We described and illustrated a rare species in Korea, Hypoxis aurea Lour. (Hypoxidaceae) which was rediscovered about 70 years after its first collection from Jeju island in Korea. The members of the family Hypoxidaceae R. Br. are distinguished from the plants of Amaryllidaceae J. St-Hill. by having grass-like leaves, an invisible stem which is modified into a corm or a rhizome, trimerous, and radially symmetric flowers with an inferior ovary developing into a capsule on scapes. Hypoxis aurea Lour. is readily distinguishable from Curculigo orchinoides Gsertn. in Japan by beakless ovary and capsular fruit. The number of somatic chromosome is 2n=54.

We have cloned an LTP gene (PoLTP1) from poplar (Populus alba × P. tremula var. glandulosa) suspension cells and examined changes in its expression levels in response to various stresses and ABA treatment. The full-length PoLTP1 cDNA clone encodes a polypeptide of 116 amino acids with typical characteristics of LTPs, notably a conserved arrangement of cysteine residues. Southern blot analysis indicate that two or three copies of the PoLTP1 are present in the genome of the investigated hybrid poplar. In addition, northern analysis of samples from soil-grown plants indicate that PoLTP1 is tissue-specifically expressed in the leaves and flowers. The gene is significantly up-regulated by treatment with mannitol, NaCl and ABA, but not by either cold or wounding. These results indicate that PoLTP1 is involved in osmotic stress responses in poplar plants and suspension cells.