Lloydia himalensis is confirmed as being synonymous with L. serotina; L. yunnanensis is reported for the first time from the E Himalaya; L. delicatula Noltie sp. nov. is described; L. mairei and L. serotina var. parva are discussed.

Fifty-one species of basidiomycetes are recorded from the Southern Atlantic archipelago of the Falkland Islands. Several other fungi are discussed in the light of these findings. Some of these fungi are recorded for the first time from the Falklands and especially from some of the smaller islands of the group adjacent to West and East Falkland. The world distributions of the fungi dealt with in this compilation, particularly in the southern hemisphere, are given where they are known. Comments are made on the possible reasons for the occurrence of the species in the Falklands, especially the ectomycorrhizal taxa.

Manulea derustiana is newly described, and a ditypic genus, Reyemia, is described with a new species, R. chasmanthiflora, as its type, and Zaluzianskya nemesioides is transferred to it.

The Malesian species of five relatively unknown Euphorbiaceous genera are redescribed. Alphandia, Borneodendron, Cladogynos and Tapoïdes, each with one species in Malesia, are part of the Euphorbiaceae in the strict sense; Ashtonia (two species) is presently classified in the Phyllanthaceae. The descriptions have been completed by studying extra material, and high quality drawings are added.

Zingiber kelabitianum from Sarawak, Borneo is described. This new species belongs to section Zingiber, having radical, erect inflorescences. It is related to Z. pachysiphon B.L. Burtt & R.M. Sm. in the large size of the plant and the robust, cylindrical inflorescences with deflexed bracts. It differs in the dense, yellow-brown indumentum of the leaf sheath and ligules, the bright red bracts, the longer bracteole and the free, well-developed lateral lobes of the labellum. The traditional uses of the plant by the indigenous people, the Kelabits, are described.

Dysoxylum middletonianum Takeuchi (Meliaceae) is described from previously unexplored habitats in the Southern Fold Mountains of Papua New Guinea. The new plant is the smallest Dysoxylum in eastern Malesia and one of only two species with whip infructescences.

A new species of Gesneriaceae, Aeschynanthus mendumae D.J.Middleton, is described from Laos. The new combination Aeschynanthus membranifolius (Costantin) D.J.Middleton is made. An IUCN conservation assessment is provided.

Twenty-two species of Alpinia previously placed under the illegitimate name Psychanthus (K. Schum.) Ridley arc transferred to Pleuranthodium (K. Schum.) R. M. Smith.

Seven new species of Cyrtandra (Gesneriaceae) from Sulawesi are described and illustrated: C. gorontaloensis, C. fasciata, C. luteiflora, C. serratifolia, C. purpurea, C. tenuicarpa and C. roseiflora.

Study of relevant types has led to the conclusion that Gagea kunawurensis (Royle) Greuter (Liliaceae) is the correct name for what has recently been known as G. stipitata Merckl. ex Bunge; that G. gageoides (Zucc.) Vved. is the correct name for G. persica Boiss., and that G. kashmirensis Turrill should be reduced to synonymy of G. tenera Pascher. Anatomical and morphological data are presented for these and the related species Gagea dschungarica Regel and G. afghanica A.Terracc., and a key given to allow their discrimination.

Rhododendron chilanshanense, a new species of Rhododendron subgenus Tsutsusi sect. Brachycalyx, is described from Taiwan. It is distinguished from closely related species by its leaves scattered along the upper branchlets and the stipitate glands on both the floral and vegetative parts.

Six new species of Cyrtandra from Borneo (C. apaensis, C. burleyana, C. filisecta, C. subsphaerocarpa, C. tibangensis, C. toreniiflora) are described. Cyrtandra albibracteata is re-described in order to correct gross errors in the original paper. The published diagnosis validating C. paragibbsiae from Brunei is supplemented by a full description.

Four new species of Boehmeria (Urticaceae) are described and named: Boehmeria listeri Friis & Wilmot-Dear and B. manipurensis Friis & Wilmot-Dear from the eastern part of the Himalayas, B. leptostachya Friis & Wilmot-Dear from southern China (Yunnan), Thailand and northern Sumatra, and B. subintegra Friis & Wilmot-Dear from Papua New Guinea. The species are illustrated and mapped and their habitat ranges are described, and conservation assessments have been produced for all.

Anthemis sheilae A. Ghafoor & T. A. Al-Turki (Asteraceae: Anthemideae), an endemic species closely related to A. scrobicularis Yavin, A. haussknechtii Boiss. & Reut. and A. dicksoniae A. Ghafoor, is described along with an illustration and distribution map.

Three new species of Bhutanese orchids, Aphyllorchis sanguinea, Cheirostylis sherriffii and Hetaeria pelota, and one new Sikkimese species, Lecanorchis sikkimensis, are newly described. Their generic placement and affinities are discussed. A new combination in Cheirostylis is made for the Taiwanese Zeuxine tabiyahanensis Hayata. Records of five orchid species new to Bhutan are also presented.

The state of systematics, for convenience here divided into taxonomy (the delimitation, description and inventory of species) and phylogeny reconstruction, is evaluated. Molecular systematics may seem overemphasized, but the resulting gains made in our understanding of relationships in a relatively short time are very considerable. Although morphological data currently play only a limited role in detecting large-scale phylogenetic pattern, the analysis by Wortley et al. of the role morphology has played in the past is not easily interpreted. At species level, it is unclear what effect molecular techniques will have on our understanding of species limits, but it is likely to be considerable. Although taxonomy is both essential and underfunded, there seems little point in asking for more money until we can justify the limits of the species we describe more clearly and until we have cleared up the impediments that so much slow the practice of taxonomy. Business cannot remain as usual if any of the grand inventory projects we have started are to be finished within a reasonable time, or even to be of much use when they are.

Nineteen boletes (Basidiomycotina) are recorded from Zambia. They belong to the tylopiloid and xerocomoid elements. Three of these boletes are described as new: Tylopilus ochraceosquamosus Watling, T. perplexus Watling & Turnbull and T. zambianus Watling. Another four cannot be assigned to formally recognized taxa, and the provisional name Tylopilus conspicuocystidiata is adopted for one of them. Two new combinations are made: Tylopilus brunneirubens (Corner) Watling & Turnbull and T. nigropurpureus (Corner) Watling.

A new species of Begonia (Begoniaceae), Begonia gorgonea Tebbitt, is described from Cajamarca Province in northern Peru. This species is allied to a group of Andean species that are currently classified in Begonia sect. Knesebeckia. An identification key to this species group is provided, and the IUCN conservation category of VU D2 is proposed for the new species.

Begonia speculum is described and illustrated as a new species endemic to the San Martín Region of Peru, and compared with Begonia cremnophila Tebbitt and Begonia lutea L.B.Sm. & B.G.Schub. Begonia erythrothrix is described and illustrated as a new species endemic to the Cuzco Region of Peru, and compared with an updated description of Begonia thyrsoidea Irmsch., which is lectotypified. Using International Union for Conservation of Nature criteria, Begonia speculum is considered Vulnerable; B. erythrothrix and B. thyrsoidea are assessed as Data Deficient.