Embryology and Seed Development of Paepalanthus sect. Actinocephalus (Koern.) Ruhland (Eriocaulaceae)

Abstract: The embryology and seed structure of Paepalanthus sect. Actinocephalus species were studied. The embryological and structural seed characters fit well with those of the other commelinaceous families. Within the Commelinales sensu Dahlgren, Eriocaulaceae and Xyridaceae represent two embryologically close families. In Paepalanthus sect. Actinocephalus the ovule is orthotropus, bitegmic, and tenuicellate with a micropyle formed by the inner integument. The seeds are endotestal. The outer cell layer of the testa and the outer periclinal wall of the endotesta disintegrate during development. The endotegmen is tanniniferous. The outer layer of the tegmen becomes compressed and is no longer recognizable in the mature seed. The seeds are operculate.     

Investigations on the content of steroidal alkaloids and sapogenins withinSolanum sect.Solanum ( = sect.Morella) (Solanaceae)

Plant material of 55 strains from 32 species ofSolanum sect.Solanum ( = sect.Morella) has been investigated for the content of steroidal alkaloids and sapogenins. The leaf-extracts of all species contain diosgenin resp. tigogenin or both together in considerable amount. On the contrary the characteristic steroidal alkaloid solasodine was absent in these samples. For 29 species the presence of steroidal sapogenins has been proved for the first time. In unripe fruits, however, solasodine could be detected in most of the species examined. New occurences of solasodine are reported for seven further species. These chemical results may contribute to a better comprehension of the difficult genusSolanum.—Ontogenetic studies on different organs ofS. atriplicifolium show the relationship between accumulation of steroidal compounds and plant maturity.     

Biosystematic studies inTulipa sect.Eriostemones (Liliaceae)

Evolutionary relationships and infra- and interspecific variability within the species ofTulipa sect.Eriostemones Boissier were studied. Measurements of 35 morphological characters were used for principal component and canonical variate analyses. Crossing experiments and chromosome counts were carried out. Two axes of morphological variation were encountered within the principal component plot. Variation of subsect.Biflores was traced along one axis, the species of subsect.Australes as well asSaxatiles were found along the other axis. The nomenclature of names of subsect.Biflores was considered on the basis of their geography, specific morphological characteristics and polyploidy. Conspecificity of names of all species was tested based on both morphology and crossability.     

Molecular Taxonomic Study and Revision of the Three Japanese Species of Asplenium sect. Thamnopteris

Asplenium sect. Thamnopteris or A. nidus L. complex is defined by the synapomorphic character peculiar to Aspleniaceae, an anastomosing vein near the margin of the simple lamina. Thus, it is easily recognizable and its monophyly is quite clear. In spite of its naturalness as the whole group, species delimitation is very confusing. Three species of sect. Thamnopteris, A. antiquum Makino, A. australasicum (J. Smith) Hooker and A. nidus L. have been recognized in Japan, but the naturalness of each species is still not clear because their morphology is too simple to find good qualitative taxonomical characters. In the present work, we examined the intraspecific variation of allozymes and rbcL sequences in the Japanese plants of sect. Thamnopteris and compared them with those from other paleotropical localities in order to recognize natural units in such morphologically simple plants. We found a large amount of genetic variation in this section and inferred that A. antiquum is a species of ancient origin, though morphologically it is not so different from other species of the sect. Thamnopteris. It was also discovered that the so called “A. australasicum” in Japan has a very different rbcL sequence from A. australasicum sensu Holttum, which is distributed in Australia and South Pacific Islands. Based on these molecular data, we described the Japanese “A. australasicum” as a new species, Asplenium setoi N. Murak. et Seriz. Received 9 September 1998/ Accepted in revised form 22 December 1998     

藏族的体质特征

本文共调查藏族145人(男105人,女40人)。年龄均在20岁以上。各项测量均值与不同地区汉族和其他少数民族的聚类分析和大小距离分析的结果表明,藏族的体质特征与华北、西北地区的少数民族和汉族最接近。作者认为藏族是从西藏地区新石器时代居民发展而来,经华北古代居民的不断迁入和混杂、逐渐形成今日的藏族体质类型。     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Mycena haushoferi</Emphasis>, a new species of section <Emphasis Type="Italic">Intermediae</Emphasis> from Germany

Mycena haushoferi, a new species of the section Intermediae collected in Bavaria, is described and compared with four other species of the sect. Intermediae known from the Northern Hemisphere and with M. cystidiosa and M. metuloidifera, two species of sect. Metuloidiferae. The five known species of Northern Hemisphere of section Intermediae are keyed out.     

Systematics ofPlagiochila sect.Glaucescentes Carl (Hepaticae) from tropical America: A morphological and chemotaxonomical approach

The systematics of theGlaucescentes Carl, a poorly known neotropical section of the large genusPlagiochila, is revised based on a large set of gametophytic, sporophytic and chemical characters. Three species are recognized,P. buchtiniana Steph.,P. longispina Lindenb. and Gottsche andP. diversifolia Lindenb. and Gottsche, the latter with two chemotypes. Twelve binomina are reduced to synonymy. The species occur in montane regions of tropical America, especially in the northern and central Andes. In addition,P. longispina is newly reported from the Azores, where it was previously known asP. allorgei Herzog and Perss. TheGlaucescentes are excellently characterized by morphological and chemical features and are clearly separated from theContiguae Carl, a group often confused with theGlaucescentes. Morphologically, theGlaucescentes stand apart by the brown oil bodies, thinwalled inner capsule wall cells and partly unequally bispiral elaters. Chemically, they are characterized by the accumulation of partially hydrogenated bibenzylderivatives (longispinone, longispinol), 3-benzylphthalides and various flavonoids, and by the low production of terpenoids.Publication No. 142 of the Arbeitskreis Chemie und Biologie der Moose, Universität des Saarlandes, Saarbrücken.     

Surface wax, a new taxonomic feature in Plagiochilaceae

A scanning electron microscope study of 81 species of Plagiochilaceae revealed the presence of superficial waxes on the leaves and stems ofPlagiochilion mayebarae and 5 species ofPlagiochila. The waxes are not visible in the light microscope and were unknown in Plagiochilaceae.Plagiochila fuscolutea andP. longiramea (=P. sect.Fuscoluteae) are characterised by the predominant occurrence of membraneous wax platelets;Plagiochila aerea, P. rudischusteri andP. tabinensis(=P. sect.Bursatae) predominately form various types of wax rodlets. Our findings show for the first time the systematic usefulness of leaf surface waxes in the liverworts.P. tabinensis contains surface waxes in amounts of ca. 1.4% dry weight composing of steryl esters, triacylglycerols and free fatty acids.     

A revision of Clematis sect. Clematis(Ranunculaceae)

Clematis sect. Clematis is revised in this paper. Seventy-three species and 45 varieties are recognized. They are keyed, described, and illustrated in some cases, and are classified into five subsections. Brief taxonomic history and geographical distribution of the section are given, and the relationships of its subsections and with its close allies of the C. vitalba evolutionary stock of the subgenus Clematis are discussed. Main taxonomic changes are made as follows: (1) C. lancifolia Bur. & Franch., C. songarica Bunge, C. ispahanica Boiss., C. delavayi Franch. and C. phlebantha Williams, which have been previously regarded to be close to C. fruticosa Turcz. and its allies, and placed in sect. Fruticella Tamura by Tamura and some other authors, are here transferred to subsect. Angustifoliae Tamura according to the floral structure. (2) The existence of intermediate forms between the C. vitalba group and the C. flammula group indicates that these two groups are closely related to each other and should not be treated as two sections or even two subgenera. They are treated as two subsections within sect. Clematis . Two series, six species, and one variety are described as new, and five new ranks are made.      

Iridoid glucosides of the genus Veronica s.l. and their systematic significance

 The mode of reproduction, pollen production, chromosome numbers, genetic variation (RAPD, allozymes) and overall similarity were studied in 6 species of Hieracium sect. Alpina in the Tatry Mts. (the Western Carpathians, Slovakia). All species were confirmed to be agamospermous and, except of H. krivanense and H. slovacum, lacking pollen grains. For the first time, a chromosome number is reported for H. krivanense (2n=4x=36). Considerable genetic variation was revealed in H. alpinum and a correlation between geographic and genetic distances was found in this species. Between-population variation in RAPD and allozyme phenotypes was found in H. pinetophilum and H. crassipedipilum. In all other species, allozyme and RAPD variation was low or absent. With few exceptions, the species differ in their allozyme as well as RAPD patterns. The relatedness of one population of endemic H. slovacum and H. halleri was confirmed. It is shown, that Carpathian species of the H. fritzei group are derived from at least two ancestors. Received July 3, 2000; accepted June 24, 2002 Published online: November 20, 2002 Addresses of the authors: H. Štorchová, (e-mail: storchova@ueb.cas.cz) Institute of Experimental Botany, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Rozvojová 135, CZ-165 00 Praha 6, Czech Republic. I. V. Bartish, J. Chrtek Jr., J. Kirschner, M. Tetera, J. Štěpánek, Institute of Botany, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, CZ-252 43 Pruhonice, Czech Republic.