Native Ornamental Plants Research Articles

Pollution Sensitivity and Resistance Assessment of Native Ornamental Plants for Landscaping in Various Factories

The present study was conducted during 2023–2024 and the data was recorded during post monsoon period (January– February, 2024) to assess the performance of ten native ornamental plants under different pollutants of seven factory sites along with a control in Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh, India, for recommending in green belt development under multiple polluted sites. The data recorded for various parameters under study showed that among the plants tested, Cordyline terminalis at Control site i.e. College of Horticulture reported maximum values for canopy spread (59.54 cm2), leaf extract pH (7.49) and total chlorophyll content (3.86 mg g-1), while it recorded maximum values for ascorbic acid content (13.00 mg g-1), relative water content (89.54%), proline content (9.19 µmoles g-1) and superoxide dismutase activity (4.23 O.D. min-1 g-1) at APMDC factory site. Barleria cristata recorded superior values for Stomatal Index (33.40%) at College of Horticulture (control site) and Chlorophyll stability index (98.04%) at polluted site of APMDC. Phenol content was reported highest in Ixora coccinea (18.96 mg 100 g-1) at mining site (APMDC). Nyctanthus arbor-tristis at APMDC site had reported maximum value for Dust capturing capacity (0.31 mg cm-2). The Data on specific leaf weight showed non significance difference. Cordyline terminalis with superior biochemical traits showed higher Air Pollution Tolerance Index (APTI) values (21.86) at APMDC mining site while, Nyctanthus arbor-tristis with an Anticipated Performance Index (API) grade of 5 has been assessed as a very good performer under polluted sites.

Performance analysis of mesocosm-constructed wetland containing agricultural waste-derived substrates for treatment of wastewater.

Integrating native ornamental plants with substrate amended with lignocellulosic biomass and biochar in vertical sub-surface flow constructed wetlands offers a novel and effective approach to wastewater treatment. This study evaluates the potential of mesocosm constructed wetland systems using native ornamental plants (Canna indica, Lilium wallichianum, and Tagetes erecta) grown in substrates amended with lignocellulosic biomass and biochar. The influent and effluent were analyzed for pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), phosphorus (PO4-P), and nitrogen forms, i.e., ammonia (NH4-N) and nitrate (NO3-N) for 5weeks. Investigated mesocosms showed an average removal efficiency of 49.21% for BOD, 53.76% for COD, 40.64% for NH4-N, 41.76% for NO3-N, and 21.53% for PO4-P. Canna indica demonstrated the highest removal efficiencies, achieving 58.19% for BOD and 64.49% for COD, followed by Lilium wallichianum with 56.12% for BOD and 62% for COD, while Tagetes erecta showed lower efficiencies of 49.63% for BOD and 52.24% for COD. The result shows that the designed mesocosms are a promising nature-based alternative to the technologically complex and expensive conventional technologies, with numerous additional ecological benefits. This study also indicates that the locally available organic materials are effective substrate components for constructed wetlands and after their use in wetlands; these digested organic materials may further be used as an effective source of nutrient-rich fertilizers or soil amendments in agriculture.

Artificial night‐time lighting and nutrient enrichment synergistically favour the growth of alien ornamental plant species over co‐occurring native plants

Abstract Insights into ecological drivers of alien plant invasions can be gained through comparative studies of growth and fecundity of invasive alien plants versus those of co‐occurring non‐invasive alien plants and native plants across environmental conditions in common garden settings. Habitats that harbour alien plant species in many ecosystems globally are presently experiencing light pollution resulting from artificial light at night (ALAN) and increased rates of nutrient enrichment of the soil. However, the potential interactive effects of ALAN and nutrient enrichment on invasiveness of alien plant species remain unknown. Here, we performed a common‐garden experiment to test the interactive effects of ALAN and soil nutrient enrichment on the growth of a random set of ten alien (five invasive and five non‐invasive naturalized) and seven co‐occurring native ornamental plant species that are commonly cultivated within urban and peri‐urban areas of Nairobi city in Kenya. We predicted that a simultaneous increase in photoperiod via ALAN and nutrient enrichment will favour growth of invasive alien plant species over that of non‐invasive alien and native plant species. We grew the 17 plant species under natural daylight (ALAN−) versus natural daylight followed by ALAN (ALAN+) and fully crossed with two levels of nutrient enrichment (low vs. high) and competition (competition vs. no‐competition against a native plant Ocimum gratissimum) treatments. Under simultaneous high‐nutrient and no‐competition treatments, ALAN enhanced mean total biomass of invasive and non‐invasive naturalized alien species by 61.1% and 131.4%, respectively but decreased that of native plant species by 34%. In contrast, under simultaneous high‐nutrient and competition treatments, ALAN enhanced mean total biomass of invasive alien plant species by 68.6% and that of non‐invasive naturalized alien species by 51.9% and native species by 35.4%. High‐nutrient treatment enhanced flower formation more strongly in invasive and non‐invasive naturalized alien plants than in native plants. The invasive and non‐invasive naturalized alien species grew taller than native species across the light, nutrient, and competition treatments. Synthesis: The present findings suggest that light pollution and nutrient enrichment may jointly confer growth advantage to invasive alien plant species over that of co‐occurring native plant species and enhance invasiveness of alien plant species.

ВНЕСОК КРЕМЕНЕЦЬКОГО БОТАНІЧНОГО САДУ В РОЗВИТОК БОТАНІЧНОЇ НАУКИ

The article highlights the role of the Kremenets Botanical Garden in the preservation and enrichment of plant biodiversity. It also analyzes the current state and prospects of plant biodiversity development as a scientific center where research is carried out on the plants introduction, reintroduction and acclimatization, landscape design and greening, and the organization of environmental monitoring. The main directions of the institution's scientific work at the current stage are outlined.
 The structural scientific unit of the institution consists of six departments: acclimatization of fruit and berry crops; dendrology; flower garden and decorative plants; medicinal plants and new crops; reproductive biology and implementation; phytosozology. Main research topics: introduction of plants with the aim of enriching plant resources of Ukraine; preservation of the gene pool and biodiversity of species ex situ, protection of flora and monitoring of its condition, reproduction, cultivation, implementation of introduced and native ornamental plants with the aim of renewing collections and greening. The collection fund of the botanical garden includes more than 2,000 taxa, among them: species protected in national (listed in the Red Books of Ukraine) and regional levels, endemics of the Kremenets Mountains and other regions of the world. The species of natural flora, dendroflora, berry and fruit crops, medical, fodder, vegetable, spicy-aromatic and decorative plants are widely represented in the collections and expositions. A thorough study of the development of these plant groups allows us to determine their individual peculiarities, develop agricultural techniques, select the most promising species and to use the information obtained when creating plant compositions.
 The study and construction of plant populations of the desinent group is actively conducted in the Kremenets Botanical Garden. Also, the monitoring and control of the spontaneous spreading of invasive species are carried out.
 The modern Kremenets Botanical Garden is an object of the national nature reserve fund. It participates in the environmental protection activities of the region and functions as a research and educational institution. Multi-faceted scientific research is carried out here, as well as cultural and educational work.

Comprehensive analysis of metabolome and transcriptome reveals the mechanism of color formation in different leave of Loropetalum Chinense var. Rubrum

BackgroundLoropetalum chinense var. rubrum (L. chinense var. rubrum) is a precious, coloured-leaf native ornamental plant in the Hunan Province. We found an L. chinense var. rubrum tree with three different leaf colours: GL (green leaf), ML (mosaic leaf), and PL (purple leaf). The mechanism of leaf coloration in this plant is still unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the metabolites and genes involved in determining the colour composition of L. chinense var. rubrum leaves, using phenotypic/anatomic observations, pigment content detection, and comparative metabolomics and transcriptomics.ResultsWe observed that the mesophyll cells in PL were purple, while those in GL were green and those in ML were a mix of purple-green. The contents of chlorophyll a, b, carotenoids, and total chlorophyll in PL and ML were significantly lower than those in GL. While the anthocyanin content in PL and ML was significantly higher than that in GL. The metabolomics results showed the differences in the content of cyanidin 3-O-glucoside, delphinidin 3-O-glucoside, cyanidin 3,5-O-diglucoside, pelargonidin, and petunidin 3,5-diglucoside in ML, GL, and PL were significant. Considering that the change trend of anthocyanin content change was consistent with the leaf colour difference, we speculated that these compounds might influence the colour of L. chinense var. rubrum leaves. Using transcriptomics, we finally identified nine differentially expressed structural genes (one ANR (ANR1217); four CYP75As (CYP75A1815, CYP75A2846, CYP75A2909, and CYP75A1716); four UFGTs (UFGT1876, UFGT1649, UFGT1839, and UFGT3273) and nine transcription factors (two MYBs (MYB1057 and MYB1211), one MADS-box (MADS1235), two AP2-likes (AP2-like1779 and AP2-like2234), one bZIP (bZIP3720), two WD40s (WD2173 and WD1867) and one bHLH (bHLH1631) that might be related to flavonoid biosynthesis and then impacted the appearance of colour in L. chinense var. rubrum leaves.ConclusionThis study revealed potential molecular mechanisms associated with leaf coloration in L. chinense var. rubrum by analyzing differential metabolites and genes related to the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway. It also provided a reference for research on leaf colour variation in other ornamental plants.

Effects of Brief UV-C Irradiation Treatments on Rooting Performance of Pelargonium × hortorum (L.H. Bailey) Stem Cuttings

Pelargonium × hortorum (L.H. Bailey), is a South African native ornamental plant with worldwide commercial recognition used in gardens and terraces. In the present study, we evaluated the effects of low doses of UV-C irradiation on rooting performance of P. × hortorum stem cuttings. We also tested the hypothesis that UV-C-induced ethylene production directly interacted with rooting process. Over a 40 d evaluation period, the ethylene production of the UV-C-treated stem cuttings was significantly increased. UV-C irradiation positively affected rooting performance. Rooting percentage was increased in the UV-C-irradiated stem cuttings by up to 17%, time to rooting was decreased by 15% (e.g., 5 d) and root weight increased by 17% compared to the nonirradiated controls. UV-C irradiation did not affect net CO2 assimilation (As), but it induced transpiration (E) on the 14, 20, 22 and 24 d of the evaluation period. Positive correlations were found between ethylene production and As, E, stomatal conductance (gs) and root weight, while a negative correlation was recorded between days to rooting and ethylene. UV-C hastened flower production of the cuttings, but it did not affect colour parameters. We suggest that low doses of UV-C may induce endogenous ethylene production, which at low levels, interact with other hormonal mechanisms to activate root development.

Drying and dehydration of native ornamental plants of Arunachal Pradesh and its value addition

Wild and underutilized plant species particularly ornamental flowers and foliage can be converted into value added products using drying and dehydration technique. The present studies have been carried out to explore the potential of wild ornamental plants of Arunachal Pradesh for the purpose of dry flower making. The plant parts have been collected from different places viz. Pasighat, Bodak, Renging, Menchuka, Bomdilla, Tenga Valley, Yingkiong, etc. A total of fourteen (14) potential plant species had been identified for drying and dehydration without any loss in quality and appearance. The species identified includes Pteridium aquilinum (Eagle Fern/Western Bracken Fern), Lycopodium clavatum (Stag’s Horn Clubmoss/Ground pine), Nicandra phylasoides (Apple of Peru), Scirpus cyperinus (Wool grass), Barleria cristata (Phillipine violet), Cortaderia selloana (Pampas grass), Anaphilis busua (Tall pearly everlasting), Miscanthus spp. (Silver grass), lichens, Phragmites spp. (common reed grass), Davallia bullata (Rabbit foot fern), Tillandsia spp. (Spanish moss), Elsholtzia cristata (Crested late summer mint) and Setaria parviflora (Bristly foxtail). Maximum number of genera belongs to the family of Poaceae followed by Cyperaceae. Seed heads of Cortaderia selloana, Miscanthus spp., Phragmites spp., Erioscirpus comosus, Scirpus cyperinus, Setaria parviflora; leaves of Pteridium aquilinum, Lycopodium clavatum, Davallia bullata; fruits of Nicandra phylasoides, Elsholtzia cristata; flower of Anaphilis busua; dried calyx of Barleria cristata and stem of Tillandsia spp. had also been used for drying and value addition. A cottage industry based on floral craft can become a new area for self-employment of rural youth’s and women through this creative occupation. The quest for searching new materials which can be utilized as dried flowers never ends and in fact is the demand of the hour.

Pollinators and plant nurseries: how irrigation and pesticide treatment of native ornamental plants impact solitary bees.

A key conservation goal in agroecosystems is to understand how management practices may affect beneficial species, such as pollinators. Currently, broad gaps exist in our knowledge as to how horticultural management practices, such as irrigation level, might influence bee reproduction, particularly for solitary bees. Despite the extensive use of ornamental plants by bees, especially little is known about how irrigation level may interact with insecticides, like water-soluble neonicotinoids, to influence floral rewards and bee reproduction. We designed a two-factor field cage experiment in which we reared Megachile rotundata (Fabricius) (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) on containerized ornamental plants grown under two different irrigation levels and imidacloprid treatments (30% label rate dosage of a nursery formulation or an untreated control). Lower irrigation was associated with modest decreases in nectar volume and floral abundance in untreated plants, whereas irrigation did not affect plants treated with imidacloprid. Furthermore, higher irrigation decreased the amount of imidacloprid entering nectar. Imidacloprid application strongly reduced bee foraging activity and reproduction, and higher irrigation did not offset any negative effects on bees. Our study emphasizes the impact of a nursery neonicotinoid formulation on solitary bee foraging and reproduction, while highlighting interactions between irrigation level and neonicotinoid application in containerized plants themselves.

Насіннєва продуктивність декоративних видів роду Lupinus в умовах Поділля

Наведено результати насіннєвої продуктивності квітниково-декоративних рослин, що належать до представників роду Lupinus L. в умовах Поділля. Проаналізовано видовий склад роду Lupinus та визначено перспективність їх використання для озеленення різних об'єктів зони Поділля. З метою диференціації рослин, відповідно до сфери їх можливого використання, наведено експериментальні дослідження найбільш перспективних представників цього роду, в яких встановлено, що онтогенез усіх досліджуваних сортів/гібридів завершується у цих умовах повноцінним плодоношенням, період якого в більшості видів триває від 43 до 82 днів. Враховуючи тривалість життя окремої квітки, дозрівання кожного плоду в цих рослин займає значний проміжок часу в їх онтогенезі. Дослідженням встановлено, що всі досліджувані види викликають інтерес як потенційно цінні об'єкти для збагачення асортименту вітчизняних декоративних рослин та є перспективними для поліпшення стану парків, скверів, садків зони Поділля. Також дослідженнями визначено природні можливості представників роду Lupinus, пластичність до зміни їх життєвої форми, високу якість за сукупністю ознак, що визначають їхню декоративність і характеризують досліджувані рослини, як джерело для інтродукції і збагачення асортименту декоративних культур в Україні. Отже, вивчення питання щодо насіннєвої продуктивності роду Lupinus для озеленення дасть змогу значно розширити асортимент декоративно цінних рослин та збагатити культивовану флору зони Поділля та України загалом.

First Report of Powdery Mildew of Excoecaria cochinchinensis Caused by Pseudoidium neolycopersici in China

Excoecaria cochinchinensis Lour., a small evergreen shrub in the family Euphorbiaceae, is usually grown as a native ornamental plant in South China. In April 2019, severe powdery mildew infection was observed on E. cochinchinensis in a garden (23.9°N, 113.23°E) in Guangzhou, China. Nearly 60% of the Excoecaria plants were infected, and the foliage of infected plants turned yellow and necrotic, followed by rapid defoliation. Voucher specimens were deposited in the Herbarium of Mycology of Guangdong Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine under accession number HMGDTCM18. White to gray rounded irregular patches, consisting of abundant mycelia and conidia of the fungus, were found on both leaf surfaces and green stems. Hyphae were septate, branched, and with moderately lobed appressoria. Conidia were solitary, borne on top of conidiophores, and were ellipsoidal, hyaline, 38 to 48 × 13 to 17 μm (mean 42 ± 3 × 15 ± 1 μm, n = 50), containing no distinct fibrosin bodies. Conidiophores were erect, unbranched, consisted of three cells, and 84 to 117 μm long (mean 106 ± 7 μm, n = 50). Chasmothecia were not observed on sample plants. The pathogenicity of this fungus was confirmed by gently pressing infected leaves onto healthy leaves and stems of three healthy seedlings in separate pots, and two noninoculated seedlings were used as a control. After maintaining at 25°C in a greenhouse for 10 days, similar disease symptoms were observed in the inoculated plants, whereas no symptoms developed on control plants. Molecular identification was conducted by extracting genomic DNA from conidia washed from infected leaves and using a Fungal DNA Kit (Omega Bio-tek, Guangzhou, China). The rDNA internal transcribed spacer region was amplified using primers ITS1/ITS4 (Glass and Donaldson 1995). The obtained sequence (GenBank accession no. MK811439) analysis by BLASTN search showed>99% similarity with Pseudoidium neolycopersici (GenBank accession nos. LC009912.1 and AB032484.1). On the basis of the morphological and molecular analyses, the fungus was identified as P. neolycopersici (Kiss et al. 2001). This pathogen has only been reported on Codiaeum variegatum, a euphorbiaceous host (Liu et al. 2015). To our knowledge, this is the first report of this fungus infecting Excoecaria. In addition, P. neolycopersici has been reported on tomato, papaya, and Physalis pubescens in China. Therefore, powdery mildew infection on E. cochinchinensis not only poses a potential threat to health and beauty of this ornamental plant but may also serve as a reservoir of the pathogen that could allow spread to other economically important hosts.

Propagation of Comptonia peregrina L. from stem cuttings

Comptonia peregrina is a desirable native ornamental plant for challenging landscapes, but it cannot be produced using conventional softwood stem cuttings. We demonstrate that C. peregrina can be successfully propagated using young shoots (6 to 8 cm in length) recently emerged from rhizomes taken as cuttings. Although significantly more cuttings rooted using intermittent mist (99%) than propagation dome (70%), cuttings under propagation domes had greater shoot counts. Due to the drier and warmer conditions under propagation domes, cutting shoot tips were killed, which relieved apical dominance and stimulated lateral budbreak. Cuttings rooted under propagation domes produced plants having greater height, width, and size after 90 d than cuttings rooted under intermittent mist. Treatment of cuttings with talc-based rooting hormone at 3000 and 8000 ppm indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) significantly improved rooting percentage and shoot count over untreated cuttings. Cuttings treated with 8000 ppm IBA produced the most roots. Container plants grown from cuttings and pruned to 7 cm in height produced twice as many shoots as unpruned plants. Using cuttings taken from young shoots (6 to 8 cm) produced from rhizomes, 3000 or 8000 ppm IBA, and intermittent mist nursery growers can achieve rooting percentages for C. peregrina above the 80% benchmark preferred for commercial plant production.

Heavy metals in nectar modify behaviors of pollinators and nectar robbers: Consequences for plant fitness

Plants growing in heavy-metal-rich soils can accumulate metals into their nectar. Nectar chemical composition can alter foraging behavior of floral visitors (including pollinators and floral antagonists) and further affect plant reproductive fitness. The role of nectar heavy metals in deterring pollinators (e.g., shortening foraging time) has been recently studied, but their effects on plant reproduction via changes in behaviors of both pollinators and floral antagonists (e.g., nectar robbers) are less understood. We experimentally manipulated four nectar heavy metals (Zn, Cu, Ni, and Pb) in a native ornamental plant, Hosta ensata F. Maekawa, to investigate the effect of nectar metals on plant reproductive success. We also recorded nectar robbing as well as foraging time and visitation rate of pollinators to assess whether nectar metals could alter the behavior of antagonists and mutualists. Although metals in nectar had no significant direct effects on plant reproduction via hand-pollination, we detected their positive indirect effects on components of female fitness mediated by pollinators and nectar robbers. Matching effects on female plant fitness, nectar robbers responded negatively to the presence of metals in nectar, robbing metal-treated flowers less often. Pollinators spent less time foraging on metal-treated flowers, but their visitation rate to metal-treated flowers was significantly higher than to control flowers. Moreover, pollinators removed less nectar from flowers treated with metals. Our results provide the first direct evidence to date that heavy metals in nectar are capable of deterring nectar robbers and modifying pollinator foraging behavior to enhance plant reproductive fitness.

Consumers’ and Retailers’ Attitudes Towards a Mexican Native Species of Aztec Lily as an Ornamental Plant

The use of native ornamental plants in urban landscapes and ornamental consumers’ designs is one strategy to preserve biodiversity. Sprekelia formosissima (L.) Herb., known as Aztec lily (ALY), is one of the nearly 4000 species of native ornamental plants of Mexico. However, its domestic market is not yet developed and is virtually unknown. The objectives of this study were to: (1) compare consumers’ and retailers’ knowledge of ALY, and (2) to identify potential clusters of consumers and retailers based on their knowledge and preferences, such that marketing of the ALY could be best tailored to different market segments, leading to its sustainable commercialization. There were 464 interviews conducted in four nurseries in Mexico. Results showed only one consumer knew about the ALY; additionally, we found different behaviors in consumers and in retailers: those not interested in the ALY, but when they know it is Mexican they will acquire it; those interested no matter the ALY origin, and those who dislike the ALY because it is Mexican. Those answers suggest that improving consumers/retailers knowledge about this native flower could lead to a sustainable commercialization in Mexico, helping to ensure its conservation as well.

Effects of Chromium Ore Tailings on Growth and Physiological Activities of Mesua ferrea L.

ABSTRACTA greenhouse pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the feasibility of using a native ornamental plant, Mesua ferrea L. as phytostabilizer for chromium ore tailings (COT) and to assess the metal accumulation capacity. Different ratios of soil and COT were taken in pots and sowed with seeds of M. ferrea. Plants were harvested at various intervals and separated into roots and shoots for analysis of metal concentrations and physiological characteristics of the plants. The study revealed that the plant has great tolerance and stronger ability to accumulate Cr. The results suggested an increase in growth, chlorophyll content, antioxidant activities, as well as metal accumulation capacity of M. ferrea with increasing proportion of COT in the soil. This indicates the plant's efficiency to overcome any stress generated due to excess of chromium as well as other heavy metals. The order of accumulation of heavy metals was observed to be Fe>Cr>Ni>Cd>Co. The accumulation of Cr was higher in root compared to that in shoot. M. ferrea has found to be potential as a native species candidate for phytostabilization of chromium mine tailings.

State of the science and challenges of breeding landscape plants with ecological function.

Exotic plants dominate esthetically-managed landscapes, which cover 30–40 million hectares in the United States alone. Recent ecological studies have found that landscaping with exotic plant species can reduce biodiversity on multiple trophic levels. To support biodiversity in urbanized areas, the increased use of native landscaping plants has been advocated by conservation groups and US federal and state agencies. A major challenge to scaling up the use of native species in landscaping is providing ornamental plants that are both ecologically functional and economically viable. Depending on ecological and economic constraints, accelerated breeding approaches could be applied to ornamental trait development in native plants. This review examines the impact of landscaping choices on biodiversity, the current status of breeding and selection of native ornamental plants, and the interdisciplinary research needed to scale up landscaping plants that can support native biodiversity.