Application and Adaptability of Ornamental Grasses in Road Flower Borders in Hefei, Anhui Province

In-depth research was conducted on the types,seasonal patterns,spatial levels,overwintering,summering,drought resistance,and disease and pest resistance of ornamental grasses in the road flower borders of Hefei,Anhui Province.Through field investigations,a total of 36 ornamental grasses were identified,with Liliaceae having the most species and the Lamiaceae the least.The results show that there are more warm season ornamental grasses,of 23 species;Acorus gramineus and Melinis minutiflora have poor overwintering ability;Arrhenatherum elatius,Festuca glauca,and Stipa tenuissima have poor summer tolerance;most ornamental grasses have strong drought resistance and resistance to pests and diseases.The comprehensive investigation shows that ornamental grasses have good application prospects and adaptability in the road flower borders in Hefei city.

Variety Selection and Green Cultivation Technology of Courtyard Ornamental and Edible Peppers

In order to comply with the development trend of the multifunctional use of peppers,we conducted an investigation into the characteristics and features of varieties,potting management techniques,and the methods of extending the fruit ornamental period and other aspects of courtyard ornamental and edible peppers.A set of cultivation techniques suitable for courtyard ornamental and edible peppers has been developed,including timely sowing and seedling,nutrient soil preparation,water and fertilizer management,trimming and pruning,preservation of flowers and fruits,green prevention and control of diseases and pests,harvesting,and so on.

The Language of Ornaments:An Anthropological Insight Into the Ethnic Ornaments of the Karbis of Assam,India

North Eastern region of India enjoys a place of pride in the whole of the country for its immensely rich assembly of tribal cultures.Among the prominent tribes of the region are the Karbis who possess unique traditions and cultures distinct from the other tribes.The Karbis are fond of ornaments and since the ancient day they have been using natural objects as ornaments,silver ornaments are used extensively by them.Preparation of different kinds of ornaments occupies an important part of material culture of the Karbis.Ornaments with distinctive colour,motifs,and designs not only reflect the cultural identity of the Karbis but are also indicative of the possession of rich cultural heritage and traditional knowledge.In this present endeavour,an attempt has been made to delineate the ethnic ornaments of the Karbis of Assam,India,along with the motifs of the designs in it which stands as one of the integral aspects of their cultural heritage.

The evolution of male mate choice and female ornamentation： a review of mathematical models

The evolution of male preferences and of female ornaments in species with traditional sex roles （i.e., polygyny） have been highlighted as areas in need of more active research by an accumulation of recent findings. The theoretical literature on these topics is relatively small and has centered on the evolution of male choice. Mathematical models have emphasized that, under polygyny, the evolution of male preferences faces much greater competition costs than does the evolution of female preferences. We discuss ways in which costly male choice can nonetheless evolve, via （1） direct selection that favors preferences, primarily through mating with highly fecund females, （2） mechanisms that rely on indirect selection, which weakly counters competitive costs of male preferences, and （3） genetic constraints, primarily in the form of pleiotropy of male and female preferences and traits. We also review a variety of mathematical models that have elucidated how costs to male preferences can be avoided. Finally, we turn our attention to the relatively scant theoretical literature on the effects of male mate choice on the evolution of female traits. We emphasize the finding that the presence of male preferences cannot be assumed to lead to the evolution of female ornaments during polygyny, and point out situations where models have elucidated ways in which female ornaments can nevertheless evolve.

Physiological and transcriptome analyses provide new insights into the mechanism mediating the enhanced tolerance of melatonin-treated rhododendron plants to heat stress

Rhododendron is a well-known genus consisting of commercially valuable ornamental woody plant species.Heat stress is a major environmental factor that affects rhododendron growth.Melatonin was recently reported to alleviate the effects of abiotic stress on plants.However,the role of melatonin in rhododendron plants is unknown.In this study,the effect of melatonin on rhododendron plants exposed to heat stress and the potential underlying mechanism were investigated.Analyses of morphological characteristics and chlorophyll a fluorescence indicated 200μmol L–1 was the optimal melatonin concentration for protecting rhododendron plants from heat stress.To elucidate how melatonin limits the adverse effects of high temperatures,melatonin contents,photosynthetic indices,Rubisco activity,and adenosine triphosphate(ATP)contents were analyzed at 25,35,and 40℃,respectively.Compared with the control,exogenous application of melatonin improved the melatonin contents,electron transport rate,photosystem II and I activities,Rubisco activity,and ATP contents under heat stress.The transcriptome analysis revealed many of the heat-induced differentially expressed genes were associated with the photosynthetic pathway;the expression of most of these genes was down-regulated by heat stress more in the melatonin-free plants than in the melatonin-treated plants.We identified Rh PGR5A,Rh ATPB,Rh LHCB3,and Rh Rbs A as key genes.Thus,we speculate that melatonin promotes photosynthetic electron transport,improves Calvin cycle enzyme activities,and increases ATP production.These changes lead to increased photosynthetic efficiency and CO_(2) assimilation under heat stress conditions via the regulated expression of specific genes,including Rh Rbs A.Therefore,the application of exogenous melatonin may increase the tolerance of rhododendron to heat stress.

Bare-throated spurfowl(Pternistis spp.)males across Africa impress females with bright throat colours during courtship

The role of bare body parts in sexual signalling in birds has received relatively little attention.I describe how the bare-throated spurfowl males saturate the colours of their throats to attract females.Of the 23 Afrotropical spurfowl species,the bare-throated subgroup includes Yellow-necked Spurfowl(Pternistis leucosceptus),Rednecked Spurfowl(P.afer),Grey-breasted Spurfowl(P.rufopictus) and Swainson’s Spurfowl(P.swainsonii).The rest of the species include fully feathered throated spurfowls.Throat colour intensity of bare throats was scored using an extensive online digital photographic archive encompassing the four species across the year’s seasons.Each throat(n=836) was assigned to one of four colour-intensity categories to explore the relationship between colour intensities,breeding cycles,and environmental variation.Except for Swainson’s Spurfowl male saturation of throat colours correlated with monthly rainfall,which peaks one or two months before egg laying.Swainson’s Spurfowl peaks during egg laying.Yellow-necked Spurfowl has the largest bare throat.Bare-throated spurfowl males perform an elevated courtship display posture above the female to feature their throat colour.No such displays occur in feather-throated spurfowl.Males with low throat colour saturation harbour more ectoparasites on their bare throats than birds with saturated throats.Male Red-necked Spurfowls have significantly larger bare throats than females.The primary function of bare throats probably assists in thermoregulation,particularly in arid regions.The bare throat may have evolved a secondary role in mating.Yellow-necked,Red-necked,and Greybreasted Spurfowls use their saturated throat colours as ornaments to court females during the breeding season.Unobtrusive female throat colours(unsaturated) may discourage male interlopers and predation during egg laying.Saturation appears to be carotenoid-food based.The different colours among the bare-throated species may serve as prezygotic mechanisms that inhibit cross-breeding and explain why females also have coloured throats.

Designing of future ornamental crops: a biotechnological driven perspective

With a basis in human appreciation of beauty and aesthetic values,the new era of ornamental crops is based on implementing innovative technologies and transforming symbols into tangible assets.Recent advances in plant biotechnology have attracted considerable scientific and industrial interest,particularly in terms ofmodifying desired plant traits and developing future ornamental crops.By utilizing omics approaches,genomic data,genetic engineering,and gene editing tools,scientists have successively explored the underlying molecular mechanism and potential gene(s)behind trait regulation such as floral induction,plant architecture,stress resistance,plasticity,adaptation,and phytoremediation in ornamental crop species.These signs of progress lay a theoretical and practical foundation for designing and enhancing the efficiency of ornamental plants for a wide range of applications.In this review,we briefly summarized the existing literature and advances in biotechnological approaches for the improvement of vital traits in ornamental plants.The future ornamental plants,such as light-emitting plants,biotic/abiotic stress detectors,and pollution abatement,and the introduction of new ornamental varieties via domestication of wild species are also discussed.

High-throughput discovery of plastid genes causing albino phenotypes in ornamental chimeric plants

Chimeric plants composed of green and albino tissues have great ornamental value.To unveil the functional genes responsible for albino phenotypes in chimeric plants,we inspected the complete plastid genomes(plastomes)in green and albino leaf tissues from 23 ornamental chimeric plants belonging to 20 species,including monocots,dicots,and gymnosperms.In nine chimeric plants,plastomes were identical between green and albino tissues.Meanwhile,another 14 chimeric plants were heteroplasmic,showing a mutation between green and albino tissues.We identified 14 different point mutations in eight functional plastid genes related to plastid-encoded RNA polymerase(rpo)or photosystems which caused albinism in the chimeric plants.Among them,12 were deleterious mutations in the target genes,in which early termination appeared due to small deletion-mediated frameshift or single nucleotide substitution.Another was single nucleotide substitution in an intron of the ycf3 and the other was a missense mutation in coding region of the rpoC2 gene.We inspected chlorophyll structure,protein functional model of the rpoC2,and expression levels of the related genes in green and albino tissues of Reynoutria japonica.A single amino acid change,histidine-to-proline substitution,in the rpoC2 protein may destabilize the peripheral helix of plastid-encoded RNA polymerase,impairing the biosynthesis of the photosynthesis system in the albino tissue of R.japonica chimera plant.

Micropropagation of Daylily(Hemerocallis fulva)from Crown-Tip Explants and Assessment of Somaclonal Variation of in Vitro-Propagated Plants Using SCoT Markers

Determination of the somaclonal variation of in vitro-propagated plants is crucial to determine the appropriate micropropagation protocol and growth regulators for commercial scale multiplication.In this research,nine multiplication media(MM)augmented with different concentrations of 6-benzyl adenine(BA),Kinetin(Kin),and Thidiazuron(TDZ),Three rooting media(RM)supplemented with three levels ofα-naphthalene acetic acid(NAA)and three types of soil mixtures(v/v);Coco peat/Vermiculite/Sand(CVS),Peat moss/Perlite/Sand(PPS)and Peat moss/Perlite(PP)were used in the micropropagation protocol of daylily plants.MM2 showed the maximum shoot length and the number of leaves,while MM9 showed the maximum number of shoots.The RM1 showed the maximum root length and the number of roots.During acclimatization,CVS,PPS,and PP soil mixture showed similar performance except the CVS mixture showed lower performance regarding plant height and diameter.The genetic fidelity of micropropagated plants was evaluated using Start Codon Targeted(SCoT)Markers.Six SCoT primers amplified 51 scorable bands with an approximate range from 146 bp to 1598 bp size.Thirty one out of 51 loci were presented in the mother plants.40 loci were polymorphic,11 were monomorphic and 7 were unique.The amplification patterns of the micropropagated plants demonstrated genetic integrity to the mother plant ranging from 84.32 to 47.06 and somaclonal variations ranging from 52.94 with 5 mg/l BA pathway to 15.68 with 1mg/l TDZ pathway,thus demonstrating that the homogeneity and the variation of the micropropagated plants affected by the type and the quantity of the plant growth regulator used during multiplication subcultures.This research can be successfully used for other ornamental and medicinal plants’bulk multiplication,germplasm conservation,and future genetic improvement.

Status Quo and Application of North American Wisteria in Shijiazhuang

The introduction and planting of three cultivars of North American wisteria in Shijiazhuang were observed.By comparing the inflorescences of Chinese wisteria,Japanese wisteria and North American wisteria,it is concluded that North American wisteria has compact inflorescence,rich color and late flowering period,and can prolong the ornamental time of wisteria when collocating with Chinese wisteria and Japanese wisteria in landscape application.The application of North American wisteria in Chinese gardens can not only enrich the species diversity of the region,but also have positive significance for improving the landscape effect of the whole city.

Application of Shrub Landscape on Campus from the Perspective of Ornamental Characteristics of Plants

In the campus greening design,the shrub height is generally consistent with people’s horizontal line of sight,which plays a significant role in people’s visual focus.From the perspective of ornamental characteristics of plants,the application of shrub landscape is explored in a campus environment.Based on the analysis of the selection,arrangement and maintenance of shrub plants in campus gardens,the application of shrub landscape on campus was evaluated comprehensively from the theoretical analysis of plant ornamental characteristics and campus shrub landscape.Based on the research background of the problems existing in the application of shrub landscape on campus,this paper first collected and sorted out the relevant theories extensively,and then conducted in-depth research on the relevant theories by using analysis methods such as literature data,field investigation and questionnaire survey.The results will provide a theoretical guidance and practical advocacy for campus garden planning and design,and help to create a livable and comfortable campus environment.It is hoped that the results will have some references for future campus shrub landscape and play a certain promoting role.

Book Review of A Rainbow in the Mountains:Dress of the Yao—A Guide to Traditional Yao Costumes and Ornaments

A Rainbow in the Mountains:Dress of the Yao,an album of pictures and texts on Yao clothing,the most comprehensive and systematic record of the dazzling costumes of the Yao ethnic minority which has been inscribed on the national intangible cultural heritage list of China since 2006,is of great academic value and practical significance to study the profound connotation of the Yao traditional culture.The various styles,colorful dress customs,and exquisite craftsmanship constitute the beautiful cultural landscape within the Yao ethnic minority,as well as the way to explore all the social aspects of the Yao ethnic minority.This book review aims to arouse the attention of all sectors of the community to the clothing of the Yao ethnic minority,which has met the greatest challenge of the collection and protection of the Yao costumes and ornaments.Thus it is expected to sort out and retain those precious records that have been drifting away via pictures and texts,which we have already started and will continue to do in accord with the national cultural development strategy.

Comparative Study on the Structural and Moisture Characteristics of Leaf from the Plantlets of Three Types of Ornamental Lilium brownii

[ Objective] The study was to compare the structural and moisture characteristics of leaf from the plantlets of three types of omamental lily（ Lilium brownii）. [ Method ] The paraffin sections of leaves of tested lily varieties were prepared and then observed under microscope, and the stomatal characteristics and moisture characteristics of tested lily varieties were measured. I Resaltl All the three ornamental lily varieties show isobilateral leaf, single layer of epicuticula and lower epidermis, and no obvious differentiation of palisade tissue and spongy tissue; their stomata distribute in lower epidermis, and the guard cells are dumbbell-shaped; all of these matedais present high moisture. For the leaf sick- ness, midrib sickness and mesophyll tissue sickness, the order was determined to be oriental lily 〉 Lilium/ongiflorum 〉 Asian lily; of the three types of ornamental lily, Ulium Iongiflorum has the largest stomatai aperture and Asian lily has the smallest; focusing the water potential and moisture, the turn was Asian lily 〉 oriental lily 〉 Lilium Iong＇fflorum. [ Condusion] The study may facilitate the artificial regulation of the growth conditions of the plantlets of ornamental lily.

Quantity of plant leaf area on three major public squares in Kunming City, China

Regressive formulae to calculate the quantity of plant leaf area for 13 species of ornamental plants were set up based on investigation data of 30 species on 3 major public squares (Dongfeng square, Shengli square and Guandu square) in Kun-ming City, China, which were applied to calculate quantities of plant leaf area of these 13 species. The quantities of plant leaf area for the other 17 ornamental plant species on these squares were directly measured, and the total quantity of plant leaf area of each studied square was obtained individually. The results showed that the quantity of plant leaf area on Shengli square with ornamental plants structure composed of arbor tree species, shrub tree species and turf grass was highest among the three squares. It is believed that the design model of multi-storied vertical structure and proper tending of plant community could not only increase the quantity of plant leaf area, but also play an important role in generating ecological and landscaping benefits. Some corresponding suggestions were put forward on the basis of comprehensive analyses on the plant leaf area quantity of the three representative squares in Kunming urban area.

Main Resources of Ornamental Grass and Their Ornamental Value Evaluation in Kunming

Ornamental value of 45 ornamental grass resources was evaluated by grey-correlation analysis based on the full investigation and research of ornamental grass resources in Kunming and with the characters of ornamental value, height, color of leaf and inflorescence as evaluating indexes. The results showed that the correlation degree with ideal species of 34 in the 50 ornamental grasses was higher than 0.6; Saccharum fallax, Erianthus longisetosus, Erianthus rufipilus, Zizania latifolia, etc. had better ornamental effects and their correlation degree with ideal species were 0.863 6, 0.812 5, 0.900 0 and 0.815 5, they can be used for landscaping directly.

花楸树——城市绿化的新贵

花楸树为蔷薇科苹果亚科花楸属植物,落叶乔木或灌木,高达8m。具有很高的园林观赏价值。花楸树引种驯化成功并应用于城市园林绿化,将为北方城市增添一道亮丽的风景线,对丰富城市绿化树种特别是首都北京的绿化建设具有重要意义。

Resources of Wild Ornamental Ferns in Guizhou Province and Their Utilization

Through investigating the wild ornamental ferns in Guizhou Province, it is found that there are totally 312 species (including variations), 111 genera and 49 families of such resources in this region, which are classified into terrestrial fern, epiphytic fern, saxicolous fern, vine fern, tree fern and aquatic fern according to their ecological types. The application of ornamental ferns in garden landscaping and development countermeasures are analyzed in this study.

道路景观植物滞尘量研究

道路景观植物作为消除大气颗粒污染物的重要方法正受到越来越广泛的重视。本文选用绵阳市道路景观植物中具有代表性的小叶榕、月季和女贞对影响植物滞尘量的因素进行研究。结果表明:小叶榕树种的滞尘量极显著地高于月季和女贞(P<0.01);小叶榕与月季混种的滞尘量显著地高于小叶榕单独种植(P<0.05);景观植物与机动车道适当的距离和栽种密度对小叶榕的滞尘和滤尘作用有一定的影响。

Wild Ornamental Plant Resources and Their Application to City Gardening in Hainan Province

This paper deals with the wild ornamental plant resources which are suitable for the application to gardening in Hainan Province and with the significance and the influencing factors in the application and extension of these resources to gardening. The strategies for the application of the wild ornamental plant resources have been established as the result of this research.

重庆观赏竹类资源及在城市林地中的应用

用于重庆市城市绿化的竹类有9属32种,可开发利用的乡土竹类资源有7属16种;同时论述了观赏竹类在重庆城市林地建设中的应用。