The present paper aims at clarifying the identity of Asplenium varians Wall. and its related species for the forthcoming Flora of China vol. 4. Wide-spread in the northern, north-western and south-western parts of China and adjacent regions and growing in exposed rock crevices is the group of ferns in question, which has hitherto been taxonomically confused in the botanical literature. Many distinct and related species were previously identified as Aspl. varians, a most wide-spread fern with very variable fronds which may vary from 10 to 30 cm in height and from simply pinnate to fully bipinnate in the degree of pinnation in a single clump under different habitats.

The chromosome numbers of 5 tuberous sections of Chinese Dioscorea, including 23 species and varieties, are reported in the present paper as a continuation of the previous reports. They are all polyploids with the basic number x=10. On the basis of analysis of chromosome numbers of whole genus, the rhizomatous diploid species of Sect. Stenophora Uline are presumed to be primitive taxa, while the polyploids of chromosome numbers 40-142 are considered derived groups as a result of hybridization between their ancestral diploids followed by chromosome doubling. Sect. Lasiophyton Pr. et Burk., Sect. Opsophyton UIine, Sect. Shannicorea Pr. et Burk., Sect. Combilium Pr. et Burk. and Sect. EnantiophylIum Uline may be the advanced groups. The chromosomal evolution and geographical distribution suggest that the primitivediploid might have originated in Hengduan Mountains of Asia, an old highland.

The present paper describes the pollen morphology of 30 species belonging to 7 genera of Plumbaginaceae from China. The pollen grains were all examined under light microscope, and those of some species under scanning and transmission electron microscope. The pollen grains of the family are subspheroidal, prolate or oblate, (37.5-74.5)× (40.4-81.9)μ in size, 3-colpate, rarely 4-6-colpate, only pancolpate in Ceratostigma willmottianum. The exine 2-layered, 2.0-7.4μ thick, sexine thicker than nexine, verrucate, reticulate or coarsely reticulate. On the basis of the morphology, two types of pollen grains are distinguished in the family: (1) The pollen grains are 3-(rarely 4-6 ) or pancolpate, the exine verrucate. They are found in the tribe Plumbagineae (inculuding the genera Ceratostigma, Plumbago and Plumbagella). (2) The pollen grains are all 3-colpate, the exine reticulate or coarsely reticulate. They are found in the tribe Staticeae (including the genera Acantholimon, Ikonnikovia, Goniolimon and Limonium ).

The pollen grains of 11 taxa of Chinese Datura were examined under light microscope and scanning electron microscope. All of them are 3(-4)-colporate. The exine ornamentation is so distinct as to allow the identification of individual sections and species, and may be divided into three types. The division is consistent with the taxonomy based on gross morphology i.e. rugulato-reticulate (Sect. Stramonium); striate or striato-reticulate, with some granules on the surface of the lirae, or scabrous (Sect. Dutra); striate with some rings on the surface of the lirae, looking like silkworm (Sect. Brugmansia). The varieties or cultivated forms are not sufficiently distinct from each other in the pollen grains as observed in this investigation.

The tribe Chelidonieae of Papaveraceae, consists of 8 genera and 23 species in the world. Most species belonging to this taxon contain dominantly biologically active substances and are widely used as medicinal plants. A chemotaxonomic study in this tribe reveals that Chelidonieae is linked to the other tribes in the presence of protopine-type alkaloids, and the ubiquitous occurrence of dehydrogenated benzophenanthridine-type alkaloids (ex. chelerythrine and sanguinarine) can be served as a chemical character of Chelidonieae. Furthermore, our results indicate that Chelidonieae can obviously be divided into two groups:the first group, including genera Sanguinaria, Eomecon, Macleaya and Bocconia, is characterized by the absence of TLC detected aporphine-, tetrahydroberberine- and reduced benzophenanthridi netype alkaloids, and their undulatedly or palmately incised leaves, as well as short capsules. The second group, comprising Stylophorum, Hylomecon, Dicranostigma and Chelidonium, yields predominately tetrahydroberberine- and reduced benzophenanthridinetype alkaloids, with usually deeply pinnatifid leaves, and long and slender capsules. As regards the medical importance and the resource utilization of Chelidonieae much attention should be paid to the following alkaloids and the taxa: chelidonine (Chelidonium majus ) , isocorydine ( Dicranostigma ) , tetrahydrocoptisine ( Stylophorum ) , chelerythrine (whole tribe particularly the genus Macleaya) and sanguinarine (whole tribe, particularly Macleaya).

The present paper is the first report of my work in the Flora Reipublicae Popularis Sinicae (Vol. 62, Gentianaceae). Eight new species and 1 new variety are described from Xizang (Tibet) (4 sp. 1 var.), Yunnan (1 sp.) Sichuan (3 sp.), Qinghai (1 sp.) and Gansu (1 sp.).

Twenty three species, 2 varieties and 1 form of lichens are reported from Xinjiang in this paper. Among them 10 species, 2 varieties and 1 form are new to this region. A supplemental description of Dactylina madreporiformis is given with special emphasis on the apothecium. All specimens examined are preserved in the Lichen Herbarium of North-westernInstitute of Botany, Wugong (WUG).