Lauraceae are a diverse family of the Neotropical flora that have recently undergone extensive taxonomic changes in the delimitation of genera. Here we review 30 currently accepted Neotropical genera of Lauraceae based on the combination of vegetative and reproductive characters, with a focus on floral characters. We present an identification key, as well as diagnostic descriptions, number of species, distribution, and phylogenetic information for the accepted Neotropical genera.

The “Pacific” clade of Eryngium L. is a group comprising ca. 40 species that grow in Australia, Chile, the western United States, and east-central South America. Taxonomic studies of the American lineages of this clade have recently been published. However, the Australian species of Eryngium have not been taxonomically revised for more than a century. The objective of this study was a taxonomic revision of the Eryngium species native to Australia, including an analysis of their conservation status. For this, the morphology, geographic distribution, and habitat of ca. 550 herbarium specimens were analyzed. In addition, the conservation status of each species was informally evaluated following the IUCN Red List categories and criteria of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. In total, nine Eryngium species native to Australia are recognized, eight of which are endemic. A key for the recognition of these species is provided. For each species, a list of accepted synonyms, a morphological description, an illustration, a distribution map, and a discussion of habitats are presented. Two new synonyms are proposed, a new combination is presented, and nomenclatural problems are analyzed and resolved, including the typification of seven names. The morphological analyses of this study show that the majority of Eryngium species from Australia are heterophyllous. This characteristic had been reported previously for only two Australian Eryngium species. Two of the nine Australian species of Eryngium were found to be in a threatened category.

Nothoscordum Kunth is a New World genus distributed from the United States into South America, where its highest diversity is found in Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Brazil, Peru, and Uruguay. The circumscription of the genus, as well as the taxa included, has been a source of confusion. The large number of taxa described, combined with incomplete keys to species and the difficulty or impossibility of contrasting published descriptions with type material, and with illustrations when available, has created a deep-rooted taxonomic confusion. The convergence of this challenging scenario with the difficulty of finding diagnostic morphological characters has transformed species circumscription into a formidable task. As a first step toward a comprehensive revision of Nothoscordum, a description and nomenclatural account of Nothoscordum sect. Gracilia (Aiton) Sassone, S. Arroyo & P. Moroni (including the cosmopolitan weed N. gracile (Aiton) Stearn) is addressed. Following an extensive review of specimens covering the entire distributional range of the section, a list of names and their types is provided here. It also entails the lectotypification of 10 names, alongside the designation of eight neotypes and one epitype. Fifteen names are synonymized. Additionally, six doubtful species are discussed and one excluded.

The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta (SNSM) is a large, isolated mountain on Colombia's Caribbean coast. Its isolation has led to high diversity and endemism in its fauna; however, knowledge of the mountain's floristics remains limited. Here, we aim to better characterize the flora of the SNSM above 1700 m.s.m. Using occurrence records and a literature review, we compile a list of all known seed plants endemic to the SNSM montane flora and perform biogeographical analyses to compare the cloud forest and páramo floras of the SNSM to those of surrounding mountain ranges in the northern Andes and Central America. We first compared broad patterns in collection efforts and species diversity across mountain ranges. We then analyzed the elevational limits of plant species on the SNSM and surrounding mountain ranges to test for the Massenerhebung effect (i.e., the phenomenon that species have higher elevational limits on large mountains rather than small mountains). Finally, we performed a cluster analysis to explore compositional similarities among floras. We identified 164 plant species that are endemic to the SNSM and that occur above 1700 m.s.m., the largest list of SNSM endemics to date. Overall, the SNSM has lower plant diversity than surrounding mountain ranges but also much lower collection effort, indicating a need for continued botanical exploration of the mountain. Our analysis supported the Massenerhebung effect, with the SNSM showing lower elevational limits when compared to larger mountain ranges. The cloud forest and páramo floras of the SNSM were most similar to those of the Cordillera de Mérida in Venezuela. Our results highlight the importance of increasing efforts to explore and conserve the SNSM's unique flora.

La Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta (SNSM) es una gran montaña aislada en la costa caribe colombiana. Su aislamiento de otras montañas ha generado una alta diversidad y endemismo faunísticos; sin embargo, nuestro conocimiento acerca de la diversidad florística de esta montaña sigue siendo limitado. Este estudio tiene como objetivo principal mejorar la caracterización de la flora de la SNSM por encima de los 1700 m.s.n.m. Para cumplir este objetivo usamos registros de ocurrencia y una revisión bibliográfica que nos permitieron compilar una lista de todas las especies de fanerógamas endémicas de la SNSM. Con esta información realizamos análisis biogeográficos para comparar las floras del bosque nublado y del páramo de la SNSM, con la de las cordilleras aledañas en el norte de los Andes y Centroamérica. En primer lugar, comparamos los patrones de esfuerzo de colecta y diversidad de especies a lo largo de las diferentes cordilleras. Después, analizamos los límites de las elevaciones de las especies de plantas de la SNSM con los de las cordilleras aledañas con el fin de probar el Efecto Massenerhebung (EM), que es un fenómeno en el que las especies tienen límites de elevación más altos en cordilleras más grandes en comparación con cordilleras más pequeñas. Finalmente, usamos un análisis de agrupamiento para explorar similitudes en la composición florística de las diferentes montañas. Esta metodología nos permitió identificar 164 especies de fanerógamas endémicas a la SNSM y que ocurren por encima de los 1700 m.s.n.m., la que sería la lista más completa de especies endémicas de la SNSM hasta la fecha. En general, la SNSM tiene baja diversidad de plantas en comparación con las montañas aledañas, así mismo, un esfuerzo de colecta más bajo que indica la necesidad de continuar haciendo exploraciones botánicas en esta montaña. Nuestros análisis apoyan el EM, mostrando límites de elevaciones más bajos en la SNSM en comparación con los de las otras cordilleras. La composición florística del páramo y del bosque nublado de la SNSM fue más similar a la de la Cordillera de Mérida en Venezuela. Nuestros resultados resaltan la importancia de aumentar nuestro esfuerzo de exploración y conservación de la excepcional flora de la SNSM.

We compiled a list of the fern and lycophyte species that occur in Mesoamerica and extend into Colombia and Ecuador, where they are restricted to the western side of the Andes; that is, they occur only west of the crest of the easternmost cordillera and are absent from that cordillera's eastern slope and in adjacent Amazonia. We found 131 species with this Mesoamerican and west-of-the-eastern-cordillera distribution. Those 131 species constitute 7% of the total 1805 fern and lycophyte species that have been recorded west of the crest of the easternmost cordillera in Colombia and Ecuador. All 131 species have elevation ranges with midpoints at low (0–900 m) or middle (900–3000 m) elevations, and none occur above 3000 m. This suggests the cordilleras have acted as elevational barriers. We also investigated the blockage of these 131 species by each of the Andean cordilleras. We found that 75 (57%) of the 131 species were limited eastward by the western cordillera, 15 (11%) by the central cordillera (this cordillera in Colombia only), and 40 (31%) by the eastern cordillera. If estimates of endemics to the western Andean region are considered, then at least 20%–22% of all fern and lycophyte species in the region are restricted west of the crest of the easternmost cordillera. Although usually exhibiting larger geographic distributions compared to angiosperms, fern and lycophyte species may show significant geographic restriction by mountain ranges.

Recopilamos una lista de las especies de helechos y licófitas que se encuentran en Mesoamérica y que se extienden hasta Colombia y Ecuador, pero que se encuentran restringidos al occidente de los Andes, es decir, solo se encuentran hasta la vertiente occidental de la cordillera oriental, y están ausentes en la vertiente oriental de la cordillera oriental de Colombia y Ecuador y en la Amazonia. Encontramos 131 especies con distribución mesoamericana y que además se encuentran al occidente de la cordillera oriental, las cuales constituyen el 7% del total de las 1805 especies de helechos y licófitas que han sido registradas al occidente de la cordillera oriental de Colombia y Ecuador. Las 131 especies tienen rangos de elevación con puntos medios ubicados en elevaciones bajas (0–900 m) o medias (900–3000 m), y ninguna por encima de los 3000 m de elevación. Esto sugiere que las cordilleras han actuado como barreras de elevación. También investigamos el bloqueo de estas 131 especies por cada una de las cordilleras andinas. Encontramos que 75 (57%) especies estaban limitadas hacia el oriente por la cordillera occidental, 15 (11%) especies por la cordillera central (esta cordillera sólo en Colombia) y 40 (31%) por la cordillera oriental. Si se tienen en cuenta las estimaciones de endemismos para la región andina occidental, al menos el 20%–22% de todas las especies de helechos y licófitas están restringidas al occidente de la cordillera oriental. Aunque usualmente exhiben distribuciones geográficas mayores comparadas con las angiospermas, las especies de helechos y licófitas pueden mostrar una restricción geográfica significativa debido a las cadenas montañosas.