Leafy Branches Research Articles

Cunninghamia beardii sp. nov. (Cupressaceae: Cunninghamioideae), Anatomically Preserved Pollen Cones from the Eocene of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada

Premise of research. A large pollen cone cluster attached to a cunninghamioid twig and surrounded by leaves has been identified from Eocene calcium carbonate marine concretions from the Appian Way locality on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. The cluster preserves 18 cones but probably bore at least 24 pollen cones based on cone placement in the cluster.Methodology. Specimens were studied using the cellulose acetate peel technique, and reconstructions were made with ImageJ visualization software. Pollen was examined using SEM.Pivotal results. Cones are helically arranged around the tip of an ultimate leafy branch that terminates in scale leaves, each showing a central resin canal. Vegetative leaves on the twig are amphistomatic, showing typical cunninghamioid anatomy, with a large central resin canal abaxial to the vascular bundle, an elongate zone of transfusion tissue, a nonplicate mesophyll, and a hypodermis three to four cells thick. Each pollen cone is produced in the axil of a bract and has three scale leaves surrounding the base of the cone axis. Individual pollen cones have helically arranged microsporophylls, each with three elongate abaxial pollen sacs. While the cones are immature, pollen sacs with pollen are present in several cones. The exine is scabrate, with numerous orbicules, and no papilla is evident.Conclusions. This cluster provides the first detailed anatomically preserved fossil evidence for the pollen cones of Cunninghamia. It shows a large number of similarities to the pollen cone clusters of extant Cunninghamia lanceolata and Cunninghamia konishii and the Late Cretaceous Cunninghamia taylorii, strengthening hypotheses for a basal position of cunninghamioids within the Cupressaceae and further demonstrating that some characters of Cunninghamia have remained relatively unchanged since at least the mid-Cretaceous.

Lycopsid forests in the early Late Devonian paleoequatorial zone of Svalbard

The Middle to early Late Devonian transition from diminutive plants to the first forests is a key episode in terrestrialization. The two major plant groups currently recognized in such “transitional forests” are pseudosporochnaleans (small to medium trees showing some morphological similarity to living tree ferns and palms) and archaeopteridaleans (trees with woody trunks and leafy branches probably related to living conifers). Here we report a new type of “transitional” in-situ Devonian forest based on lycopsid fossils from the Planteklofta Formation, Munindalen, Svalbard. Previously regarded as very latest Devonian (latest Famennian, 360 Ma), their age, based on palynology, is early Frasnian (ca. 380 Ma). In-situ trees are represented by internal casts of arborescent lycopsids with cormose bases and small ribbon-like roots occurring in dense stands spaced ∼15–20 cm apart, here identified as Protolepidodendropsis pulchra Hoeg. This plant also occurs as compression fossils throughout most of the late Givetian–early Frasnian Mimerdalen Subgroup. The lycopsids grew in wet soils in a localized, rapidly subsiding, short-lived basin. Importantly, this new type of Middle to early Late Devonian forest is paleoequatorial and hence tropical. This high-tree-density tropical vegetation may have promoted rapid weathering of soils, and hence enhanced carbon dioxide drawdown, when compared with other contemporary and more high-latitude forests.

Effect of Indole-3-Butyric Acid on Clonal Propagation of Swietenia macrophylla through Branch Cutting

The study discloses the scopes of clonal propagation Swietenia macrophylla through branch cutting treated with IBA. A total of four hundred cuttings were used with four replications to assess the rooting ability. The study exposed significant (p<0.5) difference of rooted cuttings among the treatments. The highest (62.51%) rooting percent was observed in cutting with 0.4% IBA treatment. In addition, root number and its length per cutting were increased with increasing IBA concentration (p<0.5). The experiment showed significant (p<0.5) difference of sprouting among the treatments. The highest (67.27%) percent of sprouting was observed in cuttings with 0.4% solution, which showed a similar fashion of percent of rooting. The study also showed significant (p<0.5) difference of shoot number per cutting, the length of the longest shoot, and number of leaves per cutting among the treatments. The overall survival of rooted cuttings after transfer to polybag significantly (p<0.5) differed among the cuttings treated with different IBA solution. The highest survival percentage (69.67%) was observed in the cuttings rooted with 0.4% IBA treatment and the lowest (55.6%) survival was found in cuttings treated with control. The use of 0.4% IBA treatment is suggested for rooting of juvenile leafy branch cutting of S. macrophylla.

An ethnomedicinal study of the Seri people; a group of hunter-gatherers and fishers native to the Sonoran Desert

BackgroundWorldwide, coastal communities’ ethnomedicinal knowledge has been sporadically recorded and poorly understood. Based on the ethnomedicinal knowledge of the Seri people; a hunting-gathering and fishing society of Northwestern Mexico, this study assesses a) the biological richness of Seri ethnomedicinal knowledge, b) the fidelity level of Seri remedies, and c) the association between gender, age, years of formal schooling and Seri ethnomedicinal knowledge.MethodsTo assess the degree of ethnomedicinal knowledge proficiency, we conducted 75 open-ended semi-structured interviews collecting information on ethnomedicinal knowledge of marine and terrestrial organisms and the socio-demographic profile of each collaborator. With the support of primary collaborators, we collected the materials to be used as stimuli along our interviews. A correlation analysis was used to determine the relationship between gender, literacy and age with the ethnomedicinal knowledge proficiency. A paired t-test was used to determine differences in the number of remedies known by gender among members of the Seri community.ResultsA total of 28 medicinal specimens were presented as stimuli material. Marine remedies (12 species), were represented by 4 algae, 3 mollusks, 3 echinoderms, on reptile, and one annelid. Terrestrial plants (13 species) were distributed in 12 families. About 40 % of marine preparations used the organism in whole. In contrast, 29 % of of the remedies involving plants made use of leafy branches. Stimuli materials are used against 17 ailments mainly, being diarrhea, colds, menstrual problems, and swelling the ailments against most organisms (44 %) are used for. Marine organisms presented higher fidelity level values overall, suggesting that lower fidelity levels in terrestrial plants reflect a process of continuous and ongoing experimentation with easily accessible biological materials. Highest fidelity level values were recorded for Atriplex barclayana (93.87 %) Batis maritima (84.37 %), and Turbo fluctuosus (84.21 %). Age moderately correlates to ethnomedicinal knowledge proficiency (r = 0.41). Conversely, years of formal schooling show a negative correlation with ethnomedicinal knowledge proficiency (r = -0.49). Significant differences (p <0.05) were observed on ethnomedicinal knowledge proficiency when gender groups were compared under a paired t-test.ConclusionsThis research contributes to describing the complex biodiversity present in the ethnomedicinal systems of coastal non-agricultural societies. In addition, our research improves our understanding of the role that gender plays in the intra-cultural distribution of ethnomedicinal knowledge among Seri. Our results broaden our understanding of human adaptations to coastal and xeric environments. This research can potentially benefit the development of proposals to improve coastal and marine resource management and conservation while strengthening ethnomedicinal knowledge systems in populations, such as the Seri, limited by precarious socio-economic conditions and inadequate health services.

HERBIVOROUS AND DETRITIVOROUS ARTHROPOD TRACE FOSSILS ASSOCIATED WITH SUBHUMID VEGETATION IN THE MIDDLE PENNSYLVANIAN OF SOUTHERN BRITAIN

ABSTRACT We describe plant–arthropod associations from the Middle Pennsylvanian (late Bolsovian–early Asturian) Pennant Sandstone Formation of southern Britain. Our material comprises calcified cordaitaleans and tree-fern axes, preserved in braided channel deposits, and interpreted as remains of subhumid riparian vegetation distinct from that of coeval coal swamps. The first plant–arthropod association, attributed to herbivorous insects, comprises cambial damage to cordaitalean leafy branches, resulting in traumatic wound response. The second and most widespread association, attributable to detritivorous oribatid mites, includes tunnels and galleries containing widely scattered, clustered, or densely packed microcoprolites within the inner root mantle of marattialean tree ferns and cordaitalean trunks and branches. Diameter data for tunnels and microcoprolites are multimodal, recording four or five instars of oribatid mites that parallel instar-based fecal pellet and body lengths in modern taxa. The third...

A Taxus leafy branch with attached ovules from the Lower Cretaceous of Inner Mongolia, North China

Taxus guyangensis sp. nov. is from the Lower Cretaceous Guyang Formation of the Guyang Basin of Inner Mongolia in northern China, based on an excellently preserved leafy branch with attached leaves and seed-bearing structures. Three ovules occur on the leafy branch. A pair of ovules is borne on the terminal ovuliferous shoot, and another one appears on the terminal of a lateral shoot. The aril and three pairs of decussate bracts are preserved at the base of a mature ovule. This fossil is the most complete evidence of this genus currently known. This discovery also indicates that the multi-ovulate shoot of Taxus existed in the Early Cretaceous. The reliable fossil record of Taxus is summarized in detail. Comparisons of T. guyangensis sp. nov. with living and previously published reliable fossil species of Taxus and Taxus-like fossils reveal that the present fossil materials cannot be assigned to any of these species. T. guyangensis has a close resemblance to extant T. brevifolia and might have represented the ancestral taxa of T. brevifolia. The new species together with other known fossil record of Taxus show that the age of Taxus dates back to the Early Cretaceous and that the divergence time of Taxus and Pseudotaxus is probably no later than the Early Cretaceous.

Physico-chemical characterisation of sea buckthorn extracts for cosmetic use

Abstract The purpose of the paper is to present original results concerning characterization of different sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) extracts and some original dermato-cosmetic products containing these extracts. Aqueous distillate from fruits and leafy branches, aqueous extract from seeds, fresh fruit juice and frozen fruit juice after 2 years of storage, ethanolic extracts of buds have been analyzed for the following parameters: total and organic acidity, oxidability, calcium and magnezium, pH, conductivity, oxidation-reduction potential (ORP). The investigated sea buckthorn extracts have important contribution in care and treatment of skin diseases; during many years of experience in this field great benefits have been observed. Taking into account also the results of previous studies of other researchers we consider that the ORP measurement of cosmetic mixtures could provide objective, cheap and reliable information about antioxidant activity of complex samples.

A study of branching patterns in Bazzania (Jungermanniales, Lepidoziaceae)

Abstract Branching patterns in the leafy liverwort genus Bazzania Gray were investigated in twenty-five Australasian species. Terminal branching was found to be neither consistently sinistrorse nor consistently dextrorse, and neither consistently homodromous nor consistently antidromous. Microphyllous ventral-intercalary branches arising from stems usually have ‘siblings’ arising from main branches. The production of leafy ventral-intercalary branches is not necessarily associated with the termination of stems or main branches. These results are contrary to previous ideas about branching in Bazzania.

Structure and affinities of Athrotaxites yumenensis sp. nov. (Cupressaceae) from the Lower Cretaceous of northwestern China

Compressions of leafy twigs, pollen cones and seed cones of Athrotaxites yumenensis C. Dong et B.N. Sun sp. nov. (Cupressaceae) are abundant in certain layers of the Lower Cretaceous Zhonggou Formation in western Gansu Province, northwestern China. The leafy branches are stiff and ascending. The leaves are scale-like, spirally arranged and closely appressed to the stem. The seed cones are located terminally, globular, with 8–11 helically arranged bract-scale complexes. The bracts are intimately fused with, and more massive than, the seed-bearing portion, and each scale has two seeds. The seeds are oval, 0.9–1.1 mm long and 1 mm wide with two wings derived from the seed coat. A single pollen cone occurs at the ends of the ordinary branches with 10–16 microsporophylls. The microsporophylls are wedge-shaped and spirally arranged. Terminal microsporophylls fall away from the cone axis after pollen dispersal. The pollen sacs are ovate and produced more than 20 pollen grains per sac. The pollen grains are spherical, lack air bladders and have small germinal papilla and pores. Compared to the extant Tasmanian genus Athrotaxis in morphological, structural and cuticular features of leafy shoots, as well as seed cones and pollen cones, the study fossil consistently shares many characteristics with the extant genus, especially the extant species Athrotaxis cupressoides, but differs from it in other aspects; thus, it has been placed in a new genus. The similar characteristics, however, suggest that the fossil has the closest affinity with the extant Athrotaxis cupressoides. A detailed comparison of leaf morphology and the macro- and microstructure of the pollen and seed cones with related fossil species of Athrotaxis and Athrotaxis-like species reveals that the present fossil is a new species. Additionally, the occurrence of the fossil in the Zhonggou Formation and its similar characteristics with another fossil species, Athrotaxites berryi, suggests that Athrotaxites yumenensis sp. nov. might be an intermediate between Athrotaxites berryi and the extant Athrotaxis and that the new species is more closely aligned with extant Athrotaxis than with Athrotaxites berryi.

Bryophyte diversity on Adirondack alpine summits is maintained by dissemination and establishment of vegetative fragments and spores

Many alpine bryophytes rely primarily if not exclusively on gametophytic fragments for reproduction. The dispersal role of these fragments, however, has not been adequately addressed. The objective of this study was to determine the extent to which fragments disperse on alpine summits and the reproductive viability of those fragments. Airborne diaspores were collected from early spring snow deposits in 2008, 2009, and 2010 from the summit of Mt. Marcy, and from summer propagule traps placed on the summits of Mt. Marcy and Algonquin Peak in 2009 and 2010. All fragments collected were identified to genus and/or species, when possible. To test for reproductive viability, fragments were grown in nutrient agar under ambient conditions for a period of 17 weeks. To detect the presence of spores, collected debris was surface sterilized and cultured on separate dishes containing nutrient agar. A total of 6130 gametophytic fragments, representing 26 species, were collected. Collections were dominated by individual leaves (65%) and leafy branch fragments (32%). Up to 20% of fragments collected were found to be viable, with the majority of growth originating from stem tissue. In contrast, spore production was found to be uncommon to rare. The results of this study provide evidence that Adirondack alpine bryophyte populations are maintained by the production and dissemination of gametophore fragments during both winter and summer months, with infrequent spore production events, perhaps episodically when weather conditions are most suitable. Data also suggest that vegetative propagules may travel longer distances on these summits than originally predicted.

Cochinchinochloa (Gramineae: Bambusoideae-Bambusineae), a new bamboo genus endemic to Braian mountain, southern Vietnam

A clambering bamboo endemic to Braian mountain, southern Vietnam represents a new monotypic endemic genus, Cochinchinochloa H.N.Nguyen & V.T.Tran (Gramineae: Bambusoideae-Bambusinae), which is described and illustrated. Its culm nodes and the nodes of leafy branches exhibit a thick swollen patella, and in the reproductive state this taxon bears pseudospikelets having two perfect florets, with an elongated rachilla internode between the perfect florets, a rachilla extension bearing an imperfect floret at maturity, a narrowly 2-keeled palea with a distinct abaxial groove, three lodicules, six stamens, free filaments, a glabrous ovary with a long style and three stigmas, and an oblong caryopsis with a relatively thin pericarp.

Fossil woods (Coniferales) from the Baqueró Group (Aptian), Santa Cruz Province, Argentina

Two new conifer morphospecies represented by a secondary xylem are reported for the Lower Cretaceous Baqueró Group (Santa Cruz Province, Argentina). Agathoxylon sp. is characterized by poorly defined growth rings, predominantly uniseriate pitting in the radial wall of the tracheids, cross fields with 1-6 pits and uniseriate rays. These features are shared with the leafy branches described for the unit as Araucaria grandifolia Feruglio emend. Del Fueyo and Archangelsky. The second taxon, Brachyoxylon sp. cf. B. boureaui, possesses poorly defined growth rings, mixed wood with predominantly uniseriate radial pitting, cross fields with 8-26 pits and uniseriate rays. These taxa represent the first fossil woods described for Baqueroan strata.

Allometric equations to predict the total aboveground biomass of tree species in a planted forest in Egypt

AbstractThe aim of this study is to estimate the total above‐ground biomass (TAGB), stem height (H), diameter at breast height (dbh) and basal area of five tree species (ages 7‐8 years) irrigated by municipal sewage water in the Egyptian‐Chinese friendship forest, Sadat City, Egypt. From the biomass data that obtained through destructive sampling, models for predicting aboveground biomass were developed. The highest values for stem density and height were estimated for Eucalyptus citriodora, while the lowest value for density was obtained for Dalbergia sissoo and stem height for Khaya senegalensis. The highest values for basal area and dbh were obtained for Casuarina spp., while the lowest values were recorded for Dalbergia sissoo. Eucalyptus camaldulensis had the highest stand stem biomass and TAGB (55.5, 83.9 t DW ha‐1, respectively). In addition, Casuarina spp. had the highest leafy branches biomass (32.5 t DW ha‐1) while Dalbergia sissoo had the lowest values for all tree components. All the generated allometric equations had high correlation coefficients at high probability levels. Moreover, the results revealed that not only the dbh data can be used as independent variable for biomass determination, but also stem height and size index are recommended for biomass estimation (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &amp; Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Are composts from shredded leafy branches of fast-growing forest species suitable as nursery growing media in arid regions?

The morpho-physiological quality of seedlings is negatively affected by the wide scale use of forest soils as substrates in developing countries. With the objective of finding long-term sustainable supply of growing media, compost was produced from shredded branches of three fast growing species (Acacia cyanophylla (AA), Acacia cyclops (AS) and Eucalyptus gomphocephala (EG). The composting process covered three different periods over the course of a year. Pile temperatures were monitored daily and the composts were routinely sampled and analyzed for 19 chemical variables. Although composting is feasible year-round in arid climates, compost produced in the humid cool conditions of autumn, winter and early spring reaches the maturation phase more quickly than compost produced under hot, dry summer conditions. It also requires less turning and water. The evolution of the composting process and quality of the final product can be assessed using three chemical variables (C/N, pH, EC). Seed germination rates in the three types of compost were similar to that in a peat:vermiculite substrate and vigorous high quality seedlings were produced in the two acacia composts. However, compost-grown seedlings had significantly smaller shoots and root systems than those produced in peat substrate. Principal components analyses showed that the quality of a compost-based substrate is reproducible and that its final chemical composition can be predicted from its raw organic materials. The EG composts had higher pH than the acacia composts, whereas the AA and EG composts were higher in mineral salts than the AS.

Tomorrow People

Tomorrow People Greg Hrbek (bio) The year they took San Francisco and my sister forever away, I was still a baby. But in 2038, I was eleven years old, going on twelve. My family lived, in those days, on a cul-de-sac named after an extinguished tribe of Native Americans, in a house nearly a century old, a split-level ranch from the days of roof antennas. Next door, in a house of nearly identical size and design, lived my best friend since kindergarten, a boy who'd learned during the course of our fifth-grade genealogy project that there'd been a lynching in his family tree. In tribute to that great-uncle, my friend had changed his name to Zebedee. Only I still called him Plaxico. Of the twelve families in our subdivision, five (including Plaxico's) were black; seven (counting mine) white. It was an aberration of racial demographics that, since I had moved there, eight years earlier, we'd had no brown-skinned neighbors—until Abdelkarim Hussein Mohamed al-Nasr became the son and heir of Franklin D. Banfelder, a widower who every summer would bestow ice pops upon the children of the neighborhood, the same way he'd bestowed chocolate, back in his days as a contract soldier, upon the children of the faraway homeland of Abdelkarim. Mr. Banfelder had left town a week after school ended, not telling anyone where he was going. No sooner did he disappear than the periodical cicadas tunneled out of their underground cells for the first time since the year 2021. One evening around sunset, we heard a whisper everywhere. The nymphs were coming out. Shuffling by the millions to the trunks of trees and crawling up to the leafy branches. They made no sound that night. By the next morning, they had started to molt. I discovered one in my window, bonded to the fine wires of the screen. The insect wasn't free of itself yet. The nymphal body had dehisced down the back, a divide [End Page 13] so clean it looked like the work of a surgeon; and the new body, white and waxen, was humping through the cleft. After the back, the head began to break open—the eyes diverged and new eyes came into view, looking directly into mine. By the time Mr. Banfelder's micro-compact reappeared, our world was dizzy with their noise. We'd heard a rumor. Mr. B had gone to Iraq. Gone by himself but come back with a kid. My friends and I rode over there, the tires of our bikes crushing a crust of shed exoskeletons; and when Mr. B answered the doorbell and saw the four of us on the porch, he got a look on his face like he'd been waiting all morning, and said: "Boys, there's someone I want you to meet. Dorian, Dean, Zeb, Damian . . . This is Abdelkarim." And there he was. The kid who was like us except he wasn't, because his skin wasn't white and it wasn't black. (It was, I would later determine, the shade of the crayon in my box called "tumbleweed.") "Does he speak English?" Dean asked. "Ask him," said Mr. B, lighting up a green. "He doesn't bite." "Okay. Do you speak English?" "Qalilan," the kid said. "That means 'a little bit' in Arabic." Then Mr. Banfelder spoke to the boy in his native tongue, nodded encouragingly, pointing to the four of us. Finally, the kid said: "I pledge allegiance . . . to the flag . . . of . . ." "Of . . . the United States . . ." "United States . . ." "Of . . ." "Of . . ." "America." "Amereeka." I wondered if they were going to recite the whole thing word by word, then maybe sing the national anthem. But Mr. Banfelder just nodded, as if very proud of the boy's effort. At long last, he said: "Ice pops, anyone?" We followed him into the kitchen, where there were now five chairs around the glass table instead of the usual four. "Take a load off," said Mr. B. "How have you boys been? I leave for a week and return to find a plague being visited. What the hell'd you do while...

Cover Essay: Warrnyu, the Fruit Bats

Six fruit bats grace the cover of this issue, in Warrnyu—The Fruit Bats, a painting by indigenous Australian artist Rose Laynbalaynba. Many stories hide among the leaves and wings, but Laynbalaynba describes the painting as a story from Arnhem Land, on the northeast coastal tip of Australia’s Northern Territory. It is a story of two flying foxes, or fruit bats, which lived in a place called Naliyindi. Although they lived in Naliyindi, these bats spoke a different language than their neighbors. These two bats spoke Ganalbingu. One day, the two bats decided to seek a new home. They flew toward the beautiful island of Milingimbi, where they thought they might land. As the bats drew closer to Milingimbi, they suddenly heard a voice, which spoke to them and said, ‘‘This is my land, it is Nurruwulu land.’’ The two bats quickly apologized for the trespass, and they continued their journey. This time, the two bats flew south, toward the inland place called Ramangining. As they flew across to the big river, they saw that the land was beautiful. They decided to land and look around. There was no one else to be found, and so they claimed the place as Gupagupa and said, ‘‘This place now belongs to us, and it is now Balatjini country.’’ This is how the land of the Balatjini people, known as Gupagupa, earned its name. The six fruit bats in the painting represent the six tribal leaders from each of the communities: the Gamal people, the Warrawarra people, the Balatjini people, the Ganalbingu people, the Ritharrngu people, and the Ngurruwulu people. By telling the story of the bats, this painting teaches the history of the people and the country. Laynbalaynba’s painting not only recounts the roots of her people, it also calls to mind the timeless connection that binds us, as humans, to the fate of our ecosystems— whether or not we tell the stories of ancient memory. More often vilified or hunted than honored in stories, bats are particularly important, if controversial, players in our ecosystems. They serve crucial roles in seed dispersal and pollination. However, bats are also flying reservoirs for many zoonotic diseases, including Nipah and Hendra viruses and Australian bat lyssavirus. In Warrnyu—The Fruit Bats, the fruit bats roost among leafy branches. They exist without any sign of human activity. The trees are dark and, but for the flutter and chatter of the bats, undisturbed. Today, there are few places in the world left untouched by humans, and large populations of bats often roost in proximity to people. Viruses such as Nipah virus and Hendra virus are typically transmitted from bats to humans when infected bats urinate or defecate near livestock. The zoonotic diseases carried by fruit bats represent only a small portion of the emerging diseases that affect animals and humans today, and the drivers of these diseases span myriad fields of research. By their interdisciplinary nature, the Ecohealth field and the One Health Initiative bridge the research gaps to find preventative solutions. Like the tapestry strokes of Laynbalaynba’s painting, the different components of One Health weave together the strands of our ecosystems and communities, as well as the people who work within them. We will only be able to fully protect animal, human, and ecosystem health when we understand how the strands connect to form the greater pattern. EcoHealth 7, S6–S7, 2011 DOI: 10.1007/s10393-011-0675-0

Clonal propagation of Bambusa vulgaris by leafy branch cuttings

Bambusa vulgaris Schrad ex wendl is a widely cultivated bamboo species in rural Bangladesh for its versatile uses. The vegetative propagation becomes the only viable alternative for this species because B. vulgaris does not set seed after sparse flowering, which makes seedling progenies unavailable. A low-cost propagation trial was conducted to explore the clonal propagation techniques for the species with two types of small branch cuttings, nodal leafy cuttings and tip cuttings. The cuttings, after treating with 0, 0.1%, 0.4%, and 0.8% IBA solutions, were kept in non-mist propagator to let them to root for assessing the rooting ability. The cuttings were rooted in four weeks and were allowed to grow in the polybags for 10 months under nursery condition to assess their steckling capacity. The study reveals that both types of branch cuttings are able to develop roots, shoots, to survive and to form rhizome under the nursery condition. Rooting ability of the cuttings was significantly enhanced by the application of rooting hormone — IBA. The highest rooting percentage in nodal leafy cuttings and the tip cuttings (56.67% and 51.0%, respectively) were observed in 0.8% IBA treatment, followed by 0.4% IBA and the lowest (34.3% and 30.0%, respectively) was in control. The highest number of root developed per cutting (9.77 and 8.33 in nodal leafy cuttings and the tip cuttings, respectively) was also obtained from the cuttings treated with 0.8% IBA solution, followed 0.4% IBA treatment and the lowest (3.1 and 2.1, respectively) was in the cuttings without treatment. However, the length of the longest root varied significantly neither with the cutting types nor the concentrations of IBA solution. Survival percentage of the stecklings in nursery condition was significantly enhanced by IBA.

Growth architecture and silhouette of Jurassic conifers from La Matilde Formation, Patagonia, Argentina

Simple morphological traits are used to describe the architecture of a tree: the growth and branching process, the morphological differentiation of the axes and the position of reproductive structures. The main purpose of this contribution is to describe the growth architecture of the Jurassic conifer trees present at the most basal part of the La Matilde Formation in the locality of Monumento Natural Bosques Petrificados, Patagonia, Santa Cruz province, Argentina, and to compare it with that of extant and fossil conifers. This study is based on a large number of in situ petrified trunks, impressions and external molds of leafy branches and female cones in intimate association or organic connection with the trunks. The cones were assigned to Araucaria cf . A. mirabilis (Speg.) Windhausen emend. Calder (Araucariaceae) based on morphological and anatomical characters. The “ Araucaria mirabilis” trees had 3 branching categories, corresponding to the typical pattern in extant Araucariaceae, although 4 branching categories cannot be completely discarded. The main, orthotropic stem (TA1) had rhythmic growth and branching, bearing 3–4, probably up to 6–7 plagiotropic branches in pseudowhorls. The lower part of the trees shows no branch-scars; therefore, self-pruning would have been present. Lateral branches (A2) had rhythmic branching: the branchlets (A3) were distributed regularly on the leading branch, with an alternate arrangement, conforming two orthostichies on the same horizontal plane. The female cones were borne terminal at the tip of peduncles, but lateral in position with respect to A2 branches. Reiteration patterns are present: total reiterations (bifurcated trunks and big, orthotropic branches in trunks with normal plagiotropic branches) and partial reiterations (epicormic branching) were observed. The root system consisted of 6 horizontal roots, no tap root was observed. Two architectural patterns or “morphotypes” were recognized at one of the forest levels studied, in keeping with other pieces of evidence (type of wood, foliage, and cones). The “Araucarioid morphotype or morphotype A” includes most of the studied specimens (i.e. “ Araucaria mirabilis” trees); showing pseudowhorls of plagiotropic branches. These characters correspond to Massart's model, with certain modifications in the adult trees due to reiteration processes. Morphotype B was observed in bigger trunks with a distinctive costulated surface, which bear only orthotropic branches irregularly arranged, and without reiteration evidences; they could be assigned to Attim's model and possibly represent a different conifer taxon, though subrepresented. Partial and total reiteration patterns are described for the first time for Jurassic, Gondwanic conifers. Moreover, Massart's model can be followed from Upper Palaeozoic Walchiaceae to Mesozoic Araucariaceae.

Leafy branches of Bothrodendron punctatum from the Westphalian D (Asturian) of Nova Scotia, Canada

Specimens belonging to the lycopsid genus Bothrodendron are identified by distinctive shoots that have small superficial leaf scars. The species are distinguished on the basis of leaf scar shape and ornamentation on their stem surfaces. Of the two Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous) species, Bothrodendron minutifolium has been found sev‑ eral times with leafy shoots attached, but Bothrodendron punctatum has, until now, only been found as large leafless stems. The leafy specimen of Bothrodendron punctatum described here from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada, is therefore the first of its kind to be found and reveals further evidence of the growth patterns and branch shedding of these relatively rare lycopsids.&#x0D; &#x0D; RÉSUMÉ&#x0D; &#x0D; Les spécimens appartenant au genre lycopside Bothrodendron peuvent être identifiés par leurs pousses distinctives, qui présentent de petites cicatrices foliaires superficielles. Les espèces se différencient par la forme des cicatrices et par l’ornementation de celles‑ci sur la surface de la tige. Sur les deux espèces du Pennsylvanien (Carbonifère supéri‑ eur), le Bothrodendron minutifolium a été trouvé plusieurs fois avec des pousses feuillues encore attachées, mais le Bothrodendron punctatum trouvé jusqu’à maintenant ne présentait que de larges tiges dépouillées de feuilles. Le spéci‑ men feuillu de Bothrodendron punctatum décrit ici depuis le Cap‑Breton, en Nouvelle‑Écosse (Canada), est donc le premier en son genre que l’on découvre; il fournit d’autres données de schémas de croissance et de chute de branches de ces lycopsides, qui sont plutôt rares.[Traduit par la redaction]

Localizing Starch Reserves in Mandevilla sanderi (Hemsl.) Woodson Using a Combined Histochemical and Biochemical Approach

Mandevilla sanderi is a plant of tropical origin of great horticultural interest because of its abundant flowering and its persistent foliage. Vegetative propagation requires the removal of leafy branches on the mother plant to produce cuttings. This loss of biomass must be compensated for by the growth of new branches thanks to the mobilization of reserves within the plant. Lack of knowledge about the physiology of this species therefore makes it necessary to characterize its different organs both at the level of their anatomic organization as well as at the level of their ability to store starch. After histological characterization of the different organs (leaves, stems, and roots), starch reserves were localized by histochemical analysis and quantified by biochemical analysis. Starch grains are mainly found in the parenchymatous cortex, the parenchymatous pith and xylem parenchyma cells, in tuberous roots and stems, and in the palisade and spongy mesophyll of leaves. In 22-week-old plants, the greatest quantity of starch is found in the leaves, whereas the tuberous roots have the highest concentration. The histological description of the different organs of Mandevilla sanderi and the localization of starch reserves allow us to assess the potential role of the different organs in plant growth and development. In the particular case of mother plant management, it is hoped that this knowledge will make it possible to optimize conditions for removing leafy branches.