Chromosome Number and Development of Gametophytes in Euptelea pleiospermum (Eupteleaceae)

Euptelea Sieb. et Zucc. is a genus of 2 species, endemic to East Asia and disjunctly distributed in China and Japan. The present paper deals with cytology and embryology of the Chinese species E.pleiospermum Hook. f. et Thoms., providing materials for discussing the classificatory rank and relationships of the genus. This work reports the chromosome number, n = 14 and 2n = 28 (Plate 1: 1, 2), for E.pleiospermum, which is consistent with that of the Japanese species, E. plyandra Sieb. et Zucc.,reported by Sugiure (1931) and Whitaker (1933). This number is different from those of the related genera, i. e. n=20 or 2n=40 in Trochodendron and 2n = 48(46)in Tetracentron (Cronquist, 1981), and, therefore, the cytological evidence supports the treatmemt of the genus as a separate family by Smith (1945, 1946), Chrlotte and Bailey (1946), Cronquist(1981), Thorne (1983), Dahlgren(1983), Wang (1984). The ovule of E. pleiospermum is anatropous, bitegminous and crassinucellate (Plate 1: 10), the characters which have been already reported by Davis (1966). In addition, the present work shows that in E. pleiospermum the tapetum is glandular, consisting of 2-or 4-nucleate tapetal cells; cytokinesus at meiosis of pollen mother cells is simultaneous; microspore tetrads are mainly tetrahedral; pollen grains are 2-celled (Plate 1: 4, 5, 6, 9), the third megaspore from the micropyle is functional and develops into the Polygonum type of embryo sac, and synergids are of a wide-openly dichotomous filiform apparatus (Plate 2: 14, 18;Fig. 1:4,6). These are the characters reported here for the first time. Due to the lack of embryological da-ta for the related families, it is impossible to make a systematic comparison of embryology.     

STRUCTURE OF RABDOFORRESTIN A

A new ent-kaurene diterpene, rabdoforrestin A (1 ) , mp 204- 206°C, [α]22/D -83°(c=0.96,CHCL3)was isolated from the leaves of Rabdosia forrestii (Diels) Hara (Labiatae) collected Lijiang, Yunnan. Its structure has been shown to be ent-11β-hydroxy-2α, 3α,6β, 7α-tetraacetoxy-16-kauren-15-one (1 ) on the basis of spwctroscopic and chemical evidence and compared with known compound lushanrubescensin B .     

Dynamic phenotypic plasticity for root growth in Polygonum: a comparative study

Species differences in patterns of phenotypic plasticity may be an important aspect of adaptive diversity. Plasticity for functionally important root traits was studied in inbred field lineages of Polygonum persicaria and P. cespitosum (Polygonaceae). Replicate seedlings were grown in plexiglass rhizotrons under a range of constant and temporally variable moisture treatments. Plasticity was determined for final whole-plant biomass, root biomass allocation, and absolute and proportional root length. The dynamic aspect of root plasticity was examined by digitizing weekly tracings of the proportional deployment of each plant's root system to different vertical soil layers. Plants of both species expressed significant functionally adaptive phenotypic plasticity in the relative allocation, length, and vertical deployment of root systems in response to contrasting moisture conditions. Plasticity patterns in these closely related species were in general qualitatively similar, but for most traits differed in the magnitude and/or the timing of the plastic response. Dynamic changes in root deployment were more marked as well as faster in P. persicaria. Species differences in patterns of individual plasticity were generally consistent with the broader ecological distribution of P. persicaria in diverse as well as temporally variable moisture habitats.     

Effects of hydrological regimes on competitive interactions of Schoenoplectus fluviatilis and two co-occurring wetland plants

We investigated the effects of different hydrological regimes (wet [flooded at a constant water depth for duration of the study], cycle [reflooded at eight weeks following natural drying], and wet–dry [initially flooded and allowed to naturally dry for duration of the study]) on the competitive ability of Schoenoplectus fluviatilis (Torr.) M. T. Strong with an annual, native wetland plant (Polygonum pensylvanicum L.) and a perennial, wetland plant (Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani [C. C. Gmel.] Palla). To assess competitive response of the plants, we used a greenhouse target-neighbor study with neighbor plants planted at varying densities (0 [control], 1, 10, and 15 plants pot⁻¹). Our results suggest that S. fluviatilis is competitively superior to S. tabernaemontani and P. pensylvanicum. S. tabernaemontani and P. pensylvanicum biomass declined by 90% and 75% in presence of S. fluviatilis, respectively. However, the competitive ability of S. fluviatilis was generally not enhanced by flooding regime. The competitive coefficients of S. fluviatilis were similar among the three hydrological regimes under intraspecific competition and interspecific competition with S. tabernaemontani, but for interspecific competition with P. pensylvanicum, the competitive coefficient for S. fluviatilis was higher for the cycle treatment compared to the wet–dry and dry treatments. Interestingly, S. tabernaemontani was a strong competitor against S. fluviatilis in the wet and cycle treatments, indicating that maintaining longer hydroperiods could be used as a management tool to encourage growth of S. tabernaemontani and reduce encroachment of S. fluviatilis.     

PHENOTYPIC PLASTICITY IN POLYGONUM PERSICARIA. I. DIVERSITY AND UNIFORMITY IN GENOTYPIC NORMS OF REACTION TO LIGHT

Several aspects of genotype-environment interaction may act to modulate natural selection in populations that encounter variable environments. In this study the norms of reaction (phenotypic responses) of 20 cloned genotypes from two natural populations of the annual plant Polygonum persicaria were determined over a broad range of controlled light environments (8%-100% full sun). These data reveal both the extent of functionally adaptive phenotypic plasticity expressed by individual genotypes, and the patterns of diversity among genotypes for characters relevant to fitness, in response to an environmental factor that is both highly variable within populations and critical to growth and reproduction.     

Evidence for massive clonal growth in the invasive weed Fallopia japonic a (Japanese Knotweed)

Clonal growth in introduced populations of Japanese Knotweed ( Fallopia juponica ) in Britain was assessed using RAPDs (Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA). A total of 150 British samples was analysed for genetic variation using ten arbitrary decamer primers, and compared with data from 16 samples of other introduced populations from Europe and the U.S.A. All samples produced an identical multi-primer RAPD profile. Accepting that RAPD profile identity need not equate to genet identity, based on the sensitivity of these markers for detecting genetic diversity in related taxa and on the absence of male fertile individuals of this species in Britain, we interpret this result as consistent with the presence of a single, exceptionally widespread clone. This clone must represent one of the world's largest vascular plants.