A new diploid species of Hieracium sect. Pannosa (Asteraceae) from Bulgaria

Hieracium petrovae Vladimirov & Szeląg sp. nov. , a new diploid (2 n  = 18) species in H. sect. Pannosa Zahn, is described and illustrated from the Rhodope Mountains, South Bulgaria, and compared with related taxa. It grows in relict habitats in crevices of limestone rock together with many Balkan endemics. H. petrovae is morphologically similar to taxa from the H. pannosum , H. pilosissimum and H. heldreichii groups (collective species sensu Zahn) to some of which it is a presumed ancestral species.  © 2006 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2006, 150 , 261–265.     

Psephellus turcicus sp. nov. (Asteraceae), a new chasmophyte species from central Anatolia, Turkey

A new species, Psephellus turcicus A.Duran & Hamzaoğlu (Asteraceae) in sect. Psephelloidei (Boiss.) Wagenitz & Hellwig is described and illustrated from Anatolia, Turkey. The species grows on limestone crevices in Kazankaya Canyon (A5 Yozgat) in central Anatolia. A neo-endemic confined to Kazankaya Canyon, it is closely related to Psephellus psephelloides (Freny & Sint.) Wagenitz. Diagnostic morphological characters from closely similar taxa are discussed, and arranged in a key of Turkish similar Psephellus Cass. The ecology, biogeography and conservation status of the species are also presented. Achene surface morphology of P. turcicus and P. psephelloides are examined by SEM. The geographical distribution of the new species and other related species is mapped.  © 2005 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2005, 148 , 495–500.     

Comparative morphology of the leaf epidermis in Schisandra (Schisandraceae)

The leaf epidermis of 127 samples representing ten species within Schisandra Michaux. and one species of the related genus, Kadsura Kaempf. ex Juss., was investigated using light and scanning electron microscopy. Many characters of the leaf epidermis in Schisandra , such as pattern of epidermal cells, type of stomata, shape of guard cell pairs and cuticular ornamentation, are usually constant within species and thus make good characters for studying the relationship between and within genera. A new character, rim number, of the outer stomatal rim in the genus is introduced. It is shown that double outer stomatal rims occur only in evergreen Schisandra species, whereas a single rim occurs in deciduous species. This character supports the classification of Schisandra into two subgenera based on habit and androecial organs. This classification is also supported by additional morphological and molecular taxonomic characters. Kadsura coccinea (Lem.) Smith A. C. is the most primitive taxon in the related genus Kadsura . The outer stomatal rim of this species also has double rims. Combined with morphological and molecular evidence, this suggests that Schisandra and Kadsura are closely related and may share a recent common ancestor.  © 2005 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2005, 148 , 39–56.     

Chromosome numbers in the tribes Anthemideae and Inuleae (Asteraceae)

Twenty-two chromosome counts of 19 taxa (21 populations) in the tribe Anthemideae and one member (one population) of the tribe Inuleae of the family Asteraceae are reported. The Anthemideae studied belong to the subtribes Artemisiinae (14 Artemisia taxa, and one species each of the genera Dendranthema , Filifolium and Neopallasia ) and Tanacetinae (one species each of the genera Lepidolopha and Tanacetopsis ). From the Inuleae, we studied one Inula species. Five counts are new reports (including two at generic level), six are not consistent with previous counts and the remainder are confirmations of very limited (one to four records) previous data. Most of populations of Anthemideae studied have the basic chromosome number x  = 9, with ploidy levels ranging from 2 x to 10 x . Dysploidy is also present, with two x  = 8 diploid taxa. The species of Inuleae studied is a diploid with x  = 10, also indicating dysploidy, other members of the same genus Inula having basic numbers of x  = 9 or 8.  © 2005 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2005, 148 , 77–85.     

The Rubiaceae of São Tomé e Príncipe (Gulf of Guinea): taxonomy and conservation

A synoptic treatment of the Rubiaceae of São Tomé e Príncipe (Gulf of Guinea) is presented based on herbarium collections kept at BM, COI, K and LISC. There are 36 genera and 64 species of Rubiaceae represented in the flora of São Tomé e Príncipe. Identification keys are provided for genera, species and infraspecific taxa. A new combination is made in Chassalia . Twenty-nine taxa are endemic to these islands, two of which are also endemic to Annobon. The conservation status of the endemic taxa is assessed and IUCN categories of threat are proposed for ten taxa. Nineteen taxa of Rubiaceae are considered under threat in São Tomé e Príncipe and ten are considered nearly threatened.  © 2005 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2005, 149 , 85–114.     

Phylogenetic relationships and evolution of Orbiniidae (Annelida, Polychaeta) based on molecular data

The phylogenetic relationships of orbiniid taxa were reconstructed based on sequence data of the mitochondrial 16S rRNA and nuclear 18S rRNA genes. Both genes were analysed separately and in combination using maximum likelihood, Bayesian inference and maximum parsimony. Regardless of the method used, a clade consisting of the investigated Orbiniidae, Methanoaricia dendrobranchiata and Questa was strongly supported by the 18S dataset. The analysis of the combined dataset suggests inclusion of M. dendrobranchiata within the Orbiniidae with close relationships to species of Orbinia and Phylo, rather than as a sister taxon to all other orbiniids. Evidence is given for the paraphyletic status of Leitoscoloplos , Naineris , Orbinia , Phylo and Scoloplos , which represent the most species-rich genera of the Orbiniidae. It is thus reasoned that the morphological characters presently used for genus diagnosis are not informative for cladistic analysis. No support is found for the hypothesis that taxa of the Protoariciinae represent juveniles of Orbiniinae. Instead, in the case of Protoaricia oerstedi , strong support for a progenetic origin is found.  © 2005 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2005, 144 , 59−73.     

A new species of Oxalis section Corniculatae (Oxalidaceae) from the Balearic islands

A new species, Oxalis ferae Llorens, Gil & Cardona (Oxalidaceae) from the Balearic islands (Spain) is described and illustrated. It is considered to be endemic to Mallorca. The morphological differences between the more closely related taxa of Oxalis section Corniculatae are discussed. IUCN threatened category and observations on the ecology of the populations are noted.  © 2005 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2005, 148 , 489–493.     

A revision and phylogenetic analysis of Stapeliopsis (Apocynaceae)

A survey of morphological characters is carried out for Stapeliopsis . The information obtained from this is combined with molecular data from the plastid trn L-F DNA region and ITS1 of the nuclear encoded 18S−26S rRNA cistron, to obtain a hypothesis of the evolutionary relationships among the species. It is shown that Stapeliopsis is monophyletic in a combined molecular and morphological analysis. Stapeliopsis is sister to a clade containing Huernia , Orbea and Tromotriche . The species of Stapeliopsis group into two clades. One contains S. khamiesbergensis , S. neronis and S. urniflora , and this is highly supported. The remaining species fall into an unsupported clade in which S. exasperata is sister to the others. The genera Hermanschwartzia Plowes and Neopectinaria Plowes are rejected. It is shown that a synapomorphy for Stapeliopsis is the laterally flattened inner corona-lobes, which touch the anthers only at their bases. Eight species of Stapeliopsis are recognized, with no subgeneric divisions.  © 2005 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2005, 148 , 125–155.     

A new species of Swertia L. (Gentianaceae) from Nepal

Swertia barunensis P. Chassot sp. nov. from Nepal is described and illustrated. It was collected in 1997 in an alpine meadow in the Makalu Barun National Park at an elevation of 4200 m. It belongs to Swertia section Macranthos T.-N. Ho & S.-W. Liu and resembles S. pseudohookeri H. Smith, from which it differs mainly by the shape of the nectary and the exomorphic seed structure. A key to all the species of sect. Macranthos is provided. The affinities of S. barunensis with some other taxa in the subtribe Swertiinae (Griseb.) Rchb. are also briefly discussed.  © 2003 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2003, 141, 389–394.     

Comparative morphology of seeds of four closely related species of Aristolochia subgenus Siphisia (Aristolochiaceae, Piperales)

The primary purpose of this study was to determine whether morphological divergence has occurred in seeds of species in a subclade of Aristolochia subgenus Siphisia . Thus, we compared seed mass, surface area, and wings (presence or absence), embryo shape and state, and embryo length to seed length (E:S) ratio in A. californica Torr., endemic to California, A. macrophylla Lamk. and A. tomentosa Sims of eastern USA, and A. manshuriensis Komarov of eastern Asia. We also compared capsule length and number of seeds per capsule in the three US species. All four species have linear, underdeveloped embryos, but for the other morphological features statistically significant differences occurred among the taxa. However, none of the seed morphological features differed between the eastern North American species A. macrophylla and its eastern Asian sister species A. manshuriensis.   © 2005 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2005, 148 , 433–436.     

A new species of Acantholimon Boiss. sect. Glumaria Boiss. (Plumbaginaceae) from Elazığ, Turkey

A new species, Acantholimon evrenii sp. nov. is described and illustrated for the first time in sect. Glumaria from Turkey. The species is confined to B7 Elazığ in East Anatolia where it grows on rocky mountain steppes. The diagnostic morphological characters from closely related species are given, along with a discussion dealing with its taxonomic relationship. Its conservation status is indicated. A revised key is also provided for the Acantholimon species with heterophyllous leaves, two or more flowered and four or more bracteated spikelets.  © 2005 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2005, 149 , 351–356.     

Analysis of morphological variation of the Acer tschonoskii complex in eastern Asia: implications of inflorescence size and number of flowers within sect. Macrantha

Flower and fruit specimens of 184 individuals were sampled to investigate patterns of intraspecific variation and to evaluate recognition of taxa within the Acer tschonoskii complex using morphometric analysis. Previous taxonomic treatments have considered A. tschonoskii var. rubripes (=  A. komarovii ) and A. tschonoskii var. tschonoskii to be separate species. The morphological discontinuity between these two taxa was evident in peduncle and pedicel length, and in number of flowers. In addition, the delimitations of some species within sect. Macrantha were clarified using these diagnostic characters. In view of the geographical distribution of the A. tschonoskii complex, which includes many taxa of sect. Macrantha from China to Japan through Korea, the long raceme with many flowers ( A. sikkimense ) and unlobed leaf are considered more primitive than the short raceme with a small number of flowers and five-lobed leaf ( A. maximowiczii and A. komarovii ). However, many intermediate taxa were present. This study also suggests that several Chinese taxa, such as A. metcalfii, A. taronense, A. hookeri and A. grosseri , may be subject to different taxonomic interpretation and should be reinvestigated morphologically.  © 2003 The Linnean Society of London. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2003, 143 , 29−42.     

Generic delimitation and a new infrageneric system in the genus Holcoglossum (Orchidaceae: Aeridinae)

Based on herbarium and field observations, we confirm the generic delimitation of Holcoglossum and present a new infrageneric system for the genus. Our work supports Holcoglossum as a natural group including H. amesianum (Rchb.f.) Christenson and H. subulifolium (Rchb.f.) Christenson. The new infrageneric system of Holcoglossum includes two subgenera: Holcoglossum subgen. Brachycentron subgen. nov. and Holcoglossum subgen. Holcoglossum , the latter comprising two new sections, Holcoglossum sect. Holcoglossum and Holcoglossum sect. Sorotylos .  © 2005 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2005, 149 , 465–468.     

A new species of Achillea (Asteraceae: Anthemideae) from south-east Peloponnisos, Greece

A new species of Achillea L., Achillea occulta Constantin. & Kalpoutz., from the summit area of Mount Koulochera in south-east Peloponnisos, Greece, is described and illustrated. It belongs to A . sect. Ptarmica and further, to a small group of taxa known under the illegitimate sectional name 'Anthemoideae'. In Greece, A. occulta has no close allies. The taxonomically related taxa, i.e. A. barrelieri (Ten.) Sch. Bip., A. mucronulata Bertol., A. oxyloba (DC.) Sch. Bip. and A. schurii Sch. Bip. are found in the Italian Peninsula, the Alps and the Carpathians. Phytogeographically, the finding of a species with such taxonomic connections in south-east Greece was unexpected. The new species grows in semi-shade, often hidden in suitable limestone rock hollows and the foot of rocks, together with several other Greek endemics. Its chromosome number of 2 n  = 18, counted in root tips, is also reported and illustrated.  © 2005 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2005, 147 , 249–256.     

A morphometric study of three closely related taxa in the European Isoetes velata complex

Isoetes velata A. Braun is an amphibious plant with Mediterranean and Ibero-Atlantic distribution, showing marked morphological variability. Within the same geographical area, closely related restricted-range taxa are also present, including I. velata ssp. asturicense (restricted to mountainous areas of the north-west Iberian Peninsula) and I. boryana (restricted to the southern French Atlantic coast). These related taxa have unclear taxonomy and are both threatened. We performed a morphometric study of specimens of the three taxa. Our results suggest that I. velata ssp. asturicense is better considered as a distinct species, I. asturicense Laínz (Laínz), distinguishable from the other two taxa by mean megaspore length ( N  ≥ 30) < 360 µm. In contrast, our results do not support consideration of I. boryana as a separate species, and we here propose that this taxon be considered as a variety, I. velata A. Braun var. boryana M.I. Romero & C. Real stat. nov.   © 2005 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2005, 148 , 459–464.