Novae Gesneriaceae Neotropicarum XVIII: Columnea carinata, a new species of Gesneriaceae from northwestern Ecuador

A new species of Columnea (Gesneriaceae, tribe Episcieae) is described from the Chocó floristic region of the western Andean slopes of northern Ecuador. Columnea carinata differs from other congeners by the presence of elongate shoots, isophyllous leaves, and a uniformly bright red corolla, with nearly complete fusion of the upper two corolla lobes and an elongate keel on the dorsal surface of the corolla tube.     

Novae Gesneriaceae Neotropicarum XII. New species of Gesneriaceae from the Guianas

Five new species of Gesneriaceae are described from the Guianas:Nautilocalyx coccineus, Paradrymonia anisophylla, andParadrymonia barbata in the tribe Episcieae, from Guyana;Napeanthus angustifolius from French Guiana andNapeanthus rupicola from Guyana in the tribe Napeantheae.     

Novae Gesneriaceae Neotropicarum XVI: Cremosperma anisophyllum, a new species of Gesneriaceae from the Chocó region of northern Ecuador and southern Colombia

A new species of Cremosperma (Gesneriaceae, tribe Beslerieae) is described from the Chocó floristic region of the western Andean slopes of northern Ecuador and southern Colombia. The dorsiventral shoots and strongly anisophyllous leaves differentiate Cremosperma anisophyllum from all other congeners.     

Three new species of woodlizards (Hoplocercinae,Enyalioides) from northwestern South America

The discovery of three new species of Enyalioides from the tropical Andes in Ecuador and northern Peru is reported. Enyalioides altotambo sp. n. occurs in northwestern Ecuador and differs from other species of Enyalioides in having dorsal scales that are both smooth and homogeneous in size, a brown iris, and in lacking enlarged, circular and keeled scales on the flanks. Enyalioides anisolepis sp. n. occurs on the Amazonian slopes of the Andes in southern Ecuador and northern Peru and can be distinguished from other species of Enyalioides by its scattered, projecting large scales on the dorsum, flanks, and hind limbs, as well as a well-developed vertebral crest, with the vertebrals on the neck at least three times higher than those between the hind limbs. Enyalioides sophiarothschildae sp. n. is from the Amazonian slopes of the Cordillera Central in northeastern Peru; it differs from other species of Enyalioides in having caudal scales that are relatively homogeneous in size on each caudal segment, a white gular region with a black medial patch and several turquoise scales in males, as well as immaculate white labials and chin. A molecular phylogenetic tree of 18 species of hoplocercines is presented, including the three species described in this paper and Enyalioides cofanorum, as well as an updated identification key for species of Hoplocercinae.     

Novae Gesneriaceae Neotropicarum XI. New genera and species from the Guianas

Two new genera of Gesneriaceae are described,Lampadaria andCremersia, each with one new species:Lampadaria rupestris from Guyana andCremersia platula from French Guiana, both belonging to the tribe Episcieae. The placement ofLembocarpus in the Episcieae nearCremersia andRhoogeton is proposed.     

Patterns of morphological diversification of mainland Anolis lizards from northwestern South America

Anolis lizards are one of the most diverse vertebrate genera and are the classic example of adaptive radiation and convergent evolution. Anoles exhibit great morphological diversity produced by the ecological opportunity to exploit several arboreal niches. Anole radiation in the Caribbean islands is well studied, but the mainland radiation is less understood. We used a large morphological data set and a molecular phylogeny to describe the morphological diversification of anoles from northwestern South America, a region with the highest anole diversity on a mainland. We describe morphological diversity as summarized by ten morphotypes, defined mainly by body size, limb proportions, and subdigital lamellae. We show that some morphotypes are limited to forested lowlands and others to Andean highlands; by contrast, Anolis assemblages from tropical rainforests are comprised of the same four morphotypes. We demonstrate that morphological diversification followed a pattern of adaptive radiation across a landscape of adaptive peaks. Our results are consistent with the most recent hypothesis of convergence stated for Caribbean radiation, and demonstrate convergence between mainland morphotypes and Caribbean ecomorphs, which suggests that common processes are driving both radiations. © 2016 The Linnean Society of London     

Three new legume species from South America

Three new South American legumes are described:Acosmium cardenasii (Leguminosae: Sophoreae) known only from the type locality, San Ignacio de Velasco, Bolivia;Moldenhauera nitida (Leguminosae: Caesalpinioideae) from the southeastern flanks of the Serra do EspinhaÇo in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil; andSclerolobium prancei (Leguminosae: Caesalpinioideae) known only from the Rio Madeira headwaters, Territory of RondÔnia, Brazil. A key to the Brazilian species ofMoldenhauera is included.     

A new Carlowrightia (Acanthaceae) from South America

Current research by the junior author on the Acanthaceae treatment for the Flora of Ecuador has resulted in the recognition of a new generic record and an undescribed species from Ecuador. Carlowrightia ecuadoriana from prov. Guayas, is described, illustrated and compared with its closest relatives in Mexico and the adjacent United States.     

A new species of Dasypodidae (Xenarthra: Cingulata) from the late Miocene of northwestern South America: implications in the Dasypodini phylogeny and diversity

A new species of dasypodid armadillo (Xenarthra, Cingulata), Anadasypus aequatorianus, from the late Miocene of Ecuador is described. The remains were collected in sediments of the Letrero Formation, Nabón Basin, which is part of several intermontane basins related to Andean uplift. The genus represents the oldest record of Dasypodini, which also encompasses Propraopus (Pleistocene–early Holocene) and Dasypus (?Miocene–Recent). The new species is based on several osteoderms, which show more derived features than Anadasypus hondanus, from the middle Miocene of Colombia. In order to test the affinities of A. aequatorianus within Dasypodini, we conducted a cladistic analysis of 24 morphological characters for 10 taxa. The most parsimonious tree supports the generic attribution of the new species and places Anadasypus basal to Propraopus and Dasypus, agreeing with the stratigraphic evidence. The faunas from tropical Andean areas differ noticeably from the better-known assemblages of the classic South American sequences. In the case of dasypodines, their geochronological distribution shows that they were historically restricted to tropical and subtropical environments and the main cladogenetic events of the group probably occurred at lower latitudes. In this context, the taxon described herein fills important temporal and geographic gaps of early Neogene armadillos from intertropical areas.http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:9DC76603-D831-4E68-BE55-90113228E0F4     

Zameioscirpus, a new genus of Cyperaceae from South America

Systematic studies of scirpoid species in the Andes showed the necessity to exclude one species each from Scirpus and Carex. They are combined in a new genus Zameioscirpus and a third new species is described. The autonomous generic position of Zameioscirpus within the Scirpeae is supported by a phylogenetic analysis based on rbcL and trnL-F sequencing data and by conspicuous morphological similarities.     

Monopera,a new genus of scrophulariaceae from South America

Monopera is described as a new genus in the Scrophulariaceae, subfamily Scrophularioideae, tribe Angeloneae. Two species are transferred fromAngelonia,Monopera micrantha andMonopera perennis. These species are described and illustrated, and a key is provided.     

Two new Beauveria spp. from South America

Beauveria velata sp. nov. was found on Lepidoptera larvae in Ecuador and is characterized by ellipsoid conidia covered with a distinct mucilaginous layer. Another Beauveria species, commonly encountered on Coleoptera in Brazil proved to be identical with Isaria amorpha Höhn., originally described from a cicada in Indonesia. The new combination Beauveria amorpha is proposed. Details of the occurrence and ecology of both species are described.     

New Streptocarpus species (Gesneriaceae) from South Africa

Two new rosulate species of Streptocarpus are described from the eastern seaboard of South Africa. The first is endemic to Mpumalanga Province. This species has almost actinomorphic corollas with small cylindrical tubes and was previously included within Streptocarpus parviflorus. However, molecular and morphological data and habitat preference do not support this classification. The second species is from the Msikaba River Gorge in the Eastern Cape Province. It adds to the already impressive list of endemic plant species from this region and is allied to other rosulate species of the Eastern Cape. It approaches Streptocarpus rexii in flower size but differs in its much shorter corolla tubes, which lack purple nectar guides. In addition, the corolla floors are marked with yellow bars reminiscent of Streptocarpus cyaneus and also seen in sympatric populations of the small‐flowered Streptocarpus modestus. © 2008 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2008, 158 , 743–748.