Lena Struwe

Fossils preserved in amber may provide significant palaeoevolutionary and biogeographical data regarding the evolution of life on Earth(1). Although amber is particularly noted for its detailed preservation of arthropods, the same degree of preservation can be found for vascular plant remains(2). Mid-Tertiary Dominican amber is a rich source for such fossils, and representatives of several angiosperm families have been described. However, no fossilized examples of the large asterid plant clade have yet been reported. Here we describe the first fossil neotropical flowers found in amber from a representative of the asterids. The asterids are one of the largest lineages of flowering plants, containing groups such as the sunflower, potato, coffee and mint families, totalling over 80,000 species(3). The new fossils are only known as flowers, more precisely corollas with stamens and styles. We here describe them as a new species, Strychnos electri sp. nov, in the plant family Loganiaceae (Gentianales).

The unicellular green alga Dunaliella salina is a halotolerant eukaryotic organism. Its halophytic properties provide an important advantage for open pond mass cultivation, since D. salina can be grown selectively. D. salina was originally described by E. C. Teodoresco in 1905. Since that time, numerous isolates of D. salina have been identified from hypersaline environments on different continents. The new Dunaliella strain used for this study was isolated from the salt farm area of the west coastal side of South Korea. Cells of the new strain were approximately oval- or pear-shaped (approximately 16-24 microm long and 10-15 microm wide), and contained one pyrenoid, cytoplasmatic granules, and no visible eyespot. Although levels of beta-carotene per cell were relatively low in cells grown at salinities between 0.5 to 2.5 M NaCl, cells grown at 4.5 M NaCl contained about a ten-fold increase in cellular levels of beta-carotene, which demonstrated that cells of the new Korean strain of Dunaliella can overaccumulate beta- carotene in response to salt stress. Analysis of the ITS1 and ITS2 regions of the new Korean isolate showed that it is in the same clade as D. salina. Consequently, based on comparative cell morphology, biochemistry, and molecular phylogeny, the new Dunaliella isolate from South Korea was classified as D. salina KCTC10654BP.

ABSTRACT The stressors of flooding may limit the spatial distribution of invasive plants, particularly in the shaded understory of forested headwater wetlands. However, the extent to which flooding limits the distribution and dominance of invasive plants in forested wetlands remains unexplored. I hypothesize that Japanese stiltgrass dominance is reflective of local hydrology, and that flood timing, duration, and depth inhibit the establishment of some invasive plants. Vegetation structure was measured in six wetlands in urban, central New Jersey. In wetland plots where stiltgrass was present, dominance (m2) was nearly three times as great in saturated plots (n=14, 23±7%) than those experiencing seasonal flooding (n=12, 6±2%). A mesocosm experiment examined the effects of flooding duration and depth on stiltgrass seedling production; flooding condition was manipulated for the first three weeks, after which seedling production in flooded vs. control treatments was assessed. Only the control treatment produced seedlings (5±1). Less than a week of shallow flooding during the natural germination period reduced stiltgrass recruitment significantly. Field and mesocosm results suggest small shifts in flooding may have profound impacts on invasive dominance and distribution.

A new species from Gentianaceae (tribe Helieae) is described from northern Brazil. Sipapoantha obtusisepala sp. nov. is distinct from the previously single member of the genus, Sipapoantha ostrina, by having a woody and branched habit, sessile and ovate leaves with an acute apex, and a smaller calyx with circular lobes. Sipapoantha obtusisepala is based on somewhat incomplete material and tentatively

ABSTRACT The stressors of flooding may limit the spatial distribution of invasive plants, particularly in the shaded understory of forested headwater wetlands. However, the extent to which flooding limits the distribution and dominance of invasive plants in forested wetlands remains unexplored. We hypothesize that Japanese stiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum) dominance is reflective of local hydrology, and that flood timing, duration, and depth inhibit the establishment of some invasive plants. Vegetation structure was measured in six mineral flat wetlands in urban, central New Jersey. In wetland plots where stiltgrass was present, dominance (m2) was nearly three times as great in saturated plots (n = 14, 23±7%) than those experiencing seasonal flooding (n = 12, 6 ± 2%). The effects of flooding duration and depth on stiltgrass seedling production were also investigated during a three-month mesocosm experiment. Flooding condition was manipulated for the first three weeks of the experiment, after which seedling production in flooded vs. control treatments was assessed. We concluded that stiltgrass germination and seedling production are inhibited by flooding. The control treatment (n = 7) was the only treatment to produce seedlings, even two months following drawdown of the flooded treatments (5 ± 1). Less than a week of shallow flooding during the natural germination period of Japanese stiltgrass seems to reduce recruitment significantly of this invasive annual grass. The field and mesocosm results suggest that even small shifts in flooding may have profound impacts on invasive species dominance and spatial distribution.

A revision of Symbolanthus (Gentianaceae: Helieae) for Catálogo de las Plantas Vasculares de Bolivia resulted in the resurrection of Symbolanthus brittonianusand the description of the new species S. aus- tralis. Both species occur in the "Yungas" region of the Andes of Bolivia. Symbolanthus rusbyanusis treated as a synonym under S. brittonianus, and the problematic typification of this species is discussed.

The stressors of flooding may limit the spatial distribution of invasive plants, particularly in the shaded understory of forested headwater wetlands. However, the extent to which flooding limits the distribution and dominance of invasive plants in forested wetlands remains unexplored. I hypothesize that Japanese stiltgrass dominance is reflective of local hydrology, and that flood timing, duration, and depth inhibit the establishment of some invasive plants. Vegetation structure was measured in six wetlands in urban, central New Jersey. In wetland plots where stiltgrass was present, dominance (m2) was nearly three times as great in saturated plots (n=14, 23±7%) than those experiencing seasonal flooding (n=12, 6±2%). A mesocosm experiment examined the effects of flooding duration and depth on stiltgrass seedling production; flooding condition was manipulated for the first three weeks, after which seedling production in flooded vs. control treatments was assessed. Only the control tr...

The monophyletic and Neotropical tribe Helieae of the worldwide family Gentianaceae (Gentianales, Asterids, Angiospermae) is well known for its problematic generic classifications. An initial phylogenetic analysis of Helieae shed light onto the relationships between genera, and indicated that traditional generic limits did not correspond to monophyletic groups. In order to obtain a more thorough understanding of generic relationships within the group, we enhanced sampling within the so-called Symbolanthus clade and performed phylogenetic analyses from DNA sequences from one plastid region (matK) and two nuclear regions (ITS and 5S-NTS), plus 112 morphological characters, which were analyzed separately and in combination, using parsimony and Bayesian approaches. A total of 83 individuals representing 20 genera and 51 species of Helieae were sampled; 13 species were included in this study solely based on their morphological characters. Ancestral character reconstructions were performed to identify potential synapomorphies of clades and patterns of homoplasy in the morphological dataset. Our results demonstrate that Prepusa is sister to the remainder of Helieae. Furthermore, the Macrocarpaea clade, the Irlbachia clade and the Symbolanthus clade were also recovered. Within the Symbolanthus clade, our results confirm that Calolisianthus and Chelonanthus are not monophyletic, and also contest the monophyly of Irlbachia as currently circumscribed. Specifically, two species of Calolisianthus group with the type species of Chelonanthus, while the other Calolisianthus species are more closely related to Tetrapollinia and Symbolanthus. Moreover, the green-white-flowered Chelonanthus species and Adenolisianthus are undoubtedly related to Helia and several analyses support Irlbachia pratensis as more closely related to the lineage including the type species of Chelonanthus described above The addition of new characters and taxa led to higher confidence in the relative position of some clades, as well as provided further support for a new generic circumscription of Calolisianthus, Chelonanthus, and Helia. Even though several morphological characters traditionally used in the taxonomy of the group were shown to be homoplasious, most clades can be diagnosed by a combination of morphological character states.

Student participation in floristics at the university level is essential for the longevity and expansion of botany, plant ecology, and their many associated fields, but knowledge and college course options have been decreasing. In many cases students are unaware of the botanical biodiversity that is right in front of their eyes. We started a project called Flora of Rutgers Campus (FoRC), which provides students with hands-on outdoor fieldwork as an engaging and effective way to experience botany first hand. In 2011, 32 students participated in this project and uploaded 580 vouchered observations to a database. In total, we found 98 families, 200 genera, and 259 species on the Cook/Douglass campus of Rutgers University in New Jersey. Nearly 10% of the state’s flora was found on 317 urban/ suburban acres. This project strongly increased the students’ knowledge of local plants,

Two New Winged Species of Symbolanthus (Gentianaceae: Helieae) from Colombia Lena Struwe Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources, Rutgers University—Cook College, 237 Foran Hall, 59 Dudley Road, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901^8551, ...

Grant JR, Struwe L. 2001 De Macrocarpaeae Grisebach (ex Gentianaceis) speciebus novis: 1. An introduction to the genus Macrocarpaea and three new species from Colombia, Ecuador, and Guyana. Harvard Pap. Bot. 5. (2): 489-498 (2001) - illus. En Icones, Maps, Anatomy and morphology. 3 spp. nov. Geog=4 Systematics: ANGIOSPERMAE (GENTIANACEAE: MACROCARPAEA) ( , 200102708).

ABSTRACT Yanomamua araca is described as a new genus and species from Serra do Araçá, an outlier of the Guayana Region in the state of Amazonas, Brazil. Yanomamua is unique in the Gentianaceae as an herb with sessile subcordate pandurate (fiddle-shaped) leaves, and inflorescences composed of oppositely paired solitary flowers situated in the axils of the upper three leaf pairs. Only limited material is available, and flower morphology is unknown. A phylogenetic approach was used to investigate possible relationships to ...

Big-bracted dogwoods (Cornus sp.) are well-known plants in North America and eastern Asia where they occur as wild, generally spring-flowering understory trees. They are also popular ornamental landscape plants, and many economically important cultivars are propagated and sold across North America, Europe, and Asia. Starting in the late 1960s, Elwin Orton of Rutgers University in New Jersey (USA) utilized three geographically disjunct species of dogwoods, Cornusflorida (eastern North America), Cornusnuttallii (western North America), and Cornuskousa (East Asia), in an extensive interspecific hybridization program. He was successful in developing the first-ever interspecific F1 hybrids of these species, several of which have become staple items in the ornamental nursery trade due to their enhanced ornamental qualities and resistance to diseases. The original F1 plants are still alive at Rutgers University. While they have been available for decades in horticultural commerce, the inte...

ABSTRACT The enigmatic South-East Asian monotypic genus Pteleocarpa has been considered as a genus incertae sedis among the eudicots for a long time. Molecular data (plastid and nuclear ribosomal regions) from 44 widely sampled species across Lamiidae and phylogenetic analyses have finally clarified its familial relationships, and it is here included in Gelsemiaceae (order Gentianales). Its morphological characteristics support a placement in this family and order as a result of the presence of potential synapomorphies, such as imbricate and commonly yellow corollas, latrorse anther dehiscence, divided styles and compressed seeds. Unique characters for Pteleocarpa in Gelsemiaceae are alternate leaves and indehiscent samaras. © 2014 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2014, 00, 000–000.

ABSTRACT Yanomamua araca is described as a new genus and species from Serra do Araçá, an outlier of the Guayana Region in the state of Amazonas, Brazil. Yanomamua is unique in the Gentianaceae as an herb with sessile subcordate pandurate (fiddle-shaped) leaves, and inflorescences composed of oppositely paired solitary flowers situated in the axils of the upper three leaf pairs. Only limited material is available, and flower morphology is unknown. A phylogenetic approach was used to investigate possible relationships to ...

The presence of apothecia in mixed species (vegetatively reproducing lichens, occasionally producing ascomata) has been interpreted as a mechanism to increase genetic variability in mostly clonal populations. However, spore viability from these apothecia has not been studied. We asked whether ascospores of the mixed species Physconia grisea are viable and thereby contribute to increasing the genetic diversity within populations of this species. An ontogenetic study of spores in cultures of P. grisea and a related sexual species (P. distorta), showed that although mature apothecia from both species produced and discharged meiospores capable of germination, spores from P. grisea were only rarely (0.43%) able to continue development whereas those from P. distorta germinated and developed successfully. The strongly reduced viability of P. grisea spores suggested that they do not have a strong reproductive function, at least in the two local populations analyzed. Additionally, we show th...

Abstract. In preparation for the Flora Neotropica monograph of Macrocarpaea (Gentianaceae: Helieae) and recent fieldwork in Ecuador, six new species have been identified and are here described from Parque Nacional Podocarpus and its surrounding areas in ...

ABSTRACT Terrestrial dioecious shrubs or small trees, much branched, partially pubescent. Leaves (sub)opposite, simple, ovate-oblong, obtuse, short-petiolate, without stipules. Inflorescence subtended by two leaves, axillary, in 1–7-flowered congested racemes or dichasia, often reduced to only 1–2 flowers. Flowers bisexual, but functionally unisexual, hypogynous, 5(6)-merous; corolla sympetalous, imbricate. Stamens 5(6), inserted in middle of corolla tube alternating with corolla lobes; filaments free; anthers free, basifixed, longitudinally dehiscent, orientation introrse to extrorse, 2- or 4-celled; functionally female flowers with stamens but without viable pollen.Ovary 1-celled, stipitate, with nectariferous disk at base of ovary in female flowers; placentas 2, parietal; ovules 2–4, in two basal-parietal pairs, one on each side; in functionally male flowers the ovary is smaller and there is no nectary disc, style,or stigma; style elongate, deciduous, twice dichotomously divided into four slender branches; stigma apical. Capsule bivalved, with 1–4 seeds. Seeds with tuft of hairs (coma) on chalazal end.

Symbolanthus (Gentianaceae, Helieae) is a genus of small trees, shrubs, and herbs distributed in South America (the central and northern Andes and the Guayana Highlands) and southern Central America. To discover the pattern of Symbolanthus evolution and to assess the relationships between Symbolanthus and the closely related Wurdackanthus of the Guayana Highlands (Venezuela, Brazil) and the Lesser Antilles (St. Vincent), we performed cladistic analyses on members of both taxa. Molecular data (5S-NTS rDNA sequences) were gathered from individual plant samples, mainly from herbarium specimens. 5S-NTS sequence data did not resolve internal relationships well in Symbolanthus and show that the genus may be a recently and rapidly diverging clade. However, these results indicate that Wurdack- anthus is either paraphyletic to Symbolanthus or that W. argyreus is nested within a Symbolanthus clade. Furthermore, W. frigidus may be the basalmost species of the Wurdackanthus-Symbolanthus clade. ...

ABSTRACT Although Artemisia dracunculus is a native species widely distributed across western North America, the essential oil composition of plants from this region has not been as extensively studied as its Asian populations. Essential oil extracted from 63 cultivated individuals of this species, originating from 18 different diploid North American wild populations, one cultivated octoploid individual from seed collected in Kyrgyzstan, and five cultivated tetraploid French tarragon plants, were analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectroscopy. The diploid individuals exhibited a variety of volatile profiles with major components including (Z)-β-ocimene (22 samples), methyl eugenol (15 individuals), methyl chavicol (10 individuals) and α-terpinolene (5 individuals). Many of the samples had high concentrations of the polylacetylenes capillene, 5-phenyl-1,3-pentadiyne and 1-(4-methoxyphenyl)-2,4-pentadiyne. The isocoumarin acetylene, capillarin, was also found in the majority of (53) samples but was generally found in low amounts (less than 4%). The volatile oil from tetraploid French tarragon samples contained approximately 80% methyl chavicol. The octoploid sample from Kyrgyzstan was found to have a unique profile with its main constituents being myrcene, (Z)-artemidin and limonene. Six major clusters were formed in the UPGMA cluster analysis and showed groups rich in (1) methyl chavicol, (2) methyl eugenol, (3) α-terpinolene, (4) capillene, (5) 5-phenyl-1,3-pentadiyne and (6) (E)-β-ocimene/(Z)-β-ocimene. These results show that North American wild tarragon is a potential source for unique oils and can serve as sources of genetic materials in plant breeding.

... The global distribution of wild tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus L.; Asteraceae) cytotypes with twenty-seven new records from North America Sasha W. Eisenman • Lena Struwe Received: 8 July 2010 / Accepted: 13 December 2010 © Springer Science+Business Media BV 2011 ...