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The trilineata species group of the genus Promalactis Meyrick, 1908 is proposed for the first time based on the forewing patterns. A total of 36 species are included, four of which are described as new: P. aggregata sp. nov., P. apicifurcellata sp. nov., P. stenitubilaris sp. nov. and P. albipedalis sp. nov. Photographs of adults and genitalia of the new species are provided. A checklist of the other described species belonging to this group is given with original citations.

The role of vision and the lateral-line system in fish-screen avoidance behaviours was investigated in shiner surfperch Cymatogaster aggregata and staghorn sculpin Leptocottus armatus. Avoidance experiments were conducted in front of water-diversion-type wedge-wire fish screens in a laboratory flume with a 0.3 m s-1 water velocity. Fish contacted the screens less frequently during the day than night, indicating that fish screen avoidance is visually mediated during the day. Input from the fishes' lateral-line systems was also blocked with streptomycin-sulphate treatments during the night to determine if these fishes use mechanoreceptive cues to guide screen avoidance in darkened conditions. Streptomycin-treated and untreated fish had similar contact rates suggesting that mechanoreceptive guidance was not increasing the fishes' abilities to avoid contact with non-vibrating screens at night. Fishes were stained with 2-(4-(dimethylamino)styryl)-N-ethylpyridinium iodide (DASPEI) to assess the streptomycin treatment's effectiveness. We also tested the fishes' ability to avoid contact with the screens at night, when a strobe light or industrial vibrator was operated on the screens, to respectively increase the screen's visual and mechanoreceptory guidance potential. Cymatogaster aggregata contacted the screens significantly less frequently when they were vibrating, compared with their night-time controls, suggesting useful mechanoreceptive guidance. Leptocottus armatus contacted the screens significantly less frequently under strobe-light illumination, compared with their night-time controls, suggesting useful visual guidance. This research should benefit fishery and water-resource managers, regarding the development of future fish-protection decisions at screened water diversions.

Fishing is a popular and lucrative sport around the world and, in some cases, may contribute to declining fish stocks. To mediate this problem and maintain fish biomass in aquatic ecosystems, catch-and-release fishing, whereby a fish is caught and immediately released, has been implemented in many countries. It is unclear whether the injuries to the mouth that are caused by the hook have an impact on feeding performance of fishes. Using high-speed video and computational fluid dynamics (CFD), we asked whether injuries around the mouth caused by fishing hooks have a negative impact on suction feeding performance (measured as maximum prey velocity) of the commonly angled marine shiner perch (Cymatogaster aggregata). We hypothesized that fish with mouth injuries would exhibit decreased feeding performance compared with controls. Ten shiner perch were caught using scientific angling and 10 were caught using a seine net. Feeding events were then recorded at 500 frames per second using a high-speed camera. Compared with the control group, maximum prey velocity was significantly lower in the injured group (P

This article investigates the exomorphic characteristics of the achenes which are achene size, color, and surface pattern, and pappus length, and colour. All these characteristics in seven taxa of Asteraceae namely, C. aggregata Fisch. & C.A. Mey. ex DC. subsp. aggregata, C. sivasica Wagenitz, C. polypodiifolia Boiss. var. polypodiifolia, C. polypodiifolia Boiss. var. szowitziana (Boiss.) Wagenitz, C. iberica Trev. ex Spreng, C. urvillei DC. subsp. stepposa Wagenitz, and C. carduiformis DC. subsp. carduiformis var. carduiformis in are described, illustrated and compared. The results of SEM at higher magnification showed three types of achene surface patterns: glebulate-ruminate, smooth, and rugose. In these patterns, there were diagnostic characteristics and differences at the specific level for Centaurea. A key to the taxa has been provided on the basis of these achene characteristics. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjb.v43i2.21668 Bangladesh J. Bot. 43(2): 163-168, 2014 (September)

A novel bacterium, designated R14M6T, was isolated from deep-sea sediment collected from the Ross Sea, Antarctica. Cells are Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, pale yellow, short-rod-shaped, polar-flagellated and aggregate-forming. Growth occurs at 4–36 °C, pH 6.0–8.3, and in 1–15 % (w/v) NaCl. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain R14M6T clustered together with Aurantimonas endophytica EGI6500337T and fell within the genus Aurantimonas . The 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain R14M6T shared similarity with A. endophytica EGI6500337T (99.15 %), A. manganoxydans DSM 21871T (97.73 %), A. coralicida DSM 14790T (97.58 %) and ‘ A. litoralis ’ KCTC 12094 (97.51 %). The DNA–DNA relatedness values between strain R14M6T and A. endophytica EGI6500337T, A. coralicida DSM 14790T, A. manganoxydans DSM 21871T and ‘ A. litoralis ’ KCTC 12094 were 36.9±4.5, 27.6±2.8, 29.6±1.2 and 25.2±2.4 % respectively. The major fatty acid of strain R14M6T was C18 : 1 ω7c. The major polar lipids were phosphatidylcholine, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine and an unidentified aminolipid. Strain R14M6T contained Q-10 as the dominant isoprenoid quinone. The DNA G+C content of strain R14M6T was 67.4 mol%. Based on the phylogenetic, physiological and chemotaxonomic analyses, strain R14M6T represents a novel species of the genus Aurantimonas , for which the name Aurantimonas aggregata sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is R14M6T (=GDMCC 1.1202T=KCTC 52919T).

Reproductive isolation due to pollinator behavior is considered a key mode of speciation in flowering plants. Although floral scent is thought to mediate pollinator behavior, little is known about its effects on pollinator attraction and floral visitation in the wild. We used field experiments with wild hawkmoths and laboratory experiments with naive hawkmoths to investigate attraction to and probing of flowers in response to indole, a volatile emitted by Ipomopsis tenuituba but not its close relative I. aggregata, both alone and in combination with floral color differences. We demonstrated that indole attracts wild hawkmoths to flowers, but has little effect on the rate at which those attracted moths probe flowers. In contrast, white flower color did not influence hawkmoth attraction in the field, but caused more attracted moths to probe flowers. Thus, the moths require both scent and high visual contrast, in that order, to feed at flowers at dusk. Their preference for indole-scented flowers is innate, but species-specific preference is mitigated by previous experience and plant spatial patterning. This context-dependent behavior helps explain why these Ipomopsis species show geographical variation in the extent of hybridization and may potentially explain formation of hybrid bridges in other systems of hawkmoth-pollinated plants.

Cnicin was isolated from 18 species or subspecies of the subgenus Acrolophus (Cass.) Dobrocz.: Centaurea aplolepa Moretti subsp. aplolepa, C. aplolepa Moretti subsp. lunensis (Fiori) Dostal, C. arenaria Bieb. ex Wild. subsp. arenaria, C. arenaria Bieb. ex Wild, subsp. odessana (Prodan) Dostal, C. arenaria Bieb ex Wild. subsp. majorowii (Dumbadze) Dostal, C. calvescens Pančić, C. cineraria L. subsp. cineraria, C. cineraria L. var, circae Somm., C. diffusa Lam. var. brevispina Boiss., C. grisebachi (Nyman) Form. subsp. grisebachi, C. grisebachi (Nyman) Form. subsp. confusa (Halácsy) Dostal, C. leucophaea Jordan subsp. leucophaea, C. attica Nyman subsp. ossaea (Halácsy) Dostal, C. pallidior Halácsy subsp. palidior, C. pelia DC., C. rhenana Boreau subsp. savranica (Klokow) Dostal, C. tymphaea Hausskn subsp. tymphaea, C. tymphaea Hausskn subsp. brevispina Hausskn (Dostal. Chromatographic analysis has shown appearance of cnicin in 10 investigated species or subspecies of subgenus Acrolophus (Cass.) Dobrocz.: Centaurea attica Nyman subsp. drakiensis (Freyn, Sint.) Dostal, C. kartschiana Scop., C. aggregata Fisch. et Mey, C. cuneifolia Sibth. SM. subsp. pallida (Friv.) Hayek, C. exarata Boiss. ex Cosson., C. mantoudii Georg., C. orphanidea Heldr. Sart. ex Boiss, subsp. orphanidea, C. spinosa L. subsp. spinosa, C. transiens Halácsy, C. zuccariniana DC.

A taxonomic review of Centaurea L. sect. Centaurea (Asteraceae) in Iran was carried out. Seven taxa are recognized and 1 of them is described as a new species: Centaurea joharchii Ranjbar & Negaresh. This new species has been described and illustrated from Khorasan Province, SE Iran. A new combination is proposed: C. kermanshahensis (Wagenitz) Ranjbar & Negaresh. In addition, C. aggregata Fisch. & C.A.Mey. ex DC. subsp. aggregata is typified and C. diffusa Lam. is reported here as a new record for Iran. Finally, a key to all species of the section Centaurea in Iran is provided.

Carbaryl has been applied in Willapa Bay, Washington, for five decades to control burrowing shrimp (Neotrypaea californiensis and Upogebia pugettensis) on commercial oyster (Crassostrea gigas) beds. Concerns about effects on nontarget species, including fishes, have led to restrictions in use despite a lack of data on in situ exposure. We measured brain acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in adult Shiner perch (Cymatogaster aggregata) and juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) after operational applications. We hypothesized that exposure in Shiner perch would be greater than in juvenile Chinook salmon because of their greater site fidelity and benthic foraging. However, Shiner perch exhibited no statistically significant AChE inhibition. Enzyme activity was statistically decreased (≤14 %) in juvenile Chinook salmon after a second spray event; however, inhibition was less than that associated with overt effects and was similar to controls by 48 h after the spray. Diet analyses confirmed that Shiner perch were primarily feeding on benthic invertebrates and that juvenile Chinook salmon were feeding primarily within the water column. Composition of Shiner perch diets and amount of food consumed varied little among channels and time periods; however, Shiner perch on beds consumed more food 6 h after application than those at other time points and locations. There were no consistent differences in the diets of juvenile Chinook salmon within channels among time periods. Results suggest (1) that carbaryl applications pose little hazard to fish in the bay having habitat and dietary preferences similar to those of Shiner perch and juvenile Chinook salmon and (2) that quantification of direct exposure in the field is essential to adequately assess risk.

 Premise of the study: Future changes in environmental conditions may alter evolutionary processes, including hybridization in nature. Frequency of hybrids could be altered via range shifts by the parental species or by changes in prezygotic or postzygotic reproductive isolation. We examined the potential for range shifts and change in postzygotic isolation by determining effects of increasing and decreasing precipitation on leaf physiology and fi tness components in the subalpine herbs Ipomopsis aggre- gata (Polemoniaceae), I. tenuitubaand their natural hybrids in a common garden in the habitat of I. aggregata .  Methods: Summer precipitation was experimentally doubled or halved over 3 yr in comparison with ambient conditions. We measured relative growth rate, specifi c leaf area, intrinsic water-use effi ciency, survival to reproduction, biomass, number of fl owers produced, and fl oral morphology.  Key results: Ipomopsis tenuituba increased relative growth rate with higher precipitation more so than did I. aggregata during the fi rst summer, but this response did not result in changes across treatments in relative survival or fireproductive success of the two species. When precipitation was reduced, the relative success of hybrids was greater than that of the home species, I. aggregata. In dry conditions, hybrids increased water-use effi ciency and fi tness as indexed by number of fl owers more so than the other plant types did.  Conclusions: Increased reproduction in hybrids in the reduced precipitation regime indicates that postzygotic reproductive isolation may breakdown under imposition of dry conditions. These results suggest the potential for frequency of hybrids to increase if severe droughts become more common.

Fishes were collected from Campbell Cove of Bodega Bay, Sonoma County, California, U.S.A., and examined for the presence of parasitic isopods to expand upon the 1986 survey by Waugh et al. (1989). The isopod Elthusa californica was found to parasitize Cymatogaster aggregata and Atherinops affinis with slightly less prevalence than observed by Waugh et al. (1989), but these differences were not statistically significant. Four additional hosts for this isopod were also recorded. A second species of parasitic isopod previously unrecorded in Campbell Cove, Elthusa vulgaris, was also found on 4 hosts. The presence of a second species of parasitic isopod along with new host/parasite records suggests that this area may be important for future isopod research and should continue to be monitored.

13 pages, 6 figures, 2 tables, Coccidian parasites of the genus Aggregata are known to parasitize cephalopods as definitive hosts, however one of the genus members, A. octopiana, has shown an unresolved phylogeny within the same definitive host, the common octopus (Octopus vulgaris). Our study represents a large-scale investigation aimed at characterizing morphological traits and phylogeny of A. octopiana isolated from O. vulgaris inhabiting three distinct geographic areas of the central Mediterranean: The Adriatic, Ionian and Tyrrhenian Seas. The morphology of sporogonic stages of the parasite in octopus tissues was assessed by light and electron microscopy; molecular characterization has been carried out using the 18S rRNA locus. Our results support the hypothesis that two morphologically and genetically different A. octopiana infect O. vulgaris in the investigated areas of the Mediterranean Sea. Additional nuclear and mitochondrial markers for Aggregata should provide further information and better resolution of its phylogeny, This work has been initiated through the networking initiatives of the COST Action FA1301 (CephsInAction) and thanks to the support of a COST FA1301-Short Term Scientific Mission (P. Tedesco, from Italy to Vigo, Spain). The study has been supported through RITMARE Flagship project (MIUR-SZN) to PT and GF. G. Catanese would like to thank INIA for the INIA/CCAA research contract program

Population density might be an important variable in determining the degree of multiple paternity. In a previous study, a high level of multiple paternity was detected in the shiner perch Cymatogaster aggregata, a species with high population density and a high mate encounter rate. The tule perch Hysterocarpus traski is phylogenetically closely related to C. aggregata, but it has relatively lower population density, which may result in distinct patterns of multiple paternity in these 2 species. To test the hypothesis that mate encounter rate may affect the rate of successful mating, we used polymorphic microsatellite markers to identify multiple paternity in the progeny arrays of 12 pregnant females from a natural population of tule perch. Multiple paternity was detected in 11 (92%) of the 12 broods. The number of sires per brood ranged from 1 to 4 (mean 2.5) but with no correlation between sire number and brood size. Although the brood size of tule perch is considerably larger than that of shiner perch (40.7 vs. 12.9, respectively), the average number of sires per brood in tule perch is much lower than that in shiner perch (2.5 vs. 4.6, respectively). These results are consistent with the hypothesis that mate encounter rate is an important factor affecting multiple mating. © The American Genetic Association. 2012. All rights reserved.

The Myrtaceae or the myrtle family comprises at least 140 genera and some 3800 to 5650 species. Many important trees and shrubs belong to Myrtaceae. There are four genera of interest which produce edible fruits: Psidium, Eugenia, Syzygium and Feijoa. The genus Psidium contains about 150 species of which P. guajava, P. cattleianum, P. friedrichsthalianum, P. guineense, P. littorale, P. acutangulum, etc. are commercially important. The Eugenia is a small group in which important species are E. brasiliensis, E. uniflora, E. victoriana, E. axillaris, E. aggregata, E. dysenterica, E. lutescens, E. luschnathiana, etc. The Syzygium has about 500 species and most of them have originated and grow mainly in the south-east Asia. The important species are S. jambos, S. malaccense, S. suborbiculare, S. paniculatum, S. acqueum, S. cordatum, S. cumini, S. forte, S. Samarangense, etc. The Feijoa (Acca sellowiana) is grown mostly in Brazil, and Uruguay. The fruit is rich in protein, carbohydrates and fibre. The E. uniflora (pitanga) fruit pulp is a good source of carotene and ascorbic acid. The fruits of P. guajava are considered as one of the richest sources of antioxidant among the tropical fruits. This paper deals with the taxonomy and importance of trees and shrubs of the Myrtaceae family.

Melanopsamma is a unitunicate ascomycete genus. However, examinations of the holotypes of M. aggregata, M. merrillii, and M. pomiformis var. monosticha has revealed that all were bitunicate. They are synonyms of Astrosphaeriella africana, Didymosphaeria dimastospora, and Keissleriella sambucina, respectively.

The frequency of hybridization in plants is context dependent and can be influenced by the local mating environment. We used progeny arrays and admixture and pollen dispersal analyses to assess the relative importance of pre-mating reproductive barriers and the local demographic environment as explanations of variation in hybrid frequency in three mapped hybrid zones of Eucalyptus aggregata and E. rubida. A total of 731 open-pollinated progeny from 36 E. aggregata maternal parents were genotyped using six microsatellite markers. Admixture analysis identified substantial variation in hybrid frequency among progeny arrays (0–76.9%). In one hybrid zone, hybrid frequency was related to pre-mating barriers (degree of flowering synchrony) and demographic components of the local mating environment (decreasing population size, closer proximity to E. rubida and hybrid trees). At this site, average pollen dispersal distance was less and almost half (46%) of the hybrid progeny were sired by local E. rubida and hybrid trees. In contrast, at the other two sites, pre-mating and demographic factors were not related to hybrid frequency. Compared to the first hybrid zone where most of the E. rubida (76%) and all hybrids flowered, in the remaining sites fewer E. rubida (22–41%) and hybrid trees (0–50%) flowered and their reproductive success was lower (sired 0–23% of hybrids). As a result, most hybrids were sired by external E. rubida/hybrids located at least 2–3 km away. These results indicate that although pre-mating barriers and local demography can influence patterns of hybridization, their importance can depend upon the scale of pollen dispersal.

 Premise of the study: Fitness of plant hybrids often depends upon the environment, but physiological mechanisms underlying the differential responses to habitat are poorly understood. We examined physiological responses of Ipomopsis species and hybrids, including reciprocal F 1 s and F 2 s, to variation in soil moisture and nitrogen.  Methods: To examine responses to moisture, we subjected plants to a dry-down experiment. Nitrogen was manipulated in three independent experiments, one in the fi eld and two in common environments.  Key results: Plants with I. tenuituba cytoplasmic background had lower optimal soil moisture for photosynthesis, appearing better adapted to dry conditions, than plants with I. aggregata cytoplasm. This result supported a prediction from prior studies. The species and hybrids did not differ greatly in physiological responses to nitrogen. An increase in soil nitrogen increased leaf nitrogen, carbon assimilation, integrated water-use effi ciency, and growth, but the increases in growth were not mediated primarily by an increase in photosynthesis. In neither the fi eld, nor in common-garden studies, did physiological responses to soil nitrogen differ detectably across plant types, although only I. aggregata and hybrids increased seed production in the fi eld.  Conclusions: These results demonstrate differences in photosynthetic responses between reciprocal hybrids and suggest that water use is more important than nitrogen in explaining the relative photosynthetic performance of these hybrids compared to their parents.

The results of karyological analyses and SEM micromorphological observations on vegetative and reproductive structures of the critical genera Gastrocotyle, Hormuzakia and Phyllocara (Boraginaceae: Boragineae) are presented and discussed in relation to their taxonomic position within the tribe. Each of these monotypic genera is characterized by distinctive features in stigma morphology, papillar pattern, structure of faucal scales, development of the hairy annulus at the base of the corolla tube and ornamentation of the mericarp coat surface. G. hispida and H. aggregata showed 2n = 16 and complements of medium-sized and very large chromosomes, respectively. P. aucheri was characterized by a tetraploid set of 32 chromosomes including a group similar to those of Anchusa and a group closer to those of Nonea in terms of size and centromcric position. This species could have an allopolyploid origin, resulting from the hybridization of members of these two genera. Along with distinctive traits in inflorescence structure, fruit shape and pollen morphology, karyological and micromorphological characters determine sharp phenetic discontinuities from Anchusa, from which these plants should be kept generically separated. At the same time, the presence of relevant autapomorphies in each of the three genera prevents them from being merged in a single genus.

A new Anchusa (A. negevensis) (Boraginaceae) from the Negev of Israel is described. It is referred to subgen. Hormuzakia (Guşul.) D. F. Chamb. on account of its helmet shaped nutlets with a hollow base and with a basal dentate ring around the ventral side. Although the only other species in this subgenus (A. aggregata Lehm.) is annual, nutlet morphology is strikingly similar between these two taxa. The new species is a perennial, herbaceous plant with succulent roots and reproduces vegetatively by adventitious shoots from its roots. It is known only from a 0.2 hectare area of weathered, Neogene sandstone outcrop, situated with a sloping aspect and subject to high wind erosion, located 10km SE of Dimona, Israel.

Correlations of feeding morphology with body morphology reflect ecological variation of a species and the geographic or ontogenetic scales over which it occurs. In this study, evidence was found for geographic variation in lower pharyngeal jaw (LPJ) morphology of Cymatogaster aggregata Gibbons (Embiotocidae, Teleostei) in the Pacific Northwest, U.S.A. Correlations of LPJ morphology with body morphology were more obvious in adulthood than the juvenile stage. Morphological patterns corresponded better with environmental variables and gut contents than geographic proximity, indicating that they were most likely caused by habitat differences. Qualitative common garden experiments indicated the nature and direction of plastic responses, and indicate a likely plastic origin to most naturally observed differences. Recognizing ecological patterns via morphology is an important first step in understanding how and when ecological mechanisms influence the functional role of an organism within its environment.

The green algal communities in podzolic soils under coniferous forest in N.E. European Russia were studied in areas that were subjected to different technogenic pollution intensities. Sixty-five green algal species belonging to 4 classes, 12 orders, 20 families and 27 genera were recorded. The algal communities in the investigated soils of the different type spruce phytocoenoses included from 15 to 38 taxa on one site. Indicator species were identified for background spruce forests (Chalmydomonas gelatinosa, Tetracystis aggregata, T. dissociata, Pseudopleurococcus botryoides, Myrmecia bisecta) and for aerotechnogenically polluted spruce forests (Actinochloris sphaerica). The results may be used for the monitoring of the ecological state of biota in soils under boreal forests of protected areas and spruce forests exposed to intense aerial technogenic pollution.

Summary 1. Habitat fragmentation can alter the relative frequency of cross-compatible species within an area, which can affect the levels of interspecific hybrid production and reduce the viability of small populations through genetic and demographic swamping. For 18 populations of Eucalyptus aggregata, we examined the effects of absolute and relative population size (compared with its congeners E. rubida, E. viminalis and E. dalrympleand) on hybrid production, genetic diversity and subsequent seed production and seedling performance. 2. Relative population size was strongly negatively correlated with rates of hybrid seed production, suggesting increased hybridization when the potential sources of interspecific pollen outnumber the sources of intraspecific pollen for E. aggregata trees. 3. Genetic diversity was negatively correlated with relative population size which suggests that hybridization may maintain diversity lost through bottlenecks and drift following reductions in population size. However, the presence of fertile hybrid adults, and introgressed leaf traits within populations exhibiting high hybridization rates, suggests that small E. aggregata populations may be vulnerable to genetic swamping by common congeners. 4. Amongst an array of population parameters (population sizes, genetic diversity and inbreeding), seed production was only positively correlated with relative population size, whereby sites with low relative population sizes tended to produce fewer seed. This could be due to the action of pre-zygotic barriers which removes inviable hybrid genotypes as levels of interspecific pollen flow increase. 5. Germination and survivorship displayed a similar positive correlation with relative population size, suggesting post-zygotic hybrid breakdown may also contribute towards to demographic swamping of remnant populations. 6. Synthesis. Our results suggest that relative population size is an important parameter determining rates of hybrid production, seed production and seedling performance. Furthermore, relative population size has stronger effects on population fecundity than absolute population size, genetic diversity and levels of inbreeding. Relative population sizes > 0.5 (i.e. at least equal frequencies of parentals) may be required to avoid the deleterious effects of genetic and demographic swamping on the viability of rare species.

The availability of soil and pollination resources are main determinants of fitness in many flowering plants, but the degree to which each is limiting and how they interact to affect plant fitness is unknown for many species. We performed resource (water and nutrients) and pollination (open and supplemental) treatments on two species of flowering plants, Ipomopsis aggregata and Linum lewisii, that differed in life-history, and we measured how resource addition affected floral characters, pollination, and reproduction (both male and female function). We separated the direct effects of resources versus indirect effects on female function via changes in pollination using a factorial experiment and path analysis. Resource addition affected I. aggregata and L. lewisii differently. Ipomopsis aggregata, a monocarp, responded to fertilization in the year of treatment application, increasing flower production, bloom duration, corolla width, nectar production, aboveground biomass, and pollen receipt relative to control plants. Fertilization also increased total seed production per plant, and hand-pollination increased seeds per fruit in I. aggregata, indicating some degree of pollen limitation of seed production. In contrast, fertilization had no effect on growth or reproductive output in the year of treatment on L. lewisii, a perennial, except that fertilization lengthened bloom duration. However, delayed effects of fertilization were seen in the year following treatment, with fertilized plants having greater aboveground biomass, seeds per fruit, and seeds per plant than control plants. In both species, there were no effects of resource addition on male function, and the direct effects of fertilization on female function were relatively stronger than the indirect effects via changes in pollination. Although we studied only two plant species, our results suggest that life-history traits may play an important role in determining the reproductive responses of plants to soil nutrient and pollen additions.

This paper treats 12 Candelariella species occurring in western North America characterized by having lecanorine apothecia and 8-spored asci. Six new names are proposed: C. aggregata, C. californica, C. complanata, C. corallizoides, C. deppeanae and C. immarginata. Candelariella terrigena and C. deflexa are treated as synonyms of C. citrina and C. aurella, respectively. Candelariella kansuensis is newly reported from North America. Distribution maps for western North America are presented for all species. Candelariella citrina, C. rosulans and C. terrigena are lectotypified. A key to Candelariella in western North America is presented.

Studies of intraspecific morphological variation in fishes have traditionally focused on freshwater rather than marine species. In addition, such studies typically focus on adults, although causes and intensities of selective pressures most likely vary through an individual's lifetime. In this study, body and head shape of a marine species, shiner perch Cymatogaster aggregata Gibbons were compared among localities along the Pacific Northwest coast of North America. Evidence was found for intraspecific variation in ontogenetic allometry, and for a closer correlation of body shape with environment rather than geographical proximity. This correlation with environment was more evident in younger fish, thereby demonstrating the importance of analysing multiple life stages. A common garden experiment suggests both environmental and genetic bases for the observed differences. Recognizing intraspecific ecomorphological complexity and its specificity to habitat and/or life stage can have important consequences for understanding the role of local adaptation and population dynamics in macroecology.

Apicomplexan parasites represent one of the most important groups of parasitic unicellular eukaryotes comprising such important human parasites such as Plasmodium spp. and Toxoplasma gondii. Apicomplexan radiation as well as their adaptation to the parasitic style of life took place before the era of vertebrates. Thus, invertebrates were the first hosts of apicomplexan parasites that switched to vertebrates later in evolution. Despite this fact, apicomplexan parasites of invertebrates, with the exception of gregarines, have so far been ignored in phylogenetic studies. To address this issue, we sequenced the nuclear SSU rRNA genes from the homoxenous apicomplexan parasites of insects Adelina grylli and Adelina dimidiata, and the heteroxenous Aggregata octopiana and Aggregata eberthii that are transmitted between cephalopods and crustaceans, and used them for phylogenetic reconstructions. The position of the adelinids as a sister group to Hepatozoon spp. within the suborder Adeleorina was stable regardless of the phylogenetic method used. In contrast, both members of the genus Aggregata possess highly divergent SSU rRNA genes with an unusual nucleotide composition. Because of this, they form the longest branches in the tree and their position is variable. However, the genus Aggregata branches together with adelinids and hepatozoons in most of the analyses, although their position within the scope of this cluster is unstable.

A Gram-negative, aerobic and halophilic bacterium designated strain mano18T was isolated from a tidal flat area of Dae-Chun, Chung-Nam, Korea. This strain was motile by means of polar flagella, occasionally forming rosette-like aggregates, reduced nitrate to nitrite, required sodium ions for growth, exhibited catalase and oxidase activities and contained Q-10 as the major quinone and C(18 : 1)omega7c as the dominant cellular fatty acid. Analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence revealed that this strain is affiliated with a cluster within the Alphaproteobacteria. Strain mano18T synthesized bacteriochlorophyll under aerobic conditions. The 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity between strain mano18T and the most closely related species, Stappia aggregata DSM 13394T, was 98.5 %. Levels of DNA-DNA relatedness between strain mano18T and the type strains of S. aggregata and Stappia stellulata were respectively 6.2-11.2 and 3.3-7.6 %. Strain mano18T, like other Stappia strains, possesses carbon monoxide dehydrogenase genes. The results of DNA-DNA hybridization and the polyphasic data confirmed that strain mano18T can be considered to represent a novel taxon in the genus Stappia. The name Stappia marina sp. nov. is proposed for the tidal flat isolate; the type strain is strain mano18T (= KCTC 12288T = DSM 17023T).

Three bacterial strains isolated from oysters recovered at the Spanish Mediterranean coast have been phenotypically and genetically characterized. The results of the phylogenetic analysis based on almost complete 16S rDNA sequences clustered all three strains together with 99.9% average sequence similarity and situated them in the neighbourhood of the genera Stappia , Roseibium and Pannonibacter , Stappia aggregata being their closest neighbour with sequence similarities between 98.8% and 98.9%. DNA–DNA hybridization experiments using DNA of strains 5OM6 T and S. aggregata CECT 4269 T as reference DNAs confirmed the independent status at species level of the oyster isolates. Phenotypically, they can be distinguished from the closest relatives by the ionic requirements, growth temperatures and use of carbon compounds. We propose these oyster strains constitute a new species of Stappia , for which the name Stappia alba sp. nov. has been chosen, and strain 5OM6 T (=CECT 5095 T =CIP 108402 T ) as its type strain.

Hybrids between related species vary widely in relative fitness, and that fitness can depend upon the environment. We investigated aspects of physiology that might influence fitness patterns in a plant hybrid zone. Seeds of Ipomopsis aggregata, I. tenuituba, F1 hybrids, F2 hybrids, and offspring of crosses between natural hybrids were planted into the relatively mesic site of origin for I. aggregata and the drier site for natural hybrids. We measured rates of photosynthesis (A max), transpiration (E), instantaneous (A/E) and long-term (δ13C) indices of water use efficiency (WUE), and leaf nitrogen and carbon. We also examined correlations of these traits with plant size. Photosynthetic rate and A/E were higher in vegetative than flowering plants. WUE varied between sites and years, but differences among genotypic classes were spatially and temporally consistent. Instantaneous WUE was higher for F1 hybrids than for the average of the parental species, thereby showing heterosis. There was no evidence of hybrid breakdown, as WUE was no different in the F2 than the average across the F1 and parental species. Nor did WUE depend on cross direction in producing F1 progeny. Carbon isotope discrimination revealed higher long-term water use efficiency in I. tenuituba than I. aggregata. Leaf nitrogen was higher in I. tenuituba than I. aggregata, and higher in offspring of natural hybrids than in the F2. Results indicate heterosis for water use efficiency, with no hybrid breakdown. Heterosis in WUE may help to explain the relatively high survival of both reciprocal F1 hybrids in dry sites within the natural hybrid zone.

Spatial variation in natural selection may play an important role in determining the genetic structure of hybridizing populations. Previous studies have found that F1 hybrids between naturally hybridizing Ipomopsis aggregata and Ipomopsis tenuituba in central Colorado differ in fitness depending on both genotype and environment: hybrids had higher survival when I. aggregata was the maternal parent, except in the centre of the hybrid zone where both hybrid types had high survival. Here, we developed both maternally (cpDNA PCR-RFLP) and biparentally inherited (nuclear AFLP) species-diagnostic markers to characterize the spatial genetic structure of the natural Ipomopsis hybrid zone, and tested the prediction that the majority of natural hybrids have I. aggregata cytoplasm, except in areas near the centre of the hybrid zone. Analyses of 352 individuals from across the hybrid zone indicate that cytoplasmic gene flow is bidirectional, but contrary to expectation, most plants in the hybrid zone have I. tenuituba cytoplasm. This cytotype distribution is consistent with a hybrid zone in historical transition, with I. aggregata nuclear genes advancing into the contact zone. Further, nuclear data show a much more gradual cline than cpDNA markers that is consistent with morphological patterns across the hybrid populations. A mixture of environment- and pollinator-mediated selection may contribute to the current genetic structure of this hybrid system.

10 páginas, 3 tablas, 2 figuras, A new species of coccidian, Aggregata andresi, is described from the digestive tract of the flying squid Martialia hyadesi, an ommastrephid squid that lives in cold subantarctic waters in the Southwest Atlantic. Gamogonic and sporogonic stages were observed in the digestive tract of 96.5% studied hosts. Oöcysts were ovoid to subspheroid in shape, 170–590 μm in length and 200–530 μm in width. Each oöcyst contained approximately 45,000 sporocysts. Sporocysts measured 9.5–10 μm in length and 8–8.5 μm in width. The surface of the sporocyst wall was smooth and the cyst wall thick. Each sporocyst contained three sporozoites measuring 16–20 μm in length and 2–2.5 μm width. A. andresi is the second species of Aggregata to be reported from a nerito-oceanic cephalopod host., This work was partly supported by the Spanish project UVI- 64102C021 and by Russian Foundation for Basic Research Project No. 02-05-64244.

Ascosphaera aggregata, the causative agent of chalkbrood in the alfalfa leafcutting bee (Megachile rotundata), is a major mortality factor when this bee is used commercially as a pollinator. The effect of temperature on A. aggregata hyphal growth, spore germination, and disease prevalence was tested. The lowest prevalence of chalkbrood occurred at 35 °C, yet this temperature was the optimum for fungal germination and growth on agar, and is stressful to the insect. Sporulation of M. rotundata cadavers that were infected with the fungus was highest at 25 °C. Daily exposures to 40 °C for 6 h did not affect disease incidence, but it negatively impacted spore production. A similar temperature response, that is, where lower temperatures promote the disease, has been seen by others for this bee, and other Ascosphaera spp in other bees, but it is not clear why the greatest likelihood of mycosis does not occur at optimum temperatures for the fungus, or at the temperatures most detrimental to the insect. A few hypotheses have been proposed, but empirical data are lacking. alfalfa leafcutting bee / Megachile rotundata / Ascosphaera aggregata / chalkbrood / temperature stress

The majority of flowering plants require animals for pollination, a critical ecosystem service in natural and agricultural systems. However, quantifying useful estimates of pollinator visitation rates can be nearly impossible when pollinator visitation is infrequent. We examined the utility of an indirect measure of pollinator visitation, namely pollen receipt by flowers, using the hummingbird-pollinated plant, Ipomopsis aggregata (Polemoniaceae). Our a priori hypothesis was that increased pollinator visitation should result in increased pollen receipt by stigmas. However, the relationship between pollinator visitation rate and pollen receipt may be misleading if pollen receipt is a function of both the number of pollinator visits and variation in pollinator efficiency at depositing pollen, especially in the context of variable floral morphology. Therefore, we measured floral and plant characters known to be important to pollinator visitation and/or pollen receipt in I. aggregata (corolla length and width and plant height) and used path analysis to dissect and compare the effect of pollinator visitation rate vs. pollinator efficiency on pollen receipt. Of the characters we measured, pollinator visitation rate (number of times plants were visited multiplied by the mean percentage of flowers probed per visit) had the strongest direct positive effect on pollen receipt, explaining 36% of the variation in pollen receipt. Plant height had a direct positive effect on pollinator visitation rate and an indirect positive effect on pollen receipt. Despite the supposition that floral characters would directly affect pollen receipt as a result of changes in pollinator efficiency, corolla length and width only weakly affected pollen receipt. These results suggest a direct positive link between pollinator visitation rate and pollen receipt across naturally varying floral morphology in I. aggregata. Understanding the relationship between pollinator visitation rate and pollen receipt may be of critical importance in systems where pollinator visitation is difficult to quantify.

The mechanisms and circumstances that affect a plant's ability to tolerate herbivory are subjects of ongoing interest and investigation. Phenological differences, and the timing of flowering with respect to pollinators and pre-dispersal seed predators, may provide one mechanism underlying variable responses of plants to herbivore damage. The subalpine wildflower, Ipomopsis aggregata, grows across a wide range of elevations and, because phenology varies with elevation, phenological delays associated with elevation may affect the ability of I. aggregata to compensate for or tolerate browsing. Thus, we examined the response of I. aggregata to herbivory across an elevation gradient and addressed the interactions among phenological delays imposed by damage, elevation, pre-dispersal seed predation and pollination, on I. aggregata's compensatory response. Among high and low elevation populations in areas near the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL) in Gothic, Colorado, we compared the responses of naturally browsed, artificially browsed (clipped), and unbrowsed (control) plants of I. aggregata. We compared responses in the date of initiation of flowering, timing of peak bloom, floral display, nectar production and sugar concentration, oviposition and fruit destruction by the pre-dispersal seed predator Hylemya sp. (Anthomyiidae), fruit production, and aboveground biomass production. Clipping had the greatest effect on reproductive success and clipped plants at high elevation exhibited the lowest tolerance for herbivory. The effects of browsing appear to be mediated by flowering phenology, and both browsing and elevation delayed flowering phenology. Time needed for regrowth delays flowering, and thus affects the overlap with seed predators and pollinators. As a result of delayed flowering, naturally browsed and clipped plants incurred lower rates of seed predation. In the absence of seed predation, plants would exhibit a lower tolerance to herbivory since naturally and artificially browsed plants had fewer fruits destroyed by Hylemya larvae. We provide additional evidence that, for populations near the RMBL, clipping and natural browsing do not have the same effect on I. aggregata plants. This may be due to the selection of larger plants by herbivores. Although under some conditions plants may tolerate browsing, in areas where the growing season is short a phenological delay imposed by damage is likely to significantly reduce plant fitness. Identifying the mechanisms that allow plants to tolerate herbivore damage will help to develop a general framework for understanding the role of tolerance in plant population and community dynamics, as well as plant-herbivore interactions.

Diagnostic features Coloniae epiphyllae, densae, crustosae, ad 5mm diameter, confluentes. Hyphae rectae vel subrectae, plerumque opposite acuteque ramosae, laxe vel dense reticulatae, cellulae 14-18 x 3-5μm. Appressoria opposita, ad 10% solitaries vel unilateralis, ovata, conoidea, integra vel variae lobata, 810 x 4-7μm. Thyriothecia dispersa vel aggregata, connata, orbicularis, ad 200μm diameter, margine fimbriatae vel crenatae, hyphae fringiorae paucae, flexuosae, stellato dehiscentes ad centro; asci globosi, octospori, 30-40μm diameter; ascosporae conglobatae, brunneae, uniseptatae, 19-21 x 9-11μm, parietus punctatus. Colonies epiphyllous, dense, crustose, up to 5mm in diameter, confluent. Hyphae straight to substraight, branching mostly opposite at acute angles, loosely to closely reticulate, cells 1418 x 3-5μm. Appressoria opposite, about 10% solitary or unilateral, ovate, conoid, entire to variously lobed, 8-10 x 47μm. Thyriothecia scattered to grouped, often connate, orbicular, up to 200μm in diameter, margin fimbriate to crenate, fringed hyphae few, flexuous, stellately dehisced at the centre; asci globose, octosporous, 30-40μm in diameter; ascospores conglobate, brown, uniseptate, 19-21 x 9-11μm, wall punctate.

Trebouxia aggregata (Archibald) Gärtner (phylum Chlorophyta, family Trebouxiaceae), a lichen symbiotic alga, has been identified as host of the well-known herbaceous plant virus Cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV, family Caulimoviridae). The alga had been isolated from Xanthoria parietina more than 70 years ago and has been maintained in a collection since that time. The CaMV detected in this collection entry has now been completely sequenced. The virus from T. aggregata is mechanically transmissible to a herbaceous host and induces disease symptoms there. Its genome differs by 173 nt from the closest European CaMV-D/H isolate from cauliflower. No site under positive selection was found on the CaMV genome from T. aggregata. We therefore assume that the virus's presence in this alga was not sufficiently long to fix any specific changes in its genome. Apart from this symbiotic alga, CaMV capsid protein sequences were amplified from many other non-symbiotic algae species maintained in a collection (e.g., Oonephris obesa, Elliptochloris sp., Microthamnion kuetzingianum, Chlorella vulgaris, Pseudococcomyxa sp.). CaMV-free Chlorella vulgaris was treated with CaMV to establish virus infection. The virus was still detected there after five passages. The virus infection is morphologically symptomless on Chlorella algae and the photosynthesis activity is slightly decreased in comparison to CaMV-free alga culture. This is the first proof as to the natural presence of CaMV in algae and the first demonstration of algae being artificially infected with this virus.

Surfperches are labriform swimmers and swim primarily with their pectoral fins, using the tail to assist only at higher speeds. The transition, from pectoral to pectoral and caudal fins, occurs at a threshold speed that has been termed physiologically and biomechanically 'equivalent' for fishes of different size. The gait transition (U p-c ) of Cymatogaster aggregata occurred at a higher speed (measured in bodylengths s -1 ) for smaller fish than larger fish. At U p-c , pectoral fin-beat frequency was size-dependent: smaller fish have a higher pectoral fin-beat frequency than larger fish. In contrast, at low speeds (i.e.

Premise of the study: To investigate a more detailed evolutionary history of Lindera obtusiloba (Lauraceae) and other Lindera species, polymorphic low-copy nuclear primers were developed. Methods and Results: Unigenes of the L. obtusiloba transcriptome greater than 800 bp in length were randomly chosen for initial design of 168 primers. Agarose gel electrophoresis and Sanger sequencing were used to select low-copy nuclear genes. Twenty-seven primers were obtained and were used to investigate genetic diversity in 90 individuals from 24 populations. The nucleotide diversity ranged from 2.11 × 10-3 to 8.99 × 10-3, and haplotype diversity ranged from 0.57 to 0.97. These primers were also cross-amplified in L. aggregata, L. chunii, L. erythrocarpa, and L. glauca; up to 15 primers were successfully amplified in these related species. Conclusions: This methodology is effective for development of low-copy nuclear primers. The 27 primers developed here will be useful for evolutionary studies of L. obtusiloba and o...

Competition for pollination has been hypothesized to select for the diver- gence of floral traits between species and populations. A primary prediction of this hy- pothesis is that the strength of competition for pollination, mediated by variation in plant abundance, should directly influence the strength of selection on floral traits. To test this prediction, I examined the relationships between multiple components of plant abundance and pollination, reproductive success, and phenotypic selection via female fitness on four floral traits in artificial and natural populations of the hummingbird-pollinated Iponlopsis aggregate. In the artificial arrays, I manipulated the absolute density and interspersion of neighboring I. aggregate and a competitor for pollination (Castilleja linariaefolia). I also measured natural variation in the absolute and relative density of these two species within a 2.5-m radius of focal I. aggregate plants in three natural populations. The strength of competition for pollination in the I. aggregata-C. linariaefolia system was only weakly influenced by local plant abundance. Both the absolute density and in- terspersion of plants in the arrays significantly influenced at least one component of I. aggregate's pollination and reproductive success, but the effects were not consistent across these components. For example, the treatment groups that received more nonspecific pollen were not the same ones that set more seeds/fruit. Within the natural populations, variation in relative and absolute plant density influenced two components of I. aggregata's polli- nation and reproductive success, but only in one to two populations per component. As would be expected from these inconsistent effects of plant abundance on pollination and reproduction, the strength of selection on floral traits of I. aggregata in both the arrays and natural populations was also only weakly dependent on abundance. Previous studies have indicated (1) that self-incompatible species such as I. aggregate should experience strong, abundance-dependent effects on pollination, and (2) that variation in plant abundance at a local scale should have a stronger effect on pollination than variation at a larger spatial scale. In contrast, my results suggest that the effect of plant abundance on pollination cannot be easily predicted from simple diagnostic traits such as breeding system or spatial scale.

We used solid-phase microextraction of headspace samples followed by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry to identify and quantify the major volatile compounds produced by the buds and corollas of Ipomopsis aggregata (Polemoniaceae), and we compared them to a sympatric, confamilial plant species, Polemonium foliosissimum. The two species have distinct floral morphologies and pollinators, but share a common predispersal seed predator that oviposits under the calyces of buds. Ipomopsis aggregata buds emitted fewer compounds than the corollas. The buds of I. aggregata were dominated by α-pinene and, to a lesser extent, β-pinene. The corollas of I. aggregata emitted a mixture of 10 compounds. Like the buds, I. aggregata corollas produced relatively high concentrations of α-pinene as well as caryophyllene. In addition, the emission of four terpenoids, three esters, and one ketone added to the volatile bouquet of the corollas. Polemonium foliosissimum buds also emitted fewer compounds than the corollas. The buds of P. foliosissimum were dominated by β-pinene and, to a lesser extent, α-pinene. The corollas of P. foliosissimum were also dominated by β-pinene along with three terpenoids, three alcohols, one ester, and two aldehydes. Comparing I. aggregata and P. foliosissimum, bud samples from both species produced considerable amounts of α- and β-pinene. Ipomopsis aggregata emitted more α-pinene than β-pinene, while P. foliosissimum emitted more β-pinene. The corollas of the two species, however, differed in their volatile bouquet. The partition of volatiles between I. aggregata and P. foliosissimum buds and corollas and differences in volatile production between I. aggregata and P. foliosissimum are consistent with selection pressures exerted by organisms interacting with these plants.

Animals must simultaneously engage multiple functional systems in order to navigate, feed and survive in complex environments. Nearly all vertebrates perform rapid gaze-shifting eye movements called saccades, but we know little about the behaviour of saccades during rhythmic locomotion. This study examined how saccades are coordinated with locomotor movements in a pectoral-fin-propelled teleost fish, Cymatogaster aggregata , the shiner surfperch. Individual fish were filmed swimming in a flow tank at 10 cm s −1 , and timing data were analysed using circular statistics. The results reveal that C. aggregata generates saccades non-uniformly throughout the pectoral fin cycle. Saccades primarily occur during fin abduction, when a large amount of thrust is produced, and rarely occur during the thrust-free refractory phase. Because vision is known to be impaired during saccades, we hypothesize that C. aggregata synchronizes saccades with periods of high acceleration in order to stabilize retinal images during low-acceleration phases, which are nearly saccade-free.

Recent declines in bee populations coupled with advances in DNA-sequencing technology have sparked a renaissance in studies of bee-associated microbes. Megachile rotundata is an important field crop pollinator, but is stricken by chalkbrood, a disease caused by the fungus Ascosphaera aggregata . To test the hypothesis that some gut microbes directly or indirectly affect the growth of others, we applied four treatments to the pollen provisions of M. rotundata eggs and young larvae: antibacterials, antifungals, A. aggregata spores and a no-treatment control. We allowed the larvae to develop, and then used 454 pyrosequencing and quantitative PCR (for A. aggregata ) to investigate fungal and bacterial communities in the larval gut. Antifungals lowered A. aggregata abundance but increased the diversity of surviving fungi. This suggests that A. aggregata inhibits the growth of other fungi in the gut through chemical or competitive interaction. Bacterial richness decreased under the antifungal treatment, suggesting that changes in the fungal community caused changes in the bacterial community. We found no evidence that bacteria affect fungal communities. Lactobacillus kunkeei clade bacteria were common members of the larval gut microbiota and exhibited antibiotic resistance. Further research is needed to determine the effect of gut microbes on M. rotundata health.

The 'most effective pollinator principle' implies that floral characteristics often reflect adaptation to the pollinator that transfers the most pollen, through a combination of high rate of visitation to flowers and effective deposition of pollen during each visit. We looked for the expected positive correlation between quantity and quality of visits in lpomopsis aggregata, whose red, tubular flowers are considered to be adapted to hummingbirds. Hummingbirds were indeed the most common floral visitors in 5 years of observation. However, long-tongued bumblebees deposited on average three-times as much outcross pollen per visit to virgin flowers, and elicited four-times as much seed production, as did hummingbirds. Hence visitors that are relatively infrequent, and unexpected given the 'pollination syndrome' of the plant, can be surprisingly good pollinators. One interpretation of this observation is that natural selection favours a specialized floral morphology that excludes all but a single type of visitor, but that there are constraints on achieving this outcome. An alternative is that selection favours some degree of floral generalization, but that flowers can retain features that adapt them to a particular type of pollinator in spite of this generalization. (C) 2001 Annals of Botany Company.

Interactions for pollination between co-flowering plant species have been hypothesized to shape the evolution of their floral traits, but this hypothesis has rarely been tested. I tested the prediction that the presence of a co-flowering plant species influences the strength and/or direction of pollinator-mediated selection on floral traits. I measured phenotypic selection via female fitness on four floral traits of Ipomopsis aggregata in five populations. Three contained only conspecifics (I only) and two also contained the co-flowering species Penstemon barbatus (P + I). Directional selection via fruits/plant on corolla length and width differed in both strength and direction between P + I and I only populations. On average, selection on corolla length and width (1) was stronger in P + I than I only populations and (2) was consistently negative in P + I populations, but consistently positive in I only populations. However, these differences in selection on I. aggregata between P + I and I only populations were not caused by interactions for pollination with P. barbatus. Although plants in P + I populations received approximately 31% less conspecific pollen/flower than plants in I only populations, this difference in pollination did not translate into differences in reproductive success, which indicates that P. barbatus and I. aggregata do not strongly compete for pollination. In addition, selection via fruits/plant and conspecific pollen deposited/flower was not congruent. For example, selection on corolla length via pollen/flower was uniformly positive and did not differ between P + I and I only populations. These data suggest that the presence of P. barbatus does influence selection on floral traits of I. aggregata, but not by influencing pollination. Instead, differences in selection between P + I and I only populations appear to be the result of post-pollination modification of selection by a factor correlated with the presence of P. barbatus.

The Ipomopsis aggregata species complex (Polemoniaceae) includes species pairs that hybridize readily in nature as well as pairs that meet along contact zones with no apparent hybridization. Artificial hybrids can be made between I. aggregata and I. arizonica, yet morphological intermediates between these two species have not been observed in natural populations. This apparent lack of hybridization is perplexing given that plants of the two species often grow within a few metres of each other and both species have red flowers visited by the same species of hummingbirds. We used trained hummingbirds to examine pollen transfer within and between species. We also hand-pollinated flowers to examine paternal success of heterospecific and conspecific pollen, testing paternity with electrophoretic examination of seeds. Hummingbirds were not simply better at transferring pollen within than between species. Instead, I. arizonica was a better pollen donor so that considerable pollen transfer was observed from I. arizonica to I. aggregata, but very little in the opposite direction. Conversely, once pollen arrived at stigmas, I. arizonica pollen performed very poorly on I. aggregata pistils. However, pollen from I. aggregata could, in some cases, sire seeds on I. arizonica. We hypothesize that hybrids are scarce in nature, in part, because of asymmetric barriers to reproduction: little pollen transfer in one direction and poor pollen performance in the other.

Five new species of lichenicolous conidial fungi from Spain are described. The genus Lichenohendersonia Calatayud & Etayo gen.nov. is introduced to accommodate three new coelomycetes: Lichenohendersonia squamarinae Calatayud & Etayo sp.nov. (on Squamarina lentigera), Lichenohendersonia uniseptata Etayo & Calatayud sp.nov. (on Parmelina tiliacea), and Lichenohendersonia varians Calatayud & Etayo sp.nov. (type on Rhizoplaca chrysoleuca, but also occurring on other saxicolous crustose lichens). Two further species are also described: Phoma aggregata Calatayud & Etayo sp.nov. (on Diploschistes ocellatus), with numerous and densely aggregated pycnidia, and Feltgeniomyces dichotomus Etayo & Calatayud sp.nov., a sporodochial fungus occurring on Physcia biziana and Heterodermia sp. All these taxa are known only from the Iberian Peninsula, except F. dichotomus, which is also reported from Colombia. Keys to the known Feltgeniomyces and Lichenohendersonia species are provided.Key words: Lichenicolous fungi, deuteromycetes, Feltgeniomyces, Lichenohendersonia, Phoma, Spain.