福建中中新世紫萁属(紫萁科)的一个新种*

丰富的化石记录显示中生代和新生代紫萁属在北半球广泛分布.本文描述了发现于福建中中新世佛昙群的紫萁属一新种:漳浦紫萁(Osmunda zhangpuensis Z.X.Wang and B.N.Sun,sp.nov.).化石小羽片保存完好,呈线状披针形,边缘具齿,羽状脉序.在该属现生种中,当前化石种与现生种Osmunda banksiifolia在形态上最相似.当前化石的发现表明,早在中中新世紫萁属就已生长在福建省.漳浦紫萁和之前报道过的附生真菌化石以及龙脑香科、桑科、豆科、荨麻科、胡桐科、大戟科、樟科等植物的存在,表明福建在中中新世时期的气候温暖湿润.     

福建中中新世紫萁属(紫萁科)的一个新种（英文）

丰富的化石记录显示中生代和新生代紫萁属在北半球广泛分布。本文描述了发现于福建中中新世佛昙群的紫萁属一新种:漳浦紫萁(Osmunda zhangpuensis Z. X. Wang and B. N. Sun, sp. nov.)。化石小羽片保存完好,呈线状披针形,边缘具齿,羽状脉序。在该属现生种中,当前化石种与现生种Osmundabanksiifolia在形态上最相似。当前化石的发现表明,早在中中新世紫萁属就已生长在福建省。漳浦紫萁和之前报道过的附生真菌化石以及龙脑香科、桑科、豆科、荨麻科、胡桐科、大戟科、樟科等植物的存在,表明福建在中中新世时期的气候温暖湿润。     

贵州赤水桫椤国家级自然保护区桫椤群落苔藓植物调查

对赤水桫椤国家级自然保护区18个桫椤植物样方苔藓植物进行采集,共获165份标本。经鉴定分析,有苔藓植物26科37属61种,其中苔类植物8科10属16种,藓类植物18科27属45种;优势科有5个,分别是齿萼苔科、白发藓科、凤尾藓科、毛锦藓科、灰藓科;优势属有5个,分别是白发藓属Leucobryum、梳藓属Ctenidium、曲柄藓属Campylopus、凤尾藓属Fissidens、异萼苔属Heteroscyphus;苔藓植物种类较丰富的样方多位于沟边、沟谷潮湿的地带,在草本、蕨类、小灌木等小型植物少、桫椤植物幼苗少及腐殖质层厚的环境中,苔藓植物分布也较多;生境分析结果显示,石生基质种类最多,占总种数的85.25%。     

利用核核糖体DNA内转录间隔区(ITS)探讨广义羽藓科系统发育

利用核核糖体DNA ITS序列,探讨了苔藓植物广义羽藓科的系统发育,摸索出适于扩增ITS片段的最适反应条件。实验共得到广义羽藓科6个种的ITS序列,它们分别是：Abieti-nela abietina(AJ417494),Anomodon minar(AJ344145),Chaopodium aciculum(AJ315968),Tuidium pristocalyx(AJ416443),Thuidium assimile(AJ416442),Herpetineuron toccoae(AJ315967),其中后5个种是国际上首次得到的。本文利用ITS序列构建羽藓科7属、11种植物的系统发育树,据Bootstrap严格一致树表明：广义的羽藓科为并系发育,可分为两个主要的分支,牛舌藓属Anomodon,羊角藓属Herpetineuron和多枝藓属Happohymenium等为一支,而山羽藓属Abietinella,羽藓属Thuuidium,沼羽藓属Helodium和麻羽藓属Claopodium等为另一主要分支,从分子水平上支持了据形态特征把原牛舌藓亚科的牛舌藓属,羊角藓属,多枝藓属提升为牛舌藓科的结论。     

云南乃古石林5种藓类植物的水土保持作用

对云南乃古石林出现频度最高的5种藓类植物做了水土保持作用研究。5种藓类植物鳞叶藓（Taxiphyl-lum taxirameum（Mitt.）Fleisch.）、灰白青藓（Brachythecium albicans（Hedw.）B.S.G.）、小牛舌藓全缘亚种（Anomodon minor subsp.integerrimus（Mitt.）Iwats.）、中华细枝藓（Lindbergia sinensis（C.Muell.）Broth.）和拟扁枝藓（Homaliadelphus targionianus（Mitt.）Dix.et P.Varde）的生物量等测定结果显示：平均生物量为24.31～103.78 g/m2,平均饱和吸水率为818.24%～1462.02%,最高的达到1659.27%,最低的也达到了590.95%;平均饱和吸水量为216.92～791.80 g/m2,最高的达到1790.28 g/m2;平均成土率为47.32%～111.58%,最高的达到194.82%,最低的也达到19.33%;平均成土量为9.01～46.73 g/m2,最高的达到110.17 g/m2。小牛舌藓全缘亚种的平均饱和吸水量和平均生物量远远高于其他4种藓类,分别为：791.80 g/m2和103.78 g/m2。相关性分析表明,小牛舌藓全缘亚种的保水成土相关性最显著。它的干重与饱和吸水重、生物量与干重、生物量与饱和吸水量、生物量与成土量、饱和吸水量与成土量都是呈正极显著相关。研究结果表明,在乃古石林剑状喀斯特这种缺少土壤、干旱且保水能力弱的景区环境,藓类植物以其特有的生态功能在石林景观多样性、水土保持等方面具有十分重要的作用。     

北京东灵山主要森林植被中苔藓植物的物种多样性

通过对北京东灵山地区32个样地植被及苔藓植物的调查,对主要森林植被中苔藓植物物种多样性进行分析。结果表明:东灵山主要森林植被中共有苔藓植物16科33属79种,优势科为青藓科(Brachytheciaceae)和绢藓科(Entodontaceae)等。密叶绢藓(Entodoncompressus)、小牛舌藓(Anomodon minor)等为优势种。地面生苔藓植物物种丰富度以落叶阔叶混交林中最大,白桦林中最小,苔藓植物群落相似性以辽东栎林与落叶阔叶林之间最高,以山杨林与油松林之间最低。树附生苔藓植物物种丰富度以落叶阔叶混交林中最大,油松林中最小;苔藓植物群落相似性以油松林和山杨林之间最高,华北落叶松林与白桦林之间最低。地面生和树附生苔藓植物多样性与林型、树种及其所形成的林内微环境相关。     

贵州省黔灵山脉观赏藓类一新记录

报道贵州省贵阳市黔灵山脉藓类植物一新记录科——孔雀藓科(Hypopterygiaceae)及科内新记录属种:孔雀藓属(Hypopterygium Brid.)和黄边孔雀藓(H.flavolimbatum C.Muell.),描述其形态特征并提供产地分布和照片。该种藓类具有较高的观赏价值,是一种值得深入研究其生长习性的观赏苔藓植物。     

宝兴歌鸫和北红尾鸲巢中藓类植物的研究

2005年5月～9月在北京小龙门自然保护区,对宝兴歌鸫（Turdus mupinensis）、北红尾鸲（Phoenisurus auroreus）两种鸟的巢材进行了观察分析。该两种鸟均以藓类植物为其主要巢材,巢材中共有藓类植物5科约10余种,其中均以牛舌藓属（Anomodon）和绢藓属（Entodon）的植物所占比例最大。以干重计,宝兴歌鸫的巢材平均为65．94g,藓类植物平均重20．16g,占巢材总重的30．57％;北红尾鸲的巢材干重平均30．87g,藓类植物重8．58g,占巢材总重的27．79％。同时对小龙门自然保护区和两种鸟巢周围藓类植物的分布、藓类植物的特点和用做巢材的意义,以及两种鸟对藓类植物的选择等问题也进行了初步分析。     

大叶苔属大陆新发现及棕色原丝藓中国新记录

作者在研究中国西南地区苔藓植物时,发现了中国大陆一新记录属－大叶苔属,并首次了报导了大叶苔的孢子体,同时发现了中国藓类植物一新记录种－棕色原丝藓。     

基于光合参数探讨四种藓类作水族箱植物的应用潜力（英文）

水生藓类植物适宜作为水簇箱植物,许多半水生藓类植物同样能够生长于水体环境中。中国东部地区的水生藓类植物种类不多,陆生藓类植物能否应用于水族箱中?为了回答这一问题,需要阐明陆生藓类植物对水体环境的适应能力。该研究测定了匐枝青藓(Brachythecium procumbens),弯叶灰藓(Hypnum hamulosum)、白发藓(Leucobryum glaucum)和虎尾藓(Hedwigia ciliata)在与它们的自然生境相似条件下以及沉水环境下的光合参数,并应用直角双曲线模型拟合了它们的光-光合响应曲线。结果表明:这四种藓类植物在最大净光合速率(Pn)、光饱和点(LSP)和光补偿点(LCP)上存在很大差异。它们的最大净光合速率、光饱和点和光补偿点的变异范围分别为122.575~19.099μmol CO2·kg-1DW·s-1、1 166.00~670.030μmol·m-2·s-1和85.000~5.3μmol·m-2·s-1。在沉水环境中生长30 d后,匐枝青藓、弯叶灰藓和白发藓的最大净光合速率分别是对照的110.78%、80.84%和109.63%,说明在实验周期里这三种藓类植物能够在水体环境中生存,而虎尾藓在水体中浸泡20 d后,其最大净光合速率仅为对照的5.25%,反映出该种植物并不适应水体环境。综上可知,四种藓类植物的光合速率与其形态结构和原生境条件有很大的关系,虽然匐枝青藓、弯叶灰藓和白发藓主要分布于陆生环境,但作为水族箱植物也具有一定的应用潜力。     

Terpenoid Compositions and Botanical Origins of Late Cretaceous and Miocene Amber from China

The terpenoid compositions of the Late Cretaceous Xixia amber from Central China and the middle Miocene Zhangpu amber from Southeast China were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to elucidate their botanical origins. The Xixia amber is characterized by sesquiterpenoids, abietane and phyllocladane type diterpenoids, but lacks phenolic abietanes and labdane derivatives. The molecular compositions indicate that the Xixia amber is most likely contributed by the conifer family Araucariaceae, which is today distributed primarily in the Southern Hemisphere, but widely occurred in the Northern Hemisphere during the Mesozoic according to paleobotanical evidence. The middle Miocene Zhangpu amber is characterized by amyrin and amyrone-based triterpenoids and cadalene-based sesquiterpenoids. It is considered derived from the tropical angiosperm family Dipterocarpaceae based on these compounds and the co-occurring fossil winged fruits of the family in Zhangpu. This provides new evidence for the occurrence of a dipterocarp forest in the middle Miocene of Southeast China. It is the first detailed biomarker study for amber from East Asia.     

Fruits and foliage of Pueraria (Leguminosae, Papilionoideae) from the Neogene of Eurasia and their biogeographic implications

? Premise of the study: Pueraria (Leguminosae, Papilionoideae) is native in East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Oceania and is well known as a rampant invasive weed in the southeastern United States (P. montana; better known as kudzu), but relatively little is known about its early evolution and biogeographic origin. ? Methods: On the basis of comparative analyses of the fruit and leaflet architecture of closely related extant and fossil taxa, we studied the fossil history and biogeography of Pueraria. ? Key results: Fossil Pueraria is recognized on the basis of distinctive fruit and foliage from the Mio-Pliocene of middle latitudes in China, Japan, Abkhazia, and Croatia. Recognition of P. miothunbergiana from the Mio-Pliocene of China and Japan is reinforced by a trifoliolate leaf as well as isolated lateral and terminal leaflets. Pueraria shanwangensis sp. nov. represents the first recognition of fossil Pueraria fruits. This fruit species co-occurs with P. miothunbergiana in the Middle Miocene Shanwang flora and possibly represents the same population. Pueraria maxima (Unger) comb. nov., previously named as Dolichites maximus or Desmodium maximum, is recognized on the basis of leaflets from the Miocene of Croatia and Abkhazia. Other prior fossil reports of Pueraria and Dolichites are reevaluated. ? Conclusions: Pueraria had begun to diversify by at least the Middle Miocene and had spread into the Mio-Pliocene subtropical and temperate floras of the Balkan Peninsula, the Caucasus, and eastern Asia, which suggests the present diversity of this genus in tropical Asia and Oceania might have originated from the mid-latitudes of Eurasia.     

New fossil leaves and fruits of Lauraceae from the Middle Miocene of Fujian,southeastern China differentiated using a cluster analysis

The fossil record of Lauraceae can be traced back to the Early Cretaceous of eastern Asia based on fossil flowers. Here, we refer a number of new occurrences of leaf and fruit fossils of Lauraceae from the Middle Miocene of Zhangpu, Fujian, China, to seven species. These data provide evidence supporting the fact that a diverse subtropical, or tropical, Lauraceae-dominated evergreen forest surrounded this region 15 million years ago (Mya). The Lauraceae fossils presented in this paper provide evidence for the evolution of this group as well as new materials that enable the study of the Fujian Province Neogene flora. The fossils described in this paper fill in the gaps in studies about Lauraceae pollen in the Middle Miocene from Fotan, Fujian, China. In addition, these fossils also enrich the Middle Miocene fossil records of Lauraceae in eastern Asia, especially improving the study of the macrostructures and reproductive organs of fossil Lauraceae from southern China. The similarity between fossil and modern fruits shows that during the Middle Miocene the fruit morphological of Lauraceae have changed very little. We also identify families where the fossils we report belong to their closest relatives and can be used to reconstruct the paleoenvironment of Fujian in the Middle Miocene.     

First fossil record of an East Asian endemic genus Sladenia (Sladeniaceae) from its modern range: Implications for floristic evolution and conservation biology

Fossil records of endemic plants play an important role in recognizing the floristic history of East Asia and thereby facilitate the conservation of plant diversity in the region. However, the fossil record of many extant East Asian endemic genera remains poorly documented thus far. Here, we report an infructescence fossil of an East Asian endemic genus, Sladenia (Sladeniaceae), from the early Miocene of southeastern Yunnan, China. The fossil is characterized by: (i) dichasial cymes; and (ii) flask‐shaped ovary with dense subparallel ribs on the surface extending from the base to the distal end of the united style. It represents the first fossil record of Sladenia in Asia, showing that the genus was established in the region at least by the early Miocene. Given that a much older fossil record of Sladeniaceae has been reported from Africa and the sister group of Sladenia is distributed only in Africa, Sladenia is not likely of East Asian origin. The present endemic status of Sladenia was possibly achieved by regional extirpation in Africa and taking refuge in East Asia. This case thus supports the “Museum” rather than “Cradle” hypothesis for the genesis of high plant species in the flora of East Asia. A comparison of the present fossil with extant Sladenia infructescence shows morphological stasis from the early Miocene to present. Such evolutionary tardiness might have resulted in the reduced fitness of the genus, which further caused its current endangered situation.     

The diversity and paleoenvironmental significance of Calophyllum (Clusiaceae) from the Miocene of southeastern China

Abstract

Three species within the genus Calophyllum collected from middle Miocene Fotan Group sediments in Zhangpu County, Fujian, southeastern China are described in this paper. These fossils include Calophyllum zhangpuensis sp. nov., Calophyllum striatum, and Calophyllum suraikholaensis. The new fossil species C. zhangpuensis sp. nov. is oval, possesses entire leaves with closely spaced parallel secondary veins and has a round, or slightly retuse, apex. These specimens represent the first known fossil records of this relative wide leaf-type form of Calophyllum from China and have a length:width (L:W) ratio less than 3:1. In combination with the known modern geographic distribution and habitats of this wide leaf-type Calophyllum and other plants, data suggest that the middle Miocene Fotan flora is indicative of a warm climate. Thus, based on available fossil data, we speculate that this genus probably originated in India during the Paleocene before spreading from India to Bangladesh and into China, Sumatra, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Java during the Neogene, leading to its modern distribution. At least, the 3 fossil species in this region can explain floristic exchange between India, Fujian, and South China, which is consistent with previous studies; the occurrence of these 3 species indicates that Calophyllum began to diversity in China no later than the Miocene.     

Exploring the Formation of a Disjunctive Pattern between Eastern Asia and North America Based on Fossil Evidence from Thuja (Cupressaceae)

Thuja, a genus of Cupressaceae comprising five extant species, presently occurs in both East Asia (3 species) and North America (2 species) and has a long fossil record from Paleocene to Pleistocene in the Northern Hemisphere. Two distinct hypotheses have been proposed to account for the origin and present distribution of this genus. Here we recognize and describe T. sutchuenensis Franch., a new fossil Thuja from the late Pliocene sediments of Zhangcun, Shanxi, North China, based on detailed comparisons with all living species and other fossil ones, integrate the global fossil records of this genus plotted in a set of paleomaps from different time intervals, which show that Thuja probably first appeared at high latitudes of North America in or before the Paleocene. This genus reached Greenland in the Paleocene, then arrived in eastern Asia in the Miocene via the land connection between East Asia and western North America. In the late Pliocene, it migrated into the interior of China. With the Quaternary cooling and drying, Thuja gradually retreated southwards to form today’s disjunctive distribution between East Asia and North America.     

The second fossil ceratocombid bug from the Miocene amber of Chiapas (Mexico) (Hemiptera: Ceratocombidae)

The second fossil Ceratocombidae Leptonannus miocenicus n. sp. is described as first extinct representative of the genus, from the Middle Miocene Mexican amber. The species is distinguished from its related taxa, a discussion is given.     

Miocene Ethiopian amber: A new source of fossil cryptogams

Amber is renowned for the exceptional preservation state of its inclusions, allowing detailed morphological analysis and providing relevant environmental, palaeoecological, geographical, and geological information. Amber deposits are predominantly known from North America, Europe, and Asia, and are considered to be rare on the continents that formed Gondwana. The recent discovery of fossiliferous amber deposits in Ethiopia, therefore, provides an inimitable opportunity to close gaps in the fossil record of African terrestrial biota and to study organisms which are otherwise rare in the fossil record. Here we show that diverse cryptogams are preserved in highest fidelity in Miocene Ethiopian amber. We describe gametophyte fragments of four liverworts: Thysananthus aethiopicus sp. nov. (Porellales, Lejeuneaceae), Lejeunea abyssinicoides sp. nov. (Porellales, Lejeuneaceae), Frullania shewanensis sp. nov. (Porellales, Frullaniaceae), and Frullania palaeoafricana sp. nov. (Porellales, Frullaniaceae). Furthermore, we describe a pleurocarpous moss of the extant genus Isopterygium (Hypnales, Pylaisiadelphaceae) and a lichen representing the order Lecanorales. These new specimens represent the first amber fossils of liverworts, mosses, and lichens from the African continent and render Ethiopian amber as one of the few worldwide amber deposits preserving bryophytes (mosses and liverworts) or lichens. Fossil species of Thysananthus were recorded in Eocene Baltic and Oligocene Bitterfeld as well as Miocene Dominican and probably also Miocene Mexican ambers. Fossils that can unequivocally be assigned to Lejeunea have only been found in Dominican amber so far. Neotropical ambers contain only one taxon of Frullania to date, while the genus is most diverse in Baltic, Bitterfeld, and Rovno ambers, formed in temperate regions. The new fossils support a tropical to subtropical origin of Ethiopian amber. The new African liverwort fossils are included in an updated list of leafy liverworts described from worldwide Cenozoic ambers to date.     

Diverse fossil Onagraceae pollen from a Miocene palynoflora of north-east China: early steps in resolving the phytogeographic history of the family

The origin and evolution of angiosperms can be unravelled by using fossil records to determine first occurrences and phytogeographic histories of plant families and genera. Many angiosperm families, for example the Onagraceae, have a poor macrofossil record, but are more common in palynological records. Modern Onagraceae produce pollen clearly distinct from that of other angiosperms. Combined morphological features obtained by use of light and scanning electron microscopy have enabled assignment of fossil Onagraceae pollen to extant genera, and therefore tracing of the origin and past distributions of extant Onagraceae lineages. We studied a Miocene palynoflora from the Daotaiqiao Formation of north-east China. Using the single-grain technique, we examined individual Onagraceae pollen/tetrads using both light and scanning electron microscopy. Fossil Onagraceae pollen is more frequent than macrofossil remains, but is still rare, and usually represented by a single taxon in palynological samples. Remarkably, samples from the Miocene of north-east China contain five different species: two of Circaea, one of Epilobium, and two of Ludwigia. Such a large number of Onagraceae taxa from a single palynoflora is unknown elsewhere. Whereas Ludwigia pollen is known from Cenozoic sediments of the northern hemisphere, the Circaea pollen is the first fossil pollen assignable to this extant genus. This is also the first fossil record of Epilobium from China. Although the young geological age of this sample does not enable consideration of time of origin for the genera encountered, the co-occurrence of Circaea, Epilobium, and Ludwigia in the mid to late-Miocene of East Asia sheds some light on their phytogeographic histories.