New Alien Plant Taxa for Italy and Europe: An Update

Despite the wide amount of scientific contributions published on alien plant species, their diffusion dynamics, and their interactions with native taxa, it is increasingly difficult to slow down their spreading and their negative impact on habitats. Last recent years, in fact, a sharp rise in the number of new alien plant taxa introduced in Italy and Europe has been recorded. The aim of this work is to investigate most of the Italian territory in order to verify whether this alarming trend is still underway. Specimen collections and/or observations of alien plants have been performed in as many as 12 Italian regions. All the collected specimens are stored in public or private herbaria. Taxa have been identified according to the literature from the countries of origin of the investigated taxa, while the nomenclature followed the current international references. Updates on 106 taxa are reported. In particular, among 117 new records, 89 are first records, 27 are changes to status and there is 1 extinction. Seven new taxa for Italian alien flora are reported, two of which are new to Europe. The administrative regions with the highest number of records are Calabria (48), Sardegna (17) and Sicilia (15). Five of the surveyed taxa, for the first time, have been considered invasive aliens to Italian territory. The unfrequent amount of original results provided by this work, over the simple importance of data itself, proves how floristic investigation, still today, represents one of the most effective tools in broadening the current knowledge about alien taxa and their dynamics.

Potential of Biochar as a Peat Substitute in Growth Media for Lavandula angustifolia, Salvia rosmarinus and Fragaria × ananassa

Peat has long been the primary substrate for the production of ornamental and horticultural plants in pots. Today, peat is no longer considered a renewable resource due to its very lengthy regeneration time. Biochar, a solid by-product of biomass pyrolysis, has been proposed as an agricultural soil amendment. We investigated the effects of two types of biochar, namely biochar from pruning wood waste and biochar activated with wood vinegar ("smoked biochar"), on two ornamental plants (Lavandula angustifolia and Salvia rosmarinus) and on strawberries (Fragaria × ananassa). For both types of biochar, we measured the following parameters: the pH, density, electrical conductivity, humidity, calcium carbonate, total carbon, nitrogen, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium, and water retention. For peat, we measured the following parameters: the pH, electrical conductivity, total carbon, and total nitrogen. Our results showed an overall increase in plant growth, particularly in L. angustifolia when using 10% and 50% biochar concentrations and a 10% concentration of biochar activated with wood vinegar. In S. rosmarinus, we observed a slight increase in the total plant weight with the application of 10% smoked biochar (biochar activated with wood vinegar). Finally, in F. × ananassa, we observed an increase in the plant weight and fruit production when 10% biochar was applied. On the other hand, when high concentrations of biochar (50% and 100%) and especially smoked biochar were applied, we observed a significant reduction in the growth of all plants. We concluded that biochar and biochar activated with wood vinegar showed remarkable biological activity with marked phytotoxicity at high concentrations. They promoted plant growth when applied diluted and their use as partial peat substitutes could help support more sustainable horticultural practices.

Ethnobotanical Documentation of the Uses of Wild and Cultivated Plants in the Ansanto Valley (Avellino Province, Southern Italy)

With approximately 2800 species, the Campania region has the richest vascular flora in southern Italy and the highest number of medicinal species reported in the Italian folk traditions. The study area is inserted in a wide rural landscape, still retaining a high degree of naturalness and is studied for the first time from an ethnobotanical point of view. By analyzing local traditional uses of wild plants in the Ansanto Valley area, the present study aims to contribute to the implementation of ethnobotanical knowledge concerning southern Italy. To gather ethnobotanical knowledge related to the Ansanto Valley, 69 semi-structured interviews were carried out through a snowball sampling approach, starting from locals with experience in traditional plant uses (key informants). A number of 117 plant species (96 genera and 46 families) were documented for traditional use from a total of 928 reports, of which 544 were about medicinal plants. New use reports on the utilization of plants for medicinal (5) and veterinary applications (8) in the Campania region and the whole Italian territory were outlined from our investigations. Sedum cepaea is reported as a medicinal plant for the first time in Italy and in the whole Mediterranean basin.

Temperature sensitivity and decomposition rate of 101 leaf litter types from Mediterranean ecosystems

Litter decomposition is a fundamental process, and the number of published studies has steadily increased in recent decades. However, few experiments have systematically compared a large number of litter types and evaluated their temperature sensitivity. We conducted a two-year experiment on the decomposition of litter bags containing 101 leaf litter sampled in Mediterranean ecosystems and incubated under laboratory conditions at 4 °C, 14 °C, and 24 °C. Litter was chemically characterized and analysed for carbon (C), nitrogen (N), cellulose and lignin concentration, C/N, and lignin/N ratios, which serve as predictors of decomposition rate. The sensitivity of litter decay rate to temperature was evaluated using Q₁₀. Leaf litter chemistry varied widely in nitrogen content (range 0.52-6.80 %), lignin content (range 1.53-49.31 %), C/N ratio (range 5.21-77.78), and lignin/N ratio (range 0.34-34.90). Litter decomposition rate was negatively related to initial lignin concentration, lignin/N ratio, and C/N ratio, but only in the early stage. In the late stages of decomposition, litter decay rate was negatively correlated with initial N concentration but positively correlated with C/N and lignin/N ratios. Temperature sensitivity was negatively correlated with N concentration and positively correlated with lignin and lignin/N ratio. It is noteworthy that, contrary to expectations, temperature sensitivity exhibited a hump-shaped relationship with decay rate. N, C/N, and lignin/N ratios should be used with caution because their predictive power is reversed with respect to decomposition rate during the decomposition process. In addition, the new finding that temperature sensitivity has a hump-shaped relationship with decomposition rate deserves further confirmation and could be considered in ecosystem-level organic C modeling.

The Role of Lichens, Mosses, and Vascular Plants in the Biodeterioration of Historic Buildings: A Review

Biodeterioration is defined as the alteration of a given substrate due to a combination of physical and chemical factors produced by living organisms when attached to such materials. This phenomenon attracts scientific research attention due to its risk in causing destruction to outdoor cultural rock heritage sites. In this review, an update on the state-of-art regarding the biodeterioration phenomenon is represented in order to highlight the type of colonizing vegetation and possible mechanisms behind the corresponding deterioration. For this reason, 62 articles with a focus on lichens, mosses, and higher plants were investigated by evaluating the role of construction materials and different plant species related to the hazard index. The results showed that trees and shrubs are the most harmful plant life forms, for example, Ficus carica, Ailanthus altissima, and Capparis spinosa, while regarding building materials, those characterized by high porosity, such as andesite and argillaceous limestone, are more vulnerable to plant colonization. Further studies are needed to examine in detail the relationship between colonizing organisms, intrinsic elements of the substrate, and external factors, as well as the refinement of measures to prevent and control colonization by plants.

Edible Flowers Used in Some Countries of the Mediterranean Basin: An Ethnobotanical Overview

Edible flowers are becoming an essential component of people's nutrition in the Mediterranean basin. In the last decades, many researchers also have focused their attention on the nutritional composition of the edible flowers, as well as their antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, including studies on their safety issues. Despite the growing interest in the use of flowers in human nutrition, the ethnobotanical literature is lacking coverage of some important issues, particularly those which concern the use of flowers in the folk tradition. Only recently, a review regarding the contribution of 32 edible flowers to the Mediterranean diet was published. The aim of the present review is to document the plant lore regarding the wild and cultivated edible flowers consumed in the Mediterranean basin. Based on the 112 studies reviewed, we documented 251 taxa as being used in the Mediterranean basin as edible flowers. The plant species belong to 45 families and 141 genera. Asteraceae (54 taxa) is the most frequently cited family. Sambucus nigra L. is the most cited species. This study can be the basis for future research on the supposed bioactivity and toxicity of wild and cultivated flowers.

Impact of prescribed burning, mowing and abandonment on a Mediterranean grassland: A 5-year multi-kingdom comparison

Mediterranean grasslands are semi-natural, fire-prone, species-rich ecosystems that have been maintained for centuries through a combination of fire, grazing, and mowing. Over the past half century, however, grasslands have faced numerous threats, including the abandonment of traditional agro-pastoral practices. Our hypothesis was that mowing and prescribed burning are management practices potentially effective in counteracting the reduction of plant diversity triggered by land abandonment. However, the long-term effects of such management practices on plant communities and soil microbiota in Mediterranean grassland remain poorly studied. Here, we conducted a 5-year field experiment comparing prescribed fire, vegetation mowing, and abandonment in a fire-prone Mediterranean grassland in southern Italy in order to evaluate the capability of such management strategies to counteract the detrimental impacts of land abandonment on plant diversity and the associated increase of wildfire. We combined vegetation analysis and soil chemical characterization and several microbiota analyses, including microbial biomass and respiration, arthropod community, and high-throughput sequencing of bacterial and eukaryotic rRNA gene markers. Burning and mowing significantly increased plant species richness and diversity compared to abandonment plots, reducing the abundance of perennial tall grasses in favour of short-lived species. Standing litter followed the same trend, being 3.8-fold greater and largely composed of grass remains in the abandoned compared to burnt and mowed plots. In the soil, prescribed burning caused significant increase in pH, a reduction in organic carbon, total N, and cation exchange capacity. Diversity and taxonomic composition of bacterial and fungal microbiota was affected by burning and mowing treatments. Abandonment caused shifts of microbiota towards a fungal-dominated system, composed of late successional fungi of the Basidiomycota. Fast-growing and putative fungal pathogens were more abundant under burnt and mowed treatments. Soil arthropods were influenced by vegetation and microbiota changes, being strongly reduced in mowed plots. Our study demonstrated that grassland abandonment promotes the spread of tall grasses, reducing plant diversity and increasing the risk of wildfire, while prescribed burning and mowing are effective in counteracting such negative effects.

Wild Edible Plants: A Challenge for Future Diet and Health

Wild edible plants (WEPs) can be defined as native species that grow and reproduce naturally in their natural habitat without being cultivated [...].

Notulae to the Italian alien vascular flora: 12

In this contribution, new data concerning the distribution of vascular flora alien to Italy are presented. It includes new records, confirmations, exclusions, and status changes for Italy or for Italian administrative regions. Nomenclatural and distribution updates published elsewhere are provided as Suppl. material 1.

Analysis of native vegetation for detailed characterization of a soil contaminated by tannery waste

The risks for human health and the ecosystem due to potentially toxic elements (PTEs) were investigated in a farmland classified as potentially contaminated by Cr and Zn by analysing native vegetation and relative rhizo-soils. Rhizo-soils of different plant species were found to be enriched by Cr and Zn as well as by elements omitted from official environmental characterization, namely Cd, As and Pb. The ecological risk index (ERI) had a mean value of 510, indicating high to "very high" risk in different habitats. ERI above the very high risk threshold characterized the rhizo-soils of Lolium perenne, Erigeron sumatrensis, Oloptum thomasii and Amaranthus retroflexus. Two of these plant species (E. sumatrensis and A. retroflexus) are exotic in Italy and accumulated Cd in the shoots above the EU threshold for forage, suggesting a potential risk of Cd transfer to the food chain. Hence, this element was found to contribute most to the ERI. Cynodon dactylon was recognized as the most suitable plant species for the phytostabilization of the contaminated site, as it showed the highest bioavailable Cd accumulation in roots coupled with the highest frequency and soil-cover capacity during spring-summer, when the risk of soil resuspension is generally more intense.

Litter chemistry explains contrasting feeding preferences of bacteria, fungi, and higher plants

Litter decomposition provides a continuous flow of organic carbon and nutrients that affects plant development and the structure of decomposer communities. Aim of this study was to distinguish the feeding preferences of microbes and plants in relation to litter chemistry. We characterized 36 litter types by 13C-CPMAS NMR spectroscopy and tested these materials on 6 bacteria, 6 fungi, and 14 target plants. Undecomposed litter acted as a carbon source for most of the saprophytic microbes, although with a large variability across litter types, severely inhibiting root growth. An opposite response was found for aged litter that largely inhibited microbial growth, but had neutral or stimulatory effects on root proliferation. 13C-CPMAS NMR revealed that restricted resonance intervals within the alkyl C, methoxyl C, O-alkyl C and di-O-alkyl C spectral regions are crucial for understanding litter effects. Root growth, in contrast to microbes, was negatively affected by labile C sources but positively associated with signals related to plant tissue lignification. Our study showed that plant litter has specific and contrasting effects on bacteria, fungi and higher plants, highlighting that, in order to understand the effects of plant detritus on ecosystem structure and functionality, different microbial food web components should be simultaneously investigated.

Ethnobotanical and phytomedicinal knowledge in a long-history protected area, the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park (Italian Apennines)

AIMS OF THE STUDY

This study reports on the ethnobotanical and phytomedical knowledge in one of the oldest European Parks, the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park (Central Italy). We selected this area because we judged the long history of nature preservation as an added value potentially encouraging the survival of uses possibly lost elsewhere.

METHODOLOGY

In all, we interviewed 60 key informants (30 men and 30 women) selected among those who, for their current or past occupation or specific interests, were most likely to report accurately on traditional use of plants. The average age of informants was 65 years (range 27-102 years).

RESULTS

The ethnobotanical inventory we obtained included 145 taxa from 57 families, corresponding to 435 use-reports: 257 referred to medical applications, 112 to food, 29 to craft plants for domestic uses, 25 to veterinary applications, 6 to harvesting for trade and another 6 to animal food. The most common therapeutic uses in the folk tradition are those that are more easily prepared and/or administered such as external applications of fresh or dried plants, and decoctions. Of 90 species used for medical applications, key informants reported on 181 different uses, 136 of which known to have actual pharmacological properties. Of the uses recorded, 76 (42%) concern external applications, especially to treat wounds. Medical applications accounted for most current uses. Only 24% of the uses we recorded still occur in people's everyday life. Species no longer used include dye plants (Fraxinus ornus, Rubia tinctorum, Scabiosa purpurea, Rhus coriaria and Isatis tinctoria) and plants once employed during pregnancy, for parturition, nursing, abortion (Asplenium trichomanes, Ecballium elaterium, Juniperus sabina and Taxus baccata) or old magical practices (Rosa canina).

CONCLUSIONS

Our study remarked the relationship existing between the high plant diversity recorded in this biodiversity hotspot of central Apennines and the rich ethnobotanical knowledge. The presence of some very experienced young informants was related to the opportunities offered by living in a major protected area. However, to counter the disappearance of local ethnobotanical culture it would be important to incorporate its preservation among nature reserve activities.

Traditional plant use in the areas of Monte Vesole and Ascea, Cilento National Park (Campania, Southern Italy)

The present ethnobotanical field study conducted during summer 2003 in two distinct regions of the Cilento National Park (Mt Vesole and Ascea) documents the local use of 90 different plant species for medicinal, food and domestic purposes. Overall, 59 people native to the area were interviewed, and 883 use-reports have been recorded. The scientific names, local names, plant parts used, preparation and administration processes are given and compared with practices in other Italian regions. In total, 63 species are documented as medicinal, 49 as food, and 22 as craft plants. Over 40% of all species are used in more than one category and over half of the food plants are also used for medicinal purposes. In general the recorded species are well known in the traditional phytotherapy of Campania and Italy. However, some uses are unusual and are discussed in detail.

Structure-activity relationships for euphocharacins A-L, a new series of jatrophane diterpenes, as inhibitors of cancer cell P-glycoprotein

The Mediterranean spurge Euphorbia characias L. afforded twelve new diterpenes based on a jatrophane skeleton named euphocharacins A-L. Their chemical structures were elucidated by extensive nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometry methods. Euphocharacins A-L were tested as inhibitors of the daunomycin-efflux activity of P-glycoprotein from cancer cells. The results were used to extend the structure-activity relationship established for this class of compounds, highlighting the positive effects of propyl and benzoyl groups at positions 3 and 9, respectively, and evidencing the negative effect of a free hydroxyl group at position 2. Among the tested compounds, euphocharacins C and I showed an activity higher than cyclosporin to inhibit Pgp-mediated daunomycin transport.

Jatrophane Diterpenes as Modulators of Multidrug Resistance. Advances of Structure−Activity Relationships and Discovery of the Potent Lead Pepluanin A

From the whole plant of Euphorbia peplus L., five new diterpenes based on a jatrophane skeleton (pepluanins A-E, 1-5) were isolated, together with two known analogues (6 and 7), which served to divulge in detail the structure-activity relationships within this class of P-glycoprotein inhibitors. The results revealed the importance of substitutions on the medium-sized ring (carbons 8, 9, 14, and 15). In particular, the activity is collapsed by the presence of a free hydroxyl at C-8, while it increases with a carbonyl at C-14, an acetoxyl at C-9, and a free hydroxyl at C-15. The most potent compound of the series, pepluanin A, showed a very high activity for a jatrophane diterpene, outperforming cyclosporin A by a factor of at least 2 in the inhibition of Pgp-mediated daunomycin transport.