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In Tanzania, about 10% of the reported 12,000 species of higher plants are estimated to be used as medicine for treating different human health problems. Most of the medicinal plants are collected from wild populations, but their trade and quantities are not properly recorded. Monitoring of trade in wild-harvested medicinal plants is challenging asmostmaterials are traded in various processed forms and most vendors practice informal trade. Yet, monitoring is important for conservation and sustainability. This study aims to assess the trade of wild-harvested medicinal plant species in local markets of Tanzania and its implications for conservation. Semi-structured interviews were used to record frequency, volume of trade and uses of wild-harvested medicinal plants in Arusha, Dodoma, Mbeya, Morogoro and Mwanza regions. Relative frequency of citation and informant consensus factor were calculated for each species and mentioned use category. Forty vendors were interviewed, and 400 out of 522 collected market samples were identified to 162 species from herbarium-deposited collections. Plant parts with the largest volume of trade were roots (3818 kg), bark (1163 kg) and leaves (492 kg). The most frequently traded species were Zanthoxylum chalybaeum Engl., Albizia anthelmintica Brongn., Zanha africana (Radlk.) Exell, Warburgia stuhlmannii and Vachellia nilotica (L.) P.J.H. Hurter & Mabb. The most popular medicinal plants in the markets are connected to local health problems including malaria, libido disorders or infertility. The high diversity of commercialized plants used for medicinal issues mainly relies on wild stock for local consumption and international trade, and this has significant implications for conservation concerns. (C) 2018 SAAB. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
The corms of different Hypoxis species (Hypoxidaceae) are used for the treatment and management of a variety of human ailments and disorders in African traditional medicine. However, the used corms are morphologically similar and it is not known whether this has resulted in different species being harvested, prescribed and sold as the same species. Ethnomedicinal information regarding its use in Tanzania is scanty and the available ethnobotanical information about the plants is mostly from various studies done outside Tanzania. The objective of the study was to document the diverse uses of Hypoxis in Tanzania and study what species are used and whether preferences exist for specific species. Focus group discussions and in depth interviews with informants were done in 15 regions of Tanzania to document local uses of Hypoxis species and collect vouchers for identification. Traditional practitioners use Hypoxis to manage a variety of human illness in Tanzania, and appear to use different species indiscriminately for medicine, socio-cultural applications and for food. Medicinal uses include treatment of benign prostate hypertrophy, cancer, diabetes, gout, headache, HIV/AIDS, infertility, ringworms, stomachache, and urinary tract infections. In Tanzania, different Hypoxis species are used indiscriminately for a range of sociocultural and medicinal purposes. The reported medicinal uses could aid testing and evaluation of traditional herbal medicine and more research is needed to test their pharmacological effects. (C) 2018 SAAB. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Studies on Oberonia 3. Aberrant flowers and other floral modifications in the orchid genus Oberonia
(2018)
Orchid flowers are amongst the most conspicuous attractions that plants have generated over evolutionary epochs. However, organ homology in particular of androecium and gynoecium of orchid flowers have been, and are still, the subject of long-term discussion. Studies of aberrant - teratologic - flowers have traditionally helped to clarify organ identity in orchids. We here present for the first time teratological flowers within the florally smallest and inconspicuous orchid genus Oberonia and illustrate them by light and scanning electron microscopy. Pseudopeloria with half of a lateral petal transformed into a lip was found in O. costeriana J.J.Sm. and O. mucronata (D.Don) Ormerod & Seidenf. A supernumerary lip is known from O. mucronata. Oberonia rufilabris Lindl. is documented with multiple aberrations: triple gynostemium and a total of 10 tepals, twin flowers, and duplicate lips. We interpret these aberrations in light of known floral developmental and organ identity information.
Recently, Kocyan & Wiland-Szymańska (2016) have published a thorough research article on one of the outstanding members of the family Hypoxidaceae on the Seychelles, which resulted in the raise of a new genus (Friedmannia Kocyan & Wiland-Szymańska 2016: 60) to accommodate the former Curculigo seychellensis Bojer ex Baker (1877: 368). However, it has turned out that the name Friedmannia Chantanachat & Bold (1962: 45) already exists in literature for a green alga, which renders the new hypoxid genus illegitimate (Melbourne Code; McNeill et al. 2012). Therefore, we assign a new generic epithet to Curculigo seychellensis.
A new sequestrate Lactarius species was found in a humid evergreen tropical rainforest dominated by Fabaceae of the subfamily Caesalpinioideae in Cameroon, Central Africa. It is described here as new to science and is named Lactarius megalopterus, referring to its spore ornamentation of extraordinarily high wings. Anatomical characters and molecular systematic analyses confirm its relationship to Lactarius subgenus Plinthogali. Phylogenetic analyses based on two nuclear DNA regions revealed its close relationship to Lactarius angiocarpus, which is also an angiocarpous species from Zambia in Africa. Molecular studies have shown that tuber-like, sequestrate sporocarps evolved independently in several lineages of Basidiomycota. The findings of sequestrate fungi in tropical rainforests raise questions regarding the evolutionary benefit of enclosing the spore-producing hymenium. The enclosure of spore-producing tissue has often been associated with the protection of the delicate hymenium against desiccation in arid habitats or against frost in cold habitats. However, these cannot be the selective factors in warm and humid areas like the tropics. This controversy is exemplarily studied and discussed in the family of Russulaceae, especially in the genus Lactarius. Characters shown by the angiocarpous sporocarp of the new Lactarius, such as thick-walled statismospores, an aromatic smell and mild taste, can be interpreted as adaptations to endozoochorous spore dispersal by mammals. Therefore, here we prefer the alternative hypothesis that sequestrate sporocarps are the result of adaptation to endozoochorous spore dispersal.
Recent molecular phylogenetic reconstruction of the monocot Hypoxidaceae implies that the genus Curculigo is non-monophyletic. Curculigo seychellensis occurs on the Seychelles islands and is part of an isolated though geographically well-defined clade. However, Curculigo seychellensis differs in a wide range of character-states from other species of Curculigo and from the genus Hypoxidia, representing the sister clade of C. seychellensis. Therefore, we here propose a new-though monotypic-genus, endemic to the Seychelles: Friedmannia. A detailed reasoning combined with a whole set of new data is presented. A neotype for the genus and the species is designated here.
New combinations are made in the genera Arachnis, Brachypeza, Dimorphorchis, Grosourdya, Phalaenopsis, Renanthera, Robiquetia, Taeniophyllum, Thrixspermum, Trachoma and Trichoglottis. Two new subgenera are established in Phalaenopsis (subgen. Ornithochilus and Hygrochilus). These changes are proposed to begin aligning the genera recognized in subtribe Aeridinae with results of recent DNA analyses ( published elsewhere).
The diverse epidendroid orchid tribe Neottieae is characterized by multiple transitions between autotrophy and mycoheterotrophy, allogamous and autogamous mating systems, pollen released as tetrads or monads, and pollen exine tectate or semitectate. We use transmission and scanning electron microscopy on pollen of ten species of Neottieae to investigate whether the differences in pollen aggregation and exine micromorphology and ultrastructure reflect phylogenetic relationships, or whether this variation is subject to ecological constraints. Our results showed that differences in exine micromorphology are mostly concordant with phylogenetic relationships in Neottieae, i.e. an ascending tendency of pollen ornamentation from tectate (Cephalanthera) to semitectate (e.g. Neottia). In contrast, pollen aggregation, when plotted on the most recent phylogeny, shows repeated transitions between monads and tetrads that could be related to ecological constraints. Tetrads are present in species that are nectar rewarding, whereas monads are common in deceptive species. Cephalanthera is characterized by recalcitrant pollen, including the frequent occurrence of collapsed pollen. In this genus, the observed shifts from allogamous to autogamous or cleistogamous mating systems could help to reduce pollen damage caused by exposure to dry habitats.
A new species, Gastrochilus kadooriei, is described from Hong Kong. Notes are presented on its distribution, ecology and conservation status, and its distinguishing features are compared with those of allied taxa. Gastrochilus jeitouensis is reduced to the synonymy of G. distichus, and a lectotype is assigned for G. pseudodistichus. Gastrochilus fuscopunctatus is reinstated as an accepted species. Dichotomous keys to this taxonomically difficult group of morphologically similar species are presented.