Pteridaceae Research Articles

Heterogeneity of silica and glycan-epitope distribution in epidermal idioblast cell walls in Adiantum raddianum laminae

Laminae of Adiantum raddianum Presl., a fern belonging to the family Pteridaceae, are characterised by the presence of epidermal fibre-like cells under the vascular bundles. These cells were thought to contain silica bodies, but their thickened walls leave no space for intracellular silica suggesting it may actually be deposited within their walls. Using advanced electron microscopy in conjunction with energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis we showed the presence of silica in the cell walls of the fibre-like idioblasts. However, it was specifically localised to the outer layers of the periclinal wall facing the leaf surface, with the thick secondary wall being devoid of silica. Immunocytochemical experiments were performed to ascertain the respective localisation of silica deposition and glycan polymers. Epitopes characteristic for pectic homogalacturonan and the hemicelluloses xyloglucan and mannan were detected in most epidermal walls, including the silica-rich cell wall layers. The monoclonal antibody, LM6, raised against pectic arabinan, labelled the silica-rich primary wall of the epidermal fibre-like cells and the guard cell walls, which were also shown to contain silica. We hypothesise that the silicified outer wall layers of the epidermal fibre-like cells support the lamina during cell expansion prior to secondary wall formation. This implies that silicification does not impede cell elongation. Although our results suggest that pectic arabinan may be implicated in silica deposition, further detailed analyses are needed to confirm this. The combinatorial approach presented here, which allows correlative screening and in situ localisation of silicon and cell wall polysaccharide distribution, shows great potential for future studies.

Ethnopharmaceutically important medicinal plants and its utilization in traditional system of medicine, observation from the Northern Parts of Pakistan.

Wild medicinal plants gathering for the treatment of various human ailments is an ancient tradition that has endured in mountainous areas of Pakistan. In order to understand the pattern and uses of plants, a study on the Ethnopharmaceutically important medicinal plants of Shawar valley, District Swat was conducted during summer 2008. Information’s about these plant resources were collected through semi-structured interviews, field observation and group discussion. In order to documents the preset use of medicinal plants growing in and around the study area an elderly person up to age group 60 was mostly interviewed. The study revealed that 87 plants species of 58 families of having ethnomedicinal importance. There were 50 Dicotyledonous families, 3 Monocotyledons families (Aliaceae, Iridacea and Poaceae), 2 Gymnosperms families (Pinaceae and Taxaceae) 2 Pteridophytes families (Polypodiaceae and Pteridaceae) and family Halvelaceae of fungi. These species were used for the curing of various human ailments in indigenous system of medicines. Some plants are used singly while many others are used in combination with other plants or edible items. Similarly, few plants species are considered for the treatment of only one specific disease while several other have multiple such medicinal uses. These are mostly used for the curing of gastro-intestinal problems, emmenagogue and antispasmodic and also for general body tonic. The detail local uses, local method of recipe preparation and application along with their local name and disease treated were reported for each species. The study also observed that the availability of pharmaceutically and therapeutically important MAP species is declining and the number of rare and threatened species among the MAPs is increasing in the area. Further study is, therefore, required to quantify the availability of species and to suggest suitable method for their production and conservation. Recommendations are, therefore, given in the spheres of training in identification, sustainable collection, value addition, trade monitoring and cooperative system of marketing of medicinal plants.

Antinociceptive and antiinflammatory activities of Adiantum latifolium Lam.: Evidence for a role of IL-1β inhibition

Adiantum, one of the most widely distributed genera of the family Pteridaceae, is employed in folk medicine worldwide. Adiantum latifolium Lam. has been used in Latin American traditional medicine as anxiolytic, analgesic and antiinflammatory. The present study investigates the antinociceptive and antiinflammatory properties of the methanolic extract of Adiantum latifolium (MEA) in animal models of pain and inflammation to confirm its medicinal use. The antinociceptive and antiinflammatory activities of MEA were evaluated using the writhing, formalin, and tail-flick tests, carrageenan-induced paw edema and arachidonic acid-induced ear edema. Mice motor performance was evaluated in the rota rod test and the acute toxicity evaluated over 14 days. Intraperitoneal (1-100mg/kg) or oral (100-400mg/kg) administration of MEA produced a dose-related inhibition of acetic acid-induced writhing in mouse. Furthermore, treatment with MEA (100mg/kg) inhibited both the early and late phases of formalin-induced hypernociception. In contrast, MEA (100mg/kg/IP) did not prevent the thermal nociception in the tail-flick test. In addition, MEA (100 and 200mg/kg/IP) inhibited important events related to the inflammatory response induced by carrageenan or arachidonic acid, namely local edema and increase in tissue interleukin-1β levels. MEA (300mg/kg/IP)-treated mice did not show any motor performance alterations. Over the study period of 14 days, there were no deaths or toxic signs recorded in the group of mice given 1000mg/kg of MEA. The results demonstrate that Adiantum latifolium has antinociceptive and antiinflammatory activities, acting through the inhibition of IL-1β production.

Distribution and accumulation of antimony in plants in the super-large Sb deposit areas, China

Antimony (Sb) distribution and accumulation in plants in Xikuangshan Sb deposit area, the only one super-large Sb deposit in the world, Hunan, China were investigated. Results show that soils were severely polluted with the average Sb concentrations up to 5949.20 mg kg − 1 . Sb widely occurred in 34 plants with various concentrations ranging from 3.92 mg kg − 1 to 143.69 mg kg − 1 , Equisetaceae family has the highest concentration (98.23 mg kg − 1 ) while Dryopteridacea family has the lowest one (6.43 mg kg − 1 ). H. ramosissima species of Equisetaceae family had the highest Sb average concentration of 98.23 mg kg − 1 and P. vittata species of Pteridaceae family showed advantage of accumulating Sb from the contaminated environment (Biological Accumulation Coefficient, BAC = 0.08). Almost all species enriched Sb in their upground part such as shoot, leaf and flower (Biological Transfer Coefficient, BTC > 1), which may attribute to the high acropetal coefficient and Sb transformation from the atmosphere to the plants. P. phaseoloides and D. indicum showed predominantly accumulation of Sb in the upground part with BTC of 6.65 and 5.47, respectively. From the low bioavailable fraction in soils and weak relationship between total soil concentrations in soils and plants, it seems that the Sb bioavailability was limited and varied with different soil sites as well as plant species. Those observations would be significant to the phytoaccumulation and phytoremediation of plants and ecological and environmental risk assessment in Sb contaminated areas.

Pteridaceae (Polypodiopsida) do Campo Experimental da Embrapa Amazônia Oriental, município de Moju, estado do Pará, Brasil

Neste trabalho apresenta-se o tratamento taxonômico da família Pteridaceae como parte do projeto "Licófitas e monilófitas dos ecossistemas paraenses", que vem sendo realizado com o objetivo de identificar e catalogar as espécies da flora estadual. O Campo Experimental da Embrapa Amazônia Oriental está localizado no município de Moju e abrange uma área total de 1059 hectares, composta por uma cobertura vegetal de floresta de terra firme predominante e outra de floresta de igapó. Para análise e identificação taxonômica dos exemplares coletados, foram utilizadas técnicas usuais e literatura especializada. São apresentadas chaves para identificação de gêneros e espécies, além de descrições, ilustrações, comentários, dados de distribuição e habitat. A família Pteridaceae está representada na área estudada por 14 espécies: Acrostichum aureum L., Adiantum cajennense Willd. ex Klotzsch, A. dolosum Kunze, A. glaucescens Klotzsch, A. multisorum A. Samp., A. paraense Hieron., A. tetraphyllum Humb. & Bonpl. ex Willd., A. tomentosum Klotzsch, Ananthacorus angustifolius (Sw.) Underw. & Maxon, Anetium citrifolium (L.) Splitg., Hecistopteris pumila (Spreng.) J. Sm., Pityrogramma calomelanos (L.) Link var. calomelanos, Polytaenium guayanense (Hieron.) Alston, Vittaria lineata (L.) Sm. Duas espécies (A. dolosum e A. multisorum) são novas referências para o estado do Pará.

Silica bodies and their systematic implications in Pteridaceae (Pteridophyta)

Wet ashing was used to study the occurrence of silica bodies in the fern family Pteridaceae. They were recovered in 48 of the 77 species examined. Silica bodies of Pteridaceae are elongate, ranging from 90–1320 × 5–40 µm, linear to elliptic, with blunt or acute apices and smooth to sinuate sides. All previous records of silica bodies and venuloid idioblasts among Pteridaceae that were examined were confirmed by the results of this study, corroborating our assumptions regarding the presence of silica bodies. In contrast, assumptions regarding the absence of silica bodies were incorrect; in many species of Adiantum, for example, silica bodies are present but cannot be seen with the naked eye. Farris optimization demonstrates that the distribution of epidermal silica bodies is homoplastic within Pteridaceae, but that they act as a potential synapomorphies for several different groups within the family. These include the adiantoid clade: Adiantum and the 11 vittaroid genera, and in some pteridoid fern clades such as the sister pair Onychium and Actiniopteris and the genus Pityrogramma. They are also present in Pterozonium brevifrons and some species of the polyphyletic genus Pteris. Among cheilanthoid ferns, they were found in Mildella intramarginalis and two species of Aspidotis. Morphology of silica bodies differs between major lineages, reflecting their independent origins. © 2009 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2009, 161, 422–435.

Validation of the Name Adiantum meishanianum (Pteridaceae), a Species Endemic to Taiwan

While investigating the fern called Adiantum meishanianum F. S. Hsu ex Y. C. Liu & W. L. Chiou (Pteridaceae), it was discovered that the name was not validly published because it had not appeared in an effectively published work. The name is validated herein; the holotype is deposited in HAST, and there are paratypes in TAIF, HAST, and SYSU.

Chemical constituents of Pteris cretica Linn. (Pteridaceae)

1. Subject and Source The group of fern from the genus Pteris (Pteridaceae) contains 250 cosmopolitan species (Mabberley, 1997). One species, P. cretica (Japanese name: ohbano-inomotoso) called Cretan brake fern is widely distributed in the temperate and warm area of Japan. Although some fern members of the family Pteridaceae are well known to contain carcinogenic C-14 illudane-type sesquiterpenoids (e.g. ptaquiloside, 1), the rhizome and the aerial part as well as the young fronds of P. cretica are used in Chinese traditional medicine as antipyretic, antidote, and to treat burn (Gan, 1958; Jiang, 1977). For safety uses, investigation of the presence and distribution of the cytotoxic compounds in Pteris species is always necessary before uses in traditional medicines, since C14and C15-illudane-type sesquiterpenoids are the chemical markers of Pteridaceae. Plant material used in the present study was collected in May 2007 in Hiroshima City, Japan. A voucher specimen (07-PC-0513) has been deposited in the Department of Pharmacognosy, Graduate School Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima University, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima, Japan.

Whatever Happened to Cheilanthes horridula and Cheilanthes leindheimeri in Oklahoma?

Oklahoma is where several ferns reach their northern or eastern range limits. Among them are two species of lip ferns in the family Pteridaceae, Cheilanthes horridula Maxon and Cheilanthes lindheimeri Hook (Hoagland et al. 2007). C. horridula (prickly lip fern) is primarily found on dry limestone slopes in the Chihuahuan Desert region of northeastern Mexico. Its range extends northward to southwestern Oklahoma. C. lindheimeri Hook (fairy swords) is widespread in central and northern Mexico as well as the southwestern United States (Mickel and Smith 2004). In Oklahoma, the distributions of both are limited, and the numbers of individual plants of each species are likely to be relatively small, compared with other Oklahoma members of the genus Cheilanthes.

Arsenic uptake and metabolism in plants

Arsenic (As) is an element that is nonessential for and toxic to plants. Arsenic contamination in the environment occurs in many regions, and, depending on environmental factors, its accumulation in food crops may pose a health risk to humans.Recent progress in understanding the mechanisms of As uptake and metabolism in plants is reviewed here. Arsenate is taken up by phosphate transporters. A number of the aquaporin nodulin26-like intrinsic proteins (NIPs) are able to transport arsenite,the predominant form of As in reducing environments. In rice (Oryza sativa), arsenite uptake shares the highly efficient silicon (Si) pathway of entry to root cells and efflux towards the xylem. In root cells arsenate is rapidly reduced to arsenite, which is effluxed to the external medium, complexed by thiol peptides or translocated to shoots. One type of arsenate reductase has been identified, but its in planta functions remain to be investigated. Some fern species in the Pteridaceae family are able to hyperaccumulate As in above-ground tissues. Hyperaccumulation appears to involve enhanced arsenate uptake, decreased arsenite-thiol complexation and arsenite efflux to the external medium, greatly enhanced xylem translocation of arsenite, and vacuolar sequestration of arsenite in fronds. Current knowledge gaps and future research directions are also identified.

Morfologia de esporos de pteridófitas do Parque Estadual das Fontes do Ipiranga (São Paulo, Brasil): 17-Pteridaceae

Foram estudados os esporos de onze espécies de pteridófitas pertencentes à família Pteridaceae no Parque Estadual das Fontes do Ipiranga (PEFI). A família está representada na área por cinco gêneros: Adiantum, Adiantopsis, Eriosorus, Pityrogramma e Pteris. Para todos os táxons estudados são apresentadas descrições, ilustrações e chave para a identificação das espécies.

Levantamento florístico das Pteridófitas (Lycophyta e

Thi s wor k pre sent s a flori sti c survey o f the pterido phyte s (Lycophyta e Monilo phyta ) o f the Parque Ambiental of Belem in the Municipality of Belem, State of Para. This Park is part of the a Environmental Protected Area, representing one of the last relatively conserved forest remnants in Belem metropolitan area. Through collections realized from October 2002 to January 2004, 18 families, 30 genera and 49 species were recorded. The families with the largest number of species were Polypodiaceae and Hymeno phylla ceae , both with six specie s, folo wed by the Pterida ceae , with fi ve specie s. The mostre - presentative genera were Trichomanes L., with fi ve specie s, folo wed by Cyathea Sm., Microgramma C. Presl, Thelypteris Schmidel, Nephrolepis Schott and Lindsaea Dryand, with three species each. Of the 49 species recorded for the area, two are new references for the State of Para, Danaea trifoliata Kunze and Lindsaea divaricata Klotzsch, and two, for the North Region of Brazil: Cyclodium heterodon (Schrad.) T. Moore var. abbreviatum (Presl) A.R. Sm. and Thelypteris chrysodioides (Fee) C.V. Morton.

Diversity and distribution of ferns on the campus of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana

Identification and distribution of fern species on the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology campus were determined. A dichotomous key was constructed for the identification of ferns on the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology campus. The species were identified using keys, descriptions, pictures, figures, herbarium specimens and assistance of fern taxonomists. The distribution of the species was determined using the relative frequency. The relative frequency of the species was quantified by recording the presence or absence of the plant species in a set of ten randomly located quadrats (4 m x 4 m). The plot size in each site was 40 m x 40 m. Thirteen different fern species belonging to the following genera were identified: Nephrolepis, Pteris, Microsorum, Cyclosorus, Arthropteris, Thelypteris, Adiantum, and Pityrogramma. The family Pteridaceae was the most diverse in terms of species richness while the family Oleandraceae recorded the lowest number of species. The most widely distributed fern species were Arthropteris orientalis and Thelypteris microbasis. The distribution of the rest of the species was however low. The study also showed that ferns on the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology campus are distributed in two main habitats: open and shaded. More of the species occurred in the shaded habitats. The diversity and distribution of ferns were affected by human activities.Journal of Science and Technology(Ghana) Vol. 27 (1) 2007: pp. 35-44

A molecular phylogeny of the fern family Pteridaceae: Assessing overall relationships and the affinities of previously unsampled genera

The monophyletic Pteridaceae accounts for roughly 10% of extant fern diversity and occupies an unusually broad range of ecological niches, including terrestrial, epiphytic, xeric-adapted rupestral, and even aquatic species. In this study, we present the results of the first broad-scale and multi-gene phylogenetic analyses of these ferns, and determine the affinities of several previously unsampled genera. Our analyses of two newly assembled data sets (including 169 newly obtained sequences) resolve five major clades within the Pteridaceae: cryptogrammoids, ceratopteridoids, pteridoids, adiantoids, and cheilanthoids. Although the composition of these clades is in general agreement with earlier phylogenetic studies, it is very much at odds with the most recent subfamilial classification. Of the previously unsampled genera, two ( Neurocallis and Ochropteris) are nested within the genus Pteris; two others ( Monogramma and Rheopteris) are early diverging vittarioid ferns, with Monogramma resolved as polyphyletic; the last previously unsampled genus ( Adiantopsis) occupies a rather derived position among cheilanthoids. Interestingly, some clades resolved within the Pteridaceae can be characterized by their ecological preferences, suggesting that the initial diversification in this family was tied to ecological innovation and specialization. These processes may well be the basis for the diversity and success of the Pteridaceae today.

Putative Early Cretaceous pteridaceous spores from the offshore Austral Basin in Patagonia, Argentina

A palynological review of cingulate spores having affinities with the fern family Pteridaceae found in Lower Cretaceous assemblages of Patagonia, Argentina, is presented. The new genus Sotasporites, with three species is defined: S. triangularis sp. nov., S. elegans (Archangelsky and Gamerro) comb. nov. and Sotasporites sp. Comparisons with spores of extant members of the family show close similarities in shape and sculpture with the products of taxa living in the southern Andes. Muricingulisporis annulatus Archangelsky and Gamerro, originally defined from the Aptian Baqueró Group of Patagonia, is maintained in its original combination after the revision of the types. The differences from Cyatheacidites of the family Lophosoriaceae, to which this species was assigned elsewhere, are underscored. Finally, three species of Contignisporites, viz. C. cooksoniae (Balme) Dettmann, C. glebulentus Dettmann and C. burgeri Filatoff and Price are described and reviewed. It is concluded that the Pteridaceae played an important role in Patagonia and were represented by several taxa during the Early Cretaceous.

Pteridoflora e seus aspectos ecológicos ocorrentes no Parque Ecológico João Vasconcelos Sobrinho, Caruaru, PE, Brasil

Foi realizado o levantamento florístico e análise dos aspectos ecológicos das pteridófitas ocorrentes no Parque Ecológico João Vasconcelos Sobrinho, também conhecido como Brejo dos Cavalos, caracteristicamente uma área de mata serrana ou brejo de altitude, no município de Caruaru, em Pernambuco. O Estado detém poucos remanescentes desse tipo de floresta, que são verdadeiros refúgios biológicos para inúmeras espécies de pteridófitas. No período de um ano, foram realizadas seis excursões bimestrais, bem como levantamentos das espécies depositadas nos herbários existentes no Estado. Foram registradas 74 espécies distribuídas em 32 gêneros e 16 famílias, sendo a família Pteridaceae a mais representativa em número de espécies. As pteridófitas herbáceas, hemicriptófitas, terrícolas e de interior de mata predominaram. O baixo índice de espécies epífitas, a alta representatividade do gênero Adiantum L. e o número de espécies inventariadas somente em Herbário, refletem o caráter secundário das matas e evidenciam uma provável pteridoflora outrora mais rica.

Arsenic and old plants

○ Pteris vittata was the first identified arsenic (As) hyperaccumulator. Our aim was to test whether As hyperaccumulation occurs in other fern species, and whether P. vittata collected from both contaminated and uncontaminated environments accumulates As similarly. ○ Three accessions of P. vittata, two cultivars of Pteris cretica, Pteris longifolia and Pteris umbrosa were grown with 0-500 mg As kg -1 added to the substrate. A second experiment compared As uptake by five common ferns obtained from commercial suppliers. ○ The results show that, in addition to P. vittata, P. cretica, P. longifolia and P. umbrosa also hyperaccumulate As to a similar extent. There was little difference between different Pteris species, or between different accessions of P. vittata. By contrast, Asplenium nidus, Davallia canarensis, Polypodium aureum, Polystichum tsussimense do not hyperaccumulate As. ○ This study identified three new species of As hyperaccumulators in the Pteris genus and suggests that As hyperaccumulation is a constitutive property in P. vittata.

(1531) Proposal to conserve the name Cheilanthes dalhousiae (Pteridaceae) with a conserved type

(1531) Proposal to conserve the name <i>Cheilanthes dalhousiae</i> (<i>Pteridaceae</i>) with a conserved type

A New Species of Adiantum (Pteridaceae) from Bahia, Brazil

A new species,Adiantum discolor Prado (Pteridaceae), known only from the wet forests of eastern coastal Brazil, in Bahia, is described and illustrated. It is distinguished principally by its 2-pinnate fronds with a long stipe, 2 or 3 pairs of lateral pinnae, discolorous laminae, and glabrous indusia. Uma nova especie,Adiantum discolor Prado (Pteridaceae), conhecida somente das florestas umidas da costa leste do Brasil, no Estado da Bahia, e descrita e ilustrada. Distingue-se princi-palmente pelas frondes 2-pinadas com um longo peciolo, 2 ou 3 pares de pinas laterais, lâminas discolores e indusios glabros.

Levantamento preliminar de Pteridophyta do Parque Estadual do Rio Doce (MG)

Foi realizado um levantamento preliminar de Pteridophyta no Parque Estadual do Rio Doce, sendo coletadas 15 famílias, 27 gêneros c 57 espécies. As famílias encontradas foram Aspleniaceae, Blechnaceae, Dennstaedtiaceae, Dryopteridaceae, Gleicheniaceae, Hymenophyllaceae, Lomariopsidaceae, Osmundaceae, Polypodiaceae, Pteridaceae, Schizaeaceae, Selaginellaceae, Tectariaceae, Thelypteridaceae e Woodsiaceae. Destas, as mais representativas foram Pteridaceae, com 29,8% das espécies distribuídas em quatro gêneros (Adiantum, Hermionitis, Pityrogramma e Pteris) e Thelypteridaceae que apresentou 17,5% das espécies, incluídas em dois gêneros (Macrothelypteris e Thelypteris). As demais famílias variaram de 1,8-8,8% do total das espécies. Das 57 espécies registradas no Parque, 22 apresentaram distribuição bastante restrita, sendo Pteridaceae e Thelypteridaceae as duas famílias de ocorrência mais ampla. Análises do solo das trilhas do Parque revelaram solo ácido, com pH variando de 4,3-5,1, preferencialmente argiloso a muito argiloso e com teores médio a baixo de P, Ca, Al e Mg.