Introgression between native and prehistorically naturalized (archaeophytic) wild pear (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Pyrus</Emphasis> spp.) populations in Northern Tohoku,Northeast Japan

Hybridization between native and cultivated species is a concern in conservation biology. However, detecting such hybridization and distinguishing true natives from prehistorically naturalized species based on phenotypic characteristics is difficult. Here, we report on introgression between native and prehistorically introduced pear (Pyrus) species in Northern Tohoku (northern end of Honshu Island), Japan. We analyzed 20 microsatellites in 226 wild, seemingly wild, or cultivated materials. Phenetic analysis showed that wild Japanese populations of P. ussuriensis var. ussuriensis in Northern Tohoku, previously considered true natives based on morphology and phytogeography, differed from those in continental Asia, confirming their nativeness. However, Bayesian inference of population structures showed that Japanese P. ussuriensis was genetically admixed with two genetic clusters: true native P. ussuriensis var. ussuriensis and prehistorically introduced P. pyrifolia. Even in the Kitakami Mountains, where true native populations of var. ussuriensis are believed to persist, most wild trees were at least somewhat admixed. Prehistorically introduced then naturalized plants are treated as natives in Japan’s conservation management, and some are considered endangered. However, introgression of prehistorically naturalized P. pyrifolia into threatened native P. ussuriensis var. ussuriensis has occurred. This paper examines the implications for conservation management.     

Local knowledge and socio-economic determinants of traditional medicines' utilization in livestock health management in Southwest Nigeria

Background

An ethnomedicinal study was conducted to document medicinal plants used in the treatment of ailments in villages surrounding Kimboza forest reserve, a low land catchment forest with high number of endemic plant species.

Methods

Ethnobotanical interviews on medicinal plants used to treat common illnesses were conducted with the traditional medical practitioners using open-ended semi -structured questionnaires. Diseases treated, methods of preparation, use and habitat of medicinal plants were recorded.

Results

A total of 82 medicinal plant species belonging to 29 families were recorded during the study. The most commonly used plant families recorded were Fabaceae (29%), Euphorbiaceae (20%), Asteraceae and Moraceae (17% each) and Rubiaceae (15%) in that order. The most frequently utilized medicinal plant parts were leaves (41.3%), followed by roots (29.0%), bark (21.7%), seeds (5.31%), and fruits (2.6%). The study revealed that stomach ache was the condition treated with the highest percentage of medicinal plant species (15%), followed by hernia (13%), diarrhea (12), fever and wound (11% each), and coughs (10%). Majority of medicinal plant species (65.9%) were collected from the wild compared to only 26.7% from cultivated land.

Conclusions

A rich diversity of medicinal plant species are used for treating different diseases in villages around Kimboza forest reserve, with the wild habitat being the most important reservoir for the majority of the plants. Awareness programmes on sustainable utilization and active involvement of community in conservation programmes are needed.     

Comparative analysis of the chemical profile of wild and cultivated populations of Corydalis saxicola by high-performance liquid chromatography

Studies on the simultaneous determination and chemical fingerprinting of alkaloids in Corydalis saxicola Bunting. (Yanhuanglian) were performed for authentication purposes. Ninety samples prepared from different parts of C. saxicola, including whole plants, roots, stems, leaves and flowers, from wild and cultivated populations, were submitted to quantitative determination and fingerprint analysis. Five major alkaloids, namely, tetradehydroscoulerine, dehydroapocavidine, dehydroisoapocavidine, coptisine and dehydrocavidine, were quantitatively analysed by reversed-phase HPLC with acceptable recoveries (>98.2%). Chemical fingerprinting of C. saxicola was established and involved 11 markers. The results indicated that there were no obvious differences between the chemical profiles of wild and of cultivated C. saxicola populations, and that the mean alkaloid contents of the five marker compounds in cultivated populations were significantly higher than those of the wild plants. The highest content of total alkaloids (up to 28.8 mg/g) was found in roots of C. saxicola. The total alkaloids of the leaves were approximately 50% of those of roots, suggesting that the leaves may be employed as an alternative source of alkaloids. Chemical fingerprints and quantitative HPLC analysis will have a positive impact on the conservation and cultivation of this medicinal plant.     

Associations of leaf miners and leaf gallers with island plants of different residency histories

Aim Introduced plant species are less likely to be attacked by herbivores than are native plant species. Isolated oceanic islands provide an excellent model system for comparing the associations between herbivore species and plant species of different residency histories, namely endemic, indigenous (non‐endemic) or introduced (naturalized or cultivated) species. My aim was to test the prediction that, on isolated oceanic islands, introduced plant species have a lower tendency to have an association with insect herbivores than do endemic and indigenous plant species. Location Ogasawara (Bonin) Islands in the western Pacific Ocean. Methods I examined the presence/absence of leaf‐mining and leaf‐galling insect species on 71 endemic, 31 indigenous, 18 naturalized and 31 cultivated (introduced but not naturalized) species of woody plants from 2004 to 2008. Results Leaf‐mining insect species were found on 53.5%, 35.5%, 11.1% and 16.1% and leaf‐galling species were found on 14.1%, 9.7%, 5.6% and 0% of endemic, indigenous, naturalized and cultivated plant species, respectively. Species of Lepidoptera (moths) and Hemiptera (primarily psyllids) comprised the dominant types of leaf miners and leaf gallers, respectively. Main conclusions The incidence of leaf miners and leaf gallers differed as a function of residency history of the plant species. Introduced (naturalized and cultivated) species were less frequently associated with leaf miners and leaf gallers than were native (endemic and indigenous) species, indicating that the leaf‐mining and leaf‐galling insect species, most of which feed on leaves of a particular native plant genus (i.e. they show oligophagy), have not yet begun to utilize most introduced plant species.     

西藏米林县珍稀濒危药用植物优先保护评价

通过设置样方和路线踏查,对米林县的野生药用植物资源进行调查,并利用多个指标定量计算各濒危植物的优先保护值,确定其珍稀濒危物种优先保护序列,对珍稀濒危药用植物的种类、药效和入药部位多样性进行了分析。结果表明:米林县共有药用保护植物37科72属97种,分别占药用植物总科数、总属数、总种数的48.05%、32.00%、30.70%。其中,被子植物有35科69属95种,裸子植物有2科2属2种。97种珍稀濒危药用植物中,处于Ⅰ级保护的药用植物有9科11属11种,处于Ⅱ级保护的药用植物有18科25属27种,处于Ⅲ级保护的药用植物有28科46属59种。从珍稀濒危药用植物的药效来看,清热功效和补虚功效的药用植物较多,分别有32种和20种,各占濒危药用植物总种数的32.99%、20.62%;从药用部位统计,根与根茎类和全草类的药用植物分别有34种和26种,占珍稀濒危药用植物总数比例较大,分别为35.05%、26.80%。该区评估的优先保护等级和濒危等级与保护植物名录有一定差异,桃儿七在本区的保护等级由Ⅲ级升为Ⅰ级,另外有7种植物的濒危程度在本区加强。基于调查和研究结果分析了米林县珍稀濒危药用植物的致濒原因,并就此提出了一些具体的保护建议和措施。     

Nigella sativa L.: Uses in traditional and contemporary medicines – An overview

There are several wild and cultivated plants that offer excellent opportunities for being used as herbal and therapeutic agents. The identification of medicinal properties of plants and their effectiveness in treating diseases are important components in medicinal plant research and this can pave ways for further improvements in traditional drug use. Climatic conditions and phytogeography in Pakistan are ideal for naturally occurring diverse flora and managed cultivation of hundreds of plants of medicinal significance. Nigella sativa commonly known as the black seed is an important medicinal plant that has been widely used as a multipurpose medicinal agent in different countries since old times. The plant is abundantly cultivated in Pakistan for uses as condiment and medicines. It possesses important classes of bioactive compounds among which thymoquinone has attracted significant attention from the scientific community because of its active role in treating a diverse spectrum of diseases. The black seeds are used for reducing adverse effects of arthritis, asthma, inflammation, liver and gastro disorders besides their potential role in diabetes and cancers. The focus of this review is to highlight the medicinal significance of N. sativa in traditional medicine and opportunities for exploitation in contemporary medicine.     

栽培植物野生近缘种的保护与利用

栽培植物是人类赖以生存和发展的重要物质基础。全球人口与人均需求量的持续增长导致对植物资源的需求与日俱增。栽培植物较低的遗传多样性是限制其产量增长和质量提高的主要因素。栽培植物野生近缘种在自然环境中积累了丰富的遗传变异, 并在应对环境变化的过程中产生了很多新的适应性状, 是栽培植物种质创新和品种改良的重要遗传资源。然而, 栽培植物野生近缘种的存续和自然进化因生境破坏以及全球气候变化等正面临严重威胁, 需要采取有效的措施进行保护。本文总结了国内外对栽培植物野生近缘种进行原生境保护与迁地保护所取得的进展, 并基于我国实际情况提出了栽培植物野生近缘种的保护建议。此外, 本文还对栽培植物野生近缘种利用技术进行了梳理, 探讨了栽培植物野生近缘种遗传资源可持续利用的新思路。最后, 我们以长江流域几种代表性栽培植物为例, 对主要作物类型的保护与利用情况进行了讨论。     

江苏省外来种子植物的初步调查和分析

对江苏省外来种子植物的种类、来源地及分布状况进行了初步调查统计。调查结果显示,江苏省共有外来种子植物393种,大多数来源于欧洲和美洲,主要通过有意引种和无意引入2种方式引入。有意引种的栽培植物有276种,其中观赏植物132种、蔬菜46种、林木35种、工业原料植物17种、药用植物12种、牧草植物11种、粮食作物11种、果树7种以及油料作物5种。另外,外来种子植物中有逃逸种62种、归化种22种、入侵种33种;81．8％的入侵种在江苏全省均有分布;入侵种以菊科（Compositae）和禾本科（Poaceae）植物为主,分别有11种和7种。在此调查结果基础上,对江苏省外来种子植物的分类和危害进行了讨论,并对江苏省外来物种的利用和管理提出了一些建议。     

中国归化植物组成特征及其时空分布格局分析

入侵植物是归化植物的子集, 归化是植物入侵的基本前提, 完整的归化植物清单有助于预测和预防植物入侵。该文基于实地调查和资料收集, 对中国归化植物种类及分布进行统计, 结果表明, 当前中国共有归化植物112科578属1 099种, 约70%为人为引入, 而美洲是其最大原产地, 植物生活型以草本为主, 分类学组成中菊科、禾本科、豆科最多。在空间尺度上, 物种多样性及密度均呈自东南沿海向西北内陆递减的趋势, 纬度和国内生产总值是其空间分布格局的主要驱动因素, 被殖民史、植物园分布及调查次数在一定程度上影响空间分布格局; 在时间尺度上, 归化植物物种多样性当前正处在快速增长阶段并可能持续20-30年, 社会经济发展、人为干扰、土地利用方式改变及全球变化是其主要驱动因素。该研究丰富了中国归化植物的本底资料, 有助于了解外来植物入侵的形式与威胁, 并为外来植物综合管控或本地生物多样性保护提供依据。     

Preface: Recent advances in Crustacean Genomics

Aquatic plants fulfil a wide range of ecological roles, and make a substantial contribution to the structure, function and service provision of aquatic ecosystems. Given their well-documented importance in aquatic ecosystems, research into aquatic plants continues to blossom. The 14th International Symposium on Aquatic Plants, held in Edinburgh in September 2015, brought together 120 delegates from 28 countries and six continents. This special issue of Hydrobiologia includes a select number of papers on aspects of aquatic plants, covering a wide range of species, systems and issues. In this paper, we present an overview of current trends and future directions in aquatic plant research in the early twenty first century. Our understanding of aquatic plant biology, the range of scientific issues being addressed and the range of techniques available to researchers have all arguably never been greater; however, substantial challenges exist to the conservation and management of both aquatic plants and the ecosystems in which they are found. The range of countries and continents represented by conference delegates and authors of papers in the special issue illustrates the global relevance of aquatic plant research in the early twenty first century but also the many challenges that this burgeoning scientific discipline must address.     

The effectiveness of botanic garden collections in supporting plant conservation: a European case study

Europe has the greatest concentration of botanic gardens in the world, they cultivate extensive collections of plants that include samples of European threatened plant species. This study looks at the effectiveness of these collections in supporting species conservation. A three part study is presented: (1) the results of a survey and assessment of threatened plants in botanic gardens, as defined by the Bern Convention; (2) case studies illustrating current issues in the ex situ management of European threatened plant species; and (3) presentation of policy recommendations on further improving botanic garden contributions to European plant conservation. The survey indicated that of 119 European botanic gardens in 29 European countries, 105 are cultivating 308 of the 573 threatened plant species listed by the Bern Convention. The survey identified 25 botanic gardens in 14 countries undertaking 51 conservation projects focused on 27 Bern listed species. In particular this survey has established that the majority of taxa are held in a small number of collections, dominated by non-wild origin accessions, and are not adequately documented. The majority of specimens in botanic gardens are cultivated out of the range country and not contributing to a specific conservation project. We review the genetic representation and documentation of origin in collections. Existing plant collections contain representatives of populations, now lost in the wild and maintain samples of at least nine European plant taxa identified as 'Extinct in the Wild'. However, inadequate standards of record keeping has compromised the conservation value of many collections. We highlight the dangers of hybridisation and disease in ex situ collections. The results suggest that botanic garden collections are skewed towards horticulturally robust and ornamental species and do not fully reflect priorities as defined by the Bern Convention. Recognising the limitations of traditional botanic garden collections we propose that botanic gardens more effectively utilise their two core competencies, namely scientific horticulture and public display and interpretation. The unique horticultural skills resident in European botanic gardens could be more effectively utilised through the application of horticulture to the management of wild populations.Journal of the Royal Horticultural Society     

高黎贡山地区民族植物学的研究Ⅰ.勒墨人

应用民族植物学的方法,对生活在云南西部高黎贡山东坡的勒墨人进行了调查。主要研究结果如下勒墨人对野生植物及环境有较大的依赖性;从 事刀耕火种轮歇栽培,并种植漆树(Toxicodendron vernicifiuum)和桤木(Alnus nepalensis)以促进轮歇地的休闲管理;栽培和管理漆树、收割生漆交换或出售,是勒墨人轮歇农业的一大特色;他们采集利用60余种野生食用植物和100余种药用植物,云黄连(Coptis teeta)和贝母(Fritillaria cirrhosa)等重要药材用于同外界进行物资交换;在对自然界的崇拜过程中,勒墨人对当地生物多样性的保护起到了积极的作用。     

药用植物内生真菌及活性物质多样性研究进展

药用植物具有丰富的物种多样性,是人类生存与发展的重要自然资源。内生真菌广泛存在于健康植物组织内部,是植物微生态系统的重要组成部分,各种药用植物中蕴藏着非常丰富的内生真菌。通过与药用植物的“协同进化”,某些内生真菌具有了产生与宿主植物相同或相似的生物活性物质的能力。内生真菌产生的各种活性物质,在生物制药、农业生产、工业发酵等方面都表现出美好的应用前景,受到世界各国专家的广泛关注。利用内生真菌发酵实现生物活性物质的工业化生产,可以提高产量、降低产品成本,满足人们日益增长的需求;同时有利于珍稀、濒危药用植物资源的保护,对减少野生药用植物多样性的破坏具有重要意义。本文从药用植物内生真菌物种多样性与产生生物活性物质多样性等方面总结近年最新的研究进展,提出了内生真菌及活性物质研究的未来发展方向。     

Strategies for agrobiodiversity conservation and promotion: a case from Yunnan, China

This paper deals with strategies for agrobiodiversity conservation and promotion based on studies on four plant groups (selected from 50 plant groups) occurring in the Yunnan Province of China. These plants are edible konjac (Amorphophallus), medicinal Paris, Musella lasiocarpa and wild tea (Camellia sinensis and its wild relatives), including their cultivars and wild populations. After analyzing the target plants, we conclude that the following strategies should be adopted to conserve and promote agrobiodiversity: (1) in situ conservation of agrobiodiversity, including habitat protection of wild populations, maintenance of native species and varieties in traditional agroecosystems, and relevant environmental education; (2) ex situ conservation and promotion of agrobiodiversity, including establishment of living collections and germplasm banks, and introduction of species and varieties into agroecosystems for agricultural practice; and (3) promotion and conservation of agrobiodiversity through sustainable uses, including technique development of propagation, cultivation, pest and disease control, on farm and off farm management, and other activities such as new variety breeding and scientific studies. Strategies developed here will be helpful to conserve and promote agrobiodiversity at agroecosystem, species, variety or landrace, and management system levels.     

察隅河流域药用种子植物资源多样性研究

为揭示西藏察隅河流域药用种子植物资源多样性特征及保护现状,采用线路和典型样地、样方套、野外标本采集等方法对该区药用种子植物进行了深入调查,对植物生活型、药用部位、药性、药味、药用功效、野生重点药用植物、区系成分等进行系统分析,为研究区药用种子植物的合理利用和科学管理提供理论依据和参考价值。结果表明,(1)察隅河流域药用种子植物共有114科427属846种(含变种),包含裸子植物4科8属14种,被子植物110科419属832种,单种科、寡种科和单种属、寡种属是研究区药用种子植物科和属水平上的主要构成部分。(2)生活型以草本类药用植物为主。(3)药用部位以全草、根及根茎类入药较多,分别占总种数的45.51%和44.21%。(4)温性药用植物占总种数的27.66%,居药性植物资源之首。(5)苦味类药用植物占总种数的61.94%,在药用植物药味中占比最高。(6)清热是察隅河流域药用种子植物的主要功效,占总种数的29.43%。(7)药用植物区系呈现热带成分向温带成分过渡的性质,分布类型复杂多样。研究表明,为提高对察隅河流域药用种子植物资源的利用效率,可以将草本类药用种子植物作为高原特色产业原材料...     

Dermatological remedies in the traditional pharmacopoeia of Vulture-Alto Bradano, inland southern Italy

This study documents indigenous medicinal plant utilization, management and the threats affecting them. The study was carried out in Mana Angetu district between January 2003 and December 2004. Ethnobotanical data were collected using semi structured interviews, field observations, preference and direct matrix ranking with traditional medicine practitioners. The ethnomedicinal use of 230 plant species was documented in the study area. Most of the plants (78.7%) were reportedly used to treat human diseases. The most frequently used plant part were roots (33.9%), followed by leaves (25.6%). Most of the medicinal species (90.4%) were collected from the wild. Direct matrix analysis showed that Olea europaea L. Subsp. cuspidata (Wall. ex G. Don) was the most important species followed by Acacia tortilis (Forssk.) Hayne (120) indicating high utility value of these species for the local community. The principal threatening factors reported were deforestation (90%), agricultural expansion (85%) and fire (53%). Documenting the eroding plants and associated indigenous knowledge can be used as a basis for developing management plans for conservation and sustainable use of medicinal plants in the area.     

人工栽培山莨菪和野生山莨菪中4种托烷类生物碱含量的比较研究

为了评估人工栽培山莨菪的药用价值,采用高效液相色谱技术对人工栽培和野生山莨菪的地上部分和根中具有生物活性的4种托烷类生物碱：樟柳碱、山莨菪碱、东莨菪碱和阿托品的含量进行了测定。结果表明无论是人工栽培还是野生植物,地上部分中4种生物碱含量均远低于根,这解释了人们为什么用山莨菪的根而不是整株人药。在栽培植物的根中,一年生山莨菪中各生物碱含量均小于二年生山莨菪,其根中4种生物碱总量与野生根相比差异不是很明显;二年生山莨菪根中,4种生物碱总量以及樟柳碱、东莨菪碱和阿托品含量均比野生的高。这说明人工栽培的山莨菪,尤其是二年生山茛菪,同野生山莨菪一样具有一定的药用价值。     

Assessing conservation priorities of threatened medicinal plants in China: A new comprehensive phylogenetic scoring system

Over-harvesting, habitat loss and fragmentation, and biological invasions have led to a sharp decline in wild medicinal plants population in China, where they are an essential component of traditional medicine and used widely. The current national list of protected medicinal materials, the State Key-protected Wild Medicinal Species List (SKPWMSL), which has not been revised for 30 years, is in urgent need of an update. This study proposes a new scoring system with seven indicators that set the conservation priorities of threatened medicinal plants. The advantages of our approach include: (i) quantitative methods with high repeatability and comparability; and (ii) consideration of the evolutionary history of medicinal species. After assessing 911 threatened medicinal angiosperms in China, we identified 112 species as key medicinal plants for conservation priority (KMPCP). We suggest promoting the SKPWMSL with KMPCP as a supplement and update. Meanwhile, our scoring system will improve the future setting of conservation priority and can be extended to other countries or regions.     

贵州野生兰科植物就地保护现状及保护空缺分析

兰科(Orchidaceae)植物是植物界中最进化、种类最丰富的类群之一,有较高的环境要求和较强的生态系统依存性.由于很多兰科植物具有较高的观赏价值和药用价值,各地采挖频繁,导致其受威胁十分严重,已成为保护植物中的"旗舰"类群.该文基于文献资料和近年来课题组野外调查数据,分析贵州省野生兰科植物的地理分布状况、就地保护现...     

Analysis of genetic relations and evaluation of medicinal value among Hedera plants in China by sequence related amplified polymorphism markers and high performance liquid chromatography detection

Hedera plants are ornamental vines which are regarded as traditional medicinal plants. These plants are widely cultivated worldwide; moreover, new species and varieties have been discovered. For the first time, molecular markers based on sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) were used in this study to classify species and to analyse the genetic relationship of 21 Hedera plant varieties which are commonly cultivated in China. We also employed high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to evaluate the medicinal value of these plants by measuring their hederacoside C contents. Results of SRAP–PCR and cluster analyses show that the SRAP molecular markers can successfully be applied in Hedera plants and are available. In addition, HPLC detection results indicate that the Chinese wild species in group I contain less than 30 mg/g hederacoside C and do not comply with the European Pharmacopoeia standards. By contrast, groups II and III exhibit high medicinal value and accord with these standards.