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A new species of Pleurothallis from the Cordillera del Cóndor in southeast Ecuador is described and illustrated. In addition, information concerning its distribution, habitat, and phenology is provided. Pleurothallis ariana-dayanae is similar to P. paquishae but differs in the size of the flower, the dorsal sepal 6.5–7.8 mm long, the petals slightly falcate, linear, microscopically verrucose-papillose on the dorsal surface, minutely denticulate along the margins; the lip is ovate-elliptic with, denticulate-ciliate margins, with a slightly bilobed glenion. Pleurothallis ariana-dayanae is also compared with P. scabrilinguis, and P. applanata, an endemic species to Ecuador.

A new Masdevallia species from eastern Ecuador, is described, illustrated and compared with similar species. The species is most similar to Masdevallia aphanes; both species are small plants for the genus with weak inflorescences that bear striped flowers with acaudate sepals. The horizontal inflorescences with yellow flowers striped with red-brown and the convex, subpandurate lip of Masdevallia rubileoixchelorum immediately distinguishes it from the similar M. aphanes by the abaxially deep sandal-shaped lip and for the ovary with undulate-dentate ribs which are almost keeled.

Two new species of orchids, Octomeria pacii, and O. panguiensis are described and illustrated from Cordillera del Cóndor, Ecuador; likewise, information is provided on their distribution, habitat, and conservation status. These species differ from other species in the genus by their floral and vegetative characteristics and their apparent reproductive strategy of cleistogamy. Octomeria pacii is similar to Octomeria deceptrix, but differs in the caespitose habit, the ramicauls compressed along their entire length, the narrowly elliptical leaves, the autogamous flowers, the translucent white sepals suffused with magenta and the obovate, white lip, marked with magenta. Octomeria panguiensisis similar to O. werneri, but differs by the larger, shortly repent plants with lanceolate leaves, the cleistogamous flowers, the translucent white-colored sepals, the 5-veined lateral sepals and the oblong-trilobed lip with the apical lobe tridentate Keywords: self-compatibility, self-pollination, cleistogamy, Octomeria deceptrix, Octomeria werneri

Tribe Vaccinieae Reichenbach with more than 800 species contains most of the neotropical taxa of Ericaceae Jussieu (Pedraza-Peñalosa 2015a: 35). Species of genus Vaccinium Linneaus (1753: 349) known as blueberries or mortiños in Spanish, are members of Vaccinieae well-known for their economic importance (Pedraza-Peñalosa 2015b: 100). The genus Ceratostema Jussieu (1789: 163) was created by Antoine Jussieu and Ceratostema peruvianum Gmelin (1791: 676) was designated as the type species (Luteyn 1986: 485). It was first treated by Smith in 1952, who published a brief description and an artificial key, recognizing 16 species at that time (Smith 1952). Luteyn (1986) reviewed the genus and provided an updated artificial key to 23 species, including three new ones. Subsequently, a new species from Peru was added and thirteen more from Ecuador were included in the genus (Luteyn 1992, 1996, 2005).

A new species of Pityphyllum from south-eastern Ecuador was found during an investigation of the orchids of the Cordillera del Cóndor. Pityphyllum mercedes-abarcae is described and illustrated. Information concerning its distribution, habitat, and phenology is provided. The new proposed taxon is morphologically similar to P. pinoides, from which it differs by the smaller plants, the spathulate petals with an erose margin in the middle third, lip flattened is square in the middle third, wedge in the basal third and acute in the apical third with two small parallel calluses in the apical third, presents a slight cell thickening in the abaxial part of the apical third and elongated trichomes below the stigma.

The orchid genus Phloeophila is distributed from southern Mexico to Brazil and Bolivia, as well as Cuba. A taxonomic revision including the three Phloeophila species present in Ecuador is presented. Morphological characteristics, an identification key, maps of known localities and illustrations of the species are also included. In Ecuador, species of Phloeophila are only known from the Amazonian rainforests, growing from 890 to 1600 meters of altitude. Phloeophila condorana is described as a new species based on specimens collected in the Ecuadorian province of Zamora-Chinchipe and compared to Phloeophila nummularia. Phloeophila nummularia is reported for the first time in Peru. A lectotype for Pleurothallis echinantha is selected.

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