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Lectotypification of the name Allium carolinianum Redoute is discussed. An illustration from the protologue has been designated as the lectotype. The plate fulfils the requirement of an illustration with analysis. As no cited isotype, syntype, iso-syntype or paratype exist, the name is lectotypified to the published plate.

Beyond the most crucial roles of RNA molecules as a messenger, ribosomal, and transfer RNAs, the regulatory role of many non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) in plant biology has been recognized. ncRNAs act as riboregulators by recognizing specific nucleic acid targets through homologous sequence interactions to regulate plant growth, development, and stress responses. Regulatory ncRNAs, ranging from small to long ncRNAs (lncRNAs), exert their control over a vast array of biological processes. Based on the mode of biogenesis and their function, ncRNAs evolved into different forms that include microRNAs (miRNAs), small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), miRNA variants (isomiRs), lncRNAs, circular RNAs (circRNAs), and derived ncRNAs. This article explains the different classes of ncRNAs and their role in plant development and stress responses. Furthermore, the applications of regulatory ncRNAs in crop improvement, targeting agriculturally important traits, have been discussed. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10142-021-00787-8.

Embryology of Corokia has been studied in order to utilize the data for taxonomic considerations. Anther wall consists of epidermis, endothecium, middle layer and tapetum. The ontogeny conforms to Dicotyledonous type. Pollen grains are spheroidal and three-zonocolporate. The ovules are anatropous, unitegmic, and tenuinucellate with a distinct endothelium. Embryo sac development is of Polygonum type. Development of the endosperm is of Cellular type. Both chalazal and micropylar endosperm haustoria are present. The embryogeny conforms to the Chenopodiad type. At the mature embryo sac stage, the integument consists of 1012 layers of cells. In the mature seed only the outer epidermis of the integument persists. The ripe fruit is drupaceous with stony endocarp. Based on embryological characters, considered together with relevant information on morphology, anatomy, cytology and chemotaxonomy of groups regarded related in the past, Corokia deserves to be elevated to the rank of a family, Corokiaceae. The Corokiaceae can be appropriately placed, along with Stylidiaceae, in the order Asterales.

The past decades have witnessed the discovery of several gaseous signaling molecules in plants, including nitric oxide (NO), carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), and methane (CH4). These gasotransmitters (GTs) are endogenously synthesized in plant cells and participate in a variety of developmental processes and stress responses. Heavy metals (HMs) are one of the most widespread environmental cues that cause hazardous effects in plants and raise wide safety concerns. The involvement of GTs in the plant responses to HM has been demonstrated; however, our understanding of their exact roles and mechanisms in this area remains very fragmented. In this review, we provide an overview of the recent advances in the biosynthesis and regulation of each of the four GTs, their roles and mechanisms in plant HM uptake, accumulation, and detoxification, and the crosstalk between various GTs related to HM. Some reports on the negative roles of GTs on plant HM responses are also discussed. Certain important future directions for more in-depth studies are proposed based on the current understanding. Overall, this review provides a collection of rare information that helps to elucidate the regulation and functions of GTs in plant HM responses. This subject is of significant importance in the strategies of the agricultural efforts to reduce the risks associated with HMs by manipulating GTs.

Pea (Pisum sativum L.), a cool-season legume crop grown in more than 85 countries, is the second most important grain legume and one of the major green vegetables in the world. While pea was historically studied as the genetic model leading to the discovery of the laws of genetics, pea research has lagged behind that of other major legumes in the genomics era, due to its large and complex genome. The evolving climate change and growing population have posed grand challenges to the objective of feeding the world, making it essential to invest research efforts to develop multi-omics resources and advanced breeding tools to support fast and continuous development of improved pea varieties. Recently, the pea researchers have achieved key milestones in omics and molecular breeding. The present review provides an overview of the recent important progress including the development of genetic resource databases, high-throughput genotyping assays, reference genome, genes/QTLs responsible for important traits, transcriptomic, proteomic, and phenomic atlases of various tissues under different conditions. These multi-faceted resources have enabled the successful implementation of various markers for monitoring early-generation populations as in marker-assisted backcrossing breeding programs. The emerging new breeding approaches such as CRISPR, speed breeding, and genomic selection are starting to change the paradigm of pea breeding. Collectively, the rich omics resources and omics-enable breeding approaches will enhance genetic gain in pea breeding and accelerate the release of novel pea varieties to meet the elevating demands on productivity and quality.

Tinospora cordifolia, commonly known as Giloe, is an important medicinal plant which has been used in India since ages in the preparation of traditional ayurvedic medicines. It contains various alkaloids, glycosides, steroids, phenolics and polysaccharides. It is a rich source of nutrients, phytochemicals, antioxidants and capable of boosting immune response of the body. The starch present in the stem is highly nutritious and digestive. T. cordifolia shows anti-diabetic, anti-microbial and anti-cancerous properties. Due to the presence of immense medicinal properties, this plant has been over harvested from the natural habitats. During the last decade, T. cordifolia has been subjected to extensive phytochemical, pharmacological, and clinical investigations and the studies have resulted in interesting findings which have applications for the treatment of cancer, liver disorders and hypoglycaemia. In the present review, various properties and medicinal uses of T. cordifolia have been discussed.

Aflatoxin production by isolates of Aspergillus flavus varies, ranging from highly toxigenic to completely atoxigenic. Several mechanisms have been identified which regulate aflatoxin production including medium carbon source and oxidative stress. In recent studies, aflatoxin production has been implicated in partially ameliorating oxidative stress in A. flavus. To better understand the role of aflatoxin production in oxidative stress responses, a selection of toxigenic and atoxigenic isolates of A. flavus with moderate to high oxidative stress tolerance were exposed to increasing concentrations of H2O2 in both aflatoxin-conducive and non-conducive media. Mycelial mats were collected for global transcriptome sequencing followed by differential expression, functional prediction, and weighted co-expression analyses. Oxidative stress and medium carbon source had a significant effect on the expression of several secondary metabolite gene clusters including those for aflatoxin, aflatrem, aflavarin, cyclopiazonic acid, and kojic acid. Atoxigenic biological control isolates showed less differential expression under stress than other atoxigenic isolates suggesting expression profiles may be useful in screening. Increasing stress also resulted in regulation of SakA/Hog1 and MpkA MAP kinase signalling pathways pointing to their potential roles in regulating oxidative stress responses. Their expression was also influenced by medium carbon source. These results suggest that aflatoxin production along with that of other mycotoxins may occur as part of a concerted coping mechanism for oxidative stress and its effects in the environment. This mechanism is also regulated by availability of simple sugars and glycolytic compounds for their biosynthesis.

We show that the combined effect of cosmic magnetic field and a possible non-standard interaction between baryons and dark matter has interesting consequences on the thermal Sunyaev$-$Zel${'}$dovich (tSZ) effect depending on the temperature and the ionization state of the intergalactic medium. The drag force between the baryons and dark matter due to the relative velocity between them, and their temperature difference results in heat transfer between these two species. At the same time the ambipolar diffusion and the decaying magnetic turbulence tends to heat up the baryons. This interplay of these two processes give rise to different evolution histories of the thermal and ionization state of the universe and hence influences the CMB spectrum at small scales through the tSZ effect. In this work, we have computed the evolution of the temperature, ionization fraction and the y-parameter of the CMB for different strengths of the magnetic field and the interaction cross-section. We note that an interaction cross-section of $\sigma_0=10^{-42}$ m$^{2}$ (with a magnetic field strength of $3.0$ nG) reduces the y-parameter by an order of magnitude as compared to the case with similar strength of magnetic field but where there is no such interaction between the baryons and dark matter., Comment: 13 pages, 11 figures (comments are welcome)

In the present study, we have re-visited Musa taxonomy based on morphological and molecular data. DNA sequence data (ITS, trnL-F) and population assessment reveal that Musa balbisiana var. andamanica and Musa sabuana should be synonymized under Musa balbisiana. Based on the present work, we recognize four species of Musa namely M. acuminata, M. balbisiana, M. indandamanensis, and M. paramjitiana in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

In India, the genus Alysicarpus (Fabaceae) is represented by approximately 18 species and seven varieties. It includes some species of considerable economic importance, including two of therapeutic value. The species of this genus are difficult to identify because of overlapping morphological characters. Moreover, it becomes difficult to establish the botanical identity of a herbal medicine available in powdered/fragmented form. In the present study, DNA barcoding was used to identify 42 accessions belonging to 15 species of Alysicarpus and two varieties. The DNA regions that were tested as potential barcodes were matK (Maturase K), rbcL (Rubisco Large Sub-unit), rpoC1 (RNA Polymerase-β subunit, the main catalytic subunit) and nrITS (Nuclear Ribosomal Internal Transcribed Spacer). In BLAST search on National Centre for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), ITS and rpoC1 sequences best matched with the respective sequences of species of other genera belonging to the family Fabaceae with less than 100% similarity, as no corresponding sequences of any Alysicarpus species were available. The rbcL and matK sequences had first match, with the respective sequences of Alysicarpus species, however, with less than 100% similarity. Among the loci tested, ITS alone discriminated all species on the basis of genetic distance as well as phylogenetic tree methods.

The temperate Asteraceae genus Saussurea displays much morphological variation. Recent and previous taxonomic revisions have led to redefinition and later lumping of several additional genera. This study made use of morphological and molecular data to answer questions related to smaller split genera from Saussurea. The result indicates that the genus Lipschitziella, split from Saussurea, is monophyletic after the inclusion of Himalaiella. Another closely allied genus Dolomiaea is also recovered monophyletic after the inclusion of Saussurea costus and Frolovia frolowii. Nine possible new combinations are established.

Key message Groundnut has entered now in post-genome era enriched with optimum genomic and genetic resources to facilitate faster trait dissection, gene discovery and accelerated genetic improvement for developing climate-smart varieties. Abstract Cultivated groundnut or peanut (Arachis hypogaea), an allopolyploid oilseed crop with a large and complex genome, is one of the most nutritious food. This crop is grown in more than 100 countries, and the low productivity has remained the biggest challenge in the semiarid tropics. Recently, the groundnut research community has witnessed fast progress and achieved several key milestones in genomics research including genome sequence assemblies of wild diploid progenitors, wild tetraploid and both the subspecies of cultivated tetraploids, resequencing of diverse germplasm lines, genome-wide transcriptome atlas and cost-effective high and low-density genotyping assays. These genomic resources have enabled high-resolution trait mapping by using germplasm diversity panels and multi-parent genetic populations leading to precise gene discovery and diagnostic marker development. Furthermore, development and deployment of diagnostic markers have facilitated screening early generation populations as well as marker-assisted backcrossing breeding leading to development and commercialization of some molecular breeding products in groundnut. Several new genomics applications/technologies such as genomic selection, speed breeding, mid-density genotyping assay and genome editing are in pipeline. The integration of these new technologies hold great promise for developing climate-smart, high yielding and more nutritious groundnut varieties in the post-genome era.

We have shown that in presence of a cosmic magnetic field the bounds on baryon dark matter cross-section ($\hat \sigma$), dark-matter mass ($m_d$) and values of the magnetic field ($B_0$) can strongly influence each other. This requires to rework the bounds on $\hat \sigma\,$, $m_d$ and $B_0$ which can explain the observed absorption signal by EDGES collaboration. The upper limit on the magnetic field strength can modify in presence of baryon-dark matter interaction cross-section. In the presence of a strong magnetic field, a large baryon-dark matter interaction cross-section is required to balance magnetic heating of gas to explain the EDGES signal as compared to a weak magnetic field. Subsequently, the strong magnetic-fields can even erase the 21 cm signal--this gives an upper bound on the strength of magnetic-fields, dark-matter mass and baryon-dark matter cross-section. In the special case when $\hat \sigma$=0, one can recover the bound on magnetic field strength calculated in [1]. In this work we find that the allowed range of the primordial magnetic field can increase by three orders of magnitude in comparison with [1]. We get upper bound on the magnetic field strength: $3.48\times10^{-6}$ G for the dark matter mass $\lesssim 10^{-2}$ GeV., Comment: 9 pages and 6 figures

In the present communication, we evaluated the taxonomic status of Alysicarpus pokleanus Gholami & Pandey using nrDNA ITS sequences. Molecular and morphological diagnosis are provided which suggest reinstatement of A. pokleanus from the synonymy of A. hamosus.

Legumes are low-cost but high-yielding crops, which are rich in dietary proteins, vitamins and minerals. Known as mycorrhizal plants, legumes are widely used as model organisms to explore the plant-microbe interactions, especially the symbiotic relationship between plants and rhizosphere microorganisms. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), an important class of plant-associated microbes, can regulate many physiological and molecular responses of plants. To date, AMF has been commonly used as a bio-fertilizer, whose inoculation to host plants can confer tolerance to different abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity, heat and heavy metals. This review provides an overview of the responses of legumes to drought stress (DS), a summary of the mechanism of AMF-legume symbiosis and its effect on host plant drought tolerance, which taken together reveals the significance of this symbiosis in agriculture. The presented rich information will help understand how host plants benefit from AMF to increase drought tolerance while finetuning their metabolic pathways. The potential and importance of AMF as one of the most effective and environmental-friendly management approaches for enhancing legume crop productivity against DS is highlighted.

Cosmological and astrophysical observations indicate the presence of a magnetic field over all scales. In order to explain these magnetic fields, it is assumed that there exists a seed magnetic field which gets amplified by dynamos. These seed fields may have been produced during inflation, at phase transitions, or during some turbulent phase of the early Universe. One well-known mechanism to get the seed field is the Biermann battery, which was originally discussed in the context of generation in an astrophysical object. Requirements for this mechanism to work are (i) a nonzero gradient of the electron number density and pressure, and (ii) they are nonparallel to each other. In the present article we propose a similar mechanism to generate the seed field but in an inhomogeneous chiral plasma. Our mechanism works, in the presence of chiral anomaly, by the virtue of inhomogeneity in the chiral chemical potential and temperature. We discuss various scenarios where inhomogeneities in the chemical potential and temperature can arise. We find that, depending on the epoch of generation, the strength of the seed magnetic fields varies from a few nanogauss (nG) to a few hundred nG.

A new species, Sida sivarajanii (Malvaceae) from Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India is described. It is morphologically most similar to S. alnifolia and S. rhomboidea but differs in its conical ovary covered with stellate pubescence, 5 styles, 5 dehiscent mericarps and multireticulate spermoderm pattern. The ITS sequence data also confirm the distinctness of the new species. In this study, a comprehensive description, phenology, distribution, habitat and identification key of S. sivarajanii are provided.

Jasmines are an important group of plants extensively used in the perfumery industry, preparation of garland and for ornamental purposes. To analyze the genetic potential of the group, the authors evaluated its genetic diversity. Intersimple sequence repeats (ISSR) markers were used to evaluate genetic diversity among 40 accessions of 23 Jasminum species including six endemic species. The present study is the first report of the efficacy of 10 shortlisted ISSR markers out of 30 primers screened. Among 23 Jasminum species, J. bignoniaceum revealed maximum genetic diversity and Shannon’s Index. Results revealed that the accessions of Jasminum species are grouped into three major clades, showing close agreement with the morphological relatedness. The diversity analysis also showed that the members of section Alternifolia are the ancestor to the rest of the Jasminum spp. The study provides direction for the future population study on Jasminum spp. This is the first report on the genetic diversity assessment of Indian Jasminum spp. incorporating approximately 50% species.

Acer oblongum is unique among maples because of the leaf structure and cryptic monoecy. In the present study, an in-depth investigation of reproductive biology has been carried out to study the pollination biology and breeding system of the tree species. The flowers show mixed characteristics of both entomophilous and anemophilous pollination in structure and pollen characteristics, respectively, and can thus be considered as ambophilous (exhibiting traits conducive to both insect and wind pollination). The wind was the primary means of pollination, but exclusion experiments showed that insects (Apis dorsata and syrphid fly) also facilitated pollination by 3–5%. The stigma of hermaphrodite flowers is located 2–3 cm above the level of indehiscent anthers. Interestingly, the insect pollinators hardly came in contact with the pistil; they only brought the pollen close to the stigma and shed it in its vicinity, to be trapped almost like the wind-borne pollen grains on the stigmatic papillae. Anthers of hermaphrodite flowers serve a relict function by attracting insect pollinators, but not contributing to self or cross-pollination. Fruit set following manual geitonogamous and xenogamous pollination showed a difference. The probable reason accounting for low fruit set seems to be the limited number of pollen donors (Staminate type II flowers), high pollen sterility, sparse distribution of individual trees, and geitonogamous pollen. Fruits are dry, indehiscent samaras. Mature fruits do not invariably bear seeds inside since hollow fruits are formed even when ovules inside remain unfertilized.