Sophora Secundiflora Research Articles

Endorsement and phylogenetic analysis of some Fabaceae plants based on DNA barcoding

BackgroundDNA barcoding have been considered as a tool to facilitate species identification based on its simplicity and high-level accuracy in compression to the complexity and subjective biases linked to morphological identification of taxa. MaturaseK gene (MatK gene) of the chloroplast is very vital in the plant system which is involved in the group II intron splicing. The main objective of this study is to determine the relative utility of the “MatK” chloroplast gene for barcoding in 15 legume as a tool to facilitate species identification based on their simplicity and high-level accuracy linked to morphological identification of taxa.Methods and ResultsMatK gene sequences were submitted to GenBank and the accession numbers were obtained with sequence length ranging from 730 to 1545 nucleotides. These DNA sequences were aligned with database sequence using PROMALS server, Clustal Omega server and Bioedit program. Maximum likelihood and neighbor-joining algorithms were employed for constructing phylogeny. Overall, these results indicated that the phylogenetic tree analysis and the evolutionary distances of an individual dataset of each species were agreed with a phylogenetic tree of all each other consisting of two clades, the first clade comprising (Enterolobium contortisiliquum, Albizia lebbek), Acacia saligna, Leucaena leucocephala, Dichrostachys Cinerea, (Delonix regia, Parkinsonia aculeata), (Senna surattensis, Cassia fistula, Cassia javanica) and Schotia brachypetala were more closely to each other, respectively. The remaining four species of Erythrina humeana, (Sophora secundiflora, Dalbergia Sissoo, Tipuana Tipu) constituted the second clade.ConclusionMoreover, their sequences could be successfully utilized in single nucleotide polymorphism or as part of the sequence as DNA fragment analysis utilizing polymerase chain reaction in plant systematic. Therefore, MatK gene is considered promising a candidate for DNA barcoding in the plant family Fabaceae and provides a clear relationship between the families.

Effect of Microwave on Seed Germination and Growth Rate in Some Genera Fabaceae Trees in Antoniades Garden (A) Sophora secundiflora and Bauhinia purpurea

Effect of Microwave on Seed Germination and Growth Rate in Some Genera Fabaceae Trees in Antoniades Garden (A) Sophora secundiflora and Bauhinia purpurea

Epicauta polingi(Coleóptera: Meloidae) Feeding on Mountain Laurel (Sophorasecundiflora) and Guajillo (Acacia berlandieri) in West Texas

On 17 June 2014, large aggregations of Epicauta polingi Werner 1943 (Coleóptera: Meloidae) were observed feeding on the leaves and stems of mountain laurel, Sophora secundiflora (Ortega) Lag. ex DC.; and guajillo, Acacia berlandieri Benth. (Fabaceae). After examination of the existing literature it was determined that these two plants represented new host records for E. polingi.

Alkaloid profiles of Dermatophyllum arizonicum, Dermatophyllum gypsophilum, Dermatophyllum secundiflorum, Styphnolobium affine, and Styphnolobium japonicum previously classified as Sophora species

Abstract Sophora arizonica , Sophora gypsophila , Sophora secundiflora , Sophora affinis , and Sophora japonica were recently reclassified as Dermatophyllum arizonicum , Dermatophyllum gypsophilum , Dermatophyllum secundiflorum , Styphnolobium affine , and Styphnolobium japonicum , respectively. Some legumes of the sub family Papilionoideae including Sophora species are reported to contain a variety of quinolizidine alkaloids. The quinolizidine alkaloid profiles of D. arizonicum , D. gypsophilum , D. secundiflorum , S. affine , and S. japonicum were investigated qualitatively and quantitatively using field collections and herbarium specimens throughout their range of geographical distribution for the native species. This is the first report of the alkaloid profiles of D. arizonicum and D. gypsophilum . Alkaloid profiles of the other species were compared to previous reports. The Dermatophyllum species contain quinolizidine alkaloids, and the teratogen anagyrine ( 11 ), while the Styphnolobium species do not contain quinolizidine alkaloids. The chemotaxonomic data are consistent with the reclassification of each species.

Response of Sophora secundiflora to Nitrogen Form and Rate

Texas mountain laurel (Sophora secundiflora) is a native shrub tolerating drought, heat, windy conditions, and alkaline or wet soils. However, its availability is somewhat low and little information is available on nutrient requirement and other culture information. Two greenhouse experiments were conducted to quantify the responses of Texas mountain laurel to different forms and rates of nitrogen (N) fertilizer. In Expt. 1, 1-year old seedlings were treated for 194 days with three NO3:NH4 ratios at 25:75, 50:50, and 75:25 and two rates of N at 100 and 200 mg·L−1 in a factorial design. There was no interaction between the N rate and form on any growth parameters. Nitrogen form did not significantly affect shoot dry weight, root dry weight, root–to-shoot ratio, or the total dry weight. There was no significant difference between N rate of 100 and 200 mg·L−1 on root dry weight, root-to-shoot ratio, or the total dry weight. The shoot dry weight of Texas mountain laurel fertilized with 100 mg·L−1 was higher compared with that of the plants fertilized at 200 mg·L−1. The reduced shoot dry weight at N of 200 mg·L−1 was the result of the higher substrate salinity. In Expt. 2, seedlings were fertilized with five N rates (50, 100, 150, 200, and 250 mg·L−1) for 203 days. Plants watered with 150, 200, and 250 mg·L−1 were taller than those fertilized with 50 mg·L−1. The shoot height of plants watered with 100 mg·L−1 was only significantly different from 50 mg·L−1. For rapid growth of Texas mountain laurel, a N rate range of ≈150 mg·L−1 was recommended supplied with a combination of NO3-N and NH4-N in the ratios of 0.3 to 3.0.

Salinity Tolerance of Sophora secundiflora and Cercis canadensis var. mexicana

Use of reclaimed water to irrigate urban landscapes will likely increase because fresh water supply is diminishing and the population continues to grow in the semiarid southwestern United States. Salt tolerance of two native landscape woody ornamentals, Texas mountain laurel (Sophora secundiflora) and Mexican redbud (Cercis canadensis var. mexicana), was investigated in a greenhouse experiment. Seedlings of the two species were grown in two substrates mixed with composted mulch and a commercial potting mix at two ratios and irrigated with saline solutions at three salinity levels: 1.6 (control, nutrient solution), 3.0, or 6.0 dS·m−1 electrical conductivity (EC). There was no interaction between substrate and EC of irrigation water. Foliar salt damages such as leaf drop, leaf curl, and edge burn were observed in Mexican redbud when the plants were irrigated with solutions at EC of 3.0 and 6.0 dS·m−1. No symptoms were observed on Texas mountain laurel plants, although plants irrigated at EC of 3.0 and 6.0 dS·m−1 were smaller compared with controls. Shoot growth and elongation of both species were reduced by the elevated salinity of irrigation water, and the reduction in Mexican redbud was greater than Texas mountain laurel. Leaf photosynthesis rate and leaf stomatal conductance were also reduced in Texas mountain laurel by the elevated salinity of irrigation water. Tissue Na+ and Cl– concentrations were higher in Texas mountain laurel irrigated with water of elevated salinity.

Screening and Selection of Plants by Positive Pharmacologic Effect on Jejunum Muscular Contractility

Eight medicinal plant extracts (Bidens pilosa Linn, Eysenhardtia polystachya Sarg, Lepidium virginicum L., Litsea glaucescens H.B.K., Mirabilis jalapa Linn., Satureja macrostema Brieq., Sophora secundiflora Lag, and Tagetes micrantha Cav.) were tested for their effect on jejunum muscular contractility. All showed inhibitory activity and extracts of M. jalapa and S. macrostema exhibited highest activity with inhibitory concentrations (IC50) of 18 and 73 µg/mL, respectively. Thus, we could corroborate some common traditional uses afforded to these plants. Flowers (petals, calices, and buds) of M. jalapa were the most active part of the plant. We obtained a semipurified sample of the flowers that was more or less five times more active than the crude extract. Furthermore, β-sitosterol, a compound reported as constitutive of M. jalapa, showed no effect on jejunum contractility.

Water use, water-use efficiency and growth analysis of selected woody ornamental species under a non-limiting water regime

Selected woody ornamental species were grown in a glasshouse under a non-limiting irrigation regime. Relative growth rate (RGR), net assimilation rate (NAR), leaf area ratio (LAR), whole plant transpiration (T), evapotranspiration (ET) and water-use efficiency (WUE) were determined during a 73 day period. Covering the container medium with polyethylene reduced evaporative losses from 13% to 88%, depending on plant species, without affecting growth. The greatest reduction in evaporation occurred in plants with open canopies and low T rates. The shrub/tree species Lagerstroemia indica had the highest NAR and RGR, while the prostrate (plagiotropic) ground covers Trachelospermum asiaticum and Jasminum floridum and the orthotropic shrub/tree species Ligustrum japonicum had the lowest NAR and RGR. Leaf area ratio was greatest in Ligustrum and Pittosporum tobira. Water consumption, leaf area and root:shoot ratio were greatest in Lagerstroemia. Sophora secundiflora, which is adapted to more xeric conditions, had the highest T and lowest WUE. The highest WUE was found in Lagerstroemia, Raphiolepis and Pittosporum.

Diferencias Cromosomicas Entre Algunas Especies de Los Generos Sophora L. Y Styphnolobium Schott

In this study chromosome numbers (2n) and karyotypes of Sophora secundiflora, S. velutina var. zimbabweensis, S. tomentosa, Styphnolobium japonicum, S. parviflorum, S. protantherum, S. burseroides, and S. conzattii were determined. The first three species presented 2n = 18, with a basic chromosome number of x = 9. These species had small variations in their karyotypes and one chromosome pair with secondary constriction. The other five species presented 2n = 28, x = 14 and their karyotypes were very similar, three pairs showing secondary constrictions. These results agree with Sousa and Rudd's proposal to include species with 2n = 28 in the genus Styphnolobium

Germination and Morphology of Sophora secundiflora Seeds Following Scarification

Seeds of Sophora secundiflora (Ort.) Lag ex. DC. (mescal bean) were scarified with hot water or concentrated sulfuric acid to determine an optimal pretreatment for successful germination. Scanning electron micrographs indicated that the acid scarification treatment removed the seed cuticle. One-year-old seeds were successfully stored and germinated ≈2 days sooner than from the current year if both were given an acid pretreatment. Germination rate increased as acid pretreatment time increased from 30 to 120 minutes. Soaking seeds in water at room temperature or in hot water (initially 93C) for 24 hours had no effect on germination.

Mycorrhizae, survival and growth of selected woody plant species in lignite overburden in Texas

Seedlings of live oak ( Quercus virginiana (Mill.)), Chinese tallow tree ( Sapium sebiferum (L.) Roxb.), and Texas mountain laurel ( Sophora secundiflora (Ort.) Lag.) were inoculated with either ectomycorrhizal fungi ( Pisolithus tinctorius (Mich. ex Pers.) Ckr. and Couch) or vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM/endomycorrhizal) fungi ( Glomus fasciculatum (Thaxter) Gerd. & Trappe, Gigaspora margarita (Becker & Hall), and Glomus mosseae (Nicol. and Gerd.) Gerd. and Trappe) in a containerized system and transplanted into lignite overburden at two separate mine sites in the Post Oak Savannah region of Texas. Ectomycorrhizal Q. virginiana and endomycorrhizal S. sebiferum exhibited greater growth, and endomycorrhizal S. secundiflora showed greater survival and growth than noninoculated controls. Overburden at one site was low in P, while the second site was moderately high in P; however, root colonization levels of inoculated plants were high at both sites, while non inoculated plants had low levels of colonization. Both ecto- and endomycorrhizal fungi enhanced growth of the three woody species in these nitrogen-deficient overburden sites, independent of overburden P.

North American Indian Rock Art and Hallucinogenic Drugs

It is proposed that the aboriginal rock paintings in two areas of North America may have been produced by shamans while they were under the influence of hallucinogenic agents derived from plants. The first of these areas is the Chumash and Yokuts Indian region of California, where polychrome paintings show designs similar to those visualized during the trance induced by decoctions of jimsonweed (Datura species). The second area is the lower Pecos River region of Texas, where shamanistic figures display traits considered to be conceptual analogues of the mescal bean (Sophora secundiflora) cult as practiced during historic times by Great Plains Indians. Although the evidence is only circumstantial, the proposed connections between these rock drawings and mind-expanding pharmacologic compounds fit well into the documented relationship that encompasses hallucinogenic drugs and certain movable objects of pre-Columbian American art.

Structure and Toxicity of Alkaloids and Amino Acids of Sophora Secundiflora

AbstractSeeds from Sophora secundiflora were extracted into three major fractions: lipids, alkaloids, and amino acids. Most of the lipid material was composed of steroid esters. These esters were hydrolyzed, and the fatty acid compositions were determined. The major alkaloid component was cytisine, with N‐methylcytisine, anagyrine, and termopsine in lower concentration. The major free ninhydrin‐positive compound was γ‐glutamyltyrosine. In addition to several common amino acids, pipecolic acid and 4‐hydroxypipecolic acid were identified. Both the amino acid fraction and the alkaloid fractions caused minor pharmacological disorder when injected into rats. However, when both fractions were simultaneously administered, they were lethal.

Galactomannans and other soluble polysaccharides inSophoraseed

Abstract Seed of Sophora microphylla, S. prostrata, and S. tetraptera subsp. tetraptera from New Zealand, and of S. affinis, S. secundiflora, S. tomentosa, S. chrysophylla, and S. tetraptera subsp. howinsula from outside New Zealand, has been examined for the presence of galactomannan and other water-soluble polysaccharides. Only S. affinis seed contained galactomannan. Sophora secundiflora seed contained either starch or amyloid. All species except S. affinis contained water-soluble polysaccharides composed of galactose and arabinose. Results are considered in relation to Yakovlev's classification of Sophora and particularly to his inclusion of S. affinis and S. japonicum in a separate genus Styphnolobium.

Characteristics of the proximal to distal regions of the petioles to identify 15 tree species of Papilionoideae-Fabaceae

Comparative studies on the structure of the vascular supply of stem-leaf transitional zone of the petioles were carried out in 15 papilionoid tree species. Anatomical characteristics and changes in the main vascular trace were recorded. The anatomical features of significance include outline; epidermal cell; pericyclic fiber patterns; main petiolar vasculature; presence, number and separation of ridge vascular bundles; presence of additional accessory ridge bundles; crystal types; secretory elements and multicellular trichomes. Erythrina variegata and Pterocarpus indicus show no change in the petiole trace structure throughout their petioles from proximal to distal, while the rest of the species have minor to major changes. Sophora secundiflora has the highest number of ridge vascular bundles (5-6), while these are absent in the two Dalbergia species, E. variegata, Derris robusta, Sophora davidii and S. japonica. Only Derris robusta and Sophora japonica show unusual petiole trace structure by having two additional accessory ridge bundles adaxial of the main trace enclosing with it by a complete ring of pericyclic fibers. The studied species of tribe Millettieae show the presence of secretory cavities lined by epithelial cells. The usefulness of these character states is shown for assessing, identifying and delimiting these examined species. Key words: Accessory ridge bundles, Crystals, Papilionoideae, Petiole anatomy, Petiole vasculature, Ridge bundles, Secretory cavities DOI: 10.3329/bjpt.v14i2.530 Bangladesh J. Plant Taxon. 14(2): 101-115, 2007 (December)

Twenty Years of Peyote Studies

PEYOTE (from the Aztec peyotl) is a small, spineless, carrot-shaped cactus, Lophophora williamsii Lemaire, which grows wild in the Rio Grande Valley and southward. It is mostly subterranean, a,nd only the grayishgreen pincushion-like top appears above ground, with spiral radial grooves dividing the puffy prominences which bear linearly-spaced tufts of fine gray-white flocculence, somewhat like artists' camels-hair paintbrushes. Cut off horizontally about ground level, and dried into a hard woody disc, this top becomes the so-called button-often called button, confusingly since it does not come from the non-cactus succulent, the mescal proper, from whose fermented sap, pulque, the brandy mescal is distilled; also, erroneously, called bean which is the Red Bean, Sophora secundiflora (ortega) Lag. ex DC; and, further, once quite mistakenly identified with the Aztec narcotic mushroom teonanacatl, a Basidiomycete, a true member of the Fungi. Nine psychotropic alkaloids, an unusual number even for a cactus, are contained in natural pan-peyotl; some of these are strychnine-like pharmacodynamically, others (notably mescaline) hallucinogenic. For this reason the psychotomimetic mescaline has been experimentally investigated in recent psychiatric research, along with its fellow-indoles such as lysergic acid; and for this reason, its hallucinogenic qualities, American Indians have used pan-peyotl in native doctoring, witchcraft, and religious rituals. As a religious cult, peyotism is pre-Columbian in Mexico. Toward the end of the nineteenth century, peyotism spread, via Texan tribes and Athapaskans of the Southwest, to the Indians of the United States, mostly following the subsidence of the Ghost Dance, for which it largely substituted, now as a peaceful intertribal nativistic religion, in places somewhat acculturated to Christianity. It is now the major religious cult of most Indians of the United States between the Rocky Mountains and the Mississippi (including the remnants of eastern Algonkin tribes and the Siouan Winnebago), and additionally in parts of southern Canada, the Great Basin, and eastcentral California. The appeal of peyote is based upon the visions it induces, viz. its medicine power, and its availability therefore in native doctoring is culturallv based upon the aboriginal vision quest and the religious and ideological premises of this quest. Peyote is generally agreed by experts to be non-habit-forming; it is non-soporific and not, therefore, technically a narcotic.

TEONANACATL: THE NARCOTIC MUSHROOM OF THE AZTECS2

[429] Because of the important roles which they played in ceremonial and in daily life, the narcotic plants of ancient Mexico are of especial interest to the anthropologist. Mexico possessed and still possesses many plant narcotics and intoxicants, of which a few are outstanding in their uses and are extremely interesting because of their great antiquity as well as because of the important bearing their use, distribution and history may have on questions of a theoretical nature. Of the most notable, are the toleselo or coral-berry (Sophora secundiflora (Ort.) Lag. ex DC.), ololiuhqui or piule (Rivea corymbosa (L.) Hall. f.), peyote (Lophophora williamsii (Lem.) Coult.), and teonanacatl (Paneolus campanulatus L. var. sphinctrinus (Fr.) Bresadola).