<Emphasis Type="Italic">Quinua</Emphasis> and Relatives (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Chenopodium</Emphasis> sect.<Emphasis Type="Italic">Chenopodium</Emphasis> subsect.<Emphasis Type="Italic">Celluloid</Emphasis>)

Traditionally viewed as an Andean grain crop,Chenopodium quinoa Willd. includes domesticated populations that are not Andean, and Andean populations that are not domesticated. Comparative analysis of leaf morphology and allozyme frequencies have demonstrated that Andean populations, both domesticated(quinua) and free-living(ajara), represent an exceptionally homogeneous unit that is well differentiated from allied domesticates of coastal Chile(quingua) and freeliving populations of the Argentine lowlands(C. hircinum). This pattern of relationships indicates that Andean populations represent a monophyletic crop/weed system that has possibly developed through cyclic differentiation (natural vs. human selection) and introgressive hybridization. Relative levels of variation suggest that this complex originated in the southern Andes, possibly from wild types allied withC. hircinum, with subsequent dispersal north to Colombia and south to the Chilean coast. Coastal populations were apparently isolated from post-dispersal differentiation and homogenization that occurred in the Andes. Other data point toward a center of origin in the northern Andes with secondary centers of genetic diversity subsequently developing in the southern Andes and the plains of Argentina. Comparative linkage of South American taxa, all tetraploid, with North American tetraploids of the subsection will eventually clarify this problem. While the possibility of a direct phyletic connection betweenC. quinoa and the Mexican domesticate(C. berlandieri subsp. nuttalliae,) cannot be excluded, available evidence indicates that the latter represents an autonomous lineage that is associated with the basal tetraploid, C. b. subsp.berlandieri, through var.sinuatum, whereas South American taxa show possible affinities to either var. zschackei or var.berlandieri. An extinct domesticate of eastern North America,C. b. subsp.jonesianum, represents either another instance of independent domestication, possibly from subsp. b. var.zschackei, or a northeastern outlier of subsp.nuttalliae.     

Insights into the genetic relationships among plants of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Beta</Emphasis> section <Emphasis Type="Italic">Beta</Emphasis> using SNP markers

Key message

Using a much higher number of SNP markers and larger sample sizes than all the previous studies, we characterized the genetic relationships among wild and cultivated plants of section Beta.

Abstract

We analyzed the genetic variation of Beta section Beta, which includes wild taxa (Beta macrocarpa, B. patula, B. vulgaris subsp. adanensis and B. vulgaris subsp. maritima) and cultivars (fodder beet, sugar beet, garden beet, leaf beet, and swiss chards), using 9724 single nucleotide polymorphism markers. The analyses conducted at the individual level without a priori groups confirmed the strong differentiation of B. macrocarpa and B. vulgaris subsp. adanensis from the other taxa. B. vulgaris subsp. maritima showed a complex genetic structure partly following a geographical pattern, which confounded the differences between this taxon and the cultivated varieties. Cultivated varieties were structured into three main groups: garden beets, fodder and sugar beets, and leaf beets and swiss chards. The genetic structure described here will be helpful to correctly estimate linkage disequilibrium and to test for statistical associations between genetic markers and environmental variables.

     

Molecular phylogeny,morphology and pathogenicity of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pseudopestalotiopsis</Emphasis> species on <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ixora</Emphasis> in Taiwan

Pestalotiopsis-like species are phytopathogenic, causing numerous diseases on different hosts, and are widely distributed in tropical and temperate ecosystems. These taxa were recently segregated into several genera and species having brown to dark brown or olivaceous median cells, with or without knobbed apical appendages, were classified under the new genus Pseudopestalotiopsis. Pseudopestalotiopsis species are well known for their capability to produce novel medicinal compounds that may have medicinal, agricultural and industrial applications. Ixora is among the largest genera in the family Rubiaceae and is cultivated throughout Taiwan, as a garden plant. During a survey of fungal diseases associated with Ixora species in Taiwan, several Pestalotiopsis-like species causing leaf spot were isolated. Based on morphology coupled with single- and multi-gene (ITS, TUB, TEF) phylogenies, these taxa belong to two novel species of Pseudopestalotiopsis and are introduced herein as Ps. ixorae and Ps. taiwanensis. These two new taxa fit well with Pseudopestalotiopsis in having dark concolourous median cells with knobbed apical appendages, but differ from the known species in the size of conidiomata, size of the conidia, the number of apical appendages, the length of basal appendages plus ecology and distribution. Pathogenicity testing showed that Ps. ixorae and Ps. taiwanensis are capable of causing leaf disease on Ixora and to the best of our knowledge, this is the first record of Pseudopestalotiopsis species associated with leaf spots of Ixora in Taiwan.     

New species of the tenebrionid-beetle genera <Emphasis Type="Italic">Tagonoides</Emphasis> Fairm., <Emphasis Type="Italic">Gnaptorina</Emphasis> Rtt. and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Agnaptoria</Emphasis> Rtt. (Coleoptera,Tenebrionidae) from China

Six new species Tagonoides belousovi sp. n., T. yunnana sp. n., Gnaptorina australis sp. n., Agnaptoria elongata sp. n. (Yunnan), A. lecta sp. n., and A. ruida sp. n. (Sichuan), and a new subspecies Gnaptorina potanini minxiana subsp. n. are described from China. Morphological adaptations of tenebrionids of the tribe Blaptini associated with phytophagous habit are discussed.     

Chromosome number variability in central european members of the<Emphasis Type="Italic">Festuca ovina</Emphasis> and<Emphasis Type="Italic">F. pallens</Emphasis> groups (sect.<Emphasis Type="Italic">Festuca</Emphasis>)

Chromosome numbers for 98 plants ofF. pallens, 19 ofF. psammophila, F. belensis andF. vaginata, and 44 ofF. ovina (originating from Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Slovakia and Latvia) are given. In addition to theF. ovina andF. pallens groups, chromosome counts for the following taxa are also reported:F. alpestris (2n=14) reported for the first time in this work,F. amethystina subsp.amethystina (2n=28),F. brevipila (2n=42),F. cinerea (2n=28),F. rupicola subsp.rupicola (2n=42) andF. versicolor subsp.versicolor (2n=14).InF. pallens, two ploidy levels (2n=2x=14+0-1B, 2n=4x=28+0-1B) as well as two natural triploid plants (2n=21+0-1B), were found. In addition to the fourF. pallens types that have been distinguished in Austria, one new tetraploid type (F. pallens “scabrifolia”) from the Czech Republic and Germany is reported and its taxonomy is discussed. The distributions of the Oberösterreich-Niederösterreich and Pannonisches-HügellandF. pallens types outside of Austria are documented.Only the diploid chromosome number (2n=14) was found inF. psammophila andF. vaginata. Chromosome numbers forF. psammophila subsp.muellerstollii andF. belensis (both 2n=14) were determined here for the first time. Two ploidy levels, 2n=14+0-5B corresponding toF. ovina subsp.ovina and 2n=28 corresponding toF. ovina subsp.guestphalica andF. cf.duernsteinensis were confirmed inF. ovina. Differences in chromosome structure (simple and multiple secondary constrictions) betweenF. pallens as opposed toF. psammophila andF. vaginata are discussed. A complete survey of published chromosome counts for Central European species from theF. ovina andF. pallens groups is included.     

A new subspecies of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Centaurea cassia</Emphasis> (Asteraceae) from Turkey

A new subspecies in sect. Jacea (Mill.) DC., Centaurea cassia Boiss. subsp. dumanii M. Dinç, A. Duran &; B. Bilgili subsp. nov., collected by the authors from South Anatolia, is described and illustrated. The new subspecies is restricted to Abies cilicica (Ant. &; Kotschy) Carr. subsp. cilicica forest above Göller Yaylas? (C6 Adana-Kozan). Diagnostic morphological characters from C. cassia subsp. cassia are discussed. The ecology, biogeography and conservation status of the new taxon are also presented.     

Phylogenetic relationships in Iranian <Emphasis Type="Italic">Scutellaria</Emphasis> (Lamiaceae) based on nuclear ribosomal ITS and chloroplast <Emphasis Type="Italic">trn</Emphasis>L-F DNA data

The genus Scutellaria (Lamiaceae, Scutellarioidae) includes taxa with a wide range of pharmacological traits, which make this genus economically important. Previous taxonomical studies on Scutellaria were mainly based on morphological and chromosomal characters. The infrageneric classification of the genus has been the subject of a long controversy among authors, and delimitation of taxa remains problematic. In this study, the phylogeny of the genus was evaluated using nrDNA ITS and trnL-F sequences, with a focus on the 42 Iranian taxa belonging to subgenera Apeltanthus and Scutellaria. In both ITS and trnL-F trees, there were two main clades within the genus corresponding to the two subgenera Scutellaria and Apeltanthus. In the subg. Scutellaria, the sect. Anaspis was monophyletic, but the monophyly of sect. Scutellaria was not supported. In this subgenus, S. galericulata was located away from other species in both trees, supported the isolation of this species from the sect. Scutellaria and inclusion in the sect. Galericularia as was previously considered by some authors. In subg. Apeltanthus, sect. Apeltanthus and sect. Lupulinaria were not monophyletic; furthermore, the monophyly of subsect. Lupulinaria was not supported. Based on the results of this study, it can be suggested that the sectional classification of both subgenera Apeltanthus and Scutellaria should be revised.     

Evolutionary relationships in the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Secale</Emphasis> revealed by DArTseq DNA polymorphism

Till this day, there is not much known about the phylogeny of the Secale genus; therefore, in our research, we tried to shed some lights on the issue of rye (Secale genus) taxonomy. The genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships were evaluated using 13,842 DArTseq? polymorphic markers. The model-based clustering (STRUCTURE software) separated our 84 samples into three main clusters: perennial cluster, annual cluster, and S. sylvestre cluster. The same result was obtained using Neighbour Joining tree and self-organizing maps. Secale sylvestre, S. strictum, and S. cereale are the three main species of the Secale genus. Three samples of rye are in basal positions in phylogenetic trees. These accessions share ancient morphological characters and are probably the ancestors of different lineages within Secale. Annual Secale taxa, with the exception of S. sylvestre, create one mutual taxon. We have found out that the semi-perennial taxa of S. cereale var. multicaule and S. strictum subsp. ciliatoglume are genetically closest to the annual species of S. cereale. Phylogenetic signals for semi-perennial and annual taxa are also present in S. strictum subsp. africanum. SNP-based analysis revealed that evolution of annual S. cereale has already begun in S. strictum subsp. africanum. The results showed that S. vavilovii cannot be considered as a separate species but a subspecies of S. cereale Secale cereale subsp. dighoricum is a hybrid. It is still not clear whether we can consider S. strictum subsp. strictum and S. strictum subsp. kuprijanovii as two separate species.     

Ectomycorrhizae of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Tuber huidongense</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">T. liyuanum</Emphasis> with <Emphasis Type="Italic">Castanea mollissima</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pinus armandii</Emphasis>

Tuber huidongense and T. liyuanum are common commercial white truffles in China that belong to the Rufum and Puberulum groups of the genus Tuber, respectively. Their mycorrhizae were successfully synthesized with two native trees—Castanea mollissima and Pinus armandii—under greenhouse conditions. The identities of the mycorrhizae were confirmed through internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequence analyses, and their morphological characteristics were described. All of the obtained mycorrhizae have an interlocking pseudoparenchymatous mantle, which is a typical feature of truffle mycorrhizae. The mycorrhizae of T. huidongense on the two trees have hyaline branched emanating hyphae, similar to the documented mycorrhizae of the Rufum group. The unramified, spiky, and hyaline cystidia on the mycorrhizae of T. liyuanum with both C. mollissima and P. armandii further confirmed that this characteristic is constant for the mycorrhizae of the Puberulum group. The successful mycorrhizal syntheses on the two nut-producing trees will be of economic importance in the cultivation of the two truffles.     

Molecular evidence for hybridization between invasive <Emphasis Type="Italic">Solidago canadensis</Emphasis> and native <Emphasis Type="Italic">S</Emphasis>. <Emphasis Type="Italic">virgaurea</Emphasis>

Hybridization between alien and native species is biologically very important and could lead to genetic erosion of native taxa. Solidago × niederederi was discovered over a century ago in Austria and described by Khek as a natural hybrid between the alien (nowadays regarded also as invasive) S. canadensis and native S. virgaurea. Although interspecific hybridization in the genus Solidago is considered to be relatively common, hybrid nature of S. × niederederi has not been independently proven using molecular tools, to date. Because proper identification of the parentage for the hybrid Solidago individuals solely based on morphological features can be misleading, in this paper we report an additive polymorphism pattern expressed in the ITS sequences obtained from individuals representing S. × niederederi, and confirm the previous hypothesis that the parental species of this hybrid are S. canadensis and S. virgaurea. Additionally, based on variability at the cpDNA rpl32-trnL locus, we showed that in natural populations hybridization occurs in both directions.     

Karyo-taxonomic study of the genus<Emphasis Type="Italic">Pseudolysimachion</Emphasis> (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Scrophulariaceae</Emphasis>) in the Czech Republic and Slovakia

Flow cytometry was used to determine ploidy levels in the Czech and Slovak taxa of the genusPseudolysimachion (W.D.J. Koch)Opiz (=Veronica auct. p.p.,Scrophulariaceae). In total, 123 populations from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine (one locality), Austria (one locality) and Hungary (one locality) were analyzed. InP. maritimum (L.)Á. Löve etD. Löve andP. spicatum (L.)Opiz, two cytotypes were found: diploid (2n=2x=34) and tetraploid (2n=4x=68). In both species the tetraploid cytotype predominated (P. maritimum: 41 tetraploid populations out of 45;P. spicatum: 57 tetraploid populations out of 58). The two cytotypes ofP. maritimum have no taxonomic significance because ploidy level is not obviously correlated with morphology, distribution pattern or ecology. Tetraploid populations ofP. spicatum belong to two morphologically different subspecies, subsp.spicatum and subsp.fischeri Trávní?ek. The diploid cytotype (one population only) should be provisionally classified as a third subspecies ofP. spicatum, which is morphologically similar to the Asian subsp.porphyrianum (Pavlov)Trávní?ek. Only diploid plants (2n=2x=34) ofP. orchideum (Crantz)Wraber were found; all 13 populations that were analyzed belong toP. orchideum s.str. One diploid population sample ofP. spurium subsp.foliosum (Waldst. etKit.)Holub (2n=2x=34) and one tetraploid sample ofP. incanum subsp.pallens (Host)Trávní?ek (2n=4x=68) were also analyzed. In addition, three tetraploid populations of hybrid origin were investigated:P. maritimum ×P. spicatum subsp.spicatum (one population) andP. maritimum ×P. spurium subsp.foliosum (two populations). While hybrid plants ofP. maritimum ×P. spicatum arose from tetraploid parental species, plants ofP. maritimum ×P. spurium probably resulted from a cross between tetraploidP. maritimum and diploidP. spurium. The putative origin and evolutionary importance of polyploids in thePseudolysimachion are discussed.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Sporidiobolus johnsonii</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sporidiobolus salmonicolor</Emphasis> revisited

The relationship between Sporidiobolus johnsonii and S. salmonicolor was investigated using rDNA sequence data. Two statistically well-supported clades were obtained. One clade included the type strain of S. johnsonii and the other included the type strain of S. salmonicolor. However, some mating strains of S. salmonicolor were found in the S. johnsonii group. These strains belonged to mating type A2 and were sexually compatible with mating type A1 strains from the S. salmonicolor group. DNA–DNA reassociation values were high within each clade and moderate between the two clades. In the re-investigation of teliospore germination, we observed that the basidia of S. salmonicolor were two-celled. In S. johnsonii, basidia were not formed and teliospore germination resulted in direct formation of yeast cells. We hypothesize that the S. johnsonii clade is becoming genetically isolated from the S. salmonicolor group and that a speciation process is presently going on. We suspect that the observed sexual compatibility between strains of the S. johnsonii and S. salmonicolor groups and the possible genetic flow between the two species has little biological relevance because distinct phenotypes have been fixed in the two taxa and intermediate (hybrid) sequences for LSU and ITS rDNAs have not been detected.     

Effect of microalgae hydrolysate foliar application (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Arthrospira platensis</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Scenedesmus</Emphasis> sp.) on <Emphasis Type="Italic">Petunia x hybrida</Emphasis> growth

In horticultural practice accelerated plant development and particularly earlier flowering, has been reported with microalgae applications. Therefore, the objective of this work was to study the effects of foliar spraying with Scenedesmus sp. and Arthrospira platensis hydrolysates on Petunia x hybrida plant development and leaf nutrient status. Three treatments were tested: T1 (foliar application with water, the control), T2 (foliar application with Arthrospira), and T3 (foliar application with Scenedesmus). Foliar spraying was applied five times (0, 14, 28, 35, and 42 days after transplanting). The concentration of both microalgae was 10 g L^?1. At the end of the trial biometric parameters and nutrient concentration in photosynthetic organs (the leaves) were measured. The results of this assay show that foliar application of Scenedesmus accelerated plant development in terms of higher rates of root growth, leaf and shoot development, and earliness of flowering. Arthrospira enhanced the root dry matter, the number of flowers per plant, and the water content. Nevertheless, a reduction was found in the conductive tissue (stem + petiole) dry weight with Arthrospira compared with Scenedesmus and the control. The results also show that microalgae hydrolysate supply can improve the plant nutrient status. Based on these results, it is advisable to use Scenedesmus hydrolysates in foliar applications to increase the blooming of Petunia x hybrida.     

Genetics and fine mapping of a yellow-green leaf gene (<Emphasis Type="Italic">ygl</Emphasis>-<Emphasis Type="Italic">1</Emphasis>) in cabbage (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Brassica oleracea</Emphasis> var. <Emphasis Type="Italic">capitata</Emphasis> L.)

Cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata L.) is one of the most popular cultivated vegetables worldwide. Cabbage has rich phenotypic diversity, including plant height, head shape, head color, leaf shape and leaf color. Leaf color plays an important role in cabbage growth and development. At present, there are few reports on fine mapping of leaf color mutants in B. oleracea. In this study, a naturally occurring yellow-green leaf cabbage mutant (YL-1), derived from the self-pollinated progenies of the hybrid ‘Hosom’, was used for inheritance analysis and gene mapping. Segregation populations including F₂ and BC₁ were generated from the cross of two inbred lines, YL-1 and 01–20. Genetic analysis with the F₂ and BC₁ populations demonstrated that the yellow-green leaf color was controlled by a single recessive nuclear gene, ygl-1. Insertion–deletion (InDel) markers, designed based on the parental re-sequencing data, were used for the preliminary mapping with BSA (bulked segregant analysis) method. A genetic map constructed with 15 InDels indicated that ygl-1 was located on chromosome C01. The ygl-1 gene is flanked by InDel markers ID2 and M8, with genetic distances of 0.4 cM and 0.35 cM, respectively. The interval distance between two markers is 167 kb. Thus, it enables us to locate the ygl-1 gene for the first time in B. oleracea. This study lays the foundation for candidate gene prediction and ygl-1gene cloning.     

Unique configuration of genes of silicon transporter in the freshwater pennate diatom <Emphasis Type="Italic">Synedra acus</Emphasis> subsp. <Emphasis Type="Italic">radians</Emphasis>

The existence of the cluster of duplicated sit silicon transporter genes in the chromosome of the diatom Synedra acus subsp. radians was shown for the first time. Earlier, the localization of sit genes in the same chromosome and cluster formation caused by gene duplication was shown only for the marine raphid pennate diatom P. tricornutum. Only non-clustered sit genes were found in the genomes of other diatoms. It is reasonable to assume that sit tandem (sit-td) and sit triplet (sit-tri) genes of S. acus subsp. radians occurred as a result of gene duplication followed by divergence of gene copies.     

Cytogenetic characterization of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Amaranthus caudatus</Emphasis> L. and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Amaranthus hybridus</Emphasis> subsp<Emphasis Type="Italic">. cruentus</Emphasis> (L.) Thell.

The present study is aimed to identify genetic variability between two species of Amaranthus viz., A. caudatus and A. hybridus subsp. cruentus, two economically important species, cultivated mainly for grain production. Karyomorphological studies in Amaranthus are scarce, probably due to higher number of small sized chromosomes. Karyomorphological studies were conducted using mitotic squash preparation of young healthy root tips. Karyological parameters and karyotypic formula were established using various software programs and tabulated the karyomorphometric and asymmetry indices viz., Disparity index, Variation coefficient, Total forma percentage, Karyotype asymmetry index, Syi index, Rec index, Interchromosomal and Intrachromosomal asymmetry index and Degree of asymmetry of karyotypes. The mitotic chromosome number observed for A. caudatus was 2n = 32 with a gametic number n = 16 and A. hybridus subsp. cruentus was 2n = 34 with a gametic number n = 17. In A. caudatus the chromosome length during somatic metaphase ranged from 0.8698 to 1.7722 μm with a total length of 39.1412 μm. In A. hybridus subsp. cruentus the length of chromosome ranged from 0.7756 to 1.9421 μm with a total length of 44.9922 μm. Various karyomorphometry and asymmetry indices analyzed revealed the extend of interspecific variation and their evolutionary status.