A revision of Clematis sect.Atragene(Ranunculaceae)

Clematis sect. Atragene is revised in this paper based on the examination of a large number of herbarium specimens, extensive field observations, and morphometric analyses. Brief taxonomic history and geographical distribution of the section are given, the relationships among the species are discussed, and the evolutionary trends of some characters in the section are evaluated. The staminodes of the plants in this section may have evolved from the outer stamens with petaloid filaments and gradually disappearing anthers. Subsequently, they may have evolved in two different ways. One possibility is that the staminodes elongate and become lanceolate, as long as sepals, and their apices turn into attenuate. The other is that the staminodes are spathulate, but not elongating, as long as stamens, and their apices turn into retuse from obtuse and rounded. The evolutionary trend of sepals may be from thin to thick in texture, and the veins from non-prominent to prominent. As a result, five new series are established and nine species, two subspecies and nine varieties （including three new ranks） are recognized in this section. An identification key is provided, and each taxon is described and illustrated. Clematis sibirica and Clematis ochotensis are treated as subspecies of Clematis alpina due to their subtle differences and lack of, or few, overlapping distributions. Clematis fusijamana and Clematisfauriei are recognized as varieties of C. alpina ssp. ochotensis for the continuous variation of the velutinous strips on the sepal margins. Clematis iliensis is treated as variety of C. alpina ssp. sibirica for the continuous variation of leaf division types. Extensive variations in sepal color and basal caruncle size support degrading Clematis chiisanensis as a variety of Clematis koreana. The North American ser. Occientales may be primitive, whereas ser. Macropetalae may be the most advanced taxon in this section. Ser. Alpinae and ser. Koreanae are closely related to each other. However, the systematic position of ser. Tomentosae cannot be determined based on morphological characters alone in the present study.

A New Brown Frog of the Genus Rana(Anura,Ranidae)from North China,with a Taxonomic Revision of the R.chensinensis Species Group

The Rana chensinensis species group is widely distributed throughout North China.However,its taxonomy and composition remain controversial.In recent field investigations of the Taihang Mountains,a series of Rana specimens were collected,which were once identified as R.chensinensis.However,these samples showed significant differences from R.chensinensis of the type locality(Shaanxi Province in the Qinling Mountains)in both morphology and genetics.In this paper,based on analyses of seventeen geographic populations from the Taihang and Qinling Mountains,we describe a new species(namely R.taihangensis sp.nov.)in the R.chensinensis species group.A phylogenetic analysis of the R.chensinensis species group based on mitochondrial genes—COI,16S rRNA and Cytb—revealed the monophyly of the cryptic species,which formed the sister taxon to R.kukunoris.Morphological comparisons indicated that the cryptic species can be distinguished from its congeners by a combination of characteristics.Additionally,the distribution patterns of the Rana species in North China were clarified.The populations of the southwestern Taihang Mountains,Xiaoqinling Mountains,and Funiu Mountains in Henan Province remain R.chensinensis,whereas the populations recorded as R.chensinensis in Beijing City,Hebei Province,and the southeastern Taihang Mountains of Henan Province should be revised as R.taihangensis sp.nov.

Taxonomic revision of Lepisorus(J.Sm.) Ching sect.Lepisorus(Polypodiaceae) from China

The taxonomy of Lepisorus （J. Sm.） Ching sect. Lepisorus in China was revised based on herbarium specimen examinations, field observations, and microscopic study of rhizome scales, soral paraphyses, leaf epidermis, and spores. As a result, nine species were recognized： Lepisorus macrosphaerus （Baker） Ching, Lepisorus asterolepis （Baker） Ching, Lepisorus marginatus Ching, Lepisorus kuchenensis （Y.C. Wu） Ching, Lepisorus megasorus （C. Chr.） Ching, Lepisorus kawakamii （Hayata） Tagawa, Lepisorus subsessilis Ching ＆ Y.X. Lin, Lepisorus affinis Ching, and Lepisorus nudus （Hook.） Ching. Lepisorus kawakamii （Hayata） Tagawa was reinstated; Lepisorus gyirongensis Ching ＆ S.K. Wu and Lepisorus longus Ching were reduced to synonyms ofL. nudus and L. affinis, respectively. The subdivision ofLepisorus macrosphaerus was not accepted. Rhizome scales and paraphyses are the most useful characters for species delimitation as well as for infrageneric classification. Characteristics of the leaf epidermis and spore ornamentation are usually stable and thus of great significance in understanding the relationships among groups within the genus.

A Systematic Revision of the Genus Plectranthus L. (Lamiaceae) in Saudi Arabia Based on Morphological, Palynological, and Micromorphological Characters of Trichomes

This study aims to investigate the morphology and ultrastructure characters of pollen grains and trichomes in order to evaluate their systematic value of these characters in specific and intraspecific separation of the Saudi Arabian Plectranthus species. A critical systematic revision of 7 species of Plectranthus (Lamiaceae) in Saudi Arabia was conducted by means of numerical analyses based on thirty-one morphological characters, including vegetative parts, seeds, pollen grains, and trichomes. Macro- and micro-morphological characters, including seed and pollen shape, size, coat sculpture, trichome structure, were studied. It reveals the presence of seven species, including two endemic species. The pollen grains were zonocolpate, hexacolpate, prolate to subprolate. Three types of exine ornamentation were recognized. Also, two trichome types could be distinguished and classified into glandular and non-glandular. The glandular trichomes could be distinguished as peltate, capitate and digitiform. The eglandular trichomes were single, uniseriate, multicellular. Pollen and trichome characters were found to be valuable, while seed characters presented only minor taxonomic value. On the basis of UPGMA clustering analysis four branches and clusters were distinguished. The results offer useful data for evaluating the taxonomy of Plectranthus both at subgeneric and sectional levels. Our results indicated some degree of similarity among the species of subgenus Burnatastrum. Plectranthus arabicus is considered as a separate group and may be treated as separate subgenus. Furthermore, the endemic species Plectranthus asirensis and Plectranthus hijazensis constitute a monophyletic group and there are close relationships between this group and Plectranthus tenuiflorus. A key for the identification of the investigated taxa based on studied characters is provided.

Redefinition of the Odorrana versabilis Group,with a New Species from China(Anura,Ranidae,Odorrana)

Taxonomic studies of the Odorrana versabilis group have been consistently disorganized,and they have often been incorrectly associated with an abandoned subgenus or genus Bamburana in existing literature.In this study,we conducted an integrative taxonomic analysis using molecular phylogenetic analysis of two mitochondrial gene fragments(16S rRNA and CO1)and morphological examination of 41 specimens collected during herpetological surveys in southern China.Our results confirmed the monophyly of O.versabilis group which exhibited distinct morphological traits.We also identified a cryptic lineage sister with O.exiliversabilis.Additionally,our study revealed that O.trankieni was nested within O.nasuta.Consequently,we redefined the morphological characteristics of the O.versabilis group,described a new species in this group,O.confusa sp.nov.,and proposed that O.trankieni be considered a junior synonym of O.nasuta.One of the most significant findings of this study was the observation of distinct morphological changes in adult males across all species within the O.versabilis group between the non-breeding and breeding seasons.This study contributes to research on various aspects of Asian amphibian fauna,including taxonomy,ecology,evolution,and physiology.

Taxonomic revision of Prosopocoilus gracilis(Saunders,1854) and its allied species from China(Coleoptera:Lucanidae)

Prosopocoilus gracilis （Saunders, 1854） and its seven allied species from China are revised. Lectotype, paralectotypes of P. gracilis （Saunders, 1854） and P. denticulatus （Boileau, 1901） are designated. The doubtful species, P. piceipennis （Westwood, 1855） is evidently confirmed as a valid species with verification of its type depository. Two highly similar species, P. crenulidens （Fairmaire, 1895） and P. denticulatus （Boileau, 1901） are compared in detail for correcting longstanding wrong diagnoses of them. P. similis Schenk, 2009 is illustrated with male genitalia firstly. Two recently-published species, P. andreasi Schenk, 2009 and P. katsurai Fujita, 2010 are treated as new junior synonyms. All the five valid species in this paper are redescribed, with illustrations of adult （including type） habitus, male and female genitalia if they are available. A key to large males is provided for identifying them briefly.