First mature fruit description of Pietrosia laevitomentosa (Asteraceae) and its implications to the taxonomic position of the genus Pietrosia

For the first time we describe the morphology and anatomy of mature achenes bearing fertile seeds of Pietrosia laevitomentosa, an endemic plant species in the Eastern Carpathians. The new diagnostic features of the genus Pietrosia justify its taxonomic recognition as separate from Andryala; those are the achene size (between 2.5 and 4.3 mm long), the deciduous pappus, the single-rimmed achene apex, the elongate exocarpic cells, the complete ring of mesocarpic sclerenchyma (up to 11-layered), and the number and localization of the vascular bundles (5 bundles, in the small ribs). Furthermore, our data may also serve to reconsider the species ecology and conservation strategies.

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Oxygraphis delavayi Franchet (Ranunculaceae): a new generic record for Arunachal Pradesh and a new species record for India

Journal of Threatened Taxa ◽

10.11609/jott.2286.8.4.8739-8741 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 8 (4) ◽

pp. 8739

Author(s):

Umeshkumar L. Tiwari

Keyword(s):

New Species ◽

Plant Species ◽

Arunachal Pradesh ◽

Endemic Plant ◽

Endemic Plant Species ◽

First Time ◽

Generic Record ◽

A New Species

Oxygraphis delavayi Franch. (Ranunculaceae) is an endemic plant species occurring in China. It is reported here for the first time from India. A detailed description, herbarium image and relevant notes are provided for its collection and identification.

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New distribution record of two endemic plant species, Euphorbia kadapensis Sarojin. & R.R.V. Raju (Euphorbiaceae) and Lepidagathis keralensis Madhus. & N.P. Singh (Acanthaceae), for Karnataka, India

Journal of Threatened Taxa ◽

10.11609/jott.4978.12.14.17045-17048 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (14) ◽

pp. 17045-17048

Author(s):

P. Raja ◽

N. Dhatchanamoorthy ◽

S. Soosairaj ◽

P. Jansirani

Keyword(s):

Plant Species ◽

Endemic Species ◽

Southern India ◽

Endemic Plant ◽

Endemic Plant Species ◽

First Time ◽

Distribution Record ◽

New Distribution

Euphorbia kadapensis Sarojin. & R.R.V. Raju (Euphorbiaceae) and Lepidagathis keralensis Madhus. & N.P. Singh (Acanthaceae) an endemic species are first time reported for Karnataka in southern India. A detailed description, photographs and herbarium sheets of the taxon are provided for easy identification.

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Documenting floral visitors to rare Hawaiian plants using automated video recordings

Pacific Conservation Biology ◽

10.1071/pc060189 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 12 (3) ◽

pp. 189 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Mark C. Gardener ◽

Curtis C. Daehler

Keyword(s):

Plant Species ◽

Video Recording ◽

Rare Plants ◽

Conservation Strategy ◽

Ecological Interactions ◽

Endemic Plant ◽

Video Recordings ◽

Floral Visitors ◽

Endemic Plant Species ◽

First Time

Many plant species require the services of an animal pollinator. In Hawai'i most endemic plant species are declining, yet their pollinators are often unknown because floral visitors are uncommon, or because visits occur at night, making them difficult to observe. Information about the pollination ecology of rare plants is needed to help develop a conservation strategy. We used an automated, infrared-equipped video system to record animal visits to the flowers of rare plant species on the island of O'ahu, Hawaii. Over 500 hours of recordings were made on four plant species. For the first time, a nocturnal moth was observed visiting Cyrtandra hawaiensis. Also for the first time, native masked bees, presumed to be Hylaeus connectans, were recorded visiting the flowers of two endangered lobeliads, Cyanea pinnatifida and Cyanea superba. An introduced bird, the Japanese White-eye Zosterops japonicus also visited the Cyanea species, but it appeared to act as a nectar robber. A third lobeliad, Clermontia kakeana, was observed continuously for several days and nights but only visits by ants were recorded and no fruits were produced. While it was not always possible to determine the actual species of invertebrate floral visitors, the continuous nature of our video recording allowed us to document floral visitors that were not previously known. Furthermore, the recordings can be made without potential artefacts introduced by the presence of human observers near the flowers. This methodology can be used to document many difficult-to-observe ecological interactions between animals and rare plants.

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First Record of Pseudomyrmex acanthobius Emery in Brazilian Pantanal

EntomoBrasilis ◽

10.12741/ebrasilis.v9i1.535 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 56-58

Author(s):

Rodrigo Aranda ◽

Renan Olivier ◽

Alexandre Ferraro

Keyword(s):

Plant Species ◽

Geographic Distribution ◽

Ecological Niche ◽

First Record ◽

Endemic Plant ◽

Brazilian Pantanal ◽

Endemic Plant Species ◽

First Time

Abstract. Associations between ants and plants may be described, in some cases, as mutualisms. Ants use plant structures as sites for nesting and in return they offer protection against herbivory. This paper reports for the first time the association between Pseudomyrmex acanthobius Emery nest in subterranean structures of Aspilia grazielae J.U.Santos, an endangered endemic plant species, in Corumbá, Pantanal domain. Additionally, this record reveals a new aspect of the ecological niche and extends the geographic distribution of P. acanthobius.Primeiro Registro de Pseudomyrmex acanthobius Emery no Pantanal BrasileiroResumo. A associação entre formigas e plantas pode ser descrita em alguns casos como mutualismo. Estruturas de plantas, como locais de nidificação, atraem algumas espécies de formigas em troca da proteção anti-herbivoria. Este trabalho registra pela primeira vez a nidificação de Pseudomyrmex acanthobius Emery em estrutura subterrânea de Aspilia grazielae J.U.Santos, espécie endêmica e ameaçada de extinção na região de Corumbá, no domínio Pantanal. Adicionalmente, esse registro revela nova amplitude do nicho ecológico e amplia a distribuição geográfica prevista de P. acanthobius.

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Chromosome numbers for some vascular plants from Mongolia. Post 2

Turczaninowia ◽

10.14258/turczaninowia.24.1.16 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 24 (1) ◽

pp. 145-153

Author(s):

Elena A. Korolyuk ◽

Tatyana V. An’kova ◽

Andrey Yu. Korolyuk

Keyword(s):

Plant Species ◽

Chromosome Numbers ◽

Vascular Plants ◽

Cirsium Arvense ◽

Published Data ◽

Endemic Plant ◽

Endemic Plant Species ◽

Rare Endemic ◽

First Time

Chromosome numbers (2n) for 13 rare, endemic plant species (19 populations) from the families: Asparagaceae, Asteraceae, Boraginaceae, Brassicaceae, Caryophillaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Plantaginaceae – are reported on the material from Mongolia. For Euphorbia potaninii Prokh. (2n = 20), Smelowskia altaica (Pobed.) Botsch. (2n = 14) chromosome complements were examined for the first time. Chromosome numbers of Askellia flexuosa (Ledeb.) W. A. Weber (2n = 42), Cirsium arvense var. vestitum Wimm. et Grab. (2n = 34), Crepis crocea (Lam.) Babc. (2n = 16), Eremogone meyerii (Fenzl) Ikonn. (2n = 44), Heterochroa desertorum Bunge (2n = 34), Plantago komarovii Pavl. (2n= 10, 12), Rhinactinidia eremophila (Bunge) Novopokr. ex Botsch. (2n = 36) were determined from Mongolia for the first time. New cytotypes for Anoplocaryum compressum (Turcz.) Ledeb. (2х) and Eremogone meyerii (4x) were studied. For the species of Plantago komarovii, the phenomenon of aneuploidy (2x = 10) was described for the first time. For each species the area and published data on karyology are given.

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Mauritian coloured nectar no longer a mystery: a visual signal for lizard pollinators

Biology Letters ◽

10.1098/rsbl.2006.0458 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 2 (2) ◽

pp. 165-168 ◽

Cited By ~ 32

Author(s):

Dennis M Hansen ◽

Karin Beer ◽

Christine B Müller

Keyword(s):

Experimental Evidence ◽

Plant Species ◽

Flowering Plants ◽

Visual Signal ◽

Honest Signal ◽

Endemic Plant ◽

Floral Trait ◽

Flower Visitation ◽

Artificial Flowers ◽

Endemic Plant Species

Most floral nectars are clear as water, and the enigmatic coloured nectar in three endemic plant species in Mauritius has puzzled scientists studying it. One hypothesis about the possible ecological function of coloured nectar is that it serves as a visual signal for pollinators. Recent studies have shown that at least two of the three Mauritian plant species with coloured nectar are visited and pollinated by endemic Phelsuma geckos. We here provide experimental evidence for the visual signal hypothesis by showing that Phelsuma ornata geckos prefer coloured over clear nectar in artificial flowers. In flowering plants, coloured nectar could additionally function as an honest signal that allows pollinators to assert the presence and judge the size of a reward prior to flower visitation, and to adjust their behaviour accordingly, leading to increased pollinator efficiency. Our study provides a first step in understanding this rare and intriguing floral trait.

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