RAPD Analysis in Crocus sativus L. Accessions and Related Crocus Species

In the present paper a Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) investigation was carried out on DNAs from five Crocus sativus L. (saffron) accessions cultivated in different countries and on six closely related Crocus species. Aims of the study are to check whether cultivated saffron has maintained a constant genomic organisation and to clarify its relationships with possible ancestor species. For the fifteen primers, which produced positive results, DNAs of saffron corms from different accessions present the same amplification pattern, in accordance with the similar DNA content and base composition pointed out in previous studies. The amplification of the seven Crocus species DNAs with twenty-one primers provided 217 repeatable and interpretable fragments, which were scored for presence/absence and employed for a cluster analysis. Results indicated that C. sativus is very closely related to C. cartwrightianus and also similar to C. thomasii. This result, concurring with part of the previous evidence, would rule out the hypothesis of close relationships between C. sativus and C. pallasii.     

Variation in Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) accessions and Crocus wild species by RAPD analysis

Crocus, a genus of Iridaceae is mostly grown in areas with Mediterranean environment as the best region. Saffron (C. sativus) is a perennial plant and is cultivated as an industrial crop in several regions of Iran. In this research, five accessions of cultivated Saffron from five areas in Khorasan, and Esfahan including Gonabad, Ferdows, Torbat-e-Heyidariye, Estahbanat, Gopayegan were used. Other nine species of saffron were grown naturally in Iran; so we collected two wild species (C. caspius and C. speciosus) from north of Iran (Gilan Province). RAPD markers were used to classify these species and to find their relationships. In the results of this study, the cluster analysis showed two distinct groups. Also, the maximum similarity was seen between C. caspius and C. speciosus (0.82) and the minimum was between Estahbanat, Ferdows accessions and C. speciosus (0.33). Finally, this method as a convenience procedure could be used to separate different accessions and species of Crocus as well.     

Thermonasty of young main stems of Phryma leptostachya (Phrymaceae)

Thermonasty-like responses were observed on some main stems of Phryma leptostachya (Phrymaceae) plants cultivated in the open. To confirm the thermonastic nature of these responses, the plants were moved into an artificially illuminated chamber and observed under controlled conditions. At low temperatures (about 12°C) and in the dark, slanted terrestrial young main stems of P. leptostachya became prostrate. At higher temperatures (about 25°C) and in the dark, the prostrate stems became slanted. Their movement was confirmed under controlled conditions and is therefore considered to be thermonastic in nature.     

高黎贡山花卉资源与赏花旅游初探

高黎贡山有完整的生物气候垂直带谱自然景观,多种植被类型和丰富的植物资源,目前已知有种子植物2门210科1086属4303种及变种,其中有较高观赏价值的花卉达62科320属1053种,是我国花卉资源最丰富的地区之一。高黎贡山花卉资源具有种类丰富,名花众多;珍稀,濒危植物多;植物区系成分复杂,起源古老,特有植物多;垂直分布明显,四季花卉不断;形态各异,色彩绚丽等特点,是开展赏花旅游的理想地方,笔者设计3条赏花旅游线中;（1）百花岭景区;（2）大蒿坪景区;（3）大塘大树杜鹃景区。为高黎贡山开展赏花旅游提供思路。     

The Initiation and Growth of Tulip Bulbs

Tulip mother bulbs contain daughter bulbs, and second-generationdaughter bulbs are initiated within these daughter bulbs, fromFebruary to July. Initiation takes place progressively, thefirst-initiated bulbs being in the axils of the outermost scales.The innermost second-generation daughter bulbs are finally initiatedat the same time as the flower within the daughter bulb. Thelatest-formed bulbs grow much more rapidly than the others,and soon become larger than the first-formed ones. Later inthe season, growth of daughter bulbs falls into three phases,corresponding roughly with autumn, winter, and spring; growthis rapid in autumn and spring, and slower in winter. The ratesof daughter bulb growth in the autumn are affected by the amountof suppression by the mother bulb apex, but later these differencesdisappear. The durations of the phases of growth also vary withthe position of the daughter bulb. The outer daughter bulbsgrow for a longer time during the autumn phase than the innerones, so that differences in size due to variation in growthrate are partly nullified. In early spring, all daughter bulbsresume rapid growth simultaneously. Final bulb weight is thenapproached asymptotically, with the innermost bulbs having thehighest weights.     

AFLP and MS-AFLP Analysis of the Variation within Saffron Crocus (Crocus sativus L.) Germplasm

The presence and extent of genetic variation in saffron crocus are still debated, as testified by several contradictory articles providing contrasting results about the monomorphism or less of the species. Remarkably, phenotypic variations have been frequently observed in the field, such variations are usually unstable and can change from one growing season to another. Considering that gene expression can be influenced both by genetic and epigenetic changes, epigenetics could be a plausible cause of the alternative phenotypes. In order to obtain new insights into this issue, we carried out a molecular marker analysis of 112 accessions from the World Saffron and Crocus Collection. The accessions were grown for at least three years in the same open field conditions. The same samples were analysed using Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) and Methyl Sensitive AFLP in order to search for variation at the genetic (DNA sequence) and epigenetic (cytosine methylation) level. While the genetic variability was low (4.23% polymorphic peaks and twelve (12) effective different genotypes), the methyl sensitive analysis showed the presence of high epigenetic variability (33.57% polymorphic peaks and twenty eight (28) different effective epigenotypes). The pattern obtained by Factorial Correspondence Analysis of AFLP and, in particular, of MS-AFLP data was consistent with the geographical provenance of the accessions. Very interestingly, by focusing on Spanish accessions, it was observed that the distribution of the accessions in the Factorial Correspondence Analysis is not random but tends to reflect the geographical origin. Two clearly defined clusters grouping accessions from the West (Toledo and Ciudad Real) and accessions from the East (Cuenca and Teruel) were clearly recognised.     

Tulip allergens in Alstroemeria and some other liliiflorae

A study has been made of the occurrence of tulip allergens (tuliposides) among several plant genera belonging to the Liliiflorae. All species of the genera Alstroemeria, Erythronium and Tulipa can be considered potentially allergenic (tuliposide-A). Tuliposide-B is more generally distributed and occurs in Lilium, Notholirion and Calochortus as well. Small amounts of both tuliposides are found in Fritillaria. A brief discussion is given of the systematic implications of the results.     

In vitro cormlet development in Crocus sativus

An improved protocol for generation of viable cormlets from tissue culture derived shoots of saffron has been developed. Multiple shoots were generated from apical buds, small corms and in vitro developed single shoots. Bunches of two to three shoots when cultured on half strength Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium containing 3 mg dm⁻³ benzyladenine (BA) and 80 g dm⁻³ sucrose developed 1.89 cormlets per shoot bunch with an average fresh mass of 1.18 g. It took nine months from culture of apical buds to the harvest of cormlets but under field conditions 22 months. Sucrose appeared to be essential for cormlet induction as no cormlets were developed in the medium devoid of sucrose and only 0.29 per shoot in medium containing mannitol. In vitro derived cormlets sprouted from apical and axillary buds on MS medium containing 12 mg dm⁻³ BA, 3 mg dm⁻³ indolebutyric acid and 30 g dm⁻³ sucrose. Daughter cormlet formation from in vitro derived cormlets was also observed.     

Cloning and Characterization of FLOWERING LOCUS T-Like Genes from the Perennial Geophyte Saffron Crocus (Crocus sativus)

The transition to flowering is one of the most important developmental decisions made by plants. At the molecular level, many genes coordinate this transition. Among these, genes encoding for phosphatidylethanolamine-binding proteins (PEBPs) play important roles in regulating flower time and the fate of inflorescence meristem. To investigate the role of PEBPs in an industrially important crop cultivated for its nutritional and medicinal properties, the monocotyledonous species Crocus sativus L., we have isolated three FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT)-like genes designated as CsatFT1-like, CsatFT2-like, and CsatFT3-like. The isolated genes maintain the exon/intron organization of FT-like genes and encode proteins similar to the members of the PEBP family. Phylogenetic and amino acid analysis at critical positions confirmed that the isolated sequence belongs to the FT clade of the PEBP family phylogeny distinctly from the TERMINAL FLOWER 1 (TFL1) and MOTHER OF FT AND TFL1 clades. Expression analysis indicated differences in the expression of the three FT-like genes in different organs and different expressions during the day–night diurnal clock. Additionally, analysis of isolated promoter sequences using computational methods reveals the preservation of common binding motifs in FT-like promoters from other species, thus suggesting their importance among plant species.     

Crocus sativus and its allies (Iridaceae)

Crocus sativus is an autumn-flowering species, unknown as a wild plant but long-cultivated for its scarlet style branches which yield Saffron, the dye and flavouring agent. There are several naturally-occurring related species from southern Europe and south western Asia which form a natural group within the genus.C. niveus from Greece is similar to these morphologically and is included here but is less closely related. The characters of the group are defined, a key to the taxa is provided and their relationships discussed.