Paepalanthus is the second largest genus of Eriocaulaceae, with about one-third of the species recorded for the family, but it has not received a recent comprehensive taxonomic treatment. Detailed taxonomic studies show that many names currently in use are actually synonyms. In addition, it was necessary to lectotypify some names. Twenty-five synonyms, associated with 15 species and 10 varieties, and 18 lectotypifications in Paepalanthus are here presented, yielding a revised total of 395 species in the genus, 327 of which occur in Brazil. For each taxon treated here we provide taxonomic status, typification, synonymy, nomenclatural notes, comments, and distribution data.

Lycianthes, comprising approximately 200 species, is one of the largest genera of the Solanaceae family. The taxonomy of the genus is considered difficult, and for more than a century its species were included in Solanum. Despite its relative diversity, Lycianthes has only a small number of diagnostic characters and has accumulated nomenclatural and systematic problems throughout its history, reflecting its great similarity with Solanum. Information concerning the genus in Brazil is still scarce, and the present work was designed to provide a taxonomic treatment and revisionary study of the Brazilian members of Lycianthes. The circumscriptions of the species presented here are based on evaluations of more than 700 specimens from both Brazilian and foreign herbaria and the examination of types and images from virtual herbaria. Lycianthes is represented in Brazil by 12 species belonging to Lycianthes subgenus Polymeris, with three subordinate sections (Lycianthes sects. Asaropsis, Simplicipila, and Eupolymeris). We provide keys to separate the three sections and the 12 Brazilian species of Lycianthes and include synonymy, typification, updated descriptions, distributions, and illustrations of all treated species.

Clematis subgenus Viorna of North America currently consists of 21 species with most of the diversity found in the southeastern United States. Past taxonomic treatments of Clematis subg. Viorna have varied greatly, which has led to unclear species limits across multiple species complexes. Often recognized as a single, polymorphic species with a high degree of ecological amplitude, variation in the Clematis reticulata species complex has previously been attributed to phenotypic plasticity. A combination of herbarium specimen examination and extensive fieldwork led to the formation of seven a priori morphological groups, or hypothesized taxa, in the C. reticulata species complex based on previously used and novel morphological characters. We employ an integrative approach to species delimitation with data from morphometric studies of herbarium and common garden datasets, as well as a phylogeny inferred from ddRADseq. Of the seven hypothesized taxa, six were supported by evidence from morphology and phylogeny with corroborating biogeography and ecology. Recognition of Clematis terminalis sp. nov. renders C. subreticulata comb. nov. paraphyletic. Because of its morphological, ecological, and phenological distinctiveness, it may represent a case of peripheral speciation by isolation. Four new species are recognized: C. arenicola sp. nov., C. cumberlandensis sp. nov., C. ouachitensis sp. nov., and C. terminalis sp. nov. Viorna subreticulata is given a new combination in Clematis and the newly defined C. reticulata s.s. is re-circumscribed. An updated dichotomous key, species descriptions, ecological notes, and distribution maps are provided.

A new species of the genus Coulteria from the seasonally dry forest of the Rio Balsas Depression, Mexico is described and illustrated. Coulteria sousae is morphologically most similar to Coulteria pringlei but differs from it by having smaller flowers (1 cm long), long stipitate fruit, leaflets that are glabrous and coriaceous at maturity, and an allopatric distribution. The conservation status of this species is suggested to be Endangered (EN), according to the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria.

Monardella (Lamiaceae) is a taxonomically complex western North American genus ranging from the Pacific coast to the western slopes of the Rocky Mountains and from southern British Columbia in Canada to the Cape region of Baja California Sur in Mexico. We applied a combination of gross vegetative morphology, trichome morphology and abundance/distribution, and molecular data to clarify taxonomic discontinuities, specifically regarding the monophyly of plants formerly treated within Monardella odoratissima. The data suggest a clear distinction between the non-monophyletic M. odoratissima species complex and the M. ovata species complex, thus resolving taxonomic ambiguities within and between them. We formally recognize plants from southern Oregon, northern California, and western Nevada previously misapplied to M. odoratissima as belonging to the M. ovata species complex. We introduce the following taxonomic and nomenclatural revisions: describe M. ovata Greene subsp. lenmaniae as a novel subspecies; present M. ovata subsp. pallida at a new position and rank; recognize M. modocensis, M. ovata, and M. rubella as accepted taxa; designate lectotypes for M. modocensis and M. rubella; and designate M. californica and M. tortifolia as new synonyms under M. ovata.

Acanthaceae is a family of tropical flowering plants with approximately 4900 species. Despite remarkable variation in morphological traits, research on patterns of character evolution has been limited by uncertain relationships among some of the major lineages. We sampled 16 taxa from these major lineages to estimate a phylogenomic framework using a combination of five newly sequenced shotgun genome skims plus seven new and four publicly available transcriptomes. We used OrthoFinder2 to infer a species tree with strong branch support. Except for the placement of Crabbea, our results corroborate the most recent chloroplast and nrITS sequence-based topology. Of 587 single copy loci, 10 were recovered for all 16 species; a RAxML tree estimated from these 10 loci resulted in the same topology as other datasets assembled in this study, with the exception of relationships among three sampled species of Barleria; however, branch support was lower compared to the tree reconstructed using more data. ABBA-BABA tests were conducted to investigate patterns of introgression involving Crabbea; few nucleotides supported alternative topologies. SplitsTree networks of the 587 loci and 6136 orthogroup trees revealed conflict among the branches leading to Andrographideae, Whitfieldieae, and Neuracanthus. A principal components analysis in treespace found no distinct clusters of trees. Our results based on combined genome skim and transcriptome sequences strongly corroborate the previously published chloroplast and nr-ITS-based phylogeny of Acanthaceae with increased resolution among Barlerieae, Andrographideae, Whitfieldieae, and Neuracanthus. This advance in our knowledge of Acanthaceae relationships will allow us to investigate character evolution and other phenomena within this diverse group of plants in studies with increased taxon sampling.

Lithocarpus cadamensis Ngoc & Son, a new species of Fagaceae, is described and illustrated from Mt. Ca Dam, Tra Bong District, Quang Ngai Province, central Vietnam. The new species is characterized by its large leaf blades with long petioles, solitary and subsessile cupules which almost completely cover the nut, and spiny cupule scales, in a combination that clearly differs from the previously known species of Lithocarpus including the most similar species in the region, L. campylolepis, L. eucalyptifolius, and L. gougerotae. A MIG-seq phylogeny based on genome-wide SNPs reveals a phylogenetic position close to L. eucalyptifolius, from which the new species is differentiated by multiple morphological characters. A morphological description and comparison with related species, photographs, line drawing, preliminary conservation status, and DNA barcode sequences are provided for the new species.

Zehneria is one of the most diverse genera in Cucurbitaceae with 75 accepted species mainly in Southeast Asia and tropical Africa. Here, we describe Zehneria neorensis, a new species from Neora Valley in the mountains of West Bengal, India, which has 7–10 cm long twisted fruiting pedicels, the longest pedicels reported in the genus so far. Based on morphological data, we also suggest the transfer of Melothria morobensis to the genus Zehneria. With a molecular phylogenetic and global biogeographic analysis based on 3856 nucleotides of plastid and nuclear ribosomal DNA, we demonstrate that the genus Zehneria most likely originated on the African continent 24 (30–19) million years ago and spread from there at least five times to Madagascar and three times to Asia. Zehneria neorensis represents an independent colonization event from Africa to India about 11 (15–7) million years ago. Three lineages reached New Guinea/Australia and finally moved into Polynesia. We infer a rate of at least 20 long-distance dispersal (LDD) events per 10 million years in the genus. This high LDD frequency is most likely a result of the small berry fruits and small flattened seeds of Zehneria, which seem perfectly adapted to long-distance bird dispersal. Field observations are needed to investigate a potential effect of the newly discovered extended and coiling pedicels in Zehneria neorensis on seed dispersal efficiency. The new species adds to a growing list of rather old Cucurbitaceae lineages in the Himalayan foothills, supporting the hypothesis of long climatic stability in the region.

Relationships among North American Sceptridium (sensu Škoda) species are often difficult to assess because of few stable distinguishing characters and high intraspecific variability. We used ISSR-PCR to examine relationships among four samples of Holubiella, 24 samples representing four diploid North American Sceptridium species, and a Russian Sceptridium sample. Nine ISSR primers yielded 147 polymorphic loci. We generated three neighbor-joining dendrograms using a Jaccard, Nei & Li, or Dice coefficient. All three coefficients cluster based solely on the presence of bands and not the absence. ISSR data analyses across all three coefficients were consistent with published analyses of DNA sequence data in supporting Holubiella as sister to all Sceptridium species sampled. Sister group relationships among the four Sceptridium species were not consistent across all three neighbor-joining analyses, and bootstrap support was generally low. However, 26 of the 29 samples consistently clustered with other samples of similar morphology, and these clusters generally supported current species concepts. In taxa such as Sceptridium, with low DNA sequence variability among species, ISSR-PCR may provide an important tool for evaluating morphologically defined species, but additional data are necessary for establishing robust hypotheses of phylogenetic relationships.

A new species from the Atlantic Forest of northeastern Brazil, Jacquemontia atlantica, is described and illustrated. A distribution map, karyological characters, and an identification key for the species of that genus found in the Atlantic Forest are also provided, and its informal conservation status is assessed according to IUCN criteria. Its relationships with Jacquemontia glaucescens and other morphologically close species are discussed.

The Lathberry Clade includes seven species of Eugenia sect. Umbellatae (Myrtaceae) distributed from Puerto Rico through the Lesser Antilles. Members of the Lathberry Clade are trees and shrubs distinguished from other Antillean species by a combination of dull twigs, glabrous leaves with a raised midvein, glomerate or fasciculate inflorescences predominantly borne below the leaves on old wood, closely spaced and ascending inflorescence bracts, spheroidal fruits turning red or purple at maturity with the calyx lobes erect or spreading and often torn away, and a unique, large deletion in the plastid psbA-trnH intergenic spacer region. We examined the morphology, leaf venation, and seed coat anatomy of the Lathberry Clade and constructed a phylogeny using non-coding nuclear genetic regions. The taxonomic treatment includes a key to the species, distribution maps, and extinction risk assessments. We recognize Eugenia sintenisii from Puerto Rico and E. cordata var. caribaea (nom. nov.) from the Lesser Antilles in place of E. cordata var. sintenisii and synonymize E. earhartii with E. stirpi-flora. Six lectotypes are designated.

Recent phylogenomic analyses of sequence data from chloroplast and nuclear genomes as well as morphological and cytological analyses resolved long standing phylogenetic uncertainty in the rock daisy tribe (Perityleae; Asteraceae) and support reclassification at the generic level to reflect evolutionary relationships. The previously recognized genera Eutetras and Pericome were upheld as clades and continue to be recognized in the new classification. The large genus Perityle as treated in previous taxonomies was found not to be monophyletic and is thus reclassified in four genera, using the available names Laphamia (in an expanded sense), Galinsogeopsis (in an expanded sense), Nesothamnus, and Perityle (in a newly restricted sense). The type species of Perityle belongs to an early diverging lineage of the rock daisy tribe, in a clade with varied chromosome numbers of x = 11, 12, 13, 16, 18, or 19. In addition to the type (Perityle californica), Perityle now includes six other minimum-rank taxa of Perityle, all three taxa of Amauria, and the Desventuradas Islands endemic Lycapsus tenuifolius. Nesothamnus is reinstated as a monotypic genus for the Guadalupe Island endemic shrub Nesothamnus incana. Laphamia and Galinsogeopsis together constitute a clade of woody and herbaceous perennials or annuals with a stabilized base chromosome number of x = 17 (n = 17, 34, 51, 68) that have diversified throughout the Basin and Range Province and the Sierra Madre Occidental of the southwest US and northern Mexico. Laphamia and Galinsogeopsis have overlapping geographic distributions but can be distinguished by a combination of fruit and flower traits. This new generic classification of Perityleae resolves long standing conflict about the circumscription of Perityle without expanding the genus to encompass the entire subtribe Peritylinae and recognizes two independent evolutionary radiations onto island-like rocky habitats in western North America as taxonomically distinct components of this fascinating tribe of composites. To allow for this revised taxonomy, 46 new combinations in Galinsogeopsis, Laphamia, and Perityle are provided, and one new name, Laphamia sanchezii, is adopted.

Species in the genus Ipomoea are often difficult to identify due to their similar morphologies and their ability to hybridize with one another. An undescribed North American Ipomoea morphotype in Ipomoea series Batatas, referred here as Ipomoea Carolina morphotype, was found to be morphologically, genetically, and reproductively isolated from other locally co-occurring Ipomoea species. A previous phylogenetic analysis that included a broader sampling of species in Ipomoea series Batatas suggested that Ipomoea Carolina morphotype may be Ipomoea grandifolia, a species described as found only in South America. To evaluate these findings, we tested intrinsic cross-compatibility between Ipomoea Carolina morphotype and I. grandifolia as well as with three other co-localizing North American Ipomoea species: Ipomoea cordatotriloba, Ipomoea lacunosa, and Ipomoea leucantha. We also examined genetic differentiation using single nucleotide polymorphisms from leaf transcriptomes from multiple individuals of all five species and several outgroup species. We find no cross-incompatibility and little genetic differentiation between Ipomoea Carolina morphotype and Ipomoea grandifolia, suggesting that Ipomoea Carolina morphotype is a representative of Ipomoea grandifolia. This finding raises additional questions about the origins of Ipomoea grandifolia in North America and how its disjunct distribution could play a role in the divergence of Ipomoea grandifolia in the future.

Evolvulus linarioides has frequently been confused with E. saxifragus due to overlap of their morphological characters. A careful morphological analysis of herbarium specimens and protologues evidenced no support for considering the two taxa as distinct entities. We therefore propose here the synonymization of E. linarioides under E. saxifragus, and we propose a neotype for the name now synonymized. In addition, we found that the morphotype often cited as E. linarioides from Bahia State, Brazil, cannot be included among the morphological variations of E. saxifragus, being distinguished by leaf size, prominence of the main vein, the length of the peduncle in relation to the pedicel, the presence of epidermal vesicles on anthers, the lengths of the styles, and the shapes of their stigmas and papillae. We therefore propose this morphotype as a new species, E. longipedicellatus, endemic to the Caatinga domain. A complete morphological description, illustrations, taxonomic and ecological comments, conservation status, morphoanatomical data, and a distribution map are provided.

Evolvulus linarioides tem sido frequentemente confundida com E. saxifragus, devido à sobreposição de seus caracteres morfológicos. A partir de análises morfológicas cuidadosas de espécimes em herbários e dos protólogos, nós interpretamos que não há caracteres para considerar os dois táxons como entidades distintas. Com isso, nós propomos aqui a sinonimização de E. linarioides sob E. saxifragus, e propomos um neótipo para o nome agora sinonimizado. Além disso, constatamos que o morfotipo do estado da Bahia, frequentemente nomeado como E. linarioides, não pode ser incluído na variação morfológica de E. saxifragus. Tais espécimes podem ser diferenciados pelo tamanho das folhas, proeminência da nervura principal, comprimento do pedúnculo em relação ao pedicelo, presença de vesículas epidérmicas nas anteras, comprimento dos estiletes e forma dos estigmas e de suas papilas. Considerando isso, propomos esse morfotipo como uma nova espécie, E. longipedicellatus, até o momento endêmica da Caatinga. Nós fornecemos descrição morfológica, ilustrações, comentários ecológicos e taxonômicos, status de conservação, dados morfoanatômicos e mapa de distribuição.

Anemia is one of the most diverse genera in Brazil, with about 60 species. Unlike many other ferns, species of Anemia are abundant in dry and rocky environments, with many of them being narrow endemics to the mountains of the Central Brazilian Cerrado. Besides its richness, several species of Anemia hybridize, and hybrids and polyploids are fairly common in the genus. During a field trip to the northernmost distribution of the Cerrado, we found an undescribed species that we describe herein – Anemia areniticola. We also describe a new hybrid, Anemia ×pirenopolitana, between two species in the Anemia elegans clade, which is the first record of a hybrid in this clade. We provide morphological descriptions and illustrations, and distribution maps for the new taxa, as well as comparisons with the most similar species. A key is also provided for the species in the Anemia elegans clade.

During a collection expedition on the banks of the Inauiní River, in Terra Firme Forest, near the town of Boca do Acre, Amazonas State, an unknown species of Anthurium with the shortest known spadix was found. It is described and illustrated here as a new species, Anthurium bovinii. Additional information on phenology, ecology, distribution, and comparison with closely related taxa are presented.

Two new species, Phyllanthus lilliputianus and Phyllanthus sobralii are described for the Atlantic Forest of Southeastern Brazil, for the states of Espírito Santo and Minas Gerais, respectively. The presence of deeply emarginate anthers and four-colporate pollen grains with reticulate and microreticulate exine indicate that both species belong to Phyllanthus sect. Phyllanthus subsect. Claussenianii. Phyllanthus lilliputianus is an erect and small herb, with mucilaginous-hyaline branchlets, stipules, and petiole, an elliptical leaf blade that is membranaceous and sparsely mucilaginous-hyaline, staminate flowers with 5 sepals rhombic to widely obovate, and pistillate flowers with 5 slightly unguiculate sepals. P. sobralii is characterized by an herbaceous habit, with cylindrical branchlets that are glabrous, fractiflex and pinnatiform, leaf blades broadly elliptical to oval-elliptical, turquoise with prominent ribs on both surfaces, staminate and pistillate flowers with 5 sepals, with an accentuated central strip. Detailed description, colored plates, line drawing, notes on distribution, and conservation assessment are provided below.

The new species Ormosia corcovada (Fabaceae, Papilionoideae, Ormosieae) from the lower Cauca River basin in NW Colombia is described and illustrated, and its taxonomic affinities are discussed. Specimens of Ormosia corcovada are usually confused with Ormosia holerythra. Both species belong to Ormosia section Unicolores but are geographically and morphologically distinct, especially with respect to leaflet shape and number of secondary veins.

Se describe Ormosia corcovada (Fabaceae, Papilionoideae, Ormosieae), una nueva especie de la región del Bajo Cauca, NO de Colombia. La nueva especie se ilustra y se discuten sus relaciones taxonómicas. Los especímenes de Ormosia corcovada son usualmente determinados como Ormosia holerythra Ducke. Ambas especies pertenecen a Ormosia sección Unicolores, pero su distribución geográfica y morfología, principalmente de folíolos y número de nervaduras secundarias, son diferentes.

Balanophora subgen. Balania (Balanophoraceae), whose members differ from those of the other subgenus in having three-merous male flowers, includes B. flava, B. involucrata, B. tobiracola, the B. harlandii assemblage, and the agamospermic species B. japonica. Species limits of B. flava, B. involucrata, and the B. harlandii as currently circumscribed (B. harlandii assemblage) have long been controversial. Here, species limits in subgen. Balania are explored based on morphological characters and phylogenetic analysis using nuclear 18S and ITS ribosomal DNA sequences. Subgen. Balania was monophyletic if B. japonica is excluded. Balanophora harlandii assamblage was polyphyletic and three lineages, B. harlandii, B. kawakamii, and B. henryi, were recovered in the assemblage. Molecular and morphological divergence, distribution, and phenology provided strong support for the recognition of these lineages as distinct species, namely B. harlandii, B. kawakamii, and B. henryi. The findings also suggested that B. flava should be reduced to synonym under B. involucrata, thus supporting Hansen's treatment of both dioecious and monoecious populations as members of a single species.

Myriopteris scabra (until recently called Cheilanthes horridula) is a xeric-adapted fern species, endemic to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. It is one of the most recognizable ferns in North America due to the unusual nature of the indument present on its adaxial leaf surfaces. This consists of rigid, multicellular trichomes with glassy, needle-like apices and compact conical bodies that are partially embedded in the leaf surface to form swollen, pustulate bases. Despite the seemingly distinctive nature of M. scabra, published chromosome counts indicate that collections assigned to this taxon encompass both diploids (n = 29) and tetraploids (n = 58). Here we investigate this case of cryptic diversity by integrating data from cytogenetic and spore analyses, observations of sporophyte morphology, and geographic distributions. Myriopteris scabra s.l. is shown to comprise two genetically disparate, morphologically recognizable taxa that exhibit little or no geographic overlap. The tetraploid taxon is described as a new species, M. grusziae, which completely supplants diploid M. scabra in the northeastern portion of its range (central Texas and south-central Oklahoma). This presumed allotetraploid is most like M. scabra but differs in having ultimate segments with adaxial trichomes that are longer, more flexible, mostly linear, and superficially attached. In addition, tetraploid M. grusziae has larger, more abundant scales that largely conceal the dark, sclerified leaf rachises, and it produces consistently larger spores than diploid M. scabra. We hypothesize that M. grusziae is an allotetraploid hybrid that acquired half of its chromosomes from M. scabra. However, the identity of the other diploid parent has yet to be resolved.

Distinguishing between populations with strong genetic structure and unique species is a common challenge in systematics, especially for taxa occurring in fragmented habitats where allopatric speciation may be widespread and distinct groups may be morphologically similar. Such is often the case with species complexes across sky island environments. In these scenarios, biogeography may help to explain the taxonomic relations between species complex members, and restriction site-associated DNA (RAD) sequencing methods are commonly used to compare closely related taxa across thousands of loci. Here we use RADseq to clarify the boundaries separating the geographically distinct but morphologically similar varieties of the Primula cusickiana species complex, and to contextualize past findings of strong genetic structure among populations within varieties. Our genetic analyses demonstrate pronounced separation between isolated populations of this Great Basin endemic, indicating that the current varietal classification of complex members is inaccurate, and emphasizing their conservation importance. We discuss how these results correspond to recent biogeographical models used to describe the distribution of other sky island taxa in western North America. Our findings also fit into a wider trend observed for alpine Primula species complexes, and we consider how edaphic specialization and heterostylous breeding systems may be contributing to frequent diversification via allopatric speciation in this genus.