The genus Isopyrum was established by Linné in 1742. In Species Plantarum ed. I: 557 (1753) he discriminated three species under this genus, i.e., Isopyrum fumarioides, I. thalictroides and I. aquilegioides. The first was, however, separated by Reichenbach as a monotypic genus-Leptopyrum in 1828, and according to Drummond & Hutchinson the third species I. aquilegioides proved to be Aquilegia viscosa Gouan. Thus, the only remaining species, I. thalictroides Linn. naturally constitutes the type of the genus Isopyrum. Since then, many new species had been discovered, some of which were later separated as distinct genera by different authors. In 1920 Drummond & Hutchinson published an elaborated revision of the genus Isopyrum, where, when recognizing Leptopyrum, Souliea, Semiaquilegia as distinct genera, and also restoring the validity of Enemion, they furthermore proposed two new genera: Asteropyrum and Paraquilegia. In addition to the seven genera above mentioned, Ulbrich further established a new genus Paropyrum in 1925, and another new genus Urophysa in 1929, basing on Isopyrum anemonoides Kar. et Kir. (=Paraquiligia uniflora [Aitch.] Drumm. et Hutch.) and I. henryi Oliv. (=Semiaquilegia henryi [Oliv.] Drumm. et Hutch.) respectively. Our present study has shown that Asteropyrum, Paraquilegia, Leptopyrum, Semiaquilegia, Souliea, Enemion, Usophysa are all remarkably distinct genera. As for genus Urophysa, it reveals a very close affinity to Aquilegia in having stamanoides inside the fertile stamens, the long-styled carpels and the similar nectariferous petals; but the more simply divided leaves and the less conspicuous nectariferous organs seem to show that the genus is more primitive than Aquilegia. After a careful examination of the species of genus Isopyrum Linn. s.1. and of its near allies, we find that I. thalictroides Linn., I. anemonoides Kar. et Kit. (=Paropyrum anemonoides [Kar. et Kir.] Ulbr.) and I. manshuricum Kom. (=Semiaquilegia manshurica Kom. and I. manshuricum Kom.) are homogenous both in habit and floral structure, thus forming a very natural group. The genus Isopyrum Linn. itself, while remaining sixteen species, however, form another natural group, which is easily distinguished from Isopyrum by a series of important characteristics, for which we propose a new genus, Dichocarpum. On account of the foregoing reasons, it is suggested that Paropyrum Ulbr. will not uphold as a separate genus, and we also feel necessary to amend the cir-cumscription of Isopyrum as construed by Drummond and Hutchinson.

The occurrence of the monocotyledonous family Lowiaceae in the Chinese flora is reported for the first time in this paper in which two new species, Orchidantha chinensis and O. insularis L. T. Wu are proposed. Up to now, Orchidantha N. E. Brown, the sole genus in the family includes only six species with a range of distribution extending from Borneo, through the Malay Peninsula, to Thailand and Laos. In the present review of the family, the eight known species are grouped into two sections characterized as follows: Sect. 1. Orchidantha Labellum sessile segmentis calycis simile. 1. O. borneensis N. E. Brown; 2. O. chinensis T. L. Wu; 3. O. insularis T. L. Wu; 4. O. laotica Larsen. Typus sect. O. borneensis N. E. Brown. Sect. 2. Lowia (Scortech.) T. W. Wu, grad. nov. Lowia Scortech. Nuov. Giorn. Bot. Ital. 18: 308. 1886-pro genere. Labellum unguiculatum segmentis calycis valde dissimile. 5. 0. maxillarioides (Ridl.) Hook. f.; 6. O. calcarea Henderson; 7. O. siamensis Larsen; 8. O. longiflora (Scortech.) Ridley. Typus sect. O. longiflora (Scortech.) Ridley. Besides the Latin descriptions of the new species incorporated in the Chinese text, a brief history of the family, general discussions on systematic relationship accompanied by a comparative table of allied families, a distributional map, and a key to species are included in this preliminary study.