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The Botanical Garden of Naples has a collection of papier-mâché models that reproduce plant structures, whole plants, or fungi. They are known as Brendel Models, named after the German Company that built and supplied them to the Botanical Garden in the early nineteenth century. For their state of decay, due to time and continuous use for educational purposes, the models have undergone recovery interventions. Given their historical and artistic interest, and in order to preserve them, the models are no longer used today. In order not to completely lose such a cultural heritage for didactics, a CD-ROM has been created which includes, for each species reproduced by the models, photos in nature of the plants represented and didactic cards re-porting all the useful information for the use of models in computer mode.

The Villa di Poppea in Oplontis was a prestigious residence located at the foothill of Vesuvius (fig. 1). Constructed in 50 BC, the building was refurbished and enlarged over time and had been undergoing renovation and repairs ˗ due to damage caused by the earthquake of AD 62 – when it was buried in the eruption of AD 79. Although located slightly inland today, originally the villa was perched on the edge of a bluff approximately 14 m above the beach, a setting which offered a magnificent pan...

The book brings together 16 contributions on the ancient and recent history of citrus fruits. Although they represent the main fruit production on a worldwide scale, very little is known about their original domestication and routes of introduction into the Mediterranean and temperate Europe: few organic remains identified as citrus have been found on archaeological sites. Nevertheless, evidence has been retrieved for various periods in the form of pollen grains, seeds, rind fragments, and occasionally wood and whole fruits in areas of primo-domestication, Asian, and from sites along the potential routes of diffusion. Iconographic figurations and textual references also exist. The contributions presented here – written by researchers specializing in phylogeny, taxonomy, morphometry, archaeobotany, history, iconography, the study of classical letters, and curators of collections – present the latest knowledge relating to the taxonomy of the Citrus genus and the methods used in attempting to identify ancient specimens. Analysis of botanical remains and a variety of other sources, has allowed the citrus diversity in China, India, Israel, Egypt, Italy, and North-West Europe to be described. Greek, Latin and medieval texts have been explored in order to identify recognized species, cultivation methods, modes of consumption, uses, and virtues attributed to citrus fruits since their first occurrences. The conservatories and germplasm collections of citrus are presented from a historical point of view, as are the important role they play in genetic research to improve cultivars, the conservation of rare and ancient varieties, and the role of informing the general public is also emphasized. The symbolic representation of citrus fruits in the arts, literature, and philosophy completes this overview, and fills a gap concerning these emblematic Mediterranean fruit. L’ouvrage rassemble seize contributions relatives à l’histoire ancienne et récente des agrumes. Alors qu’ils représentent la première production fruitière à l’échelle mondiale, peu de travaux ont été menés sur leurs aires d’origine et leurs voies de diffusion, car très peu de vestiges organiques correspondant à des restes d’agrumes ont été découverts dans les sites archéologiques. Néanmoins, des témoins subsistent pour diverses périodes, sous la forme de pollens, semences, fragments d’écorce, occasionnellement bois et fruits entiers, dans les zones de primo-domestication, asiatiques, et dans les sites jalonnant les routes potentielles de dissémination de ces espèces vers la Méditerranée et l’Europe tempérée. Il en existe également des représentations iconographiques et des mentions textuelles. Les présentes contributions – rédigées par des spécialistes de génétique, taxinomie, morphométrie, archéobotanique, histoire, iconographie, lettres classiques, mais aussi des conservateurs de collections archéologiques et actuelles – présentent les dernières connaissances en matière de classification et de tentatives d’identification des restes anciens, ainsi que des synthèses qui mettent en valeur l’ensemble des témoins, ou certains indices particulièrement remarquables, de la diversité des agrumes en Chine et Inde, Israël, Égypte, Italie, Europe du Nord-Ouest. Les sources grecques, latines et médiévales sont également mises à contribution pour mieux appréhender les espèces reconnues, les modes de culture et de consommation, les usages et vertus attribués aux agrumes depuis leurs premières occurrences. Les conservatoires et grandes collections d’agrumes sont présentés du point de vue historique, et l’importance du rôle joué par ceux-ci dans la recherche génétique visant à améliorer les cultivars, la conservation de certaines variétés et l’information du public, est soulignée. Un éclairage sur la représentation symbolique des agrumes dans les arts, la littérature et la philosophie, complète ce tour d’horizon, qui vient combler un vide concernant des espèces particulièrement emblématiques de la Méditerranée.

The genus Dioon occupies an important phylogenetic position as sister to the other Zamiaceae. However, its epidermal morphology is still poorly known. We employed scanning and transmission electron microscopy, confocal microscopy and light microscopy to examine the epidermal and cuticular morphology of 12 of the 14 currently recognized species of Dioon, examining cultivated plants and herbarium specimens. Epidermal characters separate Dioon quite clearly from the other genera of the cycads. Within the genus, the major subgroups can be distinguished by their epidermal morphology. Some characters, such as the degree of stomatal protection, reflect ecological specializations in species within the subgroups. Several epidermal characters of the crown group Dioon seem to be absent in the Cenozoic fossils usually associated with the genus, which have been used as calibrations in many recent molecular dating analyses. The presence of similar characters in a Mesozoic fossil adapted to volcanic stress offers a new key in the interpretation of Dioon evolution.

Apical regions of developing aerial shoots of Psilotum nudum (L.) Beauv. were studied using both scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and light microscopy (LM) with the aim of improving our understanding of early stages in stomatal and epidermal ontogenesis. SEM samples were fixed in gluteraldehyde, critical point dried, and coated with an Au-Pd alloy. LM samples were fixed in FAA and embedded in paraffin. LM sections were stained with 0.05% toluidine blue for protein. SEM shows that P. nudum stomata develop from 20 gm-long domed meristemoid cells into guard cell mother cells (GMCs). A furrow dividing guard cells develops at 30 mu m long, and wax deposition that will cover the entire cell begins at 70 mu m long. LM longitudinal sections of GMCs show a cytoplasmic protein net that organizes into radial fibers, similar to reports of actin fibers in stomata of angiosperms. This study provides additional details of stomatal development in Psilotum and is the first report of an actin-like protein net in Psilotum.

A great variety of colours, shapes, scents, energy-rich rewards and other floral traits form an integrated system that increases pollination efficiency or reduces pollen loss. Flowers lacking energetic rewards possess a more elaborate morphology to ensure co-specific pollination. Despite the prevalence of deceptive species among Euro-Mediterranean orchids, the study of their floral micromorphology is still in its infancy. In this work, we examine the floral micromorphology of four sympatric species of the widespread Mediterranean genus Serapias. Electron microscopy (scanning, transmission) was performed on flowers of four sympatric species of the deceptive genus Serapias, the widespread S.cordigera, S.lingua, S.parviflora and S.vomeracea. Each species has a characteristic combination of specialized, secretory epidermal cells and trichomes on the labellum and, to a lesser extent, the petals. Serapias lingua is highly specialized in that it produces olfactory signals and has two types of trichome with secretory apical cells, one of which is also present in S.parviflora. In addition to striated, conical secretory cells, S.cordigera and S.vomeracea also have characteristic, atypical secretory trichomes with bilobulate or dome-like protuberances. The labellar micromorphology of S.lingua and S.parviflora is adapted for scent production, whereas S.vomeracea and S.cordigera possess trichomes that may also provide visual and/or tactile cues. Owing to the combined effect of the specific floral fragrance and labellar micromorphology in pollinator selection, the pollination ecology of Serapias spp. is even more specialized than previously thought. © 2012 The Linnean Society of London.

Una drupa carbonizzata della collezione di reperti vegetali rinvenuti in siti archeologici dell'area vesuviana (NA) e depositati nel Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli è stata esaminata al microscopio elettronico a scansione, mostrando un alto grado di conservazione a livello micromorfologico.

Esame ultrastrutturale di una drupa carbonizzata rinvenuta in un sito archeologico

A scanning electron microscopy (SEM) study of Cycas cuticle characteristics was undertaken in order to expand our knowledge of microscopic characters not observable under light microscopy and to clarify unresolved affinitites among some species within the genus. Whole leaf and isolated cuticle specimens from the middle region of leaflets of greenhouse-grown plants of Cycas revoluta, Cycas rumphii, Cycas circinalis, Cycas media, and Cycas normanbyana were examined using SEM for interior and exterior features. Characteristics in common include hypostomy, hair bases on abaxial and adaxial surfaces, adaxial cells randomly arranged, adaxial exterior cuticle smooth, and stomata sunken to various degrees but stomatal pit always formed by two layers of epidermal cells. Stomatal complex is of the polyperigenous type. Stomata randomly dispersed and oriented, and except C. revoluta, are not contiguous. Stomata deeply sunken in C. revoluta, intermediate in C. rumphii and C. normanbyana, and less sunken in C. circinalis and C. media. Aperture between guard cells extends the entire stomatal length in C. rumphii and C. normanbyana, ∼80% in C. circinalis and C. media, and ∼50% in C. revoluta. Cuticular features of C. revoluta show the greatest difference from the other species in complex relief of exterior cuticle and interior cuticular structure of subsidiary cells; C. media and C. circinalis show close similarity to each other and their stomatal complex dimensions fall within the same unique cluster using principal component analysis under normalized variables. C. normanbyana and C. rumphii show the most similarity to each other in cuticular micromorphology. Stomatal complex dimensions of these two species fall into a second cluster that also includes C. revoluta. These data contrast with current taxonomy placing C. normanbyana synonymous to C. media.

L’Orto Botanico di Napoli ha potenziato i propri canali di comunicazione mediante l’apertura di un portale web e l’adozione di strumenti informatici quali CD-ROM e totem multimediali. Tali strumenti permettono di coin- volgere visitatori caratterizzati da differenti livelli di conoscenza ed interesse per i temi trattati, pur mantenendo un e levato livello della qualità delle informazioni. Dall’Homepage del sito è possibile accedere a diverse sezioni che interessano tre aspetti salienti dell’Orto napoletano, ovvero l’elevata ricchezza di specie vegetali, le ricostru- zioni di ambienti naturali e il ricco patrimonio bibliografico ed iconografico eredità della sua storia bi-centenaria. U no dei prodotti informatici in fase di realizzazione è u n CD-ROM dedicato alla collezione storica dei model- li di piante Brendel, illustranti strutture fiorali ed utilizzati all’inizio del ‘900 per la didattica universitaria. Un totem multimediale recentemente inserito nell’area museale dell’Orto permette di integrare, con contenuti dina- mici, le esposizioni presenti nel Museo di Paleobotanica ed Etnobotanica

Nuovi allestimenti ed organizzazione nel museo dell'orto botanico di napoli

Applicazione di tecniche di carbonizzazione artificiale per lo studio di fossili vegetali

ID:1458

Background and Aims Pollen characters have been widely used in defining evolutionary trends in orchids. In recent years, information on pollination biology and phylogenetic patterns within Orchidinae has become available. Hence, the aim of the presented work is to re-evaluate exine micromorphology of Orchidinae in light of recent phylogenetic studies and to test whether pollen micromorphology strictly depends on phylogenetic relationships among species or whether it is influenced by the marked differences in pollination ecology also reported among closely related species. Methods Pollen sculpturing of 45 species of Orchidinae and related taxa was investigated using scanning electron microscopy. To cover potential intraspecific variation, several accessions of the same species were examined. Key Results Orchidinae show remarkable variation in exine sculpturing, with a different level of variation within species groups. In some genera, such as Serapias (rugulate) and Ophrys (psilate to verrucate), intrageneric uniformity corresponds well to a common pollination strategy and close relationships among species. However, little exine variability (psilate–scabrate and scabrate–rugulate) was also found in the genus Anacamptis in spite of striking differences in floral architecture and pollination strategies. A larger variety of exine conditions was found in genera Dactylorhiza (psilate, psilate–scabrate and reticulate) and Orchis s.s. (psilate, reticulate, perforate–rugulate and baculate) where no unequivocal correspondence can be found to either phylogenetic patterns or pollination strategies. Conclusions Changes in pollen characteristics do not consistently reflect shifts in pollination strategy. A unique trend of exine evolution within Orchidinae is difficult to trace. However, the clades comprising Anacamptis, Neotinea, Ophrys and Serapias show psilate to rugulate or scabrate pollen, while that of the clade comprising Chamorchis, Dactylorhiza, Gymnadenia, Orchis s.s., Platanthera, Pseudorchis and Traunsteinera ranges from psilate to reticulate. Comparison of the data with exine micromorphology from members of the tribe Orchidieae and related tribes suggests a possible general trend from reticulate to psilate.

ID 174

A new calcareous-dolomitic horizon of a platy-dolomite type (sensu BERNIER, 1994), containing the remains of a Cenomanian continental palaeoflora, is reported. The platy-dolomite crops out in the Mount Chianello carbonate ridge (sheet tav. I.G.M. 1:25.000, 198 IT S.W. - Castel San Lorenzo), dominating the village of Magliano Vetere (SA). This ridge is a deformed part of a Mesozoic-Cenozoic platform (campano-lucana platform in D'ARGENIO et alii, 1973; apenninic platform in MOSTARDINI & MERLINI, 1986). A 200 m thick interval of the sequence has been sampled in order to date this platy doloinite. On the basis of facies, it has been divided into four intervals which are, from bottom to top: a) 50 m stromatolitic dolomite and limestones below the platy dolomite, showing the sedimentological features of a restricted lagoonal environment in an inner carbonate platform. Among the microfossils, Sellialveolina viallii COLALONGO, Nezza-zata simplex OMARA, Pseudolituonella reicheli MARIE, Biplanata peneropliformis HAMAOUI & SAINT-MARc and Pseudorhapydionina dubia (DE CASTRO) are present. This fossil assemblage indicates in age ranging from the base of the Cenomanian up to the middle Cenomanian (DE CASTRO, 1991). b) 70 m thin-bedded dolomite and dolomitic limestones of which the typical platy dolomite facies constitutes 40 m in which sets of millimetre-scale laminae are frequently present and often contain terrestrial floral remains on the laminae surfaces. The fossi-liferous horizon is ascribed to the middle-upper Cenomanian by, the presence of Nezzazata simply OMARA, Biconcava bemori HAMAOUI & SAINT-MARC, Biplanata peneropliformis HAMAOUI & SAINT-MARC Chrysalidina gradata D'ORBIGNY, Pseudorhapydionuna dubia (DE CASTRO), Pseudorhapydionina laurinensis (DE CASTRO). The sedimentological features of the platy-dolomite and fossil flora content suggest deposition in a tidal flat under upper- intertidal-supratidal conditions and, in particular, in an algal-marsh environment often exposed to dessication and storms, located close to a coastal area with primeval Angiosperms and Conifers. The first palaeontolological studies on this continental flora, allow its to ascribe some fossils to Sapindopsis sp.. c) 42 m limestones and bioturbated dolomite which, marks a drastic change in the environmental and sedimentological conditions on the carbonate platform, with heavily bioturbated bioderrital material (namely fragments of Rudists), often in massive lavers, proving a swift transition to deeper open marine conditions. In particular, the first 18 metres of this interval have many traces of Thalassinoid bioturbation. The tracks and burrows give an unmistakable appearance to the rocks and make this an important marker horizon in the whole ridge of Mount Chianello-Mount Vesole. Because of the presence in thin section of Dicyclina sp., Cisalveolina fraasi (GLMBEL) and Pseudorhapydionida casertana (DE CASTRO), a late Cenomanian age is assigned to this interval. d) 43 m of limestones and dolomite. The sedimentological features indicate an open carbonate platform emironment often with coarse biodetrital elements and in the upper part, a tendency to the emersion. This interval has been assigned to the Turonian by the presence of Murgeina apula (LUPERTO-SINNI). Biconcava bentori HAMAOUI & SAINT MARC and small Moncharmontia apenninica (DE CASTRO). In conclusion, the above observations show that the sequence including the platy dolomite of Magliano Vetere, ranges in age from the Lower Cenomanian to the Turonian. The flora of the platy dolomite is Middle Cenomanian in age and reflects an upper intertidal-supratidal environment. The plant remains ascribed to the genus Sapindopsis constitute the first Italian finding of this type and fit well with a shallow marine environment close to a coast line. The studied sequence documents peritidal or paralic environments with a restricted water circulation in the Lower Cenomanian, with a strong tendency to stagnation in the Middle Cenomanian (platy dolomite). The restricted conditions change drastically in the Upper Cenomanian with its bioturbated rudist fragment-rich horizons. As other similar horizons in the Mesozoic carbonatic sequences of the Southern Apennine (BRAVI, 1995), the platy dolomite of Magliano Vetere seems to fit well, due to its age, with a marked eustatic sea level minimum in the Middle Cenomanian; tis minimum is recognizable in the 3degrees order eustatic curve of HAO el alli (1987). As a final considerations, it could be said that the studied sequence is relevant to two important currents of research: The analysed stratigraphic imerval, because of its quality and thickness, is particularly appropriate for studies of the enironmental and ecological changes in carbonate shallow water platforms during the global anoxic event at the Cenomanian-Turonian (C/T) boundary, at present the object of important research (ERBA et alii; 2001; FORSTER et alii, 2001: KOLONIC et alii, 2001, WALSWORTH-BELL et alii, 2001). In the succession studied the Cenomanian Turonian boundary is located between the intervals c and d (see fig. 3). This transition represents a short period during which, in the neritic realm, strong environmental change and an important evolutionary overturn are associated. In the hydrocarbon context, the main source rocks in the Italian sedimentary sequences are constituted by organic-rich intervals deposited in shallow carbonate platform environments or in deep water interplatform basinal settings (KATZ et alii, 2000). Although similar rocks are present in a number of different stratigraphic levels, only those in the Upper Triassic-Lower Triassic (accumulations of Malossa, Rospo and Gela), Middle Triassic (accumulation of Villafortuna) and Upper Cretaceous (Monte Alpi) are at present known to have generated oil. Detailed geochemical studies (KATZ et alii, 2000) indicate that there is a sharp contrast in the stable isotope composition of the organic matter contained in the different Italian carbonate source rocks. The Triassic and Toarcian organic matter is isotopically light (delta C-13(bitumen)

stampato a settembre 2006