• ALGAE
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.17-32
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• 2020

Asterochloris is one of the most common genera of lichen phycobionts in Trebouxiophyceae. Asterochloris phycobionts associated with the lichenized fungi Cladonia and Stereocaulon in King George Island (Antarctica) and Morro Chico (Chile), were isolated and then used to establish clonal cultures. To understand the phylogenetic relationships and species diversity of Antarctic Asterochloris species, molecular and morphological data were analyzed by using three microscopy techniques (light, confocal laser and transmission electron) and a multi-locus phylogeny with data from the nuclear-encoded internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rDNA and the actin and plastid-encoded ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase large chain (rbcL) coding genes. Morphological data of three Antarctic strains showed significant species-specific features in chloroplast while molecular data segregated the taxa into distinct three clades as well. Each species had unique molecular signatures that could be found in secondary structures of the ITS1 and ITS2. The species diversity of Antarctic Asterochloris was represented by six taxa, namely, A. glomerata, A. italiana, A. sejongensis, and three new species (A. antarctica, A. pseudoirregularis, A. stereocaulonicola).

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2019.04a
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• pp.78-78
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• 2019

Gnaphalium L. is a small herbaceous genus comprising up to 80 species in worldwide (Asia, North to South America, Africa, and Oceania). This genus is highly polymorphic which embrace uncommon broad morphological boundary, and thus further studies were needed to proper taxonomic delimitations for the genus and its relatives. Gnaphalium uliginosum L. was usually found in moist sites such as margins of lake, pond, reservoir, stream banks and paddy field. This squat plant is solely known species in Korean Gnaphalium. During the revisionary study of the tribe Gnaphalieae (Asteraceae) in Korea, however, we found several materials in domestic herbaria (e.g., SNU, KWNU) that identified as G. uliginosum or Gamochaeta pensylvanica (Willd.) Cabrera collected from central to northern Korea, but clearly differ to the morphology of G. uliginosum. The external morphology of the materials is seemingly the only feature at odds with G. uliginosum. However, its morphological characters such as tall erected stems (ca. 30cm), hairs on seeds and whitish tomentose hairs on the whole plants are easily distinguished from G. uliginosum, and rather it looks like G. tranzschelii Kirp. Although the name G. tranzschelii have been treated as synonym of G. uliginosum by several authors, its distinct morphology might be sufficient to separate to two independent taxa. Generally, the morphological polymorphisms and hybridization of G. uliginosum complicate the taxonomy of the species, and thus further investigation for their habitat, distribution and morphology were needed to their taxonomic entity.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.105-112
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• 2019

A unrecorded species of Trichocladium, Trichocladium griseum, was isolated in 2017 during a survey of fungal diversity in Ulsan province, South Korea. This species was identified based on morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analysis of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rDNA and ${\beta}-tubulin$ gene sequences. T. griseum has not yet been reported in South Korea. Thus, we report for the first time a new record of Trichocladium griseum in Korea, and we include the descriptions and morphological illustrations of this fungus.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2021

Symplocarpus koreanus (Araceae; Orontioideae) from Korea is described as new. Symplocarpus koreanus has long been considered to be conspecific with S. renifolius in Japan, but phylogenetic, morphological, and cytological data indicate its taxonomic distinction. Compared to S. renifolius, S. koreanus has a much smaller spathe and more spherical spadix with fewer, smaller flowers. Previous phylogenetic studies also suggested that S. koreanus is more closely related to nonthermogenic S. nipponicus than to S. renifolius in Japan. Like its nonthermogenic sister species, S. nipponicus, in Korea and Japan, S. koreanus is diploid (2n = 2x = 30), while S. renifolius in Japan is tetraploid (2n = 4x = 60). A detailed species description, geographical distribution, major morphological differences between the species and a dichotomous key to the species in eastern Asia are provided.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.397-416
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• 2002

A taxonomic study of Viola section Chamaemelanium in Korea, based on morphological characters, was conducted with light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Two species, V. orientalis W. Becker and V. brevistipulata (Fr. et Sav.) W. Becker, are recognized by rhizome and cauline habits, trichomes on the ovary and the shape and beards of stigmas. The latter can be split further into three varieties, var. brevistipulata, var. minor Nakai and var. laciniata (Boiss.) W. Becker, according to the leaf morphology in particular. Viola brevistipulata var. laciniata has the most tooth number, and its teeth are irregular erose but the other two varieties are regular sinuate or serrate. As for the size of leaves, V. brevistipular var. brevistipulata is the largest but V. brevistipulata var. minor is the smallest among the varities. Of them, V. brevistipulata var. laciniata is newly recorded in Korea. It was also revealed that both development and arrangement of the beards developed on the ovary and stigma were particularly diagnostic in the identification of the Viola section Chamaemelanium species.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.9-18
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• 2017

Background: Species in the heterokont genus Synura are colonial and have silica scales whose ultrastructural characteristics are used for classification. We examined the ultrastructure of silica scales and molecular data (nuclear SSU rDNA and LSU rDNA, and plastid rbcL sequences) to better understand the taxonomy and phylogeny within the section Petersenianae of genus Synura. In addition, we report the first finding of newly recorded Synura species from Korea. Results: We identified all species by examination of scale ultrastructure using scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM). Three newly recorded species from Korea, Synura americana, Synura conopea, and Synura truttae were described based on morphological characters, such as cell size, scale shape, scale size, keel shape, number of struts, distance between struts, degree of interconnections between struts, size of base plate pores, keel pores, base plate hole, and posterior rim. The scales of the newly recorded species, which belong to the section Petersenianae, have a well-developed keel and a characteristic number of struts on the base plate. We performed molecular phylogenetic analyses based on sequence data from three genes in 32 strains (including three outgroup species). The results provided strong statistical support that the section Petersenianae was monophyletic, and that all taxa within this section had well-developed keels and a defined number of struts on the base plate. Conclusions: The phylogenetic tree based on sequence data of three genes was congruent with the data on scale ultrastructure. The resulting phylogenetic tree strongly supported the existence of the section Petersenianae. In addition, we propose newly recorded Synura species from Korea based on phylogenetic analyses and morphological characters: S. americana, S. conopea, and S. truttae.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.93-109
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• 2008

The morphological variation was analysed to examine previous hypotheses on the taxonomy of B. amurensis complex which includes B. amurensis Rupr. var. amurensis, B. amurensis var. quelpaertensis (Nakai) Nakai and B. amurensis var. latifolia Nakai. The results from the univariational and principal components analyses employing 22 putatively diagnostic characters indicate that B. amurensis var. quelpaertensis is distinct from var. amurensis in the length and width of leaves, angle of leaf apex, distance between spinose teeth, length of internode, number of flowers per inflorescence, whereas B. amurensis var. latifolia is different from other varieties in the angle of leaf apex and leaf length/width ratio. In principal component analysis, the characters of the leaf including leaf width and length were the main characteristics to distinguish those three taxa. The evidence both from the principal components analyses and current geographical distribution pattern suggest that retaining the varietal status for the two taxa, B. amurensis var. latifolia and B. amurensis var. quelpaertensis is reasonable.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.237-246
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• 2009

Inter-specific relationships among six species and two varieties, belonging to Scrophularia (Scrophulariaceae), in Korea were re-examined based on both morphological and molecular data. Scrophularia takesimensis, a Korean endemic species, should be separated from S. grayana as an independent species based upon unique morphological characters such as non-winged stems, thickened leaves and glabrous surfaces of leaves, even though they share a lot of other features. It was found that S. grayana is distributed in Sokcho in Korea and along the coast of the East Sea north to far eastern Russia. Although some morphologies of three taxa, S. cephalantha, S. koraiensis var. velutina and S. kakudensis var. microphylla appeared to differ from each other, their ITS DNA sequence data was similar to that of S. kakudensis, suggesting that they might better be designated with the later species. The taxonomic position of S. koraiensis, only found in Korea, has been ambiguous, but ITS DNA sequence data in this study revealed that this species is distinct from S. kakudensis. Consequently, we conclude that the genus Scrophularia in Korea includes five species.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.205-220
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• 2004

Numerical analysis based on the 67 morphological characters from 28 populations of 6 species of Korean Rhus sensu lato (Anacardiaceae) was performed for the taxonomic delimitation. Based on the results of PCA with 47 quantitative characters, the sum of contributions for the total variance of three major principal components was 77,9% (PCl 35.2%, PC2 22.5% and PC3 20.2%). The sum of contributions for the total variance of three major principal components were 90,7% (PCl 37.7%, PC2 33.0% and PC3 20.0%) based on the results of PCA with 20 qualitative The characters. Two dimensional plotting from PCA results recognized six distinct species. UPGMA phenogram based on simple matching coefficient method recognized clear taxonomic delimitations among six taxa. On the cluster analysis, qualitative characters were more useful for grouping the species treated. Numerical analysis was very valuable to delimit the Korean taxa of Rhus s.l.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.189-203
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• 2004

Numerical analysis based on 33 morphological characters from 25 populations of 8 species of tribe Forsythieae in Korea was conducted to investigate the taxonomic delimitation and discuss the systematic relationships. In this study, Fontanesia phyllyreoides Labill was adopted as comparing outgroup to discuss the taxonomic status of Abeliophyllum distichum and elucidate the taxonomic relationships between tribe Forsythieae and tribe Fontanesiae. Based on the results of PCA, the sum of contributions for the total variance of three major principal components was 79.6% (PC1 54.2%, PC2 15.4% and PC3 10.0%, repectively). Two dimensional plotting from PCA results recognized three distinct generic clusters. Among the populations of Forsythia, two distinct groups were clustered as I. koreana-saxatilis-viridissima and II. ovata-nakaii. However, 15 populations of Abeliophyllum distichum were arranged randomly without any tendency, and the infraspecies of Abeliophyllum distichum could be recognized as individual variations. Fontanesia phyllyreoides Labill was clustered independently and intertribal limitation was clearly distinguished.