Cyrtandra sect. Dissimiles C. B. Cl., sect. Radicicaules Kraenzlin and sect. Radiciflorae Kraenzlin are lectotypified. Two varieties are raised to specific rank: C. dispar var. glabriflora B. C. Stone to C. stonei (Malay Peninsula), C. decurrens var. polyneura C. B. Cl. to C. polyneura (Sulawesi). Nineteen new species are described (11 from Sarawak, 1 from Sarawak and Kalimantan, 7 from Sabah—6 of them from Mt Kinabalu). Annotations are provided on 6 previously known species: C. calycina Benth. (New Guinea), C. debilis Kraenzlin (Kalimantan), C. farinosa C. B. Cl. (Sarawak), C. ligulifera C. B. Cl. (New Guinea), C. rubropicta Kraenzlin (Kalimantan and Sarawak), and C. russa C. B. Cl. (Sarawak).

K. Schumann's classification of Alpinia (Zingiberaceae), which subdivided the genus into five subgenera and 27 sections, was based, in the main, on the character of the secondary bracts (bracteoles). It is here proposed that the subgenera be reduced to two—Alpinia (7 sections and 10 subsections) and Dieramalpinia (4 sections and 2 subsections), and that the character of the labellum (petaloid or non-petaloid) be used as the main differentiating criterion. Such a classification shows the centre of distribution of subgen. Alpinia, in which the labellum is petaloid, to lie north of the equator; subgen. Dieramalpinia, in which the labellum is non-petaloid, or rarely so at the apex only, is now excluded from continental Asia and has its main concentration east of Wallace's line with its greatest number of species in New Guinea. Stigma types have been examined when possible and, so far, they substantiate the proposed classification.

Keys to the subgenera, sections and subsections, together with distribution maps are provided. In Appendix 1 all published names in Alpinia are listed and annotated. Appendix 2 gives a key to the terminally-flowered genera of subfamily Alpineae; this is followed by five new names and six new combinations in Alpinia while A.cordylinoides is transferred to Riedelia.

A revision of Rhododendron subgenus Tsutsusi is presented: section Tsutsusi with 66 species is equivalent to series Azalea subser. Obtusum; and section Brachycalyx with 15 species includes some species previously placed in subser Schlippenbachii. One new species in section Tsutsusi, R. arunachalense Chamberlain & Rae, sp. nov., is described. Distribution maps are provided for most of the species.

Twenty-two species of Alpinia hitherto placed in sections Psychanthus and Pleuranthodium are transferred to the genus Psychanthus Ridley. The justification for the acceptance of Psychanthus, which is based on the cup-shaped character of the labellum is discussed, and the necessary new combinations made.

Didymocarpus koerperi B. L. Burtt is described from near Pajakumbuh, central Sumatra. It belongs to a group of species that is chiefly distinguished by having a single nectarial gland lying below the ovary, instead of the usual cupular disc.

Siphoneugena Berg (Myrtaceae, Myrteae) is a small eugenioid genus with eight species ranging from Puerto Rico to Northern Argentina with the centre of diversity in Southeastern Brazil. Keys to the species and varieties are provided, as well as synonyms, descriptions, illustrations and a map of geographical occurrence. Two new taxa are described from Brazil: Siphoneugena guilfoyleiana C. Proença, the only species to occur in sandy maritime vegetation on the Ilha do Cardoso, state of São Paulo and S. densiflora Berg var. cipoensis C. Proença, an endemic of the Serra do Cipó mountain range in the state of Minas Gerais. A new combination S. dussii (Krug & Urban) C. Proença based on Marlierea dussii, is made for a species that grows in Venezuela, Guyana, Surinam and the West Indies. This study confirms current opinions as to the low taxonomic value of open versus closed calyces in establishing natural genera within the Myrtaceae.

The morphological difference between the monospecific genus Brachychilum and Hedychium is bridged by the recently described Hedychium muluense R. M. Smith. Cytological studies reported here show that at least one stock of B. horsfieldii (Wall.) O. Petersen shares the same basic chromosome number and morphology with Hedychium. The genus Brachychilum should therefore be placed in synonymy with Hedychium, and B. horsfieldii should revert to Hedychium horsfieldii [R. Brown ex] Wall.

A review of the infraspecific taxa of Paeonia suffruticosa Andr. is presented. Three subspecies are recognized, subsp. suffruticosa, subsp. spontanea (Rehder) Haw & Lauener stat. nov., and subsp. rockii Haw & Lauener, subsp. nov., with one further doubtful subspecies. The distinguishing features of all the subspecies are described.

Three more new species of Delphinium (Ranunculaceae) belonging to sect. Delphinastrum DC, are described and illustrated from S and NE Anatolia: D. petrodavisianum, D. kitianum and D. iris.

Barbarea hedgeana Kit Tan & Gemici (Cruciferae) is illustrated and described from southwest Anatolia. It is a small perennial marked by a distinct overall fruiting facies.

The taxonomic status of the genus Pernettya Gaud. (Ericaceae) has been assessed by comparing morphological, anatomical, chemical and cytological characters between Pernettya, Gaultheria L. and a number of other genera in the Gaultheria group of the tribe Andromedeae. It has been concluded that Pernettya is not sufficiently distinct from Gaultheria to be maintained as a separate genus. Two new names and fifteen new combinations within Gaultheria are here proposed.

The chromosome numbers of 32 taxa in the ‘Gaultheria group’ of genera of the tribe Andromedeae in the Ericaceae have been counted; 15 of these have been counted for the first time. All taxa counted in Gaultheria and Leucothoë have a chromosome number based on x = 11. The chromosome numbers counted in Diplycosia are 2n = 36 and in Zenobia 2n = c.66. G. insana and G. procumbens show different polyploid races: G. insana tetraploids and hexaploids and G. procumbens diploids, tetraploids and octoploids.

Scrophulariaceae-Selagineae is briefly surveyed. Selago L. sensu stricto and Cromidon Compton are re-defined, and a new genus, Chenopodiopsis Hilliard, is established. The generic position of 16 species enumerated by Rolfe (in Fl. Cap. 5(1), 1901) under Selago section Euselago is clarified. Cromidon comprises 12 species; 6 are newly described, 6 have been transferred from Polycarena, Selago or Walafrida. Chenopodiopsis comprises 3 species, 2 transferred from Selago, 1 newly described.

Twenty one species of Zaluzianskya are newly described, 20 of them mainly from the Cape; one from Zimbabwe and Mozambique; Phyllopodium minimum is transferred to Zaluzianskya.

Revision of Aquifoliaceae, Polygalaceae, Icacinaceae, Hippocrateaceae, Rhamnaceae, Malvaceae, Myrtaceae and Vitaceae has resulted in the following new taxa, new names and new combinations: Polygala sibirica L. subsp. bhutanica Kit Tan, subsp. nov., P. sibirica L. subsp. elegans (Wall, ex Royle) Kit Tan, comb, nov., P. sibirica L. subsp. heyneana (Wall, ex Wight & Arnott) Kit Tan, comb, nov., Zizyphus rubiginosa Long & Rae, sp. nov., Nayariophyton zizyphifolium (Griff.) Long & Miller, comb, nov., Syzygium smalianum (Brandis) Long, comb, nov., and Tetrastigma corymbosum Long, sp. nov.. Notes on some critical Himalayan species of Ilex are provided, new lectotypes are designated for several names, and Salacia membranacea Lawson is shown to be a synonym of S. salacioides (Roxb.) Rao & Hemadri.

The material here named Bromus lusitanicus Sales & P. M. Smith, sp. nov. (Gramineae) was discovered and collected during 1982-83 at Souzelas near Coimbra (central Portugal). It shows marked affinities to B. racemosus L. and B. pseudosecalinus P. M. Smith. These species form a complex of annuals which have 3-veined lower glumes, 5-veined upper glumes, subterete spikelets, margins of lemma more or less inrolled in fruit, and the awn terete, straight or curved, arising just below the apex of the lemma, although sometimes absent.