A new species of Eriocaulon (Eriocaulaceae) from Ethiopia

Eriocaulon crassiusculum sp. nov. is described from the Kefa province in southwestern Ethiopia. Illustrations are provided for habit as well as details of flowers (including pollen) and seeds. The new species is most closely related to E. transvaalicum , a widespread species in southern and eastern Africa.     

Eriocaulon peninsulare (Eriocaulaceae) - a new species from India

Eriocaulon peninsulare, a new species allied to E.sexangulare from Anshi National Park, Karnataka is described and illustrated.     

A new species of Eriocaulon (Eriocaulaceae) from Madhya Pradesh, India

Eriocaulon raipurense (Eriocaulaceae) is described and illustrated as a new species from Madhya Pradesh, India. The species is closely allied to E. hamiltonianum but differs in the size and apex of involucral bancts, white-pilose nature of floral bracts and colour of female petals.     

Eriocaulon balakrishnanii (Eriocaulaceae), a new species from the Western Ghats of India

A new species, Eriocaulon balakrishnanii (Eriocaulaceae) from the Western Ghats of Karnataka State in India is described and illustrated. This species is allied to E. robusto-brownianum and E. lanceolatum but differs in a number of characters from both.     

Conservation biology of a rare plant species,Eriocaulon kornickianum (Eriocaulaceae)

Historical and current ecological and genetic factors were examined in western popultions of Eriocaulon kornickianum to determine the cause and consequence of rarity in this disjunct species and to assess its extinction vulnerability. Reproductive biology was examined, which included an examination of breeding systems, seed set, and pollen viability. Recruitment into and maintenance of the populations was evaluated using seed bank estimates. A disturbance study was conducted that examined the effects of competing vegetation and associated species, and included clipping, burning, and artificial seeding. Enzyme electrophoresis was used to measure genetic variation in an effort to examine gene flow within and among populations. Many factors are contributing to the decline of the western populations of this species and include an annual or weak perennial life history, no vegetative reproduction, low seed set, little seed bank contribution to population growth and maintenance, genetic homogeneity, a restricted habitat, and poor competitive abilities. Continuing studies of genetic variation are being used to examine historical factors that may have resulted in a genetic bottleneck observed in the western populations.     

Eriocaulon vandaanamense sp. nov. (Eriocaulaceae) from Kerala,India

Eriocaulon vandaanamense (Eriocaulaceae), a new species from a marshy coastal area in the Alappuzha District, Kerala, India, is described and illustrated. The new species is similar to E. truncatum and resembles it in having vertically elongated seed coat cells, but differs mainly in having pale black hoary floral bracts, 3‐lobed hoary male sepals, linear‐falcate, non‐conduplicate hoary female sepals, and small, smooth, pale brown seeds without seed coat appendages.     

Eriocaulon gopalakrishnanum sp. nov. (Eriocaulaceae) from the Western Ghats,India

Eriocaulon gopalakrishnanum K. Rashmi & G. Krishnakumar sp. nov. is described and illustrated from the low altitude monsoon vegetation in the coastal lateritic plateau of the Western Ghat region of Kerala, India. The new species is distinct in the leaves and spathe being papillose, a character not displayed by any other species from this region.     

First molecular phylogenetic insights into the evolution of Eriocaulon (Eriocaulaceae,Poales)

Eriocaulon is a genus of c. 470 aquatic and wetland species of the monocot plant family Eriocaulaceae. It is widely distributed in Africa, Asia and America, with centres of species richness in the tropics. Most species of Eriocaulon grow in wetlands although some inhabit shallow rivers and streams with an apparent adaptive morphology of elongated submerged stems. In a previous molecular phylogenetic hypothesis, Eriocaulon was recovered as sister of the African endemic genus Mesanthemum. Several regional infrageneric classifications have been proposed for Eriocaulon. This study aims to critically assess the existing infrageneric classifications through phylogenetic reconstruction of infrageneric relationships, based on DNA sequence data of four chloroplast markers and one nuclear marker. There is little congruence between our molecular results and previous morphology-based infrageneric classifications. However, some similarities can be found, including Fyson’s sect. Leucantherae and Zhang’s sect. Apoda. Further phylogenetic studies, particularly focusing on less well sampled regions such as the Neotropics, will help provide a more global overview of the relationships in Eriocaulon and may enable suggesting the first global infrageneric classification.

     

Polysphondylium multicystogenum sp. nov., a new dictyostelid species from Sierra Leone, West Africa

Polysphondylium multicystogenum, a new heterothallic species of dictyostelids, is described based on three isolates collected from soils in Sierra Leone, West Africa. This species is characterized by sorophores with a combination of clavate base and ovoid to oblong tip cell, smaller spores and abundant microcyst production under the usual culture conditions for sorocarp formation at 20 C. This is the first report of Polysphondylium producing such abundant microcysts.     

Chemical profile of Eriocaulon ligulatum (Vell.) L.B. Smith (Eriocaulaceae)

Two new and six known flavonoids and two known naphthopyranones have been isolated by chromatographic methods and spectrometrically identified in capitulae and scapes of Eriocaulon ligulatum (Vell.) L.B. Smith (Eriocaulaceae). The presence of naphthopyranones suggests approximation between Eriocaulon and Paepalanthus genus.     

Floral development and vasculature in Eriocaulon (Eriocaulaceae) provide insights into the evolution of Poales

Background and AimsFloral developmental studies are crucial for understanding the evolution of floral structures and sexual systems in angiosperms. Within the monocot order Poales, both subfamilies of Eriocaulaceae have unisexual flowers bearing unusual nectaries. Few previous studies have investigated floral development in subfamily Eriocauloideae, which includes the large, diverse and widespread genus Eriocaulon. To understand floral variation and the evolution of the androecium, gynoecium and floral nectaries of Eriocaulaceae, we analysed floral development and vasculature in Eriocaulon and compared it with that of subfamily Paepalanthoideae and the related family Xyridaceae in a phylogenetic context.MethodsThirteen species of Eriocaulon were studied. Developmental analysis was carried out using scanning electron microscopy, and vasculature analysis was carried out using light microscopy. Fresh material was also analysed using scanning electron microscopy with a cryo function. Character evolution was reconstructed over well-resolved phylogenies.Key ResultsPerianth reductions can occur due to delayed development that can also result in loss of the vascular bundles of the median sepals. Nectariferous petal glands cease development and remain vestigial in some species. In staminate flowers, the inner stamens can emerge before the outer ones, and carpels are transformed into nectariferous carpellodes. In pistillate flowers, stamens are reduced to staminodes and the gynoecium has dorsal stigmas.ConclusionsFloral morphology is highly diverse in Eriocaulon, as a result of fusion, reduction or loss of perianth parts. The nectariferous carpellodes of staminate flowers originated first in the ancestor of Eriocaulaceae; petal glands and nectariferous branches of pistillate flowers originated independently in Eriocaulaceae through transfer of function. We present a hypothesis of floral evolution for the family, illustrating a shift from bisexuality to unisexuality and the evolution of nectaries in a complex monocot family, which can contribute to future studies on reproductive biology and floral evolution in other groups.     

Two new species of Monadenium (Euphorbiaceae) from Somalia

Two species of Monadenium, M. gillettii related to M. ellenbeckii , and M. lindenii related to M. virgatum are described as new endemics of Somalia.     

Two new species of Habracanthus (Acanthaceae) from Colombia

Two new Colombian species ofHabracanthus,H. malacus from the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta andH. latifolius from the Sierra de Perijá, are described, illustrated, and compared withH. antipharmacus, their closest relative.     

四川铁线莲属二新种

描述了自四川东南部发现的毛茛科铁线莲属二新种:黄荆铁线莲和古蔺铁线莲。     

Two new species of Acalypha (Euphorbiaceae) from Peru

Two new species of the genus Acalypha are described and illustrated., A. salicina and A. simplicistyla , based on Peruvian material. Comments on the systematics of related species are included.     

Two new species of Rhynchospora (Cyperaceae) from Mexico

Two new species ofRhynchospora from Mexico are described and illustrated. The white-bractedR. oaxacana is clearly a member of subsectionLongibracteatae which is otherwise found only in South America. A key to all the species of that subsection is provided. The thickened achene summit and slightly sunken style base appear to placeR. durangensis in sectionHarveyae.