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Glochidion littorale Blume belongs to the family Phyllanthaceae, is a tropical shrub that grows wild throughout Vietnam and is found in the mangroves of Southeast Asia. In traditional medicine, this species has been applied to treat stomach ache and dysentery. However, there is not much information about chemical composition and bioactivity of this species. This study focuses on the isolation and identification of compounds from G. littorale. The methanol extract of the G. littorale stem bark was separated by liquid-liquid extraction, followed by different chromatographic techniques to purify the chemical composition. The result showed that seven terpenoids including lupeol (1), 3-epi-lupeol (2), betulin (3), lup-20(29)-ene-1ß,3ß-diol (4), lupenone (5), glochidonol (6) and glochidone (7) were isolated from the methanol extract. The chemical structures of these terpenoids were elucidated based on NMR and MS spectral analysis, and by comparison with previous references. These compounds have not been previously isolated from G. littorale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The genus Glochidion (the family Phyllanthaceae) is used for various medicinal purposes, such as dysentery, diarrhea, cough, and skin protection. A review of phytochemical and pharmacological aspects for this remains unavailable. The current study tends to sum up a detailed list of phytochemicals, and their role in biological examinations. Methods: References in English were obtained by an extensive search across various electronic data sources, encompassing Web of Science, PubMed, Google Scholar, and Science Direct. The "Sci-Finder" was also utilized to find references and revise chemical structures. Referenced documents have been gathered from the 1960s to date. It also noted that Glochidion, phytochemistry, and pharmacology are likely the keywords to seek for references. Results: Over 240 naturally occurring phytochemicals were isolated and identified from various Glochidion tissues, including terpenoids, sterols, saponins, lignans, flavonoids, mono -phenols, megastigmanes, butenolides, glycosides, alkaloids, cyanogens, tocopherols, fatty acids, and others. Three naturally occurring triterpenoids glochidonol, glochidiol, and glochidone are the likely characteristic metabolites, being isolated frequently. Glochidion crude extracts and their isolated compounds have been demonstrated as potential agents in various pharmacological targets, such as cytotoxicity, antioxidant, antiinflammation, and neuron and liver protection. Conclusion: Several isolates acted as promising agents in pharmacological assays. The anticancer mechanisms of various triterpenoids and saponins, especially new and potential compounds, are expected. Pharmacological advancements to enhance the efficacies of Glochidion constituents, such as synergistic combinations and nano-drug formulations, are encouraged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several groups within tribe Phyllantheae (Phyllanthaceae) formed, independently, an (obligate) pollination mutualism with Epicephala moths, which originally had been parasitic. In this pollination system, female moths actively collect pollen from staminate flowers and deposit it on the stigma of pistillate flowers, after which they place at least one egg in or against the ovary. The high pollination rate makes the system beneficial for the plants, whereas the larvae are provided with food (part of the developing seeds) and some protection against predation. Qualitative comparisons are made between non-moth-pollinated lineages, used as outgroups and various, independently moth-pollinated Phyllantheae clades, used as ingroups, thereby looking for parallel developments. The flowers of both sexes of various groups display similar, convergent morphological adaptations to the pollination system, likely to secure the obligate relationship and to improve efficiency. Sepals in both sexes, free or partly to highly connate, are commonly upright and form a narrow tube. The staminate flowers often have united, vertical stamens with the anthers along the androphore or on top of the androphore. Pistillate flowers generally reduce the stigmatic surface, either by making the stigmas shorter or by uniting them into a cone with a small opening at the top for pollen deposition. Less obvious is the reduction of the stigmatic papillae; these are often present in nonmoth-pollinated taxa, but absent in the moth-pollinated species. The most diverging, parallel adaptations to moth pollination are currently found in the Palaeotropics, whereas in the Neotropics, some groups continue to also be pollinated by other insect groups and are morphologically less changed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glochidion (Phyllanthaceae; leafflower trees) is a genus of trees which is widely reported to be pollinated by leafflower moths (Gracillariidae: Epicephala) in temperate and subtropical Asia, Australia, and the Pacific islands. However, the pollination ecology of Glochidion is not well described from tropical Asia, the region where it is most species-rich at both local (≤9 spp.) and regional (~200 spp.) scales. Here we report investigations of pollination biology and species-specificity of five Glochidion species in tropical Southeast Asia (Cambodia). Through nocturnal observations and fruit dissections, we find that at least three and likely five Glochidion species in Cambodia are pollinated by seed-parasitic leafflower moths. We find no evidence that any of these leafflower moths are non-mutualistic parasites, despite known examples of such parasites of this mutualism elsewhere in Asia. While the presence of a single larva in a fruit results in only a fraction of seeds being consumed, the presence of more than one larva per fruit—a frequent occurrence in some species—can result in almost all seeds within the fruit being infested. Multilocus phylogenetic analysis indicates that there are five different minimally monophyletic leafflower moth clades, each of which pollinates a unique Glochidion host species. Our results indicate that in its center of diversity in tropical Asia this system is an obligate pollination mutualism as previously described at the global margins of its distribution. These findings provide insights into the processes that generate and maintain biodiversity and maintain mutualism stability in plant–insect interactions in this biodiversity hotspot.

The species Glochidion arborescens Blume has long been considered to be widely distributed in Yunnan Province, China. Based on years of extensive specimen examinations and field investigations, we demonstrated that all the Chinese specimens previously identified as G. arborescens mostly belonged to G. heyneanum(Wight & Arn.)Wight, while several others belonged to G. acuminatum var. acuminatum Müll. Arg., G. eriocarpum Champ. ex Benth., G. lancolarium(Roxb.)Voigt or G. zeylanicum var. tomentosum(Dalzell)Trimen. G. arborescens is not found to China and thus the distribution of the species in China is excluded. In addition, a lectotype of G. arborescens is specified, and a species key of G. arborescens and relevant misidentified species is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The plant Glochidion velutinum (GV) family Euphorbiaceae, a medicinal plant, is reported to possess various therapeutic applications such as antidiabetic, anticancer, antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, etc. However, the compounds responsible for therapeutic value have not yet been isolated. The present study reports the isolation of a compound from the leaves of GV. The compound is identified as a cinnamic acid derivative (p-pentadecayl ethyl cinnamate) through extensive spectral studies. Its antioxidant nature such as DPPH free radical scavenging assay, total antioxidant capacity, and antibacterial activities have been evaluated. The compound exhibited lower antioxidant properties compared to the standard. It has shown moderate antimicrobial activity against ten bacteria and significant antibacterial activity against Proteus vulgaris compared to standard ciprofloxacin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Glochidion chodoense, an endemic species to Korea, was determined by Illumina pair-end sequencing. The complete cp genome was 157,085 bp in length, containing a large single copy (LSC) of 85,304 bp and a small single copy (SSC) of 17,635 bp, which were separated by a pair of 27,073 bp inverted repeats (IRs). A total of 111 unique genes were annotated, including 78 protein-coding genes, 29 tRNA genes, and 4 rRNA genes. Among these genes, 18 genes contained an intron. The ML tree showed that G. chodoense was most close to Erythoroxylum novogranatense with high support.

The names Glochidion anamiticum (Kuntze) Kuntze ex Merrill and G. annamense Beille were previously reduced to synonyms of G. eriocarpum Champ. ex Benth. However, literature examination and morphological comparison suggest that G. annamense is conspecific with G. anamiticum and the species can be readily distinguished from G. eriocarpum by its styles connate into a long cylindric column and up to 3 mm long, ovaries usually 3-locular, stigma usually 3-lobed, capsules pubescent and usually 6-grooved, persistent styles 3-4 mm long. Thus, the specific status of G. anamiticum is here reinstated and G. annamense is treated as its synonym. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. Biological intimacy--the degree of physical proximity or integration of partner taxa during their life cycles--is thought to promote the evolution of reciprocal specialization and modularity in the networks formed by co-occurring mutualistic species, but this hypothesis has rarely been tested. 2. Here, we test this "biological intimacy hypothesis" by comparing the network architecture of brood pollination mutualisms, in which specialized insects are simultaneously parasites (as larvae) and pollinators (as adults) of their host plants to that of other mutualisms which vary in their biological intimacy (including antmyrmecophyte, ant-extrafloral nectary, plant-pollinator and plant-seed disperser assemblages). 3. We use a novel dataset sampled from leafflower trees (Phyllanthaceae: Phyllanthus s. l. [Glochidion]) and their pollinating leafflower moths (Lepidoptera: Epicephala) on three oceanic islands (French Polynesia) and compare it to equivalent published data from congeners on continental islands (Japan). We infer taxonomic diversity of leafflower moths using multilocus molecular phylogenetic analysis and examine several network structural properties: modularity (compartmentalization), reciprocality (symmetry) of specialization and algebraic connectivity. 4. We find that most leafflower-moth networks are reciprocally specialized and modular, as hypothesized. However, we also find that two oceanic island networks differ in their modularity and reciprocal specialization from the others, as a result of a supergeneralist moth taxon which interacts with nine of 10 available hosts. 5. Our results generally support the biological intimacy hypothesis, finding that leafflower- moth networks (usually) share a reciprocally specialized and modular structure with other intimate mutualisms such as ant-myrmecophyte symbioses, but unlike nonintimate mutualisms such as seed dispersal and nonintimate pollination. Additionally, we show that generalists--common in nonintimate mutualisms--can also evolve in intimate mutualisms, and that their effect is similar in both types of assemblages: once generalists emerge they reshape the network organization by connecting otherwise isolated modules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The complex life cycle of the globally threatened Margaritifera margaritifera includes a parasitic stage, where glochidia attach to the gills of fishes of the genus Salmo; however, the species of Salmo used appears to vary across its range. In previous literature the reported primary host in Scotland, home to a high proportion of the world's remaining M. margaritifera populations, is the Atlantic salmon Salmo salar, and in its absence the brown trout Salmo trutta. In this study, the prevalence of infection in putative Salmo hosts in eight rivers in north‐west Scotland was determined. At a selected site on each river, where both S. trutta and S. salar were collected in abundance, S. trutta was the preferred host. At sites where S. salar were abundant but S. trutta were at low density, however, S. salar showed a high prevalence of infection (with the exception of one river where neither S. salar nor S. trutta were infected). Thus, the primary host appears to be very site‐specific in the rivers sampled. We speculate that this may be because M. margaritifera have population‐specific responses to cues for attachment to a host. Alternatively, it may be that host population‐specific immune responses mediate infections by glochidia. In addition, larger fish were less likely to be infected than smaller fish, and gills 1 and 5 were less heavily infected than gills 2–4. One consequence of this finding, for both national and international conservation management of this globally endangered species, is that any current or future management activity must take into account local population host preferences, otherwise conservation efforts may be in vain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Specialization of adaptive devices can reflect the coevolution of closely interactive relationship between partners in mutualism. Glochidion eriocarpum and Epicephala eriocarpa have formed a strict species-specific mutualism over a long term of evolution. Based on field observation and the anatomical study of adult specimens, we clarified the morphological and biological characteristics of E. eriocarpa and performed morphological analyses of the specialized female genitalia for the first time. Epicephala eriocarpa had four generations per year. Adaptive specialization in the mutualism was expressed by morphological variations in the relative length of the ovipositor and the flower style. The mean length of the apophyses posteriores, which constituted 38% of E. eriocarpa body size, was unique among known Epicephala species. The variations among partners suggested that the flower style might have selected an optimal ovipositor length in its pollinator. This indicated that highly specialized structures resulted from mutual specificity and reciprocal adaptation among interacting partners in “one-to-one” mutualism. The evolutionary characteristics of pollinators might be more sensitive to outside stimulation than their partners and could express the process of adaptive evolution better. Moreover, our analyses help to further understand the evolutionary mechanism and driving force of cospeciation in obligate pollination mutualism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on morphological studies performed on live plants in the field and specimens deposited in herbaria, a new species, Glochidion shanense Gang Yao & Shixiao Luo (Phyllantheae, Phyllanthaceae), is here described and illustrated. The species is morphologically most similar to G. ellipticum Wight, but can be distinguished from the latter by having hairy branchlets, longer pedicels, uniseriate and narrowly triangular sepals of female flowers, 4-5-locular ovaries, stout and cylindric persistent style on fruits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The biology and immature stages of Epicephaha assamica Li (Lepidoptera: Gracilariidae) were investigated firstly based on the field observations and laboratory experiments, E. assamica pollinate for Glochidion assamicum (Muell. Arg.) Hook. (Phyllanthaceae) and then lay eggs in pollinated female flowers. In turn, hosts partly sacrifice seeds for larval growth and keeping some seeds for breeding, thus they form the most strictly integrated one-to-one nursery pollination mutualism. E. assamica have two generations correspondingly which are closely consistent with flowering phenology of G. assamicum , peak in March–April and September–October respectively. We investigated the benefits that each species obtains from partner. For G. assamicum , the ripening rate is 51.14%, the rate of consumed fruits is 79.52%, the average number of seeds consumed by each larva is 2.62, and the proportion of intact seeds is 68.03% that could keep the stabilization of mutualism in each population. The study first reports sex ratio in the genus Epicephala and suggests that the male-biased offspring in E. assamica can make sure that female moths have more mating opportunities. The eruciform larva bears three pairs of thoracic legs and four pairs of prolegs on abdominal segments III–V and X (caudal proleg), 11 crochets uniserial arranged in proleg. Antenne exceeds segment X in pupa. The study helps to further understand the evolutionary mechanism and driving force of coevolution in the obligate pollination mutualism between Epicephala and Glochidion . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of non-polar and polar extracts of Glochidion velutinum Wight have been studied. The phenolic content was determined by Folin-Ciocalteu reagent and colorimetric method was used to quantify flavonoids. Antioxidant activity was also measured by DPPH free radical scavenging assay and disk diffusion method was applied to test antimicrobial activity. Of the hexane, chloroform, ethanol and methanol extracts of Glochidion velutinum, higher total phenolic and flavonoid contents were found in methanol and ethanol extracts. Moreover, ethanol and methanol extracts also showed better antimicrobial and antioxidant activities than the other two extracts. The presence of various phytochemicals e.g. alkaloids, tannins, phenols etc in these extracts also substantiated the observed antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glochidion J. R. & G. Forst. is a taxonomically difficult genus within the tribe Phyllantheae of the family Phyllanthaceae. In this paper, some species of the genus from China are taxonomically revised. The distribution of G. khasicum (Müll. Arg.) Hook. f. and G. obovatum Siebold & Zucc. in China, as well as the distribution of G. philippicum (Cav.) C. B. Rob. in mainland China, Hainan and Hong Kong, are all excluded. The three names Glochidion bodinieri H. Lév., G. pseudo-obscurum var. glabrum Pamp. and G. pseudo-obscurum var. lanceolatum Pamp. are accepted as the new synonyms of G. wilsonii Hutch., while the name G. vaniotii H. Lév. is excluded from Glochidion and accepted as the synonym of Orixa japonica Thunb. Additionally, the five names Glochidion khasicum (Müll. Arg.) Hook. f., G. obovatum Siebold & Zucc., G. philippicum(Cav.)C. B. Rob., G. pseudo-obscurum var. lanceolatum Pamp. and G. wilsonii Hutch. are lectotypified here. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leafflower plant/leafflower moth brood pollination mutualisms are widespread in the Paleotropics. Leafflower moths pollinate leafflower plants, but their larvae consume a subset of the hosts' seeds. These interactions are highly phylogenetically constrained: six clades of leafflower plants are each associated with a unique clade of leafflower moths (Epicephala). Here, we report a previously unrecognized basal seventh pollinating Epicephala lineage--associated with the highly derived leafflower clade Glochidion--in Asia. Epicephala lanceolaria is a pollinator and seed predator of Glochidion lanceolarium. Phylogenetic inference indicates that the ancestor of E. lanceolaria most likely shifted onto the ancestor of G. lanceolarium and displaced the ancestral allospecific Epicephala pollinator in at least some host populations. The unusual and apparently coadapted aspects of the G. lanceolarium/E. lanceolaria reproductive cycles suggest that plantpollinator coevolution may have played a role in this displacement and provide insights into the dynamics of host shifts and trait coevolution in this specialized mutualism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Glochidion chodoense, an endemic species to Korea, was determined by Illumina pair-end sequencing. The complete cp genome was 157,085 bp in length, containing a large single copy (LSC) of 85,304 bp and a small single copy (SSC) of 17,635 bp, which were separated by a pair of 27,073 bp inverted repeats (IRs). A total of 111 unique genes were annotated, including 78 protein-coding genes, 29 tRNA genes, and 4 rRNA genes. Among these genes, 18 genes contained an intron. The ML tree showed that G. chodoense was most close to Erythoroxylum novogranatense with high support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper provides a comprehensive wood anatomical survey of sixteen Indian species belonging to six genera, viz. Breynia, Flueggea, Glochidion, Leptopus, Margaritaria and Phyllanthus, of Phyllantheae (Phyllanthaceae). Systematic relationships were evaluated within the Phyllantheae with special emphasis on wood anatomical distinctiveness and recognition of genera within the super-genus Phyllanthus s.l. Except for Leptopus, the wood microstructure of all genera was found to be largely homogeneous. The results confirm the generic identity of Glochidion, Phyllanthus and Breynia s.l. (including Sauropus) within Phyllanthus s.l. and supports the segregation of Leptopus from Phyllantheae. Further, the results did not favour the placement of P. columnaris and P. polyphyllus in same subsection ' Polyphylli' of Emblica sect. Emblica. Ecological and evolutionary aspects of the wood anatomy within the tribe are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epicephala moths are involved in obligate mutualisms with their Phyllanthaceae hosts, in which the female moths assure pollination and, in return, their progeny develop by consuming the seeds. Ecological, molecular and geographical data suggest that the genus includes several hundred species, but the majority remains to be formally described. Here we revise the Japanese species of Epicephala Meyrick, 1880. In addition to two previously named species, seven species are newly described: E. anthophilia sp. n., E. lanceolatella sp. n., E. perplexa sp. n., E. obovatella sp. n., E. corruptrix sp. n., E. parasitica sp. n. and E. nudilingua sp. n. The first four are species involved in obligate pollination mutualism, while the fifth is a pollinating seed parasite and the last two are derived non-pollinating seed parasites of herbaceous Phyllanthus. Each of the nine Japanese Epicephela species is specialized to a single plant species in the genera Glochidion, Breynia or Phyllanthus, except for E. obovatella and E. corruptrix that each utilizes two closely related Glochidion species. Considerable variations are found in pollination and oviposition behaviors among species, which are reflected in their proboscis and ovipositor morphologies, respectively. Molecular phylogeny indicated that there have been repeated transitions in oviposition mode during the diversification of Epicephala, which were accompanied by changes in ovipositor morphology, as suggested by a correlation analysis. Keys to species are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pollen morphology of twenty-five Chinese species belonging to two sections of Glochidion and one species from Phyllanthus subgen. Phyllanthodendron was examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results showed that pollen grains of Glochidion are isopolar, spheroidal to rarely subprolate in shape, (3)4-5(6)-colporate in aperture pattern, and tectate-reticulate to tectate-rugulate in exine ornamentation. Fusion of colpus ends was observed in some pollen grains of G. pseudo-obscurum and G. wrightii. The pollen grains of Phyllanthus dunnianus are similar to those of Glochidion species in their spheroidal shape and four-colporate aperture pattern, but are slightly larger in size, and show tectate-perforate exine ornamentation. In Glochidion, pollen morphology appears to be useful for distinguishing several macromorphologically similar. Additionally, palynological characters provide evidence for the taxonomy of the supergenus Phyllanthus s.l. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plants of the Glochidion (Phyllanthaceae) genus are pollinated exclusively by host-specific Epicephala (Gracillariidae) moths. Floral scent has been thought to play key role in the obligate pollination mutualism between Glochidion plants and Epicephala moths, but few studies have been reported about chemical variation in floral volatiles of Glochidion species in China. Floral volatiles of male and female flowers of five Glochidion species in south China were collected by dynamic headspace absorption technique and then were chemically analyzed by using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. A total of 69 compounds were identified from floral scents of five investigated species. Glochidion hirsutum and G. zeylanicum showed no qualitative differences in floral scent, whereas there were clear variations of floral scent among other species (G. eriocarpum, G. daltonii, and G. sphaerogynum) and also they distinctly differed from these two species. Male flowers emitted significantly more scent than female flowers. Glochidion plants exhibited qualitative and quantitative differences in floral scent between two sexes of flowers. The findings suggest that the volatile variation of floral scent among Glochidion species reflects adaptations to specific pollinators. Sexual dimorphism in floral scent has evolved to signal alternative rewards provided by each sex to Epicephala moths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four new Epicephala species that feed on the seeds of Glochidion sphaerogynum (Phyllanthaceae) from Yinggeling Mountain Nature Reserves in Hainan Province of China are described: E. domina sp. n., E. impolliniferens sp. n., E. angustisaccula sp. n. and E. camurella sp. n. The latter two species are also associated with Glochidion wrightii. Photographs of adults and genital structures are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on morphological and palynological comparisons, three names, viz., Glochidion mishmiense Hook. f., G. pseudo-obscurum Pamp., and G. rubidulum Chin are reinstated. The three names have previously been reduced to synonymy of G. zeylanicum var. tomentosum (Dalzell) Trimen, G. puberum (L.) Hutch., and G. thomsonii (Muell. Arg.) Hook. f., respectively. Floral morphological characters of G. mishmiense are described here for the first time. In addition, G. mishmiense and G. pseudo-obscurum are lectotypified, and G. mishmiense is newly recorded in China, while the record of G. thomsonii in China is rejected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new species, Glochidion tirupathiense Rasingam, Chorghe, Prasanna & Sankara Rao is described from Tirumala hills of Seshachalam Biosphere Reserve, Andhra Pradesh, India. It is allied to G. ellipticum Wight and differs in ovary, style and fruit characters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent molecular phylogenetic studies and reevaluation of morphological characters have led to the inclusion of Glochidion within a broader delimitation of Phyllanthus. It is necessary for preparation of the Vascular Flora of the Marquesas Islands to make new combinations for the Marquesan species. We also provide the relevant combinations and listing of all of the currently accepted species of Phyllanthus on Pacific oceanic islands for a total of 69 native species in oceanic Pacific islands. Glochidion tooviianum J. Florence is here placed into synonymy of P. marchionicus (F. Br.) W. L. Wagner & Lorence based on new assessment of recently collected specimens from Nuku Hiva. Glochidion excorticans Fosberg var. calvum Fosberg is placed into synonomy of P. ponapense (Hosokawa) W. L. Wagner & Lorence and Glochidion puberulum Hosokawa and Glochidion excorticans Fosberg are placed in synonymy of P. senyavinianus (Glassman) W. L. Wagner & Lorence based on new study of all Micronesian specimens available to us. No infraspecific taxa are recognized within P. pacificus of the Marquesas Islands. Species already with valid names in Phyllanthus are also listed for completeness and convenience. Brief distributional comments are given for each species. We propose new names for species for which a new combination is not possible: P. florencei W. L. Wagner & Lorence, nom. nov., P. mariannensis W.L. Wagner & Lorence, nom. nov., P. otobedii W. L. Wagner & Lorence, P. raiateaensis W. L. Wagner & Lorence, P. st-johnii W. L. Wagner & Lorence, nom. nov., and P. vitilevuensis W.L. Wagner & Lorence, nom. nov. We provide information for four additional naturalized species within the region (P. amarus, P. debilis, tenellus, and P. urinaria). The name Glochidion ramiflorum widely applied to Pacific island populations is here considered to be a species further west in the Pacific with all of the oceanic species here referred to several regional species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecology Letters (2010) 13: 321–329 The evolutionary stability of mutualisms is enhanced when partners possess mechanisms to prevent overexploitation by one another. In obligate pollination–seed consumption mutualisms, selective abortion of flowers containing excessive eggs represents one such mechanism, but empirical tests have long been limited to the yucca–yucca moth mutualism. We present evidence for selective abortion in the recently discovered mutualism between Glochidion trees and Epicephala moths. In Glochidion acuminatum, proportion of aborted flowers progressively increased both with higher egg load and increased ovule damage. Selective abortion resulted in a 16% seed production increase compared with expectations under random abortion, and moths suffered fitness losses as high as 62% when ovipositing into pre-infested flowers. Moth eggs were laid singly more often than expected under random oviposition, thus avoiding potential disadvantages from multiple infestations. As new pollination mutualisms are being discovered, selective abortion mechanisms may prove to be more widespread than previously thought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The observations of pollen from 27 species of subtribe Phyllanthinae using scanning electron microscopy reveal considerable morphological diversity in palaeotropical Phyllanthus and the related palaeotropical genera Breynia, Glochidion, and Sauropus. The tribe appears to be monophyletic, but the pollen morphology does not support the monophyly of Phyllanthus or Sauropus. Within Phyllanthus, the pollen characters suggest a close relationship between the subgenera Emblica and Phyllanthodendron. They also reveal a surprising morphological congruence between the pollen grains of section Ceramanthus (subgenus Isocladus) and those of subgenus Eriococcus, although it is not clear whether this similarity is homoplastic. The presence of diploporate colpi is a synapomorphy uniting Breynia and Sauropus, but may be homoplastic in Phyllanthus. The affinities suggested by the morphological features of the pollen in the Phyllanthinae are concordant with recent molecular phylogenies. © 2008 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2008, 157, 591–608. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]