Many taxonomic distinctions are made or refined on the basis of herbarium material that is either dried or preserved in spirit medium. Hitherto, examination of internal structure has only been possible by the destructive sectioning of the preserved material. In this paper, the use of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) imaging for the non-destructive, non-invasive, complete three-dimensional structural examination of herbarium material is demonstrated for the first time. The experimental materials were the fruiting structures of two species of Southern Hemisphere Podocarpaceae: Acmopyle pancheri and Podocarpus nivalis. Material dried in accordance with standard herbarium techniques was used, as well as material preserved in spirit and freshly gathered fruits. The dried material was subsequently rehydrated using standard techniques, and protocols established for the specimens. Appropriate selection of NMR imaging parameters allowed a variety of anatomical features to be highlighted on a single specimen. Fresh specimens from living material gave the best NMR signals. Dry specimens gave no signal except from the lipid in the seed, but when rehydrated the images yielded almost as much information about internal structure as did a fresh specimen of the same taxon. Thus, NMR imaging has great potential value as a non-invasive method for obtaining details of the internal structure of fruits and seeds and is particularly useful when, as in the case of Acmopyle, the sclerotesta of the seed is too lignified for sectioning by conventional methods.

Three rare alpine, short-stemmed or stemless species of Saussurea DC. subgen. Saussurea are treated: S. ovata Bentham (W Kunlun Shan), S. elliptica C. B. Clarke (S. kuschakewiczii C. Winkler, syn. nov.; Tian Shan, Pamir, Karakorum, Zanskar) and S. atkinsonii C. B. Clarke (W Himalaya). The species are not closely interrelated and morphologically rather isolated. They are confined to different chains or mountain sections of Western High Asia, with their possible close relatives found in geographically far distant areas. Putative relationships of the taxa are discussed, revealing conflicts with the infrageneric classification proposed by Lipschitz (1979). Saussurea candolleana (DC.) Schultz Bip. (S. clarkei Hook. f., syn. nov.) is briefly discussed.

This study is a contribution to the further understanding of cytological patterns in Aeschynanthus(Gesneriacaeae). Chromosome numbers are reported for 12 species from six sections; nine of these are new counts. Two basic numbers, x=16 and x=15, are generally encountered. Aeschynanthus gracilis proved to be of exceptional interest, as its rare somatic number, 2n=28, confirms the occurrence of a third basic number, x=14, in the genus. Variation in chromosome number in relation to seed morphology is examined.

A review of the taxonomy and distribution of the European species of Damasonium Mill. has been carried out to provide background information for conservation. Damasonium alisma Mill., D. bourgaei Coss. and D. polyspermum Coss. are recognized as distinct species, and descriptions and a key are presented. Lectotypes are designated for D. bourgaei and D. polyspermum. Damasonium alisma is the most northerly taxon, predominantly occurring in France and England, but extending eastwards to Russia. Damasonium bourgaei is widespread around the Mediterranean eastwards at least to India. Damasonium polyspermum occurs mainly in the western Mediterranean.

Problems of infrageneric classification in Pedicularis L. (Scrophulariaceae), and the phytogeography of the genus in the Flora of Bhutan area, are discussed. Six new species and one new variety of Pedicularis L. are described. Pedicularis garckeana Prain ex Maxim. is separated from P. ser. Robustae Prain as the new, monospecific series Garckeanae R. R. Mill (Sikkim and adjacent Xizang). Six of these new taxa are endemic to Bhutan (P. dhurensis R. R. Mill sp. nov., P. longipedicellata P. C. Tsoong var. lanocalyx R. R. Mill var. nov., P. melalimne R. R. Mill sp. nov., P. microloba R. R. Mill sp. nov., P. sanguilimbata R. R. Mill sp. nov. and P. woodii R. R. Mill sp. nov.) and one (P. yarilaica R. R. Mill sp. nov.) occurs in N Bhutan and S Xizang. The type material of Phtheirospermum auratum Bonati (=Pedicularis aurata (Bonati) H. L. Li) is shown to be a mixed gathering; the name is lectotypified and an emended description of P. aurata given. Several other names are lectotypified. Three sectional names originally proposed by Yamazaki (each ‘based’ on invalid ‘names’ of groups earlier recognized as subgreges by Tsoong) are validated as P. sect. Asthenocaulus [P. C. Tsoong ex] R. R. Mill, P. sect. Nothosigmantha T. Yamaz. ex R. R. Mill, and P. sect. Rhizophyllastrum T. Yamaz. ex R. R. Mill, while a fourth invalid section (‘P. sect. Brachystachys (P. C. Tsoong) T. Yamaz.’) is here recognized and described as P. sect. Brevispica R. R. Mill, sect. nov. Pedicularis sect. Cryptorhynchus T. Yamaz. and P. sect. Elephanticeps T. Yamaz. are provided with emended descriptions. The nomenclature of P. pennelliana P. C. Tsoong and related taxa of the P. gracilis Wall. ex Benth. complex is discussed.

The terrestrial orchid genus Bhutanthera Renz (subfamily Orchidoideae, tribe Orchideae), comprising five species, three newly described here, is established. A new species, Herminium pygmaeum Renz, and three new varieties, Bulbophyllum cauliflorum Hook.f. var. sikkimense N. Pearce & P. J. Cribb, Cephalanthera erecta (Thunb.) Bl. var. oblanceolata N. Pearce & P. J. Cribb, and Gymnadenia orchidis Lindl. var. pantlingii Renz, are here newly described. Five new combinations and one new name are proposed. Four new sections of Bulbophyllum are also established and their relationships discussed.

The occurrence of a monodominant tropical forest dominated by the tree species Brosimum rubescens Taub. (Moraceae) in the transition zone between the cerrado region and the Amazonian rain forests along the Araguaia valley in the state of Mato Grosso in Brazil is reported. A 6000m2 (40×150m) area located in the central portion of a forest (14°50′47″S, 52°08′37″W) on the Eldorado Farm in Nova Xavantina was sampled to determine the structure, phytosociology and soil properties. A total of 44 tree species was found in the forest, with a Shannon diversity index (H′) of 2.37 and the Pielou evenness index (J′) of 0.63. These values were similar to those reported by other workers in an Amazonian monodominant forest dominated by Peltogyne gracilipes. Average tree density equal or greater than (≥) 5cm dbh was 1066ha−1 and basal area 37.46m2 ha−1. Dead standing individuals represented 7.03% of the total density and lianas 8.12%. The main families were Moraceae, Rubiaceae, Burseraceae, Hippocrateaceae and Leguminosae–Caesalpinioideae. The species with the highest importance value indices were B. rubescens (124.55), Amaioua intermedia var. brasiliana (32.97), Cheiloclinium cognatum (22.41), Tetragastris balsamifera (19.58) and Protium pilosissimum (16.64). Brosimum rubescens alone accounted for 85.5% of the individuals ≥30cm dbh, 80.35% of those ≥20cm dbh, 57.33% of those ≥10cm dbh, and 35.85% of those ≥5cm dbh. The forest was composed of upper, middle and lower storeys. Diameter distribution was unbalanced for the community and for the main species, suggesting that establishment has been episodic. The surface soil was acid, with high exchangeable Al levels and low fertility, as is the case for most cerrados and Amazonian forests. The availability of K was in the range of adequacy, as compared with most native soils. However, concentrations of available Mg in the soil was higher than that of available Ca, with Mg/Ca ratios above three, unlike most cerrados and Amazonian forests, but similar to the soils of many monodominant tropical forests reported in the literature. Soils were characterized by high concentrations of available Fe. Besides the high Mg/Ca ratios, a high proportion of K as compared with the bivalent cations Ca and Mg, and toxicities of Fe and Mn due to strong acidity could be factors influencing the occurrence of species in this forest.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether variations in tree community structure and soil properties were interrelated in a fragment of semideciduous forest in Martinho Campos, south-eastern Brazil. The forest was sampled by ten plots, each of which was made up of four contiguous 15×15m quadrats (total 0.9ha). Plots were randomly distributed in the fragment with the help of grid-line coordinates. Soil samples were collected from each quadrat for chemical and textural analyses, and the soil of each quadrat was classified in conformity with the US Soil Taxonomy System. All trees with diameter at the base of the stem ≥5cm were identified and measured (circumference and height). Three soil groups were recognized: Ustifluvent, Ustropept, and Dystropept. A principal component analysis independently discriminated the soil groups in terms of their chemical and textural properties, indicating the consistency of the soil classification. Significant differences among the soil groups were also found for most soil properties. Tree community physiognomy was significantly different in Ustropept soil habitat, where trees showed more pronounced slenderness. A detrended correspondence analysis indicated that tree community structure also responded to the three soil habitats. A canonical correspondence analysis, together with Spearman's rank correlations, demonstrated that species' abundance distributions were significantly correlated with the soil properties. Differences in soil nutrient content (particularly Ca2+ and K+) and in ground water regime are apparently the leading factors determining tree species distributions within the fragment.

In the species-rich tropics, rapid assessment surveys have become a widely employed method for acquiring bioestimates of site value. Some of Papua New Guinea's most pristine habitats are currently being explored with such surveys. Five new species collected during these investigations are described here. The novelties are Psychotria kamialii sp. nov. (Rubiaceae), P. muellerdomboisii sp. nov., P. pseudomaschalodesme sp. nov., P. wiakabui sp. nov., and Solanum symonianum sp. nov. (Solanaceae). Taxonomic notes are also provided for Aglaia puberulanthera (Meliaceae), and Palmeria gracilis (Monimiaceae).