New species of <Emphasis Type=Italic>Dypsis</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type=Italic>Ravenea</Emphasis> (Arecaceae) from Madagascar

Fourteen new species of palms (Arecaceae) from Madagascar are described and named, based on material collected over the last 15 years. Twelve species belong to the genus Dypsis, namely D. andilamenensis Rakotoarin. & J. Dransf., D. anjae Rakotoarin. & J. Dransf., D. betsimisarakae Rakotoarin. & J. Dransf., D. culminis Rakotoarin. & J. Dransf., D. dracaenoides Rakotoarin. & J. Dransf., D. gautieri Rakotoarin. & J. Dransf., D. gronophyllum Rakotoarin. & J. Dransf., D. jeremiei Rakotoarin. & J. Dransf., D. metallica Rakotoarin. & J. Dransf., D. reflexa Rakotoarin. & J. Dransf., D. sancta Rakotoarin. & J. Dransf. and D. vonitrandambo Rakotoarin. & J. Dransf. and two species belong to the genus Ravenea: R. beentjei Rakotoarin. & J. Dransf. and R. hypoleuca Rakotoarin. & J. Dransf. Despite the fact that most of these species have been recorded from protected areas that are difficult to access in the eastern region of Madagasacar, they are all threatened. Based on IUCN categories and criteria, seven are Critically Endangered and seven are Vulnerable.     

<Emphasis Type=Italic>Barleria compacta</Emphasis>: a new species in <Emphasis Type=Italic>Barleria</Emphasis> sect. <Emphasis Type=Italic>Prionitis</Emphasis> (Acanthaceae) from Somalia

Following a re-examination of the material treated under Barleria brevispina (Fiori) Hedrén in the recent Flora of Somalia account of the Acanthaceae, it is concluded that two distinct species are involved and Barleria compacta Malombe & I. Darbysh. is described here from north-eastern Somalia. Its affinities and conservation status are discussed.     

New species of <Emphasis Type=Italic>Geonoma</Emphasis> (Palmae) from Ecuador

Five new species of Geonoma from Ecuador, G. awaensis, G. ecuadoriensis, G. hollinensis, G. lanata, and G. skovii, are described and illustrated and are compared to similar species. Their distributions are mapped.     

<Emphasis Type=Italic>Boletus kermesinus</Emphasis>, a new species of <Emphasis Type=Italic>Boletus</Emphasis> section <Emphasis Type=Italic>Luridi</Emphasis> from central Honshu,Japan

Boletus kermesinus, a new species of Boletus section Luridi, is fully described and illustrated based on the materials collected in subalpine coniferous forests of central Honshu, Japan. It has distinctive features of dark-red basidiomata having distinct viscidity in the pileus surface, usually unchanging flesh, discolorous red pores, and an entirely reticulate stipe becoming coarsely lacerate-rimose with age.     

Efficient separation and purification of allophycocyanin from <Emphasis Type=Italic>Spirulina</Emphasis> (<Emphasis Type=Italic>Arthrospira</Emphasis>) <Emphasis Type=Italic>platensis</Emphasis>

Allophycocyanin (APC) is a minor component of phycobiliproteins in cyanobacteria and red algae. This paper describes a simple and inexpensive extracting method for isolating APC from Spirulina (Arthrospira) platensis with high efficiency. The crude phycobiliprotein extract was pretreated by ammonium sulfate fractionation. Then, by adding hydroxylapatite into crude phycobiliprotein extract dissolved in 20 mM phosphate buffer (pH 7.0), APC was selectively adsorbed by hydroxylapatite but C-phycocyanin (C-PC) was not. The hydroxylapatite was collected and APC was extracted from the crude phycobiliprotein extract. Then, the enriched APC was washed off from the hydroxylapatite using 100 mM phosphate buffer (pH 7.0). In this simple extracting method it was easy to remove C-PC and isolate APC in large amounts. The absorbance ratio A ₆₅₀/A ₂₈₀ of extracted APC reached 2.0. The recovery yield was 70%, representing 4.61 mg · g⁻¹ wet weight. The extracted APC could be further purified by a simple anion-exchange chromatography with a pH gradient from 5.6 to 4.0. The absorbance ratio A ₆₅₀/A ₂₈₀ of the purified APC reached 5.0, and the overall recovery yield was 43%, representing 2.83 mg · g⁻¹ wet weight. Its purity was confirmed by native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) and sodium dodecyl sulfate-PAGE.     

<Emphasis Type=Italic>Psychotria kupensis</Emphasis> (<Emphasis Type=Italic>Rubiaceae</Emphasis>) a new dwarf,litter-gathering species from western Cameroon

Summary   Psychotria kupensis Cheek is described as a new species in Psychotria sect. Confertiflorae Hiern. Attention is drawn to its monopodial, dwarf, litter-gathering and adventitious root-forming habit and to its anomalous stipules. The species appears to be endemic to the submontane evergeen forest of Mt Kupe in Cameroon. Its conservation status is assessed.     

Micromorphological differences between some European and American <Emphasis Type=Italic>Fraxinus</Emphasis> (<Emphasis Type=Italic>Oleaceae</Emphasis>) species

Micromorphological differences in leaves and pollen between two American (Fraxinus americana L., F. pennsylvanica Marshall) and two European (F. angustifolia Vahl, F. excelsior L.) ash species were studied using scanning electron microscope. The types, dimensions and distribution of characteristic trichomes were established and measured. Capitate hairs on the leaves had the same shape in all researched ash species. Acicular hairs were regularly present in two American ash species, but very rarely in the glabrous phase of F. angustifolia and F. excelsior. Only F. americana had coronulate abaxial surface of leaves. Pollen of F. angustifolia and F. excelsior had 3 (tricolpate) apertures, and F. americana and F. pennsylvanica 4 (stephanocolpate) apertures. Based on the appearance of the reticulum it’s possible to clearly distinguish all four species. F. angustifolia and F. pennsylvanica had muri with transversal ridges and seldom granules. Muri of F. excelsior and F. americana had slightly visible transversal ridges, and because of that noticeable granules.     

Habitat,density, and spatial distribution of <Emphasis Type=Italic>Rivulus giarettai</Emphasis> (<Emphasis Type=Italic>Actinopterygii</Emphasis>, <Emphasis Type=Italic>Cyprinodontiformes</Emphasis>) in southeastern Brazil

We present data on the habitat, density, and spatial distribution of Rivulus giarettai, and discuss some biotic and abiotic variables related to its abundance in Free Flowing Waters (FFW) and Dam Reservoirs (DR) in palm grove (Mauritia flexuosa) marshes (Veredas) in Uberlandia, Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil. The mean density (individuals/plot) of R. giarettai was about 13 times higher in FFW than in DR. In FFW, the density of R. giarettai was highest at intermediate amounts of substrate (plant mass) and it was positively rank-correlated with the depth, and the number of arthropods. Individuals occurred in an aggregated distribution. The aggregated pattern could be related to a concentration of individuals in microhabitats neither too much exposed nor completely saturated by plants. R. giarettai was relatively abundant and tolerant to slight man-made habitat modifications. Damming appeared to be especially problematic by negatively affecting its density.     

<Emphasis Type=Italic>Crypthonia</Emphasis>, a new genus of byssoid Arthoniaceae (lichenised Ascomycota)

Crypthonia with 11 species is described as belonging to the Arthoniaceae. The new genus is characterised by (1) white to pale carneous, maculiform ascomata lacking a distinct exciple, (2) a weakly gelatinised, hydrophobic hymenium of paraphysoids, (3) a discontinuous layer of branched ascogenous hyphae in the hypothecium, (4) small, clavate to broadly clavate asci of the Arthonia-type lacking a hemiamyloid ring structure in the tholus, (5) eight small, hyaline, 1–3-septate, thin-walled ascospores per ascus, (6) loosely attached thalli with a byssoid, coloured hypothallus, and (7) a chemistry of mainly β-orcinol depsidones and tridepsides including psoromic, norstictic, and gyrophoric acids. Rugulosin occurs in C. bella and C. citrina. Crypthonia athertoniensis Frisch & G. Thor, C. bella Frisch & G. Thor, C. brevispora Frisch & G. Thor, C. citrina Frisch & G. Thor, C. olivacea Frisch & G. Thor, C. palaeotropica Frisch & G. Thor, and C. vandenboomii Frisch & G. Thor are described. C. albida (Fée) Frisch & G. Thor, C. biseptata (Aptroot & Wolseley) Frisch & G. Thor, C. mycelioides (Vain.) Frisch & G. Thor, and C. polillensis (Vain.) Frisch & G. Thor are new combinations. The delimitation from similar genera and the position within the Arthoniaceae is discussed.     

<Emphasis Type=Italic>Passiflora cristalina,</Emphasis> a striking new species of <Emphasis Type=Italic>Passiflora</Emphasis> (Passifloraceae) from Mato Grosso,Brazil

A new red-flowered species of Passiflora, P. cristalina Vanderpl. & Zappi, is described from the tropical rainforest of Mato Grosso, Brazil. The species is illustrated and its affinities with related species are discussed, and a key to the species of supersect. Distephana to which it belongs is provided.     

<Emphasis Type=Italic>Agrobacterium tumefaciens</Emphasis>-mediated transformation of oleaginous yeast <Emphasis Type=Italic>Lipomyces</Emphasis> species

Interest in using renewable sources of carbon, especially lignocellulosic biomass, for the production of hydrocarbon fuels and chemicals has fueled interest in exploring various organisms capable of producing hydrocarbon biofuels and chemicals or their precursors. The oleaginous (oil-producing) yeast Lipomyces starkeyi is the subject of active research regarding the production of triacylglycerides as hydrocarbon fuel precursors using a variety of carbohydrate and nutrient sources. The genome of L. starkeyi has been published, which opens the door to production strain improvements through the development and use of the tools of synthetic biology for this oleaginous species. The first step in establishment of synthetic biology tools for an organism is the development of effective and reliable transformation methods with suitable selectable marker genes and demonstration of the utility of the genetic elements needed for expression of introduced genes or deletion of endogenous genes. Chemical-based methods of transformation have been published but suffer from low efficiency. To address these problems, Agrobacterium-mediated transformation was investigated as an alternative method for L. starkeyi and other Lipomyces species. In this study, Agrobacterium-mediated transformation was demonstrated to be effective in the transformation of both L. starkeyi and other Lipomyces species. The deletion of the peroxisomal biogenesis factor 10 gene was also demonstrated in L. starkeyi. In addition to the bacterial antibiotic selection marker gene hygromycin B phosphotransferase, the bacterial β-glucuronidase reporter gene under the control of L. starkeyi translation elongation factor 1α promoter was also stably expressed in six different Lipomyces species. The results from this study demonstrate that Agrobacterium-mediated transformation is a reliable and effective genetic tool for homologous recombination and expression of heterologous genes in L. starkeyi and other Lipomyces species.