A New Record and Invasive Species in Taiwan-Clidemia hirta (L.) D. Don

A new record species, Clidemia hirta (L.) D. Don, is reported from Pingtung county, southern Taiwan. This represents the first generic record of Clidemia in Taiwan. Only one C. hirta population was collected in the secondary forest dominated by Acacia confusa Merr., Bambusa stenostachya Hackel etc. It is easy to distinguish this species from the other related taxa by having the lateral veins extending from the leaf base and fruits as berries. A key to the Melastomataceae, the taxonomic treatment, morphological description, line drawing and photographs are provided here

Carex scaposa C. B. Clarke (Cyperaceae): A New Record to the Flora of Taiwan

Carex scaposa C. B. Clarke (Cyperaceae) is a new record to the Flora of Taiwan. It was collected from the eastern face of the Central Range, southern Taiwan, at an elevation between 1,000-1,200 m, adjusted Tawu forest trail in Taitung County. This species can be easily distinguished from the other species of Carex genus of Taiwan by the width of leaves and bractole shape of inflorescence. The width of C. scaposa leaves is about 40 mm, the largest among Taiwan Carex, and the leaf shape is gladiate. The inflorescence is composed of 3-4 panicles, and each of panicle is obviously closed with an utriculiform bracteole

Classifying Taiwan Lianas with Radiating Plates of Xylem

Radiating plates of xylem are a lianas cambium variation, of which, 22 families have this feature. This study investigates 15 liana species representing nine families with radiating plates of xylem structures. The features of the transverse section and epidermis in fresh liana samples are documented, including shapes and colors of xylem and phloem, ray width and numbers, and skin morphology. Experimental results indicated that the shape of phloem fibers in Ampelopsis brevipedunculata var. hancei is gradually tapered and flame-like, which is in contrast with the other characteristics of this type, including those classified as rays. Both inner and outer cylinders of vascular bundles are found in Piper kwashoense, and the irregularly inner cylinder persists yet gradually diminishes. Red crystals are numerous in the cortex of Celastrus kusanoi. Aristolochia shimadai and A. zollingeriana develop a combination of two cambium variants, radiating plates of xylem and a lobed xylem. The shape of phloem in Stauntonia obovatifoliola is square or truncate, and its rays are numerous. Meanwhile, that of Neoalsomitra integrifolia is blunt and its rays are fewer. As for the features of a stem surface within the same family, Cyclea ochiaiana is brownish in color and has a deep vertical depression with lenticels, Pericampylus glaucus is greenish in color with a vertical shallow depression. Within the same genus, Aristolochia shimadai develops lenticels, which are not in A. zollingeriana; although the periderm developed in Clematis grata is a ring bark and tears easily, that of Clematis tamura is thick and soft

A Preliminary Study on Diverse Plant Uses of Rukai Tribe in Wutai District of Pingtung County, Southern Taiwan

The Rukai tribe is concentrated in the Wutai Township of Pingtung County, southern Taiwan. From 2000 to 2003 people of the Rukai in Wutai were interviewed on the traditional uses of plants and samples of such plant species were collected in an effort to remedy the situation of insufficient quantitative data on Taiwan’s ethnobotany. The number of citations per species and total number of citations were recorded in order to calculate diversity indices such as Shannon-Wiener index, evenness index, and rarefaction curves. Thirty-seven interviewed informants cited 245 plant species, which were then classified into thirteen types of usages, such as food, medicine, tools, and decoration. Among the 245 plant species, 93 species are used as food, 73 as tools, 52 for decoration and 45 for medicinal purposes. Informants described six types of usages for Hibiscus taiwanensis Hu and Vitex negundo L. Sambucus chinensis Nakai and Chamaesyce hirta (L.) Millsp. had the highest number of citations for medicinal usages. The Shannon-Wiener index was 2.27. The evenness values was 0.95, showing that the Wutai Rukai people had a low dominance concerning the uses of a few species and an equitability of plant uses. The diversity indices and the Coleman rarefaction curves of the Taiwan Rukai tribe could be available to compare ethnobotanical data with different areas

A New Alien Distribution Record and Addition to the Flora of Taiwan: Jacquemontia polyantha (Schltdl. & Cham.) Hallier f. (Convolvulaceae)

Jacquemontia polyantha (Schltdl. & Cham.) Hallier f., a species of the Convolvulaceae native to Mexico, was found established in Pingtung County, southern Taiwan. Jacquemontia polyantha can be distinguished from the other species of the genus in Taiwan by the pubescence density, inflorescence type, presence and shape of bracts, and shape of the outer sepals. This note provides a description of the species, keys to the three species of Jacquemontia in Taiwan and colour photographs to aid in identification

Cambial variations of Piper (Piperaceae) in Taiwan

Abstract Background Cambial variations in lianas of Piperaceae in Taiwan have not been studied previously. The stem anatomy of seven Piper species from Taiwan was examined to document cambial variations and better distinguish the species when leaves are absent. Results A key for the seven species is provided, based on the internal stem anatomy. The seven Piper species climb via adventitious roots, and in cross section, the stems were generally eccentric and oblate, although a transversely elliptic stem was found in P. kadsura (Choisy) Ohwi and P. sintenense Hatus. A cambial variant with secondary growth of external primary vascular bundles and xylem in plates was observed in all species except Piper betle L., which developed another cambium variant with xylem furrowed deeply by parenchyma proliferation. The sclerenchymatous ring surrounding the medullary vascular bundles was always continuous except in P. betle, where it was discontinuous. Mucilage canals varied from absent to present in the center of the pith, or present in the pith and inner cortex. Different sizes of vessels dispersed throughout the stem were ring or diffuse porous. The numbers of medullary and peripheral vascular bundles were distinctive and the widths of rays were noticeably different in each species. Differences in the growth rate of the medullary vascular bundles produced two development types of vascular bundles, although in both types, the peripheral vascular bundles gradually lengthen and become separated from each other by wide rays. Conclusions We documented the internal stem anatomy of six previously unstudied species of Piper, including three endemic species, P. kwashoense Hayata, P. sintenense, and P. taiwanense Lin and Lu, and found that P. betle had deeply furrowed xylem, which had not been reported for the species before. The descriptions and photographs of seven Piper species will also provide a basis for further morphological studies

Eleutheranthera ruderalis (Swartz) Sch.-Bip. (Asteraceae), a Newly Naturalized Plant in Taiwan

A new record of a naturalized plant of Asteraceae, Eleutheranthera ruderalis (Swartz) Sch.-Bip. was found in southern Taiwan. Eleutheranthera Poit. ex Bosc is also a new genus to the Flora of Taiwan. E. ruderalis can be easily distinguished from Synedrella nodiflora (L.) Gaertn. by its head only with disc florets, stamens free, pappus absent, achenes pubescent and angled. A taxonomic description, line drawing, photographs, and a map showing its distribution on this island are provided

Pupalia micrantha Hauman (Amaranthaceae), a Newly Naturalized Species in Taiwan

The specimens of Pupalia micrantha Hauman collected from southern Taiwan have been misidentified as Cyathula prostrata (L.) Blume for many years. This is because little attention was given to the diagnostic characteristics of pseudostaminodes and the hooked spines fascicled on a short stalk. The distinction between these two species is that Pupalia micrantha is without pseudostaminodes and the hooks are fascicled on a short stalk, and Cyathula prostrata has pseudostaminodes and the hooks are fascicled without peduncles. Therefore, Pupalia micrantha is a newly naturalized species of Amaranthaceae in Taiwan and represents the first generic record of Pupalia. This species was sparsely distributed for the past 20 years and is not recorded in the Flora of China. The taxonomic treatment, descriptions, photographs, line drawing, two keys about the subfamilies and genera of Amaranthaceae are provided here