On Spinopilar from Rio de Janeiro state with description of three new species (Opiliones, Laniatores, Cryptogeobiidae)

The genus Spinopilar Mello-Leitão, 1940 currently has seven species distributed in eastern Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. Three species are hitherto known from Rio de Janeiro state (RJ), in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. In this paper, five species from Rio de Janeiro state (RJ) are studied as follows: (1) Spinopilar armatus Mello-Leitão, 1940, the type species of Spinopilar, originally described without illustrations, is herein redescribed based on additional material from the metropolitan area of Rio de Janeiro city. (2) Spinopilar anomalis (Sørensen, 1932) is a species never recorded again after the original description. A new diagnosis is provided for S. anomalis based on a translation of the original Latin description. (3) Spinopilar jocheni spec. nov. is described from Barra de Guaratiba, Southeast RJ. It is characterized by the unarmed mesotergal areas. (4) Spinopilar martialis spec. nov. is described from Macaé, northern RJ. It is characterized by the pars stridens of the stridulatory organ on the pedipalpal femur, the unusual armature of scutal areas (2-2-10-10) and the extremely complex lobes of the stigmatic area in males, which connect the apophyses of coxa and trochanter IV. (5) Spinopilar magistralis spec. nov. is described from Búzios. It is characterized by extreme stoutness of leg IV and an elevated campaniform ocularium. A key is provided to 9 of the 10 species of Spinopilar and a new diagnosis is given for the genus. Two novel structures so far known only in Spinopilar are described: (1) a third type of pars stridens, which is different from the Tibangara-type and the Bissulla/Pseudopachylus-type both in topology and in structure of the ridges; (2) a proximal primary trochanteral cluster (PTC) composed of modified setae situated on the main apophysis of trochanter IV of males.

Sławna pielgrzymka do Jerozolimy ciągnąca się przez trzy znakomitsze części świata

The Polish translation of the Latin description of the journey by Tomasz Stanisław Wolski (born 1700, died probably after 1766) was based on the printed version of his account ("Illustris Peregrinatio Ierosolimitana latius protracta per tres insigniores mundi partes...,"), which first appeared in print in 1737 in Lwów, and then it was published three more times: in 1748, 1764, and 1766. Wolski came from the Sieradz Voivodeship nobility, and it is known that he was born in Uniejów. The source presents a brief outline of the author's life until 1725, and more extensive descriptions of his travels abroad from 1724 to 1731. First, in 1724-1725, he travelled to Italy, then he made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and Egypt in 1725-1726. In 1728, he travelled to France and England. Finally, in 1729-1731, he gave an account of his journey through several cities in Italy, the Aegean Sea and Istanbul, from where he returned to Poland. He also recorded his next journey to Vienna and Rome, and then back to Vienna. Wolski's narrative is an example of travel prose of the 18th century, a typical Old Polish account of a journey. It contains many interesting descriptions of events, including sensational threads and observations made about people encountered along the way. The author presented a lot of information about sailing in the Mediterranean Sea and the hardships encountered by travellers in the Holy Land. His book also provides a lot of information on religious issues in the places visited around Europe and the Middle East.

Polyphasic reassessment of a yellow rice fungus, Penicillium toxicarium

From historical strain records, Penicillium citreonigrum NBRC 4692 was originally isolated as the toxigenic fungus responsible for the yellow rice incident in Japan in 1937. The fungus was named Penicillium toxicarium by I. Miyake, which was considered invalid due to the lack of a Latin diagnosis. Initially, it was named Penicillium sp. by Miyake et al. in 1940. Subsequently, P. toxicarium, which was erroneously cited as synonym of P. citreo-viride, was validated by C. Ramírez in 1982 with a Latin diagnosis and type designation (CBS 351.51). Later, CBS 351.51 was assigned to Penicillium trzebinskii by Houbraken et al. in 2014. In 2016, P. toxicarium was treated as a synonym of Penicillium citreosulfuratum based on a conclusion of molecular phylogenetic analysis. Recently, we discovered the taxonomic and nomenclatural short communication (in Japanese) by I. Miyake in 1947 on P. toxicarium sp. nov. with its Latin description and four illustrations but lacking the type designation. In this paper, we re-examined strain NBRC 4692 for its current taxonomic position based on morphological characteristics and molecular phylogenetic analysis. NBRC 4692 (received from I. Miyake in 1951) has been found to have the same morphological characteristics as P. toxicarium, as was shown in Miyake's diagnosis in 1947. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the NBRC strain belongs to a unique clade, different from the clade comprising P. citreosulfuratum strains. As a conclusion, herein, P. toxicarium I. Miyake (1947) is reinstated as a correct name with the lectotype designation.

Calamagrostis hongii (Poaceae, Agrostidinae), a new species from southwestern China

Calamagrostis hongii, a new species of Calamagrostis (Poaceae) from southwestern China (S Chongqing, W Guizhou, Sichuan, SE Xizang, Yunnan), is here described and illustrated. It is similar to C. arundinacea and C. effusiflora in spikelet traits, but can be distinguished by its moderately or densely scabrous upper leaf surface with ribs covered by short, stiff, prickle hairs, and glabrous leaf sheaths, blades and collars. Nomenclature Deyeuxia zhongdianensis lacks Latin description or diagnosis and is an unavailable nomen nudum (naked name).

Calamagrostis hongii (Poaceae, Agrostidinae), a new species from southwestern China

Calamagrostis hongii, a new species of Calamagrostis (Poaceae) from southwestern China (S Chongqing, W Guizhou, Sichuan, SE Xizang, Yunnan), is here described and illustrated. It is similar to C. arundinacea and C. effusiflora in spikelet traits, but can be distinguished by its moderately or densely scabrous upper leaf surface with ribs covered by short, stiff, prickle hairs, and glabrous leaf sheaths, blades and collars. Nomenclature Deyeuxia zhongdianensis lacks Latin description or diagnosis and is an unavailable nomen nudum (naked name).

Validation of the name Rhododendron xishuiense (Ericaceae)

Rhododendron xishuiense C.H.Yang & C.D.Yang in Yang et al. (2012: 95) was described based on material from Xishui, Guizhou, China. In the protologue, Yang et al. (2012) provided a Latin description and cited two collections, C.H. Yang 5784 with flowers and C.H. Yang 7590 with fruits. Both of the collections were deposited in the herbarium of Guizhou Academy of Forestry (GF). However, no type was indicated in the protologue. According to Art. 40.1 & 40.6 of ICN (Turland et al. 2018), it was invalidly published. Here R. xishuiense is validated by reference to the previously published description (Yang et al. 2012) and by designating the specimen with flowers (C.H. Yang 5784) as its holotype.

TWO COMMENTS ON PUSHKIN’S “JOURNEY TO ARZRUM”

These notes provide a historical-cultural commentary on two passages of Pushkin’s “Journey to Arzrum:” a Latin description of anomalous genitalia of “a sham hermaphrodite” discovered among Turkish prisoners of war, and a night scene of the interrogation of captured Turks which Pushkin compares to Salvator Rosa’s paintings. Both the pseudo-medical description and the allusion are contextualized: Pushkin’s interest in hermaphroditism is connected to the concepts of French Encyclopedists and their followers, while the allusion to Rosa’s “terrible” pictures is explained through the Romantic perception of the painter as a cult figure.

Reinstatement and lectotypification of Gnidia sisparensis (Thymelaeaceae), a species endemic to India

Gnidia sisparensis Gardner (1847: 457–458) was first described based on (at least) two collections made from Sispara Pass in the Nilgiri Mountains in southwestern India. Wight (1852: 18, text explanation sub plate 1860) translated the original Latin description of G. sisparensis into English (almost verbatim), adding the following comment: “In its general aspect this plant is so like the other [i.e. G. eriocephala Wall. ex J. Graham (1839: 176)] that it might be passed as such, but on closer examination it proves a very distinct species”. In that publication, Wight also provided the first illustrations of G. sisparensis (plate 1860), and the plant closely matches the description included in Gardner’s protologue. Without personally examining any specimen, Meisner (1857) transferred the species to the very closely related genus Lasiosiphon Fresenius (1838: 602–603), creating L. sisparensis (Gardner) Meisner (1857: 598), on the basis of the protologue (Gardner 1847) and the plate published in Wight (1852). Hooker (1886: 197) synonymized L. sisparensis and several other names [e.g. Lasiosiphon hugelii Meisner (1857: 598), L. metzianus Miquel (1851: 15), G. insularis Gardner (1847: 456)] under a broadly circumscribed L. eriocephalus (Wall. ex J. Graham) Decaisne (1844: 148), noting that there were no distinguishing characters available to separate them. Later, Gamble (1925) cited Gardner’s Sispara material along with two other collections from Palghat Hills (=Palakkad) and Mysore (=Mysuru), made by Beddome and Lobb, respectively. Additionally, Gamble (1925) recognized the taxon at the varietal rank as L. eriocephalus var. sisparensis (Gardner) Gamble (1925: 1244), mentioning differences related to leaf shape and the color of the trichomes within the inflorescences. Townsend (1981) was the first to treat L. eriocephala, and its basionym, Gnidia eriocephala, as synonyms of the widespread African Gnidia glauca (Fresenius 1838: 603) Gilg (1894: 227) [≡ Lasiosiphon glaucus Fresenius(1838: 603)], writing on page 506 that the “Indian material is often more abruptly and less sharply pointed in the leaf than African, but this is by no means consistent”. Additionally, Townsend recognized two infraspecific taxa of G. glauca, the var. glauca, ranging from Southwest India to tropical Africa (Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, through Sudan and Ethiopia and west to Nigeria), and var. insularis (Gardner) Townsend (1981: 507), a more pubescent Sri Lankan variety (Gnidia sisparensis was not mentioned in the publication). Kumari (1987) recognized that Townsend’s treatment implied a transfer of L. eriocephalus var. sisparensis to Gnidia, and published the new combination G. glauca var. sisparensis (Gardner) Kumari (1987: 214). Kumari went on to indicate the Ramanathapuram District of Tamil Nadu as its native range, without citing any voucher specimens. Moreover, Naithani (1990) also recognized the variety and extended its distribution, reporting three adjacent Indian states (Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala), but likewise without citing any supporting vouchers. Gnidia sisparensis is reinstated here as a distinct species and a lectotype is designated for the name.

A reappraisal of leaf morphology in Aponogeton natans (Aponogetonaceae)

The aquatic monocotyledon genus Aponogeton L.f. (Aponogetonaceae) consists of about 57 species distributed mainly in the tropical or subtropical regions of the Old world. Aponogeton natans (L.) Engler & Krause is the type species of the genus and occurs in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. During recent field work, which focused exclusively on Sri Lankan Aponogeton, we were unable to satisfactorily reconcile our collections of A. natans with the morphological descriptions given in several previously published accounts globally, as all description indicated the presence of submersed leaves. Detail investigation carried out with literature and the type specimens revealed that the presences of submersed leaves is only a misconception that was propagated by a misinterpretation of the Latin description provided by Krause & Engler in 1906. To clarify the nature of the foliage in A. natans we provide here a revised morphological description of this taxon along with an illustration and images.

Validation of the name Semecarpus kathalekanensis (Anacardiaceae)

During field surveys in Brahmakarmali (North Goa, India) we collected Semecarpus kathalekanensis Dasappa & Swaminath (2000: 78). In order to confirm the identity of the specimens, we examined the protologue and realized that the name Semecarpus kathalekanensis was not validly published, because the authors failed to indicate the herbarium in which the type is conserved (art. 40.7 of the ICN, McNeill et al., 2012). The authors, however, provided a Latin description and indicated a single gathering “10 Jan. 1998, Dasappa 758-WGP” as the holotype. They also cited “Dasappa 1865-WGP” and “Dasappa 1890-WGP” as paratypes. We traced the original material at the Herbarium of Karnataka Forest Department’s Research and Utilization Division, Doresanipalya, Bangalore (Office of the Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Karnataka). So, the name Semecarpus kathalekanensis is validated here by reference to the previously published description by Dasappa & Swaminath (2000) and by indicating the herbarium in which the holotype is conserved.