Morfología de semillas de Calluna Salisb.

Morfología de semillas de Calluna Salisb. (Ericaceae). Se estudia la morfología de las semillas de Calluna vulgaris (L.) Hull, única especie de Calluna Salisb. (Ericaceae). Las semillas se recolectaron y almacenaron en condiciones de baja humedad y temperatura. Se realizaron fotos de microscopía electrónica de semillas completas y de detalle. Se realizaron medidas de diferentes caracteres cuantitativos . Se realiza una descripción completa. Las semillas son pequeñas (0.55-0.65 mm), elipsoidales y con una ornamentación de la testa reticulada. La región hilar se transforma en un poro, carácter que diferencia a Calluna del género próximo Erica

Seed morphology of two distinct european species of Erica L. (Ericaceae)

Seed morphology of two distinct european species of Erica L. (Ericaceae). Erica spiculifolia is a distinct species within the genus Erica, considered by some authors as part of a monospecific genus: Bruckenthalia. The second species studied, E. umbellata, is the only European species of section Pyronium. Seed morphology of the two species was studied by means of SEM techniques. Seeds from different populations were used. Characters concerning size and shape of seeds, primary and secondary ornamentation were observed and measured. The seeds of E. spiculifolia are close to those of other species within the genus, supporting the inclusion in Erica. E. umbellata seeds have some exclusive characters within the European species of the genus: a verrucate secondary ornamentation and surface cells with �omega type� cell boundaries. The systematics of genus Erica is still unresolved, and the taxonomic position of these species has to be clarified. As found in previous studies, seed characters provide useful taxonomic characters that should be used in the interpretation of the taxonomic position of these species within EricaMorfología de las semillas de dos especies europeas de Erica L. (Ericaceae). Erica spiculifolia es una especie con características únicas dentro del género Erica en Europa, considerada por algunos autores como perteneciente al género monoespecífico Bruckenthalia. La segunda especie estudiada, E. umbellata, es la única especie de la sección Pyronium dentro del núcleo norte del género.Se estudia la morfología de las semillas mediante la fotografía de microscopía electrónica. Se miden semillas de diferentes poblaciones de cada especie. Se estudian y miden diversos caracteres del tamaño y la forma de las semillas, la ornamentación primaria y secundaria. Las semillas de E. spiculifolia coinciden en la mayor parte de los caracteres con otras especies del género, lo que apoya su pertenencia a Erica. Las semillas de E. umbellata presentan algunos caracteres exclusivos que permiten diferenciarla de otras especies europeas del género: una ornamentación secundaria verrucosa y las uniones entre las células de la testa de �tipo omega�. La taxonomía del género Erica no está aún resuelta, y la posición sistemática de estas especies debe clarificarse. Como se desprende de éste y otros estudios publicados, la morfología de las semillas aportan caracteres de diagnóstico que deben utilizarse para una correcta interpretación de las relaciones taxonómicas dentro del géner

Identification and validation of microsatellite markers in strawberry tree (Arbutusunedo L.)

Strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo L.), an evergreen shrub/small tree of the family Ericaceae, is a main constituent of the Mediterranean basin flora; although it is also found in southwestern Prance, Macaronesia, and Ireland. The small fruits are edible but mostly used for preparation of preserves and jams, and for liquors such as the Portuguese traditional "aguardente de medronho". Traditionally cultivated by small farmers, often in consociation with Quercus sp., strawberry tree is presently emerging as a new important fruit crop cultivated in large orchards by modern export-oriented enterprises. This change of paradigm requires a growing role of plant breeding, upstream of the production process. Genomic tools for this species are mostly limited to the chloroplast genome sequence and to genomic data described in this work. In order to identify strawberry tree microsatellite (SSR) loci we performed partial genome next-generation sequencing using the Ion Torrent technology. The sequenced similar to 24.6M nucleotides resulted in the identification of 1185 microsatellite markers mostly constituted by dinucleotide motifs. The relative amount of microsatellite dinucleotide motifs (AG/CT - 71.7%, AC/GT - 20.5%, AT/AT - 2.9%, and CG/CG - 0.3%) is similar to the one observed in other Ericaceae species. Among a tested sample of 40 SSR primer pairs, 20 amplified well-defined PCR products, 12 (30%) were validated as polymorphic. Used in our collaborative project for molecular identification of selected and improved clones, the identified SSR loci constitute a strong tool for a large panoply of applied and fundamental studies of this emerging fruit crop.Pluriannual Funding Program of the Portuguese National Foundation for Science and Technologyinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Anthropogenic Causes of Peatland Species Vanishing in the Glinno Ługi Area

The paper presents information about the occurrence and state of preservation of valuable peat-bog species as well as about the threats facing them. The anthropopressure-related changes which occurred in the habitat of the Glinno Ługi peatland and their influence on the flora are presented and discussed

INDEPENDENT ORIGINATION OF FLORAL ZYGOMORPHY, A PREDICTED ADAPTIVE RESPONSE TO POLLINATORS: DEVELOPMENTAL AND GENETIC MECHANISMS

Observations of floral development indicate that floral organ initiation in pentapetalous flowers more commonly results in a medially positioned abaxial petal (MAB) than in a medially positioned adaxial petal (MAD), where the medial plane is defined by the stem and the bract during early floral development. It was proposed that the dominant MAB petal initiation might impose a developmental constraint that leads to the evolution of limited patterns of floral zygomorphy in Asteridae, a family in which the floral zygomorphy develops along the medial plane and results in a central ventral (CV) petal in mature flowers. Here, I investigate whether the pattern of floral organ initiation may limit patterns of floral zygomorphy to evolve in pentapetalous angiosperms. I analyzed floral diagrams representing 405 species in 330 genera of pentapetalous angiosperms to reconstruct the evolution of floral organ initiation and the evolution of developmental processes that give rise to floral zygomorphy on a phylogenetic framework. Results indicate that MAB petal initiation is the most common; it occupies 86.2% of diversity and represents the ancestral state of floral organ initiation in pentapetalous angiosperms. The MAD petal initiation evolved 28 times independently from the ancestral MAB petal initiation. Among the 34 independent originations of floral zygomorphy, 76.5% of these clades represent MAB petal initiation, among which only 47% of the clades result a CV petal in mature flowers. The discrepancy is explained by the existence of developmental processes that result in floral zygomorphy along oblique planes of floral symmetry in addition to along the medial plane. Findings suggest that although the early floral organ initiation plays a constraining role to the evolution of patterns of floral zygomorphy, the constraint diverges along phylogenetically distantly related groups that allow the independent originations of floral zygomorphy through distinct development processes in pentapetalous angiosperms. In additional study, the butterfly-like flowers of Schizanthus are adapted to pollination by bees, hummingbirds, and moths. I investigated the genetic basis of the zygomorphic corolla, for which development is key to the explosive pollen release mechanism found in the species of Schizanthus adapted to bee pollinators. I examined differential gene expression profiles across the zygomorphic corolla of Schizanthus pinnatus, a bee-pollinated species, by analyzing RNA transcriptome sequencing (RNA- seq). Data indicated that CYC2 is not expressed in the zygomorphic corolla of Sc. pinnatus, suggesting CYC2 is not involved in the development of floral zygomorphy in Schizanthus (Solanaceae). The data also indicated that a number of genes are differentially expressed across the corolla

A new species of Colletes (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Colletidae) from northern Florida and Georgia, with notes on the Colletes of those states

Colletes ultravalidus Hall & Ascher, new species, is described from several sites in northwestern Florida and southeastern Georgia.  It is a member of the inaequalis species group, very similar to C. validus Cresson, a specialist of Ericaceae, but can be distinguished by an even more elongate malar area and the absence of conspicuous tergal fascia.  Colletes ultravalidus has been found flying from early winter to early spring when it forms nest aggregations in xeric sites adjacent to shrub bog or basin swamp, the habitat of Pieris phyllyreifolia (Hook.) DC. (Ericaceae), the most likely, but as yet unconfirmed, host plant of the new species.  State records of Colletes for Florida and Georgia are reviewed and discrepancies in taxonomy and distributional limits between Stephen’s 1954 revision of the genus and Mitchell’s 1960 monograph of eastern North American bees are noted.  We concur with Stephen that the distributions of several taxa in Colletes are more limited than that reported by Mitchell

Taxonomic results of the Bryotrop expedition to Zaire and Rwanda : 12., Metzgeriaceae, Plagiochilaceae, Lejeuneaceae (the nonepiphyllous collections)

Vanden Berghen (1948) who himself described two new species (1951, 1953) and supplied a key for the Central African taxa (Vanden Berghen 1960). Kuwahara described Metzgeria agnewii from the Aberdare Mts. in Kenya (1973), established the classification of subgeneric taxa (1978) and synonymized several African taxa with other known species (1986), so the known distribution of several African Metzgeria considerably widened

Pentatomoidea (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae, Scutelleridae) Associated With the Dioecious Shrub Florida Rosemary, \u3ci\u3eCeratiola Ericoides\u3c/i\u3e (Ericaceae)

Florida rosemary (Ceratiola ericoides), an ericaceous shrub with needlelike leaves, is characteristic of Florida scrubs and certain other xeric plant communities of well-drained sands. The plant is dioecious, its inconspicuous male and female flowers borne on separate individuals. From 2003 to 2012 (mainly 2007–2012), rosemary was sampled periodically (with all months included at least once during the period) in sand ridges of peninsular Florida and two riverine dunes in southeastern Georgia. Branches of male and female plants were tapped separately into a beating net. Sampling during the final three years was female-plant-biased to facilitate work on fruit- and seed-feeding heteropterans. Nymphs and adults of three pentatomoid species were found on C. ericoides: the pentatomid Thyanta custator custator (F.) and scutellerids Diolcus chrysorrhoeus (F.) and Homaemus proteus Stål. Only T. c. custator was taken in both states, occurring at 19 sites (19 nymphs, 53 adults); D. chrysorrhoeus was found in Florida at 16 sites (9 nymphs, 165 adults). The collection of T. c. custator and D. chrysorrhoeus from female rosemary plants essentially throughout the sampling period, including nymphs, exuviae, and mating pairs, coupled with their near absence from male plants, suggests that the bugs are not incidental on rosemary but feed on its fruits. Whether either species completes its life cycle on rosemary is unknown. Three nymphs and eight adults of the little-known H. proteus were collected from female rosemary plants at four sites, but the scutellerid’s relationship to C. ericoides remains to be determined. Briefly noted is the collection of the pentatomid Euschistus obscurus (Palisot de Beauvois) and scutellerid Stethaulax marmoratus (Say), whose adults were collected infrequently on female rosemary plants in Florida

The ‘Little Ice Age’ in the Southern Hemisphere in the context of the last 3000 years : Peat-based proxy-climate data from Tierra del Fuego

DM’s research (at Department of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University) was supported through a European Community Marie Curie Fellowship (Contract HPMF-CT-2000-01056).Peer reviewedPostprin