New Ranks and New Combinations in Selected Families and Genera

Recent advancements in molecular phylogenetics have significantly reshaped infrageneric classifications across vascular plant genera, yet nomenclature within these ranks remains understudied. This article addresses critical gaps in the taxonomy of selected plant families by introducing nomenclatural novelties aligned with modern systematic frameworks. The study is structured into three interrelated sections. First, updated infrageneric classifications are proposed for six genera, i. e., <i>Calanthe</i>, <i>Docynia</i>, <i>Epimedium</i>, <i>Eriolobus</i>, <i>Galanthus</i>, and <i>Nymphaea</i>, integrating morphological and molecular evidence to resolve longstanding taxonomic ambiguities. For instance, formerly segregated genera <i>Cephalantheropsis</i>, <i>Gastrorchis</i>, and <i>Phaius</i> is herein newly treated as subgenera under the broadly circumscribed <i>Calanthe</i>, and <i>Paraphaius</i> is treated as a synonym of <i>Calanthe</i> subgen. <i>Hecabe</i>; while <i>Docynia</i> is retained as distinct from <i>Malus</i> due to its unique ecological and evolutionary adaptations. The second section validates 373 new nothoranks across 58 genera from 29 families of pteridophytes and spermatophytes: Amaranthaceae, Amaryllidaceae, Anemiaceae, Asparagaceae, Asphodelaceae, Asteraceae, Athyriaceae, Berberidaceae, Cistaceae, Crassulaceae, Dryopteridaceae, Heliconiaceae, Hydrangeaceae, Hypericaceae, Iridaceae, Lamiaceae, Lentibulariaceae, Marattiaceae, Musaceae, Nymphaeaceae, Orchidaceae, Papaveraceae, Plantaginaceae, Plumbaginaceae, Ranunculaceae, Rosaceae, Saxifragaceae, Verbenaceae and Violaceae. These include novel nothosections, nothosubsections, nothoseries, and nothosubgenera to accommodate hybrids previously lacking suitable placement. The third section establishes three new nothogenera and 28 new combinations across nine families, namely Apocynaceae, Athyriaceae, Convolvulaceae, Lamiaceae, Orchidaceae, Poaceae, Rosaceae, Saxifragaceae and Thelypteridaceae, resolving taxonomic inconsistencies arising from recent phylogenetic insights.