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Schinus terebinthifolius and Mabea fistulifera have been used for forest repositioning and urban forestry in Brazil. In October 2012, in a routine inspection at the research nursery of the Forestry Department of the Universidade Federal de Vic ß osa, in Minas Gerais, Brazil, a mortality of approximately 40% of the seedlings was observed as a result of diseases characterized by leaf blight and intense defoliation, which culminated in the death of the plants. Microscopy observations revealed oozing from the infected tissue and isolations revealed a bacterial aetiology for both diseases. Bacterial cells that formed bright yellow mucoid colonies with round edges were routinely isolated from lesion margins. Inoculation of isolated strains into healthy seedlings reproduced the symptoms observed under natural conditions. Bacterial cells showing the same morphological, biochemical and molecular characteristics as those originally isolated from naturally infected plants were reisolated from inoculated plants. Morphological, physiological and biochemical tests as well as 16S rDNA sequencing and multilocus sequence analysis using four housekeeping genes, dnaK, fyuA, gyrB and rpoD, confirmed the newly isolated strains belong to Xanthomonas axonopodis. Plant cross-inoculations showed the strains did not belong to any known phylogenetically related pathovar. Pathovars X. axonopodis pv. schini pv. nov. and X. axonopodis pv. mabeae pv. nov. are proposed as the causal agents of bacterial leaf blight on S. terebinthifolius and M. fistulifera, respectively

In the summer of 2011, in a nursery located in Viçosa City, Minas Gerais State, brownish, necrotic, irregular spots were observed on leaves of Mabea fistulifera Mart. (Euphorbiaceae), an indigenous forest species commonly found in Brazil. Around 6,300 seedlings were evaluated and as many as 60% of them showed disease symptoms, including severe defoliation and plant death. Leaves with coalescing lesions turned papery in texture and had a blighted appearance. Bacterial colonies were isolated from these symptomatic leaves on King B's medium and identified based on biochemical and molecular analysis, as a member of the Enterobacteriaceae family. Like other members of the Enterobacteriaceae family, the bacteria were facultative anaerobic, gram-negative, cream-colored on YDC medium, urease and oxidase negative, as well as catalase and asparagine positive. Bacterial DNA was extracted from pure culture grown overnight in liquid 523 medium at 28°C using the Wizard Genomic DNA Purification kit (Promega) and conserved sequences in 16S rDNA (3) and rpoB (1) were amplified by PCR. The sequence of the 1,300-bp 16S rDNA fragment and the 750-bp rpoB gene were analyzed by NCBI BLAST. Related sequences were aligned and analyzed by ClustalW in MEGA 5 software. Phylogenetic analysis by maximum likelihood, using PAUP version 4.0 and TBR algorithm with 1,000 bootstrap replications, grouped the isolate in a clade with Enterobacter cowanii and the result showed 99% and 98% identity to the 16s rDNA and rpoB, respectively. The isolate clustered closely with the type strain of E. cowanii in both phylogenetic trees constructed. Pathogenicity tests were carried out by inoculating leaves of healthy seedlings either by spraying or cutting with a scissor previously dipped into a 108 CFU/ml bacterial suspension. The experiment was in a completely randomized design, with six replications. A pot with one plant was considered one experimental unit. Control seedlings were sprayed or cut with a scissor treated with saline solution. Prior to and after inoculation, plants were kept in a humid chamber for 24 h at 26°C in the dark and at room temperature. Subsequently, plants were transferred to growth chamber at 26°C, under a 12-h photoperiod (40 μmol/s/m2). Consistent with the symptoms observed originally, 7 days after inoculation, all seedlings developed leaf spots. No characteristic symptoms could be observed in the negative control. Furthermore, Koch's postulates were confirmed by reisolation of the bacterium from symptomatic tissues. In summary, the phenotypic, biochemical, and molecular tests identified the pathogen as E. cowanii. Recently, E. cowanii was isolated from Eucalyptus trees with symptoms of bacterial blight, although its pathogenicity was not demonstrated (2). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a member of the Enterobacteriaceae family causing disease in M. fistulifera. The result has a great importance to better understand the role of E. cowanii as a pathogen-causing disease on a forest species. References: (1) C. L. Brady et al. Syst. Appl. Microbiol. 31:447, 2008. (2) C. L. Brady et al. Lett. Appl. Microbiol. 49:461, 2009. (3) W. G. Weisburg et al. J. Bacteriol. 173:697, 1991.

Mabea is an important neotropical genus of the Euphorbiaceae, whose secretory structure diversity is still little known. Mabea fistulifera Mart., one of the most representative species in the genus, is a pioneer plant that is widely distributed across Brazil and Bolivia. We investigated the distribution, morphology, histochemistry and ultrastructure of colleters, reported for the first time to M. fistulifera, aiming to elucidate the gland functions, exudate nature and secretory activity dynamics. Samples of vegetative and reproductive apices and of leaves at different developmental stages were processed following usual procedures for analysis in light, scanning and transmission electron microscopies. Colleters are present exclusively on leaves, occurring on the adaxial surface and apical region of stipules and on the leaf blade margin. Colleters have protodermal origin and are functional since early leaf differentiation. In the colleter secretory portion, central-axis cells and surface cells have similar origin and structure, both showing numerous mitochondria, dictyosomes, rough endoplasmic reticulum and ribosomes. The translucid secretion is of mucilaginous nature, being formed by polysaccharides, proteins and alkaloids, which is compatible with the observed cellular machinery. The presence of a hygroscopic exudate in contact with developing vegetative and reproductive organs is important for the protection of young tissues against desiccation, especially in view of the fact that the species occurs in open environments, which are subjected to water stress, elevated temperature and high light incidence.

Seeds are staple foods in the diets of primates with morphological and behavioral specializations for seed predation, but are considered a less important resource for most other primates. Here we report the first observation of seed predation by northern muriquis (Brachyteles hypoxanthus). Twenty-four Mabea fistulifera (Euphorbiaceae) seed eating events were observed during a systematic study of two groups of northern muriquis in an Atlantic forest fragment in southeastern Brazil in July 2003, accounting for 2.9% of 836 feeding records during this month. Only unripe seeds were consumed in all records. The absence of Mabea fistulifera seeds in any of the 102 fecal samples examined suggests that the seeds were predated. Analyses of 47 fruits of Mabea fistulifera collected in different stages of ripeness in June 2004 indicated that fruits at earlier stages of ripeness were significantly softer than ones of later stages, implying that fruit hardness made their seeds unprofitable to these non-speciali...

A Estação Biológica de Caratinga encontra-se dentro do domínio Atlântico, sob um clima sazonal com uma estação úmida e quente (outubro-março) e outra seca e fria (abril-setembro). O solo é do tipo Latossolo Vermelho-Amarelo álico. A clareira em estudo localiza-se em topo de morro, possuindo pequenas árvores esparsas, grande quantidade de "touceiras" mortas de Pteridium aquilinum, plantas herbáceas, jovens e plântulas de espécies arbóreas. Esta área foi alterada por fogo e plantio de café há pouco mais de 30 anos. Foram amostrados 500 m² mapeando-se e anotando-se altura e circunferência de todos os indivíduos. Realizaram-se 2 amostragens com o mesmo método, a primeira em outubro de 1989 e a segunda em outubro de 1990. Verificou-se pouca variação na densidade (657 e 668 indivíduos, respectivamente) e na composição em espécies. Mabea fistulifera (maior densidade em ambas as amostragens), Bauhinia fusco-nervis, Inga sp e uma espécie não identificada de gramínea tiveram a densidade aumentada, enquanto Pteridium aquilinum (a segunda de maior densidade), Ferdinandusa cf. ruggeoides e Vismia sp, tiveram-na reduzida. A presença de "touceiras" mortas de P. aquilinum, de indivíduos jovens de espécie arbóreas comuns às matas ao redor e a existência de áreas vizinhas ocupadas exclusivamente por populações de P. aquilinum sugerem que a clareira em estudo encontra-se em estágio intermediário entre o declínio da população de P. aquilinum e a ocupação da área pelas espécies de mata.

The new ingenane diterpene, 5-deoxy-13-hydroxyingenol, was isolated from the alcohol preserved fresh latex of the stems of Mabea excelsa and characterized from its semi-synthetic triacetate. This is the first instance of an ingenane diterpene obtained from species other than those of Euphorbia and Elaeophorbia. This diterpene occurred in the latex in the form of an inseparable mixture of six aliphatic mono-esters of the tertiary C-13 hydroxy group.

A key to and some remarks on Maprounea in the Neotropics are presented. Maprounea guianensis var. obtusata is discussed and raised to specific rank with the new name Maprounea amazonica. Maprounea brasiliensis is accepted as distinct from M. guianensis. The taxa are separated mainly by characters of the leaves and by fruit size. Additionally, Maprounia glauca is established as a new synonym of Mabea taquari, and a lectotype is designated for the latter. Maprounea Aublet (Euphorbiaceae, Hippomaneae) is a small genus of shrubs and trees occurring in the Neotropics and in Africa. Although the South American taxa have been treated twice quite recently, their taxonomy is still not fully resolved. Pax and Hoffmann (1912) accepted two neotropical species, Maprounea guianensis Aublet and M. brasiliensis A. Saint-Hilaire, both without infraspecific taxa. Allem (1976), however, considered these two species to be identical and united them under the older name, M. guianensis. Senna (1984) disagreed with him and accepted both species as well as a number of varieties of M. guianensis, with the exception of M. guianensis var. undulata Muller Argoviensis, which she did not consider to be distinct from the typical variety. Allem's (1976) study was based mainly on plants from central Brazil and concentrated on floral characters, neglecting the varieties described from other regions. The revision of Senna (1984) was uncritical, although it included very detailed illustrations of all taxa. From these illustrations it is quite obvious that the leaves of M. guianensis var. obtusata (Muller Argoviensis) Muller Argoviensis are very different from those of all other neotropical taxa of the genus. On further examination of leaf and fruit characters in particular I now conclude that this variety represents a distinct species, and also that M. brasiliensis should be kept separate from M. guianensis. KEY TO THE NEOTROPICAL SPECIES OF MAPROUNEA la. Leaves apically obtuse to rounded to emarginate, abaxially eglandular at base (Fig. 1A); 0-1 pistillate flower per inflorescence; staminate inflorescence at least as wide as long; fruits 8--10 mm long M. amazonica lb. Leaves apically acute to mucronate to acuminate, rarely obtuse, abaxially often with basal glands, rarely without; (0-)2-3 pistillate flowers per inflorescence; staminate inflorescence longer than wide; fruits 4-10 mm long. 2a. Tree up to 25 m tall; leaves distinctly longer than wide, apically acute to acuminate, abaxially with 0-1(-2) pair(s) of base glands (Fig. 1F), often with additional submarginal glands in upper half; fruits 4-6(-8) mm long . M. guianensis 2b. Shrub up to 1.5 m tall; leaves hardly longer than wide, apically mucronate, rarely obtuse, abaxially usually with 2-4 pairs of basal glands (Fig. 1G), eglandular in upper half; fruits 8-10 mm long........ M. brasiliensis Maprounea amazonica Esser, nom. et stat. nov. Replaced name: Maprounea guianensis Aublet var. guianensis forma obtusata MUller Argoviensis, Linnaea 32: 115. 1863. Maprounea guianensis Aublet var. obtusata (MUiller Argoviensis) Muller Argoviensis, in Martius, Fl. Bras. 11.2: 543. 1874. TYPE: Brazil. Amazonas: Barra (= Manaus), igap6 of an igarap6, May 1851, Spruce 1475 (lectotype, selected here, G-DC not seen, microfiche; isolectotypes, BM, BR, E, GH, K, NY, OXF, P, TCD). Figure 1A-E. The name Maprounea obtusa Pax already exists for an African species. A new combination based on the neotropical variety obtusata would be very similar to the African name, and because of the risk of confusion a new name, M. amazonica, was chosen according to Article 53.3 of the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature (Greuter et al., 1994). Shrub or tree up to 12 m tall and 15 cm stem diam. Bark smooth. Totally glabrous. Monoecious. Stipules broadly elliptic, ca. 0.7-0.9 x 0.5-0.9 NovoN 9: 32-35. 1999. This content downloaded from 157.55.39.78 on Mon, 20 Jun 2016 07:31:39 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms Volume 9, Number 1 1999 Esser Neotropical Maprounea 33

This study was conducted in the northwestern region of the State of Sao Paulo, Brazil, to determine mite species of the family Phytoseiidae in patches of native forest. Fifteen species belonging to five genera were collected on 18 plant species. The most frequent phytoseiids were Euseius citrifolius Denmark & Muma and Amblyseius tunus (DeLeon), collected on 15 and 10 plant species, respectively. The largest diversities of phytoseiids were observed on Mabea fistulifera (Euphorbiacea), Bauhinia sp. (Fabaceae) and Banisteria sp. (Malpighiaceae), with nine, eight and six species, respectively.

The floral biology of the tree Mabea fistulifera and the behavior of its floral visitors were studied in Vicosa, Minas Gerais State, southeastern Brazil. M. fistulifera is monoecious and self-incompatible. Its inflorescences present a female phase that lasts ten days, followed by a bisexual phase of three days during which animals exploit the nectar and pollen produced by male flowers. Pollination is effected by nocturnal as well as diurnal visitors, including mammals, birds and insects. The bats Artibeus lituratus, Vampyrops lineatus and Sturnira lilium and the opossum Didelphis marsupialis are the nocturnal pollinators. Several passerine birds and bees are the diurnal pollinators. The broad spectrum of unspecialized pollinators suggests that M. fistulifera reproduction may be little affected by disturbances of the animal community. Besides being visited by pollinators, the inflorescences are also visited by nectar thieves such as the flower bat Glossophaga soricina and hummingbirds.

The new genus Dendrothrix is proposed. Two of its species are new to science, the third one was originally allied to Sapium. Keys for distinguishing related genera using flowers, fruits, and leaves are provided, as is a key to the species of Dendrothrix. A taxonomic revision of the subtribe Mabeinae Pax & K. Hoffmann of the Euphorbiaceae (tribe Hippomaneae A. Jussieu ex Spach) has necessitated the establishment of a new genus in order to accommodate species that have confused students of the Euphorbiaceae for some time. The three species are known from northern Brazil and Venezuela. Dendrothrix Esser, gen. nov. TYPE: Dendrothrix yutajensis (Jablonski) Esser. A ceteris generibus tribus Hippomanearum differt pilis ramosis, foliis integris subtus papillis obtectis sine glandulis marginalibus praeter bases glandulosas, thyrsis regulatim plerumque semel ramosis, glandulis bractearum disciformibus vel cyathiformibus, floribus masculinis bistaminalibus cum filamentis tota longitudine connatis, ovariis pubescentibus, et mericarpiorum septis filo vasculari furcato vel duplici instructis. Trees or shrubs. Hairs multicellular and ramified. Leaves alternate, simple, coriaceous, entire; abaxial epidermis minutely but densely papillose; without petiolar, submarginal, or marginal glands but abaxially with a pair of basimarginal glands and sometimes with laminar glands of 0.2-0.35 mm diam.; petioles 1.5-5.5 cm long. Stipules very small to absent. Thyrses yellowish to cream-colored, terminal, always compound, mostly with one order of branching with several lateral thyrses, bracts small, scaly, glandless. Male cymules distal, at least 8-flowered, their bracts carrying basal glands which, when dry, are cup-shaped or disc-shaped and ? 1 mm long; bracteoles absent. Staminate flowers sessile, at anthesis with 0.6-1.0-mm-long pedicel, subtended by a two-parted calyx fused for most of its length; stamens two per flower, connate, lateral flowers often unistaminate; anthers 0.4 mm long, filaments at anthesis slightly longer than anthers. Female flowers proximal, bracteolate, shortly pedicellate, tricarpellate; sepals three, partly fused; ovary pubescent; style short but evident. Fruit a septicidal schizocarp, smooth, with scattered, caducous pubescence, glabrescent, up to 6 mm long. Mericarps bearing one bifurcate or two distinct vascular strands visible on each septum, leaving an inconspicuous alate central columella. Seeds dry, brown, smooth, carunculate in two species (not known in D. multiglandulosa). The name of the genus refers to the treelike branched hairs, which are unusual for the Euphorbiaceae. This genus differs from the other three neotropical genera of the Hippomaneae with compound thyrses in both its bistaminate male flowers and its totally fused filaments. The inflorescence is similar to that of Senefelderopsis Steyermark: the thyrses are of the same size and are strictly terminal. A single, and rarely a second, order of branches occur, always subtended by small scaly bracts, and the staminate cymules are many-flowered. The two genera therefore can be confused superficially. However, the hairs of Senefelderopsis are multicellular but unbranched, the bracteal glands of its two species are always cylindrical when dry, the staminate flowers carry persistent bracteoles, and its fruits are larger (length 15-25 mm) and have a leathery outer layer. Additionally, the leaves of Senefelderopsis exhibit a row of abaxial submarginal glands and a pair of adaxial basal glands. The hairs and fruits of Dendrothrix are very similar to those of Mabea Aublet. The leaf glands of Mabea, however, are strictly marginal or submarginal, never laminar. The lateral secondary thyrses of Mabea occur irregularly (they are missing in many species, whereas in others they can be several times compound), and the staminate cymules are mostly 3-flowered. The calyx of pistillate flowers and fruits consists of six sepals. Mabea always shows a single undivided vascular strand on each septum of the mericarps, the length of the capsules always exceeds 8 mm, and its indumentum is very dense and persistent. Senefeldera C. Martius, the third other genus with compound thyrses, is quite different, e.g., it NOVON 3: 245-251. 1993. This content downloaded from 157.55.39.215 on Wed, 31 Aug 2016 04:14:05 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms

Five species of Mabea new to science are proposed and distinguished from their relatives, based to a large extent on characters of pistillate flowers and leaves. All have a limited distribution. Another species is reduced to a subspecies of M. fistulifera. Mabea Aublet is a neotropical genus of Euphorbiaceae that has its greatest diversity in the Amazon region. It comprises approximately 40 species, some of which are new to science and are described herein. Useful diagnostic characters for the genus are the six-parted calyx of pistillate flowers (other numbers of sepals rarely reported, mostly for single plants), the irregularly but mostly five-parted calyx of staminate flowers, the persistent and dense pubescence of the pistillate flowers and fruits, and the peculiar dendritic type of hairs. Other characters cited in older literature do not cover all species of Mabea (e.g., long pedicels and styles) or are not useful at all. In distinguishing the species of Mabea, characters of pistillate flowers (e.g., sepals and color of pubescence) and leaves (e.g., venation and glands) are most useful in many cases. Fruits, seeds, and staminate flowers, on the other hand, often are quite uniform. A revision including a more detailed discussion will be published later. Mabea arenicola Esser, sp. nov. TYPE: Brazil. Amazonas: basin of Rio Negro, road Camanaus-Uaupes, near Camanaus, 2 Nov. 1971 (fl), G. T. Prance, P. J. M. Maas, P. B. Woolcott, 0. P. Monteiro & J. F. Ramos M15993 (holotype, NY; isotypes, F, S, U, W). Figure 1. Arbor M. speciosae Mueller Argoviensis affinis sed thyrsis non nisi 15-20 mm latis (1-)2(-4) floribus femineis instructis, stylis 6-10 mm longis, glandibus bractearum florum masculinorum plerumque distincte elevatis, laminis foliorum glabris differt. Tree up to 10 m tall, sometimes climbing. Twigs glabrous. Leaf blades elliptical to oblong, (11-)1419 cm long, (5-)6-8 cm wide, apically acuminate (acumen at least as long as wide, often twice as long as wide), basally obtuse to rounded, indistinctly serrate to entire; secondary veins below the acumen in 14-17(-19) pairs, clearly brochidodromous; glabrous; abaxially glaucous because of cuticular folds, only larger veins excepted; marginal nectar glands 5-20 on each half of blade, 0.35-0.55 mm diam., situated abaxially a little away and separated from the marginal sclerenchyma. Petioles 11-15 mm long, glabrous. Stipules not known. Thyrses yellowish to reddish, mostly compound; staminate part 4-8 cm long, 15-20 mm diam., axis with few short (' 0.1 mm) rarely branched hairs. Glands of bracts of staminate cymules always elevated, mostly by their own length, length of glands 2 mm; cymules 3(-7)flowered, pedicels 3-5 mm long, free; stamens up to 30 per flower. Pistillate flowers (1-)2(-4); bracts glandless or with glands smaller than those of distal bracts; pedicel 5-8 mm long, in fruit up to 22 mm; sepals glandless, up to 2.5 mm long, not extending beyond ovary, not divided; ovary brownish pubescent; style 6-10 mm, in fruit up to 12 mm long. Fruits 16 mm long; shape unknown. Seeds 9 mm long, 7.5 mm wide, 6.5 mm deep, slightly carunculate. Mabea arenicola is known from widely separated localities of northwestern Amazonia. It is a species of noninundated, woody vegetation on white sands, i.e., the "caatingas" of the upper Rio Negro. Collected in flower March to May, September, November; in fruit March to May, July, November. Vernacular names: marima, rebentillo. Mabea arenicola is most closely related to M. speciosa Mueller Argoviensis. Its type specimens have been distributed as M. caudata Pax & K. Hoffmann, which is a synonym of M. speciosa. Without flowers Mabea arenicola is hardly distinguishable from M. speciosa. The leaves are always glabrous and thus are different from typical M. speciosa, but fall within the range of variation of that species. Mabea arenicola differs from M. speciosa most remarkably by the discontinuously narrower diameter of the staminate part of the thyrses. Other differences include: the bracteal glands of the staminate cymules are more elevated from NOVON 3: 341-351. 1993. This content downloaded from 157.55.39.211 on Mon, 08 Aug 2016 04:40:40 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms

Eleven common species of terra firme moist tropical forest trees (107 individuals) from the western Brazilian Amazon were tested for allelopathy. In this assay, lettuce seeds were grown in soil samples taken from underneath the canopies of the trees. Nine of the species showed some degree of allelopathic activity; five ( Virola sp., Rinorea racemosa, Protiurn sp., Mabea sp. and Duroia hirsuta ) were strongly allelopathic, killing more than 50% of the lettuce seeds. The effect of D. hirsuta was by means of both the arresting of seed germination and the retardation of radical elongation. The forest gaps created by D. hirsuta commonly contain Cordia nodosa and Miconia sp. as weil as a suite of characteristic herbaceous understory species, especially Adianturn sp. The allelopathy of D. hirsuta may be ant-mediated.

A moth, Laspeyresia sp. (Olethreutidae), was responsible for approximately 80 percent of immature fruit and seed mortality in Panamanian Mabea occidentalis (Euphorbiaceae). Predation intensity (proportion of the fruit crop damaged) was not significantly related to plant fecundity within Mabea stands; however, more fecund plants matured a greater absolute number of viable fruits and seeds than did less fecund plants. Fruits initiated earliest in the season tended to escape predation completely. Relative spatial isolation within Mabea stands did not result in lower predation intensities; the moths can probably easily travel the short interplant distances observed within these populations. Between-stand, rather than within-stand, distances may be important to the dynamics of seed predation in this and other patchily distributed species. PREDATION ON SEEDS by specialized consumers has been recognized for its potential influence upon the distribution, abundance, and reproduction of plants (Janzen 1969, 1970; Harper et al. 1970; Smith 1970; Vandermeer 1975; Connell 1978). Recent discussions (e.g., Janzen 1975, Moore 1978a) emphasize that the role of seed predation as a selective factor in plant populations is related to the extent of differential predation upon conspecific hosts. Identification of those factors that result in consistent variation in predation intensity, within and between populations, is crucial to understanding the impact of seed mortality upon plant population dynamics. In tropical communities, relationships between plants and seed predators are poorly known, although a few studies have made an important beginning in quantifying the effects of seed mortality in nature (e.g., Vandermeer 1974, Janzen 1975, Moore 1978a and b, Silander 1978). Here I report a study of predation on the seeds of a tropical shrub, Mabea occidentalis Bentham (Euphorbiaceae), by a moth, Laspeyresia sp. (Olethreutidae), on Barro Colorado Island, Panama Canal Zone, where Laspeyresia accountted for the majority of Mvabea seed mortality. I describe the interaction and examine predation intensities within two Mabea stands with respect to plant fecundity, degree of spatial isolation, and the phenology of fruit production. These factors do not encompass all possible influences on predation intensity, but as a group they represent some plant characters likely to affect population dynamics. A separate category of factors are those affecting moth numbers and success. NATURAL HISTORY Mabea occidentalis is a shrub or treelet ranging from Central and northern South America to Brazil (Webster and Burch 1967). It is locally abundant in secondary forest (60 years old) on Barro Colorado Island, where it occurs in distinct stands of 15-40 plants. Reproductive individuals under study ranged from 3 to 5 m high with stems ranging from 2 to 9 cm dbh (diameter at breast height) (n 35). Larger plants may have two or three main stems. Mabea is monoecious; the inflorescence is a raceme consisting of three to seven proximal pistillate flowers and numerous distal staminate flowers grouped in clusters of three. Fruits are woody, explosively dehiscent capsules (fig. 1). On Barro Colorado Island, flowering is concentrated in the period from December through February, and fruiting from late December through March. Individual fruits begin development immediately following floral anthesis. Fruits grow to, full size over a three-week period and remain on the plant an additional five weeks or more befo-re dehiscence. During maturation, capsule walls become hard and woody. Fruits are susceptible to oviposition by Laspeyresia (possibly an undescribed species-R. L. Brown, pers. comm.) during their initial three-week growth period when the pericarp tissue is soft. Damaged fruits are easily distinguished from undamaged fruits by a superficial scar of dried latex that indicates the point of entry of the moth larva. Usually only one such scar is found per fruit, but 24 percent of 412 infested fruits examined in the laboratory had multiple scars. Upon hatching, the moth larva burrows into the fruit and eventually consumes all three seeds. The plant aborts fruits soon after infestation; these fruits drop to the ground and larval development continues 146 BIOTROPICA 13(2): 146-15

The reproductive biology of Mabea occidentalis (Euphorbiaceae), an understory tree of tropical moist forests, was studied on Barro Colorado Island, Panama. Morphological and be- havioral features of the flowers suggest that M. occidentalis is adapted to pollination by bats. These characteristic floral features include maroon and green inflorescences that hang outside of the foliage, nocturnal anthesis, strong musty odor, and many staminate flowers that produce relatively large amounts of pollen and nectar. Nectar concentration and composition fit the chiropterophilous syndrome. The largely self-incompatible inflorescences of M. occidentalis are visited nocturnally by small bats (Glossophaga soricina and Carollia castanea), the red woolly opossum, and noctuid and pyralid moths and diurnally by Trigona bees. The relative roles and contrasting foraging strategies of these potential pollinators are discussed. This is the first report of bat pollination for Euphor- biaceae.