A new Cotyledon is described from the Tanqua Karoo in the Western Cape. Cotyledon tanquana is a distinct succulent shrublet from the lower eastern slopes of the Cedarberg Mountains and rocky terrain in the Succulent Karoo. It differs from Cotyledon orbiculata var. orbiculata by its distinctly cuneiform glandular hairy dull-green leaves and short dull-reddish corolla tube 15–17 × 5–8 mm bearing horizontally spreading transversely oblong yellowish squamae 2 × 1 mm, truncate at the apex.

Bark coverage occurs on stems of more than twenty species of columnar cacti. This report documents characteristics of areoles and spines from central Mexico with bark coverage percentages on five columnar cactus species (Cephalocereus columna-trajani, Neobuxbaumia macrocephala, N. mezcalaensis, N. tetetzo, and Pachycereus hollianus). Older cacti (more than 4 m tall) had fewer original spines than younger cacti (less than 2 m tall). For cacti taller than 4 m, loss of the original spines was positively correlated with bark coverage. For three species, loss of the original spines occurred with about 75% for bark coverages. Four of the five species studied produced hair-like spines at areoles. Three of the five species produced emergent spines. Most emergent spines were associated with hair-like spines. The presence of hair-like and emergent spines (spines that emerged on mature cactus surfaces) was not well correlated with percentages of bark coverage. Hair-like spines have been noted previously, but no function has been attributed to them. This is the first report with a description of emergent spines on tall, long-lived columnar cactus species.

Pachyphytum viscidum (Crassulaceae: Saxifragales) is described as a new species to science. The specimens analyzed come from the Sierra de Santa Bárbara, Guanajuato, Mexico. Some morphological diagnostic characters for the new species are: sticky stems and leaves; dark green leaves; absence of wax on all their organs; and pale pink flowers. The new species is placed in the section Diotostemon of the genus, with possible proximity to P. brevifolium and P. hookeri. DNA sequence analysis from the matK and rbcL chloroplast regions, as well as ITS2 nuclear loci, revealed the presence of molecular diagnostic sites which, in addition to the aforementioned morphological character states, further support the taxonomic description as well as future integrative taxonomy studies in Mexican Crassulaceae.

Recent field work in the Spanish province of Tarragona yielded new records for several interesting cacti (Cactaceae). New provincial records are presented for the following taxa (species preceded by an * have not been reported before from the autonomous region of Catalonia): Cylindropuntia pallida, *C. prolifera, *C. tunicata, Mortolopuntia schickendantzii, Opuntia aurantiaca, *O. dejecta, O. elata, O. elatior, O. engelmannii, O. leucotricha, O. lindheimeri var. linguiformis and Salmonopuntia salmiana. Several of these are potentially or genuinely invasive species. Invasive populations previously referred to Opuntia engelmannii are here ascribed to a form of O. phaeacantha. All species are illustrated.

While working on the cytogenetics of a range of alooids (Asphodelaceae subfam. Alooideae) in Lisbon, Portugal, Flávio Resende described several new formae in species of rambling aloe, a group that at the time was interpreted as section Macrifoliae Haw. in Aloe L. This group is nowadays accorded genus rank, as Aloiampelos Klopper & Gideon F.Sm. One of the formae described by Resende, Aloe ciliaris Haw. f. gigas Resende, a pentaploid, is a hybrid between the hexaploid Aloiampelos ciliaris (Haw.) Klopper & Gideon F.Sm. var. ciliaris and the tetraploid A. ciliaris var. redacta (S.Carter) Klopper & Gideon F.Sm. Aloe ciliaris f. gigas is here raised to the rank of nothovariety, as Aloiampelos ciliaris nothovar. gigas (Resende) Gideon F.Sm. & Figueiredo. We neotypify the replaced synonym, Aloe ciliaris f. gigas.

Dry forests are home to an important diversity of cactus species. In the Americas, these forests are under an increasing pressure due to a growing demand for land to produce pastures for cattle; in addition, the use of herbicides to control shrub encroachment is increasing. As a scientific collaborator of the Environmental Police of Córdoba province, Argentina, I had the opportunity to visit five cattle ranches where herbicides were illegally applied. The product used is Pastar, produced by Dow Agrochemical, and is composed of two hormonal herbicides, aminopyralid and fluroxypyr. Since all ranch owners are in legal dispute with the government, it was not possible to conduct a quantitative research. Therefore, I recorded all cactus species present and their sanitary conditions. A total of nine cactus species were recorded. In general, all species presented low abundance in comparison to the preserved forest, indicating that mechanical control of shrubs (using tractors) had already had a negative effect on species. Moreover, some common species in these forests, such as Gymnocalycium schickendantzii and Echinopsis leucantha, were not recorded. For most cactus species, the herbicide would have minimal or no effect, since individuals were found alive and in good sanitary conditions. In a few individuals of Cereus forbesii and C. aethiops, the end of the stems was damaged. Some individuals of Stetsonia coryne and Cereus forbesii were found dead, but it is not clear whether the herbicide was the cause. Since pressure for more pastures for cattle is increasing worldwide, more studies on the effect of land use changes and the use of chemical products on cactus species in dry forests of the Americas are needed.

We discuss and clarify the nomenclature applicable to five nothospecies widely recognised in Haworthiopsis G.D.Rowley (Asphodelaceae subfam. Alooideae). Four of these nothospecies have basionyms that were originally published in Haworthia Duval by Flávio Resende in Portugal in the mid-1900s, and one has a basionym, also in Haworthia, which was published in Resende's honour by Von Poellnitz. Two new combinations are published: Haworthiopsis ×sampaiana var. broteriana (Resende) Gideon F.Sm. & Vasc.Silva, its basionym being Haworthia broteriana Resende, and Haworthiopsis ×henriquesii (Resende) Gideon F.Sm. & Vasc.Silva, the basionym of which is Haworthia henriquesii Resende.

We formally establish and clarify the application of the name ×Sedeveria ‘Blue Mist' (Mottram) Gideon F.Sm. & Bischofb., a cultivar selected from a hybrid between Sedum craigii R.T.Clausen and Echeveria affinis E.Walther (Crassulaceae). A similar hybrid was produced by Charles H. Uhl in the USA, but using Echeveria aff. affinis as one parent. We discuss ×Sedeveria ‘Blue Mist' in the context of Uhl's hybrid that was created for cytogenetics research purposes. ×Sedeveria ‘Blue Mist' is a small, rosulate to short-stemmed plant with visually striking blue-purple leaves and more or less uniformly bright crimson red flowers reminiscent of those of E. affinis, at least colour-wise. With age the flowers fade to whitish, a floral colour associated with S. craigii. Plants very slowly branch from the base, with the branches being leaning to creeping. The boatshaped, tapering, though often nearly cylindrical leaves of this cultivar are borne very densely in apical rosettes. The combination of these characters clearly separates this cultivar from other cultivars of ×Sedeveria E.Walther. The cultivar name ×Pachyveria ‘Blue Mist’ Mottram was previously published for the cultivar.

Espostoa (Vatricania) guentheri is a peculiar putative Espostoa, having some traits in common with Espostoa sensu stricto (cephalia in which many or most epidermal cells produces a spine, bristle, or trichome), some traits in common with Thrixanthocereus (cephalia with bristles instead of hairs; patches of epidermal cells in the cephalium that lack spines, bristles, hairs or trichomes), and some unique traits (gradual transition to cephalium formation; disjunct habitat). Gradual cephalium formation in E. guentheri is common, but not universal, which might be either because Vatricania is not closely related to Espostoa or that Vatricania is of hybrid origin. E. guentheri may have a pseudocephalium, rather than a true cephalium, with the reproductive part of shoots in subgenus Vatricania being morphologically intermediate between those of subgenus Espostoa and subgenus Thrixanthocereus.

Botanical surveys undertaken in Central and Northern Tunisia (North Africa), mostly between 2012 and 2018, have revealed 12 non-native succulent (sensu lato) taxa that had not been reported before, either from the whole Mediterranean area, or from North Africa and Tunisia. The new taxa here reported belong to Aizoaceae, Basellaceae, Crassulaceae and Euphorbiaceae. Some can be considered naturalized or even potentially invasive in North Africa (e.g. Aptenia cordifolia(L.f.) Schwantes), whereas others are here reported for the first time from the Mediterranean area, e.g.: Carpobrotus dimidiatus (Harv.) L.Bolus and Volkeranthus aitonis (Jacquin) Gerbaulet. Some general information for each of these taxa is given, including data on their actual distribution and invasion status worldwide. Some field photographs are moreover provided.

Aspects of the biology and history of Kalanchoe ×houghtonii D.B.Ward, one of the earliest known hybrids artificially created between two species of Kalanchoe Adans. (Crassulaceae subfam. Kalanchooideae), are discussed. Both parent species, K. daigremontiana Raym.-Hamet & H.Perrier and K. tubiflora (Harv.) Raym.-Hamet, are included in K. subg. Bryophyllum (Salisb.) Koorders. This hybrid was created artificially more than once on different continents. An amplified description is provided for the somewhat variable K. ×houghtonii D.B.Ward ‘Garbí’ D.Guillot, E.Laguna, López-Pujol, L.Sáez & C.Puche, a form of this nothospecies that has become naturalised on the Iberian Peninsula and slightly beyond. A new locality where it has become established in continental Portugal is recorded. Other forms of K. ×houghtonii have similarly become established in several mild-climate parts of the world. The nothogenus name ×Bryokalanchoe Resende is a synonym of Kalanchoe.

Several cacti with curved shoots had a tissue referred to here as reaction cortex. The curved shoots were at the bases of lateral branches that were initially not vertical but which became vertical as they grew, or in areas where a shoot had tilted and then its tip became reoriented upward. In these curved regions, cortex was much thicker on the convex (outer) side of the curve as compared to the concave (inner) side. Reaction cortex was located within the thick convex area; it was recognizable as having a much firmer texture than surrounding cortex, and as being more translucent or pale/whitish. Cells of reaction cortex were distinguishable as being larger, more rounded and with smoother walls than other cortex cells. Curved regions contained only a small amount of wood, but that wood was distinctly thicker on the convex side rather than on the upper concave side as would be expected of tension wood typical of eudicots. Reaction cortex was found in various species of Cleistocactus, Echinopsis, and Haageocereus among others, all members of Core Cactoideae II.