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AOBPreview published online on January 11, 2007
Annals of Botany, doi:10.1093/aob/mcl269
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© The Author 2007. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

BOTANICAL BRIEFING

An Overview of the Biology of the Desiccation-tolerant Resurrection Plant Myrothamnus flabellifolia

John P. Moore, George G. Lindsey*, Jill M. Farrant and Wolf F. Brandt

Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Cape Town, Private Bag, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa

* For correspondence. E-mail: Lindsey{at}science.uct.ac.za

Received: 21 August 2006    Returned for revision: 27 September 2006    Accepted: 11 November 2006   

BACKGROUND: Myrothamnus flabellifolia is unique as the only woody resurrection plant. It is an important plant in southern Africa because of its widespread occurrence and usage in African medicine and traditional culture. Many reports have investigated facets of its biology and the mechanisms associated with its desiccation tolerance.

SCOPE: The general biology of the woody resurrection plant Myrothamnus flabellifolia is reviewed. The review focuses on the geography and ecology, systematic placement, evolution, morphology and reproductive ecology of M. flabellifolia as well as the wood anatomy and re-filling mechanism. In addition, the desiccation tolerance, ethnobotanical importance and medicinal properties of the plant are reviewed. Also, future research avenues are suggested, in particular the necessity to research the biogeography and systematics of the species and the role of the polyphenols present, as well as the molecular basis of the plant's desiccation tolerance.

Key words: Myrothamnus flabellifolia, distribution, ecology, morphology, reproductive biology, wood anatomy, medicinal properties, desiccation tolerance, resurrection


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