The new species Begonia samhaensis, in section Peltaugustia (Warb.) Barkley, is described from the island of Samha in the Socotra archipelago. It differs from the only other species in the section, B. socotrana Hook.f., in a number of gross morphological characters and is likely to be a relict taxon rather than the result of more recent dispersal and divergence. A revision of sect. Peltaugustia is presented. Detailed surveys have been carried out on both species. The new species has a restricted distribution and a total population of fewer than 1000 individuals, and is recommended to be placed in the IUCN category VU D1, 2. Begonia socotrana has been found in new sites, and is locally common in parts of its range. Its current placing in the IUCN ‘Vulnerable’ category is considered to be unwarranted, and it is recommended that the species should be listed as ‘Least Concern’.

Two new species, Saussurea bhutkesh and S. kanaii, belonging to subgenus Eriocoryne (DC.) Hook.f., are described from the Nepal Himalaya. S. bhutkesh differs from S. nishiokae Kitam. in having uniseriate scattered phyllaries and golden yellow hairs on the leaves. S. kanaii differs from S. topkegolensis H. Ohba & S. Akiyama in having conspicuously laciniate leaves with dense white tomentose hairs on the abaxial surface. A key is provided to the Nepalese species of the subgenus.

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.

Asparagus lycaonicus P.H. Davis (Asparagaceae), a species hitherto known only from E Central Turkey, is reported from Iran. A review of Nitraria (Zygophyllaceae) in Iran together with critical comments on the account of the genus in Flora Iranica are given, and Iranian records of N. komarovii Iljin & Lava are referred to Atraphaxis suaedifolia Jaub. & Spach (Polygonaceae).

The study was carried out on the gallery forest of the Bacaba stream situated in the Municipal Ecological Reserve ‘Mário Viana’ (14°43′S, 52°21′W) in Nova Xavantina, Eastern Mato Grosso, Brazil. Three sections of the gallery (upper, middle and lower) running downstream and differing in slope were surveyed by stratified sampling. Fortyseven nested 10m × 10m plots were analysed in each section, giving a total sampling area of 1.41ha overall. All trees or lianas ≥ 15cm girth at breast height were recorded and a total of 129 species belonging to 105 genera and 47 families were found. Diversity was high, with the Shannon index ranging from 3.84 nats/individual in the lower section to 4.08 in the middle section. The most important families (IVI) were Caesalpiniaceae (upper and middle sections) and Arecaceae (lower section), and the most important species were Diospyros obovata (upper section), Hymenaea courbaril var. stilbocarpa (middle section) and Mauritia flexuosa (lower section). Morisita and Sørensen indices of similarity were calculated. The floristic composition was complex and included species in common with a number of Brazilian forest types and with cerrado (savanna), as well as many widespread species, but stronger links with Amazonian forests could be detected. This is to be expected since the area lies in the ecotonal zone of the cerrado and Amazonian forest biomes and the Bacaba stream itself is a tributary of the Mortes–Araguaia–Amazon river system.