Abstracts of APG Vol. 57(2)

 

Nuphar submersa (Nymphaeaceae), a New Species from Central Japan

 

TAKASHI SHIGA1, JUN ISHII2, YUJI ISAGI3 and YASURO KADONO4

 

1Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Kobe University, Nada, Kobe 657-8501, Japan; 2Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan; 3Division of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Integrated Arts and Sciences, Hiroshima University, Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8521, Japan; 4Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Kobe University, Nada, Kobe 657-8501, Japan

 

A new species of Nuphar (Nymphaeaceae), N. submersa, from Tochigi Pref., central Japan, is described. Nuphar submersa is characterized by its submerged habit and narrowly oblong-triangular leaves that lack a sinus. It differs from both N. japonica and N. oguraensis in the color of the anthers and fruits. A phylogenetic study based on Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) fragments showed that both N. submersa and N. oguraensis were sister taxa, but well separated phylogenetically from N. submersa.

 

Key words: AFLP, central Japan, new species, Nuphar submersa, phylogeny, submerged plant, Tochigi Prefecture

 

 

Lecanorchis amethystea (Orchidaceae), A New Species from Kochi Prefecture, Japan

 

SHINICHIRO SAWA1, HIROKAZU FUKUNAGA2 and YUTAKA SAWA3

 

1University of Tokyo, Graduate School of Science, Department of Biological Sciences, Hongo 7-3-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan; 2Tokushima-cho 3-35, Tokushima city, Tokushima 770-0852, Japan; 3Sawa Orchid Laboratory, Ikku, Kochi 781-8130, Japan

 

Lecanorchis amethystea Sawa, H. Fukunaga & S. Sawa (Orchidaceae) is described from Kochi Prefecture, Japan. Lecanorchis amethystea is similar to L. nigricans Honda, but detailed morphological comparison supports its status as a new species. It is easily distinguished by the following combination of characters: 1) longer stem; 2) longer inflorescence and infructescence, because of longer internodes; 3) yellowish white, narrower sepals and petals; 4) 5-nerved and slightly 3-lobed labellum; 5) bright brown, ascending capsule; 6) column more than half fused with labellum; and 7) column basally pubescent.

 

Key words: Kochi, Lecanorchis amethystea, new species, Orchidaceae

 

Seagrasses of the Genus Halophila Thouars (Hydrocharitaceae) from Japan

 

JOHN KUO1, ZIYUSEI KANAMOTO2, HITOSHI IIZUMI3 and HIROSHI MUKAI4

 

1Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis, the University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia; 2Center for Marine Environmental Studies, Division of Aquatic Biology and Ecology, Ehime University, Bunkyo-cho, Matsuyama, Ehime 790-8577, Japan; 3Japan Sea National Fisheries Research Institute, Fisheries Research Agency, Suido-cho, Niigata, Niigata 951-8121, Japan; 4Akkeshi Marine Station, Field Science Center for Northern Biosphere, Hokkido University, Akkeshi, Hokkaido 088-1113, Japan

 

A taxonomic study of the seagrass genus Halophila Thouars concludes that eight distinct taxa, including four new species, occur in Japanese waters. Past literature indicated that the name of H. ovata Gaud. is illegitimate, thus a new species name, H. gaudichaudii J. Kuo, with a description is provided. Halophila major (Zoll.) Miq. has been reinstated to a distinct taxon, with H. euphlebia Mak. as a synonym. The other three new species, H. nipponica J. Kuo, H. mikii J. Kuo, and H. okinawensis J. Kuo are endemic to Japan, while H. gaudichaudii, H. ovalis (R. Br.) Hook. f., H. major, H. minor (Zoll.) den Hartog and H. decipiens Ostenf. are extended from Indo-West Pacific regions to reach their northern distributional boundaries in southern Japan. Halophila okinawensis and H. gaudichaudii are restricted to Ryukyu Islands and H. mikii only occurs in Tanegashima and Yakushima Islands. Halophila nipponica is widely distributed in temperate Japan except for Hokkaido Island, while the tropical H. major has additional colonies confined to Wakayama Prefecture in Honshu and Tokushima and Kochi Prefectures in Shikoku. Typifications, morphological descriptions, habitat and biological information, illustrations and distribution maps are presented for each taxon. Biogeographical distribution of the Japanese species is discussed in relation to the effect of currents.

 

Key words: distribution, Hydrocharitaceae, Japanese Halophila, seagrasses, taxonomy

 

 

Phylogenetic Analysis of the Northern Pinguicula (Lentibulariaceae) Based on Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) Sequence

 

KATSUHIKO KONDO1 and HIRO SHIMAI2

 

1Laboratory of Plant Chromosome and Gene Stock, Graduate School of Science, Hiroshima University, 1-4-3 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8526 Japan; 2Takamori Orchid Museum, 512-73 Izuhara, Takamori, Nagano 399-3107 Japan

 

Internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of 18-26S nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA) in 18 species and three subspecies of Pinguicula distributed in the northern hemisphere was sequenced. Based on the ITS results, species in Section Pinguicula were basically well-agreed with the orthodox classification. Although three subspecies of P. longifolia have been described, the present approach showed them to be separate species. The ITS sequences between P. vulgaris and P. bohemica were identical and suggested that the two species could be conspecific as normally treated. Pinguicula alpina did not show any direct relationship with P. ramosa and P. variegata although they have been taxonomically placed in Section Micranthus. The present ITS study suggested that P. villosa, only the species of Section Nana, was closely related to P. ramosa and P. variegata. The northern Pinguicula taxa studied here performed the same seasonal growth pattern, but it was likely as a result of convergent evolution.

 

Key words: carnivorous plants, DNA, ITS, Lentibulariaceae, phylogeny, Pinguicula.

 

 

Taxonomic Review of Picea alcoquiana var. reflexa (Pinaceae) Based on Cone Morphology

 

MINEAKI AIZAWA1 and MIKIO KAJI2

 

1Institute of Environmental Studies, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan; 2The University forests, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan

 

We reviewed the taxonomic status of Picea alcoquiana var. reflexa based on the morphology of cones and other characters that had been previously used to distinguish it from var. alcoquiana. Picea alcoquiana var. reflexa has been distinguished from var. alcoquiana by its reflexed cone scales. Reflexed cone scales from 831 cones from eight populations and two individual trees covering the entire geographic range of P. alcoquiana were categorized into five types. We discovered that cone scale reflection varied among populations and continuously within the species, and therefore could not be used to distinguish var. reflexa from var. alcoquiana. We concluded that P. alcoquiana var. reflexa should not be recognized as infraspecifically distinct.

 

Key words: cone morphology, cone scale reflection, intraspecific variation, Picea alcoquiana, Picea alcoquiana var. reflexa

 

 

Comparison of Leaf and Floral Morphology among Insular Endemics of Pieris (Ericaceae) on the Ryukyu Islands and Taiwan

 

HIROAKI SETOGUCHI1, TAIJYU FUJITA2, KAORUKO KURATA1, 5, YOSIYUKI MAEDA3 and CHING-I. PENG4

 

Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan; 2Faculty of Integrated Human Studies, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan; 3Hookaen Nursery, Setouchi-cho, Kagoshima 894-1530, Japan; 4Herbarium (HAST), Research Center for Biodiversity, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan; 5Present Address: General Education Center, Musashi Institute of Technology, Tokyo 158-8557, Japan

 

The floral and leaf morphology of Ryukyu Pieris were examined to determine the allopatric differentiation among the islands of Yakushima, Amamioshima, Okinawa, and Taiwan. The leaves of P. koidzumiana from Okinawa were narrower than those of other insular plants and were rheophytic, while P. koidzumiana from Amamioshima possessed the wider leaf characteristics of inland plants. Pieris koidzumiana populations from these two islands shared quite large and unconstricted corollas; however, they differed significantly in corolla size. Pieris japonica var. yakushimensis from Yakushima Island and P. taiwanensis from Taiwan had wider and smaller leaves than those of P. koidzumiana, as well as smaller and more constricted corollas. Morphological differentiation of Pieris plants on the Ryukyu Islands and Taiwan can be attributed to ecological differences among the islands, locations in a riverbank or inland habitat, and the presence of anthophilous insect communities on the islands.

 

Keywords: corolla size, islands, leaf morphology, Pieris, the Ryukyu Islands

 

 

Clonal Structure and Genetic Differentiation in the Serpentine Plant Japonolirion osense (Petrosaviaceae) Using AFLP Markers

 

DAIJU KAWASE1 and TAKAKAZU YUMOTO2

 

1Center for Ecological Research, University of Kyoto, 2-509-3, Hirano, Otsu, Shiga, 520-2113, Japan; 2Research Institute for Humanity and Nature,457-7 Motoyama, Kamigamo, Kita-ku, Kyoto, 603-8047, Japan

 

Japonolirion osense Nakai (Petrosaviaceae) is a vulnerable plant of serpentine soils known to occur only on Mt. Shibutsu and Mt. Tanigawa (Gunma Prefecture), and at Toikanbetsu (Hokkaido), Japan. We investigated the clonal structure and genetic differentiation in these populations using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) analysis. Japonolirion osense reproduces via rhizomes. The AFLP phenotype patterns indicated that genets were about 1-5 m in diameter. Some clones of the plant from the Mt. Shibutsu population had invaded open habitat to about 15 m where erosion from snow had caused landslides. Our population study showed that the populations of J. osense on Hokkaido and Honshu are genetically different.

 

Key word: AFLP, clonal growth, Japonolirion osense, serpentine plants, population differentiation