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Xylotrechus quadripes (Chevrolat) is the serious woodborer pest of arabica coffee (Coffea arabica L.). To further elucidate the behavior mechanism of the insect based on chemical odorant and to advance effective trapping methods, the typology, distribution, and abundance of antennal sensilla were investigated meticulously in both sexes of X. quadripes by scanning electron microscopy. The filiform antennae of both sexes are composed of 11 segments, namely the scape, pedicel, and nine flagellomeres (f1-9). Ten types (14 subtypes) of sensilla were identified morphologically: sensilla chaetica (three subtypes, Ch.1-3), sensilla basiconica (three subtypes, Ba.1-3), Böhm bristles (Bb), sensilla dentiform (De), sensilla trichodea (Tr), sensilla auricillica (Au), sensilla campaniformia (Ca), grooved peg sensilla (Gp), cuticular pores (Cp), and a newly observed sensillum, named sensilla cone (Cone). The sensilla were mainly distributed in flagellomeres, and the types and amounts increased in frequency from scape to the ninth flagellomere. The numbers of sensilla were the highest on the antennal dorsal side, while the lowest on the ventral side. The types of sensilla were the most abundant on the lateral side, and two sensilla basiconica (Ba.1-2) were found exclusively. The average number of Tr, Ba, and Au on the antenna of the males was significantly greater than females, while the Gp and Cp on the antenna of the females were significantly greater than males. Ca was exclusively occurred on the male antennae but was absent in females. This study discusses the putative functions of the antennal sensilla in adults of X. quadripes based on their characteristics in related species' sensilla, and these results provide an important foundation to clarify the ecological adaption, olfactory recognition mechanism, and to develop the chemical ecology control of X. quadripes.

Fruit yield is the most important horticultural trait of tomato. SlMBP21, a SEPALLATA subclass MADS-box gene has been reported to have functions in regulating pedicel abscission zone identity and development and controlling sepal size in tomato. However, we generated transgenic tomato plants which overexpress SlMBP21 and found the transformants displayed curly leaves, abnormally shaped flowers with twisted and opened stamens, reduced yield parameters, and small and light seeds. Our studies on the gain-of-function phenotype and gene expression level showed that its novel aspects played important roles in determining leaf morphology, flower and inflorescence architecture, and seed size, as well as the fruit yield. Overexpression of SlMBP21 in tomato resulted in curly leaves with fewer leaflets due to the regulation of the critical leaf polarity genes that cause an imbalance between the midvein adaxial–abaxial cell growth. Defects in the architecture of flowers and inflorescences resulted in reduced fruit set. Furthermore, we demonstrated that SlMBP21 plays its role through inhibiting the expression of the genes involved in the determination of seed development in tomato and SlMBP21 protein can interact with other MADS-box protein (SlAGL11, TAGL1 and SlMBP3) to control seed size. Thus, these results suggest that overexpression of SlMBP21 causes multiple types of damage to plant growth and development, especially fruit yield, in tomato.

In the present study, the surface and external structure of petals, sepals, hypanthium and pedicel of eight Rosa species were examined. Micromorphological investigation of distribution and dimension of different trichome types, which were found in analysed plant parts was done using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Our results showed that the adaxial epidermal cells of all analysed petals formed papillae, whereas the abaxial epidermis was with flat walls and had cuticle striation. Two types of trichomes, the capitate glandular and nonglandular trichomes (ribbon and acicles) were observed. Ribbon trichomes were presented on the adaxial side of all analysed sepals with the exception of R. spinosissima samples. Multicellular glandular trichomes were distributed on the surface of the hypanthium and the sepals of R. gallica, R. micrantha, R. pendulina, R. tomentosa and R. villosa samples. In addition, they were presented on the pedicel of most analysed species, except in R. dumetorum samples. Micromorphological analysis had shown that capitate glandular trichomes, based on their size, can be classified into two typeslong and short trichomes. Their presence, type and length were specific for each analysed species. Additionally, acicles were found only on the pedicel and hypanthium of R. spinosissima and R. gallica samples. This study provided useful information of different trichomes of genus Rosa which could be helpful in more accurate plant determination.

Ardisia kalimbahin is herein described and illustrated as a new species. It is the latest addition to the richness of Ardisia in the Philippines. It closely resembles A. romanii Elmer but is distinct in having shorter petiole, shorter elliptic leaves, racemose inflorescence, longer and sparsely puberulent pedicels, magenta corolla lobes, basifixed anthers, shorter filaments, and a beaked stigma. Based on current collection and available herbarium specimens, Ardisia kalimbahin is distributed in the islands of Palawan (Aborlan), Mindoro, and Luzon (Carranglan). Available data is not enough to assess its conservation status; hence, it is proposed as data deficient (DD).

Gymnema wiyadae A.Kidyoo, recently discovered in eastern Thailand, is here described and compared with the morphologically similar species, G. inodorum (Lour.) Decne. and G. foetidum Tsiang. These three species are characterised by umbelliform cymes with subhypocrateriform, yellow flowers and corolline corona of five longitudinal ridges with lines of stiff golden-brown trichomes running along two sides. Gymnema wiyadae is, however, clearly distinguished from the other two species by its pubescent stem and branches with trichomes arranged in two rows, stout peduncles and pedicels, and style-head with obtuse apex. Illustrations and photographs of the new species as well as an updated identification key for all known species of Gymnema R.Br. occurring in Thailand are provided.

A new species, Lysimachia xuyongensis X.F.Gao & W.B.Ju, from China is described and illustrated. The new species morphologically resembles L. miyiensis, L. paridiformis var. stenophylla and L. phyllocephala var. polycephala, but it clearly differs by having stems prostrate at base, dense white multicellular hairs, leave 4, lower scalelike, leaf blades and calyx carrying sparsely reddish glandular punctation, pedicel less than 5 mm, corolla lobes without glandular and ovary glabrous.

The KNOTTED1-LIKE HOMEOBOX PROTEIN1 (KD1) gene is highly expressed in flower and leaf abscission zones (AZs), and KD1 was reported to regulate tomato flower pedicel abscission via alteration of the auxin gradient and response in the flower AZ (FAZ). The present work was aimed to further examine how KD1 regulates signaling factors and regulatory genes involved in pedicel abscission, by using silenced KD1 lines and performing a large-scale transcriptome profiling of the FAZ before and after flower removal, using a customized AZ-specific microarray. The results highlighted a differential expression of regulatory genes in the FAZ of KD1-silenced plants compared to the wild-type. In the TAPG4::antisense KD1-silenced plants, KD1 gene expression decreased before flower removal, resulting in altered expression of regulatory genes, such as epigenetic modifiers, transcription factors, posttranslational regulators, and antioxidative defense factors occurring at zero time and before affecting auxin levels in the FAZ detected at 4 h after flower removal. The expression of additional regulatory genes was altered in the FAZ of KD1-silenced plants at 4-20 h after flower removal, thereby leading to an inhibited abscission phenotype, and downregulation of genes involved in abscission execution and defense processes. Our data suggest that KD1 is a master regulator of the abscission process, which promotes abscission of tomato flower pedicels. This suggestion is based on the inhibitory effect of KD1 silencing on flower pedicel abscission that operates via alteration of various regulatory pathways, which delay the competence acquisition of the FAZ cells to respond to ethylene signaling.

Heterogeneity among grape berries directly affects wine quality and restricts the wine grape industry’s development. To study the heterogeneous development of Vitis amurensis berries, the morphology and physiology of three different types—large berry, medium berry, and live green ovary (LGO)—in the same clusters of wine-making cultivar ‘Shuangfeng’ were monitored at different growth stages from June to September. External differences in berry development were distinguishable at 12 days after full bloom (DAF). The pedicel, berry size, fresh weight, and seed length of the medium berries were intermediate between those of large berries and LGOs. Seeds are crucial for fruit set and normal berry development. The activity levels of soluble acid invertase and cell-wall-bound acid invertase in large berries increased earlier, at 18 DAF, than the accumulation of sugar. Abscisic acid concentrations in medium berries and LGOs were greater than that in large berries at 18 DAF. The greater endogenous indole-3-acetic acid concentration in the medium berries compared with LGOs might protect the former from abscission.

SummaryThilachium madagascariense Fici, a small tree characterised by 1-foliolate leaves with articulate petioles, leaf blades elliptic or narrowly obovate with base attenuate and apex acuminate, flowers in groups of 2 – 3 at the top of lateral twigs and a high number of stamens, is described and illustrated from forest habitats of eastern Madagascar. The new species is similar to T. laurifolium Baker, a species endemic to central and eastern Madagascar, differing in the longer leaves with acuminate apex, flowers conferted at the top of lateral twigs, shorter pedicels, higher number of stamens and shorter gynophore. Its affinities are discussed and an updated key is provided for all the species of the genus Thilachium.

Echeveria islasiae is proposed as new species, a plant collected near the town of Olinala in the state of Guerrero, Mexico. Its morphological characteristics such as few-flowered cincinnate inflorescences and an elongate corolla with greenish apex relate it with the taxa of ser. Longistylae. Conversely, it differs from the other taxa of the series by having narrower, dark green, oblanceolate-spatulate to cymbiform leaves that are somewhat triquetrous at the apex, deep red floral peduncles and pedicels, the corolla pink colored at the middle, and the absence of appendages at the sides of the epipetalous filaments. A first effort to build a reference library for DNA barcoding shows two diagnostic nucleotides which differentiate the new species from related taxa, one in the matK chloroplast region and one in the ITS2 nuclear region.

Thanasimus substriatus (Gebler) (Coleoptera: Cleridae) is an important predator of bark beetles (Scolytidae) and has been used in China for the biological control of the larch bark beetle, Ips subelongatus Motschulsky, and the spruce bark beetle, Ips typographus L. In this study, the number, external morphology, and distribution of antennal sensilla of T. substriatus were determined using scanning electron microscopy. The capitate antennae of both sexes consist of the scape, pedicel, and 9 flagellomeres. Two types of sensilla chaetica (SC1 and SC2), 2 types of sensilla trichodea (ST1 and ST2), 3 types of sensilla basiconica (SB1, SB2, SB3), and Böhm's bristles (BB) were identified according to the morphology and fine structure of each type of sensilla in both sexes. No differences in shape, structure, sensilla distribution, and typology were observed between the sexes. The density of sensilla was greater on the last 3 than on the first 8 segments. SC1 and SC2 occurred on all antennal segments in both sexes. SB1 were located only on the last 5 segments of the antennae. SB2 and SB3 were found only on the last 3 segments of the antennae and were absent on the first 8 segments in both sexes. ST1 and ST2 were absent from the scape and pedicel. BB only occurred on the scape and pedicel. The distal antennal sensilla of T. substriatus had notably more sensilla than proximal ones in type and number, indicating this is the main area to detect environmental stimuli for feeding or oviposition.

Begonia shenzhenensis D.K.Tian & X.Yun Wang, sp. nov., a new species in Begonia sect. Platycentrum of Begoniaceae from Shenzhen of Guangdong province, China, is described and illustrated. Morphologically, it is primarily similar to B. coelocentroides in the same section but differs by its denser hairs on leaf, petiole, and pedicel, abtuse anther apex, hairy ovary, and narrower adaxial fruit wing. Based on only one small population found to date, its conservation status is assigned to Critical Endangered according to the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria.

Lilium (lily) is known as an important cut flower whose quality and ornamental value may be negatively affected by deficit irrigation (DI); however, the adverse effects of DI could be alleviated by exogenous application of 24-epibrassinolide (EBR). Therefore, we conducted the present research to study the effects of different levels of soil water content (SWC) [100% (full irrigation), 75% (low DI), 50% (moderate DI), and 25% (severe DI)] and foliar spray of EBR (0.0, 0.75 and 1.5 μM) on certain morpho-physiological characteristics of Lilium “Fangio” (LA hybrid, Longiflorum x Asiatic). Different levels of DI were observed to alter lily’s morphological characteristics, affecting biochemical and physiological indices. Severe DI reduced plant height (11.11%), pedicel length (33.51%), and flower number (13.57%) while it increased the accumulation of proline (115.78%), electrolyte leakage (EL; 79.68%), and malondialdehyde (MDA; 40.35%) content. It also increased the water use efficiency (WUE; 135.59%) and saved water (66.7%). Foliar application of EBR significantly decreased the content of MDA (32.87%), on top of enhancing proline content (37.03%) and WUE (20.25%). The application of EBR (1.5 μM) on water stressed lily plants resulted in the improvement of chlorophyll content (41.46%) and activities of antioxidant enzymes (CAT and APX). Our results confirmed that applying irrigation at 75% SWC could reduce water inputs without affecting the ornamental value of lily. Overall, lily showed a moderate level of tolerance to water deficit by various mechanisms, such as a decrease of morphological parameters, maintenance of physiological function, an increase in WUE, and accumulation of osmolytes and enzymatic antioxidants. It could be concluded that severe water stress has to be avoided throughout the growing season of lilies, and if a foliar spray of EBR is used for the modulation and alleviation of the detrimental effects of drought stress, only moderate deficits are acceptable.

New species in the genus Capillipedium Stapf is described and illustrated from Amarkantak hills of Madhya Pradesh, India. New species is similar to Capillipedium assimile (Steud.) A.Camus and C. nagense Bor but mainly diverges by having 4–6 cm panicle, 2–2.5 cm racemes, about 11–13 pairs of sessile and pedicelled spikelets in each raceme; joints and pedicels without translucent groove, 2–2.5 mm sessile spikelets and 3–3.2 mm pedicelled spikelets. A taxonomic key for genus Capillipedium in India is given to facilitate easy identification of species.

Collections of microfungi on bamboo and grasses in Thailand revealed an interesting species morphologically resembling Lophiostoma, but which can be distinguished from the latter based on multi-locus phylogeny. In this paper, a new genus, Sublophiostoma is introduced to accommodate the taxon, S. thailandica sp. nov. Phylogenetic analyses using combined ITS, LSU, RPB2, SSU, and TEF sequences demonstrate that six strains of the new species form a distinct clade within Pleosporales, but cannot be assigned to any existing family. Therefore, a new family Sublophiostomataceae (Pleosporales) is introduced to accommodate the new genus. The sexual morph of Sublophiostomataceae is characterized by subglobose to hemisphaerical, ostiolate ascomata, with crest-like openings, a peridium with cells of textura angularis to textura epidermoidea, cylindric-clavate asci with a bulbous or foot-like narrow pedicel and a well-developed ocular chamber, and hyaline, fusiform, 1-septate ascospores surrounded by a large mucilaginous sheath. The asexual morph (coelomycetous) of the species are observed on culture media.

Vellozia inselbergae Mello-Silva ex Andr.Cabral, a new species of Velloziaceae endemic to the Atlantic Forest inselbergs in the Brazilian state of Bahia, is here described. The new species is morphologically similar to Vellozia armata and Vellozia luteola, putatively belonging to the same clade, but is distinguished from them mainly by the longer pedicel, cylindrical-ellipsoid hypanthium, white and larger tepals, stamen number, longer anthers and style, and larger capsules. Detailed morphological and anatomical descriptions, illustration and photographic plates, distribution map, and conservation status of Vellozia inselbergae are provided.

Ligustrum fengjieense (Oleaceae), a new species from Fengjie County, Chongqing, China, is described and illustrated. It is morphologically similar to L. pricei and L. expansum, but it can be distinguished by its extremely long pedicels and purple anthers. Color photographs, conservation assessments and taxonomical notes are provided.

Viola huizhouensis (Violaceae), a new species from Xiangtoushan National Nature Reserve of Guangdong Province in China, is described and illustrated. The new species is most similar to V. guangzhouensis, but it can be easily distinguished by its much stouter rhizome, lack of aerial stem, dense pubescence of the basal pedicel and the whole plant. Our phylogenetic analysis, based on ITS sequences, confirms that the new species belongs to V. sect. Diffusae.

Elucidating the biochemical and molecular basis of premature abscission in fruit crops should help develop strategies to enhance fruit set and yield. Here, we report that LcERF2 contributes to differential abscission rates and responses to ethylene in Litchi chinensis (litchi). Reduced LcERF2 expression in litchi was observed to reduce fruit abscission, concurrent with enhanced pedicel growth and increased levels of hexoses, particularly galactose, as well as pectin abundance in the cell wall. Ecoptic expression of LcERF2 in Arabidopsis thaliana caused enhanced petal abscission, together with retarded plant growth and reduced pedicel galactose and pectin contents. Transcriptome analysis indicated that LcERF2 modulates the expression of genes involved in cell wall modification. Yeast one-hybrid, dual-luciferase reporter and electrophoretic mobility shift assays all demonstrated that a UDP-glucose-4-epimerase gene (LcUGE) was the direct downstream target of LcERF2. This result was further supported by a significant reduction in the expression of the A. thaliana homolog AtUGE2-4 in response to LcERF2 overexpression. Significantly reduced pedicel diameter and enhanced litchi fruit abscission were observed in response to LcUGE silencing. We conclude that LcERF2 mediates fruit abscission by orchestrating cell wall metabolism, and thus pedicel growth, in part by repressing the expression of LcUGE.

A new species in the Lauraceae, Litsea manilaliana Robi & Udayan, is described and illustrated from the Wagamon hills in India. The new species is similar to L. gorayana, from which it differs by its densely lenticellate branchlets, its elliptic leaves with cuneate base, obtuse apex and pale-glaucous undersurface, its adaxially flat midrib, its 5–7 pairs of lateral veins with abaxially prominent, scalariform-reticulate intercostae, its brachyblasts with 4–8 umbels, its umbels with 4 fragrant flowers, its ovate-oblong or oblong, gland-dotted, glabrous tepals, its slightly curved style, its globose ovary, its obovoid fruits with beaked apex and its glabrous fruiting pedicel.

Geranium aedonianum sp. nov. collected from Panikhar village of Kargil district, Ladakh, India belonging to subg. Geranium, is described and illustrated. It differs from other closely allied species: Geranium collinum, G. himalayense and G. strictipes by the obtrullate-obtriangular leaf segments that are narrower at base and with fewer lobes, longer pedicels, staminal filament whitish having broad base tapering smoothly towards apex and glandular hairs along the margins on upper part and its longer fruits.

Pseudotorymus jaapiellae is an important ectoparasitoid of the larvae of Gephyraulus lycantha, a serious gall-forming pest that devastates wolfberry, Lycium barbarum, in Northwest China. To provide requisite background for our ongoing research on the mechanisms of P. jaapiellae's host location and subsequent oviposition, we used scanning electron microscopy to describe the external morphologies and distributions of sensilla on their antennae and ovipositors. The geniculate antennae of both male and female P. jaapiellae were each composed of a scape with a basal radiculum, a pedicel, an anellum and a flagellum. We identified nine morphological sensilla types on the antennae of both sexes, including three sensilla trichodea (ST), one sensillum basiconicum (SB), two sensilla chaetica (SCh), one sensillum placodeum (SP), one sensillum coeloconicum (SCo), and one sensillum campaniformia (SCa). Females had significantly more ST I and SP than males had, but males had more ST III than did females. We observed six types of sensilla on the ovipositor, including three ST, one SB, and two SCa. ST II, ST IV and SB II were on the sheath, whereas ST V and the SCa were on the stylus. Finally, the possible biological functions of these sensilla were discussed according to their morphology and ultrastructure. These results provide an important basis for further study on chemical communication between P. jaapiellae and their host, and contribute to the development of a biological control program for G. lycantha, using the parasitoid, P. jaapiellae.

A line × tester analysis was conducted to assets the heterosis, heterobeltiosis and economic heterosis of sixty F1’s by crossing 12 lines/females and 5 testers/males of diverse parents for fourteen viable economical traits in Papaver somniferum L. The analysis of variance concluded that parents vs hybrids contrast were recorded only 50% significant for the characters and rest non-significant for the traits like days to flowering (50%), no. of leaves/plant, pedicel length, no. of capsule/plant, Seed yield, dry husk capsule and codeine alkaloid content (%) indicated, existence of plentiful variability among parents and crosses for all the characters studied. The investigational result revealed that hybrids L10×T2, L10×T5, L12×T3 and L12×T4 exhibited the best heterosis over better as well as economic parent both for more than one traits, namely- no. of capsule, capsule index, seed yield (g/plant), dry husk yield (g/plant), morphine, codeine, thebaine, papervine and nosacapine alkaloid content (%) in desirable direction. Therefore, these promising crosses can be recommended for exploitation of heterosis to obtain appropriate segregants for crop improvement program in opium poppy.

The jute mallow (C. olitorius L.) is an important nutritious green leafy vegetable in the tropical region of Africa. This study assesses the extent of genetic diversity and intra-specific relationships among 16 cultivated jute mallows of Nigeria (14), [Ghana (1) and Togo (1), used as checks, evaluating 16 dark jute SSR markers and 16 morphological traits (quantitative and qualitative). The study reveals moderate to high variation among the cultivars in the number of pods, pod yield and plant height traits. Based on the principal component (PC) analysis of the quantitative traits, the pod length, pod width, number of pods, pod yield and plant height are important traits composing PC1. On the other hand, the pod pedicel length and days of 50% flowering traits are highly correlated variables in PC2. Pod length, pod width, pod pedicel length and plant height account for the total diversity. Two main groups (I and II) and an outgroup are identified among the 16 cultivars based on the quantitative traits. among the cultivars, leaf shapes identified are ovate (38% of cultivars), lanceolate (6%), oblanceolate (25%) and palmately lobed (31%). Three markers which have monomorphic alleles are excluded and thirteen markers are used to analyse the genetic diversity. A total of 41 alleles are amplified using the 13 polymorphic markers with an average of 2.75 per locus. The mean polymorphism information content (PIC) value is 0.42, ranging from 0.06 to 0.73. The mean gene diversity or expected heterozygosity = 0.05 (from 0.06 to 0.76). The observed heterozygosity (Ho) ranges from 0.00 to 0.88, with a mean of 0.60. The mean genetic dissimilarity is 0.35. Thus, the SSR data indicate a moderate genetic dissimilarity within jute mallow under study. Clustering using the neighbour-joining dendrogram predicated on the SSR data separates the cultivars into three major groups in which the two cultivars from Ghana and Togo show distinctiveness from the cultivars from Nigeria. Principal coordinate analysis of SSR data is consistent with neighbour-joining groupings. The study based on a set of dark jute markers and morphological traits reveals that the extent of genetic diversity of cultivated jute mallow and could be used in germplasm evaluation. In addition to the knowledge of the high genetic variability observed in the number of pod and the yield of some of the studied cultivars, further efforts are needed to characterise the cultivar pods’ nutritive values for human health.

The plants of the Papaveraceae family are used for ornamental purposes because of their varicolored flowers, and are known as medicinal crops. Some species of poppy are used in foods such as salads or sorbets, utilizing the seeds, leaves, pedicels, and petals. There are several morphological similarities among the species of this family, which make it difficult to distinguish the seeds of different species or identify opium poppies. The family is known to contain about 100 species. The leaves of Iceland poppy (Papaver nudicaule) cultivars with five different flower colors (white, yellow, pink, orange, and scarlet) were sequenced to obtain transcriptome data. Sequencing was done on plants in three different developmental growth stages (leaf rosette, branching and elongation of internodes, and blossom and seed formation). Systematic bioinformatics analysis was conducted to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) unique to the five Papaver nudicaule cultivars and two other Papaver species (Papaver rhoeas and Papaver somniferum). A 739-Mb reference transcriptome (94.6% BUSCO completeness score) from a 566-Gb RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq) dataset was obtained. Likewise, 18 significant SNPs were identified to authenticate the three species and five cultivars of Papaver. This study will facilitate future Papaver research, including evaluation of the results for more detailed characterization.

Polyalthia debilis (Annonaceae), a widespread species in Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam, is recircumscribed by morphological reappraisal. Three heterotypic synonyms of Polyalthia debilis, viz. Popowia cambodica, Popowia cambodica var. canaensis, and Unona dubia differ from Polyalthia debilis and from each other by different combinations of the following traits: plant height, leaf blade size, petiole length, flowering pedicel length, inner and outer petal size, number of carpels per flower, number of ovules per ovary, and stipe length. Consequently, each heterotypic synonym deserves recognition as a separate species. Polyalthia cambodica comb. nov. and Polyalthia canaensis comb. et stat. nov. are accordingly made; and Polyalthia suthepensis, a replacement name for Unona dubia, is proposed because the name Polyalthia dubia pre-exists. A key to Polyalthia debilis, Polyalthia cambodica, Polyalthia canaensis, and Polyalthia suthepensis is provided.

A new species belonging to Pluteus sect. Celluloderma with specimens collected in Artvin Province, Black Sea region, northeastern Turkey, is described as Pluteus anatolicus sp. nov. based on morphological characteristics and molecular data (nrITS). The new species was found in Fagus orientalis forests and is mainly characterized by a terrestrial habit, small-sized basidiomata, cracking pileus surface depressed at the center, broadly ellipsoid to ellipsoid basidiospores, narrowly utriform to narrowly fusiform or fusiform pleurocystidia with obtuse or subcapitate apex and sometimes with elongated pedicel, narrowly clavate to clavate cheilocystidia, absence of caulocystidia and pileipellis elements predominantly with a broadly mucronate apex and long pedicel. A comprehensive description and illustrations are provided, with its phylogenetic placement based on ITS also evaluated and including comparison to morphologically similar taxa and phylogenetically related species.

Abscission of plant organs is induced by developmental signals and diverse environmental stimuli and involves multiple regulatory networks, including biotic or abiotic stress-impaired auxin flux in the abscission zone (AZ). Depletion of auxin activates AZ ethylene (ETH) production and triggers acceleration of abscission, a process that requires hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). However, the interaction between these networks and the underlying mechanisms that control abscission are poorly understood. Here, we found that expression of tonoplast intrinsic proteins, which belong to the aquaporin (AQP) family in the AZ was important for tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) pedicel abscission. Liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry and in situ hybridization revealed that SlTIP1;1 was most abundant and specifically present in the tomato pedicel AZ. SlTIP1;1 localized in the plasma membrane and tonoplast. Knockout of SlTIP1;1 resulted in delayed abscission, whereas overexpression of SlTIP1;1 accelerated abscission. Further analysis indicated that SlTIP1;1 mediated abscission via gating of cytoplasmic H2O2 concentrations and osmotic water permeability (Pf). Elevated cytoplasmic levels of H2O2 caused a suppressed auxin signal in the early abscission stage and enhanced ETH production during abscission. Furthermore, we found that increasing Pf was required to enhance the turgor pressure to supply the break force for AZ cell separation. Moreover, we observed that SlERF52 bound directly to the SlTIP1;1 promoter to regulate its expression, demonstrating a positive loop in which cytoplasmic H2O2 activates ETH production, which activates SlERF52. This, in turn, induces SlTIP1;1, which leads to elevated cytoplasmic H2O2 and water influx.

Euphorbia thymifolia (Euphorbiaceae) is a prostrate herb, distinguished from similar species by the combination of serrate leaf margin, puberulous ovary/fruit with capitate styles and pedicel not accrescent in fruit, splitting the involucre of the cyathia during maturation. In this paper we present the first record of E. thymifolia for the state of Acre, in Alto Juruá region, municipality of Cruzeiro do Sul, in a residential sidewalk crack habitat (07°36′58″S, 072°41′14.12″W WGS84). We also comment on its habitat and distribution, and include comparisons with commonly misidentified related species.

Xylem water transport from the parent plant plays a crucial role in fruit growth, development, and the determination of quality. Attempts have been made to partition the hydraulic resistance of the pathway over the course of development, but no consensus has been reached. Furthermore, the issue has not been addressed in the context of changing plant and fruit water status under water deficit conditions. In this study, we have conducted a rigorous investigation into the developmental changes that occur in the hydraulic properties of tomato fruits and their pedicels under well-irrigated and water deficit conditions, based on hydraulic measurements, fruit rehydration, dye-tracing, light and electron microscopy, and flow modeling. We found that a decline in water transport capacity during development did not occur in the xylem pathway leading up to the fruit, but within the fruit itself, where the effect might reside either inside or outside of the xylem pathway. The developmental pattern of the hydraulic resistance of the xylem pathway was not significantly influenced by water deficit. The changes in xylem flow between the fruit and the parent plant resulting from the reduced driving force under water deficit could explain the reduced accumulation of water in the fruit. This study provides new insights that aid our understanding of xylem water transport in fleshy fruits and its sensitivity to water deficit from a hydraulic perspective.