Androecial development and systematics inFlacourtiaceae s. l.

Androecial development of 13 species belonging to six tribes ofFlacourtiaceae has been investigated. While inScolopieae andFlacourtieae the stamens develop centrifugally, inErythrospermeae, Oncobeae andPangieae they are initiated in a centripetal sequence or a sequence that is neither distinctly centripetal nor centrifugal. The distribution of these developmental patterns coincides with the distribution of other characters (e.g. cyanogenic compounds, salicoid leaf teeth) and therefore supports a split of the family intoFlacourtiaceae s. str. (containing theScolopieae, Homalieae, Prockieae, Flacourtieae, Casearieae andBembicieae) andKiggelariaceae (withErythrospermeae, Oncobeae andPangieae) and is in accordance with results of recentrbcL studies.     

黑粉菌属一新种及中国黑粉菌补遗VI

本文描述采自河北小五台山的黑粉菌一新种,即寄生在野青茅(Deyeuxia arundinacea(L.) Beauv)上的野青茅黑粉菌(Ustilago deyeuxiae L. Guo)。此种与网优黑粉菌(Ustilago scrobiculata Liro)近似,但野青茅黑粉菌网纹明显,网眼高。并报道三种黑粉菌中国新记录。1)酢浆草黑粉菌(Ustilago oxalidis Ellis&Tracy)寄生于醉浆草(Oxalis corniculata L.),此种是我国首次在酢浆草科(Oxalidaceae)植物上发现的黑粉菌。2)网状黑粉菌(Ustilago polygoni-alati Thirum. & Pavgi)寄生于尼泊尔萝(Polygonum nepalense Meisn.),作者对此种进行了订正研究。3)臭草条黑粉菌(Urocystis melicae (Lagerheim & Liro) Zundel)寄生于细叶臭草(Melica radula Fr.)。     

Ascobotryozyma americana gen. nov. et sp. nov. and its anamorph Botryozyma americana, an unusual yeast from the surface of nematodes

A new teleomorphic genus Ascobotryozyma, with a single species, A. americana, is proposed. Its anamorph is a Botryozyma that differs from the type species, B. nematodophila, on distributional, physiological, and molecular criteria; it is described as Botryozyma americana, anam. sp. nov. Ascobotryozyma is characterized by globose asci bearing four lunate ascospores. Fusion of thallus cells precedes ascus formation. Ascobotryozyma americana was isolated from the surface of nematodes (Panagrellus dubius) associated with galleries of the poplar borer (Saperda calcarata) in trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides) in eastern Washington, USA. The teleomorph has not been produced in pure culture.     

Microfungi on the Pandanaceae:Polytretophora macrospora sp. nov.

Polytretophora macrospora is introduced based on specimens from two species ofPandanus in Seychelles. The new species is compared with currently accepted species. A key and a comparative synopsis toPolytetophora species are provided. Numerous specimens ofP. calcarata, collected on members of the Pandanaceae from Australia, Fiji, Hong Kong, Malaysia, New Caledonia, Palau, Philippines, Seychelles and Solomon Islands are also reported, along withP. dendroidea onPandanus sp. from Malaysia.     

Nervostroma, gen. nov. in the Sclerotiniaceae, the teleomorph of Cristulariella, and Hinomyces anam. gen. nov. to accommodate the anamorph of Grovesinia: reassessment of the genus Cristulariella

Taxonomy of the genus Cristulariella is revised, retaining Cristulariella (Crist.) depraedans as the type. Two new species, Crist. cercidiphylli and Crist. corni, are additionally described under the genus. The new anamorphic genus Hinomyces is erected to accommodate Botrytis (Cristulariella) moricola and Cristulariella pruni. A new genus and species, Nervostroma depraedans, is erected in the Sclerotiniaceae to accommodate the teleomorph of Crist. depraedans, with an additional species, Nervostroma cercidiphylli.     

Plagiochila cucullifolia var. anomala var. nov. from Ecuador, with notes on discordant molecular and morphological variation in Plagiochila

Plagiochila cucullifolia Jack & Steph. var. anomala J. Heinrichs & Gradst. var. nov. is described and illustrated. The new variety is known from a single locality in southern Ecuador and differs from P. cucullifolia var. cucullifolia by the flat, not saccate leaves, somewhat smaller plant size and weaker leaf dentation. According to phylogenetic analyses of 35 nrDNA ITS1 and ITS2 sequences of Plagiochila, the two varieties of P. cucullifolia form a monophyletic lineage and are placed in a well supported clade together with five other species of Plagiochila sect. Hylacoetes: P. dimorpha Lindenb. & Gottsche var. ecuadorica (Inoue) J. Heinrichs, P. flabelliflora Steph., P. patriciae J. Heinrichs & H. Anton, P. macrostachya Lindenb. and P. turgida Herzog. Within Plagiochila, nrITS sequence variation is not concordant with morphological diversification. ITS sequences of Plagiochila cucullifolia s.str. and of P. dimorpha var. ecuadorica differ in only 23 aligned positions whereas two sequences of P. subplana Lindenb. differ in 86 aligned positions. Morphologically, P. cucullifolia s.str. and P. dimorpha var. ecuadorica differ in more than 20 characters and previously these two taxa were placed in separate genera. P. subplana phenotypes show considerable variation in leaf shape and dentation but the extremes are linked by numerous intermediates.     

Genome analysis ofElymus angulatus andE. patagonicus (Poaceae) and their hybrids with N. and S. AmericanHordeum spp.

The results of genome analysis of five hybrids, viz.Elymus patagonicus ×Hordeum procerum, E. patagonicus ×H. tetraploidum, E. angulatus ×H. jubatum, E. angulatus ×H. lechleri, andE. angulatus ×H. parodii, are reported. The genomic constitution ofHordeum tetraploidum andH. jubatum is best given as H₁H₁H₂H₂, ofH. lechleri andH. parodii as H₁H₁H₂H₂H₄H₄, ofH. procerum as H₁H₁H₂H₂H₃H₃, and ofElymus patagonicus andE. angulatus as SSH₁H₁H₂H₂.     

Sero-systematics ofCytisus sect.Trianthocytisus (Fabaceae)

The serological reaction of seed proteins provides evidence for a partly new systematic arrangement ofCytisus sect.Trianthocytisus and ofCytisus s.l. Proposed modifications agree with recent advances in morphological taxonomy. Sect.Trianthocytisus includes only two species,C. villosus andC. aeolicus. Its position is central within the genus, and this fact agrees with the proposed retypification ofCytisus (type species:C. villosus).C. emeriflorus, formerly included in the same section, constitutes the monospecific sect.Emeroides, which is intermediate towards the genusLembotropis. This is serologically isolated and includes onlyL. nigricans. It is confirmed thatC. sessilifolius should be removed from the genusCytisus as a monospecific genus:Cytisophyllum Lang which is closely allied toHesperolaburnum and toPodocytisus, the most primitive genera ofGenisteae.     

Hybridisation,genomic constitution and generic delimitation inElymus s. l. (Poaceae: Triticeae)

Intergeneric crosses were made between representatives of the genomically-defined generaElymus, Agropyron, Elytrigia, Pseudoroegneria, andThinopyrum. The genomic constitution ofElytrigia repens, the type species ofElytrigia, is shown to be SSH, a genomic combination otherwise found only inElymus. The S genome ofPseudoroegneria has almost always a dominant influence on the morphology of the taxa of which it is a component.Wang (1989) showed that the J genome inThinopyrum and the S genome have considerable homoeology, with a mean c-value of 0.35 in diploid SJ hybrids. A genetic coherence from S to SJ^e, J^e, J^eJ^b, and J^b can be expected, agreeing with the continuous morphologic variation pattern observed. Because of the absence of morphological discontinuities between the taxa,Pseudoroegneria (S),Elymus (SH, SY, sometimes with additional genomes),Elytrigia (SSH, SSHX), andThinopyrum (SJ, SJJ, J) are best treated as a single genus,Elymus, following the generic concept ofMelderis in Flora Europaea and Flora of Turkey. The basic genomic constituents ofElymus will then be the S and/or J genomes.Agropyron, with diploids, tetraploids, and hexaploids based on the P genome is morphologically distinct from other genera inTriticeae. In a few species ofElymus andPseudoroegneria, a P genome is an additional constituent. In these cases the P genome has a negligible morphological influence. Therefore, it seems reasonable to maintainAgropyron as a separate genus.     

nrDNA internal transcribed spacer data reveal that Rhodoplagiochila R.M. Schust. (Marchantiophyta: Jungermanniales) is a member of Plagiochila sect. Arrectae Carl

The monospecific genus Rhodoplagiochila, previously known only from the type collected in the Venezuelan Andes, has been collected at a second site close to the type locality. Up to now, generic status of Rhodoplagiochila has been accepted by most authors, but the taxon had been alternately assigned to Plagiochilaceae or Lophoziaceae. Phylogenetic analyses of nrITS sequences from Rhodoplagiochila and other representatives of the Plagiochilaceae clearly reveal the former to be in a clade with members of the Neotropical–Atlantic European Plagiochila sect. Arrectae. Within the Arrectae, Rhodoplagiochila is positioned in a robust clade made up of several accessions of Plagiochila bifaria. Morphologically, Rhodoplagiochila differs from other phenotypes of P. bifaria by the papillose leaf surface and a leaf margin which is ciliately toothed all-around. As an outcome of the molecular and morphological investigations, Rhodoplagiochila rosea is treated as a variety of P. bifaria, and the new combination P. bifaria var. rosea comb. et stat. nov. is proposed. In tropical America the family Plagiochilaceae seems to be represented only by Plagiochila.     

New fungal genera, Tectonidula gen. nov. for Calosphaeria-like fungi with holoblastic-denticulate conidiogenesis and Natantiella gen. nov. for three species segregated from Ceratostomella

Two morphologically similar groups of ascomycetes with globose to subglobose perithecia, elongate necks, unitunicate asci floating freely at maturity, and hyaline ascospores currently placed in Calosphaeria s. lat. and Ceratostomella s. lat., respectively, are studied. The Calosphaeria-like fungi have groups of perithecia growing between cortex and wood, arranged in circular groups with converging necks and piercing the cortex in a common point; the asci with a shallow apical ring and U- to horseshoe-shaped hyaline ascospores are compared with Calosphaeria pulchella, the type species of the genus. Conidiogenesis of the investigated Calosphaeria-like fungi is holoblastic-denticulate; ramichloridium-like and sporothrix-like conidiophores and conidia were formed in vitro. Ascospore and ascus morphology, structure of the ascal apex, ascogenous system, mode of conidiogenesis and the large subunit rRNA sequences of this group differ considerably from C. pulchella and both groups are unrelated. Thus a new genus, Tectonidula, is described with two accepted species, T. hippocrepida and T. fagi; they are separated by ascospore and ascus morphology and holoblastic-denticulate conidiogenesis from the core species of Calosphaeria. The placement of Tectonidula among perithecial ascomycetes is discussed. The relationship of Tectonidula with Barbatosphaeria and two ramichloridium-like hyphomycetous genera Rhodoveronaea and Myrmecridium is investigated. Three species formerly attributed to Ceratostomella are studied. The revision of the herbarium type specimen and fresh material of Ceratostomella ligneola revealed that it is conspecific with Ceratostomella ampullasca and Ceratostomella similis. The LSU phylogeny clearly separated C. ligneola from Ceratostomella s. str. and morphologically similar Lentomitella. On the basis of molecular sequence data and detailed comparison of morphology of asci, ascospores and ascogenous system the genus Natantiella is described for C. ligneola with C. ampullasca and C. similis as its synonyms. Natantiella produced sterile mycelium in vitro.     

Genome size in Bulgarian Centaurea s.l. (Asteraceae)

Thirty-nine species and subspecies of the genera Centaurea, Colymbada, Psephellus and Cyanus (all included in Centaurea s.l.) including many rare and endemic taxa of preponderantly Bulgarian distribution have been investigated with Feulgen DNA image densitometry for holoploid and monoploid genome size (C- and Cx-values). Cyanus varies gradually 2.17-fold between 0.74 pg and 1.56 pg (1Cx). In the remaining taxa two major genome size groups are found, which differ about 1.8-fold in Cx-value. Low values occur in Centaurea subgenera Acrolophus, Solstitiaria, Phalolepis (0.77 pg to 0.90 pg, 1Cx) and Jacea (0.95 pg to 1.09 pg, 1Cx), high values in the genera Colymbada (1.65 pg to 1.93 pg, 1Cx) and Psephellus (1.79 pg, 1Cx, in P. marschallianus). Cx-values support a distinction of Colymbada from Centaurea. Genome size variation is discussed with regard to phylogeny, life form (annual versus perennial), polyploidy, chromosome basic numbers, altitude of occurrence and climate, endemism, and rarity.     

Cylindrocladium angustatum sp. nov., a new leaf spot pathogen ofTillandsia capitata from Florida, U.S.A.

Cylindrocladium angustatum is described as a new species fromTillandsia introduced with plant material into the U.S.A. from Central America. Koch's postulates are established to prove its pathogenicity to this host. The species is compared with and distinguished fromC. heptaseptatum andC. rumohrae based on morphology, cultural characteristics and phylogenetic analysis of sequence data of the beta-tubulin gene.     

Aplopsora corni sp. nov. onCornus controversa from Hokkaido,Japan

Aplopsora corni sp. nov. is proposed for a rust fungus whose uredinial and basidial stage occurs onCornus controversa (Cornaceae) in Hokkaido. This new species is separated by its larger urediniospores and probasidia from the morphologically closely relatedA. nyssae onNyssa aquatica andN. sylvatica (Cornaceae) distributed in southern North America.     

Four novel yeasts from decaying organic matter: Blastobotrys robertii sp. nov., Candida cretensis sp. nov., Candida scorzettiae sp. nov. and Candida vadensis sp. nov

Four novel yeast species are described, two from decaying mushrooms, viz. Candida cretensis and Candida vadensis, and two from rotten wood, viz. Blastobotrys robertii and Candida scorzettiae. Accession numbers for the CBS and ARS Culture Collections, and GenBank accession numbers for the D1/D2 domains of the large subunit of ribosomal DNA are: B. robertii CBS 10106^T, NRRL Y-27775, DQ839395; C. cretensis CBS 9453^T, NRRL Y-27777, AY4998861 and DQ839393; C. scorzettiae CBS 10107^T, NRRL Y-27665, DQ839394; C. vadensis CBS 9454^T, NRRL Y-27778, AY498863 and DQ839396. The GenBank accession number for the ITS region of C. cretensis is AY498862 and that for C. vadensis is AY498864. C. cretensis was the only species of the four that displayed fermentative activity. All four type strains grew on n-hexadecane. C. scorzettiae is the only one of the new species that assimilates some phenolic compounds, viz. 3-hydroxy derivatives of benzoic, phenylacetic and cinnamic acids, but not the corresponding 4-hydroxy acids. This is indicative of an operative gentisate pathway.     

Comparisons of the hybrids Hordeum chilensexH. vulgare,H. chilensexH. bulbosum,H. chilensexSecale cereale and the amphidiploid of H. chilensexH. vulgare

Summary Diploid hybrids between Hordeum chilense and three other species, namely H. vulgare, H. bulbosum and Secale cereale, are described together with the amphidiploid of H. chilensexH. vulgare. Both the diploid hybrid and the amphidiploid of H. chilensexH. vulgare were chromosomally unstable, H. chilensexH. bulbosum was less so, while H. chilensexS. cereale was stable. Differential amphiplasty was found in all combinations. No homoeologous pairing was found in the Hordeum hybrids but in H. chilensexS. cereale there was chromosome pairing both within the two genomes and between the genomes.     

A note onArmillaria mellea subsp.nipponica subsp. nov. in Japan

Basidiomes of homothallicArmillaria mellea complex were discovered in the forests of Hokkaido. Their monosporous isolates showed partial compatibility with North AmericanA. mellea s. str. haploid testers. The morphological characteristics of basidiomes differed from other temperateA. mellea s. str. in several aspects. Here, JapaneseA. mellea s. str. is reclassified asA. mellea subsp.nipponica and its basidiome morphologies and habitats are described.     

Methanocorpusculaceae fam. nov., represented by Methanocorpusculum parvum,Methanocorpusculum sinense spec. nov. and Methanocorpusculum bavaricum spec. nov.

Two new methanogenic bacteria, Methanocorpusculum sinense spec. nov. strain DSM 4274 from a pilot plant for treatment of distillery wastewater in Chengdu (Province Sichuan, China), and Methanocorpusculum bavaricum spec. nov. strain DSM 4179, from a wastewater pond of the sugar factory in Regensburg (Bavaria, FRG) are described. Methanocorpusculum strains are weakly motile and form irregularly coccoid cells, about 1 μm in diameter. The cell envelope consists of a cytoplasmic membrane and a S-layer, composed of hexagonally arranged glycoprotein subunits with molecular weights of 90000 (Methanocorpusculum parvum), 92000 (M. sinense), and 94000 (M. bavaricum). The center-to-center spacings are 14.3 nm, 15.8 nm and 16.0 nm, respectively. Optimal growth of strains is obtained in the mesophilic temperature range and at a pH around 7. Methane is produced from H₂/CO₂, formate, 2-propanol/CO₂ and 2-butanol/CO₂ by M. parvum and M. bavaricum, whereas M. sinense can only utilize H₂/CO₂ and formate. Growth of M. sinense and M. bavaricum is dependent on the presence of clarified rumen fluid. The G+C content of the DNA of the three strains is ranging from 47.7–53.6 mol% as determined by different methods. A similar, but distinct polar lipid pattern indicates a close relationship between the three Methanocorpusculum species. The polyamine patterns of M. parvum, M. sinense and M. bavaricum are similar, but distinct from those of other methanogens and are characterized by a high concentration of the otherwise rare 1,3-diaminopropane. Quantitative comparison of the antigenic fingerprint of members of Methanocorpusculum revealed no antigenic relationship with any one of the reference methanogens tested. On the basis of the distant phylogenetic position of M. parvum and the data presented in this paper a new family, the Methanocorpusculaceae fam. nov., is defined.     

The genusAntennaria (Asteraceae: Inuleae) in western North America: Morphometric analysis ofAntennaria alborosea,A. corymbosa,A. marginata,A. microphylla,A. parvifolia,A. rosea,andA. umbrinella

Multivariate analysis of vegetative and reproductive characters was used to examine morphological relatedness amongAntennaria alborosea A. E. Porsild,A. corymbosa E. Nels.,A. marginata Greene,A. microphylla Rydb.,A. parvifolia Nutt.,A. rosea Greene, andA. umbrinella Rydb. Both pistillate and staminate plants were examined. Some of the characters examined were variable in one species, but stable in another (i.e., presence or absence of papillae on the achenes). Our analyses indicate that the seven species are morphologically distinct. It is hypothesized that theA. rosea agamic complex arose through hybridization amongA. corymbosa, A. microphylla, A. umbrinella, and possiblyA. dioica (L.)Gaertn. However, hybridization between the three former species and others, as well as their subsequent morphological responses to different environmental conditions causes confusion in recognizing the taxa.Antennaria angustifolia Rydb.,A. arida E. Nels.,A. confinis Greene,A. scariosa E. Nels.,A. foliacea humilis Rydb.,A. concinna E. Nels., andA. viscidula E. Nels. are considered to represent F 1 hybrids.