We used a bi-organellar phylogenomic approach to address higher-order relationships in Pandanales, including the first molecular phylogenetic study of the panama-hat family, Cyclanthaceae. Our genus-level study of plastid and mitochondrial gene sets includes a comprehensive sampling of photosynthetic lineages across the order, and provides a framework for investigating clade ages, biogeographic hypotheses and organellar molecular evolution. Using multiple inference methods and both organellar genomes, we recovered mostly congruent and strongly supported relationships within and between families, including the placement of fully mycoheterotrophic Triuridaceae. Cyclanthaceae and Pandanaceae plastomes have slow substitution rates, contributing to weakly supported plastid-based relationships in Cyclanthaceae. While generally slowly evolving, mitochondrial genomes exhibit sporadic rate elevation across the order. However, we infer well-supported relationships even for slower evolving mitochondrial lineages in Cyclanthaceae. Clade age estimates across photosynthetic lineages are largely consistent with previous studies, are well correlated between the two organellar genomes (with slightly younger inferences from mitochondrial data), and support several biogeographic hypotheses. We show that rapidly evolving non-photosynthetic lineages may bias age estimates upwards at neighbouring photosynthetic nodes, even using a relaxed clock model. Finally, we uncovered new genome structural variants in photosynthetic taxa at plastid inverted repeat boundaries that show promise as interfamilial phylogenetic markers.

http://dx.doi.org/10.5902/198050989283Analisou-se a dinâmica da estrutura da vegetação do sub-bosque de uma floresta de terra firme sob a influência de clareiras durante 12 anos após a exploração florestal de impacto reduzido no município de Moju, Pará, na Amazônia Oriental, Brasil. Angiospermas de 10 cm de altura a 5 cm de DAP foram inventariadas em 468 m² de amostras, em seis ocasiões (1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2007 e 2010), analisadas de acordo com as formas de vida (árvores, arbustos, lianas, ervas e palmeiras), considerando a abundância, a frequência, as categorias de tamanho (CT1 = 10 cm ≤ HT < 50 cm; CT2 = 50 cm ≤ HT ≤130 cm; CT3 = 130 cm < HT e DAP < 2 cm; e CT4 = 2 cm ≤ DAP < 5 cm) e a regeneração natural relativa. As famílias mais representativas foram Burseraceae, Marantaceae, Violaceae e Lecythidaceae em todas as ocasiões, enquanto as espécies mais importantes foram Monotagma sp1., Monotagma sp2., Rinorea guianensis, Lecythis idatimon e Protium pilosum. As formas de vida mais representativas foram, em ordem decrescente, árvores, ervas e lianas em todas as ocasiões. A dinâmica das diferentes formas de vida foi dependente da intensidade de luz. As clareiras possibilitaram o estabelecimento de regeneração de espécies comerciais e potencialmente comerciais, indicando que essas espécies não necessitam de condução para garantir o estoque para futuros cortes.

The shortage of reliable primary taxonomic data limits the description of biological taxa and the understanding of biodiversity patterns and processes, complicating biogeographical, ecological, and evolutionary studies. This deficit creates a significant taxonomic impediment to biodiversity research and conservation planning. The taxonomic impediment and the biodiversity crisis are widely recognized, highlighting the urgent need for reliable taxonomic data. Over the past decade, numerous countries worldwide have devoted considerable effort to Target 1 of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC), which called for the preparation of a working list of all known plant species by 2010 and an online world Flora by 2020. Brazil is a megadiverse country, home to more of the world's known plant species than any other country. Despite that, Flora Brasiliensis, concluded in 1906, was the last comprehensive treatment of the Brazilian flora. The lack of accurate estimates of the number of species of algae, fungi, and plants occurring in Brazil contributes to the prevailing taxonomic impediment and delays progress towards the GSPC targets. Over the past 12 years, a legion of taxonomists motivated to meet Target 1 of the GSPC, worked together to gather and integrate knowledge on the algal, plant, and fungal diversity of Brazil. Overall, a team of about 980 taxonomists joined efforts in a highly collaborative project that used cybertaxonomy to prepare an updated Flora of Brazil, showing the power of scientific collaboration to reach ambitious goals. This paper presents an overview of the Brazilian Flora 2020 and provides taxonomic and spatial updates on the algae, fungi, and plants found in one of the world's most biodiverse countries. We further identify collection gaps and summarize future goals that extend beyond 2020. Our results show that Brazil is home to 46,975 native species of algae, fungi, and plants, of which 19,669 are endemic to the country. The data compiled to date suggests that the Atlantic Rainforest might be the most diverse Brazilian domain for all plant groups except gymnosperms, which are most diverse in the Amazon. However, scientific knowledge of Brazilian diversity is still unequally distributed, with the Atlantic Rainforest and the Cerrado being the most intensively sampled and studied biomes in the country. In times of “scientific reductionism”, with botanical and mycological sciences suffering pervasive depreciation in recent decades, the first online Flora of Brazil 2020 significantly enhanced the quality and quantity of taxonomic data available for algae, fungi, and plants from Brazil. This project also made all the information freely available online, providing a firm foundation for future research and for the management, conservation, and sustainable use of the Brazilian funga and flora.

The Serra Arqueada, in the municipalities of Ourilândia do Norte and São Félix do Xingu, in southeastern Pará state, Brazil, has an extension of c. 50 km and reaches altitudes between 450 and 689 m above sea level. This range harbours outcrops of campo rupestre on canga, an iron-rich substrate, which were not studied in the Flora of the canga of the Serra de Carajás (FCC) project. We present here the first botanical survey of this site, with the main objective to document its plant diversity. We also aim to improve our knowledge of species distribution, biogeographical relationships and conservation of the canga within the Carajás Mineral Province. Our results indicate the occurrence of 153 angiosperm species representing 53 families. This study also reveals the occurrence of two species previously not reported for Pará: Scaphyglottis livida (Orchidaceae) and Rhynchospora exilis (Cyperaceae). We compare the floristic composition of canga areas from Serra Arqueada with similar sites from the Serra dos Carajás and find Serra Arqueada safeguards at least eight edaphic endemic species from the canga of the FCC region. Moreover, there is a high number of microhabitats in the area, which is probably related to the relative distinct and diverse flora. These data highlight the importance of conversation in the area, safeguarding these species and microhabitats. We conclude Serra Arqueada represents an appropriate site for conservation purposes. Keywords Amazonia • Campo rupestre • Conservation • Floresta Nacional de Carajás • Parque Nacional dos Campos Ferruginosos Resumo A Serra Arqueada, situada em Ourilândia do Norte e São Félix do Xingu, no sudeste do Pará, Brasil, possui uma extensão de c. 50 km e altitudes entre 450 e 689 m acima do nível do mar. Esta serra apresenta, nas suas porções mais altas, áreas de campo rupestre sobre canga, que não foram incluídas no projeto Flora das cangas das Serras dos Carajás (FCC). Apresentamos a primeira lista de angiospermas destes afloramentos, com o principal objetivo de documentar sua diversidade vegetal.

The monocot family Cyclanthaceae (Pandanales) comprises ca. 230 known species in 12 genera restricted to the Neotropics. The family has not been the subject of a species‐level molecular phylogenetic study to date, with multiple evolutionary and biogeographic questions about Cyclanthaceae still unanswered. In this study, we address genus‐ and species‐level relationships and the historical biogeography of Cyclanthaceae based on a broadly sampled molecular phylogeny. Two low‐copy nuclear genes (phyC, rpb2) and five plastid regions (atpB‐rbcL, psbA‐trnH, trnL‐trnF, trnQ‐rps16, matK) representing 99 species and all genera of Cyclanthaceae were sampled, spanning the taxonomic and biogeographic diversity of the family. Our results strongly support the monophyly of all Cyclanthaceae genera and confirm previously proposed hypotheses of intergeneric relationships. Infrageneric relationships are generally well supported, with some exceptions in the genus Asplundia that may require a broader sampling to clarify. The early diversification of Cyclanthaceae is estimated to date back to the Paleocene‐Eocene period in South America, where the family possibly arrived through a boreotropical route. The origin of most genera is inferred from the Paleocene of the Tumbes‐Chocó‐Magdalena region, possibly indicating an earlier origin for this biodiversity hotspot. The current distribution of Cyclanthaceae is likely to have been strongly influenced by major biogeographical events in the Neotropics, such as the uplift of the Andes and the opening of the South America dry diagonal. Further studies that include a broader sample of the large Asplundia‐Dicranopygium clade and Sphaeradenia group are required.

No abstract

No abstract

A new species, Asplundia altiscandens E. S. Leal from the Brazilian Amazon, is described and illustrated. It belongs to subgenus Asplundia and is related to A. ferruginea and A. nonoensis. Diagnostic characters, a distribution map and taxonomic comments are provided.