The generic placement of a morphologically enigmatic species in Asteraceae: evidence from ITS sequences

 Bidens cordylocarpa is a high polyploid species restricted in distribution to stream sides in the mountains of Jalisco, Mexico. The morphologically enigmatic species was originally described as a member of the genus Coreopsis, but later transferred to Bidens, largely because the involucral bracts appear most similar to Bidens. Characters of the cypselae, often useful in generic placement, are of no value for this species because the fruits have features not detected in either Bidens or Coreopsis. Sequences from the internal transcribed spacer region of nuclear ribosomal DNA (ITS) were used to assess the relationships of Bidens cordylocarpa. The molecular phylogeny places B. cordylocarpa in a strongly supported clade of Mexican and South American Bidens, and provides more definitive evidence of relationships than morphology, chromosome number, or secondary chemistry. Molecular, morphological, and chromosomal data suggest that B. cordylocarpa is an ancient polyploid, perhaps the remnant of a polyploid complex. Received August 28, 2000 Accepted February 11, 2001     

Sulphuretin glycosides of Coreopsis mutica

The anthochlor complement of Coreopsis mutica has been determined. The compounds observed were all glycosidic derivatives of sulphuretin, being the mono- and di-glucosides and two new glucosidic derivatives acylated with caffeic acid.     

Protective Effects of Anthocyanins from Coreopsis tinctoria against Oxidative Stress Induced by Hydrogen Peroxide in MIN6 Cells

Anthocyanins (AC) from Coreopsis tinctoria possesses strong antioxidant properties, while the effects of AC on cells damage induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS) in diabetes mellitus diseases progression have not been reported. The present study was carried out to evaluate the protective property of AC against cellular oxidative stress with an experimental model, H₂O₂‐exposed MIN6 cells. AC could reverse the decrease of cell viability induced by H₂O₂ and efficiently suppressed cellular ROS production and cell apoptosis. In addition, Real‐time PCR and Western blot analyses indicated that AC could protect MIN6 cells against oxidative injury through increasing the translocation of Nrf2 into nuclear, decreasing the phosphorylation level of p38 and up‐regulating the protein expression of antioxidant enzyme (SOD1, SOD2 and CAT). Thus, this study provides evidence to support the beneficial effect of AC in inhibiting MIN6 cells from H₂O₂‐induced oxidative injury.     

赣榆县厉庄地埂利用型式试验

在赣榆县厉庄以大金鸡菊、紫穗槐和红柳三种经济植物进行了地埂利用型式试验,取得了比较明显的水土保持效果和改善农田小环境的生态效益。栽植后第三年植物覆盖率达90％或100％;地面蒸发量减少15.2～17.7％;截留降水量为0.5～0.7mm;大气相对湿度提高3.7～5.4％;土壤养分也有不同程度的增加。经济效益估测每亩地埂可收到300～600元,比种黄豆高5～9倍。效益最好的是红柳,大金鸡菊次之,紫穗槐较低。     

入侵植物剑叶金鸡菊克隆繁殖特性及群落特征

以江西庐山剑叶金鸡菊（Coreopsis lanceolata）入侵群落为研究对象,调查了不同生境剑叶金鸡菊的克隆繁殖特性和群落特征。结果表明,生境资源水平高低对剑叶金鸡菊的克隆构型影响不显著,无论是资源贫乏的岩石还是资源丰富的弃耕地生境,剑叶金鸡菊依靠植株基部节处萌生的小芽体生长成密集丛生状,其游击型克隆构型变化与环境资源可利用水平高低无关。剑叶金鸡菊种群的伴生植物多为一些适应范围广的杂草,由于剑叶金鸡菊的密集型克隆生长的集团化生长策略,使其种群耐贫瘠和干旱能力非常强,因而适应不同生境的能力也非常强,这种生长策略使剑叶金鸡菊个体能快速扩增并排挤本土植物,〖JP〗形成大面积的单一优势种群影响当地的生物多样性。     

Functional response and progeny production of the Madeira mealybug parasitoid, Anagyrus sp. nov. nr. sinope: The effects of host and parasitoid densities

We tested the hypothesis that control of an herbivorous pest would be improved by providing floral resources for adult natural enemies. The herbivore was euonymus scale, Unaspis euonymi (Comstock) (Homoptera: Diaspididae), a serious pest of woody ornamental plants. The experimental landscape consisted of 3 × 3 m plots, each containing a central bed of Euonymus fortunei (Turcz.) that was infested with the scale. Floral resource plants were cultivars of four species that overlapped in bloom periods to provide a continuous supply of floral resources during summer: Trifolium repens L., Euphorbia epithymoides L., Coreopsis verticillata L. var. ‘Moonbeam,’ and Solidago canadensis L. var. ‘Golden Baby.’ Plots contained either low or high densities of all four species, or no resource plants. Densities of euonymus scale were typically lower in plots containing resource plants than in plots without them. Parasitism by Encarsia citrina (Craw.) (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) was rarely influenced by the experimental treatments, flower biomass, whole-plant biomass, or scale density, but in some cases was inversely correlated with density of scales within a generation and in the subsequent generation. Parasitism occasionally reduced densities of scales in plots containing resource plants, but this effect apparently was related to vegetative, not floral qualities of plants. A steady increase in parasitism rate over the three-year course of the experiment across the entire landscape was associated with decreasing density of scales, suggesting a numerical response by the parasitoid population. These findings suggest that the parasitoid is capable of effectively controlling euonymus scale in ornamental landscapes where environmental conditions are favorable.     

昆仑雪菊提取物对α-葡萄糖苷酶的抑制作用

目的：探讨昆仑雪菊提取物对α-葡萄糖苷酶的抑制活性。方法：将昆仑雪菊干燥花序粉碎,分别用水提法和乙醇法制备5种提取物。采用α-葡萄糖苷酶体外活性抑制模型,测定昆仑雪菊的5种提取物对α-葡萄糖苷酶的抑制活性。结果：这5种提取物对α-葡萄糖苷酶活性有较强的抑制作用,抑制活性均高于阿卡波糖。其中提取物Ⅰ的抑制活性最强,IC50=28.2 mg/L。结论：昆仑雪菊提取物具有较高的α-葡萄糖苷酶抑制活性,提示昆仑雪菊在抗糖尿病产品开发方面具有很好的应用前景。     

Seed banks of a rare wetland plant community: distribution patterns and effects of human-induced disturbance

Seed banks in rare shoreline communities (Nova Scotia, Canada), were examined in order to determine their role in the persistence of rare plant species. A pristine shoreline which supports globally and nationally significant Atlantic coastal plain species averaged 8500 seeds/m². Seedsweremost abundant high on the shore and where standing crop was greatest. Rare species, which made up 22% of the standing crop and litter of the adult vegetation, comprised only 4% of the seed bank. Common rushes such as Juncus canadensis and J. filiformis, were not well represented in the adult vegetation (5% of the standing crop and litter) but were abundant in the seed bank (52% of all seeds). Seed densities were on average, much lower on an intensely disturbed shoreline (1000 seeds/m²), where heavy all-terrain vehicle traffic had destroyed the adult vegetation. These results suggest that intense disturbances will destroy both existing vegetation and the seed bank and moderate disturbances will alter community composition so that common rushes will replace already endangered Atlantic coastal plain species.     

Allozyme Variation within and between Populations of Coreopsis intermedia (Asteraceae)

Abstract Enzyme electrophoresis was used to measure genetic diversity in two populations of Coreopsis intermedia of section Coreopsis , a rare species endemic to a small area of Texas and Louisiana. Genetic diversity is higher in C. intermedia than has been reported for many other geographically restricted species. C. intermedia contains levels of genetic variation comparable to those of other species in section Coreopsis , and a greater amount of diversity than either the rare congener, C. latifolia (section Silphidium ), or the Florida endemic, C. leavenworthii (section Calliopsis ). The two populations, although greatly different in size, exhibited similar levels of genetic diversity.     

Comparing the reproductive biological characteristics of the alien invasive Coreopsis lanceolata to those of the non-invasive alien congener Coreopsis tinctoria

It is important to determine the characteristics associated with the success of alien species. However, there is no universal syndrome of invasion reproductive characteristics to explain the success of invasiveness has not been identified. Comparative studies on congeneric successful or non-successful alien species are beneficial for revealing the drivers of invasion success and predicting future distributions. Reproductive biological characteristics, including the mating system, phenology of flowering, floral syndrome, pollination biology and seed germination have been investigated in the invasive Coreopsis lanceolata and non-successful congener alien species Coreopsis tinctoria. The results revealed that C. lanceolata significantly attracted insect visitors by 11.67 times more than its congener, and the corolla density of C. lanceolata was positively correlated with the number of visiting insects. The high attraction of local insect bees Apis cerana guarantees the reproductive success and high seed production of C. lanceolata. Nevertheless, there was no versatile mating system, because its congener non-successful alien species C. lanceolata still successfully invaded due to the combination strategies of self-compatibility and presence of rhizomes. Furthermore, the ability of seed germination of C. lanceolata was lower than that of C. tinctoria, especially under drought and Al³⁺ stress, suggesting that germination performance can serve as a reference indicator. However, this was not an absolute trait for invasiveness. Hence, these germination traits might slow down the invasiveness of C. lanceolata in south China. These present findings highlight that the combination of self-incompatibility and rhizomes should be given attention in the risk assessment protocols for plant invasiveness.