The Status of Dipterocarpaceae Plants in Taiwan

The Dipterocarpaceae family is famous for timber productions in Southeast Asia. The Shuangxi tropical arboretum in Taiwan introduced some dipterocarp species in 1935. However, the changes in abundance and regeneration of each dipterocarp species are unknown. This study aimed to investigate their diameters patterns and regeneration ability over a long period. The results showed that only four dipterocarp species were survived in this arboretum. An individual plant of Dipterocarpus gracilis Blume had a diameter of 5.7 cm. A young seedling was 90 cm in height, and some fruits germinated directly on the ground. A few fruits of Dipterocarpus grandiflorus (Blanco) Blanco were collected;however, and no seedlings have been found thus far, and its annual growth rate was 2.82% as the fastest growth speed. The annual growth rate of Rubroshorea polysperma (Blanco) P. S. Ashton & J. Heck was 2.32%, which is the second growth speed among the different species. Moreover, the abundance of R. polysperma increased as the fruits germinated. In particular, an uneven-aged forest of R. polysperma was established near the southwest area of the No. 2225 nature conservation protection forest, and an individual with a 100 cm DBH was also found. The fruits of Rubroshorea palosapis (Blanco) P. S. Ashton & J. Heck. could not be collected, but a young seedling appeared, with a height of approximately 150 cm. Therefore, Taiwan should be considered as the new distribution site for the Dipterocarpaceae family, all four dipterocarp species can grow in this area and need to be protected carefully.

The Origin and Diversification of Plant Family Dipterocarpaceae

The Dipterocarpaceae plant family, that shows a disjunct distribution in Gondwanan continents and Southeast Asia, is a dominant constituent of the tropical rain forests of Southeast Asia. The high species diversity of Dipterocarpaceae in SE Asian rain forests suggests its origin from SE Asia. However, its fossil history is much younger, from Oligocene, from the region. Based on the pollen fossil records from the late Cretaceous-early Paleogene sedimentary sequences of Indian subcontinent and the contemporaneous distribution of its extant taxa, evolutionary history of Dipterocarpaceae has been traced. The study suggests a West Gondwanan origin for this family. Present study also provides first evidence of Dipterocarpaceae genus Vateriopsis (endemic in Seychelles) type fossil pollen record from the late Cretaceous and early Palaeogene sedimentary sequences of western Indian margin.

Borofutus, a new genus of Boletaceae from tropical Asia: phylogeny, morphology and taxonomy

A new monotypic genus in the Boletaceae,Borofutus,typified by B.dhakanus,is described using morphological and molecular evidence.This is a putatively ectomycorrhizal fungus associated with Shorea robusta.Borofutus is characterized by the combination of the following characters:basidiomata small to medium-sized;pileus grayish brown to cocoa brown;hymenophore subdecurrent,cream then golden brown,with broad,nearly hexagonal pores;basidiospores purple to purplish red in H2O,ornamented with irregular to regular shallow pits;cystidia lageniform,thick-walled.Borofutus is sister to Spongiforma in molecular phylogenetic analyses using DNA nucleotide sequences of single or multiple loci.A description,line drawings,phylogenetic placement and comparison with allied taxa are presented herein.