II genere Amanita Pers. ex Fr. nei dintorni di Roma

Abstract

The genus Amanita Pers. ex Fr. in Rome neighbourood. — The presence of the genus Amanita in Rome neighbourood, small district, with vegetation and soil diversified, has been studied. The list includes 30 entities (A. caesarea, A. argentea°, A. nivalis, A. vaginata, A. vaginata var. cinerea°, A. fulva, A. crocea°, A. umbrinolutea°, A. lividapallescens°, A. strangulata, A. junquillea, A. eliae°, A. muscaria, A. pantherina, A. alba, A. phalloides, A. phalloides var. alba, A. verna, A. virosa, A. citrina, A. citrina var. alba°, A. porphyria°, A. rubescens, A. spissa. A. excelsa, A. aspera, A. vittadini, A. codinae°, A. strobiliformis, A. boudieri°), 11 new also for latium (°), among these A. codinae and A. vaginata var. cinerea hitherto not found in Italy. At last, the genus in whole region is examined.     

Life Cycle and Temperature Requirements of Seven Herbaceous Species

Abstract

A series of observations were made on the life cycle, phenology, and germination capacity of Galantbus nivalis L., Corydalis cava Schw. et Krt., Anemone nemorosa L., Symphytum tuberosum L., Allium ursinum L., Aegopodium podagraria L., and Campanula rapunculoides L. The studies were conducted in field, in the Arboretum of the Botanical Garden of Padua, in experimental field chambers, and in growth cabinets maintained at temperature of 4°, 15° and 25°C. The various stages of life cycle of plants require different optimal thermoperiods. High temperature induce dormancy in A. nemorosa and S. tuberosum, while in G. nivalis and A. ursinum the rest period at the end of the vegetative cycle, is not broken by temperature treatments. A. podagraria and C. rapunculoides respond with a different morphogenesis to different temperatures. Temperature change (in the controlled conditions from one constant temperature to another) induced subsequent stage development. Vernalization is essential for all the species under study. However the minimum temperature for vernalization and the duration of exposure at this temperature varies in different species.

The life cycle observed of the various species may be considered as examples of different types of adaptation to a same environment.     

Contributo preliminare alla sistematica di Chamaecytisus hirsutus e Chamaecytisus supinus

Abstract

Chamaecytisus hirsutus and C. supinus: a preliminary report. – Chamaecytisus hirsutus (L.) Link and C. supinus (L.) Link have been described as twostrictly related species, which differ mainly in the form of inflorescence: C. hirsutus has lateral flowers, C. supinus has terminal flowers. Besides, most Floras provide a set of additional differential characters that should permit to di-C. hirsutus and C. supinus.

The author analyses such differential characters and demonstrates that all of them are inconsistent: therefore the inflorescence seems to be the only difference between C. hirsutus and C. supinus.

The inflorescence itself, however, is not a constant character: indeed, it is known that C. supinus may develop vernal latera flowers besides the normal aestival terminal ones.

The geographic distributions of the two inflorescence types are accurately examined (a report of the distributions is given, a list of herbarium specimens is presented in appendix, a point distribution map of the two types is given in figs. 1 and 2); the only differences are the following ones: plants with flowers in leafy racemes (usually identified as C. hirsutus) seem to be absent from Spain and from Southern Poland, and to be unfrequent in Central and Western France; instead, plants with flowers in heads (usually identified as C. supinus) are very unfrequent in the Southern Balcan Peninsula, and are absent from Southern Greece and the Italian Peninsula.

After a discussion of the biological significance of the capitate and lateral inflorescence, and on the basis of in vivo observations, the author argues that probably the same taxonomic unit is present in the whole area, showing some differences in its flowering behaviour; in the largest part of the areal – including the center of distribution of the species – most individuals flower twice, and therefore have been recorded as two different species; a trend toward the capitate inflorescence is remarkable in the North and in the West; instead, in the South and the East the trend is toward lateral flowers (fig. 3).

Further biometrical and biochemical studies on the species are now in progress; more observations in field in different parts of Europe are necessary in order to get conclusive evidence of the identity of these two so-called «species».     

Studio preliminare sulla tipologia della vegetazione sommersa del Canale di Sicilia e isole vicine

Abstract

Preliminary studies on the marine phythobenthic communities in the Straits of Sicily and adjacent islands. — The results of algological researches carried out by the Gruppo di Algologia of the S.B.I. in the Straits of Sicily and adjacent islands are reported. 288 species have been collected, 275 of which have been identified: 160 were Rhodophyta, 62 Phaeophyta, 32 Chlorophyta, 16 Cyanophyta and 2 Angiospermae. The vegetational research leads to the following conclusions: 1 - the harbour areas (Pantelleria, Malta: loc. 1 and 11) show a nitrophile vegetation, particulary near La Valletta where an almost pure population of Pterocladia pinnata is found; 2 - there are important biogeographical differences between Pelagie islands (Lampedusa, Linosa) and Pantelleria. In fact the former ones have an algal flora composed mostly of eastern mediterranean species, whilst the latter shows strong affinities with the north-african basin, as is demonstrated by the rich well developed belt of Cystoseira sedoides; 3 - several species of atlantic origin, such as Callophyllis laciniata, Peyssonnelia coriacea, P. inamoena and Castagnea chordariaeformis, have been found on the banks (loc. 3, 6, 7).     

Nuove segnalazioni di funghi entomogeni

Abstract

New records of entomogenous fungi. — New records of six entomogenous fungi, three Ascomycetes (Cordyceps lloydii Fawcett, C. memorabilis Ces., C. riverae Pacioni) and three Deuteromycetes (Akantomyces aranearum (Petch) Mains, Hirsutella citriformis Speare, Troglobiomyces guignardii (Maheu) Pacioni) are given. The new records allow to expand the known area of distribution of these parasites, to confirm the particular condition for fructification needed by some of them and to give new details for the less common species.     

The Impact of Different Antioxidant Agents alone or in Combination on Reactive Oxygen Species,Antioxidant Enzymes and Cytokines in a Series of Advanced Cancer Patients at Different Sites: Correlation with Disease Progression

In the present study we tested the ability of different antioxidant agents, used alone or in combination, to reduce the reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and to increase the glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity. Moreover, we tested the ability of such antioxidant agents to reduce the serum levels of proinflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNF &#102 . Fifty-six advanced stage cancer patients with tumors at different sites were included in the study: they were mainly stage III (12.5%) and stage IV (82.1%). The study was divided into two phases. In the 1 st phase 28 patients were divided into five groups and a single different antioxidant agent was administered to each group. The selected antioxidant agents were: alpha lipoic acid or carboxycysteine-lysine salt, amifostine, reduced glutathione, vitamin A plus vitamin E plus Vitamin C. In the 2 nd phase of the study 28 patients were divided into five groups and a combination of two different antioxidant agents was administered to each group. The antioxidant treatment was administered for 10 consecutive days. The patients were studied at baseline and after antioxidant treatment. Our results show that all single antioxidants tested were effective in reducing the ROS levels and three of them in increasing GPx activity, too. Among the combinations of antioxidant agents, three were effective in reducing ROS, while three were effective in increasing GPx activity (arm 4 was effective in both instances). Comprehensively, the "antioxidant treatment" was found to be effective both on ROS levels and GPx activity. Moreover, the antioxidant treatment was able to reduce serum levels of IL-6 and TNF &#102 . Furthermore, a correlation was shown between the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status of patients and blood levels of ROS, GPx activity, serum levels of proinflammatory cytokines.