Nomenclature standards and DNA barcoding of apple varieties originated by VIR Crimean Experimental Breeding Station

Current pace of breeding technologies relies on a tighter control of quality and identity of breeding achievements. Thereby, standardised variety nomenclature becomes of particular relevance to store original genetic information and warrant authenticity of the breeding product. A nomenclature standard regulates the variety’s name and habitus. A herbarium specimen is most appropriate for standardisation, since it defines a set of strongly inherited morphological characters for a variety. Nomenclature standards must be permanently stored in a scientific herbarium collection. The N. I. Vavilov All-Russian Institute of Plant Genetic Resources (VIR) in alliance with national plant breeders initiated a first nomenclature standard collection of national-breeding cultivars. Aside to classical herbarising, the collection utilises molecular genetic techniques, particularly genotyping, to enable extended variety verification. The VIR team has developed the nomenclature standards of six apple varieties originated by the Crimean Experimental Breeding Station, a VIR Branch (Beloe Solntse, Zolotoy Potok, Kubanochka, Leto Krasnoe, Luchistoe and Shchedrost). The standards are supplemented with DNA barcodes obtained jointly with the N. I. Vavilov Institute of General Genetics. Fifteen microsatellite markers were used for barcoding. The herbarium nomenclature specimens adhered to the VIR-developed protocol in accordance with the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants (ICNCP). The specimens are registered in the VIR Herbarium database and deposited in the World Crop Wild and Weed Relatives (WIR) Herbarium type collection.

Nomenclatural standards of apple cultivars developed at Sverdlovsk Horticultural Breeding Station. Part I

Researchers of the N.I. Vavilov All-Russian Institute of Plant Genetic Resources (VIR) and Sverdlovsk Horticultural Breeding Station developed nomenclatural standards for 18 apple cultivars released at the said station: ‘Aksyona’ (WIR-53949), ‘Blagaya Vest’ (WIR-53950), ‘Danila’ (WIR-53952), ‘Isetskoye Pozdneye’ (WIR-53953), ‘Iset Belaya’ (WIR-53954), ‘Krasa Sverdlovska’ (WIR-53955), ‘Papiroyantarnoye’ (WIR-53956), ‘Pervouralskaya’ (WIR-53957), ‘Rodnikovaya’ (WIR-53958), ‘Rumyanka Sverdlovskaya’ (WIR-53959), ‘Sverdlovchanin’ (WIR-53960), ‘Serebryanoye Kopyttse’ (WIR-53961), ‘Sokovoye 3’ (WIR-53962), ‘Tavatuy’ (WIR-53963), ‘Uralets’ (WIR-53964), ‘Fakel’ (WIR-53965), ‘Fermer’ (WIR-53966), and ‘Ekrannoye’ (WIR-53967). Nomenclatural standards serve to confirm the authenticity of a cultivar and its name. They should be kept perpetually in the scientific herbarium collection. Herbarium specimens of nomenclatural standards are formatted in accordance with the recommendations of the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants (ICNCP), registered in the VIR Herbarium Database and included in the Herbarium of Cultivated Plants of the World, Their Wild Relatives, and Weeds (WIR).

Nomenclatural standards of black currant cultivars bred by Sverdlovsk Horticultural Breeding Station. Part I

In the herbarium of cultivated plants of the world, their wild relatives and weeds (WIR) a collection of nomenclatural standards for cultivars of domestic breeding is being created. Nomenclatural standards are carriers of the authenticity of the genetic information of the breeding achievements and should be kept indefinitely in the scientific herbarium collection. A herbarium sample collected with the direct participation of an expert, which can be the author of the cultivar or official representative of the author's breeding organization, is designated as the nomenclature standard. The nomenclatural standard confirms the originality of the cultivar, protects the copyright of its creators. The article publishes the nomenclature standards of 10 black currant (Ribes nigrum L.) cultivars, bred at Sverdlovsk Horticultural Breeding Station from 1983 to 1997 and included into the State Register of Breeding Achievements: Akkord (WIR-54112), Vasilisa (WIR-54115), Vympel (WIR-54118), Globus (WIR-54119), Dobry Dzhinn (WIR-54121), Pilot (WIR-54127), Slavyanka (WIR-54129), Udalets (WIR-54132), Fortuna (WIR-54133), Shaman (WIR-54134). In addition to the description of the nomenclature standards, the distinctive taxonomic and economically valuable traits of each cultivar are given. Herbarium samples of nomenclature standards are made in accordance with the recommendations of the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants (ICNCP), registered in the database "VIR Herbarium" and included in the Herbarium of cultivated plants of the world, their wild relatives and weeds (WIR).

FIRST ASCERTAINABLE RECORD OF LUDWIGIA PEPLOIDES FROM ROMANIA

Ludwigia peploides (Kunth) P.H.Raven - Floating primrose-willow - is native to wetlands of North, Central, and South America, and widely distributed across Africa, Australia, and Asia, and in Europe, where it is listed by EU Regulation no. 2016/1141 as an Invasive Alien Species (IAS) of Union concern. A photograph of the species from Romania taken in the Sai River Valley (Teleorman County) was published on the Facebook online platform in 2018. This first record, however, lacked further details on the observed specimen or any accompanying herbarium material that would ascertain its correct taxonomic assignation. By carrying out our own field surveys between October and November 2020 we hereby confirm the presence of the species Ludwigia peploides as a new addition to the Romanian alien flora. We identified many specimens occurring along the Sai River Valley, between Olteanca and Turnu Magurele localities. We further present preliminary data regarding the distribution, affected habitats, and population extent of Ludwigia peploides in the investigated area. Although several hypotheses can be proposed on the origin of this species in Romania, our current data cannot strongly support any of them. Plant specimens were deposited in the Herbarium collection of the D. Brandza Botanic Garden of the University of Bucharest (BUC).

Diversity and potential utilization of medicinal plants in Way Kambas National Park

The lowland forest area of Section I Way Kanan, Way Kambas National Park, possesses abundant medicinal tree species. This study aims to identify the medicinal tree species and their potential uses. Data collection was carried out by an inventory of all tree species by the belt transect method on a 100 m x 10 m. All plants were sampled for the herbarium, recorded, identified, and then analyzed for their usefulness. Data analysis was carried out to obtain the accuracy of scientific names, using the comparative identification approach, comparing herbarium samples from the field with herbarium specimens from Heyne’s collection at the Forest Botanical Herbarium, Forest Research and Development Center, Bogor. The identification results using herbarium specimens recorded 24 medicinal tree species of the 20 genera and 20 families. Based on Heyne’s Herbarium collection, 13 tree species of the 11 genera and 11 families possess the potential for medicinal and food. Among these species, the community still uses medicinal trees, such as Artocarpus elasticus, Baccaurea bracteata, Bouea oppositifolia and Cinnamomum iners. In general, people use medicinal plants when a family member is sick or used as tonics and supplements to maintain endurance.

Moss occurrences in Salair-Kuznetsk Region (Altai-Sayan mountain country)

In the flora of large regions, mosses comprise about a quarter of the total diversity of higher plants. However, now mosses are the least studied group of higher plants. Data on moss species distribution are fragmentary, especially in Russia with its vast expanse and low density of botanists. The author for many years has been studying the bryoflora of various areas of the Salair-Kuznetsk Region. In addition to the herbarium collection, the author's bryological relevés were organised as a Database. It stores all the assembled information for the years about the locations of the species, including when the specimens were not placed in the herbarium. The article describes three datasets that were arranged from the author's databases for three geomorphological units in the northwest of Altai-Sayan mountain country (South Siberia). Together, these three units are combined into the Salair-Kuznetsk Region. The datasets are: 1. Moss occurrences in the Kuznetsk upland. The dataset consists of 3940 occurrence records and includes both preserved specimens (1135) and ‘human observations’ of the author (2805). The material was collected mainly from 1992-2011; some samples collected by A. N. Vasiliev in 1970-1971 (165) were also taken into account. A total of 312 moss taxa belonging to 135 genera and 41 families are reported for the region. 2. Moss occurrences in Salair Ridge. The dataset consists of 2442 occurrence records and includes both preserved specimens (553) and ‘human observations’ of the author (1889). The material was collected mainly from 1992-1996; a total of 231 moss taxa belonging to 119 genera and 35 families are reported for the region. 3. Moss occurrences in Kuznetsk Depression. The dataset consists of 1690 occurrence records and includes both preserved specimens (281) and ‘human observations’ of the author (1409). The material was collected mainly from 2007-2014; a total of 155 moss taxa belonging to 85 genera and 30 families are reported for the region. All the records are geo-linked. The uncertainty of coordinates in metres varies from 500.0-10000.0 m for the earliest records that are geo-linked by topo-map, to 10.0-100.0 m for records after 2003 that are geo-linked by GPS. The article summarises the results of the author's long-term bryological investigations in the Salair-Kuznetsk Region (northwest of Altai-Sayan mountain country, South Siberia). In total, 8072 occurrence records for 366 moss species from 148 genera and 41 families are published for the territory. The datasets contribute to filling gaps in the moss species distribution and ecology.

Forgotten carpological collection of Professor Ivo Horvat discovered and digitized

The carpological collection of Professor Ivo Horvat, a famous Croatian botanist of 20th century, was saved from oblivion, after its unexpected discovery at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Zagreb in 2019. As many as 515 diaspores (fruits and seeds) of 486 vascular plant taxa were systematised and digitised and the nomenclature was updated. A comprehensive comparison of Horvat’s carpological and herbarium collection (ZAHO) revealed a large amount of overlap. A large photo-catalogue was created and will be publicly accessible through the Flora Croatica Database.

A checklist of aquatic macrophytes of the Guaraguaçu river basin reveals a target for conservation in the Atlantic rainforest

Describing and understanding distribution of species in natural ecosystems is the first step to establish conservation efforts. In aquatic habitats, macrophytes play a central role in promoting biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. This study aimed to create the first checklist of aquatic macrophyte species occurring in the Guaraguaçu river, the largest river in Paraná State coast, Brazil. Species herborized, identified and incorporated into the Herbarium collection of the Universidade Federal do Paraná. A total of 47 species were registered corresponding to 37 genera and 29 botanical families; Cyperaceae and Poaceae were the most representative families. In addition, the wide invasion of the non-native species Urochloa arrecta (Hack. ex T. Durand & Schinz) Morrone & Zuloaga was registered and the presence of the floating-leaved non-native species Nymphaea caerulea Savugny was recorded. Even so, the inventory shows a noteworthy richness of aquatic macrophytes species in the Guaraguaçu river, and it is clear macrophyte species reflect a gradient of anthropic impact and salinity in this tidal estuarine river. Our study contributes to the creation of public policies to aid in the protection of this river that represents a central site for biological conservation efforts, yet is constantly threatened by anthropic activities.

Aquatic plants of Croatia: Data derived from the ZA herbarium collection

As many as 963 herbarium sheets featuring 76 aquatic plant taxa from the ZA collection were digitised and published online through the Virtual Herbarium. Aquatic plants have been collected over a period of 176 years, with three peaks (second decade of the 20th century, in the 1940s and 1950s, and in the current decade). Most of the specimens were collected in Croatia and a smaller number in neighbouring and geographically close countries. The importance of the collection is expressed through the specimens of many rare and threatened species, because it represents the only evidence of their presence in Croatia (the regionally extinct Caldessia parnassifolia, as well as Luronium natans, Callitriche platycarpa, C. truncata, C. hermaphroditica, Potamogeton alpinus, P. compressus, P. polygonifolius, Nuphar × spenneriana and Sparganium minimum). The collection in ZA is a valuable source of data about the historical and recent distribution of aquatic plants that constitute a foundation for the estimation of distribution changes, threat assessment and conservation policies.

The type specimens in Eugen von Halácsy´s Herbarium Graecum

Greece, as one of the European biodiversity hotspots, is long since in the focus of botanical investigations. Among historical researchers significantly contributing to the floristic and taxonomic exploration was Eugen von Halácsy, a Viennese physician and botanist. He was the first and so far last author of a complete Greek flora, the Conspectus Florae Graecae, and has compiled a seminal herbarium collection of plant specimens originating from Greece. This Herbarium Graecum of approx. 26,000 vouchers, is today held by the Herbarium of the University of Vienna (WU). Investigations for original material in this collection yielded a total of 1,439 (approx. 5.5 %) vouchers. The current type status was checked for the entire material, the vouchers were databased, photographed and geo-referenced, and the data are made publicly available here. These results are presented in an annotated catalogue including 19 lectotypifications, in order to contribute to the still extremely active field of plant biodiversity research in Greece.