New species and combinations in Thelypteris subg. Goniopteris (Thelypteridaceae)

Three new species ofThelypteris are described and illustrated:T. littoralis andT. paranaensis, endemic to the rainforest of the southern Brazilian Atlantic coast, andT. multigemmifera, endemic to inland gallery forests of the São Paulo state. In addition, four new combinations are made:T. cutiataensis (Brade) Salino,T. iguapensis (C. Chr.) Salino. A new name is proposed forDryopteris lugubris var.quadrangularis:T. montana Salino. The species treated here belong toThelypteris subg.Goniopteris due to the indument of furcate and stellate trichomes.     

New varietal combinations in Agave vivipara (Agavaceae)

New varietal combinations are made inAgave vivipara forA. deweyana, A. letonae, A. nivea, A. rubescens andA. angustifolia var.sargentii. A. angustifolia var.marginata andA. angustifolia var.variegata are transferred toA. vivipara as cultivars.     

Dragma Hippomanicum III: Novitates Californicae

Two new taxa are described from California:Astragalus (sect.Flexuosi)shevockii from the Sierra Nevada in Tulare County representing a new subsect.Shevockiani; andA. lentiginosus var.piscinensis from an alkaline spring in Mono County. Rediscovery in Nevada of long-lostA. lentiginosus var.sesquimetralis and a new station for the same in Inyo County, California are reported.     

New and noteworthy plants from Great Barrier Reef sand cays,Australia

Observations are presented on new and critical plants from the northern sand cays on the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia, based mainly on recent collections made by David R. Stoddart and Ralf Buckley. New species and varieties are described:Lepturus stoddartii (Poaceae),Boerhavia fistulosa var.fistulosa and var.puberuliflora (Nyctaginaceae),Boerhavia albiflora var.heronensis, Spermacoce everistiana (Rubiaceae), andSpermacoce buckleyi; a new combination is made:Diospyros ferrea var.compacta (R. Br.) (Ebenaceae); and additional taxonomic notes are given onBoerhavia, Euphorbia (Euphorbiaceae), andAbutilon (Malvaceae).     

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.     

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.     

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.     

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 .     

Dragma Hippomanicum VIII. A new species of Astragalus section Strigulosi (Leguminosae) from Oaxaca

Astragalus cenorrhynchus Barneby is related toA. oxyrrhynchus Hemsl., endemic to the Valley of Mexico, but differs in diminished stature, few-flowered racemes of yellowish flowers, and plumper, apically unilocular pod.     

A synopsis of the South American taxa of Fabronia (Fabroniaceae)

The genusFabronia in South America is found to represent five taxa:F. ciliaris var.ciliaris, F. ciliaris var.wrightii,F. ciliaris var.polycarpa,F. macroblepharis andF. jamesonii. Synonymy, brief discussion, illustrations and a key are provided.Fabronia enervis Herz., hom. illeg., is the basis for the new genusMahua.     

New combinations for Panicum subgenus Panicum and subgenus Dichanthelium (Poaceae) of the Southeastern United States

Twenty-two new varietal combinations are made for the treatment of the genusPanicum of the Southeastern United States. The following 3 new combinations are made in the subgenusPanicum:Panicum rigidulum var.elongatum, P. rigidulum var.pubescens, P. rigidulum var.combsii. The following 19 new combinations are made in the subgenusDichanthelium:P. strigosum var.glabrescens P. strigosum var.leucoblepharis, P. dichotomum var.roanokense, P. dichotomum var.lucidum, P. dichotomum var.ramulosum, p. dichotomum var.mattamuskeetense, P. dichotomum var.yadkinense, P. ensifolium var.curtifolium, P. chamaelonche var.breve, P. portoricense var.nashianum, P. acuminatum var.fasciculatum, P. acuminatum var.unciphyllum, P. acuminatum var.columbianum, P. acuminatum var.lindheimeri, P. acuminatum var.densiflorum, P. acuminatum varlongiligulatum, P. acuminatum var.leucothrix, P. ovale var.pseudopubescens, andP. ovale var.villosum.     

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.     

Erigeron salmonensis (Asteraceae), a rare new species from Idaho

Erigeron salmonensis, a diploid (n=9) species known only from one location in the Salmon River canyon of Idaho, is described and illustrated. The species appears to be most closely related toE. arenarioides, an endemic of northern Utah.Erigeron salmonensis differs in its long, naked, eglandular peduncles; longer leaves; smaller heads with fewer phyllaries; and longer, fewer ray florets. Federal Endangered or Threatened status may be warranted if additional populations are not discovered.     

A new species and a new combination in western North American Silene (Caryophyllaceae)

Silene nachlingerae is described, illustrated, and compared toS. aperta. The similarly floweredS. invisa is considered to be closely related toS. bernardina, and especially to its var.rigidula (Robinson) Tiehm, comb nov.     

Dragma Hippomanicum IV. New taxa of Astragalus sect. Humillimi

Astragalus wittmannii, from northern New Mexico, representing a new subsectionNothorophaca, andA. cremnophylax var.myriorrhaphis, from northwestern Arizona, are described, figured and discussed.     

Changes and additions in ipomoea section batatas (Convolvulaceae)

A new species, Ipomoea tabascana, is described from Mexico, and the combination I. batatas var. apiculata is made for plants endemic to Veracruz. Comments on the alliance of I. umbraticola with the section Batatas are given.     

Three new species of Dasylirion (Nolinaceae) from Mexico and a clarification of the D. longissimum complex

Three new species ofDasylirion and a new variety ofD. longissimum Lem. from the mountains of northern Mexico are described and illustrated. Two of the new species are from northwestern Mexico:D. gentryi, with large, rosecolored fruits and glossy, non-waxy leaves; andD. sereke, characterized by roundish fruits with an unusuall large style.Dasylirion miquihuanense is a new species from northeastern Mexico with narrow, strictly upright leaves and widely separated marginal prickles. TheDasylirion longissimum complex consists of two species,D. quadrangulatum S. Wats andD. longissimum Lem., characterized by narrow, quadrangulate leaves with reduced or absents marginal prickles. Distinguishing features of these two species, which have often been confused, are presented andD. longissimum var.treleasei, characterized by small flowers and fruits, is described.     

A new variety of Pedicularis contorta (Scrophulariaceae) endemic to Idaho and Montana

Pedicularis contorta var.rubicunda, endemic to north-central Idaho and western Montana, is formally described and illustrated. Morphological and cytological comparisons are made with the two previously described varieties ofP. contorta. Specimens appearing morphologically intermediate between var.contorta and var.rubicunda are also examined.     

Biomolecules from HCN

The mechanism of the condensation of dilute aqueous solutions of HCN and the products formed by these reactions have been investigated. The initial HCN condensation reactions yield3, a compound which is readily oxidized to4. A similar oxidation of5 to6 was also observed. Urea is formed on hydrolysis of4. The oxidation-reduction products formed from HCN may be in part a consequence of the oxidation of3. It has been established by combination GC/MS that the amino acids glycine, diaminosuccinic acid, α-amino-isobutyric acid, aspartic acid, alanine and isoleucine are released on acid hydrolysis of the ‘HCN polymer’. Hydantoin (7), 5,5-dimethylhydantoin (8) and 5-carboxymethyldenehydantoin (10) are also released on acid hydrolysis of the HCN condensation products. The direct conversion of the dicarbonyl derivative, of diaminosuccinic acid to orotic acid via10 at pH 8 has been observed. This conversion suggests a direct route to pyrimidines from HCN.