The Caprifoliaceae s. str. as here defined consists of 4 tribes and 12 genera: Caprifolieae (Lonicera, Leycesteria), Linnaeeae (Symphoricarpos, Abelia, Zabelia, Linnaea, Dipelta, Kolkwitzia, Heptacodium ), Diervilleae (Diervilla, Weigela ), Triosteae (Triosteum). Based on chorology, fossil records and dominant woody habit, the family may be considered as a fairly old one and probably originated in the Late Cretaceous or the Early Tertiary. In the light of facts, such as a number of phylogenetic series of Abelia, Triosteum and Weigela occurring in east Asia, Heptacodium, endemic to East Asia, as a link between the tribe Caprifolieae and the tribe Linnaeeae, and existence in East Asia of a high percentage of both palaeoendemic genera and some neoendemics, East Asia seems to be the centerof diversity of the family. Six Eastern Asiatic endemic genera might be grouped under three categories, Heptacodium, Dipelta and Kolkwitzia as palaeoendemics, Weigela as active epibiotics, and Zabelia and Leycesteria as neoendemics. The above inferences are made only on the basis of three main attributes, systematic position of genera isolated or not, their geographical distribution continuous or discontinuous with the closest relatives and the degree of diversification of forms or distinction between species within a genus, without consideration of insufficient fossil records and cytological data.

Pollen morphology of 44 species and 2 varieties in the genus Polygonum (Polygonaceae) in China was examined by means of both light microscope (LM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Pollen grains are spheroidal or subspheroidal, prolate or subprolate, suboblate; 3-colpate, 3-colporate, pantoporate, pantocolpate. The ornamentation of exine is finely or coarsely reticulate, rugulate, granulate-perforate, microechinate-perforate or microechinate-foveolate under SEM. Based on the characteristics ten pollen types are recognized and described, i. e. Aconogonon-type, Cephalophilon-type, Bistorta-type, Avicularia-type, Convolvulus-type, Sibiricum-type, Tiniaria-type, Fagopyrum-type, Amphibium-type and Persicaria-type. A key to the types is provided. According to the pollen types, the authors disagree with Steward’s (1930) treatment which divided the genus into eight sections, and consider the division of the genus into eleven sections more reasonable.

In this paper, the chromosome number and karyotype of the small genus, Porandra Hong (Commelinaceae), are reported for the first time. The two species, P. ramose Hong and P. scandens Hong, were found to have the same chromosome number 2n=36 and quite similar karyotypes, which could be formulated as 2n = 36 = 4m=26sm + 6st (2sat).Having the same original basic chromosome number x = 9 and very similar chromosome morphology, Porandra might be closely related to Amischotolype and Coleotrype, as indicatedalso by their similar gross-morphological characters.

Reported in the present paper are chromosome numbers and karyotypes of two monospecific genera, Disanthus Maxim. and Mytilaria Lec. in the Hamamelidaceae. Disanthus cercidifolius subsp. longipes (H. T. Chang)K. Y. Pan, distributed in China, was found to have the same chromosome number as the subsp. cercidifolius in Japan, i. e. 2n = 16, with x=8. The interphase nuclei were of the simple-complex chromocenter type, and the mitotic prophase chromosomes were of the proximal type. Remarkable differences in karyotype were found between the two subspecies: the former with 2n = 2x = 16 = 6m + 10 sm, while the latter with 2n=2x=16=6m + 6sm + 4st (t). The absence of st ( or t) chromosomes in subsp. longipes, together with gross-morphological evidence, suggest that this subspecies be more primitive than the other. Mytilaria laosensis Lec. was found to have interphase nuclei of the simple-complex type, and mitotic prophase chromosomes of the proximal type. The chromosome number was 2n=26 with x=13 and the karyotype was 2n =2x= 26=22m +4sm (1SAT). This is the first chromosome report for this genus. The basic chromosome number, x= 13, might be a new one for the whole Hamamelidaceae. The present authors support the treatment of Mytilaria as an independent subfamily, Mytilarioideae, considering its morphological characters and relationships with the genus Exbucklandla.

The chromosome numbers in fourteen moss species from the Qinling Range, and karyotype of Mnium lycopodioides are reported in this paper. Immature capsules were used as material. Bryum capillare L. ex Hedw was found. to have n = 10; Mnium lycopodioides Schwaegr. n = 6 with the karyotype formula n = 6 = 3m+3sm (1SAT); Plagiomnium maximoviczii (Lindl.)T. Kop. n=6; Bartramia halleriana var. elongate Turn. n=10+2m; Thuidium delicatulum (Hedw.) Mitt. n= 11; Thuidium philibertii Limpr. n= 10+m; Hygrohypnum ochraceum (Wils.) Loesk. n=10; Drepanocladus uncinatus (Hedw.) Warnst. n = 7+3m; Campylium chrysophyllus (Brid.) J. Lange. n = 10; Brachythecium starkei (Brid.) B. S. G. n=6; Brachythecium buchananii (Hook.) Jaeg. n=6; Brotherella yokohamae (Broth.)Broth. n= 9+2m; Gollamia neckerella (C. MÜll. )Broth. N=7; Pogonatum fastigiatum Mitt. n = 7. No report on the chromosome number of Brotherella yokohamae and Gollania neckerella has been found. The chromosome numbers in Brachythecium starkei andBrachythecium buchananii (Hook.) Jaeg. are different from previous reports, while the others are in accordance with the previous reports.

This paper deals with karyological studies on four species of the genus Entodon from China. The metaphase and heteropycnotic chromosomes in mitotic cells of gametophytes were observed. All the four species showed the same chromosome number of n = 11.Their karyotypes were formulated as K (n) = 11 = 2V (H) +2J + 6 ( 4v + 2i) + m (h) in E.obtusatus , E. compressus , E. okamurae and K ( n ) = ll = 2V ( H ) + l V + 2J + 5 ( 3v +2i ) +m(h) in E. giraldii, respectively.

Since its establishment, the genus Corchoropsis Sieb. et Zucc. Has not been well understood. In the present paper, the genus is revised based on examination of herbarium specimens. One species consisting of two varieties is recognized. C. psilocarpa Harms et Loes. is reduced to a variety under C. tomentosa and C. intermedia Nakai, C. tomentosa var. glabrescens Nakai, C. tomentosa f. glabrescens (Nakai) Hara, C. tomentosa var. micropetala Y. T. chang, and C. tomentosa var. tomentosicarpa P. L. Chiu et G. R. Zhong are reduced as synonyms of C. tomentosa var. tomentosa.

The present paper reports the result of the taxonomic study on the genus Polystichum section Haplopolystichum from Yunnan, which includes 12 species, Two new series are established, 4 new species (P. subacutidens, P. daguanense, P. paradeltodon, P. craspedocarpium) are described and a new combination is made. The circumscription of the sectionHaplopolystichum Tagawa is revisied.

A new diatom species, Nitzschia yunchengensis Xie et Li, is described and reported in this paper. The species was collected from a salt lake in Yuncheng of Shanxi Province, China. It is characterized by valves with capitate apices, keel central, transapical striae in-visible under LM, but visible under SEM, about 60 in 10µm.

This paper describes two new species of freshwater red algae, Batrachospermum Roth. They belong to the section Contorta on the basis of their morphological characters. B. curvatum, collected from Hubei Province, is similar to B. tortuosum Kumano, but differs from the latter in shape of whorls, terminal hairs and trichogyne. B. torsivum, collected from Jiangxi Province, resembles B. hirosei Ratnasabapathy et Kumano, but differs from the latter in shape and size of whorls, axial cells, cells of the nodal and internodal filaments, carpogonial branches and trichogyne.

The taxonomy of Chinese bamboos has grown so rapidly since the end of 1970s that more and more new bamboos are discovered and many new names are therefore published. It might lead to the accomplishment of the subfamily Bambusoideae in the 《Flora Reipublicae Popularis Sinicae》 (FRPS) after the effort of several generations of Chinese taxonomists for over half a century. Meanwhile there remain some critical conflicts of the methodology and treatments in the classifications of Chinese bamboos among taxonomists on the mainland as well as between those in China and abroad. This includes the taxonomy of alpine bamboos, that of Arundinaria and its allies, and the problem of caespitose bamboos. In approaching the taxonomy of Dendrocalamus, reminded again by W. T. Lin´s two recent papers, some methods used and treatments proposed by Lin and others are discussed. Based on the selection of characters, theory and practice of numerical taxonomy, and principles of cladistics, the circumscription of Dendrocalamus is discussed. The present author believes that it is a monophyletic genus. In other words, the generic concept of Dendrocalamus accepted by Gamble, Chia & H. L. Fung follows a natural group. The attribution of Sellulocalamus W. T. Lin (1989) and Patellocalamus W. T. Lin (1989), based on the species treated in Dendrocalamus by most authors, and their relationships with the latter, are examined according to Clayton´s (1983) operational rules, including selection of characters, taxonomic distance between cluster centroides, clarity of moating, and predictive value. The result of numerical taxonomy showed similarities between the members within Dendrocalamus, while it could not be interpreted as phylogeny as Lin expected. Multidisciplinary data are needed for phylogenetic reconstruction, whereas the guess of phylogeny on the base of similarities of one or two vegetative characters can not be reliable. Taxonomy is a branch of science, and should be testable and repeat able. And a taxonomic treatment should be referred to all members of the group, including those in foreign countries. Finally, the generic names, Sellulocalamus and Patellocalamus, and three specific names under them, are merged into Dendro-calamus as synonyms.

In a recent visit to UK, author examined and identified the specimens of Aristolochia from E. and S. Asia in the herbaria at British Histry Museum (BM), Royal Botanic Garden at Edinburgh (E) and Kew (K). As a result the author found that my previous paper, A Revision of Aristolochia L. from E. & S. Asia (Acta Phytotax. Sin. 27 (5): 321-364, 1989) is not completed. In this paper, one new name, Aristolochia bracteolata Lam.replaces Aristolochia bracteata Retz. , a late synonym; an unknown species Aristolochia atropurpurea Parish ex Hook. f. is confirmed ; the description of one species, Aristolochia scytophylla S. M. Hwang & D. Y. Chen, is emended, and the geographic distributions of four species in the genus are supplemented and two species are revised.