The monophyletic genus Pedersenia comprises eleven species in the Neotropics, one of which, P. volubilis, is here described as new to science, being an endemic of mixed semi-deciduous Bolivian-Tucuman Interandean lower subhumid forest at mid elevations of the Department of Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Among the liana species of Pedersenia, it differs by twining stems, synflorescences constituted by terminal stems of several metres and small, lanceolate leaves. It is also characterised by two synapomorphic substitutions in the matK CDS. Sequence data of trnK/matK show considerable divergence between morphologically very similar liana species of tropical evergreen broad-leaved forests from different geographical regions. The phylogeny suggests the only self-sustaining tree-like species from the dry inter-Andean valleys to be derived from lianas. Allopatric speciation fostered by the ecological and geographical differentiation of the forest communities may have led to morphologically cryptic species, underscoring the need for an integrated morpho-molecular revision of the genus Pedersenia.

The contribution of J. F. Klotzsch to Croton taxonomy is summarised through a review of the original literature, an examination of specimens and taxonomic decisions. The currently accepted names are given for Klotzsch's taxa associated with Croton. The new combinations Astraea comosa and A. jatropha are made. Lectotypes are designated for C. comosus, C. comosus var. major, C. comosus var. minor, C. compressus, C. essequiboensis, C. hircinus, C. jatropha, C. leucadenius, C. lobatus, C. multispicatus, C. muricatus, C. sphaerogynus, C. tricolor and Lasiogyne brasiliensis. Neotypes are designated for Argyrodendron bicolor and Cleodora sellowiana. Epitypes are designated for Croton hircinus and C. multispicatus.

The rare Iberian endemic Campanula primulifolia, sometimes treated as a synonym of C. alata, was investigated. Its relationships with the two other species placed in C. sect. Pterophyllum, the disjunct E Mediterranean C. peregrina and the NW African C. alata s.str., were re-assessed. All three taxa, based principally on morphological and distributional evidence, were shown to merit independent specific status; a determination key is provided. Special emphasis was given to the conservation aspect of C. primulifolia in Portugal, where it grows in four widely separated provinces, and in SW Spain. All these small populations are seriously threatened and special protection measures are needed to prevent extinction. Our assessment is that it is Critically Endangered [CR B2 ab (iv,v); C2a (i)]. Nomenclatural and taxonomic errors in earlier publications are rectified.

Verbena incompta, of presumed South American origin, is reported as a naturalised but overlooked xenophyte in Italy and Spain. The affinity of the species is discussed, emphasising on its separation from the related V. bonariensis and V. brasiliensis in V. series Pachystachyae, and ecological and chorological notes are added. The three species are illustrated by digitised representative herbarium specimen.

Striga barthlottii, a species of the broomrape family (Orobanchaceae) endemic to Morocco and parasitising exclusively on succulent Euphorbia species, is described as new to science and compared with the widespread, polymorphic S. gesnerioides, for which it was previously mistaken.

Two species of Culcasia, C. brevipetiolata from Gabon and C. linearifolia from Gabon and Cameroon, and two new species of Stylochaeton, S. pilosus from Sierra Leone and S. malaissei from DR Congo, are described as new to science and illustrated. C. brevipetiolata is characterised by short petioles and leaf blades with a rounded base, C. linearifolia by linear leaf blades, S. pilosus by ± rounded, abaxially hairy leaf blades and hairy petioles, and S. malaissei by leaf blades with a cuneate base.

The genus Diplotaenia currently includes two species: D. cachrydifolia, providing the type of the generic name, is disjunctly distributed in N Iran and S and E Turkey; D. damavandica is a narrow endemic of the Elburs Mts, being sympatric in this region with D. cachrydifolia. Studies of the Diplotaenia material from Turkey showed that the Bitlis and Taurus populations are morphologically divergent from each other as well as from the Iranian populations of D. cachrydifolia and they are described as two separate new species, D. turcica and D. hayri-dumanii. Analysis of nrITS sequences of all four species of Diplotaenia and presumably related Umbelliferae taxa of SW Asia provide support for the monophyly of Diplotaenia and its placement in the Prangos-Ferulago clade, but revealed almost no differences among the species of Diplotaenia. The fruit anatomical analysis of Diplotaenia also supports an Apieae rather than a Peucedaneae relationship. A key to the four species of Diplotaenia is provided and the name D. cachrydifolia lectotypified.

The genus Axyris in the Himalayas and Tibet is revised and only two taxa are recognised: Axyris prostrata possesses an extensive distribution range throughout the Himalayas and Tibet; A. mira (= A. hybrida auct.), with a wider distribution in the Himalayan-Tibetan region, is described as a species new to science. The differences between A. mira and A. hybrida are given; both are geographically vicarious, with A. hybrida actually being distributed in Central Asia. A carpological analysis revealed the facultative presence of sclereids in the pericarp of the brown fruit of A. mira, a feature recognised as a peculiarity of the genus. No correctly identified specimens of A. amaranthoides were traced from the Himalayas or Tibet. General conclusions for the fruit anatomy of Axyris are discussed and a key to all accepted species of Axyris is presented.

Investigation of type material of Chinese taxa of Saussurea revealed that the names S. erubescens, S. globosa, S. hypsipeta and S. polycolea var. acutisquama are frequently misapplied in the literature. As a consequence, S. acutisquama is described here as a species new to science, S. obvallata var. gymnocephala is lectotypified and raised to specific rank as S. gymnocephala, S. sorocephala var. glabrata is lectotypified and raised to specific rank as S. inversa and the concept of S. erubescens is amended. All four species are described and illustrated. S. nigrescens var. acutisquama, S. hypsipeta and S. quercifolia var. major are lectotypified. Earlier neotypifications of S. hypsipeta and S. paxiana are superseded by the rediscovery of original material.

Clemensiella, with two species in the Philippines, Sumatra and Sarawak, respectively, has traditionally been considered as one of the distinct genera of the tribe Marsdenieae, based on morphological evidence. However, new molecular phylogenetic evidence has demonstrated that Clemensiella is nested within Hoya as sister group to species of H. sect. Eriostemma. Therefore we propose to merge Clemensiella with Hoya and provide the new combinations H. mariae and H. omlori for its two species.

A new species of the tribe Schismatoglottideae, Schismatoglottis ifugaoensis from the Philippines, is described and illustrated. It is characterised by cordate leaf blades, subsessile stigmas and excavated stamens with elongated, tongue-like connectives of the anthers. A revised key of the Philippine species of the genus Schismatoglottis is included.

The natural hybrid Bletia ×ekmanii (B. patula × B. purpurea) is described and illustrated. Hybrid plants have a semihypogeous subglobose corm, incurved petals enclosing the column, flowers of intermediate size between those of the parental species, a trilobed lip of almost the same size as the lateral sepals with obtuse lateral lobes. Flowers of the hybrid resemble those of B. purpurea but are larger and with a patent lip as in B. patula. The hybrid was found along the roadside from Palenque to Bernardo town, Guantánamo Province, eastern Cuba.

All Cuban representatives of Myricaceae, formerly treated under Myrica sensu lato, pertain to the segregate genus Morella. For two of the four Cuban species, Myrica cacuminis and M. shaferi, the required combinations do not exist as yet and are validly published here; a lectotype is designated for the latter name.

Anthurium truncatum is published as a new name for the Brazilian A. brachypodum G. M. Barroso of 1957, because the latter name was preoccupied by the Ecuadorian A. brachypodum Sodiro of 1901. A. truncatum is a rare species, only known from the type collection and a recent collection made 15 km away from the type locality. It is re-described and illustrated, and its sectional relationship is discussed.

A new section of Philodendron, P. sect. Dolichogynium, is described. It is characterised by pistils with an elongated, divergent, narrowly tapered style with a minute globular stigma and small, 6–9-locular ovaries with a single ovule per locule. Other distinctive characters include deciduous, unribbed cataphylls, cordate to ovate-triangular or three-lobed leaf blades with distinct posterior ribs, and small, numerous inflorescences per axil with non-constricted spathes. The new section is represented by P. sparreorum and P. delinksii, the latter a species also described as new to science.

Spathiphyllum pygmaeum from Ecuador is described as a species new to science and illustrated. Only 10–15 cm tall, it is the smallest species in the genus and it is characterised by leaf blades 7–10 cm long and c. 2 cm wide, with 3–5 primary lateral veins on each side of the midrib, a white spathe with green apex and a two-locular ovary with one ovule in each locule; the chromosome number is 2n = 30; the pollen, formerly considered as inaperturate for Spathiphyllum, is actually polyaperturate. It is compared with the closely related S. minor, which is also illustrated.

This is the fifth of a series of miscellaneous contributions, by various authors, where hitherto unpublished data relevant to the Euro Med (or Sisyphus) Project are presented. This instalment deals with the families Betulaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Leguminosae, Plumbaginaceae, Portulacaceae, Ranunculaceae, Salicaceae and Gramineae, including new country and area records for taxa of Avena, Chamaecytisus (Cytisus), Dichanthium, Eragrostis, Festuca, Holcus, Poa and Portulaca, and the validation of names in the genera Alnus, Anemonastrum, Dactylis, Homalotrichon, Limonium, Salix and Salsola.

Altogether, 34 vascular plant taxa of the flora of Albania are discussed, of which 22 are new records of species for the territory of Albania and 12 are confirmations of previous doubtful reports for Albania. The necessity of further investigation of saline habitats and serpentine areas is highlighted and attention is drawn to possible other disjunct occurrences of Alpine species in Albania.

A detailed flolistic study of the area of Mt Pendelikon in Sterea Ellas, Greece, in 1998–2009 resulted in the addition of 318 specific and infraspecific vascular plant taxa, which are reported here, to a present total of 1080 taxa. At least 41 adventives enriched the vascular plant diversity of the heavily urbanised area significantly as compared to previous sources. For each newly recorded taxon local distribution and habitat types are presented. Morphological, chorological and ecological comments are included where appropriate. Filago aegaea subsp. aristata is reported for the first time from the Greek mainland. Some of the new records are of taxa rare in Greece or of regional endemics and therefore chorologically, ecologically or taxonomically significant, such as Cephalaria setulifera, Chenopodium pumilio, Consolida tenuissima, Iberis saxatilis, Johrenia distans, Malcolmia africana, Muscari armeniacum, Narduroides salzmannii, Onosma kaheirei, Satureja parnassica subsp. hellenica, Silene oligantha subsp. parnesia and Teucrium montanum subsp. helianthemoides.

The present list of phytogeographically noteworthy plants recorded between 2008 and 2010 in Crete (Kriti, Greece) includes herbarium specimen data with taxonomic, ecological and distributional annotations of 53 vascular plants and one bryophyte species. Twelve native taxa are new for Crete: Althenia orientalis, Anthyllis vulneraria subsp. pindicola, Carex riparia, Cerastium pumilum s.l., Drepanocladus aduncus, Elytrigia atherica, Erodium chium, Galium parisiense, Plantago coronopus s.str., P. crassifolia, P. crypsoides and P. phaeostoma. The latter two are new to the Greek territory and P. phaeostoma to Europe, too. The occurrence of the following species in Crete could be confirmed after many decades, for some after more than a century: Crypsis aculeata, Parapholis filiformis, Polycarpon alsinifolium and Turgenia latifolia. Two new combinations are introduced: Lomelosia sphaciotica subsp. decalvans and Schedonorus pluriflorus.

Gavdopoula is an island of 177.5 ha in the S Aegean, near the southeasternmost point of Europe. Based on field excursions in 1998/99 and 2009/10, we provide an annotated floristic catalogue of 186 vascular plant and 13 bryophyte taxa, with a full record of herbarium specimens and field observations, being the first botanical inventory of the island. Species richness in relation to island area is, as shown in a diagram, according to expectations. Among the vascular plants there are six regional (‘Cretan area’) endemics. The Saharo-Arabian-S Mediterranean phytogeographical element is well represented, with several species confined in Greece or even in Europe to the small islands south of Crete. Of these, Atriplex mollis occurs in Europe only on Gavdopoula. The moss Entosthodon commutatus has not previously been recorded from the E Mediterranean. The vegetation is controlled chiefly by the dry Mediterranean climate, calcareous shallow soils, sea spray and seasonal grazing. It consists of halo-nitrophytic and Pistacia lentiscus scrub, two types of phrygana, small-scale ephemeral pastures with winter-annuals on red-loamy soils, and sea-cliff vegetation. The new combination, Lysimachia arvensis var. caerulea, is published.

Two species of Lichenostigma, both from Iran, are described as new to science: L. iranicum, growing on Lobothallia praeradiosa, is characterised by rounded to elongate ascomata, sparse hyphal strands, 6(-8)-spored asci and the almost complete absence of pigmentation in the lower ascomatal wall; L. verrucosum, growing on Pleopsidium gobiense, is distinguished by rounded to irregular ascomata with radiating superficial hyphae, verrucose brown ascospores and by the complete absence of pigmentation in the lower ascomatal wall.