Historically all Pilosocereus found on the island of Hispaniola have been assigned to the name P. polygonus. Field studies by the authors in Haiti and the Dominican Republic have identified four distinct taxa: P. polygonus and three others which cannot be attributed to any published name. We describe them here for the first time, as P. brevispinus sp. nov., P. excelsus sp. nov. and P. samanensis sp. nov. We provide a distribution map and key for the identification of the Pilosocereus species of Hispaniola. A replacement neotype is proposed for the name Pilocereus schlumbergeri to retain its current status as a synonym of P. polygonus.

During the collection of specimens for the Southern Cape Herbarium, George, Western Cape, South Africa, a number of plants of an unusual scandent Crassula species, subsequently identified as C. fragilis (Schonl. 1929), were found along the dunes west of Mossel Bay. TÖlken (1985) had previously placed this taxon in the synonymy of C. pubescens Thunb. and in particular as a synonym of C. p. subsp. pubescens. Apart from specimens examined, plants were grown in cultivation and compared to that of a range of forms attributed to C. p. subsp. pubescens. Not only does C. fragilis differ from C. pubescens in habit, growth form and floral morphology but it is endemic to the coastal dunes mostly in association with limestone. In contrast C. p. subsp. pubescens has wide habitat tolerances centred around rocky outcrops and rocky and stony soils mostly derived from shale and sandstone. Both taxa belong to the Section Globulea with large terminal appendages on the petals but these differ between the two taxa. These and other characteristics are considered sufficient to justify the re-instatement of C. fragilis to species status.

A new ×Taciveria, a member of the Crassulaceae, is named as ‘Pink Brasil’ (Fig. 1). A description is given, and its history, cultivation and putative parents are discussed. The new hybrid differs from the existing ×Taciveria by its large rosettes and pink-flowered, large, paniculate inflorescences.