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Henrik Balslev
Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Building 1540, Ny Munkegade 116, DK-8000 Aarhus-C, Denmark

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Journal article
Published: 01 June 2021 in Phytotaxa
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Six new species of Maesa (Primulaceae-Maesoideae) from Papua New Guinea, namely M. angustibracteolata, M. aurulenta, M. brassii, M. oblanceolatifolia, M. pusilliflora and M. prolatifructa are described and illustrated based on observations from herbarium specimens; the taxonomic affinities of each species are also discussed.

ACS Style

Pirada Sumanon; Wolf L. Eiserhardt; Henrik Balslev; Timothy M.A. Utteridge. Six new species of Maesa (Primulaceae) from Papua New Guinea. Phytotaxa 2021, 505, 245 -261.

AMA Style

Pirada Sumanon, Wolf L. Eiserhardt, Henrik Balslev, Timothy M.A. Utteridge. Six new species of Maesa (Primulaceae) from Papua New Guinea. Phytotaxa. 2021; 505 (3):245-261.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Pirada Sumanon; Wolf L. Eiserhardt; Henrik Balslev; Timothy M.A. Utteridge. 2021. "Six new species of Maesa (Primulaceae) from Papua New Guinea." Phytotaxa 505, no. 3: 245-261.

Original paper
Published: 28 January 2021 in Biodiversity and Conservation
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Medicinal plants provide biodiversity-based ecosystem services including health to many communities around the world and therefore, medicinal plant conservation is vital for sustainability. Here, we identify medicinal plants to be prioritized for conservation among the Loita Maasai who are pastoralists in the extensive East African savannah. A botanical survey and interviews were conducted with 91 villagers; 49 women and 42 men drawn randomly from 45 households. A conservation priority list was developed based on (1) the plant part harvested, (2) the species use value, and (3) its availability. These criteria were evaluated independently for each species on a scale from 1 to 4 and their sum was taken as the species’ score. The score for the species varied from 5 to 9. The higher the total score value of a species, the higher its priority for conservation. Among the medicinal plants used by the community, 20 species were shortlisted as regularly used and found around the village. Out of these, 12 species that had scores above seven were considered top priority for conservation. A total of 1179 use reports were obtained from the villagers and they were placed in 12 use categories as defined in the International Classification of Primary Care system. Plants used to treat digestive system disorder had most use reports (21%), followed by the muscular skeletal disorders (20%). This study identified 12 medicinal plant species that should be given conservation priority to make them available for the wellbeing of the people and sustainability of ecosystem products and services. An assessment of medicinal plants species using standard ecological methods is recommended.

ACS Style

Jedidah Nankaya; Nathan Gichuki; Catherine Lukhoba; Henrik Balslev. Prioritization of Loita Maasai medicinal plants for conservation. Biodiversity and Conservation 2021, 30, 761 -780.

AMA Style

Jedidah Nankaya, Nathan Gichuki, Catherine Lukhoba, Henrik Balslev. Prioritization of Loita Maasai medicinal plants for conservation. Biodiversity and Conservation. 2021; 30 (3):761-780.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Jedidah Nankaya; Nathan Gichuki; Catherine Lukhoba; Henrik Balslev. 2021. "Prioritization of Loita Maasai medicinal plants for conservation." Biodiversity and Conservation 30, no. 3: 761-780.

Research article
Published: 17 January 2021 in Journal of Biogeography
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Aim Pleistocene (2.58 Ma–11.7 ka) climatic fluctuations have shaped intraspecific genetic patterns worldwide; however, their impact on species in many regions remains unknown. In order to determine the impact of Pleistocene climatic fluctuations on the tropical rain forests of western Ecuador, we explored the evolutionary history of the endemic palm Phytelephas aequatorialis. Location Western Ecuador, north‐western South America. Taxon Phytelephas aequatorialis (Arecaceae). Methods One hundred and seventy‐six nuclear genes were sequenced in 91 individuals for phylogenomic and population structure analyses. The time of divergence between identified genetic lineages was estimated using a coalescent phylogenomic analysis. Palaeoecological niche modelling analyses were performed to determine areas of historical climatic suitability since the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM; 22 ka) that potentially acted as forest refugia during the Pleistocene. A Wilcoxon test and Pearson correlations were used to explore how current levels of genetic diversity, in terms of expected heterozygosity (Hs), have been shaped by several palaeoclimatic and geographic factors. Results Phylogenomic and population structure analyses revealed two main genetic lineages with a north–south distribution, which diverged 1.14 Ma during the Pleistocene. Two potential Pleistocene refugia were identified, one along the Pacific coast of Ecuador and one in the Andean foothills of south‐western Ecuador. The location of these refugia agrees with the spatial location of the two genetic lineages. Within the Andean foothills, Hs was lower for the southern lineage than for the northern lineage. Hs significantly increased with decreasing latitude across the species as a whole. Main conclusions Pleistocene climatic fluctuations promoted intraspecific divergence in P. aequatorialis within the rain forests of western Ecuador. The Andean foothills of south‐western Ecuador could be an important area for rain forest evolution because they potentially remained climatically suitable throughout the Pleistocene. Lower genetic diversity in the southern lineage, which apparently remained isolated in the Andean foothills during glacial cycles, adds evidence to the presence of a forest refugium in south‐western Ecuador. The geographic pattern in genetic diversity suggests that P. aequatorialis colonized western Ecuador from the north. This study supports the role of Pleistocene climatic fluctuations in promoting intraspecific divergence, and for the first time, we show their impact west of the Andes.

ACS Style

Sebastián Escobar; Andrew J. Helmstetter; Scott Jarvie; Rommel Montúfar; Henrik Balslev; Thomas L.P. Couvreur. Pleistocene climatic fluctuations promoted alternative evolutionary histories in Phytelephas aequatorialis , an endemic palm from western Ecuador. Journal of Biogeography 2021, 48, 1023 -1037.

AMA Style

Sebastián Escobar, Andrew J. Helmstetter, Scott Jarvie, Rommel Montúfar, Henrik Balslev, Thomas L.P. Couvreur. Pleistocene climatic fluctuations promoted alternative evolutionary histories in Phytelephas aequatorialis , an endemic palm from western Ecuador. Journal of Biogeography. 2021; 48 (5):1023-1037.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Sebastián Escobar; Andrew J. Helmstetter; Scott Jarvie; Rommel Montúfar; Henrik Balslev; Thomas L.P. Couvreur. 2021. "Pleistocene climatic fluctuations promoted alternative evolutionary histories in Phytelephas aequatorialis , an endemic palm from western Ecuador." Journal of Biogeography 48, no. 5: 1023-1037.

Journal article
Published: 26 November 2020 in Foods
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Wild food plants are commonly used in the traditional diets of indigenous people in many parts of the world, including northern Thailand. The potential contribution of wild food plants to the nutrition of the Karen and Lawa communities remains poorly understood. Wild food plants, with a focus on leafy vegetables, were ranked by the Cultural Food Significance Index (CFSI) based on semi-structured interviews. Twelve wild plant species were highly mentioned and widely consumed. The importance of the wild vegetables was mainly related to taste, availability, and multifunctionality of the species. Their contents of proximate and minerals (P, K, Na, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Zn, and Cu) were analyzed using standard methods. The proximate contents were comparable to most domesticated vegetables. The contents of Mg (104 mg/100 g FW), Fe (11 mg/100 g FW), and Zn (19 mg/100 g FW) in the wild leafy vegetables were high enough to cover the daily recommended dietary allowances of adults (19–50 years), whereas a few species showed Mn contents higher than the tolerable upper intake level (>11 mg/100 g edible part). The wild leafy vegetables, therefore, are good sources of minerals and we recommend their continued usage by indigenous people. Further research on these wild leafy vegetables’ contents of antioxidants, vitamins, heavy metals, anti-nutrient factors, and food safety is recommended.

ACS Style

Kittiyut Punchay; Angkhana Inta; Pimonrat Tiansawat; Henrik Balslev; Prasit Wangpakapattanawong. Nutrient and Mineral Compositions of Wild Leafy Vegetables of the Karen and Lawa Communities in Thailand. Foods 2020, 9, 1748 .

AMA Style

Kittiyut Punchay, Angkhana Inta, Pimonrat Tiansawat, Henrik Balslev, Prasit Wangpakapattanawong. Nutrient and Mineral Compositions of Wild Leafy Vegetables of the Karen and Lawa Communities in Thailand. Foods. 2020; 9 (12):1748.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Kittiyut Punchay; Angkhana Inta; Pimonrat Tiansawat; Henrik Balslev; Prasit Wangpakapattanawong. 2020. "Nutrient and Mineral Compositions of Wild Leafy Vegetables of the Karen and Lawa Communities in Thailand." Foods 9, no. 12: 1748.

Journal article
Published: 10 September 2020 in Plants
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Traditional healers in Thailand are a primary source of health care for the Thai people. Highly experienced traditional healers are generally older people and they continue to pass away without recording or passing on their knowledge. Consequently, the cumulative knowledge held by traditional healers regarding the use of medicinal plants is being eroded and could be lost. In this study, we aimed to identify and document the medicinal plants and associated ethnobotanical knowledge held by traditional healers in Roi Et in northeastern Thailand. Data and plant specimens were collected from four traditional healers of the Phu Tai people. They were selected by purposive sampling and questioned using a semi-structured interview. The interviews covered their training, the ailments treated, treatment techniques, method of preparation and in addition, several healing sessions were observed. During field walks, we searched for the medicinal plants with the healers to review and document the availability of medicinal plants at each locality and in different habitats around the villages. Use values (UV) were calculated to estimate the importance of each medicinal plant and informant agreement ratios (IAR) were calculated to understand how widely known the uses were. The four Phu Tai traditional healers knew 162 medicinal plant species in 141 genera and 63 families. The family with the most medicinal plants was Leguminosae with 15 species. The plant part that they used most commonly was the stem, which was used for 82 species (49%). The most common preparation method was decoction, which was done for 124 species (75%). The most important and widely used medicinal plants were Rothmannia wittii, which had the highest use value (UV = 1.7). Most medicinal plants were used for treating tonic (34 species (21%)). Jaundice had the highest informant agreement ratio (IAR = 0.5). The most common life form among the medicinal plants was trees (56 species (34%)). The medicinal plants were mostly collected in community forests (81 species (49%)). Considering the richness of the healer’s pharmacopeia, and the fact that their profession is not being perpetuated, this study points to the urgent need to document the traditional knowledge from the old herbalists before it disappears with the last practitioners from rural communities in Thailand.

ACS Style

Auemporn Junsongduang; Wanpen Kasemwan; Sukanya Lumjoomjung; Wichuda Sabprachai; Wattana Tanming; Henrik Balslev. Ethnomedicinal Knowledge of Traditional Healers in Roi Et, Thailand. Plants 2020, 9, 1177 .

AMA Style

Auemporn Junsongduang, Wanpen Kasemwan, Sukanya Lumjoomjung, Wichuda Sabprachai, Wattana Tanming, Henrik Balslev. Ethnomedicinal Knowledge of Traditional Healers in Roi Et, Thailand. Plants. 2020; 9 (9):1177.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Auemporn Junsongduang; Wanpen Kasemwan; Sukanya Lumjoomjung; Wichuda Sabprachai; Wattana Tanming; Henrik Balslev. 2020. "Ethnomedicinal Knowledge of Traditional Healers in Roi Et, Thailand." Plants 9, no. 9: 1177.

Preprint content
Published: 03 September 2020
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The vegetable ivory palms (Phytelepheae) form a small group of Neotropical palms whose phylogenetic relationships are not fully understood. Three genera and eight species are currently recognized; however, it has been suggested that Phytelephas macrocarpa could include the species Phytelephas seemannii and Phytelephas schottii because of supposed phylogenetic relatedness and similar morphology. We inferred their phylogenetic relationships and divergence time estimates using the 32 most clock-like loci of a custom palm bait-kit formed by 176 genes and four fossils for time calibration. We additionally explored the historical biogeography of the tribe under the recovered phylogenetic relationships. Our fossil-dated tree showed the eight species previously recognized, and that P. macrocarpa is not closely related to P. seemanii and P. schottii, which, as a consequence, should not be included in P. macrocarpa. The ancestor of the vegetable ivory palms was widely-distributed in the Chocó, the inter-Andean valley of the Magdalena River, and the Amazonia during the Miocene at 19.25 Ma. Early diversification in Phytelephas at 5.27 Ma can be attributed to trans-Andean vicariance between the Chocó/Magdalena and the Amazonia. Our results support the role of Andean uplift in the early diversification of Phytelephas under new phylogenetic relationships inferred from genomic data.

ACS Style

Sebastián Escobar; Andrew J. Helmstetter; Rommel Montúfar; Thomas L.P. Couvreur; Henrik Balslev. Phylogenomic relationships and historical biogeography in the South American vegetable ivory palms (Phytelepheae). 2020, 1 .

AMA Style

Sebastián Escobar, Andrew J. Helmstetter, Rommel Montúfar, Thomas L.P. Couvreur, Henrik Balslev. Phylogenomic relationships and historical biogeography in the South American vegetable ivory palms (Phytelepheae). . 2020; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Sebastián Escobar; Andrew J. Helmstetter; Rommel Montúfar; Thomas L.P. Couvreur; Henrik Balslev. 2020. "Phylogenomic relationships and historical biogeography in the South American vegetable ivory palms (Phytelepheae)." , no. : 1.

Journal article
Published: 17 July 2020 in Plants
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The Economic Botany Data Collection Standard (EBDCS) is a widely used standard among ethnobotanists. However, this standard classifies ethnomedicinal uses into categories based on local peoples’ perception. It is difficult to apply in pharmacological research. The International Classification of Primary Care (ICPC), now updated to ICPC-2, is more related to medical terms, but is rarely used among ethnobotanists. This study aims to apply the ICPC-2 to classify metadata of the ethnomedicinal uses of Zingiberaceae plants in Thailand, in order to identify important medicinal taxa for future research. Data on the ethnomedicinal uses of Thai gingers were collected from 62 theses, journal articles, scientific reports and a book, published between 1990 and 2019. Scientific plant names were updated using The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP) website. Informant Consensus Factor (ICF) was used to identify the medicinal issues commonly treated with gingers, and the Cultural Importance Index (CI) was used to identify species that might have pharmacological potential. We found records of 76 ginger species with ethnomedicinal uses, and together they had 771 use reports. The gingers were commonly used for treatments related to digestive system conditions, particularly abdominal pain and flatulence. Gingers remain exceedingly important in Thai ethnomedicine, with a high number of useful species. They are used to treat a variety of health conditions, but most commonly such ones that are related to the digestive system. Apart from the popular studied ginger, Curcuma longa, we identified a number of other useful gingers in Thailand.

ACS Style

Methee Phumthum; Henrik Balslev. Using ICPC-2 Standard to Identify Thai Zingiberaceae of Pharmacological Interest. Plants 2020, 9, 906 .

AMA Style

Methee Phumthum, Henrik Balslev. Using ICPC-2 Standard to Identify Thai Zingiberaceae of Pharmacological Interest. Plants. 2020; 9 (7):906.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Methee Phumthum; Henrik Balslev. 2020. "Using ICPC-2 Standard to Identify Thai Zingiberaceae of Pharmacological Interest." Plants 9, no. 7: 906.

Journal article
Published: 29 June 2020 in Plants
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The Thai Karen, the largest hill-tribe in Thailand, guard substantial ethnomedicinal plant knowledge, as documented in several studies that targeted single villages. Here, we have compiled information from all the reliable and published sources to present a comprehensive overview of the Karen ethnomedicinal plant knowledge. Our dataset covers 31 Karen villages distributed over eight provinces in Thailand. We used the Cultural Importance Index (CI) to determine which species were the most valuable to the Karen and the Informant Consensus Factor (ICF) to evaluate how well distributed the knowledge of ethnomedicinal plants was in various medicinal use categories. In the 31 Karen villages, we found 3188 reports of ethnomedicinal plant uses of 732 species in 150 plant families. Chromolaena odorata, Biancaea sappan, and Tinospora crispa were the most important medicinal plants, with the highest CI values. The Leguminosae, Asteraceae, Zingiberaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Lamiaceae, Acanthaceae, Apocynaceae, and Menispermaceae were the families with the highest CI values in the mentioned order. A high proportion of all the 3188 Karen use reports were used to treat digestive, general and unspecified, musculoskeletal, and skin disorders.

ACS Style

Methee Phumthum; Henrik Balslev; Rapeeporn Kantasrila; Sukhumaabhorn Kaewsangsai; Angkhana Inta. Ethnomedicinal Plant Knowledge of the Karen in Thailand. Plants 2020, 9, 813 .

AMA Style

Methee Phumthum, Henrik Balslev, Rapeeporn Kantasrila, Sukhumaabhorn Kaewsangsai, Angkhana Inta. Ethnomedicinal Plant Knowledge of the Karen in Thailand. Plants. 2020; 9 (7):813.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Methee Phumthum; Henrik Balslev; Rapeeporn Kantasrila; Sukhumaabhorn Kaewsangsai; Angkhana Inta. 2020. "Ethnomedicinal Plant Knowledge of the Karen in Thailand." Plants 9, no. 7: 813.

Journal article
Published: 28 June 2020 in Plants
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Millions of people suffer from Musculoskeletal System Disorders (MSDs), including Karen people who work hard in the fields for their subsistence and have done so for generations. This has forced the Karen to use many medicinal plants to treat MSDs. We gathered data from 15 original references covering 27 Karen communities and we document 461 reports of the use of 175 species for treating MSDs among the Karen people in Thailand. The data were analyzed by calculating use values (UV), relative frequency of citation (RFC) and informant consensus factor (ICF). Many use reports and species were from Leguminosae and Zingiberaceae. Roots and leaves were the most used parts, while the preferred preparation methods were decoction and burning. Oral ingestion was the most common form of administration. The most common ailment was muscle pain. Sambucus javanica and Plantago major were the most important species because they had the highest and second-highest values for both UV and RFC, respectively. This study revealed that the Karen people in Thailand use various medicinal plants to treat MSDs. These are the main resources for the further development of inexpensive treatments of MSDs that would benefit not only the Karen, but all people who suffer from MSD.

ACS Style

Rapeeporn Kantasrila; Hataichanok Pandith; Henrik Balslev; Prasit Wangpakapattanawong; Prateep Panyadee; Angkhana Inta. Medicinal Plants for Treating Musculoskeletal Disorders among Karen in Thailand. Plants 2020, 9, 811 .

AMA Style

Rapeeporn Kantasrila, Hataichanok Pandith, Henrik Balslev, Prasit Wangpakapattanawong, Prateep Panyadee, Angkhana Inta. Medicinal Plants for Treating Musculoskeletal Disorders among Karen in Thailand. Plants. 2020; 9 (7):811.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Rapeeporn Kantasrila; Hataichanok Pandith; Henrik Balslev; Prasit Wangpakapattanawong; Prateep Panyadee; Angkhana Inta. 2020. "Medicinal Plants for Treating Musculoskeletal Disorders among Karen in Thailand." Plants 9, no. 7: 811.

Review
Published: 02 June 2020 in Antibiotics
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Pharmacology has developed many drugs to treat infections, but many people, especially in developing countries, cannot afford to purchase them, and still depend on traditional knowledge and local medicinal plants to fight off infections. In addition, numerous microbes have developed resistance to the pharmaceutical drugs developed to fight them, and for many, such as Covid-19, effective drugs remain to be found. Ethnomedicinal knowledge is useful, not only for local people as a source of medicine for primary health care, but also for new pharmacological discoveries. This study aimed to identify the plants that the Karen, the largest hill-tribe ethnic minority in northern and western Thailand, use for treatments of infectious diseases. We present a meta-analysis of data from 16 ethnobotanical studies of 25 Karen villages with the aim of understanding traditional knowledge and treatments and point to potential plants for further pharmacological development. The Karen used 127 plant species from 59 plant families to treat infections and infectious diseases. The Cultural Important Index (CI) showed that the Leguminosae, Euphorbiaceae, Asteraceae, Lauraceae, Apocynaceae, Menispermaceae, and Lamiaceae were the most commonly used families. As for species, Cleidion javanicum, Tinospora crispa, Litsea cubeba, Aesculus assamica, Tadehagi triquetrum, Senna alata, Tithonia diversifolia, Embelia sessiliflora, and Combretum indicum were the most commonly used in treatments of infectious diseases. We suggest that these plant species should be the first to be pharmacologically tested for possible development of medicines, and the remaining species registered should subsequently undergo testing.

ACS Style

Methee Phumthum; Henrik Balslev. Anti-Infectious Plants of the Thai Karen: A Meta-Analysis. Antibiotics 2020, 9, 1 .

AMA Style

Methee Phumthum, Henrik Balslev. Anti-Infectious Plants of the Thai Karen: A Meta-Analysis. Antibiotics. 2020; 9 (6):1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Methee Phumthum; Henrik Balslev. 2020. "Anti-Infectious Plants of the Thai Karen: A Meta-Analysis." Antibiotics 9, no. 6: 1.

Journal article
Published: 04 May 2020 in Phytotaxa
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Otoba is one of six American genera of Myristicaceae and recognized by having three stamens with almost fused to free filaments, globose arillate seeds and absence of bracteoles in the male flower. Species of Otoba are distinguished by a suite of characters, mainly pubescence of the ovary and anther shape. It is one of the most abundant genera of Myristicaceae, although the number of species is small: Otoba acuminata, O. cyclobasis, O. glycycarpa, O. gordoniifolia, O. gracilipes, O. latialata, O. lehmannii, O. novogranatensis, O. parvifolia and O. vespertilio. They occur from middle Central America through western Ecuador into the eastern parts of upper Amazonia.

ACS Style

Tatiana S. Jaramillo-Vivanco; Henrik Balslev. Revision of Otoba (Myristicaceae). Phytotaxa 2020, 441, 143 -175.

AMA Style

Tatiana S. Jaramillo-Vivanco, Henrik Balslev. Revision of Otoba (Myristicaceae). Phytotaxa. 2020; 441 (2):143-175.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Tatiana S. Jaramillo-Vivanco; Henrik Balslev. 2020. "Revision of Otoba (Myristicaceae)." Phytotaxa 441, no. 2: 143-175.

Journal article
Published: 15 April 2020 in Phytotaxa
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The genus Lasianthus in Thailand was studied on the basis of herbarium specimens and field investigation in Thai natural forests and protected areas during 2016–2018. A total of 68 species, including two subspecies and two varieties, are recognized, and their synonymy, distribution, and ecology are provided. Two new species, Lasianthus puffii and L. sithammaratensis are here described as new to science based on morphological characters of fertile and vegetative organs. Lasianthus puffii is similar to L. cyanocarpus but differs from that species by being densely hirsute, with 6‒8 mm long hairs on branches, branchlets, leaf blade, petioles, and calyx (not tomentose with 2‒3 mm long hairs) and drupes with five pyrenes (not. four pyrenes). Lasianthus sithammaratensis resembles L. appressus but differs in having calyx cupular (not campanulate) and drupes with 4‒5 pyrenes (not eight). Among the Thai Lasianthus, four names are reduced to synonymy, one species was transferred to the genus Paralasianthus and excluded from Thai Lasianthus. Here, a key for the identification to all Thai Lasianthus species, as well as their nomenclature, lists of specimens examined, and notes on distribution and affinities, are provided.

ACS Style

Tiwtawat Napiroon; Kongkanda Chayamarit; Sally Dawson; Walter Till; Henrik Balslev. A synopsis of Lasianthus (Lasiantheae, Rubiaceae) in Thailand and two additional new species. Phytotaxa 2020, 439, 1 -38.

AMA Style

Tiwtawat Napiroon, Kongkanda Chayamarit, Sally Dawson, Walter Till, Henrik Balslev. A synopsis of Lasianthus (Lasiantheae, Rubiaceae) in Thailand and two additional new species. Phytotaxa. 2020; 439 (1):1-38.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Tiwtawat Napiroon; Kongkanda Chayamarit; Sally Dawson; Walter Till; Henrik Balslev. 2020. "A synopsis of Lasianthus (Lasiantheae, Rubiaceae) in Thailand and two additional new species." Phytotaxa 439, no. 1: 1-38.

Review
Published: 27 December 2019 in Plants
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The use of medicinal plants for treatment of humans and animals is entrenched in the Maasai culture and traditional knowledge related to it is passed on from one generation to the next. A handful of researchers have in the past decades documented this knowledge. No single study has documented medicinal plant uses of the Maasai community as a whole. This review provides a consolidated database of the diversity and uses of medicinal plants among the Maasai in Kenya. The study will help conserve traditional medicinal plant knowledge that is valuable for the development of modern medicine. Relevant information on medicinal plants used by the Maasai of Kenya was extracted from journals, books, M.Sc., and Ph.D. dissertations. We found evidence of 289 plant species used by the Maasai of Kenya in traditional medicine. Most species were used to treat health conditions in the categories gastrointestinal and respiratory system disorders. The most used families were Leguminosae, Asteraceae, Malvaceae, Euphorbiaceae, and Lamiaceae. Medicines were commonly prepared as a decoction and administered through oral ingestion, with roots reported to be the preferred plant part for medication. The Maasai preference for roots compared to other plant parts may be unsustainable and could threaten species availability in the future.

ACS Style

Jedidah Nankaya; Nathan Gichuki; Catherine Lukhoba; Henrik Balslev. Medicinal Plants of the Maasai of Kenya: A Review. Plants 2019, 9, 44 .

AMA Style

Jedidah Nankaya, Nathan Gichuki, Catherine Lukhoba, Henrik Balslev. Medicinal Plants of the Maasai of Kenya: A Review. Plants. 2019; 9 (1):44.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Jedidah Nankaya; Nathan Gichuki; Catherine Lukhoba; Henrik Balslev. 2019. "Medicinal Plants of the Maasai of Kenya: A Review." Plants 9, no. 1: 44.

Journal article
Published: 13 December 2019 in Plants
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Leguminosae (legumes) are one of the largest plant families. They are widely used for a variety of purposes by people around the world and include many important cultivated economic food crops. On local scales, legumes are commonly used by various ethnic groups. However, the data are incomplete and scattered, not least in Thailand. We found that species of legumes were important in Karen communities, so we decided to investigate in detail the traditional knowledge of legumes on a local scale among Karen people in northern Thailand. We interviewed six herbalists and eighty-four nonherbalist informants in three Karen villages in Chiang Mai province about their use of legumes, and about the local names for the species, using semistructured interviews. A total of 83 legumes species (in 45 genera) had 4443 use reports. Five of the 83 legume species had not been reported previously as used in Thailand. Most Karen use reports (43%) of legumes were for food, medicine (36%), and materials (8%), but in term of species more legumes (68 species) were used for medicine than for food (53 species). The legume genera with most used species were Crotalaria and Flemingia each with six species. The most important species are Tamarindus indica (CI = 3.38), Senegalia rugata (CI = 2.39), Glycine max (CI = 1.27) respectively.

ACS Style

Natcha Sutjaritjai; Prasit Wangpakapattanawong; Henrik Balslev; Angkhana Inta. Traditional Uses of Leguminosae among the Karen in Thailand. Plants 2019, 8, 600 .

AMA Style

Natcha Sutjaritjai, Prasit Wangpakapattanawong, Henrik Balslev, Angkhana Inta. Traditional Uses of Leguminosae among the Karen in Thailand. Plants. 2019; 8 (12):600.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Natcha Sutjaritjai; Prasit Wangpakapattanawong; Henrik Balslev; Angkhana Inta. 2019. "Traditional Uses of Leguminosae among the Karen in Thailand." Plants 8, no. 12: 600.

Journal article
Published: 14 November 2019 in Plants
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Exotic species are an integral part of the plants used by many ethnic groups, but they usually receive little attention and have been considered alien to the ethnobotanical data. Here, we analyze the plants used by Thai Hmong refugees that are not native to their current habitats in Thailand. We attempt to understand the sources of this knowledge. Do people maintain the original traditional knowledge related to exotic species when they migrate to a new region, or does new knowledge originate from acculturation? We interviewed 16 specialist Hmong informants in Nan province, Thailand, about their traditional knowledge of 69 exotic species used. Acquisition of this knowledge has a long history; several species are the same as plants used by the Hmong in China and other countries, others are globally useful species which have become part of the pool of species that the Hmong have developed local knowledge about. However, migration also involves the integration of local knowledge from other cultures, and also adapts them to function in urban settings. This includes using closely related exotic taxa that replace some of the species they used in their original homelands. The migrants’ traditional knowledge in their new habitats is more complicated and also involves the development of local knowledge that is entirely new.

ACS Style

Varangrat Nguanchoo; Prasit Wangpakapattanawong; Henrik Balslev; Angkhana Inta. Exotic Plants Used by the Hmong in Thailand. Plants 2019, 8, 500 .

AMA Style

Varangrat Nguanchoo, Prasit Wangpakapattanawong, Henrik Balslev, Angkhana Inta. Exotic Plants Used by the Hmong in Thailand. Plants. 2019; 8 (11):500.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Varangrat Nguanchoo; Prasit Wangpakapattanawong; Henrik Balslev; Angkhana Inta. 2019. "Exotic Plants Used by the Hmong in Thailand." Plants 8, no. 11: 500.

Journal article
Published: 07 October 2019 in Sustainability
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Knowledge and practice of medicinal plant use is embedded in the Maasai culture. However, it is not known how that knowledge and practices are acquired by children and transferred across generations. We assessed children’s knowledge of medicinal plants and their uses, methods of knowledge acquisition and transfer, and how that process is influenced by demographic attributes such as gender, level of education, and age. We interviewed 80 children who were 6–17 years old. Mann–Whitney U, Kruskal–Wallis tests and Spearman Rank order correlation were performed to determine the influence of gender, level of education, and age when they are in the process of acquiring ethnomedicinal plant knowledge. The Maasai children acquired knowledge of medicinal plants progressively with their age. Ethnomedicinal knowledge was not influenced by gender or level of education. The children were introduced to the knowledge of local medicinal plants and their use at an average age of seven years and the knowledge was transferred indiscriminately to both girls and boys. This study aids in the protection and conservation of medicinal plant knowledge by encouraging the sustainability of the local cultural heritage.

ACS Style

Jedidah Nankaya; Nathan Gichuki; Catherine Lukhoba; Henrik Balslev. Sustainability of the Loita Maasai Childrens’ Ethnomedicinal Knowledge. Sustainability 2019, 11, 5530 .

AMA Style

Jedidah Nankaya, Nathan Gichuki, Catherine Lukhoba, Henrik Balslev. Sustainability of the Loita Maasai Childrens’ Ethnomedicinal Knowledge. Sustainability. 2019; 11 (19):5530.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Jedidah Nankaya; Nathan Gichuki; Catherine Lukhoba; Henrik Balslev. 2019. "Sustainability of the Loita Maasai Childrens’ Ethnomedicinal Knowledge." Sustainability 11, no. 19: 5530.

Journal article
Published: 13 August 2019 in Revista de Biología Tropical
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We studied the floristic composition of palm communities and their relation with soil nutrients in two localities of the Chocó biogeographic region to undestand (1) How soil nutrients vary between the two localities? (2) What is the relationship between soil nutrients and palm floristic composition? (3) What are the most important nutrients that explain the variation in floristic composition of palm communities? (4) How the abundance of the most abundant understory and canopy palm species varies along the concentration gradient of the most important nutrients? We established 20 transects (5 x 500 m) and identified all palm individuals of all growth stages. Soil samples were taken at each transect at the beginning, middle and end. Macronutrients (Al, Ca, Mg, K, P) were extracted with the Mehlich-III technique and their concentrations were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). The concentration of nutrients was related to the floristic composition using Mantel, partial Mantel tests, linear regressions and non-metric multidimensional scaling. We found a total of 9158 individuals and 33 species of palms in the 5 ha covered by our transects. Species composition had a positive and significant correlation with soil nutrients (rM = 0.63-0.69) and with geographical distance between transects (rM= 0.71-0.75), whereas the soil nutrients were highly correlated with geographical distance (rM = 0.72). We found a small yet significant relationship between soil fertility and the abundance of undestorey palms, but no relationship with canopy palms. Our results demonstrate for the first time that soils play an important role in the composition of palm communities at local scales in the Chocó region, and that infertile and phosphorus-rich soils have the highest palm diversity.

ACS Style

Juan Carlos Copete Maturana; Rodrigo Cámara Leret; Mauricio Sánchez; Henrik Balslev. Relación entre la composición florística y los nutrientes del suelo en comunidades de palmas del Chocó biogeográfico en Colombia y Ecuador. Revista de Biología Tropical 2019, 67, 1 .

AMA Style

Juan Carlos Copete Maturana, Rodrigo Cámara Leret, Mauricio Sánchez, Henrik Balslev. Relación entre la composición florística y los nutrientes del suelo en comunidades de palmas del Chocó biogeográfico en Colombia y Ecuador. Revista de Biología Tropical. 2019; 67 (4):1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Juan Carlos Copete Maturana; Rodrigo Cámara Leret; Mauricio Sánchez; Henrik Balslev. 2019. "Relación entre la composición florística y los nutrientes del suelo en comunidades de palmas del Chocó biogeográfico en Colombia y Ecuador." Revista de Biología Tropical 67, no. 4: 1.

Data papers
Published: 23 July 2019 in Ecology
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Western Amazonia is a global biodiversity hotspot that encompasses extensive variation in geologic, climatic, and biotic features. Palms (Arecaceae) are among the most diverse and iconic groups of plants in the region with more than 150 species that exhibit extraordinary variation of geographical distributions, regional abundance patterns, and life history strategies and growth forms, and provide myriad ecosystem services. Understanding the ecological and evolutionary drivers that underpin palm distribution and abundance patterns may shed light on the evolution and ecology of the tropical forest biomes more generally. Edaphic conditions, in particular, are increasingly recognized as critical drivers of tropical plant diversity and distributions but data deficiencies inhibit our understanding of plant‐soil relationships at broad scales, especially in the tropics. We present data from 546, 0.25‐ha (5m × 500m) georeferenced transects located throughout western Amazonia where all individual palms were identified, counted, and assigned to a life‐history stage. Several environmental covariates were recorded along each transect and surface soil samples were collected from multiple points in N=464 of transects. Altogether, the transects include 532,602 individuals belonging to 135 species. Variation among transects in terms of palm species richness and abundance is associated with major habitat types and soil properties. The soil properties including pH, acidity, all macro nutrients for all samples, and texture, carbon, nitrogen and micronutrients for some transects vary substantially across the study area, providing insight to broad scale variation of tropical surface soils. The data provided here will help advance our understanding of plant distributions and abundance patterns, and associations with soil conditions. No copyright restrictions are associated with this data set but please cite this paper if data are used for publication. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

ACS Style

Henrik Balslev; Søren M. Kristiansen; Robert Muscarella. Palm community transects and soil properties in western Amazonia. Ecology 2019, 100, e02841 .

AMA Style

Henrik Balslev, Søren M. Kristiansen, Robert Muscarella. Palm community transects and soil properties in western Amazonia. Ecology. 2019; 100 (12):e02841.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Henrik Balslev; Søren M. Kristiansen; Robert Muscarella. 2019. "Palm community transects and soil properties in western Amazonia." Ecology 100, no. 12: e02841.

Journal article
Published: 01 July 2019 in Caldasia
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Los bosques tropicales del Chocó biogeográfico presentan una de las mayores concentraciones de especies de plantas del mundo. Las palmas (Arecaceae) son una de las familias más importantes en las tierras bajas del Chocó, pero su ecología está poco estudiada. Investigamos la diversidad de comunidades de palmas en el Chocó y su relación con la precipitación en 48 transectos distribuidos en un gradiente de 2000–10 000 mm de precipitación. En cada transecto (5×500 m) se identificaron todas las especies de palmas y se contabilizaron todos los individuos. Registramos un total de 57 especies de palmas (promedio ± DS: 17 ± 8 por transecto) y 37 955 individuos (791 ± 446). Encontramos que la riqueza y abundancia de palmas están significativamente relacionadas con la precipitación (r² = 0,86; P > 0,001). Se registró una fuerte correlación positiva entre la composición florística de las comunidades de palmas y la distancia geográfica (rm = 0,63; P = 0,001). La riqueza registrada es una de las más altas para el Neotrópico. La relación entre la precipitación, riqueza y abundancia de palmas por primera vez se documenta a escala regional en este punto caliente de biodiversidad.

ACS Style

Juan Carlos Copete; Mauricio Sanchez; Rodrigo Cámara-Leret; Henrik Balslev. Diversidad de comunidades de palmas en el Chocó biogeográfico y su relación con la precipitación. Caldasia 2019, 41, 358 -369.

AMA Style

Juan Carlos Copete, Mauricio Sanchez, Rodrigo Cámara-Leret, Henrik Balslev. Diversidad de comunidades de palmas en el Chocó biogeográfico y su relación con la precipitación. Caldasia. 2019; 41 (2):358-369.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Juan Carlos Copete; Mauricio Sanchez; Rodrigo Cámara-Leret; Henrik Balslev. 2019. "Diversidad de comunidades de palmas en el Chocó biogeográfico y su relación con la precipitación." Caldasia 41, no. 2: 358-369.

Review
Published: 31 May 2019 in The Botanical Review
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Sesbania is a genus in the family Leguminosae that has been widely used by people in tropical and subtropical regions, especially in Southeast Asia. Information about Sesbania uses and their characteristics such as chemical compounds were obtained from 233 papers, reports and books. We found evidence for 22 Sesbania species being used. They were used for human food (10 species), animal food (9), poisons (1), medicines (10), environments (8), materials (7), fuel (2) and social purposes (1). Sesbania grandiflora and S. sesban were used more than the other species. Sesbania grandiflora was the only species with uses in all categories. Sesbania sesban was used in six categories. Sesbania grandiflora had the highest number of use records in almost all categories, except for fuel in which S. sesban had more records. The aerial parts, especially the soft, young parts were consumed by both humans and animals. Some Sesbania species contained high amounts of proteins (41% of protein in S. javanica), vitamin C (145 mg/100 g in S. grandiflora) and high amounts of calcium (666 mg/100 g in S. grandiflora). Sesbania species have been used to treat 20 subcategories of human disorders, and also as veterinary medicines. Sesbania possessed 1-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-2-hydroxy-N-pentadecanamide, 2-hydroxy-N-decanamide, betulinic acid, isovestitol, medicarpin, oleanolic acid 3-β-D-glucuronide, pinitol, saponin, sativan, sesbanimide, stigmasterol and triterpene acid 3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside for which pharmacological properties had been tested. Sesbania also has cardioprotective, antidiabetic, antiurolithiatic, hypolipidemic, anticancer, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory effects. Sixteen microorganisms were found to be inhibited by Sesbania. Sesbania species are well-known for their use as green manures and seven species were recorded for this purpose. Sesbania also have properties that make them useful for pollution control. Regarding material uses, five Sesbania species were used for their fibers and Sesbania bispinosa was used in the production of fabrics. Besides the uses, Sesbania species also have other economic importance as weeds, pest host, and host for an economic plant. Eight species of Sesbania appear to have negative effects as weeds and pest-host and one species (Sesbania grandiflora) was the host for sandalwood. There was evidence that Sesbania could inhibit growth of animals and plants. Moreover, Sesbania seeds in too large doses are lethal to some animals. According to the vast advantages, the knowledge of Sesbania uses, including the safe dosages, should be passed on for the welfare of humans.

ACS Style

Saowalak Bunma; Henrik Balslev. A Review of the Economic Botany of Sesbania (Leguminosae). The Botanical Review 2019, 85, 185 -251.

AMA Style

Saowalak Bunma, Henrik Balslev. A Review of the Economic Botany of Sesbania (Leguminosae). The Botanical Review. 2019; 85 (3):185-251.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Saowalak Bunma; Henrik Balslev. 2019. "A Review of the Economic Botany of Sesbania (Leguminosae)." The Botanical Review 85, no. 3: 185-251.