First record of troglobitic Hemiptera (Fulgoromorpha: Cixiidae) from La Réunion Island

A new species of troglobitic Cixiidae (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha), Brixia briali n. sp. is described from a lava tube on La Réunion Island. Information on its ecology, distribution, and comments on its tentative systematic placement into the genus Brixia is provided. The new discovery from La Réunion is placed into the context of cavernicolous Fulgoromorpha of the world, their zoogeography, ecology and biology.     

Effects of seed chilling or GA3 supply on dormancy breaking and plantlet growth in Cercis siliquastrum L.

Germination and post-germination events have been compared in seeds of Cercis siliquastrum whose dormancy was removed by fulfilling the natural chilling requirement or by exogenous GA₃ application.Compared to the chilled ones, the GA₃ treated seeds showed precocious embryo growth and an earlier reserve mobilization, which started before radicle emergence.Although the hormonal application was interrupted at seed germination, the plantlets of Cercis siliquastrum that originated from GA₃-supplied seeds were taller than those from chilled ones. Moreover, they produced a greater number of leaves but a reduced root mass and had some difficulty in maintaining a good water balance.Thus, the treatment of Cercis siliquastrum seeds with exogenous GA₃ broke dormancy and induced germination, but also caused long-lasting consequences on morphogenesis of the growing plantlet.     

Cotyledon venation patterns in the Leguminosae: Mimosoideae

Cotyledon venation patterns are described for 131 species representing the four main tribes of the Mimosoideae. The range of variation in venation pattern falls within that described previously for the Caesalpinioideae and is consistent with the proposal that all patterns in the Leguminosae have been derived from a prototype with four vascular strands and a protoxylem trace in the petiole and seven primary veins in the lamina. Each tribe is characterized by a particular set of patterns, pattern frequencies and evolutionary trends. In the Mimoseae, correlations between venation pattern and cotyledon size and anatomy match those found in the Caesalpinioideae, but different correlations unique to these tribes occur in the Acacieae and Ingeae.     

Sesquiterpenes in leaf pocket resins of Copaifera species

Four sesquiterpene leaf resin components were isolated and identified from Copaifera leaf resin. Additional GC and mass spectrometric evidence support the close similarity of Copaifera leaf pocket resin composition with that of the related genus, Hymenaea.     

山东中新世山旺组紫荆属(豆科)叶化石的叶枕研究——兼论豆科植物叶枕的早期演化

叶枕作为叶活动的“马达器官”,在豆科植物的分类、演化、发育和生理等方面都具有十分重要的研究意义,但在古植物学中似乎研究甚少.基于产自山东省临朐县中新世山旺组的叶印痕化石,结合现生紫荆叶结构和叶枕的形态观察,文中着重研究这些叶印痕化石中的叶枕形态,发现它们保存了倒卵形的上叶枕印痕和上叶枕组织腐烂分解后留下的半圆形印痕,其中一块还保存了卵形的下叶枕印痕.结合这些化石的叶结构特征,进一步确认了中新世山旺组紫荆属叶化石——华紫荆的存在,并指定一份保存于中国科学院南京地质古生物研究所的标本为后选模式,即No.39 (H).紫荆属隶属于云实亚科、紫荆族,为现存豆科植物分子系统发育树上最基部的类群之一,因此该属的化石历史对认识豆科植物的系统发育、早期演化和分异以及生物地理历史都至关重要.然而,由于过去缺乏详细的叶结构和叶枕研究,大多数以往报道的产自欧亚大陆和北美新生代的紫荆属叶印痕化石种都受到质疑、否定或亟需进一步研究.迄今为止,紫荆属最早的、具叶枕的叶化石发现于美国俄勒冈州晚始新世的约翰迪组,而最早的豆科叶枕则发现于阿根廷巴塔哥尼亚早古新世萨拉曼卡组中的一种可能属于含羞草亚科植物的小叶中.结合近来的比较形态解剖学研究结果,作者赞同先前的假说——紫荆属的单叶和叶枕类型实质上都是衍生的性状,而最原始的豆科植物长着羽状复叶,其复叶叶柄和小叶叶柄上可能都有各自的叶枕.     

普甜玉米种子萌发期糖代谢和水解酶活性动态变化

种子萌发是一个较复杂的生理生化过程,是种子贮藏物质在酶的作用下经过一系列反应生成蔗糖、葡萄糖、果糖等各种糖类化合物,为种子萌发提供碳源和能量。该研究利用两个不同来源、籽粒营养成分具有差异的普甜玉米种子动态分析了种子萌发期蔗糖、果糖和葡萄糖代谢及关键水解酶活性的变化。结果表明:在种子萌发过程中,E22和T26两个普甜玉米种子的物质动员量、物质利用率、蔗糖、葡萄糖和果糖含量均存在遗传差异,其中淀粉含量较高的T26种子具有较突出的物质利用率,表明淀粉是影响普通甜玉米种子萌发的关键因子;在种子萌发4~8 d、6~10 d时,E22分别具有较高的蔗糖和葡萄糖含量,而T26是在萌发10 d时具有较高的果糖含量。随着种子发芽进程,蔗糖合成酶活性、淀粉酶活性都呈逐渐上升的趋势,但淀粉酶活性变幅较明显;进一步关联分析8个种子萌发物质利用性状间关系,结果表明种子萌发期间,种子物质动员量主要受淀粉酶活性影响,而种子物质利用率则主要受糖含量多少制约。因此,提高甜玉米种子萌发期物质利用率对其种子发芽和幼苗生长,增强其与杂草生长的竞争力,提高甜玉米产量均具有重要意义。     

超甜玉米种子萌发物质利用性状杂种优势及亲子回归关系分析

为阐明超甜玉米(Zea mays L.var.saccharata Bailey)亲本对F_1种子物质利用性状遗传效应,研究了19份自交系和其测配的10个杂交组合的杂种优势及亲子回归关系。结果表明,超甜玉米自交系及F_1种子的淀粉含量、蛋白质含量、脂肪含量、百粒重、种子物质动用量和种子物质利用率差异较大,10个杂交组合中亲本和F_1种子的淀粉含量、脂肪含量、百粒重均存在显著差异。F_1种子淀粉含量和百粒重均表现出正向超亲优势,即近高亲本遗传;而F_1种子的蛋白质含量、脂肪含量、种子物质动用量和种子物质利用率为近低亲本遗传。聚类分析和杂种优势分析表明,性状差异较大的FH14、Q26、GT22、GT2等亲本测配的杂交组合在种子百粒重或种子物质利用率等性状上具有较强的超亲优势。回归分析表明,母本对F_1种子的淀粉含量、百粒重有负效应,对种子物质动用量和种子物质利用率有正效应;父本对种子淀粉含量有负效应,对种子物质利用率有正效应。     

A new species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Paloue</Emphasis> (Leguminosae: Caesalpinioideae: Detarieae) from Guyana,South America

Paloue sandwithii is described and illustrated from Kaieteur region, Guyana, South America. Characters that distinguish it from the other species of Paloue are the presence of five subequal petals and large coriaceous leaves with prominent venation on the underside of the lamina.     

t-RNA-nucleotidyltransferase activity in Lupinus luteus seeds

t-RNA-nucleotidyltransferase activity was detected in Lupinus luteus seed.The enzyme was partly purified, and some of its properties are described.     

紫荆属的系统发育和生物地理学研究

紫荆属（Cercis L.）约含8种,间断分布于亚洲东、西部、欧洲南部和北美。应用核糖体DNA的ITS基因序列研究紫荆属的系统发育关系。在最简约性分析,北美的两个种和南欧、西亚的一个种构成一单系群而隐藏于东亚的种类中。这表明紫荆属北美的种类和南欧、西亚的种类之间的关系比它们的各自与东亚的种类的关系要密切。研究还发现北美洲东、西部的种类可能具较近亲缘。紫荆属以白令陆桥或北大西洋陆桥为迁移途径的可能性似乎都不能排除;北半球的生物地理分布式样可具有复杂的起源。     

Development of protein bodies and accumulation of carbohydrates in a soybean (Leguminosae) shriveled seed mutant

The soybean seed mutant T311, when grown under specific environmental conditions, produces shriveled seed. This research investigated changes in development of protein bodies and accumulation of carbohydrates during seed development by comparing the mutant with P2180 seeds. The shriveled seeds contained larger protein bodies but fewer protein bodies per cell than round seeds. Protein bodies in T311 seeds included more dispersed crystals and less globoid regions than P2180 seeds. The elemental compositions of the crystals and of whole seeds in T311 were different from that in P2180 seeds. Starch breakdown was reduced with concomitant lower soluble sugar content in T311 seeds after the D11 stage (10.0-11.9 mm long seeds). The reduced starch breakdown and lowered soluble sugar content were consistent with lower a-amylase activity and earlier and greater water loss in T311 seeds. Changes in development of protein bodies and accumulation of carbohydrates were associated with the development of the shriveled seeds.