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Abstract: Phyllanthus kaweesakii Pornp., Chantar. & J.Parn. sp. nov. is newly described from the limestone mountain ridges in the northeast of Thailand. Comparison of morphology, anatomy, pollen morphology, and DNA [...]

Cyperaceae are the third largest monocotyledon family, with considerable economic and conservation importance. In subfamily Mapanioideae there is particular specialization of the inflorescence into units termed spicoids. The structural homology of the spicoid is difficult to interpret, making determination of intrafamilial relationships problematic. To address this, pollen from eight species in Mapanioideae was investigated using light microscopy and scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Pollen development was also examined to identify the type of pollen present in these species. We also analyzed DNA sequence data using the trnL-F and rps16 regions from 25 genera and 35 species of Cyperaceae, Juncaceae, and Thurniaceae. Two types of pollen, Mapania-type and pseudomonad, were identifed. Analysis of combined DNA and pollen data resolved a clade sister to the rest of Cyperaceae, corresponding to Mapanioideae. Within this, two further clades were resolved. One comprised taxa assigned to tribe Hypolytreae, which had Mapania-type pollen. The other comprised taxa mainly assigned to tribe Chrysitricheae, but included two taxa from Hypolytreae, Capitularina and Exocarya. All taxa in this clade had pseudomonad pollen. Thus new groupings within the subfamily have been discovered based on the specialization of some taxa in terms of their pollination biology. Key words: Chrysitricheae; Cyperaceae; Hypolytreae; Mapanioideae; phylogenetics, pollen; pseudomonad; rps16; trnL-F.

Byline: Trevor R. Hodkinson (1), Mark W. Chase (1), Dolores M. Lledo (1), Nicolas Salamin (2), Stephen A. Renvoize (1) Keywords: Erianthus Miscanthus Molecular Saccharum Sugarcane Systematics Abstract: DNA sequences were used to assess the monophyly and inter-relationships of Miscanthus, Saccharum and related genera in the Saccharum complex. Three DNA regions were sequenced, including the trnL intron and the trnL-F intergenic spacer of the plastid genome and the ITS region of nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA). Because it was more variable, the ITS region proved most suitable for phylogenetic reconstruction at this level, and the results indicate that Miscanthus s.l. and Saccharum s.l. are polyphyletic. A set of species from Saccharum section Ripidium (clade a) do not group closely with any members of Saccharum s.l.. A number of Miscanthus species from eastern or south-eastern Asia represent a monophyletic group with a basic chromosome number of 19 (clade b), but the other species from Africa and the Himalayas are clearly excluded. There is support for a monophyletic Saccharum s.s. clade including S. officinarum and S. spontaneum that is sister to Miscanthus s.s (clade c). There is no evidence to support the division of some Saccharum s.l. into the genera currently known as Erianthus and Narenga. Saccharum contortum (=Erianthus contortus), S. narenga (=Narenga porphyrocoma) and Erianthus rockii, group more closely with Miscanthus fuscus, a species from the Himalayas and also with the African Miscanthus s.l. species (=Miscanthidium, clade d). Author Affiliation: (1) Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3AB, UK (2) Department of Botany, Trinity College, University of Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland Article History: Received Date: 04/02/2002 Accepted Date: 19/06/2002 Article note: Electronic Publication

Two clones of Miscanthus, grown under the names M. Xgiganteus and M. saccharifiorus, have been used in biomass trials in Europe, but neither the identity of these clones nor their origin has been established. DNA sequencing, amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP), and chromosome studies confirm that M. Xgiganteus is an allotriploid (2n = 3x = 57) combining genomes from M. sinensis (2n = 2x = 38) and M. sacchariflorus (2n = 38 or 76). Two alleles of the internal transcribed spacer of 18S-25S nuclear ribosomal DNA (ITS) were discovered in polymerase chain reaction products of M. Xgiganteus. Cloning of these revealed that one matched M. sinensis and the other M. sacchariflorus. Plastid trnL intron and trnL-F spacer sequences showed that the maternal lineage of M. Xgiganteus was M. sacchariflorus. Fluorescent in situ hybridization, FISH, was used to investigate genome organization in Miscanthus but was unable to differentiate between the different parental genomes present in M. Xgiganteus, indicating that two parental genomes are still extremely similar at the repetitive DNA level. This study is an example in which rDNA sequences and AFLP fingerprints permit identification of the parental genomes in a hybrid, but FISH methods, at the repetitive DNA level (including genomic in sim hybridization, GISH), were unable to do so because their sequences remain too similar. Key words: AFLP; in situ hybridization; ITS; FISH; GISH; Miscanthus; Poaceae; polyploidy; trnL-F.

Byline: Trevor R Hodkinson (1), Stephen A Renvoize (1), Grainne Ni Chonghaile (2), Christopher MA Stapleton (1), Mark W Chase (1) Keywords: Keywords: AFLP, Bambusoideae, ITS, Molecular, Phylogeny, Phyllostachys, Poaceae Abstract: , a large, economically important genus of woody bamboos. DNA sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA) were used in a parsimony analysis. Phyllostachys was well supported as monophyletic with Chimonobambusa as its closest allied genus. The 5S spacer region of nrDNA was investigated but found unsuitable for this purpose. The AFLP analysis showed much higher discriminating power between species and was more useful for phylogenetic reconstruction at this taxonomic level. The combined data were used to review the previous infra-generic classifications. Section Heteroclada Wang &amp Ye is strongly supported and can be further divided into sub-groups. A group within section Phyllostachys is strongly supported, but a further group of taxa previously included in this section is difficult to place. The ability of the methods to help separate species such as P. sulphurea and investigate genetic diversity at the infra-specific level was also assessed. It is argued that AFLPs could often be the method of choice for phylogenetic studies of closely related taxa for which DNA sequence data provide insufficient resolution. Author Affiliation: (1) Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3AB, United Kingdom, GB (2) Department of Botany, Trinity College, University of Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland, IR Article note: Received 18 April 2000/ Accepted in revised form 10 June 2000