Astragalus taledensis, a new species of Leguminosae from Xinjiang, China

A new species, Astragalus taledensis P. Yan & H. Zhang (Leguminosae), is described from Xinjiang Province, China. Astragalus taledensis is distinguished from other species of Astragalus by its simple leaf, prostrate stem and the type of the legumes. The stamens of A. taledensis are nearly equal in shape and length, which is similar to some species of A. sect. Ornithopodium (eastern group). The species is most similar to Astragalus hamiensis S. B. Ho, from which it differs for the simple leaf, prostrate stem, length of the flower, bract and calyx, and width of the legume.

A phenetic analysis of Philippine Rubus species (Rosaceae) by morphology

The taxonomy of the Philippine Rubus species was studied through a phenetic analysis of the morphological data from preserved specimens. After recording the character states, the data were analyzed using cluster analysis and PCA, and the resulting analysis allowed the delimitation of morphologically similar Rubus species. Specimens of the Rubus genus collected in the country were separated into two clusters distinguished by leaf structure. Specimens of the same species are often found in multiple sub-clusters, which suggests the high degree of variation within a species. PCA of morphological data from Rubus species show that leaf and floral characters, which include the maximum number of lobes, pedicel pubescence, outside pubescence of the hypanthium, apex of the simple leaf blade, and the apical process of the sepals, explain the variation in Rubus species in the Philippines.

Morphological characterization of domatium development in Callicarpa saccata

Background and aims Domatia are plant structures within which organisms reside. Callicarpa saccata (Lamiaceae) is the sole myrmecophyte, or ‘ant plant’, that develops foliar (leaf-borne) myrmeco-domatia in this genus. In this work we examined domatium development in C. saccata to understand the developmental processes behind pouch-like domatia. Methods Scanning electron microscopy, sectioning and microcomputed tomography were carried out to compare the leaves of C. saccata with those of the closely related but domatia-less myrmecophyte Callicarpa subaequalis, both under cultivation without ants. Key results Callicarpa saccata domatia are formed as a result of excess cell proliferation at the blade/petiole junctions of leaf primordia. Blade/petiole junctions are important meristematic sites in simple leaf organogenesis. We also found that the mesophyll tissue of domatia does not clearly differentiate into palisade and spongy layers. Conclusions Rather than curling of the leaf margins, a perturbation of the normal functioning of the blade/petiole junction results in the formation of domatium tissue. Excess cell proliferation warps the shape of the blade and disturbs the development of the proximal–distal axis. This process leads to the generation of distinct structures that facilitate interaction between C. saccata and ants.

Study on Characteristics of Quercus aliena var. acuteserrata Community in Mt. Qinling

In Quercus aliena var. Acuteserrata community, phanerophytes (Ph) accounting for 58.7% was main Life form. Hemicryptophytes (H) with 28.1% was the second in Qinling Mountains. Mesophyll which accounted for 61.64% was major leaf physiognomy, and microphyll the second accounting for 27.40%. Simple leaf taking 84.93% was primary leaf-form. Herbaceous leaf accounted for 80.82% and was a major type of leaf property. The temperate elements, which were 43.17% of the genera, were in dominant position and were consisted of 98 genera; the tropical areal types including 58 genera accounted for 25.55%. These showed that Quercus aliena var. Acuteserrata community has the transitional character, that is, it is in the ecotone.

A plot-based method for rapid estimation of forest canopy chemistry

In this study we present a rapid method to scale the leaf-level chemistry of forest stands to the whole-canopy level. The method combines simple leaf-level measurements of mass and chemistry with a camera-based technique to estimate the fractional distribution of species' foliage area in a forest canopy. Results using this methodology for the estimation of whole-canopy N concentration (g/100 g) are presented and are shown to be comparable with those derived directly from litter fall collection. The ability to efficiently scale leaf-level traits to whole forest canopies enhances our ability to examine key relationships associated with these traits at various levels from the leaf to the forest stand and, with remote sensing technologies, to larger landscapes.