A new species of Gesneriaceae, Ornithoboea emarginata D.J.Middleton & N.S.Ly, is described from Vietnam. A proposed IUCN conservation assessment is provided.

The genus Paraboea Ridl. (Gesneriaceae) is revised. It is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, Cambodia, southern China, India (Assam), Indonesia (Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Sulawesi), Laos, Malaysia (Peninsular and Borneo), Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam, mostly from limestone habitats. Eighty-nine species and five varieties are recognised. Four new species and one new variety are described: Paraboea apiensis Z.R.Xu, Paraboea argentea Z.R.Xu, Paraboea graniticola Z.R.Xu, Paraboea paraprimuloides Z.R.Xu and Paraboea harroviana var. ovata Z.R.Xu. In addition two taxa are highlighted as possible new species but are not described here due to insufficient material. The treatment includes one new combination for a species, Paraboea harroviana (Craib) Z.R.Xu, one new combination for a variety, Paraboea schefferi var. ambigua (C.B.Clarke) Z.R.Xu, one new status for a variety, Paraboea rufescens var. tomentosa (Barnett) Z.R.Xu, and one new name, Paraboea primuloides Z.R.Xu. Fifty-one line drawings are included. A key is presented and all taxa are described. Preliminary conservation assessments are given.

A new species of Dubyaea (Asteraceae), D. forrestii Mamgain & R.R.Rao, from the Burma/China border is described, illustrated and compared with D. atropurpurea. The affinities of the new species to Dubyaea atropurpurea are discussed.

The new species Baphia megaphylla Breteler (Leguminosae – Papilionoideae) from Gabon is described and illustrated. It is most closely related to Baphia maxima Baker. The differences between the two species are summarised in a key.

Two new species of the South American genus Lessingianthus (Asteraceae: Vernonieae) are described and illustrated. One of these species, Lessingianthus arctatus, bears a resemblance to L. linearis (Spreng.) H.Rob. and L. rosmarinifolius (Less.) H.Rob., but can be separated from them by its almost glabrous phyllaries, solitary heads and longer internodes. The other new taxon, Lessingianthus longicuspis, can be easily separated from L. cataractarum (Hieron.) H.Rob. and L. bardanoides (Less.) H.Rob., and other taxa of the genus, by the combination of petiolate leaves, aristate phyllaries and inflorescence bracts alternate to the heads. Four other taxa previously included in Vernonia are transferred to the genus Lessingianthus.

The anatomical characters of the scape of Echinodorus glandulosus, E. lanceolatus, E. palaefolius, E. paniculatus, E. pubescens and E. subalatus subsp. subalatus (Alismataceae) were examined. These six sympatric species occur in northeastern Brazil and demonstrate great morphological similarity. The aim of the present study was to identify anatomical characters of taxonomic importance. Scapes possess a uniseriate epidermis composed of thin-walled tabular cells. The scapes of most species have differentiated epidermis, cortex, and vascular cylinders. There are several layers of regular chlorenchyma cells immediately below the epidermis, intercalated with collateral vascular bundles, in all species. There are also laticiferous ducts throughout the scape, and aerenchyma in both the cortex and pith. The shape and outline of scapes, the presence and position of winged extensions, the absence of differentiated vascular cylinders or cortex, and the number of vascular bundles are important characters for differentiating species in Echinodorus. An identification key employing the features analysed is provided.

A new species of Begonia (Begoniaceae), B. varipeltata D.C.Thomas, is described from the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. It exhibits peltate leaves, which are rare in Begonia section Petermannia, to which it belongs.

The genus Campanula L. (Campanulaceae) in Iran has been revised in preparation for the treatment in the Flora of Iran. In Iran the genus consists of five subgenera (Campanula, Megalocalyx, Roucela, Brachycodonia and Rapunculus), 10 sections (Quinqueloculares, Campanula, Sibirica, Involucrata, Cordifoliae, Rupestres, Scapiflora, Saxicolae, Dictycalyx and Rapunculus) and 44 species. Since the Flora Iranica treatment by Rechinger & Schiman-Czeika in 1965 eight additional species (Campanula crispa, C. sibirica, C. coriacea, C. hakkiarica, C. lamondiae, C. conferta, C. hermannii and C. fastigiata) have been recorded from Iran. Campanula savalanica is a synonym of C. bayerniana. A key to the species in Iran is presented and the endemic species are highlighted.

A new species of Impatiens (Balsaminaceae), Impatiens pachycaulon M.F.Newman, is described and illustrated.

A new species of Catasetum Rich. ex Kunth (Orchidaceae), Catasetum apolloi Benelli & Grade, from the municipality of Carlinda in the State of Mato Grosso, Brazil is described and illustrated. The plant was discovered in a pasture near the Teles Pires River growing epiphytically under the palm Maximiliana regia Mart. A discussion and consideration of possible related species is presented.

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.

Mannia controversa (Meyl.) Schill comb. nov. (Marchantiidae, Aytoniaceae), a long-forgotten European taxon, is fully redescribed and a lectotype selected. It is reported from its original localities in the Swiss Alps and new sites in the Austrian and French Alps. A series of specimens from eastern Asia are closely related and are described as Mannia controversa subsp. asiatica Schill & D.G.Long. For the species, differences with other Mannia species are summarised and for its two subspecies, descriptions, illustrations (including SEM images) and a key are provided along with notes on ecology and distribution maps.

An examination of living material of Bredia (Melastomataceae) in Taiwan and a comparison with herbarium material of the genus from eastern Asia (China, Japan and Taiwan) has led to the recognition of two new species, B. dulanica C.L.Yeh, S.W.Chung & T.C.Hsu and B. laisherana C.L.Yeh & C.R.Yeh. The morphology and diagnostic characters of these two species are described and illustrated and a key to the species of Bredia in Taiwan is given.

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.

A new species of Gesneriaceae from Sulawesi, Agalmyla hilliardiae D.J.Middleton & S.Scott in Agalmyla sect. Exannularia, is described and illustrated.

The objective of this work was to evaluate resprouting features and mortality in Cerrado woody plants after annual controlled fires (in 1998, 1999 and 2000) in a campo sujo area (an open savanna physiognomy) of 2500 m2 at the Reserva Ecológica do IBGE, Brasília-DF, Brazil. The area was protected against fire for 23 years prior to the fires. All plants of the woody layer with diameter larger than 2.0 cm at 30 cm from soil level were tagged and identified. At about one year after each controlled fire the damage type and the number of basal and underground sprouts for each individual were recorded. Stem diameter and height were measured for each marked sprout. A total of 1307 sprouts were tagged and measured. The main impact of fire on resprouting was a decrease in the number of new sprouts after each controlled fire: 684 sprouts after the first burning to 248 after the third burning. Mortality of sprouts was 34.8% and 37.8% after the 1999 and 2000 fires. A decrease in the number of sprouts with a diameter smaller than 1.0 cm after the successive fires was also observed, indicating that fires at one-year intervals resulted in alterations in the structure of the woody vegetation in the area. The species mortality rates were higher after the first controlled fire. However, it seems that there is no relation between sprouting capacity and species survival. The species that show mortality rates lower than 10% also showed a variety of sprouting capacity.

A new species of Ferula (Umbelliferae), Ferula hezarlalehzarica Y.Ajani, from the Hezar and Lalehzar mountains (Kerman province) in the south of Iran, is described and illustrated. From field and herbarium studies it appears that the species is found only in Kerman province. Details of its morphology and mericarp anatomy are discussed and compared with its closest relatives, Ferula hindukushensis Kitam. and F. koso-poljanskyi Korovin. The new species differs from these mainly in leaf, umbel and mericarp characters. An alteration to the Ferula key in Flora Iranica is given.

A revision of the five Madagascan species of the genus Manilkara (Sapotaceae) is presented, including a key, descriptions, diagnostic characters, ecological notes and a distribution map. Of the seven species originally described by Aubréville, Manilkara tampoloensis is placed in synonymy with M. boivinii, and M. sohihy is removed from the genus and placed within the existing Labramia boivinii (Pierre) Aubrév.