Abstracts
S. rebaudiana is not coat imposed, requiring some form of cell wall abrasion to break dormancy but a physiological dormancy. To assess the effects of drought and salinity stress on the growth and chemistry of S. rebaudiana, polyethylene glycol 6000 (PEG) and sodium chloride (NaCl) were used respectively as osmotica on nodal segments of S. rebaudiana via tissue culture for 21 days. Headspace solidphase microextraction gas chromatography spectrometry technology revealed an abundance of α-pinene, β-pinene and sabinene in all treated plants while liquid chromatography mass spectrometry showed very low amounts of ent-kaurene diterpene glycosides found on the leaves of the plant; which are responsible for this plant's sweetness and therapeutic properties. doi:10.1016/j.sajb.2016.02.080
Taxonomy of Ursinia subgenus Ursinia (Asteraceae, Anthemideae) a,b
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extends into southern Namibia, Angola and Zimbabwe. Othonna displays great variation in morphology and life-history strategies, including perennial herbs, woody shrubs or shrublets, and tuberous geophytes. The genus has never been treated taxonomically in its entirety and as a result the number of species that should be recognised and how they are related remains unclear. As a start towards ultimately producing a taxonomic revision of the genus we have focused on the geophytic species, distinguished by their tuberous rootstock and annual stems. They include species with radiate and disciform heads. Currently up to 29 geophytic species are recognised, all of which are restricted to the GCFR. Recent field and herbarium studies have revealed two potentially new species and the need to reduce several names into synonymy. In this presentation we will highlight the main species complexes, discuss potential informative morphological characters and explore preliminary phylogenetic analyses based on the nuclear ITS data.
doi:10.1016/j.sajb.2016.02.082 d
A.R. Magee , J. Poovan , L. Mucina , J.S. Boatwright Compton Herbarium, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Private Bag X7, Claremont, 7735 Cape Town, South Africa b Department of Botany and Plant Biotechnology, University of Johannesburg, PO Box 524, Auckland Park, Johannesburg 2006, South Africa c Iluka Chair in Vegetation Science Biogeography, School of Plant Biology, The University of Western Australia, WA, 6009 Perth, Australia d Department of Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, University of the Western Cape, Private Bag X17, Bellville, 7535 Cape Town, South Africa a
Ursinia Gaertn., or Parachute Daisies, are a largely southern African genus comprising almost 50 species. Several of these are a prominent component of the mass spring floral displays for which Namaqualand is famous. The genus is subdivided into two subgenera, with subgenus Ursinia comprising largely annual species readily distinguished by the shiny disc of the showy radiate heads. Although the species in Namaqualand have now largely been resolved (with four new species recently described), uncertainty remains around the circumscriptions within three species complexes around Ursinia chrysanthemoides Less., Ursinia montana DC. and Ursinia nana DC. We here present a revision of the subgenus, which includes the description of a further new species, restricted to the Swartruggens Mountains in Ceres, and the reinstatement of at least three previously unrecognized species. doi:10.1016/j.sajb.2016.02.081
A systematic evaluation of the geophytic species of Othonna (Senecioneae, Othonninae) S.L. Magoswanaa,b, J.S. Boatwrightb, A.R. Mageea,c, J.C. Manninga,d Compton Herbarium, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Private Bag X7, Claremont, 7735 Cape Town, South Africa b Department of Biodiversity Conservation Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of the Western Cape, Private Bag X17, Bellville, 7535 Cape Town, South Africa c Department of Botany and Plant Biotechnology, University of Johannesburg, PO Box 524, Auckland Park, Johannesburg 2006, South Africa d Research Centre for Plant Growth and Development, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal Pietermaritzburg, Private Bag X01, Scottsville 3201, South Africa
An inventory of Vhavenda useful plants, Limpopo Province, South Africa K. Magwede, B.-E. Van Wyk Department of Botany and Plant Biotechnology, University of Johannesburg, PO Box 524, Auckland Park, Johannesburg 2006, South Africa This paper investigates the general use of plants by Vhavenda. Information on plant uses was gathered through a literature review and interviews conducted amongst Tshivenda speaking communities in Vhembe District, Limpopo Province, South Africa. Information gathered was subsequently compiled into an inventory of Vhavenda plant uses. More than 350 plant species were found to be playing an important role in the sustenance of Vhavenda everyday life needs, especially in rural areas. Vhavenda plant use categories include medicine, vegetables, fruits, beverages, firewood, building material, craftwork and more. Most plants are used as medicine, fruits, firewood, building material and vegetables. Families with the highest number of useful species are the Fabaceae, Euphorbiaceae and Asteraceae. The most frequently mentioned and used plants include species of the genera Combretum Loefl., Acacia Mill., and Grewia L. as well as Adansonia digitata L., Sclerocarya birrea Hochst., Momordica foetida Schumach., Bidens pilosa L., Amaranthus hybridus L., Obetia tenax (N.E.Br.) Friis and Syzygium cordatum Hochst.. Plant species with the highest diversity of uses include Annona senegalensis Pers., Sclerocarya birrea Hochst. and Landolphia kirkii Dyer. This inventory is a new and a comprehensive document covering most of Vhavenda plant uses.
doi:10.1016/j.sajb.2016.02.083
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Othonna L. is a large polymorphic genus comprising ca. ±140 species of succulent perennials. The genus is mainly concentrated in the Greater Cape Floristic Region (GCFR) of South Africa but also
In vitro mutagenicity and antimutagenicity of dichloromethane leaf extracts of seven Protea species using Ames test M.D. Makgapeetjaa,b, T.J. Makhafolab, L. Pietersc, L. Verschaeved,e, E.E. Elgorashia,b a Toxicology and Ethnoveterinary Medicine, Food, Feed and Veterinary Public Health (FFVPH) Programme, Agricultural Research Council-Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute (ARC-OVI), Private Bag X05, Onderstepoort 0110, South Africa b Department of Life and Consumer Sciences, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, University of South Africa, Florida Campus, Private Bag X90, Florida 1709, South Africa