Padina crassa, P. japonica and P. minor were collected from the central Pacific Ocean and the Japan Sea coasts, near their northern distributional limits on both coasts. Their asexual sporophyte generations were dominant, and their sexual gametophyte generations rarely occurred. A morphological and anatomical comparison of the three species was carried out. Thallus of P. crassa consists of 4-8 cell layers, and only 2 cell layers are present among the thalli of P. japonica and P. minor. The sporangia, oogonia and antheridia of the three species occur along concentric hairlines on the dorsal surface of a thallus. This is the first report for the female gametophyte of P. crassa, and for the male and female gametophytes of P. minor. The reproductive structures of P. crassa and P. japonica are distributed on both sides of the hairline and covered with indusia, whereas those of P. minor are distributed on the upper side of the hairline without indusia. The positional relation between reproductive structures and hairlines can be taken as an important taxonomic characteristic at the rank of species of Padina.

An Armillaria species isolated from Gastrodia elata was identified as A. gallica based on morphological characteristics of basidiomata and mating test. Symbiosis between G. elata and A. gallica was confirmed by using two-member cultures. Hyphal coils of the fungal symbiont were formed in the cortical cells of tubers and isolated from their cortical cells. Length and weight of fungus-infected tubers were significantly higher than those of non fungus-infected tubers and control (P < 0.05). These indicated that G. elata has a mycorrhizal symbiotic relation to A. gallica.

Gastrodia elata tubers were collected at eleven sites throughout Honshu, Japan. Fungal symbionts were identified with mating test. Eight isolates were identified as Armillaria gallica, two as A. nabsnona and one as A. cepistipes. Of these, A. gallica was the dominant species. A. nabsnona and A. cepistipes are reported here as symbionts of Gastrodia elata for the first time. One strain of the symbiont, A. gallica was used for cultivation test. After 32 months cultivation, G. elata tubers had increased from 430 g to 2560 g in weight, and from 18 to 236 in number. Significant differences in the amount of ash, diluted ethanol extract and drying loss were not observed between the cultivated tubers and commercial ones.

Six species of Agapetes D. Don ex G. Don (Ericaceae) viz., A. hillii Brandis, A. kingdonis Airy Shaw, A. leucocarpa S. H. Huang, A. megacarpa W. W. Sm., A. subsessilifolia S. H. Huang & al. and A. subvinacea Airy Shaw are recorded for the first time from India. All are described in detail with illustrations and notes for easy recognition.

A new genus Veldkampia (Gramineae) is described from Alaungdaw Kathapa National Park, Myanmar. This new genus is characterized by the effacement of the pediceled spikelet, containing two well-developed caryopses in a spikelet, and in having a terminal cupule-like appendage on the joints of a sessile spikelet. This plant may be included in Saccharinae, Andropogoneae, however, the phylogenetic position and the evolution of their diagnostic characters are unclear.