Biosystematic study of the genus Limonium (Plumbaginaceae) in the Aegean area, Greece. EO. Limonium on the islands Kithira and Antikithira and the surrounding islets

The genus Limonium is represented on Kithira, Antikithira and the surrounding islets by the following nine species: L. aphroditae and L. cythereum , recently described from Kithira; L. runemarkii and L. ocymifolium , endemic to Greece; L. graecum and L. sieberi , distributed in E Mediterranean; L. virgatum, L. sinuatum and L. echioides , having a wider Mediterranean distribution. For L. runemarkii , considered so far as endemic to SE Ewia, a new extended distribution range is given from Ewia to NW Kriti, through Peloponnisos and Kithira, showing the phytogeographic relationship of these areas. Moreover, the treatment of L. pigadiense as synonym of L. ocymifolium is proposed. Key and diagnostic characters for the species studied are given, while their affinities to related Aegean and Mediterranean Limonium taxa are discussed. Data on the cytology and breeding system are given. The following chromosome numbers were found: 2n=3x=27 for L. aphroditae and L. virgatum , 2n=6x=52 for L. cythereum , 2n=6x=51 for L. sieberi (firstly reported), 2n=5x=43 for L. runemarkii (firstly reported), L. ocymifolium and L. graecum , 2n=2x=16 for L. sinuatum and 2n=2x=18 for L. echoides. Concerning pollen-stigma combination, L. aphroditae, L. ocymifolium and L. virgatum are monomorphic with the self-incompatible combination B, while L. cythereum and L. runemarkii are also monomorphic with the self-incompatible combination A. According to these data the above species can be considered as apomictic. The facultative apomictic L. graecum was found monomorphic with the combination A, while L. sieberi , has the combination A or B within different populations. The autogamous species L. echioides has the self-compatible combination C, while the allogamous L. sinuatum is dimorphic having both combinations A and B in each population.     

Study of the evolutionary relationships among Limonium species (Plumbaginaceae) using nuclear and cytoplasmic molecular markers

The genus Limonium, due to the patchiness of the natural habitats of its species as well as the high frequency of hybridization and polyploidy and the possibility of reproduction by apomixis, provides an example of all the principal mechanisms of rapid speciation of plants. As an initial study of evolution in this genus, we have analyzed intra- and interspecific variability in 17 species from section Limonium, the largest in the genus, based on RFLPs of cpDNA and nuclear rDNA ITS sequences. In the cpDNA analysis, 21 restriction enzymes were used, resulting in 779 fragments, 490 of which were variable and 339 parsimony informative. L. furfuraceum exhibited two relatively divergent cpDNA haplotypes. The relationships found among the species based on cpDNA restriction fragments were coincident using different methods of phylogenetic analysis. Due to the presumed reticulate evolution in the genus Limonium, the comparison of these results with data from the nuclear DNA was necessary; ITS sequences were analyzed. The final alignment contained 488 characters, of which 198 were variable and 156 parsimony informative. Two relatively divergent ITS types were present at the intraindividual level in L. delicatulum, a triploid species. Each type was related to ITS from different groups of diploid Limonium species, one with a base haploid chromosome number n = 8 (represented by L. cossonianum) and the other with n = 9 (represented by L. minutum). The different phylogenetic inference methods used for the analysis of ITS sequences rendered very similar topologies. In general, the relationships among the species studied were coincident with those obtained with the chloroplast genome. Both nuclear and cytoplasmic markers support the polyphyly of section Limonium, with at least two species, L. narbonense and L. vulgare, clearly divergent from the rest. Moreover, the remaining subsections into which section Limonium is currently divided seem to be artificial.     

Limonium failachicum (Plumbaginaceae) — New and so far the only endemic plant from Kuwait

Limonium failachicum, a new diploid (2n=18) species ofPlumbaginaceae, is described from Arabia. The species is taxonomically related toL. iranicum andL. carnosum. The new taxon is so far the only known endemic species for the State of Kuwait. Ecology and distribution of the new species is briefly discussed.     

The Limonium binervosum aggregate (Plumbaginaceae) in the British Isles

A taxometric analysis of 153 colonies of the agamospermous Limonium binervosum aggregate in the British Isles has revealed an ordered hierarchy of variation. A taxonomic treatment of the group describes five new species, redefines four others and describes other infraspecific variants as subspecies or varieties. Each species is morphologically distinct and has a defined geographic range. There are four widespread and morphologically variable species and five geographically restricted species (four monotypic). Limonium recurvum , previously described as a microspecies endemic to a small area of the Dorset Coast, has been widened to include all triploid (2 n = 27) L. binervosum agg. variants found also in W and N Ireland, SW Scotland and Cumbria. All other taxa are tetraploid, usually with 2 n = 35.     

Armeria saviana sp. nov. (Plumbaginaceae) from central Italy

The new species Armeria saviana, endemic to an isolated mountain chain of the Tyrrhenian Antiappennine system in south Tuscany, central Italy, is described and illustrated. The plant is diploid with 2n=18. It can be distinguished from the related species A. denticulata (Bertol.) DC and A. canescens (Host) Ebel, mainly by leaf characters, capitula, bracts and flowers. The systematic position of the controversial taxon A. majellensis Boiss. subsp. ausonia F. Bianchini, to which the new species has formerly been assigned by some authors, is discussed. A lectotype for A. denticulata is designated.     

A population genetic study of the endangered plant species Limonium dufourii (Plumbaginaceae) based on amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP)

Limonium dufourii ( Plumbaginaceae ) is a triploid species with obligate apomictic reproduction and is endemic to the East Mediterranean coast of Spain, where it is present in only six populations, most of which have a very low number of individuals. Genetic variation and population structure in this species was studied using amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs) as markers, using the same individuals as in a previous study with random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD). Three different primers provided 252 bands of which 51 were polymorphic among the 152 individuals analysed. Those polymorphic bands were able to define 65 different phenotypes, of which all but two were present in only one population. The comparative analyses of data from AFLPs with those from RAPDs show a high degree of concordance. Additionally, and given the nature of these markers, we propose the estimation of nucleotide divergences from AFLP patterns. Relationships among the different AFLP patterns and the estimates of population genetic parameters obtained with this evolutionary distance are in good agreement with previous results. These analyses show that substantial genetic variability and differentiation exist within and among populations of L. dufourii . Their higher reproducibility and the possibility of obtaining estimates of nucleotide divergence make AFLPs a much better DNA fingerprinting technique.     

A New Coastal Species of Limonium (Plumbaginaceae) from Southeastern Spain

A new species, Limonium scopulorum (Plumbaginaceae), is described from the maritime cliffs of Alicante province, Spain (southeastern part of the Iberian Peninsula). This new taxon belongs to the group of Limonium delicatulum, which is highly diversified in the Mediterranean territories of the Iberian Peninsula. It is related to the Balearic species L. biflorum, though several leaf, floral and chromosomal features warrant its easy recognition. Molecular divergence, shown in previous studies, also supports its separate treatment. Major affinities and differences with other related taxa are discussed. Moreover, morphological, ecological, chorological, biogeographic features of the new taxon are discussed, and its conservation status is reported. An identification key is provided for Spanish taxa of the Limonium delicatulum group.     

Nonea dumanii sp. nov. (Boraginaceae) from the Taurus mountains (south Turkey)

The new species Nonea dumanii, endemic to the mountains of the western Taurus in south Turkey (C4 Antalya), is described an illustrated based on original collections by the authors. Karyological observations and analysis of ITS1 DNA sequences showed that the species is probably hexaploid with 2n = 6x = 60 and has phylogenetic affinity to the diploid N. monticola from the Paphlagonian mountains as well as to the tetraploid N. anchusoides from northwest Iran and southeast Turkey. From these allopatric species it is morphologically distinct in characters of the indumentum, flower and fruit. Polyploidy is supported as a major driving force for speciation in Nonea, especially in the group of Anatolian mountain species with primary base number x = 10.     

Development of microsatellite markers for the critically endangered Limonium dufourii (Girard) Kuntze (Plumbaginaceae)

Limonium dufourii is an endemic plant from the eastern Mediterranean coast of Spain with a triploid chromosome number and apomictic reproduction. We have isolated and characterized 13 polymorphic microsatellite loci from an enriched library in order to investigate its population genetic structure. Simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci were screened in 120 individuals from the six extant populations of this species. They show an average of 5.76 alleles per locus, ranging from 2 to 18, with seven loci exhibiting heterozygosities larger than 0.60. Three loci present one single allele in each individual, whereas one locus presents three alleles in every individual analysed.     

Molecular phylogenetics of Limonium and related genera (Plumbaginaceae): biogeographical and systematic implications

Phylogenetic relationships within Limonium (Plumbaginaceae) are evaluated using sequence data from three plastid regions (rbcL, the trnL intron, and the trnL-trnF intergenic spacer). Sixty-six species representing the major genera of Staticoideae, including representatives of all sections and genera formerly included in Limonium, have been analyzed using four species of Plumbaginoideae as an outgroup. Analyses of each separate and combined data set yield similar results. Afrolimon is embedded in Limonium and related to L. vulgare, the type of Limonium. Limonium is split into two major clades corresponding to subgenera, but otherwise the current infrageneric classification proved to be artificial. Some groups restricted to particular areas can be recognized, and their synapomorphies are discussed. The presence of an isolated taxon in the Canary Islands is used as a calibration point for age estimates of the major events in the genus, including migrations to the Southern Hemisphere, the Canary Islands, and Asia. The rapid radiation of Limonium in the Mediterranean basin appears to coincide with the desiccation of the Mediterranean Sea in the Messinian (late Miocene).     

New species and new records of apodous holothurians (Echinodermata, Holothuroidea) from southern Africa

Oestergrenia spatula sp.n. from the south coast of southern Africa and Leptosynapta naiga sp.n. from the east coast are described. The genus Oestergrenia Heding, 1931 is resurrected from synonymy and discussed in detail. Epitornapta knysnaensis Cherbonnier, 1952 is referred to the genus Leptosynapta. Leptosynapta ancoracuta Cherbonnier, 1954 is considered a synonym of L. knysnuensis . In addition, two new records of Euapta godeffroyi (Semper, 1868) and Chiridota rigida Semper, 1868. both from the east coast, are given.     

Limonium cedrorum sp. nov. (Plumbaginaceae) from Lebanon

Limonium cedrorum Domina & Ramondo, a new species belonging to the L. palmare aggr., is described and illustrated from the inland near Becharre (Lebanon). Its relationships with morphologically close taxa are discussed. Limonium cedrorum differs from L. sieberi and L. postii mainly by looser inflorescences and larger flowers. It differs from L. galilaeum by longer outer bract and longer scale below the first inflorescence branch, few sterile branches, thicker base of the inflorescence and denser spikes, and from L. graecum by the shape of the inflorescence, longer basal internodes and the shape of the calyx.     

国产姜科植物的染色体计数(2)

<正> 本文继续对国产姜科植物7属,14种和1栽培种作了染色体计数观察,其中9种和1栽培种是染色体计数的新纪录(表1,图1)。通过对大豆蔻Hornstedtia hainanensis的细胞学观察,初步确定大豆蔻属Hornstedtia的染色体基数为12(X=12)。     

On some Pleistocene bird fossils from the south Aegean islandof Karpathos (Greece)

This paper deals with some Pleistocene fossil birds from the south Aegean island of Karpathos. The species which could be identified are surveyed, and the paleogeography of the area is discussed.     

Linnaeus' Neptunea (Mollusca: Gastropoda)

Three species of the arcto-boreal, large gastropod Neptunea , described by Linnaeus in 1758 and 1771, occur in large numbers over wide areas of the inshore North Atlantic and adjacent Arctic seas and are conspicuous among Pliocene and Pleistocene molluscs in the Icelandic, North Sea, and western Mediterranean basins. Selections of lectotypes for these species from shells in the collection of the Linnean Society of London, and designations of their type localities, establish the identity of Linnaeus' neptunes and more accurately determine their geographic and geologic distribution. The geographic range of Neptunea (Neptunea) antiqua (L.), the type species, now extends from southern Norway to the northern Biscay coast of France and from the westernmost Baltic Sea to southwestern Ireland; this species also occurs in Pliocene-Holocene marine deposits in West and East Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, England and France. Its type locality is determined to be the North Sea. N. (Neptunea) despecta (L.) lives in the eastern Canadian Arctic, off southern Greenland, the Barents Sea, and North Atlantic as far south as Massachusetts and Portugal; it also occurs in Pliocene-Holocene strata of eastern Canada, east-central Greenland, Norway (including Svalbard), the Soviet Union, Sweden and England. Its type locality is determined to be the postglacial deposits at Uddevalla in southwestern Sweden. N. (Sulcosipho) contraria (L.) now extends from the southern Biscay coast of France to Cape Spartel, Morocco; this species also occurs in Pleistocene and lower Holocene sequences of the western Mediterranean. Its type locality is determined to be Vigo Bay, Spain. A closely related fossil species, N. (S.) angulata (S. V. Wood), occurs in Pliocene and Pleistocene deposits of the North Sea basin.     

Distribution of cicadas of the genus Lyristes (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) in the eastern Mediterranean area

The present study gives an updated overview on the distribution of species of the genus Lyristes Horváth, 1926 in the eastern Mediterranean area. Besides occurring in southern continental Europe, specimens of L. plebejus were also found along the southern Greek mainland and in the western Aegean island of Kithira. Moreover, the new data presented give L. gemellus as a new record for Greece (appearing only along most of the Anatolian coast) as well as for Cyprus. The genus seems to be absent from the Cyclades as well as from the islands of Crete and Karpathos. Therefore, the results revealed a faunal discontinuity between the Greek western and eastern islands in the Aegean Sea. Hence, the persistence of a deep sea barrier between these two groups of islands seems to explain the present distribution of Lyristes species, which is also in accordance with the paleogeography of the area and with the fact that dispersal to more geographically isolated islands might have been virtually impossible for species of this genus.     

Allium runemarkii (Liliaceae), a new species from the island of Ewia (W Aegean, Greece)

Allium runemarkii , from the island of Ewia (W Aegean area, Greece), is illustrated and described as a species new to science. This species belongs to Allium sect. Scorodon and is related to the Greek species A. thessalicum and A. erythraeum in the A. obtusiflorum group. It is diploid with 2n=2x=16. Details of its karyotype are given.     

Systematics and biology of the endemic water scavenger beetles of Hawaii (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae, Hydrophilini)

Abstract.  Recent field surveys in the Hawaiian Islands have revealed an adaptive radiation of endemic water scavenger beetles (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae). Phylogenetic analysis based on 55 adult morphological characters affirms that this endemic hydrophilid fauna is a monophyletic clade that incorporates the first well-supported transformation from an aquatic to terrestrial way of life within any lineage of the subfamily Hydrophilinae. The clade is prescribed to the genus Limnoxenus Motschulsky, where described members were previously placed. Five new species are described: L. waialeale sp.n. (Kauai), L. kauaiensis sp.n. (Kauai), L. oahuensis sp.n. (Oahu), L. punctatostriatus sp.n. (Kauai) and L. namolokama sp.n. (Kauai). Lectotypes are designated for the two previously described species L. semicylindricus (Eschscholtz) and L. nesiticus (Sharp). The Hawaiian lineage is a component of a larger clade that also includes the remaining four species of Limnoxenus from Europe, South Africa, and Australia, plus the monotypic genera Limnocyclus Balfour-Browne of New Caledonia and Hydramara Knisch of South America. The majority of the Hawaiian species exhibit vestigial wings, an extremely unusual condition in aquatic beetles. No other island-endemic members of the Hydrophilinae are known to be flightless, suggesting insularity per se is not responsible for this condition. L. nesiticus of Oahu has not been collected during the past 106 years, suggesting that it has been lost to anthropogenically mediated extinction.