Mohamed E. Tantawy

Chemosystematic studies of Nitraria retusa and selected taxa of Zygophyllaceae in Egypt

Nitraria retusa (Forssk.) Asch. was subjected to botanical and chemical studies and compared against four selected taxa of Zygophyllaceae viz., Fagonia arabica L., Peganum harmala L., Tribulus terrestris L. and Zygophyllum album L.f. The botanical section included the study of morphological and anatomical characters of both vegetative and reproductive organs using LM and scanning electron microscope. The chemical section included a detailed study of the flavonoids present in N. retusa. Twelve compounds were isolated and identified as flavone, flavonol O-glycosides and flavone C-glycosides. Flavonoid patterns from N. retusa (Forssk.) Asch. of the selected taxa Zygophyllaceae were surveyed through HPLC and correlated with morphological and anatomical criteria.

SEM and SCoT Markers Unveil New Taxonomic and Genetic Insights about Some Northern African Triticum aestivum L. Cultivars

SEM and SCoT Markers Unveil New Taxonomic and Genetic Insights about Some Northern African Triticum aestivum L. Cultivars Triticum aestivum L. is an annual grass of family Poaceae. The present study was concerned with the discrimination and Identification of some Northern African T. aestivum L. cultivars. Fourteen T. aestivum L. cultivars, representing seven Northern African countries, were presented in this study. High-resolution conventional SEM imaging was performed to survey on and to examine the grain surface sculpture (dorsal and ventral views) of the studied cultivars. SEM analysis revealed six grain surface sculpture for the ventral surface and four for the dorsal side. In addition, SCoT polymorphism analysis was performed using 14 primers to access and characterize the genetic diversity between T. aestivum L. cultivars under study. The relationship resulted from applied multidisciplinary analyses viz. (UPGMA, structural analysis, and principal coordinate analysis) via SEM and SCoT analyses were in complement and efficient in assessing the characterization of taxonomic and genetic diversity of studied T. aestivum L. cultivars. In conclusion, it is most likely speculated that breeding lines from T. aestivum cultivars range of North Africa and their rational comparison may emerge novel insights and give better understanding of the domestication of T. aestivum genetic diversity. Also, some cultivars could be used as important genetic resources for genetic improvement of T. aestivum in future breeding program.

Diversity and evolutionary trends in the floral characters of some taxa of Scrophulariaceae sensu lato

ABSTRACT The diversity of the floral characters in 17 species of Scrophulariaceae Juss. (belonging to 12 genera) was carried out through the tracing of their states as pictured by the organ vascularization. According to the statement of evolution (floral criteria) the character states were given evolutionary grades and the latter were “clipped” to their corresponding taxa. Trends of evolution in the floral characters were found to be gamosepaly, sympetaly, bilateral symmetry, reduction trends in the number of stamens as well as their vascularization and the occasional presence of a placental vascular cord as a fusion product of the carpellary ventral traces. None of the taxa under investigation could be considered as advanced over the other since all retained mosaic evolution expressed by variation in the vascular pattern in sepals, petals, stamens and carpels. In addition the obtained data confirmed that the line of evolution inside tribe Antirrhineae is from Antirrhinum majus L. (representing less advanced case) to Kickxia aegyptiaca (L.) Nábělek (the most advanced studied species). Russelia equisetiformis Schlecht. & Cham. occupied the lowest position vs Scrophularia xanthoglossa Boiss. (tribe Cheloneae). The ventral cord and lateral carpellary bundles pattern supported the taxonomic location of Paulownia tomentosa (Thunb.) and Torenia fournieri Linden ex E. Fourn. under family Scrophulariaceae.