A new species of Boehmeria, B. tosaensis, is described from Kochi Prefecture, Shikoku, Japan. The species is similar to B. gigantea Satake in having paniculate male inflorescences at the axils in the lower part of stems and ovate leaves, but differs in having less hairy stems and leaves and the smaller, thinner leaves with truncate to roundly truncate base and long acuminate apex. Furthermore, B. tosaensis has narrowly lanceolate bracts in male inflorescences. The chromosome number is 2n = 42. The pollen stainability is over 96.7 %.

The new species Schoenoplectus patentiglumis Hayasaka is described from Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and South Africa.

Mr. and Mrs. Miehe of Georg-Augst University, Gottingen visited Bhutan from July to September 2000 and collected many specimens of Pedicularis (Scrophulariaceae). They kindly entrusted me the study of these specimens. Among the materials eight new species and four species newly found in Bhutan are described here.

Two new species of Arisaema, A. lidaense and A. lihenganum, are described from the limestone areas of the Yunnan-Guangxi border in China.

A new variety of Panax L., P. vietnamensis Ha & Grushv. var. fuscidiscus K.Komatsu, S.Zhu & S.Q.Cai is described, together with its nucleotide sequences of 18S rRNA gene and matK gene. On the basis of both gene sequences, the phylogenetic relationship among the new variety and other 6 Panax taxa has been investigated. This new variety exhibits a close relationship with P. vietnamensis in morphological characters as well as molecular evidences, but differs from it in having flat, fuscous or vaccinous disk and completely separated styles in 2-styled flowers, besides the unique nucleotide sequences of matK gene. Its somatic chromosome number is 2n = 2x = 24.

A cytological study for the species of Boehmeria Jacq. (Urticaceae) of Nepal is carried out for the first time. 2n = 28 chromosomes are determined for all the individuals studied. Hence Boehmeria species in Nepal Himalaya appear to be diploid and considered to be reproduced sexually in reference to the studies of Boehmeria species in Japan where polyploidy and apomixis are common in the species of Boehmeria.