Two new species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Habenaria</Emphasis> (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Orchidaceae</Emphasis>) from the Brazilian cerrado and campo rupestre

Summary  Two new species, Habenaria ciliatisepala and H. egleriana (Orchidaceae, Orchideae), from the cerrado of central Brazil and campo rupestre of the Espinha?o mountain range in Minas Gerais and Bahia, are described and illustrated.     

Comparing assemblages of Asteraceae and their insect herbivores under different land‐use regimens

Accelerated tropical landscape changes occurring over recent decades have produced environmental mosaics comprising remaining isolated green areas and mixed land‐use types. Our objective was to study the effects of alterations in the natural landscape on the species composition and structure of assemblages of Asteraceae and their endophagous insects through comparisons between cerrado (savanna), pastures and Eucalyptus stands. We first investigated whether similarities between assemblages of Asteraceae and their insects varied among land uses or localities. Secondly, we asked whether assemblages of Eucalyptus stands and pastures are subsets of those within the cerrado. We sampled within randomly deployed transects in 15 areas. Land use was found to be an important factor in determining plant composition similarity; however, locality did not exert any significant influence. Pastures were less similar to one another, suggesting high beta diversity. Similarities among insect assemblages were correlated with plant assemblage composition, but not with land use or locality. Species of Tephritidae were distributed along localities independently of land use. High beta diversity in Asteraceae assemblages among cerrados and pastures was supported by nestedness analysis. Plant assemblages in Eucalyptus stands were subsets of cerrado, but pasture assemblages were only partial subsets. A higher degree of nestedness in insect assemblages than in plant assemblages indicated lower beta diversity within these herbivores. Our data indicate that many herbivores are specialized on widely distributed plant genera. Conservation of Asteraceae species and their flower head insects depends not only on maintenance of landscape fragments but also on the correct matching of management form and land use. Such management may contribute to reducing isolation of plant and insect species by increasing the connectivity of remaining cerrado tracts, allowing population maintenance even at low abundances.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Xyris irwinii</Emphasis> (Xyridaceae), a new <Emphasis Type="Italic">cerrado</Emphasis> species from Goiás,Brazil

Xyris irwinii (Xyridaceae), a new species from the cerrado of Goiás, Brazil is described and illustrated. The distribution, phenology, and conservation status of the new species are presented, as well as a comparison of a complex of morphologically related cerrado species.     

Effects of phorophyte determinants on lichen abundance in the <Emphasis Type="Italic">cerrado</Emphasis> of central Brazil

Previous studies have indicated that epiphytic lichens can be good bioindicators of fire history in tropical savannas. A Lichen Fire History (LFH) Key was developed to assess fire history in areas of cerrado (savanna) in central Brazil. However, the effectiveness and reliability of the LFH Key is much influenced by other lichen determinants. The aim of this study, therefore, was to investigate some of these factors in more detail, thereby allowing better estimates of fire history using the LFH Key. Fieldwork was carried out at the Reserva Ecológica do IBGE, 33 km outside Brasilia D.F., in plots of cerrado denso of varying fire history. Vegetation sampling took place in 20 × 20 m-quadrats within which measurements of the lichen abundance, scorch and phorophyte characteristics, including height, girth and tortuosity, were recorded for all the phorophytes encountered. Bark samples were collected from common cerrado phorophytes and tested for pH, conductivity, moisture content and absorbing capacity, texture and nutrient content. The results show that the greater the impact of fire, the lower the influence of other factors, such as bark characteristics, on the lichens. The strongest determinants of lichens in areas subjected to rare fires or protected from fire are bark aluminium content, bark pH, and microclimatic factors. Using the information gathered from the study, phorophyte species are grouped in terms of their reliability for use in the LFH Key. This study highlights the range of factors which can affect lichen abundance in the tropics, and the relationships between them.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Byssoloma rubromarginatum</Emphasis> (Pilocarpaceae: Ascomycota), a new corticolous species from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Nothofagus</Emphasis> forests in Argentina

A new corticolous species of Byssoloma, B. rubromarginatum Messuti and de la Rosa from Nothofagus dombeyi forests is described and illustrated. The new species is characterized by the morphology of the thallus and apothecia, the 3–5 (7)-septate ascospores, the presence of an anthraquinone in the exciple, and its ecology. It is the first species within the genus known to have gyrophoric acid in the apothecial margin. A key to Byssoloma species known from Nothofagus temperate forests in South America is provided.     

A New Species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Castilleja</Emphasis> (Orobanchaceae) from Trujillo,Venezuela

Castilleja exigua is described from an ample collection obtained in the Paramó de Guirigay, Monumento Natural Teta de Niquitao, Trujillo, Venezuela. The new species is a member of subg. and sect. Castilleja. This apparently very rare species is known at present from a single, geographically restricted population and should be considered globally endangered.     

Geographic distribution and abundance of woolly (Lagothrix cana) and spider (Ateles chamek) monkeys in southwestern Brazilian Amazonia.

Two species of frugivorous atelids, Ateles chamek and Lagothrix cana, occur in southwestern Brazilian Amazonia. Populations were surveyed at 36 sites in the state of Rondônia. Ateles chamek is widespread, but the distribution of L. cana is limited by a combination of riverine barriers and ecological factors, possibly including competition with A. chamek. Groups of L. cana were generally larger and more abundant than those of A. chamek, even in syntopy. The transitional forest that predominates in the extreme south of Rondônia (Hylea‐cerrado) is not a barrier to either species, with both species being tolerant of habitat disturbance when hunting pressure is low. Am. J. Primatol. 56:57–64, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Leandra altomacaensis</Emphasis> (Melastomataceae), a new species from Brazil

Leandra altomacaensis (sect. Oxymeris), a new endemic species of Melastomataceae from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is described and illustrated. Diagnostic characteristics of the species are the leaves sparsely stellulate-lepidote, triplinerved, and calyx lobes small, with apex acute-apiculate. Leandra gracilis var. glazioviana is proposed as a synonym of this new species.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Badiera subrhombifolia</Emphasis> (Polygalaceae), a new species from Hispaniola

Badiera subrhombifolia is newly described from Hispaniola, where it co-occurs with B. fuertesii and B. penaea. Badiera subrhombifolia lacks the long peduncle of the former species and the scabrous leaves of the latter; it is also often distinguishable by subrhomboid, triplinerved leaves. This new species is a near endemic to high montane forests of the “south island” of Hispaniola, i.e., the Massif de la Hotte, Massif de la Selle, and Sierra de Bahoruco.     

A new species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Utricularia</Emphasis> (Lentibulariaceae) from Guerrero,Mexico

Utricularia regia is described and illustrated. It occurs in the Sierra Madre del Sur region of Guerrero, Mexico, and belongs to section Psyllosperma; a key to differentiate the species of sect. Psyllosperma is included. The new species is similar to Utricularia hintonii and U. petersoniae, from which it differs in the unusual division of the upper lip of the corolla into four lobes and its peculiar coloration pattern. A table comparing the differences among these three species is presented. Utricularia regia adds a new, narrowly endemic species to the flora of Guerrero, Mexico.

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Resumen  Se describe e ilustra como especie nueva para la ciencia a Utricularia regia a partir de ejemplares procedentes del estado de Guerrero, México. La nueva especie se ubica en la sección Psyllosperma y está mejor relacionada con Utricularia hintonii y U. petersoniae; de las que se diferencia por la división del labio superior de la corola en cuatro lóbulos y por su peculiar coloración; se presenta una tabla en la que se comparan más ampliamente estas tres especies y se incluye también una clave para diferenciar las especies de la sección Psyllosperma. Utricularia regia agrega un elemento endémico más a la flora de Guerrero y de México.

     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Agave manantlanicola</Emphasis> (Agavaceae), a new species from western Mexico

Agave manantlanicola, a new endemic species from the high altitude mountains of the Sierra de Manantlán in western Mexico, is described and illustrated. The species belongs to the subgenus Littaea and Gentry’s Amolae group. The new species is compared to other morphologically similar species from western Mexico, including Agave attenuata subsp. attenuata, A. attenuata subsp. dentata, A. bakeri, A. chazaroi, and A. vazquezgarciae. Information about its distribution, habitat, and conservation status is included.     

Una nueva especie de <Emphasis Type="Italic">Miconia</Emphasis> (Melastomataceae: Miconieae) de Colombia

Miconia punctibullata, a new species of Melastomataceae from Colombia, is described and illustrated. The new species can be distinguished by its scandent herbaceous habit, stems and inflorescences with swollen annular projections below the nodes, punctations with sessile, glandular trichomes on the abaxial surface of the leaf, compound dichasial inflorescences, and bright yellow petals. A key to all species of Miconia with annular stem projections is provided.

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Resumen  Se describe e ilustra Miconia punctibullata, una nueva especie colombiana de Melastomataceae, caracterizada por el hábito herbáceo semiescandente, la presencia de proyecciones anulares engrosadas por debajo de los nudos (manicaduras) en tallos y ejes de la inflorescencia, punteaduras con tricomas glandulares sésiles por el envés de la lámina foliar, inflorescencias en dicasio compuesto, y pétalos amarillos. Se incluye una clave para todas las especies de Miconia con nudos manicados.

     

A new species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Almeidea</Emphasis> (Galipeinae,Galipeeae, Rutaceae) from Eastern Brazil

A new species of Almeidea (Rutaceae) belonging to the neotropical tribe Galipeeae (subtribe Galipeinae) is described and illustrated. This new species, Almeidea albiflora, is known so far only from a few collections made in small disturbed forest remnants in the vicinity of Cachoeiro de Itapemirim, in the state of Espírito Santo, and by a single collection from northern Rio de Janeiro state, both in the domain of the Atlantic Forest, Eastern Brazil. Diagnostic features, like white petals, sericeous ovary and distal secondary axes as long as the proximal ones are identified. Pollen morphology is also described, and brief discussions of the relationships of the new taxon to other species of Almeidea, as well as comments on its conservation status, are provided.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Pseudorhabdosynochus hirundineus</Emphasis> n. sp. (Monogenea: Diplectanidae) from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Variola louti</Emphasis> (Perciformes: Serranidae) off New Caledonia

Pseudorhabdosynochus hirundineus n. sp. is described from specimens collected from the gills of Variola louti off Nouméa, New Caledonia, South Pacific. No diplectanid was found on V. albimarginata from the same location. The male sclerotised quadriloculate organ of P. hirundineus is 42 μm in internal length, with a long posterior tube; and the sclerotised vagina, 36 μm in length, is composed of a long tube with anterior open trumpet and two posterior, heavily sclerotised chambers. The two squamodiscs, each with 11–15 rows of rodlets and no central closed row of rodlets, are dissimilar in shape, the ventral being round and the dorsal being oval. By the morphology of its sclerotised vagina, P. hirundineus appears close to P. epinepheli (Yamaguti, 1938) but it is differentiated from it by the shape of its squamodiscs. Pseudorhabdosynochus spp. previously recorded from epinephelines are parasites of species of Epinephelus and Mycteroperca; this is the first species from a species of Variola.

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Résumé Résumé Pseudorhabdosynochus hirundineus n. sp. est décrit de spécimens récoltés sur les branchies de Variola louti au large de Nouméa, Nouvelle Calédonie, Pacifique sud. Aucun Diplectanidae n’a été trouvé chez V. albimarginata de la même origine. L’organe mâle sclérifié tétraloculé de P. hirundineus mesure 42μm de longueur interne et a un long tube postérieur, et le vagin sclérifié, long de 36μm, est composé d’un long tube avec une trompe antérieure et deux chambres postérieures très sclérifiées. Les deux squamodisques, chacun avec 11–15 rangées d’osselets et sans rangée close, sont de formes différentes, le ventral rond et le dorsal ovale. Par la morphologie de son vagin sclérifié, P. hirundineus semble proche de P. epinepheli (Yamaguti, 1938), mais s’en distingue par la forme de ses squamodisques. Les espèces de Pseudorhabdosynochus mentionnées auparavant chez les Epinephelinae étaient parasites d’espèces des genres Epinephelus et Mycteroperca; ceci est la première espèce chez Variola.

     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Duranta neblinensis</Emphasis> (Verbenaceae,Duranteae): A new species from Sierra de la Neblina,Amazonas state,Venezuela

Duranta neblinensis, from Sierra de la Neblina, Amazonas state, Venezuela is described, illustrated, and its morphological relationships with allied species are discussed. This new species is similar to D. obtusifolia, but it differs by its stout spines; pubescent petioles and leaves; apiculate calyx lobes; and fruits with an open, slender, curved rostrum . An updated key to the six Venezuelan species of Duranta is presented, and phytogeographic information about Sierra de la Neblina is provided.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Zornia decussata</Emphasis> (Leguminosae: Papilionoideae: Dalbergieae), a new species from the Amazon region of Venezuela

Zornia decussata, a new species from Venezuela, is described and illustrated. It belongs to sect. Anisophylla of subgen. Zornia and occurs in the Federal Territory of Amazonas, in the region of Rincones de Chacorro. The species is characterised mainly by its decussate bracteoles which lack an auricle, by the presence of a cataphyll between the stipules and by the delicate habit of the plant.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Eschweilera awaensis</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Grias subbullata</Emphasis> (Lecythidaceae), two new species from northwestern Ecuador

Eschweilera awaensis and Grias subbullata, two new species known from the wet forests of northwestern Ecuador, are described. Eschweilera awaensis occurs in Esmeraldas, Los Ríos, and the westernmost parts of the Pichincha provinces between 25–650 m elevation. Grias subbullata, is known only from two localities in the Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas province between 900–1670 m elevation. The new species are illustrated and their relationships with similar species are discussed.