Abstract:Themeda Forssk. (Poaceae) is one of the key groups for systematic study of the tribe Andropogoneae exhibiting considerable morphological and ecological diversity, the genus is one of representative groups of spathaceous species in the tribe. The geographical distribution of Themeda was investigated by means of reviewing herbarium specimens and literature and field investigations. About a total of 27 drought-tolerance species were distributed in dry and hot areas of tropics and warm subtropics of the Old World, and three species (sect. Themeda) had extended to the New World. In China, thirteen species were distributed in southwestern and southern provinces, and 10 species occurred in dry-hot valleys of Yunnan. The results suggested that Northern India and Yunnan of China were the present distribution centers and diversification centers, while the origin center of Themeda needed to be further studied.

Abstract:The genus Cimicifuga L. ex Wernisch. (Ranunculaceae) is of a north temperate distribution. The occurrence of the species C. japonica (Thunb.) Spreng. on the tropical Hainan Island of China documented by Compton et al. (Taxon 47 : 620 and Appendix 1. 1998) caught our attention. Examination of the specimen cited by these authors, C. Wang 44305, however, has shown that this specimen was collected from Wuzhi Shan, Ruyuan County, northern Guangdong Province, China. Obviously Compton et al. had confused the Wuzhi Shan in northern Guangdong with a mountain on Hainan Island with the same name and much more well-known. The occurrence of C. japonica in Yunnan Province of China documented by Compton et al. (Taxon 47 : 620 and Appendix 1. 1998) is also erroneous. The specimen they cited, J. Cavalerie 7868, was actually collected from the vicinity of Guiding County, Guizhou Province. In China, C. japonica is currently known only from Anhui, Chongqing, Gansu, Guangdong, Guizhou, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Shaanxi, Shanxi, and Zhejiang.

Abstract:Jaoa is an endemic group of fresh water algae in China. The phylogenetic relationship between Jaoa and related algae by using 18S rDNA sequences was studied. The result showed that the length of 18S rDNA of J. prasina is 1632 bp and GC% is 50.6%, and those of J. bullata are 1639 bp and 50.3%, respectively. The maximum parsimonious tree indicated that Jaoa with its related Orders could be divided four Clades. Jaoa prasina, J. bullata, Enteromorpha investinalis, Ulva curvata, U. rigida and Monostroma grevillei constituted strong supported clade (Clade B), among which the lowest nucleotide divergence was 0.041, while that reached up 0.112 between J.prasina, J. bullata and Chaetophora incrassata. Therefore, Jaoa probably belongs to Ulvales. Jaoa prasina and J. bullata constitute a monophyletic branch (100% bootstrap value) in Clade B with divergence of 0.002. It suggested that the two species of Jaoa are closely related species, they might be one species and one variety.

Abstract:Pachygone valida Diels (Menispermaceae), a species previously known only from China, is newly recorded from Vietnam. It was found in Mai Chau District, Hoa Binh Province, Northern Vietnam and its vouchers are kept in the Herbarium of the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources (HN), Hanoi, Vietnam.

Abstract:Two new records of Orchidaceae, Crepidium aphyllum (King & Pantl.) A. N. Rao and Thrixspermum pygmaeum (King & Pantl.) Holttum, are described based on fieldwork in southeastern Xizang (Tibet), China. Crepidium aphyllum is easy to distinguish from the heteromycotrophic species C. saprophytum by cylindrical pseudobulb, flat lip with rounded apex and erect dorsal sepal. Thrixspermum pymaeum (King & Pantl.) Holttum is similar to T. masciflorum A. S. Rao & J. Joseph, but differs from it by having inflorescence shorter than leaf, bracts spiralled, petals spathulate, lip concaved and 3-lobed, with a hairy callus connecting with column and emarginated middle lobe.

Abstract:Schefflera atrifoliata R. H. Miau ( Araliaceae ) is reduced to the synonym of Brassaiopsis producta (Dunn) C. B. Shang.

Abstract:Leaf anatomical structures of seven host plants of Ericerus pela (Chavannes) were observed under the microscope (NikonE800) with paraffin sectioning method, including leaf thickness, midrib, culticle, palisade tissue and spongy tissue, diameter of vascular bundle, ratio of palisade tissue to spongy tissue, and ratio of leaf thickness to midrib thickness. The results showed that there were significaut differences among genus and species of quantitative character and anatomical structures, which had taxonomic significance for classification of Ligustrum, Fraxinus and Chionanthus. Among seven host plants, the leaf surface of Fraxinus chinensis Roxb. and Ligustrum calleryanum Decne. had trichomes, while the others absent. Ligustrum lucidum Ait. had the maximum diameter of vascular bundle and the thickest of vein, spongy tissue and palisade tissue. Therefore, it may be important anatomical features of superior host plants of Ericerus pela that leaf surface is smooth with well-developed veins and thick lamina. Among host plants, well-developed main and lateral veins formed protrude on the abaxial surfaces and groove on the adaxial surfaces. However, a network of minor veins was present in the lamina of the leaf and these were too small to be visibly raised on either the lower or upper surfaces of leaf. So, it suggested that groove and protrude of veins provided key cues for settling sites selection of E. pela.

Abstract:The karyotypes of one wild and four cultivated lines in Dioscorea zingiberensis C. H. Wright were studied by root tip squash technique. The results showed that the wild was diploid with karyotype formula of 2n=20=14m+6sm. The four cultivated lines were tetraploid, and their karyotype formulae were followed as: 2n=40=20m+18sm+2st for A02-6 line, 2n=40=16m+22sm+2st for A05-6 line, 2n=40=18m+20sm+2st for A09-2-1 line, and 2n=40=16m+22sm+2st for 'hongwei’ line. The karyotype types in either wild or four cultivated lines were 2B, and there were large differences in karyotype not only between the diploid and tetraploid, but also within the four tetraploid lines.

Abstract:The effect of ozone stress on the photosynthetic physiological of three dwarf bamboos, such as Indocalamus decorus, Pleioblastus kongosanensis f.aureostriatus and Sasa glabra f. albostriata were studied. Three levels of ozone concentrations, including basic concentration of environment, 100 nL L^-1and 150 nL L^-1, were simulated by using an open-top chamber (OTCs) technique. The results showed that the chlorophyll content in Indocalamus decorus leaves increased at first and then decreased with the ozone concentration increased, while that in Pleioblastus kongosanensis f.aureostriatus showed opposite change, and that in Sasa glabra f. albostriata declined. The changes in carotenoid content of three dwarf bamboos leaves were not obvious. The daily net photosynthetic rate (Pn) of Indocalamus decorus increased at first and then decreased, while that of Pleioblastus kongosanensis f.aureostriatus increased slightly at first and then decreased rapidly, and that of Sasa glabra f. albostriata decreased. The daily changes of photosynthetic parameters in three dwarf bamboos were obvious with ozone concentration increment. Under 100 nL L^-1 ozone, the photosynthesis of Indocalamus decorus did not inhibit, but those in Pleioblastus kongosanensis f. aureostriatus and Sasa glabra f. albostriata inhibited obviously, while 150 nL L^-1 ozone caused serious damage to their photosynthetic physiological metabolism. In general, Indocalamus decorus showed higher tolerance to ozone than another bamboo.

Abstract:Six varieties of Hevea brasiliensis seedlings adapted for 1 year were grown under different light intensity, such as 100%, 50%, 25% and 5% nature light, the response characteristics of leaf photosynthetic system to light intensity and CO₂ concentration were studied. The results showed that six H. brasiliensis varieties showed strong adaptability to different light environments. Under different light intensities, the maximum photosynthetic rate (P_max), light compensation point (LCP), dark respiration rate (Rd), triose phosphate utilization rate (TPU), maximum carboxylation rate (V_cmax ) and maximum electron transport rate (J_max) and chlorophyll content (Chl) showed significant differences (P<0.05), and did not light saturation point (LSP) and AQY (apparent quantum efficiency). Under the same light intensity, leaf maximum photosynthetic rate (P_max), dark respiration rate (Rd), triose phosphate utilization rate (TPU), the largest electron transfer rate (J_max) and chlorophyll content (Chl) among six varieties had significant difference (P<0.05), and did not light compensation point (LCP), maximum carboxylation rate (V_cmax) and apparent quantum efficiency (AQY). Comprehensive comparison of parameters in six H. brasiliensis varieties, RRIM600, Yunyan77-4 and PR107 are fit for planting environment with relative light intensity of 100%-50%, while Yunyan77-2, GT1 and Reyan523 are suitable for that of 50%-25%.

Abstract:The Effects of sampling schemes on construct method for core collection of Canarium album L. based on molecular markers data were studied on the basis of ISSR results of 64 germplasm materials of C. album from eastern Guangdong, and using UPGMA cluster method according to SM and Nei & Li genetic distance by stepwise clustering. The impact of sampling strategies, such as P, S, L and G, on the construction of core collection with different groupings was discussed. Compared with the number of polymorphic loci, percentage of polymorphic loci, observed number of alleles, effective number of alleles, Nei’s genetic diversity index and Shannon’s information index of different sample groups, 16 samples were finally chosen as the core collection according to genetic proportion strategy based on Nei & Li genetic distance. The core collection retained 25% of germplasm of the initial samples, and the retention ratio of the number of polymorphic loci and percentage of polymorphic loci was 92.93% and 98.31%, respectively, and the observed number of alleles, effective number of alleles, Nei’s genetic diversity index and Shannon’s information index reached 99.26%, 102.56%, 107.39% and 106.29%, respectively. It suggested that the core collection constructed by this method could goodly represent the genetic diversity of initial germplasm bank.

Abstract:The endophytic bacteria in Musa nana collected from Zhangzhou in Fujian Province were isolated and identified by plate method. The results showed that there were 24 microbial species, belonging to 21 genera, isolated from Musa health and infected plants. Nine endophytic bacteria, belonging to 9 genera were contained from health plant, in which there were 6, 2 and 8 species isolated from root, stem and leaf, respectively. Seventeen endophytic bacteria, belonging to 15 genera were contained from infected plant, in which there were 11, 3 and 6 species isolated from stem, root and leaf, respectively. The content of endophytic bacteria in root of health plant was the highest, reached up to 5.195×10⁶ cfu g^-1, while that in lower leaves was the lowest with 30 cfu g^-1. The content of endophytic bacteria in stem of infected plant was significant higher than those in other parts, accounting for 1.05×10⁷ cfu g^-1. It suggested that endophytic bacterial species and content in Musa had diversity under different growth states.

Abstract:In order to understand the chemistry relation between figs (Ficus spp., Moraceae) and their pollinators (Agaonidae, Chalcidoidae, Hymenoptera) and allocation mechanism, the volatiles from Ficus curtipes fruits at female phase and post-pollination stage were extracted by dynamic headspace technique and identified by GC and GC-MS analysis. The results showed that there were 45 volatile compounds isolated from F. curtipes fruits, and mainly consisted of monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes. The compounds, including 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one, (E)-β-ocimene, trans-β-farnesene, α-farnesene, α-pinene, sabinene, cis-β-ocimene, cis-β-bergamotene, germacrene D and (E)-4,8-dimethyl-1,3,7-nonatriene may involve in the specificity of chemical signals. The volatile release amount at female phase was obviously higher than that at post-pollination stage. There were significant temporal and spatial variations among floral stages and different individuals. These implied that specific chemical interactions existed in nursery pollination mutualisms between figs and their pollinators, such as Eupristina sp., Diaziella yangi and Lipothymus sp.

Abstract:Six compounds were isolated from the seeds of Prunus domestica L. (Rosaceae) by using solvent fractionation and chromatographic separation techniques. On the basis of spectral data, they were identified as coniferyl aldehyde (1), scopoletin (2), (-)-dihydrodehydrodiconiferyl alcohol (3), (-)-ficusal (4), (E)-3,3'-dimethoxy- 4,4'-dihydroxystilbene (5), and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (6). These compounds were obtained from the seeds of P. domestica for the first time.

Abstract:The research advances in organ colorations of higher plants determined by anthocyanins and its influencing factors were summarized. The coloring property, location in vacuole and non-uniform distribution in plant organs of anthocyanins contributes their colorations of organs. Molecular structures of monomeric and polymeric anthocyanins and their various changes, together with the correlation between anthocyanin synthesis and the growth and development stages of plant result in diversity of plant organ coloration. Temperature, light, water and mineral elements influence the chromas of plant organs by affecting the anthocyanin accumulation in vacuole. Vacuolar pH, oxidizing and reducing agents influence the hues of plant organs by affecting molecular structure of anthocyanins. Simultaneously, the cell shapes restrict the color changes of plant organs by influencing the optical attributes of anthocyanins, and the exploration of mechanism and artificial improvement of plant organ colorations were prospected.

Abstract:Hemolytic toxins are common toxic second-metabolites produced by fish-killing marine microalgae, partly responsible for the toxic mechanism of harmful algae such as allelopathy, anti-grazing and toxicity to marine mammals. The recent progresses in types, physical and chemical quality, biosynthesis and toxicity of hemolytic toxins were reviewed. The perspectes and problems in the studies of hemolytic toxins were also discussed.