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A deciduous shrub previously included in Ficus talbotii for many years, is now regarded as a new species, Ficus pongumphaii. It is morphologically distinct from F. talbotii with as typical characters the densely brown pubescent to tomentose or villous on leafy twig; the elliptic, suborbicular to obovate leaf blades that are brown tomentellous on the upper surface and brown floccose tomentose to villous underneath; the pedunculate figs are obovate, brown floccose or villous outside and have internal hairs. The leaf anatomy shows a multiple epidermis on both surfaces; enlarged lithocysts on both sides of the lamina, which are more abundant adaxially and with very few abaxially. The species, endemic to Thailand, is named after the great Thai dendrologist, Associate Professor Somnuek Pongumphai.

The following 24 new synonyms in the orchid genus Oberonia are proposed, correct name (+ synonym(s)): O. bicornis (+ O. tenuis); O. brunoniana [lectotype here designated] (+ O. santapaui lectotype and epitype here designated); O. caulescens (+ O. katakiana); O. complanata (+ O. flavescens); O. costeriana (+ O. elmeri, + O. obesa, + O. gigantea); O. insectifera (+ O. toppingii, + O. basilanensis, + O. attenuata); O. langbianensis (+ O. sulcata); O. merapiensis (+ O. salakana); O. mucronata (+ O. manipurensis); O. obcordata (+ O. delicata); O. padangensis (+ O. fungum-olens [lectotype here designated], + O. patentifolia); O. punctata (+ O. subanajamensis, + O. caprina); O. rufilabris (+ O. this be, + O. nepalensis); O. subligaculifera (+ O. evrardii, + O. kanburiensis); O. titania (+ O. crateriformis, + O. rimachila). The flowers of several species are illustrated with scanning electron micrographs. The spellings of the species epithets of Dendrobium odoardi, Oberonia odoardi, Aphyllorchis odoardi, Bulbophyllum odoardi, Trichotosia odoardi, Pandanus odoardi and Coelogyne odoardi are corrected to odoardoi. Problems with the illustrations in the protologue of O. nayarii and O. balakrishnanii are highlighted. Several inadvertent lectotypifications are documented.

Syzygium subgenus Perikion is revised in Papuasia. Descriptions are provided for each of the ten species recognised, four of which are new. An identification key, distribution maps and an exsiccatae list are provided.

Georg Eberhard Rumphius (1627–1702), author of the monumental work Herbarium Amboinense (1741–1755) is seen as the undisputed patriarch of Malesian Natural Sciences. Until recently, it was thought that if Rumphius had collected any specimens, they all had been lost. The recent digitisation and revision of two book herbaria in Leiden collected by Paul Hermann (1646–1695) on Ceylon revealed four specimens with reference to either Rumphius or Ambon in Hermann's handwriting: Colocasia esculenta, Gomphrena globosa, Helminthostachys zeylanica and Biophytum sensitivum, of which the latter does not occur in Sri Lanka. Here we discuss the description of these species in both published and unpublished historic works and consider the possibility that they may represent the only extant herbarium material attributable to Rumphius.

Thismia is a mycoheterotrophic genus in the family Thismiaceae. We report a new family record for Andaman and Nicobar Islands and a new species for India. A detailed description along with conservation assessment, colour photos, distribution map, and key to the species from India are provided.

A study of Gynochthodes from Sumatra is presented. Eight species can be recognized, i.e., G. coriacea, G. jackiana, G. lanuginosa, G. leparensis, G. rigida, G. sublanceolata, G. suratmanii, and G. umbellata. An identification key to the species is provided and detailed descriptions, synonymy, taxonomic notes, and an index to specimen collections of the taxa are given. Natural history notes, including distribution and ecology, vernacular names and uses are also included.

A new species, Thunbergia impatienoides, was discovered from Thailand and is here described. Detailed descriptions including pollen and seed morphologies, distribution, ecology and illustration are provided.

In preparing the treatment of Dracaena for Flore du Gabon and Flore d’Afrique centrale, a relatively high number of taxonomic and nomenclatural novelties were discovered; these are presented here. Within Dracaena five species and one forma are described as new, D. bushii, D. haemanthoides, D. marina, D. wakaensis, D. waltersiae and D. laxissima forma aureilicia. Each new species is provided with a full description and taxonomic notes. Apart from that, five species are reinstated, D. braunii, D. nitens, D. perrottetii, D. tholloniana and D. usambarensis. A further 23 names are treated here as a synonym for the first time: D. bequaertii, D. buettneri, D. cuspidibracteata, D. densifolia, D. gabonica, D. gazensis, D. ledermannii, D. letestui, D. litoralis, D. longipetiolata, D. monostachya var. angolensis, D. oddonii, D. perrottetii var. minor, D. poggei, D. pseudoreflexa, D. reflexa var. buchneri, D. rubroaurantiaca, D. soyauxiana, D. talbotii, D. tessmannii, D. usambarensis var. longifolia, D. vanderystii and Pleomele heudelotii, while for four names a neotype and for 14 names a lectotype has been designated. Distribution maps are provided for a total of 23 species. An index of taxon names is included.

A new species of hairy tree fern (Dicksoniaceae - Cyatheales) is described and illustrated: Dicksonia utteridgei from stunted ridge forest in central New Guinea. The species is the only one in the genus with a combination of fully pinnate to bipinnate-pinnatifid pinnules and bristly spreading petiole hairs.

Begonia fulgurata, a new species from northern Thailand, is here described and illustrated. Begonia fulgurata resembles B. integrifolia, a widespread species in Southeast Asia, in having tubers, erect stem with hairy leaves and a periodically dormant habit. However, the new species is sharply distinct in its lamina densely hirsute (vs sparsely puberulous) and with maroon patches and silvery white veins (vs uniformly green or with white spots); inflorescence densely clothed with glandular hairs (vs glabrous or puberulous); staminate flowers with 2, rarely 3 (vs 4) tepals; staminate and pistillate tepals glandular hairy (vs glabrous). As a deciduous species with basal tubers, together with an erect stem, ovate to broadly ovate leaves, 3-locular ovary, it may be mistaken as a dwarf plant of B. grandis, one of the most widely distributed species in China and the type species of sect. Diploclinium. However, B. fulgurata differs in its leaf upper side with fine silvery (vs green) veins; inflorescence densely glandular hairy (vs glabrous), staminate tepals 2 or rarely 3 (vs 4) and pistillate tepals 5 (vs 3), and ovary glandular hairy (vs glabrous).

Ternstroemia cameroonensis sp. nov. (Ternstroemiaceae) is formally described from the Highlands of Cameroon and its conservation status is assessed as Critically Endangered using the IUCN 2012 standard. This is the third species of Ternstroemia known from Africa. The species is unusual in its genus in being monoecious, having Terminalia-branching (Aubreville’s model), phyllotaxy of 1/3 (not pseudo-verticillate), flowers with a uniseriate androecium and a distinct intra-staminal disc, and in the stamens lacking a distinct apicular connective. The species is used locally for extensive medicinal purposes.

Six new species of Inversodicraea (I. feika from Sierra Leone, I. liberia from Liberia, and I. ebo, I. eladii, I. tchoutoi, and I. xanderi from Cameroon) are described as new to science in the context of a synoptic revision of this African genus, now comprising 30 species, including I. cussetiana comb. nov., newly transferred from Macropodiella. Inversodicraea is now equal in number of species to Ledermanniella (as redefined), as the largest genus of the family in Africa. Terete or slightly dorsiventrally flattened leaf petioles (not sheathing and/or stipulate) are newly discovered to distinguish the genus from Ledermanniella, in addition to the presence of scale-leaves. Inversodicraea boumiensis, I. annithomae, and I. bosii are redelimited in this paper. Examples of species hybrids are discussed. Eighteen species are point endemics. A key and IUCN 2012 standard conservation assessments for all species are included. 28 of the 30 species have been assessed as Threatened or Near Threatened. Hydroelectric projects are the biggest source of extinction risk to species of the genus, threatening 19 of the 30 species.

A systematic morphological study of Andrographis (Acanthaceae: Andrographinae) in India has revealed that the genus Haplanthus is distinct from Andrographis. We resurrect the genus Haplanthus here with four species, one of which contains three varieties. Five new combinations are proposed: H. laxiflorus, H. laxiflorus var. parishii, H. laxiflorus var. recedens, H. ovatus, and H. rosulatus. In addition, the following four names are lectotypified here: Gymnostachyum andrographioides, G. ovatum, G. parishii, and Haplanthus tener var. elongatus.

The genera Bischofia and Hymenocardia both have a single species in Malesia. The two genera were always difficult to classify, both once formed their own family, but are now firmly embedded in the Phyllanthaceae. Of both genera a more complete nomenclature and biogeography is presented.

Although Rhododendron subg. Vireya, comprising 400 taxa, is one of the largest plant genera in Southeast Asia, with taxa found throughout the region, it has a significant conservation problem, with conservation status assessments in 2011 and 2015 placing 201 taxa in an IUCN Red List threat category. Plant conservation is driven by the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation, with Target 8 requiring 75 % of threatened plant taxa to be conserved in ex situ collections, by 2020. To date there has been limited analysis of conservation priorities for subg. Vireya, or any consideration of how its geographic characteristics, complex taxonomy, and existing ex situ collections might influence priorities. We analyse the IUCN Red List status of geographic origins and taxonomic sections within Rhododendron subg. Vireya, then determine the representation of those groups in cultivation in New Zealand and selected international collections. Using a set of ‘Red List’ and ‘not in cultivation’ factors, our analysis shows that geographic origins New Guinea, Sumatra and Sulawesi, and taxonomic sections Schistanthe: malesia, Schistanthe: euvireya, and Hadranthe (Phaeovireya) should have priority for both in situ and ex situ conservation. Of the 400 taxa, 245 (61 %) are in cultivation, and of the 201 Red List taxa, 80 (40 %) are in cultivation. Wild-source material is held for 218 taxa, including 66 Red List taxa. These analyses provide baseline data for development of a conservation strategy for Rhododendron subg. Vireya, and we propose six actions that should be included in that strategy.