Assembly and comparative analysis of the initial complete mitochondrial genome of Primulina hunanensis (Gesneriaceae): a cave-dwelling endangered plant.

Background: Primulina hunanensis, a troglobitic plant within the Primulina genus of Gesneriaceae family, exhibits robust resilience to arid conditions and holds great horticultural potential as an ornamental plant. The work of chloroplast genome (cpDNA) has been recently accomplished, however, the mitochondrial genome (mtDNA) that is crucial for plant evolution has not been reported.

Results: In this study, we sequenced and assembled the P.

An annotated plant checklist of the transboundary volcanic Mt Elgon, East Africa.

Mt Elgon is an ancient transboundary volcanic mountain found at the Kenya-Uganda boarder possessing high plant diversity. This study documents an updated checklist of the mountain's vascular plants obtained through random-walk field excursions and retrieval of herbarium specimen tracing back to 1900. We compiled 1709 species from 673 genera in 131 families.

Important Medicinal and Food Taxa (Orders and Families) in Kenya, Based on Three Quantitative Approaches.

Globally, food and medicinal plants have been documented, but their use patterns are poorly understood. Useful plants are non-random subsets of flora, prioritizing certain taxa. This study evaluates orders and families prioritized for medicine and food in Kenya, using three statistical models: Regression, Binomial, and Bayesian approaches.

An annotated checklist of the vascular plants of Taita Hills, Eastern Arc Mountain.

Taita Hills forests are an ecological island within the Tsavo plains and are the northern-most part of the Eastern Arc Mountains in southeast Kenya. They are highly fragmented forests embedded in a mosaic of human settlements and farms on the slopes and hilltops. Despite their intensive degradation, they exhibit a high degree of plant diversity and endemism, and therefore are regarded as a biodiversity hotspot.

Description of a New Species and Lectotypification of Two Names in Sect. (Balsaminaceae) from China.

(Balsaminaceae), a new species from western Sichuan Province in China, is described and illustrated here based on morphological and molecular data. It is similar to and , but differs in its lower sepal with a long arista at the apex of the mouth, spur curved downward or circinate, and lower petal that is oblong-elliptic and two times longer than the upper petal. Molecular analysis confirmed its placement in sect.

Traditional knowledge, use and conservation of plants by the communities of Tharaka-Nithi County, Kenya.

Rural communities in Kenya largely depend on plant resources for their livelihood. The utilization of these resources depends on the availability of plant resources and the level of knowledge of the residents. We conducted an ethnobotanical study in Tharaka-Nithi County in Kenya to determine the knowledge and utilization of various plant species by the local communities.

Initial Complete Chloroplast Genomes of (Rosaceae): Comparative Analysis and Phylogenetic Relationships.

The genus L., known for its medicinal and ornamental value, is widely distributed in the Holarctic regions with a few species found in Asia and Africa. Delimitation of species within is difficult due to hybridization, autonomous apomixes, and polyploidy, necessitating efficient molecular-based characterization.

Conservation of Wild Food Plants and Their Potential for Combatting Food Insecurity in Kenya as Exemplified by the Drylands of Kitui County.

Wild food plants are important resources for people living in dry areas of Kenya. A botanical inventory of vascular plants of Kitui county was compiled from specimens collected during field investigations in Kitui county, at the East African (EA) herbarium and from literature reporting on plants of Kitui county. To obtain an inventory of wild edible plants found in Kitui county, literature reporting on wild edible plants of Kenya were searched and combined with the use reports obtained from field surveys in Kitui county.

Complete Chloroplast Genome of the only Cactus with Natural Distribution in the Old World: Genome Rearrangement, Intron Gain and Loss, and Implications for Phylogenetic Studies.

is the only cactus that naturally occurs in both the New World and the Old World, and has thus drawn the attention of most researchers. The complete chloroplast (cp) genome of is reported here for the first time. The cp genome of has 122, 333 base pairs (bp), with a large single-copy (LSC) region (81,459 bp), SSC (23,531 bp) and two inverted repeat (IR) regions each 8530 bp.