Electrophoretic Study of Taxonomic Relationships in the Saussurea nipponica Complex (Compositae)

Abstract The Saussurea nipponica complex was examined with enzyme electrophoresis. Earlier morphological evidence suggested that the complex comprises S. sugimurai and seven subspecies of S. nipponica . Electrophoretic evidence supports the separation of the two species and the subspecies classification of S. nipponica . Nei's genetic distance ( D = 0.19) between S. sugimurai and S. nipponica exceeds the estimated infraspecific level. Saussurea nipponica is newly defined as a species composed of seven infraspecific taxa which have their own distribution ranges and habitats. They are in a very early stage of differentiation. The extensive morphological diversity in S. nipponica is presumed to be a result of geographical isolation under strong environmental selection.     

Consequences of floral complexity for bumblebee-mediated geitonogamous self-pollination in Salvia nipponica Miq. (Labiatae)

Abstract.— I address how floral complexity influences geitonogamous self-pollination through manipulation of pollinator behavior in Salvia nipponica . The pivoting stamens of S. nipponica hinder nectar-collecting bumblebees from crawling into flowers, increasing the probing time per flower. I predicted that longer probing times would reduce the relative cost of moving between plants, causing bees to leave plants earlier. To test this prediction, I simplified S. nipponica flowers by removing the stamens from all open flowers within a 75-m² quadrat. Bumblebees probed these flowers more quickly than intact flowers, but the stamen removal affected neither the frequency of flower revisitation nor the flight distance between plants. In response to the decrease in the probing time per flower, bees probed more flowers on these plants. Therefore, in S. nipponica , floral complexity reduces the opportunity for geitonogamous self-pollination. Stamen removal also increased bee visitation per flower, suggesting that this sort of complexity deters visitation. To keep complex flowers attractive, therefore, selection might increase floral rewards or longevity. Floral complexity might evolve in an integrative manner with the rest of the floral phenotype.     

Development of microsatellite markers in a riparian shrub, Spiraea thunbergii (Rosaceae)

? Premise of the study: Microsatellite primers in the deciduous shrub Spiraea thunbergii were developed to investigate genetic diversity and population genetic structure. Cross-species transferability was assayed in four congeneric species. ? Methods and Results: Using a compound simple sequence repeat (SSR) marker method, 10 primer sets were identified in Japanese populations of S. thunbergii. The primers amplified compound SSRs with two to five alleles per locus. More than half of the primers were also amplified in S. prunifolia, S. nipponica var. nipponica, and S. japonica. ? Conclusions: These markers might be useful for future studies of population genetics of S. thunbergii and congeneric species.     

A Newly Recorded Species of Utricularia (Lentibulariaceae) to China and aNewly Recorded Species of Nervilia (Orchidaceae) to Mainland China

Utricularia furcellata of Lentibulariaceae is firstly reported in China. Its lower lip of corolla 4-lobed and its spur longer than the lower lip. Nervilia nipponica is firstly reported inMainland China, its leaf 5-7-angular and its inflorescence uni-flowered.     

Principal Component Analysis on Morphological Variation in the Saussurea nipponica Complex (Compositae)

Abstract For the understanding of morphological differentiation and recognition of natural groups in the Saussurea nipponica complex, 440 individuals from 19 populations were examined, especially by using statistical methods. The variation range of 16 morphological characters within and between populations were analyzed not only separately but also synthetically by Duncan's multiple range test, principal component analysis, and cluster analysis. Of the 16 characters examined, characters concerning plant size (height and diameter of stem, size of involucre, etc.) and involucral bract (length of involucral bract and recurved part of involucral bract) are suggested to be important to recognize natural groups. Five groups are recognized by a complex pattern of the morphological characters. They can be defined multivariately as natural groups having indegenous habitat and distribution range, and considered as subspecies of S. nipponica.     

穿龙薯蓣中薯蓣皂苷元含量的动态分析

目的：对穿龙薯蓣中薯蓣皂苷元的含量进行动态分析。方法：超临界CO2萃取技术提取,高效液相色谱法测定含量。结果：穿龙薯蓣根茎中花期薯蓣皂苷元含量最高为1．35％,枯萎期含量最低为1．03％。穿龙薯蓣地上部分不同生长时期均不合薯蓣皂苷元。结论：穿龙薯蓣根茎中花期薯蓣皂苷元含量最高,枯萎期含量最低。穿龙薯蓣地上部分不同生长时期均不合薯蓣皂苷元。     

深圳拟兰，中国兰科一新种

对兰科新种深圳拟兰（Apostasia shenzhenica Z.J.Liu＆L.J.Chen）作了描述和绘图。该新种产中国广东南部,与多枝拟兰（A.ramifera S.C.Chen＆K.Y.Lang）和日本拟兰（A.nipponica Masamune）相近,但本新种的根生有块根;退化雄蕊明显长于花柱,而且上部约1/3不贴生于花柱,可以区别。     

Phylogeography and refugia of the Japanese endemic alpine plant, Phyllodoce nipponica Makino (Ericaceae)

Aim  This study aims to elucidate the phylogeography of the Japanese endemic alpine plant, Phyllodoce nipponica Makino (Ericaceae) and to infer the location of refugia of alpine plants in Japan during climatic oscillations.
Location  Alpine zone in the Japanese archipelago.
Methods  We determined the chloroplast (cp) DNA haplotypes of 155 individuals (22 populations) based on sequence data from the trnL-F and trnT-L intergenic spacers and the trnL intron, whose phylogenetic relationships were analysed using the program tcs . To examine the genetic structure, analysis of molecular variance ( amova ) was carried out and the population differentiation was shown by the parameters G _ST and N _ST.
Results  The haplotype composition and the results of amova showed that populations in the Japanese Central Mountain Region (JCMR) and in the westernmost region were highly divergent (18.8%). The diversity within populations was very high in the JCMR ( h _S = 0.421); less variation was found within populations located in other regions at lower elevations.
Main conclusions  Phyllodoce nipponica survived climatic changes during the Quaternary in the JCMR and the westernmost region. Most of the distribution range was colonized during only one range expansion. The source location from which the range expansion occurred was unclear.     

Pleistocene climatic oscillations and the speciation history of an alpine endemic and a widespread arctic-alpine plant

Even in cases in which geographic isolation appears to have driven the speciation of regional endemics, range shifts during the Pleistocene climatic oscillations may also have influenced their evolutionary history. Elucidating speciation history can provide novel insights into evolutionary dynamics following climatic oscillations. We demonstrated a sister relationship between the Japanese alpine endemic Cardamine nipponica and the currently allopatric, widespread arctic-alpine Cardamine?bellidifolia (Brassicaceae) based on internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences and 10 other nuclear genes. Speciation history was inferred using demographic parameters under the isolation with migration model. The estimated demographic parameters showed that the population size of C. nipponica was similar to that of C. bellidifolia and that gene flow occurred exclusively from C. nipponica to C. bellidifolia after speciation. The inferred speciation history, which included gene flow, suggests that geographic barriers between the peripheral C. nipponica and the widespread C. bellidifolia were reduced during the Pleistocene. The asymmetric introgression implies that genetic isolation may have been involved in the speciation of C. nipponica. Our results suggest that even currently allopatric species may not have diverged solely under geographic isolation, and that their evolutionary history may have been influenced by Pleistocene range dynamics.     

Redescription of Takahashia citricola Kuwana, 1909, and its transfer to the genus Pulvinaria Targioni Tozzetti (Coccoidea, Coccidae)

The Japanese soft scaleTakahashia citricola Kuwana, 1909 is redescribed and transferred to the genus PulvinariaTargioni Tozzettias Pulvinaria citricola (Kuwana, 1909), comb. n.(Coccoidea: Coccidae). Pulvinaria gamazumii Kanda, 1960 is synonymized with Pulvinaria citricolacomb. n. and Pulvinaria nipponica Lindinger, 1933, is resurrected as the replacement name for Pulvinaria citricola Kuwana, 1914 (nec Kuwana, 1909). The adult female of Pulvinaria citricola (Kuwana, 1909) is redescribed and illustrated.     

The synonymy and distribution of the crenulata-and psittacina-groups of Atractomorpha Saussure 1862 (Orthoptera: Acridoidea: Pyrgomorphidae)

A full bibliography and the known distributional range, illustrated by maps, are given for Atractomorpha himalayica Bolivar, A. crenulata (Fabricius), A. rhodoptera Karsch, A. angusta Karsch, A. sinensis Bolivar, A. lata (Motschoulsky) (= A. bedeli Bolivar), A. psittacina (Haan) and A. burri Bolivar. A. nipponica Steinmann is newly synonymized with the last. This completes the work for the genus, the aberrans- and crenaticeps-gcoups , and A. acutipennis (Guerin) of the creniWafa-group having been previously considered.     

穿龙薯蓣种群濒危机制的连续时间马尔可夫过程分析

依据吉林省三岔子林业局、松江河林业局, 黑龙江省帽儿山林场、凉水保护区实验地资料, 建立了穿龙薯蓣种群濒危机制的CTM(Continuous Time Markov Approach)模型。运用该模型进行了穿龙薯蓣种群随海拔高度的演化趋势预测和自然、人为因素影响程度的对比分析。研究结果表明:2700~2 900 m 区间穿龙薯蓣种群密度相对稳定, 长势相对良好, 其它地段较差。受自然和人为因素的影响, 穿龙薯蓣种群总体濒危, 但影响因子周期长短不一, 有些因子可以人为控制、有些则是自然发生的。根据研究结果提出了相应的濒危保护措施。     

Foliar crystals in Saxifraga and segregate genera (Saxifragaceae)

In the genera Saxifraga, Saxifragodes, Saxifragella, Saxifragopsis and Zahlbrucknera foliar crystals were found to be present only in Saxifragodes and Saxifraga sections Micranthes and Irregulares . The crystals occur as stellate druses, except in Saxifraga nipponica and S. cortusifolia (section Irregulares ) where they occur as single needles. This finding indicates a close relationship between these two sections of Saxifraga . The monotypic Saxifragodes , from southern South America, does not appear to be related to Andean species of Saxifraga , which lack crystals, but rather to species of Saxifraga section Micranthes in North America. The taxonomic affinities of five species in section Micranthes that lack crystals are discussed.     

柴黄姜的传粉生物学特性

对产自湖北武当山的柴黄姜（Dioscorea nipponica subsp．rosthornii Prain et Burkill）的花部特征和访花昆虫种类及访花行为、访花频率和携粉量进行了研究,并对柴黄姜的传粉方式、结实和种子萌发状况进行了检测。结果表明,柴黄姜具有虫媒花的典型花部特征,共观测到访花昆虫4目34种,其中传粉昆虫6种,隧蜂属（Halictus sp．）和地蜂属（Andrena sp．）的2种昆虫是柴黄姜的主要传粉昆虫。访花昆虫对雄株的访花高峰时段为11：00至14：00,对雌花没有明显的访花高峰时段。在自然条件下,柴黄姜的座果率为18．86％,结实率为7．12％,种子萌发率为64．76％。在武当山,柴黄姜种群扩展仍以有性繁殖为主,无性繁殖为重要补充。     

Description of a new Procystiphora species (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) inducing galls in culms of Sasa nipponica (Poaceae) in Japan, and the first discovery of an inverted ovipositor in Diptera

Procystiphora uedai sp. nov., a cecidomyiid inducing subglobular galls on Sasa nipponica Makino and Shibata on Mount Ôdaigahara, Nara Prefecture, Japan is described herein. This species is distinguishable from the three known congeners by the following characteristics of the female post-abdomen: tergite VIII concave at both anterior and posterior margins; tergites VII, VIII and sternite VII unsclerotized; ovipositor–dorsoventrally inverted. Most individuals of this gall midge are univoltine and pupate in the galls in early September, but some individuals enter prolonged diapause at the third larval stadium and remain in the mature galls until the following year. Larvae of this species are attacked by two parasitoid species, Pediobius sasae Hansson (Eulophidae) and Torymus sp. (Torymidae).     

穿龙薯蓣种群生命表的研究

通过对吉林省三岔子林业局的野生穿龙薯蓣(Dioscorea nipponica)年龄结构的调查,编制出了其野生种群的静态生命表。结果表明:3~15年间,死亡率非常低。而15年之后,特别是25年之后的死亡率明显升高;年龄结构,在30年之前,各龄级的株数基本符合正态分布规律,而30年之后却偏离了这个规律,表现为各龄级的株数成直线减少;生命期望值在30年之后明显增大。这充分表明了该地区穿龙薯蓣的种群正趋于衰退,该物种日趋濒危。     

少根根霉原变种发酵生产薯蓣皂苷元

从穿龙薯蓣Dioscorea nipponica中分离得到的一少根根霉原变种Rhizopus arrhizus var. arrhizus菌株,能实现薯蓣皂苷的生物转化。用该菌株发酵穿龙薯蓣D. nipponica生产薯蓣皂苷元,采用高效液相色谱法测定薯蓣皂苷元的含量,其总得率可达3.00%。运用该菌株发酵制备薯蓣皂苷元,操作简单,环保,且得率高。     

Inhibition of plastid division by ampicillin in the pteridophyte Selaginella nipponica Fr. et Sav

We investigated the effect of the beta-lactam antibiotic, ampicillin, on plastid division in the pteridophyte Selaginella nipponica. Guard cells of plantlets treated with 1 mM ampicillin only often had one plastid, whereas guard cells of untreated plantlets had two to four plastids. We generated a S. nipponica cell culture system and used it to investigate the effects of ampicillin. Treatment with 1 mM ampicillin had no effect on cell division in culture. We classified cultured cells into four types based on the number of plastids they contained: one (Type I), two (Type II), three or four (Type III) and more than five (Type IV). After 3 d in culture, the percentage of each cell type (I-IV) was 29.5, 46.7, 20.9, and 1.9%, respectively. Subsequently, the percentage of Types III and IV increased gradually, reaching 61.9 and 11.4%, respectively, after 15 d in culture in the absence of ampicillin. When 1 mM ampicillin was added, there was a minimal increase in the number of Type III and IV cells, with high percentages of Type I and II cells (32.4 and 45.7%, respectively) after 15 d. These results suggest that ampicillin inhibits plastid division in S. nipponica.     

薯蓣属根状茎组基于3个cpDNA序列的分子系统研究

Seventeen species, one subspecies and one variety of Dioscorea sect. Stenophora Uline were investigated for their phylogenetic relationships based on a sequence analysis of chloroplast matK and rbcL genes and trnL-F intergenic spacer by maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood methods. The results showed that (a) sect. Stenophora was a strongly supported monophyletic group; (b) D. rockii, D. membranacea, D. banzhuana, and D. simulans formed a moderately supported monophyletic group, and D. prazeri was weakly supported to be sister to this group; (c) D. althaeoides and D. nipponica ssp. nipponica formed a moderately supported clade, and D. nipponica ssp. rosthornii was not a member of this clade; (d) D. zingiberensis and D. sinoparviflora showed a moderate to strong sister relationship; and (e) D. collettii var. hypoglauca and D. collettii var. collettii were sister to each other, but with only weak support.     

Halogenated diterpenoids from the red alga Laurencia nipponica

Chemical compositions of three collections of the red alga Laurencia nipponica from the western part of the Sea of Japan were studied. One of them contained a series of the previously known sesquiterpenoids. Another one gave C15 bromoallene ethers, predominantly. Finally, two new halogenated diterpenes, 15-bromoparguer-9(11)-ene-16-ol and 15-bromoparguer-7-ene-16-ol, were isolated from the third collection of the same species. Structures of these diterpenoids were established by 1D and 2D NMR (1H-1H COSY, DEPT, HMQC, HMBC and NOESY) along with molecular calculations for conformations having lowest energies and mass spectroscopy. Diversity and variability of halogenated secondary metabolites in L. nipponica were discussed.