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The premise of the study Though phenological studies in montane forests are important, particularly in tropical Asia where primitive angiosperms are found, the phenology in these forests is still poorly understood. To characterize the phenological patterns and reveal the relationships between meteorological factors and phenology, we observed the leafing, flowering, and fruiting phenology in the tropical montane forests of Vietnam. Methods We observed the leafing, flowering, and fruiting phenology of 91 species every three months in five plots (elev. 1460–1920 m) in Bidoup-Nui Ba National Park, Vietnam, and analyzed how the number of species that were leafing, flowering, or fruiting varied in relation to precipitation, temperature, or daylength. Key results The leafing phenology showed a peak at the beginning of the wet season (April) and was significantly influenced by all of day length, precipitation, and temperature. The flowering phenology did not show any distinct peaks and was influenced by day length and precipitation. The fruiting phenology showed a low peak from the wet season (July) to the beginning of the dry season (December) and was not significantly influenced by any of the meteorological factors. Main conclusion The community-wide phenological patterns of leafing, flowering, and fruiting in the tropical montane forest of Bidoup-Nui Ba are unique among the tropical forests of East and Southeast Asia. In particular, our observation suggests that masting in tropical montane forests may be an ancestral state of both general flowering in tropical rainforests and masting found in temperate forests in East and Southeast Asia.

Mallotus tokiae (Euphorbiaceae), a poorly known species, was described based upon a single fruiting specimen from Surat Thani Province, peninsular Thailand. We found this species with staminate and slightly mature pistillate flowers in Lampi Island, Myanmar. A new locality record, description of flowers, preliminary conservation assessment and DNA barcoding of this species are provided.

The phylogenetic circumscription and taxonomic status of the genus Pohlia in the Mniaceae sensu lato was investigated based on chloroplast DNA sequences (rbcL, rps4, and trnL-F), with a focus on species occurring in Japan. The maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference analyses of sequences obtained from 34 species of Mniaceae s.l., including 13 Pohlia species, suggested that the genus Pohlia and the family Mielichhoferiaceae are not monophyletic in their present circumscription, but confirmed that the family Mniaceae is monophyletic in its traditional sense. These results are congruent with previous molecular phylogenetic studies. Three distinct clades were recognized in the Mielichhoferiaceae, almost corresponding to three sections of Pohlia (Pohlia, Cacodon and Apalodictyon). One of them branched off first within the Mniaceae s.l., and the other two were sister to the remainder of the Mniaceae s.l. The single included Schizymenium formed a monophyletic group with Pohlia sect. Pohlia and Epipterygium with Pohlia sect. Apalodictyon, confirming the results of previous studies. The results indicate that the taxonomic status of the genus Pohlia and family Mielichhoferiaceae are in need of revision. Phylogenetic analyses nested the accessions of P. camptotrachela within P. annotina and P. flexuosa clades, highlighting the need for taxonomic revision of Japanese propaguliferous Pohlia species.

Aim Palms are an iconic, diverse and often abundant component of tropical ecosystems that provide many ecosystem services. Being monocots, tree palms are evolutionarily, morphologically and physiologically distinct from other trees, and these differences have important consequences for ecosystem services (e.g., carbon sequestration and storage) and in terms of responses to climate change. We quantified global patterns of tree palm relative abundance to help improve understanding of tropical forests and reduce uncertainty about these ecosystems under climate change. Location Tropical and subtropical moist forests. Time period Current. Major taxa studied Palms (Arecaceae). Methods We assembled a pantropical dataset of 2,548 forest plots (covering 1,191ha) and quantified tree palm (i.e., ≥10cm diameter at breast height) abundance relative to co‐occurring non‐palm trees. We compared the relative abundance of tree palms across biogeographical realms and tested for associations with palaeoclimate stability, current climate, edaphic conditions and metrics of forest structure. Results On average, the relative abundance of tree palms was more than five times larger between Neotropical locations and other biogeographical realms. Tree palms were absent in most locations outside the Neotropics but present in >80% of Neotropical locations. The relative abundance of tree palms was more strongly associated with local conditions (e.g., higher mean annual precipitation, lower soil fertility, shallower water table and lower plot mean wood density) than metrics of long‐term climate stability. Life‐form diversity also influenced the patterns; palm assemblages outside the Neotropics comprise many non‐tree (e.g., climbing) palms. Finally, we show that tree palms can influence estimates of above‐ground biomass, but the magnitude and direction of the effect require additional work. Conclusions Tree palms are not only quintessentially tropical, but they are also overwhelmingly Neotropical. Future work to understand the contributions of tree palms to biomass estimates and carbon cycling will be particularly crucial in Neotropical forests.

In the course of our intensive floristic inventories for the flora of Myanmar, a new species of the genus Sapria (Rafflesiaceae), S. myanmarensis Nob. Tanaka, Nagam., Tagane & M.M. Aung is described and photographed. In addition, S. himalayana Griff. f. albovinosa Bänziger & B. Hansen is newly recorded in the country. A key to the species of Sapria presently occurring in Myanmar is provided.

A new species of Gentiana (Gentianaceae), G. laotica Soulad., Tagane & Yahara, from Phou Khao Khouay National Protected Area, Vientiane Province, central Laos, is described. Photographs, vernacular name, DNA barcodes of rbcL, matK and ITS, and preliminary conservation status are provided for the new species.

A new species, Garcinia hopii H.Toyama & V.S.Dang is described from Bidoup Nui Ba National Park, southern Vietnam. This species is similar to Garcinia hendersoniana Whitmore but differs from that species in having larger leaves, clustered pistillate flowers, a greater number of sterile anthers and a larger stigma of young fruits. A description, preliminary conservation assessment, illustration, photographs and DNA barcodes of the new species are provided, as well as an updated key to Garcinia sect. Hebradendron in Indochina.

Two species of Araliaceae, Heteropanax thaiensis Tagane, Suddee & Rueangr., a new species from Phu Kradueng National Park, Loei Province, and Schefflera wrayi (King) R.Vig., from Khao Luang National Park, Nakhon Si Thammarat, formerly known only from Malaysia, are added to the flora of Thailand. Descriptions and illustrations, as well as DNA barcodes of rbcL and matK are provided based on our newly collected specimens.

Made available in DSpace on 2020-12-10T17:39:01Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2020-08-05 Royal Society International Exchanges Carlsberg Foundation Danish Research Council National Natural Science Foundation of China Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) US National Science Foundation National Parks Board, Singapore Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft Synthesys Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) Edinburgh Botanic Garden (Sibbald) Trust M. L. MacIntyre Begonia Trust Scottish Government's Rural and Environmental Science and Analytical Services Division New Guinea is the world's largest tropical island and has fascinated naturalists for centuries(1,2). Home to some of the best-preserved ecosystems on the planet(3)and to intact ecological gradients-from mangroves to tropical alpine grasslands-that are unmatched in the Asia-Pacific region(4,5), it is a globally recognized centre of biological and cultural diversity(6,7). So far, however, there has been no attempt to critically catalogue the entire vascular plant diversity of New Guinea. Here we present the first, to our knowledge, expert-verified checklist of the vascular plants of mainland New Guinea and surrounding islands. Our publicly available checklist includes 13,634 species (68% endemic), 1,742 genera and 264 families-suggesting that New Guinea is the most floristically diverse island in the world. Expert knowledge is essential for building checklists in the digital era: reliance on online taxonomic resources alone would have inflated species counts by 22%. Species discovery shows no sign of levelling off, and we discuss steps to accelerate botanical research in the 'Last Unknown'(8). A catalogue of the vascular flora of New Guinea indicates that this island is the most floristically diverse in the world, and that 68% of the species identified are endemic to New Guinea. Royal Bot Gardens, London, England Nat Biodivers Ctr, Leiden, Netherlands Univ Michigan Herbarium, Ann Arbor, MI USA Univ Gottingen, Dept Systemat Biodivers & Evolut Plants, Albrecht von Haller Inst Plant Sci, Gottingen, Germany Royal Bot Garden Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland Aarhus Univ, Dept Biosci, Aarhus, Denmark Univ Vermont, Dept Plant Biol, Pringle Herbarium, Burlington, VT USA Boise State Univ, Dept Biol Sci, Boise, ID 83725 USA Conservatoire & Jardin Bot Ville Geneve, Chambesy, Switzerland Univ Sydney, Sch Life & Environm Sci, Sydney, NSW, Australia Natl Museum Nat & Sci, Dept Bot, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan Univ Minnesota, Dept Plant & Microbial Biol, St Paul, MN 55108 USA New Guinea Binatang Res Ctr, Madang, Papua N Guinea Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Reg & Chinese Acad Sci, Guangxi Key Lab Plant Conservat & Restorat Ecol K, Guangxi Inst Bot, Guilin, Peoples R China Papua New Guinea Univ Technol, Lae, Papua N Guinea Herbarium Bogoriense, Bogor, Indonesia Univ Fed Mato Grosso do Sul, Tres Lagoas Campus, Tres Lagoas, Brazil Royal Bot Garden Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia Univ Papua, Fak Kehutanan, Manokwari, Indonesia Baden Penelitian & Pengembangan Daerah Prov Papua, Manokwari, Indonesia Missouri Bot Garden, St Louis, MO USA Papua New Guinea Forest Res Inst, Lae, Papua N Guinea Natl Bot Gardens Ireland, Glasnevin, Ireland Univ Zurich, Dept Systemat & Evolutionary Bot, Zurich, Switzerland Forest Res Inst Malaysia, Kepong, Malaysia Nat Hist Museum, Dept Life Sci, London, England Univ Bonn, Nees Inst Biodivers Plants, Bonn, Germany Martin Luther Univ Halle Wittenberg, Inst Biol, Herbarium, Halle, Germany Natl Pk Board, Nat Plants Ctr, Singapore, Singapore Natl Pk Board, Singapore Bot Gardens, Singapore, Singapore Univ Aberdeen, Sch Biol Sci, Aberdeen, Scotland Univ Philippines Manila, Coll Arts & Sci, Dept Biol, Manila, Philippines Kyoto Univ, Kyoto Univ Museum, Kyoto, Japan Sao Paulo State Univ, Inst Biosci, Rio Claro, Brazil Royal Bot Gardens Victoria, South Yarra, Vic, Australia Univ Melbourne, Sch BioSci, Parkville, Vic, Australia Univ Oxford, Dept Plant Sci, Oxford, England Queens Univ Belfast, Marine Lab, Portaferry, North Ireland Fern Res Fdn, Kerikeri, New Zealand Univ N Carolina, Wilmington, NC USA Museum New Zealand Papa Tongarewa, Wellington, New Zealand Western Michigan Univ, Dept Biol Sci, Kalamazoo, MI 49008 USA New Mexico State Univ, Dept Anim & Range Sci, Las Cruces, NM 88003 USA Univ Fed Vicosa, Dept Biol Vegetal, Vicosa, MG, Brazil Colorado State Univ, Dept Biol, Ft Collins, CO 80523 USA Trinity Coll Dublin, Sch Nat Sci, Dept Bot, Dublin, Ireland Univ Florida, Dept Biol, Gainesville, FL USA CSIRO Land & Water, Floreat, WA, Australia Univ Western Australia, Sch Biol Sci, Crawley, WA, Australia Chinese Acad Sci, Inst Bot, Beijing, Peoples R China Univ Minnesota, Bell Museum, St Paul, MN 55108 USA Univ Glasgow, Inst Biodivers Anim Hlth & Comparat Med, Glasgow, Lanark, Scotland Chinese Acad Sci, Chengdu Inst Biol, Chengdu, Peoples R China Leiden Univ, Inst Biol Leiden, Leiden, Netherlands Univ Zurich, Dept Evolutionary Biol & Environm Studies, Zurich, Switzerland Sao Paulo State Univ, Inst Biosci, Rio Claro, Brazil Royal Society International Exchanges: IE 170241 National Natural Science Foundation of China: 31570307 CNPq: 153430/2018-4 US National Science Foundation: DEB-1457366 US National Science Foundation: DEB-1754667 US National Science Foundation: DEB-0515678 US National Science Foundation: DEB-0816749 US National Science Foundation: DEB-0841885 Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft: LE 1826/3-1 Synthesys: GB-TAF-6305 FAPESP: 2015/13112-7 FAPESP: 2018/09379-6

Lasianthus honbaensis V.S. Dang, Tagane & H. Toyama sp. nova (Rubiaceae) is described and illustrated from Hon Ba Nature Reserve, Khanh Hoa Province, southern Vietnam. It resembles L. inodorus and L. inodorus subsp. pubescens in leaf morphology, but differs from them in having shorter stipules, calyx tubes and corolla, and orange fruits. It is also similar to L. latifolius and L. calycinus in deeply disected calyx lobes and orange fruits, but differs from them by having persistent bracts and shorter calyx tubes. A table comparing the new species with its closest allies is provided.

A new species of Hamamelidaceae, Eustigma honbaense H.Toyama, Tagane & V.S.Dang, sp. nov., is described from Hon Ba Nature Reserve, Vietnam. This species is similar to Eustigma oblongifolium Gardner & Champ., but differs from it in having entire leaves, longer infructescences, capsules with a longer apical part and seeds with a larger hilum. A description, preliminary conservation assessment, illustration and photographs of the new species are provided, as well as an updated key to the genus Eustigma.

A new species, Glycosmis suberosa H.Toyama & Rueangr. is described from Khao Luang National Park, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, Thailand. This species is distinguished from the other Glycosmis species by its characteristic corky branches.

A new species, Aporosa tetragona Tagane & V. S. Dang, sp. nov., is described and illustrated from Mt. Hon Ba located in the Khanh Hoa Province, South Vietnam. This species is characterized by tetragonal pistillate flowers and fruits, which are clearly distinguishable from the other previously known species of the genus. The morphology and phylogeny based on rbcL and matK of this species indicated that the new species belongs to section Appendiculatae Pax & K. Hoffm.

The Melbourne Congress of 2011 authorized a Special Committee on Registration of Algal and Plant Names (including fossils), which was established the following year (Wilson in Taxon 61: 878–879. 2012). Its explicit mandate was “to consider what would be involved in registering algal and plant names (including fossils), using a procedure analogous to that for fungal names agreed upon in Melbourne and included in the Code as Art. 42”, but expectations at the Nomenclature Section in Melbourne went farther than that. There was the hope that registration systems for at least some of the main groups would soon be set up, to be used and tested on a voluntary basis and, if found to be generally accepted, would persuade the subsequent Congress in Shenzhen, in 2017, to declare registration of new names an additional requirement for valid publication. The Melbourne Congress also approved mandatory registration of nomenclatural novelties in fungi, starting on 1 Jan 2013. The new Art. 42 of the Code (McNeill & al. in Regnum Veg. 154. 2012) requires authors to register any fungal nomenclatural novelty, prior to publication, with a recognized repository, whereupon they are provided with a unique identifier for each name, to be included in the protologue along with other Code-mandated information. Years before registration became mandatory, mycologists had been encouraged, often prompted by journal editors, to register their nomenclatural novelties prior to publication. Most complied. Consequently, when mandatory registration was proposed, it had strong support from the mycological community. There are currently three recognized repositories for fungal names. They vary somewhat in how they operate, but they share records of their registered novelties as soon as publication has been effected. One consequence of implementing mandatory registration is that locating new fungal names and combinations and associated protologue information is much simpler now than it was before. This makes it easier to incorporate the information into taxonomic studies and to update taxonomic treatments, inventories, and indices. A corollary is that, no matter what publication outlet an author chooses, the name cannot fail to be noticed. The positive experience in mycology makes extension of the registration concept to plants and algae a compelling idea. That experience shows that the best way to make mandatory registration of nomenclatural novelties palatable to botanists and phycologists is the establishment of trial registration at repositories with a history of involvement in and commitment to the indexing of names. Trial registration enables users to acquaint themselves with registration procedures, make suggestions on how they might be improved, and appreciate, by personal experience, the benefits of registration. Unfortunately, the task of establishing such repositories proved to be more complex and time-consuming than had been foreseen. Substantial progress has been made in the establishment of such centres (Barkworth & al., in this issue, pp. 670–672) but the Committee is not in a position to make firm proposals to regulate registration procedures, even less to make registration mandatory from a concrete future date. Nevertheless, the Committee sees it as imperative that the Shenzhen Congress be offered the opportunity to move forward with registration without having to wait six more years. In this spirit, we offer the proposals below. Proposal (276) would declare registration an ongoing concern of the botanical, mycological, and phycological community and provide the basic structure for making it possible. Proposal (277) and Prop. (278) would, in addition, define a flexible framework within which a system of voluntary registration could be developed for various categories of organisms. Proposal (279) would provide for future mandatory registration in a way that does not depend on the six-year intervals between International Botanical Congresses. Presentation of each proposal is followed by a summary of the support received from members of the Committee. Fil: Barkworth, Mary E.. State University of Utah; Estados Unidos Fil: Watson, Mark. Royal Botanic Gardens; Reino Unido Fil: Barrie, Fred R.. Missouri Botanical Garden; Estados Unidos. Field Museum Of Natural History; Estados Unidos Fil: Belyaeva, Irina V.. Royal Botanic Gardens; Reino Unido Fil: Chung, Richard C. K.. Forest Research Institute ; Malasia Fil: Dasková, Jirina. Národní Muzeum; República Checa Fil: Davidse, Gerrit. Missouri Botanical Garden; Estados Unidos Fil: Dönmez, Ali A.. Hacettepe Üniversitesi; Turquía Fil: Doweld, Alexander B.. National Institute Of Carpology; Rusia Fil: Dressler, Stefan. Senckenberg Forschungsinstitut Und Naturmuseum; Alemania Fil: Flann, Christina. Naturalis Biodiversity Center; Países Bajos Fil: Gandhi, Kanchi. Harvard University; Estados Unidos Fil: Geltman, Dmitry. Russian Academy of Science; Rusia Fil: Glen, Hugh F.. Forest Hills; Sudáfrica Fil: Greuter, Werner. Freie Universität Berlin; Alemania Fil: Head, Martin J.. Brock University; Canadá Fil: Jahn, Regine. Freie Universität Berlin; Alemania Fil: Janarthanam, Malapati K.. Goa University; India Fil: Katinas, Liliana. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. División de Plantas Vasculares; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata; Argentina Fil: Kirk, Paul M.. Royal Botanic Gardens; Reino Unido Fil: Klazenga, Niels. Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria; Australia Fil: Kusber, Wolf-Henning. Freie Universität Berlin; Alemania Fil: Kvacek, Jirí. Národní Muzeum; República Checa Fil: Malécot, Valéry. Universite D'angers; Francia Fil: Mann, David G.. Royal Botanic Gardens; Reino Unido Fil: Marhold, Karol. Charles University; República Checa Fil: Nagamasu, Hidetoshi. Kyoto University; Japón Fil: Nicolson, Nicky. Royal Botanic Gardens; Reino Unido Fil: Paton, Alan. Royal Botanic Gardens; Reino Unido Fil: Patterson, David J.. The University Of Sydney; Australia Fil: Price, Michelle J.. Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques de la Ville de Genève; Suiza Fil: van Reine, Willem F Prud' Homme. Naturalis Biodiversity Center; Países Bajos Fil: Schneider, Craig W.. Trinity College Hartford; Estados Unidos Fil: Sennikov, Alexander. Russian Academy Of Sciences; Rusia Fil: Smith, Gideon F.. Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University; Sudáfrica. Universidad de Coimbra; Portugal Fil: Stevens, Peter F.. Missouri Botanical Garden; Estados Unidos. University of Missouri; Estados Unidos Fil: Yang, Zhu-Liang. Kunming Institute Of Botany Chinese Academy Of Sciences; China Fil: Zhang, Xian-Chun. Chinese Academy of Sciences; República de China Fil: Zuccarello, Giuseppe C.. Victoria University Of Wellington; Nueva Zelanda

The Special Committee on Registration of Algal and Plant Names (including fossils) was established at the XVIII International Botanical Congress (IBC) in Melbourne in 2011, its mandate being to consider what would be involved in registering algal and plant names (including fossils), using a procedure analogous to that for fungal names agreed upon in Melbourne and included as Art. 42 in the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants. Because experience with voluntary registration was key to persuading mycologists of the advantages of mandatory registration, we began by asking institutions with a history of nomenclatural indexing to develop mechanisms that would permit registration. The task proved more difficult than anticipated, but considerable progress has been made, as is described in this report. It also became evident that the Nomenclature Section needs a structure that will allow ongoing discussion of registration and associated issues. Simultaneously with this report we are submitting four proposals that would provide such a structure. Fil: Barkworth, Mary E.. State University of Utah; Estados Unidos Fil: Watson, Mark. Royal Botanic Gardens; Reino Unido Fil: Barrie, Fred R.. Field Museum of National History; Estados Unidos Fil: Belyaeva, Irina V.. Royal Botanic Gardens; Reino Unido Fil: Chung, Richard C. K.. Forest Research Institute Malaysia; Malasia Fil: Dašková, Jiřina. National Museum; República Checa Fil: Davidse, Gerrit. Missouri Botanical Garden; Estados Unidos Fil: Dönmez, Ali A.. Hacettepe Üniversitesi; Turquía Fil: Alexander B. Doweld. National Institute of Carpology; Rusia Fil: Dressler, Stefan. Senckenberg Forschungsinstitut und Naturmuseum; Alemania Fil: Flann, Christina. Naturalis Biodiversity Center; Países Bajos Fil: Gandhi, Kanchi. Harvard University; Estados Unidos Fil: Geltman, Dmitry. Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Rusia Fil: Glen, Hugh F.. Forest Hills; Sudáfrica Fil: Greuter, Werner. Freie Universität Berlin; Alemania Fil: Head, Martin J.. Brock University; Canadá Fil: Jahn, Regine. Freie Universität Berlin; Alemania Fil: Janarthanam, Malapati K.. Goa University; India Fil: Katinas, Liliana. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. División de Plantas Vasculares; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina Fil: Kirk, Paul M.. Royal Botanic Gardens; Reino Unido Fil: Klazenga, Niels. Royal Botanic Gardens; Australia Fil: Kusber, Wolf Henning. Freie Universität Berlin; Alemania Fil: Kvaček, Jiří. National Museum; República Checa Fil: Malécot, Valéry. Université d’Angers; Francia Fil: Mann, David G.. Royal Botanic Gardens; Reino Unido. Institute for Food and Agricultural Research and Technology; España Fil: Marhold, Karol. Charles University; República Checa Fil: Nagamasu, Hidetoshi. Kyoto University; Japón Fil: Nicolson, Nicky. Royal Botanic Gardens; Reino Unido Fil: Paton, Alan. Royal Botanic Gardens; Reino Unido Fil: Patterson, David J.. University of Sydney; Australia Fil: Price, Michelle J.. Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques de la Ville de Genève; Italia Fil: Prud'homme van Reine, Willem F.. Naturalis Biodiversity Center; Países Bajos Fil: Schneider, Craig W.. Trinity College; Estados Unidos Fil: Sennikov, Alexander. University of Helsinski; Finlandia Fil: Smith, Gideon F.. Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University; Sudáfrica Fil: Stevens, Peter F.. Missouri Botanical Garden; Estados Unidos. University of Missouri-St; Estados Unidos Fil: Yang, Zhu-Liang. Chinese Academy of Sciences; República de China Fil: Zhang, Xian-Chun. Chinese Academy of Sciences; República de China Fil: Zuccarello, Giuseppe C.. Victoria University of Wellington; Nueva Zelanda

The sectional delimitation of Carex section Rhomboidales sensu Kukenthal (1909) is problematic and, here, we provide contributions to a systematic understanding of nutlet micromorphology in section Rhomboidales. Nutlet micromorphology of 87 samples representing 71 taxa was investigated using scanning electron microscopy and nine nutlet types were recognized. Although some closely related taxa show similarities, nutlet morphology in section Rhomboidales is stable at the species level and is reliable for species identification. Based on the nutlet characters, section Rhomboidales is delimited and emended as having nutlet rhombic–ovoid, trigonous; beaks conspicuous, erect, rarely curved or coiled; periclinal walls of epidermal cells straight, with zero to two silica bodies. The species with nutlets of the C. harlandii-type and C. thibetica-type are included, and species of the C. chinensis-type and C. macrandrolepsis-type are ascribed to section Mitratae and section Infossae, respectively. Carex longirostrata and C. pseudolongirostrata (= C. nodaeana), formerly ascribed to section Careyanae or section Depauperatae, are well supported as members of section Rhomboidales. © 2014 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2014, 175, 123–143.

University museums are considered centers of object-based research. In object-based research, two interactive cycles connect collections and research during the production of new scientific results. To achieve good circulation of these two interactive cycles, connections between collection items and research publications are indispensable. However, these connections are currently made on a voluntary basis by each university museum. We expect that the establishment of a two-way connection system between collections and research will serve a new scientific infrastructure and worldwide framework. We propose the conceptual design of the ‘Connections between Collections and Research’ (CCR) database that might be linked with research publication and museum collection databases. Connections between research and collections will contribute to scientific clarity and visibility, support collection management, and promote disciplinary and interdisciplinary science based on each collection. Cooperation and networking by university museums, as well as by institutes and scientists that maintain and utilize collections is required in order to realize the development of this scientific infrastructure. By reflecting the resources of university collections and scientists in various research fields, including information science, university museums worldwide might make significant contributions to the establishment and organization of a new system that aims to connect collections and research.

Aim Large trees (d.b.h. 70 cm) store large amounts of biomass. Several studies suggest that large trees may be vulnerable to changing climate, poten- tially leading to declining forest biomass storage. Here we determine the importance of large trees for tropical forest biomass storage and explore which intrinsic (species trait) and extrinsic (environment) variables are associated with the density of large trees and forest biomass at continental and pan-tropical scales. Location Pan-tropical.

Human-modified forested landscapes are prevalent in the tropics, and the role of complex mosaics of diverse vegetation types in biodiversity conservation remains poorly understood. Demographic traits and the spatial pattern of biodiversity are essential information when considering proper forest management and land use strategies. We compared the tree community structure (stem density, basal area, tree diversity, abundance of rare, endemic, and upper-layer trees, and species composition) and the forest dynamics (mortality, recruitment rate, and increments of basal area, and above- and below-ground biomass) of 39–46 plots among five dominant forest types: young and old fallows, rubber plantations, and fragmented and old-growth forests in Sarawak, Malaysia. We also explored how tree diversity was distributed across different spatial scales using additive partitioning of diversity. Swidden cultivation and rubber plantations showed decreased stem density, basal area, tree diversity, abundance of rare, endemic, and upper-layer trees, and increments of above- and below-ground biomass, which affected tree mortality, dominant trees, and species composition. Little distinction in species composition was observed among young and old fallows and rubber plantations, indicating a relatively quick recovery of the tree community in the early stages. The highest diversity was found among forest types, indicating that the whole forested landscape comprises a suitable scale for tree biodiversity conservation in the region. Our results suggest that although fragmented and old-growth forests have an irreplaceable role and a high priority in conserving biodiversity and sustaining the function of the forest ecosystem, secondary forests may also have a reinforcing role in maintaining tree diversity in the region, especially under the current circumstances in which a large portion of the landscape is human-modified and faces an increasing threat from the expansion of oil palm plantations.

We tested the effect of general flowering (GF), community-wide masting, and drought stress on current-year tree diameter growth and aboveground biomass increment (ABI). General flowering but not drought had a marginally significant negative effect on tree growth and ABI at the community level. Analyses of dominant species clarified this pattern.

Five new species of Syzygium (Myrtaceae), S. honbaense, S. phamhoangii and S. yersinii from Khanh Hoa Province, Vietnam, S. phoukhaokhouayense from Phou Khao Khouay National Protected Area, Vientiane Province, Laos, and S. scabrum from Bung Khla, Phu Wua Wildlife Sanctuary, Buengkan Province, Thailand, are described and illustrated. Photographs, vernacular names and preliminary conservation assessments are provided for them.

Erythroxylum calyptratum, sp. nov. (Erythroxylaceae), from Mt. Fansipan, Hoang Lien National Park, Lao Cai Province, northern Vietnam, is newly described. The new species is characterized by thinly chartaceous leaves with 2–3 mm long petiole, 1–3 flowered inflorescences, downward facing white flowers, well-developed petal appendages (1/3–1/2 length of petals) and entirely free 3 styles. A description, illustrations, DNA barcodes of rbcL and matK and a key to the species of Erythroxylum in Indochina are provided.

Amomum roseisquamosum (Zingiberaceae) is described from Sarawak, Borneo. This new species is related to A. borneense and A. epiphyticum of Smith's (1989) Group V for Bornean species, sharing an epiphytic habit, crested anther-thecae and flattened fruits, but differs in having white flowers, a shorter corolla tube equal to the calyx tube, and lateral petals connate to the labellum. The systematic position is discussed.

Aim Tropical forests have been recognized as important global carbon sinks and sources. However, many uncertainties about the spatial distribution of live tree above-ground biomass (AGB) remain, mostly due to limited availability of AGB field data. Recent studies in the Amazon have already shown the importance of large sample size for accurate AGB gradient analysis. Here we use a large stem density,basal area,community wood density and AGB dataset to study and explain their spatial patterns in an Asian tropical forest.

The high species richness of tropical forests has long been recognized, yet there remains substantial uncertainty regarding the actual number of tropical tree species. Using a pantropical tree inventory database from closed canopy forests, consisting of 657,630 trees belonging to 11,371 species, we use a fitted value of Fisher's alpha and an approximate pantropical stem total to estimate the minimum number of tropical forest tree species to fall between ∼40,000 and ∼53,000, i.e. at the high end of previous estimates. Contrary to common assumption, the Indo-Pacific region was found to be as species-rich as the Neotropics, with both regions having a minimum of ∼19,000-25,000 tree species. Continental Africa is relatively depauperate with a minimum of ∼4,500-6,000 tree species. Very few species are shared among the African, American, and the Indo-Pacific regions. We provide a methodological framework for estimating species richness in trees that may help refine species richness estimates of tree-dependent taxa., 0, SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

• Background and Aims Domatia are small organs usually found in the axils of major veins on the underside of leaves and, although they have received wide attention from ecologists, few detailed reports exist on their anatomy or development. This study is focused on the domatia of Cinnamomum camphora (Lauraceae) and is the first comparative study on the anatomy and development of the different shapes of domatia within a single plant. • Methods Four types of domatia in C. camphora leaves were observed on paraffin sections under a microscope. • Key Results The domatia consisted of six histological parts: the upper epidermis, the upper mesophyll tissue, spongy tissue, the lower mesophyll tissue, the tissue filling the rim opening, and the lower epidermis. They differed from the non-domatial lamina mainly in the cell structure of the upper and lower mesophyll tissue and the rim tissue. Differences in domatium shapes were mainly associated with differences in the structure of the upper mesophyll and in the number and size of the rim tissue cells. Differences in the development of domatium types were observed in terms of initiation timing, differentiation of the upper mesophyll cells and degree of rim tissue development. • Conclusions In domatia, active anticlinal division in the lower mesophyll cells, as compared with the upper mesophyll cells, was coordinated with dynamic growth of rim tissue cells and resulted in cavity formation. The anatomical or developmental differences among the four types of domatia were related to the positions of the domatia within a leaf. In terms of the ecological implications, the major anatomical difference between the domatia used by herbivorous and carnivorous mites was in the development of the rim tissue.

General flowering is a community-wide masting phenomenon, which is thus far documented only in aseasonal tropical forests in Asia. Although the canopy and emergent layers of forests in this region are dominated by species of a single family, Dipterocarpaceae, general flowering involves various plant groups. Studying proximate factors and estimating the flowering patterns of the past and future may aid our understanding of the ecological significance and evolutionary factors behind this phenomenon. Here we show that this phenomenon is most likely triggered by irregular droughts based on 10 years of observations. In the aseasonal forests of SE Asia, droughts tend to occur during transition periods from La Niña to El Niño, which results in an irregular 6-7-yr cycle involving a dry period with several droughts and a wet period without droughts. The magnitude of a flowering event also depends on the timing of droughts associated with the El Niño southern oscillation (ENSO) cycle, with the largest events occurring after an interval of several years with no flowering. Because most plant species can only reproduce successfully during large flowering events, changes in the ENSO cycle resulting from global warming, may have serious ramifications for forest regeneration in this region.

A new genus of Icacinaceae, Sleumeria, is described from northern Borneo. The only known species, Sleumeria auriculata, is a large woody scrambler with spirally arranged leaves with entire margins and prominent reticulation, hairs that dry a distinctive yellow-brown, and racemose or compound racemose inflorescences. The habit, leaf arrangement, and inflorescence type place Sleumeria in a group of climbing Icacinaceae near to Sarcostigma, but it is distinguished from that and other closely related genera by the combination of distinctly pedicellate flowers arranged singly or in pairs along the inflorescence rachis, swollen sagittate anther connectives, and a spherical ovary with a distinct filiform style with an unlobed stigma. Investigation of the stem anatomy confirms the relationship with Sarcostigma, especially the presence of successive cambia, but the new genus differs, amongst other anatomical characters, in lacking islands of included phloem within the xylem.

Somatic chromosomes were observed in 661 individuals of 14 taxa, nine species and five varieties, of Damnacanthus (Rubiaceae). Chromosome numbers are reported for the first time for 13 taxa. Diploid (2n = 22) and tetraploid (2n = 44) counts were obtained. Distyly is reported for the first time for four species, D. angustifolius, D. henryi, D. labordei, and D. officinarum. A strong correlation exists between chromosome number and occurrence of distyly. Regardless of taxa in Damnacanthus, distylous populations are diploid, and monomorphic populations are tetraploid. Flowers of the monomorphic populations observed have a long style and short stamens with few exceptions. Polyploidization may have caused the breakdown of distylous to monomorphic flowers. In D. indicus, leaves from the tetraploid populations tend to be larger than those from the diploid populations. Populations of tetraploid D. indicus were distributed in more northern areas than those of the diploid. Three types of sympatric distribution were found for the varieties of D. indicus in Japan: diploid and tetraploid, two diploids, and two tetraploids. Based on the present chromosome number study, the taxonomy of the varieties of D. indicus should be revised.

Aim To (1) identify floristic regions in the lowland (below 500 m a.s.l.) tropical dipterocarp rain forest of Borneo based on tree genera, (2) determine the characteristic taxa of these regions, (3) study tree diversity patterns within Borneo, and (4) relate the floristic and diversity patterns to abiotic factors such as mean annual rainfall and geographical distance between plots. Location Lowland tropical dipterocarp rain forest of Borneo. Methods We used tree (diameter at breast height ‡ 9.8 cm) inventory data from 28 lowland dipterocarp rain forest locations throughout Borneo. From each location six samples of 640 individuals were drawn randomly. With these data we calculated a Sorensen and Steinhaus similarity matrix for the locations. These matrices were then used in an UPGMA clustering algorithm to determine the floristic relations between the locations (dendrogram). Principal coordinate analysis was used to ordinate the locations. Characteristic taxa for the identified floristic clusters were determined with the use of the INDVAL method of Dufrene & Legendre (1997). Finally, Mantel analysis was applied to determine the influence of mean annual rainfall and geographical distance between plots on floristic composition.

The diversity and niche specificity of hemi-epiphytic figs in a lowland dipterocarp forest in Sarawak were investigated in 1998. Twenty-seven fig species (264 individuals, c. 120 ha) colonized a diversity of host taxa (35 families), but densities were very low and only 1.77% of trees> 30 cm d.b.h. were occupied. There were no significant associations with host taxa or host-bark roughness but among 11 common species (≥9 individuals) the distributions of all other parameters (host-d.b.h., height and position of colonization, crown illumination, soil-texture and slope-angle) were significantly different, and we identified five fig guilds. The guilds corresponded to canopy strata, and appeared to reflect the establishment microsite requirements of different species. A fundamental trade-off within the hemi-epiphytic habit was revealed: Species colonizing larger hosts were rarer, because of lower host densities and more specific microsite requirements, but had better light environments and attained a larger maximum size. The single strangler species appeared to escape many of these constraints, and an important source of mortality caused by host-toppling, indicating the advantages of this strategy. Thus, the hemi-epiphytic figs in this community have come to fill a remarkable diversity of niches, despite low levels of competition, through the exigencies of a complex environment. © 2003 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2003, 78, 439–455

Whereas many studies have addressed the effects of deforestation on biodiversity, few have focused on the recovery of diversity during reforestation. This study aimed at evaluating the recovery of, or chronosequential changes in, the biodiversity in the fallows (i.e., secondary vegetation or forests that form during the resting periods following harvest in shifting cultivation) of a tropical rainforest region in Borneo. We also aimed at determining the impacts of forest fragmentation and other land-use changes on biodiversity.

A new monotypic genus, Tamijia (Zingiberaceae), and its species T. flagellaris are described from Sarawak, Borneo. T. flagellaris is quite unique with the lateral staminodes connate to the labellum, the plane of distichy of the leaf shoot transverse to the rhizome, long trailing inflorescences and ovary unilocular with parietal placentation. Although the species is placed in Alpineae based on the plane of distichy, it is quite distinctive from most of the species in the tribe in some other characters, and is important in considering the current system of tribes and genera of the family.

Elettaria (Zingiberaceae) of Sarawak are studied, and eight species are recognised including four new species: E. linearicrista, E. longipilosa, E. brachycalyx and E. kapitensis. Elettaria surculosa and E. stolonifera, which have previously been included in E. multiflora, are treated as independent species. Examination of recent collections reveal that characters such as anther dehiscence patterns, form of the labellum and anther crest are taxonomically important. A key to all species of Bornean Elettaria is provided.

The impact of the unusually severe drought associated with the 1997–1998 El Niño on tropical forest dynamics in Sarawak, Malaysia was examined. Mortality during the non-drought period (1993–1997) in a core plot (1.38 ha) was 0.89 % y−1, while that during the drought period (1997–1998) in the same plot and a peripheral plot was 6.37 and 4.35 % y−1, respectively. The basal area lost in the drought interval was 3.4 times that of the annual incremental basal area in 1993–1997. Drought mortality was higher for the smaller trees, though it was less size dependent than the non-drought mortality. Dipterocarpaceae, which is the dominant family in the study plot, had a mortality 12–30 times higher in the drought than the non-drought period. There were no significant differences in mortality among the topographic types. From the results of a log-linear model (multi-factored contingency table), the death of trees was correlated with size class, indicating a change in the size-class structure of the forest. Thus, both the species composition and structure are totally affected by such an episodic drought even in a per-humid tropical forest.

A previously undescribed pollination system involving a monoecious tree species, Artocarpus integer (Moraceae), pollinator gall midges, and fungi is reported from a mixed dipterocarp forest in Sarawak, Borneo. The fungus Choanephora sp. (Choanephoraceae, Mucorales, Zygomycetes) infects male inflorescences of A. integer, and gall midges (Contarinia spp., Cecidomyiinae, Diptera) feed on the fungal mycelia and oviposit on the inflorescence. Their larvae also feed on the mycelia and pupate in the inflorescence. The gall midges are also attracted by female inflorescences lacking mycelia, probably due to a floral fragrance similar to that of male inflorescences. Because of the sticky pollen, dominance of Contarinia spp. in flower visitors, and pollen load observed on Contarinia spp. collected on both male and female inflorescences, Artocarpus integer is thought to be pollinated by the gall midges. Although several pathogenic fungi have been reported to have interactions with pollinators, this is the first report on a pollination mutualism in which a fungus plays an indispensable role. The pollination system described here suggests that we should be more aware of the roles fungi can play in pollinations.

A new pollination syndrome, squirrel pollination, was found in a tropical rainforest in Lambir Hills National Park, Sarawak, Malaysia. Madhuca sp. (Sapotaceae) has flowers of which stamens and petals fuse together to form fleshy and berry-like corollas. The corollas are as sweet as 15 %in sugar concentration as sucrose equivalent. The berry-like corolla is easily detachable from pistil/ovary which is bitter to taste. Three species of squirrel, Callosciurus prevostii, Sundasciurus hippurus inquinantus, S. lowii and a species of flying squirrels, Petaurista petaurista were observed to forage on flowers at high frequency. Squirrels and flying squirrels were observed to take away the corolla from the twig, to hold by hands to eat it. Pollen was observed to be attached to the fingers and the fur around the mouth. Although pollen transfer from the tree to the other tree was not confirmed, the behavior of squirrels and flyingsquirrels could act as pollinators.

The first systematic observation of a general flowering, a phenomenon unique to lowland mixed-dipterocarp forests in Southeast Asia, is presented. During general flowering, which occurs at irregular intervals of 3‐10 yr, nearly all dipterocarp species together with species of other families come heavily into flower. We monitored reproductive phenology of 576 individual plants representing 305 species in 56 families in Sarawak, Malaysia. Observations continued for 53 mo from August 1992 and covered one episode of a general flowering cycle. Among 527 effective reproductive events during 43 mo, 57% were concentrated in the general flowering period (GFP) of 10 mo in 1996. We classified 257 species into flowering types based on timing and frequency of flowering. The most abundant type was ‘‘general flowering’’ (35%), which flowered only during GFP. The others were ‘‘supra-annual’’ (19%), ‘‘annual’’ (13%), and ‘‘sub-annual’’ (5%) types. General flowering type and temporal aggregation in reproductive events were commonly found among species in various categories of taxonomic groups, life forms, pollination systems, and fruit types. Possible causes for general flowering, such as promotion of pollination brought about by interspecific synchronization and paucity of climatic cues suitable for flowering trigger, are proposed, in addition to the predator satiation hypothesis of Janzen (1974).

The Bonin (Ogasawara) Islands are oceanic islands located in the northwest Pacific, and have ten native (nine endemic) bee species, all of which are nonsocial. The European honeybee (Apis mellifera), which was introduced to the islands for apiculture in the 1880s, became naturalized in a few islands shortly after introduction. To detect the impact of the honeybees upon native bee diversity, we analyzed pollen harvest by honeybees and surveyed the relative abundance of honeybees and native bees on flowers on several islands. Both hived and feral honeybee colonies were active throughout the year, harvesting pollen of both native and alien flowers and from both entomophilous and anemophilous flowers. Honeybees strongly depended on the alien plants, especially during winter to spring when native melittophilous flowers were rare. From June to November, honeybees exhaustively utilized native flowers, which had originally been utilized and pollinated by native bees. On Chichi and Haha Islands, where human disturbance of forests has been severe, both native and alien flowers were dominated by honeybees, and native bees were rare or extinct even in well-conserved forests. In contrast, on Ani Island and Haha's satellite islands where primary forests were well conserved and honeybees were still uncommon or absent, native bees remained dominant. These results suggest that competition for nectar and pollen of the native flowers between honeybees and native bees favors honeybees on the disturbed islands, which are thoroughly invaded by alien nectariferous, sometimes aggressive, weedy plants.

A new species, Orchidantha inouei, is described from Sarawak. Two types of paracladium in the inflorescence are reported with a discussion on the inflorescence morphology of Lowiaceae.

Flowerings and flower visitors were observed continuously in alowland dipterocarp forest in Sarawak, Malaysia, for 53 mo in1992-1996. Flower visitors of 270 plant species were observed orcollected, and pollinators were assessed by observing body contact tostigmas and anthers. We recognized 12 categories of pollination systems.Among them, plants pollinated by social bees included the largest numberof species (32%) and were followed by beetle-pollinated species(20%). Pollination systems were significantly related with somefloral characters (flowering time of day, reward, and floral shape), butnot with floral color. Based on the relationships between pollinatorsand floral characters, we described pollination syndromes found in alowland dipterocarp forest. The dominance of social bees and beetlesamong pollinators is discussed in relation to the general floweringobserved in dipterocarp forests of West Malesia. In spite of high plantspecies diversity and consequent low population densities of lowlanddipterocarp forests, long-distance-specific pollinators were uncommoncompared with theNeotropics.

Twelve species of Amomum (Zingiberaceae) are reported from Lambir Hills, Sarawak, with systematic and ecological notes based on field observations for more than one year. Five species, Amomum angustipetalum, A. bilabiatum, A. calyptratum, A. durum and A. somniculosum, are described as new to science. A key to all species of Amomum in Borneo is provided. The first report of andromonoecy and sexual dimorphism of inflorescence in Zingiberaceae is given for A. polycarpum.