A new variety of Draba pedicellata and a lectotype for D. cusickii (Brassicaceae)

A closely related group of Great Basin endemic dradas,Draba cusickii O. E. Schulz,D. sphaeroides Payson, andD. pedicellata (Rollins & R. A. Price) Windham, are described, keyed, and discussed in order to putD. pedicellata var.wheelerensis N. H. Holmgren, var. nov. in perspective.Draba cusickii is endemic to Steens Mountain of southeastern Oregon, andD. sphaeroides is known only from three mountain ranges in Elko County, Nevada, whereasD. pedicellata is more widespread in mountain ranges of eastern Nevada in Elko, Eureka, Nye, and White Pine counties.Draba pedicellata var.pedicellata occupies most of the range of the species, with var.wheelerensis being restricted to the Snake Range, just to the east of the range of the typical variety.     

A study of Draba cacuminum (Brassicaceae)

A morphological analysis of the Scandinavian mountain endemic Draba cacuminum Elis. Ekman is presented, based on Scandinavian herbarium collections and a population sample from the Finse area, S Norway. It is compared with supposedly close relatives, especially D. norvegica Gunnerus, and is found to be a distinct species with infraspecies variation at two levels. The populations of southern and northern Scandinavia have been separated as subspecies, ssp. cacuminum and ssp. angusticarpa Elven ssp. nov., respectively, and there is also variation within the southern subspecies. A lectotype has been chosen for D. cacuminum , a revised distribution map is presented, and the ecology and phytogeography of the species is discussed. It seems to be a weak competitor, and its present very discontinuous area is assumed to be a remnant of one continuous or more probably two areas (in S Norway and N Scandinavia) in the late Weichselian.     

A new species of Vella L. (Brassicaceae) from the south-eastern part of the Iberian Peninsula

CRESPO, MB., 1992. A new species of Vella L. (Brassicaceae) from the south-eastern part of the Iberian Peninsula . Vella lucenlina is described from the coastal, low, dry areas of Alicante Province (south-eastern Spain). This plant is a spineless shrub, woody at the base, with narrowly linear, entire leaves, and an acute tongue-shaped stylar part of the fruit. Affinities and differences with the other taxa in the genus are discussed, and ecological data and conservation proposals are reported.     

A taxonomic review of Iris L. series Unguiculares (Diels) Lawrence

DAVIS, A. P. & JURY, S. L., 1990. A review of Iris L. series Unguiculares (Diels) Lawrence (Iridaceae) . The morphology, pollen, chromosomes and distribution of these plants are discussed and a new systematic account of the series is given.     

A new variety of Draba oreibata (Brassicaceae) from Nevada,U.S.A.

A new variety ofDraba oreibata, var.serpentina, is described, illustrated, and discussed.     

A revision of the genus Phaeonychium (Brassicaceae)

Phaeonychium consists of six species distributed in Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Kashmir, Nepal, and Tajikistan. The new combinations P. villosum and P. kashgaricum are proposed. Phaeonychium jafrii is described as new. The limits and relationships of Phaeonychium are discussed.     

Taxonomic review of the genus Hypoatherina Schultz 1948 (Atheriniformes: Atherinidae)

The marine atherinid fishes of the genus Hypoatherina Schultz 1948 (Atherinidae: Atherinomorinae) were redefined from both morphological and molecular analyses, and eight of the ten included species were redescribed. In the molecular phylogeny, four regions of mitochondrial DNA were analyzed. The results of both trees of maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses indicated the paraphyly of the former Hypoatherina. “Atherina” valenciennei and “Atherina” woodwardi, both formerly belonging to Hypoatherina, show closer relationships with Atherinomorus duodecimalis and Atherinomorus aetholepis. “Hypoatherina” celebesensis is also apart from the clade including the majority of Hypoatherina species. In contrast, H. panatela, formerly regarded as a member of the genus Stenatherina Schultz 1948, is included in the present Hypoatherina clade. The present molecular phylogeny of the genus Hypoatherina can be supported by morphology. The genus Hypoatherina is redefined by the following combinations of characters: ascending process of premaxilla long and slender, its height more than 2.7 times the maximum width; both anterior and posterior lateral processes of premaxilla narrow and deep, the anterior process almost the same as or slightly deeper than the posterior process; premaxilla not tapering posteriorly; posterior upper margin of dentary with a prominent process; upper posterior limb of dentary with round or somewhat angular posteroventral corner; anterior preopercular ridge with a deep notch just above the corner; anus situated posterior to or slightly anterior to appressed pelvic-fin tip in adults; dorsoventral height of exposed area in the midlateral scale (third) row wide, almost equal to the maximum height of the scale, and almost the same height as scales just above or below the midlateral row. The redefined Hypoatherina includes the following ten species: H. barnesi—widely distributed in the Indo-Pacific; H. gobio (lectotype designated herein)—restricted to the Red Sea; H. golanii—restricted to the Gulf of Aqaba, inner Red Sea; H. klunzingeri—from Mozambique to eastern South Africa; H. lunata—distributed in Japan and Indonesia; H. panatela—from western and central Pacific Ocean; H. temminckii—widely distributed in the Indo-West Pacific (neotype designated herein); H. tropicalis—restricted to the northeastern coast of Australia; H. tsurugae—occurring in Japan and South Korea; and H. uisila—distributed in the western and central Pacific Ocean.     

A rare case of self-incompatibility in arctic plants: Draba palanderiana (Brassicaceae)

During the last decades, it has been shown that arctic plants show larger variation in reproductive strategies than traditionally assumed. Obligate outcrossing based on a self-incompatibility system is, however, very rare in the typically harsh, insect-poor arctic environment. Here we present the second, to our knowledge, documented example of a fully self-incompatible arctic species, Draba palanderiana Kjellm. Because of its large, scented flowers and frequently aborted fruits it has been suggested that this species is strictly outcrossing. To test this hypothesis, we conducted a pollination experiment with two populations from arctic North America. Pollen stainabilities were above 80% in most plants. Full female and male fertility was demonstrated by crosses resulting in fertile F₁ offspring. In contrast, no viable seeds were obtained after spontaneous or hand-facilitated selfing, demonstrating that these D. palanderiana populations are fully self-incompatible and thus obligately outcrossing.     

Infrasectional systematics of the genus Sideritis L. section Sideritis (Lamiaceae)

RIVERA NUÑEZ, D., OBON DE CASTRO, C., TOMAS-LORENTE, F., FERRERES, F. & TOMAS-BARBERAN, F. A., 1990. Infrasectional systematics of the genus Sideritis L. section Sideritis (Lamiaceae). A new taxonomic division of the section Sideritis is proposed on the basis of morphological, cytological and chemical characters. The following subsections art-recognized: Grandiflora, Ovata, Camarae, Linearifolia, Gymnocarpae, Stachydioides, Lacaitae, Hirsuta, Chamaedryfolia, Arborescens, Flavovirens, Leucantha, Angustifolia, Serrata and Scordioides . Possible evolutionary pathways are discussed.     

A review of the genus Janua, including Dexiospira (Polychaeta: Spirorbinae)

Janua (Dexiospira) brasiliensis and J. (D.) foraminosa are fully described for the first time and compared by a pictorial key with other species of Dexiospira and Pillaiospira . The former is very close to J. (D.) pseudocorrugata (= Sptrorbis corrugatus ) and particularly to J. (D.) nipponica , whilst the latter occupies a central position in the group of five species (including J. (D.) steueri ) which are characterized by having large four-lobed juvenile talons.
Janua (Janua) pagenstecheri is the most widespread species of the genus, whereas J. (Leodora) knightjonesi seems to be confined to coral seas. In all, 14 species of Janua are recognized, whilst 19 names are here regarded as synonyms or varieties. Eleven other species sometimes placed in Dexiospira or Leodora should rather constitute the genera Circeis, Sinistrella and Romanchella . These are re-defined and their affinities are studied.
The subgenus Dexiospira seems to be centred in the Indo-West Pacific, where it reaches maximum species-diversity and extension into cooler latitudes. J. (D.) pseudocorrugata var. mannarensis is pantropical and overlaps in the Mediterranean with the west European form and in the West Pacific with vars praeceps and fenestrata , and with subspecies ainu , which are characterized by small modifications of the tube or abdominal setae.     

Comparative leaf anatomical studies of some Sterculia L. species (Sterculiaceae)

A comparative study was undertaken on the leaves of 12 Sterculia species in order to assess anatomical variations which may be useful in species identification and to evaluate their significance in the taxonomy of the genus. All species have glandular and non-glandular trichomes, anomocytic stomata, multiple and mucilaginous epidermis, mucilaginous cavities and druses in mesophyll tissues. A small amount of variation was observed in the outline of transverse sections of midribs and petioles, the presence of central vascular bundles, and the type of trichomes. Some characters, such as the vertically divided adaxial epidermis in S. macrophylla , are unique to certain species and are therefore useful in diagnostic characters, while S. coccinea and S. elongata appear to be similar in the structure of the petiole and midrib. The results, however, do not show any groupings of species and do not support the observations of others on groups derived from wood anatomy.     

Chemosystematic studies on certain species of the family Brassicaceae (Cruciferae) in Egypt

The flavonoids of nine selected species belonging to different tribes of family Brassicaceae (Cruciferae) native to Egypt were surveyed, viz. Rorippa palustris, Coronopus squamatus, Eremobium aegyptiacum, Moricandia nitens, Brassica tournefortii, Farsetia aegyptia, Matthiola livida, Anastatica hierochuntica and Sisymbrium irio. Thirty-eight compounds were isolated and identified, which included six flavonol aglycones, 24 flavonol glycosides including 14 flavonol 3,7-diglycosides, one flavone aglycone, three flavone O–glycosides, two glycoflavones and two dihydroflavonoids. A numerical analysis based on a combination of 97 morphological, anatomical and chemical characters revealed two series, two subseries, two clusters and two groups. The interrelationships between the studied species are discussed.     

Karyotype analysis in three species of the genus Chirostoma (Atheriniformes: Atherinidae)

Karyotype analyses of three Chirostoma species, C. estor, C. patzcuaro, and C. jordani from Mexico, are presented. C. estor and C. jordani have both a diploid number of 2N = 48 and a fundamental number of NF = 68, but different karyotype formulae. The co-occurrence of these karyotypes with morphometric and allozymatic primitive features so far reported suggests that the ancestral karyotype of the genus Chirostoma was similar to the one shown by these species. The divergent karyotype of C. patzcuaro (2N = 44 and NF = 44) could be related to its endemism and to the relatively small size of its populations. Received: February 7, 2001 / Revised: September 7, 2001 / Accepted: October 11, 2001     

Foliar anatomy and micromorphology of eleven species of Eugenia L. (Myrtaceae)

The anatomy and micromorphology of eleven species of Eugenia found in the 'restinga' of Marica, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, were studied and compared. The characteristics found to be of most use in distinguishing the species are: presence and types of trichomes persistent in the adult material, form and arrangement of overlying cells (epidermal cells over secretory cavities), pattern of anticlinal walls of epidermal cells (primary sculpturing), occurrence of epicuticular striae and folds (secondary sculpturing) and presence of peristomatal folds. An analytical key based on these characteristics is presented for the Eugenia species studied.     

A new species of Boechera (Brassicaceae) from Utah and Colorado

A new species,Boechera glareosa, is described and a key is provided to separate it from its apparent closest relative,B. gunnisoniana (Rollins) W. A. Weber. Twelve transfers are made fromArabis toBoechera to bring the nomenclature of Rocky Mountain region taxa in line with current DNA data.     

Duplication and adaptive evolution of the COR15 genes within the highly cold-tolerant Draba lineage (Brassicaceae)

Plants have evolved diverse adaptive mechanisms that enable them to tolerate abiotic stresses, to varying degrees, and such stresses may have strongly influenced evolutionary changes at levels ranging from molecular to morphological. Previous studies on these phenomena have focused on the adaptive evolution of stress-related orthologous genes in specific lineages. However, heterogenetic evolution of the paralogous genes following duplication has only been examined in a very limited number of stress-response gene families. The COR15 gene encodes a low molecular weight protein that plays an important role in protecting plants from cold stresses. Although two different copies of this gene have been found in the model species, Arabidopsis thaliana, evolutionary patterns of this small gene family in plants have not been previously explored. In this study, we cloned COR15-like sequences and performed evolutionary analyses of these sequences (including those previously reported) in the highly cold-tolerant Draba lineage and related lineages of Brassicaceae. Our phylogenetic analyses indicate that all COR15-like sequences clustered into four clades that corresponded well to the morphological lineages. Gene conversions were found to have probably occurred before/during the divergence of Brassica and Draba lineage. However, repeated, independent duplications of this gene have occurred in different lineages of Brassicaceae. Further comparisons of all sequences suggest that there have been significant inter-lineage differences in evolutionary rates between the duplicated and original genes. We assessed the likelihood that the differences between two well-supported gene subfamilies that appear to have originated from a single duplication, COR15a and COR15b, within the Draba lineage have been driven by adaptive evolution. Comparisons of their non-synonymous/synonymous substitution ratios and rates of predicted amino acid changes indicate that these two gene groups are evolving under different selective pressures and may be functionally divergent. This functional divergence was confirmed by comparing site-specific shifts in evolution indexes of the two groups of predicted proteins. The evidence of differential selection and possible functional divergence suggests that the duplication may be of adaptive significance, with possible implications for the explosive diversification of the Draba lineage during the cooling Quaternary stages and the following worldwide colonization of arid alpine and artic regions.     

Revision and tribal placement of the Argentinean genus Parodiodoxa (Brassicaceae)

Parodiodoxa is a monotypic genus of Brassicaceae endemic to northwestern Argentina. It is poorly known and until now remained the only South American genus of the family that had not been assigned to a particular tribe. Sequence data from the nuclear ribosomal ITS region and the chloroplast trnL intron/trnL-F spacer region were used in this study to determine the systematic position of Parodiodoxa. For this purpose, taxa were sampled both at the tribal and generic levels. Results from tribal-level sampling support the inclusion of Parodiodoxa in the tribe Thelypodieae, whereas those at the generic level reveal a relationship to Weberbauera (W. rosulans and W. herzogii). Topologies within the Thelypodieae were poorly resolved, in agreement with previous studies. Morphological characteristics of Parodiodoxa are also discussed in relation to other genera of the tribe.     

A taxonomic revision of the genus Tordylium L. (Apiaceae)

The four related genera: Ainsworthia Boiss., Tordylium L., Synelcosciadium Boiss. and Mandenovia Alava are revised. Data are presented from detailed gross morphology, mericarp surface features and anatomy, and palynology.
The results show: (1) Ainsmorthia and Synelcosciadium are congeneric with the genus Tordylium, and that Mandenovia is a good monotypic genus; (2) Tordylium persicum is synonymous with 7. cappadocicum and 7. aegaeum with 7. pestalozzae; (3) the genus Tordylium is best divided into subgenus Tordylium (including Synelcosciadium) and subgenus Ainsworthia (Boiss.) Drude. The latter is divided into section Condylocarpus (Hoffm.) DC, section Hasselquistia (L.) Boiss. and section Univittata Drude.
A new species of Tordylium is described, and two new combinations made. A taxonomic treatment of the genus 'Tordylium', together with a key to the species, is given.