Draba bruce-bennettii (Brassicaceae), a new species from Yukon (Canada), is described and illustrated. It is easily distinguished from the closely related to D. aleutica and D. macounii by having linear to linear-oblanceolate basal leaves pubescent adaxially with simple trichomes and abaxially with 2–4-rayed forked trichomes, oblong fruit pubescent with simple and forked trichomes, fruiting pedicels pilose with simple trichomes, and yellow, obovate petals 5-6.5 × 2.5-3.2 mm.

Rhabdodendraceae is recorded for the first time in the vascular flora of Colombia and the upper Río Negro basin, based on collections of Rhabdodendron amazonicum from the upper Cuyarí river, Guianía department, Colombia, and the upper Isana (Içana) river, Amazonas state, Brazil, respectively. These two localities extend considerably the northwesternly distribution of this taxon inside the Amazon Basin. Notes about the phytogeography (e.g. insights as to why this species has not yet been found between Manaus and the confluence of the Guainía and Casiquiare rivers), the habitats of R. amazonicum, and an updated overview of the known specimens using a geographic distribution map of this taxon is also included. The discovery of this family in the upper Río Negro region, demonstrates the value of field work through alliances between private initiatives and the Kuripaco nation.

We discuss a group of four species from the Venezuelan Guayana, two of them closely related to Anathallis nanifolia (based on Pleurothallis nanifolia). These two species, Pleurothallis deborana and P. pemonum, were erroneously placed in the synonymy of Anathallis holstii (based on Pleurothallis holstii). We propose new combinations in Anathallis for these two species, discuss the current status of all four species, and provide a key to distinguish them.

Laurent Garcin (ca. 1681–1751), a Dutch East India Company ship's surgeon, Fellow of the Royal Society and corresponding member of the Académie royale des sciences (Paris), has largely vanished from the annals of botanical and medical science. Yet data presented in this article demonstrate that ca. 1740 he gave some or all of his plant collections from his Asian travels in the 1720s to J. Burman, a correspondent in Amsterdam. Those collections in turn greatly enriched Flora Indica by N. Burman (hereafter Burman fil.) to the tune of 98 specimens. Burman's work is an important historical source for the botany not only of modern-day India, as the title suggests, but also of Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Iran—the “Indies” as they were understood in the eighteenth century. So far only a handful of Garcin's specimens have come to light (G-Burman). These few extant specimens testify to Garcin's collecting zeal and keen eye for materia medica.

Two new species of Myrtaceae from Yasuní National Park in Ecuadorian Amazon, Myrcia gigantifolia and Plinia valenciana, are described and illustrated. Myrcia gigantifolia grows in Varzea forest along Tiputini river, while Plinia valenciana grows in lowland forest.

Fifty new species of Stelis from Colombia are described and illustrated in this the first of a series of fifty species that are not identified when compared with any of the previously known species.

Scrophularia kollakii (Scrophulariaceae), a new species from Kurdistan Iraq, is described, and its distinguishing characters from nearest relatives are discussed. It is easily separated from S. olympica by its taller (30–75 vs. 20–30 cm) stems, 4–12-flowered (vs. 3-flowered) cymes, lanceolate (vs. linear to narrowly oblong), shorter (1–2 vs. 1.7–5 mm) bracteoles, scarious and usually purplish or dark yellow (vs. pale brown) margin of calyx, dark pink corolla 7–9 mm (vs. ca. 6 mm), and dark pink (vs. dark purple) upper corolla lip 3.5–5 mm (vs. 3 mm). It differs from S. sosnowskyi by having usually purplish or dark yellow (vs. white) scarious margin of calyx, dark pink (vs. greenish yellow with upper lip purple or violet) corolla, and obcordate (vs. obovate) staminode.

A generic transfer of eight species from Oncidium to Odontoglossum is made here, supported by molecular and morphologic evidence. Homotypic synonyms are listed. These transfers make it possible to maintain a monophyletic genus Odontoglossum without creating any new generic names. Quotes from authors that favor a larger and morphologically indefinable Oncidium are included and responded to by the authors of this paper, who are in favor of maintaining a more conservative and traditional, as well user-friendly and visually workable taxonomic classification.

Rapateaceae are a monophyletic family of 17 genera with greatest species diversity on the mountains and savannas of the Guiana Shield. The family has intrigued botanists because of their interesting and unusual inflorescence and leaf morphologies. The small tribe Schoenocephalieae (three genera and seven species) are regionally prized for their showy inflorescences that are harvested as everlasting flowers. Here, we report on local cultivation efforts to minimize harvesting from wild populations and examine vegetative morphology and anatomy, reporting for the first time the presence of a lateral thickening meristem in Rapateaceae. Schoenocephalieae exhibit possible adaptations to their oligotrophic, open, and fire-prone habitats such as abundant mucilage, idioblasts containing a tannin-like substance, leaf fibers, presence of epidermal silica, the formation of telmata in Guacamaya, and vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi.

Two new species, Podandrogyne laplanadae from the department of Nariño and P. nutibarana from the department of Antioquia are described from the montane cloud forests of Colombia. Species descriptions, illustrations, specimen citations and ecogeographical information are presented, as well as notes about their conservation status.