Preservation of Features of Anatomical Polymorphism of Deschampsia antarctica É. Desv. (Poaceae) During In Vitro Clonal Reproduction

We studied the anatomical features of the leaf structure of Deschampsia antarctica É. Desv. (Poaceae) obtained from seeds collected from different habitats of the maritime Antarctic. These plants have been maintained in culture in vitro for more than 7 years. The plants include stable chromosome forms comprising diploids (2 n = 26), a diploid plant with B-chromosomes (2 n = 26 + 0–3B), a triploid with rearranged chromosome morphology, and myxoploids with different ratios of diploid and nondiploid cells in the root meristem. The D. antarctica plants that were studied generally had a similar anatomical structure in culture in vitro and in nature. At the same time, plants of different cultivated genotypes also displayed their own leaf structure features. In particular, qualitative features included asymmetric four-ribs and five-rib leaves instead of typical three-rib leaves for some genotypes, some individuals characterized by the presence of unicellular nonglandular pointed trichomes on an adaxial side, differences in vascular bundle sheath, and other features. No clear dependence of the anatomical structural features on the chromosomal status of the studied genotypes was evident. At the same time, differences were evident in traits that included the number of stomata, thickness of the outer cell walls of the epidermis, bundles sheath state, number of leaf ribs, and the persistent presence of trichomes under prolonged in vitro cloning. The findings indicate that D. antarctica plants collected from different locations of the maritime Antarctic for long-term cultivation in vitro under standard cultivation conditions retain the anatomical characteristics of the wild plants. The polymorphism of in vitro-cultivated plants is not related to the polymorphism of their karyotype, but is apparently due to the heterogeneity of the original plants and possibly the epigenetic fixation of a number of anatomical features produced in the natural microhabitats of D. antarctica populations.

ADAPTATION OF THE LEAF STRUCTURE OF OAK PETIOLATE (QUERCUS ROBUR) TO THE GAS CONTENT OF THE AIR

The conducted studies have revealed possible ways of adaptation of oak petiolate at the organ-organizational level of the organization and established morphological and anatomical structure of the leaf under conditions of atmospheric gas contamination were shown.

Mitogenomes of Three Satyrid Butterfly Species (Nymphalidae: Lepidoptera) and Reconstructed Phylogeny of Satyrinae

Satyrinae is a 3000-species butterfly subfamily of Nymphalidae. The higher-level classification of this family is still controversial. In this research, we sequenced the complete mitogenomes of three satyrid butterfly species, Hipparchia autonoe, Paroeneis palaearctica, and Oeneis buddha, and studied the phylogeny of Satyrinae with all known complete mitogenomes. The results showed that the lengths of the three satyrid butterfly mitogenomes are 15,435 bp (H. Autonoe), 15,942 bp (P. palaearctica), and 15,259 bp (O. buddha). Gene content and arrangement of newly sequenced mitogenomes are highly conserved and are typical of Lepidoptera. These three mitogenomes were found to have a typical set of 37 genes and an A + T-rich region. The tRNA genes in these three mitogenomes showed a typical clover leaf structure, but the stem of tRNASer (AGN) was lacking dihydroacridine. In these three species, the lengths of the A + T-rich regions were different, which led to differences in mitochondrial genome sizes. The characterizations of the three mitogenomes enrich our knowledge on the Lepidopteran mitogenome and provide us genetic information to reconstruct the phylogenetic tree. Finally, the phylogenetic results confirmed the position of the genus Davidina in the subfamily Satyrini, had a closer phylogenetic relationship with Oeneis, and the phylogenetic analysis supported the formation of Oeneis buddha as an independent taxon in Oeneis.

DO FOLIAGE LEAVES AND BRACTS HAVE USEFULNESS IN THE SEPARATION OF STENOCEPHALUM (VERNONIEAE, ASTERACEAE) SPECIES?

It is well known that the leaf structure has usefulness in the Asteraceae taxonomy. Foliage leaves and bracts (involucral bracts) of six Stenocephalum Sch. Bip. species were investigated with the main purpose of indicating characters for diagnose of species. Leaves e bracts were obtained from herbarium and from the rupestrian fields, and sectioned in rotation microtome. Both leaves were investigated using light microscope and scanning electron microscope. Foliage leaves have epidermis with stomata and glandular and non-glandular trichomes, and are dorsiventral. Bracts also have stomata, indumentum, and parenchymatous and sclerenchymatous mesophyll. The structure of the foliage leaves and bracts has little diagnosis value, but the study allowed to separate some species, mainly those closely related within the genus, as S. hexanthum and S. megapotamicum.