Nomenclatural novelties in Ann. Bot. Fennici 44(1). — Ann. Bot. Fennici 44: 80.
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Ciccarelli, D., Garbari, F. & Pagni, A. M. 2007: Glandular hairs of the ovary: a helpful character for Asteroideae (Asteraceae) taxonomy? — Ann. Bot. Fennici 44: 1–7.

Surface microcharacters of the ovary of the Asteraceae were studied, especially biseriate glandular hairs. Of 34 species belonging to the Asteroideae, only Dittrichia viscosa, Pulicaria dysenterica, Bellis perennis, Tanacetum parthenium, Achillea maritima, Matricaria chamomilla, and Eupatorium cannabinum possess glandular hairs on the ovary. Additional characters considered are hair morphology and distribution, cell number, and presence of subcuticular chambers and chloroplasts. The usefulness of glandular hairs of the ovary for taxonomic purposes is discussed.

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Honkavaara, J., Siitari, H., Saloranta, V. & Viitala, J. 2007: Avian seed ingestion changes germination patterns of bilberry, Vaccinium myrtillus. — Ann. Bot. Fennici 44: 8–17.

Frugivores functioning as seed dispersers may have fundamental effects on the reproductive success of fruiting plants. Studies on this interaction have, however, mostly ignored possible within-season and between-year variations in seed germination behaviour. The aim of this study was to assess how berry ingestion by thrushes (Turdus spp.) affects seed germination of bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus). Specifically, we studied if the timing of dispersal within the fruiting season affects germination success of seeds and whether these effects vary between years. The germination rate of intact seeds declined in the course of the fruiting season both in 1997 and in 1999. Ingestion by thrushes accelerated the germination rate of passed seeds and the final germination percentages of passed seeds were higher than or similar to those of intact seeds. These effects varied within season and between years. Thus, when effects of frugivores on seed germination success are studied, experiments should not rely on the data collected at a single time in the season and in a single year.

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Jin, X.-F. Ding, B.-Y., Jin, S.-H., Zhang, Y.-J. & Fu, C.-X. 2007: Revision of some problematic taxa of Rhododendron sect. Tsutsusi (Ericaceae) from China. — Ann. Bot. Fennici 44: 18–24.

Morphological variation within and among populations of some closely related taxa of Rhododendron sect. Tsutsusi from China are revised based on literature, specimen examination and field work. Rhododendron chunii, R. guizhongense, R. viscidum, R. subenerve, R. minutiflorum, R. viscigemmatum, and R. polyraphidodeum var. montanum are reduced to synonymys of R. fuchsiifolium. Rhododendron myrsinifolium is recognized as a distinct species, differing from R. fuchsiifolium in having smaller leaves, branchlets covered with compressed strigose hairs, and a corolla tube without glands on outer surface. The geographic distributions of R. fuchsiifolium and R. myrsinifolium are also provided.

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Liu, X. Q., Wahiti Gituru, R. & Chen, L. Q. 2007: Genetic variation in the endangered fern Adiantum reniforme var. sinense (Adiantaceae) in China. — Ann. Bot. Fennici 44: 25–32.

Adiantum reniforme var. sinense (Adiantaceae) is a rare and endangered fern with only four known remaining populations restricted to a few sites in the Three-Gorges area of the Yangtze River in China. RAPD markers were used to investigate the level of genetic diversity in the four populations. Twenty of the 80 primers that were tested were selected and a total of 92 DNA fragments were scored. The low level of genetic diversity observed in the fern is attributed to its confinement to the east of Sichuan Province and west of Hubei Province, which constitute a refugium of plants from the Quaternary glaciation period. At the population level, the percentage of polymorphic bands (PPB), the effective number of alleles per locus (A_E), the expected heterozygosity (H_E), and Shannon's information measure (H) were 29.6%, 0.102, 1.114 and 0.1506, respectively; while at the species level, the corresponding values were 33.7%, 0.118, 1.133 and 0.1779, respectively. Nei's standard genetic distance (D) was low and ranged from 0.0136 to 0.0274. AMOVA analysis indicated that the most of the genetic variation (89.93%) resided within populations, and that only 10.03% of the variation resided among populations. In the UPGMA dendrogram based on Nei's genetic distance some individuals from different populations clustered together. The high gene flow detected in the populations (N_m = 1.688) may indicate that the four populations may originally have belonged to a single expansive population, which at present is fragmented into four discontinuous units due to disturbance by human activities. The endangered status of this taxon is attributed to the effect of low genetic diversity and habitat deterioration and disturbance.

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Van der Graaf, A. J., Stahl, J., Veeneklaas, R. M. & Bakker, J. P. 2007: Vegetation characteristics of a brackish marsh on Gotland and foraging choices of migrating and brood rearing geese. — Ann. Bot. Fennici 44: 33–41.

Arctic breeding barnacle geese use brackish marshes along the coastline of the Baltic Sea intensively in spring, during short stopovers on their migration to breeding sites in northern Russia. We mapped the vegetation of one important spring staging and brood rearing site on the Swedish island of Gotland and investigated the habitat use of barnacle geese. The geese mainly use plant communities with a high cover of edible species and a low canopy height. These vegetation characteristics are best maintained through livestock grazing and the maintenance of current grazing practices will be responsible for future site use by small herbivores.

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Vasari, Y., Kuznetsov, O. L., Lavrova, N. B., Shelekhova, T. S. & Vasari, A. 2007: Alinlampi, a Late-Glacial site in the northern Karelian Republic. — Ann. Bot. Fennici 44: 42–55.

A re-investigation of Alinlampi — known previously to have a complete stratigraphic succession from Younger Dryas (> 10 640 B.P.) to mid-Holocene ("Atlantic") — was made using pollen, macrosubfossil and diatom analyses. The palynological and macrofossil analyses give a detailed picture of the vegetational succession consisting of three Late Weichselian and three Holocene stages. The first two phases represent pioneer vegetation before the development of forests. The NAP flora is very rich with many exotic elements, i.a. Dryas octopetala. Birches have been present from the beginning, first as solitary copses but by the end of the Late Weichselian as light forests. Betula nana characterizes the intermediate phase between open vegetation and forest. The Holocene forests have been dominated by pine and birches. The diatom succession reflects a development from cold, slightly alkaline conditions to warmer ones with increased alkalinity, and again to a colder and less alkaline state.

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Dematteis, M. 2007: Taxonomic notes on the genus Chrysolaena (Vernonieae, Asteraceae), including a new species endemic to Paraguay. — Ann. Bot. Fennici 44: 56–64.

The genus Chrysolaena H. Rob. (Vernonieae, Asteraceae) is redefined to include two taxa previously placed in Lessingianthus subgen. Oligocephalus H. Rob. Additionally, a new species of the genus endemic to eastern Paraguay is described and illustrated. The new species differs from its morphologically closest species, C. simplex (Less.) Dematteis, in its inflorescence of a single head, 3–4-seriate involucre, pilose corolla lobes and discolorous leaves, with silvery-greyish hairs on the abaxial surface.

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Jian, S.-G., Zhou, R.-Z. & Chen, H.-F. 2007: Michelia multitepala (Magnoliaceae), a new species from Yunnan, China. — Ann. Bot. Fennici 44: 65–67.

Michelia multitepala R.Z. Zhou & S.G. Jian sp. nova (Magnoliaceae) from Yunnan, China is described and illustrated. It appears to be allied with M. macclurei, but differs mainly in having longer leaves, more tepals (11–12) in 4 (or 3–4) series, and in its longer, aggregate spicate (8–15 cm) fruit. Also Michelia ingrata resembles M. multitepala, but differs mainly by its longitudinally furrowed bark, bigger leaves that are glaucous beneath, fleshy and glabrous tepals, and by its unpleasant flower odor.

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Prock?w, J. 2007: Nomenclatural notes on Juncus supinus var. nigritellus — a new synonym of Juncus bulbosus subsp. kochii (Juncaceae). — Ann. Bot. Fennici 44: 68–71.

The nomenclatural issues concerning Juncus supinus Moench var. nigritellus W.D.J. Koch nom. illeg. (non (D. Don) F.W. Schultz) are treated. The name is reduced to a synonym of J. bulbosus L. subsp. kochii (F.W. Schultz) Reichg.

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Romo, A. & Boratynski, A. 2007: Nomenclatural note on Juniperus thurifera subsp. africana (Cupressaceae). — Ann. Bot. Fennici 44: 72–75.

Juniperus thurifera L. subsp. africana (Maire) Romo & Boratyński stat. nov. is proposed and justified. Morphological characters that separate that taxon from J. thurifera subsp. thurifera are provided.

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Shui, Y.-M. 2007: Begonia tetralobata (Begoniaceae), a new species from China. — Ann. Bot. Fennici 44: 76–79.

Begonia tetralobata Y.M. Shui sp. nova (Begoniaceae) is described and illustrated from Yunnan, China. It differs from B. cucurbitifolia mainly in the 4-palmate and oblique lamina and smaller tepals of male flowers ca. 1 cm long ca. 0.7 cm wide. The two species are a closely related pair, each occurring at a different altitude range.

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