Exploring biodiversity and ethnobotanical significance of Solanum species in Uzbekistan: unveiling the cultural wealth and ethnopharmacological uses

Despite its millennial existence and empirical documentation, the ethnological knowledge of herbs is a more recent phenomenon. The knowledge of their historical uses as food, medicine, source of income and small-scale businesses, and the sociological impacts are threatened due to the slow ethnobotanical research drive. Species of the genus Solanum have long been extensively used in folk medicine to treat various illnesses of humans since the dawn of civilization. All data were systematically obtained from papers, monographs, and books written in Uzbek, Russian, and English through various scientific online databases, including Google, Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, Semantic Scholar, Science Direct, and Web of Science using specific keywords focused on eight Solanum species. Eight native and non-native Solanum species as S. dulcamara L., S. lycopersicum L., S. melongena L., S. nigrum L., S. rostratum Dunal., S. sisymbriifolium Lam., S. tuberosum L., and S. villosum Mill. have been recorded in Uzbekistan of Central Asia. In this article we presented recently obtained data on the diversity, morphological characteristics, global distribution, habitat, population status, phenology, reproduction, pharmacology and phytochemistry of these Solanum species in Uzbekistan. Furthermore, relying on a combination of literature reviews and analyses from various scientific papers, we focus on food consumption coupled with global ethnobotanical and ethnopharmacological uses in human diseases of the Solanum species growing in Uzbekistan. Since the dawn of civilization, these eight cultivated and non-cultivated species of Solanum have provided sustainable resources of medicinal plants in Uzbekistan to prevent and treat various human diseases. Based on the collected data, it was shown that Solanum species have not been studied ethnobotanically and ethnomedicinally in Uzbekistan and it is necessary to conduct phytochemical and biotechnological research on them in the future. Traditional uses and scientific evaluation of Solanum indicate that S. nigrum, S. sisymbriifolium and S. tuberosum are one of the most widely used species in some parts of the world. Although considerable progress has been made to comprehend the chemical and biological properties of S. nigrum and S. tuberosum species, more research on the pharmacology and toxicology of these species is needed to ensure the safety, efficacy, and quality of their biologically active extracts and isolated bioactive compounds. Additionally, conducting additional research on the structure-activity relationship of certain isolated phytochemicals has the potential to enhance their biological efficacy and advance the scientific utilization of traditional applications of Solanum taxa

Reinstatement of the corticioid genus Leifia (Hymenochaetales, Basidiomycota) with a new species L. brevispora from Hubei, Central China

The monotypic genus Leifia was previously considered to be a later synonym of Odonticium. With the morphological and phylogenetic evidence provided by an additional four East Asian specimens, we propose to reinstate Leifia as an independent genus in Hymenochaetales. Leifia morphologically differs from Odonticium by its grandinioid hymenophore with hyphal strands, numerous thick-walled cystidia with an invaginated apical end and narrowly and thick-walled basidia. The phylogeny generated from the current data set of ITS and 28S regions indicates that Leifia forms a sister clade to Odonticium. Besides the generic type Leifia flabelliradiata in the Leifia clade, two specimens, collected from Hubei, Central China, are newly introduced as Leifia brevispora. This new species is the second species of Leifia and differs from the generic type by its shorter basidiospores and distribution in warm-temperate to subtropical areas in East Asia. The additional two specimens, collected from Da Lat, Viet Nam, differ morphologically, both from each other and from known species of Leifia, but more samples need to be examined before further taxonomic decisions can be made

Reinstatement of the corticioid genus Leifia (Hymenochaetales, Basidiomycota) with a new species L. brevispora from Hubei, Central China

The monotypic genus Leifia was previously considered to be a later synonym of Odonticium. With the morphological and phylogenetic evidence provided by an additional four East Asian specimens, we propose to reinstate Leifia as an independent genus in Hymenochaetales. Leifia morphologically differs from Odonticium by its grandinioid hymenophore with hyphal strands, numerous thick-walled cystidia with an invaginated apical end and narrowly and thick-walled basidia. The phylogeny generated from the current data set of ITS and 28S regions indicates that Leifia forms a sister clade to Odonticium. Besides the generic type Leifia flabelliradiata in the Leifia clade, two specimens, collected from Hubei, Central China, are newly introduced as Leifia brevispora. This new species is the second species of Leifia and differs from the generic type by its shorter basidiospores and distribution in warm-temperate to subtropical areas in East Asia. The additional two specimens, collected from Da Lat, Viet Nam, differ morphologically, both from each other and from known species of Leifia, but more samples need to be examined before further taxonomic decisions can be made

New scientific discoveries : plants and fungi

Scientific discovery, including naming new taxa, is important because without a scientific name, a species is invisible to science and the possibilities of researching its ecology, applications and threats, and conserving it, are greatly reduced. We review new scientific discoveries in the plant and fungal kingdoms, based largely on new names of taxa published in 2019 and indexed in the International Plant Names Index and Index Fungorum. Numbers of new species in both kingdoms were similar with 1942 new species of plant published and 1882 species of fungi. However, while >50% of plant species have likely been discovered, >90% of fungi remain unknown. This gulf likely explains the greater number of higher order taxa for fungi published in 2019: three classes, 18 orders, 48 families and 214 genera versus one new family and 87 new genera for plants. We compare the kingdoms in terms of rates of scientific discovery, globally and in different taxonomic groups and geographic areas, and with regard to the use of DNA in discovery. We review species new to science, especially those of interest to humanity as new products, and also by life‐form. We consider where future such discoveries can be expected. We recommend an urgent increase in investment in scientific discovery of plant and fungal species, while they still survive. Priorities include more investment in training taxonomists, in building and equipping collections‐based research centers for them, especially in species‐rich, income‐poor countries where the bulk of species as yet unknown to science are thought to occur

Species Diversity With Comprehensive Annotations of Wood-Inhabiting Poroid and Corticioid Fungi in Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan, located in Central Asia, harbors high diversity of woody plants. Diversity of wood-inhabiting fungi in the country, however, remained poorly known. This study summarizes the wood-inhabiting basidiomycte fungi (poroid and corticoid fungi plus similar taxa such as Merismodes, Phellodon, and Sarcodon) (Agaricomycetes, Basidiomycota) that have been found in Uzbekistan from 1950 to 2020. This work is based on 790 fungal occurrence records: 185 from recently collected specimens, 101 from herbarium specimens made by earlier collectors, and 504 from literature-based records. All data were deposited as a species occurrence record dataset in the Global Biodiversity Information Facility and also summarized in the form of an annotated checklist in this paper. All 286 available specimens were morphologically examined. For 138 specimens, the 114 ITS and 85 LSU nrDNA sequences were newly sequenced and used for phylogenetic analysis. In total, we confirm the presence of 153 species of wood-inhabiting poroid and corticioid fungi in Uzbekistan, of which 31 species are reported for the first time in Uzbekistan, including 19 that are also new to Central Asia. These 153 fungal species inhabit 100 host species from 42 genera of 23 families. Polyporales and Hymenochaetales are the most recorded fungal orders and are most widely distributed around the study area. This study provides the first comprehensively updated and annotated the checklist of wood-inhabiting poroid and corticioid fungi in Uzbekistan. Such study should be expanded to other countries to further clarify species diversity of wood-inhabiting fungi around Central Asia.Peer reviewe

Hyphodontia (Hymenochaetales, Basidiomycota) and similar taxa from Central Asia

Wood-inhabiting fungi are noteworthy components of woody ecosystems which are responsible for the decomposition and turnover of wood nutrients. While the diversity and ecology of these fungi in the temperate forests has been relatively well explored, little is known on diversity of these fungi in the arid and semi-arid forest ecosystems. This is the first study on diversity, distribution and ecology of the fungal genus Hyphodontia s.l. in the five countries of Central Asia viz., Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Altogether 11 species are confirmed for the region, among which the following six species are reported for the first time from Central Asia: Hyphodontia alutaria, H. pallidula, Kneiffiella alutacea, Lyomyces crustosus, L. erastii and L. sambuci. In addition to morphological evidence, the identity of three species is confirmed with phylogenetic analysis based on ITS nuclear ribosomal DNA region. The spectra of known hosts for many of the studied species were expanded. An annotated species list and geo-referenced distribution maps are provided as well as notes on taxonomy, ecology, and local, regional and global distribution. An identification key to the species of Hyphodontia s.l. recorded in arid and semi-arid regions of Central Asia is also provided.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author

Molecular-Based Diversity Studies and Field Surveys Are Not Mutually Exclusive: On the Importance of Integrated Methodologies in Mycological Research

Understanding and describing the diversity of living organisms is a great challenge. Fungi have for a long time been, and unfortunately still are, underestimated when it comes to taxonomic research. The foundations were laid by the first mycologists through field observations. These important fundamental works have been and remain vital reference works. Nevertheless, a non-negligible part of the studied funga escaped their attention. Thanks to modern developments in molecular techniques, the study of fungal diversity has been revolutionized in terms of tools and knowledge. Despite a number of disadvantages inherent to these techniques, traditional field-based inventory work has been increasingly superseded and neglected. This perspective aims to demonstrate the central importance of field-based research in fungal diversity studies, and encourages researchers not to be blinded by the sole use of molecular methods