Summary: Sporodophoron primorskiense is reported as new to Japan, as the second locality in the world. This species was previously only known from Primorsky territory in Russia. In Japan it was found on bark of Fagus crenata at ca. 1000 m elev. in an old-growth forest in Toyama Prefecture. This locality is situated at the Japanese side of the Sea of Japan opposite from Primorsky territory. The Japanese specimen agrees well with the type of S. primorskiense in terms of morphology and chemistry. Sequence data of mtSSU support conspecificity with the type. A key to Japanese Arthoniaceae with sporodochia or elevated, white pruinose pycnidia is also provided.

Summary: Coenogonium moniliforme Tuck. is new to Japan. Although this species has been recorded as corticolous and foliicolous, it was found on rock for the first time. A key to Japanese taxa of Coenogonium is also provided.

For the name of one of the Japanese endemic species of Pertya sect. Macroclinidium (Asteraceae) or the genus Macroclinidium, the adjective trilobus has been used as the specific epithet, as P. triloba or M. trilobum. However, this adjectival epithet should be treated as an orthographical variant of trilobatus used in M. trilobatum Makino, because they are confusingly similar epithets based on the same type. Thus, its correct name under Pertya is P. trilobata (Makino) Makino based on M. trilobatum, which has priority as the validly published name. Concurrently, on the basis of cytological, morphological and preliminary molecular evidences, P. ×koribana (Nakai) Makino & Nemoto, which has been known as a putative hybrid between P. trilobata and P. robusta, is to be treated as P. trilobata having unlobed leaves.

A horticultural strain of Cerasus jamasakura (Siebold ex Koidz.) H. Ohba, ‘Wakaki-no-sakura’, was first published by Makino (1906) based on the collections from Sakawa, Kochi Pref. (Prov. Tosa), Shikoku, western Japan. Later it was considered as a cultivar, C. jamasakura var. jamasakura ‘Humilis’ with winter buds developed into mixed shoots producing both flowers and leaves. Currently saplings propagated from the mother tree described by Makino are exclusively planted in gardens because wild trees have not been recognized in the field. However, in Otsuki, Kochi Pref., two individuals with characteristics mixed shoots were discovered among seedlings from a tree named Gekko-zakura in C. jamasakura. The two seedlings with the mixed shoots are ascribed to ‘Wakaki-no-sakura’. Thus it is suggested that a strain ‘Wakaki-no-sakura’ may be a mutant which occurs widely in the region, including Kochi Pref., western Japan.

Morphological change of trapping flower trichomes and flowering phenology associated with pollination were investigated in a natural population of Aristolochia debilis (Aristolochiaceae) at Shiojiri, Nagano Prefecture in central Japan. This native species has flowers that attract mainly small flies (Milichiidae and Chloropidae). Like other species of the genus, the trap-like perianth of this species consists of the limb, tube and utricle. The specialized trichomes covering the inner surface of the corolla tube (trapping trichomes) are positioned perpendicular to the tube wall curving downwards, and trap the flies within the utricle for nearly a first day after anthesis. When the anthers dehisce at the second day, the trichomes gradually wilted, allowing the flies to escape from the utricle. The change of trapping trichomes from turgid to wilting is associated with the dehiscence of anthers, and provides the chance for the trapped flies to escape and transport the pollen grains from one flower to others.

Globba bicolor Gagnep. (Zingiberaceae) is reported here as a new record for Thailand. This species is described and photographed.

Hydrocharis morsus-ranae L. (Hydro-charitaceae) is newly reported from the Kashmir Himalaya, India. This invasive aquatic species was collected from two localities, Miragund and Haigam wetlands. Besides biogeographical aspects, possible plant invasion risk and management implications of this species are discussed.

Schizachne purpurascens (Torr.) Swallen subsp. callosa (Turcz. ex Griseb.) T. Koyama & Kawano (Poaceae) is recorded from Mt. Takamine, Ohkawa Iwaizumi-cho, Iwate Prefecture, Japan. The perennial grass grew in the deciduous forest on a boulder slope located at an altitude of 1060 meters. All the past specimens of this species were collected only from Hokkaido and Central Honshu, and this is the first record for Tohoku region.

A new, double-flowered form of Campanula lasiocarpa Cham. (Campanulaceae), f. duplex Kadota, is described based on the collections from Mt. Kita-dake, the Akaishi Mountain Range, central Honshu, Japan. Although C. lasiocarpa ranges widely from the central part of Honshu Island, Japan to Alaska, via the Kuriles and the Aleutians, such double-flowered forms have never been found.

Infraspecific taxa of Sophora japonica L. are transferred to Styphnolobium japonicum (L.) Schott and the following four new names are proposed: f. oligophyllum, f. pendulum, f. vestitum and f. violaceum. Sophora pubescens Tausch is regarded as a synonym of Styphnolobium japonicum f. japonicum. Two varieties of Sophora flavescens L. are reduced to the rank of forma as follows: f. galegoides and f. kronei.

The typification of Utricularia dimorphantha Makino is discussed. One of the syntypes of the name, “[Prov. Echigo. Shirone. T. Kurihara!] Aug. 11, 1904” (MAK 311228) is designated as the lectotype.

Although Makino (1926) published Sasa hisauchii as a new combination for Pseudosasa hisauchii (Three Pl. New Jap., 1925), the relevant literature was never published. The earliest name for this species is Sasa hisauchii Makino (1926), and Pseudosasa hisauchii (Makino) Makino (1928), Sasaella hisauchii (Makino) Makino (1929), Arundinaria hisauchii (Makino) Nakai (1934), and Nipponobambusa hisauchii (Makino) Muroi (1961), are all regarded to be based on Sasa hisauchii.

The relevant combinations and list of all of the currently accepted species of Phyllanthus, which were formerly classified under Breynia or Glochidion in Japan were complied. Four new names, Phyllanthus gaertneri T. Kuros., P. keelungensis T. Kuros., P. rubrus (Blume) T. Kuros., and P. sieboldianus T. Kuros. are proposed here.

Sexual characters of Chionographis chinensis Krause were examined on the basis of herbarium specimens. Of the 22 plants (on 13 sheets) from southern China, 18 were hermaphroditic, andromonoecious or male, and four were female. Each of the females was included together with at least one or two, non-female plants (hermaphroditic or andromonoecious plants) in collections from four localities in Guangdong and Guangxi. These facts indicate that C. chinensis is gynodioecious at least at the four localities. As compared with hermaphroditic or male flowers, the female flowers have vestigial stamens with shorter filaments and smaller indehiscent sterile anthers, and shorter tepals. The female and the hermaphroditic-andromonoecious plants both showed a high rate of fructification, although the sample size is small. This is the first record of the occurrence of gynodioecy in Chinese Chionographis.

A junior homonym of an extant species, the fossil Pterocarya japonica Uemura 1988 (non Dippel 1891), which was previously proposed for the illegitimate homonym Juglans japonica Tanai 1961 (non Miquel 1867), is replaced with a new name, P. rhoifolioides Doweld.