Background: Calanthe(Epidendroideae, Orchidaceae) is a pantropical genus distributed in Asia and Africa. Its species are of great importance in terms of economic, ornamental and medicinal values. However, due to limited and confusing delimitation characters, the taxonomy of theCalanthealliance (Calanthe,Cephalantheropsis, andPhaius) has not been sufficiently resolved. Additionally, the limited genomic information has shown incongruences in its systematics and phylogeny. In this study, we used illumina platform sequencing, performed ade novoassembly, and did a comparative analysis of 8Calanthegroup species' plastomes: 6Calantheand 2Phaiusspecies. Phylogenetic analyses were used to reconstruct the relationships of the species as well as with other species of the family Orchidaceae.Results: The complete plastomes of theCalanthegroup species have a quadripartite structure with varied sizes ranging between 150,105bp-158,714bp, including a large single-copy region (LSC; 83,364bp- 87,450bp), a small single-copy region (SSC; 16,297bp -18,586bp), and a pair of inverted repeat regions (IRs; 25,222bp - 26,430bp). The overall GC content of these plastomes ranged between 36.6-36.9%. These plastomes encoded 131-134 differential genes, which included 85-88 protein-coding genes, 37-38 tRNA genes, and 8 rRNA genes. Comparative analysis showed no significant variations in terms of their sequences, gene content, gene order, sequence repeats and the GC content hence highly conserved. However, some genes were lost inC.delavayi(P. delavayi), includingndhC,ndhF, andndhKgenes. Compared to the coding regions, the non-coding regions had more sequence repeats hence important for species DNA barcoding. Phylogenetic analysis revealed a paraphyletic relationship in theCalanthegroup, and confirmed the position ofPhaius delavayiin the genusCalantheas opposed to its previous placement inPhaius.Conclusion: This study provides a report on the complete plastomes of 6Calantheand 2Phaiusspecies and elucidates the structural characteristics of the plastomes. It also highlights the power of plastome data to resolve phylogenetic relationships and clarifies taxonomic disputes among closely related species to improve our understanding of their systematics and evolution. Furthermore, it also provides valuable genetic resources and a basis for studying evolutionary relationships and population genetics among orchid species.

The genus Hydnora (Hydnoraceae) is one of the basal angiosperms in the order Piperales, found in the semi-arid regions of Africa, and the Southern Arabian Peninsula. Plants in this genus play essential roles in communities around the world as revealed by various studies. Currently, there are eight species of the genus Hydnora; seven in Africa and one in the Arabian Peninsula. Notably, Hydnora abyssinica A.Br. and Hydnora africana Thunb. are widely distributed compared to other species. They are widely used for their medicinal and nutritional values. The information on ethnobotany, chemistry, pharmacology, and distribution of genus Hydnora was gathered using phytochemical and ethnobotanical books, electronic sources, and published articles. Preliminary phytochemical screening shows that flavonoids, phenolics, proanthocyanidins, and tannins are the main compounds in H. abyssinica and H. africana. Furthermore, 11 compounds have been isolated from H. abyssinica. The biological activities of H. abyssinica and H. africana have been reported. They include antibacterial, antiproliferative, antioxidant, antidiarrhea, and antifungal potentials. Despite the Hydnora species being practiced in ancient folkloric medicine, their traditional uses and pharmacological value are poorly documented. Based on the available information on ethnobotany, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and distribution, we aim to provide research gaps and challenges for a better understanding of this genus. This may be resourceful in the development of effective phytomedicines, and aid in conservation. The available studies on this genus on some aspects such as phytochemistry, pharmacological activities, and distribution are under-reported hence the need for further research.

Blechnum L. is a genus belonging to the Blechnaceae family with 236 accepted species that grow in intertropical, subtropical, and southern temperate regions. Several species of the genus have long been used in folk medicines to treat a broad spectrum of ailments, including typhoid, urinary infections, influenza, wounds, pulmonary complaints, blisters, boils, and antihelmintic-related complications. So far, about 91 chemical compounds have been isolated from different parts of 20 Blechnum species. Among these metabolites, phenolic compounds, sterols, and fatty acids are the main constituents. Modern pharmacological investigations revealed several isolated compounds and extracts to exhibit exceptional biological properties including the antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, insecticidal, antitrematocidal and wound healing. In various tests, both quercetin-7′,3′,4′-trimethoxy and phytol metabolites showed potential antioxidant and antitrematocidal properties, while ponasterone exhibited insecticidal activity. Despite having a broad range of traditional medicinal benefits and biological properties, understanding the scientific connotations based on the available data is still challenging. This article presents a comprehensive review of the traditional uses, phytochemical compounds, and pharmacological aspects of the Blechnum species.