A revision of the Puerto Rican species of lepanthes (Orchidaceae)

Six species of the orchid speciesLepanthes are described as new. A seventh species,L. sanguined, previously known only from Jamaica, is reported from Puerto Rico. The current misspelling ofL. selenitepala, the only species of the genus previously reported from Puerto Rico, is corrected. A key to the eight Puerto Rican species ofLepanthes is presented, and the value of several interesting taxonomic characters is discussed. The possibility of apogamy in this genus is raised, and detailed biosystematic investigations are indicated as necessary for a complete understanding of the group.     

Description and field biology ofMicroctonus hyperodae Loan,n. sp. [Hymenoptera: Braconidae,Euphorinae] a parasite ofHyperodes bonariensis in South America [Coleoptera: Curculionidae]

Microctonus hyperodae Loan, new species, is a parasite of adults of the stem weevilHyperodes bonariensis Kuschel in Argentina and Uruguay. It is described and identification characters are given for the three other known Neotropical species ofMicroctonus. The life cycle, incidence and control importance ofM. hyperodae are reported.     

Sussemionus, a new subgenus of Equus (Perissodactyla,Mammalia)

The new subgenus of Equus, Sussemionus, is defined by peculiar dental characters so far unknown, or exceptional in late Pleistocene and extant Equus; it was in consequence assumed to be restricted to the early and middle Pleistocene. During that period, it was highly successful, ranging from North America to Ethiopia, and included dry-adapted (E. granatensis-like) and more humid-adapted (E. coliemensis-like) species. Recent molecular and osteological analyses concurred to prove its survival until ca 45 KYBP in Khakassia, southwest Siberia, Russia.     

NOTES ONXANTHORIATH. FR. II.XANTHORIA POELTII,A NEW LICHEN SPECIES FROM EUROPE

Xanthoria poeltii, a new species combining characters ofX. candelariaandX. ulophyllodesfrom Sweden, Denmark, Germany and Hungary, is described and illustrated. Comments about its differences from related taxa are provided.     

Systematic wood anatomy of the genus Tapirira Aublet (Anacardiaceae)— a numerical approach

A wood anatomical study of the Mexican species ofTapirira was undertaken to uncover evidence to help clarify the systematics of the genus. Three to five individuals of each of 10 populations from throughout the range of the genus in Mexico were studied. For comparative purposes, three Central and South American species were also examined. Cluster analysis showed that the genus in Mexico can be separated into two phenetic units, represented byT. mexicana, a species widely distributed in Mexico, andT. chimalapana, a species endemic to the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. Canonical discriminant and factor analyses indicate that the quantitative wood characters most useful in distinguishing these species are wall thickness of fibers and vessels, diameter of fiber lumen, and diameter and frequency of radial canals. These species also differ in presence/absence of tannins in the fibers and color and specific gravity of the wood. The South American species,Tapirira bethanniana, T. guianensis, andT. obtusa, have wood anatomy similar to that ofT. chimalapana. The differences in the wood anatomical characters betweenT. mexicana and the other taxa suggest that the infrageneric classification ofTapirira should be reevaluated. The results of this study support the utility of sampling of populations in comparative wood anatomy.     

Précisions sur la structure et la microstructure deRoemeria bohemica Počta 1902, espèce-type du genreRoemeripora Kraicz 1934 (Tabulata,Dévonien inférieur de Bohême)

The speciesRoemeria bohemica Po?ta has been revised on the basis of its original material and of topotypical specimens: its characters are in general consistent with those ofCalamopora infundibulifera Goldfuss 1829, type species of the genusRoemeria Milne-Edwards & Haime 1851.Roemeria bohemica is characterized by the numerous complex tabulae and the strong development of septal spines. These characters are considered by us of only specific importance and the genusRoemeripora Kraicz 1934, based onR. bohemica, is thus considered as a junior synonym ofRoemeria. An exhaustive list of the Devonian species attributed toRoemeria or toRoemeripora is given.     

Spiranthes diluvialis (Orchidaceae), a new species from the western United States

Spiranthes diluvialis, a species known from widely scattered localities in the western United States, is formally described. It has been confused in the past with a number of other species. Morphological characters and cytological data indicate an origin through hybridization ofS. magnicamporum andS. romanzoffiana.     

A first approach to the molecular phylogeny of the genusEchinops (Asteraceae): Sectional delimitation and relationships with the genusAcantholepis

A first attempt to establish the phylogeny of the generaEchinops andAcantholepis has been carried out using the analysis of the internal transcribed spacers (ITS) sequences of the nuclear ribosomal DNA including 30Echinops species and the only species of the monotypicAcantholepis. The results of this analysis are discussed in the light of morphological and cytogenetic characters. The genusAcantholepis is placed in a robust clade withEchinops nanus, and together they appear in a basal position to other members ofEchinops. The ITS phylogeny and several other characters, such as chromosome number and nuclear DNA amount, do not agree with the sections currently recognized withinEchinops. Some groups are defined in the present approach, but further studies are necessary to reach a complete, stable and natural infrageneric classification of this genus.     

Intraspecific variability and sexual dimorphism in the skulls ofPan troglodytes verus

A collection of skulls ofPan troglodytes verus from Liberia was analysed according to specific characters of morphology and sexual dimorphism based on osteological data. Morphologic characters of both sexes are described somewhat in detail. Measurements were taken. Morphometric data show a high range of intraspecific variability within our collection. It shows that the mean metric divergence between both sexes is rather slight, skulls of males in our sample are on the average 3.7% larger than those of females.     

Re-establishment of the genus Unxia (Compositae-Heliantheae)

The type species ofUnxia, U. camphorata, long considered as a species ofMelampodium, andPolymnia suffruticosa are regarded as congeneric, andUnxia L. f., which is closely related toPolymnia in the Melampodiinae, is re-established. A discussion of generic relationships is followed by a taxonomic treatment ofUnxia.     

Ameiurus melas (black bullhead): morphological characteristics of new introduced species and its comparison with Ameiurus nebulosus (brown bullhead)

In the present study we examined and compared external morphology as well as osteological characters of two species of the genus Ameiurus (Teleostei, Ictaluridae): the black bullhead (Ameiurus melas) and brown bullhead (Ameiurus nebulosus), two catfish species that are invasive to Europe. In total 83 (53 and 30) individuals were captured in the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic and further analysed. For genetic screening of both Ameiurus species were chosen three DNA regions: part of nuclear Recombination activating gene 1 (RAG-1), mitochondrial gene for cytochrome b (cyt b) and mitochondrial sequence which includes 12S and 16S ribosomal RNA genes. The results presented in this paper concern specific osteological characteristics (original scheme of pectoral spine and pectoral girdle) used for the determination purposes and also verification that mathematical multivariate methods for external morphology analysis can be used for the determination of Ameiurus species. The summary of 80 out of 83 fish (96.4 %) was correctly classified using the discriminant analysis.     

Relationships of the dissected elaphoglossoid ferns

The pedately dividedElaphoglossum cardenasii and the two small genera,Peltapteris andMicrostaphyla, are found to have close relatives among the entire-bladed species ofElaphoglossum, supporting the view that all the dissected forms should be considered as species ofElaphoglossum. Necessary nomenclatural changes are made.