Santiago Ortiz

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.

Living on the edge: timing of Rand Flora disjunctions congruent with ongoing aridification in Africa

The Rand Flora is a well-known floristic pattern in which unrelated plant lineages show similar disjunct distributions in the continental margins of Africa and adjacent islands—Macaronesia-northwest Africa, Horn of Africa-Southern Arabia, Eastern Africa, and Southern Africa. These lineages are now separated by environmental barriers such as the arid regions of the Sahara and Kalahari Deserts or the tropical lowlands of Central Africa. Alternative explanations for the Rand Flora pattern range from vicariance and climate-driven extinction of a widespread pan-African flora to independent dispersal events and speciation in situ. To provide a temporal framework for this pattern, we used published data from nuclear and chloroplast DNA to estimate the age of disjunction of 17 lineages that span 12 families and nine orders of angiosperms. We further used these estimates to infer diversification rates for Rand Flora disjunct clades in relation to their higher-level encompassing lineages. Our results indicate that most disjunctions fall within the Miocene and Pliocene periods, coinciding with the onset of a major aridification trend, still ongoing, in Africa. Age of disjunctions seemed to be related to the climatic affinities of each Rand Flora lineage, with sub-humid taxa dated earlier (e.g., Sideroxylon) and those with more xeric affinities (e.g., Campylanthus) diverging later. We did not find support for significant decreases in diversification rates in most groups, with the exception of older subtropical lineages (e.g., Sideroxylon, Hypericum, or Canarina), but some lineages (e.g., Cicer, Campylanthus) showed a long temporal gap between stem and crown ages, suggestive of extinction. In all, the Rand Flora pattern seems to fit the definition of biogeographic pseudocongruence, with the pattern arising at different times in response to the increasing aridity of the African continent, with interspersed periods of humidity allowing range expansions.

The reinstatement of the genus Macledium Cass. (Asteraceae, Mutisieae): morphological and phylogenetic arguments

Summary Ortiz, S.: Reinstatement of the genus Macledium Cass. (Asteraceae, Mutisieae): morphological and phylogenetic arguments.- Taxon 50: 733-744. 2001.- ISSN 0040- 0262. Studies of the genus Dicoma Cass. (Asteraceae, tribe Mutisieae) indicate that this taxon as currently defined is paraphyletic, and in fact comprises three groups showing marked morphological and anatomical differences. One of these groups is differentiated from Dicoma s.str. by a large number of characters relating to morphology and anatomy of phyllaries, corolla, anthers, style, cypsela, and testa. It is proposed that these species should be considered as a separate genus, for which the name Macledium Cass. has nomenclatural priority. A brief nomenclatural synopsis is presented, including synonyms and nomen- clatural types for each taxon in this genus of 20 species. type species D. tomentosa Cass. The first proposed subdivision of the genus was that of Lessing (1830), who divided it into three unnamed (merely numbered) sections containing six species. Subsequently, Lessing (1832) raised these informal sections to the rank of subgenus, with the following denominations: Leucophyton Less., Rhigiothamnus Less., and Macledium (Cass.) Less., this latter based on the genus that Cassini (1825) had described for the species Macledium burmanni Cass. Candolle (1838) recognised 10 species within Dicoma grouped into five sections: Eudicoma DC., Steirocoma DC., Rhigiothamnus (Less.) DC., Macledium (Cass.) DC. and Pterocoma DC. Harvey (1865) recognized 11 species of Dicoma in South Africa grouped into five sections almost coinciding with those of Candolle (1838), but omitting section Eudicoma and including the new section Psilocoma Harv. Subsequently, Hoffmann (1893) recognised 30 species grouped into eight sections, including the five sections of Candolle (1838), as well as Psilocoma, Hochstetteria (DC.) O. Hoffm., and Brachyachaenium (Baker) O. Hoffm., these latter two names based on two genera described by Candolle (1838) and Baker (1890) for Hochstetteria schimperi DC. and Brachyachaenium incanum Baker. Wilson (1923) recognised 34 species of Dicoma, which he grouped into three sections differentiated exclusively by pappus type, namely Dimorphae, Barbellatae, and Plumosae. Since the publication of Wilsons monograph, many new species have been described and the genus is currently considered to contain between 50 and 65 species (Bremer, 1994; Ortiz & al., 1998) ranging from annual or perennial herbs to shrubs or small trees, and distributed largely in tropical Africa, South Africa, and

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.

Pollen morphology in tribe Dicomeae Panero and Funk (Asteraceae)

To better understand the taxonomy and phylogeny of the Dicomeae (Asteraceae) the pollen morphology of seven genera including 15 species of that tribe and six genera with seven species belonging to five related tribes was studied by use of light and scanning electron microscopy. The quantitative data were analysed by use of principal-components analysis (PCA). The exine ultrastructure of Erythrocephalum longifolium and Pleiotaxis rugosa was also studied by use of transmission electron microscopy. Three pollen types were distinguishable from the apertural, columellar, and spinular morphology and inter-spinular sculpture. A dichotomous key to these pollen types is proposed. The existence of the Dicomeae as an independent tribe and its subdivision in two subtribes (Dicominae and Pleiotaxinae) are supported by this study, which also suggests the Oldenburgieae and the Tarchonantheae are the closest tribes to Dicomeae.

Pollen morphology of the genus Omphalodes Mill. (Cynoglosseae, Boraginaceae)

Abstract To better understand the taxonomy and phylogeny of the genus Omphalodes (Boraginaceae), the pollen morphology of 23 species encompassing all major geographical and morphological groups was studied from acetolysed pollen grains using light and scanning electron microscopy. Three pollen types were distinguishable through apertural morphology and sculpture. A dichotomous key to the pollen types and pollen descriptions are provided. Despite being fairly homogenous, palynological data provided useful information to understand the relationships of Omphalodes, considering the uselessness of most floral and fruit characters, karyological homogeneity and striking disjunct geographical distribution. At the suprageneric level, pollen morphology supports the traditional tribal classification of Omphalodes within Cynoglosseae, in contrast to published molecular phylogenetic analyses. At the infrageneric level, pollen morphology agrees with phylogenetic analyses suggesting that Omphalodes could be a polyphyletic group. Palynological data would support the segregation of a monophyletic group comprising the Japanese species, corroborating recent phylogenetic results and define two different pollen types for the Omphalodes s. str. group. Biogeographical considerations are also discussed.

Systematics of Cloiselia (Asteraceae, Mutisieae s.l.), a Reinstated Madagascan Genus

Abstract Studies of the genus Dicoma (Asteraceae, tribe Mutisieae s. 1.) indicate that this taxon as currently defined is paraphyletic, and in fact comprises at least three groups showing marked morphological and anatomical differences. One of these groups is differentiated from Dicoma s. str. by a large number of characters relating to the morphology and anatomy of the phyllaries, corolla, anthers, style, cypsela, and testa. This paper proposes that this group should be considered as a separate genus, for which the name Cloiselia S. Moore has nomenclatural priority. The article presents a systematic study of Cloiselia, which comprises four species: two are new (C. madagascariensis and C. humbertii) and one is a new combination (C. oleifolia).

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 contribution to the knowledge of exine ultrastructure in subtribe Anisopappinae (Athroismeae, Asteraceae)

Abstract Pereira Coutinho A., Ortiz S., Valente M., França R. & Soares M.: A contribution to the knowledge of exine ultrastructure in subtribe Anisopappinae (Athroismeae, Asteraceae). — Willdenowia 44: 431–437. 2014. — Version of record first published online on 14 November 2014 ahead of inclusion in December 2014 issue; ISSN 1868-6397;