Chara contraria A.Braun ex Kützing is an endangered charophyte species in Serbia, widely recognized for its highly variable thallus morphology, which often hinders precise and reliable identification, leading to misidentification. Oospores, resistant reproductive structures, had already been used as promising taxonomic markers for the delineation of several charophyte species in Serbia. However, the oospores of this highly variable species have not been examined in Serbia before. In this study, we aimed to describe C. contraria oospores and to explore their usefulness as taxonomic parameters. A total number of 537 C. contraria oosporangia containing mature oospores were collected from the individuals from various localities in Serbia. The oosporangia were left in 30% hydrogen peroxide for up to 10 minutes, after which the spiral cells and coronula were removed, and the oospores were prepared for further analysis. First, visual inspection was performed, based on the general appearance of the oospores and the appearance of their apical and basal poles. The oospores were photographed and a standard set of quantitative characteristics was measured. Analyzed oospore specimens were subjected to K-means clustering, an unsupervised machine learning procedure, to determine the potential existence of homogeneous subgroups within them and further investigate their variability. The oospores of C. contraria ranged in color from dark brown to black and showed considerable variability in their general appearance. K-means cluster analysis further confirmed the observed qualitative variability, by identifying three clusters. The parameters that contributed most to the separation into clusters were oospore height, length, and the isopolarity index. Our results suggest that the application of C. contraria oospores as taxonomic parameters is limited by the pronounced variability of both qualitative and quantitative characteristics. Integrating molecular and morphological approaches is recommended to enhance the reliability of taxonomic assessments.

The genus Amphinema comprises a group of hydrozoans within the order Anthoathecata, currently consisting of 20 species, 19 of which have detailed morphological descriptions of their medusoid stage (Schuchert et al., 2025). The hydromedusae of this genus exhibit a combination of distinctive diagnostic features, including an apical projection, two hollow and opposite marginal tentacles, numerous rudimentary marginal warts or bulbs, a manubrium with four simple lips, absence of a gastric peduncle, and gonads located in adradial, interradial, or perradial positions, which occasionally extend along the radial canals (Bouillon, 1999; Bouillon et al., 2006; Fuentes et al., 2012; Schuchert & Collins, 2021). As part of a systematic review of the hydromedusae of Colombia, the morphological characteristics of 56 specimens collected from two coastal sites in the department of Córdoba (Colombia) were analyzed and compared with the diagnostic traits of the nominal species of the genus Amphinema. Based on these analyses, a synthesis of the diagnostic features of the reviewed species is presented, along with the morphological description of a potential new species to science. This taxon differs primarily in the shape and anatomy of the umbrella, apical projection, “gonads”, mouth, and lips. Given the high morphological plasticity observed within this group, it is proposed that molecular analyses be conducted to support the taxonomic identification. Documenting the diversity of hydromedusae contributes significantly to understanding the country’s marine biodiversity and provides a foundation for future studies on aspects such as ecology, phylogeny, and biogeography.

The tribe Hemimerideae (Scrophulariaceae) is the earliest branching lineage of the family, with Nemesia as one of its most diverse and horticulturally significant genera. The genus currently comprises 77 species of annuals and perennials, all endemic to southern Africa, with greatest diversity in the Cape Floristic Region and Succulent Karoo, and additional species in Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique. South Africa is the centre of endemism, with many species restricted to the winter rainfall region. Since Hiern’s 1904 revision, several species have been described, notably by Steiner (1994–2010), yet many remain inadequately treated, underscoring the need for a comprehensive revision.

Nemesia is characterized by zygomorphic, bilabiate flowers, usually with a single spur (versus paired spurs in Diascia), and fruit as a laterally compressed capsule. Floral diversity and annual life history underpin its wide horticultural use in bedding, containers, and hybrid breeding. The genus also provides insight into evolutionary processes in southern Africa. One species (N. micrantha) is extinct, and 14% are of conservation concern. The only published molecular phylogeny (Datson et al. 2008) indicated multiple life-history shifts between perennials of summer rainfall areas and annuals of winter rainfall regions, with diversification linked to Miocene–Pliocene climatic shifts.

Our recent phylogenetic analyses of 48 species using nuclear (ITS, ETS) and plastid (trnL intron) markers reveal two major lineages and five geographically structured subclades, also incorporating provisionally recognized taxa. These results, combined with morphological and distributional evidence, establish the framework for a full taxonomic revision to describe new taxa, update species circumscriptions, refine identification keys and maps, and expand herbarium and molecular resources.

This presentation provides an overview of Nemesia, highlighting key morphological traits and phylogenetic evidence guiding the ongoing revision.

Here, we formally redescribe Menella indica Gray, 1870, a century after its original description from Back Bay, Mumbai, India. We also report Pseudopterogorgia fredericki Williams & Vennam, 2001, a species common along Mumbai’s rocky shores and Echinogorgia sp., a potential new species and more elusive sub-tidal inhabitant of the region. Using an integrative taxonomic approach, we provide descriptive notes and detailed illustrations of external morphology and sclerites of the three species. A phylogenetic tree based on sequences (12 newly generated) of a single mitochondrial marker (mtMutS) was also constructed to examine the systematic position and evolutionary relationship of the three species among similar Indo-Pacific taxa. The white, unbranched specimen matches the original description of M. indica Gray, 1870, with distinguishable sclerites in the form of rooted leaf-scales mostly in the calyx and surface layer. Similarly, the external morphology and sclerite structure (mostly spindles and scaphoids) match the original description of Pseudopterogorgia fredericki Williams & Vennam, 2001, described from St. Mary Isles, Karnataka, India. However, Williams & Vennam stated that there are no sclerites in the polyps, whereas the specimens examined here have flattened rods on the polyps. Echinogorgia sp. colonies are small, grow in one plane, with non-anastomosing branches, and thornscales and tuberculate spindles as the major type of sclerites. The phylogenetic tree recovers all sequences of the genus Pseudopterogorgia, including P. fredericki, and genera Echinogorgia and Menella, including Echinogorgia sp. and M. indica within the family Gorgoniidae and Paramuriceidae, respectively. We further discuss the conservation status of the three species based on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) methodology and classify the species into specific Red List categories. Major threats to species in the region include coastal zone reclamation and development, pollution, and climate change.

Knowledge shortfalls remain a major barrier to understanding global biodiversity, especially in tropical hotspots such as the Brazilian Cerrado. Among these, the Darwinian shortfall—the lack of molecular and phylogenetic data—limits evolutionary and ecological inference and hampers conservation planning. The Tocantins-Araguaia Basin, a highly diverse region within the Cerrado, harbors numerous species of Fabaceae, one of the most diverse and ecologically relevant angiosperm families. However, the extent of molecular data coverage for these taxa remains poorly characterized. We compiled a list of Fabaceae species occurring in the Tocantins-Araguaia Basin using GBIF, SiBBr, speciesLink, and BIEN, filtered through Reflora nomenclature. Molecular data availability was assessed from BOLD Systems and NCBI, considering sequences, annotated genes, and genome assemblies. Phylogenetic representation was mapped onto the Legume Phylogeny Working Group (2017) tree, with species insertions performed in R using ape and visualized with ggtree. A total of 1,423 valid Fabaceae species were identified. Molecular coverage is uneven: the most common markers are ITS, ITS2, matK, rbcL, and rbcLa, but most species are represented by only one or none. Subfamilies such as Papilionoideae are relatively well covered, while Detarioideae and Dialioideae show significant data gaps. NCBI searches revealed a strong asymmetry, with few species having extensive nucleotide data or annotated genes, and complete genomes are extremely rare. These findings demonstrate that Darwinian shortfalls are not randomly distributed but phylogenetically structured, with data concentrated in a few economically important clades. This bias reduces the representativeness of phylogenies and limits conservation prioritization based on evolutionary distinctiveness. By identifying patterns of molecular data scarcity in Fabaceae of the Tocantins-Araguaia Basin, this study provides a framework for guiding future sequencing efforts and conservation strategies. Expanding molecular coverage will be crucial to strengthen biodiversity assessments in the Cerrado.

Hainan Island, locating at south China and the north edge of tropical Asia, is an island with an area of 34,000 km². Hainan Island harbors vast rainforests with high levels of biodiversity, with more than 5000 vascular plants among which ~ 500 are endemic to this island. Such rich biodiversity is mainly due to its high mountains, spatial-temporal dynamics in rainfalls associated with monsoons, and habitat heterogeneity caused by different types of soils and rocks. About 400 km² of karst (limestone landscape) were found on Hainan Island, largely distributed at the west and south part of this mountainous island. Totally about 1500 vascular plants in 181 families (750 genera) can be found in karst regions on Hainan Island, of which 65 species are Hainan-endemic. The karst flora on this island is largely pantropical, with some belong to temperate zone. There are 27 plant species on Hainan’s karst regions are included into national or provincial protection lists as endangered or rare species.

The generic name Dactylorhiza was first introduced by Necker in 1790; later on in 1935, Nevski officially re-established the name and distinguished it from the genus Orchis by characteristics such as palmate tuberoids (vs. ovoid or globose), cauline leaves (vs. basal, rosette-forming), herbaceous leafy bracts (vs. scale-like), and the usual number of chromosomes 2n = 40 (vs. 2n = 36, 42). Dactylorhiza is known for its very high propensity of hybridization and morphological variability, so some taxonomic concepts are difficult to apply in practice when only based on morphology. The number of Dactylorhiza species varies from 660 to over 720 names depending on the authors. In general, members of this genus occupy a wide range of habitats, usually humid, from the slopes of dunes to alpine meadows, including swamps, peatbogs, and various types of forest in Eurasia, Northern Africa, and North America. Some species of this genus are particularly noteworthy as ornamental and medicinal plants, with their underground parts (tubers) used to produce salep. Due to importance of this genus in the context of ornamental and medicinal uses and conservation priorities in flora of Iran and because of dispersed and inconsistent information in previous references, the present study focuses on organizing and updating the taxonomic information on Dactylorhiza species distributed in Iran. Based on our investigation involving the related literature and herbarium samples, it was revealed that in southwest Asia, the flora of Iran encompasses four species and four subspecies of this genus including D. iberica, D. romana (subsp. georgica), D. umbrosa (subsp. knorringiana, subsp. longibracteata, subsp. ochroleuca), and D. lancibracteata. These species are geographically distributed in the Hyrcanian district and Irano-Turanian region in the north, northwest, and west of Iran, although, D. iberica and D. umbrosa have been additionally reported in the center and south of Iran. Dactylorhiza lancibracteata was recently synonymized with D. urvilleana. In Flora Iranica, Renz (2008) noted that D. cuneata may be found in the Azerbaijani mountains of the westernmost part of Iran, but, until now, this species has not been recorded in Iran. Following the footsteps of Renz in Iran, Kreutz and Spencer (2011) mentioned the presence of D. flavescence in the northwest of Iran but they could not find this species during their trip; thus, it is not yet confirmed whether D. flavescence is distributed in Iran.

Coutaportla Urb. originated from Northern Mexico and spread to parts of Guatemala and Honduras, bearing tetramerous or pentamerous flowers and capsules that dehisce loculicidally. The delimitation of the genus has been controversial since Lorencea was segregated; however, both molecular and morphological evidence reject this separation, supporting the recognition of five species within Coutaportla. This study provides an updated taxonomic treatment that incorporates newly described species, identification keys, distribution maps, and detailed descriptions. A thorough review of the taxonomic literature and protologues was conducted, complemented by the examination of herbarium specimens (including types) and consultation of online collections to refine species descriptions and distribution data. The genus comprises five species, four endemic to Mexico and one extending into Central America. Three of these are known only from their type localities. Species occur in a variety of environments, ranging from arid and temperate to tropical and humid zones. Diagnostic features include ovary placentation (subapical, median, and basal), along with floral and foliar characters. Morphological evidence supports synonymising Lorencea with Coutaportla. The genus is highlighted as a subendemic Mexican element, with most species having restricted ranges and requiring conservation attention.

This study aims to provide the first comprehensive checklist and analysis of the Chiococceae tribe in Mexico, based on more than 4,000 herbarium specimens and georeferenced occurrence records cross-validated from online repositories. A total of 28 species across nine genera were recorded, including two endemic genera ( Coutaportla and Nernstia ) and 14 species restricted to the country. Approximately half of the Chiococceae species occurring in Mexico are endemic, underscoring the country as a centre of diversity for the tribe. Distribution patterns show a strong concentration in the tropical south, particularly in Chiapas (17 species; five endemic), Veracruz (14 species; four endemic), and Oaxaca (14 species; six endemic). Diagnostic combinations of reproductive traits—such as corolla form, size, and symmetry; fruit texture and dehiscence; and seed morphology—proved valuable for distinguishing genera. However, persistent taxonomic challenges remain at both generic (e.g., Asemnantha/Chiococca, Coutaportla/Lorencea, Solenandra/Exostema) and species levels (e.g., Chiococca alba), highlighting the need for further systematic research. Overall, this work establishes a baseline for future taxonomic, ecological, and conservation studies on Chiococceae in Mexico.

Dalea L. is the only genus from the Amorpheae tribe distributed in the Peruvian Andes, where most of its species are endemic and endangered. The centre of diversity is within northern and central Andes mountain ranges converging with the Huancabamba Depression, a hotspot for cryptic plant diversity located in Cajamarca. Despite taxonomic studies conducted 40 years ago, morphological delimitations remain ambiguous due to phenotypic plasticity and the lack of type specimens, particularly among endemic taxa. This study aimed to assess morphological differentiation and carry out a nomenclatural revision of Dalea L. (13 species and 8 varieties) from the Cajamarcan Andes. As a result, we identifies 16 species in Cajamarca, based on distinctive morphological characters, including in stipule type; leaflet shape, pubescence density and number; inflorescence type; bract morphology; length of calyx distal tooth relative to its tube; number of glands per intercostal margin of the calyx; and fruit morphology. Nomenclatural changes were proposed for certain infraspecific taxa through their elevation to species rank, establishing: D. sericophylla Ulbr., D. cutervoana Szyszyl. and D. microphylla Kunth. The remainig varieties were reduced to synonymy under their respective species. Additionally, lectotypifications were carried out for the species D. myriadenia Ulbr., D. sericophylla Ulbr. and D. weberbaueri Ulbr., due to the loss of their holotypes which had been deposited at the Berlin Herbarium.