Sixty new or updated records of plants species are reported from the Sultanate of Oman, as a result of fieldwork and research undertaken. Five taxa represent new records for Arabia, twenty-seven taxa are new records for Oman, and twenty-eight records represent an extended distribution within Oman. Some previously doubtful records are confirmed. Brief comments are given on the phytogeography, taxonomy and ecology of the taxa. Most new records have been collected in mountainous areas, either in southern Oman or in northern Oman, mainly in areas that previously were botanically poorly known.

The Lower Devonian Posongchong Formation (Wenshan, Yunnan Province, southwestern China) consists of a series of continental deposits with an outstanding plant megafossil diversity. More than 20 years ago, this formation was interpreted as ‘Siegenian' (∼Pragian) in age based on palynology. However, such interpretation needs further evidence because of the known differences between the dispersed spore assemblages from South China and Euramerica/northwestern Gondwana. Here, we present new dispersed spore assemblages recently recovered from the Posongchong Formation. The isolated spore diversity is highly diverse, with 18 genera and 32 species. The recognised taxa include, among others, Ambitisporites avitus, Aneurospora conica, Aneurospora posongchongensis sp. nov., Aneurospora xujiachongensis, Apiculiretusispora plicata, Archaeozonotriletes chulus, Concentricosisporites agradabilis, Dibolisporites echinaceus, Emphanisporites rotatus, Gneudnaspora divellomedia, Latosporites ovalis, Retusotriletes triangulatus, Tetrahedraletes medinensis and Verrucosporites polygonalis, with Aneurospora and Retusotriletes being the most abundant forms. The known Posongchong palynoflora (previous spore data included) suggests that the Posongchong Formation assemblages can be correlated with the Pragian interval of the polygonalis–wetteldorfensis Oppel Zone (PoW). This age determination is supported by the presence of index species of PoW, such as Verrucosporites polygonalis, Dictyotriletes subgranifer and Camarozonotriletes parvus (sensu Steemans, 1989), the latter being known only from the Pragian of Belgium and Germany. Recent advances in the study of the marine faunas in the overlying sequences also indicate a Pragian age for the Posongchong Formation. This new investigation of the Posongchong palynoflora highlights differences of abundance at species level between the Gondwanan–Laurussian floras during the Early Devonian.

The island of Folegandros, located between the Milos and Santorini archipelagos in the southern Kiklades (Greece), constitutes together with Ios and Sikinos the south-central part of the phytogeographical region of the Kiklades. Its flora consists of 474 taxa, 47 of which are under statutory protection, 40 are Greek endemics and 145 are reported here for the first time. We show that Folegandros has the highest percentage of Greek endemics in the phytogeographical area of the Kiklades. The known distribution of the endemic Muscari cycladicum subsp. cycladicum is expanded, being reported for the first time outside the South Aegean Volcanic Arc. The floristic cross-correlation between Folegandros and other parts of the phytogeographical region of the Kiklades by means of Sørensen’s index revealed that its phytogeographical affinities are stronger to Anafi Island than to any other part of the Kiklades.

This work synthesises information about plant diversity of 37 sites of coastal and inland swamp forests of southeast and southern Brazil and investigates floristic similarities and differences among them. Swamp forests often show low species richness, diversity and evenness, which are associated with the selective character of oxygen deprivation caused by soil waterlogging. However, our results pointed out some degree of site-level variation (Sobs = 5 to 110; Sjack1 = 6 to 151; H′ = 0.82 to 3.98; J′ = 0.51 to 0.87) related to local ecological conditions. Two major phytogeographical patterns emerged from our work: the strong influence of the neighbouring non-flooded vegetation on the flora of swamp forests and its high spatial heterogeneity. At least 85.9% of the 518 species sampled are found in neighbouring non-flooded vegetation. A correspondence analysis consistently separated swamp forests of the coastal plain from those of the plateau. A Mantel test indicated a significant correlation between floristic and geographical distances among sites (r = 0.45; p = 0.001), and highlighted the main effect of regional-scale changes in the flora of swamp forests. We conclude that swamp forests of southeast and southern Brazil cannot be considered a distinguishable floristic unit.

The Pleistocene Arc Theory (PAT) suggests that present-day disjunct fragments of dry forests in central tropical South America give evidence of a previously more continuous distribution during the Pleistocene that has been disrupted by dry-cold vs. humid-warm climatic cycles. This Arc extends from NE Brazil to NE Argentina and eastern Paraguay, through the Chiquitanía to NW Argentina and SW Bolivia and into the dry inter-Andean valleys in Peru and Ecuador, with intrusions into the Great Chaco. Seasonally Dry Tropical Forests (SDTFs) are floristically and physiognomically dominated by woody legumes, mostly deciduous in the dry season. In the last two decades field collection and research on legume taxa has greatly increased, with a significant number of taxonomic revisions and molecular phylogenetic studies, together with some paleoclimatic modelling studies. The evidence accumulated in the last 23 years has confirmed the integrity of the Chaco and Caatingas phytogeographical provinces, with an impressive and increasing level of botanical endemism discovered. The PAT pattern has also been supported, specifically through the mapping of five selected woody Leguminosae species (Anadenanthera colubrina, Enterolobium contortisiliquum, Pterogyne nitens, Amburana cearensis and Piptadenia viridiflora). The pre-existing nuclei of South American SDTF (Caatingas, Misiones and Piedmont) are now increased to four with the postulation of the Chiquitanía Nucleus in south-eastern Bolivia and bordering Paraguay. Some new endemisms are compiled from recent literature and mapped for the Misiones and Chiquitanía nuclei. The need for more botanical collections and further taxonomic, phylogenetic and demographic studies of South American legumes is emphasised.

The island of Kimolos, located in the western Kiklades in Greece, constitutes together with Milos, Polyaegos, Anafi and the Santorini island group the central part of the South Aegean Volcanic Arc. The flora of Kimolos consists of 443 taxa, 70 of which are under a statute of protection, 30 are Greek endemics and 225 are reported here for the first time. We show that Kimolos has the highest percentage of Greek endemics in the South Aegean Volcanic Arc. The known distribution of the endemics Sedum eriocarpum subsp. eriocarpum and Anthemis rigida subsp. liguliflora is expanded, being reported for the first time for the phytogeographical region of the Kiklades. The floristic cross-correlation between Kimolos and other parts of the South Aegean Volcanic Arc by means of Sørensen’s index revealed that its phytogeographical affinities are somewhat stronger to Anafi than to neighbouring Milos.

Sixty new or updated records of plant species are reported from the Sultanate of Oman, as a result of field work and herbarium research. Four taxa represent new records for Arabia, 26 are new records for Oman, and 30 represent an extended distribution within Oman. Some previously doubtful records are confirmed. Brief comments are given on the phytogeography and ecology of the taxa. Most new records have been made in mountainous areas, either in southern or northern Oman, mostly in areas that previously were botanically very poorly known or unexplored.

Two new species of Convolvulus (Convolvulaceae), C. excelsus R.R.Mill and C. infantispinosus R.R.Mill, are described from Saudi Arabia. Convolvulus excelsus, an exceptionally tall species, has affinities with C. erinaceus Ledeb. but is phytogeographically disjunct from that and other allied species. Two new subspecies are also described: Convolvulus hystrix Vahl subsp. dhofarica R.R.Mill, from Oman, and C. oxyphyllus Boiss. subsp. sheilae R.R.Mill, from Saudi Arabia. Each novelty is given a provisional IUCN conservation assessment.

A new isidiate, xanthone-producing species, Rinodina chrysidiata, is described and compared in detail with R. xanthophaea, a species with which it co-occurs in eastern Asia. The two species have an identical chemistry but are clearly separated by their differing lichenized diaspores, thallus morphology and ascospore type.

This study analysed phytogeographic patterns of several Atlantic Forest areas in southeastern Brazil, including forest areas in the Espinhaço Range, to identify species with congruent distribution patterns and possible environmental factors that might influence these. A total of 54 floristic surveys, predominantly from semideciduous woodland sites but also including some rainforest areas, were compared using UPGMA and DCA methods as well as Jaccard analyses. The former identified four main groupings: group 1 included forests located throughout the Espinhaço Range; group 2 was formed by forest areas in the Rio Jequitinhonha basin; group 3 was formed by three distinct subgroups, one (3.1) predominantly of forest areas pertaining to the Alto Rio Grande basin, another (3.2) of upland forests of the Quadrilátero Ferrífero, and a third subgroup (3.3) of upland forests of the Serra da Mantiqueira; and group 4 encompassed forest areas in the Rio Doce, Rio Paraíba do Sul, Rio Itanhém and Rio Itapemirim basins. The prevailing relief in these basins has influenced rainfall and seasonality in these areas which, in turn, have exerted a major influence on the composition of the semideciduous forests. Geographic proximity and altitude, although important factors, play a minor role in the phytogeographic patterns analysed. Despite the floristic heterogeneity of the Espinhaço Range forests, there are physiognomic and floristic affinities among the forests within the campos rupestre vegetation. These are due to the high altitude and features of the soil.

A megafossil plant assemblage containing three zosterophyll plants (Gen. nov. A, aff. Huia sp. and a unnamed spike) is described from the Lower Devonian Xitun Formation (Lochkovian) of Qujing, Yunnan Province, China, providing new data on the diversity of plant types during the Lochkovian, a time poorly represented by fossil vascular plants. Gen. nov. A has a character combination of naked axes, a diagnostic branching pattern (i.e. K-type branching as well as small lateral branches scattered along the axes) and lateral stalked sporangia. Aff. Huia sp. has ovate and stalked sporangia which are arranged in loose spirals and are reflexed adaxially. Combining the plants previously reported from the Xitun Formation (i.e. Xitunia spinitheca, Zosterophyllum shengfengense and Z. minorstachyum), the Xitun flora is dominated by zosterophylls and exhibits varied vegetative and fertile morphologies. Unlike the coeval plant assemblages in many localities of Laurussia and western Gondwana, which are mainly composed of plants with isotomous branching and terminal sporangia, the Lochkovian flora of South China is dominated by zosterophylls, documenting the existence of a distinct Northwest Gondwanan phytogeographic unit in the Lochkovian and a strong effect of phytogeographical isolation.

Vegetation analysis reveals that the Themeda quadrivalvis tall-grass savannah in Oman, southern Arabia, forms a clearly defined belt with strong edaphic and geomorphological characteristics. The newly described association Desmodio gangetico-Themedetum quadrivalvis ass. nov. is interpreted as an impoverished easternmost outlier of the East African savannah.

A vascular plant species list and description is provided for the San Pastor Savanna, an isolated area of savanna within the Chiquibul Forest Reserve, Belize. Of the 126 species recorded, 28 are new records for the Chiquibul Forest Reserve with one previously unrecorded for the country. The maintenance of the current vegetation classification under the Belize Ecosystems Map for the San Pastor Savanna is supported. The coarse-textured soils are typical for extremely seasonal climates with some evidence of prolonged inundation during wet periods and dry seasons affected by burning. Although clear floristic affinities exist with other local and regional savanna areas, the San Pastor Savanna has some unique features and its flora includes national endemics. Although it is currently protected as part of the Chiquibul Forest Reserve and this status should be maintained, its inaccessible location makes frequent monitoring by the Forest Department problematic. Through providing a source of water and a source of forage for horses, the San Pastor Savanna plays a pivotal role in supporting the illegal Chamaedorea (xaté) palm leaf harvesting industry. This activity has also adversely impacted local wildlife. Like the nearby Mountain Pine Ridge, the San Pastor Savanna has suffered intense pine beetle (Dendroctonus spp.) attack.

Similarities and differences among eight upland rain forest sites in Peruvian Amazonia were measured separately by using Melastomataceae, pteridophyte and tree species compositions and edaphic characteristics of the sites. All three plant groups showed a similar pattern among the sites, and this pattern could be explained by edaphic differences but not by geographical distances among the sites. The explicability of site-specific edaphic characteristics on the basis of geological history is discussed. The results suggest that both pteridophytes and Melastomataceae can be used as indicators of floristically different rain forest types that are edaphically defined. Distribution patterns of these plant groups can be studied much more rapidly than the patterns of trees and therefore both Melastomataceae and pteridophytes may be used in large scale phytogeographical studies that are urgently needed in the face of rapidly advancing deforestation.

Floristic and structural comparisons and a numerical classification were performed to identify the priority areas for conservation of genetic resources in central Brazil. The main type of woody vegetation, cerrado sensu stricto (savanna woodland with 10–60% tree cover), was sampled under a uniform methodology in six selected sites (total sample of 6 ha) scattered in a physiographic unit called the Pratinha Plateau located between 15–20° S and 46–49° W. A total of 6971 trees belonging to 139 species and 42 families was measured. Each site had a combination of 50–80 species and approximately 30 families but only 22 species from 14 families were common to all sites. Similarity decreased with distance, indicating the existence of geographical gradients as the physical characteristics were relatively uniform and the soils were dystrophic at all sites. The most dissimilar sites, in the localities of Patrocínio-MG and Paracatu-MG were recommended for the establishment of conservation units. The already existent conservation units arc all clumped in the Federal District and are not enough to protect the genetic heritage of the plateau. Floristics and phytosociological surveys based on land system zoning were recommended as useful tools in planning conservation areas at a regional level to preserve the maximum biodiversity.

The new genus Vahliella is recognized as a genus since molecular studies have shown that the subgenus Micropannaria of Fuscopannaria differs so much from this genus that it cannot even be placed in the Pannariaceae. While its family position remains unclear, it is certainly best established as a genus, as it is recognizable also on morphological and chemical characters. Unlike the mainly warm-temperate genus Fuscopannaria, it is restricted to cold-temperate regions. Presently it is known to contain eight species, a key to which is given. The following new combinations are introduced: Vahliella adnata (P. M. Jørg. & Upreti), Vahliella atlantica (P. M. Jørg. & P. W. James), Vahliella californica (Tuck.), Vahliella globuligera (Fryday & P. M. Jørg.), Vahliella hookerioides (P. M. Jørg.), Vahliella labrata (P. M. Jørg.), Vahliella leucophaea (Vahl), Vahliella saubinetii (Mont.).

A summary is given of the lycophyte species as distributed in fifteen Euramerican coalfields during Asturian (Westphalian D) times. The datasets from the coalfields are analysed using unweighted pair group cluster analyses of Jaccard's Coefficients. Separate analyses were done on the full dataset (the full list of morphospecies) and on a more restricted dataset (only the morphospecies of vegetative organs). Three groupings of coalfields were resolved in the analyses. The two most clearly defined groupings represented the intramontane basin coalfields, and the coalfields of the lowland basins on the Variscan foreland where the lycophyte floras are well documented. The third grouping included those basins with less well-studied lycophyte floras, where the apparently low species diversity has undoubtedly affected the results. More work is needed on these poorly documented floras to produce a more rigorous phytogeographical analysis.

The members of Anemone L. sect. Himalayicae (Ulbr.) Juz. (Ranunculaceae) are mainly distributed in the Himalaya of North India, Nepal and Bhutan and the neighbouring mountains of SW China at elevations between 1850 and 4800 m. Their taxonomy is re-evaluated on the basis of a critical morphological analysis of extensive herbarium material. The section is placed in Anemone subgen. Omalocarpus and differentiated into three new series: ser. Obtusilobae, ser. Trullifoliae and ser. Rupestres. A conspectus, keys to species, subspecies and varieties, descriptions of taxa, illustrations and distribution maps are presented. Eleven species with several infraspecific taxa are recognized and their synonymy, variability and relationships are discussed. In addition to the generally accepted species Anemone obtusiloba, A. trullifolia and A. rupestris, we recognize the following: A. polycarpa, A. rockii, A. geum and A. coelestina and four Chinese endemics, A. yulongshanica, A. patula, A. subpinnata and A. subindivisa. Anemone imbricata and A. fuscopurpurea are described but excluded from the section. The origins, morphological differentiations and eco-geographical radiations of Anemone sect. Himalayicae are discussed.

Two new species of Boraginaceae are described from Turkey: Paracaryum hedgei and Rindera dumanii. Their affinities and phytogeography are discussed. Both species are illustrated and their distributions mapped. Rindera sect. Bilegnum is raised to subgeneric rank as Rindera subgen. Bilegnum.

Gravity cores taken from five sites in the Nielsen basin, a sinuous trough on the Mac. Robertson shelf of the East Antarctic continental margin, have yielded non-marine palynofloras of late Early Jurassic to Early Cretaceous age. The palynomorphs occur in glacimarine muds and are thus not in situ, but the composition of the samples indicates that no mixing of individual assemblages has occurred, and that the sediments were deposited very close to outcrop of the source of the palynomorphs. The sequence is oldest at the seaward end of the Nielsen basin, and youngest near the fault-bounded landward end. It is interpreted as reflecting pre-break-up deposition on a passive, rifted continental margin. The age of the assemblages has been established by comparison with the zonal scheme developed in the Perth Basin of Western Australia. Similarity of the Antarctic palynofloras with those known from basins on the east coast of India confirms continental reconstructions that show this part of East Antarctica to have been contiguous with eastern India prior to break-up. The non-marine character of the palynomorphs suggests that marine conditions in this region of the Antarctic margin did not develop until at least late Early Cretaceous time.