Trends in floral scent chemistry in pollination syndromes: floral scent composition in hummingbird-pollinated taxa

We studied an assemblage of 17 species of bird-pollinated Ecuadorian plants (from 14 angiosperm families), including taxa pollinated by short-billed (trochiline) and sickle-billed (hermit) hummingbirds. Hummingbirds are widely supposed to ignore fragrance while visiting flowers. We collected floral headspace odours in order to test the general prediction that specialist hummingbird-pollinated flowers are scentless. In nine out of 17 of these species we failed to detect any odours using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), whereas the remaining eight species produced trace levels of volatile compounds. Most of these odour compounds were of terpenoid or lipoxygenase derivation and are commonly emitted by vegetative as well as floral plant tissues. Further studies will be required to determine whether these weak odours attract alternative pollinators, repel enemies or represent vestiges of a scented ancestry.  © 2004 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2004, 146 , 191–199.     

Ontogenesis of internal secretory cells in leaves of Lantana camara (Verbenaceae)

Internal secretory cells may be morphologically indistinguishable from their neighbours except for the presence of secreted material, or they may differ to such an extent that could be classified as secretory idioblasts. Several authors have reported the presence of glandular trichomes secreting essential oil in Verbenaceae, including Lantana . However, none have reported internal secretory cells. Anatomical and histochemical methods applied to Lantana camara leaves revealed the occurrence of internal secretory cells whose ontogenesis and chemical nature are described in this paper. According to leaf developmental analysis, L. camara secretory cells originated from the ground meristem, started to differentiate in the third node leaves, and were actively secreting in the fourth node leaves. The content of the secretory cells was of a lipidic nature, and a terpenoid essence of their secretion was also identified. Based upon differences in size and shape from neighbouring cells and on detection of nonvolatile terpenes, they were confirmed as true internal secretory idioblasts.  © 2005 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2005, 148 , 427–431.     

Isoetes fluitans sp. nov.: the identity of Spanish plants of 'I. longissimum'

Recent revision of North African specimens of Isoetes velata A. Braun and the closely related taxon I. longissimum Bory, together with Spanish material conventionally designated I. longissimum , suggests that the Spanish specimens constitute a new species, I. fluitans . This is described and illustrated. The North African taxon I. longissimum is probably not specifically distinct from I. velata .  © 2004 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2004, 146 , 231–236.     

A new species of Arabis (Brassicaceae) from inner Anatolia

A new species of Arabis L., A. erikii Mutlu sp. nov. , is described and illustrated. The species is restricted to inner Anatolia, south-west of Sivas. It grows on steppes. Diagnostic morphological characters are given for discrimination from the most similar taxa.  © 2004 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2004, 145 , 251–256.     

Landmark superimposition for taxonomic identification

The identification of organisms is a time-consuming task even for highly specialized researchers. Many ways to accelerate the identification process have been devised – from pictorial keys to automatic, machine identification – with different degrees of success. This paper explores landmark configurations as an aid to taxonomic identification. The basic hypothesis rests on the analogy between human fingerprints and organism landmark configuration. Translated into biological terms, it asks whether individual landmark configurations can be used as diagnostic characteristics for species identification. Water mites of the genus Torrenticola were used as test organisms. The results show that identification can be made simpler through the use of landmark configurations.  © 2004 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2004, 81 , 267–274.     

A new species of Clivia (Amaryllidaceae) endemic to the Pondoland Centre of Endemism, South Africa

Clivia robusta B.G. Murray, Ran, de Lange, Hammett, Truter et Swanevelder sp. nov. (Amaryllidaceae) is a tubular, pendulous-flowered Clivia species, restricted to the Pondoland Centre of Endemism, South Africa. The unique morphology, distribution, karyotype and molecular fingerprint distinguish it from all other pendulous-flowered species in the genus.  © 2004 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2004, 146 , 369–374.     

A new Spanish species of Tragopogon (Asteraceae: Lactuceae)

Tragopogon cazorlanum (Asteraceae: Lactuceae) is proposed as a new Spanish species with distribution restricted to the Baetic mountains (south-eastern Spain). Its morphological, palynological, chromosomal, biogeographical and ecological features are discussed, as well as its main relationships and differences with reference to other Spanish species of the genus.  © 2004 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2004, 146 , 505–511.     

Growth pattern of Carex arenaria (Cyperaceae)

The origin of the orthotropic aerial shoot from the plagiotropic, horizontal rhizome of Carex arenaria L. (Cyperaceae) was studied. A previously proposed adnation or fusion of the first internode of the orthotropic shoot and the fourth internode of the plagiotropic shoot could not be anatomically confirmed. The rhizome branches sympodially and the point of branching results from intercalary meristematic activity in the plagiotropic shoot.  © 2004 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2004, 146 , 145–151.     

A new endemic species of Epipactis (Orchidaceae) from north-east Portugal

A new species, Epipactis duriensis Bernardos, D. Tyteca, Revuelta & Amich is described and illustrated from north-east Portugal. Notes on its distribution, ecology, karyology, micromorphology and taxonomic relationships are presented as well as molecular data based on ITS analysis. A list of diagnostic differences between E. duriensis and the closely related species E. lusitanica and E. tremolsii is provided.  © 2004 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2004, 145 , 239–249.     

Phototaxis and the evolution of isogamy and 'slight anisogamy' in marine green algae: insights from laboratory observations and numerical experiments

The evolution of anisogamy in marine algae was studied through numerical simulations of gamete mating behaviour in three dimensions, using observed traits of marine green algae as input parameters. The importance of phototaxis became apparent from the numerical experiments: all gametes with phototactic systems are favoured over those without, but this advantage is reduced with increasing tank depth or shorter search times. Phototactic gametes were advantaged over non-phototactic gametes if the water was shallower than about 30–40 mm when the time available for gamete encounter was 1000 time steps (5.55 min). If gametes of both sexes are positively phototactic, slightly anisogamous species are at a disadvantage to isogamous species, which invalidates the sperm-limitation theory as a driver for the evolution of slight anisogamy. Conflicting selection forces of search efficiency and zygote fitness may be needed.  © 2004 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2004, 144 , 321–327.     

Two new species of Sicyos (Cucurbitaceae) from Guerrero and Oaxaca, Mexico

Two new species of Sicyos from Mexico are described and illustrated: Sicyos cordifolius from the state of Guerrero, which belongs to the group with dry, armed fruits, and Sicyos bulbosus from the state of Oaxaca, which belongs to the group with fleshy, unarmed fruits. Sicyos cordifolius is quite different from the rest of the species previously described. Although S. bulbosus is very similar to S. galeottii Cogn., it is clearly different in receptacle shape and size.  © 2004 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2004, 145 , 373–378.     

A new species of Viola (Violaceae) from south-west Turkey

Viola dirimliensis Blaxland is described as a new annual species from south-west Turkey, belonging to section Melanium Gingins. It was found growing only on serpentinite, in two adjacent locations in Mula vilayet, west of Antalya, at altitudes of 1500–1690 m. The locations were typical serpentinite barrens, almost bare of vegetation, with some plants of Muscari macrocarpum , and a few trees of Pinus nigra var. caramanica . The Viola is named after the type location, the Dermil Pass or Dirimli Geçidi, where the tiny plants were growing between the rocks on south-facing slopes. Their distinct golden-yellow flowers are unlike any of the other small annual Viola species found in Turkey.  © 2004 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2004, 145 , 505–509.     

A new species of Nigella (Ranunculaceae) from Turkey

Nigella turcica a new species endemic to north-eastern Turkey is described and illustrated. Morphological differences between the species and the closely related species, N. sativa , are discussed and the IUCN threatened category is proposed. A distribution map of the new species and its related taxon is given.  © 2004 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2004, 146 , 251–255.     

Systematic and comparative anatomy of Maxillarieae (Orchidaceae), sans Oncidiinae

On the basis of floral and vegetative morphology, 63 tropical American genera have been recognized within Maxillarieae. We were able to examine anatomical material of all subtribes, excluding Oncidiinae. Stegmata with conical silica bodies occur in leaves and stems of all subtribes excluding Ornithocephalinae, and pericyclic stegmata found in roots are characteristic of Lycastinae. Lycastinae and Maxillariinae are characterized by foliar glands, foliar fibre bundles and tilosomes. Endodermal cells are U-thickened in most Zygopetalinae; O-thickened in most Lycastinae, Ornithocephalinae and Telipogoninae; variously thickened in Maxillariinae; and thin-walled in Cryptarrhena lunata . Water-storage cells varied from thin-walled to variously banded throughout Maxillarieae. Cladistic analyses using anatomical characters yielded no resolution among subtribes, illustrating that anatomical characters are of limited value in assessing relationships within this tribe.  © 2004 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2004, 144 , 251–274.     

Clarification of the name Nothofagus alpina and a new epithet for a Nothofagus hybrid

Arguments in favour of using Nothofagus alpina (Poepp. & Endl.) Oerst. (Fagaceae) rather than N. procera Oerst. or N. nervosa (Phil.) Krasser as the correct name for rauli are presented. We also refute suggestions that N. alpina is based on hybrid material. The hybrid of N. alpina with N. obliqua (Mirb.) Blume is formally described as N . ×  dodecaphleps Mike L. Grant & E. J. Clement and a key to the deciduous taxa of Nothofagus is provided.  © 2004 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2004, 146 , 447–451.     

Taxonomic revision of the genus Succisella (Dipsacaceae) in the Iberian Peninsula

A revision of the three endemic Iberian species of Succisella G. Beck ( S. carvalhoana , S. microcephala and S. andreae-molinae ), based on herbarium studies, SEM photographs and field observations, is presented utilizing morphological, palynological, karyological, biogeographical and ecological characters. The distribution of the species in the Iberian Peninsula is shown in a grid map. Full synonymy is given for all taxa.  © 2004 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2004, 144 , 351–364.     

A new species of Exostyles (Leguminosae, Papilionoideae, Swartzieae s.l.), from Paraná State, Brazil

A new species Exostyles godoyensis Soares-Silva & Mansano (Leguminosae, Papilionoideae, Swartzieae), endemic to Paraná state in southern Brazil, is described and illustrated. The new species is distinct from all the other species of Exostyles in having a leaf with up to five leaflets, while the other species have at least seven leaflets per leaf. The new species is distinct from Exostyles amazonica Yakovlev in its longer stamen filaments and ovary stipe and from E. glabra Vogel and E. venusta Schott by its shorter anthers. In addition to these morphological characters E. godoyensis has a disjunct geographical distribution.  © 2004 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2004, 146 , 103–106.