Aristolochia crispata Y. Fan Wang & Z.R. Guo (Aristolochiaceae) is described as a new species of A. subg. Siphisia from western Guangdong, China. It is a narrow endemic of high-elevation bamboo forests near mountain summits in the Xinyi City area. It has been collected before but misidentified as A. championii, a morphologically similar congener. The new species is readily distinguished from other Aristolochia taxa by its distinctive floral morphology, characterised by a ruffled, annular calyx limb with a yellow-ochre adaxial surface densely maculate with dark red spots. A detailed morphological description is provided and A. crispata is compared with A. championii and A. haimingii. An identification key to the species of Aristolochia subg. Siphisia occurring in Guangdong and to morphologically similar species from adjacent regions is provided. Aristolochia crispata is tentatively assessed as Critically Endangered (CR) under the IUCN Red List criteria.
Cattleya × ibiracuensis Idrees & J.M.H. Shaw (Orchidaceae), is proposed as a replacement for the illegitimate name C. × calimaniorum Campacci (2007), a later homonym of C. × calimaniorum Chiron & Castro (2005).
The present study resolves long-standing taxonomic ambiguities regarding the Andaman Islands endemic Pseuduvaria prainii (Annonaceae). We treat it as a distinct species characterised by a solitary, cordate, glabrous inner-petal gland, and smooth monocarps. We segregate and describe a new species, P. andamanica Sukd. Bera & Karthig., from the Andaman Islands; it was previously misidentified as P. prainii. The new species can be distinguished by its shorter flowering pedicels, smaller flowers, clawed-triangular inner petals, a bilobed inner-petal gland, sparse to dense pubescence, fewer stamens per staminate flower, and shorter monocarp stipes. Additionally, the Southeast Asian P. reticulata, previously reported from the Andaman Islands, is excluded from the flora of India because we could not trace authentic specimens from the Andaman Islands. Detailed descriptions, illustrations and identification keys are provided to facilitate accurate identification.
Based on phylogenetic analyses, Physospermopsis cuneata is recognised as Tongoloa cuneata (H. Wolff) M.R. Jia & S.D. Zhou, comb. nova (Apiaceae). In the nrITS phylogenetic tree, the three sequences of P. cuneata form an independent lineage within the Tongoloa clade. Key morphological features in accordance with Tongoloa include a slender habit, concave fruit base and reduced bract reduced or absent involucral bracts.
Four new combinations in Maharanga (Boraginaceae, Lithospermeae) are proposed for taxa recently described from Iran and currently placed in Onosma. The proposed transfers are based on phylogenetic evidence showing that placing these taxa in Onosma results in paraphyletic groupings. To reflect the phylogenetic relationships and maintain monophyletic generic circumscriptions, the four taxa are accordingly transferred from Onosma to Maharanga.
