Labiatae Novae Iranicae,series tertia

Six new species are described:Teucrium chasmophyticum related toT. paederotoides from Northern Syria;Stachys subaphylla from North East Iran, the most xeromorphic representative of Sect.Ambleia; St. veroniciformis andSt. kermanshahensis, closely related to each other but rather isolated from the remainder of sect.Fragilicaulis; St. nephrophylla, still another member of the same section centred in West Iran, North Iraq and South East Turkey, related toSt. glechomifolia; andNepeta allotria from the Elburs mountains in North Iran, of isolated systematic position.

Florae Iranicae praecursores 10–15.     

3-Methylbutanoyl and 3-methylbut-2-enoyl disaccharides from green coffee beans (Coffea arabica)

The aerial parts of Teucrium oliverianum yielded two neo-clerodane diterpenoids, teucrolin F and G, together with the known teucrolin E. The previously proposed structure for teucrolin E was revised so that it contains a tetrahydrofuran ring instead of an oxetane ring. This was based on analysis of the NMR spectroscopic data of its diacetate, including its NOE spectra. In addition, the structural assignments of the new diterpenoids were based on 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopic studies, mainly 2D NMR experiments, including homonuclear and heteronuclear correlations.     

Morpho-anatomical differentiation of the balkan populations of the species Teucrium flavum L. (Lamiaceae)

Ecological plasticity, i.e., inter-population differentiation of the species Teucrium flavum was analyzed on the basis of morpho-anatomical variability of its five populations from the maquis (Cisto-Ericetea and Cisto-Micromerietea), rocky grounds (Festuco-Brometea) and rocky crevices (Asplenietea rupestris) in the Eumediterranean and sub-Mediterranean region. Univariate statistic analysis included 22 quantitative characters related to the leaf and stem anatomy and morphology. In order to establish the variability and significance of morpho-anatomical differentiation, principal component analyses (PCA), multivariate analyses of variances (MANOVA), discriminant components analysis (DCA) and clustering, according to the UPMGA method based on Mahalanobius’ distances, have been done.The morpho-anatomical analysis of plants from the five distant populations confirmed that the species T. flavum belongs to malacophyllous xeromorphic species. It was established that the plants from all the five populations analyzed are distinguished by stable conservative xeromorphic characteristics. There is a difference between the pronounced xeromorphic plants belonging to Eumediterranean populations and the subxeromorphic sub-Mediterranean ones.     

Chemotaxonomic Importance of the Essential‐Oil Composition in Two Subspecies of Teucrium stocksianum Boiss. from Iran

The hydrodistilled essential oils obtained from aerial flowering parts of Teucrium stocksianum ssp. stocksianum (TSS) and T. stocksianum ssp. gabrielae (TSG) from Iran were analyzed by capillary GC and GC/MS. The oil analysis of two subspecies led to the identification of 65 compounds that accounted for 93.3 and 95.1% of the total oil compositions, respectively. Sesquiterpenoids (52.9%) constituted the main compounds in the essential oil of TSS represented mainly by cis‐sesquisabinene hydrate (12.0%), followed by epi‐β‐bisabolol (6.6%), guaiol (5.4%), and β‐eudesmol (4.4%), whilst monoterpenoids (61.2%) were found to be the major components of the oil of TSG, represented by α‐pinene (23.0%), β‐pinene (13.0%), myrcene (6.3%), and sabinene (6.3%). The principal component in both subspecies, TSS and TSG, was α‐pinene (22.0 and 23.0%, resp.) and β‐pinene (6.5 and 13.0%, resp.). epi‐α‐Cadinol, myrcene, and sabinene, which were detected as principal compounds of TSG, were characterized in lower amounts (<1.5%) in the oil of TSS. Seven components were identified in the oil of TSS corresponding to 25.9% of total oil, which were totally absent in the oil of TSG, of which cis‐sesquisabinene hydrate (12.0%), guaiol (5.4%), and β‐eudesmol (4.4%) were in considerable amounts. Taxonomic position of the subspecies is discussed on the basis of phytochemical data.     

The Accumulation of Zinc and Nickel in Irankoh Indigenous Plant Species on a Contaminated Land

The accumulation of heavy metals by plants determines both the micronutrient content and the toxic metal content of our food. A field survey of higher terrestrial plants growing on a metalliferous site of the Iranian arid mountain in Isfahan was conducted to identify species accumulating exceptionally large concentrations of Zn and Ni in shoots and roots. Plant samples were collected from Irankoh areas near the Bama Pb and Zn mine. Sampling was carried out in Spring 2004 and analyzed for DTPA (Diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid) extractable Zn and Ni by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Mean total and available Zn in the studied soils were 259.7 μgg^?1 and 5.067 μgg^?1, respectively. Soil total and available Ni were relatively low (58.9 μgg^?1 and 0.143 μgg^?1 respectively). Zinc concentrations were considerably high in shoots of Stachys inflate, Ebenus stellata, and Astragalus glaucanthus (556.88, 508.8, and 449.53 μgg^?1, respectively). Nickel concentrations were markedly high in shoots of Teucrium polium, Alyssum bracteatum, and Ebenus stellata (13.21, 10.98, and 8.84 μgg^?1, respectively). Zinc translocation factor (TF or shoot/root concentration ratio) was higher than Ni TF in most plant species. Zinc and Ni enrichment factors and shoot/root concentration ratios were also significantly high in Stachys inflate, Ebenus stellata, Astragalus glaucanthus Teucrium polium, Stipa barbata, Bromus tectorum, and Alyssum bracteatum. Results suggest that these plants could be good candidates for use in the revegetation and phytoremediation of Zn and Ni contaminated lands in arid regions.     

Micromorphological and Phytochemical Research on Teucrium scorodonia and Teucrium siculum from the Italian Flora

Micromorphology and distribution of trichomes in different plant parts of Teucrium scorodonia and Teucrium siculum from five populations in Italy are described. The composition of volatile compounds in the same plants has also been studied. The micro-morphological characters of the two taxa differ only in the calyces. T. siculum from the Euganean hills shows a great shape variability in the bracts. As far as the volatile compounds are concerned, this taxon reveals a somewhat special position, particularly for the presence of monoterpenes, which are lacking in T. siculum from Central and Southern Italy.     

An efficient in vitro plant regeneration system for the medicinal plant Teucrium stocksianum Boiss.

An efficient and rapid plant regeneration system via direct organogenesis was established for Teucrium stocksianum Boiss. (Lamiaceae), an endangered and valuable medicinal plant. Hypocotyl explants excised from seedlings germinated in vitro were cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with different concentrations of kinetin and indoleacetic acid (IAA) to induce shoot formation. Differentiation of multiple shoots was initiated within 3 weeks of culture. Optimal regeneration was achieved on medium containing 3 mg/l kinetin and 0.5 mg/l IAA. This particular medium composition significantly improved the production of multiple shoots directly from hypocotyl explants compared to other combinations of plant growth regulators. Root induction was achieved on half-strength MS medium containing indole-3-butyric acid. Rooted plantlets were successfully acclimatized, with a survival rate of 75–80%. The protocol developed in this study could be used for long-term in vitro conservation and mass propagation of this species.     

Rearranged abietane diterpenoids from the root of Teucrium lanigerum

A new rearranged abietane diterpenoid, teuvincenone J, was isolated from the root of Teucrium lanigerum Lag. (Labiatae) together with four known compounds, teuvincenones A–D. The structure of the new diterpene [12,16-epoxy-11,14-dihydroxy-17(15 → 16)-abeo-3α,18-cyclo-8,11,13,15-abietatetraen-7-one] was established by 1D- and 2D-NMR spectroscopic means. These diterpenes could be significant from a chemotaxonomic point of view.     

Developmental instability in gynodioecious Teucrium lusitanicum

Developmental instability was assessed in two geographical races of Teucrium lusitanicum using morphometric measures of vegetative and reproductive structures. T. lusitanicum is a gynodioecious species. Male sterile (female) individuals showed greater developmental instability at all sites. Plants located inland had higher developmental instability of vegetative characters and lower developmental instability of reproductive characters than coastal plants. These results support the contentions that (1) developmental instability is affected more by the disruption of co-adapted gene complexes than by lower heterozygosity, and (2) different habitat characteristics result in the differential response of vegetative and reproductive structures.