Integrating Taxonomic Names and Concepts from Paper and Digital Sources for a New Flora of Alaska

The taxonomic foundation of a new regional flora or monograph is the reconciliation of pre-existing names and taxonomic concepts (i.e., variation in usage of those names). This reconciliation is traditionally done manually, but the availability of taxonomic resources online and of text manipulation software means that some of the work can now be automated, speeding up the development of new taxonomic products. As a contribution to developing a new Flora of Alaska (floraofalaska.org), we have digitized the main pre-existing flora (Hultén 1968) and combined it with key online taxonomic name sources (Panarctic Flora, Flora of North America, International Plant Names Index - IPNI, Tropicos, Kew’s World Checklist of Selected Plant Families), to build a canonical list of names anchored to external Globally Unique Identifiers (GUIDs) (e.g., IPNI URLs). We developed taxonomically-aware fuzzy-matching software (matchnames, Webb 2020) to identify cognates in different lists. The taxa for which there are variations between different sources in accepted names and synonyms are then flagged for review by taxonomic experts. However, even though names may be consistent across previous monographs and floras, the taxonomic concept (or circumscription) of a name may differ among authors, meaning that the way an accepted name in the flora is applied may be unfamiliar to the users of previous floras. We therefore have begun to manually align taxonomic concepts across five existing floras: Panarctic Flora, Flora of North America, Cody’s Flora of the Yukon (Cody 2000), Welsh’s Flora (Welsh 1974) and Hultén’s Flora (Hultén 1968), analysing usage and recording the Region Connection Calculus (RCC-5) relationships between taxonomic concepts common to each source. So far, we have mapped taxa in 13 genera, containing 557 taxonomic concepts and 482 taxonomic concept relationships. To facilitate this alignment process we developed software (tcm, Webb 2021) to record publications, names, taxonomic concepts and relationships, and to visualize the taxonomic concept relationships as graphs. These relationship graphs have proved to be accessible and valuable in discussing the frequently complex shifts in circumscription with the taxonomic experts who have reviewed the work. The taxonomic concept data are being integrated into the larger dataset to permit users of the new flora to instantly see both the chain of synonymy and concept map for any name. We have also worked with the developer of the Arctos Collection Management Solution (a database used for the majority of Alaskan collections) on new data tables for storage and display of taxonomic concept data. In this presentation, we will describe some of the ideas and workflows that may be of value to others working to connect across taxonomic resources.

Morpho-phenological characterization of grape (Vitis vinifera L.) germplasm grown in northern zones of Punjab, Pakistan

This endeavor includes thirty grapes’ genotypes grown in northern zones of Punjab, Pakistan to determine similarities and dissimilarities in forty-four morphological traits according to the descriptor “International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI)”. The relation between the genotypes was determined by principal component analysis (PCA), and similarity was worked out by using cluster analysis. The dendrogram divided the genotypes into two main groups with classes and subclasses. The variation present within the class was up to 81.72% while the difference between classes was 18.28%. The morphological quantitative traits such as bunch length, bunch width, bunch weight, peduncle length, the weight of 10 berries, number of berry in a bunch, berry length, and berry width were in the following range 27.50-11 cm, 13.75-5 cm, 583.56-77.70 g, 6.50-1.55 cm, 53.70-9.70 g, 354-28, 27.37-11.40 mm and 18.06-10.41 mm respectively, which indicated a wide level of diversity in the selected genotypes. Based on phenological attributes, “Regina”, “Perlet”, and “Early White” were found early maturing genotypes to prevent berry rotting due to monsoon rains at the final stage of ripening. The data generated in this study would be helpful to preserve the existing germplasm and be available for designing future breeding programs.

Forest Biosecurity in Canada – An Integrated Multi-Agency Approach

In Canada, forest biosecurity is primarily under federal jurisdiction as the federal government is the signatory to the International Plant Protection Convention and other international trade agreements. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), which is Canada’s National Plant Protection Organization, has the mandate of analyzing risks, setting policy, and managing incursion responses related to forest biosecurity. Other federal government agencies play important roles; the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) enforces regulations at international ports of entry and the Canadian Forest Service of Natural Resources Canada conducts research and analysis in support of the development and implementation of phytosanitary regulations. The provinces and territories also manage invasive species through implementing regulations to prevent the spread of established forest pests. This paper outlines the regulatory framework for forest biosecurity within Canada, and provides case studies of species that have invaded Canadian forests or are anticipated to do so in the near future.

Phytosanitary examination: Ukraine experience and international standards

The article explores Ukraine’s experience in conducting phytosanitary expertise based on international standards. It was stated that Ukraine should develop a series of draft in national legislation in the field of quarantine and plant protection, which would be adapted to the legislation of the European Union and at the same time meet the requirements of the International Plant Protection Convention. In this area, Ukraine has already partially implemented some structural reforms in the phytosanitary sector, but these processes require continued state support and encouragement, international coordination that will facilitate the development of agriculture in general. Such coordination can be undertaken primarily in the framework of international universal organisations within the UN system, in particular within FAO. It has been emphasised that Law of Ukraine No. 2501-VIII “On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine on Regulation of Some Phytosanitary Procedures” came into force on February 2, 2019. Among the innovations are the granting of the right to carry out expert examination to private laboratories, new terms in the field of plant quarantine and the creation of the Register of Phytosanitary Certificates issued. It has been concluded that Ukraine is currently actively applying international standards, participating in their development and registering official translations of international standards for phytosanitary measures. Developing national and applying international standards, as a key factor in creating a quality system in the field of plant quarantine, not only ensure full fulfilment by Ukraine of its obligations under the IPPC and SPS, agreeing on the phytosanitary safety of exported quarantine cargoes, but also increase the competitiveness of the domestic vegetal products in the world market. This creates a positive image of Ukraine as a reliable trading partner that does not violate the requirements of other countries and guarantees the conformity of product quality, phytosanitary procedures to internationally recognised standards. Therefore, for qualified phytosanitary examinations, the mechanism of guaranteeing compliance with national and international standards, amending legislation, introducing effective penalties for violation of the rules and procedure for conducting phytosanitary examinations should be a promising area

Phoma tracheiphila (Mal secco).

P. tracheiphila is a conidial fungus causing serious damage and death to the host, particularly lemon [Citrus limon], in Citrus and related genera, in Mediterranean countries and the Black Sea region. So far, however, it is unknown in Spain, Portugal and Morocco, as well as other major citrus-growing regions of the world. This fungus is of concern to many international plant protection organizations and must be prevented from being spread in infected propagative material. It was once reported as seedborne in lemon, but there is no further evidence of this means of transmission. Once in the orchard, the fungus can be carried as spores from pycnidia and from hyphae on the plant and on fallen debris by rain, wind and irrigation water, and perhaps by birds and insects.

Ecology, Morphology, Distribution, and Use of Sesbania tchadica (Sesbania Sesban) from the Republic of Chad: A Review

This study on the leguminous plant Sesbania tchadica has made it possible to highlight its description, specification and identification in N'Djamena region S. tchadica (Sesbania Sesban Merr. (L)) is an annual tree that measures more than 4 meters in height. This species is abundant especially in Ndjamena. In most of the district of Ndjamena, S. tchadica was the most common type. S. tchadica shows a rapid early growth and grows well in various soils especially sandy siltstone and silty shale. The local inhabitants use the species in many ways: as a medicine, a livestock feed, for improving soil fertility, for fuelwood and to repel desert encroachment. In this study, various academic publishing websites like Science Direct, Springer Nature, some online international plant databases, and other national data herbaria from the republic of Chad were used to identify, describe and summarize the research literature on Sesbania Sesban. This paper also describes the morphological characteristics observed in Sesbania Sesban from the republic of Chad and its taxonomy to assist in future program evaluations.

Clave dicotómica para las especies de Solanum (Solanaceae) en México

Antecedentes: El género Solanum (Solanaceae) incluye hierbas anuales, hierbas perennes y epífitas, lianas herbáceas, bejucos, sufrútices, arbustos y árboles. Las flores son pentámeras, gamosépalas y gamopétalas con corolas estrelladas, pentagonales o rotadas y anteras dehiscentes por poros apicales. El fruto es una baya. Solanum es uno de los 10 géneros más ricos de angiospermas e incluye a 1,234 especies. México es un centro de diversificación del grupo, pero su variación morfológica y la existencia de un número grande de nombres publicados dificultan su identificación. Preguntas: ¿Cuántas especies de Solanum crecen en México? ¿Qué características morfológicas son importantes para su identificación? Taxón de estudio: Solanum Sitio de estudio: México Métodos: Se revisaron los ejemplares de Solanum depositados en 15 herbarios y 10 colecciones digitales. Los nombres se validaron en Tropicos, The Plant List, International Plant Names Index y Solanaceae Source. También se obtuvieron e imprimieron los protólogos y los tipos nomenclaturales depositados en Global Plants. Para la elaboración de las claves, observamos la variación de caracteres vegetativos y reproductivos y su distribución geográfica. Resultados: Identificamos la presencia de 134 especies de Solanum agrupadas en 22 secciones. Elaboramos claves para las secciones y para las especies dentro de cada sección. Por último, mostramos fotografías representativas del género. Conclusiones: México es un centro de diversificación de Solanum y el grupo, a su vez, es un buen representante de la riqueza de angiospermas mexicanas. Claves para Solanum de México facilitarán su identificación en campo y herbarios.