Carajasia is described as a new genus of Rubiaceae. It is so far known only from the mountain summits of Serra dos Carajás (Pará, Brazil), where it is part of a shrubby vegetation surrounded by tropical rainforest. The new genus belongs to the tribe Spermacoceae and is positioned within it to the Spermacoce clade. Carajasia is unique within the clade in having a very particular combination of characters: flowering branches with two axillary flowers per node, homostylous flowers, corollas with a fringe of moniliform hairs, pubescent styles with distinct stigma lobes, bilobed nectariferous discs covered by triangular papillae, pollen with a double reticulum and fruits with a peculiar type of dehiscence. A detailed description of Carajasia is presented, including observations of the fruit and pollen, along with distribution maps and images of the plant in its habitat. A dichotomous key to distinguish Carajasia from other genera with deeply divided stigmas is provided. A molecular phylogenetic study was carried out using ITS and ETS sequences to determine the phylogenetic position of the new genus within the Spermacoce clade. The results of the combined analyses demonstrated that Carajasia is sister to Galianthe with moderate to high support. Both genera form a weakly supported clade with Schwendenera. This clade is sister to the other genera of the Spermacoce clade studied in this work. Galianthe and Schwendenera share with Carajasia pollen with a double reticulum, but they are clearly differentiated by suffruticose habit, heterostylous flowers and the pattern of fruit dehiscence. To clarify the phylogenetic position of Carajasia, some morphological characters are discussed based on the molecular results: division of the stigma, pollen types and floral syndrome.

Dos especies nuevas de IntroducciónBorreria G. Mey. pertenece a la tribu Spermacoceae, donde la delimitación de los géneros representa el principal y más actual problema, debido en gran parte a la similitud morfológica entre los taxones y a las opiniones opuestas entre los autores. Clásicamen-te, el tipo de dehiscencia de la cápsula ha jugado un rol muy importante en la delimitación de géneros; mientras que recientemente los límites intergenéricos han sido claramente modificados en base a caracteres moleculares, ampliando el campo de discusión. En este sentido, Borreria es un género que presenta esta problemática. Autores del Neotrópico mantuvieron a este género separado del más afín Spermacoce L., delimitándolos en base a caracteres polínicos y carpológicos

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.

Se presenta una revisión de las especies argentinas de Randia. A partir de este estudio se reconocen tres especies: R. ferox, R. micracantha y R. calycina, siendo ésta última una nueva cita para el país. Se propone excluir del país a R. armata, especie amplia y erróneamente citada para el área. Se analizaron aspectos taxonómicos, la anatomía vegetativa y morfología polínica de las tres especies. Todos los taxones son descritos y diferenciados a través de una clave dicotómica. Se incluyen además imágenes de los caracteres diagnósticos de las especies, mapa de distribución y observaciones ecológicas. Se proponen lectotipos para los nombres de los taxones Basanacantha, R. calycina y R. ferox. Randia micracantha var. glabra es tratada como un nuevo sinónimo de Randia micracantha. Se determinó que algunos caracteres anatómicos y polínicos son útiles para la diferenciación de las especies argentinas.

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Randia brevituba is a new species of the Paranean region of Argentina and Paraguay. It differs from the closest species, R. ferox, which is sympatric, in having short corolla tubes of 4.7-5.4 mm in the pistillate flowers and 2.8-7.9 mm in the staminate flowers, calyx lobes varying in shape and size in the same pistillate flower, and globose fruits 14-17 mm long (versus corolla tubes of 25.0-27.0 and 22.6-34.0 mm long, respectively, calyx lobes equal in shape and size, and fruit 3-5 cm and ovoid, ellipsoid or subglobose in R. ferox). We also discuss the taxonomic concept and geographic distribution of Randia armata, and conclude that it is markedly different from R. brevituba and the other species in the Southern Cone studied here, and moreover, that it does not occur in the Southern Cone. We provide a taxonomic key to distinguish the new species from other species of Randia in the Southern Cone of America.

Three enigmatic lineages of the Polygalaceae endemic to the semi‐arid region of Argentina were sampled within the framework of a molecular phylogenetic study of its genera. The regions nrITS, matK, the trnL intron, the trnL‐trnF intergenic spacer, and rbcL were analyzed, and the history of some morphological characters was reconstructed in the family. Results of our phylogenetic analyses and morphological study support the recognition of three monotypic genera historically treated in the genera Bredemeyera and Polygala. A new genus, Rhamphopetalum, and a new combination, R. microphyllum, are proposed together with resurrection of Hualania and Monrosia. The emergence of two species (Bredemeyera colletioides, B. microphylla) as new genera resolves the polyphyletic status of Bredemeyera. Relationships and morphological characters among the genera of Polygalaceae are discussed. Provided here are photographic plates of Hualania colletioides, Monrosia pterolopha, and Rhamphopetalum microphyllum habits, with details of floral structures, a distribution map, typifications, and taxonomic keys for the tribes of Polygalaceae and genera within the tribe Polygaleae.

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.