Vicia sect. Amurense (tribe Fabeae, family Leguminosae), consisting of four species, is mainly distributed in western China. The species of the section share a terete style, a globose stigma, and a swollen pollen mesocolpium. However, in recent molecular phylogenetic studies of Vicia, species with a terete style were presumed to be polyphyletic. In order to clarify phylogenetic relationships of the species of sect.

Amurense we did a molecular phylogenetic study comparing data from the ITS region of nrDNA and matK of the chloroplast genome. The analysis showed sect. Amurense to be nested in a clade corresponding to sect. Vicilla, which contains mainly East Asian Vicia species. The monophyly of sect. Amurense was not supported. This discrepancy between the phylogenetic relationships of sect. Amurense presumed from the floral and pollen morphological characteristics and those from the molecular phylogenetic analysis indicates needs of further phylogenetic studies on the section.

The present paper reports an extended distribution of Antiaris toxicaria (Pers.) Lesch. subsp. macrophylla (R. Br.) C. C. Berg (Moraceae) to the Andaman Islands, India. Detailed description, geographical distribution, notes on ecology, photograph of herbarium sheet, and line drawings of this taxon are provided to facilitate easy identification in the field and herbarium.

Further revision of Anisadenia Wall. ex Meisn. (Linaceae : tribe Eulineae Hook. f.) is presented. This includes correction in the designation of lectotype for A. saxatilis Wall. ex Meisn. and A. pubescens Griff. and further notes on the delimitation for both species with a revised key.

Volvulina Playfair is a colonial volvocalean genus with usually 8 or 16 cells forming hollow ellipsoidal colonies. In this study, a strain of Volvulina was isolated from Lake Tsukui, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. This strain was morphologically identified as Volvulina compacta Nozaki, which was previously known only from strains isolated from Nepal. Chloroplast multigene analyses using rbcL, atpB, psaA, psaB and psbC genes showed that the Japanese strain of V. compacta is closely related to the Nepalese strain of V. compacta and to an American strain of Volvulina pringsheimii Starr, but only distantly to Volvulina steinii Playfair previously reported from Japan. Although the Japanese strain was more closely related to V. pringsheimii than to Nepalese V. compacta, it was clearly distinguished from V. pringsheimii by its square cell shape in the top view. These results indicate the existence of cryptic species within V. compacta.

A cytological study of two narrow endemic Carex (Cyperaceae), C. omurae T. Koyama and C. phaeodon T. Koyama, was performed. Chromosome numbers of C. omurae (2n = 32) and C. phaeodon (2n = 30) were determined in this study for the first time. Phylogenetic relationships of C. omurae and C. phaeodon, with their allied species, are discussed.

Schoenoplectus orthorhizomatus (Kats. Arai & Miyam.) Hayas. & H. Ohashi (Cyperaceae), which has been known in northern Japan, is newly recorded from Oze, Mt. Hotaka and the Madarao Highland, in central Honshu, Japan. The species is distributed in areas covered with heavy-snowfall in winter from Hokkaido to central Japan. The species mainly grew in disturbed stands of fen, such as streamside of peatland, foot of peat plateau and trampled ground, while S. hondoensis (Ohwi) Soják, a close relative of S. orthorhizomatus, mainly grew in pools (undisturbed stands) of bog.

Lectotype is designated for Gentiana pluviarum W.W. Sm. (Gentianaceae). The choice of lectotype is discussed and photograph is provided.

Chromosome numbers of four species of Cyperaceae collected from Far West Nepal are presented. The chromosome number for Carex gracilenta Boott ex Boeck. (2n = 52) is reported for the first time. Our finding of 2n = 46 for C. longipes D. Don differs from previous reports. It seems that C. longipes may consist of a series of aneuploids. Chromosome numbers of C. fusiformis Nees (2n = 44) and Eleocharis palustris (L.) Roem. & Schult. (2n = 16 = 4L+12S) agree with the previous reports.