A new subgenus, Kalanchoe Adans. subg. Fernandesiae Gideon F.Sm. (Crassulaceae: Kalanchooideae), is described to accommodate the species of Kalanchoe with variously sized, round to paddle-shaped leaves, dense, club-shaped inflorescences, and cuneiform-quadrangular squamae. The subgenus is restricted to southern and south-tropical Africa.

Tylecodon ectypus (Crassulaceae) is a new species originating from the upper reaches of the Skaaprivierspoort, west of Steinkopf (northern Namaqualand). It is at once distinguished by its geophytic growth form, orbicular glossy leaves bearing thick reticulated veins, candelabriform inflorescences and trumpet-shaped pink-striped white corolla. Vulnerable status (IUCN red list criteria) is justified by its restricted and fragmented distribution, especially considering its scarcity in two of the three known populations.

In the past the names Agave lophantha Schiede (1829) and A. univittata Haw. (1831) (Asparagaceae: Agavoideae / Agavaceae) were variously regarded as referring to the same species, or to two different taxa at either species or infraspecific ranks. In clarifying the nomenclature and taxonomy associated with these two names we show that they apply to the same taxon. We further neotypify both names with the same specimen, Howard Scott Gentry, [Arthur] Barclay & [Juan] Arguelles 20410, (US 2558492, barcode 00044294), which is held in US.

The genus Kalanchoe Adans. (Crassulaceae subfam. Kalanchooideae) is most diverse in Madagascar where about one third of the known ca. 150 species are known to be endemic and all three of the subgenera currently recognised in the genus are represented. We discuss and provide additional information on the natural geographical distribution range of K. dinklagei Rauh, a little-known arborescent species from southern Madagascar.

The first discovery of Mediocactus hahnianus was attributed to Harry Blossfeld. Based on literature analysis, it is shown that T. Rojas and A.M. Friedrich plausibly made the discovery in the mid-1930s, and that seeds or cuttings were then given to Marsoner and eventually arrived at R. Blossfeld's nursery via H. Blossfeld. Although cultivated in Europe by Hahn, the plant is presently known only from the clone grown by J. West in the US, and obtained from Rojas in 1937. Recently, a new colony has been found and it seems to be a single clone. It perfectly fits the US clone from the point of view of morphology, flowers, growth habit, chromosome number, and seed morphology, whereas the localities are 400 km away from each other. Taxonomy and nomenclature are discussed: We decided to retain the species in Trichocereus, using a conservative concept for the genus based on morphological characters. A neotype for Mediocactus hahnianus is designated here.

The Coryphantha sneedii complex is a confusing assemblage of the following intergrading or ill-defined varieties: orcuttii, organensis, sandbergii, villardii, albicolumnaria, leei, guadalupensis, sneedii, and possibly other undescribed taxa. These varieties comprise a continuum of morphological forms, many with overlapping or proximate distributions, and with some morphological variability possibly arising from phenotypic plasticity to the point that the various variety names are not warranted. There is also debate about geographic range of varieties, e.g. is the type variety actually found in Carlsbad Caverns National Park, Big Bend National Park, and Bishop's Cap. Not only is it impossible to consistently distinguish individual plants of the different varieties of Coryphantha sneedii (Britton & Rose) A. Berger, but it is also sometimes impossible to distinguish them from the sympatric Coryphantha vivipara (Nuttall) Britton & Rose, especially from C. vivipara var. neomexicana (Engelmann) Backeberg. Coryphantha vivipara and C. sneedii are distinguishable from all other species of Coryphantha by their 0.5–1.0 mm diameter lenticular druses and usually (but not always) having green fruits/pericarpels, but these two species with overlapping distributions are not always clearly distinguishable from one another. I therefore propose subsuming the entire Coryphantha sneedii complex as a single variety of C. vivipara.

The taxonomy of the Agave kerchovei complex in the states of Puebla and Oaxaca is revisited, analyzed, and discussed, and the status of the names considered to be synonyms is explored and discussed. The status of names synonymized with A. kerchovei (A. convallis, A. dissimulans) is discussed considering new field data from the type localities, with the confirmation of A. convallis as a species as put forth by Garcia-Mendoza and reinstatement of A. dissimulans as a recognized species.

Cactus seeds have unusual properties that resist protein extraction, e.g. a thick testa (seed coat) and a high amount of mucilage within the cells. This study was performed to determine which method (phenol extraction, TCA/acetone extraction, or phosphate-TCA/acetone extraction) is optimal for extracting protein from seeds of three species of Opuntia: Opuntia robusta, Opuntia phaeacantha, and Opuntia engelmannii. Extracted protein was analyzed using a Bradford assay and SDS-PAGE with silver staining. Overall results revealed that the TCA/acetone and phosphate-TCA/acetone methods were far more effective at extracting protein compared to the phenol extraction method. These protein extraction results can be applied to future studies of proteins important for Opuntia seed germination and conservation.

Adenia natalensis W.J.de Wilde, rediscovered recently in the lower Thukela River Valley in central KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa has now been identified from the Mngeni River system to the south, from three additional sites. A single flowering and fruiting female plant has been observed at Botha's Hill near Durban, allowing for a complete description of this dioecious species.

Ferocactus peninsulae (A.A.Weber) Britton & Rose (Cactaceae) has great potential for commercial exploitation by the horticulture industry. It is difficult to propagate vegetatively, and we investigated novel propagation methods. The objectives were to optimize the organic supplements in nutrient medium for seed germination, synthetic seed (synseeds) production, and in vitro and ex vitro retrieval of plantlets after 12 months of cold storage. Seeds were germinated on different strengths of Murashige and Skoog's (MS) nutrient media under variable temperatures. Full strength MS medium augmented with 2.0 mg L^-1 6-benzylaminopu-rine (BAP) incubated at 24°C temperature was optimum for seed germination with 98% maximum response. Synseeds were produced from the eight-week-old in vitro germinated seedlings using 2% sodium alginate and 100 mM calcium chloride solutions. These were cold stored under low temperature (- 4°C) for 12 months. The highest percentage (92%) of synseed germination and seedling growth (4.2 cm shoot with 7.1 cm root) was attained on MS medium fortified with 1.0 mg L^-1 BAP after 12 wk. About 80.5% of cold stored synseeds germinated under greenhouse conditions (ex vitro) on Soilrite^® with healthy shoots (3.7 cm length) and well-developed roots (4.0 cm) within 12 wk. No apparent differences were observed between in vitro and ex vitro raised seedlings. These results would reveal the short-term cold preservation of germplasm of barrel cactus, and it is also effective in in vitro and ex vitro germination. A comparative micro-morpho-anatomical study of in vitro and acclimatized seedlings of F. peninsulae was conducted to understand the xeromorphic adaptations of cacti with reference to stomata, spines and internal anatomy peculiar to the arid environments.

Rhipsalis rhombea is common in living collections, but the name has been used ambiguously in recent decades and has never been typified. We review the taxonomic history of this species and conclude that the name can be applied unambiguously. We therefore establish a neotype for Rhipsalis rhombea Pfeiff. and give a detailed morphological characterization of the species. In addition, we have generated plastid DNA sequences of the neotype which allowed us to establish the phylogenetic placement of R. rhombea within Rhipsalis subg. Phyllarthrorhipsalis.

Intergeneric hybridization is not rare in Cactaceae, even between genera with very different pollination syndromes: thus, it appears that geographic barriers are more important than intrinsic reproductive barriers in this group. Here, we used nuclear microsatellite and chloroplast markers to examine reticulate evolution involving Haageocereus and Espostoa. Microsatellite data indicate that hybrids between Espostoa and Haageocereus are present and that hybridization has gone beyond the F₁ generation, with sampled plants being either F₂ or backcrosses, including several individuals that based on morphology were initially identified as Haageocereus. These populations meet the criteria of hybrid swarms. Together, plastid and nuclear markers indicate that Haageocereus, more abundant in the populations, was the pollen donor in all cases examined.

Cylindropuntia leptocaulis cuttings produce new long-shoots from portions of cuttings that are both aboveground and belowground. New long-shoots arising aboveground appear normal, of the same size and morphology as the original cutting. New longshoots arising belowground, however, are ultra-thin (< 1mm diameter), approximately one-eighth the diameter of the already thin cuttings, have smaller redder photosynthetic leaves, and have hairs growing from their areoles, none of which have been previously reported. Long-shoots arising from belowground quickly grow wider, with normal green fleshy leaves, and non-hairy areoles after growing a few centimeters aboveground.

The small subgenus Panicularia, in Peperomia is mostly restricted to the dry seasonal valleys of Peru and Ecuador. Its representatives are very succulent during the dry period of the year, whereas in the rainy season they produce less succulent reproductive structures that die back after blooming. Four species from Peru are presented here, the latter two new to science. 1) Peperomia espinosae is collected for the first time in Peru. The other collection is the type from Ecuador. It has succulent light green tessellate leaves above, burgundy red and hairy beneath. It produces stalks with alternate sessile leaves and simple short panicles of white, club-shaped spadices. 2) Pe. fraseri is a widely distributed Ecuadorian species. Here we outline its distribution in Peru and its southernmost limit in South America. It presents basal rosettes of light green to red puberulous obovate to rotundate leaves, red beneath; central deciduous stems in the rainy season with several whorls of 2–5 narrow ovate acuminate leaves and 1–4 distal conical panicles, consisting of many conferted, very short, very white fragrant spadices. Its reproductive stems die back completely after fruiting and new plants grow from lateral tubers. 3) Pe. renzopalmae is a plant of unknown locality, sold in many markets in northern Peru as a medicinal and magical plant, suspected to come from Huancabamba, Piura. It produces basal subpeltate light green orbicular leaves looking like coins, stems with aerial secondary rosettes of petiolate non-peltate cordate leaves and panicles very different to all other species of this subgenus. 4) Pe. ricardofernandezii — formerly mistaken as Pe. fraseri — shares sometimes its habitat with this species but presents narrower, more succulent and acuminate leaves. A striking difference is the persistence of succulent stems produced at the center of basal rosettes that bear alternate leaves, never whorled as in Pe. fraseri. These stems are perennial and continue branching from sub-terminal buds.