Background and Aims:  The genus Phanerophlebia has been considered as enigmatic among pteridologists. Previous reviews have delimited a total of eight species, only two of which had been reported for Honduras. The objective of this study is to review the species in Honduras and to examine their ecology, habitat, and distribution.Methods: Between March 2018 and February 2019, we reviewed herbarium specimens of Phanerophlebia, and made trips and new collections from previously reported locations in order to understand better the ecology, habitat, and distribution of the Honduran species.Key results: We document the first record for Honduras of Phanerophlebia macrosora and the rare hybrid P. juglandifolia × macrosora. A dichotomous key was constructed for the species reported for the country. Conclusions: Molecular studies of the Honduran species are needed, as well as the effective conservation of the areas where they can be found. Revisions of pteridophytes groups and additional surveys are still necessary to better understand the true diversity of Honduras.

A comprehensive compilation of all currently recognized orchid species known from Honduras is presented. The checklist includes 604 taxa in 145 genera; 595 species, two subspecies and seven natural hybrids. Orchidaceae represents 7% of the flora of country and continues to be the plant family with the highest number of species in Honduras. The most species rich genera in the country are Epidendrum (76 species), Lepanthes (28), Stelis (26), Prosthechea (21), Habenaria (19), and Malaxis (17). Regarding the habit, 74% of the taxa are epiphytes, 20% are terrestrial, 1.5% are hemiepiphytes, 1.5% are lithophytes and 3% can be terrestrial and epiphytic. Most of the botanical collections in Honduras were made by foreign researchers between the 1920s and 1970s. Among the orchid specimens available for the current study, 44% were deposited in national herbaria and 46% in herbaria in the United States of America. The departments with more than 100 voucher specimens each are Atlántida, Comayagua, Cortés, Francisco Morazán, Lempira, and Santa Bárbara. Only 7% of Protected Natural Areas have more than 121 voucher specimens, 70% has less than 120 specimens, and remaining 23% have no available records at all. In some cases they have poor accessibility and inadequate road infrastructure. Honduras has 10 endemic orchid species, three distributed in the Mosquito province, four in the Chiapas Highlands province, and three shared by both provinces. The number of orchid taxa known to occur in Honduras may continue to increase as additional collection efforts are made. This further helps to fill in the knowledge gaps on the distribution patterns of orchids and other plant groups in Central America.

The first natural hybrid of the genus Gongora is described for the department of Copán in Honduras, between the species Gongora truncata and Gongora batemanii (synonym: Gongora cassidea). The nothospecies described here presents intermediate characteristics between both species, such as setaceous projections on the lip, a large callus, spatulate epichile, and a cucullate hard dorsal sepal. The identity of a specimen from the Herbarium Jany Renz Botanical Institute, University of Basel, Switzerland, corresponds to the same hybrid described here and erroneously determined as Gongora saccata, a synonym of Gongora seideliana, is considered. The clarification of the synonymy of Gongora saccata and relevant aspects regarding the pollination mechanisms and reproductive barriers of both parent species are also discussed.

La siguiente investigación se desarrolló en la zona núcleo del área protegida Refugio de Vida Silvestre Puca, ubicada al norte del departamento de Lempira, siguiéndose la metodología de establecimiento de parcelas de monitoreo permanentes en bosques tropicales al azar, considerando, en este sentido aspectos como, caminos utilizados por la población lenca y pendientes no mayores a 50% para el estudio de la estructura y composición arbórea. Se establecieron 23 parcelas de forma circular con un área de 1000 m2 para la medición y registro de variables dasométricas y sistematización de la dinámica de especies arbóreas en el bosque, encontrándose un bosque con una composición florística abundante. El análisis de correlación de los datos dasométricos en RStudio es de 0.80, mostrando una relación positiva de diámetros y alturas. En este bosque húmedo tropical se encontraron 66 especies en 54 géneros distribuidas en 44 familias. La especie con mayor Índice de Valor de Importancia (IVI), fue Liquidambar styraciflua (L.) con un 23.70%. Se aplicó el Índice de Diversidad de Shannon-Wiener/ Weaver siendo este 3.67 y el índice de diversidad de Margalef de 10.55, interpretándose para ambos valores una biodiversidad alta en la zona núcleo del Refugio de Vida Silvestre Puca.

A new species of Lophiaris (Orchidaceae, Onciidinae), Lophiaris quichensis Coxic, Cetzal, Mó & Carnevali, from the department of Quiché, Guatemala, is herein described, illustrated, and characterized based on morphological features. It is here referred to the L. straminea complex (along with L. aurisasinorum, L. sierracaracolensis, and L. straminea) from which it is easily distinguished by the color of the flowers: sepals and petals yellow, and the whole surface covered with pale reddish-brown spots, the claws with a pale reddish-brown stain, the labellum yellow with a reddish-brown blotch covering the central portion of the central lobe, the disc and partially the teeth of the callus, the lateral lobes with a brown spot at the base of the same. The etymology, distribution, ecology, and comparative differences of the new species with respect to other species of L. straminea complex are discussed. We also provide a comprehensive key to identify the species of L. straminea complex. The conservation status of L. quichensis is assessed as CR by the IUCN criteria.