The polyphyletic genus Chirita is remodelled after an extensive molecular phylogenetic study of species assigned to it and to other associated genera. Most of Chirita sect. Chirita and the monotypic Hemiboeopsis are amalgamated with Henckelia sect. Henckelia, resulting in a very differently circumscribed genus Henckelia and the synonymisation of Chirita. The remaining species of Chirita sect. Chirita are accommodated in the revived genus Damrongia. Chirita sect. Liebigia is recognised as the genus Liebigia. Chirita sect. Microchirita is recognised as the genus Microchirita. Chirita sect. Gibbosaccus is, together with Chiritopsis and Wentsaiboea, included in the originally monotypic and now enormously expanded genus Primulina. The necessary combinations are made and a general list showing the present accommodation of the species previously described under Chirita, Chiritopsis, Hemiboeopsis, Primulina and Wentsaiboea is provided.

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Based on molecular studies, the small Chinese genus Petrocodon (two species and one variety) has been recently enlarged to include the monotypic genera Calcareoboea, Paralagarosolen and Tengia. It is shown here that the (6-7) species of Lagarosolen, the monotypic Dolicholoma, a few species of Didymocarpus, and a number of new species that have recently been published (but not formally described) under Petrocodon and Lagarosolen should be included in this genus. This raises the size of the genus from five to around 20 species. With respect to the floral diversity (corolla form, size, and coloration; with the exception of Tengia, the androecium is always diandrous) and inferred pollination syndromes (different forms of melittophily, ornithophily, psycho-and/or sphingophily), Petrocodon represents one of the most varied genera of Old World Gesneriaceae, comparable to some New World genera.

Few studies document plants in caves. Our field observations of a widespread and seemingly angiosperm-rich cave flora in SW China lead us to test the following hypotheses, 1) SW China caves contain a diverse vascular plant flora, 2) that this is a relic of a largely absent forest type lacking endemic species, and 3) that the light environment plants occupy in caves is not distinct from non-cave habitats. To do so we surveyed 61 caves and used species accumulation curves (SAC) to estimate the total diversity of this flora and used a subsample of 14 caves to characterise the light environment. We used regional floras and existing conservation assessments to evaluate the conservation value of this flora. We used observations on human disturbance within caves to evaluate anthropogenic activities. Four-hundred-and-eighteen vascular plant species were documented with SACs predicting a total diversity of 529–846. Ninety-three percent of the species documented are known karst forest species, 7% are endemic to caves and 81% of the species are angiosperms. We demonstrate that the light environment in caves is distinct to that of terrestrial habitats and that a subset of the flora likely grow in the lowest light levels documented for vascularised plants. Our results suggest that the proportion of species threatened with extinction is like that for the terrestrial habitat and that almost half of the entrance caverns sampled showed signs of human disturbance. We believe that this is the first time that such an extensive sample of cave flora has been undertaken and that such a diverse vascular plant flora has been observed in caves which we predict occurs elsewhere in SE Asia. We argue that the cave flora is an extension of the karst forest understory present prior to catastrophic deforestation in the 20thC. We suggest that within SW China caves serve as both refuges and a valuable source of germplasm for the restoration of karst forest. We also propose that caves represent a distinct habitat for plants that is most similar to that of the forest understory, but distinct with respect to the absence of trees, leaf litter, root mats, higher levels of atmospheric CO2, and lower diurnal and annual variation in temperature and humidity. We highlight tourism, agriculture and the absence of legislated protection of caves as the main current threats to this flora.

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A new species, Primulina dongguanica F. Wen, Y. G. Wei & R. Q. Luo (Gesneriaceae) is described and illustrated from Dongguan city, Guangdong province, S China. The species grows in crevices of granite within subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forests or shrubby vegetation in the Yinpingzui nature reserve. Primulina dongguanica differs from other species in the genus occurring in Guangdong province, China. Despite sharing some morphologically characters with Primulina eburnea (Hance) Y. Z. Wang, Primulina dryas (Dunn) Mich. Möller & A. Weber, Primulina napoensis (Z. Y. Li) Mich. Möller & A. Weber and Primulina spec. nov., several features allow its recognition. It is an endemic species confined to the Yinpingzui nature reserve. Its conservation status is also presented.

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