Whether road verge vegetation can be manipulated to resemble traditionally managed grassland has been much debated. This short-term study compared management effects on road verge and pasture vegetation in western Norway. We quantified vegetation change and explored whether it occurred along underlying environmental gradients. We found management-related variation in species richness and vegetation physiognomy, but high resistance in species composition prevented directional changes in vegetation dynamics. Initial differences between the habitats indicated historical management effects on traditionally managed pastures and road verges. Given proper management, road verges may have a nature conservation potential. Moreover, their linear structure may enable fine-scale mosaic management that allows the coexistence of a wide range of grassland species.

This paper is the first taxonomic revision of Euphorbia subgenus Chamaesyce in Iran since the publication of Flora Iranica in 1964. We provide a key, descriptions, and illustrations for the eight species of the subgenus occurring in Iran. Euphorbia nutans is reported as a new record for the flora of Iran, E. humifusa is recognized to have two forms, pilose and glabrous; the pilose form is a first report for Flora Iranica, and E. granulata var. turcomanica is reported as a synonym of E. granulata. The following information is given for each species: accepted name, synonymy, habitat, ecology, and geographical distribution.

Sequencing signals of the biparentally inherited ITS marker and sequence matching of the chloroplast trnK intron, matK and rbcL gene of an Indian plant identified as Nymphaea alba var. rubra contradict its identity. Additional signals depicted in chromatograms of the ITS region and the exact match of the maternally inherited chloroplast DNA sequences suggest that the Indian material is a hybrid of N. alba and N. odorata. Molecular cloning techniques resulted in the isolation of ITS alleles from the putative hybrid with DNA sequences not exclusive of either of the parental species. Such allelic DNA sequences confirmed that hybridization between N. alba and N. odorata has occurred. Our DNA sequence analyses indicate this plant is an interspecific hybrid involving N. odorata as the maternal parent, and N. alba as the paternal parent.

Some corrections to the nomenclatural checklist of Cotoneaster (Rosaceae) in eastern Europe and the Caucasus are proposed. Cotoneaster uralensis B. Hylmö & J. Fryer is treated as a synonym of C. cinnabarinus Juz., and C. soczavianus Pojark. as a synonym of C. tomentosus (Aiton) Lindl. For the sake of stability, the established use of the name C. integerrimus Medik. is maintained according to the lectotype designated by B. Hylmö and contrary to the conserved type belonging to C. scandinavicus B. Hylmö. The name C. pyrenaicus Gand. is found applicable to C. integerrimus sensu Hylmö if the conservation is followed. Cotoneaster mamajevii Knjaz. and C. estiensis J. Fryer & B. Hylmö are reduced to the synonymy of C. integerrimus. The second-step lectotypes of C. antoninae Juz. and C. cinnabarinus Juz. are designated. Cotoneaster cinnabarinus is reported as new to the Tyumen Region of Russia and Siberia as a whole. Some records of casual and naturalised alien species of Cotoneaster in the European Russia are revised and corrected.

Two new species of Dichoropetalum (Apiaceae) are described and illustrated from Turkey. Dichoropetalum anatolicum Pimenov & Kljuykov sp. nova grows on stony slopes and cliffs in Elmali Dağ (C2 Antalya province) and Honaz Dağ (C2 Denizli province), and is related to D. platycarpum and D. scoparium. Dichoropetalum bupleuroides Pimenov & Kljuykov sp. nova is distributed in the Hakkari province (Cilo Dağ). A new combination, D. longibracteolatum (Parolly & Nordt) Pimenov & Kljuykov is proposed for a recently described species, Peucedanum longibracteolatum from the Taurus Mountains in the Antalya and Içel provinces. After this contribution Dichoropetalum contains a total of 29 species, 14 of which occur in Turkey.

Astragalus gilvanensis Ranjbar & Nouri sp. nova (Fabaceae) is described and illustrated. It belongs to Astragalus sect. Incani and is endemic to Iran. Its morphological characters, meiotic chromosome number and meiotic behavior were studied. It is a mixoploid plant with the ploidy levels 2n = 2x = 16 and 2n = 4x = 32, consistent with the proposed base number of x = 8. Although the species displayed regular bivalent pairing and chromosome segregation at meiosis, some meiotic abnormalities were observed. The meiotic irregularities included the occurrence of varied degrees of sticky chromosomes in diakinesis to metaphase, laggard chromosomes in anaphase, cytomixis in prophase to telophase, asynchronous nuclei, and binuclear cells.

Four species of Allium from northwest Iran are described as new: Allium alamutense Razyfard, Zarre & R.M. Fritsch, A. kurdistanicum Maroofi & R.M. Fritsch, A. subakaka Razyfard & Zarre, and A. mahneshanense Razyfard, Zarre & R.M. Fritsch. A detailed description for each species, a table including the diagnostic morphological characters useful in separating these species from their relatives, images of type material and illustrations of flower parts as well as distribution maps are provided.

A new species, Bilacunaria aksekiensis A. Duran & B. Doan (Apiaceae), is described and illustrated from Anatolia, Turkey. It grows in open Pinus brutia forests and on calcareous stony slopes of the Taurus Mountains in the district of Akseki (C3 Antalya province). Bilacunaria aksekiensis is morphologically close to B. microcarpa. The diagnostic morphological characters of B. aksekiensis are discussed. In addition, the pollen characteristics and mericarp surface of B. aksekiensis and B. microcarpa are examined by SEM. The geographical distribution of the new species and the morphologically related species is mapped. Bilacunaria aksekiensis is diploid with the chromosome number of 22.