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In order to guarantee the species correction of Notopterygium seeds, a molecular identification method with ITS2 as DNA barcode has been verified. In this study, 27 samples of Notopterygium seeds were collected from the main producing area of Notopterygium. The morphological characteristics of the Notopterygium seeds were firstly surveyed. Then the DNA extraction, PCR amplification, DNA sequencing and DNA assembly were carried out. The species identification for a Notopterygium seed was implemented through distance method, NJ-tree method and the DNA barcoding system for traditional Chinese medicine (www.tcmbarcode.cn). The results showed that the seeds of N. incisum and N. franchetii had similar morphological characteristics and were difficult to distinguish clearly based on morphological descriptions. With the results of molecular identification, 24 samples were genuine including 13 N. incisum seeds samples and 11 N. franchetii genuine seeds samples. In conclusion, DNA barcode technology can accurately and efficiently identify the species of Notopterygium seeds. Furthermore, this study will provide a new method for germplasm resources identification of medicinal materials and supplies some guidelines for establishing Chinese herbal seeds and seedlings quality standards., Competing Interests: The authors of this article and the planning committee members and staff have no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose., (Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.)

This paper is in order to discussion with the composition and characteristics of Tibetan medicine plant resources, and promote the reasonable protection and utilization of the resources of Tibetan materia medica. Statistical analysis of species, distributions, and others of Chinese endemic seed plant from Tibetan medicine plants and usually used in the clinic of Tibetan medicine. The results showed that there are 523 species (25%) of Chinese endemic seed plant, belonging to 65 families and 162 genera, in about 2 000 varieties of Tibetan medicine plants recorded in relevant literatures. There are 180 Chinese endemic seed plant species (28%) belonging to 42 families and 72 genera from 625 medicine plants usually used in the clinic of Tibetan medicine. Specifically, the most of these Chinese endemic seed plant species are characteristic crude drug used in Tibetan medicine, and mainly or only distributed in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. And a few species of them were intersected with traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) and other ethnic medicines. In addition, about 10% are listed in China Species Red List. The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is the most abundant areas of Areal-types of the Chinese endemic seed plant. This is the biological and ecological reason formation the characteristics of Tibetan medicine plant resources. Therefore, strengthen the research of Chinese endemic seed plants used in Tibetan medicine is great significance for the reasonable protection and utilization of Tibetan medicine plant resources.

In order to establish the quality classification criteria of Paeonia suffruticosa seeds, thirty-one batches of P. suffruticosa seeds from different provenances were selected. The seed rooting rate, seed germination rate, seed purity, seed viability, 1,000-seed weight and moisture content were determined and analyzed through SPSS 20.0 software. Seed rooting rate, seed germination rate and seed purity were selected as the main index for classification, while 1,000-seed weight, seed viability and moisture content could be used as important references. The seed quality grading of P. suffruticosa was set as three grades. The seed quality of each grade should meet following requirements: For the first grade seeds, seed rooting rate ≥ 80%, seed germination rate ≥ 80%, seed purity ≥ 90%, seed viability ≥ 80%, 1,000-seed weight ≥ 250 g, moisture content, ≤ 10. For the second grade seeds, seed rooting rate ≥ 50%, seed germination rate ≥ 60%, seed purity ≥ 70%, seed viability ≥ 75%, 1,000-seed weight ≥ 225 g, moisture content ≤ 10. For the third grade seeds, seed rooting rate ≥ 20%, seed germination rate ≥ 45%, seed purity ≥ 60%, seed viability ≥ 45%, 1,000-seed weight ≥ 205 g, moisture content ≤ 10. The quality classification criteria of P. suffruticosa seeds have been initially established.

In order to evaluate the efficiency of ITS2 and psbA-trnH sequences used as DNA barcodes to distinguish Plantaginis Semen from its adulterants, we collected 71 samples of Plantaginis Semen and its adulterants. The ITS2 and psbA-trnH sequences were aligned through Clustal W, and the genetic distances were calculated by kimura 2-parameter (K2P) model and the Neighbor-Joining (NJ) phylogenetic trees were constructed using MEGA 5.1. The results indicated that the ITS2 sequence lengths of Plantago asiatica and P. depressa were 199 bp and 200 bp, respectively; the maximum intra-specific K2P distance were lower than the minimum inter-specific K2P distance; the NJ tree based on ITS2 sequence indicated that Plantaginis Semen and its adulterants could be distinguished clearly. The sequence lengths of psbA-trnH of both P. asiatica and P. depressa were 340 bp; the maximum intra-specific K2P distances were lower than the minimum inter-specific K2P distance; the NJ tree based on psbA-trnH sequence showed that Plantaginis Semen can be distinguished clearly from its adulterants except for P. major. Therefore, ITS2 sequences can be used as an ideal DNA barcode to distinguish Plantaginis Semen from its adulterants.

Objective: To establish seed quality classification standard of Dipsacus asperoides., Method: Through the detection on seed purity, 1 000-grain weight, water content, germination rate of D. asperoides from different areas, and observation on seed external characters, the primary seed quality classification standard of D. asperoides was preliminarily formulated., Results: The first level D. asperoides seed germination rate was over 85%, 1 000-grain weight above 3.94 g, purity above 90.95%, water content lower than 9.08%. The second level D. asperoides seed germination rate was over 64%, 1 000-grain weight was above 3.57 g, purity was over 83.66%, water content was above 10.23%. The third level seed germination rate was above 35%, 1 000-grain weight was above 3.04 g, purity was above 75.51%, water content was lower than 11.37%., Conclusion: Germination rate and 1 000-grain weight were the main indexes of quality classification standard, and purity and water content provide the important reference. This quality classification standard of D. asperoides was scientific and feasible, and can be used as the quality control standard of D. asperoides.

Seed morphology of 17 Dendrobium species from Yunnan were observed under light microscope and environment scanning electron microscope and 16 of them were reported first time. All seeds were yellow and fusiform, but big differences existed in sizes of seeds and embryos, which were not significantly related to the division of sections under Dendrobium. Dendrobium seed consisted of embryo and testa with flocs on its cell walls. The density and length of flocs were different among the sections under Dendrobium.

Objective: To study seed quality test, and establish seed quality classification standard of Prunella vulgaris., Method: The seed quality and planting quality of P. vulgaris from different population were measured and these indexes were analyzed by K-clustering., Result and Conclusion: The seed purity, 1000 seeds weight, seed moisture content, seed viability of the seed of P. vulgaris from different population were measured, and the seed quality classification standard of P. vulgaris.

Objective: To formulate the seed quality grading standard of Glycyrrhiza uralensis., Method: Thousand-grain weight, seed moisture, germination rate, purity of G. uralensis seed samples from 24 regions were tested. Through statistical analysis, the key indicator and the reference indicators for seed quality grading were defined., Result: Germination percentage was the primary indicator of seed quality grading, thousand-grain weight, cleanliness and moisture content were important reference indicators., Conclusion: The seed quality of each grade should reach the following requirements: for first grade seeds, germination percentage > or = 85% , purity > or = 92%, thousand-grain weight > or = 13 g, seed moisture < or = 11%; for second grade seeds, germination percentage 75%-85%, purity 83%-92%, thousand-grain weight 11-13 g, seed moisture < or = 11%; for third grade seeds, germination percentage 65%-75%, purity 74%-83%, thousand-grain weight 9-11 g, seed moisture < or = 11%.

We have observed the seeds of Astragalus complanatus and its 18 species and divided them into three groups by comparing their shapes, sizes and morphology of seed cuticles with scanning electron microscope.