A review of the Euphorbia schinzii-complex (Euphorbiaceae) in southern Africa

The species closely related to Euphorbia schinzii in subg. Euphorbia are reviewed for southern Africa. Two new species, E. pisima and E. steelpoortensis are described that are closely related to E. lydenburgensis. Euphorbia complexa is reduced to synonymy under E. schinzii. One new subspecies, E. schinzii subsp. schinzioides, is described for E. schinzii, while E. limpopoana is reduced once again to subspecific level, this time under E. schinzii as E. schinzii subsp. bechuanica. Euphorbia schinzii then has three subspecies. The concept of E. clivicola is extended to include collections from a much wider area than before. A new subspecies, E. clivicola subsp. calcritica, is described for E. clivicola. Euphorbia subsalsa subsp. fluvialis is more closely related to E. otjipembana than to E. subsalsa and consequently is changed to E. otjipembana subsp. fluvialis.

Does Solidago litoralis (Asteraceae) merit specific rank? Insights from cytogenetic, molecular and ecological data

Solidago litoralis (Asteraceae) is a psammophile plant endemic to the northern coasts of Tuscany, Italy. During time, different authors have considered it either as a separate species, subspecies or variety of the European S. virgaurea, but few studies of experimental taxonomy have been investigating the relationship between these two taxa. Aim of this study is to compare S. litoralis and S. virgaurea from different points of view: cytogenetic (karyotype analysis, localization of rDNA loci and genome size estimation), molecular (using two plastidial molecular markers), and ecological (by comparing functional characters). A difference in ecological responses to habitats is confirmed, even though S. virgaurea is potentially capable of assuming ecological strategies similar to those of S. litoralis. Despite this, cytogenetic and molecular analyses failed to reveal any significant difference supporting a specific distinction of S. litoralis. The latter taxon is here hypothesized as being an ecotype at the initial steps of a speciation event, better recognized at subspecific level (S. virgaurea subsp. litoralis).

First record of Chiroderma improvisum Baker & Genoways, 1976 (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae) from Saint Kitts, Lesser Antilles

Chiroderma improvisum is a rare bat previously known only on the Caribbean Islands of Guadeloupe and Montserrat. We report the first recorded capture of C. improvisum on the island of Saint Kitts, 80 km northwest of Montserrat. Cytochrome b (cytB) gene analysis of the single captured specimen confirmed the identity of the bat as C. improvisum; however, there is enough difference to indicate some population divergence, and possibly differentiation at the subspecific level among islands. We also report the first records of an ectoparasite, Periglischrus iheringi (Acarina: Spinturnicidae), from this bat.

Wild dogs and village dogs in New Guinea: were they different?

Recent accounts of wild-living dogs in New Guinea argue that these animals qualify as an ‘evolutionarily significant unit’ that is distinct from village dogs, have been and remain genetically isolated from village dogs and merit taxonomic recognition at, at least, subspecific level. These accounts have paid little attention to reports concerning village dogs. This paper reviews some of those reports, summarises observations from the interior lowlands of Western Province and concludes that: (1) at the time of European colonisation, wild-living dogs and most, if not all, village dogs of New Guinea comprised a single though heterogeneous gene pool; (2) eventual resolution of the phylogenetic relationships of New Guinean wild-living dogs will apply equally to all or most of the earliest New Guinean village-based dogs; and (3) there remain places where the local village-based population of domestic dogs continues to be dominated by individuals whose genetic inheritance can be traced to precolonisation canid forebears. At this time, there is no firm basis from which to assign a unique Linnaean name to dogs that live as wild animals at high altitudes of New Guinea.

Morphometric and karyological study of Genista sericea (Cytiseae-Fabaceae)

A morphometric and karyological study of several populations of Genista sericea, a northern Illyrian amphiadriatic species, with a disjunct distributional area centered on Pollino Massif (southern Italy), has been undertaken, based on herbarium specimens and field research. Morphometric analysis allowed to individuate three distinct groups of populations which are here attributed to three taxa at subspecific level. One of them is here newly described: G. sericea subsp. pollinensis, endemic to northern Calabria in Pollino and neighbouring areas of Basilicata. The taxonomic status of G. sericea var. rigida was re-evaluated and a name of a new rank is proposed: G. sericea subsp. rigida (occurring in southern Illyria), while subsp. sericea is a southeastern Alpine northern Illyrian taxon. The names G. sericea and G. sericea var. rigida are lectotypified. Karyologically, all the taxa are characterized by the same somatic number 2n = 48, sometimes with B chromosomes (up to four).

Notes on Early Land Plants Today. 52. Validation of Tritomaria camerunensis (Lophoziaceae, Marchantiophyta)

When describing Tritomaria camerunensis Arnell (1958: 64), Arnell based it on more than one gathering (Byström 35b and 50a) and it is thus invalid according to ICN Art. 40.2 (McNeill et al. 2012), a rule effective from 1 January 1958 saying that “indication of the type ... can be achieved by reference to an entire gathering” and Ex. 1 explicitly states that. This error was overlooked by Váňa (1982) who selected a “lectotype” out of Byström’s collection. However, that did not validate the name. In order to be available for the forthcoming world checklist of hornworts and liverworts (Söderström et al., in prep.) the taxon is here validated. As Arnell’s name is invalid, the description here is technically a new taxon. Schuster (1969: 639) did mention the close affinity to Tritomaria exsectiformis (Breidler 1894: 321) Loeske (1909: 13) “this may represent a disjunct phase of T. exsectiformis” but Váňa (1982) preferred to keep them separate until more material was studied. However, when the taxon needs to be validated, we prefer to do so at subspecific level. The new subspecies differs from. subsp. exsectiformis in larger size of plants (mostly 2–2.5 cm long vs. 1.2–2.0 cm long), constantly prostrate, never ascending shoots, dorsally secund, mostly bilobed leaves (trilobed leaves rare, only on the top of shoots), somewhat smaller and longer cells (up to 20 × 30–40 μm) than is the average cells size of Tritomaria exsectiformis subsp. exsectiformis, and rounded, angular to polygonal, 1–2–celled (vs. constantly 2–celled, irregularly polygonal to pyriform) gemmae.

Identification of Phytophthora alni subspecies in riparian stands in the Czech Republic

In the Czech Republic, Phytophthora alni was first confirmed in 2001 and the pathogen has been quickly spreading and occupying almost the whole area of the country. The pathogen attacks Alnus glutinosa or A. incana to a lesser extent and causes considerable losses of alder trees along hundreds of kilometres of riverbanks. The aim of our work was to perform the identification of P. alni isolates at the subspecific level using PCR and to determine the frequencies and distribution of particular subspecies. The allele-specific PCR primers focused on allele diversity of orthologs of ASF-like, TRP1, RAS-Ypt, and GPA1 genes were selected for identification. Eighty-eight per cent of the 59 analysed isolates belonged to P. alni ssp. alni while 12% were P. alni ssp. uniformis. P. alni ssp. multiformis has not been recorded in the country till now. The two subspecies differed in distribution. P. alni ssp. alni dominated in riparian stands along broader rivers in lowlands and the results confirmed the more effective spreading of P. alni ssp. alni based on its higher aggressiveness and ecological advantage. P. alni ssp. uniformis was acquired rather from riparian stands of small watercourses at higher altitudes. The insular distribution of P. alni ssp. uniformis may represent the remains of its former occurrence. Therefore, P. alni ssp. uniformis may be an indigenous subspecies suppressed by the more aggressive related taxon.

Genetic diversity of sterile culturedTrebouxiaphotobionts associated with the lichen-forming fungusXanthoria parietinavisualized with RAPD-PCR fingerprinting techniques

Photobiont diversity within populations ofXanthoria parietinawas studied at the species level by means of ITS analyses and at the subspecific level with fingerprinting techniques (RAPD-PCR) applied to sterile cultured algal isolates. Populations from coastal, rural and urban sites from NW, SW and central France and from NE Switzerland were investigated. Between 8 and 63 samples per population, altogether 150 isolates, were subjected to phenetic and ordination analyses. Epiphytic samples ofX. parietinaassociated with different genotypes ofTrebouxia decoloransbut saxicolous samples containedT. arboricola. For comparison theT. gelatinosaphotobiont of a small population ofTeloschistes chrysophthalmus(4 samples) was investigated. ITS sequences ofT. decoloransisolates from different geographic locations were largely similar. In all populations a surprisingly high diversity of genotypes was observed inTrebouxiaisolated from lichen thalli growing side by side. AsTrebouxiaspp. are assumed to be asexually reproducing haplonts, the genetic background of this diversity is discussed. Fingerprinting techniques are a powerful tool for obtaining valuable insights into the genetic diversity within the algal partner of lichen-forming fungi at the population level, provided that sterile cultured isolates are available.

Genetic evaluation of the Baja California rock squirrel Otospermophilus atricapillus (Rodentia: Sciuridae)

The Baja California rock squirrel (Otospermophilus atricapillus Bryant) is endemic to the Baja California Peninsula, Mexico and known from only five localities. O. atricapillus is considered as the sister species of O. beecheyi (Richardson) and both have been considered different species mainly by its colorations. In an attempt to better understand the relationship within O. atricapillus and with its sister species O. beecheyi, we used genetic information gathered from O. atricapillus, aiming to investigate the phylogenetic and phylogeography of O. atricapillus O. beecheyi. We analyzed two sets of mitochondrial cytochrome b gene (Cyt b) data: One 800 (bp) fragments of 118 individuals and a second one of 1140 (bp) for the 32 haplotypes found. Our own hypothesis is that specific characteristics used to distinguish O. artricapillus from O. beecheyi are at the same level than the differences among the recognized subspecies of O beecheyi. Under that condition, a genetic analysis will show that O. atricapillus are within the genetic variation of O. beecheyi, and the current diagnostic characters of O. atricapillus could be considered only at subspecific level. The analysis of molecular variance revealed that O. atricapillus is not significantly different from O. beecheyi, and that, apart from highland populations in the Sierra Nevada, the sampled populations of O. beecheyi and O. atricapillus are not significantly different among all of them.