Pseudowintera Colorata Research Articles

A Nematode Larval Motility Inhibition Assay for Screening Plant Extracts and Natural Products

An in vitro nematode larval motility inhibition assay has been developed to screen plant extracts for anthelmintic activity against the sheep parasite Trichostrongylus colubriformis. The usefulness of this assay was verified by results for extracts of the liverwort Plagiochila stephensoniana and the shrub Pseudowintera colorata. The activity of these extracts was due to 4-hydroxy-3‘-methoxybibenzyl (1) (IC50 0.13 mg/mL) and polygodial (2) (IC50 0.07 mg/mL), respectively. Synthetic analogues of 1 displayed enhanced antiparasitic activity. (Z)-4-Hydroxy-3‘-methoxystilbene (3) had an IC50 of 0.06 mg/mL. The activity of an extract of the tree Phyllocladus aspeniifolius var. alpinus was due to the presence of polyphenolics, since treatment of the extract with polyvinylpolypyrrolidone or polyamide removed the activity. Keywords: Nematodes; anthelmintics; natural products; assay; plant extracts; Trichostrongylus colubriformis

Germination behaviour of the seeds of six New Zealand woody plant species

Abstract Germination rates, percentage germination success, and phenomena related to germination delay were determined for one provenance each of seeds from freshly-collected fruit (summer-autumn) of Dodonaea viscosa, Hedycarya arborea, Pennantia corymbosa, Pseudowintera colorata, Rhopalostylis sapida, and Streblus heterophyllus. Dodonaea has wind-dispersed fruit; the fruit of the others are eaten by birds which disperse the seeds. The experimental treatments simulated natural conditions that the seeds might experience after dispersal. In the standard treatment (seeds cleaned, moist, well-lit) each species behaved differently. Streblus seeds began to germinate a few weeks after the start of the experiment and germination continued at a gradual, even rate through the winter. Hedycarya seeds began to germinate within three months and underwent a germination flush in mid-winter, then a levelling off before the last few seeds germinated in spring. A few Dodonaea seeds germinated in autumn and a few more in la...

The pre-Taupo eruption (c.AD 130) forest of the Benneydale-Pureora district, central North Island, New Zealand

Abstract The composition and structure of three small areas of west Taupo forest, blasted down and buried during the c. AD 130 Taupo tephra eruption, are revealed by analysis of plant macrofossils, including leaves, seeds and wood. Data from these three sites and from the recently described Pureora buried forest were then used to interpret the pre-eruption vegetation along a 20 kilometre transect, from Pureora westward to Benneydale. All the stands were on flat or undulating terrain and dominated by podocarps, ranging from rimu (Dacrydium cupressinum)-tanekaha. (Phyllocladus trichomanoides) at Pureora to rimu at Benneydale. Broadleaved trees increased westward; on lower hillslopes in the Benneydale buried forest, northern rata (Metrosideros robusta) was an important canopy component. An amelioration of climate with decreasing altitude westward was indicated by a gradual change from prominence of horopito (Pseudowintera colorata) at Pureora to P. axillaris at Benneydale, and the presence of rewarewa (Knigh...

Dichogamy, gender variation and bet-hedging inPseudowintera colorata

Temporal patterns of variability in the longevity of the male and female phases of individual flowers and in the gender expression of plants of a dichogamous New Zealand tree,Pseudowintera colorata (Winteraceae), were documented in field studies. Two measures for the duration of phases in a dichogamous flower are distinguished; the nominal phases based on morphological features of the flower, and the effective phases reflecting the duration of their functions. Flower and phase longevity and phenotypic gender varied considerably throughout the season and among individuals. Temporal variability in phenotypic gender was loosely synchronized among the 12 plants sampled. Three effects of an environmental factor (temperature) were noted. First, increased temperatures shortened the duration of the female phase but had no effect on the duration of the male phase. Second, pollination frequency was positively correlated with temperature. These results indirectly suggest that increased pollination may shorten the duration of the female phase. Third, average population maleness, measured as the proportion of open flowers in the population on a given day which were in the male phase, was positively correlated with temperature. It is postulated that temperature indirectly influences temporal patterns of gender expression in the population through its differential effects on the longevity of the male and female phases in individual flowers. A theoretical model of bet-hedging shows that, if the direction of an environmental effect on the proportions of the sexual phases is irreversible, selection favours asynchronous dichogamy and reduces the temporal variability as much as possible. If the direction of the response is reversible, heterodichogamy is favoured.

Composition and structure of forest overwhelmed at Pureora, central North Island, New Zealand, during the Taupo eruption (c. AD 130)

Abstract The composition and structure of forest at Pureora, overthrown and buried by pumiceous tephra during the c. AD 130 Taupo eruption, are deduced from identification of plant macrofossils. A tall, dense podocarp forest was dominated by rimu (Dacrydium cupressinum) and tanekaha (Phyllocladus trichomanoides), with occasional matai (Prumnopitys taxifolia) , miro (Prumnopitys ferruginea), kahikatea (Dacrycarpus dacrydioides) and totara (Podocarpus totara). Understorey plants included toro (Myrsine salicina), horopito (Pseudowintera colorata), Neomyrtus pedunculata, Metrosideros diffusa, crown fern (Blechnum discolor) and Leptopteris superba. Poorly drained sites were dominated by kahikatea, rimu, tanekaha, Astelia grandis, Gahnia xanthocarpa and kiekie (Freycinetia baueriana ssp. banksil) with rare bog pine (Halocarpus bidwillil) and kaikawaka (Libocedrus bidwillil)' The classification and ordination techniques applied indicated that the forest was basically of one type with minor variations reflecting drainage conditions and topography. Comparison with present-day forest revealed some major differences. Matai and rimu dominate the tall podocarp forest of adjacent Pikiariki Ecological Area, and tawa (Beifschmiedia tawa), mahoe (Melicytus ramijlorus ssp. ramijlorus), kamahi (Weinmannia racemosa) and Asplenium bulbiferum s.s. are common in the understorey or ground cover but were not recorded in the buried forest. Kiekie, Gahnia xanthocarpa and kaikawaka, on the other hand, are absent from present-day forest in the Pureora district. These species were probably casualties of the volcanic devastation, unable to return because of one or a combination of factors, including improved soil aeration, drainage and fertility, and possibly a deterioration in climate.

Antibiotic substances from New Zealand plants. II. Polygodial, an anti-Candida agent from Pseudowintera colorata.

A bicyclic sesquiterpene dialdehyde “Polygodial” has been isolated from leaves of the New Zealand tree PSEUDOWINTERA COLORATA and shown to possess strong antibiotic activity against the yeast CANDIDA ALBICANS. Polygodial was also found in DRIMYS WINTERI but was absent from P. AXILLARIS and P. TRAVERSII.

Breeding systems in New Zealand plants 5.Pseudowintera colorata(Winteraceae)

Abstract The main flowering time for Pseudowintera colorata in eastern Canterbury is September. The first flowering shoot in a leaf axil can bear up to three flowers, and on each side of the resulting scar there can be a single flower in a later year. The numbers of flower parts and seeds are: petals, 4–9; stamens, 7–23; carpels, 1–4; ovules, 3–15; seeds, 1–14. Flowers are protogynous with three stages: female, 3–4 days; hermaphrodite, I day; male, 3–7 days. Insect visits appeared rare during the day. Isolated plants set few if any fruits with low seed number per fruit. Two cultivated plants self-pollinated by hand set no fruits but reciprocal crosses were successful, as were crosses with wild plants. Self-sterility is not due to inhibition of pollen-tube growth in the stigmatic tissue as pollen tubes regularly enter ovules after self-pollination. Protogyny is the rule in hermaphrodite flowers of primitive woody angiosperms.

Reaction wood in Pseudowintera colorata ? A vessel-less dicotyledon

Inclined branches of Pseudowintera colorata exhibit pronounced growth promotion to the lower (abaxial) side similar to that found in gymnosperms. The only other significant difference between the anatomy of the upper and lower regions is that the tracheids on the lower side have a larger microfibril angle. Other microscopic features normally associated with compression wood or tension wood are completely absent. The longitudinal shrinkage of samples from the upper and lower regions is shown to be related to the mean microfibril angle in a highly non-linear way, and a relatively small change in microfibril angle is associated with a large change in longitudinal shrinkage. This result is in agreement with the hypothesis that compression wood force generation arises during the lignification phase of secondary wall deposition and is critically dependent on mean microfibril angle.

GROWTH ECCENTRICITY AND REACTION ANATOMY IN BRANCHWOOD OF PSEUDOWINTERA COLORATA

The present work deals with growth eccentricity and reaction anatomy in horizontal branches of Pseudowintera colorata (Raoul) Dandy. Growth promotion is distinct and occurs on the lower (abaxial) side of inclined branches in the manner common to gymnosperms. Neither compression wood nor tension wood was found either on the upper or on the lower side of the investigated branches. The cells of the wood to the lower side show some differences from those of the upper side. The lower‐side tracheids are longer, wider, possess thicker walls and have a higher microfibril angle than those of the upper side. The lower‐side rays are less high but wider (because of a greater number of larger cells) than those of the upper side.

Growth Eccentricity and Reaction Anatomy in Branchwood of Pseudowintera colorata

Growth Eccentricity and Reaction Anatomy in Branchwood of Pseudowintera colorata

ChemInform Abstract: EXTRACTIVES FROM PSEUDOWINTERA COLORATA. PART V. A NEW SESQUITERPENE LACTONE, , COLORATA‐4(13),8‐DIENOLIDE

Chemischer InformationsdienstVolume 7, Issue 28 Natural Products ChemInform Abstract: EXTRACTIVES FROM PSEUDOWINTERA COLORATA. PART V. A NEW SESQUITERPENE LACTONE, , COLORATA-4(13),8-DIENOLIDE R. EDWARD CORBETT, R. EDWARD CORBETTSearch for more papers by this authorTEO LIAP CHEE, TEO LIAP CHEESearch for more papers by this author R. EDWARD CORBETT, R. EDWARD CORBETTSearch for more papers by this authorTEO LIAP CHEE, TEO LIAP CHEESearch for more papers by this author First published: July 13, 1976 https://doi.org/10.1002/chin.197628344Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume7, Issue28July 13, 1976 RelatedInformation

Extractives from Pseudowintera colorata. Part V. A new sesquiterpene lactone, colorata-4(13),8-dienolide

The structure of colorata-4(13),8-dienolide, a new sesquiterpene lactone isolated from the shrub Pseudowintera colorata, has been elucidated.

The volatile oil of pseudowintera colorata. I

AbstractThe essential oil of Pseudowintera colorata has been fractionated in an efficient column and is shown to contain at least 30 constituents. Sixteen of these have been identified with known compounds, namely, (+)‐α‐pinene, (+)‐α‐thujene, (‐)‐β‐pinene, myrcene, (+)‐limonene, dipentene, α‐terpinene, (+)‐β‐phellandrene, γ‐terpinene, terpinolene, p‐cymene, eugenol, (+)‐aromadendrene, humulene, tricosane and pentacosane. Other constituents include the alcohols C10H18O, C8H14O and C10H20O, a carbonyl compound C10H140 an ester, hexenyl n‐valerate, two new sesquiterpenes, and a new sesquiterpene ketone, C15H22O.