Native Genera Research Articles

Allopolyploidy enhances survival advantages for urban environments in the native plant genus Commelina.

Urbanization-induced environmental changes affect the geographical distribution of natural plant species. This study focused on how polyploidization, a dynamic genome change, influences the survival and distribution of Commelina communis L. (Cc) and its subspecies, C. communis f. ciliata (Masam.) Murata (Ccfc) which have different chromosome numbers (e.g. Cc: 2n = 88, Ccfc: 2n = 46). The aim is to investigate polyploidization effects on natural plant distribution in urban environments. The geographical distribution across urban-rural gradients was investigated at a total of 218 sites in Japan. Stomata size and density were measured and compared between Cc and Ccfc. Flow cytometry determined genome size and polyploidy. Chromosome karyotyping was performed using genomic in situ hybridization (GISH) method. Urban areas were exclusively dominated by Cc, while Cc and Ccfc coexisted in rural areas. Cc had larger and fewer stomata and more than twice the genome size than Ccfc. GISH results indicated that Cc possesses Ccfc and another unknown genome, suggesting allopolyploidy. Our results show that the ploidy difference affects the geographical distribution, the stomata traits, and genome size between two distinct taxa in the genus Commelina, C. communis as a neo-tetraploid and C. communis f. ciliata, the diploid. Cc is an allopolyploid, therefore, not only polyploidy but also an additional genome with new sets of genes and alleles contributes to Cc having enhance survival potentials in urban environments compared to Ccfc. This is the first investigation to clarify the distribution difference related to urban environments, the difference in stomata traits and genome size, and to conduct chromosome composition in Commelina species.

High endemic freshwater mussel (Bivalvia: Unionida) diversity in western Borneo, with description of three new species

Abstract The freshwater mussels (Bivalvia: Unionida) of the biodiversity hotspot Sundaland are experiencing severe anthropogenic threats, whilst their diversity and distribution remain poorly understood. Here, we present the first modern-day data on Unionida diversity and distribution across western Borneo. Mussels were surveyed and collected in the upper Kapuas and Pawan river basins in West Kalimantan, Indonesia, and the Sambas Besar, Sarawak and Batang Sadong river basins in Sarawak, Malaysia. DNA sequencing (COI + 16S + ND1 + 18S + 28S) and morphological analyses were conducted to delineate and identify species, and reconstruct phylogenetic relationships and population genetics. Specimens belonged to six native genera and nine species, of which seven are endemic to Borneo and three are new to science, i.e. Ctenodesma mawonae Zieritz et al., sp. nov., Sarawak basin, and Ctenodesma bersinara Zieritz et al., sp. nov., and Rectidens lauris Zieritz et al., sp. nov., both Pawan basin. The monotypic genera Caudiculatus and Discomya were phylogenetically highly divergent from other known Gonideinae taxa, potentially indicating a separate tribe (for Caudiculatus) and subfamily (for Discomya). In addition, we report new records of the non-native Sinanodonta pacifica Heude, 1878 in the Batang Sadong and Kapuas river basins.

A review of the woody bamboos (Poaceae: Bambusoideae: Bambuseae) of Trinidad and Tobago

Trinidad and Tobago are important islands to Neotropical woody bamboo taxonomy. Trinidad is a type locality for two widely applied names with poorly defined species concepts: Arthrostylidium pubescens and A. excelsum, and two potentially endemic species: Chusquea cylindrica and Rhipidocladum prestoei. Few resources exist for the islands to adequately identify all the woody bamboo species that putatively grow there. The serialized vascular flora of Trinidad and Tobago (1928–1992), for instance, lacks a treatment for Poaceae. Moreover, the most speciose native genus, Arthrostylidium, is only partially revised, with the emphasis on the South American species and not those of the West Indies. Our objective is to critically review the woody bamboos of Trinidad and Tobago, clarify which species are or have been known from the islands, and provide an identification key, species accounts and distribution maps for the revised list of taxa. We conducted fieldwork campaigns in 2021–2023, and reviewed herbarium specimens and human observation records of woody bamboos from the islands. Newly collected specimens were vouchered and all woody bamboo records were georeferenced and plotted using QGIS. We confirmed two species of native woody bamboo and four species of introduced woody bamboo were extant on Trinidad. An additional three Western Hemisphere species have historic records of occurrence on the islands. Native species diversity correlated well with previously identified floristic hotspots. One introduced species, Bambusa vulgaris, is common on both islands. To the best of our knowledge, there are currently no native woody bamboo species present on Tobago, however, A. pubescens appears to have been growing along the Main Ridge in the past. The historic presence of some species not currently found may be the result of dynamic and/or stochastic colonization events among the islands and mainland South America.

Decrypting seasonal patterns of key pollen taxa in cool temperate Australia: A multi-barcode metabarcoding analysis

Pollen allergies pose a considerable global public health concern. Allergy risk can vary significantly within plant families, yet some key pollen allergens can only be identified to family level by current optical methods. Pollen information with greater taxonomic resolution is therefore required to best support allergy prevention and self-management. We used environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding to deepen taxonomic insights into the seasonal composition of airborne pollen in cool temperate Australia, a region with high rates of allergic respiratory disease. In Hobart, Tasmania, we collected routine weekly air samples from December 2018 until October 2020 and sequenced the internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) and chloroplastic tRNA-Leucine tRNA-Phenylalanine intergenic spacer (trnL-trnF) regions in order to address the following questions: a) What is the genus-level diversity of known and potential aeroallergens in Hobart, in particular, in the families Poaceae, Cupressaceae and Myrtaceae? b) How do the atmospheric concentrations of these taxa change over time, and c) Does trnL-trnF enhance resolution of biodiversity when used in addition to ITS2? Our results suggest that individuals in the region are exposed to temperate grasses including Poa and Bromus in the peak grass pollen season, however low levels of exposure to the subtropical grass Cynodon may occur in autumn and winter. Within Cupressaceae, both metabarcodes showed that exposure is predominantly to pollen from the introduced genera Cupressus and Juniperus. Only ITS2 detected the native genus, Callitris. Both metabarcodes detected Eucalyptus as the major Myrtaceae genus, with trnL-trnF exhibiting primer bias for this family. These findings help refine our understanding of allergy triggers in Tasmania and highlight the utility of multiple metabarcodes in aerobiome studies.

Aidophus gema (Scarabaeidae, Aphodiinae, Didactyliini), a New Species from Colombia, with Notes on the Genus Aidophus Balthasar and the Tribe Didactyliini from the Country

In the Americas, the tribe Didactyliini (Scarabaeidae, Aphodiinae) is exclusively represented by the native genus Aidophus Balthasar, 1963. Aidophus gema and A. notatus (Harold, 1859) are herein described from Colombia, the former as a new species. Illustrations and diagnoses are provided for both species, and the new species is also compared with the most similar species.

Muerte por reproducción sexual: El caso (sin resolver) de la floración de los bambúes

Bamboos belong to the grass family (or Poaceae). There are 1698 bamboo species distributed around the world in tropical, subtropical and temperate jungles and forests. In our country, there are five native genera that comprise 23 species. The least known characteristic of the woody bamboos is their flowering phenology. Four main types of flowering patterns have been described. However, the most interesting are those bamboo species that show a massive and cyclical flowering pattern, after a long period of vegetative growth. Such mass flowering events occur at roughly regular intervals and are followed by the death of the flowering individuals. The goal of this review is to provide an informative sample of the current knowledge of bamboo flowering, with an emphasis on the species native to Argentina. Currently, the approximate duration of the life cycle of most woody bamboo species in our country is known, based on a review of the collections of the most important national and international herbaria and an extensive bibliographic search. In most species, the average life cycles are multiples of 15-16years, with a 30-year cycle being the most common. The main hypotheses about the evolutionary forces that led bamboos to flower, seed and die synchronously are described. Likewise, environmental, genetic factors and the combination of both proposed as possible ‘causes’ of this atypical flowering pattern of bamboos are discussed. Finally, environmental and social consequences of this phenomenon are listed.

Myxomycetes associated with the bark, cones and leaves of Australian cypress pines (Callitris spp.)

Context The diversity of myxomycetes associated with Australia’s most diverse native conifer genus, Callitris, has been incompletely studied.Aims In this study, we examine the diversity of myxomycetes associated with outer bark, fallen cones and dead litter (leaves/needles) of four Callitris species.Methods Substrate samples were collected from 13 localities in New South Wales, Queensland and the Northern Territory. Samples were used to prepare moist-chamber cultures, and species of associated myxomycetes were identified.Key results Twenty-three species in 15 genera were recorded. Percentage occurrence of myxomycetes varied depending on substrate, being 87% (cones), 83% (bark) and 63% (litter). Bark yielded the most species (17), followed by litter (10) and cones (6). Only two species (Arcyria cinerea and S. fusca) were recorded from all three substrates. Substrate pH is often an important factor for the occurrence of myxomycetes, but the mean values recorded for cones (5.7), litter (5.8), and bark (5.9) showed little difference. This suggests that other undetermined factors contributed to the differences in species occurrence. In addition to the records generated in the present study, we provide a list of previous records of myxomycetes found in association with Callitris.Conclusions This study has highlighted, for the first time, the diversity of myxomycetes associated with members of the genus Callitris and has shown the importance of cypress pines as a substrate for myxomycetes.Implications This study leads to a better understanding of the biogeography, distribution and ecology of myxomycetes and their associated organisms.

Toward finally unraveling the phylogenetic relationships of Juncaceae with respect to another cyperid family, Cyperaceae

Juncaceae is a cosmopolitan family belonging to the cyperid clade of Poales together with Cyperaceae and Thurniaceae. These families have global economic and ethnobotanical significance and are often keystone species in wetlands around the world, with a widespread cosmopolitan distribution in temperate and arctic regions in both hemispheres. Currently, Juncaceae comprises more than 474 species in eight genera: Distichia, Juncus, Luzula, Marsippospermum, Oreojuncus, Oxychloë, Patosia and Rostkovia. The phylogeny of cyperids has not been studied before in a complex view based on most sequenced species from all three families. In this study, most sequenced regions from chloroplast (rbcL, trnL, trnL-trnF) and nuclear (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2) genomes were employed from more than a thousand species of cyperids covering all infrageneric groups from their entire distributional range. We analyzed them by maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian inference to revise the phylogenetic relationships in Juncaceae and Cyperaceae. Our major results include the delimitation of the most problematic paraphyletic genus Juncus, in which six new genera are recognized and proposed to recover monophyly in this group: Juncus, Verojuncus, gen. nov., Juncinella, gen. et stat. nov., Alpinojuncus, gen. nov., Australojuncus, gen. nov., Boreojuncus, gen. nov. and Agathryon, gen. et stat. nov. For these genera, a new category, Juncus supragen. et stat. nov., was established. This new classification places most groups recognized within the formal Juncus clade into natural genera that are supported by morphological characters.

The succession of GH6 cellulase-producing microbial communities and temporal profile of GH6 gene abundance during vermicomposting of maize stover and cow dung

Vermicomposting eco-friendly converts lignocellulosic wastes into bio-organic fertilizer. Cellulose is the most abundant carbohydrate in lignocellulose. Glycoside hydrolase family 6 (GH6) plays a key role in the early step of cellulose degradation, which is essential for stabilizing lignocellulose. This study intends to quantify the abundance of GH6 gene and to clarify the succession of GH6 cellulase-producing microbial communities during vermicomposting. 100% of maize stover (A) and maize stover and cow dung at 60:40 ratio (B) were used. The results showed that different native genera were observed in the starting materials. Cellulomonas and Cellulosimicrobium were dominant genera harboring GH6 gene. The peak relative abundance of Cellulomonas was 76% and 30% in B and A during vermicomposting phase, and the corresponding values of Cellulosimicrobium was 36% and 37%. Earthworms increased the abundance of GH6 gene, which reached 1.51E + 09 from 3.46E + 08 copies/g in B. The results partially interpreted promoting effect of earthworms.

Health Benefits of Uses and Applications of Moringa oleifera in Bakery Products.

Moringa oleifera belongs to the Moringaceae family and is the best known of the native Moringa oleifera genus. For centuries, it has been used as a system of Ayurvedic and Unani medicine and has a wide range of nutritional and bioactive compounds, including proteins, essential amino acids, carbohydrates, lipids, fibre, vitamins, minerals, phenolic compounds, phytosterols and others. These characteristics allow it to have pharmacological properties, including anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, anticarcinogenic, antioxidant, cardioprotective, antimicrobial and hepatoprotective properties. The entire Moringa oleifera plant is edible, including its flowers, however, it is not entirely safe, because of compounds that have been found mainly in the root and bark, so the leaf was identified as the safest. Moringa oleifera is recognised as an excellent source of phytochemicals, with potential applications in functional and medicinal food preparations due to its nutritional and medicinal properties; many authors have experimented with incorporating it mainly in biscuits, cakes, brownies, meats, juices and sandwiches. The results are fascinating, as the products increase their nutritional value; however, the concentrations cannot be high, as this affects the organoleptic characteristics of the supplemented products. The aim of this study is to review the application of Moringa oleifera in bakery products, which will allow the creation of new products that improve their nutritional and functional value.

Spore viability and germination of some ectomycorrhizal fungi from New Zealand and implications for forest restoration

ABSTRACT Ectomycorrhizal fungi (EMF) are critical to the establishment of many plant species and an important consideration in ecological restoration of southern beech (Nothofagaceae) forest. However, information on spore viability and storage is lacking for EMF taxa associated with southern beech. This study tested the viability and germination of spores from fruiting bodies collected during autumn and spring from mountain beech forest, Otago, New Zealand. Nuclear ribosomal ITS sequences matched autumn collections to the EMF genera Cortinarius, Inocybe and Russula, but all spring collections were an undescribed hypogeous taxon resembling the native EMF genus Hysterangium, referred to here as Hysterangiaceae ‘Motatapu’. We investigated propidium iodide as a spore viability test, and compared spore germination in water vs glucose, in different temperature and light regimes, and between freshly collected spores and spores from fruiting bodies dried at 30°C or frozen at −20°C. Propidium iodide did not stain all devitalised spores, so may be unreliable for quantifying viability of fresh spores. Spore germination in water was <6% for all genera and <2% for most taxon × treatment combinations. Fresh spores of Hysterangiaceae ‘Motatapu’ suspended in 4°C water showed higher germination than at 20°C; excluding light had no significant effect. Spores of the same taxon suspended in 10% and 20% glucose showed lower germination in comparison to water and showed deformations. Germination percentages of all taxa decreased with storage, but spores of some taxa retained viability for 120 days in 4°C water suspensions. Spores of Hysterangiaceae ‘Motatapu’ showed the least loss of viability with storage of all taxa investigated. For the purposes of storing EMF material for use as inoculum, we recommend drying fruiting bodies at 30°C for storage, then preparing fresh spore suspensions in water when inoculum is required.

Meliaceae (Sapindales): riqueza y distribución en el estado de Tabasco, México

Antecedentes y Objetivos: Con la finalidad de actualizar el listado de especies de Meliaceae en el estado de Tabasco bajo el sistema de clasificación actual, se completó una revisión taxonómica de la familia, como contribución al proyecto “Flora de Tabasco”. Métodos: Se llevó a cabo una revisión en herbarios estatales y nacionales de los ejemplares de las especies de la familia Meliaceae y se realizaron colectas en campo de 2015 a 2017 en vegetación secundaria y primaria del estado. El material colectado fue identificado por medio de claves taxonómicas y cotejado con material de herbario. También se consultaron los ejemplares tipo disponibles en JSTOR Global Plants. Se hizo una clave de identificación para las especies de la familia en Tabasco y un análisis de distribución por tipo de vegetación y datos ecológicos; así mismo se registran nombres comunes y se ilustran algunas de las especies. Resultados clave: La familia Meliaceae está representada por 11 especies en cuatro géneros nativos y dos especies en dos géneros introducidos. Se registran por primera vez dos especies para el estado. El género Trichilia es representado por siete especies, seguido de Guarea con dos. Los municipios con el mayor número de especies son Centro y Teapa con ocho especies cada uno y Balancán con siete. Conclusiones: Las Meliáceas nativas presentes en la zona de estudio representan 45.83% de las 24 especies nativas estimadas para la familia en México y están distribuidas principalmente en áreas de vegetación secundaria y manchones de selva en municipios serranos fronterizos con Chiapas y Guatemala.

Diversity in the Hawaiian endemic genus Neurisothrips (Thysanoptera, Thripidae).

The genus Neurisothrips is known only from the Hawaiian Islands, where it has radiated into a considerable number of species. No other species of the worldwide family Thripidae is endemic to Hawaii, and the lack of structural diversity amongst the members of this genus might suggest that they are derived from a single ancestral introduction. The phylogenetic relationships of Neurisothrips are unclear, but it is possibly derived from Frankliniella, the most species-rich Thripidae genus on the American continent. A key is provided to 14 recognised species of which the following seven are newly described: N. bidens sp. n., N. fran sp. n., N. janis sp. n., N. karl sp. n., N. robbiei sp. n., N. saki sp. n., N. tsuda sp. n. The type species of the genus, N. multispinus (Bagnall), is known only from five fragmented specimens, and its identity remains in doubt. Since each of the species is known only from adults the true host associations remain unclear, but these thrips seem to live primarily on plants that are endemic to the Hawaiian Islands, with N. saki breeding only on the young croziers of Cibotium species, a native fern genus.

New species of Chaetonerius Hendel (Diptera: Neriidae) and key for identification of the Neriidae of Tanzania.

Chaetonerius Hendel is the only native genus of Neriidae from the African continent, with 21 species described. Although widely distributed across the Afrotropical region, the species of Chaetonerius are still poorly known and recent efforts are being devoted to clarify the taxonomy of the family and discover its diversity. Here, we describe a new neriid species from Tanzania, Chaetonerius stichodactylus sp. n. Illustrations of the male holotype, including the external and internal genitalia, are presented and a key for the species of Neriidae of Tanzania is provided.

A review of the phytochemical profiling and biological activities of Hyptis Jacq.: a Brazilian native genus of Lamiaceae

Hyptis Jacq. (Lamiaceae) has been used in traditional medicine for the treatment of many diseases around the world. However, Harley and Pastore in 2012 proposed a new circumscription for this large genus, reducing its number of species, but supporting its monophyly. Hyptis and Peltodon were used as keywords, and triage of articles was performed using genus delimitation sensu Harley and Pastore. Only 29 species have some type of record in the literature for their medicinal use and chemical description, corresponding to 20% of the 148 species. Most cited biological activities were the antioxidant activity, reported for 9% of the species, and the antifungal activity reported for 5% of the species. For 11% of the species was described the essential oil composition, while non-volatile compounds were reported for only 6% of them. Terpenes, flavonoids, and caffeic acid derivatives are the most reported compounds for this genus. Only 8% of the species are reported as medicinal, with potential as antibacterial and antiparasitic, pointing to relevance of Hyptis to bioprospecting studies, especially in South America and Africa. However, there is a lack of studies regarding isolated compounds concerning their toxicology and efficacy, important information to achieve the production and the effective use of Hyptis as a herbal medicine.

Analyses of Chloroplast Genomic and Morphological Evolutionomy of Yulania Subsect. Cylindricae (Magnoliaceae)

To scientifically settle the puzzle of origin of fruit plants, the chloroplast genomic sequences of three species of Yulania subsect. Cylindricae (Spongb.) D. L. Fu, subsect. comb. nov. (Magnoliaceae) were determined, which were compared with some taxa by means of the typical algorithm, a new method for genomic evolutionomy based on the evolutionary continuity principle. The results indicated that among some representative species of Gymnospermophyda, Yulania puberula D. L. Fu, sp. nov. has the closest relatively evolutionary relationship with Ginkgo biloba, not with the species of Cycas, Welwitschia or Ephedra, which indicated that fruit plants originated from Ginkgoopsida, not from Cycadopsida thought by the euanthium-theory or Chlamydopsermopsida thought by the pseudoanthium-theory. Among some representative species of Fructophyta, Ginkgo biloba has the closest relatively evolutionary relationship with Yulania puberula indicating that the new species is the relatively most primitive species of fruit plants, which is consistent with the results of morphological evolutionomy. The evolutionary system of Magnoliaceae includes 4 natural genera: Yulania Spach, Magnolia L., Michelia L. and Liriodendron L., whose boundaries all are PHS(17bp)=0.93. Furthermore Yulania subsect. Cylindricae and its three species were described or emended. The holotype of new species of Yulania puberula was designated, whose main typici-evolutionary characters, including diagnostic differences and particularities, was given and illustrated. The epitype of Y. shizhenii was designated and four synonyms of Y. cylindrica were listed. Typical algorithm is a scientific method of genomic evolutionomy and a scientifically new tool to solve the puzzle of evolutionomy of fruit plants.

Radiation of members of the Soroseris hookeriana complex (Asteraceae) on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and their proposed taxonomic treatment

The existence of intermediate types is a major obstacle that can hinder the circumscription of species. Elucidating the mechanism responsible for intermediate types is essential for achieving a reasonable taxonomical treatment. In this study, we explored the evolutionary history and taxonomic treatment of the Soroserishookeriana (C.B.Clarke) Stebbins complex, which comprises six named taxa that may be taxonomically distinct and are all native to the Qingha-Tibetan Plateau (QTP). We made an investigation across the distribution range of Soroseris Stebbins and sampled 27 populations, mostly from the complex. Internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and two chloroplast loci were sequenced and analysed using the neighbour-joining and Bayesian inference methods. The resulting phylogenies show no well supported inconsistence in topologies, in line with the lack of incongruence detected by the length difference test. However, all the trees were largely unresolved within S.hookeriana complex, irrespective of the optimality criterion employed. We interpret these results as an experience of radiation, which is a common process for native genera on the QTP. Thus, we suggest that all of the morphotypes might be different forms, generated by incipient speciation due to recent explosive differentiation, possibly triggered by the drastic environmental changes of the QTP. Given their evolutionary history, we propose a pragmatic method for treating all of these species as subspecies with a total of four new combinations.

Effects of experimental harvesting of an invasive hybrid cattail on wetland structure and function

Invasive plants, such as the hybrid cattail Typha × glauca, can reduce biodiversity and alter the ability of wetlands to provide critical ecosystem services, including nutrient cycling and carbon storage. Several approaches have been used to reduce Typha dominance and restore invaded wetlands, but long‐term studies assessing benefits of these restoration efforts are limited. A previous study demonstrated that aboveground harvesting of Typha × glauca stems and litter reduced Typha dominance 2 years post‐treatment in a Great Lakes coastal wetland. In the current study, we extended monitoring of experimental aboveground Typha harvest to 4 years post‐treatment and added assessments of treatment effects on soil nutrients, carbon emissions, and microbial community composition. Aboveground harvest treatment resulted in a dramatic reduction in Typha litter cover that persisted for 4 years, increased soil temperature, and increased abundance of the native plant genus Carex. However, aboveground harvest treatment did not significantly reduce Typha abundance, nor did it have significant effects on soil nutrient concentrations, carbon fluxes, or the taxonomic composition of soil microbial communities. We did observe differences in bacterial community composition between plots based on time since Typha invasion, which may indicate some legacy effects of Typha invasion. At the scale of this experiment (4 × 4 m plots), our results indicate that a single aboveground removal of Typha × glauca is not sufficient to restore a heavily invaded freshwater wetland ecosystem, and that periodic harvesting of Typha stems and litter may be required to maintain native plant abundance.

‘MPM1’: a macadamia hybrid showing breakdown of biological rhythm in morphogenesis

Macadamia is an Australian native genus, comprising of four species. Commercial cultivars for the production of macadamia nuts are derived from two species, M. tetraphylla and M. integrifolia. The different species of Macadamia have unique leaf and flowering patterns, due to inherent biological rhythms. Usually, M. tetraphylla has four leaves in a whorl, while the other species have three leaves per whorl. All species produce 1-2 florets at each raceme node. We identified a multi-pistillate macadamia genotype ('MPM1') with irregular leaf pattern and floral architecture. The genotype is a progeny of cultivars 'HAES 705' and 'NG18'. In this article, we described the characteristics of this plant and irregularities of its biological rhythm, including the number of leaves per whorl, ranging from 1 to 9, and variation in the number of pistils per floret. This irregular biological rhythm occurred during both vegetative and reproductive growth phases. Future molecular or epigenetic studies could determine the origin and mechanism of these unusual characteristics.

Health Applications of Naturally Aged Medicinal Mud

The Copahue Thermal Complex is located in the northwest of the province of Neuquen, Argentina in the Norquin department. It lies near the Chilean border, 376 km from the capital of the province at 2,010 meters above sea level. The Copahue complex is located in a geothermally active area in a volcanic caldera, surrounded by multiple fumaroles, potholes, vents, springs and a series of mineromedicinal water lagoons. Copahue is a system of spring acid waters, hyperthermal and largely of high mineralization. The so-called sulfur consists of hyperthermal sulfated water, with a dry residue 110°C, 1075 mg /l; pH: 5.6 and chemical analysis shows the following mineral concentrations (mg / l): chlorine 2.7; fluoride 0.3; sulfate 586.3; sodium 29.3; potassium 19.1; lithium 0.02; calcium 44.6; magnesium 11.3; total iron 2.2; ammonium 54.8. The mother sulfur lagoon produces mud that is composed of: smectite (39%), kaolinite (6%), silica (6%), pyrite (2%), alunite (2%), iron oxides (4%), and a strong presence of sulfur at 39%. The contact water maintains an acid pH of the order of 2.5 to 3, and contains dissolved substances on the order of 700 to 1000 mg / l, while the temperature of the water and the mud of this lagoon is one of the highest among the natural manifestations of Copahue. Regarding the mud, it can be added that it is an excellent adsorbent, has an ion exchange capacity of the order of 10 meq / g, and a cooling kinetics that makes it an adequate material to achieve thermal effects associated with its application. This lagoon is the main producer of mud used in the cabins. In terms of medical applications, sulfur is a particularly important component, which as pure mineral has disinfectant, keratolytic and antiseptic properties, and can also be transformed to give rise to other minerals that contain sulfur (in forms reduced and oxidized) such as alunite and pyrite. At the same time, both kaolinite and smectite act as excellent adsorbents, dermal protectors and give softness to peloids, while improving their thermal properties. The microbiological richness that it possesses is also an outstanding feature of this system. The prokaryotic biodiversity of the Sulfur Lagoon (LS T = 54° C and pH: 3) was studied using two complementary techniques: a) phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA genes of bacteria and archaea; and b) in situ hybridization of specific fluorescent probes (FIHS) for a quantitative estimation of microbial biodiversity. The results obtained showed that in this thermal well 90% of the microorganisms are archaea, 6% are bacteria and 4% could not be detected by FIHS. Within the bacteria, species of Pseudomonas, Achromobacter, Acidiphilum, and Mezorhizobium were identified and among the archaea the dominant genera were Thermoplasmatales and Sulfolobus. Additionally, a species of the native genus Acidianus of Copahue was detected, which was named A. copahuensis and which has highly varied metabolic characteristics: it is acidophilic, thermophilic, facultative anaerobic, sulfur and iron oxidant. Finally, in LS, other thermophilic anaerobic archaea were also detected, such as Vulcanisaeta and Thermocladium. Copahue is a very interesting source of biodiversity both for its contribution to global biology and its biotechnological potential. The mineral richness of naturally matured mud and microbiota allows the treatment of a large number of dermatological, osteoarticular and rheumatological pathologies. Regarding the presentation of cases in dermatology, the following are highlighted: mud therapy combined with phototherapy in the treatment of psoriasis, and in the treatment of Rosacea and venous ulcers using cyanophytic algae bioglea. Finally, it is important to underscore the existence of a large number of cases documented each season that validate the effectiveness of treatment of different pathologies, for example the combination of mud with magnetotherapy and ultrasound in a patient with radiodermitic ulcers and pain treatment combining mud therapy and galvanic therapy.