Previous analyses of macromorphological and molecular data on the continental African species Begonia iucunda (Begoniaceae) suggest that it occupies an isolated phylogenetic position within a clade consisting otherwise of species in sections Cristasemen, Filicibegonia, Loasibegonia and Scutobegonia. Accordingly, the new monotypic section Chasmophila is here described. Its taxonomic position and relationship to other African sections are discussed and data on its distribution and ecology are presented.

Four new Asian taxa are described and illustrated as part of a forthcoming taxonomic revision of the cultivated species of Begonia (Begoniaceae). The new species B. argenteomarginata (sect. Symbegonia) is described from Papua New Guinea. Two new species from section Petermannia are described: B. polilloensis from the Philippines and B. rachmatii from Sulawesi, Indonesia, both of which are unusual in having palmately compound leaf blades. A key is provided for these and a previously described species, B. oligandra, also with palmately compound leaf blades and in section Petermannia. The new subspecies B. brevirimosa subsp. exotica (sect. Petermannia) is described from the Central Range of Papua New Guinea and a brief history of its cultivation is presented.

The following new taxa, combinations and synonymy in the genus Kobresia from E Himalaya and SW China are proposed: K. pseuduncinoides Noltie sp. nov.; K. woodii Noltie sp. nov.; K. esenbeckii (Kunth) Noltie comb. nov. of which K. seticulmis Boeckeler, K. hookeri Boeckeler, K. angusta C.B. Clarke and the illegitimate K. trinervis Boeckeler become synonyms; K. esenbeckii var. fissiglumis (C.B. Clarke) Noltie comb. nov.; K. prattii C.B. Clarke and K. harrysmithü Kük. are reduced to synonymy of K. vidua (Boott ex C.B. Clarke) Kük.; K. williamsii is reduced to synonymy of K. gammiei; K. curvata is reduced to synonymy of K. fragilis; K. stiebrilziana is reported new to Bhutan and Sikkim and K. curticeps and K. gammiei new to Bhutan. Notes on K. nepalensis, K. vaginosa, K. vidua, K. gammiei and K. cercostachys are given. Observations on apparent dioecy and distribution of sex within the species K. esenbeckii, K. vidua, K. vaginosa and K. curticeps are reported.

The newly described white-flowered annual Sedum ince closely resembles S. eriocarpum and the annual forms of S. hispemicum (S. longibracteatum), but differs from the former by its alternate instead of verticillate leaves, and from the latter by the 5-merous instead of 6 9-merous flowers and the ripe follicles which are divergent instead of patent and lack the distinct lips along the ventral suture. Molecular phylogenelic analyses indicate that S. ince is but distantly related to S. eriocarpum as well as to S. hispemicum. It belongs to a cytological distinct lineage of Sedum subgenus Gormunia sporting a basic chromosome number of x = 7. Within this lineage, however, S. ince holds a unique position and consequently it is classified in the monotypic S. series Elegans.

The following new taxa from the Arabian Peninsula are described: Diplotaxis kohlaanensis A. Miller & J. Nyberg (Cruciferae), Phragmanthera austroarabica A. Miller & J. Nyberg (Loranthaceae), Commicarpus adenensis A. Miller (Nyctaginaceae), Forsskaolea griersonii A. Miller & J. Nyberg, Parietaria umbricola A. Miller (Urticaceae), Trianthema sheilae A. Miller & J. Nyberg (Aizoaceae), Reseda pentagyna Abdallah & A. Miller (Resedaceae), Aerva artemisoides subsp. batharitica A. Miller & J. Nyberg (Amaranthaceae). The following new combinations are made: Boerhavia elegans subsp. stenophylla (Boiss.) A. Miller (Nyctaginaceae), Oncocalyx doberae (Schweinf.) A. Miller & J. Nyberg (Loranthaceae).

Two species, Petalacte vlokii (Compositae) from the southern Cape fold mountains, and Struthiola anomala (Thymelaeaceae) from southernmost Natal, are newly described.

Globba sect. Nudae subsect. Mediocalcaratae (K.Schum.) K.J.Williams is revised. Nineteen species are recognised. Eight names are lectotypified, three names are newly placed in synonymy, and two names are neotypified. A key to the species and descriptions are provided. Nine new species are described and illustrated: Globba argyrocycnos Sangvir. & M.F.Newman, G. cataractarum Sangvir. & M.F.Newman, G. chrysochila Sangvir. & M.F.Newman, G. decora Sangvir. & M.F.Newman, G. lilacina Sangvir. & M.F.Newman, G. newmanii Sangvir., G. nitens Sangvir. & M.F.Newman, G. pycnostachys Sangvir. & M.F.Newman and G. pyrrhopoikila Sangvir. & M.F.Newman. Six names based on five types from Thailand and the Philippines remain doubtful. Andromonoecy in this subsection is defined. Provisional IUCN conservation assessments of all species are supplied.

Stephania pierrei Diels (Menispermaceae) is a species recorded from the Indo-Chinese Peninsula. It is the only species of the genus bearing apetalous flowers. Diels did not cite a holotype in his publication in 1910. We provide here a more precise description of Stephania pierrei and select a lectotype for this name.

We describe two new species of Heteropterys (Malpighiaceae) endemic to the Atlantic Forest of Espírito Santo State, Brazil. Heteropterys eucalyptifolia and H. follianum belong to the Aptychia informal group, due to their petioles with a pair of glands at the base, sessile pedicels, petals exposed in the enlarging bud, and strongly heteromorphic filaments. Morphological descriptions, illustrations, a distribution map and information on the conservation status of the species are provided.

A new species of Rubiaceae, Hedyotis kottangathattiensis M.B.Viswan. & U.Manik., is described from the Kalakkad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve in the Agastyamalai hills of the southwestern Ghats in South India. Hedyotis kottangathattiensis is allied to Hedyotis barberi (Gamble) Henry & Subram. but differs in its branching, leaf shape and colour, the presence of raphides, the colour and shape of the stipules, the inflorescence structure, calyx lobe shape, corolla lobe shape and colour, and capsule shape. A conservation status is proposed.

Cerrado sensu stricto (a physiognomy of the Cerrado domain, the Brazilian savanna) is subject to the annual occurrence of fire. Data on the epiphytic community in this physiognomy is scarce, as is evaluation of the influence of fire on its structure and composition. The aim of this study was to describe the structure of the vascular epiphyte community and its relationships with phorophytes in the Cerrado domain, Southeast Region of Brazil, after the passage of fire. We found the greatest abundance of epiphytes in the upper strata (65% of the individuals occurring above 3 m in height) and the dominance of three generalist species (Tillandsia streptocarpa, T. recurvata and Epiphyllum phyllanthus), suggesting that fire has an influence on the structure and composition of the epiphytic community.

During the 1830s Walker Amott sent a collection of Asian Acanthaceae to be identified by Nees von Esenbeck in Breslau. This material was used by Nees as the basis for describing one genus and 22 new species in Hooker's Companion to the Botanical Magazine in 1836. Both the publication and the collection were subsequently forgotten. During the course of work on the Flora of Ceylon the types were rediscovered in the general herbarium at Edinburgh. The present paper links Nees’ names with the types in Edinburgh, lectotypifying where appropriate and commenting on the taxonomic status of each species.

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.

The following new taxa, combinations and synonymy in the genus Juncus from E Himalaya and SW China are proposed: J. bryophilus Noltie sp. nov.; J. spumosus Noltie sp. nov.; J. glaucoturgidus Noltie sp. nov.; J. hydrophilus Noltie sp. nov.; J. longiflorus (A. Camus) Noltie comb. & stat. nov.; J. duthiei (C.B. Clarke) Noltie comb. nov. of which the following are synonyms: J. rohtangensis Aswal & Goel, J. sikkimensis Hook.f. var. monocephalus Hook.f. and J. harae Miyam. & H. Ohba; J. bhutanensis Satake is reduced to synonymy of J leucomelas Royle ex D. Don, J. pseudocastaneus (Lingelsh.) Sam. to that of J. sikkimensis; J. tratangensis Satake to that of J. ochraceus Buchenau, J. unifolius A.M. Lu & Z.Y. Zhang to that of J. minimus Buchenau; J. phaeocarpus A.M. Lu & Z.Y. Zhang to that of J. grisebachii Buchenau; J. longibracteatus A.M. Lu & Z.Y. Zhang to that of J. kingii Rendle; J. luteocarpus Satake, the illegitimate J. albescens Satake and J. yoskisukei Goel to that of J. concinnus D. Don and J. bracteatus Buchenau to that of, J. benghalensis Kunth.

J. perpusillus Sam. is reported new to Sikkim and Nepal; J. amplifolius A. Camus new to Bhutan, Sikkim and Nepal; J. trichophyllus W.W. Sm. new to Nepal and Bhutan; J. nepalicus Miyam. & H. Ohba new to Sikkim. J. uniflorus W.W. Sm. is lectotypified. Notes on J. spectabilis Rendle and J. biglumoides Hara are given.

Two new species of gentian, Gentiana wangchukii E. Aitken & D.G. Long sp. nov., endemic to Bhutan, and Gentianella urnigera E. Aitken & D.G. Long sp. nov., from East Nepal, Sikkim, Central and Northern Bhutan and Yunnan, China, are described. Their generic placement and differences from allied species are discussed. The new combination Lomatogonium himalayense (Klotzsch) E. Aitken comb. nov. is made and this name is applied to plants previously ascribed to L. carinthiacum (Wulfen) Reichenbach from the East Himalaya; the basionym Pleurogyne himalayensis Klotzsch is lectotypified and epitypified. The genus Tripterospermum is reviewed in the Flora of Bhutan area and two species are recognized: T. volubile (D. Don) Hara and T. nigrobaccatum Hara. Within T. volubile, two subspecies are recognized: subsp. volubile and subsp. longipes E. Aitken & D.G. Long subsp. nov. T. luteoviride (C.B. Clarke) Murata, in the past treated as a distinct species, is placed in synonymy of subsp. volubile.

The fruit of Davidsonia pruriens F. v. Muell. drying and splitting at maturity into two indehiscent mericarps is re-defined as a schizocarpic didrupe. The sclerified mesendocarpic construction of the whole pericarp supports its classification as a drupe. The peculiar fimbriate surface of the mericarp is caused by the destruction of parenchymatous exocarpic and mesocarpic tissues exposing radially elongated mesendocarpic osteosclereids. The seed coat is described as diffusive exotegmic with expanding pachychalaza substituting the two integuments in the chalazal half of the seed. The diffusive exotegmy of the spermoderm supports a close relationship with Cunoniaceae, but refutes any relationships with Saxifragales or with Staphyleaceae or any Hamamelidae. The seed-coat structure indicates advancement and specialization of Davidsonia among Cunoniales; its origin could trace back possibly to Rosales, but never to hamamelidalean stock.

Eight Zingiber species (Z. densissimum S.Q.Tong & Y.M.Xia, Z. kerrii Craib, Z. ligulatum Roxb., Z. nudicarpum D.Fang, Z. orbiculatum S.Q.Tong, Z. parishii Hook.f. subsp. phuphanense Triboun & K.Larsen, Z. recurvatum S.Q.Tong & Y.M.Xia and Z. smilesianum Craib) are newly recorded for the flora of Laos, raising the total number of species to 25. Colour illustrations, notes on their distribution, and citations of the specimens supporting the new records are given, as well as vernacular names and uses. An updated checklist of Zingiber in Laos, with an indication of the current sectional placement of each species, is presented.

Cassipourea (Rhizophoraceae) is represented in Gabon by 11 species, of which C. nana Breteler and C. ndambiana Breteler are described as new and C. carringtoniana Mendes, C. gummiflua Tul. and C. ruwensorensis (Engl.) Alston are reported from this country for the first time. The subgeneric classification is discussed. An adapted key to the subgenera and a key to the Gabonese species is presented. A synopsis of the subgenera and of the Gabonese species is also given. The new species and Cassipourea carringtoniana are fully illustrated. A few illustrations of some other species to elucidate characters of the subgenera are provided.

Two new species of Gardenia (Rubiaceae), Gardenia beamanii Y.W.Low and Gardenia chanii Y.W.Low, endemic to Borneo, are described. These species are distinguished from Gardenia griffithii Hook.f. and Gardenia pterocalyx Valeton, respectively, to which they are superficially similar in calyx characters. Gardenia pterocalyx is lectotypified.