Two new species of the genusMenziesia from Japan

Two species ofMenziesia, M. katsumatae andM. yakushimensis, are described as new to science. The former is characterized by having a long axis of the inflorescence with 15–20 bracts while the other species has a short axis with about ten bracts.M. katsumatae is restricted to the Hakusan range extending northward to Mt. Hōdatsuzan in the Noto Peninsula.M. yakushimensis has been considered asM. purpurea Maxim. in Kyūshū, but it is clearly distinguishable from the latter by the color and shape of the corolla and the presence of fasciculate glandular-hairs at the base of the corolla lobes. It is endemic to the higher altitudes of Yaku-shima Island, Kagoshima Prefecture.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Ceropegia bhatii</Emphasis>, a new species of Apocynaceae: Ceropegieae from Karnataka,India

Ceropegia bhatii S. R. Yadav & Shendage, discovered from Malebennur Ghat in Davangere district of Karnataka State is described and illustrated. It is similar to Ceropegia noorjahaniae M. A. Ansari but is distinct in its twining habit, two-flowered cyme, slightly inflated corolla tube and corolla lobe margins that are not recurved.     

Boeica konchurangensis sp. nov. (Gesneriaceae) from Gia Lai plateau,Vietnam

Boeica konchurangensis B.H.Quang, D.V.Hai & Mich.Möller, a new species of Gesneriaceae from the Gia Lai Province of Vietnam is described, illustrated, and colour photographs of the species are provided. This new species has an almost actinomorphic corolla and shows morphological similarities with B. porosa, but differs from it by a shorter peduncle, a near‐actinomorphic purple corolla with a distinctly broad campanulate tube and a shorter capsule.     

Rungia sinothailandica sp. nov. (Acanthaceae) from China and Thailand

Rungia sinothailandica (Acanthaceae), a new species from Yunnan, China and Chiang Rai, Thailand is described and illustrated. A colour plate, line drawing and distribution map of R. sinothailandica are provided. Rungia sinothailandica is similar to R. pinpienensis H. S. Lo, but differs in the broadly ovate sterile bracts and obovate‐elliptic fertile bracts, the crispate and tawny bracts margin, the 2‐lobed upper lip of the corolla and puberulent capsule. It is also similar to R. burmanica (C. B. Clarke) B. Hansen, but is easily distinguished by pubescent stems and leaves, the cymbiform‐oblong bracteoles and the 2‐lobed upper lip of corolla.     

Microula pentagona sp. nov. and M. galactantha sp. nov. (Boraginaceae) from the eastern Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau

Microula pentagona W. T. Yu, S. T. Chen & Z. K. Zhou sp. nov. and M. galactantha W. T. Yu, S. T. Chen & Z. K. Zhou sp. nov. (Boraginaceae) from the eastern Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau are described and illustrated. Microula pentagona is characterized by the pentagonal dark purple pubescent corolla throat, whereas M. galactantha is distinct by its white flowers and a nutlet attachment near the apex. The diagnostic features of the two new species are compared with other species of the genus.     

Salvia petrophila sp. nov. (Lamiaceae) from north Guangxi and south Guizhou,China

Salvia petrophila G. X. Hu, E. D. Liu & Yan Liu, a new species from the Chinese provinces of north Guangxi and south Guizhou, is described and illustrated. The new species is similar to S. miltiorrhiza, but can easily be distinguished by its shorter, unbranched stem, subsucculent simple leaf, longer pedicel and corolla tube, oblong‐entire middle lobe of lower corolla lip and larger oblate pollen. It is included in S. sect. Drymosphace on the basis of its falcate‐compressed upper corolla lip and connivent posterior connectives. Trichome and pollen micromorphology of the new species and similar species are described and compared. Additionally, assessment of the conservation status, current geographical distribution and notes on ecology of the new species are given.     

Contribution to the taxonomy and phylogeny of Sarcocapnos DC. (Fumariaceae)

 To solve problems concerning the status of the taxa described in the genus Sarcocapnos, we have conducted a study using morphological, pollen morphology (light microscopy), cytogenetic and molecular techniques. Focusing on the last technique, we have sequenced ITS-1 and ITS-2 of nuclear rDNA. The species differ basically according to 5 morphological traits (leaf shape, flower spur, corolla colour, corolla size, and crest of the stigmatic surface). The cytogenetic analyses indicated n=16 to be the standard chromosome number. The ITS analyses showed that the genus is monophyletic, defining two main well-supported clades, one containing S. saetabensis and S. enneaphylla, and one containing the rest of the species. In this second clade, S. speciosa, S. pulcherrima, and S. baetica subsp. ardalii are related, as are S. integrifolia, S. crassifolia subsp. crassifolia, and S. crassifolia subsp. atlantis; S. baetica subsp. baetica forms a trichotomy with the foregoing groups. S. speciosa is shown to be a species separate from S. crassifolia subsp. crassifolia, as in the case of S. baetica with respect to S. integrifolia. Palynologically, the parameters used enabled us to establish clear differences between the taxa, often corroborating the macromorphological and genetic data. The flower spur has been reduced several times in different groups of the genus, for which the classifications established on the basis of this trait are paraphyletic. Received July 16, 2002; accepted December 11, 2002 Published online: March 31, 2003     

Didymocarpus dissectus sp. nov. (Gesneriaceae) from Fujian,eastern China

A new species of Gesneriaceae, Didymocarpus dissectus Fang Wen, Y. L. Qiu & Y. G. Wei, from Fujian province, China, is described and illustrated. It is similar to D. heucherifolius in flower shape, but can be easily distinguished by leaf blade shape, split extent of calyx and equal calyx lobes, indumentum of corolla and number of staminodes.     

Stimpsonia nanlingensis sp. nov. (Primulaceae) from Guangdong,China

A new species of Stimpsonia (Primulaceae), S. nanlingensis G.H. Huang & G. Hao, from Guangdong, China, is described and illustrated as the second species in the genus. In general morphology it resembles S. chamaedryoides but can be distinguished by its foliose bracts and a corolla with a shorter tube and shorter truncate or obtuse lobes.     

Lindernia kinmenensis sp. nov. (Scrophulariaceae) from Kinmen (Taiwan)

Lindernia kinmenensis Y. S. Liang, C. H. Chen, & C. L. Tasi sp. nov. from Kinmen (Taiwan) is described. The new species belongs to section Torenioides and is most similar to L. crustacea. It differs from the latter by the following characters: calyx pubescent between the ridges (vs pubescent on ridges), with (2)3(4) bristles on the ridge near the apex of the calyx‐lobes (vs without such bristles), corolla shorter, 6–8 mm long (vs 7–11 mm long) and pale purple (vs purple or blue), posterior theca with obtuse (vs acute) apex. This species is usually found in sandy wetlands. A line drawing, colour photos and SEM micrographs of pollen and seed as aids for identification are provided.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Sinningia lutea</Emphasis> (Gesneriaceae), a new species from Southern Brazil

Sinningia lutea (Gesneriaceae) is described and illustrated as a new species from the Pampa Biome, in Southern Brazil. In the literature, this species has hitherto been confused with S. allagophylla from which it can be easily separated using a set of floral and vegetative features (especially corolla color and size and leaf shape). An artificial key to separate S. lutea from S. allagophylla and S. curtiflora (another sympatric species, with some morphological similarities) is presented. Some ecological remarks on the differential distribution of S. lutea and S. allagophylla are also made.     

Chiritopsis danxiaensis sp. nov. (Gesneriaceae) from Mount Danxiashan,south China

A new species of Chiritopsis (Gesneriaceae), C. danxiaensis W. B. Liao, S. S. Lin & R. J. Shen, is described and illustrated from Mount Danxiashan, Guangdong Province, China. The new species is morphologically closely related to C. lobulata and C. cordifolia, but is characterized by having denticulate bracts, yellowish corolla, 2 glabrous staminodes and longer style. A revised key to all species of the genus is also provided.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Strychnos jacarepiensis</Emphasis>, a new species of Loganiaceae from Brazil

Strychnos jacarepiensis E. A. Manoel & E. F. Guim. is described and illustrated as a new species from Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. It differs from S. gardneri by the terminal inflorescence and shorter corolla tube, and from S. brasiliensis by the connate and amplexicaul interpetiolar stipule, velutinous calyx lobes, villous filaments and discoid seeds.     

广西石灰岩地区苦苣苔科植物一新种——北流报春苣苔

报道了广西石灰岩地区苦苣苔科报春苣苔属(Primulina Hance)1新种——北流报春苣苔(P. beiliuensis B. Pan & S. X. Huang)。该新种在形态上与黄花牛耳朵[P. lutea(Yan Liu & Y. G. Wei)Mich. Möller & A. Weber]较近,但叶宽卵形,叶基部近心形,叶缘具浅钝齿或呈浅波状齿,花冠紫色,花冠、花序梗、花梗、苞片及花萼均被紫色短柔毛而区别与后者; 分子生物学证据表明,在系统发育上与桂林小花苣苔[P. repanda var. guilinensis(W. T. Wang)Mich. Möller & A. Weber]近缘,但两者在形态学上相差较远。     

Primulina moi sp. nov. (Gesneriaceae) from a limestone area in northern Guangdong,China

A new species of Primulina, P. moi, from Guangdong, China, is described and illustrated. It is similar to P. lijiangensis in leaf shape, but can be distinguished by several characters, such as base of corolla tube constricted, lobes of adaxial lip ovate, abaxial lip 3‐lobed from base, lobes elliptic or oblong elliptic with cuspidate apex, yellow corolla and filaments, two non‐adhesive anthers when corolla is open, adnate only before anthesis and 2 stamnoides.     

Taxonomic and evolutionary implications of the Endosperm Balance Number hypothesis in potatoes

Summary The Endosperm Balance Number (EBN) hypothesis can explain to a considerable degree the crossability between tuber-bearing Solanum species. It has been shown to be genetically controlled and is dosage dependent. There is a good correlation between EBN and the postulated evolution and present taxonomy of potatoes. The primitive white stellate-flowered species from Mexico are 1EBN, and this condition is also found in species from South America with flowers of the same colour and shape. The evolution of a rotate corolla seems to be correlated with 2EBN. It is postulated that the 2EBN state arose as a reproductive isolating mechanism in South America. The taxonomic and evolutionary implications of the EBN hypothesis are discussed.