Medium-sized Shrubs Research Articles

Network pharmacology based virtual screening of Flavonoids from Dodonea angustifolia and the molecular mechanism against inflammation

Inflammation is a nonspecific immune response against injury caused by a harmful agent that strives to restore tissue function and homeostasis. Dodonaea angustifolia L.f. (Sapindaceae) is a medium-sized shrub used to treat a variety of diseases in traditional medicine. In the current study, integrated network-pharmacology and molecular docking approaches were used to identify the active constituents, their possible targets, signaling pathways, and anti-inflammatory effects of flavonoids from D.angustifolia. D. angustifolia active ingredients were acquired from the Indian Medicinal Plants, Phytochemistry and Therapeutics (IMPPAT), and Traditional Chinese Medicine System Pharmacology (TCMSP) databases. The screening included the ten most prevalent D. angustifolia components, and the SwissTargetPrediction database was utilized to anticipate the targets of these compounds. Anti-inflammatory genes were found using the GeneCards database. The 175 overlapping genes were discovered as prospective D. angustifolia anti-inflammatory targets. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis revealed that the overlapped targets were closely related to the major pathogenic processes linked to inflammation, such as response to organonitrogen compound, protein kinase activity, phosphotransferase activity, pI3k-Akt signaling pathway, metabolic pathways, and chemical carcinogenesis. Compound–target–pathway, and protein–protein interaction networks revealed 6-Methoxykaempferol and 5-Hydroxy-7,8 dimethoxyflavone as key compounds, and AKT1, VEGFA, and EGFR as key targets. Furthermore, molecular docking followed by molecular dynamic (MD) simulation of D. angustifolia active ingredients with core proteins fully complemented the binding affinity of these compounds and indicated stable complexes at the docked site. These findings reveal D. angustifolia 's multi-target, multi-compound, and multi-pathway strategies against inflammation. Our study paved the way for further research into the mechanism for developing D. angustifolia -based natural products as alternative therapies for inflammation.

Macro- and microscopical characterization of the stem and flowers of Malvaviscus arboreus Cav. (Malvaceae)

Malvaviscus arboreus Cav. (Sleeping Hibiscus) is a species of flowering plants belonging to family Malvaceae with a natural distribution throughout Central and South America. However, this perennial, medium-sized shrub has been also widely cultivated in several other tropical and subtropical areas of the globe. Sleeping Hibiscus is characterized by an erect, cylindrical, and glabrous stem with monopodial branching, reaching up to 0.5‒1 m in height and 0.2‒1 cm in diameter. The stem carries simple, alternate, oval or ovate to broadly cordate leaves and red solitary flowers. Flowers of Sleeping Hibiscus are tube-shaped with totally wrapped petals that only slightly open at the top, carried on hairy, pendulous green pedicels. Besides their ornamental value, M. arboreus plants enjoy multiple folk, medicinal, and culinary applications worldwide owing to their wide range of bioactive secondary metabolites, principally phenolics. Hence, in continuance of our interest in this medicinal plant, which included formerly the comprehensive botanical description of its leaves, along with the phytochemical and biological characterization of its leaf and stem extracts, this paper presents the macro- and microscopical characters of M. arboreus stems and flowers. Such botanical data collectively draw a helpful image regarding the identification and authentication of this plant species.

ОСОБЕННОСТИ РАЗМНОЖЕНИЯ ВЕЧНОЗЕЛЕНЫХ КУСТАРНИКОВ ОДРЕВЕСНЕВШИМИ ЧЕРЕНКАМИ

The expediency of cutting lignified cuttings of evergreen ornamental shrubs both in the greenhouse and in the open ground is shown. The highest rates of growth and activity of peripheral meristems are characterized by plants from the lower cuttings. It is shown that the rate of initial development of plants (the number and length of roots) when rooting cuttings are not always indicators of the rate of further growth and development of plants when growing in a nursery. The use of lower and middle lignified cuttings for vegetative propagation of strong and medium-sized shrub species makes it possible in Uzbekistan to obtain ready-made planting material in the year of cuttings.

Effects of Illumination and Gender Differences on the Architecture of the Boreal Species of Salix L.

An algorithm for analyzing the structural and functional organization of crowns of Salix species is proposed in this study. It can be used to study the architecture of various species of trees and shrubs. The structural and biological diversity of the boreal Salix species is insufficiently investigated. The study of plant organs based on the concept of “architectural models” is particularly relevant. We first studied the architecture of crowns of Salix species using three-year shoot systems (TYSS’s). A new technique based on gender differences and illumination has been developed to study the architectural modules of Salix boreal species. Sixteen species and 11 life forms have been studied belonging to two major categories: trees and shrubs. For some species, elfin life forms have also been described. Seven architectural modules have been identified: three modules in trees and tall shrubs, two modules in medium-sized shrubs, and two modules in low shrubs. The life forms of individuals of Salix subspecies were formed on the basis of three architectural modules, and the Vetrix subfamily was based on six architectural modules. We have proved that female individuals of Salix species (except for S. acutifolia) have a greater variety of TYSS types compared to male ones. They assimilate “year-long” shoots as a part of TYSS’s in female individuals from 1.3 to 1.7 times more than in male ones. This provides them with a larger assimilating surface. The crowns of female individuals have been found to be more branched. Year-long shoots developing from dormant buds are found in low shrubs 3–6 times more often than in trees. Different parts of the crown of trees and high shrubs species differ in the ratio of year-long assimilating shoots: the largest number of them is in the middle and upper parts of the crown and the smallest number is in the lower part.

Taxonomy of the three arborescent crassulas, Crassula arborescens (Mill.) Willd. subsp. arborescens, C. arborescens subsp. undulatifolia Toelken, and Crassula ovata (Mill.) Druce (Crassulaceae) from southern Africa

Summary: In southern Africa, the family Crassulaceae consists predominantly of low-growing to medium-sized succulent herbs and shrubs, with only four taxa (three species and a subspecies) attaining tree-like dimensions. We discuss the taxonomy of the three tree-like taxa in the genus Crassula L. (Crassula arborescens (Mill.) Willd. subsp. arborescens, C. arborescens subsp. undulatifolia Toelken, and Crassula ovata (Mill.) Druce) that have been accorded National Tree List numbers in South Africa. The species are described, illustrated, and their geographical distribution ranges are mapped. A key to differentiate the taxa is provided.

A multi-scale analysis of habitat selection in peripheral populations of the endangered Dupont’s LarkChersophilus duponti

SummaryHabitat selection of endangered species in peripheral populations must be considered when designing effective conservation plans, as these populations tend to occupy atypical habitats where species-environment relationships are not well understood. We examined patterns of habitat use in peripheral populations of the endangered Dupont’s LarkChersophilus duplontiusing a multi-scale approach and assessed the spatiotemporal transferability of these models to test for their generality. Our results show that at microhabitat (circles of 50-m diameter used by the species versus random points) and macrohabitat (occupied/unoccupied squares of 1 ha) scales the species selected flat and non-forested areas, but at the microhabitat scale the cover of small shrubs was also important. Models developed at patch scale (occupied /unoccupied sites) identified only site size as an important predictor of species occurrence. Habitat models transferred successfully among sites and years, which suggests that these models and our recommendations may be extrapolated over a larger geographic area. A multi-scale approach was used for identifying conservation requirements at different spatial scales. At the patch scale our models confirm it is a priority to maintain or enlarge the extent of habitat patches to ensure the viability of the studied metapopulation. At the macrohabitat scale our results suggest that reducing tree density in low slope areas would be the most effective management action. At the microhabitat scale, encouraging the presence of small and medium-sized shrubs, by clearing certain scrubs (e.g. large broomsGenistaspp. and rosemaryRosmarinus officinalis) or promoting traditional low-level extensive grazing, should increase the availability of high-quality habitats for the species, and thus the number of potential territories within a patch. These recommendations largely coincide with the ones given for core populations at specific scales elsewhere.

Vegetation structure and composition determine snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus) activity at arctic tree line

Snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus Erxleben, 1777) are keystone herbivores supporting many boreal-forest predators. Understanding habitat use of hares can help predict how hares and their predators will be affected by disturbances such as climate change, which will have a particularly strong effect at tree line. We examined hare activity at arctic tree line near Churchill, Manitoba, using fecal pellet transects established in August 2012. We counted all hare fecal pellets at two plots per transect and measured plant abundance and vegetation structure surrounding the plots, then used model selection to determine the combinations of habitat features or plant species that best explained hare activity or presence. Hare pellets occurred at a higher density where tall shrub cover was high. Pellet density also increased with increasing canopy cover, tree size, tree density, visibility, and small shrub cover, but was negatively correlated with medium-sized shrub and herb cover. Hares preferred areas with willow (genus Salix L.) and avoided areas with unpalatable black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) Britton, Sterns & Poggenb.). With climate warming, tree line is expected to advance northward and the increased tall shrub and willow cover predicted with increasing temperatures should benefit hares by providing greater predator protection and food.

Soil pH Effects on Growth and Foliar Nutrient Concentrations of Spiraea alba Du Roi and Spiraea tomentosa L.

The North American native plants Spiraea alba and S. tomentosa have potential as landscape plants because they are small- to medium-sized shrubs with showy flowers that persist from early to late summer. However, the cultural requirements of these species are not well documented. Both species grow in slightly acidic soils in their native habitats. The objective of this work was to determine if the growth and/or appearance of these shrubs is affected by the neutral to slightly alkaline soils common throughout the Midwest. Spiraea alba grown from three seed sources and S. tomentosa grown from a single seed source were grown for 2 years in soils of different pH. Elemental sulfur (S) was incorporated into a Drummer silty clay loam with a pH of 7.2 to bring the pH to 5.8 and 6.4 2 years after incorporation, thus establishing plots with three pH levels for assessing growth and appearance. The soil pH increased to 6.4 and 6.8 in the amended plots between Years 2 and 3 after S incorporation. Soil concentrations of exchangeable magnesium (Mg) and calcium (Ca) were lowered with added S. Height and width varied among S. alba from different seed sources, and height and width of all plants were reduced when grown at the highest soil pH. Leaf greenness, specific leaf weight, and individual leaf area were unaffected by pH. Leaf concentrations of nitrogen, potassium, zinc, and manganese were higher in lower soil pH, whereas Mg was lowest at the lowest soil pH. These results suggest that S. alba and S. tomentosa can be grown in neutral pH soils without an effect on plant appearance, but plant size will be less than at pH levels closer to the native soils for these species. Although some micronutrients were present at lower concentrations at the neutral pH, leaf greenness was unaffected, again suggesting that these plants may perform suitably outside of their native habitat pH range.

Amphistemon and Thamnoldenlandia, two new genera of Rubiaceae (Spermacoceae) endemic to Madagascar

Amphistemon and Thamnoldenlandia are described as two new genera of Rubiaceae endemic to Madagascar. The two novelties belong to the predominantly herbaceous tribe Spermacoceae. Amphistemon is unique within the tribe in having its stamens inserted at two levels in the corolla tube. The genus includes two species: the subshrub A. humbertii and the geoxylic herb A. rakotonasolianus. Thamnoldenlandia includes only one species, T. ambovombensis, which differs from most other Spermacoceae in being a medium-sized shrub with winged seeds. We present a detailed description of Amphistemon and Thamnoldenlandia, including observations of pollen and seeds. A molecular phylogenetic study based on atpB-rbcL, petD, rps16 and trnL-trnF sequences demonstrates that the two new genera belong to the Hedyotis–Oldenlandia complex of tribe Spermacoceae. Amphistemon and Thamnoldenlandia are sister taxa and share a common ancestor with the Madagascan endemic genus Astiella. A second, but not closely related, Madagascan clade includes the endemic genera Lathraeocarpa and Gomphocalyx and the Afro-Madagascan genus Phylohydrax. This indicates that the Madagascan endemic members of Spermacoceae are the result of at least two independent colonization events, most likely by long-distance dispersal from the African mainland. © 2010 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2010, 163, 447–472.

Composition and antimicrobial activity of Juniperus excelsa essential oil

The genus Juniperus (Cupressaceae) consists of 55 species, all of which occur throughout the northern hemisphere of the world [1]; eigth species of them grow in Turkey [2]. Evergreen shrubs and trees in this conifer genus are slow growing and long lived. Various species of juniper are used medicinally with a range of applications from antiseptic to diuretic [3, 4]. Juniperus excelsa M. Bieb. is a medium-sized shrub or tree up to 20 m. This species was divided into 2 subspecies (subsp. excelsa and subsp. polycarpos) by Farjon: one with a distribution in southeastern Europe, the Crimea, and mainly southern Turkey to Lebanon; the other a more continental element extending from North Turkey to Kirgizistan and Pakistan [5]. Subspecies excelsa is the subject of this paper. This subspecies is widespread in Turkey but most common in South Anatolia, in dry rocky slopes in hills and mountains at between 150‐2700 m, often forming the tree line in the Taurus mountains [5]. It is locally known as “boylu ardic” tall juniper in Turkey [6]. The chemical composition of the leaf and wood essential oils from Juniperus excelsa were previously reported [7‐9]. In the literature, there are a number of reports on the composition of the essential oil from berries of Juniperus species and their antimicrobial activities [10‐13]. Hexane and methanol extracts of J. excelsa were reported to demonstrate antimicrobial activity against microorganisms, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis [14]. The antimicrobial activity of J. excelsa essential oil against three standard bacterial strains and the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae have been reported [15]. The objective of this study was to determine the in vitro antimicrobial activity of the essential oil of the berries of J. excelsa and its main component, α-pinene, against clinically important microorganisms, including an anaerobic bacterium and the pathogenic yeasts. GS/MS analysis of J. excelsa essential oil resulted in the identification of forty-four constituents [16], representing 91.3% of the oil, as shown in Table 1. The major components were α-pinene (55.5%), α-cedrol (7.7%), sabinene (3.5%), and verbenone (2.4%). Similarly, Topcu et al. reported α-pinene (34.0%) and α-cedrol (12.3%) as the major components in the essential oil from berries of J. excelsa [17]. In another study, the main constituents were found to be α-pinene (29.1%) and carene (29.1%) [15]. The differences in the content of the oils might result from geographical origin, edaphic factors, or harvesting time. Antimicrobial chemotherapy has not achieved the much required success in the eradication of microbial infections because of the antimicrobial resistance developed by most pathogenic microorganisms. The antimicrobial properties of essential oils derived from many plants are under extensive study. The assays were performed as described elsewhere [18]. The results of this study shows that J. excelsa essential oil has a strong activity against the anaerobic bacterium Clostridium perfingens while exhibiting moderate activity against Staphylococus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Mycobacterium smegmatis , Candida albicans, and Candida krusei (Table 2). The data presented here are consistent with the previous studies which demostrated that α-pinene is a slightly active component [18]. The MICs of the main component of the essential oil, α-pinene, were also determined in parallel experiments, proving that this constituent is responsible for the antimicrobial activity, at least against C. perfringens and yeasts. Each plant extract and essential oil con tain complex mixtures of volatile and non-volatile compounds, and little is known about the effect of interactions between individual constituents on antimicrobial activity. Interactions between these components and known antibiotics may also lead to additive, synergistic, or antagonistic effects.

Everything and Its Opposite: Kava Drinking in Fiji

Kava is a supersaturating sign in indigenous Fijian public life. Called yaqona in Fijian, kava is both a shrub (Piper methysticum) and drink made from it. The plant is not especially impressive to look at: it has none of slender grace of a tall coconut palm, none of rude heft of yams or taro. It is a medium-sized shrub with knobby stems and stringy, dusty brown roots. What makes it impressive is semiotic range of its social embeddings. Put simply, kava means radically different things in different contexts. It is a means of competition and also of settling for peace, cause of social unity and also its dissolution. It is a cherished emblem of old traditions that invites dreamy speculation of affluent futures. Finally, it is a Christian symbol that is believed to summon demons.1 Kava's dynamic polysemy, I argue, emerges from its irresolvably problematic place in Fijian Christian life. More than ninety-nine percent of indigenous Fijians are Christians (Walsh 2006:201), and many describe Christianity as traditional-as something that was embraced by chiefs a century and a half ago. Despite continued visibility of many traditional practices, including kava drinking, many Fijians are convinced that tradition is disappearing or already gone. They struggle to reassert its relevance, and thus, as Nicholas Thomas has noted wryly, contemporary rural Fijian life...is much more traditional [now] than it could have been before (1997:182-183). Kava mediates tensions between ideologies of tradition and desires for progress, but in its mediation kava does not resolve tensions-it intensifies them. It does so partly because of its material properties, especially its soporific and inebriating qualities. Made into a beverage, kava's consumption dominates men's social lives in rural Fiji. In Tavuki village on Kadavu Island, locus of my research, men drink it for several hours every day, usually beginning in late afternoon. Women drink too, generally in mixed-sex groups, but they do not drink as much or as often as men do. Fijians appreciate kava's numbing, soporific properties which induce relaxed, harmonious socializing. They also appreciate its value as a commodity with a high (though fluctuating) market price, something they can cultivate and sell to develop their households and communities materially. For these tangible reasons, kava stands metaphorically at center of Fijian public life. But it also opens a conduit to world of non-Christian spirits, a world that shadows and haunts Fijian villages. In an essay on Christianity, subjectivity and transcendence, Webb Keane writes that the very materiality of objects is inseparable from their capacity to signify....But objects are also mute. Their possible interpretations are underdetermined. As they travel across space and time, they elude hermeneutic control. The latter is one reason objects may be seen as problematic for true doctrine (Keane 2006:311; see also Keane 2007). Kava exemplifies this mute and slippery journey through social life, offering both hope and despair to who cannot reconcile its conflicting material and semiotic aspects, to which I now turn. The more fieldwork I conducted, more I noticed kava's extensive semiotic range-a starburst of meanings and uses in which both plant and drink become a symbol for everything and its opposite. This is not a matter of articulating paradoxes in an attempt to resolve them through myth or ritual, per Levi-Strauss or Victor Turner, but rather a matter of contextual versatility. For example, Fijians often claim that kava makes feel calm and peaceful whereas alcohol makes people want to fight. Physiologically this is true, as kava relaxes people's muscles, makes them sleepy, and generally evokes an atmosphere of relaxation and easy sociability among drinkers (Lebot, Merlin, and Lindstrom 1992:3). Fijians exploit kava's numbing and soothing effects for a ritual called ibulubulu (burial) in which an offending person presents a large quantity of kava to person they have offended. …

Soil-erosion and runoff prevention by plant covers in a mountainous area (se spain): Implications for sustainable agriculture

In the Mediterranean region the intensities and amounts of soil loss and runoff on sloping land are governed by rainfall pattern and vegetation cover. Over a two-year period (1998–1999), six wild species of aromatic and mellipherous plants (Thymus serpylloides subsp. Gadorensis, Thymus baeticus Boiss, Salvia lavandulifolia Vahl., Santolina rosmarinifolia L., Lavandula stoechas L. and Genista umbellata Poiret) were selected for erosion plots to determine their effectiveness in reducing water erosion on hillslopes of the Sierra Nevada Mountain (SE Spain). The erosion plots (including a bare-soil plot as control), located at 1,345 m in altitude, were 2 m2 (2 m × 1 m) in area and had 13% incline. The lowest runoff and soil erosion rates, ranging from 9 to 26 mm yr−1 and from 0.01 to 0.31 Mg ha−1 yr−1, respectively, over the entire study period, were measured under the Thymus serpylloides. Lavandula stoechas L. registered the highest rates among the plant covers tested, runoff ranging from 77 to 127 mm yr−1 and erosion from 1.67 to 3.50 Mg ha−1 yr−1. In the bare-soil plot, runoff ranged from 154 to 210 mm yr−1 and erosion from 4.45 to 7.82 Mg ha−1 yr−1. According to the results, the lowest-growing plant covers (Thymus serpylloides and Salvia lavandulifolia Vahl.) discouraged the soil erosion and runoff more effectively than did the taller and open medium-sized shrubs (Santolina rosmarinifolia L., Genista umbellata Poiret, Thymus baeticus Boiss and Lavandula stoechas L.). Monitoring allowed more direct linkage to be made between plant covers and the prevention of erosion, with implications for sustainable mountain agriculture and environmental protection.

Current Problems in the Taxonomy of AndersoniaR.Br.

AndersoniaR.Br. is a genus of small to medium-sized shrubs endemic to the south west of Australia. It currently comprises 22 recognized species and is one of three closely related genera which form the tribe Cosmelieae. Andersoniais distinct from the closely related SprengeliaSm., but serious problems in the subgeneric taxonomy have been identified. A strict application of the current descriptions of two subgeneric divisions does not include two species, and a full assessment of the homologies of the leaf-organs on which these sections are based has never been made. At species level a large number of new taxa have been identified, and some previous combinations are questionable. This paper outlines these problems and ways in which they are being addressed. Some urgency is attached to the taxonomic work because of the threat posed to the genus by dieback caused by the fungus Phytophthora cinnamomi.

Studies in Neotropical Caesalpinia (Leguminosae: Caesalpinioideae): A New Species from Mexico

Small to medium-sized, single or multiple-trunked shrub or tree 310 m tall, DBH up to 20 cm; trunk and main branches crooked, branches knobbly and warted, crown open with a 5-6 m spread; bark greyish-white with a dark green underbark, ornamented with scattered vertical rows of slightly pustular small white lenticels, bark slash creamish. Foliage sparse; leaves bipinnate; stipules caducous; petiole up to 5 cm long, glabrous, sometimes with small sessile or short-stalked glands near its base; pinnae in (1 -) 3 5 pairs plus a terminal pinna; leaflets in (2-)3-4(-5) opposite pairs per pinna, subsessile, + fleshy, bluish green with purplish black punctate glands along the margin, elliptic to suborbicular, apex and base rounded, 1 41 7(2 3) x 0 51 (1 5) cm, glabrous, the midvein evident only on the lower surface, secondary venation, where evident, brochidodromous. Inflorescence a pyramidal raceme (on some branches forming a less showy congested panicle), glabrous; bracts ovate, obtuse, c. 5-6 mm long, glabrous, early-caducous; pedicels up to 2-3 cm long, articulated 4 mm below calyx base, glabrous, expanding in fruit to 2 -7 cm and thickening. Calyx glossy lime-green, glabrous, 1 -3 cm long just prior to anthesis, the lobes 9 mm long, yellow, reflexing when the flower opens, lobe margins ragged due to irregular tearing. Corolla dark pinkish scarlet, the glandular claws margined greenish yellow; standard blade c. 10 x 12 mm, the margin glandular, the base inrolled

Land types and vegetation in the Luuq district of south-western Somalia

ABSTRACTA land use survey involving land typing and vegetation classification was conducted within the Luuq District Refugee Area (200,000 ha) in south-western Somalia. Average rainfall and annual temperature of the area are 310 mm and 30.5° C. The area is composed of limestone and basalt uplands, gypsiferous and alluvial interplains, and ancient and recent alluvial terraces of the Juba River.Land types were identified by aerial photo survey and ground observation and mapped on a 1:100,000 scale LandSat Satellite (colour) Image. Soil types were classified according to the method used by the US Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service. Vegetation was sampled according to the Braun-Blanquet approach in 52 releves located within previously mapped land types, and analysed using the traditional phytosociological methods and the DECORANA and TWINSPAN computer programs. The results of these methods are compatible with one another. Most community types identify distinct land types: basalt and limestone uplands, gypsum and alluvial interplains, and depressions and gentle rises of the Juba River terrace.Commiphora and Acacia species dominate the open thorny bushland. They are mostly medium-sized shrubs and trees, 1 to 4 m in height. There is little herbaceous ground cover except in depressions and drainageways. Total shrub and tree cover averages 34%. Due to the large influx of refugees, there has been excessive cutting for fuelwood and construction material and notable bushland converted to cropland. Degradation of the vegetation and soils is prominent and is most evident on the upper and lower terraces of the Juba River.

Eurya japonica Thunb. ‘Winter Wine’1

Abstract Eurya japonica Thunb. is one of more than 100 species in the genus Eurya and family Theaceae which is native to Japan, Ryukyus, South Korea, Taiwan, China, India, and Malaysia. Although this species can reach 7 m in height, it is most often seen as a small to medium-sized shrub. Its evergreen, glabrous, dark-green leaves are 3 to 8 cm long, oval to obovate and serrate, leathery, closely spaced on short petioles, which give the plant a compact appearance. The species is well-suited for landscaping, when a medium-textured, broad-leaved, evergreen is desired. Its area of adaptability coincides with that of Camellia japonica L. Presently, there are no known cultivars of E. japonica.