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Ligustrum lucidum W.T. Aiton is an outstanding herb with the homology of medicine and food. Its ripe fruits are traditionally used as an important tonic for kidneys and liver in China. Ligustrum lucidum W.T. Aiton is rich in nutritional components and a variety of bioactive ingredients. A total of 206 compounds have been isolated and identified, they mainly include flavonoids, phenylpropanoids, iridoid glycosides, and triterpenoids. These compounds exert anti-osteoporosis, anti-tumor, liver protective, antioxidant, antiinflammatory, and immunomodulatory effects. Ligustrum lucidum W.T. Aiton has been traditionally used to treat many complex diseases, including osteoporotic bone pain, rheumatic bone, cancer, related aging symptoms, and so on. In the 2020 Edition of Chinese Pharmacopoeia, there are more than 100 prescriptions containing L. lucidum W.T. Aiton. Among them, some classical preparations including Er Zhi Wan and Zhenqi fuzheng formula, are used in the treatment of various cancers with good therapeutic effects. Additionally, L. lucidum W.T. Aiton has also many excellent applications for functional food, ornamental plants, bioindicator of air pollution, algicidal agents, and feed additives. Ligustrum lucidum W.T. Aiton has rich plant resources. However, the application potential of it has not been fully exploited. We hope that this paper provides a theoretical basis for the high-value and high-connotation development of L. lucidum W.T. Aiton in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Moslae Herba (MH) can be used for both medicine and food and has a long history of medicine. MH has the effects of sweating and relieving the exterior, removing dampness and harmonizing, and is mainly used for colds caused by damp heat in summer. It is called "Xiayue Zhi Mahuang" in China. So far, 123 chemical compounds have been isolated and identified from MH, including flavonoids, terpenoids, phenolic acids, phenylpropanoids, and other chemical compounds. Its chemical components have a wide range of pharmacological activities, including antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, analgesic sedation, antipyretic, immune regulation, insecticidal, and other effects. In addition, because of its aromatic odor and health care function, MH also has development and utilization value in food, chemical, and other fields. This paper reviewed the research progress of MH in botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacology and provided a possible direction for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Irrigation & Drainage is the property of Journal of Irrigation & Drainage Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article discusses a special issue of Grass and Forage Science focused on grassland, forage, and turfgrass science in China. The issue highlights the developments in these areas in China and includes papers on topics such as genetics and grass breeding, forage production and utilization, grassland degradation, and turfgrasses. The article emphasizes the breadth of Chinese grassland science and notes an increase in the number of papers published from China in recent years. The authors express their gratitude to those who contributed to the special issue and anticipate continued growth in research from China in the future. [Extracted from the article]

Allelopathy Journal is the official publication of 'Allelopathy Books' that promotes allelopathy research and publish researches related to plant sciences and health sciences. This study aimed to present an insight about the researches published in this journal, to help the Authors, Readers and Editorial team to understand the journal in depth. We analyzed the scholarly publications published in the Allelopathy Journal, their Citations, focussing on other aspects such as Publication output, Citation analysis, Co-authorship patterns, Collaboration networks, Research productivity, Research topics and International collaboration. This study is useful to identify emerging trends and evaluate research impact. The data for the study was extracted from the Scopus Database for the period from 1996 to 2022. The results showed that the journal has published 1209 papers during this period, which received 9826 citations with an average of 8.13 citations per paper. F.Z. Wu was the most prolific author with 22 papers receiving 127 citations and Prof. S.S. Narwal, with second highest papers in the journal, received the highest number of citations (242). China was the most productive country with 425 papers in the journal, followed by India (243 papers). The Chinese Academy of Sciences was the most productive institute in the journal and published 67 papers with 678 citations. A total of 4870 authors have appeared in 1209 papers with 0.91 degree of collaboration and a collaboration index of 4.03. Thematic maps indicated that the topics represented by keywords such as "Distribution", "Habitat", "Essential Oil", "Lettuce", "Morphology," have potential importance for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The changes of fatty acid compositions, volatile components, and microbial flora of bighead carp heads during fresh transportation were investigated. The brain, eye muscle, muscle near the incision (on the abdomen 5 cm away from the gills), and jaw muscle of bighead carp heads at ambient temperature (25°C) for 6 h and simulated fresh transportation (underwent ice storage and vibration) for 36 h and 72 h were evaluated. The content of monounsaturated fatty acids (38.98%) in four parts of bighead carp heads was the highest followed with saturated fatty acids (30.92%) band polyunsaturated fatty acids (24.50%), and their contents as well as the sensory quality were decreased significantly with the prolongation of fresh transportation time. There were significant differences in the composition and contents of volatile flavor compounds in the bighead carp heads during fresh transportation, including alcohols, aldehydes, esters, aromatic compounds, hydrocarbons, and other compounds, especially ketones and amines. In addition, the species richness of bighead carp heads decreased gradually with the extension of transportation time. The flora was mainly composed of Firmicutes and Proteus at the phylum level and Streptococcus and Lactococcus at the genus level. Conclusively, ketone and amine compounds in volatile substances as well as the dominant spoilage bacteria (Streptococcus) in the flora could be used as spoilage markers during the fresh transportation of bighead carp heads. Practical Application. Bighead carp head has gradually become a hot online product in China due to its rich nutrition and delicious taste. Fresh transportation is one of the most common methods for preserving fish to improve its nutrition, flavor, and taste. This paper is aimed at investigating the changes in quality, fatty acid content, volatile compounds, and microbial flora of bighead carp heads during fresh transportation. The results of this study provide a better understanding of the spoilage volatiles and bacteria for bighead carp heads during fresh transportation. It could provide a guiding and theoretical basis for the routine fresh-keeping transportation of bighead carp heads and offer a security assessment for their nutritional value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the botanical explorations in Eastern Himalaya region of Xizang in China during the period 2020 to 2021, seven orchid species, Bulbophyllum gamblei, B. trongsaense, Dendrolirium ferrugineum, Taeniophyllum javanicum, Nervilia macroglossa, Trachoma rhopalorrhachis and Uncifera lancifolia, are reported as new records for China. Trachoma Garay is a newly recorded genus in China. Detailed descriptions and photographic illustrations of each species are provided in this paper to facilitate identification. Additionally, B. xizangense has been revised as a synonym for B. linzhiense. Further, a new combination is made in accordance with current orchid taxonomy, Dendrolirium pachyphylla (≡Pinalia pachyphylla). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Guihaia is the property of Guihaia Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Polygonum perfoliatum L. (synonym: Polygonum knotweed L.; Persicaria perfoliata ; family: Polygonaceae) is a kind of folk traditional Chinese medicine with a long history of wide use in the treatment of ancient internal, surgical, and gynecological diseases. At present, 80 chemical constituents have been isolated from P. perfoliatum , including flavonoids, anthraquinones, terpenoids, phenolic acids, phenylpropanoids, and alkaloids, among which flavonoids are the main active components. Modern studies have shown that P. perfoliatum has pharmacological activities such as anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, antiviral, anti-liver fibrosis, antitussive and expectorant, anti-tumor, anti-oxidation, and so on. By consulting and sorting out a large number of related literatures at home and abroad in recent years, this paper systematically reviewed the botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacological activities, and quality control of P. perfoliatum , and discussed its development potential in new drug research and clinical application in the future, in order to provide a reference basis for further research and promote the in-depth development and utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Specimen identification keys are still the most commonly created tools used by systematic biologists to access biodiversity information. Creating identification keys requires analyzing and synthesizing large amounts of information from specimens and their descriptions and is a very labor-intensive and time-consuming activity. Automating the generation of identification keys from text descriptions becomes a highly attractive text mining application in the biodiversity domain. Fine-grained semantic annotation of morphological descriptions of organisms is a necessary first step in generating keys from text. Machine-readable ontologies are needed in this process because most biological characters are only implied (i.e., not stated) in descriptions. The immediate question to ask is “How well do existing ontologies support semantic annotation and automated key generation?” With the intention to either select an existing ontology or develop a unified ontology based on existing ones, this paper evaluates the coverage, semantic consistency, and inter-ontology agreement of a biodiversity character ontology and three plant glossaries that may be turned into ontologies. The coverage and semantic consistency of the ontology/glossaries are checked against the authoritative domain literature, namely, Flora of North America and Flora of China. The evaluation results suggest that more work is needed to improve the coverage and interoperability of the ontology/glossaries. More concepts need to be added to the ontology/glossaries and careful work is needed to improve the semantic consistency. The method used in this paper to evaluate the ontology/glossaries can be used to propose new candidate concepts from the domain literature and suggest appropriate definitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to our paper on the evolutionary history of the Chinese flora, Qian suggests that certain features of the divergence time estimation employed might have led to biased conclusions in Lu et al (2018). Here, we consider Qian's specific criticisms, explore the extent of uncertainty in the data and demonstrate that (i) no systematic bias toward dates that are too young or too old is detected in Lu et al.; (ii) constraint of the crown age of angiosperms does not bias the generic ages estimated by Lu et al.; and (iii) ages derived from the Chinese regional phylogeny do not bias the conclusions reported by Lu et al. All these analyses confirm that the conclusions reported previously are robust. We argue that, like many large‐scale biodiversity analyses, sources of noise in divergence time estimation are to be expected, but these should not be confused with bias. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Coptidis rhizome (CR), also known as Huanglian in Chinese, is the rhizome of Coptis chinensis Franch., C. deltoidea C.Y. Cheng et Hsiao, or C. teeta Wall (Ranunculaceae). It has been widely used to treat bacillary dysentery, diabetes, pertussis, sore throat, aphtha, and eczema in China. Objectives: The present paper reviews the latest advances of CR, focusing on the botany, phytochemistry, traditional usages, pharmacokinetics, pharmacology and toxicology of CR and its future perspectives. Methods: Studies from 1985 to 2018 were reviewed from books; PhD. and MSc. dissertations; the state and local drug standards; PubMed; CNKI; Scopus; the Web of Science; and Google Scholar using the keywords Coptis, Coptidis Rhizoma, Huanglian, and goldthread. Results: Currently, 128 chemical constituents have been isolated and identified from CR. Alkaloids are the characteristic components, together with organic acids, coumarins, phenylpropanoids and quinones. The extracts/compounds isolated from CR cover a wide pharmacological spectrum, including antibacterial, antivirus, antifungal, antidiabetic, anticancer and cardioprotective effects. Berberine is the most important active constituent and the primary toxic component of CR. Conclusions: As an important herbal medicine in Chinese medicine, CR has the potential to treat various diseases. However, further research should be undertaken to investigate the clinical effects, toxic constituents, target organs and pharmacokinetics, and to establish criteria for quality control, for CR and its related medications. In addition, the active constituents, other than alkaloids, in both raw and processed products of CR should be investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objective] The purpose of this paper is to provide scientific basis for better protection of Ottelia acuminata and its sustainable utilization. [Method] Based on detailed investigation into its survival status and resources combining with the ways of land survey, analysis of life-type composition and regional components of vascular plants competing with the living space and nutrients of Ottelia acuminata was carried out in this paper. [Result] The resulLs showed that there were 27 families of vascular plants including 47 genera and 76 species in the distribution areas of Ottelia acuminata. Three types were classified according to their lifestyle and ecological types, 14 genera including 32 species were submerged plants, and 26 species of 20 genera and 18 species of 13 genera were aquatic and floating plants, respectively. From the view of composition of zone, 33 species were composed of 4 families with five or more categories each, belonging to dominant taxa of a-quatic vascular plants of Ottelia acuminata, taking up43.42% of total species. The geographical composition of the flora was complex and various. Families in this flora could be divided into 3 distribution types and 1 variant type, and there are 22 families in the world distribution type, 3 families in the tropical type and 2 families in temperate type. Genera could be classified into 9 distribution types and 2 variant types, and there were 20 genera in the world distribution type, 12 and 14 genera in the tropical and the temperate types, respectively. Species could be divided into 1 1 distribution types and 2 variant types, and there were 26 species in the world distribution type, 19 species in the tropical one and 24 species in the temperate one. Five species were endemic in China, but no endemic genera exist. [Conclusion] The geographical composition of genera and species reflects the nature of transition from tropical to temperate zones, the distribution of cos cosmopolitan, pantropics, old world tropics ami north temperate zone strongly influences the vascular flora of Ottelia acuminate population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Food Research & Development is the property of Food Research & Development Editorial Department and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

China has the largest straw production in the world. Comprehensive utilization of straw is restricted by its complex structure. Microbial degradation of straw is gradually attracted people’s attention, which is an important way to realize the effective utilization of straw resources. The paper reviewed the utilization status and biodegradation mechanism of straw, including the bacteria, actinomycetes, fungi, genetic engineering technology utilized in microbial straw degradation, and influence of environmental factors on straw degradation. Furthermore, the application of metagenomics technology in analyzing the species composition, functional metabolism of microbial flora, and the mechanism of microbial flora degrading straw. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maize (Zea may L.)–soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] intercropping is popular in many countries because of its high productivity. However, no studies have explored maize–soybean intercropping via bibliometric methods. Taking the Web of Science database, the visualization applications of CiteSpace and VOSviewer were used to visually analyze the literature related to research in the field of maize–soybean intercropping, with the aim of studying keyword hotspots and evolving trends, and analyzing the future research directions. The results showed that the annual number of publications on maize–soybean intercropping showed rapid growth from 2010 to 2021. The top three publishing countries were China, the United States, and India, and the top three institutions were Sichuan Agricultural University, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, and China Agricultural University. Th three most popular journals were Field Crops Research, Agronomy Journal, and Indian Journal of Agronomy. Agronomy, multidisciplinary agriculture and plant science were the most popular research categories. A keyword analysis indicated that "maize" was the most popular study area. Crop root coupling processes, biological nitrogen fixation, efficient utilization of resources, carbon sequestration and emission reduction, microbial communities, and interspecific relationships are the current hot research topics. This study review and analyzed the current research hotspots and future research trends to provide an important reference for scientists to better respond to food security issues. Core Ideas: There has been a rapid increase in maize–soybean intercropping research.China, Chinese institutions, and Chinese scholars have conducted much of this research.Maize–soybean intercropping has shown an interdisciplinary distribution.Keywords showed the heterogeneity in maize–soybean intercropping publications across years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Bulletin of Botanical Research is the property of Bulletin of Botanical Research Editorial Department and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract This paper describes an osmundalean stem from the Lopingian (upper Permian) Xuanwei Formation in eastern Yunnan Province, southwestern China. The stem of T. resinus sp. nov. is very small, only ca. 1 cm in diameter, and is characterised by the bi-zoned pith, pith cells typically vertically elongated, ectophloic siphonostele, primary xylem mesarch and 6–8 tracheid thick, a mass of sclerenchymatous cells in the adaxial concavity of the leaf trace and an arch-shaped secretory cell band surrounding the adaxial side of the leaf trace. The stem is compared with the member of Osmundales and is assigned into the genus Tiania of the extinct family Guaireaceae, where it represents the smallest member of the Guiariaceae. Distinctions from Tiania yunnanense include no sclerenchymatous and secretory cells in the primary xylem and the secretory cells in the cortex distributing around the adaxial side of the leaf trace and lead to the establishment of Tiania resinus sp. nov. T. resinus together with the three other species from three genera osmundalean trunk/stem have now been reported from the Upper Permian of eastern Yunnan and western Guizhou, southwestern China. Discovery of the new species enriches the diversity of osmundalean plants from the Cathaysian Flora and offers evidence that the area of eastern Yunnan and western Guizhou may be an centre for the distribution and the early evolution of extinct osmundalean family Guaireaceae. Highlights • This paper describes a new species of osmumdalean stem from Upper Permian of China. • The new species enrich the diversity of osmundalean plant of Cathaysian Flora. • The southwestern China is the center of distribution and early evolution of Guaireaceae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eucommia ulmoides Oliver, a single species of Eucommia genus belonging to the Eucommiaceae family, is an endemic in China and has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for nearly two thousand years. Records from different historical periods highlight E. ulmoides and its officinal botanical parts, usefulness in adaptation to disease and its central role in Chinese medicine theory. There are also historical collection documents for minorities in China. Tearing the leaves, bark and fruit produces strands of latex; a description of E. ulmoides's morphological features is recorded in this paper. This review summarizes 204 natural compounds isolated from this plant, which are divided into seven categories: lignans, iridoids, flavonoids, phenols, steroids, terpenes and others. These components possess wide-ranging pharmacological efficacies, such as antihypertensive, antihyperglycemic, antihyperlipidemia, anti-oxidative, anti-osteoporosis, antitumor, immunomodulatory and neuroprotective activities. This review aims to provide a reference for extensive researches of E. ulmoides crude drugs, especially for quality control, biosynthesis and structure modification of active ingredients and pharmacological mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Cretaceous continental strata developed in eastern Northeast China are rich in animal and plant fossils and have formed important minerals such as coal and oil shale. The only records of the earliest marine strata in Early Cretaceous are also preserved here besides Tibet' which is of great significance for the study on Cretaceous geography in China. Many new discoveries have been made in the Cretaceous stratigraphy of this area in recent years' some of which have filled the gaps of strata study in Northeast China. The paper also preliminarily discusses the co-evolution of Late Cretaceous flora and fauna represented by dinosaurs in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human cultivation facilitates the naturalization and subsequent invasion of non-native plant species through, for example, protection from predators or reducing environmental stochasticity. With the development of tourism, non-native plant species have been increasingly introduced into rural home gardens for landscape greening and amenity planting. However, few studies have examined non-native flora in rural home gardens, and in particular the importance of tourism in determining changes of garden non-native flora has not been scrutinized. In this study, we investigated non-native plant species in 135 home gardens across five rural tourism villages in tropical China. Attributes related to garden or household characteristics were also collected through interviews and questionnaires. A distance-based redundancy analysis was then performed to reveal the relationships between the non-native species composition and garden attributes. A total of 338 non-native plant species were recorded in the surveyed gardens. Among them, the majority (63%) were ornamentals, whereas 19% were for nutritional uses and 12% were spontaneous weeds. Gardening preference and distance to tourist attractions governed the non-native compositions, with gardens preferring cultural (ornamental) cultivation or gardens close to tourist attractions having more non-native species. These results highlight an increasing role of tourism in promoting non-native cultivation in rural gardens. Recommendations for species risk assessment, trade and supply regulation, and proper garden management are provided to help harness plant invasion along tourism development in rural China and other regions around the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although it is well documented that mountains tend to exhibit high biodiversity, how geological processes affect the assemblage of montane floras is a matter of ongoing research. Here, we explore landform-specific differences among montane floras based on a dataset comprising 17,576 angiosperm species representing 140 Chinese mountain floras, which we define as the collection of all angiosperm species growing on a specific mountain. Our results show that igneous bedrock (granitic and karst-granitic landforms) is correlated with higher species richness and phylogenetic overdispersion, while the opposite is true for sedimentary bedrock (karst, Danxia, and desert landforms), which is correlated with phylogenetic clustering. Furthermore, we show that landform type was the primary determinant of the assembly of evolutionarily older species within floras, while climate was a greater determinant for younger species. Our study indicates that landform type not only affects montane species richness, but also contributes to the composition of montane floras. To explain the assembly and differentiation of mountain floras, we propose the 'floristic geo-lithology hypothesis', which highlights the role of bedrock and landform processes in montane floristic assembly and provides insights for future research on speciation, migration, and biodiversity in montane regions. An analysis of 140 floras from China reveals that high species diversity exists in granite and mixed landforms, while low species diversity is found in karst, Danxia, and desert landforms. Based on these findings, the authors provide new clues for understanding the assembly and differentiation of mountain floras, highlighting the role of bedrock and landform processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zhalong National Nature Reserve in the northeast of China is a large wetland and a habitat of hundreds species of fauna and flora. The rare red-crowned crane is one kind of endangered birds in it. Recently, Zhalong wetland is shrinking and it encounters many problems including occasional fires, bad water quality, human activities, etc. In order to find out a proper way to protect and restore the wetland, this study, using a geographic information system, the global positioning system and remote sensing techniques, analyses the spatial characteristics of the changes in marsh landscape pattern and examines the driving factors for these changes. Data sources include 8 Landsat Thematic Mapper satellite images of Zhalong area in the period of 1986–2002 and the investigation information on site. Based on the analysis of changes of marsh area and annual precipitation during the 16 years, it is found that there is a close correlation between annual precipitation and marsh area. It means that climate is one of driving factors of marsh pattern changes. To understand influences of other kinds of land uses on marsh spatial distribution in Zhalong wetland, this paper analyses the relationship between marsh and different kinds of land uses, such as water surface, residential area, farmland, salina land and grass land, respectively. According to the patch analysis theory, a fragmental index and a fractal dimension of the marsh are calculated with perimeter-area method. The results indicate that the marsh pattern is affected by human activities significantly. In addition, the location alteration of marsh centroid point over the 16 years is studied. The movement trace of marsh centroid point is concerned with different hydrological situation in different areas of the wetland. In summary the characteristics of the marsh landscape pattern evolution during the 16 years are affected by multiple driving factors. The main driving factors are climate, human activities, distribution of other kinds of land uses and hydrological situation in different areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Baligang is a Neolithic site on a northern tributary of the middle Yangtze and provides a long archaeobotanical sequence from the Seventh Millennium BC upto the First Millennium BC. It provides evidence for developments in rice and millet agriculture influenced by shifting cultural affiliation with the north (Yangshao and Longshan) and south (Qujialing and Shijiahe) between 4300 and 1800 BC. This paper reports on plant macro-remains (seeds), from systematic flotation of 123 samples (1700 litres), producing more than 10,000 identifiable remains. The earliest Pre-Yangshao occupation of the sites provide evidence for cultivation of rice (Oryza sativa) between 6300-6700 BC. This rice appears already domesticated in on the basis of a dominance of non-shattering spikelet bases. However, in terms of grain size changes has not yet finished, as grains are still thinner than more recent domesaticated rice and are closer in grain shape to wild rices. This early rice was cultivated alongside collection of wild staple foods, especially acorns (Quercus/Lithicarpus sensu lato). In later periods the sites has evidence for mixed farming of both rice and millets (Setaria italica and Panicum miliaceum). Soybean appears on the site in the Shijiahe period (ca.2500 BC) and wheat (Triticum cf. aestivum) in the Late Longshan levels (2200-1800 BC). Weed flora suggests an intensification of rice agriculture over time with increasing evidence of wetland weeds. We interpret these data as indicating early opportunistic cultivation of alluvial floodplains and some rainfed rice, developing into more systematic and probably irrigated cultivation starting in the Yangshao period, which intensified in the Qujialing and Shijiahe period, before a shift back to an emphasis on millets with the Late Longshan cultural influence from the north.

Five new synonyms in Chinese Epimedium are designated in the present paper. Epimedium chlorandrum is treated as a synonym of E. acuminatum; Epimedium rhizomatosum as a synonym of E. membranaceum; Epimedium brachyrrhizum as a synonym of E. leptorrhizum; Epimedium dewuense as a synonym of E. dolichostemon; and Epimedium sagittatum var. oblongifoliolatum as a synonym of E. borealiguizhouense. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on literature, field work, collection, examination and identification of related specimens, the genus Tupistra Ker-Gawl. (Asparagaceae) is revised and three species are recognized in Guangxi, China. Among them, Tupistra cardinalis Aver., N. Tanaka & Son is a newly recorded species to China. In this paper, a detailed description of T. cardinalis, the photographs and geographical distribution of the genus in Guangxi and a key to all the species recognized in China are given. The voucher specimens are stored in Herbarium of Guangxi Botanical Garden of Medicinal Plants(GXMG)and Herbarium of Guangxi Institute of Botany (IBK). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the eighteenth to nineteenth century, British botanists collected thousands of Chinese plants to advance their knowledge of natural history. John Bradby Blake was the first British botanist to systematically collect Chinese plants in the 1770s, a time when foreigners could only access Guangzhou (Canton). This article demonstrates that Blake's Chinese flora project heavily relied on the work of Chinese 'go-betweens', notably painter Mak Sau, who painted Chinese plants in a scientifically accurate manner. The genre of Canton Trade botanical paintings is a hybrid between European botanical tradition and Chinese bird-and-flower paintings that had previously been difficult to analyse owing to the lack of chronological evidence. Thanks to new data uncovered in different Blake collections, this article begins to untangle the chronology of these botanical paintings, and in the process uncovers the untold agency of Chinese 'go-betweens' in early Sino-Western scientific and cultural exchanges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Archaeobotany, the study of plant remains from sites of ancient human activity, provides data for studying the initial evolution of domesticated plants. An important background to this is defining the domestication syndrome, those traits by which domesticated plants differ from wild relatives. These traits include features that have been selected under the conditions of cultivation. From archaeological remains the easiest traits to study are seed size and in cereal crops the loss of natural seed dispersal., Scope: The rate at which these features evolved and the ordering in which they evolved can now be documented for a few crops of Asia and Africa. This paper explores this in einkorn wheat (Triticum monococcum) and barley (Hordeum vulgare) from the Near East, rice (Oryza sativa) from China, mung (Vigna radiata) and urd (Vigna mungo) beans from India, and pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) from west Africa. Brief reference is made to similar data on lentils (Lens culinaris), peas (Pisum sativum), soybean (Glycine max) and adzuki bean (Vigna angularis). Available quantitative data from archaeological finds are compiled to explore changes with domestication. The disjunction in cereals between seed size increase and dispersal is explored, and rates at which these features evolved are estimated from archaeobotanical data. Contrasts between crops, especially between cereals and pulses, are examined., Conclusions: These data suggest that in domesticated grasses, changes in grain size and shape evolved prior to non-shattering ears or panicles. Initial grain size increases may have evolved during the first centuries of cultivation, within perhaps 500-1000 years. Non-shattering infructescences were much slower, becoming fixed about 1000-2000 years later. This suggests a need to reconsider the role of sickle harvesting in domestication. Pulses, by contrast, do not show evidence for seed size increase in relation to the earliest cultivation, and seed size increase may be delayed by 2000-4000 years. This implies that conditions that were sufficient to select for larger seed size in Poaceae were not sufficient in Fabaceae. It is proposed that animal-drawn ploughs (or ards) provided the selection pressure for larger seeds in legumes. This implies different thresholds of selective pressure, for example in relation to differing seed ontogenetics and underlying genetic architecture in these families. Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) may show some similarities to the pulses in terms of a lag-time before truly larger-grained forms evolved.

Objective: The purpose of this paper is to comprehensively evaluate the quality of Chishao. Methods: In the experiment of this paper, the fingerprint spectrums of Chishao in all locations are established by RP-HPLC and the model of principle component analysis with the RP-HPLC peak areas is established. Results: The quality of Chishao in the northern part of China or that made of Paeonia lactiflora is better than that of these in others or that made of other species. The quality of Chishao comes from P. veitchii is in the middle class and is better than those that comes from P. obovata, P. mairei and P. anomala. The results are consistent with traditional views of the quality of this plant. These results indicates that principal component analysis (PCA) can be used as an effective and economic method to evaluate the quality of Chishao, and may be extended to other Chinese medicinal plants. Conclusions: Due to the complex basis of the efficacy of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the method such as PCA of several chemical components appears to be a more appropriate method for the quality evaluation of TCM in contrast to the determination of a single or few chemicals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Song dynasty, many “Pulu” (a specific writing style which is close to monographs) came out. At least 17 works in Pulu writings of the Song dynasty feature the tree peony, that accounts for almost a half of Pulu featuring flowering plants, while they became precursory books that promoted other flower Pulu. Nowadays only seven of the 17 works remain, so it is hard to know what were written in those lost works. In this paper, including those lost works, I would show the investigation into background of each Pulu author, the precise time of writing, the frameworks and the contents of each Pulu. As a result, the following points are newly discovered: (a) By the reseach of the authors' backgrounds, not only their social/official positions and circumstances of writing are clarified, but the relationships between the authors are also emerged. (b) In addition, based on the investigation into the more precisely presumed time of writings, all the 17 works are now able to be placed in chronological order, and the transition of the recorded varieties and these locations of each work become clear. As a result, the number of varieties actually does not simply increase by chronological order, but comparing the varieties written in each Pulu, we can know there were always newly-produced varieties. People in the Song dynasty often sought newer varieties and ignored older ones. The number of varieties in each Pulu therefore does simply increase by chronoligical order. (c) Through the examination into the frameworks and the contents inside the seven extant works, it can be known that most of authors recorded the present varieties of the tree peonies, and sometime mentioned flower gardens, folklife with the flowers, and cultivation techniques, in order to hand down to posterity. Some authors who were scholar-officials presented their own philosophical ideas concerning how new varieties of the tree peonies can be produced. They often mentioned “Zaowu” and/or “Zaohua” (a certain creator) who is supposed to administrate nature, that is also supposed to influence mutations of the tree peonies. Meanwhile, this paper also introduces the different early editions of the existent seven works, such as texts in Baichuan Xuehai, and shows the most reliable versions with a comparison among the different versions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews the current status of studies on Jatropha curcas in China. Jatropha curcas has been grown in China for more than 300 years. It is mainly distributed in the southwest from the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau to the hot and dry Three-River Valley with hot monsoon climate and the southeast in the provinces of Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan and Taiwan along the coast. The regions where it occurs have annual rainfall >500 mm and average annual temperature greater than 19°C. It occurs on a wide range of soil regimes in these regions. In China the jatropha usually blossoms and bears fruits only once a year, but there are also instances of two or more flowerings per year. In some small but high yielding pilot areas, dry fruit output is reported to be 9,000–12,000 kg per ha, whereas in large plantings the output averages only about 1,800 kg per ha. In order to contribute to sustainable production of jatropha, further studies focused on different ecotypes, improvement of seed quality, plantation techniques, flowering and fruiting characteristics, and harvest and post-harvest handling of seeds are required. More research on biomedicinal potential of various parts of the plant and more information on the actual and potential markets is needed to realize the full potential of jatropha. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Community ecologists and vegetation scientists in grassland research have a strong interest in quantifying biotic communities in detail. However, a satisfactory classification with fine biotic details has been challenged by the coarse resolutions of Landsat images, although they are easily accessible. In this paper, a hybrid fuzzy classifier (HFC) for vegetation classification with Landsat ETM+ imagery on the typical grassland in Xilinhe River Basin, Inner Mongolia, China has been developed. Three vegetation classification systems were created from different aspects: the botanical system (Bio-classes, also as the final mapping units for vegetation cover), the combined botanical and spectral system (Bio-S classes), and the spectral system (Spec-classes). The HFC designed a fuzzy logic to measure the similarity between Spec-classes, extracted by the unsupervised classification, and Bio-S classes, built from the field samples, when considering the spectral variations of samples within the same Bio-class. Then, Bio-S classes, which served as a bridge for assigning Spec-classes to the target Bio-classes, were merged to restore Bio-classes for the final mapping. To assess the classification accuracy, the HFC was compared with a conventional supervised classification (CSC). The overall result of the HFC was much better than that of the CSC, with an accuracy percentage of 80.2% as compared to 69.0% for the CSC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ephedra sinica Stapf (commonly, Chinese ephedra) grows mainly in Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and other regions of northern China. The stems of Chinese ephedra have been called the world's oldest medicine; other uses remain to be reported. Among the Mongolian people, in addition to medical applications, the fleshy bracts of the seed cones (or ‘fruit’) are traditionally used as food, fresh or dried, in several ways; for example, the fruit is used as a refined sugar, a cheese condiment, and a tea substitute. In this paper, we analyze the fruit's nutritional components: moisture, crude protein, crude fat, crude fiber, carbohydrate, ash, pectin, vitamins, fatty acids, mineral elements, and amino acids. Ethnobotanical and nutritional component information may indicate that the plant has potential for development as a special food plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantifying spatial patterns of species richness and determining the processes that give rise to these patterns are core problems in biodiversity theory. The aim of the present paper was to more accurately detect patterns of vascular species richness at different scales along altitudinal gradients in order to further our understanding of biodiversity patterns and to facilitate studies on relationships between biodiversity and environmental factors. Species richness patterns of total vascular plants species, including trees, shrubs, and herbs, were measured along an altitudinal gradient on one transect on a shady slope in the Dongling Mountains, near Beijing, China. Direct gradient analysis, regression analysis, and geostatistics were applied to describe the spatial patterns of species richness. We found that total vascular species richness did not exhibit a linear pattern of change with altitude, although species groups with different ecological features showed strong elevational patterns different from total species richness. In addition to total vascular plants, analysis of trees, shrubs, and herbs demonstrated remarkable hierarchical structures of species richness with altitude (i.e. patchy structures at small scales and gradients at large scales). Species richness for trees and shrubs had similar spatial characteristics at different scales, but differed from herbs. These results indicated that species groups with similar ecological features exhibit similar biodiversity patterns with altitude, and studies of biodiversity based on species groups with similar ecological properties or life forms would advance our understanding of variations in species diversity. Furthermore, the gradients or trends appeared to be due mainly to local variations in species richness means with altitude. We also found that the range of spatial scale dependencies of species richness for total vascular plants, trees, shrubs, and herbs was relatively large. Thus, to detect the relationships between species richness with environmental factors along altitudinal gradients, it was necessary to quantify the scale dependencies of environmental factors in the sampling design or when establishing non-linear models. (Managing editor: Ya-Qin Han) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Explores the history of modern botany and modern science in China. Overview of nationalism in China; Status of its science during the World War II; Relationship between science and politics during its cultural revolution.

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Hypericum sampsonii Hance, also known as Yuanbao Cao in Chinese, is a traditional medicinal herb from the Guttiferae family and has been widely used in China to treat various conditions, including dysentery, enteritis, mastitis, scrofula, and contusion. Aim of the review: This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, biological activity and safety of H. sampsonii and to highlight its potential for medical application and drug development. Materials and methods: We searched several databases, i.e., Web of Science, SciFinder, PubMed, CBM, CNKI, Google Scholar, etc., for relevant information on H. sampsonii. Additionally, we also consulted some books on Chinese medicine. Results: To date, 227 secondary metabolites have been isolated from H. sampsonii, including polycyclic polyprenylated acylphloroglucinols (PPAPs), benzophenones, xanthones, flavonoids, naphthodianthrones, anthraquinones and aromatic compounds. These metabolites exhibit various biological activities such as anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, anti-depressant, anti-oxidant, anti-viral and anti-bacterial effects. PPAPs are considered the main active metabolites with rich biological activities. Despite being known as rich source of PPAPs, the full extent of H. sampsonii biological activities, including their potential as PDE4 inhibitors, remained unclear. Since, previous studies have mainly been based on structural identification of metabolites in H. sampsonii, and efficacy evaluations of these metabolites based on clinical applications of H. sampsonii lack sufficient data. However, current evidence suggest that PPAPs are the most likely material basis for efficacy. From the limited information available so far, there is no evidence of potential safety issues and the safety data are limited. Conclusion: Collectively, this review provides a comprehensive overview of the botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and safety of H. sampsonii, a valuable medicinal plant in China with various pharmacological activities. Based on pharmacological studies, H. sampsonii shows potential for treating gastrointestinal and gynecological disorders as well as traumatic injuries, which aligns with traditional medicinal use due to the presence of PPAPs, benzophenones, xanthones, and flavonoids. Therefore, further studies are needed to evaluate the pharmacological effects and elucidate the pharmacological mechanisms. In addition, pharmacological mechanisms and safety evaluation of PPAPs on animal models need to be clarified. Yet, further comprehensive studies are required to elucidate the phytochemical constituents, pharmacological mechanisms, structure-activity relationships, safety evaluation, and quality standards of this plant. Takentogether, this review highlights the potential of H. sampsonii for medical application and drug development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mid‐Cretaceous was characterized by long‐term and stabilized high temperatures confirmed by numerous palaeoclimatic information from marine sedimentary archives. However, few terrestrial records have yet been employed to verify the terrestrial humidity under this long‐term hot climate. The Liupanshan Basin, located in central China during the Cretaceous contains thick Aptian‐Albian sediments. Here, we reconstructed a long‐term palaeovegetational record during late Aptian to Albian from the Huoshizhai Section and Sikouzi Section, Liupanshan Basin. Five palynological assemblages were defined from the bottom to top of these strata, and a total of 124 types of palynomorphs including 47 spore species and 77 gymnosperm pollen species were recognized in the palynological assemblages. Sporopollen analysis revealed that the spore‐pollen spectra of Huoshizhai Section were dominated by Perinopollenites and Bisaccate pollen. In Sikouzi section, the Classopollis content dominate in all samples (average 63.8%), with a few other pollen, including conifer bisaccates types, Perinopollenites, Jiaohepollis, Ephedripites, Cycadopites and a few spores. The sporopollen assemblage reflected that the flora of the central Asia continent gradually changed from Taxodiacean‐dominated to Cheirolepidiaceae‐dominated in the late Aptian and the Albian, which further indicates that the central Asia continent palaeoclimate gradually changed from a wet and cold climate to a long‐term dry and hot climate with small fluctuation. In addition, the Classopollis content also presented a slightly increased trend from late Aptian to late Albian, which probably indicated a gradually intensified hot and dry climate. The thermophilic floral changes and warmer/cooler ratio of the Sporomorph Ecogroup Model at the middle Madonghshan Formation also shows slightly decreased trends which correspond to the global short‐term cooling events at the Aptian‐Albian transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploring the frequency and distribution pattern of polyploid species in geographic parameters is of significance in understanding the mechanisms of polyploid speciation and evolutionary drivers of biodiversity. We here explored polyploid and paleopolyploid incidence frequency in a scale of 100 × 100 km grids in China. We found 33% of angiosperm species are polyploidy in China, and 23% of polyploid speciation. Western China and eastern China showed a significantly different polyploid and paleopolyploid frequency, with an evolutionary cradle of polyploid angiosperms in the Qinghai–Tibetan plateau. Herbaceous species exhibited higher polyploid frequency but lower paleopolyploid frequency than woody species, indicating the former experienced more rapid differentiation and speciation than the latter. Our results indicate that western China is an evolutionary cradle for polyploid angiosperms where harsh environment facilitates the establishment and survival of polyploids, while polyploid lineages tend to rediploidize to be diploids with sufficient time in suitable environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our first record of the rare and scatteredly distributed Ixeridium sagittarioides for Guizhou, China, triggered a study to assess its systematic position. The species was placed in four different genera in the course of its taxonomic history and was recently treated with doubts as a member of Ixeridium in the Flora of China. Comparative morphological investigation and phylogenetic analyses based on the nuclear ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer (nrITS) and five non-coding plastid DNA regions (petD region, psbA-trnH, trnL-trnF, rpl32-trnL(UAG) and 5´rps16-trnQ(UUG) spacers) provided evidence that the species is not a member of Ixeridium and the Crepidinae but has evolved by ancient hybridisation of members of the Lactuca alliance (Lactucinae). It is reinstated as Lactuca sagittarioides and a comprehensive morphological description is provided, based on material from its entire range of distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Impatiens namchabarwensis was described as a new species in 2005 by Morgan et al. As already mentioned in the species description, I. namchabarwensis is morphologically similar to I. arguta and the small range of I. namchabarwensis in the eastern Himalaya is nested within the large, Himalayan range of I. arguta. Therefore, I. namchabarwensis has frequently been treated as synonym of I. arguta (e.g. in the Flora of China). We compared plant longevity, flower morphology and other functional floral traits and analyzed the differences between the two taxa. We found that I. namchabarwensis is a short‐lived perennial reaching maximally three years whereas I. arguta is a long‐lived perennial. Further, the floral traits of the two species differ significantly. These differences are also reflected in the main pollinator groups of the two species, which are hawk moths for I. namchabarwensis and bumblebees for I. arguta. Hence, we follow the argumentation of Morgan et al. and conclude that I. namchabarwensis and I. arguta are two distinct species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Angiosperms are a group of plants with the highest rate of evolution, the largest number of species, the widest distribution and the strongest adaptability. Needless to say, angiosperms are the most important group for the humans. The studies on the origin, evolution and systematics of angiosperms have been the major challenges in plant sciences. However, the origin and early history of angiosperms remains poorly understood and controversial among paleobotanists. Some paleobotanists insist that there were no angiosperms in the pre-Cretaceous age. However, this conclusion is facing increasing challenges from fossil evidence, especially Early Jurassic Nanjinganthus, which is based on over two hundred specimens of fossil flowers. Studying more fossil plants is the only reliable way to elucidate the origin and early evolution of angiosperms. Here, we document a new species of angiosperms, Qingganninginfructus formosa gen. et sp. nov, and provide the first detailed three-dimensional morphology of Qingganninginfructus gen. nov from the Middle Jurassic of Northwest China. A Micro-CT examination shows that the best-preserved fossil infructescence has eleven samaroid fruits, each with a single basal ovule. Since these fossils are distinct in morphology and organization from all organs of known gymnosperms and angiosperms (the latter are defined by their enclosed ovules), we interpret Qingganninginfructus as a new genus of angiosperms including a new species, Q. formosa gen. et sp. nov., and an unspecified species from the Middle Jurassic of Northwest China. The discovery of this new genus of angiosperms from the Middle Jurassic, in addition to the existing records, undermines the "no angiosperms until the Cretaceous" stereotype and updates the perspective on the origin and early history of angiosperms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parashorea chinensis Wang Hsie and Parashorea chinensis var. kwangsiensis Lin Chi (Dipterocarpaceae) are economically and ecologically important tree taxa in China and Vietnam. Their authorship should be "Wang Hsie" and "Lin Chi", respectively, which represent two logograms of working groups that existed in the particular circumstances from the 1960s to the 1970s in China. The author of Parashorea chinensis has sometimes been designated inappropriately as H. Wang. We herein discuss in detail these two unique cases in the context of the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we propose that Thladiantha cordifolia (Blume) Cogn. var. tomentosa A. M. Lu & Z. Y. Zhang should be recognized at species rank as Thladiantha tomentosa (A. M. Lu & Z. Y. Zhang) W. Jiang & H. Wang. This species is similar to T. cordifolia and T. angustisepala W. J. de Wilde & Duyfjes, from which it differs mainly by having ovate bracts, linear sepals, and ellipsoidal, rostrate, ribbed verrucose fruits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Crataegus pinnatifida (C. pinnatifida), including C. pinnatifida Bge. and its variant C. pinnatifida Bge. var. major N, E. Br. has traditionally been used as a homologous plant for traditional medicine and food in ethnic medical systems in China. Crataegus pinnatifida , especially its fruit, has been used for more than 2000 years to treat indigestion, stagnation of meat, hyperlipidemia, blood stasis, heart tingling, sores, etc. This review aimed to provide a systematic summary on the botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology and clinical applications of C. pinnatifida. Key findings This plant contains flavonoids, phenylpropanoids, terpenoids, organic acids, saccharides and essential oils. Experimental studies showed that it has hypolipidemic, antimyocardial, anti-ischemia, antithrombotic, anti-atherosclerotic, anti-inflammatory, antineoplastic neuroprotective activity, etc. Importantly, it has good effects in treating diseases of the digestive system and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular systems. Summary There is convincing evidence from both in vitro and in vivo studies supporting the traditional uses of C. pinnatifida. However, multitarget network pharmacology and molecular docking technology should be used to study the interaction between the active ingredients and targets of C. pinnatifida. Furthermore, exploring the synergy of C. pinnatifida with other Chinese medicines to provide new understanding of complex diseases may be a promising strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: We test (1) whether invasive angiosperm (flowering plant) species are a phylogenetically clustered subset of all naturalized angiosperm species within an angiosperm assemblage, (2) whether more harmful invasive species are more strongly, or less strongly, related to each other, (3) whether the result of the first test is consistent with those for geographic regions distributed in substantially different climatic conditions, and (4) whether patterns of phylogenetic relatedness for invasive species in regions across climatic gradients are consistent with those for overall naturalized species. Location: China. Time period: Current. Taxon: Angiosperms (flowering plants). Methods: We recognized 28 province‐level regions in China and collated naturalized and invasive species lists of angiosperms for each region. Two phylogenetic metrics (i.e., net relatedness index and nearest taxon index), which represent different depths of evolutionary history, were used to quantify phylogenetic relatedness of angiosperms in China and in each region. Values of the metrics of phylogenetic relatedness were related to temperature and precipitation. Results: At the national scale, invasive assemblage is a phylogenetically clustered subset of the naturalized species pool. More harmful invasive species are more strongly clustered. At the regional scale, both naturalized and invasive species are phylogenetically clustered subsets of the national naturalized species pool. Furthermore, invasive species in regional floras are also phylogenetically clustered subsets of their respective regional naturalized species pools. Main conclusions Invasive angiosperm species are a phylogenetically clustered subset of naturalized angiosperm species. More harmful invasive species are more strongly clustered with respect to their naturalized species pools, compared to less harmful invasive species. Our findings have significant implications to predicting and controlling invasive species based on phylogenetic relatedness among naturalized species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Premise of research. Devonian assemblages from South China have become an important source of data on the rise of land plants and are thus supplementary to a scenario historically based on fossils from the Laurussian region and Siberia. Less attention has been given to assemblages from Sichuan and their paleogeographic significance than to those from Yunnan and adjacent provinces in China. Methodology. Descriptions of plants, including lycopsids, with enations are based on coalified compression fossils lacking anatomy, and they complete our analyses of the Sichuan Lower Devonian assemblages. Compiled species lists for the entire assemblage are compared with those from coeval assemblages from South China using simple statistical methods (including Simpson's coefficient of similarity). Pivotal results. Studies confirm the presence of endemic lycophytes and emphasize the importance of detailed study of Drepanophycus spinaeformis before any conclusions about its global occurrence can be made. Conclusions. Statistical analysis of the whole flora confirms that the assemblage from Sichuan is distinct from that at Yunnan, but distinguishing two further subregions in South China requires descriptions of further taxa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soybean is a major crop that provides essential protein and oil for food and feed. Since its origin in China over 5000 years ago, soybean has spread throughout the world, becoming the second most important vegetable oil crop and the primary source of plant protein for global consumption. From early domestication and artificial selection through hybridization and ultimately molecular breeding, the history of soybean breeding parallels major advances in plant science throughout the centuries. Now, rapid progress in plant omics is ushering in a new era of precision design breeding, exemplified by the engineering of elite soybean varieties with specific oil compositions to meet various end-use targets. The assembly of soybean reference genomes, made possible by the development of genome sequencing technology and bioinformatics over the past 20 years, was a great step forward in soybean research. It facilitated advances in soybean transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and phenomics, all of which paved the way for an integrated approach to molecular breeding in soybean. In this review, we summarize the latest progress in omics research, highlight novel findings made possible by omics techniques, note current drawbacks and areas for further research, and suggest that an efficient multi-omics approach may accelerate soybean breeding in the future. This review will be of interest not only to soybean breeders but also to researchers interested in the use of cutting-edge omics technologies for crop research and improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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