Nodulation patterns of actinorhizal plants in the family rosaceae

Patterns of nodulation, growth, andFrankia — host specificity have not been well characterized for the actinorhizal genera in the family Rosaceae because of the scarcity ofFrankia isolates from these taxa. Furthermore, the few isolates available from actinorhizal Rosaceae have consistently failed to nodulate plants from the host genus. In a series of experiments, species of rosaceousDryas, Cowania, Cercocarpus, Fallugia, andPurshia were inoculated withFrankia isolates, crushedDryas actinorhizae, and neoglacial soils to ascertain whether any of these inocula would effectively induce nodulation. Neoglacial soils from Alaska and Canada nodulated not only the localDryas drummondii, but alsoCercocarpus betuloides, Cowania mexicana andPurshia tridentata from distant and ecologically diverse locales as well as nonrosaceous, actinorhizal species ofAlnus, Elaeagnus, Myrica, andShepherdia. But of eightFrankia isolates, including two fromPurshia tridentata and one fromCowania mexicana, none were able to induce nodulation onPurshia orCowania species. Globular, actinorhizae-like nodules incapable of acetylene reduction were produced onC. betuloides inoculated withFrankia isolates. Crushed nodule suspensions fromDryas drummondii nodulated rosaceousCowania, Dryas andPurshia, as well as non-rosaceousElaeagnus, Myrica, andShepherdia species. Nodules produced by inoculation ofCowania mexicana andPurshia tridentata with crushed, dried nodule suspensions fromDryas drummondii reduced acetylene to ethylene, indicating nitrogenase activity for these nodulated plants. These data suggest that a similar microsymbiont infects the actinorhizal genera in the family Rosaceae.     

Ranunculus cacuminis andR. crenatus,representatives of theR. alpestris-group (Ranunculaceae) on the Balkan Peninsula

Morphological and karyological investigations as well as crossing experiments were carried out withR. cacuminis, R. crenatus, andR. alpestris. A key is presented including all 6 taxa of theR. alpestris-group. Ecological and geographical data for the Balkan Peninsula are also presented.R. cacuminis is diploid with 2n = 16 chromosomes as all taxa of the group, its karyotype exhibits no statistically significant differences to those from the 5 other taxa. In crossing experiments betweenR. cacuminis andR. alpestris, no hybrids could be obtained, whereas those betweenR. cacuminis andR. crenatus were slightly successful. According to its morphology, geographical distribution, and crossing behaviour,R. cacuminis is closely related toR. crenatus, and probably has originated fromR. crenatus by quantum speciation.     

Phylogenetic relationships ofCryptococcus neoformans and some related basidiomycetous yeasts determined from partial large subunit rRNA sequences

The genusCryptococcus was found to be heterogeneous on the basis of partial rRNA sequences. The human-pathogenic speciesC. neoformans, comprising 4 serotypes and havingFilobasidiella neoformans andF. bacillispora as teleomorphs, was found at a relatively large distance fromFilobasidium. Serotypes B and C had identical sequences, while in A and D they were different, with D closer to B and C than to A.Filobasidiella depauperata, which lacks a yeast-like anamorph, clustered withF. neoformans.The genusFilobasidium was clearly separated fromFilobasidiella and clustered withC. albidus, C. kuetzingii, C. gastricus, C. lupi, C. vishniaciae, C. bhutanensis, C. aerius, C. terreus andC. ater. The latter may represent the anamorph ofFilobasidium elegans. The organe to red species ofCryptococcus, as well asC. aquaticus andC. yarrowii, were found completely unrelated with these taxa,C. macerans being affiliated toCystofilobasidium capitatum.The genusTrichosporon was found relatively homogeneous; it includesC. humicola, C. curvatus and the filamentous speciesHyalodendron lignicola. Cryptococcus flavus andC. dimennae probably belong to the Tremellales, though distances between these species are large. The positions ofC. laurentii andC. luteolus remains to be determined.     

Psychrooligotrophic fungi from Arctic soils of Franz Joseph Land

Microfungi isolated from soil samples collected in Franz Joseph Land by means of the soil dilution and soil washing methods were screened for their ability to grow at low temperatures. The oligotrophic ability of the psychrotrophic strains was then determined on silica gel. A total of 40 taxa from 21 genera were isolated. Most isolates were species of Acremonium, Geomyces, Mortierella, Phialophora, Phoma, Thelebolus and sterile fungi. Eutypella scoparia, Hyphozyma variabilis and Ovadendron sulphureo-ochraceum are new records as soil and Arctic fungi. Most fungal isolates were psychrotrophic. The few psychrooligotrophs were species of Geomyces, Phoma, Thelebolus and Mortierella. Overall, our results suggest that the major component of an Arctic soil mycoflora should be active in one or more short growing seasons interspersed with periods of prolonged dormancy. Only a minor component, such as the small group of psychrooligotrophic fungi found in this study, may be expected to show continuous slow growth. Accepted: 22 November 1998     

Some new and known species of the genusDidymocystis Ariola, 1902 (Trematoda: Didymozoidae) from scombrid fishes of the Visakhapatnam coast,Bay of Bengal

Nine species of didymozoid trematodes referable to the genusDidymocystis Ariola, 1902 are reported from scombrid fishes of the Visakhapatnam coast, Bay of Bengal, India. They are:Didymocystis wedli fromThunnus tonggol; D. dissimilis fromKatsuwonus pelamis; D. alalongae fromT. tonggol; D. superpalati fromT. tonggol; D. bifurcata fromT. tonggol; D. oesophagicola fromT. tonggol; D. pinnicola fromK. pelamis; D. exiguus fromAuxis thazard andEuthynnus affinis; and a new species,D. guttatus, fromScomberomorus guttatus. The generaLagenocystis Yamaguti, 1970,Oesophagocystis Yamaguti, 1970 andDidymosulcus Pozdnyakov, 1990 are synonymised withDidymocystis. The synonymies ofUnivitellodidymocystis Yamaguti, 1970 andDidymocystoides Yamaguti, 1970, but notCoeliodidymocystis Yamaguti, 1970, withDidymocystis, as proposed by Pozdnyakov (1990), are accepted.Didymocystis bifasciatus (Yamaguti, 1970) is considered a synonym ofD. alalongae Yamaguti, 1970 andD. philobranchia Yamaguti, 1970 ofD. bifurcata Yamaguti, 1970. Of the nine species reported, eight constitute new reports from the Bay of Bengal. A key to the species ofDidymocystis from scombrid fishes of the Visakhapatnam coast is presented.     

A revision of Moonia (Compositae,Heliantheae, Coreopsidinae)

The genusMoonia of India and Ceylon, traditionally placed in the subtribe Melampodiinae, is shown to have closer affinities withDahlia andHidalgoa of the subtribe Coreopsidinae. Several morphologically heterogeneous taxa are excluded fromMoonia, and the remaining species,M. heterophylla, is described and illustrated.     

Systematics ofNama (Hydrophyllaceae): Flavonoids and phyletic position of sect.Arachnoidea and sect.Cinerascentia

Eight flavonoids, four 6-oxygenated flavones, two methyl ethers of luteolin, apigenin 6,8-C-diglucoside and quercetin 3-O-glucoside, were isolated fromNama lobbii andN. rothrockii, sole members of sects.Arachnoidea andCinerascentia, respectively. Both taxa diverge markedly from other namas in morphology and chromosome number and their placement inNama has been questioned. The occurrence of 6-oxygenated flavones in these taxa adds to their already distinctive nature. Flavonoid evidence argues that both are more closely allied toEriodictyon than either is toNama.     

Generic delimitation of Aralia (Araliaceae)

Aralia, described by Linnaeus, remains a poorly defined genus. Many satellite genera ofAralia have been proposed, and some have been accepted without critical evaluation. These genera includeCoudenbergia, Megalopanax, Parapentapanax, andPentapanax. This study examined the historical background of the establishment of these genera and their diagnostic characters. It was found that (1)Aralia s. str. is a relatively diverse genus; (2) the separation ofPentapanax andParapentapanax fromAralia is unsubstantiated; (3)Megalopanax is synonymous withCoudenbergia; and (4) the boundaries betweenAralia and bothCoudenbergia andPentapanax intergrade. It is proposed, therefore, to mergeCoudenbergia, Parapentapanax, andPentapanax withAralia, which has nomenclatural priority.Aralia is herein defined as consisting of those species in Araliaceae with pinnate leaves, articulated rachises, five to eight-merous flowers, petals imbricate in buds, and articulated pedicels. The revised generic concept requires the following new combinations or new names:Aralia castanopsisicola, A. franchetti, A. gigantea, A. laevis, A. leschenaultii, A. parasitica, A. rex, A. subcordata, A. verticillata, andA. warmingiana.     

Structures of the tetrahydrogenated menaquinones fromActinomadura angiospora,Faenia rectivirgula,andSaccharothrix australiensis

The structures of the tetrahydrogenated menaquinones fromActinomadura angiospora, Faenia rectivirgula, andSaccharothrix australiensis were determined by mass spectrometry and proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry. The positions of saturation of the tetrahydrogenated menaquinones fromFaenia rectivirgula andSaccharothrix australiensis were units II plus III (counting from the ring system), whereas that ofActinomadura angiospora had units III and VIII hydrogenated. The tetrahydrogenated menaquinones fromFaenia rectivirgula andSaccharothrix australiensis are similar to those characterized from other Gram-positive taxa to date, whereas that fromActinomadura angiospora represents a hitherto unknown isomer.     

Phylogenetic analysis of the non-pathogenic genusSpiromastix (Onygenaceae) and related onygenalean taxa based on large subunit ribosomal DNA sequences

The phylogenetic positioning of the non-pathogenic genusSpiromastix in the Onygenales was studied based on large subunit rDNA (LSU rDNA) partial sequences (ca. 570 bp.). FourSpiromastix species and 28 representative taxa of the Onygenales were newly sequenced. Phylogenetic trees were constructed by the neighbor-joining (NJ) method and evaluated by the maximum parsimony (MP) method with the data of 13 taxa retrieved from DNA databases.Spiromastix and dimorphic systemic pathogens,Ajellomyces andParacoccidioides, appear to be a monophyletic group with 74% bootstrap probability (BP) in the NJ tree constructed with the representative taxa of the Onygenales. The tree topology was concordant with the NJ tree based on SSU rDNA sequences of our previous work and corresponded to the classification system of the Onygenales by Currah (1985) and its minor modification by Udagawa (1997) with the exception of the classification of the Onygenaceae. The Onygeneceae sensu Udagawa may still be polyphyletic, since three independent lineages were recognized. The taxa forming helicoid peridial appendages were localized to two clades on the tree. The topology of the NJ tree constructed withSpiromastix and its close relatives suggested that the helicoid peridial appendages were apomorphic and acquired independently in the two clades of the Onygenales.     

A new point of view on the taxonomy ofPottia starckeana agg. (Musci,Pottiaceae)

A new taxonomic treatment is proposed for thePottia starckeana species complex. The peristome development is not considered to be a useful feature to separate the taxa. On the basis of spore morphology only two species are accepted:P. starckeana, with spores wavy in outline, andP. davalliana, with variously-shaped and developed processes on the spores.Pottia starckeana var.brachyoda is reduced to synonymy withP. starckeana; P. conica andP. commutata are treated as synonyms ofP. davalliana. The speciesP. mutica, P. affinis, P. salina, P. microphylla, P. texana, andP. arizonica (included var.mucronulata) are considered taxa of doubtful affinity, as they have spore features intermediate between the two spore types established for the group. The identity ofP. appertii andP. recurvifolia has not been elucidated because the type material has been destroyed.     

Accumulation of seed storage proteins and the taxonomy ofPoaceae

The accumulation of specific seed proteins is a taxonomically valuable feature and can be used to additionally characterize plant taxa. To date, mainly crop proteins have been analysed in thePoaceae. In this investigation seed proteins from 147 species were screened with emphasis on legumin-like proteins and prolamins. The groups resulting from evaluation of the protein profiles correspond with well-known subfamilies and tribes.Panicoideae are clearly separated fromPooideae. WithinPooideae, theBromeae plusTriticeae tribes revealed obvious similarities.Lolium, Festuca andVulpia, generally included in the tribeFestuceae, revealed a protein profile similar to the profile of theBromeae/Triticeae. Legumin-like proteins are accumulated abundantly inBambusoideae andPooideae exceptBromeae/Triticeae, however, only the species included in theAveninae subtribe produce soluble (globulin-type) legumins as already known fromAvena sativa. Dedicated to emer. Univ.-Prof. DrFriedrich Ehrendorfer on the occasion of his 70th birthday     

Pezizalean mycorrhizas and sporocarps in ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) after prescribed fires in eastern Oregon, USA

Post-fire Pezizales fruit commonly in many forest types after fire. The objectives of this study were to determine which Pezizales appeared as sporocarps after a prescribed fire in the Blue Mountains of eastern Oregon, and whether species of Pezizales formed mycorrhizas on ponderosa pine, whether or not they were detected from sporocarps. Forty-two sporocarp collections in five genera (Anthracobia, Morchella, Peziza, Scutellinia, Tricharina) of post-fire Pezizales produced ten restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) types. We found no root tips colonized by species of post-fire Pezizales fruiting at our site. However, 15% (6/39) of the RFLP types obtained from mycorrhizal roots within 32 soil cores were ascomycetes. Phylogenetic analyses of the 18S nuclear ribosomal DNA gene indicated that four of the six RFLP types clustered with two genera of the Pezizales, Wilcoxina and Geopora. Subsequent analyses indicated that two of these mycobionts were probably Wilcoxina rehmii, one Geopora cooperi, and one Geopora sp. The identities of two types were not successfully determined with PCR-based methods. Results contribute knowledge about the above- and below-ground ascomycete community in a ponderosa pine forest after a low intensity fire.     

The phylogenetic relationships ofByblis andRoridula (Byblidaceae-Roridulaceae) inferred from partial 18S ribosomal RNA sequences

The phylogenetic relationships of the angiosperm generaByblis andRoridula have been the subject of ongoing taxonomic controversy. Twenty-eight taxa of varying degrees of alleged relationship, including 3 members of theWinteraceae (as an outgroup), were investigated using partial sequences of 18S rRNA (small subunit) and also compared against the morphological data set fromHufford's (1992) cladistic treatment of 80 members of theRosidae-Asteridae. The morphological analysis placed the two genera in a clade with theSarraceniaceae in theCorniflorae-Asterid group as a sister taxon to anEricales-Hydrangeales clade. The 18S rRNA analysis supports the recently publishedrbcL DNA analysis ofAlbert & al. (1992), withRoridula joined to taxa in the lowerRosidae, butByblis joining instead to members of theAsteridae near theSolanaceae. Comparisons for congruence between the three analyses placeByblis in the higher Asterid group near theSolanaceae, andRoridula possibly nearer theSarraceniaceae andEricales. These results imply that the traditional morphological characters used to relate the two genera are possibly the result of convergence towards similar ecological and life-history strategies rather than synapomorphies.     

Phylogenetic utility of the nuclear rDNA ITS region in subfamilyIxoroideae (Rubiaceae): Comparisons with cpDNArbcL sequence data

ITS of the nrDNA were sequenced for 21 taxa inIxoroideae and outgroups (Rubiaceae) and compared with sequences of the cp-generbcL. Separate and combined analyses were performed. ITS-variation was extensive and, because of alignment ambiguities, some sites were excluded from the analyses. Several topologies from therbcL analysis that conflicted with earlier classifications are corroborated by the ITS data: 1)Posoqueria should be excluded fromGardenieae. 2) The disputed genusBertiera, previously inGardenieae, is basal in an extendedCoffeeae, includingTricalysia. 3)Ixora should be excluded fromPavetteae. 4)Vangueria, (Antirheoideae), belongs toIxoroideae. This affiliation ofAntirheoideae tribes withIxoroideae is also shown by new ITS andrbcL data forAlberta. Incongruities found between the two data sets may be caused by density of taxon sampling, different evolutionary rates, phylogenetic sorting, homoplasy caused by functional constraints, or sampling of non-orthologous ITS types.     

Chemical examinations of some non-vascular Paleozoic plants

The organic chemical constituents of compression fossils ofNematothallus,Spongiophyton, Orestovia andEohostimella are identified and compared with those isolated from living and fossil forms ofBotryococcus (a green alga) andTaeniocrada (a vascular plant fossil). The range and maxima in the carbon numbers observed in the normal, saturated acids isolated fromNematothallus, Orestovia, andSpongiophyton are similar to those of fossilBotryococcus, while those acids contained within compression fossils ofEohostimella are similar to the hydrocarbon composition ofTaeniocrada. Isoprenoid, branched hydrocarbons and steroids identified fromNematothallus, Orestovia, andSpongiophyton suggest these genera have algal affinities, while the presence of thick cuticles and in some cases cutin-like compounds appear to show adaptation to a terrestrial environment. Phenolic compounds retained within rock matrices associated withEohostimella are similar to those isolated fromTaeniocrada suggesting chemical, as well as morphological parallels with the land plant habit. These data are interpreted as indicating an early polyphyletic exploitation of the terrestrial habitat during the Paleozoic.     

Species ofBertiella (Cestoda: Anoplocephalidae) in dermopterans and squirrels from South-East Asia

Bertiella elongata (Bourquin, 1905) andB. plastica (Sluiter, 1896) both fromCynocephalus volans (Linnaeus, 1758) andC. variegatus (Audebert, 1799) are redescribed and illustrated. A neotype forB. plastica is designated.B. boholensis Spasskii, 1951 is reduced to synonymy withB. elongata andB. cynocephali Spasskii, 1951 is synonymised withB. plastica. A new species,B. rauschi, is described fromC. volans in the Philippines. It differs from its congeners in having an accessory seminal receptacle and testes which do not extend to the aporal extremity of the medulla.Bertiella musasabi Yamaguti, 1942 is redescribed from a specimen fromPetaurista petaurista (Pallas, 1766) from Taiwan.Indotaenia indica Singh, 1962 andAprostatandrya petauristae Sawada & Kugi, 1979 become synonyms ofB. musasabi. The biogeography of the genus is briefly discussed.     

A SYNOPSIS OF THE GENERA AND SPECIES OF THE TRIBE THELEBOLEAE (= PSEUDOASCOBOLEAE)

Examination of genera of the Pseudoascoboleae (Ascomycetes, Discomycetes, Ascobolaceae) revealed that many were polytypic. Characters presently used to distinguish these genera are considered to be artificial and true relationships cut across accepted generic lines. Of the genera treated, Thecotheus and parts of Ascophanus, since their asci blue in iodine and their spores bear callose-pectic markings, are considered more closely related to the Pezizeae. Other genera are excluded from the Pseudoascoboleae because of other striking characters. Since the Pseudoascoboleae is shown to be an artificial grouping, it is proposed to abandon the name, using instead the tribe name Theleboleae, placed in the Pezizaceae rather than the Ascobolaceae, for all of those genera with asci that do not blue in iodine, with smooth, elliptical spores without oil guttules, and with eight-spored and multispored species. Four new genera are described: Iodophanus, for species of Ascophanus with iodine-positive asci; Coprotus, for segments of Ascophanus and Ryparobius; Caccobius, for species intermediate to Ascozonus and Thelebolus; and Trichobolus, for the setose members of Thelebolus. The species of Ryparobius not belonging to Coprotus are transferred to Thelebolus.     

Towards a subordinal classification of the Pezizales (Ascomycota): phylogenetic analyses of SSU rDNA sequences.

Phylogenetic analyses of partial SSU rDNA sequences from representatives of 36 pezizales associated genera are presented, including new sequences from 28 species: Aleuria aurantiaca, Ascodesmis sphaerospora, Boudiera acanthospora, Caloscypha fulgens, Cheilymenia stercorea, Cookeina sulcipes, Desmazierella acicola, Geopyxis carbonaria, Hydnotrya tulasnei, Iodophanus carneus, Microstoma protracta, Otidea leporina, Paurocotylis pila, Peziza succosa and P vesiculosa (the type species of the family Pezizaceae and the order Pezizales), Pyronema domesticum, Pulvinula archeri, Saccobolus sp., Sarcoscypha austriaca, Sarcosoma globosum, Sarcosphaera coronaria, Scutellinia scutellata and S. torrentis, Sphaerosporella brunnea, Tarzetta catinus, Thelebolus crustaceus, Trichophaea hybrida, Trichophaeopsis bicuspis, and Wilcoxina mikolae. Two taxon and character matrices were subjected to maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, and neighbor-joining analyses. The first matrix included 28 taxa and a full character set of 1600 bp, and the second matrix 37 taxa and a restricted set of 1053 characters. The analyses using the restricted character set generally yielded the same topology as the full character set but the resolution was reduced. Three main evolutionary lineages were detected within the order: (1) Pezizaceae and Ascobolaceae, (2) Helvellaceae, Morchellaceae, Tuberaceae, and Caloscypha (Otideaceae), and (3) Sarcoscyphaceae, Sarcosomataceae, Ascodes-midaceae, Glaziellaceae, Otideaceae and Pyronemataceae. The inferred subordinal grouping is compared to extant classification schemes of the Pezizales. Sarcosomataceae and Sarcoscyphaceae are recognized as separate monophyletic groups. The analyses did not support recognition of Pyronemataceae, Ascodesmida-ceae, and Glaziellaceae as separate from the Otideaceae. Thelebolus (Thelebolaceae) clusters with extra-pezizalean genera and does not belong to the order.     

Species-specific ability ofChlorella strains (Chlorophyceae) to form stable symbioses withHydra viridis

46 strains ofChlorella, identified by physiological and biochemical characters, were examined for their ability to form stable symbioses with aposymbioticHydra viridis. It was found to be a species-specific characteristic. Among the 15 taxa studied, onlyC. saccharophila var.ellipsoidea, C. saccharophila var.saccharophila, C. fusca var.vacuolata, C. kessleri, C. luteoviridis, andC. protothecoides formed stable symbioses withHydra viridis. Among the 11 known physiological and biochemical characters of theseChlorella species, only acid tolerance seems to be correlated with symbiosis: All symbiotic species are capable of growing at or below pH 4.0.