This paper shows the changes of the volatile compounds from four Astragalus species at three phenological stages: leaf development, flowering and fructification, which might be connected with the plant defense. After GC/MS analyses of Astragalus glycyphyllos L., A. hamosus L., A. cicer L. and A. spruneri Boiss., different groups of volatile compounds were found: hydrocarbons, alcohols, aldehyde...

Conservationists often propagate rare species to improve their long-term population viability. However, seed dormancy can make propagation efforts challenging by substantially lowering seed germination. Here I statistically compare several pretreatment options for seeds of Astragalus cicer L.: unscarified controls and scarification via physical damage, hot water, acid, and hydrogen peroxide. Al...

Astragalus (Fabaceae), the largest genus of plants in the world with an estimated 3270 species, is known for large numbers of rare endemic species. An inventory of patterns of climatic, topographic, and edaphic diversity of Astragalus taxa in California (98 native species and 144 named taxa) provides a means to understand the occurrence of rarity in relation to climatic equitability and regiona...

The pleasing lacewing genus Dilar Rambur is a dominant group of the family Dilaridae in Asia and is diverse in China with 18 described species. Herein we record five species of Dilar. Three species, i.e. Dilar hastatus sp.nov., Dilar spectabilis sp.nov. and Dilar taibaishanus sp.nov. are described as new to science. Dilar sinicus Nakahara and Dilar septentrionalis Navás are also redescribed. A ...

The fecundity, hatching success and naupliar survival of Calanus sinicus were studied in the Yellow Sea during research cruises in April and October 2006, with emphasis on the regulation of reproduction. During both cruises, the egg production rate (EPR) showed large spatial variations (0 to 25.4 eggs female–1 d–1), generally coinciding with the food availability. In April, the abundant phytopl...

As a result of a taxonomic and phylogenetic revision of Astragalus section Hymenostegis we identified a new species of Astragalus from northwestern Iran, namely A. remotispicatus spec. nov., which is described and illustrated here. It is morphologically similar to A. karl-heinzii in possessing a lax inflorescence. Phylogenetic inference of the nuclear ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer (...

A taxonomic review of 23 species of the subgenus Pseudoophonus Motschulsky, 1844, the genus Harpalus Latreille, 1802, occurring in China is given, and a key to these species is provided. The species are divided in three species groups and five subgroups, the distinctive characters of which are listed. The following new synonyms are established: Harpalus calceatus Duftschmid, 1812 = Anisodactylu...

Abstract Five flavonol glycosides, including a new glutaryl-conjugated compound, were isolated from methanolic extract of the endemic Balkan species Astragalus thracicus Griseb. Based on NMR and MS spectra, one compound was identified as kaempferol 3-O-[?-glucopyranosyl-(1?4)-?-rhamnopyranosyl-(1?6)-(2-3-hydroxy-3-methylgutaroyl)-?-galactopyranoside)] (1). The other compounds, all known, maurit...