Search Results (3)

The genus Murdannia Royle was recognized as a member of the family Commelinaceae, known for its beautiful and outstanding flowers, which made it highly valued as an ornamental plant. In this study, three previously unidentified species of Murdannia are described as new species from Laos including Murdannia maronea, M. rhizomatosa, and M. thyrsoidea. Detailed descriptions, illustrations, phenology, and distribution of each species are provided, along with notes on their horticulture. Murdannia clandestina is reported as a new record for Laos. These four species of Murdannia are notable for their attractive flowers, particularly M. thyrsoidea, which was characterized by its large inflorescence, enhancing its potential as an ornamental plant. The pollen morphology of these four Murdannia species is described for the first time. The pollen grains share similar characteristics, being monads, medium-sized, bilaterally symmetrical, and prolate in shape, with a monocolpate aperture and verrucate exine sculpturing. These findings provided valuable insights to support future breeding efforts aimed at enhancing their ornamental value. Full article

This investigation examines the diversity and utilization of Commelinaceae in three research areas in central Laos. It identifies a total of 17 species, including Amischotolype divaricata Duist., Callisia fragrans (Lindl.) Woodson, Callisia repens (Jacq.) L., Commelina benghalensis L., Commeilina diffusa Burm.f., Cyanotis arachnoidea C.B. Clarke, Cyanotis axillaris (L.) D. Don ex Sweet, Cyanotis cristata (L.) D. Don, Floscopa scandens Lour., Murdannia edulis (Stokes) Faden, Murdannia medica (Lour.) D.Y. Hong, Murdannia nudiflora (L.) Brenan, Murdannia spectabilis (Kurz) Faden, Pollia thyrsiflora (Blume) Steud., Tradescantia pallida (Rose) D.R. Hunt, Tradescantia spathacea Sw., and Tradescantia zebrina Bosse. There are ten species within this family that are utilized for food, medicine, ornamental purposes, or as animal feed. Floscopa scandens has the highest use value (UV) of 1.24, followed closely by Commelina diffusa with a UV of 1.22. Murdannia spectabilis has the lowest UV of 0.39 and is mostly utilized for ornamental purposes. Several species, including Commelina diffusa, Floscopa scandens, and Tradescantia zebrina, are utilized in traditional medicine to address musculoskeletal ailments, provide food, and alleviate obstetric/gynecological concerns. The informant agreement ratio (IAR) is 1.00 for musculoskeletal symptoms and nourishment and 0.9 for obstetric and gynecological symptoms. The plant species Commelina diffusa, Tradescantia zebrina, and Floscopa scandens demonstrate a fidelity level (%FL) of 100% in traditional medicinal use, with Floscopa scandens showing %FL of 63.64% for back pain treatment and 36.36% for postpartum recovery. Full article

Alien species represent one of the causes of biodiversity loss, both in natural and anthropic environments. This study contributes to the assessment of alien species impact on Western Po Plain rice field cultivations, referring to different agricultural management practices and ecological traits. Flora and vegetation were studied (the latter through the phytosociological method), and α-biodiversity was estimated through Shannon and Simpson Indices. Results highlighted a significant floristic contingent depletion and increase in therophyte and alien components, compared to pre-existing studies (1950s); higher α-biodiversity levels in organic farms, compared to conventional farms, but also a higher invasive alien species percentage. The high deterioration of the territorial–landscape context appears to play a major role in shaping these patterns. Some of these alien species are particularly aggressive (e.g., Murdannia keisak), as confirmed by two experimental rice field plots which were left unharvested, continuously flooded, making it possible to assess the competitiveness between weed species. The detected weed vegetation is attributed to the Oryzo sativae-Echinochloetum cruris-galli association, already described for Southern Europe, with two different ecological and floristic variants. Future studies, by including other sites and framing their territorial–landscape context, may further complement this overview on the alien species distribution and behavior in rice fields, hence facilitating their strategic management. Full article