Background: Aerva lanata is an interesting plant used in traditional medicine for many years and used for the treatment of bladder and kidney stones. Objective: The aim was to study detailed pharmacognostic profi le of an important medicinal plant in the Indian system of medicine, A. lanata (amaranthaceae). Materials and Methods: Flower samples of A. lanata were studied by macroscopical, microscopical characters. Physicochemical, phytochemical, and fl uorescence analysis of powder of the plant was performed according to the methods of standardization recommended by World Health Organization. Results: Macroscopically fl owers are small, actinomorphic, and solitary or aggregated in cymes. Microscopically ovary was found to be bicarpellary, syncarpous, unilocular, superior; ovules one to many and campylotropous type. Powder microscopy of fl ower revealed the presence of epidermis with stomata and covering trichomes, calcium oxalate crystals, starch grains, and oil globules. The investigations also included fl uorescence analysis. Physiochemical parameters such as total ash, acid insoluble ash sulfated ash and water soluble ash; moisture content values were found to be 12.66%, 1.64%, 9.12%, 4.52%, 12%, respectively. Preliminary phytochemical screening showed the presence of carbohydrates, triterpenoids, fl avonoids, glycosides, and phenolic compounds. Conclusion: The results of the present study can serve as a valuable source of information and provide suitable standards for identifi cation of this plant material in future investigations and applications.

The objective of this study was to examine the development of corn leaf aphid,Rhopalosiphum maidis Fitch (Aphididae: Hemiptera) on maize Zea mays Linnaeus at elevated and ambient concentrations of CO2 (550 and 380ppm ± 25 ppm, respectively) at six temperatures (20, 25, 27, 30, 33 and 35°C) and to estimate thermal constants and lower temperature thresholds for the forecasting models based on heat accumulation units which could be developed for use in forecasting. The duration of different growth stages of R.maidis were reduced with an increase of temperature from 20°C to 35°C under both ambient and elevated CO2 conditions. The lower development threshold for first nymphal instar,second nymphal instar, third nymphal instar, fourth nymphal instar, adult duration and total development period required 10.1, 5.04, 13.42, 26.96, 10.9, 23.22 and 20.20°C under eCO2 whereas it was 13.32, 9.41, 19.13, 30.48, 16.38, 22.88 and 20.89°C under aCO2 conditions,respectively. The mean lower temperature threshold for nymph was slightly higher (16.38°C) at aCO2 compared to that of eCO2 (10.90°C) whereas for adult the mean lower temperature threshold was slightly higher (23.22°C) at eCO2 compared to that of aCO2 (22.88°C). The thermal requirement of R. maidis from first nymphal instar to adult (total development period) was found to be 100.00 degree days (DD) under eCO2 conditions as against 111.11degree days under aCO2 conditions. These estimated temperature thresholds and thermal constant can predict the pest scenarios and population dynamics of R. maidis.

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