During a study of Iberian benthic diatom flora in disconnected Mediterranean pools, some small populations of Planothidium lacustre were found in Andalusia and Extremadura (Spain). Specifically, in seven pools of temporary rivers in the Guadiana and Tajo basins. Since its discovery in a small pond in Doñana (Andalusia, Spain) in 2013, there have been no new clear records of this species. Our detailed morphological analysis based on optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy allowed us to show the morphological variability of the taxon. The specimens of P. lacustre are illustrated with microscopic images, and information on their distribution and ecology is provided. Our findings also suggest that P. engelbrechtii could be a species closely related to P. lacustre. They allow a better understanding of this distinctive Iberian taxon and highlight the need to protect Mediterranean temporary pools and ponds, often forgotten habitats.

Se describe una especie nueva de Salvia de la Cordillera Central de Colombia, segunda especie de la sección Tubiflorae con flores resupinadas. Se discuten las afinidades de la nueva especie con las consideradas más cercanas en la sección.

The Province of Mardin, located in Upper Mesopotamia on the old Silk Road, has hosted 30 civilizations and the amalgamation of various languages and religions. The District of Yeşilli, in Mardin Province, is an important region that shares this cultural richness. The aim of this ethnobotanical study, the first in the district, was to record the plants used for medicinal purposes by the residents of Yeşilli and to achieve which are also used for food purposes. The fieldwork to document the traditional knowledge of plants was carried out in Yeşilli District from March 2017 to April 2022. The data were collected by interviewing 82 informants. Additionally, the data were analyzed based on the Use Value (UV) and Informant Consensus Factor (ICF) to determine both the cultural significance and the knowledge of medicinal plants among the informants. A total of 83 taxa belonging to 34 families were identified in the region. The majority of remedies were prepared by infusion and decoction. Aerial parts were the most frequently used plant parts. The utilization of medicinal plants is still widespread among the residents of Yeşilli. Given the cultural diversity of the region, this study is of invaluable significance for future ethnobotanical and ethnopharmacological research.

Croton is a predominantly woody pantropical genus that exhibits the so-called ‘Odd Man Out’ pattern, with Africa having the lowest species diversity across the tropics. Previous phylogenetic analyses have shown that all the Old World species of Croton sampled so far form a single clade nested within a New World backbone. Here we focus on a taxonomically challenging group of African Croton characterized by the presence of lepidote indument. Species delimitation within this group has proven difficult due to the lack of strong morphological differentiation and the incompleteness of numerous herbarium specimens from tropical Africa. We sequenced two universal genetic regions (ITS, trnL-F) using multiple accessions per species/morphospecies based on herbarium material to provide a preliminary phylogenetic framework to guide the lineage sampling for a broader phylogenomic study targeting this group and the rest of all African Croton. We also used these molecular data, along with information on geographic occurrences, to aid in the identification of poor, immature or infertile specimens and to detect possible instances of taxonomic misidentification in herbarium collections. Our results show that African lepidote species belong to several separate clades, one of them containing the majority of the lepidote species. Phylogenetic resolution within this largest lepidote clade is low, but several highly supported subclades were recovered. The sampling of these subclades should be considered in any future study aimed at reconstructing a phylogenetic tree of African Croton using phylogenomics.

Callicarpa gonzalezgomezii sp. nov. (Lamiaceae) is described from the ultramafic soils of northern Holguín Province, Cuba. It is closely related to C. gibaroana, from which it differs in its shorter petioles and smaller leaf blades with obtuse to rounded apex and adaxial surface glossy in fresh material; tomentose-ferruginous indumentum on young branches, petioles, peduncles and calyxes; pale magenta to lilac corolla (sometimes with blue hues); and in growing on serpentine soils. Its known distribution is limited to the municipality Rafael Freyre, and it is classified as ‘Critically Endangered’ according to its preliminary IUCN assessment. Illustrations and an identification key to all 24 currently recognized Cuban species of Callicarpa are provided.

We fix the application of the names Carex alpestris All. and C. nigra Bellardi (usually miscited as “C. nigra All.”) through their typification. We chose two specimens housed at TO, each of them collected by the respective nomenclatural author.

The orchid genus Pterichis comprises almost 50 species distributed from Costa Rica and Jamaica to Bolivia with the greatest diversity observed in the northern Andes. Recent studies on Pterichis resulted in the description of numerous new species across South America. One of the most interesting findings was P. aragogiana, which is characterized by a spider-like appearance of the flowers. This orchid was described based on material collected in Ecuador and a year later its occurrence was confirmed in Bolivia. Here P. aragogiana is reported for the first time from Peru based on data obtained in USM herbarium. The morphological characteristic of the species is provided together with an illustration and information about its geo-graphical distribution. An updated key for identification of Peruvian representatives of the nominal section of Pterichis is presented.

Como resultado de un trabajo de campo extenso realizado en áreas remotas de Carchi, Loja, Orellana y Zamora-Chinchipe, así como de una revisión de material de herbario y bibliografía, se reportan siete nuevos registros para la flora del Ecuador: Barnadesia corymbosa, Gynoxys callacallana, G. dilloniana, G. tetroici (Compositae), Byrsonima cardenasii (Malpighiaceae), Caperonia zaponzeta (Euphorbiaceae) y Gentianella setipes (Gentianaceae). Además, se lectotipifican los nombres Bacasia corymbosa (≡ Barnadesia corymbosa) y Barnadesia venosa y Gynoxys cajamarcensis se sinonimiza a G. callacallana. Se incluyen notas taxonómicas y morfológicas, fotografías de las plantas en su hábitat y mapas de distribución.

This paper reports the first discovery in Tunisia of Orobanche ballotae (Orobanchaceae) parasiting on Pseudodictamnus hirsutus, its specific plant-host, within the mountains of Le Kef region in the northwestern part of the country. The species was considered to be endemic to Spain but reported later also from Greece and doubtfully from Morocco. The population reported confirms it as a floristic record to the African holoparasitic flora. Moreover, its geographical distribution together with its phenology, habitat and ecology in Tunisia are presented.