Kapgateophyllum gen. nov. (Acanthaceae)

Acanthophyllum C.A.Meyer (1831: 210) (Caryophyllaceae Juss.), a genus comprising 80–90 perennial sub-shrubby species with Irano-Turanian distribution pattern extending from Syria to Western China (Bittrich 1993, Ghaffari 2004, Pirani et al. 2014), was first established by Meyer (1831: 210) [type species: Acanthophyllum mucronatum C.A.Meyer (1831: 210)].

Roadside Vegetation in and Around the Megacity of Kolkata Along an Urbanisation Gradient

Combustion of fossil fuels by the on-road vehicles is major contributor of air pollution which affects the surrounding vegetation and their habitat in addition to human health hazards. Study on the concurrence between vehicular greenhouse gas emissions and associated plant community is important to assess the present day problem scenario on environmental equilibrium. An ecological analysis has been carried out from five locations along roadside of the suburban interiors to the highly vehicle congested urban areas of Kolkata megacity. Quantitative study on naturally grown road side vegetation covering seedlings of tree and shrubby species, herbaceous annuals and perennials along the suitable length of each study area was conducted following standard methodology. Increasing vehicular pollution shows reciprocal correlation with species richness and species diversity. From community structure analyses across the emission gradient it was revealed that a few species exhibited tolerance to withstand increasing air contamination by successful population growth. Nevertheless, the present study might be worthwhile in assessing ecological status of the local plant communities subjected to varying level of vehicle traffic.

Acacia glauca (wild dividivi).

A shrubby species (to 5 m tall) from tropical America, where it is common in parts of southern Central America and on many West Indian Islands, in particular on Curacao and Barbados. Since its introduction in the 1920s, it has become naturalized in the Philippines and Indonesia. Its habit is similar to shrubby forms of Leucaena leucocephala (the two species are sometimes confused, but the twigs of A. glauca are more reddish and its pods shorter and more rounded).

Porophyllum woodii (Compositae: Heliantheae: Pectidinae), a new species from Prov. Burnet O’Connor, Departamento de Tarija, Bolivia

SummaryPorophyllum woodii (Compositae: Heliantheae: Pectidinae), a new species from Prov. Burnet O’Connor, Departamento de Tarija, Bolivia, is described and illustrated. This new species is distinctive in that it is apparently the largest shrubby species in South America, with flowering plants up to 1.5 m tall, possessing alternate, long-linear, spreading to recurved leaves, solitary terminal capitula with phyllaries with two more-or-less even rows of linear glands, and about 40 – 45 florets per capitulum.

Colonisation by native shrubby species enhances the carbon storage capacity of exotic mangrove monocultures

Background：The exotic Sonneratia apetala and native Kandelia obovata have been widely planted in mangrove afforestation and reforestation programmes in China. However, their capacity for carbon sequestration is still controversial.Results: The total vegetation biomass was highest in K. obovata monoculture, followed by the mixed forest and lowest in S. apetala monoculture. This difference is attributed to the difference in stem density. This trend also applies to total vegetation and soil organic carbon storages.Conclusions: Contrary to the original expectation, shrubby native K. obovata may be preferred to exotic S. apetala for mangrove reforestation/afforestation. It is recommended the carbon storage capacity of the existing S. apetala plantation may be enhanced by introducing native mangrove species. As a rehabilitation option, the establishment of mixed plantations with different stem densities could improve the capacity for carbon storage of mono-specific plantations of exotic species.

Could Fire Severity Promotes the Biosynthesis of Bioactive Compounds as a Strategy to Improve Plant Survival?

Fire has effects on diverse aspects of plant functioning and development, many of them linked to survival. However, the response of native vegetation to this disturbance possibly reveals a plant strategy to tolerate fire linked to the biosynthesis of compounds such as chlorophylls and secondary metabolites. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether fire severity could promote biochemical tolerance to fire by influencing the biosynthesis of chemical compounds. To test this, six woody species from the Chaco region were exposed to an experimental burn of medium severity at the end of fire season in the study area. In this burn, individual plots for each plant were established. Fire severity was estimated visually as the burnt biomass of each plant, which was considered as the percentage of the loss of aboveground biomass. Then, the biochemical plant response to fire was studied, through the changes in the concentration of photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll and carotenoids), and secondary metabolites (phenolic compounds and tannins). The metabolite quantification was carried out by using spectrophotometric methods. As a result, a strong correlation was found between the biosynthesis of metabolites in response to fire and the amount of burnt biomass during the experimental burns. This correlation could be considered as an indicator of the burnt plant response to stress. In our results, shrubby species showed both the higher amount of burnt biomass and the enhanced biosynthesis of compounds in the resprouts post-fire, which could be related to the capacity of these species to be established in disturbed environments. Our study provides new insights into the understanding of the plant strategies to fire tolerance and resilience in natural environments.

Two new species of Clusia sect. Cordylandra (Clusiaceae) from the brejo de altitude vegetation, plateau of Ibiapaba, Ceará, Brazil

Two new shrubby species of Clusia sect. Cordylandra are described and illustrated. The male flower of Clusia nogueirae presents an androecium forming a conical volcano-like synandrium around a well-developed pistillode covered with resin. The male flower of Clusia ibiapabensis, on the other hand, presents an androecium of free claviform stamens, forming a broad torus-like structure around a well-developed pistillode. The two species occur in regions of brejos de altitude in the plateou of Ibiapaba, Ceará state, northeastern Brazil.

Ecological-climatic characteristics of the flora of a floodplain landscape in Southeastern Europe

Floodplain ecosystems take on the role of active areas of biodiversity and provide many “ecosystem services”, as evidenced by a number of European scientific references. A biodiversity analysis of river floodplains in six European countries within the temperate zone has shown that the floodplains are habitats with a high-level of structural and functional dynamics. The level of their conservation reflects the floristic diversity of forest territories, which is especially important for subarid areas. Recently, a comparison of bioecological characteristics of flora in floodplain forest areas and treeless territories was conducted on the floodplain landscapes of a subarid region of Europe. The valley-terraced landscape of the Samara River, a tributary of the Dnieper can serve as a reference site of native plant complexes of subarid territory in Eastern Europe. Despite long-term anthropogenic transformation, the landscape has retained a significant phytodiversity level. The flora of the Samara River area includes 887 plant species. Of these, 177 species belonging to the rare and endangered categories. The floodplain landscape is the richest in species and most diverse part of this complex. The flora of the Samara floodplain includes 728 species (including 132 rare ones), of which 631 grow in forest communities, and 487 – in anthropogenically transformed, treeless floodplain areas. As part of the forest flora, the number of tree and shrubby species, scyophytes, hygrophytes, and megatrophs significantly increases compared to treeless sites, and the number of ruderal plant species decreases. The floristic composition of the floodplain forests of the subarid region is much richer and more diverse than the flora of the treeless floodplain areas, and this should encourage measures for their protection and restoration. Afforestation of floodplain territories within the steppe zone of Ukraine should be a priority in comparison with other landscapes. For the protection of the flora studied, a scientific justification for creating the National Park "Samara Bor" was prepared. Under the conditions of anthropogenic and climatic impact, this article is of great global importance for attracting the attention of specialists, authorities and society to the protection and restoration of biodiversity in the most valuable landscapes.

A further new species of Euphorbia (Euphorbiaceae) from Moçambique

A small shrubby species of Euphorbia belonging to subg. Euphorbia is described from the central part of Moçambique. It is closely related to E. contorta.