DOCSLIB.ORG

Characterization of Calcium Oxalate Biominerals in Some (Non-Cactaceae) Succulent Plant Species Paula V

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Characterization of Calcium Oxalate Biominerals in Some (Non-Cactaceae) Succulent Plant Species Paula V Characterization of Calcium Oxalate Biominerals in Some (Non-Cactaceae) Succulent Plant Species Paula V. Monje and Enrique J. Baran* Centro de Química Inorgánica (CEQUINOR, CONICET/UNLP), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, C. Correo 962, 1900 La Plata, Argentina. E-mail: [email protected] * Author for correspondence and reprint requests Z. Naturforsch. 65 c, 429 – 432 (2010); received February 5, 2010 The water-accumulating leaves of crassulacean acid metabolism plants belonging to fi ve different families were investigated for the presence of biominerals by infrared spectro- scopic and microscopic analyses. Spectroscopic results revealed that the mineral present in succulent species of Agavaceae, Aizoaceae, and Asphodelaceae was calcium oxalate mono- hydrate (whewellite, CaC2O4 · H2O). Crystals were predominantly found as raphides or soli- tary crystals of various morphologies. However, representative Crassulaceae members and a succulent species of Asteraceae did not show the presence of biominerals. Overall, these results suggest no correlation between calcium oxalate generation and crassulacean acid metabolism in succulent plants. Key words: Succulent Plants, Biominerals, Whewellite, Crassulacean Acid Metabolism Introduction With the exception of some Pereskioideae species, all Cactaceae members are succulents, a The succulent photosynthetic stem parenchyma diverse group of plants that store water in their of Cactaceae family members contains abundant leaves, stems and/or roots as an adaptive trait to calcium oxalate crystals. Whereas Opuntioideae arid soils, high temperature, and prolonged water (pad-like cacti) and Pereskioideae (ancestral cac- defi cit. Most succulent plants also display other ti) species preferentially deposit calcium oxalate water-saving features that include: 1) a reduced monohydrate (CaC2O4 · H2O, whewellite), Cereo- outer surface that confers the plants a typical co- ideae species (columnar cacti) show predomi- lumnar or spherical shape; 2) reduced or absent nance of calcium oxalate dihydrate (CaC2O4 · leaves and a stem adapted to perform photosyn- 2H2O, weddellite). In Cactaceae, crystals of cal- thesis; 3) a waxy, hairy or multi-layered epider- cium oxalate are found as druses, i.e. multi-crystal mis with a reduced number of stomata, which are agglomerates with an overall spherical shape, re- closed during the day and open during the night; gardless their chemical composition (Monje and 4) a type of photosynthesis known as crassu- Baran, 2002). Interestingly, the biomineralization lacean acid metabolism (CAM), which allows of calcium oxalate in Cactaceae shows some ex- the fi xation of carbon dioxide during the night clusive features: 1) the content of calcium oxalate thereby minimizing the loss of water through the in photosynthetic tissues can reach up to 80 – 90% open stomata (Bowyer and Leegwood, 1997). The of the plants’ dry weight; 2) most Cereoideae relationship between CAM and calcium oxalate members show large diameter druses of highly formation is at present unclear. pure and stable weddellite, a thermodynamically In this study, we investigated the presence of metastable form of calcium oxalate which is rare- bio minerals in CAM species not related to Cacta- ly found in living organisms under the form of a ceae. Abundant crystals with different morpholo- druse because it easily converts into whewellite; gies were isolated from the succulent photosyn- and 3) some species of cacti have shown co-exist- thetic tissues of all analysed succulent species of ence of whewellite and weddellite in a single or- Agavaceae, Aizoaceae, and Asphodelaceae. Con- ganism (Baran and Monje, 2008; Hartl et al., 2007; trary to Cactaceae, the isolated crystalline materi- Malainine et al., 2003). al was predominantly found in the form of raphi- 0939 – 5075/2010/0700 – 0429 $ 06.00 © 2010 Verlag der Zeitschrift für Naturforschung, Tübingen · http://www.znaturforsch.com · D 430 P. V. Monje and E. J. Baran · Biominerals in Succulent Plants des, i.e. bundles of elongated needle-like crystals, with ethanol until tissue debris was no longer evi- and the spectroscopic analysis revealed that the dent. This procedure rendered crystalline samples biomineral present was always whewellite. consisting mainly of intact raphides and various quantities of solitary crystals of different mor- Material and Methods phologies, i.e. styloids and prismatic crystals. Plant material Infrared spectroscopy The succulent leaves of a number of represen- Purifi ed samples were dried under a nitrogen tative CAM species were harvested from healthy fl ow before spectroscopic analysis. The IR spec- and well-hydrated specimens growing under tra were obtained by means of a Bruker IFS 66 normal greenhouse conditions, regardless of the spectrophotometer in the spectral range between season and other environmental conditions. The 4000 and 400 cm–1 using the KBr pellet tech- plant material was kindly provided by the South nique (4 mg of the powdered sample dispersed in Florida Cactus and Succulent Society (Miami, FL, 100 mg of KBr). The samples were determined as USA). whewellite, by comparison with results from pre- vious studies (Monje and Baran, 2002, 2009). Crystal isolation and purifi cation The crystalline material was isolated from fresh Phase contrast microscopy plant tissues following a previously described For microscopic observations, freshly isolated method (Monje and Baran, 2009). Briefl y, the crystals were suspended in water and mounted plant tissue was cut into thin slices using a razor on glass slides for phase contrast microscopy on blade and immersed in 6% sodium hypochlorite an Olympus IX-70 inverted microscope, using solution for 48 h. The digested tissue sections were 10 – 40× dry objectives. Black and white digital disrupted mechanically and fi ltered through ster- pictures were processed and arranged for pres- ile gauze. The fi ltered extract was allowed to de- entation using Adobe Photoshop 7.0 and Adobe cant for at least 30 min in a test tube or collected Illustrator CS3. by low-speed centrifugation (1,000 rpm, 10 min). The resulting pellet containing crystalline prod- Results and Discussion ucts was suspended in absolute ethanol, and the crystals were collected by inspection through a In this study, we performed an infrared spec- stereomicroscope. Crystals were repeatedly rinsed troscopic and microscopic analysis of the biomin- Fig. 1. Representative crystal shapes of calcium oxalate (CaC2O4 · H2O, whew- ellite) from non-Cactaceae succulent species: (a, b) Gasteria liliputana; (c) Aloe nobilis; (d, e) A. harliana, and (f, g) Faucaria stomatium. Intact raphides still enclosed within the cell walls of the crystal-forming cells (a, c, and f) were typically found in the isolated preparations. Detailed images of the individual crystals that compose the raphides are shown in b, e, and g. Oth- er crystal morphologies, e.g. styloids (d), and prismatic crystals (c and d, arrowheads) were less abundant but usually present in most of the ana- lysed samples. Scale bars, 10 μm. P. V. Monje and E. J. Baran · Biominerals in Succulent Plants 431 Table I. Microscopic and IR-spectroscopic analysis of biominerals isolated from the leaves of non-Cactaceae suc- culent plants species. Family Genus Crystalsa Morphology Chemical compositionb Agavaceae Agave parrasana Yes, higly abundant Raphides (abundant) Whewellite Styloids (few) Prismatic crystals (few) Agave victoria Yes, abundant Raphides (abundant) Whewellite Styloids (few) Aizoaceae Faucaria stomatium Yes, abundant Raphids (abundant) Whewellite Prismatic crystals (few) Asphodelaceae Aloe nobilis Yes, abundant Raphides (abundant) Whewellite Prismatic crystals (few) Aloe harlana Yes, abundant Raphides (abundant) Whewellite Gasteria liliputana Yes, abundant Raphides (abundant) Whewellite Haworthia obtusa Yes, abundant Raphides (abundant) Whewellite Asteraceae Senecio citriformis Not observed Crassulaceae Sedum pachyphyllum Not observed Graptopetalum Not observed amethystimum Adromischus maculatus Not observed a Microscopic observations. b Determined by IR spectroscopy. erals present in the leaves of water-accumulating species of Crassulaceae and a succulent species of species of Agavaceae, Aizoaceae, Asphodelaceae, Asteraceae. The absence of crystals in these spe- Crassulaceae, and Asteraceae (formerly named as cies was confi rmed by microscopic observations Compositae). Infrared spectroscopy is a powerful of live tissue sections. tool for the investigation of the chemical com- Despite the widespread occurrence of calcium position of plant material (Baran, 2005) and we oxalates in the plant kingdom, limited informa- have used this methodology successfully in earlier tion has been given on the presence of calcium investigations of plant biominerals, including cal- oxalates in succulent species displaying CAM, cium oxalates (e.g. Monje and Baran, 2002, 2009; with the exception of Cactaceae (Rivera and Baran and Rolleri, 2009), magnesium oxalates Smith, 1979; Monje and Baran, 2002; Hartl et al., (Monje and Baran, 2005) and silicon dioxide (e.g. 2007; Baran and Monje, 2008). The results from Monje and Baran, 2000). the present study indicate that calcium oxalates The results from the present study are summa- are also abundant in the succulent tissues of Aga- rized in Table I. Fig. 1 shows representative crys- vaceae, Asphodelaceae, and Aizoaceae species. tal shapes found in the isolated material of some Consistent with our fi ndings, two species of Aga- of the investigated
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Bleach Plant Scale Control Best Practices to Minimize Barium Sulfate and Calcium Oxalate Scale, Down Time and Cost
    Bleach Plant Scale Control Best Practices to Minimize Barium Sulfate and Calcium Oxalate Scale, Down Time and Cost Michael Wang, Ph.D. Solenis LLC, [email protected] Scott Boutilier, P.Eng. Solenis LLC ABSTRACT Chlorine dioxide used as a delignification agent in the first stage (D0) of a bleach plant is a common practice in North America. Compared to a conventional chlorination stage, using chlorine dioxide at the D0 stage requires a relatively high pH (2.5 – 4.5) to achieve maximum delignification and bleaching efficiency. These operating conditions often result in an increased risk of developing either barium sulphate and/or calcium oxalate scale, depending on the operating pH range. This can lead to significant production losses, extra maintenance costs, high bleaching chemical costs and quality issues. Through process modification, many mills are able to reduce or eliminate calcium oxalate scale formation by running the D0 stage at a relatively low pH. These same mills incur higher costs though as a result of higher acid and caustic costs. For mills with higher barium levels, lowering the pH in the first chlorine dioxide (D0) stage will also increase the risk of barium sulphate scale, particularly if the mill uses spent acid from chlorine dioxide generation. For mills having limited water supply or using water with high hardness, calcium oxalate issues can be even more problematic when those mills operate at the higher end of the pH range (3.5 – 4.5). This paper will discuss how several mills have improved their bleach operation efficiency, reduced down time and decreased maintenance costs with a scale control program that manages both barium sulphate and calcium oxalate scale.
    [Show full text]
  • Educate Your Patients About Kidney Stones a REFERENCE GUIDE for HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS
    Educate Your Patients about Kidney Stones A REFERENCE GUIDE FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS Kidney stones Kidney stones can be a serious problem. A kidney stone is a hard object that is made from chemicals in the urine. There are five types of kidney stones: Calcium oxalate: Most common, created when calcium combines with oxalate in the urine. Calcium phosphate: Can be associated with hyperparathyroidism and renal tubular acidosis. Uric acid: Can be associated with a diet high in animal protein. Struvite: Less common, caused by infections in the upper urinary tract. Cystine: Rare and tend to run in families with a history of cystinuria. People who had a kidney stone are at higher risk of having another stone. Kidney stones may also increase the risk of kidney disease. Symptoms A stone that is small enough can pass through the ureter with no symptoms. However, if the stone is large enough, it may stay in the kidney or travel down the urinary tract into the ureter. Stones that don’t move may cause significant pain, urinary outflow obstruction, or other health problems. Possible symptoms include severe pain on either side of the lower back, more vague pain or stomach ache that doesn’t go away, blood in the urine, nausea or vomiting, fever and chills, or urine that smells bad or looks cloudy. Speak with a healthcare professional if you feel any of these symptoms. Risk factors Risk factors can include a family or personal history of kidney stones, diets high in protein, salt, or sugar, obesity, or digestive diseases or surgeries.
    [Show full text]
  • Mesembryanthemum Nodiflorum Laurence Garvie Chandler, Arizona
    Mesembryanthemum nodiflorum Laurence Garvie Chandler, Arizona December 2008 Up close, Mesembryanthemum nodiflorum (family Aizoaceae, common name ice plant) displays jewel‐ like leaves, pure white flowers with yellow stamens, and forms mats that cover the desert floor like a red tapestry. Extensive mats of M. nodiflorum grow just south and southwest of Phoenix, primarily on the Gila Indian reservation. Good examples are found along Riggs Road, just west of the I10 intersection. The crystalline appearance of the leaves is the result of epidermal bladder cell that contain concentrated salt solutions. Like many succulents, its redness increases with water stress. M. nodiflorum is native to the Namibian Desert and South Africa and is a recent introduction to Arizona, being first recorded in 1983 by researchers at the University of Arizona. In the United States, M. nodiflorum is a non‐native invasive weed that threatens wild lands. It provides little for native foraging animals as its saltiness deters herbivory. It is also expected to alter soil chemistry by increasing surface salinity after death of the plant, which may interfere with germination and growth of native plants. Plant ecologists have mapped thousands of acres of this plant in some areas of Maricopa County. It is likely that this species has not yet reached its full extent and is expected to establish widely. Suitable habitats in the valley include disturbed areas, canals, agricultural areas, and alleys. Despite its intrinsic, up‐close beauty this is unlikely a succulent we want in our collection. On the other hand, there are many interesting members of the family Aizoaceae that feature in our collections such as Lithops and Oophytum.
    [Show full text]
  • WRA Species Report
    Family: Aizoaceae Taxon: Tetragonia tetragonoides Synonym: Demidovia tetragonoides Pall. (basionym) Common Name New Zealand spinach Tetragonia expansa Murray Questionaire : current 20090513 Assessor: Chuck Chimera Designation: H(Hawai'i) Status: Assessor Approved Data Entry Person: Chuck Chimera WRA Score 7 101 Is the species highly domesticated? y=-3, n=0 n 102 Has the species become naturalized where grown? y=1, n=-1 103 Does the species have weedy races? y=1, n=-1 201 Species suited to tropical or subtropical climate(s) - If island is primarily wet habitat, then (0-low; 1-intermediate; 2- High substitute "wet tropical" for "tropical or subtropical" high) (See Appendix 2) 202 Quality of climate match data (0-low; 1-intermediate; 2- High high) (See Appendix 2) 203 Broad climate suitability (environmental versatility) y=1, n=0 y 204 Native or naturalized in regions with tropical or subtropical climates y=1, n=0 y 205 Does the species have a history of repeated introductions outside its natural range? y=-2, ?=-1, n=0 y 301 Naturalized beyond native range y = 1*multiplier (see y Appendix 2), n= question 205 302 Garden/amenity/disturbance weed n=0, y = 1*multiplier (see y Appendix 2) 303 Agricultural/forestry/horticultural weed n=0, y = 2*multiplier (see n Appendix 2) 304 Environmental weed n=0, y = 2*multiplier (see Appendix 2) 305 Congeneric weed n=0, y = 1*multiplier (see Appendix 2) 401 Produces spines, thorns or burrs y=1, n=0 n 402 Allelopathic y=1, n=0 n 403 Parasitic y=1, n=0 n 404 Unpalatable to grazing animals y=1, n=-1 n 405 Toxic
    [Show full text]
  • Thermogravimetric Analysis Advanced Techniques for Better Materials
    Thermogravimetric Analysis Advanced Techniques for Better Materials Characterisation Philip Davies TA Instruments UK TAINSTRUMENTS.COM Thermogravimetric Analysis •Change in a samples weight (increase or decrease) as a function of temperature (increasing) or time at a specific temperature. •Basic analysis would run a sample (~10mg) at 10 or 20°C/min •We may be interested in the quantification of the weight loss or gain, relative comparison of transition temperatures and quantification of residue. .These values generally represent the gravimetric factors we are interested in. Decomposition Temperature Volatile content Composition Filler Residue Soot …… TAINSTRUMENTS.COM Discovery TGA 55XX TAINSTRUMENTS.COM Discovery TGA 55XX Null Point Balance TAINSTRUMENTS.COM Vapour Sorption •Technique associated with TGA •Looking at the sorption and desorption of a vapour species on a material. •Generally think about water vapour (humidity) but can also look at solvent vapours or other gas species (eg CO, CO2, NOx, SOx) TAINSTRUMENTS.COM Vapour Sorption Systems TAINSTRUMENTS.COM Rubotherm – Magnetic Suspension Balance Allowing sorption studies at elevated pressures. Isolation of the balance means studies with corrosive gasses is much easier. TAINSTRUMENTS.COM Mechanisms of Weight Change in TGA •Weight Loss: .Decomposition: The breaking apart of chemical bonds. .Evaporation: The loss of volatiles with elevated temperature. .Reduction: Interaction of sample to a reducing atmosphere (hydrogen, ammonia, etc). .Desorption. •Weight Gain: .Oxidation:
    [Show full text]
  • The Wonderful World of Cacti. July 7, 2020
    OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION Succulents part 1: The wonderful world of cacti. July 7, 2020 Betzy Rivera. Master Gardener Volunteer OSU Extension – Franklin County OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION Succulent plants Are plants with parts that are thickened and fleshy, capacity that helps to retain water in arid climates. Over 25 families have species of succulents. The most representative families are: Crassulaceae, Agavaceae, Aizoaceae, Euphorbiacea and Cactaceae. 2 OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION The Cactaceae family is endemic to America and the distribution extends throughout the continent from Canada to Argentina, in addition to the Galapagos Islands and Antilles Most important centers of diversification (Bravo-Hollis & Sánchez-Mejorada, 1978; Hernández & Godínez, 1994; Arias-Montes, 1993; Anderson, 2001; Guzmán et al., 2003; Ortega- Baes & Godínez-Alvarez, 2006 3 OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION There is an exception — one of the 1,800 species occurs naturally in Africa, Sri Lanka, and Madagascar Rhipsalis baccifera 4 OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION The Cactaceae family includes between ~ 1,800 and 2,000 species whose life forms include climbing, epiphytic, shrubby, upright, creeping or decumbent plants, globose, cylindrical or columnar in shape (Bravo-Hollis & Sánchez-Mejorada, 1978; Hernández & Godínez, 1994; Guzmán et al., 2003). 5 OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION Cacti are found in a wide variety of environments, however the greatest diversity of forms is found in arid and semi-arid areas, where they play an important role in maintaining the stability of ecosystems (Bravo-Hollis & Sánchez-Mejorada, 1978; Hernández & Godínez, 1994; Guzmán et al., 2003). 6 OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION The Cactaceae family are dicotyledonous plants 2 cotyledons Astrophytum myriostigma (common names: Bishop´s cap cactus, bishop’s hat or miter cactus) 7 OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION General Anatomy of a Cactus Cactus spines are produced from specialized structures called areoles, a kind of highly reduced branch.
    [Show full text]
  • Physiological and Biochemical Responses of (Aptenia Cordifolia) to Salt Stress and Its Remediative Effect on Saline Soils - 1329
    Karakas et al.: Physiological and biochemical responses of (Aptenia cordifolia) to salt stress and its remediative effect on saline soils - 1329 - PHYSIOLOGICAL AND BIOCHEMICAL RESPONSES OF (APTENIA CORDIFOLIA) TO SALT STRESS AND ITS REMEDIATIVE EFFECT ON SALINE SOILS KARAKAS, S.1* – DIKILITAS, M.2 – ALMACA, A.1 – TIPIRDAMAZ, R.3 1Department of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, Faculty of Agriculture, Harran University, Sanlıurfa, Turkey 2Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Harran University, Sanlıurfa, Turkey 3Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey *Corresponding author e-mail: [email protected]; phone: +90-414-318-3679 (Received 9th Sep 2019; accepted 21st Jan 2020) Abstract. Salinization is one of the most significant environmental problems in the world. Salinity negatively affects the physicochemical properties of the soil and reduces crop production. This study aimed to investigate the potential use of Aptenia cordifolia L. for the phytoremediation of salt-affected soils. Three salt levels; non-saline (NS, EC: 1.38 dS m-1), slightly saline (SS, EC: 3.54 dS m-1) and highly saline (HS, EC: 9.58 dS m-1) soils were collected from Harran Plain-Turkey and used to cultivated A. cordifolia in pots. To assess the salt tolerance of the plants, physiological and biochemical parameters as well as the accumulation of leaf Na+ and Cl- ions were determined. In the meantime, soils were evaluated in terms of electrical conductivity, pH, organic matter and soil enzymes (dehydrogenase, urease, phosphatase and protease) before and after the cultivation. A significant increase in shoot fresh weight and dry weight were obtained from A.
    [Show full text]
  • Phylogenetic Placement and Generic Re-Circumscriptions of The
    TAXON 65 (2) • April 2016: 249–261 Powell & al. • Generic recircumscription in Schlechteranthus Phylogenetic placement and generic re-circumscriptions of the multilocular genera Arenifera, Octopoma and Schlechteranthus (Aizoaceae: Ruschieae): Evidence from anatomical, morphological and plastid DNA data Robyn F. Powell,1,2 James S. Boatwright,1 Cornelia Klak3 & Anthony R. Magee2,4 1 Department of Biodiversity & Conservation Biology, University of the Western Cape, Private Bag X17, Bellville, Cape Town, South Africa 2 Compton Herbarium, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Private Bag X7, Claremont 7735, Cape Town, South Africa 3 Bolus Herbarium, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, 7701, Rondebosch, South Africa 4 Department of Botany & Plant Biotechnology, University of Johannesburg, P.O. Box 524, Auckland Park 2006, Johannesburg, South Africa Author for correspondence: Robyn Powell, [email protected] ORCID RFP, http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7361-3164 DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.12705/652.3 Abstract Ruschieae is the largest tribe in the highly speciose subfamily Ruschioideae (Aizoaceae). A generic-level phylogeny for the tribe was recently produced, providing new insights into relationships between the taxa. Octopoma and Arenifera are woody shrubs with multilocular capsules and are distributed across the Succulent Karoo. Octopoma was shown to be polyphyletic in the tribal phylogeny, but comprehensive sampling is required to confirm its polyphyly. Arenifera has not previously been sampled and therefore its phylogenetic placement in the tribe is uncertain. In this study, phylogenetic sampling for nine plastid regions (atpB-rbcL, matK, psbJ-petA, rpl16, rps16, trnD-trnT, trnL-F, trnQUUG-rps16, trnS-trnG) was expanded to include all species of Octopoma and Arenifera, to assess phylogenetic placement and relationships of these genera.
    [Show full text]
  • February 2019 ---International Rock Gardener--- February 2019
    International Rock Gardener ISSN 2053-7557 Number 110 The Scottish Rock Garden Club February 2019 ---International Rock Gardener--- February 2019 A new viola species, described by John and Anita Watson; enjoying Orchids and winter-flowering species of Gran Canaria by Iep & Gerrit Eijkelenboom; and an overview of Aloinopsis/Nananthus Hybrids in Utah by John Stireman are our main articles this month. Also included is a review of a new book on galanthus, the ever-popular snowdrop. This book is a second edition of Freda Cox’ book, reviewed by the successful galanthus and narcissus breeder and grower, Anne Wright. Cover photo: Aloinopsis hot pink hybrid, photo John Stireman. ---Species Description--- The expanding kingdom of an Incredible Shrinking Violet (give or take a mm): a new diminutive-flowered rosulate Viola (section Andinium) from the Andes of Argentina John and Ana R. Flores (Anita Watson) Casilla 161, Los Andes, Aconcagua Provincia, Valparaiso Región, Chile. Email: [email protected] Published in IRG 110 February 2019 Pages 2 – 41. A sneak preview The room was small and crowded, people were moving around and chatting all the time: it was very distracting. The 'main event' was a home-video showing the two day ascent of the 4114 m Tromen volcano in Neuquén province, northern Argentinian Patagonia [Figs.1, 2], which gives its name to the provincial nature reserve park there (Parque Provincial El Tromen). The protagonists had been the resident park rangers, and the 'theatre' was their office. It was put on for our benefit, as they'd discovered our interest in the flora as a whole, and violas in particular.
    [Show full text]
  • A Comprehensive Review on Kidney Stones, Its Diagnosis and Treatment with Allopathic and Ayurvedic Medicines
    Urology & Nephrology Open Access Journal Review Article Open Access A comprehensive review on kidney stones, its diagnosis and treatment with allopathic and ayurvedic medicines Abstract Volume 7 Issue 4 - 2019 Kidney stone is a major problem in India as well as in developing countries. The kidney 1 1 stone generally affected 10-12% of industrialized population. Most of the human beings Firoz Khan, Md Faheem Haider, Maneesh 1 1 2 develop kidney stone at later in their life. Kidney stones are the most commonly seen in Kumar Singh, Parul Sharma, Tinku Kumar, 3 both males and females. Obesity is one of the major risk factor for developing stones. Esmaeilli Nezhad Neda The common cause of kidney stones include the crystals of calcium oxalate, high level 1College of Medical Sciences, IIMT University, India 2 of uric acid and low amount of citrate in the body. A small reduction in urinary oxalate Department of Pharmacy, Shri Gopichand College of Pharmacy, has been found to be associated with significant reduction in the formation of calcium India 3 oxalate stones; hence, oxalate-rich foods like cucumber, green peppers, beetroot, spinach, Department of Medicinal Plants, Islamic Azad University of Bijnord, Iran soya bean, chocolate, rhubarb, popcorn, and sweet potato advised to avoid. Mostly kidney stone affect the parts of body like kidney ureters and urethra. More important, kidney stone Correspondence: Firoz Khan, Asst. Professor, M Pharm. is a recurrent disorder with life time recurrence risk reported to be as high as 50% by Pharmacology, IIMT University, Meerut, U.P- 250001, India, Tel +91- calcium oxalate crystals.
    [Show full text]
  • Feb 09 Communique.Indd
    San Gabriel Valley Cactus & Succulent Society COMMUNIQUE An Affi liate of the Cactus & Succulent Society of America, Inc. February 2009 - Volume 42, Number 2 February Meeting: President’s Message Thursday, I hope that everyone who could, came out to enjoy that glorious February 12 at 7:30 pm day at the Huntington. Perfect weather, succulents in bloom, fantastic. I for one appreciate the efforts that the staff and volunteers (several SGVCSS members included) of the Botanical Gardens expend for Meetings are held on the those of us in the C&S hobby. 2nd Thursday of the month Mark your calendar - July 18 is the date for our trip to Lotus Land. at 7:30 pm in the Palm Room, More details will be forthcoming. Los Angeles County Arboretum, We attended the Haworthia Hoedown last night, excellent turn- Arcadia. out. Thanks Patty and Rene Caro for adding a little spice to the Study Group. The plants that members brought to share and to trade were great. Mini-Show Plants: We hear that Jim Hanna is on the mend after 15 days in the CACTUS: (continued on page 3) Ceroids This Month’s Program SUCCULENT: Gasteria Our speaker for February will be Tim Nomer. Tim is very famil- iar for those who attend any of the C&S shows in the area. He and his wife, Anat are seen at all of the shows photographing the plants. He Study Group: will present a digital slide show that will highlight recent San Gabriel Study group will meet on Wednesday, and Intercity shows. His interesting perspectives on what makes a February 18th in the Palm Room, plant worthy of a second look give us all a hint at how better to prepare Los Angeles County Arboretum at our plants for shows.
    [Show full text]
  • Glossary of Latin Roots
    Botanical root meanings as compiled from website: www.prairienet.org/garden-gate/botrts.htm Glossary of Roots of Botanical Names Glossary Copyright © 1998-2003 Karen Fletcher ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Some word parts ("arizon-" and "terminal-") are (or should be ) obvious; others which seem obvious may be a case of "faux-amis" ("false friends"), as they say in French: Alpinia, a genus in the ginger family is NOT named for alpine regions, but rather for one Propser Alpinus, an Italian physician. I have not attempted to cover all forms of which a word-part might par- take, and I have purposefully varied the Latinized endings, even when I couldn't think of having encountered an example of, say, the neuter ending ("um") of a word-part. I've not given all POSSIBLE forms and endings for each part, rather my attempt has been to show (especially to the novice to all this "double-talk") the variety AMONG endings and hope that he will get a feel for not only the use of the word part but also its possible permutations, so that when he sees the word "procera" or "procerus" or "procerum," he will recognize it as meaning "tall," and when he encounters "bifrons" he will be able to put two parts together and get "two" and "leaf." And I've not even THOUGHT about including parts which honor proper names, such as "schottii, bernardii, farnesiana, berlandieri" etc. Most are somewhat obvious, and probably nothing to be done about those that aren't - except make this ditty many times its present length!. Most word parts here cited are usually prefixes and are denoted with the dash FOLLOWING the part; a few are mostly suffixes and, therefore, are cited with the dash preceding the part.) With suffixes, the desig- nation, "(...)" indicates that it is seldom the actual ending of the descriptive, and that it usually has one of the endings listed below.
    [Show full text]