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A new species of adpressed leptosporangiate fern, Szea yunnanensis sp. nov., is described from the Xuanwei Formation (upper Permian) of Yunnan Province, Southwest China. Fronds of this new species are at least bipinnate, with suboppositely to alternately arranged cladophleboid pinnules. Fertile pinnules are triangular to falcate shaped and show slightly decurrent entire bases, acute apices, and proximally lobed margins. Sporangia are grouped into abaxial sori arranged in one row on each side of the midvein from the basal to the 1/2–2/3 portion of the pinnule. The number of sori per row varies from one to four. Sori are exindusiate, ovoid/ellipsoid, with a diameter of 1.3 mm on average, and each consists of approximately 25 sporangia. Sporangia with biseriate annuli are ovoid or ellipsoid, approximately 330 μm long and 230 μm wide, and each produces approximately 100 or more spores. Sporangial walls have one layer of polygonal/elongated cells. Trilete auriculate in situ spores of the Triquitrites -type have verrucate-rugulate-reticulate sculpture. The exine is 2–3 μm thick and without identifiable layers. The family relationship of Szea may belong to the Gleicheniaceae or Sermayaceae, but the combination of sporangium and spore characteristics of Szea inclines us to place this genus among Incertae Sedis. The family relationships of Chansitheca , Henanotheca , and Oligocarpia which were originally affiliated with the Gleicheniaceae are also questionable. • A new species of leptosporangiate fern is reported from the Cathaysian Flora. • Cladophleboid pinnules bear annulate sporangia regularly grouped in sori. • In situ microspores are auriculate and belong to Triquitrites type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new species of adpressed marattialean fern with vegetative and fertile pinnules, Pectinangium xuanweiense sp. nov., is described from the Lopingian (upper Permian) in eastern Yunnan and western Guizhou provinces, Southwest China. The fronds of this new species are at least bipinnate, with linear to lanceolate ultimate pinnae. The pinnules are alternately arranged and pecopterid-type with pinnate venation. Fertile pinnules show recurved margins and abaxially bear a row of synangia on each side of the midvein. Synangia are 0.7 mm long and 0.4 mm wide on average, arranged in a density of approximately 16 per centimeter. Each synangium consists of four sporangia that are completely fused in well-regulated rectangular/ovoid shapes in the distal view. Sporangia are exannulate, 370 μm long and 200 μm wide on average. The sporangial walls are composed of at least three layers of elongated rectangular to polygonal cells. In situ spores are circular to oval, 25–(30)–35 μm in diameter, with trilete marks and microverrucate sculptures. Ultrastructural investigations indicated that the exine encompasses a perine, sexine, and nexine. In situ spores correspond to Verrucosisporites if found as sporae dispersae , and thus indicate that P. xuanweiense sp. nov. belongs to the Acitheca miltonii Group (palynological grouping) of Paleozoic marattialeans. Our study provides insight into the diversity of late Permian marattialeans in the tropics of the eastern Paleo-Tethys ocean. • A new marattialean fern Pectinangium xuanweiense is described. • In situ spores of the new plant correspond to Verrucosisporites. • The new species belongs to the Paleozoic Acitheca miltonii Group according to its spores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Lopingian (upper Permian) in Southwest China yields diverse marattialean plants; however, most of these have been recorded as isolated fragments of fronds, pinnules, and stems. Marattialean Qasimia specimens were recently collected from the upper Permian Xuanwei Formation of Yunnan Province, Southwest China. The well-preserved synangia, sporangia, and prominent in situ spores permitted the emendation of the genus Qasimia and the establishment of the species Q. yunnanica sp. nov. This plant possesses alternately or sub-oppositely arranged fertile pinnules with abaxially attached synangia. The synangia are sessile and bivalvate, with a length nearly half the width of the pinnules. A synangium valve consists of approximately 20 long ellipsoids and laterally fused sporangia. In situ spores of the Punctatosporites type are monolete, 97 × 74 μm on average, with a microverrucate/microgranulate to vermiculate sculpture; these represent the largest in situ spores of this type. The sporangial wall has at least two layers of polygonal/elongated cells. The exine comprises a perine, sexine, and nexine. The characteristics of the marattialeans with bilaterally symmetrical synangia were analyzed based on a comparison of eight related genera in the late Paleozoic and Marattia after the late Paleozoic. The Qasimia -type synangium represents the earliest occurrence of bivalvate synangium, which is a typical feature of modern marattialeans. Although the origin of the bilaterally symmetrical marattialean synangia remains elusive, marattialeans with this type of synangia first appeared in the Euramerica during the late Carboniferous and then migrated to the Cathaysia, where they became more prosperous until the late Permian. • Marattialean fern Qasimia yunnanica sp. nov. is described from the Lopingian of China. • Qasimia yunnanica sp. nov. has the largest in situ spores among Paleozoic marattialeans. • An evolutionary trend of bilateral synangia is evident in late Paleozoic marattialeans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marattialeans were the most species-rich fern group in the Lopingian (late Permian) Cathaysian floras in the South China Block. However, most previous studies on marattialean ferns focused on their vegetative morphology; in contrast, their reproductive biology has rarely been examined. New compression materials of Zhutheca densata (Gu et Zhi) Liu, Li et Hilton from the Lopingian Xuanwei Formation in Qujing City, Yunnan Province, Southwest China, were studied and provide additional micromorphological and ultrastructural details about the reproductive organs of this marattialean plant. Reproductive organs of the Z. densata plant are characterized by radially symmetrical synangia in two or three rows on each side of the midvein, four to six exannulate sporangia laterally fused in a synangium, sporangial walls comprising three to four layers of cells, and monolete Laevigatosporites/Latosporites -type in situ spores. The spatiotemporal distribution of marattialean reproductive organs was analyzed based on a thorough comparison of 29 genera recorded in upper Paleozoic strata. Our analysis indicated that, during the Pennsylvanian and Permian periods, marattialeans with radially symmetrical synangia notably decreased in both diversification and distribution; in contrast, marattialeans with bilaterally symmetrical synangia notably increased in both diversification and distribution. After the Lopingian, marattialeans with bilaterally symmetrical synangia gradually became predominant in terms of their diversification and geographic distribution. Our study sheds new light on the evolution of marattialeans. • We studied the reproductive organ of Zhutheca densata using LM, SEM, and TEM. • The radial synangium has 4–6 sporangia containing laevigate, monolete spores. • An evolution trend of fertile organs is evident in late Paleozoic marattialeans. • Bilateral synangia are more eurytopic than radial synangia in marattialeans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, mycotoxins safety in Chinese post-fermented teas has attracted much attention because it is still controversial whether environmental fungi in the teas are able to produce aflatoxins. In this study, a rapid and selective analytical method based on immunoaffinity column (IAC) cleaning coupled with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) was developed to quantify four aflatoxins (B 1 , B 2, G 1 and G 2) in post-fermented teas. Recoveries ranged from 80.8 to 92.2% with relative standard deviation less than 3%. The limits of detection and quantification were 0.109–0.348 μg kg−1 and 0.364–1.159 μg kg−1, respectively. Two out of 158 samples were positive for aflatoxins examination (occurrence rate 1.27%). The deterministic assessment for the maximal aflatoxins exposure under upper bound was 9.19 × 10−6 μg kg−1 day−1 from heavy exposure consumers (≥50 year age group), but the exposure was lower than the JECFA acceptable value of 1.0 ng kg−1 day−1 on liver risk. Probabilistic assessment showed that the upper bound 95th percentile carcinogenic risk value for the 318 consumers (Yunnan China and Ulan Bator Mongolia) was 1.75 × 10−7, and for heavy exposure consumers was 2.4 × 10−7, and the values equally below the acceptable carcinogenic risk level. Image 1 • A rapid UPLC-Q-TOF-MS method for aflatoxins detection in tea matrix. • 1.27% of dark tea samples were positive for the aflatoxins. • The maximal deterministic value was 9.19 × 10−6 μg kg−1 day−1 aflatoxins from dark teas. • The 95th percentile carcinogenic risk from tea consumption is acceptable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An abstract of the article "The Potash Mine Features and the Geophysical Response Features at Mengyejing Area, Yunnan," by Yu Changqing and colleagues is presented.