What do floral anatomy and micromorphology tell us about Neotropical Bulbophyllum section Didactyle (Orchidaceae: Bulbophyllinae)?

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Leaf anatomical and molecular studies in Bulbophyllum section Micranthae (Orchidaceae) and their implications for systematics

Bulbophyllum section Micranthae comprises 12 species of rupicolous or epiphytic orchids occurring in forests or in open rocky fields in Cerrado/Atlantic Forest ecotones throughout South America. We examined the leaf anatomy of 14 species and compared them with molecular data (nrITS) in phylogenetic analyses. The leaves of Bulbophyllum section Micranthae are characterised by uniseriate epidermis, with periclinal external cell wall thicker than the internal, presence of epicuticular wax, stomata present only on the abaxial surface with suprastomatic chambers, and collateral vascular bundles associated with sclerenchyma fibres. Some of these characters are shared with other rupicolous Orchidaceae species, demonstrating adaptive convergence in xeromorphic habitats. We found some anatomical characteristics with phylogenetic value. Bulbophyllum section Micranthae can be separated into two lineages: those with needle-like leaves, or flat leaves. The analyses show that anatomical characters as well as molecular data may contribute to the development of phylogenetic hypotheses. © 2013 Botanical Society of Sao Paulo.

Anatomia foliar de espécies de Bulbophyllum, seção Micranthae Barb. Rodr. (Orchidaceae) e sua correlação com a taxonomia

Orchidaceae é uma das maiores famílias de Angiospermas, com distribuição cosmopolita, sendo que Bulbophyllum é o maior gênero da família, com mais de 1200 espécies. A seção Micranthae apresenta 12 espécies distribuídas na América do Sul e com grande representatividade no Brasil. A interpretação das Orchidaceae de maneira geral, é dificultada pela grande diversidade de espécies, gerando problemas taxonômicos. Visando levantar caracteres diagnósticos para as espécies e estados de caráter compartilhados entre elas, foram realizados estudos anatômicos das folhas de 11 espécies de Bulbophyllum seção Micranthae e de outras três espécies de Bulbophyllum constituindo o grupo externo. As estruturas anatômicas: epiderme unisseriada com cera epicuticular espessa; estômatos tetracíticos com câmaras supraestomáticas; presença de hipoderme e de feixes vasculares colaterais caracterizam as espécies estudadas. A forma cilíndrica da folha de Bulbophyllum insectiferum Barb. Rodr. é caráter diagnóstico da espécie, assim como a ausência de idioblastos traqueoidais de paredes espessadas em Dendrobium kingianum Bidwill ex Lindl. A morfologia das folhas, forma da lâmina foliar em secção transversal, forma das células epidérmicas em vista frontal, tipo de mesofilo, tipos de cristais e número de feixes vasculares são caracteres que permitem agrupamentos entre as espécies analisadas. Esses caracteres serão utilizados numa futura análise cladística procurando auxiliar a filogenia do grupo

Anatomia floral de espécies de Bulbophyllum sect. Micranthae (Orchidaceae, Asparagales)

Bulbophyllum, which comprises 1876 species, is considered the second largest genus of angiosperms, with a pantropical distribution. The morphological and anatomical floral studies in the genus are incipient, with data restricted to the gynostemium and lip of some species. Based on molecular data, six sections were recognized within Bulbophyllum at the Neotropics, amongst them Bulbophyllum sect. Micranthae, which comprises 12 species distributed in central South America. We aimed to study the floral anatomy of six species of Bulbophyllum sect. Micranthae, in order to determine useful characters to differentiate them and contribute to the anatomical characterization of the section as a whole. Floral anatomy was assessed through usual techniques of light microscopy. The data found here for B. adiamantinum, B. chloroglossum, B. epiphytum, B. mentosum, B. micranthum and B. rupicolum allowed to identificate the presence of glandular trichomes and the possible presence of a secretory region on the lip, which might produce substances used as a reward to pollinators. The most significant anatomical characters to the species characterization were the shape and ornamentation of the outer periclinal walls of the epidermal cells, as well as the number of vascular bundles in dorsal and lateral sepals and at the lip. The data also allowed the differentiation between B. epiphytum and B. rupicolum, species very similar in morphology and phylogenetically related. Besides that, the data also allowed the discussion regarding the maintenance of B. mentosum within the section: although its inclusion is supported by molecular studies, the anatomical data here presented shows greater differences compared to the other species, not supporting its maintenance in Bulbophyllum sect. Micranthae

Micromorfologia e anatomia floral das seções neotropicais de Bulbophyllum Thouars (Orchidaceae, Asparagales): considerações taxonômicas e evolutivas

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Comparative floral micromorphology and anatomy of species of Bulbophyllum section Napelli (Orchidaceae), a Neotropical section widely distributed in forest habitats

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Health Assessment of Weddell Seals, Leptonychotes weddellii, in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica

The demography of Weddell seals in eastern McMurdo Sound, Antarctica, has been well studied during the past three decades (e.g. Stirling 1971; Siniff et al. 1977; Testa and Siniff 1987; Hastings and Testa 1998; Gelatt et al. 2001). Detailed life-history data are available on thousands of seals tagged as pups in McMurdo Sound, making this population a rich resource for wildlife health studies because health parameters can be evaluated in the light of reproductive histories and genetic relationships of several generations of tagged seals. Recently, evidence of exposure to diseases generally associated with domestic animals and feral wildlife has been detected in Antarctic wildlife (Austin and Webster 1993; Olsen et al. 1996; Gardner et al. 1997; Retamal et al. 2000; Foster et al. 2002) and this has generated concern and debate regarding the risks of disease introduction to Antarctic wildlife. Antibodies to viruses that have caused large die-offs in phocids in other areas of the world have been detected in Weddell seals (Bengtson et al. 1991), and there is a historical report of a mass die-off of crabeater seals that may have had a viral etiology (Laws and Taylor 1957).

[Stanhopea bulbophyllum]

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Blütenknospen : Aristolochia elegans - Stanhopea graveolens - Aristolochia tricandata - Bulbophyllum lobbii - Aristolochia tricandata - Nicotiana affinis

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Blüten : Stanhopea graveolens - Miltonia - Oncidium - Commelina bengalensis - Bulbophyllum lobbii

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Lesion, and haematologic and serum characteristics of Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) sampled in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica

We examined and collected biomedical samples from Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) during studies of post-breeding-season foraging behaviour of adults and movements of weaned pups as a complement to ongoing studies on the ecology and population dynamics of the McMurdo seals (Stewart et al. 2000, 2003). Here we report on Weddell seal health assessments conducted during the 1996/97, 1997/98 and 1998/99 breeding seasons at the Delbridge Islands (77.68°S, 166.50°E), McMurdo Sound, Antarctica. Our objectives were to compile baseline biomedical data for Weddell seals in McMurdo Sound, and to identify infectious and non-infectious diseases affecting the population. Development of such a database, including information on normal background morbidity and mortality, is an important first step in evaluating natural versus anthropogenic impacts on population health (Geraci et al. 1999; Reddy et al. 2001). These data will be integral to international studies of southern ocean pinnipeds that seek to evaluate the influence of biotic and abiotic factors on the ecology of these apex predators.

A highly effective and selective male lure for Bactrocera jarvisi (Tryon) (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Bactrocera jarvisi (Tryon) is a moderate pest fruit fly particularly in northern Australia where mango is its main commercial host. It was largely considered non-responsive to the known male lures. However, male B. jarvisi are attracted to the flowers of Bulbophyllum baileyi, Passiflora ligularis, Passiflora maliformis and Semecarpus australiensis and this paper describes an attempt to determine the attractive compounds in the latter two species through chemical analysis. At about the same time, zingerone was identified as a fruit fly attractant in the flowers of Bulbophyllum patens in Malaysia, and this led the author to speculate that it could be attracting B. jarvisi to the flowers of B. baileyi. Two long-term traps, each with lures containing 2 g of liquefied zingerone and 1 mL maldison EC were established at Speewah, west of Cairns, in November 2001 and retained until April 2007. Over five complete years, 68 897 flies were captured, of which 99.6% were male B. jarvisi. Annual peaks in activity occurred between mid-January and early February, when they averaged 1428.5 +/- 695.6 (mean +/- standard error) male B. jarvisi/trap/week. Very few B. jarvisi were caught between June and September. Among 12 other species of Bactrocera and Dacus attracted to zingerone were the previously non-lure responsive Bactrocera aglaiae, a new species Bactrocera speewahensis, and the rarely trapped Dacus secamoneae. Four separate trials were conducted over 8- to 19-week periods to compare the numbers and species of Bactrocera and Dacus caught by zingerone, raspberry ketone/cue-lure or methyl eugenol-baited traps. Overall, 27 different species of Bactrocera and Dacus were recorded. The zingerone-baited traps caught 97.799.3% male B. jarvisi and no methyl eugenol responsive flies. Significantly more Bactrocera neohumeralis or Bactrocera tryoni were attracted to raspberry ketone/cue-lure than to zingerone (P < 0.001). Zingerone and structurally related compounds should be tested more widely throughout the region.