The Área de Proteção Ambiental das Lagoas e Dunas do Abaeté (APA Abaeté) is an environmentally protected restinga fragment located in an urban area in the municipality of Salvador, the third most populous municipality in Brazil. We presented an updated list of Orchidaceae in APA Abaeté, including data on population size, aiming to support effective conservation strategies for orchids in Atlantic Forest remnants in the state. We carried out intensive fieldwork during October 2014 and February 2018, and analyzed several collections from Brazilian herbaria. Photographs, maps, short taxonomic notes and ecological information of the species are provided. We divided APA Abaeté into 16 plots (each with about 1.9 km 2) to facilitate the discussion regarding local conservation actions. We found 15 genera and 19 species, including highly ornamental orchids (e.g. Brassavola tuberculata and Encyclia dichroma). Most species are terricolous and occur in the restinga forest formation (68%). We recognized six species as new occurrences for APA Abaeté: Catasetum roseoalbum, Eltroplectris calcarata, Habenaria schenckii, Liparis nervosa, Pelexia viridis and Prescottia leptostachya. Epistephium williamsii, Galeandra montana, H. schenckii, P. viridis and Vanilla palmarum deserve immediate conservation actions in order to avoid local extinctions. The mentioned species form small populations (less than 50 individuals) and/or are restricted to up to three plots. Deforestation, occasional changes in habitats, including illegal collection of plants, urban growth of the neighborhoods, and the possible expansion of the international airport in Salvador may drastically reduce the population sizes of the orchids present. Cyrtopodium parviflorum and Koellensteinia florida may be extinct locally; they were last collected last century and recent attempts to find them in the area were unsuccessful. Conservation efforts must include the management of species, environmental educational actions and the permanent control and surveillance of the area.

The Brazilian Atlantic Forest is considered a global hotspot for biodiversity although it is currently threatened and highly fragmented. Orchidaceae in this phytogeographical domain is represented by 148 genera, of which 142 are endemic; Rio de Janeiro State contains approximately one third of all Brazilian orchid species. The Wildlife Protection Zone of the Palmares Environmental Protection Area (ZVS da APA Palmares) is located in the municipality of Paty do Alferes in Rio de Janeiro State and forms a mosaic of Dense Ombrophilous Forest fragments together with other conservation areas in the state. We surveyed Orchidaceae at 12 collection sites between July 2010 and February 2012 and analyzed floristic similarities between the collection sites and between 12 fragments of dense ombrophilous forest in Brazil utilizing PAST software and the Sørensen coefficient. The survey identified 27 genera and 43 species. Low indices of similarity among the areas were observed as well as weak support for grouping the ZVS da APA Palmares with the Serra da Tiririca Mountains. Greater conservation efforts are recommended for remnant fragments of Dense Ombrophilous Forest.

-(Melastomataceae in the forest remnants of Ibitipoca State Park, Minas Gerais State, Brazil). It is presented a taxonomic study of the Melastomataceae family occurring in the forest remnants of Parque Estadual do Ibitipoca, which is located in the southeast of Minas Gerais State, between 800-1.784 m alt. In that area, there are 21 species belonging to four genera: Jwdgtkc"and Ogtkcpkc (tribe Merianieae) and Ngcpftc and Okeqpkc (tribe Miconieae). The genus Okeqpkc is the most representative, with 12 species, followed by" Ngcpftc, with seven species, and Jwdgtkc and Ogtkcpkc with one species each. A key to identify all the taxa, morphological descriptions and illustrations are presented, besides data from geographical distribution, phenology, and habitat of the species. In the area 15 taxa are restricted to forests and represent the fi rst record to this Conservation Unit. Ngcpftc"nwvgc and N0"ownvkrnkpgtxku are reported for the fi rst time to Minas Gerais State.Resumo -(Melastomataceae nos remanescentes fl orestais do Parque Estadual do Ibitipoca, Minas Gerais, Brasil). Apresenta-se o estudo taxonômico das Melastomataceae ocorrentes nos remanescentes fl orestais do Parque Estadual do Ibitipoca, situado no sudeste de Minas Gerais, entre 800-1.784 m de altitude. Nas formações fl orestais são encontradas 21 espécies, pertencentes a duas tribos e quatro gêneros: Merianieae (Jwdgtkc e Ogtkcpkc) e Miconieae (Ngcpftc e Okeqpkc). O gênero mais representativo é Okeqpkc, com 12 espécies, seguido de Ngcpftc, com sete espécies, e Jwdgtkc"e Ogtkcpkc, com uma espécie cada. Apresentam-se chave analítica para identifi cação dos táxons, descrições morfológicas e ilustrações, além de dados sobre a distribuição geográfi ca, fenológicos e sobre o hábitat das espécies. Na área 15 táxons são exclusivos das fl orestas e representam o primeiro registro para essa Unidade de Conservação. Ngcpftc"nwvgc e N0"ownvkrnkpgtxku constituem novas ocorrências para o estado de Minas Gerais.

Even though many new combinations have been proposed for the genera Anathallis Barb.Rodr. and Specklinia Lindl., since their re-establishment in 2001, several Brazilian species bearing the characteristics of these genera were never transferred from Pleurothallis R.Br. sensu lato. In this work 17 Brazilian species formerly attributed to Pleurothallis are transferred to Anathallis (16 species) and Specklinia (one species). Also, several superfluous names created from double new combinations in the genera Anathallis and Specklinia are pointed out.

Orchidaceae is one of the largest and most diverse plant families in the world. The number of floristic studies of this family in Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil, has increased significantly in recent years. However, only a few such studies have been conducted in areas of restinga vegetation and none of those have examined the similarity, in terms of orchid diversity, among such areas. The present study sought to improve our knowledge of the Orchidaceae diversity occurring in Grumari restinga, as well to compare the diversity of orchids among Grumari and other restinga areas using cluster analysis. We found 15 genera and 19 species. Cluster analysis demonstrated that restingas located on islands are considerably different from those on the mainland, and no relationship was observed between floristic similarity and geographical proximity. As such, the present study shows that each area of restinga hosts different Orchidaceae species, demonstrating the importance of preserving this threatened ecosystem and this plant group.

A new epiphytic species of Epidendrum from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest is described and illustrated. Epidendrum campos-portoi grows in Upper-Montane Ombrophilous Forest in the Parque Nacional do Itatiaia, southeastern Brazil. The new species differs from E. subpurum, the morphologically closest species, mainly in the thinner, cylindrical stem, not thickened, inflorescence in a raceme, and green flowers.

Vanilla is the most well-known and economically important genus of Orchidaceae in the world. Vanilla bahiana is restricted to Brazil and its conservation status was recently assessed as ‘Endangered’. The species is phylogenetically closely related to V. planifolia, whose pods are the main natural source of vanillin. The primary desirable traits for vanilla production are high fruit set and great resistance to abiotic stress. High temperatures (> 32ºC) and heavy rain favor fungal infection, and thus are indirectly responsible for fruit drop by V. planifolia in cultivation. The aim of the present study was to follow the process of pod ripening of V. bahiana in a restinga fragment in an Environmental Protection Area of Bahia State, and to highlight implications for vanilla crop improvement. Fieldwork was carried out from April 2016 to January 2017. A total of nine manual self-pollinations and nine manual cross-pollinations were successfully carried out. Fruit length, diameter and girth were recorded every two weeks. Fruit permanence in the infrutescence was measured as consecutive days from pollination. Descriptive statistics were calculated and Pearson correlation analysis performed among all attributes per pollination method. The influence of temperature and rainfall was also analyzed. Pod measurements and fruit permanence in the infrutescence were higher for cross-pollination than self-pollination. Higher rainfall results in fruit drop. The use of V. bahiana in breeding efforts for the genus is here strongly suggested and supported by previously published studies that allowed us to highlight several desirable traits: vanillin production, its wide geographical distribution and occurrence in a variety of habitats; substantial populations; resistance to conditions of drought and high luminosity and temperature; extensive blooming period; high number of flowers per raceme; possible synchronised flowering with V. planifolia, and fruiting throughout the year. These prospects are promising and should be further evaluated, not only for V. bahiana but for other vanilla crop wild relatives. Studies of pollination ecology can be used to set guidelines for the conservation of the V. planifolia group and to encourage the development of strategies to increase the production of fruit and, consequently, vanillin for its culinary uses and medical applications.

RESUMO Realizou-se o estudo taxonômico de Melastomataceae, tribos Bertolonieae e Merianieae, no Parque Nacional do Itatiaia , situado entre os limites dos estados do Rio de Janeiro e Minas Gerais. Identificaram-se quatro espécies pertencentes a quatro gêneros - Bertolonia, Behuria, Huberia e Meriania. São apresentadas chaves analíticas para identificação de todos os gêneros ocorrentes no Parque e das espécies estudadas, bem como descrições, ilustrações, dados de distribuição geográfica e comentários sobre características morfológicas e particularidades do ambiente.