Traditional markets in Vietnam are considered as important places for trading medicinal plants and also play a social role of exchanging traditional use of herbal medicine among different cultural and social groups at the local level. This study aims to identify and document medicinal plants used in 32 traditional markets of Son La province. Data were obtained through interviews and field observation method. A total of 167 informants include 13 herbalists, 49 herbal sellers, and 105 local people were interviewed. The study collected a total of 99 plant species belonging to 88 genera and 57 families. Identified plant species are used by local people for the treatment of 61 different diseases. Leaves, stems and roots are most commonly used either fresh, dried or by decocting the dried parts in water. In the study, the Relative Frequency of Citation (RFC) ranged from 0.02 to 0.44; the Use Value (UV) ranged from 0 to 0.84; the Informant Consensus Factor (ICF) ranged from 0.84 to 1; the Fidelity Level (FL) ranged from 44.44% to 100%. Villagers view and our observations confirmed that knowledge about the number of medicinal plants available in the study area and used by interviewees positively correlated with the threats on medicinal plants in the wild habitats. Illegal and unsustainable exploitation by the local people is a major cause of their depletion from nature.

A general introduction to Zingiber is provided, along with an outline of the materials and methods used in this paper and which are to be used in our subsequent taxonomic studies on Zingiber in China. Based on an investigation of the protologues, and on comparisons of both the type specimens and living materials collected from the type localities and their immediate vicinities. Zingiber stipitatum S.Q.Tong and Z. menghaiense S.Q.Tong are here reduced to synonymy under Z. kerrii Craib. A previous lectotypification of Zingiber kerrii is discussed and amended. The existence of mixed collections among the isotypes of Zingiber stipitatum is highlighted and a proposal to exclude the vegetative parts belonging to Z. neotruncatum from the type material is made. A description and a colour plate of Zingiber kerrii based on a collection from China are provided.

A new species and a new variety of the genus Agapetes from Kachin State, Myanmar are described and illustrated here. Agapetes putaoensis sp. nov. can be easily recognized by its very short peduncles and small cylindric-conical corollas divided more than a half, and Agapetes wardii var. heterotricha var. nov. differs from the typical variety in having longer pedicels and puberulous pedicels and calyxes sometimes with glandular setae. The distribution map of these two new taxa is also provided.