Phyllanthaceae

Abstract: Several hundred angiosperm genera range from Africa to Asia and Australia, among them Bridelia (Phyllanthaceae), with ca. 40 species, including commercially important timber trees. We here use nuclear and chloroplast DNA sequences from herbarium material, plus new collections from China, to test the monophyly of Bridelia and to infer the geologic times when it acquired its disjunct range. For the Southeast Asian mainland, within-species sampling, including material collected close to the type localities, allowed testing current species concepts. Based on a sample of 114 chloroplast matK sequences of Phyllanthaceae, Bridelia is monophyletic and sister to an Asian clade which requires resurrecting an older generic name to make the African Cleistanthus monophyletic. Within Bridelia, gene trees from the combined data (3,177 aligned nucleotides from 25 species of Bridelia plus outgroups) agree with most morphological species boundaries. Exceptions are that B. tomentosa must include B. harmandii and B. curtisii to become monophyletic and that B. fordii is distinct from B. retusa. The topology, together with relaxed clock divergence times, implies that Bridelia dispersed from tropical Asia to Africa once or twice between 10 and 1.85 million years ago (Ma). Australia was reached, probably from New Guinea, at least twice, both times ca. 2 Ma. Together with earlier studies, there are now at least eight cases of Neogene long distance dispersal between Africa and Asia (followed by speciation), with no directional bias apparent so far.

Abstract: Jongkind, C.C.H. (2016). Maesobotrya liberica Jongkind (Phyllanthaceae), a new forest species from Liberia. Candollea 71 : 275–279. In English, English abstract. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15553/c2016v712a12 A new species of Maesobotrya Benth. (Phyllanthaceae) from the evergreen forest of Liberia is described. It is the second Maesobotrya Benth. species in western Africa (Upper Guinea). It resembles Maesobotrya pauciflora Pax and Maesobotrya oligantha O. Lachenaud & Breteler from west-central Africa (Lower Guinea) by its male and its female inflorescences that are both small and axillary. Illustrations are provided along with a distribution map. A preliminary assessment of its risk of extinction following the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria results in a status of “Endangered”. Received: July 6, 2016; Accepted: August 16, 2016; First published online: September 7, 2016

Abstract: Aims: To evaluate the antisickling and antibacterial activities of Gardenia ternifolia and Uapaca heudelotii. Study Design: Evaluation of the antisickling and antibacterial activities of anthocyanins and organic acids extracted from Gardenia ternifolia and Uapaca heudelotii In vitro. Original Research Article Ngbolua et al.; JAMPS, 2(1): 10-19, 2015; Article no.JAMPS.2015.002 11 Place and Duration of Study: Faculty of Science, University of Kinshasa, between November 2012 and April 2013. Methodology: The antisickling and antibacterial activities of anthocyanins and organic acids extracted from Gardenia ternifolia and Uapaca heudelotii were assessed using Emmel, and disc diffusion and micro-dilution methods respectively. The disc diffusion method was used to determine the antibacterial activity of extracts while the micro-dilution method was performed to determine their MIC and MBC. Results: The present study revealed that anthocyanins and organic acids extracts from G. ternifolia and U. heudelotii possess antisickling and antibacterial activities. All tested extracts from U. heudelotii displayed interesting antisickling and antibacterial effects. At the extract dose of 6. 25 μg/mL, the calculated normalization rates were 70% (for anthocyanins extract of U. heudelotii), 80% (for organic acids extract of U. heudelotii), 68% (for anthocyanins extract of G. ternifolia) and 72% (for organic acids extract of G. ternifolia). The reference bacterial strains S. aureus were more sensitive to anthocyanins extract: MIC = 31.25 (U. heudelotii) and 62.5 μg/mL (G. ternifolia) than the E. coli strains: MIC = 62.5 μg/mL (U. heudelotii) and 125 μg/mL (G. ternifolia). Conclusion: This study provides a scientific basis for the antimibacterial and antisickling activities of anthocyanins and organic acids extracts from Gardenia ternifolia and Uapaca heudelotii. Isolation of different molecules may further yield significant antibacterial and antisickling new leads compounds.

Abstract: This is the first comparative study of floral structure of the recently established new family Picrodendraceae (part of Euphorbiaceae s.l.) in Malpighiales. Nine species of eight (out of ca. 28) genera were studied. Female flowers are mainly completely trimerous, and in such flowers the perianth consists of one or two whorls of sepals. A floral disc (which probably functions as a nectary) is mostly present. The free parts of the carpels are simple (unbranched) in all ten species studied. Each carpel contains two crassinucellar, anatropous or hemitropous, epitropous (antitropous) ovules, which are covered by a large obturator. The inner integument is thicker than the outer (equally thick in two species studied), and commonly both integuments form the micropyle. In mature ovules the vascular bundle commonly branches in the chalaza, with the branches extending to the base of the inner integument but not entering it. A nucellar cap and, less often, a nucellar beak is formed. Floral structure supports the close relationship of Picrodendraceae with Phyllanthaceae and Euphorbiaceae s.str. within Malpighiales, as suggested (but not yet strongly supported) by some recent published molecular analyses. These three families share a unique combination of characters, including (1) unisexual, apetalous trimerous flowers, (2) crassinucellar ovules with a nucellar beak, (3) a large obturator, and (4) explosive fruits with carunculate seeds.