The taxonomy of Vaccinium section Myrtillus (Ericaceae)

Phenetic analyses of 218 OTUs belonging toVaccinium sectionMyrtillus and scored for 13 characters generated five robust clusters.Vaccinium parvifolium is the most distinct cluster, followed by the “myrtillus-scoparium” complex, thenV. membranaceum, V. caespitosum, and the “ovalifolium-deliciosum” complex. Biosystematic studies suggest that the five clusters comprise seven taxa that possess many of the properties that define biological species. Indeed, the recognition of the seven taxa as species is supported by cytological, phenological, biogeographical and ecological as well as chemical data. A detailed taxonomic treatment for all these taxa is presented.     

Three new species and a new combination in the genusTorulomyces from soil

Seven isolates ofTorulomyces from Asian and Australian soil samples were studied in comparison with known taxa of the genus and withMonocillium indicum, the type species ofMonocillium. Three new species,Torulomyces parviverrucosus, T. laevis, andT. ovatus, are described, andT. brunneus is described as a new combination. Conidial characteristics, especially their shape and surface structure, are useful taxonomic criteria for distinguishing species ofTorulomyces. Monocillium is considered to be a distinct genus.     

Mycena auricoma,a new species ofMycena sectionRadiatae from Japan,andMycena spinosissima,a new record in Japan

Two lignicolous species ofMycena (Agaricales, Basidiomycetes) are described and illustrated from eastern, Japan:Mycena auricoma sp. nov., forming ephemeral coprinoid basidiomata and belonging to sectionRadiatae, was found on a dead fallen twig ofQuercus serrata. It appears to close to a Malaysian species,“Trogia” crinipelliformis. Mycena spinosissima in sectionSacchariferae, new to Japan, was collected from dead bark ofAphananthe aspera, a dead fallen inflorescence ofCryptomeria japonica, and a dead fallen twig ofQuercus serrata.     

Caloplaca sect.Xanthoriella,sect. nov.: Untersuchungen über die „Xanthoria lobulata-Gruppe“ (Lichenes,Teloschistaceae)

Reexamination ofXanthoria persica, X. polycarpoides, X. lobulata gave evidence, that the thalli of these species are devoid of a lower cortex and rhizinae. Therefore, they do not fit the definition of the genusXanthoria and are transferred toCaloplaca (under the new sectionXanthoriella) asCaloplaca persica, C. polycarpoides, andC. boulyi, respectively. — Details on development, anatomical structure, ecology and distribution are presented.

     

Two new species ofInocybe, sectionMarginatae (Agaricales, Cortinariaceae) from Japan

Two new species of the sectionMarginatae are described, namely,Inocybe populea sp. nov. andI. leptoclada sp. nov., from western Japan and eastern Japan, respectively.Inocybe leptoclada is assigned to sectionMarginatae, even though it lacks a marginate bulb.Inocybe populea is placed in the sectionMarginatae because of the presence of a marginate (often indistinct) bulbous base of stipe and the caulocystidia throughout. The discoveries ofI. leptoclada andI. populea provide further evidence that sectionMarginatae and sectionInocybe [=Cortinatae] are poorly defined.     

Two new species ofMycena from eastern Honshu, Japan

Two new species ofMycena are described and illustrated from eastern Honshu, Japan:Mycena brevicapillata sp. nov. (sectionHiemales), forming tall and slender basidiomata covered overall with long, fusiform or sublageniform dermatocysts, was found on a dead branch ofHydrangea involucrata; Mycena chrysanthemiformis sp. nov. (sectionFragilipedes), forming small, white basidiomata with a campanulate, shallowly sulcate-striate, occasionally subumbonate pileus and adnate-decurrent lamellae, was found on living bark or a dead fallen twig ofAphananthe aspera, Cryptomeria japonica, andZelkova serrata.     

A reappraisal of intrageneric classification ofTalaromyces based on the ubiquinone systems

Ubiquinone profiles of 25 strains ofTalaromyces were determined using reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography. Together with data of earlier authors, examination of the most recently described species allowed us to solve some taxonomic problems in the intrageneric classification. Ubiquinone Q-10(H₂) was found in the majority ofTalaromyces species with aPenicillium anamorph, which are mostly placed in seriesFlavi andLutei of sectionTalaromyces. Flavi andLutei are closely related and homogeneous taxa based on their morphological characters used in the section. However, exceptionol prfiles were consistently shown byT. trachyspermus and the allied taxa of seriesTrachyspermi of the sectionTalaromyces, in which a mixture of ubiquinone Q-10(H₂) and ubiquinone Q-10(H₄) was found. Thus the accommodation ofT. trachyspermus and the allied taxa in the sectionTalaromyces was not supported by their ubiquinone systems.Trachyspermi is distinguished from other taxa ofTalaromyces by its production of white ascomata and rapid growth at 37°C. A new section,Trachyspermus, is proposed herein. SectionEmersonii showed heterogeneity; the ubiquinone profiles (Q-10(H₂) or Q-10 and Q-10(H₂)) inTalaromyces with aGeosmithia anamorph were relatively homogeneous, whereas those of another group with aPaecilomyces anamorph were considerably variable. OnlyTalaromyces with aGeosmithia anamorph can be placed in the sectionEmersonii.     

Some Entolomataceae (Agaricales) from Costa Rica

A preliminary account of Entolomataceae from Costa Rica is presented. Three new taxa are described, two inClitopilus, one inRhodocybe, and three new combinations are proposed inInocephalus. Five taxa ofClitopilus are reported for the first time from Costa Rica and a key to species is provided. Four species ofRhodocybe are discussed and a key to the six species known from Costa Rica is also provided.Alboleptonia earlei, Inocephalus murraii, Inocephalus quadratum, Rhodocybe incarnata andRhodocybe pseudonitellina are now known to occur in Costa Rica.     

Phylogenetic analysis of Asian<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Symplocos</Emphasis> (Symplocaceae) based on nuclear and chloroplast DNA sequences

Thirty species and one variety of Symplocos (Symplocaceae), including all taxa distributed in Japan, were phylogenetically analyzed with DNA sequence data. The evolution of morphological characters is discussed on the basis of the phylogenetic relationships obtained. All species were Asian, except one, S. austromexicana, from Mexico. The nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and two intergenic spacer regions, between trnL and trnF, and between trnH and psbA of chloroplast DNA were used. The topologies of trees obtained from ITS and the chloroplast intergenic spacers are largely congruent. S. sonoharae, the representative of the subgenus Symplocos in Asia, was sister to all other species. The position of the American species, S. austromexicana, which also belongs to the subgenus Symplocos, was not well resolved. The phylogenetic tree based on combined sequence data largely supports the monophyletic origin of the infrageneric sections proposed earlier. However, the phylogenetic relationship between them is not well resolved, probably due to rapid diversification. The section Palura, a deciduous group, is well defined in the DNA analysis, suggesting its independent status in the genus Symplocos. In spite of their morphological divergence, the three endemic species of the Bonin Islands are monophyletic. The occurrence of curved seeds seems to be homoplastic, scattered over the phylogenetic tree without showing a particular infrageneric relationship.     

Cyperaceae of tropical America some new or critical species II

Described as new areHypolytrum pallidiceps, a clearcut species from Guyana,Oreobolus ecuadorensis, an ally ofO. obtusangulus from Ecuador, andScleria millespicula of the sectionOphryoscleria from Brazilian Amazonia.Oreobolus venezuelensis andScleria sprucei are newly added to the floras of Colombia and Venezuela respectively. Part I. Jap. J. Bot.20(2): 123–134. 1969.     

Allozyme variation in relation to morphology and taxonomy inMedicago sect.Spirocarpos subsect.Intertextae (Fabaceae)

Medicago intertexta andM. ciliaris have been controversially recognized as separate species. The only reliable diagnostic character, gland-tipped trichomes on the fruits inM. ciliaris, is controlled by presence of a single dominant allele, and such one-character taxonomies are debatable. Contributing to the difficulty,M. muricoleptis andM. granadensis, the other two species ofMedicago sectionSpirocarpos subsectionIntertextae, are sometimes confusingly similar toM. intertexta or to each other. Allozyme differences provided 95% verification of the suitability of the gland-tipped trichome character for separatingM. intertexta andM. ciliaris, thus corroborating their recognition as separate taxa. Several measures of allozyme variation indicated thatM. intertexta is more polymorphic than its sister species. Heterozygosity was also highest inM. intertexta, suggestive of a higher outcrossing rate, which is also consistent with larger floral size. Heterozygosity ofM. intertexta was concentrated in Sicily and nearby countries. Taxonomic difficulties in identifying SicilianM. intertexta are well known, and may be the result of interspecific hybridization and introgression.Medicago muricoleptis differed from the above two species in the frequency of several alleles, whileM. granadensis possessed numerous unique alleles consistent with its complete absence of genetic exchange with the other three substantially interfertile species.     

Highly repeated DNA analysis and systematics of the Lemuridae,a family of Malagasy prosimians

Hybridization of highly repeated DNA sequences ofEulemur fulvus mayottensis, Lemur catta, andVarecia has been performed on blots of different species of Lemuridae (L. catta, Hapalemur griseus, Varecia variegata variegata, V. v. rubra, E. macaco macaco, E. coronatus, E. mongoz, andE. rubriventer). The probe ofE. fulvus only hybridized with the differentEulemur species, whereas that ofVarecia hybridized with the two subspecies ofVarecia and that ofL. catta with bothL. catta andHapalemur. These results were used to confirm the classification ofVarecia in a separate genus and to review the separation of theL. catta/Hapalemur group from the other species ofEulemur. Comparison of the migration patterns from DNA fragments of these different species has been used to propose a cladogram of the differentEulemur species.     

The PELPIII glycoproteins in Solanaceae: stylar expression and transfer into pollen tube walls

The class III pistil-specific extensin-like proteins (PELPIII) of Nicotiana tabacum accumulate in the intercellular matrix (IM) of the style transmitting tissue (TT). After pollination, the 110–140 kDa PELPIII is translocated from the IM into the pollen tube walls. PELPIII-like sequences have been found in several solanaceous species. These sequences are expressed in mature non-pollinated styles at both RNA and protein level. Of the genus Nicotiana, the species N. alata, N. x sanderae and N. sylvestris (section Alatae), and N. tomentosiformis and N. otophora (section Tomentosae) showed an expression level of PELPIII homologues similar to that in mature styles of N. tabacum. PELPIII genes were absent in the most ancient species studied, namely N. trigonophylla (section Trigonophyllae). To study the species dependence of the translocation of PELPIII into the pollen tube wall in tobacco, interspecific pollinations on N. tabacum pistils were carried out with pollen from the incongruous species N. rustica, N. trigonophylla and Petunia hybrida, where PELPIII homologues are absent in the style. Immunocytological tests showed that the N. tabacum PELPIII is translocated into the pollen tube walls of all three species. Thus, the pollen tube walls of these species do not form a barrier for IM compounds such as the 110–140 kDa PELPIII and the absence of any possible effect of PELPIII on pollen tube growth cannot be due to failure of PELPIII transport through the wall. The importance of these findings is discussed with respect to the evolutionary origin of PELPIII, the pollen pistil interaction, the function of style TT-specific proteins and the physical properties of pollen tube walls.     

Determination of ploidy level and nuclear DNA content in blueberry by flow cytometry

The technique of DNA flow cytometry was used to study variation in DNA content among different ploidy levels, as well as among diploid species, of Vaccinium section Cyanococcus. In a sample of plants of varying ploidy level, the relative fluorescence intensity (RFI) of nuclei stained with propidium iodide was a function of the number of chromosome sets (x), as represented by the linear equation RFI=3.7x-2.3 (r²=95%). The data indicated that DNA flow cytometry could be useful for the determination of ploidy level at the seedling stage in blueberry. They also suggest that conventional polyploid evolution has occurred in this section of the genus Vaccinium with an increase in nuclear DNA content concurrent with the increase in chromosome number. The nuclear DNA content of diploid species of Vaccinium section Cyanococcus was estimated from the relationship of the observed RFI to an internal known DNA standard (trout red blood cells). A nested analysis of variance indicated significant variation among species, as well as among populations within species, in nuclear DNA content, although this variation was small compared to the variation among ploidy levels. The variation in nuclear DNA content corresponded to the phylogenetic relationships among species determined from previous studies.     

Notes on new Agaricales of Japan 1

Three new species of Agaricales are described and illustrated from eastern Honshu, Japan:Collybia effusa sp. nov. (sectionLevipedes), forming a distinctly sulcate-striate pileus and distant lamellae, was found on dead twigs ofCryptomeria japonica andCallicarpa japonica; Collybia macrosperma sp. nov., forming cylindrical-fusoid, relatively large-sized basidiospores and whitish basidiomata densely covered with fine, soft hairs, was found on dead fallen twigs in aCarpinus andQuercus forest:Marasmiellus, gregarius sp. nov (subsectionRamealini of sectionRameales), forming small, pale colored pilei and diverticulate cheilocystidia, was found on dead twigs ofHydrangea involucrata andTrachelospermum asiaticum.     

Two new species of Haplopappus (Astereae, Asteraceae) from Mendoza, Argentina

A review of the Argentinean specimens ofHaplopappus Cass. has revealed two new species from Mendoza province, both of the sectionHaplopappus:H. boelkei, unique by its caespitose habit and long petiolate leaves, andH. mendocinus, related toH. macrocephalus (Less.) DC.,H. ochagavianus Phil. andH. tiltilensis Phil.     

Seed protein electrophoresis in sectionFoenum-graecum ofTrigonella (Fabaceae)

The seed proteins ofTrigonella foenum-graecum, T. berythaea, T. macrorrhyncha andT. gladiata were fractionated on polyacrylamide gels in anodic and cathodic systems. Similarity indices between the profiles of any two species indicated close affinity betweenT. gladiata andT. macrorrhyncha and betweenT. foenum-graecum andT. berythaea. It has been pointed out that according to morphological resemblance and similarity index of the seed protein profileT. berythaea is closer to the cultigen than any other species of sectionFoenum-graecum, but these two species are strongly isolated from one another by the albino seedlings of their F₁ hybrids.