Hypericum scruglii sp. nov. (Guttiferae) from Sardinia

A new species of Hypericum (Guttiferae) from Sardinia, H. scruglii, is described and illustrated. It occurs on damp soil, near springs or streams with freshwater, where it grows with numerous hygrophytes. This diploid species (2n=16) belongs to the sect. Adenosepalum and is closely related to H. tomentosum, a species widespread in the west Mediterranean region.     

New species of the genusHypericum sect.Hypericum (Guttiferae) from Slovakia

A new species of the genusHypericum, Hypericum carpaticum Mártonfi, is described from Slovakia. It is pentaploid (2n=40) with morphological and chemical features that are most similar to the tetraploid speciesH. dubium Leers from western Europe. The species is most likely of hybridogenous origin, arising as a result of hybridization betweenH. maculatum Crantz andH. perforatum L. It seems that consequent speciation processes and stabilization by inherited apomixis (fromH. perforatum) allowed it to reproduce successfully and to enlarge its distribution area. According to recent knowledge of its distribution, it is necessary to consider it endemic to the Volovské vrchy Mts. in the Carpathians. With regard to its scarcity it merits EN status according to the IUCN criteria.     

岷江金丝桃中一个新的间苯三酚类化合物

从岷江金丝桃(Hypericum henryi subsp.uraloides)中分离得到了一个新的问苯三酚类化合物(1),命名为umloidin A.其结构主要通过Ms,1D以及2D NMR等波谱方法鉴定.同时,还得到7个已知化合物.     

Heterostyly in Erythroxylum coca (Erythroxylaceae)

Erythroxylum coca is a distylous species with a strong self-incompatibility system linked with the floral dimorphism. The two sets of stamens in the flowers are usually unequal in length, but between individuals of both morphs there is considerable variation in the relative qengths of the two sets of stamens, which is unrelated to the incompatibility system. Pin flowers produce more pollen grains than thrum flowers, but thrum pollen is larger than pin pollen. Within each morph the two sets of stamens produce pollen grains of slightly different diameter. Erythroxylum novogranatewe is also distylous. Pin flowers of E. novogranatense var. novogranatense are partially self-compatible, while thrum flowers of E. novogranatense var. truxillense are self-incompatible. Reports of tristyly and of four different morphs in species of Erythroxylum are probably misinterpretations, resulting from limited sampling, of the continuous variation in the relative lengths of the two sets of stamens.     

Heterostyly and pollinators in Plumbago auriculata (Plumbaginaceae)

Plants with hermaphrodite flowers risk conflict between male and female sexual function due to close proximity of sexual organs. Heterostyly, a genetic floral polymorphism characterized mainly by reciprocal herkogamy, may reduce this sexual conflict by increasing the precision of pollen transfer between morphs. This sexual organ reciprocity is often associated with various ancillary characters and a heteromorphic incompatibility system. Here we describe the morphometrics associated with heterostyly and ancillary characters in Plumbago auriculata. Using controlled pollination experiments, we show that this species has a heteromorphic incompatibility system. We also document the fauna of long-proboscid fly and butterfly pollinators in a P. auriculata population in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.     

Chemical Composition and Antimicrobial Activity of the Essential Oil and Methanol Extract of Hypericum aegypticum subsp. webbii (Spach) N. Robson

Hypericum aegypticum subsp. webbii is an evergreen shrub spread in Mediterranean part of central and southeastern Europe. The chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oil and MeOH extract of H. aegypticum subsp. webbii were investigated. The monoterpenes α‐pinene (63.4 – 68.5%) and β‐pinene (16.9 – 17.0%) were main compounds in the volatile oil from aerial parts. In the cluster analysis, the essential oil of H. aegypticum subsp. webbii was separated and chemically different from the oil of other subspecies of H. aegypticum as well as other Hypericum species from Greece. SIMPER analysis revealed that α‐pinene (24.79%) was the component that contributed the most to differences between all oils. Also, there was extremely high overall dissimilarity between three subspecies of H. aegypticum. MeOH extract of aerial parts of H. aegypticum subsp. webbii contained flavonoids rutin (56.4 ± 0.9 mg/g), hyperoside and quercetin, and phenolic acids chlorogenic and caffeic acid, while naphthodianthrones were not detected. The antimicrobial activity of essential oil was moderate (MIC from 100 to >200 μg/ml), while MeOH extract inhibited the growth of Gram‐positive bacteria Bacillus subtilis, Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Micrococcus luteus (MIC 50 – 100 μg/ml), more pronounced than the extract of H. perforatum (MIC 200 – >200 μg/ml).     

In vitro pollen germination in Hypericum perforatum L. and Hypericum rumeliacum Boiss

In vitro pollen germination and pollen tube growth investigations are valuable tools used in identification of the effects of environmental factors and genotypic differences on pollen viability, pollen germination and tube elongation. In this study pollen viability, in vitro pollen germination capacity, abnormality ratios and tube length in germinated pollens of Hypericum perforatum L. and H. rumeliacum Boiss. were investigated. Both of these species has spheroid-shaped and tricolporate pollen grains. The diameters of Hypericum perforatum and H. rumeliacum pollens were found as 24 +/- 3 microm and 19 +/- 2 microm, respectively. Pollen viability of H. perforatum and H. rumeliacum was found as 83% and 72%, respectively. The germination percentages were found as 12.85% for H. perforatum and 64.42% for H. rumeliacurm. Tube lengths in germinated pollens of both taxa were measured approximately as 95.25 +/- 38 microm in H. perforatum and 165.92 +/- 53 microm in H. rumeliacium 4 h after inoculation. In germinated pollen grains of H. perlbratum and H. rumeliacumn abnormality percentages were determined as 13.23% and 43.97%, respectively. In germinated pollens of these two species, highly significant (P < 0.00001) differences in in vitro germination percents and abnormality percents were observed. Abnormalities such as swollen tube tip, branched tube, spiralled tube and excessive tube formation were observed in pollen tubes. The results of this study showed that there were obvious differences in pollen germinability between these two species growing under the same environmental conditions.     

Heterostyly and gene-flow in Menyanthes trifoliata L. (Menyanthaceae)

NIC LUGHADHA, E. M. & PARNELL, J. A. N., 1989. Heterostyly and gene-flow in Menyanthes trifoliata L. (Menyanthaceae). Menyanthes trifoliata is shown to be a self-incompatible heterostylous species with a suite of associated pollen and gynoecium dimorphisms. These features may promote legitimate pollination. Analysis of a natural population showed substantial pollen inviability, a preponderance of illegitimate pollen on stigmas and a possible asymmetry of pollen flow. Mean pollen travel was estimated as 2.6 m by counting legitimate grains on stigmas whose distance from the nearest source of legitimate pollen was known. Direct field and laboratory measurement indicated mean seed travel of <0.2m. The density of flowering spikes varied greatly within the studied colony of Menyanthes , with a mean of 0.93 m^-2. Using suitable corrections the genetically effective density was estimated as between 0.04 and 4.4 m^-2. Crossing experiments indicated that Menyanthes is fully outcrossed (r=1). The neighbourhood area was estimated as 10–15 m² while neighbourhood size ranged from less than one to sixty-five. Some published neighbourhood estimates are revised with the results for Menyanthes being at the lower end of the range. If the genetically effective density were estimated more accurately, neighbourhood estimates would likely be lower still. It is concluded that what is generally referred to as a population of Menyanthes , may actually represent many evolutionary units.     

Heterostyly and Pollen-tube Interactions in Luculia gratissima (Rubiaceae)

Observations on the floral biology of Luculia gratissima (Rubiaceae)showed that this species is distylous with complementary positioningof anthers and stigmas in the two floral forms. Unusual featuresof distyly in this species include the larger size of the corolla,the stigma surface and the stigmatic papillae in the thrum flowerscompared to the pin ones. Stigmatic surfaces have similar secretionsbut they appear more copious in thrum than pin. The floral dimorphismwas accompanied by a very effective self-incompatibility systemand no seed was set on selfing. Seed number per capsule on crossingwas significantly greater in thrum flowers compared to pin.Incompatible pollen tubes were inhibited within 24 h at thebase of the stigma/top of the style in both morphs. Amputationof this region of the gynoecium removed the self-incompatibilityreaction in thrum but not pin flowers. Pollination with a mixtureof compatible and incompatible pollen and sequential pollinationwith self followed by cross pollen showed that there were interactionsbetween the two types of pollen tube. The presence of compatibletubes was found to cause the excessive swelling of the pollen-tubetip of the incompatible ones. The incompatible tubes did notappear to have any effect on the growth of compatible ones. Luculia gratissima, distyly, floral biology, self-incompatibility, pollen-tube interactions     

Chemical Composition and Antimicrobial Activity of the Essential Oils from Several Hypericum Taxa (Guttiferae) Growing in Central Italy (Appennino Umbro‐Marchigiano)

The chemical composition of the essential oils of nine taxa from seven sections of Hypericum L. (Guttiferae; H. perforatum subsp. perforatum, H. perforatum subsp. veronense, H. calycinum, H. montanum, H. richeri subsp. richeri, H. hyssopifolium, H. hirsutum, H. hircinum subsp. majus, and H. tetrapterum) occurring in central Italy (Appennino Umbro‐Marchigiano) was analyzed by GC/FID and GC/MS. A total of 186 compounds were identified in the different species and subspecies, accounting for 86.9–92.8% of the total oils. The major fraction of the oil was always represented by sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (30.3–77.2%), while quantitative differences occurred between the other classes of volatiles depending on the taxa considered. Chemical composition of the nine Hypericum entities with respect to the taxonomical classification was discussed. Essential oils obtained from six taxa, i.e., H. perforatum subsp. perforatum, H. perforatum subsp. veronense, H. calycinum, H. richeri subsp. richeri, H. hirsutum and H. tetrapterum, were also tested for their antimicrobial properties against five different microbial strains by the broth‐microdilution method, and they were found to have significant activity (expressed as MIC) on B. subtilis, moderate activity on C. albicans and S. aureus, and weak activity on E. coli and E. faecalis, the most active being those from H. hirsutum, H. richeri subsp. richeri, and H. tetrapterum.     

Influence of fungal elicitation with Nomuraea rileyi (Farlow) Samson in the metabolism of acclimatized plants of Hypericum polyanthemum Klotzsech ex Reichardt (Guttiferae)

Changes in biomass and bioactive metabolites after treatment with the fungus Nomuraea rileyi (Farlow) Samson added as dried culture (DC) or as dried autoclaved cell powder (DACP) for short and long periods of time have been investigated in Hypericum polyanthemum plants grown under controlled conditions and after 18 weeks of field acclimatization. Plants grown under controlled conditions and treated with DACP showed increased concentrations of the benzopyrans HP1 (6-isobutyryl-5,7-dimethoxy-2,2-dimethylbenzopyran), HP2 (7-hydroxy-6-isobutyryl-5-methoxy-2,2-dimethylbenzopyran), and HP3 (5-hydroxy-6-isobutyryl-7-methoxy-2,2-dimethylbenzopyran) while DC affected negatively or did not alter the synthesis of these compounds. Lower levels of the phloroglucinol derivative uliginosin B were detected in all treatments. Long time treatment with DACP of acclimatized plants triggered doubling of biomass as compared to control and chemical analyses demonstrated significant increase on total phenolic compounds in vegetative parts of plants. Moreover, the higher performance liquid chromatography analysis showed different pattern of metabolites accumulation, with higher yields of HP1, HP2, HP3 and uliginosin B in the reproductive parts of the plants treated with DACP during all experiments. The elevation of bioactive metabolites levels in response to the elicitor suggests that these compounds are inducible as part of the defense response of H. polyanthemum.     

Heterostyly promotes compatible pollination in buckwheats: Comparisons of intraflower,intraplant, and interplant pollen flow in distylous and homostylous Fagopyrum

Premise of the Study

Heterostyly, the reciprocal positioning of stigmas and anthers in different floral morphs, has long been thought to promote intermorph pollination. However, extensive intramorph pollination occurs commonly in heterostylous species, leading to recurrent questions about the functional and evolutionary significance of heterostyly.

Methods

To identify the sources of stigmatic pollen (autogamous [intraflower], geitonogamous [intraplant], vs. interplant), we emasculated either one flower or entire plants in experimental populations of the two closely related buckwheat species, distylous Fagopyrum esculentum and homostylous F. tataricum. Differences in pollen size allowed unambiguous identification of pollen on stigmas.

Results

Only 2.4% of F. tataricum pollen and 1.5% of F. esculentum pollen arrived successfully on compatible stigmas of other plants. In the former (homostylous) species, 71.3% of the pollen load on stigmas was autogamous, 10.8% was geitonogamous, and 17.9% was interplant. In the latter (distylous) species, 37.45% of the pollen on stigmas was autogamous, 13.8% was geitonogamous, 17.0% was intramorph, and 31.75% was intermorph. The amount of incompatible pollen arriving on stigmas was greatly decreased by both one‐flower and whole‐plant emasculations, and thus, the proportion of compatible pollen deposited increased with one‐flower emasculation and increased even more with whole‐plant emasculation.

Conclusions

Our quantification of pollen‐donor sources in these two species indicated that heterostyly in Fagopyrum esculentum provided a nearly 2‐fold fitness advantage (in terms of compatible pollination) over expected (random) pollen transfers between morphs. Because of reduced herkogamy, the homostylous F. tataricum was highly autogamous.     

Heterostyly in the Canarian endemic Jasminum odoratissimum (Oleaceae)

Jasminum odoratissimum is a Madeira and Canary Islands endemic showing classic heterostyly, i.e. with long-styled flowers with anthers at a low level in the corolla tube and short-styled flowers with anthers at a high level in the corolla tube. Short-styled flowers have large pollen, whereas long-styled flowers have small pollen. The two types are present in equal frequencies in the population.     

Heterostyly in species ofNarcissus (Amaryllidaceae) andHugonia (Linaceae) and other disputed cases

The hypothesis ofHenriques andFernandes that several Iberian species ofNarcissus (Amaryllidaceae) are tristylous is reconsidered. Contrary to the opinion ofBateman and most subsequent authors, we believe that the available evidence indicates that some populations ofN. triandrus andN. fernandesii, at least, are tristylous; other populations ofN. triandrus are distylous.Hugonia cf.penicillanthemum (Linaceae) from new Caledonia is distylous, but it remains possible that other species ofHugonia are tristylous. The disputed occurrence of heterostyly in S. African species ofBauhinia (Leguminosae),Cleome (Capparaceae) andAneilema (Commelinaceae), and inAgelaea (Connaraceae) is discussed.     

滇南红厚壳种子油的脂肪酸成分

应用GC-MS联用技术对云南省西双版纳产的滇南红厚壳（Calophyllumpolyanthum）种子油的脂肪酸成分进行分析.检出12种脂肪酸成分,占总量的99.39%,主要是亚油酸（38.75%）,棕榈酸（22.42%）,油酸（22.11%）和硬脂酸（9.81%）.     

被子植物异型花柱及其进化意义

异型花柱(heterostyly)是被子植物中一种特殊的花多态现象和雌雄异位形式,包括二型花柱(distyly)和三型花柱(tristyly)2种类型.据报道,在被子植物的约31个科中有异型花柱植物.该类型植物的花部特征在避免自交、促进准确的异交传粉以及通过降低雌雄功能干扰以提高亲本适合度等方面具有重要的进化意义.该文从以下3个方面总结和分析了异型花柱及其进化意义:(1)异型花柱植物的类型和花部特征、附属多态性和种群结构:(2)异型花柱植物在被子植物中的分布、起源和演化:(3)异型花柱植物的进化适应意义.结合目前作者开展的有关工作,对异型花柱植物研究中存在的一些问题进行讨论和展望,希望能为国内工作者开展该领域的研究提供一些参考.