Ajaniaflavida (Asteraceae, Anthemideae), a distinct new species from southwestern China.

Ajaniaflavida, a new species from western Sichuan and eastern Xizang, China, is described and illustrated. It is readily assigned to A.sect.Ajania owing to its straw-colored, glossy involucres and marginally whitish scarious phyllaries. Within the section, it is distinct in being a shrub of 1-2 m in height, and in having creamy yellow florets. It is superficially similar to A.ramosa in A.sect.Phaeoscyphus, but can easily be distinguished by, among other characters, the plant height, color of the florets and margins of the phyllaries. In addition, we provide a distribution map of the new species.

Ligularialushuiensis (Asteraceae, Senecioneae), a new species from northwestern Yunnan, China.

Ligularialushuiensis, a new species from northwestern Yunnan, China, is described and illustrated. It was tentatively placed in L.sect.Ligulariaser.Ligularia on the basis of the pinnate-palmate leaf venation, racemose synflorescence and pappus which is as long as tubular corolla. Within the series, it appeared somewhat close to both L.lamarum and L.pseudolamarum. However, L.lushuiensis can be easily distinguished from the latter two species by, among other characters, the leaf margin, bract size, involucre shape and size, and number and width of ray florets. Morphologically, L.lushuiensis is also superficially similar to L.secunda but differs readily by having distally shortly yellowish and brownish puberulent stems, palmately-pinnately veined leaves regularly dentate at margin, scarious, brown and larger bracts, and larger ray laminae. In addition, a distribution map and a diagnostic key to Chinese species of L.ser.Ligularia are also provided.

Artemisiacalcicola (Asteraceae, Anthemideae), a new species from karst region in Guizhou, southwestern China.

Artemisiacalcicola (Asteraceae, Anthemideae), a new species from karst region in Shibing county, Guizhou province, southwestern China, is described and illustrated. The species can be readily assigned to A.subg.Artemisia in having fertile disk florets and glabrous receptacles. Within this subgenus, A.calcicola is distinguished by having (2- or) 3-pinnatipartite leaves and narrowly ellipsoid involucres 0.9-1.3 mm in diameter. It resembles A.annua to some extent, but differs immediately by the plant duration, stem and leaf indumentum, and involucre shape and size. A detailed description and distribution map of this species are also provided herein.