Acute Apex Research Articles

Disporum xilingense (Colchicaceae), a new species from Sichuan, China, and the exclusion of D. leucanthum from the Chinese flora

Disporum xilingense is described from Sichuan, China. The new species is related to D. leucanthum and D. bodinieri, with which it shares similar terminal inflorescences, widely open and nodding flowers with tepals slightly saccate at the base. However, its narrowly lanceolate tepals 23–26 mm long with tapered lower part 5–6 mm long, stamens distinctly shorter than the tepals, and style equaling or slight longer than the tepals support recognition at the species rank. The new species is also similar to D. acuminatissimum in flower size and color, whereas D. xilingense differs by its acute apices of leaves and tepals, widely opening flowers, glabrous tepals only minutely papillate on the lower margin and inside, sharply narrowed and navicular tepal bases, stamens 14–16 mm long and style 24–26 mm long. Furthermore, data are reported to exclude D. leucanthum from the flora of China. The main morphological features of the new species are discussed and illustrations and an identification key are provided.

Morphological characterization of elite cacao trees (<i>Theobroma cacao</i> L.) in Tumaco, Nariño, Colombia

The cacao has become an essential part of the fight against the effects of illegal crops and rural poverty in Colombia. Because of their bromatological characteristics, cocoa beans are preferred in markets. However, there are few studies on the variability of the regional genotypes. The goal of this study was to characterize the cacao trees in Tumaco, Nariño (Colombia) and establish their morpho-agronomic variability. Plant collections were conducted in five production zones of the municipality between 0 to 270 m. On each farm, the productivity and plant health variables were recorded for the outstanding plants. The characterization was carried out using a Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA) and Cluster analysis. In the PCA, the first five components explained 70.2% of the variation. The first three components were characterized by productivity, while the last two components showed a low pod and grain index. In the MCA, the first three factors expressed 39.5% of the variation. The first three corresponded to the cundeamor cacao, acute pod apex, absence of anthocyanin in ripe fruits, without notable pulvinus, staminodes without anthocyanins, and moderately susceptible to <em>Moniliophthora perniciosa</em>. The last two components reported tolerance to <em>M. roreri</em> and <em>Crinnipellis perniciosa, </em>intense anthocyanin pigmentation on the floral buttons and Angoleta-shaped fruit. The selected genotypes showed important characteristics that must be analyzed with molecular and sensorial analyses.

Three new species of Oxysarcodexia Townsend (Diptera: Sarcophagidae)from the Colombian Andes.

Three new species of Oxysarcodexia Townsend (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) from the Colombian Andes are described based on male specimens collected using decaying animal matter as bait: Oxysarcodexia catica sp. n., O. laclaricola sp. n., and O. liliarum sp. n. The straight and narrow cercal prong with an acute apex, and the juxta enlarged distally and folded backwards of O. catica sp. n. resemble these structures in O. fraterna Lopes, O. peruviana (Lopes) and O. vittata (Walker). The shape of the cercus of O. laclaricola sp. n. is similar to that of O. floricola Lopes, whereas its vesica is similar in shape to that of O. cyaniforceps (Hall). Oxysarcodexia liliarum sp. n. resembles O. favorabilis (Lopes) in the inflorescence-like phallus and enlarged juxta. The postero-distal phallic enlargement of O. catica sp. n. and O. liliarum sp. n. support the inclusion of these species in the so-called "Xarcophaga group" (sensu Lopes).

A New TuberousBegoniaSpecies (Begoniaceae) from Bolivia

Begonia phantasma Tebbitt from the Begonia L. sect. Eupetalum (Lindl.) A. DC. (Begoniaceae) is described and illustrated as a new species endemic to Bolivia. Begonia phantasma is compared with the similar species B. clarkei Hook. f. and B. krystofii Halda, both of which are also found in Andean Bolivia. Begonia phantasma is distinguished from both of these two species by its leaf blades that are ovate with an acute apex, by its bracts that are greenish yellow and cup-shaped and surround the lower portion of the fully expanded flower buds, by its tepals that in bud and immature flowers are greenish yellow and in anthesal flowers that are cream or cream with a pink tinge, and by its oval androecial outline.

Bilobate leaves of Bauhinia (Leguminosae, Caesalpinioideae, Cercideae) from the middle Miocene of Fujian Province, southeastern China and their biogeographic implications.

BackgroundMorphological and molecular phylogenetic studies suggest that the pantropical genus Bauhinia L. s.l. (Bauhiniinae, Cercideae, Leguminosae) is paraphyletic and may as well be subdivided into nine genera, including Bauhinia L. s.s. and its allies. Their leaves are usually characteristic bilobate and are thus easily recognized in the fossil record. This provides the opportunity to understand the early evolution, diversification, and biogeographic history of orchid trees from an historical perspective under the framework of morphological and molecular studies.ResultsThe taxonomy, distribution, and leaf architecture of Bauhinia and its allies across the world are summarized in detail, which formed the basis for classifying the bilobate leaf fossils and evaluating the fossil record and biogeography of Bauhinia. Two species of Bauhinia are described from the middle Miocene Fotan Group of Fujian Province, southeastern China. Bauhinia ungulatoides sp. nov. is characterized by shallowly to moderately bilobate, pulvinate leaves with shallowly cordate bases and acute apices on each lobe, as well as paracytic stomatal complexes. Bauhinia fotana F.M.B. Jacques et al. emend. possesses moderately bilobate, pulvinate leaves with moderately to deeply cordate bases and acute or slightly obtuse apices on each lobe.ConclusionsBilobate leaf fossils Bauhinia ungulatoides and B. fotana together with other late Paleogene – early Neogene Chinese record of the genus suggest that Bauhinia had been diverse in South China by the late Paleogene. Their great similarities to some species from South America and South Asia respectively imply that Bauhinia might have undergone extensive dispersals and diversification during or before the Miocene. The fossil record, extant species diversity, as well as molecular phylogenetic analyses demonstrate that the Bauhiniinae might have originated in the Paleogene of low-latitudes along the eastern Tethys Seaway. They dispersed southwards into Africa, migrated from Eurasia to North America via the North Atlantic Land Bridge or floating islands during the Oligocene. Then the genus spread into South America probably via the Isthmus of Panama since the Miocene onward, and underwent regional extinctions in the Boreotropics of mid-high-latitudes during the Neogene climatic cooling. Hence, Bauhinia presently exhibits a pantropical intercontinental disjunct distribution.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12862-015-0540-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Piriqueta pampeana, a new species of Turneraceae (Passifloraceae s.l.) from Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Piriqueta pampeana, a new species of Turneraceae, is described and illustrated here. The species occurs in the municipalities of Alegrete, Maçambará, Manoel Viana and São Francisco de Assis, in the western region of Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil. It resembles Piriqueta suborbicularis and Piriqueta taubatensis, but can be distinguished by the presence of a pair of discoid basilaminar nectaries, a pair of petiolar nectaries and small nectaries distributed along the leaf margin, sepals with acute apex and a yellow spot at the base of the petals. Due to the intense environmental degradation of its habitat, and according to IUCN guidelines, we ranked the species as “Endangered” (EN).

Atarbolana makranensis, a new species of Cirolanidae (Crustacea, Isopoda) from Makran, Iranian coast of the Gulf of Oman.

Atarbolana makranensis sp. n. is described from the intertidal zone of Makran along the Iranian coast of the Gulf of Oman. Atarbolana makranensis sp. n. can be recognized by the presence of a tuft of long setae on the antennal flagellum of males, elongate pleotelson with 12 robust marginal setae, pleotelson with narrowly rounded apex extending well beyond the uropodal endopod, uropodal endopod half as long as exopod with 14 robust marginal setae, and appendix masculina with an acute apex and extending beyond endopod distal margin. A key is provided for the four known species of Atarbolana Bruce & Javed, 1987.

Calocedrus shengxianensis, a late Miocene relative of C. macrolepis (Cupressaceae) from South China: Implications for paleoclimate and evolution of the genus

The diversification of the relict genus Calocedrus Kurz (Cupressaceae) in the Neogene of eastern Asia has remained unknown due to lack of fossil evidence. A late Miocene species, Calocedrus shengxianensis (He, Sun et Liu) Zhang et Zhou comb. nov., is described on the basis of new fossil material from the Wenshan flora in SE Yunnan, SW China. The species was originally described as Fokienia shengxianensis He, Sun et Liu from the upper Miocene Shengxian flora in E Zhejiang, SE China. The new fossil material includes well-preserved compression of leafy shoots and associated impression of seed cones. Based on the comparisons, this fossil species bears most similarities to the modern Calocedrus macrolepis Kurz, which is presently endemic to eastern Asia, in N India, Laos, NE Myanmar, NE Thailand, Vietnam and S China, but does not occur in SE Yunnan and E Zhejiang. The difference between them lies primarily in the morphology of apex of lateral as well as facial leaves. With the global cooling and uplift of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau since the late Miocene, the climate in eastern Asia has changed profoundly. This has led to the disappearance of C. shengxianensis from SE Yunnan and E Zhejiang, and the leaf morphological shifts in C. macrolepis: the acute or acuminate leaf apices in the modern C. macrolepis, which are in contrast to the blunt or obtuse ones in the late Miocene C. shengxianensis, have evolved probably to adapt to the humid climate since the late Miocene.

New species of the genus Rhopalotettix Hancock, 1910 (Orthoptera: Tetrigidae, Metrodorinae) from Vietnam

Rhopalotettix vietnamensis sp. nov. is described from Vietnam. The new species is similar to R. chinensis Tinkham, 1939 in a distinct median carina of the fastigium (in all the other congeners, median carina is absent) and differs from the latter species by the rostrum with almost parallel lateral sides and by a narrow tegmen, visible part of which is 2.3 times narrower than mid femur (in R. chinensis, rostrum with the lateral sides gradually converging to the acute apex, and visible part of tegmen is almost as broad as mid femur).

TD-UAPO diffracted field evaluation for penetrable wedges with acute apex angle.

This study deals with the time domain (TD) diffraction phenomenon related to a penetrable acute-angled dielectric wedge. The transient diffracted field originated by an arbitrary function plane wave is evaluated via a convolution integral involving the TD diffraction coefficients, which are determined here in closed form, starting from the knowledge of the frequency domain counterparts. In particular, the inverse Laplace transform is applied to the uniform Asymptotic physical optics diffraction coefficients valid for the internal region of the wedge and the surrounding space. Diffraction by penetrable wedges in the TD framework is a challenging problem from the analytical point of view, and no other expressions are available in closed form for the diffraction coefficients associated with the considered problem.

Tripogon idukkianus (Poaceae: Chloridoideae), a new species from India

Tripogon idukkianus, a new species of grass from the Ramakkalmedu hill slopes of Idukki district of Kerala, South India is described and illustrated. The new species differs from T. anantaswamianus in having 5–13 mm long, acuminate glabrous leaves, 6–14 flowered spikelets with secund florets, 4-lobed scabrid lemmas with 3 awns each, and 2-keeled ciliate paleas with an obtuse or acute apex with two subapical setae.

Elaphoglossum fendleri (Dryopteridaceae), a new species of Elaphoglossum sect. Lepidoglossa from Venezuela, and the identity of Elaphoglossum ornatum

Elaphoglossum fendleri, a new species from the cloud forests of Venezuela, is here described and illustrated. The type specimens were collected by Augustus Fendler ca. 160 years ago but had gone unnoticed since then. Some authors have confused it with E. ornatum, a subulate-scaled species that is restricted to the Venezuelan Andes. Elaphoglossum fendleri is also endemic to Venezuela, but it is known only from the Coastal Cordillera and Sierra de San Luis. It is characterized by short petioles densely covered with orangish, flattish, setose-margined scales; oblanceolate laminae with acute apices and truncate bases; and a fringe of laciniate scales along the sterile laminar margins. We provide comments, line drawings, SEM images, and a map of geographic distribution that will help to distinguish the two species.

Estudo farmacobotânico de partes aéreas vegetativas de aroeira-vermelha (Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi, Anacardiaceae)

Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi (Anacardiaceae), conhecida como aroeira-vermelha é uma espécie nativa do Brasil, perenifólia e pioneira, sendo muito utilizada para combater diversas doenças, pois apresenta, entre outras, propriedades anti-inflamatórias e cicatrizantes. O objetivo desta pesquisa foi realizar um estudo morfoanatômico do caule e da folha de S. terebinthifolius, descrevendo a organização dos tecidos e suas possíveis variações. As análises macro e microscópicas foram realizadas com material selecionado de partes vegetativas de um espécime localizado na cidade de Campina Grande - PB. A aroeira-vermelha é um vegetal arbóreo e dióico, que apresenta caule cilíndrico e simpodial, com casca rugosa e estriada. A folha é perene, alterna, coriácea e composta. As análises microscópicas evidenciaram epiderme caulinar e foliar uniestratificadas, exceto na face adaxial da folha, que é bisseriada. No caule e no pecíolo são visualizados muitos tricomas tectores unicelulares, curtos, cônicos e agudos no ápice. Encontram-se canais secretores arredondados e bem desenvolvidos na região do floema em todos os órgãos estudados, bem como cutícula revestindo as células epidérmicas e grande quantidade de drusas de oxalato de cálcio. Os feixes vasculares são circundados por células esclerenquimáticas e apresentam o floema seguido por xilema helicoidal bem desenvolvido. No caule, pecíolo e nervura central da folha, o xilema é interno e o floema, externo. A aroeira-vermelha apresenta alguns aspectos estruturais característicos de plantas xerófilas, como camada múltipla da epiderme da face adaxial foliar, que protegem o mesofilo de excessiva dessecação; presença de cutícula espessa e grande quantidade de pêlos e de estômatos; além de sistema vascular bem desenvolvido, com abundância de esclerênquima, dando sustentação ao feixe.

Polypodiodes simonsiana (Polypodiaceae) – новый папоротник из Северо-Восточной Индии и Мьянмы

Polypodiodes simonsiana Fraser-Jenk. et Shalimov, a new species of polypodiaceous fern from north eastern India and Myanmar, is described and illustrated. It is related to P. amoena (Wall. ex Mett.) Ching and P. niponica (Mett.) Ching, but is characterised by its prominently backward-deflexed, acutely pointed, elongatedtriangular lower and mid pinnae, tapering evenly from their wide bases to their narrow acute apices. Its IUCN conservation status is assessed as VU (Vulnerable).

Two new species of feather mites (Acarina: Psoroptidia) from the Great Barbet, Psilopogon virens (Piciformes: Megalaimidae).

The paper describes two new species of feather mites collected on Psilopogon virens (Boddaert) (Piciformes: Megalaimidae) in India (Meghalaya): Megalaimobius massarae sp. nov. (Analgoidea: Pteronyssidae) and Picalgoides arbenzi sp. nov. (Psoroptoidea: Psoroptoididae). Males of M. massarae sp. nov. differ from the other three species of the genus by the shape of the transventral sclerite which is much deeper concave. The female of the new species has the external copulatory tub with an acute apex (this structure has a truncated apex in females of other species). Males of Picalgoides arbenzi sp. nov. differ from the closest species P. capitonis Černý, 1974 mainly by the shape of adanal apodemes which are fused into a large arch encircling the anal field. Females of the new species have the hysteronotal shield with acute posterior angles and setae d2 situated on the lateral margins of this shield (in females of P. capitonis the hysteronotal shield has the posterior angles rounded and setae d2 situated at a short distance from the lateral margins of this shield).

A new species and a new combination in the South American genus Lessingianthus (Vernonieae, Asteraceae)

A detailed analysis of the type material of Vernonia oxyodonta clearly indicates that it is morphologically identical to Lessingianthus glabratus because it has glabrous leaves, pedunculate heads at the end of the inflorescence, outer phyllaries with acute apex and inner phyllaries with obtuse and mucronulate apex, and 30–40 florets per head. Consequently, all the specimens identified as V. oxyodonta are placed to a new species, L. pubescens. Also, V. pseudoincana is transferred to the genus Lessingianthus. This species belongs to the L. rubricaulis complex but can be distinguished from the remaining taxa of the group by its lanceolate leaves, grayish phyllaries, and habitat.

A new angiosperm from the Crato Formation (Araripe Basin, Brazil) and comments on the Early Cretaceous monocotyledons.

The Crato Formation paleoflora is one of the few equatorial floras of the Early Cretaceous. It is diverse, with many angiosperms, especially representatives of the clades magnoliids, monocotyledons and eudicots, which confirms the assumption that angiosperm diversity during the last part of the Early Cretaceous was reasonably high. The morphology of a new fossil monocot is studied and compared to all other Smilacaceae genus, especially in the venation. Cratosmilax jacksoni gen. et sp. nov. can be related to the Smilacaceae family, becoming the oldest record of the family so far. Cratosmilax jacksoni is a single mesophilic leaf with entire margins, ovate shape, with acute apex and base, four venation orders and main acrodromous veins. It is the first terrestrial monocot described for the Crato Formation, monocots were previously described for the same formation, and are considered aquatics. Cratosmilax jacksoni is the first fossil record of Smilacaceae in Brazil, and the oldest record of this family.

Stylidium javanicum (Stylidiaceae), a new triggerplant record for the Philippines

Stylidium javanicum, a very poorly known species formerly only recorded from Java, Sumba, and New Guinea, is here reported as a new record for the Philippines, where it was found in grasslands in Antique Province of Panay Island. It is morphologically similar to S. alsinoides, the only other Stylidium species known for the country, but can be distinguished from it by larger flowers, smaller fruits, and more narrowly acute petal apices.

Morphology of tarsus of Basiprionota chinensis (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Hispidae)

The tarsus of the hispid beetle Basiprionota chinensis (Fabricius) (Coleoptera) is illustrated using scanning electron microscopy. It has five tarsomeres, the pretarsus is with a pair of ungues, with the tarsomeres exhibiting specialisation. The ungues, which articulate dorsally at the distal end, are broad basally (320–328μm long and 270–294μm wide), gradually narrowed to an acute apex over apical half, with their surface being rough dorsally and longitudinally grooved inwards ventrally. The first, second and third tarsomeres in their ventral surface have dense, adhesive setae, with each seta consisting of a shaft and a modified apex (terminal plate). These setae are either pointed, spatulate or discoidal depending on the shape of their tip; pointed ones are 38–54μm long, have acute, pronged and curved tips and located on the edge of tarsomeres I and II; spatulate ones are 46–53μm long, have pronged and curved terminal plates, but present only on tarsomere III and the edge of tarsomeres I and II; and the discoidal ones are 32–42μm long, have discoidal tips and located on tarsomeres I–III. Their distribution varies suggesting that the fore, middle and hind legs exhibit various adhesive functions.

Estructura floral de dos especies de Trachycarpeae (Arecaceae)

Copernicia and Washingtonia are two genera of the Trachycarpeae for which no subtribal classification has been proposed, mainly because of the lack of resolution in phylogenetic studies. Morphology and anatomy of flowers whithin Coryphoideae have proven useful for taxa delimitation and supporting relationships among their members. A description of the morphological and anatomical structure of flowers of C. tectorum and W. filifera is presented in order to explore reproductive characters that may clarify their classification within the subfamily and to contribute with floral biology studies. Flowers of cultivated specimens of both taxa and developing fruits of C. tectorum were fixed in FAA, dissected for morphological analysis, and parafin-embedded flowers and fruits were serially sectioned for obtaining permanent slides, using conventional techniques and safranin-fast green staining. All procedures were carried out in the Laboratory of Morpho-Anatomy, Agronomy Faculty of the Universidad Central de Venezuela (UCV). Both species have hermaphroditic flowers. C. tectorum flowers have a thick and pubescent perianth, six stamens with filaments forming a tube fused to the corolla, with rounded projections and an acute apex where the anthers are inserted. W. filifera flowers have an irregularly dentate calyx, and a shortly acuminate corolla, six stamens united by their filaments to the corolla which at the same time are briefly fused to the gynoecium. Cells with druse crystals in the staminal tube are reported for C. tectorum. Only one of the carpels of the gynoecium of C. tectorum develops at fruit stage, and a layer of abundant raphide cells forming a crustaceous endocarp in mature fruits, was found. W. filifera presents the perianth mesophyll with few layers of thick walled cells and schlerenchymatic tissue, gynoecium with apically fused carpels in the ventral region of ovary, free at the base and the apex of the style, where the ventral sutures are opened. C. tectorum has a ventral hypodermis in the petals made of large and thick walled cells, gynoecium with apically fused carpels in the ovary, free and adpressed basally, style-stigma completely fused, and stylar transmission channel absent distally. Distinct stylar canals in C. tectorum, united distally in W. filifera confirm the close relationship between these species and subtribe Livistoninae. Also, some floral morpho-anatomical similarities (e.g. fleshy calyx base and a hypodermis with thickened cell walls in petals) were found between C. tectorum and Pritchardia, supporting the affinities between both genera.