A comprehensive taxonomic revision of the genus Wissadula (Malvoideae, Malvaceae) in Brazil is presented. Through field surveys, examination of the specimens maintained in 39 herbaria, and a review of the literature, 19 Wissadula species are recognized. The main diagnostic characteristics used to distinguish amonth species are leaf shape, trichome type on branches and leaves, and the shape and number of mericarps. Wissadula mainly differs from the other genera in Malvoideae in having a mericarp constriction. A diagnostic key, detailed descriptions, illustrations, and geographic data are provided. Three species (W. boliviana, W. wissadifolia, and W. setifera) are recorded for the first time in Brazil. New synonyms and the typification of some names are also proposed, including for the Wissadula section Wissadula. Seven species are illustrated for the first time. Phytogeographic data suggest a neotropical distribution for this genus, with high species diversity in Paraguay, northern Argentina, eastern Bolivia, and western Brazil.

RESUMO O presente trabalho compreende o levantamento florístico e o tratamento taxonômico das Malvaceae ocorrentes no Parque Estadual do Rio Doce. Foram realizadas excursões mensais no período de outubro de 1997 a janeiro de 1999 para coleta de material botânico. Os caracteres morfológicos do tubo estaminal, demonstraram ser úteis para o reconhecimento dos gêneros. Chaves acompanhadas de descrições, ilustrações, distribuição geográfica e comentários taxonômicos de cada táxon, foram realizadas. Dezenove táxons distribuídos em nove gêneros (Herissantia, Hibiscus, Malvastrum, Pavonia, Peltaea, Sida, Sidastrum, Urena e Wissadula), foram reconhecidos, sendo Sida o gênero mais representativo com sete espécies. Sida santaremensis Monteiro é nova citação de ocorrência para o Estado de Minas Gerais e Sida acuta var. obidensis Monteiro foi proposta como um sinônimo de Sida planicaulis Cav.

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 vascular flora was inventoried of the Cagarras Islands Natural Monument (CINM) located offshore of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and a total of 171 species were encountered. The families with the greatest richnesses were: Asteraceae (12 spp.), Myrtaceae (12), Fabaceae (11), Bromeliaceae (7), Cactaceae (6), Euphorbiaceae (6), and Poaceae (6). The regional vegetation was similar to restinga, although high concentrations of guano from nesting marine birds affected diversity on two islands. The threatened species Gymanthes nervosa Müll. Arg. was recorded from the municipality of Rio de Janeiro for the first time since the 1940s.

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ResumoA Reserva Rio das Pedras está localizada no sul fluminense e pertence a um fragmento de floresta pluvial Atlântica, possuindo cerca de 1.360 ha. Foi realizado um estudo morfológico e taxonômico das Malvaceae s. str., no qual registrou-se 13 espécies pertencentes a seis gêneros (Abutilon, Malvastrum, Pavonia, Sida, Sidastrum e Urena), sendo Sida o gênero com maior número de espécies. São apresentadas chave de identificação, descrições e ilustrações das espécies. Palavras-chave: florística, Rio de Janeiro, taxonomia. AbstractThe Rio das Pedras Reserve is located in southern Rio de Janeiro state and represents a fragment of the Atlantic rain forest, with about 1,360 ha. A morphological and taxonomic study of the Malvaceae s. str. was carried out, registering 13 species belonging to six genera (Abutilon, Malvastrum, Pavonia, Sida, Sidastrum and Urena), with Sida the most frequent. A key for identification, descriptions and illustrations of the species are presented.

Fruit morphology of the tribe Malveae has been discussed since the first taxonomic classifications of Malvaceae. The fruits are schizocarps, with some genera possessing an endoglossum. Besides morphological variation in the endoglossum, other differences include the number seeds per locule and ornamentation of the exocarp. An in-depth study of the fruit morphology of Malveae is essential to gain insight into the relationships among taxa of the tribe. Therefore, the present study aimed to describe the fruit morphology of Malveae, including micromorphology, variation in endoglossum structure and arrangement of seeds in the locule, to comprehensively evaluate the systematic relationships among its contained taxa. The results indicate morphological variation in fruit of various genera with regard to the number of mericarps, degree of dehiscence, relationship between calyx and fruit and their relative sizes, number and morphology of spines, number of seeds per locule, presence or absence of an endoglossum, presence and types of trichomes in exocarp and endocarp, and shape and presence of trichomes in the testa of seeds. Despite the morphological proximity of taxa, there are distinct combinations of characters that define some genera, and when one or more characters overlap, joint analysis makes it possible to clarify existing relationships.

Se presenta una síntesis histórica del género Briquetia, documentando sus problemas de circunscripción genérica. Se propone um nuevo género, Briquetiastrum, basado en nuevos estudios morfológicos y análisis fitogeográficos. Se presentan también un estudio taxonómico y tres nuevas combinaciones de Briquetia para Briquetiastrum (Briquetiastrum inermis, B. spicatum e B. sonorae). Briquetiastrum sonorae es ilustrada por primera vez. Se incluyen descripciones y una clave para las especies tratadas.