Camptotheca lowreyana tree named ‘Katie’ (US Patent PP11959)

A new and distinct cultivar of Camptotheca lowreyana tree named ‘Katie’, characterized by its freely and vigorously branching; dense and full plant habit; small leaf size; lanceolate to elliptic leaf shape; leaves from both juvenile and mature trees with entire leaf margins; lower temperature and drought tolerance; and high yield of anti-cancer camptothecin in leaves

Camptotheca Lowreyana, A New Species of Anti-Cancer Happytrees

Camptotheca Decaisne (happytrees or Xi Shu, Nyssaceae) is a .monotypic genus endemic to China. Its single species C. acuminata Decaisne ( 1873) has been the major source of Camptothecins, the promising anti - cancer and potential anti - viral drugs (Li and Adair 1994) . The phenotypic analysis of the genus showed that (1) C. yunnanensis Dode (1908) should be treated as a species separated from C. acuminata (see Li, n. d.) and (2) a new species as the third species of the genus should be established. The present paper describes the new species as C. lowreyana. C. lowreyana has a potential in drug production according to the Camptothecin analysis (Li, unpublished)

Responses of Small and Large Investors to XBRL disclosure to the SEC

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) mandated that financial reports of public companies be prepared in interactive format using the eXtensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL). This study examines the changing pattern in the responses of small and large investors to XBRL disclosure as evidenced by trading outcomes. Empirical results suggest that large investors and small investors respond to XBRL filings negatively in the first two years of the three-year phase-in, and respond positively in the third year, consistent with the improvement in the quality of XBRL filings, suggesting a significant learning curve

Taxonomy of Camptotheca Decaisne

Based on the phenotypic, micromorphological, and genetic analysis, three species are recognized in the genus Camptotheca Decaisne: C. acuminata Decaisne, C. lowreyana Li, and C. yunnanensis Dode. Camptotheca acuminata consists of three varieties: var. acuminata, var. tenuifolia Fang et Soong, and var. rotundifolia Yang et Duan. Camptotheca lowreyana has three newly developed high CPT-yielding cultivars, namely ‘Katie’, ‘CT168’, and ‘Hicksii

Phenotypic Variations in Camptotheca Decaisne

Bas Variations in shape, size, color, and texture of fruits, shape and size of cotyledons, shape, venation pattern, surface and margin characters of mature leaves of 40 populations (either living plants or herbarium specimens) representing all known taxa of Camptotheca have been analyzed within and between populations. A majority of the observed phenotypic variations for most morphometric measures was among populations. This is probably due largely to selfing and related matings common to both natural and cultivated populations, resulting in the current population structure that now displays a highly fragmented distribution pattern. Trees of different generations from the same seed source but growing in different locations demonstrated minimal variations in both means and frequency distributions of leaf vein number, fruit length, fruit colors, and cotyledon vein number. The trees of different taxa even growing in the same location have significant difference in main characters particularly fruit color and texture. The key diagnostic characters for the identification of taxa of Camptotheca are leaf shape, venation type, vein number, stoma size and frequency, outer stomatal rim, subsidiary cell number, and gland size; cotyledon shape, venation type, and vein number; and the fruit surface texture, disc, length, and color

Ethnobotany of Camptotheca Decaisne: New Discoveries of Old Medicinal Uses

Camptotheca trees had been used as fuelwood and an ornamental species in its native China. There were no reports on medicinal uses of Camptotheca in China and thus it was believed the trees had no medicinal before its antitumor activity discovered in 1957. We conducted national surveys of Camptotheca in China from 1994 to 1999. We found that Camptotheca acuminate is commonly known as happytree (xi shu) because the trees can be used as folk medicine to cure stubborn phlegm as well as other diseases, thus making patients “happy”. There are three local names to refer the uses of C. acuminata in China. In addition, there are at least 25 other local names for tree morphology and habitat of the species by 35 ethnic groups. There are two local names for C. lowreyana. The Dong people made paste from fresh leaves or fruits and powder from dry materials from any part of this tree species and mixed some or all with rice wine to cure many stubborn diseases including furunclulosis, skin diseases, and even a liu (probably a kind of cancer). Medicinal and other ethnic uses of Camptotheca trees in China were reported in this study