bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Ordinary Life in the Round: Elfreda Annmary Chatman
Authors: Fulton Crystal
Published: May 2010

Elfreda Annmary Chatman was one of the preeminent library and information science scholars during the 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s. The influence of her research on the work of others and through her students continues. Focusing her research and theory development on the information behavior of the ordinary people around her, Chatman highlighted the importance of studying everyday life contexts and helped shape the direction of research for many scholars to examine information in everyday life circumstances. Her middle-range theories were intended to enable information researchers to understand the information behavior of individuals and groups and to facilitate the development of policies and practices to help people experiencing everyday information problems.
Madeline M. Henderson: From Chemical Information Science Pioneer to Architect of the New Information Science
Authors: Williams Robert V.
Published: May 2010

Madeline M. (Berry) Henderson was an active contributor to and innovator in the field of documentation/information science as it was first developing in the United States during the period 1950–75. Her first significant contribution was in chemical information science, where she worked with James W. Perry and Allen Kent. At the National Science Foundation she was the principal person behind the development of two key tools for early information science researchers and developers. Her work at the National Bureau of Standards on copyright, standards, and fostering cooperation among the libraries of U.S. federal agencies was an important factor in their success, particularly in library automation.
Writing, Event, and Peace: The Art of Peace in Maxine Hong Kingston’s The Fifth Book of Peace
Authors: Shounan Hsu
Published: May 2010

The Fifth Book of Peace begins with Maxine Hong Kingston’s decision to see the Oakland-Berkeley fire as significant event posing the problem of peace. Her subsequent inquiries about this event reveal that no universal ideas of peace and methods of peace are eternally valid. Her answer consists in writing as a model for any kinds of answers to that problem because writing involves various perspectives and can lead to a shared perspective when agreement among them is reached. Writing is also useful because it facilitates self-understanding and inner peace, and because it helps writers grasp the ephemeral ideas of peace eclipsed by representation. Thus Kingston conducts writing workshops in which members practice writing, meditation, and silence. Her vision of a peaceful world is composed of peace-makers using peaceful methods to achieve inner peace and to produce peace in the world through a shared idea of peace.
Rediscovering Rural Appalachian Communities with Historical GIS
Authors: Towers George
Published: May 2010

Desde finales del siglo 19 hasta la Segunda Guerra Mundial, el sur agrario de los Apalaches era un mosaico de comunidades agrícolas pequeñas y muy unidas. Este patrón histórico de asentamiento rural es registrado a nivel local en estudios de etnógrafos y geógrafos históricos sobre casos comunitarios, sinembargo no ha sido cartografiada de forma sistemática. Este trabajo explora la hipótesis de que el análisis mapas topográficos históricos utilizando SIG identifica adecuadamente los límites pasados de los barrios agrícolas del sur de los Apalaches. Utilizando la función de análisis de asignación de costos de ArcGIS, regiones de menor costo son generadas alrededor de los nodos de los barrios, basadas en el costo de la energía de viajes a pie con respecto a distancia y pendiente. Estos vecindarios agrícolas prospectos se asemejan a las descripciones espaciales de los etnógrafos y los geógrafos históricos. Cartografiar barrios agrícolas históricos en los Apalaches provee una importante base para la comparación de pasados y presentes patrones de asentamiento. Este método de investigación es significativo porque es fácilmente replicable y puede ser empleado a través de los Apalaches del Sur y del siglo pasado.
Contrasting High North-East Pacific Tropical Cyclone Activity with Low North Atlantic Activity
Authors: Collins Jennifer
Published: May 2010

Las teleconexiones entre distintas cuencas han sido previamente examinadas en la literatura. Distintas investigaciones no muestran evidencia de una relación significativa entre la cuenca del noreste del Pacáfico (NE Pacáfico) y la frecuencia de ciclones tropicales del Atlántico Norte (N del Atlántico). Sin embargo, se ha sugerido que la cuenca del Pacáfico NE debe ser dividida en dos sub-regiones, al este y al oeste de 116° O, para obtener un mejor entendimiento de los factores que influyen en la formación de ciclones tropicales en el Pacífico NE. Al utilizar esta subdivisión para examinar el periodo de 1972–2006, se observa que las relaciones negativas significativas se encuentran entre la frecuencia de ciclones tropicales en la región oeste del Pacífico NE y la frecuencia de ciclones tropicales en el Atlántico norte, es decir, menos ciclones tropicales en la región oeste del Pacífico NE están asociadas con más ciclones tropicales en el Atlántico N. Las causas de estas relaciones son examinadas.
From Entrepreneurialism to Social Regulation: Nashville’s Business Elite and Local Education
Authors: Johansson Ola
Published: May 2010

La elite económica en Nashville, Tennessee ha incrementado recientemente su grado de envolvimiento con las políticas educativas locales al promover la restructuración del proceso de educación y al apoyar un incremento en el nivel de fondos. Investigaciones existentes sobre políticas económicas en la educación local incluyen la noción de Clarence Stone sobre “capacidad cívica,” la cual enfatiza los vínculos de múltiples sectores locales interesados en la reforma educativa, y el trabajo de Louis Mirón y Mickey Lauria sobre como coaliciones empresariales dominadas por el sector financiero influyen en la educación urbana. Partiendo de esa literatura, este artículo le hace un acercamiento socioespacial a los vínculos de las elites económicas de Nashville en la educación local al investigar como las ciudades son cada vez más responsables de la “regularización social” en el contexto de los procesos geográficos de “reajuste espacial.” Tal reajuste espacial ha provocado la reorganización de la elite económica de Nashville, la cual ha movilizado recursos políticos internos a través de coordinaciones colectivas, a la vez que se institucionalizan sus iniciativas y compromisos políticos con la educación. Las políticas de la elite económica local han surgido a través del tiempo—de un énfasis sobre políticas empresariales estrictas, a la incorporación de problemas sociales—en una relación complementaria con le estado nacional.
Living History, Performing Memory: Devadāsī Women in Telugu-Speaking South India
Authors: Soneji Davesh
Published: May 2010

Ballipadu is a small village in the West Godavari district in Andhra Pradesh, South India. One of the most prominent markers in the village landscape is the Madanagopālasvāmi temple (Fig. 1). Pemmaraju Konayamatya constructed the temple sometime in the late eighteenth century (exact dates unknown). The central image in the temple is that of Kṛṣṇa as Madanagopālasvāmi, The Cowherd Beautiful as the God of Desire (Fig. 2). From the time of its consecration, the Ballipadu Madanagopālasvāmi temple had supported over fifteen devadāsīs (women artists who served in temples and/or courts) by providing them with tax-free land, money, and a platform to present their art. In return, some of the women performed ritual tasks such as the waving of the fiveflames (pañca-hārati) and the pot lamp (kumbha-hārati), as ritual duties in the temple. In 1948, at the end of a long struggle with the discursive contours of social reform, five women—Manikyam, Anusuya, Varahalu, Seshachalam and Maithili—were expelled from the temple. These five women from Ballipadu subsequently moved to the small town of Duwa, where they maintain a small matrifocal home, adhering to their traditional patterns of kinship as devadāsīs. They do not ostensibly retain any markers of devadāsī identity: they no longer sing or dance in public, have any ritual duties in temples, receive tax-free land (mãnyãlu) from temples or feudal kingdoms (zamīndāri samasthānas), and bless homes during auspicious occasions. Yet, they insist on referring to themselves as devadāsīs, despite the extreme social stigma attached to this identity.
In Search of a Secular in Contemporary Indian Dance: A Continuing Journey
Authors: Chatterjea Ananya
Published: May 2010

This essay is the result of a long and tortured preoccupation stemming from my personal history of growing up in Kolkata, India, with a strong tradition of leftist cultural forums; the current escalation of religious fundamentalisms globally; and my questions about the signifying potential of performing bodies in this context. While I have tried to untangle and understand the complicated issues in this search for the secular dancing body in the context of Indian performance, I have been able to arrive only at a series of questions, which, in riotous recoiling, have constantly spun new questions and interjections. I offer my journey through these questions as considerations in thinking through one of the directions of contemporary Indian dance.

While I had been trying to understand the secular traditions in Indian dance for a while, questions around it grew especially urgent with the growing power of Hindu fundamentalism in India, and in particular with the destruction of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992, by an angry mob of “Hindus” on the grounds that the mosque had been built by Muslim ruler Babar in the sixteenth century, supposedly after destroying a Hindu temple dedicated to Rama which preexisted in that spot. This incident, followed by the Hindutva claim that a new temple dedicated to Rama be built on that spot, sparked offa horrifying spate of communal violence. That the Babri had been one of the last vestiges of the shaqri style of architecture in India was hardly raised. But the overwhelming of cultural icons by religious ideology as mobilized by fundamentalists was indubitable.
2004 Barbara Stoler Miller Conference
Authors: Shah Purnima
Published: May 2010

Barnard College, Columbia University, hosted the 2004 Barbara Stoler Miller Conference in New York City, February 20–22, 2004. Called “Contesting Pasts, Performing Futures: Nationalism, Globalization, and the performing arts in Modern South Asia,” the conference recognized the growing scholarship in the field of South Asian performing arts. Since “performing arts” as a scholastic field of inquiry arrests little attention within the complex enormity of Asian Studies conferences, and diminishingly so, South Asian performing arts occupy just as little space within performing arts conferences (Association for Theater in Higher Education, Society for Ethnomusicology, American Anthropological Association, Society of Dance History Scholars, Congress on Research in Dance, and others), the 2004 Barbara Stoler Miller Conference certainly provided one of the few opportunities open to South Asian performance artists and scholars to discuss their most contemporary research works, to demonstrate and perform, and to get to know each other.

Barbara Stoler Miller, a Milbank Professor at Barnard, was a distinguished Sanskritist with strong interests in art history. She died of cancer at age fifty-two in April 1993. Among the corpus of the Sanskrit literature translations she published is Love Song of the Dark Lord: Jayadeva's Gitagovinda (Columbia 1977), a text that has been for centuries close to the hearts of many Indian dancers, and another edited by her, Theatre of Memory: The Plays of Kalidasa (Columbia 1984), presented a topic that has earned significant popularity in Euro-American academia.
The Effects of Tier 2 Intervention on the Mathematics Performance of First-Grade Students who are at Risk for Mathematics Difficulties
Authors: Bryant Diane Pedrotty , Bryant Brian R. , Gersten Russell M. , Scammacca Nancy N. , Funk Catherine , Winter Amanda , Shih Minyi , Pool Cathy
Published: May 2010

Responsiveness to Intervention (RtI) is recommended both as an essential step before identifying learning disabilities (LD) and as a mechanism for preventing learning difficulties. The use of evidence-based multi-tiered interventions is of critical importance when implementing RtI. This article presents the results of a study that examined the effects of Tier 2 intervention on the performance of first-grade students who were identified as at risk for mathematics difficulties. Participants included 161 (Tier 2, N = 42) first graders. Tier 2 students received 20-minute intervention booster lessons in number and operation skills and concepts for 23 weeks. Results showed a significant intervention effect on the Texas Early Mathematics Inventories-Progress Monitoring (TEMI-PM, University of Texas System/Texas Education Agency) total standard score.
Seed morphology of the tribe Hyoscyameae (Solanaceae)
Authors: Zhang Zhi-Yun , Yang Dong-Zhi , Lu An-Ming , Knapp Sandra
Published: May 2010

Seed morphology of 22 species, representing all seven genera of the tribe Hyoscyameae (Anisodus Link, Archihyoscyamus A. M. Lu, Atropanthe Pascher, Hyoscyamus L., Physochlaina G. Don, Przewalskia Maxim. and Scopolia Jacq.) and two putatively related genera in Solanaceae (Atropa L. and Mandragora L.) was investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) in order to evaluate this character for use in systematic analysis. Considerable differences exist in the seed coat morphology both among and within genera in the tribe. The results indicate that the seed coat sculpture of the seeds is irregularly striate­reticulate or cerebelloid in Anisodus and reticulate in all the remaining genera and species. Two types of testal cells can be identified based on their general overall shape and linearity of the anticlinal walls. In one type, the cell shape is isodiametric and varies from polygonal to suborbicular, with the anticlinal wall being nearly straight; in the other type, the cell is irregular in shape, usually not isodiametric, with the anticlinal wall variously sinuate. Fibrils, common in other Solanaceae, are found only in Mandragora. Fine ornamentation of the anticlinal walls of the testal cells varies from smooth to covered with granular, laminar or tuberculate projections. Size and shape of the seeds, and the position of the hilum, appear to be of little systematic significance, but testal cell shape and lateral wall ornamentation are potentially of importance in the taxonomy and phylogeny of the tribe Hyoscyameae. Some of the currently circumscribed genera of the tribe appear not to be monophyletic, but taxonomic decisions must be made with a full suite of morphological, molecular and other data.
Gomphocalyx and Phylohydrax (Rubiaceae): sister taxa excluded from Spermacoceae s.s., featuring a remarkable case of convergent evolution
Authors: Dessein Steven , Andersson Lennart , Geuten Koen , Smets Erik , Robbrecht Elmar
Published: May 2010

The genera Gomphocalyx and Phylohydrax (Rubiaceae) have been invariably placed in the tribe Spermacoceae s.s. based on the uni­ovulate ovary locules and pluri­aperturate pollen grains. Sequence data from the rps 16 intron and the rbcL gene here presented exclude Gomphocalyx and Phylohydrax from Spermacoceae s.s. The two genera are closely related and their nearest relatives are found among members of the former tribe Hedyotideae. This position may be surprising at first, because the growth form of Phylohydrax is similar to some observed in Spermacoceae s.s. A detailed survey of morphological and anatomical characters shows, however, that the character states of the two genera are largely consistent with the here­proposed position in Hedyotideae. The creeping growth form, the uni­ovulate ovaries and the pluri­colporate pollen grains of Gomphocalyx and Phylohydrax are the result of convergence between this pair of genera and Spermacoceae s.s. The taxonomic position of Lathraeocarpa, sometimes considered closely related to Gomphocalyx, is also discussed.
Herbarium records, actual distribution, and critical attributes of invasive plants: genus Crotalaria in Taiwan
Authors: Wu Shan-Huah , Rejmánek Marcel , Grotkopp Eva , Ditomaso Joseph M.
Published: May 2010

Herbarium records have been widely used in biogeographical and ecological studies for decades. To test the adequacy of using herbarium records, we used residuals, calculated from the regression of the number of herbarium records on minimum residence time of Crotalaria species naturalized in Taiwan, as a predictor of species actual frequency and invasiveness. Number of positive localities (localities where a particular species is present), net infested area, maximum cover, as well as reproductive traits, were estimated for five exotic Crotalaria species with a similar minimum residence time. The tight correlation between residuals and the number of positive localities, as well as with maximum cover, confirms that herbarium records accurately reflect some aspects of the invasion success of the studied species. However, residuals were not a significant predictor of net infested area. Strong correlations between residuals and reproductive traits contributing to species fitness, including log(seeds/plant), flowers/inflorescence, inflorescences/plant, and flowers/plant supported the use of herbarium records in representing field distributions and invasiveness.
Vaillant onCompositae—systematic concepts and nomenclatural impact
Authors: Greuter Werner , Aghababian Mariam , Wagenitz Gerhard
Published: May 2010

Vaillant’s pioneer work onCompositaesystematics has been generally dismissed as unimportant for nomenclatural purposes, being pre­Linnaean. However, a German translation of it was published in 1754, about one year after the starting­point date of botanical nomenclature. In order to assess its possible impact on generic nomenclature, a thorough analysis of Vaillant’s concepts, particularly at the level of genus and species, is presented here. Vaillant subdivided theCompositaeinto three “classes”, essentially equivalent toCardueae,Cichorieaeand the remaining tribes, and further into “sections” (14), genera (107) and species (1144). By the study of literature and, to a minor extent, herbaria, 852 of the species (>74 %) have been identified, and the identifications are listed in an Appendix. The definition and nomenclatural status of all genera has been verified and their names typified, whereby Vaillant’s views and their impact on earlyCompositaesystematics are clarified. In practical terms, the positive and negative effects of the nomenclatural restoration of Vaillant’s names are balanced. It is not advisable to blacklist the work as a whole, because its negative effects can be taken care of effectively by just six conservation/rejection proposals (made separately). Among the positive aspects are availability of a suitable name (Rhaponticoides) for a genus that had become nameless (due to conservation ofCentaureaL. with a new type); resurrection ofRhaponticumto settle a long lasting and unresolved nomenclatural controversy; and redemption of the otherwise illegitimate but widely used nameVolutaria. As an aside, four of the names considered to be correct for Vaillant’s taxa, which did not so far exist in the appropriate combination, are validated (in the generaCullumia,Hymenolepis,SymphyotrichumandTanacetum).
Polyphyly of the genusMicromeria(Lamiaceae) — evidence from cpDNA sequence data
Authors: Bräuchler Christian , Meimberg Harald , Abele Tilman , Heubl Günther
Published: May 2010

MicromeriaBenth. (Lamiaceae, Nepetoideae) is a very common genus in the Mediterranean region. To test the monophyly of the genus and to elucidate its phylogenetic placement within subtribe Menthinae (Dumort) Endl. of tribe Mentheae Dumort we performed parsimony analysis oftrnKintron sequence data of 51 accessions representing 15 genera of Nepetoideae and two genera of subfamily Ajugoideae. Tree topology reveals a well‐supported “core group” indicating four distinct lineages. The first one comprises three species ofSaturejaL. s.str., the second one includes taxa of the genusClinopodiumL. from both the Old and the New World, paraphyletic with respect toMonardaL. and two species ofMicromeriasectionPseudomelissaBenth. A third group contains all samples of the remainingMicromeriaspecies. Within this monophyly, a western lineage including taxa from NW Africa, the Balearic, and the Canary Islands, is sister to an eastern lineage with species distributed from SE Asia to the western Mediterranean. In a further clade the generaThymbraL.,ThymusL., andOriganumL. are grouped together. Combined analysis using a reduced dataset oftrnK/trnL‐Fsequences increased support for the infrageneric resolution withinMicromeria. Based on the phylogenetic reconstructions there is evidence that the genus as currently circumscribed is polyphyletic. Results are discussed in the context of morphology, karyology, and biogeography, outlining the necessity of removing sectionPseudomelissafromMicromeria.
Nardophyllum cabrerae (Asteraceae: Astereae), a new species from Argentina and new taxonomic changes involving Nardophyllum Hook. et Arn.
Authors: Bonifacino José M.
Published: May 2010

Nardophyllum cabrerae (Asteraceae: Astereae), a new species from western Argentina is described. The new species differs from its closest relative, Nardophyllum lanatum (Meyen) Cabrera, in its non‐revolute margins, white corollas, and pappus of unequal scabrid bristles. Two names, Nardophyllum obtusifolium Hook. et Arn. and N. bracteolatum Hauman, were shown not to represent distinct species and accordingly placed in the synonymy of Nardophyllum bryoides (Lam.) Cabrera and Nardophyllum chiliotrichioides (J. Rémy in Gay) A. Gray, respectively.
Karyotype analysis in several South American species of Solanum and Lycianthes rantonnei (Solanaceae)
Authors: Acosta M. Cristina , Bernardello Gabriel , Guerra Marcelo , Moscone Eduardo A.
Published: May 2010

Somatic chromosomes of 17 species belonging to 4 subgenera and 7 sections of Solanum and Lycianthes rantonnei are studied. All taxa have 2n = 24. The chromosome numbers of S. tripartitum, S. tenuispinum, and S. vaillantii are reported for the first time, and the karyotype analysis of L. rantonnei is the first one for the genus. Morphometric chromosome analyses bring estimates of karyotype composition and asymmetry. In general, karyotypes are symmetrical with the chromosomes smaller than 4 μm long, being metacentric (69%), submetacentric (24%), or more rarely subtelocentric (7%). Solanum tucumanense, S. palinacanthum, and Solanum sp. (Acanthophora) are unique by having mostly sm and st chromosomes. All species have nucleolar organizing regions and attached satellites of variable size on short arms of one chromosome pair, usually sm or st. All species can be cytologically distinguished. Karyotype data do not allow separation of L. rantonnei from species of Solanum. Results support the validity of S. tucumanense with respect to S. pseudocapsicum. Using chromosome data exclusively, cluster analysis in 10 species from Solanum subgen. Leptostemonum reinforce the systematic arrangement of taxa in subsections based on morphological features. Because of its increased karyotype asymmetry, section Acanthophora appears to be an advanced taxon within subgen. Leptostemonum.
Hanskerpiagen. nov. and phylogenetic relationships among the most ancient conifers (Voltziales)
Authors: Rothwell Gar W. , Mapes Gene , Hernandez-Castillo Genaro R.
Published: May 2010

A new fossilized walchian (Voltziales) conifer plant from the Late Pennsylvanian Hamilton Quarry of Kansas, U.S.A. combines morphological characters of the morphogenusWalchiaand the fossil plant genusOtovicia, with cuticular characters like those of the fossil plant genusErnestiodendron, and seed cone morphology like that of the fossil plant genusEmporia. Internal anatomical characters are basically similar to the other walchian genera for which such features are known, but some are taxonomically informative. Numerical cladistic analysis reveals that this novel combination of characters defines a new fossil plant genus and species of walchian conifersHanskerpia hamiltonensis. This analysis provides a test of hypotheses for relationships among walchian and other ancient conifers. Results of this analysis support some previously proposed relationships among the most primitive conifers and other Paleozoic coniferophytes. However, the analysis also calls to question the validity of all previously proposed familial circumscriptions for walchian conifers, and highlights the perplexing systematic challenges posed by the most ancient fossil conifers. The unexpected species richness of voltzialean conifers is interpreted as having resulted from the evolutionary ecology of unstable environments.
Lectotypification of names of Brazilian species of Cryptocarya (Lauraceae)
Authors: de Moraes Pedro Luís Rodrigues
Published: May 2010

In a forthcoming systematic treatment of Brazilian species of Cryptocarya, almost all known herbarium collections were examined, and as a result, eight validly published species names are recognized. Types are cited for accepted names and synonyms. Several lectotypes and an epitype are newly designated. One new combination is proposed.
Plasmoverna gen. nov., and the taxonomy and nomenclature of Plasmopara (Chromista, Peronosporales)
Authors: Constantinescu Ovidiu , Voglmayr Hermann , Fatehi Jamshid , Thines Marco
Published: May 2010

After a review of the taxonomy and nomenclature of Plasmopara, it is concluded that this genus contains at least two groups of fungi that can be differentiated on both morphological and molecular grounds. In order to avoid numerous nomenclatural changes, the genus Plasmoverna with seven new combinations (Pv. pygmaea, Pv. alpina, Pv. anemones‐dichotomae, Pv. anemones‐ranunculoides, Pv. fusca, Pv. hellebori, and Pv. isopyrithalictroides) is introduced to accommodate the species parasitic on Ranunculaceae, which have so far often been referred to as Plasmopara pygmaea s.l. The lectotypification of Plasmopara with Pl. pygmaea, which has been accepted by most authors in recent times, is shown to have been superseded by typification with Pl. nivea. To ensure nomenclatural stability, the ambiguous Pl. nivea is neotypified, and Plasmopara is retained in its current use for the bulk of the species.
Is there really more biodiversity in Mediterranean forest ecosystems?
Authors: Fady-Welterlen Bruno
Published: May 2010

The Mediterranean Basin accounts for more than 10% of the world's vascular plant biodiversity in an area less than 1.5% the size of continental Earth. Forest tree taxa are also exceptionally diverse: more than 100 species have been recorded around the Mediterranean, but less than 30 species can be found in Temperate Europe. This amazing biodiversity was developed over millions of years due to the highly heterogeneous geology and climate of the Mediterranean. Did these factors also affect biodiversity within species, i.e., the genetic diversity of populations? Heterozygosity (the within‐population gene diversity), and differentiation (the among‐population spatial genetic structure), of neutral genes (isozymes) were used to measure within‐species biodiversity in four conifer genera commonly found in the Mediterranean: Abies Mill., Cedrus Trew, Cupressus L., Pinus L. Their within‐species biodiversity was significantly higher than that of other conifer species worldwide and did not correspond to expected values in terms of biogeography or levels of endemism. Gene diversity was significantly higher in the Eastern than in the Western Mediterranean Basin, and, surprisingly, was only mildly affected by human impact. A specific post‐glacial recolonization model is proposed for the Mediterranean Basin, in which effective glacial refugia are more numerous, and genetic drift is less, than what is proposed for Europe. The within‐species approach to biodiversity can help solve taxonomic questions, and when used as an indicator of evolutionary potentials, is an essential component of conservation strategies.
Plant taxonomy and biosystematics — does DNA provide all the answers?
Authors: Stace Clive A.
Published: May 2010

The impact of molecular systematics, especially DNA sequences, on plant taxonomy and biosystematics has been fundamental and era‐splitting. It has led to reactions by researchers ranging from advocating that it is now the only kind of research worth pursuing to considering molecular data as merely another body of evidence to be utilised equally with all the others. Can DNA “lie”? What reasons might there be to question the veracity of what it appears to tell us about plant evolution? This paper is an attempted discussion on the extent to which we can afford to rely solely upon DNA sequences to unravel the evolution of and relationships between plants, and on the principles underlying our utilisation of DNA data in making taxonomic decisions. The main topics visited are: interpretation of chloroplast DNA and rDNA ITS sequences in polyploids in the light of maternal inheritance and concerted evolution; importance of “traditional” characters such as crossability and chromosomal homology as revealed by DNA evidence; desirability of insisting on a monophyletic classification; effects of sample‐size on phylogenetic analyses; and the suitability for evolutionary studies of a molecule composed of only four different elements in terms of likely levels of homoplasy. Special reference is made to recent phylogenetic analyses of festucoid grasses, especially the genusVulpia, where it is proposed that the obvious “misplacement” of certain polyploid species can actually be used to infer their parentage.
ActKey: a Web‐based interactive identification key program
Authors: Brach Anthony R. , Song Hong
Published: May 2010

Interactive keys are useful multiple‐entry identification tools for science. A web‐based program called ActKey (URL: http://flora.huh.harvard.edu:8080/actkey/) was developed to enable online, ready‐access to interactive identification keys. A number of keys have been imported into a centralized, relational database, and are now available for the floras of China, North America, Madagascar, Borneo, and the world. Plants from more than 40 of the largest genera of China can be identified using ActKey. Datasets containing taxa and their characters can be imported from a variety of database formats and updated by taxonomic specialists and editors.
Fostericysta Riding nom. nov. (Division Dinoflagellata)
Authors: Riding James B.
Published: May 2010

The Jurassic dinoflagellate cyst genus Fosteria Riding & Helby 2001 is a later (junior) homonym of Fosteria Molseed 1968, a genus of the Iridaceae. The generic name Fostericysta is proposed here to replace Fosteria Riding & Helby 2001.
Understanding Mediterranean‐Californian disjunctions: molecular evidence from Chenopodiaceae‐Betoideae
Authors: Hohmann Sandra , Kadereit Joachim W. , Kadereit Gudrun
Published: May 2010

Chenopodiaceae subfam. Betoideae is distributed in both western Eurasia (four genera) and western North America (one genus). To understand the origin of this disjunction, the phylogeny of the subfamily was reconstructed and dated using ndhF, matK/trnK, trnL‐trnF spacer, and ITS sequence variation, penalized likelihood and Langley‐Fitch, and calibration with three different fossils. Maximum Parsimony and Maximum Likelihood analyses of the molecular data show that Betoideae are monophyletic, but that relationships of the Himalayan Acroglochin, traditionally included in Betoideae because of the shared possession of a circumscissile capsule, are uncertain. Among the betoidean genera, Beta (excl. sect. Procumbentes) is sister to a clade of Hablitzia, Patellifolia (= Beta sect. Procumbentes), Oreobliton, and Aphanisma. Apart from the strongly supported sister group relationship between the North African Oreobliton and the Californian Aphanisma interrelationships among these four genera are not unambiguously resolved. The crown group age of Betoideae was estimated to 38.4–27.5 my using different DNA sequences, and the age of the Oreobliton/Aphanisma split to 15.4–8.1 my. Considering all evidence available, we conclude that the western Eurasian‐western North American disjunction of Oreobliton/Aphanisma is more likely to have resulted from the fragmentation of a Beringian than a North Atlantic ancestral range. Irrespective of the geographical location of this ancestral range we postulate that the evolution into dry habitats of Oreobliton and Aphanisma took place in parallel in western Eurasia and western North America. Evidence for this may be the very different life form and habitat of the two genera, of which Oreobliton is a subshrub of rocky ground at montane altitude, and Aphanisma an annual from coastal habitats. Hablitzia, a perennial vine of deciduous forests in the Caucasus area, is sister to Patellifolia/Oreobliton/Aphanisma in the ndhF and ITS data sets. The habitat requirements of Hablitzia may be similar to those of the ancestor of the subfamily. Comparing the age of the Oreobliton/Aphanisma disjunction with ages estimated for East Asian‐eastern North American disjunctions, we conclude that in many cases these two types of disjunction represent different ecological trajectories of essentially the same historical phenomenon.
Using GenBank data for plant identification: possibilities and limitations using the ITS 1 of Asteraceae species belonging to the tribes Lactuceae and Anthemideae
Authors: Gemeinholzer Birgit , Oberprieler Christoph , Bachmann Konrad
Published: May 2010

As a contribution to establish taxonomic identification methods using DNA sequence data, we evaluate to which extent the present set‐up of the nucleotide databases (NCBI, EBI, GenomeNet) allows to use them for reliable routine plant identification applying the implemented sequence similarity and homology search tools. We screened newly determined ITS 1 sequences from Asteraceae (tribes Lactuceae, Anthemideae) against the molecular nucleotide databases where sequences from that exact species, from other species of the same genus, or only from other genera of the same family had already been published. With the present set up of the BLAST® algorithms [MEGABLAST, BLASTN] 100% correct family, 99% correct tribe, and 98% precise genus affiliation could be achieved in Lactuceae representatives and 100% correct family, 100% correct tribe, and 95% precise genus affiliation in Anthemideae. Correct species detection varied between 86% accuracy for Lactuceae and 91% in Anthemideae. Necessary optimization criteria are proposed as well as further requirements for a standardized molecular identification system.
Terrestrial growth and marine dispersal? Comparative phylogeography of five coastal plant species at a European scale
Authors: Kadereit Joachim W. , Arafeh Rami , Somogyi Gabriella , Westberg Erik
Published: May 2010

The phylogeography of five flowering plant species (Cakile maritima, Eryngium maritimum, Salsola kali, Halimione portulacoides, Crithmum maritimum) widespread along the European coasts was investigated across their entire European range using AFLP evidence. Both similarities and dissimilarities were found. All species contain a distinct Black Sea/Aegean Sea cluster, and all except E. maritimum contain a distinct Adriatic Sea cluster or group of genetically very similar clusters. All species except Cr. maritimum contain a distinct Atlantic Ocean/North Sea/Baltic Sea cluster clearly separate from the Mediterranean material. In Ca. maritima a distinct Baltic Sea subcluster was found. In the western Mediterranean, two species groups can be recognized. Whereas in S. kali and E. maritimum material from this area falls into only one cluster or a group of genetically very similar clusters, it falls into two clusters or groups of clusters of either more Atlantic or more central Mediterranean similarity in Ca. maritima, H. portulacoides and Cr. maritimum. Similarities and dissimilarities in patterns found are discussed in terms of a combination of historical and extant abiotic and biotic factors. Thus, the distribution range of all species in the eastern Mediterranean area was not affected by Quaternary temperature changes, resulting in phylogeographic congruency here. The existence of distinct Black Sea/Aegean Sea and Adriatic Sea clusters or groups of clusters is the result of sea currents isolating these regions from each other. In the western Mediterranean basin the more cold‐sensitive species (H. portulacoides, Cr. maritimum) but not the less cold‐sensitive species (S. kali, E. maritimum) had to retreat from northern coasts. Re‐colonization of these areas from two different directions is implied by their phylogeographic pattern. The existence of a distinct Gibraltar gap is explained in terms of extant sea currents. Comparison of phylogeographic patterns found with those observed in either marine or terrestrial organisms leads to the conclusion that marine dispersal is of overriding importance in these coastal plants.
Phylogenetic relationships and classification in Marantaceae: insights from plastid DNA sequence data
Authors: Prince Linda M. , Kress W. John
Published: May 2010

The evolutionary distinctiveness and phylogenetic position of Marantaceae within the Zingiberales is strongly supported, yet relatively little phylogenetic research has been conducted on members of Marantaceae. Phylogenetic analyses of plastid DNA sequence data (matK and 3' intergenic spacer region, and the trnL–F intergenic spacer region) for 80 ingroup taxa representing 27 genera were conducted under parsimony criteria. Results identify five major clades and support significant realignments in tribal and "group" circumscriptions. Four non–monophyletic genera, Calathea, Marantochloa, Phrynium, and Schumannianthus are identified. Although significant work remains to identify relationships of the major lineages within Marantaceae and to redefine several problematic genera, we propose a working classification that better reflects the inferred evolutionary history of the family.
Molecular phylogeny of African Rytidosperma–affiliated danthonioid grasses reveals generic polyphyly and convergent evolution in spikelet morphology
Authors: Verboom G. Anthony , Ntsohi Refiloe , Barker Nigel P.
Published: May 2010

Of the 90–95 species included in the Rytidosperma clade of grasses (Danthonioideae: Poaceae) about 20 are native to southern Africa, most of these belonging to the genera Karroochloa, Schismus and Tribolium. Whereas morphological data identify all three genera as being monophyletic, the robustness of this pattern is compromised by high levels of homoplasy. Here we use molecular data (plastid trnL–trnF and nuclear ITS sequences) to re–evaluate phylogenetic relationships within the Rytidosperma clade, with the specific aim of testing the monophyly of the African genera. Separate parsimony analyses of the two partitions reveal low levels of incongruence, which may be attributable to incomplete lineage sorting or past hybridization. Analyses of the combined data produce well resolved, strongly supported topologies that are virtually identical, regardless of the inference method used (parsimony or Bayesian inference) or whether or not "conflict" taxa are included. Our data support the monophyly of the Rytidosperma clade (synapomorphies include a punctate–ovate hilum, a large embryo, and lodicule microhairs) as well as the monophyly of the Australasian–South American Rytidosperma s.l. However, the monophyly of Karroochloa, Schismus and Tribolium is strongly contradicted, all three genera being polyphyletic as currently defined. Although not implemented here, a minimum of five new combinations would be required to rectify this situation. Character reconstructions reveal extensive convergence in a number of morphological features, especially those previously used to define genera. We suggest that the convergent pattern of evolution displayed by these traits, most of which describe spikelet/diaspore morphology, is linked to their functionality in seed dispersal and burial, and that this has compromised their utility as phylogenetic markers.
Ploidy level versus DNA ploidy level: an appeal for consistent terminology
Authors: Suda Jan , Krahulcová Anna , Trávníek Pavel , Krahulec František
Published: May 2010

There is an ever–increasing amount of cytogenetic data in plant sciences obtained by cytometric techniques, particularly flow cytometry. However, as these methods determine nuclear DNA amount irrespective of the number of chromosomes, a discrepancy between cytometric and karyological data may occur. To avoid potential bias, we appeal for consistency, distinguishing between the terms "ploidy / aneuploidy" referring to chromosome numbers and "DNA ploidy / DNA aneuploidy" to nuclear DNA content.
A history and overview of theFlora Reipublicae Popularis Sinicae(FRPS, Flora of China, Chinese edition, 1959–2004)
Authors: Ma Jinshuang , Clemants Steve
Published: May 2010

The Flora Reipublicae Popularis Sinicae (FRPS) is one of the largest floristic projects in the world. The final product, 80 volumes in 126 parts, represents work by four generations of Chinese plant taxonomists during 45 years (1959–2004) and treats 31,180 species (300 families, 3,434 genera) on over 40,000 pages. More than half of the species (54%) are endemic to China. This monumental flora has not yet been thoroughly reviewed. The history of the project is described with comments on outline, statistics, largest families and genera, names of authors and editors, quality, species concept, new taxa, specimens, and proofing and indexing.
Simple phylogenetic tree searches easily “succeed” with large matrices of single genes
Authors: Chase Mark W. , Fay Michael F. , Soltis Douglas E. , Soltis Pamela S. , Takahashi Kei T. , Savolainen Vincent
Published: May 2010

Here we show with both extensive real and simulated data that rigorous and time‐intensive approaches, including parsimony, maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods, to reconstructing large phylogenetic trees are unwarranted with small amounts of data (i.e., single or small numbers, 2–3 genes) because they actually produce trees with scores that are shorter or otherwise less optimal than the model tree or trees produced with larger amounts of data. Furthermore they also fail to obtain consistently more correct groups than simple parsimony methods, leaving the latter to be preferred. When numbers of variable sites are limited relative to numbers of taxa sampled, simpler swapping strategies perform as well as much more rigorous methods. We caution against confidence in any results based on small data sets, even if (or especially if) there have been thorough analyses. Analyses of such data sets for exploratory purposes should rely on simple search strategies and not use excessive branch swapping or time.
300,000 species to identify: problems, progress, and prospects in DNA barcoding of land plants
Authors: Cowan Robyn S. , Chase Mark W. , Kress W. John , Savolainen Vincent
Published: May 2010

DNA barcodes have been successfully applied to a limited number of animal groups with the application of the mitochondrial gene, cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1. Recently two DNA regions, the plastid trnH‐psbA spacer and nuclear ribosomal ITS region, have been shown to have potential as an identification barcode for land plants, although with some significant drawbacks. The ideal barcode should be relatively short in length (∼700 bp), more variable between than within species, and easily amplifiable with universal primers. Building on current success, ongoing investigations are searching for the best barcode to apply to all land plants. Once established, a plant barcode may be effectively used in biodiversity inventories, conservation assessments, and applied forensic investigations. Advances in sequencing technology and the completion of the DNA barcode library have the potential to provide the public with increased access to information about the natural world.
Reconstructing the basal angiosperm phylogeny: evaluating information content of mitochondrial genes
Authors: Qiu Yin-Long , Li Libo , Hendry Tory A. , Li Ruiqi , Taylor David W. , Issa Michael J. , Ronen Alexander J. , Vekaria Mona L. , White Adam M.
Published: May 2010

Three mitochondrial (atp1,matR,nad5), four chloroplast (atpB,matK,rbcL,rpoC2), and one nuclear (18S) genes from 162 seed plants, representing all major lineages of gymnosperms and angiosperms, were analyzed together in a supermatrix or in various partitions using likelihood and parsimony methods. The results show thatAmborella+ Nymphaeales together constitute the first diverging lineage of angiosperms, and that the topology ofAmborellaalone being sister to all other angiosperms likely represents a local long branch attraction artifact. The monophyly of magnoliids, as well as sister relationships between Magnoliales and Laurales, and between Canellales and Piperales, are all strongly supported. The sister relationship to eudicots ofCeratophyllumis not strongly supported by this study; instead a placement of the genus with Chloranthaceae receives moderate support in the mitochondrial gene analyses. Relationships among magnoliids, monocots, and eudicots remain unresolved. Direct comparisons of analytic results from several data partitions with or without RNA editing sites show that in multigene analyses, RNA editing has no effect on well supported relationships, but minor effect on weakly supported ones. Finally, comparisons of results from separate analyses of mitochondrial and chloroplast genes demonstrate that mitochondrial genes, with overall slower rates of substitution than chloroplast genes, are informative phylogenetic markers, and are particularly suitable for resolving deep relationships.
DNA sequence evolution in fast evolving mitochondrial DNA nad1 exons in Geraniaceae and Plantaginaceae
Authors: Bakker Freek T. , Breman Floris , Merckx Vincent
Published: May 2010

Previously, nucleotide substitution rates in mitochondrial DNA of Geraniaceae and Plantaginaceae have been shown to be exceptionally high compared with other angiosperm mtDNA lineages. It has also been shown that mtDNA introns were lost in Geraniaceae and Plantaginaceae. In this study we compile 127 DNA sequences from two partial exons of the mtDNA nad1 gene in Geraniaceae, Plantaginaceae, and other angiosperm groups for which rate accelerations have not been reported, to assess the extent and nature of the nucleotide substitution rate acceleration. Whereas Litorella appears to have undergone a rate acceleration comparable to that observed in Plantago, the Geraniacean sister group representative Hypseocharis biloba has not, indicating that the rate change has occurred between the split of Hypseocharis and the rest of the Geraniaceae. Silent/non‐silent rate ratios ω have decreased threefold in the “fast mtDNA” clades compared with other angiosperms, whereas their codon usage bias is around 20% lower. Absence of RNA editing in Geraniacean and Plantago mtDNA genes is confirmed. Possible causes for the exceptional substitution rate accelerations observed in these lineages are discussed in terms of the retroprocessing process or the possibility of affected mitochondrial DNA polymerase γ proofreading accuracy control.