Transatlantic disjunction in fleshy fungi. I. The Sparassis crispa complex

Phylogenies based on ITS and LSU sequences show that the Sparassis crispa complex comprises several monophyletic clades, in some cases co\rresponding to named taxa (i.e. S. crispa, S. radicata), but others lacking names (i.e. eastern and southwestern North American S. “crispa”). In our study, morphological examination of numerous collections also distinguished subtle differences correlated with geographic distribution. Underlying these problems, several taxa lacked type specimens for taxonomic analysis. In this paper, appropriate epitypes are designated and names assigned. Extensive sexual compatibility experiments, described within, indicate that monokaryon, haploid isolates of collections from North America and Europe are consistently sexually compatible to some degree. Inherent in the study, different “species concepts” were tested, with the “biological species concept,” based on sexual compatibility, being the least restrictive. We propose two new taxa, S. americana and S. americana f. arizonica.     

Pollen and resource limitations to lifetime seed production in a wild population of the endangered plant Disanthus cercidifolius var. longipes H. T. Chang (Hamamelidaceae)

Disanthus cercidifolius Maxim. var. longipes H. T. Chang, a plant species that only occurs in a few counties in Hunan, Jiangxi and Zhejiang Provinces and with a relatively small number of individuals, is ranked as a second Class endangered species for conservation in China. We have studied the effect of pollen and resources available to female reproduction, and the reproductive mechanism of “excess flowers with low fruit set” in Disanthus cercidifolius Maxim. var. longipes H. T. Chang was discussed. Results are as follows Pollen from different sources has significant effects on fruit set and seed set of Disanthus cercidifolius Maxim. var. longipes H. T. Chang. The pollen source rather than pollen numbers significantly affected reproduction of this species. In wild populations, producing one fruit needs about 54.8 flowers, and one satiation seed needs about 6.60 flowers or 83.19 ovules. After fertilizing, which was propitious to flower development, the abortion rate of flower buds was decreasing, but the flowering rate was increasing. The fruit set and seed set was also significantly increasing, while abortion rate of fruit was significantly decreasing. With the increasing percentages of cutting leaves, the fruit set decreased, but the abortion rate of fruit shows no significant differentiation among treatments. After cutting branches that were puny, broken and insectin-fested branches, the flower number seemed to be decreasing, but the fruit set and seed set all increased significantly. After removing some flowers, the fruit set was calculated with respect to the number of flowers remaining after the treatment increased with increasing of percentages of flower removal, whereas fruit set calculated with respect to the initial number of flowers remained constant, and the mean weights of per fruit and per seed all decreased significantly. Sufficient spatial or temporal heterogeneities in nutrient levels might allow limitation of seed set by resources and pollen in a natural population, while supplying resources may indirectly affect pollination by increasing attraction of the flowers to pollinators. There were very low fruit and seed sets in natural populations of Disanthus cercidifolius Maxim. var. longipes H. T. Chang. Different factors may have interacted to effect a low fruit set. A joint adoption of the “selection abortion hypothesis”, “ovary reserve hypothesis” and “male function hypothesis” seems to be the most likely explanation for the reproductive strategy of “excess flowers with few fruit sets” in Disanthus cercidifolius Maxim. var. longipes H. T. Chang.     

Neuronal connections and the function of the corpora pedunculata in the brain of the American cockroach,Periplaneta americana (L.)

The fiber constituents and connections of the calyces — the input-receiving regions — of the corpora pedunculata (“mushroom bodies”) were studied in reduced silver preparations from the American cockroach, Periplaneta americana (L.). In the outer synaptic layer of the calyces five fiber classes were distinguished, the first three of which arise outside the mushroom body. (1) Four highly similar neurons with somata near the optic lobe branch into different parts of the ipsiateral protocerebrum, including both calyces. Their fibers are highly constant in arrangement and position and contain small nucleus-like bodies. (2) The tractus olfactorio-globularis (sensu lato) emits fiber groups which course along the calycal walls as “calycal tracts” before ultimately dissipating into the synaptic layer. Variability within these tracts is described. (3) Fibers of undertermined origin outside the mushroom body radiate from the calycal center outwards through the synaptic layer. (4) From the inner calycal layer of neurites belonging to intrinsic mushroom-body neurons, perpendicular collaterals enter the synaptic layer. (5) Intrinsic-neuron somata near the calycal rim emit fibers which course tangentially within the synaptic layer from calycal rim to center. These fibers form a special peripheral zone in the pedunculus. The predominant presumably afferent calycal fiber class is that derived from the tractus olfactorio-globularis. No evidence was found for tracts from optic lobe to calyces. On this basis, and in light of the experimental and comparative anatomical literature, it is suggested that the corpora pedunculata of P. americana and other pterygotes are fundamentally second-order antennal sensory processing centers. Conflicting observations in earlier reports are critically discussed.     

Pollen and resource limitations to lifetime seed production in a wild population of the endangered plant Disanthus cercidifolius var. longipes H. T. Chang (Hamamelidaceae)

Disanthus cercidifolius Maxim. var. longipes H. T. Chang, a plant species that only occurs in a few counties in Hunan, Jiangxi and Zhejiang Provinces and with a relatively small number of individuals, is ranked as a second Class endangered species for conservation in China. We have studied the effect of pollen and resources available to female reproduction, and the reproductive mechanism of “excess flowers with low fruit set” in Disanthus cercidifolius Maxim. var. longipes H. T. Chang was discussed. Results are as follows Pollen from different sources has significant effects on fruit set and seed set of Disanthus cercidifolius Maxim. var. longipes H. T. Chang. The pollen source rather than pollen numbers significantly affected reproduction of this species. In wild populations, producing one fruit needs about 54.8 flowers, and one satiation seed needs about 6.60 flowers or 83.19 ovules. After fertilizing, which was propitious to flower development, the abortion rate of flower buds was decreasing, but the flowering rate was increasing. The fruit set and seed set was also significantly increasing, while abortion rate of fruit was significantly decreasing. With the increasing percentages of cutting leaves, the fruit set decreased, but the abortion rate of fruit shows no significant differentiation among treatments. After cutting branches that were puny, broken and insectin-fested branches, the flower number seemed to be decreasing, but the fruit set and seed set all increased significantly. After removing some flowers, the fruit set was calculated with respect to the number of flowers remaining after the treatment increased with increasing of percentages of flower removal, whereas fruit set calculated with respect to the initial number of flowers remained constant, and the mean weights of per fruit and per seed all decreased significantly. Sufficient spatial or temporal heterogeneities in nutrient levels might allow limitation of seed set by resources and pollen in a natural population, while supplying resources may indirectly affect pollination by increasing attraction of the flowers to pollinators. There were very low fruit and seed sets in natural populations of Disanthus cercidifolius Maxim. var. longipes H. T. Chang. Different factors may have interacted to effect a low fruit set. A joint adoption of the “selection abortion hypothesis”, “ovary reserve hypothesis” and “male function hypothesis” seems to be the most likely explanation for the reproductive strategy of “excess flowers with few fruit sets” in Disanthus cercidifolius Maxim. var. longipes H. T. Chang. __________ Translated from Acta Ecologica Sinica, 2006, 26(2): 496–502 [译自: 生态学报]     

POLLINATION ECOLOGY OF VACCINIUM STAMINEUM (ERICACEAE: VACCINIOIDEAE)

Successful fruit set by deerberry, Vaccinium stamineum (Ericaceae: Vaccinioideae) requires floral visitation by insects, and in particular by bees that collect its pollen by sonication of anthers (“buzz-pollination”). A diversity of bees visit deerberry flowers, but most species are either 1) infrequent, 2) polylectic (broad host range for pollen), or 3) principally nectar-seeking, and so are unimportant as pollen vectors. Both sexes of the solitary, oligolectic bee Melitta americana⁵ (Melittidae) are abundant at flowering deerberry bushes in central New York State. Female M. americana sonicate the deerberry anthers while imbibing nectar, and carry virtually pure scopal loads of deerberry pollen, unlike the other common visitor, Xylocopa virginica (Anthophoridae). Comparative analyses of bee 1) abundances, 2) buzz-pollination behaviors, 3) pollen fidelities, and 4) pollination efficiencies, all indicate that Melitta americana is the primary pollinator of Vaccinium stamineum.     

Inhibitor and Auxin Activity in the Avocado Fruit

The wheat coleoptile elongation bioassay was used for determination of growth-promoting and growth-inhibiting substances in avocado (Persea americana Mill.) fruit tissues, during development and maturation. Growth-promoting activity was found in two zones on paper chromatograms developed with isopropanol: ammonia : water (10:1:1 v/v): Rf 0.30–0.50 and Rf 0.8–0.9. Growth inhibiting activity was found in three different zones: “A” Rf 0.0–0.2, “B” (abscisic acid) Rf 0.6–0.8, and “C” (l-acetoxy-2,4-dihyroxy-n-hepta-deca-16-ene) Rf 0.85–1.0. Higher levels of auxins were found in seed tissues than in the mesocarp. No correlation was found between fruit growth rate and level of extractable auxins in the mesocarp. The amount of abscisic acid (ABA) in the mesocarp was constant during fruit growth. A gradual and consistent increase in 1-acetoxy-2,4-dihydroxy-n-hepta-deca-16-ene was found during fruit growth, reaching a maximum when the fruit attained maturity.     

STUDIES IN THE CAPPARIDACEAE. XI: CLEOME AFROSPINA,A TROPICAL AFRICAN ENDEMIC WITH NEOTROPICAL AFFINITIES

The Tropical West African-Congolese spiny Cleome previously referred to the neotropical “C. spinosa” is the indigenous, distinct, here newly described C. afrospina, most closely related to the southern South American C. trachycarpa of the otherwise endemic neotropical Section Tarenaya. Early collections (from 1816) and widespread distribution in wet forests and riversides also indicate it to be indigenous and not adventive. Related also is the widespread Brazilian-Argentinian C. hassleriana Chod. (“C. spinosa” auct. non Jacq.; “C. pungens” auct. non Willd.?), the commonly cultivated “Spider Flower,” once recently collected in the Congo (cultivated?). As the only indigenous spiny Old World Cleome, C. afrospina is a remarkable neotropical element in the African flora. Historical explanations for such disjunctions (continental drift, land bridges) are rejected. Avian long-distance dispersal is indicated by semi-aquatic successional habitats of high ecological receptivity, generally annual habit, other highly disjunct vicariads, and self-compatibility within the group. Similar disjunctions occur in the distribution patterns of many aquatic birds (e.g., whistling ducks—Dendrocygna) and of various tropical plants of ecologically receptive “open” habitats.     

Spatial and temporal patterns of morel fruiting

The biotic and abiotic factors conditioning morel fruit body production are incompletely known. We examined spatial and temporal patterns of Morchella esculenta fruiting over five years in a wooded site in Missouri, USA. Fruiting onset was inversely correlated with spring air and soil temperatures, whereas abundance was positively correlated with rain events (>10 mm) during the 30 d preceding fruiting. The two years with the greatest fruiting had the shortest fruiting seasons (6–7 d). Fruiting season length was positively correlated with soil warming, suggesting that a narrow range of optimum soil temperatures favour the explosive production of fruit bodies. All woody stems of at least 1 cm diam were mapped and stem diameter and crown condition were noted. Morel fruit bodies were significantly closer to stems of Carya spp., Tilia americana and Ulmus americana than predicted by the frequencies of these woody species or their contribution to the total basal area on the site. Although intra-annual clustering of fruit bodies was often observed, inter-annual clustering was not. The spatial pattern of M. esculenta fruiting appears to be associated with vegetation pattern, whereas the onset and abundance of fruiting are determined by the interaction of spring temperatures with availability of supporting precipitation.     

Morphological variation among members of theStellaria longipes complex:S. longipes,S. longifolia,andS. porsildii (Caryophyllaceae)

Morphological relationships were investigated among diploidStellaria porsildii, polyploidS. longipes, and diploidS. longifolia. Canonical discriminant analysis, based on a priori assumptions to maximize differences among groups, showed thatS. longipes clusters equally distant between the two diploid species along an axis connecting the diploids' centroids, but it differs along an axis perpendicular to this axis. The intermediacy along the former axis is evidence thatS. longipes is an amphiploid derived fromS. longifolia andS. porsildii. The divergence along the latter axis may be attributable to adaptively valuable heterotic traits which were retained following amphidiploidization. The only morphological discontinuity occurred between the two diploids, whereas the morphological range ofS. longipes overlapped the range of both diploids forming a continuum. The lack of discrete clusters is likely due to hybridization and introgression withS. longifolia on one hand, and convergence of traits betweenS. longipes var.monantha andS. porsildii on the other. High a posteriori assignments in classificatory discriminant analysis supports the separation ofS. longipes var.monantha from otherS. longipes specimens. AlthoughS. longipes var.monantha grouped close toS. porsildii, the two groups separate based on leaf shape traits. Overall results support, firstly, the hypothesis thatS. porsildii is a diploid parent species which by hybridizing withS. longifolia gave rise to polyploidS. longipes. Secondly, results suggest thatS. longipes var.monantha converged morphologically towardsS. porsildii relatively recently due to ecological specialization, and merits distinction at least as a variety ofS. longipes.     

Feeding ecology of the tropical spitting spider Scytodes longipes (Araneae,Scytodidae)

Summary Feeding experiments and prey collections in Panama have shown the tropical spitting spider Scytodes longipes to be a specialized feeder on soft-chitinized arthropods (Diptera, Lepidoptera, Hemiptera, Orthopteroidea, and Araneae); hard-chitinized insects (Hymenoptera, Coleoptera, and Heteroptera) are refused. There is a considerable specialisation on spiders as prey. The unique prey-catching behaviour in which a gummy secretion is spat onto prey items is considered as an important characteristic of this specialisation. Pholcus phalangioides, a pholcid with convergent morphology and a different specialised prey-catching behaviour, is discussed as an ecological equivalent to Scytodes longipes.     

PSEUDULVELLA AMERICANA BELONGS TO THE ORDER CHAETOPELTIDALES (CLASS CHLOROPHYCEAE), EVIDENCE FROM ULTRASTRUCTURE AND SSU RDNA SEQUENCE DATA1

The genus Pseudulvella Wille 1909 includes epiphytic, freshwater, or marine disk‐shaped green microalgae that form quadriflagellate zoospores. No ultrastructural or molecular studies have been conducted on the genus, and its evolutionary relationships remain unclear. The purpose of the present study is to describe the life history, ultrastructural features, and phylogenetic affiliations of Pseudulvella americana (Snow) Wille, the type species of the genus. Thalli of this microalga were prostrate and composed of radiating branched filaments that coalesced to form a disk. Vegetative cells had a pyrenoid encircled by starch plates and traversed by one or two convoluted cytoplasmic channels. They had well‐defined cell walls without plasmodesmata. Asexual reproduction was by means of tetraflagellate zoospores formed in numbers of two to eight from central cells of the thallus. The flagellar apparatus of zoospores was cruciate, with four basal bodies and four microtubular roots. The paired basal bodies lay directly opposite (DO) one another. The microtubular root system had a 5‐2‐5‐2 alternation pattern, where the “s” roots contained five microtubules in a four‐over‐one configuration. A tetralobate nonstriated distal fiber connected all four basal bodies. A wedge‐shaped proximal sheath subtended each of the basal bodies. The ultrastructural features of the zoospores were those of members of the order Chaetopeltidales. Phylogenetic analyses based on SSU rDNA placed P. americana sister to Chaetopeltis orbicularis in a well‐supported Chaetopeltidales clade. Such a combination of features confirmed that this alga is a member of the order Chaetopeltidales.     

Fossil Ptelea samaras (Rutaceae) in North America

Fossil samaras referred to the extant rutaceous genus Ptelea L. comprise an artificial collection of five distinct taxa with convergent fruit morphologies. Critical reexamination of these fossils revealed that only one of the five samara types can be referred to Ptelea. Two of the forms can be assigned without reservation to Tiliaceae (Pteleaecarpum = Craigia) or Caprifoliaceae (“Ptelea” cassioides [part], “Ptelea” miocenica [part]). Taxonomic affinities of the two remaining fruit types (“Ptelea“ eocenica, “Ptelea“ cassioides [part]) are undetermined. Genuine fossil Ptelea samaras are restricted to Miocene floras in the western United States, including the Hog Creek (Weiser) and Succor Creek floras near the Oregon–Idaho border and the Stinking Water flora of east-central Oregon. These samaras bear the names P. miocenica Berry and P. enervosa H. V. Smith. The holotype of P. miocenica is a caprifoliaceous infructescence similar to that of Dipelta Maximowicz, so P. enervosa, previously considered a synonym of P. miocenica, is the valid combination for fossil Ptelea samaras. P. enervosa samaras are the oldest reliably determined fossil Ptelea fruits. These samaras indicate that the Toddalieae-Pteleinae lineage of subfamily Toddalioideae has been present in North America since the Miocene, rather than the Eocene as suggested by previously misidentified specimens.     

Neuronal organization of the accessory olfactory bulb of the lizard Podarcis hispanica: Golgi study

The neuronal organization of the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB), which receives sensory information from the vomeronasal organ, was described in a squamate reptile (Podarcis hispanica) by means of light microscopy. Using the Golgi-impregnation method, seven neuronal types could be distinguished: Periglomerular cells constitute a morphologically heterogeneous population of small neurons located between and around the glomeruli. The mitral cells are diffusely distributed in the AOB. Their cell bodies are usually located within the mitral cell layer, but some of them could be also observed in the plexiform layers. Mitral cells were classified into three subgroups on the basis of their sizes and dendritic tree morphologies. Thus, the “outer mitral cells” have the biggest cell bodies, and their distal secondary dendrites are mainly distributed rostrocaudally in the external plexiform layer. The “inner mitral cells” have large cell bodies, and their secondary dendrites are distributed dorsoventrally and are located deeper than those of the other two subgroups. The third type, the “small mitral cells,” is the smallest one among mitral cells in the AOB, and from their cell bodies, only two main dendritic trunks arise. The granule cells are composed of several categories based on their different cell body locations and dendritic tree morphologies. Thus, the “superficial granule cells” are located exclusively in the external plexiform layer and have small dendritic fields. The “middle granule cells” have fusiform cell bodies—situated in the internal plexiform layer—and present a wide dendritic projection area. Finally, the “deep granule cells” are distributed throughout the granule cell layer and include a great variety of dendritic tree morphologies. The distribution and morphological features of all neuronal types constituting the AOB of Podarcis were compared with those reported on other vertebrates. The results suggest that the lamination pattern and neuronal organization of the AOB in lizards are more similar to that of mammals than to that of the remaining vertebrates.     

MORPHOGENESIS OF SCHIZOPHYLLUM COMMUNE I. MORPHOLOGICAL VARIATION AND MATING BEHAVIOR OF THE THIN MUTATION

A single gene, recessive mutation of Schizophyllum commune, designated as thin, is characterized by its sparse growth on agar and unusual hyphal morphology. Many hyphae exhibit various degrees of “waviness,” although some branches of these wavy hyphae appear normal. Differences in cell size and branch development between normal and thin strains are also noted. Most of the characteristics attributed to thin vary quantitatively between strains. In addition, considerable variability in hyphal characteristics can be found in a single strain. Thin mutants behave as bilateral maters. In matings where the normal allele is present, genetic complementation occurs and normal clamped cells are produced. Fruit bodies with viable spores are formed on both the thin and normal sides of the mating. Thin X thin matings give a stable dikaryon, but they retain the thin morphology and do not produce fruit bodies. Evidence that there is only one locus for the thin mutation is presented. Certain aspects of the variability of thins, the possible role of extracellular polysaccharide, and the potential uses for thin strains in studies of hyphal and fruit body development are discussed.     

Interactions of two natural enemies of Tetranychus evansi, the fungal pathogen Neozygites floridana (Zygomycetes: Entomophthorales) and the predatory mite, Phytoseiulus longipes (Acari: Phytoseiidae)

Tetranychus evansi is an exotic pest of Solanaceous crops in Africa discovered in Zimbabwe in 1979. Two natural enemies, the predatory mite Phytoseiulus longipes and the fungal pathogen Neozygites floridana are important causes of mortality in T. evansi populations in Brazil. The first part of this study assessed the effects of N. floridana on predation and oviposition of P. longipes fed on N. floridana infected T. evansi and T. urticae. No N. floridana hyphal bodies were found in P. longipes after this feeding, demonstrating that N. floridana is not pathogenic to P. longipes and does not affect its oviposition. The second part of the study investigated the time spent on searching for and consuming of eggs on leaf discs with and without N. floridana capilliconidia. Both the searching and the feeding time on the first egg were similar on leaf discs with and without capilliconidia. When P. longipes was offered the choice of feeding on eggs on leaf discs with or without capilliconidia, the numbers of eggs consumed were not different. The only N. floridana effect observed on P. longipes was reduced egg predation. In addition, increased time spent grooming on leaf discs with capilliconidia was observed. P. longipes was efficient in removing most capilliconidia attached to the body through self-grooming behavior. This suggests that although the predator did not avoid areas with capilliconidia, it detected and removed most capilliconidia attached to the body. Increased grooming may account for the lower egg predation rates.     

Lautäußerung und Verhalten des Azoren-Buchfinken (Fringilla coelebs moreletti Pucheran)

Es wird untersucht, ob die Azoren-Buchfinken “Rassengesang” und “Rassenrufe” haben. Gesänge und Rufe wurden auf Tonband aufgenommen und klangspektrographiert. Motivgesang. Jedes ♂ beherrscht 2–6 verschiedene Gesangsformen, wobei stets eine “Alltagsform” mit der stark vereinfachten Phrase di-djah endigt. Die anderen, weniger häufigeren Gesangsformen (“Sonntagsformen”) zeigen eine besser ausgearbeitete Endphrase, die jedoch nie so kompliziert wie bei kontinentalen Buchfinken ist. In Gebieten, in denen sich bevorzugt Kanarienvögel aufhalten, können Buchfinken Gesangselemente übernehmen. Sozialruf. Das kontinentale pink ist auf allen Azoreninseln durch gä ersetzt, so daß man von einem Rassenruf sprechen kann. Er ist mit starker Aggressionsneigung verknüpft. Der Sozialruf zeigt einen weiten Frequenzumfang, hervorgerufen durch mehrere simultane Noten. Brutstimmungsmf (Regenruf). Eine Anzahl verschiedener Rufe wurde spektrographiert. Vom ♂ ist er bei mäßiger Gefahr, aber auch spontan (30–70 Rufe/Min.) zu hören. Flugruf. Er scheint mit dem Flugruf der Nominatform identisch zu sein. Bestimmung der Reviergröße. Ein ♂ wurde innerhalb seines Reviers an die “akustische Leine” genommen und bis zu den Reviergrenzen gezogen. Verhalten und Lautäußerung änderten sich in Abhängigkeit von der jeweiligen Entfernung bis zur Reviergrenze.     

The Spermatozoa of the Thysanuran Insects Petrobius brevistylis Carp. and Lepisma saccharina L.

The spermatozoa of Petrobius and Lepisma share a few general insect features (filamentous shape, two mitochondria, compact acrosome vesicle, bilateral symmetry) but differ fundamentally with regard to specializations. In Petrobius, a long coiled acrosome, a coiled nucleus, and a “body” with axonema, two mitochondria, and a pair of lateral bodies follow each other in normal sequence. In Lepisma the acrosome is a small vestige in the spoon-shaped anterior end, the centriole is dislocated anteriorly, and nucleus, two mitochondria and axonema run like parallel filaments through most of the spermatozoon. The centriole adjunct develops into a postnuclear body in Lepisma but forms a pair of complicated “lateral bodies” in Petrobius. It is concluded that ancestral forms must have had fairly primitive spermatozoa and that specialization has proceeded independently within each evolutionary line.     

Food uptake and fine structure of Cryothecomonas longipes sp. nov., a marine nanoflagellate incertae sedis feeding phagotrophically on large diatoms

Cryothecomonas longipes Schnepf and Kühn sp. nov. is a colourless biflagellate organism, 9–14 μm long and 7–9 μm wide when not filled with food vacuoles. It was detected in the North Sea, feeding with pseudopodia on diatoms. It penetrates the host shell, while the main body of the flagellate remains outside the frustule. Cells are covered with a multilayered theca. The pseudopodium protrudes through a preformed slit in the theca. Each flagellum also emerges through a pit in which the theca forms a funnel of complex structure that girdles each flagellum. The anterior flagellum is 9–15 μm long and oriented forward; the ventral flagellum, posteriorly directed, is 20–24 μm long and bears fine hairs. The flagellar roots consist of microtubules that emerge at satellites around the basal bodies and run along the flagellar pits. In addition, the ventral flagellum is accompanied by a band of six microtubules. It is proximally attached to a small fibrillar band, which interconnects the basal bodies. Cryothecomonas longipes has two or three types of extrusomes which pierce the theca when discharged. Their mode of discharge is discussed. Microbody-like vesicles containing small tubules are closely associated with older digestion vacuoles. Cryothecomonas longipes is compared with other species of the genus and a diagnosis is given. Received: 4 March 1999 / Received in revised form: 28 July 1999 / Accepted: 30 August 1999     

Analyse der Formenmannigfaltigkeit der Valeriana officinalis-Gruppe im zentralen und südlichen Europa

Die vier morphologischen Grundtypen der mittel- und südeuropäischen Arzneibaldriane sind nicht fest an bestimmte Polyploidiestufen gebunden und bilden mannigfache Übergangsformen (-typen) zueinander (siehe Schema Abb. 3). Der osteuropäisch zentrierte Grundtyp “exaltata” ist in Mittel- und Z. T. auch Südeuropa auf diploidem Niveau verwirklicht: Typ “exaltata”, in Osteuropa auch auf tetraploider Stufe: Typ “nitida”. Der Grundtyp “collina” hat seinen Ursprung wohl im submediterranen Raum und kommt nur hier auch auf diploidem Niveau vor: Typ “illyrica”. Auf tetraploider Stufe ist er hingegen über große Teile Südeuropas und ganz Mitteleuropa weithin verbreitet: Typ “collina”. Lokal bilden sich offenbar durch Merkmalsintrogression bzw. Übergangsformenbildung im Kontakt zu anderen Grundtypen verschiedene Modifikationen aus, z. B. im westlichen Mitteleuropa: Typen “pratensis” und “vorarlbergensis” (beide mit Einfluß von “exaltata”) sowie “valligena” (Einfluß von “versifolia”). Der westeuropäische oktoploide Grundtyp “procurrens” erscheint oft mit dem Grundtyp “collina” verknüpft, so in den westlichen Alpen durch den gleichfalls oktoploiden Übergangstyp “versifolia”. An seiner östlichen Verbreitungsgrenze ist er mit dem oktoploiden Grundtyp des östlichen Mitteleuropa “sambucifolia” durch viele Übergangsformen verbunden. Eine taxonomische Erfassung (wenigstens einiger) dieser morphologischen Typen wird auf ein späteres Stadium unserer Untersuchungen verschoben. Die hier mitgeteilten Ergebnisse konnten nur mit der Hilfe zahlreicher Kollegen und Mitarbeiter erarbeitet werden, ihnen allen sei von Herzen gedankt, sie werden in unseren Detailpublikationen namentlich genannt; hier sei nur Frau Mag. Gabriela ture?ek (Wien) besonders hervorgehoben.