<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>The present article is based on the findings of ethnobotanical surveys conducted in the entire Lahaul-Spiti region of Indian western Himalaya to highlight the traditional use of medicinal plants by the native people. Results revealed that tribal communities of both Lahaul and Spiti valleys (Lahaulas in Lahaul and Bhotias in Spiti) have a great respect for and faith in Amchi system of medicine practiced in the entire region. Information collected on the traditional use of plants in the local health care system by the tribal communities of Lahaul-Spiti revealed the use of 86 plant species belonging to 69 genera and 34 families to cure about 70 different ailments. Maximum number of plant species used in herbal formulations belonged to families Asteraceae, Apiaceae, Gentianaceae, and Polygonaceae. Both single herbal preparations and polyherbal formulations are prescribed and administered by local healers known as Larje in Lahaul and Amchis in Spiti. Most of the medicines are prescribed in a powder form, some as juice and decoctions. Among plant parts, leaves were recorded to be used to a large extent as a remedy, followed by flowers. Results of the present study show that the highest number of plants was used to cure stomach disorders, while the highest extent of phytotherapeutic use among all the species had Hippophae rhamnoides (17.14%). The obtained data also revealed the information on new or less known medicinal uses of various plant species that are new addition to the traditional knowledge from western Himalaya. Modes of preparation, administration and dosage are discussed along with the family and local names of plants and plant parts used.</abstract>

Traditional knowledge on ethnobotanical uses of plant biodiversity: a detailed study from the Indian western Himalaya

Professor Zdzisława Wójcik – life devoted to people and science

<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>The aim of this study was: (i) to complete and verify the prior review of research on alien plants conducted in Poland and the practical use of their results, and (ii) to attempt to assess the contribution of the research from the area of Poland to the research conducted on an international level. The analysis was performed based on the information gathered during a literature search which covered the last 200 years, using over 1400 publications out of the 3000 which were available in the pool. As a result, the main areas of biological sciences in the context of the research undertaken on alien plants in Poland (distribution, ecology and biology of the species), the most common thematic studies (new species, new localities, and lists of alien species), and the most often investigated species, as well as tendencies over time were indicated. Although studies on the migration and distribution of alien plants in Poland have over 100 years of tradition, and the part of the studies conducted by Polish researchers contributes to the international scale research, it is still necessary to further analyse many issues and answer numerous questions.</abstract>

Alien plants in Poland: research directions and putting the results into practice

<abstract>
<title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>
The origins of scientific nature collections in Wielkopolska (Western Poland) date back to the seventeenth century. Their development was repeatedly disrupted by major events, including two world wars fought in Poland in the twentieth century. The rescued historical collections as well as specimens of algae, plants, fungi and animals systematically collected after 1945 are now stored under optimal conditions at the Faculty of Biology of Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań (FBAMU). The current collections include approximately 2.2 million pre-catalogued objects that document not only the biodiversity of Wielkopolska and Poland but also that of many regions of the world on all continents. Specimens included in the FBAMU are used extensively in taxonomic, biogeographic, phylogenetic, ecological and genetic studies. The collections also have significant educational value and help disseminate knowledge about biodiversity.
</abstract>

The natural history collections of Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań (Poland): an outline of their history and content

<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>This monograph presents results of research on genetic diversity of 8 leafy liverwort species differing in reproductive mode. The frst 4 species in Poland are regarded as sterile and reproduce only vegetatively: <italic>Bazzania trilobata</italic>, <italic>Trichoc-olea tomentella, Lophozia hatcheri</italic>, and <italic>Mylia anomala</italic>. The next 4 are fertile, including the monoecious <italic>Lepidozia reptans </italic>and <italic>Calypogeia integristipula </italic>as well as the dioecious <italic>Mylia taylorii </italic>and <italic>Tritomaria quinquedentata</italic>. For each species, 9-10 populations were sampled. In total, 4744 gametophytes from 73 populations were examined by isozyme analysis. The level of their genetic diversity (total, <italic>H</italic>T, and within populations, HS) was high, higher than in thallose liverworts, but comparable to the genetic diversity of mosses or even some species of vascular plants. Thus the traditional opinion that the entire group of liverworts has a much lower level of genetic diversity than mosses is erroneous, as it holds true only for thallose liverworts (Metzgeriidae and Marchantiopsida). My results indicate that the effect of reproductive mode on genetic diversity in leafy liverworts is lower than in vascular plants. Sterile and fertile species of liverworts exhibited similar levels of genetic diversity. Moreover, both groups included species that had both high and low levels of <italic>H</italic>T and <italic>H</italic>S. In fertile species, monoecious and dioecious species also did not differ signifcantly in genetic diversity, but dioecious liverworts had slightly higher total diversity (<italic>H</italic>T) than monoecious species. In most of the studied leafy liverworts, the share of genetic diversity within populations in the total genetic diversity of species is greater than between populations. The percentage share of variation among populations (ΦPT) in the total genetic variation was correlated with the total genetic diversity of the species (<italic>H</italic>T). In species with high <italic>H</italic>T, differences between populations tended to be rather small. By contrast, in species with lower <italic>H</italic>T, the percentage share of differentiation among populations in the total diversity of species was much higher. My results confrm theory, based on studies by Kimura, that the main causes of genetic diversity of bryophytes are neutral somatic mutations developing in various vegetative parts of plants. The separation of branches or other plant sections with somatic mutations, followed by the growth of new shoots, can increase the level of genetic diversity. The high level of genetic diversity in sterile liverworts indicates that vegetative reproduction has a greater infuence on the level of genetic diversity than recombination. My results suggest also that mutation rates are similar in closely related species, but species with a wider ecological range exhibit higher genetic diversity because the variability of habitats can infuence the rate and type of somatic mutations. Accordingly, species inhabiting more diverse environments may be more genetically diverse. Patches of the studied species generally consisted of several genotypes (MLGs). Two types of distribution of genotypes in patches were noticed. Patches of species with low total diversity (<italic>H</italic>T), were often dominated by 1-2 genotypes, which constituted the major part of a patch. In patches of species with higher <italic>H</italic>T, there was no tendency to form patches with predomination of a single genotype. Different genotypes constituted similar proportions of a patch. In all the studied leafy liverwort species there was a high degree of repeatability of the same genotypes (MLGs) in plants from various patches within the same population or in various populations. Probably the main cause of this is the independent repeatability of the same mutations in different specimens. </abstract>

Genetic Diversity of Leafy Liverwort Species (Jungermanniidae, Marchantiophyta) in Poland: Diversity of Leafy Liverwort Species with Various Reproductive Modes

<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> Eight Hypericum species are native to Poland: H. elegans Stephan ex Willd., H. hirsutum L., H. humifusum L., H. maculatum Crantz, H. montanum L., H. perforatum L., H. pulchrum L., and H. tetrapterum Fr. Only seeds of H. elegans were investigated in detail in Poland before, so here we present results of qualitative and quantitative analyses of seed morphology of the other 7 species, based on characters like seed length, width, and shape, seed coat sculpture, shape of epidermal cells of the testa, and number of epidermal cells along the seed axis. The results show that seeds of the studied species are small, 0.56-1.15 mm long and 0.26-0.49 mm wide. In SEM images, seed coat sculpture is reticulate in 5 species, papillate in H. hirsutum, and cup-shaped in H. pulchrum. The differences are caused by the varied final development of the testa epidermis, which constitutes the outer layer of the seed coat. The mean number of epidermal cells along the seed axis ranges from 22 to 33. Results of cluster analysis, based on the agglomeration method and including also published data on seeds of H. elegans, show that the variation in the investigated characters of seeds is reflected in the taxonomic division of the genus into sections.</abstract>

Morphological characters of the seed coat in selected species of the genus Hypericum L. and their taxonomic value

<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>
The syntaxonomical diversity of the ruderal vegetation of the class <italic>Artemisietea vulgaris </italic>in the territory of Ukraine has been studied in 2015-2020. It is established that this class includes 58 associations from six alliances (<italic>Convolvulo arvensis- Agropyrion repentis</italic>, <italic>Arction lappae</italic>, <italic>Dauco-Melilotion</italic>, <italic>Onopordion acanthii</italic>, <italic>Medicagini falcatae-Diplotaxion tenuifoliae </italic>and <italic>Rorippo austriacae-Falcarion vulgaris</italic>) and two orders (<italic>Agropyretalia intermedio-repentis </italic>and <italic>Onopordetalia acanthii</italic>). Based on the results of the DCA-ordination analysis, it was found that the distribution of this type of ruderal vegetation is determined by the concentration of mineral nitrogen, the degree of aeration of the substrate, and the variability of moisture. At the level of high-rank syntaxa we didn’t find only vegetation that was specific for sub-Mediterranean and Mediterranean regions as well as for eastern part of European russia. At the same time, we determined specific vegetation on the European scale from the territory of Ukraine. This is Crimean submediterranean xero-mesophytic ruderal vegetation and semiruderal meso-xerophytic vegetation united into two alliances – <italic>Medicagini falcatae-Diplotaxion tenuifoliae </italic>and <italic>Rorippo austriacae-Falcarion vulgaris</italic>. All associations within these alliances are also specific only for the territory of Crimea, characterized by the specific floristic structure and diagnostic species core, and didn’t find in other regions of Ukraine.
</abstract>

Ruderal vegetation of Ukraine. Class <italic>Artemisietea vulgaris </italic>Lohmeyer et al. in Tx. ex von Rochow 1951

<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>
The study presents the current status of trees in urban landscapes of the Nilgiris district. In this study, 171 species belonging to 127 genera and 59 families were identified. The angiosperms were represented by 156 species and the gymnosperms by 15 species, identified as potential urban trees, including both wild and ornamental tree species. Among the 171 species, the Fabaceae were the dominant family (19 species), followed by the Myrtaceae (13 species) and Cupressaceae (6 species). Ornamentals accounted for 24% of all the species. A complete list of the recorded urban trees is provided, supplemented with their potential economic value.
</abstract>

Urban trees of the Nilgiris district, Tamil Nadu, India

<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>
Our ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants native to Numidia aimed to investigate traditional therapeutic and cosmetic uses reported by the local population, traditional practitioners, and herbalists of this region. An ethnobotanical survey was carried out using questionnaires on <italic>Calendula suffruticosa </italic>Vahl (shrub-like marigold) and <italic>Fumaria capreolata </italic>L. (climbing fumitory) in 2017-2018 in 5 cities of north-eastern Algeria. We studied the profile of 100 respondents, their knowledge of local plant names, therapeutic uses, the parts used, and the mode of use of each plant. The data collected show 62.0% of local people use these plants for several reasons, while 38% use it only for therapeutic purposes. The aerial part is the most usable for both species, especially the flower for marigold (82.0% of those who use it). According to the surveys conducted, it appears that the local communities in these cities make use of various medical properties of marigold: anti-inflammatory (37.0%), antibacterial (16.2%), against oedema (8.6%), anti-ulcer (6.1%), sedative, cholesterol-lowering (3.4%), antihypertensive, i.e. lowering blood pressure (2.6%). In contrast, the use of fumitory is rare, due to its toxicity in larger doses. In most cases, the method of administration of the remedies varies, e.g. as an infusion (72.1% of those who use fumitory), decoction (10.0%), compresses (10.8%), cream or ointment based on decoction (7.0%). This study shows the great importance of medicinal plants in the local traditional medicine of north-eastern Algeria.
</abstract>

Ethnomedicine exploration of medicinal plants: <italic>Fumaria capreolata </italic>L. and <italic>Calendula suffruticosa </italic>Vahl in Numidia (north-eastern Algeria)

<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>
<italic>Polygonatum tessellatum </italic>F. T. Wang &amp; Tang (Asparagaceae) was rediscovered in Manipur after a gap of 97 years. Description, image, and current population size are provided on the basis of recent botanical explorations.
</abstract>

Rediscovery of <italic>Polygonatum tessellatum </italic>F. T. Wang &amp; Tang in Manipur, north-eastern India

<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>
The herb <italic>Euphorbia hypericifolia </italic>L. was recorded for the first time in the flora of Libya. The species was collected in Tobruk city in north-eastern Libya in 2022. It is presented here with updated nomenclature, taxonomic description, geographical distribution, and the place of occurrence in Libya. A coloured photograph taken in the field is also provided. The voucher specimens have been deposited in the Herbarium of Botany Department (ULT), Faculty of Sciences, University of Tripoli, Libya.
</abstract>

The first record of <italic>Euphorbia hypericifolia </italic>L. (Euphorbiaceae) in Libya

<abstract>
<title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>
Although both subspecies of <italic>Pteridium aquilinum </italic>(subsp. <italic>aquilinum </italic>and subsp. <italic>pinetorum</italic>) are widespread in Poland, our knowledge about the occurrence and significance of extrafloral nectaries on frond stipes (petioles) is very limited. Their location on the abaxial stipe surface in pairs at subsequent pinna-bases is often overlooked. The study concerns the morphological/ anatomical structure, distribution, and function of the bracken nectaries. Observations of sugar secretions of the nectaries and their local associations with ants indicated a dependence on frond age, seasonality, and environmental factors. The nectaries consist of a single layer of the epidermis with stomata, secretory parenchyma, and ground parenchyma cells lying above the vascular bundles, with a hypodermal sterome composed of fibres. The anatomy of the two examined subspecies revealed a close similarity, despite the morphological differences in size, shape, colour, and secretory activity. This paper provides also a review of published data on the nectaries in <italic>P. aquilinum </italic>and other fern species.
</abstract>

Characteristics of frond stipe nectaries in two subspecies of <italic>Pteridium aquilinum </italic>(L.) Kuhn in Poland

<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>The results of an investigation of the ergasiophytes (species deliberately introduced to a region for cultivation) of the Ukraine (458 species) are presented. The systematic, life forms and morphological types of plants with respect to soil moisture spectras, origin and degree of naturalisation of species of thіs group are analyzed. A annotated list of ergasiophytes is provided</abstract>

Ergasiophytes of the Ukrainian flora

<abstract xml:lang="en"><title style='display:none'>Extinct and endangered archaeophytes and the dynamics of their diversity in Poland</title></abstract>

Institute of Botany, Jagiellonian University, Kopernika 27, 31-501 Kraków, Poland

Department of Plant Systematics, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Silesia, Jagiellońska 28, 40-032 Katowice, Poland

Extinct and endangered archaeophytes and the dynamics of their diversity in Poland

<abstract xml:lang="en"><title style='display:none'>Allergenic invasive plant <italic>Ambrosia artemisiifolia</italic> L. in Poland: threat and selected aspects of biology</title>The study presents the current state of research on <italic>Ambrosia artemisiifolia</italic> in Poland within its wider scientific background and gives the results of some field and laboratory investigations. This annual plant is characterised by a high level of production of seeds, easily dispersed by different vectors. Ragweed pollen is a strong allergen considered to be one of the most dangerous pollen allergens in the world. Being a serious hazard to human health, it is also considered as an "environmental weed" causing economic threat. The main aim of the study is to verify the status of the species in the flora of Poland, to assess the threat and discuss possibilities to prevent its future spread.</abstract>

Allergenic invasive plant <italic>Ambrosia artemisiifolia</italic> L. in Poland: threat and selected aspects of biology

<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>Floristic diversity and the composition of vascular plants are described for the moist Afromontane forest (MAF) of Wondo Genet, south-central Ethiopia. A total of 75 (20 x 20 m) quadrats were sampled and data on species identity, abundance, elevation, slope and aspect were recorded. Different diversity indices and ordination techniques were used to analyze the data. A total of 240 plant species including seven endemic plant species were found representing 94 families and 210 genera, of which trees constitute 23.8%, shrubs 25%, herbs 35%, lianas 11.3% and ferns 5%. Cluster and indicator species analyses revealed five plant communities described as: Teclea nobilis-Calpurnia aurea, Erythrococca trichogyne-Millettia ferruginea, Croton macrostachyus-Vernonia hochstetteri, Protea gaguedi-Rhus retinorrhoea and Dodonaea angustifolia-Hypericum quartinianum. Elevation (R2=0.48, P&lt;0.001), slope (R2=0.14, P&lt;0.001) and aspect (R2=0.04, P&lt;0.01) correlated significantly and negatively with species richness, whereas only elevation (R2=0.30, P&lt;0.001) and slope (R2=0.13, P&lt;0.001) related significantly and negatively with abundance. Sørensen’s similarity coefficient indicates that the forest of Wondo Genet is similar to moist montane forests of southwestern and southeastern Ethiopia. Given the high diversity, coupled with the existence of endemic species, ecosystem conservation and restoration strategies with further research are warranted.</abstract>

Viikki Tropical Resources Institute (VITRI), Department of Forest Sciences, University of Helsinki, Latokartanonkarri 7, P.O. Box 27, 00014 Helsinki, Finland

Hawassa University, Wondo Genet College of Forestry and Natural Resources, P.O. Box 128, Shashamene, Ethiopia

Plant community analysis and effect of environmental factors on the diversity of woody species in the moist Afromontane forest of Wondo Genet, South Central Ethiopia

<abstract xml:lang="en"><title style='display:none'>Relics of cultivation in the vascular flora of medieval West Slavic settlements and castles</title>This monograph presents results of research on relics of cultivation and the present vascular flora of sites of medieval fortified settlements and castles in Central Europe. Special attention was paid to 109 West Slavic sites located in Poland, northeastern Germany, and the Czech Republic. For comparison, floristic data were collected also at 21 sites of medieval settlements and castles of Baltic tribes, East Slavs, and Teutonic knights. Results of this study confirm the hypothesis that remnants of medieval fortified settlements and castles are valuable habitat islands in the agricultural landscape, and are refuges of the plants that have accompanied West Slavs since the Middle Ages. At the 109 West Slavic archaeological sites, 876 vascular plant species were recorded. The present flora of the study sites is highly specific, clearly distinct from the surrounding natural environment, as shown by results of analyses of taxonomic composition, geographical-historical and synecological groups, indices of anthropogenic changes of the flora, and degrees of hemeroby (i.e. human influence) at the studied habitats. The sites of fortified settlements and castles are centres of concentration and sources of dispersal of alien species. Aliens account for nearly 21% of the vascular flora of the study sites. Among them, a major role is played by archaeophytes (101 species). Some archaeological sites are characterized by a high contribution of so-called species of old deciduous forests (98 species). Despite many features in common, floras of archaeological sites vary significantly, depending on their geographical location, size, typology, and chronology of their origin. Historical sites occupied in the past by West Slavs differ in the current vascular flora from the sites occupied in the Middle Ages by East Slavs or Baltic tribes and from Teutonic castles. West Slavic archaeological sites are primarily refuges for 22 relics of cultivation. Considering the time of cultivation, 3 groups of relics were distinguished: (<italic>i</italic>) relics of medieval cultivation (plants cultivated till the late 15th century); (<italic>ii</italic>) relics of cultivation in the modern era (introduced into cultivation in the 16th century or later), and (<italic>iii</italic>) relics of medieval-modern cultivation. These species play a special role in research on the history of the flora of Central Europe and thus also of the world flora. Thus the best-preserved sites of medieval West Slavic settlements and castles should be protected as our both cultural and natural heritage. This work is a key contribution to geobotanical research on transformation of the vegetation associated with human activity. Considering the problem of relics of cultivation it corresponds also to basic ethnobotanical issues.</abstract>

Relics of cultivation in the vascular flora of medieval West Slavic settlements and castles

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Biodiversity Research and Conservation

The Journal of Adam Mickiewicz University

 An international quarterly, the Biodiversity: Research and Conservation (Biodiv. Res. Conserv.) publishes original papers, short notes and reviews in fields of plant, fungi and...

MNiSW

 An international quarterly, the Biodiversity: Research and Conservation (Biodiv. Res. Conserv.) publishes original papers, short notes and...