POLLEN MORPHOLOGY IN NORTH AMERICAN SPECIES OF TRILLIUM

The pollen morphology and tapetal membranes of 17 species of Trillium from North America have been examined by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The pollen grains of the genus are consistently spherical and inaperturate. The exine is unstratified and ultra-thin. Five types of exine structure are recognized, namely, echinate-, corrugate-, granulate-, verrucate- and spinulate-type, based on the variations in the components of the exine. The granulate-type is the most common and is divided into six subtypes. The features of tapetal membranes also vary in relation with the variation of the exine structures. This study demonstrates the potential of palynological evidence in assessment of taxonomic relationships within the genus.     

ANGIOSPERM FLOWERS AND TRICOLPATE POLLEN OF BUXACEOUS AFFINITY FROM THE POTOMAC GROUP (MID-CRETACEOUS) OF EASTERN NORTH AMERICA

A new genus of fossil angiosperms (Spanomera gen. nov.) is established for flowers from two localities in the mid-Cretaceous Potomac Group of Maryland, eastern North America. The type species, Spanomera mauldinensis sp. nov., from the early Cenomanian Elk Neck beds, has inflorescence units with terminal pistillate, and lateral staminate flowers. The organization of inflorescences and flowers is opposite and decussate. Staminate flowers typically have five tepals: two lateral, one posterior, and two in the anterior position. Each tepal is opposed to a stamen with a short filament, dorsifixed anther, and two pairs of pollen sacs. Stamens contain pollen comparable to the dispersed pollen species Striatopollis paraneus (Norris) Singh. Pistillate flowers have two lateral tepals and two anterior-posterior tepals that are opposed to two carpels. Carpels are slightly fused basally along their ventral margins and are semicircular in outline with a long, decurrent, papillate ventral stigma. Frequently this stigmatic surface has abundant attached pollen of the Striatopollis paraneus type. Spanomera marylandensis sp. nov., from the late Albian Patapsco Formation, is similar to S. mauldinensis but is known only from isolated flowers and floral parts. Staminate flowers have four stamens with dorsifixed anthers and each is opposed to a tepal. Stamens contain pollen comparable to the dispersed pollen species Striatopollis vermimurus (Brenner) Srivastava. Carpels have pollen of S. vermimurus on the stigma. Spanomera provides further evidence of unisexual but probably insect-pollinated flowers among mid-Cretaceous, early nonmagnoliid (“higher”) dicotyledons, and is interpreted as closely related to extant Buxaceae. Characters that Spanomera shares with other taxa suggest that the Buxaceae themselves may be closely related to Myrothamnaceae and other “lower” Hamamelididae.     

SEXUAL AND APOMICTIC REPRODUCTION IN CALAMAGROSTIS (GRAMINEAE) FROM EASTERN NORTH AMERICA

Reproductive mode and chromosome numbers were determined for populations of several species of Calamagrostis from eastern North America. Calamagrostis pickeringii (2n = 28), C. perplexa (2n = 70), C. porteri subsp. porteri (2n = ca. 88–100) and C. porteri subsp. insperata (2n = 56) all have a sexual pattern of megagametophyte formation; the basal megaspore of a tetrad develops into a Polygonum-type embryo sac with proliferating antipodal cells characteristic of the Gramineae. In these four taxa self-incompatability, population structure and infrequent flowering limit seed production; they persist primarily by rhizomes and occupy relatively stable, late-successional habitats. Calamagrostis stricta subsp. inexpansa includes apomictic variants (2n = ca. 104–123)that produce megagametophytes by diplospory; the single archesporial cell divides mitotically to produce an embryo sac appearing identical to those formed by sexual species. The embryo and endosperm develop autonomously from egg cell and polar nuclei, respectively. Some apomictic individuals occasionally produce some pollen and may have the potential for reproducing sexually. Their seed set insured by apomixis, variants of subsp. inexpansa colonize disturbed, open habitats and have achieved wide distributions in glaciated regions of North America. Reinterpretation of relationships among taxa I examined necessitates the following new nomenclatural combinations; C. porteri subsp. insperata (Swallen) comb. nov. is based on C. insperata Swallen; C. stricta subsp. inexpansa (A. Gray) comb. nov. is based on C. inexpansa A. Gray and includes C. lacustris (Kearney) Nash and C. fernaldii Louis-Marie.     

中国东北柳属花粉形态及其系统学研究

本研究对中国东北地区产柳属17个组的29种, 6变种, 1变型的花粉进行了光学显微镜和扫描电子显微镜观察。结果表明, 同一种的花粉粒形态相对稳定, 花粉粒的萌发孔类型, 表面网状纹饰类型及纹饰的亚显微形态, 及外壁厚度等特征与组的关系较密切, 而在组内各种间趋于一致;种间自然杂交种的花粉粒形态特征, 表现其亲本的中间类型。聚类分析结果表明, 五蕊柳与大白柳组进化关系密切。     

中国东北牻牛儿苗科（Geraniaceae）花粉形态与系统分类学研究

本文对中国东北牛儿苗科Ｇｅｒａｎｉａｃｅａｅ老鹳草属Ｇｅｒａｎｉｕｍ和牛儿苗属Ｅｒｎｄｉｕｍ植物计２属,１４种,２变种及１变型的花粉形态进行了较系统的研究。并对本科花粉形态进行了分类处理,编制了花粉形态科种检索表。结果表明,本科花粉如按萌发孔类型、外壁雕纹式样可以分为二大类：即三孔沟,外壁雕纹瘤状（Ｇｅｒａｎｉｕｍ）三沟,外壁雕纹网状（Ｅｒｏｄｉｕｍ）。在老鹳草属种及种下等级的分类处理中,花粉粒大小、萌发沟长度、外壁覆盖层网眼均匀性、直径大小、网脊上纹饰及外壁雕纹瘤纹突起均匀性、大小及瘤上纹饰都具有较大的分类学意义。花粉形态分类与经典分类对本科分类群的处理意见相吻合。大大丰富了本科分类微形态的证据。     

雀稗属花粉形态及其多萌发孔现象

在广东广泛收集禾本科雀稗属的基础上,观察了雀稗属（Paspalum)9个种及其类群的花粉形态。其花粉一般为球型,平均直径在34－50um之间,花粉表面纹饰一般为疣状突起或皱波状。在四倍体的台湾雀稗（P.formosanum),双穗雀稗（P.paspaloides),雀稗（P.thunbergii),两耳草（P.conjugatum),圆果雀稗（P.orbiculare),长叶雀稗（P.longifolium)和一个十倍体的南雀稗（P.commersonii)的一个类群上发现了禾本科罕见的花粉多萌发孔现象。     

中国桑寄生科花粉形态研究

本文报道用光学显微镜和扫描电镜观察中国桑寄生科45个分类群的花粉形态,综合分析其外部特征,参考内部结构及化学成分方面的资料,探讨本科各属的分类和系统发育。 研究结果表明,中国桑寄生科植物花粉明显区分为两种类型,而且各自有其演化规律。我们也支持将我国的桑寄生科区分为两个独立的科,即 Loranthaceae A.Juss.(1808)和Visca-ceae Miers(1851),使其更全面反映自然系统发育。 过去国产桑寄生亚科种类,发表的新分类群往往当作桑寄生属(Loranthus)植物,据花粉形态研究表明,它们在花粉粒的大小,萌发器官的细微结构以及外壁纹饰方面,可以区分成几个类型,支持应将我国原隶于 Loranthus Linn.属的植物分成6个属的观点。而桑寄生属(Lo-ranthus Jacq.)与梨果寄生属(Scurrula Linn.)这二属的花和花粉形态彼此有明显的区别,是不应将 Scurrula Linn.视作 Loranthus Jacq.(保留属名)的异属名的。     

中国昆虫分类学、昆虫形态学三十年

欣逢中华人民共和国成立三十周年,举国欢腾,同申庆祝！三十年来在中国共产党领导下,科学工作欣欣向荣,做出了不少成绩,与解放前相比,各门学科都有长足进步。我国古代昆虫学知识可以追溯很远,有许多光辉业绩。近代昆虫学则自本世纪第十年代开始,共约七十年历程,前四十年在旧社会艰苦环境中渡过,近三十年才获新生。许多年长的昆虫学者,今还健在,记忆犹新。抚新追昔,精神倍增,今后培养更多的人才,形成一支坚强队伍,向国际昆虫学先进水平进军,必将做出更大更多的成就。我国地大物博,人才辈出,对于这种预期,一定可以实现。     

中国沙拐枣属植物花粉形态及其在地层研究中的意义

通过光学显微镜和扫描电镜观察了中国沙拐枣属(Calligonum L.)11种植物的花粉形态。按扫描电镜下的外壁纹饰分类,该属花粉可分为4种类型,即:网纹-穴状具圆形或近圆形网眼、网纹-穴状具多角型网眼、网纹-穿孔和网纹-穿孔或小沟渠。它们的演化趋势是从前面类型依次向后面类型演化。根据花粉内孔的形状,沙拐枣属植物花粉可区别于蓼科其它属植物三孔沟类型花粉。     

生态变异在植物分类学和进化中的重要性

生物群体的变异性是有机体所有类群的一个属性。在本世纪的二十年代至四十年代,植物进化研究的一个重要的目的是了解种内和群体内存在的复杂的变异式样。近一、二十年来,进化生物学研究工作的一个重要的方面已转移到生态因素对个体、群体和种在环境和生物两方面的效应以及这些效应在生态学、分类学和进化中实际的含义上来。种内变异的描述和分类已成为当前最有挑战性的问题和最值得探索的领域之一。可塑性和耐受性在有花植物中普遍存在。但对大多数种来说,可塑性是有限的:一个具有较大分布区的种的不同地区的群体往往具有不同的基因型,而这些基因型是遗传和生态两个因素之间长时期复杂的相互作用的产物。种内变异是生态型性质还是梯度变异性质取决于自然界不同气候带或气候条件之间是急剧过渡还是逐渐过渡。但土壤和生物因素有时也参与宗的分化。群体和种内的变异不一定都有外部形态的变化,而是在多数情况下表现为生理和生化的差异。适应于富含铝、铜或锌等重金属盐的土壤的小地理宗是由足够强大的歧化选择而不是由内在的隔离机制来维持。多态现象,即群体内不同遗传变异体的频率变化,可能与自然选择有关。现有的主要种下分类等级——亚种、变种和变型,不仅不能满足描述种内生态多样性和复杂的变异式样的