Contributions to the flora of Myanmar from 2000 to 2019

Myanmar is botanically rich and floristically diverse: one of the world's biodiversity hotspots. However, Myanmar is still very unevenly explored, and until a plant checklist was published in 2003, relatively little work was done on its flora. This checklist included 11,800 species of spermatophytes in 273 families. Since this checklist was published, the botanical exploration of Myanmar has accelerated and there have been many additional publications. We therefore surveyed the literature of taxonomic contributions to Myanmar's vascular flora over the last 20 years (2000-2019) and compiled a list of new and newly described taxa. Our list includes 13 genera, 193 species, 7 subspecies, 19 varieties, and 2 forms new to science; and 3 families, 34 genera, 347 species, 4 subspecies, 7 varieties, and 1 form newly recorded in Myanmar. Altogether, they represent 91 families and 320 genera. Most of the new discoveries belong to 15 families, with more than 25% (146 taxa) belonging to Orchidaceae. These new discoveries are unevenly distributed in the country, with about 41% of the newly discovered species described from Kachin State in northeast Myanmar. This reflects the incompleteness of our current knowledge of the flora of Myanmar and the urgent need for a greatly expanded effort. The completion of the flora of Myanmar requires more fieldwork from north to south, taxonomic studies on new and existing collections, and some mechanism that both coordinates the efforts of various international institutions and initiatives and encourages continued international cooperation. In addition, producing modern taxonomic treatments of the flora of Myanmar requires the participation of experts on all vascular plant families and genera. There is also an urgent need to attract young scientists to plant taxonomy, to work on inventories, identification, nomenclature, herbarium work, and comparative studies.

A new species and two new combinations of Monolophus (Zingiberaceae) from Indo-Burma

Monolophus odontochilus Y.H.Tan & H.B.Ding, a new species from Northern Myanmar, is described and illustrated. The new species is morphologically similar to M. linearis, but differs by having elliptic to oblong leaves (vs. linear-lanceolate to lanceolate), bilobed ligules (vs. entire), purely white corolla (vs. pinkish white), semi-orbicular crenate labellum (vs. trilobed). In addition, a diagnostic key to the new species of Monolophus and its closely related non-yellow flowered species is provided. New combinations are proposed here for Caulokaempferia phokhamii Picheans. & Douangde. and C. wongsuwaniae Picheans. & Douangde. from Laos.

Taxonomic studies on Amomum Roxburgh s.l. (Zingiberaceae) in Myanmar II: one new species and five new records for the flora of Myanmar

In the course of a study of Amomum s.l. (Zingiberaceae) in Myanmar, Amomum schistocalyx Y.H. Tan & H.B. Ding, from Htamanti Wildlife Sanctuary, Sangaing Region of Northern Myanmar is described and illustrated as new to science here. Five taxa: A. yingjiangense S.Q. Tong & Y.M. Xia, A. carnosum V.P. Thomas & M. Sabu, A. tibeticum (T.L. Wu & S.J. Chen) X.E. Ye, L. Bai & N.H. Xia, Lanxangia scarlatina (H.T. Tsai & P.S. Chen) M.F. Newman & Škorničk, and Meistera yunnanensis (S.Q. Tong) Škorničk. & M.F. Newman, are newly recorded from Myanmar. The photographic illustrations, the distributions, and voucher specimens for each species are provided.

Taxonomic studies on Begonia (Begoniaceae) in Myanmar I: three new species and supplementary description of Begonia rheophytica from Northern Myanmar

Three new species of Begonia (B. chenii, B. putaoensis and B. crassitepala) belonging to Begonia section Platycentrum and a supplementary description of B. rheophytica with a detailed description of female flowers from Putao, Kachin State, Northern Myanmar, are described and illustrated. All the new species are endemic to Northern Myanmar and can be easily distinguished from other species among the section Platycentrum. A detailed description, photographs, habitat, distribution and a comparison with the most related allied species for all new species are provided.

Some characteristics of hospitalized HIV seropositive patients in Myanmar

Twenty-two hospitalized HIV seropositive patients were studied prospectively between July 1991 and January 1992. The majority of the patients were intravenous drug users (IVDUs). Their age ranged from 20 to 38 years with a male preponderance of 12 to 1. Anemia, lymphopenia and thrombocytopenia were observed in 100%, 36% and 41%, respectively. The common pathogens like malaria parasites, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Entamoeba histolytica, Streptococcus and Salmonella were isolated/identified rather than opportunistic organisms.