Opalinidae in African Anura. II. Genera Protozelleriella n. g. and Zelleriella

During 1988 and 1989, 409 specimens of southern African Anura, comprising 50 species in 9 families, were checked for opalinids in the cloaca. Protozelleriella devilliersi n. g., n. sp. was found in three of four Capensibufo rosei (Bufonidae); Zelleriella africana Sandon, 1938 in two of three Bufo angusticeps and one of 20 B. garmani (Bufonidae) plus three of 12 Phrynobatrachus natalensis, 12 of 19 Tomopterna cryptotis, seven of 14 T. delalandii, three of seven T. krugerensis and one of six T. natalensis (all Ranidae); Z. gambieri n. sp. in one of six T. natalensis; Z. garlandi n. sp. in two of six Kassina maculata (Hyperoliidae); Z. sandoni n. sp. in two of 20 B. garmani, two of six K. maculata, one of seven K. senegalensis and one of four Leptopelis mossambicus (Hyperoliidae) plus one of five Phrynomerus bifasciatus (Microhylidae) and two of 19 T. cryptotis. It is suggested that the Ranidae (in particular the genus Tomopterna) and the Hyperoliidae are among the major carriers of Zelleriella in the Afrotropical Region.     

Pohlia andrewsii J. Shaw in the U.S.S.R.

Abstract

P. andrewsii appears to be widespread in the arctic regions of the U.S.S.R. and also in mountains of southern Siberia, the Altai Mountains. Except in the mountains of Central and Northern Europe the range of P. andrewsii does not overlap with P. annotina and P. camptotrachela.     

Seed morphology of Erica L. sect. Loxomeria Salisb. ex Benth., sect. Eremocallis Salisb. ex Benth. and sect. Brachycallis I. Hansen,and its systematic implications

Abstract

Several quantitative and qualitative seed characters of the seven European species of Erica sect. Loxomeria, Eremocallis and Brachycallis were studied. Two main seed types are found based on size and shape: regular ellipsoid or oblong seeds of ca. 0.4 mm for E. ciliaris and the E. tetralix group, and curved to kidney‐shaped seeds of 0.6–0.9 mm for E. cinerea, E. maderensis and E. terminalis. The testa surface in E. ciliaris is reticulate, with indented outer periclinal walls. Erica cinerea has inflated outer anticlinal walls. This character is exclusive for this species within the European (and nearby areas) species of the genus. The seeds of E. maderensis are similar to those of E. terminalis. According to seed morphology, the classical infrageneric classification, by which E. terminalis would be grouped with the E. tetralix group in sect. Eremocallis and E. maderensis in sect. Brachycallis with E. cinerea, is artificial.     

Revision of Corallinaceae (Corallinales,Rhodophyta): recognizing Dawsoniolithon gen. nov., Parvicellularium gen. nov. and Chamberlainoideae subfam. nov. containing Chamberlainium gen. nov. and Pneophyllum

A multi‐gene (SSU, LSU, psbA, and COI) molecular phylogeny of the family Corallinaceae (excluding the subfamilies Lithophylloideae and Corallinoideae) showed a paraphyletic grouping of six monophyletic clades. Pneophyllum and Spongites were reassessed and recircumscribed using DNA sequence data integrated with morpho‐anatomical comparisons of type material and recently collected specimens. We propose Chamberlainoideae subfam. nov., including the type genus Chamberlainium gen. nov., with C. tumidum comb. nov. as the generitype, and Pneophyllum. Chamberlainium is established to include several taxa previously ascribed to Spongites, the generitype of which currently resides in Neogoniolithoideae. Additionally we propose two new genera, Dawsoniolithon gen. nov. (Metagoniolithoideae), with D. conicum comb. nov. as the generitype and Parvicellularium gen. nov. (subfamily incertae sedis), with P. leonardi sp. nov. as the generitype. Chamberlainoideae has no diagnostic morpho‐anatomical features that enable one to assign specimens to it without DNA sequence data, and it is the first subfamily to possess both Type 1 (Chamberlainium) and Type 2 (Pneophyllum) tetra/bisporangial conceptacle roof development. Two characters distinguish Chamberlainium from Spongites: tetra/biasporangial conceptacle chamber diameter (<300 μm in Chamberlainium vs. >300 μm in Spongites) and tetra/bisporangial conceptacle roof thickness (<8 cells in Chamberlainium vs. >8 cells in Spongites). Two characters also distinguish Pneophyllum from Dawsoniolithon: tetra/bisporangial conceptacle roof thickness (<8 cells in Pneophyllum vs. >8 cells in Dawsoniolithon) and thallus construction (dimerous in Pneophyllum vs. monomerous in Dawsoniolithon).     

Comparisons of the hybrids Hordeum chilensexH. vulgare,H. chilensexH. bulbosum,H. chilensexSecale cereale and the amphidiploid of H. chilensexH. vulgare

Summary Diploid hybrids between Hordeum chilense and three other species, namely H. vulgare, H. bulbosum and Secale cereale, are described together with the amphidiploid of H. chilensexH. vulgare. Both the diploid hybrid and the amphidiploid of H. chilensexH. vulgare were chromosomally unstable, H. chilensexH. bulbosum was less so, while H. chilensexS. cereale was stable. Differential amphiplasty was found in all combinations. No homoeologous pairing was found in the Hordeum hybrids but in H. chilensexS. cereale there was chromosome pairing both within the two genomes and between the genomes.     

Opalinidae in African Anura. III. Genus Cepedea

During 1988 and 1989, 409 specimens of southern African Anura comprising 50 species in 9 families were checked for opalinids in the cloaca. Cepedea acuta n. sp. was found in six of 19 Tomopterna cryptotis and four of seven T. krugerensis (Ranidae); C. affinis (Nazaretskaja, 1992) in two of four Afrixalus aureus, two of four Hyperolius horstocki, 23 of 42 H. marmoratus, one of seven H. pusillus, two of six H. semidiscus, and eight of 12 H. tuberilinguis (Hyperoliidae); C. magna Metcalf, 1923 in one of 20 Bufo garmani, eight of 33 B. gutturalis and two of nine B. rangeri (all Bufonidae), one of two Heleophryne natalensis (juveniles) (Heleophrynidae), four of six Kassina maculata, three of seven K. senegalensis and two of six Semnodactylus wealii (all Hyperoliidae), three of five Phrynomerus bifasciatus (Microhylidae), three of 12 Phrynobatrachus natalensis, 11 of 19 Tomopterna cryptotis, 13 of 14 T. delalandii, one of seven T. krugerensis and one of six T. natalensis (all Ranidae), and four of five Chiromantis xerampelina (Rhacophoridae); Cepedea vanniekerkae n. sp. in one of 19 Tomopterna cryptotis. It is suggested that the Ranidae (in particular the genus Tomopterna) and the Hyperoliidae (in particular the genus Hyperolius) are among the major carriers of Cepedea in the Afrotropical Region.     

Validation of Hygrohypnum Lindb. sect. Dilatatae Szafr.

Abstract

A number of chemical habitat parameters for the species Scorpidium scorpioides, S. cossonii and S. revolvens were investigated in three areas in northern and southern Sweden. S. revolvens occurs in a much narrower range of some parameters, especially pH and conductivity, than the other two species. When pH and conductivity are considered together, S. revolvens and S. cossonii are almost completely mutually exclusive.     

Haplodontium zangii X.R.Wang & J.C.Zhao,sp. nov. (Bryaceae,Bryopsida) from Xizang,China

Haplodontium zangii X.R.Wang &; J.C.Zhao, a new moss species from Xizang, China, is described and illustrated. Previously, specimens of H. zangii have been identified as Mielichhoferia himalayana Mitt. However, H. zangii is distinctly different from M. himalayana in having excurrent costae with short awns (vs long denticulate awns), short-pyriform capsules, 0.8–1?mm (vs long-pyriform capsules, 2.5–3?mm), and densely papillose exostome teeth (vs smooth or vertically striped exostome teeth). Haplodontium zangii is similar to H. macrocarpum (Hook.) J.R.Spence, which was traditionally placed in Mielichhoferia Nees &; Hornsch. as M. macrocarpa (Hook.) Bruch &; Schimp. The main differences between H. zangii and H. macrocarpum are in the morphology of the leaves, capsules, guide cells, and stomata. Mielichhoferia himalayana and another Chinese species of Mielichhoferia, M. sinensis Dix., are also transferred to Haplodontium Hampe, a new genus in the bryoflora of China, as H. himalayanum (Mitt.) X.R.Wang &; J.C.Zhao and H. sinensis (Dix.) X.R.Wang &; J.C.Zhao. A morphological comparison and a key to the three species of Haplodontium in China as well as to H. macrocarpum, a species that is likely to be found in China, are provided.     

Heliophilum fasciatum gen. nov. sp. nov. and Heliobacterium gestii sp. nov.: endospore-forming heliobacteria from rice field soils

Two new taxa of phototrophic heliobacteria are described: Heliobacterium gestii sp. nov. and Heliophilum fasciatum gen. nov. sp. nov. Both organisms were isolated from dry paddy soils. Cells of H. gestii were motile spirilla; cells of H. fasciatum formed cell bundles that were motile as units. Both organisms produced endospores; H. gestii endospores contained dipicolinic acid and elevated levels of calcium. As with other heliobacteria, bacteriochlorophyll g was produced in both organisms and no intracytoplasmic photosynthetic membranes were observed. Growth of H. gestii and H. fasciatum occurred under both photoheterotrophic and chemotrophic conditions; nitrogen fixation also occurred in both organisms. H. gestii and H. fasciatum showed a phylogenetic relationship to the "low GC" line of gram-positive Bacteria, but H. fasciatum was distinct from H. gestii and all other heliobacteria. The ability of H. gestii and H. fasciatum to form endospores might be a significant ecological advantage for survival in their rice soil habitat. Received: 16 October 1995 / Accepted: 10 January 1996     

Recombinant plasmids capable to replication in B. subtilis and E. coli.

Summary The plasmid pBC16 (4.25 kbases), originally isolated from Bacillus cereus, determines tetracycline resistance and can be transformed into competent cells of B. subtilis. A miniplasmid of pBC16 (pBC16-1), 2,7 kb) which has lost an EcoRI fragment of pBC16 retains the replication functions and the tetracycline resistance. This plasmid which carries only one EcoRI site has been joined in vitro to pBS1, a cryptic plasmid previously isolated from B. subtilis and shown to carry also a single EcoRI site (Bernhard et al., 1978). The recombinant plasmid is unstable and dissociates into the plasmid pBS161 (8.2 kb) and the smaller plasmid pBS162 (2.1 kb). Plasmid pBS161 retains the tetracycline resistance. It possesses a single EcoRI site and 6 HindIII sites. The largest HindIII fragment of pBS161 carries the tetracycline resistance gene and the replication function. After circularization in vitro of this fragment a new plasmid, pBS161-1 is generated, which can be used as a HindIII and EcoRI cloning vector in Bacillus subtilis.Hybrid plasmids consisting of the E. coli plasmids pBR322, pWL7 or pAC184 and different HindIII fragments of pBS161 were constructed in vitro. Hybrids containing together with the E. coli plasmid the largest HindIII fragment of pBS161 can replicate in E. coli and B. subtilis. In E. coli only the replicon of the E. coli plasmid part is functioning whereas in B. subtilis replication of the hybrid plasmid is under the control of the Bacillus replicon. The tetracycline resistance of the B. subtilis plasmid is expressed in E. coli, but several antibiotic resistances of the E. coli plasmids (ampicillin, kanamycin and chloramphenicol) are not expressed in B. subtilis. The hybrid plasmids seem to be more unstable in B. subtilis than in E. coli.     

Helix-coiled transition in heteropolymers. I. Ground-state energy

A new technique is presented for treating the ground state of an heteropolymer with a random sequence of components. An exact system of equations is found for determining the ground state energy E which is equal to the polymer free energy f in the lowest-order approximation in T/V (V/2 is the large “surface” energy arising at the boundaries between coiled and “helical” sections: V ? T, U_k; U₁ and –U₂ are the free energies of the components counted from the corresponding coiled state energies). These equations are essentially simplified at certain fixed values of the ratio U₁/U₂. For integer values of U₂/U₁ and U₁/U₂ a solution is obtained with an accuracy exp(–V/U_k). The ground-state energy as a function of U₁ and U₂ is shown to be highly irregular: its derivatives have jumps at an infinite number of points. These jumps provide a fine structure of the melting curves. A smoothed over the jumps function E′ is found by way of analytic continuation from the integer values of U₁/U₂ and U₂/U₁. The accuracy of the approximation f ≈ E is estimated and the correctional term of order T/V is determined.     

CHROMOSOME NUMBERS IN COMPOSITAE. VI. SENECIONEAE. II

Chromosome counts are reported for 76 taxa and 2 natural hybrids of tribe Senecioneae (Compositae). First counts are reported for several species of Senecioneae as well as for the genera Cadiscus and Whitneya. New chromosome numbers are added to those previously known in Arnica, Cacalia, and Senecio. Additional counts from Arnica support our previous suggestion that x = 19 for this genus. It is assumed that observed meiotic irregularities are associated with apomixis in this genus. Basic chromosome numbers for various New World sections of Senecio are proposed, and certain problems of sectional relationships in this genus are discussed. Chromosome numbers and plant morphology of Cadiscus, Hulsea, and Whitneya indicate that these genera should be removed from Helenieae to Senecioneae. The possible affinity of the anomalous genus Adenocaulon with Mutisieae is discussed. Data presented in the paper further support our earlier proposal that the basic chromosome number for Senecioneae is x = 10.     

Development of a fertile genetic bridge between Trifolium ambiguum M. Bieb. and T. repens L.

  Trifolium ambiguum M. Bieb and T. repens L. are taxonomically related but very difficult to cross. The rare hybrids so far reported between these two species were obtained only by embryo culture. This difficulty has been overcome in the present research by the creation of a “fertile bridge” between T. ambiguum and T. repens. Characters of interest can now be transferred from T. ambiguum to T. repens by using this “fertile bridge” without the use of sophisticated techniques. An array of backcross progenies was generated from crosses between a T. ambiguum×T. repens F₁ hybrid (8x H-435) and its parental species. The 8x hybrid was cross-fertile only with T. repens and resulted in 145 seeds from 1578 reciprocal crosses. Eleven of nineteen initially grown BC₁F₁ plants were all hexaploid with an average pollen stainability of 41.6%. A high frequency of multivalents at metaphase-I indicated that both autosyndetic and allosyndetic pairing occurred. Backcrosses of 6x BC₁F₁ plants to T. repens resulted in 5x BC₂F₁ plants with an average pollen stainability of 59.3%. On the other hand, 6x BC₁F₁×6x T. ambiguum crosses did not produce any seed and only two pentaploid plants were obtained from 6x BC₁F₁×4x T. ambiguum crosses. The difficulty encountered in generating 6x backcross progeny with 6x T. ambiguum was overcome by intercrossing the 6x BC₁F₁ plants and producing 6x BC₁F₂ plants with an average pollen stainability of 65.8%. One of these 6x BC₁F₂ plants was cross-compatible as a female with 6x T. ambiguum and resulted in CBC₂ plants that were all cross-compatible with 6x T. ambiguum. The 6x BC₁F₂ plants are likely to be superior to 6x BC₁F₁ progeny, as they have exhibited better expression of the combined rhizomatous and stoloniferous growth habit, improved fertility, more frequent nodal rooting and heavier nodulation. Consequently, the 6x BC₁F₂ plants can either be used directly in the selection programme or as a “fertile bridge” between the two parental species. The present work has resulted in the development of a series of fertile hybrids by the manipulation of chromosome numbers, combining the agronomic characteristics of the parent species in varying genome balances and at a range of ploidy levels. It is concluded that the initial sterility of the primary interspecific hybrids need not be a barrier to successful inter-breeding. Received: 2 August 1996 / Accepted: 4 April 1997     

Bulb-type onion introgressants posessing Allium fistulosum L. genes recovered from interspecific hybrid backcrosses between A. cepa L. and A. fistulosum L.

Allium fistulosum possesses a number of traits which would be desirable in A. cepa. Thus far, no commercial A. cepa cultivars have been released which harbor Allium fistulosum traits. F₁BC₃ populations were generated for this study by backcrossing A. cepa to A. cepa×A. fistulosum hybrids. The F₁BC₃ plants were evaluated for plant morphology, floral characters, male- sterile cytoplasm, soluble solids and pungency, and isozymes. Overall growth habit and floral characters of the F₁BC₃ plants were much like A. cepa. We report here the recovery of recombinant, bulbing, and fertile A. cepa-type onions that exhibit A. fistulosum isozyme alleles and morphological markers. Recombination between A. cepa and A. fistulosum genomes was achieved using the introgression strategy of backcrossing A. fistulosum into A. cepa, thereby ameliorating the nuclear cytoplasmic barriers that occurred in previous less successful introgression attempts when plants were not in A. cepa cytoplasm. We believe this report to be the first demonstration of onion introgressants that are like A. cepa in appearance, are male- and female-fertile, and possess A. fistulosum genes. Received: 29 May 1999 / Accepted 22 June 1999     

Nutlet morphology in Hemigenia R.Br. and Microcorys R.Br. (Lamiaceae)

Nutlets of Hemigenia R.Br. and Microcorys R.Br. were examined using SEM. Significant variation, mainly useful at the infrageneric level, was found in nutlet shape, nature of the attachment scar, nature of surface sculpturing, exocarp cell shape and sculpturing, and nature of the indumentum. Typical nutlets are ovoidal, strongly reticulate or rugose. The exocarp cells are isodiametric and convex to papillate. Also common are cylindrical nutlets, often with longitudinal ridging and papillate exocarp cells. Surface pitting and concave exocarp cells are rare. A cladistic analysis of nutlet characters suggests both Hemigenia and Microcorys are polyphyletic, and Microcorys paraphyletic with respect to Westringia Sm. Notwithstanding that, the infrageneric classification of Hemigenia was largely supported, while in Microcorys, there was support for sect. Hemigenioides, but sects Anisandra and Microcorys were not resolved as distinct.     

Molecular evidence for hybrid origin of Quercus crenata Lam. (Fagaceae) from Q. cerris L. and Q. suber L.

Abstract

Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and Inter-Simple Sequence Repeats (ISSR) markers were employed to examine samples from Quercus cerris, Q. suber and Q. crenata in order to test the hypothesis of the hybrid origin of Q. crenata from Q. cerris and Q. suber in a part of its distribution area where the two putative parents do not overlap at present. Leaves from 21 Q. crenata and 37 Q. cerris individual trees were collected at natural sites in northern Italy, where Q. suber is currently lacking; 21 Q. suber and six Q. crenata plants from central Italy were also analysed. Results from Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic mean (UPGMA) analysis and principal component analysis (PCA) implied that exchange of neutral markers has been considerable between the three species, while differences in morphological characters have remained comparatively stable. The Mantel test indicated low correlation between RAPD- and ISSR-based similarity matrices, showing that the two screening techniques reveal unrelated estimates of genetic relationships. Hybrid indices computed for both markers displayed an intermediate position of Q. crenata individuals between the two putative parents shifted toward Q. cerris. Results from the present study corroborate the hypothesis of a hybrid origin for Q. crenata occurring in northern Italy, and suggest asymmetrical backcrossing with Q. cerris acting as the recurrent parent.     

Pleospora drummondii spec. nov. und ihr Anamorph Stemphylium drummondii spec. nov.

Pleospora drammondii spec. nov. and its anamorph Stemphylium drammondii spec. nov. The causal organism of a leaf spot disease on Phlox drummondii is described as Pleospora drummondii spec. nov. and its anamorph Stempbylium drummondii spec, nov. — in contrast to earlier reports from the USA, in which the fungus was identified as S. botryosum.     

PHYCOLOGICAL NOTES. H. EUGLENA MYXOCYLINDRACEA SP. NOV.12

A previously undescribed species of Euglena, E. myxocylindracea, sp. nov., is described from soil in a garden and in a while pine woods in Pike County, Pa. In addition to the, type, an organism (No. 457) in the Culture Collection of Algae. Indiana University, hitherto designated E. viridis var. terricola. is transferred to E. myxocylindracea as var. terricola. Differences such as the usual absence of an emergent flagellum, or the presence of an extremely short one (ca. 3.5–4 μ), and the dominance of a palmelloid state in a variety of liquid and solid culture media in which the cells secrete dichotomously branching slimy cylinders distinguish the new species from E. viridis.     

Opalinidae in African Anura. IV. Genus Protoopalina

During 1988 and 1989, 409 specimens of southern African Anura comprising 50 species in nine families, were checked for opalines in the cloaca. Protoopalina africana Metcalf, 1923 was found in Rana angolensis (Ranidae); P. appendiculata Fantham, 1929 in R. fuscigula; P. boycotti n. sp. in Pyxicephalus adspersus (Ranidae); P. brevis Boisson, 1959 in Ptychadena oxyrhynchus (Ranidae); P. drachi Tuzet & Knoepffler, 1968 in Ptychadena anchietae, P. mascareniensis, P. mossambica and P. oxyrhynchus (Ranidae); P. nutti Metcalf, 1923 in Bufo rangeri (Bufonidae); P. octomixa Fantham, 1930 in Schismaderma carens (Bufonidae); P. ovalis Fantham, 1929 in Rana angolensis (Ranidae); P. pattersoni n. sp. in Ptychadena mascareniensis (Ranidae); P. petiti Tuzet & Knoepffler, 1968 in Ptychadena oxyrhynchus (Ranidae); P. primordialis (Awerinzew, 1913) Metcalf, 1918 in Bufo angusticeps, B. gariepensis, B. garmani, B. rangeri (Bufonidae), Heleophryne natalensis (juveniles and tadpoles) (Heleophrynidae), Xenopus laevis (juveniles and tadpoles) (Pipidae), Cacosternum boettgeri, Ptychadena mossambica (juvenile), Rana angolensis, R. fuscigula and Strongylopus grayii (Ranidae); P. stevensoni (Stevenson, 1911) Metcalf, 1923 in Bufo gariepensis, B. garmani, B. gutturalis, B. maculatus, B. rangeri, Capensibufo rosei (Bufonidae), Rana angolensis and R. fuscigula (Ranidae); P. transvaalensis Fantham, 1923 in Pyxicephalus adspersus (Ranidae); and P. xenopodos Metcalf, 1923 in Xenopus laevis (including tadpoles) and X. muelleri (Pipidae). It is suggested that the Bufonidae (genus Bufo) and the Ranidae (in particular the genera Cacosternum, Ptychadena, Rana and Strongylopus) are among the major carriers of Protoopalina in the Afrotropical Regional. The biogeography and evolution of the genus Protoopalina are discussed.     

Miliusa cambodgensis sp. nov. (Annonaceae) from Cambodia and M. astiana,M. ninhbinhensis spp. nov. from Vietnam

The genus Miliusa in Cambodia and Vietnam is reviewed. Cambodia and Vietnam each harbors six species of Miliusa, including three which are described as new to science: one from Cambodia (Miliusa cambodgensis sp. nov.), the other two from Vietnam (M. astiana and M. ninhbinhensis spp. nov.). In addition, a complete nomenclature and relevant information about the Miliusa species previously known from Cambodia and Vietnam are provided, including keys to the Cambodian and Vietnamese species, the designation of a lectotype for M. baillonii and the synonymization of M. balansae var. elongatoides, M. chunii and M. sinensis with M. balansae.