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Linum usitatissimum L. A. habitat B. habit C. phyllotaxis D. leaf adaxial surface E. leaf abaxial surface F. inflorescence G. flower front view H. flower side view I. sepal J. petal K. stamen inner surface L. stamen outer surface M. pistil N. fruit O. seed
Source publication
A newly naturalized species flax, Linum usitatissimum L. found in central Taiwan was described in this study. This is the first record of the family in Taiwan. Flax is a wide cultivated fiber crop, which has been also introduced to Taiwan since 1921. This was the first formal record of flax naturalized to Taiwan. Line drawings, photos, and distribu...
Citations
The species richness of naturalized flora in Taiwan has continued to increase over the past decade. To understand the recent dynamics of naturalization, we updated the checklist of naturalized plants and investigated their chronology, taxonomic distributions, life histories, origins, and invasive risks. One hundred thirty-five species were newly added, and 58 species were excluded owing to a lack of clear evidence of naturalization. The number of naturalized species per decade has gradually increased, peaking in the 2000s (144 species), and declining remarkably in the 2010s (63 species). Poaceae, Asteraceae, and Fabaceae were the most species-rich families, consistent with the global patterns of naturalized alien flora. These exotic species were primarily perennial herbs, followed by annual herbs and shrubs. America has been the most consistent source of naturalized species over the past 160 years. Although the naturalization rate has decreased in the last decade, a few potential invaders (i.e., species with extremely high risk scores) are still worthy of further monitoring and management.
We report two newly naturalized species-Astraea lobata (L.) Klotzsch and Merremia umbellata (L.) Hallier f. subsp. umbellata in Taiwan. Astraea was a newly recorded genus to the flora of Taiwan and A. lobata was its type species. This species was characterized by its tri-lobed leaves and highly divided styles. In addition, on the reviewing of literature and specimen of Taiwanese Merremia, M. umbellata was recorded by some authors. The only specimen cited by some of them, was contained only one leaf that hardly to recognized as any Merremia species. Besides, the description of this species was more or less scanty in those studies. Thus, this study confirms the newly naturalization of M. umbellata in Taiwan. Descriptions and photos of two species are provided.
Background:
Biological classification, the hierarchical arrangement of scientific names of organisms, constitutes the core infrastructure of biological databases. For an efficient management of biological databases, adopting a stable and universal biological classification system is crucial. Currently in Taiwan Biodiversity Information Facility (TaiBIF; http://taibif.tw/ ), the national portal website that integrates Taiwan's biodiversity information databases, angiosperms are arranged according to Cronquist's System of Classification, which is not compatible with current trend of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (APG) classification. To consolidate the function and management of the database, TaiBIF is moving to adopt the APG IV classification and Christenhusz et al. (Phytotaxa 19:55-70, 2011)'s classification of gymnosperms, which we summarize as the Phylogenetic Classification of Seed Plants of Taiwan.
Results:
The Phylogenetic Classification of Seed Plants of Taiwan places gymnosperms in five families [vs. eight families in the Flora of Taiwan (FOT)] and angiosperms in 210 families (vs. 193 families in FOT). Three FOT gymnosperm families are synonymized in current treatment. Of the 210 APG IV families, familial circumscriptions of 114 families are identical with FOT and 50 families are recircumscription of FOT, with 46 families newly added. Of the 29 FOT families not included in current classification, two families are excluded and 27 families are synonymized.
Conclusions:
The adoption of the Phylogenetic Classification of Seed Plants of Taiwan in TaiBIF will provide better service and efficient management of the nation's biodiversity information databases.
