Naturalization of alien woody plants in Kirovohrad (Kropyvnytskyi) region (on the example of the dendrological park in Novoselytsia village)

In 2021, an inventory of arboretum plantations in the village Novoselytsia, Golovanivskyi district, Kiro- vohrad region. The subject of the study was the naturalization of foreign trees and shrubs in culture. Among 50 alien taxa, 29 had the ability to reproduce freely by seed. It was found that the highest rates of naturalization are characteristic of: Kolkwitzia amabiliз, Maluз зieboldii, Prunuз paduз, P. зerotina, Tilia × europaea and spontaneous hybrid Maluз ×purpurea × M. зieboldii. These naturalized plants should be considered as part of the spontaneous regional flora.

Re-examination of the vascular plants on Hongdo Island, Korea

This study was carried out to survey the flora of Hongdo Island in Sinan-gun, Jeollanam-do, South Korea. Specimens collected from previous Hongdo flora studies were reexamined using a relevant biodiversity database, and field surveys were carried out 22 times from April of 2003 to October of 2020. Based on the specimens collected during both previous studies and this study, the identified vascular plants of Hongdo consisted of 472 taxa comprising 102 families, 296 genera, 425 species, 6 subspecies, and 41 varieties. Among them, 111 taxa are newly recorded in this study, and 6 taxa are described in detail in terms of their morphological characteristics and habitat. Also, 29 taxa were reviewed or re-identified with corresponding taxonomic annotations. In Korea, Hongdo represents the northern distributional limit of the 4 taxa of Goodyera biflora, Damnacanthus major, Calanthe aristulifera, and Hemerocallis hongdoensis. Moreover, Hosta yingeri and Saussurea polylepis are endemic to Hongdo and nearby islands in Korea. Distribution maps of these species were prepared. Protected species designated by the Ministry of Environment were 7 taxa consisting of 2 taxa of level I, specifically Sedirea japonica and Neofinetia falcata, and 5 taxa of level II, which were Cymbidium macrorhizon, Woodwardia japonica, Dendrobium moniliforme, Calanthe aristulifera, and Bulbophyllum inconspicuum. Red list plants as designated by the National Institute of Biological Resources numbered 11 taxa. Naturalized plants numbered 40 taxa.

Kalanchoe pinnata (cathedral bells).

In Queensland, Australia, K. pinnata was ranked 47 of 200 invasive naturalized plants (Batianoff and Butler, 2002). In New South Wales, Australia, it is a declared noxious weed under that state's Noxious Weed Act (1993) in the shire of Maclean. The species is listed as W2 requiring that the weed must be fully and continuously suppressed and destroyed by land managers. K. pinnata is described as a moderate invader of the Pacific islands of Hawaii, French Polynesia and Palau (Meyer, 2000). In the Galapagos Islands, K. pinnata invades disturbed sites and native vegetation (Soria et al., 2002). K. pinnata is recognized as a threat to island ecosystems by the Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk project (PIER, 2004). It continues to be made available as a garden ornamental in many countries and is therefore likely to spread further.

In Vitro Antifungal Screening of Argentine Native or Naturalized Plants against the Phytopathogen Monilinia fructicola

Background: One of the main problems that fruit health has gone through in recent years is the difficult eradication of their fungal pathogens during crops or the post-harvest stage. This concerns the whole world because it represents huge production losses, fruit export restrictions and consumer distrust. Consequently, new alternatives are sought to avoid the increasing use of fungicides that cause important damage to fruit consumers and to the environment. One of the alternatives to solve this problem could be the exploration of plants and their active compounds applied to the treatment of fruit health. Materials and methods: This article describes peach production worldwide and particularly in Argentina, in addition to the main fungal rot that causes the greatest economic losses. Furthermore, experimental in-vitro studies of 69 extracts obtained from 18 plants growing in the central region of Argentina were displayed against the devastating fungus Monilinia fructicola, which greatly affects stone fruits. A simple and effective method developed in agar plate was applied to evaluate a large number of samples in a short time. Results: Results showed that approximately 36% of the samples tested were strongly active against this pathogen, 12% were moderately active and 52% demonstrated to be inactive. Conclusion: These findings support the possible use of natural products for fruit health and the importance of deepening in this field of science.

An Exploratory Study on the Diverse Uses and Benefits of Locally-Sourced Fruit Species in Three Villages of Mpumalanga Province, South Africa

Globally, the potential of indigenous and neglected fruit species is continuously being recognized. In the current study, we explored the uses and benefits of locally available fruit species among the Mapulana people in Bushbuckridge Local Municipality. An ethno-botanical survey was conducted using in-depth interviews to record the names of the fruit species, their uses, seasonal availability, and occurrence in three villages, namely, Mokhololine, Motlamogatsane, and Rooiboklaagte B. Forty-one (41) participants aged 23 to 89 years old, identified by community members as knowledgeable on the utilization of fruit species, were interviewed. The frequency of citation (FC), use value (UV), and use report (UR) of the locally sourced fruit species were determined. The study revealed thirty-one (31) indigenous/naturalized plants belonging to 17 families with Anacardiaceae (four species) and Rubiaceae (three species) as the dominant ones. Approximately 48% of the 31 plants had FC of 100%, suggesting their high popularity in the study area. The identified plants had diverse uses that were categorized into six (6) groups and mainly dominated by food (59%) and medicine (34%). Strychnos madagascariensis had the highest (0.56) UV while Berchemia discolor, Parinari capensis, Parinari curatellifolia, and Sclerocarya birrea had the highest (6) URs. Overall, these locally sourced fruit species still play a significant role in the daily lives of the Mapulana people. The identified fruit species have the potential to be considered as alternative sources to meet the dietary requirements and health needs, especially in rural communities.

Utilization Pattern of Indigenous and Naturalized Plants among Some Selected Rural Households of North West Province, South Africa

Globally, a substantial proportion of existing indigenous and naturalized foods are often neglected thereby narrowing the food-base available to humans. The current study explored the use and contribution of indigenous and naturalized plants to the households’ food-pool among 12 communities in the North West Province of South Africa. An ethnobotanical survey was conducted among 133 rural households across the 12 selected communities from the four district municipalities in North West Province, South Africa. We analyzed the utilization patterns for 31 selected indigenous and naturalized plants (grains, fruits, and vegetables) among the 133 households using two ethnobotanical indices. In reference to the checklist of 31 plants, the sampled households utilize approximately 94% (29) as staple foods, beverages, fruits and fodder. Sorghum bicolor, Vigna unguiculata, Amaranthus sp., Sclerocarya birrea, Persea americana, and Mimusops zeyheri were among the top-six plants based on the Relative Frequency of Citation (RFC, 40–83%). In terms of the different crop-types, Sorghum bicolor (grain), Amaranthus sp. (vegetable), and Sclerocarya birrea (fruit) were the top-ranked plants based on the Species Popularity Index (SPI, 0.53–0.83) among the participants. Overall, there is a need for a renaissance of indigenous and naturalized plants, which has the potential to encourage rural farmers to further embrace the cultivation of these plants on a larger scale so as to enhance food security in the rural communities.