Miersia putaendensis sp. nov. (Gilliesieae, Amaryllidaceae), a new species endemic to Central Chile

A new species, Miersia putaendensis (Amaryllidaceae), endemic to Central Chile, is described. The new species differs from all known species of Miersia by featuring a white staminal tube with a purple spot and two upper linear, cuneiform floral appendages directed towards the front in its frontal lobe, the apex of which is toothed and deflexed. It inhabits southern slopes of sclerophyll woodlands and scrubs, particularly along rocks. Currently, the species is critically endangered. A detailed description, illustration, distribution map of the new species, and a dichotomous key with all accepted species of Miersia are provided.

Nomenclatural and taxonomic updates in Rourea subgen. Rourea sect. Multifoliolatae (Connaraceae)

The pantropical genus Rourea Aubl. (Connaraceae) is composed of ca. 70 species, most of which occur in the Neotropics. Rourea is currently subdivided into three subgenera, with the American taxa included in Rourea subgen. Rourea. Forero (1976) recognised six sections for the species of the New World, with Rourea subgen. R. sect. Multifoliolatae being exclusive to Brazil, characterised by multifoliolate leaves, relatively small leaflets and the staminal tube (0.8–)1–1.5 mm long. Following Forero’s (1976) treatment, additional botanical collections have become available in Brazilian herbaria, allowing re-evaluation of species concepts. This work recognises and revises 12 species in this section, mainly restricted to southeastern Brazil and southern Bahia. A nomenclatural and taxonomic study of these species is here presented, including an identification key, morphological descriptions, illustrations and geographic distribution maps. A new species is also described.

The phylogenetic position and taxonomic status of the Southeast and South Asian bamboo genera Neohouzeaua and Ochlandra (Poaceae: Bambusoideae)

Among the tropical woody bamboos, the Melocanninae is one of the most clearly recognized subtribes morphologically and has also been consistently well delimited in molecular phylogenetic work. The relationships among those genera in this subtribe, however, have been contentious because of poorly understood generic delimitations, in part due to poor specimen material or insufficiently assessed morphological traits, sometimes exacerbated by poorly accessible provenances. We address the phylogenetic and taxonomic status of two groups which together include the largest number of species in this subtribe: the Neohouzeaua-Schizostachyum complex, distributed from India to South China, Southeast Asia and southwest Pacific, and the endemic Indian genus Ochlandra. Three Neohouzeaua species (including the generic type), 12 Schizostachyum species (including the generic type and several species of uncertain placement), together with five species of Ochlandra and representatives of Cephalostachyum, Melocanna and Pseudostachyum were assessed in a molecular phylogenetic analysis together with members of other well-distinguished subtribes. Members of Neohouzeaua and Schizostachyum align into two main groups that were not completely well-supported statistically but which members possess mostly reflexed culm leaf blades, or mostly erect culm leaf blades. Other characters which provide obvious differences between taxa, such as the number of flowers in a pseudospikelet, fusion of filaments into a staminal tube, and presence of lodicules, were inconsistent between these groups. Neohouzeaua and Schizostachyum cannot be clearly distinguished in either morphological or molecular terms, and thus are united under the latter name, which takes precedence. In reviewing names in Neohouzeaua and their basionyms, several lectotypifications are designated. Three new combinations in Schizostachyum are proposed. On the other hand, Ochlandra forms a distinct clade and its monophyly is demonstrated, supported by clear morphological characters.

Quararibea bragae (Malvaceae; Malvoideae): a new species with multiple domatia from Brazil

Quararibea bragae from the Atlantic Forest of Espírito Santo State (Brazil) is proposed as a new species. Quararibea bragae is similar to Q. turbinata in vegetative characteristics, such as the shape and consistency of its leaves and type of domatia. However, it can be distinguished by the leaves’ indumentum and by the positioning and quantity of domatia on the abaxial surface of the leaves. Reproductive characteristics are differentiated by the shape and indumentum of the staminal tube and the shape of the fruit. We present a morphological description and comments, illustration, notes on ecology and distribution, and identification key of Atlantic Forest species.

Rock star flowers: Conchocarpus hendrixii (Galipeinae, Rutaceae), a new species from Eastern Brazil with notes on its phylogenetic position in the genus

A new species, Conchocarpus hendrixii (tribe Galipeinae, Rutaceae), is described and illustrated. To date, this new species is known from populations observed in the municipalities of Cardoso Moreira and São Fidélis in Serra da Bandeira/Serra da Vista mountain ranges in northern Rio de Janeiro state in the Atlantic Rainforest biome and was brought to light as an undescribed species thanks to photographs shared on the social media site Facebook. The epithet “hendrixii” is in honor of Jimi Hendrix, guitarist and singer-songwriter, who wrote the song “Purple Haze,” in reference to the purple color of the flowers of the new species. Analyzes showed that flowers of the new species bear a staminal tube, a characteristic present only in C. odoratissimus among the Conchocarpus. However, this species bears flowers with much shorter staminal tubes (c. 2–2.5 mm in length v. 1–1.2 cm in the new species) and smaller flowers, among other morphologically dissimilar characteristics. Molecular phylogenetic analysis using nuclear (ITS-1 and IT-2) and plastidial markers (trnL-trnF and rps16 intron) were conducted and demonstrated that the new species belongs to an internal clade in Conchocarpus, together with species formerly assigned to Almeidea (currently included in Conchocarpus). The presence of pantoporate pollen grains, a synapomorphic trait to this clade supports the molecular results. Conservation status as well as data from foliar and floral (with an emphasis on the staminal tube) anatomy are presented.

Threatened endemic species of Hibiscus l. (Malvaceae) in Minas Gerais, Brazil

Hibiscus L. is one of the largest genera of Malvaceae, Southeast Brazil has six endemic species of 14 native species, mainly distributed in cerrado. These Hibiscus are hairy shrubs, with showy flowers of pink corolla, dark base, 5-toothed staminal tube apex, loculicidal capsule of 5 cells. The species inhabit wet ecosystems of the atlantic rainforest and cerrado. After the last study of Hibiscus taxonomy evidencing four endemic species from Minas Gerais state, showed to have the largest endemism center of Hibiscus in Brazil, therefore, using IUCN classification methodology, we indicated H. hilarianus and H. multiformis as vulnerable, H. itirapinensis as endangered and H. mariae as critically endangered. The species are represented by small isolated populations distributed at the mountains and plateaus between Espinhaço mountain range and Planalto Paulista, considered a region with great endemic biodiversity. According to the previously analysis, it is recommended specific studies with techniques and appropriate methodology to research the development and evolutionary characteristics of hibiscus species in Minas Gerais state.

Synopsis of the spurred species of Lobelia section Stenotium (Campanulaceae) in Sierra Madre Occidental, Mexico, and the description of two new species

The genus Lobelia is cosmopolitan and comprises 423 species in 18 sections. Lobelia sect. Stenotium is the most diverse group with 153 species, has a wide distribution in continental North America and is segregated into two subgroups based on the presence of spurred flowers. There are 16 spurred Lobelia species that occur in streamside or seep areas, throughout pine and oak mixed forests from USA to Costa Rica, but they are frequent along the Pacific slopes of the Sierra Madre Occidental (SMO), Mexico, where 10 species grow. In this paper we present a synopsis of the spurred species of Lobelia in the SMO and propose two new taxa. First, Lobelia rzedowskii is morphologically similar to L. ayersiae, L. cordifolia and L. endlichii but differs by its rosulate leaves, blades 0.5–1.5 × 0.4–1 cm, subsessile, racemose to paniculate inflorescences, with (4–)10–35(–191) flowers, flowers 4–6 mm long including hypanthium, spur 0.5–1 × 0.5–0.8 mm, with the lower two calyx lobes positioned at the middle portion of the spur, white corolla with a yellow spot above lobe sinuses on the throat and staminal tube 1.3–2.5 mm long. Second, Lobelia saturnini is morphologically similar to L. knoblochii, L. macrocentron, L. mcvaughii and L. villaregalis, but differs from them by leaves (2–)4–14(–17) mm long, petioles 2–6(–17) mm long, solitary flowers, flowers 12–16 mm long including hypanthium, hypanthium 1.2–2.5 mm long, spur 2–3 mm long, pedicels (1.3–)2–9(–12) cm long and anthers 1–2.2 mm long. We include an identification key for spurred species of Lobelia in the SMO, photographs, distribution notes with a map, and illustrations.

Preface to “A revision of American Trichilia (Meliaceae)”

Trichilia P.Browne is one of the largest genera of Meliaceae, containing 81 described species in tropical America, 20 species in Africa and 2 species in Madagascar. It is placed in the subfamily Melioideae (Pennington & Styles 1975, Muellner et al. 2003) where it is a well-defined genus with a distinctive floral and fruit structure. It is clearly separated from all other genera of the family by the flowers with a staminal tube of partially or completely fused stamens bearing the anthers at the apex of the filaments or on the margin of the staminal tube and by the fruit which is a 2–3-valved loculicidal capsule containing fleshy seeds partly or completely surrounded by an arillode or rarely a sarcotesta.

Dyckia tubifilamentosa (Pitcairnioideae-Bromeliaceae): a new species from Northeastern Brazil

Dyckia tubifilamentosa Wand. & G. Sousa is described and illustrated. It differs from the other species of the genus Dyckia by several distinctive characters, namely: the ovoid shape of the flower buds, the long and exserted staminal tube formed from completely connate white filaments, the anther initially connivent and then divergent, along with the fruit with partially persistent perianth. Dyckia tubifilamentosa is found in some areas of the semiarid region of Northeastern Brazil (Piauí State), growing in the Caatinga and transitional Caatinga-Cerrado biomes.

Morpho-Anatomical Analysis of Cosmostigma racemosum (Asclepiadoideae) Flowers

<em>Cosmostigma racemosum</em> is a plant species belonging to the family Apocynaceae, the subfamily Asclepiadoideae. <em>Cosmostigma racemosum </em>is found in Nglanggeran Mountain Gunungkidul, Yogyakarta. The local name and its original distribution are not known. Information or study of <em>Cosmostigma racemosum</em> in Indonesia is not available. Comprehensive characterization of this species is important for authentication and addition of data base. Characterization was conducted by analyzing the morphology and anatomy of flower. The objectives of this study were to describe and analyze the morphology and anatomy of <em>C. racemosum</em> flowers. The method of research was based on observation method and exploration of plant systematics evidence or taxonomy evidence, including analyses and description of morphology and anatomy of flower structure and its development. The results showed that the characteristics of flower morphology are in accordance with the existing description in literatures. Characteristics of pollinia are specific characters of morphological aspect of flower. Data of anatomy of flower and its parts development are the new ones which confirm the position of <em>C.racemosum</em> as a member of the tribe Marsdenieae. The data of anatomy also show new information of the ontogeny of the important parts of flower: pollinia formation, pollinia corpusculum, anther wall, anther sac, stigma, stamen, staminal tube, stigmatic chamber, and structure of ovary in Asclepiadoideae