Pseudoracemes in papilionoid legumes: their nature, development, and variation

Pseudoracemes in papilionoid legumes: their nature, development, and variation. Cymelike partial inflorescences called fascicles have been reported in the inflorescences of several papilionoid tribes. The total inflorescence is termed a ‘pseudoraceme’ because of the multiple flowers in each bract axil. Pseudoraceme development has been studied in 22 taxa in five papilionoid tribes (Abreae, Desmodieae, Millcttieae, Phaseoleae and Psoraleeae). Two to twelve flowers occur per bract axil among various taxa, with three the most common number.Pongamia pinnata and Clitoris fairchildiana have only two flowers per axil; Vigna radiata, Phaseolus vulgaris, and Apios americana have four to five commonly, and Dioclea aff.ucayalina and Abrus precalorius have up to 12. The ‘fascicle’ usually consists of a triad of three flowers; each triad resembles a dichasial cyme in that the middle flower appears terminal. The middle flower however is subtended by a bract on the abaxial side, so that the middle flower is technically lateral. When the first-order axis elongates, each triad may either remain intact or be separated by axis intervalS. Many variations on the basic triad pattern occur in the species studied: 1.one or two flowers may develop while others that are initiated remain suppressed; 2. Additional flowers may be produced that replicate the first triad; 3. Additional flowers may form medianly only, on the abaxial side. The second-order inflorescence axis which has produced the three flowers persists to produce more flowers in replication of the triad pattern in several taxa (Apios americana, Vigna radiata, Phaseolus vulgaris, and Dioclea aff.ucayalina). In Butea monosperma the second-order inflorescence apex produces subsequent flowers (after the triad) in a helix. In Erylhrina perrieri, there is no indication of a persistent second-order inflorescence apex after the central flower; such a condition could be interpreted as a cyme, except for the abaxial subtending bract. The triad in Psoralea pinnata is a true cyme; the middle flower lacks a subtending bract other than that subtending the entire fascicle. Developmentally, the difference between a cyme and an early-determinate raceme (as in the triad type of pseudoraceme) is rather slight. Comparison of the types of inflorescences described here may indicate how the transition may have occurred between racemes and cymes in the evolution of legumes.     

中国槲寄生属—分布新记录种—尼泊尔槲寄生

报道1种槲寄生属植物一尼泊尔槲寄生Viscum nepalense Spreng．在中国的新分布。     

Sex-determining and floating translocation complexes in Viscutn cruciatum Sieber ex Boiss.(Viscaceae) in southern Spain. Some evolutionary and ecological comments

As in other dioecious species of Viscum, males of V.cruciatum always produce large rings of chromosomes during meiosis due to the existence of permanent translocation heterozygosity. Only rings often (and very rarely 12) chromosomes have been found in this species, probably a relative of V.album in the Mediterranean area. Females form bivalentS. Another two floating translocations–not sex-associated and affecting different chromosomes–have been observed in both male and female plants in some populations. These produce meiotic configurations previously unrecorded in Viscum. This floating heterozygosity seems to be correlated with the aptitude of V.cruciatum to develop on different hosts, especially Prunus. All studied populations showed an excess of female plants, perhaps partly due to facultative agamospermy.     

THE ALLIUM INFLORESCENCE: SOME SPECIES OF THE SECTION MOLIUM

Mann , Louis K. (U. California, Davis.) The Allium inflorescence: some species of the section Molium. Amer. Jour. Bot. 46(10): 730–739. Illus. 1959.—The inflorescence is described for Allium neapolitanum, A. roseum, A. hirsutum, A. subhirsutum, A. zebdanense and A. erdelii, species of Molium, a Mediterranean section of the genus. Inflorescence structure is similar among these 6 species. The single spathe appears to consist of 4 coalesced bracts, each of which bears in its axil a bostryx (helicoid cyme) of 3–7 flowers. Central to these 4 peripheral bostryxes are several smaller ones which differentiate later and decrease in flower number toward the inflorescence center. Bracts and bracteoles (prophylls) are generally absent within the spathe. The inflorescence is not radially symmetrical and the bostryx on the side opposite the uppermost foliage leaf differentiates and develops first. Among the peripheral bostryxes there is a definite sequence of development and certain regularities of coiling (clockwise vs. counterclockwise). Within each bostryx the flowers open in a strict sequence from oldest to youngest; among the bostryxes, the 4 peripheral ones flower first, usually starting with the first bostryx to be differentiated. The central bostryxes flower last.     

Phylogenetic relationships of the mustache toads inferred from mtDNA sequences

Species of the genus Vibrissaphora are unique among all anurans in that males exhibit external cornified spines in the maxillary region during the breeding season. They were separated from species of the genus Leptobrachium based on this unique character. We construct a phylogeny using the 16S, ND4, and cytochrome b mitochondrial genes of 42 individuals from eight species of Vibrissaphora and five species of Leptobrachium from mainland China, Southeast Asia, and Hainan Island. Species of both Oreolalax and Scutiger were used as outgroups. The results indicate that: L. huashen and L. chapaense form a clade that is nested within Vibrissaphora, and L. hainanense is the sister taxon to the clade comprising all Vibrissaphora plus L. chapaense and L. huashen; V. boringiae is grouped with a clade consisting of V. leishanensis, V. liui, and V. yaoshanensis; and V. yaoshanensis is a species separate from V. liui. We propose taxonomic changes that reflect these findings. Also based on the resulting phylogenetic trees, we propose that the mustache toads originated in the trans-Himalayan region of southwest China, and that the evolution of maxillary spines, large body size, and reverse sexual size dimorphism in these frogs was influenced by intrasexual selection due to adopting a resource-defense polygyny mating system.     

Raphiocarpus tamdaoensis sp. nov. (Gesneriaceae) from Vietnam

A new species of Gesneriaceae, Raphiocarpus tamdaoensis V. X. Phuong, D. T. Xuyen & Y. G. Wei, is described and illustrated from Vietnam. It is similar to R. asper (Drake) B. L. Burtt and R. evrardii (Pellegr.) B. L. Burtt, but is easily differentiated by leaf blades being ovate–elliptic or obovate, 4–10 × 1.5–3.5 cm, one cyme with only one flower, peduncle linear, 3.0–5.0 cm long, corolla light yellow, 3.0–4.5 cm long, and a pubescent ovary.     

Permanent translocation heterozygosity in Viscum hildebrandtii Engl. and V. engleri Tiegh. (viscaceae) in East Africa

Translocation heterozygosity is characteristic of male plants of Viscum hildebrandtii Engl. (n=14) and V. engleri Tiegh. (n=14). Both species are polymorphic with regard to the known chromosome associations which include: 12II, 1IV; 11II, 1VI; 10II, 2IV; 10II, 1VIII; 9II, 1IV, 1VI and 6II, 1IV, 2VI. All multivalents are rings. The translocation heterozygosity is not associated with a distortion of the sex ratio in favour of female plants, as occurs in V. fischeri Engl., but probably with the differentiation and adaptation of biotypes.     

广东楝科植物分类的初步研究

本文是对广东楝科植物种类的初步整理、研究,记载了16属33种7交种,包括本省产的13属27种7变种和外来引种的3属6种。其中有1个新变种(封开地黄连Munronia hainanensis How et T. Chen var. microphyllina X. M. Chen),3个新组合(曾椤Amoora tsangii (Merr.) X. M. Chen, 雷楝Reinwardtiodendron dubium (Merr.) X. M. Chen, 毛香椿Toona sinensis (A. Juss.) M. J. Roem. var. schensiana (C. DC.) X. M. Chen), 3个分布新记录[雷楝属Reinwardtiodendron (我国新记录),鹧鸪花Trichilia connaroides (W. et A.) Bentv. var. connaroides(广东新记录),海南(木坚)木Dysoxylvm hainanense Merr. var. hainanense(广东大陆新记录)].     

European and Mediterranean oaks (Quercus L.; Fagaceae): SEM characterization of the micromorphology of the abaxial leaf surface

This paper examines micromorphological characteristics (trichomes, waxes, stomata) of the abaxial leaf surface of European and Mediterranean oaks. Observations were performed In-scanning electron microscopy, and the purpose of the investigation was to ascertain whether it is possible to distinguish the different species taxonomically using these features. Several species, as well as some subspecific entities and taxa considered doubtful, were taken into consideration. Subgenera appear to be well-defined: e.g. the subgenus Quercus is characterized by waxes arranged in vertical scales, the subgenera Cenis and Sclerophyllodris by smooth waxes. They differ because the former has markedly elliptical stomata, while the latter two have roundish stomata. The different species are also fairly easy to distinguish, and this fact confirms the taxonomical validity of the parameters we have taken into consideration. In some cases subspecific entities and doublful species do not diflcr at all from the related species, but in others they present such marked variations that it is difficult even to classify them with certainty. The most critical taxonomic groups (i.e. those which include a number of specific and subspecific entities often too difficult to distinguish from each other) are the series Quercus robur – Quercus petraea,– Quercus pubescens and the Quercus faginea,– Quercus Insitanica Quercus canariensis group.     

四种番荔枝科植物花粉形态

利用扫描和透射电子显微镜,观察了番荔枝科(Annonaceae)4属4种植物的花粉形态与结构.刺果番荔枝(Annona muricata)和金钩花(Pseuduvaria trimera)为四合花粉,有四角形、偏菱形、T-型、十字形和四面体形.前者花粉表面具小穿孔,后者为皱波状纹饰.蕉木(Oncodostigma hainanense)和那大紫玉盘(Uvaria macclurei)为单花粉,前者表面为皱波状纹饰,后者为粗褶皱状纹饰.透射电子显微镜下,蕉木和那大紫玉盘覆盖层较厚、连续.蕉木覆盖下层较薄,偶尔可见颗粒状物质或不规则小柱,为过渡型覆盖下层;那大紫玉盘覆盖下层颗粒状.基层分为内外两层,外层较厚,平或呈波浪状,内层具有2～4片层结构.在不同属或同属不同种之间,花粉特征差异较大,多样性非常丰富.金钩花具有四合花粉、覆盖下层小柱状等进化特征,同时又具有花粉粒小、覆盖层无穿孔等较原始特征.     

Goniothalamus banii sp. nov. (Annonaceace) from Thanh Hoa,Vietnam

A new species of Goniothalamus (Blume) Hook.f. & Thomson (Annonaceae), G. banii B. H. Quang, R. K. Choudhary & V.T. Chinh, is described and illustrated from Thanh Hoa Province, Vietnam. This species shows morphological similarities with G. uvarioides King and G. donnaiensis Finet & Gagnep. but is differentiated by having 22–30 (or more) secondary veins in the leaf, a 1–3‐flowered cyme, a ca 2–3 cm long pedicel, lanceolate and tomentose outer petals, stipitate obovoid‐oblong monocarps, and a single‐seeded monocarp.     

Discovery of sympatric cryptic species within Gekko hokouensis (Gekkonidae: Squamata) from the Okinawa Islands, Japan, by use of allozyme data

An electrophoretic survey of samples of the gekkonid lizard, Gekko hokouensis , from the East Asian islands demonstrated that two genetically divergent, but morphologically almost identical, entities occur on five islands of the Okinawa Group, Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan. These entities, while sharing all of the external character states diagnostic of G. hokouensis , exhibited fixed allele differences at six to eight out of 30 loci examined and great overall genetic distances [ Nei's (1978) D  = 0.489–0.654]. On Kumejima and Tonakijima Islands of the Okinawa Group, the two entities were collected together from identical microhabitats. These results indicate that the two entities represent separate biological species. Genetic comparisons of these two cryptic species from the Okinawa Group with ' G. hokouensis ' from other island groups revealed that one occurs broadly in the insular region of East Asia, whereas the other is restricted to the Okinawa Group. Implications of the present findings for the morphological evolution of ' G. hokouensis ' are also discussed.     

Population-level declines in Australian predators caused by an invasive species

The cane toad Bufo marinus has been migrating westward across northern Australia since its introduction as a biological control agent in 1935. It has been implicated in the widespread decline of many native frog-eating predators. To investigate the impacts of this invasive species on native predatory reptiles, annual surveys were conducted from 2001 to 2007 to document variation in the relative abundances of three varanid lizards ( Varanus mertensi, Varanus mitchelli and Varanus panoptes ) and one crocodile Crocodylus johnstoni species known to consume toads. In addition, the indirect effects of this variation on one agamid lizard Amphibolurus gilberti , a known prey item of V. panoptes , were also examined. Surveys were performed at two sites in northern Australia before and after the arrival of B. marinus . Significant declines in the relative abundances of all three species of varanid lizard were observed following toad arrival. Declines in the abundance of V. panoptes, V. mitchelli and V. mertensi at the two sites ranged 83–96, 71–97 and 87–93%, respectively. In contrast, A. gilberti increased by 23–26%; whereas there were no significant population-level declines in C. johnstoni despite observations of individual effects (i.e. several dead crocodiles with B. marinus in their stomachs). These findings suggest population-level changes in Australian lizards caused by an invasive species.     

Chromosome numbers in African and Madagascan Loranthaceae and Viscaceae

Eighty-five chromosome numbers representing about 63 species and 23 genera are reported for African and Madagascan Loranthaceae. The base chromosome number of all genera studied is χ= 9. This chromosome number also typifies all other Old World genera of the tribe Lorantheae, and thus supports the previously suggested thesis that the Asian and African Loranthaceae are relatively closely related. Seventy-six chromosome numbers, representing three genera ( Arceuthobium, Korthalsella, Viscum ) and 40 species are reported for African and Madagascan Viscaceae. Most of the data are for Viscum. The number χ= 14 is suggested as the base chromosome number for both Viscum and the family as a whole. The Madagascan Visca , however, have a modal chromosome number of χ= 13. Aneuploid chromosome numbers of χ= 12, 11 and 10 occur in Viscum at the north-south distributional extremes in southern Africa and Europe and, with the addition χ= 13, in all the species with eastward distributions in Madagascar, Asia and Australia. Polyploidy is rare in African and Madagascan members of both families, as is generally also true for other parts of the world where they have been studied. Translocation heterozygosity is reported for a number of species in Viscum.     

The exine ultrastructure of pollen grains in Gnetum (Gnetaceae) from China and its bearing on the relationship with the ANITA Group

Pollen grains of six species of Gnetum , G. parvifolium , G. hainanense , G. luofuense , G. pendulum , G. cleistostachyum and G. montanum , collected from China were examined using light, scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Pollen grains of Gnetum are subspheroidal or irregular-apolar, inaperturate, 11.21–22.44 µm in long axis and 9.34–20.47 µm in short axis. The exine surface is covered with spinules, 0.50(0.30–0.71) µm long spaced on average 1.12(0.81–1.46) µm apart. The exine is about 0.55 µm thick and comprises ectexine and endexine. The ectexine includes a thin tectum and an infratectal granular layer. The tectum protrudes outwards, forming the spinules. The endexine is composed of discontinuous lamellae, with lacunae between lamellae. The pollen grains of Gnetum are compared with those of Ephedra and Welwitschia , and also those of the ANITA Group of angiosperms, including Amborellaceae, Nymphaeales, Illiciales, Trimeniaceae and Austrobaileyaceae. The exine ultrastructures of Gnetum , Ephedra and Welwitschia are quite similar, consisting of tectum, granular layer and lamellated endexine. The exine ultrastructure of Gnetum is also similar to that of Nymphaea colorata (Nymphaeaceae) in the transitional region between the proximal and distal poles, but differs from that of Amborellaceae, Illicium religiosum (Illiciaceae), Schisandra (Schisandraceae), Trimeniaceae and Austrobaileyaceae. This comparison of exine ultrastructure provides new evidence for consideration of the relationship between Gnetum and the ANITA Group.  © 2004 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2004, 146 , 415–425.     

Contributions to the orchid flora of Thailand IX

In continuation of earlier papers in this series, published in the now discontinued Botanisk Tidskrift Vol. 65–72, 1969–1977, additions and corrections to earlier papers on East Asiatic orchids are supplied. Seven new species are proposed, of which five from neighboring countries, and further seven new records for Thailand are listed. The five species alien to Thailand may be expected to be found also in Thailand. Some nomenclatural changes and new synonyms are proposed. An attempt is made to clarify taxonomical and nomenclatural problems on some entities in the Rhopalanthe section of Dendrobium.     

Development of Axillary and Leaf-opposed Buds in Rattan Palms

Axillary vegetative buds are present in Calamus, Ceratolobus,and Plectocomiopsis. Two species of Daemonorops Sect. Piptospathaalso have axillary vegetative buds. All species of Daemonoropshave only displaced adnate axillary inflorescence buds. A singlebud is initiated in the axil of the first or second leaf primordiumin a way similar to that for axillary inflorescence buds. Themeristem is displaced during development on to the internodeabove and sometimes on to the base of the leaf above. Leaf-opposedvegetative buds occur in five species of Daemonorops Sect. Cymbospathaand in one species of Daemonorops Sect. Piptospatha. This typeof bud is initiated 180° away from the axil of the firstor second leaf primordium. It is not a displaced axillary bud,but does become adnate to the internode above like the axillarybuds. One or more leaves, transitional between juvenile andadult, on a shoot often subtend both types of buds. Myrialepishas leaf-opposed vegetative buds, but their development wasnot observed. Korthalsia has buds that are displaced about 130°from the leaf axil and are intermediate between the axillaryand the leaf-opposed condition. Other forms of vegetative budsare described: multiple buds in Plectocomia, aerial forkingin Korthalsia, and suckering from inflorescences and from aerialstems in Calamus. bud development, rattan palms, palm taxonomy, branching     

广东植物增补

报道广东分布新记录7种：糙叶卷柏,阔片里白,海南马兜铃,大叶五室柃,银毛叶山黄麻,海南杜鹃,心叶帚菊。     

Cytotaxonomy of species of Vernonia, section Lepidaploa, group Axilliflorae (Asteraceae, Vernonieae)

Mitotic chromosomes of eight populations of six species of Vernonia sensu Baker (Asteraceae, Vernonieae, section Lepidaploa , group Axilliflorae ) were studied to assess the validity of maintaining the genus as proposed currently ( sensu Baker) or of splitting it into several smaller genera ( sensu Robinson). The species were collected in areas of 'cerrado' and 'campo rupestre' in southern and central-western Brazil. The chromosome numbers were 2 n  = 20–40 and karyotypic analysis showed a predominance of metacentric chromosomes, with some submetacentrics. B chromosomes were seen in one population of V. geminata . The chromosomes varied in length from 0.9 to 4.6 µm, with a total chromatin length of 29.7–45.0 µm and a symmetry index of 41.2–46.9%. The intrachromosomal asymmetry index varied from 0.13 to 0.29, and the interchromosomal asymmetry index varied from 0.15 to 0.21. The dispersion diagram showed that population 1 of V. geminata had the most asymmetrical karyotype. These results do not provide sufficient evidence for a conclusive cytotaxonomic discussion of Vernonia , mainly because of the impossibility of associating any infrageneric group with specific karyotypic characters, and also because of the small number of species analysed so far.  © 2007 The Linnean Society of London. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2007, 154 , 99–108.