Juan Rodríguez-Oubiña

Synopsis of the rupicolous vegetation of Galicia (North-western Iberian Peninsula)

In this paper we present a synopsis of the rupicolous vegetation found in Galicia, according to the Zürich-Montpellier School. The climate of this territory, an area of 29,439 km2 situated in the Northwest of the Iberian Peninsula, is largely Atlantic European becoming subhumid Mediterranean with a Central European tendency in the east of the region. There is an appreciable summer drought but annual rainfall is high: ombroclime is thus hyperhumid or humid becoming subhumid in the Southeast. Biogeographically most of the area is Eurosiberian except part of the Southeast, which is Mediterranean. Acidic rocks (granites, gneissic, schists and slates) predominate; there are also smaller areas of limestone, gabbros, and metabasic and ultrabasic rocks, some of this last type are serpentine.In this synthesis, we report 17 associations and 16 subassociations as well as 3 communities of unknown syntaxonomy. Of these, 1 association and 9 subassociations are described as new syntaxa and the names of 3 associations are corrected. The principal ecological conditions that influence the composition and distribution of these associations and its biogeographic and bioclimatic characteristics are presented in two summarizing tables. Floristic differences between the associations included in this synopsis are summarized in a synoptic table.

In vitro development of vegetative propagules in Splachnum ampullaceum: brood cells and chloronematal bulbils

Abstract The formation of specialized vegetative propagules like brood cells, gemmae and bulbils often occurs in bryophytes, and the propagules capacity to remain viable, even when desiccated, contribute to form soil propagule banks. With the aim to prove the presence of vegetative propagules in Splachnum ampullaceum Hedw., never found in European Splachnaceae, we studied their formation and further development in vitro. The effect of different concentrations of abscisic acid (ABA)—an endogenous growth regulator in mosses—on brood cell germination was also examined. Vegetative forms were induced on protonematal explants of S. ampullaceum cultured in vitro with two different mineral media. Brood cells and chloronematal bulbils occurred on protonematal cultures maintained on the same culture medium for long periods of time. Brood cells developed new chloronematal filaments when they were transferred to a new medium. We found that S. ampullaceum is able to form in vitro brood cells, characterized by spherical thick-walled cells with lipid droplets in their cytoplasm, and chloronematal bulbils that consist of a multicellular propagule with a verrucose surface. The effects of ABA on S. ampullaceum cultured in vitro indicate a direct relationship between its concentration on media and brood cell formation, which may presumably indicate that desiccation tolerance in S. ampullaceum is induced by ABA. Growth retardant effects were also shown on explants cultured in the presence of the aforementioned regulator. Vegetative propagules, brood cells and chloronematal bulbils, are present in S. ampullaceum and they are probably developed as a desiccation tolerance strategy and as a faster way to spread the colonization on the substratum. Such structures constitute an inconspicuous phase of the life cycle.

In vitro micropropagation and long-term conservation of the endangered moss Splachnum ampullaceum

Protonema explants of Splachnum ampullaceum Hedw. were grown in vitro on 10 different mineral media with different sources and contents of nitrogen, in each case with or without added sucrose (30 g dm−3) and/or B5 vitamins. The cultures were maintained at day/night temperatures 24 ± 4/20 ± 2 °C and a 16-h photoperiod (irradiance of 25 μmol m−2 s−1). Sucrose had little or no effect on protonema diameter and bud number in nitrate-only media or in high-ammonium media but markedly reduced bud number in low-ammonium media. Sucrose markedly reduced one-year explant survival rate in the low-ammonium media. The presence of B5 vitamins in such media markedly improved one-year survival, suggesting that the best medium for long-term culture of Splachnum ampullaceum is a medium containing ammonium at relatively low concentration as ammonium phosphate or sulphate (e.g. Gamborgs B5 medium), with added B5 vitamins but without added sucrose.

Communities of the class Littorelletea uniflorae in the northwest iberian Peninsula

Summary We present a synopsis of the perennial aquatic vegetation of the alliance Hyperico elodis—Sparganion (class Littorelletea uniflorae) at the southwestern most extreme of its distribution. We describe four new associations and five new subassociations. Information is provided on the bioclimatic, biogeographic and ecological characteristics of each community.

Taxonomic characterization of populations ofHyacinthoides sect.Somera (Hyacinthaceae) in the northwestern Iberian Peninsula

A classical morphological study ofHyacinthoides sect.Somera in the northwestern Iberian Peninsula revealed the new speciesH. paivae. It differs from the closely related speciesH. italica, H. hispanica, andH. mauritanica by vegetative and generative characters, such as leaf length, raceme shape, tepal length and width. It typically occurs in woodlands in the A Coruña province of NW Spain.

Phytosociological characterization of Sphagnum pylaesii Brid. communities in Northwest Spain

Abstract Sphagnum pylaesii Brid. is a species with disjunct relict populations in northwest Spain. Here, new data on its distribution in Spain are presented and a new plant community (ass. Sphagno pylaesii—Caretum verticillati) is described. In addition to Sphagnum pylaesii, this community contains a number of threatened and endemic species to the Iberian Peninsula. Both Sphagnum pylaesii and the Sphagnum pylaesii-community are listed in the annexes of the Habitats Directive (92/43/CEE).

A revision of European taxa ofHyacinthoides sectionSomera (Hyacinthaceae) on the basis of multivariate analysis

Cluster analysis and principal components analysis were used to investigate patterns of morphological variation among specimens of European species of sect.Somera of the genusHyacinthoides (Hyacinthaceae). The results are clearly consistent with the existence of four species (H. italica, H. paivae, H. reverchonii andH. mauritanica). It is proposed that the latter be considered to comprise two subspecies,H. mauritanica subsp.mauritanica andH. mauritanica subsp.vincentina (comb. nov.). A key is presented, together with distribution maps for the five taxa.

A New Species of the Brazilian Endemic Genus Acritopappus (Compositae, Eupatorieae) from Minas Gerais

Abstract A new species of the Brazilian endemic genus Acritopappus from the Serra do Cabrai, in Minas Gerais state, is described. The new species, Acritopappus pereirae , is similar to A. confertus, the most widely distributed species in the genus, but differs in that the latter has conduplicate, chartaceous, glabrous to glabrescent, viscid leaves with entire margins, and an aristate pappus. The new species is illustrated, the affinities between the morphologically related species and A. pereirae are discussed and a key to the species from Minas Gerais is provided.

Loto glareosi-Rumicetum gallaecici, una nueva asociación de los acantilados de Cabo Ortegal y A Capelada (Galicia, NO de la Península ibérica)

RoDRIcuez-OunINA, J.; SoNoRA, E X. & ORTIt 5. Laco glareasi-Rum/cnam gallaec/c/, una nueva asociacion de los acantilados de Cabo Ortega> y A Capelada (Galicia. NO de la Peninsula Uberica). Bac, (`amplatensis 2:113-120. En este trabajo se realiza un estudio fitosociologico dc la vegetaciomi de las gleras de rocas serpentinizadas y eclogitas de la Serra da Capelada, proponiendose la nueva asociacion Loto glareosiRamicecam gallaecici, de la que se describe su fisonomia, sintaxonomia, ecologia, biogeografia y dinamismo.

13. Arnicetum atlanticae BeIIot 1968

Sobre los aspectos nomenclaturales de este sintaxon, especialmente sobre su autoria, ha habido cierta confusion.