During our ongoing revisionary studies of the genus Gentiana in India, we found that no lectotypes for the names G. elwesii C.B. Clarke, G. gilvostriata C. Marquand and G. listeri Burkill have been designated, which are here proposed.

Infraspecific morphological variation in Gentiana macrauchena C. Marquand (Gentianaceae) is discussed. The name Gentiana incompta Harry Sm. is lectotypified. Gentiana macrauchena, previously known as a Chinese endemic species, is recorded in India for the first time. The present discovery constitutes an extension of its known range towards the west in the Sikkim Himalaya, India. A detailed description, illustrations, and notes on the morphological variation of characters of the species are provided. An IUCN conservation status in India and the world is proposed based on field observations and literature including herbarium studies. Comments are also made on the spatial distribution of the species.

The taxonomic position of western Asian members of Gentiana sect. Pneumonanthe has long been a matter of conflict. In this paper, the six western Asian species currently recognized as belonging to sect. Pneumonanthe (G. boissieri, G. calycina, G. freyniana, G. gelida, G. paradoxa, and G. septemfida) are compared and their relationships established using a morphological phylogenetic analysis. Seed testa and flower and leaf morphological characters were studied and 11 characters were selected for a cladistic analysis. Euro-Siberian and Far Eastern taxa of sect. Pneumonanthe (G. pneumonanthe and G. scabra) were used as outgroups. Our results suggest the presence of two morphologically distinct clades within the western Asian gentians: a Septemfida and a Gelida clade. G. calycina and G. freyniana show close affinities to G. boissieri and G. gelida, and are distinct from G. septemfida s.l. Biogeographical aspects of the two groups are discussed. © 2006 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2006, 152, 197–208.

Gentiana oreodoxa Harry Smith (Gentianaceae) was described from China. Presently the species is distributed from Bhutan to Mayanmar through China (Tibet). This species was doubtfully recorded from eastern part of Sikkim (Jelep La) of India and now it is discovered from the extreme northern part of Sikkim (upper Thangu). Detail description, field photograph, critical notes on its distribution, habitat, etc. are provided. Key words: Gentiana oreodoxa, Distribution, Discovery, Upper Thangu, Sikkim Himalaya

The seeds of Gentiana show high diversity in size, shape and surface pattern. Until now, seeds of only a limited number of taxa have been studied in detail and their utility in the subgeneric classification of Gentiana has not been evaluated. In this study we investigated seed micromorphology of the poorly known sections Pneumonanthe, Frigidae and Isomeria. In order to evaluate the relevance of seed sculpturing for taxonomy, we selected qualitative characters of seed shape and testa ornamentation of all documented sections and performed cluster analyses based on presence and absence of coded characters. Several new scanning electron microscopy pictures of seeds provided a number of valuable characters for the subgeneric differentiation of Gentiana. The results of the cluster analyses of seed characters generally support the sectional classification given by former authors. However, the European Gentiana asclepiadea does not group together with other taxa of section Pneumonanthe, but clusters near to the strictly European section Gentiana. Gentiana froelichii, endemic to the south-east Alps and treated traditionally within section Frigidae, clusters together with taxa of the European section Ciminalis. Our results reveal that seed micromorphology supports the reassignment of some taxa incertae sedis within Gentiana. © 2010 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2010, 162, 101–115.