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The genus Ribes (Grossulariaceae) has a center of diversity in the tropical Andes, especially in Peru. Several new species have been discovered in recent years and additional collections keep turning up material of undescribed species. In the present study we describe two additional new species, both from the wide-ranging species complex around Ribes andicola. Ribes lambayequensis comes from a known centre of diversity of the Andean plants, the Amotape-Huancabamba Zone, but represents the first species of the genus from Lambayeque. It differs most obviously from its geographical neighbor Ribes colandina by its two-coloured flowers in erect inflorescences (versus uniformly dark red flowers in pendulous racemes in R. colandina). The other new species is described from Apurímac and represents the first microendemic species of Ribes from this generally poorly explored region. It is a far southern outlier of the Ribes andicola group, which otherwise finds its southern range limit in the Department of La Libertad. Ribes apurimacensis differs from its closest allies in the Ribes andicola group by an exclusively glandular indument (no simple hairs) in combination with smaller leaves, a serrate leaf margin and dark red flowers.

In the present study we revised the genus Hypseocharis in Bolivia and Peru. A total number of 105 herbarium specimens were revised to evaluate the morphological diversity across the range of the genus. In a subset of 24 complete individuals a multivariate morphometric analysis was performed to evaluate the morphological characters historically used to differentiate the “species” of the genus Hypseocharis. A revision of the herbarium material indicated that there are no sharp lines dividing the different “species” with the only exception of H. tridentata. The multivariate analysis indicated that H. bilobata, H. malpasensis and H. pedicularifolia all occupy the same morphospace as H. pimpinellifolia and there are no individual morphological characters or suites of characters permitting the differentiation of distinct taxa. This confirms earlier findings from Argentina: There are only two species in the genus, widespread Hypseocharis pimpinellifolia and H. tridentata. Hypseocharis pilgeri, originally described from Peru, can also not be differentiated from H. pimpinellifolia. We propose the recognition of only two species: H. pimpinellifolia with variously pinnate to bipinnate leaves with a terminal leaflet at most marginally larger than the lateral ones, flowers with 15 anthers and capsular fruits as differing from H. tridentata with pinnate leaves with the terminal leaflet much larger than the lateral ones, flowers with 5 anthers and schizocarpic fruits. Hypseocharis pimpinellifolia is a widespread and polymorphic species, ranging from Ancash (Peru) to La Rioja (Argentina) and comprises forms with white, yellow, orange, and red corollas and with simply pinnate to very finely bipinnate leaves.

Krameria lappacea (rhatany) is a well established medicinal and dye plant that is used since pre-Colombian times. In the last 15 years the biology, distribution and abundance of rhatany in Peru was investigated and methods for a sustainable wildcrafting were developed. The objective of this work was to investigate which factors limit the natural propagation and to explore whether the reseeding measures can contribute to the establishment of new plants in situ. Investigating the germination and in situ propagation, greenhouse trials showed that the seed burial is an important, limiting factor for the germination of K. lappacea und the germination rate can be increased (3—4x) by burying the seeds. Both the burial of the seeds during collection and re-sowing measures on selected lots can contribute to the rejuvenation of the population. Secondary roots, which are left in the ground during harvest, are showed to form new shoot meristems and develop into new plants. Pre-treatment (scarification) of the fruits does not clearly influence the germination success, but it facilitates the handling of the seeds during re-sowing and ensures the use of only fully developed, viable seeds.

Even in times of “big data”, the holdings of local herbaria worldwide are of increasing value for taxonomic discoveries and phytogeographic analyses. Based on our research in Peruvian herbaria we present new records for three species of Symplocos (Symplocaceae) for Peru, which were previously known only from Southern Ecuador.

Observaciones de Loasaceae y Ribes (Grossulariaceae) obtenidos durante estudios de campo en el Perú nos permiten definir el límite suroriental de la zona Amotape Huancabamba con gran precisión. El límite se encuentra entre la zona directamente al NE de Otuzco (departamento La Libertad, prov. Otuzco, sistema Río Chicama: 07° 50,315´ S, 078° 29,076´ W) hacía el abra entre Parcoy y Buldibuyo (departamento La Libertad, provincia Pataz, N del Río Cajas: 08° 04,619´ S, 077° 25,457´ O). Los grupos de plantas típicas de la zona Amotape Huancabamba (grupo N. triphylla, N. ser. Alatae, grupo Ribes andicola, Nasa picta subsp. picta) tienen sus límites suroriental de distribución en el Norte de la provincia de Pataz (La Libertad), y se encuentran reemplazadas por grupos de los Andes Centrales (grupo N. poissoniana, Ribes viscosum) inmediatamente al sur de esta abra.

The forest fragments or relict forests on the Western slopes of the Andes in northwest Peru and in south-west Ecuador are fragile ecosystems, which were largely continuous at some stage in the past. The importance and uniqueness of these forests as «refuges» and stable habitats roots partly in their complex diversity and their high levels of endemicity. These in turn are the outcome of a complex topography and ecology. In this introductory chapter 12 studies are analysed, which were presented at the Taller sobre Bosques Relictos de la Vertiente Occidental Andina del Norte del Perú y Sur del Ecuador in May 2004 at the X CONABOT, Trujillo-Perú. This helps to consolidate and update our knowledge on these over 20 forests fragments in northern Peru and two previously unknown fragments are presented for the first time: Bosque La Oscurana (Cajamarca) and Kañaris (Lambayeque). Some ideas are exposed on the the relationships between the relict forests, how to analyse their dynamics, how to characterize their structure and how their conservation may be achieved. It is proposed that crucial elements in a conservation of these forests are a) urgently inventorizing them to demonstrate their high diversity b) emphasizing their economic potential with respect to the abundance of phytogenetic ressources c) evaluating their role as catchment areas for the rivers which are the primary source of water for agriculture and urban life on the coast.

Nasa is the largest genera in the Loasaceae family and it is particularly speciose in the Amotape-Huancabamba Zone of northern Peru. Nasa ser. Carunculatae is a group of four species, three of them endemic to the Amotape- Huancabamba Zone. Species in this group are characterized by their shrubby habit, deciduous leaves, and typical tilt-revolving flowers with white to greenish petals. In this work, we describe a new species of Nasa ser. Carunculatae from the southern limit of Amotape-Huancabamba area, La Libertad, Peru. The species differs from others in having much smaller and notably narrower leaves. Unlike all the other species of ser. Carunculatae, the entire distal portion of the stem is densely glandular. It is apparently most closely related to Nasa carunculata, a species known from inter-Andean valleys of Ancash and Ayacucho.

En el presente trabajo publicamos los nombres válidos de 101 taxones asignados como nuevas especies, nuevos subgeneros y nuevas combinaciones en los géneros Nasa y Aosa (Loasaceae: Cornales). Los nombres invalidos fueron publicados en diversos artí- culos en los últimos diez años. Se hace esta publicación como consecuencia de los cambios en el Código Internacional de Nomenclatura Botánica adoptados recientemente por el International Botanical Congress (IBC) realizado en Viena, 2005. Para cada taxón se provee el nombre válido, protólogo del tipo, diagnosis en latín para las 41 especies o subespecies nuevas, la cita de la publicación original inválida y la cita donde se encuentran los dibujos respectivos. El listado de taxones para Nasa incluye todas las especies actualmente conocidas del género, incluyendo a las especies recientemente publicadas en TAXON.

La familia Loasaceae está representada en el Perú por ocho géneros y alrededor de 112 especies (Brako & Zarucchi, 1993; Ulloa Ulloa et al., 2004), la mayoría herbáceas. En este trabajo se reconoce y categoriza 59 especies y 10 taxones subespecíficos en cinco géneros como endemismos peruanos. El género Nasa es el más rico en especies. Estos taxones endémicos ocupan principalmente las regiones Mesoandina, Puna Húmeda y Seca y Bosques Muy Húmedos Montanos, desde los 1400 hasta los 4700 m de altitud. Diez de los endemismos reconocidos se encuentran representados dentro del Sistema Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas por el Estado.