When I was in graduate school, I chose the oculus plant as the research object, although I did not have so much appetite, just wanted to do a taxonomic revision of China's ophthalmic genus, but at that time I did not know, this is a big pit of black rays. One of the most pittious species is today's protagonist: Potamogeton distinctus.
That's it. Image: Ruppia2000 /wikimedia
< h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" > the despair of a pattern specimen </h1>
Today, the taxonomic revision of a certain plant taxonomic group requires both molecular and morphological evidence, and when I first went to graduate school, I was generally more focused on morphological evidence. According to the traditional methods of plant taxonomic research, one of the most important tasks is to consult "model specimens" (i.e., specimens referenced when publishing a new species internationally).
Photo of one of the syntypes of the eye dish. Image: BM
According to the records of the Flora of China, the species of eye vegetable is widely distributed in China, and it is distributed in most provinces, autonomous regions, and regions in the north and south, and is a widely distributed species. And this species itself, some morphological characteristics are not very stable, so in some domestic journals, there are several new species of the genus Ophiuchus, which are very similar to the Ocular Species, and if you want to deal with them well, whether it is merged or recognized the status of the new species, you must first see the pattern specimen and then make further judgments.
This job almost left me unable to finish my job. It is said that the papers published in domestic journals, the specimen records are included in the domestic herbarium, it should not be difficult. No, no, no! Even if the project funds were limited at that time, there was still a way to see the model specimens collected in reliable foreign herbariums. In fact, the vast majority of herbariums in China are no problem, but the specimen I want to check is a certain university herbarium - and I can't find the specific information of this herbarium. Is there really such a herbarium?
Of course, with the progress of science and technology, the digitization of most herbariums has been done very well. But if you want to observe the details, you still have to go to the field. The screenshot is an online catalogue of specimens from Kew Gardens (K), a sacred place in the hearts of all taxonomists.
That university (let's call it X University) itself has become history, merged with another university (let's call it Y University), not to mention the herbarium, and it seems that there is no biology department. Embarking on the journey of searching for model specimens with a desperate mood, I remembered the teachings of my predecessors: "Some researchers, published model specimens, are hidden under their beds!" "In this way, I'm still relatively lucky, at least there are traces to follow."
Being able to be well preserved in the herbarium is also a good luck for the model specimen. Image: François MEY /wikimedia
After coming to Y University, after several twists and turns, I finally learned the location of the "relics" of the biological system that was once X large. It was a place that resembled a storage room, and the moment you opened the dusty door and entered the house, you were greeted by the smell of all kinds of old paper and animal and plant products. X did once have a herbarium, small in size, and specimens had been packed into cardboard boxes and stacked in corners. I was going to look for 4 type specimens, and eventually I found 2 of them in these cardboard boxes.
Of course, it is also the author's good luck to be able to find a pattern specimen. Pictured here is the P. p. type specimen of bracteatus). Image: PE
So these two saw a new species of type specimens, and I suggested in my paper that they be merged, and the scientific name should be treated as a synonym for the eye dish. The other two pattern specimens that I didn't know where to go, I really couldn't do anything about it. Looking back, there is a feeling of bittersweet thinking, and now the major herbariums in our country are very scientific and standardized in specimen management, and the digitization work is also done well, and it is estimated that today's students will not go to the storage room, nor will they go to the bed of whose home to find the key puzzle of graduation.
<h1 class= "pgc-h-arrow-right" > enthusiastic species </h1>
Some species in the genus Oculophila may have relatively stable morphological characteristics, but the Ocular Species is definitely a restless guy. Therefore, when people are more accustomed to distinguishing "species" by external morphological characteristics, there are many misunderstandings around the eye dish. When I was writing my thesis, I mainly wanted to make a few misunderstandings about eye vegetables, dust to dust, soil to earth, Linnaeus to Linnaeus, Aben's to Aben (Aben is my name for the species of eye vegetables, Alfred William Bennett, whose name can be abbreviated as A. when writing botanical names). Benn.）。
The two type specimens planed out of the storage room mentioned above, when published as the basis for new species, have the characteristics of the aspect ratio of the leaves and the length ratio of the leaves and petioles. Eye vegetable is a floating leaf rhizome plant, its floating water leaves float on the surface of the water, rooted in the underwater soil, according to the environment and nutrients, the width and narrowness of the leaves have a more obvious change. This change is continuous, and the so-called blade aspect ratio is actually within the acceptable range. The length of the petiole is often determined by the water level, as is the case with many other floating leaf rhizomes, when the water level is high, the petiole is also relatively long, try to lift the leaf leaves, so that it can float on the surface of the water.
In fact, quantitative traits such as leaf aspect ratios are not a preferred "good" trait for taxonomists. Image: Show_ryu /wikimeida
A major misconception about eye vegetables in China is that many eye vegetables have been identified as floating leaf eye vegetables (P. Natans), including some relatively specialized materials, such as the flora of some provinces and municipalities, have misidentified conditions. The floating leaf eye is a "Linnaean species", but Linnaeus records its morphology very briefly. Later, after supplementation and improvement, this species and the eye vegetable species are also relatively easy to distinguish from the morphology.
Floating leaf eye dish. Image: Christian Fischer /wikimedia
It is only that china relies too much on one trait and relatively ignores another trait, so it confuses the two. Some researchers in China are accustomed to defining 1 to 3 pistils as eye vegetables, and pistils with 4 as floating leaf eye vegetables. Although the number of pistils of floating leaf eye vegetables is relatively fixed, the variation range of the number of pistils in this species of eye vegetable is very large, and it is possible to have 1 to 4 pistils, and even on the same plant, there will be 1, 2, 3 and 4 flowers.
The flowers of the genus Ophiuchus are small and require a magnifying glass to observe the flower structure. Image: Stefan.lefnaer/wikimedia
Another overlooked trait is the leaf junction of the floating water leaf of the floating leaf of the floating leaf eye, with a significant inversion. This feature is impressive if you have looked at communities in the wild, but it is difficult to manifest in specimens. Floating leaf eye vegetables are relatively common in Europe and are not common in China. Combining the status of the specimen and field investigation, I believe that this species does exist in Xinjiang and Jilin, and there is no direct evidence in other regions. In Flora of China ( Flora of China ) , the editors also made changes to the distribution of this species , recording that it is found in Heilongjiang and Tibet.
The floating water leaves of the floating leaf eye, where the leaves are connected to the petiole, have a significant inversion. Image: Christian Fischer /wikimedia
As for other morphological characteristics, such as the beak of the fruit or the number of vascular bundles of upright, stem or petiole, morphological diversity is also shown in the species of eye vegetables. The Flora of China, published in 1992, also had some inaccuracies in the use of morphology to distinguish species, and was adjusted in Flora of China. Even leaving aside the molecular evidence, from a morphological point of view alone, observing more different individuals in the same population, combined with a large number of field work and specimen review work, can effectively avoid lightning, or after having fallen into the pit, quickly climb out of the pit.
< h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" > there is also natural hybridization?! </h1>
I have specifically looked at a type specimen of another species in the genus Occidentalis. According to the number of the specimen, I have also seen the specimens that are adjacent to the number before and after, and from the collection records, this is the same batch of specimens, and the time and place of collection are basically the same. Selecting a number of specimen species, individuals with a relatively special form, and publishing them as new species may have historical reasons, such as the publisher must have a paper. But this practice did bring trouble to later research. Fortunately, the specimens are still there.
However, in addition to the man-made troubles, the eye plant also carries a natural malice. In this genus, there is a widespread phenomenon of natural hybridization. After my dissertation was completed, within a few years, a monograph on the genus Ophthalmos worldwide mentioned many naturally hybridized hybrids. I sighed and said that if this monograph had been published a few years earlier, I would not have graduated.
Some specious species can be classified as natural hybrids. For example, eye vegetables and bamboo leaf eye vegetables (P. Wrightii) natural hybrid, P. Phylloscopus × malainoides), the form is between eye vegetables and bamboo leaf eye vegetables, but it shows different environmental adaptability.
Photograph of a wax leaf specimen of a bamboo leaf eye vegetable. Photo: Yu Ito / Biodiversity Data Journal (2014)
In the wetlands at the edge of rivers and lakes, there is only shallow water on the surface, or almost no seepage water, but the soil moisture content is saturated, and in such an environment, hybrid bamboo leaf eye vegetables can survive in a life similar to that of swamps. Neither of its parents possesses such abilities. For example, the bamboo leaf eye vegetable itself, the plant sinks into the water, and the leaves will quickly dry up when they leave the water.
So I seemed to peek into a bottomless pit in front of me. After graduation, I did not continue to study the plant of the eye vegetable genus, I walked past the edge of the pit and said goodbye to this deep pit forever.
< h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" > what's the use of studying it? </h1>
Over the years, I have faced the same question countless times: What is the use of your research on eye dishes?
Where I am studying, I can't even talk about temptation, and I have already given up before I can get started. Before I could answer with great dignity, disciplines such as plant taxonomy are the basis of many other disciplines. What is the use of these studies, it does not have an immediate practical use, but when many studies are carried out, a more complete scientific system will be established.
Eye vegetables are just one piece of the ecosystem puzzle. Image: Milesnojiri/Inaturalist
I myself think that when I say this, a huge wolf tail grows on the back of my ass. In fact, let alone research, what is the use of this plant, this is the concern of many ordinary people who do not know the truth. In ancient times, eye vegetables were planted with wild vegetables (so called "vegetables"), and the "Wild Recipes" compiled by Wang Pan of the Ming Dynasty recorded the way to eat eye vegetables, but later few people ate it because the taste was not delicious. I've eaten it, and the earthy smell is heavier.
Some people use eye vegetables to feed ducks and pigs, talking is better than nothing, pigs don't like to eat much, ducks are OK, but just like young leaves. It's true to say how important it is in wetland ecosystems, but many species are such an important component. At the end of the day, it's just a piece of the puzzle.
Not knowing a certain eye dish may not be too damaging. The picture shows the bamboo leaf eye dish. Image: Winter
Do not know the eye dish, do not understand the eye dish, such a person is very large, will not cause much loss to life. Many years after I finished writing my graduation thesis, I talked about eye dishes again, and I think that at least my personal experience can let some curious onlookers understand that whether it is flora or reference materials, they may also have problems, and people are constantly studying, updating their understanding and changing past conclusions. Those problems are not deliberately caused by anyone, but are subject to various conditions, such as not being able to observe enough individuals, such as seeing only specimens but not living plants, such as pattern specimens being hidden under the bed.
The romance of plant taxonomy may lie in this "uselessness", when we travel through nearly 300 years of time in the form of specimens and talk to Linnaeus. Image: Linn
Thinking like this, once as a scientific research Wang, life is not so boring and boring. Going to a university that no longer exists to find hidden answers in historical relics is a cool thing to do to write a script and make a film.
This article is from the species calendar, welcome to forward
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