Allium aetnense (Amaryllidaceae), a new species from Sicily

A new species from Mt Etna (Sicily), Allium aetenense of A. sect. Codonoprasum, is described and illustrated. It is a diploid species (2n = 16) that grows on basaltic rocks in the mountain belt and shows close relationships with A. tenuiflorum of the Italian peninsula. Its morphology, karyology, leaf anatomy, seed coat microsculpturing, ecology and taxonomic position are examined.     

Karyological knowledge of the Italian vascular flora as inferred by the analysis of “Chrobase.it”

Abstract

Chromosome number knowledge of the Italian vascular flora is stored in the online database Chrobase.it, which includes 6723 records, referable to 3428 taxa, 2799 accepted species and subspecies (about 35% of the national flora), and 3410 different chromosome countings (cytotypes). Appropriate queries to Chrobase.it allowed us to calculate mean, modal and median chromosome numbers for the Italian vascular flora, for geographical subgroups (islands, south, centre, north) and for selected orders, families and genera. Chromosome number data were available for 41 out of 55 orders (74%) and 107 out of 428 families (67%), represented by 664 out of 1297 genera (51%). The most studied administrative regions are Sicily (844 taxa), Tuscany (592 taxa), and Sardinia (390 taxa), while the most studied families are Asteraceae (465 taxa), Fabaceae (266 taxa), Brassicaceae (158 taxa), and Poaceae (144 taxa). Chromosome numbers range from 2n = 6, occurring in several species of Hypochaeris (Asteraceae), to 2n = 240, occurring in Ophioglossum (Ophioglossaceae), Dryopteris (Dryopteridaceae) and Arenaria (Caryophyllaceae) (mode is 2n = 18, and median is 2n = 24). Chromosome number variability was analyzed by frequencies (linear plots) and ANOVA, resulting in significant differences among geographical groups (mean chromosome number increasing from islands-south to centre-north) and selected taxa. B-chromosomes occur in 5.3% of data (148 taxa) and their number is not significantly different among geographical areas, while they occur only in 14 orders, 17 families, and 56 genera. The number of B-chromosomes ranges from 1 to 13 (mode = 1, median = 2).     

Nomenclature survey of the genus Amaranthus (Amaranthaceae) 3. Names linked to the Italian flora

The application of sixteen names in Acnida, Amaranthus and Euxolus that are linked to Italian flora has been studied. One new combination (Am. emarginatus subsp. emarginatus var. pseudogracilis) is proposed here. Am. strictus is a nomen nudum, and its concept was investigated on the basis of a specimen collected by M. Tenore and preserved in NAP. The name Am. × monteluccii is a nom. inval. and it is validated here. The remaining 14 names are valid from the nomenclatural point of view, and they were typified on specimens kept in B, BM, BOLO, FI, G, K, MO, NY, P, PH, US and iconographies by Dodonaei (for Am. ascendens) and Balbis (for Am. prostratus).     

Synopsis of Boraginaceae subfam. Boraginoideae tribe Boragineae in Italy

A synopsis of the Italian taxa of tribe Boragineae (Boraginaceae, subfam. Boraginoideae) is given as a second contribution to the treatment of the family for the Flora Critica d'Italia project. The work is mainly based on the critical study of herbarium material and extensive literature survey. All relevant floristic reports were examined and types of all the accepted (51) and most (37/46) of the synonymized names of taxa, specific and infraspecific, reported from the National territory are indicated. In the light of karyological and morphological evidence, the new combination Pulmonaria vallarsae subsp. apennina is proposed. As a result, 12 genera and 37 species are recognized, of which 7 are allochtonous and 6, plus two subspecies, are endemic. A synthetic floristic treatment is provided, including analytical keys, hybrids, list of synonyms and short distribution notes. In addition, detailed distribution maps are provided, together with the lists of the selected specimens upon which they are based.     

The most ancient caviine rodent (Hystricognathi,Cavioidea) comes from the late Miocene of Northwest Argentina (South America)

The family Caviidae is one of the most diverse groups among South American hystricognath rodents and is represented by three main living lineages: Caviinae (cavies), Dolichotinae (maras) and Hydrochoerinae (capybaras). Caviinae includes the smaller forms of caviids represented by the extant Microcavia, Cavia and Galea. They are distributed in a wide range of environments throughout South America. In addition, three other genera from the late Miocene–Pliocene (Dolicavia, Palaeocavia and Neocavia) are recognised in high latitudes. In northwestern Argentina, the fossil forms of Caviinae have been poorly studied and for most of them there is no precise stratigraphic information. We describe and evaluate the phylogenetic affinities of the most ancient caviine from the Chiquimil Formation, Catamarca province, northwestern Argentina (9.14–7.14 ma). According to the morphological analysis of the mandibular and dental morphology and the results of the phylogenetic analysis, we assigned the new species tentatively to genus Palaeocavia. The phylogenetic position of the new species suggests an earlier origin for the lineage Palaeocavia + Cavia and for the entire clade Caviinae.     

Morphophylogenetic study revealed that Erysiphe gracilis (powdery mildew of evergreen oaks,Erysiphales) is a species complex consisting of six different species

Erysiphe gracilis is a powdery mildew species that occurs on evergreen oak species belonging to Quercus subgen. Cyclobalanopsis in East Asia (China and Japan). In a previous report, we found that E. gracilis var. gracilis is divided into four genotypes each of them forming a separate clade with strong bootstrap support. In this study, we further investigated genotype speciation in E. gracilis var. longissima occurring on Q. acuta and Q. sessilifolia, and found that this variety is also divided into two distinct genotypes. These results suggested that E. gracilis represents a species complex consisting of six different species. Based on detailed morphological examinations correlating with results of molecular sequence analyses, we propose to divide E. gracilis into six species, encompassing three new species (E. uncinuloides, E. pseudogracilis, and E. longiappendiculata), one new name (E. longifilamentosa), and two known species (E. gracilis s. str. and E. hiratae). A key to the species concerned is provided.     

Salinarubrum litoreum gen. nov., sp. nov.: a new member of the family Halobacteriaceae isolated from Chinese marine solar salterns

Three halophilic archaeal strains, XD46^T, YJ-63-S1 and ZS-1-H, were isolated from three Chinese marine solar salterns. All were observed to have pleomorphic cells that lysed in distilled water, stained Gram-negative and formed red-pigmented colonies. They were found to grow optimally at 37 °C, at pH 7.0 and in the presence of 2.6 M NaCl and 0.05 M Mg²⁺. The major polar lipids were identified as those typical for members of the Halobacteriaceae but also included major glycolipids chromatographically identical to sulfated mannosyl glucosyl diether (S-DGD-1), mannosyl glucosyl diether (DGD-1) and two unidentified ones. The 16S rRNA gene sequences of the three strains were 99.8–100 % identical, showing most similarity to sequences of members of the family Halobacteriaceae, and clustering together as a distinct clade in phylogenetic tree reconstructions. The rpoB′ gene similarities between the three strains were 98.7–100 % and lower to the sequences of other halobacteria. Their DNA G+C contents were determined to be 65.1–65.5 mol%. The phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic properties suggest that strains XD46^T (=CGMCC 1.12237^T = JCM 18649^T), YJ-63-S1 (=CGMCC 1.12574) and ZS-1-H (=CGMCC 1.12544) represent a novel species in a new genus within the family Halobacteriaceae, for which the name Salinarubrum litoreum gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed.     

Characterization of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Selaginella remotifolia</Emphasis> MADS-box gene

Recent progress in plant molecular genetics has revealed that floral organ development is regulated by several homeotic selector genes, most of which belong to the MADS-box gene family. Here we report on SrMADS1, a MIKC^c-type MADS-box gene from Selaginella, a spikemoss belonging to the lycophytes. SrMADS1 phylogenetically forms a monophyletic clade with genes of the LAMB2 group, which are MIKC^c genes of the clubmoss Lycopodium, and is expressed in whole sporophytic tissues except roots and rhizophores. Our results and the previous report on Lycopodium MIKC^c genes suggest that the ancestral MIKC^c gene of primitive dichotomous plants in the early Devonian was involved in the development of basic sporophytic tissues such as shoot, stem, and sporangium. Electronic Publication     

Chemical Constituents of Plants from the Genus Phlegmariurus

Phlegmariurus is a genus of ca. 200 species in the family Huperziaceae. Up to now, six species of the Phlegmariurus genus have been chemically investigated, and 89 compounds, including Lycopodium alkaloids possessing diverse structures and serratane‐type triterpenes, have been isolated. These compounds show potent bioactivities, such as acetylcholinesterase inhibitory and cytotoxic activities.     

Mycorrhizae from Denali National Park and Preserve,Alaska

 Roots of 40 taxa of higher plants (Pteridophyta, Spermatophyta) from two alpine study sites in Denali National Park and Preserve in central Alaska were examined for their mycorrhizal colonization. We observed ectomycorrhizae on six species: Betula nana, Salix reticulata, Salix polaris, Salix arctica, Polygonum viviparum, and Dryas octopetala. Seven taxa, Cassiope tetragona, Empetrum nigrum, Ledum palustre subsp. decumbens, Ledum palustre subsp. groenlandicum, Loiseleuria procumbens, Vaccinium uliginosum and Vaccinium vitis–idaea (all Ericales), had ericoid mycorrhizae. One species, Arctostaphylos alpina, formed a typical arbutoid mycorrhiza. Two species (Sibbaldia procumbens and Aconitum delphinifolium) showed well-developed VA mycorrhizae, whereas three species of plants (Lycopodium clavatum, Silene acaulis and Oxytropis scammaniana) had vesicles, but no arbuscules. The roots of 11 other plants (Lycopodium clavatum, Lycopodium selago, Silene acaulis, Gentiana algida, Lupinus arcticus, Oxytropis scammaniana, Pedicularis langsdorffii, Pedicularis capitata, Pedicularis verticillata, Artemisia sp. and Carex bigelowii) had a variety of intracellular colonizations which are referred to as dark septate fungi. No mycorrhizae were found on 12 other plants: Equisetum arvense, Equisetum variegatum, Lycopodium alpinum, Polygonum bistorta, Saxifraga hieracifolia, Saxifraga hirculus, Astragalus alpinus, Pedicularis kanei, Petasites frigidus, Carex podocarpa, Carex microchaeta and Poa arctica. A possible ecological role of dark septate fungi is discussed. Accepted: 4 August 1995     

Growth and nutrient removal of three macrophytes in response to concentrations and ratios of N and P

Wastewater from different sources shows great differences in concentrations and ratios of N and P. In order to choose suitable plant species to remove excess N and/or P from polluted waters, it is important to know the performances of these plants under different N and P concentrations. In this study, we investigated the growth and N and P removal rate of three macrophytes, Coix lacryma-jobi, Iris wilsonii, and Arundo donax under six N and P combination treatments. C. lacryma-jobi preferred higher N and P concentrations (16 mg N L^?1 and 3.2 mg P L^?1), and increasing N supply could increase its P removal rate. I. wilsonii exhibited a growth preference at a combination of moderate N and P concentrations (8 mg N L^?1 and 0.8 mg P L^?1). A. donax could grow well at all combinations of N and P and had significantly higher relative growth rate and N and P removal rates than the other two species. These results showed A. donax is a promising species to treat various polluted waters and the other two species can be used specifically to treat certain types of wastewater.     

Heterochromatic DNA in Triturus (Amphibia,Urodela)

The MspI family of highly repeated sequences is a centromeric satellite DNA representing about 1% of the genome of the Italian smooth newt, Triturus vulgaris meridionalis. We have studied the structure, genomic organization, chromosomal localization and conservation across species of this family. MspI sequences are around 197 bp long, as shown by sequencing of three cloned units. The family is organized in large clusters of tandemly arrayed units, present at almost all the centromeres of T.v. meridionalis, and is well conserved in the T.v. vulgaris subspecies. Conserved MspI sequences are also present in the related species T. helveticus, where they appear to be clustered at the centromeres of only a few chromosomes. MspI sequences are not found in other Triturus species analysed. The correlation of these sequences with the overall distribution pattern of heterochromatin and the extent of their conservation within the genus Triturus, are discussed.     

Larvae of related Diptera species from thermally contrasting habitats exhibit continuous up-regulation of heat shock proteins and high thermotolerance

A population of Stratiomys japonica, a species belonging to the family Stratiomyidae (Diptera), common name ‘soldier flies’, occurs in a hot volcanic spring, which is apparently among the most inhospitable environments for animals because of chemical and thermal conditions. Larvae of this species, which naturally often experience temperatures more than 40 °C, have constitutively high concentrations of the normally inducible heat-shock protein Hsp70, but very low level of corresponding mRNA. Larvae of three other species of the same family, Stratiomys singularior, Nemotelus bipunctatus and Oxycera pardalina, are confined to different type semi-aquatic habitats with contrasting thermal regime. However, all of them shared the same pattern of Hsp70 expression. Interestingly, heat-shock treatment of S. japonica larvae activates heat-shock factor and significantly induces Hsp70 synthesis, whereas larvae of O. pardalina, a species from constant cold environment, produce significantly less Hsp70 in response to heat shock. Adults of the four species also exhibit lower, but detectable levels of Hsp70 without heat shock. Larvae of all species studied have very high tolerance to temperature stress in comparison with other Diptera species investigated, probably representing an inherent adaptive feature of all Stratiomyidae enabling successful colonization of highly variable and extreme habitats.     

Annuario Della Società Botanica Italiana 1937

Abstract

The European heathers Erica manipuliflora, Erica multiflora and Erica vagans (sect. Gypsocallis) are related species characterized by a glabrous ovary, exerted, muticous anthers and a pale pink, urceolate corolla. The existence of three species is the most accepted treatment for this group, but there are uncertainties about this taxonomic interpretation. In this article, we used seed morphological characters to assess the systematics of the group. Seeds were studied by means of scanning electron microscopy techniques. E. multiflora has a distinct seed type, 1–1.5 mm long, flattened, yellowish with a striate-reticulate primary sculpture. E. vagans and E. manipuliflora have smaller seeds, brown with a reticulate pattern. Seeds of E. vagans are globose, 0.5 mm wide, while E. manipuliflora has mostly ellipsoid seeds 0.7 mm long. However, seeds of E. manipuliflora from the Adriatic coasts are closer to those of E. vagans, and this may support the existence of E. manipuliflora subsp. anthura.     

Pollen analysis of Apis dorsata Fabricius honeys in Bankura and Paschim Medinipur districts,West Bengal

One-hundred-and-five species corresponding to 38 families were identified through pollen analyses of 53 Apis dorsata honeys collected from Bankura and Paschim Medinipur districts, West Bengal. The families most frequently encountered were Fabaceae, Arecaceae, Asteraceae and Myrtaceae. Fabaceae had the greatest representation in number of pollen types (18 types), followed by Asteraceae (nine types), Cucurbitaceae (seven types), Lamiaceae and Myrtaceae (each with six types) and Malvaceae and Rutaceae (each with five types). Most of the honey samples correspond to class I. The presence of dominant pollen was detected in 18 samples. The predominant pollen types were Borassus flabellifer, Sesamum indicum (during summer), Eucalyptus globulus (during late autumn), Brassica nigra, Eucalyptus globulus (during winter) and Borassus flabellifer and Lannea coromandelica (during spring). The unifloral honeys obtained mostly during late autumn and winter were dominated by Eucalyptus globulus type. In monsoon and autumn unifloral honeys containing predominant pollen types (> 45%) were not found. However, according to frequency distribution the pollen types represented as very frequent were Peltophorum pterocarpum, Tridax procumbens (in monsoon) and Acacia auriculiformis, Cocos nucifera, Eucalyptus globulus, Tridax procumbens and Ziziphus mauritiana (in autumn). The seasonal diversity of pollen types obtained was at a maximum during spring (36 types) and minimum during late autumn (14 types). Seasonal variation in the number of pollen types per sample range from 5.86 ± 1.87 (during late autumn) to 6.86 ± 1.95 (during autumn) and exhibit low correlation (r = 0.31) with floral diversity. The diversity of pollen types per unifloral honey sample remains lower than multifloral honeys.     

Molecular Cloning and Comparative Characterization of the Porcine Troponin I Family

Troponin I (TnI) is a family of three muscle-specific myofibrillar proteins involved in calcium-sensitive regulation of contraction in cardiac and skeletal muscle. In this study, the full-length cDNA and genomic sequence of three genes of porcine TnI family were cloned and sequenced. The full-length cDNA of TNNI1, TNNI2, and TNNI3 genes were 989 bp, 734 bp, and 831 bp in length, which contained an open reading frame of 564, 549, and 636 nucleotides, respectively. Three Troponin I shared 54.4 ～ 58.3% similarity with each other in their predicted amino acid sequences. The TNNI1, TNNI2, and TNNI3 displayed the same genomic structure as other vertebrates and spanned over 9785 bp, 2373 bp, and 3648 bp genomic regions, respectively. The regulatory elements in the proximal promoter of TNNI2 and TNNI3 were conserved among human, mouse, and pig, but regulatory element differences existed in the TNNI1 promoter among them. Expression profiling showed that TnI genes were widely expressed in the tissues studied, with the highest expression level of TNNI1 and TNNI2 in skeletal muscle, and TNNI3 in cardiac muscle.     

Population genetics of the endangered Wattled Curassow (Crax globulosa,Cracidae, Aves) of the Colombian–Peruvian Amazon using DNA microsatellites and ND2 mitochondrial sequences

The Wattled Curassow (Crax globulosa, Cracidae, Aves) is a large bird living in the Western Amazon basin and a critically endangered species in the Colombian and in the Peruvian Amazon. We carried out the first population genetics analysis of this species employing six nuclear microsatellite markers and sequences of the mtND2 gene. The main results are as follows. (1) The levels of gene diversity were high for the overall population as well as for each of the three islands for both microsatellites and mtDNA. (2) A small amount of genetic differentiation among populations was found with both types of markers (F_ST = 0.027 for microsatellites and N_ST = 0.17 for mitochondrial sequences). (3) Using microsatellites, the Geneclass 2.0 software detected a low correct assignment of individuals to their respective populations. The Structure software only detected one gene pool for the entire area studied. These results are relevant for conservation efforts of this critically endangered species.     

Shallow-water benthic hydroids from Tethys Bay (Terra Nova Bay, Ross Sea, Antarctica)

The shallow-water hydrozoan Antarctic fauna is still poorly studied, and available knowledge mostly refers to samples gathered by traditional ship-operated gears. By scuba diving in the coastal areas off the Italian Antarctic station “Mario Zucchelli” (Ross Sea, Terra Nova Bay), in the austral summer 2002–2003, a total of 20 hydrozoan species were found, belonging to 10 families and 13 genera. As hypothesized, Anthoathecata (11 species), usually under-represented in collections from indirect sampling gears, are common as also are Leptothecata (9 species). Hydractiniidae and Hydractinia are the dominant family and genus, followed by Haleciidae and Halecium. A new species to science, Halecium exaggeratum sp. nov. is also described. Most species are either endemic to Antarctic waters or restricted to Antarctic/sub-Antarctic areas; only two species have a wider distribution. Material reared in aquaria at the Italian Antarctic Base Mario Zucchelli facilitated knowledge of the life cycle and reproductive biology of several species. In particular, Opercularella belgicae was found to liberate a medusa stage referable to Phialella, and the species is assigned here to that genus, as Phialella belgicae. Also, extraordinary is the complete absence or scant representation of the most typical Antarctic benthic hydroid genera (Antarctoscyphus, Oswaldella, Schizotricha, Staurotheca, and Symplectoscyphus), likely related to the shallow limits of sampling (down to 48 m).