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Land use changes by humans have eliminated more than half of the wetlands in Florida over the last 200 years, and additional losses are anticipated as a consequence of climate change and ongoing development activities that will accommodate a rapidly growing human population. Both spell danger for the biodiversity and ecosystem services in Florida, and data are needed to inform conservation priorities and actions concerning threatened or endangered wetland species. We modeled the projected distribution of an endangered epiphyte native to the forested wetlands in South Florida, Guzmania monostachia (Bromeliaceae), in response to changing climate and sea level conditions. We constructed ecological niche models (ENMs) under the present framework by using georeferenced occurrence points and projected them into the past and future under different scenarios. Our future climate-based ENMs predicted small losses in suitable habitat for G. monostachia in South Florida, with expansions into higher latitudes due to the warmer climate. In contrast, the models predicted a considerable, although non-detrimental, loss of suitable habitat due to rising sea levels. The combined results suggest that human activity is and will remain the largest threat to G. monostachia in Florida, and conservation efforts should focus on preserving existing habitats that will remain above sea level and explore possibilities for assisted migration.

The authors describe, discuss, and illustrate Tillandsia oliveirae, a new species from the inselbergs of the Caatinga biome in the municipality of Itatim, Bahia, Brazil. The new species is similar to T. hofackeri, differing by morphological characters such as larger size of the plant, longer peduncle, more laxly arranged leaves, which are more numerous, and whitish petals. It is an endemic species with a restricted area of distribution, being considered critically endangered (CR) due to illegal extractivism, specifically for regional and international trade.

The authors describe and illustrate four new species of Cryptanthus: C. flesherii, C. lutandensis, C. santosii, and C. solidadeanus. The affinities and distinctness of the new species are supported by the combination of geographical distribution, ecological preference, and morphological characters regarded as the most useful to distinguish taxa in “Cryptanthoid complex”. All described species were recovered as critically endangered. A distribution map as well as taxonomic comments are presented.

Made available in DSpace on 2022-04-28T19:44:01Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2021-09-01 Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) Aim: Ancient climatic fluctuations are invoked as the main driving force that generates the astonishing biodiversity in ancient mountains. As a result, endemism and spatial turnover are usually high and few species are widespread amongst entire mountain ranges, precluding the understanding of origins of macroevolutionary patterns. Here, we used a species endemic to, but widespread in, one of the most species-rich ancient mountains in the globe to test how environmental changes acted on and how their macroevolutionary patterns were shaped. Location: Espinhaço Range, Eastern Brazil. Taxon: Vriesea oligantha species complex (Bromeliaceae). Methods: We compiled data for plastidial regions and nuclear microsatellites to assess genetic diversity, population structure, migration rates and phylogenetic relationships. Using temperature and precipitation variables, we modelled suitable areas for the present and the past, estimating corridors between isolated populations. We also implemented Bayesian demographic analyses to estimate ancient populations dynamics. Finally, we tested if population structure is driven by isolation by environment or by distance using a Bayesian modelling approach. Results: Our results showed that the intraspecific divergence events of V. oligantha are older than those associated with the latest Pleistocene climatic oscillations, supporting the view that Quaternary climatic fluctuations are key components for understanding its population differentiation processes. Species distribution modelling estimated corridors between populations in the past, as also shown in the demographic analyses, depicting a major spatial reorganization during colder climates. Besides, the high genetic structure estimated results from both models of isolation by distance and by environment. Main conclusions: V. oligantha is a remarkable model to test the effects of climatic oscillations over the biological community, since this species originated in the early-Pleistocene, prevailing over several cycles of climatic fluctuations until today. The estimated demographic dynamics of V. oligantha agrees with the species-pump mechanism, suggesting it as the main cause of speciation within the Espinhaço Range. Moreover, the phylogeographic patterns of V. oligantha reflect previously recognised spatial and temporal macroevolutionary patterns in the Espinhaço Range, providing insights into how microevolutionary processes may have given rise to this astonishing mountain biodiversity. Programa de Pós-graduação em Biologia Vegetal Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) Departamento de Biologia Vegetal Instituto de Biologia Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP) Department of Biological Sciences University of Arkansas Departamento de Botânica e Zoologia Centro de Biociências Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN) Programa de Pós-graduação em Biologia Vegetal Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) CNPq: 303794/2019-4 LMV CNPq: 305398/2019-9 CPS CAPES: 88881.128215/2016-01 MVDQ CAPES: PDSE 88881.190071/2018-01 MVDQ CAPES: PROAP-2015/CAPES/PPGCB-BV CNPq: produtividade 300819/2016-1 CNPq: produtividade 304778/2013-3

The frequent use of acaricides against the tick Rhipicephalus microplus increases the risk of development of resistance. Recent studies have revealed that Neoglaziovia variegata, an indigenous plant species known in Brazil as ‘caroa’, has a deleterious effect against R. microplus. In the current study, extracts of N. variegata were studied for their possible acaricidal properties. A hexane extract of N. variegata leaves was fractionated in a chromatography column and the fractions were tested in adult tick immersion tests in triplicate using three concentrations (5, 10 and 25 mg/ml). All the fractions had harmful effects on the ticks. However, three fractions were more efficaceous. Phytochemical analysis indicated that stigmast-5-en-3-ol and stigmastanol were most abundant; they might be responsible for the acaricidal effects, making them potentially useful as alternative agents to control the tick R. microplus.

Dyckia vicentensis Strehl is an endemic and endangered species of southwestern Rio Grande do Sul state (RS, Brazil) and is commonly found near soybean crops, where use of the herbicide 2,4-dichloro...

We describe Waltillia itambana, a new species placed in the previously monotypic genus Waltillia, presenting as main differences from Waltillia hatschbachii features such as a water-impounding rosette, shorter and broader leaves, divergent non-secund flowers and the light-green petals. The species is, as far as known, restricted to Pico do Itambé State Park, in Minas Gerais, growing above 1500 m of elevation in the rupestrian grasslands, of the Diamantina Plateau, Espinhaço Range, Minas Gerais State. We compare W. itambana with other similar species that occur in the rupestrian grasslands and provide illustrations, information on geographic distribution, a map, and ecological and conservation observations on the new species.

Bromeliads interact with thousands of plants, animals and microorganisms. Some species are considered keystone species for providing shelter and protection to many species from vertebrates to micro...

The phenology of vascular epiphytes, which account for about 10 % of the world's flowering plants and perform important ecological functions, has been just partially explored. Since phenology is a key tool for the management and conservation of species, the objective of this review was to synthesize the information published so far about the phenology of vascular epiphytes, detect gaps of knowledge, and suggest future lines of investigation to understand the underlying mechanisms. We conducted an online search for articles in Google Scholar and in the ISI Web of Science database from 1800 to 2020, with different combinations of keywords. 107 studies addressing the phenology of different holoepiphyte species were found; 88 % of the studies were performed in the Neotropic, especially in tropical and subtropical wet forests. The phenology of only ca. 2 % (418 spp.) of all reported holoepiphyte species has been explored. There is a bias toward the study of the flowering and fruiting phenology in members of the Orchidaceae (192 spp.) and Bromeliaceae (124 spp.) families. In general, the vegetative and reproductive phenology of epiphytes tends to be seasonal; however, there is a huge gap in our understanding of the proximate and ultimate factors involved. Future research should explicitly focus on studying those factors. RESUMEN Las epífitas vasculares, que representan cerca del 10 % de la flora vascular y cumplen funciones ecológicas importantes, se han explorado poco desde el punto de vista fenológico. Dado que la fenología es una herramienta clave para el manejo y conservación de especies, el objetivo de este trabajo fue sintetizar la información publicada, detectar vacíos de conocimiento y sugerir líneas de investigación que permitan entender los mecanismos que regulan la fenología de este grupo. Se realizó una búsqueda de artículos en Google Académico y en la base de datos ISI Web of Science desde 1800 a 2020, con diferentes combinaciones de palabras clave. Se encontraron 107 estudios que abordan la fenología de especies holoepífitas, el 88 % de estos estudios se realizaron en el Neotrópico, principalmente en bosques lluviosos tropicales y subtropicales. Solamente se ha estudiado la fenología de ca. 2 % (418 spp.) del total de especies de holoepífitas reportadas; los trabajos se han enfocado principalmente en estudiar la floración y fructificación de miembros de Orchidaceae (192 spp.) y Bromeliaceae (124 spp.). La fenología vegetativa y reproductiva de las epífitas tiende a ser estacional. Sin embargo, existe un vacío enorme de los factores próximos y últimos implicados; los futuros estudios pueden enfocarse a elucidar qué factores detonan la fenología de epífitas vasculares.

Bromeliads are important epiphytes due to their abundance in the Neotropical region and morphological complexity. Their compact and imbricated leaf bases form water storage cisterns that promote important resources for colonization by several prokaryotic and eukaryotic microorganisms. Due to the lack of knowledge about these environments, the objective of the study was to investigate which physical-chemical and ecological parameters exert effects on the biological richness present in the cisterns of Vriesea platynema. The study was carried out in the Center for Research and Nature Conservation (CPCN – Pró-Mata), in the Serra Geral plateau, northeastern Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Active searches were performed for 10 trees with bromeliads fixed at two heights (< 1.5 m and > 2.5 m). For each bromeliad individual, the height in relation to the ground, the diameter and depth of the central cistern, water temperature, number of lateral cisterns and number of adjacent bromeliads, were measured. A total of 23 taxa were identified in the phytotelmata of V. platynema, with Philodina, Lambornella, Paramecium, Tetrahymena and Diptera larvae being the most representative groups. The richness of organisms in the phytotelmata presented a positive correlation with water temperature (p = 0.01), and the number of adjacent bromeliads (p = 0.05), indicating that physicochemical and ecological factors could influence the richness of bromeliad biota.

Stigmatodon Leme, G. K. Br. & Barfuss is an exclusively Brazilian genus of Bromeliaceae that occurs mainly on large vertical granite surfaces of inselbergs in the Atlantic Forest of southeastern Brazil. A new species found in cliff ecosystems on inselbergs in the municipality of Rio de Janeiro is described and illustrated. Data are provided on its habitat, ecology, and geographical distribution, together with an evaluation of its conservation status according to IUCN criteria.

We report three species of Bromeliaceae (Encholirium spectabile Mart. ex Schult. & Schult.f., Pitcairnia burchellii Mez, and Tillandsia bulbosa Hook.) for the first time from Maranhão, northeastern Brazil, based on our fieldwork. Data on species’ morphology, taxonomy, ecology, and geographic distribution are included. Our new data add to the knowledge to the flora of Maranhão and expand the distribution of three bromeliad species in Brazil.

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. bocainensis forma brevifolia, which cooccurs with the typical form, is described based on its distinctive vegetative morphology.

Bromeliads are a Neotropical family of monocots, colonized by several families of ciliates, with some species that inhabit only this type of microecosystems. Ecological factors such as the presence of water, plant volume, seasonality and predators, have been recognized as important factors, which play a role in the ciliate community structure in tank bromeliads. The objective of this study is to describe different communities of active ciliates from epiphytic and terrestrial bromeliads that inhabit the dry tropical forest, montane cloud forest, oak forest and semideciduous tropical forest in the Mexican Neotropics during the humid season of the year 2016. We found 22 species of active ciliates. A higher richness of ciliate species was found in the bromeliads of the montane cloud forest. Based on statistical tests, we determine that the pH and water temperature, plant diameter, its distance above the ground and altitude above sea level in relation to ciliate abundance explain

Epiphytism in the Caatinga biome is still poorly studied. In this biome, the licuri palm (Syagrus coronata) is an important phorophyte of several species. In this study, epiphytes were surveyed on licuri palms in order to infer the conservation degree of a Caatinga area. A total of 496 individuals of S. coronata were sampled, in a toposequence in five areas: pasture with licuri (anthropized area), lowland, slope, hilltop and rocky outcrops of an inselberg (conserved areas) and in the community of Jatoba, municipality of Milagres (Bahia, Brazil). Fifty-seven species were identified, encompassing 38 genera and 17 families, growing on licuri palms. The family with the largest number of species was Bromeliaceae (21 species), followed by Orchidaceae, Cactaceae and Polypodiaceae with five species each. In Caatinga vegetation with palm species, the epiphytes on the licuri palm can help the reforestation process, the licuri palm being the key species, where the associated epiphytism demonstrates the dispersion of numerous species. It is a suspended seedlings bank with a nurse plant, where recurring families such as Bromeliaceae, Cactaceae, Orchidaceae, Araceae occur as strategic components in sustainable agroecosystem designs.

A new saxicolous species from the steep cliffs of the Copalita river canyon is described and illustrated: Tillandsia joel-mandimboensis. We present detailed morphological comparisons of the new species to other morphologically-related saxicolous Tillandsia species also endemic to river canyon cliffs, complemented with information on their habitat preferences, geographical distribution and phenology.

The Atlantic Forest and Cerrado are domains of Brazil. We should pay more attention to the lesser assessed points in these biomes, as well as to their rocky outcrops. These sites are under great anthropogenic pressure due to the mineral exploitation present. This results in environmental degradation and loss of species that have not yet been studied. In the present study we aimed to characterize the structure and composition of a rocky outcrop in order to provide aids for the creation of protected areas and on the adoption of management techniques in areas degraded by mining activities. In total, we surveyed vegetation and environmental conditions in 10 plots (50 x 2m) allocated in the Environmental Protection Area of Pedra Branca Ecological Sanctuary, MG. We found 60 species distributed within 30 families and 52 genera, and diversity of 2.83 nats/ind. The most important family was Orchidaceae, which was followed by Poaceae, Polypodiaceae, Bromeliaceae and Piperace. The most important species were Cyperus coriifolius, Brasiliorchis picta, Tibouchina heteromalla, Paspalum notatum and Aechmea distichantha. The area has a higher Shannon diversity index (H’) than other quartzite outcrops. The Atlantic Forest and Cerrado are domains of Brazil. We should pay more attention to the lesser assessed points in these biomes, as well as to their rocky outcrops. These sites are under great anthropogenic pressure due to the mineral exploitation present. This results in environmental degradation and loss of species that have not yet been studied. In the present study we aimed to characterize the structure and composition of a rocky outcrop in order to provide aids for the creation of protected areas and on the adoption of management techniques in areas degraded by mining activities. In total, we surveyed vegetation and environmental conditions in 10 plots (50 x 2m) allocated in the Environmental Protection Area of Pedra Branca Ecological Sanctuary, MG. We found 60 species distributed within 30 families and 52 genera, and diversity of 2.83 nats/ind. The most important family was Orchidaceae, which was followed by Poaceae, Polypodiaceae, Bromeliaceae and Piperace. The most important species were Cyperus coriifolius, Brasiliorchis picta, Tibouchina heteromalla, Paspalum notatum and Aechmea distichantha. The area has a higher Shannon diversity index (H’) than other quartzite outcrops. El Bosque Atlántico y el Cerrado son biomas considerados puntos críticos de diversidad en Brasil. Aunque hay varios estudios en estos biomas, todavía hay algunos puntos mal evaluados, como los afloramientos rocosos. Estos sitios están bajo una gran presión debido a sus composiciones mineralógicas y la falta de investigación. El objetivo del presente estudio fue caracterizar la estructura y composición de un afloramiento rocoso en el municipio de Caldas y, por lo tanto, planificar estudios sobre la creación de áreas protegidas y la adopción de técnicas de manejo en áreas degradadas por las actividades mineras. El estudio se llevó a cabo en el Área de Protección Ambiental del Santuario Ecológico Pedra Branca, MG. En total, se asignaron 10 parcelas (50 x 2m) donde se inventariaron la vegetación y las condiciones ambientales. Encontramos 60 especies distribuidas en 30 familias y 52 géneros y diversidad de Shannon de 2.83 nats/ind. La familia más importante fue Orchidaceae, seguida de Poaceae, Polypodiaceae, Bromeliaceae y Piperace. Las especies más importantes fueron Cyperus coriifolius, Brasiliorchis picta, Tibouchina heteromalla, Paspalum notatum y Aechmea distichantha. El área tiene un índice de diversidad de Shannon (H’) más alto que otros afloramientos de cuarcita.

—Cryptanthus cinereus D.M.C. Ferreira & Louzada, a new rare species of Bromeliaceae restricted to northeastern Brazil, is described and illustrated. Cryptanthus cinereus is a rupicolous plant that occurs in the Atlantic Forest on the top of a rocky outcrop and is known only from a single record. This new species is morphologically similar to Cryptanthus felixii, but differs mainly by its narrowly triangular leaves that are wider at base, primary bracts with adaxial surfaces densely lepidote (vs. glabrous or glabrous with base densely lepidote), shorter flowers (39‐52 mm), sepal lobes lanceolate, with shorter connate sepals (1.6‐5 mm) and petals (1‐1.2 mm). An identification key to Cryptanthus cinereus and other species that occur in the Atlantic Forest north of the São Francisco River is provided. In addition, two species complexes are characterized for the area.

To investigate patterns of biotic community composition at different spatial scales and biological contexts, we used environmental DNA metabarcoding to characterize eukaryotic and prokaryotic assemblages present in the phytotelmata of three bromeliad species (Aechmea gamosepala, Vriesea friburgensis, and Vriesea platynema) at a single Atlantic Forest site in southern Brazil. We sampled multiple individuals per species and multiple tanks from each individual, totalizing 30 samples. We observed very high levels of diversity in these communities, and remarkable variation across individuals and even among tanks from the same individual. The alpha diversity was higher for prokaryotes than eukaryotes, especially for A. gamosepala and V. platynema samples. Some biotic components appeared to be species-specific, while most of the biota was shared among species, but varied substantially in frequency among samples. Interestingly, V. friburgensis communities (which were sampled at nearby locations) tended to be more heterogeneous across samples, for both eukaryotes and prokaryotes. The opposite was true for V. platynema, whose samples were more broadly spaced but whose communities were more similar to each other. Our results indicate that additional attention should be devoted to within-individual heterogeneity when assessing bromeliad phytotelmata biodiversity, and highlight the complexity of the biotic assemblages gathered in these unique habitats.

An illustrated checklist of the species of Bromeliaceae from the Serra do Cabral, Minas Gerais state, southeastern Brazil is presented, including 20 species in 11 genera from three subfamilies. Subfamilies Tillandsioideae and Bromelioideae each contain eight species, which mainly inhabit rocky fields. Tillandsia is the most diverse genus, with six species. Subfamily Pitcairnioideae contains four species, including Dyckia spinulosa, as well as Dyckia oscari, a new species described and illustrated herein.

Ephemeral microbial communities usually undergo priority effect and result in higher diversity with a few representatives of each species. Community structure of yeasts in bromeliad tanks was compared between two rupestrian savanna (Cerrado) areas in Brazil and to yeasts isolated from water holes in the same areas. Water samples were collected from 60 tanks of bromeliads Bromelia karatas and Encholirium sp. and rock holes at the Karstic Area of Aurora, Tocantins State and 60 tanks of Vriesea minarum (Bromeliaceae) and Paepalanthus bromelioides (Eriocaulaceae) at Serra do Cipó National Park, Minas Gerais State in Brazil. The yeast diversity comprised 90 species from which 60% are basidiomycetous yeasts usually associated with phylloplane, soils, and aquatic habitats. The species Papiliotrema laurentii, Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, Pa. nemorosus, and Pseudozyma hubeiensis were the most frequent species associated with bromeliads. Eighteen yeast species, two ascomycetous and 16 basidiomycetous, were consistently isolated from the substrates in both areas and may represent a core community in bromeliads in rupestrian fields. Singlets occurred in 38 to 69% of samples, and 32 species were isolated only once. Our findings reinforce the ephemeral nature of the yeast communities associated with tank-forming plants in which individual phytotelmata act as patches or aquatic islands prone to rapid colonization-extinction rates receiving inocula from plant and soil debris. Ephemeral rock holes also represent a transitory habitat for yeast species associated with plants and soil.

We studied the epiphytic species Tillandsia capillaris and T. virescens that grow as neotenic forms with autogamous and cleistogamous flowers. They have expanded in Andean mountain environments, where they grow sympatrically across most of their ranges in arid regions of Peru, central-western Bolivia and north-central Argentina and Chile. We studied the relationships between the two species and populations within each of them, the morphological boundaries and the climatic characterization of distinct genetic entities. We analysed 125 and 102 individuals from 25 and 27 populations of T. virescens and T. capillaris, respectively, by means of haplotype networks, phylogenetic and genetic structure analyses, using the plastid gene ycf1 (c. 4500 bp) to define genetic groups. Morphological studies by discriminant analyses and correlation with climatic variables extracted from WorldClim were used to test differentiations among the genetic groups within each species. We confirm that T. capillaris is a distinct entity and that T. virescens consists of three groups that diverged by vicariance from widespread ancestors. The high genetic diversity found in both species is consistent with the complex geography of the Andes and the Pleistocene glaciation cycles that have driven ecological speciation in both species reflected in the timing of divergence of the clusters. Fil: Castello, Lucía Virginia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; Argentina Fil: Chiapella, Jorge Oscar. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; Argentina Fil: Barfuss, Michael H. J.. Universidad de Viena; Austria Fil: Till, Walter. Universidad de Viena; Austria Fil: Quiroga, Maria Paula. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; Argentina Fil: Premoli Il'grande, Andrea Cecilia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; Argentina

The plant communities associated with iron-rich outcrops are still little known about to their genetic structure and diversity. Outcrops are often considered to be ‘terrestrial islands’, and gene flow among populations on different outcrops is presumed to be hampered by the isolation effect provided by the surrounding matrix. Here, we studied the genetic diversity and structure of populations of Dyckia excelsa to test the hypothesis that the disjunction of the ironstone outcrops where this species occurs promotes its highly structured genetic variability. Seven nuclear microsatellite markers and two plastid DNA intergenic spacers (rps16-trnK and rpl32-trnL) were used to characterize individuals from seven locations in the region of Urucum Residual Plateau, Mato Grosso do Sul State, Brazil. These markers low haplotype and allelic diversity and high levels of genetic divergence among outcrops, indicating prolonged genetic isolation, with diversification of haplotypes dating from the Pleistocene (1.0 Mya). Pollen movement may occur between neighbouring populations, resulting in a pattern of isolation-by-distance. For conservation purposes, it is recommended that D. excelsa be preserved in situ in each specific location given the low levels of gene flow and the high degree of genetic uniqueness in each group of populations investigated.

Androlepis najarroi (Bromelioideae, Bromeliaceae), a third dioecious species identified in the subfamily, is proposed as new from the Chiapas Highlands and Veracruzan biogeographical provinces, southern Megamexico. The novelty is superficially similar to Aechmea lueddemanniana but features characteristics of Androlepis, such as unisexual flowers and apically divided filaments. Based upon available information on the species and current generic concepts, assigning this species to Androlepis might only be provisional. The present contribution includes distribution maps, iconography, an identification key to the species of Androlepis, and a preliminary evaluation of the conservation status of this new species.

In the Atlantic Rainforest located north of the São Francisco River (northeast Brazil), the humid enclaves called brejos de altitude play a significant role in the diversity dynamics of local flora and fauna. The related species Dyckia pernambucana and D. limae (Bromeliaceae) are characterized by their narrow endemic occurrence in such brejos, and their species status remains unclear. In order to understand the species delimitation in those assigned taxonomic entities, patterns of gene flow and genetic variability were calculated using nuclear and plastid microsatellites and AFLP markers. In this regard, we collected populations of the Pernambuco complex (D. limae and D. pernambucana, from the Borborema Plateau) and the closest relative D. dissitiflora (from the northern Espinhaço Range). Genetic diversity was moderate, despite the possible influence of genetic drift and selfing rates. Dyckia limae could not be undoubtedly discriminated from the remaining populations of Pernambuco, and we propose the synonymization of these species. Thus, the conservation of D. limae as a formerly single species would not reflect the conservation of the minimal gene pool of the studied lineage (D. pernambucana). We also propose the revalidation of the conservation status of this species, endemic to anthropomorphic island-like mountains environments. Finally, the associations found here were consistent with the historical patterns of colonization and fragmentation of the Atlantic Rainforest.

Although plant demography, genetics and reproduction are inter-related processes, few studies on rare tropical plants have attempted to integrate them. We used an integrated approach to study two endangered Neoregelia spp. from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. The floral phenotypes of N. ibitipocensis and N. oligantha are similar, and both species are visited and pollinated only by bumblebees. Flowers of N. ibitipocensis secrete copious nectar, which bees can access only by forcing the corolla to open, whereas flowers of N. oligantha are nectarless. Neoregelia ibitipocensis is self-incompatible and pollen-limited, whereas N. oligantha is self-compatible and sets fruits spontaneously. Population growth rates indicate an increasing population size for both species, although to a lesser extent for N. oligantha. Genetic diversity as a whole was moderate; Bayesian analysis indicated a spatially structured cluster for N. ibitipocensis populations, and genetic diversity was scattered across the distribution of N. oligantha. Despite these differences, vegetative reproduction via clonal growth was the main component of population structuring in both species. Limited seed production in N. ibitipocensis and the risk of genetic drift in N. oligantha seem to be the main threats to their persistence.

Dyckia is the third most diverse genus from Pitcairnoideae, pollinated mainly by insects and hummingbirds. In this study, we evaluated demography, reproductive biology and pollination of Dyckia excelsa, a saxicolous species typical of ironstone outcrops. It occurs in groupings composed of genets, ramets and seedlings and bloomed several times, principally in September, with fruiting and dispersing of seeds in November. The anthesis is diurnal and flowers remain open for 2 days. Nectar volume decreased during the anthesis, whereas nectar sugar concentration remained constant. Dyckia excelsa is partially self‐compatible and xenogamic; the highest fruit set was observed in the control and cross‐pollination treatments; high seed germination rates were observed in all treatments. Flowers have the ornithophilous syndrome, but hummingbirds, bees and butterflies visited them. The occurrence of groupings with multiple inflorescences could contribute to geitonogamy. The high number of flowers during a year supplies food resources and ensures the fidelity of pollinators.

The eu-bromelioid clade provides a classic example of an exceptionally rapid radiation, in which many closely related species are found in sympatry. In this respect, species cohesion may be due to the rapid evolution of strong reproductive barriers, although interspecific and intergeneric hybridization is observed in the family. The objective of this study was to characterize the breeding systems and post-pollination reproductive barriers in Wittmackia patentissima and Hohenbergia ridleyi. Previously included in Aechmea, they show an almost complete absence of pre-pollination barriers, although their recent divergence may not have allowed time for complete ecological/reproductive isolation to have evolved. In manual pollinations, both species had > 40% fruit set in self and outcross treatments, but seed set from manual self-pollinations was < 50% that of outcrosses, and spontaneous self-pollination produced fewer than three seeds per fruit. Self-pollen and pollen tubes showed no evidence of self-incompatibility, but heterospecific pollen tubes were arrested in the lower part of the style and heterospecific seed set was zero in both species. The combination of self-compatibility and strong post-pollination, pre-fertilization reproductive barriers is consistent with the involvement of breeding system reproductive barriers in allowing closely related bromeliad species to occur in sympatry.