Twenty-six different wild blackberry leaf samples were harvested from various localities throughout southeastern Poland. Leaf samples were assessed regarding their phenolic compound profiles and contents by LC/MS QTOF, and their antioxidant activity by ABTS and FRAP. Thirty-three phenolic compounds were detected (15 flavonols, 13 hydroxycinnamic acids, three ellagic acid derivatives and two flavones). Ellagic acid derivatives were the predominant compounds in the analyzed leaves, especially sanguiin H-6, ellagitannins, lambertianin C, and casuarinin. The content of phenolic compounds was significantly correlated with the antioxidant activity of the analyzed samples. The highest level of phenolic compounds was measured for R. perrobustus, R. wimmerianus, R. pedemontanus and R. grabowskii. The study showed that wild blackberry leaves can be considered a good source of antioxidant compounds. There is clear potential for the utilization of blackberry leaves as a food additive, medicinal source or herbal tea.

A description of Taraxacum zajacii J. & P. Marciniuk, a new species of T. sect. Palustria in Poland is given. Taraxacum zajacii is a pentaploid (2n = 40). Morphologically, the new species is closest to the T. subalpinum/T. neterophilum group.Taraxacum sect. Palustria includes 131 mostly apomictic species, markedly different in their karyology. Sexually reproducing diploids are represented in the section by only two rare Mediterranean species, Taraxacum raii and T. tenuifolium. The apomictic taxa form a series of polyploids, from common triploids (2n = 24) and tetraploids (2n = 32) to rare pentaploids (2n = 40) and very rare hexaploids (2n = 48) represented by only two species, which are T. ranunculus and T. flos-lacus (Kirschner & Štěpánek 1998, Tikhomirov 2003, Aquaro et al. 2008. In Poland, T. sect. Palustria includes 23 exclusively apomictic species with 15 triploids, six tetraploids and two pentaploids (Marciniuk et al. 2010b, Marciniuk 2012.A large population of a distinct taxon which, after morphological and karyological studies, appeared to be a new species was found in 2008. The description of this species is given in this paper.Morphometric analyses were made on herbarium materials collected in the field and on cultured live plants. In total, 100 individuals and herbarium specimens were analysed.For karyological studies, seeds collected from the cultured plants were germinated on moistened filter paper in Petri dishes. Three-to four-day-old seedlings were incubated in 8-hydroxychinoline for 4 h at room temperature. Then they were rinsed in distilled water and fixed in 96% ethanol/ glacial acetic acid (3:1) for 24 h. The fixed material was stained in 2% acetic orcein for 3-4 days at room temperature. The stained seedlings were rinsed in 45% acetic acid, then heated to a boiling point over a flame. For slide preparation, root tip meristems were cut off and squashed in a drop of 45% acetic acid, dry-iced, air-dried and mounted in Entellan. The chromosomes were counted during the mitotic metaphase and photographed using a Nikon Eclipse 80i microscope equipped with a monochrome CCD camera.

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The paper presents new records for 39 vascular plant species from eight Eurasian countries. Aniselytron treutleri (Poaceae), Hackelochloa granularis (Poaceae), Melica kozlovii (Poaceae) and Melica nutans (Poaceae) are reported from China; Dichondra micrantha (Convolvulaceae) from Hungary; Orobanche serbica (Orobanchaceae) and Viscum album subsp. austriacum (Santalaceae) from Italy; Petrorhagia prolifera (Caryophyllaceae), Puccinellia schischkinii and Stipa pulcherrima (Poaceae) from Kyrgyzstan; Megadenia speluncarum (Brassicaceae), Phelipanche lavandulacea (Orobanchaceae), Solanum physalifolium (Solanaceae), Thymus lenensis (Lamiaceae) from Russia; Rubus phoenicolasius (Rosaceae) from Slovakia; Atraphaxis karataviensis (Polygonaceae) from Tajikistan; as well as Rubus austroslovacus and R. crispomarginatus

Rubus zielinskii M. M. Wolanin & M. N. Wolanin, a new species from south-east Poland is described and illustrated. Rubus zielinskii is a tetraploid (2n=28) belonging to the series Sprengeliani based on morphology. It is most similar to Rubus sprengelii from which it differs in the inflorescence, being leafy to the apex, the larger flowers, paler colour of the vegetative stem and straighter prickles. The species occurs mostly along forest roads, ditches and forest edges. A species conservation assessment for Rubus zielinskii determines its threat status to be Least Concern.

Karyology of eleven species of Taraxacum sect. Erythrosperma from Poland has been studied. Somatic chromosome numbers are given for the following species: T. bellicum, T. brachyglossum, T. cristatum, T. disseminatum, T. dissimile, T. lacistophyllum, T. parnassicum, T. plumbeum, T. proximum, T. scanicum, and T. tenuilobum. Although the hypertriploid chromosome number was previously reported in Poland for T. lacistophyllum, T. parnassicum, T. scanicum, and T. tenuilobum, we proved the triploid chromosome number 2n = 24 in all the species investigated, which is consistent with the data reported from other regions of Europe. The chromosome numbers of T. bellicum, T. cristatum, T. disseminatum, T. dissimile, T. plumbeum, and T. proximum growing in Poland are published for the first time.

The paper presents new records for 39 vascular plant species from eight Eurasian countries. Aniselytron treutleri (Poaceae), Hackelochloa granularis (Poaceae), Melica kozlovii (Poaceae) and Melica nutans (Poaceae) are reported from China; Dichondra micrantha (Convolvulaceae) from Hungary; Orobanche serbica (Orobanchaceae) and Viscum album subsp. austriacum (Santalaceae) from Italy; Petrorhagia prolifera (Caryophyllaceae), Puccinellia schischkinii and Stipa pulcherrima (Poaceae) from Kyrgyzstan; Megadenia speluncarum (Brassicaceae), Phelipanche lavandulacea (Orobanchaceae), Solanum physalifolium (Solanaceae), Thymus lenensis (Lamiaceae) from Russia; Rubus phoenicolasius (Rosaceae) from Slovakia; Atraphaxis karataviensis (Polygonaceae) from Tajikistan; as well as Rubus austroslovacus and R. crispomarginatus

Between 1997 and 2010, nine localities of Epipactis greuteri H. Baumann & Künkele were found in the Polish part of the Western Carpathians. Eight of them were confirmed in subsequent years. The distribution of the new species in Poland is mapped. A morphological description of E. greuteri based on specimens from Poland and a key for the Polish Epipactis Zinn species are given.