New species in Adiantum and Pteris (Pteridaceae) from the Andes

We describe, discuss, and illustrate four new species, one inAdiantum (A. capillatum A. R. Sm. &; Prado, from Ecuador) and three species inPteris (P. lellingeri A. R. Sm. &; Prado, from Bolivia;P. venezuelensis A. R. Sm. &; Prado, from Venezuela; andP. websteri A. R. Sm. &; Prado, from Ecuador, Colombia, and Bolivia).     

A new species ofAphidius [Hymenoptera] attacking the pea aphid,Acyrthosiphon pisum

Aphidius staryi Chen & Luhman n. sp. is described. The species was collected and introduced into California from Israel and Turkey byD. González. The new species is morphologically most similar toAphidius smithi, and keys toEady's urticae group.     

To the systematics and nomenclature of tenebrionid beetles of the tribes Phaleriini, Lachnogyini, Klewariini, and Blaptini (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae)

The following new synonymies are established: Paranemia Heyden, 1892 = Taklamakania Ferrer et Yvinec, 2004, syn. n.; Paranemia schroederi Heyden, 1892 = P. argiropuloi A. Boga?ev, 1965 = P. argyropuloi A. Boga?ev, 1967, syn. n.; Paranemia bicolor Reitter, 1895 = Taklamakania lepetzi Ferrer et Yvinec, 2004, syn. n.; Lachnogya squamosa Ménétriés, 1849 = L. skopini Ferrer et Yvinec, 2004, syn. n. Placement of the genus Lachnodactylus Seidl. in the tribe Lachnogyini and the distinctness of the tribe Klewariini are substantiated. The larva of Agnaptoria anthracina G. Medv. is described.     

New variety and nomenclatural changes in neotropical Gaultheria (ericaceae)

Gaultheria sclerophylla var.hirsuta Luteyn from Ecuador is described, illustrated, and discussed, and the following new combinations are validated:Gaultheria buxifolia var.elassantha (A. C. Smith) Luteyn,G. buxifolia var.secunda (E. J. Remy) Luteyn,G. lanigera var. rufolanata (Sleumer) Luteyn,G. strigosa var.revoluta (A. C. Smith) Luteyn,G. eriophylla var.mucronata (E. J. Remy) Luteyn,G. alnifolia var.grata (A. C. Smith) Luteyn,G. serrata (Vell. Conc.) Sleumer ex Kinoshita-Gouvêa.     

Phytoplankton seasonal variation in a shallow stratified eutrophic reservoir (Garças Pond, Brazil)

This study aimed at describing the phytoplankton dynamics and structure in a shallow eutrophic reservoir, the Garças Pond, located in the Parque Estadual das Fontes do Ipiranga (23°38′40.6′′ S, 46°37′28.0′′ W), in the Municipality of São Paulo, southeast Brazil. Samples were collected monthly from January to December 1997 in five depths (subsurface, 1 m, 2 m, 3 m, and 20 cm above the bottom) in the pelagic zone (Z _max = 4.7 m). Abiotic variables studied were: water temperature, turbidity, transparency, conductivity, pH, dissolved oxygen, alkalinity, inorganic carbon, and N and P dissolved and total forms. Altogether 236 phytoplankton taxa distributed among 10 classes were identified. Phytoplankton seasonal and vertical variation was related to shifts in the water chemical features as a consequence of a warm-wet season with stratified water column (phase 1, January–March and September–December) alternating with a cool-dry season with mixed water column (phase 2, April–August). There were shifts in cyanobacterial dominance over the entire year. During phase 1, Raphidiopsis/Cylindrospermopsis was one of the most important taxon. During phase 2, Raphidiopsis/Cylindrospermopsis biomass decreased, whereas richness and diversity increased and diatoms were relatively abundant. In September, when the water column was markedly stratified, a cyanobacterial bloom (Sphaerocavum brasiliense) occurred. Changes in water chemical variables caused by the bloom allowed recognition of a phase 3, in which pH and chlorophyll a, TP and CO₃ ^2? concentration reached their highest values. According to Reynolds and collaborators’ functional groups approach, phase 1 was marked by groups S/W1/W2/H1/Y, phase 2 by groups K/L _M /L _O /D/P/X1/F, and phase 3 by group M. This sequence was corroborated by canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) results.     

New taxa of Leguminosae-Caesalpinioideae from Bahia,Brazil

Brodriguesia santosii, gen. & sp. nov., from the coastal rain forest of Bahia, is described, illustrated and compared with nearly related genera of the tribe Detarieae. In addition, three new species, Arapatiella emarginata (the second species of the genus), Swartzia oblata, S. pinheiroana and one new variety, Goniorrhachis marginata var. bahiana, are presented.     

Revision of the genus Clibadium (Asteraceae, Heliantheae)

Clibadium L. (Asteraceae, Heliantheae) is a genus of 29 species distributed throughout latin America, from Mexico to Peru, and in the West Indies, with high numbers of species in Costa Rica, Colombia, and Ecuador.Clibadium includes shrubs and small trees; usually with loosely aggregated capitula; herbaceous phyllaries arranged in 1–5 series; receptacles usually paleaceous throughout; corollas of pistillate florets 2–4-lobed; corollas of the staminate florets 4–5-lobed; purple to black anthers; and chromosome numbers alln=16. Two sections of species previously recognized are here considered as subgenera (subg.Paleata and subg.Clibadium) containing two and four sections, respectively.Clibadium subg.Paleata contains five species distributed in sects.Eggersia (3 spp.) andTrixidium (2 spp.), and subg.Clibadium has 24 species distributed among sects.Clibadium (6 spp.),Glomerata (9 spp.),Grandifolia (5 spp.), andOswalda (4 spp.).     

New species and combinations in Thelypteris subg. Goniopteris (Thelypteridaceae)

Three new species ofThelypteris are described and illustrated:T. littoralis andT. paranaensis, endemic to the rainforest of the southern Brazilian Atlantic coast, andT. multigemmifera, endemic to inland gallery forests of the São Paulo state. In addition, four new combinations are made:T. cutiataensis (Brade) Salino,T. iguapensis (C. Chr.) Salino. A new name is proposed forDryopteris lugubris var.quadrangularis:T. montana Salino. The species treated here belong toThelypteris subg.Goniopteris due to the indument of furcate and stellate trichomes.     

Additions to South American Senecioneae (Asteraceae)

Three new Peruvian species belonging to the tribe Senecioneae (Asteraceae) are described, illustrated and their relationships discussed:Gynoxys colanensis, G. lopezii, andPentacalia barbourii.     

Five new species of Heteropterys (Malpighiaceae) from Central and South America

Five-new taxa ofHeteropterys H. B. K. subsect.Aptychia Nied. are described, illustrated, and mapped:H. andina from Peru;H. minutiflora from Costa Rica; andH. bullata, H. capixaba, andH. oberdanii, from the Atlantic coastal forest of Brazil. The affinities and diagnostic characters of each species are discussed.     

A new species of Aspidosperma Mart. (Apocynaceae) from Bahia, Brazil

A new species,Aspidosperma thomasii, collected in the vicinity of Uruçuca is described. It belongs to subgenusAspidosperma sectionAspidosperma and is closely related to theA. parvifolium A. DC. group.     

The Aristida pansa complex and a key to the Divaricatae group of North America (Gramineae: Aristideae)

Variation in lateral awn length and pulvini development is described for A. pansa and A. gypsophila. The two species are distinguished by lateral awn development. Within each species, forms are based on pulvini development. Three new forms are described (A. pansa f. contracta; A. gypsophila f. gypsophiloides and f. diffusa), A. dissita is reduced to a form of A. pansa, and A. tehuacanensis is considered synonymous with A. pansa f. dissita. Keys, illustrations, and maps are provided.     

Evolution alpiner Populationen vonEuphrasia (Scrophulariaceae): Die tetraploideE. minima

A systematic analysis of the variable and probably allotetraploidE. minima is presented, its infraspecific taxonomy is discussed.E. tatrae is provisionally included intoE. minima although some differences may exist;E. mendonçae may be a relic of a formerly wider distribution ofE. minima; E. willkommii seems to be closer toE. stricta s. lat. than toE. minima. 4x-E. minima is supposed to be derived from phylogenetic lines close to extant dwarf alpine forms of 2x-E. alpina (including its yellow flowering subsp.christii;Vitek 1985b) and 2x-E. hirtella (vgl.Vitek 1985a). Some characteristics (e.g., its small flowers) could have been introduced through hybrid introgression from other 2x-species, particularlyE. inopinata and/orE. sinuata (vgl.Ehrendorfer & Vitek 1984).     

Three new species of melastomataceae from the southeastern Atlantic Forest of Brazil

Three species are described here that occur in montane and high-montane forests in Southeastern Brazil.Miconia shepherdii belongs to sectionGlossocentrum and occurs on the Serra da Mantiqueira, on the border between the states of São Paulo, Minas Gerais, and Rio de Janeiro.Miconia kollmannii belongs to sectionHypoxanthus (formerChaenanthera) and occurs in the state of Espírito Santo.Ossaea suprabasalis was also collected in the state of Espírito Santo.     

Three new species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Passiflora</Emphasis> subgenus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Decaloba</Emphasis> (Passifloraceae) from Brazil

Three new species from Brazil are described and illustrated. Passiflora cervii, P. jiboiaensis, and P. transversalis all belong to Passiflora subg. Decaloba.     

Two new species of Plinia (Myrtaceae) from coastal forests of Brazil

Plinia complanata andPlinia pauciflora, two new species from coastal forests of São Paulo state, southeastern Brazil, are described and illustrated.     

Three new species of Adiantum (Pteridaceae) from Bolivia and Peru

Three new species from Bolivia and Peru (Adiantum solomonii, A. tryonii, andA. tuomistoanum) are described and illustrated.     

Steroidal saponins and ecdysterone from Asparagus filicinus and their cytotoxic activities

Two new spirostanoides, filiasparosides E (1) and F (2), one new furostanoside, filiasparoside G (3), and one new ecdysterone, stachysterone A-20, 22-acetonide (4), together with six known steroidal saponins, asparagusin A (5), filiasparoside A (6), filiasparoside B (7), aspafilioside A (8), aspafilioside B (9), and filiasparoside C (10) were isolated from the roots of Asparagus filicinus Buch.-Ham. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic and chemical evidence. Compounds 1-10 were investigated for their cytotoxicities against human breast adenocarcinoma MDA-MB-231 cell line and compounds 8-10 exhibited cytotoxic activities with IC₅₀ values ranging from 3.4 to 6.6 μM.     

Nomenclatural changes in Polygonum section Echinocaulon (Polygonaceae)

As a result of comprehensive systematic study onPolygonum sectionEchinocaulon, three new nomenclatural changes are made:P. clarkei stat. et nom. nov.,P. subsagittatum stat. nov., andP. senticosum var.sagittifolium stat. nov.