiting, and senescent stages in late June; the relative dominance and distribution of these stages varied interannually. Environmental determinants of phenology were investigated with variables derived from the hyperspectral image data, from a high resolution LiDAR (light detection and ranging) digital elevation model (DEM), and from local precipitation and streamflow data. Lepidium latifolium phenology was found to track water availability, and may also be influenced by intraspecific competition and edaphic stress. Lepidium latifolium has a unique phenology (summer flowering) relative to the communities it invades, which may allow invasion of an empty niche. Furthermore, many habitats are invaded by L. latifolium, which occurs in locally appropriate phenologies under the different environmental conditions. The environmental responsiveness of L. latifolium phenology may mediate the wide breadth of invasible habitats.     

Improving Seed Germination and Early Growth of Garden Cress (Lepidium sativum) and Basil (Ocimum basilicum) with Hydro-priming

Journal of Plant Growth Regulation - Hydro-priming is a useful method for increasing speed and uniformity of germination in several plants, but pertinent research concerning garden cress (Lepidium...     

独行菜属植物玛咖(Lepidium meyenii)的微形态研究

利用光学显微镜和环境扫描电子显微镜,对不同颜色、不同产地玛咖(Lepidium meyenii)的叶表皮、花粉粒以及种皮进行了微形态学研究。结果表明:(1)不同颜色玛珈的叶表皮、花粉粒微形态具有高度的一致性,但与我国部分独行菜属植物有着明显的差异;(2)不同产地、不同颜色玛珈的种皮微形态有明显的差异。该研究为新植物资源玛咖的种质鉴定、分类提供了一些新的依据。     

Endogenous Growth Substances in Normal and Dwarf Mutants of Cortland and Golden Delicious Apple Shoots

Endogenous growth substances in the shoots of dwarf mutants of Cortland (Cortland 65–6 and Cortland 65–7) and Golden Delicious (Golden Auvil Spur and Yellow Spur) were investigated in relation to dwarfism. The shoots were extracted at three stages of growth, namely: 1) rapid elongation growth, 2) formation of terminal bud, and 3) cessation of cambial growth. The growth substances were partially separated by thin layer chromatography and bioassayed using the Avena first internode and Lepidium seed germination tests. Shoot extracts from the normal Cortland and Golden Delicious plants contained higher levels of auxins at all stages of growth than those from dwarf mutants. Growth-promoting activity was found in two zones on chromatograms developed with isopropanol: ammonia: water (10:1:1 v/v/v):R_f 0.4 to 0.5 and R_f 0.8 to 0.9. The Lepidium seed germination test showed the presence of a highly inhibitory zone between R_f 0.3 and 0.4 in the extracts of dwarf and normal plants. However, the peak of germination inhibition activity was sharp for dwarf mutants and less for extracts of normal growing plants at 3 stages of growth. The inhibitory substance(s) was further purified on TLC plates by successive separations in different solvent systems. Two substances which inhibited the Lepidium seed germination were found, one close to the R_f value of synthetic abscisic acid and the other appeared to be similar to xanthoxin in R_f value, biological activity and UV absorption spectra.     

Crystallization of water-soluble chlorophyll-proteins from Lepidium virginicum

Water-soluble chlorophyll-proteins were prepared from leaves of Lepidium virginicum, by means of ammonium sulfate fractionation followed by column chromatography on DEAE-cellulose and Sephacryl S-200. After intensive purification the chlorophyll-proteins were crystallized by dialysis against an ammonium sulfate solution.