In order to verify a possible occurrence of Galium suecicum (Rubiaceae) at the locations reported by P. Decker in 1911 under G. pumilum (G. silvestre) in the territory of western Poland, we visited all the identified stands during the years 2012 and 2013. At two of those sites, we found plants belonging to G. pumilum agg. that after thorough morphological and cytological studies turned out to be G. suecicum. These are presently the only known stands of this relict species in central Europe.

Fomitiporella caviphila L.W. Zhou (Hymenochaetales, Basidiomycota) sp. nova is described and illustrated from eastern China. Its perennial, resupinate and inseparable basidiocarps, thin subiculum, stratified tubes, a dimitic hyphal system, lack of setae, and brown basidiospores fit well to the current concept of Fomitiporella. The new species resembles F. cavicola by inhabiting cavities of living logs and having thick basidiocarps, but it differs by the lighter pore surface, smaller pores and smaller basidiospores. In DNA analysis, F. caviphila is nested within the clade including the generic type, F. umbrinella. The current phylogeny does not support F. caryophylli and Phylloporia resupinata as members of Fomitiporella.

We studied the vegetation development in the Pannonian salt steppes in SW Slovakia (class Festuco-Puccinellietea) for eight years on permanent plots. The saline grassland was ploughed in 2002 to cultivate wheat and barley, and after two years it was left fallow. An open vegetation structure was typical for the initial stages, dominated by the obligate halophyte Tripolium pannonicum, accompanied by Atriplex littoralis and other annuals. Species richness significantly increased in the subsequent years. From the fifth year of the study, a significant increase of facultative halophytes (e.g. Lotus tenuis, Tetragonolobus maritimus, Agrostis stolonifera) and colonization of some expansive species (Phragmites communis, Calamagrostis epigejos) was observed and accompanied by a decrease in the cover of obligate halophytes (T. pannonicum and Puccinellia distans). Plantago maritima exhibited an opposite trend, and it was the only halophyte that was able to increase its population after the disturbance, due to vegetative propagation by rhizomes which increased the competitiveness of the species. The declining presence of salt-demanding species indicates a strong degradation of the saline vegetation, which might be linked to gradual desalinization of the soil. We conclude that population fluxes after adverse human disturbance and subsequent abandonment are very high, and succession of halophytic communities after such a strong disturbance is very fast, leading to deterioration of the habitat.

Heterostyly, a genetically controlled floral polymorphism, includes both distyly and tristyly. In Boraginaceae, distyly was reported in several genera but it was rarely studied quantitively in the genus Arnebia. We experimentally studied the pollination ecology of Arnebia szechenyi, a perennial herb native to China. It exhibited precisely reciprocal herkogamy and marked between-morph pollen number and pollen shape dimorphism, and the ratio between the two morphs in each of the four populations studied was nearly equal to 1. This indicates an equilibrium ratio in distylous species with heteromorphyic self-incompatibility, which was further supported by the fact that no fruit was produced in flowers subjected to self-pollination or intra-morph pollination. In comparison with naturally pollinated flowers, hand inter-morph pollination increased both fruit set and seed set significantly, indicating pollen limitation in both morphs under natural conditions. Bombylius sp. and Nomia femoralis were the main visitors and could efficiently pollinate between the morphs of A. szechenyi. Overall, our results indicate that A. szechenyi is a typically distylous species with heteromorphic self-incompatibility, and the pollen limitation of seed production might suggest that distyly in A. szechenyi could be selected via male fitness.

A search of various literature sources produced more than 100 newly recognised examples where the species name of a plant fossil-species was published earlier than the same name as applied to an exant angiosperm species. These later homonyms are listed and new names are proposed in 34 cases. Two examples will be the subject of conservation proposals. Changes in the accepted name or in full citation of the correct name are given in 14 cases. Two new combinations for infraspecific names are made. Some comments on avoiding making later homonyms when naming angiosperm species or making new combinations are made.

In order to investigate the population genetic structure of three sympatric Chinese Aquilegia species, we developed a novel set of 12 SSR markers from the EST unigene database. The number of alleles per locus ranged from one to five. The observed heterozygosity (H_o) and the expected heterozygosity (H_e) varied from 0.067 to 1.000 and from 0.064 to 0.791, respectively. Most of the SSR loci in the three Aquilegia species did not significantly deviate from random mating expectation and the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE). Because of their high level of polymorphism, the twelve ESTSSR markers will be valuable for mating system, population genetics and conservation studies of Aquilegia resources in the future.

Primulina lepingensis, a new species of Gesneriaceae from Jiangxi, China, is described and illustrated. It is similar to the phylogenetically related P. xiuningensis in the shape of the flowers, but differs in having thin, leathery leaf blades, oblanceolate bracts, a longer corolla, a corolla tube puberulent inside below stamens, sparsely glandular pubescent stamens, 3 staminodes (2 with capitate apex, 1 without enlarged apex) and a 3-lobed stigma.

A clambering bamboo from southern Vietnam is described as a new species, Maclurochloa locbacensis N.H. Nguyen & V.T. Tran (Poaceae, Bambusoideae) and illustrated in line drawings. It is similar to M. montana and M. tonkinensis, but differs by having deeply concave culm sheaths and flat stigmas.

Three new species in the orchid subfamily Spiranthoideae, Aa lehmannii Rchb. f. ex Szlach. & Kolan., Pterichis meirax Rchb. f. ex Szlach. & Kolan. and P. tunguraguona Rchb. f. ex Szlach. & Kolan., are described and illustrated based on Ecuadorian material from Reichenbach's collection stored in Vienna. The taxonomic affinities of the new taxa are discussed.

Polygonatum gongshanense L.H. Zhao & X.J. He (Asparagaceae), a new species from Gongshan, Yunnan Province, China, is described and illustrated. It is morphologically similar to P. cathcartii in having fleshy roots, an irregularly moniliform rhizome, opposite leaves and a pale-yellow perianth, but it differs by its pink stem, larger flowers, a retrorse spur on each of the staminal filaments, and a different ovary and fruit morphology.

Based on previously published morphological and molecular analyses, a new classification for subtribe Maxillariinae (Orchidaceae) was proposed, and various genera were newly segregated. Among the combinations for species in those genera, three were not in accordance with the ICN. Here we propose three new combinations and a new synonym.

Monophyllorchis idroboi Szlach., S. Nowak & Baranow sp. nova and M. chocoensis Szlach., S. Nowak & Baranow sp. nova (Orchidaceae, Vanilloideae) from Colombia are described and illustrated on the basis of collections deposited at the National Colombian Herbarium in Bogotá. Diagnostic characters of the new taxa are compared with their supposedly closest relatives. A key to the Colombian species of Monophyllorchis and a map showing the distribution of the new species and of the whole genus are presented.