Recent botanical surveys in the Balearic Islands, with special emphasis on the Pityusic archipelago (Ibiza and Formentera), have led to the discovery of several new non-native succulent species. Four species are newly recorded for both the Balearic Islands and the Euromediterranean area (Euphorbia lamarckii complex, Kalanchoe beharensis, Mesembryanthemum pallens and Yucca filifera). Six represent new records for the Balearic Islands (Dracaena trifasciata, Euphorbia tirucalli, Gasteria carinata, Graptopetalum paraguayense, Kalanchoe fedtschenkoi and Kleinia anteuphorbium) and for 20 taxa the known distribution within the archipelago is expanded, primarily to Ibiza and Formentera. These findings highlight the ongoing introduction of non-native succulents in the Balearic archipelago and their potential threat to the islands' biodiversity, since some taxa display invasive traits in the recorded localities.
A new dwarf Melocactus from Cura & ccedil;ao in the Netherlands Antilles is distinguished from previously named taxa, The plant is unlike any other Melocactus species so far recorded, especially in its spination. Morphological characters separate it from the other species in that island group. To date, no flowers or fruit have been recorded.
Richard Bradley's Historia Plantarum Succulentarum or The History of Succulent Plants, published in five parts beginning between 1716 and 1727, was the first book printed in Britain devoted to succulent plants. It describes and illustrates 50 species. The plants were identified by Gordon Rowley in 1958, with an update in 1964. These identified taxa, together with current accepted names, are presented here. Since Rowley's publication, much more information on both Bradley and the Historia has come to light. An update on information about the Historia, its illustrations and Bradley's biography are also detailed.
A new and disjunct occurrence of Parodia haselbergii was discovered in the south of the state of Paran & aacute;, Brazil, being the northernmost occurrence of this taxon to date. Data on its geographic distribution, ecology and habitat are provided. A neotype is designated for the species.
Rhipsalis boanova Zappi & N.P.Taylor is described as a new red-flowered species in R. subgenus Phyllarthrorhipsalis, from a single site in Bahia state, Brazil. Notes on six other Rhipsalis species are appended.
Melocactus & times;bozsingianus is reconfirmed as a good hybrid species and neither a synonym of M. xtrachycephalus nor M. macracanthos. M. xtrachycephalus is shown to be a synonym of M. stramineus. The sinking of M. stramineus as a subsp. of M. macracanthos and the rejection of koolwijkianus as a subsp. of M. curvispinus are reversed.
Further fieldwork in Gran Canaria and Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain) has yielded new records of escaped cacti. Leucostele terscheckii, Lophocereus marginatus, Myrtillocactus geometrizans, Opuntia dejecta, O. galapageia, Selenicereus grandiflorus, Soehrensia camarguensis, and S. schickendantzii are reported here for the first time from the Canary Islands. Austrocylindropuntia cylindrica, Trichocereus cuzcoensis and T. macrogonus var. pachanoi are newly recorded from Tenerife, while Soehrensia huascha is reported for the first time from Gran Canaria. Several of these taxa appear to be well established, whereas others are currently considered casuals. In addition, new records are provided for recently detected, naturalised, or invasive species, including Cylindropuntia imbricata, C. prolifera, C. tunicata, and various species of Opuntia. All newly recorded taxa are illustrated.
The annotations by Friedrich Ritter in his personal copy of John Borg's, Cacti (1951 edition), are revealed and discussed in the context of his cactus explorations in South America during the 1950 and 1960s and some are illustrated. How Ritter's copy of Cacti was acquired by the present author is explained.
Leptocereus leonii is an endangered cactus, endemic of the Sierra de Anafe (Western Cuba). Most aspects of its reproductive biology are unknown. The present study aims to characterise the flowers of L. leonii from a morphophysiological point of view, to evaluate its reproductive system, and to determine the importance of diurnal and nocturnal pollination. A total of 243 flowers were selected to measure size, count floral parts, evaluate anthesis, quantify nectar production and concentration, evaluate the reproductive system, the importance of day and night pollination, and record visitors to the flowers during the night. The size and number of structures of Leptocereus leonii flowers is within what has been reported for the genus, with a longevity of under 24 hours. Nectar production showed a peak at the beginning of the night and a concentration similar to other chiropterophilous cacti. Results show that the species has a self-incompatible xenogamous reproductive system, with exclusively nocturnal pollination by the bat Monophyllus redmani, the only pollinator recorded.
The rock cavy or Moco, Kerodon rupestris, a caviomorph rodent that inhabits rock outcrops in the Caatinga and adjacent seasonally dry areas, is recognised for its predominantly herbivorous diet. Although the consumption of succulent plant parts is widely documented for the species, there are few detailed records regarding its use of cacti as a food resource. In this work, we describe field observations on the selective consumption of different cacti species by K. ruperstris, emphasising the removal of soft and succulent tissues, often leaving the woody portions and spines intact. This behaviour was recorded in multiple independent events and involved both columnar and flat-segmented cacti. In this note, we discuss consumption patterns, possible morphofunctional adaptations associated with the herbivory of spiny cacti, and the ecological implications of this behaviour in semi-arid environments.
This paper reports the discovery of the Southern African endemic Delosperma cooperi as a naturalised alien along the Mediterranean coastline cliffs of Monastir (central-eastern Tunisia, North Africa). This is the first record of the species outside its native area within the African continent. The population of D. cooperi, appears to be well-established and expanding. The large number of accompanying alien species suggests that this population of D. cooperi could have originated from dumped garden debris. Details about its distribution and habitat in North Africa are presented here. An updated key of the genera of Ruschioideae subfamily in North Africa is also included.
Quiabentia pelodaserra J.A.Siqueira & Zappi sp. nov. is described from the Caatinga (Irec & ecirc; biogeographical District) of central-northern Bahia, Brazil, as only the third species in its genus. Its floral morphology is suggestive of bat pollination, which has not previously been hypothesised for any species in subfamily Opuntioideae. Whereas the other two Quiabentia species are wide-ranging, Q. pelodaserra has an extremely restricted distribution in an area with fertile soil and under very strong agricultural and urban expansion pressure, and its conservation status is a matter for grave concern.
Discocactus piscibarbarus displays two kinds of fruit dehiscence. It is speculated that this could be related to prevailing weather conditions, the apical dehiscence favouring seed dispersal by rain splash.
Several species of Bulbine resemble an Aloe. This paper clarifies over a century of confusion surrounding application of the name Bulbine alooides, first published by Linnaeus as Anthericum alooides. It is a perennial leaf succulent from the Little Karoo region of South Africa. A very different, deciduous, tuberous species to which this name has been applied in recent decades is given a new name, Bulbine neo-nutans. A key is provided for identification that includes other broad-leaved Bulbines from sur-rounding areas. Three synonyms are reallocated. The fieldwork sheds new light on historical literature.
The name combination Coleocephalocereus insigniflorus (Diers & Esteves) N.P.Taylor is published as correct for the species variously classified previously as Siccobaccatus estevesii, Micranthocereus estevesii and Austrocephalocereus estevesii, replacing C. neoestevesii N.P.Taylor (non C. estevesii Diers).
The subfamily Pereskioideae represents a basal lineage within the Cactaceae, retaining ancestral vegetative traits such as persistent, non-succulent leaves. Despite its evolutionary importance and socio-economic potential as a Non-Conventional Food Plant (NCFPs), the reproductive ecology of many species remains poorly understood. This study investigated the vegetative and reproductive phenology and the floral visitors' community of Pereskia bahiensis, an arborescent cactus endemic to the Brazilian Caatinga. Monitoring was conducted from January 2023 to December 2024 in the Chapada Diamantina region of Northeastern Brazil. Pereskia bahiensis exhibited a seasonal phenological pattern, with leaf budding and leaf fall concentrated during the rainy and dry seasons, respectively, resulting in a leaf longevity of seven months. Bud and flower production occurred during the dry-to-rainy season transition, and fruiting was concentrated in the rainy season. Leaf and reproductive phenophases were associated with photoperiod and temperature. Anthesis is diurnal and late, beginning at midday and lasting approximately six hours, with stigmatic receptivity peaking in the mid-afternoon. In 20 hours of observation, a total of 789 floral visits was recorded, involving five bee species and one butterfly. While Augochloropsis sp. was the most frequent visitor (35.11%), it acted primarily as a pollen thief. In contrast, medium-to-large bees, such asXylocopa sp. andApismellifera, along with Ceratina sp. and Megachilinae bees, were identified as effective pollinators due to their frequent contact with reproductive structures. These findings underscore the importance of P. bahiensis as a vital floral resource in the semiarid landscape and provide essential data on the reproductive strategies of evolutionarily basal cacti in seasonally dry tropical forests.
Amphibolia laevis (Aiton) H.E.K.Hartmann is shown not to be conspecific with Amphibolia hutchinsonii (L.Bolus) H.E.K.Hartmann and the latter is reinstated. Amphibolia hutchinsonii prefers calcareous sands and is distributed from slightly south of Alexander Bay to near Cape Town but is absent from the Cape Peninsula. Ruschia crassuloides and R. namaquana are lectotypified. Ruschia crassuloides is recognised as distinct from E. sedoides and transferred to Eberlanzia. Recently relocated original material of Ruschia namaquana shows that it is conspecific with Eberlanzia ebracteata and with Ruschia namaquana var. quinqueflora. As it is the earliest name for these taxa, R. namaquana is transferred to Eberlanzia. Reinvestigation of the little known Eberlanzia parvibracteata shows that this species is conspecific with E. cyathiformis. With the description of a new species, Eberlanzia namibensis Klak, from the area around Swakopmund, the known distribution of Eberlanzia is extended northwards by some 800km. Eberlanzia gravida lacks the bell-shaped fruit characteristic for Eberlanzia and is removed from Eberlanzia and reinstated in Ruschia. A total of 10 species are recognised in Eberlanzia and a revised key for these species is provided.
Furcraea hexapetala, a species native to Central America and cultivated elsewhere as an ornamental and for fibre purposes, is reported here for the first time as naturalised in Morocco. In 2025, a small population was observed on coastal slopes near Tangier. A detailed morphological description, phenological observations, field photographs and notes on its distribution and probable introduction history are provided. Comparative taxonomic remarks are also presented, distinguishing F. hexapetala from closely related and commonly misidentified species, including F. cabuya, F. guatemalensis and F. selloana. This finding adds a new taxon to the Moroccan flora and highlights both the taxonomic complexity of Furcraea and the increasing presence of non-native Agavoideae in the Mediterranean region of North Africa.
Two further heterotypic subspecies of Melocactus zehntneri are recognised and their IUCN Conservation Red List assessments made in view of their limited geographical range. The newly described M. zehntneri subsp. capivara is illustrated.
The taxonomic treatment of the native Cactaceae in the state of Goi & aacute;s (GO) and the Distrito Federal (DF) is presented. Considerable collection effort was carried out to ensure that material was preserved in a plant family widely studied by amateurs but poorly represented in herbaria. Cacti in the Cerrado are mostly associated with different lithobiomes in a matrix of cerrado or dry forests. This treatment includes an identification key to genera and species, descriptions, comments on diagnostic and ecological characteristics, species distribution, conservation status and illustrations. Twenty four species were recorded in the study area, with a predominance of Pilosocereus (nine species), Cereus (five species.) and Discocactus (three species). Endemic species for Goi & aacute;s are Cereus alex-bragae, Discocactus fariae-peresii, Pilosocereus cristalinensis, P. machrisii, P. mollispinus, P. novaromanus and P. vilaboensis. The three species found in the Distrito Federal (Cereus pierre-braunianus, Epiphyllum phyllanthus and Selenicereus setaceus) are all represented elsewhere in Goi & aacute;s.
