Botanical Garden Research Articles

The introduction of Paulownia (<i>Paulownia tomentosa</i> Steud.) and the prospects of its use in the conditions of Stavropol

Paulownia tree are one of the plants that have the property of extremely rapid accumulation of plant mass. In this regard, interest in this tree culture has increased significantly in recent years. The purpose of this work is to study the adaptive capabilities of P. tomentosa in the conditions of Stavropol and the prospects for its further use for economic purposes and landscaping of the region. The object of the study was the plants of the collection of the Stavropol Botanical Garden (SBG). Archival data and accounting documentation were used to review the history of the introduction of Paulownia. Biometric measurements of plants were performed according to N.P. Anuchin (1982). The integral assessment of the prospects for the introduction of Paulownia plants was carried out according to the scale of P.I. Lapin and S.V. Sidneva (1973), modified and supplemented by M.A. Koltsova (1983). P. tomentosa has been introduced into the SBG since 1984. Currently, there are several groups of adult Paulownia specimens of various origins in the SBG. The height of adult trees in them varies from 4.3 to 9.0 m, the trunk diameter is from 2.7 to 19.5 cm. The growth of annual shoots reaches 120 cm. The article presents the timing of flowering and fruiting of Paulownia, the peculiarities of the development of culture when grown under different conditions. The methods of reproduction are described: seed and vegetative. P. tomentosa belongs to thermophilic plants — it starts and ends the growing season late. The lignification of annual shoots does not take place fully, as a result of which they are damaged by frosts. Young plants need winter shelter, and in the summer they need sufficient moisture. According to the conducted integral assessment, P. tomentosa belongs to the group of less promising species in the conditions of the SBG, but can be grown as a solitare and in a little groups.

Exploring Students’ Perceptions of Outdoor Biology Learning Activities in Botanical Garden

Outdoor learning has become a relevant learning method to enrich students' learning experience in biology. Botanical gardens, as places that reflect biodiversity, offer unique potential for integrating outdoor learning. This study aims to describe students' perceptions of outdoor learning that has been carried out in the botanical garden as well as the potential and barriers. This research method is a case study. Data collection techniques were questionnaires, structured and semi-structured interviews. The sampling technique used was convenience sampling with a sample of 32 class x students at one of the high schools in Bandung. Responses were expressed in perception numeric index to quantitatively reveal the perceptions of grade 10 students towards the outdoor learning experience that has been carried out. The results revealed that out of 32 respondents, most students showed positive perceptions towards outdoor learning in the botanical garden with a mean index = 55.23 (range 42.5-65.0) with standard deviation (sd) = 6.0. This perspective is influenced by the potential and obstacles in the implementation of outdoor learning conducted in botanical gardens. The implications of this study open up opportunities to design learning strategies that are more effective and can be applied by teachers in organizing biology learning at the high school level.

Global potential distributions and conservation status of rice wild relatives

Societal Impact StatementRice wild relatives (RWR) provide valuable genetic resources for modern rice breeding, yet knowledge gaps constrain their conservation and further utilization. To address these gaps, the potential distributions of 22 RWR taxa were modeled, and their conservation statuses were assessed. Most taxa were identified as medium priority for further conservation. Further ex‐situ collecting hotspots are in Southeast and South Asia, Northern Australia, West Africa, and tropical Americas, while habitat protection lies in Southeast and South Asia, Northern Australia, and West Africa. Climate change may shift equatorial habitats to higher latitudes and mountain habitats to higher altitudes.Summary Rice wild relatives (RWR) provide valuable genetic resources for modern rice breeding. However, knowledge gaps on their geographic distributions and conservation status constrain their conservation and further utilization. To fill these critical gaps, we modeled the potential distributions of 22 RWR taxa under current climate scenarios, assessed their conservation status, both ex situ (in genebanks or botanical gardens) and in situ (in protected areas), and examined changes in taxa richness of RWR in predicted areas under future climate scenarios. The RWR were primarily distributed in tropical Asia to tropical Australia, tropical Africa, and South and Central America. We identified 4 out of 22 taxa as high priority (HP) for further conservation action and 18 taxa as medium priority (MP). Hotspots requiring further collecting for ex situ conservation are concentrated in Southeast and South Asia, Northern Australia, West Africa, and tropical Americas. Meanwhile, habitat protection should be enhanced in Southeast and South Asia, Northern Australia, and West Africa. Under future climate change, suitable habitats near the equator are expected to shift toward higher latitudes and some in lower‐latitude basins may become unsuitable due to excessive heat, resulting in decreased taxa richness in these areas. Additionally, suitable habitats in high mountain areas may shift to higher altitudes, potentially augmenting taxa richness in the highlands. Our findings provide vital insights to guide future rescue conservation efforts for RWR.

MSAIL: Milligram-Scale Multi-Modal Sensor Platform for Monarch Butterfly Migration Tracking

Each fall, millions of monarch butterflies across the northern US and Canada migrate up to 4,000km to overwinter in specific mountain peaks in central Mexico. To track monarchs precisely and study their navigation, a monarch tracker must obtain daily localization of the butterfly as it progresses on its three-month journey. And, the tracker must perform this task while having a weight in the tens of milligrams (mg) and measuring a few millimeters (mm) in size to avoid interfering with the monarch's flight. This paper proposes mSAIL, 8 × 8 × 2.6mm and 62mg embedded system for monarch migration tracking, constructed using 8 prior custom-designed ICs providing solar energy harvesting, an ultra-low power processor, light/temperature sensors, power management, and a wireless transceiver, all integrated and 3D stacked on a micro PCB with an 8 × 8mm printed antenna. The proposed system is designed to record and compress light and temperature data during the migration path while harvesting solar energy for energy autonomy, and wirelessly transmit the data at the overwintering site in Mexico, from which the daily location of the butterfly can be estimated using a deep learning-based localization algorithm. A two-day trial experiment of mSAIL attached to a live butterfly in an outdoor botanical garden demonstrates the feasibility of individual butterfly localization and tracking.

A Green Repository Matures at Kepong : the forest Research Institute of Malaysia

An overview of the history of establishment, characteristics and functions of the grounds of the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia at Kepong is presented. The Institute was functionally established at its Kepong premises in 1926, when the first forest plantations there were begun, and the arboretum was established in 1929 through the efforts of F. W. Foxworthy and J. G. Watson. Today, the premises at Kepong occupy a total area of some 600 hectares, including the natural forest of Bukit Lagong, the plantation forests and the special livmg-plant collections. The planted forests are a prime example of tropical reforestation using hardwood dipterocarp species. These plantations and the arboreta have been built up through a close association with research related-to forestry, plant biology and taxonomy, and the grounds are an important facility for conservation, education and recreation. Taken in toto. the entire premises are effective in conservation through the building up of viable, breeding populations of many plant species, and are significant as a sanctuary for animal life.Unlike the Indian Botanic Garden, which by 1987 woidd have celebrated two hundred years since establishment, the Kepong premises of the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia will see its bicentenary only in the year 2126. It seems a long way to go, and indeed it is. But botanic gardens and arboreta do not grow merely with age; they will only develop with continual maintenance, acquisition and renewal through time. It is, therefore, most pleasing to realize that the Indian Botanic Garden has been sustained for two centuries, and the Kepong premises is maturing after sity years, as scientific livmg-plant repositories.The living collections on the Kepong premises of the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM) have not normally been equated to a botanical garden in its typical sense because of the general emphasis on arboriculture and species of interest to tree-oriented forestry. Although they are as purposeful and functional as any botanical garden in the tropics, the grounds of the FRIM are unique in several aspects and are well-recognised by tropical plant scientists as one of the major repositories for living plants in the region.

An Efficient Propagation Approach to Forcing Softwood Shoots from Epicormic Buds and Subsequent Rooting of Paulownia elongata S. Y. Hu.

The current research describes the multiplication of Paulownia elongata S. Y. Hu, a timber plant, through the forcing of softwood shoots from epicormic buds under glasshouse conditions in spring and fall seasons. Different growth media were used to compare their effect on the forcing potential of epicormic buds. For this, 25-30-cm-long and 1.2-2-cm-diameter stem segments taken from the lower juvenile portion of a mother plant were placed horizontally in flat trays containing media, i.e., sterilized well-moistened sand, peat moss, perlite, and vermiculite individually. Furthermore, 4-6-cm-long forced softwood shoots were detached and treated with various concentrations of IBA (indole-3-butyric acid) and NAA (α-naphthyl acetic acid) either individually or in combinations for subsequent rooting. The response of shoot forcing was better in spring as compared to fall in terms of shoot length (cm), and number of shoots or leaves; however, an earlier bud break was observed during fall after 30 days of the initial experiment. The use of peat moss and vermiculite proved to be equally suitable for early bud break in both seasons, whereas in terms of shoot and leaf number as well as the shoot length (cm), the best outcome was observed in sand. Best rooting was observed at 3 gL-1 IBA + 3 gL-1 NAA in terms of root number per shoot, root length (cm), and days to root initiation while using sand as the growth medium after 50 days of the rooting experiment. The successfully established plantlets were further shifted to soil at Botanical Garden, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan, exhibiting an 87.5% survival rate. On the basis of the results obtained, it may be concluded that reasonable softwood shoot forcing in P. elongata may further be exploited for its mass scale nursery propagation as well as use in future in vitro studies.

Medicinal and Aromatic Weed Diversity in Botanic Garden and their Sustainable Utilisation for Conservation

Total 81 weeds belonging to 59 genera and 31 families growing in the University botanic garden at Sagar were found medicinally important. Various parts of all the weeds have been analyzed for their medicinal utility. Out of 81 weeds, leaves of 64 plants are found useful for various disorders. This is followed by root of 25 plants which are medicinally important. Disease wise analysis has also been carried out. Analysis reveals that for cut, wounds, boils and burns about 29 weed plants are used, whereas 21 weed species each are used for asthma and skin diseases.

Indian Botanic Garden - Important Non-Herbacious Phanerogams of Indian Botanic Garden together with Seasonal Ornamental Annuals under Cultivation

Indian Botanic Garden, Calcutta is spread over to 310 acres of land and consists of 25 divisions. The important species grown in different divisions have been presented in this paper alphabetically arranged, along with seasonal ornamentals.

Polypores that Decay Trees of Indian Botanic Garden

Fifty two species of wood-rotting polyporoid hymenomycetes were found associated with decay of trees of Indian Botanic Garden. Most of them caused white rots. Oxyporus latemarginata (Dur. & Mont.) Donk, Phellinus glaucescems (Petch )Ryv. and Rigidoporus vitreus (Fr.) Donk have not been reported earlier from India. Coriolopsis luzonensis (Murr.) Sharma is a new combination proposed. Casuarina equisetifolia Forst. is the most frequent host.

Pollen Morphology of Aquatic Flora of the Indian Botanic Garden, Howrah, West Bengal

The Paper Presents Pollen Morphological Study of the Aquatic Flora Growing in the Different Pools and Lakes of the Indian Botanic Garden, Shibpur, Howrah, West Bengal. in the Present Study 64 Species, Comprising 4 Pteridophytes, 23 Dicotyledons and 37 Monocotyledons have been Described with Special Notes And/or Remarks, if Any. This Study will be Helpful for Correct Taxonomic Identification of the Aquatic Plants as well as Correlation of the Lake Sediments.

Edinburgh's Indian Botanical Connections and Collections

A survey is given of the many botanical links between Edinburgh and India from the mid 18th century to the start of the 20th century Attention is drawn to the important contributions made to various aspects of Indian botany by Edinburgh-trained surgeons, botanists, gardeners; also administrators and military men; there are brief life-histones of a selection of those with Edinburgh connections of one kmd or another. The importance of the rich Indian coHeetions at the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh is stressed: both herbarium and bbrary-archivat resources. The second part of the paper gives an alphabetical list of all the collectors of Indian specimens, phanerogams and cryptogams, who are known to be represented in the Edinburgh herbarium.

Pteridophytes of Indian Botanic Garden, Howrah

Pteridophytes of Indian Botanic Garden, Howrah

Bio-Aquatic Nature of Indian Botanic Garden Lakes

Nine large lakes out of twenty five occurring in the Indian Botanic Garden, Howrah, have been studied for bio-aquatic nature. The Characteristics of stational parameters are discussed. It is held that the disposition so the lakes vis-a-vis temporal changes and the human interferences are responsible factors affecting Proper conservation of these water bodies.

Notes on Distribution and Biology of <i>Ceratopteris thalictroides</i> (L.) Brongn. (Parkeriaceae) Wlth Special Reference to Spore Production and Fertility under Pollution Stress

Present paper deals with 8 samples of water fern-Ceratopteris thalictroides (L.) Brongn. growing in the fresh water lakes of Indian Botanic Garden, Shibpur, Howrah and in nearby areas inundated by different factory wastes containing hydrocarbons, saponins, mercury residues and various heavy metals in addition to acidic and alkaline residues.Biology of the water fern including spore production, fertility, germination etc. have been studied under control (IBG lakes) and field stress conditions. It is observed that environmental and pollution stress cause severe alteration in the life cycle of this aquatic fern affecting spore production rate, fertility percentage and germination. It is also observed that presence of humus in the soil, salinity and pH of the water also affect the biology and phenotypic plasticity of this water fern. Present observation will be very much helpful in further studies on the biology of the aquatic plants.

The Great Banyan Tree

The Great Banyan Tree at the Indian Botanic Garden, Howrah is a source of attraction to all visitors. In this paper its history, importance, growth, mythology, protection and training of prop roots have been discussed. Some colour photos have been given to depict its various details.

Bamboos of the lndian Botanic Garden

A census of bamboos under cultivation at Indian Botanic Garden has been made.inforrnation on their introduction, cultivation and their availability in various parts of this garden is provided. Taxonomic account of each taxon together with usefulness of bamboos are furnished.

Overview of Ecological Studies on Conservation and Management of Plant Diversity in Indian Botanic Garden, Howrah

Ecological factors of Edapho-Microbial Nature, Bio-aquatic nature, Chemical nature of Hooghly river waters and their impact on the eco-pedon system of IBG have been analysed and are presented here with the objective to aid in scientific management of this unique Botanic Garden. Emphasis is laid on the seasonal variations in the factors governing the ecology of the garden. The paper is concluded with some suggestions for upkeep of the balanced ecology of Indian Botanic Garden (IBG).

THE METHOD OF QUANTITATIVE DETERMINATION OF THE AMOUNT OF FLAVONOIDS IN THE FLOWERS OF GIANT CEPHALARIA

Giant cephalaria (Cephalaria gigantea (LEDEB.) BOBROV) is a powerful perennial whose height reaches two meters. This plant is found in Southern Europe, Western and Central Asia, as well as in North and South Africa. It is cultivated in the Botanical garden of Samara University. The extracts of giant cephalaria have been used in traditional medicine for many years due to their antimicrobial, antifungal, cytotoxic, antioxidant, antidiabetic and antipyretic activities, which may be due to various biologically active compounds. It is known that the leaves contain triterpenoids, phenolic carboxylic acids and their derivatives, flavonoids, and the flowers contain flavonoid compounds: luteolin, quercetin, cynaroside, quercimeritrin and gigantoside A. The article describes the development of a technique for quantifying of the amount of flavonoids in the flowers of giant cephalaria. Spectrophotometric analysis of water-alcohol extracts from giant cephalaria flowers allowed us to establish that the main contribution to the absorption curve of their UV-spectra in the presence of AlCl3 is made by flavonols having a free OH group at the C-3 position, and in the differential version, the maximum absorption of the tested solution is close to that of the standard sample of quercetin (428±2 nm). Optimal conditions for the extraction of flavonoids in giant cephalaria flowers were determined: extractant 70% ethyl alcohol; the ratio "raw material-extractant" – 1 : 50; extraction time – extraction in a boiling water bath for 60 minutes, the degree of grinding of raw materials – 2 mm, analytical wavelength – 426 nm. It was determined that the content of the total flavonoids calculated on quercetin in the flowers of giant cephalaria varies from 1.58±0.05% to 2.63±0.05%. The error of a single determination with a 95% confidence probability is ±1.75%. The obtained results were used in the development of the FS project for a new type of medicinal plant raw materials "Cephalaria giant flowers" for introduction into the State Pharmacopoeia of the Russian Federation.

Observations on the Edapho-Microbial Nature of Indian Botanic Garden, Howrah

The edapmo-microbial nature of Indian Botanic Garden was assessed. The activities of Azotobacter were used as an indicator to determine the suitability of edaphic conditions for plant introduction. It was observed that the Hooghly River (Ganga) front had comparatively higher clay content and organic carbon. The water holding capacity, cation exchange ability, pH, porosity and available nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus and azotobacter activities of the river site were comparatively superior to the other sites. The middle stretch of the garden area was observed to be more saline than other two stretches. The area towards humaq, settlements was exposed to severe anthropogenic interference. Consequently, the microbial population was diminutive here with relatively inferior edaphic characteristics.

A Selective Catalogue of the Publications on the Indian Botanic Garden

No Abstract.