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 flora of the subtropical highland grasslands in Southern Brazil, locally known as Campos de Cima da Serra, is within the Atlantic Forest hotspot, and has being highlighted by its richness, having around 25% of endemic plants. Those formations require specific studies to estimate its species richness and to protect its natural resources. This study aimed to map and to analyze the distribution of endemic taxa from these grasslands based on available herbarium collections databases as sources for highlighting important taxonomic groups for future studies. We verified how much of those endemic taxa are inside protected areas, and recognized the most important taxa and areas for future studies. All the data about each endemic taxon was obtained through visiting herbaria, online databases, collecting expeditions and published references. Distribution maps for endemic species were prepared. As the main result, we describe and map the distribution of the endemic flora of this species rich vegetation formation and highlight the threatened taxa as priority for future taxonomic and conservation studies. Our results also point out the central-west of Santa Catarina and central Paraná states as priority areas for future studies considering its high diversity of taxa.

We report the first record of Euphorbia pedersenii (Euphorbiaceae) for Brazil, a rare species previously known from a few localities in Argentina. The species belongs to Euphorbia sect. Nummulariopsis and is characterized by its small habit with a well-developed tuberous root system, usually linear leaves, trapezoidal cyathial glands, and pubescent ovary and fruit. In the state of Rio Grande do Sul it grows in open grasslands of the Pampa region, a phytogeographic domain severely impacted by agriculture. We provide an assessment of the conservation status and geographical distribution and habitat of E. pedersenii, along with an identification key to the species of sect. Nummulariopsis occurring in Brazil.

The Brazilian Subtropical Highland Grasslands (Campos de Cima da Serra) is one of the main areas of endemism in southern Brazil. The complex biogeographic history that resulted in the floristic composition of the region is directly linked to the high degree of plant endemism found there. Here we present a current checklist for the endemic plants – the first taxonomically verified endemic species list for the region. The list comprises 273 endemic taxa (23.5% of its flora) representing 40 families and 117 genera, highlighting fifty-seven taxa reported as endemic from the region for the first time in recent years. Voucher specimens, original publication, locality information and distribution data are provided for each endemic taxon. Botanical collections in the Brazilian Subtropical Highland Grasslands have increased exponentially during the last four decades. However, 41 taxa are known only from the original collection record reported in their protologue. Our results emphasize the importance of the Brazilian Subtropical Highland Grasslands in terms of conservation of its flora and the importance of providing complete information on botanical collection labels as source for a robust knowledge of the flora.

The subtribe Ditaxinae in the plant family Euphorbiaceae is composed of five genera (Argythamnia, Caperonia, Chiropetalum, Ditaxis and Philyra) and approximately 120 species of perennial herbs (rarely annual) to treelets. The subtribe is distributed throughout the Americas, with the exception of Caperonia, which also occurs in tropical Africa and Madagascar. Under the current classification, Ditaxinae includes genera with a questionable morphology-based taxonomy, especially Argythamnia, Chiropetalum and Ditaxis. Moreover, phylogenetic relationships among genera are largely unexplored, with previous works sampling <10% of taxa, showing Ditaxinae as paraphyletic. In this study, we inferred the phylogenetic relationships within Ditaxinae and related taxa using a dataset of nuclear (ETS, ITS) and plastid (petD, trnLF, trnTL) DNA sequences and a wide taxon sampling (60%). We confirmed the paraphyly of Ditaxinae and Ditaxis, both with high support. Following our phylogenetic results, we combined Ditaxis in Argythamnia and upgraded Ditaxinae to the tribe level (Ditaxeae). We also established and described the tribe Caperonieae based on Caperonia, and transferred Philyra to the tribe Adelieae, along with Adelia, Garciadelia, Lasiocroton and Leucocroton. Finally, we discuss the main morphological synapomorphies for the genera and tribes and provide a taxonomic treatment, including all species recognized under each genus.

Joannesia is a genus of Euphorbiaceae composed of two endemics species to Brazil, one occurring in the Amazonia and another mainly on the Atlantic Forest. The genus was formally described by Frei José Mariano da Conceição Vellozo in 1798 but this taxon had been already mentioned by Willem Pies and Georg Marcgrave in 1648 under a different name. The genus has been greatly altered throughout the history due to other names described and adopted by subsequent researchers. Herbarium collections and scientific bibliography were consulted. Specimens collected during field expeditions were deposited in the RB herbarium. A taxonomic review for the species of Joannesia is presented, along with an identification key with reproductive and vegetative characters, updated geographic distribution for each species, as well as typifications according to the ICN and notes on the species.

Ditaxis is a Neotropical genus with approximately 50 species, most of them in seasonally dry tropical forests of Brazil, Central America and the Antilles. The Brazilian Caatinga, the largest area of SDTF in South America, harbors three endemic species of Ditaxis, including the new Ditaxis grazielae, hereby described and illustrated. The new species is known from a few localities in the state of Bahia. We provide an identification key for the species occurring in the Caatinga, as well as comments on habitat, distribution and phenology. We also present amended descriptions and typifications for Ditaxis desertorum and D. malpighiacea, and propose D. gardneri as synonym of D. desertorum.

Euphorbiaceae is one of the largest and more complex families of angiosperms with 6,745 species and 218 genera. Dalechampia comprises approximately 130 species, with pantropical distribution, the genus presents pseudantial inflorescence with bilateral symmetry, and this characteristic differs from the others taxons in the family. Were registered 15 Dalechampia species for Espiríto Santo, of which D. margarethiae until then, it was endemic of state recording here a new occurrence for the state of Minas Gerais. Dalechampia leandrii, D. micromeria, and D. stipulacea constitute new records for the state. After expeditions in the field to observe and collect samples, bibliographic revision, and examination of herbarium specimens, we present a synopsis of Dalechampia from Espirito Santo state, in which we provide morphological illustration, an identification key, distribution maps, and comments about each taxon.