Three new species of Sporidesmiella from southern China

Sporidesmiella rosae sp. nov., S. machili sp. nov., and S. archidendri sp. nov., occurring, respectively, on dead branches of Rosa chinensis, Machilus grijsii, and Archidendron clypearia, were collected from subtropical forests in southern China. They are described, illustrated, and compared with similar taxa. A dichotomous key to Sporidesmiella species is provided.     

Allium aetnense (Amaryllidaceae), a new species from Sicily

A new species from Mt Etna (Sicily), Allium aetenense of A. sect. Codonoprasum, is described and illustrated. It is a diploid species (2n = 16) that grows on basaltic rocks in the mountain belt and shows close relationships with A. tenuiflorum of the Italian peninsula. Its morphology, karyology, leaf anatomy, seed coat microsculpturing, ecology and taxonomic position are examined.     

Nonea pisidica (Boraginaceae-Boragineae), a new species from southwest Anatolia and its relationships inferred from karyology and cpDNA sequences

The new species Nonea pisidica (Boraginaceae-Boragineae) is described based on two collections by the authors from the region of Lake Burdur in southwest Anatolia, Turkey. It shows a combination of morphological characteristics concerning habit, flower, and fruit that distinguishes it from N. caspica and N. pallens, the two more similar taxa in Nonea sect. Nonea. Karyological analyses corroborate the separation of the three species, which have different chromosome complements and even base numbers. N. pisidica is characterised by 2n = 30, a complement previously unknown for west Asiatic species of Nonea. The dibasic haploid number x = 15 may have originated through amphidiploid hybridisation between two annual, diploid taxa with x = 7 and x = 8, such as N. lutea and N. caspica. The relationships of the new species were further analysed using trnL_UAA sequences of the chloroplast genome, which were obtained for 16 selected species of Nonea. The resulting phylogeny confirms that it is related to N. caspica and N. lutea, but not to N. pallens, in spite of morphological resemblance. Lack of relationship with the south Mediterranean N. vesicaria, the only other species of Nonea known to have 2n = 30, suggests that amphidiploidy may have played an important role in speciation processes through recurrent and polytopical occurrence.     

Three new species of Portulaca sect. Neossia from east and northeast Africa

Three new species of Portulaca sect. Neossia are described: P. constricta from SE Ethiopia and Somalia; P. commutata , widespread in the Somali-Masai phytochorion of east and northeast Africa, and P. bulbifera from S Ethiopia and N Kenya.     

Three new species of Justicia sect. Justicia (Acanthaceae) from tropical Africa

Three new species of Justicia sect. Justicia (Acanthaceae) are described: Justicia regis from Kenya, Justicia acutifolia from Tanzania, and Justicia telloensis from Cameroun.     

A new species ofCortinarius sect.Sericeocybe from Japan

Cortinarius prunicola sp. nov., found in orchards and plantations ofPrunus mume, is described and illustrated. It is characterized by its dry and violet-white carpophores, unpleasant odor, and its close association withP. mume in spring and early summer. The differences betweenC. prunicola and similar species are briefly discussed.     

Three new species in the genus Tulasnella isolated from orchid mycorrhiza of Spiranthes sinensis var. amoena (Orchidaceae)

We isolated Tulasnella spp. from Spiranthes sinensis var. amoena, a Japanese native winter green terrestrial orchid collected in Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Pref., Japan. These isolates were classified into four morphotypes according to morphological characters, i.e., shape of monilioid cells and branch type of monilioid cell chains, while they were separated into five clades by molecular phylogenetic analysis based on the rDNA 5.8S and D1/D2 regions. The four morphotypes and five clades were correlated, and four morpho-phylogenetic groups were identified. Thus, Tulasnella deliquescens including two phylogenetic subgroups and three new species, Tulasnella dendritica sp. nov., Tulasnella ellipsoidea sp. nov., and Tulasnella cumulopuntioides sp. nov., were recognized in this study. In this study, the monilioid cell chain morphology is newly defined, and is suggested as a useful taxonomic characteristic in the asexual stage of Tulasnella spp.     

Aspergillus huiyaniae sp. nov., a teleomorphic species in sect. Fumigati isolated from desert soil in China

Aspergillus huiyaniae, a new teleomorphic species isolated from desert soil in Xinjiang, China, was described and illustrated. Aspergillus huiyaniae is characterized by its yellowish white to pale yellow cleistothecia, broadly lenticular ascospores with two equatorial crests and irregularly ribbed to slightly reticulate convex surfaces, and subglobose to ovate or broadly ellipsoidal conidia with smooth walls. This species was supported further by the analyses of the β-tubulin, calmodulin and actin gene sequences.     

A new species of Bentleya. Bennett (Pittosporaceae) from southern Western Australia

CRISP, M. D. & TAYLOR, J. M., 1990. A new species of Bentleya E. Bennett (Pittosporaceae) from southern Western Australia. Hitherto Bentleya has been a monotypic genus known from a restricted area in south-west Western Australia. This paper describes a second species which was discovered recently in the same region. The new species differs from B. spinescens in its remarkable habit but shares with it several floral characters which are unique within the family.     

Comparative study of antioxidant capacity in organs of different Allium species

Cultivated and wild Allium species were investigated in order to compare the antioxidant capacity of their leaves and bulbs. Leaf and bulb anti-oxidative enzymes and scavenger activities, along with quantities of non-enzymic antioxidants, malonyl-dialdehyde and OH radicals were determined. Results obtained suggest that leaves possess higher anti-oxidant and scavenging activities than bulbs in the majority of cultivated and wild Allium species examined. Cultivation of some wild species such as A. flavum L., A. schoenoprasum L. and A. ursinum L. could be conducted in the future in order to produce Allium species with high antioxidant capacity in leaves and bulbs.     

Three new species of sanguinolenta-group of the genus Macrophya(Hymenoptera:Tenthredinidae) from China

Macrophya opacifrontalis Li,Lei Wei,sp.nov.,M.pseudofemorata Li,Wang, Wei,sp.nov.,and M.huangi Li Wei,sp.nov.of the sanguinolenta-gxoup of Macrophya(Hymenoptera:Tenthredinidae) from China are described.M.opacifrontalis and M.pseudofemorata is belong to the tongi-subgroup,whereas M.huangi belongs to the depressinasubgroup.The division of the tongi and depressina subgroups and species inside are briefly discussed.Keys to all known species of the tongi and depressina-subgroups from China are provided respectively.     

洋葱卵细胞的分离

将洋葱的胚珠置于酶液中酶解50-110 min后剥去其珠被,可清楚地看到珠心中的胚囊轮廓。用解剖针将珠心从中部横切,然后挤压其珠孔部位,卵器细胞从胚珠的切口处逸出。再用显微操作仪的玻璃针将卵细胞和两个助细胞分开,达到分离洋葱卵细胞的目的。酶对分离卵细胞具有重要作用,在最佳的酶液浓度[0.02%果胶酶Y23、0.08%果胶酶（Serva）、0.05%纤维素酶和0.05%半纤维素酶]下酶解胚珠110 min后,解剖1 h可从24个胚珠中分离出10个卵细胞（41.67%）。随着胚囊的发育,两个助细胞的体积出现明显的二形性。洋葱生活卵细胞的分离为开展洋葱离体受精建立了基础,也为研究洋葱卵器细胞的发育创造了条件。     

Pothos crassipedunculatus,a new species ofPothos sect.Allopothos (Araceae) from India

Pothos crassipedunculatusSivadasan & Mohanan (Araceae), a new species closely related to the SW. Indian endemic and little known speciesP. thomsonianusSchott is described. It is characterized by the the non-ligulate, shortly vaginate petiole, thickly peduncled inflorescence, broadly ovate spathe and a sessile spadix. It is included in ser.BrevivaginatiEngler of sect.AllopothosSchott.     

The Iranian species of Allium subg. Melanocrommyum sect. Megaloprason (Alliaceae)

Analyses of newly collected, living materials from the classical locations led to taxonomic conclusions differing from the last comprehensive treatment by Wendelbo in the Flora Iranica: Allium bakhtiaricum is a good species characterised by reticulate bulb tunics; it is rather widely distributed in the Zagros mountain range. In Allium jesdianum reticulate bulb tunics are missing, and it occurs only in the mountains near Yazd. Both taxa possess a scape which is prominently ribbed in its lower part. On the contrary, Allium stipitatum (syn. A. hirtifolium ) has a scape completely smooth in the living stale, and bulb tunics disintegrating in fibre-like parts. Allium altissimum , which is only doubtfully recorded for Iran, and some other taxa formerly included within sect. Megaloprason by Wendelbo, were not seen as living plants; their classification is shortly discussed. A new key to sect. Megaloprason s. str. is given.     

Botrytis sinoallii: a new species of the grey mould pathogen on Allium crops in China

A study was conducted to identify Botrytis spp. isolated from bulb onion, green onions, garlic, and garlic chives grown in Hubei Province of China. Based on colony morphology and conidial characteristics, 367 strains of Botrytis spp. were identified as five distinct species, namely, B. cinerea, B. squamosa, B. porri, B. byssoidea, and an undescribed Botrytis species (Botrytis sp.), which accounted for 64.3, 29.9, 3.3, 0.3, and 2.2%, respectively. The previously undescribed species is herein described as a new species, B. sinoallii sp. nov., which is characterized by production of numerous small sclerotia on potato dextrose agar. Phylogenetic analysis using partial sequences of three nuclear genes (G3PDH, HSP60, and RPB2) showed that B. sinoallii forms a unique lineage, which is closely related to B. squamosa, a well-known species on Allium crops, but distantly related to the other species of Botrytis on Allium crops, including B. cinerea, B. porri, B. aclada, B. allii, B. byssoidea, B. globosa, and B. sphaerosperma. Results of inoculation tests showed that B. sinoallii is a newly identified agent that can cause leaf blight of green onion, garlic, and garlic chives. Potential impact of B. sinoallii on production of Allium crops in China is discussed.     

A new species of carex sect. bracteosae

Carex socialis, a new species in sect.Bracteosae, is described from southern Illinois and Missouri. It is remarkable in its possession of long creeping rhizomes, as well as in its extremely slender perigynia.