The limestone region of southern China is a biodiversity hotspot from where numerous rare new species have been or are being described. Here, Hemiboea yongfuensis, a new species of Gesneriaceae from a limestone hill in Guilin, North Guangxi, southern China is described and illustrated. It is similar to H. subcapitata and H. pterocaulis in morphology and coexists with both of them in the same limestone hill, but can be distinguished from the latter two by its quadrilateral stem without winged edges, corolla outside light pink and sparsely glandular‐pubescent and pale pink calyx which is 5‐lobed from base, as well as by molecular data from trnL‐F and ITS. We provide detailed information, including morphological descriptions, illustrations, diagnostic comparisons and molecular phylogenetic affinities of the new species.

The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Semiaquilegia guangxiensis was assembled and the phylogenetic relationship with other species in Trib. Isopyreae was inferred in this study. The chloroplast genome is 164,047 bp in length. A typical quadripartite structure was detected, including two inverted repeats (IRs) of 29,581 bp, which are separated by a large single-copy (LSC) and a small singlecopy (SSC) of 87,490 bp and 17,395 bp, respectively. Moreover, The genome comprises 132 genes, including 88 protein-coding genes, 36 tRNA genes, and 8 rRNA genes. The overall GC content of the chloroplast genome is 38.9%. The phylogenetic analysis indicated that S. guangxiensis is most closely related to its congener S. adoxoides, and Semiaquilegia is most closely related to Aquilegia in Ranunculaceae.

Damnacanthus indicus C.F.Gaertn. is an understorey shrub widely distributed in East Asia. In this study, the complete chloroplast genome of D. indicus was assembled and annotated. The chloroplast genome is 153,997 bp in total length, consisting of a large single-copy region (LSC 85,159 bp), a small singlecopy region (SSC 17,584 bp) and two inverted repeat regions (25,627 bp for IRA and IRB,respectively). It contains 134 genes, including 89 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, and 8 rRNA genes. The phylogenetic analysis indicated that D. indicus is sister to Mitchella repens, suggesting a close relationship of the two genera.

Based on morphological and molecular phylogenetic studies, Semiaquilegia danxiashanensis, a new species from Danxia Shan in northern Guangdong, southern China, is described and illustrated. This species is easily distinguishable from each of other three known species in the genus by characters of the flowers and fruits. In addition, molecular phylogenetic analyses of both the nuclear ITS and the plastid trnL-F region strongly supported S. danxiashanensis as a separate species from other species of Semiaquilegia. We provide a detailed morphological and habitat description, distribution, as well as colour photographs and illustrations of the new species.