Petaloid organs are a major component of the floral diversity observed across nearly all major clades of angiosperms. The variable morphology and development of these organs has led to the hypothesis that they are not homologous but, rather, have evolved multiple times. A particularly notable example of petal diversity, and potential homoplasy, is found within the order Ranunculales, exemplifie...

Absence of petals, or being apetalous, is usually one of the most important features that characterizes a group of flowering plants at high taxonomic ranks (i.e., family and above). The apetalous condition, however, appears to be the result of parallel or convergent evolution with unknown genetic causes. Here we show that within the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae), apetalous genera in at least...

During the monitoring of populations of Anemone sylvestris L. (Ranunculaceae), a protected species in Poland, we found that the seed set is impaired. The fl ower is considered an adaptation that has coevolved to achieve effective pollination and successful fertilization. Therefore we have focused on the morphological and anatomical characteristics of the fl owers of A. sylvestris L. as a prelud...

Osteoporosis is a medical condition which affects millions of men and women. People with osteoporosis have low bone mass that places them at increased risk of bone fracture. A promising approach is developed as alternative (non pharmaceutical) strategies for bone maintenance, as well as for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. Certain plants from the different families have shown the g...

An enzyme system catalysing the formation of the methylenedioxy bridge at ring A of (S)-canadine [=(S)tetrahydroberberine] from (S)-tetrahydrocolumbamine has been detected in microsomal preparations from different Ranunculaceae and Berberidaceae cell cultures. The cytochrome P-450 enzyme complex has been partly characterized from a protoberberine alkaloid producing Thalictrum tuberosum L. cell ...

The flora of protected Shanjan rangeland in Shabestar district, Azerbaijan Province, NW Iran was studied using a 1 m × 1 m quadrate in spring and summer 2011. The climate of this area is cold and dry. In this area 94 plant species belonging to 25 families were identified as constituting the major part of the vegetation. The families in the area are Amaryllidaceae, Boraginaceae, Campanulaceae, C...

The Ipomopsis aggregata group (Polemoniaceae) and Aquilegia formosa-Aquilegia caerulea group (Ranunculaceae) in western North America contain species with ornithophilous flowers and related species with sphingophilous flowers. The ornithophilous and sphingophilous species are sympatric over large areas and remain distinct in some sites where they grow close together. Floral isolation-a combinat...