The Name of Cannabis: A Short Guide for Nonbotanists

The genus Cannabis (Family Cannabaceae) is probably indigenous to wet habitats of Asiatic continent. The long coexistence between mankind and Cannabis led to an early domestication of the plant, which soon showed an amazing spectrum of possible utilizations, as a source of textile fibers, as well as narcotic and psychoactive compounds. Nowadays, the specie(s) belonging to the genus Cannabis are represented by myriads of cultivated varieties, often with unstable taxonomic foundations. The nomenclature of Cannabis has been the object of numerous nomenclatural treatments. Linnaeus in Species Plantarum (1753) described a single species of hemp, Cannabis sativa, whereas Lamarck (1785) proposed two species of Cannabis: C. sativa, the species largely cultivated in Western Continent, and Cannabis indica, a wild species growing in India and neighboring countries. The dilemma about the existence of the species C. indica considered distinct from C. sativa continues up to present days. Due to their prevalent economic interest, the nomenclatural treatment is particularly important as far as it concerns the cultivated varieties of Cannabis. In this context, we propose to avoid the distinction between sativa and indica, suggesting a bimodal approach: when a cultivar has been correctly established. It could be advisable to apply a nomenclature system based on the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants (ICNCP): it is not necessary to use the species epithets, sativa or indica, and a combination of the genus name and a cultivar epithet in any language and bounded by single quotation marks define an exclusive name for each Cannabis cultivar. In contrast, Cannabis varieties named with vernacular names by medical patients and recreational users, and lacking an adequate description as required by ICNCP, should be named as Cannabis strain, followed by their popularized name and without single quotation marks, having in mind that their names have no taxonomical validity

A forgotten collection: the Libyan ethnobotanical exhibits (1912-14) by A. Trotter at the Museum O. Comes at the University Federico II in Naples, Italy

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The Ethnobotanical Collection from the Libyan territories of the botanist Alessandro Trotter is included in the Oratio Comes Botanical Museum at the Faculty of Agraria at the University Federico II in Naples. Trotter explored different territories of Libya, mainly Tripolitania, between 1912-1924, collecting plant specimens and the drugs most frequently sold in the markets. The Libyan herbarium currently includes over 2300 sheets of mounted and accessioned plants. The drugs, mostly acquired by Trotter from Tripolitanian markets, were identified and packed in 87 paper sheets or boxes. Trotter added ethnobotanical information for each species when available.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A database of the herbarium species and the drugs has been carried out, after a taxonomic update. Nomenclature has been revised according to the African flowering plants database and the World Checklist of selected plant families, and a comparison with currently available ethnopharmacological data from North African has been attempted.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In this study, ethnopharmacological data related to about 80 species of flowering plants and to 4 lichens are presented. The plants are mainly from Mediterranean or Sub-Saharan habitats and belong to 37 different families; Lamiaceae was the most cited family, with 10 accessions. Generally, the aerial parts of the plants are the most frequently used (28 species), followed by leaves (15 species), flowers and seeds (9 species), fruits (7 species) and hypogean organs (roots, rhizomes, tubers: 5 species). Plants were generally processed in very simple ways: infusion or decoction of the plants were prepared and orally administered or used for topical applications. A wide range of conditions was treated, ranging from mental disorders to skin affections. All the organs of human body are considered, but the pathologies of gastro-intestinal tract, respiratory system and those related to traumatic accidents were the most frequently mentioned. The comparison with the recent ethnopharmacological research in Maghreb and its neighboring countries reveals a high correspondence; almost all the plants cited by Trotter are still used in the folk medicine of at least one of the North African countries, and the therapeutic uses of each plant appear consistent over time.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The information collected by Trotter is an important contribution to tracing plant utilization in Libyan folk medicine over the last century.</p

De pulvere pro lupis occidendis: wolf poisoning in Southern Italy during the XIII century

In this study, we present some documents showing the official knowledgement of the role of luparius in Southern Italy during the XIII century. Luparii were professional wolf-killers, prevalently coming from three regions of the Kingdom of Naples: Abruzzo, Terra di Lavoro, Apulia, but active throughout the kingdom. Different techniques were adopted by luparii, but one of the most widespread was the so called pulvis, a powder probably obtained from an unknown poisonous plant. Dioscorides and Galen reported that a plant named akoniton was used in the Mediterranean world to poison wild animals, and according to the XVI century physician Pietro Andrea Mattioli, luparii used the Aconitum to kill wolves. Historical sources show that the problems related to the identification of Aconitum was harshly debated among the botanists contemporary to Mattioli, and that Doronicum pardalianches L. and Aconitum napellus L. were the species most frequently proposed. However, in Southern Italy both plants are scarcely present, whereas cognate species are diffused, as Doronicum columnae Ten. and two subspecies of Aconitum lycoctonum, A. lycoctonum L. subsp. neapolitanum (Ten.) Nyman or A. lycoctonum L. subsp. vulparia (Rchb. ex Spreng.) Nyman

exploring the fourth dimension the role of ancient texts and herbals for the identification of unknown medicinal plants

The identification of local and traditional uses of medicinal plants is the core of ethno-pharmacological research. Field studies should be carried out following three steps: 1). Developing a conceptual framework and hypothesis testing, 2). Establishing minimal methodological standards; 3). Suggesting how the gathered information could be used in experimental research and for applied projects [1]. Field studies are presently concentrated in tropical countries of Africa, America and Asia, and in Mediterranean Region, where a large bank of historical texts on herbal remedies, is also available, in some cases dating back to Greek and Roman medicine. The approach to the study of these kinds of information is completely different by those adopted for field studies. The studies on ancient texts should be carried out by an interdisciplinary team composed by members of humanistic and scientific disciplines [2], and some important indications on the methodological approach to this kind of studies have been proposed [3]. The critical point lies on the correct botanical identification of the plants cited in the texts. Chinese, Indian, Arabic and Islamic traditional Medicine also rely on a corpus of ancient knowledge, often available from written sources, but frequently the liaison with the ancient medical tradition has been never interrupted. A large number of people of these countries, particularly in rural settlements, still depend on the same herbal remedies used thousand years ago. In this case, it is possible to identify the plant used in the recipes with a relatively high degree of certainty. In Mediterranean, particularly in the European Countries of Region, as well as in Central and Northern Europe, such practices have been almost completely abandoned. The absence of continuity makes more difficult the botanical identification of the plant cited in old medicinal texts, as well as the comprehension of the anthropological context supporting the therapeutic approach to a disease. Only when a detailed description is available, the best if it is accompanied by a good iconography, it is possible to supply a highly reliable botanical identification, but this is very unusual, mainly in the case of ancient texts written many centuries ago. As early stated for the semantics of Greek names of plants "In the modern [Greek] language the same name is often used for different plants and the same plants sometimes has different names in different part of the country. Nor can we doubt that this was also in Ancient Greece" [4]. Generally, it could be advisable to introduce a degree of certainty of identification of a species, indicating also a list of more than one potential candidate to the correct identification. Notwithstanding these limitations, the study of European material medical in historical texts could give very promising results. In a recent, very detailed study it has been reported that the Mediterranean/European medicine has been based on the Dioscoridean tradition (I century of CE), until the 19th century. From that time on, traditional medicine was considered superseded in Western Countries, but many of the simple used for thousand years could represent an important source for pharmaceutical research [5]

An ethnobotanical survey of wild edible plants of Campania (Italy)

A survey of the knowledge on edible wild plants in Campania (Italy) is presented. The checklist is based not only on literature data but also on unpublished results coming from archives of the authors. 639 records of alimentary uses related to 198 taxa are listed. Asteraceae, Lamiaceae, Brassicaceae and Rosaceae are the most represented families. The predominant biological forms are Hemycriptophytes, Terophytes and Phanerophytes. The parts of plant used as food mainly include leaves and aerial parts, followed by flowers, fruits and seeds, whereas roots and other underground parts are less frequently used. Many species are consumed in salads or soups and served in mixtures. The alimentary uses of most species are widespread in Campania, but the uses of 28 species are strictly linked to limited territories

Correction to: Novel qPCR probe systems for the characterization of subaerial biofilms on stone monuments

Purpose: A deep survey of biodeteriogen microorganisms reported on stone monuments in Europe has been performed based on the available literature dating back to over 30 years. The aim of the present study is to obtain accurate oligos for the characterization of subaerial biofilms on the basis of the most comprehensive collection of reports and case studies regarding subaerial biofilms, with particular regard to phototrophic and non-phototrophic bacteria, eukaryotic algae and molds. Methods: The obtained lists for eukaryotic algae, phototrophic and non-phototrophic bacteria and fungi were sorted by Genera and corresponding sequences in triplicate were downloaded by nucleotide database Genbank for a number of selected barcoding markers. On the basis of collected bibliometric diversity, multiple nucleotide alignments were produced and primers were designed for a qPCR assay. Result: Primers were designed on conserved regions flanking a variable region, specific for each of the studied groups of microorganisms. Standard curve for absolute quantification relative to each group were determined for four markers. Then, variable regions in the alignments were used to design fluorescent internal probes for qPCR aimed for a multiplex reaction in which relative abundance can be determined. Conclusion: The authors propose this kind of cost-effective approach in the study of biofilms for the estimation of algae, molds and bacteria both for direct in situ analysis and in vitro simulation

Weathering of a Roman Mosaic-A Biological and Quantitative Study on In Vitro Colonization of Calcareous Tesserae by Phototrophic Microorganisms

The potential impact of cyanobacteria and microalgae on the weathering of calcareous tesserae from a Roman mosaic of the II Century CE has been followed through in vitro experiments. Laboratory tests were carried out by inoculating mosaic tiles with single strains of Cyanobacteria or Chlorophyta to evaluate the roles of pioneer phototrophic microrganism on the resulting architecture of biofilms. The interaction between tesserae and strains was assessed at the whole substratum and micrometer scales, by image analysis and Confocal Laser Scanning (CLS) microscopy, respectively. The biofilm surface coverage on each tessera varied from 19% (Fischerella ambigua) to 97% (Microcoleus autumnalis). Cyanobacteria showed a better growth on calcareous tesserae, whereas the only green alga attaining a superficial coverage higher than 50% was Coelastrella rubescens. CLS microscopy evidenced two different types of spatial arrangement of the phototrophic organisms on the tesserae, that were defined as compact or porous, respectively. In the first one was measured a reduced number of empty spaces between cells or filaments, whereas in the second type, a reticulate texture allowed the presence of numerous empty volumes. The colonization processes observed are an intrinsic characteristic of each strain. We have proposed a colonization index IC as a sensible tool to describe, in a quantitative way, the pioneering attitude of each photosynthetic microorganism to colonize lithic substrates under laboratory conditions

The Role of Precooked Staples in Everyday Life in Antiquity: Some Documentary Evidences for the Case of χόνδρος

Different species belonging to the genus Triticum, and, to a lesser extent, Hordeum, can be processed yielding a product that the ancient Greeks called χόνδρος. In this paper the production methods of χόνδροc in circum-Mediterranean countries during Antiquity will be described.  Several documentary sources attest a very ancient use of χόνδρος that we find mentioned in Graeco-Egyptian papyri as early as the third century B.C. These documents have been analyzed in parallel with Greek literary sources. In particular, attention has been centred on some passages of Greek comedy (Aristophanes and other authors) that echo a debate born in Rome in the second century AD around the origin and uses of χόνδρος

Erratum to "Ecotoxicological impact of pharmaceuticals found in treated wastewaters: study of carbamazepine, clofibric acid, and diclofenac": [Ecotoxicol. Environ. Saf. 55 (2003) 359–370]

n/