Seed oil fatty acids: Evolutionary significance in the Nyssaceae and Cornaceae

Four species of Nyssa, eleven species of Cornus, and one species each of Davidia, Camptotheca, Aucuba, and Mastixia were analyzed for seed oil fatty acids. Canonical variates calculated from percentage palmitic stearic, oleic, linoleic and linolenic acids show that Nyssa biflora lies intermediate to N. sylvatica and N. aquatica in composition. Davidia involucrata should remain allied with the Nyssaceae. Many of the Cornus species from several subgenera comprise a single cluster that represents a fatty acid composition at or near the primitive condition.     

The protective effect of the Cornus mas fruits (cornelian cherry) on hypertriglyceridemia and atherosclerosis through PPARα activation in hypercholesterolemic rabbits

Cornelian cherry (Cornus mas L.) fruits have been used in traditional cuisine and in folk medicine in various countries. This study was conducted to evaluate the constituents and impact of cornelian cherry (C. mas L.) fruits lyophilisate on lipid levels, PPARα protein expression, atheromatous changes in the aorta, oxido-redox state, and proinflammatory cytokines in hypercholesterolemic rabbits. The HPLC–MS method was used for determining active constituents in cornelian cherry. In a subsequent in vivo study the protective effect of the cornelian cherry on diet-induced hyperlipidemia was studied using a rabbit model fed 1% cholesterol. Cornelian cherry (100 mg/kg b.w.) or simvastatin (5 mg/kg b.w.) were administered orally for 60 days. Two iridoids – loganic acid and cornuside – and five anthocyanins were identified as the main constituents of the cornelian cherry. The administering of the cornelian cherry led to a 44% significant decrease in serum triglyceride levels, as well as prevented development of atheromatous changes in the thoracic aorta. Cornelian cherry significantly increased PPARα protein expression in the liver, indicating that its hypolipidemic effect may stem from enhanced fatty acid catabolism. Simvastatin treatment did not affect PPAR-α expression. Moreover, the cornelian cherry had a significant protective effect on diet-induced oxidative stress in the liver, as well as restored upregulated proinflammatory cytokines serum levels. In conclusion, we have shown loganic acid to be the main iridoid constituent in the European cultivar of the cornelian cherry, and proven that the cornelian cherry could have protective effects on diet-induced hypertriglicerydemia and atherosclerosis through enhanced PPARα protein expression and via regulating oxidative stress and inflammation.     

Real-Time PCR Detection of Dogwood Anthracnose Fungus in Historical Herbarium Specimens from Asia

Cornus species (dogwoods) are popular ornamental trees and important understory plants in natural forests of northern hemisphere. Dogwood anthracnose, one of the major diseases affecting the native North American Cornus species, such as C. florida, is caused by the fungal pathogen Discula destructiva. The origin of this fungus is not known, but it is hypothesized that it was imported to North America with its host plants from Asia. In this study, a TaqMan real-time PCR assay was used to detect D. destructiva in dried herbarium and fresh Cornus samples. Several herbarium specimens from Japan and China were detected positive for D. destructiva, some of which were collected before the first report of the dogwood anthracnose in North America. Our findings further support that D. destructiva was introduced to North America from Asia where the fungus likely does not cause severe disease.     

Estimation of genetic diversity in some Iranian cornelian cherries (Cornus mas L.) accessions using ISSR markers

Iran is an important producer of cornelian cherries (Cornus mas L.). Seed propagation and long term human selection have given rise to a great diversity of trees. In this study, ISSR marker was used for genetic diversity evaluation of 40 accessions of cornelian cherries (C. mas L.). With 20 ISSR primers, 171 polymorphic bands were detected with polymorphism ratio range of 80–100%. The average polymorphism information content (PIC) was 0.46, which shows that the majority of primers are informative. The average values of Effective Multiplex Ratio (EMR), Marker Index (MI), effective number of alleles (Ne), Nei's gene diversity (He) and Shannon's information index (I) for all primers were 8.0, 3.75, 1.756, 0.416 and 0.595 respectively. Based on these results, ISSR analysis can be used for the characterization and grouping of cornelian cherry accessions. This is the first study demonstrating that ISSR analyses can be used to differentiate and classify cornelian cherry accessions.     

Phylogeny, biogeography, and molecular dating of cornelian cherries (Cornus, Cornaceae): tracking Tertiary plant migration

Data from four DNA regions (rbcL, matK, 26S rDNA, and ITS) as well as extant and fossil morphology were used to reconstruct the phylogeny and biogeographic history of an intercontinentally disjunct plant group, the cornelian cherries of Cornus (dogwoods). The study tests previous hypotheses on the relative roles of two Tertiary land bridges, the North Atlantic land bridge (NALB) and the Bering land bridge (BLB), in plant migration across continents. Three approaches, the Bayesian, nonparametric rate smoothing (NPRS), and penalized likelihood (PL) methods, were employed to estimate the times of geographic isolations of species. Dispersal and vicariance analysis (DIVA) was performed to infer the sequence and directionality of biogeographic pathways. Results of phylogenetic analyses suggest that among the six living species, C. sessilis from western North America represents the oldest lineage, followed by C. volkensii from Africa. The four Eurasian species form a clade consisting of two sister pairs, C. mas-C. officinalis and C. chinensis-C. eydeana. Results of DIVA and data from fossils and molecular dating indicate that the cornelian cherry subgroup arose in Europe as early as the Paleocene. Fossils confirm that the group was present in North America by the late Paleocene, consistent with the DIVA predictions that, by the end of the Eocene, it had diversified into several species and expanded its distribution to North America via the NALB and to Africa via the last direct connection between Eurasia and Africa prior to the Miocene, or via long-distance dispersal. The cornelian cherries in eastern Asia appear to be derived from two independent dispersal events from Europe. These events are inferred to have occurred during the Oligocene and Miocene. This study supports the hypothesis that the NALB served as an important land bridge connecting the North American and European floras, as well as connecting American and African floras via Europe during the early Tertiary.     

Shoot regeneration of dwarf dogwood (Cornus canadensis L.) and morphological characterization of the regenerated plants

Dwarf dogwoods (or the bunchberries) are the only suffrutex in Cornaceae. They are attractive ground cover ornamentals with clusters of small flowers surrounded by petaloid bracts. Little has been reported on plant regeneration of dogwoods. As a step toward unraveling the molecular basis of inflorescence evolution in Cornus, we report an efficient regeneration system for a dwarf dogwood species C. canadensis through organogenesis from rejuvenated leaves, and characterize the development of the plantlets. We used the nodal stem segments of vegetative branches as explants. Micropropogated shoots were quickly induced from axillary buds of nodes on an induction medium consisting of basal MS medium supplemented with 4.44 μM BAP and 0.54 μM NAA. The new leaves of adventitious shoots were used as explants to induce calli on the same induction medium. Nearly 65% of leaf explants produced calli, 80% of which formed adventitious buds. Gibberellic acid (1.45 μM) added to the same induction medium efficiently promoted quick elongation of most adventitious buds, and 0.49 μM IBA added to the basal MS medium promoted root formation from nearly 50% of the elongated shoots. The growth of plantlets in pot soil was characterized by the development of functional woody rhizomes, which continuously developed new aboveground vegetative branches, but not flowering branches, within the past 12 months. Potential reasons causing the delay of flowering of the regenerated plants are discussed. The establishment of this regeneration system facilitates developing a genetic transformation system to test candidate genes involved in the developmental divergence of inflorescences in Cornus. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Numerical taxonomy of Palaeocarya (Juglandaceae) from the Mangbang Formation of West Yunnan, China

Specimens of Palaeocarya (Juglandaceae) were collected from the upper Pliocene of western Yunnan Province, which is a new geographical and age range record of engelhardioid winged fruits in China. A numerical taxonomic investigation based on 14 morphological characters of fossil and extant specimens of engelhardioid winged fruits in China was conducted using multivariate methods. Phenetic clustering shows that there are four morphotypical groups which we assign to four species. Two groups are assigned to the previously described fossil species, Palaeocarya guangxiensis Li Hao-Min et Chen Yun-Fa, 2003 and Palaeocarya koreanica (Oishi) Manchester, 1987. Two new species are recognized, Palaeocarya yunnanensis and Palaeocarya longialata. These Neogene Engelhardieae fruits provide fossil data for understanding the origin and evolution of the Engelhardia species that now inhabit South China.     

Prior reproduction and weather affect berry crops in central Ontario, Canada

Populations of many perennial plants intermittently produce large seed crops—a phenomenon referred to as mast seeding or masting. Masting may be a response to spatially correlated environmental conditions (the Moran effect), an adaptive reproductive strategy reflecting economies of scale, or a consequence of the internal resource budgets of individual plants. Fruit production by endozoochorous plants representing eight genera varied synchronously over much of central Ontario, Canada, 1998–2009. We tested for effects of weather and prior reproduction on fruit production by comparing AIC_c values among regression models fit to time series of fruit production scores and partitioning contributions by different predictors to multiple R ² into independent and joint contributions. Fruit production by mountain ash (Sorbus spp.), juneberry (Amelanchier spp.), dogwoods (Cornus spp.), nannyberry (Viburnum lentago), and possibly cherries (Prunus spp.) was inversely related to production in the previous year. These effects were independent of weather conditions, suggesting that intrinsic factors such as internal resource budgets or an adaptive strategy of variable reproductive output influenced fruit production. To our knowledge, this is the first evidence of masting in members of the genera Cornus, Viburnum, and Amelanchier, and in members of Prunus and Sorbus in North America. All species produced fewer fruits when weather conditions were dry, so the Moran effect could have synchronized fruit production both within and among species. Patterns and causes of variation in berry crops have implications for ecosystem dynamics, particularly in boreal and subArctic environments where berry crops are important wildlife foods.     

Fatty acids of some cornaceae,hydrangeaceae, aquifoliaceae,hamamelidaceae and styracaceae

Seed, kernel or fruit oils of the Cornaceae (nine species). Hydrangea, Hamamelis, Ilex (Aquifoliaceae) and the Styracaceae (two species) were analysed for fatty acid composition. Special attention was paid to the occurrence of petroselinic acid (18: 1Δ6c). In the species investigated. C₁₈ acids were always present in greater quantities than C₁₆ fatty acids; C₂₀ and C₂₂ acids were only minor components. The Cornaceae show differing fatty acid patterns which correlate well with anatomical, morphological and other chemical data. In Cornus, Curtisia, Mastixia and Corokia linoleic acid predominates, whereas linoleic and linolenic acid form the major components in Davidia and Nyssa. 18 : 1Δ6c, an aralioid type, occurs in large amounts in Aucuba and Griselinia. Hamamelis, Hydrangea and Ilex show a common fatty acid pattern with linoleic acid as the dominant component in all cases. Classification currently based on morphological and anatomical differences between the two species of Styracaceae which were investigated here should include their different fatty acid compositions: in Halesia linoleic acid predominates over oleic acid, whereas in Styrax equal amounts of these two acids are found.     

Three new species of Dasylirion (Nolinaceae) from Mexico and a clarification of the D. longissimum complex

Three new species ofDasylirion and a new variety ofD. longissimum Lem. from the mountains of northern Mexico are described and illustrated. Two of the new species are from northwestern Mexico:D. gentryi, with large, rosecolored fruits and glossy, non-waxy leaves; andD. sereke, characterized by roundish fruits with an unusuall large style.Dasylirion miquihuanense is a new species from northeastern Mexico with narrow, strictly upright leaves and widely separated marginal prickles. TheDasylirion longissimum complex consists of two species,D. quadrangulatum S. Wats andD. longissimum Lem., characterized by narrow, quadrangulate leaves with reduced or absents marginal prickles. Distinguishing features of these two species, which have often been confused, are presented andD. longissimum var.treleasei, characterized by small flowers and fruits, is described.     

Pliocene Albizia (Fabaceae) from Jharkhand,eastern India: reappraisal of its biogeography during the Cenozoic in Southeast Asia

Albizia, a diverse tree genus, occupies monsoonal warm humid rain forests in tropical and subtropical regions. We recovered a well-preserved compound fossil leaf and two fossil fruits of Albizia (Fabaceae) from the latest Neogene (Rajdanda Formation: Pliocene) sediments of Jharkhand of the Chotanagpur Plateau, eastern India. On the basis of the architectural features of the fossil leaf, a new species is established as A. mahuadanrensis Hazra, Hazra and Khan, n. sp., characterised by a bipinnate, compound leaf having a rachis bearing opposite, asymmetrically ovate to sub-rhomboid leaflets, pulvinus on leaflet petiolule and brochiodromous secondary veins. Based on both morphological and anatomical characters of the fossil fruits, A. palaeoprocera Hazra, Hazra and Khan, n. sp. is erected, characterised by flattened to broadly linear shaped, wingless fruits; ovate-elliptic shaped seed chambers having ellipsoidal seeds in one series; irregularly polygonal to rectangular epidermal cells with oblique end walls and randomly oriented, scattered, paracytic stomata. Analysis of Albizia fossil occurrences indicates that the legume taxon was common in Neogene forests of India and elsewhere. The present-day distribution of the closely affiliated modern species of the fossil taxa indicates a warm and humid tropical environment during the time of deposition. We also review the biogeographic history of Albizia in India and other Asian countries.     

Species of Penicillium causing decay of stored fruits and vegetables in Israel

Penicillia species were isolated from postharvest decays of fruits of pear, apple, grapes, strawberry, melon, pepper, eggplant and tomato, after 3–5 days' shelf-life following cold storage.Penicillium cyclopium was the most common species in storage and was isolated from all fruits except eggplants. Next in frequency wereP. expansum, P. puberulum, P. viridicatum andP. brevi-compactum, naturally occurring on various types of stored fruits.P. expansum, P. stecki andP. cyaneo-fulyum showed the highest pathogenic potential, being capable of infecting all inoculated tested fruits.P. cyclopium, P. puberulum, P. viridicatum, P. crustosum andP. granulatum were also among the non-selective species, capable of infecting all fruits except eggplant or pepper.P. citrinum, P. purpurogenum, P. frequentans, P. chrysogenum, P. stolonifer, andP. italicum constitute a category characterized by both limited natural distribution and selective pathogonicity after artificial fruit inoculations. Fruit tissues of pears, grapes and tomatoes were found the most suitable for colonization and development of the Penicillia, whereas those of eggplant and pepper were most resistant to infection.     

Fruits of Wetherellia and Palaeowetherellia (?Euphorbiaceae) from Eocene sediments in Virginia and Maryland

The Eocene sediments of southern Maryland and adjacent Virginia have yielded multilocular fruits assignable to the extinct generaWetherellia Bowerbank andPalaeowetherellia Chandler. This is the first report of their co-occurrence in one deposit.Wetherellia has previously been reported from the Eocene of southern England and West Germany (two species), whilePalaeowetherellia has been reported from the Eocene and possibly latest Cretaceous of Egypt (one species). APalaeowetherellia-like fruit has been reported from the Eocene of southeastern North America.Wetherellia marylandica comb. nov. andPalaeowetherellia species are described; new information is provided for the previously established speciesWetherellia variabilis andW. dixonii. The familial assignment of both genera is reviewed.Palaeowetherellia is most similar to fruits of the tribe Hippomaneae of the Euphorbiaceae, whileWetherellia finds counterparts in the Euphorbiaceae and the Meliaceae. While the exact affinities ofWetherellia are difficult to resolve through comparison to modern fruits, the similarity ofWetherellia andPalaeowetherellia might suggest that the former is more likely euphorbiaceous than meliaceous. The discovery of these New World members of both genera reinforces the importance of floristic exchange across the North Atlantic in earliest Tertiary time.     

Revision of the Proteaceae macrofossil record from Patagonia, Argentina

Proteaceae are restricted to the Southern Hemisphere, and of the seven tribes of the subfamily Grevilleoideae, only three (Macadamieae, Oriteae, and Embothrieae) have living members in Argentina. Megafossil genera of Proteaceae recorded from Patagonia includeLomatia, Embothrium, Orites, andRoupala. In this report, we evaluate and revise fossil Argentine Proteaceae on the basis of type material and new specimens. The new collections come from the Tufolitas Laguna del Hunco (early Eocene, Chubut Province), the Ventana (middle Eocene, Río Negro Province), and the Río Ñirihuau (late Oligocene-early Miocene, Río Negro Province) formations, Patagonia, Argentina. We confirm the presence ofLomatia preferruginea Berry,L. occidentalis (Berry) Frenguelli,L. patagonica Frenguelli,Roupala patagonica Durango de Cabrera et Romero, andOrites bivascularis Romero, Dibbern et Gandolfo. Fossils assigned toEmbothrium precoccineum Berry andE. pregrandiflorum Berry are doubtful, and new material is necessary to confirm the presence of this genus in the fossil record of Patagonia. A putative new fossil species of Proteaceae is presented as Proteaceae gen. et sp. indet. Fossil Proteaceae are compared with modern genera, and an identification key for the fossil leaf species is presented. Doubtful historical records of Proteaceae fossils for the Antarctic Peninsula region and Patagonia are also discussed. Based on this revision, the three tribes of Proteaceae found today in Argentina were already present in Patagonia by the early Eocene, where they probably arrived via the Australia-Antarctica-South America connection.     

Paliurus Fruits from the Oligocene of South China and Their Phytogeographic Implications

Paliurus favonii Unger is recognized and described based on fruits from the Oligocene Ningming flora of Guangxi, South China. Characteristics of the present specimens include circular winged fruits that are 10.0–11.5 mm in diameter with a central endocarp at 3.0 to 4.0 mm in diameter. The specimens fall into the morphological range of the fossil species P. favonii, which has been observed in other Cenozoic sites in the Northern Hemisphere. The present discovery represents the lowest latitude distribution of P. favonii in the world, and we are presenting the first P. favonii fossil described with detailed cuticular characteristics from China. Further, this finding demonstrates that the genus existed in the Oligocene Ningming region, South China, and provides new information for understanding the fossil history. The dispersal mode for winged fossils demonstrates that wind dispersal is well-represented in the Oligocene Ningming flora.     

Parasitism of the apple maggot,Rhagoletis pomonella,infesting hawthorns in Washington

Five species of larval parasitoids were reared fromRhagoletis pomonella (Walsh) infested fruit of hawthorn,Crataegus, collected from several locations in southwest Washington over a four year period. A braconid,Biosteres melleus (Gahan), parasitized larvae infesting fruits of a native hawthorn species,Crataegus douglasii Lindl. Another braconid,Opius downesi Gahan, emerged exclusively fromR. pomonella pupae reared from fruits of an introduced species of hawthorn,Crataegus monogyna Jacq. A pteromalid,Pteromalus sp., and two eulophids,Tetrastichus spp., attackedR. pomonella larvae infesting fruits of both hawthorn species. No parasitoids emerged from a total of 4385 pupae reared from apple. Percent parasitism ofR. pomonella was higher inC. monogyna compared toC. douglasii fruits. The highest average levels of parasitism ofR. pomonella inC. monogyna andC. douglasii fruits were 90% and 23% respectively. The kinds of parasitoids, their relative abundances and timing of parasitization on the two hawthorns was related to differences in fruit ripening patterns and its effect on the development ofR. pomonella on these two hosts. Parasitization ofR. pomonella byTetrastichus spp. is a new host record. The detection of these species andPteromalus sp. in southwest Washington are the first records of ectoparasitoids attacking this tephritid.     

The genus Comus: Non-flavonoid glucosides as taxonomic markers

Previous proposals for subdivision of the genus Cornus are reviewed. Twenty-seven authenticated Cornus species have been studied for their content of non-flavonoid glucosides. Two distinct groups of taxa can be distinguished on this basis: one, containing a hydroxycyclohexadienone glucoside, along with salidroside, its reduced counterpart, and the second, characterized by containing various iridoid glucosides. The two types of glucosides are apparently mutually exclusive.     

Wuyunanthus gen. nov., a flower of Celastraceae from the Palaeocene of north-east China

A flower assigned to Wuyunanthus hexapetalus gen. & sp. nov. has been collected from the Wuyun Formation of Palaeocene age, Jiayin County, Heilongjiang Province, north-east China. The flower is bisexual, actinomorphic, and 6-merous. There are six free valvate petals in a whorl inserted on the margin of a hexagonal disk, and six free stamens alternate with petals within it. The pistil consists of fused carpels. Ovary with an apical style is superior. The unique combination of characters of the fossil, such as stamens inside the thick and flattened disk surrounding the ovary and equal in number to the petals, is similar to that of Celastraceae. The fossil is assigned to Celastraceae but distinguished from other extant genera of the family by being 6-merous rather than 4- or 5-merous. It might represent an extinct and early type of Celastraceae. The presence of a disk might provide evidence for insect pollination in the early stages of Celastraceae evolution.