The bulk of genera within the Cardueae is placed in the subtribes Carduinae and Centaureinae, which together probably form a monophyletic group. Especially within the Carduinae, the phylogenetic relationships are unclear. The elucidation of generic affinities within the group is of both evolutionary and systematic interest: understanding the basal relationships could give insight in the diversification processes, the place of origin and the relative age of individual subgroups. It would further contribute to clarify subtribal classification, since it is not clear whether the Carduinae are monophyletic or paraphyletic with the segregation of the Centaureinae. Eventually, genus delimitation could be tested in the case of larger complexes of closely related genera. In order to reconstruct phylogenetic relationships, DNA sequence data of the Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) regions of the nuclear ribosomal DNA were determined. Phylogenetic analysis using PAUP resulted in five most parsimonious trees. Several larger groups of related genera could be reliably identified. Often the phylogenetic patterns coincide with geographical distribution. The results strongly suggest the paraphyly of the Carduinae. The Centaureinae are most closely related to the large Carduinae genera Jurinea, Saussurea and Cousinia, which are all centred in Central Asia. Within the mainly Mediterranean Carduus-Cirsium complex, genus delimitation is critically addressed.

A lectotype is designated for Hieracium rohacsense, the name of a species restricted in its distribution to the subalpine belt of the W Carpathians with two doubtful localities in the E Carpathians. The lectotype is a specimen collected in the Západné Tatry (Roháce) Mts in Slovakia and kept in the Kitaibel herbarium in the Hungarian Museum of Natural History (BP) in Budapest.

Micromorphological investigation of the lemma surface revealed that the Mediterranean annual and type of Phleum sect. Achnodon, Ph. subulatum, exhibits a hitherto neglected, unique character combination, which provides strong evidence for an isolated position of this species within the genus. In contrast to recent redefinitions of Ph. sect. Achnodon, the original concept of a monotypical section is consequently retained.

Continuing a series of miscellaneous contributions, by various authors, where hitherto unpublished data relevant to the Med-Checklist project are presented, this instalment deals with the families Boraginaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Compositae, Dipsacaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Frankeniaceae, Labiatae, Leguminosae, Myrtaceae, Rubiaceae, Solanaceae, Zygophyllaceae; Alismataceae, Cyperaceae, Gramineae, Juncaceae, and Liliaceae. It includes new country and area records, taxonomic and distributional considerations. New names and combinations are validated in the genera Astragalus and Onobrychis.

Oxytropis (sect. Orobia) kozhuharovii from the Pirin Mts in SW Bulgaria is described as a species new to science and illustrated. Its karyotype has been investigated and a chromosome number of 2n = 4x = 32 found. The morphological differences to O. prenja and O. halleri are analysed and illustrated.

An inventory of 263 taxa of vascular plants growing spontaneously on and around the Byzantine Walls of the city of Thessaloniki is presented, based on own collections and studies of the sites. The flora of the Walls is analysed with respect to the local distribution of the taxa as well as to the chorological and life form spectra. The results are discussed in comparison to other European and Mediterranean wall floras.

Hitherto Aeonium (sect. Leuconium) urbicum has been considered endemic to the islands of Tenerife and La Gomera (Canary Islands). A close morphological examination of the populations on both islands revealed clear differences in taxonomically significant features. These findings justify the recognition of the populations in S Tenerife as a new variety, A. urbicum var. meridionale, and the segregation of the populations on La Gomera as a new species, A. appendiculatum. The new taxa are described and illustrated, their relationships are discussed and a key to the single-stemmed taxa of A. sect. Leuconium is provided.

Based on recent field work, data on the distribution and conservations status of 13 taxa of flowering plants of the Cape Verde Islands are provided. New records for single islands are Periploca laevigata subsp. chevalieri for Sta. Lucia, Paronychia illecebroides for the Ilhéus Rombo, Asparagus squarrosus and Erodium malacoides for Fogo, and Cocculus pendulus for Sal. New records noteworthy with respect to species ecology, reconstruction of the potential natural vegetation or conservation status are presented for nine endemic taxa, viz. Periploca laevigata subsp. chevalieri, Sonchus daltonii, Tolpis farinulosa, Echium hypertropicum, E. vulcanorum, Lobularia canariensis subsp. fruticosa, Polycarpaea gayi, Euphorbia tuckeyana and Globularia amygdalifolia.

Pulicaria gabrielii, a species of P. sect. Platychaete with homogamous capitula, and Iphionopsis oblanceolata, the third species of a disjunct tropical NE African and SW Madagascan genus, are described as new to science. The material originates from a collection made by the Berlin hydrogeologist Baldur Gabriel in Somalia in the late 1980s and presented to the herbarium in Berlin-Dahlem (B). The relationships of both new species are briefly discussed, illustrations of both species, and keys to the four Pulicaria species with homogamous capitula in Somalia and the three species of Iphionopsis are given.

The chenopod flora of a badland area 120 km WNW of Ankara was studied with the following results: Salsola grandis is described as a species new to science and illustrated, the presence of two species, viz. Anabasis aphylla and Atriplex aucheri, not listed in ‘Flora of Turkey’ but earlier reported from E Anatolia by Russian authors, is confirmed, and four species, viz. Atriplex laevis, Halanthium kulpianum, Petrosimonia nigdeensis and Salsola nitraria, are newly recorded from NW Central Anatolia. Salsola grandis belongs to S. sect. Salsola s.str. and is distantly related to S. soda. From the number and frequency of halophytic and semi-desert chenopod species, particularly from the presence of both the rather isolated endemic Salsola grandis and the strongly disjunct Anabasis aphylla, the conclusion is drawn that the area SE of Nallıhan has a much drier climate than its surroundings. Very likely, the evolution of S. grandis has taken place there from Tertiary times onwards, and the other disjunct species might have invaded later during drier climatic phases of the Pleistocene or early Holocene.

Based on studies of type material, ill-defined taxa of Achillea sect. Millefolium subsect. Filipendulinae are realigned. The conflicting application of A. micrantha is clarified and its correct application for the species later named A. gerberi is fixed by corresponding lectotypification. A. arabica is found to fully correspond to the later described A. biebersteinii and the first name is consequently established for this taxon. A. sahandica is found to represent actually Tanacetum polycephalum subsp. heterophyllum, and the placement of the rare and insufficiently known A. cuneatiloba in A. subsect. Filipendulinae rather than in A. subsect. Millefoliatae is proposed.

Artemisia (sect. Dracunculus) jordanica from S Jordan, Saudi Arabia and SW Iraq is described as a species new to science, illustrated and compared to its closest relative, A. monosperma. A lectotype is designated for the name A. monosperma.

A population of Notholirion koeiei, so far incompletely known from only four collection from Central Iran, W Iran and E Iraq, has been found in NE Iraq near the border with Turkey. A full description, based on herbarium material and life plants, and a distribution map of the species are provided.

Botanical collections in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and adjacent areas in Oman over the last three years have revealed the presence of 50 spontaneously occurring species of angiosperms new to the UAE, representing about 6 % of the known UAE flora. Of these, Roemeria refracta, and a further species, Plantago stocksii, found near the UAE border in Oman, were not previously recorded for the Arabian Peninsula.

A species discovered in the province of Al Mahra, SE Yemen, holding an intermediate position between Pulicaria and the small NE Somalian genus Sclerostephane is described as new to science. A comparative study of the morphology and anatomy of achenes and pappus of this species, of Sclerostephane and of species of the Omani-Makranian Pulicaria glaucescens group, which is identified as the closest ally of the new species, shows that the peculiar achenes of Sclerostephane, which were the decisive reason for its separation from Pulicaria, are morphologically much closer to those of the latter genus than thought previously. Reconsideration of the phylogenetic position of Sclerostephane based on these results leads to the conclusion that Sclerostephane is more appropriately treated as a section of Pulicaria, in which also the new Yemeni species is to be included. The new species is described as Pulicaria gamal-eldinae, and belongs to the informal P. glaucescens group, comprising P. boissieri, P. carnosa, P. edmondsonii and P. glaucescens. P. sect. Sclerostephane is formally established, the necessary new combinations P. collenettei, P. discoidea and P. longifolia are made, and a key to the species of the new section is provided.

Pulicaria samhanensis from Jabal Samhan, E Dhofar, Oman, is described as a species new to science and illustrated. The species is most remarkable for its purple flowered, disciform, heterogamous capitula and its achene wall with a single layer of sclerenchymatous cells. The news species is closely related to P. pulvinata from coastal Jiddat al Harasis, Central Oman, and both hold a rather isolated position in the genus. The S Arabian distribution and infraspecific variation of P. (sect. Platychaete) argyrophylla is re-evaluated and P. argyrophylla var. oligophylla raised to subspecies rank. P. (sect. Platychaete) omanensis is for the first time reported from Yemen and P. rauhii is found to be conspecific with the former.

An endemic shrub from Socotra, only known from a few late 19th century collections and hitherto misplaced in Pluchea (Plucheeae) is studied with respect to, in particular, flower, achene and pappus morphology. The species is placed in Pulicaria and the new combination Pulicaria aromatica is made.

The genus Pluchea on the Arabian Peninsula and Socotra is revised. Seven species are recognized: Pluchea arabica, P. dioscoridis, P. glutinosa, P. indica, P. obovata, P. ovalis and P. sordida. Pluchea indica subsp. yemenensis is described as a subspecies new to science. A key to species and subspecies, a distribution map and illustrations are presented.

Astragalus gigantirostratus, endemic to the E Elburs Mts, is described as a species new to science and illustrated. It is characterized by long fruits (7.5–11 cm), connate stipules, bifurcate hairs and a retuse wing petal. The new species belongs to A. sect. Cytisodes and is related to A. dolichocarpus, A. stenocarpus and A. pseudocytisoides. The hitherto known species of this section are all confined to the Turkestanian floristic province of the Irano-Turanian region. A. gigantirostratus thus constitutes an interesting range extension of this section into the Hyrcanian province.

Morphology, distribution, and leaf venation of the two species of Touroulia Aubl. (T. amazonica, T. guianensis) are described, and a key to the species is provided.

Gochnatia calophylla, distributed in NE Venezuela, is shown to agree in all morphological characters and to be conspecific with G. oligocephala from NE Brazil.

A lichen inventory on the Aegean islands of Paros and Antiparos, both with a long history of land vegetation and a wide variation in bedrock, revealed the presence of 268 species. This flora is compared with the 182 species known from the nearby Santorini island group, comparable in size and surface morphology, but a volcanic archipelago with few limestone inclusions, which was completely devastated by an eruption about 3000 years ago. The higher species number of Paros is explainable by the difference in size and substrate availability. Lichen species inhabiting siliceous-crystalline rock and epiphytic lichen species are more strongly represented on Paros, while species of volcanic rock are more numerous on Santorini, in accordance with the frequency of these substrates. There is no evidence for an influence of the uninterrupted history of the plant cover of Paros on the α-diversity of its lichen flora. Differences in species composition other than those depending on substrate availability appear to be of a random type. Vegetative reproduction seems slightly less frequent on Paros, and pioneer species of lava, which, on Santorini, are restricted to young lava fields, are absent from Paros. An annotated list of lichen species for Paros and an updated checklist for Santorini are presented. Among the encountered species, 28 appear to be unrecorded for Greece. All species reported from Paros are new for this island, from where no species were reported before. Pertusaria parotica is described as a species new to science and the new combination Protoparmelia psarophana var. reagens is made.

A rich collection of foliicolous lichens from Ecuador gathered at the Biological Stations Jatun Satcha and Guajalito, two representative localities in the lowland and the montane rain forest, yielded a total of 297 species, including 15 facultatively foliicolous taxa and 11 lichenicolous fungi. Twelve species are described as new: Aspidothelium mirabile, A. ornatum, A. scutellicarpum [= Aspidopyrenium insigne var. dispersum], Asterothyrium gigantosporum, A. longisporum, Dimerella vezdana, Gyalideopsis albopruinosa, Porina napensis, P. pichinchensis, Psorotheciopsis guajalitensis, Tapellaria marcellae and Tricharia verrucifera. Furthermore, the new combination Porina repanda [≡ Verrucaria repanda] is made. Species diversity is the second highest known in the world, after Costa Rica with approximately 380 species. Species composition is remarkably similar to that of Costa Rica, which exhibits a similar landscape physiognomy. However, the lowland rain forest of Ecuador still remains undercollected. The lowland and the montane rain forest sites differ markedly in their foliicolous lichen flora. Arthonia, Aspidothelium, Echinoplaca, Mazosia and Gyalideopsis are the most discriminative genera between the two forest types with respect to diversity and species composition.

Life and work of Hans Schack, a lawyer and amateur botanist, judge at Coburg and later at Leipzig is presented in some detail. Schack donated his rich Hieracium collection to the Botanical Museum Berlin-Dahlem (B) and the Bavarian Botanical Society in Munich [now incorporated in the Botanische Staatssammlung München (M)]. The Berlin part, which comprises c. 6000 specimens including many types as well as material from other collectors, was acquired in 1934 and is now being incorporated in the general herbarium.