<Emphasis Type="Italic">Fusarium matuoi</Emphasis> sp. nov. and its teleomorph <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cosmospora matuoi</Emphasis> sp. nov.

A group of Fusarium isolates from slime flux similar to F. aquaeductuum produced unique, strongly curved, aseptate, C-shaped conidia. They were found to be identical to F. splendens nom. nud. Dried specimens from which F. splendens was originally isolated were reexamined and characterized as a new species of Cosmospora. Cosmospora matuoi sp. nov. is proposed for the teleomorph, and Fusarium matuoi sp. nov. is proposed for its anamorph.     

A revision of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Anisochilus</Emphasis> Wall. ex Benth. (Lamiaceae)

Summary  Sixteen species of Anisochilus are reviewed. Full synonymy, information about types, distributions, and a key to species are given. The type of the little known A. adenanthus Dalzell has been found and the widely used A. verticillatus is a synonym. A. sericeus and A. dysophylloides var. purpureus are synonyms of A. dysophylloides. A. henryi, a recently published name is a synonym of A. robustus. Nine names are lectotypified. The genus occurs in South Asia, from the East Himalaya, North Thailand, and South China in the North to Sri Lanka and Peninsular Thailand in the South.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Septobasidium parviflorae</Emphasis> sp. nov. on <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pinus parviflora</Emphasis> from Japan

Septobasidium parviflorae sp. nov. on Pinus parviflora is described and illustrated. This species is characterized by its whitish-gray, gray to dark gray-colored fungus body with an indeterminate margin, hyphal strands, and cylindrical basidia with long sterigmata. This is the first report of Septobasidium occurring on a member of the genus Pinus in Japan.     

A phylogenetic analysis of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Leucothoe</Emphasis> s.l. (Ericaceae; tribe Gaultherieae) based on phenotypic characters

Phylogenetic relationships within the genus Leucothoe s.l. (including all eight species) and related taxa of the Gaultherieae, Andromedeae, and Vaccinieae were investigated by a cladistic analysis based on phenotypic (external morphology, anatomy, chromosome number, and secondary chemistry) characters. The parsimony analysis resulted in two most parsimonious trees, both very similar, which show Leucothoe s.l. to be polyphyletic, with its species distributed among three distinct clades. Our results indicate that L. racemosa and L. recurva form a strongly supported clade, which is sister to Chamaedaphne calyculata, and these three species are probably the sister-group of the wintergreen clade (consisting of Gaultheria and Diplycosia). Leucothoe axillaris, L. fontanesiana, L. davisiae, L. griffithiana, and L. keiskei, consistently form a monophyletic group corresponding to Leucothoe s.s., which is probably sister to the remaining members of the tribe Gaultherieae. Leucothoe grayana, the final species traditionally placed in the genus, belongs to neither of these clades and may be sister to Andromeda. Phenotypic characters provide no support for the monophyly of Leucothoe, instead suggesting that it is polyphyletic, in agreement with preliminary DNA-based analyses. Thus, we redefine the genus Leucothoe, placing its species into three genera: 1) Eubotrys (the E. racemosa + E. recurva clade), 2) Leucothoe s.s. (the L. axillaris + L. fontanesiana + L. davisiae + L. griffithiana + L. keiskei clade), and 3) Eubotryoides (containing only E. grayana).     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Strobilomyces verruculosus</Emphasis> sp. nov. from Japan

A new species, Strobilomyces verruculosus, is described and illustrated. It is morphologically distinct from other species of Strobilomyces by having a verruculose pileus with small subpyramidal scales, a long and thick stipe with small warty to appressed scales, subdecurrent tubes, and incompletely reticulate basidiospores. Molecular phylogenetic analyses using the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit 3 (cox3) gene support that it belongs to the genus Strobilomyces and is highly differentiated from the other members of this genus found in 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">Tubulideres seminoli</Emphasis> gen. et sp. nov. and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Zelinkaderes brightae</Emphasis> sp. nov. (Kinorhyncha,Cyclorhagida) from Florida

One new kinorhynch genus and species and one new species from the genus Zelinkaderes are described from sandy sediment off Fort Pierce, Florida. The new genus and species, Tubulideres seminoli gen. et sp. nov. is characterized by the presence of the first trunk segment consisting of a closed ring, the second segment of a bent tergal plate with a midventral articulation and the following nine segments consisting of a tergal and two sternal plates. Cuspidate spines are not present, but flexible tubules are located on several segments, and in particular concentrated on the ventral side of the second segment. Middorsal spines are present on all trunk segments and are alternatingly offset to a position slightly lateral to the middorsal line. Zelinkaderes brightae nov. sp. is characterized by its spine formula in having middorsal spines on trunk segments 4, 6 and 8–11, lateroventral acicular spines on segment 2, lateral accessory cuspidate spines on segments 2 and 8, ventrolateral cuspidate spines on segments 4–6 and 9, lateroventral acicular spines present on segments 8 and 9, and midterminal, lateral terminal and lateral terminal accessory spines on segment 11. The spine formula of Z. brightae nov. sp. places it in a position in between Z. submersus and a clade consisting of Z. klepali and Z. floridensis. The new findings on Z. brightae nov. sp. have led us to propose an emended diagnosis for the genus.     

Characterization of <Emphasis Type="Italic">twist</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">snail</Emphasis> gene expression during mesoderm and nervous system development in the polychaete annelid <Emphasis Type="Italic">Capitella</Emphasis> sp. I

To investigate the evolutionary history of mesoderm in the bilaterian lineage, we are studying mesoderm development in the polychaete annelid, Capitella sp. I, a representative lophotrochozoan. In this study, we focus on the Twist and Snail families as candidate mesodermal patterning genes and report the isolation and in situ expression patterns of two twist homologs (CapI-twt1 and CapI-twt2) and two snail homologs (CapI-sna1 and CapI-sna2) in Capitella sp. I. CapI-twt1 is expressed in a subset of mesoderm derivatives during larval development, while CapI-twt2 shows more general mesoderm expression at the same stages. Neither twist gene is detected before the completion of gastrulation. The two snail genes have very distinct expression patterns. At cleavage and early gastrula stages, CapI-sna1 is broadly expressed in precursors of all three germ layers and becomes restricted to cells around the closing blastopore during late gastrulation; CapI-sna2 expression is not detected at these stages. After gastrulation, both snail genes are expressed in the developing central nervous system (CNS) at stages when neural precursor cells are internalized, and CapI-sna1 is also expressed laterally within the segmental mesoderm. Based on the expression patterns in this study, we suggest a putative function for Capitella sp. I twist genes in mesoderm differentiation and for snail genes in regulating CNS development and general cell migration during gastrulation. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Electrofusion of protoplasts from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Solanum tuberosum</Emphasis>, <Emphasis Type="Italic">S. bulbocastanum</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">S. pinnatisectum</Emphasis>

This paper discusses a number of experiments performed, involving the fusion by an electric field of mesophyll protoplasts from Solanum tuberosum cv. Bintje, S. tuberosum dihaploid clones 243, 299 and the wild tuberous disease-resistant species S. bulbocastanum and S. pinnatisectum. Three fusion experiments (S. bulbocastanum + S. tuberosum dihaploid 243, S. pinnatisectum + S. tuberosum cv. Bintje and S. pinnatisectum + S. tuberosum dihaploid 299) yielded 542 calli, the 52 ones of which produced shoots. Obtained regenerants were estimated by the flow-cytometry (FC) and RAPD analysis to determine hybrid plants.The utilisation of the FC as a useful method for detecting somatic hybrids is also discussed in this paper. The combination S. bulbocastanum + S. tuberosum dihaploid 243 led to the creation of eight somatic hybrids, the combination S. pinnatisectum + S. tuberosum cv. Bintje yielded four somatic hybrids and the combination S. pinnatisectum + S. tuberosum dihaploid 299 resulted in no hybrid regenerants. Morphology in vitro, growth vigour and production of tuber-like structures were evaluated in hybrid plants. Plants were transferred in vivo for further estimation (acclimatization, habitus evaluation and tuberization ability).     

Taxonomic position of a Chinese <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pleurotus</Emphasis> “Bai-Ling-Gu”: it belongs to <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pleurotus eryngii</Emphasis> (DC.: Fr.) Quél. and evolved independently in China

The Chinese Bai-Ling-Gu is a mushroom named Pleurotus eryngii var. tuoliensis C.J. Mou. This species has been identified as P. nebrodensis or P. eryngii var. nebrodensis. We examined its taxonomic position by analysis of mating, cultivation, and rDNA sequences, and concluded as follows. (1) Bai-Ling-Gu mated with P. eryngii var. eryngii, and the F₁ and F₂ formed fruit bodies. (2) Bai-Ling-Gu mated with P. eryngii var. ferulae, and the F₁ formed fruit bodies. (3) In the di-mon mating test, P. eryngii var. nebrodensis from Sicily mated with monokaryons of P. eryngii var. eryngii but mated hardly at all with those of Bai-Ling-Gu and P. eryngii var. ferulae. The di-mon mating pattern of Bai-Ling-Gu resembled those of P. eryngii var. ferulae. (4) The partial sequences of rDNA ITS1 and IGS1 from the epitype of P. nebrodensis were identical with those from P. eryngii var. nebrodensis from Sicily but differed from those from Bai-Ling-Gu. (5) The strains of P. eryngii var. eryngii and P. eryngii var. ferulae were in a group, the strains of P. eryngii var. nebrodensis from Sicily were in another group, and the strains of Bai-Ling-Gu were in the other group in both the phylogenetic trees based on the ITS1 and the IGS1 sequences. These results led to the conclusion that Bai-Ling-Gu is a variety of P. eryngii and evolved independently in China. It is satisfactory to identify Bai-Ling-Gu with P. eryngii var. tuoliensis C.J. Mou.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Colletotrichum gloeosporioides</Emphasis> can Overgrow <Emphasis Type="Italic">Colletotrichum kahawae</Emphasis> on Green Coffee Berries First Inoculated with <Emphasis Type="Italic">C. kahawae</Emphasis>

Colletotrichum gloeosporioides is a weak pathogen of coffee that infects ripe berries at dark red stage causing necrotic lesions, but only penetrates up to the second superficial layers of the pericarp at the rose and pink stages. C. kahawae, the causal agent of coffee berry disease (CBD) and responsible for 70–80% of crop loss, infects berries at any stage of development. When green berries are first inoculated with C. kahawae and then at 2, 72 or 96 h later with C. gloeosporioides, the necrotic lesions were significantly larger than in the controls, and were much more evident when the berries were incubated at the optimum growth temperature of 28 °C for C. gloeosporioides. Isolations from the lesions induced by the first inoculations with C. kahawae followed by inoculation with C. gloeosporioides revealed that all or most of the time the recovered isolates of the latter. Thus, C. gloeosporioides can overwhelm C. kahawae under conditions of higher environmental temperature and humidity and may enhance the CBD infection process under field conditions.     

Revised treatment of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Memecylon</Emphasis> sect. <Emphasis Type="Italic">Afzeliana</Emphasis> (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Melastomataceae: Olisbeoideae</Emphasis>), including three new species from Cameroon

Summary  Seven new names at species rank are proposed in Memecylon sect. Afzeliana Jacq.-Fél., a group of forest shrubs and small trees confined to Guineo-Congolian Africa. The group is centred in Cameroon, where 17 of the 20 species occur. A new flower type, the “star-flower” in Memecylon is revealed, and its taxonomic and ecological importance discussed. Three new, locally endemic species from the South West Province of Cameroon are described, mapped and illustrated: M. kupeanum R. D. Stone, Ghogue & Cheek, M. bakossiense R. D. Stone, Ghogue & Cheek, and M. rheophyticum R. D. Stone, Ghogue & Cheek. Two new names, M. accedens R. D. Stone, Ghogue & Cheek and M. hyleastrum R. D. Stone & Ghogue and one new combination, M. mamfeanum (Jacq.-Fél.) R. D. Stone, Ghogue & Cheek are provided at species level for three taxa originally proposed as varieties of M. afzelii G. Don. The taxon M. arcuatomarginatum var. simulans Jacq.-Fél. is also elevated to species status, as M. simulans (Jacq.-Fél.) R. D. Stone & Ghogue. Conservation assessments are provided for all the newly named taxa. A key is provided to the species of Memecylon sect. Afzeliana.     

Detection of the key enzyme of alginate biosynthesis in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Vibrio</Emphasis> sp. QY102

Alginate is an important component of biofilms of many pathogens, but its presence in Vibrio has not been reported. The GDP-mannose dehydrogenase gene (algD), which is the kinetic control point in alginate biosynthesis, was cloned for the first time from Vibrio species using degenerated PCR and inverse PCR. Sequence analysis showed that algD was also localized in an alginate biosynthesis cluster, as it is in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In addition, the existence of mannuronic acid, a component of alginate, was supported by the NMR spectrum of Vibrio sp. QY102 exopolysaccharide.     

Parasitic microfungi of the Tatra Mountains. 3. <Emphasis Type="Italic">Spermosporina gymnadeniae</Emphasis> (Hyphomycetes): species new to Slovakia and new records from Poland

Spermosporina gymnadeniae (Hyphomycetes) on Gymnadenia sp. (Orchidaceae) collected in the Polish part of the Tatra Mts was described in 2003. The fungus was recently found at new localities in Poland and Slovakia. It was recorded on Gymnadenia conopsea s.l. and Dactylorhiza fuchsii, which are new hosts of this parasite. The fungus is described and additional illustrations are provided.     

Expansion of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Phragmites australis</Emphasis> (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud. (Common Reed) into <Emphasis Type="Italic">Typha</Emphasis> spp. (Cattail) Wetlands in Northwestern Indiana,USA

Expansion of Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud. (common reed) into stands of Typha spp. (cattail; Typha australis L. and T. x glauca) is common in the wetlands of northwestern Indiana (USA). To understand this phenomenon better, we investigated the production of shoot sprouts and proportional allocation of biomass as well as a potential role for the water table in the relative dominance of each species. The reduction in sprouts from rhizomes upon vegetative expansion of Phragmites appeared to be the most likely process causing the decline of Typha. The latter had a shoot density of 39/m² in plots without Phragmites, but this dropped to 13 shoots m⁻² in plots that had been invaded by Phramites. Such a decline was likely caused by reduced reserves; e.g., the belowground biomass of Typha decreased from 11.3 g m⁻² without Phragmites to 8.1 g m⁻² with Phragmites. The latter also reduced its belowground biomass but not its shoot density in the presence of Typha. The mean weight of Phragmites shoots was 2.9 g, and nearly all produced inflorescences. Meanwhile, Typha failed to develop spadices despite its shoots having a greater biomass (7 g). This suggests that Phragmites is more efficient than Typha in shoot growth. Springtime flooding appeared to promote the sprout of Typha shoots from shallow rhizomes (≈18 cm below the soil surface), whereas the shoot density of Phragmites showed no correlation with water level in that season. Deep-rooted Phragmites (≈39 cm) occurred on both high and low water-table sites, whereas the shallow-rooted Typha was limited to only the former. Phragmites will likely continue its expansion, by vegetative sprouts from rhizomes, into Typha wetlands.     

Overexpression of <Emphasis Type="Italic">WUSCHEL</Emphasis> in <Emphasis Type="Italic">C. chinense</Emphasis> causes ectopic morphogenesis

Capsicum chinense is a recalcitrant species for in vitro morphogenesis, and up to date there is no efficient system for genetic transformation and regeneration of this species via somatic embryogenesis. Here, we carried out an in vitro transformation of C. chinense via Agrobacterium tumefaciens co-cultivation with a system that expresses the heterologous gene WUSCHEL from Arabidopsis thaliana. WUSCHEL has been shown to promote the transition from vegetative to embryogenic state when overexpressed. We tested if the expression of WUSCHEL in C. chinense would promote an embryogenic response in this species. After 15 days of induction, the segments of transformed stems begun to form globular structures, suggesting that heterologus WUSCHEL was active and involved in the process of morphogenesis.     

Evaluation of the anti-<Emphasis Type="Italic">Fusarium oxysporum</Emphasis> f. sp <Emphasis Type="Italic">cicer</Emphasis> and anti-<Emphasis Type="Italic">Alternaria porri</Emphasis> effects of some essential oils

The anti-Fusarium oxysporum f. sp cicer (FOC) and anti-Alternaria porri (A. porri) effects were evaluated for 75 different essential oils. The most active essential oils found were those of lemongrass, clove, cinnamon bark, cinnamon leaf, cassia, fennel, basil and evening primrose. However, the effectiveness of these essential oils with both the tested fungi showed different responses. The level of inhibition was compared with Hexaconazole. GC–MS analysis for five oils amongst the 75 essential oils tested was performed. The potential of these essential oils as an ecofriendly and economic approach as a fungicide for FOC and A. porri is discussed.