Forty-two species of Geranium from Yunnan, Sichuan, Gansu, W Hubei and adjacent territories are keyed and described. Four new species are published: G. canopurpureum Yeo, G. duclouxii Yeo, G. fargesii Yeo and G. retectun Yeo. One previously described species is reduced to varietal rank (as G. hupehanum var. wilsonii (Knuth) Yeo) and many others are reduced to synonymy. The name G. platyanthum Duthie is taken up for G. eriostemon Fischer ex DC, which is a later homonym of G. eriostemum Poiret. A catalogue of collectors' numbers is supplied.

Comparative morphological and carpological investigation shows that Ladyginia and Spongiosyndesmus are congeneric. An emended generic description of Ladyginia is given and two new nomenclatural combinations Ladyginia afghanica and L. gigantea are made.

Ormosolenia Tausch is shown to be a separate monotypic genus of the Umbelliferae, distinct from Peucedanum L. A new combination, O. alpina (Sieber ex Schultes) M. Pimenov is proposed for the only species of the genus which is endemic to the eastern part of the Mediterranean.

A key is given to distinguish Jamesbrittenia, Camptoloma and Lyperia from Sutera, a genus with which they have hitherto usually been equated. Twenty one species and one subspecies of Jamesbrittenia are newly described, and 63 new combinations are made (two at varietal level).

An analysis was made of the floristic composition of 26 cerrado areas in Brazil, encompassing most of the latitudinal and much of the longitudinal extension of this vegetation. A total of 485 species of trees and large shrubs occurred in these areas but those present at only one site were eliminated so that the number analysed was reduced to 255. Numerical classification and ordination, followed by an environmental/geographical interpretation of site patterns, were used in the analysis. The analyses revealed three major gradients of variation associated with latitude, longitude and, most strongly, soil-type (mesotrophic or dystrophic). The study demonstrated that cerrado vegetation is extremely heterogeneous: none of the 485 species recorded occurred at all sites and only 27 were present at 15 or more. Further knowledge of this distributional heterogeneity is essential for the planning of representative conservation areas of this extremely endangered vegetation.