<Emphasis Type="Italic">Bolbitis moranii</Emphasis> (Dryopteridaceae), a new species from southern Guatemala

A new species, Bolbitis moranii, is described and illustrated. It is known only from two localities in the forests of southern Guatemala. It can be distinguished from its congeners in Mesoamerica principally by being an epipetric fern with mostly simple leaves (occasionally ternate) that bear subapical buds and lack prominent lateral secondary veins.     

Two new species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Calathea</Emphasis> (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Marantaceae</Emphasis>) from South-eastern Brazil

Summary   Calathea dryadica and Calathea reginae are described, circumscribed and illustrated. These new species are probably endemic to the Atlantic Forest of Rio de Janeiro State in Southeast Brazil and are considered critically endangered because of the restricted geographic area of occurrence, sometimes enclosed by densely urbanised areas.     

Two new species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Arachnothryx</Emphasis> (Rubiaceae) from Oaxaca,Mexico

Two new species of Arachnothryx (Guettardeae, Rubiaceae) from the cloud forest of the Sierra Norte of Oaxaca, Mexico are described and illustrated. Arachnothryx axillaris together with A. heteranthera are the only two species in the genus with axillary inflorescences, but otherwise they are not similar. The new species is more similar to A. capitellata, but it differs in pubescence and inflorescence morphology. Arachnothryx flores-olverae can be confused with A. buddleioides mainly because they share discolorous leaves with densely tomentose pubescence, but they differ in stipule and inflorescence morphology. With these two new species the Sierra Norte of Oaxaca becomes more evidently the main hotspot of species diversity for the genus.     

Two new species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Erythroxylum</Emphasis> sect. <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rhabdophyllum</Emphasis> (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Erythroxylaceae</Emphasis>) from north-eastern Brazil

Summary   Erythroxylum longisetulosum I. Loiola & M. F. Sales and E. timothei I. Loiola & M. F. Sales (sect. Rhabdophyllum) from north-eastern Brazil are described and illustrated, and their taxonomic and ecological relationships are discussed.     

Two new species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lirula</Emphasis> on <Emphasis Type="Italic">Abies</Emphasis> from Japan

Two new species of Lirula (L. japonica and L. exigua) on Abies mariesii collected in subalpine areas of northern Japan are described as members of Rhytismatales, Discomycetes. Lirula japonica causes needle cast in fir, but L. exigua seems to occur on the needles of physically damaged twigs. Morphological characteristics of both species are discussed.     

Three new species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Stelis</Emphasis> (Orchidaceae) from Mexico

Three new species of the genus Stelis from Mexico are described and illustrated; they were recently collected in the Tacana volcano region of Chiapas, and are named as S. annedamoniae, S. hagsateri, and S. soconuscana. For each species information is provided about habitat, phenology, and conservation status, and the relationships with similar taxa are discussed. Stelis andamoniae is similar to S. hagsateri and both are sympatric at the Tacana volcano; they are members of the Stelis argentata complex. The first has red-wine flowers, and glabrous sepals, while S. hagsateri has greenish-yellow flowers and glandular-papillose sepals. Stelis soconuscana is similar to S. bidentata, from which it is different by its broader leaves, raceme as long as the leaf, smaller flowers, and its distribution.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Funastrum rupicola</Emphasis> (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Apocynaceae:</Emphasis><Emphasis Type="Italic">Asclepiadoideae</Emphasis>), a new species from Bolivia

Summary   Funastrum rupicola Goyder, a new species of Apocynaceae: Asclepiadoideae from Bolivia, is described and illustrated. The conservation status of this species is assessed.     

Two new species and a new combination in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Elaphoglossum</Emphasis> sect. <Emphasis Type="Italic">Polytrichia</Emphasis> subsect. <Emphasis Type="Italic">Apoda</Emphasis> (Dryopteridaceae) from Costa Rica and Panama

Two new species, Elaphoglossum alvaradoanum and E. pendulum, are described. The first species is endemic to Cocos Island, and the second to the mountains of Costa Rica. Elaphoglossum auripilum var. longipilosum is elevated to species rank as E. longipilosum.     

A new <Emphasis Type="Italic">Dactylella</Emphasis> species from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Orbilia alba</Emphasis>

A new Dactylella species, Dactylella alba was isolated from the ascospores of Orbilia alba collected in Wenshan County, Yunnan Province, China. Conidiophores were either not branched or occasionally branched, bearing divergent sterigmata on the tip with single conidium on each. Conidia were elongated ellipsoids, 1–2 septate, mostly 1 septate. By combining the ITS sequence with morphological characteristics, a new anamorphic species is described and illustrated together with its teleomorph.     

Three new species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Stigmidium</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sphaerellothecium</Emphasis> (lichenicolous ascomycetes) on <Emphasis Type="Italic">Stereocaulon</Emphasis>

Sphaerellothecium stereocaulorum sp. nov., Stigmidium beringicum sp. nov., Stigmidium stereocaulorum sp. nov. and goniocysts are described on Stereocaulon species from the northern Holarctic. Endococcus nanellus is reported new to Alaska and Mongolia. Taxonomical novelties Sphaerellothecium stereocaulorum Zhurb. & Triebel, Stigmidium beringicum Zhurb. & Triebel, Stigmidium stereocaulorum Zhurb. & Triebel.     

Two new species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Mezilaurus</Emphasis> (Lauraceae) from Brazil

Ongoing taxonomic work on Mezilaurus has revealed two new species of the genus in Brazil, which are here described and illustrated. The first one, Mezilaurus glabriantha, from the state of Espírito Santo, represents the third endemic species known from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, and Mezilaurus microphylla occurs in seasonally dry forests from the central Brazilian state of Tocantins. A key to distinguish the extra-Amazonian species of Mezilaurus from Brazil is provided.     

Two new species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Gentianella</Emphasis> (Gentianaceae) from Peru

Two new species of Gentianella (Gentianaceae, Gentianeae, Swertiinae), G. grantii and G. wayqecha, are described from Departamento Cusco, Peru. These two species differ from other Peruvian species of Gentianella in a combination of stems 10–100 cm long; no rosette of basal leaves; cauline leaves 10–75 mm long; flowers in thyrses; and corollas 14–26 mm long, campanulate, and adaxially glabrous. The leaves of G. grantii consist of an appressed pseudopetiole and a spreading, narrowly elliptic-oblong to linear blade; the corollas are lavender; and the corolla lobes are 0.6–0.7× as long as the tube. Gentianella grantii is similar to G. lythroides, of Bolivia, but differs in having more closely spaced leaves and less deeply lobed corollas. The leaves of G. wayqecha are sessile, lanceolate to ovate; the corollas are rose-violet; and the corolla lobes are 0.75–1.35× as long as the tube. Gentianella wayqecha is similar to G. rapunculoides, of Colombia and Ecuador, and G. ruizii, of Peru, but differs from both in its adaxially glabrous corollas and from G. rapunculoides in its less deeply lobed corollas. Both G. grantii and G. wayqecha grow in moist habitats near tree line, and are known only from a area northeast of the city of Cusco.     

Two new species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Goniopteris</Emphasis> (Thelypteridaceae) from Brazil

Two new species of Goniopteris endemic to the state of Espírito Santo (Brazil) are described and illustrated: Goniopteris bradei and G. salinoi. Morphological comparisons with similar species, as well as two identification keys, are presented. One key includes the Brazilian species most similar to G. bradei, and the other includes those Goniopteris species with glandular hairs, including G. salinoi.     

Two new species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pseudopyricularia</Emphasis> from Iran

Two new species, Pseudopyricularia hyrcaniana and P. iraniana, are described, illustrated, and discussed in this paper. Phylogenetic analyses of the large subunit of the ribosomal RNA gene cluster and their internal transcribed spacer regions, and protein encoding gene introns and exons, including the largest subunit of the RNA polymerase II and calmodulin, confirmed their placement in Pseudopyricularia. Pseudopyricularia hyrcaniana was isolated as a pathogen from leaves of Cyperus alternifolius, while P. iraniana was from Juncus sp. Conidia of P. hyrcaniana are obclavate and 1-septate; those of P. iraniana are fusiform or cylindrical and 2-septate. Analyses of multigene sequences confirm the distinction between P. hyrcaniana and P. iraniana, and reveal their relationship with their allies in Pyriculariaceae.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Matayba obovata</Emphasis>, a new species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Matayba</Emphasis> sect. <Emphasis Type="Italic">Matayba</Emphasis> (Sapindaceae) from Brazil

The new species, Matayba obovata (Sapindaceae), from southern and southeastern Brazil is described, illustrated, and contrasted to its putatively closest relatives. Palynological characters are also described. The new species belongs to sect. Matayba. A key to identify M. obovata and related species in the Atlantic Forest is included.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Ty</Emphasis>1<Emphasis Type="Italic">/copia</Emphasis>- and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ty</Emphasis>3<Emphasis Type="Italic">/gypsy</Emphasis>-like DNA sequences in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Helianthus </Emphasis>species

Two repeated DNA sequences isolated from a partial genomic DNA library of Helianthus annuus, p HaS13 and p HaS211, were shown to represent portions of the int gene of a Ty3 /gypsy retroelement and of the RNase-Hgene of a Ty1 /copia retroelement, respectively. Southern blotting patterns obtained by hybridizing the two probes to BglII- or DraI-digested genomic DNA from different Helianthus species showed p HaS13 and p HaS211 were parts of dispersed repeats at least 8 and 7 kb in length, respectively, that were conserved in all species studied. Comparable hybridization patterns were obtained in all species with p HaS13. By contrast, the patterns obtained by hybridizing p HaS211 clearly differentiated annual species from perennials. The frequencies of p HaS13- and p HaS211-related sequences in different species were 4.3x10(4)-1.3x10(5) copies and 9.9x10(2)-8.1x10(3) copies per picogram of DNA, respectively. The frequency of p HaS13-related sequences varied widely within annual species, while no significant difference was observed among perennial species. Conversely, the frequency variation of p HaS211-related sequences was as large within annual species as within perennials. Sequences of both families were found to be dispersed along the length of all chromosomes in all species studied. However, Ty3 /gypsy-like sequences were localized preferentially at the centromeric regions, whereas Ty1/ copia-like sequences were less represented or absent around the centromeres and plentiful at the chromosome ends. These findings suggest that the two sequence families played a role in Helianthusgenome evolution and species divergence, evolved independently in the same genomic backgrounds and in annual or perennial species, and acquired different possible functions in the host genomes.     

Two new species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Habenaria</Emphasis> (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Orchidaceae</Emphasis>) from the Brazilian cerrado and campo rupestre

Summary  Two new species, Habenaria ciliatisepala and H. egleriana (Orchidaceae, Orchideae), from the cerrado of central Brazil and campo rupestre of the Espinha?o mountain range in Minas Gerais and Bahia, are described and illustrated.