Michelia xianianhei sp. nov. (Magnoliaceae) from northern Vietnam

Michelia xianianhei Q. N. Vu, a new species of Michelia from Dien Bien Province, northern Vietnam is described and illustrated. Michelia xianianhei is closely related to M. balansae (Aug. DC.) Dandy but differs mainly in the young twigs, petioles, terminal buds and brachyblasts being densely greyish silky hairy, 9–11 yellowish tepals, bigger fruit, and shorter fruiting gynophore.     

Magnolia bawangensis sp. nov. (Magnoliaceae) from Hainan, China

Magnolia bawangensis Law, R. Z. Zhou & D. M. Liu (Magnoliaceae), a new species from the Mount Bawangling, Hainan Province, China, is described and illustrated. It is closely related to M. paenetalauma Dandy, but differs by being a smaller tree with fewer spathe scars, absence of pedicels, pubescent and more numerous tepals, white pubescent and more numerous stamens.     

Magnolia tiepii sp. nov. from Vietnam

A new species of Magnolia sect. Gwillimia DC., Magnoliaceae from Vietnam is described and illustrated. Magnolia tiepii is recognized from southern Vietnam, where it occurs in Khanh Vinh slope, Khanh Vinh District, Khanh Hoa Province. It is distinguished from the closely related M. henryi by having narrowly cuneate leaf blade, short petiole, stipular scar at the base of the leaf blade, short peduncle and ellipsoid fruit.     

Michelia sonlaensis Q.N. Vu,sp. nov. (Magnoliaceae) from northern Vietnam

Michelia sonlaensis Q.N. Vu, a new species of Michelia from Son La province, northern Vietnam is described. The new species is assigned to the genus Michelia (separated from Magnolia), subfamily Magnolioideae based on general morphology. It is closely similar to M. xianianhei and M. mannii, but differs mainly in having a leaf‐lamina that is elliptic, thinly leathery, larger, with lower surface yellowish white villous (easily visible by eyes and feeling by hand), brachyblasts and outside bracts yellowish‐white sericeous, flowers light green to cream white in colour, and nine tepals with the outside of all tepals silky hairy at base.     

Magnolia nuevoleonensis sp. nov. (Magnoliaceae) from northeastern Mexico and a key to species of section Macrophylla

We describe and illustrate Magnolia nuevoleonensis A. Vázquez & Domínguez‐Yescas, a new deciduous tree species that belongs to M. sect. Macrophylla Figlar & Nooteboom. It is morphologically similar to M. ashei Weath., but differs from the latter in being a larger tree, with smaller flowers, larger and broadly ovoid (vs cylindrical to ellipsoid) fruits, prominently beaked (vs shortly beaked) carpels, and firm and short (vs flexible and elongated) styles.     

Magnolia denudata var. glabrata var. nov. (Magnoliaceae) from Hunan,China

Magnolia denudata var. glabrata Y. L. Wang et S. Z. Zhang var. nov. is described and illustrated from Hunan, China. The variety occurs mainly in semi‐evergreen forest of south Hunan at altitudes between 700 and 1260 m a.s.l. It differs from M. denudata var. denudata by its green and glabrous twigs and leaves which are glabrous above and have some white pubescence underneath. With its white flowers consisting of mostly 9 tepals, it differs from M. sprengeri Pamp. which mainly has 12 tepals in various shades of red/pink to white. The new variety is rare and considered endangered due to habitat destruction.     

Manglietia guangzhouensis sp. nov. (Magnoliaceae) from Guangdong, China

Manglietia guangzhouensis A. Q. Dong, Q. W. Zeng & F. W. Xing, a new species of Magnoliaceae from Guangdong province, China, is described and illustrated. It is closely related to M. pachyphylla H. T. Chang, but differs primarily in its brown villose lower surface of leaves, brown tomentose and stout brachyblasts (peduncles), absence of pedicels, sparsely brown pubescent outer tepals and more numerous ovules (12–14) in each carpel. It is a very rare species with a highly restricted distribution.     

Manglietia lawii sp. nov. (Magnoliaceae) from Yunnan, China

Manglietia lawii N. H. Xia & W. F. Liao, a new species of Manglietia from Yunnan, China, is described and illustrated. It is closely related to M. forrestii W. W. Smith, but differs by having villous gynoecium and glabrous tepals.     

Raphiocarpus tamdaoensis sp. nov. (Gesneriaceae) from Vietnam

A new species of Gesneriaceae, Raphiocarpus tamdaoensis V. X. Phuong, D. T. Xuyen & Y. G. Wei, is described and illustrated from Vietnam. It is similar to R. asper (Drake) B. L. Burtt and R. evrardii (Pellegr.) B. L. Burtt, but is easily differentiated by leaf blades being ovate–elliptic or obovate, 4–10 × 1.5–3.5 cm, one cyme with only one flower, peduncle linear, 3.0–5.0 cm long, corolla light yellow, 3.0–4.5 cm long, and a pubescent ovary.     

Capparis dongvanensis sp. nov. (Capparaceae) from Vietnam

Capparis dongvanensis (Capparaceae) is described as a new species and illustrated from Ha Giang Province of Vietnam. It is morphologically similar to C. lanceolaris and C. fengii, but differs in the number of flowers on peduncles, length of spine and petiole, apex of the leaf, type of inflorescence, petal color, cylindrical ovary without any beak, fruit shape and number of seeds per fruit. Diagnostic morphological characters along with pollen and seed SEM images of C. dongvanensis and allied species are provided. Its ecology, habitat and conservation status are also described.     

Aspidistra obtusata sp. nov. (Asparagaceae) from Vietnam

Aspidistra obtusata is described and illustrated as a new species from southern Vietnam. The new species resembles A. truongii, but differs in smaller diameter of perigone (12.6–14.9 mm vs 25–35 mm), shape of tepals (elliptic, obtuse vs triangular‐ovate) and pistil (widely obconic vs mushroom‐shaped). A molecular characterization of the new species (based on data of plastid psbA‐trnH and nuclear 5S‐NTS regions) is also given, and compared with the most similar congeners.     

Manglietia sapaensis N. H. Xia & Q. N. Vu sp. nov. (Magnoliaceae) from Vietnam

A new species of the family Magnoliaceae, Manglietia sapaensis N. H. Xia & Q. N. Vu from Lao Cai Province, northern Vietnam, is described and illustrated. The well marked species appears to be most closely related to M. garrettii Craib, but differs in being a smaller tree, with shorter petioles not pulvinate at base, leaf‐lamina oblong to oblong‐elliptic, white flowers, and pubescent gynoecium.     

Tomophagus cattienensis sp. nov., a new Ganodermataceae species from Vietnam: Evidence from morphology and ITS DNA barcodes

The polypore genus Tomophagus was created to segregate one peculiar species, Ganoderma colossum, from the genus Ganoderma. Recent molecular studies have established the validity of this monotypic genus. Here we report the discovery of a second species of Tomophagus, T. cattienensis sp. nov., from Cat Tien National Park in southern Vietnam, a lowland forest that has been designated as a Biosphere Reserve by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Recognition of this new species is based on combined evidence from morphology, cultural characteristics, and ITS rDNA barcodes. The discovery of this new species may have implications for the discovery of novel bioactive compounds for pharmaceutical use and/or for the pulp industry.     

Curcuma pambrosima sp. nov. (Zingiberaceae) from central Vietnam

Curcuma pambrosima (Zingiberaceae), a new species from central Vietnam, is described and illustrated.     

Alpinia newmanii sp. nov. (Zingiberaceae) from central Vietnam

Alpinia newmanii, a new species from central Vietnam, is described and illustrated. A morphological comparison with the most closely related species and a key to the species of Alpinia subsection Catimbium in Vietnam are provided.     

Asarum yentuense sp. nov. (Aristolochiaceae) from Vietnam

A new species, Asarum yentuense N. Tuan & Sasamoto (Aristolochiaceae), is described from Quang Ninh Province, Vietnam. This species belongs to A. subgen. Heterotropa sect. Longistylis and is most similar to Asarum petelotii, A. glabrum, A. reticulatum and A. magnificum var. dinghuense, but is differentiated by morphology, including the length of the calyx tube and lobes, and phenology.     

Dendrocalamus parvigemma sp. nov. (Gramineae: Bambusoideae) from Vietnam

A new species of Dendrocalamus Nees from Vietnam, D. parvigemma N. H. Xia, V. T. Nguyen et V. L. Le, is described and illustrated. The new species is morphologically similar to D. latiflorus Munro and D. yunnanicus Hsueh & Li, from which it differs by having a very small and nearly circular culm bud, dense, 1.4–1.6 cm long, palea with bristles and apex split in 2, narrowly lanceolate ovary, and sheath ligule 5 mm heigh and irregularly serrulate.     

Maclurochloa tonkinensis sp. nov. (Poaceae: Bambusoideae) from Vietnam

Maclurochloa K. M. Wong (Gramineae: Bambusoideae) is a genus of clambering bamboos with dry caryopses. It was thought to be monotypic in Peninsular Malaysia, but here we report one more species from Vietnam which is new to science: Maclurochloa tonkinensis H. N. Nguyen et V. T. Tran sp. nov. Maclurochloa tonkinensis is most similar to M. montana (Ridl.) K. M. Wong from which differs mainly by having internodes 50–58 × 3.0–3.5 cm and culm leaves with auriculate sheaths and erect blade.     

Schizostachyum yalyense sp. nov. and S. ninhthuanense sp. nov. (Gramineae: Bambusoideae) from Vietnam

Two new species of Schizostachyum Nees (Poaceae: Bambusoideae): S. yalyense N. H. Xia, V. T. Tran et H. N. Nguyen and Schizostachyum ninhthuanense N. H. Xia, V. T. Tran et H. N. Nguyen (Poaceae: Bambusoideae) are described and illustrated from Vietnam. Schizostachyum yalyense is similar to S. lima (Blanco) Merrill, but differs by culm sheaths with a concave apex 4–5 cm wide and 1.0–1.5 cm deep, pseudospikelets clustered on the wholly leafless flowering branches, possession of 2 bracts and lodicules. Schizostachyum ninhthuanense is related to S. hainanense Merrill ex McClure, but differs by culm sheaths covered with white hairs and having white–brown hairs at the apex, ligule margin densely pale‐ciliate, pseudospikelets clustered on wholly leafless flowering branches, presence of 3 lodicules, two stigmas apically on the style and the third stigma branching off from one of the two other stigmas.