Based on cytological analyses, phylogenetic analyses using chloroplast and nuclear genes, and morphological examination, Lepisorus tajimaensis T. Fujiw. (Polypodiaceae, Polypodiales) is described as a new allohexaploid species in the Japanese L. thunbergianus polyploid species complex. Our phylogenetic analyses demonstrated that L. tajimaensis originated through interspecific hybridization between L. nigripes and L. oligolepidus. The new species can be distinguished from L. nigripes by the broadly lanceolate rhizome scales (vs. narrowly lanceolate to lanceolate), lanceolate laminae (vs. linear to narrowly lanceolate), scales throughout the abaxial surface of the laminae (vs. scales mainly along costa on the proximal part of the abaxial surface of laminae), and larger sori (3–5 mm in diam.) (vs. 1–2.5 mm in diam.), and from L. oligolepidus by the brown rhizome scales with 3 or 4 rows of marginal transparentlumina (vs. dark brown rhizome scales with 1 or 2 rows of transparent marginal lumina), the light brown leaf scales (vs. dark brown), and sori being closer to the margin (vs. sori nearer costa). Additionally, sterile pentaploid hybrids resulting from backcrossing between L. tajimaensis and one of the parental species, L. nigripes is reported.

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Cardamine brevicaulis, sp. nov. (Brassicaceae), described from plants collected in Susaki, Kochi Prefecture, Japan, differs from other species of Cardamine in having extremely short stems in both the rosette and inflorescence, resulting in a flat growth habit throughout the vegetative, flowering, and fruiting stages. Cardamine brevicaulis is an octoploid, based on chromosome observations and relative genome size. Cardamine tanakae, a widespread species that sometimes shares its habitat with C. brevicaulis, was estimated to be hexaploid. Phylogenetic analysis showed that C. brevicaulis forms a distinct lineage from other species of Cardamine.

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Due to broad distribution and great morphological diversity, Festuca ovina and allies, have long been controversial with respect to their taxonomic treatments. Here, their taxonomic treatments are reconsidered using individuals broadly distributed in Japan, based on analyses of morphology (including leaf anatomy), ploidy level, and molecular phylogeny. Molecular analyses based on 70 chloroplast coding sequences (CDS) (52,164 bp in total) from 16 samples distributed from Hokkaido to Kinki District, Honshu, resulted in two robust clades with 100% bootstrap support in the ML tree: one consisting of individuals with sparse leaves, and the other consisting of individuals with dense leaves. Morphologically, the individuals in the latter clade clearly differ from those in the former clade in that at least one nest (none in the former) of old concentric sheaths envelopes four or more new leaf fascicles. As they sometimes grow sympatrically, individuals in the former clade are considered to be F. ruprechtii (lectotypified in this study) and those in the latter clade as F. ovina s.s. The analyses showed that the two species include both diploids and tetraploids and that F. probatovae and F. chiisanensis are synonyms of F. ruprechtii and F. ovina, respectively.

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The variation in vegetative morphological traits, flower color and flower morphological traits ofCypripedium macranthos Sw. s. lat. in Japan were quantified. The quantitative vegetative morphological traits did not clearly demarcate any infraspecific taxa in Japan, but the larger dimensions might reflect as lightly dark environment. The morphology of the flowers of C. macranthos s. lat. in Japan tended to be differentiated into two trends toward the smaller ‘atsumori type’ flowers and larger ‘hotei type’ flowers. Japanese C. macranthos s. lat. is slightly different from Russian and Chinese plants by having a wider dorsal sepal and fused lateral sepals (synsepal). I recognize three endemic infraspecific taxa for JapaneseC. macranthos; i) var. speciosum (Rolfe) Koidz. for individuals with small light pink ‘atsumori type’ flowers, native to mainly Honshu and sparsely in Hokkaido, ii) var. hotei-atsumorianum Sadovský for individuals with large ‘hotei type’ purplish red to deep purplish red flowers, native to central Honshu and Hokkaido; and iii) var. rebunense Kudô ex Miyabe & Kudô for individuals endemic to Rebun Island in northwestern Hokkaido with comparatively small pale cream flowers, which have a wide range of morphological variation and are rather similar to those of var. speciosum in Japan. Some populations in central Honshu and Hokkaido show intermediate features between var. speciosum and var. hoteiatsumorianum. Intermediate individuals between the two varieties should be recognized as typicalCypripedium macranthos only at species rank.

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Through phylogenetic analysis and morphological examination of specimens newly collected in Qinghai Province, northwest China, modification is provided for the morphology of Sauteria spongiosa.Kashyap (Cleveaceae, Marchantiophyta).

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Based on a morphological examination of herbarium specimens and literature review, minor adjustments to the subfamilial classification of Marchantiaceae were made. Preissia is transferred to Bucegioideae (Marchantiaceae) based on a morpho-phylogenetic perspective. A revised diagnosis of the two subfamilies of Marchantiaceae is also proposed.

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A morphological examination of moss specimens collected during biodiversity studies of bryophytes on Megriss Mountain has led to the identification of Syntrichia calcicola (Pottiaceae), here reported for the first time in Algeria. A comprehensive description of the species, accompanied by microphotographs, a distribution map illustrating its presence within the study area and a discussion of its ecology, is provided.

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An Arctic montane liverwort, Bucegia romanica, is reported to be in China and represents the first record of both the genus Bucegia and the species, B. romanica, in eastern Asia. Morphological descriptions, taxonomic notes, ecological information, and color illustrations are provided. Since only male populations were found during the study, the descriptions and photographs are based of male plants. Bucegia romanica can be readily distinguished from other members of Marchantiaceae by the following combination of characteristics: (1) spongiose areas on the dorsal side of the thallus, (2) dichotomously and apically innovative branching pattern, (3) each ventral scale with up to two appendages, and (4) unlobed male receptacles.

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Torenia benthamiana Hance (Linderniaceae), found growing wild in a semi-natural grassland on Ishigaki Island, is the first record for this species in Japan. We here provide a Japanese name for this species ‘Nanto-urikusa.’

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