Variations in the fruit morphological features of Capsicum annuum varieties were studied. Varieties studied include var. abbreviatum, var. annuum, var. accuminatum, var. grossum, and var. glabriusculum. The fruit morphology revealed attenuated fruit shape with rounded surfaces in var. glabriusculum, and cordate fruit shape with flexuous surface in var. annuum, abbreviatum and accuminatum. The fruit is a berry and may be green, yellow, or red when ripe. The fruit epidermal cell-wall patterns are polygonal in shape with straight and curved anticlinal walls in all the five varieties. The fruit of var. abbreviatum and var. grossum is trilocular, while that of var. accuminatum and annuum is bilocular, and that of var. glabriusculum is tetralocular. Capsicum annuum var. glabriusculum had the highest mean number of seeds (108.4) and var. annuum had the lowest number of seeds (41.3) per fruit. The fruit is conspicuously hollowed in var. glabriusculum, accuminatum, and annuum but inconspicuously hollowed in var. abbreviatum and var. grossum. These features are shown to be good taxonomic characters for delimiting the five varieties of Capsicum annuum.

Daniel Andrawus Zhigila

Abdullahi Alanamu AbdulRahaman

Opeyemi Saheed Kolawole

Felix A. Oladele

Fruit Morphology as Taxonomic Features in Five Varieties of Capsicum annuum L. Solanaceae

Wild rice (Zizania latifolia Griseb.) is a famous, perennial, emergent vegetable in China. The current work explores the anatomy and histochemistry of roots, stems, and leaves and the permeability of apoplastic barriers of wild rice. The adventitious roots in wild rice have suberized and lignified endodermis and adjacent, thick-walled cortical layers and suberized and lignified hypodermis, composed of a uniseriate sclerenchyma layer (SC) underlying uniseriate exodermis; they also have lysigenous aerenchyma. Stems have a thickened epidermal cuticle, a narrow peripheral mechanical ring (PMR), an outer ring of vascular bundles, and an inner ring of vascular bundles embedded in a multiseriate sclerenchyma ring (SCR). There is evidence of suberin in stem SCR and PMR sclerenchyma cells. Sheathing leaves are characterized by thick cuticles and fibrous bundle sheath extensions. Air spaces in stems and leaves consist of mostly lysigenous aerenchyma and pith cavities in stems. Apoplastic barriers are found in roots and stems.

Chaodong Yang

Xia Zhang

Junkai Li

Manzhu Bao

Dejiang Ni

James L. Seago

Anatomy and Histochemistry of Roots and Shoots in Wild Rice (Zizania latifolia Griseb.)

The present study investigated the effects of composted rice husk (5 and 26; 10&#x2009;g/2&#x2009;kg of soil/pot) on growth and biochemical parameters of sunflower plants at the 30th and 60th day of germination. Result showed significant improvement in growth and biochemical parameters of plants as compared to control plants treated with uncomposted organic fertilizer. However, the effects vary with the microbial treatments involved in the composting of rice husk like composted with T. hamatum (JUF1), bradyrhizobium sp-II (JUR2) alone, and JUF1 in combination with Rhizobium sp-I (JUR1) were found effective in improving the shoot and root lengths, total chlorophyll, carbohydrate, crude protein, and mineral (nitrogen and phosphorus) content of sunflower plants. It indicates that composted rice husk with improved total carbohydrate and protein contents may increase the soil fertility by improving its organic content.

Rabia Badar

Shamim A. Qureshi

Composted Rice Husk Improves the Growth and Biochemical Parameters of Sunflower Plants

Objective. Plant cell culture is an innovative technology to produce a variety of substances. Numerous plants synthesize among their secondary metabolites phenolic compounds which possess antioxidant and antimicrobial effects. Hawthorn (Crataegus) is one of these plants which has long been used in folk medicine and is widely utilized in pharmaceutical preparations mainly in neuro- and cardiosedative actions. Methods and Results. The production of polyphenol by fifty-two-week-old Crataegus azarolus var. aronia calli was studied in relation to growth variation and antioxidant and antimicrobial capacity within a subcultured period. The DPPH and ABTS+ assays were used to characterize the antioxidant actions of the callus cultures. Antimicrobial activity was tested by using disc diffusion and dilution assays for the determination of the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) values of each active extract. High TEACDPPH, TEACABTS, and antimicrobial activity was observed when maximal growth was reached. An optimum of total phenol, proanthocyanidins, flavonoid, (&#x2212;)-epicatechin, procyanidin B2, chlorogenic acid, and hyperoside was produced during this period. Conclusion. Antioxidant and antimicrobial activities were strongly correlated with total phenols and total flavonoids. Crataegus azarolus var. aronia cells culture represents an important alternative source of natural antioxidants and antimicrobials.

Radhia Bahri-Sahloul

Radhia Ben Fredj

Naima Boughalleb

Jih&#xe8;ne Shriaa

Sa&#xe2;d Saguem

Jean-Louis Hilbert

Francis Trotin

Saida Ammar

Sadok Bouzid

Fethia Harzallah-Skhiri

Phenolic Composition and Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities of Extracts Obtained from Crataegus azarolus L. var. aronia (Willd.) Batt. Ovaries Calli

The study compares the growth, yield, and proximate composition of Amaranthus hybridus, Amaranthus cruentus, and Amaranthus deflexus, grown with poultry manure and NPK in relation to the unfertilized soil of Ilorin, Nigeria. Viable seeds of the Amaranths raised in nursery for two weeks were transplanted (one plant per pot) into unfertilized soil (control) and soils fertilized with either NPK or poultry manure (PM) at 30&#x2009;Kg&#x2009;ha&#x2212;1 rate arranged in randomized complete block design with four replicates. Data were collected on plant height, stem girth, number of leaves, leaf area, and number of branches from 1 week after transplanting (1&#x2009;WAT). Fresh weight, dry weight, and proximate composition were determined at 6&#x2009;WAT. Except for the length, breadth, and number of leaves, the order of growth parameters and yield in the three Amaranthus species was NPK &#x3e; PM &#x3e; control. NPK grown Amaranthus species had the highest protein while PM-grown vegetables had the highest ash content. Crude fibre in A. cruentus grown with PM was significantly higher than NPK and the control. The NPK treatment of A. hybridus and A. deflexus had the highest crude fibre content. NPK and PM favoured growth and yield of the Amaranthus species but influenced proximate composition differently.

Stephen Oyedeji

David Adedayo Animasaun

Abdullahi Ajibola Bello

Oludare Oladipo Agboola

Effect of NPK and Poultry Manure on Growth, Yield, and Proximate Composition of Three Amaranths

Dactylorhiza hatagirea (D. Don) Soo (Orchidaceae) is an important endangered medicinal herb, distributed in subalpine to alpine regions of the Himalayas. Its tubers are important constituents of many medicines and health tonics. Overexploitation for medicinal uses has decreased availability in natural habitats and this species has been enlisted as endangered, making conservation and cultivation studies necessary. Variability studies may serve as an important tool for effective conservation and for a crop improvement program. Therefore, natural populations of D. hatagirea were analyzed for variability on the basis of morphological, biochemical, and isoenzyme patterns. The studied populations were grouped into two clusters. Existing variability among different populations opens up new areas for conservation and perspectives for a genetic improvement program for D. hatagirea.

R. S. Chauhan

M. C. Nautiyal

R. K. Vashistha

P. Prasad

Morphobiochemical Variability and Selection Strategies for the Germplasm of Dactylorhiza hatagirea (D. Don) Soo: An Endangered Medicinal Orchid

About this journal

Journal profile

Meet the editorial board

Editor spotlight

Submit your proposal

Do you think there is an emerging area of research that really needs to be highlighted? Or an existing research area that has been overlooked or would benefit from deeper investigation? Raise the profile of a research area by leading a Special Issue.

Journal of Botany