During the summer of 2010, a survey aiming to assess the morphological characteristics and the amarogentin content of different wild populations of yellow gentian (Gentiana lutea L.) was carried out in the south-eastern Italian Pre-Alps (1050–1950 m above sea level). The focus of the survey was the province of Trento where seven populations were recorded. Two more populations were recorded in the province of Brescia, which represented the southern and western limit of the targeted area, respectively. The last two populations were found in the province of Vicenza and Pordenone, the latter corresponding to the eastern boundary of the research area. A series of qualitative and quantitative parameters were recorded for each site/population and univariate (Kruskall–Wallis test) and multivariate (principal component analysis and cluster analysis) analyses were performed to estimate differences between populations. According to the descriptors recorded, a large variability emerged among all the targeted populations, nine of which belonged to the subsp. lutea and vardjanii Wraber complex, whereas the two populations from Vicenza and Pordenone provinces belonged to the subsp. symphyandra Hayek. These last are characterized by a later flowering, larger corolla lobes, and taller stems and roots, and are richer in amarogentin compared with the other populations.

Résumé Nous présentons ici le résultat des investigations phytosociologiques menées dans la partie centrale du Liban ; notamment nous décrivons les syntaxons nouveaux suivants : Querco infectoriae – Pinetum pineae, Pistacio palaestinae – Cytisetum lanigeri, Sarcopoterio spinosi – Cistetum salviifolii, Salici acmophyllae – Hypericetum hircini, et Mentho microphyllae – Dorycnietum recti. La composition floristique et la structure de ces syntaxons ont été définies en utilisant l’approche synusiale de l'étude de la végétation. Des comparaisons avec ce qui est connu dans les pays voisins sont présentées.

Résumé L’analyse de la problématique des plantes alimentaires mineures et menacées au Togo a pris en compte l’aspect distribution spatiale afin de mieux juger de l’ampleur de la menace. L’étude a été menée sur la base des enquêtes ethnobotaniques dans 280 localités distribuées sur toute l’étendue du territoire togolais. Au total, 137 espèces alimentaires mineures et menacées de disparition au Togo ont été inventoriées. Le nombre de plantes alimentaires en disparition varie de 2 à 40 suivant les localités et de 10 à 50 chez la plupart des ethnies. L’amplitude de leur distribution spatiale montre 20% des plantes signalées en régression sur l’étendue du territoire national. En revanche, 10%, 18% et 18% des plantes ont des distributions respectivement septentrionale, centrale et méridionale. Le reste des plantes présente des distributions interrégionales. Ces différentes distributions traduisent des degrés de menace qui dépendent non seulement du nombre de citations de la plante, mais aussi de l’aire de distribution naturelle de l’espèce.

The great variability of Ceratonia siliqua, its sexual polymorphism and its long stage of juvenility imply the use of conventional and in vitro culture techniques. The high phenotypic variation between carob cultivars has important implications for selection, cultivation practices and establishment of new plantations to improve productivity of this crop. The present work was undertaken to develop a simple protocol for micropropagation of carob through meristem culture on half-strength Murashige and Skoog medium. The best results were obtained by introducing the meristem culture when buds were starting to swell. Meristem sprouting was stimulated on Murashige and Skoog medium supplemented with 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid. The highest number of well-developed shoots from meristems was obtained with 2 mg l–1 6-benzylaminopurine and 2 mg l–1 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid. Higher rooting ability and root quality were obtained with 4 mg l–1 naphthalene acetic acid.

Clonal forestry can significantly increase forest productivity and its establishment requires a high level of clonal variation to maximize genetic gain and diversity. An evaluation of the genetic parameters of clones at a juvenile stage is necessary to better understand the amplitude of clonal variability and the degree of genetic control. The analysis of variance of white spruce clones showed a highly significant clonal effect for the majority of the growth characters at the end of both growing seasons and for the mineral status at the 2+0 stage. Our results reveal that height exhibits a high clonal heritability value which remained stable over the two growing seasons (H2 c= 0.60). Strong genotypic and phenotypic correlations were observed between height and diameter at the end of the first growing season and between height and the rest of the growth characters at the end of the second growing season. The strong clonal variation, genetic control and genetic correlation particularly of height found in this study indicate that the selection ability of the best performing clones is possible for intensive forest management.

This work contains the study results of climatophilous vegetation series from Serra da Estrela, the highest mountain on the Portuguese mainland. Located in central-northern Portugal in the Estrelensean Sector (Carpetan-Leonese Subprovince), the Serra da Estrela has several bioclimatic stages, mainly resulting from slope and altitude ranges: mesomediterranean, submediterranean mesotemperate, supramediterranean, submediterranean supratemperate, and submediterranean orotemperate. In each of these belts are observed changes in plant communities that determine variations in terms of the vegetation series. The methodology was based on Dynamic-Catenal Phytosociology. The results show the presence of five climatophilous series; their structural characteristics and dynamics are described in this paper: 1. Lycopodio clavati–Junipereto nani S.; 2. Saxifrago spathularis–Betuleto celtibericae S.; 3. Holco mollis–Querco pyrenaicae S.; 4. Arbuto–Querco pyrenaicae cytisetoso grandiflori S.; e 5. Viburno tini–Querco roboris S.

A study has been made of 10 endemic communities from south-western Europe (Iberian Peninsula) described in the literature in which the taxa Echinospartum ibericum Rivas-Martínez, Sánchez-Mata and Sancho and Echinospartum barnadesii (Graells) Roth participate and which are integrated within the Cytisetea scopario-striati and Junipero-Pinetea ibericae phytosociological classes. A categorical principal components analysis was used for the multivariate study of a total of 148 relevés in which the abundance of the different species present in the Iberian communities described and studied is reported. From this analysis, it seems possible to conclude that only seven communities actually exist in the west of the Iberian Peninsula, the other three being aspects or variants of those described previously.

Festuca paniculata communities in Valle d’Aosta (N.W. Italy) can contribute to the definition of the geographic boundaries between the western Alps phytosociological associations, due to their intermediate position between Insubrian and inner-alpine communities. In order to describe the phytosociology and syntaxonomy of F. paniculata communities in the study area, 17 original relevés data were analyzed. The communities were referred to Junipero-Festucetum spadiceae juniperetosum nanae, previously described in the Meje-Ecrins-Pelvoux Massif (France). Our results exclude the presence in Valle d’Aosta of Centaureo uniflorae-Festucetum spadiceae, supposed by previous works, and define in Colma di Mombarone (Biella and Torino districts) the western boundary of the Insubrian association Polygalo chamaebuxi-Festucetum paniculatae. The border between Junipero-Festucetum spadiceae and Polygalo chamaebuxi-Festucetum paniculatae is in accordance to differences in continentality conditions, that divide the outer areas of the Insubrian region from the subcontinental and continental zones of Valle d’Aosta.