湖南的新记录植物（二）

本文报导了湖南植物分布新记录科１个,新记录属２个,新记录种１４个,新记录变种１个．     

走出歌德的阴影: 迈向更加科学的植物系统学

传统的植物学理论中, 被子植物雌蕊的基本单位心皮被认为是变态的叶(即大孢子叶)通过纵向对折和内卷演化而来。该理论造成了被子植物和裸子植物之间不可逾越的鸿沟。近年来提出的一统理论认为被子植物的心皮由长胚珠的枝和包裹这个枝的叶共同组成, 从而弥合了被子植物与裸子植物之间的鸿沟。最近, 当代植物学界两大权威人物Peter R. Crane和Peter K. Endress分别撰文, 发表了不同于传统理论的观点。Endress认为, 心皮由胚珠和叶性器官组成; 而Crane认为, 所有的胚珠都长在枝上。结合二者的结论, 不难得出“心皮实际上等同于一个长胚珠的枝加上一个叶”的论断。这在某种意义上等于认同了一统理论的观点。两位权威人物观点的转变预示着植物学理论将很快发生根本性的转变。该文向国内植物学同行通报这一最新动态, 以期让我国学者能够了解最新理论。     

Species richness and phylogenetic diversity of seed plants across vegetation zones of Mount Kenya,East Africa

Mount Kenya is of ecological importance in tropical east Africa due to the dramatic gradient in vegetation types that can be observed from low to high elevation zones. However, species richness and phylogenetic diversity of this mountain have not been well studied. Here, we surveyed distribution patterns for a total of 1,335 seed plants of this mountain and calculated species richness and phylogenetic diversity across seven vegetation zones. We also measured phylogenetic structure using the net relatedness index (NRI) and the nearest species index (NTI). Our results show that lower montane wet forest has the highest level of species richness, density, and phylogenetic diversity of woody plants, while lower montane dry forest has the highest level of species richness, density, and phylogenetic diversity in herbaceous plants. In total plants, NRI and NTI of four forest zones were smaller than three alpine zones. In woody plants, lower montane wet forest and upper montane forest have overdispersed phylogenetic structures. In herbaceous plants, NRI of Afro‐alpine zone and nival zone are smaller than those of bamboo zone, upper montane forest, and heath zone. We suggest that compared to open dry forest, humid forest has fewer herbaceous plants because of the closed canopy of woody plants. Woody plants may have climate‐dominated niches, whereas herbaceous plants may have edaphic and microhabitat‐dominated niches. We also proposed lower and upper montane forests with high species richness or overdispersed phylogenetic structures as the priority areas in conservation of Mount Kenya and other high mountains in the Eastern Afro‐montane biodiversity hotspot regions.     

Chloroplast Genome Sequence Variations and Development of Polymorphic Markers in Coffea arabica

Plant Molecular Biology Reporter - Coffee is a popular beverage in the world and a valuable agricultural export commodity for several developing countries. Coffea arabica is one of the widely...     

湖北省被子植物1个新记录属和5个新记录种

报道了湖北省被子植物1个新记录属：葛缕子属（Carum L.）;5个新记录种：田葛缕子（Carum buriaticum Turcz.）、南川鹿药（Maianthemum nanchuanense H. Li & J. L. Huang）、宽叶香茶菜〔Isodon latifolius （C. Y. Wu & H. W. Li） H. Hara〕、广东新耳草〔Neanotis kwangtungensis （Merrill & F. P. Metcalf） W. H. Lewis〕和毛柱郁李（Prunus pogonostyla Maxim.）。相关凭证标本保存于中国科学院武汉植物园标本馆（HIB）。     

Pollination ecology and pollination system of Impatiens reptans (Balsaminaceae) endemic to China

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: China is one of the centres of geographical distribution of Impatiens L. Studies of the pollination ecology of this genus in China have, until now, been unreported. Impatiens reptans, a species endemic to China, was studied. The aims were to examine the pollination ecology and pollination system of this species, to compare its pollination ecology with other Impatiens species growing in Sumatra and Japan, and to discuss possible reasons for its limited distribution. METHODS: The pollination ecology of I. reptans was studied by carrying out continuous observations within three naturally growing populations. Its pollination system was studied using different pollination methods, marking and counting pollen grains, assessing pollen viability and observing pollinator behaviour. KEY RESULTS: The flowering phase of the protandrous I. reptans lasted for 89 d. The life span of an individual flower was 3.6 d. Primary pollinators were honey-bees and bumble-bees. Secondary pollinators were diurnal hawk moths and butterflies. Bombus briviceps and Bombus sp. were nectar gatherers. The mean nectar sugar concentration was 29.5 %, and the mean value of sucrose/glucose + fructose was 0.82. The proportion of seed set ranged from 0.857 to 0.873. Distances that seeds were ejected ranged from 0.58 to 1.17 m. Percentage seed germination under controlled conditions was 23.1. Pollen viability was highest on the day of anthesis and thereafter decreased. Ratios of pollen : ovules ranged from 958.8 to 970.6. CONCLUSIONS: Impatiens reptans reproduces by means of cross-pollination. Its dependence on a specialized habitat, a narrow environmental niche, a low percentage of seed germination, and habitat loss could be reasons for its limited distribution and endemism.     

The species richness pattern of vascular plants along a tropical elevational gradient and the test of elevational Rapoport's rule depend on different life‐forms and phytogeographic affinities

The research about species richness pattern and elevational Rapoport's rule (ERR) have been carried out mostly in the temperate regions in the recent years and scarcely in the tropical mountains; meanwhile, it is unclear whether the ERR is consistent among different life‐forms and phytogeographic affinities. Here, we compiled a database of plant species of Mount Kenya, a tropical mountain of East Africa, and divided these species into twelve groups depending on the life‐form and phytogeographic affinity of each species. We inspected the species richness pattern of each group along the elevation gradient and also tested ERR of each group using Stevens' method. Our results showed that species richness of the total species showed a positively skewed (hump‐shaped) pattern along the elevation gradient and different life‐forms and phytogeographic affinities showed similar hump‐shaped patterns as the total species. The average elevation range size of the total species and herbaceous species showed increasing patterns along the elevation gradient, while lycophytes and ferns, and woody species showed an obvious downward trend after peaking in the high elevation regions. We concluded that the widely distributed herbaceous species which also have broad elevation range sizes are more applicable to ERR, while the narrowly distributed woody species with small elevation range sizes occurring in the higher elevations could reverse ERR. Therefore, we concluded that the ERR is not consistent among different organisms in the same region.