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Parahellenia trongduyii, a new species of Costaceae from Vietnam, is described and illustrated. The new species is similar to P. tonkinensis, but differs in unbranched or barely branched stems, narrowly triangular-lanceolate glabrous buds, bract apex with a soft mucro, yellow to whitish yellow labellum with longitudinal orange to red lines at center, longer anther crest and stigma with a slightly bilobed dorsal appendage. A new combination, Parahellenia candida, is proposed for the species earlier known as Cheilocostus candidus. A key to Parahellenia in Vietnam is also provided.

Zingiber calcicola Y.H.Tan & H.B.Ding, sp. nov. (Zingiberaceae) from a limestone area in south Yunnan, China is described and illustrated here. It belongs to Zingiber sect. Dymczewiczia due to the terminal inflorescence on the leafy shoot. The description, photographs, habitat, distribution, phenology and a comparison with the allied species are also provided.

Phenakospermum guyannense is the only native species of Strelitziaceae in South America and occurs in the Amazon domain in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela. The species presents a negative sampling bias, probably due to the great effort necessary to collect it, as it presents long leaves and coriaceous bracts. In the course of the studies for the monograph of Strelitziaceae for Flora do Brasil 2020 project and with an increase in plant collecting in Maranhão state, Brazil, we have detected two necessary adjustments to the knowledge of the species: 1) lectotypification of the basionym Urania guyannensis described by L.C.M. Richard and 2) reevaluation of the geographic distribution of the species, highlighting new records for the Brazilian Northeast region. Both issues are addressed here. Additionally, we present a description, a preliminary conservation status, a distribution map and notes on the ecology of the species.

Recent exploration on the mountains of Northern Mindanao, Philippines resulted in the recollection of Etlingera pubimarginata, an enigmatic endemic species recollected after a lapse of over a century. An amended taxonomic description with colour photographs as well as comparative morphology to its allied species, geographical distribution, and conservation status are provided.

Based on field observations of several natural populations of Renealmia chrysotricha (Zingiberaceae) in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest and comparison with other specimens in different herbarium collections, the morphological circumscription of this species was broadened with the inclusions of Alpinia humilis, R. angustifolia, R. brasiliensis, R. longipes, R. petasites, and R. reticulata as synonyms. The expanded analysis of the morphological characteristics, such as the presence of sessile leaves, reticulation patterns of its leaf-sheaths, flowers with short pedicels, and membranous bracts, suggest that these species share the same characteristics used to circumscribe them.

A new species of Maranta subg. Maranta , M. gigantea , is described and illustrated. This is known from the submontane Atlantic Forest in the states of Pernambuco and Alagoas (Brazil). Based on the zingiberoid growth form it is morphologically similar to M. anderssoniana and M. zingiberina , differing mainly in the shape of the leaf blade (lanceolate to oblong or ovate respectively vs. narrow-lanceolate) and number of calli in the callose staminode (one prominent callus vs. two prominent calli). It is further differentiated from M. anderssoniana by being larger plants (up to 1.8 m tall vs. up to 1.0 m tall), with a tomentose leaf sheath (vs. sericeous), larger corolla tube length (9−12 mm long vs. 5−6 mm long), asymmetrically elliptical corolla lobes ( vs. asymmetrically oblong) and larger outer staminodes (minor 12−15 × 6.5−8 mm vs. 10−11 × 5.5−6 mm and major 13−16 × 8.5 × 10.5 mm vs. 10−12 × 8−9.2 mm). Due to its narrow distribution, it is classified as critically endangered.

Hornstedtia garbosa Naive & Alejandro, a new endemic species from southern Philippines, is here described and illustrated. This new species is comparable to H. microcheila Ridl. and H. sanhan M.F. Newman but distinct by its obovate labellum which is white with a red centre. Information on habitat and ecology as well as notes on its similarity to other probably allied species of the genus are provided. An identification key to the five recognized Philippine Hornstedtia species is also included.

Amomum nimkeyense, a new species is described from Arunachal Pradesh, northeastern India. A detailed description of the plant, distribution and ecology along with colour photographs are provided for ease of identification.

New synonyms are proposed, references and authors of basionyms corrected, and changes made to some combinations recently proposed. Maranta insignis, Calathea violacea and Calathea koernickeana are hereby transferred to the genus Goeppertia and types are designated.

In 2015, during a floristic expedition in northeastern India, a population of an unusual Zingiber Miller (1754: 525) was found near Durga Mandir, between Bomdilla and Balukpong, in West Kameng District, Arunachal Pradesh. At a first glance the species clearly belongs to section Cryptanthium Horaninow (1862: 27) in having a procumbent peduncle. Detailed studies revealed that it does not match any of the known species of Indian Zingiber, hence it is described here as new. Plants of this population are morphologically similar to Z. bipinianum Roy et al. (2015: 298) and Z. mizoramensis Kumar et al. (2015: 81), but detailed studies of the types and protologues confirm the novelty of this species. We also consulted relevant literature discussing Indian Zingiberaceae, which further confirms that this is a new species (e.g. Bai et al. 2015, Baker 1892, Leong-Škorničková et al. 2015, Kishor & Leong-Škorničková 2013, Kumar et al. 2013, 2015, Mood & Theilade 2002, Roscoe 1828, Sabu 2003, 2006, Sabu et al. 2009, 2013b, Talukdar et al. 2015, Thongam & Konsam 2014, Thongam et al. 2013, Triboun et al. 2014, Tripathi & Singh 2006, Wu & Larsen 2000).

Sam, Yen Yen, Ibrahim, Halijah, Saw, Leng Guan (2015): Four new species of Scaphochlamys (Zingiberaceae) from Peninsular Malaysia. Phytotaxa 221 (1): 21-34, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.221.1.2, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.221.1.2

Thongam, Biseshwori, Konsam, Bipin (2014): A new species of Zingiber (Zingiberaceae) from Nagaland, India. Phytotaxa 178 (3): 221-224, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.178.3.9, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.178.3.9

Braga, João Marcelo Alvarenga (2014): Transfer of the Honduran species Calathea carolineae to the genus Goeppertia (Marantaceae). Phytotaxa 175 (4): 237-238, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.175.4.6, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.175.4.6

Braga, João Marcelo Alvarenga (2014): Synonymization of Calathea subg. Pseudophrynium ser. Polystachyae with a new combination in the genus Maranta (Marantaceae). Phytotaxa 175 (4): 239-240, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.175.4.7, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.175.4.7

During a study to re-assess the genus Amomum Roxb. in Sri Lanka, we encountered a new variety of Amomum from Seven Virgin Hills of Peak Wilderness Sanctuary, Sri Lanka. This new specimen shows similar morphological characters to Amomum villosum var. villosum and var. xanthioides but it exhibits significant differences in some important characters such as lamina shape, ligule hairs, bract and bracteole hairs, non-tubular bracteoles and labellum color patterns which warrant the recognition of a new variety under A. villosum. All the important features of this new taxon (Amomum villosum var. zeylanicus) including morphology, habitat, geographical separation, ecology, and IUCN status assessment are described and illustrated for the first time.

Joe, Alfred, Sreejith, Puravannoor Edakkatillum, Sabu, Mamiyil (2014): Musa cylindrica, a new species of Musa (Musaceae) from North-East India. Phytotaxa 172 (2): 137-140, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.172.2.11, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.172.2.11

A new species of Elettariopsis from Phu Wua Wildlife Sanctuary, Bung Khla District, Bueng Kan Provice, Thailand is described as a new species. The new species is similar to E. monophylla (Gagnep.) Loesener (1930: 603), but differs in having two leaves and dark red veins in parts of the labellum, in the length of the petioles, the tall pseudostem and the apex of the anther-crest. Differences are pointed out in Table 1. The species is locally rare occurring in lowland Phuwou forest. It is described and illustrated below.

A taxonomic revision of Monotagma (Marantaceae) concludes that this genus comprises 37 species, of which the following 18 species are here described as new: M. aurantispathum, M. breviscapum, M. congestum, M. exile, M. flavicomum, M. floribundum, M. grallatum, M. humile, M. lilacinum, M. nutans, M. papillosum, M. paradoxum, M. remotum, M. roseum, M. septentrionale, M. spathulatum, M. tuberosum, and M. uliginosum. Furthermore, the new subspecies M. grallatum subsp. subcentricifolium is described. It is also proposed that these species are best treated in two monophyletic sections, viz. Monotagma sect. Monotagma with 20 species and the new Monotagma sect. Tubularia with 17 species. All new taxa are illustrated and described with notes on distribution and relationships, and a key to all recognized Monotagma species is given.