Search results for "plant species"

A survey of wild plant species for food use in Sicily (Italy) - results of a 3-year study in four Regional Parks

2016

Abstract Background This paper illustrates the results of a study carried out in four Regional Parks of Sicily (Italy), concerning traditional knowledge on food use of wild plant species. The main aims of the paper were: (i) to verify which wild plant species are used for food purpose in the local culture based on information provided by elderly inhabitants (ii) to verify the presence of wild plant species which have not been cited for food use in previous studies in the Mediterranean area (iii) to determine how many of the most frequently cited wild plant species are cultivated by the local population in the four Sicilian Parks. Methods Semi-structured interviews were carried out in the lo…

Agronomic Evaluation and Chemical Characterization of Sicilian Salvia sclarea L. Accessions

2020

Clary sage (Salvia sclarea L.), known for its aromatic and medicinal properties, belongs to the Lamiaceae family. Although the species grows wild throughout Sicily, knowledge of its production and qualitative properties is limited. The aim of this study was to evaluate the agronomic behavior of the species over two years of testing and to characterize the chemical properties of its wild counterparts in order to identify the most promising accessions for cropping or for use in breeding programs. Tests were carried out during 2008, 2009, and 2010. During the first year, the plot was established. Subsequently, the main parameters for bio-agronomic evaluation were taken in 2009 and 2010. Regard…

Light Conditions Affect NaCl-Induced Physiological Responses in a Clonal Plant Species Hydrocotyle vulgaris

2020

Abstract In order to understand if differences in light conditions can affect responses of a clonal plant species to increased soil salinity, the long-term effect of two substrate concentrations of NaCl on leaf growth, clonal plasticity and oxidative enzyme (peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase) activity in Hydrocotyle vulgaris L. plants grown at low, moderate and high light conditions was studied. H. vulgaris appeared to be a shade-tolerant species, since both leaf blade and petiole growth was inhibited at low light intensity. At low light intensity, H. vulgaris plants represented characteristics of halophytes with significant stimulation of leaf blade and petiole growth by NaCl, especially a…

Grazing decreases N partitioning among coexisting plant species

2017

Herbivores play a key role in shaping ecosystem structure and functions by influencing plant and microbial community composition and nutrient cycling. This study investigated the long‐term effects of herbivores on plant resource acquisition. We explored differences in the natural δ15N signatures in plant, microbial and soil N pools, and examined mycorrhizal colonization in two tundra sites that have been either lightly or heavily grazed by reindeer for more than 50 years. The study examined changes in nutrient acquisition in five common tundra plants with contrasting traits and mycorrhiza status; the mycorrhizal dwarf shrubs, Betula nana, Vaccinium myrtillus and Empetrum hermaphroditum; a m…

Mycorrhizae differentially influence the transfer of nitrogen among associated plants and their competitive relationships

2021

Abstract The formation of a common mycorrhizal network among roots of different plant species growing close to each other can influence plant community dynamics, regulating plant relationships through the differential transfer of nutrients from one plant to another. However, knowledge of the mechanisms that regulate this process is poor. Here we quantify the contribution of arbuscular mycorrhizae to the transfer of N among heterospecific plants growing adjacent to each other and examine whether the differential transfer of N within the plant community via mycorrhizae can alter competitive relationships among plant species. Plants of four species (wheat, pea, flax, and chicory) were grown in…

Nardostachys jatamansi (D.Don) DC.: An invaluable and constantly dwindling resource of the Himalayas

2020

International audience; The use of medicinal plant species for different therapeutic effects is well recognized around the globe. Nardostachys jatamansi (D.Don) DC. (Family: Caprifoliaceae Juss.), commonly known as Indian spikenard is a critically endangered medicinal plant which grows at high altitudes in the alpine and sub-alpine regions of the Himalayas. Its medicinal use is well-recognized in the Bhutanese, Chinese, Indian, Japanese, Nepalese and Tibetan medicine. Moreover, its medicinal properties are well established in traditional medicines including Ayurveda, Ben-Cao- Shi-Yi, Homer's Iliad, the Old Testament, as in conventional systems. The increasing national and international dema…

Comparing yield and growth characteristics of four pastoral plant species under two salinity soil levels

2018

Première contribution à l'étude des mycorhizes des îles Kerguelen

1999

Abstract Until recently mycorrhizae had not been studied in the Antarctic region. Some studies have demonstrated that mycorrhizae occur in some southern circumpolar islands. This paper gives the first results on the mycorrhizae in the Kerguelen islands (Sub-antarctic). Twenty-one plant root systems, fixed in the field, were examined microscopically in the laboratory to determine their mycorrhizal status. No ectomycorrhiza, arbutoid or ericoid were noted. Six plant species showed vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizae: Ranunculus biternatus, Galium antarcticum, Festuca erecta, Poa kerguelensis, Agrostis magellanica and Poa annua. However, the mycorrhizal status varied according to the site studied.

Global patterns and drivers of alpine plant species richness

2021

B.J.-A. was funded by the Marie Curie Clarín-COFUND program of the Principality of Asturias-EU (ACB17-26) and the Spanish Research Agency (AEI/10.13039/501100011033).

Last tesserae of a fading mosaic: floristic census and forest vegetation survey at Parche di Bilello (south-western Sicily, Italy), a site needing ur…

2021

This paper illustrates the botanic heritage of Parche di Bilello, a site located in the municipality of Castelvetrano. The study area hosts several woodland fragments dominated by Olea europaea var. sylvestris, Quercus suber and Quercus ilex, respectively. According to historical data, these nuclei represent the last remnants of an open forestland which covered a much wider coastal area between Mazara del Vallo and Sciacca until the end of Middle Age. Phytosociological relevés were focused on these forest nuclei, probably the most representative of south-western Sicily, which correspond to three habitats included in the 92/43 EEC Directive (9320, 9330 and 9340, respectively) and represent t…