Three new species of the genus Saussurea from Honshu, Japan are described. Saussurea (subg. Theodorea) nakagawae Kadota from Sado Island, Niigata Pref. is distinguished from S. pulchella (Fisch. ex Hornem.) Fisch. by having longer involucres with more or longer bracts, 11–12-seriate involucral phyllaries and narrowly ovate outer phyllaries. Saussurea nakagawae is the fourth species of subsect. Theodorea-vera sect. Theodorea of subg. Theodorea (Cass.) Lipsch. The name, subsect. Theodoreavera is validated here. Saussurea mihokokawakamiana Kadota from Mt. Kagonotoyama, the Asama Mountains, Nagano Pref. differs from S. triptera Maxim. by having almost wingless stem, narrowly triangular-ovate cauline leaves, loose racemose synflorescence, larger cylindrical to campanulate involucres and 8–9-seriate involucral phyllaries with caudate tips. Saussurea mihokokawakamiana is similar to S. kimbuensis Nakai in involucral phyllaries with caudate tips and narrowly ovate-triangular leaves but differs from it by larger involucres and 8–9-seriate involucral phyllaries. Saussurea yamagataensis Kadota from the Murayama area, Yamagata Pref. is different from S. sendaica (Franch.) Franch. ex Koidz. by having horizontal rhizomes with longer internodes, narrowly ovate cauline leaves, stem pubescent with pale greenish, long multicellular hairs, longer cylindrical involucres and 11–12-seriate involucral phyllaries.

A new species, Caulokaempferia dinabandhuensis Biseshwori & Bipin (Zingiberaceae) is described. This is the first report of the genus from Manipur, India. Caulokaempferia dinabandhuensis is characterized by tubular calyx widened in the middle and tapering towards the apex and suborbicular, deeply split labellum with elongated, obtuse tips. Full description and a photographic plate of this new species and comparative analysis among three Caulokaempferia are presented.

A new species, Ainsliaea hederifolia Fujikawa & H. Ikeda (Asteraceae) from Natma Taung National Park, Chin State, west-central Myanmar is described and illustrated. Ainsliaea hederifolia is similar to a Sino-Japanese species, A. apiculata Sch. Bip., in sharing palmately lobed leaves clustered at the base or above the base, falsely verticillate, but differs in having 7–8-seriate, coriaceous involucral phyllaries with mucronate apex.

Kobresia khasiana Jana & V. S. Kumar (Cyperaceae) is described as a new species from the Khasia hills, Meghalaya, India. The new species can be differentiated from its allied species K. laxa Nees by its cauline and flatter leaf blades that overtop the inflorescence, oblong and partially opened prophyll, and by the absence of racheola. This is the first distributional record of the genus other than Himalayas in India. Brief description, phenology, habitat, distribution and illustrations are provided.

The fine structure of a brackish water benthic diatom Karayevia amoena (Hustedt) Bukhtiyarova has been examined by light and electron (SEM and TEM) microscopies. The following morphological features of this species are revealed in detail through the present study. The cell is heterovalvar, one valve (raphid valve: RV) with a raphe-sternum and the other (araphid valve: AV) lacking a raphe. The valves are elliptic, drawn-out and bluntly rounded at apices. The valve face of the RV is slightly concave and that of the AV is complementary to the RV and convex. The single plastid lies against one side of the girdle and both valves, and is C-shape in the transapical section of cell. The raphe on the RV is straight. Each terminal end of raphe turns in the same direction at apices externally, and is straight without helictoglossae internally. The proximal raphe ends are coaxial and somewhat expanded and pore-like externally, but undilated and straight internally. On both valves, the striae consist of elongate and elliptical areolae occluded by the hymen with perforations arranged in a hexagonal array. The cingula of both valves consist of the open bands of three types, without areolae and fimbriae.

A combination Parasenecio levingei, based on Senecio levingii C. B. Clarke, has been attributed to three different authors. The correct author is Karthikeyan and Moorthy (Karthikeyan et al. 2009). The lectotype of basionym is also discussed and chosen here.

Two small populations of Malus baccata (L.) Borkh. var. mandshurica (Borkh.) C. K. Schneid. (Rosaceae) were discovered by the seashore in the northern Tohoku region of Japan. These discoveries confirm that the species also grows in the coastal areas of this region, as well as those of Hokkaido.

Grimmia laevigata (Brid.) Brid. (Grimmiaceae, Bryophyta) is reported from Mt. Kitadake, the Akaishi Mountain Range, Yamanshi Pref., central Honshu, Japan where it grows on a weathered mélange which contained limestone located near the summit area of Mt. Kitadake (ca. 3180 m in elevation). This report is a new addition to the Japanese bryophyte flora.

We describe a new form of Cypripedium debile whose lip excepting basal area, column, stigma, and staminode is lacking in purple coloration in Kiso County, Nagano Pref., Japan The ecological significance of the new form Cypripedium debile f. shinanoense is also discussed.

I report a new locality of an alien species Commelina erecta L. (Commelinaceae). This species, native to America and Africa, was discovered in Naniwa-no-Miya Historical Park, Osaka Pref., Japan in 2015.

Panicum virgatum L., a native of North America, is newly naturalized to Shikoku, western Japan. This grass grows on the newly constructed road sides of Man’nō-cho, Nakatadogun, Kagawa Prefecture. This alien plant seems to have been brought by the construction of new forestry roads. To assist in the identification, diagnostic characteristics, and discrimination points of related taxa are provided.