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Extraordinary uptake of nickel (Ni), reaching concentrations of 0-l-5-0"o, c. 1000 tinnes greater than those usually found in flo-^^ering plants, has been observed previously in c. 190 species that grow on Ki-rich serpentine soils derived from ultramafic rocks in various parts of the worjd. These so-called hyperaccumulators of Ni include c. 50 species from the rich ultramafic flora of New Caledonia and c. 80 species from the Brassicaceae of Mediterranean Europe and Turkey. A study of a liinited part (the families Buxaceae and Euphorhiaceae) ot the very large ultramafic flora of Cuba has now identified this as the home of at least 80 hyperaccumulators, the largest number yet found in any one country. The more frequent incidence here of this unusual form of plant behaviour IS linked to the very long period (f. 10-30 million years) during which some of the Cuban ultramafic substrata are believed to have heen continuously available for colonization; the distribution of Ni hyperaccumulators bet-iveen older and younger ultramafic soils m Cuba mirrors the overall incidence of endemic species in these areas.

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An important molecular-phylogenetic monography appeared about the Chiococceae tribe of the Caribbean region by Paudyal et al. (2018) proposing several new taxonomic modifying decisions concerning also to the monographic treatment of the recently (2017) published Rubiáceas de Cuba, as the confirmation and extension of the genus Solenandra revalidated by Borhidi (2002) and the separation of the new endemic Cuban genus Ramonadoxa Paudyal and Delprete from Chiococca. The molecular-phylogenetic studies did not verify the separation of Ceuthocarpus Aiello from Schmidtottia Urb. neither Phyllacanthus Hook. f. as independent genus from Catesbaea L.

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