Solanum altoserranum (Solanaceae): a new species endemic from high-altitude grasslands of North-western Argentina

The distribution and natural history of Dipsas andiana (Boulenger, 1986), a little-known snake endemic to Ecuador, are revised, and new records are presented that extend its geographical and altitudinal range. A conservation status assessment indicates that D. andiana would classify for the IUCN category «Near Threatened (NT)». The ecological distribution of the species is apparently related with seasonal forests of the West Ecuadorian zone, a recently recognized biogeographic area between the very humid Choco and the dry Tumbesian zone.

The reliability of conservation status assessments at regional level: Past, present and future perspectives on Gentiana lutea L. ssp. lutea in Sardinia

Bromus picoeuropeanus is a recently described species belonging to a complex genus of grasses. It inhabits stony soils at heights ranging from 1600 to 2200 m in Picos de Europa (Cantabrian Mountains, northern Spain). This species is morphologically very similar to B. erectus, partially sharing its presumed distribution range. We aim to determine the relationship between these species and their altitudinal ranges in Picos de Europa and the Cantabrian Mountains by conducting phylogenetic analyses based on nuclear (ETS and ITS) and chloroplastic (trnL) markers. Phylogenetic trees were inferred by Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference. Haplotype networks were estimated based on the plastid marker. Although the ITS topologies could not generate exclusive clades for these species, the ETS analyses generated highly supported B. picoeuropeanus exclusive clades, which included locations outside its altitudinal putative range. The ETS-ITS and ETS-ITS-trnL topologies generated B. picoeuropeanus exclusive clades, whereas the trnL-based trees and haplotype networks were unable to discriminate B. erectus and B. picoeuropeanus. This evidence suggests that B. picoeuropeanus is a separate species with a larger distribution than previously thought, opening new questions regarding the evolution of B. erectus and other similar species in European mountainous systems. However, more information is needed regarding B. picoeuropeanus susceptibility to temperature rises.

Monitoring of habitat types conservation status is an essential task in the frame of the European policy for biodiversity conservation. The parameters to be assessed for the purposes of habitat types’ conservation status assessment are described in several European documents, but the methodology for their determination has not yet been standardized or optimized. This study presents methods for the assessment of the actual status and the future prospects of structure and functions of habitat types. Specifically, it presents a bottom–up approach for the assessment of these two parameters at different spatial scales. In the proposed method, conservation status assessment is based on a classification of habitat types to subtypes, with the latter representing the basic monitoring entities. The conservation status is assessed by recording: (i) the presence/absence of specific indicators of structure and functions per habitat type, and (ii) the presence/absence, abundance, and vitality of the typical species of the habitat subtypes. The typical species are determined objectively using algorithms and fidelity coefficient values. The conservation status and future prospects of structure and functions (including the typical species) are estimated quantitatively with the help of numerical methods and algorithms, but their assignment to conservation status classes is based on thresholds defined by experts. Assessments are made at the local scale, but can be upscaled to coarser ones (up to the national level). The proposed methods have been applied in Greece and were effective both in terms of results obtained and costs needed.

This study presents a taxonomic revision of Korean Boehmeria, which has been difficult to classify owing to variation in leaf morphology. Based on protologues and type specimens, morphological and micromorphological analyses were conducted for taxon identification, along with multi-year field surveys and observations of dried herbarium specimens. Characteristics related to habit, stem, phyllotaxy, stipule, abaxial leaf surface, inflorescence, perianth of staminate flowers, glomerules of the infructescence, and achene were taxonomically significant. Furthermore, B. nivea var. nipononivea was clearly differentiated from B. nivea by leaf shape; midvein on the abaxial surface; and trichomes on the stems, perianth of staminate flowers, and achenes. Accordingly, this taxon was elevated to species rank as B. nipononivea. Four species previously regarded as Korean endemics—B. hirtella, B. nakaiana, B. taquetii, and B. quelpaertensis—were revealed to be distributed in Japan. Among these, B. nakaiana and B. taquetii were treated as synonyms of B. sieboldiana. Morphological analyses supported the application of Wang’s classification system to Korean Boehmeria. The series Sieboldianae within sect. Duretia was newly combined. In conclusion, Korean Boehmeria comprises 13 species in two sections and three series. For each species, descriptions, taxonomic notes, photographs, distribution information, and keys are provided.

Frogeye leaf spot of soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.), caused by Cercospora sojina Hara, was first detected during the 1997-98 growing season at low incidence and severity (<1% of the leaf diseased) levels in the provinces of Tucumán, Salta, Jujuy, Catamarca, and Santiago del Estero in northwestern Argentina. During the 1998-1999 growing season, disease incidence increased and disease severity grew to 10% of the leaf surface diseased on highly susceptible cultivars in a few locations. An outbreak of frogeye leaf spot occurred throughout northwestern Argentina during the 1999-2000 growing season. Frogeye leaf spot was severe on susceptible cultivars in the provinces of Salta, Santiago del Estero and Catamarca with the greatest intensity in the northeastern part of the Province of Tucumán. Symptoms on leaves were circular lesions that ranged in size from 1 to 5 mm, were reddish-brown to gray or tan, and were bordered by a narrow, reddish-brown to purple margin. Conidiophores and conidia of C. sojina developed on the abaxial leaf surface (1,2). Severely diseased leaves were desiccated and dropped during the R6 stage of growth. Lesions also developed on stems, pods, and seeds. Field surveys indicated that this disease reduced the yields of the highly susceptible cultivars Anta 82 RR, Coker 6738, and A 6445 RG by 48, 34, and 25%, respectively. C. sojina was cultured from diseased tissue on PDA acidified with 0.2% lactic acid and maintained on V-8 juice agar amended with streptomycin sulfate (100 mg/l). Conidia were elongated, dark, 38 to 62 × 5 to 9 μm, with 2 to 6 septa, and borne on dark conidiophores with 1 to 4 septa. Pathogenicity tests were conducted on seedlings of the susceptible cultivars A 6445 RG and Coker 6738 and on the resistant cultivars A 8000 RG and Shulka. Seedlings were inoculated at the V3 growth stage by spraying the leaves with a conidial suspension (4 × 104 conidia/ml) using a hand-held atomizer. Control plants were sprayed with sterile distilled water. Plants were placed in a moist chamber at 26°C for 2 days and then transferred to a greenhouse bench where they were kept at 25 to 30°C. Symptoms identical to those observed in the field became visible after 7 to 10 days. Ratings were made 14 days after inoculation by estimating the percentage of leaf area affected using a standard area diagram. Lesions covered 60 to 65% of the leaf area of susceptible cultivars, but less than 2% on resistant cultivars. Control plants remained healthy. C. sojina was reisolated from lesions on leaves of susceptible plants. Above-average rainfall and high relative humidity in northwestern Argentina during the first three months of 2000 may have encouraged the severe outbreak of frogeye leaf spot of soybean. The outbreak was aggravated by the widespread use of notillage systems in the region and the large hectarage planted with susceptible cultivars.

A new species of Poaceae, Paspalum volcanensis, from southern Bolivia and northwestern Argentina, is described and illustrated. Its concavoconvex spikelets and upper lemma with conspicuous nerves are characters it shares with other species of subgenus Anachyris of Paspalum. A key to the species of the subgenus and comments on the delimitation of the new species are provided here. In preparation of a treatment of the genus Paspalum L. for Flora Neotropica, examination of recent collections from Bolivia and Argentina has revealed a new species within subgenus Anachyris (Nees) Chase. Paspalum volcanensis belongs to subgenus Anachyris (Nees) Chase, due to the presence of concavo-convex spikelets, and upper lemmas with conspicuous nerves on the abaxial surface. Within this subgenus, this new species is related to P usterii Hackel: spikelets are pilose in both species, and the upper glume is always present. It differs from R usterii by height, and inflorescence and spikelet size; the latter species grows in southern Brazil, eastern Paraguay, and northeastern Argentina, between 0 and 1200 m elevation, while R volcanensis is present in southern Bolivia and northwestern Argentina, between 1000 and 2300 m elevation. Paspalum volcanensis Zuloaga, Morrone & Denham, sp. nov. TYPE. Argentina. Jujuy: Dpto. Tumbaya, Volcan, cantera al SE del pueblo, 2100-2200 m s.m., 13 Feb. 1985, R. Kiesling, S. Botta, C. Ezcurra, M. Sanchez & E. Ulibarri 5170 (holotype, SI; isotypes, MO, US). Figures 1A-C, 2. Culmi erecti, 45-60 cm alti. Laminae foliares lanceolatae, 12-22 cm longae, 0.7-1.3 cm latae. Racemi 4-19, adscendentes vel patentes, infimi 4-9 cm longi; spiculis ellipsoideis, 2.5-3 mm longis, 1.1-1.2 mm latis; gluma superiore 3-nervi; lemmate inferiore 3-nervi, palea inferiore absente; anthoecio superiore ellipsoideo; lemmate fertili valde 7-nervi. Caespitose perennials, with extravaginal innovations and short rhizomes covered by glabrous cataphylls. Floriferous culms 45-60 cm tall, 2.4-3 mm diam.; nodes 2-3, brownish, glabrous or sparsely pilose; internodes 2.5-15 cm long, glabrous, striate, stramineous. Sheaths longer or shorter than the internodes, 9.5-22 cm long, striate, slightly compressed and keeled toward the distal portion, glabrous, one margin hirsute, the other glabrous or hirsute toward the distal portion. Ligules membranous, 2-3.5 mm long, pale brown, glabrous; pseudoligule a ring of whitish hairs up to 6 mm long. Blades lanceolate, 12-22 cm long, 0.7-1.3 cm wide, flat, ascendent, slightly divergent from the culm, rounded at the base, the apex acuminate, glabrous on both surfaces or the abaxial surface papillose-pilose, the margins papillose-pilose. Peduncles 9-25 cm long, terete, glabrous. Inflorescences terminal, exserted, 9-17 cm long, 4-9 cm wide; main axes 6-10 cm long, glabrous, ending in a naked point; racemes 4-19, ending in a spikelet, alternate to subopposite, divergent from the main axes, the lower ones 4-9 cm long; pulvini covered by whitish hairs, up to 0.5 mm long; rachises 11.6 mm wide, glabrous, brownish or purplish, the margins papillose-pilose; spikelets imbricate, distributed in 4 series; pedicels subterete, paired, glabrous, unequal, the upper ones 0.5-1.3 mm long, the lower ones half as long as the upper ones. Spikelets ellipsoid, 2.5-3 mm long, 1.1-1.2 mm wide, concavo-convex, pilose, pale and tinged with purple. Lower glumes absent. Upper glumes ? to equal the spikelet length, acuminate, membranous, dorsal surface sparsely pilose, with adpressed hairs more densely disposed toward the base, margins papillose-pilose, 3-nerved, the nerves conspicuous, one central and two submarginal. Lower lemmas equal to the upper anthoecium or slightly longer, membranous, glabrous, hyaline, 3-nerved, the nerves conspicuous, depressed at base. Lower paleas absent. Upper anthoecia concavo-convex, as long as the spikelets, indurated, glabrous, finely papillose. Upper lemmas 7-nerved, the midvein and lateral veins conspicuous. Upper paleas indurated, 2-nerved; lodicules 2, ca. 0.3 mm long, conduplicate, hyaline; stamens 3, the anthers 1.6-2.2 mm NovoN 10: 183-186. 2000. This content downloaded from 157.55.39.138 on Thu, 19 May 2016 06:27:36 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms

Asian soybean rust, caused by Phakopsora pachyrhizi, is regarded as one of the most destructive diseases of soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.). In Argentina, it was first detected in the province of Misiones in the northeast near Paraguay and Brazil during the 2001-02 growing season (2). The following season, it also was found in the neighboring province of Corrientes. However, it did not reach major soybean production areas in northern Argentina until the end of the 2003-04 season. During April 2004, as soybean crops were nearing maturity, the disease was found throughout the region of northwestern Argentina, which includes the provinces of Tucumán, Salta, Jujuy, Catamarca, and Santiago del Estero, where approximately 6% of the soybean crop of Argentina is produced. During February and March, the area had a severe drought and above average temperatures, but in April, rainfall was abundant, particularly during the first half of the month. Soybean rust was first observed on 16 April in several locations of the departments (counties) of Moreno and Jiménez in the province of Santiago del Estero, and the following week in the departments of Alberdi, Burruyacú, Cruz Alta, Famaillá, La Cocha, and Leales in the province of Tucumán, in the department of Santa Rosa in the province of Catamarca, and in the departments of Anta, Metán, Rosario de la Frontera, and San Martín in the province of Salta. In those fields where the disease was detected, nearly all plants showed symptoms. Affected crops were mostly in growth stages R7 to R8, except for a few fields that had been planted late and were in a late R5 stage. Yield losses as much as 28% and premature defoliation occurred in these fields only. Disease severity, measured as percentage of affected leaf area, ranged from 45 to 50% in untreated fields and 0.9 to 39% in fungicide-treated fields. Leaf lesions were reddish brown, irregularly shaped, and were more abundant on the abaxial surface. Under the dissecting microscope, uredinia were observed as erumpent pustules with a conspicuous central pore. Masses of urediniospores were expelled through the pore and covered the pustules. Urediniospores were hyaline to pale yellow-brown, sub globose to ovoid, with finely echinulate, hyaline walls, and an average size of 27.8 × 18.5 μm. Because there are two morphologically similar species of Phakopsora that infect soybean, P. pachyrhizi (the Asian species) and P. meibomiae (the New World species), a molecular differentiation was carried out using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay described by Frederick et al. (1). DNA extracted from 37 samples from different locations was amplified with specific primers for both species of Phakopsora and specific primers for P. pachyrhizi and for P. meibomiae. Twenty-eight samples amplified with the two species primers and with the P. pachyrhizi primer. None of the samples amplified with the P. meibomiae primer. Specimens have been deposited at Instituto Miguel Lillo, Tucumán, Argentina. These results confirmed the presence of P. pachyrhizi in the provinces of Catamarca, Tucumán, Salta, and Santiago del Estero, Argentina.

ESR Endangered Species Research Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsSpecials ESR 14:61-68 (2011) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00345 Rediscovery, conservation status and taxonomic assessment of Melicope degeneri (Rutaceae), Kaua‘i, Hawai‘i Kenneth R. Wood* National Tropical Botanical Garden, Kala–heo, Hawai‘i 96741, USA *Email: kwood@ntbg.org ABSTRACT: Melicope degeneri (B. Stone) T. Hartley & B. Stone is endemic to the island of Kaua‘i and is one of Hawai‘i’s rare members of the Rutaceae. Rediscovered in 1993 after not being documented for 67 yr, it is currently known from only 22 individuals. Data concerning its morphology, distribution, and ecological preferences are presented in this paper in order to contribute to the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC) goals and to assist biologists and land managers in monitoring and protecting this species from extinction. A formal IUCN assessment of the species has been completed and is reported here as Critically Endangered (CR B2ab(iii,v); D). KEY WORDS: Melicope degeneri · Rutaceae · Hawaiian Islands · Prevention of extinction · Distribution · Ecological preferences · IUCN Red List Category · Critically Endangered Full text in pdf format PreviousNextCite this article as: Wood KR (2011) Rediscovery, conservation status and taxonomic assessment of Melicope degeneri (Rutaceae), Kaua‘i, Hawai‘i. Endang Species Res 14:61-68. https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00345 Export citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in ESR Vol. 14, No. 1. Online publication date: May 06, 2011 Print ISSN: 1863-5407; Online ISSN: 1613-4796 Copyright © 2011 Inter-Research.

Conservation status and threat assessments evaluate species’ relative risks of extinction globally, regionally, nationally, or locally and estimate the degree to which populations of species are already safeguarded in existing conservation systems, with the aim of exposing the critical gaps in current conservation. Results of the assessments can therefore aid in directing limited conservation resources to the species and populations that are most at-risk. This chapter introduces the roles of conservation status and threat assessments in informing conservation priorities for crop wild relatives in North America and provides an overview of the current results for US taxa. Methods to assess the conservation status and to perform threat assessments for North American crop wild relatives are well developed via NatureServe and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, and the essential infrastructure to perform these analyses is present, at least in Canada and the US. Current conservation assessments for North American wild relatives need updating but already reveal a landscape of multiple complex threats and major gaps in the ex situ and in situ conservation of prioritized species. Further resources and concerted efforts are needed to update conservation assessments and then to use the results to inform efforts to fill the critical gaps in conservation.

ABSTRACT: We present the results of a terrestrial mollusc inventory in the Cybina River Valley (W. Poland). The species richness in 39 sites served as a biodiversity criterion for the whole area. The total number of 3,193 specimens collected represented 51 species (22 families), i.e. about 60% of terrestrial snail species of the whole Wielkopolska region. Species regarded as rare in the region and in the whole country constituted 22% of the whole material. Two of them are especially noteworthy: Vertigo angustior Jeffreys (Annex II, EU Habitats Directive), and Ruthenica filograna (Rossmassler) which is very rare in the region.

A loosely tufted perennial with short rhizomes from which arise vegetative shoots. Culms 15-60 (-100) cm high, slender, erect, 2-3-noded, solitary, smooth. Leaves with dull glaucous to mid-green adaxial and abaxial surfaces, hairless; blades usually 4-20 (-28) cm long, 2-4 (-7) mm wide, with minute acroscopic teeth on the margins, with a slender boat-shaped tip; ribs numerous, closely packed, less obvious on the abaxial surface; sheaths smooth, entire, soon splitting, dark reddish-brown at base; ligules up to 1.5 mm long, membranous, blunt with irregular margins. Culm leaves 3 or 4, uppermost with long sheaths. Panicles 410 (-18) cm long, lax, roughly pyramidal, with up to 20 branches, and up to 60 spikelets, sparsely divided, spreading, with scabrous hair-like pedicels 5-20 (-50) mm long and slightly thickened below the spikelets. Spikelets 4-7 mm long and wide, loosely scattered and drooping, broadly elliptic to broadly ovate, laterally compressed, generally purplish-brown, usually breaking up at maturity beneath the lemmas but many spikelets remaining undispersed on the branches and shed from the panicle intact, 4-9 (-12)-flowered. Glumes slightly unequal, deeply concave, hooded at the apex, boat-shaped, 2.5-3.5 mm long, with 3-5 veins, firmly membranous, dull-purple with white and shiny margins. Lemmas 3.7-4.1 mm, strongly cordate at the base, bluntly keeled in the lower half, closely overlapping, rounded on the back, with 7-9 veins, variegated purple and green, with hyaline margin. Paleas flat, thin, almost as long as the lemma, with two keels, narrowly winged. Lodicules 2, linear-lanceolate, acute. Grain enclosed within the papery lemma and palea, c. 2 mm long, rounded on the back, flattened on the front; mean oven-dry weight 0.53 mg. The root system is a dense mat of whitish fibrous roots. The primary roots are up to 1 mm in diameter and are largely unbranched, but there is a dense network of branching secondary roots. The root mass is fairly vertical with an average root length of c. 40 cm. The species produces pale brown rhizomes up to 13 cm long and 1.5 mm in diameter. Native. Subspecies media occurs throughout the range; subspecies elatior (Sibth. & Sm.) Rohlena occurs in south-east Europe.

Primary data, such as geographical records of species, are base-line for conservation status assessments. For many years, data on Brazil's threatened butter ies (58 taxa) have been in need of improvement and the present paper provides a careful review of their geographical distribution data as well as an update of extent of occurrence (EOO) and area of occupancy (AOO). In total, ~ 6,700 records were compiled from several sources; 1,053 records are non duplicated geographical data. Of these 1,053 records, 566 (69%) come from surveyed literature (published records), 258 (31%) are unpublished records, and 229 (22%) were found to contain errors after data curation. Comparing "previous" to "current" estimates of both, EOO and AOO, changes in geographical range were reported for 48 taxa (83%). Based on current data (applying the thresholds of criterion B), there is a potential for changes in conservation status categories for 51 taxa (88%). Importantly, approximately half of unpublished records are from scienti c collections and the remainder were provided by civil society (via personal communication), showing the importance of both data sources. The present updates of geographical records (and consequently, EOO and AOO) of Brazilian threatened butter ies may aid future conservation status assessments and also reinforce the importance of data curation. The present study represents the most up-to-date effort to estimate EOO and AOO of Brazilian threatened butter ies. The new data presented here can be used for a more acurate conservation status assessments for these taxa, revealing a more realistic scenario for several species included in the national and global Red lists. Recently, one of the proposed solutions to solve problems related to EOO and AOO estimates for threatened species has been the application of species distribution modelling (see:

Vacciniumbangliangense, a new species from limestone areas in Guangxi, China, is described and illustrated. It is morphologically most similar to V.pseudotonkinense and V.sciaphilum in having small and dense obovate leaf blades with a retuse apex, hairy young branches and calyx and campanulate corollas, but can be distinguished from them by the distance of basal gland from petiole, the length of peduncle, pedicle and filaments, the indumentum of calyx tube and corolla and the existence of apical glands on calyx lobes. A table to distinguish the new species from other morphologically similar Vaccinium species, as well as colour plates of comparison of key characters, is also provided.

We present two new species of Paypayrola from the Brazilian Amazon, P. duckei and P. partita, both characterized by their yellow corollas. Paypayrola duckei is restricted to the state of Pará, in the Tapajós River basin, whereas P. partita occurs exclusively in the state of Amazonas. Both species are generally associated with riverbanks. For each new species, we provide morphological descriptions, illustrations, distribution maps, conservation status assessments, and a detailed discussion comparing them with morphologically similar Amazonian species, including P. hulkiana, P. guianensis, and P. grandiflora.