Obirafructus kokubunii gen. & sp. nov. (family Incertae Sedis; order Saxifragales) is proposed based on a permineralized reproductive axis bearing at least 42 spirally arranged follicles. No bracts, perianth, stamens, nor their vestiges are present on the axis or the follicle stalk. It is therefore part of single flower and not an inflorescence. The axis is 57 mm long, woody, and contains scalariform perforations on the vessel walls. The flower is inferred to be unisexual, as in Cercidiphyllaceae (Saxifragales). The lower part, which may have borne male organs, is missing. The follicles consist of a conduplicate carpel with marginal placentas alternately bearing 90–100 seeds in two rows. The follicle has dorsal and ventral ridges and the ventral suture dehisces at maturity. The carpel probably has an apical style and stigma at anthesis. The ovules are bitegmic, anatropous. A nucellar cap plugs the micropyle. The seeds are slightly winged, which may represent hydrochory and/or anemochory. Based on these features, Obirafructus kokubunii probably inhabited a fluvial plain. The follicle clusters of Joffrea and Jenkinsella (fossil Cercidiphyllaceae) apparently resemble those of O. kokubunii; but they represent inflorescences. Obirafructus kokubunii adds a new morphotype to the past diversity of basal Saxifragales.

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In Japan, two simple-leaved species of trees of Rosaceae tribe Maleae have been treated as Sorbus alnifolia and S. japonica or have been assigned to the genus Aria. However, they are morphologically distinct from Aria and Sorbus and should be treated as species of Micromeles. Under S. japonica, variety calocarpa (hereafter only calocarpa) was described based on specimens collected in Nikko, Japan, where calocarpa is commonly found. Although calocarpa has been neglected, it is hypothesized that it should be treated as a distinct species characterized by larger leaves with a dense white persistently tomentose abaxial surface and round to truncate leaf base. The phylogenetic position of the Japanese simple-leaved species, including calocarpa, in the tribe Maleae was examined using chloroplast (cp) DNA regions. CpDNA analyses demonstrated that the Japanese taxa should be assigned to Micromeles. Second, to test the hypothesis that calocarpa should be recognized as a distinct species, its phylogenetic relationships among Japanese Micromeles using cpDNA and nuclear low-copy-number genes was examined. Leaf morphology of the three taxa was also compared. The phylogenetic and morphological analyses indicated that calocarpa is indeed distinct from M. japonica and M. alnifolia. Therefore, a new status and new combination, Micromeles calocarpa (Rehder) M. Aizawa, is proposed.

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A new species, Actinodaphne lambirensis Tagane, Yahara & N. Okabe (Lauraceae) from Lambir Hills National Park, Miri District, Sarawak, Malaysia, is described and illustrated. It is characterized by glabrous twigs and leaves, small lamina (4.3–9.2 × 1.7–2.8 cm), and long fruiting peduncles. Because only fruiting specimens were available, the position of A. lambirensis was determined by the phylogenetic trees based on 22 species of Actinodaphne, including the type species of the genus, A. pruinosa Nees, and 11 species of Neolitsea from Southeast Asia using multiplexed inter-simple sequence repeats genotyping by sequencing (MIG-seq). Additionally, a phylogenetic tree was constructed using internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences for 36 species of Actinodaphne and 40 species of Neolitsea that include our MIGseq samples and additional species for which ITS sequences were determined in previous studies. Both the MIG-seq tree and ITS tree supported A. lambirensis as belonging with Actinodaphne.

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Litsea martabanica (Kurz) Hook. f. (Lauraceae) is reported for the first time for the flora of Vietnam. Litsea martabanica can be distinguished from its closest allies, Litsea longistaminata and Litsea panamanja, by having smaller leaves, cylindrical, ellipsoid-cylindrical or ovoid fruits, and smaller and cupshaped perianth tube. A detailed description, important taxonomic notes, and photos are provided.

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A new locality of Lecanorchis nigricans from West Java, Indonesia, is reported, and a description based on the Javanese material is provided. Since L. nigricans was known previously from Japan, Taiwan, Fujian (China) and Thailand, this discovery represents the southernmost occurrence of the species. Based on the chasmogamous flowers, spatulate sepals and petals, and cucullate lip, these plants should be L. nigricans var. yakushimensis among the three varieties of L. nigricans. Considering that species of Lecanorchis are easily overlooked in the wild due to their short flowering season and dwarf habit, L. nigricans may be more widely distributed in Southeast Asia.

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A set of twelve EST-SSR markers were developed to evaluate the genetic diversity and genetic structure of Hemerocallis middendorffii Trautv. & C. A. Mey (Asphodelaceae) in Japan. The total number of alleles for each locus ranged from 3 to 19, with an average of 10.25; the mean values of HO and HE were 0.567 and 0.648, respectively. Versatility of the markers was evaluated for two additional species of the same genus, H. lilioasphodelus L. var. thunbergii (Baker) M. Hotta and H. hakuunensis Nakai to show that all the EST-SSR markers are transferrable between them.

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