Mandevilla (Apocynaceae) is a neotropical genus which is well represented in Brazil. A recent taxonomic revision of the Brazilian species of Mandevilla subgenus Mandevilla included eight new species, one of them from the State of Pernambuco. Nevertheless, while preparing a survey of Apocynaceae from the Brazilian semi-arid region, a new species of the subgenus was recognised. Mandevilla catimbauensis Souza-Silva, Rapini & J.F.Morales is here described and illustrated. It is a twining plant with elliptic, glabrous leaves and hypocrateriform, purple flowers, known only from the Vale do Catimbau National Park, in the State of Pernambuco.

The new taxa Pedicularis L. series Bicornutae R.R.Mill, Pedicularis series Rhynchotrichae R.R.Mill, Pedicularis bicornuta Klotzsch var. adenocalyx R.R.Mill, Pedicularis murreeana R.R.Mill & R.Bone and Pedicularis staintonii R.R.Mill (Orobanchaceae) are described. Pedicularis series Klotzschianae R.R.Mill is proposed as a replacement name for the illegitimate Pedicularis [unranked] Macranthae that has often been treated as ‘series Macranthae Prain’. The new combination Pedicularis bipinnatifida (Pennell) R.R.Mill is made and four names are lectotypified. An epitype is designated for Pedicularis bicornuta.

The Triglochin bulbosa complex (Juncaginaceae) from the Mediterranean region and Africa is revised. One new species, Triglochin buchenaui Köcke, Mering & Kadereit, and two new subspecies, Triglochin bulbosa subsp. calcicola Mering, Köcke & Kadereit and Triglochin bulbosa subsp. quarcicola Mering, Köcke & Kadereit, are described from South Africa. The only two Mediterranean taxa in the complex (Triglochin barrelieri, T. laxiflora) are elevated to species rank. Altogether seven species and four subspecies are recognised: Triglochin barrelieri, T. buchenaui, T. bulbosa subsp. bulbosa, T. bulbosa subsp. calcicola, T. bulbosa subsp. quarcicola, T. bulbosa subsp. tenuifolia, T. compacta, T. elongata, T. laxiflora and T. milnei. An identification key, detailed descriptions and accounts of the ecology and distribution of the taxa are provided. An IUCN conservation status is proposed for each taxon.

The Farasan Archipelago in Saudi Arabia is an Important Plant Area (IPA) in the Arabian Peninsula. This paper describes the flora of the Farasan Islands and provides an up-to-date botanical checklist together with background information on the geology and fauna of the islands. It designates the locality as an IPA due to the presence of nationally and regionally rare species and the presence of good examples of mangrove vegetation, which is both regionally and globally threatened. In addition to conservation assessments, this study also examines conservation planning concerns, particularly the colonisation of the main island Farasan Al-Kabir by the invasive species Prosopis juliflora. Suggestions for conservation action are provided. A new combination is made for Tetraena boulosii.

Ninety-seven taxa of coprophilous fungi are recorded from the Southern Atlantic archipelago of the Falkland Islands. Several other fungi are discussed in the light of the distribution of these coprophils. Fungi are recorded for the first time from some of the smaller islands adjacent to East and West Falkland. Two new combinations, Coprinopsis cordispora (T.Gibbs) Watling & M.J.Richardson and Coprinopsis ephemeroides (DC.) Watling & M.J.Richardson, are made.

Variation among 19 phenological features taken from 48 species of Vaccinium (Ericaceae), both in vivo and in vitro as well as from existing literature, were subjected to several clustering strategies. Our results suggest three distinct phenological clusters that reflect the ability of these taxa to tolerate frost, namely a ‘Tropical’ group of 16 taxa which tolerate no or very little frost; a ‘Temperate’ group whose 17 members tolerate some frost; and finally a ‘Boreal-Arctic’ group whose 15 taxa are winter hardy.

A new species, Roella uncinata Cupido (Campanulaceae), from Western Cape, South Africa, is described and illustrated, and its known distribution mapped. A proposed conservation assessment is provided, and its diagnostic characters and affinity are discussed.

An Important Plant Area programme has been initiated for the Arabian region by the IUCN Arabian Plant Specialist Group. The aim of this programme is to assess hotspots of plant diversity in the region and designate the most important as Important Plant Areas. These assessments are conducted on the basis of specific criteria and this paper presents the criteria which have been adopted for the Arabian Peninsula countries of Saudi Arabia, Oman and Yemen. These Arabian criteria differ from those originally developed for Europe, and so they are presented here in full. This paper also discusses the context of the Important Plant Area programme and its ability to provide a framework for conservation planning.

Paraboea gracillima Kiew (Gesneriaceae) is described from Perlis, Malaysia, and from Ban Khamphaengphen in Peninsular Thailand. Paraboea lambokensis Kiew is described from two hills in Kelantan, Malaysia. Both are restricted to limestone. Paraboea lambokensis is endemic in Peninsular Malaysia and is Critically Endangered, while P. gracillima, which is protected in the Perlis State Park, is categorised as Least Concern.

Three new species of Rubiaceae from Central Africa are described and illustrated. Chassalia lutescens O.Lachenaud & D.J.Harris (widespread from Cameroon to Democratic Republic of Congo) is recognised inter alia by the T-shaped ventral furrow of the seeds and the orange-yellow discoloration of inflorescences in herbarium specimens. Psychotria nodiflora O.Lachenaud & D.J.Harris (Central African Republic, Congo-Brazzaville and Democratic Republic of Congo), belonging to Psychotria subgen. Psychotria sect. Involucratae, is unique among African species of the genus in having paired axillary inflorescences. Psychotria pteropus O.Lachenaud & D.J.Harris (Central African Republic and Democratic Republic of Congo) belongs to Psychotria subgen. Tetramerae; it is closely related to P. leptophylla Hiern but differs in its narrow corolla tube and globose to ellipsoid fruits.

Jabal Qaraqir in Saudi Arabia is the first site to be assessed for the Important Plant Area (IPA) programme in the Arabian Peninsula. This paper describes the geology, fauna and flora of the Qaraqir site and provides the first botanical checklist of the area. It designates the locality as an IPA due to the quality of the wadi vegetation and the presence of endemic and biogeographically relictual species. As well as assessments, this study also touches on the planning stage of conservation activity. Socio-economic issues and threats to the conservation of Qaraqir are discussed and suggestions for conservation action are provided.

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.

Leontopodium is a genus of approximately 30 species with a conspicuous Asian–European disjunct distribution. In this study samples from the Himalayan/Tibetan centre of diversity of the genus, as well as from Europe, were analysed to infer a phylogeny of the genus using sequences of nuclear ribosomal (ITS and ETS) and plastid (matK and trnL/F) DNA. The Southeast Tibetan monotypic Sinoleontopodium [Leontopodium lingianum (Y.L.Chen) Dickoré, comb. nov.] falls into Leontopodium. Monophyly of Leontopodium, including Sinoleontopodium, is supported. Due to low rates of sequence divergence, intrageneric relationships in general are weakly supported, a pattern frequently observed in plant groups centred in the Tibetan Plateau. Three phylogenetic groups can be identified, however, and these are also supported by morphology. The low levels of nucleotide divergence suggest a young age for the group, which has been influenced by the turbulent geological history of the Tibetan Plateau. Leontopodium is a characteristic Sino-Himalayan element that appears to have found its way into the mountains of Europe in geologically recent times. The two European taxa, Leontopodium alpinum and L. nivale, form a genetically distinct group, which, considering the wide geographic disjunction, shows surprisingly little divergence from its Asian relatives.

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.

Pedicularis oederi Vahl var. heteroglossa Prain (Orobanchaceae) is raised to species rank and lectotypified, and an emended description provided. This taxon has pink or purple-pink corollas rather than the yellow colour otherwise typical for the Pedicularis oederi group of taxa.

The taxonomic history of Porterandia (Rubiaceae) is reviewed. Its plant architecture and other morphological characteristics are compared with those of the related Atractocarpus and Bungarimba. Porterandia species are typically gynodioecious (and sometimes gynomonoecious), with sexual dimorphism in inflorescence form and flowers. Secondary pollen presentation in bisexual flowers is present. In a cladistic analysis using 34 morphological characters, Porterandia, Atractocarpus heterophyllus (type species of Atractocarpus) and Bungarimba were neatly polarised from Aidia, the outgroup. The 20 species of Porterandia in the analysis formed a well-supported monophyletic group, clearly delimited by primary and lower-order branches with terminal cymes in forks, stipules fused into a tube and with hairy inner surfaces, anisophyllous leaf pairs, corollas with stiff bristle-like hairs over the tube outer surface and adaxially hairy lobes. A revision enumerated 22 species of Porterandia, including a new species, P. dinghoui Zahid & K.M.Wong. Borneo, with 19 species, is the centre of diversity; outlying taxa appear to diverge from Bornean taxa in some characters; for example, Porterandia anisophylla and P. scortechinii (Sumatra, Malaya) are the only species with downward-pointing hairs on the corolla tubes (the rest have upward-pointing hairs), and P. celebica (Sulawesi) has atypical hood-like, fused (instead of free) inflorescence bracts. The northwest Borneo region has a significant species diversity and congregation. Extinction of Porterandia populations from heavily disturbed or open sites indicates that habitat conservation and the integrity of large forest patches and tree stands are critical.

A new species of Riedelia (Zingiberaceae), Riedelia charontis M.F.Newman from Papua Province, Indonesia, is described and illustrated.

The status of Rivea bernoulliana (Convolvulaceae) is resolved.

The new species Carpolobia gabonica Breteler (Polygalaceae) from Gabon and adjacent Congo is described and illustrated. It is most closely related to Carpolobia gossweileri (Exell) E.M.A.Petit. The differences between the two species are summarised in a key which also includes Carpolobia alba G.Don, the only other species from that area.