Chemical composition of the essential oils of Centaurea sicana and C. giardinae growing wild in Sicily

The essential oils of Centaurea sicana (S) and C. giardinae (G) were studied by GC and GC-MS. Thirty constituents for S, representing 81.5% of the total oil, and 24 compounds for G (94.2% of the total) were identified. The oils were rich in sesquiterpenoids (47.9% for S and 54.7% for G) and hydrocarbons (25.9% for S and 31.7% for G). Germacrene D (13.3%), ( E)-β-farnesene (8.3%), nonacosane (7.3%), heptacosane (6.5%) and phytol (6%) were recognized as the main constituents for S, while caryophyllene oxide (17.7%), nonacosane (14.5%), germacrene D (11.5%), caryophyllene (11.2%) and heptacosane (10.3%) were the main compounds for G.

Phytochemical characterization and antioxidant activity of the aerial part extracts from two species of Matthiola wild in Sicily: Matthiola sinuata and M. tricuspidata (Brassicaceae)

As part of a project aimed at investigating the specific and intraspecific taxa of Matthiola which grow spontaneously in Sicily (Italy), in this work our research has been focused on Matthiola tricuspidata and Matthiola sinuata. The phenolic and volatile compounds of the hydroalcoholic extracts from the aerial parts of the selected species have been characterized by HPLC-PDA/ESI-MS and SPME-GC/MS analyses. Moreover, the antioxidant capacity in vitro (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazil (DPPH), reducing power and Fe2+ chelating activity assays) and the toxicity (Artemia salina lethality bioassay) of the extracts were investigated. The phytochemical analyses highlighted quite different phenolic and…

Vascular flora evolution in the major Mediterranean islands

Characteristics of Mediterranean island floras are analyzed with stress on endemic units. On these bases the main relationships between the major Mediterranean areas and the inland territories with the strongest floristic affinities are analyzed. Finally the role of aliens in Mediterranean island floras and threats are discussed.

Chemical composition of essential oil from Italian populations of Artemisia alba Turra (Asteraceae).

The use of essential oils as chemotaxonomic markers could be useful for the classification of Artemisia species and to caracterize biodiversity in the different populations. An analysis of the chemical composition of four essential oils from Italian populations of Artemisia alba Turra (collected in Sicily, Marche and Abruzzo) was investigated. In this paper an in depth study of the significant differences observed in the composition of these oils is reported.

INDAGINE FITOCHIMICA SUGLI OLI DEI SEMI DI PTILOSTEMON GREUTERI (ASTERACEAE)

The Diterpenoids of the Genus Elaeoselinum (Apiaceae) and their Biological Properties

The natural kaurane, beyerane and atisane diterpenoids isolated from the genus Elaeoselinum (Apiaceae)and their semi-synthetic derivatives are reviewed. Published 13C NMR spectroscopic data and biological properties of these diterpenes are also reported.

From ethnobotany to experimental research: the therapeutic properties of Sicilian hellebore

In Sicily, the genus Helleborus (Ranuculaceae) is only represented by H. bocconei subsp. siculus (= H. bocconei subsp. intermedius). In some mountain areas of the Island, the rhizomes of this plant, harvested in a particular month of the year (May) and dried, are used in traditional veterinary practice for treating pneumonia in domestic animals, cattle and horses in particular. The same usage – with rhizomes of other Helleborus species or subspecies – is reported from various other areas of Mediterranean Europe. Phytochemical tests have permitted the isolation and characterization of new biologically active molecules. The extracts of rhizomes and aerial parts of the plant were shown antibac…

Ritrovamento di Acinos minae (Lamiaceae) taxon critico e minacciato della flora siciliana.

Flora,IUCN

Casi di spontaneizzazione in Sicilia di specie esotiche ornamentali

Pyrus ciancioi (Rosaceae), a new species from Sicily

A new species of Pyrus L. from the Nebrodi Mountains (NE Sicily) is described, named, and illustrated. It differs from P. spinosa in the shape and diameter/length ratio of its fruits and in the width/length ratio of the leaf lamina. An analytical key to the Pyrus species growing in Sicily is provided.

Volatile constituents of the aerial parts of Pulicaria sicula (L.) Moris growing wild in Sicily: Chemotaxonomic volatile markers of the genus Pulicaria Gaertn

Abstract The chemical composition of the essential oil isolated from the aerial parts of Pulicaria sicula (L.) Moris was characterized by GC-FID and GC/MS analyses. The oil was particularly rich in oxygenated terpenoids. Among the oxygenated monoterpenes (content of 44.5%), the most abundant were borneol (23.7%), bornyl acetate (6.5%), and isothymol isobutyrate (6.2%). Caryophyllene oxide (10.2%), caryophylladienol I (4.3%), and caryophylla-3,8(13)-dien-5β-ol (4.4%) were identified as the main constituents among the oxygenated sesquiterpenes. Furthermore, a complete literature review on the composition of the essential oils of all the Pulicaria taxa studied so far was performed and a princi…

Indagini fitochimiche su alcune popolazioni italiane di Artemisia alba (Asteraceae)

Dati sulla consistenza tassonomica della flora vascolare siciliana

First record of Carex vesicaria (Cyperaceae) in Sicily.

The first record of Carex vesicaria from Sicily is reported. This circumboreal species, so far known from the peninsular regions of Italy and from Corsica, has been found in a marshy mead- ow within the Fagus sylvatica and Acer pseudoplatanus woody belt of the Nebrodi mountains (N-E Sicily). The phytocoenosis established in this locality is characterized by C. vesicaria itself together with a few other hygrophytes such as Galium elongatum, Mentha aquatica and Juncus effusus. This plant community belongs to a context of hygro-hydrophilous vegetation where marshy features characterized by Juncus striatus and Calliergonella cuspidata alternate with the lacustrine ones characterized by Potamoge…

Acclimatazione di Argania spinosa (Sapotaceae) nell’Orto botanico di Palermo

Clinopodium raimondoi (Lamiaceae), a new species from Sicily

On the basis of the taxonomic study of the collections made by F. M. Raimondo, kept in PAL, a new species of Clinopodium is described. The new taxon, named Clinopodium raimondoi, occurs in N-W coast of Sicily on limestone substrata, in steppe communities dominated by Hyparrhenia hirta. The main distinctive characteristics of C. raimondoi, with respect to other taxa known from Europe and other Mediterranean countries, are the large size, the opposite and decussate branches, and the clearly woody at base stems of mature plants as well. Relationships of the new taxon with the Mediterranean ones in the C. nepeta group are also discussed.

Morphological, karyological and taxonomic remarks on Ferulago nodosa (L.) Boiss. (Apiaceae)

Abstract Western (Sicilian) and eastern (Balcan-aegean) populations of the Balcan-tyrrhenian Ferulago nodosa are reported to be different in some morphological characters, and were considered different species by some authors in XIX century. In this work, fruit and pollen morphologies have been compared in Sicilian and Cretan plants; also, the chromosome number of Sicilian plants has been ascertained. Preliminary results highlight a general homogeneity between the two populations, nevertheless showing significant differences in some parameters (fruit form, pollen size). For this reason, and considering the geographic disjunction of the Sicilian plants, the two populations are proposed to be…

Phytochemical composition and antimicrobial activity of essential oil from different parts of Ferulago campestris growing wild in the Natural Park of Madonie (Sicily)

Critical forms in Sicilian populations of annual Lysimachia L. (Primulaceae)

Based on recent literature, in the Primrose family the genus Lysimachia L. absorbed Anagallis L. (1). As a result, new name combinations have been introduced for this genus, thus involving the increase of specific and intraspecific taxa (for Italian flora see 2 and 3). A further consequence, focused in this contribution, concerns the binomial combination Lysimachia arvensis (L.) U.Manns & Anderb., which has different synonyms and includes several specific and intraspecific taxa. As far as the taxonomic history of the annual taxa of Anagallis is concerned, different authors preferred to include some of them in A. arvensis and in A. foemina at the level of variety (4) or subspecies (2), w…

Biodiversità nelle Maloideae (Rosaceae) della Sicilia

Si riportano i caratteri tassonomici, l’ecologia e la distribuzione di 4 specie legnose afferenti ai generi Pyrus e Malus, recentemente descritte in Sicilia, al fine di favorirne la valorizzazione attraverso l’impiego in selvicoltura oltre che la conservazione in situ ed ex situ.

THE BOTANICAL GARDEN “BERNARDINO DA UCRIA” IN THE NATURAL PARK OF THE NEBRODI (SICILY) AND ITS MISSION TO CONSERVE, EXPLOIT AND SPREAD LOCAL AGROBIODIVERTITY AND OFFICINAL PLANTS

In Sicily, the academic botanical gardens of Catania, Messina and Palermo have been historically exerting a multiplicity of activities ranging from maintenance of ex situ collections to plant conservation policy, practice and ecological restoration, along with more traditional functions related to education and academic research. In the last decade’s, two new botanical gardens the “Nuova Gussonea” and the “Bernardino da Ucria, were created in Sicily, with the aim to play more delimited, yet modern and complementary roles. The garden “Nuova Gussonea”, within the Etna Natural Park, is mostly devoted to collect and preserve the native flora of the Mount Etna, with a special focus on endemic an…

Diversity in the population of Brassica incana Ten. (Cruciferae) in Sicily

henotipic diversity in Sicilian populations of Brassica incana Ten. (Cruciferae) is here ana- lyzed in comparison with the only one known population of B. raimondoi Sciandrello et al., taxonomic close species recently described from the coastal relief of eastern Sicily. The analysis of diagnostic characters of these two taxa does not reveal significant differences that justify a treatment at species level of the population of B. raimondoi. On this base, the authors deemed to include this taxon in the infraspecific variability of B. incana and consider most appropriate the rank of subspecies. Therefore is here proposed the establishment of the trinomial com- bination B. incana subsp. raimond…

Catologue of the plants growing in Sicily

This Catalogue includes the taxonomic units of the native and exotic taxa, both adventice and cultivated of the vascular flora of Sicily. Species and subspecies, as well as varieties and forms are taken into consideration, contrary to the actual tendency to include only the former. The main aim of the Catalogue is therefore to analyze the flora of the largest and significant island of the Mediterranean, and to give a tool for specialists of the field and an informative basis of the regional biodiversity in favour of preserving and promoting actions. Together with synonymic information on each single taxon, the Catalogue includes ecological and distributive references of the region. Nomemcla…

Le piante tossiche

BOTANICAL CONTRIBUTION TO ARCHAEOLOGICAL LAND EVALUATION IN THE FP7 MEMOLA PROJECT

Natural products and derivatives from Ferulago campestris (Apiaceae)

Indagini fitochimiche sul galbano di Sicilia

CONTRIBUTO ALLA CONOSCENZA DELLE VERDURE SELVATICHE RACCOLTE E CONSUMATE IN SICILIA: LE CICORIE

Molecular and taxonomic characterization of a endophytic fungus isolated from Helleborus bocconei subsp. intermedius (Ranunculaceae)

A non-sporulating fungus was isolated from different organs of Helleborus bocconei subsp. intermedius (Ranunculaceae) endemic to southern Italy and Sicily, known for the traditional use of dried roots in the treatment of lung diseases of cattle and horses. Molecular characterization of endophytic fungus based on the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the rRNA gene sequences was done. The DNA sequence of full length ITS region of the studied fungus was a 100% match to that of Chaetomium strumarium strain dH 21642 (GenBank accession number JX280851.1). The morphological characters of colony and mycelium of this microfungus are reported here.

Furostanol saponins and ecdysones with cytotoxic activity from Helleborus bocconei ssp. intermedius

Two furostanol saponins helleboroside A (1) and helleboroside B (2) were isolated from the methanol extract of Helleborus bocconei Ten. subsp. intermedius (Guss.) Greuter and Burdet, along with the furospirostanol saponin 4 and two ecdysones: ecdysterone (5) and polypodyne B (6). Compound 2 was enzymatically hydrolysed to give product 3. The biological activity of all compounds was tested against rat C6 glioma cells showing a significant cytotoxicity for compounds 3, 4 and 6. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Caratterizzazione genetica di Genista gasparrini e G. demarcoi (Leguminosae) endemiche siciliane.

Due casi di rarità estrema nella flora siciliana

Variabilità genetica in popolazioni di Galium rotundifolium L. (Rubiaceae)

Indagini ecomorfologiche e micromorfologiche su Malva agrigentina (Malvaceae) endemita sicula

Dafne sericea Vahl. e D. gnidium L. (Thymelaceae): morfologia fogliare e fitodermologia a confronto

Monoterpene derivatives from the flowers of Ferulago campestris, (Apiaceae).

Ferulago campestris (Besser) Grec., (Ferula galbanifera (Mill) Kock. = F. campestris), finocchiazzo, is an annual or perennial herb of the Mediterranean area. In this paper the phytochemical studies of the CH2Cl2 and MeOH extracts of the flowers are described. Several ferulol derivatives and a new 10-hydroxy-verbenone ester (7) were isolated. The structure of the new compound was established by extensive NMR analysis, including HMBC and HSQC pulse sequences.

Sorbus busambarensis (Rosaceae), a new endemic species of Sicily

Abstract In this study, Sorbus busambarensis, a new species from Rocca Busambra (Palermo, NW Sicily) has been described and named. On the basis of the critical features of its flowers, fruits and leaves, it is noted to be a member of S. sect. Aria and is related to the other taxa that form the polymorphic group of S. aria, which in Sicily is represented by S. aria s. str., S. graeca and S. umbellata.

A new species of Smyrnium (Apiaceae) related to S. perfoliatum

On the basis of plant collections recently carried out in Sicily as well as the study of the herbarium material kept in PAL and PAL-Gr, a new species of Smyrnium (Apiaceae) is described here. This new taxon, named Smyrnium dimartinoi, is related to S. perfoliatum and is presently known from Sicily, Crete and realistically elsewhere in the Mediterranean. In such range it occurs in open woods and clearings of the Mediterranean-temperate and submontane belt.

COMPOSITION OF THE ESSENTIAL OILS IN CALENDULA SUFFRUTICOSA (ASTERACEAE) FROM SICILY

The genus Calendula L. (Calenduleae Cass., Asteraceae) includes several species having medicinal properties. Pharmacological studies reveal, for instance, that C. officinalis L. exhibits antibacterial, antiviral, antinflammatory, antitumor and antioxidant properties; C. arvensis L. has antibacterial, antinflammatory, antimutagenic and haemolytic activities; C. suffruticosa Vahl has antimicrobial activity, especially against pathogenic microorganisms as Pseudomonas syringae Van Hall, Pseudomonas fluorescens (Flügge) Migula, Xanthomonas campestris (Pammel) Dowson and Agrobacterium tumefaciens Smith & Townsend. Nevertheless, despite a long tradition of use of the above species, and others,…

Nomenclatural and taxonomic remarks on Prunus cupaniana (Rosaceae) from Sicily

“Prunus cupaniana” is a nomen nudum doubtfully given by Gussone (1842) to some Sicilian populations close to Prunus mahaleb L. from which they are distinct by both biological and ecological characters. This name was later cited by Nyman (1878) which did not provide its validation, contrary to the erroneous IPNI report “Prunus cupaniana Guss. ex Nyman -- Consp. Fl. Eur. 1: 213. 1878 [Sep 1878]“. Fiori (1926) applied the Gussone’s epithet to the infraspecific combination “Prunus mahaleb cupaniana(Guss.)”, which is invalid being based on a nomen nudum. Before Fiori, Lojacono (1891) treated the same populations under P. mahaleb var. prostrata. Recently Raimondo & Spadaro [in Fl. Medit. 19: 309 …

Aggiunte al “Prospetto delle piante avventizie e spontaneizzate in Sicilia”

Phytochemical Profile and Antioxidant Activity of the Aerial Part Extracts from Matthiola incana subsp. rupestris and subsp . pulchella ( Brassicaceae ) Endemic to Sicily

As part of a project aimed at investigating the Matthiola taxa endemic to Sicily (Italy), this study focused on Matthiola incana, an edible species used in the traditional medicine of various countries. Herein, the characterization of phenolic and volatile compounds, the antioxidant capacity in vitro (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazil (DPPH), reducing power and Fe2+ chelating activity assays) and the toxicity test (Artemia salina lethality bioassay) of the hydroalcoholic extracts from the aerial parts of M. incana subsp. rupestris from Mt. Pellegrino (Palermo) and Mt. Erice (Trapani), and of M. incana subsp. pulchella are reported. The results are compared with those previously shown for M. inc…

Autecology and ex situ growth of Leontopodium nivale subsp. nivale (Asteraceae) from North Pirin marbles (SW Bulgaria)

Kozuharova, E., Panayotov, M. & Spadaro, V.: Autecology and ex situ growth of Leontopodium nivale subsp. nivale (Asteraceae) from North Pirin marbles (SW Bulgaria). — Fl. Medit. 28: 187-206. 2018. — ISSN: 1120-4052 printed, 2240-4538 online. Leontopodium nivale subsp. nivale is a local and disjunct endemic of the central Apennines in Italy and the Pirin Mountains in Bulgaria. The aim of this study is to investigate in situ microhabitat specifics and ex situ ontogenesis regarding the possible future cultivation and to evaluate hazards for wild populations in conditions of human impact and climate change. Leontopodium nivale subsp. nivale is stenobiont which is difficult to grow ex situ and t…

Brassica carinata (Cruciferae) spontaneizzata in Sicilia

Brassica carinata (Cruciferae) naturalized in Sicily. Brassica carinata (Cruciferae) is reported occurring naturalized in Sicily. Two small populations of this taxon of hybrid origin, introduced in cultivation for production of combustible oilseeds in several countries of the Mediterranean region, including Sicily, have been found growing in hemerophilous conditions at the borders of the A.19 Palermo-Catania motorway, in locality Tremonzelli (Central Sicily).

Checklist of the vascular flora of Sicily

ABSTRACT. – Checklist of the vascular flora of Sicily. – On the basis of updated literature data the authors have prepared a checklist of the vascular flora of Sicily. This list subdivided in Pteridophyta, Pinophyta and Magnoliophyta, is arranged in alphabetical order. It includes 3252 specific and infraspecific taxa both native and naturalized. This list reports biologic forms and subforms and the chorotypes. Three name validations and two new combinations are also given. This list is available in electronic format at (http://www.herbmedit.org).

The Cytotoxic Properties of Natural Coumarins Isolated from Roots ofFerulago campestris(Apiaceae) and of Synthetic Ester Derivatives of Aegelinol

Grandivittin (1), agasyllin (2), aegelinol benzoate (3) and felamidin (20), four natural coumarins isolated from Ferulago campestris, and several synthetic ester derivatives of aegelinol (4) were tested against four tumor cell lines. Some of them were shown to be marginally cytotoxic against the A549 lung cancer cell line.

Antimicrobial activity of coumarins from the roots of Ferulago campestris (Apiaceae)

Metabolites from the Aerial Parts of the Sicilian Population of Artemisia alba

Phytochemical investigation of the CH2Cl2 extract of the aerial parts of Artemisia alba Turra afforded one new irregular sesquiterpenoid, artemiric acid, and five known metabolites: hydroxydavanone, the coumarins isofraxidin and scopoletin, (6 S*,7 S*,10 R*)–6,10-dimethyl-7,10-epoxyocta-11-enoic acid and artalbic acid. From the MeOH extract three flavonoids were identified: chrysoeriol, quercetin and isorhamnetin. The possible biogenetic pathways of artemiric and artalbic acids are discussed.

Schede 1-11. In: RAIMONDO F.M. & SCHICCHI R. Piante e loro anomalie vegetative: schede documentarie. 1-26.

Prospetto delle piante avventizie e spontaneizzate in Sicilia

A new species ofCentaurea(Asteraceae) from Sicily

A new species of Centaurea, Centaurea sicana, endemic to Sicily, is described. This new taxon is close to Centaurea parlatoris and Centaurea giardinae (Sect. Dissectae), the former occurring at Palermo and in the Madonie Mountains, while the latter occurs on the Etna volcano. The new species has so far been found only on the Sicani Mountains, a limestone mountain range in western Sicily, while the related species occur in the surrounding mountains. © 2008 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2008, 157, 785–788.

Piante e loro anomalie vegetative: schede documentarie

La manna delle Madonie(Sicilia): dai frassini ai prodotti farmaceutici e alimentari.

Addenda et emendanda to the "A catalogue of plants growing in Sicily"

Corrections and integrations to the “A Catalogue of the plants growing in Sicily” by Giardina & al. (2007) are here reported. In particular, several disregarded taxa have been added and updated together with new other ones described or reported simultaneously or subsequently to the date of publication of the Catalogue. Finally nomenclature of some taxa has been updated and a new taxonomic status has been proposed for two of them.

Essential Oil Composition of Tanacetum vulgare Subsp. Siculum (Guss.) Raimondo et Spadaro (Asteraceae) from Sicily

Ninety-four components of the essential oils from aerial parts and capitula of Tanacetum vulgare subsp. siculum (Guss.) Raimondo et Spadaro were detected. α-Thujone, β-thujone and 1,8-cineole were the main constituents of the oils. The analysis allows the assignment of this Tanacetum species to the thujone chemotype.

Chemical characterization of Anthemis parlatoreana fresh and dried aerial parts by GC and LC chromatographic techniques and evaluation of the antioxidant properties

Anthemis parlatoreana was collected in the north west coast of Sicily. Fresh and dried aerial parts were subjected to distillation procedure for the extraction and isolation of essential oils. In both fresh and dried samples, the most abundant chemical classes were ketones and esters, represented to a greater extent by β-thujone and β-artemisia acetate, respectively. In dried vegetable material, a high content of α-pinene and δ3-carene was also registered. Aqueous, methanol and ethyl acetate extracts of aerial parts were also investigated in terms of polyphenolic content and antioxidant potential. All the extracts tested showed a quite different quali-quantitative profile and in terms of ch…

Artalbic acid, a sesquiterpene with an unusual skeleton from Artemisia alba (Asteraceae) from Sicily

Abstract From the aerial parts of Artemisia alba (Asteraceae) artalbic acid ( 1 ), a sesquiterpene with an unusual skeleton, was isolated. Its structure was elucidated on the basis of extensive proton, 13 C and two-dimensional NMR experiments, as well as by transformation in its methyl ester derivative.

Diversità nelle Maloidee (Rosaceae) della Sicilia

Studio etnofarmacobotanico di Helleborus bocconei subsp. intermedius (Ranunculaceae): aspetti morfoanatonici

Phytochemical Profile and Antioxidant Activity of the Aerial Part Extracts from Matthiola incana subsp. rupestris and subsp. pulchella (Brassicaceae) Endemic to Sicily

As part of a project aimed at investigating the Matthiola taxa endemic to Sicily (Italy), this study focused on Matthiola incana, an edible species used in the traditional medicine of various countries. Herein, the characterization of phenolic and volatile compounds, the antioxidant capacity in vitro (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazil (DPPH), reducing power and Fe2+ chelating activity assays) and the toxicity test (Artemia salina lethality bioassay) of the hydroalcoholic extracts from the aerial parts of M. incana subsp. rupestris from Mt. Pellegrino (Palermo) and Mt. Erice (Trapani), and of M. incana subsp. pulchella are reported. The results are compared with those previously shown for M. inc…

Typification of the Presl’s name Calamintha canescens (Lamiaceae)

Calamintha canescens is a taxon described in the “Flora Sicula” by K. B. Presl (1826), following the visit made to Sicily a few years earlier (March-July 1817). In the protologue Presl does not report any data on the distribution in Sicily of this taxon that will be almost completely forgotten in later floristic works. Only Nyman (1881) and later Šilić (1979) consider it as a variety respectively of Calamintha nepeta (L.) Savi and C. glandulosa (Req.) Benth. Following the review of a group of critical European taxa belonging to the genus Clinopodium L., lately Melnikov (2016) recovers the ancient taxon Calamintha canescens C. Presl and transfers it to the genus Clinopodium L. Also, the auth…

Studio morfoanatomico delle specie siciliane di Ptilostemon (Asteraceae)

VERBENA BONARIENSIS (VERBENACEAE) ADVENTIVE IN ITALY

Among the species of Verbena L. cultivated in Italy Traverso (1) reports: V venosa Gilles, V tenera Sprengel (= V. pulchella Sweet.) and the horticultural hybrid V I?Jbrida Hort. (=V. hortensis Hort.). No trace of V. bonariensis L., that is reported about 60 years later as naturalized in Tuscany (2). In the Herbarium Centrale !talcum (Fl) are housed specimens collected in Piedmont and Tuscany, labelled as V. venosa - taxon considered a variety of V. bonariensis. V. bonariensis, as indicated by the specific epithet, is a South American species, herbaceous, usually perennial, also cultivated as an ornamental. Several varieties and wild lforms are known of this taxon. The International Plant N…

Studio morfoanatomico di Erysimum bonannianum ed E. metlesicsii (Crucuferae) endemiche della Sicilia

A new species of Centaurea (Asteraceae) from Calabria(S Italy)

A new species is described here from the Presila in Calabria (S Italy) and named Centaurea calabra. It belongs to Centaurea sect. Phalolepis and is related to the C. deusta group, namely to C. sarfattiana. Taxonomical characteristics, distribution, and ecology of the new Centaurea are also provided.

Centaurea giardinae (Asteraceae) nuova specie dell'Etna (Sicilia orientale)

Endangered taxa of the Sicilian flora and conservation perspectives

Anatomical and micromorphological study on Hypericum sp. Pl. (Clusiaceae)

Analisi qualitativa dei costituenti cumarinici presenti in campioni di manna prodotti da esemplari di Fraxinus angustifolia (Oleaceae) delle Madonie

MORINGA OLEIFERA (MAGNOLIOPHYTA) NELL’ORTO BOTANICO DI PALERMO

Evaluación etnobotanica de la Yareta (Azorella compacta) en Arequipa (Perú) y sus posibles aplicaciones

Abstract – Ethnobotanical study of the Yareta Arequipa plant (Azorella compacta Phil) and its possible applications. – The aim of this work is the ethnobotanical characterisation of the Yareta Arequipa plant (Azorella compacta Phil), to report indications about the uses of the Yareata plant by “Salinas y Aguada Blanca” National Reserve (RNSAB) populations and to find its possible applications. The survey has been lead on nine communities of the Arequipa Region (Peru), it concerned the actual degree of conservation of the plants, the botanical description and classification, the ecological characterization, the use and the distribution in ethnomedicine and ethnopharmacology and all the uses …

Chemical Composition and Antibacterial Activity of Extracts of Helleborus bocconei Ten. subsp. intermedius

Helleborus bocconei Ten. subsp. intermedius (Ranunculaceae) is a Sicilian medicinal plant used for the treatment of pneumonia affecting cows and horses and for the removal of human decayed molars. The goal of our study was to assess the biological activity of Helleborus bocconei subsp. intermedius by testing its extracts for their activity against bacteria known to cause respiratory diseases. The two more active extracts (light petroleum from roots and aerial parts), as well as the dichloromethane extracts, were analyzed by GC/MS and their composition is reported.

Protection and conservation of the manna ash landscape in Sicily

Known as manna ashes, some local varieties of Fraxinus ornus L. and F. angustifolia Vahl (Oleaceae) are cultivated for extracting the manna, a product rich in mannose which is useful under both pharmaceutical and nutraceutical aspects. As wild plants in Sicily these ashes participate in diversifying evergreen and deciduous oak woods as well as other forest communities at the watercourse borders, together with several species of Salix, Populus and Ulmus, particularly in the hills. Cultivation of manna dates back to ancient times in Sicily and elsewhere and ash groves were increasingly spread up to the half of last century. Then, the culture had a progressive decline due to the abandonment of…

Indagine fitochimica sulle radici di Helleborus bocconei Ten. subsp. intermedius.

Datura quercifolia (Solanaceae) nell’Orto botanico di Palermo

Chemical composition, antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of the essential oils from Pimpinellatragium Vill. subsp. glauca (C. Presl.) C. BrulloBrullo (Apiaceae) growing wild in Sicily.

The essential oils from flowers, leaves and stems hydrodistilled from Pimpinella tragium Vill, subsp. glauca were characterised by GC and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. The C-12 nor-sesquiterpenes are the principal class of metabolites (56.6-70.6%) among which geijerene (28.9÷49.3%) and pregeijerene (10÷19.1%) predominate. Antimicrobial and antioxidant activities were evaluated. The minimum inhibitory concentration values indicate that oil obtained from the stems is the most active for antimicrobial activities and the sample with the biggest antioxidant capacity is the flower oil.

Ricerche finalizzate al recupero e conservazione del germoplasma dei frassini da manna sulle Madonie (Sicilia settentrionale)

Composizione chimica dell'olio essenziale di Ptilostemon greuteri (Compositae)

Metabolites from the aerial parts of the Sicilian population of Artemisia alba Turra

Phytochemical investigation of the CH2Cl2 extract of the aerial parts of Artemisia alba Turra afforded one new irregular sesquiterpenoid, artemiric acid, and five known metabolites: hydroxydavanone, the coumarins isofraxidin and scopoletin, (6S*,7S*,10R*)-6,10-dimethyl-7,10-epoxyocta-11-enoic acid and artalbic acid. From the MeOH extract three flavonoids were identified: chrysoeriol, quercetin and isorhamnetin. The possible biogenetic pathways of artemiric and artalbic acids are discussed.

Segnalazione di Euphorbia papillaris (Euphorbiaceae, Magnoliophyta) nella costa nord-occidentale della Sicilia

Analisi isoenzimatiche

CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF THE ESSENTIAL OIL OF CLADANTHUS SCARIOSUS(ASTERACEAE) WILD GROWN IN MOROCCO

Cladanthus Cass. [Syn. Ormenis (Cass.) Cass.] is a genus of the family Asteraceae, endemic to the Mediterranean region and related to the tribe Anthemideae (1). It comprises 15 species including C. scariosus (Ball) Oberpr. & Vogt [Bas. Santolina scariosa; Syn. Ormenis scariosa Litard. & Maire] from Morocco where is concentrates 1/3 of the species of the genus (2). Some of these are perennial, suffruticose and strongly aromatic plants. C. mixta (L.) Chev. is used in Morocco as chamomile and this is commonly called Moroccan chamomile. In the same country, C scariosus is fairly common in open places, on sandstone substrates (3) and is characterized by a strong aromatic character, this has moti…

TAXONOMIC, ECOLOGICAL AND CHOROLOGICAL REMARKS ON CLINOPODIUM MINAE (LAMIACEAE), CRITICAL AND RARE PLANT OF THE SICILIAN FLORA

In a previous contribution (1) the finding in the wild of Clinopodium minae (Lojac.) Peruzzi & F.Conti [Bas. Calamintha minae Lojac.], a critical species close to Clinopodium corsicum (Pers.) Govaerts and well distinct from Clinopodium alpinum (L.) Kuntze subsp. nebrodense (A.Kern. & Strobl) Bartolucci & F.Conti was reported. It is a critical taxon, described by Lojacono, author of the most extensive work on the Sicilian flora (2) based on the examination of the collections of the Herbarium of Palermo (PAL!) (3). In the above cited note, the specific characters as well as the taxonomic relationships with other taxa were highlighted. At the same time, the location of a small population of C.…

Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oils of some species of Anthemis sect. Anthemis (Asteraceae) from Sicily

The chemical composition of the essential oils isolated from the aerial parts of Anthemis arvensis L. subsp. arvensis, Anthemis cretica subsp. messanensis (Brullo) Giardina & Raimondo and from flowers and leaves of Anthemis cretica subsp. columnae (Ten.) Frezén were determinated by GC–FID and GC–MS analyses. Torreyol (85.4%) was recognised as the main constituent of the Anthemis arvensis subsp. arvensis essential oil, while in the essential oils of Anthemis cretica subsp. messanensis, collected on the rock and cultivated in Hortus Botanicus Panormitanus, (E)-chrysanthenyl acetate (28.8 and 24.2% resp.), 14-hydroxy-α-humulene (8.1 and 5.3% resp.), santolina triene (8 and 5.8% resp.) and …

Formazione di callo in Adenostyles alpina subsp. nebrodensis (Asteraceae)

Studio della struttura epidermica delle foglie di Centaurea parlatoris s.l. (Centaurinae, Asteraceae) in Sicilia

Contributo allo studio dell’endofitismo in Helleborus L. (Ranunculaceae)

Chemical, Antioxidant and Biological Studies of Brassica incana subsp. raimondoi (Brassicaceae) Leaf Extract

Brassica incana subsp. raimondoi is an endemic taxon present in a restricted area located on steep limestone cliffs at an altitude of about 500 m a.s.l. in eastern Sicily. In this research, for the first time, studies on the phytochemical profile, the antioxidant properties in cell-free and cell-based systems, the cytotoxicity on normal and cancer cells by 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-Diphenyltetrazolium Bromide (MTT) assay, and on Artemia salina Leach, were performed. The total phenolic, flavonoid, and condensed tannin contents of the leaf hydroalcoholic extract were spectrophotometrically determined. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography—tandem mass spectrometer (UPLC-MS/MS) analysi…

Caratteri biogeografici della flora vascolare della Sicilia

Biogeographia vol. XXX - 2011 (Pubblicato il 23 dicembre 2011) La Biogeografla della Sicilia Caratteri biogeografici della flora Vascolare della Sicilia FRANCESCO M. RAIMONDO, VIVIENNE SPADARO Uniz/ersita di Palermo - Dzjmrtimmto di Biologia Am/aientale e Biodizxersita, via Arc/airafi 38, I—90]23 Palermo (Italy); e—maz'[.-fiancesco. raimondo @am]ga.z't Key words: chorology, endemism, vascular flora, Sicily. SUMMARY According to a recent catalogue and other new contributions, the vascular flora of Sicily consists of more than 3,250 specific and intraspecific taxa. Among them endemic taxa, including those very local and threatened, amount to 16%. Noteworthy are both adventitious and naturaliz…

Spontaneizzazione dei Salvia microphylla (Lamiaceae) nel territorio dei Nebrodi (Sicilia nord-orientale)

Anatomia e micromorfologia fogliare del genere Helleorus L. (Ranunculaceae)

Endophytic evidence in Helleborus L. (Ranunculaceae)

The landscape of the manna ashes in Sicily

The manna ashes are related to wild species of the genus Fraxinus, namely F. ornus (true manna ash) and F. angustifolia (narrow leaved ash). About two centuries ago, several varieties of such species, selected in ancient times, were widely cultivated for extracting the manna drug. This represented a remarkable economic resource for the region. Manna was extracted mainly for pharmacological industry, but today it has became a herbal product. Irrespective of the processes that reduced this cultivation to the lowest extent, the manna ash landscape is a remarkable peculiarity in the frame of the Mediterranean agrosystems. It is still kept alive as a relict cultivation within a very restricted a…

Chemical composition of the essential oil of Centaurea sicana and C. giardinae growing wild in Sicily

The essential oils of Centaurea sicana (S) and C. giardinae (G) were studied by GC and GC-MS. Thirty constituents for S, representing 81.5% of the total oil, and 24 compounds for G (94.2% of the total) were identified. The oils were rich in sesquiterpenoids (47.9% for S and 54.7% for G) and hydrocarbons (25.9% for S and 31.7% for G). Germacrene D (13.3%), (E)-β-farnesene (8.3%), nonacosane (7.3%), heptacosane (6.5%) and phytol (6%) were recognized as the main constituents for S, while caryophyllene oxide (17.7%), nonacosane (14.5%), germacrene D (11.5%), caryophyllene (11.2%) and heptacosane (10.3%) were the main compounds for G.

Comparative Morphology of Viola tineorum and Viola ucriana (Violaceae), two endemics to the mountains around Palermo (NW Sicily)

Nuova stazione di Euphorbia serrata in Sicilia

A new record of Euphorbia serrata (Euphorbiaceae) from Sicily. - Euphorbia serrata L. is reported from a new locality in Sicily near Mazara del Vallo (Trapani). Data on the biological cycle and the phytocoenosis in the new Sicilian locality are also reported.

Cytotoxic Effect of Eudesmanolides Isolated from Flowers of Tanacetum vulgare ssp. siculum

WOS: 000306752700042

Conservazione in situ di Abies nebrodensis (Lojac.) Mattei: primi dati sulle impollinazioni controllate eseguite nell’area di indigenato (Madonie, Sicilia)

Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Activities of Coumarins from the Roots of Ferulago campestris (Apiaceae)

We report the isolation of several coumarins and the stereochemical assessment of some pyranocoumarins, as well as the antibacterial and antioxidant activities of the three most abundant ones (grandivittin, agasyllin and aegelinol benzoate) isolated from the roots of Ferulago campestris collected in Sicily and of the hydrolysis product (aegelinol). Aegelinol and agasyllin showed antibacterial activity against nine ATCC and the same clinically isolated Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains. At a concentration between 16 and 125 μg/mL both coumarins showed a significant antibacterial effect against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. In particular the ATCC strains Staph…

Analisi Genetiche

Schede per il censimento degli alberi monumentali di Sicilia. 1-10

Aspetti farmacognostici delle Apocynaceae

Le Ombrellifere nella tradizione alimentare siciliana.

Chemical composition of the essential oils of three endemic species of Anthemis sect. Hiorthia (DC.) R.Fern. growing wild in Sicily and chemotaxonomic volatile markers of the genus Anthemis L.: an update.

The chemical composition of the essential oils isolated from the aerial parts of Anthemis pignattiorum Guarino, Raimondo & Domina and A. ismelia Lojac. and the aerial parts and flowers of Anthemis cupaniana Tod. ex Nyman , three endemic Sicilian species belonging to the section Hiorthia, was determined by GC-FID and GC/MS analyses. (Z)-Muurola-4(14),5-diene (27.3%) was recognized as the main constituent of the A. pignattiorum essential oil, together with isospathulenol (10.6%), sabinene (7.7%), and artemisyl acetate (6.8%), while in the oil obtained from the aerial parts of A. ismelia , geranyl propionate (8.8%), bornyl acetate (7.9%), β-thujone (7.8%), neryl propionate (6.5%), and t-muurol…

Le piante medicinali nell'Acis Hortus Regius del farmacista Giuseppe Riggio (1758-1830)

ChemInform Abstract: Artalbic Acid, a Sesquiterpene with an Unusual Skeleton from Artemisia alba (Asteraceae) from Sicily.

Abstract From the aerial parts of Artemisia alba (Asteraceae) artalbic acid ( 1 ), a sesquiterpene with an unusual skeleton, was isolated. Its structure was elucidated on the basis of extensive proton, 13 C and two-dimensional NMR experiments, as well as by transformation in its methyl ester derivative.

Principi di spontaneizzazione in Sicilia di Aesculus hippocastanum (Hippocastanaceae)

The first record of Aesculus hippocastanum naturalized in Sicily is presented from a locality near the Alcantara river (Floresta, Messina) in the montane belt where decidous Turkey oak and chestnut woods are found. This species is not frequently cultivated in Sicily. In that locality several mature individuals likely introduced several decades ago occur.

Adenostyles alpina subsp. nebrodensis (Asteraceae) taxon endemico in via di estinzione

Principi di spontaneizzazione di Diospyros kaki (Ebenaceae) in Sicilia

A spontaneous group of plants of Diospyros kaki is reported in a rural area near Menfi, in the province of Agrigento. This is the first record of naturalization of this Asian species – after long time cultivated in various countries of the Mediterranean Basin - observed in Italy.

Caratterizzazione chimica della manna estratta nelle Madonie (Sicilia) da cultivar di Fraxinus angustifolia e di Fraxinus ornus (Oleaceae)

Morpho-anatomical analysis of Viola tineorum and V. ucriana (Violaceae) endemic to the mountains around Palermo (NW-Sicily

Viola sect. Melanium is represented in Sicily by six species. Two of them, originally described as varieties of Viola nebrodensis, were later transferred at the species rank and named V. tineo- rum and V. ucriana. The study of micromorphological characteristics gives additional evidence agreeing with the independent specific status of V. tineourum and V. ucriana, that are confined to two very restricted areas south of Palermo: Rocca Busambra and Monte Pizzuta respectively.

Impollinazioni controllate tra gli individui di Abies nebrodensis della popolazione naturale

Composizione chimica degli olii essenziali di due nuove specie di Centaurea (Centaureinae, Asteraceae) della Sicilia

Taxonomic remarks and distribution of Smyrnium dimartinoi (Apiaceae)

Smyrnium L., an Eurasian genus of the family Apiaceae, includes about 20 taxa of which only 7 are accepted at specific rank; among these, 5 are native to Europe (Tutin & al. 1968; Gomez 2003). In the Italian flora, the genus is represented by 3 taxa also occurring in Sicily (Pignatti 1982; Giardina & al. 2007); these are Smyrnium olusatrum L., S. perfoliatum L. and S. rotundifolium Mill. The last one has also been treated at the rank of subspecies under S. perfoliatum [S. perfoliatum subsp. rotundifolium (Mill.) Hartvig] (Strid 1986; Conti & al. 2005), or as a variety [S. perfoliatum var. rotundifolium (Mill.)Fiori (Fiori 1925)]. In Sicily, same populations related to S. perfoli…

DIVERSITY OF SMYRNIUM PERFOLIATUM (APIACEAE) IN SICILY

Smyrnium L. is an Eurasian genus of the family Apiaceae, including about 20 species. In the Italian flora, it is represented by 3 taxa also occurring in Sicily. These are: Smyrnium olusatrum L., S. perfoliatum L. and S. rotundifolium Mill. (1, 2). The last one has also been treated at the rank of subspecies under S. perfoliatum [S. perfoliatum subsp. rotundifolium (Mill.) Hartvig] (3, 4) or as a mere variety (5). Smyrnium olusatrum, often associated to nitrophylous habitats, unlike the other two, occurs throughout most of the Island. Smyrnium perfoliatum occurs in the underwood of deciduous Quercus sp. pl. or of Fagus sylvatica L. woods, in the submontane and montane belts of the Nebrodi mo…

Phytochemical Constituents, Antioxidant Activity, and Toxicity Assessment of the Aerial Part Extracts from the Infraspecific Taxa of Matthiola fruticulosa (Brassicaceae) Endemic to Sicily

In a project designed to investigate the specific and infraspecific taxa of Matthiola endemic to Sicily (Italy) as new potential sources of bioactive compounds in this work, the infraspecific taxa of Matthiola fruticulosa were studied, namely, subsp. fruticulosa and subsp. coronopifolia. HPLC–PDA/ESI–MS and SPME–GC/MS analyses of hydroalcoholic extracts obtained from the aerial parts of the two subspecies led to the detection of 51 phenolics and 61 volatile components, highlighting a quite different qualitative–quantitative profile. The antioxidant properties of the extracts were explored through in vitro methods: 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), reducing power and Fe2+ chelating activ…

Recent and new taxonomic acquisitions in some native genera of Asteraceae from southern Italy and Sicily

After a brief review of the recent acquisition in some native genera of family Asteraceae from southern Italy and Sicily, a new endemic species of Anthemis (sect. Hiorthia) is described from Sicily and named Anthemis parlatoreana. The locus classicus of the new taxon, falling in the NW Tyrrhenian coast of the island (Castellammare del Golfo, Trapani), coincides with that of Ptilostemon greuteri, another endemic very rare species of the Sicilian flora. Data on the morphology, distribution, ecology and conservation status of the new species are provided. The taxonomic relationships with the other Sicilian taxa of the same section, in particular A. cupaniana, are also analyzed. The simultaneou…

First finding in Sicily of Bidens subalternans (Asteraceae)

It is reported the presence in Sicily of a new alien species destined to a progressive further spread in the Island. It is Bidens subalternans DC., an annual asteracea of American origin, already known in other Italian regions (Friuli Venezia Giulia, Lombardia, Marche, Lazio and Campania) and in other European countries (Belgium, Corse, Croatia, Cyprus, France, Germany, Great Britain, Montenegro, Republic of Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland). The new locality, in Sicily, occurs along the roadside Monreale – Pioppo, south of the city of Palermo. In this station, B. subalternans is found together with B. pilosa subsp. minor and other indigenous and exotic nitrophilous taxa. The population…

An interesting endophyte isolated from Helleborus bocconei subsp. intermedius (Ranunculaceae) in Sicily

SOCIETA' E SALUTE IN UNA COMUNITA' SICILIANA DEL XIX SECOLO: LE PIANTE MEDICINALI.

Nel 1869, si pubblicò a Palermo il primo volume della “Gazzetta Medica Siciliana” come organo della Reggia Accademica di Scienze della Sicilia. Il volume di cui apparve alla stampa solo la prima annata, conteneva un lavoro del naturalista Francesco Minà Palombo, classificato dai suoi biografi come articolo di carattere medico. In effetti l’articolo è di notevole interesse sociale perché fotografa le condizioni della popolazione castelbuonese in quell’anno (1869). Descrive dopo una dettagliata introduzione sull’ambiente le condizioni degli abitanti iniziando dalle condizioni economiche e dalle principali attività attinenti all’agricoltura e pastorizia nonché all’artigianato. Quindi, passa al…