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Abstract This opinion piece, written by ethnobiologists from different parts of the world, emphasizes the importance of ethnobiology research in advancing contemporary biology, natural resource management, biodiversity conservation, sustainable development, and, especially, contributing to the ecological transition and more just and inclusive world. To achieve these goals, it is essential to develop research and collaborate with social groups that live in close relationship with nature in research activities, such as Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLC), as well as Afro-descendants and other Marginalized, Minority or Minoritized Communities (AMMC). Ethnobiology can identify and provide locally appropriate solutions to local problems, enabling sustainable resource management at the landscape level. The text explores important aspects that need to be considered to guide the future of ethnobiology in the next 20 years, aiming to integrate and amplify previous discussions held in the discipline and identify points that demand ongoing attention. This paper highlights reflections from diverse researchers, emphasizing how ethnobiology can embrace different perspectives and employ rigorous analysis of complex phenomena toward effective policies and practices. This approach holds the potential to address the challenges the planet is currently facing in the coming decades.

Abstract Background Ethnobotanical studies in metropolitan areas and urban ethnic markets have grown considerably in recent years as large cities have demonstrated to be significantly rich in biocultural diversity and in driving its evolution, as human populations migrate from one region to another. Urban spaces also represent important places of rich multicultural and multilingual interaction and exchange, where ethnobotany can act as a bridge between research and action. The purpose of this study is to present a case study on how to use ethnobotany in multicultural urban settings by studying people-plant interactions and the larger implications and applications to promote biocultural learning in these areas. Methods We inventoried the botanical composition of fresh and dry products sold in most food stores owned by Chinese immigrants in Fondo, a neighbourhood of Barcelona’s metropolitan area, in Santa Coloma de Gramenet municipality (Barcelonès county, Catalonia, Iberian Peninsula), pharmacologically validating the obtained list with the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. We also participated in multiple dissemination activities and materials (non-academic and academic), along with exchanges with the broader community in relation to this research. Results In total, 103 plants were identified at the species level, pertaining to 88 genera and 46 botanical families. Including the infraspecific level, a total of 113 plant taxa were inventoried. One algal and six fungal species were also recorded, but not included in the analyses. Brassicaceae (12.4%) and Fabaceae (10.6%) were the most predominant families inventoried, followed by Cucurbitaceae (7.1%) and Poaceae (7.1%). Over three-quarters of all the taxa have an Asian origin (76.11%), indicating a high conservation of the use of Asian taxa. Over one-third (36.89%) of the plant parts pertain to species contained in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, showing the relevance of medicinal plants in local stores and the preponderance of Eastern Asian food-medicine continuums. To promote ethnobotanical education programmes, over 50 dissemination activities and educational materials were produced from this study and shared with the local urban community in different fora. Conclusions Further research in these and similar settings can provide significant ethnographic information to better understand anthropological processes and phenomena underlying migration and transculturation that can be used in an umbrella of applications, from adequate nomenclature and labelling of foreign products in local languages to multicultural integration and social cohesion programmes along with educational activities on biocultural topics.

Wild food plants (WFPs) are crucial for the subsistence of many human populations. While there are at least 7000 edible plant species in the world, only approximately 420 are considered food crops. WFPs are often studied from the phytochemical and pharmacological point of view, because they include available food components with nutraceutical value. The present study aims to highlight the nutritional value of WFPs traditionally used in the Catalan linguistic area, providing detailed insights and discussing the significance of these properties. Information about the nutritional properties of 93 taxa, coming from ethnobotanical prospection, has been collected through an extensive bibliographic research. The results reveal that WFPs are rich in nutrients, especially micronutrients. Furthermore, in selected species, those for which nutritional information and a cultivated homologue are available, the nutrient content in wild taxa exceeds than of phylogenetically related crop plants with similar use. Traditional wild plant preparation forms for food and the nutritional value of a menu constituted by wild food plants are presented. This research represents a preliminary step toward selecting certain taxa that could be developed into new small- or large-scale crops or sustainably harvested in the wild, contributing to food security.

Ethnobotanical research in the Catalan linguistic area (CLA) is crucial due to the persistence of traditional medicinal plant knowledge. Gastrointestinal, metabolic, and nutritional disorders are major global health issues requiring effective treatments. This study aimed to analyze plants used for these disorders in the CLA, compare the findings with phytotherapy literature, and examine correlations between plant use in humans and animals. Data were sourced from the database of the research group of Catalan ethnobotany at the University of Barcelona and the Botanic Institute of Barcelona, representing a collection of ethnobotanical studies. A total of 630 plant taxa were examined, with 15,252 use reports (UR) provided by 2301 informants. Gastrointestinal disorders were the focus, comprising 94.24% of the UR. The high informant consensus factor (0.96) indicated strong reliability of the results. The most often reported species were Matricaria recutita (5.97%), Thymus vulgaris (5.12%), and Lippia triphylla (4.90%). Lamiaceae (19.86%), Asteraceae (18.78%), and Rosaceae (5.55%) were the top botanical families. The main uses were digestive (17.62%), intestinal anti-inflammatory (15.68%), and antidiarrheal (8.91%). The main part of the plant used was the aerial part (33.22%). Tisane (69.25%) was the most cited pharmaceutical form. Traditional uses were confirmed by pharmacological literature in 57.59% of cases. This work highlights the potential of medicinal plants for treating gastrointestinal, metabolic, and nutritional disorders in the CLA. Further research is possible in other territories, as well as in the phytochemical and medicinal aspects of the plants recorded.

Abstract Background The right floodplain at the Llobregat river delta (Catalonia, NE Iberian Peninsula) constitutes an agricultural periurban area adjacent to Barcelona, which has remained ethnobotanically unexplored until now. This area comprises a very heavily anthropized mosaic of soil uses—urban, industrial, natural, agricultural—including the Agricultural Park of Baix Llobregat. The main aim of this work has been to collect and analyze the ethnoflora of this area in order to fill a gap in the ethnobotanical knowledge in industrialized areas. Methods The followed methodology has been based on semi-structured interviews. The obtained data have been qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed and compared with other studies. Results Data have been gathered from 83 informants. The interviewed informants referred 1965 use reports from 292 taxa, including both non-cultivated and cultivated species, from 85 botanical families. Among those, 451 were referred to medicinal uses, 1247 to food uses and 267 to other uses. In the present study, 779 vernacular names have been reported for 287 taxa. In addition to medicinal and food uses, this study significantly enhances our understanding of some agrosilvopastoral uses of plants, artistic use of plants and insights into folk functional foods. In this regard, we propose a novel quantitative ethnobotany index (the folk functional food index) to assess the relative significance of taxa employed as folk functional foods. Conclusions The findings of this study highlight the enduring presence of ethnobotanical knowledge in this periurban agricultural region and underscore the significance of its preservation.

Vitis vinifera L. has been present in Ibiza and Formentera, two islands of the Balearic Islands (Spain), since the 7th century BC. In the past few years, there have been several studies and investigations on the Balearic Islands. These have focused mainly on Mallorca and Menorca with a small representation of Ibiza and none that take into account Formentera. This research aims to contribute to the knowledge of Vitis cultivars cultivated on those islands and to investigate whether there are local cultivars still being grown. To do this, using an ethnobotanical approach, 15 persons were interviewed to gather information about local grapevines, and 36 accessions from 12 plots were characterized using ampelographic descriptors and identified using SSR markers. Relationships of the accessions studied with other cultivars were also assessed. The results show 21 different genotypes profiles, where six were new genotypes: ‘Colló de gall’, ‘Grec’, ‘Maçanet’, ‘VIEIV015-Maçanet’, ‘Morzacà’, and ‘Vermelleta’. Ten new synonyms and three homonyms have been proposed. Additionally, we suggest three new relationships for the ‘Hebén’ cultivar, one new relationship for the ‘Llora’ cultivar and one new relationship for the ‘Beba’ cultivar. These results show the first reported information for Ibiza and Formentera on Vitis.

Veterinary care is fundamental for animal wellbeing, and so is achieving a comprehensive understanding of traditional ethnoveterinary applications. However, little attention has been paid to it so far in industrialized countries, and in particular in Western Europe. In this context, the present work aims to make a contribution to this issue in the Catalan linguistic area, focusing on the study of plants used, at a popular level, to treat and deal with gastrointestinal, metabolic, and nutritional disorders, which are among the most important issues that affect animals. Data obtained in this study come from the popular knowledge about plants for veterinary purposes from 599 informants, who jointly provided 1,405 reports of use from 148 plant taxa. The most cited species have been Tanacetum parthenium (L.) Sch.Bip. (9.04%), Olea europaea L. subsp. europaea var. europaea (6.26%), and Euphorbia lathyris L. (6.26%). At higher taxonomic levels, the botanical families with more ethnoveterinary applications were Asteraceae (24.48%), Euphorbiaceae (8.33%), and Oleaceae (7.12%). Among the total use reports, 95.02% refer to disorders of the gastrointestinal system, 4.34% to nutritional disorders, and 0.64% to metabolic disorders. Antidiarrheal (18.01%), digestive (16.51%), and laxative (15.80%) have been the most reported veterinary uses. The most used plant parts have been the aerial part (40.50%), the fruit or the infructescence (18.65%), and the flower or inflorescence (16.01%). The main preparation and administration forms reported were tisane (58.69%), followed by direct use (without any specific pharmaceutical form; 21.77%). The global corpus of ethnoveterinary knowledge for the gastrointestinal system disorders in the territory of study is diverse, with some species having a very high cultural value, as indicated by an informant consensus factor very close to 1. Some reported uses were also confirmed after consultation of encyclopedic pharmacological works, although few of these works are specifically devoted to veterinary uses. The results of this study are relevant to preserve the ethnoveterinary knowledge, but also represent an important contribution to be taken into account in research for future development of new plant-based drugs for animals.

Abstract Background This study has focused on the Garrigues district, one of the most arid regions in Catalonia (NE Iberian Peninsula), which, in general terms, has remained unexplored from the ethnobotanical point of view. This area, of 22,243 inhabitants, comprises 33 municipalities distributed across 1123.12 km2. The natural vegetation is dominated by holm oak forests and maquis called ‘garriga’, the latter giving its name to the district. During the last few decades, this landscape has been transformed by agricultural activities, nowadays in recession. The main aim of this work was to collect and analyse the ethnoflora of this area in order to fill a gap in the ethnobotanical knowledge in Catalonia. Methods The followed methodology was based on semi-structured interviews. The obtained data have been qualitatively and quantitatively analysed and compared with other available ones. Results Data were gathered from 68 interviews involving 101 informants, whose ages range from 24 to 94, the mean being 73.07. The number of taxa reported in this study was 420, belonging to 99 botanical families. The interviewed informants referred 4715 use reports (UR) of 346 useful taxa, 1741 (36.93) of them corresponding to medicinal uses, 1705 (36.16%) to food uses, and 1269 (26.91%) to other uses. This study has inventoried, apart from individual plant uses, 260 plant mixtures, of which 98 are medicinal and 162 food. In the present study, 849 vernacular names with 116 phonetic variants have been collected, as well, for 410 taxa. The informant consensus factor (FIC) obtained for our interviewees is 0.93, and the ethnobotanicity index is 23.47% for the studied area. Apart from plants belonging to the typical Catalan, Iberian or European ethnofloras, the present work contributes information on some plants from semiarid or arid regions, such as Artemisia herba-alba and Plantago albicans, much rarer in the ethnobotany of the quoted areas. Conclusions The results of this study reveal the persistence of ethnobotanical knowledge in the prospected area and the importance of filling the existing gaps in the ethnofloristic sampling of the Catalan territories. The almost complete dataset, now including some arid territories, will allow us to carry out a global analysis and to provide an accurate overview.

Infectious diseases represent, as a group, the main cause of mortality in the world. The most important reasons are multidrug-resistant pathogens, the rapid spread of emerging diseases aggravated by globalization, and the extended reach of tropical and vector-borne diseases resulting from continued climate change. Given the increase in these diseases and the limited effectiveness of antibiotics, traditional knowledge can constitute a useful tool to address these new health challenges. The aim of this work is to analyze extensively the available ethnobotanical data linked to infections and infestations in the Catalan linguistic area, with the intention of depicting the panorama of the folk use of herbal products to address the quoted ailments, preserving the popular plant knowledge and management data. The meta-analytic work performed in the present study covers 29 research studies belonging to different regions throughout the Catalan linguistic area. The medicinal ethnoflora to treat infections and infestations in the Catalan linguistic area includes 326 taxa belonging to 78 botanical families of vascular plants. The informant consensus factor (FIC) was 0.92, and the ethnobotanicity index (EI) was 7.26%. Artemisia absinthium (10.98%; 0.37) and Thymus vulgaris (8.06%; 0.27) are the most quoted taxa and have the highest values of the cultural importance index. The most reported use was antihelminthic (30.15%), followed by internal antiseptic (19.43%) and antipyretic (13.69%). The medicinal importance index shows the relevance of the antihelminthic use (14.23) and also the use against measles (10.19). The information is coincidental with at least one of the comprehensive pharmacological literature sources checked for 47.42% of ethnobotanical uses. These results, centered on the plants used to treat infection and infestation diseases, are the first step toward selecting some of the most interesting species to develop phytochemical and pharmacological studies and suggesting an alternative regarding how to face the health emergency involving the expansion of infectious diseases, based on local and traditional knowledge.

Cannabis sativa has been used for millennia in traditional medicine for ritual purposes and for the production of food and fibres, thus, providing important and versatile services to humans. The species, which currently has a worldwide distribution, strikes out for displaying a huge morphological and chemical diversity. Differences in Cannabis genome size have also been found, suggesting it could be a useful character to differentiate between accessions. We used flow cytometry to investigate the extent of genome size diversity across 483 individuals belonging to 84 accessions, with a wide range of wild/feral, landrace, and cultivated accessions. We also carried out sex determination using the MADC2 marker and investigated the potential of flow cytometry as a method for early sex determination. All individuals were diploid, with genome sizes ranging from 1.810 up to 2.152 pg/2C (1.189-fold variation), apart from a triploid, with 2.884 pg/2C. Our results suggest that the geographical expansion of Cannabis and its domestication had little impact on its overall genome size. We found significant differences between the genome size of male and female individuals. Unfortunately, differences were, however, too small to be discriminated using flow cytometry through the direct processing of combined male and female individuals.

Presentamos en este trabajo la web ‘Etnobotánica de los Países Catalanes’ (https://etnobotanica.iec.cat), una herramienta interactiva para redescubrir el saber popular sobre las plantas. En el momento de hacerse pública, contiene casi 80.000 entradas con nombres de plantas y 55.000 con usos medicinales, y se trabaja para introducir, en los próximos dos años, unas 30.000 entradas de usos alimentarios y unas 30.000 más de otros usos y otras informaciones. Estos datos provienen de más de 1300 entrevistas realizadas a casi 2000 informantes de alrededor de 500 municipios del dominio lingüístico catalán. Los territorios de lengua catalana se encuentran entre las áreas del sur de Europa mejor prospectadas etnobotánicamente, y actualmente sigue habiendo investigaciones activas. La información hasta ahora volcada ha originado un centenar de obras, cuya lista se puede consultar en la misma web. En cuanto a nombres populares, los táxones con mayor diversidad son Zea mays, Achillea millefolium, Cynara cardunculus, Hypericum perforatum y Ceterach officinarum. En cuanto a usos medicinales -los únicos que por el momento figuran-, los táxones más reportados son Thymus vulgaris, Sambucus nigra, Olea europaea subsp. europaea var. europaea, Matricaria recutita y Rosmarinus officinalis. Esta página web es una buena herramienta para el retorno a la sociedad de un saber sobre los patrimonios natural y cultural que de ella proviene, conservándolo y poniéndolo al alcance de las nuevas generaciones y, además, permitirá detectar huecos en la investigación etnoflorística, realizar metanálisis hasta ahora muy raramente hechos en etnobotánica y suministrar información a instituciones y empresas interesadas en desarrollar productos comerciales a base de plantas. [ct] Presentem en aquest treball la web ‘Etnobotànica dels Països Catalans’ (https://etnobotanica.iec.cat), una eina interactiva per a redescobrir el saber popular sobre les plantes. En el moment de fer-se pública, conté gairebé 80.000 entrades amb noms de plantes i 55.000 amb usos medicinals, i es treballa per a introduir-hi, en els propers dos anys, unes 30.000 entrades d’usos alimentaris i unes 30.000 més d’altres usos i altres informacions. Aquestes dades provenen de més de 1300 entrevistes realitzades a quasi 2000 informants de gairebé 500 municipis del domini lingüístic català. Els territoris de llengua catalana es troben entre les àrees del sud d’Europa més ben prospectades etnobotànicament, i actualment encara hi ha investigacions actives. La informació fins ara buidada ha originat un centenar d’obres, la llista de les quals es pot consultar a la mateixa web. Quant a noms populars, els tàxons amb més diversitat són Zea mays, Achillea millefolium, Cynara cardunculus, Hypericum perforatum i Ceterach officinarum. Pel que fa a usos medicinals -els únics que de moment hi figuren-, els tàxons més reportats són Thymus vulgaris, Sambucus nigra, Olea europaea subsp. europaea var. europaea, Matricaria recutita i Rosmarinus officinalis. Aquesta pàgina web és una bona eina per al retorn a la societat d’un saber sobre els patrimonis natural i cultural que en prové, tot conservant-lo i posant-lo a l’abast de les noves generacions i, a més, permetrà detectar buits en la investigació etnoflorística, dur a terme metanàlisis fins ara molt rarament fetes en etnobotànica i fornir informació a institucions i empreses interessades a desenvolupar productes comercials a base de plantes.

The genus Marshallia is made up by seven to ten species of perennial herbs growing mainly in open habitats, whereas the genus Balduina is represented by three sympatric species; two perennial herbs and one annual, growing in open pine forest habitats. Both genera belong to the family Asteraceae, tribe Helenieae, and are endemic to the southeast United States, in North America. Cytogenetic studies concerning these two genera are scarce and genome size data is lacking for both. The main goals of this study were to (i) generate novel insights into the evolution of the genome size and (ii), contribute to filling existing gaps on our knowledge of the Asteraceae family from this point of view. Nuclear DNA contents range from 11.42 pg/2C in Marshallia trinervia to 31.58 pg/2C in Marshallia mohrii. The combination of genome size with chromosome data (and inferred cytotypes) suggests the existence of multiple cytotypes, and provides interesting insights into the potential impact of polyploidy in the evolution of these genera in general, and the shaping of genome size diversity, in particular.

Plant genome size has many applications in different biological fields including ecology and plant breeding. The 2C value for Vitis vinifera L. has not been widely studied; furthermore, to date, no data from local landraces in the Pityusic Islands (the two smaller inhabited Balearic Islands, Ibiza, and Formentera) have been reported. This research aims to contribute to this knowledge and investigate whether there are variations between different grape landraces cultivated in Ibiza and Formentera and also among the same landraces on each island. To this end, 36 accessions of 15 cultivars and 6 landraces, identified with SSR markers, were assessed using flow cytometry. The results revealed that 2C values ranged from 1.09 pg to 1.28 pg. There were statistically significant differences in ‘AG1’ and ‘AG2’ landraces and ‘Santa Magdalena’, ‘Garnatxa’, ‘Danugue’, and ‘Valencí tinto/Grumier’ cultivars. No statistically significant differences were found in terms of the genome size content between islands. Statistically significant differences were found in accessions within ‘AG2’ landrace group and ‘Beba’ cultivar. The results presented here constitute the first-ever reported information on genome size in the genus Vitis vinifera in Pityusic, Balearic, and, in general, Spanish accessions, and they are one of the largest prospections in this field for this species anywhere. Further research should be conducted to explain the differences in nuclear DNA content found between landraces and cultivars studied here with others cultivated in different islands or countries to understand whether genome size varies in modern cultivars compared with local landraces. Additionally, it would be interesting to investigate whether there is a relationship between genome size and adaptations to diverse climatology conditions, crop management, and ripening characteristics.

Abstract Background The western Gironès is a district located in NE Catalonia (NE Iberian Peninsula). This area comprising 186.55 km2 and 10,659 inhabitants is composed of 5 municipalities encompassing 29 villages, located in the hydrographic basins of the Ter and Llémena rivers. Methods Following the methodology based on the semi-structured interviews, we carried out 40 interviews with 57 informants, 31 were women and the remaining 26 were men, with an average age of 78.6 years. Results In the present study, data from 316 taxa (301 angiosperms, 8 gymnosperms, and 7 pteridophytes) belonging to 89 botanical families were collected. The interviewed informants referred 3776 UR of 298 taxa, 1933 (51.19%) of them corresponding to the food category, 949 (25.13%) to the medicinal ones, and 894 (23.68%) to other uses. In addition, 581 vernacular names for 306 species, subspecies, and varieties have also been collected. Conclusions These results reveal the validity of traditional knowledge in the studied area, which can be seriously threatened by the loss of its rural condition and its proximity to industrialized areas.

Cancer is the second cause of death in the world and is foreseen to be responsible for about 16 million deaths in 2040. Approximately, 60% of the drugs used to treat cancer are of natural origin. Besides the extensive use of some of these drugs in therapies, such as those derived from the genus Taxus, a significant number of plants have revealed themselves as useful against cancer in recent years. The field of ethnobotany focuses on documenting traditional knowledge associated with plants, constituting a starting point to uncover the potential of new plant-based drugs to treat or prevent, in this case, tumour diseases and side effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. From a series of extensive ethnobotanical prospections across the Catalan linguistic area (CLA), we have recorded uses for 41 taxa with antitumour effects. The two most quoted botanical families are Asteraceae and Ranunculaceae, and the most frequently reported species is Ranunculus parnassifolius, a high-mountain species, which is widely collected for this purpose. The reported species have been used to treat an important number of cancer types, focusing on preventive, palliative, and curative uses, as well as to deal with the side effects of conventional treatments. Comparing our results in CLA with previous data available in the most comprehensive databases of pharmacology and a review of cytotoxicity assays revealed that for the several species reported here, there was no previous evidence of traditional uses against cancer. Despite the need for further analyses to experimentally validate the information presented here, combining traditional uses and phylogenetically-informed strategies to phytochemical and pharmacological research would represent new avenues to establish more integrative approaches, hence improving the ability to select new candidate taxa in cancer research.

Based on results from previous studies, populations of the Iberian endemic Centaurea podospermifolia north of the Ebro River are considered genetically pure, while those southward are introgressed, with genetic input from C. cephalariifolia. This phenomenon is particularly relevant, especially given both the endangered and protected status for the species, which can have consequences in how to best apply conservation strategies to maintain genetic resources in the species. The main goal of this study was to evaluate whether genome size assessments using flow cytometry can help distinguishing between pure, hybrid and introgressed populations, and hence become a powerful and cost-effective tool to complement comprehensive population genetic surveys. The results indicate that there are significant genome size differences between populations of C. podospermifolia, which are coincident with previous considerations of pure and introgressed populations. Given the simplicity and reproducibility of this technique, flow cytometry could become an effective tool for monitoring pure populations of this species and, indeed, become an integral part of the management plans that are mandatory for listed taxa.

Studies suggesting that medicinal plants are not chosen at random are becoming more common. The goal of this work is to shed light on the role of botanical families in ethnobotany, depicting in a molecular phylogenetic frame the relationships between families and medicinal uses of vascular plants in several Catalan-speaking territories. The simple quantitative analyses for ailments categories and the construction of families and disorders matrix were carried out in this study. A Bayesian approach was used to estimate the over- and underused families in the medicinal flora. Phylogenetically informed analyses were carried out to identify lineages in which there is an overrepresentation of families in a given category of use, i.e., hot nodes. The ethnobotanicity index, at a specific level, was calculated and also adapted to the family level. Two diversity indices to measure the richness of reported taxa within each family were calculated. A total of 47,630 use reports were analysed. These uses are grouped in 120 botanical families. The ethnobotanicity index for this area is 14.44% and the ethnobotanicity index at the family level is 68.21%. The most-reported families are Lamiaceae and Asteraceae and the most reported troubles are disorders of the digestive and nutritional system. Based on the meta-analytic results, indicating hot nodes of useful plants at the phylogenetic level, specific ethnopharmacological research may be suggested, including a phytochemical approach of particularly interesting taxa.

Wild food plants (WFP) have always been present in our kitchen, although they have not always been given the same importance as crops. In the Catalan linguistic area (CLA), covered in this paper, WFP were of great importance as a subsistence food not only during the years of the Spanish civil war (1936–1939) and World War II (1939–1945), but also long before these periods and in the years thereafter. The CLA has been well studied at the level of traditional knowledge on plant biodiversity, and much of this information is collected in a database by the EtnoBioFiC research group. The aim of this work is to carry out a meta-analysis of the WFP dataset of the CLA (only regarding edible uses, drinks excluded) and to identify the most quoted plants, and the information associated with them. With data from 1659 informants, we recorded 10,078 use reports of 291 taxa (278 of which at specific or subspecific levels and 13 only determined at generic level) belonging to 67 families. The most reported taxa, also with highest cultural importance indexes, are Thymus vulgaris, Foeniculum vulgare subsp. piperitum, Laurus nobilis, Rubus ulmifolius and Mentha spicata. The ethnobotanicity index for food plants is 6.62% and the informant consensus factor, also for food uses, is a very high 0.97, supporting the robustness of the information. The results provided and discussed in this work concern a significant part of the edible resources in the territory considered, which is, often and mainly, underestimated and underutilised. Its consideration could be an opportunity to promote closer and more sustainable agriculture. From the state-of-the-art of this question, it is possible to propose old, in some cases forgotten foods that could be newly introduced onto the market, first, but not only, at a local level, which could be interesting for new crop development in the frame of a valorisation of territorial identity.

Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) is a medicinal plant traditionally employed for the treatment of urinary tract infections due to high contents of arbutin (hydroquinone β-D-glucoside), which is now mainly used as a natural skin-whitening agent in cosmetics. Bearberry has also been proposed as a natural antioxidant additive due to the high contents of phenolic compounds in leaves. We studied the variation on phenolic compounds in 42 wild populations of bearberry, aiming to elucidate if intrinsic biological, climatic, and/or geographic factors affect phenolic contents across its natural distribution in the Iberian Peninsula. Bearberry leaves were collected during autumn over a three-year period (2014–2016) in populations across a latitude and altitude gradient. Methanolic extracts showed a wide range of variation in total phenols content, and different phenolic profiles regarding arbutin (levels of this major constituent varied from 87 to 232 mg/g dr wt), but also catechin and myricetin contents, which were affected by geographic and climatic factors. Moderate levels of variation on genome size—assessed by flow cytometry—and on two plastid DNA regions were also detected among populations. Genetic and cytogenetic differentiation of populations was weakly but significantly associated to phytochemical diversity. Elite bearberry genotypes with higher antioxidant capacity were subsequently identified.

The study of genome size variation can contribute valuable information on species relationships as well as correlate to several morphological or ecological features, among others. Here we provide an extensive report on genome sizes on genus Tripleurospermum and its closely related genus Matricaria, which are two typically Mediterranean genera particularly widespread and diverse in Turkey, the origin of most of the populations here studied. We analyse and discuss genome size variation in the first relatively complete molecular phylogenetic framework of Tripleurospermum (based on ITS and ETS ribosomal DNA-rDNA-regions). We find cases of intraspecific genome size variation, which could be taxonomically significant. Genome downsizing is also detected as the typical response to polyploidisation in Tripleurospermum taxa, being most conspicuous at the tetraploid level. Several positive correlations with genome size, including those with pollen and stomatal size or cypsela length, among others, are also found. Remarkably, taxa presenting rhizomes tend to present higher genome sizes, confirming a trend to accumulate nuclear DNA in such species, which could be explained by the nutrient reserves availability in their storage organs, allowing genome expansion, or by the lower rates of sexual reproduction in rhizomatous taxa.

In this study we showed that constitutive heterochromatin, GC-rich DNA and rDNA are implicated in chromosomal rearrangements during the basic chromosome number changing (dysploidy) in Reichardia genus. This small Mediterranean genus comprises 8-10 species and presents three basic chromosome numbers (x = 9, 8 and 7). To assess genome evolution and differentiation processes, studies were conducted in a dysploid series of six species: R. dichotoma, R. macrophylla and R. albanica (2n = 18), R. tingitana and R. gaditana (2n = 16), and R. picroides (2n = 14). The molecular phylogeny reconstruction comprised three additional species (R. crystallina and R. ligulata, 2n = 16 and R. intermedia, 2n = 14). Our results indicate that the way of dysploidy is descending. During this process, a positive correlation was observed between chromosome number and genome size, rDNA loci number and pollen size, although only the correlation between chromosome number and genome size is still recovered significant once considering the phylogenetic effect. Fluorescent in situ hybridisation also evidenced changes in number, position and organisation of two rDNA families (35S and 5S), including the reduction of loci number and, consequently, reduction in the number of secondary constrictions and nuclear organising regions from three to one per diploid genome. The potential mechanisms of chromosomal and genome evolution, strongly implicating heterochromatin, are proposed and discussed, with particular consideration for Reichardia genus.

Artemisia herba-alba is a largely-distributed and often landscape-dominating taxon in arid areas of the Mediterranean and Irano-Turanian regions. In Algeria, in 2010 its communities covered 10% of the steppe territory, but its populations have been subjected to overgrazing. A karyological study based on 22 populations together with a cytogenetic characterisation of this species has been performed for the first time in Algerian materials, through genome size and chromosome number determination. Fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) was also used to assess the rDNA loci number and distribution in the two ploidy levels detected. The studied accessions are diploid (2n = 2x = 18 chromosomes, 6 populations) or tetraploid (2n = 4x = 36 chromosomes, 15 populations). One population, occupying a more or less central geographic position among the studied area, presented both cytotypes. Genome size reflects well the two ploidy levels, with no evidence of downsizing with polyploidy. The karyotypes are rather symmetric (2A Stebbins’ class). FISH analyses detected four signals (2 loci) in diploid and eight signals (4 loci) in tetraploid cytotypes for both ribosomal DNA genes, which present an L-type (linked) organisation, i.e. with loci from both rDNA genes colocalised. The presence of two ploidy levels suggest a genomic dynamism and even a possible differentiation underlying the morphological uniformity and despite the dramatic decrease experienced by this plant in Algeria in terms of surface coverage.

En este trabajo mostramos el desarrollo de una experiencia educativa basada en el aprendizaje participativo y en la compresión de los procesos relacionales en el ámbito artístico. Mediante la metodología desarrollada en la propuesta artística Sonesnat, se planteó un taller creativo que incitó a un diálogo a tres bandas: la obra artística como proceso, la experiencia colectiva como motor de producción de sentidos y la autoría compartida en los productos inmateriales.

Nuestro objetivo es analizar las imágenes para intentar deducir cuáles son las pautas culturales y sociales que persisten en nuestra sociedad y que sostienen ideas asociadas a la anorexia (creando una crítica cultural visual centrada en las formas visuales del cuerpo y de las fotográficas de los mass-media, que nos permita ciertas claves en la construcción social de esos estereotipos físicos), en un enfoque interpretativo, del que deriva una metodología cualitativa y de Investigación Educativa Basada en la Fotografía (permite debatir y evaluar las posibilidades de las imágenes en la actividad investigadora) La imagen construida acerca del propio cuerpo por una persona evoluciona durante todo el ciclo vital, luego, en las configuraciones elaboradas en las primeras etapas de la vida, es fundamental incidir en unas competencias que permitan a los/as niños/as interpretar adecuadamente los mensajes visuales suministrados por el medio sociocultural. La Educación Artística podría desempeñar una labor significativa en el desarrollo de las capacidades individuales relativas a la interpretación de dichos mensajes: aumenta la capacidad reflexiva y crítica hacia las imágenes que la cotidianeidad nos proporciona constantemente, y posibilitaría reflexionar estos mensajes como construcciones culturales que funcionan simbólicamente a distintos niveles, concienciándonos de su ambigüedad y alcance.

The radiation of the genus Cheirolophus (Asteraceae) in Macaronesia constitutes a spectacular case of rapid diversification on oceanic islands. Twenty species - nine of them included in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species - have been described to date inhabiting the Madeiran and Canarian archipelagos. A previous phylogenetic study revealed that the diversification of Cheirolophus in Macaronesia started less than 2 Ma. As a result of such an explosive speciation process, limited phylogenetic resolution was reported, mainly due to the low variability of the employed molecular markers. In the present study, we used highly polymorphic AFLP markers to i) evaluate species' boundaries, ii) infer their evolutionary relationships and iii) investigate the patterns of genetic diversity in relation to the potential processes likely involved in the radiation of Cheirolophus. One hundred and seventy-two individuals representing all Macaronesian Cheirolophus species were analysed using 249 AFLP loci. Our results suggest that geographic isolation played an important role in this radiation process. This was likely driven by the combination of poor gene flow capacity and a good ability for sporadic long-distance colonisations. In addition, we also found some traces of introgression and incipient ecological adaptation, which could have further enhanced the extraordinary diversification of Cheirolophus in Macaronesia. Last, we hypothesize that current threat categories assigned to Macaronesian Cheirolophus species do not reflect their respective evolutionary relevance, so future evaluations of their conservation status should take into account the results presented here.

Partim de la convicció basada en les evidències que la competència cultural i artística és fonamental en la formació dels estudiants. A més, aquesta competència no es pot garantir sense que els docents estiguin preparats en aquestes competències: cultural (intercultural), emocional/sensible, crítica, investigadora, comunicativa, creativa, didàctica i inclusiva de l'art (des de l'art, per mitjà de l'art i per l'art). És per aquest motiu que encetem el discurs «entre la realitat i el desig», sintetitzant en poques pàgines no pas allò que és, sinó més aviat allò que podria ser: renunciar a disgregar i jerarquitzar els sabers, i apostar per un paradigma educatiu que valori les competències que transcendeixen una disciplina. La competència cultural i artística està connectada necessàriament amb les altres competències bàsiques: la lògica/matemàtica (representació de l'espai, com a mínim), la comunicativa (de què forma part i molt vinculada a la tecnològica), i, com és obvi, les de l'àmbit de valors personals i de ciutadania i les de l'àmbit cultural i social. Perquè tot això pugui materialitzar-se, també hi ha algunes condicions elementals i relativament fàcils d'oferir que tot just apuntem.

[ca] S'estudien diversos aspectes de la biologia de les espècies ib èrico-baleàriques d'Artemisia L., fonamentalment de les seccions Artemisia L. i Seriphidium Besser. La germinació de les cipseles, el tipus de cicle biològic, la biologia de la reproducció i la fenologia són els principals termes tractats. [fr] On étude des aspects divers de la biologie des espèces ibéro-baléariques du genre Artemisia L., notamment des sections Artemisia L. et Seriphidium Besser. La germination des cypseles, le type du cycle biologique, la biologie de la reproduction et la phénologie sont les principaux points traités.

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