Showing papers in "Nordic Journal of Botany in 2021"

A survey of traditional medicinal plants used to treat common human and livestock ailments from Diguna Fango district, Wolaita, southern Ethiopia

Abstract: Plants have been used as a traditional medicine for many years for the people of Wolaita, Ethiopia. The aim of the study was to record the local knowledge of the peoples who inhabit the Diguna Fango district. A semi‐structured interview was conducted with a total of 60 informants. Totally, 50 species belonging to 24 families were identified to treat 28 human and livestock ailments. Solanaceae (14.3%) was the most abundant family whereas; the Rosaceae (1.00) had the highest family use value (FUV). Most of the plants (82%) were reportedly used to treat human diseases. Herbs (34%) were the dominant growth habits, followed by trees (33%). The leaves (30%) were identified as the most used plant part. The most common methods of remedy preparations were eating and chewing (18.2% each) followed by grinding (13.61%). Oral (73.3%) was the major route of administration, followed by dermal (21.7%). The cardiovascular system diseases category (1.00) had a higher informant consensus factor value followed by the fever disease category (0.90). Croton macrostachyus Hochst. ex Delile, Commelina benghalensis L., Triticum dicoccon (Schrank) Schubl. and Pentas arvensis Hiern (100%) had a higher fidelity level to treat swelling, chirt (skin diseases), weight gain and bone fractures, respectively. Persea americana Mill. was ranked highest as the most preferable medicinal plant for various purposes by local people, followed by Acacia abyssinica Benth. The principal threatening factors reported were charcoal production (26%), agricultural expansion (15%) and firewood (14%). Out of the plants and their uses documented, 16% of the medicinal plants and 28.6% of the uses were novel. The present study showed the existence of indigenous knowledge of medicinal plants to treat human and livestock ailments. Therefore, there should be mentoring for the local people in the study area to conserve their indigenous knowledge and resources.

Spatial variation in scent emission within flowers

Abstract: Floral scent is considered an important long-distance signal that attracts pollinators, but also has been suggested to function at shorter distances such as within-flower nectar guides or as a defense against antagonists. Indeed, in some species floral scent production and emission show spatial patterns of variation within flowers, as certain compounds are exclusively emitted from specific floral tissues. In other species, the different volatile organic compounds that constitute the floral bouquet are emitted evenly from the entire flower. Here, we summarize the current evidence on floral scent variation within flowers by combining a literature review of published data on tissue-level floral scent variation (41 species) with floral scent dissections (17 species). For each species, we recorded the total number of volatile compounds separately and grouped in major chemical classes. To facilitate comparisons across diverse species, we compared volatiles emitted by 1) the whole flower, 2) the visual floral tissues (i.e. petals and colored structures), 3) non-visual floral tissues (i.e. green parts and reproductive structures), as well as 4) the compounds emitted by both visual and non-visual tissues. Results show that floral scent variation is frequent, but by no means ubiquitous, occurring in species from distantly related groups. We discuss the two main functional hypotheses promoting floral scent variation within flowers, i.e. as a pollinator attractant at short-distances or a defensive function against antagonists, together with non-functional hypotheses (e.g. pleiotropic effects, ecological costs). We point out further directions on this topic and suggest experimental approaches testing the attractiveness of compounds emitted by different floral parts alone and in combination with other floral signals. Our synthesis provides a foundation for future studies on the functional ecology of floral scent and reinforces the idea of high complexity in floral chemical signals. (Less)

Hybrids between Rubus idaeus and Rubus sect. Corylifolii and their relation to R. pruinosus and R. rosanthus

Abstract: We have studied hybrids between Rubus idaeus and various members of R. sect. Corylifolii, primarily in Sweden. With the help of DNA-ploidy level determinations using flow cytometry and microsatellite DNA analysis of over 500 samples, we show that the material can be divided into four stable apomictic species (belonging to subsect. Subidaei) and a large number of primary hybrids. Stable species can be recognised by a distribution that is distinct from the Corylifolii parent, a uniform morphology and an almost invariant genetic pattern. We confirm that R. cordatiformis has arisen from the hybrid R. eluxatus × idaeus. Moreover, our study shows that R. lagerbergii has arisen from the hybrid R. dissimulans × idaeus. For R. onsalaensis, we unexpectedly identify the Corylifolii ancestor as a previously unidentified species with a very restricted distribution in the northern part of the province of Halland, which is here described as R. antecedens. Furthermore, we show that R. pruinosus s. str. has arisen from the hybrid R. aureolus × idaeus and that it is known only from a rather restricted area in the provinces of Smaland, Ostergotland and Sodermanland in eastern Sweden. On the other hand, the great majority of what has been called R. pruinosus is a diverse collection of primary hybrids between R. idaeus and various R. sect. Corylifolii species, which show a large variation both genetically and morphologically. The same applies to R. rosanthus, which represents R. norvegicus × idaeus hybrids: The microsatellite analysis shows that they have arisen independently and therefore should be considered as primary hybrids. We also identified primary hybrids between R. idaeus and R. gothicus (by far the most common hybrid in Sweden), R. aureolus, R. camptostachys, R. decurrentispinus, R. eluxatus, R. friesianus, R. hallandicus, R. lidforssii and R. norvegicus. (Less)

Competitors and ruderals go to town: plant community composition and function along an urbanisation gradient

Abstract: Urbanisation is expected to function as a filter for plant species by changing the physiochemical environment, causing species turnover along an urbanisation gradient. Analyses of the functional traits of species characteristic of different urbanisation levels allow for comparisons across studies, irrespective of exact species composition. This study aims to examine how plant species and functional traits vary with urbanisation. An independent dataset obtained through the Global Biodiversity Information Facility was used to validate the identified indicator species. The study was performed in Trondheim, Norway. Indicator species of two different urbanisation levels were identified from a structured plot vegetation survey, and their functional traits were contrasted. The functional trait patterns were compared to patterns identified from an independent GBIF dataset. Changes in species composition along the urbanisation gradient identified a shift in environmental‐ and anthropogenic variables, filtering species with different functional traits. Indicators of urban areas displayed higher SLA, nitrogen affinity and disturbance tolerance than indicators from non‐urban areas. Not all functional trait differences observed between the indicator species from the vegetation survey were recognised in the independent dataset from GBIF. Nevertheless, the overall trends were consistent. Urbanisation favours species adhering to different trait syndromes than species outside of urban areas; disturbance‐over stress‐tolerance, and species adapted for rapid resource acquisition rather than species adapted for resource conservation.

Three overlooked species of Bacidia from insular Laurimacaronesia

Abstract: 1 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– © 2021 The Authors. Nordic Journal of Botany published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Nordic Society Oikos This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Subject Editor and Editor-in-Chief: Torbjörn Tyler Accepted 12 January 2021 2021: e03055 doi: 10.1111/njb.03055 00 1–11

Floral scent and pollinator visitation in relation to floral colour morph in the mixed-mating annual herb Collinsia heterophylla

Abstract: Even though floral scent is of major importance for pollinator attraction, it is less investigated than other floral traits. Previous studies suggest the importance of joint exploration of olfactory and visual floral cues to understand plant-pollinator interactions. We investigated flower scents in Collinsia heterophylla, a bee-pollinated, annual herb a with mixed-mating system combining self- and outcross-pollination. In Collinsia, floral size and development variation is related to mating system, ranging from large-flowered mixed-mating species to small-flowered self-pollinated species. However, to our knowledge, flower scent has not been described in any species in the genus. We also studied whether flower-emitted volatiles were coupled to presence versus absence of a coloured band on the upper lip within a population in C. heterophylla, and if these colour morphs affected pollinator visitation. We performed headspace collections of volatiles in the greenhouse from potted flowering plants, and compared these to controls in the bud stage. Flower-specific volatiles were highly dominated by terpenoid compounds typical of bee-pollinated plants, such as beta-myrcene, (Z)- and (E)-ocimene and sesquiterpenes (E)-alpha-bergamotene and beta-sesquiphellandrene. The aliphatic ester methyl hexanoate was also prominent, together with additional esters, whereas methyl cinnamate constituted the only aromatic compound. Floral colour morphs showed no qualitative difference in volatiles, but the coloured morph produced significantly higher quantities for seven of the 26 individual flower compounds. A field experiment performed within a natural population, using behavioural observations and florescent dyes dusted on the flowers, could not detect any differences in pollinator visitation between colour morphs. We conclude that C. heterophylla flowers emit volatile compounds commonly associated with attraction of their most important pollinators. It would be highly interesting to explore the function of floral scent for pollinator attraction and relate floral scent to mating system variation across Collinsia for a better understanding of pollinator influence on floral evolution.