Aleuritopteris shensiensis Ching is reported here as a new fern record for the flora of Mongolia. The species was discovered in a rocky mountainous area of Gurvanbulag soum, Bulgan province, in northern-central Mongolia. Previously, this species was known only from southern Siberia (Buryatia, Irkutsk region, Rusian Far East), and it is widely distributed across China. Morphologically, A. shensiensis is most similar to A. argentea (S.G. Gmel.) Fée, but the two species can be distinguished primarily by the presence or absence of pale-yellow farina on the abaxial side of the lamina. The paper provides a detailed morphological description of the Mongolian specimens, along with a distribution map, photographs, and an updated identification key for the genus Aleuritopteris in Mongolia.
Accurate species identification is crucial for the effective use and conservation of medicinal Talinum plants. This preliminary study evaluated the discriminatory power of three standard DNA barcodes (internal transcribed spacer [ITS], matK, and rbcL) and compared the complete chloroplast genomes of Talinum fruticosum and T. paniculatum using an in silico approach. Based on the analysis of available GenBank sequences, barcode gap and genetic distance analyses showed that ITS provided the highest resolution, matK showed moderate performance, and rbcL had the lowest discriminatory power. The plastomes of both species were highly conserved (~156 kb) with a typical quadripartite structure. A sliding window analysis identified several divergence hotspots (e.g., ycf1, psbN, petD, trnS–trnG, and rpoB–trnC) with nucleotide diversity peaks in the range of 0.83–1.05%. Cis- and trans-splicing gene structures, including rps12, were conserved, indicating plastome stability. Given the limited sampling in this study, these results serve as a preliminary framework for species authentication. Overall, ITS is recommended as the primary barcode, while plastome hotspots or whole plastome data can provide complementary resolutions. Future studies with broader sampling and verified herbarium vouchers are recommended to confirm these findings and support more extensive phylogenomic research focusing on Talinum.
The name Potentilla yokusaiana var. multijuga T. B. Lee was proposed in 1993 based on a population from Mt. Myeonsan. It has long been regarded in the Korean literature as not effectively published and, consequently, as not validly published, and has therefore been excluded from the national checklist and related taxonomic accounts. Reexamination of the publication and its protologue, however, confirms that the requirements for effective and valid publication were satisfied under the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants. An investigation of the relevant herbarium material revealed two specimens from Mt. Myeonsan corresponding to the type gathering cited in the protologue and one specimen from Mt. Gariwangsan, a locality mentioned in the protologue. All three specimens are currently preserved in the herbarium of the Korea National Arboretum (KH). A morphological examination demonstrates that these specimens conform to the diagnostic circumscription of Potentilla rhizoma H. T. Im and that P. yokusaiana var. multijuga and P. rhizoma refer to the same taxon. Accordingly, the former name is here reduced to synonymy under P. rhizoma. A lectotype is designated here for P. yokusaiana var. multijuga, and nomenclatural notes are provided pertaining to the effective and valid publication and typification of this name.
The name Scutellaria indica var. alba S. Kim & S. Lee, published in 1994, is illegitimate under Article 53.3 of the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (ICN), because it is a later homonym of S. indica var. parvifolia f. alba (H. Hara) H. Hara ex Murata & T. Yamaz., published in 1993. To resolve this nomenclatural conflict, Scutellaria indica var. bibari D. C. Son & S. Kim is proposed here as a replacement name (nomen novum).
Limeum is the sole genus of Limeaceae, comprising approximately 20 species distributed across Africa, Southwest Asia, and India. However, genomic resources for the family are limited, and phylogenetic relationships within the genus remain poorly understood. In this study, we sequenced, assembled, and analyzed the complete chloroplast genomes of six Limeum species to investigate their genomic characteristics and phylogenetic relationships. The chloroplast genomes ranged from 156,354 bp to 160,377 bp in length and exhibited the typical quadripartite structure. Each genome contained 131 genes, consisting of 86 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, and eight rRNA genes. Comparative analyses identified 455 tandem repeats and 616 simple sequence repeats, revealing 16 highly variable regions that may serve as potential molecular markers for future studies. Phylogenetic analyses based on complete chloroplast genome sequences strongly supported the monophyly of Limeum and robustly resolved interspecific relationships within the genus. These results provide the first comprehensive plastome dataset for Limeum and a valuable genomic resource for species identification, genetic diversity assessment, phylogenetic reconstruction, and evolution studies of Limeum and the family Limeaceae.
