Gymnosiphon tenellus (Bentham) Urban is recorded for the first time in the state of Paraná and in southern Brazil. Until now it has only been known to occur in Central America, the Amazonian Rainforest, and in the Atlantic Rainforest of the state of Rio de Janeiro in southeastern Brazil. An updated description is provided, along with original, detailed pictures of the species.

The assessment of the conservation status of urban forest remnants is essential for sustaining tree diversity in metropolitan cities. This study evaluated the composition and structure of forest remnants in four urban parks within the natural distribution of Montane Mixed Ombrophilous Forest in Curitiba (PR, Brazil). We allocated 66 plots of 100 m2 and recorded all trees with perimeters at breast height ≥ 15 cm. A total of 1256 individuals from 44 botanical families and 117 tree species were identified, of which three are alien species. Tree density ranged from 1670 to 2095 trees ha−1, while the density of standing dead trees varied between 90 and 188 trees ha−1. We experienced values for the Shannon diversity index between 3.00 and 3.52 nats ind−1, which are comparable to the values for other non-urban forest remnants. Non-pioneer species represented 84.6% of the tree community (99 spp.), and 76% were zoochoric species (89 spp.). The research findings feed the discussion on the need of specific and integrated measures for the management of the urban parks reserved to the conservation of tree diversity in a specific phytoecological formation, while considering aspects of climate change and historical anthropisation.

A new southernmost record of Thismia panamensis (Standl.) Jonker in Brazil extends the occurrence of this species to the Atlantic Rainforest. This species was found in Parque Estadual Serra da Baitaca, in Paraná state, where other new records of mycoheterotrophic plants have recently been made. The new record highlights the wide distribution of the species, as it occurs in different ecosystems along a significant latitudinal gradient.

O uso de caracteres vegetativos é uma ferramenta importante para identificar as espécies arbóreas em levantamentos florestais. Assim, objetivou-se quantificar a riqueza das famílias Aquifoliaceae e Cardiopteridaceae (ordem Aquifoliales) em um remanescente florestal de Curitiba e elaborar uma chave dicotômica baseada em caracteres vegetativos para sua diferenciação. Após levantamento florístico efetuado por meio de expedições periódicas, foram selecionados preferencialmente 10 indivíduos de cada espécie, para análise de tronco, ritidoma (RI) e casca interna (CI). A caracterização de ramos e folhas foi realizada com a coleta de quatro ramos e mensuração de 10 folhas por ramo, preferencialmente de três indivíduos de cada espécie. Foram encontradas quatro espécies de Aquifoliaceae e duas de Cardiopteridaceae. As famílias distinguem-se pela presença de domácias foliares em Cardiopteridaceae (Citronella) e ausência destas em Aquifoliaceae (Ilex). C. gongonha diferencia-se de C. paniculata pela presença de ápice foliar mucronado. I. theezans apresenta folhas com margem predominantemente inteira, com 1-3 dentes próximos ao ápice, e I. paraguariensis possui folhas oblanceoladas. Por fim, I. brevicuspis tem folhas com base revoluta e razão comprimento/largura 2:1, enquanto I. dumosa apresenta folhas com razão comprimento/largura 3:1 e base não revoluta. Confirma-se, portanto, a possibilidade de diferenciação com base em caracteres vegetativos, sobretudo foliares.

Despite the existence of important floristic and forest inventories in the Paraná state, the montane and upper montane ecosystems still give rise to new species and new records of plants. Here, we report for the first time in the Paraná state Hydrocotyle itatiaiensis Brade (Araliaceae), a rare and poorly studied species endemic to montane and upper montane rainforests and highland grasslands of the South and Southeast regions of Brazil. The previously known geographic distribution had a 700 km gap between northern São Paulo and southern Santa Catarina states, which is now filled by the present record. We provide photographs from the field, a map of occurrences, a description, and comments on the morphology, taxonomy, and conservation status of the species. Our new records reinforce the conservation importance of these environments and the need for further floristic sur-veys in the region.