A new species of Passiflora is described from the Andes of Colombia. Passiflora formosa T. Ulmer is characterized by its densely tomentose ovary, the 5–7 petiolar glands and the large leaves which are up to 19cm long. It most closely resembles P. lanata and P. cuatrecasasii. The differences between these species are discussed.

The synonymy of Asplenium unisodontum C.Presl (Aspleniaceae) in the Philippines is clarified. Asplenium anisodontum C.Presl. A. longissimum Blume and A. caudatum G.Forst. are different species. A. anisodontum C.Presl and A. longissimum Blume are both found in the Philippines. The presence of Asplenium cuudatum G.Forst. in the Philippines is doubtful. Asplenium acutiusculum Blume is the same as A. longissimum Blume and the latter name should be accepted.

A new species of Rhynchoglossum, R. capsulare Ohwi ex Karton. (Gesneriaceae), is described and illustrated. This species resembles the widespread Rhynchoglossum obliquum Blume. A new combination, Codonoboea kjellbergii (B.L.Burtt) Karton., is proposed to accommodate the former Henckelia kjellbergii B.L.Burtt.

A floristic inventory was carried out in an area of palm-dominated creek forest in Jenaro Herrera, in the northeast of Peru. All trees ≥ 10 cm dbh were surveyed in a one-hectare permanent plot using the standard RAINFOR methodology. There were 618 individuals belonging to 230 species, 106 genera and 43 families. The results showed that the total basal area of the trees in the plot was 23.7 m2. The three species with the highest importance value indexes were Iriartea deltoidea Ruiz & Pav., Oenocarpus bataua Mart. (Arecaceae) and Carapa procera DC. (Meliaceae). The five most dominant families in order of importance were Arecaceae, Fabaceae, Meliaceae, Euphorbiaceae and Sapotaceae. Although the soil of this plot was poorly drained, the number of trees and the diversity of the plot were typical for terra firme forest in the western Amazon.

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.

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

Hitherto the genus Limonium (Plumbaginaceae) was thought to be represented by eight species in Arabia. While preparing the account of Limonium for Volume 1 of the Flora of Oman, one of the present authors (S.A.G.) identified two new species from Oman, in addition to the three already known. The new species, L. sarcophyllum Ghaz. & J.R. Edm. and L. milleri Ghaz. & J.R. Edm., are described and illustrated, and the new combination L. paulayanum (Vierh.) J.R. Edm. & Ghaz. based on Statice paulayana Vierh. from Soqotra is published. A key is provided for all 10 species in Arabia.

Of the 25 species presently named in Henckelia sect. Loxocarpus (Gesneriaceae), 10 occur in Peninsular Malaysia (with one species extending into Peninsular Thailand), 12 in Borneo, two in Sumatra and one in Lingga (Indonesia). One species from Peninsular Malaysia is excluded from the section. A key to species in Peninsular Malaysia is provided, together with descriptions and distributions. Three new species are described: Henckelia anthonysamyi Banka, H. sekayuensis Banka & Kiew and H. sericiflava Kiew & Banka. All Peninsular Malaysian species are endemic, many narrowly so – eight are presently known from just one or two localities.

The Erich Werdermann collection ‘Plantae Chilenses’ held at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh constitutes an important set of herbarium specimens from the Chilean flora, and represents over 10% of preserved specimens from Chile in the herbarium. Duplicate sets of specimens were distributed from the Botanischer Garten und Botanisches Museum Berlin-Dahlem to a further 15 major international herbaria. Here we provide a description of this collection, highlighting aspects of Werdermann’s journey in Chile. Included are his itinerary and maps showing where the specimens were collected. An important aspect of the paper is to clarify ambiguities concerning label data in order to provide more accurate detail for researchers using Werdermann’s specimens.

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.

The new combination Microchirita cristata (Dalzell) D.J.Middleton is made.

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

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

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.

Recent study of floral diversity within Australian Rhododendron (Ericaceae) has resulted in the recognition of two species, R. lochiae F. Muell. and R. notiale Craven, sp. nov. Both species are described and illustrated, and their distributions mapped. An identification key is provided.

Comparative morphological and carpological investigation shows that Ladyginia and Spongiosyndesmus are congeneric. An emended generic description of Ladyginia is given and two new nomenclatural combinations Ladyginia afghanica and L. gigantea are made.

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.

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.

The generic name Microsisymbrium O.E. Schulz was illegitimate when described because it included the type of Guillenia Greene. The monotypic Ianhedgea is proposed to include one of the 12 species previously assigned to Microsisymbrium, i.e. M. minutiflorum (Hook.f. & Thomson) O.E. Schulz. The proper generic placement of the remaining 11 species of Microsisymbrium is presented. The following new combinations are made: Ianhedgea minutiflora (Hook.f. & Thomson) Al-Shehbaz & O'Kane, I. minutiflora subsp. brevipedicellata (Hedge) Al-Shehbaz & O'Kane, and Neotorularia quingshuiheense (Ma & Z.Y. Zhu) Al-Shehbaz, O'Kane & G. Yang.

A new species of Agapetes (Ericaceae) from Thailand is described and illustrated.