First record of Hiplyra Elegans (Gravier, 1920), (Crustacea; Decapoda; Leucosiidae) in the North-West Arabian Gulf – Iraq

The article presents the first record of the Hiplyra elegans crab — from the Leucosiidae family — on the Iraqi coast, located in the north-west Arabian Gulf - Iraq. Through the morphological characteristics of the species Hiplyra elegans, it was possible to diagnose these crabs. Such characteristics, used for classification, are: the lateral margin of the carapace posteriorly to subhepatic facet closely beaded; granules smaller posteriorly; frontal region distinctly narrowed; carapace is long thin wide; sixth somite of male abdomen smooth; elevated male telson on lateral portion; dactyl shorter than upper margin of propodus, sickle-shaped, with its inner margin smooth, Chela elongate, laterally flattened, dactyl with inner margin entire. In male surface minutely granulate, bearing perliform granules anteriorly; Lower margin of propodus granulate, line of minute granules on the inner lower surface, upper margin minutely granulates. Pereiopods slender, short. Pereiopodal meri longer than carpi and propodi; dactyli longer than propodi. Keywords: Arabian Gulf. Crabs. Crustacea. Hiplyra. Leucosiidae. Resumo O artigo apresenta o primeiro registro do caranguejo Hiplyra elegans — da família Leucosiidae— na costa iraquiana, localizada no noroeste do Golfo Pérsico - Iraque. Através das características morfológicas da espécie Hiplyra elegans, foi possível diagnosticar esses caranguejos. Tais características, utilizadas para a classificação, são: margem lateral da carapaça posterior à face sub-hepática, extremamente granulada e com grânulos menores posteriores; região frontal estreita; carapaça longa, fina e larga; sexto somito do abdômen masculino liso; télson masculino elevado na parte lateral; dátilo mais curto que a margem superior do própodo e em forma de foice; margem interna lisa; quela alongada e lateralmente achatada; dátilo com margem interna inteira; superfície masculina finamente granulada e com grânulos perliformes anteriores; margem inferior do propódio granulada; linha de grânulos minúsculos na superfície interna inferior; margem superior finamente granulada; pereiópodes delgados e curtos; pereiópodes merus mais longos que o carpo e propódio; dátilo mais longo do que propódio. Palavras-chave: Golfo Pérsico. Caranguejos. Crustacea. Hiplyra. Leucosiidae. Resumen El artículo presenta el primer registro del cangrejo Hiplyra elegans — de la familia Leucosiidae — en la costa iraquí, ubicada en el noroeste del Golfo Pérsico – Irak. A través de las características morfológicas de la especie Hiplyra elegans, fue posible identificar esos cangrejos. Tales características, utilizadas para la clasificación, son: borde lateral del caparazón posterior a la región sub-hepática, extremadamente granulada y con gránulos menores posteriores; región frontal angosta; caparazón largo, fino y ancho; sexto segmento del abdomen masculino liso; telson masculino elevado en la parte lateral; dactilo más corto que el borde superior del propodo y en forma de hoz; borde interno liso; quela alargada y lateralmente aplanada; dactilo con borde interno entero; superficie masculina finamente granulada y con granos perliformes anteriores; borde inferior del propodo granulado; línea de gránulos minúsculos en la superficie interna inferior; pereiópodos delgados y cortos; pereiópodos meros más largos que el carpo y el propodo; dactilo más largo que el propodo. Palabras-clave: Golfo Pérsico. Cangrejos. Crustacea. Hiplyra. Leucosiidae.

Pharmacognostic and Taxonomic Studies of Cola parchycarpa K. Schum. (Malvaceae)

C. pachycarpa is a lesser-known member of the genus Cola in the family Malvaceae. In Nigeria its fruits are edible but with non-edible seeds as the general Cola ‘Kolanut” This study is carried out to evaluate the taxonomic and pharmacognostic characters of Cola pachycarpa K. Schum. for its identification, authentication and standardization. The pharmacognostic and taxonomic characters were determined from macroscopy, microscopy, petiole anatomy, powder microscopy, chemomicroscopy, micromeritic properties, ash values, extractive values, fluorescence analysis and phytochemical screening using standard methods. The leaves of C. pachycarpa were alternate, petiolate, compound and trifoliate. Petioles were within 45-50 cm long, leaflets 20-38 cm long, 10-19 cm wide, the middle leaflet were often longer than others. Leaflets were short petiolulate to subsessile, leaflet shape was elliptic, apex acuminate, margin entire and texture hairy on the abaxial surface of the leaflet with brown caducuous hairs on the abaxial surface only. Stem was erect, woody and scabrid about 4-10 cm in diameter. The fruit was 15 cm long and 7 cm wide with about 3-5 seeds occurring in a pod. Preliminary phytochemical screening revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoid, saponins, tannins and cardiac glycosides but anthraquinone was absent for the leaf while all were present except alkaloid, cardiac glycoside and anthraquinone in the stem. Epidermal cells were polygonal with straight anticlinal walls. Drusiferous crystals were observed on the petioles. Leaflets were hypostomatic with anisocytic stomata and stellate trichomes on the abaxial surface. The chemomicroscopic study revealed the presence of lignin, starch, cellulose, oils, calcium oxalate crystals, mucilage and protein for both leaf and stem. The fluorescence characteristics showed the presence of different colours supporting the presence of various phytoconstituents for both leaf and stem. The flow properties for both leaf and stem were fair and passable with the angle of repose of 35° and 45°respectively. The quantitative epidermal studies, chemomicroscopic and fluorescence characteristics revealed characteristic features for the drug. The physico-chemical results for leaf and stem gave total ash of 8.24% and 11.5%, water soluble ash of 3.71% and 3.20%, acid-insoluble ash of 0.99% and 4.33% and moisture content of 10.58% and 4.33%, water-soluble extractive of 12.50 % and 9.40%, ethanol-soluble extractive of 9.10% and 2.90%, methanol-soluble extractive of 8.00 % and 2.30% and ethyl-acetate acetate-soluble extractive of 2.00% and 0.50% respectively. The findings of the research will help in the identification and authentication of the plant as well as establishing standards for quality, purity, safety, efficacy and reproducibility in phytomedicine.

Morphological and Molecular Evidence to Segregate a Disjunct Species of Hymenophyllum (Hymenophyllaceae) from Southern South America

Abstract—Morphological studies and molecular phylogenetic analyses were carried out to assess the taxonomic status of Hymenophyllum caudiculatum, a species with a disjunct distribution in South America. The species is found in tropical and subtropical forests of Brazil and in temperate forest of southern Argentina and Chile. Based on the results of morphological, molecular, and species delimitation analyses, Hymenophyllum caudatum of the Valdivian forest of southern Chile and Argentina is proposed as a species separate from H. caudiculatum, endemic to Brazil. The two taxa are delimited, respectively, as follows: 1‐5 cm long non-alate stipes (vs. 0.3‐1 cm long non-alate stipes in Brazilian H. caudiculatum); stipe wings gradually ending (vs. stipe wings abruptly ending very near the rhizome); margin entire to somewhat undulate (vs. margin undulate to crispate); soriferous segment alate, angustate, or null (vs. soriferous segment with laminar constriction at apex); and widely obovoid receptacle with sessile sporangia (vs. flattened obovoid or globose receptacle with shortly pedunculated sporangia). Descriptions for the two species recognized here and a map of their geographical distribution are provided, along with nomenclatural revision, illustrations, and conservation status assessments.

Scleria parvula subsp. tumanganica (Cyperaceae), a new taxon from the Russian Far East

Scleria parvula subsp. tumanganica is described as a new subspecies from the Russian Far East. A description and digital images of the whole plants, nutlets, and inflorescence are here presented. The new subspecies differs from the type subspecies by subrounded disc-lobes, distinctly not separated, margin entire, not reflexed, and rounded shallow sinuses. Also, it is characterized by an isolated geographical range. The disjunction of S. parvula subsp. tumanganica range in Primorsky Krai from the finds of S. parvula in the central parts of Honshu Island, Japan, and North Gyeonggi Province, Republic of Korea, constitutes of 700–900 km. This new taxon resembles S. rugosa, S. mikawana, S. novae-hollandiae, S. thwaitesiana, and S. tessellata in habit, structure of inflorescence, nutlet size and shape, and disc form and its lobes. A comparative study of these species has been carried out. We uphold the recognized taxa S. parvula and S. tessellata as species, and provide an identification key.

A new species of Calea (Neurolaeneae, Asteraceae) from the Espinhaço Range, Minas Gerais, Brazil

A new species of Calea sect. Calea, endemic to the rocky grasslands of the municipality of Diamantina, Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil, is described. Calea diamantinensis is morphologically similar to Calea lantanoides which differs by its leaf blade elliptic (vs. ovate to widely ovate), margin entire and straight (vs. crenate and revolute), surface solely glandular-punctuated (vs. villous), receptacle paleae obtrullate (vs. narrowly elliptic), capitulescence composed by 3–4 heads (vs. 6–12 heads), cypselae glandular-punctuated ca. 2.7–3 mm long (vs. non-glandular, ca. 1.8–2.5 mm long) and pappus scales ca. 15–17 (vs. 20–25). Illustration, photos, distribution map, habitat considerations and conservation status are provided, as well as an identification key for Calea species from the municipality of Diamantina, Minas Gerais.

Saxifraga damingshanensis (S. sect. Irregulares, Saxifragaceae), a new species from Guangxi, China

Saxifraga damingshanensis (Saxifragaceae), a new species from Damingshan Nature Reserve in Guangxi Province, is described and illustrated. A morphological comparison between the new species and its putative relatives, S. mengtzeana and S. luoxiaoensis, is presented. The new species is morphologically similar to S. mengtzeana, but it can be easily distinguished by its non-peltate leaf, both surfaces of mature leaf blade covered with white glandular trichome, petals 3-veined and margin entire. Phylogenetic analysis, based on two chloroplast DNA regions (matK and psbA-trnH), confirmed that the new species belongs to S. sect. Irregulares. The new species is currently only known from Damingshan, Guangxi and we assign it an IUCN Red List preliminary status as Data Deficient.

A new species of Salvia from the Fulgentes clade (Lamiaceae), from Puebla, Mexico

A new species of Salvia from the state of Puebla, Mexico, is described and illustrated: Salvia gavilanensis sp. nov., growing in oak forests and oak scrubs, located in the Biosphere Reserve of Tehuacán-Cuicatlán. The new taxon is morphologically similar to S. microphylla, but differs by the herbaceous habit (vs. suffrutescent or shrubby), the strigulose pubescence of the leaves (vs. puberulent to tomentulous), bracts with the margin irregularly denticulate and persistent until the beginning of the anthesis (vs. bracts with the margin entire and deciduous before the anthesis), papillae inside the corolla tube with bidentate apex (vs. papillae with trilobate apex), and the lower lip of the corolla shorter in length compared to the upper lip (vs. lower lip of the corolla longer than the upper lip). Additionally, a phylogenetic analysis based on molecular data (nuclear ITS and the plastid regions trnL-trnF and trnH-psbA) was conducted to explore the relationships of the new species. According to the results, the new species belongs to the Fulgentes clade, which is congruent with the morphology of the species. A key to distinguish Salvia gavilanensis from other species of the clade present in the reserve of Tehuacán-Cuicatlán is included.

Catasetum sophiae, a new species of Orchidaceae (Catasetinae) from northern Brazil

A new taxon, native to the shores of the Curiquidi pond, in the State of Amazonas, is described and illustrated. In the shape of the labellum, it is similar to Catasetum callosum and to C. transversicallosum. However, as far as the antennae are considered, C. sophiae is more similar to C. yavitaense. Placed in the section Isoceras with convergent antennae, C. sophiae can be distinguished to all the members of this group by its labellum mainly characterised by its saccate portion with margin entire or sparsely ciliated, and particularly by its glabrous frontal lobe furnished with a laterally compressed table-shaped callus projected forward. Besides, the frontal lobe is elongated in C. yavitaense and short and truncate in C. sophiae.

Three new species of Senecio (Compositae: Senecioneae) from the Alto Marañón, Huánuco region, Central Peru

Three new species of Senecio (Compositae: Senecioneae) from Central Peru are described and illustrated. Morphological characters are used in order to distinguish them from the closest species. Senecio crassiandinus Montesinos & Pino has succulent leaves with cuticle composed of translucid white glands, bright yellow disc florets with blotches of pale reddish-brown in the corolla throat and linear-oblong achenes covered with trichomes, which distinguish it from the other South American species of the genus. Senecio inghamii Montesinos has oblanceolate-ovate to rhombic-quadrate leaves, short-sized, with serrate-quadrate dentation, upper surface lustrous and glossy, lower surface densely covered with whitish lanuginose pubescence, capitules bear trilobulated ray florets, achenes copiously covered by fimbriate hairs which differentiates it from its closest relative, S. pensilis Greenm. Senecio roseoandinus Montesinos & R. Zárate is a unique pubescent species characterized for being a perennial rhizomatous herb, with lanuginose and arachnoid trichomes, leaves elliptic-lanceolate, thick, densely arachnoid to glabrous (lustrous, glossy, dark green), margin entire to crenate, synflorescence in racemes, capitules discoid, corolla pale yellow but turning fuchsia-pink at maturity, achenes oblong, striate, and glabrous. All three new species are distributed in the Alto Marañon river mountain slopes, at altitudes ranging from 2000 up to 4200 m a.s.l. The species are, so far, only known from their type localities in the Huánuco region.

Pharmacognostic and Physico-Chemical Investigation of Hemionitis Arifolia (Burm.)Moore.

Hemionitis arifolia (Family-Adiantaceae)is an attractive and unusual dwarf fern.It is used folkloric to treat ear ache, migraine, haemorrhoids, arthritis, intestinal worms and wounds.It has been medically evaluated for its hypoglycaemic and anti-diabeticproperties in rats.The present investigation deals with macroscopic and microscopic evaluation of the leaf material and establishment of its quality parameters, including physicochemical and phytochemical evaluation.Macroscopy revealed lamina as dimorphous, simple; sterile fronds deeply cordate, margin entire, apex rounded; lower surface light green with scattered, appressed scales and hairs, densely along the midrib sparsely on surface. In the microscopic studies, the lamina is isobilateral and has no distinction of adaxial and abaxial sides.The vascular strand consists of a wide, bow shaped row of xylem elements; the two margins of the xylem strand are thin; the middle part being thick. Phloem occurs in thin band both on the lower and upper portions of the xylem arc. Chief characters of powder include epidermal cells, elliptical stomata, multicellular, uniseriate trichomes, xylem elements. Physicochemical parameters such as moisture content, chlorophyll estimation, fluorescence analysis, ash values and extractive values were done. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of many therapeutically important classes of phytoconstituents such as glycosides, phenolics, flavonoids, carbohydrate, terpenoids, sterols and saponins. Thus this study can serve as a valuable source of information and provide suitable standards for identification of this plant material in future investigations and applications.