A new species of Acanthocereus (Cactaceae) from Honduras

Antecedentes y Objetivos: Durante exploraciones en las inmediaciones del Parque Nacional Montaña de Celaque, Honduras, se descubrió una especie nueva de Acanthocereus (Cactaceae). El objetivo del presente trabajo es describir e ilustrar a Acanthocereus lempirensis y compararla con A. chiapensis, su supuesto pariente más cercano. Métodos: Se realizaron colectas botánicas durante 2023. Se revisó material en diversos herbarios y una Base de Datos de Cactáceas de Norte y Centroamérica para hacer un análisis comparativo con otras especies del género, y se elaboró un mapa de distribución. Se evaluó el estado de conservación de la especie, según los criterios de la Lista Roja de la UICN.Resultados clave: Acanthocereus lempirensis parece estar íntimamente relacionada con A. chiapensis por la presencia en ambas especies de tallos verde glauco, ramificados desde la base, con una espinación similar, y flores nocturnas. Se distingue de esta especie fácilmente por la combinación de los siguientes caracteres morfológicos: segmentos del perianto rosas, con segmentos internos oblanceolados, con ápices redondeados a retusos, en su mayoría subagudos y los márgenes del ápice diminutamente lacerados. La especie se encuentra restringida a una pequeña área de acantilados calizos y laderas muy inclinadas con bosque tropical caducifolio con Quercus y Pinus. Únicamente se han detectado ca. de 150 individuos en estado silvestre. Se sugiere una categoría de conservación En Peligro Crítico (CR) para esta especie.Conclusiones: Este descubrimiento destaca a Honduras como un importante centro de diversidad de especies de Acanthocereus (cinco spp.), después de México (12 spp.). Los recientes hallazgos botánicos en Honduras (A. canoensis y A. lempirensis) confirman la importancia de continuar y fomentar los estudios florísticos y la conservación de sus ecosistemas.Background and Aims: During explorations in the Parque Nacional Montaña de Celaque, Honduras, a new species of Acanthocereus (Cactaceae) was discovered. The aim of the present study is to describe and illustrate A. lempirensis, and to compare it with its putatively closest relative, A. chiapensis. Methods: Botanical field collections were conducted during 2023. In order to compare the possible new species with other species in the genus, the collections in different herbaria and a Database of Cactaceae from North and Central America were examined and a distribution map was prepared. A preliminary assessment of the conservation status of the new species was preliminarily assessed using the IUCN Red List criteria.Key results: Acanthocereus lempirensis appears to be closely related to A. chiapensis by the presence in both species of green glaucous stems ramified from the base, similar spination, and nocturnal flowers. It can easily be distinguished from that species by the combination of the following morphological characters: pink perianth segments, internal perianth segments oblanceolate, rounded to retuse and mostly subacute apically, and the apical margins minutely lacerate. The species is restricted to a small area of limestone cliffs and steep slopes with tropical deciduous forests intermixed with Pinus and Quercus. Only ca. 150 individuals have been detected in the wild. A Critically Endangered (CR) conservation category is suggested for this species. Conclusion: This new discovery places Honduras as an important diversity center for species of Acanthocereus (five spp.), preceded by Mexico (12 spp.). The recent botanical findings in Honduras (A. canoensis y A. lempirensis) confirm the importance of continuing and supporting floristic studies in the country and the conservation it its ecosystems

Flora vascular del municipio de Guadalcázar y zonas adyacentes, San Luis Potosí, México

Se estudió la riqueza de especies de plantas vasculares del municipio de Guadalcázar en la región del Altiplano Potosino, un área enclavada en la provincia fisiográfica conocida como Meseta Central y en donde una parte significativa de su superficie ha sido decretada área natural protegida. Se registraron 813 especies de plantas vasculares en 5 tipos de vegetación: matorral submontano, matorral xerófilo, bosque de Quercus, bosque de Pinus y pastizal, siendo el matorral submontano el que alberga la mayor riqueza florística, predominantemente especies de la familia Asteraceae. Un análisis del patrón de distribución de todas las especies mostró que 299 (36.8%) son endémicas de México, la mayoría de la familia Cactaceae. En cuanto al estado de conservación de las especies, 123 (15.1%) se encuentran en alguna categoría de riesgo e igualmente la mayoría de ellas son cactáceas. De la riqueza de plantas existentes en el área de estudio, 160 (19.7% del total) tienen registro de algún tipo de uso. ABSTRACT This study evaluates the species richness of vascular plants in the municipality of Guadalcázar, San Luis Potosí, an area located in the Central Mexican Plateau physiographic province, where a significant portion of their surface has been declared as a natural protected area. A total of 813 vascular plant species were registered in 5 vegetation types: submontane scrub, xerophytic scrub, oak forest, pine forest and grassland, with the submontane scrub being the vegetation type holding the highest floristic richness, predominantly Asteraceae. An analysis of the species distribution pattern revealed that 299 of them (36.8%) are Mexican endemics, most of them belonging to the Cactaceae. Considering the conservation status of the species, 123 (15.1%) are threatened, most of them also Cactaceae. A group of 160 of the total species (19.7%) had a record of some use in the study are

Cactaceae at Caryophyllales.org- A dynamic online species-level taxonomic backbone for the family

This data paper presents a largely phylogeny-based online taxonomic backbone for the Cactaceae compiled from literature and online sources using the tools of the EDIT Platform for Cybertaxonomy. The data will form a contribution of the Caryophyllales Network for the World Flora Online and serve as the base for further integration of research results from the systematic research community. The final aim is to treat all effectively published scientific names in the family. The checklist includes 150 accepted genera, 1851 accepted species, 91 hybrids, 746 infraspecific taxa (458 heterotypic, 288 with autonyms), 17,932 synonyms of accepted taxa, 16 definitely excluded names, 389 names of uncertain application, 672 unresolved names and 454 names belonging to (probably artificial) named hybrids, totalling 22,275 names. The process of compiling this database is described and further editorial rules for the compilation of the taxonomic backbone for the Caryophyllales Network are proposed. A checklist depicting the current state of the taxonomic backbone is provided as supplemental material. All results are also available online on the website of the Caryophyllales Network and will be constantly updated and expanded in the future. Citation: Korotkova N., Aquino D., Arias S., Eggli U., Franck A., Gómez-Hinostrosa C., Guerrero P. C., Hernández H. M., Kohlbecker A., Köhler M., Luther K., Majure L. C., Müller A., Metzing D., Nyffeler R., Sánchez D., Schlumpberger B. & Berendsohn W. G. 2021: Cactaceae at Caryophyllales.org- A dynamic online species-level taxonomic backbone for the family.-Willdenowia 51: 251-270. Version of record first published online on 31 August 2021 ahead of inclusion in August 2021 issue. Data published through: Http://caryophyllales.org/cactaceae/Checklis

A new combination in Peniocereus (Cactaceae) Una nueva combinación en Peniocereus (Cactaceae)

Acanthocereus chiapensis Bravo was described from plants collected in Chiapas, Mexico in March 1967. Field observations as well as detailed morphological and anatomical studies revealed that this entity rather belongs to genus Peniocereus. This taxonomic opinion was supported by the presence in this plant of tuberous roots; relatively thin stems; relatively small flowers and fruits, with numerous, weak spines; absence of primary phloem fiber caps on cortical bundles; and presence of minute, inter-cellular interstices in the seeds. Consequently, the following new combination is made herein: P. chiapensis (Bravo) C. Gómez-Hinostrosa and H. M. Hernández.Acanthocereus chiapensis Bravo fue descrita con base en plantas recolectadas en Chiapas, México en Marzo de 1967. Observaciones en el campo así como estudios morfológicos y anatómicos detallados, revelaron que esta entidad pertenece más bien al género Peniocereus. Esta opinión taxonómica está apoyada por la presencia en esta planta de raíces tuberosas; tallos relativamente angostos; flores y frutos relativamente pequeños, con numerosas espinas frágiles; ausencia de fibras sobre el floema primario de los haces corticales; y presencia de intersticios inter-celulares en las semillas. En consecuencia se hace la siguiente combinación nueva: P. chiapensis (Bravo) C. Gómez-Hinostrosa and H. M. Hernández

Calliandra estebanensis H. M. Hern. A. Branchlet 2019, sp. nov.

Calliandra estebanensis H.M. Hern., sp. nov. (Figs. 1–2) Calliandra estebanensis is closely related to C. grandiflora L’Héritier (1788: 30) Bentham (1840: 139) from which it could be distinguished by having flowers with longer (1.1–2 cm vs. 0.6–1.2 cm) peduncles, shorter (4–6 mm vs. 6–10 mm) pedicels, and larger calyces (2–4 mm vs. 1–2 mm) and corollas (10–16 mm vs. 8–12 mm), prominently covered by a much denser white-sericeous (vs. white, black or ferruginous pilose) vestiture. Type:— MEXICO. Sinaloa, municipality Badiraguato, Los Laureles, 75 km NE of Mocorito on road to Surutato, 25º53’45’’ N, 107º40’40’’ W, 1430 m, 2 August 1983 (fl., fr.), E. Martínez S. et al. 4180 (holotype: MEXU 1478305!; isotypes: CICY!, ENCB!, K!, MEXU 1478306!, MO!, NY!). Shrubs to 2 m high, erect; stems slender; stipules 5 mm long, adpressed, narrowly triangular, white-sericeous, usually caducous. Leaves microphyllidious; pinnae 15–32-jugate; petioles 0.5–0.9 cm long, tomentose or velutinous with white or brown trichomes; rachis 13.3–25 cm long, tomentose or velutinous with white or brown trichomes; rachillae 3.5–5.8 cm long; leaflets 42–56 pairs per pinnae, 4–5 × 0.8–1 mm, narrowly oblong-lanceolate, thinly coriaceous, glabrous at the abaxial and adaxial faces, ciliate at margin, oblique at base, acute at apex, with a single primary, sub-central vein visible under magnification. Inflorescences organized in terminal, conical pseudoracemes formed by numerous umbellate capitula arising at several nodes along a central axis; axis 10.5–18.5 cm long, covered by a dense vestiture of white trichomes; umbels usually 3 per node; peduncles, 1.1–2 cm long, 1–1.5 mm diameter at anthesis, whitetomentose. Flowers homomorphic, usually 3–5 per umbel; pedicels 4–6 × 0.8–1 mm at anthesis, white-tomentose; perianth coriaceous, densely white-sericeous externally, glabrous internally; calyx 2–4 × 4–7 mm, short-campanulate; corolla 10–16 mm long, campanulate, the lobes lanceolate, (3–)4–7 wide; filaments 9.7–10.5 cm long, red or pinkishred; the staminal tube inserted, ca. 4 mm long; polyads 8-grained, 189–242 × 126–146 μm, flattened, bisymmetric, with a mucilaginous appendage on the basal cell; ovary white-velutinous; style ca. 12 cm; stigma capitate. Pods erect or ascending, to 12.5 × 1.5 cm, ligneous, velutinous with white, long trichomes. Seeds unknown. Etymology:—This species in named to honor Esteban Martínez S. (1954–), a Mexican botanist based at the National Herbarium of Mexico (MEXU), who over the last 36 years has produced tens of thousands of botanical collections from all over Mexico and described numerous taxa, greatly contributing to our knowledge of the flora of this country. Distribution and habitat:— Calliandra estebanensis is currently known only from two neighboring localities at the Sierra de Surutato, northern Sinaloa, Mexico (Figure 3). The area is a mountain range of volcanic origin with elevations ranging from 1430 to 2130 m. The vegetation is a mixture of pine and pine-oak forest, and grassland (Gentry 1946). Phenology:—Flowering: August–September; fruiting: August–September. Additional specimens examined:— MEXICO. Sinaloa: Ocurahui, Sierra Surotato [Surutato], 25º56’ N, 107º39’01’’ W, 1830–2130 m, 1–10 September 1941 (fl., fr.), H.S. Gentry 6330 (ARIZ, MEXU, MICH); same locality and date, (fl., fr.), H.S. Gentry 6330-A (ARIZ, MEXU, NY). Taxonomic notes: — Calliandra estebanensis clearly belongs to C. ser. Racemosae Bentham (1844: 111), which includes eight Mexican and Central American microphyllidious species characterized by having terminal, efoliate pseudoracemose inflorescences, with the flowers grouped in capitula or umbels inserted in several nodes along elongated axis (Macqueen & Hernández 1997). Bentham’s C. ser. Racemosae, however, was sunk by Barneby (1998: 148–149) into C. ser. Calliandra, which includes 39 species grouped into two geographically congruent assemblages, one in Brazil, and the other in Mexico and Central America. Nonetheless, we consider C. ser. Racemosae as an acceptable taxon to include a compact group of North and Central American species with racemose inflorescences and, thus, treat C. estebanesis under it. The precise taxonomic relationships of the new species are difficult to determine based on overall morphology. There are three species in Calliandra ser. Racemosae, occurring in western and northwestern Mexico, that may be superficially confused with C. estebanensis: C. palmeri S. Watson (1887: 410), C. longipedicellata McVaugh (1987: 151–152) Macqueen & Hernández (1997: 40) and C. grandiflora. The former two are endemic to western Mexico (Figure 3) and are clearly segregated geographically with respect to C. estebanensis. On the other hand, C. grandiflora is a widespread and morphologically variable species occurring from northwestern Mexico (Durango, Sinaloa and Sonora) to Honduras and El Salvador (Macqueen & Hernández 1997), and is sympatric with C. estebanensis. Calliandra estebanensis and C. palmeri share the presence of relatively large flowers and pods covered by a dense white-sericeous or velutinous vestiture. However, C. estebanensis may be readily distinguished from that species by its shorter petioles and rachillae, higher number of pairs of pinnae, smaller leaflets, shorter inflorescences, longer peduncles and pedicels, and smaller calyces, corollas and pods (Table 1). In turn, C. estebanensis may be distinguished from C. longipedicellata by being shorter, up to 2 m tall shrubs (vs. up to 6 m tall small trees in C. longipedicellata), and by its longer rachis, higher number of pinnae, white-sericeous vestiture (vs. amber-colored vestiture) and shorter pedicels (Table 1). Calliandra grandiflora may be the closest relative of C. estebanensis. The two species differ mainly in size of floral organs and vestiture, as highlighted in the diagnosis. In addition, C. estebanensis usually has larger leaf parts (e.g., longer rachis and rachillae, more pairs of pinnae and leaflets, and larger leaflets); however, although differences in leaf characters between the two species are usually clear in most herbarium specimens, in cases they tend to overlap (Table 1).Published as part of Hernández, Héctor M. & Gómez-Hinostrosa, Carlos, 2019, A narrowly endemic new species of Calliandra series Racemosae (Fabaceae) from Sinaloa, Mexico, pp. 49-54 in Phytotaxa 401 (1) on pages 50-53, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.401.1.4, http://zenodo.org/record/558585

Los géneros Alysicarpus y Desmodium (Fabaceae) en la península de Yucatán, México The genus Alysicarpus and Desmodium (Fabaceae) in the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico

Se presenta una revisión de los géneros Alysicarpus Desv. y Desmodium Desv. (Desmodieae: Desmodiinae) en la porción mexicana de la península de Yucatán. Basada en ejemplares de herbario depositados en 8 herbarios CHAPA, CICY, CIQRO, ENCB, IEB, MEXU, UCAM y XAL. Se reconocen Alysicarpus vaginalis (L.) DC., Desmodium affine Schltdl., D. distortum (Aubl.) J.F. Macbr., D. glabrum (Mill.) DC., D. incanum DC., D. procumbens (Mill.) Hitchc., D. scorpiurus (Sw.) Desv., D. tortuosum (Sw.) DC. y D. triflorum (L.) DC. Se incluyen claves para la identificación de géneros y especies, así como descripciones morfológicas, información ecológica, fenológica, nombres comunes (cuando se conocen), algunos usos y mapas de distribución.A revision of the genera Alysicarpus Desv. and Desmodium Desv. (Desmodieae: Desmodiinae) for the Mexican region of the Yucatán Peninsula is presented. This treatment is based on the study of botanical material of 8 herbaria, CHAPA, CICY, CIQRO, ENCB, IEB, MEXU, UCAM, and XAL. We recognized Alysicarpus vaginalis (L.) DC., Desmodium affine Schltdl., D. distortum (Aubl.) J.F. Macbr., D. glabrum (Mill.) DC., D. incanum DC., D. procumbens (Mill.) Hitchc., D. scorpiurus (Sw.) Desv., D. tortuosum (Sw.) DC., and D. triflorum (L.) DC. Identification keys to genera and to species are included, as well as morphological descriptions, ecology, phenology, some common names and uses for each species

Cactaceae at Caryophyllales.org – a dynamic online species-level taxonomic backbone for the family

This data paper presents a largely phylogeny-based online taxonomic backbone for the Cactaceae compiled from literature and online sources using the tools of the EDIT Platform for Cybertaxonomy. The data will form a contribution of the Caryophyllales Network for the World Flora Online and serve as the base for further integration of research results from the systematic research community. The final aim is to treat all effectively published scientific names in the family. The checklist includes 150 accepted genera, 1851 accepted species, 91 hybrids, 746 infraspecific taxa (458 heterotypic, 288 with autonyms), 17,932 synonyms of accepted taxa, 16 definitely excluded names, 389 names of uncertain application, 672 unresolved names and 454 names belonging to (probably artificial) named hybrids, totalling 22,275 names. The process of compiling this database is described and further editorial rules for the compilation of the taxonomic backbone for the Caryophyllales Network are proposed. A checklist depicting the current state of the taxonomic backbone is provided as . All results are also available online on the website of the Caryophyllales Network and will be constantly updated and expanded in the future