Root/Shoot Allocation and Root Architecture in Seedlings: Variation among Forest Sites, Microhabitats, and Ecological Groups1

I analyzed patterns of variation in root mass allocation and root morphology among seedlings of woody species in relation to environmental factors in four Neotropical forests. Among forests, I explored the response of root traits to sites varying in water or nutrient availability. Within each forest, I explored the plastic response of species to different microhabitats: gaps and understory. Additionally, I explored evidence for life history correlation of root and shoot traits by comparing species differing in their successional group (light‐demanding [22 spp.] or shade tolerant [27 spp.]) and germination type (species with photosynthetic cotyledons or species with reserve cotyledons). At each forest site, young seedlings from 10 to 20 species were excavated. A total of 55 species was collected in understory conditions and 31 of them were also collected in gaps. From each seedling, six morphological ratios were determined. Allocation to roots was higher in forest sites with the lowest soil resources. Roots were finer and longer in the most infertile site, while roots were deeper in the site with the longest dry season. Seedling traits did not differ between germination types. Shade tolerant species allocated more to roots and developed thicker roots than light‐demanding species. Light‐demanding species showed stronger plastic responses to habitat than shade tolerant species, and species with photo‐synthetic cotyledons showed lower plasticity than species with reserve cotyledons. Overall, these results suggest that among Neotropical species, root allocation and root morphology of seedlings reflect plant adjustments to water or nutrient availability at geographic and microhabitat scales. In addition, life history specialization to light environments is suggested by differences among groups of species in their allocation to roots and in their root morphology.     

SEASONAL PATTERNS OF MORPHOLOGICAL VARIABILITY IN SARGASSUM POLYCERATIUM (PHAEOPHYTA)1

Temporal variability in certain morphological and taxonomically important features was quantified for Sargassum polyceratium Mont. from a population in the Content Keys, Florida (U.S.A.). Patterns of blade development, senescence, and loss caused pronounced seasonal changes in blade length-width ratios. Blade length and width were maximal early in the growing season (August-November) and decreased as the annual stems matured. Early in the growing season, plants had broader blades with randomly distributed cryptostomata. Late in the growing season (February-April), plants had more linear blades with cryptostomata approximately arranged in two rows, one on each side of the midrib. The length-width ratio of blades increased acropetally along the stems and were directly correlated to the size of the cryptostomatal opening and inversely correlated with the number of cryptostomata. The branching pattern of the annual stems ranged from short spur branches to well-developed, lateral axillary branches. The frequency of bifurcated blades increased significantly late in the growing season. Vesicle shape and size and pedicel length were temporally stable. Alated pedicels and mucronate vesicles occurred in low frequencies. The variability of the morphological features used to delineate species within the genus Sargassum on the tropical eastern coasts of the Americas is poorly understood.     

Gaertnera and Pagamea: Genera Within the Psychotrieae or Constituting the Tribe Gaertnereae? A Wood Anatomical and Palynological Approach

The possible alliance between Gaertnera and Pagamea (Rubiaceae-Rubioideae), two genera from the Old and New World, respectively, is investigated on the basis of wood anatomy and pollen morphology. Nowadays, the main point of discussion about the taxonomic position of these genera is whether they belong to the Psychotrieae or constitute a tribe Gaertnereae characterised by their secondarily superior ovary and sheathing stipules. Both the wood and pollen of the genus pair are found to show specific features absent in other genera of the Psychotrieae, e.g. parenchyma bands in the xylem and endexine thickenings on the polar sites of the pollen apertures. Nevertheless Gaertnera and Pagamea share many other characters with the Psychotrieae. Wood and pollen convincingly demonstrate the very close affinity of the two genera. The sister pair differs in so many features from other Psychotrieae, that Gaertnera and Pagamea should constitute at least a subtribe Gaertnerinae, formally recognized here. The general lack of profound studies on the affinities within the very large tribe Psychotrieae makes further comments on the taxonomic relationships of the Gaertnerinae difficult.     

华北地区莴苣属（广义）植物花粉特征的研究

本文研究了华北地区莴苣属（广义）７种植物的花粉形态与微形态特征。结果表明：莴苣属（广义）内这些种具有相同的花粉类型。该属的花粉为球形,３孔沟;极面观为三裂圆形,近六边形;赤道面观为圆形;花粉表面具网状纹饰,同胞１５个,网脊上有许多小穴和规则排列的刺。与邻近属形成明显差异,使该属成为一个自然类群。新属毛鳞菊属ＣｈａｅｔｏｓｅｒｉｓＳｈｉｈｇｅｎ．ｎｏｖ．以其花粉网状纹饰的网脊上具不规则排列的短柱而有别于莴苣属（广义）。花粉的形态特征与微形态特征可为菊科属级水平分类提供重要依据。     

盐长蝽亚科外部形态及其系统学意义的研究：半翅目：长蝽科

本文研究了半翅目长蝽科盐长蝽亚科（Ｈｅｎｅｓｔａｒｉｎａｅ）的外部形态,希图为长蝽总科复合体的系统发育研究提供资料。材料选用盐长蝽ＨｅｎｅｓｔａｒｉｓｏｓｃｈａｎｉｎｉＢｅｒｇｒｏｔｈ１９１９和卤长蝽ＥｎｇｉｓｔｕｓｓａｌｉｎｕｓＪａｋｏｖｌｅｖ１８７４,分别作为该亚科３个成员属中两个属（即盐长蝽属ＨｅｎｅｓｔａｒｉｓＳｐｉｎｏｌａ１８３９和卤长蝽属ＥｎｇｉｓｔｕｓＦｉｅｂｅｒ１８６４）的代表。文章还初步提出了该亚科的一些共有新征,并作了有关讨论,认为此分类单元为一单系群。     

细叶马先蒿根系发育形态学研究

细叶马先蒿为玄参科多年生草本植物。年生产周期明显缩短。根系营养生长至花期为粗壮主根与纤细侧根并存,果期侧根几乎全部枯萎脱落,所存留根系皆呈乳白色。由胚根形成的初生主根根毛密集,初生木质部二原型。侧生分生组织只有形成层而无木栓形成层。根表皮细胞经解离后略呈不规则方形片状,横切面为平周长梭形,进行垂周分裂增加梭形根表皮细胞长度,以适应根的增粗生长。根表皮脱落时,外皮层以同样生长方式代替脱落的表皮。在年     

The Physiological Ecology of Planktonic Sarcodines with Applications to Paleoecology: Patterns in Space and Time1

ABSTRACT. Planktonic sarcodines, suspended in the water column, are conveniently grouped into three categories based on functional morphology: (1) gymnamoebae and their relatives, which lack major living or nonliving compartmentalizing barriers, (2) foraminifera, and testate amoebae enclosed by a test or shell with one or more major openings, but lacking extensive cytoplasmic compartmentalizing barriers, and (3) radiolaria, which exhibit distinct compartmentalization of the cytoplasm into functional zones. Differences in feeding strategies and trophic activity of members in the three groups reflect in part these differences in functional morphology. Members of all three groups form symbiotic associations with Monera and protists, including algae, thus partially offsetting interspecific trophic competition among species occupying the same water mass. Physiological and morphological adaptations supporting a symbiotic association are presented. C¹⁴-labeling studies of endosymbiotic radiolarian species show a substantial contribution of carbon to the host. Rates of calcification (planktonic foraminfera) and silica deposition (radiolaria) are reported, based on morphometric analyses and isotopic labeling studies. Major distributional patterns in space and time for each of the three groups, and some ecological principles explaining these regularities, are presented as related to population growth dynamics, niche differentiation, water-mass properties, and the role of symbionts in supporting highly diverse communities of species within the same locale in the water column.     

Immature erythroid cells with novel morphology and cytoskeletal organization in adultXenopus

Summary Nucleated erythrocytes of non-mammalian vertebrates are a useful model system for studying the correlation between changes in cell shape and cytoskeletal organization during cellular morphogenesis. They are believed to transform from spheres to flattened discs to ellipsoids. Our previous work on developing erythroblasts suggested that pointed cells containing incomplete, pointed marginal bands (MBs) of microtubules might be intermediate stages in the larval axolotl. To test whether the occurrence of such pointed cells was characteristic of amphibian erythrogenesis, we have utilized phenylhydrazine (PHZ)-induced anemia in adultXenopus. In this system, circulating erythrocytes are destroyed and replaced by erythroblasts that differentiate in the blood, making them experimentally accessible. Thus, we followed the time-course of morphological and cytoskeletal changes in the new erythroid population during recovery. During days 7–9 post-PHZ, pointed cells did indeed begin to appear, as did spherical and discoidal cells. The percentage of pointed cells peaked at days 11–13 in different animals, subsequently declining as the percentage of elliptical cells increased. Since degenerating old erythrocytes were still present when pointed cells appeared, we tested directly whether pointed ones were old or new cells. Blood was removed via the dorsal tarsus vein, and the erythrocytes washed, fluorescently tagged, and re-injected. In different animals, 2–8% of circulating erythrocytes were labeled. Subsequent to induction of anemia in these frogs, time-course sampling showed that no pointed cells were labeled, identifying them as new cells. Use of propidium iodide revealed large nuclei and cytoplasmic staining indicative of immaturity, and video-enhanced phase contrast and anti-tubulin immunofluorescence showed that the pointed cells contained pointed MBs. The results show that pointed cells, containing incomplete, pointed MBs are a consistent feature of amphibian erythrogenesis. These cells may represent intermediate stages in the formation of elliptical erythrocytes.Abbreviations MB marginal band - MS membrane skeleton - PHZ phenylhydrazine     

The postcranial skeleton of the Devonian tetrapod Tulerpeton curtum Lebedev

Postcranial remains of the Russian Late Devonian tetrapod Tulerpeton include the hexadactylous fore limb, hind limb, anocleithral pectoral girdle, squamation, and associated disarticulated postcranial bones. A cladistic analysis indicates that Tulerpeton is a reptiliomorph stem-group amniote and the earliest known crown-group tetrapod: Acanthostega and Ichthyostega are successively more derived plesion stem-group tetrapods and do not consititute a monophyletic ichthyostegalian radiation. Previous analyses suggesting a profound split in tetrapod phylogeny are thereby corroborated, and likewise the interpretation of Westlothiana as a stem-group amniote. The divergence of reptiliomorphs from batrachomorphs occurred before the Devonian-Carboniferous boundary. Tulerpeton originates from an entirely aquatic environment with a diverse fish fauna. The morphologies of its limbs and those of Devonian stem-tetrapods suggest that dactyly predates the elaboration of the carpus and tarsus, and that Polydactyly persisted after the evolutionary divergence of the principal lineages of living tetrapods. The apparent absence of a branchial lamina and gill skeleton suggests that Tulerpeton was primarily air-breathing, whereas contemporary stem-group tetrapods and more recent batrachomorphs retained greater emphasis on gill-breathing.