Botanical Research Articles

A rare Philippine plant found again after almost a century: the rediscovery and lectotypification of Acranthera philippinensis (Rubiaceae)

A floristic excursion in Zamboanga del Sur, Philippines led to the rediscovery of Acranthera philippinensis, an endemic Rubiaceous taxon with very limited information since 1905. This study provided a detailed description, a color plate, a distribution map of A. philippinensis, and information on its habitat and phenology. Based on the IUCN guidelines, A. philippinensis is provisionally categorized as Endangered (EN). In addition, a lectotype is also designated for this name. The findings of this study demonstrate the urgent need for more botanical research to be conducted in the Philippines, where numerous species await recollection and discovery.

Christian Ludwig Krause (1706–1773) and his famous garden in Berlin: nursery, botanical garden and hub in a natural history network

Christian Ludwig Krause (1706-1773) died 250 years ago in Berlin. In his time, he was famous for rich plant collections in his garden. Through an interpretation of historical plans and other sources, this paper addresses the setting, design, lifespan and functions of Krause's garden. Krause established his garden on two plots of land in the Strahlau suburb beyond the gates of baroque Berlin starting in 1732. Both plots were formally designed, and documents show they contained 2420 taxa, making them a remarkable early botanical garden. The garden was connected with a nursery and a seed trade and became a hub for a broad distribution of exotic plants. Through a wide-ranging correspondence and the exchange of seeds, Krause became part of a European network of natural history research. His gardens were also important places of knowledge for local botanical research. Krause's business was continued by his son until 1820. The garden remained in the family until 1837 and continued to exist until about 1860. The history of Krause’s garden shows us how, in the 18th century, a private garden in a peri-urban environment could become an important place of cultivated biodiversity, horticultural art and botanical knowledge.

Selection and validation of reference genes for quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analyses of Serratia ureilytica DW2

Background: Serratia ureilytica DW2 is a highly efficient phosphate-solubilizing bacteria isolated from Codonopsis pilosula rhizosphere soil that can promote the growth of C. pilosula; nonetheless, until now, no validated reference genes from the genus Serratia have been reported that can be used for the normalization of quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT–qPCR) data. Methods: To screen stable reference genes of S. ureilytica DW2, the expression of its eight candidate reference genes (16S rRNA, ftsZ, ftsA, mreB, recA, slyD, thiC, and zipA) under different treatment conditions (pH, temperature, culture time, and salt content) was assayed by RT–qPCR. The expression stability of these genes was analyzed using different algorithms (geNorm, NormFinder, and BestKeeper). To verify the reliability of the data, the expression of the glucose dehydrogenase (gdh) gene under different soluble phosphate levels was quantified using the most stably expressed reference gene. Results: The results showed that the zipA and 16S rRNA genes were the most stable reference genes, and the least stable genes were thiC and recA. The expression of gdh was consistent with the phosphate solubilization ability on plates containing the National Botanical Research Institute phosphate growth medium. Conclusion: Therefore, this study provides a stable and reliable reference gene of Serratia for the accurate quantification of functional gene expression in future studies.

El edificio histórico del Instituto de Botánica Darwinion de San Isidro: el mensaje silencioso del legado del Dr. Cristóbal M. Hicken

The Instituto de Botánica Darwinion (CONICET and ANCEFyN) was founded by the end of 1910 in the San Martín district by Cristóbal María Hicken as his private botanical research laboratory. Its name honors Charles Darwin for his brilliant theory of biological evolution. In 1924, Cristóbal M. Hicken made public his desire to bequeath the Instituto de Botánica Darwinion to the National State, a fact that only materialized in 1934. But in the early ‘30s, he decided to move the Instituto de Botánica Darwinion to a new building located in the San Isidro district, built especially to contain the institute and also his retirement home. After 87 years of existence and five building extensions, the historic building of the Instituto de Botánica Darwinion of San Isidro maintains its integrity and attracts the attention of both the public and architecture and design professionals. Based on the study of building characteristics and the thought of Cristóbal M. Hicken, the main objective of this work is to evaluate whether the external and internal structure of the historic Darwinion building in San Isidro, together with the ornamentation and distribution of original functions of each room, respond only to an aesthetic and functional design or if, in addition, they have a symbolic meaning, a vision of the world, a silent message for those who want (and know how) to understand. With this central purpose as a guide, we carried out a multidisciplinary investigation to reconstruct Cristóbal M. Hicken’s vision in the design of the Instituto de Botánica Darwinion of San Isidro. We started from the analysis of the original building in the San Martín district in search of any possible design background, to then focus the attention entirely on the building in San Isidro. Plans, public documents, correspondence, historical photographs, academic and dissemination articles of the time, pre-Hispanic South American ethnographic information, Argentine historical information between 1860 and 1930, and interviews with relatives and historians were studied. In short, the Instituto de Botánica Darwinion in San Isidro was created as a museum and a laboratory plus a home. The design of the museum agrees with the concept of “temple of Botany” manifested by Cristóbal M. Hicken himself, and whose first sign is observed in the etymology of the name of the institute. Its ornamentation is eclectic, since it combines symbols of Andean pre-Hispanic cultures with symbols of Western civilization, and it is structured according to each room (portal, front rooms, herbarium, library) and orientation (towards the street or towards the inner garden). This ornamentation works like a discourse in symbolic key with multiple messages for the visitor: it reflects an original, foundational, and ancient Argentine identity, which in turn communicates that the Darwinion is a place where a silent and fertile unveiling of the knowledge, of the secrets of evolution, takes place protected from evils and misfortunes by Nature itself. The design plan of the institute, the portal, the access terrace, and the internal garden convey desirable masonic values through the symbolic language, typical and traditional of Freemasonry. Likewise, we show evidence of Dr. Cristóbal M. Hicken’s great interest in Andean pre-Hispanic cultures, of his refined knowledge of Greco-Roman mythology, his belonging to Argentine Freemasonry and consequent ability to symbolic language, and his knowledge of construction, cosmology, and analytic geometry. For these reasons, and considering his participation in the supervision of the building work declared by the newspapers of his time, the probable direct intervention of Cristóbal M. Hicken is proposed both in the design of the building of the Instituto de Botánica Darwinion of San Isidro, as well as in the design of its ornamentation. In addition, evidence is provided of the possible intervention of Arturo Prins and Fernando de Estrada in the project of the building.

О. А. Яната — визнаний український ученийаграрій, перший головний редактор «Вісника сільськогосподарської науки» (1888 – 1938)

The purpose of the article is to reveal the main milestones of the life and creative path of the talented scientist O.A. Yanata, to summarize his most important scientific achievements in the field of agricultural science, organization of sectoral research work and higher professional education in Ukraine. Methods. General scientific — analysis, synthesis, typology; historical — problem-chronological, comparative- historical, retrospective, biographical. The results. It is proved that O.A. Yanata is one of the founders of the Agricultural Scientist (Scientific) Committee of Ukraine, which was transformed into the Scientific and Advisory Council at the National Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR. He contributed to the establishment of the Seed Control Research Station of the Kharkiv Agricultural Society, the Ukrainian Institute of Seed Science, and the Ukrainian Institute of Applied Botany. He made efforts to organize the scientific and educational process, heading the Department of Botany of the Kyiv State Ukrainian University and Agricultural Botany of the Kyiv Agricultural Institute, as well as the Research Department of Applied Botany of the NKO of the Ukrainian SSR at the Kharkiv Agricultural Institute named after H. Rakovsky. Conclusions. O.A. Yanata played an important role in the development of the scientific foundations of the control and seed business in Ukraine, as well as onion growing, seed production, entomology, herbology, botanical terminology and nomenclature, protected business. O.A. Yanata is the founder of the agro-ecological direction in botany and ecology. The researcher raised agro-ecological problems of weed control in agro-ecosystems, initiated systematic botanical and geographical research in Ukraine, and scientifically substantiated the natural zoning of agriculture. It is proven that the scientist contributed to the popularization of the achievements of domestic agrarian science, as the initiator of the foundation, the editor-in-chief of well-known printed bodies, in particular, the journal «News of the Natural Section of the National University of Science and Technology», «Ukrainian Botanical Journal» and «Herald of Agricultural Science».

Reviewers for Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas, Volume 16, 2022

Reviewers for Volume 16 (2022) of Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas. There are 55 reviewers for Volume 16.

Index to Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas, Volume 16, 2022

Index to Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas, Volume 16, 2022, includes titles, authors, botanical names and subject index, and new names and new combinations.

Documenting Flora Indica: Dysentery, William Roxburgh and medical botany

British interest in exploration and documentation of Flora Indica did not originate from the scientific interest in plants, but it was the result of exigencies of running the empire. When the civil and military explorers of the East India Company came from an oceanic climate to tropical region like India, they suffered with dysentery and similar other diseases. Subsequently, the quest for local remedies turned out to be the primary motto of the explorers of the Company. The Company asked their botanists and naturalists to explore Indian local remedies and specific plants for dysentery. In this context, William Roxburgh (1751–1815), the founding father of Indian Botany and the Director of Calcutta Botanical Garden, documented plants with astringent, laxative and purgative qualities as these were considered as the basic ingredients for curing dysentery. However, in the historiography on the relationship between disease and imperial exploration, dysentery has not been studied in detail. Subsequently, the contribution of Roxburgh to the field of medical botany is also ignored. Viewed in this context, the present paper deals with the William Roxburgh’s effort in documentation and search of indigenous plants used in the treatment of dysentery.

Modulation of Cytoskeleton, Protein Trafficking, and Signaling Pathways by Metabolites from Cucurbitaceae, Ericaceae, and Rosaceae Plant Families.

One promising frontier within the field of Medical Botany is the study of the bioactivity of plant metabolites on human health. Although plant metabolites are metabolic byproducts that commonly regulate ecological interactions and biochemical processes in plant species, such metabolites also elicit profound effects on the cellular processes of human and other mammalian cells. In this regard, due to their potential as therapeutic agents for a variety of human diseases and induction of toxic cellular responses, further research advances are direly needed to fully understand the molecular mechanisms induced by these agents. Herein, we focus our investigation on metabolites from the Cucurbitaceae, Ericaceae, and Rosaceae plant families, for which several plant species are found within the state of Florida in Hillsborough County. Specifically, we compare the molecular mechanisms by which metabolites and/or plant extracts from these plant families modulate the cytoskeleton, protein trafficking, and cell signaling to mediate functional outcomes, as well as a discussion of current gaps in knowledge. Our efforts to lay the molecular groundwork in this broad manner hold promise in supporting future research efforts in pharmacology and drug discovery.

“Out of Cuba” – The Additional Botanical Expeditions of Brother Marie-Victorin Across the Caribbean (1940–1942)

Brother Marie-Victorin was the founder of the Montreal Botanical Garden, and one of the most important figures in the botanical history of Canada. Between 1938 and 1944, he undertook seven major plant exploration expeditions to Cuba that resulted in the discovery of several new Cuban endemics. Archival research carried out in the Division de la Gestion de Documents et des Archives (University of Montreal) revealed that during his voyages to Cuba, he made three major side-trips in 1940, 1941, and 1942 to other regions of the Caribbean. Specifically to Barranquilla (Colombia), Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Trinidad, and Yucatan (Mexico). We could not find any of his written accounts of his 1940 voyage to the Yucatan; however, we were able to find a collection of photographic slides. An unpublished 33-page travelogue of his 1941 trip to Colombia, Jamaica, and Trinidad was discovered, studied, and translated into English, with annotations. Furthermore, we examined and interpreted two of his published papers that described the 1942 visits to Haiti and Puerto Rico. During these three “out-of-Cuba” voyages, no plant material was collected; however, Brother Marie-Victorin's written accounts and the 502 photos that he took provide unique insights into Caribbean society of the 1940s, as well as on the naturalists and botanists working in the region, and the plants and habitats they encountered. Brother Marie-Victorin's records highlight racial discrimination against those of African descent in Jamaica and Trinidad. It appears that these trips did not lead to major botanical research initiatives. Furthermore, the few collections that he made for potential propagation in botanic gardens or botanical institutes are not currently being grown any longer. The trips had clear leisure aims and they were centered on learning about the society, the flora, and plant science research activities of the visited areas.

An Enterobacter cloacae strain NG-33 that can solubilize phosphate and promote maize growth.

It is critical to identify and evaluate efficient phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) that enable P uptake from unavailable forms, and therefore improve the phosphorus (P) uptake efficiency of crops. The Enterobacter cloacae strain NG-33, belonging to PSB, was isolated and identified from calcareous rhizosphere soils in Nonggang National Reserve, Guangxi, China. The stain NG-33 could reduce the pH of the medium to below 5.6, and had the ability to release soluble phosphorus (P; 180.7 μg ml-1) during the culture in the National Botanical Research Institute's Phosphate medium (NBRIP), and produced such organic acids as gluconic acid (4,881 mg L-1), acetic acid (346 mg L-1), and indole-3-acetic acid (20.4 μg ml-1). It could also convert inorganic P in AlPO4 (Al-P) and FePO4 (Fe-P) into soluble P, with conversion efficiencies of 19.2 μg ml-1 and 16.3 μg ml-1, respectively. Under pot experiments and when compared controls without inoculating NG-33, the shoot and root biomass of maize seedlings showed increases by 140% for shoot biomass and by 97% for root biomass in loamy soil (P sufficient) inoculated with NG-33. In sandy soil (P deficit) supplemented with tricalcium phosphate and inoculated with NG-33, the soluble P content was significantly higher, 58.6% in soil and 33.6% in roots, meanwhile, the biomass of shoots and roots increased by 14.9 and 24.9%, respectively. The growth-promoting effects coupled to the significant increase in leaf net photosynthetic rate and stomatal conductance of plants grown in NG-33-inoculated soil. Inoculating NG-33 could significantly improve the diversity and richness of bacterial population and altered the dominant bacterial population in soil.

ISOLATION AND MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION OF PHOSPHATE SOLUBILIZING BACTERIA FROM RHIZOSPHERIC SOILS OF TROPICAL LOWLAND RICE

Phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) can promote the dissolution of insoluble phosphorus in soil, enhancing the availability of soluble P and reducing the consumption of fertilizer and aid in sustainable agricultural development. The phosphate solubilising bacteria were isolated from the rhizospheric soils of the experimental site located in the ICAR-National Rice Research Institute's experimental farm in Cuttack, India. & the population of PSBs varied between 1-22.5 cfu/gm*104 and higher in DSR (Direct seeded rice) compared to TPR (Transplanted rice). Phosphate solubilization efficiency (PSE) of the isolates gave better result in Pikovskaya’s agar medium plates i.e. 188.9% in K6 (Kasalath, P80, DSR) rather than National Botanical Research Institute’s Phosphate growth medium (NBRIP) i.e. 73.3% for K6. The highest PSE% in C sources was found in lactose i.e. 166.7% for the isolate K9 (Kasalath, P0, DSR) and 180.0% for the isolate D17 (Dular, P80, TPR) for potassium nitrate as N source. The morphological study by staining characteristics showed that all the isolates were gram negative and cocci except D19 (Dular, P80, TPR) which was gram positive and rod shaped. Amplified fragments of oligonucleotide primers in RAPD characterization showed 51.81% polymorphism and 44.54% monomorphism. Based on dendrogram all the isolates were placed in group A except S11 (Dular, P80, TPR) which was placed in major group B showing great variation from all other isolates and group A consists of 6 minor groups in which minor group A6 was the largest containing 5 isolates i.e. Kasalath, P40, DSR (S13), Kasalath, P80, DSR (S14, S15, S16) & IR36, P40, DSR (S17).

Harnessing the phosphate-solubilizing ability of Trichoderma strains to improve plant growth, phosphorus uptake and photosynthetic pigment contents in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris)

A promising strategy for dissolving, mobilizing and enhancing the utilization of the complexed form of phosphorus (P) in soil-plant systems is the use of effective phosphate solubilizing microorganisms. In the present study, six strains of Trichoderma spp. previously obtained from the common bean rhizosphere were investigated for their ability to solubilize tricalcium phosphate (TCP) in NBRIP (National Botanical Research Institute Phosphate) broth medium. All six strains were able to solubilize TCP to various extents, with solubilization ranging from 66.9 μg/ml to 328.4 μg/ml. A significant negative linear correlation (r = - 0.94; p < 0.01) was found between solubilized P and the pH of the culture medium. The highest solubilization activity (328.4 μg/ml), fungal growth (87.21 mg/100 ml) and pH fluctuation (7.0–4.06) were achieved by Trichoderma gamsii It-62. Under pot conditions, inoculation with Trichoderma gamsii It-62 remarkably improved plant height, shoot and root weight, P uptake, photosynthetic pigments and total protein content compared with untreated common bean seedlings. These increases were significantly higher upon combined inoculation of the bioagent with TCP addition. The obtained results indicate that Trichoderma gamsii It-62 might be a promising alternative for the release of fixed forms of phosphates present in the soil, thereby increasing soil fertility.

Isolation, Solubilization of Inorganic Phosphate, and Production of Organic Acids by Individual and Co-inoculated Microorganisms

Phosphate solubilizing microorganisms (PSMs) mineralize phosphate (PO4³−) to make phosphorous available for plant uptake. This study is designed to isolate the PSMs from the subtropical environmental samples. Total 35 bacterial and 18 fungal isolates were found to be effective P solubilizers depend on their ability of P solubilization that were determined qualitatively and quantitatively using National Botanical Research Institute Phosphorus media. Efficient PSMs that were solubilizing phosphate in maximum amount were identified as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Serratia marcescens, Pseudomonas mosselii, Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus species, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus foetidus, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus tubingensis, and Penicillium chrysogenum. Among them, A. tubingensis was observed as the most efficient phosphate solubilizing strain. For the first time, combined phosphate solubilization activity of A. tubingensis with other efficient phosphate solubilizers was checked and found that A. tubingensis and P. aeruginosa acted synergistically and solubilized phosphate in increased amount. High-performance liquid chromatography results revealed that A. tubingensis produced variety of organic acids including succinic, gluconic, oxalic, and citric acids. Scanning electron microscopy results confirmed the presence of firmly attached large fungal hyphae on tri-calcium phosphate (Ca3(PO4)2). Thus, the results suggest that the use of these PSMs either single or combined as bioinoculants will help to increase the availability of soluble phosphorous.

Phosphate solubilization and plant growth promotion by two Pantoea strains isolated from the flowers of Hedychium coronarium L.

Phosphorus (P) is an essential macronutrient for plants and is considered as one of the limiting nutrients to plants. The majority of P in the soil is found in the form of insoluble phosphate complexes, making the P unavailable for plants. In the present study, we report two highly efficient phosphate solubilizing bacteria isolated from the closed flower ofHedychium coronariumL., a medicinal plant commonly known as Gulbakawali. Based on morphological, biochemical, and molecular characterization, the two bacterial isolates were identified as genusPantoeaand designated as HCF6 and HCF9. Both these isolates efficiently solubilize tricalcium phosphate [Ca3(PO4)2] present in National Botanical Research Institute’s Phosphate (NBRIP) medium by releasing soluble phosphate up to 2000 μg ml-1and also partially solubilize aluminium phosphate (AlPO4). HCF6 and HCF9 possess several plant growth promoting traits and were evaluated for plant growth promotion ability using sand as a growth medium. Wheat plants treated with the bacterial isolates had increased root and shoot length and plant dry mass and accumulated higher inorganic phosphate in the plant tissue suggesting their role in mobilizing soluble P from insoluble P-complexes. Overall, our findings suggest that both thesePantoeaisolates (HCF6 and HCF9) represent promising candidates as bioinoculants.

A review on the ethnobotanical importance of Cosmostigma racemosum (Roxb.) Wight (Vaattuvalli)

Ethnobotany deals with the inter relationship between the humans and plant resources of a particular region. Cosmostigma racemosum (Roxb.) Wight is an ethnobotanically important plant of Apocynaceae family, having many traditional and folklore usages. A compilation of botanical description, ethnobotanical uses and research works of the plant are done. Cosmostigma racemosum (Roxb.)Wight which is known as Vaattuvalli in Malayalam is a twiner with simple, opposite, cordate leaf, terete, puberulous stem and racemose axillary or sublateral cymose inflorescence. Leaves have a peculiar chilly like odour. Leaf paste is used for healing of wounds by the tribal healers. Root bark of the plant are said to be excellent cholagogue. The bark is useful in chronic fevers. The flowers are edible and the plant is also eaten as a vegetable in diabetes among the tribals. Ethnobotanically important plants are to be documented and validated scientifically as it may lead to the preservation of many valid folklore knowledges and also that particular plant species.

Screening and evaluation of phosphate-solubilizing bacteria isolated from aquaculture ponds in a step-by-step strategy as potential biofertilizer.

The application of phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) has received little attention in aquaculture. In addition, the low efficiency of PSB as a biofertilizer in farm conditions is a major concern. Therefore, this study aims to isolate the PSB from sediment of earthen fishponds and evaluate with a more appropriate approach to ensure their effectiveness in increasing the bioavailability of phosphorus (P) in farm conditions. PSB was first isolated and selected using the National Botanical Research Institute's Phosphate (NBRIP) medium-containing tri-calcium phosphate (TCP) in solid and liquid media. Among 96 strains that were isolated, 11 strains identified by 16 s rRNA, belonging to the genera Pseudomonas and Acinetobacter, showed a higher ability to release P from TCP (48-170 mg L-1 ). Then, the efficiency of 11 strains was evaluated by combining different criteria. Among 11 selected strains, based on the ability to dissolve TCP and Ca-Phytate in culture medium, release P in sediment microcosm, and growth in a wide range of environmental conditions in fishponds, especially optimum growth at 4°C and pH above 8, Ps. deceptionensis strain Persian10 was selected as the most efficient strain for testing in aquarium conditions. In the last step, incubation of Persian10 in aquarium sediment (sterilized under gamma-ray) increased soluble P and had an impact on calcium phosphate, organic P and alkaline phosphatase activity; however, Persian10 had no impact on the concentration of iron phosphate and aluminium phosphate. Persian 10 strain can be considered a bio-fertilizer candidate in earthen fishponds as it expressed the ability to solubilize P in different conditions. It is very important to evaluate PSB in an appropriate process using a combination of different criteria to ensure optimal performance of PSB in farm conditions.

Elephants, rainbows, flowers and bees: Interdisciplinary research driven by botanic garden collections

Societal Impact StatementFrom its beginning in 1846, Cambridge University Botanic Garden was conceived of as a plant science research and teaching facility. It has supported major advances in biology, including understanding of evolution and genetics. It promotes outreach to the public and students, explaining to all the importance of plants for life on Earth. It is part of a global network of botanic gardens and similar institutions dedicated to plant conservation and knowledge exchange. Perhaps most importantly, it celebrates the life‐enhancing beauty of plants in all their diversity.SummaryCambridge University Botanic Garden was established on its current site in 1846 by Charles Darwin's mentor, John Stevens Henslow. Many of Henslow's plantings and herbarium specimens still exist. William Bateson, who was one of the rediscoverers of Mendel's laws of inheritance and who coined the term ‘genetics’, worked at the Garden at the dawn of the last century. The attractive landscape is visited by 330,000 members of the public annually, and as originally intended by Henslow, it is an important resource for botanical teaching and research by the University and its collaborators. The Garden's collection comprises about 8000 plant species, 14,000 accessions, nine national collections and a diverse 2000 tree arboretum. Detailed analyses have revealed that, while most of the accessions are also held by other botanic gardens worldwide, several hundred are unique to Cambridge. As well as studies on fundamental principles of biology, the Garden's collection underpins research on global food security and applications in diverse fields such as engineering. As an example of research exploiting the Garden's range of floral forms, analyses of the visual factors determining the interaction between flowers and pollinating insects are described. Bee foraging behaviour may be altered by experimentally manipulating the structural and developmental bases of petal iridescence. The phylogenetic distribution of petal iridescence is consistent with the trait having evolved independently several times in the angiosperms.

Assessment of carbon sequestration potential of tropical tree species for urban forestry in India

Urban, peri urban and patch forests play a critical role in climate change mitigation through increased carbon storage and for that, it is imperative to assess the species response in an eco-region to recommend a potentially higher carbon sequestering species. In urban settings, green spaces, in particular, trees play a vital role in preserving biodiversity, reducing the impact of urban heat islands, enhancing the hydrological cycle, as well as sequestering carbon. When introduced in urban greening projects, native species provide better ecosystem services, conserve and maintain biodiversity more sustainably than exotic species. However, fewer efforts are being made to evaluate the carbon sequestration potential of native tropical tree species in urban greening initiatives. The present study aims to assess the biomass production and carboxylation efficiency of three native tropical tree species to identify the high carbon sequestering species, which will enhance the carbon stocks under urban green spaces. Above ground biomass, carbon stock and physiological performance of three native tropical tree species (Tectona grandis, Mallotus nudiflorus and Syzygium cumini) were measured in Botanical Garden of CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow for eight years old tree stands. Above ground biomass (AGB, Mg/ha) was measured using a non-destructive method by applying allometric equations. Tree height, diameter at breast height (DBH) and leaf area index (LAI) was maximum in T. grandis stand (10.43 m, 29.21 cm, 1.95, respectively). Maximum AGB (71.94 Mg/ha) and carbon stock (25.54 Mg/ha) was observed in T. grandis plantations among the three tree stands. T. grandis stand also had maximum litter fall (5.82 Mg/ha). Highest diurnal photosynthesis rate, water use efficiency and stomatal conductance were also observed in T. grandis stand. However, maximum photosynthetic rate was observed in Mallotus nudiflorus. One way ANOVA revealed significant differences (p < 0.001) in AGB, carbon stock and physiological parameters among the three species. Pearson's Correlation matrix established the positive relationship between growth performance and physiological traits of species with their capacity to sequester carbon. T. grandis can be promoted for urban greening projects for achieving carbon sequestration targets with short time span, however plantation of mixed native species will provide better delivery of all ecosystem services in sustainable mode. Results from the present study shed light on the patterns of carbon sequestration by these species, which in turn will help in the decision-making process for sustainable urban greening. Further, more tropical species can be assessed for their biomass and carbon capture capacities to determine the best species matrix for plantations to enhance carbon storage and develop climate resilient greenbelt under urban landscape forestry programs.

Analysis of floristic composition and species diversity of vascular plants native to the State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza Strip).

This study aims at providing an updated checklist of the native vascular flora of the Palestinian West Bank and Gaza Strip (State of Palestine, SP), serving as a taxonomic and nomenclatural basis for botanical research and encouraging new floristic surveys and biosystematic studies. The study provides an up-to-date checklist of native vascular taxa of the SP and their distribution within the plant districts in the country. This is the very first annotated checklist for the native vascular plants of the SP which incorporates recent name changes, new distribution records, habitat, herbarium specimens catalouge, Red List criteria, wild edible plants, endemism and use in Traditional Palestinian Herbal Medicine. The quantitative analysis of the flora has shown that the SP hosts 1826 taxa, distributed in 686 genera and 108 families; five taxa are gymnosperms, nine taxa are Pteridophytes and 1812 taxa are angiosperms. The most represented families are Leguminosae (222 taxa, 12.2%), Asteraceae (197, 10.2%) and Poaceae (196, 10.7%), while the most represented genera are Trifolium (38, Leguminosae), Silene (32, Caryophyllaceae), Astragalus (27, Leguminosae), Medicago (26, Leguminosae), Allium (25, Amaryllidaceae) and Euphorbia (25, Euphorbiaceae). Annuals (52.4%), Hemicryptophytes (20.2%) and Chamaephytes (12.2%) are the most represented life-forms amongst the SP flora. The richest plant districts in the SP vascular plant taxa are Gaza Strip (GS) (1216 taxa), Jerusalem and Hebron Mountains (JHM) (1235) and Nablus Mountains (NM) (1126). Agglomerative hierarchical clustering (AHC) permitted the division of SP into two main regions, based on the existence of vascular plant taxa: Region 1 (western plant districts with 1128-1237 taxa) with higher water availability and temperate Mediterranean climate which permit the establishment of more than 65% of the total SP flora in these districts and Region 2 (eastern plant districts with 571-698 taxa), characterised by desert and semi-desert conditions, as well as the presence of alluvial and co-alluvial soils, which allow the survival of lower numbers of plant taxa. One hundred and sixty-five taxa of the SP flora are endemic and near-endemic. However, in comparison with some countries of the Mediterranean Basin, this number is below the average endemism concentration, along with other southern arid countries, such as Tunisia and Egypt. In total, there are 102 threatened plant taxa, belonging to 39 families and 83 genera representing 5.6% of the total plants in the SP. IUCN and the Conservation Measures Partnership (CMP) unified classification of direct threats for SP Red-Listed plants has shown a high extinction risk to the Palestinian threatened wild flora, with 76.5% of the threatened species being either critically endangered (CR) or endangered (EN); only 23.5% were vulnerable (VU). However, several taxa are threatened by numerous factors including small population size, human activities, for example, conversion of traditional to intensive agriculture accompanied by deep ploughing and the application of pesticides, urban development and construction, global climatic change, drying of marshes and wetlands, quarrying, fires and pollution. This checklist can help focus conservation efforts and provide a framework for research, protection and policy applications for the SP flora, especially for the endemic and threatened plants.