Miscellaneous mistletoe notes, 1–9

Three new species,Cladocolea biflora Kuijt,Struthanthus condensatus Kuijt, andS. lojae Kuijt are described and six new combinations,Cladocolea diversifolia (Benth.) Kuijt,C. lenticellata (Diels) Kuijt,Dendrophthora virgata (Trel.) Kuijt,Korthalsella chilensis (Hook. & Arn.) Kuijt,Phthirusa retroflexa (Ruiz & Pavon) Kuijt, andStruthanthus flexilis (Rusby) Kuijt are proposed. Nomenclature of two more neotropical Loranthaceae,Psittacanthus ramiflorus (DC.) G. Don andStruthanthus interruptus (H.B.K.) Blume is revised.     

New taxa and nomenclatural changes in arceuthobium (viscaceae)

The following new taxa are recognized inArceuthobium: subgeneraArceuthobium andVaginata; sectionsVaginata, Campylopoda, andMinuta; seriesCampylopoda,Rubra, andStricta; speciesA. apachecum,A. californicum,A. guatemalense,A. hondurense, andA. pini; new formae spécialesA. abietinum f. sp.concoloris,A. abietinum f. sp.magnificae. New combinations:A. abietinum (Engelm.) Hawksworth & Wiens, andA. microcarpum (Engelm.) Hawksworth & Wiens.     

New genera and species of Chrysobalanaceae from Malesia and Oceania

Two new genera of Chrysobalanaceae are described.Hunga distributed in New Caledonia, the Loyalty Islands and Papua and New Guinea, contains eight species, three new, and five formerly placed in the generaAngelesia, Licania andParinari.Kostermanthus is described to accommodate two species with united filaments formerly placed inParinari andAcioa. Both new genera are quite as distinct as others of the family and have been overlooked by undue emphasis placed on the single character of a bilocular ovary.Licania palawanensis Prance is also described; it is the second species of its genus from Malesia.     

A new genus from Mexico: Dendrosida (Malvaceae)

Dendrosida, here described as new, comprises three taxa:D. batesii Fryxell,D. sharpiana (Miranda) Fryxell ssp.sharpiana, andD. sharpiana ssp.occidentalis Fryxell. The genus is interpreted as a primitive representative of the tribe Malveae, and its relationship to other genera of theAbutilon alliance is discussed. An analysis of mericarp morphology in relation to seed dissemination mechanisms indicates that theAbutilon alliance may be divided into an Abutiloid and a Sidoid group.Dendrosida is included in the latter.     

The identity and synonymy of Acacia guilandinae,Mimosa obovata,M. pseudo-obovata,and M. laticifera (Mimosaceae)

Acacia guilandinae DC. is recognized asMimosa guilandinae (DC.) Barneby, endemic to French Guiana and adjoining Amapá, Brazil;M. pseudo-obovata is subordinated as a Brazilian var.pseudo-obovata (Taub.) Barneby to CaribbeanM. ceratonia L.; andM. laticifera is found synonymous withM. obovata Benth. Diagnostic morphological characters of each taxon are presented in key form.     

Taxonomic and nomenclatural rearrangement in the Hookeriales with notes on West Indian taxa

The Hookeriales are evaluated to discern familial limits. Five families are recognized in the order: Hookeriaceae, Leucomiaceae, Daltoniaceae, Callicostaceae, and Adelotheciaceae fam. nov. Chaetomitrium Dozy & Molk., Chaetomitriopsis. Fleisch., Dimorphocladon Dix., and Elharveya Crum are transferred to the Hypnaceae. Hookeriopsis (Besch.) Jaeg. is split into four genera: Hookeriopsis s. str., Brymela Crosby & Allen, Thamniopsis (Mitt.) Fleisch., and Trachyxiphium Buck, gen. nov. The following new combinations are proposed to coincide with the recognition of these four genera rather than Hookeriopsis s. lat.: Brymela acuminata, B. callicostelloides, B. cuspidata, B. fissidentoides, B. fluminensis, B. obtusifolia, B. parkeriana, B. rugulosa, B. websteri, Thamniopsis cheiloneura, T. cruegeriana, T. diffusa, T. incurva, T. langsdorffii, T. pappeana, T. purpureophylla, T. secunda, T. sinuata, T. terrestris, T. undata, T. utacamundiana, T. versicolor, Trachyxiphium aduncum, T. guadalupense, T. heteroicum, T. hypnaceum, T. pernutans, T. subfalcatum, T. tenue, T. vagum, and T. variable. Excluded species are treated as Isopterygium plumicaule, Schizomitrium cirrhosum, and S. subsecundum. Schizomitrium belangerianum (Besch.) Buck, comb. nov. is considered distinct from S. depressum (Hedw.) Buck & Steere, and S. pallidum (Hornsch.) Crum & Anders. is shown to have a smooth seta sometimes. The taxonomy of the aquatic species of Cyclodictyon Mitt. and Lepidopilum (Brid.) Brid. is clarified, resulting in the recognition of three species, Cyclodictyon subtortifolium (Bartr.) Buck, comb. nov., C. roridum (Hampe) Kuntze and L. tortifolium Mitt. Two new combinations are proposed in Calyptrochaeta Desv., C. setigera and C. albescens.     

New genera and species of ericaceae (Vaccinieae) from Costa Rica and Panama

Two new monotypic genera,Didonica andUtleya, are described, withD. pendula from Panama andU. costaricensis from Costa Rica.Disterigma trimera (Panama),D. utleyorum (Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, and Ecuador),Lateropora santafeensis (Panama),Lysiclesia panamensis (Panama),Macleania talamancensis (Costa Rica),Themistoclesia costaricensis (Costa Rica) andT. horquetensis (Panama),Vaccinium costaricense andV. orosiense (both from Costa Rica) and V.jefense (Panama) are all described as new. New combinations are provided for the PanamanianVaccinium floccosum (=Symphysia floccosa) and the West IndianVaccinium racemosum (=Symphysia racemosa). Keys are provided for the Central American species ofDisterigma andThemistoclesia, the species ofLateropora andLysiclesia, and the Costa Rican and Panamanian species ofVaccinium. Six new species are illustrated.     

New taxa of western plants-in tribute

This paper is presented in tribute to Rupert C. Barneby on the occasion of his seventieth year. Described as new areArtemisia norvegica var.picetorum Welsh & Goodrich,Astragalus lentiginosus var.higginsii Welsh & Thorne,Cirsium barnebyi Welsh & Neese,Cymopterus beckii Welsh & Goodrich,Machaeranthera kingii var.barnebyana Welsh & Goodrich,Thelypodiopsis barnebyi Welsh & Atwood,Xanthocephalum petradoria Welsh & Goodrich, andXylorhiza cronquistii Welsh & Atwood.     

Generic delimitations of Central American Bignoniaceae

Generic delimitations in the Bignoniaceae are discussed, a number of Central American genera are reduced to synonymy, and a new genusPseudocatalpa is proposed. Generic mergers includeLevya withCydista, Saldanhaea withCuspidaria, Doxantha withMacfadyena, Pseudocalymma withPachyptera, andPhaedranthus withDistictis. New combinations necessitated by these mergers include the following:Arrabidaea costaricensis (Kränzl.) Gentry,A. pubescens (L.) Gentry,Cuspidaria floribunda (DC.) Gentry,C. weberbaueri (Spr.) Gentry,Cydista aequinoctialis var.hirtella (Benth.) Gentry,Distictis buccinatoria (DC.) Gentry,Macfadyena unguiscati (L.) Gentry,Melloa quadrivalvis (Jacq.) Gentry,Pachyptera alliacea (Lam.) Gentry,P. hymenaea (DC.) Gentry,P. kerere var.incarnata (Aubl.) Gentry,P. standleyi (Steyerm.) Gentry, andPseudocatalpa caudiculata (Standl.) Gentry. In addition, the fruits of several species are described for the first time, and their taxonomic significance is discussed.     

The taxonomy of eriodon and notes on other South American genera of brachytheciaceae with erect capsules

Eriodon is reduced from five species to two.Eriodon radicalis is recognized asEntodontopsis radicalis;Eriodon longipes asPorotrichodendron longipes; andE. brevisetus as synonymous withLindigia debilis. Mandoniella, Stenocarpidiopsis andLepyrodontopsis are discussed and illustrated.Lepyrodontopsis is transferred to the new familyLe pyrodontopsidaceae, near the Meteoriaceae. The following nomenclatural trans fers are proposed for Rozea:R. andrieuxii f.chrysea andR. andrieuxii var.bour gaeana. Sciuroleskea is transferred to an alliance withStereophyllum,Juratzkaea, Entodontopsis, Stenocarpidium andJuratzkaeella. The following transfers are proposed:Sciuroleskea roseorum (Williams asRozea) Buck andJuratzkaea argentinica (Thér. asJ. seminervis var.argentinica) Buck. A key to the erect-capsuled South American genera retained in the Brachytheciaceae is provided.     

Two new taxa of Sedum section Gormania (Crassulaceae) endemic to the Trinity Mountains in California

Two taxa, narrowly endemic to the Trinity Mountains in northwestern California, are described.Sedum laxum subsp.flavidum is a tetraploid (n = 30) and is found on metabasaltic outcroppings, andSedum obtusatum subsp.paradisum is a diploid (n = 15) and occurs on granite outcroppings.     

Isolation and characterization of rat intestinal bacteria involved in biotransformation of (−)-epigallocatechin

Two intestinal bacterial strains MT4s-5 and MT42 involved in the degradation of (?)-epigallocatechin (EGC) were isolated from rat feces. Strain MT4s-5 was tentatively identified as Adlercreutzia equolifaciens. This strain converted EGC into not only 1-(3, 4, 5-trihydroxyphenyl)-3-(2, 4, 6-trihydroxyphenyl)propan-2-ol (1), but also 1-(3, 5-dihydroxyphenyl)-3-(2, 4, 6-trihydroxyphenyl)propan-2-ol (2), and 4′-dehydroxylated EGC (7). Type strain (JCM 9979) of Eggerthella lenta was also found to convert EGC into 1. Strain MT42 was identified as Flavonifractor plautii and converted 1 into 4-hydroxy-5-(3, 4, 5-trihydroxyphenyl)valeric acid (3) and 5-(3, 4, 5-trihydroxyphenyl)-γ-valerolactone (4) simultaneously. Strain MT42 also converted 2 into 4-hydroxy-5-(3, 5-dihydroxyphenyl)valeric acid (5), and 5-(3, 5-dihydroxyphenyl)-γ-valerolactone (6). Furthermore, F. plautii strains ATCC 29863 and ATCC 49531 were found to catalyze the same reactions as strain MT42. Interestingly, formation of 2 from EGC by strain MT4s-5 occurred rapidly in the presence of hydrogen supplied by syntrophic bacteria. Strain JCM 9979 also formed 2 in the presence of the hydrogen or formate. Strain MT4s-5 converted 1, 3, and 4 to 2, 5, and 6, respectively, and the conversion was stimulated by hydrogen, whereas strain JCM 9979 could catalyze the conversion only in the presence of hydrogen or formate. On the basis of the above results together with previous reports, the principal metabolic pathway of EGC and EGCg by catechin-degrading bacteria in gut tract is proposed.     

The subdivisions of Magnistipula Engl. (Chrysobalanaceae)

A conspectus of the subgenera and sections ofMagnistipula is provided. Of the two subgenera occurring on the African mainland, subgenusMagnistipula is divided into the sectionsMagnistipula,Animalculum andPeregrinator, whereas subgen.Pellegriniella is monotypic. A Malagasy subgenus,Tolmiella, is new; its two species,M. cerebriformis andM. tamenaka, are transferred fromHirtella.     

Development of SCAR marker for sex identification in dioecious Garcinia gummi-gutta

Key message

We have developed sex-specific SCAR marker for the identification of dioecious Garcinia gummi - gutta (L.), which is useful for the selection of G. gummi - gutta at seedling stage and for plantation programmes.

Abstract

Garcinia gummi-gutta (L.) Robs. is a dioecious fruit yielding tree, which is naturally distributed as well as cultivated in the orchards in Western Ghat regions of India. A sex-linked DNA fragment was identified in Garcinia gummi-gutta (L.) Robs. by screening 150 randomly amplified polymorphic DNA primers and only one of them (OPBD20) showed different amplification band pattern associated with sex type. This sex-linked fragment was converted into male-specific sequence-characterized amplified region (SCAR) marker, CAM-566. The primers deigned in this study (OPBD20F and OPBD20R) correctly differentiated 12 male and 12 female plants at high annealing temperatures. Thus, a 556-bp band was amplified in male samples but not in female ones. Nevertheless, it should be noted that the fragments from both sexes were amplified at relatively low annealing temperatures. Additionally, the developed SCAR marker successfully identified the sexes of ten sex-unknown samples. Therefore, it can be used as an effective, convenient and reliable tool for sex determination in such dioecious species.