Comparative phylogeography reveals the demographic patterns of neotropical ancient mountain species

Mountains are renowned for their bountiful biodiversity. Explanations on the origin of such abundant life are usually regarded to their orogenic history. However, ancient mountain systems with geological stability also exhibit astounding levels of number of species and endemism, as illustrated by the Brazilian Quartzitic Mountains (BQM) in Eastern South America. Thus, cycles of climatic changes over the last couple million years are usually assumed to play an important role in the origin of mountainous biota. These climatic oscillations potentially isolated and reconnected adjacent populations, a phenomenon known as flickering connectivity, accelerating speciation events due to range fragmentation, dispersion, secondary contact, and hybridization. To evaluate the role of the climatic fluctuations on the diversification of the BQM biota, we estimated the ancient demography of distinct endemic species of animals and plants using hierarchical approximate Bayesian computation analysis and Ecological Niche Modelling. Additionally, we evaluated if climatic oscillations have driven a genetic spatial congruence in the genetic structure of codistributed species from the Espinhaço Range, one of the main BQM areas. Our results show that the majority of plant lineages underwent a synchronous expansion over the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM, c. 21 thousand years ago), although we could not obtain a clear demographic pattern for the animal lineages. We also obtained a signal of a congruent phylogeographic break between lineages endemic to the Espinhaço Range, suggesting how ancient climatic oscillations might have driven the evolutionary history of the Espinhaço's biota.

Taxonomy of Hohenbergia lanata Pereira & Moutinho, new collections with an amendment to its description

Hohenbergia lanata Pereira & Moutinho is an endemic bromeliad of the State of Bahia (Brazil), occurring in an altitudinal transition forest between Caatinga dry woodland and Atlantic Forest. The type material was collected by Roberto Burle-Marx, who introduced it into cultivation in his gardens, but lacking the accurate provenance, only mentioning that it was collected between Milagres and Amargosa municipalities. It was later described by Pereira & Moutinho based on a cultivated specimen. In this work, we present new specimens found in natural populations in an area that coincides with the type locality description, enabling us to expand the description of the species, as well as to provide images of the living plants in the field, adding information about its habitat. The herbarium collections revision and the new population found in the field enabled us to propose an updated conservation status and to better characterize the habit, plant architecture, and to add new morphological comparisons and geographical distribution.

Genome Skimming Reveals Widespread Hybridization in a Neotropical Flowering Plant Radiation

The tropics hold at least an order of magnitude greater plant diversity than the temperate zone, yet the reasons for this difference are still subject to debate. Much of tropical plant diversity is in highly speciose genera and understanding the drivers of such high species richness will help solve the tropical diversity enigma. Hybridization has recently been shown to underlie many adaptive radiations, but its role in the evolution of speciose tropical plant genera has received little attention. Here, we address this topic in the hyperdiverse Bromeliaceae genus Vriesea using genome skimming data covering the three genomic compartments. We find evidence for hybridization in ca. 11% of the species in our dataset, both within the genus and between Vriesea and other genera, which is commensurate with hybridization underlying the hyperdiversity of Vriesea, and potentially other genera in Tillandsioideae. While additional genomic research will be needed to further clarify the contribution of hybridization to the rapid diversification of Vriesea, our study provides an important first data point suggesting its importance to the evolution of tropical plant diversity.

An overview of the Sixth International Conference on the Comparative Biology of Monocotyledons - Monocots VI - Natal, Brazil, 2018

Abstract In this paper we present an overview of the abstracts, scientific and social programs, field trips, and achievements in terms of participant number, represented countries, sponsorships, and themes treated during the Sixth International Conference on the Comparative Biology of Monocotyledons that took place in Natal, Brazil, October 7th -12th 2018. Some comments received by the organizers and a few suggestions for organizers of the next meeting, in Costa Rica, are also provided. The conference’s complete abstract book was published and provide additional information.

Combretaceae no estado do Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil

Resumo Aqui se apresenta a Flora de Combretaceae do Rio Grande do Norte, Nordeste do Brasil, com base na análise comparativa dos caracteres morfológicos de espécimes depositados nos herbários ASE, EAC, FUEL, HEPH, HST, HUEFS, IPA, JPB, MAC, MBM, MOSS, NY, UEC e UFRN, bibliografias especializadas e fotos de coleções-tipo. Para o Rio Grande do Norte são registradas 12 espécies em cinco gêneros: Buchenavia (1 sp.), Combretum (7 spp.), Conocarpus (1 sp.), Laguncularia (1 sp.) e Terminalia (2 spp.). Combretum duarteanum Cambess., C. fruticosum, T. mameluco são novos registros para o estado e Terminalia cf. amazonia poderá ser confirmada como tal, a partir de coleta de espécimes completos. Chaves de identificação para gêneros e espécies, descrições, dados de distribuição geográfica, comentários taxonômicos e ilustrações das espécies são fornecidos.

Private environmental consultancy reveals five genera and ten species of angiosperms new to Rio Grande do Norte state, northeastern Brazil

New occurrences of 10 species of angiosperms from Rio Grande do Norte state are reported. These data were collected by an environmental consultancy prior to the establishment of a wind farm. These records demonstrate the presence of knowledge gaps in the Caatinga flora of the state and show how an environmental consultancy can positively contribute towards the documentation of biodiversity in areas prior to their modification by human activities. In particular, at a time when the Brazilian Congress is discussing the elimination of environmental studies for licensing new developments, these new occurrence data highlight the importance of environmental studies.

Integrative research identifies 71 new plant species records in the state of Rio Grande do Norte (Brazil) and enhances a small herbarium collection during a funding shortage

A National Forest Inventory (NFI) encompassing the entire territory of Brazil is in progress. It is coordinated and promoted by the Brazilian Forest Service of the Ministry of Environment. In each state, the NFI collaborates with local herbaria by receiving collected plant material and performing species identification. Consultants are hired by the NFI and work at the local herbaria under the supervision of a curator. In exchange for curatorial assistance, the NFI provides equipment and consumables for the herbarium. Other public projects collaborating with NFI are Reflora and the Brazilian Biodiversity Information System (SiBBr). Both projects have online platforms that seek to connect herbaria and make all their data freely available, including high quality digital images of specimens. Through inter-institutional collaboration, the joint interests of NFI, Reflora, SiBBr and local herbaria have improved collections, expanded the online Reflora database, and provided the NFI with verified species lists. These strategic uses of public funding are positively affecting Botany, particularly during a period of economic crisis and cuts in research. Here, we illustrate the increase in floristic knowledge through the improvement of a herbarium collection in Rio Grande do Norte (RN) - the Brazilian state with the lowest levels of plant richness. We report 71 new occurrences of vascular plants for RN, belonging mainly to the Poaceae, Fabaceae and Malvaceae. Most of the species with new occurrences have a Neotropical distribution (21 spp.) and only seven are restricted to the Brazilian Northeast. Our findings highlight previous gaps in RN's floristic knowledge. The partnership NFI, Reflora, SiBBr and the UFRN herbarium improved herbarium curation, digital collection, and quality of data. Finally, a fellowship provided by Reflora and SiBBr allowed improving curation by distributing duplicates and incorporating the Herbarium of Câmara Cascudo Museum.

Population genetics of the endemic and endangered Vriesea minarum (Bromeliaceae) in the Iron Quadrangle, Espinhaço Range, Brazil

• Premise of the study: Knowledge about genetic variability in plant populations is one of the main branches of conservation genetics, linking genetic data to conservation strategies. Vriesea minarum is a bromeliad endemic to the Iron Quadrangle region (southeastern Brazil), occurring on mountaintop rock outcrops. It is listed as endangered due to habitat loss, particularly from iron ore mining. Thus, determining the structure and genetic diversity of V. minarum populations could help develop strategies to conserve the species.• Methods: We studied the genetic structure of 12 populations of V. minarum using 10 microsatellite loci transferred from other species of Bromeliaceae. Statistical analyses to compare and describe the genetic diversity of each population were performed, and genetic structure within and among populations, isolation by distance, and Bayesian structure were also analyzed.• Key results: Our results show high inbreeding (G_IS = 0.376) and low population structure (F_ST = 0.088), possibly related to high gene flow due to great pollinator efficiency and/or efficient seed dispersal, thus leading to high connectivity among populations of these fragmented rock outcrops. Two clusters were observed, corresponding to the basins of rivers São Francisco and Doce.• Conclusions: Gene flow among populations is high but, given the rate of habitat loss to mining, most populations are vulnerable and will become increasingly isolated if no action is taken to preserve them. Thus, conservation of this species depends on in situ and ex situ actions, such as controlling overexploitation and creating a germoplasm bank.

Aechmea muricata (Arruda) L.B. Sm. (Bromeliaceae: Bromelioideae): A new record of a threatened species for Rio Grande do Norte, northeastern Brazil

This paper records the first occurrence of Aechmea muricata (Bromeliaceae, Bromelioideae) in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, northeastern Brazil. The taxon was found inside the Mata Estrela Private Reserve, Baía Formosa municipality, southern Rio Grande do Norte. This finding is important to increase the data about the Flora of Rio Grande do Norte, one of the poorest sampled states in Brazil so far, as well as to increase the knowledge about A. muricata distribution, since it is officially included in the Brazilian threatened species plant red list.

New genus and species records of Bromeliaceae in the Caatinga of Rio Grande do Norte state, northeastern Brazil: Orthophytum disjunctum L.B. Sm. (Bromelioideae) and Tillandsia paraibensis R.A. Pontes (Tillandsioideae)

In the present work we describe the first occurrence of the genus Orthophytum (Bromeliaceae, Bromelioideae) and of the species Tillandsia paraibensis within the state of Rio Grande do Norte, northeastern Brazil. Both taxa were recorded on inselbergs in areas of caatinga. These findings are important, improving the knowledge of the Flora of Rio Grande do Norte and giving a better understand of the biogeography of Brazilian bromeliads.

Delimitation of the Alcantarea extensa complex (Bromeliaceae) and a new species from Espírito Santo, Brazil

Abstract The species complex related to Alcantarea extensa is presented and delimited as: A. extensa, A. vinicolor, A. burle-marxii, A. turgida, A. distractila, A. lurida, A. simplicisticha, A. nigripetala, A. mucilaginosa, and A. trepida. Alcantarea trepida, known from Espírito Santo state, southeastern Brazil, is described as new, and illustrated. It is compared to A. extensa , A. simplicisticha, and A. vinicolor from which it differs by the robust, erect, compound inflorescence with more numerous flowers and by the straight and thicker rachilla.