Book ID: 107353
Tripp, Erin A. and Manuel Luján
Venezuelan Ruellia (Acanthaceae): A Monograph. 2018. (N.Y.Bot. Gdn.,Mem. 119). illus. (partly col.). 76 p. gr8vo. Hardcover.
The present study contributes a taxonomic revision of the 29 species of Venezuelan Ruellia, including in-depth assessments of type material for all names, new typifications, extensive discussion of taxonomy, biogeography, and ecology of species; field photographs of species and habitats and botanical illustrations of species not previously illustrated; International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) conservation assessments (for the 13 endemic species only); ArcGIS-based maps showing geographical distributions as well as protected areas; and dichotomous keys to facilitate identification of all 29 species. Most collections of Ruellia derive from regions of Venezuela not currently contained within a protected area. Of the 13 endemics, three were assessed as Critically Endangered, five as Endangered, two as Vulnerable, one as Near Threatened, one as Data Deficient, and one as Extinct. Thus, all but four are at severe risk of extinction in the wild, highlighting the growing crisis around habitat destruction in the Neotropics.