Hemiurid digeneans conspecific with Stomachicola muraenesocis Yamaguti, 1934 (the type species of the genus Stomachicola Yamaguti, 1934) were collected from the stomach of the daggertooth pike conger Muraenesox cinereus (Forsskål) off the Persian Gulf of Iran. This study aimed to provide a detailed characterization of Stom. muraenesocis, including measurements, illustrations and scanning electron microscopy (s.e.m.) representations. Comparisons with the original and previous descriptions revealed morphological and metrical variations in several features (i.e. body size and shape, arrangement of reproductive organs, soma to ecsoma length ratio, position of genital opening, number of vitelline tubules and extension of uterine coils) between Stom. muraenesocis from different hosts and localities. This study presents the first molecular sequence data associated with the small (18S) and large (28S) subunit nuclear ribosomal RNA genes (rDNA) for Stom. muraenesocis. Phylogenetic analyses of the 18S dataset placed Stom. muraenesocis as sister lineage to a clade formed of a group of species of Lecithaster Lühe, 1901 (Lecithasteridae Odhner, 1905). In contrast, phylogenetic analyses based on the 28S consistently recovered a sister relationship between Stom. muraenesocis and representatives of the Hemiuridae Looss, 1899. Further comprehensive phylogenetically based classification in light of morphology and taxonomic history of the Hemiuridae and Lecithasteridae is required to infer phylogenetic affinities and historical biogeography of Stomachicola. A comprehensive list of previously reported species of Stomachicola together with their associated hosts, localities and morphometric data is provided.

The species of Gagnepainia K.Schum. and Hemiorchis Kurz are revised throughout their ranges. These genera are shown with evidence from morphological and molecular studies to be distinct, although closely related to each other. Two species of Gagnepainia and three of Hemiorchis are recognised. A key to the genera of Globbeae and keys to the species of Gagnepainia and Hemiorchis are given, all names are typified and descriptions are provided. Conservation assessments of all taxa are proposed.

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.

Facchinia Rchb. (Alsinoideae–Caryophyllaceae), earlier found not to be part of Minuartia s.str., is here revised. The genus contains seven species, one of which has two subspecies. Seven new combinations are made: Facchinia cerastiifolia (Ramond ex DC.) Dillenb. & Kadereit, F. cherlerioides (Sieber) Dillenb. & Kadereit, F. cherlerioides subsp. aretioides (Port. ex J.Gay) Dillenb. & Kadereit, F. grignensis (Rchb.) Dillenb. & Kadereit, F. herniarioides (Rion) Dillenb. & Kadereit, F. rupestris (Scop.) Dillenb. & Kadereit, and F. valentina (Pau) Dillenb. & Kadereit. Keys to Minuartia s.str., the Old World segregate genera of Minuartia s.l., and to the species and subspecies of Facchinia are provided. All taxa are described and mapped, and some are illustrated.

Amomum Roxb. (Zingiberaceae) in Sumatra, Indonesia is revised. Twenty-four species are recognised, most names are typified, detailed descriptions of species are provided and a key to these species is given. Provisional IUCN conservation assessments are supplied for all species. Two new species are described: Amomum mentawaiense A.J.Droop and Amomum oligophyllum A.J.Droop.

Greenland has more than 200 years of history of studies of the sponge fauna and is the type locality for a number of species. Many of these have not been encountered since, and as the type material has been hard to find or even lost, their taxonomic status has remained uncertain. In this study all species of calcareous sponges previously reported from Greenland are reviewed. The revision is based predominantly on new or unidentified material collected during various expeditions, but also on material used by previous authors. This includes samples from all coasts of Greenland, from the southernmost Kap Farvel area to Peary Land on the northern coast, some of the northernmost records of calcareous sponges ever. Greenland is a transition zone between the western and eastern Atlantic boreal calcareous sponge faunas, being home to species from both sides of the North Atlantic combined with some true Arctic species. There is also a strong link between the Canadian and Greenlandic sponge faunas. Twenty-eight species have been identified, from which six are new to Greenland and one is new to science. New records for Greenland are: Clathrina arnesenae (Rapp, 2006); Clathrina camura (Rapp, 2006); Clathrina pellucida (Rapp, 2006); Sycon abyssale Borojevic & Graat-Kleeton, 1965; Leucandra valida Lambe, 1900; and Sycettusa thompsoni (Lambe, 1900). Clathrina tendali sp. nov. has been described from western Greenland and Leucosolenia corallorrhiza (Haeckel, 1872) and Leucandra penicillata (Schmidt, 1869) have been resurrected. Keys for identification of higher taxa and the different species of Greenlandic Calcarea are provided.

The species of Guarea F.Allam. ex L. (Meliaceae) are revised. Sixty-nine species are recognised, a key to the species is provided, all names are typified and descriptions of all species are given. A phylogenetic analysis based on ITS sequence data is discussed. Six new species and one new subspecies are described. Five new combinations for subspecies are made.

The taxonomy of Echinococcus has long been controversial. Based mainly on differences in morphology and host-parasite specificity characteristics, 16 species and 13 subspecies were originally described. Subsequently, most of these taxa were regarded as synonyms for Echinococcus granulosus and only 4 valid species were recognised: E. granulosus; E. multilocularis; E. oligarthrus and E. vogeli. But, over the past 50 years, laboratory and field observations have revealed considerable phenotypic variability between isolates of Echinococcus, particularly those of E. granulosus, which include differences in: morphology in both larval and adult stages, development in vitro and in vivo, host infectivity and specificity, chemical composition, metabolism, proteins and enzymes, pathogenicity and antigenicity. The application of molecular tools has revealed differences in nucleic acid sequences that reflect this phenotypic variation and the genetic and phenotypic characteristics complement the previous observations made by the descriptive parasitologists many years ago. The fact that some of these variants or strains are poorly or not infective to humans has resulted in a reappraisal of the public health significance of Echinococcus in areas where such variants occur. A revised taxonomy for species in the Echinococcus genus has been proposed that is generally accepted, and is based on the new molecular data and the biological and epidemiological characteristics of host-adapted species and strains.

The genus Rhynchotechum Blume (Gesneriaceae) is revised. It consists of 16 species, three of which are newly described here: Rhynchotechum burmanicum B.M.Anderson from Burma, R. gracile B.M.Anderson from Northeast India, and R. vietnamense B.M.Anderson from Vietnam. A new combination is made for Rhynchotechum hookeri (C.B.Clarke) B.M.Anderson. A key and descriptions of all species are provided.

Cytisus sections Alburnoides DC., Spartopsis Dumort. and Verzinum (Raf.) Talavera (tribe Genisteae, Fabaceae) are revised. These comprise 10 species of the genus, of which two species are recognised in Cytisus section Alburnoides, four in Cytisus section Spartopsis (of which two species are divided into subspecies), and four in Cytisus section Verzinum (one with two subspecies). Three new combinations are made: Cytisus ardoinoi subsp. sauzeanus, C. grandiflorus subsp. maurus and C. scoparius subsp. insularis. Keys to the sections and to the species within each section are given. All taxa are described. Conservation assessments are made.

The species of Amomum Roxb. (Zingiberaceae) in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam are revised. Thirty-five species and two varieties are recognised, most names are typified, and detailed descriptions and a key are provided. Conservation assessments of all species are given. Eleven new species are described: Amomum calcaratum Lamxay & M.F.Newman, Amomum calcicolum Lamxay & M.F.Newman, Amomum celsum Lamxay & M.F.Newman, Amomum chevalieri Gagnep. ex Lamxay, Amomum chryseum Lamxay & M.F.Newman, Amomum glabrifolium Lamxay & M.F.Newman, Amomum plicatum Lamxay & M.F.Newman, Amomum prionocarpum Lamxay & M.F.Newman, Amomum rubidum Lamxay & N.S.Lý, Amomum stephanocoleum Lamxay & M.F.Newman and Amomum tenellum Lamxay & M.F.Newman.

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.

The species of Aeschynanthus Jack (Gesneriaceae) in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam are revised. Eighteen species are recognised, keys to the species are given, all names are typified, and detailed descriptions of all species are provided. Conservation assessments are given for all species. Aeschynanthus cambodiensis D.J.Middleton, Aeschynanthus jouyi D.J.Middleton and Aeschynanthus pedunculatus D.J.Middleton are newly described.

The African genera Paropsiopsis Engl. and Smeathmannia R.Br. (Passifloraceae – Paropsieae) are revised. The two genera are well separated based on the presence or absence of a second, annuliform, corona, as well as the number of stamens and curvature of their filaments. An overview of important characters and a key to all genera of Paropsieae is provided. In Paropsiopsis all previously recognised species are united under P. decandra (Baill.) Sleumer. In addition one species, Paropsiopsis atrichogyna J.M.de Vos & Breteler, is newly described and illustrated. In Smeathmannia both previously recognised species are maintained, but infraspecific taxa are rejected. Descriptions of both genera and their species, keys to species, illustrations and distribution maps are provided.

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 genus Paraboea Ridl. (Gesneriaceae) is revised. It is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, Cambodia, southern China, India (Assam), Indonesia (Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Sulawesi), Laos, Malaysia (Peninsular and Borneo), Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam, mostly from limestone habitats. Eighty-nine species and five varieties are recognised. Four new species and one new variety are described: Paraboea apiensis Z.R.Xu, Paraboea argentea Z.R.Xu, Paraboea graniticola Z.R.Xu, Paraboea paraprimuloides Z.R.Xu and Paraboea harroviana var. ovata Z.R.Xu. In addition two taxa are highlighted as possible new species but are not described here due to insufficient material. The treatment includes one new combination for a species, Paraboea harroviana (Craib) Z.R.Xu, one new combination for a variety, Paraboea schefferi var. ambigua (C.B.Clarke) Z.R.Xu, one new status for a variety, Paraboea rufescens var. tomentosa (Barnett) Z.R.Xu, and one new name, Paraboea primuloides Z.R.Xu. Fifty-one line drawings are included. A key is presented and all taxa are described. Preliminary conservation assessments are given.

The species of Aeschynanthus Jack (Gesneriaceae) in Thailand are revised. Twenty species are recognized, a key to the species is given, all names are typified, and detailed descriptions of all species are provided. Conservation assessments are given for all species. Aeschynanthus minutifolius D.J.Middleton is newly described. Micraeschynanthus Ridl. is reduced to synonymy and a new combination is given for its only species: Aeschynanthus dischidioides (Ridl.) D.J.Middleton.

Taxonomic revision by molecular phylogeny is needed to categorize members of the genus Echinococcus (Cestoda: Taeniidae). We have reconstructed the phylogenetic relationships of E. oligarthrus, E. vogeli, E. multilocularis, E. shiquicus, E. equinus, E. ortleppi, E. granulosus sensu stricto and 3 genotypes of E. granulosus sensu lato (G6, G7 and G8) from their complete mitochondrial genomes. Maximum likelihood and partitioned Bayesian analyses using concatenated data sets of nucleotide and amino acid sequences depicted phylogenetic trees with the same topology. The 3 E. granulosus genotypes corresponding to the camel, pig, and cervid strains were monophyletic, and their high level of genetic similarity supported taxonomic species unification of these genotypes into E. canadensis. Sister species relationships were confirmed between E. ortleppi and E. canadensis, and between E. multilocularis and E. shiquicus, regardless of the analytical approach employed. The basal positions of the phylogenetic tree were occupied by the neotropical endemic species, E. oligarthrus and E. vogeli, whose definitive hosts are derived from carnivores that immigrated from North America after the formation of the Panamanian land bridge. Host-parasite co-evolution comparisons suggest that the ancestral homeland of Echinococcus was North America or Asia, depending on whether the ancestral definitive hosts were canids or felids.

Two keys to distinguish the genera Grewia and Microcos are presented, one based on macromorphological characters and the other on micromorphological characters. Grewia is revised for Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo. Despite the 33 names published under Grewia for the region only four species are recognized here. Grewia multiflora is newly recorded from Borneo and attention is drawn to its curious distribution; G. huluperakensis is endemic to Peninsular Malaysia; G. polygama is found in limestone forest in northern Peninsular Malaysia, and G. laevigata is common in Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo. A key, descriptions and illustrations are provided for all four species. A list of excluded species names is included: all are referable to Microcos.