In recent years, Spanish botany has maintained a prominent position on the international scientific stage thanks to the intensive research activity carried out by the members of the Spanish Botanical Society (SEBOT). With nearly a thousand members and sustained growth, SEBOT brings together highly qualified professionals who form a collaborative network with an international reach. SEBOT's scientific commitment is reflected in its ongoing study and documentation of plant biodiversity.

Species description is one of the cornerstones of biology, as the species is the unit upon which our knowledge of biodiversity is built and one of the fundamental ways to transfer biological knowledge to society. Knowing how many species exist, what their characteristics are, and what their geographic distribution is is essential for designing effective conservation strategies, especially in the current context of global change and accelerated biodiversity loss, as well as for identifying the potential genetic resources that these species hold. Without a solid taxonomic foundation, any management or protection effort lacks sufficient scientific basis and can prove futile or even counterproductive.

In this context, during 2024 and 2025, SEBOT members reported a total of 80 plant species new to science, including not only flowering plants but also ferns and up to ten bryophytes (mosses and related organisms). The lists are led by the sedge genus Carex, with 24 species, and the Malvaceae family, with 13 species. Furthermore, two of these species, Castrila latens and Inaguochloa pajonalensis, also represent new genera, the level of biological classification above species.

These discoveries are not limited to the Iberian Peninsula or the Canary Islands but encompass very diverse areas of the planet. Tropical zones in Africa and Latin America have been particularly significant during this two-year period, thanks to collaborations with local botanists in these regions. Many of these species were already threatened at the time of their discovery, such as Acalypha linearis from Africa, or were exclusive (endemic) to only a few locations, like Rosa roque-muchachensis from the Canary Islands or Clinopodium arundanum from Andalusia. Each newly described species expands our knowledge of plant diversity and highlights that a significant portion of this biodiversity remains hidden from science.

It is worth noting that this work is taking place during a transitional period for botanical nomenclature. Starting in 2026, a committee is planned to evaluate the suitability of scientific names for species, considering their potential to be offensive to certain social groups. This initiative aims to foster a science with greater social awareness regarding the potential irresponsible use of newly coined names. This marks, at the same time, the end of an era in which virtually all taxonomists have been sensible, thoughtful, prudent, and, at the same time, autonomous in the process of naming the species they describe. In 2024 and 2025, the scientists of SEBOT named species commemorating botanists (Matisia genesiana, dedicated to Ginés López, the renowned botanist who passed away in 2024), Indigenous peoples (Parablechnum shuariorum, dedicated to the Shuai people of Ecuador), and even with collective dedications (Carex mikasae, dedicated to the feminist struggle through the anime character Mikasa Akerman, or Carex comolaflor, dedicated to Latino immigrants in the US through the song "Como la flor" by Selena Quintanilla). The collection of new species listed here constitutes valuable testimony to the responsible and creative exercise of the freedom to name species in the service of scientific knowledge.

The work carried out by the Spanish botanical community is essential to prevent numerous species from disappearing before they have even been identified. The taxonomic activity presented in this note demonstrates the key role played by SEBOT and its members in the research, documentation, and conservation of plant biodiversity on a global scale.