Search results for "FLO"
showing 10 items of 7840 documents
Gene flow and population admixture as the primary post-invasion processes in common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) populations in France
2010
*An improved inference of the evolutionary history of invasive species may be achieved by analyzing the genetic variation and population differentiation of recently established populations and their ancestral (historical) populations. Employing this approach, we investigated the role of gene flow in the post-invasion evolution of common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia). *Using eight microsatellite loci, we compared genetic diversity and structure among nine pairs of historical and recent populations in France. Historical populations were reconstructed from herbarium specimens dated from the late 19th to early 20th century, whereas recent populations were collected within the last 5 yr. *Re…
Spontaneous quantity discrimination of artificial flowers by foraging honeybees
2020
ABSTRACTMany animals need to process numerical and quantity information in order to survive. Spontaneous quantity discrimination allows differentiation between two or more quantities without reinforcement or prior training on any numerical task. It is useful for assessing food resources, aggressive interactions, predator avoidance and prey choice. Honeybees have previously demonstrated landmark counting, quantity matching, use of numerical rules, quantity discrimination and arithmetic, but have not been tested for spontaneous quantity discrimination. In bees, spontaneous quantity discrimination could be useful when assessing the quantity of flowers available in a patch and thus maximizing f…
Emergence and growth of hybrids between Brassica napus and Raphanus raphanistrum.
2003
Summary • Risk assessment studies of transgenic crops have recently brought evidence of a low spontaneous hybridization frequency of Brassica napus with Raphanus raphanistrum. The fate of the first generation hybrids is crucial to determine the initial rate of spread of transgenes. • This work aims to compare the fitness components of parents and F1 hybrids at the first step of the life cycle. The ability to emerge, establish seedling, cover the soil and develop adult plant was examined in controlled and field conditions, alone or in competition. • The F1 hybrids showed a lower seedling emergence, a significant delay of emergence, and a lower survival than for both parents. Rosette diameter…
Agro-Morphological Characterization of Sicilian Chili Pepper Accessions for Ornamental Purposes
2020
The species belonging to the genus Capsicum have been widely used as decorative vegetables, however only a few genotypes are available for this purpose. The goal of the present work was the agro-morphological characterization of several chili pepper accessions cultivated into different pot sizes (10, 14, 18 or 20 cm diameters). The agro-morphological characterization of 19 accessions was performed following IPGR (International Plant Genetic Resources Institute) descriptors: plant height (PH), plant canopy width (PCW), PH/PCW ratio, plant growth habit, plant visual quality, first flower emission, fruiting start, end of harvest, fruit number, fruit length, fruit width, fruit color at mature s…
The shoot concept of the flower: Still up to date?
2016
Abstract The shoot concept of the flower suggests that flowers correspond to vegetative short-shoots except the fact that their lateral appendages are floral and not vegetative leaves. However, in view of the different properties of vegetative and flower meristems, this concept should be questioned. Differential meristem activity resulting in tubes, hypanthia and inferior ovaries, continuous meristem expansion providing space for stamen fascicles and additional structures and the process of (repeated) fractionation using a given space completely, are characteristics of flower meristems hardly explainable with the shoot concept. Linking instead flower development with recent findings in mole…
Seed germination and seedling allogamy in Rosmarinus officinalis: the costs of inbreeding.
2018
Self‐pollination by geitonogamy is likely in self‐compatible plants that simultaneously expose a large number of flowers to pollinators. However, progeny of these plants is often highly allogamous. Although mechanisms to increase cross‐pollination have been identified and studied, their relative importance has rarely been addressed simultaneously in plant populations. We used Rosmarinus officinalis to explore factors that influence the probability of self‐fertilisation due to geitonogamy or that purge its consequences, focusing on their effects on seed germination and allogamy rate. We experimentally tested the effect of geitonogamy on the proportion of filled seeds and how it influences ge…
Inflorescence scents of Calendula maritima, C. suffruticosa subsp. fulgida, and their hybrid
2018
Premise of research. Hybridization is an important driver of plant evolutionary processes. By attracting the same pollinators to different species, floral scents may be involved in the formation of hybrids and breakdown of species boundaries. In contrast, by attracting a different suite of pollinators to hybrids and their parents, floral scents are believed to contribute to speciation processes initiated by hybridization events. Scents may or may not differ between the hybrids and their parents, but little is known about the scent chemistry of parental species and their hybrids. Methodology. We studied the inflorescence scents of parental Calendula maritima and C. suffruticosa subsp. fulgid…
Interspecific variation of inflorescence scents and insect visitors in Allium (Amaryllidaceae: Allioideae)
2019
Allium is a large monocotyledonous genus, with many species of high economic importance. Knowledge of the pollination biology and the chemical ecology of pollination in this genus is far from being complete. We studied flower visitors of some Allium species in their native habitat and how these interaction partners communicate by olfactory cues. Floral volatiles of five Mediterranean species were investigated by dynamic headspace and thermal desorption-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (TD-GC/MS). Floral visitors were observed and captured. The physiological activity of scent components in antennae of flower visitors and congeneric species was tested by gas chromatographic/electroantenno…
Hieracium pollinense (Asteraceae), an endemic species to the Pollino National Park (Southern Italy) rediscovered
2017
Abstract The presence of Hieracium pollinense Zahn in Italy is confirmed here after 132 years since its first description based on a single collection made in 1877 in the Mt. Pollino. It is a calcicolous species, so far represented by one population, belongs to the H. sect. Villosa. In line with the IUCN criteria its conservation status assessment is “endangered”.
Aflatoxins and A. flavus Reduction in Loaf Bread through the Use of Natural Ingredients
2018
In this study, the antifungal activity of yellow mustard (YMF) and oriental mustard (OMF) meal extracts against 14 strains of fungi was tested on a solid medium. The results obtained with the YMF were next confirmed in liquid medium determining the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimum fungicide concentration (MFC). Finally, the use of YMF as a natural preservative to extend the useful life of bread was evaluated. Breads with different concentrations of YMF (2, 4, 6 and 8 g/kg) were prepared and contaminated with Aspergillus flavus ISPA 8111 and Penicillium nordicum CECT 2320. For 10 days the formation of mycelium was observed, and after that the fungal growth and the mycot…