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Based on field research in south-central Poland, supplemented with a review of herbarium materials, we identified a stable bramble biotype with a range large enough (190 km distance between the outermost stands) to be described as a new regional agamic species, Rubuskaznowskii sp.nov. It belongs to the series Subthyrsoidei(sect. Corylifolii). Although R.kaznowskii has a unique combination of features, it can be potentially mistaken for R.gothicus . It differs from the latter species in many aspects, including: pruinose primocanes, denser indumentum of the abaxial leaf surface, and more curved prickles on the petiole. R.kaznowskii has mainly been observed on rusty soils, in habitats of mixed coniferous and mixed broadleaf forests, usually in sunny places, along forest margins and roads, in clearings and roadside thickets., (Piotr Kosiński, Tomasz Maliński, Marcin Nobis, Magdalena Rojek-Jelonek, Dominik Tomaszewski, Monika Dering, Jerzy Zieliński.)

The genus Rubus L. (Rosaceae) not been investigated satisfactorily in terms of palynology. This genus is taxonomically very difficult due to the large number of species and problems with their delimitation, as well as very different distribution areas of particular species. The aim of this study was to investigate pollen morphology and for the first time the ranges of intrageneric and interspecific variability of Rubus species, as well as verify the taxonomic usefulness of these traits in distinguishing studied taxa from this genus. The selected species of the genus Rubus were analysed for 11 quantitative pollen characteristics and the following qualitative ones: exine ornamentation, pollen outline and shape, as well as bridge structure. Analyses were conducted on a total of 1740 pollen grains, which represent 58 blackberry species belonging to a majority of subgenera and all the sections and series found in Poland. The most important characters included exine ornamentation (exine ornamentation type, width and direction of grooves and striae, number and diameter of perforations) and length of the polar axis (P). The arrangement of the examined species on the dendrogram does not corroborate division of the genus Rubus into subgenera, sections and series currently adopted in taxonomy. This fact is not surprising because the taxonomy of the genus was not based on pollen characters. Pollen features should be treated in taxonomy as auxiliary, because they fail to differentiate several (10) individual species, while the other ones create groups with similar pollen traits., Competing Interests: No authors have competing interests

Pollen morphology of three parental Quercus species (Q. robur L., Q. petraea (Matt) Liebl, Q. pubescens Willd.) and two spontaneous hybrids of these species (Q. ×calvescens Vuk. = Q. petraea × Q. pubescens and Q. ×rosacea Bechst. = Q. robur × Q. petraea) was investigated in this study. The pollen originated from 18 natural oak sites and 67 individuals (oak trees). Each individual was represented by 30 pollen grains. In total, 2010 pollen grains were measured. They were analysed for nine quantitative and four qualitative features. Pollen size and shape were important features to diagnosing Quercus parental species and hybrids. On the basis of exine ornamentation, it was possible to identify only Q. pubescens, while the remaining species and hybrids did not differ significantly with respect to this feature. The determination of the diagnostic value of endoaperture features requires further palynological studies. On the basis of pollen size and shape Q. robur × Q. petraea was clearly separated. Grouping of 67 oak trees on the basis of pollen grain features has shown that individuals from different as well as same taxa occurred in the same groups. Likewise, with respect to natural sites, oak trees originating from the same places as well as from geographically distant ones, grouped together. Pollen morphological features allow to distinguish a part of the studied Quercus taxa. Therefore, it can be used as an auxiliary feature in the taxonomy., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) coupled to GC/MS analysis was used to identify the constituents of pine-needle volatiles differentiating three closely-related pine species within the Pinus mugo complex, i.e., P. uncinata Ramond ex DC., P. uliginosa G.E.Neumann ex Wimm., and P. mugo Turra. Moreover, chemosystematic markers were proposed for the three analyzed pine species. The major constituents of the pine-needle volatiles were α-pinene (28.4%) and bornyl acetate (10.8%) for P. uncinata, δ-car-3-ene (21.5%) and α-pinene (16.1%) for P. uliginosa, and α-pinene (20%) and δ-car-3-ene (18.1%) for P. mugo. This study is the first report on the application of the composition of pine-needle volatiles for the reliable identification of closely-related pine species within the Pinus mugo complex., (Copyright © 2015 Verlag Helvetica Chimica Acta AG, Zürich.)

The compositions of mountain pine (Pinus uncinata) and peat-bog pine (P. uliginosa) needle essential oils were investigated. Enantiomeric compositions of selected monoterpene hydrocarbons were also examined. Respectively, fifty-three and seventy-six components of the essential oils were identified using GC-MS and retention indexes. The main group of essential oil components of mountain pine needles were monoterpenes, and bornyl acetate constituted approximately 30% (46.3 g/100 g) of the oil. In peat-bog pine essential oil, monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes exhibited a similar content (ca. 40%). Bornyl acetate and α-pinene were the main constituents of both essential oils. In the essential oil of P. uncinata needles, limonene, camphene, myrcene and (E)-β-caryophyllene were also noticeable, while in the essential oil of P. uliginosa needles, Δ-car-3-ene, (E)-β-caryophyllene, germacrene D, δ-cadinene, germacrene D 4-ol and α-cadinol were present in notable quantities. In both essential oils, borneol propionate, isobutyrate, 2-methylbutyrate and isovalerate were detected. Their presence was confirmed by synthesis and analysis of the standards; retention indexes on a non-polar column are published herein.

We report in vivo and ex vivo measurements of nitric oxide (electrochemical), ex vivo in situ measurements of superoxide (chemiluminescence) and peroxynitrite (chemiluminescence) and delineate the effect of endotoxemia on nitric oxide, superoxide and peroxynitrite release in aorta of rats. Nitric oxide release was measured in the aorta wall. An increase of nitric oxide concentration was observed immediately after administration of lipopolysaccharide (Escherichia coli serotype 0127: B8, 20 mg/kg), reaching a plateau ((50 nmol/L) after 180 +/- 50 seconds; the plateau was followed by decreasing nitric oxide concentration and its subsequent gradual small increase after 45 minutes. Superoxide and peroxynitrite production increased dramatically during endotoxemia. Superoxide concentration increased from 10 +/- 2 nmol/L to 28 +/- 3 nmol/L at one hour, and reached a 50 nmol/L plateau at 4 hours. The pattern of peroxynitrite release paralleled the pattern of superoxide release during the time course of endotoxemia. Diametrical alteration of nitric oxide and superoxide concentration with subsequent production of peroxynitrite may be a major cause of endothelial cell injury during endotoxemia.