Two new species ofPhyllagathis related toP. tuberculata (Melastomataceae) from Peninsular Malaysia

Phyllagathis tuberculataKing and two closely allied new species,P. magnificaA. Weber andP. stoneiA. Weber, are described and illustrated. Within the genus, these species form a distinct and isolated group which is restricted to Peninsular Malaysia.P. tuberculata occurs in Perak (probably confined to G. Bujang Melaka),P. magnifica andP. stonei are found in the mountains on the Pahang/Selangor border (Genting Highlands, Gombak valley). The distinctive characters of the three species are listed and some general information relating to inflorescence morphology, tubercle anatomy, fruit structure and seed dispersal is provided.     

Phagnalon rechingeri (Inuleae,Asteraceae), a new species from Iran

Phagnalon rechingeri spec. nova from S Baluchestan (Iran) is described as a species new to science and illustrated; its relationships to other species of the genus, in particular to thePh. woodii group from S Arabia, are discussed.Dedicated to Hofrat Univ.-Prof. DrK. H. Rechinger on the occasion of his 80th birthday.     

A new species ofThottea (Aristolochiaceae) from India

Thottea ponmudiana sp. nova from Kerala (India) can readily be distinguished from its closest allyTh. siliquosa and all the other known species of the genus by its yellow flowers with purple eyes, deeply lobed perianth with strongly reflexed margins, uniseriate stamens united in three bundles and strongly 4-angled, green, glabrescent fruits.     

Pothos crassipedunculatus,a new species ofPothos sect.Allopothos (Araceae) from India

Pothos crassipedunculatusSivadasan & Mohanan (Araceae), a new species closely related to the SW. Indian endemic and little known speciesP. thomsonianusSchott is described. It is characterized by the the non-ligulate, shortly vaginate petiole, thickly peduncled inflorescence, broadly ovate spathe and a sessile spadix. It is included in ser.BrevivaginatiEngler of sect.AllopothosSchott.     

Three new species ofGalium (Rubiaceae) from Pakistan

Three new species ofGalium from the NW. Himalaya in Pakistan are described and illustrated.Dedicated to Prof.K. H. Rechinger on the occasion of his 80th birthday.     

A new species ofJusticia sect.Ansellia (Acanthaceae) from Tanzania

Justicia brevipedunculata, a new species ofJ. sect.Ansellia endemic to Tanzania, is described and illustrated. Detailed palynological information is given, and relationships to other species of the section are discussed.     

Amorphophallus nicolsonianus (Araceae), a new species from India

Amorphophallus nicolsonianus species nova, with cylindrical or napiform corms, is the only representative of the sect.Rapyogkos in India. All the other hitherto known species of this region have globose or depressed globose corms. The new species is related to some Indochinese species and toA. hildebrandtii ( Engl.)Engl. & Gehrm. from Madagascar.     

Veronica fridericae,a new species from eastern Turkey

Veronica fridericae spec. nova, described from the type locality in the S.E. Turkish province Van, is related toV. acrotheca andV. farinosa, both endemic to W. Iran. All 8 perennial species with pinnatifid leaves in S.W. Asia are presented in a key.     

Globba unifolia andG. corneri stat. et nom. nov. (Zingiberaceae; Peninsular Malaysia)

Based on personal collections ofGlobba unifoliaRidl. andG. unifolia var.sessilifloraHoltt., the latter is recognized as a distinct species. As the nameG. sessiliflora is already occupied, the nomen novumG. corneri is proposed in honour of Prof. DrE. J. H. Corner, who was the first collector of the plant.Dedicated to Prof. DrE. J. H. Corner (Cambridge) on the occasion of his 85th birthday on January 12th, 1991.     

A new taxon in the genusMoehringia (Caryophyllaceae)

The new taxonMoehringia intricata subsp.giennensis, from the calcareous mountains of the south-eastern Iberian Peninsula is described. A comparative morphological study with regard to the most closely related taxa, contributes information of leaf anatomy, seed and pollen morphology, ecology and distribution.     

Triuridopsis,a new monotypic genus inTriuridaceae

The new monotypic genusTriuridopsis from Peru is described. A key to the genera ofTriuridaceae worldwide is given.     

Two remarkable newCruciferae from Saudi Arabia

A new genus ofCruciferae, Dolichorhynchus Hedge & Kit Tan (D. arabicus Hedge & Kit Tan) and a new speciesArabidopsis erysimoides Hedge & Kit Tan, both from northern Saudi Arabia, are described and illustrated. An addendum lists new Crucifer generic or species records for the Arabian peninsula.     

A new combination and a new species in the lichen genusCatapyrenium (lichenizedAscomycetes,Verrucariaceae)

Catapyrenium pyrenaicum is described as new from northern Spain and adjacent France, and the new combinationCatapyrenium velebiticum is made. The new species differs fromC. velebiticum mainly in its laminal pycnidia. Remarks on taxonomy, ecology, and distribution of the species are given.     

Two new species of the carnivorous genusPinguicula, (Lentibulariaceae) from Mediterranean habitats

Two species ofPinguicula (P. submediterranea andP. mundi) are newly described from the south and east of the Iberian Peninsula. We analysed morphometric, cytogenetic, RAPD, ecological, and breeding system data to support the distinctness of these taxa.Pinguicula submediterranea andP. mundi are both hexaploid (2n = 48), a chromosome number previously not reported for the genus. Biometric, cytogenetical and molecular results distinguishP. submediterranea andP. mundi from otherPinguicula species, and from each other.Pinguicula mundi is predominantly outbreeding, whereasP. submediterranea both inbreeds and outbreeds.Pinguicula submediterranea andP. mundi appear to be isolated reproductively, although gene flow between the allopatricP. submediterranea andP. mundi is unlikely. BothP. submediterranea andP. mundi are threatened with extinction because suitable habitats are diminishing in size, or even disappearing, due to current aridity in the region.     

New species ofBeaufortia andChamaelaucium (Myrtaceae),Drosera (Droseraceae) andPultenaea (Fabaceae) from SW. Australia

Four new species of the generaBeaufortia, Chamaelaucium, Drosera, andPultenaea are described based on the author's collections from SW. Australia. Their affinities are discussed and full illustrations are provided.Dedicated to Hofrat Univ.-Prof.K. H. Rechinger on the occasion of his 80th birthday.     

A new name and a new species in MexicanRuellia (Acanthaceae)

Based on pollen and floral morphology,Blechum grandiflorum is transferred toRuellia, and the nameR. mirandana is proposed for this species. A new species,Ruellia tuxtlensis, is described which is distinguishable fromR. mirandana by its longer spike and elliptic bracts. It is presently known only from the lowlands of Veracruz, Mexico.     

Medicago truncatula f.laxicycla (Leguminosae), a new taxon with loose fruit coiling promoting rapid germination of the fruit-retained seeds

Medicago truncatula is a member ofMedicago sect.Spirocarpos, in which all 34 species have coiled fruit, usually tightly coiled, that permanently retain the seeds. A variant ofM. truncatula from Libya is unique for the species in possessing very loosely coiled fruits, and is here recognized as a new forma,M. truncatula f.laxicyclaE. Small. In germination tests of a number of species ofMedicago, the unusual Libyan variant proved to be the only one in which rapid and simultaneous germination of most of the seeds occurred while still within a fruit. The loose coiling of the fruit of the Libyan variety appears to facilitate water entry and seedling escape. Its rapid germination might adapt it to respond quickly to intermittently available moisture, but at the cost of abandoning the strategy of intermittent germination adopted by other populations ofMedicago sect.Spirocarpos.