The African genera Paropsiopsis Engl. and Smeathmannia R.Br. (Passifloraceae – Paropsieae) are revised. The two genera are well separated based on the presence or absence of a second, annuliform, corona, as well as the number of stamens and curvature of their filaments. An overview of important characters and a key to all genera of Paropsieae is provided. In Paropsiopsis all previously recognised species are united under P. decandra (Baill.) Sleumer. In addition one species, Paropsiopsis atrichogyna J.M.de Vos & Breteler, is newly described and illustrated. In Smeathmannia both previously recognised species are maintained, but infraspecific taxa are rejected. Descriptions of both genera and their species, keys to species, illustrations and distribution maps are provided.

Pouzolzia rugulosa (Wedd.) Acharya & Kravtsova, comb. nov., is transferred from the genus Boehmeria on the grounds of the anatomy and morphology of the fruit, correlated with molecular data. A revised set of anatomical and morphological characters is provided to distinguish between Boehmeria and Pouzolzia. Pouzolzia rugulosa shares morphological similarities with a group of serrate-leaved taxa in that genus known from Asia and Oceania. It is a shrub or small tree and is found along the southern slopes of the Himalayas from Himachal Pradesh in northern India to the mountains of northern Burma. It occurs in forest at elevations of up to 1900 m, mainly at forest edges and in clearings. A full description of Pouzolzia rugulosa, including drawings and SEM images of the fruit, is provided, together with a key.

A new species, Bellevalia pelagica C.Brullo, Brullo & Pasta (Hyacinthaceae), growing in the limestone rocks of the Islet of Lampione in the Pelagian Archipelago (Sicily), is described and illustrated. It is a tetraploid with 2n = 16. It belongs to the Bellevalia romana group and shows a close relationship with B. dolichophylla and B. galitensis, both rare endemics from Tunisia.

A new species of Tinospora (Menispermaceae), Tinospora formanii Udayan & Pradeep from the Western Ghats of Thrissur district, Kerala, South India, is described and illustrated.

Rhododendron subgenus Tsutsusi (Rhodoreae, Ericoideae, Ericaceae), commonly known as evergreen azaleas, includes approximately 117 deciduous and evergreen species from Japan, China and northeastern Asia. Subgenus Tsutsusi has been divided into two sections, Brachycalyx and Tsutsusi, based on characteristics of the leaves, young twigs and corolla. We obtained molecular data from three chloroplast (matK, ndhF and trnS-trnG) and two nuclear (nrITS and the third intron of rpb2) regions for 30 species of Rhododendron subgenus Tsutsusi and five species of Menziesia. Parsimony, Bayesian and likelihood analyses based on total evidence were used to assess the monophyly of the sections within Rhododendron subgenus Tsutsusi and relationships among the species sampled. In particular, the placement of the problematic Rhododendron tashiroi was addressed. Results support Rhododendron tashiroi as a member of the Rhododendron section Brachycalyx clade. Molecular evidence also supports a clade within Rhododendron section Tsutsusi containing R. indicum, R. tsusiophyllum, R. tschonoskii and R. serpyllifolium, species which were not previously considered closely related.

Lectotypes are selected for the following names in the Apocynaceae from the Arabian Peninsula: Adenium arabicum Balf.f., Adenium obesum (Forssk.) Roem. & Schultes, Caralluma adenensis (Deflers) A.Berger, Cryptolepis intricata (Balf.f.) Venter, Cryptolepis volubilis (Balf.f.) O.Schwartz, Kanahia laniflora (Forssk.) R.Br., Leptadenia arborea (Forssk.) Schweinf., Marsdenia robusta Balf.f., Rhazya stricta Decne. and Tylophora yemensis Deflers. For Secamone socotrana Balf.f., it is noted that a previous citation of a holotype is rather an effective designation of a lectotype. Neotypes are selected for Caralluma hexagona var. septentrionalis Lavranos & L.E.Newton, Glossonema boveanum (Decne.) Decne., Leptadenia pyrotechnica (Forssk.) Decne. and Orbea chrysostephana (Deflers) Bruyns.

Two new species of Begonia (Begoniaceae), Begonia ozotothrix and Begonia hekensis, are described from the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. Both species belong to Begonia section Petermannia. Begonia ozotothrix is unusual amongst Asian Begonia in having branched trichomes on the stems, petioles and the abaxial lamina surfaces, and it is unusual amongst species of Begonia section Petermannia in having extremely compressed cymose-subumbellate male partial inflorescences.

Several papers dealing with Orchidaceae from Atlantic Central Africa have recently been published. However, orchid distributions in this area remain poorly known. Over the last decade, we have conducted an intensive fieldwork programme in Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea. This has enabled us to collect 22 taxa that are new national records. Ten taxa are new records for Cameroon, eight for Equatorial Guinea and four for both countries. One of these taxa is also a new record from Nigeria. Fifteen taxa are endemic to the Lower Guinea area and six were previously known only from the type locality.

The neotropical species of Calycobolus (Convolvulaceae) are revised. Three species are recognised. A fourth species is here recognised as belonging to the genus Porana. All four species are described, keys for identification are provided, selected characters are illustrated, distributions are mapped, and an index to numbered herbarium specimens examined is included to aid herbarium curation.

Input from molecular phylogenetics in the past five years has substantially altered concepts of systematic relationships among liverworts. While these studies have confirmed the monophyly of phylum Marchantiophyta, they have demonstrated that many previously recognised ranks within the hierarchy are unnatural and in need of modification. Changes in the ranks of suborder and above have been proposed by various workers, but modifications in the circumscription of genera and families are still required. A comprehensive, phylogenetic classification scheme that integrates morphological data with molecular hypotheses is presented. The scheme includes diagnoses and publication citations for all names above the rank of genus. All currently recognised genera are listed alphabetically in their respective families; subfamilies are not indicated. Major modifications and novel alignments of taxa are thoroughly discussed, with pertinent references provided. Jungermanniaceae is redefined and Solenostomataceae fam. nov. is formally described to accommodate some of the genera excluded from it.