POLLEN FLORA OF PAKISTAN – LXVIII
Pollen morphology 20 species of the family Alliaceae from Pakistan has been examined by light and scanning electron microscope. Pollen grains are usually bilateral, hetropolar mostly boat shaped, sexine thicker tor thinner than nexine. Tectal surface is mostly rugulate foveolate or subpsilate rarely reticulate. On the basis of apertural types 3 distinct pollen types are recognized, viz., Allium fedtschenkoanum –type, Allium grifthianum-type and Allium roylei-type.
Two new species of Allium L. sect. Allium (Amaryllidaceae) from Turkey
Allium aybukeae H.Duman & Ekşi sp. nov. and A. bilgilii H.Duman & Ekşi sp. nov. (Amaryllidaceae) are described and illustrated as new species. Allium aybukeae grows in Niğde (Anti-Taurus, Turkey) and A. bilgilii in Antalya provinces (South Anatolia). They belong to Allium sect. Allium, but clearly differentiated from the other related species due to important characters such as filaments, inner and outer tepal, leaf, seed and pollen characteristics. Allium aybukeae and A. bilgilii are closely related to A. enginii, A. antalyense, A. reuterianum and A. stylosum. The seeds are ovate to elliptic and irregularly more or less shrivelled in shape among the investigated taxa. The largest seeds occur in A. enginii and the smallest in A. bilgilii. The smallest length/width ratio is found in A. stylosum and the largest in A. reuterianum. Seeds show the most variations in anticlinal walls with different undulation types: S-, U- and Omega-like undulated (A. bilgilii, A. reuterianum and A. antalyense), S- and U-like undulated (A. enginii), S-, U- and V-like undulated (A. aybukeae), U- and Omega-like undulated (A. stylosum). The pollen grains of the studied Allium taxa are monad, monosulcate and heteropolar. Their dimensions are smaller in A. enginii and larger in A. bilgilii. The smallest LA/SA ratio is in A. aybukeae, and the largest LA/SA ratio is observed in A. stylosum. In this study, seed and pollen morphologies, comprehensive descriptions, a distribution map, detailed illustrations and comparison of the new species and the related taxa are provided.
A Public Health Approach to Child Protection: Why Data Matter
In Australia, many researchers and policy makers believe that statutory child protection systems are overburdened and ineffective. The way forward, they suggest, is a public health model of child protection. A public health approach comprises four steps: (1) collecting surveillance data; (2) establishing causes and correlations; (3) developing and evaluating interventions; and (4) disseminating information about the effectiveness of intervention activities to the public health community. However, in Australia there are no reliable surveillance data. There is no information about ‘person’. Information is not collected about the characteristics of children (e.g., ethnicity) and parents (e.g., mental illness) reported to child protection services. Data are not comparable across place. This is because the states and territories have their own child protection legislation, definitions and data recording methods. Data are not comparable over time. This is because many jurisdictions have introduced new data recording systems over recent years. This paper concludes that it is essential to develop an effective child protection surveillance data system. This will ensure that services are located in areas and targeted towards populations in greatest need. It will enable large-scale evaluation of the effectiveness of prevention and intervention activities.