P. Ochoa, and Sergio Zamudio. In Brazil I want to thank the help from Diacis Alvarenga, Vera L. 
Campos, Mary Feitosa, Luis Gorgulho, Derli Marcochi, Peli Marcochi, Margarida F. de Melo, 
Liane A. Pinzon, Wagner A. Teixeira. In Venezuela | thank the help from Emigdio Melgueiro, 
Mercedes Morillo and her brothers Francisco and José, and also the help from Delia de Morillo, 
José A. Rivas, and Antonio Rivas. 
I thank the people at several institutions for helping me in providing resources to collect 
plants during my field trips. In Mexico I am really grateful to Manuel Blanco, Nelly Diego, 
Mario Gonzalez, Rosa E. Gonzalez, Susana Ochoa, and Jerzy Rzedowski; in Brazil I thank Jodo 
Baitello, Gert Hatschbach, and Tarciso Filgueiras; in Venezuela I thank Francisco Guanches. 
In the preparation of cross sections of leaves for the anatomical studies the help of 
Sachiko Yasuda is priceless; the cinnamon rolls shared in those work sessions are highly 
appreciated too. Dr. Richard Keating adviced the studies of leaf anatomy. Bodo Dewa-Ramjee 
and Xochitl Munn entered the exsiccatae in the data base, and I deeply thank their help. Roy 
Gereau assisted me in the preparation of the Latin descriptions for the new species. 
I thank Jim Solomon and David Brunner at the Missouri Botanical Garden herbarium for 
their help in getting the loans from other herbaria. As well, I thank the curators of all the herbaria 
that sent specimens to complete my study. 
I want to thank my fellows at the Missouri Botanical Garden the exchange of ideas, and 
to some of them their enthusiasm to push all of us to know more and get a critical approach to 
our subject of study. Particularly I want to mention Brad Boyle, Jennifer Hedin, Simon 
Malcomber, Thomas Printzie, and Neil Snow. 
This study would not have been possible without the financial support of the scholarship 
iV 
