Notes on Some Interesting Sporocarp-Inhabiting Fungi Isolated from Xylarialean Fungi in Japan

The diversity of sporocarp-inhabiting fungi (SCIF) was examined using six samples of xylarialean fungi from two different forests in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan: a moist forest in the Sakuragawa area and an urban dry forest in the Tsukuba area. These fungi were enumerated using direct observation and dilution plate methods. We obtained 44 isolates, and careful morphological and molecular phylogenetic studies of these isolates revealed that approximately 30% of the operating taxonomic units were undescribed or cryptic species related to known fungi. Although typical mycoparasitic fungi, such as helotialean fungi and Trichoderma spp., were not isolated, the genera Acremonium, Acrodontium, and Simplicillium were detected. Comparisons of SCIF communities between the two forests suggested that the number of isolated species in the Sakuragawa area was lower than that in the Tsukuba area. Soil-borne fungi, such as Aspergillus, Beauveria, Penicillium, and Talaromyces, or polypores/corticioid mushrooms, are frequently detected in the Tsukuba area. Factors affecting SCIF communities in the two forests are discussed. Some noteworthy fungi are briefly described with notes on taxonomy, ecology, and molecular phylogeny.

Hornschuchia mellosilvae (Annonaceae) a new species endemic to the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

The Atlantic Forest is a biodiversity hotspot that includes different types of phytophysiognomies, mainly forests. Hornschuchia, Annonaceae, is one of its endemic genera. Eight Hornschuchia species are found in the tropical moist forest, three of them both occurring in tropical moist forest and tabuleiro forest, a semideciduous seasonal forest, one occurs in the coastal semideciduous seasonal forest and two inhabit the semideciduous seasonal forest and deciduous seasonal forest far from the coast in Bahia. Here we describe the twelfth species of Hornschuchia, which occurs in the Bahian semideciduous seasonal forest, and present a morphological description, illustration, distribution map and assessment of its conservation status.

Two new species of Aristolochia series Thyrsicae (Aristolochiaceae) from southern Central America, with comments on morphologically similar species

Aristolochia longissima and Aristolochia ornithorhyncha, two new species from the lowland moist forest from the Pacific watershed of southern Costa Rica and western Panama, are described and illustrated. Both species can be distinguished from most other species of Aristolochia series Thyrsicae, because of their leaves with pellucid gland dots, which are here documented in Aristolochiaceae for the first time. Comments about their distribution, habitat, phenology, conservation status and distinction from related species are provided. The circumscription of Aristolochia belizensis, A. chapmaniana, A. fragrantissima, A. ovalifolia, A. schmidtiana and A. tonduzii is discussed.

The presence of Dry Forest Racer, Masticophis mentovarius (Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854) (Squamata, Colubridae), in the Cloud Forest of Monteverde, Costa Rica

Masticophis mentovarius (Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854) occurs at low and moderate elevations in Lowland Dry Forest and Premontane Moist Forest. This species is known in Costa Rica mainly from the dry lowlands of the northwest. Here we report the presence of M. mentovarius at the Tropical Cloud Forest of Monteverde, Costa Rica, at 1275 m a.s.l. The new records provide information on the true limits of the distribution of species and may represent expansion of the species’ range due to environmental changes caused by global climate change.

Cybaeus (Araneae: Cybaeidae) in the Nearctic: the devius and tardatus species groups of the Californian clade

Species of North American Cybaeus L. Koch (Araneae: RTA clade: Cybaeidae) are moist-forest spiders classified in Holarctic and Californian clades. Here, in the fourth paper in a planned series reviewing the six Californian clade species groups, we review the species of the devius and tardatus groups. We recognize five species in the devius group (Cybaeus bilectus Bennett spec. nov., C. bryoncavus Bennett spec. nov., C. devius Chamberlin & Ivie, C. echo Bennett spec. nov., and C. wilsonia Bennett spec. nov.) and four in the tardatus group (C. orarius Bennett spec. nov., C. piazzai Bennett spec. nov., C. tardatus Chamberlin, and C. topanga Bennett spec. nov.). All of these species are rarely encountered and have restricted distributions either in the central and southern Sierra Nevada Mountains of eastern California, U.S.A (devius group) or the southern coast of western California (tardatus group). Some of these species are likely endangered or already extinct; most have not been seen in many decades and none have been collected more recently than 1995. Descriptions, illustrations, distribution maps, and identification keys are provided as well as a discussion of conservation issues of relevance to the group.

Colombia’s bioregions as a source of useful plants

The aim of our study was to assess the importance of different Colombian bioregions in terms of the supply of useful plant species and the quality of the available distribution data. We assembled a dataset of georeferenced collection localities of all vascular plants of Colombia available from global and local online databases. We then assembled a list of species, subspecies and varieties of Colombia’s useful plants and retrieved all point locality information associated with these taxa. We overlaid both datasets with a map of Colombia’s bioregions to retrieve all species and useful species distribution records in each bioregion. To assess the reliability of our estimates of species numbers, we identified information gaps, in geographic and environmental space, by estimating their completeness and coverage. Our results confirmed that Colombia’s third largest bioregion, the Andean moist forest followed by the Amazon, Pacific, Llanos and Caribbean moist forests contained the largest numbers of useful plant species. Medicinal use was the most common useful attribute across all bioregions, followed by Materials, Environmental uses, and Human Food. In all bioregions, except for the Andean páramo, the proportion of well-surveyed 10×10 km grid cells (with ≥ 25 observation records of useful plants) was below 50% of the total number of surveyed cells. Poor survey coverage was observed in the three dry bioregions: Caribbean deserts and xeric shrublands, and Llanos and Caribbean dry forests. This suggests that additional primary data is needed. We document knowledge gaps that will hinder the incorporation of useful plants into Colombia’s stated plans for a bioeconomy and their sustainable management. In particular, future research should focus on the generation of additional primary data on the distribution of useful plants in the Amazon and Llanos (Orinoquia) regions where both survey completeness and coverage appeared to be less adequate compared with other regions.

The effect of Broussonetia papyrifera invasion on the regeneration of selected native timber species in a tropical moist forest in Uganda

Broussonetia papyrifera has been identified as one of the top invasive species in some African tropical forests with potentially devastating impacts on the conservation and timber production potential of the forests. This study determined the effect of B. papyrifera on the regeneration of selected native timber species in Mabira Forest Reserve, Uganda. The abundance, basal area and population structure of the timber species were compared between areas invaded and uninvaded by B. papyrifera. Employing a complete randomized block design, a total of forty plots (30 x 30 m each), and equally distributed between invaded and uninvaded areas with similar habitat conditions were surveyed. Counts of seedlings were recorded and diameter of saplings and trees measured. Generalized linear models were used to analyze the abundance, tree basal area and size class distributions of the selected species. The study revealed that the effects of B. papyrifera invasion vary depending on the growth stage and species studied. Overall, B. papyrifera invasion significantly reduced tree abundance and basal area, and suppressed the regeneration of some but not all the selected species. Our results demonstrate that if the spread of B. papyrifera is not abated, it will lower the conservation and timber production potential of tropical forests. Therefore, we call for interventions to control the spread of B. papyrifera to the uninvaded parts of the forests and halt its multiplication in invaded areas so as to enhance the regeneration and growth of timber species.

Passiflora coelestis, a new species of Passiflora section Dysosmia (Passifloraceae sensu stricto) from Southern Brazil

Passiflora coelestis is morphologically and anatomically described from living material as a new species belonging to the section Dysosmia, supersection Stipulata and subgenus and genus Passiflora. The species occurs in Araucaria Moist Forest, a phytophysiognomy of the Atlantic Forest biome. The section has been characterized as one of the most taxonomically complex groups within Passiflora. Passiflora coelestis is related to species within the Dysosmioides group and is similar to P. campanulata, differing mainly in the stipules, petiole, bracts, and corona filaments. The new species is morphologically compared with taxa of the section; moreover, additional anatomic, palynological and molecular data are also discussed with regard to taxonomic classification.