Turnera sidoides is an autopolyploid complex of obligate outcrossing perennial herbs. It includes five subspecies and five morphotypes in which diploid to octoploid cytotypes were found. Based on phenetic analyses of the complex and karyotype data of polyploid cytotypes, it has been hypothesized that morphological and chromosome differentiation of T. sidoides occurred at the diploid level. To t...

The pollen morphology of Pelargonium endlicherianum Fenzl. and Pelargonium quercetorum Agnew. from the family Geraniaceae was examined under light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Pollen morphologies are eurypalynous. The pollen grains were tricolporate, prolate-spheroidal and large. Aperture was ectoaperture, colpus was short, and the pores were oblate-spheroidal and large. The exi...

There is an increasing demand for inexpensive and safe anesthetics that can reduce fish stress caused by some procedures such as capture and handling. In this context, the present study evaluated the potential of essential oils (EO) of three Brazilian native plants (Hesperozygis ringens, Lippia sidoides and Ocotea acutifolia) as anesthetics for the silver catfish Rhamdia quelen. Moreover, an an...

Several studies involving the family Verbenaceae, occurring in the Brazilian Cerrado, have emphasized the popular use of many aromatic species. We highlight the use of Lippia sidoides Cham., known as "alecrim pimenta," native to northeastern Brazil and northern Minas Gerais. Leaves of this species were collected in antropized Brazilian Cerrado area, in Hidrolândia, Goiás, and their essential oi...

The antibacterial effect of Lippia sidoides (rosemary pepper) essential oil was tested against the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli isolated from homemade Minas cheese produced in Brazil. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) determined in the Dilution Test was 13 L oil mL-1 for both bacteria, which characterizes inhibitory action in broth for a 24hour interaction perio...

The antifungal effect of 10 plant extracts viz., Thevetia peruviana, Ocimum basilicum, Piper betel, Murraya koenigii, Chrysanthemum coronarium, Polyalthia longifolia, Catharanthus roseus, Pelargonium graveolens, Moringa officinalis and Lawsonia inermis were evaluated by poisoned food technique against Rhizoctonia solani Kuhn, the causal organism of sore shin disease of tobacco. Among all the pl...

Phytoremediation is a set of technologies that uses plants to clean up contaminated soils and groundwater. Phytoremediation is environmentally friendly, successful and cost-effective compared to other in situ methods such as the electrokinetic method. In this work, two local plant species, Chrysanthemum and Pelargonium, were examined for their ability to uptake lead from lead contaminated soils...

Aedes aegypti L. is the major vector of dengue fever, an endemic disease in Brazil. In an effort to find effective and affordable ways to control this mosquito, the larvicidal activities of essential oils from nine plants widely found in the Northeast of Brazil were analyzed by measurement of their LC50. The essential oils were extracted by steam distillation and their chemical composition dete...