New taxa of heliconia (Heliconiaceae) from Ecuador

Three new species (Heliconia fredberryana H. litana, andH. lutheri) and one new subspecies (H. obscura ssp.dichroma) from Ecuador are described, illustrated, and discussed.     

Novae Gesneriaceae Neotropicarum IV: Alloplectus purpureus and Columnea nematoloba—New Gesneriaceae from northwestern South America

Two species of Gesneriaceae are described:Alloplectus purpureus from the lower montane forests of northwestern Ecuador and adjacent Colombia andColumnea nematoloba from the lowland rain forests of western Colombia. The first with its fimbriate calyx lobes is probably nearest toAlloplectus sprucei, occurring in the same region but mostly at lower elevations. The second is in a group with two recently described species from western Ecuador and Colombia,Columnea fililoba andC. incredibilis, all having filiform corolla lobes.     

Two new species of the genusMenziesia from Japan

Two species ofMenziesia, M. katsumatae andM. yakushimensis, are described as new to science. The former is characterized by having a long axis of the inflorescence with 15–20 bracts while the other species has a short axis with about ten bracts.M. katsumatae is restricted to the Hakusan range extending northward to Mt. Hōdatsuzan in the Noto Peninsula.M. yakushimensis has been considered asM. purpurea Maxim. in Kyūshū, but it is clearly distinguishable from the latter by the color and shape of the corolla and the presence of fasciculate glandular-hairs at the base of the corolla lobes. It is endemic to the higher altitudes of Yaku-shima Island, Kagoshima Prefecture.     

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.     

Cyperaceae of tropical America some new or critical species II

Described as new areHypolytrum pallidiceps, a clearcut species from Guyana,Oreobolus ecuadorensis, an ally ofO. obtusangulus from Ecuador, andScleria millespicula of the sectionOphryoscleria from Brazilian Amazonia.Oreobolus venezuelensis andScleria sprucei are newly added to the floras of Colombia and Venezuela respectively. Part I. Jap. J. Bot.20(2): 123–134. 1969.     

Ficus lacunata (Moraceae), a new species from pluvial montane forest of northwest Ecuador

Ficus lacunata Kvitvik, a new species of subgen.Pharmacosycea sect.Pharmacosycea collected in the provinces of Carchi, Imbabura, and Pichincha in Ecuador, shows affinities to bothFicus macbridei Standl. andFicus tonduzii Standl. but differs distinctly in leaf and syconium characters.     

Two new species of Galipea (Rutaceae, Galipeae) from Bolivia, Ecuador, and Peru

Two new species ofGalipea are described and illustrated:Galipea maxima, which is known from the wet forests of Ecuador, and Peru, andGalipea ramiflora, from Bolivia and Peru. Their main diagnostic features are pointed out, and a brief discussion on the relationships of the new taxa to other species ofGalipea is provided.     

Guarea michel-moddei (meliaceae), a new species from central French Guiana

Guarea michel-moddei, a new species from central French Guiana is described and illustrated. It differs from the morphologically similarG. cristata of western Amazonia by its unbranched habit; shorter, less dense indumentum of the young parts, leaves, and inflorescence; bullate leaves, shorter inflorescence, shorter pubescence on the corolla; and smaller corolla and staminal tube.     

On the mechanism of autotrophic fixation of CO2 bychloroflexus aurantiacus

The activity of two carboxylating enzymes was studied in the green filamentous bacteriumChloroflexus aurantiacus. The carboxylation reaction involving pyruvate synthase was optimized using¹⁴CO₂ and cell extracts. Pyruvate synthase was shown to be absent from cells ofCfl. aurantiacus OK-70 and present (in a quantity sufficient to account for autotrophic growth) in cells ofCfl. aurantiacus B-3. Differences in the levels of acetyl CoA carboxylase activity were revealed between cells of the strains studied grown under different conditions. The data obtained confirm the operation of different mechanisms of autotrophic CO₂ assimilation inCfl. aurantiacus B-3 andCfl. aurantiacus OK-70: in the former organism, it is the reductive cycle of dicarboxylic acids, and in the latter one, it is the 3-hydroxypropionate cycle.     

Notes on Galianthe (Spermacoceae, Rubiaceae) in the Bolivian flora

Four new species ofGalianthe (G. boliviana, G. chiquitosana, G. sudyungesis, andG. kempffiana) for Bolivia are described and illustrated.Galianthe kempffiana is also known from Brazil.Galianthe laxa andG. bisepala are reported for the first time for Bolivia.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Gasteranthus diverticularis</Emphasis>, a new species of Gesneriaceae from southern Ecuador

A new species of Gasteranthus (Gesneriaceae, Beslerieae) is described from the eastern Andean slopes of southern Ecuador. The presence of a strongly hypocyrtoid corolla with lateral protrusions along the pouch and ternate leaves differentiate Gasteranthus diverticularis from all other congeners.     

New species of Malouetia (Apocynaceae): A trio from Amazonia

Three new species ofMalouetia (Apocynaceae) are described and illustrated:M. amazonica andM. pumila from Brazil andM. gentryi from Peru.Malouetia amazonica grows in inundated igapó forest, whereas the other two are found in non-inundated habitats:M. pumila incampa fechada, andM. gentryi in upland forest.     

Rubiacearum Americanarum Magna Hama Pars XIX. New species of Palicourea (Psychotrieae) from Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela

Eight new South American species ofPalicourea are described and illustrated:P. crystallina from north-central Peru differs fromP. loxensis from Ecuador, also described herein, by its longer calyx limbs, 1.2–2.5 mm long, with the lobes often unequal in length;P. cutucuana from southern Ecuador differs fromP. angustifolia in its broader leaves and inflorescences and larger corollas;P. gelsemiiflora of northern Peru is distinguished by its pedicels 11–20 mm long, calyx limbs 7–11 mm long, relatively large yellow corollas with tubes 32–33 mm long, relatively large fruits 12–13 mm long, and pyrenes with an unusual spongy wall;P. gemmiflora of southern Ecuador and northern Peru differs fromP. subtomentosa by its longer corollas with horn-like projections on the abaxial surfaces of the lobes;P. lemoniana of southwestern Venezuela differs fromP. nitidella by its corolla tubes 17–18 mm long with the lobes pubescent abaxially and fromP. grandiflora by its secondary leaf veins only 7–10 pairs and corollas externally with lanose trichomes to 0.5 mm long;P. loxensis of southern Ecuador differs fromP. garciae by its densely reticulated secondary and tertiary leaf venation, membranaceous stipules, and sessile rather than pedicellate flowers;P. otongaensis of north-central Ecuador differs fromP. holmgrenii by its longer corollas with well developed horn-like appendages borne on the abaxial surfaces of the lobes; andP. smithiana of central Peru differs fromP. lobbii by its laminar stipules with obtuse to rounded lobes only 0.5–1 mm long, yellow corollas, and pyrenes that are ridged dorsally.     

Reflections onChloroflexus

A personal historic account is presented of the discovery of the anoxygenic filamentous bacteria of hot springs:Heliothrix oregonensis andChloroflexus aurantiacus. The later discoveries of marine and hypersaline forms are also described.     

New species of Coussapoa and Pourouma (Cecropiaceae)

Four new species are described and illustrated:Coussapoa fulvescens, C. tolimensis, andC. valaria from Colombia, andPourouma napoensis from Ecuador.     

A synopsis of the neotropical genus Pentaplaris, with remarks on its systematic position within core Malvales

Pentaplaris davidsmithii from Peru and Bolivia andP. huaoranica from Ecuador are described and compared to the only other species previously known in the genus,P. doroteae from Costa Rica. Morphological and palynological characters support the inclusion ofPentaplaris in core Malvales while suggesting that the original assumption that the genus belonged in Tiliaceae-Brownlowieae cannot be maintained.Pentaplaris, which comprises three isolated and evidently rare species, probably belongs to the malvoid-bombacoid alliance, but its position within this clade ramains unresolved.     

Magnolia (Magnoliaceae) in Mexico and Central America: a synopsis

As a result of a recent alpha-taxonomic study of the genusMagnolia s. str. in Mexico and Central America, four new species and four new subspecies ofMagnolia sect.Theorhodon are proposed, includingM. iltisiana, M. panamensis, M. tamaulipana, M. sororum subsp.lutea, andM. pacifica, consisting of three subspecies:pacifica, pugana, andtarahumara. Additionally, a new combination,M. guatemalensis subsp.hondurensis, is made, and a new section,M. sect.Splendentes, is erected for the Caribbean species. The results have implications for understandingMagnolia biogeography, andM. tamaulipana has potential for horticulture in temperate zones. Keys to genera, sections, and species, and maps of species distributions are presented.Magnolia grandiflora L. andM. schiedeana Schltdl. are lectotypified. Como resultado de un estudio alfa-taxonómico reciente del géneroMagnolia s.str. en México y Centro América, se proponen cuatro especies nuevas y cuatro subespecies nuevas deMagnolia sect.Theorhodon, incluyendoM. iltisiana, M. panamensis, M. tamaulipana, M. sororum subsp.lutea y.M. pacifica, la última consiste de tres subespecies:pacifica, pugana ytarahumara. Adicionalmente, se hace la combinaciónM. guatemalensis subsp.hondurensis y se erigeM. sect.Splendentes para las especies del Caribe. Los hallazgos tienen implicaciones en el entendimiento de la biogeografia deMagnolia y.M. tamaulipana tiene potencial en la horticultura de zonas templadas. Se presentan claves para géneros, secciones y especies, y mapas de distribución para las especies.Magnolia grandiflora L. yM. schiedeana Schltdl. son lectotipificadas.     

A re-evaluation of morphological characters in European Gentianella section Gentianella (Gentianaceae)

Morphological traits were investigated in Gentianella section Gentianella by morphometrics and Scanning Electronic Microscopy (SEM). Variation in vegetative measures and in calyx, corolla, ovary, and gynophor was analyzed in populational samples and herbarium material. Special emphasis was given to micro-morphology and variation of papillae on the calyx using SEM. Three types of papillae on the calyx lobes were found: (A) short conical (G. amarella-group, G. insubrica, G. germanica); (B) long conical often curved (G. campestris, G. anisodonta, G. engadinsesis, and G. liburnica; (C) long cylindrical (G. aspera and G. pilosa). G. austriaca, G. caucasea, G. crispata, G. fatrae, and G. ramosa usually lack any papillae. Plants without and with short conical papillae were found in G. bulgarica and G. lutescens as well as in the intermediate taxa G. bohemica and G. stiriaca. The different types of papillae together with other calyx characters (sinus, shape and margin of lobe) are of high systematic importance and provide more stable characters than morphometric flower measures. Principal component and correlation analysis revealed a strong response of nearly all morphometric traits to the environmental variable altitude. Adaptive and historical causes of morphological variation as well as taxonomical consequences are discussed and a determination key is provided.