Sistema Regional de Información
en línea para Revistas Científicas de América Latina,
el Caribe, España y Portugal

Background and Aims: Marine algae are of great interest for their bioactive compounds with biotechnological applications in pharmaceutical, cosmetic, food, and agronomic industries. The objective of this work was to determine the nutritional and phytochemical composition of three macroalgae associated with the roots of Rhizophora mangle: Bostrychia calliptera, Rhizoclonium riparium and Catenella impudica.Methods: Samples were collected in the mangrove swamp of Buenaventura Bay, in the Colombian Pacific. Nutritional composition was evaluated by ash, protein, crude fiber and mineral analysis, according to AOAC protocols. Extracts were obtained with acetone (99,5%). A preliminary screening for secondary metabolites was performed and GC-MS was used to identify the compounds. Key results: Among the three species analyzed, variations were found in the percentage of ash (16.9-31.5), crude fiber (2.52-30.2), protein (14.6-25) and nitrogen (2.3-4). The most representative minerals were potassium (30,100-35,000 mg kg-1), sulfur (29,400-70,600 mg kg-1), iron (1880-9180 mg kg-1), sodium (7330-46,700 mg kg-1), magnesium (7960-16,600 mg kg-1), calcium (5510-6860 mg kg-1), phosphorus (800-1270 mg kg-1) and manganese (204-4730 mg kg-1). Alkaloids, sterols, terpenes, cardiotonic glycosides and saponins were detected in the extracts of all species. By GC-MS analysis, 14 volatile compounds were identified in the extracts of Bostrychia calliptera (eight compounds), Catenella impudica (2) and Rhizoclonium riparium (7). The common compounds in all species were eicosane, 2-methyloctacosane, 2-methyleicosane and 3-methyleicosane.Conclusions: The studied macroalgae showed a high content of essential nutrients, such as potassium, sulfur, iron and manganese, suggesting their potential as biofertilizers or supplements. In addition, several of the identified compounds have demonstrated biological activities relevant to pharmacology and cosmetology. These findings highlight the potential of macroalgae and contribute to the knowledge for the sustainable use of mangrove resources in the Colombian Pacific.

Background and Aims: Axinaea is a predominantly Andean genus, with one species found in the mountains of Costa Rica and Panama. It is similar to Meriania, and the only feature that separates them from each other is the shape of the dorsal connective of the anther. The discovery of a new species, described here, with anther connective characters intermediate between the two genera, raised the need to improve the circumscription of Axinaea and document variation within Meriania, aspects that are addressed in this paper.Methods: A new species of Axinaea is described from collections deposited in the UDBC herbarium of the Distrital University of Bogotá. The degree of threat is evaluated and the need for conserving the species is described. In addition, various groups within Meriania, including Axinaea, are summarized, and a unique set of characters for Axinaea is proposed.Key results: Axinaea filandiensis sp. nov. is characterized by its 4-merous flowers, isomorphous stamens with blue anthers and globose-ellipsoid dorsal connectives. It is known only from the type locality and its conservation status is proposed as Critically Endangered (CR). Seven groups are described in Meriania, including Axinaea, and a unique set of characters is proposed for the latter genus, considering non-nectariferous flowers, cucullate corolla, isomorphic or slightly dimorphic stamens, anthers with the vascular bundle of the connective tissue directed backwards, and inappendiculate and globose to globose-elliptic connective. According to this circumscription, one species described in Meriania (M. rubrifolia) establishes its position within Axinaea.Conclusions: Axinaea filandiensis represents a critically endangered species that requires urgent conservation action. The unique set of characters established in this paper clarifies the separation between Axinaea and Meriania. It is proposed to maintain both genera separate, considering that Meriania is an artificial group that should be split into several genera.

Background and Aims: Mexico is an important center of species richness for the genus Pinus. However, information regarding the ecological associations among species and their relationship with environmental factors is deficient. The objectives of this study were: 1) to analyze the ecological similarity in species distribution, and 2) to identify the environmental factors that most influence the spatial distribution of species, both at the landscape level in the main mountain systems of Mexico.Methods: A database with records of Pinus species distributed across the major mountainous regions of Mexico was compiled. Each region was divided into approximately 10 × 10 km spatial grids. Next, environmental and species matrices were constructed. Then Canonical Correspondence Analysis (ACC) were performed from the matrices to identify species associations and their relationship with environmental gradients.Key results: On average, the percentage of inertia explained by the ACC was 30.3%. The geographic distribution of pines in the Sierra Madre Occidental and the Sierra Madre del Sur was primarily explained by water vapor pressure; in the Sierra Madre Oriental, by the precipitation of the wettest month; in the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, by the mean temperature of the fourth driest month; in the Chiapas Highlands, by altitude; and in the forested areas of Baja California, by precipitation seasonality.Conclusions: Canonical correlation analysis identified four groups of Pinus species with similar ecological preferences in each mountain range in Mexico. The environmental factors most impacting the distribution of pines in Mexico are altitude, water vapor pressure, solar radiation, wind speed, and the percentage of clay in the soil; the importance of these factors varies regionally.

Background and Aims: The genus Pseudobryopsis currently encompasses seven species distributed in tropical and warm-temperate waters. They are separated from the morphological similar genus Trichosolen by chloroplast morphology and the presence of a plug at the base of the gametangia. During the 2022 Seaflower Scientific Expedition, an undescribed species of the green algal genus Pseudobryopsis was collected. The objective of this study is to describe this new species, discuss its morphological features, and provide a taxonomic key for the genus. Methods: The species was collected by snorkeling in September 2022 in the southernmost part of the Archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia, and Santa Catalina, located in the southwestern Caribbean Sea, off the coast of Nicaragua, at Bolívar cay (south-southeast cay) at a depth of 2.1 m. The sample was preserved in 96% ethanol solution and identified in the Marine Biology Laboratory of the Universidad Nacional de Colombia in Bogotá. The specimen was deposited in the herbarium JIW in the Biology Department of the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia. Key results: A new species, Pseudobryopsis basiglabra, is described. Despite its superficial resemblance to P. thikkodiensis and P. gracilis, the characteristic unbranched habit of the vegetative thallus and the position of its gametangia on the main axes allow P. basiglabra to be distinguished from other known species of the genus. Conclusions: Pseudobryopsis basiglabra sp. nov. has sufficient diagnostic features to consider it as a new species for science.

Background and Aims: Endophragmiella species are saprobic asexual microfungi with a wide geographical distribution. Morphologically, the genus is characterized by simple or branched conidiophores, monoblastic, percurrently extending conidiogenous cells, and 0- or multiseptated conidia, variable in shape and seceding rhexolytically. The aim of this study was to describe two new species, Endophragmiella chiapanensis and E. multiseptata, and to record E. gardeniae for the first time from Mexico. Methods: Plant debris was collected from the soil in areas of oak-pine forest in Chiapas and in a cloud forest in the state of Veracruz, Mexico. Material was transported to the laboratory and incubated in moist chambers. Microscopic slides of the sporophores were made, and spores were simultaneously transferred to plates with culture media. Reference materials (microscopic preparations) were deposited in the herbarium XAL of the Instituto de Ecología, A.C. in Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico. Key results: Taxonomic determination was based on morphological analysis of sporophores. Endophragmiella chiapanensis is characterized by fusiform, mostly 3-euseptate, versicolorous conidia, brown to pale brown, often bearing a selenosporella-like synanamorph in the apical cell, whereas E. multiseptata is distinguished by cylindrical to obclavate, mostly 9-septate, concolorous, pale brown conidia. With the present contribution, 13 species of Endophragmiella have been reported from Mexico. Conclusions: The species described as new taxa present conidiogenesis, secession and conidial morphological features typical of the genus Endophragmiella. However, conidial size and shape distinguish them from the remaining species described so far within the genus. Endophragmiella species have been poorly studied in Mexico. More field work and molecular studies are necessary to increase our knowledge of their diversity as well as to define their phylogenetic affinities.

Background and Aims: Kroenleinia grusonii is endemic to Mexico and is threatened with extinction. The objective was to compare the influence of seed weight on its morphometrical variables, the effect of the interaction of pregerminative treatments and seed weight on germination and size of the seedlings, as well as present the morphological description of seedlings of K. grusonii cultured in vitro. Methods: Seeds were divided into groups: 1) ≤0.5 mg, 2) 0.6-0.9 mg and 3) ≥1.0 mg. The length, width, area and testa thickness were measured. From the embryo, the length and width were measured, and its area was calculated. Five treatments were applied: control, hydration for 24 hours, hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid and mechanical scarification. The germination percentage and the size of the obtained seedlings were recorded after 30 days. A correlation and regression analysis was carried out to the effect of seed weight in the size variables; germination percentage was evaluated with the Mann-Whitney U test and an ANOVA with factorial arrangement was carried out for the seedling size. The morphological development of the K. grusonii seedlings was monitored for 60 days. Key results: Heavy seeds (≥1.0 mg) presented the greatest length with 1.85±0.01 mm. In the interaction of seed weight and pregerminative treatment, the most significant germination occurred in medium seeds of 0.6-0.9 mg with mechanical scarification, obtaining 66±0.47% germination. The H2SO4 and seeds of ≥1.0 mg presented seedlings with greater stem height of 8.33±0.46 mm. Conclusions: Seed weight increases as size increases. Mechanical scarification was the best treatment for promoting seed germination. Information on seedlings’ size and morphological description can contribute to the ex situ conservation of K. grusonii.

Background and Aims: In the atmosphere of San Miguel de Tucumán, Urticaceae pollen is relevant due to its abundance and permanence in the pollen cloud, as well as for its allergenic character. Quantitatively, it ranks third after Broussonetia papyrifera and Morus sp. This research aims to evaluate the changes in the concentration of Urticaceae pollen in order to establish its interannual and seasonal variation and its relationship with some meteorological parameters.Methods: Pollen capture was performed using a volumetric aerobiological sampler between the winter of 2008 and the autumn of 2016. Sample processing followed the standard method of the Spanish Aerobiology Network. Exploratory analysis and bivariate inferential analysis were performed to determine correlations between pollen concentrations and selected meteorological factors.Key results: Urticaceae pollen presented an annual average of 743.03 g/m3, which represents 11% of the total amount found in the analyzed period. The Main Pollination Period (PPP) varied between 58 and 232 days, starting in the months of August, September and November. The high spring temperatures combined with winter precipitation determine the anticipation of the PPP start date. The changes in the Urticaceae pollen load are related to the mean temperature and total precipitation recorded during PPP. Conclusions: Urticaceae is one of the best represented families in the pollen spectrum of the atmosphere of San Miguel de Tucumán. In addition to the meteorological parameters discussed in this research, other factors such as the changes in the amount and location of emitting sources, wind direction and CO2 concentrations, should be considered to better understand the annual and seasonal variations described in this work.

Background and Aims: The genus Apiospora comprises 157 microscopic fungal species worldwide. It includes saprobes, symbiotic, endophytic and pathogens of both plants and humans. In a survey of phytopathogenic organisms of blackberry (Rubus sp.) stems in Taretan, Michoacán, Mexico, we isolated a fungus whose identification at genus level was unclear. The objectives of this study were to identify the isolate at species level and determine whether it represents or not a pathogenic organism for blackberry plants. Methods: The fungal strain INE47 was isolated from the stems of Rubus 'Tupy'. DNA extraction was performed, and the sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and translation elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF1-α) gene of the isolate were obtained. To construct the phylogenetic trees, Apiospora-related sequence matrices were analyzed for each marker separately and concatenated, using Bayesian Inference and Maximum Likelihood methods. Koch´s test were performed on blackberry stems and leaves to determine the pathogenic ability of the isolate. Finally, the morphological description of the colony and the micro morphological structures such as spores and conidiophores was completed. Key results: INE47 was identified as Apiospora intestini hosted by blackberry plants in Michoacán, Mexico. After pathogenicity tests, the species caused a small spot in the inoculated area on blackberry stems and leaves. The disease severity induced for this isolate does not represent an important impact for this crop. Conclusions: Apiospora intestini found on blackberry represents the first report of this fungus in Mexico. The pathogenicity test and the evaluation of the disease severity demonstrated that it is a weak pathogen on stem and leaves of blackberry, causing necrotic spots.

Background and Aims: Polycarpon is a genus traditionally comprising about 16 species distributed in tropical and temperate regions. Molecular studies demonstrated its polyphyly, highlighting three supported clades: the P. coquimbense-suffruticosum aggregate (from South America), P. prostratum (tropical), and the P. tetraphyllum aggregate (mainly in the Mediterranean region). The first two clades have been excluded from Polycarpon: P. coquimbense, P. suffruticosum, and P. anomalum recently transferred to Augustea, and P. prostratum recognized under Polycarpaea. The remaining members represent a polyploid complex treated as a single species, P. tetraphyllum. Taxonomic questions remain open, especially concerning the number of taxa occurring in some geographical areas. Among them is South America, for which we here present a synopsis.Methods: This work is based on field surveys, examination of specimens, and analysis of literature. The International Code of Nomenclature for Algae, Fungi and Plants was consulted.Key results: Three subspecies of Polycarpon tetraphyllum are recognized in South America: subsp. apurense (from Argentina, Colombia, Paraguay, and Venezuela), subsp. tetraphyllum (alien in most of the countries), and subsp. peruvianum (endemic to Peru). The latter subspecies is newly described here and it differs from subsp. diphyllum and subsp. tetraphyllum by stipule shape, leaf arrangement and colour, arrangement of flowers in inflorescences, petal length, and stamen number. It also presents a distinct habitat: dry, rocky soils, in contrast to the sandy soils or disturbed areas where other subspecies grow. The name P. urbanianum, previously considered as a Peruvian endemic, is here demonstrated to be not a species of Polycarpon. A diagnostic key of the South American subspecies of P. tetraphyllum is proposed.Conclusions: The results obtained remark the variability of Polycarpon tetraphyllum s.l. and highlight that the flora of South America, especially concerning the small Caryophyllaceae needs to be further investigated.

Background and Aims: Colombia is the most diverse region in the world for Araceae. Nevertheless, this diversity has not yet been adequately inventoried and subjected to taxonomic revision. The Andean region is one of the areas with the highest diversity and endemism; however, it is also one of the most disturbed. For this reason, we present a catalogue of the recorded species, which includes their geographical distribution, those that are threatened and a taxonomic key for the genera of Araceae in the department of Caldas, as a resource to support territorial planning and to enhance knowledge of the flora. Methods: Collections from the herbaria COL, FAUC, and HUA, and the databases of FMB, HUQ, and MO were reviewed. Specialized literature on the family was consulted, including floristic inventories, taxonomic treatments, and protologues, as well as databases that enabled the generation of a dataset to compile the inventory. Based on the review of the specimens, a key was constructed for the identification of the genera. Key results: 16 genera and 110 species were recorded, with Anthurium (48) and Philodendron (19) being the most represented. Sixty-one chorological novelties were recorded for Caldas and nine for Colombia. Three species were listed in some extinction risk category. The districts within Caldas with the highest number of records were Centro Sur (187) and Magdalena Caldense (130), while Alto Oriente had the fewest records (5). Conclusions: There is a clear need to carry out exploration in the districts Alto Occidente and Alto Oriente, particularly in the municipalities Manzanares, Marulanda, and Marmato. This information will provide a foundation for ecological and taxonomic studies in Araceae. It will also contribute to the formulation of effective land-use and conservation plans in the Colombian territory.