Piper viridescens sp. nov. (Piperaceae) from Thailand

Piper viridescens sp. nov. is proposed based on material from northern Thailand. The new species is described and illustrated, resulting from a revision of the genus in Thailand. The new species is most closely related to P. boehmeriifolium (Miq.) C. DC. A table comparing diagnostic features of P. viridescens, P. boehmeriifolium and P. retrofractum is provided.     

Revision of the subgenus Ceranthia Robineau-Desvoidy of the genus Siphona Meigen of Japan (Diptera: Tachinidae)

Japanese species of the subgenus Ceranthia Robineau‐Desvoidy are revised. Five species are recognized in Japan, three of which are described as new to science: Siphona (Ceranthia) angusta, S. (C.) nigra and S. (C.) setigera. A key to Japanese species is provided and male terminalia are illustrated. Monophyly of this group is discussed.     

安徽省楼梯草属新记录

报道了产于安徽省楼梯草属2新记录种,分别为锐齿楼梯草(Elatostema cyrtandrifolium)、深绿楼梯草(Elatostema atroviride).     

天线蛋白和类囊体膜脂对光合系统紫黄质循环的调节作用研究进展

紫黄质循环是紫黄质(V)经过中间物单环氧玉米黄质(A)形成玉米黄质(Z)的可逆转换,是光合系统聚光复合体在低光下的聚光状态与高光下的能量耗散状态之间的转换开关.叶黄素中的玉米黄质可钝化(去激发)激发三线态叶绿素(3Chl*)和激发单线态氧(1O2*),紫黄质循环可直接或间接地通过非光化学淬灭(NPQ)耗散PSⅡ天线蛋白中的过量光能.天线蛋白被认为是依赖玉米黄质(Z)耗散过量光能的部位,天线蛋白通过结合紫黄质循环组分(V,A和Z)来调节紫黄质循环.类囊体膜脂的性质和结构影响紫黄质循环组分(V,A和Z)间的转换,V的脱环氧化速率依赖于V在类囊体膜脂上侧向扩散的速率,紫黄质脱环氧化作用第一步(由V到A的转换)的速度常数是第二步(由A到Z的转换)速度常数的4～6倍.现有的结果表明,天线蛋白和类囊体膜脂是紫黄质循环最基本的调节器.该文对近年来国内外关于紫黄质循环的基本反应及其功能、紫黄质循环酶结构性质和辅因子以及天线蛋白和类囊体膜脂对紫黄质循环的调节作用及其机理等方面的研究进展进行了综述.     

The Old World species of Pouzolzia (Urticaceae, tribus Boehmerieae). A taxonomic revision

The Old World species of the genus Pouzolzia have been revised and 24 species and 13 infraspecific taxa recognised. Worldwide, the genus now totals 36 species and 17 infraspecific taxa. Pouzolzia sect. Memorialis Bennett & Brown (including the genera Gonostegia Turcz. and Hyrtanandra Miq.) is maintained here as a section of Pouzolzia. The characters used to separate Pouzolzia from Boehmeria are found to work worldwide. In the Old World, the genus ranges, west to east, from Senegal to Japan and the Solomon Islands, and, north to south, from China, the Himalayas and Yemen to South Africa, Madagascar, Australia and the Lord Howe, Norfolk and Kermadec Is. Some species are common and occur almost throughout tropical Indomalesia or are widespread in Africa; others are rare and with a narrow range, for example restricted to one or a few oceanic islands. Each of the taxa occurring in the Old World is described and illustrated, habitats and geographical ranges are indicated, conservation status is discussed on the basis of our impression of old and new collecting activity, and distributions are mapped. The following new taxa are described: P. tsaratananensis Friis & Wilmot Dear from Madagascar, P. herpetophyton Friis & Wilmot‐Dear from the Comoro Is., and P. zeylanica subsp. calcicola Friis & Wilmot‐Dear and P. thailandica Friis & Wilmot‐Dear, both from southern Thailand. A new name, P. variifolia Friis & Wilmot‐Dear, is proposed for P. heterophylla (Blume) Wedd., nom. illeg. The following new combinations are published here: P. australis (Endl.) Friis & Wilmot‐Dear, P. sanguinea (Blume) Merr. var. formosana (Li) Friis & Wilmot‐Dear, P. sanguinea (Blume) Merrill var. cinerascens (Blume) Friis & Wilmot‐Dear, P. mixta Solms var. shirensis (Rendle) Friis & Wilmot‐Dear, P. hirta (Blume) Hasskarl var. parvifolia (Wight) Friis & Wilmot‐Dear, P. pentandra (Roxb.) Benn. & R. Br. subsp. wightii (Benn. & R. Br.) Friis & Wilmot‐Dear. and subsp. wightii (Benn. & R. Br.) Friis & Wilmot‐Dear var. gracilis (Miq.) Friis & Wilmot‐Dear. The following taxa are reduced to synonymy for the first time: Pouzolzia argenteonitida W.‐T. Wang, P. bracteosa Friis, P. calophylla W.‐T. Wang & C.‐J. Chen, P. guineensis Benth. var. seyrigii Leandri, P. guineensis Benth. var. madagascariensis Wedd., P. baronii Leandri, and P. auriculata Wight.     

Measuring fig foraging frequency of the Yakushima macaque by using automatic cameras

An automatic camera system was employed to reveal the fig foraging frequency of primary seed dispersers on Yakushima Island, southern Japan. Seven automatic cameras were settled on sample branches of Ficus superba (Miq.) Miq. var. japonica Miq. to record animals foraging for figs. Figs on sample branches were counted at approximately 3 day intervals. The cameras took 168 photographs including 155 pictures of Yakushima macaques and two of birds, indicating that most of the figs at the inner parts of the crowns were eaten by the macaques. There was a linear relationship between the number of macaques foraging for figs on sample branches and the number of figs that dis-appeared within each period, suggesting that the automatic camera system was useful for estimating fig loss as a result of the foraging activity of the macaques on a branch basis.     

A new species of Tetracera (Dilleniaceae) from Guyana

A new species of the genusTetracera (T. maguirei) from the sandstone savannas and shrubby forests in Guyana is described, illustrated, and compared toT. asperula Miq. A key to the species ofTetracera from the Guianas is provided.     

江津楼梯草, 重庆荨麻科一新种

描述了自重庆南部发现的荨麻科楼梯草一新种,江津楼梯草(Elatostema jiangjinense)。此新种与锐齿楼梯草(E. cyrtandrifolium)近缘,两者的区别在于江津楼梯草的叶在狭侧具2条二级脉,托叶卵形或披针形,以及雄总苞片在顶端具长角状突起。     

Frugivore assemblage of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ficus superba</Emphasis> in a warm-temperate forest in Yakushima,Japan

Understanding fig consumption patterns is important because figs are regarded as a keystone resource for many frugivorous species in the tropics. While much work on fig consumption has been conducted in tropical regions, temperate forests are particularly interesting for study owing to pronounced seasonal variations in temperature and community-level fruiting phenology. We studied frugivore consumption of Ficus superba (Miq.) Miq. var. japonica Miq syconia in a warm-temperate forest in Yakushima, southern Japan. We conducted 141 4-h focal observations of fruiting F. superba trees over 12 months. We aimed to assess the relative quantitative contribution of each species of frugivore to F. superba consumption over a year as well as factors affecting seasonal variation in consumption. Japanese macaques were by far the most important F. superba syconia consumer (87.6 %), followed by brown-eared bulbuls (5.0 %), and varied tits (4.2 %). Japanese macaques increased their F. superba consumption when the temperature was high and fruit availability (F. superba and other species) was low. Macaques seemed to avoid searching for rare F. superba trees during winter and used F. superba syconia as a fallback food during fruit scarcity. Birds showed the opposite pattern: they increased F. superba syconia consumption when the temperature was low and fruit availability was high. This was probably because birds eat insects as their main food in the summer and switch to fruit as autumn turns to winter.     

Isolation and characterization of microsatellite loci in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Taxus sumatrana</Emphasis> (Taxaceae) using PCR-based isolation of microsatellite arrays (PIMA)

Taxus sumatrana (Miq.) de Laub. (Taxaceae) is an endangered conifer with a scattered distribution in central Taiwan. In this study, we described the development of 12 microsatellite loci in T. sumatrana for genetic studies. These new markers were tested in nine individuals of the rare species. The number of alleles ranged from 3 to 13 and expected heterozygosity from 0.627 to 0.948. Eleven of twelve loci are significantly deviated from Hardy–Weinberg expectations due to the heterozygote deficiency.     

Stemospironine,a New Insecticidal Alkaloid of Stemona japonica Miq. Isolation,Structural Determination and Activity

A new alkaloid named stemospironine (I) was isolated together with stemofoline (II) as the main insecticidal constituents of leaves and stems of Stemona japonica Miq. The absolute stereostructure of I has been determined by X-ray crystallographic analysis. Stemofoline (II) showed a much stronger activity than I against silkworm larvae (Bombyx mori L.) by oral administration.     

Elatostema densistriolatum sp. nov., E. latistipulum sp. nov. and E. cyrtandrifolium var. hirsutum var. nov. (Urticaceae) from southwest China

Two new species and one new variety of Elatostema J. R. Forst. & G. Forst. (Urticaceae) are described from Yunnan and Xizang, China. Habitat details and morphological comparison with similar species are given and discussed. The new taxa proposed are: Elatostema densistriolatum W. T. Wang & Zeng. Y. Wu, E. latistipulum W. T. Wang & Zeng Y. Wu and E. cyrtandrifolium (Zoll. & Mor.) Miq. var. hirsutum W. T. Wang & Zeng Y. Wu.     

Variation with soil depth,topographic position and host species in the capacity of soils from an Australian locale to nodulateCasuarina andAllocasuarina seedlings

Sandy alluvial soils in a floodplain supporting a native stand ofCasuarina cunninghamiana Miq. produced about three times as many nodulated seedlings and more than twice as many nodules per nodulated seedling on roots of baitedCasuarina spp. than did clay loam red earth soils from the adjacent valley slope. Moist and well-aerated subsurficial alluvial sands had the greatest nodulation capacity of all the soils sampled. For all topographic positions, soil samples from depths greater than 20 cm promoted 76% more nodulated Casuarina seedlings than samples from the surficial 20 cm.Seedlings of three provenances ofC. cunninghamiana, together with seedlings ofC. glauca Sieb. ex Spreng.,C. cristata F. Muell ex Miq. andC. obesa Miq. developed significantly more nodules per pot and nodules per nodulated seedling in soils from this locale than seedlings of twoCasuarina equisetifolia Forst. provenances. Seedlings of two provenances ofAllocasuarina torulosa (Ait.) L. Johnson had fewer than 1% nodulated seedlings, a significantly lower level by far than that ofCasuarina seedlings.A. torulosa provenances also had significantly fewer nodulated seedlings per pot and nodules per nodulated seedling than all Casuarina hosts excepting one poorly-nodulated provenance ofC. equisetifolia.Nodulated seedlings of allCasuarina species had the capacity to fix atmospheric N₂, as indicated by acetylene-reduction capability. The presence of yellow cladodes and low rates of acetylene reduction per plant forC. cristata Miq. suggest that this association was poorly effective.     

Revision of the genus Stichillus Enderlein of Japan (Diptera: Phoridae)

The genus Stichillus in Japan is revised. Three species are recognized: S. japonicus (Matsumura), S. spinosus Liu and Chou and S. cylindratus sp. nov. Stichillus brunneicornis Beyer is excluded from the Japanese fauna. These Japanese species are described and keyed. The male genitalia and the female terminalia are illustrated. Some unique characters of the male genitalia in the genus are reported, and morphology of the male genitalia and the female terminalia is discussed.     

Five interesting ascomycetes from herbal drugs

Among strains isolated from herbal drugs in a mycological survey conducted in 1977–1980, five noteworthy species of pyrenomycetous ascomycetes are described and illustrated:Gelasinospora mirabilis var.gigaspora var. nov., isolated from Taraxaci Herba (Japanese name, Hokoei);Lophotrichus ampullus, isolated from Trichosanthis Radix (Japanese name, Karokon);L. bartlettii, isolated from Chamomillae Flos (Japanese name, Kamitsure);Sordaria conoidea, isolated from Plantaginis Semen (Japanese name, Shazenshi); andThielavia subthermophila, isolated from wood ofAbies webbiana, Plantaginis Semen and Plantaginis Herba (Japanese names, Shazenshi and Shazenso).     

First record of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pluteus chrysophaeus</Emphasis> and reexamination of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pluteus leoninus</Emphasis> from Japan

Pluteus chrysophaeus is described as a new record for Japanese mycobiota. Pluteus leoninus, reported for the first time from Japan by Imai (1938), probably represents P. chrysophaeus. The new Japanese specimens of P. leoninus is redescribed and illustrated.