Seed germination and reproductive features of Lysimachia minoricensis (Primulaceae), a wild-extinct plant. (1/28)

Lysimachia minoricensis is one of the few Mediterranean endemic plants (Minorca, Balearic islands) that has gone extinct in the wild but which persists as extant germplasm or cultivated plants in several botanical gardens. Reproductive features (seed set, number of seeds per capsule, seed weight) and germination responses to constant temperatures, sea water and dry-heat pre-treatments were investigated to determine the extent to which they may have influenced the extinction of the species. Seed set in Lysimachia is not dependent on pollinators, suggesting a functional selfer breeding system. Most plants produced a large mean number of fruits (23.2) and seeds (466), and the mean production of seeds per individual was estimated to be almost 1,100. Overall, no highly specific requirements were observed for seed germination. Seed germination was not inhibited in the dark, and a high germinability (over 87% in all cases) was recorded in most experiments, with the exception of those performed at low temperatures (5 and 10 degrees C). These data suggest that fertility and seed viability were not the major causes of extinction. The high reproductive performance of L. minoricensis is in striking contrast to its status as a wild-extinct plant, suggesting that extrinsic factors were responsible for its extinction.  (+info)

Photosynthetic oxygen evolution at low water potential in leaf discs lacking an epidermis. (2/28)

Land plants encountering low water potentials (low psiw) close their stomata, restricting CO2 entry and potentially photosynthesis. To determine the impact of stomatal closure, photosynthetic O2 evolution was investigated in leaf discs from sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) plants after removing the lower epidermis at low psiw. Wounding was minimal as evidenced by O2 evolution nearly as rapid as that in intact discs. O2 evolution was maximal in 1% CO2 in the peeled discs and was markedly inhibited when psiw was below -1.1 MPa. CO2 entered readily at all psiw, as demonstrated by varying the CO2 concentration. Results were the same whether the epidermis was removed before or after low psiw was imposed. Due to the lack of an epidermis and ready movement or CO2 through the mesophyll, the loss in O2 evolving activity was attributed entirely to photosynthetic metabolism. Intact leaf discs showed a similar loss in activity when measured at a CO2 concentration of 5%, which supported maximum O2 evolution at low psiw. In 1% CO2, however, O2 evolution at low psiw was below the maximum, presumably because stomatal closure restricted CO2 uptake. The inhibition was larger than in peeled discs at psiw between -1 and -1.5 MPa but became the same as in peeled discs at lower psiw. Therefore. as photosynthesis began to be inhibited by metabolism at low psiw, stomatal closure added to the inhibition. As psiw became more negative, the inhibition became entirely metabolic.  (+info)

Reversibility of cold- and light-stress tolerance and accompanying changes of metabolite and antioxidant levels in the two high mountain plant species Soldanella alpina and Ranunculus glacialis. (3/28)

Two high mountain plants Soldanella alpina (L.) and Ranunculus glacialis (L.) were transferred from their natural environment to two different growth conditions (22 degrees C and 6 degrees C) at low elevation in order to investigate the possibility of de-acclimation to light and cold and the importance of antioxidants and metabolite levels. The results were compared with the lowland crop plant Pisum sativum (L.) as a control. Leaves of R. glacialis grown for 3 weeks at 22 degrees C were more sensitive to light-stress (defined as damage to photosynthesis, reduction of catalase activity (EC 1.11.1.6) and bleaching of chlorophyll) than leaves collected in high mountains or grown at 6 degrees C. Light-stress tolerance of S. alpina leaves was not markedly changed. Therefore, acclimation is reversible in R. glacialis leaves, but constitutive or long-lasting in S. alpina leaves. The different growth conditions induced significant changes in non-photochemical fluorescence quenching (qN) and the contents of antioxidants and xanthophyll cycle pigments. These changes did not correlate with light-stress tolerance, questioning their role for light- and cold-acclimation of both alpine species. However, ascorbate contents remained very high in leaves of S. alpina under all growth conditions (12-19% of total soluble carbon). In cold-acclimated leaves of R. glacialis, malate represented one of the most abundant compounds of total soluble carbon (22%). Malate contents declined significantly in de-acclimated leaves, suggesting a possible involvement of malate, or malate metabolism, in light-stress tolerance. Leaves of the lowland plant P. sativum were more sensitive to light-stress than the alpine species, and contained only low amounts of malate and ascorbate.  (+info)

Agromyces albus sp. nov., isolated from a plant (Androsace sp.). (4/28)

Agromyces albus sp. nov. is proposed for an aerobic, oxidase- and catalase-positive actinomycete that was isolated from the above-ground part of a plant (Androsace sp., in the family Primulaceae). The strain is characterized by white colonies, fragmenting hyphae that penetrate into agar media and chemotaxonomic properties that are typical of the genus AGROMYCES: Analysis of 16S rDNA sequences confirmed that the strain belongs to the genus Agromyces and revealed its close phylogenetic relationship with Agromyces ramosus. DNA-DNA pairing studies showed that the strain belongs to a separate genomic species; this is consistent with its distinction from other Agromyces species at the phenotypic level. The G+C content of the DNA was 69.0 mol%. The type strain is VKM Ac-1800(T) (=UCM Ac-623(T)).  (+info)

Species-specific variation in the importance of the spectral quality gradient in canopies as a signal for photosynthetic resource partitioning. (5/28)

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Plants adjust the distribution of photosynthetic capacity and chlorophyll to canopy density. The importance of the gradient in the red : far-red ratio (R : FR) relative to the irradiance gradient was studied for its perception with respect to this partitioning of photosynthetic resources. Whether the relative importance of these two signals varied between six species of different growth habit (Phaseolus vulgaris, Lysimachia vulgaris, Hedera helix, Ficus benjamina, Carex acutiformis and Brachypodium pinnatum) was investigated further. METHODS: Single leaves of plants were shaded in daylight by a spectrally neutral filter or a leaf. In another experiment, leaves were treated with supplemental FR. In most cases, treatment effects were evaluated after 2 weeks. KEY RESULTS: Nitrogen and photosynthetic capacity (Amax) per leaf area, parameters pertaining to between-leaf resource partitioning, were strongly reduced in neutral shade but not additionally by spectral leaf shade. Supplemental FR reduced these parameters also, except in Carex. Acceleration of induction of senescence was observed in spectral leaf shade in primary bean leaves. Amax per unit chlorophyll, a parameter pertaining to within-leaf resource partitioning, was reduced in neutral shade, but not in spectral leaf shade or supplemental FR. CONCLUSIONS: Signalling mechanisms associated with perception of the R : FR gradient in canopies were less important than those associated with the irradiance gradient for between-leaf and within-leaf partitioning of photosynthetic resources. The relative importance of the signals differed between species because Carex was the only species for which no indications were found for an involvement of the spectral gradient in perception of canopy density.  (+info)

Change in spatial distribution patterns of a biennial plant between growth stages and generations in a patchy habitat. (6/28)

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The aim of the study was to evaluate factors causing change in spatial distribution patterns of plants between growth stages and generations for a monocarpic biennial plant, Lysimachia rubida. It was assumed that habitat heterogeneity was a primary factor determining spatial patterns of plants, and a randomization procedure was developed for testing the null hypothesis that only spatial association with ground surface conditions determined spatial patterns of plants. METHODS: A 5-year demographic census was conducted on an open dry habitat that was heterogeneous with regard to the ground surface conditions. KEY RESULTS: There was significant habitat association in that plants at vegetative and reproductive stages were denser in areas with smaller gravel than with larger gravel. Point process analyses rejected the null hypothesis of the spatial association with ground surface conditions. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that other factors, such as patchy seed dispersal, secondary dispersal of the seeds and life-history variation at various spatial scales, also affected spatial patterns of individuals in a population of L. rubida. Spatial structures and dynamics of a local population in a patchy habitat represent various performances of plants within patches and seed dispersal within a patch and beyond the patch.  (+info)

Three novel triterpenoid saponins from Lysimachia capillipes and their cytotoxic activities. (7/28)

Three new saponins, capilliposide A (1), capilliposide B (2) and capilliposide C (3) were isolated from an ethanol extract of Lysimachia capillipes. Their structures were determined by 1D and 2D NMR (1H-1H COSY, HMBC, HMQC, DEPT and TOCSY) techniques, MS, and hydrolysis. Capilliposide B showed significant cytotoxicity against human A-2780 cells.  (+info)

Triterpenoid saponins from Lysimachia davurica. (8/28)

Three new saponins were isolated from the whole plants of Lysimachia davurica. On the basis of 1D and 2D NMR ((1)H-(1)HCOSY, HMBC, HMQC, and TOCSY) techniques, MS, and hydrolysis, their structures were found to be 3-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->2)-[beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->4)]-alpha-L-arabino pyranosyl-13,28-epoxy-3beta-hydroxy-16-oleanaone (1), 3-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyloxyuronic acid-(1-->2)-beta-D-xylopyranosyl-cyclamiretin A (2), and 3-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->2)-alpha-L-arabinopyranosyl-cyclamiretin A (3), respectively. Compounds 2 and 3 showed significant cytotoxicities against human A-2780 cells.  (+info)

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