This article describes vegetation history and plant succession in Lakes Kojle and Perty (NE Poland) and in the surrounding peatlands during the last 9400 cal. BP. Vegetation changes were reconstructed based on high-resolution plant macrofossil analysis of three sediment cores. The changes in vegetation and the course of succession found in the studied lakes and peatlands resulted largely from regional climate changes. Climate cooling that took place approximately 5000 cal. BP resulted in an increase in Picea abies cover in the vicinity of the lakes, as well as in the appearance of Nuphar pumila and Potamogeton alpinus in the lakes. A further increase in Picea abies approximately 3500 cal. BP coincided with the development of an ombrotrophic bog at one site. During the period under study, the aquatic plant species that persisted for the longest time at one site were Najas marina and Nymphaea alba, and the shortest-term residents were Potamogeton spp.

Stellaria zhuxiensis Q.L. Gan & X.W. Li sp. nova (Caryophyllaceae) is described and illustrated. The plants are covered with stellate hairs on stems, inflorescences, leaves and sepals. The hairs and the lax, cymose inflorescence are similar to those of S. vestita and S. infracta. Stellaria zhuxiensis can be distinguished from S. vestita by its broader leaves and longer pedicels, longer petals and longer capsules. Stellaria infracta is readily distinguished from S. zhuxiensis by having lanceolate or linear-lanceolate leaves while the leaves of S. zhuxiensis are broadly ovate or ovate-cordate.

Eriopsis amazonica Kolan. & Szlach. sp. nova (Orchidaceae, Eriopsidinae) is described and illustrated based on Colombian material. Its taxonomic affinities are discussed. An identification key is provided to Colombian species of Eriopsis.

Growth, below/above-ground mass ratio (BG:AG ratio), root morphology, carbohydrate content, and alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) activity in the low-elevation species Phalaris arundinacea and the high-elevation species Miscanthus sacchariflorus buried under 0, 5, and 10 cm of sediment were investigated one, two, and three months after burial. Biomass accumulation, BG:AG ratio, and the starch content of both species generally decreased with increasing burial depth and burial time, except for higher biomass accumulation in P. arundinacea in the first month. In the first month, adventitious roots of both species, and first-order laterals of P. arundinacea, were shorter and thicker in the buried plants than in the controls. The ADH activity in both species and the soluble sugar content of P. arundinacea increased with increasing burial depth in the first month. Only the diameter of adventitious roots and the soluble sugar content of P. arundinacea were affected by burial depth after two or three months. It is concluded that P. arundinacea is more tolerant to sedimentation than M. sacchariflorus due to more efficient acclimation strategies in root morphology and soluble sugar content. However, the ability to acclimate becomes weaker over time due to consistently decreasing starch content and the trade-off between tolerance to sedimentation and plant growth.

Studies of hybridization among interfertile oaks (Quercus, Fagaceae) help us understand the interspecific limits and evolutionary implications pertaining to these species. However, in East Asia, little attention has been paid to introgression and hybridization, especially in relation to evergreen oaks. Our objective was to examine the natural hybridization and introgression among related taxa. We performed a genetics analysis of 158 individuals from three evergreen Quercus species in Korea (Q. acuta, Q. salicina, and Q. glauca). Focusing on six microsatellite loci, we investigated the typical morphological characteristics of each species. Bayesian admixture analyses and measures of genetic differentiation (F_ST R_ST G_ST, and G'_ST) were conducted. A feasible level of coincidence was found between the morphological classification and genotype of each individual, and the differentiation was significant between all pairings. However, six individuals showed mixed genotypes with other clusters, implying that they are putative hybrids. Our results suggest that these mixed genotypes among morphologically pure individuals might have arisen from backcrosses between a hybrid and one of the parental species.

Tripleurospermum insularum Inceer & Hayırlıoglu-Ayaz sp. nova (Asteraceae, Anthemideae) is described and illustrated. It grows in open places and on rocky slopes in Gökçeada, one of the Aegean Islands. The chromosome number is 2n = 2x = 18. The diagnostic morphological characters that distinguish it from morphologically similar species are discussed and a conservation status is suggested.

Thymus longicaulis C. Presl, described from Sicily by Carl Bořivoj Presl, is a critical Mediterranean species, often confused with other taxa belonging to Thymus sect. Serpyllum. In order to preserve the current application of this name, a lectotype is designated. We provide a detailed morphological description and information about its habitat, phenology, distribution and taxonomy.

Herpothallon inopinatum Frisch & G. Thor sp. nova (Arthoniaceae) is described from Chiapas, Mexico. It is the second species of Herpothallon known with mature ascospores besides H. fertile. It differs from H. fertile in smaller asci immersed in the thallus instead of strongly protruding barrel-shaped thallus warts, smaller bean-shaped ascospores and a thallus chemistry of confluentic and chiodectonic acids. Herpothallon inopinatum most closely resembles H. pustulatum, but differs in the absence of pustules. The closely related H. rubrocinctum has distinct bright-red pseudoisidia and a bright-red pigmentation of pro- and hypothallus, while H. inopinatum lacks pseudoisidia and has a pro- and hypothallus white mottled pale yellow to orange to purplish brown. A revised key to all 34 currently accepted species in Herpothallon is provided.

Three new orchid species — Oliveriana puracensis Szlach., Kolan. & Olędrzyńska, O. pseudoegregia Szlach., Kolan. & Olędrzyńska, and O. guarinae Szlach., Kolan. & Olędrzyńska — are described and illustrated based on Colombian material. An identification key to Oliveriana species is provided. Taxonomic affinities of the new species are discussed and information about their distribution and habitats is provided.

A new species Jurinea kemahensis B. Dogan, Kandemir & A. Duran (Asteraceae) is described from East Anatolia, Turkey. It grows in calcareous crevices in the Kemah district (Erzincan province) in the East Anatolia. It is morphologically fairly similar to J. tortumensis, and its diagnostic morphological characters are discussed. The ecology and distribution of J. kemahensis are also presented. The pollen characteristics and achene surface of J. kemahensis and J. tortumensis were examined by SEM.

Three new species of the orchid genus Psilochilus, P. alicjae Kolan., P. hatschbachi Kolan. and P. sanderianus Kolan. are described and illustrated. The novelties belong to the Psilochilus modestus complex which is characterized by shortly petiolate leaves and a shortly clawed lip middle lobe. The taxonomic affinities of the new species are discussed.

Primulina pseudoroseoalba Jian Li, F. Wen & L.J. Yan, a new species of Gesneriaceae from China, is described and illustrated. It is morphologically similar to P. roseoalba, but differs from it in the leaf blade being broadly ovate to elliptic, and its margin entire and abaxially glabrous; peduncle being much shorter; and bracts being ovate to orbicular-ovate, glabrous inside. Primulina pseudoroseoalba is rare and currently known only from a karst hill in Guangxi, China.

Populations of plant species at their geographic range limits often suffer from low levels of genetic diversity caused by fragmentation, genetic drift, restricted gene flow, inbreeding or vegetative reproduction. We assessed the reproduction mode, allozyme diversity, differentiation and spatial genotypic structure in four Estonian remnant subpopulations and three small and isolated Latvian populations of Astragalus arenarius (Fabaceae) at the northern edge of the species' range. Plants of all populations had a clear clonal structure with same multilocus genotypes (MLGs) growing sequentially and alternately with different MLGs. The number of MLGs among populations varied between 1 and 13, with the longest genets extending over 30 m. The populations were highly differentiated with no common MLGs shared. Sexual reproduction in the studied populations was severely reduced. The generative reproduction was modest and variable in different years. Our results show that the small fragmented populations of A. arenarius have a low genotypic richness. Extensive clonal propagation of the few surviving genets has evidently contributed to their persistence. Conservation measures for the endangered populations are discussed.

Based on examination of protologues and herbarium material, combined with field observations, we suggest that Zeuxine bidupensis Averyanov should be considered a heterotypic synonym of Z. agyokuana Fukuyama. Thus, the known distribution of Z. agyokuana includes China, India, Japan, Thailand and Vietnam. A neotype is designated for Z. agyokuana, since all original material underlying Fukuyama's description seems to be lost. An improved morphological description, based on all available herbarium material from the entire geographic range of the species, is provided together with illustrations.

Heteropolygonatum urceolatum J.M.H. Shaw (Asparagaceae), is transferred to Polygonatum based on morphological and cytological evidence. Polygonatum mengtzense F.T. Wang & T. Tang is reinstated to specific status and its description amended based on examination of ample living and herbarium material. Chromosome counts and karyotypes are presented for both species that provide evidence that the two are most closely related to the Himalayan P. punctatum. Data on their distribution and habitat are provided. A key morphological trait of Heteropolygonatum, terminal inflorescences, is discussed in relation to the generic value of this character and shown not to be diagnostic.

Two new species of Gentianella are described. Gentianella galtonioides J.S. Pringle, from Peru, differs from G. kusnezowii in its leaves with 11 to 17 primary veins and non-sheathing bases, and in its white corollas with elliptic-rhombic lobes. Gentianella pharos J.S. Pringle, from Bolivia, differs from G. florida in its more elongate inflorescences and distinctly yellow corollas, from G. pluvialis in its smaller flowers and less deeply lobed corollas, and from both in its smaller size and deltoid calyx lobes. The distinctness of Gentiana longipes and G. totorensis is discussed, and the species are transferred to Gentianella. Gynodioecy is confirmed in Gentianella pluvialis with the report of specimens with bisexual flowers.

Primula pelargoniifolia G. Hao, C.M. Hu & Z.Y. Liu sp. nova (Primulaceae) is described from Chongqing, China, and illustrated. In general morphology it is most similar to the species in Primula section Cortusoides, which are characterized by lack of farina, subrounded leaf blade with a crenate-lobulate margin and a deeply cordate base, and by narrowly campanulate calyx that is not accrescent after anthesis. Superficially P. pelargoniifolia resembles P. heucheriifolia, but differs from it by having yellow flowers in 2–4 superimposed umbels on the scape.