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Abstract A first integrative survey of the genusUsneain the southern Philippines, taking into account morphological, anatomical, chemical and molecular characters, resulted in the recognition of 20 taxa, including three species new to science:Usnea angulataAch.,U. baileyi(Stirt.) Zahlbr.,U. bismolliusculaZahlbr.,U. brasiliensis(Zahlbr.) Motyka,U. confusaAsah.,U. croceorubescensStirt.,U. dasaeaStirt.,U. himalayanaC. Bab.,U. krogianaP. Clerc,U. longissimaAch.,U. nidificaTaylor,U. norsticornutaA. Gerlach & P. Clerc sp. nov. (characterized by a moderately thick cortex and by the presence of norstictic acid),U. paleograndisoraA. Gerlach & P. Clerc sp. nov. (characterized by an orange subcortical pigmentation in the medulla, with enlarging soralia and a moderately thick and shiny cortex),U. pectinataTaylor,U. pygmoidea(Asahina) Y. Ohmura,U. rubicundaStirt.,U. rubrotincta(Stirt.) Zahlbr.,U. spinulifera(Vain.) Motyka,U. subscabrosaMotyka andU. yoshihitoiP. Clerc & A. Gerlach sp. nov. (characterized by a lax medulla with non-conglutinated hyphae).Usnea krogianais a new record for Asia;Usnea brasiliensis,Usnea confusaandU. croceorubescensare new records for the Philippines. This is the first phylogenetic study to include DNA sequences ofUsneafrom the Philippines. Molecular data from the ITS rDNA (76 newly generated sequences) are presented for most taxa except forU. himalayana,U. longissimaandU. subscabrosa. At least six further taxa remain unidentified, awaiting the collection of additional specimens. 

Saurauia decolorata from the Mt. Pantaron Range, Bukidnon and Mt. Balatukan Natural Park, Misamis Oriental, Mindanao Island, the Philippines, is illustrated and described as a new species. It closely resembles S. avellana and S. elegans in having branchlets, petioles, and abaxial surfaces of the leaves covered with tomentum and scales, densely clustered flowers, longitudinal anther dehiscence, and 3–4 styles. However, S. decolorata is distinguished from these species by its prominent rusty-colored tomentum and scales on branchlets and abaxial leaf surfaces, cordate leaf bases, crenate margin, 16–21 pairs of lateral veins, fascicled-cymose inflorescences that are both axillary and ramiflorous, and sparsely scaly pinkish green outer sepals. This discovery further emphasizes the unique biodiversity of the forests of the Pantaron Range and Mt. Balatukan which urgently need legislative protection and enhanced protected area management plans, respectively. 

Three new species of Vaccinium endemic to the island of Mindanao, Philippines are here described and illustrated. Vaccinium fallax most closely resembles V. myrtoides, but differs by having smaller leaves, caducous bracts, shorter pedicels, a broadly obconical hypanthium, broadly triangular calyx lobes, and a deep pink and broadly urceolate corolla. It grows on exposed areas and among sulfur vents at and near the summit of Mt. Apo. Vaccinium gamay most closely resembles V. gitingense, but differs in having shorter inflorescences, early caducous inflorescence bracts, shorter pedicels, presence of clavate glands on the hypanthium, and an absence of anther spurs. It grows on exposed areas in the ultramafic forest of Mt. Hamiguitan. It is one of only two Philippine Vaccinium species possessing distinctly callose-thickened calyx lobes, the other being V. gitingense. Vaccinium vomicum most closely resembles V. carmesinum, but differs by having smaller leaves, presence of glands on the extreme end of the leaf blade base, presence of clavate glands on the hypanthium, shorter stamens, and presence of stalked glands on the dentate apex of the tubules. It grows in the mossy rainforest of Mt. Kitanglad, and it is the only Philippine species of Vaccinium with glands on the extreme end of its leaf blade base. Following IUCN guidelines, we propose a conservation status of Critically Endangered for V. fallax, Endangered for V. gamay, and Data Deficient for V. vomicum. With these discoveries, the number of Vaccinium species in Mindanao Islands increases to 22 and in the Philippines to 44. Furthermore, the Mindanao Islands can now be considered the center of Vaccinium diversity in the Philippines. 

Pyrenocarpous lichens are an important component of the forest ecosystem, yet remain understudied. Following the recent field surveys of the lichen biota in Mt. Musuan, four pyrenolichen species previously unreported from the Philippines were collected, namely: Porina exocha, Pyrenula pyrenuloides, P. subsoluta, and Nigrovothelium inspersotropicum. Each species is briefly described with morphology and chemistry, distribution, ecology, notes, and illustrations. These collections underscore the need for expanded research attention to fully catalogue the lichen diversity in the Philippines. 

Treubia insignis, previously known for the Philippines from a single collection obtained in 1913, is rediscovered just over a century later, this time from the southern Philippines. Habitat preference, at least in the southern Philippines, is along riparian corridors of small streams in high-quality montane hardwood tropical rainforests. 

A new species of Ericaceae from the Gayo Plateau, Aceh Province, Indonesia is described. Rigiolepis gayoensis resembles R. lanceolata but differs by having shorter leaves, non-protruding basal leaf glands, longer flowering pedicels, a glabrous hypanthium, and a dark red or maroon corolla. A detailed morphological description, ecological notes, conservation status, and photographs are presented. The new species represents the third species of Rigiolepis found in the island of Sumatra. A key to the species of Rigiolepis in Sumatra is provided. 

Schizaea erecta Amoroso & Coritico (Schizaeaceae) from Dinagat Island, Mindanao, Philippines, is here described. This species is distinguished from other species of Schizaea by its consistently erect sterile and fertile fronds, narrow laminae, opposite sorophore lobes, rhizomes covered with short appressed brown scales, and oblong sporangia with apical annulus and conspicuous long, white hairs. A taxonomic key to the species of Philippine Schizaeaceae is provided.  

Begonia masilig and Begonia akaw, both endemic to Aurora Memorial National Park, Luzon, Philippines, are described as species new to science. Begonia masilig is similar to B. droseroides in its rhizomatous habit and glandular trichomes on the inflorescence, but differs in lamina shape and overall size, and the vestiture of stipule, lamina margin, and outer tepals of staminate flowers. Begonia akaw is similar to B. ramosii in its short erect habit, ovate lamina and congested terminal inflorescence with 2-tepaled staminate flowers, but differs in inflorescence size and arrangement, and bract and ovary shape. Both new species are here proposed to be Endangered (EN) as per IUCN criteria. 

Begonia fritschiana from Mindanao Island is described as a new species endemic to the Philippines. This is the latest addition to the species-rich Begonia section Baryandra. It resembles Begonia caramoanensis but is distinguished by the consistent obliquely ovate leaves with shorter petioles, lamina glaucous abaxially and with marginal hairs, mostly solitary to singly-branched inflorescences with shorter white-glandular hairs on the pedicels and peduncle, one of the outer tepals pink, and glabrous ovary and ovary wings. Begonia fritschiana is known only from the type locality with one population and less than 100 individuals. The area is not currently protected under the country’s National Integrated Protected Areas System by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Because of ongoing threats such as illegal logging, poaching, and over collection of biological resources, the single area of occurrence with estimated extent < 10 km2, and the small number of < 100 individuals, we recommend a classification of B. fritschiana as Critically Endangered. 

A new micro-endemic species of Rhododendron is described and illustrated from botanical expeditions to the Victoria-Anepahan  Mountain Range on the island of Palawan. It closely resembles Rhododendron wilkiei but differs in having leaves with laminae that are  narrowly elliptic-oblanceolate, have adaxially indistinct venation, and are arranged in 4–8 active and mostly terminal pseudowhorls  along the length of the stem; bracts without scales on the margin; yellow flowers with a red corolla tube interior that is densely hairy  towards the base; and hairy anther filament bases. Morphological and geographical data place the species in Rhododendron sect.  Schistanthe. The new species, together with a first record of Rhododendron vidalii on Palawan as part of this research, represent the  tenth and eleventh members of this genus recorded from the island. A revised key to the Palawan species of Rhododendron is provided.