A new species of Kuepferia (Gentianaceae), K. pringlei D.Maity & Sentu K.Dey from north Sikkim, Eastern Himalaya, is described and illustrated. Details of habitat, phenology and conservation status are given, and it is compared to related species. This previously undescribed species is most similar to, but distinct from, Kuepferia leucantha (Harry Sm. ex T.N.Ho & S.W.Liu) Adr.Favre, known from Bhutan and China.

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.

Pedicularis ser. Tenuirostres Maxim. (Orobanchaceae) is demonstrated to be the correct name for the group usually referred to as P. ser. Pectinatae Prain. The series is here revised and 12 species are accepted. Its species are centred in the NW Himalaya, particularly Pakistan where there is much local infraspecific variation. Two species are excluded from the series: Pedicularis rhynchotricha P.C.Tsoong from China (Xizang) is placed in P. ser. Rhynchotrichae R.R.Mill and P. birmanica Bonati is confirmed as a member of P. ser. Brevifoliae (Prain) Bonati. One new species of Pedicularis ser. Tenuirostres is described: P. yamazakiana R.R.Mill from Nepal, which was formerly confused with P. pectinata subsp. palans Prain. Pedicularis jainii Aswal & Mehrotra is demonstrated to be a superfluous name for P. pyramidata Royle ex Benth. Pedicularis kashmiriana var. ornata Pennell is considered to be indistinguishable from P. pyramidata although P. kashmiriana var. kashmiriana is a recognisable taxon. An IUCN conservation assessment is proposed for Pedicularis rhynchotricha and for each taxon within P. ser. Tenuirostres.

A new species, Hedyotis rajasekaranii Karupp. & Ravichandran (Rubiaceae), is described from the Megamalai Hills of the Western Ghats in Tamil Nadu, southern India.

Two new species of Aeschynanthus and one new Henckelia are described and illustrated. Trichosporum grandiflorum Elmer (non D. Don) is transferred to Aeschynanthus and renamed A. elmeri Mendum.

Lectotypes are designated for eight names in Eriocaulon in tropical Asia, namely E. alatum, E. hamiltonianum, E. hookerianum, E. infirmum, E. lanigerum, E. nautiliforme, E. nigrum and E. ubonense. Additional information on the lectotype of Eriocaulon quinquangulare is given.

This paper provides two new combinations and formal descriptions for eight new species and three new subspecies that have resulted from the preparation of accounts for Volume 1 of the Flora of the Arabian Peninsula and Socotra for the genera Cleome (Capparaceae), Polycarpaea, Silene, Gypsophila and Dianthus (Caryophyllaceae), and Rubus (Rosaceae).

Two groups of species are dealt with: first, Cyrtandra schizostyla together with three new species, all notable for the extraordinary elaboration of their anthers; second, C. velutina and C. diplotricha together with four new species, notable for their remarkably slender, soft-walled fruits. All species are fully described and identification keys provided.

The morphological difference between the monospecific genus Brachychilum and Hedychium is bridged by the recently described Hedychium muluense R. M. Smith. Cytological studies reported here show that at least one stock of B. horsfieldii (Wall.) O. Petersen shares the same basic chromosome number and morphology with Hedychium. The genus Brachychilum should therefore be placed in synonymy with Hedychium, and B. horsfieldii should revert to Hedychium horsfieldii [R. Brown ex] Wall.

The species of Jasminum Tourn. ex L. (Oleaceae) in Peninsular Malaysia are revised. Eighteen species are recognised, of which eight are endemic. Five of these species have been recorded from Singapore. A key to species is provided, all names are typified, and all species are described. Conservation assessments are given for all species in Peninsular Malaysia. One species is Extinct in Peninsular Malaysia, eleven are Endangered and one is Data Deficient. Jasminum shahii Kiew is described as a new species. In Singapore, two species are certainly Extinct.

The flora of Laos remains one of the least known within the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot. A floristic inventory was carried out in Phou Hin Poun National Biodiversity Conservation Area, an under-explored area of the Khammouane Limestone. This study provides a list of 27 taxa that are additions to the most recent country checklists. The Ebenaceae, Euphorbiaceae and Myrtaceae are the families with the highest species number. In this list, four species are endemic to Indochina (Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam): Cynometra dongnaiensis Pierre, Jasminum vidalii P.S.Green, Memecylon chevalieri Guillaumin and Pothos gigantipes Buchet ex P.C.Boyce. These results illustrate the paucity of our knowledge of the region surveyed and of the flora of Laos in general.

A new variety of Agalmyla tuberculala Hook. f. is described; it extends the range of the species from Mt Kinabalu, Sabah, to Mt Murud, N Sarawak. Five new species and four new varieties of Cyrtandra are described from Mt Kinabalu; there are also two new species of Cyrtandra from Sarawak.

Fourteen miscellaneous Bornean species of Cyrtandra are treated. Descriptions and discussion are provided for C. integerrima and C. neiothiantha, originally published with diagnoses only, and C. warburgiana is redescribed. Cyrtandra arachnoidea, C. asikii, C. banyingii, C. keithii, C. lineariloba, C. mendumae, C. palimasanica, C. parvifructa, C. sublanea, C. tubibractea and C. undata are newly described.

A new species, Rhinacanthus flavovirens Amarasinghe & Wijesundara (Acanthaceae), from Sri Lanka, is described and illustrated. It is compared with the closely allied Rhinacanthus nasutus and R. polonnaruwensis. A key to Rhinacanthus species in Sri Lanka is also presented.

A taxonomic revision of Begonia veitchii Hook.f. is presented. Two taxa are newly recognised as synonyms of Begonia veitchii: B. baumannii Lemoine and B. clarkei Hook.f. Addditionally, two infraspecific taxa are newly described and illustrated: Begonia veitchii var. machupicchuensis Tebbitt, which is endemic to the Cusco Department of Peru, and B. veitchii var. lanatifolia Tebbitt, which is endemic to Chuquisaca Department, Bolivia. Begonia veitchii, as well as four taxa recognised as synonyms of B. veitchii – B. baumannii, B. rosaeflora Hook.f., B. coriacea A.DC. and B. clarkei – are lectotypified. A key, descriptions, distribution map and illustrations are provided for all the recognised infraspecific taxa of Begonia veitchii.

A detailed description of Nepenthes reindwardtiana Miquel is provided, and its distribution is reviewed. One new variety, N. reindwardtiana var. samarindaiensis Adam & Wilcock, from Kalimantan in Borneo is described.

Six new species of the Neotropical genus Tetrapterys (Malpighiaceae) are described and illustrated: T. amazonica C.E.Anderson (Brazil, Colombia and Peru), T. andersonii C.E.Anderson (Mexico), T. callejasii W.R.Anderson (Colombia), T. molinae W.R.Anderson (Honduras), T. rzedowskii W.R.Anderson (Mexico) and T. steyermarkii W.R.Anderson (Colombia and Venezuela). All have 4(–6)-flowered umbels as the ultimate inflorescence units, glabrous yellow petals, and samaras with a small dorsal wing in addition to the four large lateral wings.

Thesmophora scopulosa Rourke (Stilbaceae) a monotypic genus endemic to the Ceres mountains, South Western Cape Province, South Africa, is described. It is characterized particularly by its pendulous ovules and 4-lobed corolla.