An instance of extreme accumulation of Zn by a plant species was found in the 19th century, and observations of unusually high concentrations of other elements (Cu, Co, Ni, Cd, Pb, As, Se) were recorded between the 1920s and 1970s. Of relevance to the study of ultramafic areas and their floras is the occurrence of extreme Ni accumulation. The term “hyperaccumulator” was introduced in 1976 to signify a species exhibiting a concentration that can be hundreds or thousands of times greater than that usually found in plants on most common soils. Concentration criteria that allow a species to be regarded as a hyperaccumulator have been defined and refined from time to time. The following account details my own involvement in the discovery of new examples of metal hyperaccumulation, with particular emphasis on Ni accumulation by plants of ultramafic floras worldwide. The interest in hyperaccumulators has prompted investigations into different aspects of the biota of metalliferous soils. The search for new examples of hyperaccumulation continues, aided in part by non-destructive X-ray fluorescence scanning of herbarium specimens, which previously served as a resource providing small fragments for sensitive but destructive analysis. Identification of species as hyperaccumulators must be supported by further field exploration to understand the factors governing the level of metal uptake, and to stimulate further work on plant systematics, biochemistry, genetics, and molecular biology. Applications to phytoremediation and agromining are worth pursuing in some cases. Conservation issues are important because many hyperaccumulators are rare and restricted in their distribution.

中文翻译：

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超积累植物的发现和全球分布：个人账户

19 世纪发现了一种植物物种极端积累锌的情况，并在 1920 年代至 1970 年代记录了异常高浓度的其他元素（铜、钴、镍、镉、铅、砷、硒）的观察结果。与超镁铁质区及其植物群的研究相关的是镍极端富集的发生。“超富集植物”一词于 1976 年引入，表示一种物种的浓度可能比大多数常见土壤上的植物中的浓度高数百或数千倍。允许一个物种被视为超积累者的浓度标准已不时被定义和完善。以下叙述详细介绍了我自己参与发现金属超富集新例子的过程，特别强调了世界范围内超镁铁质植物区系植物对镍的积累。对超富集植物的兴趣促使人们对含金属土壤生物群的不同方面进行研究。继续寻找超积累的新例子，部分是通过对植物标本室标本进行非破坏性 X 射线荧光扫描来进行的，植物标本室标本以前是为敏感但破坏性分析提供小碎片的资源。将物种鉴定为超富集植物必须得到进一步的实地探索的支持，以了解控制金属吸收水平的因素，并促进植物系统学、生物化学、遗传学和分子生物学的进一步研究。在某些情况下，植物修复和农业采矿的应用值得追求。保护问题很重要，因为许多超积累植物都很罕见并且分布有限。