Elaphoglossum gemmatum, a species of proliferous fern from Colombia, is described, illustrated, and compared to the most similar species, E. exsertipes, E. phyllitidis, and E. proliferans

Two new species of Cyathea are described, C. obnoxia and C. plicata, from the vicinity of Podocarpus National Park in the Provinces Loja and Zamora-Chinchipe, Ecuador.

Habenaria sect. Macroceratitae from Brazil is revised, and seven species are recognized: H. bractescens, H. gourlieana, H. johannensis, H. longicauda, H. macronectar, H. nabucoi, and the newly described H. paulistana. A main feature of these species is the presence of long, separated, involute stigmatic processes. Habenaria bractescens, H. gourlieana, H. johannensis, and H. macronectar are distributed mainly from central and southeastern Brazil to southern Brazil and southern South America, whereas H. longicauda and H. nabucoi are distributed mainly from west central, southeastern and northeastern Brazil to northern South America. Habenaria paulistana is restricted to the state of São Paulo. Habenaria bradei, H. juergensii, and H. sartoroides are lecto-typified, and H. kleyi is neotypified. The identity of H. fastor is discussed and H. nabucoi is recognized as the valid name for this species. Seven other species previously placed in sect. Macroceratitae are sufficiently distinct and are removed from the section.

A new species, Festuca samensis, belonging to the F. lilloi group (subgen. Festuca), is described from the Tarija region in southern Bolivia. The limits of the Festuca lilloi group are revised and F. setifolia, which is here lectotypified, is excluded from this group. Additionally, the first Bolivian record of the Tucuman floristic element Festuca parodiana of subgen. Subulatae is reported.

A new species of woody bamboo (Poaceae: Bambusoideae), Chusquea guirigayensis, is described and illustrated. This species is placed in Chusquea sect. Swallenochloa (McClure) L. G. Clark because of its shrubby habit, short waxy internodes, intravaginal branching, and linearly arranged subsidiary buds/branches. In addition, we discuss related species, and describe the ecology and distribution of the new species. Separate keys based on sterile and fertile material of the Venezuelan species of C. sect. Swallenochloa are provided.

Tontelea fuliginea differs from other species whose stamens alternate with undivided stigma-lobes by its profusely ramified, many flowered, and densely dirty-brown puberulous inflorescences. This paper also provides a synopsis and key of the group of species with alternate stamens and 3-lobed stigmas with undivided lobes (T. attenuata group). Four lectotypes are designated for previously published names: Tontelea longifolia, Tontelea micrantha, Tontelea corrugulata, and Salacia micrantha var. lancifolia.

Two new species of Mimosa are described: M. woodii (sect. Mimosa), from the central Andean valleys of Bolivia, and M. suberosa (sect. Habbasia), from Serranía Huanchaca in the Noel Kempff National Park in the north east of Santa Cruz Department in eastern Bolivia. The affinities of each are discussed, their distributions mapped, and both species are illustrated.

Senna birostris previously included seven varieties distributed mostly above 2000 m, in the Andes, between the equator and 33° S. According to Irwin & Barneby, Senna birostris var. hookeriana was the only variety in Argentina, distributed from the Jujuy province to the San Luis province. New observations led us to identify two distinct entities that have gone under this taxon. The new variety, Senna birostris var. jallaguensis, is described from Argentina and illustrated herein and is compared to Senna birostris var. hookeriana s.str.

Physaria pulvinata is described from isolated, grayish, argillaceous shale outcrops in Dolores and San Miguel Counties of southwestern Colorado. It may be distinguished from the related P. intermedia by its caespitose, mound-forming habit, and from P. navajoensis in that its fruits are pubescent. The new species keys to P. rectipes in available floras and monographs, and differs from that species in being mound-forming from a many-branched caudex.

Forestiera ecuadorensis, a new tree species endemic to tropical dry forests of the province of Guayas, western Ecuador, is described; it is a new generic record for that country. It is closely related to the Mesoamerican-Caribbean Forestiera rhamnifolia and Forestiera eggersiana from the Virgin Islands, Haiti and Puerto Rico, but it differs from both of these by having longer leaf blades, with distinctive long-acuminate apices, more lateral secondary veins per side and stamens with shorter filaments. A key to all species presently known from Ecuador is also included.

The new species Urvillea venezuelensis, from northwestern Venezuela, is described, illustrated, and compared to its putative closest relative U. dasycarpa. Additionally micromorphological characters of pollen grains are described. The new species belongs to Urvillea section Stenelytron, which is characterized by compressed fruit locules.

Asa Gray made clear the distinction between subgenus and section in the preface of the second edition of his Manual of Botany of the Northern United States (1856). He failed to distinguish between the two infrageneric ranks in the 1848 edition. In 1856, subgenera were published with the symbol § followed by the epithet in capitalized letters while the epithets at sectional rank appear following the symbol § with only the initial letter capitalized. This clarification does not change the nomenclature of the correct name for the subgenus to which the herbaceous-stemmed smilaxes of North America and also eastern Asia belong, and whose subgeneric name is Smilax subgenus Luiste Raf. (1840).