A new species of Viola L. (Violaceae) from Sichuan, China

Viola muliensis Y.S. Chen & Q.E. Yang, a new species of Viola L. (Violaceae) from Sichuan, China, is described and illustrated. Viola muliensis is endemic to Muli County, south-western Sichuan. This new species has yellow flowers with very short spurs and belongs to subsection Brevicalcaratae W. Beck., section Dischidium Ging. It is distinguished from other related species by having pedatipartite leaves.  © 2005 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2005, 149 , 365–368.     

A new species of Viola L. (Violaceae) from South Anatolia

A new species of Viola L., Viola yildirimlii M. Dinç & Y. Bağcı sp. nov. from South Anatolia is described and illustrated. It is found on the rocky slopes of Aladağ National Park, in the county of Adana, south Turkey, at an elevation of 1800 m. It belongs to Viola , subsect. Viola , and is similar to the Turkish endemics Viola isaurica Contandr. & Quézel and V. kizildaghensis M. Dinç & Ş. Yıldırımlı. Diagnostic morphologic characters for a detailed discrimination from two similar taxa and other Turkish Eflagellatae species are discussed.  © 2003 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2003, 141 , 477–482.     

A distinctive new species of Viola (Violaceae) from Yunnan, China

A new species of Viola (Violaceae) from north-western Yunnan, China, is described and illustrated. Viola dimorphophylla Y. S. Chen & Q. E. Yang sp. nov. is endemic to Zhongdian County, north-western Yunnan, and is very easily distinguishable from all other Chinese species of the genus by having obviously dimorphic leaves, with the basal ones being long petiolate, undivided and widely cordate, and the cauline ones sessile, linear and verticillate.  © 2005 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2005, 149 , 115–119.     

A new species of Viola (Violaceae) from south-west Turkey

Viola dirimliensis Blaxland is described as a new annual species from south-west Turkey, belonging to section Melanium Gingins. It was found growing only on serpentinite, in two adjacent locations in Mula vilayet, west of Antalya, at altitudes of 1500–1690 m. The locations were typical serpentinite barrens, almost bare of vegetation, with some plants of Muscari macrocarpum , and a few trees of Pinus nigra var. caramanica . The Viola is named after the type location, the Dermil Pass or Dirimli Geçidi, where the tiny plants were growing between the rocks on south-facing slopes. Their distinct golden-yellow flowers are unlike any of the other small annual Viola species found in Turkey.  © 2004 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2004, 145 , 505–509.     

New distributional and molecular information call into question the systematic position of the West Asian Viola sintenisii (Violaceae)

The west Asian Viola sintenisii W.Becker, described from temperate woodlands of northern Iran and south-western Turkmenistan on the Caspian coast, was long considered a vicariant geographical subspecies of the mainly south European V. alba Besser. The new findings of V. sintenisii in four geographically separated stations in north-eastern Azerbaijan significantly expands its range of distribution. These occurrences are within the range of V. alba ssp. alba . Here the two taxa frequently co-occur but remain distinct and V. sintenisii is therefore justified at species level. It is likely that the two species are also sympatric in the Hyrcanian region, a range previously attributed uniquely to the latter. Viola sintenisii seems to be fairly common in the eastern parts of the Great Caucasus, but there are reasons to suggest that it has there been misinterpreted as V. suavis . The chromosome number of V. sintenisii , 2 n  = 20, is reported here for the first time.  © 2005 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2005, 147 , 91–98.     

Disjunctions in relict alpine plants: phylogeography of Androsace brevis and A. wulfeniana (Primulaceae)

Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) was used to clarify the glacial history of the rare, disjunctly distributed, alpine cushion plant Androsace wulfeniana , which is endemic to the Eastern Alps (Austria and Italy). Disjunct populations in the Dolomites are genetically very distinct from those in the main distributional area. It is hypothesized that they are descendants of long-term isolated glacial survivors and are not a result of recent long-­distance dispersal. Within the main distributional area of the species in the central Eastern Alps, two groups of ­populations can be distinguished, which are congruent with hotspots of rare relictual vascular plant taxa. In the ­taxonomically closely related A. brevis growing in the Southern Alps (Italy, Switzerland), no genetic-geographical structure was found. Genetic variation is extremely low in disjunct populations of A. wulfeniana in the Dolomites and in A. brevis . In contrast, in the main distributional area of A. wulfeniana , genetic variation is similar to that of the colonizing widespread congener A. alpina .  © 2003 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the ­Linnean Society , 2003, 141 , 437–446.     

Minuartia graminifolia (Caryophyllaceae), a south-east European species

A re-evaluation of Minuartia graminifolia has been undertaken based on comparative morphological studies. M. graminifolia subsp. rosani (an endemic of the south-central Apennines and Sicily) and subsp. hungarica (an endemic of the Banat region of Romania) are accepted infraspecific taxa. M. graminifolia subsp. hungarica is lectotypified. M. graminifolia subsp. clandestina is confirmed for Italy; the taxon is neotypified. The type subspecies is considered an endemic to the east-central Alps. Keys to the species of Minuartia ser. Graminifoliae and to the subspecies of M. graminifolia are provided.  © 2003 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2003, 143 , 419–432.     

Glacial history of Saxifraga paniculata (Saxifragaceae): molecular biogeography of a disjunct arctic-alpine species from Europe and North America

The molecular biogeography of the disjunctly distributed and morphologically highly variable species Saxifraga paniculata Mill. was analysed using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) and chloroplast microsatellites. The study comprised 77 samples from mountain regions in Europe and North America throughout the complete range of distribution. AFLP data revealed clear genetic differentiation between samples from the Arctic, the Caucasus, and the eastern European mountains. Samples from the Alps were divided into two groups. One group clustered with the samples from central Europe and the Pyrenees, whereas another group with individuals from southern Norway. AFLP diversity was lowest in the Arctic and highest in the Alps. Chloroplast microsatellite analysis revealed eight haplotypes but no unequivocal phylogeographical pattern. However, haplotype diversity was highest in the Alps and central Europe whereas, in the Arctic, only few widespread haplotypes could be found. The results indicate in situ survival of S. paniculata in the Caucasus, the eastern European mountains, and the Alps. The Arctic has presumably been colonized postglacially from North American refugia south of the ice shield. Southern Norway and the Pyrenees have most likely been colonized from two phylogeographically different groups in the Alps. The origin of the central European samples remains ambiguous. In situ survival seems to be as possible as several postglacial recolonization events from the Alps. The obtained molecular data clearly support the subdivision of S. paniculata into three subspecies: ssp. cartilaginea from the Caucasus, ssp. laestadii from northern Norway, Iceland, and North America, and ssp. paniculata from the other geographical regions.  © 2008 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2008, 93 , 385–398.     

A new species of Achillea (Asteraceae: Anthemideae) from south-east Peloponnisos, Greece

A new species of Achillea L., Achillea occulta Constantin. & Kalpoutz., from the summit area of Mount Koulochera in south-east Peloponnisos, Greece, is described and illustrated. It belongs to A . sect. Ptarmica and further, to a small group of taxa known under the illegitimate sectional name 'Anthemoideae'. In Greece, A. occulta has no close allies. The taxonomically related taxa, i.e. A. barrelieri (Ten.) Sch. Bip., A. mucronulata Bertol., A. oxyloba (DC.) Sch. Bip. and A. schurii Sch. Bip. are found in the Italian Peninsula, the Alps and the Carpathians. Phytogeographically, the finding of a species with such taxonomic connections in south-east Greece was unexpected. The new species grows in semi-shade, often hidden in suitable limestone rock hollows and the foot of rocks, together with several other Greek endemics. Its chromosome number of 2 n  = 18, counted in root tips, is also reported and illustrated.  © 2005 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2005, 147 , 249–256.     

Alkane composition diversity among populations of dwarf forms of Juniperus communis L.: comparison between western Europe and northern American populations

The cuticular wax composition of leaves has been analysed in three western European populations (Corsica, central Pyrenees, northern Alps) of Juniperus communis var. saxatilis Pall. (=  J. nana Willd., nom illeg.) and in one population of J. communis L. var. depressa Pursh. from North America (Sierra Nevada). Gas chromatography shows the presence of 13 alkanes in all samples ranging from C₂₃ to C₃₅ with important intraspecific polymorphism in alkane content. The dominant alkanes range from C₃₃ to C₃₅. Alkanes C₂₁ and C₂₂ were found only in Corsica and Sierra Nevada populations. Canonical discriminant analysis separated the J. communis L. var. depressa Pursh. of the population of Sierra Nevada from other populations of J. communis var. saxatilis Pall. on the basis of their higher C₃₁ content and the constant presence of C₂₁ and C₂₂ alkanes. J. communis var. saxatilis Pall. populations from the Pyrenees are close to northern Alps populations characterized by high concentrations of C₃₃, C₃₄ and C₃₅ alkanes. This paper confirms the existence of Juniperus var. saxatilis Pall. in the Pyrenees (France).  © The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2002, 140 , 165–168.     

Genetic diversity and differentiation of allopolyploid Dactylorhiza (Orchidaceae) with particular focus on the Dactylorhiza majalis ssp. traunsteineri/lapponica complex

Genetic differentiation of Dactylorhiza majalis ssp. traunsteineri from the Alps, Scandinavia, and Britain was studied and compared with other allotetraploid members of the systematically challenging genus Dactylorhiza . One-hundred and eleven populations from altogether 18 taxa were analysed for eight polymorphic plastid markers and two size-variable fragments from the nuclear internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region. In total, 60 plastid haplotypes and six ITS alleles were found among the 737 individuals analysed. No clear differentiation between populations of ssp. traunsteineri from the three regions was revealed. However, ssp. traunsteineri was genetically differentiated from Dactylorhiza baumanniana , Dactylorhiza elata , and D. majalis ssp. sphagnicola , although the majority of allotetraploid taxa remained inseparable. Judging from the degree of concerted evolution in ITS, D. majalis ssp. alpestris may be regarded as a relatively old allotetraploid, whereas ssp. baltica and ssp. purpurella may be considerably younger. Based on plastid data, the Alp region had the highest genetic diversity followed by Scandinavia and Britain. The geographic distribution of haplotypes provided support for possible refugial areas around the Alps and for several independent immigration routes into Scandinavia after the last ice age.  © 2009 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2009, 97 , 52–67.     

A new species of Viola (Violaceae) from Turkey

A new species of Viola , V. kizildaghensis M. Dinç & S¸. Ẏlḋṙml̇, from Turkey is described and illustrated. It is found on the rocky slopes of K̇żldǎ, K̇żldǎ National Park, in the vilayet of Isparta, south-west Turkey, at an elevation of 1350–1600 m. It belongs to Viola , subsection Viola , and is similar to the Lebanese endemic V. libanotica Boiss., distinguished by its lanceolate, cuneate based leaves, pinkish-purple flowers with white throats, glabrous lateral petals, and peduncles bearing the mature fruit procumbent and pubescent. It is somewhat similar to another species from south-west Turkey, V. sandrasea Melchior, that is endemic to Sandras Dǎ in the vilayet Mǔla; it is distinguished from this by the characters listed above, its pubescent leaves and peduncles, and its linear-lanceolate to lanceolate stipules which have short, gland-tipped fimbriae. © 2002 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2002, 138 , 483–487.     

Glacial history of high alpine Ranunculus glacialis (Ranunculaceae) in the European Alps in a comparative phylogeographical context

There is considerable controversy concerning the fate of Alpine plants during Pleistocene glaciations. While some studies have found evidence for nunatak survival, others have explained the present genetic patterns by survival only in peripheral refugia. We investigated 75 populations of high alpine Ranunculus glacialis from its entire Alpine distribution. Phylogeographical analyses of AFLP data revealed four groups of populations. Two of them, located in the western Alps, were genetically isolated from each other and from the eastern groups, whereas the two eastern Alpine groups were genetically more similar to each other. This suggests longer isolation and/or lower levels of gene flow in the two western groups. As all groups are close to, or overlap with, presumed glacial refugia, invoking glacial survival on nunataks is unnecessary to explain the present genetic pattern. Similar to the phylogeographical patterns of R. glacialis , the previously investigated alpine Phyteuma globulariifolium and Androsace alpina , which are also confined to siliceous bedrock, showed strong geographical affinities to peripheral refugial areas and there were large-scale congruencies in the location of these refugia for all three species.  © 2004 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2004, 81 , 183–195.     

Taxonomic relevance of the gametophytic generation in a strictly rupicolous fern group: Asplenium seelosii s.l.

The systematics of the Asplenium seelosii complex has been debated for a long time. This complex includes strictly rupicolous plants that live on limestone cliffs mainly in the mountains of south-west Europe: the Alps, the Pyrenees, and several mountain ranges of the eastern Iberian Peninsula. The disjunct distribution of its populations and several morphological characters, i.e. leaf indumentum and the structure of the perispore, have been used to distinguish two species and up to four subspecies. The goal of this study was to determine whether the characters of the gametophytic generation and young sporophytes can contribute to the recognition of the proposed taxa. The analysis of all of these characters together differentiated two groups that correspond to the established species, A. seelosii and A. celtibericum , but not enough differences were found to separate the subspecies in each of them.  © 2006 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2006, 151 , 375–386.     

Fritillary phylogeny, classification, and larval host plants: reconstructed mainly on the basis of male and female genitalic morphology (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Argynnini)

Species-level phylogeny of the Butterfly tribe Argynnini is established based on 141 characters derived from wing and genitalia morphology of both sexes. The Argynnini can be divided into three subtribes; Yrameina comprising Yramea and Boloria s . l ., Argynnina comprising Prokuekenthaliella , Issoria , Brenthis , and all the 'large fritillary' species joined in the genus Argynnis s . l . and a new subtribe Euptoietina comprising only the genus Euptoieta . The classical genus Issoria s . l . is polyphyletic regarding Yramea and possibly paraphyletic regarding the two Afrotropic species baumanni and hanningtoni ; these two species are tentatively transferred to the old genus/subgenus Prokuekenthaliella . Surprisingly, one Afrotropic species, Issoria smaragdifera is closely related to the East Palaearctic Issoria species. A revised classification of Argynnini is proposed based on the obtained phylogeny. Studies of larval host plants based on the obtained phylogeny suggest that the ancestral Argynnini used Passiflora and Violaceae, but already the ancestor of Yrameina + Argynnina was probably specialized on Violaceae. Whereas the Boloria species have turned to other food plants such as Dryas , Vaccinium and Salix on several occasions, only Brenthis among the Argynnina use other host plants than Viola (mainly Rosaceae). The habit of laying eggs away from the food plant has probably evolved twice within Argynnina.  © 2006 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2006, 89 , 627–673.     

Isozyme variation among and within North Atlantic species of Papaver sect. Meconella (Papaveraceae) and taxonomic implications

The high-ploid species Papaver dahlianum , P. lapponicum , P. laestadianum and P. radicatum were compared by means of enzyme electrophoresis. The diploid P. alpinum from the Alps and garden material of the assumed diploid P. croceum from Asia were also included. The results are compared with those of previous morphological and cytological investigations. Generally, only small differences were found among the species. The maintenance of 13 subspecies of P. radicatum as published from the Nordic area was not supported. The octoploid P. laestadianum was nearly identical to the decaploid P. radicatum and inclusion in P. radicatum is justified. The octoploid P. lapponicum was also very similar to P. radicatum and inclusion of it in the latter should be considered. The most distinct of the taxa was the decaploid P. dahlianum , and the maintenance of two subspecies, ssp. polare and ssp. dahlianum can be defended. A hybrid origin of P. radicatum (10x) from P. lapponicum (8x) and P. alpinum (2x), and of P. dahlianum (10x) from P. lapponicum and P. croceum (2x) has been proposed, but a more likely explanation might be that P. dahlianum , P. radicatum and P. lapponicum have all arisen by polyploidization from closely related diploids without hybridization.  © 2003 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2003, 143 , 255−269.     

A new species of Ceratozamia (Zamiaceae) from the Sierra Madre of Chiapas, Mexico, with comments on species relationships

The new species Ceratozamia vovidesii from a Pleistocene floristic refuge in southern Mexico is described and illustrated. It show an affinity with C. matudae Lundell and C. mirandae Vovides, Pérez-Farrera & Iglesias from Chiapas, but it differs from them in leaf, male and female cones, and trunk morphology.  © 2007 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2007, 153 , 393–400.     

A new species of Ferula (Apiaceae) from South Anatolia, Turkey

Ferula coskunii H. Duman & M. Sağıroğlu sp. nov. from the Amanos Mountains (C6: Hatay-Turkey) is described and illustrated. It is closely related to F. drudeana Korovin, from which it differs mainly in habit, basal leaves, stem and mericarp features.  © 2005 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2005, 147 , 357–361.     

A new species of Cryptolepis (Apocynaceae: Periplocoideae) from Kenya and Tanzania, Africa

A new species of Cryptolepis is described from Kenya and Tanzania. It is a tropical forest climber and its unique second corona whorl of deeply cleft lobes distinguishes it from all other Cryptolepis species.  © 2008 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2008, 157 , 343–346.