BACKGROUND AND AIMS Intraspecific reproductive differentiation into sexual and apomictic cytotypes of differing ploidy is a common phenomenon. However, mechanisms enabling the maintenance of both reproductive modes and integrity of cytotypes in sympatry are as yet poorly understood. This study examined the association of sexual and apomictic seed formation with ploidy as well as gene flow towar...

Immunomodulators are agents that are able to stimulate or inhibit the immune response. The leaf extracts from Potentilla indica and Dendrophthoe pentandra were analyzed in vitro for immunomodulatory activity and an MTT colorimetric assay was conducted to determine the proliferation of mice splenocytes and thymocytes. A bromodeoxyuridine assay was performed to analyze DNA synthesis and the Trypa...

A pattern of seasonal changes in the morphological and anatomical leaf traits is reported for Potentilla argentea L. var. tenuiloba (Jord.) Sw. of temperate-climate areas in central Poland. Leaf area, perimeter, dry mass and lamina thickness were measured in summer and autumn leaves of the same individuals. Dissection index, density and specifi c leaf area were calculated. Signifi cant differen...

The phylogenetic relationships of the most dominant and morphologically cryptic endophytic fungal isolates from each of five selected medicinal plants, namely Potentilla fulgens, Osbeckia stellata, Osbeckia chinensis, Camellia caduca, and Schima khasiana of the biodiversity rich state of Meghalaya, were assessed with random amplification of polymorphic DNA and PCR-restriction fragment length po...

BACKGROUND Plastic root-foraging responses have been widely recognized as an important strategy for plants to explore heterogeneously distributed resources. However, the benefits and costs of root foraging have received little attention. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS In a greenhouse experiment, we grew pairs of connected ramets of 22 genotypes of the stoloniferous plant Potentilla reptans in...