Four new species for the Begoniaceae, Begonia campanensis Burt-Utley & Utley and B. fortunensis Burt-Utley & Utley from Panama; B. matudae Burt-Utley & Utley from Chiapas, Mexico; and B. makrinii Burt-Utley & Utley from Oaxaca, Mexico, are described and illustrated. Begonia mucronistipula C. DC. from Panama is evaluated and synonymized with B. davidsoniae Standl. ex L. B. Sm. & B. G. Schub. and B. brevicyma C. DC.

Begonia campanensis Burt-Utley & Utley y B. fortunensis Burt-Utley & Utley de Panamá, así como B. matudae Burt-Utley & Utley de Chiapas y B. makrinii Burt-Utley & Utley de Oaxaca, México se describen como nuevo. Se ilustran y evalúa B. mucronistipula C. DC. de Panamá, lo que resulta en la sinonimia de B. davidsoniae Standl. ex L. B. Sm. & B. G. Schub. y B. brevicyma C. DC. con ella.

Four species of Scabiosa L. are transferred to Lomelosia Raf. (Dipsacaceae) to complete the relocation of all scabious taxa with a pitted epicalyx into Lomelosia. The new combinations are: L. deserticola (Rech. f.) P. Caputo & Del Guacchio, L. poecilocarpa (Rech. f.) P. Caputo & Del Guacchio, L. schimperiana (Boiss. & Buhse) P. Caputo & Del Guacchio, and L. transcaspica (Rech. f.) P. Caputo & Del Guacchio.

Musa itinerans Cheesman var. formosana (Warb.) Häkkinen & C. L. Yeh is one of the three wild bananas in Taiwan and represents the taxon previously recognized as M. formosana (Warb. ex Schum.) Hayata [≡ M. basjoo Siebold & Zucc. ex Iinuma var. formosana (Warb. ex Schum.) S. S. Ying]. The gross morphology of M. itinerans var. formosana is stable. Some populations without variegation on the pericarps and the bracts of male buds were mainly found in a restricted area of northeast Taiwan. The morphological characteristics of the nonvariegated populations are otherwise similar to those of M. itinerans var. formosana. Their principal distinction is based on the absence of the purplish red streaking on both the pericarps and the male, fertile bracts. This character of nonvariegation is stable across the taxon's habitat and as cultivated through a 9-year period of observation. From molecular evidence, the DNA sequence for the ITS region of ribosomal DNA (rDNA) is highly similar in both populations. The nonvariegated population is herein segregated as the new variety, M. itinerans var. kavalanensis H. L. Chiu, C. T. Shii & T. Y. A. Yang. Photos for the three varietal taxa, M. itinerans var. chinensis, variety formosana, and variety kavalanensis, and a key to Taiwanese wild bananas are also provided.

Fieldwork and current research projects in Central and South America on the Gesneriaceae have shown that nomenclatural and taxonomic changes are needed. The Ecuadorian endemic species Columnea albovinosa (M. Freiberg) J. L. Clark & L. E. Skog is transferred from Dalbergaria Tussac. The name Pentadenia lutea M. Freiberg is synonymized with C. angustata (Wiehler) L. E. Skog. Amalophyllon ecuadoranum (Wiehler) J. L. Clark, comb. nov., is recognized as a species distinct from A. divaricatum (Poepp.) Boggan, L. E. Skog & Roalson. The application of the name C. serrata (Klotzsch ex Oerst.) Hanst. is stabilized by the designation of a neotype. The new name Drymonia ovatifolia J. L. Clark is made for the species Nautilocalyx dressleri Wiehler. Resia bracteata, a name originally published without a Latin diagnosis, is here validly published as R. bracteata J. L. Clark & L. E. Skog.

El trabajo de campo en Gesneriaceae realizado en Centro y Sur América, ha evidenciado la necesidad de realizar algunos cambios taxonómicos y nomenclaturales. Columnea albovinosa (M. Freiberg) J. L. Clark & L. E. Skog, especie endémica de Ecuador, se transfiere de Dalbergaria Tussac. Pentadenia lutea M. Freiberg es sinonimizada con C. angustata (Wiehler) L. E. Skog. Se reconoce a Amalophyllon ecuadoranum (Wiehler) J. L. Clark, comb. nov., como una especie diferente de A. divaricatum (Poepp.) Boggan, L. E. Skog & Roalson. Para preservar la estabilidad de la especie se designa un neotipo para C. serrata (Klotzsch ex Oerst.) Hanst. Se crea un nuevo nombre, Drymonia ovatifolia J. L. Clark, para la especie Nautilocalyx dressleri Wiehler. La especie Resia bracteata, originalmente publicada sin la diagnosis en latín, es válidamente publicada como R. bracteata J. L. Clark & L. E. Skog.

Pterogonium Sw. (Leucodontaceae), a long-used, illegitimate name for what is probably a unispecific genus of mosses, is replaced with an anagram, Nogopterium Crosby & W. R. Buck. The needed new combinations, N. gracile (Hedw.) Crosby & W. R. Buck and N. beyrichianum (Hampe) Crosby & W. R. Buck, are made.

Pachycarpus acidostelma M. Glen & Nicholas (Apocynaceae, Asclepiadoideae) is a new species described from the KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa. The new taxon is differentiated from other closely related Pachycarpus E. Mey. species (P. scaber (Harv.) N. E. Br. and P. asperifolius Meisn.) by its small stature, the catilliform or saucer-shaped corolla, and a deltoid corona lobe that is sharp at the distal end, hence the specific epithet. It also differs from P. asperifolius in the inflorescence being terminal and subcorymbose.

Arum cylindraceum Gasp. subsp. pitsyllianum Hadjik., Hand & G. Mans. (Araceae), a rare Cypriot endemic, is described as new. This diploid taxon differs from A. cylindraceum s. str. by the spathe tube that is whitish to greenish white internally with a pale purple horizontal strip just above the base and 3–4 cm long, the spadix, which is orange to orangish purple, and the anthers and connectives that are orange.

Certain material of Stachytarpheta Vahl (Verbenaceae), mostly from the Caribbean coast of Central America (from Honduras to Panama), apparently related to S. calderonii Moldenke and S. indica (L.) Vahl, but consistently misidentified as S. jamaicensis (L.) Vahl, has been identified as S. friedrichsthalii Hayek. Examination of both syntypes of the latter name (Fendler 219, MO; Friedrichsthal 466, W) confirms that the calyx is more or less bilobed, versus 4-toothed in S. jamaicensis, under which S. friedrichsthalii has erroneously been placed in synonymy. One of the two sheets of Friedrichsthal 466 (W)—the one corresponding to Field Museum negative 34320—is chosen as the lectotype. Contrary to recent suggestion, the latest lectotypification of Verbena indica L. (on a portion of LINN 35.1) is found to be consistent with its protologue, and the consequent synonymy of S. angustifolia (Mill.) Vahl under S. indica is here accepted. Furthermore, it is suggested that S. friedrichsthalii may also be the correct name for some African material that has been included in S. indica (in much the same way S. friedrichsthalii has been found among Central American material of S. jamaicensis).

Changes to the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature are decided on every 6 years at Nomenclature Sections associated with International Botanical Congresses (IBC). The XVIII IBC was held in Melbourne, Australia; the Nomenclature Section met on 18–22 July 2011 and its decisions were accepted by the Congress at its plenary session on 30 July. Several important changes were made to the Code as a result of this meeting that will affect publication of new names. Two of these changes will come into effect on 1 January 2012, some months before the Melbourne Code is published. Electronic material published online in Portable Document Format (PDF) with an International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) or an International Standard Book Number (ISBN) will constitute effective publication, and the requirement for a Latin description or diagnosis for names of new taxa will be changed to a requirement for a description or diagnosis in either Latin or English. In addition, effective from 1 January 2013, new names of organisms treated as fungi must, in order to be validly published, include in the protologue (everything associated with a name at its valid publication) the citation of an identifier issued by a recognized repository (such as MycoBank). Draft text of the new articles dealing with electronic publication is provided and best practice is outlined.

A total of 13 new species of Viscaceae are described and illustrated for the genera Dendrophthora Eichler and Phoradendron Nutt. Dendrophthora erythrantha Kuijt is established from La Paz, Bolivia; P. palandensis is described from Zamora-Chinchipe, Ecuador. Eight species are newly described from Peru: five from Cajamarca (D. cryptantha Kuijt, D. microphylla Kuijt, D. subsessilis Kuijt, P. alatum Kuijt, and P. camposii Kuijt); two from Amazonas (D. verrucosa Kuijt and P. nickrentianum Kuijt); and one from Chachapoyas (P. prolongatum Kuijt). Three species are described from Venezuela: one from Carabobo (P. concinnum Kuijt) and two from Miranda (D. mirandensis Kuijt and P. mirandensis Kuijt).

Two new species of Oryctanthus (Griseb.) Eichler (Loranthaceae), O. grammatus Kuijt from Colombia (Bolívar) and O. guianensis Kuijt from French Guiana, are described and illustrated. Both are characterized by extremely short inflorescences and small leaves and unusual furfuraceous stem surfaces.

Tetrorchidium brevifolium Standl. & Steyerm. is reported for the first time from Panama and T. trichotocarpum McPherson is described, differing from those of its congeners also furnished with a 3-carpellate gynoecium and a glabrous cuplike pistillate disk, by its combination of subentire leaves, small petiolar glands, small stipules, near absence of pistillate bracteal glands, densely pubescent ovary, and occurrence in central Panama. A key to the six species of Tetrorchidium Poepp. (Euphorbiaceae) now known to occur in Panama is presented.

Strychnos puberula McPherson (Loganiaceae) is described as a new species from Panama, differing from the otherwise similar S. guianensis (Aubl.) Mart. in its indument of minute hairs, lack of leaf domatia, consistently 4-merous flowers, and short-stipitate, relatively thick-walled fruit.

The new genus Autana C. T. Philbrick and species A. andersonii C. T. Philbrick are illustrated and described. The new species is documented from four rivers that drain into the Orinoco River, Amazonas, Venezuela. Autana is distinguished by three characters that do not occur in other Neotropical Podostemaceae. The upper surface of the flattened stem has an anastomosing pattern that is derived from a continuation of leaf margins. When the capsule is mature, the pedicel apex (and receptacle) is swollen and hollow. After anthesis, locations where the deciduous stamens attached become darkened and shaped like an inverted teardrop. Phylogenetic analyses indicate A. andersonii is sister to a clade containing species of Castelnavia Tul. & Wedd., Oserya Tul. & Wedd., Noveloa C. T. Philbrick, and Rhyncholacis Tul., as well as upright stemmed species of Apinagia Tul., and Central American and Mexican species of Marathrum Bonpl.

Se ilustran y describen un género Autana C. T. Philbrick y una especie A. andersonii C. T. Philbrick nuevos. La especie nueva se registra de cuatro ríos que desembocan en el río Orinoco, Amazonas, Venezuela. Autana se distingue de otras Podostemaceae por tres caracteres que no se encuentran en ninguna de las otras especies de Podostemaceae neotropicales. La superficie superior del tallo aplanado tiene una figura anostomosada que surge de una continuidad de los márgenes de la hoja. Cuando la cápsula se madura, el ápice del pedicelo (y receptáculo) se hincha y se torna hueco. Los sitios donde los estambres caedizos estaban unidos, se oscurecen y toman la forma de una lágrima invertida. Los análisis filogenéticos indican que A. andersonii es hermana de un clado que contiene especies de Castelnavia Tul. & Wedd., Oserya Tul. & Wedd., Noveloa C. T. Philbrick y Rhyncholacis Tul., así como de especies con tallos erguidos de Apinagia Tul. y de especies centroamericanas y mexicanas de Marathrum Bonpl.

In a recent revision of Gouania Jacq. (Rhamnaceae) for Madagascar and other western Indian Ocean islands, confusion about the correct date of publication of Lamarck's Encyclopédie Méthodique caused the authors to overlook the nomenclatural priority of G. tiliifolia Lam. over the heterotypic synonym G. scandens (Gaertn.) R. B. Drumm. The error is corrected, and the new combination G. tiliifolia subsp. glandulosa (Boivin ex Tul.) Buerki, Phillipson & Callm. is provided for its non-typical subspecies.

Lors de la récente révision du genre Gouania Jacq. (Rhamnaceae) à Madagascar et incluant les autres îles de l'Océan Indien occidental, une confusion sur la date exacte de publication de l'Encyclopédie Méthodique de Lamarck a eu pour conséquence une omission dans la priorité nomenclaturale de G. tiliifolia Lam. sur le synonyme hétérotypique G. scandens (Gaertn.) R. B. Drumm. Cette erreur est corrigée et la nouvelle combinaison G. tiliifolia subsp. glandulosa (Boivin ex Tul.) Buerki, Phillipson & Callm. est proposée pour sa sous-espèce non-typique.

Se describe como especie nueva a Combretum igneiflorum Rendón & R. Delgad. (Combretaceae), de la costa del Occidente de México, de los estados de Jalisco y Colima. Es parecida morfológicamente a C. assimile Eichler de Centro y Suramérica pero se distingue por tener hojas, flores y frutos de menor tamaño, por espigas que no sobrepasan la longitud de las hojas, pecíolo lepidoto, por lo general piloso y frutos con alas estrechas.

Combretum igneiflorum Rendón & R. Delgad. (Combretaceae) is described as a new species from the coast of western Mexico, from the states of Jalisco and Colima. It is morphologically similar to C. assimile Eichler from Central and South America, but is distinguished by the smaller size of the leaves, flowers, and fruits, the spikes that do not exceed the length of the leaves, the lepidote petiole, the general pilosity, and the fruits with narrow wings.

A new species of Solanum L. belonging to subgenus Leptostemonum (Dunal) Bitter section Acanthophora Dunal (Solanaceae) is described and illustrated from the Distrito Federal in central Brazil. Solanum savannarum Ribeiro-Silva & Proença is a small, spindly herb or subshrub with spiny stems and petioles, weakly lobed leaves, pentamerous or tetramerous nodding white flowers with revolute sepals and petals, green attenuate anthers, pale green fruits mottled with dark green, each with ca. 11 seeds. The species is apparently endemic to highland savanna woodlands (cerrado) in the Brazilian states of the Distrito Federal, Goiás, and western Minas Gerais.

Uma nova espécie de Solanum L., pertencente ao subgênero Leptostemonum (Dunal) Bitter seção Acanthophora Dunal (Solanaceae) é descrita e ilustrada. Solanum savannarum Ribeiro-Silva & Proença é uma pequena erva ou subarbusto com ramos e pecíolos aculeados, folhas fracamente lobadas, flores pentâmeras ou tetrâmeras, pêndulas, brancas, com sépalas e pétalas revolutas, anteras verdes, atenuadas, e frutos verde pálidos manchados de verde escuro com ca. 11 sementes. A espécie é aparentemente endêmica a cerrados de altitude do Distrito Federal, Goiás e oeste de Minas Gerais no Brasil Central.

Iochroma baumii S. D. Sm. & S. Leiva (Solanaceae) is described from the cloud forests of Napo in northern Ecuador. We provide a summary of the phylogenetic relationships and recent taxonomic changes in Iochroma Benth. and related genera and discuss the phylogenetic placement of this newest species. Iochroma baumii shares its geographic distribution and many floral features with its closest relatives I. calycinum Benth., I. fuchsioides (Bonpl.) Miers, and I. gesnerioides (Kunth) Miers, but its deep blue flowers with involute corolla lobes, which appear in clusters along older branches, make it easily distinguishable from its congeners.

The genus Schizocalyx Wedd. was originally monotypic, but has been recently expanded based on molecular analysis to comprise six species, including four transferred from Bathysa C. Presl, where they were incorrectly classified, and two transferred from Phitopis Hook. f., which is now a synonym. Schizocalyx is now characterized by its calyptrate stipules, corollas with the lobes convolute in bud, capsules that are loculicidal across the apical part, and numerous flattened to angled seeds, as detailed in a revised genus description. This genus is now known from southern Central America through western South America and into central and southeastern Brazil. The nine species keyed here include the seven species previously described, for which nomenclature and range are summarized, and two species newly described here: S. condoricus D. A. Neill & C. M. Taylor, found in the eastern Andean foothills of southern Ecuador and previously confused with S. peruvianus (K. Krause) Kainul. & B. Bremer; and Schizocalyx truncatus C. M. Taylor, found in the eastern Andean foothills of central Peru and previously confused with S. obovatus (K. Schum. ex Standl.) Kainul. & B. Bremer. Lectotypes are selected for S. cuspidatus (A. St.-Hil.) Kainul. & B. Bremer and S. multiflorus (Hook. f.) Kainul. & B. Bremer.

El género Schizocalyx Wedd. originalmente fue monotípico, pero ha sido ampliado recientemente para incluir seis especies, incluyendo cuatro especies transferidas de Bathysa C. Presl, en lo cual estaban clasificadas erróneamente, y dos especies transferidas de Phitopis Hook. f., lo cual es actualmente un sinónimo. Schizocalyx actualmente se caracteriza por las estípulas caliptradas, corolas con los lóbulos convolutos en la yema, cápsulas loculicidales en la parte apical y semillas numerosas, aplanadas o anguladas, como se detalle en una descripción genérica actualizada. El género actualmente está registrada desde el sur de América Central a través de Sudamérica occidental hasta Brasil central y suroriental. Las nueve especies indicadas en este sinopsis con claves incluyen las siete especies descritas anteriormente para las cuales se indica su nomenclatura y su rango de distribución, y dos especies nuevas descritas en este artículo: S. condoricus D. A. Neill & C. M. Taylor se encuentra en las cordilleras al este de los Andes en el sur del Ecuador, y previamente ha sido confundida con S. peruvianus (K. Krause) Kainul. & B. Bremer; y S. truncatus C. M. Taylor se encuentra en las cordilleras al este de los Andes en el centro de Perú y ha sido confundida con S. obovatus (K. Schum. ex Standl.) Kainul. & B. Bremer. Lectotipos son seleccionados para S. cuspidatus (A. St.-Hil.) Kainul. & B. Bremer and S. multiflorus (Hook. f.) Kainul. & B. Bremer.

A new species, Hoya ignorata T. B. Tran, Rodda, Simonsson & Joongku Lee (Apocynaceae, Asclepiadoideae) is described and illustrated from Vietnam. The new taxon, widely distributed in Southeast Asia, does not seem to be related to any previously described Hoya R. Br., due to its small cupular coronas lacking lobes, and pendulous pollinia. These morphological characters, new for the genus Hoya, are discussed in light of the recent broadening of the circumscription of the genus following the results of molecular phylogenies and morphological studies.

Based on specimen and literature studies of the fern genus Pteris L. from China (Pteridaceae), three species are lectotypified: P. dalhousieae Hook., P. esquirolii H. Christ, and P. henryi H. Christ. Distribution for P. dalhousieae, which is not found in China, is also provided.