A revision of the genus Linum in southern Africa

Fourteen native species of Linum are recognized in southern Africa, all of which belong to sect. Linopsis. Four are commonly accepted species; four were described more than a century ago but have not been recognized in recent treatments; six are newly described. Thirteen species are endemic; one ranges as far north as Angola and Tanzania. Among the new species two are heterostylous, the first described for the genus from this region.
The section Linopsis ranges broadly from the Mediterranean region to southern Africa and to both North and South America. The occurrence in the Mediterranean region of species exhibiting such features as heterostyly and chromosome numbers of 2n = 18 or 20, the only diploids known in the section, seems to indicate that in that region are to be found the most primitive species of the section. The close similarity between species of southern Africa and a number of South American and North American species appears to place the southern African species in an intermediate evolutionary position with respect to the Old and New World species of the section.     

中国赤车属新分类

(1)根据该文中赤车属与楼梯草属各种形态学的区别,认为赤车属较为原始,在楼梯草属之前自冷水花属衍生而出。(2)将赤车属划分为5组;将C.B.Robinson描述的Elatostemoides属降为组级群,作为赤车属中接近原始群全缘赤车组sect.Pileoides的一个组处理,此外还描述了一个与sect.Elatostemoides近缘的1新组,羽脉赤车组sect.Leiolaena,并根据叶、叶的脉序、雌花序、雌花被片和瘦果等器官的演化趋势给出显示赤车属属下诸群间亲缘关系的系统发育树。(3)对中国赤车属的属下分类群进行了修订,共承认32种1亚种7变种,给出检索表、描述及多幅插图,并将它们划分为4组、2亚组和9系,其中除sect.Leiolaena之外,还新描述了2亚组、5系、2种和3变种;在2003年被归并为同物异名的长柄赤车、曲毛赤车、波缘赤车、小赤车和富宁赤车的种级地位得到恢复。此外,还写出了中国赤车属的分类学简史和地理分布。     

Taxonomy and systematics of the genus Pinus based on morphological, biogeographical and biochemical characters

For a long time, systematists have subdivided the genus Pinus into Diploxylon and Haploxylon according to morpho-anatomy and the number of needles. Nevertheless, divergent views remain regarding the structure of these two subgenera, mainly at the section and subsection levels. We propose to clarify some of these uncertainties by studying 45 Pinus taxa of different origins. Our results, based on morphometric and biochemical (flavonoids) parameters, complement those obtained from classical anatomical and morphological studies, and also modern macro-molecular markers (proteins, DNA). We confirm the subdivision of the genus into Pinus = Diploxylon versus Strobus = Haploxylon and the further sectioning of the first subgenus into sections Pinus and Trifoliae. Moreover, we specify the different subsections, whereby the contents of the methylated flavonol isorhamnetin coupled with needle morphometry play a significant role (subsections Pinus vs. Pinaster in section Pinus, Australes + Ponderosae vs. Contortae in section Trifoliae). Given that isorhamnetin proceeds from quercetin by the irreversible action of an O-methyl-transferase, this methylated flavonol becomes a dynamic marker in such way that the taxa rich in isorhamnetin can be considered as more “derived = evolved”. In addition, there exists a highly significant negative correlation between methylation index and number of needles. Consequently, the pines from the Holarctic Strobus group (with five needles and low isorhamnetin contents) can be considered as “ancestral”, in reference to a Laurasian origin of the genus. In the subgenus Pinus, the Nearctic group (=section Trifoliae) remains near the ancestral base. On the other hand, the Holarctic subset “densiflorae” is connected to the other members (mainly European) of the polyphyletic subsection Pinus, in particular with series “sylvestres”. Because of their very high contents of isorhamnetin, the Mediterranean pines result from an accentuation of this evolutionary trend (=subsection Pinaster). In fact, the pines growing under hot and dry climates (Mediterranean region) are highly evolved compared to those from cold and/or wet regions (Eurasia and North America but also, to a lesser extent, the south-eastern USA and East Asia). Our dynamic propositions based on plant phenolics data complete those from more modern macromolecular (DNA, proteins) studies.     

Phylogenetic Analysis of a ‘Jewel Orchid’ Genus Goodyera (Orchidaceae) Based on DNA Sequence Data from Nuclear and Plastid Regions

A molecular phylogeny of Asiatic species of Goodyera (Orchidaceae, Cranichideae, Goodyerinae) based on the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and two chloroplast loci (matK and trnL-F) was presented. Thirty-five species represented by 132 samples of Goodyera were analyzed, along with other 27 genera/48 species, using Pterostylis longifolia and Chloraea gaudichaudii as outgroups. Bayesian inference, maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood methods were used to reveal the intrageneric relationships of Goodyera and its intergeneric relationships to related genera. The results indicate that: 1) Goodyera is not monophyletic; 2) Goodyera could be divided into four sections, viz., Goodyera, Otosepalum, Reticulum and a new section; 3) sect. Reticulum can be further divided into two subsections, viz., Reticulum and Foliosum, whereas sect. Goodyera can in turn be divided into subsections Goodyera and a new subsection.     

A genetic contribution to the taxonomy ofOenothera sect.Oenothera (including subsectionsEuoenothera,Emersonia, Raimannia andMunzia)

Based on an analysis of results from experimental hybridization, the plants assigned byMunz toOenothera subg.Oenothera and subg.Raimannia, now divided into approximately 76 species, are referred to a single section,Oenothera. This section is in turn divided into five subsections:Euoenothera, Munzia, Raimannia, Emersonia, and an undescribed group of three species related toOenothera pubescens. Euoenothera is maintained in the traditional sense, and includes about 14 species of North America, widely naturalized elsewhere.Munzia consists of 45 species, comprising three series, and native to South America.Raimannia is restricted to a group of approximately 11 North American species.Emersonia comprises four rather heterogenous species of northern Mexico and southern New Mexico, of whichOenothera macrosceles, O. maysillesii, andO. organensis have been described. Within these four subsections, interspecific hybrids can be made in general, although plastid differentiation often leads to incompatibilities. With varying degrees of difficulty, hybrids were produced in all intersectional combinations involvingEuoenothera, Emersonia, Munzia, andRaimannia, the most difficult being those betweenEmersonia andRaimannia. Based on their habit and distribution,Emersonia species, and especiallyOenothera maysillesii, appear to resemble most closely the common ancestor of the section,Euoenothera andMunzia to have been derived from it or its common ancestor, andRaimannia perhaps to be more closely related to the phylogenetic branch that leads toEuoenothera.     

Contribution to the Karyological Knowledge of Mediterranean Romulea Species (Iridaceae)

Eighteen chromosome counts are reported in nine Mediterranean Romulea species. Among them, four species have a wide distribution range (R. bulbocodium, R. columnae, R. ramiflora and R. rollii) and five are narrow central Mediterranean endemics (R. bocchierii, R. ligustica, R. linaresii, R. requienii and R. revelieri). Chromosome numbers range from 2n?=?3x?=?27 in one R. columnae accession to 2n?=?6x?=?54 in R. linaresii. Our results only partially agree with previous reports, and the chromosome number records of R. bocchierii, R. ligustica, R. linaresii subsp. linaresii and R. revelieri presented here are completely new. According to our data and contrary to previous statements, x?=?9 seems to be the basic chromosome number in this group of Mediterranean Romulea. Moreover, a highly significant negative correlation between the chromosome size and ploidy level was found.     

Neogene history of Sporolithon Heydrich (Corallinales,Rhodophyta) in the Mediterranean region

Most modern species of Sporolithon live in tropical and subtropical areas and only one species of the genus, S. ptychoides, occurs in the Mediterranean Sea. The scarce present-day populations of Sporolithon in the Mediterranean region are relics of a long history of the genus in this area since the Early Cretaceous. Analysis of data from the palaeontological literature, combined with the study of both fossil samples and Recent ones collected from Italy and Spain, shows that during the Miocene variations in the number of Sporolithon species in the Mediterranean region parallel changes in global temperature. After a maximum species richness in the Langhian (early Mid Miocene), coincident with the Miocene climatic optimum, the number of species decreased to just two before the Messinian Salinity Crisis. This marked decline follows the global cooling event that began at around 14 Ma. The closure of the connections of the Mediterranean region with the Indian Ocean during the Langhian left Mediterranean Sporolithon populations isolated from the main dispersal area of the genus. After the Messinian desiccation, a single species, S. ptychoides, re-invaded the Mediterranean Basin during the Early Pliocene and continues to inhabit this temperate sea today. The Atlantic Ocean is the most probable source of the re-invading Sporolithon plants.     

Four new species of Entoloma s.l. (Agaricales) from southern China

Four new Entoloma s.l. species (E. azureosquamulosum, E. caeruleoflavum, E. hainanense, and E. subtenuicystidiatum) are described from southern China. E. azureosquamulosum fits well within the section Rhamphocystotae, E. caeruleoflavum belongs to the section Entoloma, E. hainanense is placed in the section Calliderma, and E. subtenuicystidiatum is a species in the section Cyanula. Preliminary phylogenetic analyses for the four new species are provided based on ITS and LSU sequences in this paper.     

Infrageneric classification of the genus Gaultheria L. (Ericaceae)

The genus Gaultheria has been classified into ten sections (one with two subsections) and 22 series of which five are new combinations and 21 are new taxa. Seven of these sections are composed primarily of solitary flowered species and the other three sections of racemose species. About half of the species of the genus are included in section Brossaea. A summary of the classification is here presented.     

Phylogeny of Caragana (Fabaceae) based on DNA sequence data from rbcL, trnS–trnG, and ITS

Phylogenetic relationships of 48 species of Caragana (Fabaceae: tribe Hedysareae) and one representative each of Astragalus, Calophaca, Halimodendron, and Hedysarum are estimated from DNA sequences of the rbcL gene, trnS–trnG intron and spacer, and ITS region. At least one representative of all five sections and 12 series within Caragana are included. Analyses yielded strongly supported clades corresponding to sections Caragana, Bracteolatae, and Frutescentes. The species of section Jubatae are distributed among three strongly supported clades, i.e., one with the species of section Bracteolatae, another with two species of section Spinosae, and a third as sister to section Frutescentes. All but the last of these six clades are corroborated by at least one unambiguously traced morphological character. The placement of the other four species of section Spinosae are not well supported and lack unambiguous morphological synapomorphies, and the samples of Calophaca and Halimodendron nest within Caragana with weak support.     

Phylogenetic Relationships and Species Delimitation in Pinus Section Trifoliae Inferrred from Plastid DNA

Recent diversification followed by secondary contact and hybridization may explain complex patterns of intra- and interspecific morphological and genetic variation in the North American hard pines (Pinus section Trifoliae), a group of approximately 49 tree species distributed in North and Central America and the Caribbean islands. We concatenated five plastid DNA markers for an average of 3.9 individuals per putative species and assessed the suitability of the five regions as DNA bar codes for species identification, species delimitation, and phylogenetic reconstruction. The ycf1 gene accounted for the greatest proportion of the alignment (46.9%), the greatest proportion of variable sites (74.9%), and the most unique sequences (75 haplotypes). Phylogenetic analysis recovered clades corresponding to subsections Australes, Contortae, and Ponderosae. Sequences for 23 of the 49 species were monophyletic and sequences for another 9 species were paraphyletic. Morphologically similar species within subsections usually grouped together, but there were exceptions consistent with incomplete lineage sorting or introgression. Bayesian relaxed molecular clock analyses indicated that all three subsections diversified relatively recently during the Miocene. The general mixed Yule-coalescent method gave a mixed model estimate of only 22 or 23 evolutionary entities for the plastid sequences, which corresponds to less than half the 49 species recognized based on morphological species assignments. Including more unique haplotypes per species may result in higher estimates, but low mutation rates, recent diversification, and large effective population sizes may limit the effectiveness of this method to detect evolutionary entities.     

A cladistic phylogeny of the family Patellidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda)

A phylogenetic hypothesis for the patellid limpets is reconstructed by cladistic analysis of morphological characters from 37 species, representing all but one of the living members of the family. Characters included in the analysis are derived from shell shape and microstructure, headfoot and pallial complex, radula and sperm. The species fall into four clades, providing the basis for a new phylogenetic classification into four monophyletic genera: Helcion (four species; southern Africa), Cymbula (eight species; southern Africa, eastern Atlantic, southern Indian Ocean), Scutellastra (17 species; southern and southwestern Africa, Australia, Indo-West Pacific, Eastern Pacific) and Patella (nine species; northeastern Atlantic and Mediterranean). The analysis suggests sister-group relationships between Helcion and Cymbula, and between Scutellastra and Patella. In combination with present-day patterns of geographical distribution, this phylogenetic hypothesis is used to discuss the historical biogeography of the Patellidae. Scutellastra may have originated in southern Africa and dispersed across the Pacific, or alternatively may be a primitively Tethyan group. Both Helcion and Cymbula appear to have originated in southern Africa, but three Cymbula species have dispersed respectively to northwest Africa, St Helena and the southern Indian Ocean. The patellids of the northeastern Atlantic form a single clade, Patella (including P. pellucida), which may have arrived by northward dispersal of an ancestor from southern Africa, or possibly by vicariance of a widespread ancestral Tethyan distribution. The known fossil record of patellids is too fragmentary to permit choice between these alternatives.     

Multilocus Sequence Analysis of Nectar Pseudomonads Reveals High Genetic Diversity and Contrasting Recombination Patterns

The genetic and evolutionary relationships among floral nectar-dwelling Pseudomonas ‘sensu stricto’ isolates associated to South African and Mediterranean plants were investigated by multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) of four core housekeeping genes (rrs, gyrB, rpoB and rpoD). A total of 35 different sequence types were found for the 38 nectar bacterial isolates characterised. Phylogenetic analyses resulted in the identification of three main clades [nectar groups (NGs) 1, 2 and 3] of nectar pseudomonads, which were closely related to five intrageneric groups: Pseudomonas oryzihabitans (NG 1); P. fluorescens, P. lutea and P. syringae (NG 2); and P. rhizosphaerae (NG 3). Linkage disequilibrium analysis pointed to a mostly clonal population structure, even when the analysis was restricted to isolates from the same floristic region or belonging to the same NG. Nevertheless, signatures of recombination were observed for NG 3, which exclusively included isolates retrieved from the floral nectar of insect-pollinated Mediterranean plants. In contrast, the other two NGs comprised both South African and Mediterranean isolates. Analyses relating diversification to floristic region and pollinator type revealed that there has been more unique evolution of the nectar pseudomonads within the Mediterranean region than would be expected by chance. This is the first work analysing the sequence of multiple loci to reveal geno- and ecotypes of nectar bacteria.     

Hamamelose and its derivatives as chemotaxonomic markers in the genus Primula

About 550 species of vascular plants as well as a few mosses were checked for the occurrence of hamamelose, the corresponding alcohol hamamelitol and a galactoside of the latter, clusianose. Hamamelose was found in most of the species investigated. It provides therefore no useful character for chemotaxonomic purposes. Hamamelitol, however, could only be detected in the genus Primula and was therefore more useful. Small amounts of hamamelitol were found in the leaves of species from the subgenera Auganthus, Aleuritia and Auricula but not from Primula and Sphondylia. Clusianose and large amounts of hamamelitol are produced by species of 4 subsections of the section Auricula, but not by species of the subsections Auricula and Erythrodrosum. A taxonomic separation of the two latter from the 4 former subsections is suggested. The taxonomic position of Primula allionii should be reconsidered, since neither clusianose nor hamamelitol could be demonstrated in this species, whereas the other species of the subsection Rhopsidium do contain these carbohydrates.     

A revision of Clematis sect. Aspidanthera s.l. （ Ranunculaceae ）

对毛茛科铁线莲属Clematis L.的单性铁线莲组sect. Aspidanthera Spach s.l.进行了全面修订,确定此组共含72种和15变种,这些种被归类于6个亚组中,其中包括首次描述的1系、5种和2变种,以及做出的2新等级.对单性铁线莲组的分类学简史和地理分布做了介绍.写出了组、亚组、系的形态特征和地理分布,分亚组检索表及各亚组的分种检索表;以及各种植物的形态描述、地理分布、生长环境等,并附有多幅插图.在研究了此组全部种类的标本之后,观察到此组几个重要形态特征的演化趋势(1)萼片在数目上由4枚演变到8枚,在开展方向上由平展到直上展,在形状上由长圆形到狭条形,在长度上由比雄蕊稍长到2-4倍长于雄蕊,其卷叠式由镊合状到次生的覆瓦状;(2)花药药隔顶端由不具突起到具短或长的突起;(3)雌花退化雄蕊的数目由多数到定数、少数,以至完全消失;(4)花序自当年生枝的叶腋发生演变到与数叶同自老枝的一腋芽中发出.根据上述演化趋势推断本组各亚组间的亲缘关系如下subsect. Dioicae (34种,广布于北美洲和南美洲)的花构造(萼片4,镊合状排列,平展,通常呈长圆形,稍长于雄蕊或近等长,外面边缘被短绒毛;雄蕊花药呈长圆形,药隔顶端无突起;雌花具多数退化雄蕊;花序自当年生枝的叶腋发出)与具两性花的威灵仙组欧洲铁线莲亚组sect. Clematis subsect. Clematis 的花极为相似,区别主要在于本亚组的花为单性,由此判断subsect. Dioicae可能是单性铁线莲组sect. Aspidanthera的原始群,源出于欧洲铁线莲亚组.本组的第二亚组subsect. Lasianthae(2种,分布于北美西南部)与subsect. Dioicae 在亲缘关系上极为相近,区别只在于其花序或具花当年生枝与数叶一同由老枝的一个腋芽中发出,此亚组当是从subsect. Dioicae衍生出的一个小群.第三亚组subsect. Microphyllae(7种,特产澳大利亚)也与subsect. Dioicae相近缘,但此亚组的萼片变狭长,多呈条形或狭条形,常2-4倍长于多少变短的雄蕊,雌花的退化雄蕊数目变少,16-2枚,根据这些进化特征,推测此亚组也源出于subsect. Dioicae.第四亚组subsect. Aristatae (16种,分布于澳大利亚、新几内亚及邻近岛屿)与subsect. Microphyllae 在亲缘关系上相近,但本亚组的花药药隔顶端具短或长的突起而不同,根据此进化特征,推测本亚组系由后者演化而出.第五亚组subsect. Hexapetalae (11种,特产新西兰)的花构造与分布于澳大利亚的subsect. Microphyllae相似,但其萼片为覆瓦状排列,外面边缘不被短绒毛,在多数种多于4枚,为5-8枚而不同.据Godley 的研究,本亚组中的C. afoliata的花有4枚萼片,排成2轮,每轮的2枚萼片均为近镊合状排列;另外,在C. paniculata花的6枚萼片中,4枚为覆瓦状排列,其他2枚有时内向镊合状排列.从上述情况可见此亚组的萼片覆瓦状卷叠式可能是由镊合状卷叠式演变而来的一种次生现象,并由此推测,此亚组可能与subsect. Microphyllae相同,也源自美洲的subsect.Dioicae.最后一个亚组subsect. Insidiosae(2种,特产马达加斯加)的雌花萼片直上展,退化雄蕊完全消失,具有这些进化特征,当是单性铁线莲组的进化群,可能源出自具定数或少数退化雄蕊的subsect. Microphyllae.     

Chlamys touila n. sp. (Pectinidae,Bivalvia) du Langhien de Tunisie centrale

A new species of Pectinids, Chlamys touila, is described from the middle Miocene of central Tunisia (Aïn Grab Formation). Into the group of Chlamys opercularis L., it only has affinities with Chl. gentoni Font., from the Miocene of SE France, and derives probably from this one; as the latter species it lacks all secondary ornementation, but is clearly different by the number and the section of the ribs. It confirms the influence of the occidental bioprovince in this area of the Mediterranean Sea.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Caloplaca testudinea</Emphasis> V. Wirth &; Kärnefelt sp. nov. and <Emphasis Type="Italic">C. rubelliana</Emphasis> (Ach.) Lojka,new to southern Africa

Caloplaca testudinea is newly described from the Namib Desert and C. rubelliana, formerly known from the Mediterranean region and western North America, is reported from the same area and therefore new to southern Africa. Morphology, anatomy, ecology and secondary chemistry of the two species are investigated.     

A chemotaxonomic study of flavonoids from european teucrium species

A survey of aerial tissues of 42 European taxa of the genus Teucrium has revealed the widespread presence of five surface flavonoids: cirsiliol, cirsimaritin, cirsilineol, salvigenin and 5-hydroxy-6,7,3′,4′-tetramethoxyflavone. The latter two compounds are useful taxonomic markers in that salvigenin is characteristic of species of section Polium, while 5-hydroxy-6,7,3′,4′-tetramethoxyflavone is completely confined to species of the other five sections surveyed. Eleven flavone glycosides, four flavonol glycosides and the glycoflavone vicenin-2 were found to occur as vacuolar constituents. One of the flavone glycosides, cirsimaritin 4′-glucoside, only occurs in the species T. arduini, while two others, hypolaetin and isoscutellarein 7-acetyl-allosylglucosides, are characteristic of the closely related T. chamaedrys and T. webbianum. 6-Hydroxyluteolin is widely present as the 7-glucoside and 7-rhamnoside, the latter compound being a new glycoside. In general, the chemical results are correlated with sectional classification and usefully indicate that at least one taxon, T. compactum, is misplaced within the genus. Phyletically, the restriction of flavonol glycosides mainly to section Teucrium suggests that this may be the basic group within the genus.