On the Korean Peninsula, eleven species of the genus Liparis (Orchidaceae) have been recorded, and three species are presumed to belong to the L. makinoana complex. These are L. koreana, L. japonica, and L. makinoana. Liparis japonica and L. makinoana are distributed in South Korea, but the distribution of L. koreana has not been confirmed. Liparis japonica and L. makinoana are morphologically very similar, making it difficult to classify them. Recently, L. japonica and L. makinoana in Japan were reclassified into three species. One of them is an amended species of L. makinoana, and the other two species were described as new species, specifically L. longiracemosa and L. suzumushi. It was confirmed that the three species are distributed in South Korea. Here, we provide a distribution map, photographs of the three new species, and a comparison of their morphological characteristics.

Aconitum quelpaertense Nakai is an endemic species of Jeju Island of South Korea. Here, we characterized complete chloroplast genome sequence of A. quelpaertense and inferred its phylogenetic position within the genus Aconitum. The complete chloroplast genome was 155,636 bp in length with typical quadripartite structure. Length of large single copy was 86,695 bp, whereas small single copy was 17,087 bp. A pair of inverted repeats were 25,927 bp. In total, 128 genes were encoded and comprising 83 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes and eight rRNA genes. rpl32 and rps16 genes were pseudogenized in this plastome. The phylogenetic analysis based on complete chloroplast genome sequences showed that A. quelpaertense was closely related to another endemic species of South Korea, A. pseudolaeve.

The distribution of Aconitum kirinense Nakai, a commonly misidentified species in South Korea, has been confirmed in the eastern Gangwon-do Province and northern Gyeongbuk Province. A. kirinense was described as a new species based on specimens collected in Jilin, China by Komarov in the ‘Report of the First Scientific Expedition to Manchuria’. In Korea, this species was misidentified as Aconitum barbatum var. barbatum Patrin ex Pers. and A. barbatum var. hispidum (DC.) Ser. Here, we present a table for the comparison of morphological characteristics and a geographical distribution map for these taxa. To correctly classify these species, we re-identified the specimens deposited in the herbarium and conducted a field survey. Based on these data, we have reclassified some of the previously misclassified native taxa distributed in the Korean Peninsula.

A new species Impatienshambaeksanensis from Gangwon-do, South Korea, is described and illustrated, based on its morphology and distribution. I.hambaeksanensis is different from I.furcillata, another similar Impatiens species in South Korea, in some ways: I.hambaeksanensis possesses a serrate leaf margin with flat tooth tip, while I.furcillata possesses a crenate leaf margin with erect tooth tip; it has an erect inflorescence, while I.furcillata has a pendulous inflorescence; it has a smaller flower which is 2-2.6 cm long, while I.furcillata has a flower of 2.3-3.2 cm; the flower is white or pinkish-white with yellowish and purplish spots, while I.furcillata has a white lower sepal and pinkish-white lateral united petals with yellowish spots; the distal part of the lower sepal is mostly not coiled or rarely 1-coiled, while that of I.furcillata is never coiled; the spur tip is expanded, round and slightly biparted, while that of I.furcillata is expanded, ellipsoidal and clearly biparted. A taxonomic description, a holotype and photos of morphological characteristics of the new species are provided. A table which includes the morphological comparison and a geographical distribution map are presented as well.

Allium stenodon (Amaryllidaceae) is reported as a returning member of the Korean flora. This species proved to be the only member of the section Sikkimensia among Korean Allium species, and it is easily distinguished by its cylindrical bulbs with fibrous to sometimes subreticulate tunics and blue to purple-blue perianth. Previously recognized A. baekdusanense is treated as an additional synonym of A. stenodon. Photographs and complete descriptions of A. stenodon are provided together with a dichotomous key to the Korean Allium species. In addition A. stenodon is newly recorded in Jilin province in China.

Phenotypic polymorphism within a species is a notable phenomenon in evolutionary biology to understand the process of adaptive speciation and other historical events. The Saxifraga fortunei complex is a widespread herb found in East Asia. It includes several ecotypic taxa corresponding to their habitat environments. The distribution of the various ecotypes in a limited area of the Japanese Archipelago makes the species a suitable model to investigate the impact of population demographic history and natural selection on lineage diversification. Here, Sanger-based sequencing was used to estimate the divergence timeframe between populations of the Eurasian continent and Japan. Genome-wide SNPs obtained by ddRAD sequencing were used to investigate the phylogeographic origins of ecotypic taxa. The phylogenetic analyses revealed the divergence of the Japanese population from the continental population in the late Miocene. Two distinct regional clades of North and South Japan were identified; phenotypic diversification was evident only in the southern clade. The South Japan clades displayed a historical distribution expansion from north to south. The phenotypic variations appeared to have generated during the expansion. The ecotypic boundaries were incongruent with the genetic grouping. We propose that morphological and ecological specialization in Japanese populations was repeatedly generated by local natural selection.

Aconitum Linnaeus (1753: 532) (Ranunculaceae) consists of about 400 species and is widely distributed in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere (Tamura 1993, Brink & Woods 1997, Li & Kadota 2001, Luo et al. 2005). This genus has been usually divided into three subgenera: A. subg. Aconitum, A. subg. Lycoctonum (Candolle 1817: 367) Petermann (1846: 15), and A. subg. Gymnaconitum (Stapf 1905: 178) Rapaics (1907: 139) (Bisset 1981, Kadota 1987, Li & Kadota 2001, Lim & Park 2001, Wang et al. 2009). Among them, A. subg. Lycoctonum is perennial and rhizomatous and consists of about 40 species (Tamura 1995, Hong et al. 2017). In the Korean Peninsula, eight species and one variety have been reported in this subgenus (Lim et al. 2017, Korea National Arboretum 2017), of which four species, namely A. pseudolaeve Nakai (1935: 139), A. pteropus Nakai (1937: 400), A. puchonroenicum Uyeki & Sakata (1938: 14), and A. quelpaertense Nakai (1935: 145), are endemic to the Korean Peninsula.

Aconitum carmichaelii var. truppelianum (Ulbr.) W.T.Wang & P.K.Hsiao [Korean name: 송이바꽃 (Song-I-ba-kkot)] is known to be distributed in China and Vietnam. However, 25 populations of this species were found along the midwestern coasts of Korean Peninsula for the first time. This species is similar to A. carmichaelii Debeaux var. carmichaelii and A. kusnezoffii Rchb. in possessing characters such as an erect stem and panicle-raceme inflorescence. Nevertheless, it can be distinguished from these species by its densely spreading pubescence on the rachis, pedicels, and carpels. The aim of this study was to provide a morphological description, photographs, illustrations, information on distribution areas, and a taxonomic key for A. carmichaelii var. truppelianum and related taxa.

Aconitum Linnaeus (1753: 532) (Ranunculaceae) consists of about 400 species and is widely distributed in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere (Tamura 1993, Brink & Woods 1997, Li & Kadota 2001, Luo et al. 2005). This genus has been usually divided into three subgenera: A. subg. Aconitum, A. subg. Lycoctonum (Candolle 1817: 367) Petermann (1846: 15), and A. subg. Gymnaconitum (Stapf 1905: 178) Rapaics (1907: 139) (Bisset 1981, Kadota 1987, Li & Kadota 2001, Lim & Park 2001, Wang et al. 2009). Among them, A. subg. Lycoctonum is perennial and rhizomatous and consists of about 40 species (Tamura 1995, Hong et al. 2017). In the Korean Peninsula, eight species and one variety have been reported in this subgenus (Lim et al. 2017, Korea National Arboretum 2017), of which four species, namely A. pseudolaeve Nakai (1935: 139), A. pteropus Nakai (1937: 400), A. puchonroenicum Uyeki & Sakata (1938: 14), and A. quelpaertense Nakai (1935: 145), are endemic to the Korean Peninsula.

Hwangmaesan Mt. (1,108 m) is rich in forest biodiversity and is a part of the Sobaek mountain range located in Hapcheon-gun, Gyeongsang-do in Korea. Unfortunately, the biodiversity and ecosystem integrity of Hwangmaesan Mt. have recently been threatened by heavy human disturbances. We conducted thirteen field surveys between March and October of 2019 to investigate the vascular flora in Hwangmaesan Mt. Through this extensive survey, we found 628 taxa consisting of 106 families, 349 genera, 554 species, 16 subspecies, 48 varieties, and 10 forma. Based on a comparative analysis between the present findings and former flora reports, our results showed an increase by 28 percent in the number of taxa observed. Of the 628 taxa, dicotyledons made up the largest group (477 taxa, 76.0%) followed by monocotyledons (120 taxa, 19.1%). Endemic plants consisted of 16 taxa, with rare plants designated by the Korea Forest Service numbering 14 taxa. Ten taxa were listed on the Red list by the Ministry of the Environment. The floristic target species designated by the Ministry of the Environment numbered 75 taxa, whereas there were 42 taxa of invasive plants.

The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Liparis yongnoana was determined and analyzed in this study. The chloroplast genome size is 153,165 bp in length with 36.9% GC content. It comprises a large single-copy region (LSC) of 83,690 bp, a small single copy region (SSC) of 17,661 bp, and a pair of inverted repeat regions (IRa and IRb) of 25,907 bp separated by the SSC. The genome contains 132 genes, including 86 protein-coding, eight ribosomal RNA, and 38 transfer RNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis inferred from 16 Orchidaceae chloroplast genomes suggested that L. yongnoana was closely related to L. loeselii.

The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Sparganium eurycarpum subsp. coreanum was determined. The genome size was 161,761 bp in length with 36.9% GC content. It included a pair of inverted repeats (IRa and IRb) of 26,886 bp, which were separated by small single copy (SSC: 19,029 bp) and large single copy (LSC: 88,960 bp) regions. The cp genome contained 112 genes, including 79 protein-coding genes, 29 tRNA genes, and 4 rRNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis of the combined 79 protein-coding genes showed that S. eurycarpum subsp. coreanum was most closely related to Typha latifolia.

Sparganium coreanum, a barely recognized species in Korea, was rediscovered during a field survey by the authors, who conducted a re-examination of specimens deposited in the Herbarium of the Korea National Arboretum (KH). This species was described initially by H. Léveillé from a specimen collected by F. Taquet from Jeju-do (Taquet 2150). Subsequently, however, it was overlooked and unrecognized among South Korean flora. Several populations of S. coreanum were found in the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and on Jeju-do, although it has long been recognized as S. erectum owing to certain vegetative morphological characteristics shared between the two species, such as robust stems, a similar plant height, and globose rhizomes. However, it is distinct from S. erectum by the number of female heads on the lowest inflorescence branch and the size and shape of the fruit. In this study, we provide a detailed description, illustrations, and photographs with a revised taxonomic key for identification of Sparganium species in Korea. Keywords: Korean bur-reed, rediscovered species, Sparganium, Typhaceae

Sparganium coreanum, a barely recognized species in Korea, was rediscovered during a field survey by the authors, who conducted a re-examination of specimens deposited in the Herbarium of the Korea National Arboretum (KH). This species was described initially by H. Léveillé from a specimen collected by F. Taquet from Jeju-do (Taquet 2150). Subsequently, however, it was overlooked and unrecognized among South Korean flora. Several populations of S. coreanum were found in the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and on Jeju-do, although it has long been recognized as S. erectum owing to certain vegetative morphological characteristics shared between the two species, such as robust stems, a similar plant height, and globose rhizomes. However, it is distinct from S. erectum by the number of female heads on the lowest inflorescence branch and the size and shape of the fruit. In this study, we provide a detailed description, illustrations, and photographs with a revised taxonomic key for identification of Sparganium species in Korea.

The vascular plants of Island Dolsando, located in Yeosu-si, Jeollanam-do were surveyed 15 times from June 2017 to March 2018. Based on the collected specimens, there were 570 taxa; 113 families, 338 genera, 517 species, 1 subspecies, 49 varieties and 3 formas respectively. 18 taxa of Korean endemic species such as Asarum maculatum Nakai were found. There were total 90 taxa of floristic regional indicator plants specially designated by the Ministry of Environment (Level V to I), 4 taxa of rare plants and 8 taxa of endangered plants including Ligularia taquetii (H. Lev. & Vaniot) Nakai.

A new variety of Adonis amurensis from East Asia, A. amurensis var. pilosissima, is described and illustrated. The new variety is morphologically related to A. amurensis var. amurensis and Adonis pseudoamurensis, but differs from the former by its densely pilose stem and leaves with abundant short hairs not becoming glabrate in fruiting season, and from the latter by its unbranched stem, precocious leaves, and sepals longer than petals. The conservation status of A. amurensis var. pilosissima was assessed according to the IUCN Red List criteria. A distribution map for the species and identification key for all 14 Adonis taxa from East Asia are also provided.

Two unrecorded naturalized species, Stachys agraria Schltdl.& Cham.and Dracocephalum moldavica L (Lamiaceae), are newly reported in Korea.Stachys agraria and D. moldavica were found at Seogwipo-si on Jeju-do and at ChunChen-si in Gangwondo in Korea, respectively.Stachys agraria is distinguished from other related Korean taxa by corolla of 2.4-5.2mm long with six to twelve flowers in the node.Its local name is "Ae-gi-seok-jam-pul" based on shorter than longer corollar.Dracocephalum moldavica was distinguishable from other Dracocephalum in Korea by the following combination of characters, oblong to ovate-triangular (1.7-2.4 cm × 0.8-1.2cm) leaves and rough crenate at the margin.This taxon is referred to as 'Hyang-yong-meo-ri' in Korean based on its fragrance.We provide a description, illustrations, photographs, and a key of related taxa in Korea.