Shun river diatom (Ulnaria shun-biseriata Bacillariophyta) with mostly striae biseriata from Hunan

NEWS - A new species, Shun river diatom (Ulnaria shun-biseriata), was discovered in Hunan Province, southern China, described based on light and scanning electron microscopy observations with the characteristics of lanceolate valve lines, apical valve crests, slightly wavy valve margins, mostly biseriate striae, variable central areas, and closed valvocopules.

The specific epithet shun-biseriata is a combination of the Shun River and the adjective biseriate to reflect the type locality and the character of the mostly biseriate striae. The new species is only known from the type locality with a relative abundance of about 1%. Samples were scraped from rock surfaces collected in the Shun River.

This benthic epilithic species is related to Gyrosigma kuetzingii (Grunow) Cleve, Encyonema appalachianum Potapova, Pinnularia subgibba Krammer, P. borealis Ehrenberg, Gomphonema berggrenii Cleve, Epithemia spp., Nitzschia spp., Iconella spp., and others. Environmental parameters with conductivity = 70.1 ± 0.1 μS cm-1; pH = 8.5 ± 0.1 and water temperature = 24.5 ± 0.1C.

U. shun-biseriata is most similar to U. oxybiseriata D.M. Williams & Bing Liu because both species have overlapping valve dimension ranges and are characterized by apical apices and biseriate striae. However, U. shun-biseriata has wider valves and wavy valve margins (vs. straight or non-wavy valve margins, linear lanceolate valves and lines).

Original research

Zheng Y, Liu B, Rioual P, Long J-Y, Zhou M (2024). Ulnaria shun-biseriata sp. nov. (Bacillariophyta) from the Shun River in Hunan Province, China. PhytoKeys 246: 315-327, DOI:10.3897/phytokeys.246.130942

Dlium theDlium

Sea almond (Terminalia catappa)

Ketapang or tropical almond or beach almond or talisay tree or umbrella tree or sea almond ( Terminalia catappa ) is a species of plant in the Combretaceae, a shady tree, fast growing, forming a multilevel canopy, often used as a shade tree in gardens and on roadsides. T. catappa grows large, up to 40 meters in height and up to 1.5 meters in trunk, shady canopy with branches that grow flat and terraced, young trees often look like pagodas while old and large trees often have aerial roots up to 3 meters. The leaves are scattered, mostly at the end of the twig, rounded egg upside down, 8-38 cm long, 5-19 cm wide, the tip is wide, the base is narrow, the upper surface is smooth, green but turns red if to fall out and short stalks. The flowers are small, collected near the tips of the twigs, 8-25 cm long and green-yellow in color. The flowers are not crowned, the petals have five taju, are plate or bell shaped, 4-8 mm long and are white or cream in color. Stamens in two circles and arra...

Asian foxtail (Uraria crinita)

Asian foxtail or cat's tail bean ( Uraria crinita ) is a species of plant in Fabaceae, a perennial, upright shrub with woody stems at least at the base, up to 2 meters high in forests, agricultural land, waterways, used as a medicinal herb, green manure and sometimes planted in the garden as an ornamental plant. U. crinita has elongated leaves, rounded base, pointed tip, a bone in the middle with several pinnate veins, rough surface, dark green with white spots. Petiole short or less than 0.5 cm and brownish red. Compound flower in spike shape, purple and white triangular crown. Long flower stalk, erect, 15-20 cm long and only at the end of the flower. The crown slowly falls off and leaves behind a stalk that is shaped like coir or light yellow pads. Asian foxtail grows in dry grasslands, open forests, trash cans, roadsides, sandy areas and sometimes in deciduous forests, elevations of 0-1500 meters and does not grow in waterlogged places. The different parts are often used in t...

Kunu buti (Mesosphaerum suaveolens)

Kunu buti ( Mesosphaerum suaveolens ) is a species of plant in the Lamiaceae family. It is an erect, herbaceous annual, growing up to 1.5 meters tall. Its cylindrical, rough, brown or green stem is hairy and white. It grows on forest floors, bushes, agricultural fields, and roadsides. Its roots are fibrous and brownish-yellow. M. suaveolens has single, opposite leaves, stalks 2-5 cm long and hairy. The leaf blades are green, hairy, oval, with pointed tips, blunt bases, serrated edges, up to 6 cm long, up to 5 cm wide, and pinnate veins. The flowers are compound, axillary, in clusters, perfect, and bisexual. The petals are attached, forming a tube, each tip elongated like a spine, soft, 3-10 mm long, and green. The corolla is attached, asymmetrically detached, 1-2 cm long, and purple. The fruit is single, hard, capsule-shaped, hairy on the surface, and green or brown in color. The seeds are round, small and blackish brown in color. TAXON Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Tracheophyta Subphyl...

Dlium