Two new taxa and a new combination for Stipa (Gramineae: Stipeae) in Tunisia

Two new taxa in Stipa L. Sect. Leiostipa Dumort., S. alba and S. letournexii ssp. ignea , are described from southern Tunisia (northern Africa). In addition, the S. letournexii complex is reviewed and a new combination, S. letournexii ssp. tunetana (H.Scholz) F.M. Vázquez, is presented.  © 2007 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2007, 153 , 439–444.     

Taxonomic notes on European taxa of Crataegus (Rosaceae)

In connection with systematic study of European taxa of Crataegus (Rosaceae subfam. Maloideae) lectotypes are designated for Crataegus monogyna f. subdigyna and C. monogyna var. ronnigeri. C. microphylla subsp. malýana is described as a taxon new to science and a key to the recognised taxa of C. microphylla and of the closely related C. rhipidophylla is given.     

Chromosome numbers in the tribe Anthemideae (Asteraceae) from north-east Anatolia

Twenty-two chromosome counts of 19 taxa in the tribe Anthemideae of the family Asteraceae are reported from north-east Anatolia, Turkey. The taxa belong to the subtribes Achilleinae (four Achillea taxa), Anthemidinae (five Anthemis taxa), Artemisiinae (two Artemisia species), Leucantheminae (one Lecanthemum species), Matricariinae (two Tripleurospermum species) and Tanacetinae (five Tanacetum taxa). Six counts are new reports, seven are not consistent with previous counts, and the remainder are confirmations of very limited previous data. Most of the populations of Anthemideae studied have the basic number x  = 9, with ploidy levels ranging from 2 x to 7 to 8 x , but dysploidy is also present, with one diploid species, Artemisia austriaca , having x  = 8.  © 2007 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2007, 153 , 203–211.     

Molecular and morphological characterization of Crataegus L. species (Rosaceae) in southern Syria

The systematics of the genus Crataegus (Rosaceae) have been considered problematic owing to the fact that hybridization, introgression, polyploidy and apomixis may occur in this genus. A study of the Crataegus species from the Arab mountains, Sweida Province, Syria, has been undertaken based on both plastid DNA sequences ( trn L- trn F, psb A- trn H) and morphological data. In the investigated region, three morphologically distinguishable Crataegus species: C. azarolus var. aronia L., C.  ×  sinaica Boiss. ssp. sinaica and C. monogyna var. monogyna Jacq. were investigated. Crataegus azarolus can be clearly distinguished morphologically from C. monogyna by the colour, size and structure of fruits, the number of pyrenes, the flowering and ripening time, the density of thorns, the tree shape and also the leaf shape. According to our morphological data, in Syria, C.  ×  sinaica is variable and could represent a hybrid of C. azarolus  ×  C. monogyna ; the cpDNA sequence analysis showed sequences corresponding to C. monogyna as the plausible mother of the hybrid.  © 2007 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2007, 153 , 255–263.     

Muscari turcicum (Liliaceae/Hyacinthaceae), a new species from south Anatolia, Turkey

Muscari turcicum Uysal, Ertugrul & Dural (Liliaceae/Hyacinthaceae) is described and illustrated from south Anatolia, Turkey. This species grows on alpine steppe in the Middle Taurus (C4 Konya Province). Muscari turcicum , an endemic confined to the Middle Taurus, is closely related to M. discolor Boiss. & Hausskn. and M. anatolicum Cowley & Özhatay. Diagnostic morphological characters are discussed and compared with those of closely related taxa.  © 2007 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2007, 154 , 233–236.     

The Rubiaceae of Cabinda (Angola)

A treatment of the Rubiaceae of Cabinda (Angola) is presented based on various herbarium collections. There are 67 genera and 169 species of Rubiaceae represented in the flora of Cabinda. Eight entities are unnamed and could represent new taxa. Identification keys are provided for species and infraspecific taxa. A new combination is made in Rothmannia and two are made in Psychotria. A new name is provided in Psychotria . Eighteen taxa are endemic to Cabinda, two of which are also endemic to Angola. The conservation status of the endemic taxa is unknown due to the lack of collections over the last 40 years. © 2007 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2007, 154 , 455–495.     

Gagea tisoniana, a new species of Gagea Salisb. sect. Gagea (Liliaceae) from central Italy

Gagea tisoniana Peruzzi et al. sp. nov. is described and its taxonomic relationship is discussed. The new species, which appears to be endemic to central Italy, is close to G. pratensis (Pers.) Dumort., G. pusilla (F. W. Schmidt) Sweet, and other mainly poorly known [i.e. G. succedanea Griseb. et Schenk, G. transversalis Stev., and G. paczoskii (Zapal.) Grossh.] or as yet undescribed taxa from eastern Europe and the eastern Mediterranean area. The recognition of the new taxon G. tisoniana is claimed on the basis of anatomical, karyological, ecological, and phytogeographical data. Maps of the Italian distribution of G. pratensis (2 n  = 60), G. pusilla (2 n  = 24), and G. tisoniana (2 n  = 24) are presented, together with an analytical identification key. Finally, G. pratensis is recorded here for the first time in Tuscany (Monte Cetona).  © 2007 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2007, 155 , 337–347.     

Revision of Ixora (Rubiaceae) in the Marquesas Islands (French Polynesia)

During the preparation of the Vascular Flora of the Marquesas Islands and Flore de la Polynésie française , four new species of Ixora L. (Rubiaceae) have come to light and are described and illustrated herein: Ixora jourdanii Mouly & J.Florence, Ixora tahuataensis Mouly & J.Florence, Ixora uahukaensis Lorence & W.L.Wagner, and Ixora uapouensis Lorence & W.L.Wagner. In addition to these new taxa, the following three species of Ixora previously described from the Marquesas are recognized: Ixora marquesensis F.Br., Ixora ooumuensis J.Florence, and Ixora spathoidea F.Br. As the Marquesan environment is under serious threat from human impact, feral animals and weeds, the conservation status was estimated for each Ixora species. It is concluded that all Marquesan taxa are in need of inclusion in the IUCN Red List, their status ranging from endangered to critically endangered.  © 2007 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2007, 155 , 581–597.     

A new species of Ilex (Aquifoliaceae) from Espinhaço Range, Bahia, Brazil

A new species, Ilex mucugensis Groppo sp. nov. (Aquifoliaceae), is described and illustrated. The species is known only from 'campos rupestres' (vegetation of rock outcrops at high altitude) in the vicinity of Mucugê, Bahia State, Brazil, in the mountains of the Espinhaço Range. Comments on affinities, geographical distribution and phenology of the new species are also provided.  © 2007 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2007, 155 , 153–156.     

Holcus azoricus M. Seq. & Castrov. (Poaceae), a new species from the Azores Islands

A new species of Holcus L. (Poaceae), endemic to the Azores archipelago (Portugal), is described. The vegetative and reproductive structures were studied. The diagnostic characters were compared with those of closely related species. New chromosome counts in Holcus azoricus M. Seq. & Castrov. (2 n  = 35) and H. rigidus Hochst. (2 n  = 28) are included. A possible hybrid origin is hypothesized; the potential parents are H. lanatus L. and H. rigidus .  © 2007 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2007, 154 , 259–267.     

A new species of Heliosperma (Caryophyllaceae) from Serbia and Montenegro

Heliosperma oliverae Niketić & Stevanović is described from Mt. Prokletije in south-west Serbia and north-east Montenegro, together with an estimation of its ecological preferences and International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) threat status. A map and illustration are provided. It is compared with seven closely related Balkan endemic taxa: H. macranthum Panić, H. retzdorffianum K. Malý, H. tommasinii Vis., H. insulare Trinajstić, H. chromodontum (Boiss. & Reuter) Juratzka, H. intonsum (Greuter & Melzh.) Niketić & Stevanović, and H. nikolicii (Seliger & T. Wraber) Niketić & Stevanović. An amended key to species and a table showing differences from the related Balkan taxa are also provided.  © 2007 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2007, 154 , 55–63.     

Revision of Pseudonereis (Polychaeta, Nereididae)

A taxonomic revision of Pseudonereis (Polychaeta, Nereididae) shows that some of the described taxa are very similar in most morphological characteristics. The revision includes all ten taxa considered valid, and are redescribed from type material. Lectotypes are designated for Pseudonereis anomala Gravier, 1901, Pseudonereis noodti (Hartmann-Schröder, 1962) and Pseudonereis trimaculata Horst, 1924. The widely geographically distributed and well-known P. gallapagensis Kinberg, 1865 and P. variegata ( Grube, 1857 ) show striking morphological resemblance to less well-known taxa with similar distribution. Paragnath variation in populations of P. anomala is discussed relating to its geographical distribution. Pseudonereis trimaculata is recorded from Australia for the first time. Taxa belonging to Pseudonereis are predominantly tropical and subtropical. A cladistic analysis using parsimony is included to test for monophyly of Pseudonereis . A monophyletic clade including all Pseudonereis taxa is given low bootstrap support. This clade is supported by the synapomorphies: presence of paragnaths in closely spaced comb-like rows on the maxillary ring on the pharynx, and presence of p-bar paragnaths in Areas II–IV and VII–VIII. Several of the included taxa share the shield-shaped paragnath in Area VI, which serves to distinguish Pseudonereis spp. from Perinereis spp. Paragnaths of the type p-bars and shield-shaped bar is described for the first time; the latter character is different from the smooth bar-shaped paragnaths in Area VI as has previously been described in these taxa.  © 2007 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2007, 150 , 145–176.     

Leaf teeth in certain Salicaceae and 'Flacourtiaceae'

The leaf teeth glands in four taxa from Salicaceae and six from 'Flacourtiaceae' were examined using both light and scanning electron microscopes. There appears to be a progression from glands of simple structure in the flacourtiaceous taxa and a tendency to a more complicated development in morphology and anatomy of the salicaceous species.  © 2007 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2007, 155 , 241–256.     

A new species of Aethionema (Brassicaceae) from the Bulgarian flora

Aethionema rhodopaeum D. Pavlova is described as a new species from the eastern Rhodope Mountains. The plant was found growing only on serpentines, in two localities, at an altitude of approximately 400 m. The localities are typical open habitats with sparsely colonized debris. The plant communities, composed mainly of xerophytes with a mosaic distribution, contain a large number of rare and endemic species for the Bulgarian flora. The new species belongs to the Aethionema saxatile group and is quite close to the species A. saxatile (L.) R. Br., in particular to ssp. creticum and ssp. graecum . The following diagnostic features are given for the new species: inner filament length always greater than half the petal length, lack of teeth of the filaments, longer [2–3(3.5) mm] style than that of A. saxatile subspecies, and dark purple petals. All leaves are broadly elliptical to suborbicular, obtuse, and fleshy. The chromosome number of the new species is 2 n  = 24. The differences between the new species and related taxa are also discussed.  © 2007 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2007, 155 , 533–540.     

Revision of the Malagasy species of the genus Tricalysia (Rubiaceae)

The Malagasy representatives of the large African genus Tricalysia (tribe Coffeeae s.l.) are revised. Three Malagasy species were hitherto recognized in the genus, namely T. cryptocalyx , T. madagascariensis , and T. ovalifolia . In this study, two species, T. boiviniana and T. leucocarpa , are transferred from the genus Hypobathrum and seven new species and two new subspecies are described, raising the species number for Tricalysia to a total of 12. This marked increase in species number is a recurring pattern for many Malagasy genera in systematically poorly known families such as Rubiaceae. All the species are described in detail and illustrated, and a list of exsiccatae and a distribution map are provided. Furthermore, the characters of the Malagasy taxa are compared with those of the continental African species, and their infrageneric status is discussed. With the exception of T. ovalifolia , a member of subgenus Empogona , all Malagasy species belong to subgenus Tricalysia . Because of their unisexual flowers, these species cannot be accommodated within one of the four existing sections in subgenus Tricalysia . A new section, Androgyne , is therefore recognized.  © 2007 National Botanic Garden of Belgium. Journal compilation © 2007 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2007, 155 , 83–126.     

Sarcinomyces sideticae, a new black yeast from historical marble monuments in Side (Antalya, Turkey)

A new species of Sarcinomyces , a melanized fungus with meristematic development, is described. On the basis of small subunit and internal transcribed sequence regions of ribosomal DNA sequencing, the new species was accommodated in the anamorph genus Sarcinomyces (Herpotrichiellaceae, Chaetothyriales) close to S. petricola .  © 2007 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2007, 154 , 373–380.     

A new species of Centaurea L. (Cardueae: Asteraceae) from Turkey

A new species of Centaurea L., C. kizildaghensis (Cardueae: Asteraceae), is described and illustrated from south Anatolia. It is restricted to the serpentine rocky slopes of Kızıl Dağ (C3 Konya–Derebucak, Çamlık), and is closely related to C. pseudokotschyi Wagenitz and C. drabifolioides Hub.-Mor., from which it differs in stem, leaf, and phyllary appendage characters. The diagnostic morphological characters are discussed. A new key is produced for Group G species for the flora of Turkey.  © 2007 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2007, 153 , 61–66.