Spiradiclis glandulosa sp. nov. (Rubiaceae) from limestone areas in southern China

Spiradiclis glandulosa L. Wu & Q. R. Liu, a new species from limestone areas in southern China, is described and illustrated here. This new species is similar to S. umbelliformis, but can be distinguished from the latter mainly by its abaxial leaf blade with densely set yellow glandule‐like spots (vs abaxially pilosulous), calyx lobes oblong‐laceolate, ca 4–6 mm long (vs ovate‐triangular, ca 0.6 mm), corolla tube inside densely pubescent above the middle and onto lobes in both forms (vs inside with villous ring above base), and capsules villosulous (vs glabrescent).     

石蝴蝶属一新种——黄斑石蝴蝶

描述了苦苣苔科（Gesneriaceae）石蝴蝶属(Petrocosmea Oliv.)一新种——黄斑石蝴蝶(P.xanthomaculata G.Q.Gou et X.Y.Wang)。新种与贵州石蝴蝶（P.cavaleriei Lévl.）相近,但叶多数,20～40枚,叶基心形,花冠白色,在裂片之间具明显黄色斑纹,苞片小,长约1 mm,花柱除上部外密被开展的白色长柔毛而不同。     

Centaurea shahuensis and C. ravansarensis spp. nov. (Asteraceae,Cardueae) from west Iran

Two new species of Centaurea L. sect. Cynaroides Boiss. ex Walp. (Asteraceae), C. shahuensis Ranjbar and Negaresh and C. ravansarensis Ranjbar and Negaresh are described and illustrated from Kermanshah Province, west Iran. They are closely related to C. regia Boiss. subsp. regia. However, C. shahuensis differs from it by median stem leaves broadly oblanceolate or subpandurate, phyllaries densely lanate‐tomentose, appendages small, concealing a minor part of phyllaries, and also median appendage margin entire sometimes with 1–2 cilia, 1.2–3.0 mm long on each side. Centaurea ravansarensis is distinguished by upper stem leaves loosely arachnoid, phyllaries loosely floccose‐tomentose, inner appendages deep brown to blackish, and spine 4.5–6.0 mm long. Habitat, conservation status and the geographical distribution of the new species are given.     

Saussurea xinjiangensis sp. nov. (Asteraceae,Cardueae), a new species from Xinjiang,China

Saussurea xinjiangensis Y. S. Chen, a new species from Xinjiang, China, is described and illustrated. It was first found during a field expedition by the author in 2014. It belongs to S. subgen. Saussurea sect. Laguranthera because its root and caudex split fibrously and it has numerous capitula in a corymbiform synflorescence. The new species is similar to S. mucronulata in its habit, strongly fibrous rootstock and caudex, sessile linear leaves and capitula shortly pedunculated in a corymbiform synflorescence. However, it differs from S. mucronulata by its usually branched stems (versus usually simple or apically few-branched), lower leaf blade 8–12 cm long and 0.5–1.8 cm wide (versus 3–5 cm long and 0.2–0.5 cm wide), leaves abaxially sparsely arachnoid tomentose (versus densely arachnoid tomentose), phyllary white arachnoid tomentose and green to brown (versus glabrous and blackish purple).     

New record of Sporochnus dotyi (Sporochnales,Phaeophyceae) from Kii Peninsula,Japan

The subtidal brown algal species Sporochnus dotyi Brostoff (Sporochnales, Phaeophyceae), which has been regarded as a Hawaiian endemic, is reported from Kushimoto, Kii Peninsula, Pacific coast of central Honshu, Japan, for the first time outside Hawai'i. The species grew on subtidal rocks ca. 5–20 m deep attached by a small conical holdfast. The erect thalli were 5–30 cm high, terete, robust and alternately branched in 1–2 orders. When mature, pedicellate receptacles developed on the branches, and formed elliptical sori 1 mm long with a pedicel 3–5 mm long. The apical parts of the thalli and the receptacles were terminated with a tuft of simple assimilatory filaments of up to 4 mm long and showed prominent green to yellow underwater iridescence. Reproductive filaments (paraphyses) were densely packed, simple, up to 200 μm long and bore 4–6 mostly unilateral unilocular zoidangia 20–22 μm long and 5–6 m in diameter. In the genetic analyses, the Sporochnus alga from Kushimoto had partial rbcL sequence identical to S. dotyi from Hawai'i. The cox3 phylogeny revealed that this alga formed a fully supported clade with S. dotyi. Therefore, we identified the alga from Kushimoto as S. dotyi. This finding of S. dotyi from Japan, together with the recent reports of the mesophotic macroalgae Ryuguphycus kuaweuweu (=Umbraulva kuaweuweu), Ulva iliohaha and Newhousia imbricata from various localities in the Pacific Ocean including Japan, suggest closer biogeographical connections of subtidal/mesophotic macroalgae in the Pacific than previously recognized.     

Nanooravia gen. nov., subtribe Dimeriinae (Poaceae–Panicoideae–Andropogoneae) from India

The new genus Nanooravia Kiran Raj & Sivad. (Poaceae–Andropogoneae–Dimeriinae) from the southwestern Ghats in India is described and illustrated, and the new combination N. santapaui (M. R. Almeida) Kiran Raj & Sivad. is made. The genus is characterized by its usually unequal and intertwined racemes, triquetrous rachis, extremely oblique and glabrous pedicel tip, distantly arranged spikelets, long trigonous callus with oblique tip and densely covered with golden–yellow or yellowish–brown hairs along one angle, keel‐less glumes with a dorsally echinate apex and apically auricled margins, and an upper lemma with a stout awn having a long column. The new genus is distinct from Dimeria R. Br. in which the species was originally described, but is similar to the monotypic Indian genus Pogonachne Bor currently placed in the subtribe Ischaeminae. It occurs in Peninsular India, a region considered as the centre of diversity of the subtribe with more than 50% of the known Dimeria species, including numerous endemics.     

Argostemma bachmaense (Rubiaceae,Rubioideae, Argostemmateae), a new species from central Vietnam

Argostemma bachmaense, a new species from central Vietnam, is described and illustrated here. The new species is most similar to A. laoticum and A. vietnamicum but can be distinguished from the latter two by having a well-developed internode with leaf pairs separately arranged along stem, isophyllous or slightly anisophyllous leaves, an oblanceolate to spatulate lamina with attenuate base and lateral veins with 4–5 pairs prominent on abaxially, a terminal, solitary flower, an absent bract, narrowly ovate or broadly lanceolate, 8.5–10.5 × 2.8–4.2 mm petals, 6.5–7.5 mm long stamen with yellow anther, a 8.5–9.5 mm long, exerted style and a globose stigma. Information on ecology, phenology and preliminary conservation assessment of the proposed new species are provided. In addition, we also provide an identification key to the nine Argostemma species found in Vietnam.     

江西东北部兔儿风属一新种(菊科)

该文描述了江西东北部菊科兔儿风属一新种——婺源兔儿风(Ainsliaea wuyuanensis Z.H.Chen,Y.L.Xu et X.F.Jin),并附有线描图和彩色照片。婺源兔儿风是密聚组(Sect.Aggregatae Beauv.)一个非常特殊的种,与本组的其他种类区别很大。从叶脉类型来看与粗齿兔儿风(A.grossedentata Franch.)比较接近,区别在于其叶片较大,菱形或菱状卵形,长11～17 cm,顶端渐尖,基部楔形,叶缘中上部具1～2对裂片状粗大锯齿,两面无毛;叶柄长2～14 cm;总苞片顶端锐尖;瘦果较长,密被污黄色糙毛。     

Schizostachyum yalyense sp. nov. and S. ninhthuanense sp. nov. (Gramineae: Bambusoideae) from Vietnam

Two new species of Schizostachyum Nees (Poaceae: Bambusoideae): S. yalyense N. H. Xia, V. T. Tran et H. N. Nguyen and Schizostachyum ninhthuanense N. H. Xia, V. T. Tran et H. N. Nguyen (Poaceae: Bambusoideae) are described and illustrated from Vietnam. Schizostachyum yalyense is similar to S. lima (Blanco) Merrill, but differs by culm sheaths with a concave apex 4–5 cm wide and 1.0–1.5 cm deep, pseudospikelets clustered on the wholly leafless flowering branches, possession of 2 bracts and lodicules. Schizostachyum ninhthuanense is related to S. hainanense Merrill ex McClure, but differs by culm sheaths covered with white hairs and having white–brown hairs at the apex, ligule margin densely pale‐ciliate, pseudospikelets clustered on wholly leafless flowering branches, presence of 3 lodicules, two stigmas apically on the style and the third stigma branching off from one of the two other stigmas.     

Petrocodon retroflexus sp. nov. (Gesneriaceae) from a karst cave in Guizhou,China

Petrocodon retroflexus Q. Zhang & J. Guo, a new species of Gesneriaceae from Guizhou, China, is described and illustrated. The new species is morphologically similar to Petrocodon viridescens W. H. Chen, Mich. Möller & Y. M. Shui, but differs by its leaf blade being ovate, broadly ovate to elliptic, 8–20 × 5–15 cm and densely pilose on both surfaces, narrowly triangular, 9 mm long, densely pilose bracts, white corolla that is decurved near the middle, with adaxial lip shallowly 4‐partitioned and retroflexed, and pistil ca 1.3 cm long and densely pilose and glandular‐pilose.     

Saussurea pseudograminea sp. nov. (Asteraceae) from the Qinghai–Tibetan plateau,China

Morphological characteristics, as well as ultrastructure of pollen grains, chromosome numbers and karyotype analysis have been used to establish a new species of Saussurea from the Qinghai–Tibetan plateau. The new species, Saussurea pseudograminea Y. F. Wang, G. Z. Du et Y. S. Lian is easily distinguished from the similar S. graminea Dunn by having 2–3 capitula, involucre 0.7–1.2 cm in diameter, smaller pollen grains, pollen surface with larger and denser spines, achenes 4.0–5.5 mm long, 32 chromosomes, and a karyotype formula 2n = 2x = 32 = 18m + 10sm + 4st, whereas S. graminea has solitary capitula, involucre 1.2–2.0 cm in diameter, larger pollen grains, pollen surface with smaller and sparser spines, achenes 3–4 mm long, 28 chromosomes and a karyotype formula 2n = 2x = 28 = 6m + 20sm + 2st. The new species is distributed in Dianzhangou, Awanchang, and Gamaliang mountain regions of Maqu county in Gansu province.     

Hirticrusta gen. nov. segregated from Neofomitella in Polyporaceae (Polyporales)

Taxonomic studies including morphological observations and phylogenetic analyses were conducted on Japanese “uragin-take”, an unidentified species from Amazonia, Brazil and their allies. Phylogenetic analyses using ITS, nrLSU and RPB2 regions revealed that “uragin-take”, Neofomitella polyzonata and the unidentified species formed a monophyletic clade separate from the clade including the other four Neofomitella spp. and that “uragin-take” is conspecific with N. polyzonata. Morphological investigations on authentic specimens revealed that Polyporus subradiatus is a prior name for N. polyzonata. We propose Hirticrusta gen. nov. typified by H. subradiata segregated from Neofomitella, and we erected H. amazonica sp. nov. for the unidentified species. Hirticrusta is characterized by annual to biennial and sessile basidiocarps, semicircular to dimidiate pileus, velutinous to tomentose hairs on pileus surface, buff to brown context with a crustose layer indicated by a dark brown line forming a longitudinal section below the superficial hairs, a trimitic hyphal system, crustose layer composed of parallel and densely arranged brown hyphae and cylindrical basidiospores. The new species, H. amazonica is distinguishable from other polypores by downy and long tomentum on the pileus surface (up to 20 mm thick), brown context with a dark brown layer below the tomentum and round pores (5–7/mm).     

Stipa narynica sp. nov. (Poaceae) from the western Tian‐Shan Mountains

Stipa narynica M. Nobis sp. nov. from the western Tian‐Shan Mts (western Kyrgyzstan) is described and illustrated. The new species belongs to sect. Smirnovia Tzvel. Morphologically the species is similar to S. aktauensis, a species from which it is easily distinguished by its longer glumes (41–)44–55(–62) mm vs 35–45 mm, longer anthecium (11.5–) 12.0–14.2(–14.8) mm vs 9.5–11.2(–11.7) mm, longer hairs on the seta (5.5–)6.0–8.0(–8.5) mm vs (3.0–)3.8–5.5(–6.0) mm and by the top of the lemma which in S. narynica is either glabrous or with a poorly developed ring of short hairs, while in S. aktauensis, the top of lemma is always distinctly and densely pilose. The lemma and leaf blade structure of both species were examined by means of SEM. The main features differentiating S. narynica and S. aktauensis and distribution of the taxa are presented. An original key to the middle Asiatic species of the sect. Smirnovia, the most similar to Stipa narynica is provided.     

Biology and distribution of hemichordates (Enteropneusta) with emphasis on Harrimaniidae and description of Protoglossus bocki sp. nov. from Scandinavia

A new species of the genus Protoglossus is described from the west coast of the Scandinavian Peninsula. It lives buried in clay bottoms below the halocline where the salinity is at least 33–34 psu. Body small, estimated maximal length 1.5 cm. Collar broader than long, with a forward inclination. The thickest part is the collar region where it can be up to 1 mm in diameter. Proboscis colouration light pink to golden yellow; collar white with transversal yellow bands; branchial, hepatic and intestinal regions translucent pale yellow to golden yellow; brown intestine visible through the body wall. Proboscis groove extends through posterior half of proboscis. Nine to 17 pairs of gill openings, the size of the posteriormost successively smaller. It differs from the other European species, Protoglossus koehleri, in colouration, smaller size, fewer gill openings, body shape and proportions. It was sequenced (18S rRNA gene) and clustered within the family Harrimaniidae, with Saxipendium as its closest relative.     

Chimonocalamus bidoupensis,a new temperate bamboo species (Poaceae: Bambusoideae) from Bidoup National Park,southern Vietnam

A new temperate wood bamboo endemic to Vietnam is described and illustrated as Chimonocalamus bidoupensis N.H.Nghia & V.T.Tran. The new species is similar to C. baviensis in general appearance, but differs by its densely ciliate culms, culm sheaths that are concave at the apex with dense, white hairs on the abaxial surface of the sheath, and perfect florets 7–8 mm long.     

Regulatory mechanisms in phenotypic plasticity of diapause and nondiapause pupal colouration of the swallowtail butterfly Papilio machaon

Nondiapause pupae of Papilio machaon L. exhibit pupal colour diphenism comprising green–yellow and brown–white types. To understand the regulatory mechanism underlying the control of pupal colouration in P. machaon, the effect of environmental cues on diapause and nondiapause pupal colouration is investigated. When larvae reared under short‐day and long‐day conditions are allowed to pupate in sites with a smooth surface and a yellow background colour, all diapause pupae exhibit a brown–white type and 89.5% of nondiapause pupae exhibit a green–yellow type, respectively. With rough‐surface pupation sites, all diapause pupae exhibit brown–white and intermediate types, whereas a large proportion of nondiapause pupae exhibit brown–white and intermediate types, although some exhibit a green–yellow type. When extracts prepared from the head‐thoracic and thoracic‐abdominal regions of larval central nervous systems are injected into the ligated abdomens of P. machaon short‐day pharate pupae, all recipients exhibit a brown–white colouration. Furthermore, when each extract is injected into the ligated abdomen of Papilio xuthus L. short‐day pharate pupae with orange‐pupa‐inducing factor activity, recipients injected with the head‐thoracic extract exhibit the brown type, whereas those injected with the thoracic‐abdominal extract exhibit an orange colour. The results indicate that the response to the environmental cues of pupation site in P. machaon changes according to the photoperiodic conditions experienced during larval stages, and that at least two hormonal factors producing brown–white pupae are located in the larval central nervous system, with the secretion of these factors being regulated by the recognition of environmental cues in long‐day larvae.     

Spiradiclis quanzhouensis sp. nov. (Rubiaceae) from a limestone area in Guangxi,China

Spiradiclis quanzhouensis, a new species of Rubiaceae from northeastern Guangxi, China is described and illustrated. It is similar to S. umbelliformis, but can be distinguished by its rosulate habit, subglabrous stems, leaf blades that are pubescent on both surfaces, lanceolate purple‐pubescent stipules that are undivided or sometimes bifid in apical 1/3, an inflorescence with 2–4 flowers, lanceolate 4–5 mm long calyx lobes that are purple‐pubescent outside, a salveriform corolla that is light purple‐pubescent outside, a semi‐inferior ovary, and capsules that are light purple‐pubescent with persistent calyx lobes 5–6 mm, in fruit 2 × as long as capsule.     

Spiradiclis glabra sp. nov. (Rubiaceae) from limestone areas in Guangdong,China

A new species of Rubiaceae, Spiradiclis glabra, is described and illustrated from China. The species is most similar to S. fusca, but differs by having 5–7 pairs of adaxially unconspicuous secondary veins in the leaves, stipules 2–5 mm long, calyx lobes ovate‐triangular, corollas slightly purple–reddish, tubes 13–15 mm long, inside with a pubescent ring of long hairs at the throat, and stamens near the base in long‐styled form. The conservation status of this new species was assessed as ‘Vulnerable’ (VU) according to IUCN.