Energy Sorghum : An alternative energy crop A Handbook

Increasing world market prices for fossil fuels, driven by limited reserves, growing demand and instability in producing regions, now render renewable fuels economical. Such fuels are also a pathway to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and mitigating climate change. The transport sector which is almost totally dependent on fossil fuels, particularly for powering personal vehicles and trucks, is the most concerned sector. Biofuels, defined as solid, liquid or gas fuels derived from biomass, are today the only direct substitute for fossil fuels on a significant scale particularly in transport sector. Biofuels are considered environmentally friendly because the CO2 emissions they produce during combustion is balanced by the CO2 absorbed by the plants growth. To be a viable substitute for fossil fuels, an alternative fuel should not only have superior environmental benefits over the fossil fuels it substitutes, be economically competitive with it, and be available in sufficient quantities to make meaningful impact on energy demand, but it should also provide a net energy gain over the energy invested to produce it and have minimal effect on food security... {This handbook was elaborated in the framework of the SWEETFUEL project (grant agreement number 227422), supported by the European Commission

African herbal medicines in the treatment of HIV: Hypoxis and Sutherlandia. An overview of evidence and pharmacology

In Africa, herbal medicines are often used as primary treatment for HIV/AIDS and for HIV-related problems. In general, traditional medicines are not well researched, and are poorly regulated. We review the evidence and safety concerns related to the use of two specific African herbals, which are currently recommended by the Ministry of Health in South Africa and member states for use in HIV: African Potato and Sutherlandia. We review the pharmacology, toxicology and pharmacokinetics of these herbal medicines. Despite the popularity of their use and the support of Ministries of Health and NGOs in some African countries, no clinical trials of efficacy exist, and low-level evidence of harm identifies the potential for drug interactions with antiretroviral drugs. Efforts should be made by mainstream health professionals to provide validated information to traditional healers and patients on the judicious use of herbal remedies. This may reduce harm through failed expectations, pharmacologic adverse events including possible drug/herb interactions and unnecessary added therapeutic costs. Efforts should also be directed at evaluating the possible benefits of natural products in HIV/AIDS treatment

<i>Kamiesbergia</i>, a new monotypic genus of the Amaryllideae-Strumariinae (Amaryllidaceae) from the north-western Cape

Kamiesbergia Snijman is a new monotypic genus from raised granite outcrops in the north-western Cape. A member of the subtribe Strumariinae of the Amaryllideae, it is most closely related to  Hessea Herb, and  Namaquanula D. & U. Miiller-Doblies. The dissimilar inner and outer stamens, the uniquely club-shaped inner filaments and the novel insertion of the filament in the proximal quarter of the anther connective are the main apomorphies of the genus. The number of rare and monotypic genera of Amaryllidaceae in this region is comparable to that of Andean South America

Two new species of <i>Spiloxene</i> (Hypoxidaceae) from the northwestern Cape, South Africa

Newly described are two new species of Spiloxene Salisb.:  S. nana Snijman from the Bokkeveld Escarpment, Northern Cape Province, is a shade-loving plant with narrow, pale green leaves and small, white or rarely cream-coloured flowers; S. pusilla Snijman from the Matsikamma, Gifberg and Pakhuis Mountains. Western Cape Province, resembles S. nana in habit but the yellow- or white-tepalled flowers which are tetramerous or hexamerous have darkly coloured stamens and style and an ovary with a short, solid, narrow prolongation at the apex. Inhabiting rock overhangs formed by quartzitic sandstone sheets, both species are close allies of S. scullyi (Baker) Garside from Namaqualand

Notes on new and misunderstood taxa of <i>Cyrtanthus</i> (Amaryllidaceae: Cyrtantheae) from the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu- Natal, South Africa

Cyrtanthus aureolinus Snijman is a new, rare species of fire lily, which is localized in a vlei on the northern slopes of the Groot Swartberg, Western Cape. The upright or slightly spreading, yellow to cream-coloured flowers and the perigone tube which gradually widens to the throat suggest that it is closely related to the Western Cape endemic, C.  ochroleucus (Herb.) Burch, ex Steud., and C. mackenii Hook.f., a variable species from southern KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape. The species differs mainly by the shape, size and position of the tepals and the length of the filaments. Cyrtanthus mackenii var. cooperi (Baker) R.A.Dyer is raised to subspecies rank as C.  mackenii subsp. cooperi (Baker) Snijman. Its hysteranthous leaf habit and grassland habitat differ from the riverine habitat of the evergreen C. mackenii subsp. mackenii. Described in detail are C. aureolinus, C. ochroleucus, and C. mackenii

A new Nerine species (Amaryllidaceae tribe Amaryllideae) from the Koup Karoo, South Africa

Volume: 5Start Page: 103End Page: 10

AMARYLLIDACEAE: CYRTANTHEAE

NEW SPECIES AND NOTES ON  CYRTANTHUS IN THE SOUTHERN CAPE, SOUTH AFRIC

A new species of <i>Namaquanula</i> (Amaryllidaceae: Amaryllideae) from Namibia with notes on the genus

Namaquanula bruynsii Snijman. a rare species of Amaryllidaceae from the Landsberg in southern Namibia described here, is separated from N. bruce-bayeri by plane leaves, the absence of a perigone tube and the lack of a short adaxial hook at the base of each filament. Shared specialized characters are brittle, tan-coloured bulb tunics and short papillae at the base of each filament. A revised description of Namaquanula D.Müll.-Doblies & U.Müll.-Doblies is given and a key to the gen­era of Amaryllideae subtribe Strumariinae is provided