Two new species ofTrichogramma [Hym.: Trichogrammatidae] from the U.S.A.

Two new species ofTrichogramma from the U.S.A. are described.T. parkeri sp. n., a morphologically distinct species, was reared from an egg ofHeliothis zea (Boddie), whileT. platneri sp. n. which is morphologically indistinguishable fromT. minutum Riley, was reared from eggs ofCydia pomonella (L.). Reproductive incompatibility ofT. platneri andT. minutum is discussed.     

Xenomeris saccifolii and gibbera sphyrospermi,new tropical species of the Venturiaceae (Fungi,Pleosporales)

Xenomeris saccifolii is described from leaves ofSaccifolium bandeirae (Gentianales, Saccifoliaceae);Gibbera sphyrospermi is described from fruit ofSphyrospermum cordifolium (Ericales, Ericaceae). The anamorph ofG. sphyrospermi is presumed to be a species ofStigmina. The concept ofStigmina is expanded to include species with unicellular conidia produced on branched conidiophores.     

Notes on calycophyllous Rubiaceae. Part I. Morphological comparisons of the genera Chimarrhis,Bathysa, and Calycophyllum,with new combinations and a new species,Chimarrhis gentryana

A comparison of some genera of the Condaminecae (Rubiaceae) with a few taxa of closely related tribes (Rondeletieae, Calycophylleae, and Cinchoneae) revealed that some species ofChimarrhis (Condamineeae s. 1.),Bathysa (Rondeletieae), andCalycophyllum (Calycophylleae) are often misassigned to genera. The taxonomic significance of calycophylls is discussed; the generic boundaries ofChimarrhis, Bathysa, andCalycophyllum are reevaluated; and their similarities and differences are discussed. As a result, a new calycophyllous species ofChimarrhis from the Amazon,C. gentryana, is described, two of its species are transferred toBathysa (B. Bathysoides, B. perijaënsis), and one species ofBathysa (B. difformis) is reduced to synonymy underChimarrhis (C. turbinata).     

A cytological basis for the separation of Geropogon from Tragopogon (Compositae: Lactuceae)

The single species ofGeropogon, G. hybridus (L.) Schultz-Bip., is sometimes submerged in the morphologically similarTragopogon. A comparative study of the karyotypes ofGeropogon andTragopogon sensu stricto clarified their relationship. The karyotype ofG. hydridus (2n=14) was compared with that ofT. dubius Scop. (2n=12). The karyotypes are distinct, offering a compelling reason to recognizeGeropogon as a separate genus.     

Monogenean stomach parasites of cichlid fishes from Cameroon: Two new species of the genusEnterogyrus Paperna, 1963 (Ancyrocephalidae)

Two ancyrocephalid monogeneans collected in Cameroon are described:Enterogyrus crassus n. sp. from the stomach ofTilapia nyongana andE. amieti n. sp. from the stomach ofSarotherodon galilaeus sanagaensis. The simultaneous occurrence ofE. cichlidarum Paperna, 1963 in the stomach of these two host species is also reported. The specificity of the two new species is discussed along with the value of haptor morphology (cupped or tongue-shaped) as a specific character in the taxonomy of the genusEnterogyrus.     

Species-specific banding patterns of restriction endonuclease-digested mitochondrial DNA from the genusPythium

Restriction endonuclease-digested mitochondrial DNA from 29Pythium spp. showed distinctly different species-specific electrophoretic banding patterns. Numerical comparisons among species were conducted by calculating the percentage of restriction fragments having the same apparent molecular size. The greatest interspecific similarity in banding patterns (67%) was observed betweenHindIII digests ofPythium heterothallicum andP. sylvaticum. However, comparisons among other species generally revealed similarities of less than 50%, and often less than 30%. The lack of similarity of restriction banding patterns was observed even with several species that share many common morphological features:P. arrhenomanes vsP. graminicola (20%),P. myriotylum vsP. aristosporum (28%), andP. torulosum vsP. vanterpoolii (32%). In contrast to the fragment size heterogeneity among different species, isolates of the same species have highly conserved restriction patterns. Ten isolates ofP. oligandrum, collected from the United States, South Africa, and Czechoslovakia, had a minimum of 86% similarity inHindIII banding patterns. Similar results were observed with eight isolates ofP. ultimum, five ofP. acanthicum, six ofP. spinosum, five ofP. sylvaticum, and eight ofP. irregulare. However, two isolates ofP. irregulare exhibited a higher degree of heterogeneity and shared only 64 to 76% comigrating bands with the eight other isolates of this species.     

Systematics of the calyptridium umbellatum complex (Portulacaceae)

TheCalyptridium umbellatum complex (Portulacaceae), which has been treated as including from one to nine species, is shown to comprise three morphologically distinctive species. Two of these are common, wide-ranging, montane perennial herbs—C. umbellatum, which occurs over a large part of western North America, andC. monospermum, which largely replacesC. umbellatum in cismontane California. The third member of the complex is the rare or possibly extinctC. pulchellum. The perennial members of this complex are accorded the status of a separate genus,Spraguea, by most authors, but a comparative study of the morphology and karyology of all species ofCalyptridium shows this separation to be unwarranted. Chromosome numbers ofn = 22, obtained from eight populations ofC. umbellatum and six ofC. monospermum, constitute the first reported counts for these species. Hybridization studies involvingC. umbellatum andC. monospermum indicate that they are isolated by an incomplete noncrossability barrier.     

Changes in the West Indian operculina (Convolvulaceae)

Two West Indian names inOperculina are briefly discussed and compared with the Old WorldO. turpethum (L.) S. Manso. The conclusions are made thatO. triquetra (Vahl) H. Hallier is a taxonomic synonym ofO. turpethum and thatO. ventricosa (Bertero) Peter may best be considered a variety ofO. turpethum. Typification ofOperculina is discussed, and it is found that, although S. Manso had a mixed concept ofO. turpethum, this species must be the type of the genus.     

Cutlassfishes of the genusLepidopus (Trichiuridae), with two new eastern pacific species

Three of the five known species ofLepidopus occur in the eastern Pacific.Lepidopus manis sp. nov. is described from a single specimen from the Galápagos Islands. The holotype ofL. xantusi Goode et Bean, 1895, supposedly from Cape San Lucas, Lower California, is shown to be conspecific withL. caudatus (Euphrasen, 1788). The species heretofore reported under the nameL. xantusi is described, and namedL. fitchi sp. nov. It ranges from Oregon to the Gulf of California and occurs disjunctly in southern Ecuador and northern Peru. A key to the described species ofLepidopus is given and certain morphological features ofL. caudatus are described. Geographic variability ofL. caudatus andL. fitchi is discussed.     

Allosteric transitions and membrane-bound ATPase from rat tissues: The effect of fat deprivation on the allosteric inhibition by fluoride

In rats red a fat-sufficient diet, ATPases (ATP phosphohydrolase, EC 3.6.1.3) from heart, kidney and brain microsomes showed allosteric kinetics for the inhibition by F^?, with values ofn = ?2.0. In rats fed a far-free diet, the values ofn for the ATPases changed from ?2.0 to ?1.0 in heart and kidney microsomes. When these animals were then fed a fat-sufficient diet the values ofn reached the control values. In brain microsomal ATPases no modification of the values ofn were found between both groups of animals. The regulatory properties of the membrane on bound ATPases are discussed.     

Detection of the intercellular adhesion loci (ica) in clinicalStaphylococcus aureus strains responsible for hospital acquired auricular infection

In clinicalStaphylococcus aureus strains, the presence of theica genes, biofilm formation and susceptibility to antibiotics are considered important factors of virulence. In this study, 35 strains ofS. aureus, isolated from auricular infection, were investigated for slime production using Congo red agar (CRA) method, antibiotic susceptibility, presence ofmecA gene, and presence oficaA andicaD gene. The results show that 60% of strains weremecA positive when tested by PCR although 25.7% of strains were oxacillin resistant when tested with ATB STAPH. Qualitative slime production ofS. aureus using CRA revealed that 74.3% ofS. aureus were slime producers. All the strains carried theica gene.     

A taxonomic study of the genusCalamagrostis on Mount Yakeishidake

Populations of seven species ofCalamagrostis growing on Mt. Yakeishidake were studied from a viewpoint of taxonomy. Four of them (C. sesquifolia, C. fauriei, C. matsumurae, C. gigas) were composed of tetraploid plants with 2n=28 and high pollen fertility.C. matsumurae andC. gigas had sympatric contacts, but no sign of their hybridization could be detected. The population ofC. sachalinensis on this mountain included hexaploids (2n=42) and octoploids (2n=56), and no obvious morphological or ecological differences could be found between them. The population ofC. sachalinensis was estimated to include various ecological races which may be continuously graded. InC. langsdorffi, only octoploid plants were found. Plants with 2n=56+0?1B were found in the population ofC. hakonensis. The pollen features of the collections ofC. langsdorffii, C. sachalinesis andC. hakonensis showed that apomictic seed formation may be more or less developed in them. Populations of these species on Mt. Yakeishidake were clearly separated morphologically. It was concluded that the populations of the seven species examined each have a unity and that strains ofC. langsdorffii, C. sachalinensis andC. hakonensis found on Mt. Yakeishidake are confined to those of a derived type.     

Comparison of the primary structure ofwaxy proteins (granule-bound starch synthase) between polyploid wheats and related diploid species

Thewaxy proteins encoded by the genomes A, B, and D in polyploid wheats and related diploid species were isolated by SDS-PAGE. The N-terminal amino acid sequences of mature proteins and V8 protease-induced fragments were determined. A total of five amino acid substitutions was detected in these sequences, which represent about 10% of the whole sequences of thewaxy proteins. A comparison of these sequences in polyploid wheats with those in related diploid species revealed the following: (i)waxy proteins encoded by the A genome of polyploid wheats were identical to that ofTriticum monococcum, (ii) thewaxy protein encoded by the B genome ofT. turgidum was identical to that ofT. searsii, but differed from those ofT. speltoides andT. longissimum by one amino acid substitution, (iii) thewaxy protein encoded by the B genome ofT. aestivum differed from that encoded by the B genome ofT. turgidum by one amino acid substitution, and (iv) thewaxy protein encoded by the D genome ofT. aestivum was identical to that ofT. tauschii.     

New names inPhanerogamae 6

94 new nomenclatural combinations are proposed, resulting mostly from the study of taxonomic problems on the generic level. The reasons for the acceptance of the generic rank are given in the case ofAcetosa, Pulegium and of some sections ofOrobanche s. l. andSilene s. l. The taxonomic rank ofGentiana blepharophora Bordzi?. from the Caucasus has been revised and the taxon is classified as a subspecies ofGentianopsis ciliata. Nomenclatural problems of not numbered “species” inHoffmann's “Flora Deutschlands” from 1800 are demonstrated on the example ofArmeria elongata.     

Notes on Oenocarpus (Palmae) in the Colombian Amazon

Five species ofOenocarpus from the Río Caquetá, in the Colombian Amazon, are discussed. Two of themOenocarpus simplex andOenocarpus makeru are described as new.Oenocarpus bacaba var.parvus is shown to be a synonym ofO. balickii; this species andO. minor are recorded for the first time in Colombia. Some comments on the poorly knownO. circumtextus are also given. The new findings support the inclusion ofJessenia inOenocarpus.     

A taxonomic revision of the Antennaria rosea (Asteraceae: Inuleae: Gnaphaliinae) polyploid complex

TheAntennaria rosea species complex is circumscribed to contain four subspecific taxa. A complete synonymy and key to the subspecies ofA. rosea is presented. The following new combinations are proposed:Antennaria rosea subsp.arida (E. Nels.) R. Bayer,A. rosea subsp. confinis (Greene) R. Bayer, andA. rosea subsp. pulvinata (Greene) R. Bayer. The affinities ofA. rosea to other species ofAntennaria are discussed and a key to separateA. rosea from related polyploid complexes is provided.     

The course of resin canals in the shoots of conifers

The course of resin canals in stem cortex and the continuity between resin canals in leaves and those in stem cortex were investigated. The present paper is the first of three parts of the investigation. In this paper, fundamental features of resin canals and actual resin canal patterns in the Taxaceae, Cephalotaxaceae and Podocarpaceae are reported. From the observation of serial transections of shoots, composite diagrams and three-dimensional models of resin canal patterns are drawn. Central canals, if present, run vertically in stem cortex and sometimes divide, end blindly or unite each other. The distance between two adjacent central canals fluctuates rhythmically in connection with the vascular supply from the stem to leaves. The resin canal patterns of the families are classified into four types. Those ofTaxus, Nothotaxus and three species ofDacrydium belong to the Taxus type, those ofTorreya andCephalotaxus to the Torreya type, those ofDacrydium elatum, Podocarpus alpinus, P. elatus, P. elongatus andP. neriifolius to the Dacrydium type, those ofP. macrophyllus, P. nagi andP. koordersii to the Podocarpus type.     

Genetic evidence for the functional redundancy of the calcineurin-and Mpk1-mediated pathways in the regulation of cellular events important for growth inSaccharomyces cerevisiae

Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutants which exhibit phenotypes (calcium resistance and vanadate sensitivity) similar to those of calcineurin-deficient mutants were isolated. The mutants were classified into four complementation groups (crv1,2,3 and4).crv1 was allelic tocnb1, a mutation in the regulatory subunit of calcineurin. The nucleotide sequences ofCRV2 andCRV3 genes which complemented thecrv2 andcrv3 mutations, respectively, are identical to those ofBCK1/SLK1/SKC1/SSP31 andMPK1/SLT2, respectively, which are both involved in the MAP kinase cascade. A calcineurin-deletion mutation (Δcnb1), which by itself has no detectable effect on growth and morphology, enhanced some phenotypes (slow growth and morphological abnormality) ofcrv2 andcrv3 mutants. These phenotypes ofcrv2 andcrv3 mutants were partially suppressed by Ca²⁺ or by overproduction of the calcineurin subunits (Cmp2 and Cnb1). Like the calcineurin-deficient mutant,crv2 andcrv3 mutants were defective in recovery from α-factor-induced growth arrest. The defect in recovery of the Δcnb1 mutant was suppressed by overexpression ofMPK1. These results indicated that the calcineurin-mediated and the Mpk1- (Bck1-) mediated signaling pathways act in parallel to regulate functionally redundant cellular events important for growth.