New Materials for Chinese Brassica (Cruciferae)

The present study deals with external morphology, chromosome number, pollen morphology and seed anatomy of three species of Brassica in China. The results are summarized as follows: 1. Brassica xinjiangensis is described as a new species based on the chromosome number n=9, and 3-4-colpate and reticulate pollen grains. In the transverse section of seed, epidermal cells are triangular, semiterete or irregular, subepidermal cells consist of one series, palisade cells terete and equal in length. Leaves are petiolate or not; stems, sepals, pistils and siliquae are usually covered with retrorse-pilose hairs; rostrum stout, 12 mm long. By the above characters this species differs from others in this genus. 2. Relationship between B. nigra and B. xinjiangensis. In the former all leaves are petiolate, and the lower part of stems and leaves usually bristly; sepals, pistils and siliquae are glabrous; pedicels are erect and appressed to the axis of infructescence; rostrum is gracile, 2.5 mm long. The chromosome number is n=8. Pollen grains are 3-colpate; the exine is cerebroid-reticulate under SEM. In the transverse section of seeds, epidermal cells are undulate, subepidermal cells in 1-2 series, palisade cells terete, short and unequal in length. These characteristics are the same as reported by Koch (1833), Darlington and Wylie (1955), Goldblatt (1981), Vaughan et al. (1971), Lan (1986). 3. Taxonomical position of B. celerifolia. It was treated as B. juncea var. celerifolia by Tsen et Lee (1942). According to the chromosome number n=10, 3-4-colporate pollen grains, it deserves specific rank. This species differs from B. juncea, which has the chromo-some number n=18 and 3-4-colpate pollen grains.     

Studies on the Pollen Morphology of the Genus Brassica (Cruciferae) in China

The present paper reports the pollen morphology of 36 species and varieties of Brassica L. in China mostly for the first time. They were examined both under LM and SEM. Pollen grains of Brassica L. in China are long-spheroidal, subspheroidal, spheriodal, oblate, rarely reniformis or subsquare. According to the aperture characters pollen grains may be divided into four types: 2,3,4-colpate, 3-colpate, 3,4-colpate, 3,4-colporate. The exine sculpture may also be divided into three types: 1, reticulate, 2, cerebroid-reticulate, 3, foveolatereticulate. Detailed characters of pollen grains for each taxon are presented in Table 1. The 2,3,4-colpate type of pollen grains may be considered as primitive one and the 3,4-colpate or 3,4-colporate type of pollen grains is the most advanced in Brassica. The tricolpate aperture and reticulate exine have been reported by the previous authors, whereas, 3,4-colporate and cerebroid-reticulate or foveolate-reticulate pollen grains are newly reported.     

Pollen Morphology of Loxostemon (Cruciferae) in China

The present paper deals with the pollen morphology of 10 species and 1 variety of Loxostemon in China. The pollen grains were all examined under light microscope. The pollen grains of Loxostemon are subspheroidal, spheroidal or prolate, 18--33×11.8-28 μ in size, 3-colpate, colpi 15-21 μ long and 1-2 μ wide. The exine is 1.5-3 μ thick with two indistinct or distinct layers. All the pollen grains are generally reticulate under light microscope. They are distinctly or obscurely and finely reticulate. L. axillus and L. repens are generally similar in gross morphology, but the pollen grains of these two species are different. The pollen grains of L. axillus are regularly polygonally reticulate, colpi are acute-ended and the exine is about 3 μ thick, whereas those of L.repens are irregularly polygonally reticulate, colpi are enlarged at both ends and the exine is about 2.8 μ thick. L. incanus and L. stenolobus appear to have similar gross morphology, but the pollen grains of the former have exines with two distinct layers and a densely and finely reticulate ornamentation and those of the latter have exines with two indistinct layers and a flexuosely reticulate ornamentation.     

On the Chinese genus Solms-Laubachia Muschler (Cruciferae)

The genus Solms-Laubachia of Cruciferae was established by Muschler in 1912 on the basis of the Chinese species Solms-Laubachia pulcherrima of Yunnan Province. Since then, nine species, two varieties and two forms have been recorded. They are almost all endemic in China except one species—Solms-Laubachia retropilosa Botsch. which was discovered in Sikkim. We described in this paper thirteen species, three varieties and one form, of which, we suppose, three species, one variety and one combination have never been reported before. Most species grow in the mountainous regions of Szechuan, Yunnan, Tibet,Ching-hai and Sinkiang in China.