Heterochromatin and rDNA sites distribution in the holocentric chromosomes of Cuscuta approximata Bab. (Convolvulaceae).

Cuscuta is a widely distributed genus of holoparasitic plants. Holocentric chromosomes have been reported only in species of one of its subgenera (Cuscuta subg. Cuscuta). In this work, a representative of this subgenus, Cuscuta approximata, was investigated looking for its mitotic and meiotic chromosome behaviour and the heterochromatin distribution. The mitotic chromosomes showed neither primary constriction nor Rabl orientation whereas the meiotic ones exhibited the typical quadripartite structure characteristic of holocentrics, supporting the assumption of holocentric chromosomes as a synapomorphy of Cuscuta subg. Cuscuta. Chromosomes and interphase nuclei displayed many heterochromatic blocks that stained deeply with hematoxylin, 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI), or after C banding. The banded karyotype showed terminal or subterminal bands in all chromosomes and central bands in some of them. The single pair of 45S rDNA sites was observed at the end of the largest chromosome pair, close to a DAPI band and a 5S rDNA site. Two other 5S rDNA site pairs were found, both closely associated with DAPI bands. The noteworthy giant nuclei of glandular cells of petals and ovary wall exhibited large chromocentres typical of polytenic nuclei. The chromosomal location of heterochromatin and rDNA sites and the structure of the endoreplicated nuclei of C. approximata seemed to be similar to those known in monocentric nuclei, suggesting that centromeric organization has little or no effect on chromatin organization.     

Supernumerary chromosomes and their behaviour in meiosis of the holocentric Cuscuta babylonica Ghoisy

A supernumerary chromosome and its behaviour during meiosis is described in the parasitic herb Cuscuta babylonica Choisy (2n = 8 + 1B). This species is characterized by holocentric chromosome behaviour, and the occurrence of a supernumerary here is considered noteworthy.     

Revision of the subgenus Ceratitis (Pardalaspis) Bezzi, 1918 (Diptera, Tephritidae, Ceratitini)

Abstract. The fruit fly genus Ceratitis (Diptera: Tephritidae) comprises several important pest species attacking a wide range of unrelated fruits. In this paper the subgenus Ceratitis ( Pardalaspis ) Bezzi is revised. Ten species are recognized of which five are described as new: C.(P.)hamata sp.n., C.(P.)munroi sp.n., C.(P.)serrata sp.n., C.(P.)semipunctata sp.n. and C.(P.)zairensis sp.n. A key to both sexes is provided. All species are restricted to the Afrotropical Region and distributional and known host plant data are given.     

The Chromosome Numbers of 10 Species in the Genus Campylotropis (Fabaceae)

This paper reports chromosome numbers of ten species and one variety of the genus Campylotropis from China (Table 1, Plate 1 ). They are C. argentea Schindl., C. bonatiana( pamp: ) Schindl., C. henryi Schindl., C. hirtella (Franch.)Schindl., C. macrocarpa(Bunge )Rehd., C. diversifolia( Hemsl. )Schindl., C. polyantha (Franch.) Schindl., C. polyantha( Franch. )Schindl. var. leiocarpa ( Pamp. ) Pet. -Stib., c. prainii ( Coll. et Hemal. ) Schindl., C. pinetorum (kurz)Schindl. ssp. velutina (Dunn)Schindl., c. trigonoclada(Franch. ) Schindl. The chromosome numbers of these ten species are all 2n= 22 or n= 11, but a few individuals in C. polyantha(Franch. )Schindl. var. leiocarpa(Pamp. )Pet. -Stib., were found aneuploid with 2n=23. The chromosome numbers of c. polyantha and C. macrocarpa have been reported by Maw-shing (1986)andLee(1972), while those of all the other species are first reported.     

Occurrence of neoxanthin and lutein epoxide cycle in parasitic Cuscuta species

In the present study, xanthophyll composition of eight parasitic Cuscuta species under different light conditions was investigated. Neoxanthin was not detected in four of the eight species examined, while in others it occurred at the level of several percent of total xanthophylls. In C. gronovii and C. lupuliformis it was additionally found that the neoxanthin content was considerably stimulated by strong light. In dark-adapted plants, lutein epoxide level amounted to 10-22% of total xanthophylls in only three species, the highest being for C. lupuliformis, while in others it was below 3%, indicating that the lutein epoxide cycle is limited to only certain Cuscuta species. The obtained data also indicate that the presence of the lutein epoxide cycle and of neoxanthin is independent and variable among the Cuscuta species. The xanthophyll cycle carotenoids violaxanthin, antheraxanthin and zeaxanthin were identified in all the examined species and occurred at the level found in other higher plants. The xanthophyll and lutein epoxide cycle pigments showed typical response to high light stress. The obtained results also suggest that the ability of higher plants to synthesize lutein epoxide probably does not depend on the substrate specificity of zeaxanthin epoxidase but on the availability of lutein for the enzyme.     

云南乌头属牛扁亚属的核形态研究

对云南乌头属牛扁亚属３种、１变种共９个居群的核形态进行了研究。其中弯短距乌头、粗花乌头和滇川乌头的染色体数目和核型为首次报道。所有种类的静止核和前期染色体形态基本相似,分别属于复杂中央染色微粒型和中国型;分裂中期染色体数目为２ｎ＝４ｘ＝３２,染色体类型通常为ｓｍ或ｍ,ｓｔ染色体少见,染色体从大到小逐渐过渡,核型的二型性不明显。结合有关资料,重点指出了乌头属不但在亚属之间,而且在牛扁亚属内也存在着较     

葱属Anguinum亚属4种19居群的核型研究

石蒜科(Amaryllidaceae)葱亚科(Allioideae)葱族(Allieae)葱属(Allium)的Anguinum亚属在中国分布有6种2变种,该亚属植物具有重要的药用价值。该研究在扩大样本量和覆盖范围的基础上,采用常规压片法对葱属Anguinum亚属4种植物19居群的染色体核型进行了研究,首次报道了心叶韭(Allium ovalifolium var.cordifolium)的核型。结果表明:供试类群中茖葱都为四倍体,对叶韭和心叶韭都为二倍体,太白韭具有二倍体和四倍体,染色体基数均为x=8,核型类型都为2A型,每个居群都具有随体染色体,随体染色体多为st染色体,随体均位于短臂末端,并且对叶韭眉县居群和太白韭聂拉木居群存在B染色体。结合前人研究结果讨论了Anguinum亚属植物的染色体特征、随体染色体的多态性和该亚属植物的进化方式,探讨了茖葱(Allium victorialis)和对叶韭(A.listera)的细胞地理学问题。得到如下推论:(1)染色体加倍和结构变异是Anguinum亚属进化的两种重要机制,环境异质性使得Anguinum亚属植物随体染色体具较高的多态性;(2)茖葱通过多倍化和无性繁殖并存来扩大居群;(3)染色体形态变异是对叶韭适应环境变异的重要方式。     

八种国产大戟属植物的核型报道

8种大戟属Euphorbia L．植物的核型分析结果表明,大戟属不同亚属的染色体基数与其形态变 异的复杂性有一定关系。地锦草亚属subgen．Chamaesyce 3个种染色体基数分别为x=8,9,11;一品红 亚属subgen．Poinsettia两个种染色体基数均为x=7,分别为四倍体和八倍体;乳浆大戟亚属subgen． Esula 3个种,染色体基数分别为x=7,10,10。根据以前学者发表的资料分析,一品红亚属和大戟亚属 Subgen. Euphorbia的染色体基数是很稳定的,分别为x=7和x=10;通奶草E．hypericifolia为x=8 的四倍体,它不仅有染色体整倍性的变异,还有异基数性的变化。结合以前学者的研究,笔者支持x= 10为大戟属的最原始基数的观点。齿裂大戟E．dentata和通奶草具不同的染色体倍性,猫眼草E． esula的细胞染色体数目观察证实了我国存在四倍体的居群,与欧洲和北美的植物构成一个典型的多倍体复合体。     

A survey of Penstemon's genome size

Penstemon is the largest genus in North America with more than 270 reported species. However, little is known about its genome size. This information may be useful in developing hybrids for landscape use and for gaining insight into its current taxonomy. Using flow cytometry, we estimated the genome size of approximately 40% of the genus (115 accessions from 105 different species). Genome sizes for both reported and probable diploids range from P. dissectus 2C = 0.94 pg (1C = 462 Mbp) to P. pachyphyllus var. mucronatus 2C = 1.88 pg (1C = 919 Mbp), and the polyploids range from P. attenuatus var. attenuatus 2C = 2.35 pg (1C = 1148 Mbp) to P. digitalis 2C = 6.45 pg (1C = 3152 Mbp). Chromosome counts were done for ten previously published and four previously unreported Penstemon species (P. dissectus, P. navajoa, P. caespitosus var. desertipicti, and P. ramaleyi). These counts were compiled with all previously published chromosome data and compared with the flow cytometry results. Ploidy within this study ranged from diploid to dodecaploid. These data were compared and contrasted with the current taxonomy of Penstemon and previously published internal transcribed spacer and chloroplast DNA phylogenetic work. Based on genome size and previous studies, reassigning P. montanus to the subgenus Penstemon and P. personatus to the subgenus Dasanthera, would better reflect the phylogeny of the genus. Furthermore, our data concur with previous studies suggesting that the subgenus Habroanthus be included in the subgenus Penstemon. The DNA content of subgenus Penstemon exhibits high plasticity and spans a sixfold increase from the smallest to the largest genome (P. linarioides subsp. sileri and P. digitalis, respectively). Our study found flow cytometry to be useful in species identification and verification.     

中国山茶属4种2变种核型研究

本文采用去壁低渗法研究了我国山茶属植物4种2变种的核型。根据Levan等的命名系统,各个种的核型可简式为大理茶2n=20m+2m(SAT)+8sm;勐腊茶2n=20m+2m(SAT)+6sm+2sm(SAT);德宏茶2n=20m+8sm+2sm(SAT);苦茶2n=20m+9sm+1sm(SAT);茶2n=18m+2m(SAT)+12sm;白毛茶2n=18m十2m(SAT)+9sm+1sm(SAT)。这些种都是二倍体种(2n=2x=30),未发现多倍体。在勐腊茶核型中发现2个超数染色体(B-chromosome)。核型的不对称性表明,这些种均属于Stebbins核型分类的2A型核型。这些种在“随体数目和位置,最长染色体与最短染色体之比,臂比大于2:1的染色体比例,着丝点端化值,染色体绝对长度”方面的变异是清楚易见的。核型的变异表明,这些种的染色体进化顺序为大理茶—→勐腊茶—→德宏茶—→普洱茶—→白毛茶—→苦茶—→茶。这一结果与张宏达提出的山茶属植物的分类系统基木吻合。本文还讨论了山茶属植物核型的杂合性和多态性。本文中勐腊茶、德宏茶、苦茶的染色体数目和核型及大理茶的核型为首次报道。     

Cenni Ecologici su Alcune Piante Notevoli (O Nuove) per la Flora Romana e Loro Attivitàg nella Costituzione della Vegetazione Laziale

Summary

The A. notes some new localities of Latium in which he has found several plants interesting for their rarity, but chiefly for their phytogeographical features in reference to the stations in which these species were found. The following plants are for Latium as new: Bifora radians M. B., Cuscuta pentagona Eng., Lippia nodiflora Rich., Galinsoga parviflora Cav., Lapsana hirta Ten.     

Karyotypes of eight species of Euphorbia L. (Euphorbiaceae) from China

In this paper, eight species of the genus Euphorbia L. were cytologically studied. The three species of the subgenus Chamaesyce Raf., E. hirta, E. humifusa and E. hypericifolia, had chromosome numbers of 2n = 18, 22 and 32, with their basic chromosome numbers being x = 9, 11 and 8 respectively. The two species of the subgenus Poinsettia (Grah.) House. E. dentata, with 2n=28, a tetraploid, and E. cyathophora, with 2n= 56, a octoploid, had both the basic chromosome number of x= 7. The three species of the subgenus Esula Pers, E. lathyris, E. helioscopia and E. hylonoma, had chromosome number of 2n= 20, 42 and 20, with their basic numbers being x= 10, 7 and 10 respectively. The basic chromosome number of x = 8 is new for E. hypericifolia, in which x = 7 was previously reported. This indicates that this species had both ploidy(2n = 4x = 28, 8x = 56) and dysploidy(x = 7, 8) variations. In E. dentata, there occurred also ploidy variation (2n = 2x, 4x and 8x). A tetraploid cytotype of E. esula was found in China, its diploid cytotype and hexaploid cytotype being previously reported in North America, the Iberian Peninsula and some other European areas. Based on our results and those previously reported, we support the viewpoint that x＝10 may be the original basic chromosome number of Euphorbiaand discuss the role of polyploidy and dysploidy in the speciation and evolution of this genus     

Plastid genome structure and loss of photosynthetic ability in the parasitic genus Cuscuta

The genus Cuscuta (dodder) is composed of parasitic plants, some species of which appear to be losing the ability to photosynthesize. A molecular phylogeny was constructed using 15 species of Cuscuta in order to assess whether changes in photosynthetic ability and alterations in structure of the plastid genome relate to phylogenetic position within the genus. The molecular phylogeny provides evidence for four major clades within Cuscuta. Although DNA blot analysis showed that Cuscuta species have smaller plastid genomes than tobacco, and that plastome size varied significantly even within one Cuscuta clade, dot blot analysis indicated that the dodders possess homologous sequence to 101 genes from the tobacco plastome. Evidence is provided for significant rates of DNA transfer from plastid to nucleus in Cuscuta. Size and structure of Cuscuta plastid genomes, as well as photosynthetic ability, appear to vary independently of position within the phylogeny, thus supporting the hypothesis that within Cuscuta photosynthetic ability and organization of the plastid genome are changing in an unco-ordinated manner.     

菟丝子及其一种伪品的鉴别

通过原植物鉴定、药材性状和粉末显微观察,理化反应及紫外光谱扫描比较,对菟丝子(Cuscuta chinensis)及其一种伪品进行鉴别。结果表明,菟丝子及其伪品在原植物的叶、花和果实、药材质地和气味,种皮栅状组织细胞的构成及其特点、热水浸煮时发生的现象、黄酮反应结果以及紫外光谱扫描显示的最大吸收波长位置,均存在明显差异。菟丝子的伪品系十字花科植物芥菜(原变种)(Brassica juncea var.juncea)的干燥成熟种子,上述实验结果为鉴别菟丝子及其伪品提供了依据。     

Delimitation of major lineages within Cuscuta subgenus Grammica (Convolvulaceae) using plastid and nuclear DNA sequences

Subgenus Grammica, the largest and most diverse group in the parasitic genus Cuscuta, includes 130 species distributed primarily throughout the New World, with Mexico as its center of diversity. To circumscribe the subgenus and assess the relationships among its major lineages, we conducted the first phylogenetic study of Grammica using plastid trnL-F and nrITS sequences from a wide taxonomic sampling covering its morphological, physiological, and geographical diversity. With the exception of one species belonging elsewhere, the subgenus was found to be monophyletic. The results further indicate the presence of 15 well-supported major clades within Grammica. Some of those lineages correspond partially to earlier taxonomic treatments, but the majority of groups are identified in this study for the first time. The backbone relationships among major clades, however, remain weakly supported or unresolved in some cases. The phylogenetic results indicate that the fruit dehiscence character is homoplastic, thus compromising its value as a major taxonomic and evolutionary feature. While several striking cases of long-distance dispersal are inferred, vicariance emerges as the most dominant biogeographical pattern for Cuscuta. Species placed within one of the clades with a predominantly South American distribution are hypothesized to have substantially altered plastid genomes.     

Helianthemum scopulicolum (Cistaceae), a new species from Majorca (Balearic Islands, Spain)

Rupicolous plants coming from a single Balearic locality are described as a new species, Helianthemum scopulicolum . The plant is diploid (2n=20) and belongs to Helianthemum subgenus Helianthemum sect. Helianthemum . On morphological grounds, Helianthemum scopulicolum is related to some members of the H. apenninum aggregate, notably H. apenninum s.l., H. asperum and H. violaceum . However, the new species can be distinguished on the basis of leaves green, shining, glabrescent on the adaxial surface, deciduous short bracts, glabrescent inner sepals lacking long setae and pink-purple flowers.     

Karyology of Aconitum subgenus Lycoctonum (Ranunculaceae) from China,with a report of the new base chromosome number x = 6 in the genus Aconitum

In order to gain better knowledge of the number and morphology of chromosomes in Aconitum subgen. Lycoctonum in China, 60 populations belonging to 20 species were cytologically studied. Chromosome numbers of six species (A. apetalum, A. finetianum, A. fletcheranum, A. longecassidatum, A. umbrosum and A. wangyedianense) are here reported for the first time. One species, A. fletcheranum, has 2n = 12, and thus is a diploid based on x = 6, a new base chromosome number for the genus Aconitum. Most of the remaining taxa are diploid (2n = 16) based on x = 8, but five taxa (A. angustius, A. brevicalcaratum var. brevicalcaratum, A. brevicalcaratum var. parviflorum, A.chrysotrichum and A. crassiflorum) are tetraploid with 2n = 32, and one species (A. apetalum) is hexaploid with 2n = 48, the highest ploidy level currently known in the subgenus. Disregarding differences in the presence or absence and number of satellites, the karyotypes of all the 2n = 16 species are quite uniform (2n = 2m + 6sm + 8st), but A. novoluridum, the only species of A. section Alatospermum, has an intrachromosomally less asymmetric karyotype (2n = 2m + 14sm), which lends further support for the primitive condition of its section as inferred from gross‐morphology. Chromosomal variation in the subgenus and the relationships of some of the species are discussed.     

我国5种珍稀植物的染色体观察

本文对5种珍稀植物做了染色体观察,其结果为:蒙古扁桃染色体数为2n=16;蝟石为20=32;天目木兰为2n=38;光叶珙桐为2n=42;平贝母为2n=22。其中,天目木兰,光叶珙桐的染色体数目为首次报道。这5种植物均在《中国珍稀濒危保护植物名录》之中,这些染色体数的报道将对珍稀濒危植物的深入研究提供科学依据。     

Alocanthedon, a new subgenus of Chalicodoma from Southeast Asia (Hymenoptera, Megachilidae)

A new subgenus, Alocanthedon Engel and Gonzalez subgen. n., is described for five species of unusual Southeast Asian bees in the genus Chalicodoma Lepeletier de Saint Fargeau (Megachilinae: Megachilini). The subgenus is most noteworthy for the deep postgenal depression or furrow in males (bordered outwardly near the base of the mandible by a protuberant, thick lamella) and the presence of a dense patch of black setae posteriorly in the forewing medial cell (except in one species) [resembling the dense patch of setae among the submarginal cells of Thrinchostoma Saussure (Halictidae: Halictinae: Halictini)]. The subgenus is characterized and distinguished from the related Callomegachile Michener. A key to the following five species presently included in the subgenus is provided: Chalicodoma aterrimum (Smith), Chalicodoma atratiforme (Meade-Waldo) comb. n., Chalicodoma memecylonae Engel sp. n., Chalicodoma odontophorum Engel sp. n., and Chalicodoma apoicola Engel sp. n.Chalicodoma (Callomegachile) atratiforme sininsulae (Cockerell) is newly placed in synonymy with C. (C.) fulvipenne (Smith). Species have been collected from Memecylaceae (Myrtales) and Fabaceae (Fabales). The phylogenetic relationships of Alocanthedon among other Megachilini are briefly elaborated upon.