The genus Gentianella in Nepal is revised and five species are recognized: G. angustiflora Harry Sm., G. azurea (Bunge) Holub, G. glanduligera Airy Shaw, G. lowndesii Harry Sm. and G. moorcroftiana (Wall. ex G.Don) Airy Shaw. Gentianella maddenii (C.B.Clarke) Airy Shaw, usually treated as a distinct species, is placed in synonymy of G. moorcroftiana. The genus Comastoma in Nepal is revised, four species are recognized and one new combination is made: C. falcatum (Turcz. ex Kar. & Kir.) Toyok., C. pedunculatum (D.Don) Holub, C. stellariifolium (Franch.) Holub and C. urnigerum (E.Aitken & D.G.Long) E.Aitken comb. nov. The genus Gentianopsis in Nepal is revised and three species are recognized: G. contorta (Royle) Ma, G. paludosa (Hook.) Ma and G. vvedenskyi (Grossh.) Pissjauk.

Two new species of Aeschynanthus from Borneo, A. argentii Mendum and A. pseudohybridus Mendum, and one from Palawan (Philippines), A. batakiorum Mendum & Madulid, are described and illustrated.

Mannia controversa (Meyl.) Schill comb. nov. (Marchantiidae, Aytoniaceae), a long-forgotten European taxon, is fully redescribed and a lectotype selected. It is reported from its original localities in the Swiss Alps and new sites in the Austrian and French Alps. A series of specimens from eastern Asia are closely related and are described as Mannia controversa subsp. asiatica Schill & D.G.Long. For the species, differences with other Mannia species are summarised and for its two subspecies, descriptions, illustrations (including SEM images) and a key are provided along with notes on ecology and distribution maps.

Flueggea anatolica Gemici (Euphorbiaceae) is illustrated and described from S Anatolia. It is a deciduous unarmed shrub, related to F. virosa (Roxb. ex Willd.) Voigt, but has an undivided pistillode, up to 13 staminate flowers per glomerule, and pistillate flowers in groups of (1−)2–3. This is the first record of the genus Flueggea from Anatolia. F. anatolica has an isolated position within the genus and is considered to be a Tertiary relict.

A new species of Roscoea from Bhutan and southern Tibet, R. bhutanica Ngamriab., formerly included in R. tibetica Batalin, is described and a new key to all species of Roscoea is provided. While studying the phylogeny of Roscoea, we discovered that there is a correspondence between phylogeny and biogeography (Ngamriabsakul et al., 2000). There are two distinct areas of distribution in Roscoea, namely the Himalaya and China. Only R. tibetica has been recorded in both areas. Cowley (1982) indicated that this species was very variable and suggested that it might be divided. We now propose to name a new species, R. bhutanica, based on observation of living and herbarium material at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) and a molecular systematic study. A morphological table comparing R. tibetica with R. bhutanica is given, along with the ITS sequences of R. tibetica, R. bhutanica and R. auriculata. The identification key to Roscoea species largely follows our phylogenetic tree (Ngamriabsakul et al., 2000).

The new species Sinojackia oblongicarpa C.T. Chen & T.R. Cao (Styracaceae) is described and illustrated.

A vascular plant species list and description is provided for the San Pastor Savanna, an isolated area of savanna within the Chiquibul Forest Reserve, Belize. Of the 126 species recorded, 28 are new records for the Chiquibul Forest Reserve with one previously unrecorded for the country. The maintenance of the current vegetation classification under the Belize Ecosystems Map for the San Pastor Savanna is supported. The coarse-textured soils are typical for extremely seasonal climates with some evidence of prolonged inundation during wet periods and dry seasons affected by burning. Although clear floristic affinities exist with other local and regional savanna areas, the San Pastor Savanna has some unique features and its flora includes national endemics. Although it is currently protected as part of the Chiquibul Forest Reserve and this status should be maintained, its inaccessible location makes frequent monitoring by the Forest Department problematic. Through providing a source of water and a source of forage for horses, the San Pastor Savanna plays a pivotal role in supporting the illegal Chamaedorea (xaté) palm leaf harvesting industry. This activity has also adversely impacted local wildlife. Like the nearby Mountain Pine Ridge, the San Pastor Savanna has suffered intense pine beetle (Dendroctonus spp.) attack.

The sub-Saharan and mainly western southern African genus Babiana (Iridaceae–Crocoideae) is morphologically diverse, containing some 80 species. The Socotran B. socotrana, which differs from all other members of the genus inter alia in its trisulcate pollen grains, basic chromosome number, x=10, corms of axillary origin, and globose, colliculate–tuberculate seeds, is here excluded from Babiana and referred to the new genus Cyanixia. Other Babiana species have monosulcate pollen grains with a two-banded operculum, a basic chromosome number of x=7, terminal corm ontogeny, and derived pear-shaped seeds with a smooth glossy surface. Cyanixia socotrana was previously assigned to Babiana because of superficial similarities in morphology, including plicate leaves and blue flowers, thought at the time to be bilabiate, although now known to be actinomorphic and rotate. DNA sequence analysis using the chloroplast gene matK confirms that Babiana is a monophyletic assemblage, whereas B. socotrana is sister to the Lapeirousia/Savannosiphon clade of sub-Saharan Africa. The latter shares axillary corm ontogeny with the southern African Micranthus, Thereianthus, and Watsonia, in contrast to the more common situation in Crocoideae (including Babiana) in which the corm develops from the base of the flowering stem. The tropical African Zygotritonia, which also has axillary corm development, shares with Cyanixia a trisulcate pollen grain, but it differs markedly from that genus in its small, zygomorphic flower, undivided style, and basic chromosome number x=8. Cyanixia is here described as a new monotypic genus of Crocoideae, probably most closely allied to Savannosiphon, also a monospecific genus.

The anatomical characters of the scape of Echinodorus glandulosus, E. lanceolatus, E. palaefolius, E. paniculatus, E. pubescens and E. subalatus subsp. subalatus (Alismataceae) were examined. These six sympatric species occur in northeastern Brazil and demonstrate great morphological similarity. The aim of the present study was to identify anatomical characters of taxonomic importance. Scapes possess a uniseriate epidermis composed of thin-walled tabular cells. The scapes of most species have differentiated epidermis, cortex, and vascular cylinders. There are several layers of regular chlorenchyma cells immediately below the epidermis, intercalated with collateral vascular bundles, in all species. There are also laticiferous ducts throughout the scape, and aerenchyma in both the cortex and pith. The shape and outline of scapes, the presence and position of winged extensions, the absence of differentiated vascular cylinders or cortex, and the number of vascular bundles are important characters for differentiating species in Echinodorus. An identification key employing the features analysed is provided.

Armeria aspromontana is a new species described and illustrated from orophilous dwarf shrubs of Aspromonte (S Italy). Its taxonomic relationships with Armeria nebrodensis are examined.

Twenty-seven species and two subspecies of Ficus are reported from one study site in central Africa. Characters for identification are explained. An identification key, illustrations, descriptions and habitats are provided. The species-level diversity of Ficus in tropical forests is discussed.

The new taxa Pedicularis L. series Bicornutae R.R.Mill, Pedicularis series Rhynchotrichae R.R.Mill, Pedicularis bicornuta Klotzsch var. adenocalyx R.R.Mill, Pedicularis murreeana R.R.Mill & R.Bone and Pedicularis staintonii R.R.Mill (Orobanchaceae) are described. Pedicularis series Klotzschianae R.R.Mill is proposed as a replacement name for the illegitimate Pedicularis [unranked] Macranthae that has often been treated as ‘series Macranthae Prain’. The new combination Pedicularis bipinnatifida (Pennell) R.R.Mill is made and four names are lectotypified. An epitype is designated for Pedicularis bicornuta.

New combinations are made in the fern genera Colysis, Cyclosorus, Haplopteris and Selliguea from Thailand. A new combination for Pteridaceae subfamily Cryptogrammoideae is made.

An examination of living material of Bredia (Melastomataceae) in Taiwan and a comparison with herbarium material of the genus from eastern Asia (China, Japan and Taiwan) has led to the recognition of two new species, B. dulanica C.L.Yeh, S.W.Chung & T.C.Hsu and B. laisherana C.L.Yeh & C.R.Yeh. The morphology and diagnostic characters of these two species are described and illustrated and a key to the species of Bredia in Taiwan is given.

The following new species, subspecies and combinations are proposed for plants occurring in the Flora of Bhutan area: Anaphalis cooperi Grierson & Springate, Artemisia bhutanica Grierson & Springate, Ixeridium beauverdianum (H.Lév.) Springate, Ligularia lancifera (J.R.Drumm.) Grierson, L. latiligulata (R.D.Good) Springate, Parasenecio chenopodifolius (DC.) Grierson, Saussurea donkiah C.B.Clarke ex Springate, S. pinnatiphylla Grierson & Springate, Tanacetum tatsienense var. tanacetopsis (W.W.Sm.) Grierson and Youngia silhetensis subsp. bhutanica Grierson & Springate. A description of Ligularia latiligulata is provided. A lectotype is designated for Saussurea obscura Lipsch.

Begonia sect. Petermannia (Begoniaceae) is revised for the Philippine island of Palawan. Three species are recognised, namely Begonia palawanensis Merr. and the newly described B. androturba C.Coyle and B. georgei C.Coyle.

The following new species are described from the E Himalaya: Poa pseudotibetica Noltie (Tibet, Sikkim); P. rohmooiana Noltie (Sikkim); P. chumbiensis Noltie (Tibet); P. dzongicola Noltie (Bhutan, Sikkim); P. cooperi Noltie (Sikkim); P. longii Noltie (Sikkim); P. lachenensis Noltie (Sikkim); P. rajbhandarii Noltie (India, Nepal, Bhutan). Poa himalayana Nees ex Steud. has been misunderstood and a new lectotype is chosen, replacing that of Bor; P. stewartii Bor is reduced to its synonymy.

Poa golestanensis H. Scholz & Akhani spec. nov. is described from the Golestan National Park, NE Iran. The following species are added to the grass flora of Iran from that area: Alopecurus aequalis Sobol., Cleistogenes serotina (L.) Keng, Heteropogon contortus (L.) P. Beauv. ex Roem. et Schult., Hordelymus europaeus (L.) Harz. The occurrence in Iran of Poa compressa L., P. densa Troitsky, and Bothriochloa bladhii (Retz.) S.T. Blake which were not mentioned in Rechinger's Flora Iranica but were reported in later papers is confirmed. The maps of distribution in the Park are provided for the treated species.