Convolvulaceae of the Island of Timor with special reference to East Timor

Mestrado em Ecologia, Biodiversidade e Gestão de EcossistemasA seguinte dissertação de Mestrado apresenta uma revisão taxonómica detalhada e actualizada das Convolvulaceae de Timor, com especial referência para a parte oriental da ilha. Este trabalho teve por base um conjunto de fontes bibliográficas, espécimes de herbário e exemplares colhidos em duas expedições botânicas conduzidas apenas na parte oriental da ilha (2004/2005), sob o projecto “Contribuição para os recursos florísticos de Timor Leste”. Na totalidade, foram estudados 283 espécimes, abrangendo 15 géneros, 53 espécies e alguns taxa infraespecíficos, num total de 61 taxa diferentes, de entre os quais se destacam 6 taxa endémicos da ilha de Timor. É sugerida, neste estudo, uma nova espécie e que poderá igualmente ser um caso de endemismo. Dos 7 endemismos, apenas a possível nova espécie ocorre em Timor Leste. São, ainda, apresentados 3 novos registos de Convolvulaceae para Timor, assim como 10 actualizações de nomenclatura relativamente à Flora Malesiana. ABSTRACT: The following dissertation presents an updated and thorough taxonomic review of Convolvulaceae from Timor, with special reference to the eastern part of the island. It has been based on the study of bibliographic sources, herbarium specimens and specimens collected in two botanical expeditions to the eastern part of the island only (2004-2005), under the project “Contribution to flora resources management in East Timor”. Overall, 283 specimens were studied, comprising 15 genus, 53 species and a few other infraspecific taxa, in a total of 61 different taxa, among which 6 taxa are endemic to the island of Timor. A new species is suggested in this study, which might also be an endemism. Of the 7 suggested endemisms, only the possibly new species, still under study, occurs in East Timor. Also, 3 new records of Convolvulaceae to Timor are introduced in this study, as well as 10 nomenclatural updates in relation to Flora Malesiana

Notes on the systematics of Cuscuta sect. Subulatae (subg. Grammica) with the description of Cuscuta mantiqueirana, a new species from Brazil.

Cuscuta mantiqueirana Costea, S.S. Silva & Sim.-Bianch. a new species from montane cloud forests of the Serra da Mantiqueira, Brazil, is described and illustrated. The morphological and phylogenetic analyses revealed that the new species belongs to sect. Subulatae of subg. Grammica. The new species is related to C. odorata var. botryoides, C. rotundiflora and C. globiflora from which it differs in narrower calyx lobes and the presence of four stomatiferous lobes or projections at the distal part of the ovary. A detailed morphological comparison with C. odorata var. botryoides, morphologically the most similar taxon, is provided along with the geographical distribution, ecology and host range of the species. The morphological and phylogenetic relationships of the new species, as well as the diversity of stomatiferous projections, are discussed in the broader context of sect. Subulatae and subg. Grammica. Cuscuta boliviana var. paranensis is considered a synonym of C. odorata var. botryoides

Palynological characterization of the southeast Asian woody climbers Decalobanthus Ooststr. (Convolvulaceae)

Decalobanthus is a genus of woody climbers of Convolvulaceae, recently expanded from a monotypic genus to including 17 species, mainly distributed in Asia and the Pacific. Despite the monophyly and the strong morphological and geographical coherence of the genus, only five of its species have been sampled in a molecular phylogenetic study and their relationships remain poorly understood. As a pillar to further systematic and evolutionary studies of Decalobanthus, this study offers a full characterisation of its pollen variation. To date, only seven of the 17 species have been palynologically documented in the literature (as Merremia s.l.). We here offer new data for seven species, which adding up to the already available data, totals a characterisation of 14 out of the 17 species in the genus. The pollen of Decalobanthus is, in most cases, tricolpate, with one species presenting hexapantocolpate polymorphism, which could suggest di/polyploidy; the presence of a reticulate exine ('reticulum cristatum' type) is remarkable, in Convolvulaceae only known otherwise in some species of Cuscuta

Distimake vitifolius (Convolvulaceae): reclassification of a widespread species in view of phylogenetics and convergent pollen evolution.

Distimake vitifolius comb. nov. (Convolvulaceae), currently treated as Camonea vitifolia, is a common and widespread species in South-East Asia. A recent study on the re-delimitation of the genus Merremia classified its species into six genera. The results of molecular phylogenetic analyses and the presence of hexazonocolpate pollen informed the transfer of Merremia vitifolia to Camonea. We present new molecular, morphological and palynological data and reinterpret previous results, demonstrating that the species should be classified in Distimake instead, reflecting the phylogenetic relationships of the species. Thus, the occurrence of hexazonocolpate pollen in both Distimake and Camonea is found to be the result of the convergent evolution of this apertural pattern in ‘Merremieae’, with implications for pollen evolution studies in the family. We formally transfer Camonea vitifolia to Distimake and present this reclassification as an example of the relevance of reciprocal reinterpretation of different sources of evidence in systematic studies

A Taxonomically-verified and Vouchered Checklist of the Vascular Plants of the Republic of Guinea

Abstract The Checklist of the Vascular Plants of the Republic of Guinea (CVPRG) is a specimen-based, expert-validated knowledge product, which provides a concise synthesis and overview of current knowledge on 3901 vascular plant species documented from Guinea (Conakry), West Africa, including their accepted names and synonyms, as well as their distribution and status within Guinea (indigenous or introduced, endemic or not). The CVPRG is generated automatically from the Guinea Collections Database and the Guinea Names Backbone Database, both developed and maintained at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in collaboration with the staff of the National Herbarium of Guinea. A total of 3505 indigenous vascular plant species are reported of which 3328 are flowering plants (angiosperms); this represents a 26% increase in known indigenous angiosperms since the last floristic overview. Intended as a reference for scientists documenting the diversity and distribution of the Guinea flora, the CVPRG will also inform those seeking to safeguard the rich plant diversity of Guinea and the societal, ecological and economic benefits accruing from these biological resources