Complete congruence between morphological and rbcL-based molecular phylogenies in birches and related species (Betulaceae).

Estimations of phylogenies from morphological and molecular data often show contrasting results. We compared morphological and molecular phylogenies in an ancient family of woody dicots, the Betulaceae (birch family). The phylogeny of the family was estimated from parsimony analysis of morphological characters in the genera Alnus, Betula, Carpinus, Corylus, Ostrya, and Ostryopsis and from parsimony and distance-matrix analyses of DNA sequences of the chloroplast gene encoding the large subunit of ribulose-1,5-biphosphate carboxylase (rbcL) in the genera Alnus, Betula, Carpinus, Corylus, and Ostrya and in two outgroups, Quercus and Liquidambar. The topologies obtained by the different methods were completely congruent, and bootstrapping strongly supported the division of the family Betulaceae into two major clades, Betuleae (Alnus and Betula) and Coryleae (other members). Only slightly more homoplasy was present in the rbcL sequence data set than in the morphological set. Relative-rate tests indicated that the Coryleae clade had a faster rate of rbcL evolution than did the Betuleae clade. Heterogeneity of rates of morphological evolution also paralleled those for rbcL.     

Oviposition behaviour and food plant discrimination in leafhoppers of the genus Oncopsis

Abstract. 1. Field host plants of the six British species of Oncopsis are described. O. avellanae is unusual in being associated with both Corylus and Alnus.
2. Laboratory experiments on nymphal feeding preferences, nymphal and adult survival, and adult oviposition preferences are described for all species, using Carpinus, Corylus, Alnus and Betula species as test plants.
3. All experiments demonstrated considerable specificity in feeding, and especially oviposition.
4. It is suggested that discriminative oviposition behaviour is the major determinant of observed field distribution patterns.     

Preference of temperate Chinese elms (Ulmus spp.) for the adult Japanese beetle (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)

Trees of newly acquired Ulmus species originating from the temperate regions of China and growing at The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL, were evaluated in no-choice and multiple-choice laboratory bioassays and cage-studies for feeding preference for adults of the Japanese beetle, Popillia japonica Newman. Ulmus lanceaefolia, U. prunifolia, U. pseudopropinqua, and U. taihangshanensis were less preferred for feeding by adult Japanese beetles. No-choice, multiple-choice, and cage feeding studies revealed that Ulmus wallichiana was moderately preferred, and U. procera and U. americana were highly preferred for feeding. Dry fecal pellet weights were strongly correlated with the percent of leaf tissue removed. Feeding preference in the multiple-choice study was strongly correlated with feeding preference in the cage study and in the no-choice study. Likewise, adult feeding preference in the cage study was strongly correlated with preference in the multiple-choice and no-choice studies. The less preferred species of U. lanceafolia, U. prunifolia, U. pseudopropinqua, and U. taihangshanensis show promise for future elm breeding programs.     

Comparison of leaf life span, photosynthesis and defensive traits across seven species of deciduous broad-leaf tree seedlings

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Leaf life span, photosynthetic parameters and defensive traits were compared across seven species of deciduous broad-leaved tree seedlings native to northern Japan to test the "cost-benefit hypothesis" that more productive leaves are more susceptible to herbivore attack than less productive leaves. METHODS: Studies were made on three early successional species, Alnus hirsuta, Betula maximowicziana and Betula platyphylla "japonica"; one mid-successional species, Ostrya japonica, and three late-successional species, Carpinus cordata, Quercus mongolica 'grosseserrata' and Acer mono. Photosynthetic parameters and defensive traits (total phenolics, condensed tannin and toughness) of leaves were measured for each species, and a bioassay test with Eri silkmoth larvae (Samia cynthia ricini) was undertaken to evaluate differences between species in susceptibility to herbivore attack. KEY RESULTS: Early successional species have a shorter leaf life span (62-88 d) than late successional species (155-187 d). Leaf nitrogen content and light-saturated photosynthetic rate per unit leaf area (P(sat)-area) and per unit leaf mass (P(sat)-mass) were negatively correlated with leaf life span. The nitrogen content of early successional species was about 30 mg g(-1) and that of late successional species was about 16 mg g(-1). Leaf toughness and the C/N ratio were positively correlated with leaf life span, although condensed tannin was not correlated with leaf life span. The bioassay test showed that the number of days the larvae survived was negatively correlated with leaf life span. Average survival of larvae feeding on leaves of A. hirsuta, which has the shortest leaf life span, was 14.4 d and that of Q. mongolica, which has the longest leaf life span, was 6.6 d. The number of days of larval survival was positively correlated with leaf nitrogen content. There was no correlation between days of larval survival and defensive traits. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that species with a shorter leaf life span have higher photosynthetic productivity and are more susceptible to herbivore attack than species with a longer leaf life span. This supports the "cost-benefit hypothesis".     

黑龙江桦木科植物导管分子解剖学研究

利用扫描电镜,对黑龙江省桦木科(Betulaceae)植物4属(赤杨属 (Alnus) 桦木属 (Betula) 鹅耳枥属(Carpinus) 榛属 (Corylus))15种4个变种3个变型的导管分子的管腔微形态学进行了比较研究.结果表明:该科植物在导管管腔的长度,管腔宽度上都有较大的差别;纹孔为具缘纹孔;纹孔的排列方式上,除少数种外均为互列式纹孔式;管间纹孔成群分布,且绝大部分呈现出规则的形状;在成群分布的纹孔内或边缘区域,有圆形点状突出物或由大小不同的孔做成的网状突出物,在该科中普遍存在.探讨导管分子管腔的主要特征;分析了导管分子形态进化的生态适应.     

A multivariate morphometric study on Corylus sieboldiana

Previous taxonomic treatments in Russia and China have considered Corylus mandshurica and C. sieboldiana to be distinct as independent species. A morphometric analysis was conducted to determine if the morphological differentiation from these taxa warrants specific taxonomic recognition with a large sample of field-collected leaves as well as specimens from several herbaria of northeastern Asia. One hundred and fifty two individuals representing Chinese, Korean, and Japanese geographic ranges of the species were scored for 18 morphological characters and the data matrix was used for principal components analysis. The entities that comprise C. sieboldiana complex exhibit widely overlapping ranges in all morphological attributes. The leaf and fruit data may reflect a lack of divergence between taxa. Therefore, we do not regard these to be sufficient for taxonomic splitting of C. mandshurica from C. sieboldiana to warrant the designation of the rank of a species based on morphology. The two taxa were not morphologically well differentiated and their ranges of distribution come together. Therefore, C. mandshurica should be recognized as an infraspecific taxon of C. sieboldiana. C. sieboldiana with short involucres in southern Korea and Japan is often treated as an independent species （C. hallaisanensis） or a variety (C. sieboldiana var. brevirostris), but should be only recognized as a form of C. sieboldiana because this involucral character is highly variable even within the same individual.     

毛榛复合体（桦木科）多变量形态学研究及分类学处理

Corylus mandshurica Maxim. & Rupr. 和 C. sieboldiana Blume 在中国和俄罗斯一直被处理为独立的种。本文对来自不同标本室的这两个种的腊叶标本及野外采集的大量叶片进行了形态学分析,以确定形态分化是否足够成为建立种的依据。对采自中国、韩国和日本覆盖两个种分布区的153份标本的18个形态学性状进行了统计,以构建数据矩阵用于主成分分析。结果表明,包含C. sieboldiana 复合体的数据单位（entities）在所有的形态学性状上均呈现出广泛的重叠区域。叶片和果实性状分析结果表明类群间缺乏分异性。基于形态学性状不足以把 C. mandshurica 从C. sieboldiana 中分离出去,并给予种的等级,也就是说这两个类群在形态上没有完全分化,而且它们的分布区也是相连的。 因此,应该把C. mandshurica作为C. sieboldiana 的种下分类群处理。C. sieboldiana在韩国南部和日本的具短总苞的植物常常被处理为独立的种或变种,但实际上应该作为C. sieboldiana 内的变型处理,因为总苞性状高度变异,即使在同一个体上也是如此。     

A Study on Foliar Epidermis in Betulaceae

Light and scanning electron microscopes were used to examine foliar epidermal features such as the shape of epidermal cells, the type of stomatal apparatus and outer stomatal rim in 38 species of 6 genera of the Betulaceae. Four types of stomatal apparatus on mature leaves are recognized in this survey: anomocytic, cyclocytic, non-typical actinocytic and brachyparacytic. The foliar epidermal characters and character states are taxonomically useful for the identification of genera and the division of tribes. The generalized evolutionary scheme for foliar epidermal features is fairly closely correlated with the generic relationships proposed in other studies (Abbe, 1935, 1974; Brunner & Fairbrothers, 1979; Hall, 1952; Kikuzava, 1982; Kuprianova, 1963)and it is clear that foliar epidermal morphology can be an important taxonomic character added to others for determining evolutionary relationships. The explanations of generic relationships are based on our hypothesis that anomocytic stomatal apparatus, uni-layered outer stomatal rim, having not T-pieces at the polar region of guard cells and straight anticlinal wall of lower epidermal cell are from the ancestor (Fig. 1). Sinuolate or sinuate anticlinal wall of lower epidermal cells and non-typical actinocytic stomatal apparatus, present in Corylus, Ostryopsis, Ostrya and Carpinus of the Betulaceae, correlates with the separation of Coryleae from Betuleae. Betuleae including Alnus and Betula is considered primitive with more primitive characters. Of Coryleae, Carpinus might be the most advanced, with brachyparacytic stomatal apparatus and double-layered outer stomatal rim.     

Airborne Pollen Grains in Zonguldak，Turkey，2001-2002

The variation in airborne pollen concentration of the Zonguldak region．Turkey was studied for two consecutive years 2001-2002 using a Durham sampler．During this period．a total of 61 304 pollen grains belonging to 43 taxa were recorded．Of these 43 taxa．26 belonged to arboreal and 17 to nonarboreal plants．The main pollen types were Pinaceae,Populus,Carpinus,Betula,Corylus,Fagus orientalis,Castanea sativa,AInus glutinosa,Quercus,Cupressaceae,Chenopodiaceae and Gramineae．representing 96．7％of the pollen spectrum．Pollen concentration reached the highest level in March．     

Airborne Pollen Grains in Zonguldak,Turkey,2001-2002

The variation in airborne pollen concentration of the Zonguldak region, Turkey was studied for two consecutive years 2001-2002 using a Durham sampler. During this period, a total of 61 304 pollen grains belonging to 43 taxa were recorded. Of these 43 taxa, 26 belonged to arboreal and 17 to nonarboreal plants. The main pollen types were Pinaceae, Populus, Carpinus, Betula, Corylus, Fagus orientalis,Castanea sativa, Alnus glutinosa, Quercus, Cupressaceae, Chenopodiaceae and Gramineae, representing 96.7% of the pollen spectrum. Pollen concentration reached the highest level in March.     

Resistance of temperate Chinese elms (Ulmus spp.) to feeding by the adult elm leaf beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

Newly acquired Ulmus species from the temperate regions of China growing at The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL, were evaluated in laboratory bioassays for feeding preference and suitability for larvae and adults of the elm leaf beetle, Pyrrhalta luteola (Müller). Larval and adult no-choice and adult multiple-choice feeding studies revealed that U changii, U. lanceaefolia, U. prunifolia, U. pseudopropinqua, and U. taihangshanensis were the least suitable for feeding and reproduction by the elm leaf beetle. Ulmus wallichiana and the highly preferred U pumila were more suitable for feeding and reproduction. Suitability had no significant effect on male and female longevity. The least suitable species of U. changii, U. lanceaefolia, U. prunifolia, U. pseudopropinqua, and U. taihangshanensis show promise for future elm breeding programs.     

沼泽交错带白桦——长白落叶松优势种群的年龄结构及其动态

采用径级结构替代年龄结构与建立种群年龄结构模型相结合的方法,研究沼泽交错带白桦—长白落叶松优势种群的年龄结构特征。结果表明:白桦、长白落叶松和辽东桤木种群的年龄结构呈纺锤型,龄级—个体数间的关系可用Lognormal函数表征;种群动态量化指数V'_(pi)为辽东桤木(9.57%)白桦(4.02%)长白落叶松(1.83%),均趋近于0,说明种群处于稳定型向衰退型过渡阶段;白桦、长白落叶松及辽东桤木种群幼龄个体严重不足,白桦和辽东桤木种群的存活曲线趋于Odum-B3型,而长白落叶松种群趋于Deevey-I型。白桦、长白落叶松及辽东桤木种群具有前期增长、中后期衰退的特征;白桦、长白落叶松和辽东桤木种群数量受基波影响显著,种群整个生活史阶段未显现小周期波动,种群发展较稳定;随着时间的推移,在未来2、4和6个龄级后,白桦、长白落叶松和辽东桤木种群老龄个体数均有增加,但由于更新幼苗个体稀少,未来必然呈衰退趋势。森林—沼泽交错带的白桦、长白落叶松及辽东桤木种群对外界环境变化有强烈的敏感性和脆弱性,人类活动扰动会影响其发育与演变,从而提高了森林—沼泽交错带地区沼泽化的风险。因此,应减少人类活动对森林—沼泽交错带的干扰,加强对这一地区植被群落的保护与管理。     

黑河林区驼鹿冬季食性研究

1987—1988年在黑龙江省黑河林区,应用粪便显微组织学分析技术,结合野外啃食调查,对驼鹿冬季食物组成、食物选择性和利用率进行了研究。结果表明,冬季驼鹿共采食31种(属)植物,其中柳、榛、桦、红松、杨和紫椴是主要的冬季食物(19.9％、18.0％、16.7％、14.9％、7.3％和6.7％)。驼鹿对杨、柳、红松和紫椴有正选择性,对榛、桦和毛赤杨有负选择性。选择性的强弱顺序为:杨>柳>红松>紫椴>榛>桦>毛赤杨。驼鹿对柳的选用率最高(32.1％),对桦的利用率最低(12.1％)。     

Attraction to Host Plant Volatiles and Feeding Performance of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Naupactus Xanthographus</Emphasis> (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is Affected by Starvation

The grape weevil, Naupactus xanthographus Germar (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is a polyphagous insect which is a cause of important damage to several economically relevant crops, including grape (Vitis vinifera) and avocado (Persea americana), in several countries of Latin America. The larvae cause damage to the roots and rootlets of plants, and adults feed on leaves of their host plant. Despite its economic importance, there are few reports on the behavioral and nutritional ecology of this weevil. In this context, laboratory feeding and olfactometer bioassays with N. xanthographus were performed. The feeding performance was evaluated by measuring the weight variation of the insects after 1 and 6 h of feeding on grape or avocado leaves, respectively. After 1 h of feeding, insects showed no significant differences in weight increase. However, after a period of 6 h of feeding, males had continued feeding on grape leaves, but not on avocado leaves. Bioassays using a Y-tube olfactometer showed that males are attracted to volatiles of both host plants. Furthermore, starved males and females showed no preference to volatiles of grape or avocado. However, non-starved males and females preferred grape volatiles over avocado volatiles. Based on the combined results of the assays, we conclude that grape is preferred over avocado for N. xanthographus. Furthermore, this is the first report on the effect of starvation on the attraction to host plant volatiles in Curculionidae.     

Phylogeny and evolution of the Betulaceae as inferred from DNA sequences,morphology, and paleobotany

Phylogeny of the Betulaceae is assessed on the basis of rbcL, ITS, and morphological data. Based upon 26 rbcL sequences representing most “higher” hamamelid families, the Betulaceae are monophyletic, with Casuarinaceae as its sister group, regardless of whether the outgroup is Cunoniaceae, Cercidiphyllaceae, Hamamelidaceae, or Nothofagus. Within the Betulaceae, two sister clades are evident, corresponding to the subfamilies Betuloideae and Coryloideae. However, with only 13 phylogenetically informative sites, the rbcL sequences provide limited intra-subfamilial resolution. Internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences provided 96 phylogenetically informative sites from 491 aligned sites resulting in a single most parsimonious tree of 374 steps (consistency index = 0.791) with two major lineages corresponding to the two traditional subfamilies: Betuloideae (Alnus, Betula) and Coryloideae (Corylus, Ostryopsis, Carpinus, Ostrya). This arrangement is mostly consistent with those from rbcL and morphology and is greatly reinforced by analyses with the three data sets combined. In the Coryloideae, the Ostryopsis–Carpinus–Ostrya clade is well supported, with Corylus as its sister group. The sister-group relationship between Ostryopsis and the Carpinus–Ostrya clade is well supported by ITS, rbcL, and morphological data. Phylogenetic relationships among the extant genera deduced by these analyses are compatible with inferences from ecological evolution and the extensive fossil record.     

Betulaceous leaves and fruits from the British Upper Palaeocene

Fossil leaves and bracteate fruits are described from a new Upper Palaeocene locality in the Reading Beds near Newbury, southern England. The leaves are assigned to Craspedodromophyllum acutum Crane and correspond in many respects to those of living Betulaceae. The bracts and fruits are assigned to Palaeocarpinus laciniata Crane, which although referable to the Coryleae exhibits a novel combination of the characters of several living genera, particularly Corylus and Carpinus. An argument is presented for the association of these organs as a reconstructed fossil plant which is an extinct member of the Betulaceae. The evolution and fossil record of the Betulaceae are discussed, the late Upper Cretaceous and Palaeocene being regarded as the time at which the characters of modern genera were beginning to differentiate. Carpinus appears to have undergone a major Eurasian diversification during the late Palaeogene and early Neogene. Dispersal in Palaeocarpinus laciniata was probably less specialized than in most extant Coryleae.     

Betulaceous leaves and fruits from the British Upper Palaeocene

Fossil leaves and bracteate fruits are described from a new Upper Palaeocene locality in the Reading Beds near Newbury, southern England. The leaves are assigned to Craspedodromophyllum acutum Crane and correspond in many respects to those of living Betulaceae. The bracts and fruits are assigned to Palaeocarpinus laciniata Crane, which although referable to the Coryleae exhibits a novel combination of the characters of several living genera, particularly Corylus and Carpinus. An argument is presented for the association of these organs as a reconstructed fossil plant which is an extinct member of the Betulaceae. The evolution and fossil record of the Betulaceae are discussed, the late Upper Cretaceous and Palaeocene being regarded as the time at which the characters of modern genera were beginning to differentiate. Carpinus appears to have undergone a major Eurasian diversification during the late Palaeogene and early Neogene. Dispersal in Palaeocarpinus laciniata was probably less specialized than in most extant Coryleae.     

Attraction of pepper weevil to volatiles from damaged pepper plants

Pioneer herbivorous insects may find their host plants through a combination of visual and constitutive host‐plant volatile cues, but once a site has been colonized, feeding damage changes the quantity and quality of plant volatiles released, potentially altering the behavior of conspecifics who detect them. Previous work on the pepper weevil, Anthonomus eugenii Cano (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), demonstrated that this insect can detect and orient to constitutive host plant volatiles released from pepper [Capsicum annuum L. (Solanaceae)]. Here we investigated the response of the weevil to whole plants and headspace collections of plants damaged by conspecifics. Mated weevils preferred damaged flowering as well as damaged fruiting plants over undamaged plants in a Y‐tube olfactometer. They also preferred volatiles from flowering and fruiting plants with actively feeding weevils over plants with old feeding damage. Both sexes preferred volatiles from fruiting plants with actively feeding weevils over flowering plants with actively feeding weevils. Females preferred plants with 48 h of prior feeding damage over plants subjected to weevil feeding for only 1 h, whereas males showed no preference. When attraction to male‐ and female‐inflicted feeding damage was compared in the Y‐tube, males and females showed no significant preference. Wind tunnel plant assays and four‐choice olfactometer assays using headspace volatiles confirmed the attraction of weevils to active feeding damage on fruiting plants. In a final four‐choice olfactometer assay using headspace collections, we tested the attraction of mated males and virgin and mated females to male and female feeding damage. In these headspace volatile assays, mated females again showed no preference for male feeding; however, virgin females and males preferred the headspace volatiles of plants fed on by males, which contained the male aggregation pheromone in addition to plant volatiles. The potential for using plant volatile lures to improve pepper weevil monitoring and management is discussed.     

桦木科2个植物名称后选模式的指定

指定了桦木科(Betulaceae)的九龙桦(Betula jiulungensis Hu ex P.C.Li)和天台鹅耳枥(Carpinus tien-taiensis W.C.Cheng)这2个植物名称的后选模式.该2个植物名称发表时,同时指定两号标本为模式,而没指定主模式.     

Leaf volatiles as attractants for neonate Helicoverpa armigera Hbn. (Lep., Noctuidae) larvae

The 1st instar Helicoverpa armigera larvae were bioassayed in the laboratory to study their orientational responses towards leaf volatiles of four leguminous crops: chickpea, Cicer arietinum L.; pigeonpea, Cajanus cajan Millsp.; blackgram, Vigna mungo L.; and cowpea, Vigna unguiculata L. (Walp.). The gram podborer larvae showed positive orientational responses towards leaves of all four test plants. Whole leaves of chickpea, pigeonpea and blackgram were more attractive for gram podborer larvae than cowpea whole leaves. Larval attraction for crushed (damaged) leaves of chickpea, blackgram and cowpea was significantly higher than the attraction for pigeonpea crushed leaves. The orientational responses of gram podborer larvae for crushed leaves of cowpea were significantly higher compared to whole leaves. However, the whole pigeonpea leaves elicited higher orientational responses than the crushed leaves. Maceration was not observed to affect the attractancy of chickpea and blackgram leaves. Further, the leaves were extracted in n-hexane and methanol. It was observed that the crude extracts of all the test leaves elicited positive orientational responses of larvae. In no-choice tests, the orientational preference of the larvae for the hexane extracts of all the test leaves was statistically equal. Similarly, the methanol extracts of leaves of all the test plants also attracted a greater percentage of larvae in no-choice tests. However, under two-choice bioassays, hexane foliage extract of all the test plants elicited higher orientational responses of larvae compared to the methanolic extracts of same leaves. The results of these bioassays clearly indicate that all the test leaves emit kairomones for gram podborer larvae. Moreover, kairomonal components of these leaves are, at least in part, extractable in hexane and methanol, which are higher in hexane than methanol.