Dysoxylum middletonianum Takeuchi (Meliaceae) is described from previously unexplored habitats in the Southern Fold Mountains of Papua New Guinea. The new plant is the smallest Dysoxylum in eastern Malesia and one of only two species with whip infructescences.

Fifty-one species of basidiomycetes are recorded from the Southern Atlantic archipelago of the Falkland Islands. Several other fungi are discussed in the light of these findings. Some of these fungi are recorded for the first time from the Falklands and especially from some of the smaller islands of the group adjacent to West and East Falkland. The world distributions of the fungi dealt with in this compilation, particularly in the southern hemisphere, are given where they are known. Comments are made on the possible reasons for the occurrence of the species in the Falklands, especially the ectomycorrhizal taxa.

Zingiber kelabitianum from Sarawak, Borneo is described. This new species belongs to section Zingiber, having radical, erect inflorescences. It is related to Z. pachysiphon B.L. Burtt & R.M. Sm. in the large size of the plant and the robust, cylindrical inflorescences with deflexed bracts. It differs in the dense, yellow-brown indumentum of the leaf sheath and ligules, the bright red bracts, the longer bracteole and the free, well-developed lateral lobes of the labellum. The traditional uses of the plant by the indigenous people, the Kelabits, are described.

Twenty-two species of Alpinia previously placed under the illegitimate name Psychanthus (K. Schum.) Ridley arc transferred to Pleuranthodium (K. Schum.) R. M. Smith.

Rhododendron chilanshanense, a new species of Rhododendron subgenus Tsutsusi sect. Brachycalyx, is described from Taiwan. It is distinguished from closely related species by its leaves scattered along the upper branchlets and the stipitate glands on both the floral and vegetative parts.

Cautleya (Royle ex Benth.) Hook.f. (Zingiberaceae) is revised. Two species are recognised, one of them with two varieties. They are found in northern India, Nepal, Bhutan, southern China, Burma, Thailand and Vietnam. A key is given and all taxa are described. Preliminary conservation assessments are made.

Lloydia himalensis is confirmed as being synonymous with L. serotina; L. yunnanensis is reported for the first time from the E Himalaya; L. delicatula Noltie sp. nov. is described; L. mairei and L. serotina var. parva are discussed.

Species delimitation in Scaphium (Sterculioideae, Malvaceae/Sterculiaceae) has been problematic and has led to confusion in identification of species. The genus was last revised in 1953 and at that time comprised four species. Since then five new species have been published. This revision of Scaphium recognises eight species, with other names being accounted for in synonymy or by exclusion from the genus.

The ‘Hebridean Marsh-orchid’ is a controversial dactylorchid taxon currently regarded as endemic to the island of North Uist in the Scottish Hebrides. Re-evaluation of past taxonomic treatments reveals that none of its three names – Dactylorhiza majalis (Reichenbach f.) P. F. Hunt & Summerhayes subsp. scotica Nelson (1976, 1979), D. majalis subsp. occidentalis (Pugsley) Soó var. ebudensis Wiefelspütz (in Landwehr, 1977), and D. majalis subsp. occidentalis var. scotica (Nelson) R. M. Bateman & Denholm (1983) – has been validly published. We herein legitimize D. majalis subsp. occidentalis var. ebudensis Wiefelspütz ex R. M. Bateman & Denholm, presenting for the first time full details of its lectotype. However, we also note that this nomenclatural clarification has no relevance to determining the most appropriate rank for, and biological significance of, this taxon, which is one of many doubtfully distinct ‘critical’ taxa of dactylorchids that occur in western and northern regions of the British Isles. Taxonomic opinions expressed on these populations to date have been based on sparse, qualitative, and often contradictory data, and most lacked an explicit conceptual framework. We outline a more rigorous analytical protocol.

Four new species of Boehmeria (Urticaceae) are described and named: Boehmeria listeri Friis & Wilmot-Dear and B. manipurensis Friis & Wilmot-Dear from the eastern part of the Himalayas, B. leptostachya Friis & Wilmot-Dear from southern China (Yunnan), Thailand and northern Sumatra, and B. subintegra Friis & Wilmot-Dear from Papua New Guinea. The species are illustrated and mapped and their habitat ranges are described, and conservation assessments have been produced for all.

A new species, Amomum vermanum from NE India, is described and illustrated.

A new species of Diplycosia (Ericaceae), Diplycosia bartolomei Ferreras & Argent, presently known only from Mt. Mingan in the border region between Aurora and Nueva Ecija provinces in Luzon, Philippines, is described. Comments on possible relationships and differences from other Philippine species are given.

Two new species of Begonia (Begoniaceae), Begonia gambutensis Ardi & D.C.Thomas and Begonia siregarii Ardi & D.C.Thomas, are described from material collected on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. Both species belong to Begonia section Petermannia. A key to the species in the provinces North Sulawesi and Gorontalo is provided.

Eight species of Thesium are newly described, 3 apparently confined to Zambia, 3 to Zimbabwe and one to Mozambique, with another ranging from Zambia and Zimbabwe west to Botswana, Angola and Namibia.

A new species of Gentiana (Gentianaceae), G. khammouanensis Hul, is described and illustrated.

The new combination Microchirita cristata (Dalzell) D.J.Middleton is made.

The classification of Schisandra Michx. sect. Sphaerostema (Blume) Nakai is revised, using multivariate statistical analyses as required. Only two species are recognized, viz. Schisandra plena A.C. Sm. and S. propinqua (Wall.) Baill., following reduction of S. axillaris (Blume) Hook.f. & Thorns, to a subspecies of the latter taxon. Four subspecies are recognized in S. propinqua, viz.: subsp. propinqua (N W India and Nepal); subsp. intermedia (A.C. Sm), stat. nov. (NE India, Burma and Yunnan); subsp. sinensis (Oliv.), stat. nov. (central and southern China); and subsp. axillaris (Blume), comb, et stat. nov. (Java and Bali). The biogeographical origin of the vicariant distribution of S. propinqua is discussed. A key is provided for the identification of taxa, with new taxonomic descriptions.