Three new Nicotiana species (Solanaceae) from Southern Brazil

Nicotiana belongs to the Solanaceae and comprises 105 species, most of which are found in the Americas. In Brazil, 10 species are traditionally recognized, or 13, according to this study. All native Brazilian species occur in the South and Southeast regions. Despite previous taxonomic studies, new species continue to be discovered, including N. mutabilis and N. gandarela. In this context, we have discovered three distinct morphologies in southern Brazil and propose them as new species: N. litoranea, morphologically similar to N. alata; N. crux-australis and N. petum, both morphologically related to N. forgetiana. Additionally, the three new species were preliminarily evaluated as threatened with extinction.