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Myrcia capixaba and M. forzzae, two new species from the large Neotropical genus Myrcia, are here proposed, described, and illustrated. Both species belong to Myrcia sect. Aguava and are morphologically quite distinct from the other species of the section. Myrcia capixaba occurs in the Atlantic Forest of Espírito Santo and presents a set of features that do not overlap with any other species within M. sect. Aguava: dibrachiate trichomes on the branches, leaves, and inflorescences and externally on the flowers, broadly elliptic to ovate leaves with flat, barely visible secondary venation adaxially, and subterminal panicles. Myrcia forzzae occurs in the Amazon Forest of Mato Grosso and resembles M. gigas, differing in the shorter internodes, vegetative branches and inflorescence rachises densely covered with trichomes (vs. with scattered trichomes or glabrous), and calyx lobes bearing trichomes externally (vs. glabrous). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three new species of Ronnbergia (Bromeliaceae: Bromelioideae) and two new records of the same genus for Colombia are described. The three new species correspond to (1) Ronnbergia igneosepala from the slopes of the Western Cordillera in Nariño (Colombia), which is unique by its orange floral bracts and sepals; (2) R. robusta from the Pacific Littoral of Colombia, which can be easily recognized by its involucrate peduncle bracts that only cover 1/3 of the inflorescence, green to dull-purple sepals and long sepal mucros; and (3) R. veitchioides, a species from the isolated mountain peak of Cerro del Torrá (Chocó) that can be identified by its serrulate, purple, reflexed floral bracts, and long sepals. We report the occurrence of R. campanulata in the department of Cauca, almost 800 km apart from the already known populations in the Cordillera del Condor of southern Ecuador. Moreover, we register R. aciculosa in Colombia and provide a short discussion on the differentiation of this species from R. tonduzii. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Merostachys is one of the more species-rich genera of Neotropical woody bamboos. It includes about 55 described species, of which 44 are found in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, the center of diversity and endemism of the genus. Based on fieldwork in Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo states and morphological analyses in herbaria, we recognize two new species, Merostachys judziewiczii and M. lage-vianae, from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. They are described, illustrated, and discussed, and a key to the species of Merostachys in Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo states is supplied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fernseea is an endemic Atlantic rainforest genus of Bromeliaceae comprising only two species: the endangered Fernseea itatiaiae and the critically endangered Fernseea bocainensis. A taxonomic overview of Fernseea is provided, including complete morphological and leaf anatomy descriptions of its taxa and comments on their taxonomy, biogeography, and conservation status, along with a key to facilitate the identification of the two species of Fernseea. A neotype for F. itatiaiae is designated, and a new form, F. bocainensisformabrevifolia, which cooccurs with the typical form, is described based on its distinctive vegetative morphology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Bromeliaceae are a largely Neotropical family originating in open, dry environments. Vriesea Lindl., the third largest genus of the family, is traditionally divided between two sections. About 90% of the species of the genus occur in Brazil, where the centre of diversity is the Atlantic Rainforest. Leaf morphoanatomical studies conducted on bromeliad species have confirmed the importance of structural characters for ecological, and also for systematic purposes. Because of the wide morphological, ecological and taxonomic diversity of Vriesea, and its importance in ecosystems associated with the Atlantic Rainforest, we selected 24 Vriesea species and used anatomical and histochemical analyses to describe the leaf anatomy aiming to identify potential systematic characters, and point out possible traits that responded to environmental conditions during the evolution of the genus. The leaves are hypostomatic with peltate trichomes. They present epidermis with thickened cell walls, with lignin and pectin, covered by cuticle and epicuticular wax. The mechanical hypodermis is usually one-layered. Water-storage parenchyma occurs in both surfaces of the leaf blade. The chlorenchyma is located in the median portion of the blade. Air lacunae are associated with brachiform parenchyma. The vascular bundles are collateral, arranged alternately with the air lacunae and surrounded by a sheath of sclerified and/or parenchyma cells. Extravascular fibres occur in most of the species and are positioned below the mechanical hypodermis on the adaxial surface of the leaf blade. Leaf anatomical analysis can be useful in differential characterisation of small groups of related species but does not seem to reflect species assemblages according to the taxonomic sections or substrate type, but is consistent among the Brazilian analysed species of Vriesea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new species of Canellaceae from Brazil, Cinnamodendron brasiliense and Cinnamodendron catarinense, are here described. These species are known from the Atlantic Forest in the States of São Paulo (southeastern Brazil) and Santa Catarina (southern Brazil), respectively. Cinnamodendron brasiliense shares morphological similarities with C. occhionianum, but it can be distinguished by being a shrub or treelet up to 6 m tall with one or two flowers per inflorescence and obovoid fruits up to 1.8 cm long; whereas C. occhionianum is a tree 8–20 m tall with four or five flowers per inflorescence and globose fruits up to 1.5 cm long. Cinnamodendron catarinense resembles C. sampaioanum, but it has more flowers per inflorescences (6–8), the staminal tube below the anthers is shorter (about 1 mm long), and the anthers are longer (2.2–2.5 mm) than those of C. sampaioanum, which has 1–3 flowers per inflorescence, a staminal tube below anthers of ca. 3.2 mm long, and anthers 1–1.2 mm long. With the addition of these two species, Brazil becomes the country with the highest number of species of Cinnamodendron, holding six of the eight known species for South America. In this work, a key to all the species of Cinnamodendron from South America is also provided, as well as illustrations in photographs and line drawings of the two new species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Loricalepis has been known from only three collections from the upper Rio Negro, in Amazonas, Brazil, and the Río Guainía basin, in Colombia, all belonging to a single species, L. duckei. Its capsular fruits and cochleate, tuberculate seeds suggest its relation to pantropical "core Melastomeae", but it does not have a particularly close morphological connection with any other genus of the tribe. Here we describe and illustrate a second species in the genus, Loricalepis atlantica, recently collected in white sand vegetation near the coast of Bahia. Although we have not been able to sequence DNA from the new species, we place it in Loricalepis due to a long list of characters that it shares with L. duckei. Both are shrubs or small trees with scalariform indumentum on the stems and leaves; thick-cartilaginous, crenulate-serrulate and paleaceous-ciliate leaf margins; persistent acute and seta-tipped sepals; glandulose-ciliate petal margins; glabrous and subisomorphic stamens, these with the connective not at all or only shortly prolonged and ventrally bilobed; and the ovary apex with a crown of scales surrounding the style. lightface differs from L. duckei by 5-merous flowers (vs. 4-merous in L. duckei), the hypanthium covered with minute scalariform trichomes (vs. glabrous), light-pink petals (vs. white), purple anthers (vs. white), and 5-celled ovary (vs. 4-celled). The new species is known from only one locality, in an extremely endangered vegetation type. Its discovery highlights the need for sustained floristic studies of forest remnants in northeastern Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent molecular phylogenies have demonstrated that Pleurostachys (Cyperaceae) should be recognized as a section within Rhynchospora. Here all accepted species of Pleurostachys are transferred to Rhynchospora sect. Pleurostachys, five new combinations are made, and one new name provided. Rhynchospora austrobahiensis and R. contraligularis are described as new species endemic to the Atlantic forest of southern Bahia, Brazil. They are distinct from all other species of sect. Pleurostachys by having spikelets that are never clustered and basal leaves over 1 cm wide. The summit of the inner band of the leaf sheath on R. austrobahiensis is concave to triangular while that of R. contraligularis is arched with a distinct, chartaceous contraligule. Both species are illustrated and compared to other species of Rhynchospora sect. Pleurostachys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Didymopanax had been recognized for at least a century as the only genus of Araliaceae in the Americas with bicarpellate ovaries, but in recent decades, it had been treated in synonymy under Schefflera, where it has been recognized as an informal group. During this time, several new species belonging to the group were described under Schefflera, but there has been a growing understanding over the past 15 years that this broadly defined genus is polyphyletic, comprising five non-sister clades. The Neotropical species form a monophyletic group, but its five major subclades are both morphologically and geographically coherent, and are therefore being recognized as distinct genera. As a result, Crepinella Marchal and Sciodaphyllum P. Browne have been reinstated (but with new circumscriptions), and the remaining subclades will be accommodated in two new genera. Here we resurrect Didymopanax, transferring the 37 species out of Schefflera. As now defined, Didymopanax includes species with bicarpellate as well as a few with 5–6-carpellate ovaries, mostly from the rainforests and open savannic vegetations of Brazil. Twenty-one new combinations are proposed for taxa originally described under Panax L. (1), Schefflera (19), or Sciodaphyllum (1). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phylogenetic studies have shown that Schefflera, the largest genus of Araliaceae, is highly polyphyletic, comprising five non-sister clades within the family, and that the generic name must be restricted to a small group of Pacific Island species. In an effort to establish monophyletic genera for the other elements still remaining in Schefflera, phylogenetic analyses of the large Neotropical clade have revealed five morphologically and geographically coherent groups. Here, we reinstate the genus Sciodaphyllum, which corresponds to the largest of these five groups, presenting a synopsis of the 131 currently recognized species, including 109 new combinations, one replacement name (nomen novum), and three new heterotypic synonyms. The re-establishment of Sciodaphyllum opens the way for describing an estimated 200+ new species in the genus, nearly all of which are from the Northern and Central Andes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study provides new records of Macroclinium roseum, a species originally described from the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro, and which appears to be endemic to the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. The new records expand the documented distribution of the genus in the Atlantic Forest to the states of Espírito Santo and Alagoas. Previous reports of the species from the Amazon appear to have been made in error. The collections from Espírito Santo and Alagoas, made in 2005 and 2017, respectively, are the first collections of M. roseum since its description in 1882. An updated description and distribution map for the species are provided, along with photographs, assessment of the species' conservation status, and a key for the identification of the Brazilian species of Macroclinium. A lectotype and epitype are designated for M. roseum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adenocalymma includes approximately 76 species of lianas, shrubs and treelets, representing the largest genus from the Neotropical tribe Bignonieae (Bignoniaceae). As part of ongoing taxonomic studies within the "Adenocalymma-Neojobertia" clade, we found a new species endemic to the Brazilian Atlantic forest, Adenocalymma fistulosum. The new taxon resembles A. apetiolatum, A. sessile, A. subsessilifolium, and A. tephrinocalyx on the sessile leaf insertion and shrubby habit, but differs by the indument type, branch and branchlet pith, prophyll shape, inflorescence trichomes, bract and bracteole shape and size, corolla shape and color, presence of cupular trichomes in the corolla, and position of the anthers and stigma. The new taxon is described and illustrated. In addition, a distribution map, notes on the geographic distribution, habitat and morphological variation are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new species of Bromelioideae (Bromeliaceae) from the Colombian Amazon are described: Aechmea cardenasii and A. andaquiensis. Aechmea cardenasii is significantly different from other species of Bromelioideae, although it roughly resembles A. rubiginosa because of its simple, strobilate inflorescence. Aechmea andaquiensis belongs to a taxonomic complex that includes A. abbreviata, A. angustifolia, and A. roeseliae, but it is unique among these species due to its oblong-spathulate leaf blades and short inflorescences with densely floccose-ferruginous floral bracts. Additionally, an unexpected record of the Chocó-centered genus Ronnbergia in the eastern Andean slopes of Caquetá is reported. Finally, a short discussion is provided about the problematic usage of binomials of Streptocalyx instead of Aechmea for taxonomic catalogues. This discussion is based on the necessity to add A. confusa to the Catalogue of Colombian Plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new species of Disteganthus (Bromeliaceae: Bromelioideae) are described and illustrated. Disteganthus gracieae is described to place specimens previously misidentified as Disteganthus lateralis, but that differ substantially from this species by their gradually narrowed leaf blades, slender inflorescence rachis, long-pedicellate flowers, long-connate sepals, and glabrescent ovaries. Disteganthus morii is described from recent collections in central Suriname and can be distinguished from other species in the genus by its narrow leaves and densely floccose, long flowers. Because these new additions increase the number of species of Disteganthus from two to four , an updated description of the genus, including a taxonomic key and a general overview of the geographic distribution of the species, is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Chilean Puya species (Puyoideae, Bromeliaceae) constitute an early diverging group within the genus and thus are key taxa for the understanding of the early evolution and biogeography of Puya. However, a modern taxonomic treatment including information from molecular phylogenetic studies is still lacking. Here, a taxonomic revision of the Chilean species of Puya is presented based on morphological, molecular, and biogeographic data. A re-evaluation of the widely applied concept of P. berteroniana led us to the conclusion that the type of P. berteroniana is of hybrid origin and is maintained as Puya × berteroniana. Our studies revealed that the name P. berteroniana has been widely misapplied to what in fact is the northern metapopulation of P. alpestris, which is here described as a new subspecies, Puya alpestris subsp. zoellneri, a member of subgenus Puya. A lectotype is designated for Puya copiapina and a neotype for P. chilensis. Altogether, six Puya species, two subspecies, four varieties and one hybrid taxon are recognized for the Chilean flora in this revision: P. alpestris subsp. alpestris and subsp. zoellneri; P. boliviensis; P. chilensis; P. gilmartiniae; P. coerulea var. coerulea, var. intermedia, var. monteroana, and var. violacea; P. venusta; and P.×berteroniana. A key is provided for their identification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Brittonia is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Brittonia is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Brittonia is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Brittonia is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Four new taxa of Bromeliaceae are described: Billbergia acreana from Brazil; Pitcairnia chocoensis from Colombia; and Guzmania diazii and Pitcairnia filifera from Peru. Also included is the new name Werauhia moralesii from Costa Rica. Miscellaneous new taxa of Bromeliaceae (XV) appeared in Selbyana 21: 125–131. 2000. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new species Guzmania herrerae and G. scandens, that have been mistakenly identified as G. dissitiflora are described and illustrated. All three taxa belong to a natural complex of species that corresponds to the formerly recognized segregate genus Massangea E. Morren. However, without additional morphological and molecular evidence we believe it is premature to recognize this species complex as a genus separate from Guzmania. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tillandsia subg. Pseudalcantarea (Bromeliaceae) includes four species as currently delimited. The phylogenetic relationships of the species in this group are investigated by a cladistic analysis using 16 morphological characters, with Vriesea subg. Alcantarea employed as the outgroup. Tillandsia subg. Pseudalcantarea is found to be paraphyletic. Tillandsia grandis and T. paniculata are transferred to Tillandsia subg. Tillandsia because they are hypothesized to share a more recent common ancestor with T. utriculata, the type of the genus, than they do with the other two species placed in subg. Pseudalcantarea, i.e., T. baliophylla and T. viridiflora. These latter two species possibly constitute a basal clade within Tillandsia and are provisionally retained within subg. Pseudalcantarea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hechtia glauca and Hechtia iltisii are described as new and illustrated. Among the Bromeliaceae H. glauca is unusual in its glabrous, glaucous leaf surfaces. Inflorescence and floral dimorphisms are discussed for H. glauca and H. iltisii. A key to species of Hechtia from Novo-Galiciana and adjacent parts of Michoacan is included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The new combination, Disteganthus lateralis, is coined based on Aechmea lateralis. An illustration for this species is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]