Hengduan adder's-tongue (Whittieria hengduanensis) from eastern Himalayas similar to the American Whittieria engelmannii

NEWS - Hengduan adder's-tongue (Whittieria hengduanensis Z.L.Liang & Li Bing Zhang, sp. nov.) from Sichuan, Xizang, and Yunnan, Southwest China (eastern Himalayas) shows that the genus has members that are intercontinentally separated between the Himalayas and America, a unique pattern that has not been documented in the literature.

Ophioglossaceae is divided into 4 subfamilies and 15 genera. The seven recognized genera within Ophioglossoideae are Cheiroglossa C. Presl.; Goswamia Li Bing Zhang & Liang Zhang; Haukia Li Bing Zhang & Liang Zhang; Ophioderma (Blume) Endl.; Ophioglossum L.; Rhizoglossum C. Presl; and Whittieria Li Bing Zhang & Liang Zhang.

During field trips in western Sichuan and southeastern Xizang in 2021, the researchers collected several species from several locations. This species has pronounced complex reticulate venation, similar to the American W. engelmannii, but is about 8000 km away from the latter species' distribution in aerial distance.

Whittieria hengduanensis is plant 10–13 cm tall. Rhizomes erect, cylindrical, quiescent. 6–7 mm, with numerous black residual trophophore stalks. Leaves 1–2 per rhizome. Roots fleshy, up to 25 (–50) per rhizome, ca. 0.6mm dia. Leaf stalks 4.5–7.5 cm long, 1.5–2 mm diameter; the lower part is buried in the soil, grey.

Trophophores nearly circular to ovate, papery, 1.6–6 cm long, 1–3 cm broad at the middle, apex acute, narrowed toward the base. Venation complex-reticulate (also called “double venation” with small areolae inside a large areola), with included veinlets.

Sporophores arising at ground level, the base is slightly attached to sporophores; stalks 3.5–7 cm long; spike 1.2–1.8 cm long, ca. 2.5 mm diam., 16–23 pairs of sporangia per spike.

W. hengduanensis is similar to W. engelmannii but has up to 25 (–50) roots per rhizome and 10–20 large areoles per trophophore (vs. less than 15 roots per rhizome and 0–8 areoles per trophophore in W. engelmannii).

The new species was discovered in western Sichuan (Batang, Daocheng, Daofu, Derong, Maerkang, Xiangcheng, Yajiang, Yuexi), northwestern Yunnan (Lijiang, etc.), and eastern Xizang (Mangkang, Zayu). It grows on bottom soil under bushes in dry and hot river valleys at elevations of 2500–4000 m.

Original research

Liang Z-L, Zhang L-B (2024). Discovery of Whittieria hengduanensis sp. nov. (Ophioglossaceae) from Southwest China demonstrates a unique intercontinental disjunct pattern in plants between the Himalaya and the Americas. PhytoKeys 249: 27-36, DOI:10.3897/phytokeys.249.135379

Dlium theDlium

Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) manufacture bubble-nets as tools to increase prey intake

NEWS - Humpback whales ( Megaptera novaeangliae ) create bubble net tools while foraging, consisting of internal tangential rings, and actively control the number of rings, their size, depth and horizontal spacing between the surrounding bubbles. These structural elements of the net increase prey intake sevenfold. Researchers have known that humpback whales create “bubble nets” for hunting, but the new report shows that the animals also manipulate them in a variety of ways to maximize catches. The behavior places humpbacks among the rare animals that make and use their own tools. “Many animals use tools to help them find food, but very few actually make or modify these tools themselves,” said Lars Bejder, director of the Marine Mammal Research Program (MMRP), University of Hawaii at Manoa. “Humpback whales in southeast Alaska create elaborate bubble nets to catch krill. They skillfully blow bubbles in patterns that form a web with internal rings. They actively control details such ...

Asian palmyra palm (Borassus flabellifer)

Asian palmyra palm ( Borassus flabellifer ) is a species of Arecaceae , palm, sturdy, single-stemmed, cylindrical shape, growing 15-30 meters tall and with a trunk diameter of about 60 cm. The leaves are clustered at the tip of the trunk, forming a rounded crown . The leaf blade resembles a round fan , up to 1.5 meters in diameter. The leaflets are 5-7 cm wide, and the underside is whitish with a waxy coating. The leaf stalk is up to 1 meter long, with a broad, black midrib at the top and a row of two-pointed spines . The inflorescence is borne on a cob, 20-30 cm long, and the stalk is about 50 cm long. The fruits are clustered in clusters of about 20, round, 7-20 cm in diameter, with a brownish-black outer skin and yellow flesh on the inside. The fruit has three seeds in a thick, hard shell. Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Tracheophyta Subphylum: Angiospermae Class: Liliopsida Order: Arecales Family: Arecaceae Subfamily: Coryphoideae Tribe: Borasseae Subtribe: Lataniinae Genu...

Pink trumpet tree (Tabebuia heterophylla)

Pink trumpet tree ( Tabebuia heterophylla ) is a species of plant in the Bignoniaceae family, growing 6–9 meters tall with a cylindrical trunk and brown bark that is often linearly fissured. The leaves are opposite, compound, with five or fewer minor leaflets. T. heterophylla has striking bright red flowers, tubular, five-lobed, and 5–7.5 cm long. The fruit is a cylindrical pod, up to 20 cm long and up to 1 cm wide. The pod stalk is up to 3 cm long. The pod splits along two lines to release numerous thin, light brown seeds, 0.5–2.5 cm long with two white wings. This species is often used as a street tree and shade tree for residential properties. Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Tracheophyta Subphylum: Angiospermae Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Lamiales Family: Bignoniaceae Genus: Tabebuia Species: Tabebuia heterophylla

Dlium