Allium jammuense, a new species from the Trikuta Hills of Jammu and Kashmir, India, is described here as a member of Allium subgenus Cepa section Cepa. The species is discovered based on a combination of morphological characteristics and molecular evidence. Phylogenetic analysis based on nuclear ribosomal Internal Transcribed Spacer (nrITS) sequences supports that A. jammuense is closely related to A. farctum and A. roylei, forming a distinct clade. A detailed morphological description, identification key, comparative table, IUCN status, and photographic plate are provided to support its taxonomic placement.

Keywords: Allium jammuense, Herbarium of the University of Jammu (HBJU), Jammu, nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (nrITS), subgenus Cepa, temperate flora

Botanical explorations carried out in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico, led to the discovery of a new Bromeliaceae: Hechtia mixtecana,which is here described and illustrated. The new taxon is compared with the morphologically similar Hechtia fragilis, Hechtia lyman-smithii, and Hechtia minuta. Hechtia mixtecana differs from these taxa by the orientation of the leaves (ascending to divaricate), by the architecture of the staminate (twice branched) and pistillate inflorescences (once to twice branched), and by the length of the primary branches of the pistillate inflorescence (15–28 cm). A complete morphological description, images, and a geographic distribution map of the new species are included, as well as a list of examined specimens.

Keywords: Balsas Basin Province, endemism, Monocots, Poales, Sierra Madre del Sur Province

Hechtia mixtecana Hern.-Cárdenas, Espejo & López-Ferr. sp. nov.  

Diagnosis: Hechtia mixtecana is similar to H. fragilis but differs in the inflorescence of the staminate plants (twice branched versus once branched), in the presence of indument on its peduncle and floral bracts (glabrous versus lepidote), in the shape (elliptic versus broadly ovate to oblong) of the petals of the staminate flowers; in the length of the primary branches of the pistillate plants (15–28 versus 1–6 cm), and in the presence of indument on its floral bracts (glabrous versus lepidote).

Etymology: The specific epithet refers to and honours the Mixtec culture from Mexico. One of the regions occupied by the Mixtec ethnic group is located in northwestern Oaxaca, the area in which the type locality of the new species is found.

Etymology. Named for Dr Sekou Magassouba, Director-General of the National Herbarium of Guinea (HNG) in the University of Gamal Abdel Nasser – Conakry, Republic of Guinea. Under his careful, tireless and diligent administration, HNG has increased greatly in its capacity to devise and manage projects, attract grants, to train students, including now at doctorate level for the first time and to develop publication of research and publicise the conservation of the threatened plant species and habitats of his country.

Hebius malnatei Li, Nguyen, Huang, Poyarkov, David, Li & Ren, sp. nov.

Diagnosis. Hebius malnatei sp. nov. is distinguished from all congeners by the following combination of characters: (1) small body size, maximum snout-vent length 416 mm; (2) head small, narrow, and moderately distinct from neck; (3) maxillary teeth 26–29, gradually enlarged posteriorly; (4) supralabials 6 (rarely 5), with the 3rd and 4th entering the orbit; (5) temporal scale absent or represented by a small narrow scale; (6) infralabials 7 (rarely 6); (7) dorsal scale rows 17-17-17, weakly keeled except for the outermost 1–6 rows; (8) ventrals 146–156 with two preventrals; (9) subcaudals 60–70, paired; (10) ventral surface of head white, scattered with black spots or streaks; (11) sutures of infralabials strongly edged in black; (12) a white to orangish nuchal collar absent; (13) dorsal ground color gradually changing from brown to dark olive, usually with a series of discontinuous light spots along the lateral side, forming an inconspicuous stripe; (14) tail relatively short (TaL/SVL ratio 0.22–0.27).

Etymology. The specific epithet malnatei is a patronym in genitive declension honoring Edmond V. Malnate (1916–2003), an American herpetologist who made significant contributions to the taxonomy and systematics of Asian colubrid snakes, especially within Natricidae, and who first revised the taxonomic placement of Hebius atemporalis. 

We recommend the following common names for this species: English: “Malnate’s Keelback”, Chinese (中文): “云贵腹链蛇” (Yún Guì Fù Liàn Shé) for its restricted distribution to Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau. Vietnamese: “Rắn sãi Man-lát”, French: “Couleuvre aquatique de Malnate”, Russian (Русский): “Лесной уж Мэлнейта” (Lesnoy Uzh Melneyta).

Distribution. Hebius malnatei sp. nov. is likely endemic to China, with its known range restricted to the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau at elevations of 1,750–1,950 m a.s.l. (Fig. 5).

 Mao-Liang Li, Tan Van Nguyen, Jun-Jie Huang, Sabira S. Idiiatullina, Son Xuan Le, Nikolay A. Poyarkov, Patrick David, Bu-Ying Han, Wei Wu, Jia-Tang Li and Jin-Long Ren. 2026. Taxonomic Reassessment of Hebius atemporalis (Bourret, 1934) (Squamata, Natricidae), with the Description of A New Species from China. Zoosystematics and Evolution. 102(1): 235-251.  DOI: doi.org/10.3897/zse.102.176342 

Parareptilia Oslo, 1947

Procolophonoidea Romer, 1956

cf. Procolophonidae Seeley, 1888

Holotype CAPPA/UFSM 0510, an almost complete skull with mandible in occlusion.

Etymology: The genus name combines the Greek word “sauros” (= lizard) and the Portuguese word “piá” (= young boy), a regional term from southern Brazil rooted in Gaúcho culture, particularly in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, where it is commonly used to refer to a child. The name alludes to the small size and putative early ontogenetic stage of the holotype. The specific epithet combines the Greek words “makros” (= large) and “rhinos” (= nose or snout), in reference to the proportionally enlarged external naris of the holotype.

 

The Vegagete ornithopod is a diminutive bipedal iguanodont from the upper Barremian to lower Aptian (Lower Cretaceous) Castrillo de la Reina Formation of the Burgos Province (Spain). This dinosaur is principally known from disarticulated and fragmentary postcranial remains and was established as the earliest rhabdodontomorph. However, the nature of this material did not allow formal diagnosis of what still appeared to be a new taxon due to its particularly small body size. Recently, new cranial elements have been identified. These elements underwent micro-computed tomography scanning, segmentation and three-dimensional assembly. We herein name the Vegagete ornithopod Foskeia pelendonum gen. et sp. nov. It is diagnosed by a high number of unique features such as the possession of fused premaxillae, procumbent premaxillary teeth, one filiform first dentary tooth, and an elevated craniomandibular joint. Simultaneously, we observe a unique ventrolateral extension of the insertion of the muscle adductor mandibulae externus superficialis on the coronoid process of the dentary. Answering a number of phylogenetic controversies, we provide an updated, taxonomically augmented ornithischian phylogeny toward poorly sampled regions of the ornithischian tree. Rhabdodontia nov. is defined as a restricted clade of European rhabdodontomorphs, including F. pelendonum and rhabdodontids. Rhabdodontomorpha is nested to the base of Ankylopollexia. Thescelosauridae includes Tenontosaurus, and Dryosauridae includes Elasmaria. Agilisaurus louderbacki and Minimocursor phunoiensis are basal ornithopods. Heterodontosauridae remains at the base of Pachycephalosauria. Silesauridae and Sauropodomorpha are resolved in a position closer to Ornithischia than to Theropoda. This provisional result is pending the inclusion of more saurischian characters and taxa.

Keywords: Rhabdodontia, Rhabdodontomorpha, Ornithopoda, Ornithischia, phylogeny

In this study, a new species of the genus Amolops (Anura, Ranidae), Amolops guangzhouensis sp. nov., is described based on six type specimens collected from Conghua District, Guangzhou City, and adjacent Longmen County, Huizhou City, in Guangdong Province, China. The molecular phylogenetic analysis, based on two mitochondrial DNA fragments (16S and COI), places the new species as an independent evolutionary lineage within the A. daiyunensis group. The morphometric statistical analysis and morphological comparison also distinguish the new species from all other congeners. This species can be differentiated from those close relatives by dorsal surface pattern, tiny translucent white spinules across skin, indistinct supernumerary tubercle below fingers, prominent tarsal gland and tarsal fold, and nuptial pad coloration. The discovery of this new species adds to the growing diversity of this genus and represents the westernmost distribution occurrence of the A. daiyunensis group, implying the species diversity of Amolops in southeastern China might still be underestimated.

 

Dicliptera pakhalica (Acanthaceae) is described here as a new species from Pakhal Wildlife Sanctuary, Mahabubabad District, Telangana, India. The species is closely related to D. parvibracteata, sharing a similar inflorescence structure and small bracts. However, it differs in several key morphological characters, including the presence of hairs on the stem, unkeeled secondary and tertiary bracts, the absence of glandular hairs on the calyx, corolla, and capsules, and echinate seeds. A detailed morphological description, notes on distribution and habitat, and photographic illustrations are provided to support the identification of this new species and stimulate further study.

Dicliptera pakhalica Rasingam, P. Harikrishna, Parthiban & V. Chandra Sekhara Rao, sp. nov.

Two new species, Phaeoclavulina aurea and P. fulva, were discovered and described from North China. Identification was based on morphological observations combined with phylogenetic analysis of nrITS–nrLSU sequences. Phaeoclavulina aurea is characterized by its pale yellow to golden yellow basidiomata, brownish black coloration with dark tips at maturity, and basidiospores bearing truncate spines. Phaeoclavulina fulva is distinguished by its dirty orange basidiomata, pale yellow stipe surface, and basidiospores ornamented with rounded warts. This study enriches the species diversity of Phaeoclavulina in North China.

Key words: Clavarioid fungi, new taxa, systematics, taxonomy

Balitora tiandengensis (Teleostei, Balitoridae), a new species collected from a karst cave at Dukang Town, Tiandeng County, Guangxi, China is described and illustrated on the basis of morphological and molecular evidence. Phylogenetic trees reconstructed based on 70 sequences of two mitochondrial (COI and Cyt b) and three nuclear genes (RAG1, IRBP, and EGR2B) show that the new species represents an independent evolutionary lineage. Morphologically, Balitora tiandengensis Nong & Wei, sp. nov. can be distinguished from the other species currently assigned to the genus Balitora by its dorsal fin iii-9, anal fin i-6, pectoral fin v-12, and caudal-fin 19 branched rays. The lips exhibit no complex folding or thickening, maintaining a relatively thin and simple structure. Upper and lower lips connected at corner of mouth, upper lip with a row of inconspicuous papillae, and lower lip thin. Dorsal fin long, 16.7–19.4% of standard length (SL), anal fin short, 15.0–16.7% of SL, distal margin truncated, origin close to the anus and far from the caudal-fin base, pectoral fin 18.4–20.5% of SL, pelvic fin moderately developed, distal margin rounded, 15.1–16.7% of SL. Anus 72.5%–73.3% distance from posterior end of the pelvic fin base to the anal fin origin. The new species will help to define the new distribution of the genus Balitora in Guangxi, China.

Key words: Karst cave, loach, morphology, phylogeny, taxonomy

 

Diagnosis. Leptobrachella xinshaoensis sp. nov. can be distinguished from its congeners by a combination of the following characters: (1) SVL 27.8–31.4 mm in males; (2) toes rudimentary webbed, lateral fringes on toes narrow; (3) tympanum distinct, surrounded by distinct tubercles; (4) dorsal surface shagreened with small, raised tubercles and longitudinal ridges; (5) ventral surface creamy white with dark brown spots on chest and margins; (6) distinct black spots present on flanks; (7) heels not meeting when hindlimbs flexed at right angles to the axis of body; (8) tibia-tarsal articulation reaching between eye and tympanum.