A new and unusual amphistomatic species of Tibouchina (Melastomeae, Melastomataceae) from Brazil.

Tibouchina rosanae, a new species of Melastomataceae (Melastomeae) from the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil, is described, illustrated and compared to its putative closest allied. It is characterized mainly by the inflorescence that is lax. Tibouchina rosanae is an amphistomatic species, and the presence of stomata on the adaxial leaf surface is reported here for the first time in the genus

Miscellaneous taxonomic and nomenclatural notes on Microlicia D.Don (Melastomataceae).

Continuing the taxonomic and nomenclatural studies of the genus Microlicia, we propose 44 synonyms for 15 Brazilian species. Of these synonyms, 27 are species and 17 are varieties described in the 19th or early 20th century. Microlicia castrata, M. oxyanthera and M. oxyanthera var. albiflora are synonymized under M. acuminata; M. avicularis var. subspathulata and M. myrtifolia under M. avicularis; M. burchelliana and M. albida under M. cryptandra; M. euphorbioides var. ionantha, M. euphorbioides var. leucantha, M. euphorbioides var. humilis, M. euphorbioides var. parvifolia, M. euphorbioides var. setosa and M. oblongifolia under M. euphorbioides; M. seringeana, M. hilariana, M. leucantha and M. leucantha var. purpurea under M. graveolens; M. euphorbioides var. brevifolia, M. euphorbioides var. macrocarpa and M. helvola var. hirsuta under M. helvola; M. fasciculata, M. decussata, M. cinerea, M. cinerea var. oblongifolia and M. cinerea var. ovata under M. hirsuta; M. depauperata, M. francavillana, M. pallida, M. goyazensis, M. paraensis, M. insignioides, M. alvarengae and M. alvarengae var. glabrata under M. insignis; M. carrasci under M. luetzelburgii; M. semiriana under M. lutea; M. fulva, M. cardiophora and M. martialis under M. serpyllifolia; M. setosa var. aristata, M. sellowiana var. ciliata and M. reichardtiana under M. setosa; M. schreinerii under M. taxifolia; M. variolosa var. glabra and M. peruviana under M. variolosa, and M. gardneri and M. vestita var. densifolia under M. vestita. We also designate 37 lectotypes and propose two new combinations: Microlicia hirsuta for M. variolosa var. hirsuta and the new name Microlicia raymondii for Lavoisiera harleyi

Growing knowledge: an overview of Seed Plant diversity in Brazil

Abstract An updated inventory of Brazilian seed plants is presented and offers important insights into the country's biodiversity. This work started in 2010, with the publication of the Plants and Fungi Catalogue, and has been updated since by more than 430 specialists working online. Brazil is home to 32,086 native Angiosperms and 23 native Gymnosperms, showing an increase of 3% in its species richness in relation to 2010. The Amazon Rainforest is the richest Brazilian biome for Gymnosperms, while the Atlantic Rainforest is the richest one for Angiosperms. There was a considerable increment in the number of species and endemism rates for biomes, except for the Amazon that showed a decrease of 2.5% of recorded endemics. However, well over half of Brazillian seed plant species (57.4%) is endemic to this territory. The proportion of life-forms varies among different biomes: trees are more expressive in the Amazon and Atlantic Rainforest biomes while herbs predominate in the Pampa, and lianas are more expressive in the Amazon, Atlantic Rainforest, and Pantanal. This compilation serves not only to quantify Brazilian biodiversity, but also to highlight areas where there information is lacking and to provide a framework for the challenge faced in conserving Brazil's unique and diverse flora