A Bryophyte Flora of Wigtownahire

Abstract

Fissidens macaoensis L. Zhang is described as a new species from Macao, South China. The species can be separated from its congeners by a suite of characters, including (1) minute size; (2) subterraneous tubers, composed of one to several cells, growing laterally from mature rhizoids; (3) abundant rhizoidal gemmae found on the surface of the soil and which are developed from subterraneous rhizoids; and (4) relatively large cells of the leaf lamina. This is the first report of a moss where two types of vegetative diaspores occur simultaneously in a single individual. Their adaptation strategy is briefly addressed.     

Notes on Fissidens VII–IX

Abstract

Note VII: Fissidens ah-pengae and F. aristifer spp. nov. are described and figured. The first is known from La Réunion, the second from Madagascar and La Réunion. Both belong to subgenus Aloma.

Note VIII: Fifteen new synonyms are proposed: Fissidens bryoides Hedw. var. glaucus Brid. is subsumed under F. crassipes Wilson ex Bruch & Schimp., F. comorensis Müll.Hal. under F. crispulus Brid., F. sigmocarpoides P.de la Varde under Fissidens erosulus (Müll.Hal.) Paris, F. atroviridis Besch., and F. luridus Renauld & Cardot under F. flaccidus Mitt., Moenkemeyera rarotongae Dixon and Fissidens jonesii Bizot ex Pócs under F. lagenarius Mitt. var. lagenarius, F. onraedtii Bizot nom. nud. under F. madecassus Schimp. ex Müll.Hal., F. bryum var. terrestris P.de la Varde under F. metzgeria (Müll.Hal.) Broth., F. edamensis M. Fleisch. under F. pallidinervis Mitt., F. brunnthaleri var. filipes Dixon & P.de la Varde under F. ramulosus Mitt., F. desertorum (Müll.Hal.) Paris and F. bambariensis Broth. & P.de la Varde under F. reflexus Hampe, F. usambaricus var. acutifolius P.de la Varde under F. usambaricus Broth. and F. glauculus var. circinicaulis (Cardot) P.de la Varde under F. weirii Mitt. Fissidens gedehensis M. Fleisch. is re-instated as a good species.

Note IX: Fifty-five new country and state records including F. anguste-limbatus Mitt. new to Africa. Fissidens pocsii Bizot & Dury ex Pócs is the first record of an epiphyllous species of this genus. The African distributions of F. flaccidus and F. pallidinervis are amended.     

Molecular circumscription and intraspecific variation in Porella canariensis (F.Weber) Underw. (Porellaceae,Marchantiophyta)

Abstract

Fissidens subpulchellus Norkett in Gangulee is critically revised, and reduced to the synonymy of F. pulchellus Mitt. A new species, Fissidens longtonianus Z.Iwats. &; Tad.Suzuki, is described from India. This moss was collected on a branch in Jdukki District, South India, and is separated from F. pulchellus Mitt. by its smooth laminal cells, shorter setae and larger, smooth spores.     

A comparison of the species of Fissidens subgenus Aneuron in Australia

Abstract

An illustrated comparison is made of the three species, Fissidens nymanii, F. splachnoides and F. dealbatus in the subgenus Aneuron in Australia.     

Recent Bryological Literature, 62

Abstract

Fissidens gymnogynus Besch., F. mangarevensis Mont. and F. obscurirete Broth. et Par. are reported new to the Philippine moss flora. Their discoveries greatly strengthen the continental Asiatic affinity of the local moss flora.     

Biological control of Radopholus similis in banana by combined application of the mutualistic endophyte Fusarium oxysporum strain 162, the egg pathogen Paecilomyces lilacinus strain 251 and the antagonistic bacteria Bacillus firmus

The biological control efficacy of single or multiple applications of the mutualistic endophyte Fusarium oxysporum strain 162, the egg pathogen Paecilomyces lilacinus strain 251 and the antagonistic bacteria Bacillus firmus toward Radopholus similis was investigated in pot trials with banana under glasshouse conditions. R. similis was controlled substantially in single and combined applications of F. oxysporum with P. lilacinus or B. firmus. The combination of F. oxysporum and P. lilacinus caused a 68.5% reduction in nematode density whereas the individual applications reduced the density by 27.8% and 54.8% over the controls, respectively. Combined application of F. oxysporum and B. firmus was the most effective treatment in controlling R. similis on banana (86.2%), followed by B. firmus alone (63.7%). The compatibility of the biocontrol agents, as well the capacity of F. oxysporum to colonize banana roots in the absence or presence of P. lilacinus was also investigated. P. lilacinus did not adversely affect endophytic colonization by F. oxysporum. Biological control of R. similis in banana can therefore be enhanced via combined applications of antagonists with different modes of action that target different stages in the infection process. Handling editor: Ralf-Udo Ehlers     

Index

Abstract

Two new species of Fissidens from Queensland, Australia, both in subgenus Fissidens Section Semilimbidium, are described and illustrated. Fissidens oblatus I. G. Stone &; D. G. Catcheside is characterised by a mixture of bipapillose and unipapillose lamina cells, a broad limbidium and a wide zone of oblate cells in the vaginant laminae. Fissidens badyinbarus I. G. Stone has unipapillose lamina cells and although elimbate appears to be closely related to some of the semilimbate unipapillose species.     

基于ISSR数据探讨卷叶凤尾藓(Fissidens dubius P.Beauv.)遗传多样性

卷叶凤尾藓(Fissidens dubius P.Beauv.)是凤尾藓科凤尾藓属植物,该种分布广泛,形态变异强烈。为了解其遗传多样性及种群遗传结构特点,本研究利用ISSR分子标记对采集于浙江、福建、广西、四川、辽宁5个省区的卷叶凤尾藓14个自然种群的遗传多样性进行了评价。结果显示:筛选出的12对引物共扩增出259条清晰、重复性高的条带,其中多态性位点有248个,多态位点百分率为95.75%;种群总的Nei's基因多样性指数为0.2327,Shannon's信息指数为0.3701,说明卷叶凤尾藓遗传多样性水平较高;14个种群的遗传分化系数(Gst)为0.7078,种群间的基因流(Nm)为0.1864,表明大部分遗传变异(72.01%)存在于种群间,27.99%的遗传变异存在于种群内,即卷叶凤尾藓种群间遗传分化明显。基于ISSR数据的聚类分析表明,在遗传距离50为分组阈值处,14个种群可被分为6组(G1~G6):G1为来自于浙江省不同采集地点的8个种群(JHBS除外);G2由浙江金华北山种群(JHBS)组成;G3包括福建武夷山(WYS)和天宝岩种群(TBY);G4、G5、G6分别由广西龙胜县花坪种群(GX)、四川龙池种群(LC)、辽宁白石砬子保护区种群(BSLZ)组成,表明卷叶凤尾藓种群间的遗传分化主要由地理距离造成,种群内的遗传分化可能与其生境的异质性有关。     

THE ORIGIN OF HELIANTHUS MULTIFLORUS

Heiser , CHARLES B., Jr . (Indiana U., Bloomington), and Dale M. Smith . The origin of Helianthus multiflorus. Amer. Jour. Bot. 47(10): 860–865. Illus. 1960.—The cultivated ornamental sunflower, Helianthus multiflorus L., has been known since 1591 when it was described from Europe by Tabernaemontanus. Both Gray and Bailey concluded that it was a variety of H. decapetalus. The plant is invariably sterile and Dod was first to suggest a hybrid origin from H. annuus and H. decapetalus. Helianthus multiflorus has been found to be triploid (2n = 51) and at meiosis generally shows 17 bivalents and 17 univalents. Morphologically, the plant is similar to H. decapetalus (n = 34) but differs from it in the more hispid stem, broader leaves and phyllaries, and other characters, all of which could have been derived from H. annuus (n = 17). The artificial hybrid between H. decapetalus and H. annuus, while not readily obtained, has been secured, and the hybrid is rather similar to H. multiflorus. It is concluded that this taxon most likely originated in Europe from spontaneous hybridization between H. decapetalus and H. annuus, following the introduction of these species from North America.     

Cheilolejeunea cedercreutzii (H.Buch & Perss.) Grolle on Madeira Island

Abstract

Fissidens henryae sp. nov. which appears to be closely related to Moenkemeyera australiensis Dix., is fully described and illustrated.     

Mineral relationships and ecological distribution of Fissidens cristatus Wils.

Abstract

Studies carried out in the laboratory indicate that Fissidens cristatus Wils., a moss of chalk and limestone grassland, requires the following conditions for optimum growth: pH, 8.0; calcium, 10 mg/1; potassium, 10 mg/1; magnesium, 50–80 mg/1; iron, less than 0.1 mg/1; It has also been demonstrated that calcium inhibits the short-term uptake of potassium from the culture solution.

Within the shoots of specimens collected from the natural habitat, the potassium content was always higher in the current growth segments, whereas that of calcium was always lower. Seasonal variations in the total content of calcium, potassium and magnesium were observed.

The need to wash material collected in the field prior to chemical analysis has been established and the results are discussed in relation to the distribution and local environmental contamination of F. cristatus.     

Lectotypification of Bryum moravicum Podp. (Bryopsida: Bryaceae)

Abstract

The occurrence of subspecies pallidicaulis of Fissidens taxifolius in West Scotland and South-West Ireland is reported.     

Petrocodon multiflorus sp. nov. (Gesneriaceae) from Guangxi,China

Petrocodon multiflorus F. Wen & Y. S. Jiang sp. nov. (Gesneriaceae) is described and illustrated. It is most similar to P. dealbatus Hance, but can be distinguished by its leaf lamina texture, shape of leaf margins, and by the number of cymes borne by an individual plant and the number of flowers in each cyme. A key to the species of Petrocodon is provided.     

BARRIERS TO GENE EXCHANGE BETWEEN CLOSELY RELATED CRICKET SPECIES. II. LIFE CYCLE VARIATION AND TEMPORAL ISOLATION

The closely related field crickets Gryllus firmus and Gryllus pennsylvanicus are known to hybridize in a zone of contact that extends over more than 800 km from the Blue Ridge in Virginia to southern Connecticut. Here I present evidence that the extent of temporal reproductive isolation of the two cricket species varies along the length of the zone. Adults of G. firmus and G. pennsylvanicus occur synchronously in Connecticut but G. firmus matures significantly later than G. pennsylvanicus along the Blue Ridge in Virginia. Variation in the extent of temporal isolation is a consequence of intrinsic differences in the egg-to-adult development time of G. firmus from the two localities. In laboratory rearing experiments, there is little variation in development time among crickets from G. pennsylvanicus populations ranging from Vermont to Virginia. However, G. firmus from Virginia takes significantly longer to mature than G. firmus from Connecticut. Comparisons between species from neighboring localities show that lowland Virginia G. firmus take much longer to develop and are larger as adults than montane Virginia G. pennsylvanicus. In Connecticut, crickets of the two species differ very little in development time and body size. Patterns of variation in development time and body size are compared with similar data for frogs along one of the same environmental gradients and for field crickets along similar gradients elsewhere. Although G. firmus and G. pennsylvanicus are temporally isolated in Virginia, adults of the two species do occur together. Examination of Esterase genotypes of field-inseminated females and their progeny from a mixed population on the Blue Ridge suggests that pre-mating barriers other than temporal isolation are not effective in preventing gene exchange.     

The cost of being able to fly: a study of wing polymorphism in two species of crickets

Summary The widespread occurrence of wing polymorphisms in insects suggests that the possession of wings and ability to fly adversely affect components of the insect's life characteristics that contribute to its Darwinian fitness. This hypothesis was tested by an analysis of the differences in life history parameters of the macropterous and micropterous morphs of the two cricket species G. firmus and A. fasciatus. In both species there were no differences in development time or adult survival between the two morphs. Significant differences in head width were not consistent between the two species but in both sexes of G. firmus and females of A. fasciatus (insufficient males for analysis) long-winged individuals weighed more than short-winged individuals with the same head width. In both species egg production is delayed in macropterous females. The cumulative fecundity of the micropterous morph is greater than the macropterous morph in both species but only in G. firmus is the difference statistically significant. A. fasciatus frequently loose their wings but no such loss has been observed in G. firmus. There is a significant increase in egg production after the loss of the wings. These results are in accord with those of Tanaka (1976) for the cricket, Pteronemobius taprobanensis.Breeding experiments indicate that in G. firmus the wing polymorphism is under genetic control. The decrease in fecundity is sufficiently large that genotypes producing only macropterous offspring could only persist in highly unstable environments where continuous dispersal was imperative for survival. However, the reproductive cost of a genotype producing a small percentage of macropterous individuals is slight. The fitness that accrues to a genotype producing a few dispersing offspring is likely to offset the small reproductive cost and hence wing polymorphisms should be favoured.     

Fissidens traversii,a new species from Queensland,Australia

Abstract

Fissidens traversii, a new species from Queenslahd, Australia, is characterised by the rounded leaf apex, costa papillose and finishing short of the apex, mamillose, multipapillose cells, short dorsal lamina and vaginant laminae (which usually have a marginal strip of transversely elongated calls in the lower half), reaching almost to the apex of the leaf.     

Polyclonal activation of human lymphocytes byBacillus firmus and its constituents

Bacillus firmus strongly stimulates Ig synthesis in the cultures of human peripheral blood mononuclear leukocytes. As apparent from the character of Ig formation and blastic transformation, the stimulation has features of a polyclonal activation of B lymphocytes without substantial participation of T lymphocytes.B. firmus is a strong B cell polyclonal activator even for human cord blood lymphocytes. The most striking feature is the strong stimulation of IgA synthesis in both adult and cord blod lymphocytes. Several crude fractions were isolated fromB. firmus. None of them exhibited any remarkable enhancement of activity but the cytoplasmic fraction P-40 was clearly more potent than the intact bacilli. On the other hand, cell wall peptidoglycan, a well known polyclonal activator of B cells, had a much lower activity than whole bacteria. The effect ofB. firmus on the stimulation of Ig formation is thus relatively complex; it is not caused mainly by peptidoglycan but rather by some cytoplasmic constituents of the bacterium. Dedicated to Professor C. John on the occasion of his 75th birthday