Burmeistera zamorensis Muchhala & A. J. Pérez (Campanulaceae, Lobelioideae)from cloud forests in Zamora Chinchipe, Ecuador. It is distinctive in possessing inflated fruit with thick, fleshy walls, and in the maroon coloration of the ventral surface of its leaves, which the dark green of the dorsal leaf surfaces. Although similar to B. ceratocarpa Zahlbr. and B. glabrata (Kunth) Benth. & Hook. f. ex B. D. Jacks., the new species can be distinguished from these and all other species of Burmeistera Triana by a combination of characters that includes leaf arrangement, fruit morphology, and calyx lobe morphology.

Se describe e ilustra Magnolia mindoensis, una especie nueva de remanentes de bosque premontano en el Chocó biogeográfico colombiano-ecuatoriano. Esta especie se diferencia de Magnolia gilbertoi, una especie endémica de Colombia, por tener láminas foliares más grandes con venas laterales por lado menos numerosas, menor proporción de la longitud de la cicatriz estipular con respecto a la longitud del peciolo, menor número de brácteas, flores más grandes, pétalos abruptamente estrechos hacia la base vs. Gradualmente estrechos hacia la base y estambres más numerosos.

We describe here two new species: Magnolia chiguila and M. mashpi and a new subsection, Magnolia subsect. Chocotalauma, sect. Talauma (Magnoliaceae). Magnolia chiguila is morphologically similar to M. calimaensis, but differs from the latter in having larger and broadly elliptic leaves with larger number of lateral veins and larger flowers with more numerous stamens and carpels. Magnolia mashpi is morphologically similar to M. striatifolia, but differs from the latter in having wider and broadly elliptic to obovate leaves with strongly arched lateral veins that are bullate and abaxially pubescent, more numerous stamens, carpels with a prominent apicule, longer sepals, larger outer and inner petals and glabrous peduncular internodes. The new species are found in the Pacific lowlands of western Ecuador, and all species of the new subsection are restricted to the Chocó biogeographic region of western Colombia and Ecuador. A key to the species of Magnolia subsects. Chocotalauma and Dugandiodendron is provided.

Two new species of Myrtaceae from Yasuní National Park in Ecuadorian Amazon, Myrcia gigantifolia and Plinia valenciana, are described and illustrated. Myrcia gigantifolia grows in Varzea forest along Tiputini river, while Plinia valenciana grows in lowland forest.

Begonia albomaculata as circumscribed in the Flora of Ecuador and related publications is shown to be a misapplied name and represents an undescribed species. This is described as Begonia botryoides Moonlight & Tebbitt sp. nov., and is recorded from the Pichincha, Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas, Napo, Cotopaxi, Azuay and El Oro provinces in Ecuador, and the Antioquia and Chocó departments of Colombia. The taxonomic study of this species prompted a re-evaluation of related species. It was subsequently found that the Central American material previously included in Begonia tiliifolia C.DC. is distinct from the type and other South American material of this species and represents an undescribed species. This is described as Begonia boreoharlingii Tebbitt & Moonlight sp. nov., and is recorded from the Limón province in Costa Rica, and the Bocas del Toro and Coclé provinces in Panama. Four species, Begonia tiliifolia C.DC., Begonia harlingii L.B.Sm. & Wassh., B. botryoides and B. boreoharlingii, are placed in the informally named Begonia tiliifolia group. A key, descriptions, illustrations and distribution maps are provided for the members of the Begonia tiliifolia group, and its sectional classification is discussed.

Introduction. The Cordillera del Cóndor on the border between Ecuador and Peru stands out because of its rich biodiversity and high endemism. Here we describe a new dendroid species of the thalloid liverwort genus Riccardia, R. verticillata Gradst. & Reeb, from El Quimi Biological Reserve in the Cóndor region of Ecuador. Methods. The plants are described using anatomical and morphological methods. For the anatomical study, plants were treated with bleach (20%) and stained with methylene blue, enhancing observation of the thallus structure. Key results. The plants consist of a stout, erect axis with a subepidermis and regularly spaced, horizontally spreading and flattened, densely 4–6 pinnate fronds, which are arranged in whorls. The axis and primary branches are wingless; the younger branches are broadly winged. An erect axis with a subepidermis and winged branches are also seen in the neotropical R. aberrans, R. ciliolata, R. fucoidea, R. gradsteinii, R. pallida, R. poeppigiana and R. wallisii, but these species are less densely pinnate and the branches are not arranged in horizontally spreading, flattened whorls, and are mostly fully winged. In its verticillate habit, the new species is similar only to members of R. subg. Arconeura, including R. prehensilis from Tierra del Fuego and R. eriocaula from Australasia. A key to dendroid neotropical species of Riccardia is provided. Conclusion. Riccardia verticillata stands out among neotropical Riccardia species by its markedly whorled habit. This discovery adds a further endemic taxon to the Cóndor region.

Brunellia ephemeropetala, a new species discovered in Llanganates National Park, Ecuador is described and illustrated. This species belongs to a group of species that have unifoliate leaves, large fruits and navicular endocarp, in which B. ephemeropetala is distinguished by large and thin stipules, leafy inflorescence and the presence of a petal whorl. For the first time, the presence of petals is recorded in Brunellia, a genus previously considered apetalous.

Context Natural regenerating forests are rapidly expanding in the tropics. Forest transitions have the potential to restore biodiversity. Spatial targeting of land use policies could improve the biodiversity benefits of reforesting landscapes. Objective We explored the relative importance of landscape attributes in influencing the potential of tree cover increase to restore native woody plant biodiversity at the landscape scale. Methods We developed land use scenarios that differed in spatial patterns of reforestation, using the Pangor watershed in the Ecuadorian Andes as a case study. We distinguished between reforestation through natural regeneration of woody vegetation in abandoned fallows and planted forests through managed plantations of exotic species on previously cultivated land. We simulated the restoration of woody plant biodiversity for each scenario using LANDIS-II, a process-based model of forest dynamics. A pair-case comparison of simulated woody plant biodiversity for each scenario was conducted against a random scenario. Results Species richness in natural regenerating fallows was considerably higher when occurring in: (i) close proximity to remnant forests; (ii) areas with a high percentage of surrounding forest cover; and (iii) compositional heterogeneous landscapes. Reforestation at intermediate altitudes also positively affected restoration of woody plant species. Planted exotic pine forests negatively affected species restoration. Conclusions Our research contributes to a better understanding of the recolonization processes of regenerating forests. We provide guidelines for reforestation policies that aim to conserve and restore woody plant biodiversity by accounting for landscape attributes.

Magnolia napoensis , a new species from the Amazonian lowlands of Ecuador and Peru is described and illustrated. This species belongs to subsection Talauma; it is similar to M. rimachii in leaf shape but differs from the latter in being taller with a larger diameter and having fewer lateral leaf veins, more numerous hypsophylls, larger flowers, longer outer petals, more numerous stamens and fruits ovoid and ribbed vs. subglobose and smooth. The new species differs from M. neillii by its leaves with fewer lateral veins, glabrous petioles and terminal internodes, more numerous hypsophylls, fewer stamens and ovoid fruits of smaller size, with fewer carpels. Magnolia napoensis is assessed as endangered (EN B2ab(iii) in accordance with the IUCN criteria.

Se evaluó la composición y estructura florística de dos remanentes de Bosque Andino Montano Alto, localizados en la cima del volcán Ilaló (3 190 m). Estos pertenecen a las Comunas de San Francisco de Baños-La Merced y Tola Chica. En cada remanente se establecieron 10 cuadrantes de 10×10 m (0,2 ha); se censaron todos los individuos con un DAP ≥ 2,5 cm. Un total de 533 individuos fueron registrados y clasificados en 20 familias y 40 especies. Se observó una dominancia de Oreopanax ecuadorensis (38,3 % en el remanente 1 y 42,6 % en el remanente 2), seguido de Vallea stipularis y Geissanthus pichinchae para ambos. La misma relación aparecieron en los valores más altos de área basal, donde Oreopanax ecuadorensis registró 0,85 y 0,62 m2 ; de igual forma con un IVI entre 17 % y 19 %. Los índices, alfa de Fisher, Shannon y Simpson, usados para medir la diversidad alfa, no reflejaron diferencias significativas para la conformación vegetal de los cuadrantes. Asimismo, los análisis de NMMDS y ANOSIM empleados para medir la diversidad beta no revelaron diferencias significativas entre ambos; lo que sugirió una composición vegetal continua histórica. Estudios similares son importantes para conocer, entender y conservar la vegetación remanente en los Andes ecuatorianos.

We analyze forest structure, diversity, and dominance in three large-scale Amazonian forest dynamics plots located in Northwestern (Yasuni and Amacayacu) and central (Manaus) Amazonia, to evaluate their consistency with prevailing wisdom regarding geographic variation and the shape of species abundance distributions, and to assess the robustness of among-site patterns to plot area, minimum tree size, and treatment of morphospecies. We utilized data for 441,088 trees (DBH ≥1 cm) in three 25-ha forest dynamics plots. Manaus had significantly higher biomass and mean wood density than Yasuni and Amacayacu. At the 1-ha scale, species richness averaged 649 for trees ≥1 cm DBH, and was lower in Amacayacu than in Manaus or Yasuni; however, at the 25-ha scale the rankings shifted, with Yasuni < Amacayacu < Manaus. Within each site, Fisher’s alpha initially increased with plot area to 1–10 ha, and then showed divergent patterns at larger areas depending on the site and minimum size. Abundance distributions were better fit by lognormal than by logseries distributions. Results were robust to the treatment of morphospecies. Overall, regional patterns in Amazonian tree species diversity vary with the spatial scale of analysis and the minimum tree size. The minimum area to capture local diversity is 2 ha for trees ≥1 cm DBH, or 10 ha for trees ≥10 cm DBH. The underlying species abundance distribution for Amazonian tree communities is lognormal, consistent with the idea that the rarest species have not yet been sampled.

Mayna yasuniana (Achariaceae), a new species, endemic to the wet forests of the Ecuadorian Amazon, is described and illustrated, and its placement in the genus discussed. The new species is distinguished from all species so far described by their fruits without bristles. In a 25-ha plot in the Yasuní National Park, this new species averages five individuals (with DBH ≥ 1 cm) per hectare. Se describe e ilustra Mayna yasuniana (Achariaceae), una nueva especie endémica de los bosques muy húmedos de la Amazonía ecuatoriana y se discute su ubicación en el género. La nueva especie se distingue de todas las especies hasta ahora descritas por los frutos inermes. En una parcela de 25 hectáreas en el Parque Nacional Yasuní se ha registrado un promedio de cinco individuos (con DAP ≥ 1 cm) por hectárea.

Highlighting patterns of distribution and assembly of plants involves the use of community phylogenetic analyses and complementary traditional taxonomic metrics. However, these patterns are often unknown or in dispute, particularly along elevational gradients, with studies finding different patterns based on elevation. We investigated how patterns of tree diversity and structure change along an elevation gradient using taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity metrics. We sampled 595 individuals (36 families; 53 genera; 88 species) across 15 plots along an elevational gradient (2440– 3330 m) in Ecuador. Seventy species were sequenced for the rbcL and matK gene regions to generate a phylogeny. Species richness, Shannon–Weaver diversity, Simpson’s Dominance, Simpson’s Evenness, phylogenetic diversity (PD), mean pairwise distance (MPD), and mean nearest taxon distance (MNTD) were evaluated for each plot. Values were correlated with elevation and standardized effect sizes (SES) of MPD and MNTD were generated, including and excluding tree fern species, for comparisons across elevation. Taxonomic and phylogenetic metrics found that species diversity decreases with elevation. We also found that overall the community has a non-random phylogenetic structure, dependent on the presence of tree ferns, with stronger phylogenetic clustering at high elevations. Combined, this evidence supports the ideas that tree ferns have converged with angiosperms to occupy the same habitat and that an increased filtering of clades has led to more closely related angiosperm species at higher elevations.

Cololejeuneinae is the largest subtribe of the liverwort family Lejeuneaceae and the crown group of the family. The species often grow on the surfaces of living leaves and twigs or in swiftly running waters and many of them possess neotenic gametophytes, considered an adaptation to these extreme habitats. We describe a new, epiphyllous genus and species in Cololejeuneinae from the Western Cordillera of Ecuador, Reinerantha foliicola Gradst. & R.L.Zhu. Analysis of combined molecular datasets with parsimony, maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods revealed Reinerantha in a sister relationship to the large pantropical genus Diplasiolejeunea. Reinerantha differs from Diplasiolejeunea in leaf segmentation, epidermal wall thickening, stylus, male bracts and perianth keels, and is morphologically more similar to the genus Tuyamaella. In the molecular analysis, however, Reinerantha and Tuyamaella were resolved in different clades and not closely related. Tuyamaella is shown to be restricted to Asia; the report of Tuyamaella from South America (Peru) was erroneous and a case of mislabeling.