Parastenocaris lorenzae n.sp., and first record of Parastenocaris glacialis Noodt (Copepoda,Harpacticoida) from Italy

Parastenocaris lorenzae n.sp. is described from rhithrostygal of the Sangro river (Abruzzo, Central Italy). Parastenocaris glacialis Noodt, 1952 is for the first time recorded from Italy. The presence of borealpine elements in ground waters of Central Apennines is briefly discussed.Contribution to the knowledge of the groundwater fauna in central Research supported by grants from M.P.I. (40%) and C.N.R. (Gruppo and southern Italy: XLIV. Nazionale di Biologia Naturalistica).     

Asyneuma pichleri (Campanulaceae), a neglected species of the Balkan Peninsula

After a biometric study the taxon Asyneuma pichleri (Vis.) D. Lakui & F. Conti comb. nova is re-evaluated. This taxon, endemic to the Balkan Peninsula, has been confused in the past with A. trichocalycinum (Ten.) K. Malý. Lectotypes are designated for both taxa. Statistically significant differences were found between A. pichleri (from Balkan peninsula) and A. trichocalycinum (from Apennines) based on multivariate analysis and discriminant analysis of morphometric data. A. pichleri is morphologically well differentiated from the A. trichocalycinum by its longer corolla lobes and style. These differences are particularly pronounced when considering the ratios between corolla length/width and style length/stigma length.We would particularly like to thank Prof. Radomir Lakui from Sarajevo, who has pointed to differences between the Apennines and Balkan populations of the A. trichocalycinum complex, and who has induced our research. We would also like to extend our gratitude to our colleagues for helping us in solving many problems and dilemmas: Annalisa Santangelo (Herbarium Neapolitanum, NAP), Rossella Marcucci (Erbario Patavinum, PAD), Anna Millozza (Erbario – RO, Dipartimento di Biologia Vegetale Università degli Studi di Roma La Sapienza), Prof. Vladimir Stevanovi and Gordana Tomovi (Department of Plant Ecology and Phytogeography, Faculty of Biology University of Belgrade), Sneana Vukojii (Herbarium of Institute of Botany and Botanical Garden Jevremovac University of Belgrade, BEOU), Olja Vasi and Marjan Niketi (Natural-History Museum Belgrade, BEO), Prof. Werner Greuter (Botanical Garden and Botanical Museum Berlin-Dahlem), Dr Kit Tan (Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh), Prof. Vlado Matevski (Faculty of Natural Sciences University of Skopje), Chavdar Gussev (Institute of Botany, Bulgarian Academy of Science), and to anonymous reviewers for many proposals and improvements.     

Keratinolytic and keratinophilic fungi of children's sandpits in the city of Turin

Soils rich in keratinic residues constitute a permanent or occasional reservoir for dermatophytes and keratinolytic and keratinophilic fungi, and are a source of potential infection for man and animals.The keratinolytic and keratinophilic mycoflora of 28 sandpits in Turin was studied to evaluate the risk of fungal skin infections that is run by children as they play in public parks and to lay the ground-work for a next epidemiological study of soil- and animal-inhabiting dermatophytes found in cities, and their impact on human dermatophytoses. Fifty seven species were isolated and a high percentage (52%) showed keratinolytic activity. Species of Microsporum, Trichophyton, Mariannaea, Aphanoascus, Chrysosporium, Malbranchea and Geomyces showed the most active keratinolysis.Work n. 315 performed under the auspices of the Centro di Studio sulla Micologia del Terreno del C.N.R. at the Dipartimento di Biologia vegetale dell Università di Torino.     

Histological localization of citrus infectious variegation virus (CVV) inPhaseolus vulgaris

Summary Ultrathin sections ofPhaseolus vulgaris leaves were studied in the electron microscope. The leaves were taken from plants, both healthy and experimentally infected with CVV. The sieve tubes and companion cells of all samples contained a slime-like substance, more or less organized into compact systems. In the mature sieve elements of virus-infected plants systems of parallel membranes were seen along which spherical particles, of about 30 m diameter, were aligned in simple rows.Pubbl No. 117 of Gruppo di Ricerca per le Virosi, del C. N. R.     

Utilization of wild relatives in the genetic improvement of Arachis hypogaea L.

Summary Synthetic amphidiploids were established in 32 combinations involving 8 diploid wild species representing both A and B genomes of section Arachis. Bivalent and multivalent associations in the amphidiploids of 7 A genome species confirm that these species have identical genomes. Contrastingly, high bivalent frequencies in amphidiploids involving the A and B genome species suggest that A. batizocoi has a distinct B genome that is partially homologous to the other genome A represented in the rest of the species. Crossability, chromosome pairing and pollen and pod fertility in hybrids between A. hypogaea and amphidiploids have revealed that these amphidiploids can be used as a genetic bridge for the transfer of genes from the wild species into the cultivated groundnut.Submitted as Journal Article No. 530 by International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT)     

Chlorophyll “a” content in cells of Antarctic phytoplankton

Material was collected from the Weddell Sea and the Bransfield Strait in January/April 1989. Data on size-taxonomic composition and biomass of phytoplankton communities and Ch1 concentration were obtained to estimate the chlorophyll a (Ch1) cell content. Single cell fluorescence measured microscopically was used as a relative index of cellular Ch1 content of individual species. The relationship between the species composition of the algal communities and the ratio of phytoplankton carbonCh1 concentration (CCh1) was found. Due to changes in species composition the average CCh1 ratio in March/April (56) was half that in January/February (115). The CCh1 ratio ranged from 24 to 215 (mean=101) in the upper mixed layer and from 14 to 69 (mean=37) in the pycnocline region. The distribution of cellular Ch1 within individual species showed lower heterogeneity in the mixed layer in comparison with that in the pycnocline and below. Below the mixed layer, populations consisted partly of dead cells with very low pigment content, while other cells had greatly increased cellular Ch1. At several stations this cellular Ch1 increase led to the formation of a deep Ch1 maximum.     

Species diversities analyzed by density and cover in an early volcanic succession

To evaluate alpha diversities, various variables such as density, cover, volume, and weight have been used. However, density is often a distinct variable from the remaining three. To clarify differences in diversity measured by those two kinds of variables, the data collected in fourteen 2×5 m permanently-marked plots on Mount Usu, Japan, which erupted during 1977 and 1978 in growing seasons from 1983 to 1989 was analyzed, using Shannon's species diversity (H) that is represented as a result of combination of species richness and evenness (J). H and J were evaluated by density (density H and J) and cover (cover H and J). Cover H and J were significantly lower than density H and J, indicating that cover H has different characteristics from density H. Those differences are due to differences in evenness, because species richness is the same. The rank orders of species density are different from those of cover. The predominance of a few perennial herbs greatly decreases cover evenness, while seedling establishment success influences density evenness. Therefore, I propose that, during the early stages of succession on harsh environments such as volcanoes, density diversity represents seedling establishment success rate while cover diversity expresses vegetative reproduction success rate.     

Response of effective quantum yield of photosystem 2 to in situ temperature in three alpine plants

The response of effective quantum yield of photosystem 2 (F/F_m) to temperature was investigated under field conditions (1 950 m a.s.l.) in three alpine plant species with contrasting leaf temperature climates. The in situ temperature response did not follow an optimum curve but under saturating irradiances [PPFD >800 µìmol(photon) m^–2s^–1] highest F/F_m occurred at leaf temperatures below 10°C. This was comparable to the temperature response of antarctic vascular plants. Leaf temperatures between 0 and 15°C were the most frequently (41 to 56%) experienced by the investigated species. At these temperatures, F/F_m was highest in all species (data from all irradiation classes included) but the species differed in the temperature at which F/F_m dropped below 50% (Soldanella pusilla >20°C, Loiseleuria procumbens >25°C, and Saxifraga paniculata >40°C). The in situ response of F/F_m showed significantly higher F/F_m values at saturating PPFD for the species growing in full sunlight (S. paniculata and L. procumbens) than for S. pusilla growing under more moderate PPFD. The effect of increasing PPFD on F/F_m, for a given leaf temperature, was most pronounced in S. pusilla. Despite the broad diurnal leaf temperature amplitude of alpine environments, only in S. paniculata did saturating PPFD occur over a broad range of leaf temperatures (43 K). In the other two species it was half of that (around 20 K). This indicates that the setting of environmental scenarios (leaf temperature×PPFD) in laboratory experiments often likely exceeds the actual environmental demand in the field.This revised version was published online in March 2005 with corrections to the page numbers.     

Diversity of benthic macrofauna in the eastern English Channel: comparison among and within communities

The diversity of benthic macrofaunal assemblages in the eastern English Channel is described from 707 samples collected with a Rallier-du-Baty dredge during 1971–1975. Four assemblages were primarily defined by means of multivariate data analyses and clustering methods: the Abra alba community, the Ophelia borealis community, the pebbles community and a mixed assemblage of the first three communities. Spatial heterogeneity of these communities is significantly correlated with sedimentary characteristics, although local variability appears to be controlled by both physical and biological processes. Ecological diversity of these communities was analysed considering species richness (S), the Shannon diversity index (H), and rank-frequency diagrammes (RFD). These analyses were performed at two spatial scales: for a single sample, and for a 'site of 10 pooled samples. Thus, several sites were chosen in order to compare diversity patterns and species quantitative structure among and within the communities. The greatest species richness was recorded for the pebbles (57–69) and the A. alba (63–79) communities. In the former, high values may be due to the complexity of microhabitats and the large flux of food related to strong currents. In the latter, both organic matter and terrestrial inputs associated with the mud favour the presence of deposit-feeder organisms. No clear trend was observed among and within the community sites in terms of the species quantitative structure. Thus, convex RFD shapes were observed in three assemblages: the mixed assemblage (offshore site), the A. alba (North Sea), and the pebbles (Normandy coast). Sigmoid shapes were observed in the pebbles (Dover Strait) and A. alba (English coast) communities. Presumably, these shapes can be caused by the combined action of physical (strong currents, substrate stability, mud content in the sediments) and biological factors (co-occurrence of species from different communities, strong species recruitment, relative dominance of carnivorous species).     

A comparative study on variability and phylogeny of Triticum species

Summary Interspecific relationship studies between A, S and D genome diploid species, and between AAGG and AABB allotetraploid species of the genus Triticum were conducted using isoenzymatic characters located in dry mature seeds. Data was analyzed by the factorial analysis of correspondences, and dendograms were obtained by two different genetic distances. The discussion of results was based on the limitations of the study, intraspecific variability differences, isoperoxidase frequency differences and chromosomal location of peroxidases in T. aestivum cv. Chinese Spring. The closest relationship was found between dicoccoides and carthlicum. Relationships found between T. turgidum L. and T. timopheevvi Zhuk., both allotetraploid species and boeoticum; this species and speltoides; tauschi and searsii, and the last two species with bicorne, are discussed at the phylogenetic level.