We discovered a new variety of Daphne kamtschatica Maxim., var. kirigishiensis N.Nitta & Ken Sato (Thymelaeaceae) at Mt. Kirigishi, central Hokkaido, Japan. This new variety is distinguished from var. kamtschatica by the absence of a long rhizome, the lack of a dormancy period in summer and shoot apex with a large number of leaves in summer. It grows in sunny places on talus slopes composed of limestone at a location 220 km west of the known locality of var. kamtschatica.

Desmodiastrum of the tribe Desmodieae (Leguminosae) is regarded as synonymous with Alysicarpus, or as a distinct genus related to Alysicarpus and Desmodium. To determine its systematic position, updated phylogenetic trees of the Desmodium group of tribe Desmodieae are obtained as the results of the analyses of cpDNA and nrDNA. Desmodiastrum is placed in an independent clade (Desmodiastrum clade) with Codariocalyx, Eleiotis and Leptodesmia, which is remarkably remote from the Alysicarpus and Desmodium clades. The member of the Desmodiastrum clade shares dimorphic or trimorphic leaves and drepaniform keel petals with a small lamellate appendage connecting the covered wings. Among them Desmodiastrum is supported in its distinctive systematic position by the syncolporate pollen grains. Desmodiastrum is recognized as an independent genus distinct from Alysicarpus.

Bamboos are long-lived monocarpic species of Poaceae; few studies have assessed their entire lifespan from seedling to the reproductive phase. In July 2021, moso bamboo, Phyllostachys edulis (Carrière) J.Houz., cultivated from seedlings for more than half century, mass-flowered at the Kamigamo Experimental Station at Kyoto University, Kyoto Pref. and the Fuji Bamboo Garden, Shizuoka Pref., Japan. We observed the rare phenomenon and estimated the age of these bamboo stands at the time of flowering to be 66 and 67 years, respectively, based on historical records and interviews with staff at both facilities. From these and previous studies, we found that moso bamboo clones with a monocarpic life history have a lifespan of 66–69 years in Japan. However, mass-flowering has never been reported in naturally occurring moso bamboo forests across Japan over the approximately 300 years since its introduction from China. This suggests that life history traits, including reproductive characters might have some variation in moso bamboo.

Ten taxa of Carex (Cyperaceae) described by Dr. Shigeo Akiyama are lectotypified based on the specimens mainly preserved in the Herbarium of the Hokkaido University Museum (SAPS). They are C. flavocuspis Franch. & Sav. var. iwatensis Akiyama, C. foliosissima F.Schmidt var. albo-mediana Akiyama, C. forficula Franch. & Sav. var. angustiflora Akiyama & Suto, C. geantha Ohwi var. pubescens Akiyama, C. karashidaniensis Akiyama, C. kinpokusanensis Akiyama, C. maximowiczii Miq. vars. minor Akiyama and pallida Akiyama, C. oxyandra(Franch. & Sav.) Kudô var. globosa Akiyama, and C. siderosticta Hance var. variegata Akiyama.

Results of an investigation of the morphological characters of experimentally processed dry tubers of Arisaema heterophyllum Blume, A. amurense Maxim. and A. erubescens Schott (= A. consanguineum Schott, correctly) (Araceae) are presented. All observations coincided with the description of “Arisaema Tuber” in The Japanese Standards for Non-pharmacopoeia Crude Drugs 2018 (2020).

Extrafloral nectaries are known from more than 3800 species in flowering plants but only 17 species of two genera (Vaccinium and Cavendishia) were recorded in Ericaceae. We found nectar secretion from the apex of the calyx lobes in the young flower buds of Agapetes burmanica, A. moorei and A. pentastigma (Ericaceae). Nectar secretion was also found at the base of young leaves of A. burmanica and A. pentastigma. This is the first report of extrafloral nectaries for the genus Agapetes. As this feature was not found in other species such as A. lacei, A. oxycoccoides, A. serpens and A. setigera, this may be a distinguishing characteristic of these species in the genus.