Essential oil content, chamazulene content and antioxidative properties of Achillea millefolium agg. extracts from Slovenia

The study aimed to clarify some biochemical properties, important for the phytopharmaceutical use of yarrow from the A. millefolium agg.. The study comprised 41 populations from Slovenia. The most abundant taxa were included: Achillea millefolium L., A. roseoalba Ehrend., A. collina (Wirtg.) Becker ex Rchb., A. distans Waldst. & Kit. ex Willd., A. pannonica Scheele, A. pratensis Saukel & R.Länger and A. nobilis L. Assessment of essential oil content with the steam distillation method showed no significant difference between taxa. Essential oil content was the lowest in A. collina (6.50 ml kg-1 of dry matter), followed by A. pannonica (7.75 ml kg-1), A. distans (8.50 ml kg-1), A. nobilis (9.40 ml kg-1), A. pratensis (9.65 ml kg-1), A. nobilis × A. millefolium (12.25 ml kg-1), A. roseoalba (12.75 ml kg-1) and A. millefolium (13.50 ml kg-1). The content of azulenes was determined by photometrical measurement of chamazulene in essential oil extracts. Chamazulene was only present in the diploid taxon and one tetraploid taxon, i.e., A. roseoalba (0.16 % of dry plant mass) and A. collina (0.05 %). The differences in antioxidative capacity of extracts from different taxa were not statistically significant, so we can assume that specific antioxidative capacity is not bound to a specific taxon or ploidy level.

Revision of Fothergilla (Hamamelidaceae), including resurrection of F. parvifolia and a new species, F. milleri

Fothergilla is a small genus of deciduous shrubs native to the southeastern United States that depending on circumscription comprises two to four species. Recent treatments recognized only two species in the genus: F. gardenii (tetraploid) and F. major (hexaploid). Until recently, no diploid taxon of Fothergilla was known. However, recent investigations identified a number of diploid populations in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. A subsequent phylogenomic analysis showed that the diploids segregated into two, well-supported lineages, corresponding to largely allopatric populations. A re-examination of the morphology of diploid plants, in combination with the genetic evidence, has led us to the recognition of two species of diploids in the genus – a resurrected F. parvifolia and a new species (F. milleri W.D. Phillips & J.E. Haynes, sp. nov.) – bringing the total number of recognized species in Fothergilla to four. A revised taxonomic treatment of the genus is provided.

Equisetum ×moorei Newman (Equisetaceae) – a ‘new’ nothotaxon in the Polish flora

To investigate present and historical distribution of Equisetum ×moorei in Poland and its habitat requirements, field studies at sites of potential occurrence of this hybrid taxon as well as literature and herbarium search were performed. As a results of these investigations, E. ×moorei was found at five contemporary and at a few historical localities in the present territory of Poland. Since the Equisetum populations near Olkusz (S Poland) showed phenotype similar, to some extent, to triploid hybrid E. ×ascendens, we performed nuclear DNA content analysis of these populations. However, it turned out that the investigated individuals belonged to a diploid taxon that can be ascribed to E. ×moorei.

Interspecific hybrids involving the recently described diploid taxon Avena atlantica

Chromosome pairing affinities of interspecific hybrids involving the newly discovered species Avena atlantica with A. strigosa, A. hirtula, A. prostrata, A. damascena, A. maroccana, and A. sativa are described. The complete and regular chromosome pairing observed in the hybrids involving A. hirtula and A. strigosa confirms the genomic designation to be AsAs. The chromosome pairing in the A. prostrata, A. damascena, A. maroccana, and A. sativa hybrids indicates that A. atlantica is no more closely related to these species than the other members of the AsAs genomic group. Key words: Avena, meiosis, hybridization, phylogeny.

Spore studies in the genus Gymnocarpium

Scanning electron microscopy was used to examine the variation in perispore characters within and between six currently recognized taxa of the genus Gymnocarpium Newm. in North America. Representative scanning electron micrographs are presented and depict the perispore features observed. Spores of those taxa studied here do not each possess a distinctive morphology providing practical species discrimination, rather they all exhibit similar patterns of variation. Spore size was also examined and shown to be correlated to ploidy level, permitting positive identification of the diploid taxon G. dryopteris ssp. disjunctum from the tetraploid G. dryopteris ssp. dryopteris.

SPECIES RELATIONSHIPS IN THE LOTUS CORNICULATUS GROUP AS DETERMINED BY KARYOTYPE AND CYTOPHOTOMETRIC ANALYSES

An analysis was made of chromosome morphology and, by Feulgen cytophotometric measurements, of the nuclear deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) content of L. corniculatus and related diploid species of the L. corniculatus group (L. alpinus, L. borbasii, L. corniculatus var. brachyodon, L. filicaulis, L. japonicus, L. krylovii, L. pedunculatus, L. schoelleri, L. tenuis) and L. coimbrensis of the L. aegeus group. The idiogram of L. coimbrensis differed markedly from those for the species of the L. corniculatus group, which were considerably more uniform. Lotus pedunculatus was the only species with chromosomes bearing satellites. Since L. corniculatus has a somatic chromosome number of 24, compared to L. corniculatus var. brachyodon with 12, the latter represents a new diploid taxon which should receive further taxonomic study. DNA values differed between the species, and in general, total complement lengths were correlated with DNA values. It is suggested that classical karyotype analysis may not be a suitable method to investigate the parentage of the tetraploid, L. corniculatus, because of chromosomal repatterning which has occurred during the evolutionary development of the closely related diploid species.