The Capparaceae are a family of plants associated mainly with dry areas, which have produced climatic constraints and a limited geographic distribution. This family is considered endemic in the Neotropical seasonally dry forest (NSDF) and, therefore, a model to analyse the NSDF biogeography. We conducted a track analysis of Neotropical species of Capparaceae to identify generalised tracks that recover ancestral biotas of NSDF nuclei, employing 7602 data points for 104 species. Individual tracks were obtained using Prim’s algorithm and generalised tracks were identified using parsimony analysis of endemicity with progressive character elimination. We found six generalised tracks and four panbiogeographic nodes mainly located in the NSDF. Generalised tracks recovered the ancestral biotas of NSDF distributed among the central Andean coast, central inter-Andean valleys (Ecuador), Tarapoto–Quillabamba, Apurimac–Mantaro (Peru) and Piedmont (Bolivia) NSDF nuclei. Also, the pattern of distribution of Capparaceae recovered old connections between northern South America and the inter-Andean valleys. However, we also found generalised tracks located over the Isthmus of Panama and Amazonian–Magdalena valley moist forest, suggesting that the distribution pattern in this family was influenced not only by NSDF climatic constraints, but also by geological events such as the emergence of the Isthmus and Andean uplift.

The taxonomic limits of Styphelia (Ericaceae, Epacridoideae, Styphelieae) have been contentious since the genus was first described. At one extreme, it has been circumscribed so broadly as to include most epacrids with drupaceous fruit, at the other, to include only those species that also have long-exserted anthers and styles. Recent molecular phylogenetic analyses have indicated that while all previous circumscriptions of Styphelia are non-monophyletic, a large clade (the Astroloma–Styphelia clade) is consistently well supported. This clade comprises Astroloma, in part (i.e. section Stomarrhena sensu Bentham), Coleanthera, Croninia, Leucopogon, in part (i.e. section Pleuranthus sensu Bentham) and Styphelia sensu Bentham. On the basis of those analyses, we here recircumscribe Styphelia phylogenetically to include all species belonging to the Styphelia–Astroloma clade. The 146 taxa occur mostly in Australia, with smaller numbers in New Zealand, New Caledonia (1 species extends to Fiji and Vanuatu) and Malesia. An additional 74 phrase-named taxa belong to this clade, including 70 from Western Australia and 4 from eastern Australia (all other Australian states and territories). The Styphelia floras of Western Australia, eastern Australia, New Caledonia and Malesia are each endemic or nearly so; 1 species (S. nesophila (DC.) Sleumer) is shared between New Zealand and eastern Australia, and 2 species (S. cordifolia (Lindl.) F.Muell. and S. woodsii (F.Muell.) F.Muell.) are shared between Western Australia and eastern Australia. An amended diagnosis of Styphelia is provided, new combinations are made for 25 taxa, and new names published for another 9. Lectotypes are designated for two names (Leucopogon brevicuspis Benth. and L. strictus Benth.) found to have taxonomically heterogeneous syntypes.

In this paper, nomenclatural issues concerning nine Amaranthus taxa in the Australian flora are clarified. Lectotypes are designated for names of three currently accepted species (A. interruptus R.Br., A. rhombeus R.Br. and A. undulatus R.Br.) and two names now being considered to be taxonomic synonyms (A. lineatus R.Br. and A. macrocarpus var. pallidus Benth.). The earlier ‘holotype’ citations for the taxonomic synonym A. incurvatus Timeroy ex Gren. & Godr. and the currently accepted species A. quitensis Kunth are here considered effective lectotypifications. The holotype material for the nomenclatural synonym A. mitchellii var. grandiflorus J.M.Black is clarified. A neotype is designated for A. pallidiflorus var. viridiflorus Thell. (now considered to be a taxonomic synonym).

The Austral High Andean area extends from south-eastern Mendoza, Argentina, to the southernmost tip of South America in the form of isles on the peaks of the Andes range. The objective of this biogeographic regionalisation study was to characterise this area. Individual tracks were made on the basis of the distribution maps of 232 species of vascular plants present in the area, from which localities were identified and georeferenced. A parsimony analysis of endemicity (PAE) was used to obtain a generalised track. The results support an area of endemism located mainly in the Neuquén province, which is treated as a district of the Patagonian province that belongs to the Patagonian subregion of the Andean region. This track analysis is a preliminary contribution for understanding the distributional patterns of the High Andean biota within an evolutionary biogeographic framework.

A new classification of Myrtaceae tribe Chamelaucieae DC., derived from a molecular phylogenetic analysis based on nr ETS and cp trnK and atpB–rbcL spacer sequences, is presented. Eleven subtribes are recognised, eight of which are new. The currently accepted circumscriptions of subtribes Calytricinae Benth. and ‘Euchamelaucieae Benth.’ (nom. inval.) are retained, with the latter being formally published here as Chamelauciinae Rye & Peter G.Wilson. Subtribe Thryptomeninae Benth. is reduced in size by the creation of the new subtribes Alutinae Rye & Peter G.Wilson and Micromyrtinae Rye & Peter G.Wilson. Subtribe Baeckeinae Schauer is reduced to a single genus, with the excluded genera distributed in the new subtribes Astarteinae Rye & Peter G.Wilson, Hysterobaeckeinae Rye & Peter G.Wilson, Ochrospermatinae Rye & Peter G.Wilson, Rinziinae Rye & Peter G.Wilson and Stenostegiinae Rye & Peter G.Wilson. The history of recognition of the genera and subtribes of Chamelaucieae is outlined and supporting morphological evidence for the new classification discussed.

The genus Philodendron Schott comprises the following three currently accepted subgenenera: P. subg. Philodendron, P. subg. Pteromischum and P. subg. Meconostigma; however, these lack a well-defined classification. In the present study, we examined anatomically samples of adventitious roots in species of the group, so as to establish aspects relevant for taxonomic purposes. The anatomical analyses emphasised the characteristics of the steles in cross-sections of the root samples from regions near the apex to the most mature zones. A species of a closely related genus Adelonema, namely A. crinipes, was included in the study to clarify the results. Our results indicated notable differences in the species of the subgenus Meconostigma, mainly in terms of the presence (and variations) of a lobed stele, whereas the cylindrical stele stood out among the common characteristics in P. subg. Philodendron, P. subg. Pteromischum and the related species A. crinipes. Moreover, the characteristics shared by P. subg. Philodendron and P. subg. Pteromischum corroborated the phylogenetic hypothesis that these two taxa were more closely related to one another than to P. subg. Meconostigma.