Floral diversity

A new hybrid Serpocaulon × sessilipinnum A. Rojas & J.M. Chaves is described. The new taxon has characters intermediate between S. fraxinifolium (Jacq.) A.R. Sm. and S. ptilorhizon (Christ) A.R. Sm., which are related mainly with leaf size, rhizome scales, shape and division of blade, shape and width of pinnae, number of areolae and sori series, and shape and color of spores.

Roadkill is widely recognized as one of the primary negative effects of roads on many wildlife species and also has socioeconomic impacts when they result in accidents. A comprehensive dataset of roadkill locations is essential to evaluate the factors contributing to roadkill risk and to enhance our comprehension of its impact on wildlife populations and socioeconomic dimensions. We undertook a compilation of roadkill records, encompassing both published and unpublished data gathered from road surveys or opportunistic sources. GLOBAL ROADKILL DATA includes 208,570 roadkill records of terrestrial vertebrates from 54 countries across six continents, encompassing data collected between 1971 and 2024. This dataset serves to minimise the collection of redundant data and acts as a valuable resource for local and macro scale analysis regarding rates of roadkill, road-and landscape-related features associated with risk of roadkill, vulnerability of species to road traffic, and populations at risk of local extinction. The objective of this dataset is to promote scientific progress in infrastructure ecology and terrestrial vertebrate conservation while limiting the socioeconomic costs.

Mustafa Adil Özder, I. ve II. Dünya Savaşı'nın getirdiği zorluklara rağmen, Türk halk kültürü üzerine özveriyle çalışan önemli bir folklor araştırmacısıdır. Türkiye'nin çeşitli bölgelerinde, özellikle de Artvin ilinde, at sırtında yıllarca süren saha çalışmaları yapmış ve 40 yılı aşkın süre boyunca derlemeler gerçekleştirmiştir. Özder'in bu emek dolu çalışmaları, bugün Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı'nın "Nadide Eserler" arşivinde korunmaktadır. Bu eserlerin bir kısmı kitaplaştırılmış olsa da, önemli bir bölümü hâlâ bilim dünyasının ilgisini beklemektedir. Elinizdeki bu çalışma, Mustafa Adil Özder'in 1971 yılında Ay Matbaası tarafından basılan "Resimli Artvin İli Bilgileri I. Kitap" adlı eserine dayanmaktadır. Orijinal metne sadık kalınarak hazırlanan bu yeni baskının amacı, eseri 54 yıl sonra tekrar okuyucuyla buluşturmak ve Artvin'in tarihi, coğrafi ve kültürel dokusunu günümüze taşımaktır. Özder'in eseri tek bölümden oluşmaktadır. Ancak daha anlaşılır ve bütüncül bir yapı sunabilmek adına, wikipedia.org gibi açık kaynaklardan destek alınmış; Artvin'deki köyler, nehirler, yaylalar ve göller hakkında atıflarla bilgi eklenmiştir. Bu bilgiler, çalışmanın ikinci bölümünü oluşturmakta ve birinci bölüme tamamlayıcı nitelikte katkı sağlamaktadır. Orijinal eserde yer alan birçok görsel, teknik yetersizlikler nedeniyle yeterince net değildir. Bu nedenle söz konusu görseller bu baskıya eklenmemiştir. Ayrıca, Özder'in köy ve bucakların ilçelere göre dağılımını sunduğu tablolar korunmuş, ancak orijinalde harflerle gösterilen başlıklandırmalar, bu çalışmada rakamlarla ifade edilmiştir. "İlçemizde Folklor" başlığı altında Özder, oldukça sınırlı açıklamalara yer vermiştir. Bu nedenle ilgili konular genişletilerek kitabın son bölümünde "

Clethra concordia D. A. Neill, H. Beltran & Quizhpe (Clethraceae), a thin-stemmed shrub or treelet from the sandstone Machinaza plateau in the Cordillera del Condor region on the Peru-Ecuador border, is described and illustrated. The new species is distinct from other species of Clethra L. in its small

Aconitum toxicum belongs to Aconitum subgen. Aconitum sect. Cammarum subsect. Cammarum ser. Toxica (in Europe including A. degenii, A. lasiocarpum, A. pilipes, A. toxium). Aconitum toxicum is endemic to southeastern Europe, with its center in the Southern and Eastern Carpathians and some disjunct areas on the Bihar mts. and on the Balkans. This species is divided into 3 subspecies: subsp. bucegiense (only in the eastern part of the Southern Carpathians), subsp. crispulum (in the Southern Carpathians) and subsp. toxicum (throughout the whole area). On the Balkans this species was also named A. bosniacum (synonym of subsp. toxicum, described by variable characteristics). The distribution of A. toxicum on the Balkans is proved by the evidence of herbarium material from Serbia (just one toponym), from Bosnia (mainly south of Sarajevo) and from Montenegro (just one toponym). In Flora Croatica database we can find two spots of this species for Croatia. One spot is situated W of Bihać on Bosnian territory. The second spot is NW of the town Ogulin, on the way from mt. Klek to mt. Kobeljak in about 900 m altitude. There exist no herbarium specimen from this region to be proved as A. toxicum. Additionally, I was very close to this toponym twice and the only blue flowering Aconitum growing there is A. variegatum. I recommend to exclude Aconitum toxicum from the checklist of the flora of Croatia.

The results of field studies provide a general account of the distribution of cyperaceous plants in the Flora of
Marathawada, Maximum cyperaceous plants were collected from wetland and river. Frequent visits were made
during September to January near of Jaikwadi dam and specimens were collected and processed. The
specimens were identified with the help of floras and available literature.  Sedge vegetation can be categorized
in different ecological groups which are discussed in the present paper.
Keywords: Distribution, Cyperaceae, Near the Jaikwadi dam.

IntroductionRecent decades have seen a major international effort to inventory tree communities in the Amazon Basin and Guiana Shield (Amazonia), but the vast extent and record diversity of these forests have hampered an understanding of basinwide patterns. To overcome this obstacle, we compiled and standardized species-level data on more than half a million trees in 1170 plots sampling all major lowland forest types to explore patterns of commonness, rarity, and richness.MethodsThe ~6-million-km2Amazonian lowlands were divided into 1° cells, and mean tree density was estimated for each cell by using a loess regression model that included no environmental data but had its basis exclusively in the geographic location of tree plots. A similar model, allied with a bootstrapping exercise to quantify sampling error, was used to generate estimated Amazon-wide abundances of the 4962 valid species in the data set. We estimated the total number of tree species in the Amazon by fitting the me...

Beekeeping is a viable agribusiness enterprise of smallscale farmers, and other rural and non-rural people. Despite the many returns bees give including the increasing industry stakeholders and trained beekeepers, local honey production remains very low; hence, this study was conducted to determine the profile and status of bee enterprises in Region 1 and CAR. Demographic profile, level of motivation along the STEEP factors, and enterprise profile, were gathered employing semi-structured questionnaire. Interviews and secondary data were also employed. Results revealed that majority (78.95%) belong to the working age population (21-60 years old). There were more male (75.44%) and married (78.95%) beekeepers but women participation (24.56%) was also observed. Beekeepers had a relatively high literacy rate and 98.1% completed bee trainings. More than half (68.42%) were officers/members of community organizations but they were just part-time beekeepers because they had other/main source of family income. Environmental influences e.g., vegetation, were "very highly motivating factors in engaging to. Apiary sites conformed to standards of location appropriateness and resources availability, and all beekeepers practiced migration for higher honey production. They had total colony holdings of 1,097.5 standard (10-framer), with an average of 27.44 colonies each. This classified them as commercial beekeepers based on the Philippine National Standards. Lowland and upland honey flows

Beekeeping is a viable agribusiness enterprise of smallscale farmers, and other rural and non-rural people. Despite the many returns bees give including the increasing industry stakeholders and trained beekeepers, local honey production remains very low; hence, this study was conducted to determine the profile and status of bee enterprises in Region 1 and CAR. Demographic profile, level of motivation along the STEEP factors, and enterprise profile, were gathered employing semi-structured questionnaire. Interviews and secondary data were also employed. Results revealed that majority (78.95%) belong to the working age population (21-60 years old). There were more male (75.44%) and married (78.95%) beekeepers but women participation (24.56%) was also observed. Beekeepers had a relatively high literacy rate and 98.1% completed bee trainings. More than half (68.42%) were officers/members of community organizations but they were just part-time beekeepers because they had other/main source of family income. Environmental influences e.g., vegetation, were "very highly motivating factors in engaging to. Apiary sites conformed to standards of location appropriateness and resources availability, and all beekeepers practiced migration for higher honey production. They had total colony holdings of 1,097.5 standard (10-framer), with an average of 27.44 colonies each. This classified them as commercial beekeepers based on the Philippine National Standards. Lowland and upland honey flows

Croton euryphyllus W.W.Sm. (Euphorbiaceae) is reported here as a new distributional record for India from the Longding District of Arunachal Pradesh. The species was encountered during an ethnobotanical survey of the Wancho tribe, where it is primarily grown as a natural fence and traditionally used to stupefy fishes for catching. This record extends the known distribution of C. euryphyllus from Yunnan, China, to northeastern India. A comprehensive morphological description, habitat details, and ethnobotanical relevance with the Wancho tribal community. In addition, probable means of migration of the species from Yunnan to Patkai Hills also has been discussed.

Os objetivos deste trabalho foram em sete municípios do Oeste Baiano: i) realizar o levantamento das espécies vegetais em parcelas estabelecidas; ii) delimitar os ambientes savânicos de interflúvios, hidromórficos e de transição Cerrado/Caatinga; iii) agrupar as espécies pelos ambientes delimitados; e iv) verificar se as espécies registradas estão na lista vermelha de espécies em extinção. Parcelas e subparcelas foram estabelecidas de 10 em 10 km2 para identificação das: i) espécies vegetais arbóreas (> 5 cm de diâmetro a 30 cm do solo), na parcela 50 x 50 m; ii) espécies arbustivas em uma área quadrada de 25 m2; e iii) gramíneas, ervas e trepadeiras, em uma área quadrada de 1 m2. A delimitação espacial dos ambientes de interflúvio, hidromórfico e de transição Cerrado/Caatinga foram realizadas através de interpretação das imagens de satélite Alos e Landsat. Análise de Correspondência canônica foi utilizada para agrupar as espécies aos ambientes. 658 espécies vegetais foram amostr...

Guárico. El muestreo se realizó con el método del marco conocido, determinando previamente el área mínima de muestreo. En 15 puntos de muestreo se lanzó al azar un cuadro metálico de 0,25 m 2 y dentro de éste se contaron, colectaron y identificaron las plantas arvenses. Se calcularon los parámetros poblacionales de densidad, frecuencia y dominancia; también se determinó el índice de valor de importancia (IVI). Se reportaron 24 especies de arvenses distribuidas en 14 familias botánicas. La familia Poaceae fue la más representada con cinco especies seguida de Asteraceae con tres especies. Las de mayor densidad fueron Cyanthillium cinereum, Bidens pilosa y Lindernia crustacea, con valores de 216, 209 y 90,67 plantas•m -2 . Las más frecuentes fueron L. crustacea y Digitaria sanguinalis con valores de 90 y 80 %, respectivamente. Los mayores valores de dominancia fueron reportados para las especies B. pilosa, L. crustacea y D. sanguinalis, con 24,08; 23,50 y 13,59 %, respectivamente. Por su parte, las especies con los mayores índices de valor de importancia (IVI) fueron B. pilosa (0,50), L. crustacea (0,45), D. sanguinalis (0,31) y C. cinereum (0,28). Se evidenció la biodiversidad de arvenses presentes en este tipo de sistemas de producción. Palabras clave adicionales: Densidad, frecuencia y dominancia de malezas, índice de valor de importancia, sistema agrícola

Gunung Kajang is one of the main area in Pulau Tioman, Pahang Darul Makmur. It is therefore, important to study her ecosystem and documenting various existing biodiversity components for management and conservation purposes. The Management and Utilization of Biological Resources Unit from Strategic Resources Research Centre (SR), MARDI Headquarters was tasked with documenting the rare and wild edible fruit species from the region and collecting the wild genetic resources of plants from this area for conservation purpose. From this survey, 51 families of flowering plants were identified, consists of 131 species, followed by monocotyledons with 11 families and 32 species. On the other hand, gymnosperm was represented by 3 species only, namely Agathis borneensis, Gnetum latifolium and Podocarpus polystachus. There were 26 species of rare and wild edible fruit species that are important for the food security and food sources for the wild animals community here. Many wild fruit species f...

The number of ovules per flower varies over several orders of magnitude among angiosperms. Here we consider evidence that stochastic uncertainty in pollen receipt and ovule fertilization has been a selective factor in the evolution of ovule number per flower. We hypothesize that stochastic variation in floral mating success creates an advantage to producing many ovules per flower because a plant will often gain more fitness from occasional abundant seed production in randomly successful flowers than it loses in resource commitment to less successful flowers. Greater statistical dispersion in pollination and fertilization among flowers increases the frequency of windfall success, which should increase the strength of selection for greater ovule number per flower. We therefore looked for evidence of a positive relationship between ovule number per flower and the statistical dispersion of pollen receipt or seed number per flower in a comparative analysis involving 187 angiosperm specie...

Se presenta un listado florístico de la Cañada La Chacona-Juan Crispín, Chiapas, dentro de los municipios de San Fernando, Tuxtla Gutiérrez y Berriozábal, Chiapas. Se reportan 642 especies y 31 infraespecies, agrupadas en 107 familias y 412 géneros. En Bosque Tropical Caducifolio, Bosque Tropical Subcaducifolio y Bosque de Quercus dentro de los municipios de San Fernando, Tuxtla Gutiérrez y Berriozábal, Chiapas. El Bosque tropical caducifolio fue el de mayor riqueza. Las familias mejor representadas fueron Fabaceae, Asteraceae y Euphorbiaceae. Tillandsia , Eugenia y Euphorbia fueron los géneros con un mayor número de especies. Las hierbas conformaron la forma de crecimiento más abundante (34.4%). Se encontraron 13 especies endémicas a Chiapas y 19 de distribución restringida. Quince especies están en alguna categoría de riesgo dentro de la Norma Oficial Mexicana (NOM-059-SEMARNAT-2010) y 12 se encuentran en la Lista Roja de la Unión Internacional para la Conservación de la Naturalez...

Over the past decades, both wild and domesticated insect pollinators are in dramatic decline, which puts at stake the existence of species, ecosystem resilience and global food security. Globally, 87 of major food crops depend on animal pollination. Together these account for 35 % of the world food production volume. Pollinator mediated crops are indispensable for essential micronutrients in the human diet. Many ornamental plants as well as crops for fibre, fodder, biofuels, timber and phytopharmaceuticals also depend on insect pollinators. This article aims to map the current situation of pollinators worldwide, with a focus on the critical role of pollinators in the human food chain and ecosystem sustainability, their intrinsic and extrinsic value, as well as the causes of their declines and the interventions needed to conserve them, in order to develop an argument for the importance of conserving and restoring pollinator populations and diversity. The present pollinator crisis threatens global and local food security, can worsen the problems of hidden hunger, erodes ecosystem resilience, and can destabilise ecosystems that form our life support system. An integrated approach that simultaneously addresses the key drivers is needed. This includes creation and restoration of floral and nesting resources, a global phase out of prophylactic use of neonicotinoids and fipronil, improvement of test protocols in authorisation of agrochemicals, and restoration and maintenance of independence in regulatory science. The authors argue that an international treaty for global pollinator stewardship and pollinator ecosystem restoration should be initiated in order to systemically counteract the current crisis.

Agroforestry is an age-old practice of growing forest crops and shrubs in and around agriculture field. Cultivating tree species, agricultural crops and pastures and/or animals in the same piece of land is ancient and still widespread in Nepal. These systems, combine tree species and shrubs with farm  crops  and livestock with interactive benefits.  The  agroforestry practice varies with physiographic region and within the physiographic region varies with locations. The study con-ducted to explore and document the agroforestry practices prevailing in terai and mid-hills of Nepal. One hundred and forty agroforestry farms in forty-four districts of predefined transects were surveyed; in addition Division Forest Offices, Agriculture Knowledge Centers and related stakeholders were consulted.  The study showed that agroforestry practices were different and mostly traditional agroforestry practices were adopted in terai and mid-hills, however the species composition varies.  Agro-forestry practices in terai were tree-based commercial agroforestry practices, focused on tim-ber species such as eucalyptus, tectona, poplar. Similarly,  agroforestry practices in the central parts of mid-hills were farm-based subsistence practices dominated by fruits and fodder trees whereas, farm-based commercial practices  were widely adopted in western and eastern mid-hills  dominated by tea, coffee, cardamom, and some other minor forest products.  Coffee, tea, cardamom, orange were the primary product whereas, fodder and fruit trees were secondary products. The agroforestry practices  were  adopted  mostly by well-off households  (i.e.  having more farmlands) in terai and midhills. Limited technical know-how among the farmers, farm labor shortage, limited market linkages, fragmentation of land and increasing number of dry days are the considerable challenges in the agroforestry practices in both regions.  Increasing abandoned areas and degraded forest areas in the region have widened the scope of agroforestry.  Agroforestry practices and species com-position  needs  to  improve for  sustainable productivity  and adoptability along  with improve-ment in environmental condition of the region.

Based on written records and specimens of the new species, Xylopia nilotica D. M. Johnson & N. A. Murray (2018), described from Uganda and west of the Nile in Sudan and South Sudan, we have mapped the species. We find that it also occurs east of the Nile in South Sudan and in western Ethiopia. Its habitats range from open rain forest to open woodland. Modelling the potential distribution of X. nilotica suggests that it occurs in the periphery of the upper Nile basin, but it is probably undercollected. The potential distributions of X. longipetala (a Guineo-Congolian species) and X. holtzii Engl. (an East African coastal species), distinct but previously considered conspecific with X. nilotica, only marginally overlap with that of X. nilotica, which is endemic to the countries Uganda, South Sudan, Sudan, and Ethiopia, apparently a unique pattern of endemism. The new information does not change the assessment of X. nilotica as Vulnerable (VU). Other species of Xylopia in North Eastern Tropical Africa are X. rubescens Oliver and X. thomsonii Oliver in the Equatoria region of South Sudan, and X. rubescens, X. staudtii Engl. & Diels, and X. aethiopica (Dunal) A. Rich. in Uganda. A record of X. aethiopica in Ethiopia is based on false label information on the only known specimen.

The continuation of the adventures of a specimen of Otala lactea (Müller, 1774) encountered in 2018 in a garden in the 'Groene
hart' (Green Heart) in the west of the Netherlands is described. The specimen survived the winter of 2022-2023 by production of an epiphragm.

Sub-Saharan Africa is under-represented in global biodiversity datasets, particularly regarding the impact of land use on species' population abundances. Drawing on recent advances in expert elicitation to ensure data consistency, 200 experts were convened using a modified-Delphi process to estimate 'intactness scores': the remaining proportion of an 'intact' reference population of a species group in a particular land use, on a scale from 0 (no remaining individuals) to 1 (same abundance as the reference) and, in rare cases, to 2 (populations that thrive in human-modified landscapes). The resulting bii4africa dataset contains intactness scores representing terrestrial vertebrates (tetrapods: ±5,400 amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals) and vascular plants (±45,000 forbs, graminoids, trees, shrubs) in sub-Saharan Africa across the region's major land uses (urban, cropland, rangeland, plantation, protected, etc.) and intensities (e.g., large-scale vs smallholder cropland). This dataset was co-produced as part of the Biodiversity Intactness Index for Africa Project. Additional uses include assessing ecosystem condition; rectifying geographic/ taxonomic biases in global biodiversity indicators and maps; and informing the Red List of Ecosystems.

The cataloging of the vascular plants of the Americas has a centuries-long history, but it is only in recent decades that an overview of the entire flora has become possible. We present an integrated assessment of all known native species of vascular plants in the Americas. Twelve regional and national checklists, prepared over the past 25 years and including two large ongoing flora projects, were merged into a single list. Our publicly searchable checklist includes 124,993 species, 6227 genera, and 355 families, which correspond to 33% of the 383,671 vascular plant species known worldwide. In the past 25 years, the rate at which new species descriptions are added has averaged 744 annually for the Americas, and we can expect the total to reach about 150,000.

India is a diverse country with many religions, and worship and offerings to deities play a significant role in people's daily lives. Floral offerings are commonly used in religious ceremonies and are a symbol of devotion and respect, therefore, temples generate a large amount and variety of flower waste. When not properly disposed of, temple waste, including floral waste, can end up in landfills or water bodies, where it can cause environmental problems. Discarded floral waste can also harm wildlife, clog drainage systems, and contribute to water pollution. Here we will discuss about the temples of Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. The majorly offered flowers in temples are marigold, rose, jasmine, chrysanthemum, hibiscus, etc. Tagetes erecta commonly called marigold is offered in tremendous amounts, so there is an urgent need to manage it sustainably. The primary product we extracted is the essence named 'Pushpsar' and secondarily essential oil from it. These flowers contain secondary metabolites, so the essential oil has significant medicinal value. Furthermore, the slurry by-product is used to make bio fertilizers, overall the flower waste which was disposed off earlier in the Holy Saryu River, now used as valuable products in sustainable modus.

Diatoms are unicellular, photosynthetic (autotrophic), eukaryotic algae. They belong to class Bacillariophyceae. In this work, 18 water samples were collected (3 from each site) from 6 different Ghats of Ayodhya i.e. Guptar Ghat, Raj Ghat, Ram Ghat, Lakshman Ghat, Janki Ghat, Naya Ghat. Water samples were collected from the surface of water. Following research, a total of 27 genera of diatoms were found. These diatom genera had significant ecological importance and were also crucial to criminal investigations involving post-mortem or anti-mortem drowning. Apart from 27 genera identification few diatom genera were found as site specific, these are Cymbella,

The number of ovules per flower varies over several orders of magnitude among angiosperms. Here we consider evidence that stochastic uncertainty in pollen receipt and ovule fertilization has been a selective factor in the evolution of ovule number per flower. We hypothesize that stochastic variation in floral mating success creates an advantage to producing many ovules per flower because a plant will often gain more fitness from occasional abundant seed production in randomly successful flowers than it loses in resource commitment to less successful flowers. Greater statistical dispersion in pollination and fertilization among flowers increases the frequency of windfall success, which should increase the strength of selection for greater ovule number per flower. We therefore looked for evidence of a positive relationship between ovule number per flower and the statistical dispersion of pollen receipt or seed number per flower in a comparative analysis involving 187 angiosperm specie...

Alpine grassland vegetation supports globally important biodiversity and ecosystems that are increasingly threatened by climate warming and other environmental changes. Traitbased approaches can support understanding of vegetation responses to global change drivers and consequences for ecosystem functioning. In six sites along a 1314 m elevational gradient in Puna grasslands in the Peruvian Andes, we collected datasets on vascular plant composition, plant functional traits, biomass, ecosystem fluxes, and climate data over three years. The data were collected in the wet and dry season and from plots with different fire histories. We selected traits associated with plant resource use, growth, and life history strategies (leaf area, leaf dry/wet mass, leaf thickness, specific leaf area, leaf dry matter content, leaf C, N, P content, C and N isotopes). The trait dataset contains 3,665 plant records from 145 taxa, 54,036 trait measurements (increasing the trait data coverage of the regional flora by 420%) covering 14 traits and 121 plant taxa (ca. 40% of which have no previous publicly available trait data) across 33 families.

In this work we propose the recognition of two well defined morpho-types of Pteridium from eastern South America: P. arachnoideum subsp. arachnoideum s. str., wide-spread from north-eastern Brazil southwards to north-eastern Argentina and Uruguay, and P. arachnoideum subsp. campestre, comb. et stat. nov., endemic to north-eastern Brazil. Inevitably, we propose a narrower circumscription for P. arachnoideum subsp. arachnoideum, being restricted to eastern South America and characterized by free lobes between the distal segments, veins abaxially lanose with lax arachnoid hairs, and laminar tissue between the veins abaxially without farinose appearance, glabrous and visible (total absence of gnarled hairs). This morphological pattern is constant and stable in all 191 specimens studied (including living specimens), and geographically related. Plants from western South America and Central America, previously ascribed to P. arachnoideum s.l., shall be better reclassified into at least one...

Evaluating plant diversity in an agroforestry site is crucial for understanding the system, as vegetation is crucial for sustaining natural ecological processes and serves as a valuable resource for human consumption. This study aims to determine the tree species diversity of a coffee-based agroforestry system in a state university in La Union, Philippines. This research determined the species composition, density, frequency, dominance, importance value, and conservation status of the plant species, and also their richness, diversity, and evenness. A stratified sampling design was used in establishing quadrats. The study identified a total of 108 individuals across different vegetation layers, including 26 trees (16 species, 10 families), 38 saplings (12 species, 10 families), and 44 nontree flora (14 species, 9 families), with Rain Tree (Samanea saman) and Coffee species (Coffea canephora and Coffea liberica) being the most dominant, highlighting a mixed native and introduced species composition within a coffee-based agroforestry system. The diversity is low (H' = 1.79) for the saplings, while the non-tree and tree species are both categorized as moderate, with H' of 2.15 and 2.65, respectively. However, there is a very high species evenness for tree species of (0.96) indicating extremely balanced community, while moderate evenness for saplings and non-tree species showed well-balanced community at a high evenness with a value of 0.72 and 0.83 respectively. This study offers valuable insights into the plant diversity of a managed coffee-based agroforestry system. Future studies may explore the implementation of strategies aimed at enhancing biodiversity within the coffee-based agroforestry system.

Citizen sciencecollaboration between scientists and the publichas the potential to advance biodiversity monitoring. Using a case study from Mongolia, called the Flora of Mongolia project in iNaturalist, we illustrate how crowd-sourced biodiversity data fills gaps of plant diversity in Mongolia. Over 52,200 observations covering 2,241 species of vascular plants (ca. 3,050 species) were observed by 665 participants between 2019 and 2023, showcasing the vast potential for rapid Disclaimer: The New Phytologist Foundation remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in maps and in any institutional affiliations.

Based on field surveys and herbarium specimens, we studied the genus Equisetum in Mongolia, where it has not been thoroughly studied previously. A total of nine species of Equisetum belonging to two subgenera are confirmed for the flora of Mongolia. We found several new distribution points of some Equisetum species in the phytogeographical regions: E. variegatum for the Khangai, Khovd and Mongolian Altai regions, E. heymale for Khentei region, and E. pratense for Middle Khalkh region. Furthermore, we evaulated the regional conservation status for each
Equisetum species by using GeoCAT programm. Based on our results, according to the IUCN criteria, E. ramosissimum is categorized as Critically Endangered (CR), E. variegatum as Endangered (EN), E. sylvaticum as Vulnerable (VU), and E. hyemale as Near Threatened (NT), while the remaining five species (E. arvense, E. fluviatile, E. palustre,
E. pratense, and E. scirpoides) are categorized as Least Concern (LC). An identification key, information on the regional
conservation status, as well as distribution maps and photographs of each species are provided.

The present study, conducted between 2022 and 2023, aimed to document the floristic diversity, life forms, and leaf spectra of the vegetation from Gilgit to Raikot in the Gilgit District. Phytosociological analysis was performed to identify the dominant species, life forms, and leaf size spectra, with the area divided into four stands and thirty quadrats sampled per stand to calculate the Importance Value Index (IVI). A total of 181 phanerogamic species were recorded from 138 genera and 61 families, establishing a comprehensive inventory of the flora. In terms of habit categories, herbs dominated with 134 species (74%), while hemicryptophytes led life forms with 74 species (40.9%). Microphylls (44.2%) and nanophylls (23.8%) were the most common leaf sizes. Hemicryptophytic herbs with microphyllous and nanophyllous leaves exhibit vital adaptations to cold climates, reducing water loss, resisting winds, and leveraging snow insulation. Polygonum maritimum, a dominant prostrate perennial with an IVI of 47.2, stabilizes soil, supports nutrient cycling, and indicates cold climatic conditions while contributing significantly to ecosystem resilience and biodiversity. One-way ANOVA (P < 0.0001) revealed significant differences between Stand 3 and Stand 4, with Stand 4, a rocky, barren area, exhibiting lower diversity due to variations in altitude, soil, and vegetation. This study provides essential baseline data on plant diversity and ecological structure in the Gilgit to Raikot region and the importance of the need for targeted conservation. Future research should monitor long-term environmental changes and the effects of anthropogenic activities on biodiversity.

Scaly tree ferns are locally known as Anonotong in Southern Philippines and considered as endangered species. Its collection is prohibited, but along the highway of Marilog District, Davao City, its trading is very obvious. Hence, the study was conducted to assess the inhabitants' relationship with tree ferns. The study described the collection, uses, economic contribution, and people's traditional perceptions of the plant. The study is descriptive using a combination of survey, Focus Group Discussion, and Key Informant Interview. It has been found out that Anonotong or Anotong is a plant less-valued by the locals. They consider it a weed that compromised the growth of cultivated plants, hence locals uproot them. The increase in population, cultivation of more farms, the entrance of tourists, construction of roads, and over-collection are the factors that led to the dwindling of tree ferns. Its trunks and handicraft products are sold at low prices. Aside from being a good source of income, plant parts are also extracted for medicinal purposes and for household utility. The plant is an endangered species that need to be conserved. However, majority of the local people do not value them, are not aware of their conservation status, and many do not understand why its collection is prohibited by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). Hence, the conduct of awareness campaigns to the locals is found necessary and that local ordinance should be enforced by the Local Government Units and the DENR regarding the protection and conservation of this endangered plant.

The present study, conducted between 2022 and 2023, aimed to document the floristic diversity, life forms, and leaf spectra of the vegetation from Gilgit to Raikot in the Gilgit District. Phytosociological analysis was performed to identify the dominant species, life forms, and leaf size spectra, with the area divided into four stands and thirty quadrats sampled per stand to calculate the Importance Value Index (IVI). A total of 181 phanerogamic species were recorded from 138 genera and 61 families, establishing a comprehensive inventory of the flora. In terms of habit categories, herbs dominated with 134 species (74%), while hemicryptophytes led life forms with 74 species (40.9%). Microphylls (44.2%) and nanophylls (23.8%) were the most common leaf sizes. Hemicryptophytic herbs with microphyllous and nanophyllous leaves exhibit vital adaptations to cold climates, reducing water loss, resisting winds, and leveraging snow insulation. Polygonum maritimum, a dominant prostrate perennial with an IVI of 47.2, stabilizes soil, supports nutrient cycling, and indicates cold climatic conditions while contributing significantly to ecosystem resilience and biodiversity. One-way ANOVA (P < 0.0001) revealed significant differences between Stand 3 and Stand 4, with Stand 4, a rocky, barren area, exhibiting lower diversity due to variations in altitude, soil, and vegetation. This study provides essential baseline data on plant diversity and ecological structure in the Gilgit to Raikot region and the importance of the need for targeted conservation. Future research should monitor long-term environmental changes and the effects of anthropogenic activities on biodiversity.

Eleven plants were collected in the Zongo Valley following an organoleptic and chimio-taxonomic criteria of collection to find species with colorant and photo-protector properties. Brachyotum microdon, Monnina bridgesii and Souroubea fragilis present promising colorant attributes. In addition, B. microdon, Rumex acetosella and Fuchsia boliviana show important absorptions in the UV-B region while S. fragilis, Orthaea boliviensis, Senecio floccosus and Baccharis pentlandii have UV-A and UV-B absorptions. A series of phytochemical tests were performed to learn about the secondary metabolite profile in the collected species. This is the first work done and published for Souroubea fragilis, Orthaea boliviensis and Senecio floccosus. RESUMEN Once plantas fueron colectadas en el Valle de Zongo siguiendo un criterio de colecta organoléptico y químiotaxonómico para encontrar especies con propiedades colorantes y fotoprotectoras. Brachyotum microdon, Monnina bridgesii y Souroubea fragilis pre...

Andalusia, together with Morocco, is considered part of one of the two main biodiversity centres existing in the Mediterranean Basin; the other one is in the east and includes part of Turkey and Greece. The Andalusian flora has a fundamental role in this recognition, having been studied since the 1st century A.D. Despite Andalusia having been visited by a myriad of Iberian and foreign botanists, there is still no synthetic work on this subject. In this contribution, we present the first checklist of the Andalusian vascular flora, listing 4437 taxa distributed in 171 families, 1107 genera, 4091 species, and 346 subspecies, of which 3958 are native and 479 alien. Therophytes predominate (1516, 34.2%), followed by hemicryptophytes (1219, 27.5%) and chamaephytes (628, 14.1%). In addition, 462 (10.4%) are endemic or sub-endemic to the territory, and 595 (13.4%) are subject to some degree of threat (135 critically endangered, 137 endangered, and 323 vulnerable).

Allometry was used to compare differential growth of the floral organs in seven species of the Marantaceae and in Ca nn a in dica. Di fferent relati ve sizes of the floral parts arose throu gh changes in the allometric growth rates, not by extension or truncation of the period of allometric growth. Correlations were found b etween the allometric growth rates of the various floral organs and the relative sizes of these organs. Relative size of the floral parts that function in pollination showed the best correlations with their growth rates, suggesting that selection for the relative sizes of floral organs can influence the allometric growth rates of these organs. Principal component analysis showed that growth rates of those floral members that function i n pollination do n ot change independently. Two methods of pollinator action are suggested to account for this phenomenon. Similarity in allometric growth rates did not reflect the traditional tax onomic treatment of the Marantaceae at the generic level.

A new method for working with morphological characters is described and explored in experiments using human participants. The method uses direct comparison and sorting of images to produce hierarchical character-cladograms. A character-cladogram is a graphical representation of a single character that serves as a hypothesis of phylogeny based on that character. Each dichotomy in the character-cladogram represents a character state. Character states are unnamed, thus avoiding problems that arise through the application of verbal labels. Experiments with human participants are used to explore the conditions under which direct comparison produces reliable (consistent from investigator to investigator) and valid (in agreement with an independent estimate of phylogeny) characters. Participants were drawn from students taking a course in plant diversity at UNC Greensboro, and professional plant morphologists attending the Botany 2004 meetings. The students were randomly assigned to trained and untrained groups. Training was carried out using a method that has been shown to change a participant's mode of visual processing from analytic (the mode used by visual novices) to holistic (an additional mode only employed by visual experts). Morphologists (no specialists of the taxonomic group) were included in the study to investigate the effects of disciplinary expertise on the ability to describe character-cladograms. They received no additional training beyond that available to them as disciplinary experts. The results suggest an improvement in both reliability and validity after the training regime. We found no support for the idea that the morphologists differed from untrained students in their ability to produce reliable or valid character-cladograms. Disciplinary expertise may not translate into the ability to make reliable and valid assessments of similarity in an unfamiliar visual domain. Based on these results, we suggest a method for creating morphological characters and character states.

The inflorescence of Costus scaber terminates an erect axis of a sympodial rhizome system. Primary bracts are borne on the inflorescence in spiral monostichous phyllotaxy. One-flowered cincinni occur in the axils of these bracts. Each cincinnus consists of an axis bearing a terminal flower and a secondary bract on the anodic side of the flower. A tertiary bud forms in the axil of this bract but does not complete development. The inflorescence terminates by cessation of growth of the apex and precocious development of the primary bracts. Floral organs are formed sequentially beginning with the calyx, and continuing with the corolla and inner androecial whorl, outer androecial whorl, and gynoecium. All flower parts, except for the calyx, originate from a ring primordium. Regions of this primordium separate to form the corolla and inner androecial members. It was not possible to determine the sequence of androecial member formation. The labellum is composed of five androecial members, three from the outer whorl and two from the inner. The third member of the inner whorl forms the stamen and its petaloid appendage. The gynoecium forms from three conduplicate primordia. The margins of two of these primordia are the product of phyletic fusion. L' inflorescence du Costus scaber termine un axe dressé d'un systeme de rhizome sympodique. Les bractées primaires sont portées sur [inflorescence selon une phyllotaxie spirale monostique. Des cincinnus unillores sont presents dans l'aisselle de ces bractées. Chaque cincinnus est constitué d'un axe portant une fleur terminale et une bractée secondaire sur Ie cote anodique de la fleur. Un bourgeon tertiaire nait dans l'aisselle de cette bractée mail ne se développe pas completement. L'inflorescence terrine par un arret de la croissance de l'apex et le développement précoce des bractées primaires. Les organs floraux sont formes de fawn séquentielle, débutant avec le calice et continuant, dans l'ordre, avec la corolle et lc verticille stamina) interne, le verticille staminal exteme et Ie gynécée. Toutes les pièces hurdles, a l'exception du calice, naissent d'un primordium annulaire. Des regions de ce primordium se distinguent pour former la corolle et les pièces internes de l'androcée. II n'a pas été possible de déterminer la séquence de formation des membres de l'androcée. Le labelle est form& de cinq membres de l'androcée, trois du verticille exteme et deux du verticille interne. Le troisième membre du verticille interne forme l'étamine et son appendice pétaloide. Le gynécée provient de trois primordiums condupliqués. Les marges de deux de ces primordiums montrent une fusion congénitale.

The paired flowers of all species of the Marantaceae studied, except Monotagma plurispicatum, are produced through the division of an apical meristem with a tunica-corpus structure. The solitary flowers of M. plurispicatum develop from a similar meristem which does not bifurcate. The paired flowers of Canna indica are produced in the axil of a florescence bract through the formation of a bract and an axillary flower on the side of the primordium which gives rise to the largest flower of the pair. The sequence of organ initiation for both families is: calyx, corolla and inner androecial whorl, outer androecial whorl, gynoecium. The sequence of sepal formation is opposite in the two families. In the Cannaceae it leads directly int o the spiral ereated by the formation of the other organs, while in the Marantaceae the sequence of sepal formation follows a spiral opposite to that of the other floral organs. The members of the corolla and inner androecial whorl separate from common primordia. In general these common primordia separate into a petal and an inner androecial member through the initiation of two growth centers, at the same level, in the dorsal and ventral flanks of the primordium. In Ischnosiphon elegans and Pleiostachya pruinosa the stamen is initiated at a lower position than the petal in the ventral flank of the common primordium. A similar pattern of initiation is described for the callose staminode in Marantochloa purpurea and Canna indica. This pattern is interpreted as a variation on the more generalized pattern of inner androecial formation found in the other genera. FLoRAL oRGANoGENESIS and floral growth in five genera of the Marantaceae, and one species of Canna (Cannaceae) will be explored in a series of two papers of which this is the first. The species under study include: Calathea leopardinia, Calathea lancifolia, Calathea vinosa, Ischnosiphon elegans, Marantochloa purpurea, Monotagma plurispicatum, Pleiostachya pruinosa (all Marantaceae), and Canna indica (Cannaceae). This paper presents a description and comparison of the patterns of organogenesis found in these species. The Marantaceae and Cannaceae are well circumscribed pan-tropical groups of plants some of whose members are of economic importance (Maranta arundinaceaarrowroot '

The spiromonostichous phyllotaxy of Costus, and other Costaceae, is characterized by low divergence angles, often as low as (30°-) 50°. This constrasts with the main series Fibonacci (divergence angles approximating 137.5 °) or distichous phyllotaxy found in all other Zingiberales. A morphological and developmental study of three species of Costus revealed a number of facts about this unusual phyllotactic pattern. In C. scaber and C. woodsonii the divergence angles gradually change along a shoot, from 140 °-100° in the region of the cataphylls to 60°-45° in the inflorescence. In C. cuspidatus, the divergence angles change from 40°-100° in the cataphyll region to ca. 137 ° in the inflorescence. In all three species, the cataphylls and foliage leaves have tubular sheaths, while the inflorescence bracts are nonsheathing. Thus, spiromonostichy is only loosely correlated with closed leaf sheaths.

Hofmeister's rule is an empirical heuristic derived from the observation that new leaf primordia are formed in the largest space between the existing flanks of the older primordia. These observations have been repeatedly validated in studies of leaf arrangement, but there has been little attempt to extend them to inflorescence and floral organs. This investigation demonstrates the validity of Hofmeister's observations to cincinnus and early flower development in Phenakospermum guyannense (Strelitziaceae) and Heliconia latispatha (Heliconiaceae) and relates these results to Paul Green's work on the biophysics of organ formation. The cincinni of Phenakospermum and Heliconia arise in the axils of primary bracts and produce a prophyll, continuation apex, and flower in regular succession. The shapes and orientations of the apical regions of the cincinni are correlated with the placement of these organs, which in turn effect the positions of the sepals and their sequence of formation. The result is two rows of mirror-image flowers. The mirror-image symmetry of the flowers is a direct result of Hofmeister's rule in connection with the shape of the apical region. These two factors create a self-sustaining developmental system that produces prophylls, continuation apices, flowers, and sepals in regular succession. Although the cincinni and flowers of these species are built on a common plan, slight differences in apical shape and orientation produce differences in mature floral orientation. Understanding these orientations, and identifying the sequence of sepal formation, allows a proper identification of organ homologies. A study of Green's results and theories shows that Hofmeister's rule can be considered as an empirical condensation of the biophysical factors that influence organ position. These biophysical factors are widely applicable to organ formation in many species.

Primary inflorescence bracts are initiated in a spiral phyllotactic pattern on the flanks of the inflorescence apex. A cincinnus primordium forms in the axil of each primary bract. A prophyll is initiated in the transverse plane and later extends around the periphery of the cincinnus to produce a sheathing, but not tubular, bract. The apex of the cincinnus forms a flower. Flower development begins with the enlargement and flattening of the floral apex. Sepal initiation is sequential but differs in the first two flowers of a cincinnus. The different sequences are likely the result of developmental constraints that operate at the time of sepal initiation. After initiation, the margins of the sepals become confluent and intercalary growth produces the synsepalous calyx. The periphery of the flower, interior to the sepals, now rises to form a ring primordium composed of three common petallandroecial primordia. The common primordia enlarge, flatten, and separate to produce a petal to the exterior and an and roecial member to the interior. The outer androecium forms in the regions of the ring primordium left vacant by the formation of the other floral parts. The anterior outer androecial member soon ceases growth and contributes only initially to the formation of the labellum. The gynoecium shows heterochrony in its time of initiation, which occurs much earlier than in other species of Zingiberaceae. Gynoecial initiation takes place on the margins of the central flora cup, at the time of the separation of the c ommon primordia. Three gyn oecial primordia from i n antipetalous positions. Septa development di ffers in the basal and apical p ortions of the ovary. At the base, the primordia grow inward and fuse to form the central axis of the ovary. At the apex, there is little radial growth of the primordia. They cease growth soon after initiation and produce a unilocular cavity. Ovules form at the junction of these two regions and project up into the cavity. Epigynous nectaries form after all other floral organs.

Banana flowers form deep within the stem of the banana plant, long before they appear to us. The flowers occur in groups called hands, and the hands are arranged into larger clusters of flowers. Both the number of flowers in a hand and their pattern of development are different between cultivated (supermarket) and wild species of bananas. In supermarket bananas, each hand has many flowers, and the flowers develop in a regular pattern from right to left. In the wild species called the hairy banana, there is no regular pattern of flower formation. Flowers of the hairy banana are never formed in the regular right-to-left manner as found in the supermarket species. This is surprising and illustrates an important point about science: we do not always get the answers we expect. When they are first formed, banana flowers have no parts. They go through a process to form the flower parts that we see. After we describe how this takes place, we give you a project, so you can see how this happens on your own. You will work as a scientist to discover the pattern of development in banana flowers.