A new species of Clivia (Amaryllidaceae) endemic to the Pondoland Centre of Endemism, South Africa

Clivia robusta B.G. Murray, Ran, de Lange, Hammett, Truter et Swanevelder sp. nov. (Amaryllidaceae) is a tubular, pendulous-flowered Clivia species, restricted to the Pondoland Centre of Endemism, South Africa. The unique morphology, distribution, karyotype and molecular fingerprint distinguish it from all other pendulous-flowered species in the genus.  © 2004 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2004, 146 , 369–374.     

白穗花的甾体皂甙

从中国特有植物白穗花（Speiranthagardenii（Hook．）Baill．）根茎中分离得到两个新的甾体皂甙。经化学和光谱方法鉴定其化学结构分别为22－甲氧基－（25R）－5β－呋喃甾烷－1β,3β,4β,5β,26-五羟基26－O-β-D-吡喃葡萄糖甙（Ⅰ）和22-甲氧基-（25R）－5β-呋喃甾烷-1β,2β,3β,4β,5β,26-六羟基26－O－β-D-吡喃葡萄糖甙（Ⅱ）。     

Breeding systems in Clivia (Amaryllidaceae): late‐acting self‐incompatibility and its functional consequences

Late‐acting (ovarian) self‐incompatibility, characterized by minimal or zero seed production following self‐pollen tube growth to the ovules, is expected to show phylogenetic clustering, but can otherwise be difficult to distinguish from early‐acting inbreeding depression. In Amaryllidaceae, late‐acting self‐incompatibility has been proposed for Narcissus (Narcisseae) and Cyrtanthus (Cyrtantheae). Here, we investigate whether it occurs in the horticulturally important genus Clivia (Haemantheae) and test whether species in this genus experience ovule discounting in wild populations. Seed‐set results following controlled hand pollinations revealed that Clivia miniata and C. gardenii are largely self‐sterile. Self‐ and cross‐pollinated flowers of both species had similar proportions of pollen tubes entering the ovary, and those of C. gardenii also did not differ in the proportions of pollen tubes that penetrated ovules, thus ruling out classical gametophytic self‐incompatibility acting in the style, but not early inbreeding depression. Flowers that received equal mixtures of self‐ and cross‐pollen set fewer seeds than those that received cross‐pollen only, but it was unclear whether this effect was a result of ovule discounting or interactions on the stigma. The prevention of self‐pollination by the emasculation of either single flowers or whole inflorescences in wild populations did not affect seed set, suggesting that ovule discounting is not a major natural limitation on seed production. Flowers typically produce one to three large fleshy seeds from approximately 16 available ovules, even when supplementally hand pollinated, suggesting that fecundity is mostly resource limited. The results of this study suggest that Clivia spp. are largely self‐sterile as a result of either a late‐acting self‐incompatibility system or severe early inbreeding depression, but ovule discounting caused by self‐pollination is not a major constraint on fecundity. © 2014 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2014, 175 , 155–168.     

白穗花有性器官与胚胎发育形态的研究

利用石蜡切片技术对白穗花（Speirantha gardenii（Hook.）Baill.）胚胎发育过程进行了显微观察。研究结果表明：白穗花具四室花药,腺质绒毡层;小孢子母细胞减数分裂为连续型,四分体主要为左右对称型,偶有直线型、T型和交互对生型;成熟花粉为二细胞型;子房三室,中轴胎座;倒生胚珠,双珠被,厚珠心型,珠孔由内珠被形成;胚囊的发育为蓼型;胚的发育类型为柳叶菜型,核型胚乳。根据已有的胚胎学资料,比较白穗花和铃兰族（Convallarieae）其它植物的胚胎学特征,结果显示：（1）白穗花属（Speirantha Baker）与蜘蛛抱蛋属（Aspidistra Ker-Gawler）的胚胎学特征更为接近,二者可能起源于共同的祖先;（2）夏须草属（Theropogon Maxim.）是铃兰族的异质类群。     

Vegetative anatomy of Ophiopogoneae (Convallariaceae)

CUTLER, D. F., 1992. Vegetative anatomy of Ophiopogoneae (Convallariaceae). The vegetative anatomy (particularly leaf) of species of Ophiopogon, Liriope and Peliosanthes is described from observations with light and scanning electron microscopy. A syndrome of leaf characters is present, including epidermal features; hypodermal fibre-like cells; raphides and unusual short, square-ended prismatic crystals arranged in plates; phloem with abundant sclerenchyma and frequent individual strands each composed of a sieve tube element and its associated companion cell; and vascular bundles with unusual orientation, which shows the very close inter-relationship between Ophiopogon and Liriope. Peliosanthes shares the phloem type, hypodermal fibre-like cells and raphides, but is less similar in epidermal characters and vascular bundle orientation. The significance of the unusual phloem type is considered in relation to similar types in other members of the Liliiflorae.     

白穗花有性器官与胚胎发育形态的研究

利用石蜡切片技术对白穗花(Speirantha gardenii (Hook.) Baill.)胚胎发育过程进行了显微观察。研究结果表明: 白穗 花具四室花药, 腺质绒毡层; 小孢子母细胞减数分裂为连续型, 四分体主要为左右对称型, 偶有直线型、T型和交互对生型; 成熟花粉为二细胞型; 子房三室, 中轴胎座; 倒生胚珠, 双珠被, 厚珠心型, 珠孔由内珠被形成; 胚囊的发育为蓼型; 胚的发育类型为柳叶菜型, 核型胚乳。根据已有的胚胎学资料, 比较白穗花和铃兰族(Convallarieae)其它植物的胚胎学特征, 结果显示: (1) 白穗花属(Speirantha Baker)与蜘蛛抱蛋属(Aspidistra Ker-Gawler)的胚胎学特征更为接近, 二者可能起源于共同的祖先; (2) 夏须草属(Theropogon Maxim.)是铃兰族的异质类群。