Creuci Maria Caetano

Maize plants grown on low pH soil incur plural meiotic abnormalities during microsporogenesis

Cell division is regulated by a series of intrinsic processes to realize normality. However, influence of external factors, such as soil acidity can cause abnormalities that affect meiosis or mitosis stability. For a better understanding of the impact of soil conditions on cell division, we evaluated meiotic behavior of four maize inbred lines (named IL1, IL2, IL3 and IL4) in an advanced stage of inbreeding, and two respective double hybrids (DH1 and DH2), grown on acidic soils of Brazilian savanna. We observed plural meiotic abnormalities, such as absence of first division, irregular spindles, chromosome shattering, chromosome stickiness, and defective cytokinesis, among others in the 31.6% of the PMCs. Such multiple cellular aberrations can affect the efficiency of the gametes and thereby reducing the productivity of crops.

Karyotype of the Neotropical mangrove species Pelliciera Rhizophorae Triana and Planchon (Tetrameristaceae)

Abstract Pelliciera rhizophorae is the sole survivor of the Eocene mangroves inhabiting the Isthmus of Panama. Two populations of Pelliciera rhizophorae, a small morphotype at the Pacific coast and a tall morphotype at the Caribbean coast, display significant morphological and molecular differences. The patterns of differentiation between these two morphotypes were not determined by the isthmus itself, but are probably due to a process of adaptation in response to the climate that resulted in specific traits for the two populations. Aiming to verify if the ecological isolation also caused changes in the karyotype of the two morphotypes, we investigated the number of chromosomes, size, morphology, distribution of CMA, DAPI bands and nuclear DNA content of the Atlantic and Pacific populations of P. rhizophorae. A diploid chromosome number of 2n = 34 was found in both morphotypes, exhibiting small metacentric, submetacentric and acrocentric chromosomes. The acrocentric chromosomes presented the largest CMA+bands which are often associated with the nucleolus. Nuclear DNA content was similar in both variants (2.52 pg and 2. 56 pg for the small and tall morphotypes respectively), evidencing a small genome. Although the two morphotypes were karyotypically very similar, we observed a consistent difference in digestibility of their root tips in cellulase–pectinase solution and in the stainability of their cytoplasm. The cytotaxonomical relationship between Pelliciera and the related taxa is also discussed.

Valoración de plantas curativas comercializadas en los mercados locales de los municipios de El Cerrito y Palmira, Valle del Cauca, Colombia

Muchas especies vegetales, ademas del uso alimenticio, poseen utilidades medicinales, aromaticas, ornamentales, condimentarias y magicas. Esta investigacion tuvo como objetivo inventariar y valorar la flora medicinal comercializada en los mercados de los municipios de Palmira y El Cerrito (Valle del Cauca, Colombia) y asi conocer sus usos en estas comunidades. Metodologicamente, se hizo el registro de 180 morfo-especies, de las cuales se identificaron 109 hasta la categoria de especie, distribuidas en 45 familias taxonomicas. Se encontro que en ambas localidades la parte mas empleada de la planta son las hojas (45 y 47%, respectivamente) y el tallo (19 y 24%, respectivamente). El uso principal de estas plantas es medicinal (>45%) y magico (>10%). Estas son utilizadas principalmente mediante infusion (49 y 53%, respectivamente). La presentacion fisica mas habitual es en fresco, 30% para Palmira, y para El Cerrito, 70%. A pesar de la cercania geografica, las plantas que llegan a los mercados de las localidades difieren en estatus (local o introducida, silvestre o cultivada) y en atributos como el sabor y el efecto. Las especies usadas para El Cerrito son principalmente locales (70%). Se establecio el inventario de las plantas medicinales, aromaticas y condimentarias (PMACs) comercializadas en la region y se determinaron sus relaciones entre localidades, el valor de uso, el beneficio y el potencial en estas comunidades. Se concluye que la cultura local (saber ancestral) y la diferencia intergeneracional sobre algunas variables son determinantes para el uso, el manejo y la conservacion de las especies utiles.

Inventario y valoración de la flora utilizada por la vereda Santa Teresa, Palmira (Valle del Cauca)

The diversity of plants cultivated is associated with food security as well as special benefits for different human communities around the world. The objective of this paper was to determine the plant species used by a rural community formed five years ago, hence values categories were established to learn more about the use value, the number of species per family, the part used and the distribution of species among farms. Among the results obtained, 113 species grouped into 52 families were reported, of which the most representative were Asteraceae and Lamiaceae and Apiaceae with 8 and 7 respectively, all of them associated with medicinal plants. Meanwhile corn corn and bananas have the highest use values (6), corresponding to 28% of the species of food grade. With the fruit (28%) and the leaf (26%) being the parts most often utilized. The farms of Limonar and Encanto, colectively, contain 47% of species of the studied area. The study permits the establishment of the interfamily and interspecific richness and the the use value of the diversity of plants cultivated by the inhabitants of the village of Santa Teresa, Palmira, Valle del Cauca, Colombia.