<Emphasis Type="Italic">Strobilanthes pothigaiensis</Emphasis> (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Acanthaceae</Emphasis>) — a new species from southern Western Ghats,India

Summary   Strobilanthes pothigaiensis, a new species of Strobilanthes (Acanthaceae) allied to S. foliosus T. Anderson from southern Western Ghats, India, is described and illustrated.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Dimeria jayachandranii</Emphasis> (Poaceae), a new species from the Western Ghats,India

Summary  A new grass, Dimeria jayachandranii Arisdason & P. Daniel is described and illustrated from the Anamalais Hills on the Western Ghats of Tamil Nadu.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Eriocaulon belgaumensis</Emphasis>: a new species of Eriocaulaceae from the Western Ghats of India

A new species of Eriocaulon, E. belgaumensis (Eriocaulaceae) is described and illustrated from the Western Ghats, India.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Utricularia rostrata</Emphasis> (Lentibulariaceae), a new species from the Chapada Diamantina,Brazil

Summary   Utricularia rostrata A. Fleischm. & Rivadavia (Lentibulariaceae) is described from the Chapada Diamantina highlands in Bahia state, north-eastern Brazil. The morphological characteristics which distinguish this new species are discussed, together with its distribution and ecology.     

Two new species of Cololejeunea (Spruce) Schiffn. from Western Ghats,India

Introduction. During a recent floristic survey of liverworts from Western Ghats, India, two interesting liverworts of genus Cololejeunea were collected from forests in Mahabaleshwar in the state of Maharashtra.

Methods. After critical investigation, they have been described as new to science and both species, C. ghatensis G.Asthana & A.Srivastava sp. nov. and C. mehrana G.Asthana & A.Srivastava sp. nov. are illustrated and described here.

Key results. Cololejeunea ghatensis is an epiphyllous species growing on angiosperm leaves and has been collected near Chinaman Waterfall, Robbers Cave, Connaught Peak and Polo Ground area. Cololejeunea mehrana has been collected near Monkey point and the latter has an interesting habitat as it was found growing on moss leaves. Cololejeunea ghatensis is monoicous and C. mehrana is dioicous.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Psychotria kupensis</Emphasis> (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Rubiaceae</Emphasis>) a new dwarf,litter-gathering species from western Cameroon

Summary   Psychotria kupensis Cheek is described as a new species in Psychotria sect. Confertiflorae Hiern. Attention is drawn to its monopodial, dwarf, litter-gathering and adventitious root-forming habit and to its anomalous stipules. The species appears to be endemic to the submontane evergeen forest of Mt Kupe in Cameroon. Its conservation status is assessed.     

A new species of the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Synema Simon</Emphasis>, 1864 (Araneae: Thomisidae) from Turkey

Synema anatolica sp. n. (Araneae: Thomisidae) is described based on both sexes from Turkey. Differences between the new species and related species are discussed.     

A review of the tribe Phanerotomini (Hymenoptera,Braconidae, Cheloninae) in Turkey,with a new host record for <Emphasis Type="Italic">Phanerotoma</Emphasis> (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Bracotritoma</Emphasis>) <Emphasis Type="Italic">permixtellae</Emphasis>

In this study, the Phanerotomini of Turkey collected between July 1959 and July 2004, are listed. A total of thirteen Phanerotomini species were determined, and six of these are reported for the first time from Turkey. Phanerotoma (Bracotritoma) permixtellae Fischer, 1968 was reared from a new natural host Recurvaria pistaciicola (Danilevskii, 1955) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae). With this present study an illustrated identification key for the Phanerotomini of Turkey is given. The distribution of the Phanerotomini species is discussed according to the phytogeographical provinces of Turkey.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Caragana aliensis</Emphasis>, a new species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Caragana</Emphasis> (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Leguminosae</Emphasis>) from Tibet,China

Summary   Caragana aliensis a new species from Tibet, China, is described and illustrated.     

The seasonal occurrence of endophytic fungus, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Mycosphaerella buna</Emphasis>, in Japanese beech, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Fagus crenata</Emphasis>

The seasonal occurrence of Mycosphaerella buna in leaves and contiguous organs of Fagus crenata was studied in a Japanese beech forest, Ibaraki, Japan, in 1998 and 1999. Mycosphaerella buna was not isolated from newly developed leaves in May, but it was isolated from asymptomatic leaves after June. The frequency of its occurrence gradually increased until leaffall. In contrast, M. buna was not isolated from overwintered buds, leaf petioles, or contiguous current-year twigs. The spermogonia and pseudothecia were observed in dead leaves after leaffall. The mature pseudothecia were found on dead leaves from May to July. The ascospores produced in the pseudothecia were suggested to infect newly developed leaves.Contribution no. 173, Laboratory of Plant Parasitic Mycology, Institute of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Tsukuba, Japan     

A new name in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pavetta</Emphasis> L. (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Rubiaceae</Emphasis>)

Summary  The name Pavetta modesta (Hiern) S. E. Dawson is a later homonym of P. modesta Bremek. Pavetta crystalensis is proposed as a new name.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">In vitro</Emphasis> propagation of ten threatened species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Mammillaria</Emphasis> (Cactaceae)

Mammillaria species are the most numerous within Cactaceae family, and some of them are threatened with extinction as a result of human activities. In this work, results of in vitro propagation are presented for ten Mammillaria species, testing 20 combinations of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and kinetin. Best results on shoot formation were obtained using kinetin at two levels: 27.9 and 46.5 μM. All IAA levels tested were able to induce de novo shoot formation in M. bocasana, M. densispina, M. hahniana, M. hutchisoniana, M. orcutii, M. pectinifera, M. perbella, M. picta, M. rhodantha, and M. zephyranthoides. Depending on the IAA level tested, four responding groups were observed concerning their highest shoot-formation number. For all species, the highest average of shoot formation was achieved with 5.7:46.5 or 11.4:46.5 μM IAA/kinetin, yielding 4.8 and 4.7 shoots per explant, respectively, in 60 d. Rooting of regenerated shoots was achieved by leaving the explants in their shoot-induction medium or transferring them to half-strength MS medium. Hardening of regenerated plants was successfully achieved by planting them in peat moss substrate after a desiccation treatment at room temperature for 3 d.     

In vitro propagation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Helleborus</Emphasis> species

A general in vitro cloning system was established for four Helleborus species: H. argutifolius, H. foetidus, H. niger and H. orientalis. The plant material was introduced in vitro from axillary buds. A Murashige and Skoog (MS)—based medium (Murashige and Skoog 1962) was used supplemented with 2% (w/v) sucrose, 2-isopentenyladenine (2-iP) and 6-benzylaminopurine (BA). Multiplication rates depended on the genotype and varied from 1.3 for H. foetidus till 3.8 for H. niger. The first results showed that the rooting phase could be done ex vitro. Rooting was induced by a drench for one week in a solution of indole-3-butyric acid (IBA -3 mg l⁻¹) and 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA-1 mg l⁻¹) at 5°C.     

Decolourisation and dephenolisation potential of selected <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aspergillus</Emphasis> section <Emphasis Type="Italic">Nigri</Emphasis> strains – <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aspergillus tubingensis</Emphasis> in olive mill wastewater

Aspergillus section Nigri strains Aspergillus aculeatus Ege-K 258, A. foeditus var. pallidus Ege-K156, A. niger Ege-K 4 and A. tubingensis Ege-K 265 were used to treat olive mill wastewater (OMW) in an investigation aimed at exploring their dephenolisation and decolourisation ability and, consequently, the economic feasibility of using any or all of these strains in a pre-treatment step in the processing of OMW. Of these strains A. tubingensis Ege-K 265 resulted in an 80% decolourisation of twofold-diluted OMW and a 30% decolourisation of undiluted OMW; in addition, it was able to remove approximately 30% of all phenolic compounds in both twofold-diluted and undiluted OMW. We conclude that A. tubingensis Ege-K 265 could be effectively used in the pre-treatment step of a combined aerobic-anaerobic process to solve the environmental problems caused by OMW in Mediterranean countries.     

A new species of the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chelonus</Emphasis> Panzer, 1806 (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Cheloninae) from Western Anatolia (Turkey)

A new species of the genus Chelonus Panzer, 1806, C. beyarslani sp. n., is described and illustrated from Western Anatolia (Turkey). It is morphologically similar to Chelonus oculator (F., 1775), from which it differs mainly in the characteristics of antennomeres, first flagellomere, propodeum, propodeal tubercle and mesosoma.     

Isolation of a <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ve</Emphasis> homolog, <Emphasis Type="Italic">mVe1</Emphasis>, and its relationship to verticillium wilt resistance in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Mentha longifolia</Emphasis> (L.) Huds

As a step toward greater understanding of the genetics of verticillium wilt resistance in plants, we report the sequencing of a candidate wilt resistance gene, mVe1, from the mint diploid model species, Mentha longifolia (Lamiaceae). mVe1 is a putative homolog of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) verticillium wilt (Ve) resistance genes. The mVe1 gene has a coding region of 3,051 bp. The predicted mVe1 protein contains a leucine-rich repeat domain, a common feature of plant disease resistance proteins. We compared 13 mVe1 alleles from three mint species. These alleles shared 96.2–99.6% nucleotide identity. We analyzed four M. longifolia populations segregating with respect to mVe1 alleles and wilt resistance versus susceptibility and found one association between mVe1 genotype and wilt phenotype. We conclude that mVe1 may play a role in mint verticillium wilt resistance, but variation for resistance in our segregating progenies is likely polygenic. Therefore, further investigations of mVe1 and identification of additional candidate genes are both warranted.