[Original plant identification of Dai nationality herb "Daibaijie"]

OBJECTIVE

To identify the original plant of "Daibaijie", commonly used Dai herb.

METHOD

The literature review, morphology and anatomy, pharmacognosy, molecular biology, chemistry were used to analysis.

RESULT

Daibaijie's historical scientific name, Dregea sinensis Hemsl., was mistakenly given "Daibaijie" and D. sinensis have significant differences from the distribution, morphology and anatomy, pharmacognosy, molecular biology and chemical composition. "Daibaijie" matches with the characteristics of Marsdenia tenacissima (Roxb.) Moon in Flora of China in English.

CONCLUSION

Daibaijie's original plant is M. tenacissima (Roxb.) Moon. The description and illustration of M. tenacissima (Roxb.) Moon in Flora of China in China are wrong. The illustration of M. tenacissima in Flora of China in English is wrong too.

Amazonian plants from Peru used by Quechua and Mestizo to treat malaria with evaluation of their activity

Indigenous Quechua and Mestizo populations from distinct areas in Loreto, Peru, were interviewed about traditional medication for the treatment of malaria. An ethnographic survey concerning the native theory of illness aetiology in the specific case of malaria permitted the elaboration of an efficient ethnopharmacological enquiry. The survey took place on three main zones corresponding to villages on the Napo and the Pastaza rivers (for the Quechua), and in the surroundings of Iquitos (for the Mestizos) and led to the collection of 14 plants. Serial extractions in hexane, dichloromethane, and methanol were performed on the different parts of the plants collected. The extracts were then tested for antiplasmodial activity in vitro. Seven plants displayed antiplasmodial activity (IC(50) from 2 to 25 microg/mL) and usually low cytotoxicity, indicating their antiplasmodial specificity. The results give scientific validation to the traditional medical knowledge of Quechua and Mestizo populations from Loreto and confirm a source of potentially active plants.

Classical and dynamic morphology: toward a synthesis through the space of forms

In plant morphology, most structures of vascular plants can easily be assigned to pre-established organ categories. However, there are also intermediate structures that do not fit those categories associated with a classical approach to morphology. To integrate the diversity of forms in the same general framework, we constructed a theoretical morphospace based on a variety of modalities where it is possible to calculate the morphological distance between plant organs. This paper gives emphasis on shoot, leaf, leaflet and trichomes while ignoring the root. This will allow us to test the hypothesis that classical morphology (typology) and dynamic morphology occupy the same theoretical morphospace and the relationship between the two approaches remains a question of weighting of criteria. Our approach considers the shoot (i.e. leafy stem) as the basic morphological structural unit. A theoretical data table consisting of as many lines as there are possible combinations between different modalities of characters of a typical shoot was generated. By applying a principal components analysis (PCA) to these data it is possible to define a theoretical morphospace of shoots. Typical morphological elements (shoots, leaves, trichomes) and atypical structures (phylloclades, cladodes) including particular cases representing 'exotic' structures such as the epiphyllous appendages of Begonia and 'water shoot' and 'leaf' of aquatic Utricularia were placed in the morphospace. The more an organ differs from a typical shoot, the further away it will be from the barycentre of shoots. By giving a higher weight to variables used in classical typology, the different organ categories appear to be separate, as expected. If we do not make any particular arbitrary choice in terms of character weighting, as it is the case in the context of dynamic morphology, the clear separation between organs is replaced by a continuum. Contrary to typical structures, "intermediate" structures are only compatible with a dynamic morphology approach whether they are placed in the morphospace based on a ponderation compatible with typology or dynamic morphology. The difference in points of view between typology and continuum leads to a particular mode of weighting. By using an equal weighting of characters, contradictions due to the ponderation of characters are avoided, and the morphological concepts of continuum' and 'typology' appear as sub-classes of 'process' or 'dynamic morphology'.

Phylogenetic Relationship of Glycyrrhiza lepidota, American Licorice, in Genus Glycyrrhiza Based on rbcL Sequences and Chemical Constituents

Two known saponins, licorice-saponin H2 and macedonoside A, were isolated from the stolons of Glycyrrhiza lepidota (American licorice) as major saponins. Since licorice-saponin H2 and macedonoside A are minor saponins isolated from the three glycyrrhizin-producing species (i.e. G. glabra, G. uralensis, G. inflata) and the three macedonoside C-producing species (i.e. G. macedonica, G. echinata, G. pallidiflora), respectively, the present study suggests that G. lepidota is an intermediate of both glycyrrhizin-producing and macedonoside C-producing species. The phylogenetic tree constructed from the nucleotide sequences of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase large subunit gene (rbcL) of these seven Glycyrrhiza plants indicated that G. lepidota was separated from the other six Glycyrrhiza species, and this phylogenetic relationship was in accordance with their saponin compositions.