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Abstract
To study the feasibility of evaluating the quality characteristics of banana based on the browning area. The texture characteristics, total soluble solids (TSS), ascorbic acid, malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations, relative conductivity, polyphenol oxidase, peroxidase, and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) activities in banana peels were detected during storage. A linear model was made by principal component analysis and multiple linear regression between the banana browning area and characteristic indices. The results showed that the changes in the physiological characteristics of bananas were significantly different during different storage periods. The main factors that affected the banana browning area were relative conductivity, PAL, TSS, and MDA, indicating that lipid peroxidation, respiration, and metabolism of phenylpropanoids had significant influence on the banana browning area during storage. Thus, it is feasible to predict banana quality based on changes in browning area, which could be a rapid and non-destructive detection of banana quality during storage.
The Indian Himalayan sector is well known to support the diversified bryophyte species and communities due to varied phytoclimatical conditions met within different dissected topographical zones. Many potential wilderness areas are still waiting to be explored in terms of their exuberant bryodiversity. During a bryoexploratory survey of an unexplored high-altitude area in the Garhwal Himalayan region, we came across an interesting rheophytic moss Bryocrumia L. E. Anderson. The genus Bryocrumia is represented in India by two species, viz. B. vivicolor (Broth. et Dixon) W. R. Buck and B. malabarica Manju, Prajitha, Prakashkumar et W. Z. Ma. Both of these pleurocarpous species are known to be confined in the southern part of the country. From the Indian Himalayan sector, this moss genus has never been documented earlier. Recently, B. vivicolor has been reported for the first time from the Tungnath area (2,100–3,000 m above sea level) in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand state as a new addition to the Western Himalayan moss flora, indicating its new distributional range. This hypnaceous moss was found colonising the slopy, wet, submerged rock surfaces along small streams and seepages in mixed oak forests on way to Tungnath. The key characteristics include its rheophilic habit, stem lacking central strand, variable leaf forms, indistinct double costa and round to obtuse leaf apex with prorate tip cells. The present paper provides taxonomic details of this rare moss, representing its wide geographical distribution in India.
Colura acroloba
(Prantl) Jovet-Ast an interesting species rare in India, having a unique leaf morphology, characterised by club shaped leaf lobule, which ends in a sac is reported for the first time from the Western Ghats of Kerala.
The new genus Kudratoviella for the former Caloplaca zeorina group having the highest level of bootstrap support in the phylogenetic tree of the Teloschistaceae, based on combined dataset of nrITS, 28S nrLSU DNA and 12S SSU mtDNA sequences, which does not belong to any other earlier proposed genera of the subfamily Xanthorioideae, is described. The genus Oceanoplaca Arup, Søchting et Bungartz found to be a new synonym of the genus Loekoeslaszloa S. Y. Kondr., Kärnefelt, A. Thell et Hur, and Villophora onas Søchting, Søgaard et Arup appeared to be new synonym of Raesaeneniana maulensis (S. Y. Kondr. et Hur) S. Y. Kondr., Elix, Kärnefelt et A. Thell. Sixteen new combinations are proposed, i.e. Honeggeria leoncita (for Xanthomendoza leoncita Bungartz et Søchting), Honeggeria wetmorei (for Xanthoria wetmorei S. Y. Kondr. et Kärnefelt), Kudratoviella anularis (for Caloplaca anularis Clauzade et Poelt), Kudratoviella bohlinii (for Caloplaca bohlinii H. Magn.), Kudratoviella rajasthanica (for Caloplaca rajasthanica S. Y. Kondr., Upreti et G. P. Sinha), Kudratoviella scrobiculata (for Caloplaca scrobiculata H. Magn.), and Kudratoviella zeorina (for Caloplaca zeorina B. G. Lee et Hur), Loekoeslaszloa caesioisidiata (for Caloplaca caesioisidiata Arup et van den Boom), Loekoeslaszloa caesiosorediata (for Caloplaca caesiosorediata Arup et van den Boom), Loekoeslaszloa chemoisidiosa (for Oceanoplaca chemoisidiosa Søchting et Bungartz), Loekoeslaszloa isidiosa (for Placodium isidiosum Vain.), Loekoeslaszloa sideritoides (for Oceanoplaca sideritoides Søchting et Bungartz), Raesaeneniana darwiniana (for Villophora darwiniana Søchting, Søgaard et Arup), Raesaeneniana patagonica (for Villophora patagonica Søchting et Søgaard), Raesaeneniana rimicola (for Villophora rimicola Søchting), and Raesaeneniana wallaceana (for Villophora wallaceana Søchting et Søgaard). Iqbalia kashmirensis is for the first time confirmed from South Korea and India on the basis of ‘extraneous mycobiont DNA’ (sensu Kondratyuk et al. 2019 b).
With 22 taxa reported from the country so far, Epipactis is the most species-rich orchid genus in Hungary. Many of them are rare, threatened species. To protect endangered species effectively, it is crucial to explore their ecology. Our work aimed to select and examine factors that are influencing the distribution of Epipactis species. Our data collection (2014–2018) was carried out in the Keszthely Hills, in the northeastern part of the Zala Hills and the Southern Bakony Mountains. We assigned ecologically relevant data from databases of local forestries, terrain models and geological maps to each occurrence. We examined the factors that result in the best differentiation between the studied species. At 1,261 localities, a total of 5,223 individuals of 15 taxa were found. We found three factors (tree species composition of the forest, genetic soil type, bedrock type) that significantly influenced the distribution of Epipactis species. Our results can help understand the distribution patterns of these species and allow for more effective, targeted protection of their potential habitats on a regional level.
Wild plant species are among the most important candidates for reinforcing food safety in the world. Worldwide increases in population and food shortages have caused the rate of hunger to rise rapidly. Therefore, there is an urgent need to review indigenous knowledge on the traditional uses of wild edible plants so as to apply this knowledge in modern agricultural policies. The current study aims to investigate and document the indigenous knowledge of the diversity of wild food species in one region of Kerman province, Iran. A total of 66 local informants were interviewed using an open, semi-structured questionnaire. Ethnobotanical data for 37 plant species belonging to 35 families was analysed using the use value (UV) index. Asteraceae with 6 species was the largest family, and leaves were the most frequently used plant part. Overall, the most favourite wild food species is Matricaria aurea (UV 1.697), followed by Capparis spinosa (UV 1.515) and Zataria multiflora (UV 1.455). Given the widespread use of wild food species and their importance in people’s daily lives, it is suggested that the conditions for the domestication and promotion of the most commonly used wild food species be further explored.
Nutlet pericarp structure is important in the taxonomy of Lamiaceae (Labiatae) at different taxonomic levels. Within the family it has also been found that variation in pericarp structure is strongly correlated with the phylogenic results obtained from molecular DNA analyses. The genus Nepeta L., with more than 200 species mainly centred in SW Asia, is one of the taxonomically most complex genera within the family. Traditional taxonomic treatments of Nepeta are mainly based on gross morphology. As in other groups of Lamiaceae, pericarp structure provides some of the diagnostic characters in this genus. In order to investigate patterns of pericarp evolution within Nepeta, we used scanning electron microscopy to examine nutlet surfaces and pericarp cross sections and explored variation of these characters against a molecular phylogeny based on ITS sequences. Based on this phylogenetic analysis, Nepeta in its present circumscription is not monophyletic. Evolutionary trends in structure of nutlet pericarps are apparent although they require confirmation with more robust phylogenies. In particular, nutlets with tuberculate/thorny-like pericarp may have evolved once within this genus, in the common ancestor of five of the six subclades identified within Nepeta, and have been lost independently several times. We also show that evolution of tubercules in Nepeta is not related to plant life span. Our results also indicate that more genetic markers (both plastid and nuclear) are necessary to reconstruct a reliable and robust organismal phylogeny.
The date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) is the most important fruit-bearing crop in arid regions of the Middle East and North Africa. About 3,000 date varieties or cultivars are known worldwide that differ in flowering time, several agronomic traits, and fruit-related traits including moisture and sugar content. Phoenix dactylifera is the second most important horticultural crop of Iran that is cultivated mainly in the southern part of the country. It has about 400 known cultivars in Iran and therefore comprises an important part of the whole world date palm genetic resources. We have no detailed information on its population genetic structure. The present study was an attempt to provide the population genetic data on 14 date palm cultivars for the first time. The present study tried to identify genetic diversity of a few cultivars and provide data on their genetic structure with REMAP molecular marker. The results revealed a moderate level of genetic diversity both among and within the studied cultivars. We obtained mean genetic polymorphism of 20.8%.
The lack of knowledge on the traits related to the germination and establishment of native plant species represents obstacles to restoration. Seed mass, germination and emergence variability from two characteristic grasses (Festuca vaginata and Stipa borysthenica), and two dicots (Centaurea arenaria and Dianthus serotinus) of Hungarian sandy grasslands from altogether 34 localities were tested. Our results showed that seed mass had a significant positive effect on germinability of the dicots and on seedling emergence of all species. The laboratory germination capacity of S. borysthenica was low due to dormancy. We found a significant variability among seed traits and emergence between localities in all the species except for the germination of S. borysthenica. This significant variation among populations might be explained by local adaptation or maternal effects. We conclude that germination under laboratory-regulated conditions is a good predictor of seedling emergence for restoration projects, but limited to species with non-dormant seeds.
