Our field surveys and specimen examination of Carex from southern to south-western regions in China resulted in the discovery of five new species and one new variety, which are here named as Carex brevihispida X.F.Jin & Y.F.Lu (in sect. Surculosae), C. puberuliutriculata Y.F.Lu & X.F.Jin (sect. Clandestinae), C. paratatsiensis Y.F.Lu & X.F.Jin (sect. Aulocystis), C. huanjiangensis S.Yun Liang ex Y.F.Lu & X.F.Jin (sect. Decorae), C. liangiana X.F.Jin & Y.F.Lu and C. thibetica Franch. var. angustifolia X.F.Jin & Y.F.Lu (sect. Rhomboidales).

Background: Southeast Asia, together with tropical Africa, Madagascar, South India and Sri Lanka, and the eastern Himalayas, are the five primary hotspots of species diversity of Impatiens (Balsaminaceae). China is also rich in Impatiens species, especially in the limestone karsts or ‘Danxia’ landforms. With zygomorphic flowers and diverse corolla morphology and color, the species in Impatiens are well-known for their ornamental use, but they are also notorious in taxonomy. During the preparation of revision of Impatiens in Zhejiang and adjacent regions, an unknown species was collected from Mt. Wuyi in Fujian Province, Southeast China. Results: Phylogenetic analyses based on nuclear ITS, chloroplast atpB-rbcL and trnL-F sequences, together with micromorphology of pollen grains and seed coats, strongly supported the close relationship of the new species with Impatiens platysepala Y.L.Chen and I. chloroxantha Y.L.Chen. In turn, both molecular data and morphological characters also were sufficient to distinguish the new species from the other two counterparts. Conclusions: Our detailed morphological observations and molecular phylogenetic analyses support the recognition of Impatiens wuyiensis as a species new to science.

A new species, Carex borealifujianica Y.F. Lu & X.F. Jin (Cyperaceae, sect. Occlusae of core Carex clade) is described and illustrated from northern Fujian, China. In addition to morphological comparisons with its relatives, comparative micromorphology of utricles and achenes of seven species in Carex sect. Occlusae was examined. Micromorphology of utricles and achenes revealed the similarity of Carex borealifujianica and C. ligulata. Morphologically, this new species is similar to Carex ligulata in having lateral spikes remote and densely flowered, as well as utricles densely hispidulous, but differs in having 2 or 3 narrowly clavate staminate spikes, leaves 2.5–5 mm wide with sheaths sparsely pilose, and achenes emarginate at the apex. The phylogenetic analysis from two nuclear DNA regions (ETS and ITS) and two chloroplast DNA regions (matK and trnL-F) of 68 taxa resolved C. borealifujianica as a distinct species.