Stuessya (Asteraceae: Heliantheae), a new genus from southcentral Mexico

Stuessya, a new genus from the Pacific slopes of southcentral Mexico is described. It is comprised of three species:S. apiculata, previously assigned to the genusViguiera;S. perennans, the generotype; andS. michoacana. The latter two taxa are previously undescribed. The genus is characterized by its urceolate, sclerified (at maturity) involucre. Chromosome counts of2n = 34 are reported forS. perennans. Relationships are problematical, but are reckoned to be somewhere betweenAldama andViguiera.     

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.     

Arceuthobium (Viscaceae) in Mexico and Guatemala: Additions and range extensions

Three new dwarf mistletoes are described:Arceuthobium globosum subsp.grandicaule (Mexico and Guatemala),A. aureum subsp.aureum (Guatemala) andA. aureum subsp.petersonii (Chiapas, Mexico).Arceuthobium guatemalense is recorded for the first time in Mexico. Significant range extensions are recorded forA. abietisreligiosae, A. divaricatum,A. gillii subsp.nigrum, andA. rubrum. New hosts are reported for several taxa. Nineteen members of the genus are presently known from Mexico, and three (possibly four) from Guatemala. Chromosome counts are reported for the first time for 3 taxa.     

A new species of Psilostrophe (Compositae) from Mexico

Psilostrophe mexicana is described as new and compared with the closely related speciesP. gnaphalodes. Chromosome numbers forP. mexicana are reported asn = 32, a tetraploid number. This new species is the seventh and only polyploid species in the genus.     

Revision of the genus Clibadium (Asteraceae, Heliantheae)

Clibadium L. (Asteraceae, Heliantheae) is a genus of 29 species distributed throughout latin America, from Mexico to Peru, and in the West Indies, with high numbers of species in Costa Rica, Colombia, and Ecuador.Clibadium includes shrubs and small trees; usually with loosely aggregated capitula; herbaceous phyllaries arranged in 1–5 series; receptacles usually paleaceous throughout; corollas of pistillate florets 2–4-lobed; corollas of the staminate florets 4–5-lobed; purple to black anthers; and chromosome numbers alln=16. Two sections of species previously recognized are here considered as subgenera (subg.Paleata and subg.Clibadium) containing two and four sections, respectively.Clibadium subg.Paleata contains five species distributed in sects.Eggersia (3 spp.) andTrixidium (2 spp.), and subg.Clibadium has 24 species distributed among sects.Clibadium (6 spp.),Glomerata (9 spp.),Grandifolia (5 spp.), andOswalda (4 spp.).     

New names,combinations, and lectotypifications in Heterotheca (Compositae: Astereae)

The following new names and combinations are proposed:Heterotheca barbata (Rydb.) Semple,H. horrida subsp.cinerascens (S. F. Blake) Semple,H. fulcrata vararizonica Semple,H. fulcrata var.senilis (Wooton & Standley) Semple,H. oregona var.compacta (Keck) Semple,H. oregona var.rudis (Greene) Semple,H. oregona var.scaberrima (A. Gray) Semple,H. pumila (Greene) Semple,H. villosa var.pedunculata (Greene) V. Harms ex Semple, andH. zionensis Semple. The following chromosome numbers are reported for the first time:H. fulcrata var.arizonica, 2n=9 _II ;H. horrida subsp.cinerascens, 2n=18 _II ;H. pumila, 2n=9 _II ,2n=18 _II ;H. zionensis, 2n=9 _II .     

New taxa in Pectis (Compositae: Pectidinae) from Mexico and the southwestern United States

Pectis minutiflora,P. papposa var.grandis, andP. purpurea var.sonorae are described as new. A new combination,P. purpurea var.lancifolia also is included. Chromosome counts (n = 12) are reported forP. papposa var.grandis andP. purpurea var.sonorae.     

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.     

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.     

New combinations in Hawaiian Chamaesyce (Euphorbiaceae)

Chamaesyce is accepted at the genus level for the Hawaiian taxa. The following new combinations are made:C. celastroides var.laehiensis, C. celastroides var.tomentella, C. rockii var.grandifolia, C. skottsbergii var.vaccinioides, andC. sparsiflora.     

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 classification of the generic segregates of Phrygilanthus (= Notanthera) of the Loranthaceae

The taxonomic composition ofPhrygilanthus has long been a source of confusion. Until recently the genus was considered to be distributed from Mexico, Central and South America, to Australia, New Guinea, and the Philippines. Analyses of floral morphology, inflorescence structure, life form, fruit type, and especially chromosome numbers indicate thatPhrygilanthus, as classically circumscribed, is a highly heterogeneous and artificial assemblage containing elements now referable to the following ten genera:Cecarria, Desmaria, Gaiadendron, Ligaria, Muellerina, Notanthera, Psittacanthus, Struthanthus, Tripodanthus, andTristerix. Phrygilanthus itself is nomenclaturally illegitimate and must be replaced by Notanthera. A synopsis of the genera segregated from thePhrygilanthus group is included. A key to the New World genera of Loranthaceae is also appended as well as a nomenclator indicating the present generic status of taxa at one time or another assigned toPhrygilanthus. One genus,Cecarria, is described as new; five new combinations are made:Cecarria obtusifolia (Merr.) Barlow,Psittacanthus palmeri (Wats.) Barlow & Wiens,Struthanthus panamensis (Rizzini) Barlow & Wiens,Tristerix aphyllus (DC.) Barlow & Wiens, andTristerix grandiflorus (Ruiz & Pavon) Barlow & Wiens.     

A revision of the genus Oxytheca Nutt. (Polygonaceae)

The genusOxytheca of western North America and temperate South America consists of seven species which are keyed, described, discussed, illustrated, and mapped. They are divided among sect.Oxytheca, sect.Acanthoscyphus stat. & comb. nov., and sect.Neoxytheca sect. nov.Oxytheca dendroidea subsp.chilensis is given as a new combination, whileO. parishii var.cienegensis andO. parishii var.goodmaniana are described as new. The history and relationships of the genus are discussed. It is retained as distinct fromEriogonum and is thought to have arisen from the larger genus nearE. spergulinum, E. parishii, andE. apiculatum in subgenusGanysma. Cytological data indicatedn= 20.     

New species of Solanum section Geminata (Solanaceae) from South America

Fourteen new species ofSolanum sectionGeminata are described and illustrated. Eight of these,S. erosomarginatum, S. foetens, S. lasiocladum, S. lucens, S. ombrophilum, S. tanysepalum, S. tenuiflagellatum, andS. turgidum are from Venezuela.Solanum cucullatum andS. bellum are from Ecuador,S. abitaguense from Ecuador and northeastern Peru,S. amnicola andS. yanamonense from eastern Peru, andS. mapiricum from eastern Bolivia. Relationships of each of the species to others in its geographical area are discussed. Chromosome numbers are reported for ten of these new species.     

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.     

Chromosome numbers and taxonomic notes in the genus Nama (Hydrophyllaceae)

Chromosome numbers are reported for 48 collections representing 15 species and three varieties ofNama. Counts for 10 taxa are initial reports, all being diploid withn = 7. Diploid counts forN. jamaicense (n = 7), previously known only as tetraploid, are also reported. Comments on the taxonomic relationships of selected taxa are included.     

Penstemon miniatus (Scrophulariaceae): New combinations

Penstemon apateticus Straw is found to be synonymous withP. miniatus Lindl.Penstemon miniatus subsp.apateticus andP. miniatus subsp.townsendianus are presented as new combinations. *** DIRECT SUPPORT *** A01CT127 00005     

Anti-microfouling properties of compounds isolated from several Mediterranean Dictyota spp.

Brown algae of the genus Dictyota are widespread around the world and are common along the coasts of the Mediterranean Sea. These marine organisms keep their surface relatively free from biofouling and are known for their ability to produce a wide array of bioactive compounds, mostly diterpenes, whose ecological functions are not clearly defined. In this study, an evaluation of the chemodiversity of the Dictyota genus was conducted on three samples, harvested on both NW and SW Mediterranean coasts (France and Algeria, respectively). Ten compounds were purified from the organic extracts of these samples; their chemical structures were elucidated by 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy and were compared with literature data. Among them, three new diterpenes [one dolabellane (1), one xenicane (2), and one prenylated guaiane (3)] were characterized together with five previously described compounds [3,4-epoxy-14-oxo-7,18-dolabelladiene (4), acetoxycrenulide (5), dictyol E (6), 10,18-dihydroxydolabella-2,7-diene (7), and 10-acetoxy-18-hydroxydolabella-2,7-diene (8)]. In addition, the occurrence of two known glycerol derivatives [1-Ο-octadecenoylglycerol (9) and sn-3-Ο-(geranylgeranyl)glycerol (10)] was also determined. Some of the isolated compounds (4–6 and 8–10) were screened for their potential to prevent the adhesion of three bacterial strains isolated from marine biofilms in comparison with four commercial antifoulants (TBTO, Zineb, ZnPT, and CuPT): those bearing a glycerol moiety (compounds 9 and 10) exhibited the strongest anti-adhesion effects, whatever the strain, and with a moderate toxicity. Thus, these chemical structures should be further explored for both their putative involvement in keeping the algal surface free of biofouling and the development of effective and environmentally benign antifoulants.