A revision of Schimperella (Brachytheciaceae)

Schimperella is a small African genus related toRhynchostegium. It is characterized by noncomplanate plants with erect capsules and reduced endostomes. Two species are recognized:S. katalensis andS. rhynchostegioides. A proposed synonym ofS. rhynchostegioides, Rhynchostegium nervosum, is best placed inIsothecium, asIsothecium nervosum.     

Taxonomic and nomenclatural notes on west Indian hypnaceae

Taxonomic investigations on the West Indian Hypnaceae have resulted in the following new taxa,Taxiphyllum gallorum, Ectropothecium aquaticum, andIrelandia (forIsopterygium robusticaule). Vesicularia in the West Indies is treated as a single species with four varieties,V. vesicularis var.vesicularis, var.rutilans (Brid.) comb. nov., var.portoricensis (Brid.) comb. nov., and var.crassicaulis (Mitt.) comb. nov.Chryso-hypnum is segregated fromMittenothamnium; the combinationC. diminutivum (Hampe) Buck is made.     

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.     

A new species of Eucrosia and a new name in Stenomesson (Amaryllidaceae)

Eucrosia tubiflora is described from Peru, andEucrosia peruviana is transferred toStenomesson asS. campanulatum.     

Systematics of Tillandsia subgenus Pseudalcantarea (Bromeliaceae)

Tillandsia subg.Pseudalcantarea (Bromeliaceae) includes four species as currently delimited. The phylogenetic relationships of the species in this group are investigated by a cladistic analysis using 16 morphological characters, withVriesea subg.Alcantarea employed as the outgroup.Tillandsia subg.Pseudalcantarea is found to be paraphyletic.Tillandsia grandis andT. paniculata are transferred toTillandsia subg.Tillandsia because they are hypothesized to share a more recent common ancestor withT. utriculata, the type of the genus, than they do with the other two species placed in subg.Pseudalcantarea, i.e.,T. baliophylla andT. viridiflora. These latter two species possibly constitute a basal clade withinTillandsia and are provisionally retained within subg.Pseudalcantarea.     

Stenocereus zopilotensis Arreola-Nava and Terrazas (Cactaceae), a new species from Mexico

Stenocereus zopilotensis Arreola-Nava and Terrazas, a new species from the Zopilote Canyon, municipality of Zumpango del Rio in the center of the state of Guerrero (Mexico), is described and illustrated. This new species is compared toStenocereus quevedonis J. G. Ortega,S. fricii Sánchez-Mej., andS. pruinosus (Otto) Buxb. based on morphological similarity. Moreover, the new species grows sympatrically withS. pruinosus.     

Convolvulus grandiflorus Jacq. (Convolvulaceae) re-examined

Convolvulus grandiflorus Jacq. has been treated as a synonym ofOperculina ventricosa andStictocardia tiliifolia. It is here accepted as identifiable withIpomoea (sect.Calonyction)macrantha which is the correct name for Jacquin’s taxon. Full synonymies ofIpomoea macrantha andOperculina ventricosa are given, along with a comment about a variant occurring in Micronesia.     

Taxonomic and nomenclatural rearrangement in the Hookeriales with notes on West Indian taxa

The Hookeriales are evaluated to discern familial limits. Five families are recognized in the order: Hookeriaceae, Leucomiaceae, Daltoniaceae, Callicostaceae, and Adelotheciaceae fam. nov. Chaetomitrium Dozy & Molk., Chaetomitriopsis. Fleisch., Dimorphocladon Dix., and Elharveya Crum are transferred to the Hypnaceae. Hookeriopsis (Besch.) Jaeg. is split into four genera: Hookeriopsis s. str., Brymela Crosby & Allen, Thamniopsis (Mitt.) Fleisch., and Trachyxiphium Buck, gen. nov. The following new combinations are proposed to coincide with the recognition of these four genera rather than Hookeriopsis s. lat.: Brymela acuminata, B. callicostelloides, B. cuspidata, B. fissidentoides, B. fluminensis, B. obtusifolia, B. parkeriana, B. rugulosa, B. websteri, Thamniopsis cheiloneura, T. cruegeriana, T. diffusa, T. incurva, T. langsdorffii, T. pappeana, T. purpureophylla, T. secunda, T. sinuata, T. terrestris, T. undata, T. utacamundiana, T. versicolor, Trachyxiphium aduncum, T. guadalupense, T. heteroicum, T. hypnaceum, T. pernutans, T. subfalcatum, T. tenue, T. vagum, and T. variable. Excluded species are treated as Isopterygium plumicaule, Schizomitrium cirrhosum, and S. subsecundum. Schizomitrium belangerianum (Besch.) Buck, comb. nov. is considered distinct from S. depressum (Hedw.) Buck & Steere, and S. pallidum (Hornsch.) Crum & Anders. is shown to have a smooth seta sometimes. The taxonomy of the aquatic species of Cyclodictyon Mitt. and Lepidopilum (Brid.) Brid. is clarified, resulting in the recognition of three species, Cyclodictyon subtortifolium (Bartr.) Buck, comb. nov., C. roridum (Hampe) Kuntze and L. tortifolium Mitt. Two new combinations are proposed in Calyptrochaeta Desv., C. setigera and C. albescens.     

New taxa and combinations in Siphonoglossa (Acanthaceae)

As presently known, the genusSiphonoglossa can be divided into two “subgenera,” one of which is here divided into two sections,Pentaloba andSiphonoglossa. Two new species are described from a locality in Durango, Mexico :S. durangensis in sect.Siphonoglossa andS. linearifolia in sect.Pentaloba. Three other species are transferred intoSiphonoglossa:S. canbyi from northeastern Mexico;S. buchii from Haiti and the Dominican Republic andS. incerta from southern Baja California, Mexico.     

Genetic characterization of a mutable allele,R-marbled (R-mb), in maize (Zea mays L.)

TheR-marbled (R-mb) allele in maize confers a distinct pattern of anthocyanin pigmentation in the aleurone. We investigated the genetic mechanism involved in the formation and variability of this pattern. Wide variation was observed in the extent of anthocyanin pigmentation in marbled kernels. Progeny testing of different expressions resulted in distinct segregation profiles, indicating that the somatic variegation has a genetic basis. Drastic reduction in penetrance and expressivity was noticed whenR-mb was transmitted in a single dose through the pollen parent. Analysis of the colored kernels fromR-mb, including discordant endosperm-embryo phenotypes, showed that only germinal reversions fromR-mb toR-sc (self-colored) were transmissible. Unlike other pattern alleles at theR locus, viz.R-stippled (R-st) andR-Navajo (R-nj),R-mb reverts toR-sc at a higher frequency. No dominance-recessiveness relation was found among the three pattern alleles. Reciprocal-cross differences occurred whenR-mb was crossed withR-nj orR-st, but the interaction ofR-mb withR-st was not entirely similar to that withR-nj. The characteristic variegation pattern due toR-mb is attributed to the action of a transposable genetic element on the basis of somatic and germinal instability, occurrence of discordant endosperm-embryo phenotypes, and genetic analysis ofR-mb/R-st andR-mb/R-nj heterozygotes. The distinct genetic behaviour ofR-mb, in comparison withR-st andR-nj, indicates specificity of the controlling element operating at this allele.     

On the conspecificity ofAnopheles fluviatilis species S withAnopheles minimus species C

Anopheles fluviatilis andAn. minimus complexes, each comprising of at least three sibling species, are closely related and important malaria vectors in Oriental Region. RecentlyAn. fluviatilis species S, which is a highly efficient malaria vector in India, has been made conspecific withAn. minimus species C (senior synonym) on the basis of homology in 335 base pair nucleotide sequence of D3 domain of 28S ribosomal DNA(rDNA). We examined the conspecificity of these two nominal species by obtaining and analysing the DNA sequences of nuclear ribosomal loci internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) and D2-D3 domain of 28S rDNA (28S-D2/D3) from those ofAn. fluviatilis S andAn. minimus C. We found that the sequences ofAn. fluviatilis S are appreciably different from those ofAn. minimus C with pair-wise distance (Kimura-2-parametre model) of 3.6 and 0.7% for loci ITS2 and 28S-D2/D3, respectively. Pair-wise distance and phylogenetic analyses using ITS2 sequences of members of Minimus and Fluviatilis Complexes revealedthat An. fluviatilis S is distantly related toAn. minimus C as compared to any other members of the Fluviatilis Complex. These findings suggest that the two nominal species,An. fluviatilis S andAn. minimus C, do not merit synonymy. The study also confirms that the reported speciesAn. fluviatilis X is synonym with species S.     

Type studies in the Lejeuneaceae. II. Pteryganthus,a new subgenus of Lopholejeunea

Lopholejeunea subgenusPteryganthus is described as new based upon the Mauritian plantL. sphaerophora (Lehm. & Lindenb.) Steph.Lopholejeunea utriculata Steph. from Madagascar is included as well.Lopholejeunea sinuata (Mitt.) Steph. is reduced to synonymy withL. sphaerophora. The two species of subgenusPteryganthus are compared withL. herzogiana Verd. andL. pullei Verd., two Malaysian species, with superficially similar lobule construction, but not of thePteryanthus type.     

A contribution to the Sphagnum (Sphagnaceae) flora of Paraguay

The genusSphagnum is reviewed for Paraguay, with an emphasis on recent collections. Five species and one variety are recognized:S. perichaetiale Hampe,S. magellanicum Brid.,S. pulchricoma C. Müll.,S. itabense Crum & Buck, sp. nov.,S. flaccidum Besch., andS. flaccidum var.lindmanii (Warnst.) Warnst.Sphagnum flaccidum is redescribed; it is illustrated, as areS. perichaetiale andS. itabense.     

ADDITIONS AND CORRECTIONS TO THE FOLIICOLOUS LICHEN FLORA OF COSTA RICA. THE FAMILY ARTHONIACEAE,WITH NOTES ON THE GENUSSTIRTONIA

The taxonomy of the foliicolous members of Arthoniaceae (Arthonia, Arthothelium, Cryptothecia, Ermothecella) in Costa Rica is revised.Cryptothecia farkasiaesp. nov. is described, being closely related toStirtonia sprucei, and bearing pycnidia reminiscent ofEremothecella. Arthonia lividofuscais placed in synonymy withA. aciniformis. Pycnidia and pycnospores are further described forArthonia leptosperma, A. cyanea, A. palmulacea, A. trilocularis, Arthothelium cingulatum, Stirtonia spruceiandS. macrocephala, and campylidia were found on thalli ofArthonia aciniformis. Arthonia nigratulaandCryptothecia candidaare reported for the first time from Costa Rica, and new localities are given for previously reported species. Ecological data are provided, and the relationships between foliicolous members of the Arthoniaceae are discussed.     

Bryophytes of the northern Yukon Territory,Canada, collected by A. J. Sharp and others

Two hundred and eight taxa of bryophytes, including two hundred and seven species, are reported from extreme northern Yukon. Five hepatic and eighteen moss taxa represent new records for the Yukon, which areAnastrophyllum hellerianum (Nees) Schust.,Scapania degenii Schiffn. in K. Müll.,Riccardia palmata (Hedw.) Carruth.,Mannia sibirica (K. Müll.) Frye & Clark,Sauteria alpina (Nees) Nees,Sphagnum orientale Savich,Dicranum spadiceum Zett.,Anoectangium aestivum (Hedw.) Mitt.,Barbula coreensis (Card.) Saito,B. platyneura C. Müll. & Kindb.,Pottia obtusifolia C. Müll.,Splachnum vasculosum Hedw.,Bryum acutiforme Limpr. ex Hag.,B. bimum (Brid.) Turn.,B. intermedium (Brid.) Bland.,B. neodamense Itzigs.,Cinclidium latifolium Lindb.,Timmia comata Lindb. & Arn.,Orthothecium acuminatum Bryhn,Cratoneuron arcticum Steere,Drepanocladus brevifolius (Lindb.) Warnst.,D. intermedius (Lindb.) Warnst., andD. lycopodioides (Brid.) Warnst. Many of the other collections represent significant extensions of ranges to the arctic sector of the Yukon Territory.     

Corrections to forsstroemia including bryonorrisia,gen. nov. (Anomodontaceae)

Five species previously included inForsstroemia Lindb. are excluded:F. leptodontoidea Buck is a synonym ofMiyabea fruticella (Mitt.) Broth. (Thuidiaceae);F. rigida Dix. becomesNeolindbergia plicata Stark & Buck, nom. nov. (Prionodontaceae);F. dixonii Tosco & Piovano is a synonym ofLevierella fabroniacea C. Müll. (Fabroniaceae);F. filiformis M. X. Zhang becomesLeptopterigynandrum filiforme (M. X. Zhang) Stark & Buck, comb. nov. (Leskeaceae); andF. secunda Dix. & Badhw. is placed in a new genus,Bryonorrisia Stark & Buck, asB. secunda (Dix. & Badhw.) Stark & Buck, comb. nov. (Anomodontaceae).