Molecular phylogenetic analysis of the subfamily Chenopodioideae of the goosefoot family (Chenopodiaceae), with the addition of matK/trnK sequences to an existing trnL-F data set, indicates that Chenopodium as traditionally recognised consists of six independent lineages. One of these, the Dysphania-Teloxys clade, had already been recognised previously as a separate tribe Dysphanieae. Of the five others, Chenopodium is here re-defined in a narrow sense so as to be monophyletic. The C. polyspermum, C. rubrum and C. murale clades are successive sisters of a lineage constituted by Atripliceae s.str. plus Chenopodium s.str. Consequently, the long forgotten genera Lipandra (for C. polyspermum) and Oxybasis (for C. rubrum and relatives) are revived, and the new genus Chenopodiastrum (for C. murale and relatives) is published. The afore-mentioned five clades, taken together, are a monophylum corresponding to an enlarged tribe Atripliceae (a name that has priority over Chenopodieae). Last, the Linnaean genus Blitum (for C. capitatum and relatives), enlarged to include C. bonus-henricus, is the sister group of Spinacia in the tribe Anserineae (a name that has priority over Spinacieae). The aromatic species of Dysphania, the related genus Teloxys, as well as Cyclocoma and Suckleya form the enlarged tribe Dysphanieae. Building upon phylogenetic results, the present study provides a modern classification for a globally distributed group of plants that had suffered a complex taxonomic history due to divergent interpretation of single morphological characters for more than two hundred years. The seven genera among which the species traditionally assigned to Chenopodium are now distributed are defined morphologically and keyed out; for four of them (Blitum, Chenopodiastrum, Lipandra, Oxybasis) the component species and subspecies are enumerated and the necessary nomenclatural transfers are effected.

The name of the common purslane, Portulaca sativa, is lectotypified with an illustration from Lobel's Plantarum Seu Stirpium Icones and a supporting epitype specimen is designated. P. officinarum is shown to be a superfluous, though formally legitimate, name for P. oleracea. Confirmed records of P. sativa s.str. for several European and Mediterranean territories are listed.

Twenty-five names (20 species, three infraspecific taxa and two hybrids) were published in the genera Celsia and Verbascum by the Bohemian botanist Joseph Franz Freyn (1845–1903). These names are typified, in most cases by material preserved at the Herbarium of the Moravian Museum (BRNM) in Brno, Czech Republic, and in all but four cases a lectotype is designated. V. ×omissum is published as a nomen novum for V. divaricatum Freyn & Sintenis, which is a younger homonym of a name published by Kittel, and a lectotype is designated also for V. ×freynianum Borbás.

Recent studies of the Alyssum montanum-A. repens complex in Europe showed that populations from central and southern Italy are, in contrast to previous taxonomic treatments, clearly distinct from A. montanum and should be classified as A. diffusum. Based on the high, geographically structured genetic variation (central Apennines, Gargano, and southern Apennines/Calabria) of A. diffusum, three subspecies were recently recognised. Here, we present a detailed morphometric study of A. diffusum in Italy, exploring its differentiation from A. montanum and differentiation among the three subspecies (A. diffusum subsp. diffusum, subsp. garganicum and subsp. calabricum). We report that A. diffusum differs from A. montanum subsp. gmelinii particularly by having (on average) larger flower parts and from subsp. montanum by a different density and morphology of trichomes and narrower petals. The subspecies of A. diffusum can be distinguished by the number of trichome rays, by trichome density on the lower leaf surface and by the leaf length. In this study, we present an identification key that includes the subspecies of A. diffusum, those of A. montanum and the related A. cuneifolium. We also provide detailed morphological descriptions of all three subspecies of A. diffusum and a nomenclatural account, including the designation of the lectotype of the name A. diffusum.

Based on a molecular phylogeny (using ITS, ETS and the rpl32-trnL, psbA-trnH and ndhF-rpl32 plastid spacer sequences) of all species and subspecies of the European genus Adenostyles currently recognised, and supported by the morphology of the leaf margin, we transfer two subspecies of A. alliariae to A. alpina and provide the new combinations A. alpina subsp. macrocephala and A. alpina subsp. pyrenaica. A revised key to the species and subspecies and a conspectus of the genus are presented.

A purslane cultivar from Cyprus, previously referred to as Portulaca sativa, is recognised as a separate microspecies and described as a species new to science, which is so far also known from Turkey, Lebanon and Sudan. It differs from P. sativa by its seed surface ornamentation and from the wild P. rausii by its larger seed size.

The exact identity of non-native, naturalised populations of Cenchrus s.str. in the Mediterranean area has been critically assessed. A herbarium revision confirmed the presence of three species: Cenchrus echinatus, C. longispinus and C. spinifex (syn.: C. incertus). In the present paper C. echinatus is reported for the first time from Spain and confirmed for Egypt and Israel. C. longispinus, up to present widely confused with C. spinifex, is reported for the first time from Croatia, Greece, Israel and Morocco and furthermore confirmed for France (including Corse) and Italy. Finally, C. spinifex is confirmed for France, Italy and Spain, while records from Greece and Israel proved to be in error for C. longispinus. All three species are much alike and widely confused in the studied area. In some areas (especially in parts of Italy and Israel) two species occur sympatrically, which largely added to the confusion. Main features for their distinction are discussed and a dichotomous key for the identification of the native and non-native species of Cenchrus s.str. in the Mediterranean area is presented.

Recent molecular phylogenetic studies strongly recommend the amalgamation of the grass genera Cenchrus and Pennisetum. The generic name Cenchrus having priority, the species of Pennisetum need to be transferred to it. The correct names in Cenchrus for the 15 Pennisetum species in Europe and the Mediterranean area are provided, including four new combinations.

A species of Commelinaceae, Murdannia sahyadrica from the Northwestern Ghats in India, is described as new to science and illustrated. Morphologically it shows close affinities to M. semiteres and M. juncoides, from which it differs by orbicular petals, stamens symmetrically arranged around the central erect style, an ovoid capsule and uniseriately arranged seeds.

The species of Hieracium and Pilosella of the sunflower family tribe Cichorieae recorded from the Himalayas (within India and Pakistan) are revised from selected specimens. H. korshinskyi, H. kuusamoense and H. subramosum are reported in place of H. vulgatum, and H. robustum in place of H. crocatum. The presence of H. umbellatum and H. virosum is confirmed. Four species are new to India, one is new also to Pakistan. All the species are present also in Central Asia.

A new species of Argentina from Mt Jaya in the Indonesian part of New Guinea is described, illustrated and compared with related species occurring on the island. It is characterised by having patent hairs on the rachides, almost rounded leaflets that are silvery or greyish green beneath, all stems terminated by flowers, and five stamens. An up-to-date identification key to all currently known Argentina species of New Guinea is provided.

Coccoloba howardii, a new species from the north-central region of Cuba, is described and illustrated. It appears to be closely related to C. subcordata, from which it differs primarily in the spiral arrangement of the short branches and leaf features such as the petiole inserted at the base of the ochrea, a membranous blade and alternate primary veins not grouped at the base.

The recently described Platanus mexicana var. interior of Nixon & J. M. Poole is critically evaluated. We show that the type of the name P. mexicana, collected by Berlandier in 1827, is virtually identical to morphotypes typically found within the range of P. mexicana var. interior. The reason for the taxonomic confusion is twofold: the variability of the abaxial leaf tomentum across the distribution range of P. mexicana and uncertainties concerning the type locality of P. mexicana. Field observations at the type locality of P. mexicana var. interior and throughout the range of P. mexicana show that the morphotype represented by the holotype is rarely found in the main distribution range of P. mexicana in Veracruz, Puebla, Oaxaca and Chiapas. Our findings are corroborated by the historical evidence: in his “Journey to Mexico”, Berlandier, travelling from Tampico to Mexico City, did not reach the distribution area of P. mexicana var. mexicana in the sense of Nixon & J. M. Poole. This suggests that the holotype of P. mexicana and P. mexicana var. interior originate from the same area (northern Querétaro, northern Hidalgo) and hence, that the latter name is superfluous. The relevance of infraspecific taxa within P. mexicana and their delimitation against closely related taxa to the north is discussed in the light of morphological and recently published genetic evidence from original stands.

The bougainvillea (Bougainvillea spectabilis) was first collected by Philibert Commerson on the Bougainville expedition in Brazil, subsequently by members of the party accompanying Joseph Banks on Cook's first voyage around the globe and later by Frei Velloso. A copper engraving published by Lamarck formed the basis for Willdenow's publication of the name Bougainvillea spectabilis, which is here typified with an epitype in the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris. A selective synonymy is given and early records on the introduction of this ornamental climber in Europe are critically analysed.

The island of Anafi, located in the southern Kiklades in Greece, constitutes together with the Santorini island group the central part of the South Aegean Volcanic Arc. The flora of Anafi consists of 635 taxa, 128 of which are under a protection status, 37 are Greek endemics and 181 are reported here for the first time. We show that Anafi has the highest percentage of Greek endemics in the South Aegean Volcanic Arc. The known distribution of the endemics Sedum littoreum var. creticum and Sternbergia greuteriana is expanded, being reported for the first time for the phytogeographical region of the Kiklades, and the indigenous presence of Phoenix theophrasti in Anafi is confirmed. Calculating the floristic cross-correlation between Anafi and the other parts of the South Aegean Volcanic Arc by means of Sørensen's index revealed that phytogeographical affinities are somewhat stronger to Milos than to the neighbouring Santorini.