:: E. DODINET & S. NADOT Editorial Paru dans Botany Letters, 2017, 164 (1), pp. 1-2. Anglais :: E. DODINET & S. NADOT List of reviewers Paru dans Botany Letters, 2017, 164 (1), pp. 3-4. Anglais :: M. M. PONCE, C. DEL RIO, A. EBIHARA & J.-Y. DUBUISSON Discussion on taxonomy of the fern genera Crepidomanes and Polyphlebium (Hymenophyllaceae) in Argentina and south-eastern South America, and description of a new local variety for Crepidomanes pyxidiferum Paru dans Botany Letters, 2017, 164 (1), pp. 5-18. Anglais Abstract The fern genera Crepidomanes and Polyphlebium are clearly distinct, yet often confused in the wild and in collections. Morphological and molecular investigations were performed to find taxonomic characters for discriminating species occurring in southeastern South America (southern Brazil and northeastern Argentina). Our results show that the genus Polyphlebium is represented in the area by two species: Polyphlebium angustatum and Polyphlebium diaphanum. In addition P. diaphanum is a pantropical species that includes as synonyms neotropical Polyphlebium hymenophylloides and palaeotropical Polyphlebium borbonicum. We also show that southeastern South American Trichomanes emarginatum is a local variety of Crepidomanes pyxidiferum, here named C. pyxidiferum var. australe. A key for the species is provided and new taxonomic treatments are discussed.
:: C. N. SUNIL, M. K. RATHEESH NARAYANAN, M. SIVADASAN, V. V. NAVEENKUMAR, AHMED H. ALFARHAN, V. ABDUL JALEEL & M. H. SAMEH A new species of Fimbristylis (Cyperaceae) from India Paru dans Botany Letters, 2017, 164 (1), pp. 19-22. Anglais Abstract Fimbristylis pokkudaniana, a new species of Cyperaceae from the laterite hillocks of Kannur District, Kerala, India is described and illustrated. It closely resembles Fimbristylis bispicula, but differs in having larger spikelets with 13–17 flowers, three yellow coloured stamens, larger style and stigma, and regularly tuberculate white nuts with epidermal cells in 18–26 rows on each face.
:: M. NOBIS, A. ERST, A. NOWAK, D. SHAULO, M. OLONOVA, Y. KOTUKHOV, A. DOĞRU-KOCA, A. DÖNMEZ, G. KIRÁLY, A. L. EBEL, M. KUSHUNINA, R. PIWOWARCZYK, A. P. SUKHORUKOV, A. NOBIS, F. VERLOOVE, J. ZALEWSKA-GAŁOSZ, G. ZARE, J.-F. BURRI, D. CAKOVIĆ, E. JĘDRZEJCZAK, N. JOGAN, E. KLICHOWSKA, A. PLISZKO, A. V. POPOVICH, D. STEŠEVIĆ, U. ŠILC, N. TUPITSYNA, V. M. VASJUKOV, WEI WANG, P. WERNER, M. N. WOLANIN, M. M. WOLANIN & KUN-LI XIANG Contribution to the flora of Asian and European countries: new national and regional vascular plant records, 6 Paru dans Botany Letters, 2017, 164 (1), pp. 23-45. Anglais Abstract The paper presents new records for 28 vascular plant species from 14 Eurasian countries. Five taxa (Catabrosa capusii, Poa albertii, Poa intricata, Poa pseudoaltaica, Poa sergievskajae) are reported from Kazakhstan, three (Ranunculus pseudomonophyllus, Ranunculus smirnovii, Ranunculus turczaninovii) from Mongolia, three (Panicum barbipulvinatum, Stipa eriocaulis, Tragopogon pratensis subsp. minor) from Poland, three (Euphorbia subtilis, Corydalis grubovii, Thymus callieri) from Russia, two (Atriplex ornata, Corispermum dutreuilii) from Afghanistan, two (Orobanche grenieri, Ranunculus mongolicus) from Kyrgyzstan, two (Erigeron annuus, Sternbergia lutea) from Tajikistan, two (Orobanche baumanniorum, Orobanche kotschyi) from Turkey, one (Polygonum subaphyllum) from China, one (Orobanche bartlingii) from Georgia, one (Rubus slavonicus) from Germany, one (Cenchrus spinifex) from Montenegro, one (Rubus canadensis) from Slovenia and one (Bolboschoenus yagara) from Switzerland. For each species, synonyms, general distribution, habitat preferences, taxonomy with remarks on recognition and differentiation of the species from the most similar taxa occurring in a given country as well as a list of recorded localities (often far from the previously known areas) are presented.
:: M. V. SKAPTSOV, M. N. LOMONOSOVA, M. G. KUTSEV, S. V. SMIRNOV & A. I. SHMAKOV The phenomenon of endopolyploidy in some species of the Chenopodioideae (Amaranthaceae) Paru dans Botany Letters, 2017, 164 (1), pp. 47-53. Anglais Abstract The flow cytometry-based DNA analysis of leaf blade cells from 18 species and one subspecies of the subfamily Chenopodioideae (Amaranthaceae) revealed three histogram peaks typical for the presence of endopolyploidy. Although endopolyploidy is the most common ploidy in plants, this phenomenon was not previously found in such a large number of wild species of Chenopodioideae. It was also so far not reported for Suaeda, Dysphania and Oxybasis. Neither analysis of ploidy level by light microscopy nor flow cytometry revealed endopolyploid nuclei in root meristems. Endopolyploid cells were found in leaf blades and stems in all samples. The highest level of endopolyploidy was found in Suaeda. We also found that endopolyploidy is usually found in diploid species of Chenopodium, Dysphania, Oxybasis and Suaeda. The endopolyploidy from hexaploid samples of Suaeda tuvinica and octaploid Suaeda sibirica was not revealed.
:: A. D. DROUZAS, M. CHARITONIDOU & S. TSIFTSIS Chloroplast DNA variation in Epipactis atrorubens populations from northern Greece Paru dans Botany Letters, 2017, 164 (1), pp. 55-62. Anglais Abstract Epipactis Zinn. is a highly diverse genus, with numerous taxa naturally occurring throughout Europe. While their morphological variability has resulted in contradictory opinions about their taxonomy, the knowledge of the genetic variation of many of its species is limited. Such an example is E. atrorubens in the Balkan Peninsula. In this work, the cpDNA variation of seven E. atrorubens populations from northern Greece and of one population from Germany has been investigated by means of PCR-RFLP markers. Two regions of the cpDNA were studied (trnHpsbA, trnL intron) and four PCR-RFLP markers were employed (trnH-psbA/HaeIII, trnH-psbA/HinfI, trnH-psbA/VspI, trnL/MboI), which have revealed variation in other Epipactis species. The results demonstrate limited genetic variability in the studied populations, as only one haplotype was present in all the populations (both Greek and German), with the exception of Mt. Menikion (Greece) where a second haplotype was also recorded. This limited variation may be attributed to the properties of the genetic markers involved, to the conserved status of the two cpDNA regions in this species or to factors related to the biology and evolutionary history of E. atrorubens. The presence of a second haplotype only in Mt. Menikion could be attributed to a hybridisation event in the past and/or to the potential existence of a glacial refugium on this mountain.
:: S. D. UMDALE, P. D. PATIL, S. K. MALIK, M. LATHA, S. R. RAO, S. R. YADAV, N. B. GAIKWAD & K. V. BHAT Seed coat sculpture of subgenus Ceratotropis (Piper) verdc., genus Vigna Savi in India and its taxonomic implications Paru dans Botany Letters, 2017, 164 (1), pp. 63-78. Anglais Abstract The seed coat morphology was studied using scanning electron microscopy in 21 species (of which two are both cultivated and wild) of subgenus Ceratotropis (Piper) Verdc. and one species each from subgenus Plectotropis and subgenus Vigna of genus Vigna. The macromorphological and micromorphological seed characters, which include seed shape, testa texture, hilum, aril, testa pattern and ornamentation of periclinal wall, exhibited well-defined variability among the studied taxa. The smallest seeds were recognized in Vigna subramaniana (1.97 × 1.91 mm) and the largest in Vigna unguiculata (7.02 × 4.45 mm). The smallest hilum was observed in Vigna subramaniana (0.50 ± 0.01 mm) and the largest in Vigna umbellata (3.57 ± 0.05 mm). Novel morphological features such as reticulate, reticulate-foveate, alveolate, colliculate-pusticulate, substriate, ruminate-reticulate and ruminate-channelled reticulations of periclinal wall of the testa cell and hilum structure were observed in addition to those reported in earlier studies. In the present investigation, we reported the seed micromorphology of wild endemic Vigna species, namely Vigna sahyadriana, Vigna subramaniana, Vigna hainiana, Vigna indica, Vigna khandalensis and Vigna konkanensis for the first time. Based on seed characters, the taxonomic identity and species complex in the subgenus Ceratotropis has been discussed. A key to the species has been developed based on seed characters.
:: G. GECHEVA, K. PALL & Y. HRISTEVA Bryophyte communities’ responses to environmental factors in highly seasonal rivers Paru dans Botany Letters, 2017, 164 (1), pp. 79-91. Anglais Abstract Historically, in river ecosystems close attention has been paid to aquatic vascular macrophytes, but recent literature shows the important role of bryophytes, especially in undisturbed conditions. For this reason, we explore whether aquatic bryophyte patterns change in altered physical habitats and in eutrophication along highly seasonal streams in Bulgaria. Specifically, we hypothesize that: (i) bryophyte assemblage patterns change in conditions of hydromorphological degradation and eutrophication; and (ii) bryophyte assemblage patterns can serve as a signal in assessing effects of nutrient enrichment and hydromorphological degradation. Biological data were collected for 30 river sites together with catchment land use, hydromorphological alterations (e.g. channelization, alteration of habitat and riparian vegetation, dykes), main abiotic characteristics of each site (flow velocity, substrate type, shading and mean depth) and water chemistry parameters.The data set mentioned above was used to describe the responses of bryophyte communities to two major pressures in rivers resulting in habitat destruction: hydromorphological alterations and eutrophication. The results clearly reflected that habitat degradation led to particular changes in the species-abundance patterns of bryophyte communities. Both studied pressure types resulted in loss of species and decreased bryophyte abundance. Hydromorphological degradation could be distinguished by morphological growth forms: presence of mosses of a more plastic shape (creeping pleurocarps), whereas eutrophication favours only the mesotrophic preferential Leptodictyum riparium. This moss should be applied as a conceptual signal species, the abundance of which indicates ranges of hydromorphological and nutrient pressure in seasonal rivers.
:: L. KENNEDY LESO, H. O. ELANSARY, K. MEARNS & K. YESSOUFOU Ethnobotany at a local scale: diversity of knowledge of medicinal plants and assessment of plant cultural importance in the Polokwane local municipality, South Africa Paru dans Botany Letters, 2017, 164 (1), pp. 93-102. Anglais Abstract Unravelling the pattern of traditional plant usages in a society is necessary to inform interventions for biodiversity conservation. In the present study, we documented traditional knowledge of plant usages and analysed the pattern of culturally important plants along a phylogeny of South Africa’s medicinal plants. Data were collected through interviews, field visits and group discussions, and cultural importance was assessed using two metrics: use value (UVs) and quality use value of species (QUVs). K statistic was used to assess how UVs and QUVs values are distributed on a phylogeny. Overall, 50 medicinal plant species in 35 botanical families were reported. Fabaceae and Celastraceae contain more medicinal species than any other family, perhaps because of a wider distribution in the study area. Although there was no evidence that knowledge of medicinal uses varies significantly according to informant status, sex, ethnic group and age category, or residence time of the informant in the study area, traditional healers show a wider range of medicinal knowledge than any other informants. Culturally important plants are not significantly clustered on the phylogeny, suggesting a priori a limited value of phylogeny in identifying culturally valuable plants. However, this potential limitation could be driven by the local focus of the present study. We call for further investigations at a broader scale to establish potential phylogenetic signals in plant cultural importance.
:: B. SCHOEFS Review of the volume 143 ‘Diatom research over time and space’ of Nova Hedwigia Beiheft 143 Paru dans Botany Letters, 2017, 164 (1), pp. 103-103. Anglais Abstract Morphology, taxonomy, ecology and distribution of diatoms - from fossil to recent, marine to freshwater, established species and genera to new ones. Celebrating the work and impact of Nina Strelnikova on the occasion of her 80th birthday