During recent ecological studies, five new species of functionally dioecious Ficus were identified from the lowland rainforests of northern Papua New Guinea. One species from subgen. Sycidium, sect. Sycidium (Ficus sangumae), three from subgen. Sycomorus, sect. Adenosperma (F. rubrijuvenis, F. rubrivestimenta, F. wamanguana), and one from subgen. Sycomorus, sect. Sycocarpus (F. aurantiacafolia) are described.

Montane communities are described from the Foja expeditionary surveys of Papua Province. The floristic summary characterizes the principal habitats at two study sites near the 1000 m contour. Typing codes from the Papua New Guinea Forest Inventory Mapping System are used as a basis for the physiognomic descriptions. Community compositions, indicator taxa, floristic records, and conservation values are briefly discussed.

Barringtonia jebbiana is described from the Conservation International expedition to the previously unexplored Muller Range. The new tree is distinguished by its leptocaulous architecture, 1–2(-4)-flowered inflorescence, absence of staminodes, and a unique ecology. Distributional and taxonomic notes are also provided for the recently-described B. josephstaalensis, still poorly understood despite its unusual qualities.

Fittingia headsiana is described from previously unknown environments in Papua New Guinea's southern ranges. The new species is uniquely distinguished by its purple fruits disposed in large panicles, and is one of only two congeners capable of achieving arborescent statures. With the addition made here, Fittingia is now represented by nine species restricted to the New Guinea mainland, of which only five were known at the time of the last generic revision. A synoptical key to the modern species is included as an amendment to the existing treatment.

Plant distributional records are reported from Conservation International's Foja expeditions. The floristic range extensions are compiled from alluvial lowland forest and cloudy upland habitats to 1900 m. Sixteen taxa are briefly discussed, including 4 ferns, 1 monocot, and 11 dicots. Synonymies are newly proposed for Embelia kuborensis (Myrsinaceae), Medinilla sapoi-riverensis (Melastomataceae), and Pneumatopteris subappendiculata (Thelypteridaceae).

Four new species of Isidrogalvia (Tofieldiaceae) from sandstone massifs on the Guiana Shield are described, illustrated, and their morphology compared to other species. Isidrogalvia sipapoensis and I. penduliflora are unusual in the genus in having pendant flowers. Isidrogalvia penduliflora, I. neblinae, and I. paniculata are relatively robust species endemic to Cerro de la Neblina. The last is unique in Tofieldiaceae in having a compound inflorescence. A bilingual key (English-Spanish) to the six species of Isidrogalvia occurring in the Guayana Highlands is provided. The morphology and familial placement of Isidrogalvia are discussed.

Uromyrtus allisoniana and Rhodomyrtus takeuchii (Myrtaceae: Myrteae) are described as new species from ultrabasic substrates in the Kamiali Wildlife Management Area, Papua New Guinea. Both species are known only from the type gatherings, and each is tentatively assigned the status of “vulnerable” following IUCN criteria. Uromyrtus allisoniana resembles U. novoguineensis from New Guinea, but differs by its indumentum type, leaf size and apex, and its flush adaxial secondary leaf veins. Rhodomyrtus takeuchii resembles R. psidioides from Australia, but differs by its solitary flowers. An updated key is provided for the genus Rhodomyrtus.

Spiranthes spiralis is newly recorded from the Nepal Himalaya. A detailed description and illustration is provided.

Croton has been lectotypified by various authors with two different species, C. aromaticus and C. tiglium. We discuss why C. tiglium has priority. The name for the largest section of Croton has long been accepted to be section Cascarilla, but the recognition of its type species, Croton cascarilla, as a synonym of C. eluteria, the type of section Eluteria, requires a change in the accepted name for the group. The correct basionym and type species of section Geiseleria, which is emerging as one of the three largest New World sections of the genus, is clarified. Lectotypes are designated for C. adenophyllus, C. affinis, C. buchtienii, C. campestris, C. chamaedrifolius, C. fergusonii, C. linearis, C. miquelensis, and C. trinitatis. Epitypes are designated for Clutia cascarilla, Croton chamaedrifolius, and C. linearis.

Two new species of Syzygium are described from Madagascar: S. ludovicii and S. rakotovaoanum. They differ from other Malagasy members of the genus by virtue of their short (< 20 mm long) leaves and prominently winged branchlets. The species can be distinguished from one another based on morphological characters of the leaf and inflorescence. Each species is known only from the type collection. Following IUCN standards, a recommendation of Least Concern is given for S. rakotovaoanum, whereas S. ludovicii is recommended as Vulnerable.

European scientists initiated lichenology in Puerto Rico in the 19th century. Activity of the discipline increased notably on the island during the first three decades of the 20th century, primarily by the field explorations and publications of the New York Botanical Garden scientists and associates (A. A. Heller, N. L. and E. G. Britton, L. W. Riddle), and by the work of Bruce Fink of Miami University in Ohio and collaborators (E. A. Vainio, A. Zahlbruckner). Another period of research activity began in the late 1950s and was initiated by Henry Imshaug of Michigan State University. By the last decades of the century, the first contributions of Puerto Rican lichenologists I. Landrón-Concepción and J. Mufiiz-Acevedo were made. Because of these efforts. Puerto Rico is among the best documented islands of the Caribbean in terms of its lichen biota. In spite of contributions spanning over a century, the development of knowledge and local expertise is today slow-paced. Training students and the development of new taxonomic and collecting activities are fundamental to addressing shortcomings of the discipline and in laying the foundation for future work in the field. To allow further development of lichen studies in Puerto Rico, we have constructed an electronic checklist of all previously reported taxa (available at  http://lichensofpuertorico.herbario.upr.edu), and a current bibliography on Lichenology for the island.

Colicodendron martianum (Capparaceae), a new species of shrub known only from the state of Bahia, in northeastern Brazil, is described and illustrated. A comparison with its closest relative, C. bahianum, is included.

Two new species of Calyptranthes (Myrtaceae) from Ecuador are described and illustrated: Calyptranthes aequatoriensis and C. ampliflora. Their relationships to closest relatives in the genus are discussed.

Recent advances in orchid DNA barcoding and molecular phylogeny have increased over the past few years. The need for rigorously delimited specific concepts and the development of an integrative taxonomic system intended to place molecular information within the context of morphological, ecological, and physiological knowledge are the main reasons for which traditional taxonomy should constitute the basis of future molecular works. This is the first in a series of manuscripts to focus on discrete groups of Neotropical orchid taxa, providing full and comparable species descriptions and illustrations for taxonomic discussion. Here, we revise the Lepanthes jimenezii group, in which Lepanthes caroli-lueri and Lepanthes pulcherrima are described. Lepanthes jimenezii is lectotypified and a key to the species is provided based on morphological characters.

Five new species of Syzygium are described from the island of New Guinea. One species, Syzygium neurophyllum, occurs in Papua Province, Indonesia. Four species, S. purpuricarpum, S. rambutyense, S. ridsdalei, and S. watutense occur in Papua New Guinea. Four of the five species are known only from the type gathering, but each is easily diagnosed from congeneric members of Syzygium occurring on New Guinea. The conservation status following IUCN guidelines is proposed for each new species, four of which are considered Vulnerable, and one of which is considered Endangered.

Limits of the monospecific genus Planodes are expanded to include an additional species previously placed in Arabis, Cardamine, or Sibara. The new combination P. mexicanum is proposed. The distinguishing characters separating Planodes from related genera are given, as well as a detailed generic description and a key to the two species of this genus.

Sibara includes 12 species exhibiting amphitropical disjunction. Six of these grow in California and Baja California, and six in northern Chile and Argentinean Mendoza and Patagonia. The new species S. davidsonii and S. dilloniorum are described from Baja California and Chile, respectively. The genera Pterygiosperma and Werdermannia are reduced to synonymy of Sibara, and the new combinations S. anethifolia, S. macrostachya, S. mendocina, S.pinnata, and S. tehuelches are proposed. Four species described by Philippi in Nastrutium and Sisymbrium are lectotypified.

In this contribution a new species of Tachigali is described from Panama, Sclerolobium costaricense is transferred to Tachigali, a key to the three species from Central America is presented, and the differences between the three species are discussed.

Three new species of Capparidastrum (subgen. pulviniglans) are here described and illustrated: Capparidastrum grandiflorum, from the wet forests of Dept. Antioquia, Colombia; C. huberi, known only from the cuenca del Río Manapiare in the Territorio Federal Amazonas, Venezuela; and, C. megalospermum, restricted to the lowland wet forests of northwestern Ecuador.

Two species of Epidendrum from the Guayana shield never accurately illustrated for the flora of Venezuela, E. apuahuense and E. longicolle, are discussed and illustrated.

Three new species of Pabstiella from Brazilian Atlantic Forest in the State of Espírito Santo are described and illustrated. Comments on their ecology and distribution are also provided. The new species, Pabstiella lueriana, P. villosisepala, and P. muricatifolia, are most similar to P. pellifeloides and P. hypnicola. According to the criteria of the IUCN Red List of endangered plant species, P. muricatifolia is included in the Data Deficient category, while the other two species were included in the Vulnerable category.

In 1776, Rottbøll published 12 species from Rolander's collection of plants of Suriname. Here, we update the taxonomic identity of those species, discussing, whenever pertinent, their nomenclatural status. Six of the 12 names and also two of their synonyms, one the name of a species described by Linné filius and another described by Kunth, are lectotypified. Type localities and dates are provided, whenever possible.

A new genus in the Zygopetalinae is proposed based on morphological, ecological, and molecular data. It differs from Zygosepalum in the cespitose habit, the erect inflorescences, the entire clinandrium, and the subtriangular stipe of the pollinarium. Species assigned to the new genus are generally found on sandstone mountains above 1000 m (“cerros” and “tepuis”) of the Guayana Highlands. In contrast, plants of Zygosepalum s.s. bear arching inflorescences, the flowers have a fimbriate clinandrium, the stipe of the pollinarium is subquadrate, and they are epiphytes in humid tropical forests of the Guayana, generally below 500 m.