The Cordillera Central is a vast mountain range, spanning 22,500 km2 in the Philippines, containing some of the country’s last remaining intact forests. These forests are a reservoir for biodiversity and home to many poorly-known species, including those in the genus Rafflesia, renowned for containing the world’s largest flowers. Here we describe Rafflesia balatociana, a distinctive yet overlooked taxon from the high elevation moss forest, which we name after the Balatoc Indigenous Peoples, one of the subtribes in the Kalinga Province. This species is distinguished from its close relatives by a combination of conspicuous and stable characters including a double-dentate disk rim and strap-shaped lacuna on the annulus interior. We compare R. balatociana with co-occurring species in the Cordillera Central, provide a key, and consider our findings in the wider context of the exceptional biodiversity of this region and its conservation requirements. We propose R. balatociana should be classified as Critically Endangered, and recommend its habitat be declared as either a Critical Habitat Area (CHA) or a Local Conservation Area (LCA).

A new species of Ixora (Rubiaceae), Ixora fernandoi C.B. Moran, from Dinagat Island, Philippines is formally described and illustrated. This species is easily recognized from other known Ixora species by its infloresceence that are erect to drooping, articulate throughout, flower bud with rounded apex, calyx tube not more than 2 mm long; corolla tube 6–8 mm long; corolla lobes elliptic oblong.

Viola ministipulata, a newly discovered species of Violaceae from the Sanqingshan mountain in Jiangxi Province, China, is described and illustrated here. The identification is based on comprehensive morphological and molecular evidences. While the new species shares similarities with V. fukienensis W. Becker in terms of leaf color and stoloniferous habit, it can be differentiated by its smaller leaves and flowers, distinct petal coloration, stamens and lanceolate appendages of equal length, and comparatively smaller and prematurely withered stipules. Additionally, the sepals of V. ministipulata feature a distinctive basal appendage.

An updated synopsis of the genus Chara L. (Characeae) occurring in India are discussed here in conformity with the available monographs, literatures, related publications, digital herbarium records and online taxonomic databases. The taxonomy and nomenclature are based on the critical review of 51 taxa of Chara L. which include 35 species, 9 varieties and 7 forms so far reported from India. Information related to type citations, range of distribution along with the key for each taxon was included in discussion. The review further marks 9 taxonomically uncertain taxa of India.

This paper continues the publication of Aspidistra species newly discovered in the flora of Vietnam. It includes an illustrated description of A. pentagona, found in northern parts of the country. Detailed analytical color illustrations, data on morphology and ecology, phenology, tentative relationships, distribution, and expected conservation status are provided for the discovered species.

Species of Apiaceae despite uniform floral structure show great variation in floral morphs and sexual distribution. In the present study, ontogeny of the diclinous flowers within “cage-like” inflorescence of the andromonoecious Dicyclophora persica Boiss., studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), in order to recognize whether they follow the same ontogenetic processes. The development of interesting unusual club-like organ in center of the umbel, furthermore, studied. The floral organs in diclinous flowers initiated from the common sectorial group-like primordia. Petals initiated as clockwise direction and stamens as modified helical pattern. Perfect flowers, despite sepal suppression, synchronized with staminate flowers in initiation of petals, stamens and carpels. In staminate flowers, in turn, two prominent sepals arise subsequently after initiation of stamens. Only in late stages, ovules get aborted. The club-like organ initiated from a naked receptacle that has no resemblances to the umbellets or flowers. The prolonged spatial constrains imposed by massive staminate flowers are responsible for suppression of sepals and sessile status of perfect flowers. Considering the ovules suppression, staminate flowers may likely adopt to conserve the perfect flowers from exposing in extreme environmental conditions, but not as substitution for perfect flowers.

A new species of Psammogeton (Apiaceae) found in Jammu district of Jammu and Kashmir, India, is described and illustrated. It is similar to Psammogeton canescens and P. shivalikense but differing from them in having noticeably radical leaves, deeply ternate leave with acuminate apex, pale yellow flowers, an elongated stylopodium, and fruits hairs that are over three times longer than they are wide. Together with the images, a distribution map, comparison of closely related Psammogeton canescens and P. shivalikense with comparable morphologies and phenology, and a key are included.

A new salsify species, Tragopogon davut-turanii is described from Anatolia based on micro- and macro-morphological, and molecular evidences. The new species is morphologically similar to T. vvedenskyi and T. abbreviatus but, it is closely related to T. stenophyllus and T. coelesyriacus on the basis of the phylogenetic tree obtained nrDNA ITS sequences. Diagnostic characters, description, and conservation status together with micro- and macro-morphological properties of achenes and pollen grains are also provided.

Commelina badamica var. palakondensis ……….var. nov. (Commelinaceae), a remarkable new variety from Palkonda hills of Eastern Ghats of Peninsular India is described and illustrated. It is apparently similar to C. badamica in habitat ecology and general morphology, but strictly differs in features like presence of 2-3 nerved ligule, lower cincinnus with single bisexual flower, ovary glabrous, anthers-elliptic and seeds ovoid-oblong or trapezoidal. In addition to description, habitat ecology, details on population distribution and the conservation status are also provided for the new variety.

A new species of Gagea iranshahrii ***** & ***** (Liliaceae, G. sect. Stipitatae (Pascher) Davlianidze) has been described from the basin of the Atrak River basin, Iran and Turkmenistan. Morphological features and a distribution map are given. Differences from four superficially similar taxa are indicated. The new species differs in the totality of features and, especially, in the presence of a relatively large, rounded vegetative bulb, which forms annually throughout the entire ontogenesis.

The genus Sorbus consists of small to medium-sized trees primarily found in coastal areas, with three European hotspots for diversification: Fennoscandia, South-East Europe, and Britain. Taxonomic classification of Sorbus in Europe is still unresolved, and this study aims to address this issue by examining the pollen morphology of different Sorbus hybrids. Pollen morphology of 16 specimens from 13 species of Sorbus, Aria and Hedlundia, some of which are common, while others are endemic and listed as threatened species, were studied. Measurements of the polar and equatorial axis of all pollen show that there are variations in pollen size and shape among different hybrids, with correlation between polyploidy levels and the width of the pollen. Surface structures of pollen were observed using SEM. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was performed to analyze the pollen characters, and the results show that it is possible to separate Aria from Sorbus and Hedlundia based on the length of the pollen grain, while the number of perforations is important for classification within Hedlundia. The study concludes that pollen morphology can be a useful tool for distinguishing between different Sorbus hybrids and can thus aid in understanding their past distributions.

Litter decomposition represents a major path for atmospheric carbon influx into Arctic soils, thereby controlling below-ground carbon accumulation. Yet, little is known about how tundra litter decomposition varies with microenvironmental conditions, hindering accurate projections of tundra soil carbon dynamics with future climate change. Over 14 months, we measured landscape-scale decomposition of two contrasting standard litter types (Green Tea and Rooibos Tea) in 90 plots covering gradients of micro-climate and -topography, vegetation cover and traits, and soil characteristics in Western Greenland. We used the Tea Bag Index protocol to estimate relative variation in litter mass loss, decomposition rate (k) and stabilisation factor (S) across space, and Structural Equation Modelling to identify relationships among environmental factors and decomposition. Contrasting our expectations, microenvironmental factors explained little of the observed variation in both litter mass loss, as well as k and S, suggesting that the variables included in our study were not the major controls of decomposer activity in the soil across the studied tundra landscape. We use these shortcomings of our study combined with findings from the current literature to discuss future avenues for improving our understanding of the drivers of tundra decomposition and, ultimately, carbon cycling across the warming Arctic.

Euploca wightiana P. Javad & A. A. Ancy sp. nov., a new species of the family Heliotropiaceae is described from Coimbatore district of South India. Morphologically it is similar to Euploca marifolia but differs in being perennial; erect woody stem with dense hirsute hairs; oblong leaves with obtuse apex; inflorescence with distantly placed flowers; long, cylindrical style with unifid, capitate stigma and densely hirsute nutlets. The species remained misidentified in herbaria for long. Detailed description, photo plates and distribution maps are provided. Morphological differences with relevant species are discussed. The status of the new species is provisionally assessed here as ‘endangered’ according to IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria.