Pharmacognostic and phytochemical studies as an invaluable approach for correct identification of medicinal plants:The case of Artemisia vulgaris L.substituted for Artemisia annua L.in Western Uganda

Background:Different parts of Artemisia vulgaris L.(A.vulgaris)are ethno-medicinally used as an emmenagogue and for the treatment of ailments such as malaria fever,ulcers,and cancer.However,anecdotal evidence shows that the plant is often substituted for Artemisia annua L.(A.annua)by herbalists in Western Uganda due to similarities in their morphology.Misidentification of medicinal plants and mislabelling of herbal products have been incriminated in toxicity and adverse health outcomes in traditional medicine practise.Because safety continues to be a major issue with the use of herbal remedies,it becomes imperative therefore that medicinal plants should be correctly identified.Methods:This study focused on investigating the macroscopic,microscopic,physicochemical characteristics and phytochemical composition of A.vulgaris leaves compared to A.annua to ease its correct identification.Results:The results showed that there are some colour differences between the leaves of the two species,with a close arrangement of microscopic features but different leaf constants.The leaves of the two Artemisia species had similar tastes,but their shapes and colours(greenish-yellow for A.annua and dark green for A.vulgaris)can be used by the local community to distinguish between them.The artemisinin content was higher in A.vulgaris leaves(1.72%)than in A.annua(1.43%),but the reverse was observed for the total flavonoid content.Conclusion:This observation could justify the change in the use of A.vulgaris by the indigenous community in western Uganda.Further studies should consider the pharmacognostic comparison of A.annua with other species in the genus Artemisia and the use of molecular techniques such as DNA barcoding.

Contribution to the taxonomy of the genus Lycodon H.Boie in Fitzinger,1827(Reptilia:Squamata:Colubridae)in China,with description of two new species and resurrection and elevation of Dinodon septentrionale chapaense Angel,Bourret,1933

While considerable progress has been made in the taxonomic studies of the genus Lycodon in Asia,questions remain to be clarified regarding the taxonomy of certain groups,particularly those containing species in China.Not only do many regions in China remain overlooked by herpetologists,resulting in the possibility of undiscovered new species,but the surveyed areas also have suspicious records of recognized congeners that require taxonomic confirmations.Combining both morphological and genetic data,we tackle these outstanding issues in the taxonomy of Lycodon in China.In particular,we discover two new species of Lycodon:one from the previously neglected hot-dry valley in the northern Hengduan Mountain Region close to Tibet,and another recluse and cryptic species from the L.fasciatus complex in the downtown park of a major city in southern Sichuan Province.Additionally,we clarify the distribution of L.septentrionalis in China and resurrect and elevate its junior synonym subspecies,Dinodon septentrionale chapaense,as a full,valid species,and we synonymize the recently described L.namdongensis to the resurrected L.chapaensis comb.nov..Lycodon chapaensis comb.nov.thus represents a new national record of reptilian fauna of China.Lastly,based on literature review,we also correct some of the erroneous records of L.fasciatus and L.ruhstrati in China,point out remaining taxonomic issues of the genus for future research,and update the dichotomous key and distribution of the 20 species of Lycodon currently recorded from China.

Observer error in vegetation surveys:a review

Aims Vegetation sampling employing observers is prone to both inter-observer and intra-observer error.Three types of errors are common:(i)overlooking error(i.e.not observing species actually present),(ii)misidentification error(i.e.not correctly identifying species)and(iii)estimation error(i.e.not accurately estimating abundance).I conducted a literature review of 59 articles that provided quantitative estimates or statistical inferences regarding observer error in vegetation studies.Important FindingsAlmost all studies(92%)that tested for a statistically significant effect of observer error found at least one significant comparison.In surveys of species composition,mean pseudoturnover(the percentage of species overlooked by one observer but not another)was 10-30%.Species misidentification rates were on the order of 5-10%.The mean coefficient of variation(CV)among observers in surveys of vegetation cover was often several hundred%for species with low cover,although CVs of 25-50%were more representative of species with mean covers of>50%.A variety of metrics and indices(including commonly used diversity indices)and multivariate data analysis techniques(including ordinations and classifications)were found to be sensitive to observer error.Sources of error commonly include both characteristics of the vegetation(e.g.small size of populations,rarity,morphology,phenology)and attributes of the observers(e.g.mental fatigue,personal biases,differences in experience,physical stress).The use of multiple observers,additional training including active feedback approaches,and continual evaluation and calibration among observers are recommended as strategies to reduce observer error in vegetation surveys.