The anatomical structure of leaf blade of the Siberian feather grasses (Poaceae: Stipa)

Results of studies of the anatomical structure of leaf blade of Siberian feather grasses are presented. A cross sections of leave blades were studied in 15 species: S. capillata, S. grandis, S. krylovii, S. baicalensis, S. praecapillata, S. consanguinea, S. orientalis, S. lessingiana, S. kirghisorum, S. dasyphylla, S. pennata, S. pulcherrima, S. zalesskii, S. glareosa, S. klemenzii. The following diagnostic characters were identified: relative height and degree of expressiveness of edges, quantity and type of veins, extent of development and arrangement of sclerenchyma as well as number and type of trichomes on the adaxial surface of leaves. Despite the uniformity of these features in many species within sections, they exhibit distinctive morphological patterns and have been proved to be taxonomically useful.В статье представлены результаты исследования анатомического строения листовой пластинки 15 видов сибирских ковылей: S. capillata, S. grandis, S. krylovii, S. baicalensis, S. praecapillata, S. consanguinea, S. orientalis, S. lessingiana, S. kirghisorum, S. dasyphylla, S. pennata, S. pulcherrima, S. zalesskii, S. glareosa, S. klemenzii. У исследованных видов были выявлены следующие диагностические признаки: относительная высота и степень выраженности ребер, их форма, количество и тип жилок, степень развития и расположение склеренхимы, количество и тип трихом на адаксиальной поверхности листьев. Несмотря на однородность этих признаков у многих видов в пределах секции, на секционном уровне они проявляют отличительные морфологические закономерности и имеют высокую таксономическую значимость

Fungal root endophyte associations of plants endemic to the Pamir Alay Mountains of Central Asia

The fungal root endophyte associations of 16 species from 12 families of plants endemic to the Pamir Alay Mountains of Central Asia are presented. The plants and soil samples were collected in Zeravshan and Hissar ranges within the central Pamir Alay mountain system. Colonization by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) was found in 15 plant species; in 8 species it was of the Arum type and in 4 of the Paris type, while 3 taxa revealed intermediate arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) morphology. AMF colonization was found to be absent only in Matthiola integrifolia, the representative of the Brassicaceae family. The AM status and morphology are reported for the first time for all the species analyzed and for the genera Asyneuma, Clementsia, and Eremostachys. Mycelia of dark septate endophytes (DSE) accompanied the AMF colonization in ten plant species. The frequency of DSE occurrence in the roots was low in all the plants, with the exception of Spiraea baldschuanica. However, in the case of both low and higher occurrence, the percentage of DSE root colonization was low. Moreover, the sporangia of Olpidium spp. were sporadically found inside the root epidermal cells of three plant species. Seven AMF species (Glomeromycota) found in the trap cultures established with soils surrounding roots of the plants being studied were reported for the first time from this region of Asia. Our results provide information that might well be of use to the conservation and restoration programmes of these valuable plant species. The potential application of beneficial root-inhabiting fungi in active plant protection projects of rare, endemic and endangered plants is discussed

GrassPlot v. 2.00 – first update on the database of multi-scale plant diversity in Palaearctic grasslands

Abstract: GrassPlot is a collaborative vegetation-plot database organised by the Eurasian Dry Grassland Group (EDGG) and listed in the Global Index of Vegetation-Plot Databases (GIVD ID EU-00-003). Following a previous Long Database Report (Dengler et al. 2018, Phyto- coenologia 48, 331–347), we provide here the first update on content and functionality of GrassPlot. The current version (GrassPlot v. 2.00) contains a total of 190,673 plots of different grain sizes across 28,171 independent plots, with 4,654 nested-plot series including at least four grain sizes. The database has improved its content as well as its functionality, including addition and harmonization of header data (land use, information on nestedness, structure and ecology) and preparation of species composition data. Currently, GrassPlot data are intensively used for broad-scale analyses of different aspects of alpha and beta diversity in grassland ecosystems

Typification of five plant names described based on specimens collected by Józef Warszewicz in Central and South America

Józef Warszewicz (1812–1864) was one of the first Polish naturalists to explore the flora of the tropical New World. During two expeditions to Central and South America (1844–1850 and 1850–1853) he collected and delivered to Europe up to twenty thousand plant specimens. To honour his service and his achievements in plant collections, different taxonomists described more than 100 taxa using the surname Warszewicz, for example in the genus name (Warszewiczia) and the species epithets (warszewiczii, warscewiczii, warszewicziana). Unfortunately, a large part of Warszewicz’s collection of plant species deposited in the Berlin Herbarium (B), including many type specimens was destroyed during World War II. During digitisation of herbarium collections preserved in the Herbarium of the Jagiellonian University (KRA), we reviewed more than 650 herbarium sheets with plant specimens collected by Warszewicz and originating from his trips to Central and South America. In this paper, we present the typification of five names of species, described base on Warszewicz’s plant material. We select lectotypes for Berberis warszewiczii, Esenbeckia warscewiczii, Psammisia ramiflora, Remijia involucrata and Rondeletia orthoneura, and provide data on the presence of 17 specimens (isotypes) representing Esenbeckia cornuta, an extremely rare species, that to date is known only from the type locality in Peru. A list of all Warszewicz’s specimens preserved at KRA herbarium is also presented. Additionally, in the result of the revision of syntypes of Berberis multiflora and Rondeletia reflexa we designated here the lectotypes for these taxa

Species-specific effects of plant invasions on activity, biomass, and composition of soil microbial communities

This study assessed the effects of Reynoutria japonica, Rudbeckia laciniata,and Solidago gigantea invad- ing sites within and outside river valleys on activity, bio- mass, and composition of soil microbial communities. Microbial properties such as soil respiration, urease and arylsulfatase activities, microbial biomass (based on substrate-induced respiration, or SIR, and phospholipid fatty acids, or PLFA), and community composition (based on PLFA) were determined. R. japonica encroached on sites characterized by the lowest values of microbiological prop- erties and R. laciniata on sites with the highest microbiolog- ical quality. The effect of invasion on soil microbial proper- ties depended on the invasive plant species. R. japonica significantly decreased microbial biomass, determined by both SIR and total PLFA, urease activity, fungal PLFA, fungal:bacterial PLFA ratio, gram-negative bacterial PLFA, and soil respiration in comparison to soil under adjacent native plant communities. Microbial community composi- tion also differed between soils under R. japonica and those under native plants. In contrast, R. laciniata and S. gigantea did not influence most microbial properties, though S. gigantea significantly increased fungal PLFA and R. laciniata and S. gigantea increased fungal:bacterial PLFA ratio. The effects of plant invasion on microbial prop- erties were basically similar in soils located within and outside river valleys, probably because initially (i.e., before invasion) soils from the two locations were largely similar in terms of basic properties such as texture, moisture, pH, C:N ratio, and most microbial properties