The Montana collections of Francis Duncan Kelsey

Francis Duncan Kelsey amassed one of the important early herbaria of Montana plants from 1885 to 1893. His Montana collections contain over 1200 specimens of algae, bryophytes, ferns, angiosperms, and fungi and include at least 41 that serve as types. Originally donated to the Oberlin College Herbarium (OC), the Montana collections, records, and later correspondence of Kelsey are now housed at the Miami University Herbarium (MU). The mycological collections of Kelsey are numbered, dated, and include site information; his other collections are unnumbered and often lack precise dates and/or localities. Kelsey's Montana fieldwork itineraries and sources of exchange are presented. All valid and legitimate names based on Kelsey's Montana collections are listed with pertinent information from his collection notebooks.     

New species of Dicliptera (Acanthaceae) from the Guianas

Two new species,Dicliptera knappii from Guyana andD. granvillei from French Guiana, are described, illustrated, and compared with their closest relatives.     

Spatial and temporal variation in the summer zooplankton community of a riverine reservoir

Zooplankton community structure was examined at five stations in Normandy Reservoir, Tennessee, on six dates from 11 July to 15 September 1980. Four physical and chemical parameters at three depths at each station were used to discriminate statistically among areas of the reservoir over time; a similar analysis based on nine taxonomic and ecological categories of zooplankton was also completed. Each of the two multi-variate analyses provided a matrix of similarities among station-times (n = 30) in the reservoir. The two similarity matrices were compared by the Mantel test and were found to be not significantly concordant, suggesting that physical-chemical variation among areas in the reservoir during the summer months was not precisely reflected by zooplankton community structure. The lack of congruence between physically- and chemically-determined reservoir structure and structure implied by zooplankton taxa or functional groups was also observed in the results of a random-effects-model ANOVA of physical and chemical parameters and zooplankton densities. ANOVA of zooplankton densities revealed that spatial variation was generally greater than temporal variation, although most of the spatial variation was ephemeral (station-time interaction) rather than fixed (station effects). An ANOVA of physical and chemical variables revealed considerable fixed spatial variation over the same time scale.     

On the taxonomy of the genus Systenostrema Hazard & Oldacre, 1975 (Microspora,Thelohaniidae), with description of two new species

The paper treats the taxonomy of the genus Systenostrema Hazard & Oldacre, 1975, starting with an ultrastructural investigation of two new species, parasitic in larvae of the dragonflies Aeshna grandis and Libellula quadrimaculata, collected in Sweden. The two species are identical in pathology and presporal stages, but differ in the shape of spores and sporophorous vesicles, the fine structure of the spores, and numerical characters. The new species, which are named S. alba and S. candida, are compared to the octosporoblastic microsporidia parasitic in Odonata. An emended diagnosis of the genus Systenostrema is given, together with a taxonomic summary. The new combinations S. trichostegiae for Thelohania trichostegiae Baudoin, 1969 and Amblyospora capillata for T. capillata Larsson, 1983 are established.     

New species of Rubiaceae from French Guiana,Brazil, and Colombia

Collections from French Guiana, Amazonian Brazil, and Colombia taken in the last 20 years include new species in the following genera:Duroia, Pagamea, Psychotria, Randia, Retiniphyllum, Rudgea, Sabicea, Sipanea, andSphinctanthus. Twenty-one new species are described and five are illustrated.     

High Fungal Diversity and Abundance Recovered in the Deep-Sea Sediments of the Pacific Ocean

Knowledge about the presence and ecological significance of bacteria and archaea in the deep-sea environments has been well recognized, but the eukaryotic microorganisms, such as fungi, have rarely been reported. The present study investigated the composition and abundance of fungal community in the deep-sea sediments of the Pacific Ocean. In this study, a total of 1,947 internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions of fungal rRNA gene clones were recovered from five sediment samples at the Pacific Ocean (water depths ranging from 5,017 to 6,986 m) using three different PCR primer sets. There were 16, 17, and 15 different operational taxonomic units (OTUs) identified from fungal-universal, Ascomycota-, and Basidiomycota-specific clone libraries, respectively. Majority of the recovered sequences belonged to diverse phylotypes of Ascomycota (25 phylotypes) and Basidiomycota (18 phylotypes). The multiple primer approach totally recovered 27 phylotypes which showed low similarities (≤97 %) with available fungal sequences in the GenBank, suggesting possible new fungal taxa occurring in the deep-sea environments or belonging to taxa not represented in the GenBank. Our results also recovered high fungal LSU rRNA gene copy numbers (3.52?×?10⁶ to 5.23?×?10⁷copies/g wet sediment) from the Pacific Ocean sediment samples, suggesting that the fungi might be involved in important ecological functions in the deep-sea environments.     

Structural and functional analysis of the anti-malarial drug target prolyl-tRNA synthetase

Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs) drive protein translation in cells and hence these are essential enzymes across life. Inhibition of these enzymes can halt growth of an organism by stalling protein translation. Therefore, small molecule targeting of aaRS active sites is an attractive avenue from the perspective of developing anti-infectives. Febrifugine and its derivatives like halofuginone (HF) are known to inhibit prolyl-tRNA synthetase of malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Here, we present functional and crystallographic data on P. falciparum prolyl-tRNA synthetase (PfPRS). Using immunofluorescence data, we show that PfPRS is exclusively resident in the parasite cytoplasm within asexual blood stage parasites. The inhibitor HF interacts strongly with PfPRS in a non-competitive binding mode in presence or absence of ATP analog. Intriguingly, the two monomers that constitute dimeric PfPRS display significantly different conformations in their active site regions. The structural analyses presented here provide a framework for development of febrifugine derivatives that can seed development of new anti-malarials.     

New taxa and combinations inAlchemilla (Rosaceae) (2)

47 names and combinations are published as new, chiefly from the elaboration ofAlchemilla byA. Plocek inL. Bertová (ed.), Flóra Slovenska 4/3, Bratislava (in press). The populations recognized as varieties and species new to science (12 and 29, respectively) come from the summits of W. Beskids (9 taxa), Belianske Tatry (12), other parts of Tatra (8), Fatra (5), elsewhere in the Central Carpathians in Slovakia (4), the Low Beskids in E. Slovakia (1), W. and E. Carpathians (1), N. Moravia (1). In addition, three epithets are published in a new combination, and the names for two new subseries and a new forma are proposed.     

Species ofIchneumonidae [Hym.], parasites of some lepidopterous pests of lucerne in Romania

Eleven species ofIchneumonidae were identified as parasites of lepidopterous pests of lucerne. All of the parasitized Lepidoptera are new host records for theseIchneumonidae andDiadegma variegata Szépl. is a species of parasite new to Romania.     

On the carrying behaviour of basic South American primates

InCallithrix, Saguinus, Aotus, andCallicebus other group members than the mother participate in infant care. Differences among these species are obvious in respect to the time of being off any caregiver, and in respect to the carrying position (Aotus andCallicebus). Alloparental care, a basic behaviour pattern in these species, has evolved from the parking behaviour of the prosimians. The infants are «parked» at other group members.     

Helminths of rodents and marsupials from Papua New Guinea,with the description of two new species,Echinostoma echymiperae n. sp. (Digenea: Echinostomatidae) and Vampirolepis peroryctis n. sp. (Cestoda: Hymenolepididae)

The following rodents and marsupials from the Western Highlands of Papua New Guinea have been examined for helminths: Anisomys imitator, Melomys spp., Pogonomelomys ruemmleri, Rattus spp., Echymipera kalubu and Peroryctes raffrayanus. Two new species and a number of new host records are reported. Echinostoma echymiperae n. sp., a digenean from the intestine of Echymipera kalubu, is characterised by the number of collar spines, the body armature and the shape and position of the gonads. Vampirolepis peroryctis n. sp., a cestode from the intestine of Peroryctes raffrayanus, is characterised by the length of the rostellar hooks, the shape of the ovary, the arrangement of the testes in a triangle and the extent of the cirrus-sac. Hymenolepis aklei, H. bradleyi, H. antechini, H. bettongiae, H. cercarteti, H. isoodontis and H. potoroi are transferred to Vampirolepis as new combinations. E. kalubu is a new host for Linstowia semoni and Pogonomelomys ruemmleri is a new host for Hymenolepis diminuta. V. peroryctis is the first platyhelminth to be reported from Peroryctes raffrayanus and Raillietina (Raillietina) sp. the second to be reported from the genus Melomys.     

Galium procurrens,a new diploid relic species of theG. sylvaticum-group from the Balkan Peninsula

Galium procurrens is described as a new diploid relic species from Montenegro/N. Albania and SW. Bulgaria. It is related to the tetraploidG. laevigatum and other diploid and polyploid taxa of theG. sylvaticum-group inhabiting European deciduous forests.     

New species and other notes in the Malvaceae

The following species are described as new: Herissantia dressleri, Hibiscus longifilus, and Pavonia gentryi from Mexico, and Hibiscuswilsonii from Brazil. The comparative morphology and distribution of the MexicanPavonia melanommata Robins. & Seat. var.melanommata and ofP. melanommata var.pringleana R. E. Fries are discussed.     

New rubiaceae from French Guiana

Four new species and one new variety of Rubiaceae from French Guiana are described:Psychotria alloantha, P. cypellantha, P. squamelligera, P. viridibractea, andSipanea ovalifolia var.villosissima.     

New genera and species of Chrysobalanaceae from Malesia and Oceania

Two new genera of Chrysobalanaceae are described.Hunga distributed in New Caledonia, the Loyalty Islands and Papua and New Guinea, contains eight species, three new, and five formerly placed in the generaAngelesia, Licania andParinari.Kostermanthus is described to accommodate two species with united filaments formerly placed inParinari andAcioa. Both new genera are quite as distinct as others of the family and have been overlooked by undue emphasis placed on the single character of a bilocular ovary.Licania palawanensis Prance is also described; it is the second species of its genus from Malesia.     

Plant communities of the Accra Plains,Ghana

A new classification, using the Zürich-Montpellier procedures, is presented for the grassland, thicket and forest vegetation of the Accra Plains, Ghana. Newly described syntaxa comprise 1 class (Vetiverietea), 4 orders, 9 alliances, 16 associations and 16 subassociations. Altogether 350 species of vascular plants were recorded in 140 relevés. Correlations are made between syntaxa and climatic, edaphic and anthropogenic factors. The floristic distinctness of the area is assessed: 4 endemic species and about 40 widely disjunct species occur. Although the majority of species are of Guinean affinity, the plant communities of the Accra Plains are unique in the context of African tropical vegetation.     

Women as hunters among the matses of the Peruvian Amazon

Matses women of the Peruvian Amazon rain forest hunt with men, and couples bring back more meat than men alone. This results from the association of women with capture of collared peccary, a large catch. Typical Amazonian beliefs about women persist, but some new features (like day care) are pertinent to Matses hunting adaptation.