Plant Taxonomy

Calotropis procera (Aiton) Dryand is a medicinally and economically important woody shrub used to cure various diseases. In the present study, for the first time, we have identified and validated expressed sequence tag (EST)-simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers from C. procera and studied the cross-species transferability of the selected markers. We have identified 34,355 potential EST-SSRs from C. procera and classified them based on the type of repeat motifs and Gene Ontology (GO) annotation. Virtual primers for 17,036 EST-SSRs were designed, and 55 primer pairs representing di-, tri-, tetra-, penta-, and hexa-nucleotide repeats were used for the validation of the EST-SSRs. A total of 48 out of 55 EST-SSR primers showed clear amplification in Calotropis procera. To validate EST-SSRs at the nucleotide level, four randomly selected EST-SSR primer sets were amplified and sequenced. Sequence alignment confirmed the presence of SSRs in the amplified primers. The polymorphisms of the 16 primer pairs were studied, and it was observed that 15 primer sets produced polymorphic bands. Out of these 15 pairs of primers, we identified 141 alleles with an average of 2.56 alleles per locus. The allelic diversity was estimated for 15 EST-SSR markers using three accessions of Calotropis. The study has succeeded in the development of novel EST-SSR markers from Calotropis procera and establishment of the molecular marker resources that can serve as a useful genomic tool for further development of germplasm resources and effective marker-assisted breeding and domestication programs for Calotropis procera. Piush Srivastava and Tushar Pandey contributed equally to this work. Key Message The study includes identification and development of novel EST-SSR markers from Calotropis procera. Developed EST-SSR markers showed cross-species and genre transferability. In addition, primers showed polymorphism, suggesting that they can be effectively used for the population genetic diversity analysis. As a result of this study, we established molecular marker resources that can serve as a useful genomic tool for further development of germplasm resources and effective marker-assisted breeding and domestication programs for Calotropis procera.

Abaeté dunes present a large
diversity of communities, forming a mosaic of structurally distinct floristic associations. In their fanerogamic flora,
Sterculiaceae is represented by the species Ayenia erecta Mart., Melochia spicata (L.) Fryxell, Waltheria cinerescens
A. St.-Hil., W. communis A. St.-Hil., W. indica L. and W. viscosissima A. St.-Hil., which pollen morphology was
presented here. To the palynological analysis under light microscopy, acetolised pollen grains were used to their
morphological characterization. The species are heterogenous, with pollen grains of medium and large size, and their
shape varying from suboblate to prolate spheroidal. Only A. erecta specie presented porate pollen grains and the
others, colporate ones. Heteromorphism in the number of apertures was recorded: three in A. erecta and M. spicata;
three and four in W. viscosissima; four and five in W. indica; five, six and seven in W. communis; five to eight in W.
cinerescens. Aspides was recorded in the pollen grains of A. erecta, and costa in the other species. The pollen grains
of W. cinerescens and W. communis showed spinulose ornamentation while the others had a micro-reticulate
ornamentation. Thus, it is possible to recognise the species studied by the pollen morphology.

The vegetation in the habitats of the endemic montane grassland bird Nilgiri Pipit at Palani Hills and Nilgiri Hills of southern Western Ghats is delineated in this study. Threats to the habitats of the Nilgiri Pipit by invasive plants species is also discussed.

This paper is the second in a series treating the Amaranthaceae s.l. in South America. We present here a taxonomic revision of tribes Salicornieae and Suaedeae (subfamily Salicornioideae) based on the study of herbarium material, type specimens, digital images, original publications, and field observations. The South American Amaranthaceae s.l. flora includes Allenrolfea Kuntze, Heterostachys Ung.-Sternb., Mangleticornia P. W. Ball, G. Kadereit & Cornejo, and Salicornia L. from Salicornieae, and Suaeda Forssk. ex J. F. Gmel. from Suaedeae. Lectotypes for seven names are here designated. The distribution of all species is updated based on the revision and proper identification of many herbarium specimens and field observations. A new synonym for Salicornia neei Lag. is here proposed.

A brief historical taxonomic sketch as well as distribution of Sapindaceae in West Africa, Cameroon and Madagascar is presented based on extensive study of herbaria and field collections. The infrafamilial taxonomy of the family Sapindaceae was reexamined using both qualitative and quantitative morphological characters. A total of 17 vegetative and 24 reproductive characters were used in the description of the family. 2 subfamilies were recognised; a strongly predominant subfamily-Sapindoideae-with 8 tribes and subfamily-Dodonaeoideae-comprising 3 tribes. A total of 28 genera and 118 species were recorded in the study area. The most diverse genera are Allophylus with 20 species followed by Placodiscus with 17 species and Chytranthus with 14 species. Members of the family are characterised by compound leaves (paripinnate, imparipinnate or trifoliate); flowers are in spirits, fruits occur as berry, drupe or capsule and contain seed with white or orange aril. A descriptive key for the identification of each genus is given.

Operations management is responsible for achieving an effeclive and efficient transformation proc€ss. Changes taking place in the marketplace and in technology require the correcr positioning ofoperarions in the production of goods and services. The service rctor within our econom,v has grown tremendously , representing an ever gteater share of our gross national product. A general operations management (OM) paradigm, combining both goods and services, will help researchers as well as practitioners The operations classification schemes proposed previously have been narrower in scope and incorporated primarily manufacturing systems. The translormation proces is universai; major constraints and standard approaches need to be identified regardless of whether it is a good or service produced. This article pres€nts and defines a descriptive OM model. Sample industries and companies are positioned in the market and product/service matrix; in addirion, op€rations activities and their long-, medium-, and shon-ierm solution approaches to operations problems are identified. This operations model kels on the defrnition ofthe product/xrvice produced. The major groupings ofthe irst two dimensions ofthe model depend on (l) market requirements, and {2) whether the product/service is discrete or divisible, 6xed site or transportable. Major groupings of the operations activities, required to effectively and eftciently transform the product/s€rvica, denne the management approach and product/process iechnology used. These repres€nt the third dimension to our model. The fourth dimension is the time available to plan and implement solutions to operations problems. The four dimensionai space-time paradigm is cohesive and inclusive. and better identifies the major constraints on goods and/or sewices production. It is intended to analyze and synthesize both the similarities and differences among industries and companies positioned in matrix categories, and thus to help determine the appropriate actions of operations managen during the transformatioo process. The compleriry of the OM paradigm shows realisticaily the trade-offs that have to be made in this dynamig arca. Changing markets, lechology. management, and economics all play a part in positioning operations. Resulting cbanges in the market requirement and product/service positioning matrix can chaoge unit costs. Movement io any direction on the matrix should not be thougbt of as a nafural evolution but should be meticulously planned. Goods and sewices produccn grouped in each of nine major transtbrmation categories may be able to use similar planning implementation, and control approaches.

Resumo: Um novo táxon é descrito para o estado do Amazonas, oriundo da região do Lago de Carabanatuba, município Humaitá, no bioma Amazônia. A vegetação dominante na área é a Floresta Ombrófila Densa, com clima quente e úmido e elevação máxima de 90m. Com características morfológicas que o assemelham ao Catasetum denticulatum Miranda, a espécie aqui proposta se destaca por apresentar inflorescência compacta que surge da base de pseudobulbos maduros, flores densamente agrupadas e maiores, bem como pela época de floração diferente. Abstract: (A new species of Catasetum described for Amazonas state, Brazil) A new taxon is described for the state of Amazonas, originally from Lake Carabanatuba, Humaitá municipality, region in the Amazon biome. The dominant vegetation in the area is dense rain forest, with hot and humid weather and maximum elevation of 90 m. With some similarity with Catasetum denticulatum Miranda, the species here proposed stands out for presenting a compact inflorescence that arises from the base of the mature pseudobulbs, larger and densely packed flowers, as well as a different flowering period.

The concept of a biological species based on no crossing between species widely accepted. N. Vavilov in a study of several hundred species showed the absence of monotypic species, i.e. species represented by various forms. The investigation of cultivated species, has led to the Vavilov’s conception of a Linnaean species as a definite system. We also have tried to complement and develop the Vavilov’s concept in relation to species of Lupinus L. We recognize subspecies as an isolated group of individual plants within a population of a species in relation to lupins. They occupy certain part of the area of a species, constitute together a mobile system, are able to cross among themselves and with plants growing in other parts of the area of this species, produce prolific progeny, possess distinctive morphological and inheritable characters in vegetative and generative organs with the uniform genetic base, and incorporate transient forms.  Allelism and character complementarities tests have shown that in lupins the color of seed  is correlated with the color of the corolla. This linkage reflects the stability of genetic system, which corresponds to the rank of varieties. A good diagnostic character is the color of vegetative parts, and the absence or presence of anthocyan, in particular. Being less stable, it could be used in identifying subvarieties. Considerable practical interest for breeders may be generated by the plants with determinate branching, fascicular stem and other characters of breeding value. Such forms are theoretically possible in all the varieties and subvarieties.  Therefore, it seems justified to regard them in the rank of forma (f.).

The Polystachyinae is an orchid subtribe with a pantropical distribution. It occurs from southern North America and tropical and subtropical South America, throughout tropical and subtropical Africa, Madagascar and the neighbouring islands, to south-eastern tropical Asia. Ten genera and 232 species are recognized within the Polystachyinae based on data from morphological and molecular analyses. Phylogeny of the subtribe was based on DNA sequences for plastid and nuclear data. The subtribe is well characterized by pseudobulbous stems with conduplicate, distichous leaves, a racemose or paniculate inflorescence arising from the top of the pseudobulb, non-resupinate flowers with a prominent mentum and an uppermost lip. Polystachya, with 196 species, is the largest genus of the subtribe and thirteen sections are recognized within it. A synopsis of the subtribe is provided. A comprehensive description, full synonymy, illustration of flower parts and a distribution map as well as detailed ecological, phenological and distribution data are provided for each taxon treated and a list of 5480 examined specimens from the whole range of distribution of the subtribe were analysed in detail. A review of the relevant literature for the species is given. Taxonomic key for determination of the genera of the Polystachyinae is included, as well as keys for the species of particular genera, sections and subsections and regional keys to the Asian, American and African species of Polystachya. One species (Polystachya isabelae), five sections (Bicalcaratae, Galeatae, Oreochares, Steudnerae and Pseudomonophyllae), six subsections (Caespitificae, Gracilentae, Rhodopterae, Spatellae, Stauroglossae and Zambesiacae) are newly described and two new combinations are proposed (Polychaetae and Kermesinae). Geerinckia is newly treated as a synonym of Polystachya; Geerinckia couloniana is newly treated as a synonym of Polystachya greatrexii and Polystachya ridleyi is newly treated as a synonym of P. adansoniae. As part of a detailed nomenclatural review ninety-seven lectotypes and five neotypes (Polystachya caespitosa, P. geraënsis, P. holstii, P. lineata and P. stenophylla) are designated.

Keywords: Africa, Bayesian analysis, ITS, lectotypification, molecular phylogeny, maximum parsimony, morphology, Polystachyinae, rpl16, rpl32-trnL, taxonomy.

Available: http://koeltz.com/product.aspx?pid=206492"

Zygophyllum L., the largest genus of Zygophyllaceae comprises about 100 species known from the Mediterranean to Central Asia, more than eleven species growing in Saudi Arabia specially in desert and saline habitats. This study deals with taxonomy of Zygophyllum species growing in Saudi Arabia depending on anatomical characters of leaves and petioles to eleven investigated species. Anatomical features of leaves and petiole of the eleven investigated Zygophyllum species show characters of major importance such as stem outline, leaf outline, the arrangement of leaf vascular tissue, in addition to the number of vascular bundles in the inner leaf whorl, and characters of minor importance such as leaf mesophyll, and the branching of the main vascular bundle in the petiole Those characters enable us to separate Z. simplex from the other ten species by its cup shape transverse section in stem. Leaf vascular tissue is arranged either in straight line, or in two whorls . Petiole vascular bundles tissue arranged in two whorls the outer with number of vascular bundles, the inner whorl with two type: one main central vascular bundle and one main central vascular bundle associated with two peripheral vascular bundles. According to all those anatomical characters an artificial key explain the difference between the eleven investigated Zygophyllum species.

SUMMARY.— Comments on the flora of Rachgoun island (northwest Algeria).– The recent publication in the Revue d'Écologie (Terre et Vie) of a study on the impact of gulls on the vegetation of Rachgoun island in Algeria prompted the publication of a personal floristic list of the island established in 2006 but remained unpublished. For methodological reasons, the publication in question provided a partial list of plants that it was useful to complete here. Moreover, it also contained some uncertainties or errors that it seemed important to correct. Some of them are due to having difficulty with conventional floras and/or misuse of recent synonymous index. Others are due to non-intelligence of biological types sensu Raunkiaer in these classical floras. Simple and effective solutions to address these chronic shortcomings in the field of Maghrebian botany are proposed. RÉSUMÉ.— La parution récente dans la Revue d'Écologie (Terre et Vie) d'une étude consacrée à l'impact des goélands sur la végétation de l'île Rachgoun en Algérie a motivé la publication d'une liste floristique personnelle de l'île datant de 2006 mais demeurée inédite. Pour des raisons méthodologiques, la publication en question fournissait une liste floristique partielle qu'il était utile de compléter ici. Par ailleurs, elle comportait également quelques incertitudes voire erreurs qu'il est apparu important de corriger. Certaines d'entre elles sont dues à la difficulté d'identification avec les flores classiques et/ou le mésusage des index synonymiques récents. D'autres sont dus au non-renseignement des types biologiques sensu Raunkiaer dans ces mêmes flores classiques. Des solutions simples et efficaces pour pallier ces insuffisances chroniques dans le domaine de la botanique maghrébine sont proposées.

Qualitative and quantitative morphological characterization in different growth stages of Nyctanthes arbor-tristis L. fruits and seeds were investigated. Capsules are compressed, two celled, green, cordate to round or elliptical with one flattened seed in each half. Both LM and SEM study were conducted to gather micromorphological features of matured epicarp and seed testa. Non-glandular, uniseriate, slender trichome and anomocytic stomata were found on epicarp, whereas same was absent on seeds. Some crystalline substance was noticed on both epicarp cells and seed testa. The fruiting stages were divided into 0 to V stages starting from first day of fruit appearing and total required days needed for maturity. Remarkable differences such as fruit and seed size, weight and colour were varied in each stage. Significance of surface micromorphology of matured epicarp and seed testa of N. arbor-tristis is also discussed here. Single-factor ANOVA analysis and Regression were performed to test the significance level of the studied parameters and their relationship.

The Indian species Portulaca suffruticosa has been confused with other taxa by many previous authors, due to lack of field collections and a paucity of specimens in Indian herbaria. Following a morphological taxonomic study supported by new field collections, P. suffruticosa is confirmed as an accepted species endemic to southern India and Sri Lanka, and as distinct from P. pilosa and P. tuberosa. The more recently described species P. lakshminarasimhaniana and P. laljii are considered to be conspecific with P. suffruticosa, and P. badamica conspecific with P. tuberosa; their names are accordingly synonymised. Lectotypifications of the names P. suffruticosa Wight, P. tuberosa Roxb. and P. wightiana Wall. ex Wight & Arn. were found to be necessary to avoid future misapplication of names and full descriptions of these three species are provided. A key to all Indian species of Portulaca is provided.

The availability of energy in developing countries, especially in Africa is still a great challenge, affecting the standard of living and
investment in the Continent. The absence of adequate energy supply in both urban and rural areas in Africa since the colonial era has
given wood biomass energy the advantage among other energy sources. In this paper, the literature and reports were synthesised to
assess the wood biomass energy usage status, production, consumption, economic benefits, pitfalls and future trends in Sierra Leone.
The combined energy supply from all sources in Sierra Leone accounts for less than 30% of the country energy needs. The massive
reliance on wood biomass energy in Sierra Leone is as a result of poverty, a high cost of alternative energy source, weak economy and
underdevelopment of the state, previous civil wars and a low standard of living. The exploitation of other forms of renewable energy
such as modern bioenergy, solar, wind, and increased hydroelectric production could improve the access of power and diversify Sierra
Leone’s energy profile in the future.

Bamboo, a gramineous plant belonging to the family Poaceae, comprises of 1575 species from 116 genera across the globe.
It has the ability to grow and evolve on degraded land and hence, can be utilized in the various applications as an alternative
for plastic and wood. DNA barcoding, a long genomic sequence, identifies barcode region which shows species-specific
nucleotide differences. This technology is considered as advanced molecular technique utilized for characterization and
classification of the various species by applying distinctive molecular markers. Recent investigations revealed the potential
application of various barcode regions such as matK, rbcL, rpoB, rpoC1, psbA-trnH, and ITS2, in identification of many
bamboo species from different genus. In this review we comprehensively discussed the relevance of DNA barcoding as a tool
in classification/identification of various bamboo species. We highlighted the methodology, how this advance technology
overcomes the challenges associated with traditional methods along with prospects for future research.

"LEGUMINOUS PLANTS - family Leguminosae  (Fabaceae).
                              Boguslav S. Kurlovich.
The review of the most outstanding species of 46 genera of the family Leguminosae (Fabaceae) is given. This third family on size includes of 23 535 species united in 917 genera according to the newest data. A large number of legume species are cultivated worldwide as ornamentals, used as living fences and firebreaks, as soil binders, green manures, fodder for livestock, forage for honey bees, food for humans, in agro forestry and reforestation (for nitrogen fixation), as pulp for paper production, fuel woods, timber, and as sources of chemicals (e.g., dyes, tannins), oils (industrial, food, aromatherapy), and medicines. Many of the more common ones are listed below. Family Leguminosae (Fabaceae) can be divided into three subfamily: Caesalpinioideae, Papilionodeae or Faboideae and Mimosoideae. The major of species belonging to 11 genera in subfamily Caesalpinioideae are described: Caesalpinia; Bauhinia; Ceratonia; Cercis; Gleditsia; Gymnoclаdus; Parkinsonia; Delonix; Copaifera; Guibourtia; Tamarindus. The description of the major species belonging to 31 genera of subfamily Papilionodeae is given: Arachis; Dalbergia; Lupinus; Astragаlus; Cicer); Glycyrrhiza; Hedysarum; Lathyrus; Lens; Pisum; Vicia, including Vicia sativa and Vicia faba; Vavilovia; Melilotus; Medicago; Onobrychis; Oxytropis; Trifolium; Wisteria; Cajanus; Canavalia; Derris; Millettia; Glycine; Indigofera; Phaseolus; Vigna; Pachyrhizus; Pueraria; Lotus; Robinia; Sesbania. Subfamily Mimosoideae is presented by 4 ge-nera in our review: Mimosa; Acacia; Calliandrа and Entada. The description of plants is stated partially on the basis of our 40-year-old researches, according to Wikipedia and other sources of the Internet and generalization of the world literature.
"

ABSTRACT. Viola L. subsection Boreali-Americanae (W. Becker) Gil-ad (Violaceae), confined to North America including northern México, has long been considered one of the most taxonomically difficult temperate groups of the Angiosperms. A new treatment of the subsection is presented on the basis of comprehensive evaluations and integration of micromorphological, macromorphological, ecological and phytogeographical data. Speciation among the taxa of the subsection has most likely taken place through ecological adaptation, and in a number of taxa by geographic isolation. It is manifested more extensively at the micromorphological level than at the macromorphological level. The role of hybridization in the evolution of the taxa and its effects on the systematics of the subsection are evaluated.
Sixteen taxa are circumscribed as orthospecies: Viola affinis LeConte, V. brittoniana Pollard, V. cucullata Aiton, V. egglestonii Brainerd, V. fimbriatula Sm., V. missouriensis Greene, V. nephrophylla Greene, V. novae-angliae House, V. nuevo-leonensis W. Becker, V. pedatifida G. Don, V. sagittata Aiton, V. septemloba LeConte, V. septentrionalis Greene, V. sororia Willd., V. triloba Schwein., and V. villosa Walter. Two changes of rank are proposed: Viola brittoniana Pollard forma pectinata (Bicknell) Gil-ad and Viola novae-angliae House subsp. grisea (Fernald) Gil-ad. New descriptions of the characters delimiting the subsection, keys to the orthospecies at the chasmogamous and cleistogamous phases, descriptions of the orthospecies and discussions, and discussions of names that are commonly recognized as orthospecies, but are hypothesized in this treatment to represent hybrids or introgressants, are provided. A lectotype is designated for Viola subsection Boreali-Americanae. The type specimens of 15 of the 18 taxa recognized in this research have been located. Viola affinis, and V. septemloba are lectotypified by illustrations. Viola nuevo-leonensis is illustrated for the first time.

Viola L. sous-section Boreali-Americanae (W. Becker) Gil-ad (Violacées), a emprisonné à Amérique du Nord inclure Mexique du nord, a été considéré longtemps un des groupes tempérants les plus difficiles taxonomique de l'Angiosperme. Un nouveau traitement de la sous-section est présenté sur la base des évaluations compréhensives et intégration des information micromorphologique, macromorphologique, écologique, et phytogéogrphique. Speciation parmi les taxons de la sous-section a probablement a eu lieu à travers adaptation écologique, et dans plusieurs taxons par la isolation géographique. Il est manifesté plus extensivement au niveau micromorphologique qu'au niveau macromorphologique. La rôle de l'hybridation dans l'évolution des taxons et ses effets sur le systématique de la sous-section sont évalués.
Seize taxons sont circonscrits comme espèces-ortho: Viola affinis LeConte, V. brittoniana Pollard, V. cucullata Aiton, V. egglestonii Brainerd, V. fimbriatula Sm., V. missouriensis Greene, V. nephrophylla Greene, V. novae-angliae House, V. nuevo-leonensis W. Becker, V. pedatifida G. Don, V. sagittata Aiton, V. septemloba LeConte, V. septentrionalis Greene, V. sororia Willd., V. triloba Schwein., et V. villosa Walter. Deux changements du rang sont proposés: Viola brittoniana Pollard forma pectinata (Bicknell) Gil-ad et Viola novae-angliae House subsp. grisea (Fernald) Gil-ad. Descriptions nouvelles des caractères qui délimitent la sous-section, clefs aux espèces-ortho aux phases chasmogamiques et cléistogamiques, descriptions des espèces et discussions, et discussions des noms qui sont généralement reconnus comme espèces-ortho, mais sont supposés dans ce travail de représenter des hybrides ou des introgressants, sont fourni. Un lectotype est désigné pour Viola sous-section Boreali-Americanae. Les spécimens-type des 15 des 18 taxons reconnus dans cette recherche ont été déterminés. Viola affinis, and V. septemloba sont lecto-typifiés par des illustrations. Viola nuevo-leonensis est illustré pour la première fois.

This study provided data on the diversity of Hoya species reported to occur in some parts of the northern region of Peninsular Malaysia. Seven locations were chosen between two states, Kedah (Lata Celak, Sedim, and Bukit Hijau) and Perak (Mahang, Belukar Semang, Sungai Rui, and Pondok Tanjung). This extensive fieldwork was carried out from 2018 until the end of 2019 to provide a baseline checklist for this genus in this northern region. All living specimens found were recorded, and some species were cultivated for further identification and ex-situ conservation purposes. A total of 27 species and one variety were recorded, out of which 15 species were newly reported for the northern region of Peninsular Malaysia. The newly described species, Hoya peninsularis Rodda & Zakaria, was also reported in this study. One unknown species was found and labelled as Hoya sp. cf. scortechinii. Further identification process together with molecular analysis of this plant is still ongoing. The most diverse forests are Sungai Rui and Lata Celak, having the Shannon index of 2.741 and 2.622, respectively. Both forests possess the richest in Hoya species, but with low dominance index. The Sorenson similarity index is 6.74%, indicating a very low similarity of Hoya species between the studied sites. Due to the high diversity recorded, the number of Hoya species in the country is expected to increase if the genus is explored continuously. However, most of the study areas were exposed to extreme logging activities and had a high degree of human disturbances, indicating the need for intensive conservation efforts in this genus.

Uso libre

Diccionario ilustrado de los rasgos visibles en la hoja
El siguiente documento corresponde a la clasificación de los términos normalmente usados en guías de campo y trabajos de investigación en cuanto a la descripción de la hoja.
Es una herramienta didáctica para facilitar la descripción de la flora usando las palabras adecuadas.
Clasificación de las hojas

In Egypt, genus Cordia L. includes a potential wild threatened woody species, C. sinensisLam. in its wild habitats, and numerous cultivated species. Taxonomic aspects of the genus Cordia L. were thoroughly studied to point out the most reliable characters for taxon delimitation. Detailed taxonomic revision was carried out to identify these cultivated Cordiaspecies by field studies and the examination of representative specimens together with the authentic types deposited in the major herbaria of Egypt and Kew. Variations in color, size and shape of flower and fruit; stigma as well as those of their inflorescence type are good markers to separate the different species. This taxonomic revision revealed that: genus Cordia is represented in Egypt by nine species: one wild species; C. sinensis restricted to Gebel Elba, two species were cultivated decades ago, now extinct from nature and identified in herbarium specimens. The other six are cultivated as ornamental trees. A Taxonomic-key is constructed based on macro-morphological characters and descriptions are given with typifications.

Esta es una clave sencilla para identificar las palmas nativas de la Península de Yucatán. En ningún caso es esencial el uso de partes reproductivas para la identificación de los géneros, pero se añade ocasionalmente información sobre la inflorescencia o
frutos como un complemento. Se usan características macroscópicas y no hace falta el uso de lupa o instrumentos de medición ya que las medidas pueden ser estimadas grosso modo. El uso de términos técnicos se reduce al máximo o se explican entre corchetes []. En la clave se combinan números (para los géneros) y letras en el caso que existan más de dos especies para un mismo género. Se incluye en forma abreviada información sobre la distribución de cada especie: Campeche (Camp.), Quintana Roo (Q. Roo) y Yucatán (Yuc.). Los nombre científicos de cada especie se indican de acuerdo a Govaerts et al. (2012) y los nombres comunes según Quero Rico & Flores (2004) y Carnevali et al. (2010).

The present paper deals with an account to record the available figures of plant communities of wetland of Tripura, NorthEast India. Field survey was conducted in and around the river systems of Tripura to collect information about the wetland flora. Data on the use of plants was collected with a semi structured questionnaire and from the peer-reviewed literature. A total of 40 angiosperm species were identified along with their botanical name, vernacular name, and family. In the biological spectrum, life-forms were observed like Therophytes>Cryptophytes> Hemicryptophytes. The documentation on the conventional uses of hydrophytes along with their ethnomedicinal prospective will be helpful in conservation as well as synthesis of new herbal drugs. However, in recent years, aquatic plants in lakes and wetlands have been recognized as important ecosystem features that should to be protected due to severe anthropogenic factors.

This review highlights climate change and its drivers, impacts, and mitigation and adaptation options in Ethiopia. Both climate variability and change have been occurring in Ethiopia. Evidences show that since 1960 the mean annual temperature of the country has risen by about 1.3°C, an average rate of 0.28°C per decade, and spatial and temporal rainfall variability has been increasing. As such, Ethiopia has been experiencing the impacts of both climate variability and change. Climate change has led to recurrent droughts and famines, flooding, expansion of desertification, loss of wetlands, loss of biodiversity, decline in agricultural production and productivity, shortage of water, and increased incidence of pests and diseases such as spread of cereal stemborers and malaria to higher elevation areas. On the other hand, Ethiopia has shown both conservation and policy responses to combat climate change. Protected area systems, afforestation and reforestation programmes, renewable energy sources and energy efficiency, ecological agriculture, flexible livestock production, homegardens and traditional agroforestry systems, harvesting and use/marketing of non-timber forest products and climate change education, are all feasible strategies for mitigating and adapting climate change. Indeed, there is a need to employ the right mix of climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies prioritized in space and time so as to reduce vulnerability of biodiversity and humanity to the escalating impacts of climate change. To this end, capacity building should be a priority. Moreover, there is a need to collaborate with the international community to combat climate change, which is a global challenge.

The authors of this edition propose a novel and inspiring research approach to the subject of plants, which – being a form of life that is different, yet akin to us – is a constant source of nourishment and metaphors, decoration and obsessions. The articles included in this thematic block on plants enter into lively ongoing debates on genetics, feminism, ecology and plant ontology. They are excellent examples of the fact that in Polish philosophical and cultural reflection there was an understanding very early on of the challenges that posthumanism poses to our anthropocentric intellectual habits. Foreign readers will recognize in these Polish reflections a bold willingness to ask ethical and aesthetic questions of great relevance to the modern world that go far beyond the safe, though most likely imagined, limits of what it is to be human.

When Europeans first landed in Japan they encountered people they perceived as white-skinned and highly civilized, but these impressions did not endure. Gradually the Europeans' positive impressions faded away and Japanese were seen as yellow-skinned and relatively inferior. Accounting for this dramatic transformation, From White to Yellow is a pioneering study of the evolution of European interpretations of the Japanese and the emergence of discourses about race in early modern Europe. Transcending the conventional focus on Africans and Jews within the rise of modern racism, Rotem Kowner demonstrates that the invention of race did not emerge in a vacuum in eighteenth-century Europe, but rather was a direct product of earlier discourses of the "Other." This compelling study indicates that the racial discourse on the Japanese, alongside the Chinese, played a major role in the rise of the modern concept of race. While challenging Europe's self-possession and sense of centrality, the discourse delayed the eventual consolidation of a hierarchical worldview in which Europeans stood immutably at the apex. Drawing from a vast array of primary sources, From White to Yellow traces the racial roots of the modern clash between Japan and the West.


ENDORSEMENTS
“This magisterial work by Rotem Kowner fills an important gap in contemporary scholarship about racial history and European perceptions of the Japanese during the age of maritime explorations, beginning with the voyages of Marco Polo. The author approaches a delicate and complex topic with a breadth of knowledge and erudition based on the careful analysis of primary documents from a wide variety of both printed and manuscript sources in numerous languages.”
M. Antoni J. Ucerler, S.J. Director of the Ricci Institute, University of San Francisco

“Rotem Kowner has written an extraordinary book which will be must-reading for anyone interested in Western perceptions of the Japanese from the beginning (Marco Polo’s account) to the 18th century, and to anyone interested in the history of the very concept of ‘race.’"
Gary Leupp, Department of History, Tufts University

“Erudite, comprehensive, and clearly-written, From White to Yellow offers the reader a panorama of the Euro-Japanese encounter in the pre-modern period that is unsurpassed in previous scholarship.”
Ronnie Hsia, Department of History, Pennsylvania State University


REVIEWS
“This is a path-breaking book, rich in insights and extraordinary well researched. ... This is a dense book, exhaustive in its treatment of European writings on Japan and duly aware of the need to keep in mind how Europeans wrote about Others. There are fascinating explorations of topics such as slavery, miscegenation, and George Psalmanazar, the self-styled Japanese. … [T]he text of this volume covers only slightly more than half of the pages and most of the rest is taken up by endnotes, many of them as long as a paragraph and some filling half a page, together with a huge bibliography covering works in twelve languages. Not only do the notes testify to the prodigious labor that has gone into this book, but they also show how meticulously Kowner has explored the ramifications and details of encounters between Europeans and the various Others they encountered. … This book is, though, unsurpassed in its careful examination of European writings on Japan, and the efficient index makes Kowner’s analyses and coverage of the literature easily accessible”
Peter Kornicki, Journal of World History 27 (2016): 347–350

“From White to Yellow is a big book in every way. The product of immense research, it is an exceptionally ambitious work that makes a string of innovative and far-reaching arguments. Even more strikingly, it is simply the first of a planned two-volume series that, once completed, will span over six hundred years of European interactions with Japan. ... The scale of the task and the depth of the research invite a comparison to Donald Lach’s Asia in the Making of Europe, a groundbreaking series that can best be described as an almost supernatural feat of scholarship. … Overall the work is a significant achievement that should be read by anyone working in the field. It moves Japan from the margins to the very center of discussions over the development of early modern racial discourse, making a powerful case for the importance of the European encounter with Japan. Japan represented a problem for Europeans, and Kowner brilliantly dissects the varied ways in which they struggled to deal with it in the early modern period.”
Adam Clulow, Monumenta Nipponica 71 (2016): 140–143

“The book is a remarkable scholarly achievement and in some ways almost too detailed in its exposition. It throws valuable light on evolving European attitudes to race and to racial hierarchies and demonstrates how they were filtered through different social mechanisms – religion, trade, power – and how despite empirical evidence, few Europeans could actually ‘see’ racial differences in the case of the Japanese, even depicting their clothing in a quasi-European style in paintings and engravings. … Kowner’s book is the outcome of years of scholarly investigation in many languages including Japanese, Chinese, Portuguese, Latin, Spanish, German, English and yet others and is exhaustively documented with fully half of its almost 700 pages being devoted to sources, notes and bibliography. Its essential theme is the tracing of the transformation and images that slowly moved the Japanese from being seen as ‘white race’ to re-classification as a ‘yellow’ one, along it may be said with the Chinese and the Koreans, whose racial history in relation to the West is inevitably part of the larger story of the transformation of perceptions as they applied to East Asia as a whole, and the light that this sheds on the roots of racial and racialist thought in the West. ….”
John Clammer, Ethnic and Racial Studies 39 (2016): 1500–1502

“In this erudite, complex, and ambitious work, Rotem Kowner examines how Europeans came to see the Japanese nation as “yellow” and inferior, after initially perceiving them as “white” equals. ... Kowner’s work complicates the history of the construction and development of the idea of race by examining the European encounter with the Japanese, whom Europeans initially found different but not culturally or materially inferior  ... A short review cannot do justice to Kowner’s rich, multilayered work. The concluding chapter offers a prologue for the forthcoming second volume, which will examine how the Japanese were relegated to inferiority in the eighteenth century, and how a virulently racial discourse ensued.”
Robert Entenmann, Journal of Jesuit Studies (2016): 132–134.

"It is an unsurpassable analysis redolent of superb scholarship. In the end, Kowner makes a strong case that, from 1300 to 1735, Europeans slowly arrived at a system that enabled them to present a universal hierarchical taxonomy of humankind--based on rudimentary notions of race--with themselves at its apex. ... From White to Yellow does help us to understand ''the mechanisms that govern[ed] the rise and evolution of the concept of race in early modern times.'' In doing so, it richly expands our perspective on the origins of race and racism." Nam-lin Hur, University of Toronto Quarterly 85:3 (2016): 533-534.

“Kowner’s work is unique in that, unlike the majority of studies that focus on race in East Asia, it aims to elucidate the emergence of these distinctions at a much earlier point in Euro-Japanese relations—in fact, from their origin, if such can be found. … Focusing on the five centuries between Marco Polo’s first report of a mysterious island called Cipangu and Linnaeus’s categorization of the Japanese as a “yellow” race in 1735, Kowner builds a compelling argument that traces the development of racism from Europeans’ earliest imaginings of the Japanese people to the heart of Enlightenment thought. ... From Yellow to White is also notable for the breadth of its source materials, which, despite spanning several languages and centuries, are housed within a sound and well-organized theoretical framework; I can think of many other works that attempt to do the same but lack the clarity found here. The discussion of Japanese slavery, which tends to be a less-discussed topic in Japanese historiography, as well as of the cultural similarities between Japanese and their European observers, receive remarkably nuanced treatments as points of comparison between Japan and other countries within Europe’s purview. This work is therefore both timely and adds something new to the contemporary debate on the birth of race in Western thought.”
Christina Ghanbarpour, Itinerario 40 (2016): 318–320


TABLE OF CONTENTS
Figures xi
Note on Translations and Conventions xv
Acknowledgments xix
Preface xxiii
Introduction 3

PHASE ONE SPECULATION: Pre-Encounter Knowledge of the Japanese (1300-1543) 33
1 The Emergence of “Cipangu” and Its Precursory Ethnography 35
2 The “Cipanguese” at the Opening of the Age of Discovery 50

PHASE TWO OBSERVATION: A Burgeoning Discourse of Initial Encounters (1543-1640) 65
3 Initial Observations of the Japanese 67
4 The Japanese Position in Contemporary Hierarchies 101
5 Concrete Mirrors of a New Human Order 143
6 “Race” and Its Cognitive Limits during the Phase of Observation 181

PHASE THREE RECONSIDERATION: Antecedents of a Mature Discourse (1640-1735) 201
7 Dutch Reappraisal of the Japanese Body and Origins 209
8 Power, Status, and the Japanese Position in the Global Order 224
9 In Search of a New Taxonomy: Botany, Medicine, and the Japanese 251
10 “Race” and Its Perceptual Limits during the Phase of Reconsideration 283

Conclusion: The Discourse of Race in Early Modern Europe and the Japanese Case 309

Notes 345
Bibliography 511
Index 617

Cette thèse est le premier travail sur la flore ptéridologique de la République Démocratique
du Congo (RDC) avec une orientation à la fois taxonomique/ biogéographique et écologique.
Elle vise essentiellement l’étude de la systématique, de la biogéographie des Ptéridophytes et
l’explication de leur diversité et de leur écologie. Les études ont étés menées dans la zone de
montagne du Parc national de Kahuzi-Biega (PNKB) à l’Est de la RDC. Ce Parc se trouve au
carrefour des centres d’endémisme guinéo-congolais et afro-montagnard. Le Parc, couvert de
forêt tropicale primaire, est dominé par deux volcans éteints, le Kahuzi et le Biega. Il fut créé
en 1970 et fait partie de l'UNESCO depuis 1980. A plus de 2 000 m d'altitude, y vit l'une des
dernières populations de gorilles de montagne.
Les études antérieures menées dans ce Parc montrent des hauts intérêts systématiques et
biogéographiques dans l’ensemble de sa flore. Malheureusement ce Parc n’est pas
entièrement exploré. Pour mieux cerner notre problématique, nous avons traité des données
originales résultant d’un effort d’échantillonnage important durant au moins une décennie de
récolte et des spécimens historiques. Le travail d’identification et d’analyses taxonomiques a
été mené dans les principaux herbariums de la Belgique, des Pays Bas et aussi de la RDC.
Les résultats ont confirmé que les Ptéridophytes constituent un compartiment majeur de la
biodiversité du PNKB, représentant actuellement 164 espèces, 4 sous-espèces et 2 variétés,
c’est-à-dire 167 taxons. Cette étude a mis en évidence la signalisation de 22 taxons nouveaux
pour la RDC et 65 pour le PNKB ; aussi, 4 espèces ont été mises en synonymie. L’analyse
phylogénique de deux espèces du genre Asplenium (Asplenium aethiopicum et A. friesiorum)
qui s’est basé sur de trois marqueurs moléculaires (trnG, trnL-F & rps4-trnS) a montré qu’au
sein de chacune des espèces d’Asplenium étudiées, il existe deux sous-espèces. La sousespèce
A. friesiorum subsp. kivuensis décrite pour la première fois dans ce travail, a eu un
support moléculaire.
La majorité des Ptéridophytes trouvées au PNKB sont des plantes de liaisons plurirégionales
africaines et à large distribution ; seulement trois espèces sont endémiques. Trois espèces
montrent une large disjonction entre le système montagneux Ouest-africain et le massif
montagneux du Kahuzi-Biega. L’étage submontagnard du PNKB est considéré comme la
zone de transition entre le massif montagneux du Kahuzi et les autres centres et sous-centres
d’endémisme de la RDC.
L’analyse de la distribution des Ptéridophytes le long du gradient altitudinal montre que la
richesse floristique est élevée dans l’étage montagnard suivi de l’étage submontagnard et
enfin l’étage subalpin. Une analyse canonique (DCA) a montré que les facteurs abiotiques
pris en compte dans cette recherche (altitude, pente, substrats, température) absorbent de
71,7% de la variance de la distribution des Ptéridophytes trouvées et que c’est l’altitude qui
est prépondérante. Les analyses sur l’adaptation des Ptéridophytes à la structure des forêts de
zone de montagnes ont montré qu’il existe des convergences entre la classe diamétrique des
arbres et arbustes, structure de la canopée, le recouvrement moyen par strate et la richesse floristique des arbres et des arbustes. Dans l’écosystème stable et mature du PNKB, les
Ptéridophytes constituent un peuplement très riche, diversifié et stable. Dans les milieux
perturbés, la composition floristique des Ptéridophytes est faible. Dans cette optique, les
Ptéridophytes sont considérées comme les bio-indicateurs de la végétation montagneuse du
PNKB
Les études menées sur le groupement à Cyathea manniana du PNKB a mis en évidence 9
affinités écologiques différentes au sein du groupement ; d’où sa grande richesse floristique.
Cette fougeraie joue un rôle dans la dynamique de reconstitution des forêts ombrophiles du
PNKB. L’étude des déterminants environnementaux et de la variabilité floristique a permis
de comprendre les relations entre la variation de la composition floristique et la variabilité
des gradients environnementaux de ce groupement. Quarante-trois espèces inventoriées dans
ce groupement, dont Cyathea manniana elle-même, interviennent dans l’alimentation des
primates qui vivent au PNKB.
Les enquêtes par sondages menées auprès de la population riveraine du PNKB pour évaluer
la similitude d’usage des Ptéridophytes par le groupe ethnique entourant le PNKB ont permis
de constater que ces plantes sont les plus exploitées par cette population. Quelques stratégies
de conservation ont été proposées pour la bonne gestion du Parc en général et des
Ptéridophytes en particulier. Entre autres : renforcer les activités de développement aux
profits des populations vivant aux environs du PNKB et multiplier les sensibilisations dans le
but de sauvegarder les ressources naturelles en général et du PNKB en particulier. La
connaissance du PNKB comme un des principaux refuges écologiques, en vertu desquels le
Rift Albertin est un véritable ‘hotspot’ de la biodiversité, est à renforcer.
Mots-clés : Ptéridophytes, taxonomie, biogéographie, écologie, bio-indicateurs,
Conservation, R.D. Congo, Parc National de Kahuzi-Biega, zone des montagnes

One of the major issues facing humankind is global food security. A changing climate, coupled with a heightened consumer awareness of how food is produced and legislative changes governing the usage of agrichemicals for improving plant health and yield, means that alternative, more integrated and sustainable approaches are needed for crop management practices. To this end, there is increasing recognition of the value of the role of microbial inoculants in agriculture. The focus of this review is to understand how plant-growth-promoting bacteria and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi can play a part in improving crop yield by promoting the health status of the plant through the sequestration of various nutrients and in the control of plant diseases.

The aim of this review is to highlight the roles of tourism/ecotourism in conservation and development in Ethiopia. Tourism industry is currently emerging as one of the most important economic sectors in the world. In 2013, tourism accounted for 6 % of the world's overall exports, 9.1 % of the employment (1 in 11 jobs) and 9 % of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In line with the growth of international tourism, the tourism industry in Ethiopia is now growing fast. Indeed, there is a great potential for the development of the tourism industry in Ethiopia. Ethiopia has many remarkable natural, historical and cultural tourist attractions. It is one of the most important tourist destinations in the world. International tourist arrivals in Ethiopia increased from 138,856 in 1997 to 596,341 in 2012. Tourism receipts (revenues) also increased from USD 43 million in 1997 to USD 1.2 billion in 2012. Tourism is, generally, with minimum impacts on the environment. Moreover, tourism contributes to the conservation and management of natural, historical and cultural resources. Some of the revenues generated from tourism can be used (should be used) for conservation of biodiversity (establishment and management of protected areas, greening landscapes), preservation and restoration of historical and cultural resources and raising the environmental awareness of residents and visitors. Tourism significantly contributes to the local and national economy. In 2011, tourism accounted for 6.6 % of the overall export. In 2012, tourism generated over 700,000 jobs and accounted for 2.29 % of the GDP. Therefore, tourism plays a great role in natural and cultural heritage conservation and socioeconomic development. Ethiopia needs to promote sustainable tourism including ecotourism. On the other hand, if tourism is not properly planned and managed, tourism development can lead to negative economic, socio-cultural and environmental impacts. Tourism development in Ethiopia should be based on the principles of sustainability-social equity, economic efficiency and environmental sustainability. Sustainable tourism maximizes the benefits of tourism and minimizes its negative impacts. Ethiopian tourism, through effective policy and plans, is expected to make major progress in the future.