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

Fern tree (Filicium decipiens)

Kerai payung or fern tree ( Filicium decipiens ) is a plant species in Sapindaceae, a tree that is always green with thick and round canopies such as umbrellas, 5-10 m high but old specimens in nature can exceed 25 m, upright stems, gray bark ash to reddish brown, smooth when young but rough and cracked when mature. F. decipiens has large, fern-like and conspicuous leaves, up to 40 cm long and made of elongated longitudinal, glossy green leaflets arranged in pairs. Leaves on stems with a length of 3-10 cm, alternating, imparipinnat, 15-30 cm long and 12-15 cm wide. Winged rachis with 6-12 pairs of opposite or sub-opposite leaflets, sessile, oblong-lanceolate with full margins and slightly wavy, 6-12 cm long and 1-3 cm wide, coriaceous, dark green and glossy above. Flowers grow on stems with a length of 7 cm as panicles for lengths of 15-30 cm which carry many small, unisexual flowers and hermaphrodites with a diameter of 0.4-0.6 cm. Pentaparted petals with imbricate ovate lobes, fi...

Porang (Amorphophallus muelleri)

Porang or iles-iles ( Amorphophallus muelleri ) is a plant species in Araceae, the petiole is a pseudo stem with a height of 40-180 cm, 1-5 cm in diameter, round, green or purple with irregular white spots, each branching point grows brown bulbil and yellow bulb. A. muelleri has all leaves or stems or stems that are light green to dark green or gray and has greenish-white patches, smooth or smooth surface. The leaves are elliptical in shape with pointed leaf tips, smooth and wavy surface. When flushing has 3, 4-5, 5-6 and finally 6 minor leaves branching with 3 minor petioles. Young leaves have light purple or green edges and will end in yellow and 0.3-0.5 mm wide. The whole canopy is 50-150 cm wide. The stems grow above the tubers with a diameter of 25-50 mm and a height of 75-175 cm. Tubers have a brownish yellow or gray color on the outer surface and brownish yellow on the inside, are slightly oval in shape, fibrous roots, weigh 450-3350 grams, smooth tissue, 4-5 months of dormanc...

Golden-armed mantis (Hierodula venosa)

Golden-armed mantis ( Hierodula venosa ) is an animal species in the Mantidae, winged praying mantis with females 65-75 mm long and males 45-65 mm, large but not the largest in the genus Hierodula and generally bright yellow with green and chocolate variations. H. venosa has a fully rotating head. The head is dominated by a pair of very large and brownish yellow eyes. The jaw forms a triangle. The back is very wide with thickened margins. A pair of long antennas. Wide wings with rounded tips, striped surface, thick margins, two small white plots on the right and left. The belly is large and jointed, curved downward, the upper part is completely covered by the wings, but partially visible from the side. The pair of forelegs are large and have three segments. The upper segment has rows of spikes on the front and back. The middle segment has a row of many spines on the back and a black tip. The third segment has a row of many spines, long, black and tipped with a long palm. The middle ...

Dlium