This study presents a floristic survey of orchid species occurring in the Serra do Japi in São Paulo, southeastern Brazil. The region studied is strategically placed in the transitional zone between interior semi-deciduous mesophytic forests and the Atlantic forest, presenting species from both formations and is characterized by semi-deciduous mesophytic forests, altitudinal forests and rocky outcrops. In the Serra do Japi the orchid family is represented by 125 species distributed among 61 genera. The most representative genus is Epidendrum, followed by Oncidium and Habenaria. Most of the species occur as epiphytes, while 40 species are terrestrial, 31 species are rupicolous, two are hemi-epiphytes and only one is myco-heterotrophic. Although the orchid diversity is high, the region has been affected by anthropogenic disturbances, making the preservation and integrated study of the diversity present in the Serra do Japi an urgent necessity, with social, economic and preservationist aspects.

This study presents a floristic survey of orchid species occurring in the Serra do Japi in São Paulo, southeastern Brazil. The region studied is strategically placed in the transitional zone between interior semi-deciduous mesophytic forests and the Atlantic forest, presenting species from both formations and is characterized by semi-deciduous mesophytic forests, altitudinal forests and rocky outcrops. In the Serra do Japi the orchid family is represented by 125 species distributed among 61 genera. The most representative genus is Epidendrum, followed by Oncidium and Habenaria. Most of the species occur as epiphytes, while 40 species are terrestrial, 31 species are rupicolous, two are hemi-epiphytes and only one is myco-heterotrophic. Although the orchid diversity is high, the region has been affected by anthropogenic disturbances, making the preservation and integrated study of the diversity present in the Serra do Japi an urgent necessity, with social, economic and preservationist aspects.

The number of currently known, described and accepted plant species is ca 374,000, of which approximately 295,00 (79%) are angiosperms. Almost 90% of this huge number of flowering plants is pollinated by animals (mostly insects) via nectar-mediated interactions. Notably, three-fourths of the leading global crop plants produce nectar and are animal pollinated, which is estimated to account for one-third of human food resources. Nectar can also be produced on tissues outside of flowers, by so-called extrafloral nectaries, and commonly mediate interactions with ‘body-guard’ ants and other pugnacious insects that defend the plant from herbivores. Extrafloral nectar is present in almost 4,000 plant species, a majority of them in the angiosperms. This brief summary on the occurrence of nectar in the plant kingdom is just to highlight that nectar has a fundamental role in two basal functions that allow the maintenance of our ecosystems: sexual plant reproduction and protection of plants from herbivory. Despite playing essential ecological and evolutionary functions, our current knowledge about nectar is largely incomplete; however, new research directions and perspectives on nectaries and nectars have arisen in recent years. In the last two decades, there were only a few ‘moments’ in which nectar was the main character in international meetings or in published books. In 2002, the first (and only) international meeting “Nectar and nectary: from biology to biotechnology” dedicated exclusively to nectar and nectaries was held in Italy (Montalcino, Siena) and in 2003 the proceedings were published in a special volume of Plant Systematics and Evolution (238, issue 1-4). In 2007, the book Nectar and Nectaries was published (Springer) with most of the contributions provided by authors that attended the meeting in Italy. Another book dedicated to nectar was published in 2015 (Nectar: Production, Chemical Composition and Benefits to Animals and Plants, Nova Science Publishers) covering aspects mainly related to nectar chemical composition and plant-pollinator interactions. Similarly, symposia focused on nectar have been organized within the International Botanical Congress in 2011 and 2017. Considering that the last few years has yielded essential developments in the understanding of nectar biology, we thought now is the moment to further stimulate research on this important topic. This aim has been met through 18 papers published in our Research Topic New Perspectives on the Biology of Nectaries and Nectars, with subjects spanning evolution and ecology to nectar chemistry and nectary structure.

This book is a pioneer attempt to bring forward the first synthesis on the most diverse and threatened mountain top vegetation of South America, the rupestrian grasslands. It brings to light the state of the art information on this ecosystem geology, soil formation and distribution, environmental filters that lead to biodiversity, species interactions and their fine tuned adaptations to survive the harsh mountain environment. The human dimensions of the rupestrian grassland are also addressed, including the anthropogenic threats that may irreversibly impact biodiversity and ecosystem services. The book also highlights the ongoing studies on ecological restoration and first attempt to model the impacts of climate change on its speciose biota.

Orchidaceae.

The aim of this book is to offer information about the Pharmacological Properties of Native Plants from Argentina to students, researchers and graduates interested in the fields of Ethnobotany, Pharmacognosy, Phytochemistry, Pharmacy, and Medicine. The book includes summary information about the native plants from Argentina with medical activity comprising their botanical characteristics, distribution, characteristics of the regions where they grow, ethnobotanical information, chemical data, biological activity, establishment of in vitro cultures, toxicity, and legal status.

The Informed Gardener Blooms Again picks up where The Informed Gardener left off, using scientific literature to debunk a new set of common gardening myths. Once again, Linda Chalker-Scott investigates the science behind each myth, reminding us that urban and suburban landscapes are ecosystems requiring their own particular set of management practices. The Informed Gardener Blooms Again provides answers to questions such as: Does using drought-tolerant plants reduce water consumption? Is it more effective to spray fertilizers on the leaves of trees and shrubs than to apply it to the soil? Will cedar wood chips kill landscape plants? Should I use ladybugs in my garden as a form of pest control? Does aerobically brewed compost tea suppress disease? Every year Chalker-Scott receives hundreds of e-mails from around the world on these and related topics. Her advice, based on more than twenty years of experience in the field of plant physiology, has helped home gardeners, landscape architects, and nursery and landscape professionals to develop scientifically based sustainable landscaping practices. Watch the book trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWrk2894iyA

Orchids account for a large share of global floriculture trade both as cut flowers and as potted plants, and are estimated to comprise around 10% of international fresh cut flower trade. The average value of fresh cut orchids and buds trade during 2007-2012 was US$ 483 million. In 2012, there are more than 40 countries exporting orchids and 60 countries importing orchids around the world, with the total size of the global trade equaling US$ 504 million. In India, about 1350 species belonging to 186 genera represent approximately 5.98% of the world orchid flora and 6.83% of the flowering plants in India. The publication on “Commercial Orchids” is presented in 15 interesting chapters vividly highlighting the global orchid industry, bio-diversity, conservation and bio-piracy of genetic resources, morphological and molecular characterization of valuable species, breeding approaches for improved genotypes, production of quality planting materials, physiology of tropical and temperate orchids, climate change and its impact on orchid productivity, production technology of commercial epiphytic orchids for cut flower, production technology of commercial terrestrial orchids for cut flower, orchids for pot culture, hanging baskets and tree mounting, medicinal and aromatic orchids, post-harvest management of cut flowers of commercial orchids, value addition and marketing.

As with nearly all living creatures, humans have always been attracted and intrigued by floral scents. Yet, while we have been manufacturing perfumes for at least 5000 years to serve a myriad of religious, sexual, and medicinal purposes, until very recently, the limitation of our olfactory faculty has greatly hindered our capacity to clearly and ob