Hui Shang

The selligueoid ferns are a diverse group of epiphytes comprising more than 100 species. Their substantial disparity in frond morphology has led to the recognition of more than 16 genera with the dominant ones including Arthromeris , Crypsinus , Gymnogrammitis , Phymatopteris , Polypodiopteris , and Selliguea . In this study, we sampled 150 collections representing 69 species and compiled two plastid datasets. One dataset includes six plastid regions of all 69 species, and the other includes the plastomes of 19 representatives of major lineages. Phylogenetic analyses identified four strongly supported clades within the selligueoids and clarified the composition of each. Dating and historical biogeography analyses suggest that the genus Selliguea diverged around 26–34 million years ago, with its origin traced to Asia. The evolution of six morphological characters was also reconstructed on the phylogeny. We recognize the selligueoids in a broad sense and further classify them into four subgenera: Selliguea subg. Arthromeris , subg. Hastata , subg. Pichisermollodes , and subg. Selliguea . Furthermore, we found that their plastomic structures are phylogenetically informative. We identified two major expansions and one significant contraction of the inverted repeat (IR) region in the selligueoids. One of these expansions led to an inverted repeat that encompassed all the genes of the small single‐copy region (SSC), which resulted in SSC regions lacking genes and with sizes dramatically reduced to less than 100 bp in S. subg. Hastata . Subsequently, one IR contraction occurred in the common ancestor of the derived lineages within S. subg. Hastata .

Polystichum ensiforme, a new polystichoid fern species from Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China, is described and illustrated. Morphologically, the new species most closely resembles P. basipinnatum but differs in having a generally simple lamina, scattered sori, and leathery lamina texture. Phylogenetic analysis placed it as an isolated clade within P. sect. Cyrtomiopsis. A key to the species of P. sect. Cyrtomiopsis is also provided.

The dividing lines between species in the Pteris fauriei group (Pteridaceae) are questionable and the systematic positions of some species in this group remain unclear. To help comprehensively understand the phylogenetic relationships and resolve the taxonomic problems in this group a phylogenetic tree was reconstructed based on five chloroplast DNA regions (atpA, matK, rbcL, rps4-trnS & trnL-trnF) from 22 Pteris taxa. Additionally, their spore morphology and type materials were studied. Based on the molecular and morphology evidence, we made treatments as follow: P. oshimensis Hieron. var. paraemeiensis Ching ex Ching et S.H. Wu was raised as a species from a variety of P. oshimensis Hieron; P. fauriei Hieron. var. chinensis Ching et S.H. Wu was treated as a synonym of P. austrotaiwanensis Y.S. Chao, rather than a synonym of P. latipinna Y.S. Chao & W.L. Chiou; and P. omeiensis Ching was restored to species status from a synonym of P. oshimensis Hieron.

Plants have evolved various self-defense mechanisms against insect feeding. There are many reports regarding both direct and indirect defense mechanisms in seed-plant. However, only direct defenses on ferns were considered and the indirect defense mechanism has never been reported. In this study, it was observed that the fern Hypolepis punctata can attract the assassin bug Sclomina erinacea in the field. We collected and analyzed volatiles from H. punctata healthy individuals and the ones wounded by Bertula hadenalis, using dynamic headspace and GC-MS. We recorded the electroantennogram responses of antennae of S. erinacea to different standards of volatile compounds identified from the GC-MS analysis. We also analyzed the behavior of male and female S. erinacea adults in response to volatiles collected from H. punctata using a Y-tube olfactometer. The results showed that a number of volatile compounds were produced when the fern was damaged by B. hadenalis. Electroantennography and Y-tube olfactometer results showed that some herbivore-induced volatiles and volatiles from undamaged leaves could attract S. erinacea. Our research suggests that H. punctata can attract insect predators by releasing herbivory-induced volatile organic compounds, and for the first time we found ferns may also have indirect defense mechanisms using volatile organic compounds.

Isoetes hypsophila Hand.-Mazz. is an Endangered quillwort living in plateau wetlands in China. In the present study, the complete chloroplast genome of I. hypsophila was assembled. It is a circular form of 146,362 bp in length, comprising a pair of inverted repeat (IR) regions of 13,691 bp, a large single copy (LSC) of 91,741 bp, and a small single copy (SSC) of 27,239 bp. After annotation, a total of 135 genes were predicted, which are 84 encode proteins 37 tRNA and 8 rRNA. The phylogenetic analysis indicated that I. hypsophila clustered with a clade of I. sinensis, I. taiwanensis and I. yunguiensis with strong support value. The chloroplast genome will contribute to further research and conservation of I. hypsophila.

With the development of open science and technological innovation, using sharing data and molecular biology techniques in the study of taxonomy and systematics have become a crucial component of plants, which undoubtedly helps us discover more hidden outliers or deal with difficult taxa. In this paper, we take Dennstaedtia smithii as an example, based on sharing molecular database, virtual herbarium and plant photo bank, to clarify the outliers that have been hidden in Dennstaedtia and find the key morphological traits with consistent of molecular systematics. In molecular phylogenetic analyses, we used rbcL, rps4, psbA-trnH and trnL-F sequences from 5 new and 49 shared data; the results showed that Dennstaedtia smithii is nested within Microlepia rather than Dennstaedtia. We further studied the morphological characters based on the phylogeny result and found that D. smithii is distinguished from other species of Dennstaedtia by spore ornamentation and the unconnected of grooves between rachis and pinna rachis. According to morphological and molecular phylogenetic studies, our results supported that D. smithii should be a new member of Microlepia and renamed Microlepia smithii (Hook.) Y.H. Yan. Finding hidden outliers can promote the consistency of morphological and molecular phylogenetic results, and make the systematic classification more natural.

The complete chloroplast DNA sequence of Hypolepis sparsisora was the first time to report with 150,839 bp in length. The structure of the chloroplast genome is composed in four regions, which consisted a large single-repeat region (LSC) of 84,285 bp, a small single-repeat region (SSC) of 21,390 bp, and two inverted repeat regions (IRs) of 22,582 bp, respectively. A total of 131genes including 8 rRNA genes, 35 tRNA genes, and 83 protein-coding genes were predicted. We obtained phylogenetic tree by using the complete chloroplast DNA of 15 species ferns. The ML and BI phylogenetic analysis showed the location of H. sparsisora in Dennstaedtiaceae and other families.

Based on field observations and examinations of herbarium specimens (including type material), consulting the original literature and molecular phylogenetic analysis of the rbcL and trnL-F sequences, it is concluded that Hypolepisrobusta is conspecific with Hypolepisalpina and is here formally treated as a synonym of it. Additionally H.alpina is reported with new distribution records in Guangdong, Guangxi and the Hainan Island of China, respectively.

We investigate whether financing constraints affect the size distribution of Chinese industrial firms from 1998 to 2007. Although the firm size distribution does not follow Zipf distribution in China, it is approaching Zipf distribution over time. In general, financing constraints have a robustly negative effect on the size distribution of firms. Furthermore, firms in Western China grow significantly more equally after controlling for financing constraints. However, the effect of financing constraints in Central China is significantly negative, and the effect of financing constraints on firm size distribution in Eastern China is insignificant. We thus expect a non-linear relationship between financing constraints and firm size distribution.

Premise of the study: Microsatellite loci were isolated in Hypolepis punctata (Dennstaedtiaceae) to further study the reproductive ecology of this species.Methods and Results: We developed 16 microsatellite loci from one sample of H. punctata using an enriched genomic library. These loci were characterized in 28 individuals. The number of alleles per locus ranged from two to 10, and the expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.036 to 0.845.Conclusions: The results indicate that the microsatellite markers can facilitate further studies on inferring the phylogeography and population genetics of H. punctata and related species.