Tabularia species often have been described from reports of diatom assemblages in brackish water. Here, we describe the fine structure of T. tabulata from the mouth of the Hakata River (Fukuoka Pref., Japan). Tabularia tabulata is characterized by a stria consisting of two large areolae covered by a cribra without cross-bars, and a single rimoportula situated at each pole close to the ocellulimbus. In Tabularia 10 species have been found in marine or brackish waters. We also report an identification key of the 10 Tabularia species based on their morphological information.

The orchid Spiranthes sinensis has been classified into separate varieties based on the presence or absence of hairs on their inflorescence stems and ovaries: S. sinensis var. amoena, which is considered puberulous, and S. sinensis var. sinensis, which is glabrous. The current study analyzed the internal transcribed spacer region of the nuclear DNA and the trnL–F intergenic spacer region of the chloroplast DNA to characterize the glabrous population of S. sinensis found in Kumamoto Pref., Japan. The results indicated that the DNA sequences of the Kumamoto specimens were identical to those of S. sinensis var. amoena, which infers that these glabrous specimens should be considered a hairless variant of S. sinensis var. amoena rather than a new distribution record for S. sinensis var. sinensis. The current study also found that the flowering season of the S. sinensis population in Kumamoto Pref. was somewhat earlier than usual for S. sinensis var. amoena (late March to late April vs. June for S. sinensis in Kumamoto Pref. and usual S. sinensis var. amoena, respectively), indicating that the Kumamoto population is ecologically distinct from typical S. sinensis var. amoena.

As a result of our phylogenetic analysis, two new combinations, Leptopetalum pachyphyllum (Tuyama) Naiki & Ohi-Toma, and L. strigulosum (Bartl. ex DC.) Neupane & N. Wikstr. var. luxurians (Hatus.) Naiki & Ohi-Toma, are proposed for taxa formerly in Hedyotis s.l., which was recently divided into 13 genera recircumscribed on the basis of the phylogenetic and morphological evidences. Leptopetalum pachyphyllum is closely related to L. mexicanum Hook. & Arn., the type of the genus, and L. grayi (Hook. f.) Hatus., shrub species endemic to the Ogasawara Islands, Japan. Leptopetalum strigulosa var. luxurians is nested in the clade of L. strigulosum.

De Smet (2015) united all genera classified Hydrangeeae by Engler (1930) into a single genus Hydrangea. These genera delimited by Engler are easily distinguished by their morphological features, and also their habitat and ecological preferences. To rescue the genera adopted by Engler we propose generic segregation of most of the sections and subsections of Hydrangea by Engler according to the tree by De Smet et al. (2015). Genus Hortensia Comm. ex A. L. Juss. applies to the species of sect. Euhydrangea subsect. Petalanthae of Engler, and is divided into three sections named Hortensia, Chinenses, and Hirtae. Hydrangea involucrata and H. sikokiana are classified into genus Platycrater Siebold & Zucc., Hydrangea integrifolia Hayata is transfered to genus Cornidia Ruiz & Pav., H. petiolaris Siebold & Zucc. to genus Calyptranthe (Maxim.) H. Ohba & S. Akiyama, and also H. paniculata and similar species to genus Heteromalla (Rehder) H. Ohba & S. Akiyama. The necessary combinations and new states are proposed. A new form of Hortensia serrata, named f. plenidecuris is proposed.

Andrographis gracilis Nees (Acanthaceae), a lesser known endemic species from the southern Western Ghats, is reinstated as a distinct species and the lectotype for this name is designated here.

I found Gastrodia fontinalis T. P. Lin (Orchidaceae) in bamboo forests on Kuroshima Island, the northernmost island of the Ryukyu Islands in Japan. This habitat represents the northernmost locality of the species.

A new locality of Toninia tristis (Th. Fr.) Th. Fr. subsp. fujikawae (M. Satô) Timdal, an endangered endemic lichen growing on calcareous rocks in Japan, is reported from Nippara of Okutama in Tokyo Metropolis.

Meanwhile, it has been lost from Meshimoriyama on Mt. Buko in Saitama Prefecture due to extensive mining of limestone. Additional specimens collected from known localities and neighboring sites decades after the first collection suggest that many populations appear to be stable except in habitats subject to destructive practices such as limestone mining.