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

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.

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 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.

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 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.

The composition, abundance, population structure and distribution patterns of the woody species having a girth at breast height of ≥ 10 cm were investigated in the tropical wet evergreen forests of the Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve in the southern Western Ghats, India. A 3 ha plot was established with an altitudinal range of 1170 to 1306 m. In the study plot 5624 individuals (mean density 1875 ha−1) covering 68 woody species belonging to 52 genera and 27 families were enumerated. The mean basal area was 47.01 m2 ha–1 and the Shannon and Simpson diversity indices were 4.89 and 0.95, respectively. Of these woody species nearly 51% are endemic to the Western Ghats. The four dominant species, Cullenia exarillata, Palaquium ellipticum, Aglaia bourdillonii and Myristica dactyloides, account for 34% of the trees and 67% of the basal area, and therefore constitute the main structure of the forest. Within this forest type, five species assemblages corresponding to altitudinal gradient were identified using correspondence analysis. Management of such mid elevation evergreen forests necessarily depends on knowledge of recognisable community types and their environmental variables. The present study provides essential background for formulating strategies for sustainable conservation of forest communities at the local level.

Bellevalia wendelboi Maassoumi & Jafari from western Iran (Kurdistan Province) is newly described. It is similar to Bellevalia macrobotrys from Bellevalia sect. Nutans subsect. Colorata but differs in having weakly canaliculate leaves, yellow anthers (not violet) and a cordate-ovoid, acuminate capsule (not ovoid and retuse). There are now 19 species of Bellevalia in four sections in Iran.

Scaphium parviflorum P.Wilkie sp. nov. (Sterculioideae, Malvaceae/Sterculiaceae) is described and illustrated. The flowers are intermediate between the tubular flowers of Scaphium macropodum and the deeply lobed ones of Scaphium affine. However, Scaphium parviflorum differs from these species by its smooth to fissured or dippled and brown to grey-brown bark, small narrowly ovate to narrowly elliptic leaves and the presence of sparse minute flattened stellate hairs (resembling scales) on the midrib of the lower surface of the lamina.