A new species of Cryptolepis (Periplocoideae, Apocynaceae) from Arabia

A new species of Cryptolepis from Yemen, Arabian Peninsula, C. yemenensis is described and figured. It is recognized by the glabrous appearance of the plant, oblong-elliptic to narrowly obovate leaves, small flowers, small follicles and ridged seed. The new species resembles Cryptolepis gillettii Hutch. & E.A. Bruce and C. volubilis (Balf f.) Schwartz to some extent. Their flowers are die, except for size and different corona shapes. However, they differ with regard to the shape and size of the follicles, the texture of the seed coat and the absence or presence of vesture on the plants.     

Light acclimation of Chlamydomonas acidophila accumulating in the hypolimnion of an acidic lake (pH 2.6)

1. The unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas acidophila accumulates in a thin phytoplankton layer in the hypolimnion (deep chlorophyll maximum, DCM) of an extremely acidic lake (Lake 111, pH 2.6, Lusatia, Germany), in which the underwater light spectrum is distorted and red‐shifted. 2. Chlamydomonas acidophila exhibited a significantly higher absorption efficiency and a higher cellular chlorophyll b content when incubated in the red shifted underwater light of Lake 111 than in a typical, blue‐green dominated, light spectrum. 3. Chlamydomonas acidophila has excellent low light acclimation properties (increased chlorophyll b content, increased oxygen yield and a low light saturation point for photosynthesis) that support survival of the species in the low light climate of the DCM. 4. In situ acclimation to the DCM under low light and temperature decreased maximum photosynthetic rate in autotrophic C. acidophila cultures, whereas the presence of glucose under these conditions enhanced photosynthetic efficiency and capacity. 5. The adaptive abilities of C. acidophila to light and temperature shown in this study, in combination with the absence of potent competitors because of low lake pH, most probably enable the unusual dominance of the green alga in the DCM of Lake 111.