A new species of Parasenecio (Asteraceae-Senecioneae), P. sadoensis Kadota, is described. Parasenecio sadoensis is different from P. adenostyloides (Franch. & Sav. ex Maxim.) H. Koyama by having thicker and robust, horizontal rhizome, fragile stems and petioles easy to break, flowering in July, usually smaller, spike-like raceme, 5–6 florets per head, 5 involucral phyllaries, shorter milky white corollae tinged pale blue, purplish blue anthers and shorter pappi. Parasenecio sadoensis is restricted to Sado Island and was found to grow under Fagus crenata woods. Parasenecio adenostyloides is not known from Sado Island.

We identified Sagittaria plants distributed in Lake Yonuma (Iwate Prefecture, Japan) via DNA sequencing and also studied the morphology, distribution, and habitat at Lake Yonuma during 2012 and 2015. In addition, we cultivated plants in an outdoor aquarium. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region sequence of these unidentified Sagittaria plants completely matched that of S. natans Pall. from Hokkaido, Heilongjiang, Inner Mongolia, Sakhalin, and other GenBank data. In the field, almost all plants sprouted from vegetative propagules and tubers remaining on the parent plants. Some floating-leaved plants had stolons and new tubers. Although no plants flowered, under natural or cultivated conditions, genetic and morphological characteristics indicate that the plants were S. natans. The population in Lake Yonuma is a remnant population of S. natans in Japan and is located at the southeastern extent of the species distribution worldwide. This population of rare plants requires urgent protection.

Vigna sathishiana A. P. Balan & S. V. Predeep, a new species of the genus Vigna Savi of the sect. Ceratotropis (Fabaceae) is described and illustrated from the southern Western Ghats of India. The diagnostic morphological characters, detailed description, illustration and images are presented with notes on habitat, ecology and conservation status.

We recorded the fruit ripening season of 47 taxa of Arisaema (Araceae) in the temperate forests of Japan. Most of the Arisaema species ripened in autumn/winter, but in six taxa, including A. undulatifolium group and A. seppikoense ripening occurred in summer. We used automatic cameras to compare Arisaema fruit removal rate and speed by frugivores between summer- and autumn/winter-fruiting of Arisaema. The fruits of Arisaema species ripening in autumn/winter were consumed by birds including Brown-eared bulbul (Hypsipetes amaurotis), Pale thrush (Turdus pallidus) and Copper pheasant (Syrmaticus soemmerringii). In contrast, the fruits of summer-fruiting species were exclusively consumed by Browneared bulbul. Both the fruit removal rates and speeds of summer-ripening species were much higher than those of autumn/winter-ripening species, because of the frequent fruit consumption by Brown-eared Bulbuls in summer. The Arisaema undulatifolium group and A. seppikoense in subsect. Pistillata, both ripening in summer, are considered to be derived from those species groups ripening in autumn/winter. Those summer ripening Arisaema species in subsection Pistillata might change their fruit ripening season from autumn/winter to summer during the differentiation. This is an interesting example of fruit-bird interaction between Arisaema species ripening in summer and their major fruit consumer Brown-eared bulbul resulting from the change of fruit ripening season.

Taxonomic status of Shuteria involucrata (Wall.) Wight & Arn. ex Walp. and S. vestita Wight & Arn. has been controversial. To solve the problem we performed comparative morphological and molecular phylogenetic analyses on these species. They are recognized as different species morphologically distinguished by inflorescence structures. Phylogenetically S. involucrata is sister to S. vestita. Shuteria suffulta Benth. is newly regarded as a glabrous form of S. involucrata, i.e., f. suffulta (Benth.) H. Ohashi & K. Ohashi. A glabrous form of Shuteria vestita, f. glabrata (Wight & Arn.) H. Ohashi & K. Ohashi is also proposed.

Lake Tazawa in Akita Prefecture is the deepest lake in Japan. In 2011, a core sample was taken from the bottom of the lake and in 2014, another four samples were taken from the shore. All samples produced a total of 114 diatom taxa. The shore samples, in particular, showed mixed assemblages growing in various pH, and it will prove valuable for analysis of the biogeographical and water environment of the lake. One Cyclostephanos taxon found in abundance from the core sample is described as a new species, Cyclostephanos tazawaensis H. Tanaka, Katano & Nagumo.

Japan dispatched the Envoy to China from the first century to introduce Chinese culture. The introduction of Chinese culture became active in the Asuka and Nara periods (592–793 A.D.). In these periods, the introduction of Traditional Chinese Medicine was also done actively. In 701 A.D., The Emperor proclaimed The Taiho Code and decided to adopt Traditional Chinese Medicine as the formal medicine of Japan. Traditional Chinese Medicine was generalized in Japan during the Heian period (794–1184 A.D.).

In this paper, the situation of crude drugs in these periods is described. The crude drugs stored in Shosoin（正倉院，the treasure house of imperial family） are particulaly important. At present, 38 drugs still remain and the origins of 37 drugs became clear. In the Edo period, the Traditional Chinese Medicine was used widely and it developed into the Japanese style by many clinical experiences. This Japanese-style Chinese medicine is named Kanpo（漢方，Traditional Japanese Medicine）．In present-day Japan, Kanpo is very popular. Eighty-five percentage of doctors use Kanpo together with Western medicine.

New combinations of Hortensia, Hortensia hirta f. albiflora and f. laminalis, and Hortensia chinensis var. yayeyamensis are proposed. Hortensia formosana Koidz. is lectotypified here.

Tetrodontium brownianum (Dicks.) Schwägr. (Tetraphidaceae) is reported as new to Korea. The description and photographs based on Korean plants are given. This species is characterized by its minute, bud-like plants, long and linear protonematal flaps and four multicellular peristome teeth. Some overlooked characteristics of the species are described.