Corresponding author: Shixiao Luo (
Academic editor: A. Sennikov
Based on morphological studies performed on live plants in the field and specimens deposited in herbaria, a new species,
Yao G, Cai J, Wu Y, Yang X, Oo TN, Moe AZ, Luo S (2018) Taxonomic studies of
Recently, the leafflower plant and leafflower moth system, a new mutualism model system that is similar to the fig-fig wasp and yucca-yucca moth pollination systems, was described between
During the fieldwork in Shan State, eastern Myanmar, in December 2015, two of the authors (J. Cai and X.F. Yang) collected some
In addition to fieldwork in mountain areas of the eastern Myanmar, the present study also included analyses of
The species is similar to
MYANMAR. Shan State, Pindaya, near the Htwet Ni village, West of Pindaya town, at an elevation of 1396 m, forest understory, in flowering and fruiting, 25 December 2015,
Shrubs or treelets, up to 2 m; monoecious; branchlets pubescent. Leaf blade oblong or elliptic, 9–13.5 × 4.5–6.5 cm, papery, slightly leathery, with apex acuminate to round and base broadly cuneate, sparsely pubescent along veins adaxially, pubescent abaxially; midvein and 6–9-paired lateral veins elevated abaxially. Petiole 3–4 mm long, pubescent. Stipules narrowly triangular, 2–4 mm long, pubescent. Male flowers: pedicels 6–10 mm long, densely tomentose; sepals 6, biseriate, oblong or ovate, densely tomentose; stamens 3. Female flowers: in axillary clusters, pedicels 1.5–2 mm long, densely strigose; sepals 6, uniseriate, narrowly triangular, densely strigose; ovary depressed globose, 4–5-locular, densely strigose; style connate into a cylinder, ca. 1 mm long, slightly truncate at apex, apex 4–5-lobed. Capsules depressed globose, 8–9 mm in diameter, ca. 4 mm high, sparsely pubescent, 8–10-grooved; persistent style cylindric, ca. 1 mm long; fruiting pedicels 4–5 mm long, stout, densely pubescent; seed laterally compressed, orange.
This new species is currently known only from its type locality, Shan State, eastern Myanmar, where it grows in the broadleaved and coniferous dry forest dominated by
The species resembles
Line drawing of
Morphological comparisons between
The authors are grateful to the