Galianthe (Rubiaceae) is a neotropical genus comprising 50 species divided into two subgenera, Galianthe subgen. Galianthe, with 39 species and Galianthe subgen. Ebelia, with 11 species. The diagnostic features of the genus are: usually erect habit with xylopodium, distylous flowers arranged in lax thyrsoid inflorescences, bifid stigmas, 2-carpellate and longitudinally dehiscent fruits, with dehiscent valves or indehiscent mericarps, plump seeds or complanate with a wing-like strophiole, and pollen with double reticulum, rarely with a simple reticulum. This study focused on two species that were originally described under Diodia due to the occurrence of fruits indehiscent mericarps: Diodia palustris and D. spicata. In the present study, classical taxonomy is combined with molecular analyses. As a result, we propose that both Diodia species belong to Galianthe subgen. Ebelia. The molecular position within Galianthe, based on ITS and ETS sequences, has been supported by the following morphological characters: thyrsoid, spiciform or cymoidal inflorescences, bifid stigmas, pollen grains with a double reticulum, and indehiscent mericarps. However, both species, unlike the remainder of the genus Galianthe, have homostylous flowers, so the presence of this type of flower significantly modifies the generic concept. In this framework, a third homostylous species, Galianthe vasquezii, from the Andean region is also described. Until now, this species remained cryptic under specimens of Galianthe palustris It differs however from the latter by having longer calyx lobes, the presence of dispersed trichomes inside the corolla lobes (vs. glabrous), fruits that are acropetally dehiscent (vs. basipetally dehiscent), and its Andean geographical distribution (vs. Paranaense). Additionally, a lectotype has been chosen for Diodia palustris, Borreria pterophora has been placed under synonymy of Galianthe palustris, and Galianthe boliviana is reported for the first time from Peru. A key of all Galianthe species with indehiscent mericarps is also provided.

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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.

Spermacoce eryngioides fue considerada en los últimos 20 años como una especie del género Borreria con las variedades affinis, eryngioides y ostenii. En este trabajo se analizaron microcaracteres florales, carpológicos, seminales y polínicos, y aspectos ecológicos y distribucionales, a fin de evaluar el status taxonómico de las tres variedades. Por otro lado, se analizó la situación taxonómica de Borreria sección Pseudodiodia. Como resultado dos variedades de S. eryngioides se elevan al rango de especie como S. hassleri y S. ostenii. Además se considera a Borreria sección Pseudodiodia como nuevo sinónimo del género Spermacoce, se incluye una lista de 16 especies transferidas a Spermacoce y se designa un lectotipo para el nombre S. suberecta.

Spermacoceae is the largest predominantly herbaceous lineage in the Rubiaceae, and regarded as one of its most taxonomically complex and controversial tribe, especially regarding generic delimitation. Molecular phylogenies have established the concept of a broadly circumscribed Spermacoceae, which includes the genera traditionally associated with the tribe, i.e., the Spermacoce clade, and the former Hedyotideae and Manettieae. A major challenge in the Spermacoce clade is related to the delimitation of Borreria and Spermacoce, which appeared intermingled with several smaller and morphologically well-defined genera in more recent phylogenies, such as the Brazilian endemic Psyllocarpus. One of its species, P. densifolius, diverges morphologically from the others, as preliminary phylogenetic analyses have shown that it is not closely related to Psyllocarpus nor any other genus in the Spermacoce clade. We conducted a broad phylogenetic analysis, including ca. 63% of the genera in the Spermacoceae, using a variety of approaches to address incongruence among markers and lack of resolution and/or low support for branches, to accurately assess its position. We used nuclear ribosomal (ITS) and plastid (rps16 intron, trnL-F intergenic spacer) DNA regions for Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood analyses, as well as species tree inference. We identified incongruence not only between nuclear and plastid DNA but also between the plastid regions. We also showed that the topologies derived from the multispecies coalescent diverged from that of the concatenated analysis, even though the position of P. densifolius, as sister to the clade formed by the remaining Spermacoceae, remained stable across different datasets and inference methods. We here propose the recognition of the new genus Diadorimia to accommodate P. densifolius, which can be characterized by its cespitose habit arising from a well-developed, woody subterranean system, triangular stipules with margins bearing four small lobes, heterostylous flowers subtended by a pair of hyaline bracteoles, double reticulate pollen grains, and capsules with longitudinal-oblique dehiscence, with the two valves forming one single caducous diaspore keeping their respective seed trapped inside. We provide a taxonomic treatment with a key to the heterostylous genera of the Spermacoceae occurring in the Americas, a description of the new genus, and the new combination of its type, as well as comments on its distribution and conservation.

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Borreria kelleri (Spermacoceae, Rubiaceae), is described as a new species from northeastern Argentina and Paraguay. The new species is morphologically similar to B. quadrifaria due to the presence of densely and notable hairs in the angles of the stems and pantoporate pollen grains, but B. quadrifaria can be distinguished by its leaf blades narrowly elliptic or obovate up to 50 mm long, coriaceous, 1–5 glomerules per flowering branch and the bracts equal or barely longer than the diameter of the terminal glomerule. A complete description of the new species, including micromorphological features of flowers, fruits, seeds and pollen grains, illustration, distribution map, conservation status assessment and comparisons with morphologically related species is provided.

ABSTRACTirteen species of the genus Galianthe have been recorded for state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. e species are distributed among seven biomes, one of which contains all thirteen taxa-Subtropical Seasonal Forest. Herein a new endemic species, G. riograndensis J. Florentín & E.L. Cabral, is described, illustrated and di erentiated from all other species of the genus by having 3-4 verticillate leaves and a long bi d style. In addition, the pollen grain morphology and the seed micromorphology of the new species are described and illustrated, and the conservation status assessed according to IUCN criteria. Moreover, G. chodatiana is recorded for the rst time from the state, and a lectotype for G. equisetoides is designated. Most of the species of Galianthe are described and illustrated with detailed photos of living specimens. A taxonomic key for species identi cation, as well as comments on distribution, overall phenology and habitat, are also presented. e distribution of the new species is discussed in the context of the biogeographic region of the state, and maps and a table of species by biome are also provided.