外果皮厚度和种子大小对五种栎属橡子扩散的影响

动物对种子的扩散和贮藏是一个复杂的生态学过程,常常受到种子特征的影响。有关种子特征如何影响动物对种子扩散,许多研究结果并非完全一致。我们于2009 年9 月在黑龙江东方红林场野外和围栏内释放五种栎属橡子(Quercus mongolica,Q.serrata var. brevipetiolata,Q. aliena,Q.variabilis 和Q. liaotungensis),研究种子特征对鼠类(Apodemus peninsulae, Clethrionomys rufocanus 和Tamias sibiricus)扩散和埋藏橡子的影响。野外释放结果表明:橡子大小和外果皮厚度显著影响鼠类对橡子的扩散和埋藏。鼠类偏向扩散和埋藏种皮厚的大橡子,种皮薄的小橡子则多被原地取食。种皮厚的大橡子扩散距离显著高于种皮薄的小橡子。然而,只有外果皮的厚度显著影响围栏内花鼠对橡子的扩散和埋藏,橡子大小并非主要的影响因素。种子特征影响种子扩散的效应可能在种群和群落水平上存在差异。     

基于种皮形态和叶绿体trnL-F对菘蓝属（十字花科）的系统学位置研究

利用种皮微形态观察与叶绿体DNA的trnL内含子和trnL-F基因间隔区序列测定分析相结合,对十字花科菘蓝属植物及其相关属种的系统学关系进行了探讨.研究结果表明原属独行菜族的菘蓝属植物,其种皮特征与原属鸟头荠族的舟果荠属植物相似,同属一类型.而与独行菜族的模式属独行菜属植物、大蒜芥族的模式属大蒜芥属植物以及鸟头荠族的模式属鸟头荠属植物种皮微形态差异显著;在基于叶绿体DNA的trnL内含子和trnL-F基因间隔区序列所构建的系统发育树中,菘蓝属植物与舟果荠属植物距离最近,而与独行菜属、大蒜芥属、鸟头荠属植物具有一定的间隔,结合形态特征,本研究认为,菘蓝属与舟果荠属植物具有较近的亲缘关系,而不是同族的独行菜属植物.     

中国看麦娘属植物叶表皮微形态研究

看麦娘属是禾本科早熟禾亚科的重要类群,中国分布有8种。该研究采用光学显微镜和电子扫描电镜,对中国看麦娘属7种植物的叶下表皮(含叶鞘下表皮)微形态特征进行观察并探讨其分类学意义。结果表明：(1)看麦娘属叶鞘下表皮长细胞的形状呈长筒状或短筒状,深波状弯曲的细胞壁,脉间短细胞密布,单生或对生,形状多为新月形或椭圆形,脉区硅细胞为椭圆形,平行形或低圆屋顶形的气孔器,看麦娘属叶鞘下表皮特征高度一致,分类价值不大。(2)看麦娘属植物叶下表皮和叶鞘下表皮的显微结构存在很大不同,看麦娘属植物叶下表皮长细胞多为长筒状或短筒状或长菱形,平周壁平直或不明显弯曲,脉间区短细胞分布或无,脉区刺毛密布,脉间区有或无刺细胞的分布,平行形的气孔器,脉区分布的硅细胞多为长方形边缘呈波状弯曲。看麦娘属植物叶下表皮的不同主要体现在脉间区长细胞的形状及平周壁的弯曲与否,脉间区短细胞出现或无,脉间区刺细胞的分布数量以及气孔器的列数。7种植物的叶表皮微形态的分类检索表据此列出。依据叶表皮微形态划分的组与根据外部特征划分的组并不完全一致。但是,由于该文仅研究了7种,叶表皮微形态对于看麦娘属的分类意义还需要更深入的研究。     

乌鲁木齐河源区12种藓类植物叶尖的微形态结构

对乌鲁木齐河源区生长的12种藓类植物叶尖的顶端细胞,以及与其相邻的其他叶尖细胞表面的小孔、乳突、角质层纹饰等微结构,进行光学显微镜和扫描电镜观察,为高山冻原区苔藓植物的结构、分类及生理生态学研究提供理论依据。结果表明:大多数藓类植物叶尖的顶端细胞透明,但形态各异,细胞比叶片细胞长,干时细胞壁有的收缩凹陷,有的并不收缩,细胞壁表面有不规则细纹及细小的颗粒;叶尖在干时边缘内卷或拧卷、细胞壁厚、表面有较多的小孔,这些特征有利于水分的吸收及抵御长期寒冷、反射太阳辐射对其伤害而适应环境所形成的生存策略。叶尖的类型对苔藓植物科、属级的分类意义不大,但其微形态如叶尖顶端细胞及其他细胞的形状、数目、细胞壁的凹陷程度以及其上角质层纹饰、乳突、粗疣及小孔等微形态结构特征,在同属的不同种之间存在明显差异,具有一定的分类学价值。     

Revisione Delle Briofite Dell'Italia Meridionale

Summarium

Hepaticas, quae in Herbario A. G. GASPARRINI Horti Botanici Ticinesis servantur, A. revisit. Species et varietates nonullas in Italia Meridionali hucusque non cognitas (et potissimum: Scapania subalpina, Riccia bifurca, R. ligula, R. ciliata var. intumescens, Pleuroschisma tricrenatum var. microphyllum) invenit.

De duabus Ricciae speciebus, quibus GASPARRINI “trichophyllae” et “aeruginosae” nomina tribuerat, commentatus est.     

Variability of mitochondrial population in Chlamydomonas reinhardii

Several details have been published cocerning the mitochondrial number and shapes at various stages of the synchronized vegetative and generative cell cycle in Chlamydomonas reinhardii. The present study, based on ultrathin serial sections and threedimensional reconstructions, completes these data. Quantitative analysis of serial micrographs makes it possible to give specific details of mitochondrial volumes in cells at early intermediate stages of the vegetative life cycle. Our investigations clearly show that mitochondria have a relatively wide range of sizes, within certain limits, and vary like the mitochondrial shapes; in fact, they vary in various cells at various stages as well as in several cells at the same stage and even in one and the same cell. Thus, we present a plastic insight into the dynamically changing micromorphology of the mitochondrial population in Chlamydomonas reinhardii.     

Genotypic effects of the maternal tissues of wheat on its grain weight

Summary Reciprocal crosses were made between semi dwarf spring wheat cultivars (Triticum aestivum L.) differing in grain weight. The weights of the F₁ grains (on maternal spikes), from intact as well as from defoliated plants, and those of the F₂ grains (on f₁ spikes), were examined. Grain weight was controlled primarily by the genotype of the maternal tissues (pericarp, testa or other floret or spikelet organs, including the vascular system), with complete dominance of heaviness. No indications suggesting maternal inheritance were obtained. The frequency distribution of the weights of the F₂ grains indicated the presence of genotypic effects exerted by the endosperm or embryo. The embryo or endosperm factors for heaviness also seemed to be dominant.This study is based on data obtained by the senior author in his Ph. D. research at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The research was financed in part by The Fund for the Encouragement of Research — Histadrut — The General Federation of Labor in Israel. Contribution from the Agricultural Research Organization, Bet Dagan, Israel. No. 173-E, 1980 series     

Cloning and immunolocalization of an antifungal chitinase in jelly fig (Ficus awkeotsang) achenes

A 30-kDa protein extracted from the pericarpial portion of jelly fig (Ficus awkeotsang Makino) achenes has been identified as a thermostable chitinase based on its enzymatic activity. A cDNA fragment encoding the precursor protein (including a cleavable signal sequence) of this chitinase was obtained by PCR cloning, and subsequently confirmed by immunological recognition of its overexpressed protein in Escherichia coli. Homology modeling predicted that this thermostable chitinase in jelly fig achenes comprised a stable (betaalpha)(8) barrel fold with three pairs of disulfide linkage. Immunostaining indicated that this chitinase was exclusively localized in the pericarpial region but not in the seed cells where bulky protein bodies and massive oil bodies were accumulated. Spore germination of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, a common post-harvest pathogen infecting ripening fruit of jelly fig and many other fruits, was inhibited by this chitinase purified from achenes. It is suggested that the biological function of the thermostable chitinase in the pericarp of jelly fig achenes is to protect the nutritive seeds from fungal attack during fruit ripening.     

Nutlet sculpturing inScutellaria sect.Resinosa (Lamiaceae) and its taxonomic utility

Nutlet sculpturing of 22 taxa ofScutellaria sect.Resinosa, representing 18 of its 19 species, and the monotypic genusSalazaria was studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The nutlets of sect.Resinosa, while remarkably variable among themselves, differed from hypothetically closely related sections in lacking circumferential banding and sessile glands. Species could be grouped by surface sculpturing into seemingly meaningful phenetic clusters.Scutellaria potosina var.platyphylla was sufficiently distinct micromorphically so as to be elevated to specific status asScutellaria platyphylla comb. and stat. nov. The significance of nutlet microcharacters within sect.Resinosa is discussed, especially as compared to closely related sections. The genusSalazaria had nutlet sculpturing quite different from all taxa belonging to sect.Resinosa.