Table of Contents
  • Volume 44 Issue 4

      
      Research Articles
    • WANG Lei, GAO Qiu, WANG Yin-Zheng*, LIN Qi-Bing
      2006, 44 (4): 353–361
      Using the mTAIL-PCR method, we have isolated the two CYC-like genes, SiCYC1A and SiCYC1B, from zygomorphic and actinomorphic cultivars of Saintpaulia ionantha respectively in Gesneriaceae. The two genes, SiCYC1A and SiCYC1B, from the zygomorphic cultivar both contain the whole regulation domain, i.e. TCP and R domains. Therefore, they should be functional in the floral symmetry establishment, homologous with CYC in Antirrhinum majus. Unexpectedly, the two genes from the actinomorphic cultivar are identical to those from the zygomorphic in DNA sequence, respectively. Based on comparative analysis of the molecular alteration at CYC-like genes, which are responsible for the morphological transformation from zygomorphy to actinomorphy, we suggest that the two closely related genes SiCYC1A and SiCYC1B might be regulated by a common upstream regulator, whose change would result in silence of both SiCYC1A and SiCYC1B in controlling the development of the adaxial and lateral organs in a flower. In addition, an mTAIL-PCR method was shown to have the technological advantages of the unknown sequence for isolation.
    • ZHANG Ting-Feng, DUAN Yuan-Wen, LIU Jian-Quan
      2006, 44 (4): 362–370
      In this paper, we compared pollination characteristics of Aconitum gymnandrum at two sites respectively with elevations of 2460 and 3200 m in the northeast Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. This species is an alpine biennial with unique systematic position and floral morphology in the tribe Delphinieae, Ranunculaceae. We found that the floral longevity and male and female phase durations in the high altitude population were significantly longer than those in the low altitude population. Seeds cannot be set through apomixis in this species. Aconitum gymnandrum is highly self-compatible, but autonomous self-pollination within the individual flower is ruled out through a combination of protandry and herkogamy during floral development, suggesting that pollen vectors were indispensable for successful seed sets of A. gymnandrum. Bumblebees are main pollinators of A. gymnandrum in both populations. Within each raceme, pollinators visited flowers at the bottom first, and then spirally moved upwards; however, 3.9% and 2.7% of the visits were downward respectively in the low altitude population and the high altitude population. In addition, 37.7% and 29.3% of the movements occurred between different racemes within the same plant; therefore geitonogamous self-pollination could not be completely avoided. The higher seed sets of artificially pollinated flowers than the intact flowers suggested the existence of pollination limitation in both populations. Visiting frequency of bumblebees at the low altitude was higher than that at the high altitude, but seed sets of the intact flowers in both populations did not differ remarkably, probably due to that the longer duration of the stigmatic receptivity in the high altitude population compensates the decrease of seed sets because of the low visiting frequency of pollinators at this site.
    • MA Hai-Ying, PENG Hua, WANG Yue-Hua
      2006, 44 (4): 371–392
      Calamagrostis Adans. s.l. is a genus with variable definition in which two genera are often recognized in China: Calamagrostis s.s. and Deyeuxia Beauv. In this study, the leaf epidermis of five species of Calamagrostis s.s. and 26 species and one variety of Deyeuxia was examined under light microscopy. Although all the species examined have a Festucoid type epidermis, a number of variations of some epidermal features exist at the species level. This includes variation in morphology and wall thickness of intercostal long cells, shape and distribution patterns of stomata, morphology and distribution patterns of short cells and silica bodies, morphology, silicification, and distribution of prickles, and presence of micropapillae. Fifteen qualitative characters of the leaf epidermis were used in a phenetic analysis. No sharp differences were found between Calamagrostis s.s. and Deyeuxia. However, there are two major clusters in the UPGMA tree. The first cluster includes species with thick-walled long cells, frequent short cells and/or prickles and silicified prickles. The second cluster includes species with thin-walled long cells, infrequent short cells and/or prickles and unsilicified prickles. The results show that leaf epidermal variation is related with environment, but not concordant with any of the infrageneric classifications of the genus. Species in the first cluster are usually distributed at an altitude above 2600 m, while those of the second cluster are generally distributed at an altitude below 2600 m.
    • CAO Li-Min, XIA Nian-He, DENG Yun-Fei
      2006, 44 (4): 393–400
      Floral organogenesis and development of Handeliodendron bodinieri (Sapindaceae), a species endemic to China, were studied under scanning electron microscope and optical microscope. The results are as follows: the inflorescence primordium initiates at first, forming 2 unequal flower primordia. The sepal primordia initiate in spiral order and are not synchronous. Four to five petal primordia initiate in whorls simultaneously. The petal and stamen primordia initiate separately, and there is no petal-stamen complex. Seven to eight stamen primordia initiate nearly at the same time and grow more quickly than the petal primordia. At last, 3 carpel primordia appear simultaneously and close up gradually to form the ovary. The flowers of H. bodinieri are unisexual. In the female flower, the ovary bulges and the stamens degenerate, whereas the male flower, the stamens grow normally but the ovary degenerates. The systematic implications of floral organogenesis and development of H. bodinieri are discussed.
    • WANG Wen-Tsai
      2006, 44 (4): 401–436
      Clematis sect. Meclatis is revised in this paper. Brief taxonomic history and geographical distribution of the section are given, its systematic position and the relationships among the species are discussed, and the evolutionary trends of some characters in the section are evaluated. Clematis akebioides (Maxim.) Veitch and C. tangutica (Maxim.) Korsh. are considered the primitive species in the section, whereas C. caudigera W. T. Wang and C. corniculata W. T. Wang are considered the advanced ones. The western edge of the Qinghai-Xizang (Tibet) plateau with the Pamirs and the adjacent mountains, the highest land mass in the world, where 10 species of the section are concentrated, is regarded as the distribution center, and the eastern edge of the Qinghai-Xizang (Tibet) plateau, where the two primitive species, C. akebioides and C. tangutica, sympatrically occur, may be the center of origin of the section. The inclusion of C. ispahanica Boiss. and C. graveolens Lindl. in sect. Meclatis by some authors is not accepted, with the former being a member of sect. Clematis, and the latter a member of sect. Brachiatae Snoeijer. A new variety, C. intricata Bunge var. intrapuberula W. T. Wang, is described, and two new combinations, C. tangutica var. mongolica (Grey-Wilson) W. T. Wang and C. tibetana Kuntze var. pamiralaica (Grey-Wilson) W. T. Wang, is proposed. As a result, 13 species and 13 varieties are recognized in sect. Meclatis. They are keyed, described, and illustrated.
    • WEI Fa-Nan, TANG Sai-Chun
      2006, 44 (4): 437–442
      The circumscription of Machilus Nees and of Persea Mill. (Lauraceae) has long been in dispute. In this paper, the generic boundary between Machilus and Persea is discussed. Machilus and Persea are two distinct genera different in some important characters. The perianth-segments in the genus Machilus are equal or subequal, rarely with the outer whorl conspicuously shorter than the inner whorl, and the segments at fruiting stage become chartaceous, rarely thinly coriaceous, elongated, strongly reflexed, rarely patent and not reflexed, almost persistent, rarely deciduous, and if deciduous, the perianth-segments of both outer and inner whorls fall from the base; the style is deciduous early. The species in this genus are distributed in tropical and subtropical Asia. On the contrary, the perianth-segments in the genus Persea are very unequal, with the outer whorl conspicuously shorter than the inner whorl, rarely subequal, and the segments at fruiting stage become coriaceous to lignescent, rarely thinly coriaceous, patent or erect, almost not reflexed, mostly persistent or falling 1/3 to 1/2 the distance from the base of the inner whorl perianth-segments, rarely wholly falling from the base; the style is sometimes persistent. The species in this genus are native to America. Two new combinations, Machilus balansae (Airy Shaw) F. N. Wei & S. C. Tang and M. sumatrana (Kosterm.) F. N. Wei & S. C. Tang, are proposed.
    • PAN Jin-Tang, MEI Li-Juan, CHEN Shi-Long, ZHANG De-Jun
      2006, 44 (4): 443–446
      Saxifraga banmaensis J. T. Pan and S. dingqingensis J. T. Pan, two species of the genus Saxifraga (Saxifragaceae) from China, are described and illustrated. Of these, S. banmaensis J. T. Pan is known only from Banma County, Qinghai Province, and related to S. umbellulata Hook. f. & Thoms. (including varieties), but differs by having sepals cartilaginous-mucronulate at apex, and petals linear, not pandurate-oblong to pandurate, base not unguiculate. S. dingqingensis J. T. Pan occurs in Dingqing County, Xizang, and is similar to S. llonakhensis W. W. Smith, but differs by having sepals 3-veined, veins confluent at apex, petals 8-callose, 4-5-veined, base truncate or subauriculate. Both species are endemic to China, and belong to subsect. Rosulares Gornall.
    • CHAVEERACH Arunrat, SUDMOON Runglawan, TANEE Tawatchai, MOKKAMUL Piya
      2006, 44 (4): 447–453
      Three new species of Piperaceae, Piper dominantinervium A. Chaveerach & P. Mokkamul, P. pilobracteatum A. Chaveerach & R. Sudmoon from southern Thailand, and P. phuwuaense A. Chaveerach & T. Tanee from northeastern Thailand, are described and illustrated. P. phuwuaense is considered rare and endemic to Phu Wua Wildlife Sanctuary. Morphological differences between the new species and related taxa are discussed.
    • HE Shun-Zhi
      2006, 44 (4): 454–456
      Isometrum wanshanense S. Z. He, a new species of the Gesneriaceae from Wanshan County, Guizhou, China, is described and illustrated. This species is related to I. villosum K. Y. Pan in having peduncle and pedicel subglabrous to brown villous, corolla thinly cylindric, purple, not contracted at the throat, adaxial lip longer than abaxial one, and stamens and pistil glabrous, but differs by having leaves petiolate, petiole 0.4-1.4 cm long, leaf blade oblanceolate, 1.5-4×0.5-1.6 cm, cymes 1-4-flowered, calyx segments glabrous outside or sparsely brown villous near the apex, and thecae confluent. The genus is endemic to China, and is recorded in Guizhou Province for the first time.
    • YIP Kwok-Leung, LAI Chuen-Chi, Patrick
      2006, 44 (4): 457–463
      Halophila minor (Zoll.) den Hartog is reported as a new record of Halophila species in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), in addition to the two known species H. ovalis and H. beccarii. This also represents the first locality of the species in continental China besides the reported localities in Hainan and Nansha Islands. The Halophila species have a peculiar taxonomic history in China, especially in the Hong Kong SAR where the first record dated back to 1856 (from Kowloon Bay). Recently there has been clear scientific evidence to distinguish H. minor from H. ovata (the latter has been confirmed not occurring in the Hong Kong SAR in this report), though the former was once considered conspecific to the latter. The worldwide distribution and taxonomy of Halophila have recently been made clear and thus permitting correct identifications of the species. Seagrasses are of conservation concerns, as the coastal environment of the Hong Kong SAR has been subject to the threat of rapid infrastructure development.
    • CHEN Wen-Hong, SHUI Yu-Min, ZHANG Mei-De, SHENG Jia-Shu, LI Guo-Yun
      2006, 44 (4): 464–466
      Staurogyne petelotii Benoist and S. vicina Benoist (Acanthaceae) are reported to be new records in China.
    • ZHOU Shi-Liang, FUNAMOTO Tsuneo, HUANG Pu-Hua, WEN Jun
      2006, 44 (4): 467–470
      Abelia spathulata, a species native to Japan, is discovered in Zhejiang Province, China. It is most closely related to A. chinensis genetically but easily distinguishable by its 2-flowered cyme (vs. flowers many in a terminal panicle in A. chinensis) at the end of branchlets, white or pink (vs. white) corolla, which is 2-3 (vs. 0.5-1) cm long, campanulate and bilabiate (vs. infundibuliform, nearly regular), and non-exserted (vs. exserted) stamens.
    • YE De-Ping, LUO Yi-Bo
      2006, 44 (4): 471–473
      Paphiopedilum spicerianum (Rchb.) Pfitzer was found to occur in Simao, southern Yunnan, China. This represents a new record of this species for China. A morphological description of the species is given based on the newly discovered population, which grows under a sparse mixed coniferous and broad-leaved forest on a limestone cliff along a small stream at an altitude of 920 m. The population is very small, consisting of only about ten individuals. The locality of the population is near a village, and thus easily accessible by human beings, and in the neighborhood of the population occur another eight orchid species. As such, this slipper orchid is considered to be critically endangered and should be under protection as soon as possible.
    • DUAN Lin-Dong, LIN Qi, SHAO Qing
      2006, 44 (4): 474–476
      Elatostema calciferum W. T. Wang and E. schizocephalum W. T. Wang are reduced to new synonymies.
    • HU Chi-Ming, HAO Gang*
      2006, 44 (4): 477–479
      The recently described new species Primula hongshanensis D. W. H. Rankin, Z. D. Fang & H. Sun is reduced to P. boreiocalliantha Balf. f. & Forrest as a synonym, and a key to its related species is provided.
Editors-in-Chief
Song Ge
Jun Wen
Impact Factor
3.7
JCR 2022 IF ranking: 60/238 (Plant Sciences, top 25%, Q2 quartile)
Journal Abbreviation: J Syst Evol
ISSN: 1674-4918 (Print)
1759-6831 (Online)
CN: 11-5779/Q
Frequency: Bi-monthly

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