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The genus Hypochaeris has a recent evolutionary history caused by long-distance dispersal in conjunction with adaptive radiation in the South American continent. Hypochaeris lutea is a perennial herb that grows mostly at altitudes of around 1000 m in cold swamps of the southern regions of Brazil. We investigated the amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) in 270 individuals representing 11 Brazilian populations of H. lutea to elucidate the population genetic structure of this species. The frequencies of polymorphic loci and gene diversity ranged from 83.42% to 91.66% and from 0.26 to 0.34, respectively. Analysis of molecular variance revealed that most of the genetic variability was found within (76.67%) rather than among (23.3%) populations, agreeing with the pattern of genetic distribution within and among populations observed in other allogamous species of Hypochaeris. A Mantel test showed no correlation between genetic and geographic distances when all populations were considered. Simulations performed using a Bayesian approach consistently identified two clusters with different admixture proportions of individuals, as also revealed by a UPGMA dendrogram of populations. The pattern of genetic structure observed in H. lutea is consistent with a process of successive colonization events by long-distance dispersal resembling the rapid and recent radiation that has been proposed to explain the origin of the South American species of Hypochaeris.

Baccharis rufescens Spreng. var. tenuifolia (DC.) Baker pertence à família Asteraceae e é usada na medicina tradicional como estomáquico e hepatoprotetor. Um estudo fitoquímico mostrou a presença de flavonoides e triterpenos, sendo que os extratos clorofórmico e metanólico de folhas apresentaram-se ativos no bioensaio de toxicidade sobre Artemia salina Leach. Além disso, extratos clorofórmicos evidenciaram a presença de peróxidos, sugerindo sua aplicação no tratamento da malária (Schenkel at al., 2002; Montanher et al., 2002; Moreira et al., 2003). Considerando a importância farmacológica de B. rufescens var. tenuifolia, o presente trabalho objetivou o estudo morfoanatômico e histoquímico do caule e da folha dessa espécie, a fim de fornecer subsídios farmacognósticos para o controle de qualidade. O material botânico foi submetido às técnicas usuais empregadas na microscopia de luz e microscopia eletrônica de varredura. Folha anfiestomática, presença de estômatos anomocíticos, tricomas glandulares capitados bisseriados, tricomas tectores flageliformes simples unisseriados, dutos secretores associados ao floema, calota de fibras perivasculares e cristais de oxalato de cálcio do tipo estiloide e prismático na região medular do caule foram as principais características observadas que auxiliam na identificação do táxon.

Hypochaeris is an excellent system for studying different modes of chromosome evolution in plants. We carried out a cytogenetic analysis on populations of 2 Hypochaeris species, comprising 10 populations of H. catharinensis and 5 of H. lutea, to assess possible changes on chromosome organization in this interesting genus. Conventional Feulgen staining and fluorescent banding revealed that the general aspects of chromosome morphology for all populations of both species were similar, evidence of the typical bimodal karyotypes with 2n = 8 chromosomes that characterize the South American Hypochaeris. Comparative analysis of the karyotypes identified minor variations in the absolute size and arm ratio of corresponding chromosome pairs. One population of H. lutea was entirely polyploid adding a novel cytotype to this species. Fluorescent banding revealed strong chromomycin A3 (CMA3)-positive signals on both arms of chromosomes 3 and 4 of H. catharinensis, revealing a new pattern for the distribution of GC-rich heterochromatin in Hypochaeris. A strong CMA-positive signal was observed on the short arm of chromosome 3 in one population of H. lutea, while the other populations validated the CMA3 pattern already described for this species. While the overall karyotype similarities of the 2 species are in compass with all South American Hypochaeris, the presence of unusual large blocks of GC-rich heterochromatin suggests that chromosome rearrangements, related to dispersion of heterochromatin, are taking place in the karyotype of H. catharinensis. The novel polyploid cytotype identified in H. lutea provides support that polyploidization is an active process in the mode of chromosome evolution in Hypochaeris. Fil: Fiorin, F. G.. Universidade Estadual de Londrina; Brasil Fil: Ruas, P. M.. Universidade Estadual de Londrina; Brasil Fil: Ortiz, M. A.. Universidad de Sevilla; España Fil: Urtubey, Estrella. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Botánica Darwinion; Argentina Fil: Matzenbacher, N. I.. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul; Brasil Fil: Ruas, C. F.. Universidade Estadual de Londrina; Brasil

The chemical composition of the essential oils and the anatomical structures of the aerial parts from Baccharis anomala, B. megapotamica and B. ochracea growing in Brazil were studied. The volatile constituents isolated by hydrodistillation were analyzed by gas chromatograph coupled to a mass spectrometer detector (GC-MSD) and gas chromatograph coupled to a flame ionization detector (GC-FID). The botanical material was fixed, sectioned and prepared according to light and scanning microtechniques. The essential oil from B. anomala yielded 0.18% and showed α-acorenol (16.0%), spathulenol (13.3%) and caryophyllene oxide (12.1%) as the main components. Spathulenol (28.0% and 37.1%) and caryophyllene oxide (20.4% and 30.8%) represented the major constituents of the essential oils from B. megapotamica (yield = 0.17%) and B. ochracea (yield = 0.18%), respectively. The leaves and stems of these Baccharis species showed non-glandular trichomes and secretory ducts. Glandular trichomes were also found on the vegetat...

Senecio madagascariensis Poir. is reported for the first time as an adventitious species in the process of getting naturalized in the Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil. Description, illustrations and observations about this species are presented.

Hypochaeris is thought to have arrived in South America by dispersal over the Atlantic Ocean from NW Africa during the Pliocene or Pleistocene. We used amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) to unravel specific limits and relationships in the South American group of Hypochaeris (c. 45 species). The Moroccan endemic Hypochaeris angustifolia, which is sister to the entire South American group, was used as outgroup. Our AFLP analysis comprises 415 individuals from 32 South American species and is based on six primer combinations with 670 fragments scored. It provides important information for the delimitation of species and detection of closely related species pairs or groups. Most species are monophyletic and supported with > 90% bootstrap proportion. Hybridization is suggested between Hypochaeris chillensis and H. microcephala in Brazil. The internal nodes (or "backbone") of the tree are not highly supported, but six major phylogenetic groups (also showing similarity in distribution and growth form) center around Hypochaeris apargioides, H. chondrilloides, H. microcephala, H. pampasica, H. sessiliflora, and H. tenuifolia. These results suggest that rapid migration into different geographical regions played an important role in the initial diversification of Hypochaeris in South America.

Essential oils of B. articulata, B. crispa, B. microcephala, Baccharis milleflora, B. myriocephala, B. stenocephala, B. trimera and B. usterii, all of sect. Caulopterae, have been analyzed by GC and GC/MS. Despite the morphological similarity among these species, differences in composition of their essential oil obtained by hydrodistillation and hexane extract could be observed. Special attention was given to Baccharis trimera and B. crispa since their differentiation during early stages is not possible due to the absence of synflorescences. Carquejyl acetate is suggested as a marker for Baccharis trimera, and a fast method of detection of this compound is given.

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) were characterized by GC-MS in inflorescences of 14 Senecio species ( S . brasiliensis , S . conyzifolius , S . heterotrichius , S . oleosus , S . oxyphyllus , S . riograndensis , S . selloi , S . bonariensis , S . grossidens , S . icoglossus , S . juergensii , S . pulcher , S . ceratophylloides and S . crassiflorus ) from southern Brazil, belonging to three taxonomic sections of the genus. The 1,2-saturated macrocycle diesters (such as platyphylline or rosmarinine), 1,2-saturated or unsaturated triangularine-like alkaloids such as senecioylplatinecine and senecioylretronecine were characteristic for the section Hualtatini . The section Corymbosi has, as characteristic PAs, 1,2-unsaturated 12-membered macrocyclic diesters (such as senecionine), while the section Suffrutecius is ambiguous in relation to the PA profile. The data indicate that the PA patterns are mostly in good agreement with morphological data for the sections Corymbosi and Hualtatini and that they can be useful chemotaxonomic markers at the infrageneric level.

Chloroform or dichloromethane extracts of 357 southern Brazilian plant species were tested for the presence of peroxides by thinlayer chromatography, using the spray reagent from Huber & Frohlke. From the species tested, 71 (20%) showed positive results and most of them (56%) are Asteraceae species. The species tested were mainly from Asteraceae, but 55 more families were screened, in a total of 77 genera surveyed.

Submitted by Guilherme Lemeszenski (guilherme@nead.unesp.br) on 2013-08-22T19:04:46Z No. of bitstreams: 1 S1415-47571999000300025.pdf: 505315 bytes, checksum: 4b61fdedfc2a904e797e9cafab0967f3 (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2013-08-22T19:04:46Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 S1415-47571999000300025.pdf: 505315 bytes, checksum: 4b61fdedfc2a904e797e9cafab0967f3 (MD5) Previous issue date: 1999-09-01 Made available in DSpace on 2013-09-30T20:08:04Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 S1415-47571999000300025.pdf: 505315 bytes, checksum: 4b61fdedfc2a904e797e9cafab0967f3 (MD5) S1415-47571999000300025.pdf.txt: 39877 bytes, checksum: 628a93ca71a8844ff876de97d15b9a60 (MD5) Previous issue date: 1999-09-01 Submitted by Vitor Silverio Rodrigues (vitorsrodrigues@reitoria.unesp.br) on 2014-05-20T15:17:23Z No. of bitstreams: 2 S1415-47571999000300025.pdf: 505315 bytes, checksum: 4b61fdedfc2a904e797e9cafab0967f3 (MD5) S1415-47571999000300025.pdf.txt: 39877 bytes, checksum: 628a93ca71a8844ff876de97d15b9a60 (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2014-05-20T15:17:23Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 S1415-47571999000300025.pdf: 505315 bytes, checksum: 4b61fdedfc2a904e797e9cafab0967f3 (MD5) S1415-47571999000300025.pdf.txt: 39877 bytes, checksum: 628a93ca71a8844ff876de97d15b9a60 (MD5) Previous issue date: 1999-09-01 Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) Mikania micrantha é uma planta herbácea perene, da família Asteraceae, amplamente distribuída através de todo o continente americano. No Brasil, M. micrantha tem distribuição irrestrita, ocupando os mais variados ambientes, sem no entanto apresentar variação morfológica. Neste trabalho, usando o método de coloração de Feulgen e bandamento C, foram analisados os cromossomos mitóticos de 12 populações de M. micrantha, obtidos de diferentes localidades do Brasil. Citótipos numéricos e estruturais foram identificados, incluindo oito diplóides (2n = 36 e 42) e quatro tetraplóides (2n = 72). Os números cromossômicos de 2n = 36 e 2n = 42 são mostrados pela primeira vez para M. micrantha. Todos os cariótipos apresentaram o primeiro par de cromossomos com uma constrição secundária na região mediana do braço maior, seguindo o mesmo padrão observado em todas as espécies de Mikania já estudadas. A análise cromossômica revelou que todos os citótipos variam em algum aspecto. A origem desta variação é atribuída principalmente a ocorrência de inversões e deleção ou adição de fragmentos de DNA. Análise de banda C em três das 12 populações investigadas revelou polimorfismo na distribuição de heterocromatina. Cromossomos extranumerários, variando em número e morfologia, foram também identificados em seis citótipos de M. micrantha. O bandamento C mostrou que os cromossomos Bs apresentaram-se com o mesmo padrão heterocromático dos cromossomos do complemento normal, sugerindo uma possível origem a partir dos cromossomos A. Mikania micrantha is a climbing perennial weed of the family Asteraceae, with a vast distribution from South America to south of the United States. This species is widely distributed throughout Brazil, where it shows little morphological variation. Mitotic chromosomes of 12 populations of M. micrantha derived from several Brazilian sites were studied using Feulgen staining and C-banding. The populations included eight diploid (2n = 36 and 42) and four tetraploid (2n = 72) cytotypes. Chromosome numbers of 2n = 36 and 2n = 42 are reported for the first time for M. micrantha. These populations had a secondary constriction in the middle of the larger arm of chromosome pair 1, following the same pattern described for all Mikania species analyzed so far. Numerical and structural variation of the chromosomes was quite common among the karyotypes and nearly all cytotypes differed from each other in some aspect. Most of the chromosomal differentiation may be attributed to inversions and addition or deletion of DNA fragments. C-banding, applied to three of the 12 populations, also revealed polymorphism in the distribution of heterochromatin. Additionally, one to 14 supernumerary or B-chromosomes were observed. The Bs were detected in six of the 12 populations and varied in size, number, and structure among karyotypes and also among cells of the same root meristem. The B chromosomes were also heterochromatic, showing a C-banding pattern similar to the A chromosomes, and suggesting that they may be derived from the chromosomes of the A complement. Universidade Estadual de Londrina (UEL) Universidade Estadual Paulista Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) Universidade Estadual Paulista

gilsane@farmacia.ufrgs.br; 2) PPG-Botanica, ICBS, 91509-900 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil, fax (051) 33167670; 3) Grupo Metabolomica, LCQUI/CCT, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense, 28015-620 Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, Brazil; 4) Faculte de Pharmacie, Universite de Picardie Jules Verne, 80037 Amiens, France. Published in Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 6, pp. 572-574, November-December, 2007. Original article submitted August 1, 2006.

GC/MS/FID analyses of volatile compounds from cladodes and inflorescences from male and female specimens of Baccharis trimera (Less.) DC. collected in the states of Paraná and Santa Catarina, Brazil, showed that carquejyl acetate was the primary volatile component (38% to 73%), while carquejol and ledol were identified in lower concentrations. Data were subjected to hierarchical cluster analysis and principal component analysis, which confirmed that the chemical compositions of all samples were similar. The results presented here highlight the occurrence of the same chemotype of B. trimera in three southern states of Brazil.

Karyotypes of nine Brazilian taxa of genus Hypochoeris were studied utilizing root-tip mitotic metaphases. Two distinct groups were found. One group includes six species that showed high asymmetric bimodal karyotypes, while the second group has two species that have a karyotype similar to those observed in European species. All the species have karyotypes with 2n = 8 that are very uniform within each group, with only small morphological differences. Nucleolar organizing region and C-band patterns are shown for H. brasiliensis.

The genus Hypochaeris offers an excellent model for studies of recent adaptive radiation in the South American continent. We used karyotype analysis with chromomycin A3 (CMA3)/4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) banding and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) fingerprinting to investigate for the first time the Brazilian endemic H. catharinensis and define its position within the South American group of species. Strong CMA-positive signals were seen at the end of both arms of chromosome 3 and at the end of the long arm of chromosome 4. DAPI bands were only detected in subterminal position on short arm of chromosome 4. FISH with 5S and 35S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) probes revealed a single 5S rDNA locus on short arm of chromosome 2, typical for all other South American Hypochaeris taxa analyzed to date. The 35S rDNA locus was identified at subterminal position on the short arm of chromosome 3, as reported so far for only two of the known species (H. lutea and H. patagonica). The AFLP study included 55 individuals, comprising nine species of the South American Hypochaeris plus their putative ancestor H. angustifolia. Eleven AFLP primer combinations generated a total of 401 fragments, of which 388 (96.7%) were polymorphic. High genetic similarities were observed among taxa, with all South American Hypochaeris species falling into one main cluster [100% bootstrap (BS)]. Hypochaeris catharinensis is closely related to H. lutea (82% BS), forming a well-separated subcluster within the South American species. Taken together, the karyological and AFLP data contribute to the placement of H. catharinensis within the phylogenetic framework of South American species of Hypochaeris and allow the definition of a novel and well-resolved phylogenetic group (the Lutea group). Fil: Reck, Maikel. Universidade Estadual de Londrina; Brasil Fil: Benício, Lucas M.. Universidade Estadual de Londrina; Brasil Fil: Ruas, Eduardo Augusto. Universidade Estadual de Londrina; Brasil Fil: Alves Rodrigues, Luana. Universidade Estadual de Londrina; Brasil Fil: Ruas, Paulo Maurício. Universidade Estadual de Londrina; Brasil Fil: Ortiz, María A.. Universidad de Sevilla; España Fil: Talavera, Salvador. Universidad de Sevilla; España Fil: Urtubey, Estrella. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Botánica Darwinion. Academia Nacional de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Instituto de Botánica Darwinion; Argentina Fil: Stuessy, Tod. Universidad de Viena; Austria Fil: Weiss Schneeweiss, Hanna. Universidad de Viena; Austria Fil: Tremetsberger, Karin. Universidad de Viena; Austria. University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences; Austria Fil: Michelan, Vanessa S.. Universidade Estadual de Londrina; Brasil Fil: Matzenbacher, Nelson Ivo. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul; Brasil Fil: Vanzela, André L. L.. Universidade Estadual de Londrina; Brasil Fil: Terrab, Anass. Universidad de Sevilla; España Fil: Samuel, Rose. Universidad de Viena; Austria Fil: Ruas, Claudete Fátima. Universidade Estadual de Londrina; Brasil

 Premise of the study : Hypochaeris is considered a biological model to understand evolutionary processes in the vascular fl ora of South America, particularly from the temperate portion of the continent. We report the development and characterization of microsatellite markers for H. chillensis to assess the genetic variability and patterns of population structure of the species.  Methods and Results : Twelve microsatellite primers were isolated using a CT- and GT-enriched genomic library. PCR amplifi cation detected one to fialleles, with 2.91 alleles per locus on average. Tested for cross-amplifi cation, all primer pairs were successfully amplifi ed in 10 South American species and in the putative ancestor of the group, H. angustifolia.  Conclusions : The microsatellites can be used to assess genetic diversity and population structure of H. chillensis. Application in other species will focus on the elucidation of adaptive radiation of the genus in South America.

Karyotypes from five species of the genus Vernonia were studied utilizing root tip mitotic metaphases. Vernonia nudiflora and V. polyanthes were tetraploid with 2n=34 (X=17); V. flexuosa and V. simplex were tetraploid with 2n=40 (X=10). V. polyphylla with 2n=64 may be an allotetraploid with X=16 or an autoplolyploid with X=8, that became fertile by diploidization. The basic chromosome numbers are a series of X=7, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17 and 19. We suggest that in Vernonia there is an evolutionary trend towards formation of aneuploid series and polyploidy.

Twenty-one species of Baccharis have been analysed for macrocyclic trichothecenes but only B. cordifolia and B. megapotamica were found to contain these toxins. Herbarium samples of these species dating back to the 19th century also contain these toxins. There is a substantial difference in the distribution of these toxins between the male and female B. cordifolia , but not in the male and female B. megapotamica .

This study aims to analyze the diversity of Ty1-copia retrotransposons in 18 taxa of Hypochaeris, including two Old World species H. maculata (2n=2x=10) and H. angustifolia (2n=2x=8), and representatives of the South American species (16 accessions of 15 species; all 2n=2x=8). Analysis of 380 PCR-amplified sequences, corresponding to a conserved domain of the subset of Ty1-copia reverse transcriptase (rt) gene amplifiable with degenerate standard primers, showed high levels of intra- and interspecific heterogeneity. Nucleotide diversity (Pi) of the copia fragments was high in all species and varied from 0.229 (H. angustifolia) to 0.412 (H. chillensis). Higher sequence heterogeneity correlates positively with larger genome size among analyzed species. Phylogenetic analyses of amplified fragments revealed different patterns of intraspecific heterogeneity within species, with most sequences forming one well-supported main clade while a few sequences fall into small clades or are left ungrouped. The combined analysis of all sequences revealed the presence of three main clades and showed that highly diverged species contain closely related Tyl-copia group retrotransposons. One of the main clades includes rt sequences of all South American species and three sequences of their putative ancestor, H. angustifolia, but no sequence of the Old World H. maculata. FISH with copia retrotransposons in four Hypochaeris species, including H. maculata and H. angustifolia and New World H. apargioides and H. spathulata, revealed differences in the chromosomal distribution between the two groups. In Old World species copia retroelements are distributed over the whole length of the chromosomes, excluding rDNA sites and some centromeres. In the South American species the two largest chromosome pairs are enriched in copia, while most of the long arms of the two small pairs of chromosomes are devoid of these elements. The patterns of heterogeneity and chromosomal distribution of Ty1-copia retrotransposons in Hypochaeris are discussed in the context of the origin, genome evolution and organization of the South American species.

Baccharis é um importante gênero da família Asteraceae que compreende aproximadamente 500 espécies, todas americanas, das quais aproximadamente 120 ocorrem no Brasil. Muitos autores como De Candolle, Baker, Heering, Cuatrecasas, Ariza Espinar, Barroso e Giuliano têm tentado estruturar uma adequada divisão do gênero em subgêneros e seções. Espécies desse gênero são importantes economicamente para o homem, pois ajudam no combate à erosão e podem ser utilizadas como plantas ornamentais, mas também podem apresentar-se como pragas de difícil combate em pastagens, podendo intoxicar o gado. Contudo, o destaque maior está na medicina, onde vários representantes são utilizados popularmente. Nesse contexto várias espécies têm sido investigadas contribuindo para a elucidação morfoanatômica e para o controle de qualidade. Baccharis is an important genus of the Asteraceae family, which comprises about 500 American species, including 120 species from Brazil. Several authors such as De Candolle, Baker, Heering, Cuatrecasas, Ariza Espinar, Barroso and Giuliano have attempted to elaborate an adequate genus division in subgenera and sections. Baccharis species are economically important since they help to prevent erosion and are employed as ornamental plants, although they can become weeds of difficult control in grazing and poison to the cattle. However, in the folk medicine, many species are relevant and have been studied, aiming to contribute to their morpho-anatomical and quality control knowledge.

The association of cytogenetic and molecular techniques has contributed to the analysis of chromosome organization and phylogeny in plants. The fluorochrome GC-specific CMA 3 , fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) and RAPD (Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA) markers were used to investigate chromosome structure and genetic relationships in Hypochaeris (Asteraceae). Seven species native to South America, and two species introduced from Europe (H. glabra and Hypochaeris sp) were studied. FISH with rDNA probes identified one or two loci of 18S-5.8S-25S rDNA in the South American Hypochaeris species and one locus in the European species. Only one 5S rDNA locus was seen in all species studied. Blocks of GC-rich heterochromatin (CMA-positive bands) associated to 18S-5.8S-25SrDNA loci were detected in all species investigated. Co-location of 5S rDNA and CMA bands was also observed, except for three South American species and Hypochaeris sp. In two South American species, additional CMA bands not related to rDNA were observed on the long arm of chromosome 2, near to the centromere. Hypochaeris glabra exhibited additional CMA-positive signals distributed at pericentromeric regions, on the short arms of all chromosomes. A total of 122 RAPD markers were used to determine the genetic relationships among species. The level of polymorphism was very high, revealing two genetic groups comprising the South American and the European species, thus supporting a previous hypothesis of monophyly of the South American Hypochaeris species. The coefficients of genetic similarity between European and South American species were 0.35, on average. Polymorphism was also high within the two groups. The genetic associations observed with RAPD markers were consistent with chromosome characteristics. Species carrying similar distribution of 45S rDNA loci and CMA-positive signals were included in the same group revealed by RAPDs. Cytogenetic and molecular data support the view that not only chromosome rearrangements, but also changes in DNA sequence took place during the diversification of the South American Hypochaeris species.

This paper describes the activities related to the 50th anniversary celebration of the Nursing School of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. It aimed at surveying the trees of the florula of the green area that surrounds the School and rescuing the memory of those who planted each specimen. The orphan trees were offered to the teaching and administrative staff for adoption. Adding up the erva-mate and the pau-brasil trees planted during the celebration, there are a total of 100 trees distributed into 18 families and 29 species out of which 15 are native and 14 are exotic trees. The erva-mate tree and its monument represent the landmark of this significant date.