Leea, sometimes treated as the monogeneric family L eeaceae, is sister to the rest of the grape family, V itaceae, but its systematics is poorly known. Phylogenetic relationships in L eea were ...reconstructed with parsimony and B ayesian methods using nuclear ribosomal sequences to assess species circumscriptions, morphological evolution and biogeography. The internal transcribed spacer secondary structure model for L eea facilitated homology assessments during sequence alignment. Nine morphological characters were mapped onto the phylogenetic tree. Four major clades in L eea were supported, with L .asiatica s.l. (=clade I ) as the earliest diverging clade and having plesiomorphic free stamens. Clade II , which includes the prickle-bearing species, is sister to clade III , which includes species with comparatively large flowers. Clade IV , sister to clade II + III , was resolved into four subclades. Each subclade included accessions of L .indica and L .guineensis intermixed with six other morphologically distinct species, showing the polyphyly of these two species as currently circumscribed. Flower colour, previously used to characterize species, was shown to be unreliable for species identification. Dating analyses estimated that L eea originated in Indochina in the Late Cretaceous (65-86.19Mya, 95% highest posterior density). The members of the major clades later spread to I ndia, Africa, M adagascar, S outh-East (SE) A sia and tropical A ustralasia. Major species diversification occurred in the Neogene, when dynamic environmental and geological changes in SE A sia presented new ecological niches.copy 2012 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2012, blackblack, blackblack-blackblack.
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Societal Impact Statement
Rafflesia
is a genus of parasitic plants with the largest flowers in the world, unique to the threatened forest habitats of tropical Asia. Here, we report on genes that are ...active (the transcriptome) in
Rafflesia
seeds as part of a larger effort to understand
Rafflesia
.
Rafflesia
has never been grown successfully outside of its native range. Consequently, seed banking is not yet possible, precluding a critical management strategy for conservation. The study of
Rafflesia
seed biology is a critical step to improve its cultivation, which will educate the public about unique species and the importance of conserving their habitats.
Summary
Rafflesia
is of great interest as one of the only two plants known to have completely lost its chloroplast genome.
Rafflesia
is a holoparasite and an endophyte that lives inside the tissues of its host, a tropical grape vine (
Tetrastigma
), emerging only to bloom—with the largest flower of any plant. Here, we report the first
Rafflesia
seed transcriptome and compare it with those of other plants to deepen our understanding of its extraordinary life history.
We assembled a transcriptome from RNA extracted from seeds of the Philippine endemic
Rafflesia speciosa
and compared this with those of other plants, including
Arabidopsis
, parasitic plants
Striga
and
Cuscuta
, and the mycoheterotrophic orchid
Anoectochilus
.
Genetic and metabolic seed pathways in
Rafflesia
were generally similar to the other plant species. However, there were some notable exceptions. We found evidence of horizontal transfer of a gene potentially involved in circumventing host defenses. Moreover, we identified a possible convergence among parasitic plants because
Rafflesia
,
Striga
, and
Cuscuta
shared important similarities. We were unable to find evidence of genes involved in mycorrhizal symbiosis, suggesting that mycoheterotrophy is unlikely to play a role in
Rafflesia
parasitism.
To date, ex situ propagation of
Rafflesia
by seed has been mostly unsuccessful. Our research is a bold step forward in understanding the fundamentals of
Rafflesia
seed biology that will inform the continued propagation and seed‐banking efforts concerning this recalcitrant plant. We discuss our findings in the broader context of the conservation of a genus in peril.
Ang
Rafflesia
ay isang uri ng parasitikong halaman na may pinakadambuhalang bulaklak sa buong mundo. Ito ay matatagpuan lamang sa mga nanganganib na tropikal na kagubatan ng Asya. Hindi pa napalalago ang
Rafflesia
sa labas ng Asya. Dahil dito, hindi pa posible ang seed banking na mahalaga sa konserbasyon ng
Rafflesia
. Pinag‐aralan namin dito ang genetics ng buto o liso ng
Rafflesia
upang maunawaan ang mga prosesong nagaganap sa loob nito. Ang pag‐aaral na ito ay isang kritikal na hakbang sa pagpapalago ng
Rafflesia
upang ito ay mapreserba at maipalaganap ang malasakit ng publiko sa mga namumukod tanging halaman at lupalop na kanilang pinanggagalingan.
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Symbolanthus (Gentianaceae; ring-gentians) is a neotropical, montane plant genus with over 30 species, distinct in having large tubular flowers with an interior corona at the base of the stamens. The ...genus was previously thought to include only three species in the Andes, the widespread S. calygonus (with 20 morphotypes) and the narrow endemics S. microphyllus and S. pauciflorus. This revision documents a new total of 14 Symbolanthus species from Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia, and S. calygonus s. str. is shown to be a Central Peruvian endemic. Resurrected species include S. daturoides (Peru), S. mathewsii (Ecuador and N. Peru, including S. macranthus), and S. obscure-rosaceus (Peru). Symbolanthus mathewsii is morphologically polymorphic and is subdivided into three subspecies, including two new subspecies (S. mathewsii subsp. cutervoensis subsp. nov. and S. mathewsii subsp. vaccinioides subsp. nov.). Six new species are described. Symbolanthus condorensis sp. nov. and S. jasonii sp. nov. are from Cordillera del Condor (S. Ecuador, N. Peru). The first lowland, white-sand species known in the genus is S. albo-arenicolus sp. nov. from eastern Peru. New from Peru are also S. incaicus sp. nov., S. nebulosus sp. nov., and S. pascoensis sp. nov. Symbolanthus brittonianus and S. australis, previously Bolivian endemics, also occur in Peru. IUCN redlist categories are presented for all species based on area of occupancy, distribution of subpopulations and habitat threats. Symbolanthus jasonii, S. mathewsii subsp. cutervoensis, S. pauciflorus and S. obscure-rosaceus are critically endangered (CR). Seven species and one subspecies are evaluated as endangered (EN): Symbolanthus albo-arenicolus, S. australis, S. brittonianus, S. calygonus, S. condorensis, S. daturoides, S. incaicus, and S. mathewsii subsp. vaccinioides. Symbolanthus mathewsii subsp. mathewsii is low risk (LR). Distribution patterns resulting from biogeographic and topographic causes, morphological characteristics and infraspecific variation and pollination are discussed. A checklist of all currently accepted Symbolanthus species in the Neotropics is included.
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24.
DNA Barcoding of Philippine Herbal Medicinal Products Pedales, Ronniel D; Damatac, Amor M; Limbo, Carlo A ...
Journal of AOAC International,
2016-Nov-01, 2016-11-01, 20161101, Volume:
99, Issue:
6
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
The Philippine government established the Traditional and Alternative Medicine Act in 1997 to promote traditionally used herbal products and to provide an effective yet affordable alternative to ...conventional medicines. However, government regulation of herbal medicinal products (HMPs) is not stringent, relying only on submitted quality data from the manufacturer. In this study we validated the taxonomic identity of 26 plant samples contained within 22 HMPs, each produced by different local manufacturers, through DNA barcoding of the nuclear internal transcribed spacer-2 (ITS2) region. We recovered 19 ITS2 barcodes from 26 samples. These were compared to sequences in GenBank using MEGABLAST, but ambiguous results (similar max scores for different species) were phylogenetically analyzed. Twelve of the 19 samples matched the indicated species on the product label, three were equivocal in specific identity but were placed in the expected genus, and four other samples from three manufacturers contained contamination and/or substitution. GenBank's reference database was at times problematic because some sequences were lacking or were misidentified, but the database was still useful. Overall, ITS2 barcoding was successful in authenticating the HMPs, and it is recommended during the premarket evaluation process so as to obtain a certificate of registration from the government. The government should also develop a comprehensive database of barcodes for Philippine plants, and should prioritize the development of the traditional pharmacopeia because many locally produced HMPs are not indigenous.
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Leea D. Royen ex L. is the sole member of the tropical family Leeaceae, which is closely related to the economically important grape family, Vitaceae. Both comprise the order Vitales. In spite of its ...affinity with the grape family, Leea's molecular systematics has remained unexplored. This study presents the first phylogeny (chapter 1) of Leeaceae using molecular markers to provide an evolutionary framework to understand its taxonomy, morphological evolution (chapter 2), ecology (chapter 3), and biogeography (chapter 4). Ridsdale (1974, 1976) estimated that there are 34 Leea species inhabiting the tropics of Africa and Asia. DNA sequences for the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and the 5S non-transcribed spacer (NTS) were extracted and amplified from leaf material of 22 species, representing the morphological and geographical diversity of Leea. The ITS secondary structure for the type species, L. aequata L., facilitated homology assessments in ITS sequence alignments, while 5S-NTS data helped resolve terminal relationships. The concatenated matrix was used to estimate the phylogeny and divergence times and generate the topology for ancestral area reconstructions. Area optimization was also performed on the Vitales topology estimated from previously published sequences to locate the geographic origin of Leeaceae, but either an out-of-Asia (i.e. Indochina) or out-of-India origin was inferred possible. The molecular phylogeny recovered four major clades, with the Indian/Indochinese L. asiatica (L.) Ridsdale (clade I) diverging 65.5 mya from the rest of the family. Its primitive trait of free stamens supports its position as the earliest-diverging clade. Clades II, III, and IV form a monophyletic group that had evolved in the Eocene (50.8 mya) in Indochina and/or West Malesia and exhibit the derived feature of fused stamens. Clade II, the spine-bearing species, is sister to Clade III, whose species have large flowers. Clade IV, which is unique in having multi-pinnate leaves and small stipules, evolved by the end of the Oligocene (25.6 mya) and comprise the polyphyletic 'species' (sensu Ridsdale) L. guineensis G. Don and L. indica (Burm. f.) Merr. nested among other morphologically discernible species. The radiation of Leea species mostly occurred in the Neogene (1.8-23.0 mya) during a time of dynamic geological and environmental changes in Southeast Asia. Africa and Australia were also colonized by Neogene dispersals of Asian Leea. Current species circumscriptions of L. guineensis and L. indica underestimate the genetic diversity of the genus and need to be revised. An updated checklist of 47 species reflecting clades recovered by the molecular phylogeny is presented including resurrected and putative new species. Field studies of three sympatric Philippine Leea morphospecies have revealed that habit and ecology must be considered in species circumscriptions.
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