广西白点兰属(兰科)植物新资料

报道了广西兰科白点兰属植物2个新记录种:台湾白点兰和吉氏白点兰,提供了广西产白点兰属植物的分种检索表。     

长柄白点兰,中国白点属(兰科)一新记录种（英文）

报道了兰科(Orchidaceae)白点兰属一新记录种:长柄白点兰(Thrixspermum longipedicellatum),并提供了详细的形态描述和照片。该种的主要特征为,株型鸢尾形,花序侧生,具长蕊柱足,唇瓣基部囊状,中裂片心形。     

白点鲑胚胎与仔鱼发育

通过Bouin's液、5%的福尔马林、透明液固定和活体解剖观察等4种不同方法,对白点鲑(Salvelinus leucomaenis)胚胎和仔鱼发育进行了系统观察,描述了早期发育过程。白点鲑受精卵为端黄卵,沉性,橙黄色,呈圆球形。在水温3.40～8.89℃,受精卵历时1 944 h,经历6个阶段的胚胎发育破膜孵出仔鱼;初孵仔鱼全长(17.89±0.32)mm,破膜后73 d各鳍条发育完全,并出现"幼鲑斑",破膜后350d鱼体外部形态与成鱼基本相同。将白点鲑与几种鱼类进行了对比,并且探讨了其胚胎发育特点。经比较4种不同观察方法,Bouin's液固定后剥离卵膜观察是研究白点鲑等卵膜较厚鱼类的理想方法。     

海南兰科植物研究杂记(Ⅰ)

报道了海南野生兰科植物新记录属1个,即坚唇兰属(Stereochilus Lindley);新记录种7个,即短轴坚唇兰(Stereochilus brevirachis Christenson)、齿瓣石豆兰(Bulboph yllum levinei Schlechter)、香港带唇兰(Tainia hongkongensis Rolfe)、黄花线柱兰(Zeuxine flava(Wallich ex Lindley) Trimen)、歌绿斑叶兰(Good yera seikoomontana Yamamoto)、长轴白点兰(Thrixspermum saruwatarii (Hayata) Schlechter)和南华竹茎兰(Tropidia nanhuae W.M.Lin,Kuo Huang et T.P.Lin).其中,长轴白点兰和南华竹茎兰均仅记载在台湾有自然分布.     

中国兰科天麻属一新记录种——白点天麻

海南是我国的热带岛屿,植物资源丰富。近年来,在海南省霸王岭国家级自然保护区的野外考察中,发现天麻属(Gastrodia)一新记录种Gastrodia punctata Aver.。该种原为越南特有种,根据拉丁名种加词之意及形态特征将其定名为"白点天麻"。白点天麻具有以下特征:花被筒褐色,被白点,唇瓣具4条肉质脊突,蕊柱基部具明显的镰刀状柱头,易与该属的其它种类相区别。该文中还提供了该种的中文形态描述及彩色图片,并对其分布和保护状况进行了报道。     

中国兰科二新记录种

报道了中国西藏兰科植物二新记录种:无叶沼兰(Crepidium aphyllum(King&Pantl.)A.N.Rao)和矮生白点兰Thrixspermum pygmaeum(King&Pantl.)Holttum。无叶沼兰和本属另一腐生种C.saprophytum(King&Pantl.)A.N.Rao的主要区别为假鳞茎圆柱形,唇瓣平展,顶端圆形,中萼片直立。矮生白点兰与T.masciflorum A.S.Rao&J.Joseph相似,但本种花序短于叶,苞片螺旋排列、花瓣匙形、唇瓣下凹且3裂、中裂片顶端下凹、胼胝体有毛。     

西藏兰科植物分布新记录

报道了西藏兰科植物6种分布新记录种,分别为石斛属( Dendrobium Sw.)的单葶草石斛( D. porphyrochilum Lindl.)、曲唇兰属[ Panisea (Lindl.) Steud.]的云南曲唇兰( P. yunnanensis S. C. Chen et Z. H. Tsi)、苹兰属( Pinalia Lindley)的长苞苹兰[ Pi. obvia (W. W. Smith) S. C. Chen & J. J. Wood]、白点兰属( Thrixspermum Lour.)的长轴白点兰[ T. saruwatarii (Hayata) Schltr.]和石豆兰属( Bulbophyllum Thou.)的柄叶石豆兰( B. apodum J. D. Hooker)、细柄石豆兰[ B. striatum (Griff.) Rchb. f.],并附有新记录种的描述及特征照片。凭证标本保存于西藏高原生态研究所标本室(XZE)。     

广东省兰科植物新记录

报道1个广东兰科植物新记录属:长喙兰属(Tsaiorchis),5个新记录种:江口盆距兰(Gastrochilus nanus),尾唇羊耳蒜(Liparis krameri),小沼兰(Malaxis microtatantha),长轴白点兰(Thrixspermum saruwatarii),长喙兰(Tsaiorchis neottianthoides)。凭证标本均保存在中国科学院华南植物园标本馆(IBSC)。     

海南兰科植物新资料(Ⅲ)(英文)

报道了海南兰科植物6个新记录种:密花石豆兰Bulbophyllum odoratissimum(J.E.Smith)Lindl.、金唇兰Chrysogl ossumornatum Bl.、勐海隔距兰Cleisost omamenghaiense Z.H.Tsi、无叶美冠兰Eulophia zollingeri(Rchb.f.)J.J.Smith、心叶球柄兰Mischobulbum cordifolium(Hook.f.)Schltr.及台湾白点兰Thrixspermum formosanum(Hayata)Schltr.。凭证标本保存于中国科学院植物研究所国家植物标本馆(PE)。     

略谈白点噪鹛的分类与分布

白点噪鹛(Ianthocincla bieti,以往一段时间内曾多用Garrulax bieti),系由法国动物学家mile Oustalet(1844～1905)于1897年依据Père Jean AndréSoulié神父得自云南西北部"Tsékou"的单一性别未定标本、以法国传教士Félix Biet的姓氏而命名,并指出它在形态上与大噪鹛(I.maxima)、眼纹噪鹛(I.ocellata)以及斑背噪鹛(I.lunulata)近似,且更相似于后者"[1]。     

Molecular identification of Taenia spp. in wolves (Canis lupus), brown bears (Ursus arctos) and cervids from North Europe and Alaska

Taenia tapeworms of Finnish and Swedish wolves (Canis lupus) and Finnish brown bears (Ursus arctos), and muscle cysticerci of Svalbard reindeer (Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus), Alaskan Grant's caribou (Rangifer tarandus granti) and Alaskan moose (Alces americanus) were identified on the basis of the nucleotide sequence of a 396 bp region of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene. Two species were found from wolves: Taenia hydatigena and Taenia krabbei. The cysticerci of reindeer, caribou and one moose also represented T. krabbei. Most of the cysticercal specimens from Alaskan moose, however, belonged to an unknown T. krabbei-like species, which had been reported previously from Eurasian elks (Alces alces) from Finland. Strobilate stages from two bears belonged to this species as well. The present results suggest that this novel Taenia sp. has a Holarctic distribution and uses Alces spp. as intermediate and ursids as final hosts.     

Molecular variation in Galdieria sulphuraria (Galdieri) Merola and its bearing on taxonomy

Cyanidium caldarium, Cyanidioschyzon merolae and Galdieria sulphuraria are three unicellular algae characteristic, of acid thermal environments. Recently, on the basis of morphological characters, three new species of Galdieria (G. partita, G. daedala, G. maxima ) isolated from acid-thermal springs in Russia have been instituted. A selected region of rbcL and the sequence of the intergenic spacer between the rbcL and rbcS have been amplified and sequenced from different Galdieria species and strains, in order to define molecular relationship among these interesting algae. The obtained cladogram shows that Cyanidium caldarium and Cyanidioschyzon merolae form a sister group which, in turn, is in a sister group relationship with Galdieria. This last genus is divided in two clades, one of which includes G. sulphuraria accessions from Naples (Italy), California, and Yellowstone and the other one includes G. sulphuraria accessions from Java (Indonesia) and from the Russian species. These results support the status of the genus Galdieria and suggest that G. daedala, G. maxima and G. partita are three very similar strains of G. sulphuraria; the rbcL variation within Galdieria accessions has a pattern which is broadly connected to the geographial distribution. The data obtained from the intergenic rbcL-rbcS spacer partly confirm those from the rbcL analysis.     

Phylogeny of cardinalfishes (Teleostei: Gobiiformes: Apogonidae) and the evolution of visceral bioluminescence

The cardinalfishes (Apogonidae) are a diverse clade of small, mostly reef-dwelling fishes, for which a variety of morphological data have not yielded a consistent phylogeny. We use DNA sequence to hypothesize phylogenetic relationships within Apogonidae and among apogonids and other acanthomorph families, to examine patterns of evolution including the distribution of a visceral bioluminescence system. In conformance with previous studies, Apogonidae is placed in a clade with Pempheridae, Kurtidae, Leiognathidae, and Gobioidei. The apogonid genus Pseudamia is recovered outside the remainder of the family, not as sister to the superficially similar genus Gymnapogon. Species sampled from the Caribbean and Western Atlantic (Phaeoptyx, Astrapogon, and some Apogon species) form a clade, as do the larger-bodied Glossamia and Cheilodipterus. Incidence of visceral bioluminescence is found scattered throughout the phylogeny, independently for each group in which it is present. Examination of the fine structure of the visceral bioluminescence system through histology shows that light organs exhibit a range of morphologies, with some composed of complex masses of tubules (Siphamia, Pempheris, Parapriacanthus) and others lacking tubules but containing chambers formed by folds of the visceral epithelium (Acropoma, Archamia, Jaydia, and Rhabdamia). Light organs in Siphamia, Acropoma, Pempheris and Parapriacanthus are distinct from but connected to the gut; those in Archamia, Jaydia, and Rhabdamia are simply portions of the intestinal tract, and are little differentiated from the surrounding tissues. The presence or absence of symbiotic luminescent bacteria does not correlate with light organ structure; the tubular light organs of Siphamia and chambered tubes of Acropoma house bacteria, those in Pempheridae and the other Apogonidae do not.     

Some Entolomataceae (Agaricales) from Costa Rica

A preliminary account of Entolomataceae from Costa Rica is presented. Three new taxa are described, two inClitopilus, one inRhodocybe, and three new combinations are proposed inInocephalus. Five taxa ofClitopilus are reported for the first time from Costa Rica and a key to species is provided. Four species ofRhodocybe are discussed and a key to the six species known from Costa Rica is also provided.Alboleptonia earlei, Inocephalus murraii, Inocephalus quadratum, Rhodocybe incarnata andRhodocybe pseudonitellina are now known to occur in Costa Rica.     

Phylogenetic relationships of JapaneseAster (Asteraceae, Astereae) sensu lato based on chloroplast-DNA restriction site mutations

RFLPs of cpDNA were examined for 18 species ofAster, six species ofKalimeris, two species ofMiyamayomena and one species and one variety ofHeteropappus from Japan, using 16 restriction endonucleases. Approximately 275 restriction sites were surveyed, and a total of 74 restriction site mutations was detected, and 31 of these were phylogenetically informative. Sixteen most parsimonious trees constructed from Wagner parsimony analysis indicated the polyphyly ofKalimeris andMiyamayomena sensu Kitamura;K. miqueliana belongs to a different clade from the remaining species ofKalimeris, and two species ofMiyamayomena did not make a single clade. This result suggests that the shortening or loss of pappus have happened parallelly in different evolutionary lineages. We must be careful to assess the pappus character in taxonomy and phylogeny, and it is desirable to examine their phylogenetic relationships using a molecular data.     

Diversity of nodule-endophytic agrobacteria-like strains associated with different grain legumes in Tunisia

This study represents the first report describing the genetic diversity of nodule-endophytic agrobacteria isolated from diverse legumes and their phylogenetic relationships with the valid species of agrobacteria, as well as the non-recognized genomospecies of the former Agrobacterium tumefaciens (Rhizobium radiobacter). The genetic diversity of a collection of 18 non-nodulating agrobacteria-like strains, previously isolated from root nodules of Vicia faba, Cicer arietinum and Phaseolus vulgaris from different geographical regions of Tunisia, was studied by REP-PCR and PCR-RFLP of the 16S-23S rDNA IGS, as well as by sequence analysis of the 16S rDNA and the housekeeping genes recA and atpD. The aim of the work was to study the genetic diversity of the different isolates and to check for any host-specificity. The results from the different techniques were congruent and suggested a specific interaction for P. vulgaris, whereas no specific endophytic interaction was observed for V. faba and C. arietinum. The phylogenetic analysis clearly indicated that some isolates were affiliated to R. radiobacter or to its non-recognized genomic species (genomovars G2, G4 and G9). However, the other isolates probably constitute new species within Rhizobium (Agrobacterium) and Shinella.     

Phylogeny, biogeography, and species boundaries within the Alexandrium minutum group

The geographic range and bloom frequency of the toxic dinoflagellate Alexandrium minutum and other members of the A. minutum group have been increasing over the past few decades. Some of these species are responsible for paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) outbreaks throughout the world. The origins of new toxic populations found in previously unaffected areas are typically not known due to a lack of reliable plankton records with sound species identifications and to the lack of a global genetic database. This paper provides the first comprehensive study of minutum-group morphology and phylogeny on a global scale, including 45 isolates from northern Europe, the Mediterranean, Asia, Australia and New Zealand.Neither the morphospecies Alexandrium lusitanicum nor A. angustitabulatum was recoverable morphologically, due to large variation within and among all minutum-group clonal strains in characters previously used to distinguish these species: the length:width of the anterior sulcal plate, shape of the 1′ plate, connection between the 1′ plate and the apical pore complex, and the presence of a ventral pore. DNA sequence data from the D1 to D2 region of the LSU rDNA also fail to recognize these species. Therefore, we recommend that all isolates previously designated as A. lusitanicum or A. angustitabulatum be redesignated as A. minutum. A. tamutum, A. insuetum, and A. andersonii are clearly different from A. minutum on the basis of both genetic and morphological data.A. minutum strains from Europe and Australia are closely related to one another, which may indicate an introduction from Europe to Australia given the long history of PSP in Europe and its recent occurrence in Australia. A minutum from New Zealand and Taiwan form a separate phylogenetic group. Most strains of A. minutum fit into one of these two groups, although there are a few outlying strains that merit further study and may represent new species. The results of this paper have greatly improved our ability to track the spread of A. minutum species and to understand the evolutionary relationships within the A. minutum group by correcting inaccurate taxonomy and providing a global genetic database.     

Molecular and Structural Characterization of Barley Vernalization Genes

Vernalization, the requirement of a period of low temperature to induce transition from the vegetative to reproductive state, is an evolutionarily and economically important trait in the Triticeae. The genetic basis of vernalization in cultivated barley (Hordeum vulgare subsp. vulgare) can be defined using the two-locus VRN-H1/VRN-H2 model. We analyzed the allelic characteristics of HvBM5A, the candidate gene for VRN-H1, from ten cultivated barley accessions and one wild progenitor accession (subsp. spontaneum), representing the three barley growth habits – winter, facultative, and spring. We present multiple lines of evidence, including sequence, linkage map location, and expression, that support HvBM5A being VRN-H1. While the predicted polypeptides from different growth habits are identical, spring accessions contain a deletion in the first intron of HvBM5A that may be important for regulation. While spring HvBM5A alleles are typified by the intron-localized deletion, in some cases, the promoter may also determine the allele type. The presence/absence of the tightly linked ZCCT-H gene family members on chromosome 4H perfectly correlates with growth habit and we conclude that one of the three ZCCT-H genes is VRN-H2. The VRN-H2 locus is present in winter genotypes and deleted from the facultative and spring genotypes analyzed in this study, suggesting the facultative growth habit (cold tolerant, vernalization unresponsive) is a result of deletion of the VRN-H2 locus and presence of a winter HvBM5A allele. All reported barley vernalization QTLs can be explained by the two-locus VRN-H1/VRN-H2 model based on the presence/absence of VRN-H2 and a winter vs. spring HvBM5A allele. Electronic Supplementary Material Electronic Supplementary material is available for this article at and accessible for authorised users.     

Trichoderma theobromicola and T. paucisporum: two new species isolated from cacao in South America

Trichoderma theobromicola and T. paucisporum spp. nov. are described. Trichoderma theobromicola was isolated as an endophyte from the trunk of a healthy cacao tree (Theobroma cacao, Malvaceae) in Amazonian Peru; it sporulates profusely on common mycological media. Trichoderma paucisporum is represented by two cultures that were obtained in Ecuador from cacao pods partially infected with frosty pod rot, Moniliophthora roreri; it sporulates sporadically and most cultures remain sterile on common media and autoclaved rice. It sporulates more reliably on synthetic low-nutrient agar (SNA) but produces few conidia. Trichoderma theobromicola was reintroduced into cacao seedlings through shoot inoculation and was recovered from stems but not from leaves, indicating that it is an endophytic species. Both produced a volatile/diffusable antibiotic that inhibited development of M. roreri in vitro and on-pod trials. Neither species demonstrated significant direct in vitro mycoparasitic activity against M. roreri.     

Foreign exploration for Scirtothrips perseae Nakahara (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) and associated natural enemies on avocado (Persea americana Miller)

Scirtothrips perseae Nakahara was discovered attacking avocados in California, USA, in 1996. Host plant surveys in California indicated that S. perseae has a highly restricted host range with larvae being found only on avocados, while adults were collected from 11 different plant species. As part of a management program for this pest, a “classical” biological control program was initiated and foreign exploration was conducted to delineate the home range of S. perseae, to survey for associated natural enemies and inventory other species of phytophagous thrips on avocados grown in Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Trinidad, and Brazil. Foreign exploration efforts indicate that S. perseae occurs on avocados grown at high altitudes (>1500 m) from Uruapan in Mexico south to areas around Guatemala City in Guatemala. In Costa Rica, S. perseae is replaced by an undescribed congener as the dominant phytophagous thrips on avocados grown at high altitudes (>1300 m). No species of Scirtothrips were found on avocados in the Dominican Republic, Trinidad, or Brazil. In total, 2136 phytophagous thrips were collected and identified, representing over 47 identified species from at least 19 genera. The significance of these species records is discussed. Of collected material 4% were potential thrips biological control agents. Natural enemies were dominated by six genera of predatory thrips (Aeolothrips, Aleurodothrips, Franklinothrips, Leptothrips, Scolothrips, and Karnyothrips). One genus each of parasitoid (Ceranisus) and predatory mite (Balaustium) were found. Based on the results of our sampling techniques, prospects for the importation of thrips natural enemies for use in a “classical” biological control program in California against S. perseae are not promising.