New chromosome counts in some species of Asteraceae from Iran

Seven chromosome counts of six species from the family Asteraceae are reported. All taxa were collected from Hamedan province, Iran. One count is a new report (viz Inula aucheriana ), three are not in accordance with previous counts (viz Senecio glaucus, Tanacetum chiliophyllum and Tanacetum polycephalum ) and the others (viz Tripleurospermum disciforme, Tanacetum polycephalum , T. parthenium ) are confirmations of very limited (one to eight records) previous data. Most of the studied taxa have the basic number x=9, but Senecio glaucus has x = 10, with ploidy levels ranging from 2x to 8x. Both diploidy and triploidy were found in T. chiliophyllum and may be regarded as a sign of ongoing speciation.     

New species of llerasia (Asteraceae: Astereae) from Peru

Two new species from Peru,Llerasia pascoensis Sagást. & Dillon andLl. sanmartinensis Sagást. & Dillon are described and illustrated, and their relationships discussed. A key to the Peruvian species ofLlerasia is presented. Also, a notable range extension into northern Peru is reported forLl. lindenii Triana, a species previously known only from Colombia and Ecuador.     

New species and nomenclatural action in Saussurea DC.(Asteraceae)

Saussurea zhuxiensis Y. S. Chen & Q. L. Gan, sp. nov. 竹溪风毛菊(S1-1. Figs. 1, 2) Type: China. Hubei: Zhuxi County, Shuangqiao, rock crevices along stream, alt. 900 m, 2006-08-09, Q. L. Gan 1508 (PE). Latin diagnosis: Species Saussurea salicifoliae DC. similis, a     

A classification of the New World species of Aster (Asteraceae)

In order effectively to list and comment on the results of cytological investigations inAster in a companion paper, a scheme of infrageneric classification is presented which utilizes the basic chromosome number as a pivotal diagnostic character. Reasons are stated as to why, with the exception ofUnamia Greene which is transferred toSolidago, and the commonly recognized generaLeucelene Greene,Machaeranthera Nees andXylorhiza Nutt., none of the segregate genera previously proposed or recorded in the literature is upheld. Instead, these taxa are being given subgeneric or sectional rank. Two additional subgenera are established to accommodate the species groups traditionally placed in “Aster proper,” which are characterized by having basic chromosome numbers ofx = 5 andx = 8, respectively. Altogether ten subgenera of the genusAster, five of them subdivided further into a total of 24 sections, are recognized as having representative species in the New World. All basionyms and type species are listed, and a number of new combinations and status changes are validated in accordance with the International Rules of Botanical Nomenclature. Where known (from literature and personal research), chromosome numbers are recorded for the species.     

Four new species of Asteraceae from Peru

Four new species of Asteraceae are described from Peru:Dasyphyllum brevispinum andOnoseries chrysactinioides (Mutisieae), andGynoxys congestiflora andSenecio miniauritus (Senecioneae). These species are described, illustrated, and their relationships discussed.     

New species and combinations in Kleinia (Asteraceae) from the Horn of Africa

The new species Kleinia tuberculata , from open deciduous bushland on gypsum hills and gypseous limestone in northern and north-eastern Somalia, K. curvata , from evergreen bushland on limestone in northern Somalia, K. sabulosa , from deciduous bushland on sand in central Somalia, K. ogadensis , from deciduous bushland in eastern Ethiopia, K. gracilis , from dwarf bushland on limestone in north-eastern Somalia, and K. tortuosa , from alkaline plains in northern Somalia, are described, and for some of them illustrations are provided. The new combinations K. nogalensis and K. lunulata are made, and the recently described K. isabellae from eastern Ethiopia is placed in synonymy of K. lunulata.     

The importance of the Mexican taxa of Asteraceae in the family phylogeny

Asteraceae is the largest plant family in México with about 417 genera and 3113 species, and with more than 60% of them being endemic. Phylogenetic relationships at subfamily and tribal levels have been previously resolved employing both nuclear and plastid molecular markers. However, Asteraceae species native to Mexico have been underrepresented in such phylogenies. To tackle this issue, the taxon sampling of this study included 90 Asteraceae species native to México, four species from the Caribbean, 119 previously sequenced species, and six outgroups. With this sampling, all the Asteraceae subfamilies and all of the tribes recognized to date are represented. The analyzed dataset consisted of eleven chloroplast markers (atpB, matK, ndhC, ndhD, ndhF, ndhI, ndhJ, ndhK, rbcL, trnL-trnF, and 23S-trnA). We present two phylogenetic reconstructions obtained by maximum likelihood and pseudocoalescent methods. Besides, we present a time-calibrated phylogeny, which is used to infer the best configuration of diversification rate shifts. Our results show that Mexican species are distributed mainly in the subfamily Asteroideae (80 species), followed by Cichorioideae (6 species), Carduoideae (2 species), and Mutisioideae (2 species). Four net diversification rate shifts were found: One near the base of the tree and four within Asteroideae subfamily. Our extended sampling of the family with the representation of native species to Mexico allowed us to identify important events in the evolutionary history of the family.     

Alkaloids of some Mexican Zanthoxylum species

Two new 4-quinazolone alkaloids have been isolated from seed husks of Zanthoxylum arborescens. Based on their spectroscopic properties they have been assigned structures, 1-methyl-3-(2′-phenylethyl)-1H,3H-quinazoline-2,4-dione and 1-methyl-3-[2′-(4″-methoxyphenyl)ethyl]-1H,3H-quinazoline-2,4-dione. These structural assignments have been confirmed by synthesis. Skimmianine has been obtained from leaf extracts of Z. dimoncillo and Z. caribaeum while skimmianine and scopeletin have been isolated from leaf extracts of Z. fagara.     

Anatomical and physiological differences of eight species from Asteraceae

Eight exotic species of asteraceae widely distributed in China were studied, which included 6 kinds of invasive species. The results showed that invasive species are more advanced than noninvasive species in modes of dissemination. At the same time, there was no significant difference between invasive species and noninvasive species through hormone content, tannin content and germination of air-dried seeds.     

Anatomical and physiological differences of eight species from Asteraceae

Eight exotic species of asteraceae widely distributed in China were studied, which included 6 kinds of invasive species. The results showed that invasive species are more advanced than noninvasive species in modes of dissemination. At the same time, there was no significant difference between invasive species and noninvasive species through hormone content, tannin content and germination of air-dried seeds.     

New Asteraceae from Mexico and Bolivia

Routine identification of Asteraceae specimens sent to the Herbarium of the University of Texas at Austin has resulted in the discovery of the following taxa:Acourtia ciprianoi (Mutisieae) andCoreopsis bolanosana andVerbesina spooneri (both Heliantheae). All the new species are illustrated.     

New taxa of Asteraceae from southern Mexico

Fieldwork in connection with the project to document the flora of the Mixteca Alta region, northwestern Oaxaca, Mexico, has resulted in the discovery of the following taxa: Verbesina calzadae and Viguiera grammatoglossa var. huajuapana (Heliantheae); Sinclairia manriquei (Liabeae); and Psacalium schillingii (Senecioneae).     

New species of Pectis (Asteraceae) from the West Indies,Mexico, and South America

Four new species ofPectis are described:P. ericifolia from Barbuda,P. luckoviae from west-central Mexico,P. arida from Ecuador and Peru, andP. cajamarcana from Peru. Chromosome counts forP. ericifolia (n=48) andP. luckoviae (n=12) are presented. Relationships of the newly described taxa are discussed.     

Contribution to the genome size knowledge of New World species from the Heliantheae alliance (Asteraceae)

This article contributes first genome size assessments by flow cytometry for 16 species, 12 genera, and 3 tribes from family Asteraceae, mostly belonging to the Heliantheae alliance, an assembly of 13 tribes from subfamily Asteroideae with a large majority of its species in the New World. Most genome sizes are accompanied by their own chromosome counts, confirming in most cases, although not all, previous counts for the species, and revealing possible cases of unknown dysploidy or polyploidy for certain taxa. The data contribute to the pool of knowledge on genome size and chromosome numbers in the family Asteraceae and will further allow deeper studies and a better understanding on the role of dysploidy in the evolution of the Heliantheae alliance. However, we still lack data for tribes Chaenactideae, Neurolaeneae, Polymnieae, and Feddeeae (the latter, monospecific) to complete the alliance representation.     

Cytogeography of European perennial species of Cyanus (Asteraceae)

To reveal the general cytogeographical pattern of Cyanus section Protocyanus in Europe, DNA ploidy and/or chromosome numbers were newly examined for 160 populations by flow cytometry (450 plants) and/or chromosome counting (30 plants). Furthermore, previously published karyological data were revised (236 records). Our analyses confirmed chromosome counts of 2n = 22 for all newly investigated samples of the C. triumfetti group (the records for C. semidecurrens and C. ternopoliensis are new), C. diospolitanus and C. achtarovii; 2n = 44 for C. montanus and C. mollis; and 2n = 20 for C. lingulatus, C. napulifer, C. nissanus, C. orbelicus, C. thirkei, C. tuberosus and C. velenovskyi. The chromosome count of 2n = 20 is the first report for C. epirotus. The cytotype 2n = 40 was newly recorded for the Crimean endemic C. fuscomarginatus and Calabrian and Greek populations of C. graminifolius. The cytotypes 2n = 20 and 2n = 40 were confirmed for C. pindicola. For the first time triploidy (2n～3x～30) was found in C. nissanus, C. thirkei and in a newly discovered hybrid, C. epirotus × C. graminifolius. Two contrasting ecogeographical patterns emerged: cytotypes derived from the base chromosome number x = 11 (2n = 22, 44) are widespread in northern latitudes and ecologically diverse, whereas cytotypes with x = 10 (2n = 20, 30, 40) are confined to mountains in southern Europe. In general, tetraploids have smaller ranges than diploids. The new combinations Cyanus section Protocyanus (Dobrocz.) Ol?avská comb. nov. and Cyanus ternopoliensis (Dobrocz.) Ol?avská comb. nov. are provided. © 2013 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2013, 173 , 230–257.     

Phenotypic plasticity in alpine Erigeron species (Asteraceae)

Utelli, A.-B., Huber, W. & Zopfi, H.-J. 1995. Phenotypic plasticity in alpine Erigeron species (Asteraceae). — Nord. J. Bot. 15: 483–492. Copenhagen. ISSN 0107–055X.
Twelve morphological characters were analysed in 67 E. alpinus, E. neglectus and E. uniflorus plants which had been transplanted from their natural habitat to the greenhouse. Mean values and standard deviations were compared for each species. The phenotypic plasticity of the characters resp. their genetic basis was estimated from the correlation of morphological data recorded on single individuals, each grown under both ecological conditions.
A considerable phenotypic plasticity was found in all species and for most characters. E. unijlorus was the most constant species regarding taxonomically relevant characters such as pubescence of the basal leaves, number of flowering heads and number of filiform flowers. In all three species the same highly significant directional variation in plant height and involucre length was found which suggests that these characters have some genetic basis in Erigeron .     

Three new species of Senecio (Asteraceae) from Mexico

Senecio moranii, Senecio martirensis, andSenecio semperamatae, all from Mexico, are described as new.