Phylogenetic position of Cyperus clandestinus (Cypereae,Cyperaceae) clarified by morphological and molecular evidence

Extreme morphological reduction and convergent evolution can obscure taxonomic relationships. This phenomenon is frequently encountered in Cyperaceae, where characters traditionally used to diagnose genera have been shown to have evolved independently multiple times. The Ethiopian high‐altitude perennial first described as Cyperus clandestinus was subsequently moved to Ficinia because it has spiral glume arrangement, unlike typical Cyperus species, which have distichous glume arrangement. However, this position has remained uncertain as no nutlets have previously been studied to establish the presence or absence of the gynophore – the synapomorphy for Ficinia. We resolve this 140‐year‐old puzzle by describing the morphology of the nutlet, which lacks a gynophore, and use DNA sequence data to resolve the taxon within Cyperus. Cyperus clandestinus was found to be closely related to Remirea maritima and Cyperus cyperoides in the C₄Cyperus clade, whose members predominantly have distichously arranged glumes. This provides further evidence for the unreliability of glume arrangement as a character to distinguish between members of the Cyperus and Ficinia clades, whereas gynophore presence is more congruent with molecular data.     

Four new species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aloe</Emphasis> (Aloaceae) from Ethiopia,with notes on the ethics of describing new taxa from foreign countries

Subsequent to the treatment of the Aloaceae, with 38 species of Aloe, in the Flora of Ethiopia (Sebsebe Demissew & Gilbert 1997), four more species, Aloe bertemariae Sebsebe & Dioli (2000), A. friisii Sebsebe & M. G. Gilbert (2000), A. clarkei L. E. Newton (2002) and A. elkerriana Dioli & T. A. McCoy (2007) have been described from that country. Here four additional new species are described: Aloe benishangulana Sebsebe & Tesfaye from near Assosa, Benishangul-Gumuz in Welega floristic region; A. ghibensis Sebsebe & Friis from the Ghibe Gorge, Kefa floristic region; A. weloensis Sebsebe from near Dessie in Welo floristic region and A. welmelensis Sebsebe & Nordal along the Welmel River in Bale floristic region. The phytogeographical positions of the new species are assessed by comparison with the previously known species. Complications with the deposition of type material of A. clarkei and A. elkerriana is used to raise various issues regarding the ethics of describing new taxa from foreign countries.     

Imbalanced Protein Expression Patterns of Anabolic,Catabolic, Anti-Catabolic and Inflammatory Cytokines in Degenerative Cervical Disc Cells: New Indications for Gene Therapeutic Treatments of Cervical Disc Diseases

Degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the cervical spine is common after middle age and can cause loss of disc height with painful nerve impingement, bone and joint inflammation. Despite the clinical importance of these problems, in current publications the pathology of cervical disc degeneration has been studied merely from a morphologic view point using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), without addressing the issue of biological treatment approaches. So far a wide range of endogenously expressed bioactive factors in degenerative cervical disc cells has not yet been investigated, despite its importance for gene therapeutic approaches. Although degenerative lumbar disc cells have been targeted by different biological treatment approaches, the quantities of disc cells and the concentrations of gene therapeutic factors used in animal models differ extremely. These indicate lack of experimentally acquired data regarding disc cell proliferation and levels of target proteins. Therefore, we analysed proliferation and endogenous expression levels of anabolic, catabolic, ant-catabolic, inflammatory cytokines and matrix proteins of degenerative cervical disc cells in three-dimensional cultures. Preoperative MRI grading of cervical discs was used, then grade III and IV nucleus pulposus (NP) tissues were isolated from 15 patients, operated due to cervical disc herniation. NP cells were cultured for four weeks with low-glucose in collagen I scaffold. Their proliferation rates were analysed using 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazolyl-2)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide. Their protein expression levels of 28 therapeutic targets were analysed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. During progressive grades of degeneration NP cell proliferation rates were similar. Significantly decreased aggrecan and collagen II expressions (P<0.0001) were accompanied by accumulations of selective catabolic and inflammatory cytokines (disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs 4 and 5, matrix metalloproteinase 3, interleukin-1β, interleukin-1 receptor) combined with low expression of anti-catabolic factor (metalloproteinase inhibitor 3) (P<0.0001). This study might contribute to inhibit inflammatory catabolism of cervical discs.     

The diversity and distribution of lianas in the Afromontane rain forests of Ethiopia

The diversity and distribution of lianas were studied in five Afromontane rain forests of Ethiopia. Quadrats of 20 × 20 m were laid down along transects in the Bonga, Berhane‐Kontir, Harenna, Yayu and Maji forests. In all forests, 30,917 liana individuals belonging to 123 species in 87 genera and 40 plant families were recorded. The most species‐rich families were Asclepiadaceae (14), Fabaceae (9), Annonaceae (7) and Cucurbitaceae (7). The top 10 dominant families represented 56% of the total number of species. Over 400 other plant species representing different life forms were recorded growing together with lianas. The lianas accounted for over 30% of the total woody plant diversity and over 20% of the total floral diversity in the study areas. The analysis of floristic composition of the forests indicates that the Berhane‐Kontir Forest had the highest Fisher's diversity index α, and Yayu the lowest. Generally, there were low similarities between the forests in terms of species composition. Although lianas were abundant in almost all forests, there was a considerable variation among the forests in terms of density and spatial distribution. The major dispersal modes of lianas were anemochory (30%), mammaliochory (30%), ornithochory and autochory, and the four mechanisms of climbing of lianas were twining (54%), hooking (24%), rooting and use of tendrils. Altitude and human disturbance were found to be important factors affecting liana distribution. The need for sustainable management and use of lianas in the Afromontane rain forests is emphasized.     

Elevational changes in vascular plants richness,diversity, and distribution pattern in Abune Yosef mountain range,Northern Ethiopia

The aim of this research is to investigate the patterns of vascular plant species richness,diversity,and distribution along an elevation gradient in the Abune Yosef mountain range,Ethiopia.Preferential systematic sampling was employed to collect vegetation and environmental data along the elevation gradient.We found that plant species richness declines monotonically from low to high elevations.Specifically,vascular plant species richness and diversity were lower in the Afroalpine grassland(high elevation)than in the Dry evergreen Afromontane forest and Ericaceous forest(low elevations).In contrast,endemic vascular plant richness was significantly higher in the Afroalpine grassland than in the Dry evergreen Afromontane forest and Ericaceous forest.Elevation showed a significant impact on the richness,diversity,and endemism of vascular plants.According to Sorensen's coefficient,the similarity between Dry evergreen Afromontane forest and Ericaceous forest vegetation types is higher(32%)than the similarity between Ericaceous forest and Afroalpine grassland(18%).Only 5%similarity was recorded between the Dry evergreen Afromontane forest and Afroalpine grassland.Growth forms showed different elevationai richness patterns.Trees and liana increased monotonically up to 3300 m.Shrub and herb richness patterns followed a hump-shaped and inverted hump-shaped pattern along the elevation gradient.The elevation patterns of vascular plant species richness,diversity,and growth form in the present study may be attributed to differences in management intensity,spatial heterogeneity,microclimatic variations,and anthropogenic disturbances.     

Maytenus eritreana sp. nov. and M. addat (Loes.) comb. nov. (Celastraceae) from northern Ethiopia

The new species Maytenus eritreana Sebsebe is described from northern Ethiopia. The new combination M. addat (Loes.) Sebsebe is made; this species occurs in the central and southern highlands of Ethiopia. The distribution of the two species is mapped.     

Four new species of Asparagus (Asparagaceae) from the Flora Zambesiaca area

Summary  Four new species of Asparagus (Asparagaceae) from the Flora Zambesiaca area are described and illustrated; the need for more collections is highlighted to assess their conservation status. Asparagus botswanicus Sebsebe is known from a single locality in Botswana; A. chimanimanensis Sebsebe occurs in Zimbabwe and Mozambique; A. richardsiae Sebsebe is known in Zambia and A. radiatus Sebsebe is from a small restricted area (Goba) in Mozambique and Umbeluzi Gorge in Swaziland.     

Medicinal plants potential and use by pastoral and agro-pastoral communities in Erer Valley of Babile Wereda,Eastern Ethiopia

Background

Ethiopian plants have shown remarkably effective medicinal values for many human and livestock ailments. Some research results are found on medicinal plants of the south, south west, central, north and north western parts of Ethiopia. However, there is lack of data that quantitatively assesses the resource potential and the indigenous knowledge on use and management of medicinal plants in eastern Ethiopia. The main thrust of the present ethnobotanical study centres around the potential and use of traditional medicinal plants by pastoral and agro-pastoral communities in Babile Wereda (district) of eastern Ethiopia. The results can be used for setting up of conservation priorities, preservation of local biocultural knowledge with sustainable use and development of the resource.

Materials and methods

Fifty systematically selected informants including fifteen traditional herbalists (as key informants) participated in the study. Semi-structured interviews, discussions and guided field walk constituted the main data collection methods. Techniques of preference ranking, factor of informant consensus and Spearman rank correlation test were employed in data analysis. Medicinal plant specimens were collected, identified and kept at the National Herbarium (ETH) of Addis Ababa University and Haramaya University Herbarium.

Results

Fifty-one traditional medicinal plant species in 39 genera and 28 families were recorded, constituting 37% shrubs, 29% trees, 26% herbs, 6% climbers and 2% root parasites. Leaves contributed to 35.3% of the preparations, roots (18.8%) and lower proportions for other parts. Formulations recorded added to 133 remedies for 54 human ailments, in addition to some used in vector control. The majority of remedies were the juice of single species, mixtures being generally infrequent. Aloe pirottae, Azadirachta indica and Hydnora johannis were the most cited and preferred species. Aloe pirottae, a species endemic to Ethiopia, is valued as a remedy for malaria, tropical ulcer, gastro-intestinal parasites, gallstone, eye diseases and snake bite. The jel extracted from dried and ground plant material, called SIBRI (Oromo language), was acclaimed as a cleaner of the human colon. Concoction made from leaf, seed and flower of Azadirachta indica was given for treatment of malaria, fungal infections and intestinal worms. Root preparations from Hydnora johannis were prescribed as remedy for diarrhoea, haemorrhage, wound and painful body swelling, locally called GOFLA (Oromo language).

Conclusions

The study documented many well known and effective medicinal species of relevance for human healthcare, including for the treatment of malaria which is rampant in the area as it is in many parts of Ethiopia. This underscores the importance of the traditional medicinal plants for the people living in the area and the potential of the resource for development. Consequently, the study area deserves urgent conservation priority coupled with mechanisms for the protection of the associated indigenous medical lore as well as development and effective use of the medicinal plant resource.