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Nurhasnawati H, Sundu R, Sapri, Supriningrum R, Kuspradini H, Arung ET. 2019. Antioxidant activity, total phenolic and flavonoid content of several indigenous species of ferns in East Kalimantan, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 20: 576-580. This study aimed to determine the total phenolic and flavonoids content and antioxidant activity of ethanol extract of several indigenous species of ferns in East Kalimantan. Total phenolic content was determined by Folin-Ciocalteau method and flavonoid content was measured by colorimetric method. Antioxidant activity was evaluated by DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) method. The result of photochemical screening indicated that the leaves of Plagiogyria pycnophylla, Plagiogyria glauca, and Stenochlaena palustris contained alkaloid, flavonoid, tannin, saponin, and steroid while Acrostichum aureum contained flavonoid, tannin, saponin and steroid. The result showed extract Acrostichum aureum had the highest total phenolic content (366.4573 ± 2.2117 mg GAE.g-1), flavonoid content (228.6087 ± 2.2548 mg QE.g-1), and very strong antioxidant activity with IC50 value 29.5303 ppm. There is positive correlation between total phenolic content, flavonoid with antioxidant activity.

A knowledge of fern phenology promotes understanding of the biology and ecology of ferns. In this study, the phenology of 16 fern species in a subtropical broadleaf forest (N24 degrees 46', E121 degrees 34') in northeastern Taiwan was monitored from August 1997 to August 2001. Every fern produced both fertile and sterile leaves in each year of the study. Most fertile leaves emerged in February and March, whereas most sterile leaves emerged from May to September. Most leaves reached full expansion during April-July and died during April-August. The average life span of leaves ranged from 4.4 months to 30.3 months. In seven species, fertile leaves lived longer than sterile leaves, but this difference was significant only in Pteris wallichiana. In the other nine species, sterile leaves lived longer than fertile leaves, but the difference was significant only in Cyathea spinulosa, Plagiogyria dunnii, and Plagiogyria adanata. The ephemeral fertile leaves of the two dimorphic species died soon after releasing their spores, at only 5 months of age. However, their sterile leaves survived for over 22 months. The fertile leaves of the other 14 species remained green for almost 2 years after releasing their spores. Sterile leaves remained sterile throughout their lives. Spores matured in May-July and were released in June-August. After spore release, the sporangia detached. No leaf produced a second cohort of sori. Several phenological events, including sterile leaf emergence, leaf expansion and senescence, and spore maturation and release, were significantly positively correlated with temperature but not with precipitation, whereas the emergence of fertile leaves was weakly negatively correlated with temperature and precipitation. However, those correlations varied among different species.

Fern-feeder aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae) in China are represented by 13 species in 10 genera, including a new genus, Vietaphisgen. nov. , a new species, Vietaphis aliquantussp. nov. , from Guizhou and Tibet on Plagiogyria japonicum , and a new subspecies, Amphorophora scabripes galbassp. nov. , from Guizhou on Pentarhizidium intermedium . Two genera, Amphorophora Buckton and Idiopterus Davis, and four species or subspecies, Amphorophora ampullate ben-galensis Hille Ris Lambers and Basu, Idiopterus nephrelepidis Davis, Micromyzodium polypodii Takahashi, and Myzus filicis Basu, are reported for the first time in China. Apterae and alatae of Myzus filicis are redescribed herein, and with host plant notes. The fern-feeder aphid genus Ne-omacromyzus Lee is considered a junior synonym of Idiopterus . Furthermore, Neomacromyzus cyrtomicola Lee is transferred to the genus Idiopterus , as Idiopterus cyrtomicola (Lee), comb. nov. , which is herein considered a junior synonym of Idiopterus nephrelepidis Davis. Keys to Chinese fern-feeder species are provided. Morphological figures and biometrical data of Vietaphis aliquantussp. nov. , Amphorophora scabripes galbassp. nov. , and Myzus filicis are presented.

The sesqui- and diterpenoid chemistry of Copeland's Pteridaceae gives information useful for understanding the phylogenetic relationships and taxonomic affinities between pteridaceous ferns. Indalane-type sesquiterpenes, pterosins, are distributed widely among the Pteridaceae, but the distribution is limited to this family. This fact shows the phylogenetic homogeneity of Copeland's Pteridaceae. Z-type pterosins (C 15 ) occur more commonly than B-type (C 14 ) pterosins in the primitive ferns and B-type pterosins are more common in the advanced ferns. Various ent -kaurane type diterpenes occur mainly in the Pteris and related genera. Among them are 2 β -hydroxy- ent -kauranes, which are characteristic of advanced members of the genus Pteris and ent -kauran-19-oic acids which are characteristic of primitive members of the genus. The relationship between chemistry and the groupings of Pteris on the basis of frond shapes is discussed. Chemotaxonomy of Monachosorum and Plagiogyria is also described

From the fronds of Plagiogyria euphlebia (KUNZE) METT. 4-O-p-coumaroyl-D-glucose and its related compound, plagiogyrin A were isolated. The structural formula II has been assigned to plagiogyrin A by chemical and spectroscopic analysis. The absolute stereochemistry has been determined at C-5 by the application of modified Horeau's method.

Temperature determines the germination percentage and germination rate of non-dormant fern spores and is known to be a crucial factor for breaking or inducing dormancy in seeds. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of optimal, supraoptimal and suboptimal temperatures on spore germination of eight species of terrestrial homosporous ferns. Spores were incubated for one month in a temperature gradient from 15 to 35 °C in either light or dark. Thereafter, the spores were transferred to 25 °C and incubated in the light. The optimal temperature for germination varied among species, and germination inhibition and possible secondary dormancy were induced at both suboptimal and supraoptimal temperatures. At 35 or 30 °C, with light, spores of most species did not germinate or exhibited low germination percentages, owing to thermoinhibition or possible thermodormancy. In the dark, the spores did not germinate at any of the temperatures tested. After the spores were transferred to the light at 25 °C, a high percentage of spore germination was observed. Incubation in the dark at different temperatures also promoted high germination or dormancy. Temperatures that promoted germination might be related to the season that the different species germinate rather than their habitat, as a number of species within the same habitat had different optimum temperature requirements. Differences in temperature requirements may help to form a soil spore bank. It is necessary to determine whether secondary dormancy was induced by supraoptimal and suboptimal temperatures to further understand spore germination and colonisation in the field.

Plagiogyria fialhoi (Fee & Glaziou) Copel. is a shade-loving fern that can be found in cloud forests of elevated regions in the Brazilian states of Rio de Janeiro, Espirito Santo, Minas Gerais, Sao Paulo, Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul, and probably also Parana (Brade, 1956; Sehnem, 1967). Some authors (e.g., Tryon & Tryon, 1982) consider Plagiogyria in America to be a single species, P. semicordata (Presl) Christ, but in this study the separation into six species by Lellinger (1971) was adopted. Some aspects of the ecology and development of the gametophytes and sporophytes of a population of P. fialhoi occurring in a cloud forest in the Serra da Mantiqueira in southeastern Brazil (45?25'S, 22?40'W, ca. 2,000 m alt.) were studied. The locality is on a small ridge next to the Campos do Jordao State Park, in the state of Sao Paulo. Cloud forests occur mainly on the eastern slopes of the mountains, above 1,600 and up to 2,000 m alt., and are composed of low (ca. 6 m) trees covered by a great quantity of epiphytes. Frequent drizzle, fog, and low clouds keep the humidity extremely high. The rainfall at the locality is thought to be about 2,000 mm per year. Climatological data collected at considerably lower altitudes in the nearby state park (Seibert et al., 1975) indicate July as the driest month (ca. 30 mm rainfall) and January as the wettest (more than 300 mm). The warmest month is February (17.7?C average, absolute maximum 27.2?C); the coldest is July (9.5?C average, absolute minimum -4.4?C). A short description of the floristic composition of these cloud forests is presented by Seibert et al. (1975), together with the detailed climatic data for the region.

The sterile fronds of the American species of sect. Carinatae, which supply all of the key characters, vary considerably within each species. The differences between the species are subtle, and immature or aberrant specimens may be difficult to place accurately; there seem to be no useful characters beyond those mentioned in the keys. Because of the size overlap between extreme specimens of the various species and the general similarities of their fronds, descriptions are of little use, and so have not been included in this paper.