Maria Alejandra Jaramillo

A new species of Petiveriaceae, Trichostigma guacharense , is described and illustrated, and its morphological affinities with similar species are discussed. It has been found elevations between 1,800–2,150 m, in tropical montane rainforest of the Cueva de los Guacharos National Natural Park (CGNNP), located in the south of the Colombian Andes. The new species is a shrub, reaching ca. 3 m tall and shares features with two other species, T. octandrum and T. peruvianum . It can be distinguished by the lamina shape, presence of caniculate petioles, the number of stamens, and fruit shape. A morphological description, taxonomic comments, an illustration, a Lankaster plate, and information about its current conservation status are presented. An updated key to species of Trichostigma is also provided.

Lissocarpa garcia-cortesii, from the Andean-Amazonian slopes of the Bota Caucana forests, Cauca department, Colombia, is described and illustrated, and its morphological affinities with similar species are discussed. This new species is similar to Lissocarpa uyat. However, it differs from the latter by its strongly angulate branchlets, leaf shape and size, petioles, pedicels, bracteoles, calyx and corolla tube size, stamens adnate at the base of the corolla tube, and fruit ellipsoid with only one seed when mature. A morphological description, taxonomic comments, an illustration, a Lankaster plate, and information on its current conservation status are presented. In addition, an updated key to species of Lissocarpa is provided. This contribution increases the number of Lissocarpa species to 10. Peru and Colombia have the highest numbers of species, with 6 and 4, respectively.

Juglans neotropica is an endangered South American walnut species for which standardized descriptions of early development are lacking, limiting its effective use in conservation and restoration programs. We developed a BBCH-scale description of early vegetative growth of J. neotropica based on observations under nursery and field conditions in Colombia. Three principal vegetative stages were described: seed germination (stage 0), leaf development (stage 1), and stem elongation (stage 3). Germination was hypogeal and occurred 30-140 d after sowing, occasionally extending to 180 d. During early growth, leaflet morphology, number, and architecture showed consistent and discrete changes between stages 1 and 3, including shifts in apex, base, margin type, and laminar shape. These modifications indicate that early development is organized into distinct ontogenetic phases rather than continuous variation, marking the transition from juvenile to vegetative adult stages. By providing a standardized, development-based framework independent of chronological age, this BBCH scale facilitates accurate identification and monitoring of seedlings in nursery production, restoration projects, and urban forestry programs. More broadly, this approach contributes to the characterization of ontogenetic phase transitions in tropical tree species and supports the use of development-based criteria for managing early establishment and performance.

Pentagonia santanderensis (Rubiaceae, Dialypetalantheae) is described and illustrated from the department of Santander, occurring in the municipalities of Cimitarra, La Belleza, and Landázuri in fragmented forests and primary forest edges associated with water sources. We compare this new taxon with morphologically similar species; the size of its leaves, the magenta coloration of the strongly pleated leaf bases, and the color, indumentum, and size of the corolla, as well as the fruits, are diagnostic characters. This new species increases the number of Pentagonia species recorded in Colombia to 23. Based on the IUCN criteria, P. santanderensis is assessed as Endangered (EN B2a(ii)b(iii)) due to its restricted distribution and continuing decline in habitat quality.

Natural history collections are being revitalized by emerging technologies, especially artificial intelligence. These advances enable collectomics—the large-scale extraction and analysis of specimen-derived data—creating new opportunities to address biodiversity loss, ecosystem change, and food security. However, they also raise ethical questions. Many collections are rooted in colonial and imperial histories, prompting questions about control, benefit sharing, representation, and responsibility, especially during political and social upheaval. As AI-powered collectomics expands, it may reproduce historical inequities and create new dilemmas. This article synthesizes the ethical dimensions of collectomics and offers practical recommendations for key stakeholders to support the responsible and fair mobilization of natural history collections, balancing scientific progress with equality, transparency, and fairness. This approach can help prevent the continuation of exploitative practices, strengthen global collaboration, and increase the societal value of collections in the Anthropocene.

Piper trujilloi, a new species from the northwestern Amazon basin, is described and illustrated, and its phylogenetic relationships are discussed. It occurs in the Amazon foothills (a region composed of low hills and plains systems) and the humid forests of the Andes of Colombia (on the eastern slope of the Eastern Cordillera) in the department of Caquetá. Piper trujilloi is a small suffrutex, morphologically similar to P. dunstervilleorum. It can be differentiated by its lamina shape and pubescence, length of inflorescence peduncles, and pubescence of the floral bracts. Molecular sequence data support its inclusion in Piper subgenus Pennistylosum, a group highly diversified in the NW Amazon basin. A key to Amazonian suffrutescent Piper species with small and narrow laminas is provided. This species is one of several taxa described from the department of Caquetá in the last decade, a species-rich region that continues to produce new taxa. Se describe e ilustra Piper trujilloi, una nueva especie del noroeste de la cuenca amazónica, y se discuten sus relaciones filogenéticas. Esta nueva especie se encuentra en las estribaciones (piedemonte) de los Andes y el Amazonas (una región compuesta por colinas bajas y sistemas de llanuras), en los bosques húmedos en la vertiente oriental de la Cordillera Oriental, departamento de Caquetá. P. trujilloi es un pequeño sufrútice morfológicamente similar a P. dunstervilleorum. Se puede diferenciar por la forma y pubescencia de su lámina, longitud de los pedúnculos de la inflorescencia y la pubescencia de las brácteas florales. Los datos de secuencias moleculares respaldan su inclusión en el subgénero Pennistylosum de Piper, un grupo muy diversificado en la cuenca noroeste del Amazonas. Se proporciona una clave para las especies de Piper sufrutescentes amazónicas con láminas pequeñas y estrechas. Esta especie es uno de los varios taxones descritos en el departamento de Caquetá en la última década, una región rica en especies que sigue produciendo nuevos taxones. Palabras clave: bosques tropicales, Caquetá, Noroeste de la Amazonia

Sarcaulus is a small genus of neotropical trees in the Sapotaceae. Most specimens in herbaria are identified as S. brasiliensis , a species recognized from Costa Rica to Bolivia. Morphological characteristics and molecular sequence data help us to identify a new species of Sarcaulus with hermaphrodite flowers from the Middle Magdalena Valley, Colombia. A complete description, an illustration, a Lancaster plate, information about habitat, phenology, conservation status, and the species name etymology are presented. In addition, a key for identifying Sarcaulus species is provided. Sarcaulus paujilensis is remarkable for its bisexual flowers, in an otherwise predominantly unisexual (plant dioecious) genus. This new finding increases the number of species of the genus in the Neotropical flora to six. More fieldwork and molecular phylogenetics are needed to establish many new taxa.

University botanic gardens have long served as vital infrastructures for botanical education, research, and public engagement, evolving in response to scientific, cultural, and institutional change. This paper explores how these gardens, originally devoted to medicinal plant teaching, developed within universities—from Renaissance humanist institutions to modern research‐driven academia—are shaped by colonial expansion and shifting pedagogical paradigms. Drawing on a global survey and a critical review of historical trajectories, the study investigates their changing functions and organizational identities. Despite their diverse roles, university botanic gardens remain underexamined in higher education and biodiversity conservation discourse. Their strategic potential warrants renewed inquiry, especially in the context of global biodiversity loss, planetary health concerns, and efforts to reimagine universities as agents of social and ecological transformation. By tracing their institutional histories and present‐day challenges, this paper contributes to emerging scholarship that aims not only to historicize their roles but also to generate new questions about their future relevance. Ultimately, it offers a foundation for interdisciplinary studies and strategic planning that reassesses university gardens' capacity to support both human and non‐human flourishing in the Anthropocene.

Schlegelia nelcyiae, from the remnants of wet Amazonian forests in Colombia is described, illustrated, and compared with its similar species. This new species is a hemiepiphytic liana, that shares several morphological features with S. brachyantha. However, it can be differentiated from this species in the shape of the leaves, inflorescence type, calyx, and corolla shape, size, and color. An updated key to the species of Schlegelia is presented. The present contribution increases to 25 the number of Schlegelia species, 18 of them known from Colombia, the country with the highest diversity of the genus.