The aim of this study was to identify plant species visited by Apis mellifera L. in honey producing areas with typical Caatinga vegetation in the State of Bahia, as well as morphologically characterize pollen grains of the most representative species. Flowering specimens were collected from both areas, herborized, identified and deposited at the HUNEB herbarium. Analyses of floristic similarities were performed between eleven municipalities close to the study areas. Pollen was collected from all specimens, acetolyzed, measured, statistically analyzed, morphologically described, and photographed in light microscopy. Of the total of species recorded, 67.46 % were regarded as having beekeeping importance, with the richest botanical families being Fabaceae, Malvaceae and Asteraceae. Additionally, 37.5 % of the recorded species were herbs. The analyzed municipalities showed 84 % of floristic similarity. Of the total species recorded with visits by A. mellifera, 25.52 % had their pollen grains already described in the literature as monads, tetrads and polyads; isopolar, apolar and heteropolar; and mostly prolate spheroidal shape. Sizes varied from small to large, and the amb circular was predominant. The exine ornamentation was greatly diversified, varying from psilate to echinate. The obtained data corroborate the palynological knowledge of plants regarded as having beekeeping importance within the Caatinga.

In this study, pollen grains of Harleyodendron unifoliolatum, Holocalyx balansae, and Uribea tamarindoides, three monospecific genera with Neotropical distribution belonging to the clade Exostyleae, one of the basal lineages of the family Leguminosae, subfamily Papilionoideae, were analyzed. The palynological material was acetolyzed and analyzed under light microscopy (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Under LM, small and medium-sized pollen grains were observed, which showed a prolate-spheroidal to prolate shape, 3-colporate, microreticulate and reticulate exine, sexine and nexine of equal thickness in Harleyodendron and Holocalyx, while the sexine was thicker than nexine in Uribea. Analysis under SEM showed finely granulate, psilate, and granulate apertural membrane, while the exine ornamentation varied from perforate-microechinate in Harleyodendron, to perforate in Holocalyx, while in Uribea showed an irregular relief and granular projections on the perforate tectum. The pollen morphology of these species is similar to each other, varying in sexine/nexine ratio, apertural membrane, and exine ornamentation. Harleyodendron has a finely granulate apertural membrane, sexine and nexine of equal thickness, and a perforate-microreticulate exine ornamentation, Holocalyx shows a psilated apertural membrane, sexine and nexine of equal thickness, and exine ornamentation perforate, and Uribea has a granulate apertural membrane, sexine thicker than nexine, and exine ornamentation with granular projections.

A new species of Mahabalella B. Sutton & S. D. Patil was isolated from decaying leaves of an unidentified plant, during a survey in the Charles Darwin Ecological Refuge in Igarassu, Pernambuco, Brazil, in June 2018. The new species is morphologically distinguishable from the other Mahabalella species by the size of their conidia, conidiogenous cells and setae. In this study, the morphological descriptions, illustrations and cultural characteristics for Mahabalella pernambucana are provided, as well as a key to species of this genus. Total DNA from the isolate was extracted, and four genes were partially sequenced (nLSU, ITS cluster, TEF1 alpha, and beta tubulin). Based on the nLSU analysis, the phylogenetic position of the new species was determined within the Sordariomycetes, Ascomycota, as a sister genus to Neotracylla, in the Tracyllaceae family.

Diploschistes pakistanicus sp. nov. is described from the Himalayan moist temperate forest, Pakistan. ITS sequences confirm its position within the genus Diploschistes and, together with its morphology and chemistry, suggest that it is separate from other species of this genus. The taxon is characterized by grey to greyish white pruinose thallus, perithecioid-type ascomata, small apothecia 0.1‒0.4 mm wide, hypothecium 20‒25µm thick, ascus of 85‒110 × 9‒17 µm in size, 3‒5 transverse and 2‒4 longitudinal septa in large ascospores 42‒55 × 18‒30; also differing from related species in ITS region.

Global climate change is currently a serious threat to biodiversity. The understanding of the effects of climate changes on the flora is urgent. Here, we analyze the effects of future climate change on the spatial distribution of the three remaining groups of Carapichea ipecacuanha (Poaia) in the Americas. We built niche-based models for current and optimistic and pessimistic climate scenarios projected for 2050 and 2090. Our findings showed that climatically suitable areas for the Atlantic and Amazon Forest groups will be strongly reduced. The greatest risk of extinction was observed for the Amazon group due to the drastic spatial reduction and abrupt spatial displacement of climate suitability. The climate suitability for the Atlantic Forest group will be reduced, comprising a small suitable area in the transition zone between Minas Gerais and Espirito Santo. The climate suitability for the Panama group remained in an continuous region in Panama and Colombia. Our results encourage future studies that develop conservation management plans in order to ensure the continuation of ecological refugia for this species.

Nicotiana azambujae is an endemic species from Santa Catarina state, southern Brazil, that was described in 1964 and has not been seen since then. During fieldwork, we found a population in Alto Matador, about 70 km from the presumable type collection, after 73 years of its last known collection. Thus, we bring the first in vivo pictures of this species, assess its conservation status, update the morphologic description and discuss its habitat preferences. Also, we discuss a possible mistake in the type of voucher label from the originally collected locality.