Dussia atropurpurea is a new species found in Costa Rica and Panamá. It differs from all other Dussia species in this region in its dark purple sarcotesta. The only other species of Dussia with a sarcotesta of this colour is the Amazonian D. tessmannii which is clearly distinct morphologically. Sarcotesta colour is an important character for species delimitation in Dussia, but is infrequently recorded.

Gentiana cachemirica is a rare plant from northern Pakistan and northwestern India. The sectional position of this species has been a matter of considerable debate. Various authors have placed Gentiana cachemirica in one of three different sections – Gentiana sect. Isomeria, Gentiana sect. Kudoa or Gentiana sect. Pneumonanthe. The present paper assesses the taxonomic affinities of this species using a detailed study of its morphology accompanied by morphological phylogenetic and cluster analyses. Characters of the seed testa, corolla morphology and growth architecture were studied for selected species from the above-mentioned sections and closely related Gentiana sect. Cruciata. Representatives of Gentiana sect. Ciminalis were used as outgroups. Our results suggest that G. cachemirica belongs to Gentiana sect. Pneumonanthe and that its affinities are closer to the Western Asiatic group of this section.

Type studies and illustrated descriptions are given of the tropical African Lactarius (Russulaceae) species described by Hennings (1902) and Beeli (1927–1936) which were not included in Heim's monographs (1938, 1955). L. badius Verbeken nom. nov., L. russulaeformis (Beeli) Verbeken comb. nov. and L. kalospermus (Beeli) Verbeken & Walleyn comb. nov. are proposed. L. congolensis Beeli is shown to be an earlier name for both L. craterelloides R. Heim & Gooss.-Font. and L. unicolor Gooss.-Font. & R. Heim which are identical, L. russulaeformis is an earlier name for L. pellicularis R. Heim, L. annulatoangustifolius (Beeli) Buyck is an earlier name for L. pandani R. Heim, and both L. pandani f. intermedius and L. pandani f. pallidus are concluded to be synonyms of L. pelliculatus (Beeli) Buyck. L. zenkeri (Henn.) Singer is neotypified and L. goossensiae Beeli and Lactarius sesemotani (Beeli) Buyck are lectotypified. Finally, Lentinus clitocyboides Henn. is not based on Lactarius, as suggested by Pegler (1983), but on Russula.

A new species of Swertia (Gentianaceae) from Thailand is described and illustrated.

Rhodothamnus sessilifolius P.H. Davis (Ericaceae) was until recently known only from two gatherings from NE Turkey, and had not been seen since 1960. The type locality was re-found in 2000, together with two new populations. An emended description of this rare species is provided, including details of the first fruiting material and seeds to have been collected, and notes on its ecology.

On the basis of previously published molecular data, and morphological observations, Carex nigra subsp. drukyulensis from the eastern Himalayas (Bhutan) is raised to specific rank as Carex drukyulensis.

The species of Gagnepainia K.Schum. and Hemiorchis Kurz are revised throughout their ranges. These genera are shown with evidence from morphological and molecular studies to be distinct, although closely related to each other. Two species of Gagnepainia and three of Hemiorchis are recognised. A key to the genera of Globbeae and keys to the species of Gagnepainia and Hemiorchis are given, all names are typified and descriptions are provided. Conservation assessments of all taxa are proposed.

New combinations are proposed in Phanera (Leguminosae: Caesalpinioideae) for two varieties of Bauhinia glabrifolia (Benth.) Baker.

The genus Endospermum (Euphorbiaceae) in the Malay Archipelago (Malesia) comprises eight rather than the 10 species recognised in the latest revision by Schaeffer in 1971. Endospermum banghamii and E. ronaldii are synonymised with E. quadriloculare. The diagnostic characters for the genus are briefly discussed with special emphasis given to the myrmecophytic characters. The phylogenetic analysis, based on morphological characters (11 vegetative and 12 reproductive), resulted in a single, most parsimonious cladogram with bootstrap support only for the genus. The historical biogeographic analysis, used to evaluate the cladogram, showed that two species are placed in an unexpected position in the phylogeny, which means that the morphology-based cladogram may be reliable to a large extent.

Two new species, Paraboea stellata D.J.Middleton and Paraboea minutiflora D.J.Middleton, are described and provisional conservation assessments given.

Descriptions of two sister species, Begonia wollnyi Herzog and Begonia arrogans Irmsch., are provided and their distributions mapped and discussed. Begonia wollnyi is newly recorded from Peru and Argentina. Begonia parodiana L.B.Sm. & B.G.Schub. is newly synonymised with B. wollnyi. Begonia arrogans Irmsch. and two existing synonyms of B. wollnyi Herzog, Begonia acrensis Irmsch. and Begonia williamsii Rusby & Nash, are lectotypified. Begonia wollnyi and B. arrogans are both assessed as Least Concern (LC), according to IUCN criteria.

Three new tragacanthic representatives of the genus Astragalus L. are described. They are compared with their closest relatives. The line drawing illustrations of the floral parts and a distribution map are given for each species.

Four Uromyces species are described as new, viz. U. astragali-alopecuri sp. nov. on Astragalus alopecurus from Turkey, U. astragali-atropilosuli sp. nov. on A. atropilosulus subsp. bequaertii var. bequaertii from Kenya, occurring also in Ethiopia and Tanzania, U. astragali-pseudoutrigeris sp. nov. on A. pseudoutriger from Turkey, and U. semnanensis sp. nov. on A. fridae from Iran. Several new hosts (marked *) are reported for U. punctatus. This rust is reported as new to S America (in Chile).

Material from Afghanistan previously referred to Ferula lehmannii Boiss.

(Umbelliferae) is shown to belong to a closely related endemic species, F. hedgeana Pimenov & Kljuykov. sp. nov.

A new species of Alpinia (Zingiberaceae). A. smithiae Sabu & Mangaly is described from Western Ghats of India. It is a member of section Alpinia subsect. Catimbium.

Myxochlamys amphiloxa R.J.Searle (Zingiberaceae) from Central Kalimantan Province, Indonesia is described and illustrated. An IUCN conservation assessment is made.

Malus toringoides (Rehd.) Hughes, 1920, is shown to be the same as Pyrus bhutanica W.W. Smith, 1911, therefore requiring a new name, Malus bhutanica, which is hereby provided.