A new species of Agave L. (Asparagaceae: Agavoideae), A. lexii García-Morales, García-Jiménez & Iamonico, from Tamaulipas (northeastern Mexico) is described and illustrated. The new species is morphologically similar to A. tenuifolia Zamudio & E. Sanchez and A. striata Zucc. Agave lexii differs from A. tenuifolia and A. striata in leaf arrangement, size, and color, flower number and length, and fruit size. The distribution of A. lexii in Mexico, notes on its preferential habitat and phenology, and an assessment of its IUCN conservation status are provided.

Melanophylla dianeae Lowry & G. E. Schatz (Torricelliaceae) is described as a new species from a remnant fragment of highly threatened humid forest in east-central Madagascar. Collected for the first time in 2016, just five adult trees are known from an area that has been heavily impacted by forest clearing for slash-and-burn agriculture. Mature fruits have been collected in an attempt to grow seedlings, and air-layering is being trialed on an adult tree to produce vegetative material for propagation, as part of an effort to ensure ex situ conservation of this rare species. An IUCN Red List risk of extinction assessment reveals that M. dianeae is Critically Endangered.

Since the 1970s, an apomictic tetraploid beech fern (genus Phegopteris (C. Presl) Fée) has been known in northeastern North America. Previously published isozyme data suggest that this lineage is of allopolyploid origin involving long beech fern (P. connectilis (Michx.) Watt.) but not broad beech fern (P. hexagonoptera (Michx.) Fée), as originally hypothesized. Its second progenitor remains unknown. We performed a principal components analysis of the apomict and its North American congeners to elucidate morphological differences between them. We recognize the apomictic tetraploid at specific rank as P. excelsior N. R. Patel & A. V. Gilman and provide an illustration, a range map, a list of exsiccatae, and a key to Phegopteris species of North America.

The new species Reineckea flava J. Z. Dong (Liliaceae) is described and illustrated from Guangxi, China. It differs from R. carnea (Andrews) Kunth in having slanting rhizomes with short oblate internodes (shorter axis 4–6 mm × longer axis 8–14 mm), with thick and short adventitious roots at nodes, narrowly lanceolate leaves (5–10 mm broad), and yellow-orange fruits.

Two new white-flowered species of Zephyranthes Herb. (rain lilies) from Mexico are described. Both belong to the group of species formerly classified within Habranthus Herb. Zephyranthes alba Flagg, G. Lom. Sm. & García-Mend. is endemic to volcanic rocks with xerophilous scrub in the Reserva Ecológica del Pedregal de San Ángel and nearby areas in Mexico City. It is the only white-flowered Habranthus like Mexican rain lily with its stigma among or very near the top of the anthers. Zephyranthes ita-andivi García-Mend., Flagg & G. Lom. Sm. is endemic to calcareous soil in open sites of pine-oak forest in Distrito Teposcolula in northwestern Oaxaca, and is the only Mexican rain lily to have stigmatic lobes that separate and recurve after pollen is being shed. It is further distinguished from Z. alba by its narrow leaves, with nerves and margin minutely papillose, and elevated stigma.

H. S. Irwin and R. C. Barneby made a significant contribution to the knowledge of Leguminosae, especially in the tribe Cassieae (Caesalpinioideae). Nevertheless, their work included use of some unconventional terms for type designations, i.e., lectoholotypus and neoholotypus, which do not appear in the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants. Some authors have recognized them as lectotypes, and we interpret them as such. Analyzing the 53 names for which a “neoholotypus” was designated, we identified several other errors by Irwin and Barneby. These include citation of incorrect type collection numbers for Cassia atroglandulosa Taub. ex Harms and C. laxiracemosa Harms and of an incorrect herbarium acronym for C. catingae Harms and C. sincorana Harms. Here, we provide brief explanations to clarify these situations. A second-step lectotype is designated for C. repens Vogel. Finally, it is noted that the type designation of C. bradei Ekman ex Harms requires, at least, second-step lectotypification, which cannot be done until the herbarium at S becomes accessible.

Atropa arborescens L. is the basionym of the Neotropical species Acnistus arborescens (L.) Schltdl. It was published by Linnaeus in June 1756, with neither specimen nor illustration cited in the protologue. Instead, Linnaeus made a reference to a polynomial published by Plumier in 1703. In February 1756, the illustration corresponding to the polynomial referenced by Linnaeus was published. As it is shown that this plate was available to Linnaeus before June 1756, it is treated as original material and designated as the lectotype of Atropa arborescens.

Scrophularia dianatnejadii Ranjbar & Rahchamani, a new species from Tehran Province in northern Iran, is described and illustrated. It is closely related to S. amplexicaulis Benth. and shares with it some diagnostic morphological characters such as habit, plant indument, phyllotaxy, and corolla shape and color. Both species are placed in Scrophularia L. sect. Mimulopsis Boiss. Macro- and micromorphological characters of the two are examined and compared. Pollen morphology of these species is investigated using SEM. Detailed descriptions, illustrations, distribution maps, and conservation status of both species are provided.

The new species Gentianella montesinosii J. S. Pringle is described from Huánuco Department, Peru. It resembles G. pyrostelium J. S. Pringle, from which it differs in its much greater plant size, less deeply lobed corollas, and stamens inserted lower on the corolla tube.

The pantropical genus Schefflera J. R. Forst. & G. Forst. (Araliaceae) was recently found to be polyphyletic, making it necessary to restrict the generic name to a small clade in the southwest Pacific and to transfer the members of the four remaining clades to other genera. Recent studies of the Neotropical clade have shown that it comprises five morphologically and geographically coherent subclades, each of which is being recognized as a separate genus. In the present synopsis, Crepinella Marchal is resurrected to include the 33 currently recognized species and four infraspecific taxa belonging to one of these subclades, necessitating 36 new combinations (32 species, two subspecies, and two varieties); two names are also lectotypified. Members of Crepinella can be recognized by their leaves with coriaceous leaflets and small stipular ligules, compound umbellate inflorescences, and 2- to 5-carpellate ovaries, coupled with a distribution that is largely restricted to montane vegetation on the sandstone tepuis of the Guiana Shield, with just three species occurring on sandstone substrates elsewhere in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.