Floral scent chemistry within the genus Linnaea (Caprifoliaceae)

Beauty bush' and twin flower' are common names attributed to two well-recognizable species belonging to the genus Linnaea (16 spp.) - L. amabilis and L. borealis - long admired by botanists and gardeners for their perfumed paired bell-shaped flowers. In the present study, we investigated their floral scent compositions through gas chromatography - mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of dynamic headspace samples. Because the flowers of L. borealis in wild populations are fragrant both during the day and in the evening, circadian variation of scent emission was also assessed for this species. In total, 26 chemical compounds comprise the floral scent bouquets of L. amabilis and L. borealis, identified as monoterpenes (14), benzenoids and phenylpropanoids (5), aliphatics (3), sesquiterpenes (3) and irregular terpenes (1). Whereas monoterpenes, notably (-)-- and -pinene, dominated the scent of L. amabilis (over 82% relative abundance), benzene derivates: 1,4 dimethoxybenzene, anisaldehyde, 2-phenylethanol, benzaldehyde and nicotinaldehyde were exclusive to analysed headspace samples of L. borealis, accounting for 52% to 100% of their relative compositions, in three Swedish populations. A southwestern Finnish population was characterized by the four first mentioned benzenoid compounds and large amounts of (-)-- and -pinenes plus two aliphatic substances. The scent compounds identified for both species are ubiquitous and may serve as generalist attractants/stimulants for a broad assortment of anthophilous insects. The basic work on the flower scent of L. amabilis and L. borealis should inspire studies of their pollination biology, primarily the behaviour-guiding roles of the characteristic emitted volatiles.Peer reviewe

Svensk zoologi.

bd.2 (1809

Svensk zoologi.

bd.1 (1806

Svensk botanik.

v.4 (1805

Svensk botanik.

v.10 (1826-1829

Synonymia insectorum, oder: Versuch einer Synonymie aller bisher bekannten Insecten; nach Fabricii Systema eleutheratorum &c. geordnet,

t.1:pt3:Appendix (1817

Synonymia insectorum, oder: Versuch einer Synonymie aller bisher bekannten Insecten; nach Fabricii Systema eleutheratorum &c. geordnet,

Bd.1:Th.2 (1808

Gaining momentum: Popularization of Epilobium angustifolium as food and recreational tea on the Eastern edge of Europe

The local use of wild food plants represents a reservoir for the biocultural diversity of human diet and is therefore being extensively studied; yet the effects of the introduction of novel uses into specific biocultural conditions have been little researched. Rosebay willowherb Epilobium angustifolium L. has been intensively promoted in Europe since the mid-18th century. The expert recommendations did not provide any links to local uses thus raising the question of the legitimacy and diffusion of its food use in modern times. To understand if and to what extent those recommendations have influenced local uses, we compared them with the results of our ethnobotanical field study and the ethnographic literature in Russia, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus and Ukraine. Of the 599 people interviewed, nine used E. angustifolium as a food and 59 as a recreational tea. Thirty-four of those who claimed to use E. angustifolium lived in two regions of Russia. The majority of the recorded tea uses were of recent origin, following a popular trend. Few food uses of E. angustifolium were recorded in Finland, where a trend towards culinary experimentation coincides with a general trend toward the consumption of healthy wild food; yet these uses are difficult to maintain due to the problems in recognizing the plant during its early stages of growth. The popularization of E. angustifolium as a food had more effect in times of hardship, when it was seen as a means of survival and its promotion was advocated. The translation error repeatedly appeared in botanical and later popular literature, whose authors did not clearly differentiate at that time between local uses and suggestions