A new species, Wikstroemiafragrans (Thymelaeaceae, Daphneae), from Danxiashan National Park, Shaoguan, Guangdong of China is described and illustrated. It is similar to the sympatric W.trichotoma, but can be differentiated easily from the latter by its shorter racemose inflorescences, yellowish green calyx tube, and smaller leaves. It also resembles the allopatric W.fargesii, but differs from it by its strigose-pubescent ovary and disk scale that is 2- or 3-dentate apically. Phylogenetic analysis using the nuclear DNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region revealed that W.fragrans falls within the Wikstroemia clade; based on current sampling, W.fragrans is closely-related to W.capitata. It is also the first species of Wikstroemia known to be endemic to the Danxia landform and is classified provisionally as Critically Endangered according to the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria.
Anatomical structure of mummified wood of Cryptocarya (Lauraceae) from the Upper Pleistocene of Maoming, South China and the woods of 15 extant species of Cryptocarya from China and Malaysia were examined. The fossil wood has been convincingly attributed to extant species Cryptocarya chinensis (Hance) Hemsl. This is the first reliable fossil record of Cryptocarya in Asia. The finding combined with the results of Biomod2 species distribution modeling suggest that the range of C. chinensis in the Late Pleistocene in South China and North Vietnam was very restricted due to increased continental aridity and enhanced temperature seasonality in this region. Thus, modern populations of C. chinensis in Maoming can be considered as glacial relicts. The mines (larval tunnels) produced by the larvae of flies from the genus Phytobia Lioy (Agromyzidae, Diptera) were observed in fossil wood under study. These cambial miners have never been reported in Cryptocarya.