Paulo Takeo Sano

Actinocephalus (Korn.) Sano (Paepalanthus sect. Actinocephalus), a new genus of Eriocaulaceae, and other taxonomic and nomenclatural changes involving Paepalanthus Mart

Paepalanthus Mart., the largest genus of Eriocaulaceae, has been shown to be polyphyletic by all the phylogenetic analyses performed so far in the family. After intensive and extensive field work and an analysis of various characters in a recent revision of Paepalanthus section Actinocephalus (Korn.) Ruhland, I encountered consistent evidence that this group should be elevated to generic status. This proposal, meant to bring a better comprehension of this group within the family, is supported by the phylogenetic analyses of Giulietti et al. (1995, 2000) that show the group to be monophyletic. Actinocephalus (Korn.) Sano, as proposed here, contains 28 species. The necessary nomenclatural changes are made for the new status, with 28 new combinations proposed, 17 new synonyms, eight lectotypifications, five stati novi and one new name. Actinocephalus (Korn.) Sano is characterized principally by inflorescences composed of capitula in umbels and in having a geographic range restricted to Brazil.

Molecular phylogeny, morphology and their implications for the taxonomy of Eriocaulaceae

Eriocaulaceae e uma familia pantropical com dez generos e cerca de 1.400 especies, com centro de diversidade no Novo Mundo, especialmente no Brasil. A ultima revisao da familia foi publicada ha mais de 100 anos, e ate recentemente, as relacoes genericas e infra-genericas ainda eram pouco resolvidas. Entretanto, tem havido nos ultimos 30 anos, um grande esforco por parte de pesquisadores brasileiros para preencher as lacunas existentes, utilizando caracteres morfologicos e anatomicos, complementados por dados adicionais de diferentes fontes, como palinologia, quimica, embriologia, genetica de populacoes, citologia e, mais recentemente, estudos de filogenia molecular. Tal conjunto de dados tem levado a uma re-avaliacao do relacionamento filogenetico dentro da familia. Neste trabalho sao apresentados novos dados para as regioes de ITS e trnL-F, analisadas separadamente e em combinacao, usando maxima parcimonia e inferencia Bayesiana. Os dados obtidos confirmam resultados ja publicados, e mostram que muitos caracteres tradicionalmente usados para diferenciacao e circunscricao dos generos dentro da familia sao homoplasicos. Uma nova descricao e chave generica para a familia, utilizando caracteres de varias fontes sao apresentadas, refletindo a taxonomia atual das Eriocaulaceae.

Pollination biology of Syngonanthus elegans (Eriocaulaceae - Poales)

Studies on the pollination biology of Eriocaulaceae are scarce although particularly interesting because of its inclusion in the Poales, a predominantly wind-pollinated order. The pollination biology of Syngonanthus elegans (Bong.) Ruhland was studied during two annual flowering periods to test the hypothesis that insect pollination was its primary pollination system. A field study was carried out, including observations of the morphology and biology of the flowers, insect visits and pollinator behaviour. We also evaluated seed set, seed germination and seedling development for different pollination modes. Although seeds were produced by self-pollination, pollination by small insects contributed most effectively to the reproductive success of S. elegans, resulting in the greatest seed set, with the highest germination percentage and optimum seedling vigour. The floral resources used by flower visitors were pollen and nectar that was produced by staminate and pistillate flowers. Self-pollination played a minor role and its consequence was inbreeding depression.

Naphthopyranone glycosides from Paepalanthus bromelioides

Abstract Two new naphtho[2,3C]pyran-1-one glycosides, paepalantine-9-O-β- d -glucopyranoside and paepalantine-9-O-β- d -allopyranosyl(1 → 6)glucopyranoside, were isolated from an ethanolic extract of capitula from Paepalanthus bromelioides and identified from their spectrometric data.

Fenologia de Paepalanthus hilairei Koern., P. polyanthus (Bong.) Kunth e P. robustus Silveira: Paepalanthus sect. Actinocephalus Koern. - Eriocaulaceae

Phenological studies of three Paepalanthus sect. Actinocephalus species were done - P. hilairei, P. polyanthus and P. robustus. Monthly expeditions for 21 months to Serra do Cipo, Minas Gerais, Brazil were realized. It was detected that P. hilairei and P. robustus are perennial plants and P. polyanthus is a biennial plant. All of them present the blooming period mainly in Summer. Smell occurrence is registred in Paepalanthus for the first time.

AN ANALYSIS OF SPECIES DISTRIBUTION PATTERNS IN THE ATLANTIC FORESTS OF SOUTHEASTERN BRAZIL

This study analysed phytogeographic patterns of several Atlantic Forest areas in southeastern Brazil, including forest areas in the Espinhaco Range, to identify species with congruent distribution patterns and possible environmental factors that might influence these. A total of 54 floristic surveys, predominantly from semideciduous woodland sites but also including some rainforest areas, were compared using UPGMA and DCA methods as well as Jaccard analyses. The former identified four main groupings: group 1 included forests located throughout the Espinhaco Range; group 2 was formed by forest areas in the Rio Jequitinhonha basin; group 3 was formed by three distinct subgroups, one (3.1) predominantly of forest areas pertaining to the Alto Rio Grande basin, another (3.2) of upland forests of the Quadrilatero Ferrifero, and a third subgroup (3.3) of upland forests of the Serra da Mantiqueira; and group 4 encompassed forest areas in the Rio Doce, Rio Paraiba do Sul, Rio Itanhem and Rio Itapemirim basins. The prevailing relief in these basins has influenced rainfall and seasonality in these areas which, in turn, have exerted a major influence on the composition of the semideciduous forests. Geographic proximity and altitude, although important factors, play a minor role in the phytogeographic patterns analysed. Despite the floristic heterogeneity of the Espinhaco Range forests, there are physiognomic and floristic affinities among the forests within the campos rupestre vegetation. These are due to the high altitude and features of the soil.

Anatomia das folhas, brácteas e escapos de Actinocephalus (Koern.) Sano (Eriocaulaceae)

Estudou-se a anatomia das folhas, bracteas e escapos de 20 especies (41 especimes) de Actinocephalus, que ocorrem nos campos rupestres do Brasil, visando caracterizar anatomicamente o novo genero proposto para a familia, alem de elucidar alguns aspectos ecologicos do grupo. As folhas e as bracteas sao anatomicamente semelhantes entre si e apresentam epiderme unisseriada, com celulas alongadas no sentido longitudinal; estomatos na face abaxial, com câmaras subestomaticas; parenquima clorofiliano frouxo; feixes vasculares colaterais envolvidos por bainha dupla e extensao de bainha dos feixes constituida por celulas parenquimaticas alongadas. Os escapos apresentam epiderme unisseriada; câmaras subestomaticas; parenquima clorofiliano frouxo; endoderme descontinua; periciclo sinuoso e feixes vasculares colaterais. A presenca de celulas alongadas tanto na epiderme como nas extensoes de bainha dos feixes vasculares nas folhas e nas bracteas, assim como endoderme descontinua nos escapos e câmara subestomatica nos tres orgaos estudados sao caracteres consistentes para o genero. As caracteristicas anatomicas dos orgaos estudados sao mesomorficas.

Characterization of Flavonoids and Naphthopyranones in Methanol Extracts of Paepalanthus chiquitensis Herzog by HPLC-ESI-IT-MSn and Their Mutagenic Activity

A HPLC-ESI-IT-MSn method, based on high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray negative ionization multistage ion trap mass spectrometry, was developed for rapid identification of 24 flavonoid and naphthopyranone compounds. The methanol extracts of the capitulae and scapes of P. chiquitensis exhibited mutagenic activity in the Salmonella/microsome assay, against strain TA97a.

Anatomia de raízes de Actinocephalus (Koern.) Sano (Eriocaulaceae)

Root anatomy of 27 specimens of 13 species of Actinocephalus (Koern.) Sano were studied. All species occur in Brazilian rupestrian fields. All species present roots with uniseriate epidermis, isolated or agregated root hairs; isodiametric cortical cells, except in the innermost layers that are smaller and present thickened wall cells; uniseriate radially elongated endodermis, with parcial or totally thickened wall cells; uniseriate pericycle, with thin or thickened wall cells; and vascular cylinder with metaxylem in central position. Cortex with isodiametric cells, without aerenchyma; epidermis and cortical parenchyma with intracellular protuberances associated with fungi; are consistent to the recent genus circunscription. Althouth a lot of species are also known for growing in damp habitats, near to small rivers, their roots present anatomical features similar to that Eriocaulaceae species that occur in dry soils.

New Circumscription of the Endemic Brazilian Genus Actinocephalus (Eriocaulaceae)

Abstract.  Based initially on the morphological similarity between species belonging to Actinocephalus (Körn.) Sano and Paepalanthus Mart. subsect. Aphorocaulon Ruhland (Eriocaulaceae), these taxa were studied to clarify their relationships. After intensive fieldwork and morphological analyses of specimens belonging to Paepalanthus subsect. Aphorocaulon and Actinocephalus, we conclude that Paepalanthus subsect. Aphorocaulon and Actinocephalus should not be classified as different taxa. This taxonomic opinion is confirmed by published phylogenetic morphological and molecular data. We propose herein to include species of Paepalanthus subsect. Aphorocaulon in Actinocephalus. Thus nomenclatural and taxonomic changes are proposed in Actinocephalus and Paepalanthus with the following 16 new combinations: A. actinocephaloides (Silveira) F. N. Costa [≡ P. actinocephaloides Silveira], A. arenicola (Silveira) F. N. Costa [≡ P. arenicola Silveira], A. armeria (Mart. ex Körn.) F. N. Costa [≡ P. armeria Mart. ex Körn.], A. bahiensis (Bong.) F. N. Costa [≡ P. bahiensis (Bong.) Kunth], A. barbiger (Silveira) F. N. Costa [≡ P. barbiger Silveira], A. geniculatus (Bong.) F. N. Costa [≡ P. geniculatus (Bong.) Kunth], A. glareosus (Bong.) F. N. Costa [≡ P. glareosus (Bong.) Kunth], A. heteropus (Silveira) F. N. Costa [≡ P. heteropus Silveira], A. incanus (Bong.) F. N. Costa [≡ P. incanus (Bong.) Körn.], A. longifolius (Körn.) F. N. Costa [≡ P. longifolius Körn.], A. perbracchiatus (Silveira) F. N. Costa [≡ P. perbracchiatus Silveira], A. phaeocephalus (Ruhland) F. N. Costa [≡ P. phaeocephalus Ruhland], A. rhizomatosus (Silveira) F. N. Costa [≡ P. rhizomatosus Silveira], A. scytophyllus (Ruhland) F. N. Costa [≡ P. scytophyllus Ruhland], A. trichopeplus (Silveira) F. N. Costa [≡ P. trichopeplus Silveira], and A. velutinus (Silveira) F. N. Costa [≡ P. velutinus Silveira]. In addition, nine new synonyms and lectotypifications for the six following names are presented: Paepalanthus subsect. Aphorocaulon Ruhland, Paepalanthus subsect. Aphorocaulon β Incani Ruhland [unranked], Paepalanthus subsect. Aphorocaulon β Condensati Ruhland [unranked], P. incanus (Bong.) Körn. var. α Körn., P. praemorsus Ruhland, and A. scytophyllus (Ruhland) F. N. Costa. As newly circumscribed, the genus Actinocephalus comprises 49 species restricted to Brazil, with the Espinhaço Range as the center of species diversity. Species of Actinocephalus can be distinguished principally by the presence of paraclades covered by bracts and rarely a single scape arranged in an umbelliform coflorescence at the apex. Resumo.  Baseado inicialmente na similaridade morfológica entre as espécies pertencentes à Actinocephalus (Körn.) Sano e Paepalanthus Mart. subsect. Aphorocaulon Ruhland, estes táxons foram estudados a fim de elucidar suas relações. Após intensivo trabalho de campo e estudo da morfologia das espécies pertencentes a Paepalanthus subsect. Aphorocaulon and Actinocephalus, concluímos que não é possível reconhecer Paepalanthus subsect. Aphorocaulon and Actinocephalus como dois táxons distintos. O posicionamento das espécies de Paepalanthus subsect. Aphorocaulon em Actinocephalus também foi confirmado em análises filogenéticas publicadas por outros pesquisadores, empregando dados morfológicos e moleculares. Portanto, propomos aqui a inclusão das espécies de Paepalanthus subsect. Aphorocaulon em Actinocephalus, assim como as mudanças nomenclaturais e taxonômicas em Actinocephalus e Paepalanthus, com dezesseis novas combinações: A. actinocephaloides (Silveira) F. N. Costa [≡ P. actinocephaloides Silveira], A. arenicola (Silveira) F. N. Costa [≡ P. arenicola Silveira], A. armeria (Mart. ex Körn.) F. N. Costa [≡ P. armeria Mart. ex Körn.], A. bahiensis (Bong.) F. N. Costa [≡ P. bahiensis (Bong.) Kunth], A. barbiger (Silveira) F. N. Costa [≡ P. barbiger Silveira], A. geniculatus (Bong.) F. N. Costa [≡ P. geniculatus (Bong.) Kunth], A. glareosus (Bong.) F. N. Costa [≡ P. glareosus (Bong.) Kunth], A. heteropus (Silveira) F. N. Costa [≡ P. heteropus Silveira], A. incanus (Bong.) F. N. Costa [≡ P. incanus (Bong.) Körn.], A. longifolius (Körn.) F. N. Costa [≡ P. longifolius Körn.], A. perbracchiatus (Silveira) F. N. Costa [≡ P. perbracchiatus Silveira], A. phaeocephalus (Ruhland) F. N. Costa [≡ P. phaeocephalus Ruhland], A. rhizomatosus (Silveira) F. N. Costa [≡ P. rhizomatosus Silveira], A. scytophyllus (Ruhland) F. N. Costa [≡ P. scytophyllus Ruhland], A. trichopeplus (Silveira) F. N. Costa [≡ P. trichopeplus Silveira], and A. velutinus (Silveira) F. N. Costa [≡ P. velutinus Silveira]. Também são propostas nove novas sinonímias e lectotipificações para os seis nomes: Paepalanthus subsect. Aphorocaulon Ruhland, Paepalanthus subsect. Aphorocaulon β Incani Ruhland [unranked], Paepalanthus subsect. Aphorocaulon β Condensati Ruhland [unranked], P. incanus (Bong.) Körn. var. α Körn., P. praemorsus Ruhland e A. scytophyllus (Ruhland) F. N. Costa. Considerando esta nova circunscrição, o gênero Actinocephalus abrange 49 espécies restritas ao Brasil, com centro de diversidade localizado na Cadeia do Espinhaço. Os representantes deste gênero podem ser distinguidos principalmente pela presença de paracládios cobertos por brácteas e portando, no ápice, um único escapo ou então numerosos escapos em um arranjo umbeliforme.