Mollugo viscosa sp. nov. (Molluginaceae), a segregate of M. brasiliensis from Minas Gerais in eastern Brazil

The new species Mollugo viscosa Thulin & Harley is described from Minas Gerais in eastern Brazil. It was previously part of the recently published M. brasiliensis Thulin & Harley, a species that was found to be non‐monophyletic in molecular phylogenetic analyses. Mollugo brasiliensis is here divided into a northern species (M. brasiliensis s.str.) in Bahia and a southern species (M. viscosa sp. nov.) in Minas Gerais. The new species differs from M. brasiliensis in its denser and more viscous indumentum, and in its distinctly smaller seeds with smaller tubercles and a smaller hilar peg, and from its sister species M. ulei by being a perennial herb with bisexual flowers.     

A new species of Mollugo (Molluginaceae) from Somalia

Mollugo angustifolia sp. nov., from sandy plains of the Bay Region in southern Somalia, is described and illustrated.     

Aristolochia zebrina sp. nov. (Aristolochiaceae) from southeastern Brazil

Aristolochia zebrina is described, illustrated and discussed in comparison with the two most similar species, A. papillaris Mast. and A. tamnifolia (Klotzsch) Duch. The new species is distinguished from its relatives mainly by the ellipsoid utricle, the narrowly ovate, revolute, and efimbriate floral limb with dark purple longitudinal stripes inside, and the glabrous and smooth capsules, which are broadly cylindrical. So far, the new species has only been found in ‘restingas’ (sandy soils) and wet tropical Tabuleiro forests in northern Espírito Santo, southeastern Brazil.     

Maranta rugosa sp. nov. (Marantaceae) from central Brazil

Maranta is a neotropical genus usually found in moist and shaded habitats in pluvial to semideciduous forests and Cerrado, with diversity center in central Brazil. A new species from Mato Grosso, M. rugosa J. M. A. Braga & S. Vieira, is described and illustrated. The new species is somewhat similar to M. parvifolia Petersen with which it is compared.     

Thelypteris amazonica sp. nov. (Thelypteridaceae) from Amazonian Brazil

A new species of Thelypteris subgenus Goniopteris (Thelypteridaceae) is described and illustrated: Thelypteris amazonica Salino & R. S. Fernandes is apparently most similar to Thelypteris anoptera (Kunze) C. Chr. (Brazil‐Bahia) and T. abrupta (Desv.) Proctor (Antilles, Central America, South America), but differs from both by the clavate vein ends, basal vein pairs from adjacent segments not united below the sinuses, and petioles with simple and stellate hairs. Thelypteris amazonica is known only from Amazonian Brazil.     

Desulfovibrio brasiliensis sp. nov., a moderate halophilic sulfate-reducing bacterium from Lagoa Vermelha (Brazil) mediating dolomite formation

A novel halotolerant sulfate-reducing bacterium, Desulfovibrio brasiliensis strain LVform1, was isolated from sediments of a dolomite-forming hypersaline coastal lagoon, Lagoa Vermelha, in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The cells are vibrio-shaped and 0.30 to 0.45 m by 1.0 to 3.5 m in size. These bacteria mediate the precipitation of dolomite [CaMg(CO₃)₂] in culture experiments. The strain was identified as a member of the genus Desulfovibrio in the -subclass of the Proteobacteria on the basis of its 16S rRNA gene sequence, its physiological and morphological properties. Strain LVform1 is obligate sodium-dependent and grows at NaCl concentrations of up to 15%. The 16S rRNA sequence revealed that this strain is closely related to Desulfovibrio halophilus (96.2% similarity) and to Desulfovibrio oxyclinae (96.8% similarity), which were both isolated from Solar Lake, a hypersaline coastal lake in the Sinai, Egypt. Strain LVform1 is barotolerant, growing under pressures of up to 370 bar (37 MPa). We propose strain LVform1 to be the type strain of a novel species of the genus Desulfovibrio, Desulfovibrio brasiliensis (type strain LVform1 = DSMZ No. 15816 and JCM No. 12178). The GenBank/EMBL accession number for the 16S rDNA sequence of strain LVform1 is AJ544687.     

Cremanthodium latilobum sp. nov. and C. medogense sp. nov. (Asteraceae) from Chinese eastern Himalaya

Cremanthodium latilobum Y. S. Chen and C. medogense Y. S. Chen, two new species from Chinese eastern Himalaya are described and illustrated. A diagnostic key to the species of Cremanthodium section Pinnatinervia Y. Ling & S. W. Liu series Cuneata Y. Ling & S. W. Liu is provided.     

Photinia taishunensis sp. nov. (Rosaceae) from Zhejiang,eastern China

Photinia taishunensis G. H. Xia, L. H. Lou & S. H. Jin (Rosaceae, Spiraeoideae) from Zhejiang, China, is described and illustrated. It has previously been confused with P. lochengensis Yü, but differs in details of habit, leaf size, leaf shape, inflorescence, flower size and pubescence. The pollen grains of P. taishunensis are monads, elliptical with trisulcate apertures, and the exine is rugulose, dotted with sparse punctures.     

Carex zhejiangensis sp. nov. (Cyperaceae) from Zhejiang,eastern China

Carex zhejiangensis X. F. Jin, Y. J. Zhao, C. Z. Zheng & H. W. Zhang, a new species of Carex sect. Rhomboidales sensu Kükenthal (Cyperaceae) from Zhejiang, eastern China, is described with illustrations. This new species is morphologically similar to C. filipes and C. macroglossa. Compared to C. filipes, C. zhejiangensis has elongated rhizomes, scattered culms, rather densely flowered pistillate spikes, achenes shortly stipitate at the base, and styles erect at the base. In contrast, C. filipes has short rhizomes, caespitose culms, sparsely flowered pistillate spikes, achenes obscurely stipitate at the base, and styles curved at the base. C. zhejiangensis differs from C. macroglossa by having elongated rhizomes and scattered culms, pistillate scales awned at apex, and perigynia contracted to a narrowly infundibuliform beak at apex. Diagnostic morphological characters, which are based upon population sampling, were analyzed in Carex zhejiangensis sp. nov., C. filipes and C. macroglossa.     

Carex qingliangensis sp. nov. (Cyperaceae) from Zhejiang, eastern China

Carex qingliangensis D. M. Weng, H. W. Zhang & S. F. Xu, a new species of the Cyperaceae from Zhejiang, China, is described with illustrations. The new species is morphologically similar to C. dolichostachya Hayata and C. tianmushanica C. Z. Zheng & X. F. Jin, but differs from the former in having perigynia sparsely pubescent and achenes constricted into a short neck at apex. It differs from the latter in having achenes not contracted in the middle part.     

Didymocarpus dissectus sp. nov. (Gesneriaceae) from Fujian,eastern China

A new species of Gesneriaceae, Didymocarpus dissectus Fang Wen, Y. L. Qiu & Y. G. Wei, from Fujian province, China, is described and illustrated. It is similar to D. heucherifolius in flower shape, but can be easily distinguished by leaf blade shape, split extent of calyx and equal calyx lobes, indumentum of corolla and number of staminodes.     

Alchemilla schmakovii sp. nov. from eastern Europe

A morphological study of specimens collected by the author and a critical revision of the key herbarium collections revealed a new rather peculiar taxon of Alchemilla occurring in almost every region of the Middle Volga basin, Russia. This novelity is here described as A. schmakovii and images of the principal morphological features of this species are provided. The new species is compared with related species in A. sect. Alchemilla (e.g. A. micans) and sect. Plicatae (e.g. A. breviloba) based on morphological characteristics.     

Aspergillus bertholletius sp. nov. from Brazil Nuts

During a study on the mycobiota of brazil nuts (Bertholletia excelsa) in Brazil, a new Aspergillus species, A. bertholletius, was found, and is described here. A polyphasic approach was applied using morphological characters, extrolite data as well as partial β-tubulin, calmodulin and ITS sequences to characterize this taxon. A. bertholletius is represented by nineteen isolates from samples of brazil nuts at various stages of production and soil close to Bertholletia excelsa trees. The following extrolites were produced by this species: aflavinin, cyclopiazonic acid, kojic acid, tenuazonic acid and ustilaginoidin C. Phylogenetic analysis using partial β-tubulin and camodulin gene sequences showed that A. bertholletius represents a new phylogenetic clade in Aspergillus section Flavi. The type strain of A. bertholletius is CCT 7615 ( = ITAL 270/06 = IBT 29228).     

Pouzolzia saxophila sp. nov. (Urticaceae tribe Boehmerieae) from Bahia,Brazil

The paper supplements a taxonomic revision of the New World species of Pouzolzia by Wilmot‐Dear and Friis in 1996 and a supplement in 2011 with an additional new species. Here another new species of Pouzolzia, P. saxophila Friis, Wilmot‐Dear & A. K. Monro, is described from a restricted area of xerophytic scrub vegetation on rocky outcrops in the Boa Nova National Park, Bahia, Brazil. The new species is somewhat similar to P. pringlei, a Mexican endemic, and to P. amambaiensis from the Brazil–Paraguay border, but also to the widespread Asiatic P. zeylanica. However, the similarities with these species are probably due to adaptation to similar dry habitats on rocky outcrops.     

Christensonella ecallosa sp. nov. (Orchidaceae,Maxillariinae) from Guyana and Brazil

A new species of Christensonella (Orchidaceae, Maxillariinae) is described and illustrated based on herbarium material. The most important characters of Christensonella ecallosa Lipińska & Szlach. are the ovate lip, with transversely elliptic middle lobe, minutely dentate margins and very obscure lip callus, which forms an elevated thick pad near the base. Taking into account the habit, it may be misidentified as C. uncata, but they are clearly distinguished by the lip shape. The taxonomic affiliations of the new species are briefly discussed.     

Jacquemontia diamantinensis sp. nov. (Convolvulaceae) from the Chapada Diamantina,Brazil

Jacquemontia diamantinensis Buril (Convolvulaceae) described here as a new species, is endemic to the Chapada Diamantina, in Bahia, Brazil. Illustrations and a table for comparing characters with related species are provided.     

Hypnea furnariana sp. nov. (Hypneaceae, Rhodophyta) from eastern Sicily (Mediterranean Sea)

A new species of the genus Hypnea Lamouroux, H. furnariana sp. nov., from the eastern coast of Sicily (Mediterranean Sea) is described. Plants form entangled mats with anastomosing branches. Branches and branchlets are subulate and much more slender than the main axes. In transverse section the axial cells are very small, while pericentral cells are quite larger and rounded or slightly oblong-shaped. Tetraspo-rangial swellings (annular or unilaterally exserted) and cystocarps are localized in the sub-apical or in the middle part of fertile branches. A comparison was made with the closely related species H. spinella and H. pannosa .