Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society

AL-TURKI, T. A.; SWARUPANANDAN, K.; WILSON, P. G.

doi: 10.1111/j.1095-8339.2003.00214.xpmid: N/A

AbstractThe foliar theory of the stem, the application of which has been restricted to the pteridophytes, is now extended to the spermatophytes and the vasculature of the primary stem is viewed as a sympodium of foliar traces. Several new terms have been coined for the description of the primary vasculature; these include terms for vascular reticula and sympodia and two new conventions, the interleaf articulation ratio and interleaf articulation spacing. The patterns of primary vasculature in 20 Chenopodiaceous taxa have been re-described using a synoptic descriptive style. Based on the primary vasculature, within the Chenopodiaceae, two clear-cut groups have been recognized: (1) a Trioid vascular group, with 3-traced leaves and a median composite double trace, or taxa having such an ancestry; and (2) a Monoid vascular group, comprising taxa with 1-traced leaves and a composite double trace, or with this ancestry. The first group comprises the tribes Beteae, Chenopodieae, Atripliceae and probably the Polycnemeae and Corispermeae. The second group comprises the tribes Salsoleae, Suaedeae, Salicornieae and Camphorosmeae. In both the groups, reticulate and open vasculature are found, the latter being the derived state; the open vasculature derived from 3-traced ancestry is found to be different from that derived from 1-traced ancestry. These two groups differ from the subfam. Chenopodioideae (Cyclolobeae) and Salsoloideae (Spirolobeae), the groups identified on the basis of the cycloid/spiroid embryonic types. They match well with the groups identified from the chloroplast DNA analysis and appear to have distinct adaptive strategies; the first with modified/accrescent bracts, and the second with modified/accrescent perianth lobes. The findings from the primary vasculature therefore support the re-circumscription of the two subfamilies Chenopodioideae and Salsoloideae and the transfer of the tribes Camphorosmeae and Salicornieae to Salsoloideae. The processes involved in the diversification of primary vasculature in the Chenopodiaceae have been: changes from spiral to opposite phyllotaxy, reduction in the number of vertical rows of leaves, closed to open vasculature, non-storied to storied reticula, asymmetric to symmetric reticula, change in the loci of vascular articulations from the contributory arms to terminal arm of the composite trace, and wedged-sagittate to entire-acute base of reticula. Development of open vasculature from closed vasculature probably took place several times and followed independent lines. Therefore, many tribes in the family may be paraphyletic. Evolution of distichous sympodia from monostichous sympodia and vice versa, as proposed by earlier authors have been refuted. Strong correspondence of inference emerging from analysis of chloroplast DNA and primary vasculature refutes the probability of a protostelic origin of the eustele. It is argued that an atactostelic condition might have been ancestral, which gave rise to the protostelic condition on the one hand, and on the other to the eustele. The angiosperm leaf is considered as a composite organ formed by the syngenesis of two or more leaves/leaf lobes from different nodes, the details of which remain to be determined.

SCHOLS, PETER; FURNESS, CAROL A.; WILKIN, PAUL; SMETS, ERIK; CIELEN, VEERLE; HUYSMANS, SUZY

doi: 10.1111/j.1095-8339.2003.00227.xpmid: N/A

AbstractThis paper adds new data on the pollen and orbicule morphology of 61 Dioscorea L. (Dioscoreaceae) species to the survey of Schols et al. (2001). The results indicate that pollen characters may be significant in infrageneric systematics in Dioscorea. Pollen and orbicule characters are described based on observations with light microscopy, and scanning and transmission electron microscopy, and are critically evaluated and discussed in the context of existing hypotheses of systematic relationships within the genus. Pollen is mostly disulculate (sometimes monosulcate) with a perforate, microreticulate, striate, gemmate, rugulate, or cerebroid perforate sexine. The basal section Stenophora is one of the few sections with monosulcate pollen. Brachyandra, Cardiocapsa, and Seriflorae, three Malagasy sections, are characterized by striate pollen. Pollen morphology strongly supports section Enantiophyllum as a monophyletic group. The correlation between pollen size and tuber type, as suggested previously by P. Su (1987), is confirmed by our data. As found in our earlier survey, orbicules in Dioscorea are mostly spherical with a smooth or spinulose surface.

GRADSTEIN, S. ROBBERT; REINER-DREHWALD, M. ELENA; SCHNEIDER, HARALD

doi: 10.1111/j.1095-8339.2003.00235.xpmid: N/A

AbstractThe Lejeuneaceae are the largest family of the liverworts (Hepaticae), with almost a thousand species in 91 currently accepted genera. We analysed phylogenetic relationships of 69 genera, representing all major subfamilies and tribes recognized in the family, by using 49 informative morphological characters (31 gametophytic, 18 sporophytic), one chemical character, and applying equal and successive weighting of characters and parsimony analysis. In all trees recovered, the Lejeuneaceae were monophyletic with Nipponolejeunea (subfam. Nipponolejeuneoideae) forming the basalmost lineage. The remaining genera clustered in two major groups, the monophyletic Lejeuneoideae (52 genera) and the paraphyletic Ptychanthoideae (16 genera). Within each, several multigeneric lineages corresponding in part to previously described taxa were recovered: the Acrolejeuneinae and Ptychanthinae clades in the Ptychanthoideae, and the Brachiolejeuneinae, Lejeuneeae and Tuyamaella–Cololejeunea clades in the Lejeuneoideae. Bryopteris, a genus sometimes treated as a separate family, was nested in the Ptychanthinae clade. The Tuyamaella–Cololejeunea lineage corresponded with three previously recognized subfamilies (Cololejeuneoideae, Myriocoleoideae and Tuyamaelloideae) and contained genera with neotenic features, in two subclades. These features seemed to have originated by multiple heterochronic events: single origins were detected for ‘protonemal neoteny’ and ‘primary neoteny’, whereas ‘secondary neoteny’ probably evolved twice. Relationships within the large Lejeuneeae clade (43 genera) remained largely unresolved, although several putative lineages were detected in majority rule trees. Additional characters such as DNA sequences may provide better phylogenetic resolution in this group.

SUSANNA, ALFONSO; GARCIA-JACAS, NÚRIA; VILATERSANA, ROSER; GARNATJE, TERESA; VALLÈS, JOAN; GHAFFARI, SEYED MAHMOOD

doi: 10.1111/j.1095-8339.2003.00231.xpmid: N/A

AbstractTwenty chromosome counts are reported in the genus Cousinia and the monotypic genus Schmalhausenia, which are part of the Arctium group, from Armenia, Iran, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Twelve are new and eight provide confirmation of scarce or disputable previous data. The correlation between karyological data, pollen type and molecular phylogeny is very close, and on this basis two main groups can be defined. One is the arctioid group, which comprises the genera Arctium and Schmalhausenia, and a small part of the genus Cousinia, with x = 18. The other is the genus Cousinia s.s., with a dysploid series ranging from x = 13–11. Some considerations on the chromosomal evolution in the group are made.

CONTI, FABIO

doi: 10.1111/j.1095-8339.2003.00232.xpmid: N/A

AbstractA re-evaluation of Minuartia graminifolia has been undertaken based on comparative morphological studies. M. graminifolia subsp. rosani (an endemic of the south-central Apennines and Sicily) and subsp. hungarica (an endemic of the Banat region of Romania) are accepted infraspecific taxa. M. graminifolia subsp. hungarica is lectotypified. M. graminifolia subsp. clandestina is confirmed for Italy; the taxon is neotypified. The type subspecies is considered an endemic to the east-central Alps. Keys to the species of Minuartia ser. Graminifoliae and to the subspecies of M. graminifolia are provided.

PUJADAS-SALVÀ, ANTONIO J.; PLAZA-ARREGUI, LAURA

doi: 10.1111/j.1095-8339.2003.00233.xpmid: N/A

AbstractFollowing a revision of Thapsia (Apiaceae) in north-western Africa, the name Thapsia platycarpa is resurrected and lectotypified for a species that grows between Algeria and Morocco, and a new species Thapsia cinerea is described from the Rif region of north-eastern Morocco. Morphological features that differentiate between these and other species (T. villosa, T. garganica, T. transtagana and T. gymnesica) are discussed. An identification key for the plants of the area is presented.

RANJBAR, MASSOUD; KARAMIAN, ROYA

doi: 10.1111/j.1095-8339.2003.00215.xpmid: N/A

AbstractNew findings are given for the Astragalus sect. Incani, which occurs within the area covered by the Flora of Iran. Astragalus wojciechowskianus Ranjbar is described as a new species. A. procerus Boiss. & Hausskn., A. cottonianus Aitch. & Baker, A. achundovii Grossh., A. orduabadensis Grossh. and A. glaucophyllus Bunge are reported as new records for the flora of Iran.

LEHNEBACH, CARLOS A.

doi: 10.1111/j.1095-8339.2003.00240.xpmid: N/A

AbstractThis article provides a preliminary checklist of the orchids occurring in Chile, based on historical and recently published literature. Data compilation was assisted by using databases available on the Web (IPNI, W3Tropicos and KR). The list comprises seven genera (Aa, Bipinnula, Brachystele, Chloraea, Codonorchis, Gavilea and Habenaria) and 50 taxa (49 species and one variety), 25 of which are believed to be endemic to Chile. It includes the publication of a new combination, Gavilea feuilleana comb. nov.