Thomas Franklin Daniel

Background and Aims: Previous published accounts of the numbers and composition of species of Acanthaceae in the State of Mexico vary widely. Therefore, we sought to clarify both of these floristic components so as to provide an up-to-date account for use by students, scientists, government officials, and the general public, in efforts to better understand and preserve plants of this family in the state. Methods: Field and herbarium studies, as well as some taxonomic revisions, were undertaken to provide data for an identification key to all genera and species of Acanthaceae in the state, and to offer for each species descriptive information, biotic communities of occurrence, elevational range, floral and fruiting phenologies, specimens examined, and relevant discussions. Key results: Occurrences of 61 species in the family Acanthaceae are documented from the State of Mexico. Fifty-five of these are believed to be native there, and six represent naturalized non-natives. Two species (Poikilacanthus capitatus and Pseuderanthemum hirsutum) are recognized as endemic there, and at least 11 species appear to be newly documented from the state. A new nomenclatural combination, Pseuderanthemum hirsutum, is proposed for the species previously treated as Buceragenia hirsuta, and Beloperone longibracteata is recognized as a new synonym of Justicia sphaerosperma. Images are provided for 60 of the 61 species treated. Conclusions: Despite its small size, the State of Mexico is the eighth richest Mexican state in numbers of species of Acanthaceae. Factors promoting species richness in the state include diversity of biotic communities, broad elevational range, and proximity to other species-rich states. Although known from all of the state’s major biotic communities, most of the native Acanthaceae occur in the south-central and southwestern regions of the state, where both tropical deciduous and oak forests are prevalent.

A taxonomic account of Tetramerium in the Depresión del Balsas Biogeographic Province of western and central Mexico reveals 14 species there, with 2 of them, T. cruzii and T. michoacanum, described herein. A new combination, T. barlerioides, is proposed for the species previously known as T. ochoterenae. This region of Mexico appears to be the center of both species richness and morphological diversity for this widely distributed American genus. A key to the 14 species is followed by geographic distribution ranges, ecological data within the region, and miscellaneous notes for each one that updates information from the last monograph of the genus. A verified voucher specimen is provided to document species occurrences in each state (or portion of a state) in the Depresión del Balsas. Occurrences of 2 species, T. glandulosum and T. tenuissimum, are newly reported from the Estado de México. A map of the region and floral photographs of 12 of the species are provided.

A new species, Justicia darienensis T.F. Daniel & M. Vargas P., is described from a biodiverse “hotspot” in an isolated cloud forest of Darién Province in eastern Panama. It is compared to morphologically and palynologically similar species in southern Central America. Justicia darienensis is characterized by a complex inflorescence with heteromorphic (shape and fertility) bracts, white corollas with purple markings on the lower lip, glabrous anther thecae, 4-aperturate pollen, and pubescent capsules. Images of the plant and its pollen are provided.

Reportamos por primera vez un mecanismo de palanca staminal en Acanthaceae. Presionar el apéndice staminal en dos especies de Justicia causó que la antera descendiera en una forma similar al género Salvia. Movimiento de las anteras con una palanca puede afectar donde el polen es depositado en el cuerpo de potenciales polinizadores. Acanthaceae es una de las pocas familias donde se han reportado palancas estaminales, y la mayoría de las familias están en el orden Lamiales.

Los estudios comparativos de caracteres macromorfológicos y palinológicos de plantas que representan a Stenostephanus silvaticus del sur de México y el sur de Centroamérica revelan que las de las dos regiones geográficamente aisladas representan taxones diferentes. Stenostephanus purpureus se describe como una especie nueva de Costa Rica y Panamá. Se diferencia de S. silvaticus de Chiapas, Oaxaca, Tabasco y Veracruz, México por numerosos caracteres, entre ellos: inflorescencias piramidales con raquis, pedúnculos bicaisales y pedicelos florales glabros; corolas azul-púrpura a púrpura con ambos labios retraídos; y polen subesferoidal con una banda interapertural fosulada de exina que lleva una fila medial de yemas y báculas. Proporcionamos una descripción de S. purpureus y una clave, imágenes y un mapa que muestra las distribuciones de ambas especies.

With ca. 375 species worldwide, Ruellia is a morphologically diverse and geographically widespread lineage of flowering plants. The majority of these species (ca. 275 of 375) occur in the New World (NW), with most of these occurring in the tropics and only about 65 occurring in temperate regions. In the NW, the genus spans some 77° of latitude, ranging from the northern United States (Wisconsin) to northeastern Argentina (Córdoba) and southern Uruguay (Canelones). In this study, we generated ddRAD molecular sequence data for 187 of 275 species of NW Ruellia (ca. 68% of NW species) to reconstruct phylogenetic relationships within this lineage. Coupled with morphological and ecological information, we used this well‐resolved and strongly supported molecular phylogeny to delimit 15 sections of NW Ruellia. Representing the first comprehensive attempt in ca. 125 years, we present a revised classification for NW Ruellia, which places a total of 205 species in the following sections: Ruellia sect. Aphragmia, sect. Blechum, sect. Boreosilva, sect. Brasilia, sect. Cerradicola, sect. Chiropterophilae, sect. Chromatoruellia, sect. Eurychanes, sect. Gymnacanthus, sect. Mexicanae, sect. Physiruellia, sect. Ruellia, sect. Siphonacanthus, sect. Stephanophysum, and sect. Strobiliformes. Nomenclatural innovations in this study include the description of several new sections, new combinations, and new names proposed. Our study complements an earlier reclassification of Old World species to provide a globally unique perspective on the taxonomy and phylogeny of a geographically widespread lineage of flowering plants.