Pflanzenvergesellschaftungen mit Riccia-Arten in Südwestafrika (Namibia)

Three associations of the Nanocyperion teneriffae Lebrun 1947 (Sporoboletalia festivi Lebrun 1947) are described. They are physiognomically and ecologically similar to associations of the Mediterranean Isoeto-Nanojuncetea Br.-Bl. et Tx. 1943 and Helianthemetalia guttati Br.-Bl. 1940. They are rich in very specialized therophytes and resurrection plants.

Meinem Lehrer H. Walter, Stuttgart gewidmet.     

Molecular phylogeny of Amoebozoa and the evolutionary significance of the unikont Phalansterium

The taxonomic position of the uniciliate, unicentriolar zooflagellate Phalansterium is problematic; its distinctive ultrastructure with a pericentriolar microtubular cone placed it in its own order and suggested phenotypic closeness to the eukaryote cenancestor. We sequenced the 18S rRNA of a unicellular Phalansterium. Phylogenetic analysis shows that it belongs to Amoebozoa, decisively rejecting a postulated relationship with the cercozoan Spongomonas; Phalansterium groups with Varipodida ord. nov. (Gephyramoeba/Filamoeba) or occasionally Centramoebida emend. (Acanthamoebidae/Balamuthiidae fam. nov.), centrosomes of the latter suggesting flagellate ancestors. We also studied Phalansterium solitarium cyst ultrastructure; unlike previously studied P. solitarium, this strain has pentagonally symmetric walls like P. consociatum. We also sequenced 18S rRNA genes of further isolates of Hyperamoeba, an aerobic unicentriolar amoeboflagellate with conical microtubular skeleton; both group strongly with myxogastrid Mycetozoa. However, the four Hyperamoeba strains do not group together, suggesting that Hyperamoeba are polyphyletic derivatives of myxogastrids that lost fruiting bodies independently. We revise amoebozoan higher-level classification into seven classes, establishing Stelamoebea cl. nov. for Protosteliida emend. plus Dictyosteliida (biciliate former ‘protostelids’ comprise Parastelida ord. nov. within Myxogastrea), and new subphylum Protamoebae to embrace Variosea cl. nov. (Centramoebida, Phalansteriida, Varipodida), Lobosea emend., Breviatea cl. nov. for ‘Mastigamoeba invertens’ and relatives, and Discosea cl. nov. comprising Glycostylida ord. nov. (vannellids, vexilliferids, paramoebids, Multicilia), Dermamoebida ord. nov. (Thecamoebidae) and Himatismenida. We argue that the ancestral amoebozoan was probably unikont and that the cenancestral eukaryote may have been also.     

Notes on Quercus ilex L. in Liguria (NW Italy)

The climatic characteristics of the Liguria region have been outlined by means of raw data and derived indices (water balance related to potential evapotraspiration, Rivas-Martinez's index of mediterraneity and thermicity, De Martonne's index of dryness, and Emberger's pluviothermic quotient and index of summer dryness). Their interpretation suggests that Liguria is a boundary region between two different climatic areas: the Mediterranean and that of Central Europe.The distribution of Quercus ilex communities in Liguria have suffered the heavy consequences of human activity on the coastal belt of the region. There is, however, sufficient evidence to show that their presence is closely linked to climatic conditions. Quercus ilex communities are absent from the western coastal belt where the annual water balance is below –50 mm and high mean temperatures occur. They are also absent from marly limestone dominated areas where annual water balance is below 300 mm. Quercus ilex woods show a preference for water balance values between 0 and 600, with the better developed forests being found in central and eastern coastal Liguria.The Ligurian Quercus ilex woods are ascribed to Quercetum ilicis Br.-Bl. 1915. Given that the presence within their floristic composition of a group of species of Querco-Fagetea (more species in eastern stands, few in western ones) is an almost constant characteristic, the subass. fraxino-ostryetosum Mariotti 1984 can be retained for many of them. Quercus ilex is not present in the initial succession stages of Mediterranean Liguria vegetation. It can be found in later stages when the vegetation is more fully developed towards a maquis type structure. In this case it tends to become dominant and the community develops (if no fire or other human interference occurs) into a Quercus ilex forest. Frequently, this succession takes place under an old tree layer cover (generally Pinus sp.), a remanant of man's past management of the vegetation in the area.     

Foliar seed-bearing organs of Paleozoic ginkgophytes and the early evolution of the Ginkgoales

This paper deals with the Late Paleozoic phase of the evolution of the ginkgophytes (gymnosperms attributed to the order Ginkgoales). New genera and species of Permian gymnosperms are erected that are more or less confidently related to the Ginkgoales or belong to ancestral (for this order) pteridosperms with foliar seed-bearing organs: Cheirocladus longicheirus Naugolnykh, gen. et sp. nov. and Psygmophyllodendron uralensis Naugolnykh, gen. et sp. nov. A new family, Cheirocladaceae Naugolnykh, fam. nov., uniting gymnosperms with weakly modified foliar seed-bearing systems is proposed. The extended diagnosis of the family Psygmophyllaceae Zalessky emend. Naugolnykh, emend. nov. is provided. The extensive study of additional new material allowed the author to describe the morphology of Biarmopteris pulchra Zalessky (Cheirocladaceae), Psygmophyllum expansum (Brongniart) Schimper, and P. cuneifolium (Kutorga) Schimper (Psygmophyllaceae). Racemose aggregations of seeds of Karkenia sp. (Karkeniaceae), the oldest reliable record of Karkenia Archangelsky, are characterized. The typology of foliar seed-bearing organs of early ginkgophytes and morphogenetic transformations of the leaves of ginkgophytes are discussed.     

Phytosociological and geographical survey of Mesohromion communities in Western Europe

A survey is given of the floristic composition and geographical distribution of limestone grasslands assigned to the Mesobromion ereeti, in Western Europe.This survey is based upon 800 vegetation relevés from various investigators throughout the area. Relevant tables have been summarized into a synoptic table with 30 columns. Each column represents a community described as an association or a subassociation.The synoptic table shows a division into a NW European group (Ireland, England, Denmark, and South Sweden) and a Central-W European group (Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium, France, and Switzerland). Associations belonging to the former have, as a rule, a smaller distribution area than the latter.In the latter group only two associations can be distinguished: Mesobrometum erecti and Antherico-Brometum ass. nov. The Mesobrometum is widespread and includes many subassociations. The Antherico-Brometum shows a transition towards the Xerobromion erecti.According to Barkman et al., (1976) the often used name Gentiano-Koelerietum has to be seen as a not-correct synonym for the Mesobrometum erecti.The Mesobromion grasslands can, in general, not be divided based upon their agricultural management system.An attempt is made to interpret the gradual transition in floristic composition of the limestone grasslands from NW to SE, with climatological data.Plant nomenclature follows Heukels & Van Ooststroom (1975) or, else, Clapham et al. (1968) for phanerogams and Vander Wijk et al. (1969) for bryophytes.I am much indebted to Prof. Dr. J. J. Barkman, who encouraged me to tackle the present study and stimulated me throughout its duration.     

Tilletiopsis derxii, Tilletiopsis oryzicola and Tilletiopsis penniseti, three new species of the ustilagionomycetous anamorphic genus Tilletiopsis isolated from leaves in Thailand

Four strains of ballistoconidium-forming yeast-like fungi (K-95, K-125, K-132 and K139), isolated from plants collected in Bangkok, Thailand, were assigned to the genus Tilletiopsis based on morphological and chemotaxonomical characteristics. On the basis of sequence data of 18S rDNA and the D1/D2 region of 26S rDNA, strains K-95, K-125 and K-132 were close to T. flava and T. fulvescens, and strain K-139 each formed related to T. minor. DNA-DNA reassociation experiments with related species revealed that strains K-125, K-132 and K-139 each formed a new and distinct species whereas strain K-95 was identified as T. flava. Tilletiopsis derxii Takashima et Nakase sp. nov. (JCM 10217^T; K-125), Tilletiopsis oryzicola Takashima et Nakase sp. nov. (JCM 10218^T; K-132), and Tilletiopsis penniseti Takashima et Nakase sp. nov. (JCM 10216^T; K-139) are the names proposed for the new taxa.     

Species composition and above ground phytomass in chalk grassland with different management

During the last decades chalk grasslands lost their agricultural importance in the greater part of their distribution area in W Europe. Due to their botanical richness a number of chalk grassland sites were established as Nature Reserve. As a consequence of the semi-natural character of these grasslands an appropriate management is necessary to maintain or to re-create this vegetation including a great number of rare and endangered species.This paper deals with the results of three different management practices, viz. mowing in autumn, sheep grazing and abandoning, of a medium term (8–11 yr) permanent plot experiment. Sheep grazing was considered the best management since it resulted in the highest number of species, phanerogams as well as bryophytes, and the highest number of characteristic chalk grassland species. Abandoning resulted in a decrease in species number and a dominance of a few species only.The changes in species number are related to the above ground biomass. Under the canopy in the abandoned plot light intensity and the Red/Far-red ratio are very low, which partly explains the decrease in species number as such conditions are not favourable to seedling emergence and survival.Plant nomenclature follows Heukels & Van Ooststroom (1975) for phanerogams, Margadant & During (1976) and van der Wijk et al. (1969) for bryophytes, and Westhoff & den Held (1969) for syntaxa.Presented at the Symposium on Vegetation Dynamics, organized by the International Society for Vegetation Science at Montpellier, 15–20 September 1980. I am grateful to Dr. H. J. During for useful comments.     

Beitrag Zur Gliederung Der Europaischen Zwergbinsengesellschaften (Isoëto-Nanojuncetea Br.-Bl. & Tx. 1943)

Zusammenfassung Anhand von 5268 soziologischen Aufnahmen wird eine Neugliederung der europ?ischen Zwergbinsengesellschaften der Klasse der Iso?to-Nanojuncetea Br.-Bl. & Tx. 1943 vorgenommen. Danach werden zwei Ordnungen, die Iso?tetalia Br.-Bl. 1931 s. str. des mediterranen W- und SW-Europas und die Cyperetalia fusci (Klika 1935) Müller-Stoll & Pietsch 1961 Zentraleuropas, unterschieden. Die erste Ordnung umfa?t das Preslion cervinae Br.-Bl. 1931 und das Iso?tion Br.-Bl. 1931. In der zweiten Ordnung werden vier Verb?nde unterschieden: das Elatini-Eleocharition ovatae Pietsch 1965, das Radiolion linoidis (Rivas Goday 1961) Pietsch 1965, das Eu-Nanocyperion flavescentis (Koch 1926) Rivas Goday 1961 und das Heleochloo-Cyperion (Br.-Bl. 1952) Pietsch 1961.

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Summary On the basis of 5268 phytosociological relevés a new systematical division of the European communities of dwarf club-rushes united in the class of Iso?to-Nanojuncetea Br.-Bl. & Tx. 1943 has been made. Two orders have been distinguished the Iso?tetalia Br.-Bl. 1931 s. str. of mediterranean West- and Southwestern Europe and the Cyperetalia fusci (Klika 1935) Müller-Stoll & Pietsch 1961, which are widely spread over the whole region of Central Europe. In the Isoetetalia the Preslion cervinae Br.-Bl. 1931 and the Iso?tion Br.-Bl. 1931 have been distinguished. The Cyperetalia fuscae have been divided into four alliances: the Elatini-Eleocharition ovatae Pietsch 1965, the Radiolion linoidis (Rivas Goday 1961) Pietsch 1965, the Eu-Nanocyperion flavescentis (Koch 1926) Rivas Goday 1961 and the Heleochloo-Cyperion (Br.-Bl. 1952) Pietsch 1961.

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Es handelt sich um eine revidierte und erweiterte Fassung einer bereits 1965 unter dem gleichen Thema zum Druck eingereichten und für Vegetatio 13, 2 (1965) angekündigten Arbeit, deren Erscheinen bis jetzt aus technischen Gründen nicht m?glich war. Auf diese wird im vorliegenden Text bei der Abfassung der soziologischen Einheiten unter der Bezeichnung “Pietsch (1965)” Bezug genommen.     

中国马尾杉属(石松科)的分类修订

马尾杉属植物因含治疗阿尔茨海默症的特效药成分石杉碱甲而具有重要的经济价值和保护价值，全属为国家重点保护植物。该文基于形态学、生态学和地理学等证据，对中国分布的马尾杉属植物进行了分类修订，承认我国有马尾杉属植物21种，将该属植物划分为4个单系的组，即金丝条马尾杉组(Sect.Fargesiani X. C. Zhang&R. H. Jiang, sect. nov.)、喜马拉雅马尾杉组(Sect.Hamiltoniani C. Y. Yang, emend. X. C. Zhang&R. H. Jiang)、马尾杉组(Sect.Phlegmariurus)和粗糙马尾杉组[Sect.Squarrosurus(Herter) X. C. Zhang&R. H. Jiang, comb.&stat. nov.],并将Huperzia medogensis、Phlegmariurus austrosinicus、P.changii、P.nylamensis、P.cancellatus var.minor、P.qiongzhongensis和P.shangsiens...     

Phylogeny and Megasystematics of Phagotrophic Heterokonts (Kingdom Chromista)

Heterokonts are evolutionarily important as the most nutritionally diverse eukaryote supergroup and the most species-rich branch of the eukaryotic kingdom Chromista. Ancestrally photosynthetic/phagotrophic algae (mixotrophs), they include several ecologically important purely heterotrophic lineages, all grossly understudied phylogenetically and of uncertain relationships. We sequenced 18S rRNA genes from 14 phagotrophic non-photosynthetic heterokonts and a probable Ochromonas, performed phylogenetic analysis of 210–430 Heterokonta, and revised higher classification of Heterokonta and its three phyla: the predominantly photosynthetic Ochrophyta; the non-photosynthetic Pseudofungi; and Bigyra (now comprising subphyla Opalozoa, Bicoecia, Sagenista). The deepest heterokont divergence is apparently between Bigyra, as revised here, and Ochrophyta/Pseudofungi. We found a third universal heterokont signature sequence, and deduce three independent losses of ciliary hairs, several of 1-2 cilia, 10 of photosynthesis, but perhaps only two plastid losses. In Ochrophyta, heterotrophic Oikomonas is sister to the photosynthetic Chrysamoeba, whilst the abundant freshwater predator Spumella is biphyletic; neither clade is specifically related to Paraphysomonas, indicating four losses of photosynthesis by chrysomonads. Sister to Chrysomonadea (Chrysophyceae) is Picophagea cl. nov. (Picophagus, Chlamydomyxa). The diatom-parasite Pirsonia belongs in Pseudofungi. Heliozoan-like actinophryids (e.g. Actinosphaerium) are Opalozoa, not related to pedinellids within Hypogyristea cl. nov. of Ochrophyta as once thought. The zooflagellate class Bicoecea (perhaps the ancestral phenotype of Bigyra) is unexpectedly diverse and a major focus of our study. We describe four new biciliate bicoecean genera and five new species: Nerada mexicana, Labromonas fenchelii (=Pseudobodo tremulans sensu Fenchel), Boroka karpovii (=P. tremulans sensu Karpov), Anoeca atlantica and Cafeteria mylnikovii; several cultures were previously misidentified as Pseudobodo tremulans. Nerada and the uniciliate Paramonas are related to Siluania and Adriamonas; this clade (Pseudodendromonadales emend.) is probably sister to Bicosoeca. Genetically diverse Caecitellus is probably related to Anoeca, Symbiomonas and Cafeteria (collectively Anoecales emend.). Boroka is sister to Pseudodendromonadales/Bicoecales/Anoecales. Placidiales are probably divergent bicoeceans (the GenBank Placidia sequence is a basidiomycete/heterokont chimaera). Two GenBank ‘opalinid’ sequences are fungal; Pseudopirsonia is cercozoan; two previous GenBank ‘Caecitellus’ sequences are Adriamonas. Electronic Supplementary Material Electronic Supplementary material is available for this article at and accessible for authorised users. [Reviewing Editior: Patnck J. Keeling]     

Plant communities and phytogeographical position of a large depression in the Great Chaco,Argentina

A survey is presented of the vegetation of the central region of the Santafesinian Chaco (Argentina), a scarcely populated flat area of 20 000 km², with seasonal flooding. Soils have a strong halo-hydromorphic character and vegetation is basically halophilous. Trees are scarce and most communities are savannas, grasslands or swampy vegetation. Twenty-three communities are described, some of them with several variants. The most widespread communities areSpartina argentinensis grasslands,Elyonurus muticus savannas and a complex of hygrophilous communities. The most important communities are distributed in relation to a topographical gradient, and their structure is shaped by recurrent flooding and fire disturbance. Most of the area is virgin land with very little human interference. The phytogeographical position of the area is discussed. Nomenclature: Burkart, A. 1969, 1974, 1979. Flora ilustrada de Entre Rios, INTA, Buenos Aires, and Cabrera, 1963, 1965a, b, 1967, 1968, 1970. Flora de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, INTA, Buenos Aires.     

A new species of Anthracotheriidae, Merycopotamus medioximus nov. sp. from the Late Miocene of the Potwar Plateau, Pakistan

New anthracotheriid remains, discovered by the H-GSP in well-dated localities from the Potwar plateau in the North of Pakistan, between 10.4 and 8.6 Ma, are described and attributed to Merycopotamus medioximus nov. sp. This new species displays an intermediate morphology between the older M. pusillus and the more recent M. dissimilis. These results permit to emend the Merycopotamus diagnosis. To cite this article: F. Lihoreau et al., C. R. Palevol 3 (2004).

Résumé

Une nouvelle espèce d'Anthracotheriidae, Merycopotamus medioximus nov. sp. du Miocène récent du plateau du Potwar, Pakistan. Des restes d'Anthracotheriidae, découverts par le H-GSP dans des localités bien datées du plateau du Potwar, au Nord du Pakistan, entre 10,4 et 8,6 Ma, sont décrits et attribués à Merycopotamus medioximus nov. sp. Cette nouvelle espèce possède une morphologie intermédiaire entre M. pusillus, espèce plus ancienne, et M. dissimilis, plus récente. Ces résultats permettent en outre d'émender la diagnose du genre Merycopotamus. Pour citer cet article : F. Lihoreau et al., C. R. Palevol 3 (2004).     

Three new green coccoid zoospore-producing algae from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park,Tennessee, U.S.A.

Three new coccoid zoospore-producing green algae includingAxilococcus clingmanii gen. & spec. nov.,Lautosphaeria monsfumosa gen. & spec. nov., andDictylochloris pulchra spec. nova (Chlorococcales, Chlorophyceae) are described.Dedicated to Prof. DrLothar Geitler on the occasion of his 90th birthday.     

Classification of ultracontinental boreal forests in central Yakutia

Using the Braun-Blanquet approach, five associations of boreal forests were distinguished in central Yakutia, the most continental part of eastern Siberia. Ecological features of the syntaxa were explained with the use of the DCA ordination of 50 relevés. All available data from eastern Siberia were involved in the study for syntaxonomic analysis. Central Yakutian boreal forests were classified into two classes:Rhytidio-Laricetea sibiricae Korotkov etErmakov 1999 — ultracontinental light coniferous hemiboreal forests, andVaccinio-Piceetea Br.-Bl. inBr.-Bl. et al. 1939 — typical coniferous taiga forests of northern Eurasia. A new concept of higher syntaxonomic units of the classVaccinio-Piceetea in eastern Siberia has been developed. Three orders represent the diversity of taiga forests: (1)Cladonio-Vaccinietalia Kielland-Lund 1967 (with alliancesHieracio umbellati-Pinion sylvestris Anenkhonov etChytry 1998 andSaxifrago bronchialis-Pinion sylvestris all. nov.) — light coniferous boreal forests occurring in dry and moderately dry oligotrophic sites in various climatic sectors of Northern Eurasia; (2)Lathyro humilis-Laricetalia cajanderi ord. nov. (with alliancesAulacomnio acuminati-Laricion cajanderi all. nov. andRhododendro daurici-Laricion gmelinii all. nov.) — zonal boreal forests with xeric elements, which are typical of regions of northern Asia with cold, dry ultracontinental climate; (3)Ledo-Laricetalia cajanderi ord. prov. (with allianceLedo-Laricion cajanderi prov.) — North Eurasian boreal forests occurring in cold sites with excessive soil moisture, sometimes water-logged. Phytogeography and ecology of these orders are discussed in comparison with other regions of northern Asia.     

Zymobacter palmae gen. nov., sp. nov., a new ethanol-fermenting peritrichous bacterium isolated from palm sap

Zymobacter palmae gen. nov., sp. nov. was proposed for a new ethanol-fermenting bacterium that was isolated from palm sap in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. The bacterium is gram-negative, facultatively anaerobic, catalase-positive, oxidase-negative, nonspore-forming and peritrichously flagellated. It requires nicotinic acid for growth. It ferments hexoses, -linked di- and tri-saccarides, and sugar alcohols (fructose, galactose, glucose, mannose, maltose, melibiose, saccharose, raffinose, mannitol and sorbitol). Fifteen percent of maltose in broth medium is effectively fermented, whereas glucose with a concentration higher than 10% delayed growth initiation and decreased growth rates. Maltose is fermented to produce ethanol and CO₂ with a trace amount of acids. Approximately 2 mol of ethanol are produced from 1 mol moiety of hexose of maltose. The organism possesses ubiquinone-9. The G+C content of the DNA is 55.8+-0.4 mol%. Major cellular fatty acids were palmitic and oleic acids and cyclopropanic acid of C_19:0. Characteristic hydroxylated acid was 3-hydroxy dodecanoic acid. The bacterium is distinct from other ethanol-fermenting bacteria belonging to the genera Zymomonas Kluyver and van Niel 1936 and Saccharobacter Yaping et al. 1990 with respect to chemotaxonomic and other phenotypic characters to warrant to compose a new genus and a new species. The type strain is strain T109 (= IAM 14233).Abbreviation IAM IAM Culture Collection, Institute of Applied Microbiology. The University of Tokyo     

Role of topography and soils in grassland structuring at the landscape and community scales

The relative importance of abiotic factors in community assembly is debated and thought to be dependent on the scale. I investigated the relative role of topography and soils as structuring agents at the landscape and the community scales in 126 subalpine calcareous grasslands in the Pyrenees, in terms of species composition and abundance. I wished to know: (1) the role of abiotic factors in the organization of plant communities across the landscape; (2) how much of the variation in community distribution was accounted for by abiotic factors; and (3) how well their role applied to the distribution of dominant species at the landscape and the community scales. The hypothesis was: abiotic factors play an important role in community distribution in the landscape, but species interactions are more important within communities. Multivariate methods generated four communities, organized in two contrasting groups along the main vegetation axis, which explained 13% of the variation: mesic grasslands (Nardus stricta and Festuca nigrescens communities) and xeric grasslands (Carex humilis and Festuca gautieri communities). Mesic communities were more acidic and fertile than xeric communities. Changes in the abiotic environment, accounting for up to 80% of the variation in the vegetation, were smooth, while the transition between xeric and mesic grasslands was sharp in terms of species composition. The distribution in the landscape of the first main species from each community was closely related to abiotic factors, which modeled poorly the abundance of the main species at smaller scales. At the within-community scale, the explanatory power of biotic relationships was community dependent, producing the most significant models for plants highly dominant within their communities, such as N. stricta and F. gautieri. Contrary to current hypothesis, there was a shift from mainly positive relationships among dominant species in fertile mesic communities to mainly negative in infertile xeric ones.     

Clavispora,a new yeast genus of the Saccharomycetales

In Candida lusitaniae van Uden et do Carmo-Sousa (1959), strains of opposite sex have been found. Cells of the opposite mating types conjugate and form asci with one to four clavate spores. These are easily liberated from the ascus. The type strain of Candida obtusa (Dietrichson) van Uden et do Carmo-Sousa ex van Uden et Buckley (1970) also produces ascospores after mating with one of the strains of Candida lusitaniae. As clavate ascospores are unknow in yeasts, a new genus, Clavispora, is proposed with Clavispora lusitaniae spec. nov. as type species.     

Description of four novel species of Xenorhabdus, family Enterobacteriaceae: Xenorhabdus budapestensis sp. nov., Xenorhabdus ehlersii sp. nov., Xenorhabdus innexi sp. nov., and Xenorhabdus szentirmaii sp. nov

The taxonomic affiliation was determined for four Xenorhabdus strains isolated from four Steinernema hosts from different countries. As compared to the five validly described Xenorhabdus species, i.e., X. nematophila, X. japonica, X. beddingii, X. bovienii and X. poinarii, these isolates represented novel species on the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequences and riboprint patterns, as well as by physiological and metabolic properties. They were named Xenorhabdus budapestensis sp. nov., type strain DSM 16342^T, isolated from Steinernema bicornutum; Xenorhabdus ehlersii sp. nov., type strain DSM 16337^T, isolated from Steinernema serratum; Xenorhabdus innexi sp. nov., type strain DSM 16336^T isolated from Steinernema scapterisci; and Xenorhabdus szentirmaii sp. nov., type strain DSM 16338^T, isolated from Steinernema rarum.     

Syntaxonomy and ecology of plant communities of the Carici rupestris-Kobresietea bellardii in the western carpathians

We present a syntaxonomic account of the communities of the alliances of Oxytropido-Elynion Br.-Bl. 1949 and Festucion versicoloris Krajina 1933 from Western Carpathians. Both alliances comprise naked-rush, cushion form and dwarf-shrub heath communities typical of wind-exposed habitats occurring at the highest altitudes of the Tatra Mts. They represent a relic vegetation of the cold stages of the Pleistocene (probably Late Glacial Maximum) and they can be classified within the class of Carici rupestris-Kobresietea bellardii Ohba 1974. A set of relevés was subject to numerical-classification analysis. Floristics and ecology of the communities were characterised and the relationships to similar syntaxa were discussed. The Oxytropido-Elynion is restricted to the extreme ridge positions in the highest altitudes of the Belianske Tatry Mts. Five associations were distinguished, such as the Pyrolo carpaticae-Salicetum reticulatae, the Festuco versicoloris-Oreochloetum distichae, the Festucetum versicoloris, the Oxytropido carpaticae-Elynetum myosuroides and the Drabo siliquosae-Festucetum versicoloris. The Festucion versicoloris is limited to the mylonite zone of the alpine and subnival belt of the Vysoké Tatry and Západné Tatry Mts (and found as rare in the Nízke Tatry Mts). The stands of these communities prefer terraces of steep rocky faces and cliffs and stabilised small-grained screes below the cliffs. Within this alliance, three associations were described, including the Agrostio alpinae-Festucetum versicoloris, the Silenetum acaulis and the Salicetum kitaibelianae.