A document by Line Johansen. Click on the document to view its contents.

Humid dunes slacks are a highly threatened habitat, listed as vulnerable in the EU habitat red list. Accelerated successional processes in dune systems have resulted in the loss and degradation of ideal conditions for specialist dune slack species, hence the need for conservation management. This study investigated the restoration of a dune slack in North Wales, UK, where soil removal was undertaken to reinstate nutrient-poor open damp conditions. It assessed the outcomes of the management for dune slack communities over the 18 years since restoration. It also assessed the differences between restored and unrestored areas of dune slacks. Since the restoration was carried out in winter 2004/05 surveys of fixed quadrats were undertaken most years until 2022 with an additional survey in 2022 of the adjacent un-restored parts of the dune slacks. Species diversity and plant community composition changes over time were assessed using multivariate analysis and indicator species analysis. Comparisons between the restored and unrestored areas of the dune slacks were also made. Ellenberg Indicator Values (EIVs) were examined to identify potential environmental drivers of post management successional changes. After 18 years a species rich and diverse dune slack community exists. This is absent from the unrestored area. The establishment of species occurred rapidly in the first three years, followed by continued but slower increases in species richness and diversity. This is due to the addition of new species without losses of established species. EIVs show no significant difference over time suggesting the restored areas are still at an early stage of succession. Distinct stages of community change since restoration are characterised by different indicator species. Plants are likely to be largely recruited from an existing seed bank. Restoration by turf removal may be suitable for other low nutrient, species rich habitats dependent upon fluctuating groundwater levels.

Primulina guarouba, a new species from the limestone area of northern Guangxi, China, is described and illustrated. According to the maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian inference (BI) analysis, it nests in a strongly supported clade (BP = 99%) that includes P. cordifolia, P. repanda and P. huangii. Of these, P. guarouba is similar to the P. cordifolia in morphology, but it is easily distinguished from the latter by some of the distinct characters in leaf blade, peduncles, bracts, calyx, corolla, pistil.

A new heterotrophic dinoflagellate, Protoperidinium vietnamicum sp. nov. was described from the coastal waters of Viet Nam. It is characterized by its elongation, pentagonal to pyriform body in ventral or dorsal view, and moderately dorsoventrally compressed. Epitheca is tapering into a robust apical horn and shorter than antapical horns. Cingulum equatorial, slightly descending. Sulcus wide, shallow, and slightly oblique. Plate 1’ is ortho-type, and intercalary 2a and 3a plates are pentagonal. Plate 1a is quadrangular, and its area is approximately triple times smaller than plate 3a. A new combination is proposed, the Protoperidinium curvicorne (Böhm) comb. nov. has distinct morphological features from other members of the section Oceanica. It presents a large cell-sized species with a round, broad body, and strong dorsoventral compression. The epitheca abruptly transitions into a slender apical horn strongly tilted towards the ventral side. Cingulum is narrow, shallow, descending, and strongly inclined relative to the equatorial plane of the cell. The plate 1’ is ortho-type, and 2а and 3а are asymmetrical and pentagonal. Both species are provided with detailed descriptions and are illustrated with line drawings, as well as with light microscopy images and SEM micrographs. In-depth discussion and comparison with similar species are presented.

The present study reports the discovery of Fimbristylis pachmarhiensis (Cyperaceae) as a new species from central India. The specimens were collected from the Pachmarhi hills located in Madhya Pradesh.To aid in the accurate identification of this species, an extensive taxonomic description, accompanied by photographic illustrations, a comparative analysis with similar species, and supplementary notes have been included. These comprehensive details serve to enhance our understanding and recognition of this newly discovered plant species.

Malaxis ybytui is proposed as a new species from the wetlands of the Campos de Altitude of the Atlantic Rainforest of South Brazil. It is described, illustrated, and compared with other similar species. The new species is recognised by its flat to slightly conduplicate leaves, densely congested inflorescence with small flowers bearing free lateral sepals and four cavities in the lip. It is similar to Malaxis cipoensis and Malaxis sertulifera, being distinguished by its vegetative and floral morphology. The species is found in the mountain’s hillside about 1500m elevation in the Serra do Araçatuba\Papanduva mountain chain. Due to the high degree of endemism in this environment, the few collection records and the anthropic pressure in the region, we infer that the species is Critically Endangered (CR).

Viola pendulipedunculata (Violaceae), a new species from Baiwan Nature Reserve of Guangdong Province in China, is described and illustrated. The new species is most similar to V. nanlingensis morphologically, but it can be easily distinguished by its narrowly oblong anterior petals (vs. spatulate anterior petals), curved and drooping peduncles (vs. erect peduncles), and seed with obvious elaiosome (vs. inconspicuous elaiosomes) and the whole plant. Our phylogenetic analysis, based on ITS sequences, confirms that the new species belongs to V. sect. Diffusae, and mostly related to V. yunnanensis in the phylogeny.

Collecting expeditions carried out in the Zamboanga Peninsula of western Mindanao led to the rediscovery of Thottea philippinensis, previously known only by a single collection made 93 years ago in the Philippines. Thus, in this paper, we provide descriptions, comments on the affinities among closely related species, an updated geographical distribution, habitat information, conservation assessment, and the first-ever published photos of living T. philippinensis in the wild. Additionally, we include notes on confirming the occurrence of T. tomentosa in the Philippine archipelago.

Gynodioecy has been identified to occur in the herbaceous polycarpic Origanum vulgare ssp. gracile growing in Tajikistan and is here described in detail for the first time. The investigated populations of O. vulgare ssp. gracile form two types of flowers, perfect and pistillate, on different individuals. In pistillate flowers, stamens are represented by staminodes. The size of many parts of the corolla and androecium of perfect flowers is significantly larger than in pistillate flowers. Four criteria have been identified that make it possible to reliably distinguish flowers of different sexual forms: the size of the corolla and its parts, the difference between calyx tube length versus corolla tube length, the position of the anthers, and the rate of development of stamens. Perfect flowers are characterized by strictly pronounced protandry. According to the pollen/ovule ratio (from 825 to 953), O. vulgare ssp. gracile is facultatively xenogamous. Hermaphrodites predominated (from 58.9% to 76.2%) in five of the investigated populations. The frequency of females in O. vulgare ssp. gracile was shown to be most dependent on annual precipitation (Bio12). Finally, we discuss the presence and distribution of gynodioecy within the genus Origanum and its adaptive significance for the existence of populations of O. vulgare ssp. gracile.

Psammogeton hirsuta sp. nov. (Apiaceae), a novel species collected from specifically the lowlands of Jammu and Kashmir, north-west India’s subtropical region, is described and illustrated. Psammogeton hirsuta resembles one of its close relatives, P. canescens, and P. shivalikense; however, it differs significantly in terms of the plant being hirsute, sheaths of leaf bases, ciliate peduncle degree of pubescence, bracts and bracteoles, and fruit shape. Additionally, we provide phenology, a distribution map, a comparison of species with comparable morphologies, and a key to closely related species.

Crotalaria nicobarica F. Saleem, L.J. Singh, S. Subramaniam & A. K. Pandey is described and illustrated from tropical evergreen forest of Great Nicobar Island, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India. This new species closely resembles Crotalaria lunulata Heyne ex Wight &Arn., Crotalaria paniculata Willd. and Crotalaria ramosissima Roxb. which occurs in the Western and Eastern peninsular India and occupies forest edges and cut-slopes of hillocks. The new species is distinguishable from the latter two based on morphological characters. An analysis shows that the new species differs from closely related species with respect to vegetative and reproductive characters. Based on the hairy surface of plants, persistent bracts and bracteoles, silky pubescence of vexillum and style, oblong stalked pods the species is hypothesized to be a new member of the Crotalaria section Crotalaria.

A new species of Cylindrolobus (Orchidaceae), C. gaoligongensis J. D. Ya & H. Jiang from Gongshan county, northwestern Yunnan, China, is described and illustrated. It is morphologically similar to C. arunachalensis (A. N. Rao) A. N. Rao, but can be distinguished from it by having 5 veined lateral sepals, orange to pink and triangular-ovate lip mid-lobe and apex mucronate, yellow to white long hairs on the lip, 2 central calli and connected to a keel toward mid-lobe in the disk, 3 rows of white long hairs in the base of the disk. Additionally, a detailed description and illustration of its close species, C. arunachalensis, is also provided.

Indigofera jodhpurense sp. nov. (Fabaceae), which grows in arid places and wasteland near to the edge of Jodhpur in the direction of Pali, Rajasthan, India, is described. Although the species is similar to Indigofera cordifolia and I. jaisalmerica, it differs from these in having profusely hairy juvenile twigs, various types of trichomes on leaf surfaces, and sub-sessile flowers, straightened mucro at the tips of the leaves, and pods that are often single-seeded but can also be bi-seeded. The current communication includes a key to species, a comparative morphological analysis, and some photographs.

Jurinea stenocarpa is described as a new species based on morphological characters. The new species is morphologically close to J. monocephala and J. sintenisii mainly by having semiglobose involucre and scapose stems but differs in plant indumentum, shape of phyllaries and features of achene and size of pappus rays. This species is a mountainous Irano-Turanian element distributed in north-west of Iran, Azarbaijan region. The specimens of this species were collected from Aqdagh Mountain in Ardabil Province (type locality) and Pir-Saqqa Mountain in Eastern Azarbaijan Province. Description, photos, distribution map and a diagnostic key to the new species and its close species are presented.

Moorlands dominated by Calluna vulgaris (hereafter Calluna) are globally rare and under increasing threat of wildfires due to climate change. The soil seed bank is important for community resilience, but research on its contribution to regenerating vegetation after moorland fires has to date focused on prescribed fire or on the short-term (≤ 2 year) impacts of wildfire. To address the role of the seed bank in long-term vegetation regeneration, we studied a chronosequence of six wildfire sites within a Scottish moorland catchment, ranging from 2 to 64 years since burning. We recorded vegetation composition and sampled the seed bank. Calluna and Erica spp. comprised 66 % and 27 % of germinated seeds, respectively, and the majority of vegetation species were not represented in the seed bank. Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) revealed that time since fire was a strong predictor of vegetation species composition, but it had no effect on seed bank composition, suggesting that the same species dominate the seed bank regardless of burning. Whilst total seed density was marginally reduced after wildfire and slightly increased with time, the non-Calluna seed bank was more notably affected. The proportion of non-Calluna species decreased with time in both vegetation and seed bank as Calluna cover was re-established and the seed bank of other species became gradually depleted. Whilst relative non-Calluna cover in the vegetation was at a maximum at the start of the chronosequence and then declined, the proportion of non-Calluna in the seed bank followed a unimodal pattern after fire and reached a peak after around 35 years. Our results contribute to the knowledge of how moorland ecosystems regenerate after severe disturbances, which are likely to become more common as the climate changes.

Saxifraga cataphracta, a new species of Saxifragaceae from Southwest China, is described and illustrated. Morphological and molecular evidence (matK, psbA-trnH, psaJ-rpl33) indicate that S. cataphracta belongs to S. sect. Irregulares, and closely related to S. geifolia and S. mengtzeana. The new species can be diagnosed by its leaf blade abaxially with white or virescent interveinal streaks, involucre and bracts conspicuous, capsule beaks winged when mature.

Two new species from Iran was described in this study. Fritillaria shehbazii from Western Azerbaijan province in northwest Iran and F. selenica from Kurdistan province in western Iran. F. shehbazii is similar to F. chlororhabdota, F. pinardii, F. kordestanica and F. assyriaca in the F. caucasica group in general facies but differs mainly by the color and size of its lowest leaves, shape and colour of perianth segments. F. selenica is similar to F. avromanica and F. assyriaca in general facies but differs mainly by narrower leaves and color of perianth segments. Detailed taxonomic descriptions, diagnostic characteristics, illustrations, original photographs, geographical distributions, habitat, phenology and ecology, etymology, conservation status, and identification key of the new and the related species are presented in this study.

Geodorum laxiflorum Griff. (Orchidaceae) is relectotypified here by superseding Bhatt & al. (2015) and by designating a CAL-specimen as lectotype of G. laxiflorum, as the lectotype designated by Bhatt & al. (2015) for the name is found erroneous. Morphological variations along with an overlooked character of the labellum of this Indian endemic and vulnerable species of orchid are presented based on study of livespecimens collected in the wild for the first time from two Indian states. Further, the name Eulophia diffusiflora M.W. Chase, Kumar & Schuit. is synonymised under G. laxiflorum until Eulophia R. Br. is conserved against Geodorum Andrews.