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The dried plant collection, now known as the 'Van Royen herbarium', was assembled by Adriaan and David van Royen, successive Leiden professors of botany in the period 1729-1799. The significance of this herbarium is partly due to the fact that Linnaeus was able to study Adriaan's collections extensively when he stayed in The Netherlands, such that it must have influenced, to some extent, his subsequent publications, notably Species Plantarum (1753). In this review we track the complex history of the herbarium and follow its physical housing through time. Poor storage conditions in the 18th and 19th centuries may account for the loss of an unknown number of specimens originally in the herbarium. The history of the herbarium of Nicolaas Meerburg, head gardener in the Leiden botanical garden from 1774-1814, where he had worked from 1752, is closely connected with that of the Van Royens, and is also discussed here. We explore the composition of the 'Van Royen herbarium' and document who contributed to it. Altogether 80 plant collectors or original herbarium owners are identified. For example, there is a substantial set of specimens collected by Carl Peter Thunberg in Japan and many specimens from the Cape region of South Africa, which must have been gathered by him during his first stay there. Another large set is that collected by Johann Gerhard König in Ceylon (nowadays Sri Lanka) and there are many specimens from the collections of Albrecht von Haller and Sébastien Vaillant. The herbarium contains several seed collections used for Joseph Gaertner's De Fructibus (listed in Appendix 4) and also many specimens assembled by Adriaan van Royen for his Ericetum Africanum project. Last, but not least significant among the rest, there are specimens cut out of a book herbarium owned by Jacob Breyne with plants collected by Carolus Schweiker (or Sweiker) around Montpellier (France) in 1666. Information necessary for the correct attribution of specimens is presented, complete with information enabling attribution of individual specimens to their original owners. Example barcodes of specimens from individual contributors and their handwriting(s) can be found in Appendix 3. Brief details of the life and work of Adriaan and David van Royen is given in Appendices 1 and 2. The significance of the herbarium for the typification of Linnaean and other species names is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We reveal the enigmatic origin of one of the earliest surviving botanical collections. The 16th-century Italian En Tibi herbarium is a large, luxurious book with c. 500 dried plants, made in the Renaissance scholarly circles that developed botany as a distinct discipline. Its Latin inscription, translated as "Here for you a smiling garden of everlasting flowers", suggests that this herbarium was a gift for a patron of the emerging botanical science. We follow an integrative approach that includes a botanical similarity estimation of the En Tibi with contemporary herbaria (Aldrovandi, Cesalpino, "Cibo", Merini, Estense) and analysis of the book's watermark, paper, binding, handwriting, Latin inscription and the morphology and DNA of hairs mounted under specimens. Rejecting the previous origin hypothesis (Ferrara, 1542-1544), we show that the En Tibi was made in Bologna around 1558. We attribute the En Tibi herbarium to Francesco Petrollini, a neglected 16th-century botanist, to whom also belongs, as clarified herein, the controversial "Erbario Cibo" kept in Rome. The En Tibi was probably a work on commission for Petrollini, who provided the plant material for the book. Other people were apparently involved in the compilation and offering of this precious gift to a yet unknown person, possibly the Habsburg Emperor Ferdinand I. The En Tibi herbarium is a Renaissance masterpiece of art and science, representing the quest for truth in herbal medicine and botany. Our multidisciplinary approach can serve as a guideline for deciphering other anonymous herbaria, kept safely "hidden" in treasure rooms of universities, libraries and museums., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

New intermolecular potential energy surfaces (PESs) for the quintet, triplet, and singlet states of two rigid oxygen (O2) molecules in their triplet ground electronic states were developed. Quintet interaction energies were obtained for 896 O2–O2 configurations by supermolecular coupled cluster (CC) calculations at levels up to CC with single, double, triple, and perturbative quadruple excitations [CCSDT(Q)] with unrestricted Hartree–Fock (UHF) reference wave functions. Corrections for scalar relativistic effects were calculated as well. Triplet interaction energies were obtained by combining the quintet interaction energies with accurate estimates for the differences between the quintet and triplet energies obtained at the UHF-CCSD(T) level of theory. Here, we exploited the fact that the triplet state is almost identical to the readily accessible "broken-symmetry" state, as shown by Valentin-Rodríguez et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 152, 184304 (2020)]. The singlet interaction energies were estimated from the quintet and triplet interaction energies by employing the Heisenberg Hamiltonian description of the spin splittings. The three PESs are represented analytically by site–site models with five sites per molecule and anisotropic site–site interactions. To validate the PESs, we calculated at temperatures from 55 to 2000 K the second virial coefficient using statistical thermodynamics and the shear viscosity, thermal conductivity, and self-diffusion coefficient in the dilute gas phase using the kinetic theory of molecular gases. The calculated property values are in excellent agreement with the most accurate experimental data from the literature. Therefore, we also propose new reference correlations for the investigated properties based solely on the calculated values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At a European level, Tropaeolum minus is the first species of this genus that arrived in our continent, around 1570, immediately used as an ornamental, vegetable and pharmaceutical plant. According to Italian sources, instead, T. minus arrived in Italy only in 1642: the species of this genus which was known in Italy at the time was T. majus, imported in 1596. However, in the Italian Renaissance herbaria, there are four specimens dated to the last decades of 1500, clearly recognisable as T. minus, which would confirm its import around 1570. Thanks to the analysis of these herbarium specimens and documental sources of the second half of the XVI century (Ulisse Aldrovandi's manuscripts and watercolour plates, the lists of species cultivated in that period in the principal Italian botanical gardens, the manuscript code I cinque libri di piante by Pietro Antonio Michiel), it is possible to demonstrate that the arrival of T. minus in Italy has to be redated at the second half of the XVI century. Furthermore, this work allowed the specimens of Tropaeolum preserved in the Erbario Aldrovandi to be identified correctly, which were formerly attributed to T. majus following the Italian scientific literature available so far. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Japanese cattail (Typha japonica Miq., section Ebracteolatae) has been restored to its valid taxonomic status and listed as one of the floras of the outmost southern Sakhalin and Kuril Islands for the first time. These are the first records of T. japonica in Russia. With the unique geography and current molecular data (rpl32-trnL intergenic spacer), the latter cattail's combination of morphological characters clearly distinguishes it from all other species of sect. Ebracteolatae (including T. caspica Pobed., T. elata Boreau, and T. tzvelevii Mavrodiev), and also from all currently known bract-less species of Typha, including the Eastern cattail (T. orientalis C.Presl.), with which T. japonica was arbitrarily synonymized previously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indigofera jintongpenensis, a new species of the subfamily Papilionoideae of Fabaceae, is described and illustrated from Yunnan, southwest China. The new species is characterised by having a prostrate habit, flexible stems and branches, as well as spreading, sub-basifixed, asymmetrically 2-branched trichomes covering the entire plant, discoid calyx, and racemose inflorescences 6–8-flowered, short, 1–2 (–3.5) cm in length, apparently shorter than the leaf. A distribution map and comparison of morphological diagnostic characters with its morphologically similar species are provided. Additionally, a preliminary conservation assessment of I. jintongpenensis is proposed following IUCN criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The origin of herbaria represented a revolution in the history of botany. An analysis of the earliest herbaria points to Bologna and Ferrara (Italy) as the cradle of this innovation. Ferrara, the seat of the Court of Este, was a hotspot of scientific humanism during the first half of the sixteenth century. Some evidence indicates that the physician and humanist Nicolò Leoniceno played a role in opening the way for this new science. Bologna was likewise a center of diffusion of the ars herbaria and Luca Ghini an undisputed leader. From there, the art of making herbaria spread rapidly in Italy and then throughout Europe. Three herbaria were certainly compiled before 1550, five more were completed or initiated in Italy before 1551, and by the end of the century, more than 20 herbaria had been compiled in Europe. In the earliest herbaria, plants were labeled with the names given by Dioscorides, as these were regarded as the "correct" ones. Starting from the middle of the century, however, several major botanical works were published, each one adopting a different nomenclature. This induced some authors to label their herbarium specimens with a rich synonymy. Herbaria offered an unprecedented opportunity for scientific communication: Dried plant specimens could be sent everywhere, so that any botanist could find out the meaning that colleagues abroad gave to a given plant name. Thus, for the first time in history, herbaria allowed a commonly accepted nomenclature to be established, a prerequisite for the development of a European scientific community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renaissance herbaria may provide precious information on exotic plants known or even introduced in Italy during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries AD. In the Erbario Estense, preserved in the Archivio di Stato di Modena (northern Italy), there are 14 species considered as allochthonous neophytes or not present in the Italian flora. First, we accurately verified the taxa identification; then, we searched for the same species in the other coeval Italian Renaissance herbaria and collected the information present in the written sources of the second half of the 1500s (concerning, above all, the use of these species as medicinal plants); finally, we paid attention to their current uses in ethnobotanical tradition and their market value. For 12 taxa, we could confirm the former identification; whereas for 2, we came to a different conclusion; the comparison with other Renaissance herbaria, particularly Aldrovandi's, greatly helped this evaluation process. The species treated here are not placed according to a precise order nor do they have particular medicinal values in common: probably, the specimens were simply added to the existing nucleus, as the species were known or were proven to be rather useful. We shall be able to gain further knowledge when it shall be possible to study all the remaining species. In any case, the Erbario Estense is an important testimony for sixteenth-century botany, that contains some of the most ancient specimens of exotic species that are of common use in large parts of the world today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Frederico José de Santa-Anna Nery (1848–1901) was a Brazilian Baron who referred to himself as a "volunteer propagandist" for Brazil in Europe, serving as an immigration agent to publicize the living conditions in the Amazon region, advocating for its development and modernization at the end of the nineteenth century. Santa-Anna Nery's most famous book is "Le Pays des Amazones" (The Lands of the Amazons), first published in 1885, which the author dedicated a chapter to introduce and report on the Amazonian useful plant species and its relationship with humans. The aim of this work is to understand the historical context and ethnobotanical value of the plant species in the Brazilian Amazon at the end of the nineteenth century through an analysis of the book "Le Pays des Amazones" (1885) by Baron de Santa-Anna Nery, as well as to bring to light the historical importance of this very influential propagandist, who has been forgotten nowadays. Methods: The original book "Le Pays des Amazones" (1885), as well as the original 3rd edition and its translated version into Portuguese, was carefully analyzed and all information about plants was systematized, with botanical names being updated. Finally, using the scientific name of medicinal plants alone or in combination with their traditional use, a search was carried out in databases in order to indicate current pharmacological studies that provide evidence about the described traditional uses. Results: A total of 156 plant species were identified in the book, although 132 species had their scientific names updated. These species belong to 45 different families, with Fabaceae and Arecaceae the most represented, and 109 plants are Brazilian native. Considering only the 36 medicinal plants, the main medicinal indications reported were astringent, purgative/laxative, stimulant and tonic, vermifuge, febrifuge, sudorific, emetic, diuretic and antidysenteric. Regarding other useful plants (non-medicinal), 97 species were cited for food, constructions and buildings, spices and condiments, ornaments and objects, carpentry, textile fibers, gums, oils, balms and essences, pigments and tanning, hunting and fishing. Conclusions: When the book "Le Pays des Amazones" is analyzed from a timeless perspective, with a particular focus on historical ethnobotany, it is possible to observe the economic, social, and political importance of many useful plants for the Amazon at the end of the nineteenth century and how the relationship between local people, indigenous communities, and immigrants was established with plant biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paleogenomics focuses on the recovery, manipulation, and analysis of ancient DNA (aDNA) from historical or long-dead organisms to reconstruct and analyze their genomes. The aDNA is commonly obtained from remains found in paleontological and archaeological sites, conserved in museums, and in other archival collections. Herbarium collections represent a great source of phenotypic and genotypic information, and their exploitation has allowed for inference and clarification of previously unsolved taxonomic and systematic relationships. Moreover, herbarium specimens offered a new source for studying phenological traits in plants and for disentangling biogeography and evolutionary scenarios of species. More recently, advances in molecular technologies went in parallel with the decreasing costs of next-generation sequencing (NGS) approaches, which paved the way to the utilization of aDNA for whole-genome studies. Although many studies have been carried out combining modern analytic techniques and ancient samples, such as herbarium specimens, this research field is still relatively unexplored due to the need for improving strategies for aDNA manipulation and exploitation from ancient samples. The higher susceptibility of aDNA to degradation and contamination during herbarium conservation and manipulation and the occurrence of biochemical postmortem damage can result in a more challenging reconstruction of the original DNA sequence. Here, we review the methodological approaches that have been developed for the exploitation of historical herbarium plant materials, such as best practices for aDNA extraction, amplification, and genotyping. We also focus on some strategies to overcome the main problems related to the utilization of herbarium specimens for their exploitation in plant evolutionary studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The herbarium digitization process is an essential first step in transforming the vast amount of data associated with a physical specimen into flexible digital data formats. In this framework, the Herbarium of the University of Pisa (international code PI), at the end of 2018 started a process of digitization focusing on one of its most relevant collections: the Herbarium of Michele Guadagno (1878–1930). This scholar studied flora and vegetation of different areas of southern Italy, building a large herbarium including specimens collected by himself, plus many specimens obtained through exchanges with Italian and foreign botanists. The Herbarium is composed by 547 packages of vascular plants. Metadata were entered into the online database Virtual Herbaria JACQ and mirrored into a personalized virtual Herbarium of the Botanic Museum. After the completion of the digitization process, the number of sheets preserved in the Herbarium amounts to 44,345. Besides Guadagno, who collected 42% of his specimens, a further 1,102 collectors are represented. Most specimens were collected in Europe (91%), but all the continents are represented. As expected, Italy is the most represented country (59%), followed by France, Spain, Germany, and Greece. The specimens cover a time span of 99 years, from 1830 to 1929, whereas the specimens collected by Guadagno range between 1889 and 1928. Furthermore, we traced 134 herbarium sheets associated with documents, among which 75 drawings handmade by Guadagno, 34 letters from various corresponding authors, 16 copies of publications, and 14 copies of published iconographies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Tropical Grasslands / Forrajes Tropicales is the property of International Centre for Tropical Agriculture - CIAT and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This innovative study was carried out to determine the presence of the mineral oil Arbofine in apple and soil at four locations. Arbofine kills the vast majority of dormant insects and mites (mite and asphid eggs, scales and psyllids) on fruit trees (cherry, apple, plum and peach) and thus reduces the plant diseases in summer. In this study, the mineral oil was sprayed at recommended doses of 2.0 and 0.75%, and the doses were doubled to 4.0 and 1.5% in dormant and summer seasons, respectively. The soil samples were taken for observation during the dormant season, whereas both soil and apple samples were taken during the summer season after treatment for 0, 1, 3 and 5 days. The recovery study of all the 11 paraffinic constituents (n‐pentane, n‐hexane, n‐heptane, n‐octane, n‐nonane, n‐decane, n‐undecane, n‐dodecane, n‐tridecane, n‐tetradecane and n‐pentadecane) in soil and apple samples which constitutes 60% of mineral oil in soil and apple was carried out at the fortification level of 1.0 μg/ml, which was found to be between 72.1% and 99.0%. No residue of all the 11 paraffinic compounds of Arbofine mineral oil was detected in soil and apple samples at day 0 after the recommended doses, and the recommended doses were doubled in both seasons at four locations. Therefore, mineral oil can be used on apples without any risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This work reunites many women naturalists who registered knowledge about native flora in scientific expeditions around the globe between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries. Since male naturalists are more recognized in this period of time, we aimed to list female naturalists that published plant descriptions and observations, focusing on the work of Maria Sibylla Merian and to analyze her trajectory as an example to discuss the patterns of the suppression of women scientists. A second aim was to inventory the useful plants described in Maria Sibylla's Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium and find pharmacological evidence about the traditional uses described for those plants cited as medicinal and toxic. Methods: A survey of female naturalists was carried out by searching information in Pubmed, Scielo, Google Scholar and Virtual Health Library. Once Maria Sibylla published her book Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium by her own, without male co-authors, and also this book is one of the only to have text and illustrations altogether and there are reports indicating information on useful plants in this work, she and her book were chosen as subject of this research. All the information was tabulated by dividing the plants into food, medicinal, toxic, aromatic or other uses. Finally, with the combinations of the scientific name of medicinal and toxic plants with information about their popular uses, a search was carried out in databases in order to indicate current pharmacological studies that reported evidences about the traditional uses described. Results: We found 28 women naturalists who participated in scientific expeditions or trips, or in a curiosity cabinet, or who were collectors of Natural History between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries. All these women illustrated botanical species and/or recorded their everyday or medicinal use or reported their observations in the form of a published work, letters or diaries. Also, the trajectory of Maria Sibylla Merian revealed that her scientific relevance has been neglected from the eighteenth century by mechanisms of suppression, most of the time by male depreciation, which can be seen as a pattern for suppression of women in science. However, Maria Sibyllas' contributions have been valued again in the twenty-first century. In Maria Sibylla's work, 54 plants were identified, 26 of them used for food, 4 of them aromatic, 8 medicinal, 4 toxic and 9 other uses. Conclusion: This study evidences that there are female naturalists whose work could be an important source for ethnopharmacological studies. Researching about women scientists, talking about them and highlighting the gender bias present in the scientific academy about the way the history of science is told is essential for the construction of a more diverse and richer scientific academy. The traditional use of 7 of 8 medicinal plants and 3 of 4 toxic plants reported was correlated with pharmacological studies, highlighting the importance of this historical record and its potential to direct strategic research in traditional medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A brief account of the biography of Richard Maack (1825–1886) is provided, with an emphasis on his botanical travels and research presented in the context of contemporary politics and sciences. The history of three Siberian expeditions of the Imperial Russian Geographical Society is detailed: to the Viluy River in 1853–1855, to the Amur River in 1855–1856 and to the Ussuri River in 1859–1860. Scientific and curatorial treatments of botanical collections of these expeditions are reviewed. The botanical works based on the Amur and Ussuri expeditions are analysed, and more precise dates of their effective publication are traced from contemporary sources. The corrected nomenclature is provided for Carex wiluica, Chloranthus mandshuricus, Ligustrina and Nymphaea wenzelii. Chloranthus japonicus is re‐established as the correct name for C. mandshuricus in place of the recently resurrected C. quadrifolius. Lectotypes are designated for Carex wiluica, Chloranthus japonicus and C. mandshuricus; the previously designated lectotype of C. japonicus is superseded because of being in conflict with the protologue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The original material of the Linnaean names Sagittaria sagittifolia and Sparganium erectum both represent more than one taxon. This had previously led to a reluctance to resolve the nomenclature of these two species, led some to consider the application of the names doubtful, and even led some to propose that Sp. erectum should be treated as a nomen ambiguum. Incorporating study of the Linnaean correspondence and several unpublished manuscripts, we discuss these names and typify them here. Sagittaria sagittifolia is lectotypified with a specimen from LINN. Sparganium erectum is lectotypified with an illustration of "Platanaria sive Butomon" published by Dodoëns in 1616. An epitype is also designated for Sp. erectum because the lectotype is demonstrably ambiguous and the name cannot be applied to a currently recognized taxon with certainty. The previously designated lectotype of Sp. natans is also discussed, as is the importance of previously unrecognized original material in the Johann Georg Gmelin Herbarium at LE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background: Species threatening is of great concern now-a-days, for Bangladesh as well as the whole world. Present research work has been carried out to make an inventory of the medicinal species of family Fabaceae, determine their status in the flora of Bangladesh and assess their probable threat. Methods: Research was carried out at the University of Chittagong during the period 2014-2016 by the first author as part of her thesis work. Previous records of species were collected from different literatures dating back to 1814 and their place of occurrence was recorded as well. Medicinal literatures were consulted for screening of medicinal species of Fabaceae. Herbarium specimens preserved at different herbaria were examined for updating the time of their collection. Finally field trips were made to relevant localities for assessing their status in the field condition. Result: The present study reveals that out of 254 total species, 169 species under 61 genera have medicinal properties. In this investigation, 7 species under 7 genera were identified and documented as Critically Endangered according to International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources criteria. Enumeration of these threatened taxa is provided with updated nomenclature and short annotation with data on medicinal value, recorded locality, global distribution, first and last authentic record and list of specimens available at different herbaria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ranuculus gracilis is endemic to the SE Euro-Mediterranean area and its presence in Italy is controversial. Based on analysis of the relevant literature, field surveys and examination of herbarium specimens, a revised distribution of this species in Italy is presented and its conservation status is assessed. Ranunculus agerii, described by Antonio Bertoloni from Bologna (Emilia-Romagna, Northern Italy), and R. schowii, described by Vincenzo Tineo from Vittoria and Terranova (Sicily), usually regarded as synonyms of R. gracilis, are here lectotypified and their taxonomic status discussed. Thanks to our study, the presence of R. gracilis in Italy is confirmed and, now, it is reported in a national conservation framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A forgotten Renaissance herbarium dated to 1595 is described. It is connected to herbaria created by the naturalist Hieronymus Harder (1523–1607) of Ulm. This hortus siccus was recently found in the Muzeum Broumovska, Broumov (Braunau), Czech Republic, to which it came from the collections of the local Benedictine monastery. It is the oldest hortus siccus known in collections in the Czech Republic. It contains 358 specimens as well as annotations and drawings. Its creator was Johann Brehe from Überlingen, a sixteenth-century barber-surgeon. The paper analyzes the representation of species, the purpose of the annotations, and also the meaning of the illustrations which supplement some of the specimens. It also investigates connections between Brehe's work and Harder's activities linked to herbaria. Brehe's herbarium is compared with two similar collections; Johann Jakob Han's (?1565–1616) herbarium of 1594 and Harder's herbarium, also of 1594, and both kept in Überlingen. It shares some features with both, while differing in other respects. In particular, we compare representations of plants from the New World and the inclusion of mosses and lichens. Finally, we address the question of how a herbarium created in a town on the shores of Lake Constance, in present-day Germany, found its way to an eastern Bohemian monastery, where its presence was first documented as recently as 1937 by Pater Vincenz Maiwald OSB (1862–1951). We also highlight the importance of Czech monasteries as sources of important, unpublished documents dealing with both the natural and social sciences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The third largest angiosperm family, Leguminosae, is remarkable with the outstanding diversity of its flowers, usually monosymmetric and adapted to different pollination strategies. A key attractant of leguminous flowers is nectar. Compared with Arabidopsis (Brassicaceae), very little is known about regulation of floral nectaries development in legumes. This work aimed to investigate details of these nectaries' morphology in flowers of mutants of different legume species. It was found that the changes in identity of petals and stamens usually do not affect a proper structure and position of nectaries in leguminous flowers, thus suggesting a high stability of attracting structures versus the pronounced plasticity of perianth and stamens. Some of genes involved in regulation of nectary development in Arabidopsis seem to have the same functions in legumes. The principal difference between Arabidopsis and legumes is connected with a flower monosymmetry in most representatives of the latter taxon, which is also reflected in structure of their floral nectaries. The vast majority of angiosperms attracts animal pollinators with the nectar secreted through specialized floral nectaries (FNs). Although there is evidence that principal patterns of regulation of FN development are conserved in large angiosperm clades, these structures are very diverse considering their morphology and position within a flower. Most data on genetic control of FN formation were obtained in surveys of a model plant species, Arabidopsis thaliana (Brassicaceae). There are almost no data on genetic factors affecting FN development in Leguminosae, the plant family of a high agricultural value and possessing outstandingly diverse flowers. In this work, the morphology of FNs was examined in a set of leguminous species, both wild-type and developmental mutants, by the means of a scanning electron microscopy. Unlike Brassicaceae, FNs in legumes are localized between stamens and a carpel instead of being associated with a certain floral organ. FNs were found stable in most cases of mutants when perianth and/or androecium morphology was affected. However, regulation of FN development by BLADE-ON-PETIOLE-like genes seems to be a shared feature between legumes (at least Pisum) and Arabidopsis. In some legumes, the adaxial developmental program (most probably CYCLOIDEA-mediated) suppresses the FN development. The obtained results neither confirm the role of orthologues of UNUSUAL FLORAL ORGANS and LEAFY in FN development in legumes nor reject it, as two studied pea mutants were homozygous at the weakest alleles of the corresponding loci and possessed FNs similar to those of wild-type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Prunus mume (Siebold) Siebold & Zucc., a beautiful winter flowering tree with exquisite, scented flowers foretelling the arrival of spring, is illustrated; its introduction, horticultural merits and cultivation are discussed. It is native to southwest China and widely cultivated across East Asia both for its value as an ornamental tree and for its edible fruits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Brassica includes some of the most important vegetable and oil crops worldwide. Many Brassica seeds (which can show diagnostic characters useful for species identification) were recovered from two archaeological sites in northern Italy, dated from between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. We tested the combined use of archaeobotanical keys, ancient DNA barcoding, and references to ancient herbarium specimens to address the issue of diagnostic uncertainty. An unequivocal conventional diagnosis was possible for much of the material recovered, with the samples dominated by five Brassica species and Sinapis. The analysis using ancient DNA was restricted to the seeds with a Brassica-type structure and deployed a variant of multiplexed tandem PCR. The quality of diagnosis strongly depended on the molecular locus used. Nevertheless, many seeds were diagnosed down to species level, in concordance with their morphological identification, using one primer set from the core barcode site (matK). The number of specimens found in the Renaissance herbaria was not high; Brassica nigra, which is of great ethnobotanical importance, was the most common taxon. Thus, the combined use of independent means of species identification is particularly important when studying the early use of closely related crops, such as Brassicaceae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Quarterly of the History of Material Culture / Kwartalnik Historii Kultury Materialnej is the property of Instytut Archeologii i Etnologii Polskiej Akademii Nauk and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Tulipa sylvestris, commonly called the "wild tulip", was introduced from the Mediterranean to northern Europe in the sixteenth century and became widely naturalized. Research has focused on tulips that came from the Ottoman Empire, but the introduction path of this native European, early ornamental tulip is unclear, and so is its taxonomic status: three subspecies are provisionally accepted, sometimes treated as species. Here we elucidate the history of introduction of T. sylvestris and discuss its taxonomy based on our historical findings. The first bulbs came from Bologna (northern Italy) and Montpellier (southern France) in the 1550–1570 s. Several renowned botanists were involved in their introduction, namely Gessner, Wieland, Aldrovandi, De Lobel, Clusius, and Dodoens. There were various introduction routes, including one from Spain which was apparently unsuccessful. The strong sixteenth-century Flemish botanical network facilitated the introduction and naturalization of T. sylvestris across Europe. Based on the latest tulip taxonomy, the diploid subspecies australis is native in the Mediterranean, and the tetraploid sylvestris is naturalized over Europe, but our historical findings show that both sylvestris and australis were introduced to northern Europe. This underlines the need to reconsider the taxonomic status of T. sylvestris, highlighting the importance of botanical history in understanding the complex taxonomy of naturalized cultivated plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]