Wild Herbaceous Plants Research Articles

A quantitative analysis of wild herbaceous plant species for medicinal uses in four Regional Parks in Sicily (Italy)

A quantitative analysis of wild herbaceous plant species for medicinal uses in four Regional Parks in Sicily (Italy)

Trace Element Uptake by Herbaceous Plants from the Soils at a Multiple Trace Element-Contaminated Site.

The uptake of trace elements by wild herbaceous plants in a multiple trace element-contaminated site was investigated. The bioaccumulation factor (BF) of trace elements was markedly variable among the different plant species. On average, the BF for various trace elements was in the following decreasing order: Zn > Cu > Mn > Ni > As > Pb > Cr. The translocation factor among the investigated plant species was also considerably variable and showed the following decreasing order: Mn > Zn > Ni > Cu > Cr > As > Pb. Several hyperaccumulating plants were identified: Artemisia vulgaris for As, Mn and Zn, Phalaris arundinacea for Mn and Ni, Heracleum sphondylium for Cr and Zn, and Bistorta officinalis for Mn and Zn. The marked accumulation of trace elements in the plant tissue suggests that the site may not be suitable for urban agricultural production. The plant tissue-borne trace elements could affect microbial activities and consequently interfere with the ecosystem functioning in the affected areas.

Микроэлементы в дикорастущих растениях национального парка «Нижняя Кама»

Biogeochemical studies of plants and soil cover in specially protected natural areas are necessary for conducting background geochemical monitoring in order to determine the content of trace elements in plants of natural ecosystems and to establish the relationship between trace element composition and environmental factors. The atomic absorption spectrophotometry was used to determine the content of trace elements Mn, Fe, Zn, Cu, Cr, Co, Ni, Cd, Pb in wild herbaceous plants and the root layer of soil in the Nizhny Kama National Park (Kama valley and its tributaries). Species with a high content of Ni were found. High concentrations of Fe, Cr, Pb in the phytomass of mosses were revealed, which may indicate their aerogenic supply from nearby industrial enterprises. It was established that the soil cover of the national park within the Yelabuga region is characterized by an increased content of Mn and Co. The trace elements that are vigorously absorbed by plants, as well as species characterized by high biogeochemical activity have been identified – Aegopodium podagraria L., Fragaria vesca L., Paris quadrifolia L., Anemonoides ranunculoides L., Dicranum Hedw

Organic cropping practice decreases pest abundance and positively influences predator-prey interactions

Cropping practice influence arthropod species abundance and diversity in agroecosystems, thus impacting populations of insect pests and their natural enemies. A field study was conducted to investigate whether pest and natural enemy abundance was higher in organic compared with conventional strawberry fields, and whether the non-managed vegetation surrounding the field impacted natural enemy abundance and diversity in and around the field sites. The two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae), and predatory mites were sampled from strawberry leaflets and the leaves of wild herbaceous plants from the surrounding vegetation. Insect predators, hymenopteran parasitoids, spiders and herbivores were collected from the same habitats. Abundance of T. urticae was ten-fold higher in conventional compared to organic strawberry fields, whereas the ratio of spider mite to predatory mites was 9.5 times lower in organic compared with conventional strawberry fields. The 14 species of predatory mites identified were all from the family Phytoseiidae, and predominantly found on stinging nettle, Urtica dioica L. (Rosales: Urticaceae) (> 80% of individuals), in the surrounding vegetation. There was no significant effect of cropping practice on the density of insect predators and spiders, while the density of insect parasitoids and insect herbivores was higher in the organic compared to the conventional sites. Total species richness at the edge of organic fields and in the surrounding vegetation of both organic and conventional sites was higher than in the other sampling sites. This study demonstrates the major impact of cropping practice on T. urticae abundance and on the prey to predator ratio, whilst also emphasizing the importance of the surrounding vegetation as a source of natural enemies of phytophagous arthropods.

Polish dialectal wild herbaceous plant names against a Slavic and European background

AbstractThe argument put forward in the present article is that many Polish dialectal plant names do not have folk roots. The only way to ascertain the true origin of a given name is by analysing the history of the dialectal name and related names in other languages. Such an analysis leads to the conclusion that Polish dialectal names have various origins. Some of them are truly dialectal, i.e. they originate from Polish dialects, while others are colloquial, non-dialectal native names that have been adapted by particular dialects. Yet others are relatively new loanwords and new calques, while another group originates from Old Polish forms no longer in use in non-dialectal Polish. The latter do not comprise a homogeneous category. Instead, they fall into three subcategories: Polish names originating from the Polish language or inherited from Old Slavic, old loanwords employed in Old Polish and no longer in use today except in Polish dialects, and finally, an often misclassified group of names comprising old calques. In the summary of the present study the author emphasises the importance of a diachronic and comparative approach to analysing dialectal plant names. She highlights the existence of numerous calques, especially old ones, whose presence had previously been overlooked due to their native and sometimes almost entirely dialectal character. Therefore, a superficial, synchronic analysis would not reveal their long and rich history or the fact that they also have counterparts in non-Slavic languages, indeed often have ancient roots.

Spectrum of Biological Activity of the Alternaria Fungi Isolated from the Phyllosphere of Herbaceous Plants

Antimicrobial, phytotoxic, and insecticidal activity of 20 isolates of 16 Alternaria species isolated from above-ground organs of weeds and wild herbaceous plants was determined. Assessment of the antibacterial activity by the agar blocks and paper disks methods revealed antibacterial activity against Bacillus subtilis and/or Pseudomonassyringae in over 70% of the isolates. Antifungal activity against Candida tropicalis was found in 30% of the isolates. The reporter system used in the work revealed no effect of the studied extracts on the ribosomes, although some of them inhibited topoisomerase. Extracts from the culture liquid of all Alternaria spp. isolates were toxic to isolated leaves of Arabidopsis thaliana and Elytrigia repens. Insecticidal activity of the extracts against vetch aphid (Megoura viciae) larvae was revealed in 40% of the isolates. Thus, fungi from the phyllosphere of weeds and wild herbaceous plants may exhibit a broad range of biological activity. This feature may probably be of practical importance for toxicological assessment of those weed pathogens that are evaluated as potential bioherbicides. Our results show that Alternaria fungi may play a significant regulatory role in formation of the communities of phyllosphere organisms and are promising producers of antimicrobial compounds with potentially new mechanisms of action.

Population dynamics of Coccinella septempunctata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) in the region of Edremit Gulf in West Anatolia (Mount Ida)

This study reports seasonal presence of Coccinella septempunctata L. (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) in Southeast Turkey, in 2008, 2009 and 2010. Samples were collected from crops in agricultural areas at altitudes of 10 m, 800 m and 1400 m from stands of wild herbaceous plants , and at 1750 m from stone debris fields. First C. septempunctata adults were collected at the beginning of June at Tentcamp (800 m) and Tozlu (1400 m), early in July at Sarikiz (1700 m) when the mean air temperature reached 30°C. Adults became active in spring, after aestivating around Sarikiz and overwintering there under snow. First adults emerged on 2nd April in 2009 around Edremit Gulf when mean air temperature reached 14.8°C. Adult and immature stages of C. septempunctata were recorded attacking aphid populations till the end of June. C. septempunctata was present there for only one period each year during which they completed one generation. Adult individuals of this generation returned to Mount Ida to aestivate. Maximum numbers of adults present on Mount Ida in the first week of August in 2009 and 2010 were recorded. C. septempunctata adults aestivate and overwinter at Sarikiz on Mount Ida after completing their development on aphids in April, May and June around Edremit Gulf.

Participatory evaluation of vegetables to enhance household nutrition in forest garden areas in Ethiopia

Vegetables can play a significant role in improving peoples' nutrition, generating income and reducing poverty. The present study investigated which vegetables and locally available edible plants would be best suited for cultivation in the multi-storey cropping system of the Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve's Transition Zone, in Ethiopia. A comprehensive species list was compiled based on a literature review and expert consultations. Plant photo cards were reviewed and pre-selected by a local botanist who assigned local names. Then the cards were presented to eight focus groups of men and women separately in four communities in the Biosphere Reserve. Focus group discussions revealed five selection criteria as being important to farmers. The plants nutritional value was included as a criterion for selection based on the combination of micronutrients likely to be deficient in the project area: iron, zinc, vitamin A, and vitamin C. In total, six criteria were combined in a composite indicator comparing equal and differential criteria weighting. Thirty-one edible wild herbaceous plants were reported from the project area. Twenty-three species were suggested by experts. Relevant selection criteria brought forward by farmers were; (1) minimal damage to coffee roots at harvest; (2) ease at coffee harvest; (3) canopy competition; and (4) tolerance to shade. Farmers' (5) knowledge and opinion about suggested plants as well as the (6) calculated nutrition index were also considered. The ten most suitable plants identified were cowpea, amaranths, African nightshade, Ethiopian kale, spider plant, jute mallow, physalis, asparagus, pigeon pea and cucurbits (for leaf production). The list of plants was identical for the equal and differential weighing, but the ranking did differ slightly. These plants were suggested to farmers who selected four crops for field testing in a participatory manner.

Investigation of the diverse plant uses at the South Aisikexiaer Cemetery (~ 2700–2400 years bp) in the Hami Basin of Xinjiang, Northwest China

The South Aisikexiaer Cemetery, located in the Hami Basin of Xinjiang, northwest China, has been dated to around 2700 to 2400 bp. The arid conditions of the Hami region allow for the preservation through desiccation of a large amount of botanical materials, with 14 different taxa identified by systematic archaeobotanical study. Naked barley (Hordeum vulgare var. coeleste) was the only cereal type identified. Barley may be cultivated in the oases around the cemetery and threshed to obtain grains for foodstuff. Broken stems of barley were by-products of threshing and possibly consumed as binder for wall construction. Woody plants mainly include Populus euphratica, Tamarix sp. and Salix sp. Timbers of P. euphratica were the most important wooden materials for local inhabitants, used in the construction of tombs and fabrication of wooden articles. The remaining wild herbaceous plants are dominated by Aristida grandiglumis. Culms of A. grandiglumis may have been specially collected for livestock fodder and used as filling material of roof thatch on tomb. Stems of Phragmites australis were used in mat weaving. The diversity of plant remains, and their uses give insight into the adaptive strategies of the South Aisikexiaer population to arid environment in the Hami Basin during the early Iron Age.

THE DIVERSITY OF PLANTS USED FOR THE TRADITIONAL DISH SARMA IN TURKEY: NATURE, GARDEN AND TRADITIONAL CUISINE IN THE MODERN ERA

The selection of leaves for sarma is the result of human experience and observation, and the transmission of traditional knowledge in areas with different species richness. Seventy-three taxa whose leaves are used to prepare sarma in Turkey are reported. The prevalent species are from Rumex (11), Salvia (5), Beta and Malva, (4), Alcea, Arum, Brassica, Morus, and Plantago (3). Wild herbaceous plants (69.5%) dominate. Trees (8) and shrubs (2) mostly belong to the Rosaceae, Moraceae, Betulaceae and Malvaceae. Grapevine and cabbage predominate, together with beet, dock, sorrel, horseradish, lime tree, bean, and spinach. The use of leaves of three endemics was recorded: Centaurea haradjianii, Rumex gracilescens, and Rumex olympicus. Some toxic plants are used after preliminary treatment, including those of Arum, Convolvulus, Tussilago and Smilax species. Colocasia esculenta is a novel sarma plant that has been involved to the cuisine in the last decade, following its introduction into Turkey.

Photosynthesis and biochemical responses to elevated O3 in Plantago major and Sonchus oleraceus growing in a lowland habitat of northern China

A field experiment was carried out to compare the responses to ozone (O3) in two common herbaceous plant species, Plantago major L. and Sonchus oleraceus L., by building open-top growth chambers in situ to simulate O3 stress (+O3, 85±5ppb, 9hr/day for 30days) in a lowland habitat in Inner Mongolia, Northern China. Responses to O3 of gas exchange, chlorophyll a fluorescence, leaf pigment content, antioxidant capability, soluble protein content, membrane lipid peroxidation and dark respiration (Rd) were analyzed. Results showed that elevated O3 exposure significantly reduced the light-saturated net photosynthesis (PNsat), stomatal conductance (gs) and transpiration rate (E) in both species. Although non-significant interactive effect between species and O3 on PNsat was analyzed, the reduction in PNsat in S. oleraceus might be due primarily to the higher fraction of close PSII reaction centers and impaired activities of plant mesophyll cells as evidences by decreased maximum efficiency of PSII photochemistry after dark adapted state (Fv/Fm) and unchanged intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci). Besides, biochemical analysis showed that S. oleraceus had lower antioxidant ability compared to P. major. As a result, S. oleraceus was damaged to the larger extent in terms of lipid peroxidation and visible O3 injury, indicating that S. oleraceus was more sensitive to O3 than P. major. Our results indicated that wild herbaceous plant species growing in a lowland habitat in sandy grassland were sensitive to O3 stress and S. oleraceus can be considered as one of the bio-indicators for high O3 concentration in semi-arid grassland of northern China.

Diversity and traditional knowledge on some less known edible wild herbaceous plant resource from district Khunti, Jharkhand, India.

The studies on the importance of wild edible herbaceous species to combat food insecurity and to resource poor household in most of the rural economies of the State Jharkhand had been almost neglected. This is because most of the wild herbaceous species grows in forests, marginal lands or in barren fields, and are considered of no use. The aim of this research paper is to prepare an inventory of some less known wild herbs which are used as edibles by the indigenous Munda tribe of district Khunti. As a result of ethnobotanical study about thirty-two less known edible herbaceous species were recorded. The local people had noted a decline in the availability of these wild herbs and related traditional knowledge, although not much had been done to cultivate them. However, these underutilized wild growing herbs if popularized and cultivated in large scale have the potentiality to combat food scarcity, food insecurity and malnutrition and could eventually raise the socio-economic status of rural households.

Winter diet and food selection of the Black-necked Crane Grus nigricollis in Dashanbao, Yunnan, China.

The Black-necked Crane Grus nigricollis is a globally vulnerable species whose food is the factor determining its long-term survival. Understanding dietary habits, food preferences, and related factors will facilitate the development of effective conservation plans for the protection of this vulnerable species. For this purpose, we used video recordings and sampling of food availability to examine the dietary composition and temporal variation in food selection of Black-necked Cranes wintering in the Dashanbao National Nature Reserve, China. The Black-necked Crane’s diet consists primarily of domestic food crops such as grains (74%) and potatoes (8%), in addition to invertebrates (14%). A much smaller proportion of the diet was comprised of turnips and wild herbaceous plants and tubers. There was monthly variation in food selection, partially related to food availability. Grains were most available in November and decreased through the winter, whereas invertebrates were more available in November and February than in December and January. Grain consumption was lowest in November but higher from December through February. Invertebrate consumption was highest in November and February. The cranes preferred to eat grains throughout winter months, while they mainly selected invertebrates in November and February. We suggested invertebrate populations sharply declined in December and January due to the low temperature. In addition, grain consumption was negatively associated with invertebrate availability. In November, when invertebrates were most abundant, and despite a concomitant peak in grain abundance, we suggested cranes exhibited a preference for invertebrates over grains. We recommend that the protection administration provide appropriate supplemental foods for cranes during freezing weather.

九州北西部の非農地の野生草本植物からのネコブセンチュウの検出

九州北西部の非農地の野生草本植物からのネコブセンチュウの検出

Occurrence of different phytoplasma infections in wild herbaceous dicots growing in vineyards affected by bois noir in Tuscany (Italy)

1 , domenico RIZZO 2 Summary. Wild herbaceous dicotyledonous plants (dicots) showing symptoms ascribable to phytoplasma disor- ders were found to be widely distributed in organic vineyards in central Tuscany (Italy) affected by bois noir, a grapevine yellows disease caused by Candidatus Phytoplasma solani. In 2010 symptomatic dicots were tenta- tively identified to species level and the incidence of symptoms estimated in two selected vineyards in the prov- ince of Florence. Incidence ranged from 2 to 77%, and was not related to the relative abundance of hosts since very common species as well as relatively rare ones were consistently found to be symptomatic. PCR indexing and 16S rRNA sequence analyses indicated that two phytoplasmas co-existed in the vineyards: Ca. P. solani, infecting the root systems of 17 taxa, and a phytoplasma closely related to Ca. P. phoenicium, infecting 11 taxa, and occasion- ally co-infecting the same plant. Regardless of the high frequency of both pathogens in the vineyards, only Ca. P. solani could be detected in the grapevines. Population screening by means of tuf sequence analyses revealed the presence of only the tuf-b Ca. P. solani type both in dicot hosts and grapevine. This supports current notions of bois noir epidemiology, indicating that some infected dicots act as sources of Ca. P. solani inoculum whereas oth- ers are dead-end hosts. When the same specimens were screened by sequence analysis of the vmp1 gene, evidence was found that different phytoplasma genotypes may be predominant in grapevines and dicots.

Ethnomedicinal, Phytochemical and Pharmacological Profile of Anthriscus sylvestris as an Alternative Source for Anticancer Lignans.

Anthriscus sylvestris (L.) Hoffm. is a wild herbaceous plant common in most temperate regions. It has been used traditionally to treat headaches, as a tonic, as antitussive, antipyretic, analgesic and diuretic. The plant contains deoxypodophyllotoxin, which is proven to have antitumor and anti-proliferative effects, anti-platelet aggregation, antiviral, anti-inflammatory and insecticidal activity. Deoxypodophyllotoxin is considered to be the plant’s most important constituent, because of its pharmacological properties and because it can be converted into epipodophyllotoxin, the main raw material for the semisynthesis of the cytostatic agents etoposide and teniposide. This work summarizes for the first time the results related to the botanical description, distribution and habitat, phytochemical and pharmacological properties and emphasizes the aspects for future biotechnological research to establish its utility in the therapeutic arsenal.

Effective half-lives of 137Cs in giant butterbur and field horsetail, and the distribution differences of potassium and 137Cs in aboveground tissue parts

Concentrations of 137Cs and 40K in different tissues of edible wild herbaceous plants, that is, leaf blade and petiole for giant butterbur (Petasites japonicas (Siebold et Zucc.) Maxim.), and leaf, stem and strobilus for fertile shoot of field horsetail (Equisetum arvense L.) were measured in 2012–2014 to clarify the effect in Japan from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident. The concentrations of 137Cs decreased with time with effective half-lives of ca. 450 d and 360 d for giant butterbur and field horsetail, respectively. The ANOVA test revealed that 40K and 137Cs distributions in leaf blade and petiole for giant butterbur and leaf and stem for field horsetail were different. Therefore, other plants, leaf and stem for Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica (Houtt.) Ronse Decr.) and Canada goldenrod (Solidago canadensis L.), and leaf blade and petiole for gingko (Ginkgo biloba L.) and Someiyoshino cherry (Cerasus × yedoensis (Matsum.) A.V.Vassil. ‘Somei-yoshino’) were collected from the same sampling field and their 137Cs and 40K concentrations were compared to those in the giant butterbur and field horsetail parts. For 137Cs, concentrations in leaf blade and leaf parts were 1.1–6.0 times higher than those in petiole and stem parts for all six plants. On the other hand, 40K concentrations in leaf blade and leaf parts were 0.40–0.97 of those observed in petiole and stem parts. Discrimination ratios of 40K/137Cs of leaf blade to petiole or leaf to stem were then calculated and they ranged from 0.09 to 0.57. These results suggested that Cs and K did not behave similarly in these plants. Thus, to understand the radiocesium fate in plants, K measurement results should not be used as an analog for Cs behavior although Cs is known to have a similar chemical reactivity to that of K.

Biological activity of fungi from the phyllosphere of weeds and wild herbaceous plants

Antimicrobial, phytotoxic, and insecticidal activity of 30 fungal isolates obtained from leaves of weeds and wild herbaceous plants was assessed. Antibacterial, antifungal, phytotoxic, and insecticidal activity was found in over 50, 40, 47, and 40% of the isolates, respectively. These findings may be important for toxicological assessment of potential mycoherbicides, as well as provide a basis for investigation of the patterns of development of phyllosphere communities affected by fungal metabolites.

Phytic acid in green leaves of herbaceous plants-temporal variation in situ and response to different nitrogen/phosphorus fertilizing regimes.

Phytic acid is the major storage compound for phosphorus (P) in plants. While accounting for up to 90 % in many seeds, usually only <10 % of total P is found in phytic acid in green leaves. This study follows up on the findings of a recent review of the occurrence of phytic acid in green leaves which revealed that (i) the current knowledge of phytic acid in leaves is mostly based on data from (fertilized) crop plants and (ii) the proportion of total P in phytic acid seems to decrease with improved P status in leaves in contrast to an increase in seeds and fruit. We studied five species of wild herbaceous plants in the field and under controlled conditions. Foliar P concentrations were much lower than those of the crops of earlier studies, but the proportion of P in phytic acid was similar, with little variation during the observation period. Both the field data and the experimental data showed a statistically indistinguishable negative correlation of phytic acid-P/total P and total P. In contrast to our expectation, this negative relationship was not related to differences in relative growth rates. We conclude that (i) our data of phytic acid concentrations in leaves of wild plants are in line with earlier observations on crops, and (ii) the trend towards lower proportions of phytic acid-P with increasing P status is probably a general phenomenon. Currently lacking a convincing explanation for the second observation, the role of phytic acid in foliar P metabolism is still unclear.

Plasticity of the thermal requirements of exotherms and adaptation to environmental conditions.

In exothermal organisms, temperature is an important determinant of the rate of ecophysiological processes, which monotonically increase between the minimum (td min) and maximum (td max) temperatures typical for each species. In insects, td min and td max are correlated and there is a approximately 20°C interval (thermal window WT = td max − td min) between them over which insects can develop. We assumed that other exotherms have similar thermal windows because the thermal kinetics of their physiological processes are similar. In this study, we determined the thermal requirements for germination in plants. Seeds of 125 species of Central European wild herbaceous and crop plants were germinated at nine constant temperatures between 5 and 37°C, and the time to germination of 50% of the seeds D and rate of germination R (=1/D) were determined for each temperature and the Lactin model used to determine td min, td max, and WT. The average width of the thermal windows for seeds was significantly wider (mean 24°C, 95% CI 22.7–24.2°C), varied more (between 14.5 and 37.5°C) and development occurred at lower temperatures than recorded for insects. The limiting temperatures for germination, td min and td max, were not coupled, so the width of the thermal window increased with both a decrease in td min and/or increase in td max. Variation in WT was not associated with taxonomic affiliation, adult longevity, or domestication of the different species, but tends to vary with seed size. Plants are poor at regulating their temperature and cannot move to a more suitable location and as a consequence have to cope with wider ranges in temperatures than insects and possibly do this by having wider thermal windows. Synthesis: The study indicated specificity of WT in different exotherm taxa and/or their development stages.