Flowering

Tocoyena formosa has a persistent floral nectary that continues producing nectar throughout flower and fruit development. This plant also presents an intriguing non-anthetic nectary derived from early-developing floral buds with premature abscised corolla. In this study, we characterize the structure, morphological changes, and functioning of T. formosa floral nectary at different developmental stages. We subdivided the nectary into four categories based on the floral and fruit development stage at which nectar production started: (i) non-anthetic nectary; (ii) anthetic nectary, which follows the regular floral development; (iii) pericarpial nectary, derived from pollinated flowers following fruit development; and (iv) post-anthetic nectary that results from non-pollinated flowers after anthesis...

In specialized plant-pollinator associations, partners may exhibit adaptive traits, which favor the maintenance of the interaction. The association between Calibrachoa elegans (Solanaceae) and its oligolectic bee pollinator, Hexantheda missionica (Colletidae), is mutualistic and forms a narrowly specialized pollination system. Flowers of C. elegans are pollinated exclusively by this bee species, and the bees restrict their pollen resources to this plant species. The pollen presentation schedules of C. elegans were evaluated at the population level to test the hypothesis that H...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Elevation is a major factor shaping plant populations on a global scale. At the same time, reproductive traits play a major role in plant fitness. With increasing altitude and increasingly harsh conditions, decreases in pollinator visitation rates, sexual investment, seed set, and heterozygosity (due to increased selfing) are expected. In response, selection and/or phenotypic plasticity could lead to an increase in plants' floral displays to increase their attractiveness to pollinators and compensates for the negative fitness impacts of reduced pollinator activity...

The construction of a yield loss evaluation index for the cold vortex type light-temperature-water composite adversity during rice flowering period in Northeast China is important for elucidating the impacts of cold vortex type composite disasters on rice yield loss in middle and high latitude areas. Moreover, it can provide meteorological support to ensure safe production of high-quality japonica rice in China and contribute to regional disaster reduction and efficiency improvement. By combining growth period data, meteorological data, and yield data, we delineated and constructed the composite stress occurrence index of cold vortex type light-temperature-water at the flowering stage of japonica...

This study investigated the impact of a mixture of six endophytic bacterial strains isolated from cucumber plants on the growth and microbiome diversity of six cucumber traditional varieties and hybrids. Six bacterial species were isolated and identified by 16 s rRNA sequencing. All the bacteria showed plant growth promoting traits.  Bacillus tequilensis  showed 80 % inhibition of the mycelia growth of  Fusarium oxysporum f.sp.  cucumarinum  (Foc). Mixed culture of all the bacteria was prepared and applied back to the varieties and hybrids of cucumber plants through seed soaking...

This case report describes necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in an infant with a history of twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS). TTTS is a volume imbalance where the anastomosis at the vascular equator between the two placentae shifts from the donor to the recipient twin. This causes a higher risk for NEC, a marked inflammation caused by bacterial infection into the intestinal wall, from prematurity and intestinal hypoperfusion. Complications include sepsis, bowel necrosis, perforation, peritonitis, and death...

Background and objectives SIVI is a standardized extract prepared using the aerial parts of Passiflora incarnata developed to enhance the quality of sleep. ​​​​​​The objective of the present study was to the evaluate efficacy and safety of SIVI ( Passiflora incarnata extract) in the management of stress and sleep problems in Indian participants in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical study. Materials and methods A total of 65 participants with stress and insomnia were randomized to two groups with 32 in the SIVI ( Passiflora incarnata extract) group and 33 in the placebo group...

A large suite of floral signals, and environmental and biotic characteristics influence the behavior of pollinators, affecting the female success of food-deceptive orchids. In this study, we examined the many factors shaping the reproductive output of three orchid taxa: Dactylorhiza majalis , D. incarnata var. incarnata , and D. fuchsii . We applied a statistical model to correlate female success (number of fruit sets) with individual characteristics (plant and inflorescence height, number of flowers, and spur length), number of pollinaria removed, flowering time, and density of floral units of co-flowering rewarding plants...

Upcycling Covid19 plastic waste into valuable carbonaceous materials for energy storage applications is a sustainable and green approach to minimize the burden of waste plastic on the environment. Herein, we developed a facile single step activation technique for producing activated carbon consisting of spherical flower like carbon nanosheets and amorphous porous flakes from used PET [poly(ethylene terephthalate)] face shields for supercapacitor applications. The as-obtained activated carbon exhibited a high specific surface area of 1571 m2 g-1 and pore volume of 1...

Using spatial mapping processes to learn about threat and safety in an environment is crucial for survival. Research using conditioning paradigms has explored the effects of state (transient arousal) and trait anxiety (anxiety as an aspect of personality) on threat learning and acquisition. However, results are mixed, and little is known regarding why some individuals do not learn to discriminate between threat and safety during contextual conditioning. We used a virtual reality (VR) contextual threat conditioning paradigm to elucidate the effects of state and trait anxiety on contextual threat learning...

Nanoparticles have different shapes and sizes between the range of 1-100 nm, which show advantages for stabilizing compounds, higher carrier capacity, and lower costs. Metal nanoparticles such as copper, gold, silver, and zinc are favorable components for various applications due to their interesting properties. In the present study, nanoparticles were synthesized by reduction with flower extracts of Bauhinia variegate & Saussurea lappa that were used to stabilize the copper nanoparticles. Furthermore, the characterization of plants synthesized copper nanoparticles was carried out through UV-visible dynamic light scattering...

Nanoparticles bestow beneficial impacts on plants, specifically in increasing photosynthetic capacity and germination rate, pesticide delivery, managing pathogenicity and enhancing nutrient supply. The nanoparticles produced from the medicinal plant extracts are identified as an exceptional applicant in nanomedicine, cosmetics, and agriculture for the treatment of diseases as antimicrobial, antioxidant and anticancer agents, etc. Plant extracts actually have bioactive metabolites that provide therapeutic potential against a variety of diseases...

The chloroplast (cp) genome sequence of Mussaenda pubescens, a promising resource that is used as a traditional medicine and drink, is important for understanding the phylogenetic relationships among the Mussaenda family and genetic improvement and reservation. This research represented the first comprehensive description of the morphological characteristics of M. pubescens, as well as an analysis of the complete cp genome and phylogenetic relationship. The results indicated a close relationship between M. pubescens and M...

Green pesticides, derived from natural sources, have gained wider attention as an alternative to synthetic pesticides for managing polyphagous pests, such as Spodoptera litura. In this study, the methanolic flower extract of Nyctanthes arbor-tristis (Mx-Na-t) was subjected to chemical screening, and 3-hydroxy-1,2-dimethyl-4(1H)-pyridone (3H-dp) and tyrosol (Ty-ol) were identified as the major derivatives. The toxic effects of Mx-Na-t (500 ppm) were highest in third-instar S. litura larvae (96.4%), while those of 3H-dp and Ty-ol (5 ppm) were highest in second-instar larvae (76...

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Leonurus japonicus Houtt. (Labiatae), commonly known as Chinese motherwort, is a herbaceous flowering plant that is native to Asia. It is widely acknowledged in traditional medicine for its diuretic, hypoglycemic, antiepileptic properties and neuroprotection. Currently, Leonurus japonicus (Leo) is included in the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) recognizes Leo for its myriad pharmacological attributes, but its efficacy against ICH-induced neuronal apoptosis is unclear...

The ability of fungi to establish mycorrhizal associations with plants and enhance the acquisition of mineral nutrients stands out as a key feature of terrestrial life. Evidence indicates that arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) association is a trait present in the common ancestor of land plants,1 , 2 , 3 , 4 suggesting that AM symbiosis was an important adaptation for plants in terrestrial environments.5 The activation of nuclear calcium signaling in roots is essential for AM within flowering plants.6 Given that the earliest land plants lacked roots, whether nuclear calcium signals are required for AM in non-flowering plants is unknown...

Plant life-history is determined by two transitions, the germination and the flowering times, in which the phosphatidylethanolamine-binding proteins (PEBP) FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) and TERMINAL FLOWER1 (TFL1) play key regulatory roles. Compared to the highly conserved TFL1-likes, FT-like genes vary in copy numbers significantly in gymnosperms and monocots of the angiosperms, while sporadic duplications can be observed in eudicots. Here, via a systematic analysis of the PEBPs in angiosperms with a special focus on twelve representative species featuring high-quality genomes in the Lamiales order, we identified a successive lineage-specific but systematic expansion of FT-like genes in the families of core Lamiales...

CitCAT1 and CitCAT2 were cloned and highly expressed in mature leaves. High temperatures up-regulated CitCAT1 expression, while low temperatures and Diversispora versiformis up-regulated CitCAT2 expression, maintaining a low oxidative damage. Catalase (CAT), a tetrameric heme-containing enzyme, removes hydrogen peroxide (H2 O2 ) to maintain low oxidative damage in plants exposed to environmental stress. This study aimed to clone CAT genes from Citrus sinensis cv. "Oita 4" and analyze their expression patterns in response to environmental stress, exogenous abscisic acid (ABA), and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal inoculation...

Rosa rugosa is extensively cultivated in China for its remarkable fragrance and flavor, however, the metabolic changes in roses during growth and drying remain unclear. Our results revealed significant variations in phenol and flavonoid contents and antioxidant capacity in roses (Rosa rugosa f. plena (Regel) Byhouwer) under different conditions. Phenol contents were positively correlated with antioxidant capacity, with phytochemicals being most prominent in unfolded petals. The highest antioxidant capacity and phenol and flavonoid contents were observed in April...

Sphagneticola trilobata (L.) Pruski is a perennial creeping herb of the Asteraceae family, which is native to South America. It was introduced into Southern China as a groundcover in the 1970s (Zhang et al. 2023). Now it is mainly used for folk medicine to treat various kinds of inflammatory, incuding joint pain, rheumatic diseases, arthritis, in addition to treating persistent wounds, ulcers, and edemas (Gonçalves et al. 2022). In February and November 2023, powdery mildew symptoms were observed on 60% of S...