Botanical Studies (Taipei, Taiwan)

Sod culture (SC) and conventional agriculture (CA) represent two distinct field management approaches utilized in the cultivation of tea plants in Taiwan. In this study, we employed gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence techniques to assess the impact of SC and CA methods on the photosynthetic machinery of Camellia sinensis cv. TTES No.12 (Jhinhsuan) in response to variable light intensities across different seasons. In spring, at photosynthetic photon flux densities (PPFD) ranging from 800 to 2,000 μmol photon m-2 s-1 , the net photosynthesis rate (Pn, 10...

The eastern part of the Benoue River bank is undergoing degradation marked by a significant decrease in vegetation cover and woody resources due to anthropogenic activities and climatic. The main objective of this study is to analyze the farmers' knowledge of vegetation evolution and the dynamics of land use using satellite images in the east of the bank of the Benoue. The methodological approach used is an integrated one combining field surveys, remote sensing, mapping, and modeling. The results obtained show that 88% of the population surveyed believe that the area covered by vegetation has decreased...

BACKGROUND: Dragon blood is a red fruit resin from the palm tree Daemonorops draco and is a herbal ingredient used in the traditional Chinese medicine, "Jinchuang Ointment," which is used to treat non-healing diabetic wounds. According to the Taiwan Herbal Pharmacopeia, the dracorhodin content in dragon blood should exceed 1.0%. RESULTS: Our findings indicate that dracorhodin and dragon blood crude extracts can stimulate glucose uptake in mouse muscle cells (C2C12) and primary rat aortic smooth muscle cells (RSMC)...

BACKGROUND: A copy of Scleromyceti Sueciae, a work on which the nomenclature of many fungi is based was known to occur in Scotland's Glasgow University Botany Department but the buildings were devastated by fire in 2001 and the whereabouts of this important work, if it existed, was lost. Its re-finding is reported herein. RESULTS: The Glasgow copy of Scleromyceti Sueciae, an uncut first edition of Fries' work, was located in the Glasgow Museums in its original cabinet being transferred there years before the fire and its specimens being now databased...

Tecoma stans is a widely distributed tall ornamental shrub in the plains of Indian subcontinent and is considered an invasive species across Argentina, Australia, South Africa, Pacific Islands and tropical regions of Asia. Besides having an ornamental significance, T. stans has been extensively investigated for its pharmaceutical applications as a source of bioactive compounds. In addition, the shrub is cultivated commercially as a potted flowering plant. We believe that T. stans, being a hardy, invasive and aggressively growing species, holds a considerable potential and a promising solution for re-greening waste and degraded lands outside its invasive range, due to its wider adaptability and drought tolerant characteristics...

Pollen germination is a crucial process in the life cycle of flowering plants, signifying the transition of quiescent pollen grains into active growth. This study delves into the dynamic changes within organelles and the pivotal role of autophagy during lily pollen germination. Initially, mature pollen grains harbor undifferentiated organelles, including amyloplasts, mitochondria, and the Golgi apparatus. However, germination unveils remarkable transformations, such as the redifferentiation of amyloplasts accompanied by starch granule accumulation...

BACKGROUND: Angelica L. sensu lato is a taxonomically complex genus, and many studies have utilized morphological and molecular features to resolve its classification issues. In Taiwan, there are six taxa within Angelica, and their taxonomic treatments have been a subject of controversy. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive analysis incorporating morphological and molecular (cpDNA and nrDNA) characteristics to revise the taxonomic treatments of Angelica in Taiwan. RESULTS: As a result of our research, we have revised the classification between A...

BACKGROUND: Recently, researchers are focusing on creating new tools to combat the antibiotic resistant bacteria and malignancy issues, which pose significant threats to humanity. Biosynthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are thought to be a potential solution to these issues. The biosynthesis method, known for its environmentally friendly and cost-effective characteristics, can produce small-sized AgNPs with antimicrobial and anticancer properties. In this study, AgNPs were bio-fabricated from the distilled water and methanolic extracts of Viburnum grandiflorum leaves...

BACKGROUND: The bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) assay is commonly used for investigating protein-protein interactions. While several BiFC detection systems have been developed, there is a limited amount of research focused on using laser scanning confocal microscope (LSCM) techniques to observe protoplasts. Protoplasts are more susceptible to damage and instability compared to their original cell state due to the preparation treatments they undergo, which makes it challenging for researchers to manipulate them during observation under LSCMs...

BACKGROUND: Traditional breeding methods have long been employed worldwide for the evaluation and development of pepper cultivars. However, these methods necessitate multiple generations of screening, line development, evaluation, recognition, and crossing to obtain highly homozygous lines. In contrast, in vitro anther-derived microspore culture represents a rapid method to generate homozygous lines within a single generation. In the present study, we have optimized a protocol for microspore embryogenesis from anther cultures of pepper hybrids Orobelle and Bomby...

BACKGROUND: Endophytic fungi have proven to be a rich source of novel natural products with a wide-array of biological activities and higher levels of structural diversity. RESULTS: Chemical investigation on the liquid- and solid-state fermented products of Chaetomium globosum Km1226 isolated from the littoral medicinal herb Atriplex maximowicziana Makino resulted in the isolation of compounds 1-14. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic analysis as three previously undescribed C13 -polyketides, namely aureonitol C (1), mollipilins G (2), and H (3), along with eleven known compounds 4-14...

BACKGROUND: Leaf morphology and epidermal characters are important for phylogenetic and taxonomic studies of many plants, but there is currently insufficient data to use them to help distinguish species of Gagea, which is a taxonomically difficult genus mainly due to polyploidy and hybridization. Therefore, leaf morphology and epidermal characters of Gagea were studied to assess the characters that can be used to elucidate the taxonomy and systematics of 14 species of Gagea collected in Xinjiang, China...

BACKGROUND: Morphology, hosts, and collecting sites of fungi assessed from herbarium material of special interest deserve to be brought to the attention of mycologists. RESULTS: Specimens of Lopadostoma and Oligostoma deposited at ZT are briefly described and listed to expand the knowledge about their distribution. Three yet unmentioned Rosellinia collections are reported. One could be identified as R. mastoidiformis, a second as R. neblina; both are known only from the type collections...

BACKGROUND: The genus Camillea was created in 1849 from collections made in French Guiana with eight species included. Numerous species assigned to Camillea were subsequently discovered, especially in the forests of the Amazon basin, but new discoveries have not been reported from French Guiana since 1849. Recent fieldwork in French Guiana has begun to fill this gap by identifying five new species, most of which were collected in the vicinity of Saül village. RESULTS: Based on macro- and micromorphological study of their stromata, including SEM images of ascospore wall ornamentation, five new species were recognized, including C...

BACKGROUND: Xylaria is a diverse and ecologically important genus in the Ascomycota. This paper describes the xylariaceous fungi present in an Ecuadorian Amazon Rainforest and investigates the decay potential of selected Xylaria species. Fungi were collected at Yasuní National Park, Ecuador during two collection trips to a single hectare plot divided into a 10-m by 10-m grid, providing 121 collection points. All Xylaria fruiting bodies found within a 1.2-m radius of each grid point were collected...

BACKGROUND: Ralstonia solanacearum causes potato brown rot disease, resulting in lower crop's production and quality. A sustainable and eco-friendly method for controlling the disease is required. Algae's bioactive chemicals have shown the potential to enhance plant defenses. For the first time, the efficacy of foliar application of Acanthophora spicifera and Spirulina platensis seaweed extracts, along with the utilization of dried algal biomasses (DABs) of Turbinaria ornata and a mixture of Caulerpa racemosa and Cystoseira myrica (1:1)on potato yield and brown rot suppression were investigated under field conditions...

BACKGROUND: The restoration of conventional tea plantations and the adoption of organic farming practices could impact soil organic carbon (SOC) and nitrogen (N) stocks. This study investigated the soil properties, SOC and N contents and stocks, and their vertical distributions of a secondary forest restored from an abandoned conventional tea plantation and a converted organic tea plantation. An adjacent conventional tea plantation employing similar intermediate farming served as a comparison...

Orchid seeds are 'dust-like.' The seed coat is usually thin, with only one to a few cell layers. It originates from the integuments formed during ovule development. In orchids, the outer integument is primarily responsible for forming a mature seed coat. The inner integument usually fails to develop after fertilization, becomes compressed, and collapses over the expanding embryo. Hence, the seed coat is formed from the funiculus, chalaza, and outer integumentary cells. The outermost layer of the seed coat, the testa, is lignified, usually at the radial and inner tangential walls...

BACKGROUND: The climbing strategies of lianas and herbaceous vines influence climber competition abilities and survival. The aim of this study was to investigate the climbing strategies of each plant species and observe their organs of origin. RESULTS: The results showed that all Taiwan climbers were approximately 555 species, accounting for 11% of the native flora. Among the 555 climbers, the twining stem type was the most common, with a total of 255 species (46%), the remaining climbing methods accounted for 300 species...

BACKGROUND: The present study was conducted to explore the diversity pattern of spring vegetation under the influence of topographic and edaphic variables in sub-tropical zone, District Malakand. In the present vegetation study, 252 species of 80 families were recorded in the study area. It included 39 species of trees, 43 species of shrubs, 167 species of herbs and 3 climber species. As a whole, 12 communities were established on the basis of topographic and edaphic characteristics in 12 different stations...