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The "Reticulata irises" are dwarf irises highly appreciated in horticulture, which are characterised by their tuberiform bulbs, with a single fleshy inner tunic clothed mostly with reticulate or reticulate-hairy outer tunics, and basal leaves bifacial, angulose or finely sulcate in section. The aggregate is often accepted as a taxonomically compact group to which the name Iris subg. Hermodactyloides (Iris sect. Reticulatae) is often applied. It includes between 10–22 taxa (species and subspecies) occurring disjunctly from central Türkiye and the Transcaucasus throughout the Middle East to western China. Molecular work shows that Iris subg. Hermodactyloides, is polyphyletic as frequently delineated. Alternatively, analytic treatments accept two genera, Alatavia and Iridodictyum, exhibiting clear differences in morphology, biogeography, and phylogenetic connections. Recently, new field prospection across scarcely prospected vast territories led to the description of many new taxa in the "Reticulata irises." In this context, an updated synopsis of the bulbous genera Alatavia (four species) and Iridodictyum (18 + 2 species) is reported. For each accepted taxon, main synonyms, type indication, chromosome numbers, distribution areas, and taxonomic or nomenclatural remarks are reported. Further, five new specific combinations are introduced, and also four neotypes, two lectotypes, two second-step lectotypes, and one epitype are designated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three species of the rust fungus genus Blastospora, Bl. betulae, Bl. itoana, and Bl. smilacis, have been reported in East Asia. Although their morphological characteristics and life cycles have been investigated, their phylogenetic positions have not been clarified sufficiently. Phylogenetic analysis showed that these three species were included into Zaghouaniaceae of Pucciniales. However, Bl. betulae was phylogenetically distinct from Bl. itoana and Bl. smilacis and different from other genera. Based on this result, and applying recent International Code of Nomenclature decisions/recommendations/requirements, Botryosorus, gen. nov., and Bo. deformans,, comb. nov., were applied for Bl. betulae. Two new combinations, Bl. radiata for Bl. itoana and Bl. makinoi for Bl. smilacis, were also applied. Their host plants and distribution were described based on literature records. Zaghouania yunnanensis, comb. nov., was proposed for Cystopsora yunnanensis as a result of this analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the results of an international bryological expedition to the Khamar-Daban mountain range in Russian southern Siberia. The novel approach of integrative floristics is introduced here as a method of surveying the flora of a region by using a combination of morphological and molecular evidence to identify and verify unexpected findings. We show that use of this approach can deliver a high level of credibility in cases in which direct molecular comparison is possible or the relevant data can be easily obtained from reliable studies informing recent treatments. Integrative floristics can also be used to identify potential taxonomic problems requiring further study. Conventional identification methods based on plant anatomy and morphology were supplemented with molecular barcoding (nuclear ITS, plastid trnL–trnF, rps4 and atpB–rbcL regions) of specimens that either did not fit existing morphological concepts perfectly or for which records were unexpected based on previously established phytogeographical patterns. In total, we recorded ca 380 species of mosses and ca 150 species of liverworts from five localities on the northern slopes of the Khamar-Daban range. Such floristic richness indicates a hotspot of bryophyte diversity with a remarkably high proportion of suboceanic species, such as Brachydontium trichodes (F.Weber) Milde, Herzogiella striatella (Brid.) Z.Iwats. and Racomitrium macounii subsp. alpinum (E.Lawton) Frisvoll. Nearly 20% of specimens were identified or checked using DNA barcoding. This approach showed the presence of previously unrecorded species in a number of genera, including Didymodon, Neckera and Pseudohygrohypnum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]