Ilex paraguariensis A. St. Hil. is a native plant of South America widely consumed as beverages for its ethno pharmacological properties, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hypocholesterolemic as well as its benefits on the cardiovascular system. Since these properties are related to its chemical composition, the identification and quantification of the major compounds of I. paraguariensis...

Numerous plant species are shifting their range polewards in response to ongoing climate change. Range shifts typically involve the repeated establishment and growth of leading-edge populations well ahead of the main species range. How these populations recover from founder events and associated diversity loss remains poorly understood. To help fill this gap, we exhaustively investigated a newl...

Responses of leaf water relations and photosynthesis to summer drought and autumn rewetting were studied in two evergreen Mediterranean oak species, Quercus ilex spp. rotundifolia and Quercus suber. The predawn leaf water potential (Ψ(lPD)), stomatal conductance (gs) and photosynthetic rate (A) at ambient conditions were measured seasonally over a 3-year period. We also measured the photosynthe...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Several widespread tree species of temperate forests, such as species of the genus Quercus, produce recalcitrant (desiccation-sensitive) seeds. However, the ecological significance of seed desiccation sensitivity in temperate regions is largely unknown. Do seeds of such species suffer from drying during the period when they remain on the soil, between shedding in autumn and ...

The water permeability of the leaves of three deciduous plants (Acer campestre, Fagus sylvatica, Quercus petraea) and two evergreen plants (Hedera helix, Ilex aquifolium) was analysed in order to assess its role as a mechanism of drought resistance. Cuticular permeances were determined by measurement of the water loss through adaxial, astomatous leaf surfaces. Minimum conductances after complet...

The present study was undertaken to verify ancient data in the literature on ovipositional preference o f the cuttlefish Sepia officinalis for the terrestrial plant Pistacia lentiscus (mastic tree). Adult specimens o f Sepia were placed in basins together with aerial parts not only of P. lentiscus, but also o f Artemisia arborescens, Centaurea alba var. deusta, Quercus ilex and Laurus nobilis. ...

We analyzed 14C, 13C and 18O isotope variations over a 50-year period in tree rings of Quercus ilex L. trees growing at a natural CO2 spring in a Mediterranean ecosystem. We compared trees from two sites, one with high and one with low exposure to CO2 from the spring. The spring CO2 is free of 14C. Thus, this carbon can be traced in the wood, and the amount originating from the spring calculate...