Preliminary Assessment Of Conservation Status Research Articles

Juncus snowii (Juncaceae), a New Rare Species Endemic to the Altamaha Grit of Georgia, U.S.A.

A new species, Juncus snowii W. M. Knapp & R. Carter (Juncaceae), is described from two counties of the Altamaha grit, a sandstone formation in the coastal plain physiographic province of Georgia, U.S.A. This new species resembles other members of Juncus L. sect. Ozophyllum Dumort. but is readily distinguished by a combination of characters including its typically annual life history, diminutive habit, and small capsules and tepals. The type locality is an area of geologic interest that supports a unique assemblage of rare and endemic plant species. Color photographs are provided for the new species, as well as preliminary conservation status assessments using NatureServe criteria (Critically Imperiled with extinction [G1]) and IUCN Red List criteria (Vulnerable [VU D2]).

Syzygium ngheanense (Myrtaceae: Myrtoideae), a new species of Syzygium from Central Vietnam

Syzygium ngheanense (Myrtaceae), a new species from Nghe An Province, in Central Vietnam is described and illustrated. The species is most similar to S. vestitum, S. scarbum and S. levinei but differs from the three latter in having glabrous bracts and bracteoles, sparsely scabrid flower buds and hypanthia, larger sepals and petals, longer stamens and styles. Information on phenology, ecology and distribution is provided, together with a preliminary conservation status assessment and taxonomic notes for the new species and a key to distinguish it from three hairy Syzygium species in Indochina.

Expanding the Distribution of Prosthechea jauana (Orchidaceae) in the Pantepui and Highlighting the Urgent Need for Conservation Strategies in the Region in Face of Climate Change.

Prosthechea jauana has been recognized as an orchid species endemic to the Venezuelan tepui. The first record of P. jauana in Brazil is presented here, also from a tepui in the Southern phytogeographical district of Pantepui in the Serra do Aracá, at the northern border of the Amazonas state. A detailed morphological description and images of the specimen are presented, as well as an updated distribution map, preliminary conservation status assessment, and taxonomic notes about the species. In addition, we provide species' distribution models for P. jauana based on current and future bioclimatic data. Future projections suggest that the geographic distribution of P. jauana will likely be severely affected, with ~79% of its suitable habitat being reduced by 2041-2060 and ~92% by 2061-2080. Prosthechea jauana could represent a flag species and an example of how climate change may affect the endemic Pantepui flora.

Nyctocalos tunjuharii (Bignoniaceae), a new species from Sabah, Malaysian Borneo

Nyctocalos tunjuharii (Bignoniaceae) is described and illustrated as a new species from Mt Kallang, Tenom, Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. It is distinguished from N. cuspidatus by its longer, linear calyx teeth, shorter corolla tube and included stamens that reachless than half the length of the upper dilated part of the corolla tube. This species is restricted to an area near Mt Kallang, Tenom, Sabah. A preliminary conservation status assessment is presented and a key to the Malesian taxa is provided.

Hyptis albolanata (Hyptidinae, Lamiaceae), a new species from the Cerrado of Brazil

Hyptis albolanata is here described and illustrated. This new species is morphologically similar to Hyptis tetragona due to having ovate to elliptic leaves and a pedunculate capitula, differing mainly in the indumentum, leaf base, and calyx morphology. We provide a full description, a line drawing, and photographs of Hyptis albolanata, as well as a distribution map, a preliminary conservation status assessment, comments on the species ecology and comparison with morphologically similar taxa.

A revision of the genus Lasianthus Jack (Rubiaceae) from Vietnam

A revision of the genus Lasianthus Jack (Rubiaceae) from Vietnam is here presented. 73 species and four subspecies are recognized, of which three species are described as new to science (L. bachmaensis, L. chii and L. yersinii) and two species are the new record to the flora of the country (L. latifolius and L. viridiramulis). The Vietnamese species are arranged into two sections: sect. Lasianthus and sect. Nudiflorae Hook.f. Eighteen taxa names are reduced to synonymy according to recent studies. Lists of examined specimens, information on the distribution, habitat and ecology, phenology, vernacular names, taxonomic notes and color plates are provided for 77 taxa. Preliminary conservation status assessments are also given for the three species. A key for identifying all Vietnamese Lasianthus species is provided as well.

Distribution and conservation of vanilla crop wild relatives: the value of local community engagement for biodiversity research

Natural vanilla is a high-value crop with demand increasing globally. Crop wild relatives (CWR) represent valuable agrobiodiversity and are prioritized in the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation. Vanilla species are naturally rare with historically infrequent botanical collections. Despite their importance as CWR, fewer than 10% of Vanilla species have been evaluated for the IUCN Red List. Colombia is a diversity center for Vanilla species, yet many remote regions are lacking detailed floristic characterization. We show that the participation of rural communities in scientific endeavor enhances capacity to register biodiversity. We report two Vanilla species in the under-explored region of the Serranía de las Quinchas in the mid–Magdalena River valley in Colombia, including the first report for Colombia of Vanilla karen-christianae. For this, and the second species, Vanilla dressleri, we present descriptions with photographic botanical illustrations, updated distribution maps, and preliminary conservation status assessment. Both species are of elevated conservation concern, categorized as Endangered – EN: B2a,b(ii,iii,iv,v) following IUCN criteria. Within Colombia, all recorded occurrences for both species fall outside protected areas. Vanilla crop wild relatives in Colombia have urgent conservation needs. The Serranía de las Quinchas is a priority for further botanical exploration for Vanilla, as well as other protected areas with appropriate habitat. In situ conservation should be complemented with ex situ actions. Community participation in biodiversity research is recommended in this and other remote regions as an integral step towards enhancing biodiversity research and community-based conservation.

Performance of an automated conservation status assessment for the megadiverse vascular flora of Brazil

Conservation status assessments are one of the key scientific measures to inform solutions aiming at minimizing the biodiversity crisis of the Anthropocene, being the IUCN’s Red List approach the most widely used and accepted tool for species-level assessment. However, Red Lists are time-consuming because they necessarily rely on expert evaluation. Thus, the development of automated tools, able to handle the huge increasingly amount of data in less time, are useful for guiding conservation actions. In this sense, the aim of this research is to evaluate an automated preliminary conservation status assessment for all known endemic flora from the megadiverse Brazil. Vascular taxa were derived from the Brazilian Flora 2020 project and occurrences were retrieved from GBIF and SpeciesLink. Data was filtered and then evaluated with the aid of ConR package and high resolution nationwide vegetation maps. The current approach estimates that 28.78 % (22.72–43.75 %) of the endemic flora is threatened by extinction, with different patterns between the six Brazilian ecoregions: from 30.75 % (Amazonia’s lower) to 100 % (Pantanal’s best/upper). The high variation in the estimate is because more than a fifth of the vascular flora is poorly known (<3 records). Accuracy assessment reveals a good agreement between the reference from the Brazilian Flora 2020 project and a binary classification (threatened/not- or near-threatened), with an overall accuracy of 61.67 % (58.84–64.47 %), but with limited capacity to distinguish between the IUCN’s threat levels (Critically Endangered, Endangered and Vulnerable to extinction). Bromeliaceae and Orchidaceae are the families with higher estimated number, proportion in relation to the whole family and uncertainty of estimated threatened species, reflecting that herb is the life form with far more threatened species, followed by shrubs. The presented approach can serve as rapid assessment tool for optimizing efforts and to identify potentially threatened species and hotspots of species that could be considered for timely and effective conservation actions. As a practical recommendation, botanists could prioritize the assessment of the species indicated here as threatened, as there is a high chance of confirming this status, and efforts can be properly addressed for their conservation. Moreover, the automated approach can be useful for monitoring the progress of conservation targets. Finally, further scientific research is urgent to fill the knowledge gap on the Brazilian flora aiming at its conservation.

Taxonomic studies of Araceae in Myanmar V: a new Alocasia species from Myanmar and Thailand

A species new to science, Alocasia epilithica Serebryanyi, K.Z.Hein &amp; Naive discovered in Tanintharyi Region, Myanmar, is herein described and illustrated. This new species was also found to occur in the provinces of Nakhon Si Thammarat and Surat Thani of Peninsular Thailand. Detailed description, color plates, discussion of similar taxa, phenology, distribution map and a preliminary conservation status assessment are provided.

Una Especie Nueva de Laplacea, un Género Controversial de Theaceae, de la Cordillera del Cóndor, Ecuador

Laplacea plicata G. Moya, N. Miranda, Oleas &amp; C. Ulloa, restricted to the sandstone plateaus of the Cordillera del Cóndor in southeastern Ecuador, is described as a species new to science, illustrated, and compared with other two morphologically similar species: L. tomentosa (Mart.) G. Don and L. spathulata Kobuski. Additionally, a preliminary conservation status assessment of L. plicata is presented.

Taxonomy, distribution, and conservation status of &lt;i&gt;Geonoma&lt;/i&gt; (Arecaceae, Arecoideae): new records for the Maranhão state, Brazil

Geonoma is one of the more diverse genera of palms in the neotropical region, which comprises 68 species distributed from southern Mexico to south-western Brazil. In Maranhão, a Brazilian state located in a transition area between the Eastern Amazon, the Cerrado, and the Caatinga, the knowledge about this genus still is deficient. For this reason, we elaborated a taxonomic study of the genus Geonoma for the state, based on the descriptive analysis of voucher specimens of national and international herbaria, and specimens collected in our expeditions. A total of five species were identified: G. baculifera and G. leptospadix species were previously cited in the literature, whereas G. maxima subsp. maxima, G. pohliana subsp. weddelliana and G. poiteauana are presented as new records. Taxonomic descriptions and distribution information are shared, as well as preliminary conservation status assessments of these species. Moreover, an identification key for all species in the state is also supplied. These findings extend the distribution and conservation knowledge of some Geonoma species, and are an important contribution to the identification of the taxa in the region.

Bixa atlantica sp. nov. (Bixaceae), a new species of wild annatto from the Atlantic Forest of eastern Brazil

Bixa is a Neotropical genus with four to five species recognized and meaningful economic importance due to Bixa orellana, the source of annatto, widely used as a condiment and food coloring. Despite this importance, the genus has had little attention in recent taxonomic studies, and the principal monograph for the genus is outdated and remains unpublished. In the course of the preparation of the treatment of Bixaceae for the Flora of Espírito Santo, Brazil, many specimens identified as Bixa arborea were found, however, they differ from that species in several morphological features, especially in fruit. Instead, these specimens resemble Bixa excelsa; nevertheless, they differ in leaf venation, petal color, fruit color and morphology. These unmatched specimens belong to Bixa atlantica, a new species proposed here, endemic to the Atlantic Forest. Additionally, we provide a distribution map, photograph plates, and phenology graphics for Bixa atlantica and B. excelsa, a preliminary conservation status assessment and comments on the ecology and recognition for the new species.

Mitracarpus semirianus (Spermacoceae, Rubiaceae), an overlooked new species from the “campo rupestre” of Bahia, northeastern Brazil, with notes on Mitracarpus lhotzkyanus

Background and aims – Mitracarpus semirianus, an overlooked new species from the “campo rupestre” of the Chapada Diamantina, in the state of Bahia, northeastern Brazil, is here described and illustrated. Specimens of the new species have been previously identified as M. frigidus or M. lhotzkyanus, with which its distinction is discussed. We also provide an updated description of the latter, with notes on its type specimens. In addition, we comment on the distribution, habitat, and preliminary conservation status of both M. semirianus and M. lhotzkyanus. We also provide an updated identification key to the species of Mitracarpus occurring in Brazil.Material and methods – This study was based on fieldwork collections and observations and analysis of specimens deposited in herbaria. Preliminary conservation status assessments follow the IUCN Red List criteria.Key results – Mitracarpus semirianus differs from M. frigidus and M. lhotzkyanus by its glabrous stems, winged at each angle, wing margin hirsute, glabrous leaf blades, and the oblongoid and slightly compressed seeds, with a smooth longitudinal groove dorsally and an inverted “Y”-shaped groove ventrally. The new species is assessed as Endangered according to the IUCN criteria. Furthermore, it is more likely that Riedel, not Lhotzky, collected the original material of the name M. lhotzkyanus. This species is glabrate, not completely glabrous, presenting a generally strigose indumentum on the stems, stipular sheaths, and leaf blades.

Xylopia maasiana (Annonaceae), a New Species from the Brazilian Amazon, and Taxonomic Notes on Xylopia nitida Dunal

Abstract— During a taxonomic and phylogenetic study of Xylopia from the Amazon River basin, South America, we examined collections from the Brazilian states of Amazonas, Mato Grosso, Pará, Rondônia, and Tocantins that resembled Xylopia nitida by some characteristics of the leaves, but differed consistently from the latter in a number of floral and fruit characters. On the basis of these specimens we describe here a new species, Xylopia maasiana. The new species is a small to medium-sized tree encountered mostly in riparian habitats across the southern Brazilian Amazon and in some transition areas between the Amazon forest and cerrado biomes in Central Brazil. In addition to the detailed description, we include a preliminary assessment of conservation status, taxonomic comments, illustrations, a distribution map of the new species, and comparison with X. nitida.

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Ceropegia heidukiae &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt;(Apocynaceae-Asclepiadoideae)—a morphologically intriguing and rare novelty from South Africa&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

A new species of Ceropegia (Apocynaceae: Asclepiadoideae-Ceropegieae-Stapeliinae) is described from Ngome in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. This new species shares a subset of vegetative and floral characters with the long-lost C. rudatisii, but is clearly separated by its sophisticated floral morphology. Ceropegia heidukiae occurs in Northern Zululand Mistbelt Grassland, an endangered vegetation type. A comprehensive species description is provided together with information on habitat and distribution; photographs of plants in habitat are also provided. A preliminary assessment of conservation status according to IUCN criteria suggests that C. heidukiae is Critically Endangered (CR).

Hyptidendron pulcherrimum Antar &amp; Harley, sp. nov. (Hyptidinae, Lamiaceae), a new narrowly endemic species from Minas Gerais, Brazil

Hyptidendron Harley, one of the 19 genera recognized for the subtribe Hyptidinae, has some of its species with a narrow campos rupestres (a Brazilian vegetational formation) distribution, often restricted to a single mountain range. We report a new species, Hyptidendron pulcherrimum Antar & Harley, sp. nov., endemic to a single mountain in the Serra do Padre Ângelo, a disjunct area of campos rupestres from where some new angiosperm species have been recently described. The new species is unique due to the morphological combination of flowers arranged in dichasial cymes, indumentum composed of curved, rigid, broad-based hairs, leaves petiolate, glabrescent and bullate, corolla tomentose, with the tube curved, 7.5-10 mm long and one slightly winged nutlet per fruiting calyx. The new species is compared with Hyptidendron vauthieri (Briq.) Harley the most similar species morphologically. We also provide a complete description, diagnosis, illustration, distribution map with the new species and closely related species, a photograph plate, and a preliminary conservation status assessment.

Artabotrys chitkokoi (Annonaceae), a new species discovered in Sagaing Region, Myanmar

Artabotrys chitkokoi K.Z.Hein, Naive &amp; J.Chen from Sagaing Region, Myanmar, is described and illustrated as a species new to science. Description, colour plates, discussion of similar taxa, phenology, distribution and a preliminary conservation status assessment are provided. With this discovery, Myanmar now holds a total of eight Artabotrys species and a key to these species is provided.

A new species of Syzygium (Myrtaceae) from the Bird’s Head Peninsula, western New Guinea

Syzygium oransbariense Mustaqim, Y.W.Low &amp; Heatubun (Myrtaceae) is here formally described. This species is found in the lowlands on the eastern flank of the Arfak Mountains, Bird’s Head Peninsula, western New Guinea. The species is similar to Syzygium longipes (Diels) Merr. &amp; L.M.Perry, but differs based on a set of diagnostic morphological characters. Species description, distribution, a preliminary conservation status assessment, and notes on the new species are presented here.

An amazing new Capsicum (Solanaceae) species from the Andean-Amazonian Piedmont.

Capsicum regale Barboza & Bohs, sp. nov., a new species from the tropical wet forests of the eastern Andean slopes (Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru) is described and illustrated. This new species belongs to the Andean clade (all species 2n = 26) of Capsicum and is similar to C. longifolium Barboza & S.Leiva in its glabrescence, calyx morphology, and corolla and seed color but differs in its membranous and elliptic leaves, fleshy calyces, deeper stellate corollas, longer filaments, longer and purple fruiting pedicels, purple berries, and larger seeds. Its chromosome number was counted (2n = 26), a preliminary assessment of conservation status is given and discussed, and an updated identification key to the species of the Andean clade is provided.

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Description &lt;em&gt;vs&lt;/em&gt; deforestation: &lt;em&gt;Couepia&lt;/em&gt; &lt;em&gt;brevistaminea&lt;/em&gt; (Chrysobalanaceae), a new species on the frontier of agricultural expansion in the Brazilian savanna&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

The Brazilian savanna (Cerrado domain), although without significant richness of Chrysobalanaceae, has widely distributed species of this family, and some endemic to this domain. Couepia, a Neotropical genus, includes 62 species distributed mainly in lowland tropical forests with three species recognized for the Brazilian savanna. Here we report a new species of Couepia endemic to Brazilian savanna in the region with the greatest agricultural advance in Brazil, from the states of Tocantins and Goiás. We provide a description, a distribution map, photographs, a preliminary conservation status assessment and comparisons with other species of the genus that occur in this domain. With this addition we help to contribute to the knowledge of plant biodiversity, which is an urgent and fundamental step towards planning and carrying out conservation actions.