The systematic significance of seed morphology and anatomy in thePortulacaceae (Centrospermae)

Nyananyo B. L. (1988): The systematic significance of seed morphology and anatomy in thePortulacaceae (Centrospermae).—Folia Geobot. Phytotax., Praha, 23: 275–279.—The seeds of 115 species in eighteen genera of the familyPortulacaceae were examined with the scanning electron microscope. Longitudinal sections of seeds of representatives of all the genera were examined with the light microscope. Two broad groups based on shape of the seeds, ornamentation of the external surface of their testa, and the position of the embryo relative to the endosperm were recognised. The first group comprising three genera:Anacampseros L.,Grahamia Gillies andTalinopsis A. Gray, have seeds which are pyriform with wings and trichomes, and an embryo that is more or less parallel to the endosperm, while the second of fifteen genera:Calandrinia H.B.K.,Calyptridium Nuttall,Calyptrotheca Gilg,Ceraria Pearson etStephens,Claytonia L.,Lenzia Philippi,Lewisia Pursh,Lyallia Hooker fil.,Montia L.,Portulaca L.,Portulacaria Jacquin,Silvaea Philippi,Talinella Baillon,Talinum Adanson, andWangerinia Franz, are reniform without wings and with an embryo that is horse-shoe shaped around the endosperm.     

Notes on some African hepatic genera 1–5

The present study deals with five genera of hepatics in Africa, Isotachis Mitt., Anastrophyllum (Spruce) Steph., Tritomaria Schiffn. ex Loeske, Gymnocoleopsis (Schust.) Schust. and Lophozia (Dum.) Dum. All African populations of the genus Isotachis Mitt. are considered to be one species, I. aubertii (Schwaegr.) Mitt. Four species of Anastrophyllum (Spruce) Steph. (s.l.), A. auritum (Lehm.) Steph., A. piligerum (Nees) Spruce, A. subcomplicatum (Lehm. et Lindenb.) Steph. and A. minutum (Schreb.) Schust., and two species of Tritomaria Schiffn. et Loeske, T. camerunensis S. Arnell and T. exsecta (Schrad.) Schiffn. ex Loeske occur in Africa. Gymmocoleopsis multiflora (Steph.) Schust. represents a genus and species hitherto unreported for the African flora. Finally, five Lophozia (Dum.) Dum. species, L. argentina (Steph.) Schust., L. capensis S. Arnell, L. decolorans (Limpr.) Steph., L. hedbergii S. Arnell and L. tristaniana (S. Arnell) Váňa, are reported from central and southern Africa; two of these (L. argentina (Steph.) Schust. and L. decolorans (Limpr.) Steph.) represent the first reports from Africa.     

Chromosome counts and chromosome morphology of some selected species

In the years 1976–1981 we studied chromosome counts and karyotypic formulae of the following 29 species of plants from 41 localities (of these 6 from Bohemia, 32 from Moravia, 3 from Slovakia):Batrachium baudotii (Godron) F. W. Schultz,Chenopodium rubrum L.,C. polyspermum L.,C. murale L.,C. ficifolium Sm.,C. opulifolium Schrader ex DC. inLam. et DC.,C. strictum Roth [subsp.strictum, subsp.glaucophyllum (Aellen)Aellen inJust etAellen, subsp.striatiforme Uotila],Arenaria grandiflora L.,Illecebrum verticillatum L.,Spergula morisonii Boreau inDuchartre,Spergularia marginata (DC. inLam. et DC.)Kittel S. marina (L.)Griseb.,S. rubra (L.) J. etC. Presl,Silene conica L.,Sisymbrium loeselii L.,S. volgense Bieb. exE. Fourn.,S. orientale L. [subsp. orientale, subsp.macroloma (A. Pomel)Dvo?ák],S. officinale (L.)Scop.,Descurainia sophia (L.)Webb exPrantl inEngler etPrantl,Nasturtium officinale R. Br. inAiton,Barbarea arcuata (Opiz inPresl J. et C.)Reichenb.,Lunaria annua L.,Soldanella montana Willd.,S. carpatica Vierh. inUrban etGraebner,Lotus tenuis Waldst. etKit. exWilld.,L. uliginosus Schkuhr,Trigonella monspeliaca L.,Geranium sibiricum L.,Lactuca tatarica (L.)C. A. Meyer.     

Contribution to the phytosociological characteristics of the Yaguaramas savanna (Cienfuegos Province,Cuba)

The contribution presents phytosociological analyses of the savanna vegetation of Yaguaramas belonging to the classCuratello-Byrsonimetea Borhidi 1979. According to the plant composition, the plant communities under study belong to the orderByrsonimo crassifoliae-Andropogonetalia teneris Bal.-Tul. ordo nov., where two alliances were distinguished, namely theGuillemineo brittonii-Aristidion refractae Bal.-Tul. all. nov. and theByrsonimo crassifoliae-Andropogonion teneris Bal.-Tul. all. nov. The associationsSclerio interruptae-Rhynchosporetum subimberbis Bal. Tul. ass. nov., andPolygalo omissae-Andropogonetum diodontis Bal.-Tul. ass. nov. (both endemic) were classified in the former alliance while the associationByrsonimo crassifoliae-Andropogonetum teneris Bal.-Tul. ass. nov. is a representative of the latter. The following subassociations were distinguished: theSclerio interruptae-Rhynchosporetum subimberbis utricularietosum fimbriatae Bal.-Tul. subass. nov., theByrsonimo crassifoliae-Andropogonetum teneris typicum Bal.-Tul. subass. nov., and theByrsonimo-Andropogonetum sclerietosum interruptae Bal.-Tul. subass. nov.     

A new savanna-like community of the sierra del rosario mountains,Cuba

This communication describes a new savanna-like community, theBletio purpureae-Andropogonetum gracilis Balátová-Tulá?ková etR. Capote ass. nov., found in the woodless eastern part of the Sierra del Rosario Mountains (western part of Cuba). From the phytosociological point of view, it belongs to the allianceAchlaenion piptostachyae Balátová-Tulá?ková all. nov., the orderAchlaenetalia piptostachyae Balátová-Tulá?ková ord. nov., and the classSclerio baldwinii-Andropogonetea gracilis Balátová-Tulá?ková cl. nov. In the area under study four subassociations were distinguished: theBletio-Andropogonetum typicum Balátová-Tulá?ková et.R. Capote subass. nov., theB.-A. rhynchosporetosum fascicularis Balátová-Tulá?ková etR. Capote subass. nov., theB.-A. cassietosum aeschynomenes Balátová-Tulá?ková etR. Capote subass. nov., and theB.-A. stenandrietosum droseroidis Balátová-Tulá?ková etR. Capote subass. nov.     

Studien über dieJungermannioideae (Hepaticae) 6.Jungermannia Subg.Solenostoma: Europäische und nordamerikanische Arten

Dersechste Beitrag aus der Serie der vorbereiteten Studien über die SubfamilieJungermannioideae (Jungermanniaceae, Hepaticae) enthält die taxonomische Bearbeitung des Subg.Solenostoma (Mitt.)Amak. (GattungJungermannia L. emend.Dum.) in Europa (inkl. Kaukasus und Kleinasien) und Nordamerika. Im genannten Gebiet kommen 10 Arten vor, u. zw.J. caespiticia Lindenb.,J. caucasica Váňa,J. confertissima Nees,J. gracillima Sm.,J. handelii (Schiffn.)Amak.,J. jenseniana Grolle,J. lignicola (Schiffn.)Grolle,J. pyriflora Steph.,J. rubra Gott. exUnd. undJ. sphaerocarpa Hook. Die ArtJ. confertissima Nees (bisher alsSolenostoma levieri (Steph.)Steph. bezeichnet) gehört zu der SektionDesmorhiza Amak., alle anderen Arten gehören zu der SektionSolenostoma.     

A revision ofTaraxacum sect.Piesis (Compositae)

On the basis of allozyme and cultivation data, and of additional herbarium material, a taxonomic and nomenclatural revision ofTaraxacum sect.Piesis A.J. Richards exKirschner et?těpánek is provided. The section is made up of halophilous, sexually reproducing taxa. InT. stenocephalum Boiss. etKotschy,T. pindicum Kirschner et?těpánek, sp. nov., andT. perenne Kirschner et?těpánek, sp. nov., a tetraploid chromosome number has been recorded, representing the only known case of sexuality at the tetraploid level in the genus. The complex ofT. stenocephalum, includes some geographically and morphologically extreme populations treated as subspecies: subsp.gumusanicum (Soest)Kirschner et?těpánek, comb. nov., subsp.magnum Kirschner et?těpánek, subsp. nov., and subsp.daralagesicum (Schischk.)Kirschner et?těpánek, comb. nov. In addition toT. bessarabicum (Hornem.)Hand.-Mazz., a widely distributed Eurasian species,T. stenocephalum, a complex centred in Transcaucasia and Anatolia, andT. pachypodum H. Lindb., a North African endemic, four new species are described:T. salsum Kirschner et?těpánek, sp. nov., a diploid endemic confined to E Crimea,T. perenne Kirschner et?těpánek, sp. nov., a tetraploid sexual species known only from SW Crimea,T. pindicum Kirschner et?těpánek, sp. nov., a remarkable tetraploid endemic to the Pindos Mts., Greece, andT. salsitatis Kirschner, ?těpänek etYirdirimli, sp. nov., an Anatolian diploid species. Furthermore, a hybrid betweenT. salsum andT. bessarabicum from Crimea (documented on the basis of allozyme data elsewhere) is given a binomial,T. xmesohalobium Kirschner et?těpánek, nothosp. nov.     

Das asymptotische Wachstum der Fische — ein Nonsens?

Considering an incomplete growth curve of the codGadus morhua,Knight (1968) questioned the asymptotic curvature of growth in fishes, which easily may be shown in complete growth curves illustrating the attainment of maximum size. It is also possible to calculate maximum size employing theFord-Walford formula. Maximum size, calculated in this manner, may also be used in theBertalanffy function. For other mathematical growth formulations different maximum sizes would be obtained. The numerical value of the maximum size depends upon the mathematical interpretation of the growth process. Therefore it always represents a mathematical parameter without biological meaning. It is shown that data ofKetchen (Forrester 1966) on growth in ♂ ♂ of the flat fishEopsetta jordani may be much better represented by the new growth formula (Krüger 1965) than by theBertalanffy function.     

Contribution to the knowledge of the savanna and forb-rich communities of Pinar del Rio Province (Cuba)

Phytosociological analysis of savanna and forb-rich communities in the Pinar del Rio Province was done in the area of Remates de Guane; one locality lies on the seashore in the western part of the province. Altogether six associations were distinguished. Five of them, viz.Sclerio curtissii-Centelletum erectae, Schultezio guianensis-Rhynchosporetum fascicularis, Cassio diphyllae-Hypericetum stypheloidis, Polygalo squamifoliae-Dichromenetum seslerioidis andPhyllantho juncei-Aristidetum, all newly described in this paper, are classified into the order ofAcoelorapho-Colpothrinacetalia Bal.-Tul. inBal.-Tul. etCapote 1985 with two alliances. One association, thePaspalo debilis-Asteretum grisebachii Bal.-Tul. etCapote 1992, was put into the order ofAsteretalia grisebachii Bal.-Tul. inBal.-Tul. etCapote 1992 with one alliance bound to inland moving dunes. The plant composition reflects soil quality, above all the water regime. Very interesting is the presence of theByrsonimo crassifoliae-Andropogonetalia teneris-species in the association ofPolygalo-Dichromeneteum seslerioidis indicating the rich presence of stones in the upper part of the soil profile.     

Ploidy variation in the group ofMyosotis palustris andM. laxa in the Czech Republic and Slovakia

In 74 natural populations of theMyosotis palustris andM. laxa groups from former Czechoslovakia three euploid and one aneuploid cytotypes were found that belong to the following species:M. nemorosa Besser, 2n=22,M. palustris (L.)Nath. em.Reichenb. inSturm, 2n=66,M. laxiflora Reichenb., 2n=66,M. radicans Opiz, 2n=66(64),M. brevisetacea (Schuster) Holub, 2n=66(64), andM. caespitosa C.F. Schultz, 2n=88. With the exception ofM. nemorosa, the chromosome numbers are published for the first time for the Czech Republic. The chromsome numbers, 2n=66, 2n=64 are found inM. brevisetacea, are new for the literature. The correlation between pollen size and ploidy level has been studied as well, and statistically significant differences were found between cytotypes belonging to different ploidy levels.     

The karyotype of the damselfly,Epallage fatime (Charpentier, 1840) (Odonata,Zygoptera:Epallagidae), with a note on the cytotaxonomic affinities in the superfamily calopterygoidea

Epallage fatime (Charp.) is the first member of the family studied cytologically. The chromosome number is: 2n ♂=25,n ♂=13. The sex element is the smallest of the set at all stages of the spermatogenetic cycle. It is usually negatively heterocyclic at spermatogonial metaphase, whereas it is positively heteropyenotic at primary spermatocyte prophase and diakinesis. While the cytological similarities betweenEpallagidae, Hetaerinidae andCalopterygidae suggest their close mutual affinities, the three differ essentially from thePolythoridae. This view is only partly in agreement with the evidence on the structural and venational characters (ct.Fraser, 1954). Contrary toFraser's opinion (Fraser, 1957), thePseudolestidae can not be regarded, on the basis of the cytological information available, as an annectent family to the Calopterygoidea, but stand well apart from all other cytologically known Zygoptera.     

Einige nicht-foliicole Arten der FamilieEctolechiaceae (Lichenes) aus Brasilien

Here 13 species of the nonfoliicolous species of the lichen familyEctolechiaceae Zahlbr. em.Haf. are reported, which were found in a collection from Brazil. Six species are described as new:Badimia corticola (sp.n.),Calopadia isidiosa (sp.n.),C. psoromoides (sp.n.),C. subfusca (sp.n.),Tapellaria corticola (sp.n.), andT. schindleri (sp.n.). Seven species have been identified with earlier described species:Calopadia chacoënsis (Malme) comb. n. (=Lopadium chacoënse Malme),C. foliicola (Fée) Vězda,C. fusca (Müll. Arg.) Vězda,C. lecanorella (Nyl.) comb. n.,C. perpallida (Nyl.) Věda,C. phyllogena (Müll. Arg.) Vězda, andTapellaria epiphylla (Müll. Arg.) Sant. A key and illustrations for all studied species are provided, and the nomenclatural problem of the correct generic name of thePyrenotrichum Mont. (anamorph) forCalopadia Vězda orTapellaria Sant. (teleomorphs) are discussed.     

Bemerkungen zu einigen balkanischenOxytropis-Arten

The present paper deals with the following three mountainOxytropis species:Oxytropis urumovii Jáv. inUrumov, an endemic species of the Pirin (Bulgaria);O. dinarica (Murb.) Wettst. distributed predominantly in Yugoslavia, andO. campestris which is common in the East Alps, but very rare in the Balkans. Three subspecies ofO. dinarica were distinguished: subsp.dinarica, subsp.weberi Chrtek etChrtková, and subsp.velebitica Chrtek etChrtková. In addition, a new combinationO. halleri Bunge exKoch subsp.korabensis (Kümmerle etJáv.)Chrtek etChrtková is given.     

Properties of the sugar carrier in Baker's yeast

Incubation ofSaccharomyces cerevisiae cells withd-galactose induced the formation of galactose-utilizing enzymes, among them a monosaccharide carrier, apparently synthesized as a proteinde novo. The synthesis of the carrier preceded that of galactokinase by as much as 2 h. The inducible carrier shows a preference for monosaccharides with an axial hydroxyl group at carbon 4 of theC1 chair conformation or at carbon 2 of the1C chair conformation. Through its mediation, some sugars normally poorly transported (d-galactose,d-fucose,l-xylose,l-arabinose) can enter into the entire cell water, occupying then one more kinetic (and morphological ?) compartment than before induction. Some other monosaccharides, readily transported even by a constitutive carrier system (e.g.l-sorbose,d-xylose,d-arabinose) share the newly synthesized carrier.