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Metopius soror Chiu, 1962 was originally described based on a single female. This study reports the host record of M. soror on Nyctemera albofasciata (Wileman, 1911) for the first time and female oviposition behavior on the larva of N. adversata (Schaller, 1788). We also provide the first description of the male of M. soror.

Flowering phenology of alpine plant communities and seasonal dynamics of flower visitors have been scarcely studied in the tropical/subtropical alpine regions. We report flowering phenology, flower production, and flower-visiting insects in the alpine site of central Taiwan. Throughout the research period (2017–2018), we recorded flowering phenology of 130 plant species, flower production of 81 species, and 15,127 insects visiting alpine flowers. Most of the alpine plants were visited by dipteran insects and/or hymenopteran insects. The seasonal patterns of flowering were more apparent in bee-visited plants compared to fly-visited plants in which the flowering of bee-visited plants clearly increased as the season progressed. About 63% of flower visitors were dipteran insects (syrphid and non-syrphid flies), and 30% were hymenopteran insects (mostly bumble-bee workers). Although the seasonal trend in fly abundance was less clear between years, bumble-bee abundance consistently increased in the middle to late seasons, reflecting colony development. There was a positive correlation between bee abundance and the number of flowering species of bee-visited plants, but there was no correlation between fly abundance and the number of flowering species of fly-visited plants throughout the season. These results suggest that the flowering phenology of subtropical alpine communities is influenced by the seasonal availability of pollinators. Bumble bees, syrphid flies, and non-syrphid flies had wide ranges of foraging flowers, but their niche overlap was relatively small. Because cold-adapted bumble bees are threatened by climate change in Taiwan, plant–pollinator interactions may be disturbed by global warming.

Pines evolve with fire and have diverged into fire-avoiders and fire-adapters. Pine needles are resistant to microbial decomposition, and their accumulation serves as a major fuel source for forest fires. Facilitated needle decomposition reduces forest fuel loads and probably interacts with the adaptive strategies of pines. However, there is little information available regarding differences in microbiomes associated with needle decomposition of the two types of pine. In this study, we monitored the microbial communities in three compartments associated with needle decomposition, namely, fresh needles, needle litter, and humus, along altitudinal gradients at three sites of the fire-tolerator Pinus taiwanensis and one site of the fire-avoider Pinus morrisonicola in Taiwan. The humus microbiome was dominated by an overwhelming proportion of bacteria. As a reservoir of decomposers, humus bacteria accounted for > 70% of the litter communities and showed marked differences in composition between the two Pinus species, as determined by non-metric multidimensional scaling. Such differences were associated with the abundance of bacterial genes encoding lignin-degrading enzymes, which were highest in the P. morrisonicola stand. Additionally, the humus accumulating under this fire-avoider was characterized by low ammonium concentrations and lower pH compared with that under the fire-tolerator, which is indicative of conditions conducive to litter decomposition. Conclusively, our findings suggested that P. morrisonicola grows in more favorable conditions for needle decomposition compared with the habitats where the P. taiwanensis lives.

Pyrola morrisonensis, an evergreen herb in the family Ericaceae, is endemic to Taiwan. We examined mycorrhizal development and the associated fungi in this species. Nine plants were collected in a naturally regenerated forest in central Taiwan. The plants were genetically identical in their internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, and their sequences matched the known sequence for P. morrisonensis. Fine roots of each plant were colonized by mycorrhizal fungi that formed mycorrhizas either with or without fungal mantles. DNA sequences of the ITS region of these fungi suggested that they belonged to mycorrhizal taxa that are common tree symbionts. Among them, members of Thelephoraceae were the dominant taxon in the host plants. These results indicate that P. morrisonensis is intimately associated with mycorrhizal fungi that might also connect with neighboring trees.

Miscanthus in Taiwan occupies a cline along altitude and adapts to diverse environments, e.g., habitats of high salinity and volcanoes. Rhizospheric and endophytic bacteria may help Miscanthus acclimate to those stresses. The relative contributions of rhizosphere vs. endosphere compartments to the adaptation remain unknown. Here, we used targeted metagenomics to compare the microbial communities in the rhizosphere and endosphere among ecotypes of M. sinensis that dwell habitats under different stresses. Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria predominated in the endosphere. Diverse phyla constituted the rhizosphere microbiome, including a core microbiome found consistently across habitats. In endosphere, the predominance of the bacteria colonizing from the surrounding soil suggests that soil recruitment must have subsequently determined the endophytic microbiome in Miscanthus roots. In endosphere, the bacterial diversity decreased with the altitude, likely corresponding to rising limitation to microorganisms according to the species-energy theory. Specific endophytes were associated with different environmental stresses, e.g., Pseudomonas spp. for alpine and Agrobacterium spp. for coastal habitats. This suggests Miscanthus actively recruits an endosphere microbiome from the rhizosphere it influences.

This is the accepted manuscript of the paper "Breeding progress and preparedness for mass‐scale deployment of perennial lignocellulosic biomass crops switchgrass, miscanthus, willow and poplar", published as final paper in "Global Change Biology Bioenergy Volume 11, Issue 1, 08 February 2019, Pages 118–151 https://doi.org/10.1111/gcbb.12566”. Genetic improvement through breeding is one of the key approaches to increasing biomass supply. This paper documents the breeding progress to date for four perennial biomass crops (PBCs) that have high output–input energy ratios: namelyPanicum virgatum(switchgrass), species of the generaMiscanthus(miscanthus),Salix(willow) andPopulus(poplar). For each crop, we report on the size of germplasm collections, the efforts to date to phenotype and genotype, the diversity available for breeding and on the scale of breeding work as indicated by number of attempted crosses. We also report on the development of faster and more precise breeding using molecular breeding techniques. Poplar is the model tree for genetic studies and is furthest ahead in terms of biological knowledge and genetic resources. Linkage maps, transgenesis and genome editing methods are now being used in commercially focused poplar breeding. These are in development in switchgrass, miscanthus and willow generating large genetic and phenotypic data sets requiring concomitant efforts in informatics to create summaries that can be accessed and used by practical breeders. Cultivars of switchgrass and miscanthus can be seed‐based synthetic populations, semihybrids or clones. Willow and poplar cultivars are commercially deployed as clones. At local and regional level, the most advanced cultivars in each crop are at technology readiness levels which could be scaled to planting rates of thousands of hectares per year in about 5years with existing commercial developers. Investment in further development of better cultivars is subject to current market failure and the long breeding cycles. We conclude that sustained public investment in breeding plays a key role in delivering future mass‐scale deployment of PBCs.

In the past decades, human activities and extreme climate change by global warming have caused severe declines in wild populations of endemic taxa in island habitats. For example, the common wild rice, Oryza rufipogon, is wild extinction in Taiwan Island. In the glacial and post glacial period, climate change and sea level change effect the distribution of plants and animals, the different species showed variant patterns of phytogeography in the postglacial East and South Asia. Taiwan Island located at the middle of West-Pacific archipelago which have more than 20% plants are endemic species. Moreover, the high ratio of endemic species in Taiwan are evaluated as threatened species or wild extinction in the past decades because of the extreme climate change by global warming which including Cycas taitungensis, Amentotaxus formosana, Keteleeria davidiana var. formosana, Oryza rufipogon, etc. In here, we used different case studies to discuss the phytogeographic patterns of different species affected by glacial and human activities. The loss of genetic diversity bring the risk of serious evolutionary consequences, both from recent adaptations on oceanic islands and from longer-term interactions with other organisms. In this study, we used the population genetics based on molecular markers to evaluate the genetic diversity, population differentiation and species divergence. The analysis of multilocus genome-wide markers was conducted with several specific goals: (1) to evaluate the population genetic variation of the remaining wild populations, (2) to evaluate the spatial grouping and genetic hotspots of the populations based on the assignment test, (3) to identify distinct genetic units for in situ and ex situ conservation management in ecological restoration.

Background and Aims Germplasm with diverse, agronomically relevant traits forms the foundation of a successful plant breeding programme. Since 1993, the United Nations has been advocating the implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the subsequent 2002 Bonn Guidelines as international best practice on germplasm collection and use. In 2006, a European team made an expedition to Asia to collect wild germplasm of Miscanthus, a C4 perennial rhizomatous grass, for breeding an environmentally adaptable, resilient and high-yielding bioenergy crop. We outline general aspects of germplasm collection, conservation, breeding and biomass production evaluation while following the CBD’s guidelines, respecting biodiversity and conservation needs, and the ethical use of genetic resources. Methods Effective protocols, quarantine, methods for collecting seed and rhizomes, and a genebank for conservation were established. Versatile informatics and database architecture were used to assist in selection, flowering synchronization, crossing, evaluation, phenotyping and data integration. Approaches were formulated to comply with the CBD guidelines. Key Results A total of 303 accessions of M. sinensis, M. sacchariflorus and M. floridulus were collected from 158 geographically and environmentally diverse locations. These species were shown to accumulate different amounts of aerial biomass due to combinations of stem count, height and thickness. Progeny from one interspecies cross accumulated more biomass in early trials and has shown double the yield performance in years 3–4 compared with the existing commercial cultivar M. × giganteus. An example of an F1 hybrid has already demonstrated the long-term potential of exploiting this collection for a breeding programme. Conclusions By conforming to the CBD principles, the authors’ international collaboration provides a practical example of implementing the CBD. The collection widened the genetic diversity of Miscanthus available to allow for breeding of novel hybrids that exhibit more diverse traits to increase yield and resilience for growth on marginal land and in climate-challenged environments.

Young incipient species provide ideal materials for untangling the process of ecological speciation in the presence of gene flow. The Miscanthus floridulus/sinensis complex exhibits diverse phenotypic and ecological differences despite recent divergence (approximately 1.59 million years ago). To elucidate the process of genetic differentiation during early stages of ecological speciation, we analyzed genomic divergence in the Miscanthus complex using 72 randomly selected genes from a newly assembled transcriptome. In this study, rampant gene flow was detected between species, estimated as M = 3.36 × 10(-9) to 1.20 × 10(-6) , resulting in contradicting phylogenies across loci. Nevertheless, beast analyses revealed the species identity and the effects of extrinsic cohesive forces that counteracted the non-stop introgression. As expected, early in speciation with gene flow, only 3-13 loci were highly diverged; two to five outliers (approximately 2.78-6.94% of the genome) were characterized by strong linkage disequilibrium, and asymmetrically distributed among ecotypes, indicating footprints of diversifying selection. In conclusion, ecological speciation of incipient species of Miscanthus probably followed the parapatric model, whereas allopatric speciation cannot be completely ruled out, especially between the geographically isolated northern and southern M. sinensis, for which no significant gene flow across oceanic barriers was detected. Divergence between local ecotypes in early-stage speciation began at a few genomic regions under the influence of natural selection and divergence hitchhiking that overcame gene flow.

Islands isolated by oceans that act as a geographical barrier for plant migration often possess high species endemism and have been deemed as a natural laboratory for studying species divergence. Fatsia Decne. & Planch. (Araliaceae), with three species, is one of the few plant genera absent in continents while exclusively spanning continental and oceanic islands. The nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (nrITS) phylogeny uncovered a pattern with reciprocal monophyly of Fatsia oligocarpella Koidz. (Bonin) and Fatsia polycarpa Hayata (Taiwan) vs. paraphyly of Fatsia japonica (Thunb.) Decne. & Planch. (Japan and Ryukyus), suggesting ancestry of the species in Japan and a likely temperate origin; whereas, lack of monophyly of all three allopatrically distributed species at chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) trnL–trnF spacer likely resulted from lineage sorting. In spite of the limited habitats for F. oligocarpella, unexpectedly high genetic variations in this species of oceanic islands were likely attributable to multiple colonizations and recurrent gene introgression. Biogeographical analyses suggested that Fatsia likely diverged via southward colonization in Bonin Islands and Taiwan during the late Pliocene to Pleistocene. Besides, Fatsia species with an allopatric distribution provide a perfect model for testing speciation modes of insular endemics. Nonzero gene flow between species was detected based on MIGRATE and STRUCTURE analyses of DNA sequences and microsatellite fingerprints, suggesting that allopatric speciation is less likely.

The Amentotaxus argotaenia (Taxaceae) species complex is comprised of four relict and endangered gymnosperms. Amentotaxus argotaenia and A. yunnanensis are scattered throughout South and Central China, and A. formosana, and A. poilanei are restricted to Taiwan and Vietnam. In the present study, we examined genetic divergence and biogeographical patterns in the species complex based on chloroplast DNA atpI-atpH and rpS16-trnK intergenic spacers, the mitochondrial DNA nad1 intron, and microsatellite markers. Genealogical analyses revealed systematic inconsistencies between organellar DNA markers, with paraphyletic species inferred based on cpDNA, versus a monophyletic A. formosana, and clustering of A. poilanei within A. yunnanensis at mtDNA. AMOVA revealed that most organellar DNA variants resided among species and populations, a pattern also supported by clustering with STRUCTURE analyses on microsatellites. Higher levels of genetic diversity in the Yongxin population of A. argotaenia reflected features of a refugium. Most speciation events were rather recent, with divergence no earlier than 2.50 MYA, although many ancient lineages derived 4.12-13.84 MYA were maintained within species. Significant genetic structuring within A. argotaenia was detected among three geographical regions-a phylogeographical pattern likely attributable to past fragmentations. In contrast to paraphyletic A. argotaenia based on the maintenance of ancestral polymorphisms, interspecific hybridization likely contributed to polyphyly in A. yunnanensis. Furthermore, despite the low likelihood of recurrent gene flow due to geographical isolation, IM analyses revealed continued interspecific gene flow after species divergence, reflecting a parapatric speciation model.

Field trials in Europe with Miscanthus over the past 25 years have demonstrated that interspecies hybrids such as M. × giganteus (M × g) combine both high yield potentials and low inputs in a wide range of soils and climates. Miscanthus hybrids are expected to play a major role in the provision of perennial lignocellulosic biomass across much of Europe as part of a lower carbon economy. However, even with favourable policies in some European countries, uptake has been slow. M × g, as a sterile clone, can only be propagated vegetatively, which leads to high establishment costs and low multiplication rates. Consequently, a decade ago, a strategic decision to develop rapidly multiplied seeded hybrids was taken. To make progress on this goal, we have (1) harnessed the genetic diversity in Miscanthus by crossing and progeny testing thousands of parental combinations to select several candidate seed-based hybrids adapted to European environments, (2) established field scale seed production methods with annual multiplication factors >1500×, (3) developed the agronomy for establishing large stands from seed sown plug plants to reduce establishment times by a year compared to M × g, (4) trialled a range of harvest techniques to improve compositional quality and logistics on a large scale, (5) performed spatial analyses of yield potential and land availability to identify regional opportunities across Europe and doubled the area within the bio-climatic envelope, (6) considered on-farm economic, practical and environmental benefits that can be attractive to growers. The technical barriers to adoption have now been overcome sufficiently such that Miscanthus is ready to use as a low-carbon feedstock in the European bio-economy.

Gene flow between species may last a long time in plants. Reticulation inevitably causes difficulties in phylogenetic reconstruction. In this study, we looked into the genetic divergence and phylogeny of 20 Lilium species based on multilocus analyses of 8 genes of chloroplast DNA (cpDNA), the internally transcribed nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrITS) spacer and 20 loci extracted from the expressed sequence tag (EST) libraries of L. longiflorum Thunb. and L. formosanum Wallace. The phylogeny based on the combined data of the maternally inherited cpDNA and nrITS was largely consistent with the taxonomy of Lilium sections. This phylogeny was deemed the hypothetical species tree and uncovered three groups, i.e., Cluster A consisting of 4 taxa from the sections Pseudolirium and Liriotypus, Cluster B consisting of the 4 taxa from the sections Leucolirion, Archelirion and Daurolirion, and Cluster C comprising 10 taxa mostly from the sections Martagon and Sinomartagon. In contrast, systematic inconsistency occurred across the EST loci, with up to 19 genes (95%) displaying tree topologies deviating from the hypothetical species tree. The phylogenetic incongruence was likely attributable to the frequent genetic exchanges between species/sections, as indicated by the high levels of genetic recombination and the IMa analyses with the EST loci. Nevertheless, multilocus analysis could provide complementary information among the loci on the species split and the extent of gene flow between the species. In conclusion, this study not only detected frequent gene flow among Lilium sections that resulted in phylogenetic incongruence but also reconstructed a hypothetical species tree that gave insights into the nature of the complex relationships among Lilium species.

Postglacial climate changes alter geographical distributions and diversity of species. Such ongoing changes often force species to migrate along the latitude/altitude. Altitudinal gradients represent assemblage of environmental, especially climatic, variable factors that influence the plant distributions. Global warming that triggered upward migrations has therefore impacted the alpine plants on an island. In this study, we examined the genetic structure of Juniperus morrisonicola, a dominant alpine species in Taiwan, and inferred historical, demographic dynamics based on multilocus analyses. Lower levels of genetic diversity in north indicated that populations at higher latitudes were vulnerable to climate change, possibly related to historical alpine glaciers. Neither organellar DNA nor nuclear genes displayed geographical subdivisions, indicating that populations were likely interconnected before migrating upward to isolated mountain peaks, providing low possibilities of seed/pollen dispersal across mountain ranges. Bayesian skyline plots suggested steady population growth of J. morrisonicola followed by recent demographic contraction. In contrast, most lower-elevation plants experienced recent demographic expansion as a result of global warming. The endemic alpine conifer may have experienced dramatic climate changes over the alternation of glacial and interglacial periods, as indicated by a trend showing decreasing genetic diversity with the altitudinal gradient, plus a fact of upward migration.

Summary Asian rice, Oryza sativa, consists of two major subspecies, indica and japonica, which are physiologically differentiated and adapted to different latitudes. Genes for photoperiod sensitivity are likely targets of selection along latitude. We examined the footprints of natural and artificial selections for four major genes of the photoperiod pathway, namely PHYTOCHROME B (PhyB), HEADING DATE 1 (Hd1), HEADING DATE 3a (Hd3a), and EARLY HEADING DATE 1 (Ehd1), by investigation of the patterns of nucleotide polymorphisms in cultivated and wild rice. Geographical subdivision between tropical and subtropical O. rufipogon was found for all of the photoperiod genes in plants divided by the Tropic of Cancer (TOC). All of these genes, except for PhyB, were characterized by the existence of clades that split a long time ago and that corresponded to latitudinal subdivisions, and revealed a likely diversifying selection. Ssp. indica showed close affinity to tropical O. rufipogon for all genes, while ssp. japonica, which has a much wider range of distribution, displayed complex patterns of differentiation from O. rufipogon, which reflected various agricultural needs in relation to crop yield. In japonica, all genes, except Hd3a, were genetically differentiated at the TOC, while geographical subdivision occurred at 31°N in Hd3a, probably the result of varying photoperiods. Many other features of the photoperiod genes revealed domestication signatures, which included high linkage disequilibrium (LD) within genes, the occurrence of frequent and recurrent non-functional Hd1 mutants in cultivated rice, crossovers between subtropical and tropical alleles of Hd1, and significant LD between Hd1 and Hd3a in japonica and indica.

Ludwigia, a genus with rampant interspecific hybridization, is an ideal model for examining the impact of gene introgression and polyploidization on species diversification. We examined the evolution of the Ludwigia sect. Isnardia, which is a polyploid complex (x = 8) of five species distributed in North America. The phylogeny of L. sect. Isnardia was reconstructed based on sequences of cpDNA atpB-rbcL intergenic spacer and nrITS (internal transcribed spacer). Most L. sect. Isnardia species are polyphyletic at both loci, indicating possible recurrent hybridization, based on maximum likelihood trees rooted at L. sect. Microcarpium. A minimum spanning network was also constructed to examine genealogical relationships among haplotypes. In the cpDNA network, haplotypes of tetraploid L. spathulata are nested at the most interior nodes, suggesting a parental genome origin of an extinct diploid or an unsampled extant diploid with a DD cytotype. Allopolyploid L. arcuata contributed its cpDNA to hexaploid L. repens and L. brevipes. ITS haplotypes of diploid L. palustris were clustered with L. spathulata, suggesting L. palustris as the paternal genome donor. Ludwigia brevipes may have arisen via bi-directional hybridization between L. palustris and L. arcuata followed by polyploidy. Genetic and phylogenetic analyses using molecular markers with different inheritance modes provided sufficient insights into the reticulate evolution of the species of L. sect. Isnardia. Interspecific hybridization and polyploidy play a key role in the species evolution in L. sect. Isnardia.

Scutellaria austrotaiwanensis is a new species first described in 1997. It is a rare and endemic species in southern Taiwan. In this study, 16 polymorphic microsatellite loci were isolated from Scutellaria austrotaiwanensis using a magnetic bead enrichment method. Several genetic indices, including observed heterozygosity (Ho), expected heterozygosity (He), number of effective alleles (Ne), and polymorphism information content (PIC), were calculated. Deviation of heterozygosity was detected by the fixation index (Fis) and Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium was tested by possibilities (P HWE) using a chi-squared test. Allele numbers ranged from 4 to 8, with observed heterozygosity ranging from 0.611 to 1.000. Five microsatellite markers showed deficient heterozygosity by Fis > 0. No loci exhibited a departure from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium, possibly due to a stable population. No loci pairs revealed significant linkage disequilibrium. The microsatellite markers reported here should be useful to evaluate the population structure of S. austrotaiwanensis for conservation efforts.

Miscanthus sinensis (Poaceae) is typical of many dominant grasses of East Asia. Due to its characteristics of fast growth and high biomass, Miscanthus, a C4 plant, has been long explored for the potential usage as biofuel. In this study, we described the development of nine microsatellite loci from M. sinensis for genetic studies. These new markers were tested in 25 individuals of five populations in three varieties. The number of alleles ranged from 3 to 8. The expected (H E) and observed (H O) heterozygosities were 0.37–0.78 and 0.05–0.52, respectively. All microsatellite loci are significantly deviated from Hardy–Weinberg expectations likely due to the population structure within samples. Linkage disequilibrium between four loci pairs were observed from the total 36 pairwise comparisons of loci. Cross-species transferability revealed that all loci can be applied to its closely related species, M. floridulus.

Solanum is a large and morphologically diverse genus comprising almost 75% of the species in the family Solanaceae. Twenty species were recorded in Taiwan. Solanum miyakojimense Yamazaki & Takushi was published in 1991 as an endemic species in Miyako Islands, Ryukyu. A careful examination of herbarium collections supplemented by field studies confirmed the occurrence of this species in Lanyu, Taiwan. In this report we provide the description, line drawings, and colored photographs taken from the natural habitat to aid in identification of this species.

Rubus, comprising about 700 species in the world, is a large genus of the family Rosaceae. Thirty-five species and four additional varieties were recorded in the 2nd edition of Flora of Taiwan. In the course of our botanical inventory, Rubus amphidasys Focke, heretofore unknown in Taiwan, was collected from northern part of the island. Rubus amphidasys is easily distinguished from other congenors by having a mixture of densely bristly hairs and glandular hairs on branches and calyx. In addition, small prickles are rarely found on its stems. In this report we provide a description, line drawings, and colored photographs taken from the wild to aid in identification.

Chloranthus, a genus of the Chloranthaceae, comprises about 18 species in the world. In addition to the previously recorded C. oldhami in Taiwan, C. henryi is a new addition to the flora. It is easy to distinguish C. oldhami from C. henryi by the shape of stamen apices, and the existence or absence of styles. In the present work, a key to distinguish the genus Chloranthus in Taiwan, a line drawing, photographs, and distribution of C. henryi are provided.

In recent years we have witnessed the naturalization of many alien species of Asteraceae in Taiwan. In this report we document the recent naturalization of the Neotropical Austroeupatorium inulifolium (Kunth) R. M. King & H. Rob. at 1,300-1,400 m altitudes in the Central Mountain Range of Taiwan. We provide a description, a line drawing, and photographs to aid in identification.

According to the most recent monograph of the genus Deparia, Deparia petersenii is a species in the section Athyriopsis, which is one of the four sections of the genus Deparia. Because few diploids have been reported in the section Athyriopsis, no studies attempting to deduce how polyploid Athyriopsis species have originated have been conducted. We report here on the genetic structure and relationships of diploid D. petersenii, which is a new cytotype we discovered in Taiwan. Although the diploid populations have extensive morphological variation, the results of isozyme analysis indicate that the diploid plants belong to a single biological species. We examined the genetic relationship between the diploids and the other cytotypes (tetraploid and hexaploid) by sequencing variable chloroplast DNA regions (rbcL and ndhF). Two major haplotypes found in the diploids were shared with some of the tetraploids. Therefore, we concluded that the tetraploid D. petersenii has evolved from the diploid at least twice. T...

Burmannia comprises ca. 63 species and is one of the largest genera of the Burmanniaceae. Three species were recorded in the 2nd edition of Flora of Taiwan. In the course of our botanical inventory, Burmannia cryptopetala Makino was found in the northern and northeastern Taiwan, representing a new record species on this island. Burmannia cryptopetala is easily distinguished from other congeners by having perianth-tube 3-winged, and inner perianth-lobes lacking or inconspicuous. In this report we provide description, line drawing, and colored photographs taken from the natural habitat to aid in identification.

Amentotaxus, a genus of the Taxaceae, represents an ancient lineage that has long existed in Eurasia. All Amentotaxus species experienced frequent population expansion and contraction over periodical glaciations in Tertiary and Quaternary. Among them, Amentotaxus argotaenia complex consists of three morphologically alike species, A. argotaenia, Amentotaxus yunnanensis, and Amentotaxus formosana. This complex is distributed in the subtropical region of mainland China and Taiwan where many Pleistocene refugia have been documented. In this study, genetic diversity and population structuring within and between species were investigated based on the inter-simple sequence repeats (ISSR) fingerprinting. Mean genetic diversity within populations was estimated in three ways: (1) the percentage of polymorphic loci out of all loci (P) (2) Nei's unbiased expected heterozygosity (He), and (3) Shannon's index of phenotypic diversity. For a total of 310 individuals of 15 populations sampled from the three species, low levels of ISSR genetic variation within populations were detected, with P=4.66-16.58%, He=0.0176-0.0645 and Hpop=0.0263-0.0939, agreeing with their seriously threatened status. AMOVA analyses revealed that the differences between species only accounted for 27.38% of the total variation, whereas differences among populations and within populations were 57.70 and 14.92%, respectively, indicating substantial isolation between the patch-like populations. A neighbor-joining tree identified a close affinity between A. yunnanensis and A. formosana. Genetic drift due to small population size, plus limited current gene flow, resulted in significant genetic structuring. Low levels of intra-populational genetic variation and considerable inter-populational divergence were also attributable to demographic bottlenecks during and/or after the Pleistocene glaciations.

Asystasia gangetica (L.) T. Anderson subsp. micrantha (Nees) Ensermu, an Acanthaceae species native in Africa, India and Sri Lanka, has been recently found naturalized in the southern Taiwan. The naturalization of A. gangetica subsp. micrantha adds a new element to the flora of this island. Asystasia is easily distinguished from other genera of the Acanthaceae by corolla being zygomorphic, 4 stamens, 4-seeded and distinctly stipitate capsule. A. gangetica subsp. micrantha is characterized by ovate to oval leaves, and white flowers. This paper provides description of the genus and species, line drawing, and photographs.

Persicaria capitata (Buchanan-Hamilton ex D. Don) H. Gross, a species of the Polygonaceae widespread in mainland China and neighboring countries, has recently naturalized at ca. 2,000 m altitude in central Taiwan. Morphologically, P. capitata resembles P. chinensis, both belonging to section Cephalophilon, but can be easily distinguished from P. chinensis by accrescent and fleshy perianth in fruit. This paper provides a description of the species, line drawings, and color photographs to aid in identification.

Semiaquilegia adoxoides (DC.) Makino, a native species of the Ranunculaceae distributed in mainland China, western Japan, and South Korea, has recently been found in central Taiwan, adding a new record for this genus and species to the flora of this island. Semiaquilegia can be easily distinguished from other genera of the Ranunculaceae by its actinomorphic flowers, distinct petals, and free carpels. This paper provides descriptions of the genus and species, line drawing, and color photos.

In order to elucidate the past distribution and colonization routes of broad-leaved evergreen (lucidophyllous) forests, we investigated the intraspecific phylogeographic patterns of lucidophyllous forests in Japan and surrounding areas. We selected 6 component species with a similar geographic distributions growing in Castanopsis-dominant forests. We defined possible important refugia during the glacial periods as the regions rich in rare haplotypes (with a frequency of 5% or less), or as regions rich in the number of common haplotypes (with a frequency of more than 5%). We then located the sites of refuge by comparing the intraspecific phylogeographic patterns among 6 component species of lucidophyllous forests with respect to these two parameters (i.e., haplotype uniqueness and the number of haplotypes). The following results were obtained during the course of this study: (1) rare haplotypes were distributed among islands around the main islands of Japan; (2) rare subtypes and the greatest numbers of common haplotypes were observed in Kyushu, a finding which agreed with fossilized pollen data demonstrative of the past existence of refugia in southern Kyushu; and (3) rare haplotypes were found on the Muroto Peninsula, and the second greatest numbers of common haplotypes were observed on the Kii Peninsula, a finding which suggested the existence of additional important refugia along the Pacific coast of Japan during the glacial ages.

Laportea, comprising ca. 22 species, is a genus of the Urticaceae. Two species were previously recorded in the 2nd edition of Flora of Taiwan. In the course of our botanical inventory, one additional weedy species, namely Laportea aestuans (L.) Chew, was found in the central Taiwan. Morphologically, L. aestuans is closely related to L. interrupta (L.) Chew by sharing ovate leaves. Branched racemes of L. aestuans are distinct from the unbranched racemes of L. interrupta. Laportea aestuans is a species mainly distributed at low elevations in central Taiwan.

Molecular Ecology Resources Editorial Office : 6270 University Blvd, Vancouver,BCV6T1Z4, Canada; International audience; This article documents the addition of 139 microsatellite marker loci and 90 pairs of single-nucleotide polymorphism sequencing primers to the Molecular Ecology Resources Database. Loci were developed for the following species: Aglaoctenus lagotis, Costus pulverulentus, Costus scaber, Culex pipiens, Dascyllus marginatus, Lupinus nanus Benth, Phloeomyzus passerini, Podarcis muralis, Rhododendron rubropilosum Hayata var. taiwanalpinum and Zoarces viviparus. These loci were cross-tested on the following species: Culex quinquefasciatus, Rhododendron pseudochrysanthum Hay. ssp. morii (Hay.) Yamazaki and R. pseudochrysanthum Hayata. This article also documents the addition of 48 sequencing primer pairs and 90 allele-specific primers for Engraulis encrasicolus.

Myosotis arvensis (L.) Hill (Boraginaceae), a species native in the Europe, was naturalized recently in the northeast Taiwan. The introduction of M. arvensis adds a new element for both the genus and the species to the floristic composition of this island. Myosotis closely resembles Trigonotis, but can be easily distinguished from the latter and other genera of the Boraginaceae by having smooth and biconvex nutlets. This paper provides description of the genus and the species, line drawing, and color photos.