Abstract in English:

ABSTRACT The use of native trees is necessary for land restoration and the sequestration of carbon that is stored in forest biomass production in Indonesia. Meanwhile, the biomass prediction model used for native tropical lowland trees of Indonesia is limited to only specific locations and focuses on aboveground biomass (AGB). This study aimed to select and evaluate potential native tree species for high biomass and to develop the best allometric model for estimating tree biomass production (AGB, belowground/BGB, and total/TB) in lowland ecosystems in Indonesia. Trees were selected using the following five criteria: nativeness, ecosystem type, morphological appearance, multipropagation ability, and economic value. Biomass content was quantified for 102 sample trees (56 trees aged 4 years and 46 trees aged 8 years), using the destructive method. Effective growth biomass and species ecological data indicated five species as potential trees for land restoration in tropical lowlands of Indonesia: Litsea garciae, Terminalia bellirica, Pterospermum javanicum, Anisoptera marginata, and Cananga odorata. The best allometric model of this study is highly recommended for implementation with native trees of tropical lowlands in Indonesia, especially those in early stages (less than 8 years).

Abstract in English:

ABSTRACT This study aimed to determine the effects of titanium dioxide nanoparticle (TiO2NP) pretreatment on seeds of different safflower cultivars (Balci, Dinçer) under salt and heat stresses. The apparent effects on stress markers (malondialdehyde (MDA), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and superoxide radical (O2 •⁻) content), as well as changes in germination and physiological parameters (radicle and plumula weight and length measurements), were investigated. TiO2NP pretreatment caused an increase in radicle length and plumula fresh weight for the Balci cultivar under salinity. Furthermore, plumula dry weight was alleviated with TiO2NP pretreatment for both cultivars. TiO2NP pretreatment improved plumula dry and fresh weights for both cultivars under heat stress. In addition, MDA content decreased for both cultivars under heat stress but only for Balci under salt stress. The amount of O2 •⁻ radicals positively affected only the radicle for both cultivars under heat stress. This study is the first to document the alleviation of salt stress damage for the Balci safflower cultivar, and protection for both Balci and Dinçer cultivars under heat stress, using 200 ppm TiO2NP pretreatment.

Abstract in English:

ABSTRACT Aristolochia hypoglauca and A. paulistana (Aristolochiaceae) are two species that inhabit the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. They highly resemble each other especially on the size and overall shape of the caudate perianth, which causes confusion in herbaria determinations. We applied geometric morphometrics (GM) to overcome this taxonomic uncertainty. GM was based on the landmark method applied to leaves of all specimens available mostly in Brazilian herbaria. The GM results supported the recognition of the two species, as the two principal components were responsible for 94.97% of the variation assessed through the principal component analysis (PCA). The Discriminant Function and the Cross-validation tests resulted in the maximum percentage of correctly classified cases (100%). The Procrustes distance (0.2252; p< 0.0001), and the Mahalanobis Distance (8.4473; p< 0.0001) provide statistical support for leaf shape differences with taxonomic significance. Thus, we revisit the taxonomy and comparative morphology of both species, and compare them with other Aristolochia species with caudate floral limb native to Brazil, and commented the phenology, distribution and habitat, and conservation status. Additionally, we proposed the epitypification of A. hypoglauca, given that the holotype does not fulfill the purpose of precise application of the name.

Abstract in English:

Abstract During the Neotropical review of Celtis, a new species (Celtis atlantica) endemic and endangered to southeastern Brazil was discovered. A morphological description, a distribution map, conservation status, taxonomic notes, illustrations, and an identification key of the Celtis from the Southern Cone and Brazil are provided.

Abstract in English:

ABSTRACT Lectins are proteins that recognize and bind to carbohydrates in a reversible and specific manner. In this work, a lectin from Crotalaria incana L. seeds was purified by Sephadex G-50 affinity chromatography. The purified lectin was named CiL and presented affinity towards D-mannose, D-glucose, D-galactose, α-methyl-D-mannoside and derivatives. CiL was stable over a wide range of temperatures and pH values, and it was divalent cation-dependent. SDS-PAGE analysis indicated that CiL is composed of two subunits with apparent masses of 29 and 30 kDa. The amino acid sequence of five tryptic peptides was obtained through mass spectrometry. Partial primary structure data indicated the similarity between CiL and lectins from Phaseolus vulgaris, Cladrastis kentukea, Lens culinaris, Pisum sativum, Crotalaria pallida and C. juncea. CiL showed no toxicity to Artemia salina nauplii at the concentration of 2 mg/mL, thus reinforcing the potential of this protein for further studies in other biological models and elucidation of possible effects.

Abstract in English:

ABSTRACT Casselia, a small South American genus of Verbenaceae found in Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay, has often been misidentified within other angiosperm families. Based on a careful review of herbarium specimens plus fieldwork, the present study provides taxonomic, nomenclatural, and geographical distribution alignments in Casselia, while also shedding light on the reasons why it is a poorly known and overlooked genus. The novelties encompass the redefinition of the boundaries of C. confertiflora, recognition of C. confertiflora var. laciniata at specific level, reestablishment of C. zelota as an accepted species with an epitype designation, as well as geographic distribution readjustment of the C. integrifolia and C. serrata. Consequently, Casselia comprises eight species, occurring along the Atlantic Forest, Cerrado, and Caatinga domains. The only species with a narrow distribution is C. serrata. However, the genus is still poorly collected, and the species populations are not abundant. Furthermore, to aid in the recognition of Casselia and prevent misidentifications, a detailed description of the genus accompanied by plant photographs and an updated identification key are also provided.