A long-standing problem with the taxonomic status and synonymy of the names Taraxacum nigricans (Kit.) Reichenb. and T. alpestre (Tausch) DC. is resolved. These two names, the oldest ones referable to high mountain dandelions in Central Europe, are typified, and a detailed comparison of these species’ morphology, genotype make-up, karyotypes and distribution is provided, together with a discussion of other cases of similar and probably closely related agamospermous taxa of Taraxacum and Hieracium. Taraxacum nigricans (2n = 32) and T. alpestre (2n = 32) are endemic to the Nízke Tatry Mts, Slovakia, and the Krkonoše/Karkonosze Mts, Czech Republic/ Poland, respectively. These are shown to differ in a series of minor but constant morphological, allozyme and karyotype features, and their treatment as separate agamospermous species is supported. A detailed analysis of cultivated and wild material from the Carpathians revealed the existence of a sexual taxon very close to the above two species and endemic to the region of the Bucegi Mts, Romania. It is described as a new species, T. carpaticum Štěpánek et Kirschner. Two new agamospermous species, apparently allied to T. nigricans, are described: T. rupicaprae Štěpánek et Kirschner, a species characterized by orange-ochraceous achenes and confined to the High Tatra Mts, and T. elegantissimum Štěpánek et Kirschner (2n = 24), which has substantially broader outer bracts and is known from the Rodna, Retezat and Fagaras Mts, Romania. Another three species are described that are morphological similar to T. carpaticum: T. pastorum (the Fagaras Mts, Romania), T. iucundum (the Retezat Mts, Romania) and T. pseudoalpestre (the Fagaras Mts, Romania).
Spatial variations in regional forest composition are analyzed for the period around 2 000 years before present in the territory of the Czech Republic. The results of pollen analyses at 16 different sites (original data and those published by other authors) form the basis of this study. The results are preliminary because of the small number of sites sampled. This article demonstrates the possibilities of the approach and is the first step to a wider application in the future. The conclusions indicate that pollen analysis is accurate enough in most cases for the reconstruction of past forest composition on a regional scale, and different deposits reflect spatial heterogeneity. Altitude, intensity of human impact, and soil type were the major factors affecting past distribution of forest trees. Oak and hornbeam woodlands, although widely affected by human activity, dominated the lowlands. Beech and silver fir were an important admixture in these communities. Although oak was present at higher altitudes, the occurrence of upland oak woodlands was limited more than indicated by recent geobotanical reconstructions. Instead, mixed forests existed at middle altitudes, often dominated by silver fir and beech. In less favourable habitats, spruce was common. Such upland forests extended high into the mountains, where because of the more severe climatic conditions beech and spruce started to dominate over silver fir.
This paper presents a revision of the genus Dyscia Hübner, [1825] (Lepidoptera, Geometridae: Ennominae). Examination of types and additional material for most described taxa has resulted in several new synonyms: Dyscia ilivolans Wehrli, 1953 syn. n. and Dyscia duanjiao Yang, 1978 syn. n. are new synonyms of Dyscia fagaria (Thunberg, 1784); Dyscia karsholti Wiltshire, 1991 syn. n. is a new synonym of Dyscia galactaria Turati, 1934; Dyscia dagestana Wehrli, 1934 syn. n. is a new synonym of Dyscia malatyana Wehrli, 1934, and Dyscia rjabovi Wardikjan, 1957 syn. n. is a new synonym of Dyscia negrama Wehrli, 1953. One taxon, formerly treated as a species is reassigned to subspecific level, Dyscia conspersaria ssp. sultanica Wehrli, 1936 stat. rev. Dyscia innocentaria sicanaria (Oberthür, 1923) stat. n. and Dyscia malatyana senecai Wiltshire, 1990 stat. n. are downgraded to subspecies-level. On subspecies-level, Dyscia distinctaria perdistincta Herbulot, 1957 syn. n. is a new synonym of Dyscia distinctaria (Bang-Haas, 1910), Dyscia fagaria alvarensis Wahlgren, 1913 syn. n., Dyscia fagaria albescens Lempke, 1952 syn. n., Dyscia fagaria fusca Lempke, 1952 syn. n., and Dyscia fagaria postdelineata Lempke, 1952 syn. n. are new synonyms of Dyscia fagaria. Dyscia fagaria psoricaria (Eversmann, 1848) syn. n. is a new synonym of Dyscia fagaria favillacearia (Hübner, [1799]), Dyscia holli duponti Thierry-Mieg, 1910 syn. n. is a new synonym of Dyscia holli (Oberthür, 1910), Dyscia malatyana nachadira Brandt, 1941 syn. n. and Dyscia malatyana theodoraria Warnecke, 1941 syn. n. are new synonyms of Dyscia malatyana albersaria Warnecke, 1940 stat. n., and Dyscia penulataria naevata Wehrli, 1953 syn. n. is a new synonym of Dyscia penulataria (Hübner, [1819]). Lectotypes for 22 taxa and neotypes for three taxa - Geometra conspersaria [Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775, Geometra favillacearia Hübner, [1799], and Geometra emucidaria Hübner, [1813] - are designated. One species is excluded from Dyscia, Thysanopyga serena (Dognin, 1906) comb. n. From a total of 72 previously described taxa, 19 are recognized as species.
The genus Aesalus F., 1801 of the family Lucanidae in the Himalayas is reviewed, and a new species, A. saburoi sp. n., is described from Central Nepal. This new species has been confused with A. himalayicus Kurosawa 1985, but differs from the latter mainly by a darker and broader body, and by different shapes of the intercoxal process of the prosternum and of male genitalia. The male of A. himalayicus sensu stricto is described for the first time and the male genitalia are illustrated. A key to the members of the genus Aesalus from the Himalayas is provided.
A taxonomic concept for the Hieracium nigrescens agg. (H. alpinum ≥ H. murorum) in the Western Carpathians is proposed. Three taxa at the species level are recognized, i.e. Hieracium jarzabczynum, H. mlinicae and H. vapenicanum. One new combination, Hieracium mlinicae (Hruby et Zahn) Chrtek f. et Mráz (H. nigrescens subsp. mlinicae Hruby et Zahn) is published. All taxa should be considered as endemic to the Western Carpathians (both the Polish and Slovakian parts). Detailed descriptions, drawings, lists of localities, distribution maps and determination key are provided along with a comparison with the last comprehensive account of the group (by Zahn 1936). Several lectotypes were chosen for the taxa recognized by Zahn within H. nigrescens s.l.
A revision of the genus Angulaphthona Bechyné, 1960 is provided, with a description of Angulaphthona confusa sp. n. from the Democratic Republic of Congo, and A. rossii sp. n. from Sierra Leone. The following synonymies are proposed: Angulaphthona latipennis (Pic, 1921) = A. latipennis zambeziensis (Bechyné, 1959) syn. n. and Angulaphthona pelengensis Bechyné, 1960 = A. exalta Bechyné, 1960 syn. n. The precedence of the name pelengensis is discussed. Angulaphthona violaceomicans (Chen, 1936) comb. n. (transferred from Aphthona) from Sri Lanka is established, and some hypotheses to explain the presence of the genus outside Africa are put forward. A key to the seven known species is supplied, with microphotographs of diagnostic characters, including male and female genitalia.
Four European taxa of the Tortula muralis complex (T. lingulata, T. muralis var. aestiva, T. muralis var. muralis, T. obtusifolia) were evaluated using multivariate analysis of morphological characters, a cultivation experiment and cytological screening (flow cytometry, chromosome counts). This study revealed that only T. lingulata is morphologically well defined within the complex and several new sporophytic characters that can be used to distinguish this taxon from the superficially most similar T. obtusifolia. The traditionally recognized taxa T. muralis var. muralis, T. muralis var. aestiva and T. obtusifolia showed continuous variation, with frequent intermediate plants. However, the main character of the gametophyte used for determination (costa excurrency) proved to be stable in cultivation, indicating that this character is under genetic control. Additionally, rather complex and only partly species-specific patterns of ploidy variation were found within the complex. Tortula lingulata and T. obtusifolia appear to be cytologically homogeneous; plants of T. lingulata were found to be diploid, whereas plants tentatively named as T. obtusifolia were haploid. In contrast, both haploid and diploid cytotypes were found in both varieties of T. muralis, with a marked predominance of diploids in var. aestiva and less marked predominance of diploids in var. muralis. Current varietal level of the evaluated infraspecific taxa of T. muralis was thus found to be warranted. It is suggested that plants previously recognized as T. obtusifolia should be treated as a subspecies of T. muralis.
Perennial grasses belonging to the genus Molinia are widespread in most of Europe and consist of a polyploid complex of closely related taxa with a confusing taxonomy. Based on extensive sampling at 241 localities in Europe, four cytotypes were identified based on chromosome counts and results of flow cytometry: tetraploids (2n = 36), hexaploids (2n = 54), octoploids (2n = 72) and dodecaploids (2n = 108). While tetra- and dodecaploids were commonly recorded, octoploids were less common and only two hexaploid individuals were identified. Previously reported decaploid counts (2n = 90) from central Europe are probably erroneous and refer to 2n = 108. The tetraploid cytotype is distributed throughout Europe and broadly sympatric with other cytotypes. Octo- and dodecaploids were spatially separated with dodecaploids occurring in the western, central and south-central part of Europe and octoploids in the east-central and southeastern part of Europe. All quantitative characters measured (lengths of lemmas, anthers, caryopses and stomata, lengths of the longest hair on the callus and diameter of the culm below the panicle) showed a linear trend across ploidy levels. Tetra-, octo- and dodecaploid cytotypes formed almost non-overlapping groupings in principal component and discriminant analyses of morphological characters. The following taxonomic concept of this complex is proposed: Molinia caerulea (L.) Moench is a predominantly tetraploid taxon incorporating very rarely reported hexaploid and perhaps also diploid plants; higher cytotypes (2n = 8x, 12x) are considered to be M. arundinacea Schrank, consisting of two subspecies: a dodecaploid subspecies occurring in the southern and western part of central Europe and the octoploid Molinia arundinacea subsp. freyi Dančák in east-central and southeastern Europe.
Traditionally, all freshwater representatives of red algae with uniaxial cartilagineous and pseudoparenchymatous thalli were placed in the genus Lemanea. Two subgenera of this genus were distinguished, Lemanea and Paralemanea. The recently proposed elevation of these subgenera to genera is fully justified and generally accepted. However, the increasing data from natural populations of Lemanea shows that not all the traditional diacritical features are reliable for distinguishing species. This paper presents the results of a research project on the morphological variability of Lemanea in the Czech Republic. Of the four species Lemanea fluviatilis and L. torulosa appear to be well-defined but there are no clear differences between Paralemanea annulata and P. catenata. A survey of taxa and key to species are presented.
The current state of the taxonomy of Rubus ser. Discolores in the Czech Republic is summarized. Since 1995, when the group was treated in the Flora of the Czech Republic (Holub 1995), six new species have been recognized, some of which are also known from adjacent areas. They are described in the present study: R. austroslovacus Trávníček, R. flos-amygdalae Trávníček et Holub, R. guttiferus Trávníček et Holub, R. parthenocissus Trávníček et Holub, R. pericrispatus Holub et Trávníček and R. portae-moravicae Holub et Trávníček. The first five belong to the group of triploid species close to R. montanus Lej. and R. grabowskii Weihe, whilst R. portae-moravicae is related to R. praecox Bertol. Two additional species, originally recognized under provisional names, were found to be identical to species described earlier: R. perperus H. E. Weber and R. phyllostachys P. J. Mueller; the latter is also found in Slovakia. At present, 17 indigenous species, one naturalized alien (R. armeniacus Focke) and one rare garden escape (R. ulmifolius Schott) of the ser. Discolores are known to occur in the Czech Republic. Distribution data and a key for the identification of all the species are presented.