Ferula shehbaziana (Apiaceae), a new species for Kurdistan Iraq, is described, and its distinguishing characters from nearest relatives are discussed. It is easily separated from F. oopoda by its non-sulcate stems, umbels with fewer rays (8–10 vs. 16–25), and considerably larger upper leaf vagina (8–15 vs. ca. 5 cm). It differs from F. macrocolea by the taller (2.5–3 vs. 0.3–0.6 m) and smooth (vs. sulcate) stems, 8–10 (vs. 3 or 4) principal umbel rays, and 4- or 5- (vs. 3)-ternate basal leaves.

Seven new species of Draba are described and illustrated, and their relationships and distinguishing characters from nearest relatives are discussed. Of these, D. caswellii, D. cayouettei, D.franktonii, D.puvirnituqii, and D. taylori are described from Canada, D. healyi from Alaska, and D. bennettii from both. The new combination D. thompsonii is proposed, and the status of D. chamissonis in North America is confirmed. Draba paysonii is reported herein for the first time from Canada, and its previous reports from the country were shown to be based on misidentified plants of D. novolympica. Draba pycnosperma is recognized as a distinct species from Newfoundland and Québec, and its distinguishing characters from D. glabella, under which it was previously synonymized, are discussed. Draba mulliganii is reported as new to Canada, D. porsildii to Northwest Territories, and D. thompsonii to Yukon Territory. The ten Draba species added in this study bring the total in Canada and Alaska to 58, and a key to all these species is presented.

Several molecular phylogenetic studies have consistently demonstrated that the smaller Clypeola is nested within the larger and more widespread Alyssum (Brassicaceae). Therefore, as in many other similar cases in the family, these two genera are united herein. A new name (A. boissieri) and six new combinations (A. asperum, A. cyclodonteum, A. dichotomum, A. elegans, A. lappaceum, and A. raddeanum) are proposed. The characters often used to distinguish the two genera are discussed in light of other molecular phylogenetic and comparative morphological studies.

A new species of Maytenus is described and illustrated. Maytenus psammopliila is apparently endemic to the state of Bahia, where it grows in the sandy soils of dunes in ‘caatinga’ physiognomy. This species is recognized by its cylindrical or slightly flattened young twigs with lenticels, small ovate coriaceous leaves and inflorescences, reduced cymes with short pedicellate flowers. It resembles M. rigida, which also occurs in the same area but differs from it by its margins with no thorns and by its inflorescences (cymes vs. fascicles in M. rigida). Neotypification of M. boaria is here proposed, this neotypification is important because this species is the type species of the genus Maytenus.

During the middle nineteenth century, jet obtained from Whitby (England) was sought after due to its dark black color and hardness. This fossilized plant material was used in mourning jewelry, and Whitby hard jet was regarded among the best for carving and bead making. Jet fashion was connected with Queen Victoria, whose long mourning period lasted for almost forty years.

Scented cultivars of Parma violets were among the most important urban plants during the nineteenth century, with many references in literature, fashion, art and flower trade. Our research analyzed data related to Parma violets in France and in the United Kingdom and presents the cultivars introduced during the nineteenth century.

Two new combinations in Capparaceae are here provided for Flora Mesoamericana: Preslianthus panamensis, an endemic to eastern Panama, and Steriphoma paradoxum subsp. macranthum, widely distributed along southern Mexico (Chiapas) and Mesomerica to Colombia.

Pycreus decumbens, described from Brazil, is noted as a synonym of the Old World species, Cyperus mundtii; a new name is provided for the eastern Brazilian Cyperus palustris; C. affinis is determined to be the correct name for Cyperus comosus (a relative of C. giganteus) and C. spicigerus is noted as an older name for C. schoenomorphus.

Ammannia mauritiana and A. mauritiana subsp. lupembensis are replaced by A. capitellata and A. capitellata subsp. lupembensis, respectively. Euphorbia hildebrandtii and Nesaea hildebrandtii are treated as heterotypic synonyms of A. pubescens, and the epithet in A. moissiensis is corrected to mossiensis.

Clinal variation in morphology from north to south and to a lesser degree from east to west is described in the widespread Neotropical species of Acisanthera sect. Acisanthera. While northernmost and southernmost species are separable from one another, they are bridged by other species which results in a complicated morphological continuum. Two important characters were detected in the data that correlate with geographic distribution: first, flowers on compound inflorescences in plants south of Amazonia and with solitary flowers north of Amazonia; and second, anther pore width from narrow (0.2 mm) in South America to wide (0.38 mm) mainly in Central America and the Caribbean. A high degree of plasticity in the first character south of Amazonia (inflorescence structure) complicates differential diagnosis between species in the southern end of their distribution. Adding leaf shape and indument helps differentiate the currently recognized species although in some cases with difficulty. These cases are discussed particularly in reference to Acisanthera variabilis. Although most continuously varying vegetative characters are positively correlated with geography, two floral characters are not (anther pore width and anther appendage connective length) which suggests differing selection pressures. Overall, partitioning of vegetative from reproductive characters indicates they are uncoupled, a result which supports Berg's correlation-pleiades hypothesis.

Twenty-nine new species are described and illustrated in miscellaneous genera of the Pleurothallidinae. In alphabetical order, the new species proposed herein are Acianthera macilenta; Acronia hirtzii, A. rhinocera; Apoda-prorepentia hirtzii; Elongatia driessenii; Lepanthes dissidens, L. holoserica, L. licrophora, L. orlicii, L. praetermissa, L. vanbalenii; Masdevallia tonii; Porroglossum acrobat, P. sororcula; Scaphosepaluin translucens; Stelis agatha, S. agonzalezii, S. aspergilliformis, S. atroculata, S. celesticola, S. chaetostoma, S. chemophora, S. cracens, S. eudialema, S. habrostachya, S. leptoschesa, S. microsynema, S. sarae, and S. somnolenta.

The present study concerns Brazilian specimens that Carl Martius sent to Luigi Colla in 1827 and from which Colla described 31 new species in volume II of Herbarium Pedemontanum in 1834. The original material examined by Colla (now held at TO) was found and compared with duplicates held elsewhere. Material was located at TO for all but six of the taxa described by Colla. Eleven hitherto unresolved species names are here clarified, along with ten new synonymies and 12 proposed lectotypifications. Based on the collecting localities and comparison mainly with specimens at Herbarium Martii at BR, at least 18 of the specimens distributed by Martius can be confirmed as collections made by Prince Maximilian zu Wied.

The present study concerns Brazilian specimens that Carl Martius sent to Luigi Colla in 1827 and from which Colla described 24 new species in volume III of Herbarium Pedemontanum in 1835. The original material examined by Colla (now held at TO) was found and compared with duplicates held elsewhere. Material was located for all but two of the taxa described by Colla. Eighteen hitherto unresolved species names are here clarified, along with 23 new synonymies, 20 proposed lectotypifications and one epitypification, and three new combinations. Based on the collecting localities and comparison with specimens at Herbarium Martii at BR and elsewhere, at least 22 of the specimens distributed by Martius can be confirmed as collections made by Prince Maximilian zu Wied.

Notes on Cleistes tenuis are presented, including a detailed description, distribution, and herbarium records. This species is particularly interesting because flowers at full anthesis and preserved in alcohol differ so dramatically from those drawn based on herbarium material and descriptions in the literature, that “two species” easily could be distinguished. Differential drying and shrinking in the labellum, however, account for differences in flowers and in this case are referable to the same species.

Lectotypifications are proposed for two obscure names published by the Brazilian botanist João Barbosa Rodrigues: Aristholochia alpestris and Monostychosepalum monanthum.

Pabstiella pleurothalloides, recently considered a synonym of Pabstiella campestris, is here recognized as a distinct species. Pleurothallis mouraeoides is proposed as synonym of Pabstiella campestris and Pleurothallis pfisteri as a synonym of Pabstiella pleurothalloides. Pabstiella varellae, previously described as Pleurothallis mouraeoides var. riograndensis, is recognized as a new species. It is described and illustrated herein. Lectotypes are selected for Pleurothallis campestris and P. pfisteri. Illustrations and updated synonymy lists are provided for the taxa treated in the article.

Krapfia grace-servatiae Trinidad & W. Mend. (Ranunculaceae), a new species from the Andes of southern Peru, is described and illustrated. It is readily distinguished from the closely related K. macropetala by having wingless (vs. conspicuously winged) petioles of basal leaves. A key to Peruvian Krapfia with undivided basal leaves is presented.