The rise of baobab trees in Madagascar.

The baobab trees (genus Adansonia) have attracted tremendous attention because of their striking shape and distinctive relationships with fauna1. These spectacular trees have also influenced human culture, inspiring innumerable arts, folklore and traditions. Here we sequenced genomes of all eight extant baobab species and argue that Madagascar should be considered the centre of origin for the extant lineages, a key issue in their evolutionary history2,3. Integrated genomic and ecological analyses revealed the reticulate evolution of baobabs, which eventually led to the species diversity seen today. Past population dynamics of Malagasy baobabs may have been influenced by both interspecific competition and the geological history of the island, especially changes in local sea levels. We propose that further attention should be paid to the conservation status of Malagasy baobabs, especially of Adansonia suarezensis and Adansonia grandidieri, and that intensive monitoring of populations of Adansonia za is required, given its propensity for negatively impacting the critically endangered Adansonia perrieri.

Ethnobotanical study of traditional medicinal plants used by the local Gamo people in Boreda Abaya District, Gamo Zone, southern Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Medicinal plants have been used for centuries and are still relied upon by over 80% of the Ethiopian population. The people of Gamo, southern Ethiopia, have a rich cultural and traditional lifestyle with a long history of using plant resources for various uses including traditional herbal medicine. However, their traditional knowledge of traditional medicinal plants in Boreda Abaya District has not been explored Ethnobotanically yet, despite preserving diverse indigenous traditional medicinal plants. Hence, the study aimed to document and analyze traditional medicinal plants and associated traditional knowledge and practices used by local people. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Quantitative ethnobotanical data were collected via semi-structured interviews, face-to-face conversations, group discussions, and guided field trips between September 2022 and February 2023. In total, 92 informants participated, of which 25 were key informants. Quantitative data indices (informant consensus factor-ICF-and use report-Ur) were computed by MS Excel spreadsheet software. Scientific names of medicinal plants were checked via World Flora Online. RESULTS: In the present study, we recorded 188 traditional medicinal plant species belonging to 163 genera and 73 plant families. Lamiaceae (16 species), Asteraceae (16 species), Fabaceae (11 species), and Euphorbiaceae (8 species) contributed highest number of species and were found to be predominant family in the area. Leaves and seeds were most frequently used plant parts, and pounding (46%) was the main method to prepare remedies. The sudden sickness disease category scored the highest consensus (ICF: 0.35), followed by blood and circulatory-related disease categories (ICF: 0.33). The highest number of plant taxa (61 species) used to treat dermal disease has a 71-use report score, while fewer plant taxa (21 species) were utilized to treat genitourinary system-related disease category, having 25 use reports. Ocimum lamiifolium (Ur:56) and Moringa stenopetala (Ur:51) are widely used species and received highest use report value. CONCLUSION: Gamo people possess extensive traditional knowledge of ethnomedicine. The region's vegetation hosts diverse medicinal species, but deforestation, agriculture, and droughts threaten them. Local conservation practices require scientific support, prioritizing species having higher use reports (Ur), and in-depth investigations of promising species for drug development are essential.

Primulaweiliei (Primulaceae), a new species from Hubei, Central China.

In this study, we describe and illustrate a new species, Primulaweiliei L.S.Yang, Z.K.Wu & G.W.Hu, from the Shennongjia Forestry District, Hubei Province in Central China. It is morphologically assigned to Primulasect.Aleuritia based on its dwarf and hairless habit, long petiole, fruits longer than calyx and covered by farina on the scape. This new species is similar to P.gemmifera and P.munroisubsp.yargongensis in the same section, but it can be distinguished by its smaller calyxes, homostylous flowers, corolla tube throat without annular appendage and only 1-2 flowers in each inflorescence. Based on the assessment conducted according to the IUCN Red List criteria, we propose that P.weiliei be classified as a Critically Endangered (CR) species.

Projected impacts of climate change on the habitat of Xerophyta species in Africa.

Climate change poses a serious long-term threat to biodiversity. To effectively reduce biodiversity loss, conservationists need to have a thorough understanding of the preferred habitats of species and the variables that affect their distribution. Therefore, predicting the impact of climate change on species-appropriate habitats may help mitigate the potential threats to biodiversity distribution. Xerophyta, a monocotyledonous genus of the family Velloziaceae is native to mainland Africa, Madagascar, and the Arabian Peninsula. The key drivers of Xerophyta habitat distribution and preference are unknown. Using 308 species occurrence data and eight environmental variables, the MaxEnt model was used to determine the potential distribution of six Xerophyta species in Africa under past, current and future climate change scenarios. The results showed that the models had a good predictive ability (Area Under the Curve and True Skill Statistics values for all SDMs were more than 0.902), indicating high accuracy in forecasting the potential geographic distribution of Xerophyta species. The main bioclimatic variables that impacted potential distributions of most Xerophyta species were mean temperature of the driest quarter (Bio9) and precipitation of the warmest quarter (Bio18). According to our models, tropical Africa has zones of moderate and high suitability for Xerophyta taxa, which is consistent with the majority of documented species localities. The habitat suitability of the existing range of the Xerophyta species varied based on the climate scenario, with most species experiencing a range loss greater than the range gain regardless of the climate scenario. The projected spatiotemporal patterns of Xerophyta species help guide recommendations for conservation efforts.

The genus Balanophora J. R. Forst. & G. Forst. - Its use in traditional medicine, phytochemistry, and pharmacology: A review.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Natural products, particularly medicinal plants, have been utilized in traditional medicine for millennia to treat various diseases. The genus Balanophora (Balanophoraceae) consists of 23 accepted species. These species are the most controversial flowering plants, with highly reduced morphologies and are found parasitizing on the roots of their host. They have been used in traditional medicine as a remedy for stomach pain, detumescence, uterine prolapse, wounds, syphilis, gonorrhea, treating injuries from falls, and other conditions. However, there is no review of this genus on its traditional uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacology. AIM: The present narrative review discusses the scientific data supporting the traditional uses of Balanophora species. The available information on its botanical properties, traditional uses, chemical contents, pharmacological activities, and toxicity was summarized to help comprehend current research and offer a foundation for future research. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The materials used in combining data on the genus Balanophora comprises online sources such as Web of Science, Google Scholar, Science Direct, and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) for Chinese-related materials. World Flora online was used in validating the scientific names of this genus while ChemBio Draw Ultra Version 22.2 software was employed in drawing the phytochemical compounds. RESULTS: Nine Balanophora species including B. harlandii, B. japonica, B. polyandra, B. fungosa, B. fungosa subsp. indica, B. laxiflora, B. abbreviata, B. tobiracola, and B. involucrata have been documented as vital sources of traditional medicines in different parts of Asia. A total of 159 secondary metabolites have been isolated and identified from the ten species of this genus comprising tannins, flavonoids, sterols, lignans, chalcones, terpenes, and phenylpropanoids. Among these compounds, tannins, lignans, terpenoids, chalcones and phenolic acids contribute to the pharmacological activities of the species in this genus with several biological activities both in vitro and in vivo such as anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, hypoglycemic activity, cytotoxicity, anti-microbial, melanin synthesis etc. CONCLUSION: This review summarizes the available literature on the traditional uses, pharmacological properties, and phytoconstituents of Balanophora species indicating that they contain fascinating chemical compounds with diverse biological activities. The traditional uses of the species in this genus have been confirmed by scientific data such as antimicrobial, hemostatic effect, gastroprotective activity and others. However, many species in this genus are yet unknown in terms of their botanical uses, chemical composition and biological activities. Thus, more research into the scientific connections between traditional medicinal uses and pharmacological activities, mode of action of the isolated bioactive constituents, and toxicity of other Balanophora species is needed to determine their efficacy and therapeutic potential for safe clinical application.