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A new species, Bredia malipoensis D. H. Peng, S. Jin Zeng & Z. Y. Wen, from China, is described and illustrated here. Bredia malipoensis is morphologically similar to B. longiradiosa C. Chen in having cordate leaf blades, umbellate inflorescence and undulate petals with unguiculate bases and retuse apices. It is characterized by its terete stem and petioles, green calyx lobes, purple anthers, yellow connective appendages and white filaments. It is also morphologically similar to B. velutina Diels in having a woody stem, unequal and cordate leaf blades, but it is differentiated by having no reddish trichomes, larger and semiorbicular calyx lobes, and unguiculate petal bases. Bredia malipoensis differs markedly from the former relatives by its densely tomentose indumentum (with uniseriate non-glandular and sparse glandular trichomes) both on vegetative and floral parts, basal leaf venation and purplish-red petals. Our phylogenetic analyses using nuclear ribosomal ITS and chloroplast trnV-trnM regions strongly support the generic placement of B. malipoensis and its relatives B. longiradiosa and B. velutina within Bredia.

A new orchid species, Cymbidium yunnanensis (Orchidaceae; Epidendroideae; Cymbidieae), from Yunnan Province, China, is described and illustrated. Based on morphological and molecular analyses, we demonstrate that this new species is similar to C. floribundum, but it differs in its smaller size, leaves 5–15 cm, shorter scape, white flowers with pale purplish markings on its sepals and petals, lip with purplish red blotch, petals narrowly falcate oblong and lip midlobe nearly round with column foot 1.5–2.0 mm long. Phylogenetic analyses based on nuclear ribosomal ITS and plastid (matK, rbcL) DNA sequence data support C. yunnanensis as a new species.

Gastrochilus Don (1825: 32.), subtribe Aeridinae (Orchidaceae), includes about 50 species, distributed from Southeast Asia to the Himalayas (Lucksom 2003, Jin et al. 2007, Shakya & Shrestha 2007, Chen et al. 2009). Generally, it is characterized by a saccate hypochile and two porate pollinia (Tsi et al. 1999). In China, about 30 species are found according to the most recent revision and recently published new species (Chen et al. 2009, Yi et al. 2010, Liu et al. 2016, Liu & Gao 2018).

A new orchid species, Cymbidium shidianense (Orchidaceae; Cymbidieae), from Yunnan Province, China, is described and illustrated based on morphological and molecular analyses. This new species is similar in morphology to C. cyperifolium, but it differs in its larger pseudobulbs, rigid leaves, broader pale green sepals, petals with darkly coloured veins and set of V-shaped blotches on the lip midlobe. A phylogenetic analyses based on nuclear ribosomal ITS and plastid (matK, rbcL) DNA sequence data support C. shidianense as related to C. cyperifolium.

Dendrobium libingtaoi is described from southeastern Yunnan, China, based on morphological and DNA evidence. In the morphological analysis, D. libingtaoi is similar to D. draconis but differs in having ovate-elliptical petals, a lip with a light red blotch in the middle, oblong-lanceolate lateral sepals, and a nearly round midlobe. Nuclear and plastid DNA analyses indicate that D. libingtaoi is a member of D. section Formosae.

The subtribal delimitation and relationships of Orchideae remain unresolved. In the present study, the phylogenetic relationships among all subtribes of Orchideae were reconstructed, utilizing five plastid and two nuclear DNA sequences ( rbcL , trnS - trnG , matK , trnL - F , psbA - trnH , Xdh and ITS) from 178 taxa of Orchideae. The combined results show that most clades are successively sister to the grade of clades representing antecedently accepted subtribes, but Pachites and Huttonaea do not belong to the previous classification of Disinae. In contrast, these two genera represent two additional isolated lineages. On this basis, a new subtribe, Pachitinae, is tentatively proposed to accommodate this taxon. Also, the subtribe Huttonaeinae Schltr. was recovered (1926: 568). In addition to the taxonomic treatment of this subtribe, the delimitation of many related subtribes in Orchideae is discussed.

Dendrobium maguanense, a new species from Yunnan, China, is described and illustrated in this study. Morphological study indicates that D. maguanense is similar to D. crepidatum, but differs in having much smaller flowers, oblong sepals, obovate-elliptic petals and an obovate lip with three weak longitudinal ridges and a pubescent basal callus. Molecular analysis based on nuclear and plastid markers shows that D. maguanense is closely related to D. crepidatum and this pair to D. crystallinum, D. section Dendrobium.

Historically, the taxonomic study of the Asian genus Fordiophyton has had some gaps. Several specimens from Guangdong (China) have been misidentified as Fordiophyton brevicaule C. Chen. The new species proposed here shares with F. brevicaule the densely hirsute stem, rosetted leaves and glabrous hypanthia, but it is distinguished by its glabrous leaves, winged petioles, oblong petals lacking a single trichome at the apex, and purplish anthers in the longer set of stamens. The phylogenetic analyses indicate that it is a member of Fordiophyton and sister to F. brevicaule. Based on morphological and molecular data, we here recognize it as a new species, Fordiophyton zhuangiae S. Jin Zeng & G. D. Tang, which is described and illustrated.

After examining morphological, molecular and genome-size evidence, we describe and illustrate a new orchid species, Apostasia fogangica, from Guangdong, China. Morphological comparisons indicate that A. fogangica is similar to A. shenzhenica, although the habit, leaves, inflorescences and fruit shapes and sizes differ. Comparison of the genome sizes in Apostasioideae show that A. fogangica is 1C=0.952 pg, which is double the size of A. shenzhenica but close to that of A. wallichii. Molecular analyses from combined nuclear and plastid datasets (ITS, matK and trnL-F ) indicate that A. fogangica is sister to A. nipponica plus A. shenzhenica . The morphological, genome-size and molecular evidence support the hypothesis that A. fogangica is a new species.

A preliminary phylogeny of Fordiophyton (Melastomataceae) and the description of two new taxa, F. chenii and F. huizhouense , from southern China, are presented here. The phylogenetic analyses indicate that Fordiophyton is monophyletic and the two new species are in this clade of Sonerileae. Fordiophyton chenii is morphologically similar to F. cordifolium. Both taxa have glabrous stems, large, cordate leaves and four-sided petioles, but F. chenii has a very short stem, rosette leaves, hypanthia with dense glandular trichomes, and the shorter stamens with yellow anthers . Fordiophyton huizhouense shares with F. peperomiifolium the short, densely hirsute stem and rosette leaves, but F. huizhouense is characterized by adaxially smooth leaves, lanceolate calyx lobes, and inflated, prolonged connective bases in the longer stamens.

The subtribal delimitation and relationship of Old World Cymbidiinae and Eulophiinae within Cymbidieae remain unresolved. Relationships among all subtribes of Cymbidieae (Orchidaceae: Epidendroideae) were estimated using the coding genes psaB, rbcL, matK, ycf1 and Xdh for 103 taxa. The results indicate that most of the clades are successively sister to the grade of clades representing previously recognized subtribes, and Dipodium does not belong in its previous classification of Cymbidiinae and Eulophiinae. Instead, this genus represents an additional isolated lineage.

A new species of Phalaenopsis , P. pingxiangensis, from Guangxi, China, is described and illustrated. Detailed morphological comparison between the newly discovered orchid and other members of Phalaenopsis s.l. indicate that P. pingxiangensis is similar to P. marriottiana . The new species differs from the latter in its small stature, short inflorescence with two flowers, smaller and pink flower with pale yellow sepals abaxially, orbicular petals, purple-red, flabellate lip and terete column without wings. The molecular analyses of Phalaenopsis indicate that P. pingxiangensis is a distinct species nested in P. subgenus Hygrochilus. In addition, Hygrochilus tsii is transferred to Phalaenopsis .

A new orchid species, Liparis wenshanensis, discovered in Yunnan, China is described and illustrated in this study based on morphological and molecular analyses. A detailed comparison between the newly discovered orchid and other members of the genus, Liparis, was conducted. The new plant is characterized by the combination of the following features: a long rachis with 45 to 55 flowers; white sepals, petals and column; a greenish lip with a purplish center; strongly recurved and revolute dorsal sepals and petals; strongly recurved, oblong lateral sepals; a cordate lip that is strongly deflexed below the middle, with a two-lobed apex and a two-lobed callus at the base; an arcuate column with a lamella extending along the center almost to the stigma, and with a pair of broad wings toward the apex. These features distinguish the new orchid from all other known species of Liparis. We proceeded to a phylogenetic analysis to ascertain the systematic position of this enigmatic species. Molecular analyses based on nuclear ribosomal ITS and plastid matK DNA sequence data supports the recognition of L. wenshanensis as a distinct species.

Two new orchid species, Dendrobium wenshanense and D. longlingense , from Yunnan, China, are described and illustrated in this study based on morphological and molecular evidence. Morphological analysis indicates that D. wenshanense is similar to D. wilsonii and D. fanjingshanense , but they differ in floral color, length of column foot and shapes/sizes of sepals, petals and lip; D. longlingense is similar to D. longicornu , but differs in presence of black hairs on adaxial surface of leaf, position of inflorescences, floral color and shapes of lip and spur. Molecular analysis of combined nuclear and plastid datasets (ITS, matK , rbcL , trnH-psbA , trnL intron) reveals that D. wenshanense is sister to D. wilsonii and D. fanjingshanense and a member of section Dendrobium ; D. longlingense is sister to D. longicornu and a member of section Formosae .