Flora Of China Research Articles

Morphological and Phylogenetic Analysis Reveals Two New National Records of Viola (Violaceae) from Southwestern China

Two rarely reported violets, Viola annamensis Baker f. and V. rheophila Okamoto were confirmed as new additions to the flora of China, based on three collections from Yunnan and Guangxi, southwestern China. Molecular phylogeny analysis based on nrITS dataset was conducted to facilitate further identification and their phylogenetic position. A brief description of the two new recorded species were also presented.

New investigations on Cretaceous woods from the Jiaolai Basin, Shandong Province and their palaeoclimate relevance

The Jiaolai Basin of China is the southernmost edge of the distribution of the northern Jehol Biota and an important area which bears both the northern and southern palaeogeographical fauna representative species. The Laiyang flora in the Jiaolai Basin is located in the transitional region between the Early Cretaceous southern and northern flora of China. Currently, research on the plants in the transitional region between the northern and southern flora are relatively weak. Our study of specimens has enriched our understanding of the floral landscape in the transitional region between the north and south flora. Cretaceous wood fossils are well preserved in China and 66 species of 29 genera have been reported up to now, which are widely distributed in China. However, in the Cretaceous Shandong Province, there are few records of wood fossils. So far, only one genus and two species have been reported. In this paper a new material of fossil wood is described from the Early Cretaceous Zhifengzhuang Formation of Laiyang Group in Jingzhi area of Anqiu City, Jiaolai Basin, Shandong Province. The present specimen has uniseriate to triseriate pits on the radial walls of tracheids, taxodioid cross-field pitting and other characters. This discovery contributes to a better understanding of fossil wood diversity in Jiaolai Basin during the Cretaceous. Through the well preserved growth rings of the specimens, it can be inferred that the environmental paleoclimate of the Early Cretaceous in Shandong Province was generally arid, with some areas being humid.

Climate factors determine large-scale spatial patterns of stomatal index in Chinese herbaceous and woody dicotyledonous plants

The stomatal index (SI, %) and its response to climate factors (temperature and precipitation) can help our understanding of terrestrial carbon and water cycling and plant adaptation in the ecosystem, however, consensus has not yet been reached in this regard. In this study, we compiled an extensive dataset from the Chinese flora to investigate the response of SI to environmental change, including 891 herbaceous and woody species from 188 published papers. The results showed that mean values of the adaxial SI and abaxial SI for all species were 14.06 and 19.22, respectively, and the ratio of adaxial to abaxial SI was 0.84. For the adaxial SI, abaxial SI, and the ratio of adaxial to abaxial SI, the range of these values varied between 0.05–43.67, 0.01–48.17, and 0.03–4.31, respectively. Compared with woody plants, herbaceous plants showed higher values in both adaxial and abaxial SI. In terms of the impact of climate factors, the abaxial SI of herbaceous plants changed slower than the adaxial SI, while woody plants showed the opposite trend. Threshold effects of increased temperature and precipitation on SI were observed, indicating that SI responded differently to changes in climate factors at different levels. Climate factors play a crucial role in driving the adaxial SI than abaxial SI. Our findings highlight the significant challenges posed by divergent responses of SI in forecasting future water and carbon cycles associated with climatic and environmental change.

Syringin: a naturally occurring compound with medicinal properties.

Syringin, a phenylpropanoid glycoside, is widely distributed in various plants, such as Acanthopanax senticosus (Rupr. et Maxim.) Harms, Syringa reticulata (BL) Hara var. mandshurica (Maxim.) Hara, and Ilex rotunda Thumb. It serves as the main ingredient in numerous listed medicines, health products, and foods with immunomodulatory, anti-tumor, antihyperglycemic, and antihyperlipidemic effects. This review aims to systematically summarize syringin, including its physicochemical properties, plant sources, extraction and separation methods, total synthesis approaches, pharmacological activities, drug safety profiles, and preparations and applications. It will also cover the pharmacokinetics of syringin, followed by suggestions for future application prospects. The information on syringin was obtained from internationally recognized scientific databases through the Internet (PubMed, CNKI, Google Scholar, Baidu Scholar, Web of Science, Medline Plus, ACS Elsevier, and Flora of China) and libraries. Syringin, extraction and separation, pharmacological activities, preparations and applications, and pharmacokinetics were chosen as the keywords. According to statistics, syringin can be found in 23 families more than 60 genera, and over 100 species of plants. As a key component in many Chinese herbal medicines, syringin holds significant research value due to its unique sinapyl alcohol structure. Its diverse pharmacological effects include immunomodulatory activity, tumor suppression, hypoglycemic action, and hypolipidemic effects. Additionally, it has been shown to provide neuroprotection, liver protection, radiation protection, cardioprotection, and bone protection. Related preparations such as Aidi injection, compound cantharidin capsule, and Tanreqing injection have been widely used in clinical settings. Other studies on syringin such as extraction and isolation, total synthesis, safety profile assessment, and pharmacokinetics have also made progress. It is crucial for medical research to deeply explore its mechanism of action, especially regarding immunity and tumor therapy. Meanwhile, more robust support is needed to improve the utilization of plant resources and to develop extraction means adapted to the needs of industrial biochemistry to further promote economic development while protecting people's health.

A dataset of plant lists from key surveyed wetlands in Southern Xinjiang in 2011

Based on a number of field surveys and studies on the key wetlands in Southern Xinjiang for one year, we obtained the original data of plant species information. And then we supplemented, improved and proofread the original data using relevant information from various books about biodiversity and flora as well as related professional databases such as the Flora of China. Following the APGIV classification system (2016), we sorted out, reviewed, and examined the original data, so as to obtain a dataset of plant lists from key surveyed. This dataset covers 35 key survey wetlands, including plant species name, Latin name, alias, phylum, class, order, Chinese family name, Latin family name, Chinese genus name, Latin genus name, distributed wetland name, habitat, plant value and other information. The dataset comprises 11 orders, 18 families, 33 genera, and 58 species. This dataset can provide data support for plant species research, ecological environment quality restoration and rational utilization, as well as the biodiversity protection research in the wetland region of southern Xinjiang in the future.

A dataset of desert plant catalogue in Xinjiang

The dataset of desert flora catalogue in Xinjiang was constructed by consulting monographs such as Chinese Flora, Xinjiang Flora, Chinese Desert Flora, Xinjiang Flora, Xinjiang Tree Chronicles, as well as related documents and major online open databases, aiming to enhance the accuracy and completeness of the data and information included in the catalogue. This dataset comprises 31 families, 150 genera and 360 species of desert plants in Xinjiang, including 355 species of angiosperms and 5 species of gymnosperms. Among them, there are 80 species of plants with medicinal value, 61 species of plants with forage value, and 26 species with economic value, accounting for 22.2%, 16.9% and 7.2% of all plants in the dataset, respectively. This dataset contains the Chinese names, Latin names, aliases and other information of desert plants, which can provide scientific reference and basic data for scientific research on various aspects, such as the growth environment and plant value of desert plants. Moreover, it is of great significance for the conservation and development of desert plant diversity in Xinjiang.

Correction to: Picturing the flora of China: Early Qing dynasty plant paintings in Britain

Correction to: Picturing the flora of China: Early Qing dynasty plant paintings in Britain

Danshen-Shanzha formula for the treatment of atherosclerosis: ethnopharmacological relevance, preparation methods, chemical constituents, pharmacokinetic properties, and pharmacological effects.

Danshen-Shanzha Formula (DSF) is a well-known herbal combination comprising Radix Salvia Miltiorrhiza (known as Danshen in Chinese) and Fructus Crataegi (known as Shanzha in Chinese), It has been documented to exhibit considerable benefits for promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis, and was used extensively in the treatment of atherosclerotic cardiac and cerebral vascular diseases over decades. Despite several breakthroughs achieved in the basic research and clinical applications of DSF over the past decades, there is a lack of comprehensive reviews summarizing its features and research, which hinders further exploration and exploitation of this promising formula. This review aims to provide a comprehensive interpretation of DSF in terms of its ethnopharmacological relevance, preparation methods, chemical constituents, pharmacokinetic properties and pharmacological effects. The related information on Danshen, Shanzha, and DSF was obtained from internationally recognized online scientific databases, including Web of Science, PubMed, Google Scholar, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Baidu Scholar, ScienceDirect, ACS Publications, Online Library, Wan Fang Database as well as Flora of China. Data were also gathered from documentations, printed works and classics, such as the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, Chinese herbal classics, etc. Three essential avenues for future studies were put forward as follows: a) Develop and unify the standard preparation method of DSF as to achieve optimized pharmacological properties. b) Elucidate the functional mechanisms as well as the rationality and rule for the compatibility art of DSF by focusing on the clinic syndromes together with the subsequent development of preclinic study system in vitro and in vivo with consistent pathological features, pharmacokinetical behaviour and biomarkers. c) Perform more extensive clinical studies towards the advancement of mechanism-based on evidence-based medicine on the safety application of DSF. This review will provide substantial data support and broader perspective for further research on the renowned formula.

Five new species of Aspidistra (Asparagaceae) from Guangxi, China

This paper continues the publication of Aspidistra species newly discovered in the flora of China. It includes five new species of Aspidistra (Asparagaceae), namely A. longjiangensis, A. erythropoecila, A. duanensis, A. yachangensis and A. polypetala, all from Guangxi, China, are described and illustrated. The morphology, ecology, phenology, distribution, conservation status and the color illustrations are provided for all five taxa.

Core proteome mediated subtractive approach for the identification of potential therapeutic drug target against the honeybee pathogen Paenibacillus larvae.

American foulbrood (AFB), caused by the highly virulent, spore-forming bacterium Paenibacillus larvae, poses a significant threat to honey bee brood. The widespread use of antibiotics not only fails to effectively combat the disease but also raises concerns regarding honey safety. The current computational study was attempted to identify a novel therapeutic drug target against P. larvae, a causative agent of American foulbrood disease in honey bee. We investigated effective novel drug targets through a comprehensive in silico pan-proteome and hierarchal subtractive sequence analysis. In total, 14 strains of P.larvae genomes were used to identify core genes. Subsequently, the core proteome was systematically narrowed down to a single protein predicted as the potential drug target. Alphafold software was then employed to predict the 3D structure of the potential drug target. Structural docking was carried out between a library of phytochemicals derived from traditional Chinese flora (n>36,000) and the potential receptor using Autodock tool 1.5.6. Finally, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation study was conducted using GROMACS to assess the stability of the best-docked ligand. Proteome mining led to the identification of Ketoacyl-ACP synthase III as a highly promising therapeutic target, making it a prime candidate for inhibitor screening. The subsequent virtual screening and MD simulation analyses further affirmed the selection of ZINC95910054 as a potent inhibitor, with the lowest binding energy. This finding presents significant promise in the battle against P. larvae. Computer aided drug design provides a novel approach for managing American foulbrood in honey bee populations, potentially mitigating its detrimental effects on both bee colonies and the honey industry.

Role of phytochemicals isolated from Cirsium japonicum in neurological disorders

Phytochemicals are richest source of medicines since human history. Cirsium japonicum (Asteraceae), along with other members in the genus are a rich source of flavonoids, polyacetylenes, acetylenes, phenolic acids, phenylpropanoids, sterols, terpenoids and numerous other compounds. Current study aimed to describe an updated review of the literature on the hidden potential of the C. japonicum extracts and its active biological components on neurological disorders. Among various active phytochemicals in C. japonicum includes luteolin, hispidulin, cirsimaritin, acacetin, apigenin, diosmetin, linarin, pectolinarin, and silybin B. Flora of China has been reported around 50 Cirsium species, of which 13 species are reported to be used for treatment of stopping bleedings, removing blood stasis, reducing swelling, treating bleeding syndrome and neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer disease (AD). In addition, C. japonicum enhances antioxidant and anticancer activities at cellular level. Moreover, antidepressant potential of ethanol extracts of C. japonicum has also been well described are primarily due to positive modulatory impacts on GABAA receptor (GABAAR) complex. The presence of huge number of active ingredients report in multiple plant species altogether in C. japonicum, appealing for extensive studies for indepth examination of mechanisms and ultimately their usage in clinical trials.

Picturing the flora of China

Abstract This paper traces the provenance of some 2,400 plant paintings obtained by early British commercial travellers to Xiamen 廈門, long pre-dating the later ‘export trade’ in Chinese botanical art. Nine principal sets of paintings form five ‘assemblages’ across the British Library and Oak Spring Garden Foundation in Upperville, Virginia. Each painting, in one of two styles, depicts a single plant labelled with its Chinese name. The first style (‘boneless’) either deploys limited outlines to denote form or lacks outlines altogether, and incorporates resemblances to traditions of bencao 本草 (materia medica) illustration and huaniaohua 花鳥畫 (flower-and-bird) painting. The second uses prominent inked outlines and more firmly resembles bencao illustrations. Two merchants, James Cuninghame and Christopher Brewster, are identified as purchasers of some paintings, and their acquisitions entered the metropolitan collections of James Petiver and Sir Hans Sloane. A single Chinese actor, ‘Dr Bun-ko’, is named in an annotation on 309 ‘Bunko–Brewster Paintings’ which have newly been shown to encompass holdings at the British Library and Oak Spring.

The mid-domain effect in flowering phenology

The timing of flowering is an important driver of species distribution and community assembly patterns. However, we still have much to learn about the factors that shape flowering diversity (i.e., number of species flowering per period) in plant communities. One potential explanation of flowering diversity is the mid-domain effect, which states that geometric constraints on species ranges within a bounded domain (space or time) will yield a mid-domain peak in diversity regardless of ecological factors. Here, we determine whether the mid-domain effect explains peak flowering time (i.e., when most species of communities are flowering) across China. We used phenological data of 16,267 herbaceous and woody species from the provincial Flora in China and species distribution data from the Chinese Vascular Plant Distribution Database to determine relationships between the observed number of species flowering and the number of species flowering as predicted by the mid-domain effect model, as well as between three climatic variables (mean minimum monthly temperature, mean monthly precipitation, and mean monthly sunshine duration). We found that the mid-domain effect explained a significant proportion of the temporal variation in flowering diversity across all species in China. Further, the mid-domain effect explained a greater proportion of variance in flowering diversity at higher latitudes than at lower latitudes. The patterns of flowering diversity for both herbaceous and woody species were related to both the mid-domain effect and environmental variables. Our findings indicate that including geometric constraints in conjunction with abiotic and biotic predictors will improve predictions of flowering diversity patterns.

A study on the distribution, origin, and taxonomy of Populus pseudoglauca and Populus wuana

AbstractTaxonomy of Populus is a challenging task, especially in regions with complex topography, such as the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau because of the effect of hybridization, incomplete lineage sorting, phenotypic plasticity, and convergence. In the Flora of China, Populus pseudoglanca and Populus wuana are classified into sect. Leucoides and sect. Tacamahaca, respectively, but their taxonomy remains unclear. By conducting a systematic investigation for all taxa of Populus on the plateau, we found 31 taxa from the two sections. Through identification based on morphology and habitats, we confirmed that the “P. pseudoglanca” recorded in the Flora of Sichuan is not true P. pseudoglanca, while P. pseudoglanca and P. wuana recorded in the Flora of China may refer to the same species. By performing whole‐genome re‐sequencing of 150 individuals from the 31 taxa, we derived 2.28 million single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Further genetic and phylogenetic analyses demonstrated that the genetic structure of P. wuana is extremely consistent with P. pseudoglanca, and they all originate through the natural hybridization between Populus ciliata in sect. Leucoides and Populus curviserrata in sect. Tacamahaca. Our results suggested that P. wuana should be merged with P. pseudoglanca taxonomically. This study not only clarifies the taxonomic confusions related to P. pseudoglanca and P. wuana but also provides a new framework based on the integration of morphology, distribution, habitat, and genome to solve complex taxonomic problems.

Hegnera obcordata (Fabaceae: Desmodieae), a newly recorded genus and species for the flora of China

Hegnera obcordata (Miq.) Schindl., is reported here as a newly recorded genus and species for the flora of China. It was collected from Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province and Changjiang, Hainan Province. As a member of the tribe Desmodieae, H. obcordata can be easily distinguished from other genera by its climbing habit, depressed obovate terminal leaflet with an obcordate apex, and pods with U-shaped articles and deeply indented upper sutures. This study provides a detailed morphological description, phenology, distribution map and colored photographs of H. obcordata. Additionally, an updated dichotomous key to the Chinese Desmodieae genera is provided.

A new phenolic compound from Persicaria capitata

Persicaria capitata was a frequently used Hmong medicinal flora in China. In this study, one new phenolic compound, capitaone A (1) together with 20 known ones, were isolated from the whole herb of P. capitata. Among them, 7 components (4, 9–11, 15–16, 20–21) were discovered from P. capitata for the first time. Their chemical structures were elucidated on the basis of extensive NMR and MS spectrum. Furthermore, three compounds (15, 20, 21) displayed remarkable cytotoxic activities against two human cancer cell lines (A549 and HepG2).

Leaf stoichiometry of potassium, calcium, and magnesium in tropical plants: Responses to climatic and geographical variations—A case study from Hainan Island

AbstractGrasping how climate change will affect the tropical region's leaf potassium, calcium, and magnesium content is pivotal for enhancing our comprehension of plant stoichiometry. Currently, there is limited research on leaf potassium, calcium, and magnesium in tropical plants, which is particularly evident with the increasing importance of tropical rainforest biodiversity studies. This study investigated the impact of geographical and climatic factors on the leaf potassium, calcium, and magnesium content in 346 plants (including woody plants, herbs, and vines) on Hainan Island. The findings demonstrated that the average leaf potassium, calcium, and magnesium contents were 5.77, 11.86, and 2.92 mg·g−1, respectively, which were less than that in the Chinese flora. Mean annual precipitation (MAP) has a promoting effect on leaf potassium content (p < 0.05), suggesting that artificial potassium fertilization is needed due to the increasing MAP. Leaf potassium and magnesium content were positively correlated with latitude (p < 0.05) and longitude (p < 0.01); and there was a negative correlation between leaf calcium content and latitude (p < 0.05), showing that geographical factors have a significant impact on the potassium, calcium, and magnesium content of plant leaves. Additionally, the variables regulating leaf potassium, calcium, and magnesium varied across woody plants, herbs, and vines. Therefore, it is necessary to make corresponding adjustments according to local conditions and the plant functional types during nutrient management. In conclusion, this study sheds light on their potential responses to global changes and is instrumental in informing the management of these nutrients in tropical rainforest plants.

Allopatric speciation and secondary sympatry of Fagus longipetiolata and F. lucida (Fagaceae) in subtropical China

Abstract Inferring the geographic mode of speciation is essential for explaining the generation and assembly of biodiversity, but has been rarely applied to the temperate flora of China. Fagus longipetiolata and F. lucida are a sister pair of beech species with largely overlapping ranges in subtropical China, however, little is known about the geographic mode of speciation and the formation of their sympatric distributions. In this study, we used IMa2 and fastsimcoal2 to simulate the speciation history of the two sisters. On the basis of 11 nuclear loci screened for 27 populations/species, their divergence time was estimated to 8.37 Mya by IMa2, and weak interspecific gene flow was detected. The simulation by fastsimcoal2 found that F. longipetiolata and F. lucida diverged ~8.53 Mya, then came into contact and hybridized at 0.8 Mya. The extended Bayesian skyline plots indicated that F. lucida began demographic expansion prior to the Pleistocene at 3 Mya, whereas F. longipetiolata increased its effective population size during the Quaternary, between 0.8 and 0.5 Mya. Ecological niche analysis and niche modelling showed that the two beeches had subtle niche differentiation and their projected distributions were largely overlapped across the late Quaternary. These results, coupled with well-studied fossil records in Fagus, demonstrate that these two beech species diverged allopatrically at the high latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere, and came into contact and hybridized with each other after successive migrations into subtropical (i.e. warm temperate) China recently. However, the two beeches may have developed strong intrinsic reproductive barriers due to long-term allopatry, allowing them to coexist in subtropical China. Our results illuminate the assembly history of the temperate woody flora in subtropical China, supporting that many relict temperate lineages in subtropical China may have established their populations recently.

China and the United States once planned joint compilation of the <i>Flora of China</i> after the victory in the China’s Resistance War Against Japan

China and the United States once planned joint compilation of the <i>Flora of China</i> after the victory in the China’s Resistance War Against Japan

中国野生报春花属物种多样性与地理分布数据集

Catalogue of Life serves as the background baseline information for the biota of a given natural geographic region or administrative unit. The timely updating of its dynamics is an important basis for the research, management and monitoring of biodiversity conservation. The integration and sharing of biodiversity data can provide a scientific basis for the development of related studies. Primula L. is a typical genus characterized by a broad distribution and a high degree of endemism, with diverse habitats and a complex taxon structure. An in-depth analysis of its geographical distribution pattern and characteristics can provide a foundational basis for the conservation and use of germplasm resources. With the aim of offering a reference for germplasm resource surveys and application research on seed introduction, and based on a large amount of basic data and literature, this paper adopts the taxonomic system used by Flora of China to update the list of wild species of the genus Primula L. distributed in the terrestrial area of China. In the paper, we counted their species diversity, composition and other information, and established a dataset of the diversity and geographical distributions of wild Primula L. in China. This genus predominantly thrives in the temperate and subtropical zones of the Northern Hemisphere. Its diversity center and modern distribution center are also widely distributed in the eastern Himalayas and Hengduan Mountains in broad sense, Tianshan Mountain Area, Qinba Mountain area, Wuling Mountains Area, Qinghai Tibet Plateau, Yunnan Guizhou Plateau and other high-altitude areas. Additionally, it extends to middle and lower altitude areas with prominent karst and Danxia landscapes. As of October 2022, a total of 397 species (28 varieties and 26 subspecies) of the genus Primula L. have been recorded in China, including 296 endemic species (including subspecies classification units, the same below) in China. In addition to the five administrative regions of Jiangsu, Hainan, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Macao, the distribution of wild primroses has been recorded in various provincial administrative regions in China, with Sichuan Province boasting the highest species richness and endemism at the provincial scale (177 species), followed by Yunnan Province (176 species) and the Tibet Autonomous Region (171 species). At the county scale, Shangri-La City ranks first in species richness with 62 species.