Coprinellus phaeoxanthus A.R.Gomes & Wartchow is described as a new species and is characterised by cordiform basidiospores similar to those of the recently described Coprinellus arenicola. However, it differs in the presence of voluminous pleurocystidia in the velar elements, which are shorter than in Coprinellus arenicola, and in the lack of clamp connections. In addition, exsiccatae of a Brazilian collection identified as ‘Coprinus xerophilus’ are analysed, and because of the star-shaped velar patch on the pileus and the non-volvate stipe base, it is considered to be the same as Coprinus calyptratus, representing a new record from South America.

The place of publication and typification of Euonymus bullatus is briefly revised in light of recent nomenclatural decisions.

A revision of Begonia sect. Symbegonia, endemic to New Guinea, is presented, with descriptions of five new species (B. arauensis M.Hughes, B. asaroensis J.Gagul, B. erodiifolia Sands, B. mimikaensis Sands and B. vinkii Sands). There are 18 species now recognised, and a key is provided for their identification. Ten of the species are assessed to belong to the IUCN category Data Deficient, and eight to Least Concern.

Two new species of Begonia sect. Bracteibegonia, B. curvifolia Ardi and B. ocellata Ardi, are described from West Sumatra, Indonesia. The species are endemic to Sumatra and belong to the IUCN category Data Deficient. A modified identification key to all 11 species of Begonia sect. Bracteibegonia in Sumatra is provided.

Begonia mariachristinae Wahlsteen, a new endemic species from Kachin, northern Myanmar, is described and illustrated. The new species is characterised by its combination of four perianth segments in the female flower, two ovary wings, two locules, two styles and a dioecious breeding system.

Eight Zingiber species (Z. densissimum S.Q.Tong & Y.M.Xia, Z. kerrii Craib, Z. ligulatum Roxb., Z. nudicarpum D.Fang, Z. orbiculatum S.Q.Tong, Z. parishii Hook.f. subsp. phuphanense Triboun & K.Larsen, Z. recurvatum S.Q.Tong & Y.M.Xia and Z. smilesianum Craib) are newly recorded for the flora of Laos, raising the total number of species to 25. Colour illustrations, notes on their distribution, and citations of the specimens supporting the new records are given, as well as vernacular names and uses. An updated checklist of Zingiber in Laos, with an indication of the current sectional placement of each species, is presented.

The genus Boea Comm. ex Lam. is revised. Eleven species are recognised, including the new species Boea morobensis C.Puglisi. A key is provided, all names are typified, and the species are described.

A new species of Begonia (B. lecongkietii N.S.Lý & M.Hughes) is described from Mount Dầu in the South Central Coast Region, Vietnam, an area with an abundance of recently described endemic plant taxa. The new species is allied to Begonia lamxayana Souvann., which occurs 600 km away in Laos, differing chiefly in having larger villose tepals with an undulate margin and larger androecium with 86–116 (versus 20–30) stamens. Begonia lecongkietii is considered Critically Endangered, owing to its small area of occupancy and decline of habitat quality.

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

Two new species of Oreocharis, O. tribracteata and O. rufescens, are described and a key to the species in Vietnam is provided. The new species have distinct features not previously, or rarely, observed in the genus, both showing the partial fusion of the calyx lobes into a tube, and the presence of three bracts in Oreocharis tribracteata.

A new species of Paraboea, P. fimbriata C.Puglisi & Phutthai, from Sai Yok District, Kanchanaburi Province, Thailand, is described.

Eleven new species of Cyrtandra (Gesneriaceae) from Sulawesi are described and illustrated: C. albiflora Karton. & H.J.Atkins, C. boliohutensis Karton. & H.J.Atkins, C. gambutensis Karton. & H.J.Atkins, C. hekensis Karton. & H.J.Atkins, C. hendrianii Karton. & H.J.Atkins, C. hispidula Karton. & H.J.Atkins, C. kinhoii Karton. & H.J.Atkins, C. multinervis Karton. & R.Bone, C. nitida Karton. & H.J.Atkins, C. rantemarioensis Karton. & R.Bone and C. rubribracteata Karton. & H.J.Atkins. Illustrations, maps and preliminary conservation assessments are provided for all the species.

The nomenclature of a number of taxa that occur in Southeast Asia in Baeckea, Decaspermum, Leptospermum, Melaleuca, Psidium, Rhodamnia, Rhodomyrtus and Tristaniopsis is discussed: eight lectotypes are designated, six taxa are shown to have been previously lectotypified under Article 9.9 with second-stage lectotypification being deemed unnecessary for two of them, and comments are made on two species that we cannot yet typify.

The Neotropical genus Mezia (Malpighiaceae) comprises 15 species of lianas (except M. huberi W.R.Anderson, a shrub or small tree). All have multibranched, densely brown-sericeous inflorescences with the ultimate unit a 4-flowered umbel of bilaterally symmetrical flowers. The distinctive pair of large cymbiform bracteoles subtends a rudimentary pedicel and encloses the floral bud. The flowers contain elongate sepals, the lateral four biglandular, yellow petals, the posterior often splotched with red, a heteromorphic androecium, and a tricarpellate gynoecium. The three styles are all free; the posterior pair is lyrate in five species but erect in the others. The samaras have an orbicular to oblate lateral wing and a much smaller dorsal wing; in most species, additional winglets and/or crests are present between the lateral and dorsal wings. Only Mezia mariposa W.R.Anderson has butterfly-shaped samaras lacking additional ornamentation. Four new species are proposed: Mezia andersonii C.E.Anderson, M. bahiana C.E.Anderson, M. fanshawei C.E.Anderson and M. sericea C.E.Anderson. One variety is elevated to species level and provided with a new name, Mezia peruviana C.E.Anderson; a lectotype is chosen for Diplopterys involuta var. ovata Nied. Full descriptions and synonymies are provided, as well as a distribution map. All species are illustrated.

Globally, the Cerrado is the most diverse savanna in terms of plant species, as well as one of the most threatened as the result of human impact; it is therefore considered a priority area for conservation. Some areas of the Cerrado have still not been subject to botanical collections and detailed studies, the Jalapão region being one of these. We describe four recently rediscovered species previously known only from type specimens collected at least 160 years ago: Hyptis caduca Epling (Lamiaceae), Duguetia rotundifolia R.E.Fr. (Annonaceae), Diospyros ovalis Hiern (Ebenaceae) and Rhabdodendron gardnerianum (Benth.) Sandwith (Rhabdodendraceae). Comments on their ecology, conservation status and occurrence are provided, together with a distribution map. New morphological data have been recorded, and all species are considered to be under some degree of threat. These rediscoveries highlight the importance of further fieldwork in poorly sampled and highly biodiverse regions such as Jalapão and neighbouring areas, as well as the urgent need for conservation of the highly threatened Cerrado biome.

The genus Acacia Miller is species-rich, and species discrimination is challenging owing to morphological similarities between closely related species. Naming of specimens is particularly difficult in the Middle East, where confusion in taxonomic identification exists within the context of a wider international debate on the generic systematics of Acacia sensu lato. At least five segregate genera for Acacia s.l. have been advocated: Acacia sensu stricto, Vachellia, Senegalia, Acaciella and Mariosousa. Furthermore, identification to species of the only remaining native Acacia s.l. tree in Kuwait is still a matter of controversy. The present study used multilocus chloroplast DNA sequence data analyses following maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian approaches to: 1) test the species concepts of Vachellia pachyceras (≡ Acacia pachyceras O.Schwartz) from the Middle East, and Vachellia tortilis (Forssk.) Galasso & Banfi (≡ Acacia tortilis (Forssk.) Hayne) and Vachellia gerrardii (Benth.) P.J.H.Hurter (≡ Acacia gerrardii Benth.) from Kenya, as well as to investigate species divergence times; and 2) identify the only remaining native Acacia s.l. tree in Kuwait (known as the Lonely Tree), as well as other unidentified Acacia s.l. specimens in cultivation. The Bayesian and ML topologies clearly differentiated Vachellia pachyceras, V. tortilis and V. gerrardii, and demonstrated that the three species are distinct. Divergence time estimates using the ML topology suggested that Vachellia gerrardii diverged from a common ancestor no later than the early Pliocene (3.3 Mya), whereas V. pachyceras originated at least 2.0 Mya (Pliocene). The unknown remaining native Acacia s.l. tree in Kuwait and other specimens collected from the nursery were identified as Vachellia pachyceras. These results stress the need to use plastid DNA barcodes complemented by population genetics approaches to address systematic issues in this complex of Acacia s.l. species in the Middle East and the Arabian Peninsula.

Twenty-seven species and two subspecies of Ficus are reported from one study site in central Africa. Characters for identification are explained. An identification key, illustrations, descriptions and habitats are provided. The species-level diversity of Ficus in tropical forests is discussed.

Descriptions of two sister species, Begonia wollnyi Herzog and Begonia arrogans Irmsch., are provided and their distributions mapped and discussed. Begonia wollnyi is newly recorded from Peru and Argentina. Begonia parodiana L.B.Sm. & B.G.Schub. is newly synonymised with B. wollnyi. Begonia arrogans Irmsch. and two existing synonyms of B. wollnyi Herzog, Begonia acrensis Irmsch. and Begonia williamsii Rusby & Nash, are lectotypified. Begonia wollnyi and B. arrogans are both assessed as Least Concern (LC), according to IUCN criteria.

Two new infraspecific taxa of Begonia micranthera Griseb. are described. Begonia micranthera subsp. albonervia Tebbitt is described and illustrated as a new subspecies native to the Andes of southern Bolivia (Chuquisaca, Cochabamba and Santa Cruz Departments). Begonia micranthera subsp. micranthera var. flava Andrada & Bulacio is newly described from Argentina's Jujuy Province. Begonia micranthera var. rhacophylla Irmsch. is raised to subspecies and newly recorded from Bolivia. Begonia micranthera var. hieronymi (Lindau) L.B.Sm. & B.G.Schub. is recognised as B. micranthera subsp. rhacophylla var. hieronymi (Lindau) L.B.Sm. & B.G.Schub. The type collection of Begonia micranthera var. foliosa L.B.Sm. & B.G.Schub. is newly recognised as a hybrid between B. micranthera Griseb. subsp. micranthera and B. micranthera subsp. rhacophylla (Irmsch.) Tebbitt. Begonia micranthera var. fimbriata L.B.Sm. & B.G.Schub. is newly synonymised with B. cinnabarina Hook. Begonia cinnabarina is newly recognised from Argentina and is lectotypified. Begonia micranthera subsp. micranthera var. nana L.B.Sm. & B.G.Schub. is also lectotypified. A key, diagnoses and illustrations are provided for all the recognised infraspecific taxa of Begonia micranthera.

The flora of Laos remains one of the least known within the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot. A floristic inventory was carried out in Phou Hin Poun National Biodiversity Conservation Area, an under-explored area of the Khammouane Limestone. This study provides a list of 27 taxa that are additions to the most recent country checklists. The Ebenaceae, Euphorbiaceae and Myrtaceae are the families with the highest species number. In this list, four species are endemic to Indochina (Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam): Cynometra dongnaiensis Pierre, Jasminum vidalii P.S.Green, Memecylon chevalieri Guillaumin and Pothos gigantipes Buchet ex P.C.Boyce. These results illustrate the paucity of our knowledge of the region surveyed and of the flora of Laos in general.