A synopsis of Aotearoa / New Zealand Lejeunea (Lejeuneaceae: Jungermanniopsida) and new species in the Lejeunea epiphylla Colenso complex

We present a summary of the Aotearoa/New Zealand Lejeunea flora in a synopsis covering 21 species, 19 of which have been, or are here, formally described and two tag-named. Four species are described as new (L. amphinephea M.A.M.Renner, L. demissa M.A.M.Renner, L. perichymidia M.A.M.Renner and L. thalassoides M.A.M.Renner & Glenny) all have been previously treated as a complex under the illegitimate name Lejeunea epiphylla Colenso. These four species exhibit compli cated patterns of morphological variation and overlap in both size and shape as has been quantified in other liverwort species complexes. Lejeunea hawaikiana is proposed as a new synonym of L. apiculata, while Lejeunea gracilipes is retained at species rank. The 21 species comprise nearly the entire Aotearoa/ New Zealand Lejeunea diversity, but at least two other entities not encompassed by our synopsis are known from the North Cape region, and their affinities and identity remain to be resolved. The aim of this synopsis is to formally document our current state of knowledge regarding New Zealand Lejeunea, to pave the way for a full resolution of the diversity of this genus in Australasi

Phylogenetic biogeography of the leafy liverwort <i>Herbertus</i> (Jungermanniales, Herbertaceae) based on nuclear and chloroplast DNA sequence data: correlation between genetic variation and geographical distribution

&lt;b&gt;Aim&lt;/b&gt; The cosmopolitan genus &lt;i&gt;Herbertus&lt;/i&gt; is notorious for having a difficult taxonomy and for the fact that there is limited knowledge of species ranges and relationships. Topologies generated from variable molecular markers are used to discuss biogeographical patterns in &lt;i&gt;Herbertus&lt;/i&gt; and to compare them with the geological history of continents and outcomes reported for other land plants. &lt;b&gt;Location&lt;/b&gt; Africa, Asia, Azores, Europe, southern South America, northern South America, North America, New Zealand. &lt;b&gt;Methods&lt;/b&gt; Phylogenetic analyses of nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer and chloroplast (cp) &lt;i&gt;trn&lt;/i&gt;L–&lt;i&gt;trn&lt;/i&gt;F sequences of 66 accessions of &lt;i&gt;Herbertus&lt;/i&gt; and the outgroup species &lt;i&gt;Triandrophyllum subtrifidum&lt;/i&gt; and &lt;i&gt;Mastigophora diclados&lt;/i&gt; were used to investigate biogeographical patterns in &lt;i&gt;Herbertus&lt;/i&gt;. Areas of putative endemism were defined based on the distribution of species included in the analyses. Maximum parsimony analyses were undertaken to reconstruct ancestral areas and intraspecies migration routes. &lt;b&gt;Results&lt;/b&gt; The analyses reveal species-level cladograms with a correlation between genetic variation and the geographical distribution of the related accessions. The southern South American &lt;i&gt;Herbertus runcinatus&lt;/i&gt; is sister to the remainder of the genus, which is split into two main clades. One contains the Neotropical–African &lt;i&gt;Herbertus juniperoideus&lt;/i&gt; and the New Zealand/Tasmanian &lt;i&gt;Herbertus oldfieldianus&lt;/i&gt;. An African accession of &lt;i&gt;H. juniperoideus&lt;/i&gt; is nested within Neotropical accessions. The second main clade includes species that inhabit Asia, the Holarctic, Africa, and northern South America. Maximum parsimony analyses indicate that this clade arose in Asia. &lt;i&gt;Herbertus sendtneri&lt;/i&gt; originated in Asia and subsequently colonized the Holarctic and northern South America. An Asian origin and colonization into Africa is indicated for &lt;i&gt;H. dicranus&lt;/i&gt;. &lt;b&gt;Main conclusions&lt;/b&gt; The current distribution of &lt;i&gt;Herbertus&lt;/i&gt; cannot be explained by Gondwanan vicariance. A more feasible explanation of the range is a combination of short-distance dispersal, rare long-distance dispersal events (especially into regions that faced floral displacements as a result of climatic changes) extinction, recolonization, and diversification. The African &lt;i&gt;Herbertus&lt;/i&gt; flora is a mixture of Asian and Neotropical elements. Southern South America harbours an isolated species. The molecular data indicate partial decoupling of molecular and morphological variation in &lt;i&gt;Herbertus&lt;/i&gt;. Biogeographical patterns in &lt;i&gt;Herbertus&lt;/i&gt; are not dissimilar to those of other groups of bryophytes, but elucidation of the geographical ranges requires a molecular approach. Some patterns could be the result of maintenance of &lt;i&gt;Herbertus&lt;/i&gt; in the inner Tropics during glacial maxima, and dispersal into temperate regions in warm phases

Checklist of the New Zealand flora : seed plants

INTRODUCTION: The scientific names of plants “provide a means of reference to facilitate communication about those organisms” (Turland 2013). Established over 300 years ago, the process of naming plants is today governed by the International Code of Nomenclature, with the names themselves anchored by a type specimen. In this electronic age the names remain a vital means of accessing and sharing information. As a result of new scientific research our understanding of plant species is constantly evolving, with old hypotheses being tested and new hypotheses of relationship being inferred as our knowledge improves. This expansion of our knowledge frequently leads to changes in the application of names and the publication of new names. A comprehensive list of names, including accepted names and their synonyms, and the relationship between names and their application, is important for anyone wanting to access and manage biological information. At the Allan Herbarium (CHR), Manaaki Whenua — Landcare Research, the New Zealand Plant Names Database (PND) provides a contemporary account of the names of New Zealand indigenous and naturalised plants. The PND lists nearly 50,000 scientific names, primarily for hornworts, lichens, liverworts, mosses, ferns and seed plants in New Zealand, as well as some information for freshwater algae and our cultivated flora. The PND indicates which of the names are preferred for use at the Allan Herbarium, and provides information on the authorship and biostatus of the taxa. In addition to the scientific names, the PND is also used to record taxonomic concepts and associated literature, and vernacular and Māori names. The data in the PND are continuously curated and updated. The updated data are published twice weekly to Ngā Tipu o Aotearoa – New Zealand Plants website (http://nzflora.landcareresearch.co.nz). The changes in the data are also summarised in quarterly reports that are published to the Manaaki Whenua — Landcare Research Datastore (http://datastore.landcareresearch.co.nz/organization/plant-names-database-reports)

Trust among cybercriminals? Carding forums, uncertainty and implications for policing

At the beginning of the 21st Century, before the power of online social networking became apparent, several studies speculated about the likely structure of organised cybercrime (Mann and Sutton 1998; Brenner 2002). In the light of new data on cybercriminal organisations, this paper sets out to revisit their claims. In collaboration with the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA), this paper examines the structure of organised cybercrime by analysing data from online underground markets previously in operation over the Internet. In order to understand the various structures of organised cybercrime which have manifested, theories are drawn from social psychology, organised crime and transaction cost economics (TCE). Since the focus is on how uncertainty is mitigated in trading among cybercriminals, uncertainty is treated as a cost to the transactions and is used as the unit of analysis to examine the mechanisms cybercriminals use to control two key sources of uncertainty: the quality of merchandise and the identity of the trader. The findings indicate that carding forums facilitate organised cybercrime because they offer a hybrid form of organisational structure that is able to address sources of uncertainty and minimise transaction costs to an extent that allows a competitive underground market to emerge. The findings from this study can be used to examine other online applications that could facilitate the online underground economy