Showing papers in "Economic Botany in 2004"

Unconscious selection and the evolution of domesticated Plants

Abstract: Two types of selection operate (and complement each other) in plants under domestication: (a) conscious or intentional selection applied by the growers for traits of interest to them; (b) unconscious or automatic selection brought about by the fact that the plants concerned were taken from their original wild habitats and placed in new (and usually very different) human-made or human-managed environments. The shift in the ecology led automatically to drastic changes in selection pressures. Numerous adaptations vital for survival in the wild environments lost their fitness under the new sets of conditions. New traits were automatically selected, resulting in the build-up of characteristic “domestication syndromes,” each fitting the specific agricultural environment provided by the farmer. The present paper assesses the evolutionary consequences of the introduction of the wild plants into several sets of contrasting farming situations. These include: (a) the type of maintenance applied, whether see...

Forgetting the forest: Assessing medicinal plant erosion in Eastern Brazil

Abstract: Tropical landscapes represent storehouses of medicinal drug plants. It is widely held that these medicinal resources—real and potential—are threatened by a host of destructive forces. This paper examines these threats, especially the process of culture change and ethnobotanical erosion, in a rural Brazilian community. Employing a quantitative analysis of a sample plant pharmacopoeia, we investigate the relationship between medicinal plant knowledge and age, gender, and socio-economic standing. The results indicate that female gender, increasing age, illiteracy, and decreasing formal education are all positively correlated with level of medicinal plant knowledge. The process of modernization, particularly increasing access to formal education, appears to be incompatible with the retention of traditional domains of medical knowledge. Increasingly perceived as an irrelevant province of past generations, knowledge of the healing powers of tropical forests and fields is rapidly declining in this community.

Flora of Pakistan

Abstract: This book, shedding light as it does on the unique edible fruits of southern Oceania, is long overdue. It treats in detail 50 species of indigenous fruits, with a tabular summary presented at the back of the volume for 157 species (including the 50 covered in the text) that are eaten on islands between New Guinea and the Cook Islands. While not covering the full geographic breadth of Oceania (thus rendering the title overly ambitious) this slim, flexi-bound volume does cover in depth four specific island groups—Vanuatu, Samoa, Tonga, and New Guinea (specifically, the Ankave people)—as exemplars of the places where tropical fruits are eaten and used in the broader region of Oceania. It does an admirable job. Opening chapters provide a glossary, introduce the four study regions, introduce the book, explain traditional alimentation and arboriculture in Oceania, and then lead into the main text. In the main text, or ‘‘ethnobotanical inventory of fruiting species,’’ the 50 species are arranged alphabetically by scientific name; synonymy is minimal. Each species account begins with a box that includes family name, common names, consumption, part eaten, and toxicity, followed by a brief botanical description, a map, illustration, and paragraphs for ecology and exploitation, alimentary uses, other uses, and related species with notes. There are copious illustrations, both line drawings and color photographs, which depict the plants, fruits, and ethnobotanical practices. And what sorts of fruits will one find covered here? Not your typical tropical fruit medley! Even the genera will be unfamiliar to many exotic fruit enthusiasts and ethnobotanists. Ever hear of Aceratium, Burckella, Finschia, Pipturus, or Pometia? Likely not, for those living outside the Oceanian region. Each of these, and many others, has a fascinating story told within the pages of Fruits of Oceania. Following the main text are a series of indexes and lists: synonyms for the accepted names used in the text, vernacular names in detail, index of scientific names, index of common names, a list of herbarium specimen vouchers, and indexes of distribution maps, botanical illustrations, and photographs. I could not find anything to quibble with in the book itself, but I do have a complaint about getting access to it. Like many government agencies, ACIAR is set up to spend public funds, not to make money, so they tend to be unresponsive to requests for their products. My email inquiry about Fruits of Oceania has never been answered. Fortunately, I was offered a review copy so the lack of reply from ACIAR did not prevent me from obtaining this book. But would that it were in commercial production, where any inquiry from a prospective buyer brings prompt attention! I hope others will be luckier than I in finding ways to obtain it. This reference is well worth pursuing and I encourage anyone with an interest in Pacific cultures, peoples, and plants, exotic fruit species, or arboriculture to seek it out. My copy now occupies, and deservedly so, a place in the first rank of references closest to my work station.

Cultivated Plant Species Diversity in Home Gardens of an Amazonian Peasant Village in Northeastern Peru

Abstract: Research on agrobiodiversity points to the importance of home gardens in situ conservation, yet few studies to date explicate the origins and dynamics of plant species diversity. In this paper, we examine inter-household variations in cultivated plant species diversity among house gardens in a traditional peasant community, near Iquitos, Peru. In-depth household interviews (n = 24) and garden/field surveys reveal that home gardens are clearly the site of highest plant diversity in farmers’ field portfolios, and that substantial differences exist in garden composition, plant diversity, and the sources of garden planting material across households. Statistical analyses indicate that home garden diversity is related strongly to specific garden characteristics, household socioeconomic features, and access to planting material including seeds, cuttings, and suckers. The role and implications of differential access to planting material in the development and maintenance of crop species diversity is signaled as an important theme for future study in economic botany.

Guide to the Vascular Plants of Florida. Second Edition

Abstract: s and mission will provide readers with a glimpse of some of the topics that are currently under investigation in Africa. This author’s latest fieldwork efforts in Africa, between October and December 2003, lead her to prize the reports contained in this volume. The Convention for Biological Diversity has focused new attention on indigenous biodiversity in low-income countries. It empowers heads of national Gene Banks to issue stern concerns about benefit sharing and access to genetic resources. While most countries have not yet codified their regulations about access to genetic resources, anyone interested in studying plants is now subject to intense scrutiny and may be denied permission outright. It seems unfortunate that previous collaborations that were easy are prohibited, and very obscure taxa that were up to this time ignored by scientists, are stalled by overly zealous petty bureaucrats. It makes research reported in this book less achievable. Other seasoned scientists understand that this viewpoint is too narrow and the result is a loss to science as well as to their nation, but have no power to influence the new administrators. It seems that it will take half a decade or more to sort this out. Meanwhile, research subjects that are already so little investigated, have low or no economic impact, and have been thoroughly neglected continue unstudied. It is shameful to waste these opportunities while permanent loss in biodiversity of wild species, crop landraces and habitats rush ahead, unabated. DOROTHEA BEDIGIAN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY, ST. LOUIS AND MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN Tarweeds & Silverswords, Evolution of the Madiinae (Asteraceae). Sherwin Carlquist, Bruce G. Baldwin, and Gerald D. Carr (eds.). 2003. Missouri Botanical Garden Press, PO Box 299, St. Louis, MO 63166-0299. xiv 1 294 pp. (paperback). $29.95. ISBN 1-930723-20-2. The Hawaiian silversword-complex of three genera (Argyroxiphium, Dubautia, and Wilkesia: Asteraceae) represents one of the most spectacular cases of adaptive radiation in island systems. It is probably cited as a case study second only to Darwin’s finches as an example of speciation and evolution in textbooks. This eleven chapter book (8 authored by the editors) is a multi-author effort presenting all of the most up to date results of studies on the subtribe Madiinae in the sunflower family. Having all these research projects in one volume is ideal for the scientist wishing to understand the subtribe. It also will be useful as an example to students exemplifying different experimental approaches that may be used to study the evolutionary patterns of plant lineages. In the first two chapters of this book, co-editor Baldwin summarizes the natural history and morphological character variation that occurs in the continental tarweeds and the Hawaiian silverswords. These chapters describe the morphological and ecological diversity in the group which range from sea-level to alpine habitats, inhabit arid regions and one of the wettest localities in the world, are annuals and perennials, and range from herbaceous species to shrubs, large trees, vines, and monocarpic rosettes. He also discusses the variation in floral morphology and additional characters in detail. The following two chapters, by co-editor Carr, thoroughly elucidate the chromosome evolution and rearrangements that take place among the species 122 [VOL. 58 ECONOMIC BOTANY of the alliance. This led to the discovery that hybridization played a significant role in the radiation of the lineage and to artificial hybridization experiments that have even produced a tri-generic hybrid. These studies helped explain the origins of the Hawaiian species. The next three chapters are authored by the third editor, Sherwin Carlquist. These chapters focus on the anatomy of the trichomes and glandular structures (the exudate of these give the California tarweeds their common name), leaves (which range from reticulate to longitudinally oriented appearing almost parallel), and wood (which shows remarkable changes that relate to the group’s adaptation to the diverse habitats and habits). The ensuing three chapters are not by the co-editors. Chapter 8, by Bohm and Yang, surveys the secondary metabolites that vary among the lineages of the subtribe and discuss systematics of the group based on flavonoid loss and gains throughout the evolutionary history of the lineage. The subsequent chapter delves into an investigation of floral regulatory genes and the correlation of these genes to the wide phenotypic diversity in the group which was discussed by Baldwin in Chapter 2. Once again the researchers, Purugganan, Remington, and Robichaux, show the difficulty applying techniques perfected in model systems and to natural systems when the group under investigation has undergone polyploidy and chromosomal rearrangements as is the case in the silversword-complex. Coauthors Friar and Robichaux summarize the conservation concerns facing some of the rare members of the Hawaiian group and the problems of implementing preservation strategies. They use a genetic fingerprinting approach to examine genetic diversity in the remaining individuals of the Mauna Kea silversword. The last chapter by Baldwin ties the preceding ten chapters together nicely. He examines the character evolution, ecology, and biogeography of the Madiinae in a phylogenetic context. Two appendices follow that clarify the taxonomy of the group and they include a list of all taxa and synonymy and a nomenclator that reflects the most recent treatments of the tarweeds and

The Use of Wild Edible Plants in Western and Central Anatolia (Turkey)

Abstract: In this study, 121 wild edible plants used as food in Anatolia were surveyed to determine the plant parts used and their detailed preparation methods. The results of this study show that the plants may be boiled, fried in fat, and eaten raw or as rolled vegetables. They may also be consumed as pickles, fruits, sweets and spices, and drunk as cold and hot drinks. Thirty species (8 genera) were identified as belonging to the Lamiaceae family, 15 species (15 genera) belong to the Asteraceae family, 13 species (5 genera) belong to the Rosaceae family, 8 species (7 genera) belong to the Brassicaceae family, 6 species (3 genera) belong to the Orchidaceae family and 5 species (5 genera) belong to the Apiaceae family. The genera represented by the highest number of species in the study are as follows:Sideritis L. is represented by 13 species, Origanum L. by 7 species,Rubus L. by 5 species,Thymus L. by 4 species andRumex L. by 4 species.

Nutritional Values and Indigenous Preferences for Shea Fruits (Vitellaria Paradoxa C.F. Gaertn. F.) in African Agroforestry Parklands

Abstract: Samples of dried shea fruit pulp were collected from tree populations in Mali, Burkina Faso, northern Cameroon, and Uganda. A variety of analytical methods was used to measure total soluble solids (TSS), crude protein, and mineral contents. The results demonstrate that shea fruits are a rich source of sugars, protein, calcium, and potassium during the “hungry season”, when food stores run low and the energy-intensive work of preparing land for planting must be done. A companion survey of indigenous shea tree and fruit classification was carried out in study area villages. Indigenous savanna inhabitants, especially men, emphasize the importance of fruit pulp taste, while women emphasize the butter content of the nuts. Shea fruits have greater importance to the inhabitants of the drier savannas such as the Sahel, where shea fruits have been shown to have higher nutritional values. While there is currently much international interest in developing the potential of shea butter production in Africa, the role of the fruit pulp in the local diet needs to be taken into consideration in development programs.

Genetic Diversity of Traditional South American Landraces of Cassava (Manihot Esculenta Crantz): An Analysis Using Microsatellites

Abstract: The extent and structure of the genetic variability of traditional varieties of cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) have been little documented, despite considerable evidence for this crop's great varietal diversity in traditional agroecosystems. We used microsatellite markers to assess the genetic structure of traditional landraces of sweet and bitter cassava collected from five South American sites. As reference, we used a sample of 38 accessions from a world collection of cultivated cassava. For a total of 10 loci examined, we found 15 alleles that were not represented in this sample. Ten of these had been previously detected in wild Manihot species. The geographical structure of genetic variability was weak, but the genetic differentiation between bitter and sweet landraces was significant, suggesting that each form had evolved separately after domestication. Our results showed that traditional landraces form an important source of genetic diversity and merit more attention from managers of crop genetic resources.

Ethnobotanical Aspects of Some Taxa in East Anatolia, Turkey

Abstract: This paper presents a list of some medicinal plants distributed in the East Anatolia region. The list was prepared during an ethnobotanical survey of the region from 1995 to 2002. East Anatolia has a rich flora due to its variable climate and its many ecological zones. This diversity in flora provides a rich source of medicinal plants that has been long utilized by Anatolian cultures; and hence, accounts for the remarkable accumulation of medicinal folk knowledge for the region. This paper provides information about 71 useful plants grown in the region, 20 of which are reported for the first time. In addition to the scientific names, vernacular names and medicinal uses are given for each plant.

Rattan, Rubber, or Oil Palm: Cultural and Financial Considerations for Farmers in Kalimantan

Abstract: Forest-based farmers are faced with rapidly changing economic opportunities due to many factors. In response, farmers are changing their main economic activities and land uses. This study compares the financial costs and benefits of the principal land use options in two sub-districts of East Kalimantan Province, Indonesia. Financial benefits of oil palm plantation, traditional rattan gardens, intensive rubber plantation, and traditional rubber plantation are compared on a land unit basis. Oil palm is by far the most profitable, followed by rattan gardens. Rubber production, at current prices, is not profitable. Benefit-cost ratios and returns to labor, which better reflect the farmer perspective, reveal that rattan is more attractive, with oil palm in a strong second place. Non-financial considerations also help to explain the resilience of the rattan garden system. The conclusions summarize the findings and offer options to counter the strong negative impact of recent events on the rattan farmers.

History and lore of sesame in Southwest Asia

Abstract: The crop’s domestication and subsequent dispersal are reviewed from the archaeological literature and early texts. The introduction of sesame represents an agricultural innovation in Southwest Asia, since as a ‘ropical’ warm weather crop, sensitive to freezing temperatures, it is successfully grown in the region as a summer crop, by selecting cultivars that mature early. Its seeds are used as food and flavoring. The chief constituent of the seed is its prized oil, 45–60 % by weight that resists oxidative rancidity. It is used as a salad or cooking oil, an ingredient in cosmetics, in the manufacture of soaps, Pharmaceuticals, and lubricants, and was formerly used as a lamp oil. The press cake remaining after the oil is expressed is a nutritious livestock meal. Information about medieval cultivation practices and evidence of its use in early centuries is extracted from historical manuscripts. Examples of sesame in art, myth, proverb and riddle from Southwest Asia provide a comparative, cross-cultural view of its service as a symbol. A survey of culinary, medicinal and linguistic data is presented. The status of its cultivation in the last century is represented by a rare look at practices in Armenia, Syria and Yemen.

An Ethnobotanical Survey of the Beypazari, Ayas, and Güdül District Towns of Ankara Province (Turkey)

Abstract: Dietary, therapeutical, and other ethnobotanical uses of the wild plants grown in the Beypazari, Aya§, and Gudul district towns of Ankara were investigated. Information was collected by oral interviews, with 400 individuals participating in 25 selected sites. The demographic characteristics of the informants were cross-linked with the recorded plant data for purposes of statistical analysis by SPSS software. The results indicated that 82% of the informants recognized the use of wild plants for food and home remedies. Both the breadth and scope of knowledge on the use of wild plants increased significantly with the advancing age of the informants, but there was no significant correlation between the knowledge of the informants and their educational status. Altogether, the authors recorded 192 uses for wild plants in the surveyed area; these emanating from 85 plant species belonging to 31 plant families. Among the most popular uses for wild plants were for medicines (115 citations) or food (70 citations). Only 7 plants fell in the miscellaneous category.

Discovery and genetic assessment of wild bottle Gourd [Lagenaria siceraria (Mol.) Standley; Cucurbitaceae] from Zimbabwe

Abstract: Bottle gourd /Lagenaria siceraria (Mol.) Standley] is an edible, medicinal, and otherwise utilitarian domesticated cucurbit with an ancient pantropical distribution. This African native reached Asia and the Americas 9000 years ago, probably as a wild species whose fruits had floated across the seas. Independent domestications from wild populations are believed to have occurred in both the Old and New Worlds. However, few wild populations of L. siceraria have been found during recorded history and none has been verified or studied in detail. In 1992, Mary Wilkins-Ellert discovered an unusual free-living plant of Lagenaria in a remote region of southeastern Zimbabwe. Her morphological observations during several plantings of the collected seed, as well as results from two genetic analyses (random amplified polymorphic DNA and chloroplast sequencing), indicate that the Zimbabwe collection is part of a genetically distinct and wild lineage ofL. siceraria.

Medicinal Plants of the World. An Illustrated Scientific Guide to Important Medicinal Plants and Their Uses

Abstract: Women and Plants is a valuable collection of case studies from areas in Latin America, Asia, Africa, Europe, and North America. These case studies work together to help us gain a better understanding of the intricate relationship between women, plants, and the environment. The contributors of this book come from many disciplines, such as, ethnobotany, geography, agronomy, anthropology, sociology, nutrition, and gender studies. These contributors have done a wonderful job stressing the importance of including women in ethnobotanical research, in resource management planning, and in the conservation of biodiversity and certain native plant species. They have taken on the task of discussing the gender biases evident in most current scientific research, policy, and development practice relating to biodiversity management and land issues. The many international case studies offer superb examples of the vital roles women play throughout the world in their families, their communities, and their natural environments. The chapters in this book are neatly organized into five parts, each containing case studies that truly build on each other. Each part presents a theme that is essential to the analysis of women and gender relations in people–plant relationships. Part 1—Culture, Kitchen and Conservation; Part 2—Gender Relations, Women’s Rights and Plant Management; Part 3—Gendered Plant Knowledge in Science and Society; Part 4— Plants, Women’s Status and Welfare; Part 5—Gender, Biodiversity Loss and Conservation. The design of the book is visually appealing and organized. I especially like the cover photograph and the choice of colors for the cover. I personally would have appreciated one or two photographs for each of the case studies. These could have been photographs of the women, their daily activities, their fields, plant collecting areas, important plants, etc. Photos such as these sprinkled throughout the text would pull the reader into the lives of these women at a greater and a more personal level. Also, a map of the study site for each of the case studies would have been helpful in mentally picturing where these studies occurred. I feel that these two additions would highlight the culturally and geographically diverse focus of this book. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and feel as though my mind has been intellectually and culturally fed and opened at the same time. I now have a much greater understanding of and respect for those many unnoticed and unknown women whose rich knowledge is an important key to the survival of the environment and ethnobotanical knowledge. This book has definitely inspired me to take on a different and more encompassing approach when conducting ethnobotanical research in the future. I recommend this book to anyone interested in ethnobotany, gender relations, or the conservation of biodiversity and of traditional knowledge and cultures. In fact, anyone remotely interested in the health of this planet and its many inhabitants should read this book.

Eroding knowledge: An ethnobotanical inventory in Eastern Amazonia’s logging frontier

Abstract: Responding to the decline of game, fruit and fiber post-logging, communities along the Capim River in Para, Brazil, requested that research be initiated into the value of non-timber forest products. As a first step, an ethnobotanical inventory of one hectare of mature terra firme forest was conducted. The percentage use-values described reflect that Capimenses are knowledgeable about the use of many species (60% of inventoried species); however, active use has declined. Compared to other South American inventories, Capimenses demonstrate a higher degree of trade in timber, a lack of trade in non-timber products, the decreasing use of plants for technological purposes, and the description of the use of many species in the past tense. During the longitudinal study, the 15 most highly valued fruit, nut, game attracting, and medicinal tree species became included in the suite of species extracted by the timber industry.

Small-Grained Wild Grasses as Staple Food at the 23 000-Year-Old Site of Ohalo II, Israel

Abstract: More than 16 000 grains of small-grained grasses were retrieved at Ohalo II, a submerged 23 000-year-old site on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, Israel. The grains were part of a very large archaeobotanical assemblage, unique for its period and region, as well as its exceptionally good preservation. This paper proposes that these grains were a staple food at Ohalo II, based on several lines of evidence: 1. the large number of grains found; 2. the fact that all grains were fully mature; and 3. ethnographic parallels for the use of small-grained grasses in hunter-gatherers’ societies as well as among present-day agriculturalists.

Conservation of Useful Plants: An Evaluation of Local Priorities from Two Indigenous Communities in Eastern Panama

Abstract: On both theoretical and practical grounds, respect for, and inclusion of, local decision-making processes is advocated in conservation, yet little is known about the conservation priorities on local territories. We employed interviews and ecological inventories in two villages in order to (1) evaluate the local perception of the conservation status of important plant resources; (2) compare patterns of plant use; and (3) compare perceived conservation status with population structure and abundance in the field. One-third of the 35 species examined were perceived to be threatened or declining. These were predominantly used locally for construction or sold commercially, but were not necessarily rare in the field. The destructiveness of harvest was the most consistent predictor of conservation status in both villages. Contrasting patterns were found in the two villages for the frequency of plant harvest and the relationship of this variable with conservation status. We suggest that local knowledge is an efficient means to rapidly assess the status of a large number of species, whereas population structure analysis provides an initial evaluation of the impact of harvest for selected species.

Local Use and Cultural and Economic Value of Products from Trees in the Parklands of the Municipality of Cinzana, Mali

Abstract: This paper reports on the most important non-timber forest products (NTFPs) marketed and used during the dry season in Cinzana, near Segou, Mali. Data was gathered from villagers through market surveys and interviews with vendors, buyers, and key informants in traditional medicine. In the Sudano-sahelian agricultural region, NTFPs are collected from parklands, comprising of fallows and croplands. Of the 20 species, five were used in handicraft production, 11 yielded human foods, and 11 had medicinal uses. In addition, many tree species have multipurpose value: six of the 20 species were recorded to be food producers in addition to having uses for handicraft production and/or medicine. The contribution of herbaceous species to the NTFPs used and harvested during the dry season is negligible. Only one of the species was non-ligneous, indicating the large significance of tree species for local communities in a region with long seasonal dry periods.

Dietary use of wild plant resources in the Sikkim Himalaya, India

Abstract: The edible wild plants are greatly valued throughout the Himalayan region and serve as an important source of food for indigenous communities. This paper describes the botanical richness, elevational distribution and dietary use of the edible wild plant resources from the Sikkim Himalaya (Eastern Himalaya), many with promising potential. A total of 190 wild plant species have been screened from the Sikkim Himalaya, this derived from 143 genera and 78 families and accounting for nearly 15% of total edible wild plants resources of India. Of the total, 65% were edible for their fruits, 22% for leaves/shoots, 7% for flowers and 3% for roots/ rhizomes. Nearly 91 wild edible species were recorded from low-hills, 70 from mid-hills and 28 species from high-hill areas. Within Sikkim state, the North and East districts represent maximum diversity of edible wild plants due to the wilderness and inaccessibility to most of the habitats. An average rural family annually consumes nearly 8 types of edible wild plants, and a few species provide over five meals in a season. Selected plants also form a source of earning to a few families that sell them in local markets. It is suggested that the high diversity of edible plants needs to be conserved for future use. Some species may be grown in traditional agroforestry systems and on marginal lands of otherwise low agricultural value. Such measures may help protect wild plant resources in their natural habitats.

Domestication of Plants in Maya Lowlands

Abstract: The Lowland Mayan culture has been one of the most successful in Mesoamerica. Being an agricultural society, part of their success was based on plant genetic resources which satisfied their needs of social reproduction. This article reviews recent evidence on early agriculture in the geographic area where Lowland Maya culture originated, and discusses its implications for the study of plant domestication and evolution under human selection within this cultural sub-area. Questions of interest for future research are posed. As working hypotheses, we list two categories of species possibly implicated in the origin of this civilization: (1) native species that could have been the subject of local human selection or to some degree of agricultural manipulation by 3400 b.c., and (2) species that could have been introduced from other cultural areas of America by 3400 b.c. and subsequently subjected to local human selection.

Ethnobotancal Studies in the Villages of the District of Ilica (Province Erzurum), Turkey

Abstract: An ethnobotanical survey was made of the villages of the Ilica District, Erzurum Province, Turkey. The authors interviewed 130 people in 60 villages. The information so obtained was classified according to the use of plants for food, fuel, dye, and construction materials, as well as for miscellaneous uses. All in all, this study revealed 60 plant taxa that were useful to the villagers of this district.

Medicinal Plants Used to Treat Malaria in Southern Benin

Abstract: People in Benin who cannot resort to allopathic medicines provided by the pharmaceutical industry use many species of plants to alleviate malaria symptoms. Complicated mixtures of different parts of several plant species are employed orally or as a bathing substance. The inventory of 85 species and 30 mixtures bought by us in southern Benin is by no means exhaustive, but the lists serve as examples of the widespread uses in medicine in a restricted area.

Wild Edible Plants of the Sikkim Himalaya: Marketing, Value Addition and Implications for Management

Abstract: This paper presents data on marketing, value addition and management concerns of the wild edible plants of the Sikkim Himalaya. At least 23 weekly markets, locally called ‘ Hats ’, have been identified in the state, and three markets, viz. Gangtok, Namchi and Singtam, were studied in detail, for one year, with reference to the availability, quantity sold and retailers involved with the marketing of wild edible species. A total of 44 wild edible species have been recorded to be sold annually in the three markets. Among all the species,Spondias axillaris was sold in highest quantity and more retailers were involved in its business than for any other wild edible plant. Other important species wereMachilus edulis, Diplazium esculentum, Eleagnus latifolia,Dendrocalamus hamiltonii, Agaricus and Baccaurea sapida. The rural economics of wild edible plants is estimated to be some 140 tons per annum, and the prices for various species have increased over the years. At Gangtok, prices increased 3 to 6 times from 1981 to 1996–1997. Analysis of the field data showed that the wild edible plants were an important source of income to the plant dwellers and subsistence for farm families. Value addition was done to a few wild edible species, and cost-benefit analysis showed that the income from the fruits could be increased by at least 3–5 times after making pickles, squash and jam. It was recorded that plant dwellers have open access for the collection of these plant resources, which often leads to their over exploitation, and the local state government at present lacks policies and strategies for protecting and promoting wild edible plants in any of its programs. It is suggested that suitable conservation practices and policies need to be formulated to conserve these plants in the wild habitats within the state.

Wild Vegetable Resources and Market Survey in Xishuangbanna, Southwest China

Abstract: The article presents results of a field and market survey on characteristics and use of wild vegetable consumption for local ethnic groups in Xishuangbanna, SW China. A total of 284 wild vascular plant species and varieties were identified as wild vegetables consumed by three distinct native ethnic groups. These wild vegetables account for 6.1% of total vascular plant species in this area. Wild vegetables play an important role in the ethnic groups' diet and source of cash income. Based on a 10-month market survey, wild vegetables accounted for 20.6% (in weight) of total vegetable sales. The structure of income from total vegetable sales varied among ethnic groups, with high sales for those living close to dense forests. The use of wild-vegetable resources can increase income of local ethnic groups, thus contributing to the conservation of forest resources in the region.

An Ethnobotanical Study of Medicinal Plants used by the Lisu People in Nujiang, Northwest Yunnan, China

Abstract: An ethnobotanical survey was carried out to collect information on the use of medicinal plants by the Lisu people who live in the mountainous areas of the Nujiang Canyon (Salween River Valley) in Nujiang Prefecture, northwestern Yunnan Province, China. A total of 52 medicinal plants, belonging to 32 families, were reported as being used locally for the treatment of human ailments. The scientific and Lisu names, parts used, and preparation of the plants are presented. Most of these species are wild (80%), while others are domesticated (8%) or semi-cultivated (12%). Among the 52 species, 11 species (21.2%) were reported as rare and 16 were widely commercialized in the region. Over-exploitation and deforestation are the main causes for the depletion of medicinal plants in this area. The Lisu people still mostly depend on medicinal plants for their health care. The loss and endangered status of these plants will, to a certain extent, impede their existing health care system; conservation and sustainable harvest of medicinal plants in the area are urgently needed.

Tarweeds & Silverswords, Evolution of the Madiinae (Asteraceae)

Abstract: s and mission will provide readers with a glimpse of some of the topics that are currently under investigation in Africa. This author’s latest fieldwork efforts in Africa, between October and December 2003, lead her to prize the reports contained in this volume. The Convention for Biological Diversity has focused new attention on indigenous biodiversity in low-income countries. It empowers heads of national Gene Banks to issue stern concerns about benefit sharing and access to genetic resources. While most countries have not yet codified their regulations about access to genetic resources, anyone interested in studying plants is now subject to intense scrutiny and may be denied permission outright. It seems unfortunate that previous collaborations that were easy are prohibited, and very obscure taxa that were up to this time ignored by scientists, are stalled by overly zealous petty bureaucrats. It makes research reported in this book less achievable. Other seasoned scientists understand that this viewpoint is too narrow and the result is a loss to science as well as to their nation, but have no power to influence the new administrators. It seems that it will take half a decade or more to sort this out. Meanwhile, research subjects that are already so little investigated, have low or no economic impact, and have been thoroughly neglected continue unstudied. It is shameful to waste these opportunities while permanent loss in biodiversity of wild species, crop landraces and habitats rush ahead, unabated. DOROTHEA BEDIGIAN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY, ST. LOUIS AND MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN Tarweeds & Silverswords, Evolution of the Madiinae (Asteraceae). Sherwin Carlquist, Bruce G. Baldwin, and Gerald D. Carr (eds.). 2003. Missouri Botanical Garden Press, PO Box 299, St. Louis, MO 63166-0299. xiv 1 294 pp. (paperback). $29.95. ISBN 1-930723-20-2. The Hawaiian silversword-complex of three genera (Argyroxiphium, Dubautia, and Wilkesia: Asteraceae) represents one of the most spectacular cases of adaptive radiation in island systems. It is probably cited as a case study second only to Darwin’s finches as an example of speciation and evolution in textbooks. This eleven chapter book (8 authored by the editors) is a multi-author effort presenting all of the most up to date results of studies on the subtribe Madiinae in the sunflower family. Having all these research projects in one volume is ideal for the scientist wishing to understand the subtribe. It also will be useful as an example to students exemplifying different experimental approaches that may be used to study the evolutionary patterns of plant lineages. In the first two chapters of this book, co-editor Baldwin summarizes the natural history and morphological character variation that occurs in the continental tarweeds and the Hawaiian silverswords. These chapters describe the morphological and ecological diversity in the group which range from sea-level to alpine habitats, inhabit arid regions and one of the wettest localities in the world, are annuals and perennials, and range from herbaceous species to shrubs, large trees, vines, and monocarpic rosettes. He also discusses the variation in floral morphology and additional characters in detail. The following two chapters, by co-editor Carr, thoroughly elucidate the chromosome evolution and rearrangements that take place among the species 122 [VOL. 58 ECONOMIC BOTANY of the alliance. This led to the discovery that hybridization played a significant role in the radiation of the lineage and to artificial hybridization experiments that have even produced a tri-generic hybrid. These studies helped explain the origins of the Hawaiian species. The next three chapters are authored by the third editor, Sherwin Carlquist. These chapters focus on the anatomy of the trichomes and glandular structures (the exudate of these give the California tarweeds their common name), leaves (which range from reticulate to longitudinally oriented appearing almost parallel), and wood (which shows remarkable changes that relate to the group’s adaptation to the diverse habitats and habits). The ensuing three chapters are not by the co-editors. Chapter 8, by Bohm and Yang, surveys the secondary metabolites that vary among the lineages of the subtribe and discuss systematics of the group based on flavonoid loss and gains throughout the evolutionary history of the lineage. The subsequent chapter delves into an investigation of floral regulatory genes and the correlation of these genes to the wide phenotypic diversity in the group which was discussed by Baldwin in Chapter 2. Once again the researchers, Purugganan, Remington, and Robichaux, show the difficulty applying techniques perfected in model systems and to natural systems when the group under investigation has undergone polyploidy and chromosomal rearrangements as is the case in the silversword-complex. Coauthors Friar and Robichaux summarize the conservation concerns facing some of the rare members of the Hawaiian group and the problems of implementing preservation strategies. They use a genetic fingerprinting approach to examine genetic diversity in the remaining individuals of the Mauna Kea silversword. The last chapter by Baldwin ties the preceding ten chapters together nicely. He examines the character evolution, ecology, and biogeography of the Madiinae in a phylogenetic context. Two appendices follow that clarify the taxonomy of the group and they include a list of all taxa and synonymy and a nomenclator that reflects the most recent treatments of the tarweeds and

COVER ARTICLE: History and Lore of Sesame in Southwest Asia

Abstract: The purpose of this work is to present a botanical, cultural and historical portrait of sesame use in Southwest Asia, from earliest time to the present. The crop's domestication and subsequent dispersal are reviewed from the archaeological literature and early texts. The introduction of sesame represents an agricultural innovation in Southwest Asia, since as a ‘tropical’ warm weather crop, sensitive to freezing temperatures, it is successfully grown in the region as a summer crop, by selecting cultivars that mature early. Its seeds are used as food and flavoring. The chief constituent of the seed is its prized oil, 45–60 % by weight that resists oxidative rancidity. It is used as a salad or cooking oil, an ingredient in cosmetics, in the manufacture of soaps, pharmaceuticals, and lubricants, and was formerly used as a lamp oil. The press cake remaining after the oil is expressed is a nutritious livestock meal. Information about medieval cultivation practices and evidence of its use in early centu...

Development of tissue culture methods for the rescue and propagation of endangered Moringa Spp. germplasm

Abstract: Moringa is an Old-World dry tropical plant genus with great food, horticultural, industrial, and pharmaceutical potential. Although many of the thirteen known Moringa species are in danger of extinction, one species, M. oleifera Lam., is now widely cultivated. M. oleifera was therefore utilized to develop micropropagation techniques that may be applicable to the more endangered members of this genus. Immature seeds were the most responsive tissue source, and greatest success was achieved using membrane rafts and a liquid growth medium. The success rate was 73%, but the multiplication rate averaged only 4.7 shoots per culture. Most vigorous plantlet development through the transplant stage was achieved using a commercial plant preservative formulation of isothiazolones following shoot proliferation. Although there was no evidence of contamination, treatment with this microbiocide prevented early tissue senescence and it increased culture survivability.