New taxa and combinations inAlchemilla (Rosaceae) (2)

47 names and combinations are published as new, chiefly from the elaboration ofAlchemilla byA. Plocek inL. Bertová (ed.), Flóra Slovenska 4/3, Bratislava (in press). The populations recognized as varieties and species new to science (12 and 29, respectively) come from the summits of W. Beskids (9 taxa), Belianske Tatry (12), other parts of Tatra (8), Fatra (5), elsewhere in the Central Carpathians in Slovakia (4), the Low Beskids in E. Slovakia (1), W. and E. Carpathians (1), N. Moravia (1). In addition, three epithets are published in a new combination, and the names for two new subseries and a new forma are proposed.     

Selected subspecies names from Richter,Plantae Europeae,Vol. 1, 1890

The bookK. Richter, Plantae europeae, Vol. 1, 1890, is analyzed from the viewpoint of nomenclature of subspecies names. 264 subspecies names interesting from the standpoint of contemporary taxonomy and nomenclature are selected from the total number of 840 subspecies names for a commented list. Seventeen important cases are dealt with separately in greater detail. Eleven new nomenclatural combinations (two for species, nine for subspecies) are proposed in the Appendix. Types for two generic names (Acorellus Palla andJuncellus C. B. Clarke) are proposed. A new term “parabasionym” is applied for names establishing the priority of infraspecific epithets in the rank in question. The need to respect the newly accepted principle of priority of autonymic subspecies names at proposing new nomenclatural combinations is stressed. Examples ofRichter’s subspecies names having priority, subspecies names with necessary changes in their authorship and names having a possible importance as parabasionyms are enumerated in separate lists.     

Some interesting algal flagellates

22 species or forms of flagellates, observed in nature in Czechoslovakia and Poland, are pictured and described in the present paper. They belong to four classes:Chrysophyceae (2),Chlorophyceae (1),Cryptophyceae (9), andDinophyceae (10). They were nearly all identified with the existing taxa; some names are suggested as synonyms, some new nomenclature combinations are put forward. One new species,Chilomonas bacillaris sp. n., has been established.     

Phenylpropanoids and other derivatives from Thapsia villosa

Five phenylpropanoids related to hemanticine have been obtained from Thapsia villosa roots. We propose for these substances the trivial names isohelmanticine, neohelmanticine, isoneohelmanticine, epoxyhelmanticine and epoxyhelmanticine angelate. All these substances are based on (1S,2R)1-(3-methoxy-4,5-methylenedioxyphenyl)-1,2-propanediol, which is esterified variously by acetic, angelic, epoxyangelic and/or (2R,3S)2,3-dihydroxy-2-methylbutyric acids. We also report three C₆-guaianolides and their hydrolysis products. The name thapsivillosin K is proposed for a new guaianolide.     

Some Lithuanian ethnobotanical taxa: a linguistic view on Thorn Apple and related plants

Background

The perception and use of plants correspond with common plant names. The study of plant names may give insight into historical and recent use of plants.

Methods

Plant names in dictionaries and folklore have been evaluated. A etymological analysis of the names is provided. Onomasiological and semasiological aspects have been considered. Therefore, species named with names related to each other have been selected.

Results

Plant names containing the stem dag- or deg- may belong to either of two categories: incenses or thorny plants. Plants named in durn- have been in use as psychopharmaca. The name rymo points not to Rome but to the use of plants as anodyne or psychopharmaca.     

Sawfly taxa (Hymenoptera,Symphyta) described by Edward Newman and Charles Healy

Type specimens of seven nominal species of sawfly described by Edward Newman and one by Charles Healy were studied. This material is housed in the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, United Kingdom. The following new synonymies are proposed (valid names in parentheses): Hartigia Schiødte, 1839 (Phylloecus Newman, 1838), Cephus helleri Taschenberg, 1871 (Phylloecus faunus Newman, 1838) and Euura gallae Newman, 1837 (Euura mucronata (Hartig, 1837)). The type species of Euura Newman, 1837 and Euura subgenus Gemmura E. L. Smith, 1968 belong to the same taxonomic species, Euura mucronata (Hartig, 1837), so that these genus group names become new synonyms. Lectotypes are designated for Phyllotoma tormentillae Healy, 1868, Fenusa ianthe Newman, 1837, Fenusa parviceps Newman, 1837, Selandria pallida Newman, 1837 and Phylloecus faunus Newman, 1838. 26 new combinations are proposed for species formerly placed in Hartigia and here transferred to Phylloecus, and 4 original combinations are re-instated as valid.     

Subspecies names from Berher,La flore des Vosges (1887)

Subspecies names have been studied from the nomenclaturally omitted bookBerher, La flore des vosges, 1887. A commented enumeration containing 107 names published in that book has been comiled. 41 subspecies names have been examined in more detail. Thirteen ofBerher's subspecific combinations may be employed in present taxonomic classifications. Nine ofBerher's names determine priority of the relevant subspecific epithets (parabasionyms). Two new nomenclatural combinations are proposed:Acetosa alpina subsp.amplexicaulis andBetula alba subsp.glutinosa. More detailed attention has been paid to the problems of names in the group ofRumex arifolius.     

A new HLA-B44 subtype,B*4406, differing in exon 2

The name B ^*4406 was officially assigned by the WHO Nomenclature Committee in February 1995. This follows the agreed policy that, subject to the conditions stated in the most recent Nomenclature Report (Bodmer et al. 1994), names will be assigned to new sequences as they are identified. Lists of such new names will be published in the following WHO Nomenclature Report. The nucleotide sequences reported in this Papers have been submitted to the EMBL nucleotide sequence database and have been assigned the accession numbers X83400 (HLA-B promoter region), X83401 (exon 1), X83402 (exon 2), and X83403 (exon 3)     

New names inPhanerogamae 5

103 new nomenclatural combinations are proposed for taxa of European flora, 95 for species, 8 for subspecies. Most of them have resulted from a more natural delimitation of genera. The majority of new combinations are made in the segregants ofCentourea (Acosta—16,Colymbada— 8),Hieracium (Pilosella—16),Scabiosa (Trochocephalus—14),Serratula (Klasea—13) andLeontodon (Scorzoneroides—8). Taxonomie or nomenclatural problems of some taxa (Arum orientale, Colobium taraxacoides, Klasea, Leucanthemopsis alpina agg.,Psyllium, Scorzoneroides, Tephroseris cantabrica) are discussed. Names omitted from the Index Kewensis and corrections of publication places are added (17 names).     

Glabretal-type triterpenoids from Dysoxylum mollissimum

Dysoxylum mollissimum Blume, the accepted name of the species known by more than a dozen names has been extensively studied for its chemical constituents under the name Dysoxylum hainanense Merr. Congruent with the observation that the chemical constituents of this species might be affected by its geographic distribution, the leaf samples of this species from Quezon Province, Philippines were investigated. The dichloromethane extract of the air-dried leaves of D. mollissimum Blume afforded four new glabretal-type triterpenoids (1a–2b) along with the known compounds, 24,25-epoxy-3β,23-dihydroxy-7-tirucallene (3), squalene, polyprenol, linoleic acid and lutein. The structures of 1a–2b were elucidated by extensive 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy and confirmed by mass spectrometry.     

Corrections to Agrilus related species–group names in the world catalogue of Bellamy and new substitute names for Agrilus species–group homonyms

The work treats 52 species–group names related to genus Agrilus incorrectly cited in the world catalogue of Bellamy (2008). The name dimorphus Théry, 1941 from the genus Aphanisticus and mulleri Théry, 1925 from the genus Australodraco are also treated. Four primary or secondary homonyms are replaced by substitute names. Most of the proposed changes refer to the availability, validity, spelling and authorship of the names. The following new nomenclatural acts are proposed: Four new substitute names for homonyms: gola Jendek for filiformis Gory & Laporte, 1839 not Herbst, 1801; lukesi Obenberger, 1936 for modicus Kerremans, 1892 not Solier, 1833; thomsoni Jendek for impressipennis Thomson not Uhler, 1855; walkerianus Jendek (Aphanisticus) for sulcicollis Walker not Lacordaire, 1835. New synonyms: turei Curletti, 2002 is an objective synonym of thurei Curletti, 1996. Lectotype designations: A lectotype is designated for Agrilus dualaecola Obenberger, 1923.     

A nomenclatural analysis of the generic names of phanerogams proposed byF. M. Opiz in his Seznam rostlin květeny české

The authors have examined the nomenclatural status of the generic names proposed byF. M. Opiz in his work “Seznam Rostlin Květeny ?eské” (A list of Bohemian plants) and of names which have been regarded in later literature as first published in that book. Many of the generic names proposed byOpiz in his Seznam were not in fact validly published in that book; on the other hand the valid publication of several names is conditioned by various types of indirect indication of an earlier effectively published diagnosis. Of the 80 generic names analysed 36 were validly published byOpiz in various works (not all in the Seznam), but only 13 to 15 are legitimate in the sense of the International Code 1966. The legitimate names are:Cenekia, Ceranthe, Duschekia, Euacer, Jovibarba, Kablikia, Lamiopsis, Liebichia, Plethiosphace, Pseudolysimachion, Spirocarpus, Swida, Weitenwebera and perhapsMargarospermum andNenningia. Of these legitimate names four are considered by the authors as correct i.e.Duschekia, Jovibarba, Pseudolysimachion andSwida; in the Appendix some new combinations with these generic names are proposed. In the text some mistakes concerningOpiz's generic names in Index Kewensis are corrected. For 14 ofOpiz's generic names the lectotypes are seleced. A special notice is given to the nomenclatural problems of the group “Avenastrum”.     

Two cytotoxic triterpenes from cultures of a Kenyan Laetiporus sp. (Basidiomycota)

HPLC profiling of the mycelial culture of a poroid basidomycete collected in Mount Elgon, Kenya, which probably represents a new species of the genus Laetiporus, led to isolation of two previously undescribed lanostane type triterpenes.We propose the trivial names laetiporins A (1) and B (2). In addition, five known ones: dehydrosulphurenic acid (3), sulphurenic acid (4), eburicoic acid (5), 15α-hydroxytrametenolic acid (6) and trametenolic acid (7) were also isolated. The laetiporins (1–2) exhibited significant cytotoxic effects against various human cancer cells. The known compounds (3–5) and (7) also showed moderate cytotoxic activity, but none of the compounds showed any significant antimicrobial activity.     

Michajlowastasia nom. nov. for the parasitic euglenoid genus Parastasia Michajłow, 1972 (Euglenozoa: Euglenoidina: Astasiidae)

A new name, Michajlowastasia nom. nov., is introduced as a replacement name for the pre-occupied euglenoid genus name Parastasia Michaj?ow, 1972 (nec Westwood, 1841). Eighteen species-group names are referred to this new generic name.     

Ethnobotanical plant uses in the KwaNibela Peninsula, St Lucia, South Africa

Ethnobotanical field studies were conducted for the first time in the KwaNibela Peninsula of southern Maputaland, KwaZulu-Natal, to document indigenous knowledge about useful plants. The vernacular names and uses of 82 plant species were recorded and compared to published Zulu and Swazi knowledge. Medicines for skin disorders, toothache, wounds, worms, chest and throat ailments, infertility and purgatives are still commonly used. Superstition and divination play a major role in the traditional knowledge system of the people of KwaNibela with 24 plants used for this purpose. Three KwaNibela medicinal plants (Erythroxylum delagoense, Putterlickia verrucosa, and Teclea natalensis) appear to be new records, not previously reported in the general scientific literature. The list also includes 61 novel uses of plants and another 15 new variations on known (published) uses. Ten previously unpublished vernacular names are presented, together with an additional 19 new variants of known names. These new additions to the scientific literature confirm that indigenous knowledge in KwaZulu-Natal is not yet completely recorded.     

Relevance of phenotypic information for the taxonomy of not-yet-cultured microorganisms

To date, far less than 1% of the estimated global species of Bacteria and Archaea have been described and their names validly published. Aside from these quantitative limitations, our understanding of phenotypic and functional diversity of prokaryotes is also highly biased as not a single species has been described for 85 of the 118 phyla that are currently recognized. Due to recent advances in sequencing technology and capacity, metagenomic datasets accumulate at an increasing speed and new bacterial and archaeal genome sequences become available at a faster rate than newly described species. The growing gap between the diversity of Bacteria and Archaea held in pure culture and that detected by molecular methods has led to the proposal to establish a formal nomenclature for not-yet-cultured taxa primarily based on sequence information. According to this proposal, the concept of Candidatus species would be extended to groups of closely related genome sequences and their names validly published following established rules of bacterial nomenclature. The corresponding sequences would be deposited in public databases as the type. The suggested alterations of the International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes raise concerns regarding (1) the reliability and stability of nomenclature, (2) the technological and conceptual limitations as well as availability of reference genomes, (3) the information content of in silico functional predictions, and (4) the recognition of evolutionary units of microbial diversity. These challenges need to be overcome to arrive at a meaningful taxonomy of not-yet-cultured prokaryotes with so far poorly understood phenotypes.     

Vascular plants first described in Rydberg’s flora of colorado

Types are indicated for 28 new names inadvertently published in Rydberg’sFlora of Colorado. Included are a discussion as to the validity of these new names and an explanation of the causes of this oversight. A lectotype ofLupinus decumbens var.argentatus is herein designated by Rupert C. Barneby.