A review of the genus Narcissia Gray, 1840 (Echinodermata: Asteroidea: Ophidiasteridae)

Since the taxonomic revision of the Ophidiasteridae by H.L. Clark (1921), in which 20 genera were recognized as valid, several new genera and species were included in this family, and the boundaries between some of them became largely arbitrary. This also applies to Narcissia Gray, 1840, whose morphology and taxonomy are still very poorly understood today. The main goals of this research were: review the taxonomy of the genus Narcissia, from morphological studies; redescribe N. trigonaria Sladen, 1889s. str.; characterize N. canariensis (d'Orbigny, 1839) and N. gracilis A.H. Clark, 1916, the two valid species most similar to N. trigonaria; review the validity of N. ahearnae Pawson, 2007 and N. trigonaria var. helenae Mortensen, 1933; review the validity of N. gracilis malpeloensis Downey, 1975. Altogether 370 specimens were analysed. All morphological structures of taxonomic importance have been illustrated, and, for the first time, the internal characters of this group were studied, from electron microscopy and microtomography. A new diagnosis for the genus Narcissia was constructed. Narcissia trigonaria was redescribed from a large specimen, from the type locality (Bahia, Brazil). Narcissia ahearnae is considered a valid species, and N. canariensis and N. trigonaria distinct entities. Narcissia trigonaria var. helenae is placed in the synonymy of N. trigonaria, and N. gracilis malpeloensis into the synonymy of N. gracilis. The dataset obtained in this work is by far the most complete acquired for the genus Narcissia.

Leaf Anatomical Study of Solanum Species (Solanaceae) in Iran

Solanum (Solanaceae) comprises cultivated and wild plants with 1400 species in the world and 14 species in Iran. Solanum is a taxonomically complex genus due to morphological similarities, phenotypic plasticity and hybridisation. Limited studies were done on anatomical features of this important genus. In this project, 10 native and exotic species of Solanum in Iran belonging to two subgenera were examined anatomically. Leaf mesophyll and midrib and indumentum were analysed using light microscope. Hand-made cross section method and Toluidine blue as colouring agent were used. Characters as length and width of main vascular bundle, thickness of collenchyma, trichome density, thickness of parenchyma strand, thickness of lamina and length and shape of midrib were diagnostic features among species studied. In UPGMA tree and PCA ordination, species of two subgenera were separated from each other. Results of this study confirmed the taxonomic importance of anatomical characters in Solanum species studied.

Seed micromorphology and anatomy of 36 Muscari (Asparagaceae) taxa from Turkey with notes on their systematic importance

This study presents the first in-depth evaluation of the morphological and anatomical characters, as well as their taxonomic importance, of the seeds of 36 taxa in subgenera Muscari, Leopoldia, Pseudomuscari and Botryanthus of the genus Muscari in Turkey, where 24 of the taxa are endemic. The results indicate that the taxa generally differ from each other in terms of seed shape and dimension. Seed dimensions vary between 1.66 mm and 3.21 mm in length, and between 1.12 mm and 2.63 mm in width. The seed surface ornamentation is grouped into nine forms: ruminate, reticulate, reticulate-areolate, reticulate-foveate, alveolate, scalariform, rugose, verrucate and areolate. The most common type is ruminate, while areolate, reticulate-foveate and scalariform ornamentation forms were found to be taxon-specific. Testa structures of the taxa examined consist in general of two different layers: the epidermis and the subepidermis in scleranchymatous or parenchymatous structures. The subepidermis may be absent in some of taxa. The structure and thickness of the epidermis and the subepidermis are very important characteristics that disclose interspecific relations among the examined taxa. We also provide a key for the identification of the studied taxa based on seed features.

Significance of the suture line in cephalopod taxonomy revealed by 3D morphometrics in the modern nautilids Nautilus and Allonautilus

Assessing the taxonomic importance of the suture line in shelled cephalopods is a key to better understanding the diversity of this group in Earth history. Because fossils are subject to taphonomic artifacts, an in-depth knowledge of well-preserved modern organisms is needed as an important reference. Here, we examine the suture line morphology of all known species of the modern cephalopods Nautilus and Allonautilus. We applied computed tomography and geometric morphometrics to quantify the suture line morphology as well as the conch geometry and septal spacing. Results reveal that the suture line and conch geometry are useful in distinguishing species, while septal spacing is less useful. We also constructed cluster trees to illustrate the similarity among species. The tree based on conch geometry in middle ontogeny is nearly congruent with those previously reconstructed based on molecular data. In addition, different geographical populations of the same species of Nautilus separate out in this tree. This suggests that genetically distinct (i.e., geographically isolated) populations of Nautilus can also be distinguished using conch geometry. Our results are applicable to closely related fossil cephalopods (nautilids), but may not apply to more distantly related forms (ammonoids).

The anatomical, palynological and micromorphological aspects of three endemic Bellevalia species (Asparagaceae) in Turkey and their taxonomic importance

In the present research, anatomical, palynological and micromorphological characteristics of three endemic Bellevalia species (B. gracilis, B. malatyaensis and B. vuralii) for Turkey are carried out. This work reveals the descriptive characteristics of the examined species, and contribute to solving taxonomic problems. Anatomical studies were carried out on cross sections of root, scape and leaf. The metaxylem, the number of root cortex cells, and the number of cortex and sclerenchyma cells in the scape were found to be significant in terms of taxonomy. Pollen grains of all the examined species were monosulcate and heteropolar. In addition, seed and pollen surface ornamentation were photographed under SEM microscopy, which SEM micrographs showed that the exine sculpturing pattern is reticulate-perforate, and pollen muri walls of were different among the examined species. Conversely, seeds showed a general similarity of the surface among the studied species, all showing a reticulate faveolate ornamentation.

Larval descriptions of three Dromica species with some bionomical remarks (Coleoptera, Cicindelidae)

Larvae of all instars of Dromica (s. str.) kolbei (W. Horn, 1897), D. (s. str.) alboclavata Dokhtouroff, 1883 and instar I of D. (s. str.) helleri (W. Horn, 1897) are described and figured in detail. The larvae of these species have several unique morphological characters. The shape of the pronotum, appendages of abdominal segment V and the peculiarities of chaetotaxy are of taxonomic importance. The main diagnostic characters to separate these species from each other and from other known Dromica larvae are given and discussed. Some bionomical peculiarities of D. (s. str.) kolbei are presented.

First report on the occurrence of Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) transvaalensis (Nesbitt) (Acari: Phytoseiidae) in India with a redescription of the species

This paper reports for the first time the occurrence of Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) transvaalensis (Nesbitt) in India. Morphometric measurements of the Indian specimens collected on an unidentified plant in Ramanagara district of Karnataka are provided along with a redescription of the species, and a comparison with specimens from Japan, Africa, Argentina and La Réunion Island to show similarities and variations in morphological traits of taxonomic importance.