Some new taxa ofPotentilla L.

Five new species and two varieties from the sectionMultifidae are described from the Sino-Himalayan region. They are referred to the affinity ofP. multifida L. andP. griffithii Hook. f.; one of the new species is probably related toP. gerardiana Lindl. and one is intermediate between the species of the sectionsMultifidae andNiveae.     

Biosystematic study of Berlandiera (Compositae)

Berlandiera is revised to includeB. subacaulis, B. pumila, B. texana, andB. lyrata with its varietieslyrata andmacrophylla. All species may be induced to interbreed readily, producing F₁ progeny which are vigorous but with reduced fertility. Sympatric species produce natural hybrids which are proposed here asB. Xhumilis (=B. pumila XB. subacaulis) andB. Xbetonicifolia (=B. pumila XB. texana). All taxa investigated hadn = 15 chromosomes, including new counts forB. subacaulis and all six F₁ hybrids.     

Chromosome number variability in central european members of the<Emphasis Type="Italic">Festuca ovina</Emphasis> and<Emphasis Type="Italic">F. pallens</Emphasis> groups (sect.<Emphasis Type="Italic">Festuca</Emphasis>)

Chromosome numbers for 98 plants ofF. pallens, 19 ofF. psammophila, F. belensis andF. vaginata, and 44 ofF. ovina (originating from Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Slovakia and Latvia) are given. In addition to theF. ovina andF. pallens groups, chromosome counts for the following taxa are also reported:F. alpestris (2n=14) reported for the first time in this work,F. amethystina subsp.amethystina (2n=28),F. brevipila (2n=42),F. cinerea (2n=28),F. rupicola subsp.rupicola (2n=42) andF. versicolor subsp.versicolor (2n=14).InF. pallens, two ploidy levels (2n=2x=14+0-1B, 2n=4x=28+0-1B) as well as two natural triploid plants (2n=21+0-1B), were found. In addition to the fourF. pallens types that have been distinguished in Austria, one new tetraploid type (F. pallens “scabrifolia”) from the Czech Republic and Germany is reported and its taxonomy is discussed. The distributions of the Oberösterreich-Niederösterreich and Pannonisches-HügellandF. pallens types outside of Austria are documented.Only the diploid chromosome number (2n=14) was found inF. psammophila andF. vaginata. Chromosome numbers forF. psammophila subsp.muellerstollii andF. belensis (both 2n=14) were determined here for the first time. Two ploidy levels, 2n=14+0-5B corresponding toF. ovina subsp.ovina and 2n=28 corresponding toF. ovina subsp.guestphalica andF. cf.duernsteinensis were confirmed inF. ovina. Differences in chromosome structure (simple and multiple secondary constrictions) betweenF. pallens as opposed toF. psammophila andF. vaginata are discussed. A complete survey of published chromosome counts for Central European species from theF. ovina andF. pallens groups is included.     

The variability of critical species ofLotus L. in Iran and in the neighbouring countries I. the circle ofL. corniculatus L. andL. gebelia Vent.

The region of Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and the neighbouring countries is important for some groups of the speciesLotus L., especially those of the circle ofL. corniculatus L. andL. gebelia Vent. The first group is represented by the speciesL. corniculatus L. with 4 subspecies (3 of which are important for this region), andL. tenuis Waldst. etKit. which here attains the eastern boundary of the continuous area of distribution, and by the eastern speciesL. krylovii Schischk. etSerg. andL. rechingeri Chrtková-?ertová. The second group is represented by the speciesL. gebelia Vent.,L. michauxianus Ser. in DC. andL. libanoticus Boiss. their areas of distribution covering mostly those regions. Most of the species show considerable variability within the species.     

On the taxonomy ofPuccinia sieversiae Arth. and some remarks on the phylogeny of the rusts onGeeae

Puccinia tatrensis Urban onGeum reptans in Czechoslovakia is recognized as a subspecies ofPuccinia sieversiae Arth.Puccinia waldsteiniae, P. gei andP. gei-parviflori appear to be the most ancient rusts known on the tribeGeeae and it is assumed that their common ancestral form was already present in the Cretaceous period.Puccinia sieversiae is more advanced and has its centre of origin and spread in Central Asia. Phylogenetically most advanced and at the same time most differentiated from each other are species ofPhragmidium, i.e.P. circumvallatum andP. miyabeanum.     

Correlations between the ages of<Emphasis Type="Italic">Alnus</Emphasis> host species and the genetic diversity of associated endosymbiotic<Emphasis Type="Italic">Frankia</Emphasis> strains from nodules

Nodule samples were collected from four alder species:Alnus nepalensis, A. sibirica, A. tinctoria andA. mandshurica growing in different environments on Gaoligong Mountains, Yunnan Province of Southwest China and on Changbai Mountains, Jilin Province of Northeast China. PCR-RFLP analysis of the IGS betweennifD andnifK genes was directly applied to unculturedFrankia strains in the nodules. A total of 21 restriction patterns were obtained. TheFrankia population in the nodules ofA. nepalensis had the highest genetic diversity among all fourFrankia populations; by contrast, the population in the nodules ofA. mandshurica had the lowest degree of divergence; the ones in the nodules ofA. sibirica andA. tinctoria were intermediate. A dendrogram, which was constructed based on the genetic distance between the restriction patterns, indicated thatFrankia strains fromA. sibirica andA. tinctoria had a close genetic relationship.Frankia strains fromA. nepalensis might be the ancestor ofFrankia strains infecting otherAlnus species. From these results and the inference of the ages ofAlnus host species, it is deduced that there was a co-evolution betweenAlnus and its microsymbiontFrankia in China.     

Differentiation of species in Gonioloboceras

The type specimen ofGonioloboceras goniolobum (Meek), rediscovered by Spath in the British Museum, is the foundation for a more accurate comparative study of this and other species ofGonioloboceras.Gonioloboceras described asG. goniolobum byElias in 1938 is differentiated asGonioloboceras schmidti, new species. Suture sets (new term) for several growth stages inG. goniolobum (Meek),G. welleriSmith,G. schmidtiElias, G.eliasiMiller &Owen, andG. asiaticumLibrovitch are assembled and used for differentiation of the species.The Kazakhstan goniatite faunule containingG. asiaticum is considered of very late Pennsylvanian age.     

Vernonia georgiana—Species or hybrid?

Vernonia georgiana Bartlett was demonstrated to be of hybrid origin by means of hybridization experiments and comparisons of the artificial F₁ hybrids with herbarium specimens ofV. georgiana. The two parental species areV. angustifolia Michx. andV. acaulis (Walt.) Gleason.     

Cytotaxonomic notes on eleven species of Cirsium native to Mexico

Data on chromosome numbers in eleven species and three forms ofCirsium are presented. The species treated areC. nivale (H.B.K.) Schultz Bip.,C. jorullense (H.B.K.) Spreng.,C. durangense (Greenman) Ownbey,C. ochrocentrum Gray,C. undulatum (Nutt.) Spreng.,C. velatum (Wats.) Petrak,C. mexicanum DC.,C. rhaphilepis (Hemsley) Petrak,C. occidentalis (Nutt.) Jepson subsp.acrolepis Petrak,C. conspicuum (Sweet) Schultz Bip., andC. ehrenbergii Schultz Bip. A case of autotriploidy is reported forC. durangense. Natural hybridization betweenC. durangense and a form ofC. mexicanum is reported. Photomicrographs of the mitotic or meiotic chromosomal configurations of nine species and two forms are reproduced.C. ochrocentrum Gray var.durangense Greenman is raised to species rank.     

The histology of the scales ofOrvikuina (Palaeoniscoidea)

The analysis byØrvig of the structure of the scales ofScanilepis andOrvikuina is discussed. It is shown that the analysis, because it ignores the physical size of the scales, incorrectly leads to the conclusion that the scales ofOrvikuina show a stage of specialisation towards the higher teleostean condition further than, but of the same kind as, that shown byScanilepis. The specialisation ofOrvikuina is in fact of a different kind from that ofScanilepis.     

Distribution of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Divo</Emphasis> in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Coffea</Emphasis> genomes,a poorly described family of angiosperm LTR-Retrotransposons

Coffea arabica (the Arabica coffee) is an allotetraploid species originating from a recent hybridization between two diploid species: C. canephora and C. eugenioides. Transposable elements can drive structural and functional variation during the process of hybridization and allopolyploid formation in plants. To learn more about the evolution of the C. arabica genome, we characterized and studied a new Copia LTR-Retrotransposon (LTR-RT) family in diploid and allotetraploid Coffea genomes called Divo. It is a complete and relatively compact LTR-RT element (~5 kb), carrying typical Gag and Pol Copia type domains. Reverse Trancriptase (RT) domain-based phylogeny demonstrated that Divo is a new and well-supported family in the Bianca lineage, but strictly restricted to dicotyledonous species. In C. canephora, Divo is expressed and showed a genomic distribution along gene rich and gene poor regions. The copy number, the molecular estimation of insertion time and the analysis at orthologous locations of insertions in diploid and allotetraploid coffee genomes suggest that Divo underwent a different and recent transposition activity in C. arabica and C. canephora when compared to C. eugenioides. The analysis of this novel LTR-RT family represents an important step toward uncovering the genome structure and evolution of C. arabica allotetraploid genome.     

Geographical variation of skull characters in pikas (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Ochotona</Emphasis>, Lagomorpha) of the<Emphasis Type="Italic">alpina-hyperborea</Emphasis> group

A multivariate analysis of 11 skull measurements, along with evaluation of the shape of maxill-premaxill suture at palatine foramina, was carried out in pikas of thealpina-hyperborea group. The study provided rational for recognition of three distinct species in this group:Ochotona alpina (Pallas, 1773),O. hyperborea (Pallas, 1811), andO. turuchanensis Naumov, 1934.O. turuchanensis is a species from central Siberia differing fromO. hyperborea in the chromosome number and type of palatine foramina and fromO. alpina in size of the skull. This species is allopatric withO. alpina and partly sympatric withO. hyperborea. The subspeciessvatoshi is reportedly allocated toO. hyperborea. The taxonomic status ofmantchurica (now allocated tohyperborea) and scorodumovi (treated at present as an isolated subspecies of O. alpina) needs careful investigation.     

Membranes of five-fold alamethicin-resistant<Emphasis Type="Italic">Staphylococcus aureus,Enterococcus faecalis</Emphasis> and<Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus cereus</Emphasis> show decreased interactions with alamethicin due to changes in membrane fluidity and surface charge

The aim of this study was to understand development of resistance to alamethicin (a model barrel stave pore forming antimicrobial peptide) by investigating changes in phospholipid profile, fatty acid side chain analysis and extent of alamethicin insertion in biomimetic membrane prepared form wild type strains and five folds alamethicin resistant variants ofStaphylococcus aureus NCDC 110,Enterococcus faecalis NCDC 114 andBacillus cereus NCDC 66. The wild type strains NCDC 110, 114, 66, were sensitive to alamethicin with IC₅₀ 5.5, 3.25 and 2.0 μg/ml respectively. Wild type strains were cultured in the presence of alamethicin to select resistant variants with IC₅₀ 29.0, 17.0 and 9.5 μg/ml respectively. The phospholipid profile analysis revealed increase in amino-group containing phospholipids to amino-group lacking phospholipids ratio between wild-type and resistant variant inS. aureus and B. cereus but decreased inE. faecalis. Predominant fatty acids in all strains were composed of even number of carbons. Linoleic acid was detected only in resistant strain ofB. cereus. As indicated by saturated-to-unsaturated fatty acids ratio, the membrane fromS. aureus andE. faecalis became more rigid, whereas, inB. cereus it became more fluid. Using a colorimetricin vitro assay, a decrease in alamethicin insertion in the biomimetic membrane could be observed upon acquisition of resistance. The membranes of five-fold alamethicin-resistantS. aureus, E. faecalis andB. cereus revealed changes in membrane fluidity and surface charge upon acquisition of resistance to alamethicin.     

Evidence for the hybrid origin of Flaveria latifolia (Compositae)

Investigations of natural populations, cytological studies, and comparisons of herbarium specimens have been used to clarify the taxonomy of the Florida species ofFlaveria. These studies indicate thatF. latifolia is a hybrid betweenF. linearis andF. floridana. Apparently the “latifolia” plants represent stabilized populations that have become adapted to the fill material dredged from the ocean and used in road building and land development in southern Florida. The wide variation noted in populations ofF. linearis andF. floridana is attributed to introgression. The paper includes a taxonomic treatment of the six species which occur in Florida. AU taxa are diploid with 2n = 36.     

The principal cotton pests and their economic thresholds in the Kilikien Plain in Southern Turkey

Agrotis ypsilon, Tetranychus cinnabarinus, Bemisia tabaci, Heliothis armigera, Platyedra gossypiella, Earias insulana, Spodoptera littoralis are the major pests of cotton in the Kilikien Plain in Southern Turkey;Aphis gossypii, Spodoptera exigua, Empoasca spp. are occasional pests andThrips tabaci, Nezara viridula, Lygus spp.,Oxycarenus hyalinipennis are of little importance. Pest control is improved if the exact time of appearance and the biology and ecology of these insect pests are known.A. ypsilon can be controlled effectively and economically by seed treatment. Seed sterilization and the destruction of crop residues significantly reduce the offspring and infestation ofP. gossypiella andE. insulana. The number of chemical treatments forT. cinnabarinus, B. tabaci, H. armigera, S. littoralis can be reduced by the application of economic thresholds.     

Bacteriocin production by members of the genusKlebsiella

Bacteriocin production was tested in 36Klebsiella and 3Enterobacter aerogenes strains. Bacteriocins produced byK. pneumoniae were found to be active on most strains ofK. edwardsi, K. aerogenes, K. rhinoscleromatis andE. aerogenes. The bacteriocin produced byE. aerogenes 37 is also active onK. pneumoniae andK. ozaenae. The bacteriocins produced byK. rhinoscleromatis, K. edwardsi andK. aerogenes are active on only a few strains. The activity spectra of the bacteriocins of a number of strains were similar. The method of classification used for colicins could not be applied to these bacteriocins as mutants resistant to one bacteriocin were nearly always resistant to all other bacteriocins. One mutant, though resistant, still adsorbed the bacteriocin to which it was resistant and it is very likely that the same applies for all other resistant mutants. The hypothesis is made that allKlebsiella bacteriocins have the same biochemical target, or more likely, possess a common transmission mechanism.     

Cytogenetics of modern sugar canes

Modern sugar cane varieties are derived from interspecific crosses involving as many as four species. Because a chromosome increase accompanies certain crosses and backcrosses, modern varieties have very high aneuploid chromosome numbers and complicated genetics. Despite this complexity, the chromosome behavior of some modern varieties approaches that of allopolyploids. In achieving homozygosity, therefore, such varieties should respond to inbreeding almost like diploids. The meiotic chromosome behavior of F₁ hybrids and modern varieties indicates little or no genetic exchange between chromosomes ofSaccharum officinarum andS. spontaneum. Irradiation may break linkages between desirable and undesirableS. spontaneum genes not ordinarily broken by crossing-over between the chromosomes of the two species. The quick success of nobilizingS. spontaneum (recurrently back-crossing to “noble canes”) depends on a peculiar increase of the chromosomes ofS. officinarum. Experience with nobilizingS. spontaneum should not make breeders impatient when they turn to interspecific crosses unaccompanied by chromosome increases.     

Two new species of Alcantarea (Bromeliaceae,Tillandsioideae) from Brazil

Alcantarea turgida andA. tortuosa are described and illustrated as new species from southeastern Brazil. The relationships ofA. turgida withA. extensa and withA. vinicolor and ofA. tortuosa withA. farneyi and withA. benzingii are discussed.