New fungal genera, Tectonidula gen. nov. for Calosphaeria-like fungi with holoblastic-denticulate conidiogenesis and Natantiella gen. nov. for three species segregated from Ceratostomella

Two morphologically similar groups of ascomycetes with globose to subglobose perithecia, elongate necks, unitunicate asci floating freely at maturity, and hyaline ascospores currently placed in Calosphaeria s. lat. and Ceratostomella s. lat., respectively, are studied. The Calosphaeria-like fungi have groups of perithecia growing between cortex and wood, arranged in circular groups with converging necks and piercing the cortex in a common point; the asci with a shallow apical ring and U- to horseshoe-shaped hyaline ascospores are compared with Calosphaeria pulchella, the type species of the genus. Conidiogenesis of the investigated Calosphaeria-like fungi is holoblastic-denticulate; ramichloridium-like and sporothrix-like conidiophores and conidia were formed in vitro. Ascospore and ascus morphology, structure of the ascal apex, ascogenous system, mode of conidiogenesis and the large subunit rRNA sequences of this group differ considerably from C. pulchella and both groups are unrelated. Thus a new genus, Tectonidula, is described with two accepted species, T. hippocrepida and T. fagi; they are separated by ascospore and ascus morphology and holoblastic-denticulate conidiogenesis from the core species of Calosphaeria. The placement of Tectonidula among perithecial ascomycetes is discussed. The relationship of Tectonidula with Barbatosphaeria and two ramichloridium-like hyphomycetous genera Rhodoveronaea and Myrmecridium is investigated. Three species formerly attributed to Ceratostomella are studied. The revision of the herbarium type specimen and fresh material of Ceratostomella ligneola revealed that it is conspecific with Ceratostomella ampullasca and Ceratostomella similis. The LSU phylogeny clearly separated C. ligneola from Ceratostomella s. str. and morphologically similar Lentomitella. On the basis of molecular sequence data and detailed comparison of morphology of asci, ascospores and ascogenous system the genus Natantiella is described for C. ligneola with C. ampullasca and C. similis as its synonyms. Natantiella produced sterile mycelium in vitro.     

Comparative studies into two isolates of Alternaria affecting umbelliferae

Summary 1. A new species ofAlternaria isolated from the diseased plants ofCarum copticum L.Peucedanum graveolens Benth. &Hook f. andFoeniculum vulgare Mill. is described and compared with other species affecting Umbelliferae.2. TheCoriandrum isolate described by the writer asAlternaria poonensis Raghunath is a shy sporulator in artificial culture with long beaked muriform spores formed singly at the end of comparatively short conidiophores.3. The isolate from the other three host plantsCarum copticum L.,Peucedanum graveolens Benth. &Hook f. andFoeniculum vulgare Mill. is named asAlternaria umbellifericola sp. nov. and is a profusely sporulating species, forming long chains of spores with rudimentary beak.4. TheCoriandrum isolate (Alternaria poonensis) has a narrower temperature range (25–30° C) than theCarum isolate (20–35° C) for optimum sporulation.5. TheCoriandrum isolate is pathogenic toCarum but not toDaucus carota L.6. TheCarum isolate is pathogenic toDaucus carota but does not infectCoriandrum sativum L.7. TheCoriandrum isolate has a wider host range among the Umbelliferae than theCarum isolate.Part of the M.Sc. thesis submitted to the Poona University, 1964.     

STRUCTURE AND REPRODUCTION OF NEOARDISSONEA KYLIN (RHODOPHYTA-NACCARIACEAE)1

Neoardissonea naccarioides (J. Ag.) Kylin, the type and only species of its genus, is shown to be referable to Naccaria Endlicher, to which genus it is transferred as Naccaria naccarioides (J. Ag.) comb. nov.     

New sections in<Emphasis Type="Italic">Taraxacum</Emphasis>

Sectional taxonomy ofTaraxacum in steppe or subsaline habitats in Central Asia is revised based on material collected during expeditions, cultivated or studied in herbarium. Two new sections are described from that area:T. sect.Stenoloba similar toT. sect.Leucantha (syn.:T. sect.Sinensia), andT. sect.Suavia allied toT. sect.Dissecta. The type species of the sectionSuavia is described asTaraxacum formosissimum Kirschner etŠtěpánek. Widespread mountain dandelions of the Caucasus, intermediate between the sect.Piesis andT. stevenii, are described asT. sect.Confusa. Taraxacum species dominating dry habitats in S Ukraine and Crimea are described asT. sect.Borysthenica. Species belonging to the new sections were found to be polyploid and agamospermous.     

Redeskription vonOpius scaevolae (Cameron) [Hymenoptera,Braconidae, Opiinae]

Summary Opius scaevolae (Cameron) was originally described asTolbia and placed amongAlysiinae. The species is now redescribed and transferred toOpius. The taxonomical separation fromOpius caesus Haliday andOpius niloticus Schmiedeknecht is discussed.      

Cephalodiate Arten der GattungLecidea sensu lato (Ascomycetes lichenisati)

(1) The ability to produce cephalodia is usually a genus-specific character in lichens. (2)Lecidea shushanii Thoms., is a member of the genusTephromela, closely related toT. aglaea. It is not clear, whether or not the cephalodia of this taxon are true cephalodia or colonies of epiphytic cyanobacteria and whether or notLecidea shushanii is an independent species. (3)Lecidea dovrensis Nyl., is, in contrast to the traditional concept, not conspecific withLecidea alpestris Sommerf., but an earlier name forLecidea pallida Th. Fr. (4)Lecidea dovrensis is described in some detail. Chemically the species is characterized by the presence of isousnic acid (previously unknown in lecideoid lichens). It is restricted to areas north of the 60th parallel with an oceanic climate. (5) In connection with the attempt to clarify the taxonomic relationships ofLecidea dovrensis, figures of ascus apical structures of the following species are given (marked by an asterisk are genera where we found discrepancies with published data):Austrolecia antarctica, Catillaria chalybeia, Lecidea alpestris, L. caesioatra, L. limosa, Lecidoma demissum, Koerberiella wimmeriana, Micarea assimilata, M. crassipes, M. melaenida, M. prasina, Pilophorus robustus, Placodiella olivacea, Placolecis opaca, Porpidia trullisata, Protoblastenia rupestris, Psilolechia lucida, Psorula rufonigra, Squamarina gypsacea, Xanthopsorella texana. (6) Among crustaceous lichens we find no groups related toLecidea dovrensis. We supportTimal's concept of including this species in the genusPilophorus. Pilophorus, as well asLecidea dovrensis is characterized by the same ascus type, by a similar structure of thallus, cephalodia, paraphyses, and ascocarp (although there is no pseudopodetium developed inLecidea dovrensis), and the presence of isousnic acid. In addition, both taxa are restricted to cool oceanic climates and non-calciferous substrates. The following combination is proposed:Pilophorus dovrensis (Nyl.)Timdal, Hertel & Rambold, comb. nova. (7) The species of theLecidea alpestris-group form an independent genus, probably near toAustrolecia Hertel.

Frau Prof. Dr.Elisabeth Tschermak-Woess zu ihrem 70. Geburtstag gewidmet.     

Ceratostomella hyalocoronata, a new pyrenomycete from a stream in southern China

Ceratostomella hyalocoronata is described and illustrated as a new species from old decaying wood immersed in a stream in Guangdong Province, southern China. It is compared toC. hyalostoma, a temperate terrestrial species.     

Studies on generaMallomonas andSynura,and other plankton in freshwater with the electron microscope

A new genusSpiniferomonas of the Synuraceae was established withSpiniferomonas bourrellii as the type species. The cells ofSpiniferomonas are solitary, freeswimming, biflagellated, and covered with siliceous scales and spines. The genus shows a similarity to theChrysosphaerella (Synuraceae) in the structure of scales and spines. In addition to the type species, six species were also described as the new taxa of this genus. They were named asS. abei, S. bilacunosa, S. trioralis, S. crucigera, S. conica, andS. alata, respectively. All the specimens were collected from ponds and lakes in Japan.S. trioralis was also collected from the Republic of South Africa. Dedicated to Professor Dr. NoboruAbe in celebration of his sixty-fifth birthday.     

Der Lebenszyklus vonPorphyrostromium obscurum (Bangiophyceae,Rhodophyta)

Studies on the sexuality and the heteromorphous life cycle ofErythrotrichia ciliaris provided decisive criteria for the establishment of the genusErythrotrichopeltis (Kornmann, 1984). This genus was transferred by Wynne (1986) toPorphyrostromium Trevisan 1848. In the present studyErythrotrichia obscura, the original species of Berthold's (1882) classical observations on the sexuality of this genus, is incorporated toPorphyrostromium. Previously regarded as synonyms,Porphyrostromium ciliare (Carm. ex Harv.) Wynne andP. obscurum (Berth.) nov. comb. proved to be distinct species, differing both in the filamentous and in the peltoid phases of their life cycle. The relationship betweenP. ciliare andP. boryanum (Montagne) Trevisan, type species of the genus, may only be elucidated by future investigations on the basis of field collected material.      

Mobergellans (Problematica) from the Cambrian of Greenland, Siberia and Kazakhstan

Mobergellans are disc-shaped problematic fossils of phosphatic composition bearing prominent muscle attachment structures on the presumed internal surface. They are found exclusively in sediments of Early Cambrian age, mainly from Laurentia, Baltica and Siberia. Type material ofDiscinella brastadi Poulsen, 1932 from North-East Greenland is re-studied and synonomised withDiscinella micans (Billings, 1871). Specimens from Siberia described asD. brastadi are re-assigned toMobergella hexactina n. sp., and specimens from Siberia described asMobergella radiolata Bengtson, 1968 are re-assigned toM. sibirica n. sp.Aktugaia triangula Mis-Sarzhevsky, 1976 from Kazakhstan is redescribed, and its relationship to other mobergellans is discussed.      

Two new fossil woods ofAcer and a new combination ofPrunus from the Tertiary of Japan

Two new species ofAcer fossil woods,A. momijiyamense andA. Watarianum, are described and a short review of fossil wood of this genus from the Tertiary of Japan is given. In the course of a study on three fossil wood species which have been described asAcer andAcernium from Japan, it is noticed thatAcernium iwatense Watari does not belong toAcer but toPrunus of the Rosaceae, and is therafore transferred intoPrunus asPrunus iwatense comb. nov.     

Permophricodothyris Pavlova, 1965 (Brachiopoda, Spiriferida) from the Permian of South China: its morphology, biostratigraphy and distribution

A study of both silicified and nonsilicified specimens of Permian reticularioid brachiopods from South China suggests thatPermophricodothyris, a genus previously rarely reported from China, is actually very common and abundant in the Middle and especially Upper Permian of South China. This study also clarifies, for the first time, that many of the reticularioid brachiopod species previously described asSquamularia in fact belong toPermophricodothyris. The new data presented in this paper also allows a critical evaluation ofPermophricodothyris in relation to its closest allies:Phricodothyris, Squamularia, Bullarina andNeophricodothyris. The revision reveals that a total of 18Permophricodothyris species are present in the Middle and Upper Permian of South China, with only one species,P. squamularioides, having survived the Permian-Triassic mass extinction. Two species,P. grandis (Chao) andP. guangxiensis Han, Zhou & Wang, are redescribed here, providing critical new information on the morphology and taxonomy of these species.     

Coremiella cuboidea (Sacc. et Ell.) Cif. et Car. n. comb. isolata da feci umane

Riassunto Sono studiati nelle loro caratteristiche morfo-culturali e biologiche quattro ceppi omogenei diCoremiella isolati da feci umane. Questo genera è simile aGeotrichum ma oltre a cellule miceliche clamidosporo-simili presenta formazione apicali miceliche di tipo coremioide reptante.L'artrosporulazione è un processo endogeno come inGeotrichum, e come inGeorichum si hanno artrospore clamidosporioidi fertili opache e artrospore usuali non fertili e jaline, ma meno differenziate.I ceppi vengono riferiti aC. ulmariae e le caratteristiche vengono paragonate anche con le culture su legno diSpirea ulmaria.Il primo esemplare diCoremiella è stato pubblicato comeOospora cuboidea Sacc. etEll. come è stato accertato studiando l'esemplare autentico diEllis.In conclusione il genereCoremiella Bub. etKrieg. è stato emendato ed è stata creata la combinazioneC. cuboidea (Sacc. etEll.).

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Summary Four homogeneous strains ofCoremiella from human feces were studied from morpho-cultural and biological standpoint. This genus is likeGeotrichum, but in addition to some mycelial, chlamydospore-like cells, coremioid mycelial, reptant strands are formed.The arthrosporulation is an endogeneous process, and, likeGeotrichum, there are usual hyaline and duller chlamydosporioid, fertile arthrospores, but less differentiated.The strains are referred toC. ulmariae, and the characteristics were compared also on timber and woody European Meadowsweet cultures. But the first binomial ofCoremiella has been published asOospora cuboidea Ell. etSacc., as ascertained by the study of the authenticEllis specimen.In conclusion, the genusCoremiella Bub. etKrieg. has been emended, and the combinationC. cuboidea (Sacc. etEll.) established.

     

Tlirolian and Ruscinian porcupines (genus<Emphasis Type="Italic">Hystrix</Emphasis>, Rodentia) from Europe,Asia and North Africa

Specimens of the larger Neogene porcupines, generally allocated toHystrix primigenia (Wagner, 1848), from 17 localities are studied, and their taxonomic status is recon-sidered. Material from one of these localities has recently been described asHystrix depereti Sen, 2001. The diagnoses of both species are revised. Tooth size and crown height are considered diagnostic characters at the species level. As a resuit, specimens from eight localities are allocated toH. primigenia, from eight other localities toH. depereti, and from one locality toHystrix sp. indet. The level of specialisation of the cranial morphology of these fossil species is compared withH. refossa Gervais, 1852 and with extant species. Diagnostic characters ofH. aryanensis SEN, 2001 and ofH. zhengi van Weers & Zhang, 1999, are discussed.     

Revisione del Genere Polyscytalum Riess

Riassunto Si discute la posizione sistematica del generePolyscytalum in relazione ai funghi artrosporei prospettando la necessità di tenerlo distinto daGeotrichum eCylindrium. Sulla scorta di materiali di erbario (tra cui l'autotipo diP. fecundissimum var.macrosporum, si è accertato che i conidi (artrospore) del generePolyscytalum sono unisettati. Il genere appartiene così agli Ifomiceti Ialodidimi e non a quelli Ialoamerosporei. Delle altre specie ristudiate, ilP. sericeum Sacc. (tipo) è una specie del genereFusidium Link (=Cylindrium Bon.) e si propone la combinazioneF. sericeum; ilP. griseum è sinonimo diG. candidum. IlP. sericeum var.conorum Sacc. rientra nel genereFusidium e si propone la nuova combinazioneF. conorum. IlP. chymophilum e ilP. saccardianum sono pure sinonimi diG. candidum. IlP. murinum, isolato in Brasile da un pesce del genereCarassius corrisponde aCylindrium heteronemum Sacc. e pertanto viene proposta la nuova combinazioneFusidium heteronemum (Sacc.)Cif. etCar. In conclusione viene riconvalidato il generePolyscytalum Riess emendandone la diagnosi.

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Summary The taxonomy of the arthrosporic genusPolyscytalum, as related toGeotrichum andCylindrium, is discussed. The study of the authentic material of a variety of the type species (Polyscytalum fecundissimum Riess var.macrosporum Riess) revealed the presence of a central septum, evident only by the phase contrast microscopy. The only species cultivated,P. murinum Oud., is butFusidium heteronemum (Sacc.) (=Cylindrium heteronemum Sacc.), at least in the Brazilian culture from the intestinal content of a fish. In additionP. griseum, P. chymophilum andP. saccardianum are synonyms ofGeotrichum candidum. ForP. sericeum andP. sericeum var.conorum the combinationsF. sericeum (Sacc.) andF. conorum (Sacc.) are proposed.In conclusion the genusPolyscytalum is re-validated, but the diagnosis emended.

     

Floral anatomy ofHypseocharis (Oxalidaceae) with a discussion on its systematic position

The floral anatomy of threeHypseocharis spp. has been studied. The genus resemblesOxalidaceae as well asMonsonia andSarcocaulon of theGeraniaceae. As it is closer toGeraniaceae than toOxalidaceae, it perhaps serves as a connecting link between them.     

Problematic cap-shaped fossils from the Lower Cambrian of North-East Greenland

Three species ofOcruranus Liu, 1979 are described from the Bastion Formation of North-East Greenland, of late Early Cambrian (middle Dyeran of North American usage) age, representing the youngest record of a genus originally described from the earliest Cambrian Meishucunian Stage of China. An accompanying species, tentatively assigned toXianfengella He &Yang, 1982, seems also to be present in South Australia in strata of late Early Cambrian (Botoman of Siberian usage) age, although also this genus was described originally from the Meishucunian.Ocruranus andXianfengella from China have been interpreted as possibly parts of coeloscleritophoran scleritomes, perhaps halkieriids, rather than individual molluscan shells. Their shell form is not typical of helcionelloids which otherwise dominate the Early Cambrian molluscan record, but conclusive evidence of affinity is not forthcoming from the Greenland records. New taxa:Ocruranus septentrionalis n. sp. andOcruranus tunuensis n. sp.      

The phylogeny and evolution of thePterygodium—Corycium complex (Coryciinae,Orchidaceae)

The leaf-anatomy, palynology, seed-morphology, vegetative morphology and especially the highly complicated floral morphology of theCoryciinae s. str. (Diseae: Orchidoideae: Orchidaceae) are described and illustrated in detail. On the basis of these characters the presumed phylogeny, based on a rigorous cladistic analysis, is presented. The cladistic biogeographical analysis of theCoryciinae s. str. shows that it is a member of the Afrotemperate Track, with a pattern of vicariance events typical of the members of this track. An analysis of the patterns of speciation shows that allopatric speciation appears to be rare, and that parapatric speciation across edaphic boundaries may be the most important factor. Proceeding from the information presented, a new classification of the group is proposed in which we recognize the four generaCeratandra, Evotella, Pterygodium andCorycium. The new monotypic genusEvotella comprises a species originally described asPterygodium rubiginosum. The three species of the genusAnochilus are transferred toCorycium andPterygodium. P. magnum, which was originally described asPterygodium but was transferred toCorycium lately, is placed in a monotypic section ofPterygodium.