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Abstract Understanding biodiversity is critical for the proper conservation of ecosystems experiencing extreme stress from global change. Few other ecosystems are at such high risk of disappearing, especially due to logging and agricultural activities, as the Massif de la Hotte, a chain of mountains in Haiti on the island of Hispaniola, located within the Caribbean Biodiversity Hotspot. We used the hyperdiverse tropical plant family Melastomataceae to understand the biogeographical history and endemism patterns in a major hotspot for the family, the Massif de la Hotte, Haiti. Our goal was to determine the number, timing, and geographical origin of introductions of Melastomataceae (particularly Miconieae) into the Massif de la Hotte. We also aimed to identify whether the Massif de la Hotte and neighbouring ranges on Hispaniola and Cuba were so-called museums or cradles of biodiversity, and determine the extent that areas of high diversity and endemism overlap with currently conserved lands. In total, our analyses uncovered 19 independent dispersal events of Miconieae to the Massif de la Hotte. The Mecranium, Brevycima, and Meriania clades all had rapid radiations consisting of narrow endemics inferred to be of Massif de la Hotte origin. Species of the Chaenopleura clade in the Massif de la Hotte were mostly products of solitary dispersal events from eastern Cuba or the Massif de la Selle. The Massif de la Hotte endemics in the Caribbean Clade were largely the result of dispersal events from central and eastern Cuba. Eastern Cuba is also inferred as the ancestral area for many Massif de la Hotte endemic clades. A total of 25 10 × 10-km grid cells were found by CANAPE to contain significant endemism, with a high proportion of endemism hotspots over the Massif de la Hotte and eastern Cuba. Overlap of these significant CANAPE cells with currently protected areas was high (∼90%). Elucidating phylogenetic diversity and endemism patterns across the vastly different ecosystems of this biodiversity hotspot will aid in our understanding of how these biodiverse forests were formed. 

The putative Hispaniolan endemic Graffenrieda ottoschulzii (syn. = Miconia ottoschulzii) was evaluated morphologically and phylogenetically. Morphological data clearly place the species within Miconia, as the taxon is missing the dorsal appendage on the connective and capsule fruits of Graffenrieda but has the berry fruits of Miconia. Phylogenetically G. ottoschulzii was resolved as sister to the widespread and mostly South American, M. pyrifolia, and we conclude here that the two taxa are conspecific. We provide an updated description of M. pyrifolia and lectotypify the names M. ottoschulzii and M. pyrifolia. 

Miconia tetrandra, a morphologically distinctive species restricted to the Caribbean region, is provided with an updated assessment of its phylogenetic position and taxonomy. A detailed description and nomenclatural treatment are provided, along with a consideration of phenology, distribution and habitat, and citation of specimens examined. The species is a member of the Caribbean clade, and it is unusual within Miconia in having flowers with only four stamens (alternating with the petals), with short, obovate, yellow anthers that each open by two large pores. Miconia tetrandra is morphologically quite divergent from, but is likely related to, a clade comprised by M. angustifolia, M. urbanii, and M. biflora, and these three species traditionally have been included within the genus Tetrazygia. In contrast, M. tetrandra usually has been placed within Miconia. 

Abstract PremisePteridophytes—vascular land plants that disperse by spores—are a powerful system for studying plant evolution, particularly with respect to the impact of abiotic factors on evolutionary trajectories through deep time. However, our ability to use pteridophytes to investigate such questions—or to capitalize on the ecological and conservation‐related applications of the group—has been impaired by the relative isolation of the neo‐ and paleobotanical research communities and by the absence of large‐scale biodiversity data sources. MethodsHere we present the Pteridophyte Collections Consortium (PCC), an interdisciplinary community uniting neo‐ and paleobotanists, and the associated PteridoPortal, a publicly accessible online portal that serves over three million pteridophyte records, including herbarium specimens, paleontological museum specimens, and iNaturalist observations. We demonstrate the utility of the PteridoPortal through discussion of three example PteridoPortal‐enabled research projects. ResultsThe data within the PteridoPortal are global in scope and are queryable in a flexible manner. The PteridoPortal contains a taxonomic thesaurus (a digital version of a Linnaean classification) that includes both extant and extinct pteridophytes in a common phylogenetic framework. The PteridoPortal allows applications such as greatly accelerated classic floristics, entirely new “next‐generation” floristic approaches, and the study of environmentally mediated evolution of functional morphology across deep time. DiscussionThe PCC and PteridoPortal provide a comprehensive resource enabling novel research into plant evolution, ecology, and conservation across deep time, facilitating rapid floristic analyses and other biodiversity‐related investigations, and providing new opportunities for education and community engagement.