Search Results (11)

Nymphaea candida Presl is a rare hardy water lily at risk of extinction and has been included on the ‘Red List’ of threatened species of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. To protect germplasm resources and propagate N. candida seedlings, this study conducted tissue culture and found that pathogenic endophytic fungal infection was the main reason for failure of tissue culture. Compared with the stems and leaves, the roots of N. candida had the highest rates of fungal infection during tissue culture. Subsequently, three isolated endophytic fungi, Fusarium oxysporum, Phytopythium helicoides, and Alternaria sp., showed the highest frequency of occurrence in tissue culture. Furthermore, an antifungal formulation comprising 0.1 μg/mL pyrimidin suspension, 1 μg/mL mancozeb wettable powder, and 1 μg/mL carbendazim was constructed and could reduce the infection rates of root and stem tissues to 7.5% and 0%, respectively. Finally, the usefulness of this antifungal formulation for inhibition of endophytic fungi in tissue culture of N. candida was validated. This study not only provides important technical support for mass production of seedlings of N. candida, but also provides a scientific reference for the protection of endangered aquatic plant species. Full article

Lilium davidii var. unicolor is an important genetic resource for the origin of Asiatic hybrid lilies and a vital edible lily resource in China. To develop new lily germplasm combining ornamental and edible values, this study conducted five hybrid combinations between Lilium davidii var. unicolor (abbreviated as LDU) and Tiger/Pearl series Asiatic hybrid cultivars. Fourteen quantitative traits, along with spot patterns and flower color, were measured in 196 individual plants from the hybrid population, encompassing plant growth and ornamental traits. The brightness (L*), red–green component (a*), and yellow–blue component (b*) of flower color were measured and analyzed. Additionally, the genetic variation in growth and ornamental traits among the hybrid progeny was investigated. Studies have shown that the progeny of Lilium davidii var. unicolor and hybrids with lilies of different ploidy levels exhibit significant diversity in growth traits. Specifically, the F1 generation is characterized by increased plant height and larger flower diameter. Regarding tepal spotting, all five combinations produced both spotted and non-spotted individuals, with a ratio ranging from 3:1 to 5:1. Notable variation in spot distribution and density was observed among spotted individuals, with four combinations exhibiting apparent heterosis, particularly in two combinations involving tetraploid parents. Spots displayed diverse patterns, including scattered, concentrated, and ring-shaped distributions. Cluster analysis based on brightness (L*), redness–greenness (a*), and yellowness–blueness (b*) values categorized the flower colors of the hybrid population into four major types: orange, yellow/yellow-white, light pink, and red. Notably, the hybrids predominantly exhibited enhanced brightness (L*) and yellowness–blueness (b*), with the orange color spectrum being the most prevalent. This study provides a theoretical foundation and practical guidance for the improvement of ornamental traits and germplasm innovation in lilies. Full article

Liverwort (Marchantia polymorpha) competes for resources within containers, resulting in a reduction in the quality and market value of ornamentals. Therefore, the objective of this study was (1) to assess the impact of different mulch types, depths, and their moisture-holding-capacity on liverwort control and (2) to quantify if phytotoxicities develop on ornamental plants due to the mulches. The percent water retention of four different organic mulches [rice hull (RH), cocoa hull (CH), pine bark (PB), or red hardwood (HW)] was determined in a laboratory experiment. In a greenhouse experiment, the Hosta plantaginea (Plantain Lily) varieties ‘Curly Fries’ and ‘Pandora’s Box’ were mulched with either RH, HW, CH, or PB at a depth of 0.63, 1.27, 2.54, or 5.08 cm. Liverwort thalli coverage on the container surface was visually estimated bi-weekly, and the fresh weight of the thalli was recorded at the end of the experiment. The results indicated that CH mulch retained the highest amount of moisture (86%). The RH and HW mulches, at depths of 1.27 cm or more, provided excellent (>80%) liverwort control in ‘Curly Fries’. All mulches at depths of 1.27 cm or more showed excellent (100%) liverwort control for ‘Pandora’s Box’. Overall, RH and PB mulches at all depths provided excellent liverwort control and no reduction in the growth of ‘Curly Fries’ and ‘Pandora’s Box’. Full article

Lilium is a genus of important ornamental plants with many colouring pattern variations. Lilium auratum is the parent of Oriental hybrid lilies. A typical feature of L. auratum is the presence of red-orange special raised spots named papillae on the interior tepals. Unlike the usual raised spots, the papillae are slightly rounded or connected into sheets and usually have hairy tips. To elucidate the potential genes regulating papillae development in L. auratum, we performed high-throughput sequencing of its tepals at different stages. Genes involved in the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway were significantly enriched during the colouration of the papillae, and CHS, F3H, F3′H, FLS, DFR, ANS, and UFGT were significantly upregulated. To identify the key genes involved in the papillae development of L. auratum, we performed weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) and further analysed four modules. In total, 51, 24, 1, and 6 hub genes were identified in four WGCNA modules, MEbrown, MEyellow, MEpurple, and MEred, respectively. Then, the coexpression networks were constructed, and important genes involved in trichome development and coexpressed with anthocyanin biosynthesis genes, such as TT8, TTG1, and GEM, were identified. These results indicated that the papillae are essentially trichomes that accumulate anthocyanins. Finally, we randomly selected 12 hub genes for qRT-PCR analysis to verify the accuracy of our RNA-Seq analysis. Our results provide new insights into the papillae development in L. auratum flowers. Full article

Flower color, including color hues and spot patterns, is an extremely important trait in Asiatic hybrid lilies. Investigating flower color variation across different cross combinations may help us select breeding parents efficiently. Thus, three hybridizations with different compositions of anthocyanins and carotenoids were performed, and 65, 289 and 125 offspring were obtained, respectively. For the parents and progenies, flower color hues were quantified by the CIELAB system, and the total number of raised spots on tepals was counted. Then, a cluster analysis and a statistical analysis were used to explore the inheritance patterns of flower color. The results showed that an orange flower color with high levels of carotenoids was highly heritable and that the progenies were less segregated, showing orange, orange-red, and yellow flowers. Parents showing red and purple-red flowers with differing levels of carotenoids and anthocyanins produced offspring with extensive segregation, including pink-white, pink, orange-pink, orange-red, yellow, and orange flowers. Meanwhile, different contents of anthocyanins and carotenoids resulted in variable proportions in color groups. Additionally, for F1 generation, the number of raised spots was continuously separated, demonstrating distinct quantitative genetic characteristics. For parents with few or intermediate spots, the hybrid plants showed both prominent negative and positive heterosis. For parents with many spots that covered almost the full tepals, the hybrid seedlings all exhibited raised spots. Full article

The double-flowered lily ‘Red Twin’, in which stamens are transformed into petaloid organs, sometimes exhibits normal stamens owing to an unknown mechanism and thus greatly affecting its commercial quality. In this study, the morphogenesis of stamens and petaloid stamens in this cultivar grown under different temperature treatments were investigated. Two AGAMOUS-like genes were isolated and their expression levels were analyzed. The results showed that relatively high temperatures induced the morphogenesis of stamens, while relatively low temperatures promoted petaloidy in ‘Red Twin’. The stage with 1–6 mm flower buds was identified as the critical development period for stamen morphogenesis; furthermore, keeping the flower buds under relatively low temperatures in the 1–3 or 3–6 mm stages would be sufficient for the formation of petaloid stamens to a high degree. In addition, LrtAG1 and LrtAG2 showed the highest expression level in whorls 3 and 4 of 3–6 mm flower buds, respectively. LrtAG1 showed a higher reduction ratio than LrtAG2 when the flower buds were transferred to low temperature, implying that the decreased LrtAG1 expression level is associated with low temperature and might be correlated with the petaloidy of the stamens. Full article

The discharge of large amounts of effluents contaminated with gentian violet (GV) and phenol red (PR) threatens aquatic flora and fauna as well as human health, which is why these effluents must be treated before being discarded. This study seeks the removal of dyes, using water lily (Eichhornia crassipes) as an adsorbent with different pretreatments. PR and GV were analyzed by a UV-visible spectrophotometer. Equilibrium experimental data showed that Freundlich is the best model to fit PR and SIPS for GV, showing that the adsorption process for both dyes was heterogeneous, favorable, chemical (for GV), and physical (for PR). The thermodynamic analysis for the adsorption process of both dyes depends directly on the increase in temperature and is carried out spontaneously. The Pseudo first Order (PFO) kinetic model for GV and PR is the best fit for the dyes having an adsorption capacity of 91 and 198 mg/g, respectively. The characterization of the materials demonstrated significant changes in the bands of lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose, which indicates that the functional groups could participate in the capture of the dyes together with the electrostatic forces of the medium, from which it be concluded that the adsorption process is carried out by several mechanisms. Full article

Flower color is an important characteristic that determines the commercial value of ornamental plants. The development of modern biotechnology methods such as genetic engineering enables the creation of new flower colors that cannot be achieved with classical methods of hybridization or mutational breeding. This is the first report on the successful Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation of Viola cornuta L. The hypocotyl explants of cv. “Lutea Splendens” variety with yellow flowers were transformed with A. tumefaciens carrying empty pWBVec10a vector (Llccs⁻) or pWBVec10a/CaMV 35S::Llccs::TNos vector (Llccs⁺) for capsanthin/capsorubin synthase gene (Llccs) from tiger lily (Lilium lancifolium). A comparative study of shoot multiplication, rooting ability during culture in vitro, as well as phenotypic characteristics of untransformed (control) and transgenic Llccs⁻ and Llccs⁺ plants during ex vitro growth and flowering is presented. Successful integration of Llccs transgene allows the synthesis of red pigment capsanthin in petal cells that gives flowers different shades of an orange/reddish color. We demonstrate that the ectopic expression of Llccs gene in ornamental plants, such as V. cornuta “Lutea Splendens” could successfully be used to change flower color from yellow to different shades of orange. Full article

The members of the Liliaceae family are considered an excellent source of biologically active compounds. However, work on antimicrobial potential and characterization of the bioactive fractions of the Lilium philadelphicum flower is limited and needs to be explored. The present study reports the antimicrobial potential of the bioactive fraction extracted from the flower of L. philadelphicum (red lily) and partial characterization of the bioactive compound(s). The antimicrobial activity was tested against nine different Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of methanolic extract of the L. philadelphicum flower against Acinetobacter bouvetii, Achromobacter xylosoxidans, Bacillus subtilis MTCC 121, Candida albicans MTCC 183, Klebsiella pneumoniae MTCC 3384, and Salmonella typhi MTCC 537 were 25, 50, 12.5, 50, 100, and 50 μg/mL, respectively. The phytochemical analysis of the extract revealed the presence of phenols, flavonoids, tannins, terpenoids, glycosides, coumarins, and quinones. The cytotoxicity of the partially purified compound against the HepG2 cell line using MTT assay demonstrated up to 90% cell viability with a bioactive compound concentration of 50 μg/mL. However, the increase in the bioactive compound’s concentration up to 1000 μg/mL resulted in nearly 80% cell viability. This minor decline in cell viability suggests the importance and suitability of the bioactive compound for therapeutic applications. Spectroscopic studies of the bioactive compound by UV-visible spectroscopy, FT-infrared spectroscopy, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), as well as phytochemical analysis, suggested the presence of a terpenoid moiety, which may be responsible for the antimicrobial property of the L. philadelphicum flower. Full article

Use of light emitting diode (LED) technology is beginning to replace traditional lighting in greenhouses. This research focused on the effects of LED lighting and gibberellic acid supplementation on growth and flowering of Dahlia spp. ‘Karma Serena’, Liatris spicata ‘Kobold’, and Lilium asiatic ‘Yellow Cocotte’. Light treatments, used to extend photoperiod, included LED flowering lamps and halogen lamps that emitted a combination of red + far-red + white, red + white, and broad spectrum from late fall to early spring. Gibberellic acid treatments ranged from 40 to 340 mg L⁻¹ for Asiatic lily ‘Yellow Cocotte’, 50 to 250 for gayfeather ‘Kobold’, and 50 to 150 for dahlia ‘Karma Serena’. Results varied within species in response to light and gibberellic acid. A significant interaction of light with gibberellic acid influenced mean flower number and flowering percentage for dahlia ‘Karma Serena’, while flowering percentage and flower diameter were influenced for Asiatic lily ‘Yellow Cocotte’. Effect of light was most significant on growth and flowering measurements, especially for gayfeather ‘Kobold’ and dahlia ‘Karma Serena’. For gayfeather ‘Kobold’, flowering occurred two weeks earlier under sole LED lighting than under other light treatments and no supplemental light. Although flowering occurred the earliest for dahlia ‘Karma Serena’ under no supplemental light, plants under light treatments had greater height, width, and shoot weight. Significant effects of gibberellic acid on growth and flowering measurements for dahlia ‘Karma Serena’ and Asiatic lily ‘Yellow Cocotte’ were observed for height, width, and flower number. Full article

Many conventional features of world tree motifs in the ancient Near East—including stalked palmettes, aureoles of water lily palmettes connected by pliant stems, floral rosettes, winged disks and bud-and-blossom motifs—trace largely from Egyptian practices in lotus symbolism around 2500 BCE, more than a millennium before they appear, migrate and dominate plant symbolism across the Fertile Crescent from 1500 BCE to 200 CE. Several of these motifs were associated singularly or collectively with the Egyptian sema-taui and ankh signs to symbolize the eternal recurrence and everlasting lives of Nilotic lotus deities and deceased pharaohs. The widespread use of lotus imagery in iconographic records on both sides of the Red Sea indicates strong currents of cultural diffusion between Nilotic and Mesopotamian civilizations, as does the use of lotus flowers in religious rituals and the practice of kingship, evidence for which is supported by iconographic, cuneiform and biblical records. This perspective provides new insights into sacral tree symbolism and its role in mythic legacies of Egypt and the Middle East before and during the advent of Christianity. Closer scholarly scrutiny is still needed to fully comprehend the underlying meaning of immortalizing plants in the mythic traditions of Egypt, the Levant and Mesopotamia. Full article