Voucher Specimens Research Articles

A taxonomic survey of pteridophytic flora of Lalmai Pahar and Mainamati of Cumilla district, Bangladesh

This study aims to investigate the pteridophytic flora of the Lalmai Pahar, Mainamati, located at the Cumilla district of Bangladesh. Despite the absence of extensive pteridophyte surveys in this hilly forest, it is known to harbour a diverse range of pteridophyte species. This study presents a survey of the pteridophyte diversity within the specified area, documenting a total of 27 taxa. The voucher specimens have been deposited at the Salar Khan Herbarium, Department of Botany at the University of Dhaka. Dhaka Univ. J. Biol. Sci. 33(1): 1-21, 2024 (January)

First Report of Chocolate Spot Caused by Botrytis eucalypti on Faba bean in China.

Faba bean (Vicia faba) is one of the characteristic economic crops in Qinghai Province of China, which has multiple uses as grain, vegetable, fodder, fertilizer and medicine. Chocolate spot is a critical disease of faba bean in the world, and it is widely spread in all production areas of Qinghai. In August 2021, a severe occurrence of chocolate spot was found in a faba bean field in Xunhua County, Qinghai Province (35°52'N, 102°22'E, alt. 1890m). All plants in the field were affected by this disease. A voucher specimen was deposited in the Herbarium of Plant Pathology, College of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences at Qinghai University under accession No. PY015. The pathogen infected the leaves and stems, causing small irregular red spots to appear, which later coalesce into larger spots and faded green lesions appear around the spots. Diseased leaf pieces 5 mm2 were surface sterilized with 75% ethyl alcohol for 30s, 1.2% NaOCl for 30s, and rinsed three times with sterile water. They were then plated on potato dextrose agar (PDA) at 22℃ for 10 days in the dark. Fungal colonies are initially white, then gray, and have produced spores by 5 days. Conidia are clusters, ellipsoidal or ovoid, 9-14 × 6-9 μm. The conidiophore is straight, terminally enlarged, septate, 300-1500 μm long, 8-13 μm wide. No sclerotia were observed during culture. DNA of the strain PY015 was extracted by CTAB method. Molecular identification was first performed using the universal region of ITS (ITS1/ITS4). The PCR product was sequenced, the sequence was deposited in GenBank under the accession number OR739575. The results showed 100% similarity to Botrytis spp. (KX301016, MT250940, LC519322) in BLAST search. Molecular characterization was continued using five specific primer pairs: RPB2 (DNA-dependent RNA polymerase subunit II, RPB2-5F/RPB2-7cR), NEP1 and NEP2 (necrosis and ethylene-inducing proteins, NEP1for/ NEP1revB and NEP2forD/NEP2revD), HSP60 (heat-shock protein 60, HSP60for/HSP60rev), G3PDH (glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, G3PDHfor/G3PDHrev). The sequences of PY015 were deposited in GenBank (accession numbers: OR731179, OR731180, OR731181, OR731182, OR731183), and all five sequences showed 100% similarity to Botrytis eucalypti YZU171088 (accession numbers: MH614610 MH614611, MH614612, MH614613 MH614614). A phylogenetic tree based on these five genes was constructed using Mega7.0 (1000 bootstrap replicates, neighbor-joining method), and PY015 was placed in the same clade as YZU171088 with 100% bootstrap values. Morphological and molecular biological results confirmed that isolate PY015 was B. eucalypti. To fulfill Koch's postulates, the spore suspension (2 × 105 conidia/ml) was sprayed on healthy faba bean (Yun-122) plants at the 10-leaf stage, while an equal amount of sterile distilled water was applied to controls. After 7 days, the inoculated plants showed symptoms consistent with field infection and B. eucalypti was re-isolated using the same protocol, while the control remained asymptomatic. The pathogenicity test was repeated twice. The same isolates were recovered from symptomatic leaves and identified by NEP1 sequence. B. eucalypti was morphologically and molecularly identical to the original isolates, completing Koch's postulates. Currently, Botrytis fabae, Botrytis fabiopsis, and Botrytis cinerea are the main pathogens of chocolate spot on faba bean that have been identified and reported nationally and internationally. B. eucalypti is a new species discovered from eucalyptus in southern China in 2016, and its current hosts are only eucalyptus and citrus. To our knowledge, the present study is the first report of chocolate spot caused by B. eucalypti on faba bean in China.

A new record of a Plantaginaceae alien plant in the Republic of Korea: <i>Chaenorhinum minus</i>

<i>Chaenorhinum minus</i> (L.) Lange of the family Plantaginaceae was discovered in Dangjin-si, Chungcheongnam-do, Republic of Korea. This species is an invasive alien plant that originated in Europe and North Africa and that was introduced into North America and East Asia. The genus <i>Chaenorhinum</i> (DC.) Rchb., to which this species belongs, is most similar to <i>Nuttallanthus</i> D. A. Sutton among related genera of the tribe Antirrhineae distributed in the Republic of Korea. While the two genera share common morphological features in the leaf and flower, <i>Chaenorhinum</i> is distinguished from <i>Nuttallanthus</i> by glandular hairs on the plant; monomorphic, fertile, and erect stems; 9.6–14.1 mm long pedicels; corolla as short as 5.6–7.9 mm; white corolla lower lips; and widely ovoid or oblong seeds. This study presents morphological descriptions and a genus key for the tribe Antirrhineae of the Republic of Korea for the identification of <i>C. minus</i> together with distribution information, voucher specimens, and photographs of this species.

First Report of Golovinomyces bolayi Causing Powdery Mildew on Lettuce in Mexico.

In August 2022, powdery mildew symptoms were detected on lettuce (Lactuca sativa) in a commercial field located in Quecholac, Puebla, Mexico. Signs appeared as whitish powdery masses on leaves. Disease incidence was about 100% and signs covered up to 40% of leaf surface. Mycelium was amphigenous forming white patches. Hyphal appressoria were indistinct or nipple-shaped and solitary. Conidiophores (n= 30) were hyaline, erect, arising from the upper surface of hyphal mother cells or lateral, and of 90 to 201 μm long. Foot cells were cylindrical, of 49 to 92 × 10-15 μm, followed by 1-3 shorter cells, and forming conidia in chains. Conidia (n= 100) were hyaline, ellipsoid-ovoid, doliiform-subcylindrical, 27 to 40 × 14 to 20 μm. Conidial germination belonging to the Euoidium type. Chasmothecia were not observed. The morphological characters were consistent with those of Golovinomyces bolayi (Braun et al. 2019). A voucher specimen was deposited in the Herbarium of the Department of Agricultural Parasitology at the Chapingo Autonomous University under accession number UACH451. To confirm the identification of the fungus, genomic DNA was extracted from conidia and mycelium following the CTAB method (Doyle and Doyle 1990), and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region was amplified by PCR using the primers ITS5/ITS4 (White et al. 1990) and sequenced. The resulting 506 bp sequence had 100% identity to those of G. bolayi (LC417109 and LC417106). Phylogenetic analyses using the Maximum Likelihood and Maximum Parsimony methods were performed and confirmed the results obtained in the morphological analysis. The isolate UACH451 grouped in a clade with isolates of G. bolayi. The ITS sequence was deposited in GenBank under accession number OR467546. Pathogenicity was confirmed by gently dusting conidia onto ten leaves of healthy lettuce plants. Five non-inoculated leaves served as controls. The plants were maintained in a greenhouse at 25 to 30 ºC, and relative humidity of 70%. All inoculated leaves developed similar symptoms to the original observation after 10 days, whereas control leaves remained disease free. Microscopic examination of the fungus on inoculated leaves showed that it was morphologically identical to that originally observed. Based on morphological data and phylogenetic analysis, the fungus was identified as G. bolayi. This pathogen has been previously reported causing powdery mildew on lettuce in Argentina, Canada, Chile, Ecuador, Peru, USA and Venezuela (Braun et al. 2019; Mieslerová et al. 2020). To our knowledge, this is the first report of G. bolayi causing powdery mildew on lettuce in Mexico.

Low coverage of species constrains the use of DNA barcoding to assess mosquito biodiversity

Mosquitoes (Culicidae) represent the main vector insects globally, and they also inhabit many of the terrestrial and aquatic habitats of the world. DNA barcoding and metabarcoding are now widely used in both research and routine practices involving mosquitoes. However, these methodologies rely on information available in databases consisting of barcode sequences representing taxonomically identified voucher specimens. In this study, we assess the availability of public data for mosquitoes in the main online databases, focusing specifically on the two most widely used DNA barcoding markers in Culicidae: COI and ITS2. In addition, we test hypotheses on possible factors affecting species coverage (i.e., the percentage of species covered in the online databases) for COI in different countries and the occurrence of the DNA barcode gap for COI. Our findings showed differences in the data publicly available in the repositories, with a taxonomic or species coverage of 28.4–30.11% for COI in BOLD + GenBank, and 12.32% for ITS2 in GenBank. Afrotropical, Australian and Oriental biogeographic regions had the lowest coverages, while Nearctic, Palearctic and Oceanian had the highest. The Neotropical region had an intermediate coverage. In general, countries with a higher diversity of mosquitoes and higher numbers of medically important species had lower coverage. Moreover, countries with a higher number of endemic species tended to have a higher coverage. Although our DNA barcode gap analyses suggested that the species boundaries need to be revised in half of the mosquito species available in the databases, additional data must be gathered to confirm these results and to allow explaining the occurrence of the DNA barcode gap. We hope this study can help guide regional species inventories of mosquitoes and the completion of a publicly available reference library of DNA barcodes for all mosquito species.

First Report of Powdery Mildew on Berchemia floribunda Caused by Erysiphe berchemiae in China.

The genus Berchemia (family Rhamnaceae), a group of climbing plants, is mainly distributed in Asia, Africa, and South America. Berchemia plants are widely used in traditional medicine in some Asian countries (Inoshiri et al. 1987). For example, in Japan, B. racemosa (synonym B. floribunda) is used for the treatment of gallstones, liver diseases, neuralgia, and stomach cramps, and in China, B. floribunda is used for the treatment of rheumatism and lumbago. In August 2022, typical powdery mildew symptoms were observed on wild B. floribunda plants in Huaxi District, Guiyang, Guizhou Province, China. The incidence was approximately 60% among 100 B. floribunda plants observed outdoors. White colonies almost entirely covered on both adaxial and abaxial surfaces of all leaves on symptomatic plants. Infected leaves appeared curled or chlorotic, infection occasionally leading to defoliation. To describe the pathogen morphologically, fungal samples were collected from two individual B. floribunda plants and microscopically characterized. In these samples, hyphae were flexuous to straight, branched, septate, 3-6 μm wide, with lobed hyphal appressoria. Conidiophores were erect, flexuous to straight, and 50-160 µm long (n = 30). Foot cells were subcylindrical to slightly curved-sinuous at the base, 20-40 µm long (n = 30), followed by 2-3 shorter cells. Conidia formed singly, occasionally 2-3 in a chain. Conidia were ellipsoid to ovoid, 20-42 × 12-18 µm (n = 50), without fibrosin bodies. Chasmothecia were not found. For molecular identification, the ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacers (ITSs) of the two fungal samples were amplified and sequenced using the ITS1/ITS4 primer pair (White et al. 1990). The obtained 649-bp ITS sequences (GenBank accession nos. OR414364 and OR414365, respectively) shared 100% identity, and they showed 99.52% identity with the ITS sequence (GenBank accession no. LC009934) of Erysiphe berchemiae. Phylogenetic analysis grouped OR414364 and OR414365 in a clade with LC009934. Based on morphological and molecular characteristics, the powdery mildew fungus from B. floribunda was identified as E. berchemiae (Braun and Cook 2012). The voucher specimen (accession no. GZNU-BFEE/0820/2022) were deposited at the School of Life Sciences, Guizhou Normal University. Pathogenicity was assessed by gently pressing naturally diseased leaves of B. floribunda onto leaves of three healthy potted 1-year-old B. floribunda plants. Three non-inoculated healthy plants were used as controls. The plants were incubated in a greenhouse at 25 ± 2°C, 80% relative humidity. Similar powdery mildew symptoms were observed on the inoculated plants 9 days after inoculation, whereas the control plants remained symptomless. The reisolated fungus from inoculated leaves was morphologically identical to that observed on the original diseased leaves, and the ITS sequence of the reisolated fungus shared 100% identity with OR414364 and OR414365, fulfilling Koch's postulates. E. berchemiae has previously been described as a powdery mildew pathogen on B. yunnanensis (Chen et al. 1987) and B. kulingensis (Chen 1993) in China and B. racemosa (synonym B. floribunda) in Japan (Braun and Cook 2012; Takamatsu et al. 2015), but this is the first report of E. berchemiae causing disease of B. floribunda in China. This work suggests that E. berchemiae is an important pathogen of Berchemia plants, at least for some species in the genus Berchemia.

First record of the glasshouse leafhopper, Hauptidia maroccana (Melichar, 1907) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), from Jordan

AbstractThe glasshouse leafhopper, Hauptidia maroccana (Melichar, 1907), is recorded for the first time in Jordan. It was found infesting basil, tomato, pepper, peppermint, celery and parsley plants in ‘Ammān in October 2023. Adult genitalia slide mounts were prepared and voucher specimens were preserved at the University of Jordan Insects Museum. Original images for nymph, adult male and female genitalia, and distribution data, are provided.

Local perceptions of the benefits versus negative impacts of weedy grasses in central Madagascar, with a focus on the genus Digitaria

Societal Impact StatementPlants and agricultural practices are an integral part of human food systems and well‐being. Here, an example of an ethnobotanical research approach is provided to increase our understanding of the relationship between plants and human activities in Madagascar, where the agricultural sector is the local economy basis. This research examines weeds of the Poaceae family, assessing their recognition and societal impacts, and quantifying farmers' perception of the Poaceae weed's status in cropping systems. A better understanding of farmers' weed knowledge will strengthen our ability to inclusively support rural highland Malagasy food systems, incorporating science with traditional knowledge.Summary Research on the perceptions and knowledge of Poaceae weeds was conducted in three areas of Madagascar's central highlands: Itremo massif, Ambohidray village and Vakinankaratra region. This work aims to identify the best‐known species and understand their roles in crop and livestock systems. Additionally, it presents detailed data on Digitaria species. The approach was based on field surveys and farmer's interviews, with plant voucher specimens and photographs to facilitate identification. Relative frequency of citations, confidence interval, and use values indexes were calculated to assess cultural significance. We carried out 111 interviews, where 87 taxa were mentioned, of which 51 are Poaceae, including 11 Digitaria species. Farmers classify the Poaceae weeds in three ways: their impacts on agricultural activities, use category and vegetative growth patterns, the latter especially significant for Digitaria. Locally common grasses are perceived as weeds when they are abundant and cause yield loss. The most damaging species is Digitaria humbertii, confirmed by half of the interviews. More than 40% of the farmers use Poaceae weeds in composting, more than 20% as fodder, and more than 8% as medicine. Overall, 67% of the species mentioned are judged useful. The diversity of useful species and the associated indigenous knowledge is important to the local communities, but, weeds are still perceived as negative generally. The Poaceae are overall neglected in Malagasy ethnobotany, and an in‐depth analysis of farmer knowledge is needed. The data obtained will be useful for future studies and the conservation of agrobiodiversity, especially endemic species that are not widely known.

A comprehensive DNA barcoding reference database for Plecoptera of Switzerland

DNA barcoding is an essential tool in modern biodiversity sciences. Despite considerable work to barcode the tree of life, many groups, including insects, remain partially or totally unreferenced, preventing barcoding from reaching its full potential. Aquatic insects, especially the three orders Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (EPT), are key freshwater quality indicators worldwide. Among them, Plecoptera (stoneflies), which are among the most sensitive aquatic insects to habitat modification, play a central role in river monitoring surveys. Here, we present an update of the Plecoptera reference database for (meta)barcoding in Switzerland, now covering all 118 species known from this country. Fresh specimens, mostly from rare or localized species, were collected, and 151 new CO1 barcodes were generated. These were merged with the 422 previously published sequences, resulting in a dataset of 573 barcoded specimens. Our CO1 dataset was delimited in 115 CO1 clusters based on a priori morphological identifications, of which 17% are newly reported for Switzerland, and 4% are newly reported globally. Among the 115 CO1 clusters, 85% showed complete congruence with morphology. Distance-based analysis indicated local barcoding gaps in 97% of the CO1 clusters. This study significantly improves the Swiss reference database for stoneflies, enhancing future species identification accuracy and biodiversity monitoring. Additionally, this work reveals cryptic diversity and incongruence between morphology and barcodes, both presenting valuable opportunities for future integrative taxonomic studies. Voucher specimens, DNA extractions and reference barcodes are available for future developments, including metabarcoding and environmental DNA surveys.

Taxonomic notes on the genus Itea (Iteaceae).

The genus Itea (Iteaceae) is recognised as a genus with about 21 extant species of shrubs and trees. Within the genus, most species have oblong to elliptical leaves. The lanceolate and obolanceolate leaves are only found in three species, vix Iteaamoena Chun, Iteariparia Collett & Hemsl. and Iteatenuinervia S. Y. Liu. The results of our examination of literature, specimens and living plants in the wild have shown that Iteatenuinervia is conspecific with Iteariparia and is here reduced to a synonym of the latter species. The morphological description, colour pictures, voucher specimens, distribution map of Iteariparia and its related Iteaamoena, together with the morphological comparisons between the two species, are provided in this study.

Geometric morphometrics of silky pocket mice (Perognathus: Perognathinae: Rodentia) crania reveals new insights into their variation, evolution, and taxonomy

Abstract We used cranial geometric morphometric methods (GMM) to explore interspecific variation in Perognathus (silky pocket mice). We digitized 67 cranial landmarks on photographs of 305 adult voucher specimens (10 species and 33 subspecies, 121 localities). After summarizing variation patterns, we explored their association with biological, ecological, and climatic factors, and how (and why) shape evolved through time. Phenotypic clusters did not accord with phylogenetic clades, and we found instances of convergence, divergence, and increased rates of shape change. These are discussed in terms of shared selective pressures (e.g. habitat substrate and burrowing plus historic shifts in habitat/climate and desert adaptation). We also used variation patterns and phenetics to address ongoing taxonomic issues. While pocket mice are difficult to distinguish externally, GMM allowed us to precisely characterize interspecific cranial variation. Species significantly differed and could be classified based on their shape. We find P. alticola to be the most cranially distinct species and suggest raising the P. alticola + P. parvus (including P. mollipilosus) cluster/clade to subgenus status (=Cricetodipus). Cranial GMM found differences among taxa that seemed similar (i.e. cryptic) when previously explored using linear measurements (e.g. P. parvus vs. P. mollipilosus).

First Report of Rust Disease on Alcea rosea caused by Puccinia modiolae in China.

Alcea rosea, belonging to the Alcea genus in the Malvaceae family, originated from China, but it is now grown worldwide. A. rosea has been widely used in traditional Chinese medicine to alleviate constipation, pain, swelling, and sores. In February 2023, typical symptoms of fungal infection were observed on A. rosea at Guizhou Normal University in Guiyang, Guizhou Province, China. The disease incidence was over 90% (n = 100) for the surveyed A. rosea plants, and the disease severity range from 30% to 90%. The initial symptoms of A. rosea rust were the appearance of chlorotic spots on the leaves. Subsequently, numerous reddish to dark-brown erumpent pustules (telia) were observed. Gradually, the entire plant was covered by rust and the center of each lesion turned brown, necrotic, and ruptured over times, eventually causing defoliation. Voucher specimens of infected A. rosea leaves as representative samples have been deposited at Guizhou Normal University (GNU2023LS008). Telia are round in shape, mostly aggregated in mass, with a diameter of 0.28-0.78 mm (0.46 mm, n = 20). They range in color from reddish-brown to dark brown, and are mainly hypophyllous but occasionally formed on the adaxial leaf surface. The teliospores are fusoid with dimensions of 31.3-93.8 × 10.9-21.3 μm (57.5 × 15.1 µm average, n = 50), hyaline or yellowish to light-brown in color, mostly two-celled, with a smooth wall (1.5-3.0 µm) and a thickened apex (3.0-9.0 µm). However, teliospores which are one-, three-, or four-celled with a notch at the apex, are rarely observed. The morphological characteristics of host symptoms and teliospores were similar to those of Puccinia modiolae (Aime and Abbasi 2018; Albu et al. 2019). For phylogenetic analysis, genomic DNA was extracted from the teliospores of infected leaves. To confirm the species-level identification, PCR was performed on the extracted DNA to amplify the ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and large subunit (LSU) regions using primer pairs ITS1/ITS4 (Schoch et al. 2012) and NL1/NL4 (Ziemiecki et al. 1990), respectively. The resulting ITS DNA sequence (GenBank accession no. OR607960) showed 100% identity with P. modiolae sequences (OP369291.1), when the query coverage was 100%. The LSU DNA sequence obtained (OR607961.2) shared 99.85% similarity with P. modiolae (MK458702.1). A phylogenetic tree was constructed using MEGA7.0 and the maximum likelihood method based on the ITS and LSU sequences. The fungal isolates collected in this study and several reference sequences of P. modiolae were grouped within a clade that included the isolates reported on A. rosea in Korea (Ryu et al. 2023), with 100% bootstrap support. Pathogenicity testing was conducted by gently pressing spore powder of naturally diseased leaves onto young leaves of three healthy A. rosea plants, with three noninoculated healthy plants serving as controls. The inoculated and noninoculated plants were kept in a growth chamber at the 26°C with a 12 hour light/dark cycle and 80% humidity. After 2 weeks, all inoculated A. rosea plants showed characteristic disease symptoms of rust infection and telia of P. modiolae, while control plants remained symptomless. The pathogen was identical to that observed on the original diseased leaves. The study results indicate that the causal fungus responsible for the disease is P. modiolae, which has been previously reported on Malvaceae plants (Farr and Rossman 2022). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of P. modiolae on A. rosea in China. This study will contribute to an increased understanding of the host range of Puccinia modiolae.

Ethnoveterinary medicinal plants and their utilization by indigenous and local communities of Dugda District, Central Rift Valley, Ethiopia

BackgroundEthnoveterinary medicinal plants have been used by the people of Dugda District in the primary health care system to treat various livestock ailments for generations, particularly, in underserved rural areas. However, these ethnoveterinary practices and medicinal plants are dwindling without proper documentation, due to undergoing socio-cultural and environmental changes. Hence, this study aimed at inventory and analysis of ethnoveterinary medicinal plants and the associated indigenous and local knowledge used in the treatment of livestock health problems in Dugda District.MethodsData were collected from 378 local inhabitants through semi-structured interviews, 18 focus group discussions with 6 to 8 participants in each couple with participant field observations. Informant consensus factor (ICF), fidelity-level (FL) and relative importance value (RI) were used to evaluate the agreement of informants on ethnoveterinary practices, healing potential of medicinal plants and the most multipurpose species. Using standard taxonomic procedures, voucher specimens were collected, identified and deposited at the National Herbarium of Addis Ababa University.ResultsIn total, 64 medicinal plants of ethnoveterinary uses, belonging to 33 families were reported to treat 37 livestock health problems. Anthrax, inappetence and diarrhoea were said to be the most prevalent veterinary health problems treated by traditional medicinal plants. Family Fabaceae was the most widely reported (7 spp.), followed by Apocynaceae, Cucurbitaceae and Solanaceae (5 spp. each). Herbs were the dominant life forms (21spp.), followed by shrubs (20 spp.). The most commonly sought plant parts were leaves (55.25%), followed by roots (23.44%). The principal method of preparation was pounding remedial parts (46.85%) and mixing with cold water. The main route of administration was via oral application (72.67%), drenching diseased livestock. Withania somnifera and Kedrostis foetidissima were the most cited medicinal plants with 53 and 43 use reports (URs), respectively. ICF showed that respiratory diseases scored the highest value (0.94), while most of the reported medicinal plants were gastrointestinal agents. RI value analysis revealed that Croton macrostachyus had highest diversity of uses, followed by K. foetidissima and W. somnifera. Ethnoveterinary uses of some medicinal plants such as Phytolacca dodecandra, Calpurnia aurea, Cyphostemma cyphopetalum and Verbascum sinaiticum as prophylaxis against rabies were a new input for ethnoveterinary database.ConclusionThe study revealed that the people of the Dugda District are endowed with rich ethnoveterinary knowledge and medicinal plants. However, ethnoveterinary knowledge associated with medicinal plant species significantly differ (P < 0.05) between general and key informants, young and matured age groups and informants’ educational level. This infers the impact of mode of ethnoveterinary knowledge transfer, literacy, modern education and globalization on ethnoveterinary uses of medicinal plant species. And also most of the medicinal plants are found in wild habitats with nearly no conservation attention. Therefore, it is imperative to implement participatory conservation actions for medicinal plants in collaboration with traditional institutions (Gada system). The disparity of ethnoveterinary knowledge could be also minimized through awareness creation among local communities about the knowledge and its revitalization. Furthermore, medicinal plants, which are widely utilized and multipurpose, should be screened for their phytochemicals, pharmacological and toxicological activities to confirm ethnoveterinary uses and for future development of veterinary pharmaceuticals.

Floristic composition and species diversity at Gunung Inas forest reserve, Kedah, Peninsular Malaysia

Monoculture plantations such as Musang King durian farms on a big scale become a controversial issue due to its potential devastating impact to the diversity of forest reserves at some areas in Kedah including Gunung Inas Forest Reserve. This study intended to determine the floristic composition and species diversity at Gunung Inas Forest Reserve (GIFR), Kedah. Three plots of 70 m x 25 m covering 0.53 ha were established at GIFR. Each tree with diameter at breast height of 5 cm and above in the study plots were tagged, measured and identified up to species level. Voucher specimens were then taken for further identification purposes. The floristic composition of GIFR consists of 53 individuals represented by 16 species from 12 families. Anacardiaceae was the most speciose family with four species recorded. The most dominant species was Swintonia schwenkii (Anacardiaceae) with 14 tree individuals. S. schwenkii (Anacardiaceae) was considered to have an absolute dominance at the study site with Important Value Index (IVi) of 12.48%, meanwhile Myrtaceae recorded 20.87% of IVi, reflecting this family to be relatively dominant than other families. GIFR recorded moderate Shannon-Weiner Diversity index of H’ = 2.66 (H’max = 2.77) and Margalef’s Richness Index of DMG = 8.7. High Evenness Index of 0.71 portrayed that the tree species are almost equally abundant at the study area. The total tree biomass in the GIFR was estimated at 76.26 t/ha, contributed by 66.04 t/ha of above ground biomass and 10.22 t/ha below ground biomass. Data and information from this study can serve as a guideline for future ecological research and particularly in planning conservation efforts to ensure the biodiversity and sustainability of forests for future generations.

Biology of Nicotiana glutinosa L., a newly recorded species from an archaeological excavation site in Egypt

BackgroundDuring a field survey of urban flora in Alexandria city in 2019–2022, an interesting species belonging to the Solanaceae was collected from a newly archaeological excavation site and identified as Nicotiana glutinosa L. Many visits were made to the herbaria of Egypt to confirm the species records, but no single record was found. Reviewing the available literature revealed that this tropical American taxon was never recorded in the flora of Egypt.AimsThe present study was focused on N. glutinosa growth structure and plant macro- and micromorphology.MethodsTen sampling sites were covered for N. glutinosa size structure. Plant samples were examined for stem anatomy, leaf, seed, and pollen morphology.ResultsThe species size structure reveals that the individual size index ranges from 1.33 to 150 cm, while its density ranges from 4 to 273 individuals /100 m−2.N. glutinosa has successfully established itself in one of the archaeological sites in Egypt, showing a “healthy” population with a high degree of size inequality, characterized by a relative majority of the juvenile individuals. Voucher specimens were deposited in the Herbarium of Alexandria University (ALEX) Faculty of Science, another specimen is processed to make herbarium specimens at the Herbarium of the Botanic Garden (Heneidy et al. collection, deposition number. 5502).ConclusionsFrom our observations, N. glutinosa seems to have invasive potential, as it shows characteristics shared by most invasive species that are thought to help in their successful establishment in new habitats. This article emphasizes the importance of monitoring and regularly reporting the threats of alien invasive species to avoid any possible negative impacts on indigenous biodiversity in the future.

Ethnobotanical study of wild edible plants in Dibatie district, Metekel zone, Benishangul Gumuz Regional State, western Ethiopia

BackgroundPlants deliver livelihood and food for millions of people in the world. Indeed, wild edible plants support rural communities in developing countries to overcome seasonal unfavorable conditions. In rural areas of Ethiopia, wild edible plants play an indispensable role in fighting food insecurity as emergency or supplementary foods. Hence, this research was aimed at studying the ethnobotanical assessment of wild edible plants in Dibatie district, Metekel zone, western Ethiopia.MethodsEthnobotanical data was collected using a semi-structured interview, field observation, focus group discussions, a market survey, and the ranking of selected plants. Besides, voucher specimens were collected and stored at the National Herbarium of Ethiopia. Descriptive statistics, preference ranking, direct matrix ranking, and familiarity index were computed for data analysis.ResultsThis study has documented 54 wild edible plant species belonging to 33 plant families and 46 genera. Of these, most (38.90%) had tree growth habits. Wild edible plants bear mostly fruits (72.20%) as edible parts. Local people usually consume these plants freshly raw as complementary foods, though some wild edibles require processing. They were mostly harvested in the January (31.48%) and May (27.78%) months, with the least collected in September (7.41%). Most wild edible plants (78.57%) were available in uncontrolled habitats, while others (21.43%) live in farmlands, home gardens, and as live fences. Out of the recorded plants, about 98% had additional uses besides their nutritional values.ConclusionWild edible plants assist the livelihoods of the local people in food security, agriculture, energy sources, construction, medicines, ecological services, aesthetics, income generation, and household utensils. Nevertheless, wild edible plants are recently threatened due to various anthropogenic factors in the study area. Thus, they need wise use and in-situ and ex-situ conservation measures from all the concerned bodies for sustainable use in the future.

Making the most of scarce biological resources in the desert: Loptuq material culture in Eastern Turkestan around 1900

BackgroundMost fisher-gatherer communities we know of utilized a limited number of natural resources for their livelihood. The Turkic-speaking Loptuq (exonym Loplik, Loplyk) in the Lower Tarim River basin, Taklamakan desert, Eastern Turkestan (Xinjiang), were no exception. Their habitat, the Lop Nor marsh and lake area, was surrounded by desert and very poor in plant species; the Loptuq had to make the most of a handful of available biological resources for housing, furniture, clothing and fabric, fishnets and traps, tools and other equipment. The taxa used by the Loptuq were documented by foreign explorers at the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth centuries, prior to the forced resettlement of the group in the 1950s and subsequent destruction of their language, lifestyle and culture.Methods and sourcesEthnobiology explores the relationship between humans and their environment, including the use of biological resources for different purposes. In several aspects, historical ethnobiology is more challenging; it studies this relationship in the past and therefore cannot verify results with informants. As the present study discusses an extinct culture on the basis of literary and material sources, we apply a method called source pluralism. This approach allows the inclusion and combination of a wide range of data and materials, even scraps of information from various sources, with the aim to understand phenomena which are sparsely mentioned in historical records.Travel reports by Swedish, British, German, American and Russian explorers together with linguistic data provide the most important sources for understanding Loptuq interaction with the environment and its biota. Especially the large number of toponyms and phytonyms recorded by the Swedish explorer Sven Hedin and materials from his expeditions, including voucher specimens kept in Stockholm in the herbarium of the Swedish Natural History Museum, and objects of material culture in the collections of the Ethnographical Museum, are crucial for our analysis about local knowledge among the Loptuq. Illustrations and photographs provide us with additional information.ResultsThe question of how the Loptuq managed to survive at the fringe of a desert, a marsh and a lake which changed its location, intrigued all foreign visitors to the Lop Nor. The Loptuq’s main livelihood was fishing, hunting and gathering, and their material culture provided by plants and other organic materials included their usage, consumption and trade. Only a handful of species formed the basis of the Loptuq material culture, but they had learned to use these specific plants for a variety of purposes. The most important of these were Lop hemp, Poacynum pictum (Schrenk) Baill., the riparian tree Euphrates poplar, Populus euphratica Olivier, and the aquatic common reed, Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud. Several species of tamarisk were used for fuel and building fences. A few plants were also harvested for making foodstuffs such as snacks and potherbs. In addition, the Loptuq also used fur, bird skins, down, feathers, mammal bones and fish bones for their material needs. The habitat provided cultural ecological services such as motifs for their folklore, linguistic expressions and songs, and the Loptuq engaged in small-scale bartering of plant products and furs with itinerant traders, which ensured them with a supply of metal for making tools.ConclusionThis article discusses the now extinct Loptuq material culture as it existed more than a hundred years ago, and how the scarce biological resources of their desert and marsh habitat were utilized. Loptuq adaptation strategies to the environment and local knowledge, transmitted over generations, which contributed to their survival and subsistence, were closely connected with the use of biological resources.For this study, a comprehensive approach has been adopted for the complex relationships between human, biota and landscape. The Loptuq are today largely ignored or deleted from history for political reasons and are seldom, if at all, mentioned in modern sources about the Lop Nor area. Their experience and knowledge, however, could be useful today, in a period of rapid climate change, for others living in or at the fringe of expanding deserts.

Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used by the Yi people in Mile, Yunnan, China

BackgroundThe Yi people are a sociolinguistic group living in Mile City, which is their typical settlement in southeastern Yunnan, China. Over the long history of using medicinal plants, the Yi people have accumulated and developed a wealth of traditional medicinal knowledge, which has played a vital role in their health care. However, only a few studies have been performed to systematically document the medicinal plants commonly used by the Yi people. This study provides fundamental data for the development and application of ethnomedicine as well as supports the conservation of the traditional medical knowledge of the Yi people.MethodsThis study was conducted from May 2020 to August 2022 and involved five townships in Mile. Information regarding medicinal plants was obtained through semistructured interviews, key informant interviews, and participatory observation. The collected voucher specimens were identified using the botanical taxonomy method and deposited in the herbarium. Ethnobotanical data were analyzed using informant consensus factor, relative frequency of citation, and fidelity level.ResultsIn total, 114 informants distributed in five townships of Mile were interviewed. The Yi people used 267 medicinal plant species belonging to 232 genera and 104 families to treat various diseases. Asteraceae, Lamiaceae, and Fabaceae were the most commonly used plant families by the Yi people. In addition, herbs were most commonly used by the Yi people. Whole plants and roots were the preferred medicinal parts. Decoctions were the most common method of herbal medicine preparation. There are 49 different recorded diseases treated by Yi medicinal plants, and among them, respiratory diseases, rheumatism, traumatic injury, fractures, and digestive system diseases have the largest number of species used. A quantitative analysis demonstrated that plants such as Zingiber officinale, Lycopodium japonicum, Aconitum carmichaelii, Panax notoginseng, Cyathula officinalis, and Leonurus japonicus played crucial roles in disease prevention and treatment.ConclusionTraditional knowledge of medicinal plants is closely associated with the social culture of the local Yi people. The medicinal plants used for health care in the study area were diverse. Local healers were skilled at using medicinal plants to treat various diseases. Their treatment methods were convenient and unique, exhibiting distinctive regional characteristics. However, the inheritance of their traditional medicinal knowledge and protection of wild medicinal plant resources are facing serious challenges, including the decreasing number of local healers, aging of healers, lack of successors, and excessive harvesting of medicinal plant resources. This ethnobotanical survey provides a useful reference for the sustainable utilization and protection of medicinal plant resources in Mile and the inheritance of traditional medicinal knowledge of the Yi people.

Molecular identification of \(\textit{Grateloupia}\) and \(\textit{Phyllymenia}\) (Grateloupiaceae) in Vietnam reveals a new record of \(\textit{G. yangjiangensis}\) based on rbcL gene sequences analysis

Worldwide, the marine macroalgae ‘Grateloupia filicina’ showed several lineages. Among them, Grateloupia filicina is limited to the Mediterranean basin. Previously, several cryptic species were identified as ‘Grateloupia filicina’. In this study, numerous Grateloupia spp. collected from coastal Vietnam and voucher specimens were used for morphological observation and phylogenetic analyses. Both analyses for samples collected at Nha Trang reveal a new record of G. yangjiangensis. The phylogenetic trees indicated that the herbarium vouchers labeled ‘G filicina’ and ‘G. livida’ from other locations of Vietnam group to G. yinggehaiensis clade. In addition, the phylogenetic trees also showed that the unknown Grateloupia sp. recently collected from Cat Ba Island is Phyllymenia taiwanensis. Therefore, a new record, G. yangjiangensis, is added to the Vietnamese flora.

Cretaceous–Palaeogene lobsters, Hoploparia stokesi (Weller, 1903), from Antarctica: historical review, and transfer of specimens from the United States Polar Rock Repository

The nephropid lobster Hoploparia stokesi (Weller 1903a) is widely distributed among the islands of the Antarctic Peninsula, where it occurs in strata of Cretaceous (Campanian–Maastrichtian) to Palaeogene (Paleocene) age. Specimens of H. stokesi collected during expeditions in the 1980s that were in the collection of the United States Polar Rock Repository at The Ohio State University have been transferred to the Orton Geological Museum, joining other geological collections from Antarctica. Some of the transferred specimens are voucher specimens described or illustrated in earlier published work.