Journal of University of Chinese Academy of Sciences

The Major Types of Caryopses of the Chinese Gramineae in Relation to Systematics

Wang Shi-Jin, Kuo Pen-Chao, Li Jian-Hua

1986, 24 (5): 327-345.

Abstract ( 0 )

Examinations were made on the morphology of caryopses of 324 grass species re-

presenting over 109 genera and 31 tribes. The evolutionary tendency of the important characte-

ristics and the relation with distribution areas and habitats are discussed. According to the

shape of caryopses, the morphology of ventral faces and hilum, the proportion of embryos to

caryopses in size, the existence or absence of the top fine hairs, the persistence or shedding of

styles, the size of fruits and especially the outline of the middle cross section, etc., the caryopses

may be divided into three major types and seven subtypes: Bambusoid (including True Bambusoid,

Arundinoid, Oryzoid, Stipoid), Panicoid (including True Panicoid, Eragrostoid) and Pooid

(including the Subtype Pooid only). In this study, the different types of caryopses are found to

be correlated with the characteristics of embryos, seedlings, habits and chromosomes, and on

these grounds, the genera of the Gramineae are grouped into seven corresponding subfamilies:

Bambusoideae, Oryzoideae, Arundinoideae, Stipoideae, Eragrostoideae, Panicoideae and Pooideae.

A Revision of the Orchid Subfamily Apostasioideae in China

Chen Sing-Chi, Lang Kai-Yung

1986, 24 (5): 346-352.

Abstract ( 0 )

Apostasioideae, a small subfamily of Orchidaceae, is largely distributed in tropical

Asia with its northern limit extending to the Ryukyu Islands and south China. The first Chinese

species of this subfamily was reported by E. D. Merrill (1927) based on a specimen collected

from Hainan (McClure 9519, AMES), which he regarded as Apostasia wallichii R. Br. As

later labelled by E. F. de Vogel, it is in fact identical with A. odorata Bl., a widespread spe-

cies also found in southern Guangdong, Guangxi and Yunnan of China. It was not until re-

cently that the true A. wallichii was collected from southwestern Yunnan bordering on Burma,

which is initially reported here. In addition, an interesting new species, A. ramifera S. C. Chen

et K. Y. Lang, is described from Hainan.

The only Chinese species of Neuwiedia has long been known as N. veratrifolia Bl. (of.

Iconographia Cormophytorum Sinicorum 5: 602, t. 8034. 1976, and Flora Hainanica 4 180, t.

1078. 1977), which, however, was considered by de Vogel (1969) to be not found in China. In

de Vogel's revision, no Chinese taxon but a variety, N. zollingeri Rchb. f. var. singapureana

(Baker) de Vogel, is cited with some doubt based on a specimen of Hainan (F. C. How 73122,

in young fruit, AMES). N. zollingeri var. singapureana is in fact quite different from N.

veratrifolia by having glandular hair, much shorter inflorescence and flattened filaments. As

recently pointed out by de Vogel and G. Barretto (in Journ. Taiwan Museum 37: 78. 1984),

the plants found in Hongkong, as well as those in Guangdong and Yunnan, possess glandular

hair and short inflorescence. They are identical with the Vietnamese species N. balansae Gagnep.,

which was reduced by de Vogel to a synonym of N. zollingeri var singapureana. E. F. de

Vogel's suggestion seems to be acceptable except the varietal rank. It is treated here as a se-

parate species, N. singapureana (Baker) Rolfe, according to its fruit and hair characters. Thus

we have altogether one species of Neuwiedia and three species of Apostasia in China, including a new species and a newly recorded one.

A Cytotaxonomic Study on the Genus Aspidistra (Liliaceae) (1)—Karyotypes of 7 Species from Sichuan

Hong De-Yuan, Lang Kai-Yung, Zhang Zhi-Xian

1986, 24 (5): 353-361.

Abstract ( 0 )

In the work mitotic chromosomes in root-tips of 7 species native to Sichuan Pro-

vince were examined and their karyotypes were analysed based on 7-8 cells at mitotic meta-

phase, using Levan et al.'s (1964) nomenclature. The list of species and origin of the materials

used in this work are provided in the appendix. The micrographs of mitotic metaphase of all

the materials are shown in Plates 1 and 2; the idiograms in Fig. 1, 1-9, and the parameters

of chromosomes are provided in Tables 1-9. All the chromosome countings and karyotypes in

this paper are reported for the first time.

Characteristics of the karyotypes may be summarized as follows:

1. 2n=38 are found in all the materials except A. sichuanensis, which has 3 cytotypes, i.e,

2n=38+5B, 2n=38+lB and 2n=38+OB (Plate 2, 1-2, Fig. 1, 5-6).

2. The karyotypes are of two major types: the karyotype of A. flaviflora falls into 3C in

Stebbins's (1958, 197l) classification of karyotypes and those of all the other species into 2C.

The two types are also different from each other in the number of large and medium-sized

chromosomes pairs and morphology of the first pair of chromosomes (compare Plate 2, 5, Fig.

1, 9 with the other micrographs and idiograms).A. flaviflora with the karyotype 3C also differs

from the other species in a series of gross morphological characters: the species is of a yellow and

campanulate corolla.

3. The species with caespitose leaves (A. caespitosa and A. omeiensis) have essentially the

same karyotype, which is rather different from those of the species with scattered leaves. There

are two pairs of small sm chromosomes (arm ratio ≥1.90) in the former karyotype (Tables 1

and 3), but all the small chromosomes are m or sm with arm ratio <1.80 in the latter karyotypes.

Pollen Morphology of Quercus L. in China

Chang King-Tang, Wang Ping-Li

1986, 24 (5): 362-369.

Abstract ( 0 )

The present paper describes the pollen morphology of 31 species of the genus Quercus

from China. The pollen grains were all examined with light microscope and scanning electron

microscope, and those of some species under transmission electron microscope.

Pollen grains of the genus are spheroidal or subspheroidal, 16.8-50.4μm in diameter, 3-

colporoidate or 3-colpate. The exine is 2-layered, 0.4-1.8μm thick, sexine thicker than nexine,

granulated tuberculate or verrucate.

Chromosome Numbers and Karyotype Analysis of 9 Species in Hydrocharitaceae

Wang Ning-Zhu

1986, 24 (5): 370-375.

Abstract ( 0 )

The present paper reports the chromosome numbers and karyotypes in 9

species of 5 genera from China. It is found that all these analysed species are diploid.

The karyotypes of most species are made of m and sm and of a few of st chromosomes.

These are grouped into four types, 1A, 2A and 1B, 2B. Blyxa is the most primitive, and

Hydrilla is the most advanced.

Cytological Investigation of Taiwania flousiana Gaussen (Taxodiaceae)

Li Lin-Chu

1986, 24 (5): 376-381.

Abstract ( 0 )

The present paper deals with the cytological investigation of Taiwania flousiana

Gaussen. The somatic chromosomes in root-tip cells of the plant are found to be 2n=22 for

the first time, all with median and submedian constrictions. According to the terminology de-

fined by Levan et al.^[11], the karyotype formula is K(2n)=16m+6sm, which belongs to “2B”

of Stebbins'^[16,17] karyotypic symmetry and is generally regarded as a relatively primitive one.

The species' chromosome complement is 2n=22=4L+6M₂+8M₁+4s according to the standard

defined by Kuo et al.^[10] based on relative length.

The nucleolus number in resting root-tip cells of T. flousiana is found to be 1-5 (Table

3). The percentage of cells with two nucleoli is 77.6%, and those with five nucleoli, the highest

number ever found by me, is only 1.6%. A few cells with many micronuclei are found in this

species for the first time (Plate 1, 1).

Although T. flousiana and T. cryptomerioider have the same “2B” type of karyotypic

symmetry, the differences in the arm ratio and the index of the karyotypic asymmetry (Table

2) show that the karyotype of the former is less symmetrical than that of the latter, so the

former may be a little more advanced than the latter.

The basic karyotype (2B) of Taiwania is more related to that of Cunninghamia (1B)^[3]

than to that (1A) of Metasequoia^[5], Glyptostrobus^[4] and Cryptomeria^[3]. Wang et al.^[1], have

reached the similar conclusion from the embryological study.

New Taxa of Piper Linn. from China

Tseng Yung-Chien

1986, 24 (5): 382-386.

Abstract ( 0 )

Four New Taxa of Silene from China

Tang Chang-Lin

1986, 24 (5): 387-392.

Abstract ( 0 )

New Taxa of Bamboos from Guangxi

Dai Qi-Hui

1986, 24 (5): 393-395.

Abstract ( 0 )

Hymenopyramis Wall. ex Griff.—A New Recorded Genus of Verbenaceae from China

Kiu Hua-Shing, Fu Guo-Ai

1986, 24 (5): 396-398.

Abstract ( 0 )

The present paper reports the first record of the genus Hymenopyramis in China.

H. cana is a new record on Hainan Island of Guangdong Province. It grows in deciduous mon-

soon forests or shrubby savanna (western Hainan) at 50 to 150 m alt.

A New Series of Ilex L.

Li Yong-Kang

1986, 24 (5): 399-401.

Abstract ( 0 )

A New Species of Lathyrus Linn. from China

Zhu Yu-Jian, Meng Ren-Xian

1986, 24 (5): 402-403.

Abstract ( 0 )

A New Species of Cochlearia from Anhui

Zhang Ding-Cheng, Shao Jian-Zhang

1986, 24 (5): 404-405.

Abstract ( 0 )

A New Species of Clematis from Anhui

Xue Zhao-Wen, Wang Xue-Wen

1986, 24 (5): 406-407.

Abstract ( 0 )

A New Species of Prasiola from Hubei

Bi Lie-Jiu

1986, 24 (5): 408-409.

Abstract ( 0 )

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