Infrasectional systematics of the genus Sideritis L. section Sideritis (Lamiaceae)

RIVERA NUÑEZ, D., OBON DE CASTRO, C., TOMAS-LORENTE, F., FERRERES, F. & TOMAS-BARBERAN, F. A., 1990. Infrasectional systematics of the genus Sideritis L. section Sideritis (Lamiaceae). A new taxonomic division of the section Sideritis is proposed on the basis of morphological, cytological and chemical characters. The following subsections art-recognized: Grandiflora, Ovata, Camarae, Linearifolia, Gymnocarpae, Stachydioides, Lacaitae, Hirsuta, Chamaedryfolia, Arborescens, Flavovirens, Leucantha, Angustifolia, Serrata and Scordioides . Possible evolutionary pathways are discussed.     

Genome differentiation between two closely related species of Sideritis L. (Lamiaceae)

We have analysed the karyotype structure, DNA amounts and seed protein profiles of three isolated populations of two species: S. saetabensis and S. tragoriganum. These species are closely related from a karyological and morphological point of view. The differences in karyotypes and seed protein profiles between species and among populations could be the result of the differentiation that they are undergoing at present due to geographical isolation.     

Leaf micromorphology and taxonomy of North African species of Sideritis L. (Lamiaceae)

REJDALI M., 1991. Leaf micromorphology and taxonomy of North African species of Sideritis L. (Lamiaceae). This study reports on the structure of trichomes, epidermal cells, stomata and venation patterns. The trichomes are either glandular or eglandular. The latter are unicellular or multicellular, soft or rigid pointed hairs. The glandular hairs are short or long stalked, the latter are generally flattened and may be sessile. The epidermal cells are variously shaped with sinuous or straight walls usually randomly orientated. Stomata are either anomocytic or diacytic and evenly distributed throughout the epidermis without any definite pattern of orientation. Venation is of the semicraspedodermous type.     

Seed morphology and taxonomy of the North African species of Sideritis L. (Lamiaceae)

REJDALI, M., 1990. Seed morphology and taxonomy of the North African species of Sideritis L. (Lamiaceae). Seed morphology data are shown to support data from general morphology and palynology; they can be used for taxonomy at the sectional and specific levels. At times clear differences are apparent at the infraspecific level. Seed sculpturing was found to be of great value for separating taxa at all levels of the hierarchy.     

A numerical analysis of Sideritis L. (Lamiaceae) from North Africa

REJDALI, MOH, 1992. A numerical analysis of Sideritis L. (Lamiaceae) from North Africa. A numerical analysis is shown to be useful means of discriminating taxa at all levels of the hierarchy in the genus Sideritis. This analysis supports both the separation of the genus into the two sections recognized by Bentham, the three groups of Briquet's treatment and the four groupings as suggested by various lines of evidence presented by Rejdali (1988).     

Systematics of the high mountain taxa of the genus Sideritis L. section Sideritis, subsection Fruticulosae Obón & D. Rivera (Lamiaceae)

Section Sideritis is an extremely diversified group which is formed mainly by species growing at low altitude. The group of high altitude taxa of this section is polyphyletic and has been taxonomically divided in different subsections in which these taxa appear normally associated with low-lying planitiary ones, the latter being the probable ancestors. The subsections comprising high altitude taxa are: subsect. Gymnocarpae , subsect. Fruticulosae; subsect. Hyssopifoliae , subsect. Luridae; subsect. Boigiae and subsect. Aranensis . Most of the high altitude taxa of section Sideritis are endemics with small distribution areas; they are incompletely known and threatened with extinction. The upper altitude limit of this section is attained at over 3000 m in Sierra Nevada (Spain) by Sideritis glacialis Boiss., which has been included in subsect. Fruticulosae Obón and D. Rivera. The taxonomy of this complex group of high altitude endemic taxa of Sideritis subsection Fruticuhsae is discussed on the basis of macro-morphological and micro-morphological characters. These are used in identification keys and for analysis of dissimilarity. The different habitats, allied species and plant communities are described. The following taxa are recognized: Sideritis glacialis subsp. glacialis, S. glacialis subsp. vestita, S. glacialis subsp. virens and S. glacialis subsp. fontquerii .     

A palynological study of the genus Nepeta L. (Lamiaceae)

The pollen morphology of forty taxa of the genus Nepeta L. was studied and documented in detail using light microscopy (LM) and scanning electron (SEM) microscopy in this study. Nepeta L. pollen grains are small to large (P = 18.64–63.46 μm, E = 15.62–46.33 μm), suboblate to perprolate (P/E = 0.86–2.09) in shape and hexacolpate (very rarely tetracolpate) with granular membranes. Alternate position of colpi occurs in six Nepeta taxa, N. nuda ssp. glandulifera, N. concolor, N. crinita, N. congesta var. cryptantha, N. stricta var. stricta and N. sibthorpii ssp. tumeniana. In examinations of exine ornamentation with SEM, two types of pollen grains were recognized: (1) type I, with microreticulate sculpture; and (2) type II with bireticulate sculpture, type I and II to be divided into two and five subtypes, respectively. In the two taxa with microreticulate pattern, N. pilinux and N. sulfuriflora, a tendency towards a bireticulum could be recognized due to traces of secondary tectal connections. The bireticulate exine ornamentation is characterized with varying characteristics of the primary muri and secondary reticulum. Pollen morphology within the genus is compared with infrageneric relationships.     

A palynological study of the genus Mentha L. (Lamiaceae)

The pollen morphology and exine structure of 10 Mentha L . species were investigated using light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The pollen grains of all 11 species were hexazonocolpate with granular membranes and a circular amb, varying in shape from prolate-spheroidal to suboblate. Different colpus shapes were recognized in M . ×  dumetorum . The exine was bireticulate in section Pulegium , and reticulate in section Menthae . A correlation was found between pollen size and chromosome number. The results indicate that the pollen characters of the genus Mentha are valuable for taxonomic applications and may be useful for classification.  © 2008 Uludag University. Journal compilation © 2008 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2008, 157 , 141–154.     

An outline revision of the subsection Gymnocarpae Font Quer of the genus Sideritis L. (Lamiaceae) in the western part of the Mediterranean region

PERIS, J. B., STUBING, G. & FIGUEROLA, R., 1990. An outline revision of the subsection Gymnocarpae Font Quer of the genus Sideritis L. (Lamiaceae) in the western part of the Mediterranean region. A monographic study of the subsection Gymnocarpae Font Quer has been carried out in which eleven species have been recognized: Sideritis incana L., S. lacaitae Font Quer, S. cuatrecasasii Peris, Stubing & Figuerola, sp. nov., S. sericea Pers., S. oromaroccana Peris, Stubing & Figuerola, nom. nov., S. guyoniana Boiss. & Reuter, S. altiatlantica (Font Quer) Peris, Stubing & Figuerola, comb. & stat. nov., S. glauca Cav., S. atlantica Pomel, S. regimontana (Maire) Peris, Stubing & Figuerola, comb. & stat. nov. and S. occidentalis (Font Quer) Peris, Stubing & Figuerola, comb. & stat. nov. The typification and iconography for each one of them has been included. Likewise, a simple key has been added for purposes of identification.     

The west Mediterranean orophilous taxa of Sideritis L. (Lamiaceae): a new species of subsection Hyssopifolia from south-eastern Spain

Orophilous taxa of Sideritis sect. Sideritis (Lamiaceae) are rare, although highly diversified in south-eastern Spain. Most of them belong to subsections Hyssopifolia and Fruticulosa and show very reduced distribution areas in the summits of the highest Betic mountains. The inaccessibility of their habitats has meant that many of them have been described only within the last twenty years. In this context, a new species Sideritis tugiensis is described in subsection Hyssopifolia , from the Oromediterranean summits of Sierra de Segura (south-eastern Spain). It is a woody, cushion-shaped plant, resembling both S. carbonellis Socorro (subsect. Hyssopifolia) and S. glacialis Boiss., s.l. (subsect. Fruticulosa) , though important morphological divergences warrant recognition at species rank. Data on morphology, ecology and chorology of the new species are reported, and affinities and differences with regard to close taxa from other subsections are presented. Evolutionary trends in the whole aggregate are briefly discussed.     

Pollen morphology of the genus Salvia L. (Lamiaceae) in Turkey

Pollen grains of 30 taxa of the genus Salvia, belonging to sections Salvia, Horminum, Drymosphace, Plethiosphace and Hemisphace from Turkey were examined by light (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Detailed pollen morphological characteristics are provided for these taxa. Among the studied taxa, S. verticillata subsp. verticillata from sect. Hemisphace has the smallest pollen grains, and S. pachystachys from sect. Salvia possesses the largest ones. The basic shape of the pollen grains in most taxa is suboblate, oblate-spheroidal or prolate-spheroidal. However subprolate pollen grains are recorded for S. macrochlamys from sect. Salvia. The grains are hexacolpate in all taxa, but in S. recognita from sect. Salvia also octacolpate pollen was found. Three distinct exine sculpturing types exist, reticulate-perforate (the common type), reticulate-granulate and bireticulate. The reticulate-perforate and bireticulate sculpturing patterns can be divided into subtypes based on the number of perforations and the number of secondary lumina in each primary lumen. Pollen morphological characteristics of the taxa studied are compared and discussed on the basis of taxonomical concepts. In some cases, these characters are useful in distinguishing the sections. For instance, the presence of 1-2 large central secondary lumina per primary lumen is a significant character of sect. Horminum separating it from the other sections. As well, the presence of holes on colpus membrane ornamentation can be used as a diagnostic taxonomic character for sectional division between sect. Hemisphace and others. S. ballsiana from sect. Salvia is clearly distinct from the other taxa examined by its unique pollen morphology. Further, for several macromorphologically similar taxa pollen structures provide additional evidence to delimite them from each other.     

Hybridization between Sideritis serrata Lag. and Sideritis bourgaeana Boiss. (Lamiaceae) in Their Hybrid Zone in Spain

Sideritis rodriguezii Borja is a natural hybrid between S.serrata Lag and S. bourgaeana Boiss. The hybrid index is usedto separate parentals, F₁ hybrids and the individuals producedby back-crossing. Hybridization takes place in a hybrid zone100 m long 200 m wide. Two groups of hybrids were recorded,the first resembling S. bourgaeana and the second being morphologicallyintermediate between the parents. Hybrids are abundant in clumps,with higher densities in which both parents grow close together. Sideritis serrata Lag, Sideritis bourgaeana Boiss, hybridization, hybrid zone, S.E. Spain, hybrid index     

Origin of Macaronesian Sideritis L. (Lamioideae: Lamiaceae) inferred from nuclear and chloroplast sequence datasets

Sideritis L. (Lamiaceae) comprises approximately 150 species of annuals and perennials distributed chiefly in the Mediterranean region. The majority of the species belong to the continental subgenus Sideritis which is divided into two perennial (Sideritis and Empedoclea) and two annual (Hesiodia and Burgsdorfia) sections. Twenty-three species are woody perennials endemic to the Macaronesian archipelagos of Madeira and the Canary Islands. In an effort to determine the continental origin of the insular group, we constructed independent phylogenies comprising sequence data from both chloroplast and nuclear markers. Sampling included 7 island taxa drawn from the Macaronesian subgenus Marrubiastrum and 25 continental taxa representing all four sections of subgenus Sideritis. Subgenus Marrubiastrum and the two continental perennial sections form well-supported monophyletic groups in both individual and combined analyses. The annual sections are not monophyletic in any analysis; further sampling of annual taxa is needed to resolve these relationships. All analyses identified Sideritis cossoniana, an annual species from Morocco, as the closest continental relative of the Macaronesian group. This contrasts with the hypothesis of earlier workers who suggested that the insular taxa were most closely related to eastern Mediterranean species of the genus. The phylogenies also demonstrate a distinct increase in woodiness among the Macaronesian species relative to their continental congeners, providing further support for the secondary nature of woodiness in island plants.     

Diversity,phytochemical and medicinal potential of the genus Ocimum L. (Lamiaceae)

Phytochemistry Reviews - Ocimum, commonly known as Tulsi, is a huge genus within family Lamiaceae, comprising about 64 species of annual to perennial aromatic medicinal herbs with a long history of...     

Disjunction types and their frequencies in two heterozygous reciprocal translocations of Blattella germanica (L.)

Adjacent-1, alternate-1, adjacent-2, and alternate-2 disjunction configurations were observed cytologically at metaphase I in heterozygotes from two reciprocal chromosome translocations in the German cockroach, Blattella germanica (L.). T(7; 12) shows random disjunction and the frequencies of the above four types were in a ratio of 2112 (p>0.90). T(3; 12) has directed disjunction (about 70% alternate) which is attributable to a heavy preponderance of alternate-2. No interpretable ratio occurs here except for the equality of alternate-1 and adjacent-2 types. These observations confirm the existence of two types of alternate disjunction, and provide insight into the basis for random vs directed disjunction.     

Notes on the genus Erythrochlamys (Lamiaceae)

A new species of the genus Erythrochlamys is described: E. frulicosa from Somalia and Ethiopia. An interesting variation in E, leucosphaera is also discussed.