Extrusion of a Protein-Pigment Complex from Blepharisma undulans

SYNOPSIS. Blepharisma undulans , a purple-coloured ciliate protozoan, contains pigment granules in the ectoplasm. Treating the cells with 0.9% NaCl extruded the pigment into the medium without injury to the cells. The extrusion was instantaneous and with a single treatment about 35% of the total pigment oozed out. The pigment in the cells as well as in the saline extract was found to be associated with proteins and particulate fractions. The protozoa regenerated the pigment when transferred to culture fluid but not in dilute solution of saline, where they continued to live without regenerating the pigment. In addition to NaCl, sulphates of monovalent and divalent cations and calcium-binding agents induced the extrusion, which, however, was prevented by calcium in all cases. It is proposed that the removal of calcium from the outer membrane by chemicals disintegrates the pellicle and produces the extrusion, since a majority of the pigment granules are in the subpellicular layers of the cell.     

Cytology of an Indian Race of Blepharisma undulans (Stein)

SYNOPSIS. The Indian race of Blepharisma undulans described in this paper measures 150 μ in length. The macronucleus consists of 5–7 nodes, all of equal size. During binary fission, condensation of macronucleus is followed by its elongation and a thinning of the middle region which breaks with the division of the animal. It later attains the typical vegetative form.
During conjugation 7 or 8 micronuclei pass through the first pregamic division, 5 to 7 through the second pregamic division and one product of the second division takes part in the third division. The rest degenerate. At the same time, the macronucleus also starts degenerating. After the synkaryon has divided twice, the conjugating pairs separate. Of the 4 products, 3 become macronuclear anlagen and one, micronuclear anlage.
The micronuclei divide asynchronously both during binary fission and during conjugation. There is apparently considerable diversity in the structure and behaviour of the macronucleus and micronuclei in the different races of Blepharisma undulans.     

Observations on the Life-cycle of a New Race of Blepharisma undulans from India

SYNOPSIS. A full account of the nuclear changes during binary fission and conjugation in a local race of Blepharisma is presented in this paper. The macronucleus consists of 2 nodes connected by a strand. Number of micronuclei varies from 6 to 18. During binary fission, condensation of macronucleus is followed by elongation and thinning of the middle region which finally breaks. Daughter nuclei later attain the typical vegetative form. Notably, during binary fission some micronuclei appear to complete their mitoses by the time the macronucleus attains the condensed form, while others lag behind and exhibit practically every stage of mitosis.
During conjugation, from 6 to 10 micronuclei undergo the first pregamic division, the same number through the second division, and two products of the second division take part in the third division. The rest degenerate. Division products of the nuclei in the paraoral region take part in synkaryon formation. The synkaryon undergoes either 2 or 3 divisions. In the former case, of the 4 products, 2 become the macronuclear anlagen, one the micronucleus and the fourth degenerates. In the latter case, of the 8 products, 3 to 4 become the macronuclear anlagen and the rest become micronuclei. Chromatin elimination has been observed during the division of the macronuclear anlage, followed by an extra metagamic fission of the cell.
Comparison with two other races from India and an American race indicates considerable diversity in the structure and behaviour of the nuclear apparatus in different races of Blepharisma undulans.     

Anatomy and Taxonomy of Phonorhynchus Graff (Turbellaria), with Special Reference to P. helgolandicus (Mecznikow)

Previous records of the anatomy of the genital apparatus in Phonorhynchus are reviewed and in part revised. The evolutionary transformation of the prostatic stylet of P. helgolandicus is outlined and a series of forms is described, based on the shape of that stylet.     

Taxonomy of the Genus Triticum L.

In the present paper, an brief historical account and the comments on the modern taxonomic systems of the genus Triticum L. are made. The author suggests that principles to determine a species be (1) a special type of genome, and (2) reproductive isolation. The principles to determine a subspecies are the special co-type of genome and incomplete reproductive isolation. There are no differences on the level of genome constitution and no reproductive isolation between the varieties or concultivars. According to these principles, the author schemes a taxonomic system of the genus Triticum L. based on biosystematics as follows: Triticum monococcum L. sensu lat. subsp. boeoticum (Boiss.) Yen, st. nov. var. thaoudar (Reut ) Flaksb. concv. Einkhorn subsp. urartu (Tum.)Vap. T. timopheevi Zhuk. sensu lat. var. araraticum (Jakubz.) Yen, st. nov. T. zhukovskyi Men. et Er. T. turgidum L. sensu lat. var. dicoccoides (Körn. in litt. in Schweinf.) Bowden concv. (1) Emmer, (2) Durum wheat, (3) Rivet wheat, (4) Polish wheat, (5) Persian wheat. T. aestivum L. sensu lat. concv. (1) Tibetian weed wheat, (2) Spelt, (3) Vavilov wheat, (4) Macha wheat, (5) Yunnan hulled wheat, (6) Winter common wheat, (7) Spring common wheat, (8) Branch-eared wheat, (9) Club wheat, (I0) Indian dwarf wheat, (11) Xinjiang ricewheat.     

八角属植物分类

根据对18 个国家和地区121 个标本馆收藏的万余份八角属植物标本研究, 结合在国内8 个省区野外调查、采集、引种和对生长发育与物侯的观察, 本文对世界性八角属植物做了分类学修订。根据花蕾和花被片形态特征的变异, 将八角属分为2 组:八角组-含9 种1 亚种, 其花蕾卵球形, 花被片长圆形、椭圆形、披针形至狭舌状, 扁平;八角茴香组-含25 种2 亚种1 变种, 其花蕾球形, 花被片宽卵形至圆形, 下凹。将凹脉组作为八角组的新异名, 圆被亚属作为八角茴香组的新异名;指定了红茴香和柬埔寨八角的后选模式。本文还分析了八角属植物的分类学性状, 作出有分类检索表, 提供有各种植物的地理分布资料, 列举出查阅的主要标本, 并对各分类单元均作了分类学注释。     

八角属植物分类

根据对18个国家和地区121个标本馆收藏的万余份八角属植物标本研究,结合在国内8个省区野外调查、采集、引种和对生长发育与物侯的观察,本文对世界性八角属植物做了分类学修订。根据花蕾和花被片形态特征的变异,将八角属分为2组:八角组-含9种1亚种,其花蕾卵球形,花被片长圆形、椭圆形、披针形至狭舌状,扁平;八角茴香组-含25种2亚种1变种,其花蕾球形,花被片宽卵形至圆形,下凹。将凹脉组作为八角组的新异名,圆被亚属作为八角茴香组的新异名;指定了红茴香和柬埔寨八角的后选模式。本文还分析了八角属植物的分类学性状,作出有分类检索表,提供有各种植物的地理分布资料,列举出查阅的主要标本,并对各分类单元均作了分类学注释。     

Taxonomy of the Solidago virgaurea Group (Asteraceae) in Poland,with Special Reference to Variability along an Altitudinal Gradient

The morphological differentiation and taxonomic treatment of lowland and high-mountain morphotypes within the Solidago virgaurea group are controversial. To clarify the taxonomic status of these taxa, we conducted a morphometric analysis of 1,746 individuals from 80 localities along an altitudinal gradient from the lowlands of northern Poland to the Carpathians and Sudetes of southern Poland. Multivariate morphometric analyses, cluster analyses and principal component analyses, were used to examine the morphological differentiation within the S. virgaurea group in Poland. Canonical discriminant analysis was applied to determine the morphological characters that best discriminate among the taxa. The stability of the high-mountain Solidago minuta morphotype was tested in an experimental field established in lowland Poland; individuals transplanted from various mountain sites were cultivated at this site, and the morphotypes remained stable in terms of their floral and vegetative characters. Multivariate analyses revealed two morphologically distinct taxa in the S. virgaurea group, which correspond to lowland S. virgaurea s. str. and high-mountain S. minuta as recognised in some European floras. The most important morphological characters for distinguishing the taxa are the number of tubular florets per capitulum, inner involucral bract width and involucre height. Vegetative and inflorescence characters appear to have less taxonomic value because they changed continuously with altitude. A key for identifying S. virgaurea and S. minuta in Poland is presented.     

Fruiting in Sphaerobolus with Special Reference to Light

Sphaerobolus grows and, provided there is sufficient illumination,fruits readily on oatmeal agar or on malt agar. No effect oflight on vegetative growth can be demonstrated. On the maltmedium, increased fruiting occurs with increase of nutrientup to 4 per cent, malt, but at higher concentrations fruitingis not increased and may be retarded. A chemically defined mediumwith starch as the carbon source allows fruiting, but at a lowlevel. Temperature has a profound effect on basidiocarp development;above 25 C. no fruit-bodies are normally formed although vegetativegrowth is approximately optimal at that temperature. For overallfruit-body production at 20 C, light above 100 lux is necessaryand light remains a limiting factor up to about 1, 000 lux.Under continuous light of suitable intensity, fruit-bodies continueto develop and discharge glebal-masses for many weeks. Thereis a distinct periodicity of discharge with (at 20 C.) about12 days between peaks of activity. This corresponds with thetime taken for basidiocarp initiation and development. A number of developmental stages of the basidiocarp are recognized.The final stage, glebal-mass discharge from stellately openedfruit-bodies, is indifferent to light, but all other stagesare stimulated by light. The light intensity for effective stimulationfalls during development and for the penultimate stage an intensityas low as 1 lux is effective. Only light of wave-length below500 mµ is active in overall basidiocarp development. Inthe sensitive region between 400 mµ and 500 mµ,there appear to be peaks of sensitivity around 440 mµand 480 mµ. In alternating light and darkness, simulating natural conditions,glebal-mass discharge occurs in the light periods. With a regimenof 24 hours light and 24 hours of darkness discharge is mainlyin the dark periods.