Pentagonia

Abstract: Dialypetalanthus fuscescens Kuhlm., endemic to Amazonia, has been treated as the sole member of Dialypetalanthaceae Rizzini & Occhioni. Various affinities have been suggested, but its phylogenetic position has remained unclear due to the unique combination of characters indicating an affinity with Rubiaceae (e.g. opposite leaves, interpetiolar stipules and an inferior ovary), in which family it was originally placed, or Myrtales (free petals and numerous stamens). Analysis of rbcL sequence data indicates that Dialypetalanthus is a member of Rubiaceae sensu stricto and falls in Ixoroideae sensu lato sensu Bremer with relatively strong bootstrap support (83%). Within the subfamily, Dialypetalanthus falls with a group of other neotropical taxa, but this position is not well supported. In the successively weighted trees Dialypetalanthus fell in a clade with the New World taxa Calycophyllum, Capirona, Condaminea, Hippotis, Pentagonia and Pogonopus. However, this clade received bootstrap support of <50%. On the basis of these data we recommend inclusion of Dialypetalanthus in Rubiaceae, but data for other loci and further morphological analysis will be required before its exact relationships can be determined.

Abstract: Some species of bats occupy leaves that they have modified for diurnal and night roosts. Fifteen neotropical and three paleotropical bats modify about 80 species of plants (Kunz et al. 1994) to make so called tent roosts. In the neotropical region, most tent-making bats belong to the family Phyllostomidae, mainly in the subfamily Stenodermatinae. Rhinophylla pumilio is the only nonstenodermatine known to roost in tents (Charles-Dominique 1993, Zortea 1995). Five species are recognized in the Vampyressa genus (Koopman 1993), of which at least one has been observed using this kind of tent roost. Vampyressa pusilla thyone was observed in cut leaves of Philodendron sp. in Costa Rica (Timm 1984). This same species uses tents in plants of the family Araceae: Philodendron macrophylla and Rhodospatha wendlandii (Kunz et al. 1994). Vampyressa nympheae was reported by Brooke (1987) as using tents in Pentagonia donnell-smithii (Rubiaceae) in Costa Rica. However, Brooke may have misidentified the bats (see Reid 1997). The tents formed by bats exhibit highly diverse architectural styles, and the same plant species may be used by more than one species of bat. Bat tents were classified by Kunz et al. (1994) into a system based on their style of construction. Eight types were proposed: conical, palmate umbrella, pinnate,

Abstract: In order to evaluate the traditional morphological characters commonly used to distinguish the taxonomically problematic species of Legousia, we carried out a morphometric study with univariate analysis, principal component analysis (PCA), discriminant analysis (DA) and cluster analysis (UPGMA). The analyses were based on data from 436 individuals on 207 herbarium specimens from 18 countries in Europe, Africa and Asia representing all recently accepted species of the genus. Legousia falcata was found clearly distinct based on binary characters, L. falcata and L. hybrida were separated using refined binary and continuous characters, whereas L. pentagonia, L. snogerupii and L. speculum-veneris were all mixed in a single cluster, as were L. castellana, L. falcata and L. scabra. In a further refined sampling, L. snogerupii was separated by PCA, DA and UPGMA, but L. pentagonia and L. speculum-veneris were still indistinguishable and formed a single mixed cluster. Based on the results, we propose to reduce L. castellana and L. scabra to synonyms of L. falcata, and L. skvortsovii to a synonym of L. hybrida, while subspecific rank is proposed for L. pentagonia as L. speculum-veneris subsp. pentagonia, comb. & stat. nov. A key and nomenclatural synopsis of accepted taxa is provided and their geographic distribution is outlined.Citation: Wahlsteen E. & Tyler T. 2019: Morphometric analyses and species delimitation in Legousia (Campanulaceae). – Willdenowia 49: 21–33. doi: https://doi.org/10.3372/wi.49.49104Version of record first published online on 25 March 2019 ahead of inclusion in April 2019 issue.

Abstract: The volatile constituents of the “Babaco” (Carica pentagonia) have been isolated by concentration of the headspace vapors on Tenax-GC. Of the 37 compounds identified aliphatic esters account for 84% of the total area, the major components being ethyl butanoate and ethyl hexanoate. These findings conflict with a previous report in which alcohols were claimed to be the main constituent when this fruit is grown in New Zealand.