In this paper Clematis sect. Fruticella is revised. Five species, two varieties, and
three forms are recognized. They are classified into two series, and keyed, described, and
illustrated. Brief taxonomic history and geographical distribution of the section are given, and
the relationships of sect. Fruticella with other sections of the Clematis and of the five species
within the section are discussed. Two new combinations, ser. Fruticosa (Tamura) W. T. Wang
& L. Q. Li, and C. fruticosa f. pinnatisecta (W. T. Wang & L. Q. Li) W. T. Wang & L. Q. Li,
are proposed, and a new series, ser. Virides W. T. Wang & L. Q. Li, is described.

Epidermal characters of mature leaves in 30 species representing all the nine sections of Parnassia (Parnassiaceae) were investigated under both light microscope (LM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The stomata were anomocytic and existed on abaxial epidermis in all the species examined, and on the adaxial epidermis in some species. The leaf epidermal cells were usually irregular or polygonal in shape. The patterns of anticlinal walls were slightly straight, repand or sinuate. Under SEM, the inner margin of the outer stomatal rim was nearly smooth, sinuolate or sinuous, and the cuticular membrane of the leaf epidermis was striate, sometimes striate to wrinkled, occasionally granular or foveolate. Stomatal and other epidermal features in Parnassia appear to be constant within species, and thus can be used for distinguishing some species. Leaf epidermal features show that Parnassia is a quite natural genus. The previous reports that the stomata are anomocytic and occur only abaxially in Parnassia, yet occur both adaxially and abaxially in Lepuropetalon are not confirmed by this study, which, based on more extensive study, has shown that some species of Parnassia also exhibited stomata on both adaxial and abaxial sides. Evidence from leaf epidermis, together with that from floral anatomy and pollen morphology as well as biogeography, suggests that section Saxifragastrum may be heterogeneous. Parnassia delavayi should be treated as a section of its own, i.e. section Xiphosandra based on morphological, cytological and leaf epidermal data.

Sepals of the normal and metamorphosed flowers in Anemone rivularis var. flore-minore were comparatively studied by using the methods of macroscopical morphology and microscopical observation for having a better understanding of the processes of floral metamorphosis in this taxon. The normal flowers had 5(-8) white, obovate and entire sepals up to 1.3×0.5 cm. The sepals had the opening dichotomous venation, and were very sparsely hairy in the distal region on the lower surface. No stomata were observed on the upper surface but a few were observed on the lower surface. The metamorphosed flowers had sepals up to 20 in number. The sepals showed the morphology of bracts or foliage leaves, and had the reticulate venation, and were green, obovate or elliptic, up to 5×3 cm, densely hairy on both surfaces, margin entire or 3-lobed, and each lobe was lobulate and margin serrate. Stomata were observed on both surfaces, and the number of stomata increased towards the increasing floral metamorphosis. A continuous gradient from normal sepals to metamorphosed ones was observed with respect to the number, size, colour, shape, division, distribution of stomata, hairiness and venation. The leaf-like features exhibited by the metamorphosed sepals indicate that such sepals should be produced through atavism and that they should be of the same origin as the bracts.

The spore morphology of 50 species of 14 genera of Thelypteridaceae from China was investigated under scanning electron microscope (SEM). The spores are monolete and bilaterally symmetric, elliptic, broadly elliptic or subrounded in polar view and kidney-shaped or rounded in equatorial view. The polar axes are 16.8-40.5 um long, and the equatorial axes are 12.8-58.0 um. On the basis of their ornamentation pattern, the spores are divided into seven types. (1) Psilate. Spores of Phegopteris decursive-pinnata belong to this type. (2) Retate. Spores of Pseudophegopteris belong to this type. (3) Circinate. Spores of Glaphyropteridopsis, Macrothelypteris oligophlebia belong to this type. (4) Fimbriate-alate. Spores of Parathelypteris subimmersa, P. japonica, P. angulariloba, Cyclogramma auriculata, most species of Macrothelypteris, and some species of Cyclosorus belong to this type. (5) Perforate-lophate. Spores of Parathelypteris, Mesopteris, Metathelypteris and P. connectilis belong to this type. (6) Cristate. Spores of Cyclosorus belong to this type. (7) Echinate. Spores of Leptogramma, Dictyocline, Thelypteris, Pseudocyclosorus subochthodes, most species of Cyclogramma, and some species of Cyclosorus belong to this type. The relationships of some genera in the Thelypteridaceae are discussed based on spore morphology.

Spore morphology of 59 species belonging to eight genera of Aspleniaceae from China was observed under scanning electron microscope (SEM). The spores are monolete, bilaterally symmetric, elliptic, broadly elliptic or subrounded in polar view and kidney-shaped, elliptic, broadly elliptic or subrounded in equatorial view. The polar axes are 19-41 μm long, and the equatorial axes are 23-60 μm. The exospore is smooth and the surface ornamentation is formed by the perispore. On the basis of their ornamentation patterns, the spores are divided into six types. (1) Fenestrate. Spores of Asplenium griffithianum, A. pekinense and A. humistratum belong to this type. (2) Lophate. Spores of seven species of the genus Asplenium belong to this type. (3) Alate. Spores of 14 species of the genus Asplenium and of Boniniella cardiophylla, Camptosorus sibiricus, Sinephropteris delavayi, Ceterachopsis paucivenosa, Phyllitis scolopendrium, and Ceterach officinarum belong to this type. (4) Alate-lophate. Spores of twenty-one species of the genus Asplenium and six species of the Neottopteris belong to this type. (5) Corneate. Spores of Neottopteris latibasis belong to this type. (6) Sericate. This type is found only in Ceterachopsis latibasis. Some taxonomic problems in the Aspleniaceae are discussed based on spore morphology.

Amana is a group in the Liliaceae (s.s.) confined to central and eastern China, Japan and Korean peninsula. This group is similar to Tulipa L. by having leaves 2-5 basal or cauline, flower usually solitary, erect, stamens 6, 3 longer, and anthers basifixed, but differs in having 2-3(-4) opposite or verticillate bracts at the upper part of the flowering stem and a longer style as long as ovary. It has long been in dispute if the Amana group should be included in the genus Tulipa or treated as an independent genus of its own. Based on both herbarium and field observations on the Chinese taxa of Tulipa (s.l.), particularly those in the Amana group, a cladistic analysis of 18 species (including 3 species from Turkey) of Tulipa was carried out in the present work. Twenty-eight morphological characters were used in unweighted pair-group method using the maximum parsimony (MP) tree construction executed with PAUP 4.0b4a program. The results show that Tulipa (s.l.) is not a monophyletic group but split into two clades: one is Amana group, and the other comprises Orithyia, Eriostemones, Leiostemones and Tulipanum. Our unpublished data of ITS and trnL-F sequences in 19 species representing five sections of Tulipa (s.l.) also show that sect. Tulipanum, sect. Leiostemones, sect. Eriostemones and sect. Orithyia form one clade, whereas the Amana group and Erythronium form another clade. The Amana group is thus better treated as an independent genus.

Two new species, both related to H. hookerianum Wight & Arn., are described from northern Yunnan, H. fosteri N. Robson and H. wardianum N. Robson. The former is apparently endemic, having been found in only one locality, whereas the latter also occurs in north-eastern Myanmar. Both differ in particular from H. hookerianum in that the capsule is elongate, not ovate-subglobose and the sepals are not ribbed. In addition, H. bellum ssp. latisepalum is raised to specific rank as H. latisepalum (N. Robson) N. Robson and the variable H. lagarocladum is divided into two subspecies, one broad-leaved with a spreading habit (ssp. lagarocladum) and the other narrow-leaved and more erect (ssp. angustifolium N. Robson).

Glyphomitrium tortifolium Y. Jia, M. Z. Wang & Y. Liu, a new species of the
Glyphomitriaceae from Mt. Jinfoshan, Chongqing, China, is described and illustrated. This
species is similar to G. elatum Takaki in being large and having leaves contorted, perichaetial
bracts long cuspidate, but differs in being larger and having leaves narrowly lanceolate,
perichaetial bracts slightly concave at the base of cusp.

Thalictrum fortunei S. Moore var. bulbiliferum B. Chen & X. J. Tian, a new variety of the Ranunculaceae from Jurong County, Jiangsu Province, China, is described and illustrated. It is different from the typical variety, var. fortunei, by having bulbils in axils of most of the cauline leaves after anthesis.

This paper deals with six combinations proposed in 2001 in Paeonia sect. Moutan. Paeonia linyanshanii (S. G. Haw & Lauener) B. A. Shen and P. linyanshanii ssp. taibaishanica (D. Y. Hong) B. A. Shen are recognized as illegitimate names, P. ostii T. Hong & J. X. Zhang ssp. lishizhenenii (lishizhenii) (B. A. Shen) B. A. Shen is reduced to synonymy of P. ostii, P. delavayi Franch. ssp. angustiloba (Rehder & E. H. Wilson) B. A. Shen and P. delavayi ssp. lutea (Delavay ex Franch.) B. A. Shen are reduced to synonymy of P. delavayi, and P. delavayi ssp. ludlowii (Stern & Taylor) B. A. Shen is reduced to synonymy of P. ludlowii (Stern & Taylor) D. Y. Hong.