Abstract Pollination is a major driver of floral diversity and reproductive success in angiosperms, but comprehensive field-based data are still limited for many plant families. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of 128 studies on Solanaceae, compiling 249 plant taxa with records of planta-pollinators in 25 genera and 154 species. We extracted data on floral traits, including colour, symmetry, reward type, and the presence of floral spots, and analysed their associations with primary and secondary pollinator groups using generalized linear models. Bees were the most frequent pollinators, particularly attracted to zygomorphic flowers offering both pollen and nectar, whereas hawkmoths preferred pale flowers and hummingbirds favoured flowers without spots. Floral traits strongly influenced pollinator visitation and species richness, although patterns varied among pollinator groups. Our results highlight gaps in taxonomic and geographic coverage and provide a synthesis that can guide future research on floral evolution, ecological specialization, and conservation strategies in Solanaceae.

Nicotiana sect. Alatae Goodsp. (Solanaceae) has eight species of ‘tobacco’, primarily distributed in subtropical South America, near the Atlantic coast, a disjunct area from the core distribution of the genus in the Andes. Some species have a showy corolla, such as Nicotiana alata Link & Otto and Nicotiana forgetiana Hemsl., and are parents of the widely cultivated hybrids used for ornamental purposes. The circumscription of the magenta-flowered N. forgetiana has been questioned by morphological studies that suggested the recognition of two morphotypes. Here, we review this complex in the light of integrative taxonomy, focussing on genetic diversity and ecological niche modelling. We evaluated the genetic diversity using molecular markers based on plastid DNA and modelled the environmental niche, mapping both the current and historical distribution. The findings support the acceptance of two monophyletic groups, in agreement with previous morphometric studies, each one with a unique set of haplotypes and without ecological niche overlap. The populations located at the borders of the highlands in the Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul states in Brazil must be accepted as belonging to a distinct species from those from the interior of the Brazilian plateau. Our results highlighted that a combined set of tools can disentangle species complex and that southern Brazil was an important area for diversification in Nicotiana.

Dyssochroma is a small genus of Solanaceae endemic to Brazil, previously known to include three species occurring in the Atlantic Forest domain. Here, we describe two new species of the genus: D. caatingae, from the Caatinga domain in Pernambuco state, and D. jardimii, from the Atlantic Forest domain of Bahia state. The two new species are characterized by a pubescent indumentum in the young branches, calyces, and corollas, with multicellular non-glandular trichomes, whereas their congeners are glabrous or glabrescent, with sparse, unicellular, non-glandular trichomes. Dyssochroma caatingae has a variety of non-glandular trichomes, including simple and branched, ovate leaf blades, and ovary 5–6 × 6 mm. Diagnostic traits of D. jardimii include leaves with revolute margins and trichomes concentrated along the midvein, and green corollas with purplish to brownish stripes. We provide detailed descriptions, illustrations, field photographs, a distribution map, and taxonomic notes for both new species. This study increases the number of recognized species in Dyssochroma from three to five. Additionally, we present an identification key to distinguish them.

Em 2021, tendo consciência da importância das coleções biológicas para a conservação e para o conhecimento da biodiversidade brasileira, o Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação (MCTI) solicitou à Sociedade Brasileira de Zoologia que coordenasse o projeto “O papel das Redes de Coleções Zoológicas no aprimoramento e preenchimento de lacunas taxonômicas e geográficas em bases de dados de acesso aberto” junto ao Edital CESP do Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) (https://www.sibbr.gov.br/page/cesp/cesp-2021.html). O projeto que contou com o financiamento do GBIF, visou fortalecer as coleções zoológicas, fornecendo diretrizes comuns e proporcionando capacitação em ferramentas de gestão para os curadores. Como parceiro do Projeto, o Nó Português do GBFI apoiou as atividades de capacitação, particularmente nos temas de gestão de coleções, limpeza e qualidade de dados. Além do Nó do GBIF Portugal, participaram do Projeto os países Africanos de língua portuguesa: Angola (Nó do GBIF), São Tomé e Príncipe, Moçambique e Cabo Verde. Dando sequência às atividades do projeto, o MCTI, encomentou à SBZ a realização de um diagnóstico de todas as coleções biológicas científicas do Brasil. Este trabalho foi realizado em 2022 em cooperação com a Sociedade Botânica do Brasil (SBB), Sociedade Brasileira de Microbiologia (SBM), Sociedade Brasileira de Virologia (SBV) e sociedades constituintes do Fórum de Sociedades da área de Zoologia. O diagnóstico revelou assimetrias na forma como é feita a manutenção das coleções biológicas científicas, evidenciando a necessidade do estabelecimento de padrões mínimos de gestão e qualidade para orientar os curadores/gerentes/diretores e técnicos. Dessa forma, o presente e-book denominado “Introdução e Orientações às Boas Práticas para as Coleções Biológicas Científicas Brasileiras” tem como principal objetivo oferecer diretrizes para o aperfeiçoamento das coleções biológicas científicas do Brasil abordando aspectos administrativos, de infraestrutura, de recursos humanos e de qualidade necessários para a implementação dos diversos tipos de Coleções Biológicas. Essas recomendações serão a base para que, no futuro, as coleções biológicas científicas brasileiras, especialmente as botânicas e zoológicas, possuam uma linha-base de critérios e padrões a seguir e aperfeiçoar, e que possam, inclusive, receber um selo de qualidade avalizador de sua excelência.

Solanaceae comprises many species complexes, taxonomically challenging lineages that require specialized effort to be reliably delimited, and thus develop a reasoned hypothesis at the species level. To obtain an overview of aspects that permeate species complexes studies in Solanaceae, we collected and summarized details of selected works, resulting in 83 published articles comprising nine genera. Solanum, the most studied genus, spans all explored biogeographic realms, characterized by taxonomic complexity related to its long history of domestication. Capsicum is a unique case due to the adoption of complexes as an indicator of gene pool, while Petunia can potentially serve as a model for the use of species complexes to improve evolutionary knowledge given their phylogeographic studies. The Neotropical region concentrates the majority of research and presents the highest number of genera studied. Morphometrics is the main applied approach probably due to its low cost, followed by population genetics, reproductive biology, phylogeny, and others. Most studies do not present taxonomic decisions or apply integrated methods. We encourage studies with some neglected genera that may have hidden species complexes; a major effort to resolve the Solanum nigrum complex; and the use of effective, less applied fields of study such as ecology and palynology.

A new species of Petunia (Solanaceae) is described and illustrated for the Brazilian flora. Petunia toropiensis Stehmann & Larocca is known only from a few sites along the middle Toropi river basin, in the central region of the Rio Grande do Sul state. The new species is easily recognizable by its erect or ascending habit, infundibuliform corolla with yellow tube and purple limb, yellow pollen, and erect peduncle in fruiting. The species was assessed as Critically Endangered due to the narrow geographic distribution, the few populations known, and the loss of habitat quality. A key for identification of Petunia species from Rio Grande do Sul is given. We also discuss the impact of the dams on the populations of the new species and the conservation efforts needed.

Abstract— Improving species delimitation and knowledge on species complexes is crucial for many areas of study in Biology, especially conservation. Integrative taxonomy contributes to this topic by using different approaches to better delineate taxonomic boundaries. Metternichia (Solanaceae), historically a monospecific genus, has a geographic range that comprises contrasting environments. Metternichia principis was described as having two varieties: the typical variety, found in the humid forests of eastern Brazil (Atlantic Forest region), and M. principis var. macrocalyx, which presents a larger calyx and inhabits mostly semi-arid areas (Caatinga region). In this study, we tested the validity of such groups by integrating environmental, phenological, morphometric, and palynological data; applying uni- and multivariate tests; and evaluating the conservation status of each taxon. Our results support the recognition of two morphological groups within Metternichia, largely in agreement with the original circumscription of the varieties. Multivariate analyses clearly indicate different ecological niches, with each taxon inhabiting environments with distinct mean annual precipitation and temperature. Phenological data show some differences between the varieties regarding months with the highest number of flowering and fruiting records. In general, M. principis var. macrocalyx presents larger flower and pollen characters, and smaller fruit characters compared to the typical variety. Based on these findings, we elevate the variety to the status of species, as the new combination Metternichia macrocalyx. Following IUCN guidelines, both taxa are here preliminarily considered endangered (EN).

As part of an ongoing treatment of species of the Brevantherum clade of Solanum, a new species from the Atlantic Forest of Brazil was discovered and is described here. Solanum helix Giacomin & Stehmann sp. nov. is a species well represented in herbaria that has been overlooked for almost two centuries. It has a unique expanded non-inflated fruiting calyx that resembles a propeller and that is not found in any unarmed species of Solanum. This discovery highlights the importance of continued herbarium and field work in hyperdiverse ecosystems, such as the Atlantic Forest in South America. Taxonomic affinities are discussed and images, as well as mapped distribution, are given. A key to closely related species for NE Brazil is also provided.

We describe two new species of Calibrachoa (Solanaceae) from southern Brazil grasslands. The new species were first detected by molecular data, and later corroborated by morphological traits and field observations. Both species are erect shrubs with showy purple corollas. The main distinctive morphological traits are the marked dark purple ring contrasting with the yellow corolla throat and the lobed stigma in C. atropurpurea, and the long androecium reaching the distal part of the corolla tube and the connivent anthers in C. synanthera. A key for the species with purple flowers from the Rio Grande do Sul Brazilian State, where the species were found, is given.

Premise of the study Evolutionary studies require solid phylogenetic frameworks, but increased volumes of phylogenomic data have revealed incongruent topologies among gene trees in many organisms both between and within genomes. Some of these incongruences indicate polytomies that may remain impossible to resolve. Here we investigate the degree of gene-tree discordance in Solanum, one of the largest flowering plant genera that includes the cultivated potato, tomato, and eggplant, as well as 24 minor crop plants. Methods A densely sampled species-level phylogeny of Solanum is built using unpublished and publicly available Sanger sequences comprising 60% of all accepted species (742 spp.) and nine regions (ITS, waxy, and seven plastid markers). The robustness of this topology is tested by examining a full plastome dataset with 140 species and a nuclear target-capture dataset with 39 species of Solanum (Angiosperms353 probe set). Key results While the taxonomic framework of Solanum remained stable, gene tree conflicts and discordance between phylogenetic trees generated from the target-capture and plastome datasets were observed. The latter correspond to regions with short internodal branches, and network analysis and polytomy tests suggest the backbone is composed of three polytomies found at different evolutionary depths. The strongest area of discordance, near the crown node of Solanum, could potentially represent a hard polytomy. Conclusions We argue that incomplete lineage sorting due to rapid diversification is the most likely cause for these polytomies, and that embracing the uncertainty that underlies them is crucial to understand the evolution of large and rapidly radiating lineages.

Floral shape and size play a role in plant diversification and reproductive isolation. Different floral forms can rise by selective pressures by pollinators/ecological constraints and/or genetic drift. Nicotiana (Solanaceae) has c. 82 currently recognized species grouped in 13 sections. Nicotiana forgetiana and N. alata belong to section Alatae and present different floral traits related to their primary pollinators. These species co-occur in a region of plant endemism in southern Brazil marked by a mosaic between open grasslands and Araucaria forest. Here, we conducted a population-level sampling across the range of N. forgetiana and combined geometric morphometric analyses and ecological niche modelling to shed light on the patterns underlying intraspecific floral shape variation. Corolla shape and size varied significantly across the geographical distribution of N. forgetiana and 'rastroensis', a putative new species. These floral shape differences were related to variations in temperature, precipitation and elevation. We also observed a range of intermediate floral traits in two populations, and our results of geometric morphometric analyses reveal morphological overlap between N. alata and N. forgetiana. Moreover, we found that habitat suitability for both species was impacted by past climatic oscillations, with severe reduction for N. forgetiana during the Last Glacial Maximum. We discuss the results to shed light on the evolution of N. forgetiana.

The Botanical Society of Brazil (SBB) for many years discussed the need to improve the nation’s herbarium collections, by providing training and educating botanists as specialists in plant and fungal taxonomy. It was in this context that an audacious project was developed, which envisaged personnel training for studies in plant and fungal diversity (particularly taxonomy and curation of collections) and the organization and online delivery of the label data of plant and fungal specimens from the herbaria of Brazil - the National Institute of Science and Technology (INCT) Virtual Herbarium. The INCT-Virtual Herbarium had the benefit of the expertise from existing initiatives which, when brought together, made its development possible within a short period of time. These initiatives included: the Herbaria Network of SBB; the Herbarium Network of the Northeast; the Brazilian National Research and Education Network (RNP); and the Reference Center for Environmental Information (CRIA), responsible for the development and maintenance of the speciesLink Network. When it began in 2009, the INCT-Virtual Herbarium brought together 25 Brazilian herbaria sharing 48 plant and fungal databases online (one herbarium can share more than one data set, e.g., plants, fungi, carpological collection), and two US herbaria. Today, the network includes 140 Brazilian herbaria and 25 herbaria from other countries, which hold collections originating from Brazil, thus creating a national virtual herbarium with 190 data sets, sharing over 11 million data records and over 4.5 million associated images. The INCT-Virtual Herbarium is not only a data aggregator, but also an active and integrated community with common objectives such as: free sharing of good quality data; fomenting the important role of herbaria in documenting knowledge of the flora and funga, training, and developing tools and systems to improve data quality and in identifying data and knowledge gaps to help plan new collecting expeditions. The INCT-Virtual Herbarium chose to adopt a collegiate management model, led by a Management Committee of six members from different institutions, together with coordinators of the following subject areas: flowering plant taxonomy, taxonomy of cryptogams, personnel training, liaison with herbaria, product research, and online information systems. A variety of indicators and applications were developed to make online monitoring of activities viable and these are all freely available to anyone interested. Not only the Management Committee but also each partner herbarium can follow the evolution of the INCT, as well as that of each herbarium, in qualitative and quantitative terms. Besides the scientific community, the INCT reaches the general public and decision-makers, providing information that has improved the understanding of preservation and conservation of Brazil’s biological heritage, represented by the botanical and mycological collections. The INCT Virtual Herbarium adopted the speciesLink platform as the basis for its information system. This platform began its development in 2001 with support from the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP), and in 2008 was the only network in Brazil with national scope and international recognition. Some initial decisions on the architecture of the network, which would serve the INCT-Virtual Herbarium were fundamental to its success: the use of international standards and protocols; the concept of minimum interference with the collections, where each data provider could retain sensitive data, having full control of its data; the acceptance of the data without a quality filter, as the network has important tools to identify errors; any changes or corrections are made only by those responsible for the curation of the data; recognition and credit awarded to each and every participant. The speciesLink network uses the Darwin Core data standard (Wieczorek et al. 2012) and participated actively with the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and other networks in developing the DiGIR protocol (Distributed Generic Information Retrieval) and its later evolution the TAPIR protocol (TDWG Access Protocol for Information Retrieval). The use of these standards and protocols facilitated the process of repatriating collection data of Brazilian material deposited in herbaria in other countries. In 2015 the INCT Virtual Herbarium started to transfer its data sets to GBIF and SiBBr, the Brazilian Biodiversity Information System and the Brazilian node of GBIF. These data sets are updated every month, but their updating in SiBBr and GBIF depends on indexing actions of these networks. The development of the INCT-Virtual Herbarium network has shown that a large community of widely dispersed scientists can work together around an important objective, providing Brazil's biodiversity data, and benefiting the whole community.

Habenaria karstica J.A.N.Bat. sp. nov., a new species from limestone outcrops (i.e., karst) in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil, is described. The new species is ecologically very distinct since it is the only Neotropical species of the genus that grows on limestone outcrops under full sun, associated with mat-forming saxicolous plants. It is morphologically similar to species of the Habenaria repens complex, and separation is only possible through a combination of morphological characters. Bayesian and parsimony phylogenetic analyses based on nuclear (rDNA ITS, ETS) and plastid (matK-trnK, rps16-trnK) DNA markers revealed that H. karstica belongs to H. sect. Spathaceae. The new species, however, differs in floral morphology from the other species in this clade. A survey of the literature and public plants datasets revealed 122 species and 58 genera of Orchidaceae in karsts of Brazil. Although small compared to the family’s diversity in the country, Orchidaceae is among the families with the highest number of species in some karst localities. Our results indicate that approximately 97% of Orchidaceae found in karsts of Brazil is not limited to limestone outcrops areas, and that species composition of each locality is primarily determined by the regional flora and the biome in which it is located.

Nicotiana gandarela Augsten & Stehmann (Solanaceae), sp. nov., a small 'tobacco' known only from one locality at Serra do Gandarela, in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, is described and illustrated. It is morphologically characterized by its rosulate basal leaves, red corolla with a short tube not inflated at the apex, and the peculiar habitat, a shaded site under a rocky outcrop ledge along a forested stream. Phylogenetic analyses based on a combined dataset of nuclear (ITS) and plastid (ndhF, trnLF, and trnSG) DNA sequences revealed that the species belongs to the Nicotiana sect. Alatae and is sister to the clade with the remaining species in the section. A key for the identification of Brazilian species of the section is given. The unusual habitat, the small population size, and the intense pressure of mining activities in the surroundings made the species assessed as Critically Endangered (CR), needing conservation efforts to avoid its extinction.